Chapter 14
Chapter fourteen
Chase
Spending the weekend finding myself within nature is at the bottom of my list of ways to use my time.
Don’t get me wrong, the location is phenomenal.
Crisp mountain air, breathtaking scenery.
But I’ve always been a bright light, city kind of guy.
Although, for the first time since I can remember, I found myself looking forward to this weekend.
And it’s got nothing to do with the wildlife and everything to do with the person sitting opposite me, bathed in the golden hues of the early morning sunlight slanting through the window.
Monarch has granted us an early morning private meeting ahead of the day’s events—an advantage not every vendor will get. An unspoken acknowledgment that Knightwell is a frontrunner.
Violet, with Austen’s help, is walking the Monarch execs through her fraud detection algorithm.
She is mid-sentence, her voice clear and professional, but there’s an edge of conviction that makes people listen.
Austen steps in occasionally to elaborate on more technical aspects, but it’s Violet who holds their attention.
Mine too.
I should be analyzing Monarch’s reaction, but I find myself watching how her green eyes sparkle when she focuses.
I lean back slightly, letting Austen field a more technical question from Monarch’s head of risk, and her gaze drifts to mine.
She looks away, flustered, as I hold hers, the familiar fire creeping into my veins.
Before I lose my focus, I check myself, my spine straightening.
Austen wraps up his explanation, and I pull my head back into the game.
“To put it simply,” I cut in smoothly, leaning forward.
“Monarch’s competitors are already exploring solutions in this space, but none of them have the level of adaptability and real-time response we’re offering.
You’ll be ahead of the curve. And with the right implementation strategy.
..” I glance at Richard, their senior director, “...this could be a long-term competitive advantage.”
Richard nods, exchanging a look with another executive. “It’s impressive,” he admits, his eyes meandering back to Violet. “We will continue evaluating, but you’re making a very strong case.” He glances at his watch, then exhales as if bracing himself.
“For now, let’s wrap this up. Apparently, the next item on the agenda involves getting muddy and pretending to enjoy it.”
A few chuckles disperse through the room as we stand to leave, heading outside for the day’s activities.
I catch Austen watching me as Violet falls into step beside me.
Despite Austen’s hawk-like attention, my heart takes a tentative leap.
It’s the first time she’s acknowledged me since the Masquerade Ball.
The first indication she’s not doing everything in her power to swerve me.
“Was everything okay?” she asks, biting her lip as she seeks reassurance, her gorgeous green eyes hooked into mine.
What I want to do is press my lips on hers until she lets out a soft moan and tell her she was flawless.
Instead, I keep my tone clipped, dragging my eyes forward.
“It’s not over yet, Violet. You’ll get your pat on the back when the contract’s signed. ”
A shadow crosses her face. I’m sure the word jerk is at the forefront of her mind.
But I never hold people’s hands in business or sugarcoat the truth.
The fact I even want to break that rule with Violet is what’s surprising—the softer side she brings out that I thought didn’t exist. Whether that disgusts or thrills me—the jury’s still out.
When we arrive at the lodge’s main terrace, it’s already packed, the scent of coffee mixing with the faint smoke of a fire pit.
I scan the crowd, barely recognizing some of the retreat attendees—people I do business with regularly—now stripped of their designer suits and polished Italian leather shoes.
The illusion of power fades fast when you trade a tailored three-piece for hiking boots and windbreakers.
Elliot looks like he raided a park ranger’s closet on the way over.
The moment he spots Violet, his entire face lights up like he’s just hit the jackpot.
When he saw her at check-in this morning, he looked like he’d died and gone to heaven.
Or hell, in Elliot’s case. Now that the initial shock has worn off, his expression has settled into something more calculated.
He sees an opportunity. A chance to push me off my throne.
And he’s arrogant enough to think he can lure Violet to the dark side.
“Violet,” Elliot says, his tone skipping with the usual charm. “You don’t know how good it is to see you again. Honestly, you’ve made my weekend.”
I resist the urge to gag, instinctively taking a step closer to Violet.
“Elliot,” Violet says with a polite smile. “Small world.”
“Yes, it is indeed. If only I’d realized before that Chase was underpaying to the extent you had to juggle two jobs.
” He shoots me a condescending smirk, his words landing like well-aimed darts.
My fists ball instinctively. “But you must visit us at our new offices, Violet. They really are quite sensational.”
“Are you trying to poach my staff, Elliot, right in front of my face?” I force myself between them, resisting the urge to punch the slimy smile off his face.
Elliot chuckles, every inch of him radiating satisfaction, aware he’s pushing every single one of my buttons. The sad part is I’m letting him get to me.
“Stop being so sensitive, Chase. I’m simply offering her the opportunity to visit our offices to take a look around.”
“The only time she’ll visit your offices is when I’ve taken it over.”
His smirk widens. “We’ll see.”
The tension tightens like a drawn bowstring, and I’m seconds away from snapping when the retreat coordinator steps onto a small platform at the front of the terrace, clapping her hands for attention.
“Okay, everyone, let’s get today started. First, I want to thank Monarch’s CEO, Charles Ravenscroft, for setting this up.” A ripple of applause follows, accompanied by a not-so-subtle grimace from Richard.
“You’ll be competing in a series of challenges designed to test problem-solving, leadership, and, of course—teamwork,” she continues.
“Our first event will be an obstacle course. You’ve been divided into two teams based on the wristband color you were assigned this morning.
Red teams, please gather on the right and the blue team on the left. ”
I glance down at my wristband. Red.
Then I look at Violet’s.
Blue.
Then Elliot’s.
Blue.
For fuck’s sake.
Elliot is already all up in Violet’s space, ushering her toward the left like he’s claiming her for himself. I don’t know what irritates me more—the sight of him practically hovering over her or the way Violet walks off without even a glance back.
The air is fresh with the scent of damp earth and pine as we line up at the starting point of the obstacle course.
A rough trail winds ahead, disappearing into dense foliage before re-emerging at a clearing where the real challenge begins.
Rope nets, towering wooden walls, mud pits, balance beams, and a goddamn zip line over a freezing creek—Monarch wasn’t messing around.
“Remember,” the retreat coordinator calls out, “this isn’t just about speed. It’s about teamwork. First team to get all their members across the finish line wins.”
I roll my shoulders, my muscles loose and ready.
I’ve done enough endurance training to understand this will be simple for me.
What’s more interesting is the team breakdown—Violet’s stuck with Elliot.
I’m on the other side of the competition with Richard, who already looks like he’s questioning every life choice that led him here.
“This is absurd,” Richard mutters, eyeing the course as if it personally insulted him. “Tell me again why we couldn’t just do a trust fall exercise in the conference room?”
“Because Monarch thinks ‘friendly competition’ builds business relationships,” I parrot dryly.
Richard snorts. “This is why I work in an office.”
A whistle blows. The race is on.
I take off at an easy pace, the packed dirt giving way to roots and loose stones as we charge toward the first challenge—a set of wooden beams we have to crawl under. I clear them fast, barely slowing, while behind me, Richard lets out a winded grunt as he drops to his knees.
“I am not built for this shit,” he wheezes, dragging himself forward.
“You’re doing great,” I lie, already moving ahead.
The course winds through the wilderness, the sound of rustling leaves and scattered laughter breaking through the thud of running footsteps.
Ahead, I see Elliot reach the first climbing wall with Violet right behind him.
She hesitates for half a second—then Elliot is there, boosting her up, his hands firm on her waist.
I grit my teeth.
I scale my wall in seconds, gripping the rough wood and swinging my legs over before dropping onto the other side. More obstacles—rope swings, balance beams, a fucking tunnel that we have to army crawl through.
Richard gets stuck halfway in.
“This is it,” he groans. “Leave me. Go on without me. Order me a whiskey when you get to the bar.”
“You’re not bailing on us here,” I bark, crouching at the tunnel’s exit. “Alright, on three, I’ll pull you out,” I grunt. “One—”
I don’t bother with two or three. I yank as hard as I can, and Richard comes shooting out with a pop, colliding straight into me. I just about keep my balance while he goes down like a sack of potatoes in a heap of mud.
He stares up at me, gasping. “I think...I saw my life flash before my eyes.”
“Yeah? Did you see yourself signing the damn contract? Because after that rescue mission, I expect to see your name on the dotted line.”
I extend a hand, hoisting him to his feet. “Now get moving—we’re behind.”
“I should’ve taken a sick day.”
I barely hear him. My focus is ahead—on Violet and Elliot.
They hit the last stretch, a wide pit of mud, followed by a set of rope ladders leading to the zip line.
Elliot goes first, swinging across effortlessly.
Damn. I was hoping he would fall face-first in the mud, but he’s more agile than I imagined.
Violet hesitates again, gripping the handle, her face set with determination.
Every muscle in me is twitching to go over and help her across, but she wouldn’t thank me for babying her.
Not forgetting how many heads would turn if I did.
Elliot shouts encouragement.
I don’t realize how hard my jaw is clenched until she lets go, soaring across the pit with a laugh, landing on the other side where Elliot grabs her hand to steady her. She beams at him, breathless, and they sprint together toward the finish line.
I barely feel the burn as I move through the last section of the course. My team is trailing, Richard gasping somewhere behind me, and by the time I hit the finish line, Elliot’s team is already celebrating.
Violet and Elliot laugh, breathless and exhilarated, and then—they hug.
It’s nothing. A quick, fleeting squeeze, the kind teammates share after a hard-fought win. But the sight of it sinks like a hook into my ribs, twisting sharp and deep. And then it slams into me, a brutal, gut-punching truth that leaves no room for doubt.
Elliot can have anything of mine he wants—but not Violet. Never Violet.
It doesn’t matter what Austen says. Or what anyone else thinks.
I’m not staying away.
The retreat coordinator steps onto the platform, dragging my attention back. “Nice work, everyone! Now, before we move on to the next challenge. The winning team gets to choose their role in our surprise game, which will finish the day later.”
She pauses, letting the anticipation build.
“We’re ending the retreat with The Hunt.”
A murmur moves through the crowd.
“The concept is simple,” she explains. “One team will be the chasers; the other will be the runners. The runners must make it through the forest to the safe zone without being caught. If a chaser tags you and returns you to their base, you’re out. If enough runners survive, they win.”
A buzz of excitement moves through the group.
“Now,” the coordinator continues, turning to Elliot’s team, “since you won the obstacle course, do you want to be chasers or runners?”
Elliot, still catching his breath, grins. “Runners.”
My fingers flex at my sides.
Good.
I’m going to enjoy this.