Chapter 71 The Triangle Tightens
Veronica's POV:
I expected Theo to look at me with some hurt or even jealousy when Max and I walked through the door.
We'd been gone all night... staying at that cabin, doing things that still made my cheeks flush to think about... and surely Theo would have noticed.
But when Max strolled into the living room where Theo was working on his laptop, there was no tension. No awkward silence... or meaningful looks exchanged.
Max just high-fived his brother like they were college roommates. "What's up, bro?"
Theo barely glanced up from his screen. "I was checking code blocks for the new authentication protocol and—"
"Oh no... just forget I asked anything at all, brother," Max interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "Keep your nerd stuff to yourself."
He walked away toward the kitchen, leaving Theo shaking his head.
"I should keep it to myself," Theo called after him, "or else I will become as dumb as you."
I watched this exchange with disbelief.
The drama these brothers were performing... was almost comical. One pretended to be dumb while secretly being a genius who could fix AI-powered security systems and had graduated top of his class from MIT under a fake name. And the other... Theo...
I still couldn't fully understand him at this point. There was something beneath his calm exterior that I couldn't quite grasp. He was hiding some layer I hadn't uncovered yet.
Theo looked up from his laptop and smiled at me... it was his signature smile... that gentle, sincere smile that always made me feel seen and valued. "Good morning, Veronica. I hope you slept well."
The complete lack of accusation or suspicion in his voice made me feel somehow worse. Like he wasn't a bit bothered about the situation with his brother.
"I have good news," Theo continued, his eyes lighting up with genuine excitement. "The global expo approved our project. After I raised a complaint against the initial rejection and provided additional verification of our claims, they reconsidered. We're really going global now, Veronica."
My heart stopped, then started racing.
"What?" I breathed.
"Our app," Theo said, standing up and moving toward me. "I sent them all the verifications... our original designs, the development timeline, everything that proves this was our work and not Chase's manipulation. They've accepted our application. We'll have a booth at the expo in three days."
I was literally jumping now, unable to contain the joy that exploded through me. "Oh my god! Oh my god, Theo!"
This changed everything. The global expo was where careers were made, where apps were discovered by the majority... where distribution deals and investor relationships were formed.
Chase had stolen this from me once, but now... now I was getting it back.
"Thank you so much!" I threw myself at Theo, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you for fixing this, for believing in us, for taking the time to—"
"Hey, brother, have you seen my—"
Max's voice cut off abruptly.
I felt the change in the air immediately, like the temperature had dropped ten degrees. I pulled back from Theo slightly and looked toward the doorway where Max had frozen mid-step.
His eyes were locked on me and Theo, my arms still wrapped around his brother, and his entire body had gone rigid. His expression was carefully neutral, but I could see something dark flickering behind his eyes. Something possessive and hurt and jealous all tangled together.
Oh no.
I immediately withdrew from Theo, stepping back quickly like I'd been burned. My mind raced, trying to figure out what to say, how to explain.
Max must be wondering how I could just hug Theo so casually... when we'd only just gotten back from our date.
The contract we'd all signed flashed through my mind again. Rule one... when all three of us were together, interactions remained Platonic and friendly. No romantic gestures, no displays of affection, no preferential treatment.
Hugging Theo about the expo approval didn't violate that rule. The real situation was the expo. About my career, the opportunity that had almost been stolen from me is being restored. This wasn't even romantic at this point...
I would have hugged anyone who'd just told me that news... hell, I would have hugged the mailman.
I wanted to scream the explanation, to make him understand.
But I stood still as a log instead, frozen by Max's stare and the sudden realization of how complicated this had all become.
Theo, oblivious to the tension between me and Max, just smiled and turned back to his laptop. "Your phone charger? I think I left it in the kitchen this morning."
"Right," Max said, his tone oddly flat. "Kitchen it is..."
Once Max was gone, I looked down at Theo, who was sitting very calmly at his laptop like he was in meditation. Too calm.
His fingers moved across the keyboard with that same precision he brought to everything, his green eyes were serene and untroubled.
Does he even really like me?!
Max had been visibly affected when he'd seen me hugging Theo... But Theo? He had shown absolutely nothing so far...
Maybe he didn't care. Maybe his participation in this whole arrangement was just... polite? Obligatory? Something he was doing for the sake of his own genuine interest?
Maybe it was for the best, I thought.
I could just go with Max, choose him instead, and everyone could move on without anyone getting hurt... It would be simpler that way. Actually cleaner.
Still, something was irking me.
Something was pulling me towards him... that made me want to dig deeper, to get beneath Theo's spiritual layers and unlock what was his true form...
What emotions did he keep buried under that serene surface?!
"The expo is happening in New York this year," Theo said, not looking up from his screen. "I booked flight tickets since my personal private plane is under annual service. Is that okay with you?"
"More than okay," I said, forcing a smile.
But inside, I was more confused than ever about Theo Ashford and what, if anything, he actually felt.