Jeronica AU (season 3)

Part 8

Pt.8
"So what exactly are we looking for?" Betty asked.

Veronica and Jughead share a look.

"We actually don't know, but I'm sure when we see it, we'll know," Jughead replies.

They look for the unknown object and all they find are gardening tools.

"Whatever it is, it's in here," Veronica says annoyed.

"He said nobody would think to check in here..." Jughead added.

Veronica walks over to jughead and Betty. While she's walking she hears the floor boards creak.

"You have got to be kidding me,I" she says.

"What?" Betty asks.

"My Dad has too many secret rooms..."

She kneels down and lifts the floorboard and underneath, she finds a hook which she pulls up to reveal a staircase. She gets up to go down the stairs when Jughead stops her.

"Are you really that dumb? I'll go first."

"Why?" She asks him waiting for him to make a sexist comment but none came.

"We don't know what's down there, plus I grabbed this shovel."

Veronica stepped out of the way and let Jughead go first. She followed after him and Betty after her. The room was pitch black and it was as if the stairs would never end. After a little while they did, and somehow they managed to get the lights on.

"Oh my...." Veronica starts to say.

"What is this room?" Betty asked taking in every angle and every picture.

The entire wall was filled with pictures of the places Hiram planned to takeover in riverdale. So far he hasn't even bought half of the land he planned to.

"I can't believe it, he wants control over the whole town," Jughead said.

"Did you know about this too? Just like you knew about the prison?" Betty asked.

She hadn't completely forgiven V since her father bought the register and this fueled her anger.

"This isn't New York. This isn't YOUR town and I won't let your dad take it away from us."

"Betty...What? I-I didn't know about this," Veronica said, "I thought my dad just wanted the south side."

Jughead scoffed, "So you were okay with him destroying lives in the south side?"

"Are you serious right now? He gave you the trailer park. How is your life destroyed?"

"Are you defending him? Seriously Veronica," Jughead said.

"No...I'm not. Look what he did was wrong, it IS wrong, but I didn't know it didn't end there. But honestly, Jughead, if we don't sell him Pop's, he'll never really have full control."

"Oh Veronica, I-Im sorry, I just keep remembering how you're dad bought the Register and I keep getting angry at the wrong person for it," Betty said hugging Veronica.

Veronica naturally forgave her but was still hurt that they assumed the worst about her.