Billionaire Villainess (Unedited)

Relocation

Verona stormed across campus, her mind occupied with a thousand angry thoughts. Gabriel had better have a damn good explanation for ignoring her.

As she reached Gabriel's dorm, her heart pounded with a mix of anticipation and fury. She stopped in front of the door, hesitating for just a second before knocking sharply. The sound echoed through the hallway, and she crossed her arms, glaring at the door as if it were responsible for all her frustrations.

After what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open, and Jericho stood on the other side. He blinked in surprise at the sight of her, and for a moment, there was an awkward silence.

"Verona," he said, stepping aside. "Uh, hey... Gabriel's inside."

"Of course he is," Verona snapped, pushing past him. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Gabriel, who sat at his desk, surrounded by his friends. They all looked up when she entered, the atmosphere suddenly tense.

Gabriel's expression shifted from concentration to a flicker of guilt, though he quickly masked it with a neutral look. "Verona, what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" she repeated, her voice rising. "I could ask you the same thing. You've been ignoring my calls and texts! You promised we'd meet yesterday, but you never showed. What is going on, Gabriel?"

Gabriel ran a hand through his hair, glancing at his friends as if silently asking for privacy. Jericho, Marko, and Hollister exchanged awkward glances before gathering their laptops and slipping out of the room, leaving Verona and Gabriel alone.

Once the door clicked shut behind them, Verona rounded on him. "Well? I'm waiting," she demanded.

Gabriel stood up slowly, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "Look, Verona, I'm sorry. Things just got out of hand, and I lost track of time."

"Busy?" Verona scoffed. "That's the best you can do? I've been worried sick, thinking you got into an accident or something. But no—you've just been sitting here with your friends."

"We're not just sitting here," Gabriel replied, his tone firm but weary. "We're working on something big, and I couldn't stop to explain. I should've messaged you, but—"

"But what? You didn't think I was important enough to keep in the loop?" Verona interrupted, stepping closer. "Or was it Judith?"

At the mention of his sister's name, Gabriel's eyes darkened. "This has nothing to do with Judith."

"Really? Because it feels like she's the reason you're avoiding me. It seems she's been trying to ruin things between us as revenge."

(Judith: But I didn't even do anything.)

Gabriel's jaw clenched, and he shook his head. "Judith doesn't control any of my decisions. I'm handling this on my own."

Verona's frustration bubbled over, and she jabbed a finger into his chest. "Then why do I feel like she's messing with your head?"

Gabriel's expression softened for a moment, but then his resolve hardened again. "This isn't about Judith, Verona. This is about us. And right now, I need to focus on this big project of ours. It's important—more important than anything else right now."

Verona stared at him, disbelief and hurt flooding her features. "More important than me?"

Gabriel didn't answer immediately, and the silence between them felt like a chasm widening with every passing second. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost regretful. "I need to focus on this, Verona. I'm sorry."

She felt like the ground had been ripped out from under her. Tears of anger and betrayal welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Fine," she whispered harshly, her voice shaking. "If that's how it is, don't bother calling me. I won't be waiting."