Chasing His Kickass Luna Back novel Chapter 246

Abby

“Your sous chef… I saw him trying to bribe the judges earlier.”

Daniel’s words land on me like a lead weight. Karl? Bribing the judges? He wouldn’t do something like that. When would he have even had the time? Why wouldn’t he have told me?

My gaze locks with Daniel’s, and disbelief tightens around my chest as though some invisible hand is gripping my heart, squeezing tighter and tighter.

“What do you mean by that?” I demand, my voice trembling despite my desperate attempts to keep myself steady, to maintain control in a situation that’s making me feel like the world is tilting on its axis.

Daniel’s wry chuckle bounces off of the walls of the breakroom. His voice sounds like a taunt as he takes a step closer, narrowing his eyes. “Come on, Abby. Don’t act like you don’t know. You put him up to it, didn’t you?” he asks. “Your performance during round two was so awful, surely you thought you could bribe the judges into keeping you on the show.”

My eyes are so wide they feel like they’ll pop out of my head. “Never,” I hiss. “I would never do any such thing, and neither would he. You’re full of it, Daniel. Absolutely full of it.”

But Daniel just chuckles again. “Then explain this to me: why, during the break, did I see your sous chef…” he leans in, his breath foul with the scent of coffee and arrogance, “going into the judges’ room? He looked pretty cozy too, tucking a wad of cash into his pocket.”

I recoil away from him, my heart racing, a mix of anger and dread coursing through my veins. “You’re a liar,” I say, my voice sharp. “You’re just trying to throw me off. First you sabotage me, and what now? You’ll accuse me of bribery on live television?”