Page 56 of Unapologetic Obsession

I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, Papa. Finance wasn’t right for me. I-I wasn’t passionate about it at all?—”

“Passion?” His laugh was a low, bitter thing. “Passion is for children, Rose. When will you grow up? Don’t forget that you promised to join the family business after graduation.”

But I never promised anything. He spoke; I listened. Papa took that as my acquiescence.

My throat felt tight. “Please, Papa. I’m not good at investments. This is for the best?—”

“Enough.” The word cracked like a gunshot. “I’m your father, and I know what’sbestfor you, and that’s for you to join Ambani Corps like we discussed.”

I shook my head, though he couldn’t see me. Professor Maxwell had once told me,“If it doesn’t serve you, it ruins you.”Perhaps it was his guidance that gave me the strength to say, “No.”

One simple word turned the conversation on its head.

He was quiet for a moment, but I knew he was seething. “Very well. If you’re not going to keep your word, then you’ll do this without my help. Starting tomorrow, your cards will be frozen, your trust will be sealed, and I’ll make sure every graduate program knows exactly what you are—unreliable.”

My stomach dropped.

Dev Ambani was known to be a shrewd businessman, and he was just as much a hard-liner in his personal affairs. I expected this reaction, but it still stung that my own father wanted to kill my hopes and dreams. He was going to blackball me from every graduate program. A bachelor’s degree in chemistry wouldn’t get me far in this field, and he knew it, too. At the very least, I needed a master’s degree—if not a PhD.

“Actions have consequences, Rose. You chose this path. You want independence? Congratulations. You’ve got it—cold, hard, and penniless.”

The room swayed a little.

“Call me when you’re ready to correct this mistake. Until then, you’re on your own.”

The line went dead before I could even breathe his name. I had stared at my silent phone for minutes, fingers numb, the cold edge of his voice still carved into my chest.

Since then, none of my credit cards had worked, my trust fund had been taken away, and the word had been spread not to accept me into a graduate program. After Poppy found out what had happened, she sent me a stream of unsolicited payments through Venmo. I hated relying on my younger cousin for money and vowed to pay her back every cent upon graduation. If it wasn’t for Professor Maxwell’s pending job offer, that wouldn’t be a possibility, and my future would be in shreds.

Which was why I couldn’t stand it when people criticized him. The worst thing he had ever done was force-feed mehealthy meals and make me switch to raw honey and coconut sugar whenever I baked. But if truth be told, limiting my sugar intake had reduced the inflammation of my scars, and I had never felt better.

Sure, he was a bit hot-tempered and kept everyone at a distance. But he was also the most brilliant man I had met. Geniuses didn’t fit molds. They thought outside the box, which was what made them remarkable.

At my prolonged silence, Amelie waved a hand in front of my face. “Hello! I asked you a question.”

I sighed.

“What do you like about him?” she repeated.

I lifted a shoulder. “The man’s a genius.”

“Um—”

I held up a hand. “I know people hate admitting it because they think he’s difficult. But I would be just as angry if I had half his talent and had to compromise on things because of the university.”

Amelie gave me a quizzical look. “What are you talking abo?—”

“He is misunderstood, but he isn’t a bad person,” I cut her off defiantly, not wanting to hear anything bad said about Professor Maxwell.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Amelie said slowly.

“I’m saying it’s frustrating that you don’t see what I like about him. He isn’t a bad man just because he likes things done a certain way. And think about it from his perspective. He has to allow students with zero experience into his workspace and risk ruining everything he’s built. I don’t blame Professor Maxwell for being hard on us.”

Amelie stared at me with round eyes, shocked that I was defending Professor Maxwell so vehemently. She opened her mouth for a rebuttal, but a giggle spilled out instead. “Ohmy god, you are talking about Professor Maxwell.” Her palm touched her forehead. “I was asking what you liked about Damon, and you started talking about his twin instead.”

I blinked.

Her brows drew together slightly as she focused on my face. “I have never seen you so worked up before. If I didn’t know any better, I would think Professor Maxwell was the one you were in love with.”