Cut Off the Three Million

Chapter 2

When I got back to the rental apartment, the living room light was still on.

I opened my suitcase and had just put my identification documents and laptop into my bag.

The moment I zipped it closed, my phone rang.

It was my father calling.

"Riley, when are you coming home?"

All the emotion I had held all night rose up at the sound of his voice, and my throat tightened.

"Dad, we broke up."

There was silence on the other end of the line for two seconds.

"Aziel?"

"Yes," I said, my voice barely steady.

"Why did he end things?" he asked.

"He thinks I'm not wealthy enough," I said.

My father gave a short laugh. Not at me, he was laughing out of pure frustration. "The daughter of Everlast Group's chairman, not wealthy enough for a project manager?"

"He doesn't know who I am," I said, sinking onto the edge of the bed.

"Then he's blind." he said.

I sat down in my suitcase and suddenly found myself smiling too.

My father asked, "The preliminary work on the Grand Prosperity project, you were the one who prepared it, weren't you?"

"Yes," I nodded even though he couldn't see me.

"Do you have proof?" he asked.

"Everything is documented," I tapped the folder gently against my knee.

"Come home," he said softly, his voice gentle and reassuring.

I held the phone tighter. "Dad, I want to withdraw our funding."

He didn't agree right away. "Money Everlast has invested is not something you usually act on impulse."

"I understand." I took a steadying breath. "Three core data sets in the proposal Aziel submitted come from the research model I built. No authorization was given, and my name does not appear anywhere. If Grand Prosperity launches an investigation, Everlast will be held accountable."

"Go on," he said, his voice calm but serious, listening closely.

"Vice President Langley improperly interfered in the selection process and pushed Aziel into the lead role. Aziel presented my work as his own to take credit. One abused his position, the other fabricated results." I kept my voice steady, laying out the facts clearly.

"What do you intend to do?" he asked.

"Launch a formal review first," I said.

My father was quiet for a moment. "Very well. Report to the office tomorrow."

The front door lock turned.

Aziel had come back.

He walked in, saw the suitcase, and stopped short. "You're actually moving out?"

I looked at him. "What else would I do?"

He loosened his tie and sat down on the sofa. "What you said back there in the private room was out of line."

I titled my head, my expression calm but firm. "Which part?"

"The part about me stealing the proposal," he muttered, staring down at his hands in his lap, unable to meet my gaze.

I laughed. "Didn't you call it a lie? Why does it bother you so much if it isn't true?"

He rubbed the space between his brows. "The proposal draws on materials you put together, but that's what partners do: We help each other. Dwelling on it now is petty."

"Help each other?" I gestured toward the coffee mug on the table. "Aziel, what exactly did you ever do for me?"

His expression hardened. "Riley, don't play the victim. I have given you emotional support all these years."

I could barely believe what I was hearing.

"Support of what kind?"

"You have got to be with someone who was going somewhere. You enjoyed feeling like you were a capable, successful man," he said, leaning forward, his voice growing sharper. "Face it, you just can't stand seeing me get ahead without you. I'd advise you to handle this with some dignity. I'm going to have a senior position at Everlast. If you make this messy, you're the one who will lose out."

I lifted my suitcase. "I hope you climb high, then."