Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Zach POV

Watching Vega squirm throughout the meeting scratched a bit of the itch of anger I felt, she'd been fearful too and she had every right to be because I was back to collect, collect everything she'd achieved with the money she made off me while I suffered.

I was going to take everything back without batting an eye, just the way she had when she ripped out my heart even after I allowed myself to be vulnerable with her. Vega hadn't loved me at all despite how she claimed to. It was all about the money, it had always been about that.

I've made sure to sabotage her for the last few years but she was resilient, nothing seemed to break her so I figured if all I'd been doing for the past five years didn't work, then when I ruined her company, she'd finally feel the pain I've been feeling all these years.

And she dared to dance with that guy at the club. I still saw red when I thought about it, but I'd been particularly angry when I saw them at the club together, hence why I went to her apartment and left pictures of them with a message. Vega was mine and no one else, and I didn't mean that in a sexual term. But she was mine damn it in every sense of the world.

Everything was her fault and I hated her, hated her so much that I couldn't fall for anyone else, even the feeling of sexual attraction seemed elusive, and the worst was I couldn't stop comparing everyone to her, it was like every other girl I met after paled in comparison.

You'd think with all the training and discipline at military school, I'd have forgotten all about her good qualities and only had hate for her in my heart, but it didn't work. Nothing worked and it made me freaking mad. I spent each day alternating between wanting to get revenge and daydreaming about the stupid picnic we went on together and how I'd love to relive that moment again and again. I'd been truly happy with her, but she left me with bitterness, and I couldn't get past that.

I had spent only a year at the military school, then I went on to manage my father's business abroad and I was so determined to prove them all wrong about me that I gave it all I got and turned it into a billion-dollar company, and from thereon, I went on to create my own company, dabbling into whatever seemed profitable then invested. Father had been wrong about me and at every family dinner we had, I took every chance I had to gloat in his face. Chloe hated every minute of it but I didn't give a damn. They knew I hated them both, but I was successful now, so they had no choice but to tolerate me.

I didn't want their love, I could live without it just fine. Which was why it hurt that the only person I'd wanted to love me betrayed me, and that was that, except I wasn't going to let it go. I was going to destroy her just as she did to me.

My lawyer opened the car door for me and I stepped in, my temperament still as shitty, if not worse than when I went into the boardroom.

"Where to sir Zach," the driver asked, glancing back at me.

"To Noah's place," I replied tiredly. The guy had been leaving me messages all day long asking for an update.

I arrived at his place in five minutes to meet that he was standing at the front of his porch waiting for me.

I walked toward him. "Don't you have a book you should be writing"?

"I do, and I also have a deadline to meet, but I can't get anything done if I'm thinking about what went down with you and Vega, so please spill all the details before I go insane," he said theatrically and I rolled my eyes.

"Can we at least go inside first before all the questions?" I asked in exasperation and he nodded with a smile that said he was happy to make me exhausted.

Noah's apartment was pretty decent and very intriguing since he loved collecting very expensive spectrums of art which he displayed for anyone visiting to see. It made his living room look like a mini museum, but the cluster of crushed papers also made it look like he also indulged in collecting thrash.

"When are you going to ever clean this place".

Noah stared at the mess as if he'd never seen them before. "Probably after I finish my manuscript".

"Forget it, you're hopeless. I'm going to hire a cleaner".

"If you're going to do that then you'll have to sign a contract that states that if anything goes missing then you're going to pay for them".

"I'm not hiring criminals to clean your house, Noah".

"Of course, you're not, now stop stalling and tell me how you felt when you met Vega".

"I felt fucking angry, what else were you expecting!" I snapped and Noah jerked in surprise. "I'm sorry, I just feel cranky that's all".

Noah stared at me like I was some freaking alien. "It's been five years Zach. I thought you both would reconcile if you met"

I laughed because Noah was hilarious. "Yeah, that's never going to happen".

Noah's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "We've been sabotaging all her dates for years, I thought that would be enough to ease your anger".

"That doesn't even begin to cover it" I muttered, then faced Noah. "I'm going to take away her company from her and if I can't, I'll run it into the ground".

Noah's mouth hung open as he stared at me.

"That's taking it a bit too far don't you think. Vega worked hard to build that company".

"Yeah, she fucking did, with the money she made off with breaking my heart. Do I have to remind you of what I went through Noah"

"You don't have to. I'm just trying to say five years is a long time to carry such hate for just one person"

"Well, it's been like five days to me, heck it feels like it was yesterday it happened. I'm going to get my revenge and I don't care what you think about it".

Noah sighed exasperatedly. "This has gone too far, Zach. Fine, she broke your heart but you also hurt her, you said all those nasty things to her, how do you think that made her feel, and let's not forget your playboy status, you've broken the heart of hundred girls haven't you? How would you feel if they all wanted to get revenge."

There was no way Noah was going to make me feel condemnable. I refused to be. "They wouldn't try to get revenge on me, do you know why Noah? Because they were all after money and I gave them tons of it. There was also no heartbreaking whatsoever because they all knew what they were getting into".

"But you've already done a lot of stuff to her, isn't that enough".

"No it's not enough. Nothing I do will ever be enough for what she put me through, so I'll keep this up until I feel happy enough to let it go".

"I don't even know what to say to you anymore. Haven't you thought that she might actually be telling the truth about being in love with you and that she was already involved in the bet before that happened"?

"I don't care about that, what's done, is done and I'm back to collect," I said, my jaw clenching shut at the hopelessness on Noah's face. I didn't care what he thought. Vega made me like this, and I was going to return the favor by taking the most important thing away from her.