Tangled In Lies

Chapter 16

Nathan and Zura couldn't contain their excitement as they stood outside Professor Whittaker's office, clutching the first part of their business plan. They had worked tirelessly, pouring countless hours into every detail, and now their hard work had been deemed excellent by him. As they submitted the plan, Professor Whittaker said "This is very well done. You should be proud of yourselves. We'll need to wait for the next round of feedback, but I think you're off to a fantastic start."

The two friends exchanged a high-five as they walked out of the office. "Can you believe it?" Nathan exclaimed, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. "We've actually done it!"

Zura nodded, her eyes sparkling. "I know! It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders. Now we just have to wait for the results."

As they walked through the campus, their conversation drifted to the next steps. "We should start thinking about the financial breakdown," Nathan suggested. "We need to be ready once we get the green light."

"Agreed," Zura replied. "Let's meet up later tonight and brainstorm. But for now, I think we deserve a little break."

---

Meanwhile, Max and Liv were grappling with their own set of problems. Liv parents' strict religious beliefs weighed heavily on her, creating a constant sense of fear and anxiety. She knew they would never accept her relationship with Max, and the thought of them finding out filled her with dread. To make matters worse, some of her university friends were also religious and knew her family. The fear that someone might tell her parents was almost paralyzing.

Liv and Max were in Liv's dorm room when the tension reached its breaking point. Liv had been unusually quiet, her mind preoccupied with her fears. Max noticed and couldn't help but feel frustrated. "Liv, what's going on? You've been so distant lately."

Liv sighed, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I'm just scared, Max. My parents... they can never know about us. And some of my friends here know them. What if someone tells them?"

"No one will. We're at university, everyone's too preoccupied with their own lives to focus on ours." Max responded.

Liv sighed, she didn't quite agree with that way of thinking. "Do you remember how people reacted when they saw the pictures of us together?"

Max tried to calm Liv down by placing a hand on hers "They were just enjoying the weekly drama. We're in the clear now. No one remembers that."

"Yes, they do." Liv exclaimed "My friends especially. Some of them go to the same church as my mom. What if they say something."

Max's fiery temper flared. "So what? Are we supposed to hide forever? Pretend we don't mean anything to each other?"

"You don't understand," Liv replied, her voice trembling. "They would disown me. I can't lose my family, Max."

Max's frustration quickly boiled over into anger. "If you care so much about what might happen, maybe we should just end this."

Liv's heart shattered at Max's words. "Maybe we should," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.

Without another word, Max stormed out of the dorm, leaving Liv sobbing.

As Max walked through the campus, her anger quickly turned to regret. She found herself crying too, feeling lost and alone. Desperate for comfort, Max called Brianna. "Bri, can we meet in the park? I need to talk," she said, her voice choked with tears.

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Max sat on a bench in the park, her face streaked with tears. She looked up as Brianna approached, her friend's face full of concern. "Max, what's wrong?" Brianna asked, sitting down next to her.