Rivals Redemption

chapter 73 : Unraveling the past

Rowan Cortez

I had just stepped out of Tina's house, my mind still replaying the tense exchange I'd had with Victor Diaz when my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Dad.

"Hey, son," he greeted, his voice warm but carrying a weight I hadn't heard in a while.

"Dad, what's up?" I asked, a bit surprised. We hadn't spoken much about the situation between him and Victor, or about the case Tina was helping with.

"I wanted to tell you what happened today," he began. "I met with Tina earlier about the case. Turns out, Kevin Jonas-remember him?-he's been behind all this. The fraud accusations, the lies. He framed me, son. For years, I thought it was just business rivals trying to get ahead, but no, it was Kevin. The same guy who twisted the truth all those years ago when Victor and I were still in school."

I felt a pit form in my stomach. "Kevin Jonas? He's the one who caused all of this?"

"Yeah," Dad confirmed, his voice carrying a mix of frustration and relief. "Back in college, he told Victor I stole his ideas, that I was feeding our classmates information to sabotage him. Victor and I, we were close. Best friends. But after that... we just couldn't recover. We drifted apart, started seeing each other as competition."

I could sense the years of regret in his tone, and part of me felt angry that so much bad blood had been spilled over a lie. "So all of this... it's because of Jonas?"

"Exactly," Dad said, letting out a sigh. "And now he's trying to ruin my reputation again, only this time with these fraud allegations. That's why I asked for Tina's help. She's sharp, Rowan. She's already digging into this case, and I trust her to handle it."

I couldn't help but feel a rush of pride hearing my dad's admiration for Tina. She was one of the best lawyers I knew, and she was going to clear my father's name. But something still lingered in my mind-how did my father really feel about everything? About me dating Tina, about working for Victor's company?

"How are you feeling about all this, Dad? About me working at Victor's company... about Tina?"

He hesitated, and I braced myself for what he might say.

"I won't lie, Rowan, it wasn't easy at first," Dad admitted. "Seeing you work for Victor, knowing what happened between us-it brought up a lot of old wounds. But... you're not me. And Tina, well, she's a good woman. You've got something special, and I see that now."

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. "Thanks, Dad. I've been worried about how you felt about all of this. I didn't want you to think I was caught in the middle."

Dad chuckled softly. "Son, I won't let the past between Victor and me get in the way of your happiness. I was wrong to let it fester for so long. I want to fix things. I want to put an end to all of this."

I smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "I'm glad to hear that, Dad. We've all been carrying this weight for too long."

"There's still a long way to go," Dad added, his voice growing more serious. "But with Tina on this case, I know we'll clear my name. And maybe, just maybe, I'll finally be able to make peace with Victor. Though that man can be as stubborn as a mule," he added with a laugh.

I couldn't help but chuckle too. "Yeah, well, I'm getting that impression."

Our conversation shifted into lighter territory after that, and for the first time in a while, I felt like my relationship with my dad had reached a new level of understanding. He wasn't just the stoic figure I'd looked up to-he was admitting his flaws, recognizing the need for change, and I respected him for it.

Before we hung up, Dad said something that stuck with me. "Take care of Tina, Rowan. She's strong, but even strong people need someone in their corner."

"I will," I promised.

When I hung up, I felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted off my chest. I looked out at the night sky, thinking about how far we'd come-me, Tina, and even our parents. There was still work to be done, but for the first time, I felt like we were on the right path.

With a clear mind, I headed back to see Tina, ready to share the conversation with her, knowing we were in this fight together.