Page 42 of Knot Your Sunshine (Snugverse Romcom #2)

Chapter thirty-nine

Keanu

"The test was designed to find the winning approach." Chadwick's smugness oozes through the speaker. "Ms. Everly's franchisees are, regrettably, the losing ones. Since I don't see them recovering, cutting your losses with them now is just good business."

Noa's knuckles crack one by one. His fingers grip the table edge so hard the wood groans. Beside me, Josh stares at the screen, jaw clenched tight.

"Fuck the test." Noa's voice drops to that register that could make other alphas piss themselves. "We're not axing Mia's franchisees."

The words surge out of me before I can think. "Yeah, no way man. Cutting them now would be a betrayal."

"The test isn't even over," Josh adds, pushing his glasses up with shaking fingers. "We don't have sufficient data for such a drastic decision. We need to finish the test period, as agreed."

The silence stretches. I can hear Chadwick's breathing hard through the speaker.

"This is financial suicide," he finally says. "You're arranging your own money funeral."

The line goes dead.

I stare at the blank screen, my leg bouncing under the desk.

"Okay, I think this qualifies for getting Mia." I push back from the table, chair scraping against hardwood. "She needs to know what just happened. We tell her everything. Figure out how to course-correct her franchises, together."

Noa nods, running his hand through his hair. Josh closes his notebook with a decisive snap.

I stride to the door, already mentally rehearsing how to explain this clusterfuck in a way that doesn't make us look like complete assholes. My hand wraps around the handle, pulls—

My blood turns to ice water.

She's right there. Arms crossed tight across her chest, her violet eyes burning with something beyond fury.

My mouth moves before my brain catches up. "Mia? What are you doing here? I was just about to come get you."

Her bitter laugh slices through the air.

"Right." The word drips acid. She shoulders past me hard enough that my muscular frame actually stumbles back a step, her scent carrying pure anger.

She plants herself in the center of the room, squaring off against all three of us.

"You were just coming to get me? Before or after you agreed with your expert to axe my franchisees? "

The air leaves my lungs in a rush. I open my mouth. Close it. Open it again. Nothing comes out.

"What?" Noa finally manages, but his voice cracks. "No, we never agreed to that. We refused!"

"Oh, come on." Her eyes somehow burn brighter. "I heard you through the door not five minutes ago."

"We never would have done that to you, Sunshine." I take a step toward her, hands raised, palms out. Peace offering. White flag. Whatever it takes to erase that betrayal from her face. "I swear—"

"So you wouldn't have if it wasn't me? If it was just some random omega with a failing business?"

"No... We respect your expertise," Josh stammers.

"You respect my expertise?" Her voice rises with each word. "Then why wasn't I in this meeting?"

"You were exhausted—" I begin.

"We thought—" Josh cuts in.

But Noa steps forward, shoulders squaring.

"That was my fault, Mia. I convinced them this was the best course of action.

" His face crumples slightly. "And the marketing push, that was also me.

When I saw you were upset about the dip before the dolphin trip, I couldn't stand it.

What we told you about dips being temporary, that's usually true.

But I wanted to make it go away faster, so I demanded we spend more on marketing.

" He drags a hand down his face. "I thought throwing money at it would fix everything.

I didn't think it through. I just... I couldn't bear seeing you worried. "

"You should have told me." Her voice cracks on the last word, and something in my chest splinters.

"Instead of hiding it. Making decisions about my business behind my back.

" She takes a shaky breath. "Do you understand what your actions tell me?

That you don't see me as an equal partner.

That you see me as some fragile omega who needs protection from reality.

How am I supposed to trust you with my heart when you won't even trust me with my own business? "

"We fucked up, Mia." The words tear out of me, raw and desperate. "We know. I was literally walking to your room. We were going to tell you everything."

"That's not enough." Her gaze sweeps across us, each look a blade. "You don't get to decide when I'm ready to hear news about my dream. You of all people should understand that since you supposedly 'walked that path.'"

"We were trying to protect you," Josh says quietly.

"I don't need protection. I need partners."

"Mia, please," Noa's voice breaks. "Let us explain properly—"

"And how am I even supposed to believe anything you say now?" Her voice drops to something worse than yelling. Something cold, distant, final. "Trust is everything, and you broke it."

We stand there, three grown alphas staring at our feet like scolded pups. Josh's glasses fog. Noa's hands hang limp at his sides. My own fingers curl and uncurl, desperate for something to fix, something to do.

"You know what? You can forget about not using scent blockers anymore. And helping me through my heat." Each word falls like a hammer blow. "In fact, consider my stay shortened. I'm going back to Lakeview asap. I—I'll take suppressants for the trip or something."

She turns on her heel. The door slams behind her hard enough to rattle the bottles on the bar.

For three heartbeats, nobody moves. Nobody breathes.

Then Josh lurches toward the door.

Noa's hand lands on his chest. "No." The defeat in his voice makes my stomach drop further. "She needs time."

Josh spins on him so fast I barely track the movement. "This is your fault!" The scream rips from somewhere primal. I blink. In all our years together, I've never heard Josh make that sound. "You and your need to control everything. Your stupid leadership. You screwed this up!"

Noa takes it. Just stands there, absorbing every word like he deserves them. Maybe he does. Maybe we all do.

"Hey, man, come on..." I step between them, hands out, trying to defuse.

Josh's eyes shine with unshed tears as he stares past me at Noa.

"I hold you accountable if she leaves us, Noa."

Then he's gone too. Another door slam. Another piece of us breaking away.

Noa and I stand in the wreckage of what could have been our chance at real happiness. At a family. At love.

"Fuck," I breathe.

Noa sinks into a chair like his strings have been cut. Head in his hands. For the first time since I've known him, our unshakeable leader looks completely lost.

Fuck.