Chapter 36 Sabotaged
Veronica's POV:
I really didn't want to be separated from Theo's arms. I wanted to hear more of his Eastern philosophy knowledge, and lose myself again in the yogic lovemaking he'd shown me... but he'd had to leave when a client called.
"Duty before pleasure," he'd said with that apologetic smile that made my chest ache.
Now it was twilight, and I was stretched out on a yoga mat on the beach, phone in hand, earbuds tucked in my ears playing some moody romantic playlist.
In front of me, the waves rolled in with their eternal rhythm, and the vibe was pure and blissful.
Just a while ago, I'd experienced something blissful with Theo... his hands, his words, the way he'd made me feel both worshiped and grounded. Now I was vibing in a different way, letting the ocean breeze cool my sun-warmed skin while the last rays of sunlight painted the sky in shades of coral and lavender.
Despite that, my traitorous eyes drifted across the beach and immediately landed on Max. Of course, they did.
He was out in the water, surfing shirtless, his body moving with that effortless grace that made everything look easy. Just like always, there was a crowd of girls—cheering every time he carved through a wave. He was showing off, and enjoying the attention... so typical of him.
But why was I looking at him?! A sharp stab of guilt hit me.
It was so wrong of me... given what I'd shared with Theo just an hour ago. The intimacy, the connection, the promises we made, it was sacred. I shouldn't be doing this again.
I forced my gaze back to my phone screen, determined to focus on something that actually mattered.
The message I'd been drafting to my father sat there, half-finished: Dad, I have incredible news. My startup project got selected for the Global Expo in—
My fingers hovered over the screen to hit send. This was it. This was the moment I'd been working toward, the thing that would finally make him see me as something more than his disappointing daughter.
He was going to be surprised and proud of me finally. He was going to love me!
I was finally feeling fully contented in my life. The startup was taking off, my love life would be good if I stuck with Theo—and I'd finally figured out what I wanted. Everything was falling into place.
But then I caught it... Max's blue eyes, locked on me from the water. Despite the girls below him, despite the next wave rolling in, he was staring at me with a passion that made my breath catch. The setting sun turned his wet skin golden, and even from this distance, I could see the question in his gaze. He was literally challenging me at this point!
Something fluttered low in my stomach, and immediately my guilt only intensified.
It doesn't matter what I felt for Max. I was already clear about what I really wanted. This didn't matter at all. Max was just... Max. Beautiful, cocky, impossible Max, who made everything complicated and confused. I have already chosen Theo—he is my safe place.
I drew in a deep breath and prepared to hit send on the message. But before my thumb could complete the motion, my phone lit up with an incoming call.
Dad.
Perfect timing. I'd tell him the news directly instead, and hear the pride in his voice in real time. My heart was already soaring as I pulled out an earbud and answered.
"Dad! I was just about to call you. I've got good news."
"You are such a disappointment." He yelled at me from the other side.
I blinked, confusion flooding through me. "What? Dad, why are you angry?"
"So far, I assumed you were just an irresponsible brat. But now I get the news that you stole someone's startup project and were claiming it as yours at the Global Expo."
The world tilted around me. The beautiful twilight, the peaceful waves, the contentment I'd felt just moments ago—it all shattered into fragments. My heart started breaking into shreds, each word from his mouth like a razor blade.
"What?" I whispered. "What are you even saying?"
"You should be ashamed of yourself," he continued, his voice rising. "And this is how you were planning to make me proud? By lying? By stealing someone else's hardwork? Do you have any idea what this makes our family look like?"
It just didn't make sense anymore—they couldn't be real. "Dad... no. Please listen to me. There must be some kind of mistake in this. Theo and I worked really hard on this project. I swear, this is our work. It's ours."
"Stop lying," He roared. "I know exactly what you're doing there with Theo and Max. You're screwing around with those two brothers, enjoying some kind of frat party vacation while I'm here dealing with the consequences of your actions."
The blood drained from my face.
"That's not—that's not what this is," I stammered, weakly. "The startup is real. Everything I told you was real. Someone is lying to you."
"I've had enough of this, Veronica. Now, you have two choices. Come back home immediately and marry Chase as we planned, or I'm going to come there myself and drag you back. And believe me, you won't like the second option."
"Dad, please—"
"Those are your options. Choose."
The line went dead.
I sat there, phone still pressed into my ear, my entire body numb. The romantic music still played in my remaining earbuds, absurdly cheerful against the devastation coursing through me.
I immediately checked my email and found an official message from the Global Expo stating that our invitation had been revoked—the panel believed our work was stolen and had disqualified us from presenting at the expo.
Someone had sabotaged me. Someone had gone to my father with lies—that I'd stolen the project, that I was just playing around instead of working.
And I could only think of one person who would do something like this! Chase.