Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Vega POV

Staring at the bottom of my wine glass didn't make me feel less edgy in the fancy restaurant that Zach had decided on.

He was so calm and collected that it made me uneasy. I felt as if a rollercoaster was going on inside me. When I'd almost fallen in the office, he'd taken the hit so that I wouldn't get hurt, and because of that I almost had hope that he cared about me even tho that rarely seemed to be the case. I remembered our conversation in my mother's kitchen, and I knew all those things he'd confessed to me had been true... I figured they were even tho he said being with me had been all a game for him.

"I don't have all day Miss Vega, so maybe we should cut to the chase".

I sighed and dropped the piece of salad I'd picked up with my fork.

"Why are you doing all this Zach?" I asked and he raised an eyebrow. I know it was because I was calling him by his name but I wasn't going to retract.

"I thought you already had it figured out Vega. Do you need me to confirm it for you".

I scoffed. "You're unbelievable you know that right?" I asked feeling the rage I'd been keeping inside all this year start to unfurl in my chest and I knew this meeting was going to end with me making a scene.

His brows furrowed. "Why do you say that Vega, I'd like to be enlightened".

"You think you're the only victim in this but you're not Zach. Maybe you forgot the words you said to me on the night that we broke up but I didn't, and neither does the people who watched the stupid video. I should be getting revenge for the nasty words you said to me. Do you have any idea how you made me feel, what I had to struggle with"?

He stared at me, his cold gaze unflinching as he flexed his wrist. "Is that the card you're going to play…  I agree I said some very hurtful stuff, but I'm a playboy, what did you expect when you started getting close to me".

"Exactly Zach Dante, so I don't understand why you're back in my life trying to ruin it".

He stared at me, then smirked. "I'm just taking back what is mine' Vega".

"My company is not yours," I said, my voice getting louder even tho I was trying to hold back.

"You built it with the money you won off me".

"Yeah I did and I won't apologize for it because I had to take a major risk to win that money. I had to do it to give my mom and me a better life. I put all my life saving into the bet, did you think I was just going to give it all up for someone who told me that I was all a game to him".

His jaw clenched. "I didn't… what does it matter now huh, you already admit that you're not sorry for using me".

"Because you're also not sorry for using me ".

"You're wrong, Vega, I never used you…".

"maybe because you never got the fucking chance to. For the love of God Zach, the world does not freaking revolve around you. If what you said when we broke up was true then the proposal and all those time we spent together was all just some game to you, it means you never even loved me so why are you mad at me for no reason".

He stared at me and I held my breath at the raw pain in his eyes that had clouded over. I was almost sure that if he blinked, a tear or two would run down his cheek. If my words hurt him so much then he did love me. His next words poured ice water over my thought as soon as it formed tho.

"Like I said back then and I'll still repeat it, I didn't like that you played me, you ruined my reputation so I'm here to collect my pound of flesh. I'm going to take your company from you Vega since I see how much you cherish it" he said, his voice hitching as he clenched and unclenched his fist.

"And what about my pound of flesh huh, what about what I had to go through? You fucking me made me struggle with my self-esteem, you made me feel bad about myself, I had to visit a therapist just to feel validated"

"And I had to get sent off to some torture camp by my father for a fucking year for a scandal that you were partly responsible for" he yelled, his lips trembling as he tried to appear unaffected but I could see it all because I still fucking felt his pain as if they were mine. He shook his head as if trying to wipe the memory off. Did his father send him off because of the video? That was fucked up and it just made me feel more guilty because it was my fault.

"That doesn't matter" he continued, "I invested in your company to save it, but at the end of the day I'm going to take over."

I exhaled, the tears in my eyes making it hard for me to see him. "It's not only my company, Andrianna and I built it together, are you going to destroy her along with me"

"I don't care who gets hurt Vega, she knew about all your plans so that doesn't make her innocent".

"And if I wanted you to reconsider, would an apology be enough".

"No, it won't be fucking enough!" He snapped, then exhaled as he gave me a pointed look. "But I guess if you agree to be in a sexual relationship with me, I might reconsider," he said with a smirk and I inhaled sharply because I didn't see that coming from a mile away. Was he out of his mind? The company might mean a lot to me but I'd never sleep with him to keep it, not after our history. I wasn't going to allow him to make me the Easy girl he said I was.

"I don't understand you at all Zach, but is all this you're doing, is hurting me going to take whatever it is you're going through right now away".

He relaxed back against his seat. "It will, since getting all those guys not to go out with you made me feel fucking great," he said all of a sudden, and it was so out of context that I just gaped at him for a second. My heart rate kicked up at his confession but I was freaking confused.

"What are you… "

"Those guys who always ghosted you, I was behind that but I guess they weren't interested in you if I could get them to back off with the money," he said smugly and I watched him, my heart burning in my chest.

"Since when?" I got out shakily and he leaned toward me.

"Since the day I left," he replied with a smile. "The devastation on your face was worth every dime I spent but I guess nothing beats actually telling you about it. You look like you're about to faint, Vega, my heart is almost moved to pity you".

My hands tightened on the fork and I waged a war about using it as a brace or stabbing Zach in the eyes with it. All these years I'd thought there was something wrong with me when it had been him. Why did he fucking hate me so much when he said he didn't even love me, except that he did and that was why he wanted to get back at me for breaking his heart?

"You said you were at torture camp for a year" I choked out, my gaze cutting to his as the first tear leaked out.

"I was, Noah had it covered".

I wasn't even surprised to hear that. "And that wasn't enough to get you off my back".

"Nothing is ever going to be enough for what you did".

What I did? And that was what exactly since he refused to acknowledge the fact that he loved me, and instead chose to use the excuse that I embarrassed him.

"Do what you want then" I said, and he frowned, clearly not expecting it. "I'm sorry I lied to you, hurt you even and I'm sorry for whatever other crime I might have committed, but it's all in the past and there's nothing more I can do to make it better, so take away the company if that's what you have to do to get even and if that isn't enough to stop you being mad, then maybe you can go ahead and take my life too, maybe that would be more satisfactory for you" I got out feeling drained of all emotions as I stood up. "I do regret taking the dare to join in on the bet Zach, because if I didn't, then we'd never have crossed paths, and I wouldn't have fallen for someone like you," I said, turned, and left the restaurant, broke into a run because I couldn't wait to get far away from him.