But whatever Millie has to say, I need to hear it.
Even if it changes nothing.
Chapter thirty-two
Violet
I stare at Millie’s front door, my hand poised, ready to knock.
Nerves somersault in my stomach, but I shove them down and rap my knuckles against the wood.
A beat later, the door creaks open.
“Hey,” Millie says, voice too bright, stretched thin like plastic wrap. She barely meets my eyes as she steps aside.
“Come in.”
Something about her seems... off.
Still, I force a smile and step over the threshold.
“Thanks for coming,” she blurts, wringing her hands. “I wasn’t sure you’d... yeah.” Her laugh is short and breathless.
“I figured you owed me an explanation,” I say, trying to keep my tone even.
She winces. “Yeah. I do. Totally.”
She gestures vaguely down the hall. “Do you want something to drink?”
I shake my head. “I don’t have long—I’ve got a dinner.”
Millie’s face flickers. “A work dinner?”
“Yeah.”
She nods slowly, chewing the inside of her cheek. “Will Seb be there?”
“Yeah,” I say, a little slower this time.
She nods again, eyes darting away, her tone tentative. “What about Chase?”
I hesitate. “Yes. He’ll be there too.”
Her mouth tightens, and something bitter creeps into her expression. “Of course he will.”
She looks down for a second, then back up—her eyes glassy and oddly bright.
“You know, when he thought you were behind the leaks, he paid you severance, and I even heard from Bethany he was desperate to talk to you before the board meeting. But Austen convinced him not to.” Her lips twist. “He still believed in you.”
I blink, surprised. “What are you talking about?”
“But when it was me,” she continues, tone hardening, “he didn’t even ask questions. He just cut me loose, obliterated me.”
“That’s because you did it,” I say. “You framed me, Millie.”
She flinches like I slapped her. “You can’t imagine what it was like—watching you get everything handed to you. His attention. His loyalty. His fucking heart.”
I stare at her, something cold settling in my stomach. “This was about Chase?”
