26│THE ANSWER

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Veronica sighed as she wiped down another table at the Double R Diner, her new place of employment. After her conversation with her father, she'd decided to quit and not because of her relationship with Max but rather James King himself.

She'd hated how easily he'd come up with the ultimatum, how easy it was to force her into making a decision she never should have been making. She knew her father wasn't serious about firing her, he'd just been trying to scare her into the decision he thought was best for her. But that didn't change how she'd felt in that moment. Helpless, confused, scared.

James hadn't even had to think for a minute before he was threatening to fire her. That's how much power he had over her, after all, he had given her a job that, in any other firm, she'd have needed years of experience to even qualify for. Sure she was good at her job but she'd only gotten it because she was Jame's daughter, if she'd applied to any firm anywhere then she'd have started at the bottom and been forced to work her way up.

At that moment, outside the apartment, she'd realized just how dependent on her father she still was in spite of her whole new, independent life thing she's supposedly embarked on.

When he'd given her the choice, Max Jones had been the last thing on her mind. She'd felt like a teen again with her father trying to decide everything for her. She'd also felt furious at her father for putting her in that position, she knew he meant well but, just like her father in the heat of the moment that didn't mean anything to her.

So, with a shaky breath, she squared her shoulder and pursed her lips before she finally answered him. She'd told him that she chose neither option. She still remembered the way his brows furrowed as his face morphed into confusion.

"Neither."

"What do you mean neither, Veronica?" He scoffed with a frown.

"I quit."

"What?!" He yelped as his eyes widened in panic.

That was not what he was expecting. Even if she had chosen Max over her job he wasn't actually going to fire her but here she was quitting.

"I don't want a job where you can just threaten to fire me whenever I do something you don't like," She explained slowly as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Sweetie, you know I wasn't actually going to fire you," He sighed as his shoulders sagged and he took a step closer to her, "I was just, I..."

"I know, daddy," She nodded as she gave him a weak smile, "But I think this is something I have to do. Rachel did and I half-assed it like I always do."

"Veronica, honey, what you did is amazing," He assured her as he patted her shoulder comfortingly, "You moved to New York, started taking your job seriously, you started a new life here."

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