《Her Billionaire Husband》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    The story began at a hospital. Veronica Murphy, a youngdy of slight build, rushed to the emergency


    registration counter while carrying a bloodied man on her back with all her strength. She said hurriedly,


    ¡°This guy needs emergency treatment! He passed out in a car ident.¡± Veronica felt that today was


    really not her day. She was riding her motorcycle on her way to deliver takeouts when a Ferrari nearby


    got knocked off the road by arge truck running the red light. The Ferrari was severely wrecked, its


    windows shattered and its trunk on fire. It might explode at any minute, and its driver was covered in


    blood and unconscious in his seat. Veronica had no idea what gave her the courage at the time.


    Without a second thought, she raced to the car and desperately pulled the guy out of it. As soon as she


    dragged him several meters away, she heard a loud kaboom! The car exploded right away. Veronica


    was shaken with fright. If she had been a little bit slower, she would probably have been blown to


    pieces along with the guy! Just then, however, the severely injured man grasped her wrist with all his


    might as if clutching at straws. He mumbled in a daze, ¡°Help me! Send me to the hospital¡­ I¡¯ll pay you


    100 million¡­¡± Veronica was stunned. 100 million? Did I just save the world¡¯s richest man by chance?


    At the payment counter, the cashier asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Just as Veronica was about to


    answer, the cashier looked up and saw her face, and her attitude did a one-eighty immediately. ¡°Oh, if it


    isn¡¯t Tiffany Larson, our director¡¯s daughter! Please wait a moment, Miss Larson. A doctor will be


    arranged for you at once¡­¡± Veronica smiled bitterly at the cashier¡¯s words. Tiffany was Veronica¡¯s


    biological sister. The two sisters looked exactly alike, but their lives were pr opposites of each other.


    Abducted as soon as she was born, Veronica changed hands several times before being sold to her


    current adoptive parents. A month ago, however, her adoptive parents had a car ident and were


    hospitalized with grave injuries and sky-high medical bills. Just then, Veronica¡¯s biological parents


    appeared out of nowhere, saying they could provide medical treatment for her adoptive parents on


    condition that she donate her bone marrow to the Larson Family¡¯s leukemic youngest son. Not only


    that, but she mustn¡¯t show her face, which was the spitting image of Tiffany. Rachel Zimmerman,


    Veronica¡¯s biological mother, said, ¡°Our Tiffy isn¡¯t only aplished in everything she does; she¡¯s also


    the most beautifuldy in Bloomstead. You, on the other hand, are just an ignoble country bumpkin.


    Tiffy¡¯s good name mustn¡¯t be ruined because of your existence.¡± Despite the humiliation, Veronica


    agreed for the sake of her adoptive parents¡¯ medical treatment. Usually, she would deliberately


    disguise herself as an ugly woman in Bloomstead, but she didn¡¯t bother to do so tonight since she was


    doing food deliveryte at night. However, she didn¡¯t expect to enter her biological father¡¯s hospital by


    mistake and be recognized. Consequently, she could only acknowledge tacitly that she was ¡°Tiffany¡±


    and pay 5,000 in thetter¡¯s name for the guy¡¯s surgery. After everything was done, she returned to her


    rented apartment wearily and took a shower. While she was doingundry, however, she was surprised


    to find a ck diamond ring in her pocket. This probably fell into my pocket when that guy grabbed my


    shirt, she thought. Without thinking much of it, she put the ring on the table, ready to get some shut-


    eye. At some point in time, there was a knock on the door outside. Veronica walked over to the door in


    slippers and opened it. ¡°Are you trying to be a b*tch, Veronica? Did you forget what I had said to you?¡±


    Tiffany, who was tall and slim, pped Veronica across the face before thetter could say anything. ¡°I


    warned you to never go around sporting my face when you first came to Bloomstead! Do you want your


    adoptive parents to die?¡± Offended, Veronica pped Tiffany¡¯s face in return. In order to save her


    adoptive parents, she had no choice but to let her biological parents give her a hard time, but she was


    never someone who would yield to the strong and ce herself at the mercy of others. Tiffany let out a


    cry of pain. ¡°How dare you hit me, Veronica?¡± Her cheek was slightly swollen from the p Veronica


    gave her, which was much harder than the p she had given Veronica just now. Veronica flung her


    hand¡ªwhich ached from pping Tiffany¡¯s face¡ªwith a slight frown between her beautifully arched


    eyebrows. ¡°Just put up with it when I hit you! Do you think I¡¯m gonna let you boss me around? I¡¯m not


    your mom!¡± ¡°How dare you talk as if you¡¯re in the right, huh? You took a guy to my dad¡¯s hospitalte at


    night for medical treatment! How am I supposed to show my face in public if word gets out about it?¡±


    Tiffany pointed at Veronica, her cheeks flushing red with rage. ¡°If somebody hadn¡¯t told my dad about it


    this morning, I might¡¯ve still been kept in the dark! Who knows how much more disgraceful filth you


    were gonnamit in my name?¡± ¡°Your face? Ha!¡± Veronicaughed in self-mockery, her eyes full of


    sadness. Such is how unfair life is. I was born with the same looks as she was, yet I¡¯m denied the right


    to show my true appearance in public. Just then, Tiffany¡¯s cell phone rang. With her phone in her hand,


    she stepped aside to answer the phone call. As her eyes darted around, she happened to catch sight


    of the ck diamond ring on the table. This diamond ring looks familiar somehow¡­ ¡°What¡¯s up, Mom?¡±


    she asked. Rachel was frantic with joy on the other end of the phone; there was even a slight quaver in


    her voice. ¡°Oh, my God! Darling, when did you save Young Master Matthew? How could you keep such


    a big deal from me? Someone from the Kings Family just came and asked to meet you a weekter!¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew?¡± Tiffany looked at the ring on the table. Then, in a moment of realization, she


    recalled having seen the ring in a photo of Matthew Kings, which was shared by the socialites when


    she joined them in a gathering before. The diamond ring was a familiar heirloom inherited by the Kings


    Family¡¯s heirs. Upon associating it with what Veronica had done at the hospital the night before, Tiffany


    instantly realized that Veronica had saved Matthew¡¯s life yesterday. It was precisely because Veronica


    had used her name at the hospital yesterday that the man thought it was her who had saved him. To


    think that I¡¯d be the one who saved the life of Young Master Matthew from Mythpoint by ident!


    This is simply even more surprising than winning the lottery! she thought. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve got something to


    deal with at the moment. Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Suppressing the ecstasy within her, she slipped the


    ring from the table while Veronica wasn¡¯t noticing. Then, she came up to Veronica and threatened


    domineeringly, ¡°If you do that again, just wait until you collect your adoptive parents¡¯ dead bodies!¡± With


    that, she stormed off in a huff. Veronica had wanted to take a short nap when she came back in the


    early hours, but she didn¡¯t expect to oversleep. At this moment, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue with


    Tiffany. After covering her face with a face mask, she rushed to the hospital to look for the guy. A


    reward of 100 million! That¡¯s what I¡¯ll be getting in exchange for risking my life! Unexpectedly, when she


    reached the hospital and asked about the guy, the nurse told her that he had left right after regaining


    consciousness the night before. Not only that, but he didn¡¯t even leave any contact information behind.


    ¡°What a liar! Son of a b*tch!¡± Blowing up on the spot, Veronica stamped her foot in anger. ¡°That 5,000 is


    my living expenses for the next two months!¡± As expected, men are nothing but liars! On top of losing


    5,000 bucks of living expenses for nothing, Veronica had over 100 bucks deducted from her earnings


    by the food delivery tform because she had failed to deliver takeouts as scheduled. She was only


    doing food delivery as a part-time job, and now she lost all the money she had earned by doing food


    delivery during her days off to the food delivery tform. Her heart was bleeding. Still too young for the


    dangerous society, duh! Over the next few days, she worked with even greater diligence every single


    day. Besides doing food delivery part-time after work, she also delivered meals to her adoptive parents


    at the hospital. Dressed in a security guard¡¯s uniform, Veronica was sitting idly in the monitoring room


    at Twilight Bar with her colleague on the security team. Sheined, ¡°How could I have possibly


    been eating only two meals per day this week if I hadn¡¯t saved that ungrateful b*stard? I¡¯m starved out.¡±


    Her adoptive father had beenatose since the car ident, whereas her adoptive mother had been


    staying with him at the hospital every day. Even though Veronica¡¯s biological parents were paying for


    their medical expenses, she still had to spend a lot on daily necessities every day. As a result, she was


    desperately hard up after spending herst 5,000 on the guy¡¯s surgery. Cody Bowman, her colleague,


    asked, ¡°I¡¯ve only heard you talking about that guy, Big Ron. Don¡¯t you know what his name was or what


    he looked like?¡± ¡°I remember what he looked like, but he was unconscious at the time. How could I


    know what his name¡ª¡± Veronica replied, only to break off mid-sentence and point at somebody on the


    surveince video all of a sudden. ¡°T-T-That guy! Did you see him? That¡¯s him! That was the guy!¡± she


    eximed with a p on the table before standing up to walk outside. ¡°Found you atst, you *sshole!¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, Big Ron!¡± Cody grabbed Veronica¡¯s wrist while pointing at the man on the surveince


    video in disbelief. ¡°Are you sure it was him?¡± ¡°I can recognize this jerk even if he¡¯s reduced to ashes!¡±


    Veronica turned around to leave. However, Cody stood up and blocked her path at once. ¡°Calm down,


    Big Ron! That guy¡¯s Matthew Kings, the heir of the Kings Family, one of the four most distinguished


    families in Bloomstead. He¡¯s a cruel and ruthless man with blood on his hands. If he had wanted to


    repay your kindness, he could¡¯ve done that with a single word. Since he never came to you, it¡¯d mean


    he¡¯s never going to pay you the money. Staying alive is important, Big Ron. It¡¯s just 5,000, right? Just


    take it as you¡¯ve fed it to a dog.¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t help but gasp at Cody¡¯s words. ¡°Matthew Kings, you


    say?¡± The club where she was working was the top money-squandering establishment in Bloomstead.


    It was frequented by businessmen and prominent figures, so Veronica was familiar with Matthew¡¯s


    name. Cody¡¯s advice made a lot of sense, but Veronica couldn¡¯t resign herself to it. She waited until


    1.00AM. When she saw Matthew walk out of a private room and enter the elevator, she entered the


    elevator after him. The first eight floors of Twilight Club were dedicated to Twilight Bar, whereas theN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    floors above were all hotel suites. In the elevator, Veronica peeked at Matthew¡ªwho was half a head


    taller than her¡ªout of the corner of her eye. The man¡¯s body was reeking of booze, and his peerlessly


    handsome face was flushing with an abnormal shade of red. He seemed to be feeling dry and hot after


    getting drunk, his slender fingers pulling at his necktie every now and then. Ding! The elevator door


    opened on the 38th floor. The man walked out, and Veronica followed closely behind. However, no


    sooner had she made a few steps than Matthew suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing the former to


    bump into his back right away by ident. ¡°Ouch! You¡ª¡± The man seized her by the throat right away.


    He asked in a cold voice, ¡°Who are you? Shoot!¡± ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Unable to breathe, Veronica kept pping


    Matthew¡¯s arm as her brain was being deprived of oxygen. ¡°Let go of me! I¡­ I can¡¯t breathe¡­¡± Upon


    hearing her voice, Matthew knitted his brows slightly and knocked off the security cap she was wearing.


    ¡°You¡¯re a woman?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah,¡± Veronica replied. Since she was working at a club, she disguised herself


    as a man and spoke in a man¡¯s voice to avoid being groped. Few people except her manager and her


    colleagues in the security department knew that she was a woman. ¡°Who sent you here? Spill it!¡± ¡°I-I


    just wanted to¡ª¡± Matthew interrupted Veronica before thetter could finish her sentence. ¡°You wanna


    be my woman?¡± He had noticed long ago that the security guard before him was behaving furtively, and


    his drink had been doped today. I knew it. Another woman who¡¯s trying to drug me to get me to sleep


    with her, he thought. Veronica almost died from being choked. What an *sshole who returns my


    kindness with ingratitude! She swore, ¡°F-F¡­¡± Before she could finish uttering the four-letter word,


    though, the man let go of her neck. Crumpling to the floor at once, Veronica ced her hands on the


    floor for support, gasping for breath while coughing nonstop. Only then did she notice that the entire


    38th floor was upied by private residences with silvery gray cool-colored designs that exuded luxury


    and poshness. It seemed that Matthew had noticed long ago that something was wrong with her. ¡°You


    know what I hate the most?¡± the man said while panting heavily, his eyes bloodshot. ¡°Cough¡­


    Cough¡­¡± Veronica¡¯s throat hurt from being choked, and she merely coughed without being able to say


    anything. ¡°Since you have a death wish, I¡¯ll grant it,¡± said Matthew. Then, he grabbed her arm, dragging


    her into his bedroom before flinging her onto his bed effortlessly. Veronica was frightened; she was


    truly scared upon confronting Matthew. ¡°Hey! W-What are you doing?¡± The man pulled off his necktie


    with one hand while pressing a button on the remote control with the other. In an instant, the bedroom


    curtain closed, cloaking the room inplete darkness. Then, in the darkness, he tore her clothes to


    shreds with a loud rip!


    New Novel

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    A ninth-degree ck belt holder in Taekwondo, Veronica tried to fend Matthew off, but she couldn¡¯t hold


    her own against him at this very moment. ¡°Let go of me, you *sshole!¡± ¡°How dare you y hard to get


    with me right now after drugging me¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯m here¡­ for the


    money!¡± Veronica struggled against the man, but it wasn¡¯t until her fingers touched his skin that she


    realized how burning hot he was. Did he just say ¡®drugging¡¯? With the benefit of hindsight, she instantly


    realized what had happened, but it was toote when she got up and tried to run away. Matthew kept


    her from moving. In the end, annoyed by her irritating cries, he stuffed his necktie into her mouth right


    away. ¡°Shut up.¡± That night, he forced himself on Veronica like mad, getting it on with her until Veronica


    passed out and came round in tears several times. Veronica cursed Matthew inwardly. Damn it! Is this


    guy too strong, or is that f*cking drug too overpowering? ¡­ It was already noon the next day when


    Veronica woke up on her own. She shifted a little in bed, only to find herself aching all over as though


    she had just had the living daylights beaten out of her. Not only that, but her body felt so sticky that she


    almost had a meltdown. She sat up and looked all around the bedroom. Matthew was long gone; there


    was a set of clean clothes ced on the head of the bed. She got out of bed and took a quick shower


    in the bathroom. Without bothering to remove her makeup, she walked out of the bedroom, wanting to


    find Matthew and ask for an exnation. However, when she walked out of the bedroom, she found an


    unfamiliar man sitting on the living room sofa. ¡°I¡¯m Thomas Ritter, Young Master Matthew¡¯s personal


    secretary,¡± the man said, introducing himself before Veronica spoke. Seething with anger, Veronica


    swore angrily, ¡°Where¡¯s Matthew Kings, that *sshole? Is he gonna deny his responsibility after having


    his way with me and walking away?¡± *sshole? Thomas was astounded. Those who know nothing fear


    nothing, huh? Instead of arguing with her, he pointed at the box of pills on the table, saying, ¡°My boss


    said you must either take the morning-after pill and get out of Bloomstead or die. Make the choice


    yourself, Miss Murphy.¡± He already knows my name! He must have done some background check,


    thought Veronica. Her heart did aplete somersault. Upon feeling how ruthless and unfeeling


    Matthew was, she was seized with terror. In an instant, all her cockiness was gone. She pursed her


    lips, asking, ¡°Uh, I-I¡¯d like to see Matthew. I saved his life, you know? How could he return my kindness


    with ingratitude?¡± Upon hearing her words, Thomas sneered in contempt. ¡°Even I¡¯m tired of listening to


    such a bad lie. Do you think my boss is gonna believe it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! That day¡ª¡± ¡°Miss


    Murphy!¡± Thomas ran out of patience. ¡°You want it the hard way? Don¡¯t me me for being unpleasant


    with you, then.¡± Ding! Just then, the elevator door opened. At first, Veronica thought it was Matthew, but


    to her surprise, the one stepping out of the elevator was a silver-haired old woman who looked regal


    and poised from head to toe. Not only that, but she was apanied by two servants. Thomas bowed


    to the old woman. ¡°Good day, Old Mrs. Kings.¡± Elizabeth Hutchinson walked in and shot Thomas a


    re. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just taking care of some private affairs on Young Master


    Matthew¡¯s behalf, Old Mrs. Kings,¡± Thomas answered honestly. Elizabeth pointed at the box of


    morning-after pills on the table. ¡°By ¡®private affairs,¡¯ do you mean you want to kill the Kings Family¡¯s


    great-grandson?¡± Veronica was stunned. What? Great-grandson? When she followed Elizabeth¡¯s gaze


    and saw the box of pills, she couldn¡¯t help wondering if the ¡°great-grandson¡± Elizabeth referred to was


    the¡­ Wait, she¡¯s referring to what that *sshole left inside me yesterday, right? ¡°This is what he wanted.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Tell that brat toe to me if he has questions.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Elizabeth turned around, her severe expression instantly easing into a benign smile as she walked up


    to Veronica. ¡°You¡¯re Veronica?¡± Veronica disliked Matthew, and she felt nothing toward Elizabeth. Still,


    she asked out of courtesy, ¡°What can I do for you, madam?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s smile broadened into a


    cheerful grin at the word ¡®madam.¡¯ ¡°Your looks are average, but you¡¯ve got quite a smooth tongue.¡±


    Veronica was born with fair skin, so she made a special effort to ck her skin, thicken her eyebrows


    with makeup, and add a lot of freckles to her face. As a result, she did look quite in at first nce.


    Elizabeth took Veronica¡¯s hand affectionately, saying, ¡°Youngdy, I¡¯m old, and I just want to have a


    great-grandson. I¡¯ve looked into your background, so I know your parents are being hospitalized.


    You¡¯re a nice kid who works part-time after work to earn money to support your family. As long as


    you¡¯re willing to bear a child for our family, I¡¯ll agree to whatever terms you wish.¡± Veronica¡¯s eyes


    widened; she shook off Elizabeth¡¯s hand as if she had gotten an electric shock. ¡°No, no, no, madam. I


    know you want to have a great-grandson, but this is a family matter for you guys. I¡¯ve got absolutely


    nothing to do with it.¡± Are you kidding me? This is a bit too hasty. Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m gonna have to bear a


    child for the Kings Family just because I have slept with Matthew. What does that make of me, huh?


    Meanwhile, Tiffany arrived at Hilton Restaurant, but it wasn¡¯t until half an hour after she arrived that


    Matthew turned up. ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting.¡± Matthew walked in, dressed in a ck shirt paired


    with a silvery-gray and white striped suit. With his matchless good-looking features, he oozed seductive


    charm with only a slight curl of his thin lips, causing Tiffany¡¯s heart to go pit-a-pat and her eyes to ze


    over slightly. Tiffany had seen Matthew on TV before. At this very moment, however, she felt that the


    broad-shouldered and slender man before her was exuding the regal air of a noble prince through his


    every pore while giving off a chilly vibe that would keep any strangers away. Restraining herself despite


    her fluttering heart, she stood up and nodded gently out of courtesy. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Young Master Matthew.


    You¡¯re punctual; I¡¯m the one who was early.¡± Sitting across the table from Tiffany, Matthew shot a


    nce at her before withdrawing his gaze. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Tiffany had little makeup on


    today and was wearing thetest dress from Dior, paired with Gi¡¯s limited-edition earrings and


    ne. She looked very gorgeous, but Matthew, who was already used to seeing all kinds of


    beautiful women, found such ¡°materialistic¡± beauty vulgar. ¡°Feel free to order whatever you please,N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Young Master Matthew. I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Matthew pressed the call button on the table.


    A waiter immediately entered the private room, upon which Matthew ordered two servings of the


    restaurant¡¯s most expensive lunch set and a bottle of red wine. Sitting cross-legged with his back


    leaning against his chair, he fixed Tiffany with a piercing stare, asking, ¡°Since you¡¯re the daughter of the


    Floch Group¡¯s owner, why were you in the suburbs that day?¡± He had done a background check on


    Tiffany and learned about her family background after returning to his office. Tiffany¡¯s heart clenched at


    once. Clenching her fists uneasily with a bitter smile, she replied, ¡°To tell you the truth, I was doing food


    delivery because my dad wanted me to see the world. He wanted to see whether I can bear hardships


    to decide whether or not I can take over hispany.¡± She already had these words down pat long


    ago. Back when Matthew asked to meet her a weekter, she had told her parents about the whole


    situation. Having expected Matthew to ask such a question, they went out of their way to learn about


    where the car ident had happened and what Veronica had done by having someone check the


    surveince footage of Veronica sending Matthew to the hospital the other day. In order to avoid


    arousing the man¡¯s suspicion, Tiffany really did food delivery for a week, not to mention how many


    grievances she had suffered during that time. Matthew quite agreed with Floch Larson¡¯s approach.


    ¡°Your dad¡¯s idea is pretty nice. It¡¯s a good thing to see the world.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think what my dad did is


    great too.¡± ¡°Give me your bank ount number. I¡¯ll have the finance department wire 100 million to you


    tomorrow.¡± Tiffany didn¡¯t understand what Matthew meant by talking about money all of a sudden.


    ¡°What?¡± ¡°You risked your life to save me that day. The money¡¯s yourpensation.¡±

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not necessary.¡± The reward of 100 million was tempting, of course, but it was Matthew that


    Tiffany really had her eye on. She shook her head with a gentle smile, saying, ¡°Even if it was someone


    else who was in danger that day, I would¡¯ve saved them as well. And besides, no one would just watch


    from the sidelines and do nothing in that kind of situation.¡± Matthew replied, ¡°If you don¡¯t want the


    compensation, you can tell your father to contact my personal secretary directly. I¡¯ll give preference to


    the Floch Group when ites to mypany¡¯s projects.¡± The Floch Group was thepany owned


    by Tiffany¡¯s father. A polite smile crossed Tiffany¡¯s pretty, lightly made-up face. ¡°Thanks for your


    kindness, Young Master Matthew, but it really isn¡¯t necessary.¡± As soon as she finished her sentence,


    however, Matthew¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯ve got a call to answer.¡± He picked up the


    phone and noticed that it was an iing call from Thomas, his personal secretary. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s


    the matter?¡± ¡°Sorry for my ipetence, Young Master Matthew. I didn¡¯t get to do what you¡¯d asked of


    me. Old Mrs. Kings has taken Miss Murphy back to the Kings Residence,¡± replied Thomas, who then


    told Matthew everything that had happened over the phone. ¡°Why would Grandma be there all of a


    sudden?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that either.¡± Thomas also wondered howe Elizabeth would be so


    well-informed. At the thought of this, he immediately added, ¡°But judging from what she said, it seems


    like she wants you to marry Miss Murphy.¡± Matthew frowned slightly at Thomas¡¯ words. He replied


    coldly, ¡°That¡¯s wishful thinking.¡± Then, he hung up and stared thoughtfully at his phone¡¯s screen. On the


    other hand, Tiffany couldn¡¯t stop her heart from beating fast at the sight of Matthew¡¯s handsome face as


    she sat across from him. It took forever to calm her fluttering heart. Before she came here, Rachel had


    reminded her again and again to y hard to get with Matthew to arouse the man¡¯s interest. Keeping


    Rachel¡¯s advice in mind, she took the opportunity and said, ¡°Young Master Matthew, I¡¯m pleased to see


    that you¡¯re safe and sound.¡± ¡°Pleased?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Tiffany nodded slightly while acting like an innocent


    and naive youngdy. ¡°Actually, whenever I help somebody, I¡¯ll feel a little pleased.¡± She sounded as


    though she liked helping people and had done so many times. In Bloomstead¡¯s upper-ss circle,


    Tiffany was the No. 1 beautymended by everyone for both her beauty and her talent. Even though


    the Larson Family was ranked at the bottom of the list of top businessmen and prominent figures in


    Bloomstead, Tiffany¡¯s own charisma had brought a lot of business to the family. Just then, the waiter


    knocked on the door and began to serve the food. Tiffany said, ¡°Let¡¯s dig in, Young Master Matthew. I¡¯m


    really sorry, but I¡¯ve got to go to the orphanage on the outskirts at 1:30PM. If I¡¯mte, the kids there will


    be upset.¡± God only knew that in order to build a wonderful image for Tiffany, her parents didn¡¯t only


    force her into learning misceneous things at an early age but also had her do more charity work to


    create a perfect image for herself. This time, though, Tiffany only said she was going to the orphanage


    in order to show Matthew her ¡°virtues¡± while ying hard to get. Undeniably, Tiffany was a ¡°fine¡±dy,


    but Matthew couldn¡¯t help feeling that the woman before him wasn¡¯t as simple as she seemed.


    Suddenly recalling what Thomas had said just now, he asked right away, ¡°Miss Larson, since you¡¯re so


    interested in helping others, I wonder if you can do me another favor.¡± ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± ¡°Could you


    pose as my girlfriend?¡± ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Tiffany¡¯s heart thumped wildly; she was overwhelmed by the


    unexpected surprise. Seems like Mom¡¯s advice of ying hard to get really works! Swallowing a


    mouthful of saliva, she held her spoon and fork with fair hands for a few seconds before putting them


    down. Then, she asked a little crossly, ¡°What do you mean, Young Master Matthew?¡± Matthew replied,


    ¡°My family has arranged a marriage for me, but I don¡¯t like it, so I¡¯d like to have you pose as my


    girlfriend for a while. You may ask for whatever you want when it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± Tiffany asked with


    feignedposure while suppressing her excitement. The man cast a sidelong nce at her


    indifferently. ¡°You can turn me down too,¡± he said impassively. ¡°I¡­¡± Tiffany hesitated. In the end, she


    couldn¡¯t hold herself back. ¡°Well, now that you¡¯ve said so, Young Master Matthew, how can I turn you


    down?¡± She dreamed of bing Matthew¡¯s wife. Now that she had an opportunity to stand beside


    him, she feared that she wouldn¡¯t have another opportunity if she turned him down. Unbeknownst to


    her, the instant she agreed to Matthew¡¯s request, the man¡¯s thin lips curved up into a barely noticeable


    smirk. As expected, she¡¯s no different from those women who have thrown themselves at me, he


    thought. He even wondered whether Tiffany saving him that day was a sheer coincidence or a


    meticulously nned scheme.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    In the living room of the Kings Residence, Veronica, who had been forcibly brought here, made up an


    excuse in an attempt to leave. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, madam. I¡¯ve got to go to the hospital to deliver meals to


    my parents.¡± However, Elizabeth replied kindly, ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to get your parents transferred to


    the Kings Family¡¯s private hospital. They¡¯ll be taken care of by professionals, so you may rest assured.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Veronica jumped to her feet with a deep frown. She asked, ¡°Madam, by


    having my parents transferred to another hospital without my permission, are you trying to use coercion


    against me?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you thinking about, youngdy?¡± Instead of getting enraged by


    Veronica¡¯s question, Elizabethughed. ¡°Speaking of it, it¡¯s fate that brought you and my grandson


    together. You also know that Matthew¡ªthat rascal¡ªnever had a woman around him despite his age.


    So, I could only resort to unscrupulous means by drugging him. At first, I wanted to bring him and the


    Spencer Family¡¯s daughter together, but who would¡¯ve known that he ended up sleeping with you


    instead? Luckily, you¡¯re not bad either.¡± Upon listening to her words, Veronica finally realized why


    Matthew got drugged. Turns out that I was thrown together with that jerk by a cruel twist of fate! ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Just as she was about to speak, a silver-haired old butler came in. ¡°Young Master Matthew¡¯s here, Old


    Madam.¡± ¡°Tell that brat to get in.¡± ¡°Yes, Old Madam.¡± The butler turned around and left. Matthew came


    in right afterward. Dressed in a silvery-gray suit, he looked straight at Veronica before turning his gaze


    to Elizabeth. ¡°Grandma.¡± ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯te back anymore,¡± Elizabeth mocked grumpily.


    Then, she pointed at Veronica, saying, ¡°Well, you¡¯re here just in time. Let me introduce someone to you


    ¡ª¡± Matthew interrupted Elizabeth before thetter could finish her sentence. ¡°That can wait, Grandma.


    Let me introduce my girlfriend to you first.¡± Stunned, Elizabeth seemed quite surprised. ¡°Girlfriend?¡±


    Veronica was even more astounded. God only knew how aggrieved she felt deep down. If Elizabeth


    had known more about her grandson, she wouldn¡¯t have lost her chastity! ¡°Come in,¡± Matthew said to


    someone outside the door. Everyone immediately focused their gaze on the outside before they saw a


    woman dressed in a waisted aqua blue pleated dressing in on high heels with her head down.


    Why does this woman¡¯s figure look so familiar? thought Veronica. ¡°This is my girlfriend, Tiffany,¡± said


    Matthew as he introduced Tiffany to Elizabeth. Upon hearing Tiffany¡¯s name, Veronica was immediately


    stunned. While Veronica was staring at Tiffany, thetter also looked up at her. As their gazes met, theN?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    sisters could hardly conceal the surprise in their eyes, and they had the same doubts in mind. Why


    her? Why is she here? On the other hand, Elizabeth, who was older and thus much more perceptive,


    hit the nail on the head by asking, ¡°Isn¡¯t she Tiffany Larson, the Larson Family¡¯s gifted daughter who¡¯s


    famous in Bloomstead for her beauty and talent? How did you get her to pose as your girlfriend?¡± ¡°Nice


    to meet you, Old Mrs. Kings.¡± Tiffany greeted Elizabeth politely. ¡°I had a car ident a week ago, and


    Tiffany was the one who saved me. When she got me out of the car, I gave her the ring that was


    handed down in our family. You should know what this ring means, Grandma,¡± Matthew said while


    raising his left hand to show the ring he was wearing. Looking at the ck diamond ring, Veronica


    instantly recalled what had happened. No wonder there was a ring in my pocket after I saved Matthew


    that day! Turns out that he put it in my pocket when I saved him, she thought. However, the ring went


    missing after Tiffany popped up the next day, and she wondered at the time where the ring had gone.


    At the moment, it seemed that Tiffany had stolen it, having known long ago that the ring belonged to


    Matthew! Veronica stood up. ¡°That ring was¡ª¡± ¡°Why are you here, Veronica? I didn¡¯t expect to meet


    you here.¡± Tiffany instinctively interrupted Veronica. Suppressing the shock within her, she held


    Matthew¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°Veronica, he¡¯s the guy I told you about¡ªthe guy that I risked my life saving.¡±


    Then, she introduced Veronica to Matthew, saying, ¡°Matthew, she¡¯s Veronica, a friend I got acquainted


    with while doing food delivery to experience life.¡± Veronica was really disgusted by Tiffany¡¯s brazen-


    faced lies. There was even a moment when she wanted to speak out and unmask thedy¡¯s


    nauseatingly hypocritical and ugly nature, but she decided against it on second thoughts. The only


    thing that could prove that Veronica had saved Matthew¡¯s life was the ring, the name she had used at


    the hospital, and the surveince footage. However, the fact that Tiffany managed to steal the ring


    without anyone noticing and deceive Matthew meant that she must have checked the surveince


    footage and been fully prepared. In other words, the surveince footage might¡¯ve been destroyed by


    the Larsons long ago. If she were to step forward and use Tiffany at this moment, even if she were


    to remove her makeup, she would probably have no evidence to prove that she had saved Matthew¡¯s


    life. Rather than getting herself in trouble, she¡¯d better wait and see what was going to happen.


    Matthew sized Veronica up with narrow, piercing eyes that grew more and more fathomless. ¡°Is that


    so?¡± Tiffany said, ¡°What a coincidence, Veronica! I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here. Do you know


    Matthew too?¡± She remembered Matthew telling her that his family had arranged a marriage for him.


    Could Veronica be the woman that Old Mrs. Kings is trying to fix him up with? But how did she get to


    know the Kingses? Tiffany was on tenterhooks deep down. Veronica didn¡¯t bother to answer Tiffany,


    who was addicted to acting. Instead, she said to Elizabeth, ¡°Madam, since Young Master Matthew


    already has a girlfriend, I¡¯ve got no reason to be here anymore. I¡¯m going back first.¡± She was sounding


    Elizabeth out to n her next move. She had to be cautious against Matthew, who was powerful and


    ruthless, and the Larsons, who would threaten her at every moment using her adoptive parents. Seeing


    that Veronica was turning around to leave, Elizabeth stood up and grabbed her hand. ¡°Calm down,


    youngdy! Sit down first.¡± She sat Veronica down in the chair. Then, she barked at Matthew, ¡°Come


    with me, you rascal!¡± ¡°Yes, Grandma.¡± With that, Matthew followed Elizabeth into the inner room


    without forgetting to throw Veronica a meaningful look. With a squeak, the door to the inner room


    closed. Tiffany couldn¡¯t hold back her anger any longer. Stepping quickly toward Veronica, she uttered


    under her breath, ¡°Veronica, you b¡ª¡± p! p! Veronica boxed Tiffany¡¯s ears twice before thetter


    could finish her sentence. ¡°What else do you know besides calling me a b*tch? Oh, right, you know


    how to be a goody-two-shoes by taking credit away from others. Am I right, sis?¡±

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Tiffany didn¡¯t expect Veronica to react so quickly. Before she could do anything, thetter had pped


    her twice across the face, making her ears buzz. She was angry and exasperated, but she couldn¡¯t


    make a scene with Veronica here. ¡°Shut your mouth! Who are you calling ¡®sis¡¯?¡± she replied under her


    breath while enduring the pain in her cheek. ¡°But luckily, you were clever enough to not speak out and


    refute me just now. Otherwise, you may as well just prepare coffins for your adoptive parents.¡± She had


    thought that Veronica would step forward and spill the beans just now. She had evene up with a


    solution for that, but who would¡¯ve thought that Veronica would be so calm and collected? As a result,


    Tiffany was astonished. ¡°Ha!¡± Veronica¡¯s lips curled slightly. ¡°When I saved Young Master Matthew, he


    had promised me a reward of 100 million. I¡¯ll give you a 50-percent discount, so you have to pay me 50


    million to keep my mouth shut. Otherwise, when Young Master Matthew learns about the truth, as your


    full sister, not only do I have to prepare a coffin for you, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll also have to visit your grave


    every year!¡± ¡°F-Fifty million, you say? Dream on!¡± ¡°Whether I¡¯m dreaming is my own business, but if you


    don¡¯t do as I say, I¡¯ll definitely make sure that your dream of bing Matthew Kings¡¯ wife bes a


    pipe dream.¡± Tiffany was rendered speechless with anger by Veronica¡¯s angry retort. Meanwhile, in the


    inner room, Elizabeth exined to Matthew what had happened the night before. She said, ¡°I saw


    Veronica¡¯s blood on the bed sheet. She was a virgin. Now that you¡¯ve slept with her, you have to take


    responsibility for that!¡± Matthew had thought it was Veronica who had drugged him, which was why she


    followed him into the elevator with an ulterior motive. Even though he now learned that Elizabeth was


    the one who had drugged him, he couldn¡¯t deny that Veronica had designs on him. ¡°I already have a


    girlfriend. As for Veronica, we can offer her apensation payment.¡± I heard that woman sayingst


    night that she was only after my money. Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll grant her wish. ¡°Hmph! Do you think


    I¡¯m old and blind? Don¡¯t think I couldn¡¯t tell that she¡¯s only here to make up the numbers for you.¡± Upon


    hearing Elizabeth¡¯s words, Matthew felt quite a headache. ¡°What can I do for you to believe me,


    Grandma?¡± Elizabeth came up with ast resort. ¡°Just wait. Two monthster, you¡¯ll marry whoever


    gets pregnant first.¡± Matthew was speechless. Is she so hasty that she¡¯s not gonna ask for my opinion


    anymore? ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. Feelings can be developed, no?¡± Elizabeth said, before


    wondering if Matthew disliked Veronica because thetter looked ugly. She continued, ¡°You shouldn¡¯tN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    be taking things at face value. That youngdy looked less than average, but that¡¯ll save you a lot of


    trouble. Don¡¯t they say that beauty often causes trouble? Just leave with Tiffany first. Veronica will be


    staying here for the next few days.¡± She was worried that Matthew might force Veronica to take the


    morning-after pill, which was why she had to make Veronica stay here for three full days to rest her


    heart. After all, morning-after pills would only work if they were taken within 72 hours of sexual


    intercourse. It¡¯d be useless to take them more than three days after the intercourse. The instant he


    heard Elizabeth¡¯s words, Matthew¡¯s good-looking face turned somewhat chilly; he turned around and


    stepped out of the inner room. Seeing hime out of the room, Tiffany walked up to him, saying,


    ¡°Done talking to your grandma, Matthew?¡± However, Matthew walked past her and went straight up to


    Veronica. Then, he pinched her jaw and lifted it slightly with his right hand, looking down at her ¡°ugly¡±


    face. ¡°I¡¯m warning you¡ªdon¡¯t y tricks to hoodwink Grandma, or I¡¯ll make you regret being alive!¡±


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Veronica shoved Matthew away as her jaw hurt from being pinched. ¡°Do you think I wanna¡ª¡± I


    don¡¯t want to stay at the Kings Residence even for a minute! she thought. As she spoke, however, she


    caught sight of Tiffany¡¯s bitterly envious expression, so she immediately changed her tune, saying, ¡°In


    that case, you should ask for your grandma¡¯s opinion.¡± ¡°Calling her ¡®grandma¡¯ so quickly, huh? Looks


    like you can¡¯t wait to be my woman!¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. If I get pregnant, I won¡¯t be able to get rid of


    you even if I don¡¯t want to marry you. After all¡­¡± Veronica paused mid-sentence. Then, she turned to


    look at Elizabeth¡ªwho came out of the inner room¡ªwith an artful smile. ¡°I really can¡¯t do anything if


    your grandma insists that I marry you.¡± God only knew how furious Tiffany was when she heard


    Veronica say so. She wished she could lunge at Veronica immediately and rip her mouth off. How dare


    you shamelessly seduce my boyfriend, you b*tch?! she thought. However, she didn¡¯t realize that she


    was too immersed in her role, for she was just posing as Matthew¡¯s girlfriend. Seeing how jealous


    Tiffany looked, Veronica instantly felt much better. Matthew¡¯s thin lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Let¡¯s hope


    that you can still be so confident three dayster,¡± he reminded Veronica. ¡°Watch what you¡¯re saying,


    Matthew!¡± Elizabeth yelled. Matthew let go of Veronica while saying to Tiffany, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Tiffany bit her


    lip lightly. She was filled with resentment; she took a lot of trouble to get herself to the Kings Residence,


    yet she had to leave without being able to speak with Elizabeth. Still, despite her inner displeasure, she


    nodded slightly to Elizabeth with a gentle smile. ¡°In that case, Old Mrs. Kings, I¡¯ll be leaving with


    Matthew first.¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Elizabeth replied perfunctorily. Tiffany then folloed Matthew out of the living


    room. As Veronica stared at Matthew from behind, the victorious smile on her face vanished. Well, I did


    get momentary pleasure from bragging, but I¡¯m gonna suffer a great deal for that. I seeded in


    angering Tiffany, but I offended Matthew as well. Am I digging my own grave?

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Elizabeth said to Veronica, ¡°Veronica, just stay here for the next two days and keep mepany.¡±


    Veronica knew she had offended Matthew, but she didn¡¯t want to grovel to the Larsons for the sake of


    her adoptive parents, so she had no choice but to lean on Elizabeth right now. After all, Elizabeth didn¡¯t


    seem to feel any animosity toward her. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why do you want me to keep youpany?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m letting you stay here for a few days so that I can know more about you. After all, Matthew has


    ¡®bullied¡¯ you, so he should be taking responsibility for that,¡± Elizabeth replied.


    Then, recalling Veronica¡¯s worries, she added, ¡°I¡¯ve hired the best foreign specialists to diagnose and


    treat your parents, so I believe they¡¯ll get better very soon.¡± Veronica was very grateful, but she had no


    way to repay Elizabeth¡¯s kindness, so she could onlyfort herself with the fact that she had saved


    Matthew¡¯s life. I saved Matthew¡¯s life, and his grandma saved my adoptive parents¡¯ lives. That makes us


    even. ¡°Thank you so much, madam,¡± she said, thanking Elizabeth sincerely. Over the next three days,


    Veronica kept Elizabethpany all the time. In the morning, they would do physical exercise and do


    some gardening in the garden, whereas in the afternoon, they would bake cakes or y chess together.


    Time always passed quickly when one was busy. On the fourth morning, Veronica had breakfast with


    Elizabeth before packing up. Coming downstairs with her luggage, she nodded slightly to Elizabeth, who


    was sitting on the sofa. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, madam. Thanks for all the hospitality you¡¯ve shown me.¡± Elizabeth


    got up and walked up to Veronica with a kindly smile. ¡°You¡¯re outspoken and open-minded, youngdy.


    Staying with you makes me feel much younger.¡± Elizabeth never assumed the dignity of a matriarch


    before Veronica. Instead, she was as affable as a grandmother. ¡°You should always be young at heart,


    madam. I¡¯ll be leaving, then. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. Remember to pay me a visit when you¡¯re free.¡± ¡°


    Uh¡­ Hehe, okay, madam,¡± Veronica answered with embarrassment. Whether I cane to the Kings


    Residence again or not isn¡¯t up to me. Elizabeth arranged for the chauffeur to drive Veronica to


    downtown Bloomstead after Veronica left the Kings Residence. When the chauffeur drove past a


    drugstore, Veronica said to the chauffeur, ¡°Please stop the car, mister. I¡¯ll get off here.¡± The car stopped.


    Getting out of the car, Veronica said to the chauffeur, ¡°Mister, please thank Old Mrs. Kings for me.¡± ¡°Yes,


    Miss Murphy,¡± the chauffeur replied. Then, he made a U-turn and headed back. Veronica trotted into the


    drugstore while carrying her sling bag. The pharmacist immediately went up to her, asking, ¡°Hi. What


    medicine would you like to buy?.


    ¡± ¡°Please get me a box of the best morning-after pills,¡± Veronica said hurriedly to the pharmacist. Over


    the past few days, she had been staying at the Kings Residence without any chance to leave, so it was


    only natural that she didn¡¯t manage to buy any morning-after pills. Now that she had left the Kings


    Residence, she had to get the morning-after pills and take them quickly, of course. Otherwise, she¡¯d be


    finished if she really got pregnant. The pharmacist handed her a box of pills. ¡°This has the best


    emergency contraceptive effects when taken within 72 hours.¡± Veronica took the box of pills, but she


    paused just as she turned around to pay for the pills. ¡°Did you just say ¡®72 hours¡¯?¡± ¡°Yeah. The earlier


    you take the pill, the better. It¡¯ll be useless if you take the pill three days after the matter.¡± ¡°So it only


    works if you take it within three days?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Veronica was stupefied. Then, she looked down at the description on the box. As expected, the morning-


    after pills would only work if taken within 72 hours of intercourse; it would no longer work if takenter


    than that. Veronica had never taken morning-after pills before, so she naively assumed that these pills


    would work if taken within a week. No wonder Old Mrs. Kings had me stay at the Kings Residence for


    three days. Turns out this is the reason. Handing the box of pills back to the pharmacist, Veronica walked


    out of the drugstore, her eyes reddened. Wandering the streets alone, she spent a long time pulling


    herself together beforeforting herself. What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Even if I get pregnant, I can


    abort the baby then!


    There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. Whatever the problem will be, there¡¯ll always be a solution to it. Just then,


    a car on the roadside suddenly braked and stopped in front of her with a loud Screech! Before she could


    come to her senses, she had been shoved into the car. ¡°Hey! W-W-Who are you guys? It¡¯s illegal for you


    guys to kidnap someone openly in broad daylight!¡± She struggled a few times. Then, she warned, ¡°Stop


    the car! Hurry up and let me out of the car, or I¡¯m gonna call the police!¡± Just then, a familiar voice came


    from the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Miss Murphy, you¡¯d better behave yourself and not get yourself into trouble.¡±


    When Veronica tilted her head and craned her neck, she was astounded to find that it was


    Thomas in the driver¡¯s seat. So it was Matthew who had me kidnapped? Just as expected, bragging


    would only give me momentary pleasure, but I¡¯m gonna suffer a great deal for that. Anyway, isn¡¯t it a bit


    too swift for Matthew to have me kidnapped as soon as I left the Kings Residence? ¡°Hurry up and stop


    the car, Thomas. Otherwise, I¡¯ll call Old Mrs. Kings and tell her about this.¡± ¡°I¡¯d advise you to know


    yourself a little, Miss Murphy.¡± Veronica was speechless. Know myself enough to die willingly, you


    mean? However, upon recalling that her adoptive parents were still in the Kings Family¡¯s hospital, she


    dared not put up any pointless struggle again. Over ten minutester, Veronica was brought to Matthew¡¯s


    private residence on the 38th floor of Twilight Club.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought Miss Murphy here, Young Master Matthew,¡± said Thomas as he brought Veronica to the


    man. ¡°I shall take my leave.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Clutching the strap of her sling bag,


    Veronica looked at Matthew, who was working with aptop on hisp. His eyes were fixed on theptop


    as his slender fingers danced on the keyboard. Like a god that lived high in the clouds and passed


    judgment on all living things, the unfeeling man exuded an innate air of superiority. In particr, with


    beautiful outlines and clear-cut features, his face was soul-stirringly and wlessly good-looking like a


    perfect work of art crafted by God himself. Even Veronica, who was immune to handsome guys, couldn¡¯t


    help but take another look at him. Suddenly, the man closed hisptop, ced it on the table, and said to


    Veronica, ¡°Have you had enough of staring at me?¡±


    ¡°W-Who¡¯s staring at you?¡± Veronica curled her lips. ¡°Stop ttering yourself.¡± Wearing a ck shirt with


    the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, Matthew stood up and fixed Veronica with a sharp gaze. ¡°Do you


    think you can act outrageously in front of me with my grandma backing you up?¡± In the face of the


    overwhelming pressure, Veronica nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva. ¡°N-No, I never thought so.¡±


    ¡°Wussing out already, eh? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re gonna be pregnant with my baby and get married to me


    at the Kings Residence the other day?¡± How dare this damn woman provoke me? She must have a


    death wish, he thought. ¡°Ho ho¡­¡± Her face slightly pale, Veronicaughed bitterly at herself while


    stepping back involuntarily.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t get mad, Young Master Matthew. I was just joking the other day. Ho ho, I was joking.¡± She


    kept stepping back, but Matthew seized her by the cor. ¡°I, Matthew Kings, hate being threatened more


    than anything else. Congrattions on doing it.¡± Despite him congratting her, Veronica noticed


    Matthew¡¯s chilly expression¡ªhe was staring at her as if she was dead. She was so frightened that her


    heart almost jumped out of her throat. ¡°I meant that as a joke, Young Master Matthew.¡± Oh, God, this is


    so scary! ¡°Whether you were joking or not isn¡¯t something you could prove just by words alone.¡± Veronica


    was so terror-stricken that she stammered, ¡°H-How could I prove it, then?¡± Matthew raised his inky


    eyebrows. ¡°You really want to prove that what you said at the Kings Residence was just a joke?¡±

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    ¡°Yeah, I-I do.¡± Sensing the man¡¯s chilly vibes¡ªwhich were like that of a demoning from hell¡ªmade


    Veronica feel so close to death for the very first time. Out of the instinct to survive, she nodded


    vigorously. ¡°I want to, of course. But how can I prove it?¡± ¡°Great.¡± The chilly expression on Matthew¡¯s


    stony face eased, and his medium-sized lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Then, he leaned close to Veronica¡¯s ear. His breath gave a tingling sensation when it blew on the strands


    of hair on her neck, but on top of that, it sent a chill down her spine. Veronica waited for a few seconds


    before she heard the man say, ¡°I have a way to solve this once and for all.¡± ¡°W-What way is it?¡± ¡°That


    is¡­¡± Matthew paused mid-sentence as if to tease her. It wasn¡¯t until he noticed that she was almost


    freaking out that he continued, ¡°Cutting off your womb.¡± ¡°M-My womb?¡± Backing away in fright, Veronica


    blundered against the sofa behind her and slumped down onto it. She stared at Matthew nkly,


    saying, ¡°No, don¡¯t do that¡­ I don¡¯t want to.¡± If my womb is cut off, I¡¯ll never be able to bear children all


    my life. I¡¯ll never agree to that! ¡°Are you a demon, Matthew?¡± Veronica had always been strong and


    determined, but she couldn¡¯t help being terrified. She was unaware of Matthew¡¯s identity before this, but


    now that she had learned of his identity, she became increasingly afraid of him, for this man had the


    ability to crush everything. Killing her would be as easy to him as crushing an ant. ¡°


    Tsk.¡± Matthew dialed a number with the phone in his hand. ¡°Thomas, contact the hospital and have them


    prepare for a hysterectomy¡ª¡± ¡°No, no way! You can¡¯t do that!¡± Before the man could finish his sentence,


    Veronica jumped to her feet, snatched his cell phone away, and ended the call. Feeling angry and


    aggrieved, she growled, ¡°What gives you the right to do that? Do you think you can defy thew because


    you¡¯re rich?¡± Well, pretending to be weak, pitiful, and innocent in front of this guy has proven to be


    useless, for this *sshole is essentially a cold-blooded beast! ¡°We¡¯ll know whether I can do it or not once


    we give it a try.¡±


    Matthew snatched his phone back from Veronica. Then, he walked past her and left right away. ¡°Wait a


    minute!¡± Veronica grabbed Matthew¡¯s hand and knelt down with a thud. She said tearfully, ¡°You can¡¯t do


    that, Young Master Matthew. No one knows whether I¡¯ve gotten pregnant or not, but if I do get pregnant,


    I¡¯ll definitely abort it.¡± In order to keep her ¡°womb,¡± she decided to do everything possible. Dignity is


    worthless in the face of life, she thought.


    She didn¡¯t want to lose her womb at a young age. If that happened, no men would want her even if she


    threw herself at them. ¡°Begging for mercy on your knees, eh? Weren¡¯t you fuming with indignation just


    now?¡± Matthew pinched Veronica¡¯s jaw with hisrge hand. ¡°Say, which side of you should I believe?¡±


    Veronica was very angry. ¡°We should conduct ourselves with conscience, Young Master Matthew. Your


    grandma¡¯s the one who drugged you, and you forced yourself on me. I¡¯m the victim here, so why should I


    bear the consequences?¡± Matthew found his interest aroused by Veronica¡¯s kaleidoscopic change of


    emotions. She acted all pitiful just a moment ago; now, kneeling on the ground, she looked extremely


    furious. ¡°


    Because I¡¯m rich and thus can defy thew, that¡¯s why,¡± he replied, using her words against her. Then, he


    continued, ¡°Just stay here and don¡¯t go anywhere. Somebody will pick you upter for the surgery.¡± He


    pulled out a piece of tissue and wiped the hand that had pinched Veronica¡¯s jaw as if feeling that it was


    dirty. After tossing the piece of tissue into the trash can, he turned around and left. ¡°Young Master


    Matthew? Young Master Matthew, let¡¯s talk this through, okay? Hey, don¡¯t leave, Matthew! You¡¯re an


    *sshole and a jerk, Matthew!¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t help but swear when she saw the man walk out of the


    living room without looking back. Then, she got up, sat down on the sofa, and brushed the nonexistent


    dust off her knees. She muttered,


    ¡°Damn that shameless jerk.¡± The elevator door closed outside; the man was gone. Sitting on the sofa,


    Veronica reached for her cell phone to call Elizabeth, only to realize that her phone was gone. With the


    benefit of hindsight, she recalled how Matthew had gotten close to her just now. He probably took my cell


    phone at the time, she thought. ¡°I can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing.¡± A myriad of thoughts crossed her


    mind as she pondered how to get out of here.


    She stood up and looked around the floor. She found that the only way to exit the floor was through the


    elevator or the locked door at the end of the hallway. However, there were two burly bodyguards at the


    living room door. She walked around the living room. In the end, she went into the bedroom and found a


    lighter. After winding some tissue papers around the mop, she set fire to the tissue papers and aimed the


    mop at the fire sprinkler on the ceiling. In just a second, the sprinkler system was activated, and it began


    sprinkling water continuously. Veronica activated both the sprinkler system and the smoke rm in the


    bedroom, the guest bedroom, the kitchen,


    and the bathroom. Upon hearing the smoke rm ring, she immediately ced the mop in a corner and


    ran out of the bathroom. The two bodyguards burst in with a panicked expression on their faces. ¡°What¡¯s


    the matter? Which ce is on fire?¡± Veronica shook her head. ¡°I have no idea¡­ It¡¯s so scary¡­¡± ¡°Go over


    there and take a look, Ben. I¡¯ll go this way.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two bodyguards immediately rushed inside to


    check the situation. Veronica was secretly delighted. Immediately,


    she ran out of the living room and took the 38th-floor-exclusive elevator downstairs. After escaping from


    Twilight Club, she hailed a taxi and left right away. ¡°Please drive me to Saint Hospital. Uh, forget it.


    Please drive me to Dragon¡¯s Creek Vi instead.¡± She had wanted to go to her adoptive parents at Saint


    Hospital, but now she decided to go to Dragon¡¯s Creek Vi to ask the Larsons for money and then leave


    Bloomstead with her adoptive parents. Back when she donated her bone marrow to the Larson Family¡¯s


    youngest son, her biological father had promised to pay her 50,000


    when they left Bloomstead. Veronica had disdained taking his money, but now, she had no other option.


    She wanted to take her adoptive parents back to the countryside, but that would cost money. She had


    yet to receive her paycheck, and she had paid her only 5,000 upfront for Matthew¡¯s medical treatment.


    Without money, she could hardly do anything. Over half an hourter, Veronica arrived at Dragon¡¯s Creek


    Vi. Getting out of the taxi, she walked up to the gate and pressed the doorbell. A whileter, the vi¡¯s


    gate opened. Rachel, who was decked out with jewels, asked with a frown,


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Rachel was Veronica¡¯s biological mother. She was nearly 50 years old and was


    dressed in a waisted royal blue V-neck shirt paired with high-waisted pants. As she always took very


    good care of her health, she looked young and refined. Getting straight to the point, Veronica replied,


    ¡°Where¡¯s Floch? I¡¯ve got something to talk to him about.¡± Rachel looked at Veronica with a scornful and


    contemptuous expression. ¡°Hey, watch how you speak!


    How could you call him by his name?¡± Veronica didn¡¯t understand it sometimes. She and Tiffany were


    born of the same mother, so why would Rachel and Floch dislike her? ¡°I can¡¯t call him by his name,


    huh?¡± She snorted withughter. ¡°Well then, where¡¯s your old man? I¡¯ve got something to talk to him


    about.¡± Rachel was infuriated by her words. ¡°You¡­ Hmph! As expected of someone from the backwater


    of the country. You have no manners at all!¡± ¡°Manners are taught by one¡¯s biological parents. It¡¯s good


    enough that a parentless person like me can stay alive, so why bother about manners?¡± Veronica had


    never expected her biological parents to have such an attitude when she met them again.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    But they really have gone too far in humiliating me, thought Veronica. ¡°He¡¯s not at home. Come back


    later.¡± Rachel closed the gate right away, not wanting to waste her breath talking to Veronica. However,


    Veronica seemed to have predicted that Rachel would do so; she pushed the gate open and went inside


    before Rachel could close it. Rachel flew into a rage. ¡°What are you doing, Veronica? Get out at once!¡±


    ¡°Who is it, Mom?¡± Tiffany happened toe downstairs. Upon seeing Veronica, she couldn¡¯t help feeling


    annoyed. ¡°What are you doing here, Veronica? This is my home!¡±


    They¡¯re my closest kin, yet they loathe me so much, thought Veronica. Her heart twinged, but she looked


    calm and unperturbed. ¡°Nothing. I just want to get mypensation for saving Young Master Matthew.¡±


    Her words were met with Rachel¡¯s ridicule. ¡°What does that have to do with you? Tiffy¡¯s the one who


    saved him.¡± The one sitting before Rachel was also her biological daughter; but Rachel, who lived in the


    lap of luxury, disliked Veronica, who was from the depths of the country. She couldn¡¯t help feeling that


    this country girl was rude, unreasonable, uncouth, and unpresentable.


    If the outsiders learn about Veronica¡¯s existence, it might ruin Tiffy¡¯s and my perfect image in the eyes of


    the public. Veronica looked sidelong at Rachel before turning to look at Tiffany with augh. ¡°You two


    have proved yourself to be mother and daughter. Both of you can lie without turning a hair. You two are


    really as bold as brass, I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°Shut the f*ck up, Veronica!¡± Tiffany chided. As she really didn¡¯t want


    to see Veronica, she said to Rachel, ¡°Mom, she¡¯s here for money. Just give her 50,000 and tell her to get


    out as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right, Tiffy.¡± Rachel nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and get her the cash right away.¡± However, Veronica said shockingly, ¡°Since the Larsons


    have lots of money, give me the 100 million that I deserve for saving Young Master Matthew¡¯s life so that


    we won¡¯t owe each other anything anymore.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too insatiable, Veronica!¡± Tiffany red at her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll only give you 100,000 at most.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll give you 100,000, but you have to leave Bloomstead at


    once after getting the money. As for the Kingses, they¡¯ll only acknowledge Tiffy as the one who saved


    Young Master Matthew¡¯s life. Moreover, you said you saved his life,Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    but do you have any evidence of that?¡± Rachel asked. ¡°You think I¡¯ll have no way to prove it after you all


    deleted the footage and stole the ring, huh? Don¡¯t forget it was recorded on the food delivery app that I


    had ridden past the intersection that day.¡± Veronica shed the cell phone in her hand. Then, she


    continued, ¡°Well, the food delivery record can¡¯t prove 100-percent that it was me who saved Matthew¡¯s


    life, but Tiffany didn¡¯t even receive a food delivery order that day. Wouldn¡¯t Matthew get suspicious?


    Anyway, rather than getting myself in trouble without getting the reward from him,


    I¡¯d prefer to grant Tiffany¡¯s wish.¡± In reality, Veronica didn¡¯t deliver the takeout to the customer that day,


    so she couldn¡¯t prove that she had passed through the road. This was also why she didn¡¯t speak out and


    refute Tiffany when thetter lied in front of Matthew. In other words, the food delivery app wasn¡¯t


    sufficient as evidence, but it could be used to ¡®scare¡¯ the Larsons, who had a guilty conscience. ¡°How


    dare you!¡± Tiffany didn¡¯t expect Veronica to have a card up her sleeve. Fearing that Veronica might


    expose her lies in front of Matthew, she asked, ¡°How much do you want?¡±


    ¡°Since you were the one who gave birth to me, Mrs. Larson, I¡¯ll give you all a 90% discount. Give me 10


    million.¡± Rachel replied, ¡°10 million? What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Tiffany said, ¡°You really are


    insane, Veronica!¡± The mother and daughter couldn¡¯t bow to Veronica¡¯s threats, of course. How dare


    someone from the depths of the country demand such an exorbitant price? Without wasting her breath,


    Veronica stood up and pretended to leave. ¡°Since you two don¡¯t agree to it, I¡¯ll go to Old Mrs. Kings.


    She¡¯s the Kings Family¡¯s matriarch, so she¡¯ll give the final word.¡±


    Tiffany had yet to figure out how Elizabeth got to know Veronica or why she was so partial to thetter.


    Consequently, she couldn¡¯t help feeling that Veronica¡¯s existence was a major threat to her. ¡°Wait a


    minute,¡± she called out to Veronica. ¡°Mom and I have to discuss this with Dad, so wait here,¡± she said


    while taking Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go upstairs and call Dad.¡± With that, the mother and daughter


    went upstairs, whereas Veronica waited downstairs. However, the Larsons were too despicable. Fearing


    that they might be discussing some mean tricks upstairs,


    Veronica went upstairs worriedly. Dragon¡¯s Creek Vi was an old vi that was built some years ago, so


    its soundproofing wasn¡¯t very good. Veronica could vaguely hear the conversation between Tiffany and


    Rachel while standing at the door. She listened for a while, but she didn¡¯t hear anything like which dirty


    tricks they would be using against her or her adoptive parents from their conversation. Inwardly, she


    couldn¡¯t help mocking herself for being overcautious and somewhat paranoid, and she got ready to go


    downstairs. Just then, however, she heard words like ¡°adoptive parents¡± and ¡°car ident.¡±


    As she couldn¡¯t make out the sentences clearly, she pressed her ear against the door and listened


    carefully out of curiosity. ¡°Veronica¡¯s insatiable, and she¡¯s the spitting image of me. If we keep her


    around, she¡¯ll be a threat to us. And besides, Old Mrs. Kings likes her so much. How am I gonna


    get married to Matthew with her existence?¡± ¡°That being said, Tiffy, we¡¯ve crippled her adoptive father in


    the car ident in order to force her to donate her bone marrow to your brother


    . Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re gonnay a hand on her even?¡± ¡°Are you stupid, Mom? As long as Veronica¡¯s alive,


    she¡¯ll hinder me from marrying into the Kings Family! That¡¯s unless¡­ you can make her a vegetable too!¡±


    As Tiffany spoke of this, her voice went up a few octaves all of a sudden; she got somewhat anxious.


    Standing outside the door, Veronica heard every word Tiffany had said, which sent a chill running down


    her spine. Still, she only felt her blood boiling.


    Over two months ago, Floch Larson and Rachel suddenly showed up before Veronica, saying they could


    bring her back to the Larson Family on condition that she donate her bone marrow to her leukemic


    younger brother. They had no choice but to go to Veronica because Tiffany¡¯s bone marrow didn¡¯t match


    his.


    Naturally, Veronica refused, which was why her adoptive parents suddenly had a car ident a month


    ago. After her adoptive parents were hospitalized with grave injuries, Floch and Rachel showed up


    again, saying they could treat her adoptive parents for free as long as she was willing to donate her bone


    marrow to the Larson Family¡¯s youngest son. At the time, Veronica was a little suspicious of the car


    ident, as well as Floch and Rachel¡¯s sudden appearance.


    But in the end, she thought that they wouldn¡¯t go so far as to resort to such cruel means as her biological


    parents. s¡­ She was too naive. Breathing fire at once, Veronica trembled all over with rage. She held


    onto the doorknob, wanting to burst into the room and confront them.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Calm down, calm down¡­ Veronica felt hostility from the Larsons. If she were to barge in right now, she


    would only shatter the peace between her and the family, and they would be even more tempted to kill


    her off. Given the power the Larson Family held, they wouldn¡¯t break a sweat to take her out. Besides,


    with her adoptive parents still living, what were they supposed to do if anything were to happen to


    her? Wicked, how wicked they are! Veronica clenched her fists as her eyes reddened. Despite that, she


    took a deep breath and held her exasperation, turning around and descending the stairs.


    After remaining on the couch for a while, Rachel and Tiffany, too, hade downstairs. ¡°Veronica, it¡¯s


    impossible for us to give you 10 million, but after speaking with Dad, we decided this is the most we can


    give you. In exchange, surrender to us your takeout tform and take your foster parents out of


    Bloomstead along with you.¡± Tiffanycently gazed at Veronica as she ced a check before the


    latter. Veronica took a glimpse at the check and saw an amount of one million. She slowly lifted her eyes


    and shot Tiffany a resentful re before turning to Rachel with a cold grin.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Thinking to ¡®purchase¡¯ the position of Young Mistress of the Kingses with just one million? Props to you


    and your calctiveness, business women.¡± ¡°Oh, won¡¯t you ever be grateful? It¡¯d take more than a


    lifetime for your foster parents to earn such an amount of money!¡± Tiffany furiously replied. Veronica


    replied in a cold tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about how much they make. One thing you should worry about


    instead is that I have the power to prevent you from bing the Young Mistress of the Kingses!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so irritating!¡± Rachel shook her head, revealing condescension in her eyes. ¡°How did I, Rachel


    Zimmerman, give birth to a disgraceful daughter like you?¡± ¡°Veronica, Mom¡¯s gonna offer two million


    . That¡¯s the maximum we¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Two million could work, but the takeout app is all you get.¡± ¡°No, you and


    your foster parents shall also leave Bloomstead.¡± ¡°Well, then, that¡¯s a dealbreaker.¡± Without saying more,


    Veronica turned around, preparing to depart. Seeing she was really leaving, Tiffany grew hasty and


    immediately uttered, ¡°Fine, it¡¯s a deal.¡± In spite of aplishing her n, Veronica revealed not a trace


    of joy. ¡°I don¡¯t want your check. Transfer the funds to my bank ount instead. While you¡¯re at it,


    prepare a statement describing the transfer as mypensation for Randy¡¯s donation of bone marrow.¡±


    But of course, Veronica was well aware of their schemes. Once they transferred the money to her


    ount, Tiffany would seize ownership of her takeout application and amend the owner¡¯s details. With


    that, Tiffany would report to the police that the transfer she made was an error, and the police would


    scour for the two million. By then, Veronica would lose both the money and her takeout application.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting ahead of yourself.¡± Rachel was visibly disgusted. Veronica responded with a scornful


    smirk. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m forcing you or anything.¡± ¡°Forget it, Mom! We¡¯ll do as she says!¡±


    For the sake of hering, lifelong happiness, Tiffany could only restrain herself for now. Then, Veronica


    took a seat as she silently waited for the transfer to be made, along with apensation agreement.


    After verifying it, she transferred the ownership of her takeout application to Tiffany, to which thetter


    swiftly altered the owner¡¯s personal information. Back then, the takeout order had failed to reach its


    customer, so the delivery records on the tform couldn¡¯t prove that Veronica had in fact rescued


    Matthew. At most, the Kingses would have doubts about the records. After all, the name registered in the


    hospital was Tiffany¡¯s and the surveince footage was erased. Furthermore, the ring was also given to


    Matthew through


    Tiffany. But if the delivery records belonged to Tiffany now, it would act as proof that she was indeed his


    ¡°rescuer.¡± ¡°You better leave Bloomstead once your foster dad recovers.¡± After changing the details saved


    in the takeout application, Tiffany revealed a smug look, speaking as if the Larsons owned the entire


    Bloomstead. ¡°You don¡¯t belong here.¡± With an apathetic expression, Veronica nced at the opposing


    women before turning around wordlessly. After leaving the Larsons¡¯ home, instead of visiting her foster


    parents at the hospital, she took a cab back to her old home. She inquired


    about the car ident in a local precinct, but the police imed that they didn¡¯t manage to capture the


    driver who caused the ident. As she heard that, suspicion rose in her mind. She pursued the details


    regarding the ident as well as the license te of the mentioned driver, recording her conversation


    with the policemen in secret while she was at it. On the same day, she took a cab back to Bloomstead


    and got in contact with a trustworthy private investigator in the city. She then paid the investigator a


    deposit of 20,000 andid out the clues she had about the driver in order to allow


    the private investigator to look into her foster parents¡¯ ident. Given the Larsons were a sly family, she


    would have to use everything she had to discover the truth, finding the real culprit to give her foster


    parents a peace of mind. At the same time, she had offended Matthew, plus the Larsons now had


    malicious thoughts on her. For contingency purposes,


    she would need enough money for a route to back out. And that was also why she was willing to


    exchange her takeout application for the two million from the Larsons. Besides, Veronica understood that


    if she were to ask for too much and end up triggering the Larson Family, she would be left with one


    oue¡ªdeath. Having settled everything else, Veronica lethargically walked out of her rented unit,


    only to bump into Matthew¡¯s assistant, Thomas. ¡°Miss Murphy, Young Master Matthew is awaiting your


    presence.¡±

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Seeing Thomas, Veronica couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous and a little scared as she had yet to forget that


    she flooded Matthew¡¯s apartment a few hours ago. ¡°Haha. What a coincidence, Mr. Ritter.¡± She greeted


    Thomas with an amiable smile, already having pulled out her phone and speedily looking for Elizabeth¡¯s


    number before sending her a text. Right after she sent the text, Thomas swiftly snatched her phone


    away. ¡°What is the meaning of this, Mr. Ritter?¡± Veronica pretended to be infuriated. Without even


    ncing at her phone, Thomas handed it to a bodyguard behind him before inviting her with a straight


    face


    . ¡°Please, Miss Murphy.¡± With that, he led Veronica away. When the sedan¡¯s door opened, Veronica bent


    her back and got into the vehicle, only to see an intimidating man inside resting with his eyes shut. The


    sight of him left her heart palpitating. Nervous, she gulped down her saliva and forced a gratifying smile.


    ¡°I heard you were looking for me¡­ Young Master Matthew.¡± The man slightly turned his head toward her


    as he slowly opened his eyes, revealing his sharp gaze.


    ¡°So how do you want to die?¡± He blurted those words with a tone as serene as a sunny day. In


    Veronica¡¯s ears, however, those words were the execution order of a dictator. ¡°Hehe. Of old age, of


    course.¡± Despite the beam on her face, inwardly, she was cursing and swearing at him. As the man


    rested his crossed hands on his abdomen, he tapped his slender finger on the back of his hand, loudly


    ordering, ¡°Start the car, Thomas.¡± ¡°Wait what? W-Where are we going?¡± Veronica panicked. When she


    barely voiced the question, Thomas had already gotten into the car and started the sedan. Matthew once


    again


    shut his eyes without speaking any further. Helpless, she turned to Thomas. ¡°Where are we heading to,


    Mr. Ritter?¡± ¡°The hospital.¡± ¡°The hospital?¡± Veronica¡¯s face nched as her heart thumped rapidly. When


    she recalled that Matthew said he would remove her womb, her fear grew more intense. All these years,


    she never had truly feared anyone, but right at that moment, she couldn¡¯t help but admit that Matthew


    terrorized her. This is it. I¡¯m done for. Hopeless, Veronicay against the back of her seat, having not the


    slightest energy to shake off the problem she was facing. All she could do now was to wait for Elizabeth¡¯s


    call. Ring, ring, ring! A ringtone thundered through the car. Seeing as Matthew picked up the phone,


    Veronica was pleasantly surprised. Hastily, she tilted her body toward the phone and saw it was indeed a


    call from Elizabeth. ¡°Help me, madam! Matthew¡¯s gonna remove my wo¡ª¡± She attempted to scream for


    help into the phone, but before she could finish her words, the man gripped her neck and covered her


    mouth. ¡°Zip it if you want to live.¡± Matthew shot her a piercing gaze with murderous intent surging in his


    eyes, to which Veronica obediently nodded. Nevertheless, since Elizabeth had called, she no longer had


    to be afraid. ¡°What is it, Grandma?¡± Paying attention to the phone call, Matthew inquired. ¡°


    Where are you, brat? Where are you bringing Veronica?¡± Matthew remained silent for a while. ¡°Say


    something, will you? I¡¯ll have you know that if anything happens to her, I¡¯ll kill myself!¡± ¡°Grandma, she¡¯s


    no one important.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is the child inside her! How long do you think this old


    woman has left? I merely want a grandchild to hold. No one here asked for a marriage!¡± ¡°And why do you


    think she has the right to enter the Kings Family?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to marry her, but I want the baby.¡± ¡°We


    have yet to know whether there¡¯s a child.¡± ¡°Then, wait. Get her checked in two months.


    But if you darey a finger on her before that, I¡¯ll smash my head against the wall and go see your


    grandpa!¡± Matthew was rendered speechless. ¡°Pass the phone to Veronica,¡± Elizabeth instructed.


    Reluctant, the man frowned as he tightened his phone-holding hand. What drug did this b*tch give


    Grandma? After a moment of hesitation, he loosened his hand on Veronica and put the phone on


    speakerphone before handing it to her. ¡°Veronica?¡± Elizabeth yelled. As Veronica wiped her mouth with


    her sleeve that was touched by the man, the anger on her face turned into a subtle grin. ¡°Madam?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Veronica. What did they do to you?¡± Veronica turned to Matthew with a boastful look and lifted her


    brows as if she had won the fight. Shortly after, she withdrew her grin and started wailing. ¡°Boohoo!


    Madam, Matthew said he was going to bring me to the hospital to remove my womb. Boohoo! I¡¯m so


    scared, madam!¡± Seeing the instantaneous change of facial expression that was even more adept than


    that of an elite actress, Matthew squinted his eyes, feeling even more vexed. If it weren¡¯t for Elizabeth¡¯s


    order, he would have strangled the woman before him to death. ¡°Aww, don¡¯t cry¡­ Don¡¯t you worry now.


    I¡¯ve already taught him a lesson. He won¡¯t bully you ever again, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, I trust you, madam. B-


    But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± ¡°Matthew¡­ He confiscated my phone.¡± ¡°Argh, that brat! He¡¯s really growing bold. It¡¯s okay,


    Veronica. Stop crying, okay? Tell me if he dares pull anything stupid next time, alright?¡± Although


    Elizabeth had only spent three days with Veronica, she couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by her wit and


    intelligence as well as her diligence. She would have been the perfect girl. Sadly, her only w was her


    ordinary, perhaps not-so-appealing appearance. Personally,


    Elizabeth didn¡¯t think that she was hideous. In fact, she thought Veronica was a suitable acquaintance to


    live her life with. Unfortunately, her appearance wasn¡¯t able to charm Matthew¡¯s heart, which in turn


    became an obstacle to their marriage. ¡°Got it. Thank you, madam.¡± ¡°Anytime. Can you pass the phone to


    Matthew now?¡± ¡°Mhm!¡± After humming a response, Veronica returned the phone to Matthew. He then


    turned off the speakerphone and put the phone at his ear.


    ¡°Grandma?¡± ¡°Oh, here I thought you¡¯d forgotten I was your grandma. How bold have you grown, huh? So


    bold you¡¯d even disobey my words? So bold you¡¯re sending Veronica to the hospital to have her uterus


    removed? Who do you think you are, God?¡± Elizabeth furiously continued, ¡°Return the phone back to


    Veronica right now! I¡¯ll be video-calling her every day from now on. If I were to sense a hint of


    unhappiness within her, you can start preparing a funeral!¡± ¡°Grand¡ª¡± Beep, beep¡­ Before Matthew


    could say anything more, Elizabeth already hung up. Tilted, he clutched the phone so hard his fingers


    cracked. He was clearly outraged, so outraged that it could match the extent of the most wrathful storm.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was observing


    him, assiduously studying his every gesture. Seeing him so irate, she immediately knew that Elizabeth


    must have warned him not to torment her any longer. Realizing that, she felt utterly relieved. ¡°Return her


    phone.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Matthew.¡± As Thomas was driving, he pulled out Veronica¡¯s phone and gave


    it back to her. ¡°Thank you.¡± She thanked the assistant. Right when she grabbed her phone, it instantly


    rang, and the caller ID was ¡®Madam Elizabeth.¡¯ As she looked at the number on her phone, Matthew, too,


    had noticed it.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Veronica answered the call and listened to the old woman¡¯s warm words. Elizabeth told her that if


    something were to happen to her, she should give her a call. Elizabeth then hung up after she heard a


    yes from Veronica. ¡°Stop the car!¡± Veronica shouted after ending the call. ring at her, Matthew


    reached out his hand and grabbed her by her jaw before turning her face toward himself. ¡°What? Think


    you¡¯re somebody now just because you have Grandma¡¯s support?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± She shoved his hand away and dropped her gratifying act. ¡°Although you¡¯re rich and good-


    looking, Matthew, not every woman is dying to be married to you, so you don¡¯t have to be so smug all the


    time. What happened this time was just an ident. I understand that you don¡¯t want me to be pregnant,


    but I don¡¯t have the desire to bear your child as well. Two monthster, I¡¯ll go get checked in the hospital,


    and you can have


    Thomas follow me. If the results state that I¡¯m pregnant, we can opt for an abortion then, cutting off any


    connection there is between us.¡± Seeing her serious attitude, Matthew revealed a grin. ¡°You think I¡¯d buy


    that?¡± After all, how could he trust a slippery, Oscar-worthy woman like her? ¡°It¡¯s all up to you, but that¡¯s


    the best choice, isn¡¯t it?¡± Veronica confidently smiled. Her bright smile somewhat disgusted Matthew.


    ¡°Stop the car!¡± With that, the sedan stopped.


    Veronica politely bid her farewell. ¡°Goodbye.¡± Having said that, she pushed the car door open before


    mming it shut and departing. Her forceful m left the car swinging. Meanwhile, inside the car was


    Matthew rubbing his forehead, perturbed by how troublesome Veronica was. ¡°Pay close attention to her


    phone calls and have someone to keep an eye on her.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Matthew,¡± Thomas replied


    without questioning his boss. Having worked for Matthew for many years, he was well aware of how he


    thought. He understood that Matthew was worried Veronica might look for another man or seek any kind


    of measure to impregnate herself within the following two months. ¡­ And so, for one and a half months,


    Veronica never bumped into Matthew. She had returned to her previous life¡ªworking as a security guard


    at Twilight Club during the night and doing takeout deliveries in her spare time during the day. Other than


    that, she would send lunch over to her foster mother at the hospital. Her foster father, on the other hand,


    remained unconscious. One day, as she was delivering takeouts to her customers, she received a phone


    call from the private investigator.


    ¡°Miss Murphy, I¡¯ve found the negligent driver,¡± the investigator imed. Since the negligent driver


    seeded in escaping the ident involving her foster parents, plus the fact that, after the investigation,


    the vehicle was discovered to be a legally scrapped car, the negligent driver was nowhere to be found.


    Nheless, the private investigator was able toe up with a way to locate the car, and obtain the


    blood inside it to run a DNA test. Eventually,


    he discovered that the negligent driver was in fact a criminal. Receiving the news, Veronica was even


    more convinced that the Larsons had bribed the police officer responsible for the case. Otherwise, how


    could the police force fail toe to a finding? ¡°Where is the man?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll arrive at Bloomstead in two


    hours. I¡¯ll contact you again by then.¡± ¡°Great. Thanks.¡± After hanging up her phone, Veronica muttered,


    ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m getting closer to the truth! I¡¯ll make sure the people who


    hurt you pay for it!¡± In the meantime, in the Larson Residence, Rachel received a call. After ending the


    call, she nervously stared at Floch and Tiffany who were sitting on the couch, anxiously stating, ¡°A


    private investigator hired by Veronica found the driver in the ident. Do you think she has figured out


    that we were behind it?¡± ¡°What? How did Veronica find him? Didn¡¯t you say we recruited someone


    trustable?¡± Tiffany visibly panicked. As the matter would affect the Larson Family¡¯s reputation, she


    couldn¡¯t just stay out of it, fearing that it would tremendously hurt the family¡¯s name.


    Then, Floch revealed a glum look. ¡°Tiffy only began to get closer with Young Master Matthew recently.


    We can¡¯t let Veronica work out that we were involved in the ident. Or else, we can no longer dwell in


    this city.¡± Rachel replied, ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about.¡± Floch pondered with a glower. ¡°Now


    that Veronica¡¯s investigator has found the driver, if we wish to keep this buried, the driver will have to


    die.¡± Rachel then questioned, ¡°What if Veronica already


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    knows about it?¡± ¡°Then she shall die too! As long as she lives, us Larsons can never find peace!¡±


    Tiffany¡¯s face was filled with apathy along with traces of malice. Feeling helpless, Rachel and Floch


    peered at each other. Although Tiffany¡¯s suggestion was an overkill, if Veronica found out about the truth,


    she would definitely inform Elizabeth about it. By then, they could forget about establishing a connection


    with the Kingses. ¡°Fine, I¡¯lle up with something.¡±


    Unable to sit still, Floch stood up and left. Two hourster, Veronica received another call from her


    private investigator on her way home from delivering takeouts. ¡°Are you in Bloomstead already? Where


    should I look for you?¡± She couldn¡¯t suppress her feelings and was obviously agitated. ¡°Greetings, Miss


    Murphy. I¡¯m Ash, the private investigator¡¯s assistant. I was told to ry to you that my boss has decided


    to terminate your recruitment.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯ve given


    you a total of 80,000, and now you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to call it quits?¡± Veronica was infuriated. ¡°The


    private investigator responsible for your investigation was violently beaten up by a gang of men on the


    way to Bloomstead, and the negligent driver was taken away. My colleague is in a critical condition and is


    now in the ICU.¡± ¡°How can that be? Where¡¯s the investigator now? I¡¯ll go have a look¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need


    for that. Farewell.¡±


    Finished, the person on the other side of the phone hung up. In that instant, Veronica was thoroughly


    baffled. She stopped her scooter under a tree by the road. The sky was covered in gray clouds.


    Suddenly, the thunder roared and a downpour quickly followed. The raindrops fell on her helmet while


    she remained stationary, sitting on her scooter. Larsons¡­ It¡¯s another ruthless move pulled by the


    Larsons! Veronica was utterly enraged, though there was still fear for the Larson Family within her. After


    sitting idly by the road for a long time, she suddenly sprung up from her seat.


    As she was about to leave, her vision started to darken, and she copsed. Later, in the hospital, the


    unconscious Veronica was apparently sent to the hospital by Matthew¡¯s man who was monitoring her.


    After some time, she finally regained consciousness. Swiftly, she opened her eyes, only to find herself


    waking up in the hospital while beside her was a nurse changing her IV liquid. She raised her hand and


    rubbed her drowsy head, asking the nurse,


    ¡°W-Why am I here?¡± After changing the IV liquid pack, the nurse replied, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, and you


    weren¡¯t getting enough rest, which caused you to faint.¡± ¡°What? I-I¡¯m¡­ pregnant? No way. I even had my


    period two days ago.¡± Veronica shook her head rapidly. Matthew and I only did it a couple of times that


    night, and he managed to hit the jackpot? Isn¡¯t that¡­ too easy? ¡°What? That¡¯s a threatened miscarriage,


    which is why you lost some blood. You¡¯re a grown woman, yet you can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re pregnant?¡± ¡°T-


    Threatened miscarriage?¡± The news stormed into Veronica¡¯s head, leaving her immensely dazed. All of a


    sudden, the ward door opened, and Matthew, who she hadn¡¯t seen for more than a month, appeared in


    her vision.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    The man was donning a ck shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. With his hands tucked in


    the pockets of his cks, he somehow appeared noble as if God had descended onto the mortal¡¯s


    realms. Without even a hint of sympathy on his face, he strode toward Veronica. As he halted his steps,


    he raised his hand, to which Thomas, who was behind him, handed him the test results. Immediately,


    Matthew threw the results right onto Veronica¡¯s face.


    Whoosh! A stack of paper hit her face and flew in the air beforending on the bed sheets. Annoyed,


    Veronica red at Matthew and took a look at the test results, which obviously stated that she was


    positive with pregnancy. ¡°Haha.¡± For some reason, she felt a numbing sensation in her head as her eyes


    reddened. She had gone through so much trouble to get close to the truth behind her foster parents¡¯


    ident, only for the private investigator to end up getting heavily assaulted and the negligent driver


    escaping to anonymity. She was pregnant, but the child would soon be aborted. That¡¯s just life, isn¡¯t it?


    No matter how unfair it is, it¡¯s just life, right? ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Disaffected, Matthew scowled.


    She then sniffled and concealed the agony she was going through before smilingly tossing the test


    results on the table. She then took a look at her watch. ¡°It¡¯s 1PM. Arrange the surgery now. That way, my


    night shift won¡¯t get affected.¡± Matthew squinted his eyes. He assumed Veronica would beg to keep the


    child, but her reaction was totally out of his expectation.


    However, the man hadn¡¯t the slightest hesitation. ¡°Thomas, notify the doctors to prepare the surgery.¡±


    Having said that, he turned around and exited the ward. He didn¡¯t say a thing more, as if the hatred he


    had for her was flowing in his blood. Shortly after, a nurse came in and transferred Veronica to the


    operating room. While Veronica was still stunned, she got up and walked into the operating room, where


    two gynecologists were present. Looking at the apparatuses and devices


    ced beside the operating table, she could already feel the iing pain. Subconsciously, she


    touched her abdomen as she felt the reluctance in her heart. If the child wasn¡¯t Matthew¡¯s, she would


    have kept it for sure. Unfortunately, Matthew wouldn¡¯t keep it. ¡°Well, get on!¡± the female doctor in a white


    coat and a mask icilymanded. Stupefied by her attitude, Veronica turned around to look outside the


    operating room, but Matthew was nowhere to be found. Isn¡¯t he just so lovable? A lifeform had juste


    into existence within her, but he couldn¡¯t care less to ruin what could have been an


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    actual human being. In that instant, her desire for power grew stronger. Only with power could she


    protect the one she loved, unlike now, where she was constantly oppressed by enemies without the


    capability to resist. As shey on the operating table, the doctor injected her. Soon, she fell unconscious.


    At that moment, Matthew came to the outside of the operating room. Seeing his arrival, the doctors


    quickly went up to him. ¡°She did not resist and has now fallen asleep, Young Master Matthew.¡± They


    implied that Veronica was willing to undergo the surgery. ¡°Give her the prepared ¡®medicines¡¯ when


    she wakes up. You know what to do next.¡± When Matthew mentioned ¡°medicines,¡± he merely meant anti-


    abortifacients. ¡°Yes, Young Master Matthew.¡± The doctors nodded. Matthew then took an icy, deep


    nce at Veronica before turning around to leave. Behind him was Thomas, who was clearly confused.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, since you¡¯re keeping the child, why don¡¯t you want her to know about it?¡± ¡°If


    such an insatiable woman like her knows that I¡¯m keeping the baby,


    she would only ask for more. So instead, I decided to hide it from her.¡± Despite saying that, Matthew was


    only testing Veronica to see whether she would keep her word and submit to the abortion after finding


    out she was pregnant. Nevertheless, he was ultimately proven wrong. ¡°But she¡¯s bound to have morning


    sickness. She¡¯ll eventually know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why this will be a period of trial.¡± As Matthew was speaking, he


    stopped walking and turned to Thomas. ¡°Inform the club to


    allow her to get off work at twelve.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s working part-time delivering takeouts every day. Won¡¯t she


    continue doing that if she were to get off early?¡± Thomas reminded out of concern. After all, Veronica


    showed signs of miscarriage. Matthew subtly smirked. ¡°Then that¡¯s only going ording to n, no?¡±


    Since his grandmother explicitly disallowed him fromying a finger on her, an idental miscarriage


    that was caused by herself wouldn¡¯t affect him in the slightest. ¡­ Roughly half an hourter, Veronica


    woke up. Still drowsy, she looked at the hanging pack of IV liquid and inquired the nurse beside her,


    ¡°Is the surgery over?¡± ¡°The surgery is over, but you¡¯ll need to return for a week for your anti-inmmatory.


    After one month, you need to return for another checkup.¡± The nurse exined with an earnest look


    before sternly advising, ¡°You¡¯ve gone through an abortion, so do remember to stay on bed for three days,


    and no heavy work for two weeks. Smoking and consuming alcohol is strictly forbidden or you¡¯ll have a


    puerperal fever, which may take away your capability to get pregnant again for the rest of your life.¡± Truth


    be told, the ¡°anti-inmmatory¡± was merely an excuse for her to visit the hospital


    regrly to take in some anti-abortifacient. ¡°It¡¯s that serious, huh. Okay, then. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Veronica


    nodded. If she were to get barren at such a young age, surely no men would want her in the future. After


    calming herself down, she put her hand on her stomach as grief surged in her heart. It was her first child,


    and it was gone just like that. After having taken her IV liquid, Veronica got up to stretch her limbs and


    was surprised by how rxed her body was. It was as if she didn¡¯t undergo the surgery at all. ¡°Nurse,


    why don¡¯t I feel a thing at all, after the surgery?¡± Hearing that, the nurse deliberately


    avoided eye contact and responded with an awkward smile. ¡°Surgical abortions are minor operations.


    Although you don¡¯t feel any pain or itch, you should still get enough rest.¡± Finished, she handed Veronica


    a bag of medicines. ¡°These are all you have to take. Instructions are written on them.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank


    you.¡± After returning to her rented apartment, Veronica applied for a three-day leave from the club, to


    which the manager readily approved, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful. ¡°That was easy. What a nice


    manager.¡± Back then, she applied for a three-day leave to stay at the Kings


    Residence, and it was easily approved. Now, she requested for another three-day leave, and her


    manager quickly granted it without any question. During her three-days rest at home, she would


    consistently send food to her foster mother in the hospital every day. She would even take her out for a


    walk to feel the sunkiss and give her unconscious foster father a massage. Other than that, she visited


    the hospital to take her ¡°anti-inmmatory.¡± The rest of the time was spent resting at home, and she


    wouldn¡¯t even dare to deliver takeouts. As such, all she did at home these days was swiping her phone.


    At that moment, she received a notification from the news application, titled ¡®Horrendous Body of Wanted


    Criminal Found at


    Dock of Bloomstead.¡¯ Reading the headline, she curiously pressed on it. In the attached photo of the


    article was a censored corpse, and beside it was the criminal¡¯s previous mugshot. ¡°This man¡­ He looks


    so familiar,¡± she mumbled. All of a sudden, her eyes shot wide open as she immediately looked for the


    photos the private investigator sent to her a few days ago. She thenpared the photo she received


    with the photo on the news. Dumbfounded at a realization, she sprung up from her seat. ¡°It¡¯s really him!¡±


    The dead man reported on the news was the driver who crashed into her foster parents¡¯ car, the exact


    man who was rescued from the private investigator¡¯s very hands!

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Other than the Larsons, Veronica couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who would willingly save a murderer. But


    who would have imagined that the driver they rescued would end up silenced and dead? Veronica


    should have already known that silencing a potential witness would be the best choice possible,


    considering the Larsons¡¯ poisonous tendencies. Now, she was done for. Not only had she lost herst


    lead, but the Larsons were also made aware of her investigation into the murderer.


    If the Larsons were to find out that Veronica already knew the truth, would she be the next one to die?


    This sudden piece of news made her heart pound madly, unable to calm down. Despite everything


    coming her way, all she could do was quietly put up with it. She certainly could not allow her adoptive


    parents to know. After her three-day break was up, Veronica returned to work. In order to not alert the


    Larsons, the only other thing Veronica did other than work was visit her adoptive mother in the hospital.


    She did her best not to show up in front of the Larsons. At the same time, she stuck closely


    to her ¡°doctor¡¯s orders¡±¡ªfor the next month, she was not allowed to consume any alcohol, and she was


    to get sufficient rest. Meanwhile, she secretly spent a huge sum of money to find another private


    detective agency to discreetly look into her adoptive parents¡¯ car ident. Just like that, a month slipped


    by. Veronica took some time out of her schedule to go to the hospital for a ¡°checkup.¡± The results showed


    that she was in good health. After Veronica left the hospital, Matthew received a call from the hospital.


    ¡°Young Master Matthews, Miss Murphy has already undergone an ultrasound.


    The fetus is over two months-old and is developing well.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she show signs of a miscarriage? She¡¯s


    been delivering takeout every day recently; won¡¯t it have an effect on her?¡± Matthew asked. ¡°Miss


    Murphy was raised in a farming vige. She is fit; she isn¡¯t as frail as the average expecting mother.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± He had initially thought that Veronica¡¯s daily traveling would affect the baby growing in her belly,


    but to his surprise, it was the opposite of what he thought. As night fell, people began to congregate at


    the Twilight Club. All these young men and women, rendered exhausted by the tedium and monotony at


    work, indulged themselves with alcohol under the neon lights. They danced and writhed on the dance


    floor, or slumped at the counter of the bar, passed out in a dead sleep. Veronica couldn¡¯t stop herself


    from wondering about the what-ifs at this sight: if the Larsons hadn¡¯t deliberately hurt her adoptive


    parents, she would most likely have gone back to her hometown and opened a bar with the money she


    had. Or maybe she would open a grocery store and live a quiet and simple life. Sometime past ten when


    Veronica skulked in a corner for a moment of quiet, her walkie-talkie buzzed to life. ¡°Come in, Big Ron.


    Head to the men¡¯s washroom, quick.¡± ¡°The men¡¯s washroom? Cut it out. Why should I go there when I¡¯m


    a woman?¡± Veronica answered through her walkie-talkie in disgruntlement. ¡°Ohe on, Big Ron, just


    come over. Young Master Xavier was the one who asked for you. Gave your name and all that. Rx,


    there¡¯s no one here in the men¡¯s washroom,¡± Cody said, knowing about Veronica¡¯s concerns. ¡°Xavier


    again! Fine, I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡± With that, Veronica hung her walkie-talkie back at her hip and


    headed straight for the public washrooms. The security guards promptly greeted her when she


    approached the


    men¡¯s washroom. ¡°Please hurry inside. Young Master Xavier is slumped by the toilet bowl and won¡¯t get


    up.¡± ¡°He asked for you specifically.¡± ¡°Hehe, Big Ron, you¡¯re going to have to hold on tight to him. Maybe


    this is your chance to climb up the totem pole after being a wage ve.¡± Veronica kicked Cody after


    hearing the guards tease her. ¡°Who are you calling a wage ve?¡± ¡°Oof, me and my big mouth.¡± Cody


    grinned in embarrassment. ¡°You¡¯re going to go ces.¡± ¡°Quit your yapping. You all should do your job.


    Management is going to whinge about you guys cking off if they see you.¡±


    She waved a hand, gesturing for her colleagues to go patrol the club. The door to the first stall was open


    when Veronica stepped inside the men¡¯s washroom. She turned her head to see Xavier sitting on the


    toilet bowl, puking his guts up into the bin. Xavier Crawford, the second son of the Crawford Family in


    Bloomstead. He might be a dashing man, but he was a useless loser, infamous for his love for the


    hedonistic and his amorous ways. Just the mention of his name alone was enough to make him a


    laughingstock. As for how Veronica knew him? It would be more apt to say it was through an ¡°altercation.


    ¡± Not long after Veronica started working at Twilight Club, she ran into Xavier, who had been terrorizing


    Cody. She hadn¡¯t been able to stomach the sight, so she immediately grabbed a bottle off the table and


    smashed it, shattering its bottom. Then, she aimed the broken bottle with its jagged edges at Xavier and


    said to him like a madwoman, ¡°Cody here is one of mine. Why don¡¯t you tryying another finger on


    him?¡± However, Xavier pointed at a bottle on the table. ¡°If you can down that bottle of vodka in one go, I¡¯ll


    let him go.¡± Veronica could hold her liquor well from all the years she spent drinking with her adoptive


    father, so she gulped down the vodka with no trouble. Ever since then, the guards looked at her in a new


    light; even


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Xavier as well. He would frequently drag her over for drinking contests, and that was how they ended up


    bing friends after a few rounds. The guards found her actions bold and gutsy, and they were deeply


    taken by this. Thus, they all began calling her Big Ron. ¡°Urk¡­¡± Xavier began to throw up again. Veronica


    was disgusted. With a hand mped over her nose, she tapped him on his shoulder with her electric


    baton. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re so drunk that you¡¯re puking, then get your butt back home. Isn¡¯t it disgusting to sit


    inside a toilet?¡± Upon hearing Veronica¡¯s voice, Xavier pulled out a wad of tissue and wiped his mouth.


    A smile bloomed on his handsome, boyish face as he stretched out an arm at her. ¡°Help me up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m


    worried that I¡¯ll end up dirtying my hands if I do that.¡± She waved her electric baton, a look of repulsion on


    her face. ¡°Grab this.¡± Xavier obediently pulled himself up with the baton and walked over to the sink.


    After rinsing out his mouth, he sshed some water on his face. Veronica leaned against a wall with her


    arms folded over her chest as she watched him. ¡°


    So, which fairdy ditched you this time? Just look at you.¡± Xavier nted his hands by the sides of the


    sink. As he stared at his disheveled self in the mirror, he suddenly gave augh and turned to look at


    Veronica. ¡°Does everyone think I¡¯m a loser?¡± That smile of his was filled with bitterness and


    helplessness. Veronica was unused to his sudden seriousness. She yanked some tissues from the


    dispenser and handed them to him. ¡°If you¡¯re not drunk, then beat it! Uh¡­ hey, Xavier, what are you


    doing?¡± Xavier grabbed Veronica by her arms and pressed her against the wall before she could finish.


    ¡°Roni, do you know that you¡¯re the only one who treats me differently even after all this time?¡± He was


    heavily drunk.


    The stench of alcohol clung to him, making Veronica very much ufortable. ¡°Roni, date me, will


    you?¡± Veronica was unamused. Shepletely disregarded Xavier¡¯s drunken joke. Instead, she


    answered him with a re. ¡°Have you forgotten yourself because I haven¡¯t given you a shiner in a


    while?¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡­ Just look at how ugly you are. I don¡¯t think you look half-bad. Why don¡¯t you just


    date me?¡± ¡°Xavier, are you still drunk out of your mind? Do you want me to sober you up?¡± Veronica


    couldn¡¯t stop herself from rebuking him. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Right at that moment, a series of coughs could be


    heard from the entrance of the washroom. Both Xavier and Veronica turned their heads to look at the


    source of the coughing.


    At the sight, however, Veronica unconsciously went rigid. Her eyes widened slightly. Matthew? Why him?


    Why is he here? The next moment, though, she remembered that she no longer ¡°had¡± Matthew¡¯s baby in


    her belly. She was no longer tied to him, so she resumed her apathetic demeanor. ¡°Oh hey, what a


    coincidence. Here to use the washroom too?¡±


    Xavier kept a hand on the wall while he shoved his other hand into the pocket. He turned his head to


    look at Matthew and greet him. The Twilight Club was part of Matthew¡¯s assets. Although he usually lived


    in the suite on the upper floors, he rarely came down to check the club unless it was to see his fellow


    company partners. But he never expected to find this woman hanging out with this useless dreck during


    the one time he came down to check on the club.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    His cold gaze swept over Veronica for a moment before it shifted over to Xavier. ¡°What is it? Have you


    gotten another girlfriend?¡± Xavier had an evil grin as he wrapped an arm around Veronica¡¯s waist. ¡°Let


    me introduce her: this is Roni, my new girlfriend.¡± Then he looked at Veronica. ¡°And this is Bloomstead¡¯s


    famous young, talented bachelor who¡¯s a devil in the business world, Matthew Kings.¡± Although Xavier


    was singing Matthew¡¯s praises, Veronica could somehow sense the insincerity behind his words, and she


    also sensed his distaste for Matthew. Incidentally, she also disliked Matthew, so she yed along,


    turning to look at him and dipping her head. Then, she pretended not to know him as she greeted him. ¡°


    So you¡¯re Matthew Kings. Your name far precedes you. Now that we¡¯ve met, you do indeed live up to


    your reputation.¡± Matthew¡¯s wless, handsome face visibly darkened at her words. Even his assistant


    behind him, Thomas, couldn¡¯t stop the corners of his mouth from twitching madly. Oh dear¡­ Looks like


    Miss Murphy is challenging Young Master Matthew. ¡°Such an ugly woman is capable of catching your


    attention?¡± Matthew asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Haha, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.¡± ¡°Looks like Young Master Xavier¡¯s eyesight isn¡¯t exactly


    great. Why don¡¯t I introduce you to a reputable ophthalmologist?¡± ¡°After being so used to seeing all these


    women with cakey makeup, I feel that ady like Roni here is easier on the eyes.¡± ¡°Easier on the eyes?


    Or better at seduction?¡± Matthew¡¯s handsome features were as frigid as could be, his powerful aura


    putting pressure on Veronica. Despite that, Veronica simply hid her anger. She didn¡¯t rebuke him.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Upon hearing Matthew¡¯s words, Xavier tipped his head back and guffawed.


    All of a sudden, though, he pressed a hand to his chest. A wave of nausea hit him, and he bent over to


    try and throw up. After several moments of dry heaving, he wasn¡¯t able to vomit anything up. He then put


    an arm around Veronica¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Roni, help me get out of here. I feel horrible.¡± Veronica nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Rearranging Xavier¡¯s arm in a natural manner around her shoulders, she then began to help


    Xavier out of the washroom. Matthew and


    Thomas didn¡¯t step aside from the door even when they saw her approaching. Veronica shot a cold re


    at them. ¡°Mr. Kings, please step aside.¡± Great barkers are no biters! Matthew¡¯s sharp gaze pressed down


    on Veronica. For that one moment their eyes met, his icy eyes emitted a frigid aura. A few secondster,


    Matthew took a few steps back, creating a path for Veronica and Xavier. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Kings!¡±


    Veronica deliberately pitched her voice higher. She might be thanking him, but her voice was dripping


    with sarcasm. Xavier immediately grinned at Matthew after that and mimicked Veronica¡¯s tone. ¡°Thank


    you, Mr. Kings¡­ urk¡­¡± Due to how close Xavier was because they had just passed him, Veronica was


    worried that


    Xavier would actually throw up all over Matthew when he dry heaved. The two of them then left. It wasn¡¯t


    until they vanished past the end of the corridor leading to the washrooms that Thomas finally voiced his


    question. ¡°Young Master Matthew, do you want me to get someone to teach Xavier a lesson?¡± Matthew¡¯s


    eyes narrowed slightly, a chilly glint shining in them. ¡°Getting up in arms over a useless dreck like him will


    only lower myself to his level.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Thomas wanted to continue, but Matthew had already begun to


    leave. Meanwhile, Veronica helped Xavier out of the Twilight Club. Xavier¡¯s servant came over to greet


    them, having waited for hours for his employer. ¡°Did he have too much to drink again?¡± ¡°


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Hurry up and take him home. Remember to sober him up.¡± Veronica pushed Xavier over to his servant


    before raising her arm to sniff at it. The scent of alcohol on herself was pungent and unpleasant on the


    nose. It gave her the urge to vomit. ¡°Many thanks, Miss Murphy.¡± ¡°No need to thank me.¡± She waved a


    hand before turning to leave, only to have Xavier suddenly grab her arm. ¡°Matthew Kings knows


    you?¡± He¡¯s visibly drunk, yet he was able to notice such a ¡°small detail¡±? Veronica shook her head.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that joke? He¡¯s like a legend. All we can do is look up at him from our stations.


    How would he and I know each other?¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯ve got a point there, Roni.¡± Xavier looked up and


    smiled. After waving goodbye, he got into his car. The car then left the club. Veronica stood by the


    entrance for a while. After getting herself back in order, she headed back inside the Twilight Club. She


    had just taken a few steps in when she ran into Thomas. ¡°Miss Murphy, Young Master Matthew is asking


    you toe over.¡± Veronica swept a gaze over him in displeasure.


    ¡°Go back and tell Matthew that I have nothing to do with him. Why should I meet him just because he


    said so? Does he really think of himself as the god of Bloomstead?¡± He was just a heartless b*stard.


    Even animals wouldn¡¯t hurt their young, but Matthew actually wanted a fetus that hadn¡¯t even fully


    formed yet aborted! ¡°Miss Murphy, he requested your presence!¡± Thomas calmly eyed her and repeated


    himself. ¡°Out of my way!¡± Veronica was irritated. Her hand was already reaching for the electric baton by


    her hip. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do this the nice way, then so be it.¡±


    ¡°I said, out of my way!¡± From the first time she met Matthew, Veronica hadn¡¯t the slightest interest in him.


    In fact, she detested him. So when she saw Thomas standing there obnoxiously in front of her, she


    thought of Matthew¡¯s stony face¡ªit¡­ repulsed her. In the next second, she grabbed her electric baton


    and pointed it at Thomas, her steely gaze fixed unblinkingly on him. Anger burned in her eyes. Thomas


    nearly acted against


    her then, but then he remembered that the Kingses¡¯ future heir was still in her belly. Thus, he retreated to


    the side. Veronica snorted and walked further inside the club to continue her patrol. However, she never


    imagined that someone would suddenly pop out of Room 888 when she passed by it and pull her inside.


    She was pressed against the door. ¡°Matthew? Are you insane? Release me!¡± At the sight of the man


    before her, Veronica felt rage bubbling


    up inside her. What a clingy man. Matthew¡¯srge hand gripped her tightly by the cheeks. Frost hung on


    his chiseled features. ¡°You came to work at a club because you¡¯re fishing for new losers?¡± This damned


    woman was starving enough to go for even a lecherous man like Xavier. His grip was strong enough to


    make her jaw hurt, but Veronica had always been a strong person who would never give in. She


    frowned, her pretty eyebrows furrowing.


    ¡°So what if I¡¯m fishing for guys that I could do better than? I like Xavier! Does this have anything to do


    with you?¡± Perhaps it was due to the effect of reverse psychology, but she ended up ¡°admitting¡± that she


    was picking up guys in her attempt to provoke Matthew. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since you slept with me, yet


    you¡¯re in such a rush to writhe under another man¡¯s touch. Just how much of a slut are you?¡± ¡°Heh.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t stop herself from giving a mocking chuckle. ¡°We¡¯re both adults here. It¡¯s more than


    normal for two adults to seek pleasure from each other. Oh, wait¡­


    ¡± Her brows knitted tightly together then. As though a thought had struck her, an evil grin appeared on


    her lips. ¡°Someone like you who doesn¡¯t seek out women and who needs to pop a pill to get in bed


    naturally wouldn¡¯t know this.¡± She enunciated the words ¡°pop a pill¡± extra clearly, deliberately slowing


    down her speech as she did so, like she was mocking Matthew for being impotent¡ªas though she didn¡¯t


    know that this was the greatest humiliation for a man and the most likely thing to rile him up. A vicious


    look came over Matthew¡¯s stony face then. The next moment¡­

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Her Billionaire Husband


    Matthew grabbed her by the arm and yanked her over to a small booth within the room. All the


    rooms on the third floor of the Twilight Club were VIP


    rooms, and each room had smaller booths inside them for the ¡°convenience¡± of its customers.


    m! The door to the booth


    mmed shut. Veronica was then mercilessly thrown onto the bed by Matthew. Her heart thumped. ¡°Matt


    hew, what are you doing? There¡®s still thew. Try something funny and I¡¯ll call the cops.¡±


    She might be warning him, but Veronica still discreetly reached for her walkie¨C


    talkie. Before she could speak into it, her hand suddenly felt empty¨CMatthew had snatched her walkie¨C


    talkie away and hurled it to the ground. With a crash, it broke apart into bits and pieces.


    Veronica became nervous at the chilly aura emanating from him. ¡°W¨CW¨CWhat are you nning to do?¡±


    The man was already pressing down on her just after she spoke. He preemptively grabbed her electric b


    aton and tossed it aside. ¡°Weren¡®t you feeling lonely? I¡®ll fulfill your wish.¡±


    The next moment, she heard a ripping sound. Her thin, ck security guard uniform that


    was made for the summer was already destroyed by his wanton ripping.


    Veronica wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn¡®te. This uniform... Why is the material so shoddy?


    ¡°H¨C


    Hey, Matthew¡­ Calm down, will you?¡± She pointed at her own face. ¡°Look at me. I¡®m so ugly; how are yo


    u going to bring yourself to do this to me? If you want to blow some steam off, I¡®ll call some of


    the escorts over so you can get your fill. You can do whatever.¡±


    Matthew looked at her tanned face. Her eyebrows were thick and


    bushy, and freckles were dotted all over her skin. He couldn¡®t help but frown. ¡°You¡®re ugly indeed.¡±


    Personally, he had seen countless gorgeous


    ladies in his life. Even if one was sent his way or willingly threw herself at him, he would remain


    unfazed. However, at the memory of Veronica and Xavier making eyes at each other, all that came to his


    mind was her sighs and moans that night on the


    upper floors. The urge to cruelly ¡°punish¡± her came to him.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡®s right. I¡®m so ugly that even looking at me will just turn your stomach. I¡®ll


    Go


    +10 pearls


    .


    just get the club¡®s topdies for you then.¡± Veronica grinned at him as she sucked up to Matthew. She trie


    d to get up, but then he flung the ripped material of her ck uniform over her face.


    ¡°If I can¡®t see it, then the contents of my stomach will stay down.¡±


    Veronica was speechless. What kind of weird logic was that?


    ¡°Hey¡­ Matthew, don¡®t do this¡­¡±


    Veronica was about to go mad. She struggled endlessly, but unfortunately, she was no match for Matthe


    w¡®s strength. Despite her skills inbat, she didn¡®t have the strength to fight back.


    There was another ripping sound then. Her body went cold. Even


    as she struggled and protested, he still continued his assault on her.


    Grief abruptly bubbled up inside her as she resisted. Hurt and upset, she wept as she yelled, ¡°Matthew, y


    ou jerk, what right do you have to treat me like this¡­ Ah¡­ I haven¡®t dated anyone before¡­ or married¡­


    You b*stard, son of a b*tch¡­ I hate your guts, Matthew¡­¡±


    Veronica¡®s struggles were fruitless. All she could do was yell and curse Matthew tearfully. Yet, her ¡°scoldi


    ng¡± just made his hormones sing. It made him enjoy this, and even fall into the pleasure. But this ting r


    ush didn¡®t make Matthew lose his head. He knew very well that Veronica was already two months along,


    so he didn¡®t dare to be too rough with her.


    After the deed was done, he leaned over and whispered huskily into her ear, ¡°Remember this: even a wo


    man that I do not want is not allowed to be tainted by another man!¡±


    He then released her hand.


    The next moment, Veronica whipped the rags off her face


    to re at him with tears in her eyes. She swung her hand through the air to p at him. ¡°You¡®re a f*ckin


    g b*stard!¡±


    What right did that despicable man have to do this to her?


    If he only did that to herst time because he was drugged, then what about today?


    Veronica was, after all, someone trained in taekwondo. That pnded hard on Matthew¡®s face, and nat


    urally, it hurt. His face swung to the side from the impact.


    The messiness of the hair sticking to his forehead hid the chilliness nestled between his brows. Matthew¡®


    s inky ck eyes narrowed slightly then, his sharp gaze fixed upon Veronica. That moment, those icy ey


    es of his looked as though he was contemting how to murder her.


    Veronica had pped him on impulse earlier, so she was startled by this frigid appearance of his. All her


    bravado vanished in an instant. She licked her lips. Perhaps it was due to nervousness, but her hands ke


    pt clenching at the thin covers on the bed. ¡°¡­ I¡­ Why are you looking at me that way? You¡®re the one in


    the wrong. Firstly, I¡®m not one of the escort girls. Secondly, I¡®m not your girlfriend. What right do you have


    to touch me?!¡±


    When Matthew heard Veronica¡®s words, the chilliness on his stony face mostly dissipated. He might be a


    ble to do as he pleased¡± in Bloomstead, but treating a girl like this¡­


    For a second, a drop of regret bubbled up inside this cold¨Chearted


    man. The next moment though, Matthew couldn¡®t stop himself from grabbing Veronica¡®s ripped


    uniform and covering her face with it as he looked at her ugly visage. ¡°So, judging from your words, what


    kind ofpensation are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Who needspensation from you!¡± Veronica yanked the rags off her face, furious and upset. Since he


    thought her ugly, why did he


    still do that to her? Even though he slept with her, he still found her repulsive.


    How was she going to exin herself to anyone now?


    Veronica wrapped the covers around herself. She just felt that Matthew was a jerk who wasn¡®t picky abou


    t his targets. Yet, she couldn¡®t afford to provoke him, because¡­


    ¡°I can forget about today¡®s incident, but I hope that I can get a discount on my father¡®s medical fees at Sa


    int Hospital. Is that possible?¡±


    Saint Hospital was a top ss private hospital


    in Bloomstead. It was one of the Kingses¡® properties. Veronica no longer had any ties to the Kings Family


    . She should have gotten her parents out of Saint Hospital, but


    she heard from her adoptive mother that there were specialists treating her adoptive father there, and the


    results were visible. Thus, all Veronica


    could do was grit her teeth, ept the expensive hospital fees, and continue to let her adoptive father re


    ceive treatment at Saint Hospital.


    At the same time, she also had her selfish motives¨C¨C


    since her adoptive parents were staying at Saint Hospital, the Larsons wouldn¡®t dare


    to do anything to her adoptive parents, owing to their fear of the Kingses.


    Q


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    : 77%


    17:57 Wed, 1 Jun ONG.


    +10 pearls


    That was how Veronica¡®s thought process went anyway. And besides, Saint Hospital¡®s eye¨C


    watering fees did indeed make her heart ache.


    ¡°A discount?¡± Matthew raised an eyebrow. An evil grin came to his lips. ¡°If you perform well, I can conside


    ¡°You¡­!¡±


    Thug. F*ckboy. What was this about staying away from women? Clearly trashy media reports are not to b


    Matthew got up. After putting his clothes in order, he left the booth. ¡°Someone will bring you a change of c


    later.¡± After exiting the booth, Matthew immediately gave an order to Thomas, who was standing by the do


    Veronica¡®s studio apartment was at Regalia Gardens.


    ¡°Got it, Young Master Matthew. I¡®ll get around to it this instant.¡±


    Thomas was still


    shocked. From the way his employer phrased it, could Matthew have just slept with Veronica again?


    Having been by Matthew¡®s side for over ten years, Thomas couldn¡®t quite understand how Matthew could


    His employer was being really strangetely,


    Just as expected,


    Veronica went into a drugstore on the way home after her shift ended at midnight. Having already gotten T


    hisputer. Once he ascertained that it was indeed her, the pharmacist then handed the ¡°n B¡± pills w

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    When she finally arrived home at night, Veronica washed up and poured herself a cup of hot water to dri


    nk her medicine with. Her previous ident had caused her to be pregnant. This time, she would n


    ever let the same mistake happen to her again.


    However, that b*stard, Matthew, was not even human.


    After she finished tidying up, Veronicay on bed and went on her phone for


    a while before she sumbed to her exhaustion and fell asleep.


    Early the next morning, she got up


    and made a bowl of porridge with some vegetables and packed them into a lunchbox before heading to


    Saint Hospital. Normally, she could only prepare and deliver her adoptive mother¡®s meals during noon, b


    ut now that her work ended at midnight, she had a lot of free time, and could prepare her adoptive mothe


    r¡®s meals in the morning as well.


    With the lunchbox, Veronica took her scooter and headed for Saint Hospital.


    Upon entering one of the wards at the inpatient department, she saw her adoptive mother, d in a navy


    printed top and blue jeans, washing her adoptive father¡®s face for him.


    Her adoptive mother¡®s hair was already turning white, and the years


    had mercilessly left traces on her wrinkled face.


    ¡°Sigh, Tony, why aren¡®t you waking up yet? You¡®re lucky enough to


    lie around in bed, but our daughter has to work and prepare three meals for me a day,e rain or shine


    . It pains me to look at her,¡± Danie muttered while wiping Tony¡®s face.


    Upon hearing that, Veronica felt her heart ache, but she walked in with a smile. ¡°Mom, you don¡®t have to


    worry. I¡®m free anyway. Come and eat.¡± She put the insted lunch box on the table, took the face towel


    from Danie, and went to the bathroom with the basin.


    ¡°Veronica, you don¡®t have to cook for me in the future. I¡®ll just eat some bread in the morning.¡±


    Saint Hospital was a high¨C


    ss private hospital, and the food was naturally expensive. In order to save money, Danie basically o


    nly ate bread for every meal.


    Of course, Veronica couldn¡®t bear to see her adoptive mother work so hard every day.


    ¡°Mom, hurry up and eat before the food gets cold.¡± Veronica walked out from the bathroom with a huge s


    mile as if nothing had happened and asked, ¡°How¡®s Dad doing these days?¡±


    ¡°He moves his fingers from time to time, but I don¡®t know when he will wake up. Sigh¡­¡± Danie heaved


    a huge sigh, opened the lunch box, and started eating the porridge.


    Veronica didn¡®t justze around either. Instead, she sat by the bed and gave Tony a massage.


    ¡°Look, your dad is somewhat responsive now. I¡®ve been thinking about it for a while, but I decided to take


    him back to our hometown in the next two days.¡±


    Halfway through her meal, Danie looked at Veronica. ¡°Look at your face. You used to be such a beautif


    ul girl, but just because you had to treat me and your father, you had topromise with the Larson Fam


    ily and pretend to look ugly. I¡­ I feel sorry for you.¡±


    Although they were transferred to Saint Hospital, Veronica¡®s adoptive parents still thought that this hospit


    al belonged to the Larson Family.


    ¡°If you make yourself look like this, how can


    you find someone to date?¡± Danie added, her eyes reddening with tears.


    ¡°Gosh, Mom, why do you keep bringing


    that up? I¡®ve already said many times that the Larson Family doesn¡®t want outsiders


    to know that I look like Tiffany. I pretend to look ugly because it¡®s convenient for work. If I do that, it saves


    me plenty of time and effort. Hahaha¡­¡± Veronicaughed cheekily.


    ¡°That isn¡®t any better!¡± Danie feigned anger. ¡°Your dad lies around all day. I¡®m about to die from frustrati


    on here. In two days, I¡®m going to drag him home.¡± How could she not want Tony to stay in the hospital a


    nd receive treatment? After all, he was already old, and all they had was each other. Besides, she was re


    ally afraid that he would not wake up this time. However, Danie couldn¡®t bear to watch her daughter suf


    fer.


    ¡°Mom, you can go home and rest if you want to. As for Dad, I can look for a caregiver.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, why are you so stubborn, you brat? Let¡®s just settle on this.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop whining. If you have so much time, you should look for a boyfriend instead.¡±


    ¡°Then, if I get a boyfriend, are you willing to continue letting Dad stay in the hospital?¡±


    Suddenly, Veronica realized that Danie


    was worried that if she was too busy and had a ¡°hideous¡± face, she would not be able to find herself a bo


    yfriend.


    Compared to people from the city, elderly people from the countryside were less open¨C


    minded. Hence, Danie hoped that Veronica could get a boyfriend sooner and find a good home.


    ¡°That¡®s right. Aren¡®t you single?¡±


    ¡°Who said that? I¡®ve been dating someone for a long time. I just haven¡®t told you yet.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re trying to fool me again, aren¡®t you? If even I can¡®t stand to look at your face, who can?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡®ll bring my boyfriend over tomorrow and let you meet him.¡± As she smiled at Danie, Veronica w


    as inwardly troubled. How was she going to conjure a boyfriend out of nowhere for her adoptive mother?


    After leaving the hospital, Veronica continued to deliver takeouts. At exactly five o¡®clock


    in the evening, she went to Twilight Club to work.


    After changing into their security uniforms, the security team started patrolling their posts after a meeting


    with the security department.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Upon seeing Cody, Veronica nudged him and asked, ¡°Hey, Cody, can I discuss something with you?¡±


    ¡°What¡®s wrong, Big Ron?¡± Cody implored.


    ¡°Um¡­ Are you free in two days? I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Oops, I can¡®t make it. I asked my manager for a leave


    because my godfather is hospitalized, and I¡®ll be going home tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then it¡®s fine.¡±


    Veronica curled her lips before looking for the two other colleagues


    whom she had a good rtionship with. However, one of them had a daughter¨Cin¨C


    girlfriend and did not dare to agree to solve Veronica¡®s dilemma.


    She couldn¡®t help butin to the three of them, ¡°If none of you are free, who else can pretend to be m


    As soon as she finished speaking, someone suddenly walked up to her and put an arm around her should


    Xavier had emerged out of nowhere.


    ¡°Oh, Young Master Xavier is a good choice.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s right, Big Ron. Look at Young Master Xavier. Not only is he talented, but he¡®s also handsome. If yo


    ¡°Young Master Xavier, please help Big Ron. All


    of us happen to have something to do these two days.¡± The three security guards who had a good


    rtionship with her implored Xavier.


    Veronica knew that once she


    took her boyfriend to the hospital, she would have to bring him to meet her adoptive mother a few more tim


    Xavier nced at Veronica with a frown before clicking his tongue. ¡°Are you looking down on me? I am th


    Veronica really couldn¡¯t find a suitable candidate, so she could only agree to Xavier who had volunteered.


    afterward.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°All right, then. I¡®ll give you a call tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    After she had achieved an agreement with Xavier, Veronica started to work, while Xavier and his loser frie


    The next day, in the afternoon, once Veronica had finished preparing lunch for Danie and was getting re


    When Veronica arrived at the entrance of Saint Hospital half an hourter, she found Xavier, who was dre


    her.


    She parked her scooter and walked


    toward Xavier, unable to resist making a jab at him. ¡°If you dress up so shily, my mom will be able to tel

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    ¡°Oh, you¡®re right.¡±


    Suddenlying to a realization, Xavier took off his coat and sunsses before restyling his short blow¨C


    dried hair into a


    more ordinary hairstyle in the rearview mirror of the car. Once he was done, he raised his eyebrows and l


    ooked at Veronica. ¡°How¡®s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s not bad.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡®s go.¡± Saying that, Xavier opened the car door and took out four supplements from the inside.


    ¡°Why are you still


    bringing things?¡± Veronica was about to take him to the grocery store to buy a fruit basket. She had not e


    xpected him toe prepared.


    ¡°What kind of boyfriend visits his future mother¨Cin¨C


    law without bringing any gifts?¡± Xavier raised his eyebrows at her with a smile.


    ¡°All right, I¡®ll transfer the money to youter, then.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s fine.¡±


    The two entered Saint Hospital together. On the way, Xavier asked about Veronica¡®s adoptive parents an


    d took the opportunity to find out her birthday as well. Although he said it was to ensure he didn¡®t slip up i


    n front of her motherter, he actually just wanted to know more about her.


    Even if everyone thought Veronica was a little ugly, Xavier felt that Veronica was genuine, calm, and did


    not try to butter up to him; she was unique in her own way.


    After reaching the 21st floor of the inpatient department, Veronica took Xavier into the ward and announc


    ed, ¡°Mom, I¡®m here with your food.¡±


    Xavier walked in with Veronica. When he saw Danie, he contained his yboy demeanor and naturally


    shed a polite smile at Danie. ¡°Mrs. Murphy,


    I¡®m Roni¡®s boyfriend, Xavier. I just came back from a business trip, so please forgive me for only being ab


    le to visit you now.¡±


    Danie nced at Xavier. He was dressed in a white shirt and cks with short ck hair and handsom


    e features, and he looked like a capable and neat man.


    ¡°Oh, you could¡®ve just showed up without bringing anything. Come, leave your things there and


    have a seat.¡± Danie pointed to the


    sofa and asked Xavier to sit, while she took a seat next to him. ¡°Your name is Xavier, right?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Murphy.¡±


    In


    the past, Xavier always had the air of an unruly and cheeky delinquent. Whenever he sat on a sofa, he w


    ould habitually cross his legs and spread his arms on


    the back of the sofa, as though he were a gangster.


    This time, however, in front of Danie, he was sitting upright and had hidden away his usual rough expr


    ession. It was like he had be a new person.


    ¡°How did such a handsome and mannered boy start liking my


    daughter? You¡®re here to pretend to be Veronica¡®s boyfriend, aren¡®t you?¡±


    As expected of the woman who raised Veronica, she saw through their ruse at a nce.


    Veronica¡®s heart skipped a beat as she held her breath for Xavier, worried that he would spoil the act.


    ¡°Mrs. Murphy, I don¡®t like it when


    people say things like that. I¡®ve never been the type of person who judges people by their appearance. T


    hough Roni¡®s looks aren¡®t extraordinary, I like her for her kind heart.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then, have you two thought about when you want to get married?¡±


    All of a sudden, Danie jumped to conclusions. Veronica wasn¡®t sure if Danie


    was truly worried that she would


    not be able to get married, or if she was trying to take Xavier by surprise and find out his true identity.


    ¡°Oh, Mom, how can you ask Xavier this question at your first meeting?¡± Veronica was speechless.


    ¡°Be quiet, I¡®m talking to Xavier,¡± Danie scolded.


    Xavier nced at Veronica and subconsciously rubbed his hands, feeling a little nervous; he had not felt


    this way in many years. He smiled politely. ¡°Mrs. Murphy, marriage is something I need to discuss with V


    eronica. We don¡®t need to hurry.¡±


    ¡°Okay, stop acting.¡± Danie patted Xavier on the shoulder and said, ¡°I already know that my daughter wi


    th her ¡®ugly¡® face is not worthy of you.¡± This guy in front of me, he¡®s a talented man. Although he¡®s dresse


    d in simple clothes, he naturally emanates a strong aura. It¡®s obvious that he¡®s not an ordinary person.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Veronica felt like she was about to cry. She didn¡®t expect Danie to see through their lie so qui


    ckly.


    ¡°All right.¡± Xavier shrugged helplessly before he sighed. ¡°Since


    Mrs. Murphy already knows, I won¡®t pretend anymore.¡± He stood up and walked toward Veronica.


    Just as Veronica was about to scold Xavier, he suddenly


    stopped in front of her and said, ¡°Since Mrs. Murphy is here today, I¡®ll confess to you again. Veronica, l¡®ve


    liked you for a long time. Can you be my girlfriend? Although I look unreliable, I¡®ll use my actions to prov


    e to you that I am worthy of your trust.¡±


    Veronica¡®s eyes widened; she was stunned by the sudden reversal. Damn it, what¡®s Xavier doing now?


    Just as she was dumbfounded, Xavier squinted his eyes and signaled a look at her. It was


    only then that she understood he was ¡°acting¡±!


    ¡°Huh? ¡­ I¡­¡± Wittily, Veronica went along with him. ¡°Xavier, I just asked you to pretend to be my boyfrien


    d. Don¡®t do this. We really aren¡®t a good match for each other.¡±


    SO


    ¡°We¡®ll find out once we start dating. I¡®m really not a person who judges people by their appearance. For


    Mrs. Murphy¡®s sake today, I hope you can give me a chance.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. We can only be friends. I¡®m not good enough for you.¡±


    Suddenly, Xavier grabbed her hand and knelt down on one knee, taking out a square box from his pocket


    enough, you¡®re kind¨C


    hearted, hardworking, and motivated. Someone like you is hard toe by. Roni, can you please be my g


    His abrupt move was paired with a velvet box, where a beautiful and delicate ne with a four¨C


    leaf clover pendanty inside. Every word that he uttered seemed toe from the bottom of his heart, a


    If Xavier had not signaled at Veronica with


    his eyes earlier, she almost would have thought that he was really confessing to her.


    His acting skills could get him into Hollywood.


    ¡°Wow, a hot guy is confessing.¡±


    ¡°He¡®s so handsome. If someone like him likes such a mediocre girl, it must be true love.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m so jealous. I want a boyfriend like that too.¡±


    Because the ward door wasn¡®t closed, several nurses who came back from


    lunch happened to run into this scene. They stopped in front of the ward and even held up their phones to


    ¡°Veronica, hurry up and say yes.¡±


    ¡°He¡®s so kind to you. Just say yes already.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s right. Once you miss this chance, you¡®ll never get another opportunity like this again.¡±


    The nurses who stopped to watch jumped around excitedly, looking more thrilled than Veronica.


    Seeing that, Danie, who was sitting on the sofa, put on a cordial smile and said, ¡°Veronica, I think that X


    Danie thought that Xavier was not a bad person from the way that he didn¡®t feel disgusted by such an ¡°u


    his parents, she and Tony should


    have already been discharged from the hospital. Then, Veronica would no longer have to pretend to


    be ugly in front of the Larson Family, and she could also use her real face to meet Xavier¡®s parents and se


    ¡°Mom, I¡­¡± It was only then that Veronica understood Danie was truly worried for her that


    she wouldn¡®t be able to find a boyfriend with an ugly face, and was in a hurry to pair her with a man.


    With a pout, she looked at Xavier helplessly and asked, ¡°Then¡­ should we try dating?¡±

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Danie nodded.


    ¡°So, does this mean you said yes?¡±


    With a cheeky smile on his face, Xavier stood up and took out the ne from


    the brocade box. ¡°Come here. I¡®ll put it on for you.¡±


    As he stood up in front of Veronica, she frowned and opened her mouth


    to say in a low voice, ¡°Hey, don¡®t cross the line¡ªit¡®ll be too much if we take this act a step further.¡±


    Xavier raised his eyebrows at her. ¡°We have to act properly so they¡®ll believe us.¡±


    He undid the pendant ne, approached her, and put the ne on her in the fashion of a hug. Ev


    en though it was just an act, Veronica still blushed because of how intimate the move was.


    The nurses at the door cheered in excitement.


    ¡°Aw. How touching!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God. If I wasn¡®t a nurse, I might have the time to fall in love and be in a rtionship myself.¡± |


    ¡°Kiss, kiss, kiss!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! Kiss!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­.¡±


    More nurses joined in on the fun and even tried to make it a big deal. Not only that, they were even stand


    ing aside while filming videos and cheering.


    Immediately, Veronica was speechless. She felt helpless at the nurses outside her room.


    Easy peasy.


    Xavier tilted his head to look at the female nurses at the door. His beautiful lips


    curled into an upward are before he nted them on Veronica¡®s check.


    ¡°Damn, public disy of affection right in my face!¡±


    ¡°I¡®m so jealous!¡±


    ¡°I could have a dozen boyfriends if they were all like this!¡±


    ¡°Come on. We should get back to work. Let¡®s go, or the head nurse will chew us out again.¡±


    The nurses grinned at Veronica and left.


    Veronica, on the other hand, stood there with a slightly stiff body, staring at Xavier with angry eyes. That l


    ook seemed to be saying, Xavier Crawford, you jerk! Didn¡®t you say that this was all just acting? You¡®re ju


    st taking advantage of me!


    Xavier merely smiled.


    On the contrary, Danie was in a very good mood, and she repeatedly told her, ¡°Veronica, Xavier is so k


    ind to you¨Cyou have to be nice to him too.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mom. I know¡­¡±


    Veronica nodded. Immediately after, she turned her head to look at Xavier and said in a voice that only th


    e two of them could hear, ¡°Xavier Crawford, I¡®ll kill you.¡±


    Although the two of them were just acting, Danie remained in a very good mood till noon that day, and


    she even finished the lunch


    that Veronica brought. After the lunch, she never mentioned wanting to discharge from the hospital again


    . Once she finished eating, Veronica and Xavier left the ward.


    Danie sent the two of them to the elevator. ¡°Xavier, take care on your way back.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Mrs. Murphy,¡± Xavier put his arms around Veronica¡®s shoulders and replied very politely.


    ¡°Don¡®t buy me any more things when youe next time, okay?¡±


    ¡°Understood, Mrs. Murphy. You should go back and rest.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I will go visit Mr. Murphy for a bit.¡± As she said that, Danie turned around and left.


    Veronica was speechless. Was that it? My existence is nothing to them already? That quickly?


    Ding. The elevator doors closed.


    In an instant, Veronica¡®s expression changed. Immediately, she brushed away Xavier¡®s hand and kicked


    him in the shin. ¡°Xavier Crawford, are you out of your mind? I told you to act¨Cnot take advantage of me!¡±


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Xavier rubbed his leg in pain. ¡°If I be a cripple because of this, you¡®ll have to support me f


    or the rest of your life. Besides, it was just a show; why are you so serious?¡±


    ¡°Then why did you kiss me?¡±


    ¡°The ¡®plot¡® called for it. What else could I do but y along?¡±


    ¡°You! A*shole!¡±


    Veronica¡®s head began to hurt the more she quarreled with Xavier. At that point, she found it pointless to


    talk to him and proceeded to take off


    the ne, but was stopped by Xavier. ¡°If you take the ne off now, your mother will be suspiciou


    s tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless, I can¡®t have this, it is too expensive.¡±


    ¡°I bought it at a roadside stall for 23 bucks. If you still think it¡®s expensive, you can buy me more mutton s


    kewers when we have dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡®s fine.¡± Veronica bought what Xavier said, so she didn¡®t think much about it.


    The two walked out of the elevator and passed through the lobby of the inpatient department. Right at th


    at moment, a group of doctors and nurses in white coats approached, and in front of them were Matthew


    and Thomas, looking as if they were some sort of celebrities.


    When Veronica saw Matthew, Matthew was also looking at her, then his eyes finally fell on Xavier. At that


    exact moment, Xavier had his arms around Veronica¡®s shoulders, and the two of them chatted andugh


    ed like good friends. Immediately, Matthew¡®s calm face burst into stormy waves, but he still managed to p


    erfectly conceal all of his emotions within a split second.


    It was just that the two passed each other this time, and neither spoke to the other. Xavier only looked at


    Veronica and chatted with her the whole time, so he didn¡®t notice Matthew passing by.


    They then exited the hospital, and Xavier left. When Veronica was riding her motorcycle and was about t


    o drive away, the phone in her pocket rang. When she took it out, she saw that the call was from Matthew


    . She frowned in annoyance. ¡°Hi, Young Master Matthew. How can I help?¡± Like bullets, her words escap


    ed her lips with an obviously nasty attitude.


    ¡°Come to your father¡®s ward in five minutes. Otherwise, I will let the experts leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°What? Okay, okay. I¡®ll be there right now.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    As soon as she heard that there were experts with him, Veronica suddenly remembered the group of ¡®ang


    At that time, the medical experts


    were discussing Tony¡®s condition in the office. Matthew walked out of the office as he was bored and walk


    ¡°Hey, girls. Why do you think Veronica Murphy has such a good life? She only looks average, yet such a h


    ¡°Huh? That¡®s impossible. She is so ugly¡ª


    it would be nice if someone even liked her to begin with. How could she get such a handsome guy on top


    ¡°It¡®s real! Why would I lie to you? We saw it with our own eyes and even recorded a video.¡±


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    Matthew overheard the conversations of those nurses and slowed down on purpose, only to hear their go


    ¡°My God. This guy is so handsome.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? He even kneeled down


    on one knee to confess and gave her a ne. My boyfriend has to propose to me like this in the future


    ¡°Damn, I¡®m going crazy over his looks.¡±


    The nurses only kept gossiping¡ª


    they obviously didn¡®t notice Matthew, who was passing by. Originally, he found a team of experts for Veron


    seemed that it was no longer necessary. With that in mind, Matthew walked into


    the elevator with a gloomy


    face and called Thomas. ¡°There is no need for the expert team to treat Tony Murphy anymore.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, what¡®s the matter?¡± But before Thomas


    could get an answer, the call was hung up from the other end of the line.


    Matthew¡®s face was as ck as the bottom of a burned pot, and he took the elevator down to the first floo


    she seemed out of breath.


    ¡°W¨C


    Why did youe down? Didn¡®t you say that you hired a team of experts for my dad? Are they in his ward


    The man stood upright, his hands in the pockets of his trousers. He then nced coldly at the new nec


    ¡°No need. I already told them to leave.¡± He brushed past Veronica and walked away.


    In an obvious state of confusion, Veronica immediately looked at the time on her watch. ¡°Hold on. I only to

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Matthew agreed to give Veronica five minutes, but he broke his promise.


    This is too much!


    When Veronica saw Matthew simply walk past her, she grabbed onto his arm. ¡°Matthew Kings, I even let


    the thing about you sleeping with me go, so can you ask the expert team to treat my dad? I will pay you t


    he surgery fee! I have money!¡±


    Originally, she wanted to ask Matthew to give her a discount on the hospital processing fee, but that jerk


    was being so mean, so she had to give up on that thought for the time being


    Just three minutes ago, she even felt moved by Matthew¡®s words when he said that he had


    gotten her a team of medical experts to treat her dad. At that time, she even thought that he was not too


    much of a sc*mbag and at least still had some conscience left in him.


    Now it seemed that she had thought too highly of him.


    As he was grabbed by Veronica, he stopped and turned around while staring at her with narrow and shar


    p eyes. Finally, his gaze fell on her neck, only to find that the ne was too dazzling for its own good.


    ¡°You have money?¡± His handsome face was filled with a mocking smile. ¡°Are you nning to sleep with


    Xavier Crawford? How much is he paying you for a night?¡±


    For more than two months, he had arranged for someone to secretly supervise Veronica and


    her mobile phone, so he was very sure that she had never slept with Xavier.


    But the conversations among the nurses in the


    hospital just now and the ne on Veronica¡®s neck were enough to show that she was in a rtionshi


    p with Xavier.


    ¡°You!¡±


    Veronica didn¡®t expect Matthew¡®s thoughts to be so dirty, so she snorted coldly and said, ¡°You¡®re right! Xa


    vier gave me that money.¡±


    No one could tell


    where the anger came from, but she raised her neck to lift the beautiful ne on her corbone, and


    said to him casually, ¡°This is the ne Xavier gave


    me, I am in a rtionship with him. So, Young Master Matthew, please


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    stay away from me. Otherwise, my boyfriend won¡®t let you go.¡±


    She immediately regretted her ¡®showing off the moment after she said it.


    Although admitting that her boyfriend was Xavier could make Matthew stop bugging her in the future, she


    knew that once she angered the man, she


    could kiss the chances of the group of experts treating her father goodbye.


    A hint of coldness appeared in Matthew¡®s cold eyes. He raised his hand to lift her chin, rubbing his thumb


    against


    her skin. ¡°I¡®m warning you: Stay away from Xavier Crawford. Otherwise, don¡®t me me for being rude to


    you.¡±


    ¡°Wow, Young Master Matthew, you are so used to controlling everything in Bloomstead, so you think you


    can be unscrupulous just because you have money and power? You tell me to stay away from


    him, but I won¡®t.¡±


    After


    all, she was not a girl who was willing to give in so easily and would only be more stubborn when met wit


    h someone as tough as herself. Therefore, her temperament was destined to sh violently with Matthe


    w¡®s.


    ¡°Try me!¡±


    The man leaned over and approached her. She could feel his faint breath on her


    face, which caused her to be a little ufortable


    from his forwardness. Looking from an outsider¡®s perspective, the way they stood so closely to each othe


    r seemed very ambiguous.


    But the next moment, the man said, ¡°If you let me find out again, I will break your leg.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re insane.¡± Veronica immediately felt that


    there was something wrong with Matthew. ¡°If you don¡®t cure my dad, that¡®s fine. I can always transfer him


    to another hospital.¡± As she feltpletely fed up with Matthew¡®s ridiculous threats, Veronica hated him


    to the core. ¡°I¡®ll transfer him now.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can escape from me?¡±


    As Veronica listened to his words, she frowned. ¡°Hmph, these are my legs. I can leave whenever I want


    and do whatever I want.¡±


    Veronica¡®s behavior waspletely out of Matthew¡®s control.


    This out¨Cof¨Ccontrol situation angered him.


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    He stepped forward, grabbed her by the cor, and said lightly, ¡°You are pregnant with my child¨C


    do you think you can do whatever you want?¡±


    Although Veronica didn¡®t know anything, it had already been a month since Matthew decided to


    put a test on her.


    Not only did she not take the initiative to find him, she even actively rejected his existence.


    Matthew was sure that Veronica had zero interest in him, and that she had been working part¨C


    time for a month without any miscarriage.


    At that point, he felt that it would be good for Veronica to give him a child.


    After the child was born, he figured it¡®d be a good idea to give her a sum of money to leave so that she w


    ould not bother him.


    Matthew made up his mind and nned to tell her the truth in


    the next two days who knew that he would run into Xavier and her in the hospital.


    He would never allow her to be with such trash like Xavier while she was pregnant with his child.


    ¡°What? Pregnant with your child? If you have problems with your head, go see a psychiatrist,¡± she reprim


    anded in exasperation. ¡°Even if I was out of my mind, Matthew Kings, I would never be pregnant with you


    r family¡®s child in my life.¡±


    Damn, does this woman really think that I can¡®t sense the sarcasm in her words?


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Instead of being angry, the manughed. ¡°Did you feel anything after thest miscarriag


    e? Did your periode?¡±


    He reminded her.


    Veronica was at a loss for words, and she


    looked at the man in front of her inexplicably, his questions echoing in her mind.


    It was true that she really didn¡®t feel anything from thest miscarriage.


    Though she heard that miscarriage would hurt, why did she not feel a thing?


    Moreover, she really didn¡®t seem to get her period recently.


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    A few days ago,


    Veronica only thought that the abortion operation caused her menstrual cycle to be irregr, but as she h


    eard what Matthew said¡­


    Did she not undergo the operation at all that day?!


    ¡°Impossible. I took birth control pills yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Is the medicine white and oval, and has a slightly sour taste?¡±


    ¡°H¨CHow did you know?¡±


    ¡°Because I ordered everyone from the Twilight Club to the Brocade Gardens.¡±


    Matthew


    wasn¡®t hiding it. His handsome face carried a faint smile, as if he was mocking Veronica¡®s innocence.


    Veronica shook her head like a rattle. ¡°That¡®s impossible¡­ That¡®s impossible! I¨CI don¡®t have your child!¡±


    ¡°This is the hospital. We can always go for a check¨Cup to know whether you¡®re pregnant.¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡®t believe you. This is the Saint Hospital opened by your family. Can¡®t you just fabricate the results th


    ¡°Well, it¡®s not difficult to confirm anyway. Go to the clinic to buy some test strips, and you¡®ll know after takin


    ¡°Impossible! You liar¡­¡±


    Veronica muttered.


    Though she said she didn¡®t believe it, her mind was in shambles.


    She said that she was going to transfer her parents to another hospital, but at that moment, she could onl


    Soon, she rode on her motorcycle and went home.


    On the way home, she saw a pharmacy and was going to buy some pregnancy test strips, but she began


    After all, she often used this route.


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    With that in mind, she simply turned the motorcycle around and went to a road she seldom traveled to, wh


    Immediately, she started the test when she got home.


    1


    Ten minutester, a scream broke out from the toilet. ¡°Matthew Kings, you beast¡­ Sob, sob.¡±


    She looked at the five to six test strips ced in front of


    her; each of them had two bars on them, showing a positive result, indicating that she was indeed pregna


    She cursed Matthew angrily.


    However, she was still not reconciled


    with the result, so she went to a Chinese medicine clinic again and asked an old Chinese medicine doctor


    came back as¡­ pregnant.


    With that, she walked out of the Chinese


    medicine clinic, walked down the street in despair, then sat on a bench and stared nkly ahead, as if


    she was frozen in time.


    After she sat for some time, a car stopped in front of her. The door opened, and Matthew walked toward h

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    When Matthew saw her feeling all dumbfounded with a face of frustration and despair, he was a little


    surprised.


    After all, in the entire city of Bloomstead, countless women would chase after him and break their bones


    in the pursuit to conceive his child.


    However, though Veronica had his child, it made him feel that she was in misery.


    What Veronica once said came to his mind. ¡°Although you¡¯re rich and good-looking, Matthew, not every


    woman is dying to be married to you, so you don¡¯t have to be so smug all the time.¡±As long as you quit


    your job in the club, I will assemble a medical expert team to


    treat your father immediately-free of charge for any operations.¡±


    He stood in front of her, looking down at her with cold and arrogant eyes.


    When she heard his words, her eyelids drooped slightly, and her depressed face remained mostly void of


    emotion. ¡°So, if I quit my job, but I abort the child, will you still treat my dad?¡±


    She didn¡¯t get any answer from the man.


    When she raised her eyes to meet his, she stared at him with a pained gaze for a few seconds.


    He said, ¡°Don¡¯t be delusional¡±


    She chuckled self-deprecatingly. ¡°Heh. So please don¡¯t package it as if it¡¯s something noble. You want


    me to give birth to a child for you, and you will treat my dad in exchange. Isn¡¯t it just an equivalent


    transaction?¡±


    Those doctors from the expert group couldn¡¯t be hired with money. How could Veronica not see reality


    clearly?


    ¡°You can always make other demands as well.¡±


    Matthew spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t-¡°Before she continued with her sentence, Veronica had a moment of epiphany and she said, ¡°If


    you can help me investigate my parents¡¯ car ident, I will


    do it.¡±


    If a child could exchange for the rehabilitation of her father, and give them justice for the car ident¡­


    Veronica was naturally more than willing to do it.


    Although doing this would be bad for the child in her womb, she knew that she was not powerful enough


    to go against Matthew. If he really wanted her to give birth to this child, there would be countless ways


    for him to do so.


    Rather than stubbomly resisting, it was better for her to get something of equal value in exchange.


    ¡°Fine by me.¡±


    Matthew readily agreed.


    Veronica pursed her lips lightly. Her straight back hunched over a little, and she lowered her head weakly


    to look down at the ground, saying nothing.


    She was ipetent.


    It was exactly because of her ipetence that made her unable to protect her adoptive parents, and


    she couldn¡¯t even control her own right to have children.


    She wanted to be stronger, but she didn¡¯t know where to start.


    ¡°However, you must move to the Kings Residence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that in a few days. I want some time to myself to calm down.¡±


    Veronica sighed deeply and turned her head to look at the vehicles passing by on the road, feeling


    annoyed.


    Matthew acquiesced to her condition.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Then, he got into the car and left.


    As she looked at the car that was driving away, Veronica suddenly felt shivers all over her body, as if she


    was in an ice cer.


    He only saw her as a ¡®reproductive tool¡¯; otherwise, how would he treat her so mercilessly?


    Back at the Kings Residence.


    After Matthew returned home, he saw Elizabeth.


    ¡°How is Veronica?¡±


    As soon as she saw him, Elizabeth immediately asked about Veronica, but in fact, she cared more about


    the child in her womb.


    Matthew¡¯s sharp eyebrows and eyes showed nothing but coldness. ¡°I can allow Veronica Murphy to give


    birth to a child for the Kings Family¨Cbut my woman must be the right match for me.¡±


    Recently, Matthew had been thinking a lot


    In addition to that, he had frequent contact with Tiffany Larson and found that she had a good character,


    and she was considered a rather talented and beautiful woman in Bloomstead-she was the best choice


    to marry into the Kings Family


    ¡°What are you talking about? What is good with that Tiffany girl?¡±


    Elizabeth was very unhappy when she heard what Matthew had said.


    ¡°Just based on the fact that she saved my life, it would make sense for me to marry her.¡±


    He had suspected Tiffany before, and even suspected that the car ident had something to do with


    her.


    Later, after he ordered Thomas to further investigate the incident that day again, he found out that it


    really had nothing to do with Tiffany.


    ¡°Remember I said back then that whoever is pregnant with your child is whoever you will marry? My


    words don¡¯t count now, do they?¡±


    Elizabeth really liked Veronica.


    ¡°Our family is a noble family, and this Veronica is nothing at all. She is not worthy to be the future


    mistress of our family in any way. We deal with wealthy families everyday. Do you think she is someone


    we can show the world?¡±


    This was Matthew¡¯s way of thinking.


    Love? He wanted nothing to do with it. The only thing he cared about was his own


    interests, and the idea of making the Kings Family bigger and stronger.


    If he had to marry Veronica just because she had his child, it would do nothing but hinder the Kings


    Family.


    What he said caused Elizabeth to be speechless.


    After all, she had to admit that for the family¡¯s future, Tiffany was naturally the best choice.


    ¡°But that child really does belong to Veronica. What if word about it spread in the future? What do we do


    then?¡±


    ¡°I will give her a lot ofpensation. As for the child, I will get engaged to Tiffany as soon as possible


    and keep her from going out for the time being. When Veronica¡¯s child is born, I will im that the child


    was born to me and Tiffany. Then, we will get married.¡±


    He had long figured out how to deal with it.


    Elizabeth sighed and remained silent for a long time. Soon, she waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Whatever.


    I¡¯m too old to be teaching you how to make your decisions. However, don¡¯t treat Veronica badly. Although


    she looks mediocre, she is a good girl


    -one that¡¯s rarely found.¡±


    Elizabeth was the one that used the drug, but the mistake was that it was Veronica who slept with


    Matthew.


    For this reason, Elizabeth wanted Matthew to be responsible for Veronica, but Matthew had always had


    his own opinion since he was a child, and it was not something she could change about him.


    With this in mind, Elizabeth got up, walked to her room with her cane, and went to


    At that moment, Veronica, who was still in a daze on the side of the road, was startled by the ringing of


    her mobile phone.


    As she raised her phone, she saw Xavier¡¯s name pop up on the screen.


    ¡°Roni, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d buy me dinner? What, now? Are you going back on your words?¡±


    On the other end of the phone rang Xavier¡¯s mocking voice.


    Even through the phone, she could also feel Xavier¡¯s carefree and refreshing nature.


    For that split second, she envied Xavier.


    She envied him foring from a wealthy family. Even if he was ridiculed by everyone, he could still live


    his own life and do whatever he wanted.


    ¡°Of course not! Let¡¯s meet at John¡¯s at Pines Street in an hour.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty! I will go right away. Do you need me to pick you up?¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡±


    ¡°Okay, see youter.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Veronica rode her motorcycle to the Twilight Club.


    Once she arrived, she met the manager at the club and asked to resign. The manager readily agreed


    and ordered the finance department to settle her sry immediately at that time.


    She knew that Twilight Club was under Matthew¡¯s name, so she was not surprised that the manager


    agreed to her resignation so readily.


    After that, she bid goodbye to her friends in the security department. As Cody was not around, Veronica


    thought she could only have the opportunity to invite Cody to dinner the next time they met.


    After leaving the clubhouse, she rode to John¡¯s on Pines Street. When she arrived, Xavier¡¯s alluring


    sapphire blue Maserati was already parked aside.


    He was sitting in the car and ying with his mobile phone, waiting for her.


    All of a sudden, Veronica felt that although Xavier was a yboy, he was more humane than Matthew.


    She stepped forward and knocked on the car window, and through the half-slit


    window, she said to Xavier, ¡°You¡¯re flirting with girls again? You¡¯re always ying around girls all day


    long-don¡¯t you know that karma¡¯s a b*tch?¡±

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Veronica joked lightheartedly.


    Seeing that she was here, Xavier put


    away his mobile phone, pushed open the car door, and got out of the car. ¡°What can I do? God made me


    so charming that all those youngdies love throwing themselves at me.¡±


    ¡°Bah, how shameless.¡±


    Veronica¡®s face showed contempt.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    In the whole of Bloomstead, although Xavier was a ¡®swinger¡®in everyone¡®s mouth, no one dared to be so


    presumptuous like Veronica in front of him due to the strength of the Crawford Family.


    Only Veronica, who was like a sister to him, could ruthlessly nag him on his behavior.


    ¡°Let¡®s go eat! I didn¡®t eat lunch so that I can cost you a big one today.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, you say that, but God knows which woman¡®s bed you were in this afternoon.¡±


    The two walked to the food stall while talking.


    Veronica naively thought that Xavier had never been to a food stall before, so she took the initiative to


    order a lot of food.


    While waiting for the food, she realized that the


    people around her threw them strange looks from time to time.


    ¡°Damn, that handsome guy is so rich. He is driving thetest Maserati, which is worth more than 30 millio


    n.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lord! The girl sitting across from him is so damn ugly.


    ¡°She is so ugly, and yet she can meet rich and handsome guys. I guess her family conditions are also go


    od.¡±


    ¡°Well, that makes sense.¡±


    They could naturally hear the obvious whispers of the crowd.


    Veronica didn¡®t think too much of it. Instead, she looked at Xavier. ¡°How about¡­ we sit inside?¡±


    She was afraid that Xavier wouldn¡®t be able to bear the strange looks and gossip.


    ¡°You¡®re afraid that I¡®d feel ashamed? You¡®re so cute.¡±


    As Xavier said that, the boss brought over iwo bottles of beer. Briskly, he took a pair of chopsticks and pri


    ed off the caps, poured


    two sses of wine with a disposable cup, and took a sip. ¡°As far as I can remember, unpleasant words


    have been ringing in my cars everyday, but I still live at case. Well, we shouldn¡®t pay too much attention t


    o other people¡®s opinions but live for ourselves.¡± He raised his eyebrows and looked at Veronica. ¡°Only b


    y practicing to


    be invincible will you not be hurt by gossip, and it is also a means of protecting yourself. Come on. Cheer


    s.¡±


    ¡°I can¡®t drink.¡±


    Veronica knew that she had a child in her womb, so she could only lie. ¡°I¡®m having my period. I¡®ll have so


    me tea.¡±


    She had known Xavier for three to four months, but most of their interactions were in the Twilight Club.


    It was their first timeing out and having dinner like this.


    From his words, Veronica discovered that perhaps Xavier was not the


    kind of trash that outsiders saw as a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing.


    At the same time, at the Larson Residence.


    When Floch got the information that he sent his people to investigate, he rushed back to the Larson Resi


    dence and told Tiffany and Rachel the results. ¡°Veronica Murphy has been pregnant with Matthew¡®s child


    for more than two months now.¡±


    ¡°What, p¨C


    pregnant? Impossible. Veronica has such an ugly face. How could Matthew even bring himself to sleep w


    ith her?¡±


    Tiffany could not ept such a result no matter what.


    She picked up the documents on the table. In addition to various examinations, there were also photos of


    Matthew and Veronica appearing in the hospital.


    ¡°I heard that Old Mrs. Kings gave Young Master Mathew medicine in order to let him have children. Who


    knew that Veronica ran into Matthew by mistake, and the two naturally slept together¡­¡±


    Floch exined.


    However, his squared, dark¨Cskinned face was full of anger. ¡°This b*tch has such good luck¡±


    Rachel sat on the sofa and carefully looked at the investigation results without saying a word.


    On the contrary, Tiffany couldn¡®t stay calm. ¡°No, this can¡®t be. If Veronica¡®s child is born, how can I marry


    Matthew?¡±


    ¡°Tiffany, calm down!¡±


    Rachel snorted softly when she saw Tiffany¡®s emotions burst out. ¡°You have had a good rtionship with


    Matthew Kings in the past two months. Based on what he said, he is very satisfied with you, which mean


    s that he does not love Veronica. Why are you angry?¡±


    ¡°But Veronica is pregnant with his child! I will never let that child see the world.¡±


    Tiffany¡®s face was red with anger, and her eyes were full of killing intent.


    It was a terrifying look.


    ¡°Are you crazy? Don¡®t forget who you are now. The thing with Veronica¡®s parents hasn¡®t subsided yet, an


    d you are already thinking of messing with Matthew¡®s child? Do you still want to marry into the Kings Fam


    ily?¡± Rachel scolded. ¡°If you don¡®t curb your arrogance and impatience, you won¡®t be able to make great


    achievements in your life.¡±


    After being reprimanded by Rachel, Tiffany finally calmed down.


    As she sat on the sofa, her eyes were red with anger. She hated that b*tch, Veronica, to her core.


    Just as the few fell silent, Tiffany¡®s cell phone rang.


    She sobbed, took out a tissue to wipe her tears, and looked at the screen of her mobile phone, only to re


    alize that it was Matthew¡®s call.


    ¡°Tiffany immediately regained herposire, answered the phone, and said in a sofi, cotton¨C


    like voice, ¡°Matthew?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to marry into the Kings Family?¡±


    Matthew was straight to the point, and his words were clear and concise,


    ¡°Huh? What? ¡­ I didn¡®t hear what you said Mathew.¡±


    How could she not?


    She clearly heard that Matthew was asking her if she wanted to marry into his family!


    However, the news was too sudden and caught her off guard,


    It was as if a huge sum of money fell from the sky and knocked her duris.


    ¡°Do you want to marry me?¡±


    ¡°O¨C


    Of course, of course I want to.¡± Tiffany was belligerent with excitement. ¡°But¡­ Matthew, your proposal is t


    As the invitation hade in such an impromptu moment, all of the coy tactics such as ying hard to ge


    Matthew asked her if she wanted to marry into his family!!


    ¡°If you do, I will make it public in four days that I will get engaged to you.¡±


    Veronica¡®s child was already two


    months along, and Matthew knew that things could not be dyed any longer, so he


    could only get engaged as soon as possible.


    That way, after Veronica¡®s child was born, he and Tiffany would get married, and the timing would be just r


    Tiffany was overjoyed and suddenly felt that all her efforts were worth it.


    She nodded. ¡°I do. I do want to marry you.¡±


    No one knew how excited and happy Tiffany was at the moment.


    ¡®It was the Larson Family¡®s greatest honor and her greatest wish to be Matthew¡®s


    bride.


    ¡°Alright. I¡®ll ask Thomas to discuss other matters with your family soon.¡±


    Matthew¡®s attitude was indifferent. Even when discussing engagement with Tiffany, he was still as cold as


    ¡ªwhich made it difficult to understand his emotions.


    After hanging up the phone, Tiffany emotionally looked at Rachel with a pair of red eyes, and then directly


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡®m sure. I¡®m very sure.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s good, that¡®s good, my dear. You¡®re a noble youngdy, and marrying Young Master Matthew must


    Rachel patted her shoulder with great relief, seemingly in a very delighted mood.


    Tiffany, who was beaming with excitement, took a while to calm down¨C


    but her face suddenly looked as if it was void of joy.


    As she looked at the investigation documents on the table, she frowned. ¡°Matthew is about to get engage

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Shaking her head, Rachel let out a sigh.


    Then, she looked up at Floch and listened to him as he analyzed the situation. ¡°No matter what, the most


    important thing now is to let our daughter be engaged to Matthew first.¡±


    ¡°What about the child Veronica conceived:¡± Tiffany asked.


    The child in Veronica¡¯s womb was Tiffany¡¯s main concern as she feared that the existence of that child


    would be her greatest threat.


    ¡°Oh, my silly daughter,¡± Rachel said as a conspiratorial thought came across her mind. Then, she smiled.


    ¡°Veronica is a person filled with pride and arrogance. If she finds out by then that you¡¯re getting engaged


    to Matthew, do you still think she¡¯ll be willing to give birth to the child? And besides, once you¡¯re engaged


    to Matthew, it¡¯s your decision whether the child could live past infancy even if she gives birth to the child.¡±


    As she listened to Rachel¡¯s words and analysis of the situation, Tiffany felt enlightened. The gloomy look


    on Tiffany¡¯s face eventually disappeared, and she gave out a smile. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re the best!¡±


    Once again, Tiffany hugged Rachel tightly, expressing the profound endearment in their mother-daughter


    bonding.


    Ring¡­


    The next day, the sun was bright, and the breeze was gentle. It was a lovely day to stay in bed. However,


    Veronica was woken up by the ringing sound of her mobile phone early in the morning. She grabbed her


    phone and saw that it was her adoptive mother calling. Then, she checked the time, only to realize it was


    already 8.30AM.


    ¡°Oh, sh*t! It¡¯s already 8.30AM? How on earth did I oversleep?¡± She smacked her forehead and


    immediately answered the call. ¡°Hi, Mom. Sorry I overslept and forgot to prepare a meal for you.¡±


    Veronica yawned, her hand rubbing her sleepy eyes as she said that.


    At the same time, Danie stated her request over the phone. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have already eaten something.


    Anyway, the reason I¡¯m calling is that I want you to bring


    Xavier along with you when youe overter today.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Veronica, who was still feeling slightly sleepy a while ago, instantly jolted awake. She


    immediately sat up. ¡°Mom, Xavier needs to go to work. Besides, didn¡¯t he pay a visit to the hospital


    yesterday? So, why would you want him to go over again today?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to clown me. Xavier mentioned yesterday that he is rtively free these few days as he took


    these few days off.¡±


    ¡°But, Mom,¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you but, Mom me. I¡¯m not listening to any of your bluffs. If Xavier doesn¡¯te over today, then it


    means that you two were merely pretending yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Mom! You¡ª¡±


    Beep¡­ Veronica was cut off because Danie hung up the phone before she could say anything more.


    Too deep for tears, Veronica held her phone in one hand while resting her other hand on her forehead.


    Seriously, Mom? I just met with Xavier yesterday. How could I have the nerve to ask him out again


    today?


    Powerless against Danie¡¯s request, Veronica fell onto her bed. Shey down for a while and stared as


    the time passed little by little. Eventually, she took out her phone and called Xavier


    The call went through. ¡°Hmm¡­ Hello¡­¡± a man greeted sleepily. His drowsy voice was heard over the


    phone, sounding as if he had not woken up yet.


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ W-What are you up to?¡± Veronica asked as she gave out a tteringugh, feeling


    embarrassed. Her hands touched the thin nket anxiously, and her pair of pupils were full of unease.


    Although her rtionship with Xavier was good, she was slightly apologetic for troubling him twice within


    two days.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Speak. What is it?¡± Xavier seemed to have guessed Veronica¡¯s intention behind this ¡®phone call. ¡°You


    won¡¯t give me a call if you don¡¯t need my help with something


    Could it be that your mom misses me?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Young Master Xavier, you¡¯re high and mighty indeed-and not to mention, diabolically clever


    too!¡±


    Raising her eyebrows, Veronica looked up and rubbed her hair. Then, she chuckled in a ttering yet


    embarrassed manner and asked, ¡°S-So, are you free?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± With that, Xavier hung up the phone.


    Staring at the call log on her phone screen, Veronica was rather baffled. Huh? What does he mean by


    that?


    However, she was too embarrassed to call Xavier again. So, shey back down on her bed, feeling


    sleepy. Initially, Veronica wanted to lie down for a while before getting up to get ready, but she ended up


    falling asleep again.


    Little did she know, Xavier had driven to and arrived at the hospital after he was done washing up


    At around 9.00AM, Xavier directly made his way toward the inpatient department after he had arrived at


    the hospital. He thought Veronica was already there in the ward. When he arrived at the ward, Xavier


    knocked on the door, pushed it open, and


    entered.


    Besides Tony, who was lying on the hospital bed, there was no one in the ward when Xavier walked in.


    So, he put the items in his hand aside and took out his mobile phone. Just as he was about to give


    Veronica a call, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a photo on the table.


    In the photo, both Danie and Tony were standing in the front, and behind them stood a youngdy. The


    smile on thedy¡¯s face was bright and innocent-looking as she spread her arms around Danie and


    Tony¡¯s shoulders. Although it was only an inadvertent nce, Xavier was surprised after he discovered


    that the youngdy in the photo was actually Tiffany!


    It¡®s Tiffany!? Xavier was very puzzled. Then, he picked up the photo and took a closer look. 10th


    February 2021 was the date shown at the bottom right corner of the photo. This photo was taken a few


    months ago! But, how did Mr. and Mrs. Murphy know Tiffany?


    Upon realizing that, Xavier frowned. Then, he flipped the photo over and saw the words ¡®Family Photo¡¯


    written on the back of the photo. Family photo? Isn¡®t Tiffany the Larsons¡® daughter? Why would she take


    a family photo with Veronica¡®s parents?


    ¡°Oh, Xavier, you¡¯re here?¡±


    At that moment, Danie came in from outside and greeted Xavier after she saw him in the ward.


    However, the smile on her face instantly disappeared once she noticed the photo in his hand.


    Upon hearing Danie¡¯s voice, Xavier turned back and looked at her. Then, he immediately asked, ¡°Mrs.


    Murphy, why is there a family photo of you, Mr. Murphy, and Tiffany Larson? Do you two mean to tell me


    that Tiffany is your biological daughter instead of Roni?¡±


    Taken aback by Xavier¡¯s sudden confrontation, Danie secretly scolded herself for being clumsy. She


    had forgotten to keep the photo as she was suddenly called to the doctor¡¯s office in a rush.


    ¡°Why are you here by yourself? Where¡¯s Veronica?¡± Danie asked, avoiding answering Xavier¡¯s


    question. Then, she took the photo from Xavier¡¯s hand, wiped it dearly, and put it into her bag.


    Despite trying to make herself sound calm, Danie slightly showed signs of panic, and her peculiar


    reaction puzzled Xavier even more. If it was someone else, he would never press on this matter.


    However, they were Veronica¡¯s parents. In order to pay for their medical expenses, Veronica worked all


    day and all night. She worked as a part timer during the day and worked at the club during the night. But,


    they did not even leave a spot for her in the family photo!


    All of a sudden, Xavier was indignant at the injustice done toward Veronica.


    ¡°Mrs. Murphy, I¡¯m Roni¡¯s ¡®boyfriend¡¯. If you don¡¯t shed light on this matter, I¡¯ll call her right now and seek


    her rification!¡± Xavier abruptly became assertive. With a displeasing tone, he then added, ¡°If Tiffany is


    indeed your child, and if you think Roni is no longer worthy to even take a family photo with you two, then


    you shouldn¡¯t let her work hard and pay for the medical treatments with her hard-earned money!¡±


    For some reason, Xavier suddenly felt sorry for Veronica. A young girl who works two jobs a day and is


    responsible for cooking and delivering food for them isn¡®t even qualified to have a spot in their family


    photo! Xavier was extremely annoyed by this new finding.


    While stuffing the photo into her bag, Danie could sense Xavier¡¯s anger yet noticed the care he had


    toward Veronica at the same time. In that instant, she felt that Xavier was not bad after all. At least he


    treated her daughter nicely.


    After hesitating for a while, she asked Xavier again, ¡°Where¡¯s Veronica?¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s holding her up, so she¡¯ll bete.¡± Xavier simply came up with a reason,


    fearing Danie would not tell him the truth if she knew Veronica would arrive soon.


    As she listened to Xavier speak, Danie turned around and walked over to the door. Then, she locked it


    and made her way toward the sofa. With her hand still holding the photo, she sat down andter heaved


    a sigh.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    While holding the photo in one hand, Danie gently caressed the person in the photo with another hand.


    Later, she let out a meaningful sigh and said, ¡°I can see that you¡¯re very fond of our Roni

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    After that, Danie beckoned Xavier over. Come and sit.¡±


    Xavier walked over and sat down next to her


    Once Xavier had sat down, Danie shook her head and sighed. ¡°My daughter is a pitiful child. Originally,


    we were warned repeatedly not to disclose this matter. But, Tony and I, we¡¯re getting old. So, I think it¡¯s


    time for her to find someone who will care for her dearly.¡± Though Danie was Veronica¡¯s adoptive


    mother, she never failed to raise Veronica as if she was her biological mother. Danie loved Veronica


    more than anything else in this world.


    Danie knew she could not afford to cost Veronica her chance in finding a good gentleman simply


    because they wanted to treat Tony. Hence, she felt that she was obliged to speak out the truth despite


    the matter being exposed, and the Larsons might possibly kick them out of the hospital.


    ¡°Look at how beautiful and adorable the girl in the photo is,¡± Danie said, pointing at the person in the


    photo. Then, a motherly smile showed at the corners of her mouth, and she added, ¡°She¡¯s my daughter,


    Roni.¡±


    ¡°Roni? But¡­ isn¡¯t that Floch Larson¡¯s daughter, Tiffany?¡± Xavier asked in disbelief.


    In the upper-ss circle, not many were unaware of the talented and beautiful Tiffany Larson, the No.1


    beauty of the Larsons


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s like the spitting image of Tiffany. Truthfully, Veronica is not my biological daughter. She¡¯s a


    child I had brought back home a few years ago. Her biological parents are Floch Larson and Rachel


    Zimmerman, while Tiffany is her identical twin sister.¡±


    The news came as a total surprise to Xavier, and he was shocked beyond words. ¡°Identical?¡±


    The girl in the photo had fair skin. Her smile was pure and lovely, like a spring breeze, whereas Veronica


    had dark skin, thick bushy eyebrows, and freckles all over her face. In short, the girl in the photo looked


    way different than the Veronica that Xavier knew. It was hard for him to imagine that the woman who


    looked so unattractive was actually born this beautiful.


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty, isn¡¯t she? My Roni is really pretty.¡± Danie could not help but praise Veronica. However,


    her facial expression darkened in the next second, and her turbid


    eyes were filled with distress. ¡°But a few months ago, her biological parents showed up when Tony and I


    were hospitalized due to a car ident. We had no moncy for the medical treatments and nearly got


    chased out of the hospital when they told us they would give us free medical treatment.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well then, it looks like the Larsons aren¡¯t entirely bad.¡±


    After all, the Larsons were notorious for beingmitted to doing charitable works in Bloomstead.


    ¡°Not entirely bad? My a*s! Yeah, sure, they can provide us with free medical treatment, but on the


    condition that Roni needs to donate her bone marrow to their son, who was diagnosed with leukemia.


    Apart from that, she must not reveal her identical resemnce to Tiffany. Otherwise, why would Roni


    make herself look like an ugly duckling to the point that I fear she couldn¡¯t find a boyfriend?¡±


    After saying that, Danie reached out to hold Xavier¡¯s hand and said amiably, ¡°Xavier, I know you¡¯re a


    good child. The reason I¡¯m telling you this is to let you know that my daughter is not ugly. So, please


    don¡¯t despise her and be nice to her.¡±


    A puzzled look could be seen on Xavier¡¯s face. He was still immersed in digesting this piece of


    information that hit him and was unable to calm down for a long time.


    Someone who¡®s so unattractive like Veronica unexpectedly looks identical to Tiffany? Moreover, she¡®s act


    ually Floch¡®s biological daughter.


    Both Veronica and the Larsons were in Bloomstead. However, the Larsons merely forced Veronica to


    donate her bone marrow to cure their son, who was diagnosed with leukemia, instead of letting her


    return to the family.


    Now, Xavier even wondered if there was something fishy behind Veronica¡¯s adoptive parents¡¯ car


    ident. Otherwise, how could everything be so coincidental?


    ¡°The Larsons repeatedly warned me to keep a tight lid on this matter, and if anyone ever finds out, they


    will not treat Tony anymore. But, we¡¯re old, and we can¡¯t hold Veronica¡¯s future back for medical


    treatments¡¯ sake. We can¡¯t do that. That would be selfish of us.¡±


    This was the exact reason Danie insisted on leaving the hospital. She wanted to stop her medical


    treatment and leave the hospital. After that, she could let Veronica leave Bloomstead, and Veronica


    could be herself instead of pretending to be unattractive every day.


    ¡°If that¡¯s so, then the Larsons are nothing but a bunch of jerks!¡± Xavier eximed. He


    was fuming with anger yet felt deeply bad for the injustice done toward Veronica at the same time.


    ¡°Xavier..¡± Danie looked at Xavier and said with a heavy tone. ¡°I can tell that you don¡¯te from an


    average family. Besides, you know the Larsons well. So, I figure your family is not of a mediocre middle-


    ss background.¡±


    As her mother, Danie knew Veronica¡¯s character very


    well. This silly daughter of mine has tight lips. She will never take the initiative to mention anything about


    the Larsons to Xavier. And as for Xavier... Not only does he know Tiffany¡®s name, but he also knows Floc


    h¡®s name. Thus, I can imagine that his family background is certainly not lower than the Larsons, conside


    ring he is affiliated with them.


    Later, she added, ¡°Tony and I, we aren¡¯tpetent enough. We even dragged Veronica along with us to


    live such a wretched life. But, I¡¯m more afraid that there will be no one to care for her dearly, and she will


    be bullied by the Larsons once we¡¯ve departed from this world.¡±


    The future was unpredictable, but Danie was certain that the Larsons were definitely despicable.


    ¡°Mrs. Murphy, why do you trust me so much?¡± asked Xavier while taking the family photo from Danie¡¯s


    hand. Then, he took another careful look at Veronica in the photo, shock and astonishment still lingering


    deep down his heart.


    ¡°I may be old and my eyesight is failing, but my heart is as clear as crystal¡± Danie heaved another


    sigh. Then, she looked at Tony, who was lying on the hospital bed. ¡°Although Veronica is our adopted


    child, she has a kind and upright nature. Not only that, but she¡¯s also filial and hardworking. But raised by


    us, I¡¯m sure she must have suffered from the bitter taste of life. Such a pitiful child she is.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Mrs. Murphy. I know what to do.¡±


    As he said that, Xavier returned the photo to Danie. ¡°Make sure to keep the photo safely, and don¡¯t let


    others have their hands on it again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure, sure!¡± Danie took the photo and walked over to the bed. As she stuffed the photo into her


    bag, she exined, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw Roni¡¯s original look. I miss seeing her real look


    so much, so I¡¯ll take this photo out to look at it from time to time.¡±


    Reading between the lines, Xavier could feel Danie¡¯s love for Veronica. His mixed emotions gradually


    calmed down. However, it was still difficult for him to calm down every time he thought of Veronica.


    Suddenly, an idea came into Xavier¡¯s


    mind. How about I transfer both Mr. and Mrs. Murphy to another hospital for treatment, and all the surgica


    The Crawfords are rich too!


    ¡°Mrs. Murphy, is it necessary for Roni to keep pretending to be an ugly duckling if I pay the medical


    expenses?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You, too, despise her for being ugly, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Murphy¡­ I didn¡¯t think she was ugly before, so why would I despise her now? I just think that


    things must be tough for her, considering she¡¯s a girl.¡±


    Honestly, Xavier never thought of himself as someone who knew how to care for a fairdy. It was simply


    because, in that short moment, he felt pity for Veronica, who seemed to have suffered simr misfortune


    as him.


    ¡°Oh, forget it.¡± Danie waved her hand. ¡°Roni has a strong temperament. She¡¯ll never agree to this.


    Besides, there¡¯s nothing more we can do for Tony. It doesn¡¯t matter anymore whether he gets treatment.


    I¡¯ve been wanting to be discharged from


    the hospital for a long time, but Roni forbids me to do so.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Then, the two chatted in the ward for a while. After that, Danie went to open the door.


    Another half an hourter, Veronica rushed over to the hospital hastily. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry! I overslept¡­


    Huh? Xavier, when did youe over?¡±


    When we were on the phone early this morning, he simply said he got it, so I thought he would only be co


    After discovering Veronica¡¯s life story, Xavier experienced mixed feelings in his heart when he saw her


    again. However, he merelyughed it off. ¡°Oh, I just arrived. Isn¡¯t that right, Mrs. Murphy?¡±


    ¡°Right, right¡­¡± Danie was very cooperative. Then, she asked Xavier, ¡°You haven¡¯t had a whiff of your


    breakfast yet, have you? Roni, go ahead and take Xavier to have

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    ¡°Nah¡­ he¡¯s young and strong. He won¡¯t starve to death even if he skipped a meal,¡± Veronica said as she


    waved her hand. But in truth, she was nning to treat Xavier to lunchter,


    However, Veronica received a death re from Danie by saying that. ¡°Hurry up and go.¡±


    ¡°But, I¡­¡± She was at a loss of words momentarily. Left with no choice, Veronica turned to Xavier and


    said, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go! Time to take you down for your breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine, Mrs. Murphy. There are some matters that I need to attend to at my


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be backter to visit you.¡±


    After bidding Danie goodbye, Xavier left the ward, and Veronica sent him off at the elevator. ¡°Thanks a


    lot, buddy! I¡¯ll treat you to a meal sometimeter. Oh, and rest assured. Seeing that you came to visit


    twice, my mom is certainly convinced that you¡¯re my boyfriend¡¯ now. So, I¡¯m pretty sure she won¡¯t ask


    you toe over again next time.¡±


    ¡°Bye¡­¡± Losing his usual cheeky smile, Xavier merely said ¡®bye¡¯ and did not say anything more.


    After that, Xavier made his way downstairs and out of the inpatient department. As soon as he was


    outside, he made a phone call. ¡°Help me look up information regarding Veronica Murphy and Tiffany


    Larson.¡±


    In the meantime, Veronica was upstairs in the ward, apanying Danie. ¡°Mom, can you please stop


    asking Xavier toe over in the future? He¡¯s very busy with his work.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I know.¡± Danie waved her hand and said nothing more.


    Now that she had lost her job at the club, Veronica could only deliver food every day in the following


    days. Rain or shine, she was still as busy as a bee.


    That was until the third night. Veronica received a call from Thomas, asking her to


    pack her belongings and move to the Kings Residence the day after tomorrow. Later. once Young Master


    Matthew had gotten the results of the investigation of the car ident, Thomas would notify her first


    thing.


    Knowing she was not qualified to negotiate, Veronica naturally agreed.


    With that, Veronica hung up the phone. It had been a long day for her, so she fell asleep after watching a


    variety show.


    Since she was pregnant in the first ce, Veronica was constantly drowsy. In addition, she had to juggle


    between her food delivery job and visiting the hospital. Hence, there was no doubt that her workload was


    intensive.


    The next day, the sky was clear, and the sun was warm.


    On this day, the Hilton Hotel was exclusively reserved by the Kings. There was a photo of Matthew and


    Tiffany posing together at the front entrance, and the words Matthew and Tiffany¡¯s Engagement Party


    were printed on the LED screen.


    Starting from 9.00AM, various luxury cars were seen driving into the Hilton Hotels parking lot one after


    another. Many of the Bloomstead¡¯s elites and celebrities walked through the sidewalk and made their


    way all the way to the hotel lobby¡¯s red carpet.


    In front of the hotel¡¯s entrance, many reporters had gathered around. The atmosphere was boisterous-


    whether it was live broadcasting, the rapid clicking sound of the photographers¡¯ cameras, or the constant


    photo shooting.


    Yet, as one of the main characters of the engagement party, Matthew was still working in Spinfluence


    Group¡¯s President¡¯s office.


    To him, such an engagement party was just a formality, and it even seemed to be less important than the


    work documents in his hand.


    Even if these work documents in his hand were not urgent to be processed, Matthew would still think


    they were more important than his engagement party.


    However, things werepletely different on Tiffany¡¯s side. Currently sitting in her boudoir in Larson


    Residence, Tiffany wore a custom-made dress sent by Matthew. Her long hair was slightly curled, and


    she had applied some light makeup on her face. Topping her whole look with a pair of limited-edition


    earrings, ne, and headpiece, Tiffany looked like the most dazzlingdy.


    ¡°Oh, my. Our Tiffy is really beautiful.¡±


    Rachel kept staring at Tiffany¡¯s reflection in the vanity mirror, For her engagement party, Tiffany wore a


    white off-shoulder dress that enhanced her waistline and perfectly showed her delicate corbone. Her


    chin was raised slightly, revealing her fair neck. Like a proud white swan, Tiffany portrayed gentle regality


    and noble origin.


    With a smile on her face, Tiffany took Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom, I can finally get married to Matthew! I finally


    got what I wished for.1


    ¡°Tiffy, you¡¯re ady of talent and beauty in Bloomstead. Of course you can have what you wish for.¡±


    As Tiffany¡¯s mother, Rachel was extremely delighted to witness her engagement with Matthew.


    Finally, years of hard work and nurture were being rewarded.


    ¡°Mom, how about Veronica? Did you make any arrangements?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s all settled.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    ¡°Come, let me hold your hand.¡±


    The atmosphere was lovely as the pair of mother-daughter duo expressed their profound endearments


    toward each other.


    At this moment, Veronica, who was drowsy, got up and washed up. Then, she applied her makeup.


    Sitting in front of the vanity mirror, Veronica looked at the pile of cosmetics in front of her. Those were


    special cosmetics that she had found on the Inte, and they did not wear off easily.


    That way, unless cleaned with a special makeup remover, the makeup on Veronica would not wear off


    despite being exposed to wind and rain.


    No doubt Veronica knew how damaging these substances were to her skin, but now, she could not


    reveal her real looks yet.


    Otherwise, she had no idea what psychotic things the Larsons would do if she pushed them too far.


    After she was done, the ringing sound of the delivery notification came from her phone. She nced at


    the delivery order and saw it was a delivery order from Wakey Bakey to the Hilton Hotel.


    Looking at the extra note on the delivery order, Veronica saw it was a note from the


    client. Remember, you must deliver the order through the back entrance of the Hilton Hotel!


    epting the order, Veronica rode out and proceeded with delivering the food.


    After picking up the order from Wakey Bakey, Veronica clicked on the address navigation on her mobile


    phone. Then, she rode her motorcycle and stopped at the intersection of the Hilton Hotel. From afar, she


    could spot that there were crowds of people gathered outside the hotel. ¡°Oh, my. What¡¯s this situation?


    Judging from the grandeur, it must be yet again another rich household holding a wedding here in the


    hotel.¡±


    Upon seeing that, Veronica murmured. Now, she finally understood the reason behind that extra note on


    the delivery order.


    So, this is why the person reminded me to send the delivery through the back entrance.


    The front entrance was extremely packed with people. Veronica could not even pass through there even


    if she wanted to.


    Then, Veronica rode her motorcycle to the back entrance and made a phone call. ¡°Hello, your delivery


    has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e in through the back entrance. I¡¯m currently busy in the banquet hall on the second floor. Tell


    them that the delivery is for David Wagner. They¡¯ll let you pass.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure!¡±


    Hanging up the phone, Veronica parked her motorcycle. Then, she entered the building, holding the


    takeaway box.


    However, since it was an extremely grand event, even the back entrance was secured with bodyguards.


    When the guards saw Veronicaing in, they immediately stopped her. ¡°What¡¯s your business here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the delivery person. Food delivery for David Wagner!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Manager Wagner! Not a problem. You may enter, but exit rapidly once you¡¯re done with the food


    delivery.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take note of that. Thanks!¡± While holding the takeaway box, Veronica walked in through the


    back entrance after thanking the guards, By the time she arrived at the hotel lobby, she trotted up to the


    second floor with the food, for fear that she would run out of time if she slowed down her pace.


    There was an endless stream of people in the lobby located on the first floor. Many bodyguards in suits


    and leather shoes with white gloves stood at the corners of the lobby.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Those who passed by Veronica were mainly socialites from upper-ss society, and quite many among


    them were A-list celebrities. They were dressed in their finest outfits, and their faces were beaming with


    delight. These were all public figures whom Veronica had seen on TV.


    Though feeling surprised, Veronica had no time to specte whose wedding it was as she saw that her


    delivery time was about to expire in three minutes.


    After that, Veronica trotted to the superrge banquet hall located on the second floor. However, she


    halted in her tracks the moment she was about to step into the hall entrance and frowned.


    ¡°Wait, something¡¯s off¡­¡±


    As she murmured, Veronica tilted her head to look at the standing poster which was ced on the side.


    She felt it was rather familiar when she took a nce at it a moment ago.


    And so, Veronica slowly took two steps backward. The food that she was supposed to deliver fell out of


    her grip and onto the ground with a thud once she had a clearer look at the person in the photo.


    In the photo, the devastatingly handsome Matthew was embracing the elegant looking and beautiful


    Tiffany. The man was expressionless, as cold as ever. Meanwhile, the woman in his embrace was


    smiling like a flower, and her face was filled with happiness.


    ¡°It¡¯s their engagement party?¡±


    This stunned Veronica to her core. She stood there in a daze with indescribable shock in her heart.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    ¡°Oh, who do we have here? What¡¯s a delivery girl doing here? The food is scattered all over the floor,


    and it smells pungent.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Young Master Matthew and Miss Larson¡¯s wedding today. Didn¡¯t they already book the whole ce?


    Why did someone order for a food delivery?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Is she trying to sneak in?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the security? Throw out this person quickly.¡±


    The wealthy people and celebrities who passed by Veronica gave her a look of disdain, criticizing and


    ridiculing her, and someone even called the security to throw her out.


    When two security guards came over, they saw the delivery vest she was wearing and noticed how out


    of ce she seemed, so they grabbed her by her shirt. ¡°Get out quickly. This ce is booked.¡±


    However, Veronica shook off the security guard¡¯s hand. ¡°Let go!¡±


    Right now, she was furious. If she wasn¡¯t pregnant, she wouldn¡¯t feel a thing to see Tiffany and Matthew


    getting married because it had nothing to do with her.


    But now, she was already pregnant for more than two months, and Matthew had made a deal with her


    four days ago-if she gave birth to the child, he would help her adoptive father with his surgery and find


    out the truth behind the car ident.


    That was why she agreed to keep the baby.


    Who would have expected things to take a turn so quickly!


    Veronica could almost imagine the scene after the child was born-she would be chased away, and her


    own child would be calling Tiffany Mom¡¯.


    Mom?! Ha, how ironic! she thought.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m warning you now. Get out of here quickly, or else don¡¯t me me for being rude,¡± the security


    guard warned, pointing a finger at Veronica.


    The people who wereing from downstairs stopped to watch. Even though they were from wealthy


    families or were celebrities who were always in the spotlight, there were still many amongst them who


    liked to watch the fun.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to chase me out, I can-¡±


    ¡°Roni, what are you doing here?¡±


    While Veronica was speaking, Xavier squeezed out from the crowd and pulled her behind himself.


    ncing at the security guard coldly, he said, ¡°I brought her in with me. Is there a problem with that?¡±


    Dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and blue jeans with a ne around his neck, Xavier was a


    guest of the banquet, but while his casual attire made him look bright, handsome, and energetic, he was


    just the same as Veronica-looking out of ce next to all these people dressed in expensive clothes.


    ¡°Young Master Xavier, she¡¯s a delivery girl,¡± the security guard exined, pointing at Veronica and the


    scattered food on the floor.


    Checking out the takeaway box on the floor, he crouched down and picked it up. ¡°Roni, what¡¯s wrong


    with you?¡± he said, pretending to be unhappy. ¡°I asked you to bring me some food on the way but you


    can¡¯t even hold it well.¡±


    It didn¡¯t strike Veronica that Xavier would suddenly appear, and she was very grateful to him for helping


    her out. However, what happened next was a round of sarcastic remarks from the bystanders.


    ¡°My god, there must be something wrong with Young Master Xavier¡¯s head. He¡¯s actually friends with


    such an ugly delivery girl!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so ugly that I almost threw up. Looks like Xavier is really desperate.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, he¡¯s the infamous useless bum of Bloomstead. What an eye-opener today is.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t bring her out on the streets. Such an embarrassment.¡±


    The crowd kept criticizing while pointing at them as they sneered, mocked, and ridiculed them; their


    gazes fell on the two, as though exposing them under the spotlight.


    To that, Xavier merelyughed it off. Just as he said, he was ¡®invincible¡¯ and didn¡¯t feel any inferiority nor


    embarrassment in the face of these sarcastic remarks. Meanwhile. Veronica took it in stride as well, with


    an all-knowing look despite the people making fun of her.


    More often than not, the both of them were very simr people.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Suddenly, a husky and familiar voice echoed from behind the crowd.


    ¡°Oh, Young Master Matthew is here.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, Young Master Matthew. Your engagement to Miss Larson is quite a surprise for us, but


    you¡¯re a good match for each other.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, Young Master Matthew and Miss Larson.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, you really live up to your name as the number one beauty of Bloomstead, Miss Larson.


    You¡¯re stunning!¡±


    ¡°Both of you are a perfect match.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, someone is making trouble at your banquet.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    The people greeted Matthew as they opened up a path for him, and when Veronica turned her head to


    look, she saw Tiffany, who was all dressed-up for the event and holding Matthew¡¯s arm.


    Her chestnut brown hair was lightly curled with airy bangs in the front. Even though she had some light


    makeup on, her natural beauty was still very striking, especially since she was in a long, white dress


    which reached the floor. The hem of the dress was decorated with sequins, and they gleamed like stars


    under the lights, making her seem like a beautiful fairy.


    Meanwhile, the man was wearing a royal-blue suit with a ck shirt underneath and a necktie. His hair


    was slicked-back, showing off his deep-set features perfectly. With sharp brows and bright eyes, he


    looked like a stunningly beautiful man who had walked out of a manga.


    When the handsome man and beautiful woman stood next to each other, the air around them turned


    extraordinary, and everyone turned their heads toward them.


    In contrast, it made Veronica appear even uglier; it was a kind of ugliness which couldn¡¯t be hidden even


    if she buried herself in mud.


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    ¡°Veronica, you¡¯re here as well?¡± When Tiffany saw Veronica, her eyes sparkled, and she released her


    grip on Matthew¡¯s arm. Pacing up to her, she then grabbed Veronica¡¯s hand. ¡°I thought you were still


    busy with deliveries, and I wanted to give you a callter.¡±


    ¡°How did you know her, Miss Larson?¡± someone from the crowd asked curiously.


    With the grace and demeanor of a demure socialite, Tiffany smiled warmly and said, ¡°Let me introduce


    her. She¡¯s a friend I made when I was experiencing life as a delivery girl, Veronica Murphy.¡± Then, she


    gave Veronica a hug and continued, ¡°Earlier, I already arranged for a private nurse to take care of your


    mom and dad. So, just enjoy yourself here this afternoon.¡±


    It was already impressive for a socialite who had always lived under the limelight to take the initiative to


    give an ugly and ordinary woman a hug. Moreover, she even initiated to hire a private nurse with her own


    money to take care of the ugly woman¡¯s parents. It had to be said that she had a very good personality,


    indeed.


    That was what everyone was thinking, except for Xavier and Veronica, who knew the truth.


    The anger within Veronica rushed to her head, but since she knew that the Larsons were a despicable


    bunch, and she had learned from the car ident, she could only bear with it for now.


    Locking her eyes on Matthew, she had dismal and fury in her pretty, alluring eyes.


    At the same time, Matthew furrowed his dark brows and cast a look at Thomas next to him, as though he


    was asking with his eyes, Didn¡®t I tell you to keep the news away from Veronica Murphy?


    Almost unnoticeably, Thomas shook his head and


    thought, I¡®ve already installed an interceptive software in Veronica Murphy¡®s phone, but who would have th


    ¡°Congrattions! Of course I have to be here to watch the fun at your engagement party!¡± On the other


    hand, Veronica didn¡¯t act impulsively because she was aware that she couldn¡¯t handle the consequences


    if she did. More importantly, Xavier had said that he was the one who invited her in order to save her the


    embarrassment.


    If she made a scene now, not only would she embarrass Xavier, a series of unpredictable events would


    also happen.


    Moreover, the reason I appeared here today was a ploy by the Larsons so that I¡®d make a fool out of myse


    thought.


    Even if she didn¡¯t understand the situation earlier, she already did now, and she would never let the


    Larsons get what they wanted!

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Her response impressed Xavier very much


    Holding the takeaway box in his hand, he watched Veronica intently with a deep look in his eyes. In that


    moment, he could feel her dismay as well as the strength in her heart, and there was even a split second


    when he saw himself in her because they were simply too alike.


    ¡°Alright, Roni. Let¡¯s go in.¡± As Xavier already didn¡¯t like Tiffany from before, this matter now only


    deepened his dislike for her as he felt that she was a hypocrite.


    He reached out, took Veronica¡¯s hand, and pulled her toward himself before cing his arm around her


    shoulders.


    This gesture struck Tiffany and Matthew by surprise, and Tiffany gasped. ¡°What?¡± cing her hand to


    her lips in astonishment, she uttered, ¡°Voronica, w-when did you get to know Young Master Xavier? H-


    He¡¯s¡­


    Everyone understood what she was trying to say from the hesitant way she was speaking; she wanted to


    call Xavier a Casanova, the infamous useless rich child of Bloomstead, and a dandy. But it was her


    engagement party today, so she didn¡¯t say the words in the end.


    2


    ¡°Tiffany, since Miss Murphy is your friend you should advise her to stay away from unreliable people.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s reputation was the reason Tiffany didn¡¯t say those insults, since she was afraid to cause


    trouble and make the situation awkward. However, who would have thought that it was Matthew who had


    said those words himself!


    Even though he was speaking to Tiffany, his eyes were fixed on Veronica, and he didn¡¯t look away for


    even a second,


    ¡°Matthew, maybe they¡¯re just friends,¡± Tiffany said, trying to smooth things over.


    ¡°Right, she¡¯s a friend,my girlfriend!¡±


    As a man, Xavier had acutely sensed the hostility Matthew had for himself, especially from his eyes,


    which were fixed on Veronica.


    When he recalled what happened that day at Twilight Club, an idea shed across his mind, but he felt


    that it was very ridiculous.


    ¡°I just forgot to introduce her to everyone.¡±


    In order to protect her, he was even willing to admit that she was his girlfriend. She was ¡®ugly, yet he was


    still protecting her despite everyone¡¯s sarcasm.


    Even if Veronica had a heart made of stond, she would still be touched, so she held Xavier¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Xavier Crawford is my boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Y-Your boyfriend?¡±


    Although Tiffany knew that Xavier was a famous Casanova, he was still the young master of the


    Crawford Family, who was one of the four greatest families in


    Bloomstead. He actually fell for Veronica Murphy, who has such an ugly face? What kind of sorcery did t


    his b*tch resort to? she thought angrily. Nevertheless, on the surface, she uttered in concern, ¡°Veronica, I


    know that your life is difficult because you have to work and do delivery jobs for your parent¡¯s medical


    fees. Even though it¡¯s difficult, you shouldn¡¯t take the shortcut in such a silly way.¡±


    Cleverly, she had used the word ¡®shortcut, which anyone with some brains could figure out what she


    actually meant by that.


    ¡°Does she have what it takes to take the shortcut?¡± Matthew snorted in sarcasm. ¡°There are plenty of


    beautiful girls around Young Master Xavier; you should take a look at yourself in the mirror.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, this woman is so dumb.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so ugly that I can¡¯t stand the look of her, and she actually thinks that Young Master Xavier would


    like her for real.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Young Master Xavier has seen too many beautiful girls and wanted to look for something


    different,¡± someone else said and burst out inughter.


    ¡°That makes sense!¡±


    Again, another round of criticisms broke out from the crowd, and suddenly, someone chided loudly,


    ¡°Xavier Crawford, why are you fooling around here? You rascal, all you do is embarrass me every day!¡±.


    Before the person even arrived, his voice could already be heard, then everyone opened up a path for a


    man with white hair to get through. He was dressed in a suit, and even though his hair was gray, he


    appeared vigorous. Every step he took was


    firm, and his serious face had an expression ofpelling majesty


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mr. Crawford?¡±


    ¡°Xavier is the youngest and the most disappointing child of the Crawfords: Mr. Crawford might go


    hopping mad if he finds out about this matcr;¡±


    ¡°Of course he will. Even I would be angry, hot to mention Mr. Cawford.¡±


    Overhearing the whispering from the crowd, Veronica found out that the person marching over was


    Xavier¡¯s father, and she took in a breath of cold air unwittingly,


    Earlier, when Xavier was alone, she thought that lie was the only representative from the Crawfords-after


    all, this was only an engagement party-but who would have guessed that Mr. Crawford would show up


    personally as well!


    So, how would the situation end now?


    ¡°Dad.¡± Staring at the man in front of him, Xavier uttered the word calmly, but his arm remained on


    Veronica¡¯s shoulders.


    Furious, Hendric Crawford red at Veronica and furrowed his graying brows. ¡°It¡¯s Matthew and Miss


    Larson¡¯s engagement banquet today. What the hell are you trying to do?¡± Then, he pointed a finger at


    Veronica. ¡°Do you think you haven¡¯t made a fool out of yourself enough and are trying to cause more


    embarrassment by exhibiting an ugly thing here?¡±


    Twitching her lips, Veronica knew that she had caused a big mess for Xavier, and she felt a little guilty


    over it. On the other hand, an almost unnoticeable gleeful look appeared in Tiffany¡¯s eyes as she


    watched from the side while Matthew observed the situation in silence.


    ¡°Dad, you sound like you¡¯re judging a book by its cover.¡± Grabbing Veronica¡¯s hand, Xavier added,


    ¡°Although Veronica has ordinary looks, she doesn¡¯t steal or rob; instead, she works hard to make every


    penny so she can pay for her parents, who are hospitalized. What¡¯s embarrassing about that? Everyone


    was born with the face that their parents gave them. So, are the ugly ones supposed to just end their


    lives because of that?¡±


    *¡±You!¡± Hendric wasn¡¯t expecting that Xavier would talk back to him because of such an ugly girl. ¡°You


    sound so profound, but you¡¯re just enjoying your life outside with my money. This woman¡¯s parents were


    hospitalized, but instead of taking care of


    them, she¡¯s out here having fun with you. Don¡¯t you know what she¡¯s nning?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Young Master Xavier. She must be after your money.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s notcking in money.¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s able to attract Young Master Xavier with that ugly face. It goes to show she¡¯s really talented.¡±


    ¡°He has such a unique taste¡­¡±


    The onlookers burst intoughter, feeling that the trip today was totally worth it after watching the ¡®show:


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what she¡¯s nning as long as I¡¯m happy.¡± Unul the end, Xavier chose to protect Veronica.


    Right after he said that, an irritated look appeared on Matthew¡¯s face. Next to him, Tiffany didn¡¯t say


    anything as she observed silently, wishing that Hendric would help her to get rid of Veronica.


    Despite the tense situation, Matthew didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to stand out and help


    Veronica. Looks like that sl*t means nothing to him now, Tiffany thought.


    To her, everything was going in her favorable direction.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re creating more trouble than achieving anything. If your mother hadn¡¯t passed away early in life


    and I found you pitiful, I would have chased you out of the house a long time ago.¡±


    When Hendric mentioned Xavier¡¯s mother, Veronica could feel his hand tightening around hers strongly.


    As though he had been touched in a sore spot, he was using so much force to suppress the fury burning


    within him.


    ¡°Should I thank you, then?¡±


    ¡°You¡± Just as Hendric wanted to say something more, he noticed the sullen look on Matthew¡¯s face, and


    he decided to drop the matter. ¡°I¡¯ll continue this at home.¡± With a snort, he then entered the banquet hall.


    Since themotion was over, everyone followed suit into the hall as well. In the hall, Xavier dragged


    Veronica to a corner and hid in the crowd.


    So began the engagement party. First, the host gave a speech, followed by Elizabeth, Floch, and


    Rachel. In addition to that, Tiffany also told a good story of how she and Matthew met through an


    ident, instilling everyone with envy.


    After that, it was time to eat. Ever since Veronica learned that she was pregnant, she started to have


    morning sickness. Looking at the oily lunch on the table, she felt nauseated and covered her mouth with


    her hand. ¡°Xavier, take a seat here while I go to the washroom.¡±


    She stood up and went to the washroom, but there were a lot of people on the second floor and it was


    very crowded, so she decided to go to the third floor instead.


    ¡°rgh! rgh!¡±


    In the empty washroom on the third floor, she retched for a while before throwing up.


    Taking a minute to rest, she then went over to themon basin, cupped some water in her palm, and


    gargled.


    When she turned to walk out and passed by a lounge, the door swung open suddenly, and before she


    could even react, someone pulled her in and pressed her against the


    wall.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    ¡°Matthew Kings¡±


    As Veronica was already feeling ufortable, she became even more dizzy after he dragged and


    turned her around like that.


    After Matthew locked the door, he stared at her with a grim expression. ¡°I¡¯ve warned you before to stay


    away from Xavier. What, now? My words are useless against you?¡±


    Feeling better after rubbing her chest, Veronica lifted her gaze at him and smirked. ¡°Hmph, why should I


    listen to you, Matthew Kings? Are you my parent who brought me up or my legal husband? You said that


    I¡¯m not qualified, but what about you?¡±


    Veronica, who had always been humble and weak, poked a slender finger on his chest, the fury in her


    eyes as clear as day. ¡°It¡¯s true that you¡¯re great because you¡¯re rich and influential, but that doesn¡¯t mean


    that you can control my life! After you slept with me and asked me to give birth to your child, you turned


    around and immediately got yourself engaged to Tiffany Larson. Are you nning to let my child call her


    mom right after it¡¯s born?¡±


    The more she spoke, the more worked up she became, and her eyes turned scarlet as she shoved


    Matthew away angrily. ¡°Do you even f*cking take me as a human being? This is my child! It¡¯s mine!¡±


    Finally, despite how stubborn she was, the tears which were welled-up in her eyes flowed down, and she


    burst into tears as she trembled.


    Matthew staggered a few steps backward before he could stabilize himself from her shoving. When he


    looked at her again, she was crying uncontrobly, but he had no rebuttals to her words.


    ¡°Listen carefully, Matthew Kings! Even if I die, I won¡¯t give birth to this child!¡± she said, spitting each word


    out loudly, firmly, and clearly while pointing a finger at him.


    This was the first time he had seen her so furious ever since he met her. She didn¡¯t mention money nor


    any conditions; all she told him was, it would be impossible for her child to call someone else mommy.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll give you the chance to regret it after you gave me your word?¡± Arrogantly, he narrowed


    his eyes at her. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you have the right to shout at me just because you hooked up with


    Xavier!¡± Holding her chin with his hand, he lifted it slightly. ¡°Remember, whether it¡¯s you or Xavier, none


    of you are fit to act like


    this with me.¡±


    Their eyes locked for a few seconds, and he added, ¡°You wanted me to investigate your parents¡¯


    ident, and I already did. The file is in my office, and I¡¯ll pass it to you any time you move into the Kings


    Residence. And that also includes your father¡¯s brain surgery.¡±


    In the end, Veronica shut her eyes helplessly, hiding the despair and sadness in them. ¡°Is this fair to


    me?¡± she choked.


    Releasing her, the man then stroked the hair on her forehead as though he was petting a small animal,


    and a faint smile appeared on his face. ¡°There has never been any fairness in the adult world. You can


    only speak about fairness when you have enough power.¡±


    Then, he patted her face as if to tell her the truth about the society, and she broke into a smile on her


    tear-streaked face; it was a sad, helpless and hopeless smile.


    ¡°Yeah, in the adult world, there is no fairness to speak about. Only power speaks, and you¡¯re nothing


    without it,¡± she murmured with her head hanging.


    ¡°Good. Looks like you know it now.¡± With one arm, he held her waist and pulled her toward himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant with my child now, so even if you love Xavier, you have to bear with it.¡±


    Finally, he understood why she wasn¡¯t interested in him-it was because she loved a Casanova like


    Xavier.


    ¡°You¡¯re so bossy, Young Master Matthew.¡± Tears streamed down Veronica¡¯s sad face. ¡°Not only are you


    forcing me to give birth to your child, you even took away my right to fall in love with someone else.¡±


    She was not an emotional person to begin with, but too many things happened today, and it was getting


    too much to bear.


    However, after she cried, her messed up emotions found its outlet, and she quickly readjusted her


    mentality, saying calmly, ¡°You¡¯re really not afraid that you¡¯ll push me to death? If that happens, I¡¯ll haunt


    you as a ghost, and you¡¯ll never enjoy a single day in peace.¡± Having said that, she shook her head. ¡°No,


    this punishment is too light. I should¡­¡±


    Stopping mid sentence, she opened and moved her cherry-red lips, but no sound came out. However,


    Matthew read her lips¨CI should let you die without any descendents!


    ¡°Provoke me further and I might make a move on you right here.¡± There was a rather awkward look on


    his face, and he felt that she was somehow a little provocative.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Really? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll break your fianc¨¦e¡¯s heart if you get steamy with me at your


    engagement party? Tsk, tsk¡­ What a heartbreaker you are, Young Master Matthew. I suddenly feel sorry


    for Tiffany.


    ¡°You should feel sorry for yourself.¡±


    For some unknown reason, even though she had a face so mediocre that it was ugly and he should be


    disgusted by it, she was able to create a storm in his calm heart every time she resisted and went


    against him.


    He couldn¡¯t help but be attracted to her and want to conquer her; his desire to conquer domineeringly


    was a trait of his he couldn¡¯t control.


    Then, he dragged her to the couch, but he didn¡¯t tear off her clothes roughly. Meanwhile, Veronica didn¡¯t


    struggle either and merely saidposedly, ¡°Downstairs is filled with the rich and famous of Bloomstead.


    Just do it if you¡¯re not worried about embarrassing yourself. As for me, I¡¯ve already been bitten, and I


    don¡¯t mind a few more bites.¡±


    Since she was unable to fight him, all she could do was talk back to him.


    ¡°With Thomas keeping watch outside, not even a fly could get to the third floor.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± All of a sudden, she was stumped for words.


    Ring, ring, ring¡­


    Just then, the cell phone in her pocket started ringing, but he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to walk out in


    shameter, then take off your clothes by yourself!¡±


    Ignoring him, she took out her cell phone from her pocket and saw that it was Xavier who was calling her.


    Before she could answer, Matthew snatched her phone away and tossed it aside. ¡°You were only gone


    for a while and he¡¯s already missing you so much, huh? Your ugly face doesn¡¯t seem to stop you from


    being a flirt.¡± Narrowing his eyes, he hissed, ¡°Veronica Murphy, you¡¯re so cheap!¡±


    After that, he didn¡¯t give her any more chances, and his patience was wearing thin, so he ripped off her


    clothes while she seemed to have epted her fate and didn¡¯t struggle a single bit. However, her soft


    moans were overwhelmed by the sessive ringing of her cell phone.


    His eyes drifted on the screen, and it hurt his eyes when he saw the name ¡®Xavier¡¯ shing on it. So, he


    decided to pick up the phone.


    ¡°What are you doing, Matthew Kings?¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t want him to pick up the call and tried to snatch it back, but she was su second toote,


    and he held it away from her reach as he answered the call.


    On the other end of the line, Xavier asked in concern, ¡°Roni, where are you? Why didn¡¯t you pick up my


    calls?¡±


    Raising his brows, Matthew turned the call to loudspeaker mode.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Earlier¡­ I felt a little¡­ ufortable.¡± She finished her sentences in pieces, but before


    thest syble left her lips, Matthew had taken her unexpectedly.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    In that instant, Veronica¡¯s brows furrowed together in a tighi knot, and she pursed her lips shut, llernds,


    which were bolding Matthew, dug deep into his arms until there was blood, and only then was she able to


    forcibly coal in


    ¡°Cough, cough...¡± Embarrassed and furious, she red at Matthew and used coughing as a means to


    hide what was happening before saying, ¡°I received a delivery order, and I¡¯m on my way now. I¡¯ll call you


    back Ihter.¡± Immediately, she hung up and pped Matthew. ¡°You¡¯re such a shameless jerk!¡±


    His behavior was so outrageous that it appalled her.


    ¡°What? Are you feeling sorry for your beloved because you¡¯re worried he¡¯ll find out about this and feel


    sad?¡±


    Even though she was disgruntled, a n hatched in her mind. Suppressing her disgust for him, she


    sped his waist and said in an unsatisfied tone, ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got? Did you not eat, Young Master


    Matthew?¡± Forcing out a smile, she added, ¡°This is really far offpared to Xavier. So, rumor amongst


    the people in Bloomstead has it that you are not interested in women, but it seems to me that you¡­


    might have erectile dysfunction.¡±


    The sudden change in her attitude gave him a huge satisfaction psychologically, but he didn¡¯t lose his


    mind because he knew that she was trying to provoke him on purpose.


    ¡°Keep away your useless little tricks. The doctor mentioned that the fetus is growing steadily, and I¡¯ll


    protect my own child!¡± |


    The second he finished speaking, the smile disappeared from Veronica¡¯s face. Yes, she deliberately tried


    to provoke him earlier in hopes that he would forget everything in his agitation and cause a miscarriage,


    then she wouldn¡¯t have to give birth to his child. But unfortunately, he had seen through her trick.


    Contented, the man got up and left her in a sorry state alone in the lounge. Just like thest time, before


    he left, he said, ¡°Someone will bring you clothester.¡±


    Just like that, he left, leaving her in the lounge as though he was throwing away a piece of garbage.


    Lying on the bed, she was shattered by despair, but she was strong. How could the same thing hurt her


    as it did the first time? However, she regretted it a little. She only


    made herself seem uglier through the use of makeup, so that jerk never kissed her every time he made


    love to her, and he didn¡¯t even want to look at her face.


    If I had known about this before, I would have made ugly the skin on my entire body! she thought.


    Later, someone dropped off some clothes for her, and after changing, she threw the ripped clothes into


    the bin and went downstairs in a huff before leaving the scene on her motorcycle.


    Unbeknownst to her, Xavier was seated in a car not far away. Knowing that she didn¡¯t leave the scene,


    he drove a car she had never seen before and stopped it close to her motorbike.


    When he saw that she was leaving dressed differently as when she arrived, he was a little


    confused. Why did she lie? he wondered.


    And all of his questions would have an answer four hourster, when the engagement party of the Kings


    Family ended.


    From the surveince video of the Hilton Hotel he instructed someone to rey, he clearly saw Matthew


    dragging Veronica into a lounge on the third floor, and he only left after more than half an hour.


    Xavier didn¡¯t continue watching the surveince after that because he already knew all that happened


    when he connected it to the soft moaning he heard from Veronica when he called her.


    Meanwhile, after Veronica left the Hilton Hotel, she went directly to the hospital for an abortion.


    Unfortunately, the scheming Matthew had already sent someone to follow her, and when they saw her


    walking into the hospital, she was forcibly taken into the car by some bodyguards and sent back to her


    rented room.


    Bang!


    The door closed shut, and she was ced under house arrest. Opening the door, she shouted furiously,


    ¡°What are you guys doing? I want to see that jerk, Matthew Kings!


    Thomas, who had rushed over, answered, ¡°The master is very busy and doesn¡¯t have the time to see


    you.¡± Then, he added, ¡°Just rest well, Miss Murphy. If you don¡¯t want to rest, you can also move into the


    Kings Residence right now.¡±


    ¡°Y-You guys are too much!¡± she yelled, enraged. Her cheeks flushed scarlet, and she mmed the door


    so hard that the room shook.


    In the evening, someone delivered food to her. Looking at the delicious food, she really wanted to eat but


    had no appetite. Time passed by, and it was already past 11.00PM, yet she wasn¡¯t the least sleepy at all.


    The reason Matthew didn¡¯t allow her to move into the Kings Residence today was mostly because it was


    his engagement day today, and all his rtives would be there. If she showed up there, it would only


    spell trouble. Therefore, he had decided to move her in tomorrow.


    Veronica was very clear that once she moved into the Kings Residence, it would be almost impossible to


    get out again, and she would have no chance to abort the baby anymore.


    Tossing and turning in bed, she desperately needed mifepristone and misoprostol tablets to help her with


    the miscarriage. In spite of that, those tablets could only be found in the hospital, and ordinary people


    couldn¡¯t get those tablets at all.


    In such a critical situation, the only person who came into her mind was Xavier; with his ability, he could


    definitely get those pills.


    Holding her cell phone in her hands, she hesitated for a long while before finally calling him. Even though


    she knew that she had caused him a lot of trouble already, she had no other choice now and could only


    call him.


    ¡°Hmm? So you¡¯re finally calling me?¡± In the call, Xavier sounded tipsy, and clearly, he already had some


    drinks.


    All of a sudden, Veronica was a little hopeless. ¡°Are you¡­ drinking?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m having some drinks because I feel a little down. What¡¯s up?¡± His attitude toward her was a


    little aloof, which was very unlike him.


    Impatiently, she clutched her own hair, thinking, Will it be okay to ask a favor from him at a time like this?


    ¡°Are you¡­ feeling alright? Can you please do me a favor? It¡¯s important-very important, actually!¡±


    Out of wits, she could only beg him for help because no matter what, she would never allow her child to


    be born and be Tiffany¡¯s! Even if it meant death, she would never agree to it.


    Meanwhile, Xavier took a sip of wine and snorted. ¡°You¡¯re rather capable on your


    own. Why would you need my help?¡± Since a long time ago, he could already tell that she had something


    going on with Matthew, and sure enough, she had lied to him!


    ¡°Xavier, what the hell is wrong with you?¡± Annoyed, Veronica raised her voice and shouted at him before


    he hung up on her directly. ¡°This guy¡­ How could he be so unreliable at such a critical moment?¡±


    Anxiety rushed through her, and she called him a few more times, but he simply hung up on her. So, she


    could only give up.


    ¡°What should I do now?¡± Pacing around the room anxiously, she suddenly thought of


    Floch. He owns a hospital, so I can definitely get the pills from him.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Even though she could tell Tiffany that she was pregnant with Matthew¡¯s child, the Larsons were a


    careful bunch and wouldn¡¯t believe her. Also, they would worry that this would affect Tiffany. After all,


    Tiffany was already engaged to Matthew, and they wouldn¡¯t risk it to get her the pills.


    Suddenly, her eyes grewrge. ¡°Motherwort!¡±


    With her cell phone, she searched for motherwort and read the description about it


    -promoting blood cirction, removing blood stasis, stimting the contraction of the uterus, and might


    cause miscarriage in pregnant women if consumed!

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    A few days ago while watching some drama series, she happened to watch a scene mentioning


    motherwort. The female lead of the series almost had a miscarriage after consuming motherwort


    because she didn¡¯t know about it, and this medication could be bought from pharmacies.


    Immediately, Veronica asked in her delivery group chat, ¡®Does anyone have a drone?¡±


    A delivery guy by the name of Bells replied, ¡®I have one. What¡¯s up?¡¯


    The next thing Veronica did was add him as a friend and call him. ¡°Hey, sorry for the trouble, but can you


    please help me to buy two boxes of motherwort from the pharmacy? I¡¯ll send you the address afterward.


    And is it alright if you deliver it to my window using a drone?¡±


    ¡°Why do I need to use a drone?¡± he asked.


    Dumbfounded, she thought of an excuse and chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I just wanted to experience getting a


    drone delivery. I¡¯ll transfer 300 to you. Can you please deliver it as soon as possible?¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± he replied.


    After hanging up the call, she sent him the address, and half an hourter, he called and asked her to


    open her window quickly because he was already downstairs.


    On the eighth floor, she poked her head from the window and looked out to see a delivery guy


    maneuvering a drone. Slowly, the buzzing drone flew upward until it stopped outside her window.


    Taking the medication from it, she then sent a voice message to him. ¡°I¡¯ve received the item. Thanks!¡±


    After she ripped open one of the boxes, she saw four blister packs of motherwort pills, each containing


    twelve pills, and three to five tablets could be consumed each time. Looking at the pills, she knew that


    there might not be any effect if she took too little, but she might also die if she overdosed.


    Unwittingly, fear started to brew in her heart, and she clutched the tablets tightly.


    She was already ced under house arrest by Matthew, and her house arrest days would only continue


    until the day she gave birth if she moved to the Kings


    Residence. Now that the situation had developed to this point, she had no other choice.


    After thinking over it again and again, she removed 24 pills and poured herself a big ss of warm water.


    She was so nervous that her hand which was holding the pills was shaking. Finally, she gritted her teeth


    and finished the 24 pills in six rounds.


    ¡°rgh!¡±


    The thick smell of the medication nauseated her, and despite drinking a lot of water, it still made her sick.


    Suppressing the urge to throw up, shey on the couch and waited for the reaction quietly.


    In the first few minutes, she only felt nauseous, but she felt better after that. However, half an hourter,


    she started to have abdominal pain as well as sweating and dizziness.


    Still, she could only bear with it since there was no bleeding from her lower region.


    At the same time at Dragon¡¯s Creek Vi, even though Matthew was engaged to Tiffany and had brought


    her back to the Kings Residence to have a meal with his family, he still brought her back here when it


    waste at night.


    Despite her disgruntlement, Tiffany could only bear with it and ask, pretending to beposed,


    ¡°Matthew, why did you still drop me home even after we¡¯re engaged?¡±


    With a calm face, he answered, ¡°Before we¡¯re married, it¡¯s better that we live apart, and it¡¯s for your own


    good as well since you¡¯re a girl.¡±


    He had no interest in her, and he was only engaged to her because she was fitting to be the future


    mistress of the Kings Family from every aspect.


    ¡°But we-¡±


    Before she could finish what she wanted to say, Matthew lifted his gaze at her and patted her head


    lightly. ¡°It¡¯ste. Go home and rest quickly. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡±O-Okay, then.¡± Just a little tenderness from Matthew was enough to satisfy Tiffany.


    ¡°Goodnight, Matthew.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± he said.


    However, she didn¡¯t get out of the car immediately and sat there for a few more seconds because she


    was waiting for a goodnight kiss from him. However, he asked. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Shaking her head, she had a look of disappointment in her eyes. Then, she opened the car


    door and got out before waving at him and turning around to walk into the house.


    Just then. Thomas, who was the driver, instantly said to Matthew, ¡°Young Master Matthew, the guy who


    was spying on Miss Murphy¡¯s phone just called earlier saying that she called someone to buy something


    called motherwort, and it was delivered using a drone.¡±


    ¡°It was delivered upstairs using a drone?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°A little more than an hour ago. As you were with Mrs. Kings the whole time, I didn¡¯t have the chance to


    tell you.¡±


    Feeling something amiss, Matthew instructed, ¡°Head to Brocade Gardens.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sir.¡±


    Thomas started the car and drove in the direction of Brocade Gardens. Seated in the car, Matthew felt


    uneasy and urged, ¡°Drive faster.¡±


    Hearing that, Thomas leveled the gas pedal, driving the entire way swift and fast.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°As long as she¡¯s not married into the Kings Family, she¡¯s not Mrs. Kings,¡± Matthew


    said out of the blue.


    Understanding what he meant, Thomas answered, ¡°I got


    it.¡± After this, I¡®ll only address her as Miss Larson and not Mrs. Kings anymore.


    Late in the night, there were not many cars on the streets of Bloomstead, and since Thomas drove very


    fast, they reached Brocade Gardens in half an hour.


    After getting out of the car, they entered Brocade Gardens and went to the eighth floor, where six


    bodyguards were keeping watch outside of Veronica¡¯s door.


    Upon seeing Matthew, all of them straightened their backs. ¡°Young Master Matthew.¡±


    The man paced to Veronica¡¯s door and knocked on it. ¡°Open the door.¡±


    At this point, one hour had already passed since Veronica had taken the tablets, and she was curled up


    on the couch, bearing with the excruciating pain while her lower abdomen had already started to bleed


    profusely.


    Ten minutes ago, she already called the emergency number and was now waiting in pain for the


    paramedics to arrive.


    All she wanted was to abort the baby, but she didn¡¯t wish to die, so she wasn¡¯t that silly that she wouldn¡¯t


    call the emergency line.


    When she heard the knocking outside the door, she thought that the paramedics had arrived, but when


    she wanted to get up from the couch, she couldn¡¯t do it at all.


    The knockings became more urgent. Standing outside the door, Matthew suddenly became a little


    nervous and furrowed his brows. ¡°Veronica Murphy, if you don¡¯t open the door, I¡¯m going to kick it open!¡±


    Still, there was no response from the inside. Unable to hold back anymore, he took a step back, lifted his


    leg, and kicked the door strongly. A loud bangter, the door was kicked open.


    Marching into the living room, he saw a figure curled up on the couch while holding her abdomen.


    Despite the thick makeup, the paleness on her face could not be concealed. She was sweating profusely


    as she moaned.


    Beneath her, the off-white color couch was stained with a huge patch of blood, looking very horrifying.


    Pacing over, he immediately saw the packaging of the medication with the word


    motherwort¡¯ written in big, bold letters. He picked it up and nced at it, his eyes locking on the


    words ¡®forbidden for pregnant woman.


    Frowning, he clenched the box tightly, crushing itpletely. ¡°Damn it.¡± Seeing the two blister packs on


    the table were emptied out, he asked Veronica, ¡°You took all of them?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ It¡­ hurts¡­¡±


    She wasn¡¯t answering Matthew¡¯s question, but was muttering unwittingly from the unbearable pain in her


    abdomen. Seeing this scene, Matthew had a grim look on his


    face. This woman has no regard for her own life just because she doesn¡®t want to give birth to my child!


    Behind him, Thomas followed him in and immediately called the emergency number, but before he even


    made the call, the sounds of the ambnce sirens echoed from downstairs.


    Hearing the sirens from the ambnce, Veronica held her abdomen with one hand and used the other to


    help herself up from the couch as her desire to survive kicked


    1. in.


    Nevertheless, she had no strength to get up. Her arm turned limp, and she fell from the couch to the floor


    with a loud thud.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    In that instant, Matthew¡¯s heart wrenched, and this unknown feeling was something he had never felt


    before. Pushing aside the coffee table in front of the couch, he then walked to Veronica and crouched


    down to pick her up.


    The moment he touched her, she reached out and pushed him. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ touch¡­ me¡­¡±


    Even when pushing him, she was weak and lifeless, and she spoke in a trembling voice which sounded


    weaker than a fly.


    From her eyes, he saw her hatred for himself. As though she had stepped on his bottom line, he was


    angered.


    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t touch you. Get up by yourself if you¡¯re able to!¡± Standing aside, he watched from the


    sideline indifferently.


    Holding on to the coffee table, Veronica rolled over with great difficulty. Kneeling on both knees, she


    pressed her forehead on the floor, mustered the leftover strength in her body, and stood up with gritted


    teeth.


    Her lips were white as sheet as she looked at Matthew. Even though she was in so much pain that her


    eyes were bloodshot, she was able to squeeze out a sarcastic smile. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. Even if¡­ I die,


    I won¡¯t¡­ give birth to your child. I¡­ did it.¡±


    She was smiling


    Standing with great difficulty and trembling on both legs, she was sweating all over, and her hair was


    sticking to her face, which made her look sorrowful and pathetic.


    After speaking, she took a step forward. As though her legs were weighed down with lead, her steps


    were heavy, and every step was as difficult as walking in a mud puddle that reached up to her knees.


    Meanwhile, blood stained the clean floor, and the parts where she walked past had blood over them.


    At that moment, the fury in Matthew¡¯s chest faded away little by little. In its ce was surprise as well


    as admiration for Veronica¡¯s unyielding attitude.


    Never before had he seen such a girl who was stubborn and headstrong; it was as if she had a halo


    over her head, and he was impressed.


    After she took a few steps, everything in front of Veronica¡¯s eyes turned ck, and she fell to the floor.


    Next to her, Matthew quickly lunged forward and caught her just in time.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, she¡¯s all bloody. Let me do it, Thomas said.


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    Ignoring him, Matthew held Veronica in his arms and walked out of the living room. In the hallway, the


    neighbors on the same level woke up from themotion and stuck their heads out to check out what


    was going on.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god! Why is this woman covered in blood?¡±


    ¡°Who knows!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so terrifying!¡±


    The neighbors on the same floor whispered as they discussed amongst themselves.


    In the meantime, Matthew walked to the elevator, and when the doors slid open, the paramedics


    happened to be in it. ¡°Did you call the emergency number?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s more than two months pregnant and has consumed a huge amount of motherwort.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Quickly, she¡¯s bleeding profusely,¡± the paramedic said.


    After that, Veronica was sent to a nearby hospital with Matthew going along in the same ambnce


    while Thomas drove behind. In the hospital, she was sent to the emergency room, where they first


    stopped her bleeding before pumping her stomach.


    Stained with blood all over his body, Matthew stood in the hallway with a cigarette between his fingers,


    smoking silently.


    Standing at the side, Thomas felt that his boss¡¯ face was covered with dark clouds, and he consoled,


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll be fine. But it¡¯s all her own fault for taking so many tablets.


    She must be hoping to die.¡±


    His words sounded awful to the ears, and Matthew merely cast him an icy look


    instead of saying anything.


    After being in the emergency room for three hours, Veronica was rolled out, and the doctor went to


    Matthew, saying, ¡°We¡¯ve stopped the bleeding on the patient and pumped her stomach. However, the


    baby¡­ is gone.¡±


    ¡°What about her?¡± Matthew asked coldly.


    ¡°She was sent here just in time. If it was anyter, she might have died of blood loss even if the


    medication didn¡¯t kill her,¡± the doctormented, sounding a little fearful.


    ¡°Thanks for your help.¡± With nothing left to say, Matthew turned around and followed the rolling bed into


    the ward.


    In the ward, Veronica was dressed in the patient¡¯s clothes as shey on the hospital bed with a drip


    next to her. Perhaps because it was too painful, she was furrowing her brows tightly even in her


    dreams. On the other hand, her ordinary face, which was also a little ugly, seemed surprisingly pleasing


    to Matthew¡¯s eyes now.


    The next day when Veronica woke up, she opened her eyes and looked around the room. Staring at


    the drip above her, she secretly felt relieved. Luckily, I¡®m still alive.


    With a sigh, she twisted her head and looked out the window, feeling a little heartbroken for the lost


    child.


    It¡®s my own flesh and blood, and before it can even take a look at this colorful world, it¡®s already gone...


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    All of a sudden, she heard someone speaking. Lifting her head a little, she then noticed that Matthew


    was seated on the couch on the side.


    A smile spread across her pale lips. ¡°The baby is already gone. So, what are you still doing here,


    Young Master Matthew? Are you pretending to care? That¡¯s not like you at all.¡±


    After a close shave with death, Veronica was still feeling fearful. In the days ahead, she would definitely


    live well, but she had no regrets for acting on impulsest night.


    Not one bit at all.


    ¡°You said so much without losing a breath. Looks like you won¡¯t die soon.¡± He stood up and walked to


    her before cing a document on the bed.


    Supporting her weak body, she sat up. ¡°What is this?¡±


    As she spoke, she reached out and opened the brown paper bag to take out the document within-the


    information on the car ident case which she asked Matthew to investigate.


    ¡°On the way back to Bloomstead when the private investigator you hired was bringing the driver with


    him, the driver was taken away by his enemies and then killed. His name was Donnie Freimann, and


    he was a highly wanted criminal in the country who offended many people before. In this case, your


    parents are really innocent, but since Donnie was an orphan, you won¡¯t receive anypensation.¡±


    Very simply. Matthew exined the situation to Veronica.


    If it was him from before, he wouldn¡¯t say so many things in one shot. Maybe because of what


    happenedst night, the haughty man was now feeling a little guilty.


    Veronica, who was flipping the document, stopped abruptly and lifted her gaze at him, asking, ¡°There¡¯s


    nothing else?¡±


    ¡°What else do you want?¡±


    Snorting, she then lifted her gaze at him and passed him back the brown paper bag without finishing


    reading the file. ¡°No, nothing. I suddenly remember that the child is gone now, so I have no reason to


    ask you to investigate anything. Take it away.¡±


    Although the Larsons had taken extra care to handle this matter, with Matthew¡¯s ability, it was definitely


    possible for him to find out the truth. The only reason he couldn¡¯t was because he was engaged to


    Tiffany and was hiding the truth for the Larsons on purpose. At the end of the day, they were a family.


    Matthew¡¯s handsome face fell. ¡°Veronica Murphy, don¡¯t take a yard when I offered you an inch.¡±


    ¡°You must be kidding, Young Master Matthew.¡± Raising her brows at him, she appeared especially calm


    as she sighed and turned her head to look out the window. ¡°Before this, we met by chance, and it was


    all because¡­¡±


    Because that day you were in the ident, and I saved you out of greed, she finished in her head.


    However, all that was in the past, and she didn¡¯t want to bring it up anymore. Hence, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t


    hate you; I just hate myself for not being powerful enough. Now that the child is gone, we have nothing


    to do with each other anymore. From now on, you¡¯ll walk on your path while I carry on with my life. I


    won¡¯t appear before your eyes again, so please don¡¯t ever show up in my world as well.¡±

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    ¡°This is what you call not hating me?¡±


    As he listened to her speak, Matthew felt as if something that had taken root in his heart was suddenly


    pulled out. His throat lightened, and indescribable feelings struck his heart with a pang


    Veronica leaned against the headboard of the bed. Herplexion had yet to recover, and her body was


    still weak.


    She looked at Matthew, feelingpletely unperturbed. ¡°You¡¯re the richest man in Bloomstead, and you


    get to enjoy life every day; 1, on the other hand, struggle to earn money just to survive. We are two


    people on parallel paths, so there shouldn¡¯t be any intersection.¡±


    Veronica slowly lowered her head, her fingertips scraping the quilt at a loss. ¡°When I recover, I¡¯ll go to


    Saint Hospital to settle my parents¡¯ discharge.¡±


    At that, Matthew¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and he remained silent.


    Veronica continued, ¡°I¡¯m like an ant, the most insignificant existence in the vast sea of people. Young


    Master Matthew, I hope that you can give me a way out because I have to feed not only myself, but my


    parents too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all? Didn¡¯t you go to great lengths to make me fulfill your and Xavier¡¯s wishes?¡±


    Ever since he met Veronica, this was the only time she had such a serious and solemn conversation with


    him.


    For a moment, Matthew even believed her.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, as I said, the only connection between me and you was our unformed child.


    Now that the baby is gone, we have nothing to do with each other anymore. Understand?¡±


    Veronica raised her voice when she spoke thest word, then she looked up and red at Matthew. In


    the end, her pale lips twitched. ¡°Young Master Matthew, are you trying to force me to the edge? If that¡¯s


    the case, why did you save me yesterday? Heh¡­¡±


    Matthew simply stared at her with cold, profound eyes, trying to prate through


    1/5


    her eyes into her mind.


    However, he couldn¡¯t see anything.


    Without saying anything more, he turned and left.


    Meanwhile, Xavier, who drank heavily the previous night, woke up and rubbed his aching head. ¡°I drank


    too much again.¡±


    Hey on the bed for a while, then suddenly remembered that Veronica called him several times the day


    before, so he returned her calls.


    But no one answered.


    Xavier took a look at the time Veronica called him and found that thetest call was at 11.00PM.


    She called at such ate hour. Could it be that something happened?


    He couldn¡¯t help being a little worried, so he immediately got up, washed up, and drove straight to


    Brocade Gardens.


    He hurried up to the eighth floor. When he got to the door of Veronica¡¯s apartment, he saw that the living


    room door was half opened, and the door lock was broken.


    Reaching out to open the door, he walked in and saw crimson blood on the ground.


    Xavier¡¯s heart dropped as he called out, ¡°Roni? Veronica? Veronica?¡±


    He walked from the living room to the bedroom, then to the bathroom, but there was no sign of her.


    He called her once more, only to hear the phone ringing in the living room. When he walked out, he saw


    the phone on the sofa.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Panicking, Xavier grew impatient.


    ¡°He hadn¡¯t felt this feeling since the death of his mother.


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    He looked at the medicine on the table and found that there was an invoice for the


    purchase inside the bag, with the time stated as 11.30PMst night.


    There were four blister packs of pills inside the medicine box, and two had been emptied.


    ¡°W-Why did she take so many pills?¡±


    Suicide?


    A thought popped into Xavier¡¯s mind, which sent chills down his spine.


    He immediately rushed out of the apartment. While going downstairs, he called someone and asked


    them to investigate which hospital took Veronica in yesterday.


    Ten minutester, they found out that she was in People¡¯s Second Hospital.


    Xavier sped all the way to the hospital. When he entered Veronica¡¯s ward, he found that she was asleep


    on the hospital bed.


    After he saw that Veronica was still alive, his suspended heart finally eased.


    Propping his hand on the bedside table, Xavier breathed a long sigh of relief, and his terrified heart


    gradually calmed down. However, he was still frightened by Veronica¡¯s actions.


    He didn¡¯t disturb Veronica in her sleep, but instead looked for her attending doctor to ask about her


    situation.


    Only then did he find out that Veronica was pregnant and had overdosed on motherwort the day before,


    causing her to suffer a miscarriage and heavy bleeding!


    When she was sent to the hospital, she was already in a dangerous state.


    ¡°Who sent her here?¡± Xavier asked the doctor.


    ¡°Who are you again? Why are you asking so much?¡± the doctor asked with some displeasure.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ her boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Her boyfriend? Then, who was that man yesterday?¡± As the doctor spoke, he retrieved the risk notice


    signed in the operating room the previous day.


    ¡°This one.¡±


    Alter looking at the mboyant scrawl for a long time, the doctor didn¡¯t recognize whose name it was, so


    he simply handed it to Xavier.


    Xavier nced at the name signed on the risk notice and couldn¡¯t help frowning. ¡°It¡¯s him?¡±


    Matthew! What on carth happened yesterday?


    Xavier was clueless.


    He returned to the ward, sat in the chair, and fell into deep contemtion as he watched her sleep.


    After a certain period of time, Veronica woke up and saw Xavier sitting helplessly by the hospital bed as


    soon as she opened her eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Veronica was a little surprised.


    How did Xavier find this ce?


    ¡°Yesterday¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I had too much to drink¡±


    Fortunately, Veronica was fine. Otherwise, Xavier wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive himself.


    ¡°Were you in a bad mood yesterday after being scolded by your dad because of me?¡±


    Naturally, as the person involved, Veronica was well aware of what happened at the Hilton Hotel


    Since she met Xavier, he drank regrly at clubs, but he didn¡¯t usually get drunk.


    Xavier shrugged and replied helplessly, ¡°¡­ It¡¯s none of your business. I just suddenly felt like drinking. I


    should be the one asking you: Why were you sent to the emergency room after I left you alone for one


    night?¡±


    As he spoke, he took an apple from the fruit basket and helped her peel it.


    He had purposely gone down to buy the fruits for Veronica when he saw that she was still asleep just


    now.


    Moreover, this was the first time Xavier cut fruits for others. ¡°You already know, so why bother asking?¡¯


    Veronica was clever, so she knew that since Xavier was sitting quictly by her bed, he must already know


    what happened the day before. Otherwise, he would be grabbing her and shooting questions at her.


    Xavier stilled, and his expression was indiscernible, but he simply said, ¡°How did you know him?¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t want to talk about anything regarding Matthew.


    Ever since the day she saved Matthew, too many things had happened continuously, all of which had


    brought great impact and burden to her life.


    ¡°Oh, right, I have something to trouble you with.¡±


    Veronica deliberately changed the subject. ¡°The doctor said I need to be hospitalized for a few days, so I


    can¡¯t go to Saint Hospital to visit my parents these two days. Can you help me go there and tell them¡­


    that I went for field training and will being back in two days?¡±


    Since she couldn¡¯t go to Saint Hospital to see them, she was afraid that her parents would be worried if


    she didn¡¯t send Xavier over to give an excuse to her adoptive mother.


    Xavier paused his movements of peeling the apple and slightly looked up to fix Veronica with a cold


    gaze.


    After a moment of silence, he nodded. ¡°All right.¡±

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    It was obvious that Veronica was avoiding questions about Matthew.


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    Since that was the case, there was no need for him to pursue it,


    Everyone had their own secrets.


    Xavier finished peeling the apple and handed it to Veronica. ¡°Here. Eat it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s for me?¡±


    Veronica was quite surprised by his actions. When she saw him peeling the apple just now, she thought


    he was doing it for himself.


    After all, Xavier was known for being a famous yboy in Bloomstead. He never knew how to be tender


    toward women.


    Yet, he actually peeled an apple for her today.


    Uh...


    ¡°Hahaha. No, no, it¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t want to eat it.¡± Veronica quickly waved her hand and refused.


    ¡°This is my first time peeling a fruit for a woman, yet you dare to refuse?¡±


    Xavier¡¯s face sank, and his posture undoubtedly changed too.


    He seemed to be saying, If you dare to refuse what I give you, watch out for the consequences!


    Veronica was a little touched. She epted the apple and took a bite, then said while chewing, ¡°Thank


    you.¡±


    In Bloomstead, she was a stranger in a strange ce.


    Her real family was her ¡®enemy¡¯, but someone who had nothing to do with her was willing to stay by her


    side.


    It was hard for Veronica to not feel moved by this.


    The two fell silent for a while, then Veronica began to shoo him out. ¡°If there¡¯s


    alone.¡±


    Xavier leaned back in the chair, then crossed his legs as a wicked smile yed on his lips. ¡°Roni, you¡¯re


    somewhat ignorant of kindness. I¡¯m a person who¡¯s upied with a myriad of affairs. You should be


    grateful lhat I¡¯m here with you.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    Amused by his remarks, Veronica couldn¡¯t hold back berughter. ¡°Alright, alright. Since you¡¯re so


    upied with a myriad of airs, you should hurry up and deal with them. I can¡¯t afford to be responsible


    for any dys.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t afford to take responsibility, you should consider repaying me with your body.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you have an endless supply of beautiful women around you, yet you¡¯ll settle for someone like me?


    Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll get bored of me after just one night?¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t take Xavier¡¯s words to heart, and she even joked about it with him, seemingly in a good


    mood.


    She had applied some makeup, so herplexion was dark and her face was full of freckles. Her thick


    ck eyebrows, in particr, made her look like a cartoon character.


    To her surprise, Xavier still regarded her as a friend.


    Her self-deprecating statements got augh out of Xavier.


    For a moment, the ward was filled withughter, and the atmosphere was good.


    At noon, Xavier ordered a in, healthy meal as takeaway from Bloomstead¡¯s One Piece Restaurant.


    When the delivery person sent One Piece Restaurant¡¯s food over, Veronica panicked upon seeing the


    takeaway packaging.


    ¡°Young Master Xavier, you¡¯ve spent too much. Their food is too expensive. It¡¯s hard to get even one meal


    at One Piece Restaurant, but you actually ordered takeaway. I don¡¯t have the money to return you.¡±


    She knew that Xavier regarded her as a friend, but she always kept in mind that she was just a child of a


    poor family from the countryside.


    Even though Xavier was generous with her, she couldn¡¯t just ept it and enjoy it unscrupulously


    because she couldn¡¯t afford to pay back even a little bit of gratitude debts.


    ¡°The Crawfords own shares of One Piece, so don¡¯t worry. If you like it, I¡¯ll ask someone to send it to you


    every day.¡±


    Veronica was dumbfounded.


    Sure enough, the rich were capricious.


    ¡°It¡¯s a blessing to have you as a friend. However, although One Piece¡¯s food is quite good, I¡¯m not used


    to the taste.¡±


    She randomly gave him an excuse.


    She just hoped that Xavier wouldn¡¯t order any more food for her. Otherwise, she truly wouldn¡¯t be able to


    pay off the debts of gratitude.


    As the saying went, ¡®gifts blind the eyes!


    Xavier apanied Veronica until the afternoon before leaving


    Then, he drove to Saint Hospital and brought meals to Veronica¡¯s adoptive mother. He made up an


    excuse, saying that Veronica¡¯spany arranged for her to go to a foreign country for training, and that


    she would be back in a few days.


    Daniepletely believed Xavier. She knew that her daughter was a filial and well-behaved child, so


    she didn¡¯t think much about it.


    At this moment, at the Larson Residence, Floch immediately notified Tiffany and Rachel of the news of


    Veronica¡¯s miscarriage.


    The family of three was ecstatic to learn of this, with the happiest person being Tiffany. She hugged


    Rachel excitedly and eximed, ¡°Mom, thank you so much. You always have the best ideas.¡±


    On the day of the engagement party at the hotel, Rachel had contacted the delivery app merchant in


    advance, and she spent a huge sum to bribe the internal programmer to tamper a little behind the


    scenes so that Veronica would deliver the takeaway directly to the hotel.


    Then, she bribed the hotel staff.


    Afterward, Veronica entered the hotel with the takeaway and happened to see Matthew and Tiffany


    getting engaged.


    Rachel thought that Veronica would cause a scene, which would anger the Kings and lead them to deal


    with Veronica.


    They didn¡¯t expect that she could remain so calm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too quick to be happy. Veronica was moreposed than we thought, so you have to have


    your guard up in the future,¡± Rachel reminded Tiffany.


    The fact that Tiffany and Matthew were engaged but weren¡¯t living together made the Larson Family feel


    uneasy.


    Nevertheless, Tiffany still appeared triumphant, and she snorted coldly. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re too cautious. Since


    Veronica dared to take medicine tomit suicide¡¯st night, how could she be consideredposed?¡±


    For some reason, Tiffany just couldn¡¯t stand hearing Rachel praise Veronica, and she would get annoyed


    every single time.


    ¡°Sigh, I hope so.¡±


    Rachel sighed, then took Tiffany¡¯s hand and brought her to the sofa before saying solemnly, ¡°You and


    Matthew just got engaged, but as long as you¡¯re not married, you can¡¯t be too careless. When you¡¯re


    free, go to the Kings Residence to visit Old Mrs. Kings. She¡¯s the person in the Kings Family with the


    most authority.¡±


    She had to tell Tiffany what to do. After all, Tiffany was still young, so there were some things that she


    wasn¡¯t aware of.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. What your mom said makes sense. Matthew obeys Elizabeth the most, so you must please


    her,¡± Floch echoed.


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    Immersed in the joy of her engagement to Matthew and Veronica¡¯s miscarriage, Tiffany couldn¡¯t calm her


    excited self down.


    ¨C ¡°Then, what are you still doing here in a daze? Go and pack up, then go visit Old Mrs.


    Kings at the Kings Residence,¡± Rachel patiently advised as she gave Tiffany a pat.


    ¡°Okay. Mon.¡±


    Tiffany immediately went upstairs and changed into another set of clothes, then got into the car with the


    gifis that Floch and Racheld prepared for her before ?riving away


    Along the way, she called Matthew. ¡°Matthew, where are you? Can I go find you?¡±


    On the phone, her voice was soft and gentle.


    ¡°I¡¯m at the office.¡± After speaking those three words with extreme indiflerence, he had nothing else to say:


    He¡®s really a miser with words.


    ¡°Matthew, I happen to be free today and want to visit Grandma. If you¡¯re not free, I can go on my own.¡±


    Through the phone, she could practically feel Matthew¡¯s expression, which was as cold as ice.


    Tiffany was a little ufortable with Matthew¡¯s cold nature.


    ¡°Okay, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Then,e and pick me up when you¡¯re done, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After responding, he hung up.


    When Tiffany arrived at the Kings Residence, she was told that Elizabeth had gone out.


    At this moment, Elizabeth and the housekeeper had appeared in Veronica¡¯s ward.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    When Veronica, who was resting on the boil, saw Elizabeth, she immediatcly sat up. ¡°Old Mrs. Kings.¡±


    Out of courtesy, Veronica still called her ¡®Old Mrs. Kings:


    Naturally, Veronica knew deep down that Matthew and Tiffany could get engaged because they had


    gotten Elizabeth¡¯s consent.


    When she was pregnant, Elizabeth never allowed Tiffany to enter the Kings Residence, but at this


    moment, things weren¡¯t as they should be.


    Veronica didn¡¯t know whether it was because Elizabeth couldn¡¯t convince Matthew, or if she was two-


    faced.


    Elizabeth was dressed in a ck velvet dress. Despite being over 70 years old, with short curly hair and


    light makeup, she still had an outstanding temperament.


    She walked to her bedside and looked at the frail Veronica. Although she was a little distressed, she was


    also dissatisfied. ¡°Even though Matthew is engaged to Tiffany, you shouldn¡¯t have gotten rid of your child


    this way.¡±


    The child in her womb was the great-grandson of the Kings Family, and Elizabeth had been looking


    forward to it for many years.


    It took a lot of effort for them to have a child; no one thought that in the end, it was futile.


    Although Veronica liked Elizabeth, she was undoubtedly upset when she heard the statement.


    With pale lips, she leaned against the head of the bed. The corners of her lips curled up, and she smiled


    coldly. ¡°Old Mrs. Kings you think that I should have given birth to the child?¡±


    Veronica never considered herself to be a reproduction tool.


    Although in order to find out the truth behind the car ident and to treat her adoptive father, she could


    use the child in her womb as a ¡®sacrifice¡¯, she knew that the Kings Family would never treat the child in


    her abdomen badly.


    But, who would¡¯ve thought that Matthew would end up getting engaged to Tiffany!


    She absolutely couldn¡¯t ept leuing her child call Tiffany ¡®mom¡¯ after it was born!


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Elizabeth felt apologetic toward Veronica, but she couldn¡¯t help sighing. ¡°Sigh, although I¡¯m upset that


    you got rid of the child, I sort of understand you. You¡¯re a good girl-much better than Tiffany. But, I¡¯m


    getting old, so I can¡¯t make decisions about marriage matters anymore. Matthew just doesn¡¯t have the


    luck.¡±


    Hearing what Elizabeth said earlier made Veronica feel a little unhappy, but since Elizabeth was willing to


    voice it all out, Veronica did indeed seel slightly at case.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worthy of Matthew, and I don¡¯t have the expectation to marry into the Kings Family,¡± Veronica


    answered truthfully.


    Elizabeth stared at her, feeling puzzled. ¡°So many women want to marry into the Kings Family. You¡¯re the


    first one I¡¯ve met to not want that.¡±


    Veronica had stayed at the Kings Residence with Elizabeth for three days.


    During those three days, Elizabeth originally wanted Veronica to conceive the eldest grandson of the


    Kings Family, but she didn¡¯t expect that spending time together those three days had made her develop


    a liking toward this diligent and genuine girl.


    She nced back at the housekeeper behind her, who then stepped forward and handed something to


    Veronica.


    ¡°Veronica, I know that you¡¯re a good child, but your expenses are tight, and you even have to treat your


    parents. This money can be regarded as the Kings Family¡¯spensation to you.¡±


    After saying that, Elizabeth expressed her sincere apologies. ¡°Although you and Matthew sleeping


    together was a mistake, at the end of the day, you¡¯re innocent.¡±


    Of course, she was unhappy that the unborn child was gone, but there was no getting it back. Even if


    she was angry with Veronica, the child wouldn¡¯t return.


    Moreover, Veronica was an outsider who only got involved because of a misunderstanding.


    ¡°No. There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    Veronica thought that Elizabeth hade to punish her; she didn¡¯t expect that she hade to make it


    up to her.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Kings, uyi IT POUI, TUUL¡­ parents. As for this¡­¡±


    Veronica handed the check back to Elizabeth. ¡°You should take it back. I won¡¯t use it.¡±


    ¡°Is it too little?¡±


    Elizabeth shot her a distasteful re.


    ¡°The child is gone, so I no longer have any involvement with the Kings Family Hence, there¡¯s no need for


    me to ept any ¡®favors¡¯ from the Kings family.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®favors¡¯? It¡¯s just a littlepensation. If you don¡¯t ept it, I won¡¯t feel at ease.¡±


    ¡°If I ept it, I would be the one feeling ¡®uneasy?¡±


    Stuffing the check into the housekeeper¡¯s hand, Veronica said to Elizabeth, ¡°Old Mrs. Kings, I¡¯m very


    happy that you came to see me today, but¡­ I¡¯m a little tired and want to sleep.¡±


    She was indirectly asking her to leave.


    Now, Veronica just wanted to sever her rtionship with the Kings Family.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Elizabeth was quite helpless, so she could only nod her head and agree. ¡°Okay, then. Have a good rest.¡±


    She got up, and the housekeeper came over to help.


    ¡°Have a good rest and take care of yourself, Veronica,¡± she exhorted solemnly. ¡°Since you¡¯ve suffered


    from a miscarriage, you must take care of your body. After all, you are a girl.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Old Mrs. Kings.¡±


    From Elizabeth¡¯s questioning¡¯ since she came in just now to her current concern, Veronica felt as if she


    was on a roller coaster.


    Nevertheless, at least she knew that Elizabeth was a sensible person.


    Before leaving, Elizabeth said, ¡°About this matter, the Kings Family owes you. If at


    any point you need any help, just give me a call. I¡¯ll definitely help you if I can.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I appreciate your thoughts, Old Mrs. Kings.¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t take her words to heart. After experiencing so many things recently, Veronica just wanted


    to be alone for a while.


    The doctor said that she suffered from severe bleeding after taking the medicine that day and needed to


    be hospitalized for a few days before she could go home to slowly recuperate.


    However, Veronica had lingering fears.


    As she impulsively wanted to get rid of the child that day, she overdosed on the medicine, but she didn¡¯t


    expect it to almost kill her.


    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t die. Otherwise, her adoptive parents would have suffered.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    In the next few days, Xavier came over to have dinner with her almost every day, staying for two hours


    before leaving.


    During this period, Veronica deliberately went to the garden at the back of the hospital to send a video to


    Danie.


    The garden had a nice view and looked like a park, so she lied that she was on a business trip and video


    called her adoptive mother when she took a walk in the park.


    After being hospitalized for a week, Veronica went through the procedures for her discharge.


    Carrying her luggage out after being discharged from the hospital, she found Xavier in a car waiting for


    her at the entrance of the hospital.


    Dressed in gray casual clothes, he wore silver-gray sunsses, and he held a bouquet of flowers in his


    arms. ¡°Congrattions on your discharge.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Veronica was a little surprised to see Xavier.


    She didn¡¯t tell anyone about her discharge from the hospital today, so how could Xavier possibly know?


    ¡°As long as I want to find out, there¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±


    Xavier took the luggage from Veronica¡¯s hand, stuffed the flowers into her hand, and smoothly wrapped


    his arms around her shoulders, as if they were buddies. ¡°Now that you¡¯re discharged, what do you n


    to do? You¡¯ve already quit your job at Twilight Club, right? Do you want to consider working at my


    company?¡±

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    ¡°No.¡± Veronica directly refused.


    Xavier had helped her a lot recently, so she didn¡¯t want to owe him anything more.


    ¡°Why? Is it because you look down on my abilities?¡±


    As Xavier spoke, he opened the car door and was about to put her luggage inside, but Veronica


    grabbed him.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Confused by her actions, Xavier gave her a puzzled look.


    Veronica took the luggage from his hand, then said with a solemn expression, ¡°Xavier, you and I are


    just ordinary friends. I¡¯m very grateful and appreciative of the care you¡¯ve given me recently. After my


    dad wakes up, our family will leave Bloomstead. I already owe you so much that I would never be able


    to repay it. So, I really don¡¯t want to trouble you anymore.¡±


    Even if her adoptive parents recovered and were discharged from the hospital, Veronica wasn¡¯t going


    to leave Bloomstead so soon.


    It was just that she didn¡¯t want to owe Xavier more and more.


    In terms of wealth or power, she was insignificant, so how could she offer any help to Xavier?


    In the end, Xavier would be the one constantly giving favors.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    As friends, it was about helping each other, not about one party constantly giving a helping hand.


    Such friendships were destined to notst long.


    Hence, she was trying to stop Xavier before he suffered any losses.


    For a moment, Xavier was taken aback, and he didn¡¯t understand what her sudden remarks meant.


    When he saw Veronica leaving with her luggage, he chased after her and grabbed her hand. ¡°Do you


    hate me just like those people do?¡±


    Xavier was well-known for being a yboy and a disappointment in Bloomstead; he was the object¡¯


    that the upper ss ridiculed and disdained.


    But, Xavier never cared about their ridicule and contempt, and still did as he pleased.


    When he first met Veronica, he felt that although this girl was mediocre-looking, she wasn¡¯t two-faced.


    On the contrary, he feltfortable spending time with her.


    Gradually, Xavier became more and more convinced that Veronica was very simr to him, so he


    regarded her as a friend.


    That was why what Veronica said just now made his thoughts run wild.


    Hearing this, Veronica was momentarily stunned, and she looked back at Xavier in disbelief.


    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t mean that.¡±


    Just now, for just a moment, she seemed to feel Xavier¡¯s humble aura.


    He... doesn¡®t seem like the arrogant and domineering son of the Crawford Family.


    ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, then why are you telling me this?¡±


    Xavier clutched Veronica¡¯s wrist and said in a deep voice, ¡°I asked you to work in mypany because


    I find you interesting. I want you to apany me so that my days would not be so boring.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Veronica was dubious.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that already clear?¡± Xavier shook off her hand and rolled his eyes at her.


    ¡°But, I¡¯m not up to the task. As you know, I worked as a security guard at the nightclub because I


    wanted to have time to take care of my parents during the day. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve looked for a


    serious job. If I work at yourpany, I won¡¯t have any time to take care of them.¡±


    Veronica had gone to work at Twilight Club as ast resort. Otherwise, she had even more ambitions


    and aspirations.


    ¡°I make the decisions in mypany, so you canpletely dispel these thoughts.¡±


    Xavier wrapped his arms around her neck, brought her to the passenger seat, then ced her luggage


    in the backscat before saying, ¡°I¡¯m bored every day, so you just need to spend time with me. That¡¯s


    your job.¡±


    He didn¡¯t give Veronica a chance to speak it all and mmed the car door shut.


    Going around to the driver¡¯s seat, Xavier started the car and slowly left the hospital.


    After sending Veronica home, Xavier received a phone call and left because he had business to attend


    to.


    Veronica washed up and was about to start cleaning when Danie called.


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Roni, your dad is awake! Your dad is awake!¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Danie wasughing with excitement, and her voice turned into


    choked sobs as she wept with joy.


    Veronica was ecstatic. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! Mom, I¡¯ll be there right away. Wait for me.¡±


    After hanging up, she hurriedly went downstairs and rode the motorcycle straight to Saint Hospital.


    She parked the motorcycle outside the hospital and jogged all the way to the ward.


    Inside the ward, her adoptive parents were sitting together and chatting.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    Veronica rushed into the ward and excitedly hugged Tony. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re awake. That¡¯s


    great,¡±


    ¡°Huh? Whose child are you? Are you mistaken?¡±


    Tony reached out to push Veronica away, frowning with displeasure.


    ¡°You foolish old man. Can¡¯t you recognize our daughter¡¯s voice?¡±


    Danie couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, and pped Tony on the arm. ¡°To get you treated, Roni¡­


    Danie exined the situation to Tony, and only then did he know what was going on.


    At this moment, he felt a lump in his throat. Looking at Veronica with distress, he took her hand in his


    rough palm and carefully studied her face, ¡°I¡¯ve burdened you. A pretty girl like you had to make


    yoursell ugly for me.¡±


    Crying Icars of joy, Veronica sat on the side of the bed and hugged Tony. ¡°Dad, all¡¯s good now that


    you¡¯re awake. It¡¯s not a burden. And I¡¯m just pretending to be ugly to make my job casier.¡±


    All of a sudden, she thought of something, so slic asked Danie, ¡°Mom, has the doctor checked up on


    Dad?¡±


    ¡°Oh, speaking of which, I have to thank your friend. He was the one who helped us contac? the top


    domestic experts toe and treat your dad. You must really thank your friend.¡±


    Danie took Veronica¡¯s hand. ¡°Roni, how do you know so many rich friends? I always thought this


    hospital belonged to the Larsons.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Matt¡ª¡±


    Just as Veronica was wondering, she saw Danie standing up and pointing in the direction of the door


    before saying, ¡°It¡¯s him, Young Master Matthew. He said he¡¯s your friend.¡±


    Veronica looked in the direction Danie was pointing and saw Matthew standing at the doorway


    dressed in a gray shirt and ck casual pants.


    Behind him, Thomas was carrying a fruit basket.


    When Veronica saw him, the smile on her face froze. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    When she spoke, her tone was full of displeasure.


    Danie pped her on the back of the head. ¡°Veronica, how can you talk like that? He¡¯s your father¡¯s


    savior, so you have to properly thank him.¡±


    Pfft. Savior? Who is whose savior now?


    She saved him, but he almost caused her death.


    ¡°Mom, he owns a hospital. It¡¯s the duty of the hospital to treat patients and save people. It¡¯s reasonable


    for us to pay and for doctors to give treatment. There¡¯s no savior¡¯ in this context.¡±


    Veronica said this to Danie, but her eyes were lixed on Matthew, and her tone was full of disdain.


    ¡°Roni, don¡¯t be so rude. How can you talk to others like that?¡±


    After being in aa for several months, Tony was extremely grateful to Matthew after learning about


    his situation from Danie.


    Upon hearing Veronica¡¯s statements, he couldn¡¯t help being a little angry, so he chided her.


    Matthew shot Veronica a cold nce, walked around her to the hospital bed, then humbly and politely


    grected Tony. ¡°Mr. Murphy, how are you feeling?¡±

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    ¡°Hahaha. Good. Good. I feel very good.¡±


    Tony was grinning from car to car as he looked at Matthew and said, ¡°Myughter has been spoiled by


    her mother since young. Don¡¯t take what she said to heart.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. She¡¯s ignorant. Young Master Matthew, don¡¯t get angry.¡±


    Danie knew that Matthew had noble status, so she dared not call him by his first name, which was why


    she called him ¡®Young Master Matthew


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    A smile appeared on Matthew¡¯s cold face. ¡°The doctor said that Mr. Murphy¡¯s physical indicators are


    normal, and he can be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Thank you. It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the old man is right. Young Master Matthew, if it weren¡¯t for your help, I don¡¯t even know when he


    would wake up.¡±


    Danie was extremely grateful toward Matthew, and she didn¡¯t forget to tell Veronica, ¡°We owe Young


    Master Matthew such a huge favor. You have to treat him to dinner tonight. Got it?¡±


    Veronica pursed her lips and wanted to refuse, but seeing her adoptive parents¡¯ happy smiles, which she


    hadn¡¯t seen for a long time, she couldn¡¯t bear to refute.


    She could only give them an unhappy nod. ¡°All right.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to see Matthew acting pretentious in front of her adoptive parents, so she turned and


    walked out of the ward before going straight to the nurses¡¯ station.


    At the nurses¡¯ station, Veronica reported the ward number to the nurse and asked, ¡°Nurse, can you help


    me check how much my dad¡¯s medical expenses are?¡±


    ¡°Tony Murphy, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°You owe¡­¡± Looking at the bill, the nurse suddenly stopped talking and leaned closer


    to theputer screen; then she mullered, ¡°Is there i problem with the system llow can you owe so


    much¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡± Veronica asked.


    The nurse counted the amouni ower on the screen, then said to Veronica windi certainty, ¡°You owe


    2,1875,824.33.¡±


    ¡°What? Two million..¡± Veronica couleu¡¯t help eximing, but slie quickly covered her mouth for fear that


    her adoptive parents would hear her.


    She lowered her voice and whispered, ¡°Why¡¯s the amount so high? Can you show me the full bill?¡±


    ¡°You were smoldering with indignation just now, but now you can¡¯t afford to pay the


    bills.¡±


    All of a sudden, a voice sounded behind her.


    Veronica turned back and saw Matthew looking at her with interest, a sarcastic smile on his handsome


    face.


    At this moment, the nurse had already printed out the bill and was handing in to Veronica. ¡°Here you go.


    This is the bill.¡±


    The nurse was talking to Veronica, but she kept staring unblinkingly at Mattbew. Her face had turned


    crimson as her heart was filled with admiration.


    This man is so handsome.


    Veronica knew that Saint Hospital was a high-end private hospital with extremely high fees, but she


    didn¡¯t expect it to be so high.


    Looking at the overflowing bill, she physically ached.


    Before this, the Larson Family gave her two million, but she had used 80,000 to hire a private


    investigator, and she paid 100,000 for the early stages of her adoptive parents¡¯ treatment. Now, there


    was only 1.82 million left.


    She was still more than 550,000 short of paying the medical expenses.


    Where was she supposed to get the money?


    ¡°If you can¡¯t afford it¡­¡± the man leaned close to her ear and said in a deep voice. ¡°You


    can considerpensating with your body.¡±


    His voice was utterly maic, and the gushing heat brushed against her hair. It stimted her neck,


    making it feel numb. She couldn¡¯t stop the image of her being intimate with him from floating into her


    mind.


    Veronica had applied thick makeup, so even though her face was crimson, no one could see it.


    She turned and looked directly at Matthew with cold, sharp eyes. ¡°Young Master Matthew, it¡¯s not


    breeding season yet. Are you on heat already?¡±


    A trace of coldness appeared on Matthew¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for your dinner.¡±


    With that, the man retracted his gaze, turned, and left.


    Veronica put away the bill and headed toward the ward.


    Behind her, the nurse murmured to herself, ¡°Are they all blind? She¡¯s so ugly. Why are they fighting for


    her? She¡¯s even involved with two men. How shameless.¡±


    Veronica clearly heard the nurse¡¯s statements, but she justughed it off.


    Back in the ward, Veronica saw her adoptive parents chatting, and she said, ¡°Dad, Mom, congrattions


    on being able to be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Our family can finally go back to our hometown.¡± Tony smiled, feeling overjoyed.


    Veronica¡¯s smile disappeared, and she hesitated for a moment before lying. ¡°I¡­ I will send you guys


    back first. I might get promoted, so I n to stay in Bloomstead for the time being.¡±


    She had yet to find out the truth about her adoptive parents¡¯ car ident, so Veronica wasn¡¯t willing to


    leave yet.


    She knew that there were other hidden circumstances behind the car ident. If she simply stood idly


    by, she would probably never be at peace.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re not going back?¡±


    Danie¡¯s face sank. She nced at Tony and said, ¡°Your father and I have recovered. How can we rest


    assured if we leave you alone in Bloomstead? Besides, the Larson Family has no good intentions. What


    if they bully you?¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Veronica, I don¡¯t care how much money you make, as long as our family can be happy together.¡±


    The honest and kind Tony felt distressed that Veronica was under too much pressure. so he didn¡¯t ask


    much of her.


    The concern of her adoptive parents left a lump in Veronica¡¯s throat, and she almost broke character.


    Although they weren¡¯t her biological parents, they treated her as if she was their daughter. On the other


    hand, the Larsons, her biological parents, just wanted to kill her!


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    Feeling helpless, Veronica was forced to resort to her ¡®killer trick? She walked up to Danie and


    grabbed her wrist, acting like a child. ¡°I¡¯m a college graduate after all, so I can¡¯t stay in the countryside all


    the time. I want to see the outside world too. Not to mention¡­¡±


    She thought for a long time, then finally gave a reason. ¡°Not to mention, Xavier is still in Bloomstead. I


    just talked to him, and we were talking about how I can¡¯t spend time with him if I go back to the


    countryside.¡±


    It was a logical reason.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but want to praise herself for being so clever.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Danie hesitated, then she nodded helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re dating Xavier now. If we force you to


    go back to the countryside, wouldn¡¯t we be interfering with your rtionship?¡±


    Tony already heard about Veronica and Xavier after he woke up.


    Seeing as Veronica was insisting on staying in Bloomstead, he sighed. ¡°Oh, daughters all leave the


    house when they¡¯re grown¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Dad, what are you talking about?¡±


    Veronica pursed her lips and smiled, feeling her heart loosen up.


    At least, under the guise of ¡®dating, she didn¡¯t have to go back to her hometown for the time being


    In the afternoon, she apanied her adoptive parents out of Saint Hospital for a walk. They even went


    shopping, and she bought two outfits each for the two elders.


    When they returned to the ward, it was already 5.30PM.


    Danie forced Veronica to call Matthew and invite him to dinner. Feeling helpless, Veronica had no


    choice but to agree.


    The dinner venue was set at Kaymite Restaurant.


    After Veronica arrived at the restaurant, she sent the location to Matthew. Half an hourter, Matthew


    appeared in the room dressed in a tailored suit. His chiseled face was taut and as cold as frost, while his


    whole person exuded tension.


    ¡°You¡¯re treating me to dinner here?¡±

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    Veronica shrugged helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m a person who is hundreds of thousands in debt, so this is already the


    best ce I can treat you to dinner.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for her adoptive parents repeatedly asking her to buy Matthew a meal, she wouldn¡¯t have


    done so. It was a waste to spend even a dime on Matthew!


    ¡°Perhaps you can consider using your body to repay the debt.¡± Matthew sat opposite Veronica and


    crossed his legs, then he leaned against the sofa, his thin lips curling into a sneer.


    Veronica shot him a cold nce and handed him the menu. ¡°Young Master Matthew, hurry up and order.


    Eat quickly. I still have business to attend to.¡±


    Without even looking at the menu, Matthew gestured to the waiter, who came over and asked politely,


    ¡°What would you two like to order?¡±


    ¡°The most expensive one-person meal. Fifty servings,¡± the man said to the waiter in a nonchnt


    manner.


    Upon hearing this, Veronica became furious. ¡°Fifty servings? Are you nning to feed the entire?¡±


    He was ordering so much that he certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to finish them.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too much to buy the medical specialists who helped treat your father¡¯s illness a meal each.¡±


    Matthew had made up his mind to take advantage of Veronica. What he said madeplete sense, so


    much so that Veronica couldn¡¯t find fault with him.


    ¡°How much is the most expensive one-person meal?¡± she asked in a huff.


    ¡°The most expensive one-person meal is 288 per serving.¡±


    ¡°288?¡±


    Then, 50 servings would cost more than 14,000!


    Veronica felt her rage boil, but she dared not offend Matthew. After all, she was facing a man with great


    power. If she upset him, the medical expenses of Saint Hospital would probably be increased tenfold.


    Taking a sip of in water, she calmed herself down, then asked, ¡°Is there a discount for members?¡±


    ¡°No discounts are avable for this meal.¡±


    ¡°Then go ahead. And give me another pot of in water.¡±


    Veronica had no intention of eating. She just wanted to drink a pot of water to extinguish the fire within


    her.


    After a while, the waiter came over to tell Veronica that she had to pay the bill before the food could be


    served because she had ced a massive order. She tearfully swiped 14,000 away.


    With the receipt in hand, Veronica walked up to Matthew and said as calmly as possible, ¡°Young Master


    Matthew, I¡¯ve treated you to dinner. You can take your time eating. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± With that, she turned


    around to leave.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°I dare you to walk away.¡± Matthew calmly sipped on his in water.


    That one sentence alone dispelled Veronica¡¯s thought of leaving. ¡°You¡­¡±


    You b*stard! Furious, Veronica sat opposite him, then lowered her head and yed with her phone.


    At this moment, Matthew¡¯s phone rang, and he said, ¡°Kaymite Restaurant. Courtside Road. Yes.¡±


    Veronica wasn¡¯t interested in listening to him speak, and neither did she care. While scrolling through her


    phone, she suddenly saw news about the money-scamming schemes by beautiful women. This gave her


    an idea. She raised her eyebrows and nced at Matthew, who was sitting opposite her, and a n


    formed in her mind.


    The two were silent for half an hour, and the solemn atmosphere was interrupted by someone¡¯s


    appearance.


    ¡°Matthew, why did youe to this¡­ Veronica?¡±


    As Matthew¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Tiffany had called to ask him to have dinner together, so he told her that he was


    here. Walking into the cheap western restaurant, Tiffany thought that Matthew had given her the wrong


    address. God only knew how angry and jealous she was when she walked in and saw Veronica sitting


    opposite Matthew!


    Veronica tilted her head and felt extreme disgust when she looked at the elegant and


    stunning Tiffany, who was wearing a princess-like dress with light makeup on her face. She even


    wondered if she would one day hate her reflection in the mirror, since she was so disgusted when


    looking at Tiffany now.


    ¡°Sit down.¡± Matthew pointed to the seat beside him.


    Tiffany smiled warmly and went to sit beside him. ¡°Matthew, why are you with Veronica?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s paying for dinner and specifically asked you toe over.¡± Matthew solemnly spewed nonsense.


    However, when Tiffany heard this, those words held another meaning. She assumed that Veronica was


    deliberately seducing Matthew, but he was engaged to her, so Veronica called her over too.


    ¡°Veronica, why¡¯d you suddenly think of treating us to dinner?¡± Tiffany asked as her red lips curled into a


    decent smile.


    Veronica didn¡¯t care for false niceties, so she got up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡±


    After using the restroom, she ran into Tiffany at the sink when she came out. To be more precise, Tiffany


    was waiting for her. Turning on the faucet to wash her hands, she looked at Tiffany standing behind her


    through the mirror. ¡°If you have anything to say, just say it.¡±


    ¡°Veronica, you still dare to ask me to speak after what you¡¯ve done?¡± Tiffany yanked her and snapped,


    ¡°Matthew and I are already engaged. Don¡¯t shamelessly be a wh*re and seduce him, okay?¡±


    ¡°What did you say? Can you say it again?¡± Veronica stood in front of her and asked calmly.


    ¡°What are you if not a wh*re? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you climbed into Matthew¡¯s bed and became


    pregnant with his child!¡±


    When facing Veronica, Tiffany couldn¡¯t bring herself to stay calm. Perhaps it was because Veronica had


    a face that was identical to hers which made her feel insecure and caused her emotions to get out of


    control.


    **Very well.¡± Veronicaughed instead of getting mad.


    ¡°What are youughing at? Do you want to hit me? Let me tell you: Matthew is


    outside. If you dare to hit me-aah!¡±


    Before Tiffany finished speaking, Veronica gathered her strength and gave her a fierce p across the


    face. ¡°Don¡¯t always treat others like fools. Do you think I don¡¯t know about the incident at Hilton? I just


    didn¡¯t want to hold it against you.¡±


    Her p sent Tiffany plunging to one side, and her head mmed against the edges of the wall, causing


    her to let out a scream.


    ¡°Hey, why did you p her?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Oh, her head is bleeding. Hurry up and call for an ambnce.¡±


    It was the peak of dinner time, so there were a lot of people in the restaurant. When the onlookers saw


    this scene, they either criticized Veronica or reprimanded her. After a while, themotion attracted


    Matthew¡¯s attention.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The man pushed through the crowd and nced at Tiffany, who was sitting on the ground with blood


    staining half of her face. He stared straight at Veronica with cold eyes. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    Veronica, who had been suppressing her anger for a long time, couldn¡¯t bear it. anymore and snorted.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see what I¡¯ve done? When you send your fianc¨¦e to the hospitalter, remember to book an


    appointment with the ophthalmologist to see if they can cure your bad eyesight!¡±


    ¡°Sob, sob... Matthew¡­¡±


    Tiffany got up and tugged on Matthew, then suddenly threw herself into his arms, choking on sobs.


    ¡°Sob... I just reminded her not to stay too long and to go back to the hospital to visit her parents. I didn¡¯t


    expect her to hit me. Sob, sob...¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. Her parents are in the hospital, yet she¡¯s still out on the prowl.¡±


    ¡°What an unfilial girl.¡±


    ¡°Oh, whoever gave birth to this ingrate as a child must¡¯ve really been evil in their previous life.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly.¡±


    ¡°Not only is she ugly, she has a vicious heart too.¡±


    Everyone was discussing and exchanging whispers, but because they were so close, Veronica heard


    everything they were saying. However, she had already be ustomed to the ignorant discussions


    of nosy onlookers, so naturally, she didn¡¯t take them seriously at all.


    ¡°If anything happens to her, I¡¯ll make you pay the price!¡±


    Matthew leaned over and carried Tiffany bridal style before striding out of the crowd with her in his arms,


    leaving the restaurant and heading straight to the hospital.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Seeing Matthew being so concerned about Veronica, she thought it was extremely sarcastic.


    At the same time, Veronica was walking away from the crowd, leaving the western restaurant to


    apany her parents to the hospital.


    Meanwhile, in the hospital, Tiffany was bleeding from an injured scalp, but the situation was not serious,


    and only needed some simple treatment to stop the bleeding and dress the wound. However, in order to


    make Matthew apany her more, Tiffany asked the doctor to arrange her into the VIP ward and keep


    her hospitalized for a couple more days for monitoring.


    This hospital belonged to Floch, so the doctor naturally granted Tiffany¡¯s request.


    After consuming a bottle of IV drip, Tiffany held Matthew¡¯s hand with her eyes red rimmed and mumbled


    pitifully, ¡°Matthew, my parents have gone overseas for a business trip and will only return tomorrow. Can


    you stay here to keep me apanied tonight?¡±


    Tiffany told a lie to make Matthew stay and apany her.


    Hearing that, Matthew frowned slightly as impatience shed through his eyes. Nevertheless, he ended


    up agreeing reluctantly after hesitating for a while.


    In the ward, Tiffany was scrolling through her phone while Matthew sat on the couch and worked on his


    laptop. Tiffany initiated conversations with him several times, but was turned down each time for the


    same reason¨Che was upied with work.


    Matthew only went to lie down on the apanying bed when it waste at night. Tiffany was


    aggrieved, but it was not appropriate for her to cause a scene, so she went to bed after saying goodnight


    to Matthew. At that, there was dead silence in the ward after the light was switched off.


    In the darkness, Tiffany¡¯s eyes were opened as she bit her lips gently and pondered about something.


    Sometimeter, a scream emerged in the quiet ward. ¡°Ahh! Don¡¯t kill me. Please don¡¯t kill me¡­ Ahh¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Awakened by the sudden noise, Matthew got out of the bed to turn on the light. It was only then he saw


    the frightened Tiffany, who was sitting on the bed crying with her head buried in her knees.


    ¡°Sob... sob...¡±


    ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s sympathy was not aroused at all when he was faced with the beautifuldy who was tearing


    up despite thetter being his fianc¨¦c. All he did was walk up to Tiffany and ask the question coldly.


    Sobbing, Tiffany shrunk her shoulders and cast a nce at Matthew with tears welled in her eyes. ¡°Then,


    she hugged his waist and wailed, ¡°Matthew¡­ I had a dream that someone wasing after me¡­ to kill


    me..¡±


    Despite Tiffany throwing herself into his arms, not only was Matthew not flustered, but his face actually


    darkened. With his arms by his side, his fingers twitched. After hesitating and struggling for a while,


    Matthew lifted his hand to pat Tiffany¡¯s back. ¡°Since it¡¯s a nightmare, just forget about it.¡±


    ¡°The nightmare was too scary¡­¡± Tiffany pulled back from Matthew¡¯s arms. Staring at Matthew with her


    watery eyes, she asked, ¡°Matthew, can you sleep with me?¡±


    She mustered all her courage to bring up the request. However, there was not even the slightest


    dness on Matthew¡¯s handsome face. In fact, there was even a tinge of impatience visible between his


    brows.


    Tiffany¡¯s heart jolted when she met Matthew¡¯s frosty gaze. At that moment, she felt as if she acted too


    hastily just now and the result actually ran counter to her desire.


    ¡°Or, how about you switch off the light only after I fall asleep?¡± Her alluring eyes were still filled with tears,


    and her voice was so sweet that anyone would have sympathy for her.


    Being as smart as a whip, Matthew could naturally tell what was on Tiffany¡¯s mind. Nevertheless, he was


    not stirred up at all.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he hummed after moments of silence.


    As such, the light in the ward was left on throughout the night while Matthew merely covered himself with


    his jacket and rested on the apanying bed.


    Although Tiffany was still aggrieved, the fact that Matthew was willing to keep her apanied at the


    hospital tonight was already the greatest change.


    The next day when Tiffany woke up, the room was already empty and Matthew was nowhere to be seen.


    Meanwhile, Veronica went to Saint Hospital to get her parents discharged. After helping them to pack


    their belongings, she sent them back to their hometown. Then she stayed at the old residence in her


    hometown for one night. After settling everything, she started her journey back to Bloomstead. However,


    she saw Floch and Rachel walking toward her the moment she reached Regalia Condominium.


    Truth was, the Larsons had not stopped bombarding Veronica with phone calls ever since she


    identally injured Tiffany the night before. It was only after she promised to show up in Bloomstead at


    10 o¡¯clock in the morning to wait for them did Floch and Rachel stop.


    Seeing Veronica¡¯s appearance, Rachel could not be bothered about her image of a quality woman but


    walked straight up to her and scowled. ¡°You b*tch, how dare you bully my Tiffy again and again. Do you


    think we, the Larsons, are pushovers?¡±


    With that, Rachel lifted her hand to p Veronica. However, before her hand couldnd on Veronica¡¯s


    face, thetter seized her wrist tightly.


    ¡°Mrs. Larson, you¡¯re a well-known socialite after all. Aren¡¯t you afraid of bing theughing stock of


    others if they be aware of your rude actions?¡± Veronica sneered sarcastically in a nonchnt


    manner.


    Rachel struggled to pull out her wrist which was seized by Veronica but to no avail. ¡°Let go of me!¡± she


    retorted and continued struggling, after which Veronica let go of her instantly.


    Due to inertia, Rachel staggered a few steps backward and almost fell on the ground. Fortunately, Floch


    acted swiftly to support her, and it was only then did she regain her bnce.


    ¡°You rascal! Initially, we thought you were pitiful, so we intended to forgive you after you apologize to


    Tiffy. But now, it seems like you¡¯re not worthy of any sympathy at all!¡±


    Blood-boiled, Floch pointed at Tiffany and yelled at her. Thereafter, he ordered Rachel, ¡°Call the police.


    We have to make her suffer so that she¡¯ll know her ce.¡±


    Rachel shot a re at Veronica and took out her phone in all seriousness to call the police after snorting


    at her.


    Seeing the scene at hand, Veronica was not annoyed but she actuallyughed. They wanted to send her


    to the police merely because she gave Tiffany a p. They are surely heartless!


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to yield, apologize and get out of Bloomstead now, we¡¯ll note after you. Otherwise,


    we¡¯ll give the evidende to the police, and you can get ready to suffer behind bars for the next few


    months.¡±


    The stout, tanned Floch wore a menacing expression as his eyes were filled with brutality. His


    countenance was so fierce that it was as if there was a feud between Veronica and him.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m looking forward to that.¡±


    Veronica wore a formal smile and lifted her head to look at the bright sky. ¡°It¡¯s such a warm day. I shall go


    home and enjoy some air-conditioning while waiting for your news,¡± she said.


    She had no fear of the Larsons¡¯ threat at all. In contrast, she walked back to her condominium while


    humming songs leisurely.


    Seeing Veronica walk away unconcernedly, Rachel stomped in anger. ¡°What sin have I done? Why


    would I give birth to such an evil brat back then!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too angry. One day, she¡¯ll being to us to beg for forgiveness,¡± Flochforted Rachel.


    Ten minutester, a few policemen arrived at Regalia Condominium. Even then, Veronica did not resist


    but obediently got into the police car and went to the police station. When interrogated by the police,


    Veronica did not hide anything and admitted it right away. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m the one who hit Tiffany Larson.¡±


    ¡°You arrogant prick!¡±


    Seeing Veronica¡¯s arrogant stance, the police pped the table furiously. ¡°How dare you be this arrogant


    even after hitting someone?! ording to thew, you could be put in prison for at least a few months for


    assaulting others. Nheless, the intiff has said that they would revoke their usation against you


    if you apologize to them.¡±


    Remaining calm, Veronica answered nonchntly with no change in her expression, ¡°Sir, please help to


    inform the Larsons that if they still dare to go behind my back, I¡¯ll p Tiffany every time I see her!¡±


    At that moment, the police was driven mad by Veronica¡¯s im. However, the ¡®interrogation did not


    produce a good result, so the police could only go to Floch and


    pass Veronica¡¯s words to him.


    After hearing the message, Floch and Rachel blew a gasket.


    ¡°Hmph! She¡¯ll never learn her lesson unless she is punished. We shall put her behind bars then.¡± Floch


    was used to being tere I by the others, so of course, he would not be able to let it go now that


    Veronica provoked him.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Thereafter, Floch and Rachel left the police station and headed back to Dragon¡¯s Creek Vi.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    On the other hand, Tiffany had been staying at home after she was discharged from the hospital, so her


    parents told her about Veronica¡¯s incident.


    Tiffany was sitting on the couch eating fruits when she heard the news. Instead of being annoyed, she


    laughed. ¡°Since she is at the police station already, let¡¯s keep her there longer.¡±


    A smile spread over Tiffany¡¯s exquisite face. While chewing the fruits, she frowned all


    of a sudden and asked, ¡°If we provoked Veronica, will she choose to expose her


    identity?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already at the police station; so what if she exposes her identity? She has neither money nor


    power, and she has miscarried Matthew¡¯s child. So, no one will care about her,¡± Flochmented and


    snorted disdainfully.


    Rachel chimed in, ¡°By the time she is released from prison half a yearter, you will already be married


    to Matthew and pregnant with his child. Meanwhile, an ex convict like her can never possibly be married


    into the Kings Family again, so she naturally won¡¯t pose a threat to us.¡±


    Tiffany felt great upon hearing Rachel¡¯s precise analysis. At once, she thought the injury on her head


    was worth it since the small injury could cause Veronica to be imprisoned for half a year.


    Meanwhile, Xavier, who had not met Veronica for a few days, called her several times but none of the


    calls were picked up.


    In fact, he had made more than ten calls to her from the morning until the afternoon and had continued


    doing so on the following day, but Veronica did not answer any of the calls. Flustered, Xavier went to


    Regalia Condominium directly, but Veronica was nowhere to be seen too.


    Xavier was worried that something had happened to Veronica, so he quickly sent someone to investigate


    it. It was only then that he knew Veronica was currently detained in the police station for hitting Tiffany.


    Then, he leveraged his connection to meet Veronica in the police station¡¯s guest room.


    ¡°Roni, are you alright?¡±


    Although it had only been a few days since Xavier met Veronica, he noticed that thetter had lost


    weight. Besides, she looked even more miserable as she was handcuffed. Nevertheless, despite the


    current situation, Veronica actually wore a smile when she saw Xavier.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s quiet here.¡±


    Siuing calmly across Xavier, Veronica frowned and asked, ¡°How did you know I¡¯m here?¡±


    Bang! Xavier pped the table furiously. ¡°Floch Larson is such a jerk! You¡¯re his biological daughter too,


    so how could he treat you like this?! 1¨C¡±


    Perhaps he was stirred up upon seeing Veronica¡¯s pitiful circumstance, Xavier threw a fit on the spot.


    ¡°Keep it down!¡± A policeman scowled instantly.


    Xavier ignored the policeman¡¯s reminder but paused and lifted his brows. His eyes which were originally


    filled with anger glistened as he turned to look to the side.


    Oh shucks! I¡®ve let the cat out of the bag!


    ¡°When did you find out about this?¡±


    Veronica was surprised when she heard him, but then she sighed in resignation. ¡°My mom must have


    told you, didn¡¯t she?¡± Besides this, she could not think of any other exnation.


    Given how the Larsons feared the Kingses, they would surely alter Veronica¡¯s education background too


    besides recing her identity card to ensure there were no loopholes. As such, Xavier would not


    possibly be able to discover it since even the Kingses could not


    Xavier ran his hand through his short hair as a wicked smile spread across his evil face. ¡°I identally


    saw your family portrait the other day, so Mrs. Murphy told me everything since she can¡¯t hide the truth


    anymore.¡±


    Truth was, after that day, Xavier sent someone to investigate Tiffany and Veronica, but all the information


    was handled so seamlessly that he could not discover any


    ¡°Knowing about it doesn¡¯t really matter to me. I just hope you can help to keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°I heard on the night when Matthew met a car ident, Tiffany saved him while on the way to deliver


    food. If I guessed it correctly, the one who saved Matthew was you instead, am I right?¡±


    As a man of fortune, Matthew was someone on the top of the pyramid in Bloomstead and was always at


    the center of focus. As such, his car ident would naturally draw all the media¡¯s attention, so it was not


    surprising that Xavier was aware of this matter too.


    ¡°I¡¯m all good. Thanks for visiting me, Xavier, but I hope you won¡¯t meddle with my affairs.¡± Veronica did


    not answer Xavier¡¯s question but quickly switched the topic.


    Nevertheless, Xavier understood that her response was an acquiescence.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Since the Larsons have sent you here, they must be dying for you to stay in prison.


    You¡¯ll be finished if I don¡¯te to your rescue!¡± Xavier just could not bear to see Veronica being bullied


    by the Larsons.


    Although his background was very different from hers, he always felt like they were facing simr


    situations.


    ¡°If you deem me as a friend, please don¡¯t meddle with this affair. I¡¯ll be able to handle it well.¡± Veronica


    maintained a confident stance.


    Frowning, Xavier leaned forward slightly and asked softly, ¡°Do you perhaps already have a n?¡±


    ¡°Thanks foring, Xavier. I¡¯ll buy you a beer after I get out of here.¡± Veronica stood up with a smile and


    directly left thereafter.


    Given how Veronica deliberately hid the truth, Xavier knew the matter must not be as simple as it


    seemed, so all he could do now was observe from the side. With that, he left the police station with loads


    of curiosity.


    Veronica¡¯s mysterious response caused him to be even more interested in what woulde next.


    On that afternoon, one of the famous influencer ounts on Twitter posted shocking news. ¡°Tiffany


    Larson, the Most Talented Socialite in Bloomstead, Alleged to Have a Biological Younger Sister!¡¯


    Besides, there was a picture attached to the


    news.


    At the same time, there was another influencer ount that posted a news article too, titled ¡®The


    Larsons¡¯ Long Lost Daughter Donated Her Bone Marrow to Randy Larson


    The two news stories had caused an uproar in Bloomstead, and they immediately became the trending


    topics.


    When the Larsons saw the news, all of them were annoyed and flustered. Tiffany, who was resting at


    home, was so furious when she saw the news that she started hurling stuff. ¡°Veronica that b*tch! How


    dare she do this?! She really deserves death!¡±


    Blood-boiled, she red at Rachel with her bloodshot eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve long told you that we must get rid of


    Veronica. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to live in peace!¡±


    Hearing that, Rachel looked distressed. ¡°I¡¯ve not thought she would be this capable to be able to contact


    the influencers on Twitter.¡±


    ¡°Dad, quickly shut down the news. Stop them from trending!¡± Tiffany roared at Floch in a panic.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of doing that now? Everyone must have read the news already. There are many


    reporters gathering outside the house now wanting to interview us.¡±


    Smoking a cigar, Floch furrowed his brows and pondered. ¡°No wonder Veronica was so calm even after


    we called the police yesterday. It seems like we¡¯ve underestimated her.¡±


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Tiffany asked.


    ¡°What else can we do? Of course, we have to get her out of the police station!¡±


    ¡°What?! Get her out? But s-she¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph! What¡¯s done is done. Right now, the only thing we can do is get her out and get rid of her!¡±


    Floch wore a serious expression while his sharp eyes were filled with murderous intent.


    Half an hourter, Veronica was released from the detention center, and she saw Xavier waiting for her


    outside the moment she walked out.


    Seeing Veronica walking out, Xavier strode toward her and retorted coldly, ¡°Where¡¯s your brain?! You


    knew the Larsons wanted toe after you, yet you caused such a scene. Aren¡¯t you forcing them to get


    rid of you by doing so?¡±


    Exasperated, Xavier stretched his hand to poke Veronica¡¯s forehead. ¡°I thought you got everything under


    control. Instead, all you have are some reckless stupid ideas!¡±


    ¡°Ouch! That hurts!¡±


    Veronica rubbed her forehead upon being fiercely poked by Xavier. ¡°Why are you throwing such a fit?


    Am I someone who can be casily gotten rid of?¡±


    Then, she ced her hand on Xavier¡¯s shoulder as if they were good buddies. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going home


    to shower and change, then I¡¯ll bring you out for snacks and beer tonight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already in deep water, yet you¡¯re still thinking of drinking?¡±


    Driven mad by Veronica¡¯s childish¡¯idea, Xavier became extremely worried about her.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Perceiving Xavier¡¯s worry, Veronica pondered for a moment and said to Xavier in a serious manner as


    her smile vanished, ¡°Trust me, Xavier. What you¡¯re thinking of right now, I¡¯ve thought it through already.¡±|


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Xavier was perplexed, but following that, his eyes glistened all of a sudden. ¡°Did you do that


    deliberately?¡±


    Veronica smiled confidently and nodded. Suddenly, the phone in her pocket rang. She fished out the


    phone and nced at the caller ID. ¡°I¡¯m going to answer the call,¡± she said to Xavier.


    Veronica walked to the side holding her phone. Then, Matthew¡¯s voice came forth from the other end of


    the line. ¡°Do you think that you can run away after sending your parents back to their hometown?¡±


    After Veronica injured Tiffany in the western restaurant the other day, Matthew carried Tiffany and left.


    The next day, upon knowing Veronica left with her parents, Matthew called her a couple of times but she


    did not pick up. It was only until today, the third day, did she answer his call. If she still did not answer his


    call, Matthew was seriously going to send Thomas to catch her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the hospital to settle the discharge procedureter,¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already paid the outstanding medical bnces for you. Show up at Twilight Club in half an hour;


    otherwise, I¡¯ll charge you interest ording to the highest market rate.¡±


    ¡°Ma-¡°Beep... Beep...


    Veronica still wanted to say something, but Matthew already hung up, leaving her gnashing her teeth in


    anger. After keeping away her phone, she turned to walk to Xavier and said apologetically, ¡°Since you¡¯re


    already here, can you send me back? I still have some matters to attend to in the afternoon, but I¡¯ll buy


    you lunch tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Xavier thought Veronica was going to handle some matters regarding the Larson Family, so he did not


    continue asking.


    Alier Veronica got out of the car upon arriving at Regalia Condominiurn, Xavier exhorted her again, ¡°I


    don¡¯t care what ns you have, but please be careful around the Larsons. They¡¯re not kind people.¡±


    Veronica smiled and was genuinely grateful to Xavier. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    In Bloomstcad¨Ca depressingnd, only Xavier¡¯s existence could make Veronica feel some warmth.


    After Xavier left, Veronica went home to shower and put on a disguise before heading to the basement


    car park of Twilight Club with her motorcycle.


    Thomas was already waiting for her for a while. Seeing Veronica¡¯s arrival, Thomas scanned his card in


    the private lift to send her to Matthew¡¯s private condominium on the 38th floor.


    However, the moment she walked into the condominium, she saw two provocatively dressed women


    walking toward her. They had a flustered look with their hair disheveled.


    Seeing two beautiful women walking out pitifully with tears in their eyes, Veronica widened her eyes in


    disbelief. What?! A threesome? Tsk! This jerk sure has no bottom line. Isn¡®t he worried that his body won¡®t


    be able to take such a rough course?


    Just as she was hesitating whether she should go in or not, Matthew¡¯s voice emerged from the inside.


    ¡°Why are you standing there?¡±


    Hearing that, Veronica walked into the living room to see Matthew sitting on the couch with a serious


    look, which made him seem to be a gentleman. Hypocrite!


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Young Master Matthew?¡± Veronica stood directly in front of Matthew with only a tea


    table separating them apart.


    ¡°How dare you ignore my calls?¡± Looking fierce, Matthew questioned in a self righteous manner.


    ¡°If you¡¯re only calling me for the sake of my father¡¯s hospital costs, please don¡¯t worry. Please give me an


    ount number now and I¡¯ll transfer the money to you immediately.¡±


    ¡°You managed to raise 2 million in such a short time?¡±


    With his eyes filled with coldness, Matthew crossed his legs and ced both of his arms on the back of


    the couch.


    ¡°This is my private matter and has got nothing to do with you.¡± Veronica wore a straight face.


    ¡°This has nothing to do with me?¡±


    Struck by thement, Matthew stood up slowly and walked up to Veronica. He then looked down at the


    speckled, slightly tanned face, which was obviously ugly, but he actually did not detest the appearance at


    all¨Cespecially her pair of alluring eyes, which looked as if there was an entire gxy hidden in it.


    At this moment, the two were standing extremely close to each other. Smelling the faint fragrance from


    Veronica, Matthew instinctively recalled the scene of their intimate moment. For some reason, he felt his


    blood rush as his body heated up.


    Matthew clearly perceived the biological reaction of himself. Because of that, he was actually annoyed.


    That night in the hospital, he was not even stirred up when Tiffany took the initiative role. After that night,


    Matthew was more depressed as he thought about it, so he found a few women to test it out.


    In fact, he had tested with a dozen women of different styles-sexy, elegant, and girly. However, none of


    those women could arouse his interest, and for a moment, Matthew even thought it was his own


    problem.


    That was the reason why he called Veronica. Now that she was standing in front of him, his biological


    reaction had already proved everything!


    Nevertheless, Matthew was actually furious to discover this sudden truth. Narrowing his frigid eyes, he


    reached out his hand to seize Veronica¡¯s cheeks and lifted her face. ¡°You¡¯re not beautiful at all, but you¡¯re


    actually skillful in seducing men.¡±


    As he said that, Matthew drew closer to Veronica and met her eyes. ¡°So how exactly did you please


    Xavier that he¡¯s willing to spend so much money on you, huh?¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Xavier was a well-known yboy in Bloomstead who was always surrounded by countless women, but


    Veronica managed to catch his eye, so Matthew thought this woman was quite capable.


    Facing Matthew¡¯s humiliation, Veronica was enraged but did not dare to provoke him, so she smiled


    nonchntly and said, ¡°I guess he¡¯s easier to please than you, Young Master Matthew. After all, you¡¯re


    someone who can¡¯t even be satisfied with two women.¡±


    She sighed and continued, ¡°Young Master Matthew, you should be more gentle with a fragile woman like


    Tiffany. I¡¯m worried her body might break if you¡¯re too rough¡­


    Min¡ª¡±


    Veronica¡¯s sharp words had hit Matthew¡¯s bottom line. Thetter was so angry that he pressed his lips


    against Veronica¡¯s and bit her lip so that she would shut up.


    The next second, Veronica could sense a bloody smell in her cavity.


    ¡°Matthew Kings, you¡ª¡±


    She shoved Matthew, who then took a step backward but quickly kissed her again. This time, he turned


    her body around and pressed her onto the couch. The weight of the two made the cushion of the couch


    sink in slightly.


    As their teeth came into contact, Matthew bit Veronica¡¯s lips again, making them bleed more. Enraged,


    Veronica flipped around forcefully, causing the both of them to fall onto the soft Persian rug.


    At this moment, Matthew was on top of Veronica. It was such an awkward posture, but Veronica was so


    engulfed by anger that she did not notice that at all but scowled furiously. ¡°Mind your behavior, Matthew


    Kings! If you provoke me, I¡¯ll drag you with me to your death!¡±


    Both Veronica and Matthew were so pissed off that they did not even realize what was going on. At that


    very moment, thetter kissed the former again.


    At once, Veronica stood up in aggrievance, took out a debit card from her bag, and mmed it on the tea


    table. ¡°There¡¯s 2.4 million here. Take the extra as the interest. I¡¯ve cleared my debts, so goodbye!¡± she


    snarled.


    With that, Veronica took her bag and left without turning back. When closing the door, she exerted such


    great force that it felt like the entire living room shook.


    Sitting on the Persian rug, Matthew leanedzily against the couch as he saw her left. Then, he wiped


    his lips with his thumb and sank into deep thoughts as he stared at the bloodstain on his thumb. He


    kissed her?!


    After a while, he lit up a cigarette and looked up at the debit card. Thereafter, he took out his phone and


    called Thomas. ¡°Look into the transaction history of this card.¡± He clicked into WhatsApp and took a


    picture of the card to send it to Thomas.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    After leaving Twilight Club, Veronica hcaved a sigh of relief as the matter of the hospital costs was finally


    seuled.


    Her next target¨Cthe Larson Family. Once she settled the matter about the Larsons, she could leave


    Bloomstead and get a proper job to provide for her adoptive parents. After all, she was most grateful to


    her adoptive parents for upbringing her.


    Ring¡­ Ring¡­


    Just then, Veronica¡¯s phone rang. She took out the phone to see the caller ID on the screen-it was


    Tiffany. So, she listed her brows and answered the call. ¡°Veronica, what the hell are you thinking? Do you


    wish to ruin the Larsons?¡±


    The moment Veronica picked up the call, Tiffany¡¯s hysterical roar came forth from the other end of the


    line, and there was not even the slightest trace of the gentleness of a socialite.


    Veronica moved the phone slightly away from her ear and only spoke up calmly after Tiffany stopped.


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t get you.¡± She feigned an innocent look.


    ¡°Drop your act already! The pictures on Twitter are clearly taken at that time when you donated bone


    marrow to Randy in the hospital. Who else could be the one exposing the news besides you?!¡±


    Tiffany was exasperated as her greatest fear actually became her reality. Then, she paused a while and


    continued before Veronica could say anything. ¡°I¡¯ve warned you not to expose your identity. Don¡¯t dig


    your own grave, Veronica Murphy!¡±


    Tiffany¡¯s words were filled with ferocity as she threatened Veronica, and it was hard to imagine that such


    words would actuallye out of her mouth as they were totally opposing her image.


    ¡°Dig my own grave? Are you thinking of staging a car ident again to kill me just like how you staged


    one to injure my parents?¡±


    At this moment, Veronica directly brought up the incident where the Larsons staged a car ident


    against her parents.


    Tiffany was stunned for a moment when she heard that, but she quickly snorted. ¡°Since you already


    knew that, you better know your ce. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that


    you won¡¯t be able to attend your parents¡¯ funeral when they pass away.¡±


    ¡°My parents? Are you referring to Floch Larson or Rachel Zimmerman?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m the only daughter of my parents. Who do you think you are? You¡®re just a piece of trash


    abandoned by our family!¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m a piece of trash, what are you then? Tiffany Larson, don¡¯t forget that we share the same mother.¡±


    ¡°You-¡± Tiffany was so pissed off that she was at a loss for words.


    Meanwhile, Veronicaughed in spite of herself. ¡°Listen carefully, Tiffany Larson. I have the ability to


    expose the pictures, so I can reveal my identity as well. If you dare toy a finger on my adoptive parents


    again, I¡¯ll make sure to make the Larsons die with me!¡± The smile on Veronica¡¯s face gradually


    disappeared as a brutal look reced it.


    Today, what was exposed on Twitter were merely two pictures. One of them captured a scene of


    Veronica standing beside Tiffany while the other was taken when the former donated blood marrow to


    Randy. Both pictures were screenshots taken from the CCTV footage.


    Although the pictures were not in high definition, Veronica¡¯s looks could be clearly seen.


    After leaving the threatening message, Veronica hung up directly, and at the same time, the recording


    was automatically saved. Truth was, she provoked Tiffany just now to force her to say those words.


    Veronica fidgeted her phone and smirked coldly as she reckoned Tiffany was throwing a fit at home now.


    And true enough, it was exactly what she had expected.


    At Dragon¡¯s Creek Vi, after hanging up the call, Tiffany was so crossed that she mmed her phone


    fiercely onto the table and flew into a rage.


    Seeing her tremble in anger, Floch asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be? That b*tch Veronica actually threatened me, saying that if we darey a finger on


    her old, fool parents, she¡¯ll reveal her identity.¡± Tiffany clenched her fists tightly as she had never been


    this furious before.


    She was extremely prudent because she had finally be Matthew¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and she was afraid of


    losing it. As chance would have it, the existence of Veronica was the


    greatest threat to Tiffany, but there was nothing they could do about her, so it made the situation tricky


    ¡°You mean Veronica already knew we were behind that incident?¡± Floch was low-key flustered. Before


    this, alihough Veronica sent someone to investigate the incident, all she could find was the driver who


    caused the ident. But who would¡¯ve guessed that Veronica was actually able to find out the truth!


    Fear shed through Rachel¡¯s eyes as anxiety spread over her face. ¡°Floch, what should we-¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What do you mean, Mom?! Veronica is going to drive us to death if we let her live!¡±


    After saying that, Tiffany pulled Floch¡¯s hand and sobbed with her eyes red-rimmed. ¡°Dad, you have to


    help me think of a way.¡±


    ¡°Tiffany¡¯s right. We can¡¯t let Veronica live!¡±


    Holding Tiffany¡¯s hand tight, Floch narrowed his eyes, which were filled with coldness.


    Meanwhile, in the private condominium on the 38th floor of Twilight Club, Matthew stood in front of the


    French window with a cigarette between his fingers as he silently smoked it.


    Just then, Thomas knocked on the door and walked in. ¡°Young Master Matthew, we¡¯ve investigated the


    matter you¡¯ve asked for.¡±


    ¡°Spit it,¡± Matthew blurted without turning around as he stood in front of the window with one of his hands


    ced in his ck¡¯s pocket and the other one holding the cigarette.


    Thomas nced at the document that he was holding and hesitated for a moment before answering,


    ¡°Not long ago, the Larson Family transferred 2 million to Veronica¡¯s ount, thereafter Veronica


    transferred around 80 thousand to a private detective. Just a few hours ago, two well-known Twitter


    influencers each transferred 280 thousand to her ount.¡±


    There was much information gathered, and even Matthew¨Cwho was always ¡®steady¨Cwas slightly


    surprised. Matthew then turned around and walked to Thomas to take over the bank ount statement


    and transaction information from thetter. ¡°Why did the Larsons and the two Twitter influencers transfer


    money to her?¡± Matthew pointed at the document and questioned Thomas.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, I guess you¡¯ve seen the trending news about the Larsons today. The two Twitter


    influencers who transferred money to Veronica were exactly those two who posted the news. If my guess


    is correct, Veronica sold the news about the Larsons to the influencers.¡±


    This was the analysis that was closest to the truth. At once, Matthew tightened his grasp on the


    document and furrowed his dark brows as he contemted. No wonder Veronica suddenly had 2.4


    million today. So that¡®s what happened. But what¡®s going on in the Larson Family? And how is she


    rted to the Larsons?


    ¡°Go and find out why the Larsons transferred 2 million to her out of the blue,¡± Matthew ordered.


    Upon hearing the order, Thomas hummed in response and left.


    Being left alone, Matthew recalled the scene when Tiffany and Veronica first met. It seemed like it was


    Tiffany who initiated conversations with Veronica each time while thetter was not too keen to talk to the


    former.


    Today, the news exposed on Twitter alleged that Tiffany had a younger twin sister from the same mother.


    For one second, Matthew even thought it was very likely that Veronica could be Tiffany¡¯s sister, but he


    completely dismissed his guess at the thought of Veronica¡¯s extremely ugly appearance.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Matthew curled his lips as he became even more interested in Veronica.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Veronica and Xavier-both of whom were in the public¡¯s eye-were currently enjoying skewers at an open-


    air food stall.


    ¡°Well, since your parents have gone back home, when are you nning toe work at mypany?


    By the way, what do you do at yourpany?¡± Xavier asked as he chewed his mouthful of skewered


    lamb.


    Even thoughi Xavier, a young master from the Crawford Family, which was one of The Four Big Families


    of Bloomstead, had graced this humble stall with his presence, other patrons of the ce could still


    easily tell that he was on a different level from them. He had a rare kind of elegant temperament that


    made it hard for others to approach him.


    At his question, Veronica turned to look at him. Besides the pair of sunsses that was gently tucked on


    the bridge of Xavier¡¯s nose, he also had on a floral shirt and a pair of simr-looking pants. Even though


    he looked frivolous with one arm propped up against the window while the other held onto the steering


    wheel, his entric appearance still failed terribly at diminishing his good looks. It was an undeniable


    fact that Xavier was a handsome man. With his devilishly attractive features, he was a bad boy to the


    bone.


    After a few moments of silence from her, he said again, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m asking you a question here.¡±


    ¡°I manage the marketing department,¡± she quickly answered after she was brought out of her reverie.


    ¡°Oh, just join the project department in mypany, then,¡± he said. ¡°Might as well learn something


    there.¡±


    Her interest was obviously piqued at his nonchnt reply. ¡°Can I really?¡± she asked just to make sure.


    ¡°I¡¯m the boss. My word is thew.¡± His eyebrows were slightly raised as he replied with a pleased smile


    on his face.


    Unbeknownst to him, Veronica wasn¡¯t asking if Xavier would really take her in. She was, in fact, asking if


    she would be able to learn something worthwhile if she were to work in hispany.


    A smile then began to grow on her lips too Making do with tea instead of wine, she


    raised her cup and lightly knocked it against Xavier¡¯s. ¡°Here¡¯s to cheers for being my future boss then. I


    look forward to working under your guidance!¡±


    And with that, their conversation for the rest of the night was filled with joyfulughter. It seemed as


    though being with Xavier was the only time she could let go of all inhibitions. After having their full of


    skewers, they both eventually parted ways to go back to their individual homes.


    It was an instant knockout for Veronica¨Cwho had been giving her all at work for the past few days. After


    stepping into her room, she made sure to lock her bedroom door before going to wash up and finally


    hitting the sack.


    She woke up in the early hours of the next morning, and after changing into her workout attire, she


    headed out for a morning run.


    Morning runs had always been a habit of hers, but ever since Tony had fallen into aa, she had to


    spend her days focusing on earning money for both¨Cto take care


    old home, a huge chunk of burden had been lifted off her shoulders. That was why, she could afford to


    resume going out for morning runs.


    Just as she was resting on a bench after running for more than 30 minutes at a park near the river, a


    crowd started to form not far from her. A few people walking past Veronica mumbled as they approached


    the crowd, and she managed to pick up a few words from them.


    ¡°Oh no, what is going on over there? I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    ¡°A granny has passed out!¡±


    ¡°Gosh, how did this happen?¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    A bunch of elderly men and women who were doing their morning exercises in the park began to circle


    themselves around the unconscious woman, and yet, no one, other than an old man who dialed


    emergency, made a move to help the woman.


    Veronica stood on the tip of her toe to nce past the crowd, and she quickly saw a figure d in a Tai


    Chi uniform sprawled out on the ground. Judging by how the older woman was foaming at the mouth, the


    situation was definitely more dire than the crowd made it seem.


    Swiftly, Veronica took out her phone and started taking a video of themotion as she squeezed her


    way in. ¡°Make way, please. Coming through,¡± she repeated to the crowd.


    She put her phone aside after she reached she unconscious woman, and as she flipped the woman


    over, she loudly instructed the crowd, ¡°Please make space for us! She is foaming at the mouth. She


    needs air right now.¡± After saying that, she lowered her head to the woman, only to realize that she


    was¡­


    Elizabeth!


    ¡°Madam?!¡± Veronica eximed in confusion. Who would have thought that they would meet under such


    circumstances? However, she knew she couldn¡¯t afford to let her mind wander¨Cshe had to act fast!


    To make it easier for Elizabeth to breathe, Veronica immediately turned Elizabeth¡¯s head to one side as


    she unbuttoned the cor of Elizabeth¡¯s Tai Chi uniform. She then started exerting force on two


    acupuncture points on Elizabeth¡¯s back of the torso.


    ¡°Lady, do you know her?¡± someone from the crowd asked.


    Another person, too, spoke as they looked on, ¡°Be more careful, okay? She is already foaming at the


    mouth. It will be troublesome for you if anything happens to her.¡±


    ¡°Just do what you can to save her. I will be your witness if anything were to happen.¡±


    ¡°You are doing good, girl!¡±


    The crowd was in the midst of showering Veronica withpliments when Elizabeth unexpectedly


    began to twitch.


    Her convulsion was getting worse by the second, and yet Veronica was calm when she removed her hair


    tie from her hair. She then rolled the small piece of cloth and put it into Elizabeth¡¯s mouth to prevent her


    from identally biting her tongue. The situation was so dire that she didn¡¯t even have the time to worry


    about whether or not there was sweat on the hair tie.


    Throughout the whole process, she never ceased her massage on Elizabeth¡¯s acupuncture points. Even


    though she was drenched in her own sweat, she managed to keep her heart calm as they waited for an


    ambnce to arrive.


    Having nothing better to do, the crowd started making noise again.


    ¡°This is so scary.¡±


    ¡°I know right? She is convulsing and foaming at the same time!¡±


    ¡°Lady, are you sure you know what you are doing? Why did she start twitching so much?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything if you don¡¯t know what is wrong with her!¡±


    Elizabeth showed no sign of recovery even after Veronica had been pressing on the acupuncture point


    for quite some time, and that gradually made the crowd doubt her credibility.


    Despite themotion and distrust from the onlookers, Veronica kept massaging Elizabeth at the same


    spots. It took another 10 minutes before an ambnce finally arrived and brought ¨¦lizabeth to the


    hospital. Veronica, too, followed along.


    Elizabeth was rushed into the emergency room as soon as they arrived at the hospital. Veronica stood


    there pondering for a moment, and even though seeing Matthew was thest thing she would want to do,


    she decided that calling to inform him regarding his grandmother¡¯s situation would be the best course of


    action.


    The call got through almost immediately after she dialed Matthew¡¯s number. ¡°What is it?¡± came his curt


    question.


    ¡°I found Madam unconscious in the park. She was foaming at the mouth and convulsing. It was pretty


    bad. Come to Central Hospital as fast as you can,¡± she informed without beating around the bush.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be there as soon as possible.¡±.


    Matthew was suspicious as to why Veronica and his grandmother had been together, but he knew better


    than to ask questions now. Therefore, he immediately went to his car and drove straight to the hospital. =


    About half an hourter, he finally arrived outside the emergency room only to find Veronica sitting by


    herself in the corridor outside.


    He stood in front of her and, without missing a beat, questioned, ¡°What happened to Grandma?¡±


    Her head popped up at the familiar voice, and she quickly noted the appearance of the man who


    seemingly had just woken up from his sleep. Donned in ck silk pajamas, Matthew had a worried


    expression on his handsome face¨Ceven his usually-perfectly-styled hair was in an unkempt state as he


    stood there looking at her. Despite the mess, he still looked as beautiful as always.


    ¡°They are trying to save her,¡± she briefly said, referring to the medical personnel in the emergency room.


    Unsatisfied with theck of exnation, hd let out a frown as he stared at her with cold, prying eyes.


    ¡°Why were you with Grandma?¡± he asked again.


    Her face fell the moment she caught the usatory tone he was speaking to her in, and she glumly


    replied, ¡°It was just a coincidence. Now that you are here, I will be taking my leave.¡±


    In fact, she did not want to spend another minute longer with this man. However, just as she was about


    to turn around, Matthew grabbed her by her arm in one swift motion. ¡°You want to leave? You will have to


    at least wait until Grandma regains her consciousness.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have to say the words out directly for her to know what he was implying. Him asking her to stay


    until Elizabeth was awake would mean that he was suspecting Veronica of having something to do with


    Elizabeth¡¯s condition!


    ¡°You¡­!¡± she spat. She was so angry to the point where that was all she managed to say. At that


    moment, she was extremely grateful for the fact that she had recorded the video before she attempted to


    save Elizabeth.


    Just as she was about to take her phone out to show him the recording, the doors of the emergency


    room were suddenly pushed open from the inside.


    Matthew immediately let go of Veronica¡¯s wrist and strode toward a doctor who had juste out of the


    room. ¡°Doctor,¡± he called out. ¡°How is my grandma?¡±

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Equally concerned about Elizabeth¡¯s well-being, Veronica followed behind Mathew toward the doctor.


    ¡°The patient suffered from an intracerebral hemorrhage, which means thcrc has been bleeding in her


    brain tissue,¡± the doctor exined as she took off her surgical gown. ¡°The symptoms are as she had


    disyed earlier. Good thing we got to her here just in time. It would have been bad if it was even a


    secondter.¡±


    Veronica could not help but let out a huge sigh of relief upon hearing the doctor¡¯s


    words. Intracerebral hemorrhage.


    Those were the exact symptoms Tony had when he had the same condition two years ago. She


    remembered how panicked she was when Tony had gone to the fields to work only to end up foaming at


    the mouth while convulsing because a blood vessel in his head had ruptured.


    She had immediately called for an emergency back then. She as-briefly-as-possible mentioned the


    symptoms, and the doctor patiently told her what she could do to help. s, she managed to bring Tony


    back from the brink of death as she did ording to the doctor¡¯s instructions.


    After that incident, Veronica, as a precaution, had made sure to teach Danie what to do in case


    something like that were to happen again. After all, Danie was the one who was staying by Tony¡¯s


    side.


    ¡°Is she awake?¡± Veronica asked with a concerned look.


    The doctor nodded in response and reassured her, ¡°Yes, she has regained consciousness.¡±


    As the doctor spoke, a nurse emerged with a hospital bed from the emergency room¨Cin the middle of the


    bedy Elizabeth.


    The worried Matthew hurriedly stepped forward and caringly asked, ¡°How are you feeling right now,


    Grandma?¡±


    Even though Elizabeth had just gone through a life-threatening ordeal, she still managed to show her


    grandson a kind smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just¨C¡±


    Her words came to an abrupt stop when she noticed that Matthew wasn¡¯t the only one there. ¡°Veronica?


    What are you doing here?¡± she eventually asked.


    Instead, it was the doctor who answered on Veronica¡¯s behalf. ¡°This is the girl I told you about earlier!


    She is the youngdy who saved your life! You have to give your thanks to her. It would have been bad if


    she wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    The doctor then turned to Veronica, and with her thumbs up, she asked, ¡°Have you learned first aid or


    something before? You did pretty well!¡±


    ¡°No, I have never learned anything like that,¡± Veronica answered with a polite smile on her face. ¡°It is just


    that my father went hrough something simr 2 years ago.¡± She then looked toward Elizabeth. ¡°Madam,


    I¡¯m d to see that you are fine and awake now. I¡¯ll be taking my leave then.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Elizabeth reached out and held Veronica by her wrist. ¡°Hold on. I would like to have a chat


    with you.¡± She smiled.


    The nurse then brought Elizabeth into a VIP room as Veronica and Matthew quietly followed along. After


    the nurse hung an IV drip for Elizabeth, she swiftly made her


    exit from the ward.


    After that, Elizabeth threw a nce at Veronica as she waved the younger woman over. As soon as


    Veronica was standing by Elizabeth¡¯s bedside, her hand was caught in yet another grip. ¡°Dearie,¡± she


    cooed. ¡°Thank you so much for saving me. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would have died right there and then.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, madam. You will live a long, long life,¡± Veronica quickly said with a smile.


    She then continued asking, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at the Kings Residence, madam? What were you doing at


    Riverside Park?¡±


    No matter how she thought about it, it didn¡¯t make sense for Elizabeth to be there early in the morning by


    herself. From what she was aware of, Kings Residence was nowhere near the park.


    Hearing Veronica¡¯s question, Elizabeth could only let out a long sigh at that. ¡°I have been staying at


    home ever since my husband passed away, and I tend to overthink when I am alone. So, I can only go to


    the park to meet with other people when I want to get myself out of my head. I get to practice Tai Chi and


    chat with the other old folks every morning this way.¡±


    Veronica had not expected Elizabeth to share her honest feelings with her, but when she did just that,


    Elizabeth seemed like any other elderly person who was equally susceptible to loneliness. In fact, she


    surprisingly sounded humble for a woman of her standing. Because of the position she was in, it was


    only natural for others to


    instinctively distance themselves from her. It was inevitable that she would somewhat feel lonely.


    Pretending to be a regr granny to hang out with others in the park could possibly be the best option


    for her.


    ¡°Madam, you should get someone to apany you even if you are only going for an exercise,¡±


    Veronica said apprehensively.


    ¡°I go to the park for my peace of mind. Wouldn¡¯t bringing someone along defeat that exact purpose?¡±


    She chuckled as she lovingly patted the back of Veronica¡¯s hand. ¡°You saved me. Tell me, what can I do


    to repay you?¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Elizabeth was grateful for Veronica from the bottom of her heart as Veronica did save her life after all! At


    that moment, Veronica couldn¡¯t help but feel as though it was fate that brought them together again.


    ¡°It is fine, madam. I didn¡¯t do it for a reward. I would have done the same even if it was someone else


    that needed my help,¡± Veronica kindly refused.


    To her, being willing to lend a helping hand was what made people ¡®human! It wouldn¡¯t havee from a


    sincere ce if she had saved Elizabeth thinking she would get a reward in return.


    ¡°What a nice young woman you are.¡± Elizabeth sighed, and yet her eyes were ring at Matthew the


    whole time. ¡°It is a pity that we don¡¯t have ady like you at our home. Ah! How about this? Why don¡¯t I


    make you my god-granddaughter?¡±


    Elizabeth had always liked Veronica ever since they had first met. She strongly believed that it was fate


    that had brought them together.


    Veronica could not find her words for a moment there, and when she finally did, she nkly repeated,


    ¡°Huh? Make me your god-granddaughter?¡± That escted rather quickly!


    The proposal was so sudden that Veronica almost forgot to respond.


    ¡°Yes! I understand that you and Matthew couldn¡¯t get married. It is a pity that the both of you could only


    cross paths and not get to the end of the road together. I still feel guilty for what happened to the child,


    too. But I know that you are a good girl, and I really do like you. So¡­¡± At that, she expectantly stared at


    Veronica, ¡°Would it be alright for you to ept my request?¡±


    Hesitantly, Veronica could only mumble, ¡°This¡­¡±.


    Her saving Elizabeth had been aplete coincidence, and yet she found herself


    considering the older woman¡¯s lucrative request. She was aware that she wouldn¡¯t have to fear the


    Larsons anymore if she were to agree to it. And also, having Elizabeth to back her up would probably


    stop Matthew from further harassing her in the future.


    As she pondered, Elizabeth sneakily slid the jade bracelet on her wrist onto Veronica¡¯s without her


    realizing. ¡°I have been wearing this bracelet my whole life, and I am giving it to you now. Treat it as the


    first present I am giving you as your god-grandmother,¡± she insisted.


    A small frown gradually appeared on Veronica¡¯s face. She was feeling all sorts of emotions as she


    looked at the bracelet.


    Matthew, who had been standing quietly aside, was confused by his grandmother¡¯s actions. He suddenly


    spoke up. ¡°Please think about it again, Grandma.¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s grip on Veronica only got firmer as she threw Matthew a nce. ¡°Think about what? I have


    decided on it. From now on, you have to treat her like an older brother would.¡±


    Older brother? His squinting eyes swept to re at Veronica.


    Veronica had not noticed the rage on Matthew¡¯s face at first, but she could almost feel the temperature


    around Matthew drop after hearing Elizabeth¡¯s words. The hairs on her back automatically stood as she


    felt the cold re poking into the back of her torso.


    ¡°You and Tiffany are engaged. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to remind you about what you should and should not


    do in the future. I will break your legs if I were to find out that you haven¡¯t been treating Veronica right,¡±


    Elizabeth sternly warned.


    The listeners of the conversation immediately knew what she meant by her words. After all, Elizabeth


    was aware of what had transpired between Veronica and Matthew in the past. Her words now should


    serve as a warning for Matthew to back off from Veronica.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Matthew scoffed before asking in a ridiculing tone, ¡°Grandma, are you sure she didn¡¯t approach you


    on purpose?¡±


    Elizabeth didn¡¯t bother waiting for him to finish his sentence as she reached out and gave Matthew a


    hard pinch on his thigh. ¡°I am someone who has lived a long life and literally just came back from the


    dead. I can¡¯t be wrong about this.¡±


    Truth be told, Elizabeth had fully expected Matthew to be against her idea. She had always known just


    how much her grandson disliked Veronica.


    Matthew heaved a frustrated sigh, but still, he gave it another go. ¡°She is not as simple as you think she


    is.¡±


    ¡°I might as well look for an idiot or a fool if I was hoping for a simpleton!¡± Elizabeth impatiently roared,


    rendering Matthew silent almost immediately.


    Upon hearing that, Veronica no longer held back herughter as giggles erupted from her. She couldn¡¯t


    help but realize how adorable Elizabeth was.


    Elizabeth then dered, ¡°It is my birthday in two months. I will be inviting the business pioneers of


    Bloomstead to the celebration. Veronica,e for my birthday. I shall introduce you to them.¡±


    It was a well-known fact that Elizabeth enjoyed her peace by mostly keeping to herself and her family.


    The attendees of her birthday celebrations in the past, too, were only people from the Kings Family. Now


    that she was willing to invite the public to the celebration just to introduce Veronica to them, it was


    obvious how much she had put Veronica on a pedestal.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    ¡°Madam, let¡¯s talk about that another time, okay? You need to rest for now,¡± Veronica urged. Despite


    feeling conflicted, she couldn¡¯t help but feel proud to be on the receiving end of such affections.


    Upon hearing Veronica¡¯s words, she immediately corrected her, ¡°Don¡¯call me Madam anymore! Call me


    Grandma!¡±


    Veronica let out a chuckle as she looked at the hard-headed Elizabeth. ¡°Alright, Grandma,¡± she said with


    a smile. ¡°Please get some rest. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    Matthew, too, had an anxious look on his face as he reminded, ¡°The doctor said you have to keep your


    talking to a minimum and rest as much as you can.¡±


    Unlike the gentleness Elizabeth had shown Veronica just seconds ago, she was impatiently waving


    Matthew off. ¡°Okay, okay. I got it. Now get out.¡±


    Without saying another word, Matthew stepped out of the ward before closing the door behind him. As


    soon as he caught sight of Veronica waiting for the elevator in the corridor, he strode toward her and


    pulled her back before she could enter the elevator that had just arrived.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing, Matthew Kings?!¡± she growled as she struggled to loosen her arm from his


    grip.


    He then quietly dragged her to the stairway and pinned her against the corner of the wall. ¡°What do you


    want? Why did you approach Grandma?¡± he spat.


    Seeing that she was being used, she fumed, ¡°What do you mean I approached her? You are


    delusional!¡±


    She immediately brandished her phone and thrusted it into Matthew¡¯s face. The video of her heroic


    actions was currently ying on the screen of her phone. ¡°Take a proper look. This is a video I took


    when I saved her. I didn¡¯t even know that it was your grandmother before I flipped her on her back.¡±


    Then, she continued sarcastically, ¡°Am I a god or deity to you? Do you think I can foresee the future or


    something?¡±


    He merely took a look at the screen before his eyes went back to staring at Veronica.


    His long, elegant fingers firmly grabbed her chin and tilted her head up so that she was looking directly


    into his dark eyes. ¡°Listen,¡± he coldly warned. ¡°Watch out for


    whatever line you can and cannot cross now that you are part of the family.¡± He then inched closer to


    her. ¡°If I were to find out that you are nning something behind Grandma¡¯s back, I¡¯ll make sure you live


    the rest of your life wishing you were dead.¡±


    Immediately, she forcefully pushed him away after hearing his threat. ¡°You crazy prick!¡± she cried. ¡°To


    you, everyone but Tiffany has something up their sleeves, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t understand how Matthew still couldn¡¯t see that Tiffany had been the mastermind


    behind all the incidents that had happened.


    At the mention of Tiffany¡¯s name, Matthew suddenly recalled the details of the investigation Thomas had


    done on Veronica. Instead of answering Veronica¡¯s question, he interrogated her in return. ¡°But I am


    curious about something. How did you manage to swindle two million from the Larsons?¡±


    At once, that had caught Veronica by surprise. Does he know about the money? Baffled, she asked, ¡°You


    had me investigated?¡±


    ¡°Of course I have to do that to someone who has ill intentions toward my grandma. How else would I


    know how evil you are?¡± he replied in a matter-of-fact tone.


    ¡°Ill intentions?¡± Veronica softly sneered at that as Matthew was getting more and more ridiculous by the


    minute. She didn¡¯t have it in her to continue the one-sided


    conversation that they were having. So, she started to move away from him.


    However, he stopped her from walking away by unhurriedly grabbing her by the cor of her shirt, and


    then sternly said, ¡°Just stay here since Grandma likes you so much.¡±


    ¡°What? And what about my job?¡± she rebuked, perplexed by his suggestion that didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°You


    are the one who suspected me of having bad intentions, and yet, you are now asking me to stay here


    and take care of Grandma. Matthew, stop contradicting yourself. This isn¡¯t the right way to live, you


    know?¡±


    Ignoring the mockery in her words, he curtly answered, ¡°Just do as I say.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± She wasn¡¯t backing down either. ¡°I need to go to work. I need the money.¡±


    He then proposed a deal that Veronica couldn¡¯t say no to. ¡°I will pay you 10 thousand a day.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± she immediately agreed to it. ¡°But you have to pay me first.¡±


    ¡°At the mention of money, you are showing your true colors already,¡± he scoffed in disgust.


    She rolled her eyes at him as though he was spewing nonsense, ¡°Who would say no to money?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t far-fetched to say that he was annoyed by her arrogant attitude, but he decided to keep mum


    this time.


    As they walked out of the stairway, she informed him, ¡°I¡¯m going home for a bit. I¡¯ll be back here after I


    change into another outfit.¡±


    He only listened and silently agreed to that.


    Veronica eventually came back to the hospital after an hour. With her hair in a ponytail, she was now


    wearing casual clothes. However, she soon realized that she wasn¡¯t alone in the ward. Tiffany and


    Rachel, too, were in the living room area of the VIP room.


    The news about Tiffany having a younger sister had be a hot topic after Veronica had leaked the


    news to the public. As expected, the first thing the Larsons did was to remove the headlines from social


    media. However, they didn¡¯t appear anywhere to provide a statement of any sort to rify the rumor.


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, what are you doing here?¡± Tiffany questioned. Her eyes looked at Veronica at first,


    and then Matthew, only to fall back onto Veronica. She had a suspicious look in her eyes as she stared


    at the woman standing before her.


    Rachel, too, was looking at Veronica with that same gaze.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Veronica felt her heart skip a beat as she tried toe up with an answer. Saying that she was now


    working as Elizabeth¡¯s servant would probably be the most peaceful way out of this conversation.


    Meanwhile, she quickly exined, ¡°Grandma hired me to¡ª¡±


    But before she managed toplete her sentence, Matthew interjected and told them, ¡°She is


    Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°Matthew! Shut up!¡± Veronica panickedly bawled in an attempt to stop him, but the other two women had


    already heard the words that came out of Matthew¡¯s mouth.


    Following the silence that ensued after Veronica¡¯s outburst, Tiffany widened her eyes unconsciously as


    she stammered through her shock. ¡°God-granddaughter?¡±


    ¡°Haha, Matthew dear,¡± Rachel let out an awkward and dryugh amidst her anger.


    ¡°What on earth is going on?¡±


    The mother-and-daughter duo might have been fuming, but the person who was currently most irked


    was definitely Veronica. Her fists unconsciously clenched as she turned to re at Matthew. She was so


    angry that she could probably tear into his flesh with her bare hands.


    From physically assaulting Tiffany at the restaurant to her getting reported to the police by the Larsons


    and eventually revealing the fact that Tiffany has a younger sister¨Call that Veronica had done was for the


    purpose of agitating the Larson family.


    And why did she have to do all that for? It was because she wanted them to do something to her in


    return! After all the trouble that she went through, she had hoped that they would attempt to kill her off.


    She used herself as bait to get them to do something, and she had been nning to finally hand over


    whatever evidence of their wrongdoings she could collect on them¨Cshe wanted them to be punished by


    thew. With that, she could finally avenge Tony and Danie.


    Now that Matthew had revealed to them that she was Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter, she doubted that


    they would plot anything under the table. Her meticulous n had beenpletely ruined because of


    Matthew!


    Instinctively, the first thing she did was reprimand Matthew. However, she immediately noticed his cold


    gaze on her when she had calmed down. Knowing better than to continue with her fit, she forced a smile


    while rubbing her forehead. ¡°Stop it, Matthew. It hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet,¡± sheined yfully.


    Since the Larsons were already well aware that Elizabeth had adopted a god granddaughter, Veronica


    figured it would probably be best for her to get on their good side. She could probably still get on with her


    n!


    Tiffany and Rachel, on the other hand, were infuriated by the affectionate tone Veronica was speaking in.


    If only Matthew weren¡¯t there, they would have cursed her out without restraint.


    Tiffany promptly stood in front of her and held her by her hands. ¡°Gosh, what a wonderful surprise!¡± Her


    voice was nauseatingly warm as she cheered, ¡°Congrattions, Veronica! We will be living together from


    now on!¡±


    With her back facing Matthew, she did not bother to hide the pure, unadulterated hatred on her face as


    she stared daggers at Veronica.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Her pretentiousness made Veronica feel sick to thic core.


    As she pursed her lips and had an emotionless face, she brushed her hand away. ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask


    Matt¡­¡± After ncing at Matthew from an angle, she continued, ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask my brother¡­ when


    he will marry you.¡±


    At that moment, not only was Veronica disgusted by Tiny, she also simultaneously was disgusted with


    herself for addressing Matthew as her brother.


    1


    It was evident those words had hurt Tiffany as her mesmerizingly beautiful face wore a terrifying


    expression.


    Rachel, who was watching by the side, did not manisest her anger outwardly. With a look of a nobledy,


    she calmly stated, ¡°The engagement was only recently decided, so there¡¯s no rush to get married.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom¡¯s right,¡± Tiffany gracefully retorted. At that moment, her facade was nearly broken under


    Veronica¡¯s constant cynicism. To maintain her image in front of Matthew, Tiffany could only say, ¡°I¡¯m


    going to visit Grandma with Mom now. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± After that, she hinted at Rachel with her gaze


    before they both entered the ward.


    Only Matthew and Veronica were left outside the small living room of the ward. Raising his eyebrow, he


    looked at her deeply while asking with a firm tone, ¡°What happened between you two?¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    While avoiding the question, she gave a slight smirk as she took out a note from her pocket and ced it


    in front of him. ¡°Please pay for the bill first.¡± After all, they had agreed on the prepaid wage of 10,000 per


    day.


    Matthew reminded her, ¡°Answer my question.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not obligated to answer you, nor do I need to satisfy your curiosity.¡± Aside from being arrogant,


    Veronica also had a feeling that she couldn¡¯t care less about this.


    Ring, ring, ring.


    It was at this moment when her phone rang. As she took it out, she looked at the screen only to discover


    it was a call from Xavier. Then, she suddenly realized that this was supposed to be her first day of work


    at Xavier¡¯spany.


    A frowning Veronica pouted in distress as she answered the call.


    ¡°Roni, where are you? I¡¯ve been waiting for you at thepany for two hours now.¡± Xavier questioned


    her from the other side.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Veronica awkwardlyughed before she replied, ¡°Xavier, about that¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I suddenly


    ran into some issues.¡±


    ¡°I could care less about your issues. Juste here immediately. If I don¡¯t see you present within half an


    hour, don¡¯t me me if Ie over to drag you from your house!¡±


    ¡°Erm, about that, I¡ª¡±


    Beep... Beep...


    Before she could exin any further, Xavier had already hung up. Is this guy really angry? She silently


    chided herself as she actually forgot that today was the first day of work at hispany. That was the


    reason why she promised Matthew to apany him to watch over his grandmother.


    Keeping her phone away, Veronica nced at the note with her bank ount details before immediately


    bending over to retrieve it. ¡°What I said earlier was a joke. I¡¯ll be taking this back then.¡±


    Leaning against the sofa, Matthew looked at her with a mysterious gaze. ¡°Do you know what kind of


    animales and goes onmand?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± His strange words threw her for a loop.


    ¡°Your actions are indistinguishable from a dog.¡±


    The man¡¯s insulting words absolutely humiliated her and even his gaze held certain amounts of


    scorn. She¡®s ready to leave so eagerly just because Xavier has asked her to?


    Folding the paper, Veronica had been listening to him until she stopped in her actions. As she slowly


    raised her head, under her luscious eyshes was a dull gaze that gradually turned into fury. While


    tightly holding onto the note, she had a deep frown. ¡°Matthew¡­¡±


    In the end, although a zing fire was burning inside her, she still managed to suppress her anger after


    nearly failing to control her emotions.


    ¡°The difference between me and a dog is that I have a human heart whereas dogs are


    just ungrateful creatures!¡± After saying that, she left without even turning back.


    At that moment, Matthew felt more like he was being scolded by Veronica instead of him lecturing her.


    Then, the pair of mother and daughter came out after visiting Elizabeth. Upon noticing Veronica¡¯s


    absence, Tiffany asked, ¡°Matthew, where¡¯s Veronica?¡±


    ¡°She left.¡± Lowering his head, the man was looking at hisputer as he immersed himself in work. He


    did not even spare Tiffany a nce throughout the whole process of replying to her. It was as if his cold


    attitude was telling her that she was not worth it for him to show any interest toward.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just discussed with Grandma and we¡¯ve decided that I¡¯ll stay here with you these few days to take


    care of her together,¡± Tiffany informed Matthew.


    Her soft tone and gentle demeanor all pointed to her being a candidate for a wonderful wife. There were


    no men safe from her charms, yet it was Matthew who was immune to all this.


    ¡°Yes, yes, your grandma did say that.¡± Rachel quickly followed up on her words, ¡°Tiffany is coincidentally


    quite free nowadays, so allowing her toe take care of Old Mrs. Kings would also be a good way to


    foster their rtionship.¡±


    ¡°As long as Grandma agrees, I¡¯ve no qualms about it,¡± he said bluntly.


    However, in the midst of his words, Matthew shot a cold look at Tiffany before continuing with his work.


    ¡°Grandma did agree to it.¡±


    As she smiled, she could finally set her nervousness aside. The appearance of Veronica earlier had


    made her feel a sense of great danger.


    Elizabeth treated Veronica well in the past because she had been pregnant with Matthew¡¯s child.


    Although Veronica eventually suffered from a miscarriage, Elizabeth actually wanted to adopt her as her


    god-granddaughter!


    What methods did that wench use to make the entire Kings Family fall for her so badly? The most


    important thing was that it was that long since the engagement between Tiffany and


    Matthew. Will she interfere and ruin our marriage at that time?


    ¡°Okay, then.¡± Matthew gave a curt reply in agreement. Tiffany was ted as she looked at Rachel from


    an angle. With a genuine smile, she could finally calm her racing heart.


    ¡°You should stay here and take good care of Old Mrs. Kings then. I¡¯ll send someone over tonight to


    deliver some clothes to you.¡± Tapping on her shoulders, Rachel hinted at Tiffany to make full use of the


    time that she would be spending with Matthew alone.


    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    Carrying her bag, Rachel left in her heels after bidding her farewell. After exiting the hospital, she called


    Floch to ask him to hurry home as she drove. After half an hour, the couple arrived at Dragon¡¯s Creek


    vi at the same time.


    ¡°What happened? Why did you call me back in such a hurry?¡± After getting out of the car, Floch walked


    to Rachel as he removed his coat:


    ¡°What else could happen? That little wench, Veronica, is up to no good again.¡±


    ¡°What did she do this time?¡±


    ¡°What did she do, you say? It would be easy if it were something that she did of her own ord. Now,


    she¡¯s Elizabeth¡¯s god-daughter, meaning that she¡¯s considered part of the Kings Family now. Tell me,


    how is that brat so lucky?¡± At this point, Rachel, who was so livid, threw the bag at Floch and mumbled,


    ¡°I should¡¯ve killed her back then if I knew that she would be a pain in the *ss.¡± .


    Casting aside that Veronica already knew that they were the ones who hired goons to run her parents


    over, the mere fact that Veronica was Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter meant that Tiffany would only suffer


    as soon as she married into the Kings Family.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    The news that Veronica was now Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter gave Floch and his wife an impending


    sense of doom.


    To ensure that Tiffany had a stable life when she married into the Kings Family, they started to n and


    scheme in their vi.


    At the same time, Veronica arrived at the Glory Medical Equipment Company.


    Thepany, which was one of the corporations that Xavier owned, was barely surviving even though it


    had the backing of the Crawford Family. However, it wasn¡¯t bleeding any money either.


    Standing in the CEO¡¯s office, Veronica looked at Xavier fooling around and asked, ¡°What work do you


    want me to take on here?¡±


    After entering thepany, she instantly lost all her fervor when she saw the state of the workce.


    The employees were allzy, slow and inefficient. Thepany should be thanking God that they


    haven¡¯t gone bankrupt yet with such a management.


    No, the one they should be thanking is the Crawfords.


    Xavier had aid-back expression as he leaned on the executive chair in his suit. While he had crossed


    his legs on the office table, he had a cigarette in his mouth as he smokedzily.


    ¡°You could be the manager of the warehouse, sales department, project department, supervisor of the


    ounting department or the head of the secretaries. It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Looking at Xavier wasting his talents made Veronica feel extremely disappointed.


    With a slight frown, she shook her head in resignation. ¡°Xavier, are you going to just let your youth waste


    away like this?¡±


    ¡°To live unexamined while being supported is also a kind of enjoyment.¡±


    He felt the disappointment and feeling of loss in her smile, but merely smiled in


    response.


    Then, he stood up and raised his hand to point around the extravagant office. ¡°Do you know how many


    would dream to live a life like mine?¡±


    His words spoke the truth.


    And this truth was something that Veronica had no reason to rebuke him with.


    After looking at each other for a few seconds, she broke the silence by saying, ¡°My sincere thanks to you


    for looking after me, but I don¡¯t want to work here.¡±


    This was apany so mismanaged that it could close down at any moment.


    Another thing that she was worried about was the kind of atmosphere in thepany could influence her


    to be just aszy and unmotivated as the employees.


    Xavier stood there dazed after hearing her words as he looked at her unblinkingly without uttering a


    single word.


    ¡°I still have something to attend to, so goodbye.¡±


    After saying her farewell, Veronica turned around to leave.


    16


    Only when she reached the door of the office did she suddenly stop. Looking back at him, she asked,


    ¡°Do you have someone whom you want to protect?¡±


    Still staying silent, Xavier did not reply.


    He had been holding a lighter in his hand earlier as he was ready to light up the cigarette in his mouth.


    However, because of Veronica¡¯s words, he stopped in his actions and raised his head perplexedly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors about you. However, if you keep wasting away like this, you¡¯ll onlye to regret


    your own ipetence andck of motivation when you can¡¯t even protect the one you love in the


    future.¡±


    The pressure from various strong oppositions had almost suffocated Veronica numerous times.


    Yet, for the sake of her foster parents, she persevered with caution in each step.


    The only reason why she had suffered so much was because she was a nobody. She didn¡¯t have any


    money or power to speak of. N


    So as an experienced individual, Veronica did not want Xavier to follow in her footsteps.


    She then left the office and closed the door behind her.


    Do you have someone that you want to protect? That was her question that he repeated in his mind


    while standing at the same spot. Yes, I do.


    In his mind, the first person who was able to fit that description was none other than Veronica herself.


    Clink


    Suddenly, the engraved lighter in his hand fell onto the ground.


    In a state of utter helplessness, he sat on his chair again


    Xavier had never felt ashamed or insulted from the amount of insults and ridicule he received all these


    years.


    Yet, for some unknown reason, it only took just a look from Veronica for his heart to ache.


    As if he was being defibrited after suffocating, his sunken heart started to race.


    Meanwhile, Veronica had already taken the elevator down to exit thepany.


    Just as she was heading toward the motorcycle parking area, a voice came from behind her.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Roni?¡±


    It was Xavier who called her.


    When she turned her head, she saw him running toward her.


    A curious Veronica asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    As he stood in front of her, Xavier took a slight breather before replying with a dim spark in his gaze, ¡°Are


    you willing to stay and develop Glory Company into the giant that it can be with me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She felt extremely astonished by his proposal.


    ¡°Do you really believe that I can manage thispany properly?¡±


    ¡°Then, you¡¯ll have to ask yourself whether you had ever seriously managed thispany before.¡±


    The Xavier that Veronica knew was smart and wise-unlike what the rumors suggested him to be, which


    was a useless piece of trash¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯mcking apetent assistant now. So, are you willing to stay and fill that position?¡± Xavier asked


    again.


    His gaze was stern without any hint of all this being a joke.


    Nevertheless, Veronica agreed even though she was still a bit startled. ¡°Of course I would.¡±


    No matter how long he could maintain his current passion to manage thepany, he was at least


    serious about it for the time being.


    What he helped her with, she was going to repay him tenfold.


    Veronica was more than willing to repay Xavier after he had helped her so many times before.


    ¡°Then, wee to Glory Company.¡±


    Seeing that she had agreed to join, the beaming Xavier reached out for a friendly handshake.


    Looking at his extended arm, she purposely ignored it and instead informed him about this. ¡°You haven¡¯t


    told me about the type of work you want me to do, though.¡±


    ¡°What work do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want to be in sales.¡±


    ¡°Then, you can be the head of the sales department cum my personal secretary then. How does that


    sound?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Veronica never expected that Xavier would allow her to be the head of the sales department just like


    that.


    He already grabbed her hand to shake it just as she hesitated. ¡°We¡¯re apany that specializes in


    medical equipment, so the scope of our operations is not that wide. Whenever there¡¯s a business deal, I


    come with you too. So, not being able to qualify as the head of sales is a needless worry for you.¡±


    After that, Veronica did try to reject him, but Xavier¡¯s stubbornness in this matter persuaded her to agree


    in the end.


    As the two returned to the CEO¡¯s office, he ordered his employees to allow Veronica to have a look at the


    company¡¯s financial statement in thest two years and also introduced each and every head of


    department to her.


    Veronica, who had studied marketing management, was moved by Xavier¡¯s absolute trust in her


    She thought, If he really intends to manage the


    company seriously, then I¡®ll help him out while learning what I can at the same time.


    The two were busy from midday tillte afternoon until they had a simple dinner at 6:00PM.


    After the meal, she was forcefully dragged to a club for drinks as Xavier wanted to congratte her for


    joining the Glory Company.


    The stuffy and hot Veronica felt strangely ufortable after a few rounds of drinking


    Stepping out of the private room, she wanted to take a breather outside when something felt off just after


    a brief moment outside.


    As Veronica was about to head inside to look for Xavier, someone suddenly struck her head from behind


    with force.


    She let out a painful gasp before falling onto the floor with her vision turning ck..


    The moment she copsed, she knew that she was in danger, but she never had the chance to call out


    for help.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Veronica suddenly woke up out of sheer will.


    Opening her eyes in a state of semi-consciousness, she discovered herself being dragged to a Toyota


    Coro that was parked in the underground carpark.


    ¡°Hahaha, boss. After this deal is done, we¡¯ll be living a good life from then on.¡±


    ¡°The Larsons have already informed us that if we silently get rid of her, there¡¯ll be one million waiting for


    us as our payment.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and just do as you¡¯re told. Work more, talk less.¡±


    The two men merely allowed her arms to hang from their shoulders and it was in this posture that they


    carried her forward. This way, they could just tell people that she was drunk.


    What shocked Veronica the most was that she found the two men¡¯s voices to be extremely familiar,


    which she found to be Jameson and Rio after looking through a slit of her eyes.


    The two of them were brothers who shared a history with her. Why are they doing this?


    As Veronica squinted, she nced at the quiet underground space and knew that she could totally


    escape under the circumstances.


    However, in the end, she still closed her eyes and pretended to be unconscious while she was carried


    into the car.


    The car was being driven on the road after it had exited the underground parking lot.


    Even with closed eyes, she intently listened to their conversation.


    ¡°Hey, bro, how should we kill her?¡±


    ¡°Floch¡¯s orders were that we should do it so that no one could trace the matter back to us or them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid this doesn¡¯t seem that easy since they gave us such a high price to deal with her.¡±


    ¡°You fool. We¡¯ll just have to set her apartment on fire after leaving her in it.¡±


    As she listened to their words, it made her mock them in her


    heart. Rather than going through all this trouble, why not just create a simple car ident? After all, isn¡®t


    this the Larson Family¡®s specialty?


    After half an hour, Veronica was brought back to her apartment.


    The door to the living room was opened with a key of unknown origin by the brothers.


    She was ced on the couch after they closed the door.


    ¡°What should we do now, bro?¡± Rio asked.


    Jameson took out a pair of gloves from his pockets. ¡°Wear these and don¡¯t leave any evidence behind.¡±


    While saying that, he took out two bottles of highly concentrated liquor and a bunch of cigarette butts.


    ¡°Throw these cigarette butts into the trash bins in her bedroom and toilet.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obviously to create the impression that the fire was caused by her smoking in the house.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so intelligent, bro. What if she wakes up in the middle of all this, though?¡±


    ¡°I have a sleeping agent that can be inhaled. This can eliminate the possibility of her waking up in the


    midst.¡±


    Thinking that Veronica was still unconscious, the brothers started to arrange the scene meticulously.


    One person was responsible for throwing the cigarette butts in each room¡¯s trash can. On top of that,


    there was a cigarette pack that they used Veronica¡¯s hand to crush a few times before carefully cing it


    at the predetermined spot.


    The other person used a towel that was doused in the sleeping agent to cover both her nose and mouth


    for a whole thirty seconds before removing it.


    After that, theyy her t on the sofa. Her left hand, which was hanging from the


    couch, held the cigarette as they spilled the alcohol onto the carpet with the remaining alcohol in the


    bottle on the table.


    ¡°Bro, can a fire be created just like this?¡±


    ¡°The cigarette in her hand is already lit. Wait till it burns to the end; then, the sparks falling on the carpet


    will instantly start a fire.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you really are smart.¡±


    After a brief conversation between the two, they then left the bedroom in a hurry.


    The whole process from start to finish was within three minutes as they had done it with lightning speed.


    Bang


    Hearing the living room close, Veronica slowly opened her eyes with a hint of iciness shing across it.


    Although their n contained some ws, all evidence would have been destroyed by the fire after


    As the brothers from the Dusk Family knew Veronica, they could lie about her being apulsive


    smoker and even drank concentrated alcohol frequently.


    In a short time, the police would be hard pressed to locate anything suspicious, especially with the


    Larson Family bribing their way out of this behind the scenes.


    When that happens, her death would be ruled out as just an ident!


    However, what these people were unaware of was that as someone who grew up in a vige, there was


    a reservoir right by Veronica¡¯s house, which meant that she could swim and hold her breath extremely


    well.


    So, when her mouth and nose had been covered earlier, she managed to not inhale any of the sleeping


    agent.


    The important thing was¡­


    She had already predicted that the Larson Family would make a move on her. At the same time at the


    Twilight Club, it had been half an hour since Veronica said that she was heading out for a breather and


    was nowhere to be seen.


    Xavier, who went out to search for her, failed to locate any signs of her anywhere.


    Yet, her purse and phone were still inside the private room!


    He knew about the fact that the Larsons would seek revenge on Veronica since she had offended them.


    So, her disappearance made him feel a sense of foreboding danger.


    Immediately, he went to the surveince room and asked to look at the recorded footage.


    However, due to Xavier not having the authority to do so, his request was rejected.


    Now that he was left with no choice, he could only phone Matthew. ¡°Matthew, how did you teach your


    staff here at the club? Don¡¯t I even have the power to look at the surveince footage?¡±


    Matthew, who was apanying Elizabeth at the hospital at that moment, was surprised by Xavier¡¯s


    sudden tirade.


    This was the first time that Xavier called him as they had not contacted each other before.


    ¡°The club has all kinds of VIPsing in and out. Without the proper authorization, your request would


    naturally be rejected.¡±


    Not wanting to know about the specifics, Matthew tly rejected his request.


    The reason why the Twilight Club was the club of choice for the rich and famous of Bloomstead was


    because of the level of privacy it offered for its customers.


    In Bloomstead, nobody could just simply check whether a particr individual had previously appeared


    at a club.


    This was why the guards for the surveince room rejected Xavier¡¯s request to look at the footage.


    ¡°Veronica vanished in the club half an hour ago. Although her bag and phone are still in the private room,


    she herself is nowhere to be seen. I¡¯m warning you, Matthew, if anything happens to her, I¡¯ll raze this


    ce!¡±


    On the other side, an angry Xavier, who was in a panic, said those words.


    As Matthew heard those words, he felt his heart skip a beat as it tightened. Veronica¡®s missing?


    Now that he could feel the raging Xavier¡¯s nervousness, Matthew knew Xavier was not pulling a prank on


    him.


    After hesitating for a short while, he replied, ¡°Pass the phone to the head of surveince.¡±


    The head of surveince immediately granted Xavier¡¯s request to watch the footage after Matthew¡¯s


    orders over the phone.


    In the footage, Veronica could be seen entering the camera¡¯s blindspot. When she reappeared, two men


    had already held her by the shoulders.


    ¡°D*mn it, sh*t has hit the fan!¡±


    Following the trail, Xavier discovered the car that the brothers from the Dusk Family drove from the club¡¯s


    underground parking lot.


    He instantly left the surveince room and dashed to his car before leaving the premises.


    While on the road, he had used his personal rtions and provided the details of the car before tracing it


    to the Regalia Condominium.


    At the same time, Matthew, who was looking at the information on hisptop in the small living room


    outside the ward, was growing restless.


    In the end, he called the club manager and ordered him to inquire about the situation at the surveince


    room.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Sir, Veronica was not drunk at all. However, from the looks of the footage, she was carried out by two


    suspicious-looking fellows after reappearing from the camera¡¯s blindspot.¡±


    Hearing the manager¡¯s words made Matthew¡¯s expression darken as he probed, ¡°What exactly


    happened?¡±


    ¡°Young master, judging from what you have said, I think that Veronica¡­ might be in trouble.¡±

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    She¡®s in trouble?


    As Matthew slightly frowned, his handsome face showed signs of concern; it looked like he was in deep


    thought.


    This change of emotion wasn¡¯t only noticed by himself, though.


    At that moment, Tiffany happened to walk out of the ward and saw at once that something seemed off


    with him, so she asked, ¡°Matthew, is there something wrong?¡±


    Just as Matthew received news about Veronica, the Larsons had already informed Tiffany about their


    ns.


    Not even a few seconds after immersing herself in happiness, Tiffany overheard Matthew being on the


    phone with someone.


    Although it was vague, she knew it was likely to be something concerning Veronica.


    That was the reason why she had gone out. Since she had a restless mind, she wanted to ask about


    what happened.


    Pacing around the living room, Matthew turned back and saw Tiffany before immediately hanging up on


    his call.


    ¡°Why are you still awake at this ungodly hour?¡±


    Keeping his phone away, he cast a distant gaze on her.


    As there was an extra bed in the ward, Matthew had arranged for Tiffany to sleep on it while he would


    spend the night on the living room¡¯s couch.


    ¡°I.¡± After pursing her lips, she replied, ¡°I could not sleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The moment he heard her answer, he only gave an uncaring response before staring into a random


    space in the living room to immerse himself in his own thoughts.


    His strange demeanor made the perplexed Tiffany ask with a frown, ¡°Matthew, is everything alright?¡±


    Her words snapped Matthew back to reality as he looked at her at an angle, ¡°There¡¯s something at the


    company that I need to deal with: I¡¯lle backter.¡±


    After saying that, he turned around and left.


    Something at thepany needs him? Tiffany, who did not believe an ounce of Matthew¡¯s words, knew


    that he was obviously concerned about Veronica, which made her deeply agitated by the tant lie.


    To her knowledge, a man born with a golden spoon like Matthew never cared about lying to someone


    else and neither would he care about someone else than Elizabeth. Yet, is


    he actually going to find that wench and abandon the hospitalized Old Mrs. Kings now?


    As Tiffany noticed that he was about to leave, she walked briskly and grabbed his wrists. ¡°Matthew,


    please don¡¯t go. I¡¯m scared.¡±


    Her sweet and gentle voice sounded like music to one¡¯s ears.


    With a slight raise of her eyebrow, she stepped forward and tightly embraced him with her head on


    Matthew¡¯s sculpted chest. ¡°Could you stay with me for a moment?¡±


    Her lovely charms would make anyone pity her on the spot.


    However, in Matthew¡¯s blindspot, Tiffany had a frosty gaze that emanated jealousy from


    within. Veronica, you b*tch.


    You can give up on the thought that Mattthew will be saving you! From today onward, the world will only


    know of me, Tiffany Larson, and you will cease to exist!


    As the most beautiful person in Bloomstead, she had always received innumerable acims of praise


    and ttery on her talents in music, chess, arts and literature. All thepliments were the same-that


    apart from looking heavenly, she also had the brains topliment her looks.


    Yet, it was because of Veronica¡¯s appearance that she felt a great sense of danger now.


    She would not allow some country bumpkin fresh from some vige to look exactly like her. If Veronica


    became the center of attention by any chance and Tiffany¡¯s own dirtyundry was aired to the public, it


    would only serve topletely destroy Tiffany¡¯s image.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let Thomase and apany you.¡±


    Matthew did not like one bit that Tiffany hugged him of her ord to the point that the disgust in his eyes


    could not be hidden.


    2/5


    Reaching out, he wanted to push her away, but who could have known that she had hugged him with


    such force?


    Shaking her head, Tiffany softly cajoled, ¡°Matthew, I was reading about horror stories in a hospital two


    days ago, which is why I¡¯m so scared now. D¨°n¡¯t go, please?¡±


    Her sweet tone was akin to a bell that rang into one¡¯s consciousness.


    In her heart was a brewing pot of hatred instead.


    Nobody knew whether this hate was directed at Veronica or Matthew. Let Thomas apany


    me? You¡¯re letting Thomas stand in for you just because you want to look for Veronica, right?


    Now that she was being constantly pestered by Veronica, Tiffany could no longer maintain her image of


    being wise and sensible in front of Matthew.


    The annoyed man forcefully grabbed her arms and pushed her away. ¡°I¡¯ll let Thomas send you back!¡±


    His icy words carried with it an unmistakable displeasure.


    After stating his piece, Matthew walked out without sparing even a nce at Tiffany.


    As her arms still hurt from his earlier grip, she took in a deep breath before shouting at him as she


    watched him leaving, ¡°Matthew? Matthew? Matthew!?¡±


    However, no matter how she shouted, he still entered the elevator without even turning his head to


    acknowledge her. His actions had only served to anger her so much that she stomped her foot in


    response.


    If it was at home, she could vent her anger without a care to her daddy and mommy, but now that she


    was at the hospital, the person in the ward was Old Mrs. Kings. So, she could only swallow this anger for


    now.


    She had to swallow it for now.


    After calming herself down for a few seconds, Tiffany took out her phone and went to the stairwell to tip


    her parents off about the fact that Matthew would have gone in search of Veronica.


    At that time, Matthew, who had already left the hospital, was on the road while he tried to contact


    Veronica, but to no avail.


    The only choice left was to call Xavier.


    It took about only two beeps before the call connected:


    ¡°Where¡¯s Veronica?¡±


    After the call went through, Matthew immediately questioned Xavier without any greeting


    A panicked Xavier was also driving in the direction of Regalia Condominium at the same time and


    worried sick about Veronica. Yet, upon hearing that Matthew was also concerned about her wellbeing, he


    began to feel a bit displeased.


    Remembering the scene where Veronica nearly died after the miscarriage, Xavier could not hold himself


    back and retorted, ¡°Who are you to care for Veronica? It¡¯s already eleven something now, so Mr. Kings,


    you should be hugging your lovely wife to sleep if there¡¯s nothing more to talk about.¡± |


    This was also the first time that Matthew called Xavier.


    Yet, Xavier was not one to tter anybody, even if that person was Matthew.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you right now, where¡¯s Veronica!?¡±


    Although Matthew had repeated the same question, his tone was much more severe than before.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± With a slight sneer, Xavier taunted him, ¡°I¡¯ve nothing to say about that!¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    An unruly yboy that feared no one.


    That was who Xavier was. So, why would he fear Matthew?


    After that, the man disconnected the call.


    On the other side, the livid Matthew could only keep on driving on Somerset Road while he called


    Thomas to ask him to investigate Veronica¡¯s whereabouts.


    The club manager had only told him earlier that the car that Veronica was in headed for Somerset Road


    after it left.


    So, Matthew could drive in that general direction.


    After ten minutes, a call from Thomas came. ¡°Sir, the car has gone to Regalia


    Condominium.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    With his foot on the throttle, Matthew drove at breakneck speed all the way to the condominium while


    ordering Thomas, ¡°Go to the hospital and send Tiffany home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    After hanging up, Thomas immediately went to carry out the orders.


    Yet, not long after the call, Thomas received another call which made his heart skip a beat. Following


    that, he instantly called Matthew again.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Matthew answered.


    ¡°Big trouble, sir. The condominium that Miss Murphy is in now is on fire and the location of the fire is on


    her floor.¡±

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Thomas honestly told Matthew everything that he had knowledge of.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing Thomas¡¯ words caused Matthew¡¯s heart to palpitate as he felt his breathing slowing down. The


    strange feeling made him ufortable. ¡°Immediately call the fire department!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡±


    After hanging up, Matthew put the pedal to the metal. As the car screeched, what followed thereafter was


    a vehicle that sped as fast as lightning, dodging and cutting off other drivers as they voiced their anger.


    He couldn¡¯t care less about this, though.


    After ten minutes, he had finally arrived at Regalia Condominium.


    It was the dead of night and everyone was asleep except for themunity of the condominium where


    people had gathered under it.


    The residents in the second block where Veronica lived were all woken up by themotion as a lot of


    people fled down the stairs. Some even shouted, ¡°There¡¯s a fire. A fire has broken out. Quickly go and


    save the ones who are still trapped inside.¡±


    ¡°Call 911.¡±


    Ie


    ¡°I¡¯ve already called the emergency services, but since the people are on the eighth floor, there will be


    some difficulty in saving them.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s anyone, please quickly head up to the eighth floor and evacuate any remaining residents.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s shouting.¡±


    All the security guards in themunity had rushed to the second block to evacuate the residents after


    activating the fire rm.


    Yet, there were still no signs of the fire truck after a long time.


    Standing outside, Matthew looked at the zing fire on the eighth floor as his heart


    started to race in nervousness.


    Then, he dashed toward the second block.


    However, the security guard stationed at the ground floor suddenly stopped him. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s a fire in


    there. You cannot go in right now.¡±


    As he didn¡¯t want to waste any words on the guard, Matthew pushed him aside and dashed up the


    stairwell.


    The elevators had been shut down by the management due to the fire while the fire escape was full of


    the affected residents, who were all madly rushing down for safety.


    This made Matthew¡¯s ascend a bit difficult.


    ¡°Escape now.¡±


    ¡°The fire¡¯s too big. The eighth floor is bearing the worst of it.¡±


    ¡°This is all too terrifying. Run, run!¡±


    ¡°Sob... Mommy. I¡¯m scared. Sob...¡±


    The zing fire had terrified the residents as they were either screaming or crying as they ran down.


    Squeezing through the crowd, Matthew finally reached the eighth floor after three long minutes.


    Yet, the door to Veronica¡¯s home already had a big fire spreading as the me licked at the edges of the


    door as it continued to burn.


    Standing at the door, Xavier kicked the door with all of his might, but it still did not budge after two tries.


    As the doorknob outside couldn¡¯t be turned and the door itself was burning hot, he could only repeatedly


    knock on the door while shouting. However, there was no response after he screamed for a long time, so


    he could only call the fire department, all the while trying to kick the front door down.


    Seeing Matthew, Xavier removed his jacket as he walked toward him with a fierce re. He suddenly


    took a heavy swing at Matthew!


    ¡°You f*ck, if anything happens to Veronica, I won¡¯t let you off the hook that easily!¡±


    Xavier, who knew why Veronica had fallen into her current predicament in the first ce, only had an


    increasing hatred toward Matthew.


    However, even though he had fast hands, he was no faster than Matthew.


    A simple block from him was enough for him to easily catch Xavier¡¯s fist.


    Peering at him, Matthew bellowed, ¡°What are you doing right now?¡±


    He was only worried about Veronica¡¯s safety at the moment and didn¡¯t have any time to waste on


    bickering with Xavier.


    After pushing Xavier aside, Matthew then walked to the front door before removing his suit jacket and


    heavily stomped on the door.


    Standing at the side, Xavier had his hands tied in anxiousness. ¡°Stop kicking it; it¡¯s of no use.¡±


    Taking out a cigarette from his pocket, Xavier lit it before deeply inhaling it. ¡°I¡¯ve already informed the fire


    department. This door can only be opened once they have arrived.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Matthew coldly looked at Xavier.


    ¡°What do I mean? Hmph.¡± Smiling in anger, Xavier took a shot at Matthew again while the cigarette was


    still in his mouth. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the goddamn incident regarding Veronicast time, why would I need to


    add a reinforced door for her? It was all because of you f*cks!¡±


    After Veronica¡¯s pregnancy was terminated, Matthew had guessed that she could have ingested the


    medicine that caused the miscarriage, which was why he rushed to the condominium with Thomas.


    He had knocked on the door, but nobody came to open it. So, he then proceeded to kick the door down.


    That was when he found Veronica lying in a pool of her own blood.


    Everybody vacated the house after that incident. It was only the day after that fateful day when Xavier


    rushed over and noticed the broken door lock on Veronica¡¯s front door.


    Thinking of her safety, he had people install a specially reinforced door.


    However, who knew that this door now stood in their way of saving Veronica?


    Beside his rage was endless self-ming. So, now that Xavier faced Matthew, he could only vent all his


    emotions on Matthew.


    His strike, although fast, still could notnd on Matthew.


    Catching the man¡¯s fist yet again, Matthew warned in a low tone, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you right now, so


    scram!¡±


    Right as he said those words, the firefighters arrived at that exact moment.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Now that they had their fire protective gears on them, the firefighters asked upon seeing the two men


    standing at the entrance,


    ¡°The door. It can¡¯t be opened.¡±


    The appearance of the firefighters stopped Xavier from further arguing with Matthew as saving a life was


    more important. ¡°Do you guys have a chainsaw?¡±


    ¡°Riddick, bring these two downstairs first. I¡¯ll save the person inside,¡± the team leader of the firefighters


    said to his subordinate behind.


    Then, after being cued, that firefighter immediately approached Matthew and Xavier and advised,


    ¡°Please leave quickly; it¡¯s extremely dangerous here.¡±


    The eighth floor was already in a precarious situation because of the zing fire. So, the first thing was


    to evacuate both men to safety.


    ¡°No need!¡±


    Refusing tly, Matthew replied, ¡°Saving the person insidees first!¡±


    Standing with a straight posture and a dignified appearance, he exuded a royal-like aura, which


    pressured everyone there.


    Even though he was under the constant persuasion of the firefighters, not only did hepletely ignore


    them, he even found an ax inside the cab of the fire extinguisher and wanted to force the door open


    with it.


    Admitting defeat, the firefighters were being extra cautious even though they wanted to break the door in


    the shortest amount of time. They were afraid of the explosion that might ur once the fire came into


    contact with the oxygen.


    After five minutes, the door to the living room was finally opened.


    At that time, the hellfire from within rushed out with its fierce ze reaching out like a w, threatening to


    swallow everybody in its wake.


    The heat from the mes surrounded them like a nket and the melting temperature had reached an


    almost unbearable standard.


    Inside the huge fire were only sounds of crackling, with no signs of Veronica.


    The frowning Xavier could not stop his slumping body from leaning against the wall as he lost all control


    of his body. ¡°Veronica, you fool!¡±


    He did not know what else to do except to scold her because he clearly knew that she could not possibly


    survive in a fire of this scale!


    ¡°Please, you guys should quickly leave! The fire here is out of control!¡±


    The firefighters ordered them again.


    Yet, moments after those words were spoken, Matthew ran inside the adjacent room, only to appear


    drenched after ten seconds. After grabbing a safety helmet belonging to one of the firefighters standing


    by the door, he rushed into the midst of the ze.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go in there! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡±


    Reaching out, the firefighter wanted to stop Matthew, but only managed to catch the corner of his


    clothes.


    Now that Matthew rushed in with a dripping wet suit and a safety helmet, he would be alright for a short


    period of time.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    In the living room, Veronica was nowhere to be seen, so the first thing that Matthew did was rush into her


    bedroom.


    However, she wasn¡¯t in her bedroom as well, but in the end, he realized that the bathroom in her


    bedroom was deadlocked.


    He screamed, ¡°Veronica! Veronica!¡±


    As he shouted, he lifted his feet and kicked open the bathroom door. Using the shlight of his phone, he


    saw that Veronica was on the bathroom floor.


    At that moment, he immediately rushed inside to protect her face with the suit that he used to cover his


    mouth and nose. Then, he carried her up and ran out.


    Xavier, who was standing in the corridor, first thought that Veronica was already dead. However, when he


    saw Matthew running out with her in his arms, Xavier froze while his eyes widened as he stared at her in


    disbelief.


    ¡°Veronica? Veronica?¡± He approached her and called several times, but there was no response.


    2


    Matthew carried her all the way downstairs and took her to an ambnce, but Xavier was denied ess


    by the medical staff.


    While apanying Veronica inside the ambnce, Matthew finally realized that her feet and arms


    were burned and had blisters when the bright lights shone on her. A huge portion of her long hair with


    ends that fell at her waist was also burned.


    Due to an excessive amount of smoke inhtion, she was now in aa.


    When they arrived at the hospital, she was admitted straight to the emergency room for treatment.


    Half an hourter, she finally woke up¡­ but in her dream.


    ¡°Ah, save me!¡± she screamed and sat up in shock while her head was drenched in sweat. Due to her


    sudden movement, she tore her wound, which caused her to wince in pain.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Veronica, have you finally woken up?¡±


    Two voices could be heard next to her. With a sideways nce, she saw Matthew and Xavier standing


    by her bedside.


    Xavier was neatly clothed while Matthew¡¯s outfit was in a messy state and his face was even covered in


    ashes, giving him a wretched appearance which waspletely different from his usual image.


    Then, she remembered the screams she heard in the bathroom at that


    time. It... really is Matthew. I was right! Why did he suddenly appear, though?


    Even though Veronica was doubtful, she pretended to know nothing. ¡°Why are you here? Who saved


    me?¡± she asked weakly.


    The moment she asked for the person who saved her, the joy on Xavier¡¯s face immediately faded away


    as his eyes subconsciously nced at Matthew.


    At that moment, his eyes were filled with mixed emotions.


    There was a hint of gratitude, shock, admiration and jealousy¡­


    As the various emotions surged within him, he suddenly fell into silence.


    Everyone in Bloomstead knew that Matthew was a cold-hearted and ruthless man.


    However, when Xavier witnessed Matthew rushing into the fire without any regard for his own life, he


    suddenly realized that¡­ he cared for Veronica and was¡­ actually in love with her.


    Xavier always boasted that he liked Veronica, but he wasn¡¯t the first to rush in when facing the roaring


    mes.


    Maybe he thought that Veronica had died in the fire; maybe he didn¡¯t dare to rush into the fire as he


    feared losing his life; or maybe there was another reason¡­


    In short, he didn¡¯t rush into the fire.


    However, when Xavier saw Matthew carrying her out of the mes like a fiery hero, his heart was


    instantly filled with mixed emotions.


    It felt as though something was sucked out of his body, causing him a clear sense of


    pain.


    ¡°Who kidnapped you?¡± Without answering her question, Matthew went straight to the point.


    While slowly lowering her head, she nced at the special bracelet around her wrist.


    The bracelet came with a recording and was highly waterproof.


    Not only that, it also acted as a listening device and at the other end wasn¡¯t some stranger. It was Cody-


    someone whom she met at the nightclub.


    After offending the Larson Family, Veronica had contacted Cody and two private detectives to monitor


    her every move around the clock.


    Once in danger, they would immediately call the police to ensure her safety while gathering evidence.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± She leaned on the head of the bed while tears continued to roll down her face.


    In the meantime, her eyes involuntarily nced at Xavier, as if she was hinting at him to keep Cody¡¯s


    existence a secret.


    Therefore, Xavier remained silent.


    As for Matthew, he stood up with a cold expression and said, ¡°Since you are awake, you should rest


    well.¡±


    With that, he left.


    During the whole process, he didn¡¯t reveal that he was the one who saved her, let alone asking her for


    anything in return.


    And just like that, he left afterward without showing any concern for her.


    Staring at his back, Veronica fell into a deep thought. Why did hee to save me?


    When she heard his voice while hiding in the bathroom, she felt a sudden thump in her heart and a slight


    hint of security even began to surge.


    While she was holding onto herst bit of consciousness and pretending to be unconscious, she felt a


    sense of security that she had never felt before when being held in Matthew¡¯s arms.


    After that, her mind fell into an endless darkness as she actually went into aa.


    ¡°Are¡­ you alright?¡± When Xavier saw her staring at Matthew¡¯s back without blinking. he felt a little upset.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, I¡¯m fine.¡± Veronica shook her head and removed her nket to see the burns on her feet and


    wrist. Then, she smiled and said, ¡°No matter what, we have achieved our goal.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Xavier reached out to fiercely poke her head. ¡°Do you know how dangerous that


    situation was? You could have died inside!¡± He was actually a bit angry with her. ¡°Why did you have to


    provoke the Larson Family to make a move on you?¡±


    He knew that she was Tiffany¡¯s little sister, but he never understood why Veronica wanted to provoke her


    on purpose. Suddenly, a suspicion rose in his mind. ¡°Are you saying that the Larson Family is behind


    your adoptive parents¡¯ car ident?¡±


    Veronica had previously asked someone to look into her adoptive parents¡¯ car ident, but the driver


    involved in the ident then died for no reason.


    Xavier only figured this out after looking into Veronica, sobined with the information from his


    investigation, he guessed that she had deliberately set all this up to force the Larson Family to kill her so


    that she could collect the evidence for the police andnd a hard blow on the Larson Family.


    ¡°Hehe, it seems like I can¡¯t hide everything from you. You¡¯re too smart.¡± Veronica gave a hearty smile


    without denying his suspicion.


    ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Xavier pped the back of her head. ¡°If you really suspected them, why didn¡¯t you tell


    me? I could have helped you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve owed you too much. I don¡¯t want to bother you any longer.¡±


    Meanwhile, after leaving the hospital, Matthew immediately made a call to Thomas. ¡°I realize that Young


    Master Xavier is quite free recently. Why don¡¯t you find something for him to do?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master Matthew.¡±


    ¡°Also, I want you to transfer Veronica to Saint Hospital.¡±


    Since Elizabeth was now in Saint Hospital, it would be more convenient if Veronica had also been


    transferred to the same hospital:


    When Xavier, who spent the night with Veronica in the hospital, received a phone call, his expression


    instantly changed. After saying his goodbyes to her, he


    immediately left.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Veronica was transferred overnight to Saint Hospital at 5:00AM.


    She didn¡¯t reject the arrangement because she knew that Tiffany was also in the same hospital at the


    moment. If I¡®m transferred to the same hospital, she¡®ll definitelye to have a ¡®talk¡® with me. By then, it


    will only be more convenient for me to gather more evidence.


    On


    Because of that, she initially didn¡¯t dare to sleep as she was afraid that the Larson Family would try to


    harm her again after failing to do so thest time.


    From early morning until 8:00AM, Veronica felt extremely sleepy, but at the same time, she didn¡¯t dare to


    fall asleep.


    Then, Matthew showed up in her ward.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    He was now back to his usual cold, handsome self. His short hair was well-groomed and there were no


    wrinkles on his suit, giving off the aura of his elegance.


    When he approached her, she noticed the gauze wrapped around the back of his hand.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± It was rare for Veronica to speak to him in a calm manner.


    It was not for any other reason; it was simply because Matthew rushed into the fire to save her yesterday.


    She would always be grateful for what he did.


    The man lowered his head and nced at his bandaged hand unconcerned. ¡°I¡¯ve asked someone to


    look into the two people who kidnapped you yesterday,¡± he uttered.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She hummed her reply without much emotion because¡­ she knew that her two kidnappers were


    of course taken away by her men. ¡°Thank you for what you did yesterday.¡±


    No matter what, she was still grateful to him.


    While sitting on the nursing chair, Matthew couldn¡¯t help but feel a little concerned when he looked at


    Veronica lying on the bed with her eyes so heavy that it could


    barely stay open.


    He thought that the reason why she didn¡¯t dare to sleep was because of the shock she endured


    yesterday.


    When he looked at her tanned face, he found her particrly beautiful as she was now not as ugly as he


    first thought she was. Maybe... she gets more beautiful the more I look at her.


    Ever sincest night, the image of Veronica on the bathroom floor had always showed up in Matthew¡¯s


    mind whenever he wasn¡¯t thinking about something else.


    At that moment, he felt as though his heart had almost stopped since he was stunned by the shock for a


    little while.


    He thought that she had died after inhaling therge amount of smoke that filled the bathroom.


    When he reached out to her nose and made sure that she wasn¡¯t dead, he felt like a huge weight had


    been lifted from his heart.


    To Matthew, what he didst night was probably the craziest thing he ever did in his life!


    ¡°Why did you show up in my house?¡± a curious Veronica asked.


    ¡°Xavier told me that you were missing, so I went over there to find you,¡± he answered.


    After nodding her head, she asked again, ¡°Why did you save me yesterday?¡±


    She originally expected an exnation from him, but he coldly uttered, ¡°It was a fireman who saved you.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t you?¡± Veronica furrowed her brows as she couldn¡¯t understand why Matthew refused to admit


    to it.


    ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of me saving you.¡± The man lifted his eyes, revealing his


    indifference.


    Looking at his cold attitude, she began to question


    herself. Was it really not him who saved me yesterday? If it wasn¡®t him, where did the wound on the back


    of his hande from?


    After that, Matthew rose to his full height and left the ward with a cold face.


    Thomas, who was guarding outside the ward, closed the door and left after Matthew.


    Looking back at Veronica¡¯s ward, Thomas couldn¡¯t help but feel confused. ¡°Young Master Matthew, you


    clearly saved Miss Murphy yesterday. Why won¡¯t you admit to


    it?¡±


    When he rushed to the scene and saw his own boss carrying Veronica out of the fire, he waspletely


    left dumbfounded.


    He was so shocked that his mouth was gaping because in his memory, his boss wouldn¡¯t risk his life for


    anyone!


    The moment his words came out, Matthew paused in his footsteps and he turned to stare at Thomas.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Those sharp eyes were enough to send shivers down Thomas¡¯ spine as he couldn¡¯t help but take a gulp


    of his saliva.


    ¡°This matter ends here.¡± Matthew warned him never to mention it again.


    After that, the man went straight to Elizabeth¡¯s ward.


    As for Thomas, he stood and watched his boss back as he understood that Matthew just didn¡¯t want to


    admit to his passive feelings.


    Maybe his pride is preventing him from epting the fact that he has fallen in love with an ugly and ordin


    ary girl from the countryside.


    After entering the ward, Matthew could see Elizabeth on the bed receiving the drip treatment.


    VY


    Seeing the gauze wrapped around his wound, she asked, ¡°What happened to you? Why is your hand


    injured?¡±


    ¡°I identally burned myself,¡± he answered casually.


    ¡°You¡¯re an adult now, so you should be more careful. Oh, dear.¡± Elizabeth sighed before looking at the


    intravenous drip. ¡°How long do I have to stay here?¡±


    ¡°The blood clot in your brain hasn¡¯t dissipated, so you¡¯ll need to stay here for a while.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Veronica? She promised that she woulde to visit me, so where is she?¡± The moment she


    mentioned Veronica, she cast a scrutinizing gaze on Matthew. ¡°Did you do something to anger her and


    make her leave?¡±


    The man¡¯s dashing face darkened while a hint of resignation surfaced.


    ¡°Tiffy has left too,¡± he uttered.


    It felt as though he was asking why Elizabeth didn¡¯t say anything when he allowed Tiffany to leave.


    ¡°Now that Tiffy is gone, you can ask Veronica toe and visit me. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be bored.¡±


    When Veronica previously stayed at the Kings Residence for a few days, the two of them had mingled


    with each other well. Elizabeth was particrly satisfied with Veronica¡¯s simple and frank personality.


    However, Matthew couldn¡¯t understand why she had liked Veronica that much, but in order to allow


    Elizabeth to properly recuperate, he could only lie, ¡°She¡¯s away on a business trip.¡±


    The doctor had instructed Elizabeth to be on bed rest for a week and not to move because of the brain


    hemorrhage. On top of that, she must not allow herself to be angry, so lying was the only way for


    Matthew.


    ¡°Hmph, I may be old, but my brain is still functional. Veronica doesn¡¯t have a job, so why does she have


    a business trip?¡±


    ¡°She went to work in Xavier¡¯spany.¡±


    ¡°What? She went to Xavier¡¯spany? Oh my, that boy isn¡¯t reliable at all. He may end up deceiving


    that silly girl. Why don¡¯t you arrange for her to work in yourpany?¡±


    Matthew was rendered


    speechless. I don¡®t think I have ever seen her this concerned about me before. ¡°Not everyone can join


    the Spinfluence Group,¡± he uttered coldy while crossing his legs. With his head down, he looked at the


    company¡¯s information that was sent to his phone.


    Unexpectedly, his words angered Elizabeth, so she pped his arm and roared, ¡°What are you saying?


    Veronica is my goddaughter. What¡¯s the problem? Do my words not mean anything anymore? Am I no


    longer the head of the Kings Family?!¡±


    A manchild was probably the best way to describe her as she would throw a tantrum from time to time


    like a child.


    While raising his dark brows, Matthew had no choice but to say, ¡°After you are


    discharged from the hospital, you can do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Elizabeth grunted coldly with an arrogant gesture as if she had just won their


    bickering.


    Knock! Knock!


    Then, a bodyguard came and knocked on the door.


    When Matthew came out, the bodyguard said to him, ¡°Young Master Matthew, Miss Murphy said that she


    wants to be discharged from the hospital.¡±

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    Since there was a door separating the small living room and the ward, Elizabeth didn¡¯t hear what the


    bodyguard had said.


    With a slightly chilly face, Matthew.went around the bodyguard and walked toward Veronica¡¯s ward.


    When he entered, he saw her getting up from bed with the intention to leave.


    He entered the ward and coldly questioned, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just want to be discharged from the hospital,¡± she answered.


    ording to her original n, she hoped to make a big deal out of the fire so that she could use the


    public¡¯s concern to expose the Larson Family¡¯s true nature.


    Veronica even deliberately released some rumors so that she would be interviewed.


    Although she had finally gained the reporters¡¯ attention, Matthew used his personal connections to block


    them outside the hospital.


    ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± Matthew stood in front of her while his dashing face radiated some cold air.


    Even though his words were harsh, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to feel his concerns for her.


    ¡°I can recover from the burns on my feet and arms at home.¡±


    Since he had saved her, Veronica didn¡¯t want to argue with him.


    Besides, when she was in her apartment, she had all the time to escape, but she purposely chose not to


    do so to ensure that the incident would be big enough to attract the public¡¯s attention.


    Therefore, she intentionally burned her feet and arms to make it seem more realistic.


    She rose to her full height and decided to head outside, but her path was blocked by Matthew standing


    at the door of the ward.


    Veronica lifted her head and looked at him with annoyance. ¡°Please step aside.


    Her attitude was firm as she was determined to leave the hospital.


    However, he remained motionless while staring at her with his cold gaze.


    The moment their eyes met each other, they were filled with mixed emotions that were impossible for


    anyone to decipher.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to repeat myself.¡±


    Matthew would not allow her to leave.


    Looking at his actions, Veronica didn¡¯t know whether to cry orugh. ¡°Matthew, mind your own business.¡±


    The change in attitude of Veronica and Matthew toward each other was reflected in their subtle


    interaction.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    An example would be his concern for her and how easy it was for her to call him by his name instead of


    Young Master Matthew), which was what she used to address him by.


    The proud man ced both his hands in his pocket and red at her coldly as if nothing mattered to


    him.


    He remained silent. After Veronica stared at him for a while, she suddenly raised her brow. ¡°Are you


    concerned about me? Tsk, tsk, could it be that you have fallen in love with me?¡±


    She walked up to the front of Matthew with a sarcastic smile on her tanned and slightly ugly face as her


    words were filled with mockery.


    Listening to her, he couldn¡¯t help but furrow his dark brows. Then, he let out a faint snot. ¡°You¡¯re


    dreaming.¡±


    For a moment, it felt as though Veronica¡¯s words had instantly pulled him back to reality, making him


    question himself on his decision to rush into the firest night to save a woman who had nothing to do


    with him.


    Have I really fallen in love with her? No, I would never fall for such an ugly


    woman. Does she really think a


    country girl who is an embarrassment is worthy of my liking? In her dreams!


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter, your death wouldn¡¯t matter to me.¡±


    Matthew gave a reasonable exnation as if he was convincing himself why he would suddenly rush into


    the fire to save her.


    ¡°Veronica? Oh my God. Veronica, are you alright? You scared me.¡±


    Just as Veronica was about to say something, someone suddenly entered the ward and interrupted her.


    Her eyes nced to the side and looked past Matthew to find Tiffany standing by the door.


    She sneered in her heart when she saw Tiffany. Is


    she that eager to see whether I¡®m dead or not? Looks like I¡®ve disappointed her.


    ¡°Matthew, you¡¯re here.¡±


    When Tiffany saw the news yesterday that Veronica wasn¡¯t dead, she was infuriated.


    However, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for her to show up herete at night, so she waited until early in the


    morning to visit her.


    Unexpectedly, the moment she came over, she saw Veronica seducing her fiance again.


    At that moment, she couldn¡¯t wait to strangle Veronica to death herself.


    Matthew turned back and saw Tiffany. ¡°You came just in time. Since you are her friend, you should keep


    herpany.¡±


    His voice sounded casual, but at the same time, it felt as though he was ordering her.


    As a famousdy in Bloomstead, Tiffany, who was crowned the most talented and beautiful woman in the


    city, couldn¡¯t help but feel deeply insulted by his


    words. Is he asking me to keep herpany? She is just a b*tch who came out of the countryside!


    ¡°Alright, Matthew. It just so happens that I want to meet her too.¡±


    Even though she was deeply insulted by Matthew¡¯s words, she still agreed to his request.


    After that, the reason why she came over this morning in such a hurry was to look for Veronica!


    After ncing at Veronica with his cold gaze, Matthew withdrew his eyes and turned around to leave


    without batting an eye on Tiffany.


    His indifferent looks felt like a dagger that was pierced into Tiffany¡¯s heart. It had hurt so much that she


    found it difficult to breathe since she now felt that there wasn¡¯t any ce for her in Matthew¡¯s heart at all.


    However, his actions had only made her love him even more, so she was now frantically obsessed with


    having him all for herself.


    At the moment, her biggest enemy was¡­


    Her sharp, bright eyes narrowed slightly for a moment while a cold light emerged under her eyes. Then,


    she viciously nced at Veronica and said with a smile, ¡°Matthew, you can keep Grandmapany for


    now. I¡¯ll go and see herter.¡±


    Tiffany¡¯s sweet and gentle voice was something countless men in Bloomstead craved for, but no one


    knew that there was a cruel heart under her delicate skin.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Matthew simply replied to her before leaving.


    While standing in the corridor, she watched as Matthew entered Elizabeth¡¯s ward before turning toward


    Veronica. Then, she entered the ward and closed the door.


    At that moment, her stunningly beautiful face suddenly revealed a creepy smile that would send chills


    down anyone¡¯s spine.


    However, Veronica wasn¡¯t moved whatsoever.


    ¡°Tiffany, did youe here to see whether I¡¯m dead or not? Tsk tsk, are you disappointed to see that I¡¯m


    fine standing here?¡± She revealed a smug smile on her tanned face.


    There was an obvious hint of mockery in her words.


    She was intentionally provoking Tiffany so that Tiffany would say more words¡¯ that she wanted to hear.


    ¡°Veronica, I must say that you¡¯re a lucky girl. I can¡¯t believe that the fire didn¡¯t burn you alive!¡±


    Tiffany was wearing a one-shoulder rolled-edge dress with long hair that reached her waist. Even though


    she had a little makeup on her face, she still looked innocent and gentle, which gave everyone a sense


    of a youngdy.


    However, under her gorgeous facade was a heartless monster.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help that I¡¯m one lucky girl.¡± Veronica raised her brow and gave a smug smile again. Then, she


    lifted her arm which was now bandaged. ¡°The burn marks on my feet and arms aren¡¯t even bigger than


    my palm. Can you guess who saved me from the fire?¡±


    With that, she turned and sat down on the bed while looking at Tiffany with interest.


    As she listened to Veronica, Tiffany furrowed her delicate brows. Even though the woman hadn¡¯t said


    anything, Tiffany could vaguely guess who it was, so she shook her head. ¡°Impossible. You¡¯re talking


    nonsense.¡±

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    ¡°Are you sure I¡¯m speaking nonsensei Reality is exactly what you think it is, though. It was Matthew who


    saved me from the fire and had me transferred to Saint Hospital.¡±


    Saint Hospital was one of the Kings Family¡¯s enterprises, so Veronica¡¯s presence here was the best


    proof.


    When she listened to Veronica¡¯s teasing tone, Tiffany clenched her fists and sank her nails deep into her


    palm to the point where blood was almost pouring out. Yet, she had felt nothing


    She couldn¡¯t wait to go up and strangle Veronica to death now that she was on the verge of copsing in


    anger.


    However, after years of ¡®training, Tiffany had learned to resist her anger in front of others.


    That was why no matter how angry she was, she couldpose herself within a few short seconds to


    calmly reply, ¡°So what? It¡¯s only because Old Mrs. Kings likes you, which prompted him to save you.¡±


    She had been so exasperated that her body started to slightly shiver.


    However, since Elizabeth¡¯s ward was right next to them, she couldn¡¯t lose her temper or be hysterical.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re beautiful, so everything you say is right.¡± Veronica didn¡¯t refute Tiffany since she


    knew that her attempt to provoke Tiffany had worked, so she merely added, ¡°What are you doinging


    over to me this early in the morning? Your parents sent someone to set fire to my house and failed, so


    are you now trying to get at me again after the attempted murder


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so cocky yet.¡± Tiffany could no longer endure the provocation and went over to whisper, ¡°Have


    you forgotten about your parents back home?¡±


    The moment Veronica¡¯s adoptive parents were mentioned, Veronica¡¯s expression instantly changed as


    she sat up on the hospital bed in a sh. ¡°Y-You¡­ Tiffany, don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, your adoptive parents are now in my hands. If you don¡¯t want them to die, you better leave


    Bloomstead and disappear in front of Matthew forever. Otherwise,


    don¡¯t me me for not considering our sisterly love.¡±


    Sisterly love? What a way with words! This is probably the most sarcastic thing I¡®ve ever heard. ¡°Sisterly


    love?¡± Veronica didn¡¯t know how Tiffany was able to utter these two words. Her bright eyes flickered with


    a cold intent while she stared at Tiffany with a sharp gaze unblinkingly. ¡°Is all this scheming part of your


    sisterly love!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk nonsense with you. I¡¯m now giving you two choices: you can either stay and let your


    adoptive parents die, or you can get the hell out of Bloomstead and nevere back again.¡±


    Since Elizabeth¡¯s ward was next to them, Tiffany didn¡¯t wish to confront Veronica.


    Besides, using Veronica¡¯s adoptive parents as a threat, Tiffany was able to do whatever she wanted


    without worrying about Veronica telling Elizabeth.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll leave, but please let my parents off the hook.¡±


    ¡°As long as you leave, I promise to let them go.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± Veronica dly agreed. ¡°However, Matthew won¡¯t let me leave now. As you can see, there¡¯s a


    bodyguard guarding at the door. Go and get rid of him first.¡±


    With a faint smile on her red lips, Tiffany couldn¡¯t hide thecency and arrogance on her gorgeous


    face. ¡°I know you will eventuallye to your senses.¡± After that, she added, ¡°Once you leave


    Bloomstead, my parents will give you some money and send you all away. The farther the better.


    Veronica, don¡¯t me me. You


    can only me fate for putting you in this situation.¡±


    In Bloomstead, only one of them could stay.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Veronica lifted her head slightly, signaling Tiffany to quickly get rid of the bodyguard standing at


    the door.


    However, her excessive obedience made Tiffany even more suspicious.


    Therefore, she examined Veronica with her gaze and stared at her for a few seconds, as if she was


    trying to find anything suspicious on her face, but there was nothing.


    She thought that the reason she was forced to be this obedient to her was probably because she was


    worried about her adoptive parents.


    Veronica watched while Tiffany went out the ward and living room before saying something to the


    bodyguard standing outside, so he left.


    At that moment, Veronica¡¯s lips curled upward and revealed a smile as if victory was at hand.


    Then, she opened the door and went out.


    When she walked out of the ward, she nced at Tiffany standing at the door and immediately went


    around her without saying a word.


    Meanwhile, Tiffany stood there and watched as the injured Veronica limped step by step to the elevator


    before a strong feeling of unease arose in her


    heart. Her eyes are calm and indifferent as if they are a body of stagnant water. When I carefully look at


    her eyes, it feels like I¡®m looking at a dying person.


    Tiffany felt that there was something wrong, but she couldn¡¯t point out what it was.


    However, no matter what schemes Veronica had, it meant nothing to her.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    After looking back at Elizabeth¡¯s ward, Tiffany picked up her phone and walked toward the stairs where


    she called her father, Floch. ¡°Dad, Veronica has just left the hospital. You can carry out your n.¡±


    She hung up on the call and rubbed the phone screen with her thumb. As she looked at the window at


    the stairway, she could no longer conceal the coldness deep in her eyes.


    Yesterday, she didn¡¯t want Veronica to die in the fire. Instead, she wanted Veronica¡¯s face to be so badly


    disfigured that Veronica would be an ugly woman.


    At that moment, everyone in the world would find out who she really was.


    However, not only did her face turn out fine, she didn¡¯t die!


    In the meantime, the moment Veronica left the hospital, she realized that the reporters who were


    supposed to be at the entrance were now gone. Instead, there were a few more suspicious-looking men


    not far away, staring at her with strange eyes.


    Suddenly, she felt a thump inside her heart as she couldn¡¯t help but gulp.


    When she was about to turn around, she realized that there were also several people


    staring at her in the lobby of the hospital.


    She was being attacked on all sides!


    At that moment, she realized that she had underestimated her enemies.


    She pretended to be calm while her hand inadvertently moved toward her wristwatch to press a certain


    button. ¡°Cody, I don¡¯t know if you can hear me now, but I want you to immediately contact the Twitter


    blogger I gave you. I want you to send all the recordings given to you yesterday and the videos


    previously given to you!¡±


    Veronica knew that the operation this time would be risky, but her gratitude to her parents had trumped


    everything. My parents gave me my life, so I must avenge them to repay them for raising me. Also, I have


    As for her adoptive parents, she wasn¡¯t worried about them because she had asked Xavier a long time


    ago for a few people with good hands to watch her parents 24 hours a day. Her parents being kidnapped


    was merely a plot to confuse the Larson Family.


    Then, she grabbed a man walking past her. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m sorry. Can you lend me your phone for a second?


    I forgot to bring my phone and I want to make a call.¡±


    ¡°Well, okay. No problem.¡±


    After the man handed his phone to her, Veronica wanted to call Matthew, but she couldn¡¯t remember his


    number at all.


    Other than her adoptive parents, the only number she remembered was Xavier¡¯s

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    However, when Veronica called Xavier, no one answered the call.


    Therefore, she could only text him instead: Xavier, I¡¯m Veronica. If anything happens to me, help my


    parents to im my ident insurance and send them away from here.


    After typing the message, she sent it off to him.


    Then, she typed something on the phone again and handed it back to the man next to her. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    The man took his phone and left.


    However, after waiting for him to leave, several men standing in the hospital lobby directly approached


    her.


    Immediately, Veronica screamed, ¡°Help! Help-um.


    Just as she was about to run off, a few ¡®doctors¡¯ in white coats grabbed hold of her and covered her


    mouth. ¡°Why are you running away again?¡±


    The ¡®attending doctor¡¯ stood beside and waved his hand to a few people next to him. ¡°Hurry up and send


    her to the asylum. We can¡¯t afford to let her hurt anyone.¡±


    ¡°Sob..¡± Ignoring the burn on the back of her feet, Veronica continued to struggle and kicked the man


    beside her before screaming at the onlookers, ¡°Help me! Help me! Call the police, please.¡±


    ¡°Stop being useless and quickly grab her!¡± Seeing that Veronica was struggling with force, the ¡®attending


    doctor¡¯ ordered, ¡°You over there, carry her back here.¡±


    Then, four strong men in white coats pressed Veronica onto the ground before carrying her away on her


    limbs and covering her mouth.


    When the surrounding crowd saw the scene, they started discussing.


    ¡°That person looks pretty normal to me.¡±


    ¡°Is this some kind of kidnapping?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her before.¡±


    ¡°Which hospital are you from?¡±


    Facing the crowd¡¯s questioning, the attending doctor¡¯ took out his medical proof¡¯. ¡°She is our hospital¡¯s


    mental patient. This is her second time trying to escape from the hospital. Thest time she escaped,


    she even stabbed someone.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s scary!¡±


    ¡°We should keep our distance from her.¡±.


    ¡°Who said she¡¯s not mentally ill?¡±


    ¡°This is terrifying. What¡¯s wrong with your hospital? Can¡¯t you even look after one mental patient?¡±


    Since they were worried that they would be stabbed by the mentally ill patient, the onlookers all took a


    step back.


    As they tried to avoid Veronica, they had even less doubt about the truth¡¯ of the matter.


    Meanwhile, Veronica struggled as she was carried into a car owned by the asylum not far away. The car


    drove off after the door was mmed shut.


    At the same time, in the inpatient department building, Tiffany was standing beside the window to


    witness everything that happened below.


    Her red lips curled upward to form the prettiest smile on her gorgeous


    face. Veronica, you¡®re intelligent, but you are no match against my dad. From now on, you¡®ll be spending


    the rest of your life in the asylum. You¡®ll be there forever... Forever!


    What she said to Veronica earlier was half the truth.


    Although it was true that her adoptive parents had been kidnapped, she had tricked Veronica into leaving


    so that the people downstairs could take her


    away. Now that she¡®s in the asylum... She will forever be a mental patient!


    ¡°Why are you here? And where is Veronica?¡±


    Suddenly, a voice appeared from the back,


    The familiar voice made her shiver as she looked back and saw Matthew standing by the staircase


    looking down at her from above.


    ¡°Matthew, I¡¯m on a call with my friend.¡± She calmly waved her phone before furrowing her brows. ¡°What


    did you say? Veronica? Wasn¡¯t she in her ward earlier? She told me that she wanted some breakfast, so


    I asked the bodyguard to buy it for her.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s face darkened as he thought that Veronica had intentionally asked the bodyguards to leave so


    that she could make her escape.


    Seeing his facial expression, Tiffany felt a little upset, but the moment she remembered that Veronica


    would forever disappear from his sight, her mood was instantly lifted up.


    ¡°Matthew, are you worried about her?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask with resentment.


    At this point, she still couldn¡¯t understand how Veronica was still able to attract Matthew¡¯s special


    attention as well as Xavier even though she didn¡¯t have any talents and had disguised herself as an ugly


    girl.


    As a noble in Bloomstead, she was always showered with praises from countless people, but in the end,


    she still lost to Veronica, who happened to be her little sister.


    Therefore, her jealousy grew to such a stage where it twisted her heart.


    ¡°Grandma likes her a lot.¡±


    Matthew gave an extremely generic answer, cleverly dodging Tiffany¡¯s tricky question.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Tiffany nodded and lowered her eyes to perfectly hide her guilt. In a second, she managed to calm


    herself down before adding, ¡°I¡¯ll go and visit Grandma now.¡±


    She walked up the steps in her heels and passed by Matthew. The moment she nced at him from a


    close distance, she realized that he was looking at her gloomily as though he had something in mind.


    Tu¨Ctum


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Suddenly, she felt her heart pounding frantically as his piercing gaze felt like he was exposing all her


    schemes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head off first then, Matthew.¡±


    Even with so much guilt, Tiffany was still able to keep herposure and leave.


    The Larson Family had originally consisted of ordinary business people, but due to Tiffany¡¯s outstanding


    performance, the family gained attention whereby their status leaped to be an upper-ss family in


    the business world.


    It could be seen that she had paid a lot for the ¡®morous life¡¯ she now had.


    TO


    That was the reason why she couldn¡¯t stand it when Veronica, who was someone from the countryside,


    stole the limelight.


    After Tiffany left, Matthew took out his phone and called Thomas immediately. ¡°Go and check where


    Veronica went.¡±


    He hung up the phone after giving a simple order.


    Inside Elizabeth¡¯s ward, Tiffany sat beside the bed and gently massaged her leg. ¡°Grandma, your leg


    must be ufortable from being in bed for so long, so I learned a massage technique especially for


    you. What do you think? Is itfortable?¡±


    In an attempt to gain the older woman¡¯s liking, Tiffany did all she could to please her.


    She even set aside her ego to massage Elizabeth¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Hehe, you sure are a lovely girl.¡±


    Although Elizabeth liked Veronica, she found that Tiffany was also quite a nice girl after spending some


    time with her. She is gentle, intelligent, and has a good personality.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether others like me or not as long as you do,¡± she said sweetly while smiling at


    Elizabeth.


    ¡°Of course I like you. You¡¯re Matthew¡¯s fiancee.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    As the two of them happily chatted, Matthew was sitting in the living room right outside the ward.


    When his phone rang, Tiffany, who had been talking to Elizabeth, immediately pricked up her ears to


    carefully listen to the conversation outside while her eyes


    brightened.


    ¡°The surveince camera was broken?¡±


    Tiffany vaguely heard the words from him.


    As a result, she immediately felt a huge weight lifted from her heart. Dad is always one step


    ahead. He knew that Matthew would check the surveince camera to track


    down Veronica, so he hacked the


    surveince video in Saint Hospital in advance. There won¡®t be any evidence if we don¡®t leave any traces.


    Elizabeth inquired, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Elizabeth had only liked Tiffany because she was someone whom Matthew loved. Even though she was


    always gentle and well-behaved, Elizabeth vaguely felt that she didn¡¯t know the girl that well. In other


    words, it felt as though there was a thinyer concealing Tiffany¡¯s true self.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking that you must feel lonely living on your own in the Kings Residence.


    From now on, I will visit you more often when I have the chance,¡± she said hypocritically with a gentle


    smile.


    ¡°Haha, that would be great. I always feel bored when I¡¯m alone at home¡­


    Just as Elizabeth was about to agree to what Tiffany had said, she changed her mind after realizing that


    Veronica was now her god-granddaughter. If she allowed Tiffany to freely enter and exit the Kings


    Residence, it would only cause more trouble for Veronica.


    Therefore, she quickly changed her answer. ¡°However, after being alone for so long, I¡¯m afraid I might


    not be used to havingpany. I appreciate your kindness, but you should spend more time with


    Matthew whenever you¡¯re free. The two of you should go out for walks and movies like what most


    youngsters do.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Grandma.¡± Tiffany nodded while her heart was full of resignation. She had wanted to go on


    dates and movies with Matthew, but he wouldn¡¯t give her the chance.


    In the meantime, Veronica was kidnapped into an ambnce. As soon as she was taken into the


    ambnce, she kept her cool despite being in danger and quickly nced at everything that was in the


    vehicle, but there was nothing that could help


    her.


    Bang!


    After the door was locked, the four strong men followed her into the ambnce while the ¡®attending


    doctor¡¯ sat in the driver¡¯s seat.


    While in despair, she felt an endless sense of chilling fear running down her spine.


    Then, she suddenly saw two syringes on a tray in the ambnce. Veronica¡¯s instinct told her that these


    were either anesthesia or a type of sleeping agent that were prepared for her.


    Due to the tight and narrow space within the ambnce, she took the chance and


    pretended to stagger to the front to grab the syringes since the other men were seated behind her. After


    that, she carefully looked back at the men behind her before lifting her feet to kick them.


    Veronica had used almost all of her strength on that one kick, so the man who bore the impact fell


    directly behind, which caused the rest to all fall with him.


    There was only a row of seats and although the stretcher had been removed, the space inside the


    ambnce was still narrow. When the men fell, the others fell with him as well and found it difficult to get


    up immediately.


    At that moment, Veronica seized the opportunity and jumped on top of them with the syringes in her


    hand. She inserted the needle into the bodies of two men and injected the anesthesia as fast as she


    could.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°She stole the anesthesia!¡±


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    She might have injected the anesthesia into the two men-one on his chest and the other on his thigh, but


    she didn¡¯t know whether an injection site on these positions would have the desired effect. However,


    there was one thing she was sure of-the dosage that they prepared for her wasn¡¯t small.


    ¡°Damn, you b*tch!¡± The man who was injected went berserk as he pulled Veronica¡¯s hair and stood up to


    kick her belly.


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± The kick was so hard that it made her stagger backward and m onto the back of the


    ambnce. She then bounced off the wall and kneeled on the ground. ¡°Hiss...¡±


    The pain from both her head and stomach was enough to distort her expression and stop her from


    moving for a while.


    ¡°You fucking bitc=¡±The manat the very front pointed and started to scold her. However, before he could


    even finish his sentence, he paused abruptly and shook his head vigorously while holding his head. In


    the end, he fell on the floor.


    At the same time, the other man beside him copsed inside the ambnce too. When she saw this


    scene, Veronica breathed a huge sigh of relief. As expected, that is an excessive amount of dosage!


    Although she had fortunately managed to inject the anesthesia into the two men, it had her thinking


    about the consequences if she was the one who had been injected with


    it. Would I be dead or assaulted?


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve underestimated this b*tch.¡± The two men who were still standing looked at their fallen


    comrades and spat on the floor before walking toward Veronica with their sleeves rolled up.


    Veronica was still in pain from the kick to her belly, so she gritted her teeth tightly to keep the pain at bay.


    With a quick nce, she saw a fire extinguisher ced in the corner. However, the fire extinguisher was


    behind the two men, which was difficult for her to reach.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°W-What do you want? Floch wants you to kidnap me, but he didn¡¯t say that you can kill me!¡± Now that


    she trembled in fear, she was standing with difficulty.


    ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t me us. We¡¯re just doing this for the money.¡± With that, the man rushed toward her, but


    she was able to grab a certain apparatus next to her leg andnded the blow on him.


    The thing wasn¡¯t heavy, so when the man swung his arm, the item immediately fell onto the floor. The


    moment he moved his arm, Veronica stepped on the two unconscious men and leaped to the corner


    behind them. There initially wasn¡¯t much space inside the ambnce, but now that there were two


    muscr men on the floor, the space had narrowed even more.


    Veronica was able to dodge the man in the front but not the one behind him. Before she could even


    retrieve the fire extinguisher, he had already grabbed her hair.


    A girl¡¯s hair was always an inconvenience, but since most of her long hair was burned inst night¡¯s fire,


    she only had short hair that reached her neck. While being tightly grabbed, she raised her hand and


    yanked her hair before making a strong dash forward so that it would slip out of the man¡¯s hand.


    Veronica then took the chance to grab the fire extinguisher before quickly turning around to smash it


    heavily on the man¡¯s head. After a bang was heard, there was a little residual sound on the fire


    extinguisher.


    Upon seeing the man falling to the floor, thest man standing reached out to snatch the fire extinguisher


    from her. While she tried her best to struggle, she was no match against his strength. Then, she lifted her


    foot to kick the man¡¯s crotch. As he groaned painfully, the man immediately released his grip on the fire


    extinguisher and leaned


    to the side while covering his crotch. He was in so much pain that his face was now distorted.


    However, the other man who was assaulted in the head juinped on Veronia thereafter, but she was quick


    enough to pull the pin and break the seal of the fire extinguisher. As soon as he touched the fire


    extinguisher, she pressed the button and it began to spray¡­


    Since the fire extinguisher was pointed directly at him at the same time he was about to say something,


    the dry powder that she sprayed all went into his mouth.


    ¡°Cough... Cough...¡± Coughing uncontrobly, the man held his neck with both hands and felt extreme


    difort.


    Then, without any hesitation, Veronica pointed the fire extinguisher at the other guy and sprayed the dry


    power directly onto his face. The man was so helpless that he squatted down in the corner and threw in


    the towel.


    Once everything was taken care of, she leaned against the wall in exhaustion. Not giving herself a


    chance to catch her breath, she quickly pressed the emergency button to open the door.


    Looking at the receding scenery and the car behind the ambnce, she threw the fire extinguisher on


    the ground.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    The person in the car behind the ambnce was so shocked that they turned the steering wheel and


    immediately stopped.


    Then, Veronica quickly jumped from the ambnce and rolled on the ground, but she had hurt herself


    everywhere.


    Since the ambnce siren had been loudly turned on during the entire journey, no one in the driver¡¯s


    seat could hear what happened in thepartment.


    Therefore, she sessfully jumped from the ambnce, but after falling on the ground, she wasn¡¯t able


    to stand on her feet due to the pain she felt.


    Shey on the ground and watched as the ambnce drove farther away to make sure that the people


    in thepartment didn¡¯t follow her.


    Then, the woman from the vehicle behind alighted from her car and shouted while pointing at her. ¡°Hey,


    are you blind? Did you know that I almost crashed into you?¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Veronica stood up and bowed to the woman with sincere apologies. At first, she wanted to use her phone


    to call the police but was scared that the Larson Family already had the cops on their side.


    In the end, she decided to ask the woman, ¡°Can you give me a ride?¡±


    The woman was dressed in a ck professional attire with ck-rimmed sses and resembled a


    corporate elite.


    After thoroughly looking at Veronica and the ambnce that drove away, the woman answered, ¡°There¡¯s


    no way I¡¯m giving you a ride. However, I can call the police for you.¡±


    With a vignt mind, the woman was naturally being cautious after witnessing the shocking situation.


    ¡°Then, can you lend me your phone for me to make a call?¡± Veronica asked while holding her belly


    She hadn¡¯t recovered from that muscr man¡¯s fierce kick.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After the woman handed the phone to her, Veronica gave Cody a call. ¡°Cody, I¡¯m at the intersection of


    Preston Road and Pines Street, which is fifty meters to the east. I need you to hurry up and pick me up.


    Right now!¡±


    After the call, she returned the phone to the woman, but just as she was about to leave, the ambnce


    sirens were suddenly heard again.


    Veronica paled at the situation because when both women turned to look at the direction of the sound,


    they discovered that the ambnce, which had already driven off, was now turning back.


    ¡°Can you please let me hide in your trunk? You can go anywhere you want, and I¡¯lle out afterward.


    Is that okay?¡±


    She took the woman by the hand and begged.


    When driving the car earlier, the woman saw everything that happened in the ambnce, including the


    scene of Veronica jumping from the ambnce. Now, to her, Veronica felt like an injured civilian whom


    she should help. Otherwise, she would feel guilty.


    ¡°Okay. Quickly go in.¡±


    The woman entered her car and unlocked her trunk.


    After thanking her, Veronica went around the back of the car and crawled into the trunk. She then closed


    the lid and shouted, ¡°You can go now!¡±


    In the end, she hid inside the woman¡¯s trunk. As the sound of the ambnce faded into the distance, she


    finally breathed a huge sigh of relief.


    Matthew had an ominous feeling after receiving the call from Thomas in the hospital.


    Even though Veronica really wanted to leave then, she clearly looked exhausted when he entered her


    ward to see her. Not only did she refuse to sleep, she was even adamant on leaving the hospital.


    After connecting her kidnapping andst night¡¯s fire to the issue of the hospital¡¯s surveince video today,


    he couldn¡¯t help but realize one problem, which was¡­ Veronica had to be in danger!


    Matthew¡¯s phone suddenly rang, and when he nced at his phone on the table with a cold gaze, he


    saw Thomas¡¯ name shing on the screen.


    He went over to the table and answered the call. ¡°Have you found her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m currently trying my best to look for Miss Murphy. However, I just received a call from Castron, saying


    that there is a problem with our branch there. They need you to travel to Castron immediately to deal


    with it.¡± Thomas briefly exined the situation to Matthew on the phone. Before waiting for Matthew to


    respond, he quickly continued, ¡°Young Master Matthew, I¡¯ve already booked a ne ticket and it¡¯s


    departing in half an hour.¡±


    There weren¡¯t a lot of scheduled flights from Bloomstead to Castron, so he could only book the earliest


    one since the subsequent one was seven hours after the current flight.


    As the issue in Castron was an emergency, they were running out of time.


    Matthew had alway prioritized his work, but after hearing what Thomas said earlier today, he was slightly


    hesitant.


    ¡°Matthew,e in,¡± Elizabeth called from her ward, so he hung up the phone and entered the room.


    As he entered, she waved at him and said in a stern tone, ¡°I just received a call from Castron about the


    problem there. You must head there right now.¡±


    She had also received a call at the same time as him.


    Elizabeth initially thought that Matthew would immediately pack his things and rush to Castron after


    learning about the situation, but she was surprised to see his hesitation.


    Apart from Elizabeth, even Tiffany was aware of his expression.


    Everyone in the business world knew that Matthew was a workaholic, but he was now dying his work


    because of Veronica.


    Since when did Veronica be this important to him? Tiffany remained calm on the surface, but


    jealousy was already filling her heart.


    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m notfortable with Matthew going to Castron alone. Can you let


    me apany him?¡± Tiffanytched onto Elizabeth¡¯s arm and asked affectionately,


    This was a good opportunity for Tiffany to spend some time alone with Matthew in Castron, so she didn¡¯t


    want to miss out.


    More importantly, she realized that his concern for Veronica had far exceeded her expectation, so she


    had to keep an eye on him to prevent him from finding any clues that could bring the entire Larson


    Family into chaos.


    Elizabeth didn¡¯t like the idea of having Tiffany around her all the time, so she saw this as a good reason


    to get Tiffany off her back.


    Therefore, she nodded her head in agreement and looked up at Matthew. ¡°I can see that Tiffany¡¯s love


    for you is sincere. You should bring her to Castron with you. After all, she is your fiancee,¡± she said


    fervently.


    Her tone wasmanding as if there was no ce for negotiation.


    Listening to her, Matthew¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold, but before he could decline, Tiffany revealed a


    gentle smile and thanked Elizabeth in excitement. ¡°Thank you, Grandma. I¡¯m d to have you around.¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me. Time is running out. You should go back now and pack your stuff. We can¡¯t afford


    to bete.¡± Elizabeth reminded her.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll head back and pack my bags now.¡±


    Tiffany didn¡¯t expect to easily receive Elizabeth¡¯s approval, so she quickly stood up and told Matthew,


    ¡°Matthew, wait for me. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Even though they were engaged, she had always stayed in the Larson Residence and never had the


    chance to be intimate with Matthew.


    This time, if they were to travel to Castron together, she had to make the most of this opportunity to turn


    herself into the ¡®real¡¯ Mrs. Kings.


    Meanwhile, the man red at her with a chilly face that bore a hint of displeasure.


    Even though Tiffany had seen Matthew¡¯s expression, she ignored it and walked past him to leave as she


    only wanted to hurry home to retrieve her passport.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    After the woman had left, Matthew asked Elizabeth, ¡°Why did you ask her to tag along?¡±


    Elizabeth let out a sigh and exined, ¡°Sigh, you are not getting any younger, so how could you not have


    a woman by your side to take care of you? After all, she¡¯s your fianc¨¦e; you should start getting used to


    having her by your side.¡±


    She darted a look at him and continued with a hint of mockery in her tone, ¡°You were the one who


    wanted to be engaged with her in the first ce. What¡¯s wrong? Are you regretting your decision?¡±


    At first, Elizabeth tried everything she could to bring about the engagement between Matthew and


    Veronica, but he was unexpectedly stubborn to the point where he refused to agree to it. However, what


    puzzled Elizabeth even more was his current ambiguous attitude toward Tiffany.


    ¡°No,¡± he responded with a cold expression, a deadpan look on his handsome face.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± She waved her hand. ¡°The matter in Castron is pertinent, so you should quickly pack up


    and head over.¡±


    Matthew remained silent. He retracted his gaze and left the ward before giving


    Thomas a call.


    Thomas¡¯ phone rang for a while before he answered, ¡°Young Master Matthew, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°You have to ensure Veronica¡¯s safety for the entire duration I¡¯m at Castron,¡± Matthew instructed over the


    call.


    On the other end of the line, Thomas fell silent for an instant before he responded with a question, ¡°Sir,


    don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re paying too much attention to Miss Murphy?¡±


    As Matthew¡¯s personal assistant, it was his responsibility and obligation to constantly remind Matthew to


    be on top of things. ¡°You have once said that you will focus on your career and you don¡¯t wish for anyone


    to be a weakness that would threaten your performance.¡±


    Thomas knew Matthew better than anyone else as he had been following Matthew for more than ten


    years.


    He suddenly mmed the table in rage.


    Upon hearing the sudden news, Tiffany was overwhelmed by mixed feelings that consisted of mostly


    fear.


    She was afraid that the incident would be exposed in which Matthew would discover the truth. If that


    were to happen, it would destroy her reputation and taint the image that she had established for over


    twenty years!


    At that thought, a hint of murderous intent shed across her eyes. Rage started to grow inside her as


    she growled through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯ve said that she will be the Larson Family¡¯s greatest threat if


    she continues to live. You two have harmed her adoptive parents, but you two have suddenly be


    merciful and want to spare her life by imprisoning her in a mental hospital for the rest of her life. Isn¡¯t that


    ridiculous?¡±


    When they had a discussion about that incident, Tiffany had already suggested getting rid of Veronica


    once and for all.


    However, although both Floch and Rachel resented Veronica, they couldn¡¯t bear the thought of killing


    her.


    Whenever they were about to do something to her, Veronica¡¯s face, which looked exactly like Tiffany,


    would surface in their minds and soften their hearts.


    Rachel turned to sit on the couch, helplessly leaning against the furniture as she sighed with her head


    lowered. Her elegant bearing as an honorable woman of the family had vanished and she seemed to


    have aged at that instant.


    Floch quietly took a cigarette from the case and lit it up, smoking as he spoke, ¡°Matthew has already


    assigned people to search for Veronica. If he finds that b*tch, not only me but the entire Larson Family


    will be doomed. We have to bear in mind the fact that Old Mrs. Kings has acknowledged that b*tch as


    her god-daughter.¡±


    Tiffany was pissed and felt that the two of them were too soft-hearted, which would only lead them to


    failure.


    Nheless, she was unable to understand that as Veronica¡¯s parents, they couldn¡¯t bear to kill her no


    matter how much they had despised her, although Veronica had not been by their side for more than


    twenty years. This was also the reason why they had hesitated for a long time before forcing themselves


    to instruct for the fire to happen that night.


    Yet, the husband and wife had regretted their actions after that incident. In the end, Veronica managed to


    survive, which caused them to exhale in relief. They were probably hoping that they wouldn¡¯tmit too


    many sins while they were still alive.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Rachel turned to Floch, unable to make a decision.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to kill Veronica, we have to be prepared in advance and wait for her revenge on the


    Larson¡¯s Family. As long as she lives, she definitely won¡¯t let the Larson Family off the hook. The secret


    news posted by the famous influencer on Twitter is the strongest evidence that what I said will surely


    happen!¡± Tiffany didn¡¯t continue after she said her piece as she didn¡¯t want to waste any more time on


    her parents.


    All she had in mind now was to pack her luggage and head to Castron with Matthew. She would try her


    very best to maintain her rtionship with him in order to secure her position as ¡®Mrs. Kings.


    The couple watched as Tiffany jogged upstairs before they looked at each other.


    Floch darted a look at Rachel. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve said before that we can¡¯t keep Veronica around.¡±


    Although there was a tiny shred of reluctance inside him to take Veronica¡¯s life because he knew that she


    was his biological daughter, he still weighed the advantages and disadvantages of the situation like a


    businessman since he was an experienced one himself.


    If it hadn¡¯t been Rachel, who had been stubbornly insisting on allowing Veronica to live, he would have


    already ordered someone to take Veronica¡¯s life.


    Rachel plopped herself on the couch; her gaze became hollow as she looked outside the window. ¡°We


    will listen to what Tiffany said this time. Let¡¯s eradicate her to prevent future problems.¡±


    What Tiffany had said made a lot of sense. The Larson Family was about to coborate with the Kings


    Family through marriage, so they couldn¡¯t afford to see anything going wrong at this point.


    Plus, Elizabeth had taken a liking to Veronica and acknowledged her as her god daughter. If Veronica


    were to escape to Elizabeth and report the incident to the older woman or contact popr influencers on


    Twitter to expose all the sins that they hadmitted, the oue would be disastrous.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    ¡°That bunch of useless idiots couldn¡¯t even keep an eye on a woman!¡± The people whom Floch had


    found thought that they would be able to forever imprison Veronica in an inconspicuous mental hospital


    at the outskirts of Bloomstead without taking her life so that they could hide her away from the world.


    However, they never expected that she would escape.


    ¡°Inform the others. She must never be in touch with Old Mrs. Kings,¡± a flustered Floch instructed.


    As soon as he said that, Rachel raised her hand and stopped him. ¡°Hold on. Perhaps we can use


    another way.¡±


    ¡°What other way?¡± He turned to her with expectation.


    She rose from the couch and walked up to him, then whispered something in his ear.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was hiding in the trunk of a car that belonged to a mysterious woman while the


    vehicle sped down the road.


    The car suddenly came to a stop after traveling for quite a distance. Veronica¡¯s heart leaped into her


    mouth. In depression, she thought, Could it be that they managed to catch up with us?


    The woman remained silent behind the steering wheel and she didn¡¯t open the trunk, so Veronica, who


    was hiding in it, kept quiet as well.


    Crack.


    Veronica suddenly heard the sound of the car window shattering, which was followed by the woman¡¯s


    sharp shriek.


    ¡°Ah, what are you doing? Let me go! Let go of me!¡±


    It was obvious that the woman was in danger and she was resisting something or someone.


    At that moment, Veronica couldn¡¯t bear to stay put. She pulled the emergency lever and opened the


    trunk before she hopped out of the trunk and cried, ¡°Let go of,¡±


    ¡°Before she managed to utter thest word of ¡®her, the sight of the few men before her rooted her to the


    spot. She gaped at them, feeling totally astonished by what she saw.


    Before her eyes stood five or six foreign men dressed in camouge uniforms and berets. Their burly


    figures suggested that they might be mercenaries from other countries.


    F*ck! W¨CWhat in the world is going on?


    Veronica was well aware of the abilities of the Larson Family. Even if they were to send assassins to hunt


    her down, they wouldn¡¯t look for five or six professional fighters to take her life when she was nothing but


    a puny, weakdy. It would only drive up their cost!


    She was bbergasted to the point that her mind went


    nk. Who am I? Where am I? No, I should ask who the woman that drove the car earlier is? Why are th


    ese professional fighters here?


    Her appearance instantly attracted the gaze of the few men. All of them nced in her direction as they


    appraised her from head to toe before they turned to the capable woman in business attire to ask in


    broken English, ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°She-I don¡¯t know her. I ran into her on the street. She was begging for help, so I saved her,¡± the woman


    exined.


    Although every single word that she said was as true as steel, the few professional fighters exchanged


    nces with one another. It was obvious from their expressions that they didn¡¯t buy her words.


    The leader among them, a man with blond hair and a scar on his face, waved at the other men next to


    him and said, ¡°Take her along too.¡±


    Hence, two men walked toward Veronica. When she was about to resist them, she vaguely noticed the


    weapons behind their backs-guns!


    In consideration of her own safety, she didn¡¯t resist and, she obediently went along with the few men like


    a sitting duck when they escorted her into a ck MPV.


    The twodies sat in the middle row while a man sat next to them with his arms folded across his chest.


    He exuded a menacing aura and the intimidating air around him was frightening.


    At this moment, Veronica turned to the woman beside her and asked, ¡°Who are yo


    ho are these people?¡±


    The smart-lookingdy in business attire shrugged and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I didn¡¯t


    want to save you, but you insisted on getting into my car.¡±


    Veronica was rendered speechless. Such bad luck! I must


    have overlooked the bad omens before I left the house! ¡°Where are they taking us to?¡± she persisted,


    hoping to get more details out of the woman.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Will our lives be threatened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll depend on our fate.¡±


    ¡°Depends on our fate?¡± Veronica¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m no fortune teller, so how am I


    supposed to know how our fate will be?¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The foreign man beside them yelled while Veronica was in shock, which caused her


    expression to sink.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I speak when I have a mouth? Why should I shut up? Do you think that you are my parents?


    Who are you to tell me what to do? You¡ª¡±


    Feeling upset, she started thering at the man.


    However, before she finished saying what she wanted to say, the man was seen slowly pulling out a


    pistol from his camouge uniform and thereafter aiming the ck muzzle at her head. ¡°Huh?¡±


    A startled Veronica wore an awkward smile with a raised brow as her arrogance instantly vanished.


    ¡°Haha, I was joking. I was just joking. I guess you are not good with jokes.¡±


    A bright grin was stered on her face, but her gaze was focused on the pistol in his hand. It was a


    modified version of M9A1, which was mostly used in Mobros.


    Hence, she said nothing more and sat quietly in the car, but she eavesdropped on their conversation,


    which was done in Chinese, and vaguely discovered the identities of these few men.


    They were mercenaries!


    Someone had hired mercenaries to kidnap the woman beside her, which led to


    another question-who in the world was the woman?


    The series of questions continued to linger in Veronica¡¯s head, causing her to almost have an emotional


    breakdown. However, she knew that she was currently in a dangerous situation with her life at stake. Yet,


    she mustn¡¯t die because her adoptive parents would be waiting for her at home.


    The vehicle continued to move forward before it entered the highway of Bloomstead. They were traveling


    from the north to the south of the area. I wonder where we are heading toward, she thought.


    Throughout their journey, Veronica had tried numerous methods to escape, but to no avail.


    In the end, the car had traveled for three whole days before it arrived at thergest port at the


    southernmost part of Destor. The two women were taken to a cruise ship with their arms and feet bound.


    Then, they were confined in a tiny, dark room on the ship. The room had solid walls that were made of


    steel and the only source of sunlight was a tiny window that couldn¡¯t even fit a person


    In those three days, Veronica finally learned that the name of the woman with her was Yvonne Spencer.


    When the door was locked, Veronica directly rose from the floor and tossed aside the rope that had been


    used to tie her wrists. She tore the tape on her mouth away and paced around in the small room to


    stretch herself.


    ¡°Mm¨Cmmm...¡± Yvonne, whose arms were tied behind her and her legs bound together, looked at


    Veronica walking around freely. She wanted to say something to Veronica, but the tape that covered her


    mouth muffled her voice.


    Veronica, who was dressed in a hospital gown, leaned against the wall with her arms folded across her


    chest. She coldly looked down at Yvonne from her height and asked with a raised brow, ¡°Are you trying


    to ask me why I was able to untie the rope myself?¡±


    Yvonne nodded.


    ¡°This sort of rope-tying technique is not a challenge to me at all,¡± Veronica chuckled contemptuously


    Sitting on the floor, Yvonne shook her hands behind her back and murmured indistinct sounds at


    Veronica.


    Veronica leaned against the wallnguidly, shaking her legs as she shook her coldly. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not your


    comrade and I¡¯m not even close to you.¡±


    Yvonne tried to say something, so Veronica walked up to her and tore off the tape on her face. ¡°Spill it.


    Who are you and who are they? Only then will I untie you.¡±


    In the past three days, Veronica had frequently tried to look for a chance to escape but had failed in her


    quest.


    She had to admit that these people had undergone professional training. They were intelligent,


    observant, and were equipped with high counter-reconnaissance skills.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Those men would definitely discover what she was up to whenever she had any ns or thoughts to


    escape.


    When she had tried to escape the first time, she was grabbed by her hair and given a p on her face.


    The men had made two shots before her feet and warned her in broken English, ¡°If you dare to try to


    make another escape, you will take a bullet in your heart.¡±


    As the men were extremely skillful in their marksmanship, Veronica¡¯s few escape attempts had failed,


    which left her with no choice but to obediently follow them as she waited for a more suitable opportunity


    to rise.


    After all, she could never outrun a bullet no matter how fast she was and she had no ns to die either!


    Since Veronica didn¡¯t seem like a simple woman, Yvonne was aware that they would continue to be held


    captive if she refused to say anything. Therefore, as she sat on the floor, she replied in desperation, ¡°The


    men are mercenaries. I had offended their boss, so they are now doing everything they can to capture


    me.¡±


    As she spoke, Veronica stood at one side and carefully observed Yvonne¡¯s facial expression since her


    gut feeling was telling her that Yvonne was lying.


    However, she didn¡¯t press on the matter as she knew that Yvonne was unwilling to tell the truth.


    ¡°The cruise ship has started to sail. This room is pretty much sealed up, so we won¡¯t be able to escape.¡±


    The door of the room could only be opened from outside and there wasn¡¯t a handle inside the room, what


    more a keyhole.


    Veronica¡¯s gaze rested on the small window that could only fit two heads; no grown adult could pass


    through the window.


    ¡°The ship is heading toward Castron. It¡¯s their territory over there. If we are unable to escape now, we


    definitely won¡¯t be able to do so once we arrive at Castron.¡± Yvonne sat in the corner, leaning against the


    wall and looking at Veronica with a calm gaze.


    Yvonne¡¯s delicate features made her seem stunning even without any makeup on and she exuded an air


    of coldness and indifference. Although she had been kidnapped, there wasn¡¯t even a shred of fluster on


    her expression.


    Has the woman really been kidnapped? Veronica had a feeling that Yvonne took her as a fool.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    However, it was apparent that Yvonne was clear about the identities of the kidnappers, so Veronica


    chose not to initiate a fight with her since she still knew some valuable information.


    ¡°Is the ship going to make a stop anywhere along the way?¡± Veronica asked.


    ¡°It will head straight to Castron.¡±


    ¡°Head straight to Castron? You have boarded the ship before this?¡±


    ¡°No, but I heard them saying it,¡± Yvonne exined.


    Veronica massaged her temples and mumbled, ¡°A ne travels 40 times faster than a cruise ship. It


    takes 12 hours to travel from Destor to Castron by ne, so it will take about¡­ 20 days by cruise.¡±


    Three days had passed since she had been kidnapped. As she was wearing a special wiretap on her


    wrist, Cody must have known her situation.


    However, nobody hade to her rescue up until now.


    There were only two possibilities that could exin that-firstly, Cody was in some life-threatening danger


    or secondly, he had chosen to betray her! No matter what the truth was, the situation had left Veronica


    with no other choice but to save herself!


    Therefore, in the following few days, the two of them were on their best behaviors to lower the guard of


    the mercenaries. They were so sessful to the point that the men were willing to untie their ropes and


    allow them to move freely in a room with an attached bathroom; they even gave the two girls a few books


    to pass the time.


    Soon, one week had passed. Veronica would eat on time on a daily basis and make no fuss, which gave


    the impression that she was unbelievably well-behaved.


    Finally, even Yvonne couldn¡¯t suppress the urge to ask the woman before her, ¡°They have now lowered


    their guard. Aren¡¯t you nning to escape?¡±


    As there were two beds in the room, both of them were ced against the wall and each one took a bed.


    Veronica, who wasnguidly lying on the bed on her side, raised her eyes to look at Yvonne, who was


    sitting on the bed opposite hers. She was eating sunflower seeds


    and spat out the shells of the seeds as she responded, ¡°Why should I escape? When we are obedient,


    they not only untie our ropes and even provide us with fruits and books. Only idiots would resist that.¡±


    Of course she wanted to escape, but ever since the ship had started sailing, they were surrounded by


    nothing but the ocean and jumping into the vast sea would be suicidal.


    Besides, even if she was able to steal a lifeboat, she would make a hugemotion and it would attract


    the attention of the mercenaries.


    The moment the boatnded on the surface of the sea, she would be a ¡®life target¡¯ and the


    mercenaries could easily shoot her in the head.


    Therefore, rather than struggling now, it would be better to search for the right opportunity to escape


    once they have disembarked from the ship.


    Nheless, one afternoon, when Veronica was lying on the bed reading a book, she noticed that the


    brightness in the room had gradually weakened. She stopped cracking the sunflower seed open and


    sank into a deep thought


    They had departed from the port and traveled south all the way toward Castron.


    Their room was located at the western part of the ship, so the evening sunlight would pour into their


    window on time every evening. However, this day was different. When she looked outside the window,


    she couldn¡¯t see the sunset.


    ¡°Is it going to rain? Why can¡¯t we see the sunset today?¡± Yvonne, who was sitting opposite her, mumbled


    a question.


    Veronica instantly felt that something was not right, so she moved the table to the window and stepped


    on top of it. Then, she poked her head out of the window and saw the evening sunlight on the other side!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yvonne got out of bed and pulled Vanessa down the table before she herself stepped


    on the table to stick her head out of the window as well.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the ship will sail straight to Castron without making a stop anywhere?¡± Veronica


    questioned, coldly staring at Yvonne while standing in the middle of the room.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ I¡¯ve heard it wrong?¡± Yvonne was puzzled as well. ¡°I heard them saying that the ship will head


    straight to Castron when we were boarding the ship.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Veronica fell silent and turned to lie on her bed while sinking into deep thoughts


    again.


    Yvonne, who took in her reaction, tried to gauge her thoughts. ¡°Are you going to escape?¡±


    It was undeniable that Yvonne was a clever woman-at least she was way more intelligent than Tiffany.


    Veronica ignored Yvonne, turning to the other side with her back facing Yvonne as she closed her eyes


    to rest.


    ¡°You have to bring me along when you escape. Otherwise, I¡¯ll snitch,¡± Yvonne threatened.


    When Veronica heard that, the rage that she had been suppressing instantly red up. She directly sat


    up on her bed, walked up to Yvonne and grabbed her by her cor. ¡°Just tell me if you want to die! I will


    chop you into pieces and throw them into the ocean so that you can save some money since you won¡¯t


    be needing an urn or a casket!¡±


    ¡°W-Who wants to die? I don¡¯t want to die, which is why I¡¯m asking you to take me along with you.¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s cold and distant temperament instantly vanished and her expression sank as she looked at


    Veronica gloomily.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your parents and not rted to you either, so why should I save you?¡±


    ¡°I saved you as well that day.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Veronica was rendered speechless.


    Although Yvonne¡¯s act of saving her that day had indirectly caused her to fall into the hands of the


    mercenaries, it was still an act that was born out of kindness.


    Therefore, Veronica couldn¡¯t bear to leave her alone here.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She released her grip angrily and turned to her bed. Then, she sat down and started to think


    about their escape n.


    At this moment, Yvonne walked over and gave Veronica a gold, spherical, openwork pendant, which she


    had been wearing all the time. ¡°Please keep this pendant as a souvenir; a little something to remember


    our encounter, I suppose.¡±


    Veronica took a nce at the spherical pendant. There was a brilliant diamond within the sphere, and


    after taking a closer look at it, she found the word ¡®Yvonne¡¯ engraved on it.


    It was a in-looking but extremely valuable pendant.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need it.¡± Veronica thought that Yvonne¡¯s pendant was pretty, but she still rejected her offer as


    she didn¡¯t know about its value.


    Plus, Xavier had gifted her a ne prior to this, so she didn¡¯t need Yvonne¡¯s.


    ¡°We have known each other for at least ten days. Do you dislike me that much?¡± Standing before


    Veronica, Yvonne raised a brow as she questioned if Veronica disliked her.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Veronica was rendered speechless, but she wasn¡¯t bothered to answer her question as well.


    However, Yvonne chuckled at her silence. ¡°Your reaction tells me that you don¡¯t hate me. Come here, let


    me put this on you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Unable to resist her kindness, Veronica had no choice but to ept it. As a person who


    disliked owing favors, Veronica then removed the ne from her own neck and handed it to Yvonne.


    ¡°Here. A gift in return.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Yvonne epted the ne. And so, the duo exchanged nes.


    Thereafter, Yvonne sat down next to Veronica and looked at her as she whispered, ¡°Now that we have


    exchanged presents, can you tell me what¡¯s your escape n?¡±


    She deliberately got close to her so that Veronica would take her along when she escaped.


    ¡°There is no n.¡± Veronica was still cold toward Yvonne, and the former eveny on the bedzily.


    Yvonne, who seemed to have been used to his cold attitude, merely returned to her own bed andy


    down.


    Not long after that, a soft sound of the door being unlocked was heard from outside, and a mercenary


    entered their room.


    When they had first met the mercenaries, all of them were dressed in camouge uniforms, but they had


    changed into casual wear before boarding the ship to prevent attracting unnecessary attention.


    Presently, the mercenary brought their dinner in and ced it on the table.


    At that moment, Veronica sat up from her bed. Just as she was about to make a move, she saw Yvonne


    suddenly rolling on the bed and shouting in pain. ¡°Ah! it hurts!It really hurts!¡±


    Her acting skills were beyond perfection, showing no signs that it was merely an act. Veronica couldn¡¯t


    help but twitch her lips and thought, I reckon that this woman is actually an actress.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The mercenary walked up to Yvonne to check her out, but he suddenly felt someone


    poking him at his back.


    When he looked back, he was greeted by a punch on his face. ¡°Ah¨Cdamn it!¡±


    The man took a step back in pain and knocked his head on Yvonne¡¯s steel bed frame. It was so painful


    that he held his head and cussed, but the next second, he lifted his leg and threw a kick at Veronica¡¯s


    chest.


    Thedy agilely tilted her body before catching his ankle with bare hands. Then, she went along with the


    direction of the force and took the opportunity tond a kick on the man¡¯s groin.


    The kick was thrown with full force as she aimed to at least paralyze him with the attack.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The man cried out in agony. He was in so much pain that his face turned red. With one hand


    covering hisher region, he lifted his loose-fitting casual shirt with the other and drew a pistol from his


    back before aiming it at Veronica¡¯s head.


    However, at that instant, Veronica revealed a profound smile. She avoided the muzzle and raised her


    hand to capture his wrist. With a pull and a twist, a creak sounded and the man yelped in pain. And so,


    the pistol in his hand fell from his hand.


    Veronica caught the falling pistol and held it in her hand. Without even giving a nce at the man who


    had fallen on his knees in agony, she turned to her side and aimed the pistol in the direction of the door.


    The next second, the door burst open from outside and another man barged in.


    Bang! Bang! Veronica, who had the upper hand in terms of timing, fired two shots at both the man¡¯s arms


    with her superb marksmanship. Her shotsnded at where she had targeted without even missing by an


    inch


    The man, who had been shot, instantly lost his strength in both arms and the gun in his hand fell. Upon


    seeing that, she quickly fired two more shots at his thigh.


    The pistol that had been fitted with a silencer made only a soft sound, so nobody else heard the


    commotion. On top of that, Veronica managed to fully unleash her superior marksmanship, allowing her


    to take down the mercenaries guarding the door with both speed and uracy.


    As the room was one that had been specially designed, not only was there no door handle in the room,


    but the door would close on its own. Fortunately, the mercenary that had copsed to the floor happened


    to block the entrance, stopping the door from closing


    Currently, the mercenary at the door was looking at Veronica in astonishment, an incredulous look on his


    face. ¡°F*ck! Why are you so skillful with a gun?¡±


    On the other hand, when the man who had been kicked in the crotch saw the pistol that his partner had


    dropped on the floor, he pounced forward to grab it.


    Nheless, his speed was still no match for Veronica¡¯s.


    Thedy was seen stepping on the gun on the floor when she raised her hand and fired another two


    more shots-one shotnded on his only good arm while the othernded on his leg.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fulfill your wish of wanting to get shot.¡± She coldly snorted, then bent over to pick up the pistol before


    tucking both pistols behind her back.


    Thereafter, she called out to Yvonne, who had fallen in a daze on the bed. ¡°What are you waiting for?


    Come over and block the door. How else are we going to escape?


    ¡°What? Oh¨Cokay.¡± Yvonne nodded repeatedly. She jumped off the bed and dashed toward the door to


    hold it open.


    After that, she saw Veronica walking to the bed and pulling out a rope from underneath. Thetter then


    walked up to the two men and put them together before tying them up with their backs facing each other.


    ¡°F*ck! Let go of me! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°You b*tch! Do you want to die?¡±


    The men were so pissed that they cursed at her in their mother tongues.


    In response, Veronica, who had been holding back her anger, gave them a few tight ps on their faces.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I will die, but if the two of you say any more nonsense, I¡¯ll send both of you to hell!¡±


    As she yelled, she removed her socks. She then gripped the chin of one of the men and stuffed her


    socks into his mouth.


    Then, she looked back at Yvonne and made eye contact with her. Yvonne swiftly responded by


    immediately removing her socks and throwing them to Veronica.


    Veronica frowned in disgust, but she still took the socks and stuffed it into the mouth of another man who


    kept bbering on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Without saying anything more, she grabbed Yvonne by the hand and fled the room together,


    the door closing automatically behind them.


    Yvonne followed Veronica from behind and looked at her in awe. ¡°Goodness, your moves were so cool


    just now! Why didn¡¯t you run away before boarding the ship if you are such a good fighter?¡±


    ¡°If I had the chance to escape before I boarded the ship, do you think that I would stay and suffer


    together with you?¡±


    As a matter of fact, before they had boarded the ship, both girls were tied up and the five mercenaries


    had been together all the time. Plus, they had been wary of Veronica.


    On top of that, everywhere that they had passed by were sparsely popted open areas without


    anywhere to hide.


    Therefore, the moment Veronica ran away, she would only end up an easy target and have a bullet shot


    through her head.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have waited until this moment.


    In the end, Yvonne asked curiously, ¡°If you are so strong, why were you kidnapped when you were in the


    ambnce back then?¡±


    ¡°Clearly, I was outnumbered,¡± Veronica replied impatiently.


    That day when she hade out from the hospital, she was faced with a bunch of fighters hired by the


    Larson Family. Although she had had the chance to escape, she had no choice but to put herself in


    danger in order to get her hands on the evidence that the Larsons had attempted to kidnap her


    again. After that, she had easily taken down the few men and hopped off the vehicle.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    However, Veronica had received a punch when she was in the car. It had been a heavy punch that had


    felt so painful that she couldn¡¯t return to her senses even after a long time.


    As Saint Hospital was located in a remote area, there weren¡¯t many cars around. Hence, Veronica had


    had no choice but to get into Yvonne¡¯s car when she happened to bump into her, to avoid being caught


    up by those people.


    Truth was, Veronica had been afraid that the Larson Family would send people with guns to chase after


    her.


    She probably would be lucky enough to avoid one or two gunshots but no matter how fast she was, she


    couldn¡¯t possibly guarantee that she could avoid every single shot when she was surrounded by bullets.


    Besides, during the night when the fire had happened, although she had hidden in the bathroom, she


    had deliberately let the fire burn her arm, the back of her foot and something she held rather dear-her


    long hair.


    The bathroom was connected to the underground sewers. She could have escaped, but she had


    purposely waited for rescue so that she could escte the issue.


    Only when the matter was escted would she get the chance to push the Larson Family into the


    limelight.


    Nheless, Veronica had never expected Yvonne to be another ¡®troublesome person¡¯ as well; it was a


    pure miscalction on her part,


    When they exited the room, Veronica nced around and thought that they might be at the storage area


    located at the bottom of the ship.


    The two of them dashed to the end of the hallway and took a look at the floor n posted on the


    staircase wall before Veronica brought Yvonne upstairs.


    They managed to find their way into the employees¡¯ changing room, and Veronica dragged Yvonne in


    and they changed into servants¡¯ attire.


    After that, Veronica went to the washroom and found some shampoo and soap. She washed her face


    repeatedly to remove theyer of dark-colored makeup that she had applied on her face, restoring her


    original fairplexion.


    1/5


    She exited the bathroom after a while and called out to Yvonne. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Uh... W¨CWho are you?¡± Startled, Yvonne poked her head into the bathroom to take a nce inside


    before she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Veronica?¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap. I¡¯m Veronica. Let¡¯s go,¡± Veronica impatiently exined.


    ¡°Oh, God. How can you be Veronica?! Veronica is so ugly but you are gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°It was all makeup.¡±


    ¡°Can makeupst for ten days?¡±


    ¡°I used special cosmetics products.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my! That¡¯s amazing! Why did you purposely make yourself look so ugly? Who exactly are you?¡±


    Yvonne turned to stare at Veronica, appraising her from all angles with an expectant look in her eyes.


    Meanwhile, Veronica¡¯s expression fell. She red at Yvonne with her clear eyes. ¡°Are you a child? Why


    do you have so many questions?¡±


    ¡°I-I was just too astonished.¡±


    In the end, Yvonne couldn¡¯t stifle the urge to touch Veronica¡¯s face. It felt soft and tender, and her


    complexion was smooth and delicate. ¡°Goodness, how did you maintain yourplexion even after


    wearing makeup for ten days? You are actually more beautiful than me. That¡¯s unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°Dig your eyes out if you don¡¯t believe it!¡± Veronica snapped, which frightened Yvonne and shut her up.


    And so, Veronica grabbed Yvonne by her cor and together they exited the room while pushing a dining


    cart.


    As there weren¡¯t any security cameras at that level, the duo managed to leave the room easily and threw


    away their own clothes in different trash cans.


    Veronica¡¯s sudden change in her looks had given them the courage to even show up before the


    mercenaries. Just like that, Veronica managed to shield Yvonne and sessfully avoid a few rounds of


    searches.


    2/5


    An hourter, the ship arrived at the port and came to a stop.


    Veronica and Yvonne had already changed into another set of clothing and the former even applied a


    simple makeup on thetter. Then, they followed the crowd and alighted from the ship.


    Meanwhile, Matthew and Thomas were standing at the dock where the cruise ship named Selvy was, to


    observe every single person that alighted from the ship. The cruise ship had just arrived at Castron from


    Destor.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, there are 1,200 passengers on the Selvy and there are countless rooms in it. It


    will be difficult to find Miss Murphy,¡± Thomas said with a heavy heart.


    Meanwhile, Matthew, who was dressed in a suit, stood off at one side with a cigarette between his lips. ¡°If


    we can¡¯t find her, we will board the ship and search for her room by room.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Thomas nodded, then instructed the men dressed in suits, who were standing in a line beside


    him, ¡°Keep a close eye on all of them. There cannot be any mistakes.¡±


    The men nodded and spread out to carefully observe every single passenger that alighted from the


    cruise ship.


    At the same moment, Veronica and Yvonne alighted from the ship, and the former held an anxious


    Yvonne by the hand. ¡°Stay calm. Be careful not to expose ourselves.¡±


    When they sessfully got down from the ship, they were greeted by a few men in suits at the dock


    No matter how calm Veronica was, Yvonne was still flustered. She was so scared that she started


    running.


    The moment she started running, she attracted the attention of the mercenaries, who were carefully


    checking the passengers. They immediately went after her.


    ¡°What an idiot!¡± Veronica cursed. She wanted to ignore the other woman, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to


    do so, so she went after her as well.


    As her gaze was focused on Yvonne, she overlooked Matthew, who happened to brush past her.¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, isn¡¯t that Miss Larson? Why is she here?¡±


    3/5


    Veronica was barely two meters away when she ran past them, but not only Thomas took notice of her,


    even Matthew caught sight of her.


    ¡°She¡¯s not Tiffany.¡± Matthew¡¯s expression turned dark, a slight frown between his straight brows on his


    dashing face. He observed the woman from her back and the way she ran-it was way different from


    Tiffany¡¯s.


    On the other hand, before Veronica managed to catch up with Yvonne, thetter was apprehended by a


    few mercenaries.


    Due to time constraints, the simple makeup wasn¡¯t able to transform Yvonne¡¯s facepletely. After all,


    extensive makeup that could transform one¡¯s face into someone else¡¯s would take a few hours, at the


    very least.


    Therefore, Yvonne¡¯s identity was easily exposed.


    Two mercenaries grabbed Yvonne, one of them then pointing a gun at her waist. Although the mercenary


    had a piece of clothing draped over his wrist so that nobody could see what was underneath it, Veronica


    knew very well what he was holding under that clothing


    Otherwise, Yvonne wouldn¡¯t just stand quietly without struggling and wait for them to apprehend her.


    And so, the few men escorted Yvonne toward the ship. When they walked past Veronica, Yvonne bit her


    lip and cast her a nce. However, she chose not to drag her into the situation, so they brushed past


    Veronica just like that.


    Standing off to one side, Veronica, who took in the entire scene, felt conflicted.


    In the end, she still couldn¡¯t bear to just stand there.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± she shouted.


    The few mercenaries paused in their tracks. They exchanged nces with one another before the four


    men turned to look back at her.


    Veronica was aware that the fact that they were able to enter and exit the ship freely must be due to their


    special rtionship with those on the ship. However, there were many passengers who were still


    disembarking so if she enraged these men, they would definitely harm the innocents.


    Hence, Veronica dared not call for external help-not until she had used up herst resort.


    ¡°Let go of Yvonne!¡± she yelled.


    ¡°Who the heck are you?¡± The mercenaries couldn¡¯t recognize her.


    ¡°That¡¯s not important, but you have to let go of her!¡± She red at the two men coldly. Without wasting


    any more time, she charged at them, then she lifted her foot and kicked at the man¡¯s face.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Since they were at the port, Veronica knew that these men wouldn¡¯t dare to easily fire shots no matter


    how bold they were.


    Hence, she chose to fight them despite having to deal with two men alone.


    With a couple of moves, she defeated the two men. Then, she strode forward to go after the other two.


    After shended a kick on the man standing on Yvonne¡¯s right side, the other man wrapped his arm


    around Yvonne¡¯s waist and pressed the cloth on his wrist against her waist. ¡°I¡¯ll kill her if you make


    another move,¡± he threatened.


    Underneath the cloth was a gun that could take her life.


    ¡°Go on, then! I dare you to.¡± Veronica shrugged, looking as though she was unfazed by it.


    She was aware of the fact that Yvonne was very important to these people. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t


    have gone through all the trouble of bringing Yvonne all the way to Castron.


    If they wanted to kill her, they would have done so long ago instead of waiting until this moment.


    ¡°Ha! If that¡¯s the case, I will kill you first!¡± As he yelled, he aimed the gun at Veronica¡¯s face. Due to the


    cloth that was draped over the gun, nobody took notice of themotion over there.


    ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s see if your marksmanship can beat¡ª¡±


    As she spoke, she reached behind her back for the pistol tucked there. Just then, she heard some


    footsteps behind her. In a split second, she threw a back kick at the person who seemed to be trying to


    sneak an attack from behind.


    Nheless, the man easily avoided her kick,


    Before Veronica managed to aim the pistol that she had pulled out at that man, she was shocked to see


    who it actually was. ¡°Matthew? W-Why are you here?¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    She nced at Thomas, who was standing next to Matthew, and gaped at them.


    At that moment, a dozen men dressed in suits charged in their direction and surrounded the few


    mercenaries.


    ¡°Veronica, just leave me alone and go now. They won¡¯t do anything to me.¡±


    Yvonne, who had been held hostage, was touched by Veronica¡¯s sense of justice, so the former refused


    to drag her into her own mess again.


    Meanwhile, Matthew raised his left hand and beckoned with his fingers, and the dozens of bodyguards


    immediately attacked the mercenaries.


    It was only when Veronica saw Matthew¡¯s cold expression did she remember that she had removed her


    makeup, which revealed her real face-a face that looked exactly the same as Tiffany¡¯s.


    Matthew stepped forward and lifted her chin. Coldly staring down into her eyes, he tilted her face to the


    left and right to appraise it.


    His eyes were deep and unfathomable when he murmured, ¡°Is there anything else that I don¡¯t know


    about?¡±


    Earlier, when a woman who looked exactly like Tiffany ran past Matthew, he stared at her silhouette and


    it suddenly dawned upon him-the woman wasn¡¯t Tiffany. It was


    Veronica.


    If Veronica was Tiffany¡¯s biological sister, it would exin everything that had happened.


    At that moment, Matthew stood before Veronica. Looking at her tenderplexion and stunning face, as


    well as her natural beauty that was utterly breathtaking, he continued to be bbergasted.


    It turned out that hidden under the darkplexion and freckled cheeks was an iparably beautiful


    face.


    The reason Veronica had disguised herself in the first ce was because of the Larson Family¡¯s threat.


    Since it was never her intention to hide her real face from Matthew, she was unfazed by his shock. With


    a brow raised, shemented, ¡°Whether you know it or not has nothing to do with me.¡±


    As she spoke, she pulled out the other gun that was hidden behind her back and skillfully unloaded it


    before cing them into the hands of the two mercenaries who had been taken down by Matthew¡¯s


    subordinates.


    Meanwhile, Yvonne, who was finally free, rushed up to Veronica and hugged her. ¡°I was so scared!


    Veronica, you are such a righteous person.¡±


    Yvonne hugged her tightly. It was only when she nced to the side did she realize Matthew¡¯s presence.


    Dressed in a fitted suit, the muscr man was seen standing straight. His attire was immacte and did


    not have a single crease. Coupled with his well-defined features, he looked utterly dashing, as though he


    had just walked out of a painting.


    With one nce, anyone could tell from his unconceble noble temperament that he was someone


    with an extraordinary identity.


    Yvonne let go of Veronica and eximed, ¡°Your boyfriend loves you so much! He¡¯s even able to find you


    ande to your rescue despite the long distance.¡±


    ¡°Boyfriend?¡± Veronica turned around to look at Matthew, who was standing behind her. She noted his


    freezing gaze, which caused her to feel the coldness that he emanated.


    ¡°You have misunderstood.¡± As she spoke, she walked up to Matthew¡¯s side. Standing on her toes, she


    raised her arm and draped it around his shoulders. ¡°He¡¯s my brother,¡± she announced.


    As a person who knew her ce, Veronica definitely wouldn¡¯t think that Matthew had taken a liking to


    her. She reckoned that the reason he had shown up here must have been due to Elizabeth¡¯s insistence


    that made him investigate her whereabouts. Therefore, he was able toe to her rescue.


    This was simr to the day when the fire had urred. He had rushed into the fire because Elizabeth


    had epted Veronica as her god-daughter. He had been worried that Elizabeth would be heartbroken if


    Veronica had died, which was why he hade to her rescue that day.


    When Matthew heard her introducing him as her brother, he became thunderous. He darted a cold


    nce at thecent woman beside him.


    Although Veronica¡¯s face currently looked totally different from how it had used to be, Matthew didn¡¯t find


    it awkward at all.


    Perhaps it was because he had long been suspicious of Veronica¡¯s rtionship with the Larson Family


    ¡°Miss Murphy, Young Master Matthew is¡ª¡±


    Upon hearing Veronica¡¯s words, Thomas naturally understood where she wasing from-she thought


    that Matthew hade to look for her under Elizabeth¡¯s order. Just as he was about to rify the


    situation, Matthew shot him a freezing look. The warning in his gaze frightened Thomas and caused him


    to fall silent.


    Veronica looked at Thomas and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Matthew?¡±


    ¡°He-¡± Thomas nced at Matthew, thinking about what thetter had done when Veronica had been


    missing in the past few days. Matthew had been on a business trip to Castron when they first found out


    about her disappearance. He had finished all his tasks within a short period of five days and rushed back


    to Destor. Then, he had been sending people to investigate Veronica¡¯s whereabouts. When they had


    finally found out about the docking location of the cruise ship, they immediately rushed over and


    managed to rescue her on time.


    However, never in a million years would Thomas have thought that underneath Veronica¡¯s hideous face


    was a stunning beauty.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing,¡± he muttered in the end, not daring to say any more.


    Thereafter, Yvonne walked up to Matthew and bowed to him. ¡°Although you are here to rescue your


    sister, I have to thank you for saving me as well.¡±


    Matthew still wore an impassive look on his handsome face. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. I just


    happened to save you.¡± With that, he turned on his heel to leave.


    However, as Veronica still had an arm draped over his shoulder, he took down her arm and held her


    hand before he moved forward withrge strides. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    He wrapped hisrge, warm palm around her small, cool hand. The intimate skin-to skin contact allowed


    Veronica to feel the sweat on his palm, but what she could feel more was¡­


    ¡°Let go of me, Matthew. I¡¯m merely your godsister. You will make others misunderstand our rtionship.¡±


    Veronica then flung her hand around, attempting to free it.


    However, no matter how hard she struggled and resisted, she couldn¡¯t break free from Matthew¡¯s grip.


    The man paused in his tracks, darting a cold nce at her as he questioned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You were


    able to shoot someone with a gun, yet you are afraid of something like this?¡±

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Chapter 63 What surprised Matthew most was not Veronica¡¯s beautiful and delicate face, but her skill


    and familiarity with guns.


    Once again, he was suspicious of her identity and even more curious about how mysterious she was.


    ¡°Pfft! Who¡¯s scared?¡± As Veronica lowered her head to nce at their tightly entwined hands, she


    scoffed. ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid of being embarrassed, what would I have to be afraid of?¡±


    With that, they fell silent for the rest of the trip.


    As Matthew passed through security with her and Yvonne, he wondered how Thomas had negotiated


    with the other party. At any rate, Thomas only had to pass the mercenaries to them before Veronica was


    allowed to leave with him.


    On the other hand, Yvonne went with Thomas.


    After departing, Matthew took Veronica onto the helicopter before flying off.


    As the noise was loud in the helicopter, the two of them remained silent.


    A few hourster, it reached Bloomstead andnded on the rooftop of Twilight Club.


    After descending the stairs, Matthew and Veronica both entered the penthouse one after the other.


    The moment they were in the penthouse, he pressed her against the wall next to the door and narrowed


    his eyes as he looked imperiously down at her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to me for help?¡±


    After all, it was through Thomas¡¯ investigation that Matthew found out she went to Xavier, and not him,


    for help before she was kidnapped.


    The sudden action shocked Veronica, and she scowled unhappily. ¡°I couldn¡¯t remember your number, so


    how could I call you for help?¡±


    Truly, he is being so unreasonable.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t remember my number, but you could remember Xavier¡¯s?¡± Matthew demanded.


    ¡°1_¡± As she met his dark eyes, something deep in his gaze started her. Unable to stop a chuckle from


    leaving her mouth, she tilted her head and lifted her eyebrows. ¡°Are. Are you jealous? Tell me honestly,


    Matthew Kings¨Cdo you have feelings for me?¡±


    Of course, it was just a shot in the dark.


    Nheless, Matthew¡¯s expression grew even more conflicted when he heard that, and he zeroed in on


    her face that looked so much like Tiffany¡¯s.


    The thing was, he felt extremely repulsed by Tiffany every time he saw her.


    Yet, why was it that every time he saw Veronica¡¯s face¡ªwhich looked exactly like Tiffany¡¯s¡ªhe dly


    epted it and even felt like looking at it for a few moments more?


    Does that mean I truly have feelings for her?


    ¡°Feelings for you? You think I¡¯d have feelings for you just because you look like Tiffany? You¡¯re a fool if


    you think so!¡± Matthew¡¯s eyes shed as if he had been provoked, and he turned to walk away. However,


    he threw over his shoulder, ¡°There¡¯s only one bed here. You can sleep on the couch or in the same bed


    as me. I won¡¯t kick you out by virtue of you being a future member of the Kingses.¡±


    Feeling incredulous, Veronica stuttered, ¡°Y¨CYoushould be d I¡¯m not kicking you out!¡±


    However, as she lowered her head to nce down at the clothes on her body that smelled of another


    woman¡¯s rouge, she couldn¡¯t help feeling ufortable.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Thus, she asked, ¡°Do you have any clothes for me to wear? I wish to take a shower.¡±


    Sullenly, Matthew walked over to the cloakroom and pulled out a set of women¡¯s clothing. He then


    walked up to her and threw it in her face.


    After catching the clothing, Veronica nced down at it. It was a simple, stylish dress.


    As her lips pursed, she couldn¡¯t help remembering the scene from her previous visit to the penthouse


    when she had seen two women leave the ce. It was likely these clothes were prepared for those


    women.


    So, she smacked her lips. ¡°Tsk! No wonder you like staying at the Twilight Club.¡±


    Thement was full of insinuation.


    At this moment, Matthew, who was unbuttoning his suit jacket, paused in his actions and looked up to


    shoot her azy but somewhat cold look.


    Retracing his steps, he walked up to her and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    His gaze was so cold that it bore through her like a cier.


    Even though Veronica could sense his rage, she scoffed in response. ¡°I¡¯m only speaking the truth.¡± As


    she spoke, she walked around him. ¡°I¡¯m going to shower. I stink.¡±


    During this period, she hadn¡¯t taken a single proper shower. It wasn¡¯t surprising how ufortable she


    felt especially now that she was wearing someone else¡¯s clothing.


    Meanwhile, Matthew stood rooted to the spot.


    Suddenly, his lips lifted into a barely perceptible smile.


    Does that mean she¡¯s jealous?


    Walking over to the bar, he pulled a bottle of red wine from the cooler and poured himself a drink, which


    he then carried over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. With one hand in his pants pocket, he nced out at


    the Bloomstead city center, like a king overlooking his masses.


    In the night, Bloomstead looked prosperous and splendid with its glittering, multicolored neon lights.


    Whereas he couldn¡¯t rx the slightest bit on a usual day, he suddenly felt an inexplicable,


    unprecedented sense of ease at this moment.


    It was as if his heart was finally leaving his throat and settling back in his chest, giving him a peace of


    mind and affording him the opportunity to admire Bloomstead¡¯s beautiful nightscape.


    For a long time, Matthew stood in front of the window, pouring himself another ss of wine after


    finishing the first.


    Without his realization, he had finished two sses.


    At that point, he lowered his head to look at his watch. An hour had passed.


    D*mn that woman! Has she drowned in the bathtub?


    Setting down his ss, he walked into the bedroom. The scene that met his eyes as he opened the door


    was one of Veronica sprawled untidily in his bed and sleeping soundly,


    t on her back and with her limbs outstretched, she didn¡¯t look the slightest bit as demure as a woman.


    Vaguely, he could hear her even breathing. It was clear that she was sound asleep.


    So, he walked into the bathroom, took a shower, and went to lie down on the other side of the bed.


    Yet, the moment he did so, Veronica clung to him like a limpet, throwing a leg over him and rubbing her


    cheek against his, much like he was a plush toy.


    Since they were so close together, his breath tickled her face and seemed to make her feel


    ufortable, so she wriggled downward before resting her head on his arm and settling into sleep


    once more.


    Quietly, Matthew studied her features, the ridges of her eyebrows, her fluttering eyshes, and her ruby


    red lips underneath her small nose. Up close, her skin was creamy.


    Somehow, the mole on the left side of her nose made her look even more seductive and appealing,


    causing him to fall even further for her.


    Quietly, he lifted a hand to tousle her hair. In the past, her hair reached her waist, but she had lost quite a


    bit to the fire, and now it only skated across her corbone.


    ¡°Ugh¨Cstop that¡­¡±


    His motions caused her face to itch as her hair brushed her cheek. Somewhat unhappily, she smacked


    his hand before snuggling further into him.


    It seemed that, deep in her sleep, she assumed a mosquito had bitten her.


    Yet, Veronica wriggled against Matthew like a misbehaved kitten, unintentionally stoking the fire in his


    body and causing him to feel somewhat aroused.


    These unwitting bodily reactions were something he had never experienced before.


    Once again, Thomas¡¯ words floated through Matthew¡¯s mind. ¡°Do you have feelings for Miss Murphy,


    Young Master Matthew?¡±

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    Feelings for her?Impossible!


    selesai menerima


    These ¡®unwitting bodily reactions¡¯ were nothing more than a grown man¡¯s physiological reactions. They


    didn¡¯t mean anything.


    The reason he rescued her, apart from not wanting his grandmother to worry about her, was because he


    had a singr, selfish desire.


    The simple reason was that apart from her, no other woman could make him feel so much wanting. In


    fact, in the face of other women¡¯s advances, he didn¡¯t have the least bit of reaction.


    Even though Matthew was aware of what he meant to her, he felt so heated at this moment that it was as


    if he was on fire. The heat was nearly driving him crazy.


    On a normal day, he would set aside his cares to ravage her and extinguish the fire.


    However, it had been only 25 days since her miscarriage, so he could not touch her.


    Finally, he got up and went into the bathroom to take a cold shower.


    However, once hey down next to her, it didn¡¯t take more than a few minutes for his body to burn up


    once again. Once again, he got up to take another cold shower.


    As Matthew exited the bathroom in a towel and looked at Veronica lying in bed, he noticed that her dress


    had ridden up to her waist due to her sleeping position, effectively exposing her tight, shapely backside.


    Frowning, he nced down at the tent in his towel. Frustratedly, he lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of


    his nose. ¡°Godd*mnit!¡± he swore before pulling the nket over her and covering her entirely with it.


    Once more, he returned to the bathroom and took another cold shower before directly heading to the


    bedroom next to the study to sleep.


    Early the next morning, it stormed. Lightning split the skies and thunder rattled the windows.


    Even though it was already 7 or 8 AM, the skies outside were dark and oppressive.


    Large droplets of rain came pattering down, gathering into rivulets and streaming down the ss.


    With the penthouse phone in hand, Veronica went around trying to call Cody and the private detective.


    Yet, no one picked up.


    Has something unexpected happened to them or have they changed their minds?


    Veronica had no way of knowing.


    Finally, she could only give up and call her foster mother to check in.


    Beep beep beep,


    After ringing several times, someone picked up the phone.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    It was the familiar voice of Danie, Veronica¡¯s foster mother.


    ¡°It¡¯s Veronica, Mom.¡± She was gratified to hear her foster mother¡¯s voice.


    Before she was kidnapped, she had made arrangements to ensure that her foster parents would be safe


    and sound.


    However, because it was sote in the night when she returned the previous evening, she hadn¡¯t wanted


    to disturb them.


    ¡°Roni! Have you finished training?¡± Danie asked after her warmly.


    Long ago, Veronica had told Xavier that if anything happened to her, he was to tell her foster parents she


    was attending a closed training ss after transferring to Xavier¡¯spany


    It was precisely because she was going up against the Larson Family and deeply afraid that her foster


    parents would worry if something happened to her that she gave Xavier such instructions.


    Sure enough, he hadn¡¯t let her down.


    ¡°Yes, Mom, I¡¯m back. How are you and Dad?¡±


    All along, Veronica had been one to report the good news and not the bad, and this time was no


    exception.


    ¡°I¡¯m well; I¡¯m very well. Your dad is, too. We worked hard all day yesterday. Ha!¡± Danie chuckled


    happily.


    The older woman¡¯s cheerful mood buoyed Veronica¡¯s spirits. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Chave¡­ have you seen the n-news, Roni?¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hmm? What news?¡±


    F


    The sudden stuttering made Veronica tense and her heart thumped uneasily.


    ¡°Your parents, they¡­ they¡­¡± Danie sighed. ¡°I think you¡¯d better read the news yourself.¡± With that, she


    hung up.


    ¡°Mom? Hello? Mom!¡±


    Upon realizing that the call had been hung up, Veronica immediately put down the cell phone and rushed


    into Matthew¡¯s study.


    Right then, he was exiting the small bedroom, and she didn¡¯t bother bidding him a good morning as she


    blurted, ¡°I need yourputer.¡±


    Without waiting for his reply, she threw herself into his chair and turned it on. Once


    it booted up, she pulled up a search engine and typed in ¡®Floch Group?


    The moment the search results popped up, she saw headlines such as, ¡°Floch Group¡¯s Missing Daughter


    Found¡¯, ¡®Larsons¡¯ Missing Daughter Grew Up in the Countryside¡¯ and the like.


    Headline after headline entered her gaze. There was even a video from a press conference.


    As she pulled up the video, she saw Rachel sobbing into her hands at the press conference, ¡°I let my


    daughter down! If I hadn¡¯t lost my child all those years ago, s she wouldn¡¯t have needed to lead such a


    hard life in the countryside. I-I only hope Veronica epts me so that I can use the rest of my life to


    make up for what I owe her as her mother!¡±


    Next to Rachel, Floch had his arms around her and wasforting her, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Please don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s a


    blessed thing to be able to find our child again. Besides, it¡¯s not solely on you that we lost her all those


    years ago. Don¡¯t put all of this on yourself¡­¡±


    As she watched the video, Veronica clenched her fists before shutting it. And then, she began to search


    for news of the fire, only to find that there was no rted news at


    all.


    After that, she searched for articles concerning the Larsons, only to find that there were no results apart


    from the news that they had found their missing daughter.


    Angrily, she mmed her fist on the table.


    Next to her, Matthew took in her stance and put everything together. To him, everything was clear now.


    With a stomp, Veronica stood up and stalked out to the bar in the living room. Pulling out a bottle of red


    wine and a high-stemmed wine ss, she walked over to the couch, sat down, and threw back ss


    after ss of red wine.


    In a few short minutes, she polished off the entire bottle.


    And then, she stood up and fetched another bottle before resuming her actions.


    As she drank, she turned to give the silently smoking Matthew a slight smile, seemingly finding it


    unsatisfying to drink by herself. ¡°Come and drink with me.¡±


    Expressionlessly, he leaned against the wall behind him and stared at her without saying anything


    ¡°You said I was a future member of your family but now, you won¡¯t even drink with me. Pfft!¡± She then


    scoffed before gulping down yet another ss of wine.


    With his cigarette in between his fingers, Matthew walked over to sit down opposite her, his eyes on her


    the whole while. He saw that her eyes were bloodshot and it was clear that she was incensed, yet she


    was still smiling.


    However, it was a self-deprecating smile.


    Finally, she nced at him. ¡°Good on you to grow a conscience and drink with me.¡±


    With that, Veronica got up and walked over to the bar once again. She came back with two more bottles


    and an empty ss. Popping the cork, she poured him a ss and handed it to him.


    ¡°A toast to you for saving me!¡± She raised her ss and clinked it against the one set in front of him


    before throwing it back.


    Through the deep,plicated gaze that he shot her, there was a faintest hint of heartache for her.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    Without asking anything, Matthew simply picked up his ss of wine and downed it. However, before he


    could even put down his ss, Veronica had already poured herself a second ss and was tilting her h


    ead back to gulp it down.


    Dark red liquid overflowed from the corners of her mouth


    and trickled down her chin to her exquisite corbone, making her look even more


    sensual and sultry. As she mmed down her ss, she lifted the bottle once more to pour herself yet a


    nother ss.


    Her eyes bloodshot, she looked up at Matthew with a wry grin. With


    a wine bottle in one hand and a ss in the other, she announced, ¡°Another toast to you! Congrattion


    s on... Uh...¡± Halfway through, Veronica paused, seemingly losing her train of thought. And then, grunted


    and continued, ¡°Congrattions on your engagement to Tiffany Larson. May you have many years of ha


    ppiness and as many children as you want.¡±


    The b*stard of a man, marrying the b*stard of a woman. A perfect match indeed!


    Aware that she was insulting him, Matthew lifted an eyebrow but merely offered her a polite smile without


    saying anything. Nevertheless, as she lifted the ss to continue drinking, he reached out and snatched


    it away. ¡°A 20¨Cyear¨Cold wine collection, wasted on you just like that.¡±


    m!


    The moment he took the ss away, Veronica pped the table in a rage and glowered at him. ¡°What ar


    e you, a miser?¡± she shouted. ¡°I¡®m only drinking two bottles!


    Are you so poor that you would miss them? Hmph!¡±


    If he wouldn¡®t


    let her drink, she would finish up all of his wine. And so, after yelling at him, she grabbed the bottle and b


    egan to drink directly from it.


    This time, Matthew didn¡®t stop her. In exasperation, he watched her polish off half of the bottle, pop anoth


    er, thereafter getting ready to down it in one gulp once again.


    ¡°Enough!¡± His face darkened, and


    he tore the bottle from her hands. ¡°You cannot drink when you had a miscarriage less than a month ago!¡±


    The word


    ¡®miscarriage¡® made her manically smiling face stiffen, and she red at him. ¡°And? What are you trying t


    o say? What¡®s the point in acting so pretentious? Weren¡®t you the one who


    forced the child to death? You think the Kingses are so great


    1/4


    and illustrious that the rest of us don¡®t matter, isn¡®t that just in your nature?¡±


    Only after learning her true identity did Matthew understand why she had used so much medication in th


    e hopes of miscarrying her child. Thus, when faced with her reprimand, he


    had no way of refuting her usations.


    Seeing that he had fallen silent, Veronica reached out to snatch the wine bottle back. ¡°Give it to me!¡±


    Unfortunately, before her fingertips could even graze the bottle, he leaned back and dodged her easily.


    Incensed, she got up and went to take the wine bottle back, but he loosened his grip, allowing it to hit the


    ground and smash into a million pieces with a crash. Dark red liquid spread in all


    directions, staining the white floorboards.


    Veronica¡®s expression froze. She pursed her lips and clenched her right fist, feeling so angry that she mo


    ved to shove him, wanting to know why he would treat her that way. Yet, Matthew


    caught hold of her fist with his bare hand.


    Snarling, she swung her left arm at him, only for him to catch hold of her other hand and pull her to him.


    As the momentum brought her staggering forward, he lifted her right arm over her head and spun her aro


    und like they were dancing until she was forced to sit back¨Cto¨Cfront in hisp. ¡°Stop fussing.¡±


    ¡°F*ck you!¡± Veronica was on the verge of breaking down from her long¨C


    suppressed emotions, and with a heavy m of her elbow, she hit his chest.


    Underestimating the force she would use, Matthew inadvertently let go. In the next moment, she had sto


    od up and was lifting a foot to kick him. ¡°Would any of this have happened if you hadn¡®t provoked me? It¡®


    s all because of you, you b*stard!¡±


    Though her foot moved quickly, he would not be caught unprepared a second time. Dodging her leg, Mat


    thew grabbed the armrest of the couch and leaped over the side,nding unharmed next to it and ses


    sfully evaded her attack.


    Seemingly having built up steam, Veronica simply got on the couch and aimed a flying kick at his face. H


    e ducked slightly, evading her moves once again before wrapping an arm


    around her ankle and pulling her forward. This time, she leaned into the momentum and did a perfect 18


    0 degree spin in mid¨Cair beforending a kick on his shoulder.


    As Matthew staggered backward, his eyes shed with surprise and he gave her a slight smile. ¡°Not bad.


    ¡±


    2/4


    However, Veronica ignored him in favor of aiming a left hook at him. Once again, he caught her fist with h


    is bare hand and yanked her forward so that she fell into


    his arms. Following the motion, she wrapped her free leg around him and kicked the back of his as hard


    as she could so that he toppled backward to the floor.


    With a thump, they fell heavily onto the ground, with her on top of him. However, before she could react,


    he flipped them over and pinned her underneath him. From above, he looked down at her lying on the flo


    orboards and hooked a finger underneath her chin. ¡°You¡®re skilled, but you fight too impractically.¡±


    The statement was contemptuous and provocative.


    Angered, Veronica snapped, ¡°You¡®re the impractical one!¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Bracing a foot against the couch next to her, she aimed a fist at his face, and he moved to defend. Howev


    only a feint and right as he was about to catch hold of her fist, she suddenly veered downward, punching


    As Matthew bowed over in pain, she used the foot she had braced against the couch to exert force


    and flip them over, throwing him off her and quickly standing up. Following that, they got into another inten


    Half an hourter, Veronica finally copsed to the floor, feeling tired and sweaty. Looking up at Matthew,


    waved a hand in surrender. ¡°I¡®m done, you b*stard. You¡®re such a bully.¡±


    She had thought she would be able to vent her anger through the half¨C


    hour fight. Only now did she realize that she was no opponent of his. To her knowledge, he likely used les


    of his strength. What she didn¡®t know was that she had used up only a fraction of his strength. While she


    was already so tired that she was panting, Matthew still retained hisposure. In fact, there wasn¡®t even


    At this moment, he lifted a hand to undo the top two of the buttons of his shirt, revealing a strong chest thr


    While he had to admit that her skills surprised him, she still wasn¡®t talented enough to be his opponent. Th


    bad mood.


    With a cold snort, Veronica got up from the floor and went to the bar. She then opened another bottle of


    wine to start drinking.


    3/4


    Seemingly sensing that Matthew was about to siop her, she


    pointed at him and snapped, ¡°Shut up. I¡®m only drinking a few bottles.


    If you don¡®t let me drink, I¡®ll smash all of them. Not only that, but I¡®ll tell your grandmother you were shame

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    After she finished speaking, Veronica shot Matthew a sharp, cutting look.


    Still seated on the couch, he frowned tightly and looked at her intently.


    An¡­ orgy?


    He had no idea why she would say such a thing, but it was clear she had misunderstood him


    completely.


    Sitting up, he scooched to the center of the couch and tapped the butt of his cigarette against the


    ashtray. No longer could he be bothered to stop her from drowning her sorrows in alcohol.


    And so, Veronica carried a few bottles of wine over to the table and began drinking by herself.


    ss after ss she downed.


    As she drank, she cursed him out. ¡°You¡¯re a son of a b*tch. How could I have fallen to this point if it


    wasn¡¯t for you? I hate you.¡±


    Polishing off the ss, she poured herself another. Pointing at Matthew, she huped before


    threatening, ¡°I¡¯m going to drink all of your wine and I¡¯m going to make you go broke. You¡¯re a d*chebag,


    just like Tiffany. You¡¯re shameless and despicable capitalists who will stop at nothing to achieve your


    goals. I hate you. I hate you¡­¡±


    Even though she reeked of alcohol and had drunk so much that her entire face was red, Veronica still


    persisted.


    With a thunderous expression, Matthew snubbed his cigarette butt out in the ashtray before standing


    up and taking her wine bottle away. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to rest.¡±


    Even though she hadn¡¯t told him what on earth had happened, he knew she wasn¡¯t in a good mood.


    That was why he allowed her to vent her anger.


    However, it wasn¡¯t good for her to be drinking so much so early in the morning.


    ¡°I... Hic! I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Ignoring her protests, he picked her up into his arms and headed toward the bedroom.


    Although Veronica was leaning against his chest, she struggled restlessly, kicking her feet and


    smacking him in the chest relentlessly with her hands. ¡°Put me down, you b*stard! If you touch me


    again, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll castrate you!¡±


    As the word ¡®castrate¡¯ hit his ears, Matthew felt his gaze darken and he narrowed his eyes at her,


    emanating anger seemingly even from his pores.


    Yet, in the end, he still strode silently into the bedroom, not bothering to argue with a drunken woman.


    ¡°Son of a b*tch! You¡¯re all sons of b*tches¡­ You¡¯re no different from the Larson Family. I hate you all¡­


    I hate you¡­¡± As he deposited her on the bed, Veronica raised a hand and mimed holding a ss.


    ¡°Come, another drink! A toast to you, Matthew Kings.¡± Closing her eyes, she mumbled, ¡°Cheers to you


    being impotent for the rest of your life. Cheers to your children and your grandchildren. Ha! Your


    children¡­ and¡­ grandchildren¡­¡±


    Veronica finished cursing him out and her raised hand finally fell. With a flip of her body, she hugged


    the nket to herself and fell asleep with a snore.


    Standing next to the bed, Matthew was furious. With one hand on his waist, he tugged at the cor of


    his shirt with the other, all the while ring at the woman sleeping in bed.


    D*mn her!


    It was a miracle he could tolerate her yelling at him like that.


    After all, there had been a moment when he wanted to pounce on her and punish her severely by


    showing her whether he was truly impotent or not.


    Right then, he heard the sound of sobbing.


    Stiffening, Matthew nced down at her trembling figure on the bed and listened intently, only to


    discover that she was crying.


    Her sobs were soft.


    As if her sobs carried power, he could feel the softest corner of his heart clenched, suffocating him and


    making his chest cavity ache hollowly.


    The feeling was utterly terrible.


    As Matthew rounded the bed, he discovered that Veronica was crying with her eyes shut. Thus, he


    pulled out a few pieces of tissue paper and sat down opposite her, thereafter helping her wipe her tears


    away.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked, his voice extremely gentle.


    As he did so, he reached out to rub her back with his other hand,forting her.


    Yet, Veronica began to sob even worse, grabbing hold of him and crying all over his shirt. ¡°The Larsons


    are such bullies, Mom! The b*stard Matthew is such a bully as well¡­¡±


    Mom?


    Matthew knew she could no longer tell who he was because of how drunk she was.


    And so, he cated patiently, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. There¡¯s a good girl¡­¡±


    His voice was unprecedentedly tender.


    If Thomas could see this scene, he would be so shocked that his jaw would definitely open.


    After all, his boss had always been a cold man who never treated any woman tenderly. Yet, Matthew


    was now treating Veronica with the utmost softness.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be good. If I am, I¡¯ll be hurt. They¡¯ll hurt me.¡±


    With her head burrowed in his embrace, Veronica cried like she was made of tears.


    As she cried, she finally began to fall asleep while still holding onto him.


    Only after she finally quieted did Matthew let out a slow breath.


    Yet, from beginning to end, he hadn¡¯tined about her sniveling all over him. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t


    what he was focused on.


    For a long time, he held her as she slept.


    While he held her, he yed with her hair, running his slender fingers through her fine strands. As he


    studied her devastatingly beautiful face, he couldn¡¯t help lifting a hand and tracing her cheek with his


    fingers.


    Finally, his index fingernded on her mouth, and he took in the sensation of the soft, tender petals that


    were her lips.


    Deep in her sleep, Veronica waspletely unaware of this unintentional act, in which Matthew was


    stoking his own fire and causing his own body to be heated.


    Lowering his head, he pressed a kiss to her lips.


    Though he could still smell the cloying scent of alcohol as he did so, he could also taste the sweetness


    of her lips. It tasted like no other.


    ¡°Mmph...¡± Somewhat unused to his nearness, she raised her hand in sleep to smack his cheek.


    Of course, this waspletely by ident.


    Nheless, Matthew paused in his tracks and glowered at her with all the darkness of the sky before


    a thunderstorm.


    ¡°D*mn you!¡± he scolded, finding it hard to extinguish his irritation.


    And then, once again, he pressed his lips to hers. However, he was no longer as gentle this time,


    treating her particrly roughly and savagely instead.


    With the tip of his tongue, he parted her lips and prated her mouth, sucking on her tongue as


    punishment.


    Yet, in the next second¡­


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Seemingly sensing the difort in her stomach in her sleep, Veronica couldn¡¯t help retching


    No matter how calm Matthew was on a regr day, he had no way of being calm at this moment.


    Immediately, he let go of her and rolled out of bed to stand next to it, so furious that he tossed another


    nket on top of her so that he wouldn¡¯t have to be angered by looking at her face.


    ¡°Ugh... Ugh...¡± Underneath the nket, she was still dry retching.


    However angry he was and however much he felt like throttling her, he eventually


    quelled the anger within and walked behind her to pick her up and gingerly carry her to the bathroom.


    Once he deposited her over the toilet bowl, Veronica began to throw up like there was no tomorrow.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The stench that flooded the entire bathroom made him feel like he couldn¡¯t stay a moment longer.


    Matthew¡¯s patience had beenpletely depleted by now. He flushed the toilet multiple times, wishing


    he could leave her alone in the bathroom.


    Yet, whenever he let go of her, she began to topple toward the floor.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    After failing several times to leave Veronica there, Matthew finally resigned himself to holding her up.


    It wasn¡¯t until she had vomited so much she could no longer throw up that he wiped her mouth and


    carried her back to bed.


    Since he found it hard to extinguish his anger after depositing her on the bed, he finallynded a heavy


    p on her backside.


    The snap rang loudly around the room.


    In her sleep, Veronica sucked in a pained breath but continued to doze without any other reaction.


    The truth was, Matthew had restrained himself during the p.


    However, upon hearing her pained breath, he paused for a second before pulling up the hem of her


    dress.


    It might not have mattered if he hadn¡¯t looked but now, he was discovering that he had left a clear, five-


    fingered imprint upon her fair skin.


    The marks made his heart sink and after staring at them for a few seconds, he couldn¡¯t help lifting a hand


    and rubbing them gently.


    Only after that did he cover her back up with the nkets and leave the bedroom.


    In the living room, he picked up his cell phone and gave Thomas a call. ¡°Go and look into Veronica


    Murphy at once. I want to know everything about her.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Young Master Matthew,¡± Thomas answered before asking, ¡°What do I do with Miss


    Spencer?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you wish.¡±


    Having no interest in anyone other than Veronica, Matthew simply said so before hanging up the phone.


    After sleeping for a few hours, Veronica finally woke up in the afternoon and staggered out of bed with


    one hand clutched to her dizzy, aching head.


    Upon opening the door of the bedroom and walking out, she found Matthew seated on the couch.


    Long before she got up, he had already cleaned up and tidied the living room.


    Rubbing her head and clutching onto her backside, she hobbled over to the couch where he was leaning


    back with his legs crossed and aptop propped in hisp. He was hard at work.


    As she stared down at him, she couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Did I fall on my a*s after drinking? Why does it hurt


    so badly?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s eyes shed and he nodded guiltily. ¡°Mmhmm.¡±


    ¡°No wonder. It hurts so much.¡± She shuffled over to the couch opposite him and threw herself down in a


    lying position before studying him through squinted eyes.


    Currently, he was wearing a ck shirt with the cor slightly parted, exposing the muscles of his tanned


    chest. Even through the thin fabric, the definition of his pectorals could vaguely be seen.


    Matthew¡¯s face that was framed by fluffy hair was so well-proportioned that it was as if he had been


    carved with precision. He was God¡¯s perfect specimen-utterly wless and so handsome that it was hard


    not to fall for him.


    It was said that men were at their most handsome when they were hard at work.


    Sure enough, the saying was proving to be true.


    Right now, as Veronica studied him, she only felt pleased andfortable.


    It was only a pity that such a stunning exterior hid such a ck heart.


    ck¨Chearted b*stard of a man!


    ¡°Are you done looking?¡± Matthew suddenly asked teasingly, lifting his eyes to sweep her a nce.


    Startled, she looked away immediately. ¡°Pfft! Don¡¯t be so self-centered. Who¡¯s looking at you? I¡¯m only


    looking at the painting on the wall behind you,¡± she hedged.


    Gurgle


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    The moment she said that, her stomach grumbled uncooperatively.


    Finishing up thest bit of his work, Matthew closed hisptop and looked down at her clutching her


    stomach pitifully. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Veronica hummed as she nodded rapidly, but this caused the room to spin so much that she froze.


    ¡°Do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Beg me, then. You never know; I might consider making you something to eat.¡±


    ¡°You,¡±


    However, her stomach grumbled once again before she could say ¡®wish?


    Finally giving in to her body, Veronica scowled before shooting him an obsequious grin. ¡°Matthew-


    no. Darling brother, won¡¯t you make me some food? I¡¯m so hungry¡­¡±


    That was too disgusting.


    The wheedling in her voice almost caused Veronica herself to throw up.


    Nheless, she would do anything for food.


    On the other hand, Matthew was used to her stubborn temperament after having known her for so long,


    but had never seen her acting so¡­ spoiled around him.


    Smugly, he raised his eyebrows and smiled before inclining his head. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°My stomach is in a mess. I¡¯d like some oatmeal. Later on, I¡¯d like to visit your grandmother to thank her


    for sending you across the continent to rescue me.¡±


    Na?vely, Veronica had assumed that Matthew showed up in time to rescue her during both the fire and


    the kidnapping due to Elizabeth¡¯s instructions.


    Instantly, the smile on his lips vanished. Shooting her a cold nce, he got up and went toward the


    kitchen. Before he left, he didn¡¯t forget to add, ¡°You¡¯re her god granddaughter. I only saved you because I


    wanted her to be happy. You don¡¯t have to worry her now by thanking her.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean she doesn¡¯t know what happened to me?¡± Veronica was somewhat surprised.


    Pausing in his steps, Mathew turned his head back slightly and said, ¡°She can¡¯t take any more


    excitement.¡±


    His implication was that he had gone to save Veronica the moment he found out she was kidnapped


    because he didn¡¯t want to add to Elizabeth¡¯s worries, since thetter couldn¡¯t take any more excitement


    due to her intracerebral hemorrhage. Thus, there was no need for Veronica to let Elizabeth know now.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Coming to an abrupt realization, Veronica eximed, ¡°You¡¯re such a good grandson!¡±


    It was clearly apliment and yet, it sounded like she was mocking him, but he couldn¡¯t find any proof


    of it.


    Fed up, he entered the kitchen and emerged not longter with a bowl of oatmeal. Putting it down in front


    of her, he told her, ¡°Get up and eat, then.¡±


    ¡°That was so quick.¡± She was even more astonished now.


    After all, it hadn¡¯t taken more than two minutes for him to enter the kitchen ande back out again.


    That meant that the oatmeal had been prepared long ago.


    ¡°Did you make this?¡± Veronica asked incredulously, not having expected that Matthew could cook.


    ¡°Are you going to eat it or not?¡± His voice was somewhat cold.


    ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯m starving, so of course I¡¯m going to eat it.¡±


    Holding onto the bowl of warm oatmeal, Veronica scooped up a spoonful, thereafter blowing on it and


    eating it.


    Though the nutty banana oatmeal looked quite good, she hadn¡¯t expected that its rich taste would


    explode on her tongue the moment she bit into it. It was truly delicious.


    ¡°Who made this? Why is it so delicious?¡±


    Initially, she thought that Matthew had made it, but its taste and temperature alone could convince her


    that it came from somewhere else.


    Without answering, he walked up to the bar and pulled out a box of medicine. Tossing it to her, he


    muttered, ¡°Take your meds.¡± ¡°Meds? What meds? I¡¯m not sick,¡± Veronica grumbled as she picked up the


    box and read it. It was medicine for the stomach.


    Only then did she realize Matthew must have worried that her stomach would get upset because of how


    much alcohol she drank the previous night.


    Bursting intoughter against her better judgment, she said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I have a great alcohol


    tolerance. You didn¡¯t see me throw up once after drinking three or four bottles of wine, so I evidently don¡¯t


    need any medicine.¡±


    How confident of her to say that!


    As the image of her fouling up his bathroom with her vomit a short few hours ago floated through his


    mind, Matthew felt the sudden urge to strangle this woman to death.


    In the end, however, he didn¡¯t argue with her.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    As Matthew sat opposite Veronica, he studied her face. Even though a night had passed, he wasn¡¯t used


    to the change in the situation.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± As she ate, she nced at him and started touching her cheeks. ¡°Is there


    something on my face?¡±


    Slowly, Matthew lowered his head and looked at his phone without saying anything.


    Although Veronica pouted at hisck of response, she simply continued eating. Then, she jerked her


    head up and stared right at him. ¡°You¡­ Are you nning to make a move on me?¡± Once again, she felt


    her face up. ¡°You like Tiffany. Do you think of me as her now?¡± Coming to a ¡®sudden understanding,¡¯


    Veronica picked up a throw pillow and covered herself with it, acting like she was guarding herself


    against him before feeling her body up and down. ¡°What did you do to mest night, you b*stard? Tell me


    honestly-does my a*s hurt because of you?¡±


    At that sentence, Matthew paused in his actions and looked up at her with incredulously lifted eyebrows


    and a scowl.


    Was he someone so shameless in her eyes?


    ¡°Put down your food and get lost.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother exining himself to her; he only threw a lofty sentence in her face without hiding his


    anger.


    ¡°What?¡± Completely not expecting his response, she paused before musing to herself


    doubtfully, Did he really noty a hand on me?


    Veronica didn¡¯t know whether to believe him or not.


    After thinking about it for a bit and being unable to find any traces of him lying, sheughed sheepishly.


    ¡°I¡¯m only kidding. Just kidding.¡±


    With that, she put away the pillow and was about to continue eating.


    However, before she could touch the spoon again, Matthew took away her half emptied bowl.


    ¡°Huh? Hey, give me back my oatmeal!¡± She reached out for him but was only able to snag the hem of his


    shirt. ¡°I was only joking. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡±


    Stone-faced, he turned to look at her out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Let go of me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I do not wish to repeat myself.¡±


    ¡°... Uh... Matthew-no¨Cdear brother, why are you treating me like this? You¡¯re my older brother, so


    shouldn¡¯t you be spoiling me? Haven¡¯t you seen the older brothers from other families? They spoil their


    sisters like crazy! Why are you being so petty?¡±


    Stubbornly, she clung to the hem of Matthew¡¯s shirt and pleaded with him to the best of her ability.


    Ever since she gained a position as his god-sister, she noticed that his behavior toward her had changed


    quite a bit, perhaps because he was afraid of Elizabeth or because she saved Elizabeth. At any rate, he


    was no longer as merciless toward her.


    That was the reason Veronica was no longer as timid toward him.


    It was as if she was sure he wouldn¡¯t actually do anything to her.


    Used to her unwillingness to admit defeat, but not her putting down her dignity and acting like a spoiled


    child in front of him, Matthew felt inexplicably pleased. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll think of you as Tiffany?¡± he


    retorted.


    ¡°No, no, no. That would never happen. What kind of woman a man like you can¡¯t have? I have a good-


    looking face, but no merits apart from that. You would never be into me. Besides, if you touched a single


    hair on my head, I would only tell your grandmother you¡¯re into incest!¡± As she spoke, she stood up and


    rounded him to snatch the remaining half of her oatmeal back from him.


    However, before she could even turn away, Matthew wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her


    into his embrace.


    Dressed in thin clothing as it was the middle of summer, they could feel each other¡¯s body heat and


    heartbeats through their closeness.


    Frowning, Veronica looked up and met his gaze. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Incest?¡± He lifted an eyebrow and suddenly leaned in to murmur hoarsely into her ear, ¡°What about


    before, then?¡±


    The so-called ¡®before that he was referring to was naturally the time they had slept together.


    The warm breath that left his lips blew against the fine hair in the crook of her neck, tickling her skin and


    making it itch. All at once, Veronica couldn¡¯t help the rush of heat through her body.


    ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten about everything that happened before. All of that is in the past but now, you¡¯re my


    brother, and it would be unconscionable for you to touch me again.¡±


    Even if Veronica didn¡¯t want to be his sister,¡¯ she had to make proper use of the shield she had been


    afforded.


    As for before, she would consider it as him taking advantage of her.


    Surely, that meant it would be foolhardy of her to respond to his advances now.


    Thus, she pushed him away with a smile that she didn¡¯t feel and went to sit down on the couch.


    Acutely feeling her absence from his arms, Matthew turned to look at her where she sat. To his


    astonishment, he discovered there was actually a hint of redness on her fair, delicate cheeks.


    No wonder he hadn¡¯t seen what she looked like when she blushed before. It was because she had been


    wearing makeup back then.


    However, the corners of his lips couldn¡¯t help turning up at the color on her cheeks now. ¡°Slow down.¡± he


    advised her. ¡°There¡¯s more in the kitchen.¡±


    Once again, he walked back to the couch and sat down with his legs crossed, picking up a magazine to


    read in the process.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Veronica nodded and fed another spoonful into her mouth. As she lifted her head to talk to him,


    she suddenly realized something. ¡°You¡¯re holding it the wrong way up¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Her reminder made Matthew lower his head to look and sure enough, his magazine was upside down.


    A hint of embarrassment shed through his eyes, but he recovered hisposure quickly and


    answered calmly, ¡°I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She took him at his word and gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°That¡¯s impressive. Why don¡¯t I know how to


    do that?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a fool.¡± ¡°You¡­ Fine, fine, you¡®re not a fool. You¡¯re the smartest person in the world. Are


    you happy now?¡± She then scoffed, lowering her head to continue eating without realizing that Matthew


    was closing the magazine and tossing it aside.


    After eating, she took the bowl to the kitchen to wash up. When she was done, she exited the kitchen


    and announced, ¡°I have something to do, so I¡¯ll be leaving now. Thank you for yesterday.¡±


    Even if Veronica could have escaped without him, things wouldn¡¯t have gone as smoothly.


    After all, she was no longer in her home country. Without her passport or any other identification, she


    wouldn¡¯t have been able to return to Bloomstead so easily.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Matthew stood up and muttered, ¡°Let me send you since I¡¯m going out as well.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She epted dly, unable to resist ttering him as well. ¡°You¡¯re so nice to me, darling


    brother!¡±


    As if! He is a scoundrel of a hypocrite!


    Yet, due to the circumstances of her life, Veronica had no choice but to resort to cheap ttery.


    Taking the keys, Matthew entered the elevator with her.


    ¡°Here, take this.¡± He handed a card to her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this your penthouse¡¯s ess card?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stay at your apartment anymore, so you can stay here from now on.¡±


    ¡°You already said there was only one bedroom here. How can I stay? Are you expecting me to share a


    bed with you?¡± Veronica eyed him warily, feeling like he wanted to take advantage of her.


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    ¡°You did. Yesterday.¡±

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    Indeed, Matthew had said that the previous evening, but he had been lying.


    Now that he changed his mind, he corrected, ¡°You remembered wrongly.¡±


    ¡°Remembered wrongly?¡± Carefully, Veronica thought about it. Indeed, she could recall now that there


    had been more than one bed at his penthouse when she was kidnapped.


    At this moment, she was penniless and had no money to rent a room. It was also unclear how the Larson


    Family felt about her right now, so it would be safer and more cost-efficient for her to stay at Matthew¡¯s


    penthouse in Twilight Condominium.


    However¡­


    ¡°We would be a single man and a woman sharing an apartment. Wouldn¡¯t that be inappropriate?¡± she


    asked, her tone guarded.


    After taking in her stance, Matthew simply reached out and took the ess card from her hands.


    Ding


    As the elevator reached the second-floor basement, the doors opened and he walked out.


    Immediately, she chased after him. ¡°I¡¯m kidding! Please don¡¯t take it seriously. You¡¯re my brother now. I


    trust your morals!¡±


    Pah! Only a fool would trust him.


    Nheless, given the dire straits she was in, sleeping at the penthouse was her best option.


    Moreover, she had Elizabeth to protect her. That was why Veronica trusted Matthew wouldn¡¯t do anything


    to her.


    Otherwise, she would castrate him personally!


    After tugging on his arm and pulling the ess card from his grip, she looked up at him. ¡°If I have a


    ce to stay, do I have food to eat as well?¡±


    ¡°This is what you wanted, Young Master Matthew-¡°Waiting at the second floor basement, Thomas had


    gone up to greet Matthew upon seeing him walk over, only to witness Veronica holding onto Matthew¡¯s


    hand and skipping alongside him as she joked andughed.


    Both of them were acting intimate without the animosity from before, when they would be filled with


    murderous rage whenever they set eyes on each other.


    ¡°Ah¡ªThomas!¡± Veronica eximed upon seeing Thomas approach. ¡°Do you both have something to talk


    about? I¡¯ll wait over there for you, then.¡±


    With that, she made to leave.


    However, Matthew kept his hold on her hand and said collectedly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Holding onto her hand very naturally, he led her over to his private car.


    Forsaken, Thomas looked down at the paper bag in his hands. Inside it was all of Veronica¡¯s personal


    information.


    Is Young Master Matthew truly not anxious about it?


    In astonishment, Thomas turned to look at the pair retreating in the


    distance. Since when have they been so close?What on earth happened the previous night?


    Meanwhile, Veronica climbed into the back of the sedan while Matthew got into the passenger¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± he asked.


    ¡°To,¡± she stopped, her expression suddenly sinking. In truth, there were many things she wanted to


    attend to, but she had to go to the police station to have her identity taken care of first. ¡°Send me to the


    police station. I have to reapply for an ID.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± he replied, ¡°Thomas is taking care of it. Come back with me to the Kings Residence


    for now. Grandma wishes to see you.¡±


    Meanwhile, Thomas, who was entering the car,


    paused. Since when am I taking care of her identification?


    Ever since Veronica disappeared, Thomas had been busy searching for her whereabouts. Then, he was


    rescuing her with Matthew, only for thetter to instruct him to look into her personal information after


    that. In short, Thomas had had no


    time to take care of her identification at all.


    Nevertheless, he kept hisints to himself and only nodded cooperatively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss


    Murphy. Your ID will be ready in two days.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thank you very much.¡± That was all she could say since it would be much slower for her to take


    care of things herself.


    As one of Matthew¡¯s men, Thomas would receive special treatment and could naturally get things done


    much faster.


    Right then, the sedan started, heading in the direction of the Kings Residence.


    On the way there, Veronica asked to borrow Matthew¡¯s cell phone. ¡°Can you lend me your phone? I want


    to call my mother.¡±


    Obligingly, he handed his phone to her.


    After taking the phone, she made a call to her foster mother.


    When the call connected, she said, ¡°It¡¯s Veronica, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Did you change your number again, Roni?¡± Danie asked upon seeing that the number Veronica was


    using to call her was different from the one from this morning.


    ¡°I lost my phone. I¡¯m using¡­ Matthew¡¯s phone to call you.¡±


    No boration was needed since Danie had met Matthew at Saint Hospital, and even repeatedly told


    Veronica to treat him to dinner as thanks.


    ¡°So this is Young Master Matthew¡¯s phone? I say!¡±


    ¡°My phone was broken, so I sent it in for repair. I¡¯m only calling you to tell you that you should rest well at


    home with Dad and that I¡¯ll go back to visit you when I¡¯m free. As for what you said this morning-don¡¯t


    worry. As long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ll still be your and Dad¡¯s daughter. I¡¯ll always be your daughter.¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t care what kind of fuss the Larsons were throwing. She wouldn¡¯t let it get in the way of her


    family.


    After she said so, the line descended into silence.


    Only after a while could she hear Danie sobbing. The noise made Veronica¡¯s heart clench.


    lupy


    ¡°Alright, alright. I believe you. I really do,¡± Danie told her in a choked, hoarse voice.


    Even through the phone, Veronica could feel her mother¡¯s worry.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Veronica, you have to be careful of the Lars¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you idiot!¡±


    Since Danie had answered the call in hands-free mode, Tony could hear Veronica talking as well and


    wanted to tell her about them being kidnapped.


    However, Danie was afraid that Veronica would worry, so the former interrupted and scolded him.


    ¡°What was that about, Mom?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing. Your dad only wanted to tell you to be careful and not to trust anyone in Bloomstead.


    Remember, Roni-no one in this world other than us would give everything up for you, so don¡¯t trust


    anyone apart from us too easily, okay?¡± Danie warned, still not telling Veronica about her and Tony


    being kidnapped.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be wary of the Larsons, Mom. Otherwise, there¡¯d be no one to rescue you when you¡¯re


    kidnapped.¡±


    To assuage their worry, Veronica told them about the arrangements she made.


    For a moment, there was silence at the other end of the line as her parents exchanged looks of


    heartache.


    ¡°Silly Roni, I know you sent someone to watch out for us,¡± Danie chided now. ¡°If things get too


    dangerous for you to stay alone in Bloomstead,e home, okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not dangerous. I forgot to tell you, Old Mrs. Kings¡ª¡± At that point, Veronica nced at Matthew


    before continuing, ¡°Matthew¡¯s grandmother, that is, has recognized me as her god-granddaughter.


    Nothing will happen to me under the Kingses¡¯ protection.¡±


    While there were some things she hadn¡¯t wished to tell her parents, Veronica was afraid they would


    worry about her if she didn¡¯t tell them.


    Every single one of the things the Larson Family did to her family was imprinted in her mind now. Even if


    she left Bloomstead, she wouldn¡¯t be able to extricate herself easily.


    ¡°Good. That¡¯s good.¡±


    Only after she heard her foster mother¡¯s reassured tone did Veronica¡¯s heart finally leave her throat. After


    some further small talk, she finally hung up the phone.


    Upon hanging up the phone, she rested her forehead against her hand and sighed, still clutching onto


    the phone.


    It was a good thing her parents didn¡¯t pay much attention to the entertainment news gossip on a regr


    day. Otherwise, once they found out about Matthew and Tiffany¡¯s engagement, they would no doubt have


    her be guarded against Matthew as well.

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    However, right now, Veronica had to stay in Bloomstead, so she could only use Elizabeth¡¯s identity to let


    them feel at ease.


    Otherwise, she didn¡¯t even want to divulge too much.


    Just then, she handed over her phone to Matthew. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    At that point, she lost her jovial expression and there was a hint of somberness in her eyes.


    Meanwhile, Matthew suddenly felt quite pained to see her dejected look. She seemed so helpless as she


    leaned against the passenger seat with her head turned to the other direction looking outside.


    ¡°You may be Tiffany¡¯s fianc¨¦, but I¡¯m not afraid that you will tell them what I said.¡±


    Indeed, Veronica was unafraid.


    Furthermore, she would have said the same words even if she was in front of Floch Larson and his wife.


    Shemented as she looked at the scenery that shed past outside the window.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear a thing.¡±


    Just then, Matthew imitated her and he leaned against his seat to take a rest with his eyes shut. He


    pretended to be unaware of everything.


    Meanwhile, Veronica didn¡¯t expect him to have such a reaction, so she couldn¡¯t help turning her head to


    look at him. ¡°You¡¯re her fianc¨¦, so I would find it understandable for you to reveal my words.¡±


    ¡°Is this why you agreed to be Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter?¡±


    He gradually opened his eyes and there was a deep, intense look in his gaze.


    Just then, Veronica nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She was a person who epted responsibility for her actions, so she admitted it instantly. ¡°Feel free to


    tell your grandmother what I said too. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Originally, she should have avoided Matthew for certain matters, but she was fully aware that he must


    have investigated the kidnapping incident previously. Otherwise, there was no way that he would have


    known she was on that cruise ship.


    Since he was aware, then there was really no point in her trying hard to hide the truth from him.


    ¡°Your issue with the Larsons does not contradict the fact that Grandma wants to adopt you as her god-


    granddaughter.¡±


    Just then, Veronica remained silent. She merely regarded the current situation as Matthew¡¯s good


    intentions to show his filial piety toward Elizabeth. Perhaps he was afraid that if the truth was revealed,


    Elizabeth would be quite sad about it, which was why he refused to tell her the truth.


    At that moment, Veronica kept her eyes on Matthew and asked him outright, ¡°What about you, then?


    You¡¯re Tiffany¡¯s fianc¨¦, after all.¡±


    Meanwhile, he gradually opened his narrow eyes and shot a look at her. Subsequently, he moved his


    thin lips. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t go overboard, I can choose to turn a blind eye.¡±


    His sentence was quite straightforward. Basically, he wanted to tell her that as long as she didn¡¯t make a


    huge fuss about it and affect the Kingses¡¯ reputation, he could turn a blind eye to everything.


    Though Veronica couldn¡¯t quiteprehend Matthew¡¯s train of thought, she knew that he meant what he


    said.


    Perhaps it was because Elizabeth was exceptionally fond of Veronica, so he had no choice but to


    tolerate thetter.


    In the future, if Elizabeth passed away, perhaps he would regard her as an enemy, just like how the


    Larson Family regarded her.


    Nheless, that was something that hadn¡¯t yet happened so right now, the only thing that Veronica


    could do was to maintain a great rtionship with Elizabeth to ensure that Matthew wouldn¡¯t be able to


    hurt her.


    However, it was beyond Veronica¡¯s expectations that Matthew would actually be so infatuated with


    Tiffany. It was to the extent that he would actually choose to ignore everything despite being aware of the


    Larsons¡¯ despicable acts, all because of his deep love for her.


    Love was indeed powerful enough to make one stop at nothing.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Suddenly, Veronica felt that her path to seeking revenge was increasingly full of difficulties and obstacles.


    Especially right now that Matthew was added onto the list.


    The car moved at a steady pace and Veronica suddenly saw a mall up in front, so she asked, ¡°Could you


    lend me some money? I want to buy something for your grandmother.¡±


    Meanwhile, Matthew remained silent but he took out a card from his wallet and handed it to her. ¡°There¡¯s


    no password on it. You can use this.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Just then, Veronica didn¡¯t think too much and she requested for Thomas to stop the car right away.


    Subsequently, she got out of the car and went into the mall.


    Meanwhile, Thomas, who was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, nced at Matthew from the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, Miss Murphy and the Larsons,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better keep this to yourself.¡± Before Thomas could finish his sentence, Matthew issued a warning


    instantly.


    At that moment, Thomas realized that his boss had a thunderous expression on his face, so the former


    stopped speaking. However, Thomas didn¡¯t quite understand his boss¡¯ current stance.


    we


    Shortly after that, Veronica came out of the mall with a few bags in her hands. Thomas got out of the car


    to take the items off her and then he ced them in the trunk. Subsequently, they both got into the car.


    As soon as Veronica entered the car and shut the door behind her, she returned the card to Matthew. At


    the same time, she also handed over a receipt to him. ¡°I used a total of five hundred thirty-five and thirty-


    two cents. I¡¯ll pay you back after this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. You can have it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Veronica was very confused.


    Meanwhile, he shot her a cold look. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want my sister to be mocked for dressing too shabbily. It


    would reflect badly on the Kingses.¡±


    ¡°Oh¨Cis that so?¡±


    Just then, Veronica felt slightly


    surprised. This is unexpected! I can¡®t believe that being his sister has such a great benefit!


    Suddenly, a question shed across her mind.


    She pursed her lips and held the card tightly. Then, she asked after some hesitation, ¡°If I sh with


    Tiffany someday, who would you side with?¡±


    For some unknown reason, she suddenly came up with such a brainless question.


    As soon as her words hit, Matthew turned his handsome, wless face toward her slightly as he


    murmured, ¡°Who would you like me to side with?¡±


    ¡°L... Ha...¡±


    Suddenly, she chuckled and deftly switched the topic. ¡°I¡¯ll make good use of this card for now. Once I¡¯ve


    received my recement identification card, I¡¯ll sort out my own card and pay you the money after that.¡±


    Veronica did so because a few seconds ago, she suddenly realized that the question she had asked was


    such a brainless one and she was just making a fool of herself by asking that


    After all, Matthew could even ignore the fact that the Larsons were potentially involved in harming her, all


    because of his deep love for Tiffany, so there was no point in asking that question.


    In the end, Veronica turned her head in the other direction to look out of the window and she no longer


    said another word.


    Meanwhile, Matthew¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the woman. His eyes were dark and brooding, and one


    couldn¡¯t quite tell what was on his mind.


    An hourter, their car finally arrived at the Kings Residence.


    Veronica got out of the car while Thomas walked to the trunk to take out the items. Then, Veronica and


    Matthew walked into the house together.


    ¡°You¡¯re back, Young Master Matthew. Oh! Miss Tiffany, weren¡¯t you at the entrance? How did you end up


    here with Young Master Matthew again?¡±


    The butler came forward to greet Matthew with a slight nod as soon as they walked into the


    mansion. However, when he saw Veronica, he couldn¡¯t quite contain his surprise.


    Meanwhile, Veronica maintained her smile without saying anything.


    They walked past the foyer and went to the back of the house. They had just ced down the items


    brought in the living room when Elizabeth¡¯s voice rang out from behind, ¡°Ah! Isn¡¯t this Veronica here?¡±


    Elizabeth instantly recognized Veronica just by seeing her silhouette.


    As soon as Veronica heard that, she turned around and greeted Elizabeth. ¡°Grandma?¡±


    The former turned around and was shocked to see that Elizabeth was there, along with Tiffany by her


    side.


    Tiffany was dressed in a silver, cinched maxi dress, and every move that she made exuded gentleness


    and reservation. In short, she was the epitome of a rich, youngdy. That being said, she managed to


    completely hide the despicable side in her.


    ¡°You¡­ Who are y-you?¡±


    Just then, Veronica didn¡¯t have a disguise on, and she faced the world with her actual looks, so it was


    natural for Elizabeth to be surprised.


    ¡°Grandma, she¡¯s Veronica. She¡¯s also Tiffany¡¯s younger sister,¡± Matthew exined.


    Meanwhile, Elizabeth¡¯s brows remained tightly furrowed. She took a look at Veronica before ncing at


    Tiffany, who was by her side, before walking forward with an


    incredulous look. ¡°What¡¯s going on exactly?¡±|


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandma. I lied to you in the past. I didn¡¯t want to reveal my actual looks because of several


    reasons, so I always wore a disguise whenever I met up with you,¡± Veronica exined.


    ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t make sense either. You didn¡¯t have any makeup products during the few days that you


    stayed over at the Kings Residence. How did you put makeup on then?¡± Elizabeth scrutinized Veronica


    intently, and the former was significantly shocked.


    ¡°I used a special type of makeup that doesn¡¯t get rubbed off at all once I put it on.¡±

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    Veronica shrugged and then she bowed deeply to Elizabeth. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m very sorry for that.¡±


    ¡°Ha!It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s reaction was totally beyond Veronica¡¯s expectations. Meanwhile, Elizabeth was ted and


    she grabbed hold of Veronica before studying thetter as she circled her. ¡°Gosh! I read on the news two


    days ago that you¡¯re the Larsons¡¯ daughter and I didn¡¯t believe it then. I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re actually


    the one. If I hadn¡¯t gotten the preemptive information from the news, I would have definitely been


    shocked.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, aren¡¯t you angry with me?¡±


    Veronica had initially assumed that Elizabeth would be unhappy to see her reveal her actual look.


    However, Elizabeth wasn¡¯t the least bit upset at all.


    ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m more than happy for you! Why would I get angry?¡±


    Just then, Elizabeth held Veronica¡¯s hand tenderly. ¡°Come to think of it, you look exactly like Tiffany. The


    only difference is the mole on your nose. Your eyes look bigger, and are more expressive and prettier


    than hers. You little brat! You¡¯re so pretty, yet you disguise yourself as such an ugly-looking person!¡±


    Just then, Elizabeth had so much to share with Veronica and the former conveniently overlooked Tiffany.


    Tiffany was significantly displeased about it, but she didn¡¯t dare to reveal her displeasure.


    ¡°Veronica, where have you disappeared totely? Do you know that Mom and I have been searching for


    you all this while?¡±


    Tiffany, who was the best at putting on an act, stepped forward and grabbed Veronica into a tight hug. ¡°I


    knew it! It¡¯s no wonder that I felt a sense of familiarity when we first met. It¡¯s obviously because you¡¯re my


    younger sister. Did you know in advance about our rtionship? Did you put on that ugly disguise


    because you didn¡¯t want toe back home with me?¡±.


    The tears suddenly streamed down Tiffany¡¯s face as she sobbed. Her ¡®heart wrenching¡¯ performance


    pained those who saw her.


    Meanwhile, Veronica stood there with a stunned look as Tiffany hugged her. The former¡¯s entire body


    was stiff and she felt as if she had been struck by lightning. The


    ufortable sensation she felt right now was utterly unbearable.


    However, Veronica knew that her acting skills were as good as Tiffany¡¯s, so she reached out to push


    Tiffany aside. The former contemptuously refused to continue this act with thetter, so she coldly


    mentioned, ¡°Yes. I purposely put on a disguise to avoid going back home.¡±


    As such, she managed toe up with a great excuse for her decision to put on a disguise.


    Despite her strong urge to uncover the Larson Family¡¯s true colors, she realized that Elizabeth had just


    recovered from a stroke not long ago and couldn¡¯t sustain any shock. Hence, Veronica didn¡¯t dare to


    reveal the truth.


    Otherwise, if anything happened to Elizabeth from the shocking revtion, Veronica was unable to suffer


    Matthew¡¯s wrath.


    By then, without Elizabeth¡¯s protection, Veronica would definitely be in a precarious state.


    Just then, Tiffany¡¯s eyes were reddened and she swallowed. With trembling lips, she muttered, ¡°Why? Do


    you know how much Mom missed you all of these years? She has been searching for you everywhere


    while you were gone these past few days.¡±


    ¡°No particr reason. I just didn¡¯t like it. Is this a sufficient exnation?¡± Veronica harshly retorted, her


    expression cold.


    Anxious to locate me? They¡®re just anxious to locate me so that they can get rid of me in the shortest tim


    e possible!


    ¡°Goodness, that¡¯s enough. Tiffany, it¡¯s great that Veronica¡¯s been located, but she has been brought up


    by her adopted parents all this while so she would naturally be close to them. You can¡¯t rush things.¡±


    Elizabeth pulled Tiffany aside and advised, ¡°Now that Veronica¡¯s been located, you should quickly go


    back and inform your parents. It¡¯s just nice too, because I¡¯ve got some things to share with Veronica as


    well.¡±


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    It was obvious from Elizabeth¡¯s words that it was time for Tiffany to leave.


    With reddened eyes, Tiffany lifted a finger to wipe off the tears on her face. Subsequently, she walked to


    stand in front of Matthew and said softly, ¡°Matthew, thanks for helping to locate my younger sister


    Though Tiffany expressed her gratitude verbally, she was in fact extremely jealous deep


    down. This annoying b*tch! Why couldn¡®t she have died when she was out there? How did she manage t


    o get back alive?!


    ¡°She¡¯s Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter, so it¡¯s just something that I should do,¡± Matthew coolly replied.


    His words sounded quite formal to the point that he seemed indifferent.


    ¡°Matthew, where did you find Veronica?¡± Tiffany continued to ask.


    Meanwhile, he nced at Veronica before replying to Tiffany¡¯s question, ¡°Actually, she went to the


    countryside to take a break, so there was nothing to worry about. Since we¡¯ve located her, you should


    inform your parents as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! This means that Thomas can send you home and then bring your parents over too. Let¡¯s have


    dinner together,¡± Elizabethmented as she basked in joy, ted beyond words.


    Meanwhile, Tiffany clenched her fists tightly to the point that her fingernails became deeply embedded


    into her palms. She was extremely jealous to see Elizabeth being so fond of Veronica, but she could only


    put on an obedient front and nod her head. ¡°Alright, grandma. I¡¯ll go back first. Veronica, stay on and


    keep Grandmapany. I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    At that moment, Veronica couldn¡¯t even care less about responding to Tiffany, as she was mainly


    concerned about Elizabeth. ¡°Grandma, when did you get discharged from the hospital? How are you


    feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling great! Although the blood clot in my brain has dissolved, the doctor has still given me


    instructions to take a good rest.¡±


    The two of them continued to chat with each other as Matthew turned around and walked off to make a


    phone call.


    Meanwhile, Tiffany seemed to be the odd one out as she stood there in the huge living room.


    Just then, Tiffany red at Veronica ferociously and she turned around to leave, her expression furious.


    Inside the living room, Elizabeth held on to Veronica¡¯s hand as they sat on the couch. Elizabeth used her


    wizened hands to cup Veronica¡¯s face and then the former took a close look at it. It was as if the older


    woman couldn¡¯t get enough of the girl¡¯s looks. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re very good-looking after removing your


    disguise. Although you look simr to Tiffany, you¡¯re in fact much prettier. Gosh! You¡¯re a sight for sore


    eyes indeed.¡±


    Elizabeth patted Veronica¡¯s hand and was significantly in happy spirits.


    On the other hand, Veronica seemed quite bashful as she asked, ¡°Grandma, aren¡¯t you mad at me?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be mad about? I just think that Matthew, that little brat, must have been blind. If he


    hadn¡¯t been disdainful of your looks back then and married you directly, it would have been awesome!¡±


    Just then, Elizabeth red at Matthew, who had just walked over, and turned to Veronica. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,


    though. Bloomstead is huge and there are plenty of great guys too. Once I announce to the public that


    you¡¯re my granddaughter, I¡¯ll also start to sort out a date for you.¡±


    Since the first time that Elizabeth had met Veronica, the former had been exceptionally fond of thetter.


    Furthermore, Veronica had saved Elizabeth, and this also deepened the olddy¡¯s good impression of


    her.


    Elizabeth¡¯s biggest regret was perhaps that Matthew didn¡¯t manage to marry Veronica. Now that he was


    engaged to be married to Tiffany, there was nothing else Elizabeth could say.


    Upon hearing that, Matthew became thunderous and he coldly eximed, ¡°Even if she¡¯s your


    granddaughter, ultimately, shees from the countryside so no one in Bloomstead will be interested in


    her.¡±


    Somehow, he was quite annoyed to hear Elizabeth mention introducing a prospective date for Veronica.


    Suddenly, he seemed to find Veronica¡¯s wless looks extremely annoying, and he didn¡¯t find her as


    likable as her previous darker and uglier self.


    ¡°Shut your mouth! You¡¯re her elder brother from now on and if you dare to bully her, I¡¯ll definitely break


    your legs!¡± Elizabeth chided Matthew angrily, and then she pointed at him. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing-send


    the details and photos of those handsome, rich guys that you always hang out with to me. Make sure to


    pick the responsible ones. I¡¯ll personally pick a date for Veronica.¡±

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    Elizabeth¡¯s words caused Matthew¡¯s expression to darken significantly


    However, he recalled the doctor¡¯s repeated instructions of avoiding angering her before she was


    discharged from the hospital, so he could only nod his head perfunctorily. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Meanwhile, Veronica was extremely gleeful to see Matthew getting told off.


    However, she stopped smiling and turned to Elizabeth. ¡°Grandma, Matthew¡¯s right. My background is


    indeed not a good match for them.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that you know your position.¡± Matthew agreed with her words.


    However, as soon as he said that, there was a loud ¡®bang¡¯ that sounded, as Elizabeth had immediately


    flung the cup in front of her at Matthew¡¯s feet. ¡°I told you to shut up! Are you deaf or what?¡±


    Just then, Elizabeth had a thunderous expression as she stared at Matthew. However, as soon as she


    turned to Veronica, she showed a warm and inviting smile. ¡°Silly girl, what are you on about? Why are


    you considering whether you¡¯re a good match for them or not? You¡¯re a kind and obedient child who¡¯s


    very pretty too. Besides, you have a university degree, so you¡¯re definitely a worthy match. Self-


    confidence is important in a girl. Trust me,I have good judgment so if I reckon that you¡¯re good enough,


    then you definitely are!¡±.


    At that point, Veronica could feel Elizabeth¡¯s kindness and the former was significantly touched.


    Veronica shot a look at Matthew, who was sitting off to one side with a cold expression on his face, and


    she noticed that he was seated quite stiffly on the couch. From his expression, she could tell that he


    seemed quite resigned toward Elizabeth¡¯s actions. Truth be told, Veronica had never seen such an


    awkward expression on his face.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Just then, she was rather tickled by the situation. At the same time, she also realized that Matthew was


    indeed very filial toward Elizabeth.


    ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re the best!¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t want Elizabeth¡¯s efforts to be in vain, so the former didn¡¯t directly reject thetter¡¯s


    suggestion.


    1/5


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so courteous with me.¡± Elizabeth smiled.


    Suddenly, her expression turned stern and she moved closer to Veronica to ask softly, ¡°By the way, I


    never got to ask you-why do you loathe Tiffany? Are you actually that reluctant to go home?¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s consecutive questions were ones that Veronica refused to answer.


    Elizabeth clearly sensed Veronica¡¯s attitude too, so she spoke up. ¡°Darling, I¡¯m not trying to make you go


    back home. I just wanted to let you know if you don¡¯t want to go back, you¡­¡±


    And so, Elizabeth paused for a moment and patted herself on the chest. ¡°With me around, no one can


    force you to go back!¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s words struck a chord within Veronica and thetter could no longer contain her emotions. The


    tears welled up in her eyes, causing her eyes to turn red and she was quite touched. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re


    awesome¡­¡±


    Because of her rtionship with Elizabeth, Matthew had saved Veronica during the fire. Then, he had


    saved her once again when she had been kidnapped onto that cruise ship.


    Right now, Elizabeth even went as far as to be Veronica¡¯s strong support to fend off the pressure very


    likely to be inflicted by the Larsons?


    This waspletely beyond Veronica¡¯s expectations because Elizabeth was merely a stranger to her,


    yet the older woman treated her so well merely after a few interactions.


    ¡°Gosh! Why are you tearing up all of a sudden?¡±


    Just then, Elizabeth was frantic upon noticing the tears that threatened to spill over Veronica¡¯s eyes.


    ring at Matthew, Elizabeth muttered, ¡°Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and hand me the


    tissue on the table!¡±


    Meanwhile, Matthew nced from Elizabeth to Veronica, and there was a slightly displeased look that


    shed across his eyes. This despicable woman is so good at putting up an act!


    At that moment, he reached out for the tissue box and handed it over to Elizabeth,


    Elizabeth hurriedly pulled some tissue out and handed it to Veronica. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t cry. With me around,


    I won¡¯t let anyone bully you. Even if the Larsons are my future


    2/5


    inws, I won¡¯t allow them to do whatever they want.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, I don¡¯t want to go back home. Can you really help me?¡±


    Just then, Veronica sniffled and took the tissue to wipe off her tears.


    Ever since she had arrived in Bloomstead, the person who had helped her the most, other than Xavier,


    was Elizabeth.


    The presence of the two of them was like a glimmer of light in her darkened life in Bloomstead, and they


    lit up her way, ensuring that she didn¡¯t descend into despair.


    Also, Elizabeth¡¯s kindness made Veronica think of herte grandmother.


    Her grandmother had doted on her the same way and would always provide Veronica with nothing but


    the best.


    Besides her grandmother, her grandfather had also regarded her as his precious treasure too.


    ¡°I definitely mean it, but you have to tell me honestly-why are you reluctant to go home?¡±


    Truth was, Elizabeth had merely made a guess that Veronica didn¡¯t want to go back to the Larsons. After


    all, it was all quite evident from Veronica¡¯s ugly disguise and her dislike of Tiffany. Furthermore, the


    Larson Farnily had publicly announced their intention to wee Veronica back home, but she had run


    away instead.


    Hence, Elizabeth was quite curious as to the reason for Veronica¡¯s actions.


    Just then, Veronica gripped tightly onto the tissue in her hand before she pursed her lips. She turned her


    head slightly to look at Matthew, her expression thoughtful.


    ¡°Why are you looking at him? You can be frank with me. I¡¯ll definitely trust you!¡± Elizabeth replied


    resolutely.


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡±


    ¡°They¡­¡±


    At that moment, Veronica had some hesitations. She wanted to reveal the Larsons¡¯ various misdeeds but


    right now, she didn¡¯t have a single piece of evidence at all.


    3/5


    However, if she didn¡¯t reveal it, then the Larsons would definitely try all sorts of unscrupulous ways to


    target her and force her to go back. By then, it would be a piece of cake for them toy their hands on


    her.


    After some consideration, Veronica ended up mentioning a single incident. ¡°The Larsons have known


    about my presence for quite some time now and they wanted me to go back. It was because they


    actually wanted me to donate my bone marrow to Randy. Right now, though, it¡¯s likely that they want me


    back because the press had previously revealed that they have another daughter that was abandoned,


    so they must have done this because of the pressure from all of the spections.¡±


    Although Veronica didn¡¯t have any evidence to prove the Larsons¡¯ misdeeds, she had arranged for the


    press to reveal the incident with the bone marrow donation. Therefore, her current words made sense.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Just then, Elizabeth sat up from her seat and the look of anger on her face was evident. ¡°Is everything


    reported on the news previously true? But Tiffany is Randy¡¯s elder sister too. Isn¡¯t she an eligible donor?¡±


    ¡°Their bone marrows are ipatible.¡±


    HALLINN MISLILI


    ¡°That exins it, then.¡± Elizabeth nodded her head as it dawned upon her.


    Just then, she turned her head to nce at Matthew. ¡°See! That¡¯s the woman that you¡¯re attracted to!¡±


    Significantly speechless, Matthew thought, Who¡®s the one biologically rted to Grandma, huh?


    ¡°Randy has leukemia, so it¡¯s not a disease that can be cured in such a short time. I¡¯m afraid that they


    want you back so that you¡¯ll be able to donate to Randy in the future.¡±


    Elizabeth considered the situation before she heaved a deep sigh and shook her head. There seemed to


    be a lot on her mind.


    Meanwhile, Veronica wasn¡¯t quite sure of the Larsons ns, but she mainly wanted to let Elizabeth know


    that she didn¡¯t want to go back. Hence, she had achieved her purpose by doing so.


    ¡°You poor child!¡±


    Elizabeth was quite distressed about Veronica¡¯s predicament. Just then, the former


    4/5


    patted thetter on the back of her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re now part of the Kingses, so there¡¯s nothing


    to be afraid of. I¡¯ll protect you!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for helping me, Grandma!¡± Veronica was very grateful.


    After that, Elizabeth descended into a short bout of silence before she got up to say to Matthew, ¡°You,


    come with me.¡± With that, she turned to smile kindly at Veronica. ¡°Veronica, take a seat over here for


    now.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Grandma!¡± Veronica nodded in agreement.


    Just then, Elizabeth got up and left. Meanwhile, Matthew shot a cold look at Veronica before trailing after


    Elizabeth to the room next door.


    The Kings Residence was centuries old and it was a building that had been passed on from generations


    back. The building was rustic with plenty of nicely-carved beams, and there was even a traditional


    pavilion that was quite unique.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    Furthermore, most of the items in the residence were preserved in their original style and design.


    Everything gave out a strong retro vibe. One would feel as if they had taken a step back into the past as


    they became immersed in the surroundings.


    There was a door by the wall to the right of therge living room that led to the room next door.


    Meanwhile, Matthew trailed after Elizabeth and entered the room. Subsequently, he shut the door after


    him.


    Elizabeth stood in front of Matthew and lifted her head to look at him. ¡°Did you hear that? Do you realize


    what sort of woman you¡¯ve chosen?¡±


    ¡°Grandma, what are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°What am I trying to say?! Did you hear Veronica¡¯s words? The Larsons¡¯ are despicable!¡±


    ¡°Grandma, can¡¯t you tell that Veronica¡¯s trying to use you?¡±


    In regard to this, Matthew was quite sensitive about it and he was very displeased.


    ¡°I¡¯m her grandmother, so how can it be considered as making use of me? Furthermore, I was the one


    who asked her about it!¡± Elizabeth retorted.


    ¡°She already knew that you had a stroke and can¡¯t sustain any shock, yet she chose to tell you so much.


    Her motives are impure.¡±


    He stood regally tall and his handsome features were full of coldness.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullsh*t!¡± Elizabeth couldn¡¯t help spewing profanity at that point. ¡°Since when did telling the truth


    is equivalent to impure motives? I don¡¯t care about anything else, but I¡¯ll have you know that you¡¯d better


    make sure you keep Tiffany under control; otherwise, don¡¯t me me for forbidding her from entering our


    home.¡±


    Elizabeth didn¡¯t force Matthew to annul the engagement because she took into ount that he liked


    Tiffany. Also, the former was worried that the Kings Family¡¯s reputation would be affected if they called off


    the engagement with the Larsons at this point.


    After all, the Kingses were a major family, so any slight action would directly affect theirpany¡¯s profits


    and further development.


    Simrly, Matthew cared about this too, but he cared much more about Tiffany¡¯s act of saving his life in


    the past.


    The rumors out there were that Matthew was a cold and merciless guy but unbeknownst to everyone, he


    was an extremely loyal and grateful man.


    ¡°Alright, you can leave now. I need to make a phone call.¡± Elizabeth waved him off and walked to the


    couch in the room and took a seat.


    Meanwhile, Matthew walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.


    He strode into the living room and he coldly shot a look at Veronica, who was sitting on the couch, before


    grabbing her by the wrist. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Veronica was startled by his sudden actions. However, it seemed within expectations too.


    Matthew dragged her out of the living room and made his way to the pavilion in the little garden at the


    back. Subsequently, he turned his arm and held her against a pir. He then grabbed her by the cor


    and growled in a low voice, ¡°So, you¡¯ve achieved your purpose, huh?¡±


    His well-sculpted features entuated his handsome face, and his expression clearly exuded coldness


    at the moment. Coupled with his ferocious expression, he looked as if he was about to devour her and it


    was quite terrifying indeed.


    However, Veronica maintained a calm expression and smiled at him. ¡°Matthew, why are you so angry all


    of a sudden? She¡¯s my grandmother, so I told her about my troubles. Isn¡¯t that reasonable?¡±


    She blinked her clear eyes and there was a slight amusement in her gaze that looked quite annoying to


    him.


    Indeed, she admitted that she had an ulterior motive for saying those words to Elizabeth earlier, but that


    didn¡¯t mean that she had plotted the initial encounter with Elizabeth and to save Elizabeth¡¯s lifeter on.


    Just then, Matthew narrowed his eyes and reached out to hold Veronica¡¯s chin up before moving closer


    to her. ¡°Are you challenging me?¡±


    She responded with a scoff and the smile on her face disappeared all of a sudden.


    ¡°Challenge you?¡±


    She raised her brows and met his cold look. ¡°You were the one who brought me back from overseas.


    You managed to locate me, so surely you would know the reason for me being kidnapped. As for the fire


    last time, I¡¯m sure that you know who¡¯s involved, right? Matthew, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s intentionally


    pretending to be clueless about everything. You¡¯re also the one who hid the truth from your


    grandmother.¡±


    Veronica lifted a finger to poke him in the chest as she interrogated him. ¡°You hid the whole truth from


    her because you¡¯re in love with Tiffany, so don¡¯t you think you¡¯re the one who actually is purposeful in


    your actions rather than me?¡±


    ¡°You put on such a great act of being deeply in love with Tiffany and yet, you went behind her back to


    engage in an illicit rtionship with me. Is she aware of all this? Besides, why do you live in the


    penthouse of Twilight Club? Is it actually because of its close distance to your office? I don¡¯t think so! It¡¯s


    all because there are plenty of women with various figures at Twilight Club for you to pick and choose


    from, so it¡¯s like your personal harem! Matthew Kings, don¡¯t you dare regard yourself so highly! Is your


    grandmother really aware of your behavior?¡± Just then, Veronica blurted out everything in her mind as


    she was quite angry with him.


    ¡°You keep saying that I have ulterior motives, but I¡¯m quite suspicious right now. Back then, you


    suggested for me to give birth here, but you purposely got engaged with Tiffany in a haste and made me


    realize this so that I would miscarry. Did you not know about my identity back then? Otherwise, why


    would you, the President of Spinfluence Group, jump into bed with such an ugly girl like me more than


    once?! You¡¯re not blind, are you?¡±


    Previously, Veronica had never considered all this.


    However, right now, she suddenly realized that Matthew¡¯s actions were definitely suspicious.


    She suspected that he had known about her identity since the start and he knew that she was Tiffany¡¯s


    sister, so he had forced himself on her and then hastily gotten engaged with Tiffany before announcing it


    to the world.


    Veronica was clearly aware that he had no intentions of allowing her to bear a child with the Kings¡¯ family


    name. Furthermore, he had sent her to the operating room directly.


    She also wondered that perhaps it was because of the pressure from Elizabeth that she had managed to


    keep the child.


    In the end, Matthew had no other option but to get engaged with Tiffany, and forced Veronica to give up


    the child to Tiffany to raise. As such, she had miscarried because of this.


    All of this sounded very reasonable after further consideration,


    Meanwhile, Matthew was stunned in ce as he heard her words. He couldn¡¯te up with any


    comeback.


    He could clearly see the unmistakable anger and hatred in her eyes. Does she hate me?!


    ¡°Why are you keeping silent? You must be feeling guilty, huh?¡±


    Veronica curled up her red lips and smirked coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak so highly of yourself and don¡¯t


    assume that I should be extremely grateful just because you saved my life! If it wasn¡¯t because of your


    grandmother¡¯s fondness for me, would you have saved me at all? Ultimately, you just think of me as a


    ything that can cheer her up!¡±


    ¡°Matthew¨Coh, wait. From now onward, I must remember to address you as my darling brother!¡±


    With that, Veronica ced both hands on his shoulders and tilted her head slightly to smile at him. ¡°Bro,


    we¡¯re just making use of each other for our own motives, so we should just y our own role well. Do


    you agree?¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Despite Veronica¡¯s words, she was, in fact, truly fond of Elizabeth.


    The former was also one to show her gratitude, so she was very mindful of Elizabeth¡¯s kindness.


    On the other hand, Matthew turned ashen as soon as he heard her words and he clenched his hands,


    which were hanging loosely by the side, tightly into fists.


    He felt an unexinable tightness in his chest and it made him feel slightly out of breath. He could even


    feel a slight ache. Is this my body¡®s reaction due to extreme anger?


    He could clearly feel his raging anger but unbeknownst to him, the anger he felt actually masked the pain


    in his heart.


    His sincerity toward Veronica had ended up being regarded by her as all sorts of plots and


    misunderstandings.


    Just then, he pulled his lips up into a cold smile. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    He held her onto her chin and lifted her head before enunciating carefully, ¡°Since you know your ce,


    then make sure you perform your part as a good granddaughter.¡±

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    ¡°Bro, you should also address me as your dear sister.¡± There was a slight smile on her wless face.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Just then, Matthew¡¯s eyes met hers. ¡°Are you even worthy of that?¡±


    ¡°Well, regardless of whether I¡¯m worthy or not, I¡¯m now Grandma¡¯s god granddaughter and your sister.


    There¡¯s no difference as to whether you admit it or not. Don¡¯t you think so, brother?¡±


    Their eyes met each others¡¯ and although both appeared to be smiling happily, in actual fact, they were


    secretly having it out and neither of them wanted to give in to the other.


    Matthew wasn¡¯t tolerant of others¡¯ ws. Moreover, it was rted to Elizabeth-the person he respected


    the most-so his attitude toward Veronica took aplete turn the moment he realized that she had used


    Elizabeth.


    ¡°Life and death are no different too. That¡¯s because¡­¡±


    He paused for a moment before caressing her chin with his index finger. Then, he calmly mentioned


    word by word, ¡°It¡¯s all within a flick of a finger.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! I¡¯m really scared of your threats, darling brother!¡±


    Veronica frowned and she purposely showed a frightened expression before suddenly bursting into


    laughter.


    She lifted her head to look up at him. She continued to smile but shortly after that, her smile dissipated


    bit by bit and her expression turned cold. ¡°As long as your grandmother is around, you¡¯ll spare my life for


    the sake of her happiness. Come to think of it, you¡¯re such a filial grandson.¡±


    Just then, Veronica made a thumbs-up gesture at him.


    ¡°Bro, I do feel drained seeing you make so much effort to be a great fiance and a filial grandson at the


    same time.¡±


    She lifted her hand to push his hand aside and before poking him on the chest with her slender finger.


    ¡°Good luck to you!¡±


    With that, Veronica smiled meaningfu


    nd turned around to leave.


    Meanwhile, Matthew remained stuck in his original position and it took him quite some time before he


    shifted his body. He nced at the woman who had already walked off and his dark brows became


    furrowed. At the same time, he had mixed emotions.


    To her, I¡¯m actually such a despicable and scheming person?! Matthew thought to himself, but he didn¡¯t


    realize that he also regarded her as a scheming woman simrly because she had made use of


    Elizabeth.


    That was also the reason for his change in attitude toward Veronica.


    Just then, she went back into the living room and sat down to chat and make small talk with Elizabeth.


    One hourter, Floch, Rachel and Tiffany turned up at the Kings Residence.


    The couple came bearing gifts and they fawningly greeted Elizabeth as soon as they saw her. ¡°Old Mrs.


    Kings, how are you feeling? Are you fully recovered?¡±


    ¡°Floch and I are here to visit you and we¡¯ve brought you some supplements.¡±


    The duo handed over the supplements to the servants as they spoke.


    Elizabeth nced at them and there was a sh of annoyance across her face, but she maintained a


    calm front. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have. There¡¯s no need to be so courteous.¡±


    The three of them exchanged polite pleasantries while Veronica sat on the couch. Just then, she calmly


    nced at Floch and Rachel.


    Ever since they had asked for 2 million from her previously, this was the second time that they came into


    contact with each other.


    She looked at the two of them looking likep dogs wagging their tails in front of Elizabeth, and she felt a


    rush of contentment.


    ¡°Ah! You¡­ You¡¯re¡­ Veronica, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Suddenly, it was as if Rachel seemingly had her eyesight restored, as she finally discovered Veronica


    sitting by the side. And so, Rachel instantly walked over. ¡°Tiffany told me earlier that you were here with


    Old Mrs. Kings, but I didn¡¯t trust her words at first. I can¡¯t believe that it¡¯s true!¡±


    Rachel put on an exceptional act and she couldn¡¯t contain her sobs as the tears welled up in her eyes.


    Her acting skills were indeed as good as Tiffany¡¯s.


    ¡°Veronica, where have you been all this while? Ever since you left Bloomstead, we¡¯ve been searching


    high and low for you!¡± Floch also revealed a pained expression.


    Meanwhile, Tiffany shot a look at her parents, and there was an extremely displeased look in her eyes.


    Initially, they had intended to invite Veronica back and this was totally uneptable to Tiffany. Right now,


    even though thetter knew that her parents were just putting on an act of being concerned, she couldn¡¯t


    contain the intense jealousy she felt as soon she saw the way they behaved around Veronica.


    In the end, Tiffany could no longer stand it. ¡°Grandma, Mom, Dad, you guys should spend some time


    with Veronica. I need to use the washroom.¡±


    She scanned the surroundings but didn¡¯t see Matthew, so she came up with a random excuse and


    wanted to go and look for him. She didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer.


    Floch and Rachel nodded at Tiffany and then they moved forward to stand in front of Veronica.


    ¡°Veronica, you must have experienced so much suffering all of these years. Come on over and let Mo¡­


    let me take a good look at you.¡±


    In terms of acting, Tiffany must have learned it from Rachel.


    At that moment, tears streamed down Rachel¡¯s face and her eyes were red-rimmed. Furthermore, she


    couldn¡¯t quite stop her chin from trembling. In all honesty, her touching, poignant look seemed utterly


    sincere.


    ¡°Stay away from me.¡± Veronica sat on the couch and shot a cold look at the two before responding


    coolly.


    She spoke in an arrogant tone without showing any respect to the two.


    Instantly, the duo¡¯s expression darkened and because they had their backs facing Elizabeth, they


    revealed ferocious, terrifying looks on their faces but ultimately, they didn¡¯t lose their tempers.


    Rachel was dressed in a dark purple maxi dress and she had her hair swept into chignon. Furthermore,


    she had some light makeup on and she carried herself with an air of elegance befitting ady of


    affluence. ¡°My poor child!¡± she sobbed. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for all your suffering all these years! Now that Floch


    and I have finally located you, you muste back home with us, alright?¡±


    After she had asked the question, Floch, who was slightly plump and dressed in a suit, added, ¡°It¡¯s fine


    even if you refuse to acknowledge us as your parents. We just want topensate for the past, that¡¯s


    all.¡±


    ¡°Compensate for the past?¡± Veronica crossed her feet and shol a look at the two. ¡°Do you really want to


    compensate me?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve suffered so much all these years while you were living apart from us,¡± the both of them


    responded.


    Meanwhile, Veronica nodded slightly. ¡°Okay. How much do you n to give me? Since you want to


    compensate me, then give me some money. I¡¯m only keen on that.¡± Just then, Veronica did what she did


    best and she expressed her scorn with an innocent expression.


    As soon as she finished her sentence, the couple stiffened and they exchanged looks with each other


    before turning to look at Elizabeth, who was seated by the side. They had angry looks on their faces, but


    they couldn¡¯t quite lose their tempers.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Veronica definitely suffered a lot. Look at her. She can¡¯t even afford proper clothings


    and her dress is a present from her brother too!¡±


    Elizabeth, who was seated by the side, spoke up at the right time.


    She shook her head as she spoke and she heaved a huge sigh, looking as though Veronica¡¯s


    predicament pained her terribly.


    Elizabeth came from affluence, so she was quite familiar with all of the designer brands and she knew


    that Veronica had on a limited edition dress that was from thetest season. It would definitely have cost


    way more than what Veronica could afford, so Elizabeth guessed that Matthew must have been the one


    who bought it for her.


    ¡°How can that be¡­¡±.


    Rachel lifted her hand to swipe off the tears on her face. Meanwhile, Floch patted her backfortingly


    and said, ¡°Stop crying. We¡¯ve located our daughter now so there¡¯s plenty of chances for us to


    compensate her in the future.¡±


    As he said that, he reached for his wallet and rummaged inside for a card. Just then, he shot a cold look


    at Veronica and after some consideration, he handed over a card with the least amount of money inside


    to her. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve suffered a lot all of these years. There¡¯s some money inside this card. Feel


    free to use it.¡±


    Meanwhile, Veronica swept a look at the card and instantly asked, ¡°How much money is in there?¡±

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­¡±


    Just as Floch tried to figure out a reply, Elizabeth suddenly poinied out, ¡°At the very least, there should


    be a minimum of three to five million for it to be eptable.¡±


    ¡°Three to five¡­?¡± Rachel froze and her tears halted all of a sudden. She turned back to nce at


    Elizabeth, but she didn¡¯t dare to say a word despite her anger. On the contrary, she went along and


    nodded with an apologetic smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, Old Mrs. Kings. You¡¯re quite right indeed.¡±


    However, Floch didn¡¯t pay much heed and he instantly lied through his teeth. ¡°Yeah, I think so too. There


    is about three million in there. The money ispensation for the poor girl.¡±


    He was quite the two-faced person and at that moment, he was utterly tempted to wring Veronica¡¯s neck.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Just then, Veronica lifted her hand to take the card and she was just about to say something when


    Elizabeth stood up abruptly and walked toward her. ¡°Veronica, give the card to me and I¡¯ll check the


    bnce for you.¡±


    Elizabeth was very insistent and she clearly showed that she was on Veronica¡¯s side. The former¡¯s action


    was an obvious indicator that she didn¡¯t trust the Larson couple as she snubbed them directly.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was stunned at first and soon after that, a wave of gratitude flooded her. Elizabeth


    is too kind to me! I must have been an exemry human being in my past life to have been granted this


    encounter with her in this current life.


    ¡°Mr. Randall, call and check for the bnce on this card.¡± Elizabeth handed over the card to her servant


    by the side and muttered, ¡°We must be clear with matters that involve money. Otherwise, it would be


    troublesome if anything got mixed up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. You¡¯re definitely right!¡± Floch hastily agreed but he couldn¡¯t control himself from wiping


    off the beads of sweat on his forehead guiltily as he regretted his actions.


    Meanwhile, the servant named Mr. Randall took the card from Elizabeth and walked off to find out the


    bnce.


    On the other end, Elizabeth took a seat by Veronica¡¯s side and she lovingly held the girl¡¯s hand. With a


    doting look, she asked, ¡°Are you hungry? You¡¯ve been running around the whole day.¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s expression of concern was exactly like a loving grandmother doting on her granddaughter.


    The Larsons were quite frantic about the card but as soon as they noticed the tender moment between


    Elizabeth and Veronica, there was a glint in their eyes as they exchanged looks with each other. This


    was the reason why Rachel had stopped Floch in the past.


    Previously, he had been prepared to get rid of Veronica, but Rachel had interjected and said that since


    Elizabeth doted on Veronica, then they should just directly announce Veronica¡¯s identity to the public and


    bring her home. In the future, they would be able to make use of Veronica¡¯s identity as Elizabeth¡¯s god-


    granddaughter to foster closer ties with the Kingses.


    After all, the Kings Family had an invincible presence in Bloomstead. If the Larsons managed to bring


    Veronica home, then her position as Elizabeth¡¯s god


    granddaughter and Tiffany¡¯s position as Matthew¡¯s fianc¨¦e would definitely elevate their positions in the


    social circle of Bloomstead. In the future, this would definitely bring about an abundance of business


    opportunities and wealth to the Larsons.


    As soon as Floch heard Rachel¡¯s analysis, he instantly pped his hands with joy and agreed to it.


    Shortly after that, they announced Veronica¡¯s identity to the press and publicly stated that they were


    going to bring her back home topensate for her suffering


    ¡°Old Mrs. Kings, the bank mentioned that this card has a bnce of only fifty thousand.¡±


    Just then, the servant walked over and handed the card to Elizabeth as he spoke.


    ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± In response, Elizabeth took the card from him. Although she was quite old, she


    looked utterly formidable when the expression on her wrinkled face darkened. She held the card and


    immediately flung it toward Floch. ¡°There¡¯s only fifty thousand in there! Is this yourpensation?!¡±


    ¡°No! No! I¡¯ve made a mistake. It¡¯s a mistake. There used to be three million inside but I donated it to the


    Red Cross. I¡¯ve been too forgetful and made a mistake.¡±


    Floch didn¡¯t expect that Elizabeth would actually make them look bad, but he also realized then that she


    seemed to be overly concerned about Veronica. Just then, he plotted in his mind and quickly took out


    another card for the servant, ¡°Here. Could you check the bnce on this card, please?¡±


    Meanwhile, Rachel didn¡¯t expect such a situation and she was quite reluctant to part with the money.


    However, she could only apologize repeatedly, ¡°Old Mrs. Kings, please don¡¯t be angry. Floch is usually


    too busy with work so he must have made a mistake.¡±


    However, Elizabeth scoffed coldly. ¡°Why are you apologizing to me? I¡¯m not the person affected here!¡±


    Elizabeth reprimanded them mercilessly.


    Veronica nearly burst into tears upon seeing Elizabeth¡¯s actions. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re too kind to me!¡± She


    clung to Elizabeth¡¯s wrist and leaned closer to nuzzle herself against Elizabeth as she purred, ¡°I¡¯m so


    touched.¡±


    ¡°Veronica, I¡¯ve made a mistake. Don¡¯t get mad at me.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Veronica. Your dad¡¯s just too busy with work. Mistakes ur, so please don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    The Larsons tried to exin themselves and continued to put on an act. However, Veronica refused to


    ept that. ¡°I only have one father and he¡¯s living in the countryside!¡± She rebuked mercilessly, tantly


    showing her disrespect for the Larson Family.


    Veronica was perfect at putting up an arrogant front by making use of Elizabeth¡¯s position.


    ¡°Hmph! What¡¯s wrong with the two of you? She just got back and yet you guys have upset her so soon!¡±


    Elizabeth reprimanded them once again.


    At that moment, the servant came forward and said, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s three million, one hundred and


    thirty thousand in this card.¡±


    Elizabeth took the card and turned to Veronica. ¡°Veronica, I know that you don¡¯t have much money, but


    you shouldn¡¯t ept their money.¡± After she had said that, she


    flung the card to the table and signaled to the servant.


    The servant instantly brought forward Elizabeth¡¯s bag. Elizabeth then took out a card from her bag before


    shoving it into Veronica¡¯s hands. ¡°You¡¯re now my granddaughter, so it would be ridiculous if word got out


    that you received money from someone else. Here you go. I¡¯ve got thirty million in here for you. Take it.


    From now on, your pocket money each month will be one hundred thousand.¡±


    It was alright to unt one¡¯s wealth, but Elizabeth¡¯s actions were a direct snub to the Larsons and it also


    seemed like an intentional move too.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was significantly touched and she was at a loss for words. However, she turned to


    steal a look at the Larsons¡¯ expression, and she noticed that there were extremely ugly looks on their


    faces.


    Just then, Matthew made his way into the room with Tiffany in tow. He had clearly heard everything so he


    voiced out, ¡°How could you possibly take Grandma¡¯s money?¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Instantly, Floch agreed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Although you¡¯re Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ god granddaughter, you


    shouldn¡¯t be so greedy, Veronica!¡±


    ¡°Floch is right. Although three million isn¡¯t that much, once you¡¯re back home, we¡¯ll definitely give you


    some more money. If we give you arge sum all at once, you might find that money can be easily


    attained and this would not be a good thing for


    you.¡±


    The Larsons¡¯ took the opportunity to voice out and they behaved as if they were trying to say that they


    weren¡¯t being stingy by merely giving Veronica three million. The way they put it sounded as though they


    were just considering what was best for her. After all, she was a country bumpkin, and she might be


    flighty with too much money all at once.


    ¡°Grandma, I know that you dote on me very much but this money¡­ I¡­¡±


    Veronica was about to say no to Elizabeth when she saw Matthew walk in. Subsequently, he questioned


    her domineeringly, ¡°I gave you a card before you arrived. Is the money insufficient?¡±


    Veronica frowned in response and took out a card from her pocket. ¡°Do you mean this one here?¡±

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    Veronica took out a ck-colored card which had a major bank¡¯s name embossed in gold. In fact, it


    looked quite ssy.


    As soon as the card was taken out, everyone was momentarily stunned and their eyes widened. There


    was no mistaking the shock on everyone¡¯s faces, especially Tiffany. As soon as she saw the card, she


    couldn¡¯t contain her anger and her delicate features were distorted with jealousy.


    ¡°This¡­ Is this¡­ the Centurion Card?¡±


    Just then, Floch caught his breath in a deep gasp and he instinctively turned to nce at Rachel. At that


    moment, he was stunned beyond words.


    ¡°Ha! Now that¡¯s about right.¡±


    Elizabeth shot a look at Matthew with a happy smile on her face. ¡°You¡¯re Veronica¡¯s brother, so that¡¯s the


    least you can do.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Old Mrs. Kings, this is the Centurion Card and it¡¯s got unlimited credit. Matthew gave this to


    Veronica so casually, but what if she spends unnecessarily? After all, this card can be used to purchase


    anything and it can even be used to buy a ne!¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    After the direct snub, Rachel intentionally came up with an excuse to maintain her image and she


    purposely analyzed Matthew¡¯s ¡°kind move.¡± From her words, she intended to put across to everyone that


    Veronica had, in fact, originated from the countryside so it was very likely that she would splurge


    frivolously with so much money on her hands.


    ¡°Yeah, Mom¡¯s right! Grandma, Veronica just came back to Bloomstead from the countryside, so she


    hasn¡¯t been exposed to the urban lifestyle. If she¡¯s given too much money all at once, it might not be a


    good thing for her.¡± Just then, Tiffany echoed Rachel¡¯s words.


    After listening to everyone¡¯s words, Veronica finally understood that the ck card in her hand was in


    fact the renowned Centurion Card that could be used to buy anything, even a ne.


    Initially, she had thought that this was a VVIP card because of Matthew¡¯s exalted status. It was no


    wonder that the salesperson had looked at her strangely when she went shopping, and they had also


    been especially amodating.


    big deal. I only have one god-granddaughter so she deserves all the best things on earth.¡±


    Meanwhile, Elizabeth was extremely happy and she turned to Veronica. ¡°Next time you encounter any


    problems at all,e to me or your brother. You¡¯ve got us supporting you, and I definitely won¡¯t allow


    anyone to bully you! As for this money, feel free to use it however you¡¯d like. You don¡¯t have to be shy to


    use your brother¡¯s money. He¡¯s very rich.¡±


    For some inexplicable reason, Veronica could sense that Elizabeth was very happy. There was a sharp


    glint in thetter¡¯s clouded eyes as she was lost in thought.


    Ultimately, Veronica couldn¡¯t quiteprehend the situation but she was quite sure that Elizabeth¡¯s


    words were intentionally directed at the Larsons, so Veronica was quite gleeful about it.


    At that point, there was nothing else that could be done, so the Larsons¡¯ moods were fouler than ever.


    Meanwhile, Floch awkwardly put away the card in his hand and he no longer dared to mention a word


    about inviting Veronica back home.


    In the end, they sat down for dinner together. It was then that Floch truly grasped the fact that Elizabeth


    was indeed very fond of Veronica, so he couldn¡¯t help himself and suggested for the girl to return home


    with them. However, his suggestion was met with Elizabeth¡¯s objection. As such, none of them dared to


    bring up that topic again.


    After dinner, Floch and Rachel left with Tiffany in tow, while Matthew volunteered to send Veronica home.


    Just then, Veronica clung tightly to Elizabeth and whispered her thanks into thetter¡¯s ears. ¡°Grandma,


    thank you very much for everything today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯m your grandma so it¡¯s natural for me to dote on you. I¡¯m happy enough as long as you


    come back regrly to visit me.¡± Elizabeth was truly very fond of Veronica. This was even more so after


    Veronica saved Elizabeth¡¯s life. That made Elizabeth fonder of Veronica than ever.


    Naturally, Elizabeth¡¯s fondness was partly mixed with gratitude toward Veronica for saving her life,


    coupled with other reasons too.


    ¡°Alright. Grandma, do get some rest. We¡¯ll be on our way now.¡± Veronica waved at Elizabeth and turned


    around to leave.


    Just then, the Larsons bade farewell one after the other to Elizabeth and walked out of the Kings


    Residence alongside Veronica and Matthew.


    There was a short distance from the backyard of the house to the front and as they walked on the paved


    stone path, Floch mentioned to Matthew, ¡°Matthew, you¡¯re already engaged to Tiffany, yet the two of you


    are still living apart. There¡¯s going to be spection if word gets out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you guys are already engaged so you should be staying together.¡± Rachel also took the


    opportunity to chime in.


    Although Tiffany and Matthew were engaged to be married, it was quite frustrating for the Larsons


    because the duo were not staying together.


    However, they were no longer as wary of Veronica as before, because she was no longer a threat. Now


    that she was Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter, she was no longer eligible to marry Matthew.


    Just then, Tiffany lowered her head and remained silent with her lips pursed. At that moment, she was


    actually quite expectant and secretly joyful.


    Suddenly, Matthew mentioned, ¡°I¡¯m just obeying the Kingses¡¯ family rule.¡±


    His words managed to render everyone speechless. After quite some time, Rachel voiced out again,


    ¡°Then when do you two n to get married?¡±


    ¡°We can discuss this at ater stage.¡± His abrupt words were like an icy bucket of water thrown at Tiffany,


    and she felt a chill run down her spine at that point.


    Floch couldn¡¯t contain himself and wanted to pursue the topic further, but Rachel signaled for him to stop.


    It wasn¡¯t the best time to ask about this right now.


    Just then, the group made their way to the entrance and left after going into their respective cars.


    After Floch and Rachel got into the car, Tiffany remained outside and looked on longingly at Matthew.


    Subsequently, she walked toward him and hugged him. Then, she lifted her head to look at him with


    dewy eyes. ¡°Matthew, I really want to stay together with you.¡±


    Faced with Tiffany¡¯s sudden advancement, Matthew could only think of the cloying scent of perfume that


    hit his nostrils. Though she used a designer perfume, it was still too strong for his liking and he frowned


    slightly in response.


    Instinctively, he turned to look at Veronica. Coincidentally, as he nced over, she turned to look at him


    too, so their eyes met each others. Veronica suddenly felt a tight feeling in her chest, but she merely


    lifted an eyebrow before turning around to


    enter the car. She didn¡¯t want to stand there as the loving couple publicly disyed their affections for


    each other.


    ¡°Have you forgotten my words?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s body was stiff as he continued to keep a hand in the pocket of his trousers. The other


    remained by the side of his body. His cold words cut through Tiffany like a razor de and she felt a


    piercing pain in her heart.


    Just then, the tears instantly welled up in her eyes and she looked at him with an aggrieved expression.


    When Matthew saw her pitiful look, coupled with a face that closely resembled Veronica¡¯s, he couldn¡¯t


    help lifting his hands with slightly trembling fingers before patting her lightly on the back. ¡°Go home now


    and get some rest.¡±


    His sudden action of patting her on the bac? as well as the torn expression that shed across his gaze


    earlier made Tiffany feel that he was deeply in love with her. Hence, she became as happy as a child


    who was awarded candy.


    ¡°Alright, Matthew. Good night.¡± After saying that, she went onto her toes and gently pressed a kiss to his


    cheek.


    At that instance, Matthew instinctively turned his face slightly but he didn¡¯t end up managing to dodge her


    kiss. However, he shifted his eyes to the side and happened to see Veronica¡¯s dark expression from the


    rearview mirror of the car. She appeared to be staring into the rearview mirror and looking directly at


    them.


    Just then, Tiffany let go of Matthew and she entered the Larsons¡¯ car in happy spirits. Subsequently, the


    trio drove off.


    Matthew watched as they drove off before he took out a limited edition handkerchief from the inner


    pocket of his suit. Then, he wiped off the area on his face that Tiffany had nted a kiss on before


    throwing the handkerchief into the bin with a disgusted look on his face.

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    After that, Matthew strode toward the car and pulled open the door to get into the


    car


    Upon noticing Veronica seated in the front passenger seat, he instantly muttered, ¡°Come to the back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly happy here. Why should I move to the back?¡± Veronica coldly snorted with a haughty toss


    of her head as she remained in her seat.


    Meanwhile, Thomas, who was in the driver¡¯s seat, nced at Matthew¡¯s darkened expression in the


    rearview mirror and he instantly offered, ¡°The front passenger seat of this car isn¡¯t suitable for


    passengers.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Thomas paused for a moment as his brain worked overtime. Thinking of an excuse, he


    rambled, ¡°There is something wrong with the seat. I¡¯ve been nning to get it fixed but I just haven¡¯t had


    the time to do so.¡±


    ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    Just then, Veronica intentionally rocked back and forth in her seat, but she didn¡¯t find anything wrong with


    it. However, she noticed that Thomas didn¡¯t seem like he was joking.


    In the end, she had no choice but to open the door and get out of the car to go to the back seat. Then,


    she took a seat next to Matthew.


    The car moved slowly and drove off to the Twilight Club.


    Throughout the journey, Veronica and Matthew sat far apart from each other, and she turned her head in


    the direction of the window to look outside. She didn¡¯t bother to talk to him at all.


    Meanwhile, Matthew maintained his silence too.


    Suddenly, it was Thomas who voiced out and broke the silence in the car.


    ¡°Miss Murphy, there is a cell phone on the backseat armrest and your bank card and sim card are all


    sorted. I went to collect it for you in the afternoon.


    In fact, Veronica had submitted her application for a reissue of her identification card on the day that the


    fire urred, which was why she was able to get it sorted out now. Meanwhile, Thomas had already


    helped her to purchase a new phone and applied for another sim card for her on his way back.


    ¡°Oh¡ªYou¡¯re really efficient. Thanks!¡± Veronica was quite happy.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me, Miss Murphy. It was all under the Young Master Matthew¡¯s instructions. You


    should thank him.¡± Thomas smiled at her.


    Just then, Veronica suddenly stopped talking and she lowered her head to open the box to reveal the


    latest top-selling 5.7-inch widescreen 5G cell phone. It was a fashionable model that cost around seven


    thousand.


    She inserted the sim card into the phone and turned it on.


    Throughout the journey, she didn¡¯t speak a word to Matthew.


    He sat stiffly on his seat and he nced at her from the side of his eye. However, his expression turned


    increasingly thunderous as he noticed her keeping her silence.


    After Veronica turned on the phone, it started to vibrate non-stop.


    There were a lot of messages that popped up on the screen and she clicked on one of them. It turned


    out to be from Xavier. ¡®Where are you right now? Reply to the message as soon as you see it.¡¯


    Then, she clicked on another message and it was from Xavier too. ¡®Darn it! Why didn¡¯t you contact me


    when you were in trouble?¡¯


    ¡®Answer the phone. Hurry up and answer the phone!


    ¡®Missed call notification: You have a missed call from the number 170********* on 27 September 2021


    Cody and the private investigator have been bribed by the Larsons. The Larson Family has destroyed all


    of the evidence.¡¯


    ¡®Where the hell are you right now?¡¯


    ¡®Veronica, I¡¯m really sorry but I have no other option. The Larsons threatened me with the safety of my


    family. I¡¯m very sorry.


    In just a short moment, Veronica had received nearly thirty text messages on her cell phone. Some of


    them were from Xavier and Cody. There were a few from the automated customer service, and even


    some from Matthew too.


    Veronica didn¡¯t expect this and she instantly dialed Xavier¡¯s number.


    Beeeep ¡ª


    The phone rang several times before the other party finally picked up the phone.


    ¡°Veronica? Is that you? Where are you right now?¡±


    Xavier¡¯s voice rang out from the other end and he agitatedly questioned her.


    Veronica could clearly sense his concern and care for her despite them currently being miles apart. At


    that moment, she felt a warm, fuzzy feeling well up within her. Instantly, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m back. I¡¯m safe


    and sound right now so don¡¯t worry too much. Thank you, Xavier.¡±


    All this while, Xavier had helped her so much and Veronica was sincerely grateful for


    Meanwhile, Matthew, who was seated by her side, had a thunderous look on his face and his expression


    was indeed quite terrifying.


    This d*mned woman! Xavier didn¡®t even do much, yet she expressed her thanks to him? I saved her life


    but she didn¡®t even show her sincerity by thanking me! Matthew was significantly displeased deep down.


    ¡°It¡¯s great to know that you¡¯re back. Was it¡­ Matthew who rescued you?¡±


    Xavier couldn¡¯t quite contain the disappointment in his voice as he brought up Matthew¡¯s name.


    However, Veronica was oblivious to it and she nodded. ¡°Yes. We just got back yesterday. What about


    you? Where are you right now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m still around Pierson Harbor because I was looking for you. I didn¡¯t realize that you had gone


    back. I¡¯ll head back right away and I should be able to arrive in Bloomstead by tomorrow.¡±


    Xavier remained silent after saying that. Subsequently, he mentioned to Veronica,


    ¡°Roni, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re safe and sound.¡±


    Xavier had turned the ce upside down looking for Veronica during the past ten days that she had been


    missing. Despite his abilities, he was no match for Matthew¡¯s capabilities, and Xavier was one step


    behind in her rescue.


    Besides feeling guilty, Xavier also did a lot of self-reflection and he realized that he was not capable


    enough.


    ¡°Thanks, Xavier. Hurry up and get back. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡±


    As soon as Veronica heard that he was still in Pierson Harbor, she couldn¡¯t contain the sad feeling that


    welled up within her.


    In thisrge city of Bloomstead, Xavier and Elizabeth were the only ones who treated her kindly, so much


    so that Veronica had no idea how to repay them.


    ¡°Sure, wait for me,¡± Xavier replied.


    The two continued their conversation for a short while before hanging up the phone.


    After Veronica hung up, she held the phone in her hands and dejectedly leaned against the car seat. Her


    fingers brushed against the screen of her cell phone and she had her head down as she remained deep


    in thought. Suddenly, she heaved a deep sigh.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Do you sympathize with him?¡±


    Just then, Matthew, who was seated next to her, sensed that she seemed to be quite worried about


    Xavier after getting into touch with him. In all honesty, Matthew was


    quite displeased.


    LEHET


    Meanwhile, Veronica turned her head slightly to nce at himzily. ¡°What has that got to do with you?¡±


    Whoever I show concern for is my own business!


    ¡°Have you forgotten your identity so soon?¡± he reminded her sternly.


    At that point, Veronica realized that Matthew was talking about his identity as her godbrother.


    Furthermore, Elizabeth had instructed him to take good care of her too.


    ¡°Were yournguage lessons taught by your physical education teacher? How can yourprehension


    be so weak? Grandma told you to take care of me but she didn¡¯t


    ask you to restrict me in my daily life.¡±


    Veronica coldly snorted while she continued to mumble under her breath, ¡°Besides, this is my personal


    matter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your personal matters but since you¡¯re Grandma¡¯s god granddaughter ,then you


    should be able to differentiate between what you¡¯re supposed to do and what not to. Don¡¯t bring


    disrepute to the Kingses.¡±


    Matthew then leaned against his seat and closed his eyes.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Veronica sputtered, feeling utterly frustrated.


    In response, she frowned and retorted, ¡°I¡¯m just maintaining my friendship with Xavier. Is that considered


    to be bringing disrepute to the Kings Family?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullsh*t!¡± She couldn¡¯t quite control the profanity that came out of her mouth.


    Just then, the man who was resting with his eyes shut suddenly opened his eyes and turned to look at


    an angry Veronica. It seemed that she was angered because he had stopped her from maintaining a


    rtionship with Xavier.


    ¡°Xavier has a bad reputation so you should stay away from him.¡±


    ¡°I will not!¡±


    Veronica turned her body and looked at Matthew squarely in the eyes, her stunning, captivating face


    flushed with anger. ¡°Just because the Kingses are powerful and rich, my friendship with Xavier is


    regarded as bringing disrepute to the family name. What about the business dealings between your


    family and him, then? How would you regard that?!¡±


    ¡°Those are two separate matters.¡±

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    ¡°You¡¯re just finding all sorts of excuses!¡±


    Just then, Veronica rolled her eyes at Matthew and she felt that he was being utterly unreasonable. She


    got the feeling that only his limbs had evolved since the Stone Age, but his brain was still stuck in the


    prehistoric age. In short, he was an utter moron.


    However, Veronica didn¡¯t want to continue arguing, so she leaned against the window and remained


    silent as she closed her eyes.


    At that point, the car descended into silence.


    Finally, they arrived at the underground parking site of the Twilight Club. The two of them subsequently


    got out of the car and walked into the elevator, one after the other.


    Thomas handed over the keys to Matthew before driving his own car back home. The former adamantly


    refused to get involved in the matters of the bickering couple.


    In the confined space of the elevator, Veronica tried her hardest to squeeze herself into a corner to


    maintain as much distance from Matthew as she could. Every move she made clearly indicated her


    loathing for him.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Why are you standing so far apart from me?¡±


    Meanwhile, Matthew, who was standing ramrod straight, nced at her with a frown and there was a


    significantly displeased look on his handsome face.


    ¡°I¡¯m keeping my distance because I need to stay away from people like you. Idiotic behavior can be


    contagious,¡± Veronica casuallymented as she lifted her brows.


    Matthew¡¯s expression instantly darkened the moment he heard that.


    Just then, he reached out and pulled her toward him. Then, he held her captive in his arms as he


    growled, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try repeating that again?¡±


    ALL


    Veronica struggled to get out of his embrace but despite her struggles, she couldn¡¯t seem to extricate


    herself from his tight hold.


    In the end, after realizing that her efforts were futile, she decided not to struggle unnecessarily.


    And so, she looked up and red at him. ¡°I said I need to stay away from people like


    you.¡±


    ¡°What about your next sentence?¡±


    ¡°Idiotic behavior can be contagious.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡±


    He harshly pinched her on the cheeks. Her wless, porcin-like skin instantly bulged up, and she


    looked quiteical and cute just then.


    ¡°You¡¯re just making assumptions that I¡¯m talking about you. Is that my fault? Besides, did I even mention


    your name?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s pretty-looking brows were tightly furrowed and she reached out to swat the back of Matthew¡¯s


    hands. ¡°Let go of me. Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s inappropriate to touch the opposite gender?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been in the same bed, so don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s toote for all these?¡±


    Matthew curled his well-defined lips into a smile and there was a hint of yfulness in his voice. Even his


    eyes were full of desire.


    The look in his gaze resulted in a shiver down Veronica¡¯s spine and she gulped instinctively. ¡°I¡¯m warning


    you, Matthew Kings! If you dare touch me again, I swear I won¡¯t forgive you ever again in this lifetime!¡±


    Veronica meant all of her words.


    Meanwhile, Matthew scrutinized her for a moment before coldly eximing, ¡°You look exactly like Tiffany,


    so where did you get the confidence to actually think that I would want to touch you?¡± His underlying


    meaning was that he would rather touch Tiffany than her.


    Veronica¡¯s heart was finally at ease the moment she heard that.


    Ding!


    Meanwhile, they arrived at the ground floor and the doors to the elevator slid open.


    And so, Matthew relinquished his hold on her. Instantly, Veronica turned around to walk out of the


    elevator and headed toward the living room.


    She stood in the living room and turned to him. ¡°You can sleep in the master bedroom and I¡¯ll take the


    guest room. There¡¯s no need for any interaction between


    us.¡±


    At that point, Matthew finally saw the fear on Veronica¡¯s face and she resembled a deer caught in


    headlights. Her expression triggered a wave of sympathy in him.


    ¡°Alright.¡± He affirmed and turned around to walk into the master bedroom before shutting the door behind


    him.


    As soon as Veronica saw Matthew walk into the room, she finally took a seat on the couch, her


    expression weary. Just then, she switched on the television to watch a drama.


    Ever since Elizabeth had taken Veronica as her god granddaughter, Matthew no longer touched her. It


    was quite likely that he had some reservations now that they were supposedly siblings by name.


    Furthermore, Elizabeth had warned him repeatedly, so he should be quite wary of touching her


    As soon as Veronica realized this, she finally felt at ease.


    She sat there watching the drama. However, she found that it was quite boring, so she went to the bar


    and took out a bottle of red wine. Subsequently, she took out a wine ss and walked toward the couch


    as she took a sip of wine. She rxed on the couch and continued to watch the drama.


    The time ticked by, and it soon went from 8 PM to 12 AM.


    At one point, Matthew walked out of the master bedroom and went into the study room. After that, he


    didn¡¯t step foot out of the room.


    Veronica continued to watch television for some time but she found it quite boring so she went into the


    guest room.


    Just as she was about to take a shower, she suddenly realized that she didn¡¯t have any clothes to


    change into. However, she opened the cupboard in the room to find that it was actually filled to the brim


    with autumn wear.


    She flipped through thebels on the clothes and noticed that it was all in her size. Is this for me?


    Nheless, she didn¡¯t think too much about it and went into the bathroom to take a shower. After her


    shower, she put on a pair of pajamas andy down on the bed as she scrolled through her phone.


    She tossed and turned and 2 AM soon rolled by, but she couldn¡¯t sleep at all.


    In the end, she got out of bed in the middle of the night, intending to go to Matthew¡¯s study room to use


    hisputer to find out some information.


    However, as soon as Veronica put on her bedroom slippers and pushed open the door to the study room,


    she realized that Matthew was still at work.


    ¡°You¡­ It¡¯s 2 AM already. Why are you still up?¡±


    Veronica was slightly


    surprised. Turns out the infamous domineering president is actually so busy with work that he doesn¡®t ev


    en have enough time to sleep!


    Matthew was currently seated in front of hisputer and he was on a conference call. The people on


    the other end were mainly several close business associates of his.


    ¡°Wow, Kings! Your pretty little wife seems to be quite anxious.¡±


    ¡°Ha! It looks like we¡¯ve taken up Kings¡¯ precious sweet time with his wife.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep her a secret. Let us have a look at her!¡±


    Just then, the men on the conference call teased Matthew relentlessly.


    On the other hand, Matthew became thunderous and he instantly hung up the call.


    He took a look at the time on the bottom right corner of hisputer and found out that it was already


    past 12 AM. In fact, it was already 2.30 AM. ¡°Why are you still up?¡±


    Veronica shrugged in response. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°Even so, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I wanted to use theputer.¡±


    She had caught up on everything on her social media and nothing was interesting on the television.


    Everything on the television was mindless lovey-dovey dramas with mediocre actors whocked acting


    skills. They were constantly flirting with women, so it was quite pointless to watch.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote now. Wait till tomorrow to use theputer.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re so selfish.¡±


    Veronica thought that Matthew didn¡¯t want her to use hisputer, so she snorted coldly and turned to


    leave the room in a huff. Subsequently, she plopped herself onto the couch and turned on the television


    to find something to watch.


    Shortly after that, Matthew walked out of the study room and saw that she was full of energy as she


    watched a reality show. She didn¡¯t seem the least bit tired.


    And so, he murmured, ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, why don¡¯t youe over and have a drink with me?¡±


    Having some alcohol could perhaps dull her senses and help her get some sleep. Earlier, Veronica had


    consumed some alcohol but she had put everything away. The venttion system of the condominium


    was great that there was no scent of alcohol that lingered in the air.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Veronica agreed without any hesitation.


    Subsequently, she got up without putting on her bedroom slippers and went to the bar to grab a random


    bottle of wine and two wine sses before walking over to him. ¡°Coincidentally, I was keen to drink some


    wine too,¡± she mentioned with a smile.


    Matthew stood by the couch and looked at Veronica, who was dressed in a slinky, ck nightgown, with


    her hair falling around her shoulders. Her dainty corbone and her slender neck were quite prominent.


    She dashed around the clean tiles of the room in her dainty, milky-white, clean feet, and she looked


    rather innocent and cute. She resembled an adorable young girl.


    Matthew couldn¡¯t quite contain hisughter as he kept his eyes on her unblinkingly.


    ¡°Why are you still standing there? Come over and have a drink!¡±


    Veronica waved at him and opened the bottle of wine before pouring it into the wine sses.


    Although the red wines avable were vintage ones and required some time for aeration, Matthew didn¡¯t


    remind her about it because he wanted her to go to bed as soon as possible.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    Veronica sat next to Matthew and he held up a ss of wine. Then, he sat there enjoying the wine.


    The time ticked by gradually and they sat there enjoying their red wines. Meanwhile, Veronica continued


    to watch the reality TV show and it didn¡¯t take much to trigger augh from her. Sheughed out loud


    from time to time, and she seemed to be in high spirits and she patted Matthew on the shoulders. ¡°Look


    at them! Ha! This is too funny! That man¡¯s too silly.¡±


    ¡°Oh¨CI can¡¯t stand this! This is so funny. My tummy aches so much fromughing too much!¡±


    ¡°The ice needs to be kept warm and using a nket to wrap it up will only make it melt. Oh my gosh!


    Doesn¡¯t he have anymon sense? This is too funny and cute!¡±


    The huge condominium was generally quiet when Matthew was by himself and it was to the extent that


    one would not be able to sense any presence of a living person. However, Veronica¡¯s presence gave him


    a feeling that he had never ever experienced. He was very engrossed in this homely sensation filled with


    so much joy andughter, which waspletely devoid of all the silence and coldness from before.


    Just then, Matthew nced at a giggling Veronica, who seemed to have lowered her guard around him.


    The happiness she experienced was very infectious and he found himself quite rxed and happy too.


    After quite some time, she finally fell asleep and she dozed off on the couch.


    She looked quite cute and she resembled a naughty little girl who had just nodded off on the couch.


    Meanwhile, Matthew held up the wine ss and downed the entire ss before cing it down.


    Subsequently, he walked toward her and lifted his hand, wanting to gently stroke her cheek. However, he


    suddenly recalled the guarded look in her eyes in the elevator and in the end, he merely took her into his


    arms to send her into the guest room.


    Matthew leaned forward and gently ced her down on the soft bed but before he could move into a


    standing position, Veronica suddenly ced both of her hands around his neck and hugged him. At that


    point, he couldn¡¯t move a limb.


    Just then, he frowned and tried to move, but she ended up hugging him tighter than


    ever as she grunted. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying,¡± she muttered. ¡°Stop moving.¡±


    As such, he couldn¡¯t bear to push her aside so hey down next to her.


    The soft bed sagged under Matthew¡¯s weight and Veronica suddenly sensed that there was something


    she could lean on next to her. In her mind, she thought that it was the huge teddy bear she had at home,


    so she instantly lifted her feet to ce them over it.


    Furthermore, she couldn¡¯t control herself and she nuzzled her face against Matthew¡¯s chest. Then, she


    found afortable position before falling into a deep slumber.


    Just then, Veronica slept really well but Matthew found himself in an extremely ufortable position.


    At that moment, there was a warm, soft body in his arms and the fresh scent of her shampoo filled his


    nostrils. He could smell the distinct scent of her body and it triggered his senses, so it was pure torture


    for him as he found it quite tormenting.


    Finally, Matthew could no longer contain himself so he pushed her aside and attempted to leave the


    room.


    However, his sudden move triggered Veronica to tighten her hold on him, and she held him in a vise-like


    grip. She instinctively wound her legs around his and hugged him tightly


    Veronica was used to being alone, so she tended to ce a huge life-sized plush toy on her bed so that


    she could hug it when she was sleeping. She enjoyed cing both legs on top of the toy and it was very


    comfortable for her. As a result, she assumed that Matthew was a life-sized plush toy in her sleep.


    Meanwhile, Matthew looked on at her with passion burning within him, and he couldn¡¯t help muttering to


    himself, ¡°You¡¯re such a seductive w*nch.¡±


    Ultimately, he couldn¡¯t stand this tormenting situation, so he mercilessly pushed her aside and left the


    room in an awkward state. Truth was, Matthew was worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop himself from


    having her if he stayed any longer.


    The next day, Veronica enjoyed a good night¡¯s sleep and woke up at 7 AM sharp.


    She yawned a few times and stretched her limbs before opening her eyes to take a look at her


    surroundings. At that moment, she realized that she was in a bedroom.


    Initially, she was caught by surprise and then she instantly felt her body to make sure


    that everything was fine with her. After she had confirmed that she hadn¡¯t been vited by the


    despicable Matthew, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and felt at ease.


    ¡°It looks like that b*stard is afraid of Grandma!¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t helpughing and she finally felt at


    ease being around Matthew.


    After getting out of bed, she freshened up before walking to the living room, only to find that it was empty.


    She assumed that Matthew must be asleep so she didn¡¯t disturb him, but went ahead to rummage in the


    pantry as well as in the fridge to find something to eat. However, she didn¡¯t find anything edible.


    As such, Veronica changed her clothes and went downstairs to grab a bite. She was about to leave when


    she suddenly thought of Matthew, so she ended up getting him some takeaway of noodles and soy milk.


    After getting back to the condominium, she walked toward his room and knocked on his door. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s


    time to wake up.¡±


    She knocked a few times but there was no response from inside, so she pushed the door open to peek


    inside. Just then, she realized that the room was empty and there was no one inside at all.


    At that point, she scratched her head. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind her and it startled her.


    Veronica turned around and red at Matthew. ¡°What is wrong with you?! It¡¯s dangerous to jump out at


    someone from behind!¡± Significantly startled, she patted herselffortingly on the chest.


    ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t be frightened if you don¡¯t have a guilty conscience.¡±


    At that moment, Matthew was dressed in a dark shirt paired with dress pants, his short hair slicked up


    neatly. There were a few buttons undone on his shirt and there was a slight smile on his jaw-dropping


    handsome face that left one breathless. He was in the midst of unbuttoning the button on his left cuff with


    his right hand, and he rolled his sleeves up to his elbows.


    It was a casual move but because it was Matthew who did that, it seemed much more precious and


    arrogantly cool.


    Besides, he had the perfect height and he fit the description of the domineering president generally found


    inic books. Each move he made and every word he spoke exuded the aura of a top model.


    Although Veronica disliked Matthew or to be precise, loathed that despicable guy, she couldn¡¯t quite stop


    herself from being momentarily stunned by his attractiveness.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a massive bloke but howe you didn¡¯t make a sound at all when you walked over here?


    Did you float toward me?¡±


    She snorted lightly and pointed toward the dining room. ¡°I went downstairs to have some breakfast


    earlier so I got you something too.¡±


    After she had said that, she headed toward the study room. ¡°Can I use yourputer? Can I download


    some online games?¡±


    Matthew hummed in affirmation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and download some games, then.¡±


    Perhaps it was because Veronica had failed multiple times in her n, so she no longer seemed as


    excited as before. On the contrary, she seemed to be quite dispirited and she was no longer as


    motivated as she was during her working hours.


    In the end, she made her way into the study room and turned on hisputer to download some games.


    Meanwhile, Matthew walked toward the dining room and saw the noodles on the table. The noodles,


    which were initially covered in sauce, had dried up and it was all clumped together. By the side of it,


    there seemed to be something that resembled a takeaway cup.


    Just then, Matthew nced at the stic cup that was slightly dented and he frowned upon seeing the


    childish design on the stic seal.


    He took out a straw from the stic bag and poked through the seal to take a sip. Initially, he had


    thought that it was some dubious in milk, but he realized that the smell reminded him of soy milk. In all


    honesty, it was more like a sugary drink.


    He frowned and nced at the item in his hand as he became lost in thought.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Veronica had some spare time because the game required some time to be


    downloaded, so she had walked out of the study room. At that point, she noticed Matthew staring at the


    soy milk with a zed look in his eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s soy milk. A cup cost me two.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that this isn¡¯t just some sugary drink?¡±


    The packaging was not only of poor quality but there was only the slightest taste of soy in the drink. It


    tasted mostly of sugar water.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? Intion has caused food prices to skyrocket over time, so the soy milk is much


    more diluted I guess,¡± Veronicamented in a resigned tone.


    Meanwhile, Matthew nodded his head intently and started to eat the noodles. At that moment, he took a


    scoop of the dry-looking noodles and tried a bite, but he found it


    quite inedible. ¡°Do you usually consume such inedible food?¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡±

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    Just then, Veronica tried to contain herughter. ¡°Matthew, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve never tried such


    noodles before in all your life? You have to mix it up before eating it. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be


    any taste.¡±


    She was in high spirits so she suddenly felt that his current behavior was exceptionallyical. In short,


    he was her source of entertainment for today.


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually eat this,¡± Matthew replied with a sincere expression and he didn¡¯t lie to her at all.


    Upon hearing that, Veronica frowned and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re not a regr human being.¡±


    She walked forward and reached out to grab the cutlery from his hands before mixing the noodles. After


    she had mixed the sauce and the noodles evenly, she finally handed over the cutlery to him. ¡°Try this


    again.¡±


    And so, Matthew took the cutlery and nced at her before scooping another portion to take a bite.


    The first mouthful tasted mediocre.


    Then, the next mouthful was eptable.


    Subsequently, he tried it a third time.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± hemented while scooping some more noodles to taste them.


    Matthew¡¯s table manners were impable and he ate refinedly while chewing each mouthful slowly. He


    ate the bowl of noodles as if he was eating a three-course meal in a fine dining restaurant. Throughout,


    he behaved very refined and elegantly, and it was quite a pleasure to watch him eat.


    Meanwhile, Veronica sat across the table from him and she stared at him unblinkingly as he ate.


    Matthew, on the other hand, continued to enjoy the noodles while ncing at her. Suddenly, an


    inexplicable feeling rose within him and he felt as if he was already married to a pretty little wife, who


    specifically prepared breakfast for him and then sat there watching him eat. The scene in his mind was


    warm, peaceful, and lovely.


    The current sensation dissipated quite shortly but somehow, he yearned for it to linger on.


    In no time, Matthew finished his breakfast.


    As for Veronica, she suddenly smacked the table and ced a piece of paper in front of him. ¡°Here you


    go. Please settle the bill.¡±


    Written on the A4-sized paper were the words, ¡®Large noodles-eight; fresh soy milk


    ¡ªtwo; delivery cost-ny. Total-one hundred!


    Although therge portion of noodles didn¡¯t cost that much, Veronica had the makings of a cunning


    businessperson.


    ¡°Boss, I know that you don¡¯t have cash but it¡¯s fine because it can go on your tab. Here


    -¡± She then handed a pen to him. ¡°¡ªsign on this.¡±


    ¡°Where did you order this from? Why are the delivery charges so expensive?¡±


    Matthew took the A4 sheet from her as he questioned her.


    ¡°Well, of course it would be slightly different. I¡¯m your sister and I¡¯m Grandma¡¯s god granddaughter, so


    my worth has increased leaps and bounds, no? If it was in the past then I could charge you less but


    right now, I¡¯m part of the Kingses so charging too little for running this errand for you would definitely


    reflect badly on the family reputation.¡±


    Veronica said this with a serious expression and her words sounded quite reasonable too.


    At that point, Matthew couldn¡¯t find the words to rebuke her.


    For some reason, there was a slight smile that shed across his handsome face as he held the pen and


    signed his name on the A4 sheet.


    Just then, Veronica took the sheet from him. ¡°Thanks, boss. Here, let me clear the table for you. This is


    complimentary.¡±


    Soon after that, she got up and collected the disposable containers to throw them into the bin before


    wiping the table. She worked diligently, not noticing the cunning look that shed across Matthew¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I need to go to the office. You can stay here and call me if you encounter any problems.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Go ahead.¡± Veronica nodded her head earnestly.


    She was quite happy to see the man leave and it would be even better if he didn¡¯te back each day


    too.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    And so, Matthew gathered his belongings and he left without saying another word.


    He took the elevator to the second floor of the basement and Thomas was already waiting there in the


    car. As soon as Matthew entered the car, Thomas started the engine and drove off slowly in the direction


    of the Spinfluence Group.


    Along the way, Thomas took a look at Matthew and realized that thetter seemed to be in an


    exceptionally good mood.


    Meanwhile, Veronica spent her whole morning gaming in the Twilight Condominium.


    Finally, at 11.30 AM, her cell phone rang.


    She took it in her hand and nced at the screen to see that it was a call from Xavier. As soon as she


    answered the call, his voice rang out instantly. ¡°Roni, where are you? I¡¯m back in town.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at¡­¡±


    She was just about to mention that she was at Matthew¡¯s condominium, but she didn¡¯t want Xavier to


    misunderstand so she replied, ¡°I¡¯m at my friend¡¯s ce. Where are you? I¡¯ll treat you to lunch this


    afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s meet at the One Piece Restaurant, then.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Okay, that sounds good.¡±


    Veronica hesitated for a split second because she knew that the food from One Piece Restaurant was


    quite pricey, but Xavier had helped her plenty of times and she was only treating him to a single meal. As


    such, despite being torn about it, she knew it was necessary to treat Xavier so she agreed anyway.


    And so, she put down her phone but just as she was about to switch off the game, her cell phone on the


    table rang once again.


    She picked it up to take a look and realized that it was from Matthew.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? I¡¯m gaming right now.¡±


    In the game, Veronica had been shot by the other party earlier and now that she was resurrected, she


    was about to quickly finish it off and end the battle.


    ¡°Where do you want to go for lunch this afternoon?¡± Matthew asked.


    ¡°Although Grandma instructed you to take care of me, this isn¡¯t something that you should be concerned


    about. I won¡¯t starve to death. By the way, we were too busy for the past two days so I didn¡¯t get a


    chance to ask you, but where¡¯s Yvonne?¡±


    Veronica had been quite busy ever since arriving back, so she hadpletely forgotten about Yvonne.


    ¡°She left aftering back to Bloomstead.¡±


    ¡°Oh¨Cokay. Is there anything else? If not, then I¡¯ll get off the line now.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Beep! Beep! Beep!


    Just then, Matthew was significantly speechless and his expression darkened as he gripped his phone


    tightly. This annoying woman!


    Suddenly, Matthew¡¯s cell phone rang. It was from Tiffany, so he answered the phone.


    ¡°Have you eaten, Matthew?¡± Tiffany¡¯s gentle voice rang out from the other end.


    She looked exactly the same as Veronica, and their only difference was their voices.


    Tiffany was gentle and soft-spoken, but Veronica¡¯s voice was more, melodious. Both of them had starkly


    different tones of voice.


    ¡°No.¡± He didn¡¯t bother to say much.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had anything to eat either. Do you want to join me for lunch, Matthew?¡±


    After five minutes, Veronica managed to end the game by winning the battle, so she gathered her


    belongings and left the condominium before walking out from the lobby of the Twilight Club.


    She took a cab to the One Piece Restaurant and waited at the entrance for quite some time before finally


    seeing Xavier.


    Half a month had gone by and this was the first time that Veronica had seen Xavier


    since. She noticed that he had gotten significantly thinner and darker than before.


    Nheless, his tan seemed to make him look much more mature.


    ¡°Hi! It¡¯s been so long since west met.¡± Veronica walked toward him and greeted him.


    As soon as Xavier saw her safe and sound as she stood in front of him, he walked up to her and instantly


    enveloped her in a bear hug. ¡°Roni! Where have you been all this while? Did you even realize how


    worried I was the whole time?¡±


    Ever since the demise of Xavier¡¯s mom, he had no longer experienced the sensation of being worried


    about someone else but after getting to know Veronica for such a long time, he realized that he¡¯d


    gradually fallen in love with her straightforward and blunt personality.


    Her disappearance for such a long time had undeniably been a tormenting period for him.


    At the moment, Xavier pulled her into a tight hug and he used all of his might to do that. ¡°I¡¯m d that


    you¡¯re safe and sound. I¡¯m so, so d.¡±


    ¡°Xavier, let go of me. This is too suffocating.¡±


    On the other hand, Veronica didn¡¯t expect Xavier to react this way and she felt a warm, fuzzy feeling well


    up within her as she was quite touched by his reaction.


    As soon as he heard her exmation, he immediately released her from his tight grip and he revealed a


    wide, beaming smile on his handsome face. ¡°I was just too happy! Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Everything¡¯s alright. I¡¯m safe for now.¡±


    She waved her hands at him and teased, ¡°But if you had exerted more pressure then I would perhaps be


    on my way to heaven already.¡±


    At that point, Xavier finally rxed and felt at ease upon hearing Veronica cracking a joke. After all, he


    had seen with his own eyes that she was perfectly fine, so that was sufficient for him.

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    Standing in front of Veronica, Xavier couldn¡¯t help pausing for a moment as he studied her pale, delicate


    face. ¡°So, this is the real you.¡±


    No doubt, the phrase ¡®natural beauty¡¯ referred to women like her.


    Veronica¡¯s natural appearance, without her freckles and darkplexion, was so pure and beautiful that


    it made his heart race even to the point of swooning.


    ¡°Mmhmm. There¡¯s no need for me to pretend to be ugly in the future.¡± She chuckled at that.


    In response, Xavier inclined his head. ¡°Good. You look better like this anyway. Women should be prettier


    and more delicate.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Ha!¡±


    ¡°You look too thin, though. Come on. Let me take you for a meal.¡± With that, he grabbed her hand and


    led her in the direction of the One Piece Restaurant.


    Although it was a chain restaurant, the One Piece Restaurant was costly and not open to non-members.


    Even if an ordinary person were to enter the restaurant, they would not be able to secure a table.


    After entering the establishment, the duo went to sit down at a table next by the window on the second


    floor, whereupon they began ordering.


    DThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    As Veronica scanned the price list, she couldn¡¯t help gripping the card in her pocket and thinking to


    herself,


    My goodness! A cabbage stew costs 252? Isn¡®t that just stew made using the heart of a cabbage?


    What ridiculous pricing!


    Yet, it was the cheapest dish.


    The starting price for other dishes like the pigeon stew or pork shoulder was upwards of 600 apiece.


    After they ordered, a waiter printed them a copy of their order and left it on the table. ncing with faux


    carelessness at it, Veronica noticed that the meal cost them 3560.


    ¡°Do you know who on earth kidnapped you, Roni?¡± Xavier finally asked her after the waiter had left.


    She shook her head in response. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it seemed like an ident. What¡¯s past should be left


    in the past. I have to thank you for the fiasco with my parents. though.¡±


    At this moment, Veronica felt like she owed him so much she could never pay him back


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for such courtesy between us ¡® Xavier replied.


    He didn¡¯t like it when she was courteous toward him because it felt like she was distancing herself from


    him.


    Following that, they chatted about recent events. After Veronica gave him a simple summary of


    everything concerning the Larsons, Xavier was extremely angry on her behalf. However, he also med


    himself somewhat for not handling a lot of things very well.


    ¡°Veronica?¡± A voice suddenly interrupted them as they were chatting. ¡°What a coincidence. Why are you


    both here as well?¡±


    As they nced over, they saw Matthew and Tiffany standing nearby, with thetter¡¯s hands wrapped


    around the former¡¯s arm. The pair was handsome and beautiful, and they looked well-matched. Yet, the


    duo was inexplicably hard on the eye.


    Meanwhile, the moment Veronica nced over, she happened to meet Matthew¡¯s eyes. He was staring


    profoundly at her and wearing an expression of him catching her in the act, as if she was doing


    something shameful behind his back.


    ¡°Matthew and I are here to eat as well, Veronica. Since we¡¯ve bumped into each other, why don¡¯t we¡­


    eat together?¡± Tilting her head to look at Matthew next to her, Tiffany thought of something and she


    asked Xavier, ¡°May we, Mr. Crawford?¡±


    Of course, she was acting of her own volition andpletely not seeking Matthew¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°You,¡±


    Right as Veronica was about to say something, Xavier interrupted, ¡°Sure, but we¡¯re not paying for this


    meal.¡±


    ¡°Well, Veronica is my sister and Matthew¡¯s god-sister, and you¡¯ve helped her quite a bittely. Naturally,


    Matthew and I will pay for this meal.¡± Tiffany seemed to be hinting at something with every sentence, but


    it wasn¡¯t clear who she was directing her insinuations at apart from herself. After that, she looked at


    Matthew again.


    ¡°You¡¯re fine with that, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Calmly, he answered, ¡°Sure.¡±


    With that, he sat down next to Xavier, and Tiffany sat down next to Veronica. A waiter was hailed to add


    more items to their order and more ces at the table.


    Just like that, the original group of two now became a group of four.


    Though restrained in front of Veronica on a regr day, Tiffany was extremely lively at this moment. ¡°Mr.


    Crawford, after your argument with your dad about Veronica at my engagement party, how are you and


    your dad now?¡±


    Talk about hitting below the belt!


    Sweeping her a cold nce, Xavier answered impolitely, ¡°Would a father and his son hold any grudges


    between them? Please think before you speak, Miss Larson.¡±


    The verbal p embarrassed Tiffany, and she pursed her lips pitifully before continuing, ¡°I-I simply think


    you like Veronica and worry that your father won¡¯t ept her.¡±


    With the twins seated next to each other, Tiffany and Veronica looked incredibly


    alike. They both had simrly fair skin and delicate faces-it was only that, with her shortened hair and


    pdash attire of a white shirt, pale blue jeans, and canvas shoes, Veronica had all theeliness of a


    girl-next-door.


    On the other hand, with her waist-length chestnut hair, dusty pink nail polish,test high-end luxury


    ne and earrings, and one-shoulder corset dress, Tiffany had the air of a socialite.


    As Xavier studied the sisters, so did Matthew. The more the men looked, the more they discovered that


    the mole on Veronica¡¯s nose added to her attractiveness, and her eyes wererger and more energetic


    than Tiffany¡¯s. Her lips were fuller too. Naturally, she was the slightest bit more attractive than Tiffany.


    That was especially the case when considering the light red, fingernail-sized birthmark behind Veronica¡¯s


    ear, whereas Tiffany¡¯s skin was nk.


    Xavier leisurely took a sip of his beverage before replying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether my father approves


    of the women I like. It changes nothing.¡±


    ¡°Well, you still need to see if I approve,¡± Matthew suddenly interrupted after having kept silent for a while.


    Instantly, the atmosphere became tense and heavy, and a sense of hostility permeated the air.


    At this moment, Veronica grimaced slightly. After all, she wasn¡¯t attracted to Xavier, and he only said


    those things at the engagement party to protect her. How had they reached the misunderstanding they


    had now?


    Yet, Xavier¡¯s expression grew darker the moment he absorbed Matthew¡¯s words. ¡°What right do you


    have to interfere with my and Veronica¡¯s business?¡±


    Since he was aware of what Matthew did to Veronica not so long ago, Xavier loathed Matthew


    somewhat.


    Thus, he was incredibly resistant to hearing from Matthew now.


    Annoyed by the downward turn of the situation, Veronica pped the table. ¡°Are you here to eat or to


    argue?¡±


    Her reprimand was loud and shrill, startling enough to cause the people at the tables


    surrounding them to re at her. Upon seeing that, Veronica blushed in embarrassment.


    Sheepishly, she offered the onlookers an apologetic smile and said in a lower voice, ¡°Sorry for disturbing


    you.¡± And then, she red at Tiffany. ¡°No one thinks you¡¯re mute just because you aren¡¯t speaking.¡±


    Single-handedly chastised by her, her threepanions fell silent.


    Since Xavier was afraid that Veronica was angry, he didn¡¯t dare speak. Though Matthew¡¯s gaze


    darkened at her irritation, he said nothing, and while Tiffany was endlessly jealous and resentful of the


    other woman, she no longer dared to stir the pot.

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    As time went on, the atmosphere became increasingly awkward. Thankfully, the waiter happened to


    deliver the food at this moment.


    Only after serving everyone and pouring them each a ss of wine did the waiter finally leave.


    Feeling more inclined to ignore her tablemates, Veronica took a huge gulp of her wine and prepared to


    begin eating, only to realize that Xavier had ced arge chunk of pork shoulder on her te.


    ¡°You¡¯re too thin. Put some meat on your bones.¡± Like a good man, he was gentle, attentive, and


    iparably delicate.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Without further pomp and ceremony, Veronica picked up the hunk of meat and began to


    eat. The meat was tender, juicy, and fragrant, melting on her


    tongue the moment it entered her mouth. In short, it was exquisite.


    While it was expensive, she had to admit it was truly very delicious.


    Instantly, she was in a better mood. ¡°It¡¯s fantastic, Xavier. You should try some yourself.¡± So eager to


    share the tastiness of the meat with him was she that she reached out with her own cutlery to fetch him


    some from themon tter. ¡°Try it!¡± With that, she looked expectantly at him, waiting for his


    evaluation.


    Veronica was clearlying from the perspective of a foodie eager to share something delicious with a


    friend, but her actions caused Xavier to pause before nodding with a happy smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try it.¡±


    The problem was that he hadpletely overthought her actions and assumed she liked him.


    Meanwhile, Matthew watched on and his eyes shed coldly. In the end, he picked up his ss of red


    wine to down it in one go.


    After chewing the pork and tasting it carefully, Xavier nodded once again. ¡°You¡¯re right; it¡¯s very good.


    Have some more too.¡±


    As he reached out to get some for her, Veronica interrupted, ¡°I can do it myself.¡±


    With that, she served herself some pork and began to eat heartily.


    To a foodie like her, such tasty meat was too good to pass off.


    Since the reviews of the meat seemed good, Tiffany got Matthew a piece. ¡°You should try it as well,


    Matthew.¡±


    Unexpectedly, he pushed it aside. ¡°It¡¯s greasy and high in fat.¡±


    With that, he put a piece of vegetable into his mouth.


    Although he wasn¡¯t vegetarian, the pork was inexplicably turning his stomach at this moment.


    Somewhat embarrassed by his actions, Tiffany pursed her lips before lowering her head and beginning


    to eat slowly.


    Even though he hadn¡¯t humored her, she had achieved her goals.


    After all, the reason she came over to have lunch with Xavier and Veronica was for the ¡®couple¡¯ to


    showcase their ¡®love¡¯ so that Matthew would know Veronica¡¯s heart belonged to another.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want it? That¡¯s great!¡± Standing up, Veronica prepared to move the meat over to her and


    Xavier¡¯s side of the table. ¡°They don¡¯t want it, Xavier. Let¡¯s share it, then.¡±


    Unfortunately, the moment she picked up the tter, Matthew shot her a sharp look. ¡°I might not want it,


    but Tiffany does.¡±


    And then, he rested his fork against the edge of the tter and eyed Veronica, his gaze vaguely


    threatening.


    Pouting, Veronica nced at Tiffany and said immediately, ¡°Tiffany is a princess. Having something so


    greasy will make her fat and once she¡¯s fat, she¡¯ll be ugly. It¡¯s best if she doesn¡¯t have it.¡±


    Such precious food will only be wasted on a woman the likes of Tiffany!


    That was the reason Veronica had been unwilling to sit down to lunch with them and yet, she had


    suppressed the loathing in her heart and tolerated their presence at her table because of how expensive


    the meal was and how much money she could save by eating with them.


    ¡°I-I do want it, Veronica,¡± Tiffany said demurely now, her soft voice tinkling like a bell.


    The pretentiousness nearly made Veronica throw upst night¡¯s dinner.


    Long having gotten used to Tiffany¡¯s actual colors, Veronica was repulsed by Tiffany¡¯sdylike behavior


    now.


    All of a sudden, Veronica felt pity for Matthew.


    After all, if one day, he saw Tiffany¡¯s true face after they married, would he¡­


    Tsk! How pitiful. Wait a minute... How gratifying!


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Veronica asked.


    ¡°Yes, I do like the pork shoulder,¡± Tiffany replied.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Veronica put down the tter before serving Tiffany an extremelyrge piece of pork. In all


    honesty, the former wished she could shove an entire half of the tter onto Tiffany¡¯s te. ¡°Eat it, then-


    don¡¯t waste it. It¡¯s good practice to clean our tes.¡±


    She¡®d better choke to death on it!


    Fanning the mes, Xavier added, ¡°Yes, yes. Veronica¡¯s right. After all, the Larson Family is well-known


    for its charity. Since you know how hard it is to earn money, you should know the importance of


    practicing thriftiness and putting an end to extravagant waste.¡±


    Tiffany looked down at the huge hunk of meat on her te and her expression turned dark. Thereafter,


    she nced up at Matthew with unconcealed indignation in her eyes.


    Unfortunately, he only said, ¡°If you like it, you should have it.¡±


    At that, she stared at him, feeling rather speechless.


    The distress buoyed Veronica¡¯s spirits a lot.


    Quietly, the four of them ate.


    Since Veronica liked the One Piece Restaurant¡¯s delicacies a lot, she helped herself to multiple servings


    of food before she finally had to set her cutlery down when she could no longer fit anything else into her


    stomach. ¡°Help yourselves to the rest of the food. I¡¯m going to use the restroom.¡±


    Even after Veronica¡¯s multiple servings, Tiffany had only finished half of the pork Veronica gave her.


    Standing up, she intended to go to the restroom as well and she chimed in, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    By now, Tiffany had eaten a lot and drunk a lot of red wine, and she felt quite ufortable indeed.


    After the sisters left, Matthew picked up his wine ss and took a sip leisurely before saying lightly, ¡°Stay


    away from her in the future.¡±


    Of course, his sentence was directed at Xavier.


    ¡°You should be saying that to yourself.¡± Xavier turned sideways to re coldly at Matthew. ¡°Don¡¯t think I


    don¡¯t know about the beastly things you did in the past!¡±


    ¡°So what if you know? Or do not for that matter?¡± Matthew scoffed, shooting Xavier a


    contemptuous look.


    With augh, the former lifted his wine ss with slender fingers and tipped it back to empty it in one go.


    So elegant and refined was his posture that, if every moment of the scene had been captured, he could


    have been turned into a tableau that was the envy of gods and men alike.


    Angrily, Xavier clenched his fists. ¡°If you touch her again, Matthew Kings, you and I will be sworn


    enemies.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Matthewughed lightly in response.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Meanwhile in the restroom, as Veronica exited the cubicle after using it, she heard the sound of retching


    from the other stall. ¡°Ugh... ugh... ugh...¡±


    It was the sound of Tiffany throwing up.


    Resting against a wall, she waited calmly for Tiffany to flush and emerge from the stall. ¡°Tsk! What a


    waste for you to throw up after eating.¡±


    As Veronica looked at Tiffany, whose eyes were red due to the regurgitation, the former couldn¡¯t help


    laughing scornfully,


    On the other hand, Tiffany clenched her fists in anger. Since Matthew wasn¡¯t there, she found no need to


    act. ¡°Don¡¯t get toocent, Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Go back and tell Floch and Rachel that I won¡¯t let them live a day without suffering as long as I¡¯m still


    alive!¡± Veronica shot back.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    At this point, Veronica walked up to Tiffany. Lifting her hands, the former wrapped them around Tiffany¡®s


    neck and pinned her to the wall. ¡°Also, if any of you touch my parents again, I¡®ll make sure to bring you to


    the grave with me when I die!¡± Veronica hissed.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Recently, for reasons beyond her control, Veronica had been forced to y nice with Floch and Rachel in


    front of the Kings Family, but that didn¡®t mean she got along with her enemy now.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Caught off¨C


    guard by Veronica¡®s sudden actions, Tiffany could only feel the pain in her neck and theck of airflow thr


    ough her lungs. ¡°L¨CLet go of me¡­ Let go¡­¡±


    She struggled and tried to resist to the best of her ability, but found that her strength was no match for Ve


    ronica¡®s.


    Suddenly, Tiffany was terrified, as she was realizing only now that she had underestimated Veronica¡®s ab


    ilities.


    ¡°Let go of you? Of course I¡®ll let you go. But


    ¡ª¡± Veronica patted Tiffany¡®s cheek warningly with her free hand as she murmured, ¡°¨C


    you¡®d best deliver my message. And by the way, I am now Elizabeth Kings¡® god¨C


    granddaughter. So, step out of line again, and I¡®ll make sure that you never marry into the Kings Family.¡±


    With that, she suddenly let go.


    Instantly, air rushed back into Tiffany¡®s lungs and she took deep breaths as she held onto


    her neck. At that moment, she felt hurt, pained and furious as she thought to herself, How is it that I can


    never outmatch Veronica?!


    Weakly, Tiffany leaned against the wall and red at Veronica with red¨C


    rimmed eyes. ¡°Don¡®t get toocent. I¡®ll get my payback.¡±


    ¡°Let¡®s see who wins, then!¡± Veronica sneered before turning to leave.


    Instantly, the smile on her face vanished, only to be reced with a cold, sinister expression.


    While she was, in fact, no actual threat to the Larsons, she would never admit defeat.


    Even if she didn¡®t seed this time, there would always be a next time.


    As long as she was still alive, she would make life hell for them.


    Once Veronica returned to the table, she found Matthew to be aloof, so she sai down and began chatting


    with Xavier,pletely ignoring the other man.


    What she didn¡®t notice was Matthew¡®s expression darkening.


    At that moment, Tiffany returned, sitting down opposite Matthew and keeping silent, all the while acting a


    s if nothing had happened.


    After they were done eating, they paid, with Matthew footing the bill.


    Upon bidding the other two goodbye, Xavier and Veronica left.


    .


    Outside the restaurant, Xavier drove up to Veronica in his car. He then left the driver¡®s seat to open the d


    oor for her.


    At that, Veronica couldn¡®t helpughing. ¡°Oh¨C


    Xavier. Surely you¡®re too chivalrous,¡± she teased as she got into the car.


    After shutting the door, Xavier looked back at Matthew with a raise of


    the eyebrows, as if showing off, before getting back into the car and driving off.


    Although Tiffany was extremely jealous to discover that Matthew was watching the car leave, she didn¡®t d


    are say as much. ¡°Let¡®s leave as well, Matthew.¡±


    In the afternoon, Veronica went back to work with Xavier, whereupon she took until 6 PM to familiarize he


    rself with the workflow of thepany.


    Upon leaving the restaurant after they ate dinner together, he told her that he wanted to send her home.


    However, Veronica hailed a cab instead and waved goodbye to Xavier. ¡°It¡®s okay; I¡®ll go back by myself a


    nd see you at work tomorrow. You¡®ve been working very hardtely, so make sure to go home and


    get some rest!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then. Goodnight.¡± He waved back.


    After she shut the car door, the cab slowly pulled away and headed off into the distance.


    Half an hourter, it stopped outside the Twilight Club, whereupon Veronica took the dedicated elevator u


    p to Matthew¡®s penthouse on the top floor.


    IS


    However, when she entered the penthouse, it was inky dark inside and nothing was visible.


    Thinking nothing of it, she moved to


    turn on the lights, but before she could touch the light switch, someone pulled her into their arms and pre


    ssed her against the wall before leaning over her to kiss her.


    ¡°Mmf¨Cwho are you?¡± she shouted, but the words came out mumbled as her mouth was blocked.


    The kiss was crazed and heated, and the person made use of the opportunity where she parted her lips t


    o speak. Her kisser pried open her mouth to suck on her tongue and savor the taste of her mouth.


    Even through the heavy scent of alcohol, Veronica could smell a familiar musk that immediately let her k


    now it was Matthew..


    So, she shoved him away and shouted, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¨C


    After being shoved away, she heard him stagger for a bit before a loud thud echoed around the penthous


    e, much to her bewilderment.


    Immediately, Veronica turned on the lights, only to see him t on the ground.


    Startled, she paused. What on earth happened?


    Walking up to him and looking at him lying unmoving on the ground, she lifted a foot to kick him. ¡°Hey. W


    ake up, Matthew. Wake up!¡±


    There was no response, even after the shout.


    Only then did she squat down and gently pat his cheek. ¡°Are you okay? Wake up!¡±


    Yet, Matthew would not wake up. If anything, there was only the audible sound of his breathing


    Upon hearing that, Veronica pouted. ¡°What the hell? Is he drunk? Why would he drink so much?¡± she as


    ked herself in exasperation.


    Having no other choice, she leaned down and threw his arm around her neck. Using all her strength, she


    helped him up before dragging him into the master bedroom and depositing him on the bed.


    However, because Matthew was too heavy, Veronica tumbled headfirst into the mattress as she was throw


    Lying on the mattress, she exhaled deeply before sitting up and helping him remove his shoes. After that,


    However, before Veronica left the room, she grumbled to herself, ¡°Why the f*ck would he drink so much if


    She assumed Matthew must have mistaken her for Tiffany because of how much he drank.


    After all, he didn¡®t dare touch her now that Elizabeth had explicitly ordered him not


    10:


    Upon leaving the master bedroom, Veronica went into the second bedroom to wash up and change her cl


    A few hourster, Matthew woke up from his sleep and went into the bathroom to wash up before changin


    The moment he opened the door, he found Veronica frantically clicking on theputer


    mouse, shouting, ¡°Are you stupid? Why would youe all the way over here


    just to get killed? Do you even know what you¡®re doing? Take the tower down, quick!¡±


    Currently, she was engrossed in gaming, but because the desk was right in the middle of the room, she o


    Only then did she realize Matthew had entered. Quickly, she pulled off her headphones before asking. ¡°Yo


    As she spoke, she continued to y the game.


    Lifting his head to look at the clock on the wall, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Why are you still awake?¡±


    It was already 2 AM, yet Veronica was still gaming.


    ¡°Destroy it! Quick, now build it up. Yes! We won!¡±


    Only after she


    finished thebat round and looked through the records did she end the session and stand up. ¡°I¡®ve fini


    Matthew¡®s eyes glittered and he nodded.¡°Mmhmm.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t let me keep you, then.¡± She logged out of her gaming ount before giving him her seat. ¡°Do your


    drunk?¡±


    Once again, his eyes shed and he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°My head hurts.¡±

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    ¡°Well, that¡®s what happens when you drink too much. You don¡®t have a good alcohol tolerance, so don¡®t d


    rink so much in the future, okay?¡±


    Since Veronica was staying at Matthew¡®s ce, she was somewhat nicer to him now.


    Inclining his head, he answered, ¡°Okay.¡± After going to sit down behind the desk,


    he asked, ¡°Did I do anything after I got drunk?¡±


    ¡°Do anything?¡± she echoed. Recalling the kiss he had forced upon her the moment she entered the door,


    she said, ¡°Don¡®t tell me you forgot who helped you to your room.¡±


    In response, he lifted a hand


    to rub his nose while thinking about it in apparent seriousness. ¡°Vaguely¡­ I remember it was¡­ Tiffany.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡± Veronica drawled before nodding. ¡°That¡®s fine, then.¡±


    From the look of things, Matthew had mistaken her for Tiffany.


    If that was the case, he was still someone she could rely on.


    For as long as Veronica could rely on him, she would, since


    she would be able to save up her money while


    guaranteeing that she slept safely every night. After all, in theing days, the Larsons would no doubt t


    ry their best to get rid of her.


    As long as she was alive, her foster parents would be just fine.


    Veronica was certain that, now that she was Elizabeth¡®s god¨C


    granddaughter, the Larsons would not dare toy a hand on her foster parents.


    Of course, if she died, she would not be able to guarantee her foster parents¡® safety.


    That was why she fully intended to stay alive¨Cjust to spite the Larsons!


    Back in the present, after closing the door of the study after her, Veronica retreated to her bedroom and p


    layed with her phone for a while before finally falling asleep at 4 AM


    The next day at 7 AM, Veronica woke up.


    As she left the bedroom after washing up, she smelled something delicious in the air.


    It was the aroma of tasty food.


    Instantly, her stomach betrayed her by grumbling.


    Since she could see Matthew in the dining room, she stretched and walked over to him. ¡°What tasty food


    are you eating and why didn¡®t you invite me to have it with


    you?¡±


    There was only a ss of milk and sandwiches for one on the table.


    Incredulous, she stared at him. ¡°Where¡®s mine?¡±


    How dare he make food only for himself?


    ¡°Kitchen,¡± he answered before picking up the sandwich and elegantly eating.


    Somewhat doubtfully, Veronica headed into the kitchen, whereupon she saw two hard¨C


    boiled eggs and a serving of nutty banana oatmeal.


    Carrying the things out into the dining room, she sat down opposite him and asked, ¡°Where did you get t


    he food from? I didn¡®t know anyone delivered so early.¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    To her knowledge, only mom¨Cand¨C


    pop restaurants would open so early in the morning, but the oatmeal she was eating didn¡®t seem to be fr


    om such a ce.


    Moreover, there was no way someone like Matthew would stoop to buying such cheap food.


    Shooting her a sharp, unhappy re, he said, ¡°If you don¡®t want it, you can put it away.¡±


    Of course, she understood his meaning, Keep your mouth shut while you¡®re eating!


    ¡°I want it. Of course I want it. I¡®ll shut up now.¡± With that, Veronica lowered her head to


    eat. However, she didn¡®t get too far before she couldn¡®t help sighing, ¡°Ah¨C


    it¡®s fantastic. It¡®s so delicious. Would you like to try some?¡± She scooped up a spoonful and held it up to


    Matthew¡®s mouth. ¡°It¡®s the best oatmeal I¡®ve ever tasted.¡±


    Since the table in the penthouse wasn¡®t particrlyrge, she only


    had to lean forward slightly to hold out the spoon to him.


    For a moment, Matthew paused in the middle of chewing his sandwich to look at her with aplicated


    gaze. As their eyes met, each could see that the other had something on their mind.


    His pause made her exim as she came to her senses, ¡°Oh¨C


    you¡®re fastidious about cleanliness. You definitely won¡®t use a spoon I¡®ve used before.¡±


    With that, she withdrew the spoon, preparing to put the oatmeal into her mouth.


    Right at that moment, Matthew caught hold of Veronica¡®s wrist and leaned forward to eat the oatmeal.


    His actions were cultured and refined. Even his chewing motions were enviably elegant and sophisticate


    d.


    And then, he let go of her hand.


    This time, Veronica was the one to pause for a long moment. ¡°Aren¡®t¡­ Aren¡®t you a clean freak? Did you


    really put something with my saliva on it into your mouth?¡±


    She was so surprised that her jaw nearly fell open.


    ¡°I¡®m simply getting used to the idea,¡± Matthew answered carelessly.


    Somewhat stupidly, she repeated, ¡°Getting used to¡­ the idea?¡±


    At


    this point, he cut her a disdainful nce. ¡°Once Grandma announces your identity to the outside world o


    n her birthday, you¡®ll be moving into the Kings Residence. When that happens, we¡®ll have to share a dinn


    er table every day. Don¡®t you think I¡®ll need to get used to the idea?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s true,¡± she said after some consideration.


    After all, sharing a table meant there would undoubtedly


    come a point when they would be helping themselves from the same tter. Once that happened, Matth


    ew would likely be eating the same food Veronica¡®s cutlery touched, anyway, which would be no different


    from him eating something with her saliva on it.


    That was why his exnation seemed reasonable.


    Without overthinking everything that just happened, she tilted her head at him and asked expectantly, ¡°W


    ell? What do you think?¡±


    Swallowing the oatmeal, he answered calmly, ¡°It¡®s okay.¡±


    His words made Veronica¡®s face fall, and she frowned unhappily before sneering. ¡°Rich people really hav


    e too much good food. I can¡®t believe


    you¡®d call such delicious oatmeal okay. Doesn¡®t your conscience hurt to say that?¡±


    Deep down, sheined, Finicky, arrogant son of a b*tch!


    Quietly, Matthew raised his eyebrows at her oatmeal.


    Since it was quite arge bowlful¨Cabout half the portion of a packet of instant noodles¨C


    she groaned upon finishing it, ¡°Ugh! I¡®m so full.¡±


    Stuffed to the brim, she pulled out a paper napkin to wipe her mouth.


    ¡°Drink this,¡± Matthew instructed, cing the ss of milk in front of her while she was cleaning her mouth


    Upon seeing that, Veronica paused. ¡°Why are you being so nice to me? Are you making a move on me?¡±


    .


    ¡°It¡®d be wasted if I threw it away,¡± he answered lightly, getting up to leave the dining room and not forgettin


    ¡°Pft!¡± Veronica scoffed with a slight grimace, rubbing her slightly warm cheek in embarrassment.


    To think she had assumed Matthew was being nice to her because he was


    interested in her. Apparently, he was only treating her as a recycling bin because he couldn¡®t finish his foo


    Rolling her eyes, she lifted the ss of milk and downed it in one go


    before taking the dishes into the kitchen to wash them.


    By the time she


    was done, it was already 8 AM, so she packed up her things and prepared to leave the penthouse.


    Coincidentally, Matthew was also leaving.


    ncing at each other, the pair did not utter a word as they entered the elevator.


    Ding!


    After the doors shut, he nced out of the corner of his eye at her. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To work.¡±


    ¡°Where do you work?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡®s


    ¡ª¡± Having been about to say ¡®Xavier¡®spany, Veronica corrected herself upon recalling Matthew¡®s dist


    resume.¡±


    ¡°Take whatever you can get. Once Grandma¡®s birthday is over, I¡®ll


    arrange for you to join the Spinfluence Group.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    Never did Veronica think that Matthew would arrange for her to work at the Spinfluence Group


    ¡°There¡®s no need to be so surprised. It¡®s what Grand¨¾a wants,¡± Matthew told Veronica, looking at her with


    disdain as if afraid she would overthink his decision.


    ¡°Can I choose not to go?¡± Truly, she didn¡®t wish to enter the Spinfluence Group.


    After all, it meant she would have to see him at work during the day and at home in the evenings. She co


    uldn¡®¨ª possibly imagine how awful it would be to have to face this dour man every day.


    Moreover, she truly hated him..


    Spending too much time with him would likely affect her mood.


    Ding!


    Right at this moment, the elevator doors opened and Matthew strode out on long legs, answering once h


    e was far away from her, ¡°No.¡±


    It was in an absolute tone of voice, leaving Veronica with no space to argue.


    Staring after him, she rubbed her head. ¡°What the f*ck?¡±


    As she exited the elevator, she saw him getting into his car. Thomas was in the driver¡®s seat, but the bac


    kseat door was left open.


    Thinking Matthew was so used to having Thomas wait on him that he couldn¡®t even remember to shut his


    own door, Veronica walked over and kindly reminded him, ¡°Your door¡®s still open.¡± And then, she mme


    d it shut before waving goodbye to them. ¡°See you!¡±


    Keep the peace at all costs, Veronica told herself.


    Now that she


    was living under Matthew¡®s roof, she had to at least appear cordial so that she wouldn¡®t anger him and b


    e forced to rent her own ce.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Food, water, electricity, and property costs were all quite expensive.


    However she could save, she would.


    That way, she could mail the money she saved up to her foster parents to improve their quality of life. It w


    as her best course of action.


    Inside the car, however, Matthew was glowering at the shut door.


    Seeing how embarrassed his boss looked through the rearview mirror anding to an understanding,


    Thomas rolled down the car window to say to Veronica, ¡°Where do you wish to go, Miss Murphy? Do get


    in the car; I can send you there.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Thank you, Mr. Ritter, but I can walk.¡±


    Veronica would be screwed if Matthew found out she was working at Xavier¡®spany


    ¡°Uh... ...¡± Not knowing how to reply, Thomas nced beseechingly through the rearview mirror at Matthe


    w.


    Unexpectedly, Matthew only told him coldly, ¡°Let¡®s go.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Young Master Matthew.¡± With that, Thomas rolled up the window, started the car, and drove o


    ff.


    Meanwhile, Veronica walked out of the garage.


    Although the dedicated elevator for the penthouse did reach the Twilight Club lobby, the club was still loc


    ked up at this moment as it had not yet opened for the day. With no way of exiting through the front doors


    , Veronica could only leave the building through the basement floors.


    Since Matthew had his own parking space and a driver to wait for him, he only ever exited from the seco


    nd¨Cfloor basement.


    On the other hand, Veronica was in a much more dire straits.


    After leaving the underground parking garage, she scanned a barcode on her phone and rented a bicycl


    e to take to work.


    In the president¡®s office at Xavier¡®spany, she met up with Xavier.


    After chatting with him for a bit, she went


    to the secretariat to learn the skills she needed from the executive secretary.


    First, Veronica familiarized herself with thepany rules


    and regtions before reading up on thepany background and revenue.


    Since she was busy for the entire morning, it turned to noon in the blink of an eye.


    While she was still engrossed with her work, a whistle caught her attention. Upon looking up and ncin


    g over, Veronica saw Xavier standing at the door with a crooked smile. ¡°It¡®s time for lunch. Let¡®s go,¡± he s


    aid.


    ¡°Alright, hold on.¡± Looking up at the clock, she confirmed that it was indeed lunchtime.


    And so, she packed up her things and walked with him to the elevator.


    Today, Xavier was


    dressed in a white suit. When he wasn¡®t smiling, he gave off the impression of a distant CEO. Once he s


    miled, however, he had the handsomeness of a young professional and the roguish air of a particrly li


    kable ruffian.


    ¡°What do you wish to eat?¡± he asked her as they stood in the elevator.


    Thinking that Xavier¡®spany was very close to Matthew¡®s Spinfluence Group and wanting to avoid bei


    ng caught by said person, Veronica decided to drag Xavier along for some fast food. Only at a fast¨C


    food restaurant could she avoid bumping into Matthew. ¡°Let¡®s go to Wakey Bakey.¡±


    ¡°Sure. That sounds like a good idea.¡±


    As they chatted, they walked in the direction of Wakey Bakey.


    Meanwhile, at this moment, Matthew and Tiffany were seated in the car as Thomas drove them to a resta


    urant.


    On the busy road, the car kept moving and stopping at intervals. At this moment, Tiffany caught sight of t


    wo people by the roadside, and so she said to Matthew, ¡°Isn¡®t that Veronica?¡± As Tiffany¡®s eyes shed, s


    he sighed deliberately, ¡°They have such a good rtionship. Look at them talking andughing together.


    Veronica must like Xavier a lot.¡±


    Following Tiffany¡®s pointed finger, Matthew looked over to see Xavier and Veronica looking at each other


    and shaking withughter.


    Coincidentally, Xavier happened to lift his arm and put it around Veronica¡®s shoulders, pulling


    her into his embrace. As for Veronica, she did not protest either.


    Immediately, Matthew¡®s expression became noticeably grimmer and he narrowed his eyes, hiding the terr


    them.


    Having achieved what she set out to do and seeing that Matthew was not replying, Tiffany changed the su


    ¡°Whatever for?¡± he asked carelessly before leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes, pretending to re


    Pursing her lips, she yed with the hem of her skirt restlessly. ¡°My¡­ period is half a monthte. I wish to


    *I have something to do in the afternoon. Let Thomas send you.¡±


    Tiffany¡®s eyes shed when she heard that and with a curl of her lip, she answered; ¡°Okay.¡±


    Just then, the red light at the intersection changed, and the sedan passed through the intersection with th


    At this moment, she was still happily chatting with Xavier.


    After lunch, she returned to work with him.


    That afternoon, as Xavier was spacing


    out in his office chair, Veronica happened to walk in and see him looking lost in thought. ¡°What¡®s the matte


    ¡°Well, the organizations in


    Bloomstead are holding public welfare activities and my dad would like us to send someone to Almeida. I¡®


    ¡°To Almeida? That¡®s pretty far.¡± Veronica thought about it for a moment before saying, ¡°If there¡®s no one el


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Xavier lit up and looked hopefully at her.


    ¡°I¡®m the newbie of thepany. There¡®s a lot I don¡®t know how to do and can¡®t help with yet. On the other


    From the very beginning, Veronica was a kind-


    hearted person who often went to nursing or welfare homes to help out when she was free.


    ¡°You must know Almeida is very far, though. I have no way of apanying you.¡±


    ¡°So what? Aren¡®t you aware of my capabilities? Don¡®t worry about me.¡± Confidently, she thumped her ches

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    As Xavier leaned back against the executive chair, he stared at her with an unfathomable gaze. ¡°You can


    arrange it that way too since I¡®ve been quite busytely. However, don¡®t worry about your parents. Leave


    them to me; I¡®ll ensure their safety.¡±


    The charity event this time was organized by the


    local government of Bloomstead, so all the majorpanies had to send representatives to the event.


    This time, Xavier¡®s father, Hendric, would be joining the event as well.


    As Hendric had always disliked Veronica, Xavier intentionally sent her to Almeida to allow Hendric to get


    to know her better.


    Xavier¡®s intention was to let Hendric know that Veronica was not a simple, na?ve girl, as he really wanted


    Hendric to ept her. Hence, Xavier had been cracking his head over this issue.


    Xavier was fully aware that if he were to tell Hendric that he would be going to Almeida


    together with Veronica, his father would only think that they were merely putting on a show.


    ¡°Okay, I believe you. How long do I need to be there, though? When am I departing?¡±


    ¡°You will be departing on the day after tomorrow, but you will be there for two weeks this time.¡±


    As Xavier spoke, he stared unblinkingly at her and added, ¡°I can find someone else if you don¡®t want to g


    o.¡±


    Two weeks would be sufficient for Hendric to take a proper measure of Veronica¡®s personality


    Based on Xavier¡®s understanding about Hendric, thetter would definitely keep an eye on Veronica if he


    knew that she would show up.


    After observing her for two weeks, Hendric would certainly ept Veronica due to her kind and hardwork


    ing character.


    When the time came, Xavier would confess his feelings to her when she returned.


    ¡°I can do it. No worries.¡± Veronica agreed without hesitation because


    Xavier had helped her on many asions, so she wished to at least return his favor by giving


    him a hand in the charity event this time, not to mention the fact that she loved charity events.


    After the discussion, Veronica returned to the secretary department to continue with her work.


    After work, the two of them had dinner together yet again. In the end, Xavier offered to send Veronica ho


    me after dinner, but she rejected his offer as she was afraid that he would find out that she was currently


    staying with Matthew. ¡°I¡®ll take the bicycle home. I want to work out a bit to lose weight.¡±


    As she insisted on it, he didn¡®t press on, and the two of them went separate ways.


    It was 8.30 PM when Veronica returned to the Twilight Condominium. There was nobody in the apartmen


    t and it was pitch ck. ¨C


    Feeling exhausted, she plopped herself on the couch, feeling a little drowsy. However, she couldn¡®t fall a


    sleep.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    And so, she went to the study. Matthew wasn¡®t inside either, so she yedputer games in the room.


    It was 11 PM when Matthew finally returned.


    He entered the study and saw Veronica yingputer games as she


    sat there. Then, he heard her mumbling, ¡°What¡®s so impressive to win ten times in a row in the Grand To


    urnament?¡±


    At that exact moment, Veronica happened to finish a game. She removed her headphones and saw Matt


    hew standing at the door of the study.


    His sudden appearance startled her.


    ¡°Matthew, you gave me a fright! Why do you walk so quietly?¡± She patted her chest to calm her racing he


    art. ¡°You nearly made me jump out of my skin!¡±


    ¡°You won¡®t be afraid if you didn¡®t do anything wrong.¡± The man undid the buttons of his blue suit with his s


    culptured fingers. Taking it off, he hung


    it on the rack. ¡°How¡®s your job hunting going?¡± he asked, ncing at her.


    ¡°Uh... I¡®m still searching,¡± she replied, avoiding his gaze. She immediately logged out from the game and


    rose up. ¡°Are you going to work now? I shouldn¡®t disturb you. Goodbye.¡±


    Veronica quickly left the study to avoid conversing any more with Matthew and returned to the living roo


    m. As shey on the couch, feeling wide awake, she yed with her phone and watched a drama.


    At 2.00 AM, Matthew exited the study, only to find an energetic Veronica watching a drama. ¡°Why are you


    not in bed?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I couldn¡®t sleep,¡± she replied, shaking her head with a pillow in her arms while lying on the couch.


    The man slightly frowned. ¡°Did you sleep during the day?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± At that, she sighed. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just used to sleeping in my own bed. I can¡®t sleep when I change be


    ds.¡±


    Matthew didn¡®tment on that. Instead, he said, ¡°Rest early.¡± With that, he returned to his own room an


    d shut the door.


    When Veronica heard the sound of the door being closed, she darted a nce at his door. ¡°This man¡­¡±


    The way he had treated her felt


    cold, as though he was mad at her. Coupled with his dark expression, the whole fiasco puzzled her.


    Without giving it much thought, Veronica continued watching the variety show and intermittently chucklin


    g at the funny moments.


    In the bedroom, Matthew felt his gaze deepen when he heard Veronica¡®sughter from the living room.


    Even when it was 4.00 AM, he could still hear her loudly cackling and mumbling something


    Thirty minutester, everything fell silent.


    Matthew exited his bedroom, only to find Veronica sleeping on the couch. She was sound asleep with a p


    illow in her arms.


    The man stood before her with his brows slightly furrowed. Then, he bent over to carry her up and took h


    er to her room. Heid her on the bed, and she turned to her side and continued sleeping.


    Currently,


    she was wearing blue halter pajamas over her undergarments. When she lifted her leg and ced it on t


    op of her nket, she revealed her fair and smooth skin, vaguely exposing her undergarments as well.


    Mathew¡®s expression was still cold when he took another thin nket to cover her before he left


    Veronica slept throughout the night until she woke up naturally the next morning. When she opened her e


    After her morning routine, she exited the room, only to find a few paper bags in the living room.


    She walked up to the bags and cast a nce at them out of curiosity. Looking at Matthew, who was sitting


    ¡°Pajamas.¡±


    ¡°We have them, no?¡± As Veronica spoke, she took out the new pajamas from the bag. The pajamas were


    sleeved shirts and short pants. Truth was, they were rtively modest clothing.


    ¡°Oh¨Cthese are nice. I thought about buying some. Since there are some new ones here, I don¡®t have


    to buy them now.¡±


    In fact, Veronica had thought about purchasing some new pajamas. After all, halter pajamas were a little i


    If she identally triggered something and aroused him, she would be the one to pay for the consequenc


    And so, Veronica put down the pajamas. She then walked up to him and smiled. ¡°Thank you, bro.¡±


    This woman and her glib tongue, Matthew grumbled to himself. She would address him as ¡®bro¡® when she


    would call his name directly.


    Yet, Matthew seemed to have gotten used to it.


    However, the next instant, the man shoved a receipt at her. ¡°Remember to pay me back.¡±


    Veronica¡®s expression abruptly fell. ¡°Matthew, you are my godbrother. Why are you collecting money from


    ¡°You may consider paying me back with yourself,¡± he said, scooping up a spoonful of oammeal and puttin


    Veronica held the receipt and nced at the two sets of pajamas that cost more than 300. The


    clothes were probably the cheapest clothes that Matthew had ever bought.


    As the price was still eptable, she agreed. ¡°Okay, it¡®s just 300 plus. I can still afford to pay for these.¡± T

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    Veronica entered the kitchen and served herself a bowl of oatmeal before taking a seat opposite of Matth


    ew at the dining table.


    The two of them had their breakfast quietly, fully practicing the decent habit of not talking when eating. Af


    ter they had finished their breakfast and Veronica had put down her spoon, Mathew said, ¡°The breakfast


    cost 300 per set, so it will be 600 in total for today and yesterday¡®s breakfast. Consider the milk as a free


    gift. Remember to pay them to me together with the clothes.¡±


    His words made Veronica choke on her food. ¡°Six hundred? Is the food embedded with gold? Why is it s


    o expensive?¡±


    ¡°I¡®ve spared you the delivery fee considering the fact that you are my godsister,¡± Matthew added with a st


    raight face.


    She disdained his actions inwardly. ¡°You did this on purpose because I collected money from you after b


    uying you breakfast.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s a fair trade. You may vomit all the food if you don¡®t want to pay.¡±


    Matthew sat up straight, holding a napkin


    in his hands as he elegantly wiped his well defined lips. Even an action as simple as wiping his mouth in


    advertently revealed his elegance that had been deeply instilled into him.


    ¡°Vomit?¡± F*ck!


    They have all turned into poop, so how am I going to vomit them out? Veronica was extremely pissed by


    his words.


    After ring at Matthew in rage for a moment, she immediately rose up and jogged into her room, exiting


    with a piece of paper in her hand shortly after that. ¡°Here you go. This is the receipt of the breakfast that


    I have bought for you.¡±


    The next second, she tore


    the paper into two, folded them into halves and tore them again. She tore the receipt until it became tiny


    pieces of paper before cing the pile of papers on the table. With a loud voice, Veronica announced, ¡°L


    ook, I¡®ve torn the receipt that day. Since we are family, we shouldn¡®t be so calctive. It¡®s not right to do s


    o. Ha! Since you have seen me tearing the receipt into pieces, will you forget about collecting money fro


    m me?¡±


    The man wore his usual impassiveness on his handsome face as he replied, ¡°TIL consider it.¡±


    With that, he rose to his full height and returned to his room. He grabbed his things. changed his shoes a


    t the foyer and left.


    Truth was, Matthew¡®s cold treatment frustrated Veronica. ¡°Such a petty man. I don¡®t understand what the


    heck is going on in his head.¡±


    After cleaning up the living room and dining room, she hopped on a bicycle and headed off to her workpl


    ace.


    It was another busy day in the office. She diligently learnt about her tasks from the other secretaries.


    At 12 PM, Veronica had lunch with Xavier as usual, but in the evening after work, she said to him, ¡°I won¡®


    t be having dinner with you tonight. I have to go and meet a friend. I¡®lle to the office on time tomorro


    w at 8.00 AM¡± :


    ¡°Alright, see you tomorrow,¡± Xavier replied unhesitatingly, seemingly in a good mood.


    After Veronica had left the office, she bought some fruits and dietary supplements from a nearby mall bef


    ore she took a cab to the Kings Residence.


    As it was during the evening rush hour, it took Veronica an hour to get to her destination from the


    city center.


    However, upon arriving at the Kings


    Residence, she spotted Matthew¡®s car parked at one side as soon as she alighted from the cab.


    She stood in ce holding the things she had bought. She thought to enter the house together with him t


    o visit Elizabeth since he was


    already here, but unexpectedly, Tiffany exited the car the same time as him.


    Veronica¡®s expression instantly fell. Her good mood vanished, so she turned on her heel to leave.


    ¡°Veronica, this is such a coincidence! You are here as well.¡± Tiffany exited the car and greeted her.


    Just then, Matthew alighted from the car as well. Tiffany walked up to him and held his arm, and they we


    nt up to Veronica together.


    Veronica stared at Tiffany, silently warning her with a cold gaze. Have you forgotten about the lesson you


    learnt, as well as the warning I gave in the bathroom the other day?


    In truth, the incident that had happened in the bathroom the


    other day had pissed Tiffany off. She hadined about it to her parents but after some discussion, t


    hey had decided that she had to put up with it.


    Her mother had repeatedly lectured her, ¡°A moment of patience will save you future troubles!¡±


    Although Tiffany was reluctant to swallow her anger, Veronica was able to have her own way by relying o


    n the fact that Elizabeth was her godmother. There was nothing


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Tiffany could do no matter how enraged she was.


    Holding the things in her hands, Veronica looked behind at the couple that looked great together. Althoug


    h their looks matched each other well, she still found them¡®an eyesore.


    She darted a re at Tiffany and a nce at Matthew, thinking about how the man had treated her that


    morning.


    In the end, Veronica let out a cold snort arrogantly before she entered the house.


    ¡°Matthew, is she¡­ in a bad mood?¡± Tiffany whispered a question, to which


    Matthew coldly responded as he stood firmly next to her, ¡°Don¡®t mind her.¡±


    Therefore, the three of them stepped into the living room one after another.


    Elizabeth was seen in the living room. Veronica handed the things to the servants and walked up to her b


    efore she held her hands affectionately. ¡°Grandma, how do you feel these days?¡±


    ¡°The news that you areing over puts me in a great mood. It makes me feel light and happy.¡± Elizabet


    h grinned from ear to ear as she held Veronica¡®s hands, reluctant to let go


    ¡°How did youe over?¡±


    ¡°I took a cab,¡± Veronica responded with a smile.


    ¡°Grandma, I¡®m here to visit you.¡±


    At that moment, Matthew and Tiffany came in through the door.


    Upon seeing the duo walking into the room, Elizabeth pointed at the couch without getting up. ¡°Have a se


    She seemed much colder than earlier, forming a stark contrast with how she had treated Veronica.


    As Elizabeth spoke, she stared at Matthew with a cold gaze, her eyes that were cloudy from old age full o


    Veronica nced at Matthew through the corner of her eye, but she just sat at one side and watched on w


    However, Tiffany, who saw the gloom on Matthew¡®s face as well as Veronica¡®s smug look, was upset, so s


    ¡°You are Veronica¡®s elder brother and she is your younger sister,¡± Elizabeth said to the two of them. ¡°Look


    do you act


    like an elder brother to her?¡± The second sentence was directed at Matthew, but considering Tiffany¡®s r


    Tiffany clenched her fists, unable to refute Elizabeth.


    ¡°Grandma, you are right.¡± Matthew, on the other hand, gave a cursory reply and sat on one side.


    Thereafter, Elizabeth instructed a servant, who was standing on the sideline, ¡°Mrs. Coleman, give me the


    ¡°Yes, Old Mrs. Kings,¡± the servant replied, then went to get the car keys, while Veronica made small talk w


    easier for you toe and visit me as well.¡±


    Although Veronica didn¡®t know much about jewelry, she had a fair share of knowledge in car brands.


    The three upward¨C


    pointing arrows on the car keys suggested that it was a Maserati, and the fact that it was a car that sat in t


    Although Veronica was a thrifty spender and sometimes a miser, it didn¡®t mean that she had a habit


    of taking advantage of others.


    ¡°No, Grandma. I appreciate your kindness, but I can¡®t ept the car!¡±

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    Elizabeth had epted Veronica as her god¨C


    daughter because she liked Veronica. However, Veronica refused to take advantage of Elizabeth¡®s fondn


    ess of her by being arrogant andcent.


    Hence, she returned the car key to Elizabeth.


    Meanwhile, Tiffany, who took in the scene, was burning in jealousy.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    She was aware that Elizabeth was fond of Veronica, but never expected that it would be up to this extent.


    Just because Veronica had taken a cab to the Kings Residence, Elizabeth had not only reprimanded Mat


    thew but even gifted her a sports car that had an exorbitant price tag.


    At the mention of this, the Kings Family¡®s status and influence then came to mind. As one of thergest f


    amilies in their country, they had both the wealth and power, so a car that they purchased would never b


    e one that cost less than 5 million! Although Tiffany didn¡®t know what type of car Elizabeth had gifted Ver


    onica, Tiffany reckoned that it must have cost at least 5 million!


    Yet, such generosity was exclusively for Veronica, which made it impossible for Tiffany not to be


    jealous of her.


    Nheless, no matter how envious or jealous Tiffany was, she had to feign a kind and gentle attitude w


    hile smiling tenderly. ¡°Grandma, you sure treat Veronica well.¡±


    ¡°Of course she is my god¨C


    daughter. When I be older and unable to walk, I¡®ll depend on her to take care of me.¡±


    Elizabeth tucked a loose strand of grey hair behind her ear before she held Veronica¡®s hands and amicab


    ly asked, ¡°Girl, you won¡®t just leave me here alone when I be so


    old that I can¡®t move around freely, will you?¡±


    ¡°Grandma, that¡®s nonsense. You are still as healthy as a horse. Pfft! Don¡®t spew nonsense.¡± Veronica pre


    tended to spit on the floor to ward off the ominous words that Elizabeth had just mentioned.


    ¡°Take the car keys. It will


    make it easier for you toe and visit me more in the future.¡± Elizabeth handed the car keys to Veronic


    a again, but Veronica rejected her offer. ¡°Grandma, please keep it. It¡®s no use giving them to me since I c


    an¡®t drive. I¡®ll


    inform Matthew when Ie and visit you in the future and have him take me here.¡±


    ¡°I see, you can¡®t drive.¡± Elizabeth nodded. ¡°Alright, then. Let that brat drive you here after this.¡± As


    she spoke, she tapped Veronica¡®s head. ¡°Why are you still calling him by his name, though?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Veronica was stunned at Elizabeth¡®s sudden question, unable to make sense of her words


    .


    However, the next instant, Elizabeth replied, ¡°You are now my god¨C


    daughter, so that makes him your elder brother. I¡®ll be upset if I hear you calling him by his name


    again.¡±


    Veronica let out a mischievous smile and yfully stuck out her tongue, looking adorable. ¡°Okay, got it, g


    ot it.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡± Elizabeth red at Matthew. ¡°Do you hear me?¡±


    The


    man, who was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, held a magazine in his hands when he heard h


    er words. His attention seemed to be focused on the book, but the truth was that he had been paying att


    ention to what thedies said.


    Upon hearing Elizabeth¡®s question, he hummed in agreement, but a subtle curve appeared at the corner


    of his lips.


    However, in Tiffany¡®s eyes, Veronica, Matthew and Elizabeth seemed like a family whereas she herself w


    as an outsider who seemed out of ce.


    ¡°Grandma, it¡®s rather cool outside today. Let¡®s go and enjoy the breeze, shall we?¡± Veronica suggested.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Elizabeth rose to her full height before holding Veronica by her


    hand and heading out together with her.


    Tiffany had been treated as though she was invisible the whole time.


    She had


    initially wanted to tag along, but she was worried that she might read the air wrong, so she thought that s


    he might as well remain with Matthew to improve their rtionship.


    She watched as Veronica and Elizabeth left the room before


    she turned to him with a pitiful look that resembled a kid who had done something wrong. ¡°Matthew, am I


    cking in any way? G¨CGrandma seems to dislike me,¡± she muttered in a dejected manner.


    Looking at Tiffany¡®s face that bore almost the exact resemnce to Veronica, Mathew felt that her voice


    sounded unpleasant to the ear and even her scent seemed to have offended him in some way.


    He coldly replied, ¡°You are being too sensitive.¡±


    ¡°I¨CI am just worried that I¡®m not good enough in Grandma¡®s eyes.¡±


    ¡°You are good enough.¡± Matthew focused his gaze on the magazine in his hands while ignoring Tiffany¡®s


    expression.


    Tiffany tried hard to strike a conversation with Matthew, but his indifferent response made it difficult for he


    r.


    Soon, the dinner was served and the few of them sat around the table to have the meal together.


    Veronica, who was well¨C


    aware of Elizabeth¡®s love for shrimp, noticed the te of greasyback shrimp on the table. Then, she said,


    ¡°Grandma, give me a minute. I¡®ll make you the sauce.¡± ¨C


    ¡°Sure, I¡®ll wait for you,¡± Elizabeth replied as Veronica rose up to head into the kitchen.


    As Elizabeth had ced her utensils down, Tiffany and Matthew had to wait for Veronica as well.


    M


    ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Tiffany hesitated for a moment before she mustered the courage and asked, ¡°Do you dislik


    e me?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s insignificant as long as Matthew likes you.¡± Elizabeth waved her hand, ¡°My feelings don¡®t matter if


    you youngsters enjoy each other¡®spany.¡±


    As a matter of fact, she had indeed spoken out against their marriage. However, Matthew had owed his lif


    ¡°Grandma, I want you to like me too, so that we will be closer and more intimate as a family.¡± Tiffany open


    Her honesty had managed to change Elizabeth¡®s mind and attitude toward her a little. ¡°Yeah, you are right


    Elizabeth¡®s attitude toward Tiffany has drastically changed these days. Ever since Elizabeth had found ou


    ¡°Just be yourself. That¡®s good enough,¡± Matthew, who had been quiet, suddenly chimed in, but the simple


    ¡°Grandma, the sauce is ready. Try it out.¡±


    At this moment, Veronica brought the sauce that she had made in the kitchen to Elizabeth. Then, she skill


    GLC


    She fed Elizabeth a shrimp with her gloved hand and waited eagerly for thement.


    Il


    The shrimp was tender, smooth and coated with rich and vorful sauce. Elizabeth nodded repeatedly an


    ¡°I¡®m happy that you find it nice. Grandma, eat more if you like it.¡±


    Veronica knew that Elizabeth loved shrimps, so she deshelled a few greasyback shrimps and dipped them


    Tiffany, who was sitting beside Matthew, suddenly realized that although she was skillful in music, chess,


    At that moment, as she watched Veronica having a great time with Elizabeth, she couldn¡®t help but feel en


    Matthew sipped his wine and quietly


    enjoyed his meal while he intermittently nced at the two people opposite him. His gaze was deep and a

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    ¡°Grandma, I know that the prawns are delicious, but you should have some vegetables to have a bnc


    e of nutrition. It¡®ll be better for your health¡± Tiffany rose to grab some vegetables for Elizabeth¡®s te and


    took some for Veronica as well. ¡°Veronica, you should eat some too.¡±


    Tiffany had never thought that she would one day have to please Veronica too. Even though she was for


    ced to do so since Matthew and Elizabeth were present, she still felt that her actions were demeaning.


    ¡°I¡®m sorry, but I prefer to eat meat since I don¡®t like vegetables.¡± While wearing her gloves, Veronica took


    the vegetables on her te and thought about it before dumping them into Matthew¡®s bowl. ¡°It would be


    a shame if I were to throw away your fiancee¡®s vegetables. You should have it.¡±


    She was deliberately annoying Matthew.


    However, the man nced at her with his cold eyes as his handsome face darkened a little. He then low


    ered his eyes to have a look at the vegetables in his bowl without saying a word.


    As for Tiffany, she continued


    to stab the rice in her bowl while feeling that Veronica was being ungrateful, but since it wasn¡®t wise for h


    er to be exasperated in front of Elizabeth, she smiled in response. ¡°Meat is quite tasty too.¡±


    During the dinner, Veronica and Elizabeth chatted happily whereas Matthew and


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Tiffany were seated across from them and remained quiet, as if there was an invisible line between them.


    The vegetables in his bowl were still left untouched even after the dinner had ended.


    After


    the meal, Tiffany stood up to retrieve the utensils. ¡°Grandma, since I don¡®t know how to cook, why don¡®t I


    help to wash the dishes?¡±


    She had never washed the dishes when she was previously at the Larson Residence.


    However, to please Elizabeth, she had to do her best¨Ceven if it meant dirtying her delicate hands.


    Listening to her, Elizabeth nodded. ¡°Okay, that¡®s alright.¡±


    Therefore, Tiffany and the servants gathered all the dishes together before heading


    to the kitchen to wash the utensils.


    In the


    meantime, Veronica felt that Tiffany had really gone out of her way this time. but didn¡®t bother to pay muc


    h attention to her.


    ¡°Grandma, are you full? Why don¡®t we have a walk in the yard?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have the same idea too.¡± Elizabeth stood up and winked at Matthew, telling him toe. Even tho


    ugh he felt a little resigned, he rose to his feet and followed them.


    While they walked in the yard, Veronica held Elizabeth¡®s hand and pointed to the west where the sunset


    was. ¡°The evening sun is so beautiful. Grandma, look at that.¡±


    Elizabeth stopped moving and stood to watch the sunset as she couldn¡®t help but feel emotional. ¡°You¡®re


    right. The sunset is gorgeous.¡±


    Suddenly, she remembered her time with Tony, who loved to take her to watch the sunrise and sunset in


    which all were happy memories.


    Sadly, after he passed away, she was left to support everything on her own, so she lost the mood to enjo


    y both the sunset and sunrise.


    As Elizabeth fell into a deep thought, Veronica noticed the older woman¡®s expression and


    furrowed her brows in confusion. After ncing at Matthew, she said, ¡°Grandma, if you like to watch the s


    unset, I can bring you to the Woond Mountain or a beach in the future. We can enjoy the view togethe


    r. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s great. Sigh...¡± Elizabeth nodded while breathing a long sigh of regret. While walking forward with


    Veronica, she emotionally uttered, ¡°When my husband was still with me, he always loved to watch the su


    nset and sunrise with me. Now that he¡®s gone for more than a decade, I¡®ve no longer been to those ce


    s again.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s alright, Grandma. I¡®ll keep youpany from now on,¡± Veronica cajoled with a sweet smile


    while she patted her chest.


    ¡°Haha, alright. I¡®ll wait for you then.¡±


    She vigorously nodded her head. ¡°No problem.¡±


    While they held hands, the two of them walked ahead in a casual manner.


    Meanwhile, Matthew¡®s eyes darkened when he heard theirughter in front of him. The moment he saw


    a long¨Clost smile on Elizabeth¡®s face, he suddenly felt delighted.


    He didn¡®t know how long it had been since


    hest felt this kind of warmth and harmony before, never mind Elizabeth.


    When his eyes momentarilynded on Veronica¡®s back, Matthew suddenly felt that she was like a bright l


    ight shining on his ck¨Cand¨Cwhite world while peppering everything


    with color and light. This feeling... is quite nice.


    ¡°Grandma, I may note to visit you for a while,¡± Veronica said to Elizabeth while walking ¡°I¡®m going to


    Almeida to do some charity work. It¡®ll take about half a month.¡±


    ¡°Almeida?¡± Elizabeth suddenly paused and looked at her. ¡°Almeida is so far away from Bloomstead and I


    heard that they have terrible living conditions there. Can a girl like you handle it?¡±


    Veronica smiled as she held Elizabeth¡®s shoulders and answered lovingly, ¡°Grandma, you¡®ve underestim


    ated me. I was raised in the countryside, so of course I¡®ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Good girl. I¡®ll support you since doing charity work is something good, but you need to be careful there,¡±


    Elizabeth reminded her continuously.


    ¡°Don¡®t worry, Grandma. I¡®ll be fine.¡±


    After that, they continued walking around the garden.


    Meanwhile, Tiffany came out of the kitchen after washing the dishes. She initially wanted to show off in fr


    ont of Elizabeth, but the moment she came out, she realized that the living room waspletely empty.


    After quickly asking, Tiffany was informed that the three of them went on a walk in the backyard garden.


    Her delicate face instantly darkened as she felt both angry and aggrieved, but was unable to express her


    rage at that moment.


    In the end, she could only leave the living room for the garden and chat with Elizabeth while having a wal


    k.


    Then, the three of them finally left.


    Since Veronica had taken a cab over, Elizabeth allowed her to take Matthew¡®s car home, to which she


    Matthew first sent Tiffany seated in the passenger seat back home.


    ¨C¨C


    vuur


    After getting out of the car, she waved her hand at him. ¡°Thank you, Matthew.¡± Then, she looked at Veron


    Now that she was out of the car, Veronica and Matthew were the only two left alone in the vehicle. Will sh


    Tiffany wasn¡®t sure at all.


    However, after hearing Tiffany¡®s question, Veronica ignored her as if she didn¡®t hear those words at all,


    Then, Matthew told Tiffany, ¡°You should go back now and rest early.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Matthew. Then¡­ This is goodbye.¡± She reluctantly waved her hand while ring at Veronica in th


    After humming in response, the man started the car engine and left.


    Half an hourter, they returned to


    the Twilight Condominium. After casually removing her shoes, a barefoot Veronica walked over to the cou


    She only slept for three hours a day in the past two days, so she was on the brink of copsing. After lying


    Seeing her lying on the couch, Matthew didn¡®t say anything as he returned to his room to take a shower. W


    He picked up his phone and saw Elizabeth¡®s number vibrating on the screen, after which he answered the


    ¡°Matthew, I have something for you to do¡­¡±


    After listening to her orders on the other end of the call, Matthew furrowed his brows deeply and had no c


    When he hung up the phone and


    came out of his bedroom, he was surprised to see Veronica asleep on the couch.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    Then, Matthew remembered that Veronica hadn¡®t had a proper sleep in thest two days, so he couldn¡®t


    bear to wake her up. After throwing a nket on her, he proceeded to his study.


    Even though the nket had gentlynded on her, it still managed to wake her up.


    As soon as she opened her eyes, she instantly felt much better.


    After resting for a little while more, she went to the bathroom to change her clothes. Then, she borrowed


    a book from the study andy down on the couch to read it.


    The whole process didn¡®t feel like it took much time for her, but when Matthew came


    out of his study and saw that Veronica was still reading the book, he immediately snatched it and said, ¡°It


    ¡®s 2:00AM. Time for you to go to bed.¡± ¨C¨C


    He ordered her as if he was an older brother being stern with his little sister.


    ¡°Give it back to me!¡± Just as Veronica was getting to the good part, her hands suddenly became empty a


    s the book was snatched away from her. As a result of that, she red at Matthew angrily.


    ¡°Aren¡®t you going to Almeida tomorrow?¡± The man reminded her while hiding the book behind his back.


    ¡°It won¡®t affect me. I can still wake up.¡±


    ¡°Go to sleep.¡± He wore a cold expression and took the book back to his room without saying


    anything else.


    ¡°Matt¨C¡± Before she could finish calling his name, he immediately mmed his door shut, so she couldn¡®t


    help but yell, ¡°You brute! You are just a selfish and arrogant b*stard!¡±


    Without the book, she suddenly felt bored, but she suddenly remembered the book¡®s name and used her


    phone to search for it on a reading app. After locating the part where she had stopped, she continued to


    read from where she left off.


    And just like that, she read the book all the way until 5:00AM. When she began to feel sleepy and her ey


    elids could no longer move, shey on the couch and fell asleep.


    At the same time, Matthew went over to the side of the couch and stood there for a whule. Watching Ver


    onica sleeping


    on the couch, he couldn¡®t help but feel a little confused. Does she... always sleep sote every night?


    However, he didn¡®t think much about it as he carried her back to her bedroom.


    When he gently ced her on the bed and looked at her sleeping, he felt as though she was a quiet and


    lovely cat that was pleasing to the eye. Only her quiet looks will make others feel cute unlike her usual fie


    rce self.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Matthew reached out to push the strands of hair on her face aside, but the moment his fingertips touched


    her face, Veronica brushed his hand away and groaned.


    Then, he hugged her tightly like an octopus. While she was being hugged, she found afortable post


    ure to return to sleep.


    Lying next to her, Matthew carefully and quietly stared at her face¨C


    from her eyes all the way to her red lips. In the end, he couldn¡®t help but lean over to kiss her lips.


    He could no longer control his emotions.


    Not only was her lips soft and slightly cold, there was also a hint of fragrance, causing him to lose himself


    involuntarily.


    When he felt a change in his body, he immediately moved back by several inches and stopped kissing h


    er.


    It felt as though he was ying with fire


    Her face is clearly the same as Tiffany¡®s, but why don¡®t I have any interest in Tiffany at all?


    Matthew lusted for Veronica¡®s unique body scent a little. The scent was so familiar


    that it made him feel rxed,fortable and enjoyable.


    And just like that, he allowed her to sleep in his arms for a while before releasing her when her breathing


    calmed and she was in a deep sleep. Then, he left her bedroom in a hurry.


    It seems like I still need to keep my distance away from her. Otherwise, it is hard for me to believe that I r


    epeatedly have trouble controlling myself whenever I face her.


    The feeling of powerlessness over his own body made him feel extremely


    ufortable.


    The next day came and went just like the previous few days. When Veronica woke up at 7:00AM, Matthe


    w had already gotten out of bed.


    At the moment, he was sitting in the


    dining room to have his breakfast. However, after ncing at the delicious food on the table and smelling


    the fragrance permeating the living room, she only got herself a ss of water.


    In the dining room, Matthew nced at her and invited, ¡°Come and eat.¡±


    Veronica stood next to him and drank the water while shaking her head. ¡°Nope. I don¡®t think I want to eat.


    ¡±


    I can¡®t believe the oatmeal I ate


    cost 300 per bowl. If I eat another bowl today, it¡®ll cost me another 300! It¡®s too expensive for me. Growl...


    Then, her stomach began to


    rumble uncontrobly, so she awkwardly touched her belly and immediately returned to the living room to


    sit on the couch.


    Seeing how hard¨Cpressed


    she was, he couldn¡®t help but feel sorry for her. ¡°I won¡®t charge you for the meal.¡±


    ¡°You won¡®t charge me?¡± After hearing that he wouldn¡®t charge her any money, her eyes immediately brigh


    tened as she put down the ss of water and went to his front. ¡°Are you really not going to charge me for


    the meal?¡±


    To be fair, she actually didn¡®t have any money to pay Matthew back, especially when she couldn¡®t afford


    such an outrageously expensive meal.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you¡®re the best, bro.¡± After taking advantage of him, Veronica smiled sarcastically as if her lips we


    re filled with honey and called her ¡®bro¡® Then, she sat across from him and lowered her head to look at


    the oatmeal in her bowl. ¡°What oatmeal are we having today?¡± the


    ¡°Nutty banana oatmeal.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s exactly what I want.¡± She happily scooped a spoonful of oatmeal and brought it to her mouth to h


    ave a


    taste. ¡°It¡®s so delicious.¡± As she chewed carefully to taste the fragrance of the oatmeal, she sighed from t


    he bottom of her heart. ¡°Which brand is it? The taste is amazing. Is it expensive? Can I afford it?¡±


    ¡®It¡®s expensive,¡± Mathew replied tly while eating his oatmeal and sitting across from her.


    His few words were enough to express how pricey this bowl of oatmeal was.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Since Matthew was the one who uttered the word ¡®expensive, it could only mean that there was no chance


    ¡°By the way, I won¡®t be back for the next two weeks, so you can live your quiet life,¡± she said while scoopin


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Hmph, I knew it. If Grandma didn¡®t like me, you wouldn¡®t have allowed me to stay here in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m d that you understand.¡±


    Veronica was immediately rendered speechless. You b*stard! I would rather that you do not speak! If I wa


    After the meal, she cleaned her dishes and went back to her room to pack her stuff in the luggage that she


    hand at him. ¡°Matthew, I¡®m leaving now. Don¡®t miss me too much.¡±


    The man, who was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, immediately cast a cold gaze when he hear


    ¡°Um¡­ Hehe, I said that I¡¯m leaving, so don¡®t miss me too much.¡± Veronica smiled sarcastically while carry


    ¡°Get out.¡± The two simple words he uttered were filled with intent.


    After rolling her eyes at him, Veronica carried her shoulder bag and walked into the elevator while mumbli


    least we¡®ve lived together for so long, which practically makes us housemates. I can¡®t believe that he does


    She took the elevator down to the underground second floor. The moment the door was opened, she foun


    ¡°Mr. Riler, are you going out too? Why are you also carrying a suitcase?¡± she asked iuriously with a faint s


    ¡°Um¡­¡± With a quick nce, he recognized the suitcase in her hand as his own boss¡® suitcase, so he insta


    ¡°Oh, I wish you a safe journey then.¡± Veronica waved her hand at him and left.


    Behind her, Thomas replied, ¡°Safe travels to you too, Miss Murphy.¡±


    She waved again without looking back. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Look at that. It seems like only Thomas knows how to treat me well. He even wished me well on my journ


    What a sweet guy.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    Xavier was now waiting for her at thepany¡®s entrance. Seeing hering over in a light gray sports


    wear, he immediately went up to her and said, ¡°Roni, I¡®m sorry I couldn¡®t help.¡±


    Feeling a bit guilty, he felt that what he did wasn¡®t appropriate.


    Although he really wanted to apany Veronica to Almeida, he had something to


    wasn¡®t a bad idea to send her there alone so that he could get to know her all over again.


    Xavier believed that after two weeks of mingling with her, Hendric would definitely ept her.


    After all, he had previously ridiculed Veronica about her ugly looks, but now that her true identity was rev


    ealed and she had the same gorgeous face as Tiffany, it would definitely work to her favor. =


    ¡°It¡®s fine. I¡®m now one of your staff members, so it¡®s my duty to serve thepany.¡± Veronica raised her b


    row and smiled, looking rxed.


    Standing in front of her, Xavier gave her a huge embrace.


    While holding her tightly in his arms, he whispered, ¡°I¡®ll wait for you to return. When youe back, I¡®ll gi


    ve you a big surprise.¡±


    ¡°What


    is the surprise?¡± She pushed him away while her eyes brightened. ¡°Are you going to give me my bonus?¡±


    The


    moment she heard the word ¡®surprise, all she had in mind was money, which was why she looked so exci


    ted.


    Looking at her expression, Xavier didn¡®t know whether tough or cry. ¡°Yes, you¡®re so smart.¡±


    If I¡®m going to propose to her, I must prepare a huge gift that she will definitely like.


    ¡°You should have told me earlier. I would have been gone by now. Haha¡­¡± Veronica said cheerfully.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°The mountain roads there are bumpy. Be careful.¡± He reminded her while pointing al a minivan next to th


    em, ¡°Everything that we have prepared for the children in Almeida is all loaded in that van. They will drive


    the vehicle to the ce. As for you, I¡®ve prepared a ne ticket for you to fly over there. After you have a


    lighted from the ne, there will be someone to pick you up.¡±


    Since Almeida was located far away from Bloomstead, they could only take the ne to the nearest desti


    nation before traveling to Almeida by car.


    ¡°Alright. I understand.¡± Veronica nodded.


    ¡°When you arrive at Almeida, there won¡®t be any roads for the car to


    drive through, so you will have to walk up the mountain by foot. It¡®ll be arduous, so you must take care of


    yourself.¡±


    Xavier didn¡®t forget to repeatedly remind her.


    ¡°Alright. I understand. I¡®ll be fine. Trust me.¡± She raised her brow again and smiled.


    Then, Xavier and Veronica took a picture together with the other colleagues who were also assigned to A


    lmeida.


    After the picture, the van drove the other colleagues off while Xavier drove her to the airport.


    ¡°Safe travels.¡± He gave Veronica a hug. ¡°If anything happens, you must remember to contact me immedi


    ately.¡±


    He looked at her with an obvious hint of reluctance in his eyes.


    Veronicabed her hair with her fingers and smiled. ¡°I¡®m only leaving for two weeks. Why do you


    have to make such a big deal out of it? Alright, I¡®m leaving. Goodbye.¡±


    While dragging her luggage, she turned around to leave before waving her hand at him without looking b


    ack.


    After having


    her ticket checked in the boarding area, she boarded the ne and found her seat to take a seat.


    Since her seat was next to a window, she was able to see the beautiful scenery outside.


    A few hourster, the ne arrived at Lothen.


    is soon as Veronica got off the ne, she met the person who was assigned to pick her up. She entered


    the waiting car and it drove all the way to the bottom of Almeida¡®s mountain before she alighted from it.


    The driver said to her, ¡°We can¡®t drive any further from here. We still need to walk for about 4 to 5 hours t


    o reach Almeida. We should be able to arrive there before dark.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡®s hurry up and get going. It¡®s gettingte.¡±


    Veronica carried her luggage and followed the driver up the mountain.


    The driver¡®s name was Quincy Neelson, who was an extremely enthusiastic dark¨C¡®. skinned and slightly


    chubby boy.


    The two of them were talking andughing as they made their way up the mountain.


    However, after walking for an hour, rain began to pour from the sky. It came so quickly and


    suddenly that it caught both Veronica and Quincy off guard.


    ¡°What kind of weather is this?¡±


    She took out an umbre from her luggage while he had an umbre of his own. While carrying their stuff


    , the two of them stepped on the muddy mountain road and stumbled forward.


    The rain was extremely heavy and when the bean¨C


    size raindrops fell on their umbres, it made a crackling sound. At the same time, ayer of mist had ris


    en from the mountainside, making the ce look cloudy and exquisitely charming.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    When Veronica lifted her head to look at the beautiful scenery on the mountain, she slipped and almost f


    ell to the ground. Luckily, someone had suddenly reached out to grab her cor to prevent any tragedies.


    ¡°Thank you, Quincy. What a scare. Sigh..¡±


    She used the luggage to stand on her feet, but then, Quincy responded, ¡°It wasn¡®t me. It¡®s him.¡±


    He pointed at the man behind Veronica.


    Therefore, she instinctively looked back. When she had a clear view of the man


    standing behind her, her eyes lit up as she eximed, ¡°Matthew! Why are you here?¡±


    She was surprised and excited to meet him in such a deserted ce.


    The man was wearing a ck sportswear with sports shoes of the same color while holding a gray¨C


    striped umbre. His face was nd while standing in front of her.


    Seeing the bright smile on her face, he couldn¡®t help but give a slight smile with his lips.


    ¡°Are you surprised?¡± Matthew asked tly.


    ¡°You should have told me earlier that you areing so that I don¡®t have to carry my luggage. Here you g


    Whenever she was in need, she would always call him ¡®bro¡® instead of his name.


    Veronica then handed her luggage over to Matthew. ¡°Bro, please help me carry it. It¡®s really heavy.¡±


    The road up the


    mountain was muddy especially in this kind of rainy weather and the slippery ground made it difficult for a


    Therefore, Matthew gestured to the two men apanying him with his eyes before one of them immedi


    her carry her luggage.


    ¡°Whew, it¡®s sofortable not having to carry the luggage.¡±


    Veronica shook her hand as her mood had suddenly improved.


    Then, she tugged on Matthew¡®s arm and said to Quincy, ¡°Quincy, let me introduce him to you. He is Matth


    A nervous Quincy smiled. ¡°Hello, bro.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why are you calling him bro? You can just call him Matthew.¡± She waved her hand with a look of tota


    He scratched his head and answered, ¡°Since he is your brother, I feel that I should call him ¡®bro¡® too.¡±


    ¡°We don¡®t even share the samest name and are not rted to each other at all. Come on, let¡®s go.¡±


    Peronica ungratefully paited Quincy¡®s shoulder before walking forward.


    tighuly after being ignored. Damn this woman. She is so ungrateful.


    Although it was early autumn, the weather was still hot, so the rain came and went quickly.


    Not long after, the rain stopped.


    Veronica went up the mountain and stood on the mountainside. Looking down, she could not help but fee


    ¨C¡±


    She was talking to Matthew, but when she turned to look, she realized that her luggage was missing from

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    ¡°Matthew, wasn¡¯t it your man who carried my luggage? Where is it?¡± Veronica furrowed her brows and


    questioned Matthew.


    The man closed his umbre and carefully buckled its belt before coldly ncing al her as he opened his


    thin lips. ¡°I¡¯m not rted to you at all, so why should I help you carry your luggage?¡±


    This guy is so petty. Her expression darkened as she rolled her eyes at him. He must have gotten angry


    when I introduced him to Quincy, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so petty.


    ¡°Fine, our friendship is now over.¡± She grunted coldly and said to Quincy, ¡°Please wait here for me. I


    need to take my luggage and will be back shortly.¡±


    After that, she turned around to retrieve her luggage. While walking past Matthew, she fiercely nudged


    his arm before dashing off.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    As the road down the mountain was muddy, it was still too slippery and caused her to be extremely slow.


    It was originally a ten-minute journey, but Veronica took more than twenty minutes to arrive there. When


    she had spent another twenty minutes to return, Matthew was the only one left as the others were gone.


    She angrily ced her luggage on the ground before ring at him to ask, ¡°Where¡¯s Quincy?¡±


    ¡°He said that you are too slow, so he left first,¡± he uttered coldly as he held his umbre with one hand


    and rested the other hand in his pocket.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you be nice to me?!¡± An exasperated Veronica rolled her eyes at him. This b*stard! Because of a


    few words that I said earlier, he left my luggage a few miles away and made me walk for almost an hour


    for nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯m not rted to you at all, so why should I be nice to you?¡± Matthew took out a cigarette from his


    pocket and lit it up before silently smoking it.


    After that, Veronica walked past him to move forward while carrying her luggage.


    The road up the mountain was just as treacherous and their journey along the muddy road was made


    even more difficult by the earlier rainstorm.


    Therefore, it was extremely exhausting for her to carry the luggage up the mountain.


    After climbing up the mountain and standing at the peak, she lifted her head and realized that Quincy


    and the other two men were already on top of another mountain in front of her and Matthew.


    She could faintly see their figures.


    At the moment, since Veronica was bearing a grudge against Matthew, she angrily walked in front of him


    without saying a word.


    Meanwhile, Matthew, who was following closely behind her, saw that she looked a bit tired and asked,


    ¡°Do you need me to help you carry it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not rted to you, so I don¡¯t want your help!¡± the woman roared.


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right,¡± he replied without saying anything else. Then, he continued to silently follow her


    from behind. ¨C


    After they went up the mountain, they now began their descent. Even though Veronica was wearing a


    pair of non-slip shoes, the footwear couldn¡¯t withstand the steep and slippery mountain road, so she was


    close to falling a few times. In the end, she was able to prop her luggage on the ground to prevent such


    mishaps.


    However, she didn¡¯t notice that every time she was about to fall, Matthew would reach out and try to


    support her, but he would silently withdraw his hand since she was able to stabilize herself each time.


    The panting Veronica now stood on the edge of the mountain and looked at the steep road down the


    mountain as she was afraid of slippingter on. She was standing on a rock with arms akimbo while


    ring at Matthew.


    At that moment, their eyes met.


    One of them was calm and rxed while the other was panting crazily.


    Veronica was exhausted because the luggage had been too heavy. It was already a miracle that she


    could carry it this far.


    Even though she was raging, she decided to ¡®surrender¡¯ in the end.


    After all, one should look after their interests at all times, so she chose to throw in the towel.


    ¡°Matthew, since you are my godbrother, why didn¡¯t you help me all the way here? Do you really think I


    won¡¯t tell Grandma about this when I¡¯m back?¡±


    This b*stard! Why can¡®t you just be nice to me? Serves you right for being single even when you are


    almost 30. I hope that you¡®ll be lonely for the rest of his life!


    The man raised his brows. ¡°Oh, is that so? Who was the one who told me earlier tha! I¡¯m not rted to


    her at all?¡±


    ¡°I-I was just joking. You don¡¯t have to take it so seriously. Are you really that petty?¡± she growled.


    Unexpectedly, Matthew nodded his head in a serious manner. ¡°I am.¡±


    is manne


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Damn this b*stard! How dare you! Veronica took a deep breath and closed her eyes to slowly calm


    herself down. I can¡®t be angry!


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I hereby apologize for what I said just now.¡±


    She stood in front of him and gave him a ny-degree bow three times.


    When she made her third bow, Matthew grabbed hold of her chin and probed, ¡°Do you really think I


    would help you to carry your luggage after seeing you praying for my early death?¡±


    We would only bow three times to the dead. This woman is explicitly and implicitly praying for me to have


    an early death. Does she really think I can¡®t see it?


    ¡°Hehe, there¡¯s no such thing. I¡¯m just bowing three times to you to show my sincerity.¡±


    Now that she was willing to submit to him for the time being, Veronica revealed a ttering smile, but it


    wasn¡¯t sincere. That¡®s right. I¡®m bowing three times to show my sincerity to God so that a vile, nasty and


    shameless scumbag like him can have an early death. It¡®ll be better for the people in the world.


    ¡°Then, what kind of rtionship do we have?¡± the man asked.


    She rolled her eyes at him and answered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, bro. It¡¯s my fault, alright? You¡¯re my real brother,


    and a good one too. Are you satisfied?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I guess I¡¯ll have to stop finding fault with you.¡±


    Matthew threw his umbre to Veronica and went over to help carry her luggage. Then, he reached out


    to her.


    Seeing his hand, she was startled. ¡°What is this? What are you doing?¡± She instinctively reached for her


    pocket. ¡°Are you really going to charge me for carrying my luggage?¡±


    I beg you. Can you please be nice to me?


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    Matthew approached her to hold her hand while slowly carrying her luggage down the mountain with his


    other hand.


    Veronica felt warmth surrounding her palm as he engulfed her tiny hand with his huge paw. Suddenly,


    she felt that her heart was filled with a sense of security.


    However, a momentter, she regained herposure. ¡°Hey, Matthew, can you please let go of your


    hand? I¡¯m seriously suspecting that you are taking advantage of me.¡±


    The moment her words came out, he instantly released her hand. Coincidentally, they were climbing


    down a steep slope, so she slipped and fell on the ground. ¡°Ouch, my bottom hurts.¡±


    As she had fallen hard on the ground, she felt the pain shooting from her bottom to her waist.


    Veronica took a deep breath to ease the pain. Looking at the sneakers she was wearing, she couldn¡¯t


    help but mutter, ¡°What kind of shitty shoes are these? They¡¯re not slip-resistant at all.¡±


    The man, who was a few feet away from her, turned around and looked at her emotionlessly.


    While holding her waist, Veronica wanted to rise to her feet, but the surrounding


    slopes were extremely steep and there was no ce for support. She was afraid that she would tumble


    down the mountain before she even had the chance to stand up..


    Therefore, she looked at Matthew and asked, ¡°Can youe and help me, bro?¡±


    She reluctantly addressed him as ¡®brother.


    However, the man answered lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to. I don¡¯t want to be


    used of taking advantage of someone.¡± His arrogant tone sounded as though what was happening in


    front of him was none of his business.


    Although Veronica was enraged, she had no choice but to forcefully resist her grievance and anger. ¡°Bro,


    I was just joking with you. Since I¡¯m your little sister, you should protect me. Otherwise, I will tell


    Grandma about this when I get back.¡±

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    Seeing that Veronica had finally ¡®surrendered¡®, Matthew headed over to stand in front of the nearly vertic


    al half¨Cmeter steep slope before reaching out to her.


    After ring at him, she held his hand and rose to his feet.


    However, when she stepped on the slope with both feet, she immediately slipped. She let out a scream,


    but she found herself in Matthew¡®s arms a secondter as she now had a firm footing.


    ¡°Sigh... What kind of road is this? It¡®s impossible to walk on it. Matthew, since you are so wealthy, you sh


    ould do some charity and build a proper road here,¡± she couldn¡®t help but mutter while sympathizing with


    the people of Almeida.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Matthew simply replied, but no one knew whether it was a perfunctory response. The next seco


    nd, he swept his hand across her cheek to wipe some mud all over her face. ¡°You have some mud on yo


    ur face. Let me help you to wipe it off.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then, help me wipe it off.¡± Veronica believed his words.


    Then, Matthew stretched out three fingers before sliding them across the left and right side of her face.


    With that, he left whiskers that resembled Hello Kitty on her face with his muddy hand, making her look p


    articrly adorable. ¡°It¡®s clean now.¡±


    He nodded his head seriously and looked at her with ¡®admiration. With a hint of joy in his eyes, he held h


    er hand as they walked down the mountain.


    Since the road was slippery and Veronica was afraid of slipping again, she tightly held his hand all the w


    ay forward.


    It was originally a 4¨Cto¨C5¨C


    hour journey, but because of the slippery road and the one hour dy from her, they only finished half of


    the journey that had now be treacherous due to the sudden rainstorm.


    Seeing that the sky was bing dark and Almeida was still far ahead, Matthew suggested, ¡°Let¡®s rest


    here and continue our journey tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, alright. After the rain, the road has be much harder to walk on and the slopes are also much


    steeper. If we fall down the mountain, the consequences will be devastating.¡± Veronica agreed with Matth


    ew¡®s words.


    The two of them then set up camp on the mountain, but there was only one tent that she bought at the all


    ey.


    ¡°How are you going to sleep without a tent?¡± she asked while looking at him.


    Then, he pointed at her tent, ¡°This tent is for two people.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m a woman and you¡®re a man. Don¡®t you know it¡®s inappropriate for us to sleep together?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m your brother and you¡®re my sister. We are both family, so it¡®s not inappropriate.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re not my


    biological brother, though.¡± Veronica covered her chest with both. hands and scowled at him with vignc


    e. Why do I feel that this b*stard is trying to take advantage of me?


    ¡°What¡®s the problem? This isn¡®t the first day


    that we have slept under the same roof.¡± The man raised his brow.


    ¡°How is that the same? Your house is over 2000 square feet while this tent is only 20 or 30 square feet at


    most!¡±


    She didn¡®t believe Matthew¡®s nonsense.


    However, the next second, he held her chin and murmured, ¡°Your body is nowhere as good as Tiffany¡®s,


    anyway. I¡®m not¡­¡± At the same time, he swept his eyes across her body. ¡°I¡®m not interested in you at all.¡±


    After that, he released his grip on Veronica and went into the tent.


    While pouting her lips, Veronica replied, ¡°Shameless.¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Then, she lowered her head to look at her upright chest and mumbled, ¡°Is he blind? How is my body not


    better than Tiffany¡®s?¡± .2


    Just like Tiffany, she had a slim body. However, Tiffany¡®s chest was a size smaller than hers, so they sim


    ply couldn¡®t bepared to each other.


    After rolling her eyes angrily, she also headed inside the tent.


    Matthew was already resting in the tent, so Veronica proceeded toy next to him. Somehow, she always


    felt a strange and ambiguous atmosphere whenever they were together.


    However, there was only one tent with mosquitoes outside, so she felt bad to kick him oui.


    After pulling the tent¡®s zip, Veronicay down before sitting up again to unzip the top of the tent.


    The


    moment she unzipped it, there was a transparent mesh that allowed them to see everything outside clear


    ly.


    She then patted Matthew¡®s shoulder and pointed upward while saying, ¡°Matthew, look at that. The stars i


    n the sky are so beautiful. I¡®ve rarely seen such a beautiful starry sky aftering to Bloomstead.¡±


    Lifting his eyes, Matthew saw the night sky outside through the waterproof mesh. Sure enough, the grou


    p of stars in the sky were dazzling and gorgeous.


    Veronicay down and ced both her hands on her belly while gazing at the sky outside. ¡°This feels gre


    at.¡±


    It had been a long, long time since she enjoyed a moment of leisure amidst the hustle and bustle.


    After admiring the starry sky, she took out her phone and saw that there wasn¡®t any signal. It felt as usele


    ss as holding a brick.


    ¡°There are no signals on the mountain,¡± Matthew exined.


    ¡°Yes, there are no signals at all. I¡¯m bored.¡±


    Since Veronica couldn¡®t use her phone, she kept it aside and stared nkly at the sky to rest.


    Not long after, her belly began to rumble, so


    she finally realized something. ¡°Matthew, I don¡®t think we ate anything for dinner yet.¡±


    She was hungry.


    Then, she saw Matthew pulling out something from the shoulder bag he carried as he handed it to Veroni


    ca. ¡°There are many wild animals on the mountain. We should try to avoid starting a fire that would attrac


    t them.¡±


    Looking at the pile of snacks and cookies that he took out, she pouted her lips and mumbled, ¡°Sigh, ther


    e¡®s nothing else to eat anyway.¡±


    If i weren¡®for the sudden rain today, they wouldn¡®t have needed to camp on the mountain.


    PssssssssSSSSSSSssssch!


    Suddenly, a sound was heard.


    Veronica looked over and saw Matthew holding a beer as he tried to drink it for himself.


    ¡°Matthew, you¡®re so selfish. Why didn¡®t you bring a beer for me?¡±


    She snatched his beer and took a huge gulp.


    When he saw her drinking; Matthew couldn¡®t help but ask, ¡°Do you like to drink beer?¡±


    Veronica wiped the beer stains from the corner of her mouth


    with her sleeves and sighed. ¡°My master loves to drink beer, so I would keep himpany whenever I¡®m


    She has never gotten


    drunk before? The man raised his brow as he remembered that night when she waspletely drunk. W


    ¡°Yup, you¡®re quite good at it.¡± There was a hint of falsity to his perfunctorypliment.


    Even though she wasn¡®t as good as him, she still drank something that


    was high in alcohol that day, so it was hard to avoid being drunk no matter how sober she was.


    Also, she drank a lot at one go, so her tolerance was actually¡­ passable.


    After eating something, Veronica switched off her shlight andy in the tent to sleep.


    Not long after, Matthew also followed suit and the two of them stared at the starry night together with diffe


    Suddenly, Veronica asked, ¡°Matthew, if the Larsons decide to kill me one day, will you¡­ help them?¡±


    He was dumbfounded by her sudden question as he didn¡®t expect her to ask


    something straighi from the bottom of her heart.


    Instead of answering, he asked, ¡°Why would they want to kill you?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± She knew that her existence would threaten


    the Larson Family, but even if she exined all of that to Matthew, he still wouldn¡®t understand. Therefore


    In the dark, Matthew fell into silence and inclined his head to look at the woman next to him without saying


    that you can promise me this. You can count this as a gentleman¡®s agreement between us, okay?¡±

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    In this world, there were some things that did not have a rewind button once initiated.


    It did not matter whether it was the Larsons who had provoked them first or if it was her own overestimati


    on of herself that led her to retaliate, for it was already toote


    for her to back out.


    Her only worry now was her foster parents.


    Failing to understand Veronica¡®s thoughts, Matthew only figured from his own point of view that Veronica¡®


    s only use for the Larsons now was as a bone marrow donor for Randy.


    ¡°I won¡®t let you die.¡°.


    The words came out of the man¡®s mouth after a long period of silence.


    Hearing his words, she was dazed for a short while before smiling. ¡°You really treat Grandma well.¡±


    What a filial grandson he was, she thought. Just because she knew how to humor and keep Old Mrs. Kin


    gspany, he would ensure that she would stay alive.


    Even though Old Mrs. Kings was already at a ripe age, it would still be a long time before she could cele


    brate her centennial birthday, but she could still aplish a lot during this period.


    Both of them continued to remain inside the tent.


    Although they were in an area with slight shelter from the wind, the billowing wind could still be clearly


    heard as it mmed into the tent mercilessly, making it shake since they were on the mountain top.


    Since there was nothing to act as a distraction to pass the time, Veronica felt extremely bored as she kep


    t tossing and turning. However, she just could not fall asleep


    The space inside the tent was not gigantic, so Matthew could detect her every movement.


    ¡°Can¡®t sleep?¡±


    The man¡®s genule yet hoarse voice emerged from the dark.


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Veronica had really struggled to fall asleep..


    Ever since from eight o¡®clock to ten o¡®clock and ten o¡®clock to twelve o¡®clock, she had spent every agonizi


    ng second of it tossing and turning around.


    ¡°Did you also head to sleep at around four or five in the morning?¡±


    Seeing as both of them were having trouble sleeping, Matthew then struck up a conversation with her ins


    tead..


    At such a close distance in this cramped space, he could almost smell her body scent.


    It was especially so when they shared the same


    sleeping bag because her hair would sometimes smack his face while emanating the fragrant smell of sh


    ampoo.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No, I used to sleep at around twelve everyday. Then, I would wake


    up at seven or eight.¡± Recounting the previous situation, she then made a simple deduction, ¡°Maybe it w


    as because I used to deliver goods all day long and it was too exhausting for me.¡±


    Even she herself had no idea why she was not having enough sleep nowadays.


    Veronica tried to rest while facing the sky before turning


    to her side to sleep. However, her habit of pressing her legs against something made her curl her legs an


    d it identally whacked Matthew.


    At that moment, the corners of her mouth twitched before she immediately retracted her legs. ¡°Haha¡­ T


    hat was an ident.¡±


    reti


    She was really going to be driven mad by all this.


    It was ufortable for two people to sleep in this small tent.


    ¡°Go ahead and get some rest. I¡®m going outside for a smoke.¡±


    As he stood up, Matthew yanked the zipper open before he left the tent.


    Veronica instantly stretched her limbs and rolled in the tent to rx her muscles, which made her feel mu


    ch better.


    Yet, after all the tossing and turning, she was still not drowsy, so she went out of the


    lentin defiar.


    Although it was a bit cold, the windy weather outside was still rtively refreshing


    In a weather like this, mosquitoes would not be around as the wind would blow them away.


    When she came out, Veronica saw Matthew on top of a stone with a lit cigarette in us hand.


    As she walked over, she took a seat beside him and looked at the stars above. ¡°Whenever that was a po


    wer outage when I was a little girl


    during summer, my mom would fan me as I counted the stars. At that time, the stars were really bright an


    d beautiful. It would be like looking at the Milky Way.¡±


    Suddenly, a thought came to Veronica as she spoke. ¡°Hey, Matthew, did you ever climb trees when you


    were young?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    With a cigarette in his mouth, the man shook his head.


    ¡°Hahaha, you would¡®ve missed out on a lot then.¡±


    Raising her head as she smiled, Veronica subconsciously tapped on his


    shoulders. ¡°Did you know? I used to climb trees, catch fishes and lobsters, and even stole my neighbor¡®s


    watermelon once. In the end, Mom gave me a good beating when she found out. We even had to pay ou


    r neighbor a considerable sum of money, hahaha..¡±


    Since there was nothing better to do, she shared with Matthew all the interesting things about her childho


    od. He had quietly listened while enjoying her stories since he could feel her happy memories.


    As Veronica spoke endlessly, time had flown past at lightning speed until she finally grew tired and dozed


    off on her bent knees, whereupon she plopped on his shoulder.


    Matthew merely allowed her to lean in his embrace as he hugged her while gently ying with her hair.


    His heart fluttered when the cold wind blew on her hair and teased his cheeks.


    Caressing her face with his fingers, the man raised his head to look at the stars. The numerous stars pair


    ed with the big, bright moon made for a quiet and stunning scenery as he immersed himself within it.


    Stretching his legs slightly, he had only wanted for her to be a bit morefortable, but he felt something


    damp on his legs.


    As he reached out to touch it, he discovered that the woman was actually drooling on him.


    Anyone would have felt disgusted by this, but even though Matthew slightly frowned and had a solemn fa


    ce, he couldn¡®t resist fromughing.


    While carrying her, he entered the tent.


    Since the interior of the tent was small, Veronica behaved like an octopus that tightlytched onto him an


    d wouldn¡®t rx her grip throughout the entire night.


    Matthew felt that he had been through a torture session as he endured this feeling all


    the way until morning. ¨C


    The next day, Veronica woke up after a sound sleep.


    When she opened her eyes, he was already nowhere to be seen inside the tent.


    Coming out of the tent, she happened to chance upon Matthew returning from the mountain base.


    Walking up to him, she asked, ¡°Matthew, where did you¡­ Wow, that smells nice. What¡®s that?¡±


    Veronica asked as she pointed at the small portable pot, which looked like those that people used to cook


    ¡°Porridge.¡±


    ¡°Porridge? Where did you even get that from? There¡¯s nobody living near here, no?¡±


    ¡°I could not make a fire here, so I went down to cook it.¡±


    The windy peak meant that a fire would easily break out if he actually cooked the porridge here. That was


    The drooling Veronica looked with envy as she asked while greedily eyeing the porridge, ¡°About that¡­ Ca


    Her actions matched her usual antics.


    If there was something she needed, it was only then that she would call him ¡®brother


    ¡°If you behave well enough, I might just consider sharing some with you.¡±


    Looking at her, Matthew said softly.


    Nodding profusely, Veronica replied, ¡°Of course, of course. This can be arranged. Come, brother, you mus


    After she led him to the rock where they both sat on while stargazing yesterday, she went behind him to m


    I mean, brother, you¡®re so impressive. Your bag is like Doraemon¡®s pouch; there¡®s everything inside there.


    Matthew had been rapidly ascending the mountain yesterday even though he had carried a ck backpac


    Who knew that it actually contained everything?


    Although she was only doing this for food, Matthew nheless enjoyed her services.


    He took out a spoon from his short ck pants before giving it to her. ¡°Time to eat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    After taking the spoon, Veronica sat beside him and was going to scoop some porridge for herself.


    However, before her hand could reach the pot of seafood porridge, Matthew pped the back of her hand


    teeth?¡±


    ¡°What? How could I do that when


    I don¡®t have any ess to water up here? Don¡®t tell me you want me to brush my teeth at the base and th


    If it really was going to be such a hassle, then she would rather not eat.


    ¡°I have water and a disposable toothbrush in my bag.¡±

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95


    ¡°Oh, you have them? Okay, wait for me here then. I¡®ll go and brush my teeth now, so do


    not eat before I¡®m done, you hear me?¡±


    Entering the tent, Veronica found a tube of toothpaste, a toothbrush and a bottle of water.


    She had all of


    these things too, but the water in her box was only for one day, which she had already finished drinking


    yesterday.


    Who could have predicted that they would be trapped on top of the mountain due to the torrential rain?


    After rapidly brushing her teeth, she returned to her seat


    beside Matthew. She had only discovered the fact that there were two spoons but only one pot when sh


    e was about to dig in. ¡°How about


    you eat it first? You have mysophobia, so you might not want to eat after I¡®m done.¡±


    Veronica, who had some semnce of self¨C


    awareness, knew that Matthew had worked hard to cook the porridge at the mountain base before brin


    ging it up.


    If she ate the dish first, it would be unfair to him.


    ¡°Seems like you still have some conscience left in you.¡±


    Matthew¡®s handsome face had a slight smile as the wind blew on his bangs, which only served to


    entuate his charm and handsomeness.


    Holding his spoon, he only ate a few mouthfuls before saying, ¡°It doesn¡®t taste that good, so you should


    have all of it.¡±


    Then, he handed the pot to Veronica.


    Looking at the pot that was half filled with porridge, she frowned. ¡°Is it really that bad?¡±


    Scooping a mouthful, she gave it a taste andmented, ¡°It tastes quite okay, actually. It tastes just lik


    e the one that I have been eating at home these few days. I think¡­¡± A dazed Veronica suddenly looked


    at Matthew. ¡°Does this mean that all the porridge was cooked by you?¡±


    Although she also knew how to cook, even she had to admit that the porridge she had


    been eating these few days tasted delicious.


    Even today¡®s morning bowl of porridge was extremely vorful.


    Veronica knew that Matthew had brought some ingredients, but she did not expect that he actually coul


    d cook since all the breakfast at home was not prepared by him.


    She remembered that he would sometimes have an American Breakfast, but there would still be a bowl


    of porridge for her.


    ¡°Why are you treating me so nicely?¡± Tilting her head, she observed Matthew from head to toe with jud


    gmental eyes. ¡°Is it because you have impure thoughts about me?¡±


    The word ¡®ungrateful¡® wicked and ruthless truly suited Veronica.


    However, in her eyes, no one in this would help others out of sheer kindness since they always wanted


    something in return.


    ncing at her coldly, the man entered the tent without saying anything more.


    Seeing him keep his silence made Veronica feel a bit guilty. Is he mad at me?


    She obediently used the remaining water while brushing her teeth to wash the pot after she had finishe


    d the breakfast made from blood and sweat. Only did


    she the tent to pack the pot into a stic bag before cing it into Matthew¡®s bag.


    Seeing the man silently asleep on his side, she closed in on him as shey behind


    his back while tapping on his shoulders. ¡°Hey, don¡®t be so petty. I was just joking with


    you.¡±


    ¡°You can continue ahead. I¡®m going to sleep for a while.¡±


    Matthewzily replied with closed eyes.


    ¡°How could I do that? We¡®re war buddies now. That means that we advance and retreat together.¡±


    Shaking her head, Veronica rejected his suggestion. ¡°Hey, Matthew, I¡®m talking to you. Can you hear m


    e?¡±


    ¡°You¡®re not even asleep, so why are you ignoring me?¡±


    ¡°Let¡®s go. Stop sleeping. We¡®re here for public welfare and not to sleep, so quickly get


    up.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Matthew Kings, if you don¡®t wake up at this instant, I¡®ll bite you!¡±


    After persuading him for a long while, Matthew did not respond to her.


    A frustrated Veronica, who thought that he was really asleep, summoned the coura to press his nostrils


    together.


    She thought, I¡®ll see whether you still can pretend to sleep after suffocating to death.


    Since she was on his nose, Matthew simply used his mouth to breathe.


    In retaliation, she reached out with her right hand to block his mouth, wondering how long he could mai


    ntain this for.


    As the seconds ticked away, there was still no response from him when suddenly, he turned around an


    d bumped his shoulders into Veronica, who was not supporting her own body


    weight, making her fall onto his body and hugging him subconsciously.


    They had ended up in a very suggestive position.


    She looked at him, while he looked back at her.


    The mood inside the cramped space was a bit awkward yet ambiguous as they gazed at each other.


    Matthew, who had both his nose and mouth covered by the woman¡®s slightly cold hands, was in a myst


    eriously good mood as she pranked him.


    This made all the women who surrounded him seem hypocritical as they behaved like princesses and a


    ll felt fake to him.


    However, Veronica, who was not only yful and adorable, had a genuine character, which made him


    enjoy the time that he spent with her very much.


    It is... rxing


    Holding her by the waist, he raised his ck eyebrow. ¡°What are you doing by serving yourself with suc


    h eagerness, hmm?¡±


    That ¡®hmm¡® at the end made him sound just that more charming.


    How could he be so charismatic?


    ¡°How about I serve you a course of a*s¨C


    kicking? I was talking to you the whole time Were you deaf or what?¡±


    After speaking to him for almost half a day, Veronica¡®s patience was already at its limits since it was repl


    She even contemted choking him right there and then.


    pping Matthew¡®s shoulders, she


    said angrily, ¡°Get up. Get up. I do not want to camp out on the mountain again tonight.¡±


    After saying that, she started to pack the stuff.


    Now that he felt better, Matthew also proceeded to pack everything before continuing up the mountain.


    Finally, they arrived at Almeida Country before noon.


    Although it was considered a county, it was nowhere near as bustling as a normal county,


    With only a few residents, their homes were built using either wood, stones or concrete while their roofto


    looking tiles. Their residences all looked extremely shabby andcking.


    The ce where they stood was Essen Vige.


    There were no shops or markets to speak of in the vige, as they all lived with a self sustaining manner


    The vigers all had shabby and


    simple clothes with a lot of signs that indicated holes had been patched up.


    The appearance of those people made the kids surround and circle them.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    As she did not understand the local dialect, Veronica only knew that the kids who had mud all over their


    ¡°Matthew, didn¡®t you bring a lot of goodies in your bags? Give it to them to eat.


    Even though the children had messy hair and muddy faces, their adorable looks and bright gazes made


    cing Mauhew¡®s bag down, she took out the snacks and gave it out to them. ¡°Hey, little cuties, these a


    The moment Veronica took out the snacks, the children immediately surrounded her with sparkling eyes


    Standing at the side, Matthew looked at Veronica happily giving out the snacks and had an indescribable

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96


    ¡°Hello, I¡®m Titus Peel, the Dawnpol Vige¡®s chief¡®s son. My father is a bit busy at the inoment, so I¡®m


    here to greet you on his behalf.¡±


    When Matthew was still absent¨Cmindedly looking at Veronica, a dark¨Cskinned,nky and radiant man


    walked toward them to introduce himself.


    Titus, who looked to be just a bit over his twenties, spoke standard English as he go. off an honest and


    kind aura.


    Reaching for a friendly handshake, Matthew also responded in kind. ¡°I¡®m Matthew. Matthew Kings.¡±


    11


    After Veronica had finished distributing the snacks, the children all skipped away happily as they were


    reced by the vigers starting to gather around them.


    ¡°Hello, I¡®m Veronica Murphy.¡±


    She walked to Titus and shook his hand.


    ¡°Wee to Dawnpol Vige.¡±


    The honest Titus smiled while greeting her.


    ¡°I¡®m here as a representative of the Konig Company. There¡®s more stuff for the kids that will soon arrive,¡±


    she exined.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you. I sincerely thank you on behalf of my vige. Come, I¡®ve prepared lunch at home.


    You two shoulde over and we¡®ll have lunch together,¡± he stated to the both of them.


    As the onlooking vigers did not possess much fluency in thenguage, they all silently stood by the


    side. Although they did not converse with Veronica and Matthew, each viger still had a warm smile on


    their faces.


    After that, Veronica and Matthew followed Titus to where his home was.


    On the way there, Titus passionately introduced the ongoings of the vige so that the two of them could


    better understand the situation of the vige.


    When she arrived at Titus¡® home, Veronica saw Quincy and Matthew¡®s two¡­ bodyguards?


    Veronica wasn¡®t fully sure about the two men¡®s identity, yet judging from their fit and muscr bodies,


    she knew that they weren¡®t ordinary people.


    Tinus¡® home and the vige were both located at the base of the mountain. Even though his family was


    the richest in Dawnpol Vige, they only had five mud brick houses with all of their roofs lined with green


    tiles. Behind their house was a huge bamboo forest while a pond was situated at the front of the


    entrance.


    As one stood at the entrance and heard the sounds from the rooster, dogs and the water flowing beside,


    they would feel like they had traveled to an unknown piece of paradise as the stunning scenery and


    gentle weather greeted them.


    If it were not for the fact that a few great mountains had blocked the way from here to the outside world,


    it was possible for the ce to be developed into a tourist attraction.


    As they entered Titus¡® home, they all sat and started to chat. It wasn¡®t before long that the vige chief


    returned.


    He was also a dark¨Cskinned man and had a forehead full of wrinkles. Although he wasn¡®t a very tall


    person, he was also slightly hunched. His attire consisted of a thin sleeveless white vest, baggy ck


    pants and a pair of flip¨Cflops made from grass while a dark blue towel was wrapped around his head as


    he held a smoking pipe in his hand.


    ¡°Wee to my house. I¡®m sorry for the dy as I had something to deal with earlier.¡±


    Although the chief¡®s English wasn¡®t extremely fluent since it was mixed with the local dialect, one could


    still guess what he was trying to get across.


    After greeting the chief, they all sat down and began to eat.


    The lunch was very extravagant as the chief had prepared a goose and chicken for them.


    After lunch, he said, ¡°Veronica, you can stay in my home as you are a girl. I have a spacious room with a


    door, so I hope it¡®ll be much more convenient for you. As for the men, they can make do with the houses


    of my neighbors, Mrs. Ritz and Mr. Dune.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you chief. We¡®ll follow with your arrangements.¡±


    Veronica felt extremely grateful.


    Taking her luggage with her, she entered her allocated room.


    The room came with only a small window, which meant that it was dimly lit. However, she had to admit


    that the room was indeed tidy and clean.


    After cing her belongings on the floor, she saw Matthew standing by the door as soon as she turned


    around. It looked like he was mysteriously looking at her.


    ¡°What, are you jealous? Don¡®t tell me you¡®re even going to fight over a room with me?¡±


    ncing at him, she smirked. ¡°Let¡®s go and see your room then.¡±


    After saying that, she dragged Matthew out with her.


    Together with Titus, they all went over to Mrs. Ritz¡®s home, which had three rooms one being a bedroom,


    another the main hall, and the final one, a kitchen.


    The passionate Mrs. Ritz weed them. ¡°Hahaha, quicklye in. I¡®ve already tidied all the rooms for


    you. So, you just need to stay here.¡±


    Often in a vige, the main hall was often the living room while the house itself was the bedroom.


    LIE


    A perplexed Quincy asked, ¡°If we¡®re staying in the house, where will you be staying?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s fine. We¡®ve already set up a bed in the cow shed. We¡®ll be sleeping there tonight,¡± Mrs. Ritz replied.


    Her answer caused them to be speechless.


    They had originally wanted to reject this proposal, but due to the vigers¡® sheer insistence, they had no


    choice to go along with it.


    After they had a short siesta, another group of people came in the afternoon.


    It was only after asking around that Veronica discovered that it was the Crawfords who had arrived¨C


    namely Xavier¡®s father and sister, Hendric and Melissa.


    ¡°Hey, I heard from Titus that nobody has ever visited Dawnpol Vige before. So, why are there so many


    people here all of a sudden?¡± Veronica asked while tugging on Melissa¡®s arm.


    Matthew stared at her coldly before replying, ¡°I don¡®t know.¡±


    After saying that, he turned and was preparing to walk away.


    His sudden mood swing confounded Veronica to no end, so she chased after him and blocked his way.


    ¡°Are you mental? Why are you angry for no reason again? When did I exactly offend you?¡±


    Stopping in his stride, the man had a cold look on his handsome face. ¡°I told you to stay away from


    Xavier Crawford. Are you treating my words as water off a duck¡®s back?¡±


    This answer made Veronica realize why he was angry at her.


    It was all because her current workce, Konig Company, was owned by Xavier, which was the reason


    why Matthew was exasperated.


    She instantly grew livid. ¡°You¡®re only my godbrother, not my mom! First off, you didn¡®t birth me. Secondly,


    you didn¡®t raise me. Thirdly, we¡®re not even romantically involved, so why should I follow everything you


    say?¡±


    Veronica snorted before shooting a cold gaze at him and stomping angrily. ¡°What a control freak!¡±


    Then, she swerved past him and left.


    In the afternoon, the number of people swarming into Dawnpol Vige grew as a few reporters even


    showed up.


    Although there was no signal here, the news could still be broadcasted after they left the vige.


    The donation items that were in the cars stationed out to the mountain had been transported bit by bit to


    the vige. Not to mention, the enthusiastic vigers had also joined the team to help to transport the


    items over to the vige.


    Veronica finally found out that the charity event this time was apparently organized by the government,


    who requested every corporation in Bloomstead toe to Almeida and contribute something.


    It just so happened that the Crawfords were arranged to visit Dawnpol Vige, which was why Xavier¡®s


    company had dispatched some of their workers over.


    The afternoon was filled with people busying themselves transporting the goods and Veronica was in the


    midst of it too.


    This continued unulien au night.


    The exhausted Veronica had returned to the vige chief¡®s home only to discover someone sleeping on


    her bed after she had switched on the lights in her room.


    ¡°I just switched off the lights. Who in the name¡­ Veronica?¡±


    The woman in pajamas sat up and stared angrily at Veronica.


    Then, Veronica discovered that the person in question was actually Xavier¡®s sister, Melissa.


    ¡°Why are you sleeping here?¡± Veronica asked.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°With no ce left in the vige to sleep, the chief said that I can.crash in the room with you, saying that I


    am a VIP.¡± After that, Melissa justy back down to continue to sleep.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    Since the chief had already said so, Veronica could only ept the fact calmly.


    After all, this was not the city where they had plenty of choices to choose from.


    She took out her towel and body wash from her luggage and proceeded to head out to the pond by the e


    ntrance with a shlight. Sitting on the stone used for washing clothes, Veronica dipped her foot in the


    cool water before swinging her legs, making the water ssh about.


    Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit.


    The sound of the frogs croaking paired with the grasshoppers chirping made for a rxing scene.


    Suddenly, small balls of green light appeared in the dark, to which Veronica looked at dazily.


    When she was young, fireflies were amon sight. However, now that she was an adult, she rarely sa


    w them again, so she didn¡®t expect such arge number of them here.


    Ssh.


    Veronica jumped into the pond and took a satisfying bath since there was nobody around in the dead of


    night. ¨C


    The pond at


    the entrance was deep with cobblestones underneath while its water all came from the mountain.


    After swimming for a while, she took a bath as she


    sat on the washing stone with soaked clothes before washing her hair. Basking in the night wind, she felt


    a tad bit cold yet she wasn¡®t drowsy at all and didn¡®t want to sleep either.


    Crack.


    The sound caused Veronica to turn her head behind as she saw a man lighting a cigarette. From the dim


    light illuminated by the lighter, she recognized at once that the man was Matthew.


    ¡°When did you arrive?¡±


    Was he actually peeping on her when she was taking a bath?


    Although she was wearing activewear that consisted of a pair of shorts and a T¨C


    shirt, she didn¡®t identally reveal anything. Rather, it was because he already knew that she was there


    and still chose to linger around.


    What a shameless man.


    Matthew leaned against a tree as he silently took a puff from his cigarette; the sight of his cigarette beco


    ming dark before lighting up again made it seem like there was a glowing red firefly there.


    Matthew¡®s silence merely notified Veronica that he was annoyed about her scolding him earlier in the day


    .


    However, she didn¡®t care enough to coax him; she merely stood up to return to her


    room,


    After shutting the door, she changed into another set of clothes andy on the bed.


    An insomniac Melissa saw her lying


    down and closed in to ask, ¡°So, you¡®re my brother¡®s girlfriend. I heard from Dad that you intentionally ma


    de yourself look ugly. What was that all about? Was it because you looked like Tiffany¡®s doppelganger?¡±


    The Larsons, who had exposed Veronica¡®s identity, repeatedly imed multiple times in front of the medi


    a that they were going to bring her back to the Larson Residence as one of them.


    So, it wasn¡®t strange that the Crawfords knew about her identity.


    Acting like a gossipy middle¨Caged woman, Melissa continued to ask enigmatically, ¡°Why


    did the Larson Family abandon you back then? Was there something wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t know whether my body is ill or not, but what I do know is that something¡®s wrong with


    your brain!¡± Veronica retorted angrily as she raised her head.


    ¡°Wow, Roni. You¡®re so fierce.¡±


    Now that she was resting face down on the bed, Melissa swung her legs and propped her face up with h


    er hands to look at Veronica. ¡°No wonder my brother likes you so much. I fancy your personality too, but I


    prefer Matthew. Hey, I also heard that you have saved Old Mrs. Kings before. She wants to recognize yo


    u as her god granddaughter, is that right?¡±


    The seldom happenings in the upper echelon would often spread like wildfire.


    ¡°Why are you asking something that you know the answer to?¡±


    Veronica wasn¡®t really in the mood to humor Melissa.


    ¡°So, it¡®s real?¡±


    The moment she heard


    Veronica¡®s words, Melissa tugged on her elbows and probed, ¡°That¡®s great news! Can you tell me more a


    bout Matthew?¡±


    A blunt Veronica replied, ¡°You¡®re not paying, so why should I?¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Oh, money. That I have. Hehe, I don¡®t have much in life except money.¡± Then, Melissa pulled her mobile


    out and continued, ¡°I¡®ll add you on Whatsapp then and transfer the money to you. Oh right, there¡®s no sig


    nal here. Wait for a short while, please.¡±


    As if she was mumbling to herself, she took a bag by the corner of the bedside and handed a wad of cas


    h to Veronica after digging through it. ¡°Here, this is for you. So, can you now tell me the things that I want


    to know about Matthew?¡±


    The cash in question all came in new notes and wrapped with a white paper strip.


    Staring at the character printed on the note, a baffled Veronica asked, ¡°Why did you bring so much cash t


    o Almeida County?¡±


    ¡°I heard that there would be no signal here and we can only use cash here. So, I brought a hundred thou


    sand in cash with me.¡± Melissa breathed in deeply in the midst of her exnation. ¡°If I had known that thi


    s god¨C


    forsaken ce would not even have a supermarket, I would not have brought it along. It nearly killed me,


    carrying all that money.¡±


    All the words that she mumbled were heard by Veronica, whose eyes sparkled upon realizing that a deal


    could be made.


    Melissa suddenly looked extra pleasant in Veronica¡®s eyes. ¡°Everything¡®s up for negotiation, actually. This


    includes me telling you all about him. Heck, I could even arrange a date with him for you, if you so wish.


    The only problem is¡­¡±


    Veronica trailed off as she reached out to rub her thumb and index finger together.


    The gesture was basically self¨Cexnatory.


    ¡°Really? Can you really set up a date for me and Matthew?¡±


    Melissa¡®s eyes glimmered brightly upon hearing this.


    ¡°Of course I can.¡±


    Thumping her chest, Veronica looked extremely confident.


    Apart from other matters, it was a piece of cake for her to ask Matthew out.


    Thinking of this, Veronica was suddenly reminded of something, ¡°Didn¡®t you know that


    Matthew is already engaged to Tiffany?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, so what? Even married couples can divorce, so them being engaged is not an obstacle for me.¡± A


    Veronica, who raised her right eyebrow; had the glimmer of stars in her eyes. ¡°Deal. So, what do you wan


    She then picks up the note of ten thousand before folding it in a ny degree angle before her fingernails


    Reality was hinting at her that there was more to be profited from this encounter.


    ¡°Tell me about Matthew and Tiffany then,¡± Melissa requested as shey beside Veronica.


    ¡°There¡®s nothing to talk about her. How about you increase the price and I¡®ll help to arrange a meeting bet


    Veronica was thinking about how best she could profit from this.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡®s a good n too. If you can help me arrange a date with Matthew, I¡®ll give you¡­¡±


    Melissa then proceeded to produce twenty thousand from the wads of cash


    she had in her hand. ¡°Here¡®s another twenty thousand, so help me arrange a meeting with him.¡±


    ¡°Are you giving me thirty thousand in one shot?¡±


    ¡°Is that not enough? I can add on another twenty thousand.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m¡­ Hahaba, it¡®s enough.¡±


    A wealthy friend was always a good friend, so Veronica had decided to befriend the naive and innocent M


    ¡°Oh my God, Veronica, you¡®re too nice!¡± An excited Melissa hugged her with twinkling eyes. ¡°I love you so


    ¡ª¡°.


    ¡°Stop. Stop. Stop!¡±


    Veronica was someone who never felt guilty about the barrage ofpliments, but she now had a migrain


    wait here.¡±

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98


    As she had only fancied Melissa¡®s ability to give money, she instantly surrendered to Melissa.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Haha, Veronica, you really are too kind.¡±


    Melissa tilted her head and made a heart shape with her fingers at Veronica¡®s direction.


    Such a gesture had caused Veronica to feel queasy as it only gave her goosebumps.


    After wearing her shoes, she then took a shlight with her before heading to the house next door. She i


    mmediately went to Matthew¡®s bedroom after opening the front door. Knocking on the door, she asked, ¡°


    Matthew?¡±


    Because the vigers had mingled with each other well, they didn¡®t close the front door on ount of the


    swarm of outsiders who arrived for the sake of convenience. As such, Veronica merely allowed herself in


    .


    No reply came from the other end.


    After waiting for a while, Veronica was going to call for Matthew again when the bedroom door opened.


    Matthew stood in front of her in the dark and asked coldly, ¡°What?¡±


    His cold tone had a hint of distance to it.


    It was like he still held a grudge about what happened earlier that day.


    Veronica thought that he


    must have been a super petty person in his past life, which exined why he easily became angry.


    ¡°About that¡­ Um¡­ I¡®ve something urgent to talk to you about. Could youe with me?¡±


    Lowering her voice, she had said it in such a tone that only both of them could hear


    1. it.


    After a short period of silence, the man agreed and followed her outside.


    After walking to the courtyard outside, Matthew stopped and turned around to look


    at Veronica. ¡°So, what is it?¡±


    Although it was at the dead of night, the moon cast its bright light to the ground and illuminated everythin


    g in a thin veil, barely allowing them to make out each other¡®s silhouette.


    Suddenly, Veronica held onto her stomach. ¡°Ahhh, my tummy. Ouch, it hurts¡­¡±


    She subconsciously grabbed onto Matthew¡®s arms while whining softly.


    Matthew, who had a cold and distant look earlier, immediately asked in worry after seeing her in dif


    ort, ¡°What¡®s wrong? Did you get food poisoning?¡±


    ¡°N¨CNO¡­¡±


    Pretending to be in pain, she even squeezed out the words in agony.


    ¡°Then¡­ What is it?¡± a caring Matthew asked.


    Veronica whined, ¡°I just¡­¡°.


    ¡°You just what?¡±


    ¡°I just need to poop, so wait right here for a bit.¡±


    After saying that, Veronica hastily ran off.


    At that moment, her words were still swimming in Matthew¡®s mind as he thought that the woman was too


    brash to say those kinds of things..


    If I¡®m being honest... She should change this habit of hers. Otherwise, how can she be epted into the


    Kings Family? Be epted into the Kings Family?


    As he frowned, he suddenly had an image of her wearing a bridal gown on their wedding night while she


    smiled sweetly at him.


    ¡°What are you thinking of?¡±


    As he pinched his eyebrows, Matthew then rubbed his temples, feeling as if he had been possessed earli


    er.


    It was obvious that she would only be epted into the Kings Residence as his grandmother¡®s god¨C


    granddaughter¨Cnothing more, nothing less.


    He waited for a while at the pond under the moonlight as he took out a cigarette to take a puff


    It was not until the tip of a cigarette had been fully lit that the sound of footsteps was heard.


    As he turned back, Matthew looked at the shadow standing from a few meters away since he could not


    make out who it was. ¡°So, how are you feeling now?¡±


    Thinking of how Veronica was


    in so much hurry when she said those words, he thought that she must have been in a great deal of pain,


    which was why he had asked with concern.


    The woman didn¡®t reply and merely stopped when she arrived in front of him.


    Although it was only for an instant, the breeze carried with it a strange scent along with the scent of the fl


    ora and fauna with it


    Peering coldly, Matthew asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¨CIt¡®s me, Melissa.¡±


    After ¡®a thorough preparation, Melissa had intentionally sprayed perfume beforeing over, hoping that


    Matthew would be charmed into looking directly at her.


    Only God knew how exciting she felt to see her dream guy standing in front of her at that moment. She h


    ad butterflies in her stomach and it took her a long while before she calmed down.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Where¡®s Veronica?¡°||


    If it hadn¡®t been for Veronica, Matthew would have already left as soon as this woman appeared.


    ¡°Veronica, she¡­ wanted me to tell you to wait a bit longer as her tummy is still aching.¡±


    When Veronica returned to the room, she had reminded Melissa multiple times to say those exact words


    to Matthew, so that he would stay there for a little longer.


    It was only through this method that Melissa could be alone with him for some time.


    Veronica had to painstakinglye up with such a n just to earn Melissa¡®s money.


    The premise was that Matthew could not suspect anything strange about all this. Otherwise, their deal thi


    s time would only end in failure.


    ¡°Okay then, you can leave now.¡±


    Taking out another cigarette, Matthew lit it before taking yet another puff.


    Melissa, who had walked to his left side, coincidentally smelled the light tobo scent that blew past her


    face.


    Smelling the hint of tobo, she found it harder to suppress the ecstasy inside her.


    In her memory, this was her first time being so close to Matthew after all these years.


    Just standing beside him was enough to make her woozy as she could feel his pheromones in the air.


    ¡°M¨CMatthew, you love Tiffany very much, right?¡°:


    Not wanting to leave, Melissa tried to start a conversation.


    After she spoke, it felt like her question had been blown away by the wind as Matthew did not show any in


    Not giving up, shemented, ¡°Veronica looks exactly like Tiffany, but you chose to be engaged to thette


    This was something that she really wanted to know.


    Holding the cigarette in his hand, Matthew stopped to look at the stars.


    Although Melissa was Xavier¡®s sister, for someone who never once contacted him, she was suddenly ask


    Turning his gaze to the direction of the chief¡®s house, Matthew reflected on how


    Veronica said that she had something to say to him before mysteriously having a stomach ache. Don¡®t tell


    Thinking of this, the man had a slight smirk on his face. ¡°It¡®s just an engagement,¡± he said bluntly.


    Hearing this made Melissa¡®s eyes light up. ¡°It¡®s just an engagement? Does that mean that things can chan


    Things can ofien change.¡±


    It was only four words that were emotionlessly said, but Melissa still treated it as if it were the gospel from


    This kind of confidently arrogant and godlike man made Melissa love him from her core.


    Melissa¡®s ecstasy came from the fact that she had sessfully met her idol.


    ¡°Does that mean that you might not be marrying Tiffany in the future?¡±


    Her question made Matthew fall into silence again.


    From his standpoint, he had clearly given the answer just now.


    However, Matthew had failed to notice that barring the answer, his words contained a lot of information wi


    Il


    In that


    split second, he knew that he was expecting something, yet he did not know exactly what it was that he ex


    ¡°Oh, I understand.¡±

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    Melissa was excited beyond belief by what she had heard and had no words to describe her feelings.


    ¡°Oh, wow. Matthew, look at the shooting star. Quickly wish for something. I¡®ve heard that wishes made un


    der a shooting star oftene true.¡±


    When she saw the shooting star across the picturesque night sky, she jumped with glee as she ced h


    er hands together. As she tilted her head upward, she started to wish with closed eyes. Shooting star, ple


    ase make it so that I¡®ll be Matthew¡®s wife in the future!


    Standing by her side, Matthew suddenly thought that Melissa resembled Veronica¡®s brash yet innocent a


    nd naive personality. The woman wasn¡®t as annoying as he thought he would be.


    ¡°Why hasn¡®t shee out yet?¡±


    After standing there for a while, Matthew began to question Veronica¡®s whereabouts as he looked around


    .


    boot


    ¡°What? Oh, about that¡­ Please wait here, I¡®ll go and call her.¡±


    Being able to spend a bit of time with Matthew had already left Melissa feeling like she was lucky. Beside


    s being ted, she was extremely nervous to the point where she did not know what else to say.


    So, she turned around and fled the scene.


    As she


    jogged to her room, she opened the door to the sight of Veronica counting the money with a serious expr


    ession.


    ¡°Oh my God, Veronica, you¡®re the best.¡±


    When Melissa hugged Veronica, she had pushed the person onto the bed and happily gave her a peck. ¡°


    Veronica, you¡®re so smart. I¡®m ted right now. Here¡­¡±


    She happily took out another wad of cash and pushed it into Veronica¡®s hands. ¡°This is for you. Just treat


    it as the bonus for our first sessful cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Yikes, this is kind of disgusting. There¡®s saliva¡­ Hahaha, really?¡±


    After pushing Melissa aside, the disgusted Veronica wiped the saliva on her cheek with her sleeves as s


    he saw the wad of cash being thrusted into her hands.


    Stopping for a moment, she then grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Melissa, you¡®re a good friend. Just like your br


    other, you both are so likable.¡±


    No wonder they were siblings since they were both so likable.


    This was especially so when it came to Melissa¡®s willingness to simply give out money, which made Vero


    nica extremely ecstatic.


    ¡°Of course, if my bro likes you, I¡®ll naturally like you too. Now that you also like me, we¡®ll be good friends f


    rom now on!¡±


    Melissa was still immersed in the blissful situation as she happily sat on the bed.


    After a while, she finally remembered Matthew¡®s words and said to Veronica, ¡°You should quickly head o


    ut. Matthew¡®s waiting for you. He¡¯ll know something¡®s up if we wait any longer.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    When she realized that fact, Veronica immediately kept the forty thousand in her bag.


    Before leaving, she did not forget to remind Melissa, ¡°Only me, you and God knows where the money is.


    So, if it¡®s gone by the time I¡®m back, I¡®ll have you reimburse me.¡±


    If these words were said by another person, Melissa would have been absolutely livid.


    However, because she was in a good mood, she simply replied, ¡°Don¡®t worry, I¡®ll look after it for you. If it r


    eally goes missing, I¡®ll pay you again.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, this is why I like you.¡±


    Winking at her, Veronica then ran outside to the courtyard.


    Although everything was pitch ck in the courtyard, Veronica


    still managed to recognize Matthew standing under a tree at once.


    If she did not know beforehand that it was a person, it would have been a bit scary considering the fact th


    at they were on a mountain at the dead of the night.


    Hopping over, she asked, ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    ¡°I was waiting for you.¡±


    Hearing Veronica¡®s voice made Matthew turn his head around to answer her.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Reflecting on her reminder to Melissa not to let anything slip, she also needed to do the same; otherwise,


    she would be burning her own bridge.


    ¡°Didn¡®t you say that you have something to talk about just now?¡±


    Putting his hands in the pocket of his pants, Matthew stared at her through the darkness.


    Veronica rubbed her head as she thought of the best method to answer his question. ¡°I just wanted to¡­¡±


    Raising her head, she saw the bright and round moon, so she continued, ¡°I just wanted to look at the mo


    on. Yeah, let¡®s look at the moon together.¡±


    Looking at the moon, pfft.


    Back when she was growing up in the vige, the


    thing that she did the most was gaze with her foster parents at the moon and stars.


    While raising his head, Matthew looked at the bright moon. ¡°Yeah, the moon tonight does look extra roun


    d.¡±


    ¡°See, I¡®m right, aren¡®t I?¡±


    After mirroring his action, Veronica also raised her gaze and looked at the moon.


    In the end, she knew that this would be another sleepless night for her, so she said to him, ¡°Why don¡®t yo


    u bring some chairs over? Aren¡®t you tired of looking at the moon while standing?¡±


    As the ground of the vige was all full of mud, they had no ce to sit.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    After hesitating for a while, the man went back to bring some chairs over.


    Looking at his back, Veronica felt


    a bit perplexed as she thought, What is happening? He¡®s acting a bit weird today. Why is he so obedient


    all of a sudden?


    She stood at the entrance in boredom while listening to the croaking frogs. After a


    shori while, Matthew reappeared with two additional chairs in his hands.


    Sitting together side by side, they looked at the moon while enjoying the silence of the night.


    To them, tonight would be a long night.


    Since they were in a vige, there were bound to be mosquitoes. That was why the vige chief had n


    ted nts that repelled mosquitoes at the vige entrance to lessen the insects¡® overall presence there.


    The two of them just sat there in the silence.


    Veronica was still over the moon about Melissa giving her forty thousand in cash.


    Seeing Veronica not saying anything, Matthew then asked, ¡°Why are you quiet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± A confused Veronica replied, ¡°What did you say?¡± :


    ¡°What exactly happened between you and Tiffany?¡± ;


    He finally asked the question that he had been dying to know.


    ¡°Nothing much.¡±


    She did not want to and did not know how to answer him.


    After all, the things that happened with Tiffany were not something that could be easily exined.


    The feud between her and the Larsons was a fact that Veronica would not even mention to Matthew.


    It was because in her eyes, he and Tiffany were in cahoots.


    Being an outsider herself, she knew how to maintain her guard around him at all times.


    ¡°I just don¡®t like her,¡± Veronica replied nonsensically.


    ¡°That¡®s all?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s all.¡±


    ¡°That was not what you said when we were stranded on the mountain at that time,¡± Matthew retorted.


    Thinking back, Veronica remembered saying that Tiffany had sworn to kill her.


    Now that she thought about it, she must have been out of her mind to have said that in front of him withou


    so stupid!


    Veronica had magnified the tiny bit of kindness that Matthew showed her to infinity and even went as far a


    ¡°Yeah, I was worried about that. Didn¡®t I tell you before that the Larsons were after my bone marrow to tre


    might kill me over it. If that happens, what can I do then?¡±


    She was speaking out of her a*s with a straight face.


    Matthew, who was as intelligent as he looked, knew instantly that Veronica was lying. Yet, he did not choo


    The two of them fell silent again.


    After sighing, Veronica said, ¡°I wonder what Mom and Dad are doing now. I kinda miss them now.¡±

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    Matthew didn¡®t answer Veronica. He only felt that what she had said just now was full of holes, not least


    because the Larsons were directly rted to her previous kidnapping. He wasn¡®t interested in this matter


    back then, nor did he want to get to the bottom of it, but now¡­ he really wanted to know what had happe


    ned.


    After a while, Veronica got bored with sitting around, so she returned to the vige chief¡®s home andy d


    own in bed to sleep.


    Melissa was already asleep. She was probably in a good mood; even in her sleep, she seemed very hap


    py with a smile on her face.


    Veronica didn¡®t know how long it took before she finally fell asleep. The next day, however, she was woke


    n up by Melissa. ¡°What did you do with Matthewst night? I waited for you at home for such a long time,


    but you never came back.¡± Sitting cross legged in bed with her chin in her hands, she stared inquisitively


    at Veronica, eager to get the answer from her.


    ¡°We went to watch the moon,¡± Veronica muttered with her eyes closed.


    ¡°What? You watched the moon with Matthew?¡± Melissa cried out involuntarily as bitter jealousy


    surged up within her.


    Veronica¡®s sleep was scared away at once by her shrill cries. Sitting up in


    bed, she red angrily at Melissa, chiding, ¡°Aren¡®t you wasting your breath by saying


    that? You wanted me to help you ask him out, which I did. If I didn¡®t make up an excuse to convince him t


    hat I really had something to talk to him about, how am I supposed to ask him out again in the future?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡®re right. Uh, in that case¡­ Why does he indulge your every whim? My brother and the others s


    aid he¡®s indifferent, cruel, and merciless, but I can¡®t help feeling that he¡®s treating you very differently.¡± Me


    lissa spoke her mind right away without reservation.


    ¡°Why do you think he¡®s nice to me? Because his grandmother likes me and because I¡®ll


    be his sister in the future, that¡®s why.¡± Veronica prodded Melissa¡®s forehead hard with her finger. Then, co


    rrecting thetter, she said, ¡°Also, you¡®re really blind. Which eye of yours sees him indulging my every wh


    im?¡±


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts¡­¡± Melissa massaged her forehead, which ached from being prodded. She muttered,


    ¡°The way I see it, he¡®s very nice to you.¡±


    ¡°Go visit an ophthalmologist if something¡®s wrong with your eyes!¡± Having gone


    to bedtest night, Veronica was vexed when she saw it was only about five in the morning. After thro


    wing back her quilt, she got out of bed and walked out.


    The vige chief and his family were preparing breakfast in the kitchen.


    Veronica went over and greeted them one by


    one before washing up. After straightening herself up, she noticed that it was still early, so she walked ou


    t of the yard.


    Irran instant, what came into sight was the cloud¨C


    shrouded sky. The pond¡®s surface was covered with mist, whereas the flowers and nts on the roadsid


    e were wet with beads of glittering dew. In the gentle breeze, dewdrops rolled down the leaves and fell in


    to the soil. With singing birds, sweet¨C


    smelling flowers, and the wispy mist, the beautiful country scene looked just like a fairnd.


    Enjoying the


    scenery very much, Veronica strolled around the vige in slippers to experience a different early mornin


    g.


    After heading all the way southward from the vige chief¡®s home, she arrived at the rice field at the sout


    hern end of the vige, where an ancient millstone still existed. Just when she felt curious about it, a limp


    ing man dressed in shabby clothes with a mask on his face walked past her with the aid of a stick.


    Drawn to the man¡®s entric way of dressing, Veronica looked sidelong at the stooping masked man, w


    ho was also looking at her. His copper mask covered his forehead down to his mouth, revealing only a p


    air of eyes so that no one could tell what he really looked like.


    ¡°Good morning, mister¡­ Aaah!¡±


    Just when Veronica was staring at the masked man, Melissa suddenly turned up and greeted the maske


    d man cordially, only to be taken aback the instant he withdrew his gaze and turned to look at her. The m


    an¡®s frosty eyes seemed imperturbable, but they gave an eerie feeling, as though he was hiding many thi


    ngs.


    Frightened, Melissa ran to Veronica¡®s side and tugged at her, not daring to speak for a long time. It wasn¡®


    t until the stooping man hobbled out of their sight with the aid of his stick that she beat her chest with a si


    gh of relief. ¡°Oh, God! I was scared to death. Why is there such a man in Dawnpol Vige?¡±


    Shooting a cold nce at her, Veronica asked, ¡°Why are you following me?¡±


    Being honest and frank by nature, Melissa replied right away, ¡°Hehe, I just thought I


    might be able to run into my Prince Charming if I follow you around. And besides, didn¡®t you say you¡®d as


    k him out once more for free if I hired you to do so for me? You haven¡®t done it yet.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡®t find it in herself to loathe such an honest and frankdy when she saw how innocent a


    nd simple¨Cminded she was. ¡°Just be patient. I¡®ll try my best to arrange it.¡±


    The twodies then strolled around the vige before returning to the vige chief¡®s home for breakfast.


    In the morning, they went up the mountain again and started carrying the goods, getting busy for the who


    le day. Since Dawnpol Vige was the outermost vige from the mountain, everything had to be moved t


    o the vige first before being transferred to other viges.


    There were a lot of goods, so it took three full days to finish moving all


    of them. As a result, Veronica was exhausted. Seeing how hardworking and capable she was, Melissa h


    eaped praise on her. Furthermore, she attentively wiped Veronica¡®s sweat away and handed her drinking


    water in a groveling manner.


    When Hendric saw this again and again, he was really pissed off. Angrily, he red at Melissa, saying, ¡°


    Why have I never seen you being so nice to me? I¡®m your father!¡± Consumed with jealousy, he detested


    Veronica even more. He couldn¡®t help thinking that this woman wasn¡®t as simple as she seemed. Not onl


    y was Xavier very nice to her, but Melissa liked her as well.


    Melissa curled her lips at him. She replied, ¡°Dad, Veronica¡®s my bestie now. Since she¡®s nice to me, I hav


    e to be nice to her too, of course.¡±


    Hendric felt so hot that he kept fanning himself with a fan while wiping the sweat off his forehead with his s


    ¡°I¡®m not saying that you aren¡®t nice to me, but my rtionship with you is definitely different from my rtio


    Hendric¡®s anger subsided a lot at the sight of this


    move. The next instant, however, he saw Melissa take another bottle of mineral water and walk toward Ve


    Veronica had resisted Melissa¡®s excessive attentiveness at first, but she got used to it after a few days.


    At the sight of the scene, Hendric turned green with envy, but he could do nothing about it.


    Veronica was sitting in the chair for a rest when Melissa sat down beside her and asked, ¡°Veronica¨C


    uh, no, Roni¡ªwhen will you help me ask my Prince Charming out again? I miss him so much.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Veronica, who was drinking, immediately spat out all the water in her mouth and


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Melissa patted Veronica on the back before wiping thetter¡®s mouth with a towel. S


    After several coughs, Veronica felt somewhat better. Only then did she say, ¡°Why would you miss him? Yo


    ¡°Well, that¡®s because=¡±


    ¡°Get your butt over here at once, Melissa!¡± Hendric was infuriated when he saw Melissa, whom he had alw


    and waiting on Veronica attentively.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, Dad, you¡®re so annoying! Why interfere when I¡®m chatting with my bestie? Hmph!¡±

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101


    Melissa stamped her foot in anger. Just as she was flying into a rage, she suddenly saw Matthew walkin


    g toward Veronica. Her eyes lit up, and she brightened up instantly.


    Dressed in ck casual clothes, Matthew was wearing a ck sports headband on his forehead, which


    made him look appealingly younger and more handsome while lending him the athletic air of a basketball


    yer on the basketball court. However, Veronica knew


    that he was only wearing a sports headband to keep the sweat on his forehead from dripping into his eye


    s and affecting his work. After all, he couldn¡®t free up his hand to wipe his sweat away while moving thing


    s up and down the mountain all the time.


    Walking up to Veronica, Matthew¡®spread his hand and held out to her what he was holding. ¡°Here, this is


    for you.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    9


    ¡°What is it?¡± Veronica asked, before noticing the bright red raspberries in Matthew¡®s palm. These were a


    kind of red fruit that grew on the ridges between fields in rural areas, and they tasted great with a sweet a


    nd sour vor, ¡°Where did you get them? I love these!¡± Delighted at the sight


    of raspberries, she took them from Matthew and stuffed a few into her mouth right away. ¡°They taste just


    right; they¡®re sweet and sour. Thanks,¡± she said, thanking Matthew while tasting the raspberries.


    When she looked up, she saw Melissa looking at the raspberries greedily with eager eyes. She gave her


    a few raspberries, saying, ¡°Try them. They taste great.¡±


    ¡°Sure! Thanks, Roni.¡± Melissa took a few raspberries and tasted them before nodding vigorously. ¡°Gosh!


    They taste so good! Thank you so much, Matthew.¡±


    Veronica was rendered speechless. Damn it, I¡®m the one who gave them to you, okay?


    Matthew took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. Then, he began smoking the cigarette while standing


    aside.


    It was now afternoon, and those who had been busy all morning were sitting at the vige¡®s entrance for


    a rest. Leaning against a tree, Matthew put one hand in his trouser pocket while holding his cigarette with


    another. With his right leg slightly bent, he put his foot on the tree trunk to support himself. Even when h


    e was just


    standing there, his casual andid¨Cback posture


    gave the impression of a handsome and energetic young hunk that would sweep anyone off their feet.


    Melissa


    was totally taken with Matthew. While Veronica was talking to him, she took out her cell phone and


    secretly photographed the scene.


    ¡°We¡®ve finished moving all the stuff here. What we¡®ve got to do next is to distribute things to the people in


    the viges nearby and learn about their situation while we¡®re at it,¡± Mathew said. ¡°We


    still need to get busy for the next few days.¡±


    ¡°I heard that many of the vigers don¡®t let their kids attend school because the school is far away and th


    ey can¡®t afford their schooling. Do we need to persuade them otherwise too?¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± Matthew replied.


    ¡°Sigh, life isn¡®t easy,¡± Veronicamented..


    Veronica had time to rest in the afternoon after she finished moving things. However, she was constantly


    pestered by Melissa, who kept badgering


    her to help her ask Matthew out on a date. Just when she was at the end of her rope, Melissa used her ¡°


    superpowers¡± again, saying, ¡°Here, I¡®m paying you another 10,000. Just ask my Prince Charming out for


    me. If you get it done, I¡®ll pay you another 10,000.¡±


    With the ¡°superpowers,¡± Veronica¡®s eyes lit up, and her spirits rose at once. ¡°Haha! Sure, no problem! Sin


    ce you¡®re so generous to me, I¡®ll give you the opportunity to watch the sunset with him. What do you think


    ?¡±


    ¡°What? Really?¡± Overwhelmed with excitement, Melissa flung her arms around Veronica. ¡°You really are


    my bestie! I love you so much!¡± she said while trying to kiss Veronica on the cheek again.


    Veronica shoved her away, though. ¡°Ugh, get off me! That¡®s disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Melissa was amused by Veronica¡®s response.


    Veronica said, ¡°I¡®ll be going up the mountain at the end of the vige first. You tell Matthewter that I¡®ve


    gone up the mountain to look for raspberries and watch the sunset. Tell him that I couldn¡®t find that kind o


    f wild fruit and ask him to help me look for them.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Melissa nodded vigorously.


    Veronica rested for a while before going up the mountain at about five in the afternoon. She walked alon


    e from the foot of the mountain to the top, picking all


    the raspberries she could see by the side of the road. As she went up the mountain, she hummed a little


    tune.


    Sitting on the top of the mountain, she enjoyed the breeze while looking down at Dawnpol Vige. From


    a distance, she saw Matthew and Melissa at the vige¡®s


    entrance


    as they headed her way. Matthew was dressed in ck sportswear, whereas Melissa was wearing light b


    lue casual clothes. Even though Veronica couldn¡®t make out their faces from a distance, she was able to i


    dentify them based on their clothes.


    Just when she was gazing at the foot of the mountain, a voice suddenly sounded nearby. ¡°Ouch¡­¡±


    Veronica turned to look at where the voice hade from, only to find


    that it was the masked man she had seen at the rice field on the southern end of the vige a few


    days ago. She had asked the vigers about him, and they said he was the son of Henry, one of the vi


    gers. He had been working outside the vige before this, but he came back half a month ago after gettin


    g injured and disfigured in a car ident.


    To her surprise, she didn¡®t notice it when this man walked with a stick at such a close distance from her.


    In an instant, something flickered across Veronica¡®s mind. However, she couldn¡®t bear to see a disabled


    man fall, so she ran up to him and helped him up right away. ¡°Are you alright? Let me help you up.¡°.


    The masked man grabbed Veronica¡®s wrist while picking himself up with great difficulty. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said


    in an unusually deep and hoarse voice that gave a sense of old age.


    ¡°You¡®re wee.¡± Veronica smiled, ¡°Why did youe up the mountain? Here. Would you like to try thes


    At the sight of the raspberries in Veronica¡®s hand, the masked man was stunned for a moment. He seeme


    Thinking that he was shy of taking the raspberries, Veronica took his hand to shove the


    raspberries into his hand. However, the masked man happened to take a sidelong nce in Matthew and


    ¡°These are very delicious. They¡®re sweet,¡± Veronica said as she was about to put the raspberries in the m


    Just then, however, the mysterious man suddenly retracted his hand. ¡°I don¡®t like these,¡± he said. With tha


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute! I¡¯ll go down the mountain with you.¡± Veronica noticed that Matthew and Melissa were


    Melissa, of course, so she decided to go down the mountain with the masked man.


    The masked man didn¡®t answer her.


    Matthew and Melissa were going up the mountain from the south, whereas Veronica


    and the mysterious man were going down the mountain from the north, so the two parties happened to m


    Seeing how the man had difficulty walking, Veronica stepped forward and took his arm right away, helping


    The masked man darted a look at Veronica, saying, ¡°But I¡®m dirty.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡®m dirty too.¡± Veronica didn¡®t mind these at all. Then, she said, ¡°Since you h


    The masked man fell silent at her words. After a long time, he said, ¡°You¡®re very kind

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    Veronica let out a chuckle. ¡°No, not really. Helping those in need is one of us Destorians¡® traditional virtue


    s, no?¡± she replied with a smile.


    The two walked down the mountain for a while. As they walked on a very steep path, the masked man sli


    pped and fell to the ground with a cry of pain. ¡°Ouch!¡±


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Veronica saw the masked man lying on the ground with the steep mountain slope behind hi


    m. If he fell down the slope, he wouldn¡®t die, but he would definitely be seriously injured. Immediately, sh


    e rushed to him and grabbed his foot in a tight grasp. ¡°Don¡®t worry! I¡®ve got you.¡±


    She yanked the masked man toward herself with all her strength, only to realize that the man was very h


    eavy despite hisnky figure. However, she didn¡®t think much about it at the dangerous moment. After dr


    agging him a few steps back, she sat down beside him and reached for his neck to support him. ¡°Come o


    n, get up.¡± Since the man had difficulty walking, it was difficult for him to pick himself up after the fall. Hav


    ing no alternative, she could only prop up his upper body to help him to his feet.


    ¡°Uh, thanks.¡± The masked man took the opportunity to wrap his arm around Veronica¡®s neck.


    Veronica helped him up with all her strength. ¡°You¡®re quite heavy despite your skinny build, eh?¡±


    As she was preupied with helping the masked man up, she didn¡®t notice the flicker in the man¡®s deep


    eyes behind his mask. At this very moment, a sharp dagger suddenly appeared in the hand he was wrap


    ping around her neck, and it gleamed coldly under the setting sun. The dagger was aimed right at Veroni


    ca¡®s neck, and a stab would be all it took to kill her.


    However, before the man could strike, Veronica suddenly cried out, ¡°Watch out!¡± Then, she shoved him a


    way at once.


    At the critical moment, the masked man swiftly put his


    dagger away at lightning speed and fell onto the slope, whereas Veronica gasped in pain. ¡°Hiss...¡±


    Lying on the ground, the masked man watched Veronica gasp as she mped a hand over her wrist, whi


    ch now had two bleeding holes.


    ¡°You¡­¡± The masked man fell silent without finishing his sentence. If


    Veronica hadn¡®t shoved him away just now, he would¡®ve been the one who got bitten.


    Oh no! Its a smakebite! Sh*t! Don¡®t tell me I¡®m gonna f*cking dic here!¡± Terrified, Veronica look oil her


    headband at once, wrapping it again and again around her wrist unul she could no longer stretch it befor


    e letting go. Everything had happened so suddenly that she dared not rx even


    the slightest bit. Immediately, she sucked on the wound, drawing out the venom and spitting it out to the


    ground. However, after


    sucking on the wound several times consecutively, she didn¡®t manage to draw much venom out of it. She


    looked back at the masked man, saying, ¡°I¡®ve got to go down the mountain first. Otherwise, I might die if


    I can¡®t find a knife to treat the wound.¡± Then, without waiting for the man¡®s answer, she quickly headed do


    wn the mountain


    The masked man¡®s hands clenched into fists by his sides as he watched Veronica from behind. After hesi


    tating for a few seconds, he asked, ¡°You need a knife? I¡®ve got one.¡±


    Veronica paused. ¡°You have a knife?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Wild animals often roam in the mountains, so it¡®s safer to bring a knife with you,¡± he said while ha


    nding the dagger in his hand to Veronica.


    Veronica took the gleaming dagger from him. ¡°Thanks! What a nice coincidence.¡± Without saying another


    word, she made a cross¨Cshaped cut in the wound on her wrist right away.


    The dagger was razor¨C


    sharp, so it easily made a cut when she gently slid it across her wrist. However, the cut was so painful th


    at she clenched her teeth hard, her hands trembling. Luckily, it was the outer side of her wrist that got wo


    unded. If it were the inner side of her wrist¡ªwhich was close to the artery¡ª


    that got wounded, she would probably be beyond help.


    Since Veronica got bitten by a venomous snake, she made a deep cross¨C


    shaped cut, which hurt so much that she slumped down to the ground right away. In an instant, blood gu


    shed from the cut and trickled slowly down the back of her hand before dripping to


    the ground. Before long, the ground around her was stained red with blood.


    Seeing how Veronica had treated the snakebite, the masked man instantly felt that she wasn¡®t as simple


    as she seemed. ¡°How did you learn to treat your wound in such a way?¡±


    ¡°I¡®ve seen somebody treating a snakebite in such a way after getting bitten,¡± Veronica said to the masked


    man while struggling to endure the pain. Then, she returned the dagger to him. ¡°Good thing you brought


    a knife with you. Otherwise, I might die here today.¡±


    Veronic wounded right hand kept bleeding, and


    as it trembled unstoppally, her Corsousness gradually slipped away as well. After a liule while, she ck


    ed out and copsed.


    Seeing her lying beside him, the masked man clutched the dagger in his hand for a long time without ma


    king any move.


    The slightly cool evening breeze blew away the smell of blood before him.


    Thest rays of the setting sun spilled onto the earth, tinting it with a shade of orange as¡®smoke spiraled


    upward from the chimneys of the houses at the foot of the mountain. Everything looked as picturesque a


    s an oil painting until the sun went down in the west and darkness fell.


    Matthew and Melissa went down the mountain after they didn¡®t get to meet Veronica at the mountain top.


    Matthew looked as miserable as sin after being tricked. After going down the mountain, he returned hom


    e right away without looking for Veronica. However, after he finished having dinner, Melissa turned up, sa


    ying, ¡°M¨CMatthew¡­ Veronica seems to have gone missing.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Matthew, who was standing at the door to enjoy the evening breeze, felt a tightn


    ¡°I¨C


    I don¡®t know about that.¡± Melissa dared not tell Matthew the truth. She could only reply, ¡°She¡®d gone up the


    Could something have happened to her?¡± At this moment, she was panicking and at a loss for what to do.


    ridden for the rest of her life.


    Matthew had thought Veronica was pranking


    him at the time, and he was even somewhat peeved because of that. Right now, however, he sensed that


    the shlight and went up the mountain with the few people in his house to search for Veronica.


    The mountain opposite the vige wasn¡®trge, but


    it wasn¡®t small either. The men didn¡®t manage to find Veronica after searching for two full hours. In the end


    When Veronica was found, she was lying unconscious on the ground. The wound on her wrist had stoppe


    broken headband and a pool of blood beside her.


    Sciag Veronica¡®s pale face and blue lips, Matthew immediately pui out his hand to. Cumine her wound. ¡°D


    Quincy, who came with Veronica to Almeida County back then, was also shocked when he saw how pale


    Okay, I¡®ll go find him at once.¡± He went down the mountain first, whereas Matthew carried Veronica on his


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    After reaching the foot of the mountain, Matthew carried Veronica to her bedroom.


    Melissa turned pale with fright when she saw Veronica unconscious with her face as pale as death. ¡°W¨C


    W¨CWhat happened to her?¡± Terror¨Cstricken, she pped her hand to her mouth.


    One of the vigers muttered, ¡°She probably got bitten by a snake. Oh, dear. This is quite scary.¡±


    ¡°Bitten by a snake, you say?¡± Feelings of guilt instantly welled up in Melissa¡®s heart as she felt very sorry t

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    li was 8:00AM the next day when Veronica regained consciousness. Besides Melissa, Maithew was also


    in the room; the two had kept watch over her the entire night.


    Veronica came round and opened her eyes, only to feel a little weak all over.


    Seeing that she had regained consciousness, Melissa cried out, ¡°Veronica! You¡®re awake atst!¡±


    Matthew immediately stood up, walked


    over, and put a hand on Veronica¡®s forehead. Seeing that her fever had gone down, he asked, ¡°How are


    you feeling?¡±


    ¡°How did I get back here?¡± Veronica asked subconsciously, before raising her wounded hand as her wrist


    hurt.


    ¡°You didn¡®te back even by midnight, so Matthew went searching for you with his men.¡± Melissa sat n


    ext to Veronica, her eyes red with hurt. ¡°Luckily, you¡®re alright. Otherwise, I¡®d feel very sorry toward you.¡±


    Born in a wealthy and distinguished family, Melissa was usually arrogant and domineering. However, she


    was


    crazy about Matthew, and Veronica, who was on friendly terms with him, could help her date him, so she


    liked Veronica very much as


    well. Despite her domineering disposition, beneath that mboyant exterior, she was a kind-


    hearted person.


    When Veronica recalled the masked man yesterday, her eyes darkened. ¡°Did he bring me back?¡±


    ¡°Was there anything wrong?¡± Matthew sensed that something was amiss. He asked, ¡°Who treated your


    wound?¡±


    ¡°Me. I did it myself,¡± Veronica replied.


    Matthew didn¡®t ask any further questions. He always brought a dagger with him when he went up the mo


    untain, so he assumed that Veronica had done


    the same while going up the mountainst night. It was just that she copsed near the steep mountain s


    lope, so he thought she might have dropped her dagger down the mountain by ident.


    ¡°d to hear that you¡®re alright.¡± Matthew¡®s heart was finally put at rest when he saw that Veronica was fi


    ne. He said, ¡°Just rest well for the next few days. You don¡®t have to take part in the rest of the work.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Having lost quite an amount of blood, Veronica felt somewhat weak, and she didn¡®t feel like


    moving either.


    The vige chief made a chicken stew to nourish Veronica¡®s health. In the afternoon, the warmhearted vil


    lagers came to visit her, bringing things like eggs, fish, chickens, ducks, and geese with them. After all, th


    ese were the only things people had in rural areas.


    Deeply moved by the vigers¡® simplicity and enthusiasm,


    Veronica felt very d. She rested for two days, during which time Melissa followed her around


    and attended to her more eagerly than before, which she enjoyed very much.


    That day, when she was fishing for crayfish by the pond near the doorway, she chanced upon the maske


    d man again. Seeing the masked man walking past the other side of the pond with his stick, she yelled, ¡°


    Hey, you! Stop right there!¡± Laying aside the stick she was using to fish for crayfish, she stood up and trot


    ted to the other side of the pond. Then, she walked up toOwned by N?velDrama.Org.


    the masked man and questioned, ¡°Why did you leave me on the mountain that day? I saved you!¡± She w


    as really pissed off. To think that my kindness was reciprocated with ingratitude! Just what f*cking kind of


    a person is he?


    Supporting himself with his stick, the masked man stooped without looking at Veronica. He merely rolled


    up his sleeve and pointed at the bruises and grazes on his arm. ¡°I¨C


    I fell down the slope while hurrying down the mountain to get somebody to save you that day.¡±


    Veronica looked at the bruises on the masked man¡®s right arm. Then, seeing him rolling up his left sleeve


    to reveal the bruises on his left arm, she decided to believe his story. ¡°Alright. I thought you had ungratef


    ully run away.¡± She finally cast aside the displeasure that had been building up inside her over the past fe


    w days. Then, she said to the man, ¡°Let¡®s go and fish for some crayfish. We¡®re gonna have spicy crayfish


    this evening.¡±


    From what the vigers had told her about the masked man¡®s family, Veronica learned that he was less t


    han 30 years old. Since he was still young, he was supposed to be inclined to have fun, so she thought o


    f doing some crayfish fishing with him and having spicy crayfish for dinner.


    With Veronica¡®s injured arm, she couldn¡®t do heavy work. On the other hand, Melissa was a wealthy heire


    ss who only came to Almeida for the sake of formality, so there was no way she could do any work. With


    plenty of free time on their hands and nothing else to do, the two passed the time fishing for crayfish by t


    he pond. After all, life was dull without the inte or TV.


    ¡°No, I¡®ll pass,¡± the masked man refused right away.


    However, Veronica was somewhat moved when she saw that he had tumbled down the mountain slope i


    n order to save her that day. She said peremptorily, ¡°Aw,e on let¡®s go! I¡®m not good at crayfish fishing


    , so I only managed to catch less than half a bucketful of them after a whole afternoon. Many hands mak


    e light work, no?¡±


    Crayfish was a popr hot¨C


    selling food item in the city. In the mountains, however, the simple vigers mainly raised crops and work


    ed in fields, so they weren¡®t interested in crayfish at all. Because of that, there was an overabundance of


    crayfish in the pond near the doorway and in the vige fields, making it very easy for them to fish for cra


    yfish.


    Seeing that Melissa and Veronica were having a great time, the masked man fished for crayfish by the p


    ond without saying a word.


    After Veronica lost consciousness that evening, he sat down beside her with the dagger in his hand alrea


    dy aimed at her neck. However, recalling how thedy had gotten poisoned in order to save him, he put


    his dagger away and went down the mountain in the end. One¡®s life or death was predestined, so she co


    uld only rely on her luck. s, she survived!


    In the evening, the masked man left before Matthew came. Veronica repeatedly pleaded with him to stay,


    but to no avail.


    After Matthew came back with Quincy and the few others, they


    began prepping the crayfish and peeling garlic to make crayfish with garlic. Cooked using the earthen sto


    ve in the rural vige, the crayfish tasted extraordinarily toothsome and delicious.


    After dinner, Veronica, who felt


    completely stuffed, took a stroll in the vige, while Matthew and Melissa followed her closely.


    A few more dayster, a construction team of about 30 people and a team in charge of installing the signa


    The construction team was sent here by the Bloomstead Public Welfare Foundation to select a site


    for the construction of a school that the foundation had raised money to build. On the other hand, the team


    line telephones, televisions, and cell phones for the vigers.


    Unfortunately, the weather wasn¡®t cooperating. Just as the construction team was about to start constructi


    The downpour hadn¡®t stopped since the afternoon. Although Dawnpol Vige stood on slightly higher terra


    Standing at the vige¡®s entrance, Veronica and Matthew watched as the river swelled near the vige¡®s e


    was the farmers in the viges who helped maintain the school building. The school was a simple tile¨C


    roofed building, and its roof leaked everywhere whenever it rained, making the kids unable to study with p


    ¡°Things will get better when the new school building ispleted,¡± Matthew replied.


    Veronica


    suggested, ¡°Let¡®s go to the school to take a look. We¡®ve donated lots of books to the school these days, so


    ¡°Okay.¡± Murmuring a reply, Matthew turned around to head for the school with Veronica.


    ¡°Give me a minute. I¡®m going back to get something,¡± Veronica said to him before going to the vige chie


    After waiting for a while, Matthew saw Veronicaing back with her backpack. The more time he spent


    many remarkable traits about her that were drawing him to her. ¡°This is for you.¡± He walked over to her sid


    Veronica couldn¡®t see what was in Matthew¡®s hand since she was merely holding it. She asked, ¡°Don¡®t tell

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    Raspberries were known


    scientifically as Rubus idaeus, but Veronica referred to them by theirmon name lest Matthew


    didn¡®t understand what she was referring to. ¡°Is food all you have in mind?¡±


    The two were each holding an umbre. As Matthew stared at her, the raindrops that fell between them fr


    om the umbres looked like a thin curtain of rain that lent a beautiful touch to everything.


    ¡°It¡®s not something to eat? Tsk, who knows what you¡®re giving me? I can¡®t read your mind, after all,¡± Vero


    nica said. She felt that Matthew was deliberately keeping her in suspense, but she nheless took wha


    t he handed to her, only to find that it was an exquisitely made small box. She lowered her head to take a


    sniff at it, and it had a faint yet pleasant herbal scent,


    Matthew said, ¡°This is an ointment that I asked an old traditional medicine practitioner in the neighboring


    vige to prepare. It speeds up


    the healing of wounds and removes scars.¡± Women were rtively particr


    about their appearance and disliked having scars left on their bodies, so Matthew went to a traditional m


    edicine practitioner to ask for the ointment.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk.¡± Veronica clicked her tongue while opening the box. Seeing the creamy white ointment insi


    de the box that was giving off a refreshing scent, she couldn¡®t help but ridicule, ¡°Are you trying to be nice


    to me? I¡®ll take it then.¡± She closed the little disc¨C


    shaped box and put it into her pocket before looking up at him. ¡°Just spill it. What¡®s the favor you¡®d like to


    ask of me?¡± Matthew can¡®t be so attentive as to give me an ointment for no apparent


    reason. He¡®s definitely up to something.


    Matthew was having a faint smile on his good¨C


    looking face just a moment ago. The next instant, however, his expression turned somewhat chilly, and h


    e gave off piercingly chilly vibes, as though he was covered with frost from head to toe. After darting a sid


    elong nce at Veronica with chilly eyes, he went past her right away.


    Veronica couldn¡®t help feeling perplexed as she stood where she was while watching the man walk on in


    the mud. ¡°This is baffling. Why is he angry all of a sudden?¡± Is it because I didn¡®t thank him? She hurriedl


    y caught up to him as they headed for the school together.


    It took the pair an hour to get to the school by foot due to the rtively long journey. The heavy rain patte


    red down asrge raindrops


    sttered down onto the earth with a loud pattering sound, but the sound couldn¡®t drown out the voices o


    f the kids reading aloud in school. The kids were reading aloud, as though they were entirely


    oblivious to their surroundings with their minds focused on their studies.


    The simple school building was made of mud bricks, whereas its roof was covered with uiles. As rainwat


    er dripped from the eaves, a man in a blue raincoat climbed up thedder onto the roof


    to fix the roof and prevent it from leaking.


    ¡°I also went to this kind of school when


    I was little.¡± Veronica stood in the rain. As she looked at the scene before her, she felt like she was being


    taken back to her childhood.


    Matthew, on the other hand, was born into a wealthy family. Even


    in childhood, he would never have experienced what it was


    like to have the roof leaking in his ssroom all of a sudden while he was attending sses.


    In order not to disturb the kids while they were in ss, the pair merely nced at them from a distance.


    Then, they went to the newly vacated library in the school.


    As they had expected, the library¡®s roof was leaking badly. Some of the donated books were yet to be un


    packed, whereas some were already unpacked, and there were a dozen books that had been drenched i


    n rain. Veronica couldn¡®t find anything to collect the rainwater, so she had no choice but to stand in front


    of the bookshelf with her umbre to protect the books from the rain.


    There were four sses in the school. The first¨Cgraders and the second¨C


    graders were attending sses together, whereas there was a ss for the third¨C


    graders, the fourth graders, and the fifth¨C


    graders, respectively. However, there were only two teachers. In such a difficult environment, the two tea


    chers gave a lot for the mere 40 to 50 students of the school. At the thought of this, Veronica was deeply


    touched.


    After a long time, the rain finally stopped, and the sky cleared up. The man in the raincoat rearranged the


    tiles on the leaking roof. After everything was fine, he trotted up to Veronica and Matthew while panting f


    or breath with an affable smile. ¡°Sorry, I was fixing the roof just now because of the heavy rain.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s okay, Mr. Pearson. We came here to take a look because we had nothing else to do. Anyway, it¡®s rea


    lly admirable of you and your wife to stay here in


    the mountains to teach the kids,¡± Veronica praised sincerely.


    ¡°Haha! We¡®re used to it already. These kids are the future of our nation, so it¡®ll be a shame if nobody care


    s about them,¡± Mr. Pearson replied while taking off his raincoat. Then, he hurriedly poured


    Veronica and Matthew some drinking water.


    ¡°No, we¡®re good. You don¡®t have to do this.¡± Veronica quickly stepped forward and stopped Mr. Pearson.


    Then, she took off her backpack, took 40,000 in cash out of it,


    and handed the money to the dark¨C


    skinned and skinny teacher. ¡°What was given to te school earlier was donated to you guys by ourpa


    ny, whereas this is a token of my regard. Please keep it and use it as living expenses for you and your wi


    fe. The kids will only do better when you two are doing better.¡± Veronica had met Mr. ¨C


    Pearson and his wife aftering to Dawnpol Vige. They were an incredibly kind hearted couple who


    taught students without expecting


    anything in return, which was something that countless people were unable to do.


    When Matthew saw the scene from the sidelines, his obsidian¨C


    like eyes flickered with surprise. He had always thought of Veronica as a woman who cared for nothing b


    ut money, but he never thought she would give away 40,000 to Mr. Pearson and


    his wife at one go, especially because to the best of his knowledge, Veronica was not only hard up but al


    so penniless.


    Mr. Pearson refused the money, saying, ¡°No, no, no, you don¡®t have to. You¡®ve given us a lot, so you reall


    y don¡®t have to give us the money.¡±


    However, Veronica shoved the 40,000 into his hand in an upromising manner. ¡°Just take it. It¡®s a tok


    en of my regard for you and the kids, so please don¡®t refuse it.¡± With that, she took Matthew¡®s hand and r


    an away for fear that Mr. Pearson might give the money back to her again if she were a littlete.


    The two¡®s trouser legs were stained with yellow mud as they ran in the mud, but Veronica was in a very g


    ood mood. Standing on the hill, she sniffed the fresh air after the rain before catching a glimpse of a rain


    bow at the other end of the hill. ¡°Look, Matthew! It¡®s a rainbow! It¡®s so beautiful. Come


    on, Matthew,e and take a picture of me. Oh, forget it. Let¡®s take a picture together as a memento of


    our first time doing charity.¡±


    Matthew didn¡®t refuse her. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He came to Veronica¡®s side, whereas Veronica took out her cell phone and held it up, only to find that the


    Matthew¡®s distinctly outlined face showed a hint of helplessness. ¡°Are you ming me for your short statu


    ¡°In that case, can¡®t you squat down a little?¡±


    Matthew was rendered speechless. With his personality, he should¡®ve ignored her unreasonable quibbling


    beside her while bending his knees slightly.


    Veronica held her cell phone up high and turned on the selfie mode. After looking at


    Matthew and herself in the frame, she said to him, ¡°Squat a little lower.¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Matthew didn¡®t say a word in response, though he obediently squatted down a little lower


    Veronica wrapped her arm around his shoulder as they posed for an


    intimate photo together. At the click of the shutter, the photo captured them standing before the hillside wit


    looking and well¨Cmatched, too, making the photo even more beautiful.


    ¡°Nice! It looks pretty good. But Matthew, what¡®s the matter with that look on your face?¡± Veronica stared at

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    Veronica disliked the photo very much and wanted to delete it. The next moment, however, Matthew snat


    ched her phone out of her hand. ¡°Never mind, let me take a photo of you.¡± After taking her phone away, h


    e took a photo of her alone and showed her the photo.


    Veronica nodded in satisfaction, but as she scrolled through the photo album on her phone, she asked, ¡°


    Where¡®s the photo just now?¡±


    Holding the umbre in his hand, the man walked ahead of her and replied with a casual air, ¡°I deleted it.


    ¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. It¡®s fine that you deleted it. It didn¡®t look good, anyway,¡± Veronica muttered, before setting the


    photo Matthew had taken as her phone¡®s lock screen wallpaper.


    That night, the rain poured down heavily, apanied by shes of lightning and ps of thunder.


    Veronicay wide awake in bed until about four or five in the early morning before drifting off to sleep. At


    some point in time, however, she was woken from her dream by Melissa, who shoved her a few times, s


    aying, ¡°Get up, Veronica! Something bad happened. Veronica, get up!¡±


    Veronica asked in a sleepy daze, ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± When she opened her eyes, she saw Melissa loo


    king incredibly worried and anxious.


    Melissa exined, ¡°The rain was too heavy, and it caused a mudslide that took down the school on the h


    illside. The teachers and a few kids who went to school this morning are still there, so some people have


    been gathered in the vige to rescue them. They asked us to tell those in Goon Vige to evacuate.¡± Da


    wnpol Vige was situated between two mountains that were very far apart, so it wouldn¡®t be affected ev


    en if a mudslide urred. On the other hand, Goon Vige was situated close to the foot of the mountain


    . If a mudslide urred, the consequences would be disastrous.


    ¡°A mudslide, you say?¡± Veronica¡®s heart skipped a beat. Startled awake, she sat up in bed at once. ¡°How


    could this have happened?¡±


    Melissa replied, ¡°You¡®re right! I¡®m scared to death. Many of the volunteers who came


    we want to leave, but the rain¡®s too heavy at the moment. Even if they want to leave, dey can¡®t. She was


    anxious as well. After all, she had always lived infort without ever having to do manualbor or fend


    for herself. She only came to Almeida this ume because she got bored with staying in the city and wante


    d to experience life, but she never thought she woulde across a mudslide.


    Getting out of bed at once, Veronica got changed and walked out of the house with Melissa. Standing un


    der the eaves of the doorway, she watched the rain outside, which never seemed to stop as though the s


    ky had cracked open with water pouring into the crack. The sight was worrying. Worried


    about the school, Veronica asked, ¡°What about Matthew and the others? Are they on their way to the sch


    ool already?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡®s hurry to Goon Vige. Something bad¡®s gonna happen if we¡®rete,¡± Veronica said to


    Melissa.


    The twodies walked out of the yard and stepped on the muddy road together. However, neither of the


    m had time to care for their shoes, which became sopping wet in an instant, as they hurried toward Goon


    Vige.


    They hadn¡®t gone far when a voice rang from behind. ¡°Melissa? Melissa! Stop right there, Melissa!¡±


    Upon hearing the voice, the two looked back to see Hendricing their way in a raincoat. Pointing at M


    elissa, he questioned angrily, ¡°What are you doing in such a heavy rain?¡±


    ¡°The vige chief asked Veronica and me to tell the vigers at Goon Vige to evacuate. Are youin


    g with us, Dad?¡±


    Big raindrops were pattering loudly on the umbres in the heavy rain, forcing everyone to shout at the to


    p of their voices so that the other party could hear them.


    ¡°I just knew you¡®re going to Goon


    Vige. It¡®s too dangerous over there. Go back with me!¡± Hendric grabbed Melissa¡®s arm without giving h


    er the opportunity to say no. ¡°It¡®s enough that she goes alone. Go back with me!¡±


    ¡°Let go of me, Dad! I¡®m going with Veronica. It¡®ll be dangerous for her


    to go alone instead!¡± Melissa usually seemed unreliable, but


    she was worried about Veronica and didn¡®t want to let thetter risk her life by going to Goon Vige alon


    e. She argued, ¡°How could you be so selfish, Dad? There are still many people over there. If we¡®rete, t


    hey¡®ll be in great danger.¡± Hendric was worried about Melissa, but Melissa was a kind¨C


    hearted child at heart, so she was, of course, worried about Goon Vige, the


    situation of which was unknown.


    ¡°Whau nonsense are you talking about? You¡®re my only daughter. How am I supposed to exin myself t


    o your mom if anything happens to you? Go back with me!¡± Hendric chastised Melissa angrily while drag


    ging her back without allowing her to protest.


    Melissa kept struggling while looking back at Veronica. She yelled, ¡°Veronica, what are you waiting for?


    Hurry up and lend me a hand!¡±


    ¡°You¡®d better go back with your dad.¡± Veronica shook her head; she wasn¡®t nning to take Melissa to G


    oon Vige. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Melissa was very delicate. If she went to Goon Vige


    with Veronica, she would only be a drag on thetter, which wasn¡®t a good thing. Moreover, Veronica su


    pported what Hendric did very much.


    Holding the umbre, she quickly headed for Goon Vige. Surprisingly, as soon as she reached the vi


    ge¡®s entrance, she saw the masked maning her way with an umbre in his hand. ¡°You¡®re going to G


    oon Vige?¡± he asked her, his back bent.


    ¡°The school on the hillside has been taken down by a mudslide, so the vige chief asked us to hurry up


    and tell those in Goon Vige to evacuate.¡±


    ¡°I¡®ll go with you,¡± the masked man said eagerly.


    At that instant, Veronica frowned slightly. She shook her head in refusal, saying, ¡°You¡®re in poor health, an


    Best if you rest at home. It¡®s more convenient for me to go there alone.¡±


    However, the


    masked man reminded her, saying, ¡°Goon Vige¡®s households are scattered throughout the vige. How


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    His words knocked some sense into Veronica. In the end, she could only say, ¡°In that case, just be carefu


    ¡°Okay.¡± The masked man nodded slightly.


    The two went all the way to Goon Vige while holding their umbres.


    Marsi, Veronica thought the masked man would walk slowly with his stick, but she realized that he could k


    Thunder rumbled as the two headed quickly toward Goon Vige. The rain was pouring down heavily all a


    to cross at a time.


    Veronica hesitated for a moment while looking at the wooden bridge. Then, she looked back at the maske


    that the masked man couldn¡®t hear her.


    With his stick in one hand and his umbre in the other, the masked man watched as river water surged ra


    Seeing that everything was safe and sound when the masked man calmly stepped onto the bridge, Veron

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    When the masked man was about to get across to the other side, Veronica got onto the bridge as well. U


    nexpectedly, no sooner had she walked a few steps than the masked man slipped, reeled, and fell onto t


    he wooden bridge right away. With half of his body submerged in water, he clung tightly


    onto the wooden bridge with both arms as his umbre and stick had been swept away by the flood. ¡°Hel


    p! Help me! Save me..¡± He looked at Veronica for help, waiting for thetter to rescue him.


    The scene was extremely perilous, and the current was swift. If


    Veronica were to act slower, the masked man might even get swept away directly by the flood. Having no


    time to think about anything else, she immediately rushed forward and stretched out her hand to grab hi


    m.


    Ssh! The floodwater pped against the wooden bridge, resulting in loud sshes. The situation was


    dire; the current was so rapid that the masked man almost lost his grip on the wooden bridge.


    Hurriedly, Veronica dashed


    toward the masked man and bent down to grab him. ¡°Hold tight to my hand ande on up!¡± She didn¡®t


    know where this canal led to. No matter where the canal led to, however, she had to save the man right n


    ow.


    Stretching out his hand, the masked man held Veronica¡®s hand tightly, climbing up slowly as she pulled hi


    m up. After struggling for a while, he finally climbed out of the water and barely steadied himself. ¡°Phew, t


    hat was a close call! Thank you so much.¡± His back bent, the man stood in front of Veronica and bowed s


    lightly, thanking her ¡°sincerely.¡±


    Veronica waved her


    hand and let the masked man standing before her get to the other side of the bridge before her. ¡°It¡®s nothi


    ng. Let¡®s go¡­ Ah!¡±


    Unexpectedly, the next instant, she was shoved into the current right away by the masked man!


    Everything happened very suddenly, but it seemed like everything was just as expected. Veronica let out


    a cry of rm, but she stretched out her hand and held onto the masked man at the critical moment. Wit


    h a loud ssh, the two fell into the surging river water and were swept far away by the swift current. Eve


    rything happened so fast that they were already a dozen meters away from the bridge before they could


    even cry for help.


    In the river water, Veronica clung tightly onto the


    masked man. She didn¡®t let go of him no matter how he resisted. Damn it! I misjudged him after all, she t


    hought. She


    knew very well that the man had taken advantage of her kindness, which was why he had purposely pret


    ended to fall into the water in order to shove her


    into the water when she let her guard down after rescuing him. But in any case, if she were to die, she w


    ould never let the masked man get away with it.


    In the surging river, the masked man struggled to shake Veronica off. He wanted to lift his foot and kick h


    er away, but he couldn¡®t exert his strength at all, for all his strength was washed away by the river water.


    With that, the two were swept downstream along with the water current.


    Veronica looked for opportunities to save herself all the way, but the turbulent waters had swept away ev


    erything on the river banks, so there was nothing


    for her to save herself with. Not only was she unable to save herself, but she even had trouble staying ali


    ve at the moment.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± A strong current came and swept Veronica underwater,


    forcing her to swallow a mouthful of water that was as muddy as mud. ¡°Cough... Cough...¡± Exerting all he


    r strength, she raised her head and coughed a few times to relieve her difort.


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    The masked man next to her wasn¡®t much better either. Like her, he was swept underwater and choked o


    n the water from time to time.


    Just when Veronica was looking at the masked man, her eyes darted a little over his shoulder and caugh


    t sight of a thick wooden poleing at them from behind. rmed, she


    immediately let go of the masked man¡®s hand, fearing that the wooden pole would hit her hard and knock


    her unconscious on the spot if she were to react any slower.


    However, one had to say that this was also an opportunity for her to save herself.


    Seeing the thick wooden pole being swept toward them, she swam to the side with all her might. Her mo


    vements seemed effortless, but she almost exerted all her strength in the turbulent water.


    The next instant, the thick wooden polecame at them. Veronica was unable to immediately dodge the wo


    oden pole, which hit her arm and made


    a cut on it. However, she didn¡®t notice the cut at all in such a situation. Instead, she lunged back at the w


    ooden pole right away at lightning speed, clinging onto it tightly. As for the masked man, he sank


    into the water after being hit in the head by the wooden pole.


    Everything happened so fast as though it all happened in an instant.


    Veronica had no time to feel sorry for the masked man, but she realized immediately


    atterward that something was tugging at her ankle in a tight grip, It¡®s the masked man! She wanted to kic


    k that *sshole away, but she couldn¡®t exert her strength at all. All her strength was washed away by the w


    ater current, which obstructed her movements. Consequently, all seemingly simple things were incredibly


    difficult to do in practice.


    Finally, the masked man emerged from the water and clung to the thick wooden pole before him.


    Clinging to the wooden pole, the two kept a distance of less than one meter between them.


    The wooden pole was very buoyant in the water, so Veronica didn¡®t have to worry about being swept und


    erwater. Looking sideways at the masked man, she asked emotionally, ¡°Who the f*ck are you?¡± She was


    emotional not because she was enraged, but because the masked man


    wouldn¡®t be able to hear her at all if she kept her voice low.


    The river was surging, and the sound of the surging water was deafening.


    The masked man merely nced at Veronica without responding to her.


    Seeing that he didn¡®t say a word, Veronica didn¡®t speak as well. She remained silent while conserving her


    stamina.


    The river grew wider as the water carried them downstream. Veronica didn¡®t know what was ahead of the


    m, but she knew one thing very well¡ª


    if they didn¡®t get ashore soon, they would probably be swept into theke¡­ or even the sea!


    Almeida had argeke, but the county was also hundreds of miles away from the sea. They were headi


    Suddenly, the silent masked man spoke; perhaps he had also noticed their predicament. ¡°Let¡®s team up, s


    ¡°Why should I trust you?¡± Veronica distrusted the masked man in the first ce, but she knew she had to


    ¡°If you don¡¯t trust me, we¡®re both gonna die!¡± the masked man replied in a loud voice.


    If one of us is going to die, it¡®s better that we die together so that none of us dies alone, thought


    Veronica. Inwardly, she wanted to say that, but she knew very well that dilly¨C


    dallying would ce them in more danger. They had already used up a lot of stamina after dritting in the w


    Clinging onto the wooden pole with one hand, the masked man reached


    under his clothes with the other hand. Finally, he took out a long hemp rope that was as thick as the little f


    Veronica hesitated, saying, ¡°You first!¡± As she wouldn¡®t trust the masked man anymore, she was wary of h


    Without saying another word, the masked man held one end of the rope with his hand and wound the rop


    he looked at Veronica to signal her to lend a hand.


    Veronica reached out her hand and took the end of the rope before working with the masked man to


    tie the rope to his waist. Then, the man helped Veronica tie the other end of the rope to her waist.


    By doing this, if one of them managed to hold onto something, the other person would be saved.


    Even so, Veronica didn¡®t trust the masked man, after all. The two of them looked ahead together. Coincide

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    Afer looking at each other, Veronica and the masked man pinned their hopes on the


    However, the tree was on the right side, which was also the masked man¡®s side.


    Veronica moved to the right, trying to give herself the opportunity to grasp the big tree as it might be her


    only chance to survive. However, the masked man might be the biggest obstacle to her survival, so


    she had to seize the opportunity.


    The two moved to the right together, but just as they were about to reach the tree, the water surged fierc


    ely against them with even greater resistance. As both of them were on the right side, the thick wooden p


    ole suddenly tilted in the water and flowed downstream vertically, dragging them further away from the bi


    g tree horizontally all at once.


    ¡°You let go of the wooden pole. I¡®ll grab you.¡± Veronica took the masked man¡®s hand right away while telli


    ng him to


    let go of the wooden pole and swim to the river bank. After all, even a bit of a struggle could buy them a c


    hance to survive. At this very moment, she had no other choice. Even if the chance of survival was slim,


    she had to shoot for it¨Ceven if the masked man might survive and kill


    her by cutting the rope. I don¡®t want to die! she thought.


    With his eyes behind his mask, the masked man gave Veronica a meaningful look. Then, he let


    go of her. The two had a rope tied between them. After letting go of Veronica, he struggled to swim to the


    right with all his might.


    They were ten meters away from the big tree. Then, as the masked man swam closer and closer to the tr


    ee, the distance between them and the big tree shortened. They were six meters away¡­ three meters a


    way¡­ one meter away!


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    The ten¨C


    meter distance was covered in the blink of an eye. At this moment, however, the masked man was still a


    distance away from the tree.


    Veronica¡®s nerves were on edge; she was very nervous, for she feared that they might miss the opportun


    ity again. However, at the critical moment, the masked man suddenly took out a dagger and clutched it in


    his hand. Just when he nearly brushed past the tree, he suddenly thrust the dagger in his hand into the t


    ree trunk.


    Immediately, Veronica let go of the thick wooden pole she was


    clinging onto to prevent the strong current from sweeping the masked man away and ruining thest opp


    ortunity to struggle for their survival.


    The masked man cluiched the dagger to stay close to the tree. Even though Veronica had put pressure o


    n him, he nheless stretched out his arm and hugged the tree trunk Climbing onto the river bank little


    by little, he sessfully got himself out of danger.


    Veronica was still in the water, and she


    grabbed the rope tied between her and the masked man while swimming toward him. However, the man


    held up


    the dagger in his hand. With a slight wave of his dagger, Veronica would be swept away by the river!


    Veronica¡®s heart was thumping; she had never been so desirous of staying alive as she was at this very


    moment. Without saying a word, she continued swimming toward the masked man. However, just when


    she was getting close to him, he thrust the dagger in his hand downward right away!


    At that moment, Veronica¡®s heart sank. She felt like she had seen Death. However, she refused to resign


    herself to death. At thest moment, she swam against the current with all her strength. Then, she stretc


    hed out her hand and tried to hug the tree trunk, but she had underestimated how strong


    the current was. Instead of hugging the tree trunk, she was swept dozens of centimeters away from it!


    Am I really gonna die here? A big question mark popped up in her mind.


    Just then, however, the masked man grabbed her hand and pulled her up.


    The two reached the river bank by climbing along the tree. Physically exhausted, theyy on the river ba


    nk, feeling so worn out that they didn¡®t want to struggle anymore.


    Just then, Veronica asked, ¡°Why did you save me?¡± The moment the masked man thrust


    his dagger downward, she thought he was going


    to cut the rope and let her fall into the swift river current. To her surprise, the man


    merely put away his dagger and pulled her out of danger.


    The masked man didn¡®t answer her question, though.


    With that, the twoy on the river bank. After recovering their strength, they stood up and headed into the


    distance.


    As they made their way


    through the woods, the sound of the fiercely surging river water faded away in the distance. Everything b


    ecame quiet, and even the rain stopped.


    The man was no longer stooping and limping as he had been before. Instead, he stood upright and walk


    ed at a blistering pace like a normal person.


    Veronica should¡®ve found out long ago that this man¡®s identity was dubious. However, she and the others


    had only decided toe to Dawnpol Vige not long ago, and the masked man had been in the vige


    before they arrived. Judging by the timeline, she felt that nothing could¡®ve been wrong with


    the masked man, but it turned out that she had underestimated him.


    The masked man


    ignored her as they merely kept walking on. However, there wasn¡®t a soul in sight around them, so they c


    hose to climb up the mountain in the end. When they stood on the top of the mountain breathlessly and l


    ooked around, they couldn¡®t see anyone or any vige except the thin haze that was curling upward.


    ¡°The flood current was flowing at a velocity of at least 40 kilometers per hour,¡± Veronica said while raising


    her hand to check the time on her wristwatch.


    Five hours had passed since she woke up in the morning. It took about half an hour to reach the river ba


    nk from the vige chief¡®s house, whereas it took an hour for them to get to the mountain from the river. I


    n other words, after falling into the water, they had held out for three and a half hours. This meant they w


    ere already 140 kilometers away, which was a very long distance.


    Veronica was unfamiliar with the geographical environment around here, so she was somewhat at a loss f


    The rain, which had just stopped, continued again, but Veronica felt weak all over, and she


    walked weakly. She looked down at her right arm, which had a scary big cut that turned pale and swelled


    Veronica¡®s arm hurt very much, but there was nothing for her to reduce the inmmation at the moment. W


    The masked man


    took a nce at Veronica¡®s wound without saying a word as he headed toward the foot of the mountain.


    Veronica followed the masked man as they went all the way down the mountain. After walking for some tim


    Unbeknownst to her, though, the masked man had imperceptibly slowed down his pace a lou. It was just t


    If there was still nobody within a 100¨C


    mile radius around them, it would be a great challenge for them. After the heavy downpour, there was mud


    Veronica willed herself to follow the masked man all the way forward with strong willpower. In the end, wh


    Hearing the sound behind him, the masked man looked back to see


    Veronica sitting against a tree with a pale face. After looking at her with aplicated expression, he walk


    sharp edge at her as if saying, ¡°Since you¡®re dying, I might as well kill you myself toplete my task.¡±


    Veronica slowly closed her eyes. She neither struggled nor said anything, for she knew that the


    masked man would¡®ve killed her long ago if he wanted to. Why would he wait until now instead? =_=)


    Thud! With a sudden thud, the masked man thrust his dagger into the tree behind Veronica. ¡°I¡¯ll let you off

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    Leaning against the tree trunk, Veronica watched as the masked man walked further and further away.


    In the end, stimted by a strong desire to survive, she stood up and followed step by


    step behind him. They were in the wilderness, and it was getting dark soon. If she really were to stay h


    ere alone, she didn¡®t know what she would be facing. However, she didn¡®t want to die.


    Upon hearing the sound behind


    him, the masked man walking ahead looked back to see Veronica stumbling


    after him, and a hint of surprise flickered across his eyes. He didn¡®t say a word, but he slowed down his


    pace a lot. This woman is amazingly tough, eh?


    They walked for a while until dusk deepened and they couldn¡®t see any path at all. Only then did they fi


    nd a suitable ce to rest and take shelter from the rain. It was a cave, though. If a mudslide urred,


    the mouth of the


    cave could be sealed at any time, burying the two of them alive. Sitting against the wall, Veronica looke


    d weakly at the masked man with pale lips, asking, ¡°Are you sure it¡®s safe in here?¡±


    ¡°You can go outside if you want.¡± The man darted a look at her. Then, he searched for some firewood a


    nd lit a fire with the lighter¨C


    Having walked for a long time, Veronica felt cold and tired, and she shivered with cold. When she finally


    felt a trace of warmth, she fell asleep on the spot.


    The man sitting across from her prodded her with a stick. Realizing that she was already out cold, he tu


    rned to look at the wound on her arm. After hesitating for a moment, he walked up to her and touched h


    er forehead, only to realize that she was having a high fever, which was most probably caused by an inf


    ection in the wound on her arm. After finding the dagger on her, he examined her wound, hesitating wh


    ether to treat the wound for her. In the end, however, he didn¡®t do anything. He merely mumbled, ¡°I¡®m ki


    nd enough not to kill you.¡±


    It was already noon the next day when Veronica came round. Even though she was still feeling dizzy, h


    er fever had gone down. Her arm was bandaged with a strip of fabric, and her wound had been


    treated. She knew it was the masked man who had done these.


    Luckily, the mouth of the cave didn¡®t copse either.


    She sat there, yelling, ¡°Hey, is anyone there? Are you there, masked man?¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Aner nou getting any response, she decided to stop yelling. Seeing that the rain had stopped and the s


    ky had cleared up, she dared not waste time any longer. Immediately, she got up and headed outside t


    he mountain.


    The deep mountain forest was dense with brambles, making it difficult for her to move even a step. Not


    only that, but she was also starving. After dragging herself through the woods for an entire day, she fou


    nd some wild fruits to ay her hunger and drank some water from a


    mountain spring. Only then did she manage to hold out for a day.


    That night, she found a big tree. She climbed up the tree to sleep lest she had nowhere to escape whe


    n attacked by wild animals.


    As Veronica had expected, she really heard the cries of wolveste at


    night. Her heart shuddered with fright, and she was panic¨Cstricken. The only thing she could use


    to defend herself was the dagger that the masked man had left her. At the moment, her life and death d


    epended entirely on luck.


    Being wide awake, she leaned against the big tree while trying her best to hide her presence. However,


    the wolves¡® cries slowly approached, making her feel unusually insecure, especially because she was i


    n a thick forest located deep in the mountains. It could be said that she would be up the creek without a


    paddle in the face of danger.


    Suddenly, a wolf craned its neck and howled. ¡°Owooooo!¡± Its voice sounded very close and unusually d


    istinct.


    Veronica tensed up; she didn¡®t feel secure in such darkness at all. Just then, she vaguely noticed a few


    glittering spots, but when she looked closely, she couldn¡®t help but feel a chill running down her spine. It


    was because¡­ the glittering spots were actually several pairs of eyes!


    It was the wolves! They seemed to be heading her way directly after smelling her odor.


    Veronica was sleeping on a three¨Cmeter¨C


    tall tree, but she noticed twelve greedy eyes. There were six wolves in total. How am I supposed to dea


    l with these wolves? She felt like crying. F*ck! Am I gonna die here?


    The bright moon hung in the sky and spilled moonlight on the earth, making the earth seem like it was c


    overed with ayer of white gauze as everything was faintly visible.


    Knowing that the wolves must have realized where she was hiding with their keen sense of smell, she c


    limbed to the top of the tree in the moonlight. Although she had


    dabed to a high ce, she heard the sound of the tree trunk being scratched. The wolves were wing


    at the tree while howling repeatedly, as though to summon other wolves.


    Veronica felt like she had used up her entire life¡®s worth of bad luck


    this year, for she encountered one misfortune after another. She vowed that once she left Almeida and


    returned to Bloomstead, she would definitely go to the Church of Heavenly Yew right away to visit a pri


    est.


    As a result, Veronica didn¡®t sleep the entire night, while the hungry wolves waited under the tree all nigh


    t.


    However, it wasn¡®t until dawn the next day that Veronica


    got a good look and realized that the number of wolves had increased from six to ten. Not only that, but


    these wolves had no intention of leaving at all. Sitting on top of the tree, she looked at the sky hopeles


    sly. ¡°Is this gonna be the end of me?¡±


    Since the wolves didn¡®t leave, she couldn¡®t leave either, resulting in a war of attrition between the two p


    arties.


    Being sleepy, hungry, and thirsty, Veronica knew that if this went on, she would end up being eaten by th


    withered after being infested with bugs. After finding a spot to put the excess bark and twigs together, sh


    groped for the lighter and set fire to them. She was grateful for the masked man, who left the lighter and


    The fire was lit, producing puffs of smoke. Watching the fire with great care, Veronica kept the fire burnin


    She waited from morning till evening. The smoke she had produced failed to attract any


    help, but it managed to reduce the number of wolves from ten to four.


    Knowing that this was her only chance, she climbed down from the top and stood three meters above th


    a sharp stick in the other. While the wolves weren¡®t noticing, she jumped right away onto one of the wolv


    wolf on the spot with the dagger and the stick.


    ¡°Owo0000¡­¡± The wolf howled in pain as the remaining three wolves lunged at her


    right away


    Reacting swiftly, Veronica


    rolled away from the wolf to the tree trunk. After standing up, she drew another sharp stick from behind h


    However, the wolf¡®s reaction was even swifter than Veronica¡®s. After dodging her attack, it bit into her inju


    arm right away.


    Veronica gritted her teeth in pain as the Wolf King¡®s teeth sank into her skin with a strong bite force. In a


    ¡°Owoo00o¡­¡± The excruciating pain caused the wolf to howl in pain


    and let go of Veronica¡®s arm. The next instant, she swiftly thrust the dagger in her right hand into its right


    The Wolf King howled and writhed on the ground in agony as it couldn¡®t see anything.

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109


    Right at that moment, the two other wolves pounced at her. While she was fighting the wolves for her life,


    the Wolf King stood up, and with its keen sense of smell, it, too, lunged toward the woman. As Veronica


    was defending herself from the wolf underlings, she had no time to parry the Wolf King¡®s attack. Right


    when she thought her life was as good as over, she heard a thundering bang that even scared the little


    birds in the woods away. Then, the Wolf King weakly whined before falling to the ground


    Veronica turned to the source of the gunshot and saw Matthew gracefully appear beside her. Holding a


    gun, he fired a couple of shots at the two wolves in front of her, immediately killing them. As the wolves


    fell to the ground, having escaped death, Veronica copsed to the ground and feebly looked at Matthew


    who was jogging to her. That man was as stunning as ever, with his perfect figure and his face of the


    golden ratio, though he had a look of worry on that impable face of his right now.


    Matthew hurried to her and condescendingly nced at her before his eyes fell upon her right arm. As


    she was donning a short¨Csleeved shirt, her arm¨Cdrenched in blood


    ¡ªwas inly presented before him. The part that was bitten by the wolves was dripping with blood,


    which led to her unhealed wound to bleed even more. The blood flowed straight down her pale arm and


    dripped on the green leaves.


    Drained, Veronica went to lean against a tree trunk with her right leg staggering, her injured arm weakly


    resting on her knees and fingers trembling as she bled profusely. Despite being in grievous hurt, she


    simply revealed a reassured smile at Matthew¡®s arrival. Her smile carried an unusual sense of security,


    as if the tension in her heart instantaneously vanished and she no longer had anything to be terrified of.


    Still, she maintained her tough¨Cwoman facade. ¡°A second more and you¡®ll never get to see me again.¡±


    She deeply believed that Matthew woulde looking for her, and obviously, he didn¡®t disappoint her!


    Truth be told, back when Matthew saw the smoke arising in the woods, he swiftly charged toward it, only


    to be shocked by the scenario he faced¨Ca skinny woman, surrounded by a number of wolves, could have


    had her life ended right then. In that instant, as if his heart had stopped beating, he was so agitated he


    almost suffocated.


    All of a sudden, his cold, still face turned into a subtle smirk. ¡°You won¡®t die. You¡®re as tough as a rock.¡±


    Although it sounded like mockery, he was actuallyforting her. He then squatted down and took a


    look at her gravely injured arm, iming, ¡°The wound¡®s real bad. We gotta get you a tetanus shot ASAP.¡±


    As he was saying that, he took off his white shirt and ripped it into strips of makeshift bandage before


    giving


    her arm a simple wrap.


    ¡°How did you find me so quickly?¡± Given that she was hundreds of miles away, she couldn¡®t figure out


    how Matthew found her.


    ¡°Grandma¡®s gonna be upset if you die,¡± Matthew replied as he bandaged her wound.


    ¡°It¡®s true that I¡®m tough, but¡­¡± She turned to him, pursing her lips, quizzing, ¡°You got something to eat?


    I¡®m starving.¡± She was hungry¨Cno, she was ravenous! Having voiced her question, she stared at


    Matthew, who was visibly baffled, and waved her hand. ¡°Never mind, I guess. A man like you wouldn¡®t


    have food.¡±


    ¡°You want this?¡± After searching in his pocket, he reached out his hand before her and opened his palm,


    revealing a fistful of Hershey¡®s Kisses.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Her eyes shone at the sight of the sweets. ¡°Where did you get them?¡± Although it wasn¡®t a proper meal,


    some sugar could definitely help replenish her energy.


    ¡°We didn¡®t just donate stationeries to the kids, but a lot of snacks as well. And this is what the kids gave


    me in return when I was helping out in their school.¡± As he was speaking, he grabbed a piece of


    Hershey¡®s Kisses and unwrapped it before putting it into her mouth.


    The Hershey¡®s Kisses¨C¨Cmilky and sweet¨Cwas chef¡®s kisses. It was the tastiest thing she had eaten for


    the past few days. With the sweetness melting on her tongue, the bitterness in her mouth scattered. With


    her mood alleviated, she stupidly peered at Matthew, showing him a beam.


    Although there was underlying agony in her smile, the man, heartbroken, responded with a smile of his


    own. Subconsciously, he caressed her head. ¡°You smile like an idiot.¡±


    Veronica thenughed. With that, she turned away to hide the surge of soreness that suddenly gushed in


    her reddening, glistening eyes, not wanting the man to see it as she feared he would take the opportunity


    to tease her.


    In spite of that, Matthew took in every little gesture of hers, and his heart followingly tingled. He looked at


    her painfully and asked, ¡°Wanna get some meat?¡±


    Hearing that, Veronica sniffled and confusedly frowned. ¡°Meat? From where?¡±


    The man slightly lifted his head and glimpsed at the wolves beside them.


    He¡®s gonna cook those, now? She questioned, ¡°Aren¡®t wolves a protected species? That¡®s


    illegal.¡±


    The man leered at her. ¡°You¡®re dying, and you¡®re still worried about that?¡±


    Veronica stopped arguing. Having ventured long distances without eating for three days, she was


    exhausted and starving, so as long as there was food, she would be more than grateful to ept it.


    ¡°Stay still. I¡®ll make ¡®em.¡± After looking for some firewood, Matthew started a campfire in front of her. He


    then dragged one of the wolves¡® carcass away to clean it up before hanging it above the fire.


    ¡°You¡®re gonna draw the wolves¡® attention, starting a fire here.¡± Veronica couldn¡®t help but feel concerned.


    ¡°I¡®m right here. Don¡®t worry,¡± Matthew briefly replied.


    Those simple words left her feeling utterly safe, and she immediately felt relieved. She knew that she


    should be more defensive against him given that he was Tiffany¡®s fianc¨¦, but having spent so much time


    together, she subconsciously lowered her guard whenever she was around him.


    Rustle, rustle


    Out of nowhere, crispy, clear rustles were heard. The two of them looked at each other before turning to


    the source of the noise.


    At that moment, a figure walked out of the shadows. And it was none other than the masked man!


    Standing still, the masked man momentarily nced at Matthew before wordlessly turning to Veronica,


    who was resting by the campfire.


    However, Matthew had already drawn his gun, pointing its barrel urately at the masked man. His


    expression was horrifyingly filled with hostility.


    Seeing that, Veronica sprung up and grabbed Matthew¡®s firearm with her wounded right hand.


    Her action bewildered Matthew. As he peered at her in confusion, she had already gotten his gun. She


    then raised her hand and aimed the gun at the masked man.


    As Veronica and the masked man were facing each other, thetter glowered underneath his mask.


    ¡°You¡®re killing me?¡±


    ¡°Not awaiting Christmas, are we?¡± Veronica had always been a zealous woman, and no loose ends ever


    escaped her. Skipping the jabbering, she grasped the gun in her hand. Having her crosshair fixated at


    the man¡®s thigh, she pulled the trigger.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The devastating pain from the shot slightly trembled him, and he almost sell kneeling on the


    ground. Nevertheless, he managed to endure the pain and remain standing without even a flinch.


    Thereupon, Veronica returned the gun to Matthew before speaking to the masked man. ¡°Well, that


    makes us even. Next time, it¡®ll be up to luck.¡°

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110


    The misery


    she had gone through to this day was all thanks to the masked man, so bearing no disdain for him would


    only be a lie, and there she would do whatever to even the debt between them. Even though the maske


    d man left her a dagger and a lighter, whichter allowed her to be located by Matthew, he was the caus


    e of her pathetic life today.


    The masked man, with his leg injured, had no way to walk, so he could only rest, sitting on the ground un


    der a nearby tree.


    Matthew, on the other hand, spoke not a word and continued roasting the wolf.


    Sitting beside him was Veronica. Looking at the smoky, tender meat while its scrumptious aroma stormed


    into her nose, she uncontrobly drooled. ¡°Right, how were the kids at school?¡± Concerned, she inquired


    about the kids.


    ¡°Mr. Pearson was hurt. The old doctor is treating him as we speak. Residents of Goon Vige were also


    evacuated. Some time after the evacuation, a mudslide urred, but luckily, no one was harmed,¡± Matth


    ew recounted the happenings to Veronica.


    Hearing that, Veronica finally felt relieved. ¡°As long as everyone¡®s safe, or¡­ wait, what?¡± As if she had re


    membered something, she grabbed Matthew¡®s arm. ¡°What about my 40,000?¡± Back when they went up t


    he mountain, she gave the teacher 40,000. And when she was informed about the mudslide, she was wo


    rried that the massive sum of donation would have been for nothing.


    Seeing her


    so restless, Matthew slowly closed his eyes. ¡°We found the money. They¡®re a little soiled, though.¡± In fact,


    the building copsed and her money was buried along with it, so it was quite an impossible task to scou


    r for it. Regardless, he wouldn¡®t reveal the truth to Veronica. If the woman so in love with wealth were to fi


    nd out the money she went a long way to umte had been engulfed by a


    natural disaster, she would surely be devastated.


    ¡°Really? That¡®s great news! Guess the 40,000 didn¡®t go in vain.¡± She chuckled delightfully.


    Matthew, at her joyousness, too, felt relieved. When he was informed that she had gone missing, he exp


    ended tremendous manpower and resources to search for her. Eventually, he found himself separated fr


    om the searching team before seeing the wafting smoke and ending up finding her.


    ¡°The vigers have had a tough life living here.. Say, Matthew, since you¡®re so rich,


    Can¡®t you help them out? If they have ess towork signals, they¡®ll be able tomunicate with the


    outside world. With an established connection, such a disaster wouldn¡®t have urred;¡± Veronica earnes


    tly pleaded 10 Matthew, hoping he would provide some assistance to the residents of Goon Vige. She


    was aware that even though Matthew was rich, asking him to help in such a manner was somehow


    guilt tripping. ¡°I mean¡­ I¡®m just saying, just saying¡­¡± Although her request seemed simple, fulfilling it wo


    uld require immense resources.


    Hearing that, Matthew stared at her deeply and slightly lifted hismissures before turning to her injure


    d arm. ¡°Does your arm still hurt?¡± He couldn¡®t help but feel worried with how her face was getting paler.


    Veronica turned to her injured right arm and scoffed. ¡°No sh*t.¡± She was undoubtedly in pain, excruciatin


    g pain.


    After a while, Matthew¡®s eyes darkened as he wordlessly gazed at the grilled meat in his hand.


    Very soon, the meat was fully cooked. He passed a meat skewer to Veronica, to which she epted it b


    efore giving it a blow. She eagerly took a bite and burned her lips. ¡°Ouch, it¡®s hot.¡± Thanks to her hunger,


    she couldn¡®t wait a single second more to savor the grilled meat.


    ¡°Take your time. It¡®s really hot.¡± Seeing her hasty expression, Matthew couldn¡®t bear to imagine how she


    survived for the past few days. All of a sudden, anger surged in his heart as he subtly turned around, r


    ing at the masked man who was resting not far from them.


    Back when Matthew was notified that Veronica was lost, Melissa imed that she departed with the mas


    ked man, and ording to a random viger, the masked man was involved in her fainting in the mounta


    ins. As such, Matthew was highly suspicious of him. Consequently, he had ordered one of his underlings


    to request for a chopper, but when Quincy and the rest of the group came looking for Veronica, he, too, h


    ad gone missing. Though, fortunately, he had found Veronica, and that was enough.


    At that moment, Veronica raised her head and caught Matthew staring at the masked man. She following


    ly turned to his line of sight, only to see the enfeebled masked man gazing at the meat in their hands, se


    emingly starving. The sight of that touched the softest spot in her


    heart. Hesitant, she looked at the skewer in her hand and suddenly stood up.


    However, Matthew grabbed her wrist. ¡°What do you think you¡®re doing?¡±


    ¡°Just giving him something to eat,¡± Veronica replied frankly.


    ¡°Have you forgotten why you ended up here?¡±


    ¡°Can¡®? have someone starve to death in the age of peace, can we?¡± With that, she removed Matthew¡®s h


    and. Since she was using her injured arm to do so, Matthew could onlyply or he might aggravate he


    r wound.


    Holding the skewer of grilled meat, Veronica walked before the masked man, only to realize the man¡®s pr


    ofusely bleeding leg and the surrounding dirt that was stained with his blood. Since he wasn¡®t carrying hi


    s dagger, there was no way to extract the bullet, so he could only give it a simple wrap with a piece of clo


    th.


    ¡°Here,¡± she coldly blurted as she handed the masked man the skewer.


    The masked man was dazed by her action. He then raised his head and peered at her in disbelief before


    turning to the food without any reaction.


    ¡°Do you want it or not?¡± Veronica questioned in disaffection.


    ¡°Why are you¡­ saving me?¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    To be fair, the masked man only hurried over because of the smoke he saw in the woods. Smoke was kno


    to go to her, which led to what was happening now.


    ¡°Tell me, who¡®s the man behind your actions?¡± Even if it meant leaving him to die away, she was determin


    the forcemanding the masked man. Although the Larsons were


    a possibility, Veronica thought it was a stretch. After all, the timing she arrived at Almeida County and the a


    Underneath the bronze mask, the man¡®s eyes sank. ¡°Sorry, but I have nothing to say.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Infuriated, Veronica gripped the skewer and gritted her teeth as she leered at him before ferociously


    The masked man failed to defend himself from the sudden attack and copsed to the ground.


    ¡°Serves you right!¡± She grabbed the meat skewer and walked away.


    Tving t on the ground, the masked man then helped himself to sit up against the tree trunk, all while rem


    However, before Veronica took more than a few steps, she tossed the


    skewer to him and itnded precisely beside him. ¡°Doggie¡®s treat.¡± She was thoroughly vexed. Though, sh


    whether it was on the mountain back then or her falling into the river this time he¡®d had countless opportun


    to kill her off.

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111


    Despite that, he never took it. Thus, the man still deserved his credit for his honor and kindness, which w


    as why she couldn¡®t leave him be. Frustrated, she walked back to Matthew¡®s side. Due to her anger, her


    pale face visibly reddened, and because of that, she appeared rather charming.


    Having witnessed what happened, Matthew softly quizzed, ¡°Why help him if you¡®re that mad?¡± Few mom


    ents ago when the masked man appeared, Matthew wanted to eliminate him right away, but Veronica¡®s w


    ords


    and gestures reflected that she was an insightful woman. Besides, he shouldn¡®t be meddling in any of he


    r personal affairs, unless it was an issue she couldn¡®t resolve, that was. That was the basic respect he ha


    d for her.


    ¡°Hmph. He¡­ Forget it. I¡®m hungry, and I¡®ll just be wasting my life away talking to him anyway.¡± As she wa


    s venting, she snatched the meat skewer in Matthew¡®s hand and impatiently took a bite, only for her lips t


    o be burned


    by the scorching hot food. ¡°Ah, it¡®s still hot! Damn it all!¡± With problems stacking on top of each other, she


    couldn¡®t help but feel irritated. For some reason, her annoyed look


    made her seem like the whiny little girl next door, and Matthew was entertained by it.


    Thereupon, the man grabbed the meat skewer in her hand and cut it into bites with his dagger before pic


    king a piece up with the tip of the dagger. He then blew the heat off and ced it before her mouth. ¡°Her


    e.¡±


    Famished, Veronica thoughtlessly nommed it down, and instantly, her face froze. She turned to Matthew


    with a frown. ¡°It tastes¡­ so bad¡­¡± Without salt, it was supposed to taste nd, but the meat was awful!


    ¡°Bad?¡± Baffled, Matthew had a taste for himself, to which he, too, revealed a glower. The meat was dry a


    nd carried a strong taste of burntness along with the bloody flesh underneath. The skin was burned but t


    he flesh was thoroughly uncooked. In that instant, awkwardness surged on his handsome face.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Do you perhaps only know how to cook porridge, Matthew?¡± She recalled the time when they shared a r


    oom,


    including the second day spent uphill, where Matthew would only prepare porridge for meals and nothing


    else apart from that. Now that she thought about it, he seemed to have cooked nothing else.


    With the truthid out in the open, Matthew turned away


    with a sharp gaze. ¡°It¡®s up to you, then.¡± His silence, to Veronica, was an implicit acknowledgment of the f


    act that he knew nothing of culinary except for preparing porridges. ¡¤


    ¡°You know what¡­ To be fair, it¡®s already a merit for a busy man like you to know how to cook porridge. M


    hm, a merit, indeed.¡± After throwing out those highly perfunctory words, she noiselessly grabbed the mea


    t in his hand and started chewing. Regardless of the rawness of the meat, she could only bear the burnt


    odor on top of the fleshy stink in order to fill her stomach. She proceeded to take a few more bites. No m


    atter how hungry she was, she had to admit


    it. It¡®s so f*cking bad! I swear even poison doesn¡®t taste this bad!


    ¡°rgh!¡± Her forceful attempt to take in the meat only ended up in belches.


    With that, Matthew¡®s face instantly stiffened, though he couldn¡®t help but feel sorry for her. ¡°Don¡®t force yo


    urself if it¡®s that bad.¡± He took the meat away from her hands and handed her his gun. ¡°Take this. I¡®ll go lo


    ok for something.¡± Having said that, he shot the masked man a warning leer


    before turning around and leaving.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± Seeing as Matthew was about to leave, Veronica suddenly felt her insecuriti


    es arise all over again, but she failed to notice how dependent she was toward Matthew.


    However, the man departed without even turning back, to which she mumbled, ¡°You¡®re not abandoning m


    e here alone, are you, Matthew?¡± He¡®s not leaving me behind because his pride was hurt after seeing me


    about to throw up because of the food he made, is he?


    Hearing that, Matthew stopped walking. Her words¡ª¡°You¡®re not abandoning me here alone, are you?¡°¨C


    echoed in his mind. Simple words that carried so much helplessness fondled


    the softest spot in the man¡®s heart that immediately


    soured. His stunning face revealed a vague beam. ¡°What are you talking about, silly?¡± Utmost warmth an


    d adoration was evident in that smile. Sadly, a hard¨C


    headed woman like Veronica couldn¡®t sense the tenderness underneath his words.


    ¡°That¡®s better. No matter what, you¡®re still my bro. If you dare to abandon me, I¡®ll make sure to tell Grand


    ma about it!¡± She voiced her threat and pouted her lips.


    She must have been a boulder in her past life to be so ignorant and oblivious toward his subtle, loving hi


    nts. Upon her words, his smile turned into a frozen grin, and his eyes visibly darkened.


    Realizing something was off, she nervously questioned, ¡°Hey, Matthew, y¨C


    you¡®re not actually abandoning me, are you? T¨C


    That¡®s not cool at all! Not one bit!¡± God had just gifted her a path to survival, and now that the path seem


    ed to be closing down, she would have nothing else to turn to. Bearing that in mind, she was utterly agita


    ted. Swiftly, she stood up and hurriedly limped before Matthew. Gripping his arm, she piliably pursed her l


    ips. ¡°I was just joking. It¡®s not that bad, really! It¡®s just¡­ a liule burned, but other than that, it¡®s all good! M


    hm, just like¡­ just like how people like


    their meat medium rare. It was splendid! But a country girl like me wouldn¡®t know to appreciate it, right? H


    Nheless, Matthew was used to her sly trickeries. His instinct was to shove her away, but seeing her s


    her dirty cheeks and her unkempt shoulder¨C


    length hair as well as her soiled garment as if she was a kid that was just done ying in the dirt, he had


    Idly, he stared at Veronica. His deep, stony eyes turned sympathetic and solicitous. Thousands of emotion


    1. it.


    ¡°Don¡®t be mad, Matthew. I was joking!¡± To her, Matthew was her savior, and her intense desire to live on w


    In the past days, the woman, too, donned innumerable faces in front of him¨C


    cold, rageous, gratifying, and so on. Although she wasn¡®t exactly easy to grasp, he still managed to figure


    fearing abandonment. After having gone through so much pain and trauma, she could no longer feel safe


    Matthew frowned. There was nothing but pain on his appealing face. The next second, he uncontrobly p


    Mysophobia? To hell with it!

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112


    Veronica was stunned at the hug that came out of nowhere. She then began to wail as she pushed Math


    ew away. ¡°Waa¡­ Matthew, you motherless scum! Why are you doing this to me?! Don¡®t you realize how


    miserable I¡®ve beentely? What did I do in my past life to bump into you? If it weren¡®t for you, I¡®wouldn¡®t


    havee across


    so much sh*t! Waaa¡­ B*stard, you knew how much trouble I¡®m in and you¡®re still trying to scare me! I ha


    te you! Waa¡­¡±


    Ever since Veronica met Matthew, her peaceful life had slowly turned into chaos. Thinking about the bum


    py roads and being at the brink of death, she could pass out from the pressure. She got even more terrifi


    ed when she was being over¨C


    analytical toward Matthew¡®s swiftly changing emotions. Thus, when the man suddenly embraced her, she


    thought he was only teasing her. As her frustrations imploded, she broke down like a lost child.


    As her crying was too sudden, Matthew hastily peered at her and only went up to her after a while. He gr


    asped her shoulder and caressed her cheek with his right hand, attempting to wipe the tears off her chee


    k with his thumb: ¡°You look ugly when you cry.¡± She¡®s so dumb, so dumb that it hurts...


    Veronica gazed at Matthew with her soaked, reddened eyes. As she whimpered, Matthew had no idea h


    ow tofort her. ¡°Who are you calling ugly?!¡± She was exasperated.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡®m the ugly one.¡± He brushed the tears


    off her cheek and pushed her into his arms with his right hand. His left palm caressed the back of her he


    ad as it fondled her hair. ¡°Shh¡­ Don¡®t cry anymore.¡± This never¨Cbefore¨C


    seen tenderness and indulgence he was disying were seemingly etched into his very soul right now.


    He was devastated by her sorrowfulness. Patting her back, heforted, ¡°I was simply going to look for


    some berries for you to eat.¡±


    Nevertheless, the woman in his arms continued to cry.


    She snuggled against his chest and felt the warmth within. Feeling her sense of security recovering, she


    slowly shut her eyes. ¡°Let me be here for a little more, okay?¡±


    When she was washed away by the flood, she felt absolutely hopeless, as if she had a glimpse at death.


    She used all of her


    energy to get out of the water, only to discover that her wounds were infected, and she could barely mov


    e with her high fever. After getting deserted by the masked man, she could only venture along the woods,


    barely walking as she dragged along her sick, hungry body. She even encountered a python that was te


    n feet long. If she was in her usual condition, she would have handled it in


    seconds. Unfortunately, given her fragile body, she could only detour around it.


    When she was finally far away from it, she took a rest on the tree in the middle of the nighi, only to, as lu


    ck would have it, be approached by a pack of wolves. As she was desperate, what were three days felt li


    ke a century to her, and every second was a trial of survival. After getting immensely tormented, she


    almost lost herself. Therefore, all she wanted now was to lie in Matthew¡®s arm, seizing every trace


    of thefort she could gel.


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± He softly uttered, ¡°For as long as you want.¡±


    As


    she rested in his embrace, her terrible mood was lifted. Then, she opened her reddened eyes. ¡°Thank yo


    u¡­ brother.¡± Although she wanted to say his name instead of ¡°brother,¡± she was touched


    by how his attitude toward her changed recently. ¡°I know you¡®re only keeping me alive to make Grandma


    happy. But still, I¡®m grateful.¡±


    Followingly, she crawled out of his arms and blinked her eyes to shake off the teardrops hanging on her l


    engthyshes, assuring, ¡°Don¡®t worry. As long as I¡®m alive, I¡®ll give whatever I have to keep Grandma hap


    py.¡± She then heaved a sigh before profoundly stating, ¡°Grandma¡®s lucky to have a grandson like you. Ho


    w nice!¡±


    A grandson like you? For some reason, the supposedpliment sounded odding out from her mo


    uth. Upon the ¡°praise,¡± Matthew¡®s face that was overflowing with adoration instantaneously turned gloom


    y, so gloomy that mushrooms


    could grow on his face. The man¡®s limited warmth was gradually ground away by her words. He slightly p


    arted his lips and replied, ¡°Then you better fulfill your role as ¡®god granddaughter, or else¡­¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Or else what?¡± Veronica pursed her lips. ¡°Or else I¡®ll make you a walking dead, isn¡®t it? Fine, fine, I get it.


    I¡®ll treat Grandma in the best way I can. Now go get me some berries. I¡®m starving. Grandma¡®s heart is g


    onna be crushed if I starve to death.¡± She waved her hand and rubbed her rumbling tummy as she gazed


    at him. As if I haven¡®t seen through your mind, scum!


    Having resided in Bloomstead for months, she had garnered a certain amount of information regarding th


    e city, especially information pertaining to the Kings Family. She was aware of Matthew¡®s seventh uncle,


    who was currently overseas, and his power as well as influence. Before she departed to Almeida County,


    she had heard news about this uncle of his returning to Bloomstead. And his existence would be the gre


    atest obstacle to Matthew to inherit the Kings Family¡®s properties. That was the reason why Matthew wou


    ld do anything toe and rescue her. To him, she was merely a pawn on the chessboard to please his


    grandmother, which would, in return. help him secure said ¡°properties.¡± Inter days, he


    might even make her his ¡°spy¡± to gather ¡°intelligence¡± from his grandmother.


    She wasn¡®t a three¨Cyear¨C


    old, so she was determined how much of an opportunist Matthew was. To her, he would give anything to


    retain things or people that would benefit him. Sibling love? F*ck that!


    Matthew, on the other hand, had no idea that in a span of


    seconds, the entire plot of a movie had yed in her mind.


    ¡°Great that you know.¡± He nced at Veronica with his deep eyes before walking away to swing a forcefu


    In response, Veronica wiped the tears off her cheeks and let out a scoff, muttering, ¡°I merely figured out h


    Then, she turned around and caught the masked man, who was sitting by the tree, taking glimpses at her


    The masked man was stunned and hastily lowered his head, continuing to


    consume the meat wordlessly. The less he spoke, the less significant his presence was.


    Shortly after, Matthew returned with a number of pears in his hands.


    At the sight of the pears, Veronica¡®s eyes glistened as she was astounded. ¡°Where did you get them from


    didn¡®t I see any pears earlier?¡±

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    Chapter 113


    She wasn¡®t the only one who didn¡®t see any pears, but the masked man didn¡®t either.


    Matthew tossed her a pear and coldly answered, ¡°There¡®s a wild pear tree by the river.¡±


    ¡°Great job! All hail the Almighty Matthew!¡± Veronica gratifyingly


    praised as she wiped the pear with her clothes,


    Still, her words sounded like jabber in Matthew¡®s ears. He then sat opposite from her without saying a wo


    rd, nor did he eat the fruits. Simply, he awaited rescue in silence.


    Swoosh! After some time, the sound of a chopper could be heard.


    Veronica and Matthew peered at


    each other and subconsciously lifted their eyes, knowing rescue had arrived. The chopper gradually appr


    oached and circled the sky a few times before stopping in the air right above them. As its propellers were


    speedily rotating, nearby branches and leaves shook violently, producing ring noises.


    Veronica pointed at the campfire before them, to which Matthew came over to help her extinguish the fire


    thoroughly to prevent a forest fire caused by an ember.


    ¡°Veronica?¡± At that moment, a person called for her from behind. Instinctively, she turned around and sa


    w Xavier standing somewhere not far from her.


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    As they faced each other, Xavier was dazed. He nced at Matthew before dashing to Veronica, who als


    o ran toward him, and they gave each other a big hug.


    ¡°It¡®s so good to see you!


    I¡®d have gone crazy with you lost!¡± Xavier held her tightly as he spoke into her ear.


    ¡°Ow, f*ck. Ouch, ouch!¡± Veronica gasped as he identally touched her injured


    arm. When he noticed her wound, he worriedly inquired, ¡°What happened? Why¡®s your arm like this?¡±


    There was nothing but guilt and self¨C


    me deep in his heart. After knowing Veronica was washed away by the flood, he hurried over as soon


    as he could. Tagging along with him was Matthew¡®s assistant, Thomas.


    ¡°It¡®s a long story. I¡®ll tell you when we get back,¡± Veronica replied.


    ¡°Alright. Okay.¡± Xavier nodded and supported the woman up the ropedder,


    Seeing Xavier interacting so intimately with Veronica and the smiles on their faces, Mathew scowled inte


    nsely. Even the pear in hand seemed like a hindrance.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew?¡± Thomas, who alighted the other chopper, walked to Matthew and stated conce


    rnedly, ¡°I¡®m d that you¡®re okay, Young Master.¡±


    Watching as the two got into the chopper, Matthew climbed into another chopper without saying anything


    . Once the chopper door was shut, the pilot flew away.


    Not a single soul cared to bat an eye at the masked man. Left alone in the wilderness, the masked man l


    et out a sigh. He helplessly scoffed at himself underneath the mask. He then got up and walked to where


    the campfire was and picked up the pears before wiping and eating them. After consuming the fruits, he


    could feel his energy replenished. ordingly, he picked up the dagger left behind by Veronica and cut o


    pen the wound on his thigh to extract the bullet, enduring the excruciating pain, before wrapping it back u


    p.


    Hourster, the night sky was engulfed in darkness.


    Outside the emergency room were Matthew and Xavier standing in the hallway. None of them bothered t


    o talk as they silently waited for Veronica who was being treated. About half an hourter, the woman wa


    s pushed out of the room. Seeing her, they immediately came over, and before Matthew could say anythi


    ng, Xavier inquired, ¡°How¡®s my Roni, doctor?¡±


    ¡°We gave her a tetanus shot, but there¡®s a minor infection in her wound, so she¡®ll need to be hospitalized


    for further examination. As long as there¡®s no fever afterward, she¡®s fine,¡± the doctor informed.


    Upon hearing that, the anxiety in Xavier¡®s heart dispersed. He then guarded Veronica beside her and foll


    owed the nurse, who was pushing her portable bed, to the ward.


    Instead of chasing after them, Matthew stayed behind and asked the doctor, ¡°She was bitten by a wolf, a


    nd it bit her right in her wound, and it¡®s been many hours. Will there be any side effects?¡± Since Veronica¡®


    s wound was precisely


    bitten by one of the wolves, he was worried that the infection in Veronica¡®s wound might spread speedily.


    which would result in abysmal conditions like tetanus or rabies. In addition, when her wound was infected


    , she was already having symptoms of high fever, and he couldn¡®t help but be worried.


    ¡°We performed a thorough examination on her when she was sent over. The results are already out now.


    Why don¡®t you bring them to my office and we¡®ll talk about it


    wire?¡± the doctor suggested.


    ¡°Alrigh.¡± Matthew nodded. He then turned around to retrieve various reports before bringing them to the c


    onsultation room and handed the documents to the doctor who had just operated on Veronica. He sat bef


    ore the doctor with a strict face. ¡°How is she, doctor?¡±


    Putting on his reading sses, the doctor gave the reports an assiduous read, and would sometimes sha


    ke his head. His gestures were so stern that Matthew immediately grew nervous. He then quizzed, ¡°What


    is it?¡±


    ¡°The report states that her wound has a minor infection, but it¡®s treatable. However, there¡®s her malnouris


    hment, iron anemia, and severe insomnia.¡±


    ¡°Insomnia?¡± Matthew recalled Veronica¡®s recent sleeping behavior. Ever since he saved her from overse


    as and brought her to Dawnpol Vige, for the entire month, she had been falling asleep at around four i


    n the morning


    and waking up about two hourster. Indeed, she gravelycked sleep, and that, he had realized. N


    heless, as he wasn¡®t around her every second, he wasn¡®t a hundred percent sure about it.


    ¡°Anemia, depression, anxiety, and many other forms of mental disorders can lead to insomnia. But her ca


    ¡°What will that cause?¡± Matthew was helplessly agitated.


    ¡°Severe insomnia can also work the other way round, leading to depression, anxiety, and erratic behavior,


    ¡°Will she¡­ die?¡±


    ¡°Insomnia itself won¡®t cause death, but in serious cases, it just might trigger it.¡±


    ¡°Trigger¡­?¡± Matthew¡®s face nched as his heart tensed. In that instant, even his breaths grew rapid. ¡°Am


    The doctor pondered in silence before asking, ¡°How long has she been insomniac?¡±


    ¡°More than a month, I think.¡±


    ¡°More than a month?¡±


    As the


    doctor had yet to encounter any sudden urrence of severe insomnia, he contemted for a bit before


    from the patient, or she may feel burdened by it, worsening her condition.¡±


    Afer discussing many details with the doctor, Matthew ultimately decided to hide the findings from Veronic


    When he went to Veronica¡¯s ward, the woman was already awake. She was pleasantly chatting with Xavie


    room was rather uplifting.


    Looking at the view before him as he stood at the ward door, Matthew felt somewhat perturbed, and even


    he remembered the doctor¡®s words, he started to feel sorry for the woman. He had never thought a merry,

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114


    Puting away the examination report, Matthew entered the ward and looked at Veronica, who was tethere


    d to an IV pack, inquiring, ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Much better. A hundred times better than being in the hills,¡± Veronica replied as shey on the bed. With


    the dirt washed away, her face was now as elegant as before, though it was much paler, and Matthew w


    as devastated seeing that.


    ¡°How about you? You okay?¡± she countered.


    ¡°Mhm. Pretty good,¡± Matthew blurted as he nodded. He then turned around and sat on the couch.


    Xavier nced at him before taking a peek at Veronica, his eyes glistening. He lowered his gaze for a wh


    ile before touching his pocket. He then suddenly stood up. ¡°Roni, I¡­ have something to tell you.¡± Xavier,


    sporting a suit and a pair of leather shoes, appeared quite dashing, and his aura was unusually daunting.


    He dropped his usual, prankish act and revealed his stern, mature side.


    That side of his was rather unfamiliar to Veronica. She was definitely not used to it. ¡°What is it?¡± She


    was visibly surprised by Xavier¡®s behavior.


    ¡°Do you know why I let you go to Almeida?¡± With his hand tucked in the pocket of his ck pants, he gra


    sped something tightly in his hand.


    ¡°Why? Isn¡®t it for charity?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, charity. But the main reason was because Dad was there as well.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I saw him. Why? Man, spit it out! Cut the suspense already. You¡®re making me nervous here!¡± One


    thing Veronica hated the most was when others tortured her with suspense.


    Xavier pursed and licked his lips, unable to conceal his nervousness. ¡°When we


    were with my dad back then, I said you were my girlfriend, but it was simply a lie to get you out of the aw


    kwardness. But this time, I wanted for Dad


    to get to know you and see you for the real you, so that he could fully ept you. And that


    was why I sent you to Almeida.¡± Pausing his words, he pulled something out of his


    pocket. He then opened his palm, revealing a heart¨C


    shaped, sapphire velvet box, to which he opened the box and uncovered a dazzling diamond ring within i


    t.


    ¡°I bought this ring before you went to Almeida, and awaited your return so I can¡­


    propose to you.¡±


    l¡®pon those words, Veronica¡®s mind went nk. She was lost for words.


    Simrly shocked was Matthew, who was sitting at the couch. He didn¡®t expect Xavier to be this bold, but


    he remained quiet and proceeded to observe.


    Thump! All of a sudden, Xavier kneeled down and raised the ring as he stared deeply into Veronica¡®s eye


    s. ¡°Roni, will you marry me? I like you¨Cno, I love you! And I wish to marry you!¡±


    His bold, courageous proposal left Veronica panicking. Shey in the bed with her face frozen. Blinking h


    er eyes, she peered at him in stupefaction, and only spoke after some time. ¡°S¨C


    Stop fooling around, Xavier!¡± Back at Saint Hospital, she pretended to be dating Xavier to prevent her ad


    optive parents from worrying about her. Nevertheless, she was well aware that the man waspletely


    out of her league.


    Meanwhile, sitting at the side was Matthew ring at them with his stony eyes, and his tensing brows


    inly reflected his annoyance. Xavier¡®s actually proposing to Veronica? This damn woman was always pus


    hing me away because she was in love with him? Matthew subconsciously clenched his fist, though he c


    ontinued pretending to toy with his phone. Although he feigned no interest in the matter, his ears were de


    finitely attentive.


    ¡°I mean it.¡± Xavier¡®s eyes were filled with earnesty and resolution. He was in no means jesting.


    But of course, Veronica knew he was being serious, but he knew nothing of herplications, and being


    in love with him would only drag him down.


    ¡°Uh, Matthew, I¡®m hungry. Can you go buy me some porridge?¡± She thought up a way to drive Matthew


    away.


    In response, Matthew lifted his eyes and


    shot her a cold gaze before looking at Xavier who was kneeling on the ground. A whileter, he got to his


    feet and walked out of the ward.


    m! The ward door was mmed


    shut at once. Matthew mmed the door so hard that the entire ward shook, as if it was about to cops


    e.


    Resting in bed, Veronica was stunned by Matthew¡®s temper that came out of nowhere, mumbling, ¡°Retar


    d.¡±


    As a man, Xavier was much more attuned to Matthew¡®s emotions than her. Even


    though Mathew voiced not a word, he could still sense his feelings and thoughts. After all, only men coul


    d understand each other best.


    ¡°Get up quick, Xavier. I won¡®t agree to this.¡± Veronica bluntly rejected his proposal and added, ¡°I don¡®t like


    you!¡±


    If she did noi, in fact, like him, she shouldn¡®t have made promises with him and toyed with his feelings.


    Her rejection baffled Xavier, who hastily questioned, ¡°Do you like Matthew?¡±


    ¡°Of course I...¡± Do not like him! However, she couldn¡®t bring herself toplete the sentence. All of a sud


    den, an idea popped in her mind, and she quickly continued, ¡°¡­like him.¡±


    Man, f*ck that! Matthew¡®s the worst scum! The absolute worst!


    Nheless, Matthew was quite a reliable shield to reject Xavier.


    Instantly, Xavier¡®s once¨C


    optimistic face darkened. He couldn¡®t hide his disappointment. He softly uttered, ¡°But he already has a fian


    ¡°He has a fianc¨¦e, and that¡®s his problem. It has nothing to do with me admiring him.¡±


    ¡°You already know the result, yet why are you still so persistent?¡±


    ¡°Well, humans are only irrational because of their uncontroble emotions. It isn¡®t a matter of persistence.


    ¡°Although you look the same as Tiffany, you¡®re not


    her after all. In the end, you¡®ll only end up as the sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡®ll wait for the end. I certainly don¡®t care about it now.¡± Given how persevering Xavier was, Veron


    At her repeated rejections, Xavier acknowledged her determination and stubbornness. Despite his disaffe


    fianc¨¦e, let¡®s be brothers, then.¡± Rejection after a proposal would only cause two parties to grow distant. NThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Surn;} like the sound of that,¡± Veronica agreed. She couldn¡®t help but be impressed. por second there. Xav


    as her brother would be an excellent choice.


    Afier pondering for a while, Veronica stated, ¡°Since Matthew is older, he shall be the elder bro, and you sh


    Elder bro? Second bro? Xavier was thoroughly puzzled.

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115


    However, if Xavier became ¡°brothers¡± with Veronica, their rtionship might improve, and she might


    e to realize his good points. Perhaps one day, it would not be impossible for her to be willing to date him.


    He let out an awkwardugh. ¡°Haha! Sure, why not? From now on, I¡®ve gained another sister.¡±


    ¡°Sister? Oh, by


    the way, do you know Melissa? I met her when I went to Almeida this time. Your sister has a really good


    personality and is quite likable.¡± Veronica subtly changed the topic to talk about Melissa.


    Xavier nodded in agreement. ¡°Well, yes. Melissa is very nice, and we have a good rtionship.¡± As he sa


    id that, he used his foot to open the trash can on the side and tossed the ring in.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Seeing that, Veronica couldn¡®t help but be shocked. ¡°Why are you throwing th


    e ring away? It¡®s very expensive, you know.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s not that expensive actually. I have no use for it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You can at least keep it and give it to other girls.¡±


    A ring was a great tool for flirting with girls, so it was a pity to just throw it away. More importantly, it must¡®


    ve cost a pretty penny


    ¡°I can¡®t give it away.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Your name is engraved on it.¡±


    ¡°My name?¡± Veronica wrinkled her eyebrows and looked sideways at the trash can next to the bed, feelin


    g her heart ache.


    After giving it some thought, she suggested, ¡°How about you sell it to me for cheap?¡±


    ¡°Sell it to you for cheap? How?¡± Xavier was a little puzzled by her words.


    ¡°You¡®re going to throw it away anyway, so just sell it to me for cheap. How much did you buy it? I¡®ll give y


    ou an estimate.¡± Veronica blinked her bright eyes, her expression expectant.


    instantly: Xavier understood what Veronica meant, and after thinking about it, he ad.


    ¡°I boughu it for 99,000, but if you want it, I¡®ll sell it to you for 9,900.¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°9.900: That¡®s so expensive! Bro, how


    could you charge me that much for something you¡®re about to throw away? As siblings, the least you coul


    d do is give me a discount.¡±


    ¡°Then how much do you want it for?¡±


    ¡°Round it off,¡±


    ¡°9:000?¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Shouldn¡®t it be 5,000 if you round it off?¡±


    9,900 rounded off is 5,000? Her way of thinking is... odd. Xavier would have never thought that he would


    be rejected after his first proposal to a woman in his life, and that he would sell the engagement ring he h


    ad prepared instead of giving it away.


    ¡°Fine, I¡®ll sell it for 5,000.¡±


    Xavier picked up the ring from the trash


    can and handed it to her. ¡°I¡®ll give you the ring. You can give me the 5,000 once you¡®re back in Bloomstea


    d.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, of course.¡±


    Ignoring the dangling needle on the back of her hand, Veronica took the ring and excitedly began to exa


    mine it. ¡°It¡®s so shiny.¡±


    Now that she had bought a ring that originally cost 99,000 for 5,000, she could earn a huge profit after pa


    wning it off. Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. What a steal.


    Veronica took the ring out of the box and squinted at it, only to see that her name was indeed engraved o


    n the inside of the ring. Although the words were small and not that legible, she could barely recognize it


    as her name.


    ¡°Bro, you¡®re the best!¡± Veronica was overjoyed.


    ¡°I¡®m d you like it.¡±


    ¡°Of course I like it. I¡®m in love with it.¡± As long as it can be sold for money, anything¡®s good. Veronica did n


    ot try on the ring, but carefully stuffed it into the ring box and ced it on the table instead, before she co


    ntinued chatting with Xavier.


    Not long after that, Matthew walked in carrying a thermos. His harsh gaze swept over


    Veronica and Xavier, only to see them chatting happily as Veronica clutched a heart Whaped ring box in


    her hands with an unconceble expression of joy on her face. Al that sight, his face twisted in displeasu


    re.


    With a thud, Matthew ced the thermos on the table and ordered, ¡°Eat.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, thank you, Matthew.¡± Veronica smiled at


    Matthew. As she was in a good mood, she subconsciously ignored Matthew¡®s unhappy expression. She


    got up and leaned on the bed, reaching for the thermos.


    However, Xavier intervened. ¡°Let me feed you.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡®ll do it myself. I¡®m not used to people feeding me.¡± The moment Veronica unscrewed the lid of the t


    hermos, she was met with a delicious aroma. Using a spoon, she scooped up a spoonful of porridge and


    briefly blew on it before stuffing it into her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious.¡±


    Compared to the miserable past few days, it was a gift from heaven to be able to eat delicious food again


    .


    ¡°Phew¡­ it¡®s a little hot.¡± Sheughed and continued to eat with her head down.


    On the sofa, Matthew stared at Veronica with


    his cold eyes before he finally took his phone and typed a message to Thomas. ¡°Give Young Master Xavie


    Ten minutester, Xavier¡®s cell phone suddenly rang. The moment he answered the phone, his face imme


    immediately.¡±


    ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡± Noticing that Xavier did not look well, Veronica immediately became concerned.


    ¡°Something came up at thepany, so I have to go back to Bloomstead early. I¡®ll wait for you there.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, you


    can go back first. I still have Matthew here, so don¡®t worry. I¡®ll be fine.¡± Veronica assured with a wave of he


    Xavier stood up and gave a meaningful nce at Matthew. ¡°I¡®ll be taking my leave first. Take care of Veron


    Though his words seemed harmless on the surface, they held a deeper meaning if one read between the


    ¡°You don¡®need to trouble yourself. Young Master Xavier,¡± Matthew said as he leaned on the sofa with his l


    smile.


    Xavier looked back at Veronica uneasily. ¡°Although you¡®re Old Mrs. Kings¡® god granddaughter and


    Matthew¡®s sister in name, you¡®re still a girl. You have to be careful sometimes so that people won¡®t start ru


    ¡°Gosh, I know, I know. I¡®ll be fine.¡± Veronica nodded profusely, her tone turning impatient.


    Of course, she knew


    Xavier was warning her that Matthew was the one with a fianc¨¦e, and she should avoid arousing


    gossip by staying with Matthew. Even if she ¡°liked¡± Matthew, she still had to take her status into ount.


    With one sentence, each of them fell into their own thoughts. However, Matthew thought that Veronica ha


    Without waiting for Matthew to reply, Xavier left. Once he was gone, Veronica and Matthew were the only


    silent while Veronica concentrated on eating, enjoying the joys of life in high spirits.


    When she finished eating, she burped and put the lunch box on the table. Then, she picked up the ring an


    with it with an expression of unconcealed delight.


    At that moment, Matthew, who was never easily swayed, finally could not hold back his anger. He got up a


    ¡°How can a single ring make you this happy?¡°)


    ¡°Matthew, give me my ring back.¡± Veronica sat up, but because she had moved too suddenly, she iden

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116


    Chapier 116


    Therge movement caused the wound on Veronica¡®s arm to start hurting as well.


    Seeing her wrinkled face and pained screams, Matthew¡®s cold heart melted and he did not reprimand her


    anymore. Instead, he allowed¡® her to snatch the ring from his hand, clutching it in her hand as if she was


    protecting a rare treasure.


    ¡°Do you¡­ like him a lot?¡± Matthew hesitated before asking.


    Veronica looked up at Matthew, not understanding where this scum got the confidence to dislike Xavier


    so much.


    However, in the end, she currently needed to rely on the power of the Kings Family and had no choice


    but to spend time with Matthew. Still, she was afraid that Matthew had covetous thoughts about her, so


    she said, ¡°Yes, I do. Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Since when were you a social climber? Are you really desperate enough to like someone like Xavier?¡±


    Matthew asked, his brows wrinkling in anger.


    Everyone in Bloomstead knew that Xavier was a yboy who had seen countless women and spent his


    days flirting. This woman had no idea what she was talking about.


    ¡°Matthew, you¡®re just my god-brother, not my real brother. What does it matter to you who I like? Don¡®t


    think that just because you saved me, you can unt your authority over me, say whatever you want, or


    tell me what to do!¡± Veronica mocked him with a re.


    She felt dissatisfied. In any case, Xavier was her brother. Even if he was not perfect, he was not as bad


    as Matthew was making him out to be.


    There was a chilly expression on Matthew¡®s chiseled and handsome face. He lifted her chin with his long


    fingers as he leaned down slightly and warned, ¡°As long as you¡®re rted to Grandma, you are a


    member of my family. I will never allow you to be with Xavier and bring shame to the Kings Family¡®s


    name.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s on you if you don¡®t allow it. I¡®ll just talk to Grandmater. Hmph.¡± Veronica brushed away


    Matthew¡®s hand before shey down on the bed in anger, giving him the cold shoulder.


    Not longter, once her IV drip had run dry, Veronica tossed and turned in bed. She couldn¡®t sleep, but


    as she didn¡®t have her phone or anything else with her, she was.


    bored out of her mind. She took a nce at Matthew. Seeing that he had gotten aptop somewhere and


    was ying with it, she said, ¡°Hey, Ma¡­ Ugh¡­ Bro, since you have aptop already, can you let me


    y with your phone for a while?¡±


    She always called him Matthew, and only called him bro when she wanted something!


    Matthew had long since be familiar with Veronica¡®s antics. He swept a nce at Veronica with his


    deep eyes, and then looked at the time in the lower right corner of hisptop. It was already two o¡®clock


    at night.


    She was still not sleepy..


    Matthew had just been irritated, but now his cold heart softened a little. Carrying the


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°A new movie just released recently. Since we have nothing to do, let¡®s watch it together,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Sure. I couldn¡®t fall asleep anyway.¡± Veronica nodded profusely and moved to the left. She stretched out


    her hand and patted the left side of her bed, saying, ¡°You can lie here. The hospital beds here are big, so


    it won¡®t be crowded even if two people lie down together.¡±


    Matthew changed back into a suit that made him look extremely capable and handsome. He retrieved a


    pillow from the sofa and ced it behind him as he sat next to Veronica. Then, he chose a sci¨Cfi


    blockbuster on a streaming site and began watching after paying a fee.


    However, not long after the movie started, Veronica shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡®t want to watch this.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want to watch?¡±


    ¡°I really like watching movies like Jurassic Park, The Rise of the Apes, Transformers 5, or Avatar.¡±


    Veronica liked these movies as they were nostalgic, but the one she remembered the most was


    Transformers 5, as it was the first time she had gone to the cinema to watch


    a 3D movie. Besides, she had watched it with her first love. Hence, it was worth remembering and she


    had never forgotten about it. However, because her first love was not adapted to 3D movies, he felt dizzy


    throughout the movie and couldn¡®t get


    used to it for a long time even after leaving the cinema.


    Matthew didn¡®t think much about it. He casually searched for a movie to watch with Veronica.


    The iwo leaned on the head of the bed, shoulder to shoulder. It was rare for them to sit calmly and watch


    a movie together without any dispute, noise, or shunning the other.


    ¡°Look, Caesar is so talented. He knows how to talk now.¡±


    They were watching The Rise of the Apes 1, and the most exciting part was that Caesar learned to


    speak and started a revolution.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Matthew responded: As he nced at Veronica beside him, he felt a strange emotion surging in


    his chest. He rarely watched movies. Because of his busy schedule, he didn¡®t have enough time for


    himself, much less enough to watch a movie. All of a sudden, he thought that it was not bad to watch a


    movie in his free time. However, he didn¡®t realize that watching movies with someone one liked was the


    best.


    As they neared the end of the two¨Chour long movie, he felt his shoulders sink and turned his head to


    look, only to find Veronica asleep on his shoulder. Currently, it was already half past four in the morning.


    He closed theputer and raised his hand to hold her cheek, trying to make her lie down. However,


    her skin felt hot to the touch. Matthew put his hand over Veronica¡®s forehead, and sure enough, she had


    a fever. He held her head and carefully helped her lie down, but Veronica still woke up in the end.


    ¡°Hm¡­ When did I fall asleep?¡± Looking at Matthew beside her, Veronica muttered in a daze.


    ¡°Just sleep. It¡®ste.¡± Matthew didn¡®t say anything about her fever and only covered her with a thin


    nket. He patted her on the shoulder, letting her sleep.


    After Veronica had fallen asleep, Matthew went to the doctor on duty, who prescribed Veronica with


    some medicine to lower her fever.


    Matthew took the medicine and patted Veronica who had awakened from her sleep. ¡°Veronica, can you


    wake up?¡±


    He patted her on the shoulder a few times, but Veronica didn¡®t respond. Growing a liuile anxious,


    Matthew ced the medicine on the table and sat beside her to


    support her shoulders, letting her lean on his arms. ¡°You silly brat, wake up. Have you taken your


    medicine?¡±


    He pated her cheek gently with his hand, but Veronica, who was muddled from the fever, only closed her


    eyes and mumbled blearily. As her voice was soft, Matthew could not hear a word of what she was


    saying.


    ¡°Come on, open your mouth and drink your medicine.¡± He took the medicine and held it to her mouth,


    feeding her a sip.


    As a result, Veronica frowned. ¡°It¡®s so bitter. I won¡®t¡­ I won¡®t drink it..¡±


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    With a few iprehensible mutters, she weakly leaned her head on Matthew¡®s shoulder, delirious from


    the fever. Matthew attempted to feed her again, but she closed her mouth and refused to drink.


    Helpless, Matthew looked at the dark medicine in the cup and hesitated for a long time. Finally, he took a


    sip and put down the cup before stretching out his hand to pinch Veronica¡®s cheek, forcing her to open


    her mouth. Then, he leaned over and covered her lips, directly transferring the medicine into her mouth.


    ¡°Mmph..¡± The bitter medicine caused her to struggle subconsciously, but Matthew blocked her mouth and


    forced her to drink the medicine.


    One, two, three sips¡­


    Finally, four sipster, she finished drinking the medicine.


    Worried that the medicine would be too bitter for Veronica, Matthew took a sip of warm water and put it in


    her mouth in the same way. It was only after she had drank a little that he let her lie down, relieved.

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117


    However, Veronica wasn¡®t a peaceful sleeper; she kept rolling on the bed as she slept, and she ended up


    squashing her injured arm.


    ¡°Ow¡­ that hurts¡­¡± she mumbled, before rolling over again.


    Matthew couldn¡®t exactly stomach this anymore. Worried that she would roll onto her injured arm again, h


    e got up andy next to her, pulling her into his arms. He carefully took care of her to prevent her from hu


    rting herself again.


    The familiar smell put Veronica at ease as shey in his arms, and she rubbed herself against his chest.


    Her injured arm wrapped itself around Matthew¡®s waist, one of her legsing to rest on his own legs as


    well. She fell asleep peacefully then.


    Veronica¡®s sleep might be peaceful now, but Matthew wasn¡®t in afortable position. In order to preven


    t himself from pressing down on her injured arm, he kept his left arm behind himself as hey motionlessl


    y next to her. It


    wasn¡®t until her fever broke at six in the wee hours of the morning that Matthew finally got up, his body alr


    eady numb from being stuck in one position.


    He worked the stiffness out of his body so that he wouldn¡®t feel as numb as before.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    to


    A few minutester, Veronica woke up. ¡°Why are you up so early?¡± She sat up


    weakly in bed, her eyes locked on Matthew as he paced the room, ¡°Don¡®t you need to sleep too?¡±


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡± Matthew¡®s voice was soft. The harshness from yesterday was absent.


    Veronica shook her head. ¡°No. I pretty much wake up at half past six every day.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel now? Feeling any better?¡± Matthew walked over to her and pressed a hand to her foreh


    ead. His heart only slipped back down his throat when he realized that her fever had abated.


    ¡°I had a feverst night?¡±


    ¡°Just a low one.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Veronica replied. She looked at him with aplicated gaze. ¡°Matthew?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Matthew gently answered her as he sat on the chair next to her bed. His typically frigid expression


    was like the arrival of spring, soft and warm after the snow had melted.


    Even though you¡®re being nice to me because of Grandma, I still want to thank you.¡±


    It didn¡®matter whether Matthew was using her or if his concern was fake; he


    did save her, and he did take care of her. Veronica was thankful for that, and she naturally didn¡®t dislike hi


    m as much as she did before. At the very least, she considered the debt incurred from this f*ckboy sleepi


    ng with her cleared. As long as he didn¡®t touch her again, she could forget about this part of the past.


    It would have been better if she hadn¡®t said that, for her words sounded extremely harsh to Matthew. But


    in the end, he didn¡®t have the heart to quibble with her on that. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°After lying in bed for an entire night, I want to go downstairs for a walk with you.¡±


    ¡°No. The doctors already said that you have to rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then, buy me some porridge. The one from yesterday.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re fond of porridge.¡±


    ¡°You got that right. Porridge is my favorite. I¡®m not exactly fond of noodles, like in chicken noodle soup.¡± V


    eronica smiled, but she ended up looking frail due to the paleness of her face, like a wind would blow her


    over at any moment. It made Matthew¡®s heart ache.


    ¡°I¡®ll make some for you when we get back.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, that¡®s great. The only thing you know how to make is porridge, and I love porridge. It¡®s absolute


    ly perfect,¡± Veronica murmured. Suddenly, she shook her head. ¡°Never mind, the porridge you make is to


    o expensive. It¡®s like, three hundred for a serving. Just forget about it.¡±


    For Pete¡®s sake, running around the whole day delivering food would me only three hundred bucks. A


    nd a breakfast


    from Matthew will run me three hundred bucks. I sure as hell don¡®t have the money for that!


    ¡°If you behave well, I can consider waiving the fee.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, in the future, you can make breakfast for me and I¡®ll clean for you. How¡®s that?¡±


    ¡°All righi.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s great. I can save on rent and utilities and even breakfast expenses.¡± Veronica mentally calcted


    everything. In one month, she would save at least two thousand bucks. That would be 24,000 a year. W


    oohoo, a whopping 24,000. Leaving it in the bank will me a couple hundred in interest too. Nice!


    ?ubsequently, Matthew left Veronica¡®s ward to buy her breakfast.


    A few dayster, Veronica was discharged from hospital atst. She flew back to Bloomstead with Matth


    ew. She stood outside of the airport after they had arrived and slowly closed her eyes, breathing in the fr


    esh air. ¡°I¡®m back atst. The air in Bloomstead always smells so clean and fresh,¡± she eximed.


    ¡°Get in the car.¡± Matthew walked past her and led her into the


    car with a hand pressed to the back of her head. The door closed, and Thomas


    slowly drove them away from the airport


    Veronica leaned back in her seat and turned to nce at Matthew. ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The Kings Residence.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Veronica said, but she didn¡®t look all that overjoyed. Just as she thought, Matthew¡®s niceness


    toward her was only because he was cultivating a useful piece for his chessboard; he wanted to use her


    to improve his rtionship with his grandmother


    ¡°Miss Murphy, this is the cell phone that Young Master Matthew asked me to buy


    for you. The SIM card¡®s all been handled.¡± Thomas handed a cell phone to Veronica as he drove.


    She took the phone and thanked him. After she switched on the phone, it buzzed for some time; they were


    Before she went to Almeida, Veronica


    had called her adoptive parents, telling them that she was representing herpany for a phnthropic e


    When they passed a grocery store, Veronica asked for some money from Mathew and went


    inside to buy some supplements.


    They arrived at the Kings Residence half an hourter. Veronica had just gotten out


    of the car when Matthews phone rang. He pulled it out and answered the call. ¡°What is it?


    Veronica couldn¡®t hear what the other speaker said, but she sensed Matthew¡®s expression darkened a


    little. ¡°All right, I¡®ll be right over.¡± He then hung up and walked over to her. ¡°Something just came up, and I


    For some reason, Veronica felt that Matthew was


    currently being fake, but she didn¡®t say anything. She had agreed to be Elizabeth¡®s god¨C


    granddaughter because she wanted to use the Kingses¡® power and influence; Matthew was having her to


    They were both getting something out of this. This was a mere transaction.


    Thus, Veronica dipped her head. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Thomas brought their belongings down from the car. With a nce from Matthew, Thomas handed the ca


    Veronica found Elizabeth inside the living room. ¡°Grandma?¡± she called.


    At the sound of Veronica¡®s voice, Elizabeth looked up to see Veronica. A smile instantly bloomed on her fa


    ¡°I¡®m fine. I¡®ll put the weight back on after returning to my usual diet.¡± Veronicaughed and stepped forwar


    Although she did intend to use the Kingses¡® influence for herself, Veronica truly liked Elizabeth


    ¡°Haha, I missed you too.¡± Elizabeth returned Veronica¡®s hug. However, she didn¡®t know that Veronica was

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118


    Veronica let out a hiss.


    ¡°Oh dear, what is it?¡± Elizabeth asked in concern.


    In order not to worry Elizabeth, Veronica lied and said that she had slipped earlier and her arm was


    sliced open on a sharp rock.


    Elizabeth¡¯s heart ached terribly for her. She pulled Veronica over to the couch to sit down and chat with


    her.


    ¡°As ady, you should be more mindful. You won¡¯t be as pretty if it leaves a scar,¡± Elizabeth said


    solemnly as she patted Veronica¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I¡¯m fine.¡± Veronica smiled.


    ..


    Elizabeth and Veronica chatted as usual about their daily happenings easily.


    ¡°In a few more days, I¡¯ll be taking you to see someone,¡± Elizabeth said. ¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Matthew¡¯s Uncle Conrad. He¡¯ll be returning from overseas in a few days¡¯ time. You¡¯ll be able to acquaint


    yourselves with each other. After all, he is your uncle as well.¡± Having brought him up, Elizabeth


    borated, ¡°Conrad is only a few years older than Matthew, but he has a mind for business. I¡¯m


    considering letting you learn from him.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Learn¡­ Learn from¡­ Uncle Conrad?¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t understand. Thirsty, she picked up the


    ss of water from the table and took a sip.


    Elizabeth¡¯s voice rang out again by her ear. ¡°Conrad is a reliable man with dashing good looks. He¡¯s a


    bachelor too. You might not be able to be with Matthew, but I want to introduce you to Conrad.¡±


    ¡°Cough... Cough...¡± Startled by Elizabeth¡¯s words, Veronica ended up spitting out the water she had been


    drinking and choked.


    Elizabeth promptly pulled a few wads of tissue paper and muttered, ¡°How old are you to still be choking


    while drinking some water?¡±


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    ¡°Cough... ¡­ urk¡­ I¡¯m okay, really.¡± Veronica wiped her mouth with the tissue while


    repeatedly waving her hand, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Grandma, what did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I just told you that I¡¯ll be introducing you to a good prospect. Conrad ising home, so it¡¯ll be a good


    time to introduce you both,¡± Elizabeth repeated herself.


    This time, Veronica understood Elizabeth atst. From the looks of things, Elizabeth liked her better than


    Matthew. While she couldn¡¯t marry Matthew when he already had a fianc¨¦e, that didn¡¯t mean that


    Elizabeth couldn¡¯t ¡°introduce¡± her to Conrad Kings!


    If the matchmaking went through, would Veronica end up being¡­ Matthew¡¯s aunt? By marriage?


    Oh gosh, isn¡®t this just hasty though?


    ¡°Grandma, no way. How am I worthy of him? Forget about it.¡± Veronica declined the offer.


    ¡°What do you mean, forget it? If I say that you can meet him, then you will. That¡¯s settled for now.¡±


    Elizabeth did not give Veronica any room to refuse and straightaway sealed the meeting.


    Veronica was a little exasperated, but she didn¡¯t say anything else after that. She kept Elizabeth


    company the entire day. However, Matthew never once showed up. It wasn¡¯t until after dinner that


    Veronica was returned to the Twilight Club by Thomas. After getting out of the car, Veronica called her


    adoptive parents from where she was in the parking basement to ask after them. She rxed once she


    was sure they were fine and safe.


    Matthew wasn¡¯t in the apartment either when she returned. He didn¡¯te home that night.


    Veronica went to bedte again. The next day, she woke up early. After brushing her teeth and washing


    up, she changed her clothes and went downstairs to eat. Later that morning at ten, she went to a pawn


    shop.


    ¡°Hello there, I¡¯d like to pawn this off.¡± Veronica handed a ring over to the staff member there.


    The man took the ring and inspected it. ¡°Do you have the receipt for this?¡± he asked as he checked the


    ring.


    ¡°Nope¡±


    ¡°It looks pretty new. Why do you want to pawn the ring off?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s because I¡­ am broke.¡± Veronica thought that the pawn shop worker was spouting


    garbage. She looked at the man. ¡°How much can this ring go for?¡± she asked.


    ¡°How did you get this?¡±


    ¡°A friend gave it to me.¡±


    ¡°How much did it cost?¡± the man asked again.


    Veronica knew their tricks. She knew that they would immediately haggle down once she named a price,


    so she thought of an excuse. ¡°The ring was a gift, so how would I know? But look at it closely-my name


    is engraved on it.¡±


    The man held up a magnifying ss to the ring. Veronica saw him frown. ¡°Hold on a sec. I¡¯ll get my boss


    to take a look at this.¡± He then went into the back of the shop.


    Shortly after, the owner of the pawn shop emerged for another round of questions for her. ¡°You sure this


    ring is yours, miss


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just wasting your breath?¡± She smacked her ID card down on the counter and pointed at the


    name printed there. ¡°You see this? Veronica Murphy, as stated on my ID! You gonna take it or not? If you


    won¡¯t, then fine.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, I¡¯ll take it, all right.¡± The man checked the ring again. Having confirmed that it was hers, the


    owner grinned as he raised his right hand and syed his fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll give you this much.¡±


    Five thousand?


    ¡°Just that paltry sum? You trying to fleece me, mister? Don¡¯t take me for a fool!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ hehe, how much do you want then?¡± the owner asked.


    Veronica gave it some thought. ¡°At least a nice,rge number.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ haha, all right then. A nice number, it is. You¡¯re quite straightforward there,dy. Hey


    Murray, bring a hundred thousand bucks here.¡±


    ¡°What? A hundred thou¨C¡°A hundred thousand? Veronica froze on the spot. When she said a nice,rge


    number, she was thinking ten thousand. Yet, the owner of the pawn shop offered her a hundred


    thousand.


    Veronica suddenly felt that something was not right. Could the ring be an expensive one? Both of these


    men had seen plenty of rings before in the pawn shop business; there couldn¡¯t possibly be anything


    wrong with their assessment.


    In the end, Veronica said, ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m not selling this anymore. Return it to me.¡±


    After getting her ring back, Veronica brought it with her to Xavier¡¯spany, Konig. She caught sight of


    Xavier, buried in work, the moment she opened the door to the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°Hey bro, I¡¯m back,¡± she


    shouted as she rapped on the door.


    Xavier lifted his head and stood up when he noticed her. ¡°Roni, when did you get back?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ today. Yeah, I just got back here today.¡± Veronica was worried that Xavier would ask her why she


    hadn¡¯t given him a phone call if she said that she returned yesterday.


    ¡°And here I was thinking of picking you up from the hospital after I was done with this onest task.


    Didn¡¯t think that you woulde back before then.¡± Xavier walked over to her and held her right arm up.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. It just hurts a little.¡± Veronica smiled before she pulled out the ring from her pocket. ¡°Here, I¡¯m


    giving this back.¡±


    Seeing the ring in her hand, Xavier¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I thought you said that you were going to sell it?


    Why are you giving it back to me?¡±


    Veronica lowered her head to look at the gleaming ring. A moment of hesitationter, she threw out an


    excuse. ¡°Because it¡¯s unseble? My name is engraved on it. I went to a pawn shop earlier and they


    didn¡¯t want it.¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t want to ept an expensive gift, so she shoved the ring into Xavier¡¯s hand.


    Xavier looked down at the ring. A moment of thoughtter, he closed his hand around it. ¡°Since the pawn


    shop didn¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll just hold onto it then.¡± He pulled open a drawer and casually tossed the ring inside,


    all while pretending to be nonchnt about it.

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119


    m! All of a sudden, the door to the office flung open with a hard kick.


    Veronica and


    Xavier whipped their heads around, startled, only to see a woman with long, wavy hair and thick makeup


    strolling in. A pair of sunsses rested on her face, and several bags hung off her arms.


    ¡°Hey, Xavier, look what I bought for you¡­¡±


    The woman turned her head to look at the side as she spoke. All of a sudden, she went stiff. Her slender


    fingers reached up to pluck her sunsses off so that she could take a closer look


    at the person in front of her. She shrieked then, tossing aside her bags to charge toward Veronica and wr


    ap her in a hug. ¡°Oh, Veronica, you¡®re alive! You¡®re still alive! This is great


    news! Hahaha, I was so worried. I thought that something actually happened to you.¡±


    ¨C


    =


    Melissa was so worked up that she hopped as she screamed, like an overstimted kid.


    ¡°Ow¡­ that hurts! Release me! Stop hugging!¡± Veronica sucked in a breath after Melissa jostled her injury


    , breaking out in a cold sweat.


    Having seen this, Xavier pulled Melissa aside. ¡°Let her go, Melissa. Roni is injured.¡±


    Melissa¡®s smile froze over. ¡°Ah, she got¡­ hurt?¡± She loosened her hug then. Seeing Veronica press a ha


    nd to her right arm, she leaned in close, frowning as she asked in worry, ¡°Oh dear, how did you get hurt?


    I¡®m so sorry. I didn¡®t do that on purpose.¡± She pursed her lips. Her heart ached, yet she was also happy.


    ¡°I¡®m okay, really.¡± Veronica waved a hand dismissively and shook her head, but the pain in her arm still di


    dn¡®t abate.


    ¡°So long as you¡®re fine. Tell me now, what happened


    to you guys that day actually? You got swept away by the river currents, and we couldn¡®t find you. Later o


    n, when Xavier said that you were alive, I didn¡®t believe him. Who would have thought that you really are


    alive?¡± Melissa dragged Veronica to sit on the couch. She kept chirping away endlessly like a sparrow.


    ¡°When I got swept away, I managed to get back to shore by pulling myself up a tree by the riverbank. Yo


    ur brother found meter. I got hurt


    while in the river, and was discharged from the hospital just recently.¡± In a few quick sentences, Veronica


    exined the terrifying events of that day clearly.


    ¡°It¡®s all in the past now. So long as you¡®re okay now.¡± Melissa grinned beatifically, overjoyed


    Xavier was a little baffled by their closeness. ¡°Since when were you two so close?¡± he asked as he picke


    d up Melissa¡®s shopping bags and ced them aside.


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    ¡°Hehe, now that¡®s a secret for us girls.¡± Melissa abruptly snapped her fingers as she spoke. ¡°Oh, right, I h


    ave something for you.¡± She got up and rifled through her


    dozen or so shopping bags before she found what she was looking for. She then brought a handbag over


    to Veronica. ¡°Here you go. Good things always happen after a disaster. Here¡®s a present for you.¡±


    Melissa had initially bought the bag for herself, but with Veronica here, it would be better to gift it to Veron


    ica instead. After all, Melissa would be able to see her idol every day with Veronica here.


    The bag was a limited edition Herm¨¨s. Design¨C


    wise, it was sophisticated and elegant. Veronica nced at it and shook her head. ¡°I get your sentiment,


    but you should keep the bag for yourself. I can¡®t use this.¡±


    ¡°If I said it¡®s for you, then it¡®s for you. Take it!¡± Melissa shoved the Herm¨¨s bag into Veronica¡®s arms. ¡°Hm


    ph, nobody can refuse my gifts!¡±


    ¡°But I really can¡®t¡­¡±


    ¡°Since it¡®s a present for you, you should ept it,¡± Xavier advised Veronica before she could continue pr


    otesting.


    ¡°Yep, yep. I see you as my bestie, so you¡®ll have to ept my presents, or you¡®ll be looking down on me.


    ¡± Melissa raised an eyebrow, radiating pure ¡°I¡®m a princess and my words isw¡± energy. Her directness


    was a trait that others liked.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± With no other choice, Veronica helplessly epted the bag.


    ¡°Come on now, no need


    to thank me. You¡®ll have plenty of opportunities to make it up to me in the future.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Veronica just knew that Melissa definitely had her own ns since she gave her a gift.


    ¡°By the way, Xavier, didn¡®t you say that you were going to propose to Veronica after she¡®s back? Why are


    n¡®t you seizing this opportunity now?¡± Melissa asked Xavier outright, having suddenly remembered this m


    atter.


    Nitier shrugged helplessly with his hands raised. ¡°I got shot down.¡±


    Xavier and Melissa were as close as could be. Although they were only half¨C


    siblings through their father, Xavier thought


    that Melissa¡®s straightforward nature was adorable and likable.


    ¡°Huh? Rejected?¡± Melissa was outright baffled. She turned her head back to look at Veronica. ¡°Why did y


    ou reject my brother¡®s proposal? Is it because he seems like too much of a womanizer?¡±


    Such direct words! An awkward look came over Veronica¡®s expression as she chuckled in embarrassmen


    t. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Oho, ady with her own thoughts and personality, and who isn¡®t a gold¨C


    digger. I like you even more now.¡± Melissa threw an arm over Veronica¡®s shoulder and rubbed herself ag


    ainst it. ¡°You really shouldn¡®t agree to a proposal from a f*ckboy like my brother. You¡®ll need more than a


    single book to fully write about his phndering ways.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Melissa Crawford, I¡¯m your brother


    here. You¡®re going overboard with the roasting!¡± Xavier leaned against his desk, his arms folded over his


    chest as he observed the


    two women on the couch. He wasn¡®t sure whether he shouldugh or cry at Melissa¡®s antics when he he


    ard that. But, he wasn¡®t angry. On the contrary, he was actually d to see Melissa was on good terms


    with Veronica.


    ¡°Look, Xavier, Veronica¡®s like a sister to me. How can I just stand by and watch her jump into a dumpster


    fire?¡± Melissa shook her head and let out a sigh. ¡°From now on, I¡®ll protect her. You should set your sights


    on another woman. If I¡®m going to introduce a man to Veronica, he¡®s going to be someone with ss.¡±


    Although Melissa was close to Xavier, she


    also knew about his womanizing antics. Naturally, she didn¡®t want him to hurt Veronica.


    ¡°Are you itching for a fight because you haven¡®t been in one thest few days, Melissa?¡±


    ¡°Hah, I¡®m just telling the truth. Besides, you can¡®t bring yourself to hit me anyway.¡±


    ¡°Juste here and try me!¡±


    The siblings bantered back and forth. They seemed to be arguing, but in reality, it was just their way of tea


    Veronica couldn¡®t help but feel jealous at the sight. She also had a sister, but their rtionship wasn¡®t like


    8s


    When noon came, the three of them had lunch together. After lunch, Melissa made up an excuse to lead V


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Veronica asked inside Melissa¡®s car.


    ¡°Of course it¡®s to see Matthew. It¡®s been a while since Ist saw him,¡± Melissa answered while driving


    Veronica pressed a hand to her forehead. What evil thoughts could this woman have actually...


    ¡°Oh, there¡®s reception now: Add my Venmo and I¡®ll Venmo you the money. We may be besties, but we sho


    earlier.¡± Melissa opened her Venmo app. Veronica checked her details and added Melissa.


    The next moment, a message popped up on Veronica¡®s Venmo app. It was a transaction notice, informing


    30,000 bucks.


    ¡°We agreed that I¡®d pay you 30,000 for getting me a date with him, with an extra 10,000 as a one¨C


    time bonus. You better not go back on your word.

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120


    Veronica¡®s eyes lit up at Melissa¡®s words. Her mood instantly took a turn for the better. ¡°How could I? I ke


    ep my promises.¡±


    It was so easy earning money like this. Veronica hadn¡®t thought that Matthew could be used like a golden


    goose. She would have to hang onto him for this in the future!


    Thirty minutester, Veronica and Melissa arrived at the Spinfluence building. She prepared to call Matth


    ew, but she was also worried that she would interrupt him on the off¨C


    chance that he was in a business meeting. So, she called Thomas instead. Thomas came downstairs sh


    ortly after that.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Murphy and


    Miss Crawford, what are you here for today?¡± Thomas had immediatelye to see Veronica the mome


    nt he heard about her arrival. He was good at reading people, after all. As someone who had a good gra


    sp on people¡®s feelings, Thomas knew very well just how important Veronica was to his employer.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡®m here to look for Matthew,¡± Veronica


    said with a straight face as she nced at Melissa meaningfully.


    Thomas dipped his head before walking over to the reception and pointing at Veronica. ¡°From today onw


    ard, you are not supposed to stop her from entering the premises,¡± he said to the receptionists.


    The two receptionists eyed Veronica, jealousy clear in their eyes as they nodded. ¡°All right. Understood,


    Mr. Ritter.¡±


    Thomas proceeded to lead Veronica and Melissa upstairs.


    This was Veronica¡®s first time inside the Spinfluence Group. At the sight of the elegant and modern interi


    or design and the throngs of smart business people walking its halls, she felt envious. If it wasn¡®t for the L


    arsons, she could have been like the employees here, working hard in a simr environment.


    Having reached the CEO¡®s office, Thomas pointed at the


    door. ¡°This is Young Master Matthew¡®s office, Miss Murphy. Please head inside yourself; I still have some


    business to attend to.¡± He didn¡®t want to third¨Cwheel them, so he made up an excuse to slip away.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Ritter,¡± Veronica said. Then, she and Melissa walked over to the door, knocking on it bef


    ore opening the door.


    The moment they walked in, they were greeted by the sight of an opulent office with a muted color sche


    me. Matthew sat by a curved desk, leaning back in hisrge chair, while there, sitting on hisp was¡­ Tif


    fany Larson!


    Veronica stopped in her tracks to stare dumbly at the sight before her.


    Matthew was, as usual, dressed in a suit. His hair was cut short. His features were chiseled and defined,


    comparable to the perfection of a model, especially with his chic and noble aura; the woman in his arms


    was d in a strapless dress. Her long hair cascaded down to her waist, and her light makeup was beaut


    ifully done. Her corbones were visible without being stark, adding to her loveliness. Both man and wom


    an were beautiful creatures, works of art. And here they were, cuddling closely with each other.


    Those two were engaged, so it was perfectly normal that this would happen. And yet Veronica felt suffoc


    ated, like she was a beat behind everyone. .


    ¡°So that b*tch is here too.¡± Melissa couldn¡®t stop herself from pursing her lips upon seeing Tiffany, enviou


    s of her position. Upon closer look, although Veronica and


    Tiffany looked very much simr, Melissa still thought that Veronica¡®s beauty surpassed Tiffany¡®s, even w


    hen Veronica had no makeup on.


    Both women stepped inside. Melissa took an even closer look at Tiffany then. Uponparing them, she


    realized that Veronica¡®s eyes wererger and more lively. Her eyebrows especially were more beautiful t


    han Tiffany¡®s, and her nose was more defined and straighter than Tiffany¡®s. Veronica had a small mole on


    her nose too; despite herck of makeup, the mole added a dignified air to her.


    Her beauty perfectly eclipsed Tiffany¡®s. The title of the most beautiful woman in Bloomstead might just ch


    ange hands.


    ¡°Why¡­ are you here?¡± A chill swept through Matthew¡®s heart at Veronica¡®s sudden appearance. His onyx


    ¨C


    like eyes turned away from her momentarily as he immediately pushed Tiffany away gently. Although he


    was pushing her away, it looked like he was treating her delicately.


    ¡°My, you¡®re back atst, Veronica.¡± Tiffany¡®s lips quirked up into a smile. She then approached Veronica. ¡°


    I knew that you went to Almeida recently. When I heard that you got into an ident, I nearly worried my


    self to death,¡± she said in concern.


    ¡°Tch, tant lies! I don¡®t see any concerning from you,¡± Melissa stated mercilessly. She found Tiffan


    y so fake that it made her nauseous.


    ¡°No, I just suspected¡­¡±


    ¡°Sbe simply felt unwell recently.¡± Before Tiffany could finish her words, Matthew walked over and pulled h


    er to his side, answering Melissa¡®s rebuttal on her behalf.


    Melissa had spent half a month with


    Veronica in Almeida. One could say they were inseparable. Matthew was also someone who treated the f


    riends of those important to him well, so he was naturally more patient with Melissa.


    Tiffany¡®s expression went rigid at his words. She eyed Matthew for a long while with a meaningful look. At


    st, she forced herself to giggle. ¡°He¡®s right; I¡®ve been feeling under the weather thest few days. I was


    worried about Veronica, yet I was powerless to help her. However, my family sent


    out many search parties to look for her after her disappearance.¡±


    Although Tiffany knew that Matthew


    and Veronica had been in Almeida at the same time, Tiffany hadn¡®t gone to Almeida, owing to a certain re


    ason. Regardless, she had achieved her goals to some extent.


    Veronica looked at Matthew with a dispirited gaze. For a moment, she didn¡®t speak. They looked at each


    other just like that


    withplicated looks in their eyes, as though they could convey all their feelings this way.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Matthew¡®s dark brows furrowed at the sight of her gaze. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Veronica¡®s mind went nk at the sudden question; she was unsure how to answer Matthew.


    Melissa promptly stood up for her when she noticed Veronica¡®s stuttering. ¡°I was the one who


    made Veronicae to see you.¡± She defended Veronica righteously like a good friend would.


    Tiffany¡®s hands clenched as she fixed Veronica with a jealous re. She couldn¡®t understand how this little


    Bloomstead knows that Melissa is the most pampered and cosseted person in the Crawford Family. Is Ve


    ¡°Since you¡®re here to see Matthew, take a seat. Would you like coffee


    or tea?¡± Tiffany immediately put on a bossy demeanor, like she was the leader here. Her haughtiness was


    off.


    ¡°I just remembered that I have something to do. Goodbye.¡± Veronica didn¡®t want to interact with Tiffany, no


    was no space for her when Tiffany was around.


    :


    As though he had discerned Veronica¡®s thoughts, Matthew immediately said to Tifany. ¡°You¡®re unwell. You


    ¡°I¡®m not that tired.¡± Tiffany shook her head, unwilling to leave. Leave and let Veronica get the chance to sp


    Not on my watch!


    ¡°Have you forgotten the doctor¡®s orders?¡± Matthew asked again, a frosty edge to his voice now.


    Tiffany¡®s expression shifted slightly. She pressed her lips together as she looked at Matthew before lookin


    The baby seems unstable? Veronica¡®s mind buzzed. All she could sense was how nk her mind was. Sh

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121


    Shock, astonishment, panic, anxiety¨Call that surged within her was a myriad of emotions.


    Veronica¡®s feelings were aplicated mess.


    If Tiffany wasn¡®t pregnant with Matthew¡®s child, Veronica might still feel just that tiny bit hopeful toward M


    atthew. She¡®d feel that he


    couldn¡®t possibly side with Tiffany. But right now, he was the father of the baby inside Tiffany¡®s belly¡­


    Would he be


    like Tiffany one day and kill her, because he couldn¡®t continue to let her have a spot in his life?


    A sense of danger washed over Veronica then, making her unable to calm herself. In the face of this start


    ling news, she felt like retreating.


    Matthew took in Veronica¡®s expression with his dark eyes. It made himpse into deep thought. Her gaze


    ... Is that sadness, or disappointment?


    When they were in Dawnpol Vige, Veronica had asked him to watch the moon together with her.


    She said that she had something to tell him, but sheter lied about having a stomachache


    and ran. After that, Melissa came to ask him if he truly loved Tiffany.


    At that time, he thought that Veronica had gotten Melissa to probe his feelings, presumably because Ver


    onica coveted him.


    However, Xavier had proposed to Veronica that day at the hospital, and she even epted his ring. For


    a moment, Matthew wasn¡®t sure if she was capable of switching sides so easily, or if she was simply gree


    dy for money and power.


    ¡°A¡­ baby?¡± Melissa pped a hand over her mouth as she stared at Tiffany in disbelief. ¡°You¡®re pregnan


    t with Matthew¡®s baby?¡±


    How did this happen so suddenly? Melissa felt heartbroken. She loved


    Matthew so much. Initially, she thought that


    there was a chance that Matthew and Tiffany might break off their engagement, as they were simply eng


    aged and not married. But now, Tiffany was pregnant with Matthew¡®s child.


    Did Melissa even have a hope of being with Matthew now? That hope was practically left dead in a ditch!


    hai nghi im one month along now. I only found out yesterday when I went for a checkup at the hospital wi


    th Matthew.¡± Tiffany was all smiles as she spoke to Melissa. She then turned her loving gaze upon Matth


    ew. The burning love in her eyes was clear for all 10 see.


    Yesierday? Veronica understood then the reason for Matthew¡®s sudden leave after


    he had sent her to Kings Residence yesterday. He hadn¡®t shown up the entire day and night after that be


    cause he was with Tiffany.


    ¡°Veronica, what¡®s¡­ wrong? Why do you look upset?¡± Tiffany¡®s lips curved up imperceptibly at the sight of


    Veronica¡®s awful expression, but it disappeared in a sh,


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°So, you¡®re


    pregnant. What¡®s it got to do with me? Is it worth me being upset?¡± Veronica shot back. ¡°I still have some


    company things to settle. So, I¡®ll be taking my leave.¡± She turned and left quickly without lingering.


    Veronica had enjoyed the slightest scrap of ¡°niceness¡± that Matthew gave her. It addled her mind, making


    her think that Matthew was different from the Larsons. When she was kidnapped and brought overseas,


    he saved her just so that he could get on Elizabeth¡®s good side; when she was swept away by the raging


    river by Dawnpol Vige in Almeida, he saved her for the same purpose as well.


    Matthew did so much for her simply


    because she was Elizabeth¡®s savior and was loved and favored by the older woman. This was all the bett


    er for him, to cultivate a chess piece he could nt by Elizabeth¡®s side and draw intel from her, to build th


    e foundations of his war with Conrad


    Kings when Conrad returned home to fight over the family inheritance!


    Veronica currently found herselfughable and pitiable. The pitiable part


    was, she was so pitiful that she saw the scrap of ¡°niceness¡± that Matthew threw her way as being better t


    han it was, to the point that she was


    greatly moved by it; theughable part was, he was clearly the fianc¨¦ of her nemesis, yet she still felt just


    that little bit hopeful about him.


    What a contradiction this was!


    ¡°Yep, I¡®m busy too, so


    I¡®m leaving.¡± Melissa snorted, stamping her foot before turning to leave the office with Veronica. They file


    d into the elevator together.


    Melissa¡®s face was red with anger as the elevator headed to their destination. ¡°That shameless fox! She¡®


    s only been engaged to Matthew for a few months, but she¡®s already pregnant with his baby. That¡®s just


    way too fast. Though, Matthew¡®s also pretty incredible. Does he have some godly luck? She got pregnan


    t so quickly. How


    Qui supposed topete with her in the future? I don¡®t have the upper hand at all!¡± Nie couldn¡®t stop her


    self from cursing.


    Melissa had thought that she still had a high chance of being with Matthew after she got to know Veronic


    a. She never imagined that Tiffany would be pregnant with his child after just a few days without seeing h


    im. Things were simply moving too fast.


    ¡°He¡®s just a f*ckboy. My advice? Don¡®t fall for him too deeply,¡± Veronica said to Melissa, her eyes staring


    off into space.


    ¡°We may be besties, Veronica, but I don¡®t agree with you.¡± Melissa red at Veronica, her lips pursing to


    gether. ¨C¡°Matthew¡®s the man of


    my dreams. He¡®s dashing and rich. Though, he¡®s got a bad eye for partners since he got engaged to Tiffa


    ny. Still, that doesn¡®t change my impression of him.¡±


    Melissa was his number one fan. As long as the world stood, he would remain the man of her dreams.


    Veronica looked down for a moment before looking to the side to nce at the innocent and pure¨C


    hearted Melissa.


    She hesitated for a moment. ¡°If, one day, you found out that the man of your dreams wasn¡®t as perfect as


    you thought he was, would you be disappointed?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. No one is perfect. I love him, so everything he does is right.¡±


    ¡°Including getting married to Tiffany?¡±


    ¡°Tch, he may be engaged to that two¨C


    faced little b*tch, but no barrier can stay up forever as long as you have the right tools!¡± She gazed at Vero


    at her own face. ¡°My beauty is unparalleled, and I am all natural. Everyone loves me. So, I believe that I


    can hook him. As long as they still haven¡®t tied the knot, I have a 99% chance of seeding!¡±


    ¡°Why 99%?¡± This youngdy is drunk on her own confidence.


    ¡°Because he¡®s just a step away from marrying Tiffany. The remaining 99 steps are right there for me.¡±


    At Melissa¡®s exnation, Veronica chuckled stiffly. She wasn¡®t sure how to reply to that. ¡°Oh, hehe¡­¡±


    Such an artless, naive girl.


    After they left the Spinfluence building, Melissa bid goodbye to Veronica, saying that she was going off for


    Turning time to 30 minutes before, right after Melissa and Veronica left the president¡®s


    office but before they went their separate ways, Tiffany grabbed Mathew¡®s hand. Sensing that he didn¡®t loo


    If Tiffany could notice it, then Matthew naturally would¡®ve noticed it as well. He nced at Tiffany with his c


    ¡°Mmhm. Don¡®t worry, Matthew. I¡®ll be sure to take good care


    of myself and our child.¡± Tiffany ced a hand over her belly and looked down. A glint shone in her eyes.


    with his child?


    ¡°Good.¡± Matthew silently shook off Tiffany¡®s grasp and turned to walk over to his desk. He pulled up


    a sheaf of papers and began to work through his documents.


    Tiffany approached him to stand by his side. After much hesitation, she finally got the nerve to probe him.


    n for us to get married?¡±

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122


    ¡°Marriage?¡± Matthew had never thought about this sudden question before.


    ¡°That¡®s right. We are already going to have a baby together; of course we¡®ll have to get married. How wo


    uld our baby be able to live openly then? Shotgun


    marriages are amon urrence nowadays, but it still won¡®t be good if it¡®s revealed that we got marri


    ed in a hurry.¡± Tiffany seized the opportunity to put pressure on Matthew


    and advance her ns. Veronica was currently herrgest obstacle in marrying into the Kings Family. If s


    he could smoothly marry into the Kings Family, then Veronica would no longer be such a threat like she


    was now.


    By then, offing Veronica would be as easy as flicking a finger.


    Matthew furrowed his brows before he rxed.


    The two of them were silent for a long while. Just as Tiffany


    thought she wouldn¡®t be getting an answer, Matthew spoke. ¡°After my grandmother¡®s birthday.¡±


    His grandmother¡®s birthday? Tiffany calcted the time until then; it was just over a month away. The ecs


    tasy she felt couldn¡®t be held back as it showed on her face through a beautiful smile.


    ¡°Her birthday is soon. Why don¡®t we try some wedding gowns and get some pre wedding pictures taken fi


    rst? The baby will grow day by day; a pre¨C


    wedding photoshoot then will affect the baby¡®s growth.¡± Smart Tiffany attempted to strike the iron while it


    was hot, taking every opportunity she could to force Matthew to agree.


    Pre¨C


    wedding photoshoot? An image of Veronica came to Matthew¡®s mind. His gaze turned hollow as he stare


    d at the documents on his desk.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, don¡®t forget that you cannot have any weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, you will only be able to solidify your status within the Kingses once you have a c


    hild.¡±


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    ¡°Young Master Matthew, you aren¡®t allowed to marry for love in the first ce as the son in a distinguishe


    d family.¡±


    All of a sudden, Matthew recalled all of Thomas¡® warnings. He fell into deep thought. Although he currentl


    y controlled the Spinfluence Group, Spinfluence¡®s greatest


    encimy was still his uncle, Conrad Kings!


    And falling in love would actually be a weakness.


    ¡°All right,¡± Matthew replied, breaking the long silence.


    Even though it took a mere two minutes for his answer, it felt


    like an entire century for Tiffany. Her eyes teared up at his answer. Instantly, she felt that all of her efforts


    paid off.


    ¡°Bloomstead¡®s best pre¨C


    wedding photoshoot agencies are Florian Wedding Photographers, Ivari, Mno Photography¡­¡±


    Just as Tiffany was rattling off all these photography agencies, Matthew raised a hand and interrupted he


    r. ¡°You make the arrangements.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Okay, I¡®ll take a look at these agencies and discuss the final choice with you.¡±


    ¡°That works. You should go back. I still have some work to do.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Go ahead then. I¡®ll¡­ go home.¡±


    Tiffany was beside herself with joy. She stood next to Matthew to look at the beautiful lines of his face. H


    er fists clenched. Atst, she worked up the courage to bend down and press a kiss to his cheek. Then, s


    he straightened up and quickly stepped out of the office.


    The moment the door closed, Tiffany walked


    briskly to the elevator. As she waited for the elevator, her excitement got the better of her, and tears bega


    n to stream down her face.


    She did it. She seeded atst. She was about to marry Matthew. Soon, she would be thedy of


    the Kings Family, bing the most envied woman in


    Bloomstead!


    Meanwhile, Matthew gripped the documents in his hands tightly, his expression stormy


    and stiff. His eye twitched slightly as a strong look of disgust came to his eyes. Several momentster, h


    e pulled out a few wads of tissue paper to wipe at the spot on his face where Tiffany had kissed him. Fur


    y roiled in his chest.


    When Tiffany returned home, she immediately shared this piece of good news with


    Floch and Rachel. The entire family was overjoyed by this turn of events.


    Rachel hugged Tiffany. ¡°Congrattions. Your dream hase true, Tiffy. You¡®re


    abou to be thedy of the Kings household soon.¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡®s right. I¡®m going to be Matthew¡®s father¨Cin¨C


    law soon. Let¡®s see if that little dog who usually barks at me will have the courage to look down on me th


    en.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, Floch? Hardly anyone will dare to look down on you with your current status,¡± Rac


    hel jested.


    ¡°Why would there be no one? Look at the Kingses, the Neelsons, Lloyd, and those other wretched famili


    es. They all think little of me, simply because theirpanies are doing better than ours,¡± Floch ranted in


    displeasure.


    Tiffany couldn¡®t stand to hear this anymore. ¡°The problem here now isn¡®t with you, but with Veronica. She¡®s


    back. I¡¯m worried that she might stir up some trouble in theing days.¡±


    Normally, Tiffany wasn¡®t worried about anything, since there would usually be someone there to clean up t


    ¡°You¡®re going to marry Matthew soon. Once you have tied the knot and sessfully given birth, you will h


    she won¡®t be able to affect you at all. Right now, you have to be vignt about maintaining your clean imag


    ¡°Exactly. Your mother has a point.¡± Floch approved very much of Rachel¡®s thoughts and ns. When she


    Floch admired about Rachel


    ¡°Mom, will this really work?¡± Tiffany wasn¡®t exactly sure.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Kings currently adores Veronica. If anything happens to Veronica, the consequences will be dire


    do not miss the forest for the trees. You will have to bear with it now in order to sessfully marry into the


    ¡°Yes, your mother is right. Listen to her.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, I won¡®t butt heads with Veronica for now. But if my marriage with


    Matthew goes through, then it¡®s time for Veronica¡®s funeral!¡± Viciousness rose in her sves, a juxtaposition


    Meanwhile, Veronica was still busy with work at Konig¡®s secretariat even though it was time to clock out. A


    At the sound of the person¡®s voice, Veronica lifted her head to see Xavier standing before her. He lifted an


    ¡°Not hungry. I¡®ve got no appetite now.¡± Veronica expressionlessly lowered her head and continued to sort


    ¡°No need to busy


    yourself with those things; they aren¡®t urgently needed. You can work on them tomorrow!¡± Xavier ordered


    tond on the documents in front of Veronica.


    ¡°I¡®m really not hungry.¡± Already in an


    unpleasant mood, Veronica turned down Xavier¡®s dinner invitation. She didn¡®t want to eat; all she wanted


    was to calm down by herself.

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123


    Xavier sensed from Veronica¡®s doleful expression that something was wrong. Concerned, he asked,


    ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡®s just that I ate too much at lunchtime, so I¡®m not hungry yet at the moment.¡± Veronica gave


    him a perfunctory smile. Then, she pointed at the documents on her desk, saying, ¡°I¡®m reading these


    documents. I¡®ll be going home to sleep after a while.¡±


    ¡°Okay. In that case, I¡®ll stay here with you. As it happens, I don¡®t feel like eating either.¡± Xavier came and


    sat down next to her. Darting a look at the documents on her desk, he said, ¡°Is there anything you don¡®t


    understand? I can exin it to you.¡± He knew that Veronica had something on her mind, but instead of


    asking her about it, he merely kept herpany in silence as she workedte.


    After they finished work, Xavier took Veronica to have somete¨Cnight snacks and drove her ¡°home.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Veronica told Xavier she was staying in an alley across from Twilight Club, but after Xavier left, she


    returned to Matthew¡®s Twilight Condominium. At first, she wanted to refuse the man¡®s offer to drive her


    home, but she really couldn¡®t resist his raging enthusiasm.


    It was pitch¨Cdark inside when she entered the apartment. In the dim light from the outside, Veronica took


    off her shoes and walked over to the living room sofa wearily. Lying down on the sofa, she closed her


    eyes without saying a word.


    Ring! Just then, her cell phone rang in her pocket. She took out her cell phone, only to see that it was an


    iing call from Xavier. ¡°Bro? What¡®s the matter?¡± she askednguidly while resting her head on the


    sofa¡®s armrest.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Veronica was startled; she didn¡®t understand why Xavier would ask such a question all of


    a sudden. ¡°I¡®m home, of course. Where else can I be?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Xavier uttered on the other end of the line. Then, he continued with a slight drawl in a way that


    seemed meaningful, ¡°I¡®m asking you where your ce is. I¡®d like to visit your ce.¡±


    Veronica¡®s heart skipped a beat. She sat up on the sofa, thinking, Could he have learned something?


    She made up a random excuse and turned Xavier down, saying, ¡°Oh, 1.


    wh¡­ I¡®m a bit tired, so I¡®m going to sleep, And besides, I¡®m renting the ce with a few other girls, so it¡®d


    be improper for you toe here. If you have something to discuss with me, let¡®s talk about it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay. We¡®ll talk about it tomorrow, then. Good night.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Veronica hung up. Thinking that she had worried too much, she let out an inward sigh of relief.


    Unbeknownst to her, however, Xavier was standing next to the elevator at the second basement parking


    lot of Twilight Club. Clutching his cell phone in his hand, he stared hard at the number disyed on the


    elevator¡®s floor indicator¨C38. The 38th floor was the floor where Matthew resided. Turns out she¡®s been


    living with Matthew, eh?


    Veronica, who was upstairs, waspletely unaware of these things. After lying down in the living room


    for a while, she went to the bathroom to clean herself. Then, she went to the study and turned on the


    laptop. After opening the browser, she keyed in a URL and entered a mysterious website, reading the


    information on the website while carefully keeping a lookout for Matthew, who mighte back at any


    time.


    Suddenly, the door to the study opened with a squeak.


    Veronica looked up to see Matthewing in. ¡°You¡®re back already?¡± she asked with feigned


    nonchnce; at the same time, however, she surreptitiously closed the website and quickly removed the


    traces of her having visited the website. Then, she switched to an online novel website that she had


    opened beforehand, pretending to be reading the online novel.


    Wearing a ck shirt paired with a dark¨Ccolored casual necktie, Matthew strode toward Veronica with his


    sleeves rolled up to his elbows. As he walked, he loosened his necktie and undid the two buttons on his


    cor. His muscr chest was partly hidden and partly visible, and it, along with his outrageously good¨C


    looking face, made him appear as noble and aloof as a perfect Prince Charming that came straight out of


    aic book.


    Even Veronica, who was immune to men¡®s masculine charm, couldn¡®t help being fascinated by


    Matthew¡®s handsomeness.


    ¡°What are you reading?¡± Matthew walked over and stood beside her, but he couldn¡®t help narrowing his


    eyes slightly after darting a look at theptop screen. The next


    instan?, he knocked her head lightly with his hand, saying, ¡°How could you read this kind of thing? You¡®re


    ady.¡±


    ¡°What¡®s wrong with that? Can¡®t I read novels? Veronica frowned in displeasure while shooting the man


    an angry re. ¡°I like to read these. That¡®s none of your business!¡±


    ¡°You like to read these?¡± Matthew repeated her words.


    The inwardly displeased woman looked up at him. ¡°What¡®s wrong with reading novels for satisfaction?


    There are things that are unattainable in life, after all.¡± Life is always less than satisfactory. Isn¡®t it good to


    experience those wonderful things in one¡®s imagination by reading novels?


    ¡°Satisfaction, hmm?¡± A flicker shed across Matthew¡®s narrow, piercing eyes. Gripping Veronica¡®s chin


    with his hand, he gently turned her head, forcing her to look at theptop screen. Pointing at the website,


    he read aloud, ¡°Staring at his gigantic organ, Belinda cried out¡­¡± Too embarrassed to read the rest of


    the sentence, he asked her, ¡°Why have I never found you being so brazen before?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Veronica was at a loss for words. She fixed her eyes on the sentences disyed on the screen that


    Matthew pointed to, which read, ¡®Oh, God! Your c*ck is so big and thick! T¨CThis is definitely too much for


    me¡­ But I love it so much¡­¡®


    F*ck¡­ Holy sh*t! What the hell is all this? Even Veronica, who had been calm and collected just now,


    could no longer retain herposure. A rosy blush instantly came over her little face, which looked as


    fair and delicate as fine¨Cquality marble. She was so embarrassed that she wished the ground would


    open and swallow her up. Damn it! I only clicked into a random novel, but do the novel¡®s contents have to


    be so explicit?


    But was Veronica the kind of woman who would easily give in? No, I¡®m not. Never, she thought. After


    licking her lips, she cleared her throat and said nonchntly, ¡°What¡®s the problem with that? We¡®re


    adults, after all. Can¡®t I have a bit of a hobby? I¡®ve even watched lots of porn videos, let alone this kind of


    novel. Tsk, what are you making a fuss about?¡± As she felt guilty, she spoke in an unusually loud voice.


    After finishing her sentence in a loud voice, she brushed off Matthew¡®s hand and stood up. ¡°I¡®ve had


    enough of enjoying it, so let me rmend it to you for free. Just take your time reading it. I¡®m going to


    sleep.¡± With that, she got up in an attempt to take to her heels.


    However, as soon as she stood up, Matthew sat her down in the executive chair. Trapping her in the


    chair with his hand ced on the armrests, he fixed his sharp eyes on her without blinking, asking, ¡°Do


    you often watch those videos with him?¡± With a chilly expression that made one¡®s flesh creep, he


    clutched the executive chair¡®s armrests so tightly that his knuckles cracked.

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124


    ¡°Great!¡± Matthew straightened up and grabbed Veronica¡®s wrist. ¡°Come with me!¡±


    Veronica was startled


    by what Matthew did. She couldn¡®t understand why the man red up all of a sudden. Where is he taking


    me to? Is h¨¦ gonna get physical with me again? ¡°Hey! Hey, Matthew! Where are you taking me?¡±


    The man grabbed her wrist and dragged her into arge movie room. Then, he sat her down in the chair


    and handed her his cell phone. ¡°Key in the website address.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What? Y¨C


    You really want to watch this? Ha ha¡­¡± Veronica asked with a forced smile. Damn it! Is there no line that


    this jerk won¡®t cross?


    Matthew didn¡®t say a word in reply, though. He merely stared fixedly at her with frosty eyes, sending a chi


    ll down her spine.


    When Veronica didn¡®t get an answer from Matthew for a long time, she could only look down at his cell p


    hone. Then, she opened the browser and hesitantly keyed in a URL. In


    reality, she did know about the website. Back when she was working at Twilight Club, Cody and the other


    men liked to share this website, so she memorized the website address after listening to their conversati


    on. She only heard the URL passively, but her memory was excellent, so shemitted the URL to mem


    ory.


    As soon as she opened the website, its abundant number of videos immediately popped up.


    Matthew was only restraining his anger at first, but he


    became somewhat unable to restrain his anger anymore at the sight of what was on the phone¡®s screen.


    How dare this damn woman watch these with Xavier! Great. This is great. He took back his cell phone, b


    ut before he could say anything, Veronica jumped out of the chair and ran out swiftly right away.


    Still, however fast Veronica was, she couldn¡®t match Matthew¡®s speed. She had just run past the chair an


    d made a few steps when Matthew grabbed her cor and dragged her back effortlessly. Then, he sat he


    r down in the chair, saying, ¡°Looks like you¡®ve indeed watched a lot of porn videos. In that case, you must


    ¡®ve not experienced the cinematic effects of 3D surround sound, have you?¡±


    Did he just say ¡®3D surround sound? What¡®s the f*cking difference between this and being personally on t


    he scene? And besides, isn¡®t it sexually stimting for a man and a woman to watch this kind of thing tog


    ether? Veronica felt that if she really were to stay and


    watch the videos, she might wind up revealing her most original nature and sleeping with


    Matthew, not to mention that Matthew mighty a hand on her! She


    braced herself and stammered, ¡°What are you talking about? Do I look like the kind of person who¡®s neve


    r watched porn? 1¨C1¨C


    I¡®m rmending this to you so that you can watch the videos with Tiffany to bring you two closer as hu


    sband and wife.¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Just as they were speaking, a voice that would make one¡®s heart race and one¡®s face blush with shyness


    suddenly sounded in the movie room. ¡°Mm¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    As Matthew had said, the 3D surround sound made them feel like they were personally on the scene. Ju


    st the woman¡®s charming and attractive voice alone would send a tingling sensation throughout one¡®s bo


    dy and shock one to the core as though an electric current had spread throughout


    their body. Subconsciously, the pair turned to look at the ultra¨Chigh¨Cdefinition screen, which was 4¨C


    meters wide and 2.5 meters high. The thrilling scenes sent blood pumping through their veins, causing th


    eir hearts to thump wildly.


    This is way too shameless, thought Veronica. She was so nervous that her face blushed. Struggling to p


    ush Matthew away, she said, ¡°Bro, I¡®m going to sleep. I won¡®t be keeping you from taking your time watch


    ing it.¡± It¡®s all a misunderstanding.


    Matthew had no


    intention of letting her go, though. He merely replied, ¡°Since you can watch it with Xavier, why can¡®t you


    watch it with me?¡±


    ¡°Xavier?¡± What does Xavier


    have to do with this? thought Veronica. Baffled, she thought about it carefully. Only then did she recall th


    at Matthew had asked her just now if she had watched porn with ¡°him.¡± She didn¡®t think much


    about it at the time, but she didn¡®t expect Matthew to get the wrong


    idea that she had watched porn with Xavier. ¡°Yeah, I watched it with Xavier, so I don¡®t want to watch it an


    ymore. It¡¯s no longer exciting to watch something I¡®ve watched before, after all. Please enjoy it yourself.¡±


    How I wish to flee, she thought.


    Matthew seemed determined to go against her, though. Sitting next to her right away, he wrapped his ar


    m around her shoulders, saying, ¡°You¡®re gonna watch it today, whether you want to or not.¡±


    ¡°He he. Can I say no? I want


    to sleep.¡± Veronica gave a smile of embarrassment that seemed very affected.


    Instead of answering her, Matthew merely pressed a button on the sofa¡®s armrest. All the lights were swit


    ched off; only the scenes on the screen kept switching from one to the next.


    Panicked, Veronica felt even more embarrassed, so much so that she wished she could hide herself.


    Just then, Matthew¡®s voice rang in her ear. ¡°If you want to sleep, you can sleep here 100,¡± Of course, the


    word ¡°sleep¡± wasn¡®t referring to something pure.


    Veronica only felt dry and hot all over as the man¡®s tingling sound reverberated in her ears. For a long


    time, she had trouble calming herself down. ¡°I¡®m used to sleeping in bed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Matthew suddenly turned to look at the woman next to him. ¡°You enjoyed sleeping on th


    e sofa very muchst time.¡±


    Last time? Veronica recalled her previous coupling with Matthew on the sofa in


    the lounge of the hotel where he and Tiffany got engaged. ¡°That was a thing of the past. And besides, yo


    u¡®re now my brother. It¡®s inappropriate for us to do that.¡±


    Matthew¡®s warm breath blew on Veronica¡®s cheek and her hair as he leaned close to her, making her feel


    even more ufortable. ¡°What makes it inappropriate? We aren¡®t rted by blood.¡±


    For the very first time, Veronica found it so difficult to control her emotions and desires. I was too hasty, af


    ¡°If my memory serves me right, you already had your period on the fifth day after we went to Dawnpol Vi


    Veronica was rendered speechless. How does he even know about this?! ¡°That¡®s too shameless of you, M


    ¡°Melissa told me that.¡±


    ¡°Melissa¡­ How could that damn woman even tell you this?¡± Veronica felt like crying as she was at a loss


    However, as soon as she finished her sentence, Matthew¡®s


    expression grew even darker; his eyes were so sharp as though he wanted to skin her alive. He pinched h


    ¡°Well, of course he does.¡± The contents of the novel Veronica had read just now


    appeared in her mind. Quoting the novel, she said, ¡°He¡®s got a big c*ck, and he¡®s good in bed, so he could


    ¡ª¡± This is too embarrassing. She had never thought that she would say something so shameless and em


    ¡°Mmph¡­¡± In the end, Veronica seeded in angering Matthew, so much so that the man sealed her lips


    even finish her sentence. ¡°Hey, Matthew! L¨CLet¡­ me¡­ go¡­¡±

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    Chapter 125


    In a moment of desperation, Veronica put out her right hand to shove Matthew away, only to gasp in pain


    as she shoved him too hard. ¡°Hiss... Ouch¡­¡±


    Sensing that something was wrong, Matthew let go of her and switched on the movie room¡®s lights right


    away. Only then did he notice that Veronica¡®s sleeve had been stained with blood. In an instant, his face


    darkened with a frown, and he looked at her with aplicated look in his eyes. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Veronica was somewhat startled by Matthew¡®s unsolicited apology. She never expected that the man wh


    o considered himself superior to everyone else would take the initiative to apologize to her one day. How


    ever, before she coulde to her senses, the man had turned off the screen mirroring on his cell phone


    , turning off the video that was


    inappropriate for kids. Then, he took her hand, saying, ¡°Come on. Let me bandage your wound.¡±


    Peeved, Veronica shook off his hand right away. ¡°I¡®ll treat my wound myself.¡°. Storming barefoot out of th


    e movie room in a huff, she found the first¨Caid kit in


    the living room and began to treat hercerated wound.


    Walking out of the movie room, Matthew felt guilty when he saw Veronica sitting on the sofa and clumsily


    untying the bandage around her right arm with her left hand. Coming to her side, he sat down, held her r


    ight arm, and helped her untie the bandage around it.


    Veronica struggled. ¡°I¡®ll do it myself. Just let go,¡±


    However, Matthew chided softly, ¡°Don¡®t move!¡±


    Immediately, Veronica fell silent, letting the man wipe the blood off her wound before he


    applied medicine to the wound and bandaged the wound deftly at one go. During the entire process, she


    silently watched the man, who


    waspletely absorbed in what he was doing. It wasn¡®t until he finished bandaging her wound that she


    said, ¡°It¡®s gettingte. I¡®m going to sleep.¡± With that, she stood up, returned to her room angrily, and m


    med the door shut with a loud bang,


    Sitting on the sofa, Matthew clutched the bandage in his hand while gazing at the tightly closed door, his


    feelings incredibly mixed.


    Instead ofing out to watch TV as before, Veronicay in the bedroom the whole time tonight.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The next day, Mauhew got out of bed and made porridge for Veronica as usual, but he didn¡®t see her co


    ming out even at 7:00AM. He went and knocked on the door to her bedroom, but no one answered the d


    oor.


    He pushed the door open, only to be surprised to find that the bedroom was empty. She was gone.


    Standing at the door, the man was startled for a moment. Then,


    he took out his phone to call Veronica. She didn¡®t answer the phone when


    he called her the first time; it wasn¡®t until he called her the second time that she


    answered the phone and asked, ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Starting from today, I¡®ll never go back to Twilight Condominium, nor do you have to worry about where I


    am. Goodbye.¡± Veronica hung up right away without saying another word to Matthew. At first, she had th


    ought that Matthew would restrain himself after Elizabeth had acknowledged her as her god¨C


    granddaughter. However, it turned out that she had overestimated the man, who was even worse than a


    beast. In order to avoid losing her chastity again, she chose to rent an apartment outside.


    That morning, Veronica asked Xavier for a day off and found a small one¨C


    bedroom apartment online with a monthly rent of 2,000. She spent the morning renting the apartment for


    a year and buying daily supplies, using up most of the money Melissa had wired to her.


    It was already 10:00AM when everything was done. Exhausted, shey down on the living room sofa we


    arily without moving for a long time.


    Ring! Just then, her cell phone rang on the table. She darted a look at the phone¡®s screen, which showed


    an iing call from an unfamiliar phone number. She picked up the phone and answered the call, sayi


    ng, ¡°Hello. Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Hi, is Veronica speaking?¡± A woman¡®s voice that sounded somewhat familiar spoke on the other end of t


    he line.


    ¡°Yes, it¡®s me.¡±


    ¡°Phew¡­ That¡®s great. I found you atst. Veronica, it¡®s me, Yvonne. Where are you? I¡®m in Bloomstead ri


    ght now.¡±


    ¡°Uh..¡± Veronica had never gotten in touch with Yvonne again since they parted waysst time. She got to


    know Yvonne by ident after


    hiding in thetter¡®s car and getting kidnapped abroad with her for no reasonst time. However, she did


    n¡®!


    intend to be dose friends with Yvonne, whose identity and background she found 100 mysterious and unf


    athomable. Giving Yvonne a nearby address, she said, ¡°I¡®m at Jazz Crumbs Cafe on Pines Street.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Just wait for me. I¡®ll be there right away,¡± Yvonne said before hanging up.


    On the other hand, Veronica got up and spruced herself up. After leaving the neighborhood through the b


    ack entrance, she arrived at Jazz Crumbs Cafe on Pines Street. Then, she ordered a cup of coffee while


    waiting for Yvonne on the second floor at the seat by the window.


    20 minutester, Yvonne showed up before Veronica. Dressed in her usual style, she wore a waisted, irr


    egr white vertical¨C


    striped suit, which was matched with a belt, a pair of ck pants, and high heels. Her long hair hung loos


    e over her shoulders, making her look as intelligent and poised as a capable elite woman. She waved to


    Veronica, saying, ¡°Hi there! It¡®s been a while since west saw each other.¡±


    Veronica picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip from it. Looking at Yvonne with a puzzled look in her


    eyes, she asked, ¡°What makes you think of contacting me all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just returned from overseas, didn¡®t I? Just give me a minute while I order a cup of coffee first. I¡®m


    quite thirsty,¡± Yvonne said while waving to the waiter. ¡°Waiter, give me a cup oftte, please.¡±


    ¡°Since we¡®ve met again, I should return your ne to you.¡± Veronica took off the ne Yvonne ha


    d previously exchanged for hers before cing it on the table. ¡°This is yours,¡± she said while pointing at t


    he ne Yvonne was wearing. ¡°Give it back to me.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious, Veronica?¡± Yvonne covered her neck with her hand. ¡°How can you take back something


    me as a present?¡±


    Luckily, Veronica¡®s background wasn¡®tplicated except for her rtionship with the Larsons. Otherwise


    ¡°Aren¡®t we? We¡®ve risked our lives together.¡± Yvonne pushed the ne toward Veronica with a chuckle


    Matthew.¡± She spoke her mind with no intention of hiding anything from Veronica.


    Veronica looked skeptical, though. ¡°Who was the one that kidnapped you?¡± One could tell at a nce that


    3/4


    could hire mercenaries.


    ¡°Can I¡­ keep it a secret?¡± Yvonne asked.


    Veronica didn¡®t say a word, but she shook her head.


    Seeing Veronica¡®s response, Yvonne felt somewhat helpless. She took a


    business card out of her pocket and handed it to Veronica.


    Veronica took the business card and read the information on it, mumbling, ¡°The president of Honeycloud C


    end products with extremely high quality. Even those special cosmetics that Veronica had bought were fro


    Yvonne raised her eyebrows. ¡°Isn¡®t it obvious enough? I want you to introduce me to Matthew so that I can


    background.


    Veronica hesitated. After taking a look at Yvonne, she reached out her left hand and rubbed her index fing

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    Chapter 126


    Ai the sight of the scene, Yvonnepressed her lips into a smile. ¡°That¡®s what I like about you.


    You¡®re frank.¡± She picked up her handbag and took a check out of it. ¡°Here¡®s a check of 500,000. As long


    as you¡®re able to help me ask Matthew out, this will be yours. If you can help me coborate with the Spi


    nfluence Group, I¡®ll pay you another one million.¡± In total, the reward would be 1.5 million.


    Veronica¡®s eyes instantly shone with greed. She straightened up, asking, ¡°Will you keep your word?¡± To t


    hink that someone is offering me money right when I¡®m short of money! God is really smiling upon me, sh


    e thought. She had been guessing Yvonne¡®s identity at first, but now it seemed that thetter was appare


    ntly not interested in her. Instead, Matthew was the one Yvonne was actually interested in. After all, with t


    he Kingses¡® current social standing, many would scramble to coborate with them.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Yvonne curled her lips into a smile.


    Veronica darted a look at the check on the table. After some deliberation, though, she shook her head, s


    aying, ¡°With Honeycloud Cosmetics¡® current standing, as long as you guys coborate with the Spinfluen


    ce Group, you¡®ll no longer be a third¨C


    rate cosmetic brand that depends on social media to promote and sell your products as you currently are


    . Instead, you¡®ll instantly join the ranks of the first¨C


    rate brands. So, I¡®m afraid it¡®s not sincere enough to offer such an amount of money.¡± She didn¡®t know m


    uch about Honeycloud Cosmetics, but she knew that its products were most widely promoted on Instagra


    m Stories. Furthermore, Honeycloud Cosmetics cared a lot about its brand image, and it kept countless b


    uyersing back for more by putting a great deal of effort into the quality of its products.


    ¡°Name your price then,¡± Yvonne replied without hesitation.


    Veronica pondered for a moment. Then, she put out her left hand and held up three fingers.


    ¡°Deal,¡± Yvonne readily agreed without thinking.


    ¡°Can I go back on it? You agreed so readily.¡± Veronica suddenly regretted it a little. She couldn¡®t help thin


    king that the three¨C


    million sum that she asked for was too little. Otherwise, why would Yvonne agree to her demand so readi


    ly? ¡°I can promise you, but you must give my ne back to me.¡± She didn¡®t like wearing someone els


    e¡®s jewelry.


    ¡°Well¡­ Okay. Sigh, you¡®re so petty¡­¡± Yvonne muttered as she took off her ne and gave it back to


    Veronica.


    In the afiernoon, Veronica called Matthew on her initiative for the first time.


    Sitting in his office, the man looked at the phone number disyed on his phone¡®s screen. Even though


    the phone number wasn¡®t on his phone¡®s list of contacts, the familiar number had already been engraved


    in his mind. He answered the phone, saying, ¡°What¡®s up? Wannae back already?¡± .


    On this end of the line, Veronica thought for a moment while ncing hesitantly at Yvonne, who was sitti


    ng across from her. It¡®s three million! It¡®s all money.


    I¡®ve got to reap every penny I could from Matthew, she thought. ¡°Uh¨Chuh.¡±


    She didn¡®t say anything, but she heard the man on the other end let out a chuckle. He asked, ¡°Are you h


    ungry? Let me treat you to lunch.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡®s meet up at Phil¡®s Restaurant then.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Matthew agreed without hesitation.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Veronica hung up while looking at Yvonne, who was sitting across from her, with a cheeky grin. ¡°Don¡®t yo


    u want to get to know Matthew?


    Pay me another one million, and I¡®ll let you stay in Matthew¡®s home. How about it?¡±


    ¡°In that case, what about 800,000?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s too expensive.¡±


    ¡°700,000?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s expensive.¡±


    ¡°What about 500,000? 500,000 is my bottom price. It all depends on whether you cherish this opportunity


    or not. Who knows? Maybe you could establish a long¨Ctime business partnership with the Kings Family.¡±


    ¡°Hm, you have a point. Alright then, 500,000 it is,¡± Yvonne replied.


    Veronica¡®s lips curled into a meaningful smile as she lowered her head to drink coffee.


    OC


    An hourter, Veronica and Yvonne were sitting in Phil¡®s Restaurant¡®s private room while waiting silently.


    Soon Mathew showed up at the private room¡®s door. As soon as he came in, he douced Yvonne.


    Seeing the maning in, Yvonne immediately stood up and greeted him, saying, ¡°Nice to meet you, Pr


    esident Kings.¡±


    Matthew gave her a slight nod while seating


    himself across from the two. ¡°Have you been waiting for a long time?¡± He darted a nce at Veronica wit


    h what seemed like a hint of displeasure in his eyes.


    Veronica turned a blind eye to this, though. ¡°I¡®m hungry, so let¡®s order our meal. I¡®m gonna eat whatever¡®s


    the best and expensive.¡± F*ck, it pisses me off to think that this *sshole molested me yesterday.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Matthew replied while pressing the call button on the table.


    The waitress came in, saying, ¡°Hi,dies and gentleman. What would you like to order:


    ¡°Please give us two servings of the most expensive single set meals,¡± Matthew replied, before raising


    his eyes to look at Yvonne. ¡°What would you like to eat, Miss Spencer?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m fine with anything,¡± Yvonne replied with a polite smile. Then, she said to the waitress, ¡°Just give me


    a cacio e pepe and a French steak.¡±


    The waitress jotted down their orders. ¡°Please wait a moment,dies and gentleman.¡± With that, she turn


    ed around and left the private room.


    The private room slowly quieted down.


    Finding a subject, Yvonne teased, ¡°It¡®s really enviable that you¡®re on good terms with President Kings, Ro


    ni.¡±


    ¡°Stop ttering me. He¡®s my godbrother, so just treat him as one of us.¡± Veronica picked up the ss of d


    rinking water on the table and took a sip


    from it while casting a sidelong nce at Matthew with repressed anger.


    ¡°Oh, no wonder.¡± Yvonne nodded repeatedly. Then, she said to Matthew, ¡°President Kings, you must be v


    ¡°Uh¨C


    huh.¡± Matthew¡®s manner was cold. Since he rarely spoke to Yvonne, she dared not bring up the subject of


    The three had lunch in an awkward atmosphere that made Yvonne feel incredibly


    suffocated and almost out of breath. Afier leaving the restaurant, instead of driving her own car, she got in


    Sitting in the driver¡®s seat, the man looked at the twodies in the back seat,


    asking, ¡°Where are you staying, Miss Spencer?¡°:


    ¡°¡­¡± Looking embarrassed, Yvonne threw Veronica a look to ask for help.


    Grasping Yvonne¡®s hint at once, Veronica immediately said, ¡°Yvonne hasn¡®t found a ce to stay yet, so I


    Matthew nced at Yvonne through the


    rearview mirror. Seeing that thedy was silent, he started the car and headed back to Twilight Condomin


    saying a word. I just knew it! With this damn woman¡®s stubborn character, why would she give in and


    After the three arrived at Twilight Club¡®s second basement, Matthew parked his car, and the three took the


    to the top¨Cfloor apartment. Even though the top¨Cfloor apartment was spacious and


    had many rooms, the study, the home gym, and the movie room had taken up


    most of the rooms, making the master bedroom and the second bedroom the only bedrooms avable.


    Before Matthew could speak, Veronica said, ¡°Yvonne will be sharing a room with me from today onward.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Matthew didn¡®t say anything else. Instead, he merely unbuttoned his suit jacket gracefully w


    After the door to the study was closed, Yvonne patted Veronica on the shoulder and asked in a whisper, ¡°O


    are living under the same roof?¡± She had an animated expression, as though she had pictured the story o


    Veronica shot a disdainful look at her. ¡°What are you thinking about? He¡®s just my godbrother, and he¡®s en


    ¡°That¡®s the thing. Since his fianc¨¦e is already pregnant, shouldn¡®t he be living with her?¡± Yvonne asked.


    Veronica curled her lips with a shrug. ¡°Maybe the Kings Family is so strict with their children that only mar

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    Chapter 127


    ¡°Since the Kings Family is strict with their children, why would he be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yvonne, are you gonna stay or not?


    Get out of here if you aren¡®t!¡± Veronica snapped right away without giving Yvonne the opportunity to finish


    her sentence. Then, she shoved Yvonne into her room, saying, ¡°Here, the closet is full of new clothes. W


    e¡¯re about the same height, so pick your clothes yourself. The bathroom is over there. Hurry up and wash


    yourself before going to sleep!¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, okay.¡± Sensing that this topic was a taboo for Veronica, Yvonne dared not ask her further abou


    t it.


    Veronica then went


    to the living room¡®s bathroom and furtively called thendy of the apartment she had rented today to a


    sk her if she could quit the lease and have her rent refunded.


    ¡°Are you crazy? How


    could you quit the lease right now after moving in just today? Are you trying to make a fool of me?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s okay that you¡®re angry, but you shouldn¡®t be yelling


    at me. It¡®s fine that I can¡®t have my rent refunded, but what are you speaking so harshly for?¡±


    ¡°How could you ask such a retarded question when you know that I¡®m angry? You must be out of your mi


    nd! Beep¡ª¡± Thendy showered abuses on Veronica before hanging up right away.


    Veronica¡®s lips twitched at the sight of the ended phone call, ¡°Sigh, I can¡®t have my rent refunded. It¡®s ove


    r 20,000 lost. It really


    hurts.¡± Whenever she thought about it. she felt a surge of exasperation. It¡®s all Matthew, that *sshole¡®s fa


    ult! If it weren¡®t for him. I wouldn¡®t have lost over 20,000.


    As soon as she opened the bathroom door toe out, she saw Matthew standing outside. Her face dar


    kened, and she snapped in displeasure, ¡°Why


    are you standing at the bathroom door? Why have I never realized you¡®ve got such a hobby?¡±


    Matthew raised his hand and loosened his necktie with an air of impatience. Then, he seized Veronica by


    the cor and pinned her against the wall, asking, ¡°Are you close to Yvonne?¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with you?!¡± Veronica shot back snappishly.


    ¡°How dare you be friends with her? She¡®s from an unknown background. Are you


    ured of living?¡± What a foolish woman who dares to bring anybody home!


    Her head tilted to one side, Veronica stared at Matthew as her obsidian¨Clike


    bright eyes sparkled with a smile. ¡°Why would I? She¡®s only a good friend of mine.¡± Good friend? No, Yvo


    nne and I were only forced to live together for a week after being kidnapped, she thought. Of course, she


    had some suspicions about Yvonne¡®s appearance, but she was certain that thetter wasn¡®t sent by the


    Larson Family. There was nothing else about Veronica that Yvonne could take


    advantage of. In that case,


    the only thing that could exin this was that¡­ Yvonne¡®s purpose in getting close to her was to get close


    to Matthew


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    However, no matter whether Yvonne had her eyes on Matthew¡®s wealth, power, influence, or Matthew hi


    mself, it was none of Veronica¡®s business. Therefore, Veronica wouldn¡®t care about it as long as it wouldn


    ¡®t keep her from ¡°getting rich.¡± Moreover, Matthew wasn¡®t a kind person either. He was incredibly shrewd,


    so it would probably be extremely difficult for Yvonne to gain something from him.


    ¡°The mercenaries who kidnapped her that day were¡­¡± Matthew wanted to tell Veronica the identity


    and background of Yvonne¡®s kidnapper at first, but he feared that he might frighten this foolish woman. In


    the end, he merely said with a sigh, ¡°I had too much to drink yesterday.¡±


    He changed the subject so quickly that it was somewhat puzzling.


    Veronica knew that Matthew was apologizing for his behavior yesterday. She had smelled alcohol on him


    yesterday as soon as he came back, but the amount of alcohol wasn¡®t sufficient to make him lose self¨C


    control. ¡°So what?¡± She knitted her brows. ¡°It¡®s pointless to give an absurd exnation right now after yo


    u¡®ve done it.¡± In other words, she was using him of


    talking nonsense by ming his behavior yesterday on alcohol after he had raped her and slept with her.


    Or are you saying that you¡®re a brainless creature who has no control over your lower hall?


    Matthew¡®s face darkened slightly, and he patted Veronica lightly on the head with hisrge hand. ¡°In the f


    uture, we¡®ll only be brother and sister. There¡®ll be no other rtionship between us apart from that.¡± The ¡°


    rtionship¡± that he said wasn¡®t referring to the brother¨C


    sister rtionship; in reality, he was telling Veronica that he would never touch her again.


    Since he had said so, Veronica decided to make things clear instead of being secretive. ¡°You better keep


    your words. If you dare touch me again in the future, I¡®ll definitely fight you to death!¡±


    Suddenly, Matthew said, ¡°Two monthster, Tiffany and I will be getting married.¡±


    The two seemed to be responding to each other¡®s words with irrelevant answers as they jumped from


    one topic to another, but they actually understood what each other¡®s words meant.


    Veronica was slightly startled. Then, with the benefit of hindsight, she realized why Matthew would say jus


    rtionship would be limited to that of brother and sister. As it turned out, it was because the two


    were nning to get married in two months due


    to Tiffany¡®s pregnancy. Feeling suffocated at once, she instantly felt her heart ache terribly. Why does my


    Veronica felt that her insistence on taking revenge over the past few months had suddenly be pointle


    might find a way to make the family lose face or even bring down the family. In the beginning, when Matth


    How can I fight against the Larsons and the Kingses on my own? I¡®ll only be fighting a hopeless battle.


    Veronica blinked her eyes before looking at the man before her with a bitter smile. ¡°Is that so? Congrat


    on bing a father and to Tiffany on bing Mrs. Kings. Tiffany¡®s defeated mepletely after all.


    Shoving the man away, she went to the living room¡®s bar counter and took a bottle of red wine from the liq


    Matthew stood in ce while watching the woman¡®s every move. He knew very well that she had shoved


    to kill me one day?¡±


    Walking up to Veronica, he felt bad in every way when he saw her pour red wine into her wine ss and d


    down a ss of red wine after another.


    Torunia, do you wama¡­ Oh, dear! Why are you drinking alone? Didn¡®t you hurt pour arm. Tou can¡®t drink


    course. Coming to Veronica¡®s side, she sat down and snatched the wine boule


    from her. ¡°Are you insane? You¡®ll get drunk by drinking like this.¡±

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    Chapter 128


    Veronica shot Yvonne a re with frosty eyes before snatching the wine bottle


    back from her. ¡°What a busybody! Can¡®t I drink when I¡®m in a good mood?¡±


    ¡°You¡®re in a good mood?¡± Yvonne looked dumbfounded. Which part of her looks like she¡®s in a good moo


    d?


    ¡°Yeah, I¡®m in a good mood. My brother is marrying his fianc¨¦e very soon, so I¡®m happy. Do you wanna ha


    ve a couple of drinks with me to celebrate it in advance? Oh, right, Yvonne, let me tell you this: we can a


    sk Matthew for a huge present when he marries Tiffany! Haha¡­¡± She guffawed


    without restraint while holding up the wine bottle again before gulping several mouthfuls of wine, filling he


    r stomach with liquor continuously as if she was drinking water.


    Yvonne was stunned by Veronica¡®s behavior. ¡°A¨C


    Are you really happy?¡± Why does it seem to me that she¡®s heartbroken?


    ¡°Yeah, I¡®m happy. I¡®m happy.¡± Veronica nodded vigorously while plonking the emptied bottle of red wine o


    n the table. After giving a belch, she stood up and walked over to the bar counter. ¡°Matthew¡­ no, my bro


    ther¡®s rich. All the wine on his bar counter is good wine, so it¡®ll be a shame not to


    drink them. I want to drink more of them.¡±


    Walking over to the bar counter, she looked at the bottles of good wine ced on the wine rack, looking s


    pecifically for some vintage wine to drink. Even though those wines were vorful, they were very old, an


    d it would be harmful to her health if she drank them without decanting them first. After finding two bottles


    of wine on the wine rack, she shot a nce at Yvonne and shook her head. ¡°You¡®re bad at drinking. Just


    go to sleep. I want to drink with him,¡± she said while handing a bottle of red wine to Matthew. ¡°Come


    on! We¡®ve got to get drunk in order to celebrate your bing a father. But let me say this in advance: y


    ou have to give me a huge present when you get married.¡±


    Matthew stared fixedly at Veronica. Thest time she recklessly got drunk like this was the day she was r


    escued from abroad. Only a month had passed since then.


    Knowing Matthew¡®s rtionship with Veronica, Yvonne couldn¡®t say anything else. She only said to Matth


    ew, ¡°I¡®m going to sleep. Just stop her from drinking too much.¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± Matthew replied.


    With that, Yvonne went back to the bedroom to sleep.


    Veronica held up her wine bottle and clinked it against Matthew¡®s. ¡°Come on; have a drink with me.¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°You shouldn¡®t be drinking. Your wound hasn¡®t healed yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s no big deal. It¡®s just a minor injury, after all.¡± Veronica darted a sidelong nce at him. ¡°Just shut up


    and drink. Why talk so much nonsense while drinking?¡± Holding the wine bottle in her hand, she continue


    d drinking on her own. It didn¡®t take long before she finished the bottle of wine in her hand, but her little fa


    ce fell when she noticed that Matthew¡®s wine bottle was untouched. ¡°Never mind if you don¡®t want to drin


    k with me. I¡®ll drink with Xavier instead.¡± She put down her wine bottle and stood up to head outside.


    However, as soon as she walked past Matthew, the man grabbed her wrist tightly. ¡°I¡®ll drink with you.¡± Gr


    abbing her wrist with one hand while holding the wine bottle with another, he stared at her and gulped a


    big mouthful of red wine. ¡°Sit down. I¡®ll drink with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s more like it.¡± Veronica gave a depressingly sad grin.


    Matthew drank with Veronica and watched as she drank four bottles of red wine without getting drunk. At


    first, he thought that drinking some wine would help her fall asleep, but the tipsy woman had no intention


    of going to sleep at all. If she kept on drinking, she might suffer from alcohol intoxication, which


    would be harmful to her health. He snatched away the wine bottle in her hand, saying, ¡°Let¡®s stop drinkin


    g. I¡®ll take you out for a ride.¡± He couldn¡®t help but sigh from the bottom of his heart at the woman¡®s astoni


    shing capacity for liquor. However, no matter how well she could hold her liquor, alcohol was still


    harmful to her health.


    Her cheeks flushed, Veronica turned to look at Matthew with narrowed eyes, asking, ¡°Hmm? A ride? Whe


    re?¡±


    ¡°Juste with me.¡± Matthew took her hand, stood up, and headed outside.


    Veronica felt somewhat dizzy, and she staggered a little while walking. However, she was very sober, so


    she held Matthew¡®s hand tightly for fear of falling. After entering the elevator, she stood on tiptoe and wra


    pped her left arm around his shoulder like a buddy. ¡°Where are we going in the middle of the


    night? Can I ride on the Ferris wheel? I¡®ve always wanted to take a ride on the Ferris wheel ever since I


    was


    little, but I never had the opportunity. Do you think¡­ that I¡®m miserable?¡± Resting her head on Matthew¡®s


    shoulder, the woman gave a smelly belch after finishing her sentence, and her breath reeked of alcohol.


    Matthew frowned in disgust, but he nheless put his arm around her waist for


    tear that she might lose her bnce and fall to the ground. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll take you on a Ferris wheel ride.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is it thergest Ferris wheel in Bloomstead?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡®d be great! He he! To think that I can ride on the Ferris wheel at such ate hour! That¡®s defini


    tely gonna be f¨Cfun¡­¡± Veronica grinned happily.


    On the other hand, Matthew had aplicated look on his face as he looked at Veronica with his eyes fu


    ll of worry and sympathy. While taking her downstairs, he texted Thomas, who was already


    waiting downstairs when he arrived at the second basement parking lot. For work reasons, Thomas coul


    dn¡®t be staying too far from Matthew, so it had been arranged for him to stay in the presidential suite dow


    nstairs of Matthew¡®s apartment. Eventually, the presidential suite Thomas had been staying in became hi


    s little apartment.


    After getting into the car, Matthew, who was sitting in the back seat, asked Thomas, ¡°Is everything ready


    ?¡±


    ¡°I¡®ve contacted the person in charge of the amusement park,¡± Thomas said while starting the car before s


    lowly driving out of the parking lot.


    Veronica turned her head to look out of the window at the moon as she and Matthew sat in the back seat


    . Instead of falling into a drunken sleep, she became more and more sober. On top of having something


    on her mind, she suffered from severe insomnia. Moreover, she could hold her liquor much better than ot


    hers, so she rarely got drunk.


    Since she was especially confident of her ability to hold her liquor, she didn¡®t know she had thrown up like


    Seeing that she wasn¡®t sleeping, Matthew asked, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    Veronica shook her head slightly with a sigh of dejection. ¡°I¡®m just watching the moon.¡±


    She was thinking that Matthew was going to marry Tiffany soon. She wondered whether she should contin


    adoptive parentspany as they lived out the rest of their lives. However, no matter which choice she w


    choice, and her heart was full of resentment. She resented the Larsons for abandoning her


    heartlessly and injuring her adoptive parents in a staged car ident in order to save Randy. Not only tha


    If she didn¡®t get back at the Larsons for this, Veronica felt she would never have peace of mind for the res


    her life. However, how was she supposed to fight against two powerful families on her own?


    Ring! Suddenly, someone¡®s cell phone rang in the quiet car.


    Matthew took out his cell phone and saw that it was an iing call from Tiffany. Despite staring at the p


    II


    However, it didn¡®t take long before Tiffany called him again.


    Matthew clutched his cell phone in his hand. After hesitating for a moment, he answered the phone and h

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129


    ¡°Matthew, have you gone to sleep?¡±


    Matthew pressed his cell phone against his left ear. When he heard the voice on the other end of the line


    , a flicker of impatience shed across his eyes. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°¡­ miss you.¡± Tiffany¡®s voice sounded especially soft like a drizzling rain in spring.


    ¡°Rest early. I¡®ve got something to deal with over here, so I¡®m hanging,¡±


    ¡°Matthew, my parents aren¡®t home today, so I¡®m a little scared of being alone. C Could youe over an


    d keep mepany?¡± Tiffany spoke her mind after hesitating for a long time..


    However, Matthew didn¡®t choose to keep Tiffanypany because of thetter¡®s plea. Instead, he replie


    d coldly, ¡°I¡®ve got something to deal with at the moment. Let¡®s talkter,¡± and hung up right away.


    Sitting next to the man, Veronica couldn¡®t make out who was talking on the other end of the line, but she


    vaguely figured out from Matthew¡®s words that the person was probably Tiffany. Why is he


    so indifferent to his future wife? Did he have a quarrel with her yesterday or something? Instead of sayin


    g


    anything, she merely kept looking out of the window, watching as the car sped toward the biggest amuse


    ment park in Bloomstead from the downtown area.


    Neither Veronica nor Matthew spoke on the way, and the atmosphere in the car was especially grave wit


    h a hint of oppression.


    An hourter, the car arrived at the biggest amusement park in Bloomstead.


    After Thomas stopped the car, Matthew and Veronica opened the car door and got out of the car.


    Standing at the amusement park¡®s entrance, Veronica looked up to see the soaring Ferris wheel in the a


    musement park, which looked especially beautiful as it spun with its neon lights shing.


    ¡°Let¡®s go in.¡± Matthew watched as Veronica stood in ce while looking


    up at the Ferris wheel. Her expression was especially clear


    under the light; even the hint of sadness in her eyes was clearly revealed.


    Thomas went to take care of the amusement park¡®s staff, whereas Matthew and


    Veronica entered the park together. All the park¡®s attractions were avable and waiting for the two to


    y.


    It wasn¡®t until they entered the amusement park and saw the fun attractions that Veronica said with a sig


    h, ¡°My family¡®s poor. When I was little, my parents would only take me to the park when I ranked top of m


    y ss in the exam. All the park has are some small attractions like bumper cars, children¡®s roller¨C


    coaster, and carousel. Even so, I still think that things were pretty nice when I was a child.¡± Now that she


    had grown up, she could own everything she wanted, but she


    was no longer as happy as she had been during her childhood. Furthermore, she wished she could trave


    l back in time to her childhood.


    Matthew sensed clearly the sadness and disappointment in Veronica¡®s words. Turning his head to look at


    the woman, he said softly, ¡°Which attractions do you want to y? I¡®ll y with you.¡±


    Veronica shook her head


    with a quiet sigh. ¡°You don¡®t have to.¡± Even if she wanted to y, there was no way she would be in the


    mood to do that.


    The two walked inside therge amusement park and watched the lights sh dazzlingly


    on the attractions. The music was ringing in their ears, and the atmosphere was very nice, but they could


    n¡®t arouse Veronica¡®s interest at all.


    They went all the way to the Ferris wheel, where the staff member opened the cabin door for them to go i


    nside. When the cabin door was closed, the Ferris wheel was still spinning softly. Standing in front of the


    ss door, Veronica stared at the outside world, but she wasn¡®t delighted at all. ¡°I¡®ve always looked forwa


    rd to riding the Ferris wheel since I was little. Now that I¡®m actually riding one, I find that¡­ it¡®s far less wo


    nderful than when you look at it from a distance.¡±


    Standing next to her, Matthew replied, ¡°Perhaps it¡®s because we¡®re riding it at night.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Veronica stood before the ss door for a while. Then, she sat down in the seat, saying, ¡°I¡®m sl


    eepy.¡±


    ¡°Just sleep if you¡®re sleepy,¡± Matthew said. Then, he saw Veronica lying huddled up on the Ferris


    wheel and sleeping for real.


    It was already autumn, and the night was slightly chilly. The man took off his suit jacket and draped it on


    Veronica. Shortly after that, he heard her even breathing. Fearing that she might fall from the seat while s


    leeping, he walked up to her and propped up her head. Then, he sat down and let her rest her head in hi


    sp.


    Veronica slept more and more soundly when she smelled the familiar scent.


    The


    man¡®s mood darkened as he gently stroked Veronica¡®s hair with his fingers. After that, he took out his cell


    phone and sent Thomas a text message. ¡®Cancel the wedding and postpone it indefinitely


    Shortly after the text message was sent, he received a text message from


    Thomas. It read, ¡®Please think twice about it, Young Master Matthew. Miss Larson is already pregnant. If


    you marry her after the baby is born, it¡®ll harm the future Little Master¡®s reputation, not to mention the imp


    act it¡®ll have on Miss Larson¡®s reputation.¡®


    Matthew merely darted a look at Thomas¡® text message before he replied, ¡®Just do it!


    After he sent the text message, Thomas didn¡®t reply to his text messages anymore.


    With that, the man sat with his


    back against the chair while letting Veronica rest her head in hisp. Staying with her the entire night, he s


    head with his hand to prevent her from falling from her seat.


    When Veronica woke


    up the next morning, she opened her eyes and found herself in a cramped space. After blinking her eyes


    ¡°The Ferris wheel,¡± Matthew replied.


    Upon hearing his voice, Veronica looked back at once. Only then did she


    realize that Matthew was sitting next to her, whereas she seemed¡­ to have slept in hisp just now. After


    minded demeanor with a smile of embarrassment. ¡°I forgot it. I had too much to drinkst night.¡± As she sp


    on her, so she took it off and handed it to him. ¡°Thanks. Let me treat you to breakfast when we go back


    After a good night¡®s sleep, she felt like all the problems that were weighing on her mind had


    disappeared; even her tone of voice made one feel rxed.


    After riding the Ferris wheel for another while, Veronica and Matthew left the amusement park and went b


    After the two got into the car, Thomas slowly drove downtown.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    On the way downtown, Veronica¡®s cell phone rang. When she took out her cell


    phone, she saw that it was an iing call from Elizabeth. Shooting a nce au Matthew, she


    pressed the ¡®answer¡® button, saying, ¡°Hello? Grandma,¡±


    Before


    she could finish her sentence, though, Elizabeth¡®s voice rang on the other end of the line. ¡°Veronica, did y


    Upon hearing Elizabeth¡®s words, Veronica knitted her brows in confusion. Lily? She had heard


    from Elizabeth about Lily before, so she knew that Elizabeth had a youngest daughter, but she died in an


    she ask me this question all of a sudden? ¡°Grandma, a¨C


    are you alright?¡± She couldn¡®t help worrying about Elizabeth inwardly.


    ¡°Oh, I¡®m fine. I¡®m alright. I just had a slip of the tongue just now. I wanted to ask you if you know where Ma

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    Chapter 130


    Veronica turned to look at Matthew with a meaningful look in her eyes. She lied, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.


    Why don¡¯t you call him and ask him where he is instead?¡±


    Elizabeth sounded amiable. ¡°Sigh, alright, alright. As for you, when will you be free to keep mepany,


    youngdy? It¡¯s been a month since you saved mest time, yet I only got to meet you the day before


    yesterday. What makes you so busy every day?¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go keep youpany tonight, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay! It¡¯s settled then.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. See you tonight, Grandma.¡± When Veronica hung up, she only felt that Elizabeth was


    somewhat strange today.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Noticing that something was wrong with Veronica¡¯s expression, Matthew asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Veronica shook her head without speaking while quietly waiting for Elizabeth to call Matthew. However,


    after waiting for a while, she didn¡¯t see Matthew getting a phone call from


    Elizabeth. Didn¡®t she say she was looking for Matthew? Why didn¡®t she contact him? She couldn¡¯t help


    but ask, ¡°Uh, is your phone¡¯s battery still good?¡± Elizabeth was supposed to have called Matthew if his


    phone hadn¡¯t run out of juice.


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Veronica hung her head slightly and was deep in thought. Suddenly, she recalled something and


    asked, ¡°When is Grandma¡¯s birthday?¡±


    ¡°A month and six dayster.¡±


    ¡°Which means, August 24.¡±


    Veronica estimated the time ording to the date Matthew had just given her. Then, she recalled


    Elizabeth telling her that she would be celebrating her birthday in two months when she saved Elizabeth


    last time. If the date Elizabeth had told her was


    correct, it would be Elizabeth¡¯s birthday in a few days¡¯ time. However, Matthew said that her birthday was


    a monthter, and the Kings Family hadn¡¯t done anything to prepare for her birthday


    either. So does it mean that Grandma said the wrong thingst time? Also, when I went to the Kings Resi


    dence the day before yesterday, Grandma said we hadn¡®t met for a month as soon as she saw me. But i


    n reality, we¡®ve not seen each other for over 527 weeks since I saved her. Furthermore, Lily has passed


    away for ten years, so why did she


    suddenly bring this up just now?


    Sensing that something was wrong with the look on Veronica¡¯s face, Matthew asked her, ¡°What are you


    thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I feel that¡­¡± Veronica hesitated for a moment. However, seeing how serious Matthew looked with his


    eyes full of worry, she said, ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s nothing. Grandma was looking for you just now, so call her.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t make wild guesses on something before there was


    evidence. I¡®d better spend more time with


    Grandma these days and observe her to determine whether she¡®s alright.


    Matthew then called Elizabeth. She seemed to be alright; after exchanging a few pleasantries with him,


    she hung up. When the car slowly reached the downtown area, Matthew suddenly asked, ¡°What are you


    going to treat me to?¡±


    Veronica thought for a moment. After looking at the breakfast shop on the roadside, she said to Thomas,


    ¡°Mr. Ritter, could you pull over to the side of the road for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, Miss Murphy,¡± Thomas replied, before turning the steering wheel and pulling over to the side


    of the road.


    ¡°Wait for me in the car while I buy it for you,¡± Veronica said to Matthew. Then, she opened the car door


    and went directly to the breakfast shop on the other side of the road.


    A few minutester, the woman carefully crossed the road while carrying the breakfast bags. After


    getting back into the car, she closed the car door. ¡°Here¡¯s your breakfast.¡± She handed a serving of


    breakfast to Matthew before handing another to Thomas. ¡°You must be tired too, Mr. Ritter. Have some


    breakfast.¡±


    Taking the breakfast bag, Matthew looked at the egg in the white transparent stic bag. The egg was


    already peeled, and its surface was covered in brown marble-like patterns. Aside from the egg, there


    was also a cup of soy milk. He frowned slightly with a hint of disgust in his dark eyes, asking, ¡°Is this


    what you call ¡®breakfast¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s the problem? The tea egg costs a buck, and the soy milk costs two bucks. I even bought a


    tea egg for Mr. Ritter. I¡¯ve bought four dors¡¯ worth of breakfast for you both, which is good enough.¡±


    Veronica shot a nce at Matthew before lowering her head to eat the tea egg in her hand. Her heart


    aching terribly, she muttered, ¡°Life isn¡¯t easy, and it¡¯s difficult to make money. Even a breakfast costs


    seven bucks. It¡¯s so distressing.¡±


    Thomas¡¯ lips twitched as he sat in the driver¡¯s seat while looking at the tea egg in the


    stic bag. When he looked up at Matthew, who was sitting in the back seat, through the rearview


    mirror, he saw thetter looking down at the tea egg for a long time withoutying a hand¡¯ on it. ¡°Young


    Master Matthew, we¡¯ll arrive at One Piece Restaurant if we turn the corner ahead of us. Do you want to


    have breakfast there?¡± Having worked for Matthew for a dozen years, he knew very well that Matthew


    never ate street foods and found them unhygienic andcking in nutritional value, so he suggested that


    they go to One Piece Restaurant instead.


    ¡°What? We¡¯re going to One Piece Restaurant?¡± Veronica¡¯s eyes lit up, and she immediately snatched


    away the breakfast that Matthew had stared at for a long time. ¡°If you had said earlier that we¡¯re going to


    have breakfast at One Piece Restaurant, I wouldn¡¯t have had to treat you to breakfast. You don¡¯t like this


    breakfast, anyway, so let me keep it for breakfast tomorrow.¡±


    Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Matthew was used to eating all kinds of exotic food and different


    styles of breakfasts that were rich in nutrition. However, he never ate street foods like these. Despite his


    inner aversion, he stretched out his hand and took back the tea egg and the soy milk. ¡°It¡¯s good to eat


    something different,¡± he said.


    Then, he opened the stic bag, took a bite of the tea egg, and chewed it slowly.


    Surprisingly, the salty egg, which was vored with spices, smelled even more appetizing and tasted


    even better than the tasteless boiled eggs that he usually ate.


    Upon watching Matthew take a bite and savor the taste, Veronica couldn¡¯t help being curious. ¡°How is it?


    Does it taste good?¡±


    Matthew lowered his head and took another bite. After chewing it well, he slowly swallowed it and


    replied, ¡°It¡¯s special.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®special? It¡¯s more delicious than boiled eggs, of course. Rich people like you


    prefer to have ham and cheese sandwiches for breakfast, which are boring and high in sugar. No wonder


    you know how to make porridge. You must¡¯ve been tired of eating sandwiches for breakfast.¡±


    Even though Matthew had enjoyed a privileged life since childhood by eating French, Italian, or


    Japanese cuisine made by top chefs, these cuisines weren¡¯t as diverse as traditional cuisine. Street


    foods might not be hygienic, but people ate all kinds of foods, so he wasn¡¯t too worried about this.


    ¡°Meals will be charged from tomorrow onward,¡± said Matthew while drinking soy milk after finishing the


    tea egg in his hand.


    Eating the tea egg, Veronica paused, instantly feeling that the tea egg in her hand didn¡¯t smell appetizing


    anymore. Knitting her brows, she asked in displeasure with a


    sier expression, ¡°Why Didn¡¯t you guys agree to not charge me money? Why the vudden change of


    mind?¡±


    let me correct you that I said, ¡®it all depends on how you perform.¡± There was a barely percepuble smile


    on the man¡¯s clearly-defined face. Matthew had indeed said to Veronica that he wouldn¡¯t charge her for


    the porridge if she stayed in his apartment, but the point was that it all depended on her performance. In


    other words, the right to interpret belonged to Matthew.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t I performing well by treating you to breakfast? What¡¯s wrong with buying you breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Do you think three bucks¡¯ worth of breakfast is good?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than having nothing to eat for breakfast, anyway.¡± Veronica was


    peeved. Just look at what kind of a person he is! It¡®s good enough that I gave him something to


    eat, yet he isn¡®t grateful for that. Not only that, but he even frowned at it! Feeling incredibly displeased,


    she said, ¡°Fine if you don¡¯t wanna eat. Nobody¡¯s forcing you to eat it anyway. If you hate it so much, then


    throw it up!¡±


    Thomas, who was eating the tea egg in the driver¡¯s seat, was chewing the egg yolk when Veronica¡¯s


    words amused him. Instantly, he swallowed the egg yolk, which got stuck in his throat and caused him to


    choke until he was somewhat out of breath. ¡°Pfift! Cough.. Mmph¡­¡±

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131


    pping one hand over his neck while clutching the passenger seat with the other, Thomas sat sideway


    s in his seat. His face turned red as he choked on the egg yolk, and veins were bulging in his forehead,


    making him look very scary,


    Frightened. Veronica handed the soy milk in her hand to Thomas right away. ¡°Have some soy milk, Mr. Ri


    tter.¡±


    Thomas took a look at Veronica, then at the soy milk she was holding with a look of aversion.


    ¡°I¡®ve never drunk it.¡±


    Only when Veronica said she had never drunk the soy milk did Thomas take it. After gulping down a big


    mouthful of soy milk, he finally felt much better. Letting out a long sigh of relief, he beat his chest, saying,


    ¡°Sh*t, I almost choked to death.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡®d better choke to death!¡± Veronica chided Thomas angrily. ¡°It¡®s true that birds of a feather floc


    k together. You¡®re just like your boss. How could you be fussy about whether I¡®ve drunk the soy milk whe


    n you were almost choking to death? Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. Anyway, thank you, Miss Murphy.¡± Thomas smiled with embarrassment while thanking Veronica f


    or the life¨Csaving soy milk she had handed to him just in


    time. Deciding from the bottom of his heart that he


    would never eat something like a tea egg again, he started the car and slowly drove on.


    Sitting in the back seat, Veronica looked at Matthew, who was closing his eyes in


    repose. She found that this guy had be


    more and more petty. Is he holding a grudge against me for treating him to three bucks¡® worth of breakfa


    st? She touched her nose and thought for a moment before suggesting, ¡°Actually, there are many kinds o


    f delicious street foods, such as stir¨C


    fried noodles, teppanyaki, and tacos¡­ What about I take you to have some street foods tomorrow eveni


    ng?¡±


    The man slowly opened his eyes to shoot a nce at Veronica out of the


    corner of his eye. ¡°Tacos? Are you gonna treat me to cheap fish tacos or something?¡±


    ¡°What? Fish¡­ Haha¡­¡± Veronica was amused by his words. ¡°Haha¡­¡± cing her hand on her stomach,


    sheughed hysterically while pping her thigh with no regard for her image.


    Mathew and Thomas were dumbfounded by Veronica¡®s sudden guffaw as they didn¡®t


    understand what made herugh so hysterically. Matthew turned to look at her, whereas Thomas stared


    at her through the rearview mirror. I


    Only then did Veronica¡®s smile fade. She said in


    a whisper, ¡°There are some things that you have to be careful about saying.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Matthew was puzzled.


    ¡°There¡®s a joke about fish tacos. If someone says they¡®re taking you to eat fish tacos, he¡®s actually¡­ Nev


    er mind, it¡®s nothing.¡± It¡®s better not to say some dirty remarks out loud, she thought. She waved her hand


    , saying, ¡°Don¡®t care about how much the tacos cost. I¡®ll definitely let you have enough of them tomorrow.


    ¡± In order to enjoy free breakfast in the future, she could only endure the heartache and spend some mon


    ey again to treat Matthew to dinner.


    Matthew didn¡®t ask her further questions as the three returned to Twilight


    Condominium


    When Matthew and Veronica returned to the apartment, Yvonne had already gone to work. After changin


    g her clothes, Veronica said goodbye to


    Matthew. ¡°I¡¯m off to work. Bye,¡± she shouted toward his bedroom while standing in the living room.


    However, as soon as she finished


    her sentence, Matthew opened the door and came out walking upright. Dressed in a dark gray suit, the r


    adiant¨C


    looking man gave off a noble and distant air of superiority through every pore like an exceptionally hands


    ome celestial being that was unapproachable. Even just a nce at such an extraordinarily dignified man


    would please both the eye and the mind.


    An inadvertent sidelong nce at Matthew was all it took for Veronica to be attracted to his handsome lo


    oks, and


    she fell for him instantly. How could this jerk be so good looking? God is more or less partial to him, I gue


    ss.


    ¡°I¡®ll give you a ride,¡± Matthew said.


    ¡°Oh, that¡®s pretty nice. Saves me money,¡± Veronica replied with a chuckle.


    The two got along well without getting into conflicts, which was very rare. As they took the elevator togeth


    er from the top floor to the second basement, Veronica pursed her lips and asked, ¡°I might leave Bloomst


    ead in the near future.¡±


    Matthew could tell from the way Veronica sounded that she was nning to leave Bloomstead for good


    withouting back again. Still, he asked, ¡°¡­When will youe back?¡±


    214


    Dressed in a waist¨Cfitting ck business suit, thedy wore her neck¨C


    length ck hair in a bun with a strand of hair hanging from her temple, which made her look capable an


    d yet adorable. Compared with her previously long hair, her short hair made her look even younger while


    making her appear sexy and sweet at the same time. Tucking the strand


    of hair hanging from her temple behind her ear, she shook her head, saying, ¡°I probably¡­ won¡®te ba


    ck anymore.¡±


    She had indeed drunk a lot yesterday, but it didn¡®t mean that she was really drunk. She had thought abou


    t some matters carefully. Avenging her adoptive parents was very important, but she was no


    match for the Kings Family and the Larson Family. Why do such a stupid thing as to fight a hopeless battl


    e, then? Rather than courting death, it was better to endure the humiliation


    and go back to stay with her adoptive parents, which was better than anything else.


    Matthew¡®s eyes were fixed on thedy next to him the whole time as he looked at the side of her face. Sh


    e had small and delicate clear¨Ccut features, which made her look adorable.


    He didn¡®t say another word, though.


    With that, the two of them fell silent.


    When they reached the second basement, Thomas was already waiting for them in the car. After they got


    into the car, Matthew said, ¡°Head for the Glory Company.¡±


    Thomas


    corrected Matthew, saying, ¡°Mr. Crawford¡®s Glory Company was renamed Konig Company six weeks ago


    .¡±


    Veronica¡®s lips twitched as she sat beside Matthew. So


    this guy knew a long time ago that I¡®m working at Xavier¡®spany, eh? No wonder he never asked me o


    Matthew seemed a bit curious. ¡°Why the sudden change of thepany¡®s name?¡±


    Thomas exined as he drove, ¡°There was aplete shakeup of thepany¡®s top management after


    Mr. Crawford bounced back all of a sudden, though I wonder if it was the so¨C


    called ¡®indirectcency.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s wrong of you to say that, Mr. Ritter. Xavier is very diligent in his work, okay?¡± Veronica chided Thomas


    him saying so. She admitted that when she first started working at Glory Company, everyone in thepa


    lazy and cked off about their work. However,


    after she returned from being kidnapped abroad, Xavier suddenly renamed hispany to Konig. There w


    Veronica merely thought that Xavier hade to his senses all of a sudden and wanted to work hard and


    he became a full¨C


    fledged businessman. He renamed thepany Konig Company because ¡°k?nig¡± was the German word


    the king of the world with you by my side, he thought.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you¡®re right, Miss Murphy.¡± Thomas didn¡®t argue with her.


    Matthew¡®s long, nted eyes lowered slightly and dimmed, but he didn¡®t say a word.


    Half an hourter, Veronica arrived at Konig Company. She waved to Matthew, saying, ¡°Bye.¡±


    ¡°I¡®ll pick you up this evening to take you to the Kings Residence.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Veronica replied, before entering Konig Company with her handbag in her hand.


    Inside the car, Matthew¡®s expression slowly turned serious as he watched Veronica disappear from


    his sight. He asked in a grim voice, ¡°Have you found out the identity of the mysterious masked man?¡± He


    Dawnpol


    Vige.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Apologies for my ipetence, but I¡®m unable to find out his identity.¡± Thomas felt somewhat helpless. ¡°

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132


    Hearing


    that, Matthew squinted his eyes as a trembling coldness surged in them. ¡°Carry on!¡± He grew even more


    curious about the identity of the person who daredy a finger on his woman.


    Meanwhile, in Konig Company, Veronica punched her card and headed straight to the president¡®s office.


    She pushed open the door, only to be weed by Xavier¡®s rear figure as he was sitting on his desk, ad


    miring the frame of graphic text that was newly hung on his wall.


    ¡°Watch as I revitalize, sit as I imperialize. Hot damn, those are some words.¡± Veronica mumbled her prais


    e as she subconsciously gave a thumbs¨Cup.


    Hearing that, Xavier turned around. At the sight of Veronica, the memory of the day he sent her and watc


    hed as she entered Twilight Condominium shed in his mind. Hints of sadness surged in his eyes. How


    ever, he covered up his despair and simply chuckled. ¡°Indeed, you watched as I revitalized, so sit by me


    as I imperialize the world!¡± The quote wasposed for Veronica.


    Xavier was once a known business prodigy in Bloomstead, but due to numerous triggering forces, he wa


    s pushed over the edge and found no way to get back up, living the purposeless life of a vermin. From a


    prodigy to a good¨Cfor¨C


    nothing, he had grown too ipetent to be likeable, and ended up being disdained by everyone he kne


    w. Nevertheless, that only persisted until his encounter with Veronica, who inspired him to regain control


    of his life, but she wouldn¡®t know about that.


    ¡°Good luck, Bro! I¡®m rooting for you.¡± Veronica ced her purse aside before throwing herself onto the co


    uch in his office¡®s lounge area. Slothfully leaning against the couch, she turned her head toward Xavier, s


    tating, ¡°I¡®ve got something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xavier walked to the water dispenser and made a cup of tea for her before walking over and


    serving the cup of tea to her.


    ¡°I n to return to my hometown.¡±


    ¡°For how long?¡± Xavier didn¡®t give it much thought. He simply assumed that she was applying for leave.


    With her elbow on the couch¡®s armrest and her hand supporting her chin, Veronica helplessly grinned as


    she shook her head. ¡°I¡®m noting back.¡±


    Ai once, Xavier¡®s brows tightened; he was shocked. ¡°What, why? What happened?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Nothing really. Having lived so long in the busy city, I thought the countryside felt better. Perhaps it¡®s mor


    e suitable for me.¡±


    ¡°Is it because he¡®s getting married to Tiffany?¡± As the open person he was, heid everything out from hi


    s


    heart. Prior to that day, Melissa, who had just returned from Spinfluence Group, informed him that Tiffany


    was pregnant, and it would only be a short time before they wedded each other.


    Recalling that, Xaviermented, ¡°Now that Tiffany is pregnant, the Kings Family is going to speed up the


    wedding even if it¡®s for the sake of pride. When the Kingses and the Larsons team up, you¡­¡± Pausing, hi


    s eyes fell upon the disaffected woman opposite him, and he stopped talking. Instead, he went on a tang


    ent. ¡°Anyway, I support your decision to return. By then, I¡®ll have thispany expanded to your doorste


    ps, and you can continue to work for me.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Not a problem,


    of course! If you¡®re really setting up a branch there, I¡®ll spend the rest of my life working for you as a spec


    ialized employee.¡± Veronica assumed the man was merely jesting. ¨C=¨C=


    ¡°That¡®ll be the best! Ourpany has epted a new project. It¡®s been a while since you received your


    secretary training, so you¡®ve probably learned


    all the basics. Thus, your next step is managing the new business!¡±


    Xavier said that she had been receiving training for ¡°a while,¡± though she had only started one week ago.


    She was


    guided by the executive secretary to understand every task and procedure of thepany, and sometim


    es, she was taught about the specialized abilities of a secretary. Veronica knew that Xavier was actually t


    raining her.


    ¡°Aren¡®t you a sly businessman? Secretary skills, new project, then you¡®re gonna have me follow you for


    meetings, which


    eventually makes me your personal assistant. Tsk, tsk¡­ How calctive!¡± Veronica was as perceptive as


    usual.


    Although Xavier¡®s ns were exactly as Veronica stated, his true intention was to face hardship and gro


    w together with her. ¡°Since my Roni is so smart, letting her remain an ordinary employee would be such


    a waste of talent. I¡®ll double your pay as my personal assistant!¡±


    ¡°Praise Brother Xavier!¡± Veronica gave the man a big thumbs¨C


    up. Soon, as the smile on her face diminished, she sternly rified, ¡°But I can¡®t be by your side for long.


    As I said, I¡®m going back to my hometown.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t worry about that. Until you finally leave, just do whatever you can for the time


    being.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. That means a lot to me.¡± Carrying her purse, Veronica stood up. ¡°Then, I shall tend to my wo


    rk.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Xavier nodded. After watching her leave the room, he went to sit at his desk and dialed ap


    any hotline. ¡°Come over for a bit.¡±


    Not long after he hung up, the executive secretary walked in and stood before him. ¡°How may I help, Pre


    sident Crawford?¡±


    ¡°Order some men to visit Veronica¡®s hometown and see if there¡®s any suitable ce to set up a branch.¡±


    As Xavier was speaking, he wrote down the woman¡®s hometown address and handed the note to the exe


    cutive secretary.


    ¡°Roger that, President.¡±


    ¡°Also, do not let her know about this. Oh, one more thing. Prepare a private office for her.¡±


    ¡°On it, President.¡± The executive secretary nodded in response and turned around to exit the room.


    Time speedily passed. Veronica was studying the infographics of the new project at the secretariat, and b


    And so, the duo went to a steakhouse nearby.


    In the meantime, in Spinfluence Group, Tiffany, who woke


    up midday, received a call from Thomas. ¡°Miss Larson, Young Master Matthew has ordered me to inform y


    A second ago, her conscience was still hazy, but after hearing Thomas¡®s message, she sprung up from he


    ¡°It¡®s Young Master Matthew¡®s wish. You can take your confusion to him.¡± Thomas then went on and rye


    ¡°Got it. Thanks.¡± Tiffany hung up. Tilted, she almost smashed her phone onto the


    ground, but she managed to retain her rationality and suppress her anger. ¡°I can¡®t be pissed now. For the


    ¡°Mom, Dad, Thomas¡­ just called me.¡± Feigning disappointment, Tiffany walked over to her parents as sh


    all, now that she was bearing a child inside of her, there was no way Matthew would refuse to marry her.

 Chapter 133

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    Even if he had


    no desire to marry her, he would still need to obey Elizabeth. There was nothing at all to worry about.


    ¡°Why did Thomas call you? Is it regarding the wedding?¡± Rachel was gently brushing her face, massagin


    g it with a jade roller.


    ¡°The wedding is canceled.¡± Tiffany, seemingly aggrieved, went and sat down on the couch. Her eyes, fille


    d with anger and reluctance, were reddened.


    In response, Rachel immediately


    stopped her massage and put aside the jade roller, staring at her daughter who was about to burst into te


    ars. ¡°What¡®s the matter? Why did he do that out of nowhere?¡±


    ¡°How would I know? That Veronica b*tch may even be the one causing it!¡±


    ¡°Veronica shouldn¡®t have the power to meddle in a marriage in the Kings Family.¡± Floch shook his head. ¡°


    It must be moreplicated than it seems, so don¡®t look too much into it. Even if Matthew doesn¡®t want t


    o get married, we still have Old Mrs. Kings. So all you have to do is visit her more often,¡± heforted hi


    s daughter and let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Yes, your dad¡®s right. All of Bloomstead knows that Old Mrs. Kings is dying to have a great¨C


    grandchild. It¡®s only a matter of time until she finds out about the one inside you. Don¡®t you know who¡®s th


    e powerholder in the Kings Family?¡± Rachel shook her head. Although she sounded rather scornful, she


    was actually concerned for her daughter.


    ¡°I know that. That¡®s why I¡®m going to see Matthew before visiting the Kings Residence.¡±


    Tiffany grabbed a piece of tissue and wiped her tears. If she hadn¡®t known about Elizabeth being


    theirst card, she would have been throwing a tantrum in her room, falling extremely depressed, before


    she went downstairs.


    Ring... ring... All of a sudden, Floch¡®s phone on the table rang, to which he grabbed it and answered the c


    all. ¡°What is it?¡± ¨C vonia


    ¡°What? She was set up in Almeida?¡±


    ¡°Who did it?¡±


    ¡°Go see to it now, fool!¡±


    Onis having blurted a few simple sentences, Floch ended the call and turned around with his gaze brushi


    ng over Tiffany and falling onto Rachel. With a frown, he imed, ¡°I was informed that Veronica falling int


    o a river in Almeida some time ago was actually a set¨Cup to kill her off.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, didn¡®t you guys know?¡± Tiffany peered at her parents in confusion.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Floch and Rachel quizzed in unison with their eyes fixated on


    Tiffany.


    ¡°I overheard Thomas¡®s phone call a few days ago, and knew about it by ident,¡± Tiffany answered hon


    estly. Although she knew Veronica identally fell into the river, and was washed away by the violent flo


    od, she did not know the entire thing was orchestrated.


    With a strict re, Rachel hesitated for a moment


    before asking, ¡°You have no hand in this, do you, Tiffy?¡±


    ¡°What? Of course not! If I were to go against her, I¡®ll make sure she has no chance


    to survive in my scheme. Lucky her!¡± Tiffany scoffed. She would give up pretty much everything to have


    Veronica dead.


    ¡°Listen to me, Tiffy. No matter what happens, do noty a finger on Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Why not? You¡®re not trying to protect her, are you, Mom?¡±


    ¡°You nuts? You¡®re now Matthew¡®s fianc¨¦e, and Veronica is Old Mrs. Kings¡® recognized god¨C


    granddaughter. If you dare touch Veronica, the entire Kings Family will be alerted. Imagine how long it¡®s


    gonna take until you and Matthew finally get married.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m aware of everything you said, or I would have made a move on her.¡± Tiffany tossed the tissue in her


    hand into the rubbish bin and turned toward the door. ¡°I¡®m gonna go see Matthew. Bye¨Cbye.¡±


    Right now, her most important mission was to utilize the child in her abdomen as leverage to reel Matthe


    w in as soon as possible; she would give anything to aplish said mission. She put on


    her shoes in the entryway and grabbed the car keys before driving out of the residence.


    The sound of the car engine gradually waned, and when itpletely dispersed, Rachel looked at Floch


    with aplex, knowing, and ambiguous look. ¡°It seems Tiffany really didn¡®t do it. But who else would be


    targeting her? Have you found it out?¡± she hastily interrogated her husband.


    Floch took a puls of the cigarette between


    his fingers and shook his head. ¡°We have vento find the person. But I was told that Matthew is looking int


    o it as well, so perhaps¡­¡± He froze for a second with his cigarette between his fingers before looking bac


    k at Rachel with an insecure frown. ¡°It seems¡­ the inevitable hase.¡±


    Done with her work in the Konig Company, Veronica bid her farewell to Xavier. ¡°I¡®m leaving, Bro.¡±


    Xavier, who was preupied by his tasks, saw her standing by his office door


    and paused on his work. ¡°Where are you heading to? Let me send you.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s okay. I¡®m visiting Old Mrs. Kings today.¡±


    ¡°I¡®ll send you. I have nothing left to do anyway.¡± After organizing the files on his desk, he got up and walk


    ed toward her. ¡°It¡®ll take almost one hour to get to


    Kings Residence from here. You sure you wanna take the cab?¡±


    Take the cab? Veronica didn¡®t intend to take the cab and was actually nning to ask Matthew for a ride.


    However, after wondering for a while, she finalized that it wouldn¡®t be too much of a burden to Xavier sinc


    e she would be leaving Bloomstead very soon. And so, the two took the elevator downstairs. After acquiri


    ng some fruits, she got into Xavier¡®s vehicle and they began their trip to Kings Residence.


    On their way to Kings Residence, Veronica, sitting in the passenger seat, fell into deep contemtion, lea


    He suddenly asked, ¡°Does Matthew know you¡®re going back?¡± Xavier wasn¡®t exactly informed about the re


    she chose


    to live with him regardless of the marriage engagement between him and Tiffany. But earlier, out of nowhe


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Yeah, I told him.¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, what do you expect? ¡®Oh, he¡®s begging me to stay. You think he¡®d say that? It¡®s


    not like I mean anything to him.¡± Veronica scoffed. Initially, she chose to stay by Matthew¡®s side solely bec


    became her priority.


    Although Veronica¡®s reply came as a surprise to Xavier, it was somewhat reasonable. ¡°When are you n


    i


    ¡°Next


    week, I guess. My father¡®s birthday is in a few days. I wanna go home and celebrate it with him.¡± Besides,


    three. If she didn¡®t spend more time with him, none could tell how much longer her old man had left.


    ¡°What a good daughter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know right? Hahaha!¡± Veronica raised her head and chortled. The mood in the car quickly grew m


    JIB


    Shortly after, they arrived at Kings¨C


    Residence. When Xavier¡®s car stopped, Matthew¡®s car was driven over and parked right beside it.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134


    Matthew was seen alighting his vehicle together with Tiffany.


    :


    ¡°Oh, Veronica, I see you¡®ve brought your boyfriend over with you.¡± Carrying her purse, Tiffany greeted Ve


    ronica as if she was the open¨Chearted, generous host of the residence


    Matthew, on the other hand, gave Veronica a piercing nce before ring at Xavier. His eyes were aby


    smally cold.


    ¡°That¡®s none of your business. Why do you care?¡± Veronica taunted and rolled her eyes at Tiffany, showi


    ng no intention in ying nice.


    ¡°What¡­ Y¨C


    You¡­¡± Surprised by her impudence, Tiffany felt infuriated and frustrated. She turned to Matthew, eyeing f


    or help, but the man ¡°missed it.¡±


    ¡°You what? Huh? Get away from me, witch!¡±


    Veronica deliberately took a few steps backward and brushed the nonexistent dust on her shoulders awa


    y before turning around to pick up the supplements in Xavier¡®s car, saying, ¡°B¡ª¡±


    Before she could say a word, Xavier interjected, ¡°I¡®ll carry them for you. Let¡®s go see Old Mrs. Kings.¡±


    Veronica was dazed and confused. He said he was only sending me here. Why is


    he suddenlying with me? Regardless, Xavier was only trying to help, so she didn¡®t feel right to reject


    his goodwill.


    ¡°Mr. Crawford, Veronicaes from the countryside, so her speech can be¡­ harsh. But don¡®t take it to h


    eart. I¡®m sure she¡®ll slowly change.¡± Disconcerted, Tiffany took the opportunity to mock Veronica¡®s identity


    and gave her a ¡°pep talk.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡®re Mr. Crawford¡®s girlfriend, make sure to kill your old, bad habits, okay? Otherwise, how are y


    ou going to


    get married to him? You¡®re bound to get bad mouthed!¡± Having said that, she turned to Matthew. ¡°Isn¡®t th


    at right, Matthew?¡±


    Matthew simply shot her a mean nce before turning his eyes to Veronica as he blurted a ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, b*tch! Stop poking your nose into


    my matters!¡± Veronica had no desire to be courteous with Tiffany just because she was Matthew¡®s ¡°fianc¨¦


    e.¡±


    He apathy toward Tiffany caused Xavier to overthink. He came to a ¡°conclusion¡± that the hatred Veronica


    bore sor Tiffany wasn¡®t only familial, but also out of jealousy as love rivals!


    ¡°B¨CB*tch? How could you say that, Veronica? I was only saying those for your sake¡­¡°.


    Tiffany pursed her lips. Her reddened eyes made her seem so pitiable.


    ¡°As if that would stop the world from revolving around you! Also, stop saying sh*t like ¡®for your sake this, f


    or your sake that. If it¡®s really for my sake, then get the hell away from me. Don¡®t soil the path I¡®m about t


    o tread on and pollute the scenery I¡®m about to glimpse.¡± Veronica did not pull her punches.


    Beside her was Xavier, who tacitly nodded. ¡°Yup, even your breath smells like a what¡®s that?¨C


    right, a pretentious b*tch!¡±


    Hearing his insult, Veronica could no longer hold it in and burst outughing. He¡®s done it!


    Tiffany, contrastingly, teared up and miserably whimpered. She lowered her head and spoke not another


    word.


    Despite not wanting to participate in the verbal war, Matthew felt somewhat irritated by how synergetic V


    eronica and Xavier were, and the fact that she was so happy with him. ¡°Since Mr. Crawford can¡®t stand th


    e smell here, I guess you shouldn¡®t tarry any longer. Farewell.¡± He explicitly requested for


    Xavier to leave. Just like Veronica to Tiffany, Matthew had no intention to spare Xavier the courtesy.


    In Veronica¡®s eyes, however, that seemed like a fianc¨¦ trying to protect his fianc¨¦e. It felt rather intimate.


    Disaffected, she countered, ¡°Xavier¡®s my guest. Who do you think you are to


    ask him to leave? You¡®re not the boss here in Kings Residence!¡± Finished, she grabbed Xavier by his wri


    st. ¡°Come, let¡®s go inside.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Xavier blurted. He couldn¡®t hide the joy at the corners of his lips.


    When he walked by Matthew, they had a momentary battle of gazes, where Xavier¡®s face was full of smu


    g.


    li was not until the two entered the residence did Tiffany timidly say to Matthew, ¡°Please don¡®t get mad, M


    atthew. That¡®s just how Veronica is. She was spoiled rotten back then, and never learned her manners.¡±


    Contrary to her words, she was, in fact, unerly envious.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Matthew was a figure in Bloomstead none dared to oppose, and even tycoons would feel obliged to bow


    before him. Nheless, even when Veronica was barbarically reprimanding and insulting him, there wa


    sn¡®t a trace of anger to be found on


    his face. Tiffany, as the fianc¨¦e herself, didn¡®t even dare to behave so impertinently with her own fianc¨¦,


    but Veronica, as a total nobody, was bold enough to go against him!.


    ¡°Courtesy isn¡®t always the best.¡± Matthew tossed those words out and walked away.


    In the public eye, Tiffany was considered the golden girl of Bloomstead. Looks, talents¨C


    the gift from God possessed them both. Nevertheless, after having spent a long time with Veronica, Matth


    the rumors, wasn¡®t exactly graceful. Rather, she was so pretentious that it was extremely detestable, unlik


    Veronica who alwaysid her emotions out in the open. Veronica was significantly more adorable,fort


    ¡°M¡­¡± Standing still on the ground, Tiffany clenched her fists as her body trembled out of vexation. The jea


    through her body and swiftly took over her rationality.


    Die... She must die... How is this


    hateful woman getting so much love from Matthew? I¡®ll allow her boastfulness no


    longer! It should be her... No, it must be her who¡®s always instigating Matthew, causing him to call our wed


    ¡°What are


    you waiting for?¡± As she was stationarily contemting, Matthew suddenly halted his steps and turned aro


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡®ming.¡± Wiping the tears on her cheek off with her sleeve, Tiffany suppressed her vexation


    With that, the four entered the residence in a line and went to the living room.


    Having heard about their visit, Elizabeth was already waiting in the living room. When Veronica walked in,


    sprung up from her seat and excitedly yelled, ¡°Oh, my Veronica is here!¡± As she was walking up to Veronic


    Veronica wrapped her arm around the back of Xavier¡®s neck and joyously introduced the man to Elizabeth


    ¡°Good day, Old Mrs. Kings,¡± Xavier politely greeted the old


    woman. There was not a sign of the rumored overbearing, womanizer behavior within him.


    ¡°Hahaha. I see¡­ It¡®s so nice of you toe visit this old woman, Mr. Crawford.¡± Elizabeth beamed as she


    ¡°You¡®re ttering me, Old Mrs. Kings.¡± Xavier subtly smiled.


    ¡°That¡®s right, Grandma. Xavier is the best, and he¡®s helped me so many times! People love spreading fals

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135


    Veronica righteously defended Xavier.


    ¡°Who cares what other people say? From what I can see, Xavier is a good kid.¡± Elizabeth had seen man


    y people in her life, and it only took her one nce to tell that Xavier was different from the rumors.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Kings, you¡®re giving me too much credit.¡± Xavier was not used to the ttery.


    ¡°That¡®s more like it. I just knew Grandma has a good eye for people.¡± Veronica grinned.


    As she said that, Matthew walked in with Tiffany behind them, only to see Veronica intimately hugging Xa


    vier¡®s neck as they chatted, seemingly in a good mood. This damn woman. Does


    she really like Xavier that much? he thought.


    Of course, Tiffany witnessed the scene with him as well. She murmured in a mncholic tone, ¡°They hav


    e such a good rtionship. I envy them.¡±


    She had deliberately said this to Matthew, but Tiffany knew that he wouldn¡®t want to hear it. Hence, she


    didn¡®t wait for his answer and pretended to be ¡°talking to herself¡± instead, greeting Elizabeth soon after. ¡°


    Grandma?¡±


    ¡°Tiffany, you¡®re here? Now that everyone is here, let¡®s wash our hands and eat before the food gets cold.¡±


    Elizabeth¡®s gaze moved from Veronica to Tiffany as she greeted them, before she said to Xavier, ¡°You c


    ould¡®ve juste without bringing anything. Don¡¯t waste your money.¡±


    ¡°Roni bought all of these.¡± Xavier put the gifts aside as he spoke.


    Compared with Elizabeth¡®s enthusiasm for Xavier and Veronica, Tiffany clearly felt Elizabeth¡®s indifferenc


    e to her. However, even though she was a little upset, she didn¡®t show it.


    As they sat at the dining table, Veronica smiled in satisfaction upon seeing the hearty dinner. ¡°Grandma, i


    f you prepare so many delicious things, I might gain five pounds after this meal.¡±


    With just a sentence, she made the crowd burst intoughter.


    A kind smile appeared on Elizabeth¡®s face as she said, ¡°Eat more if you like it. Look at


    how skinny you¡®ve be. You should put on more weight.¡± After she finished speaking, she nced at


    Tiffany again and noticed that she looked unhappy. Seeing that, she immediately added, ¡°Tiffany, you sh


    ould eat more too.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you, Grandma.¡± Upon finally being ¡°cared for¡± by Elizabeth, Tiffany felt. better in an instant.


    ¡°Come,e, let¡®s eat before it gets cold.¡± As the eldest, Elizabeth picked up her fork and began to eat.


    ording to the rules, the juniors were not allowed to eat before the elderly.


    Seeing that Elizabeth had started her meal, Veronica picked up her fork and went for the braised pork sh


    e had been eyeing for a long time, intending to feast herself. However, as usual, something unpleasant al


    ways had to ur.


    ¡°rgh¡­¡±


    Before they could begin eating, they saw Tiffany reach out and cover her mouth in a bout of nausea.


    ¡°What¡­ What¡®s wrong with you?¡± Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows, a little displeased.


    ¡°Grandma, I¡®m sorry. ¡­ I¡®m pregnant. I can¡®t¡­ I can¡®t stand the smell of meat. rgh¡­¡± She retched aga


    in, then got up and went directly to the bathroom.


    Elizabeth was taken aback for a few seconds before she looked at Matthew in bewilderment. ¡°What is sh


    e talking about? Is she pregnant?¡±


    Matthews expression was glum as he answered, ¡°Uh¨C


    huh.¡± Saying that, he involuntarily cast a nce at Veronica, only to see that she was indifferently eating


    with her head lowered.


    ¡°What kind of blockheaded answer is


    that? You should go and check on her.¡± Though Elizabeth reprimanded Matthew, she couldn¡®t hold hersel


    f back anymore and got up and walked to the bathroom, muttering as she went, ¡°Oh, she¡®s finally pregna


    nt. Haha!¡±


    Elizabeth, who had been yearning to hold her great¨C


    grandson in her arms,ughed heartily as she walked to the door of the bathroom. When she saw Matth


    ew standing outside without any intention of going in to check on Tiffany, she pped him on the back an


    d chided, ¡°What are you doing here? You didn¡®t tell me something as important as Tiffany getting pregna


    nt. Pregnancy is the most unpleasant time for her. Hurry up and go have a look!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Although Elizabeth didn¡®t like Tiffany that much, she had been forcing herself to ept Tiffany¡®s existenc


    e ever since Matthew got engaged to her until Tiffany gradually became more pleasing to her eyes.


    ¡°I am not a family doctor,¡± Matthew put his hands in his pockets and replied indifferently


    As the child belonged to him, he had to marry Tiffany and care for her and the child out of a responsibility


    . However, every time he got close to her and looked at her face that was almost identical to Veronica¡®s,


    he felt revulsed.


    The two looked simr, but their voices, demeanors, the ce of their eyebrows, and the length of their h


    air were all different. Even their scent was far from each other. While Tiffany always smelled heavily of br


    anded perfume, Veronica exuded a faint fragrance that was fresh and natural instead of an overpowering


    stench that was mixed with various scents.


    Taking out his phone, Matthew called the family doctor. ¡°Come to the living room in the courtyard.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡®re hopeless!¡± Elizabeth was well aware of Matthew¡®s temperament. She knew very well that he w


    versed in romance.


    However, she wasn¡®t in a ce to say anything, so she walked into the bathroom and patted Tiffany, who


    Tiffany, who was ¡°retching,¡± shook her head. After dry heaving for a long time without vomiting anything, s


    face hung down as she replied, ¡°It¡®s been more than a month. I didn¡®t expect my


    reaction to be so huge when I saw the meat.¡±


    Sure enough, Elizabeth really didn¡®t know that she was pregnant. It seemed that she was right to delibera


    ¡°Everyone reacts differently. Some may only have mild symptoms of morning sickness, while some may re


    as she chided affectionately, ¡°You silly girl, why didn¡®t you tell me you were pregnant?¡±


    Holding Tiffany¡®s hand, they made their way back to the dining hall where she dragged Tiffany to sit next t


    seat also happened to be where Matthew had


    been sitting earlier.


    ¡°Grandma, I didn¡®t mean to keep it from you.¡± Tiffany lowered her head shyly, biting her red lips.


    Veronica and Xavier sat quietly by the side. Because Elizabeth had stopped eating, they naturally couldn¡®t


    ¡°I know. It¡®s not your fault. I me that brat Matthew instead.¡± Elizabeth smiled from ear to ear, not letting


    It wasn¡®t until Matthew walked to Tiffany¡®s side and sat down that Elizabeth said to him, ¡°Since Tiffany is a


    The Kings Family had a huge business and a high status, so their every action would be greatly judged an


    was the obvious and natural choice.


    As soon as Elizabeth spoke, Matthew only picked up the red wine in front of him and took a sip, ncing

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136


    Opposite him, Veronica lowered her head and yed with her phone with a careless expression, as if sh


    e hadn¡®t heard Elizabeth¡®s words.


    Elizabeth, who was ustomed to Matthew¡®s silence, turned to Tiffany instead. ¡°Tiffany, what are your pl


    ans? Do your parents know that you are pregnant with a child?¡±


    ¡°Grandma, my parents had just found out about it too.¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Tiffany knew very well that if she wanted to marry Matthew, she could only put all her hopes on Elizabeth


    , so she said, ¡°I¡®ll follow whatever Matthew says.¡± Saying that, she nced at Matthew affectionately, her


    bright eyes full of love and fondness.


    Seeing Tiffany¡®s love for Matthew in her eyes, Elizabeth smacked the table gently. ¡°Matthew, you aren¡®t g


    etting any younger. In my opinion, you should hold the wedding next month. Her belly will probably start s


    howing in three months, so it¡®s better for you to marry sooner so that you don¡®t be aughingstock.¡±


    The


    wealthier one was, the more they cared about reputation. Hence, having a child before marriage was an


    extremely shameless thing.


    ¡°Too hasty,¡± Mathew slowly put down the ss in his hand and said carelessly.


    ¡°How is it too hasty? Just send out the invitations, select the wedding venue, and then go for the pre¨C


    wedding photoshoot. As long as we have money, there¡®s nothing that can¡®t be done.¡±


    As Elizabeth pondered their marriage, she looked at Veronica and asked, ¡°Veronica, don¡®t you think so?¡±


    As Veronica, who was


    a bystander, was named, she raised her eyebrows and looked at the two opposite of her as if nothing ha


    d happened. When her gaze went from Tiffany to


    Matthew, she met his gaze for a moment. Though it was just a nce, his eyes were full of indescribable


    emotions that Veronica couldn¡®t get a grasp on.


    While she was deep in thought, Xavier beside her suddenly spoke up. ¡°Old Mrs. Kings is right. One mont


    h is indeed enough.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡®s more than enough. Both the invitation and the wedding venue can be arranged by other peopl


    e, and the both of you will only have to take wedding


    photos. Isn¡®t it just a matter of two, three days? It¡®spletely enough,¡± Veronica said.


    Everyone knew Elizabeth really wanted a great¨Cgrandson.


    Before, when Veronica told Elizabeth that the Larson Family had threatened her to donate her bone marr


    ow to Randy, Elizabeth still felt extremely repelled by the Larson Family at that time. However, as she gra


    dually came into contact with Tiffany, her resistance to Tiffany gradually disappeared. Now that Tiffany w


    as pregnant, Elizabeth called for her to marry Matthew quickly!


    That was just how life was.


    ¡°Hahaha, Veronica is right.¡± Elizabeth patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Then, I¡®ll leave the preparations of the


    wedding venue to you. You¡®re Matthew¡®s godsister and you have a good eye. I believe in you.¡±


    Her words shocked everyone, and several gazes fell on Elizabeth all at once.


    Tiffany thought, Why? Why should my wedding be arranged by that b*tch Veronica?


    Matthew was confused. What is Grandma nning?


    Xavier was dumbfounded. As I thought, there isn¡®t anyone good in


    the Kings Family. This is going too far.


    Veronica was taken aback. Is Grandma all right?


    ¡°Grandma, the wedding¡­¡±


    Matthew opened his mouth and was about to say something when he saw Veronica nod. ¡°Okay. Since G


    randma trusts me, I don¡®t have a problem at all,¡± she said.


    In the end, she was about to leave Bloomstead. Because of Elizabeth¡®s liking for her, Matthew had saved


    her many times. She had to repay Elizabeth¡®s saving grace. However, Elizabeth¡®s actions confused Vero


    nica and made her unable to grasp what she was thinking. She even began to doubt Elizabeth¡®s liking for


    her.


    ¡°Hahaha, okay, that¡®s settled. Let¡®s hurry and eat.¡± Elizabeth was in a good mood and was smiling from e


    ar


    to ear. She naturally took care of Tiffany and gave her food, and ordered the chefs to prepare some fruits


    for her after dinner.


    After they finished their meal, they sat together and chatted for a while before going home. Because Eliz


    abeth was in a good mood today, she showed them to the door with Mrs. Coleman, her personal caretak


    er as well as the housekeeper, and watched them leave.


    Ji wasn¡®? unul the two cars were far away that Elizabeth let out a sigh and said to Mrs.


    Coleman, ¡°Mrs. Coleman, it seems that I will get the chance to see my great grandson


    before I die. I¡®m content, haha.¡±


    Mrs. Coleman, who was standing next to her, lightly chided her, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? You¡®r


    e still healthy and well.¡±


    ¡°Not even the children know about my condition, but you should know better.¡±


    ¡°Oh, your condition isn¡®t as bad as you think. Please don¡®t worry too much.¡±


    Mrs. Coleman helped her into the house when she suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°Old Madam


    , do you remember what you said to Miss Murphy just now?¡±


    at Mrs. Coleman in confusion. ¡°What did I say? Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Sigh, never mind, it¡®s okay.¡± Mrs. Coleman shook her head, not wanting to tell Elizabeth what had ju


    ¡°Just tell me when I ask you to. Stop dilly¨Cdallying,¡± Elizabeth scolded.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Mrs. Coleman hesitated for a moment, but upon seeing Elizabeth¡®s resolute attitude, she had no cho


    the young master and Miss Tiffany.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! Tiffany and Veronica act like enemies every time they meet. What the Larson Family did to Ve


    Although I epted Tiffany, I would not do such a silly thing.¡± Elizabeth waved her hand. ¡°It¡®s absolutely im


    However, a few stepster, she stopped again and looked back at Mrs. Coleman. ¡°Did I really


    say something like that?¡± She looked guilty, and her eyes were helpless and full of sadness.


    Mrs. Coleman couldn¡®t bear to see Elizabeth ming herself like this, so she immediately stepped forward


    ¡°Sigh, I must be growing old.¡± Elizabeth patted her head and fell into deep remorse.


    Matthew sent Tiffany back to the vi. At the entrance, Tiffany opened the car door


    and got out of the car. She looked at Matthew fondly and asked, ¡°Matthew, thank you for sending me back


    Although she and Matthew were already engaged and he had sent her home many times, he rarely went


    ¡°You¡®re pregnant. Rest early.¡± Matthew said indifferently, ¡°Good night.¡±


    Tiffany bit her red lips lightly, feeling a little incredulous, but she could only nod and reply, ¡°Okay. Good nig


    On the way back from the Kings Residence, she didn¡®t dare mention the ¡°wedding¡± for fear that


    Matthew would regret it all of a sudden. Tiffany warned herself countless times that she had to hold back a


    After that, Matthew started his car and


    left, heading straight for Twilight Condominium. When he returned home, Yvonne and Veronica were sittin

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137


    Seeing him walking in, Yvonne, being the shrewd woman she was, greeted him. ¡°Young Master Matthew,


    you¡®re back?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡® Matthew was as indifferent as ever. He said little as if ignoring her.


    ¡°Veronica, you can keep watching. I¡®ll go to bed first.¡±


    She headed back to the bedroom to avoid disturbing Veronica and Matthew¡®s time alone.


    Matthew unbuttoned his suit with his long fingers and put his coat on the back of the sofa. He took a seat


    next to Veronica, asking in a deep voice, ¡°Why did you agree to Grandma?¡±


    Although Matthew didn¡®t understand why Elizabeth asked Veronica to n his and Tiffany¡®s wedding, Ver


    onica could have refused, but she unexpectedly agreed.


    Veronica sat cross¨C


    legged with a bag of potato chips in her hand. As she put a piece into her mouth, she nced at himzil


    y and muttered, ¡°Since Grandma has asked, what reason do I have to refuse?¡±


    She shrugged and sighed. ¡°If it weren¡®t for Grandma¡®s liking for me, you wouldn¡®t save me from the fire, n


    or would you go abroad to save me, and you wouldn¡®t


    risk your life to save me in the mountains either. No matter what, I¡®ll always remember Grandma¡®s kindne


    ss. Anyway, she just asked me to n a wedding. Even if I had to donate a kidney to her, I wouldn¡®t refus


    e.¡±


    Many said that debts between humans were the most difficult to pay off, and she owed Elizabeth a ¡°savin


    g grace,¡± so Veronica had no reason to refuse.


    Hearing that, Matthew suddenly recalled his past memories as though a movie was ying in his mind.


    His sharp eyes gradually dimmed. Did she think that everything I did was because of ¡®Grandma¡®s orders¡®


    ? That I only risked my life to protect her because Grandma liked her?


    ¡°I¡®ll look for you at yourpany during my break tomorrow to discuss


    the details of the wedding with you.¡± Veronica seemed to have moved on


    from everything. She was calm and indifferent.


    Veronica admitted that she hated the Larson Family, but now


    that she couldn¡®t avenge herself, she simply forced herself to let go of her hatred. She owed Elizabeth to


    o much, and she wouldn¡®t do


    anything at the wedding to embarrass Tiffany, for that would only make the Kings Family aughingstock


    in Bloomstead. She had a


    kind heart, and she knew that she had to repay Elizabeth¡®s kindness, so naturally she wouldn¡®t do such a


    despicable and shameless thing.


    ¡°I will leave the matter to Thomas.¡±


    Matthew recalled that when he was engaged to Tiffany, Veronica suddenly appeared and found out about


    the truth and that her child would be handed over to Tiffany to raise after birth. In order to prevent that fr


    om happening, she took a lot of medicine regardless of the risks, causing herself to miscarry and almost


    bleed to death. One could only imagine how much that incident had


    impacted Veronica, and Matthew didn¡®t want her to suffer again.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Veronica said softly, her cool eyes turning to Matthew. ¡°Are you afraid that I¡®ll do something to Tiffan


    y at the wedding?¡± As she said that, she shook her head, her face full of irony and contempt. ¡°I¡®m never s


    uch a despicable person.¡± ¨C


    Saying that, she threw the bag of potato chips


    on the table and got up. After putting on her slippers, she headed straight for her bedroom.


    Bang!


    II


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    IP


    She mmed the bedroom door loudly, cutting off Matthew¡®s gaze from her. He was silent for a moment


    before he got up and went to the study to start working.


    Veronica tossed and turned on the bed and couldn¡®t sleep, and with the addition of Yvonne, it was even


    more difficult to adapt.


    It was past midnight, and Yvonne was already asleep. Veronica felt bored from ying on her phone, so


    she got up and went to the living room to watch television. She scrolled through various variety shows, b


    ut nothing piqued her interest.


    Though it was past three o¡®clock at night, Veronica was still lying on the sofa without a trace of sleepines


    s. In the end, she had no choice but to go to the study. However, she didn¡®t expect that when she opened


    the door, Matthew was still sitting at the desk and processing documents.


    Taken aback, Veronica asked in surprise, ¡°It¡®s almost four o¡®clock. Why are you still


    up?¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Matthew¡®s thin


    lips raised into a light and gentle smile as if snow had melted off his face.


    ¡°Don¡®t blow your own trumpet, okay? I just think you¡®re hogging theputer and preventing me from


    ying games.¡±


    ying games was the best way to destress during a sleepless night.


    a


    Matthew looked at the time in the lower right corner of theputer. It was approaching four o¡®clock, but


    she still didn¡®t look sleepy at all. Instead, she looked as energetic as ever.


    ¡°I¡®m done with my work. You cane.¡± Matthew closed the file and got up. He walked past Veronica an


    d closed the door.


    Veronica curled her lips and muttered, ¡°Why is he so easy to talk to today?¡± Could it be that he knows I¡®m


    going back to my hometown, so he improved his attitude toward me? She didn¡®t think too much about it


    and sat on the big chair. The


    leather chair was airtight, and she could almost feel the residual temperature Matthew had left.


    Subsequently, she turned on theputer and logged in to her ount to start ying a game.


    In the living room, Matthew warmed a ss of hot milk for Veronica and put the medicine prescribed by t


    he doctor for her into the milk, stirring it until it melted.


    Then, he took the ss of milk into the study.


    ¡°Get lost! How can I level up if you invade my army? Do you even know how to y this game? Did they l


    ¡°Here, drink some milk.¡± Matthew ced the ss down


    on the table and nced at the game Veronica was ying. ¡°You like ying this a lot?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s all right. Thanks.¡± As Veronica hadpletely devoted herself to the game, she didn¡®t have time to


    drink the milk at all.


    Seeing that the milk was about to get cold, Matthew grew worried


    she would notice the strong smell of medicine in it. Hence, he simply picked up the ss of milk and brou


    There was a straw in the ss, so Veronica only needed to lower her head to drink the milk, but she


    was so startled when a ss of milk suddenly appeared in front of her that she stood up suddenly.


    ¡°M¨C


    Matthew, what are you doing?¡± There must be a reason why he¡®s being so courteous. This scumbag man


    Overwhelmed by Matthew¡®s kindness, she took off her headphones and looked at him, and then at the mi


    poison the milk?¡±


    Hearing this, Matthew¡®s expression darkened. ¡°Do you want to drink it or not?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. What if it¡®s poisonous? What if I don¡®t live to see the sun tomorrow?¡± Veronica wanted


    to live to see another day.


    The corners of Matthew¡®s mouth twitched slightly; he was angered by her antics. So I¡®m such a despicable


    before handing it to her again. ¡°Milk helps you to sleep. Your wound hasn¡®t healed, so you need to


    rest early, but you¡®re still ying games. I guess your wrist doesn¡®t hurt at all.¡±


    If other girls got injured, they


    would cry in pain, but she only bore her wound and sat in front of theputer to y games frantically. T


    ¡°Oh, I see. Thank you.¡± Seeing him take a sip, Veronica realized that it shouldn¡®t be


    poisoned, so she took the milk and drank it in a single gulp.


    Then, she smacked her lips, frowning. ¡°Matthew, did you put something in the milk?¡±

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138


    ¡°No.¡± Matthew took the ss directly from her hand, turned, and left the study.


    He returned to his bedroom to take a shower and


    prepare to rest, but he was still a little worried that that stupid woman, Veronica, would fall asleep in the s


    tudy.


    .


    Sure enough, when he appeared at the door of the study in his pajamas, Veronica was sprawled on the t


    able, sound asleep.


    Matthew walked up to her, intending to take


    her back to her bedroom. However, in the end, he chose not to do so, and went to get a nket and cov


    ered her instead. It was getting cold, and it was


    easy to catch a cold if she didn¡®t cover up when she slept.


    Veronica was deep asleep and the game was still open on theputer. However, although she fell asle


    ep on the table with her headphones on, the noise did not wake her up at all.


    Matthew turned off theputer and helped her lean on the chair. He pressed a button, and the chair wa


    s tilted 45 degrees backward into the perfect sleeping position.


    We


    Although sleeping here wasn¡®t veryfortable, Matthew


    knew that after she left Bloomstead, no one would be around to take care of her every day, so she still ha


    d to adapt to some things by herself.


    As he gazed at the sleeping woman, he noticed that she seemed to be troubled. Her brows remained furr


    owed with worry even as she slept. Matthew squatted in front of her and stretched out his


    hand to touch her cheek, gently smoothing her eyebrows. After a while, he got up and left


    the study after turning off the light.


    The next day, Veronica


    woke up in the study. As she walked toward the living room, she smelled a familiar aroma. Her eyes lit up


    ,


    and she walked to the kitchen. Sure enough, Matthew was making porridge. ¡°Morning. What kind of porri


    dge did you make today?¡±


    The handsome man was wearing a ck shirt, he was radiant with a big back, and he was surrounded b


    y a id apron in front of him. Nothing seemed out of ce, and he looked very grounded.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Shrimp porridge.¡± Matthew spoke to her a little more gently.


    ¡°It smells good, but¡­¡± Veronica touched her nose and smiled. ¡°Why do you only cook


    porridge and not anything else?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡®t want to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, if you don¡®t know how to, just say so. You don¡®t have to say you don¡®t want to.¡± Veronica curled her li


    ps and grinned at him. ¡°I¡®m going to brush my teeth.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± He responded, and saw Veronica hopping out of the kitchen and returning to the bedroom.


    As she was young and at the age to be energetic, she should be as lively as this, living life without a care


    in the world.


    Ten minutester, Yvonne and Veronica sat in the dining room, waiting for their breakfast.


    Matthew carried two servings of porridge on a tray and walked over and put them on the table, one in fro


    nt of Veronica and the other in front of him.


    Veronica was taken aback. She raised her gaze to him and asked, ¡°Where¡®s Yvonne¡®s?¡±


    D


    ¡°I only made two servings.¡± Matthew didn¡®t even look at Yvonne, as if she didn¡®t exist.


    Yvonne was a little embarrassed by this situation. She shook her head.


    ¡°It¡®s okay. You guys enjoy yourselves. I¡®ll just go out and buy some breakfast.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°Why are you buying food when we have food at home? How wasteful.¡±


    As soon as Matthew finished speaking, Veronica ignored him and said to Yvonne, pushing his breakfast i


    n front of Yvonne, ¡°Give it a try. It¡®s delicious.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ l¨CIt¡®s alright.¡± Yvonne waved her hand


    repeatedly. ¡°This is Young Master Matthew¡®s food. How can I eat it?¡±


    ¡°Miss Spencer, haven¡®t you found a ce to stay yet?¡± Matthew sat opposite them, his eyes baring into Y


    vonne as he questioned.


    His eyes seemed to be able to prate her soul, and they sent a chill crawling down Yvonne¡®s spine. Yv


    onne hastily turned to look at Veronica, requesting for backup.


    Seeing the ¡°shining¡± rich woman, Veronica dared not offend her, so she looped an arm around Yvonne¡®s


    neck and said to Matthew, ¡°Bro, I would like to introduce you


    to my good friend, Yvonne. As the owner of a cosmeticspany, she would like to coborate with


    yourpany. We have such a good rtionship, and you¡®re my brother, which makes you my friend¡®s b


    rother too. Shouldn¡®t you give it some thought?¡±


    She would be leaving Bloomstead in a few days, so she had to settle Yvonne¡®s affairs quickly. Otherwise,


    she wouldn¡®t be able to get Yvonne¡®s money.


    Matthew didn¡®t speak and only sat opposite them


    with his hands around his chest, his expression serious and arrogant. Normally, he would have refused i


    mmediately, but when he looked at Veronica¡®s ttering smile, he could see through her schemes at a gl


    ance.


    The next moment, he got up and left.


    CX


    ¡°Hello? Bro? Matthew, don¡®t go: We¡®re all a family, aren¡®t we? Can¡®t you help Yvonne out?¡± Veronica was


    thinking Matthew declined her request and left angrily.


    =


    However, he took something out of the bar counter drawer and turned back to the dining room, cing a


    business card in front of Yvonne. ¡°Provide yourpany¡®s various qualifications, and contact my assista


    nt directly.¡±


    Yvonne was stunned as she looked at the embossed business card in front of her for a moment before s


    he immediately stood up and nodded at Matthew. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Matthew.¡± =


    ¡°Haha, you¡®re amazing, Matthew. But¡­ when are you going to sign the contract with Yvonne?¡± Veronica a


    ¡°It¡®s alright. I¡®m not in a hurry at all,¡± Yvonne said with a smile,


    ¡°You shut up!¡± Veronica red at her fiercely. Her words seemed to mean, You¡®re not in a hurry, but can¡®t


    The man put his hands in his pockets and stood upright, looking down at Veronica. ¡°In your opinion, when


    ¡°Um¡­ let me think about it¡­¡± She tilted her head, touched her chin with her fingers, and thought very ser


    When Yvonne heard Veronica¡®s words, she couldn¡®t help being frightened. ¡°Haha, you¡­ Aren¡®t you being


    of Veronica¡®s clothes, leaning in front of her to whisper, ¡°Generally, signing a


    contract requires a procedure. How can it bepleted in one day?¡±


    What was more, they were just an unknown smallpany.


    ¡°What procedures?¡±


    ¡°This is apany regtion, so it¡®s better to follow the rules.¡±


    ¡°What rules? Thepany belongs to my brother, so of course, he¡®s in charge of everything. His words a


    Veronica couldn¡®t wait for Matthew to sign a contract


    with Yvonne so that she could get 3.5 million in ¡°benefits¡± and go home to start a business.


    ¡°That¡®s not,¡±


    Just when Yvonne was about to exin the process to


    Veronica, Matthew¡®s thin lips parted, and he said lightly, ¡°Sure.¡±


    His short answer shocked Yvonne, but Veronica smacked the table and pointed to him, saying


    proudly to Yvonne, ¡°Look, I just said that my brother is the best. I gotta let everyone know


    how amazing he is!¡± |


    ¡°Haha.¡± Yvonneughed stiffly. ¡°Yes, yes, Young Master


    Matthew is amazing.¡± If Matthew wasn¡®t amazing, I wouldn¡®t be here trying to secure a coboration with h


    ¡°So, Miss Spencer, can you leave now?¡±

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139


    Matthew directly issued an eviction order.


    ¡°What¡®s the hurry? Can¡®t you see that Yvonne hasn¡®t eaten yet? You¡®re being impolite.¡±


    ¡°N¨C


    No, I just remembered that I have something to do. I can¡®t stay for breakfast anymore.¡± Yvonne stood up i


    mmediately. ¡°My


    secretary called me and said that something came up at thepany, so I¡®ll be leaving first.¡±


    Saying that, she returned to the bedroom and walked out with her packed handbag. ¡°Young Master


    Matthew, Veronica, enjoy your breakfast. I¡®m leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Hey, are you really..¡± Veronica was about to say something, but Yvonne had already walked out.


    Seeing her leaving, Veronica nced at Matthew and chided, ¡°How can you be so ignorant


    to the ways of the world? Yvonne is a guest, but you just drove her away.¡± That¡®s my moneymaker. If you


    offend her, what will happen to my money?


    ¡°Eat.¡± Matthew didn¡®t pay any more attention to her and bowed his head to eat.


    After the meal, he sent her to Konig Company, while he returned to Spinfluence Group.


    After the morning meeting, Thomas entered the president¡®s office and walked up to Matthew, saying, ¡°Yo


    ung Master


    Matthew, apany called Honeycloud Cosmetics called to say that you wanted to coborate with the


    m?¡±


    Matthew, who was processing documents, held a signature pen and grandly signed his name before clos


    ing the document and putting it aside. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, Honeycloud Cosmetics sells e¨C


    commerce products, and it can¡®t be put on the table at all.¡± Thomas felt that with Honeycloud Cosmetics¡®


    current status, they were not worthy of cooperating with Spinfluence Group at all. Spinfluence Group incl


    uded gaming, real estate, shopping malls, education, medical care, cosmetics, and other industries, so th


    ere were countless cosmeticspanies that could cooperate with them. In terms of thepetitive mar


    ket, Honeycloud Cosmetics waspletely outssed.


    ¡°Finalize the joint project with her today and transfer¡­¡± Matthew tapped on the table with


    the pen in his hand, pondering, before he continued, ¡°Five million to her ount. She¡®ll know what to do.


    ¡±


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Young Master Matthew, this is not in line with thepany¡®s procedures.¡±


    ¡°Whether it is or not, I¡®ll decide!¡± The man¡®s expression was cold as he ordered in a deep voice.


    At that, Thomas stopped speaking and turned to leave the office.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else, Young Master Matthew?¡±


    ¡°Bring some men to Twilight Condominium to see if there¡®s anything ¡®unclean, Matthew instructed.


    The implication was to ask Thomas to find out if anyone had touched the apartment or installed any hidd


    en small objects.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master Matthew. I¡®ll take care of it now.¡± Thomas left the office with the task.


    Veronica, who was busy working in Konig Company, received a call from Yvonne in the afternoon. ¡°Veron


    ica, I just signed a contract with Spinfluence Group. Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°That was quicker than I expected. Tsk. Seems like Matthew¡®s made short work of that contract.¡±


    ¡°So, to thank you, I transferred another six million to your ount.¡± Yvonne, who was as astute as ever, k


    new the purpose of the six million that Matthew had given her. She couldn¡®t help but feel that he was extr


    emely fond of Veronica by anonymously helping her.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly giving me so much? Didn¡®t you say that you would give me another three million


    after everything was done?¡±


    Suddenly, there was an additional six million added


    to the ount. Including the previous deposit of 500,000, Veronica now had six and a half million. At the


    thought of taking millions of dors home to start a business, she was stoked.


    ¡°The Kings Family said this would be a long¨C


    term coboration. If they sign another contract with us in the future, I¡®ll transfer you another two million a


    s a reward.¡±


    Matthew gave her five million and asked her to transfer the money to Veronica. Adding the three million p


    romised to her before, that would be a huge figure of eight million. Yvonne was worried that Veronica wo


    uld be suspicious, so she wanted to transfer the money to her in two parts.


    ¡°Really? You¡®re the best! Thank you!¡± Veronica was ecstatic and beyond delighted.


    ¡°I should be thanking you instead. After cooperating with Spinfluence, we will be more known, and


    our future prospects will berger. So, it¡®s only a given that I thank you.¡±


    ¡°Haha, don¡®t mention it.¡± Veronica smiled happily and hung up after exchanging a few pleasantries with Y


    vonne.


    Hence, Veronica had a huge smile on her face all day long and even hummed tunes from time to time.


    Seeing that she was in a particrly good mood, Xavier asked, ¡°Why are you so happy? Did you win the


    lottery?¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Hehe, close.¡± She raised her eyebrows at Xavier, walked up to him, and put an arm around his shoulder


    s. ¡°Bro, I made a huge fortune. How about I take you to the club to have fun? Just to let you know, there¡®


    s a really hot girl in Twilight Club. I¡®ll exin to the manager of the clubter and ask them to reserve that


    stunner for you tonight.¡±


    Veronica looked at him and wriggled her eyebrows. ¡°So, how about it? I always think of you when ite


    s to good things.¡±


    When Xavier heard this, the corners of his mouth twitched wildly. ¡°N¨CNo need.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Veronica looked around and caught a glimpse of the secretary who was working o


    and whispered, ¡°That girl is one of Twilight¡®s best girls at the moment.¡±


    She lowered her voice and continued, ¡°I heard that she¡®s great in bed. Why would I introduce her to you o


    Saying that, Veronica patted her chest and boasted, ¡°I¡®m rich now, so I must take you to let loose for once


    Thinking that Xavier had helped her so much, Veronica really wanted to take him to have fun before she le


    Xavier was speechless. He never expected himself to have that kind of image in Veronica¡®s mind. He


    finally understood why Veronica refused his proposal; she probably thought that he fooled around with be


    ¡°No, I¡®m not interested in those things.¡± Xavier¡®s expression was dark as he refused tly.


    ¡°Oh, we¡®re all buddies, so you don¡®t have to pretend in front of me. Besides, I¡®m now Matthew¡®s younger s


    At that moment, Veronica seemed to have forgotten that she had invited Xavier to drink his heart out and


    ¡°All right.¡± Seeing her in high spirits, Xavier couldn¡®t bear to refuse and agreed.


    ¡°Okay, it¡®s a deal.¡± Veronica smiled at him before she suddenly thought of


    something and said, ¡°I haven¡®t been here for long and I¡®ve only helped you with menial tasks, but I really w


    After all, Xavier was once a business prodigy; his capability in doing business was unquestionable. In the


    ¡°Matthew is also your brother. Why don¡®t you want to find him?¡± Xavier asked meaningfully.


    ¡°Oh, forget it.¡± Veronica waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Matthew treats me well just because Grandma like

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140


    Veronica wasn¡®t stupid. After leaving Bloomstead, getting in contact with Matthew was thest thing she


    would have wanted to do.


    Xavier couldn¡®t help but feel a sense of sadness after hearing Veronica¡®s words. ¡°Why do you have to hu


    mble yourself so much just because you love him?¡± he solemnly asked.


    For a moment there, she couldn¡®t understand where he wasing from. ¡°Huh? Humble myself so much


    just because¨C¡± His sudden words made her wonder for a bit before she was hit by realization¨C


    she had usedliking Matthew as her reason for


    rejecting Xavier¡®s advances.


    Xavier must have been making up scenarios in his head, she thought.


    Veronica then quickly nodded her head in agreement and chuckled. ¡°That¡®s right. But I did not humble m


    yself just for him. It¡®s more like I have an unrequited love for him.¡±


    Her liking a scumbag like Matthew?


    Never in a million years.


    Hearing Veronica¡®s reply, Xavier


    let out a small smile. At that moment, he had a forlorn expression on his handsome face as he knowingly


    stared at her. He then reached out toward the crown of her head and gave a long


    sigh while gently caressing her ck locks. ¡°It is those who are in an unrequited love that has to humble t


    hemselves the most.¡±


    As Veronica did not want to put much thought into what he had just said, she merely shrugged and let ou


    t a scornfulugh. ¡°Well, all these kinds of things aren¡®t important as they¡®ll slowly fade away as time pas


    ses. Oh, by the way¡­¡± she suddenly eximed. ¡°I faced a problem at work and am in need of your guida


    nce. I noticed something in the event proposal I saw today. It¡®s about the products¡­¡±


    After busying themselves


    with work at Konig Company, Veronica and Xavier left to have a simple dinner together before heading to


    Twilight Club.


    Meanwhile, things weren¡®t looking so great for Matthew at the Kings Residence as he stoically stood in th


    e living room. He was silent in the face of Elizabeth, who had a serious look on her face.


    Elizabeth was infuriated as she loudly banged the table. ¡°You were the one who wanted to be betrothed t


    o Tiffy in the first ce, but now you are requesting to cancel the engagement? What the hell are you thi


    nking?!¡± she fumed.


    ¡°I didn¡®t say that I want to cancel the engagement. I just want to have it postponed. That is all.¡±


    .


    He couldn¡®t dive deep into the details yesterday because both Tiffany and Veronica were present. Becau


    se of that, he decided to go out of his way and pay a visit to the Kings Residence today just to discuss it


    with Elizabeth.


    ¡°When do you n to have the wedding then? Tiffy is already pregnant! Are you going to marry her with


    a baby in your arms? Do you want to be seen as a joke? Stop fooling around, Matthew!¡± Elizabeth angril


    y reprimanded as she pointed at him.


    ¡°Grandma, I


    ¡ª¡± Matthew had just begun to exin himself when Mrs. Coleman, who had been standing at a side, su


    ddenly cut him off.


    She walked toward Matthew and said, ¡°Young Master, please save the discussion for another time. Old


    Mrs. Kings isn¡®t feeling her best today.¡±


    Familiar with Elizabeth¡®s condition, Mrs. Coleman abruptly interrupted the conversation as she knew that


    it was best to prevent agitating Elizabeth for now.


    She then approached Elizabeth and stood in front of her. ¡°You have an acupuncture session with Dr. Zan


    e today, Old Mrs. Kings. Let¡®s head there now as he is probably already waiting for us.¡±


    As displeased as Elizabeth was, she knew the condition of her body. With that, she responded by giving


    a nod, not forgetting to throw an angry nce at Matthew before she and Mrs. Coleman left the living roo


    m. ¡°There is no room for discussion,¡± she growled. ¡°Don¡®t you dare decide otherwise!¡±


    After being left alone, Matthew stood there for a while before he finally left the building. Then, he headed


    to the parking area of the residence and enjoyed the cool breeze which still carried traces of the autumn


    season.


    Following that, he took out a cigarette and leaned against the side of his car as he quietly puffed away.


    Ring! Ring! Ring!


    Just then, the sound of his ringtone going off brought him back to reality.


    He fished his phone out and looked at the familiar phone number being disyed on the screen.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    His face remained impassive as he looked at Tiffany¡®s caller ID, and instead of picking up the call, he


    ced his phone on the roof of his car while he continued to. enjoy a smoke.


    After taking in a deep breath, Matthew lightly blew wisps of thin smoke out from between his thin lips. Th


    e smoke momentarily lingered around his gloomy face before it was brought away by the gentle breeze b


    lowing in his face.


    Not long after, his phone started ringing again. However, it was a call from Thomas this time.


    Seeing the caller ID disyed, he made a swipe on the screen of the phone to pick up the call. After prop


    ping it next to his ear, he spoke, ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew,¡± Thomas hesitantly greeted. ¡°I just received a call from the club manager. He is


    asking for your permission to give Miss Murphy a discount. She spent over a million at the bar,¡± he exi


    ned.


    Matthew only curtly asked, ¡°Who was she with?¡±


    ¡°Xavier Crawford, sir.¡± Thomas knew better than to say anything unnecessary now.


    Upon hearing that, Matthew asked in disbelief, ¡°The two of them managed to spend over a million?¡®


    ¡°Yes, sir. They ordered only the best alcohol. And they¡­ they also picked Twilight Club¡®s top host and ho


    stess to serve them,¡± Thomas stammered. Even through the phone, he could feel how much the news he


    brought had dampened his boss¡® mood.


    As Thomas had expected, Matthew¡®s face had dropped and he looked devastatingly chilling as he humm


    ed, ¡°Wonderful.¡±


    Indeed, how ¡®wonderful¡® it was for that damned woman to spend more than a million with Xavier at a nigh


    tclub right after Matthew had given her 5 million just earlier today!


    He still remembered the heartbroken look on her face when she had treated him to a breakfast that amo


    unted to a meager 3 dors and 50 cents.


    The difference in her treatment of him and Xavier couldn¡®t be more obvious than this.


    Well, if she wanted to y games¨Cshe would be just fine without his help!


    Thinking about how Matthew had given Veronica 5 million under Yvonne¡®s name, Thomas proposed, ¡°Yo


    ung Master Matthew, should I tell the manager to give Ms. Murphy a 50 percent discount?¡± he asked as


    he thought that Matthew wouldn¡®t bother with the amount of money Veronica was to pay.


    However, Matthew unexpectedly spat, ¡°If she has such a great ability to drink, she should be able to afford


    His words were heavilyced with hints of jealousy as he spoke.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Got it, sir.¡± Thomas had no choice but to obey. After he hung up the call with Matthew, he promptly p


    The manager made his way to the counter after the phone


    call with Thomas, where he was greeted by a gleeful Veronica. With her eyebrows raised and a confident


    Considering the history they had, she was sure that Matthew would feel bad about taking her money.


    Unfortunately, the manager could only let out


    an embarrassedugh as he took in Veronica¡®s confident demeanor. ¡°My apologies, Miss. ording to Se


    IT


    ¡°What did you say? That is impossible,¡± Veronica scoffed. She didn¡®t believe


    the manager¡®s words one bit. ¡°You most likely didn¡®t tell him about the situation properly. Let me talk to him


    Instead of arguing with Veronica, the manager merely encouraged her to do so. ¡°Please, go ahead,¡± he sa


    As Veronica was being on hold for a while, the call went unanswered after she had dialed his number.


    Irked, she mumbled, ¡°You big scumbag. How dare you ignore my call.¡± She then tried her luck again as sh


    This time, however, her call went through. ¡°What?¡± came Matthew¡®s voice.


    ¡°Matthew, do you know that the manager of Twilight Club had given your


    assistant a call?¡± she probed. Certainly, the confusion was caused by Thomas


    not mentioning the call to Matthew.


    Unexpectedly, Matthew was aware of the


    call and the favor Veronica was asking of him. ¡°I was informed. Thomas said that you spent a ridiculous a


    ¡°Awwe one, it is all because of the alcohol!¡± She giggled, a cherry smile stered on her exquisite fa


    ¡°You have to pay the price for being ignorant, then,¡± Matthew replied


    robotically. One would have to really pay attention to catch the underlying displeasure behind his words.


    ¡°What price am I paying? Isn¡®t Twilight Club your property? You are like a brother to me, and we usually ha

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141


    ¡°Rules are rules, and we are not going to break them just because of you. I can¡®t give you special treat


    ment,¡± Matthew stubbornly insisted.


    ¡°Heh, you are right,¡± Veronica said agreeably before continuing. ¡°How about this? I¡®ll have the manager


    put my bill under your tab, and you can reimburse it for me when you are avable!¡±


    Veronica knew that Matthew was a man who stringently abided by his principles. As he had mentioned,


    he would not bend the rules of the club for her. There were strictly note payments, no discounts, and


    no promotions allowed at Twilight Club.


    Since that was the case¡­ perhaps the reason Matthew did not give her a discount was because he wa


    nted to reimburse her bill!


    Contrary to what Veronica was hoping for, Matthew nonchntly replied, ¡°You are the one


    who owes my club money. Why would I reimburse it on your behalf?¡±


    Upon hearing his words, she was dumbstruck


    for a few seconds before her own temper red. ¡°Matthew,¡± she began to chide. ¡°Can¡®t you sympathize


    with me? You¡®re not short of money, so this bill wouldn¡®t have made a difference to you even if I paid for


    it. Do you know how hard it is to earn my own keep? How can someone as poor as I possibly pay such


    a huge sum? You are such a bully!¡±


    ¡°You ordered the most expensive drinks despite being aware of how poor you are financially. You bit off


    more than you could chew,¡± Matthew calmly answered, unaffected by her outburst.


    ¡°¡­ I only did it because I thought that you would give me a discount.¡±


    Matthew then continued, ¡°So, you just assumed that I would give you a discount without prior understa


    nding? You¡®re too arrogant, Veronica.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Veronica was rendered almost


    speechless by Matthew¡®s rebuttal. However, she still managed to keep her temper at bay as she asked


    through clenched teeth; ¡°Let¡®s just get straight to the point. Are you giving me a discount or not?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t like repeating my words,¡± Matthew replied in a cool tone.


    Immediately after hearing his reply, Veronica went off on him. ¡°Matthew Kings, you human scum! F*ck y


    ou. You better watch your back from now on. ¡°God brother¡® my ass. All you do is use people. You turn y


    our back on me as soon as you find out that I


    can¡®? give you anything in return. You are inhuman,¡± she viciously spat before continuing


    ¡°Hmph. I¡®ll remember what happened today for the rest of my life. You no longer are my brother from to


    day onward. You


    don¡¯t deserve to be my brother. No, wait me me for being poor. It is my fault for not being on your lev


    el.¡± Veronica was boiling inside, and without giving Matthew a chance to say another word, she hung u


    p the phone after venting her anger.


    However, her anger still had yet to subside, so she stood by the door and tilted her head upward to look


    at the starry night sky. With that, she gradually sobered up as the gentle night breeze blew in her face.


    At that moment, Veronica kept reying what Matthew had said to her just moments ago. You ordered


    the most expensive drinks despite being aware of how poor you are financially. You bit off more than yo


    u could chew. So, you just assumed that I would give you a discount without prior understanding? You¡®r


    e too arrogant, Veronica.


    In fact, Matthew was right.


    She had arrogantly thought


    that Matthew would give her special treatment because they had gotten closer to each other recently af


    ter living under the same roof.


    On the contrary, he betrayed her brutally.


    Hence, Veronica


    knew for a fact that the reason behind the change in his attitude toward her was because she would be


    leaving Bloomstead soon¡ª


    which meant that he wouldn¡®t be able to use her as one of his many pawns anymore.


    Naturally, Matthew didn¡®t see the need to spare another nce at someone who had no value whatsoe


    ver to him.


    Cruel and calctive was the nature of businessmen after all.


    It was her mistake for being too naive.


    Multiple thoughts ran through her head before she mockinglyughed at herself. While shaking her hea


    d, she took a deep breath and decided to make her way back into the club.


    Now that she was standing in front of the counter, she took a proper look at the


    bill, only to spot a series of ridiculous¨Clooking numbers that were waiting for her to pay up.


    1,023,991.22! How could it be so expensive?!


    No wonder Matthew is such a wealthy man. He probably earned it all from scamming the patrons of his


    club, Veronica glumly thought while passing her credit card to the cashier with trembling hands.


    The cashier reached out to take the card, only to meet Veronica¡®s resistance as she tightly held onto he


    r card.


    Veronica meekly peeked at the woman standing behind the counter, and in a low voice, she pleaded, ¡°


    Prettydy, can¡®t you give me a discount for old time¡®s sake? Do it for your ex¨Ccolleague, hmm?¡±


    Veronica used to work at Twilight Club prior to this, which was why the other employees knew her even


    though she had ¡®changed¡® her face.


    Even if they didn¡®t know her personally, most of them knew about her and had at least gossiped about


    her once.


    ¡°Big Ron,¡± the woman apologetically called out with a professional smile on her


    face. ¡°I¡®m really sorry, but those are the rules. I can¡®t give you a discount. Why don¡®t you let go so that I


    can proceed with the payment?¡±


    She attempted to take the card from Veronica again, but it still remained glued to Veronica¡®s fingers.


    Veronica gave it another thought before eventually deciding that there was no point in holding on. Desp


    ite the pain she was feeling in her chest, she sighed and surrendered. ¡°Fine. I¡®ll get Mr. Crawford


    to pay. I ain¡®t got a penny on me.¡±


    She then thrusted the card back into her pocket before walking back to the private room she and Xavier


    had spent their time in.


    As she stepped into the room, she was greeted by the sight of the top hostess, whom she had hired to


    entertain Xavier, singing at the top of her lungs, while two hosts were ying a drinking game on their o


    wn. Xavier, on the other hand, was dead to the world from all the alcohol he had drunk.


    Veronica could feel the corner of her lips twitch as she looked at the four of them having the time of thei


    r life.


    She then lowered her head and stared at the card in her hand. Preparing for the iing hurt from sp


    ending a huge amount of money, she turned and went to the cashier. ¡°Just swipe my card. Do it fast bef


    ore I start regretting this,¡± she urged after


    loudly pping her card on the table.


    ¡°Alright. Please hold on.¡± The cashier swiftly swiped the card at the card


    swipe machine, and after letting Veronica key her password in, it only took less than a minute for the pa


    yment to go through.


    Reality finally sank in when the cashier handed her the receipt of the payment. The pain from seeing th


    e total amount of over 1 million was so real she could cry.


    After keeping the receipt, she returned to the private room. Then, using her phone to hire a designated


    driver, she supported Xavier up all the way to his


    car. By the time they had reached his car, the driver was already there.


    ¡°Good evening. May I know where you are heading to?¡± the driver asked.


    Only then did she realize that she had no clue where Xavier was staying, but still she instructed, ¡°A hot


    el. Get me to the nearest hotel.¡±


    In response, the driver threw a side nce at Twilight Club and asked, ¡°Isn¡®t this ce both a hotel and


    ¡°Just go. Find somewhere cheap for me. It would be best if you can find a ce that charges around 50


    ¡°Ah, alright. I know a ce that you can spend the night in for only 50 dors.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s great. Let¡®s head there now,¡± she urged.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the driver replied briefly and began to drive.


    They soon arrived at an old and worn¨C


    out hotel in the outskirts of town. After verifying with the receptionist, the room was confirmed to only cos


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    After the driver and Veronica both brought Xavier up to a room and ced him in the bed, Veronica mad


    ¡°Do you need me to bring you back into the city?¡± the driver asked as soon as they stepped out of the ho


    Instead of answering the question, Veronica tossed a question back at him. ¡°It is not my car. Where am


    ¡°Alright. If that is the case, I will be charging you for the one¨Cway trip we made,¡± he reminded.


    ¡°How much is it?¡±


    ¡°That will be 65 dors,¡± the driver told her after checking.


    ¡°What?!¡± Veronica stood there agape with disbelief, ¡°65? Why is it so expensive?¡±


    Due to the fact that she didn¡®t own a car, and neither had she


    ever required the service of a designated driver, she waspletely clueless about the fees of hiring a d


    Since what¡®s done was done, she could only take this as a lesson to get a taxi instead of a designated d


    ¡°Yup,¡± the driver replied. ¡°That is the standard fee thepany charges.¡±


    Hearing his reply, Veronica heaved heavily, ¡°Alright, alright.¡± She couldn¡®t possibly refuse to pay after us


    But that was not the end of it.


    She still had to find a way to go back to her own ce. Even though she was unwilling to go through ano


    which cost her around 30 dors.


    Does Cl

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142


    Not only did the trip back and forth waste Veronica¡®s time, but she also ended up spending way more mo


    ney than she should.


    I swear to God, she silentlyined, this is the worst day ever.


    Upon reaching her destination, she angrily stomped into the club and headed to the elevator. Then, she


    swiped her special entry ess card and was brought straight to the top floor of the condominium.


    Her condominium unit was pitch ck when she entered the space. Feeling irked, she couldn¡®t be bother


    ed to turn on the lights before taking off her shoe and familiarly coursing her way to her sofa to lie down.


    However, the moment sheid her head against the throw pillow, she noticed how different the pillow und


    er her head felt than it usually did.


    Reaching out to adjust the pillow, Veronica felt an odd warmth which made her jump up at once. ¡°Are you


    crazy, Matthew? Why didn¡®t you turn on the lights if you were back? Are you trying to scare me to death?


    ¡± she gasped..


    As soon as she recalled how Matthew had treated her today, her anger immediately red, and she abru


    ptly stood up to walk away from him.


    At that moment, all the lights in the unit were turned on.


    Matthew turned to look at her only to catch the sight of her enraged face as she tramped into her room.


    His lips slightly quivered, but before he could even utter a word, Veronica mmed the door close with al


    l her might.


    Looking at how furious she was, Matthew¡®s eyebrows furrowed as he started to worry if he had taken it to


    o far earlier.


    He then stood up and headed to the room Veronica had shut herself in. Before Veronica¡®s bedroom, Matt


    hew stood by the door and raised his hand to knock on it.


    Knock, knock¨CKnock, knock, knock


    His knuckles continued to rap on the door when he didn¡®t get a response from her.


    ¡°Are you still mad?¡± he finally asked as he couldn¡®t stand the silent treatment anymore.


    Squeak! Suddenly, the door swung open and out came Veronica with a luggage bag by her side. She sto


    od in front of him with a fierce re as she snapped, ¡°Please don¡®t block the door. Screw off.¡±


    His face immediately darkened upon hearing her stern words. ¡°What did you just say?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°I said, screw¨C¡± Realizing that Matthew had an odd expression on his face, she backed off a little and huf


    fed, ¡°I said, go away. I¡®m trying to pass.¡±


    Despite her intimidation, Matthew unmovingly stood at the same spot. ¡°Where are you heading to?¡± he q


    uestioned her. = 1


    ¡°What has that got to do with you?¡± Her face was cold when she lifted her head to glower at him.


    Even though Matthew wasn¡®t wrong in refusing to help her with voiding the bill, Veronica was still extrem


    ely infuriated by how he handled the issue.


    The odd thing was¨Cshe didn¡®t even know why she was fuming at the man.


    ¡°It is dangerous for a girl to be out thiste,¡± he cated. ¨C


    Seeing how angry Veronica was, he couldn¡®t help but wonder if his action earlier was a mistake¡ª


    perhaps if he did not do as such, she wouldn¡®t have gotten so angry.


    ¡°Who cares. That has got nothing to do with you,¡± she spat as she tried to walk past him.


    Acknowledging what she was


    about to do, he swiftly stepped to the left to block her from walking forward.


    The haughty man then looked down at the shorter woman and asked in return, ¡°You eat my food and sta


    y at my ce. You


    grumbled about the breakfast you treated me being pricey when it only costs 3 dors, yet you generousl


    y spent hundreds of thousands like it was nothing with Xavier. Do you even have the right to be mad at m


    e right now?¡± .


    Is this how women pick fights without reason? he quietly thought to himself.


    ¡°That¡®s because I thought¨C¡°She started exining in a raised voice, only toe to a halt before finishin


    g her sentence. She couldn¡®t possibly tell him that she had acted that way because she thought that her r


    tionship


    with Matthew had gotten better after they started living together. Instead, she let out a scoff and sneered,


    ¡°You are


    right! I enjoy treating the both of you differently. Is there a problem?¡±


    She then gave Matthew a hard shove and strode across when he stumbled backward.


    Right when she walked past him, he reached out to grab her by the wrist and demanded coldly, ¡°You real


    ly like him that much?¡±


    The temperature surrounding them suddenly dropped, and the pressure around him almost became unb


    earable¨C¨Ceven his gaze on Veronica was chilling to the bone.


    Despite that, she still fearlessly stood her ground and puffed out her chest. ¡°Yes,¡± she dered confidentl


    y.


    At that, both of them met each others gaze and was staring profusely at each other. One had a cold gaze


    that was tinged with disappointment while the other had a gaze that was obviously fueled with anger.


    After locking eyes for a while, Matthew threw another question. ¡°If that is the case, why did you make Mel


    issa ask me those questions when we were at Dawnpol Vige the other day?¡±


    That night in Dawnpol Vige, Veronica invited Matthew out to enjoy the night view, but abruptly left him i


    n the middle of it because she wasn¡®t feelingfortable. Melissa had appeared soon after,


    and she began to ask Matthew a series of odd questions like ¡°Do you love Tiffany?¡± and ¡°Must you marry


    Tiffany just because you are engaged to her?¡±


    Why would Veronica make Melissa ask him those questions if Veronica fancied Xavier instead?


    Confused, Veronica asked, ¡°What did Melissa ask?¡±


    ¡°Regarding my marriage with Tiffany, do you have any opinion about it?¡± Matthew asked in response to h


    er question.


    ¡°Ha! You are talking as if my opinion would change anything,¡± she jeered while shaking off the grip Matth


    ew had on


    her hand. ¡°Tiffany is already bearing your child, so asking me for my opinion about your marriage is just a


    waste of time. Furthermore, you and me¨C¨Cdo we even have a rtion with one another?¡±


    She aggressively poked her finger in his chest before continuing, ¡°You refused to give me a discount at t


    he bar. What rtionship do you still think we have? We are strangers. We are nothing but mere passers


    ¨Cby in each other¡®s lives. We will soon forget about each other after I leave Bloomstead.¡±


    Aist, Veronica finally witnessed Matthew¡®s true colors.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    He was a man who could


    give a woman the world if he saw value in her but would not hesitate to toss her aside when she


    was no longer of value to him.


    What a practical person he was!


    Seeing how he had no rebuttal, she continued ranting, ¡°Also, handle the decoration of the wedding venue


    Initially, Veronica agreed to help them out because she wanted to repay Elizabeth for what she had done


    ¡°Goodbye!¡± She threw onest nce at Matthew before walking away from him, only to stop after taking


    At that moment, she was finally putting an end to whatever rtionship she had with Matthew.


    Meanwhile, Matthew slowly turned around to look at her leaving with the luggage bag, but he remained qu


    Strangers?Passersby?


    It seemed like she had no feelings for him at all.


    The questions that Melissa had asked him at Dawnpol Vige had note from Veronica.


    Come to think of it, Melissa had used Veronica as an excuse to approach


    him multiple times. She probably was the one who was interested in him¡ªnot Veronica.


    When he was hit by the sudden realization, his face turned


    expressionless as his palms clenched into fists. Just how much more embarrassingly delusional could he


    Veronica, on the other hand, headed straight for the small condominium she had previously stayed at afte


    Fortunately, her old unit had all the things she needed for now. With that, she immediately went to bed afte


    As shey in bed, the thought of her money disappearing in a blink of an eye began 10 haunt her again.


    Her heart sank at the memory of it.


    Deciding to do something about


    her heartache, she grabbed her phone and opened a property app to make a post to rent out her condom


    After she was done with the post, she started to wriggle around in bed like she usually did and only manag


    After waking up, she gave Xavier a call to let him know that she wasn¡®t going to thepany.


    She then went to freshen up in the washroom before going to the kitchen to prepare


    breakfast. Once that was done, she finally got to enjoy her meal at the dining table.

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143


    Veronica, who loved porridge, was actually reminded of the porridge prepared by Matthew as she ate the


    porridge she cooked.


    Although porridge was the only dish the jerk knew how to make, Veronica had to admit that the porridge


    he made was very tasty.


    After she was done eating, she packed her stuff and went online to check the train tickets. She then pon


    dered about it and ended up purchasing a ticket to go back to her hometown¨C¨CCabot Town, Lothian¨C¨C


    three dayster.


    By the time Veronica settled everything, it was almost 10 o¡®clock.


    At that instant, she


    picked up her phone and was about to call Elizabeth to tell her that she did not wish to be involved in


    nning Matthew and Tiffany¡®s wedding, but her phone rang as Elizabeth had beat her to it.


    ¡°Grandma, I was just about to call you, but you actually beat me to it!¡±


    Veronica smiled as she thought, What were the odds?


    ¡°Haha, really? You cheeky girl. If I don¡®t call you first, there¡®s no chance we¡®ll be in a call together.¡±


    Elizabethughed heartily from the other end of the line as she was in a very good mood.


    ¡°That¡®s not true. I legit was about to call you to talk about something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Grandma, well¡­ I¡®m heading back


    to my hometown in a few days, so I can¡®t help to n Tiffany and Matthew¡®s wedding anymore. So sorry


    about that.¡±


    Veronica felt apologetic as she genuinely felt she had let Elizabeth down,


    Though Elizabeth had saved Veronica¡®s life multiple times, Veronica just wasn¡®t capable enough to repay


    her kindness.


    ¡°Oh! I actually called to discuss this matter with you too. Where are you now? I¡®!!e and find you,¡± Eliz


    abeth replied.


    ¡°Oh, please don¡®t. Where are you? I¡®lle and find you instead.¡±


    ¡°Im at the park where you saved mest time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, please wait for me. I¡®ll be right there.¡±


    After hanging up the call, Veronica changed into a sports attire and went straight to the park with her mot


    orcycle.


    20 minutester, she met Elizabeth beside theke in the park.


    Veronica walked up to Elizabeth and greeted thetter with a bright smile. ¡°Hello, Grandma!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Veronica. You¡®re so quick to arrive! Haha¡­¡±


    Catching sight of Veronica making her way toward


    her, Elizabeth smiled kindly and reached out her hand to hold Veronica¡®s. Then, she sighed and said, ¡°I a


    sked you out to tell you something¡­ My brain is not working as well these dayspared tost time. T


    hat¡®s why I said something silly like asking you to help n for Tiffany and Matthew¡®s wedding. Please do


    n¡®t be unhappy with me.¡±


    At once, regret and guilt spread across Elizabeth¡®s aging face as she continued holding Veronica¡®s hand


    tightly.


    Veronica alertly noticed something was not right. Then, she recalled Elizabeth suddenly asking if she kne


    w where her youngest daughter was thest time they met. While putting the pieces together in her head


    , Veronica asked, ¡°Grandma, do you¡­¡±


    Do you perhaps have Alzheimer¡®s?


    Veronica did not dare to ask the question as she was afraid to hurt Elizabeth¡®s feelings.


    However, Elizabeth shook her


    head and heaved a deep sigh. Then, she held Veronica¡®s hand and went to sit on a bench at the side. ¡°Y


    eah, I couldn¡®t believe it at first too. But now, my brain is getting worse day by day, and I could easily forg


    et things, so I have no choice but to ept the fact that I have Alzheimer¡®s. Sure enough, one¡®s greatest


    fear wille to pass.¡±


    Now that the doubt Veronica had all this while was cleared, she was not too surprised but epted the tr


    uth calmly.


    ¡°When did you find out about this? Does Matthew know?¡±


    ¡°I found


    out about it a few months ago, but I don¡®t have the guts to tell Matthew.¡± Staring at Veronica with her gray


    eyes, Elizabeth patted the back of her hand, ¡°Promise me to not tell Matthew about this lest he will be w


    orried. This child has already gone through a lot of suffering.¡±


    Elizabeth and Veronica sat in the park and had some heart¨Cto¨Cheart small talks.


    Veronica yed the role of an attentive listener while giving Elizabeth some responses from time to time.


    After chatting for quite a while Veronica asked, ¡°Grandma, where¡®s Mrs. Coleman? Didn¡®t shee alon


    g with you?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I sent her back.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then please apany me to buy some


    drinking water from the store in front.¡± Veronica was worried about leaving Elizabeth alone here¡ª


    especially now that she knew thetter had Alzheimer¡®s disease, all the more she had to take care of her.


    ¡°Don¡®t worry. My brain is still working, so I won¡®t go missing. Go ahead. I¡®ll wait for you here.¡±


    ¡°Uhmm¡­¡±


    Veronica hesitated, but on second thought, Elizabeth was just diagnosed with Alzheimer¡®s disease a few


    months ago, so her condition shouldn¡®t be so serious that she would forget her way around.


    As such, Veronica thought she shouldn¡®t be overly worried about Elizabeth too lest it hurt her dignity.


    ¡°Alright. I¡®ll go buy a bottle of water now.¡±


    After exhorting Elizabeth to sit at the spot and wait for her return, Veronica went to the store at the park¡®s


    entrance to buy water.


    While on the way, she received a call from Danie. So, they had a small chat, but Veronica did not menti


    on anything about her n to go home a few dayster as she wanted to give them a surprise.


    However, when she returned to the bench where she and Elizabeth sat after buying water, Elizabeth was


    nowhere to be seen.


    Veronica¡®s heart jolted as she freaked out and immediately looked around the park,


    bui Elizabeth was nowhere in sight.


    She look out her phone and called Elizabeth. Almost immediately, the call gou connected.


    ¡°Grandma, where did you go?¡±


    ¡°Miss, do you know the owner of this phone? I just picked this phone up. Can youe and collect it?¡±


    ¡°What? Okay, okay. Where are you? I¡®lle and find you now.¡±


    Frightened, Veronica ced the two bottles of mineral water on the bench and quickly ran to the northeas


    found Elizabeth¡®s phone.


    After expressing her gratitude to the man, she took the phone and continued searching for Elizabeth.


    Nheless, she still failed to find Elizabeth after going through the entire park, so she went to the park¡®s


    the park.


    The surveince camera at the corner was malfunctioning, so they could not see where Elizabeth was hea


    Veronica knew this matter was getting serious, so she immediately called Matthew.


    Beep... Beep...


    The call was not answered after quite some time.


    Thereafter, she made another three calls to Matthew, and it was only then did he pick up the call. ¡°What is


    ¡°Matthew, Grandma has gone missing. Earlier, she requested to meet me at Rivereast Park, but she went


    At this moment, Veronica was on pins and needles.


    Matthew, who was originally cold, was perplexed upon hearing Veronica. ¡°Call Grandma if you can¡®t find h


    ¡°Her phone is with me. You mighu not know this, bui Grandma¡­ Grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer


    Worrying about things that might never happen could actually increase the chance of itppening


    Veronica was almost driven crazy while Matthew¡®s heart jolted as he recognized the seriousness of the m


    ¡°Alright. I¡®ll wait for you here.¡±


    Veronica let go of the personal grudge with Matthew and walked out of the park to ask the passers¨C


    by if they had seen Elizabeth.


    She described Elizabeth¡®s appearance and features to tens of passersby, but no one had seen her

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144


    Veronica walked to the park¡®s entrance and asked the passersby if they had seen Elizabeth while waiting


    for Matthew, but her efforts were to no avail.


    Around ten minutester, a sedan car sped to the park like a sh of lightning. Then the car came to a


    halt in front of Veronica.


    After getting out of the car, Matthew walked up to Veronica with a solemn face and questioned, ¡°What¡®s


    going on exactly?¡±


    ¡°Grandma asked me out to the park and chatted a lot with me. She even told me about her Alzheimer¡®s


    disease. She said she has been talking for quite some time, so I wanted to buy some water for her, but


    she disappeared when I came back.¡±


    Veronica was extremely anxious. ¡°I¡®ve asked many passersby in the park, but none has seen Grandma.


    All I found was her phone.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    While exining, she passed the smartphone in her hand to Matthew.


    Matthew took over the phone while maintaining a cool face despite seeing Veronica¡®s guilt¨Cstricken and


    worried look. ¡°You don¡®t have to look for Grandma. Just leave.¡±


    With that, Matthew turned to get into the car with the phone in his hand and closed the car door with a


    bang.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was startled for a moment as she stood on the spot while watching Matthew leave


    in his car.


    The way he treated her was overly hostile.


    Ha! Is he giving me a cold shoulder because he thinks I have no utility value? How can one be this


    realistic?


    Veronica gazed at Matthew¡®s car until it disappeared from her sight.


    She knew Matthew would definitely use all his power to search for Elizabeth, but she was still worried.


    So, she continued searching for Elizabeth nearby.


    However, it was like looking for a needle in the haystack to find someone among a sea of people.


    In between, Veronica called Matthew again and sent him some voice messages. But


    Matthew did not answer her calls.


    Then, she decided to call Elizabeth¡®s phone, but the result was the same¡ªno one picked up


    As such, Veronica figured that he would most likely still be looking for Elizabeth.


    For the entire day, Veronica went to all the nearby ces and searched for Elizabeth crazily. It was only


    until the night had fallen did she sit on a bench at the roadside wearily after going around for the whole


    day.


    While resting on the bench, Veronica called Matthew again. The line was connected, but no one


    answered the call.


    Just as the call was about to hang up automatically, the other end finally picked up the call.


    ¡°Why didn¡®t you answer my calls? Did you manage to find Grandma?¡± Veronica asked anxiously.


    However, it was Thomas¡® voice that emerged from the other end of the line. ¡°Miss Murphy, we already


    found Old Madam Kings this morning.¡±


    ¡°You¡®ve found her this morning? Why didn¡®t you tell me then?! Do you know 1¨C¡±


    Veronica threw a fit upon hearing Thomas¡® response, so she raised her voice and was almost about to


    curse.


    However, Thomas interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. ¡°Young Master Matthew


    requested you to not call anymore from now on.¡±


    Veronica, who was originally speaking, mmed up at once and was stunned for a few seconds before


    regaining herposure.


    So, they actually found the olddy in the morning, but Matthew did not even want to pick up my calls


    because I pose no value to him now. I see!


    Veronica¡®s anger from a moment ago was extinguished by this cold fact as her heart sank. The rage she


    felt earlier no longer existed but what was left was inexpressible sarcasm.


    ¡°I see. Since that¡®s the case, I¡®ll hang up now.¡±


    After ending the call, Veronica stared at the bottle of water in her hand which was


    almost empty, and she felt a sense of humiliation welling in her heart.


    She gripped the stic bottle tightly which let out an ear¨Cpiercing crushing noise, but it sounded more


    like a ruthless sneer to her.


    Veronica lifted her head to see the cloudy sky where stars could not be seen.


    At that moment, she was so exhausted that she sat on the bench for a very long time. It was until


    something fell on her cheeks only did she regain herposure and realized it had started raining.


    Then, Veronica switched on her phone screen, unlocked it, and blocked both Matthew and Thomas¡®


    contact before walking home in weariness.


    There were very few streetlights along the road. The dim light fell on her and formed a long shadow,


    which made her seem extraordinarily lonely and pitiful.


    Veronica strolled along the street in depression, but when she lifted her head after walking for some


    distance, she realized that she had arrived at the lift of Twilight Club¡®s basement two.


    Just as she habitually stretched out her finger to press the lift button, she paused for a second and


    quickly pulled her hand back upon a sudden realization.


    That was close. Habits really can ruin ones¡® life.


    Feeling her heart being squeezed, Veronica was extremely glum as she felt she was idiotic and stupid.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, the sound of a car door closing snapped her out of her daze.


    Veronica turned around to see Thomas and Matthew getting down from the car while starting to walk


    toward her direction. When their gazes fell on her, Veronica¡®s eyes glistened with an unnatural


    expression.


    Nevertheless, she immediately adjusted her emotions and dismissed the awkward look on her face.


    Then, she took out a lift ess card from her pocket and said to Matthew who was standing 10 feet


    away. ¡°I¡®m here to return the list ess card to you lest you me me again when something in your


    house goes missing.¡±


    Looking at Matthew¡®s cold and gloomy countenance, Veronica snorted sofily and pretended to be calm


    as she let out a sarcasticugh.


    However, Matthew merely darted a hostile nce at her, walked past her directly, and left.


    As usual, he was dressed in a trim suit. One of his hands was ced in the ck¡®s pocket, and his


    slightly bent elbow knocked the lift ess card out of Veronica¡®s hand. when he walked past her.


    With that, the two brushed past each other.


    Veronica¡®s face, which had a fake smile stered on it, gradually became stiff as her gaze followed the


    card which fell onto the floor.


    Everything seemed to have happened in slow motion, cing her in an embarrassed yet inescapable


    situation.


    Thomas, who was following behind Matthew, noticed Veronica¡®s expression, so he went forward to pick


    up the ess card and said, ¡°Miss Murphy, pass me the card please.¡±


    Veronica quickly regained herposure and nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure. Please keep it well and don¡®t


    me me if it goes missing.¡±


    While she replied at a fast pace with a forced smile on her face, it seemed as if she was unaffected at all,


    and one would actually feel like she was a heartless woman.


    When Veronica strode forward and walked past Thomas, she patted his shoulder and said, ¡°I¡®m leaving,


    buddy. See you.¡±


    ¡°Take care, Miss Murphy. Have a safe journey.¡±


    Although Thomas did not understand what exactly happened between Matthew and Veronica, he did not


    detest thetter. In fact, he was rather impressed by her carefree and genuine attitude.


    Meanwhile, Veronica hummed songs as she walked away. ¡°Hey Jude, don¡®t make it bad. Take a sad


    song and make it better¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, in the lift, Matthew stared at Veronica with his dull, gloomy eyes as she walked away. His


    eyes turned cold when he saw her walking with a spring in her step while humming songs¡ªit looked as if


    she was in a very good mood.


    She¡®s actually happy about leaving Twilight Condominium? Ding


    The lift door slowly closed, interrupting Matthew¡®s sight.


    On the other hand, Veronica, who had not walked too far away, stopped her cheerful steps the moment


    she heard the sound from the lift. Even the smile on her face and her joyful singing faded immediately.


    At that instant, she felt like all her energy was sucked out of her, and she looked like a . wilted flower.

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145


    The phone in Veronica¡®s pocket rang all of a sudden as she walked out of the basement car park dejecte


    dly.


    When she took out her phone, she couldn¡®t help but think of Matthew. For one second, she even had the


    anticipation that the call could possibly be from him, but she then recalled that she had already blocked h


    is contact.


    So, when Veronica looked at the phone screen to see Xavier¡®s


    number, she heaved a sigh of relief inwardly and answered the call. ¡°Hey, Xavier.¡±


    ¡°What¡®s up? Do you want toe out for supper?¡± Xavier asked on the other end of the line.


    He knew Veronica was going to leave Bloomstead soon, so he wished to ask her out and spend more ti


    me with her.


    ¡°Sure, since I haven¡®t had dinner yet, but the meal is on you today¡ªI¡®m broke.¡± Veronica


    couldn¡®t help feeling distressed at the thought of the sum that she had spentst night.


    ¡°That¡®s not a problem at all, but can you please don¡®t ditch me at that kind of cheap motel again if I beco


    me drunk next time? I¡®ll pay you back anyway.¡±


    Only Xavier knew how miserable it was to wake up in a cheap motel.


    ¡°Haha¡­ I¡®m broke, you see. It¡®s hard to earn a living. Haha¡­¡±


    Laughing heartily, Veronica felt a sense of ease that was only possible when she was with Xavier.


    With that, the two decided to meet at John¡®s, where Veronica bought Xavier a meal for the first time.


    After meeting up, they found a table near the


    entrance. Then, Veronica ordered some dishes and a dozen beers as she sat down and started chatting


    away with Xavier.


    ¡°You told me you had something to attend to so you couldn¡®t make it to the office this morning. What is it t


    hat kept you busy the whole day?¡±


    Sitting across Veronica, Xavier stared at her fixedly with his eyes glistened.


    At the mention of today¡®s incident, the smile on Veronica¡®s face obviously became still, but she quickly lift


    ed her brows and grinned. ¡°Nothing. It¡®s just¡­ I had a long day yesterday and was a bit tired.¡±


    Veronica did not wish to talk about what happened between Matthew and her anymore.


    ¡°By the way, how much was the bill at Twilight Clubst night?¡±


    Xavier shook his head in embarrassment and shrugged with an evil smile. ¡°I was in a good mood yesterd


    ay, so I drank too much and fell asleep.¡±


    Hearing Xavier¡®s question, Veronica did not answer him as she did not know how she should reply.


    ¡°How much discount did Matthew give you? Or he did not ask you to pay at all?¡±


    Given Xavier¡®s understanding of Matthew, he thought that Matthew was actually quite caring toward Vero


    nica.


    Back when Veronica was abducted overseas, it was Matthew who went ahead of Xavier to rescue Veroni


    ca; the other time when the flood happened at Dawnpol Vige, it was Matthew too who came to Veronic


    a¡®s rescue before him.


    Xavier had caught all these details, but Veronica thought Xavier was dropping a nger.


    ¡°He¡­¡±


    Veronica wanted to say that Matthew charged her the full amount, but given Xavier¡®s personality, if he kn


    ew Veronica had paid the full bill at Twilight Clubst night, he would surely transfer the money to her.


    Ever since she came to Bloomstead, Xavier had given her much care. Veronica was grateful to Xavier an


    d did not want to owe him anything, so she decided to lie. ¡°Yeah, he didn¡®t even ask me for a single penn


    y. Haha¡­¡±


    My foot!


    Smiling bitterly, Veronica poured a ss of beer and lifted the ss to give Xavier a toast. ¡°Cheers! I¡®m le


    aving in a few days and only God knows when we can meet again. Isn¡®t that right?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Yeah. We should drink the night away!¡±


    ¡°Sure, let¡®s tie one on. However, we should keep in touch even after I leave Bloomstead. There are some


    things I still wish to consult you with.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem at all. All you have to do is ask. As your good friend, I will definitely not sit by and do nothi


    ng.¡±


    Following that, the two had a rxed and hearty chat.


    Veronica genuinely felt that she would feel extraordinarily carefree every time she was with Xavier. The in


    teraction between them was like brothers pouring their hearts out to each other, so Veronica felt very co


    mfortable.


    After both of them bottomcd up, Xavier put down his ss and stared at Veronica, who was sitting acros


    s from him while wearing a thoughtful look with her head lowered. Then, he pressed his lips and asked, ¡°


    Are you really going to leave Bloomstead? Can you even bear to leave?¡±


    What Xavier had just said bore a hidden meaning behind it.


    As smart as a whip, Veronica naturally knew what Xavier was hinting at.


    She then ced her


    elbows on the table and cupped her face with her hands. Her gaze went past Xavier to stare at¨C


    a television hanging on the wall, and her eyes became even more gloomy.


    ¡°To be honest, putting aside the personal grudge between Tiffany and me, the two of them are indeed a p


    erfect match.¡±


    As Veronica said that, there was a tinge of sorrow and loneliness in her alluring eyes.


    Perceiving Veronica¡®s expression, Xavier followed her gaze and turned to look at the television on the wa


    ll which was broadcasting news about Matthew and Tiffany.


    The television was showing a yback video which was taken during the engagement of Tiffany and Mat


    thew back then with the title ¡®Young Master Kings and Miss Larson¡®s Marriage Is Happening on 28th Next


    Month.


    The eye¨Ccatching broadcasted title was actually hard on Veronica¡®s eyes.


    Staring at the television screen, Veronica sank into silence, but her eyes continued to glue to the screen fi


    However, Xavier felt his heart wrenched seeing Veronica¡®s sorrowful look.


    ¡°He is not worthy of you,¡± Xavier expressed his personal opinion.


    He indeed felt that Matthew was unworthy of Veronica. Besides the fact that Matthew came from a better


    ¡°I don¡®t get it. Back then, it was you who saved Matthew, but didn¡®t he suspect that at all?¡± Xavier was very


    Veronica continued staring fixedly at the screen and


    mumbled as if she was talking to herself, ¡°He has no clue.¡±


    She shook her head and sighed. ¡°I¡®ve never told Matthew that I saved him. Besides, I¡®ve changed the food


    food delivery ount and the fake name left in the hospital, Tiffany had the ring which was given by Matth


    spend extra effort to investigate a matter which was already ¡®confirmed.¡±


    In fact, if the same happened to Veronica, she too would not go and investigate an incident that already h


    let alone Matthew since it was clearly a waste of time to do so.


    ¡°That¡®s not fair,¡±


    Xavier tightened his grip on the single¨C


    use wine cup and distorted the stic cup. At the same time, beer flowed out from his fist.


    Amused, Veronicaughed. ¡°Haha! Fairness? Nothing is fair in the adult world. Everyone¡®s just striving to


    Then, she gradually retracted her gaze to look


    at Xavier. ¡°Being born into the Crawford Family, you should know this better than me.¡±


    Nheless, Veronica clearly knew that it was exactly because Xavier had seen everything too thoroughl


    Towards the end, he too was a pitiful man.


    ¡°Rony, you¡®re too silly.¡±


    Xavier grabbed the beer bottle, filled his cup again, and started drinking on his own:


    ¡°Fortune favors fools at times. Sigh,let¡®s not talk about these anymore. By the way, I¡®ve always wanted to


    since you¡®re currently running apany independently, don¡®t you n to one day go back to work for Cr

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146


    Although Xavier was very capable, he was Hendric¡®s son and part of Crawford¡®s family tree after all.


    Despite his high expectations toward Xavier, Hendric actually treated him extremely well.


    Veronica genuinely thought that there was no material grudge between Xavier and Hendric, so it would


    be best if there was a way to ease the tension in the rtionship between the father and son.


    However, Xavier shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m doing fine on my own, so why should I go back?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I think Hendric treats you quite well. You¡­¡±


    Veronica wanted to persuade Xavier, but before she could finish her sentence, Xavier shot a fierce re


    at her which made her m up immediately.


    That re, which was as sharp as a sword, was filled with rage and resentment.


    Ever since she knew Xavier, Veronica had rarely heard him mention Hendric.


    She thought the two were merely not on good terms but she did not expect Xavier to actually be this


    resistful and hateful toward Hendric.


    ¡°Don¡®t mention his name in front of me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Veronica bit her tongue and continued after remaining silent for a few seconds, ¡°Blood is thicker than


    water. Do you really n to continue being on bad terms with your father?¡±


    Frowning, Xavier tightened his grip on the cup as his cold gaze fell on Veronica again. ¡°He doesn¡®t


    deserve it.¡±


    Xavier had clearly expressed his attitude through the four straightforward words he just spat.


    ¡°Come on, bottoms up! Let¡®s drink the night away!¡±


    Veronica knew the discord between Xavier and Hendric was rather deep, and it was not an issue that


    could be solved in a short time, so she decided to stop discussing the topic.


    Nevertheless, deep down, she still wished to lend Xavier a hand.


    She had known Xavier ever since she started working as a security personnel at Twilight Club. Despite


    having seen him get drunk numerous times, there was never once when he was vexed with rtionship


    problems but most of the time, his troubles were rted to the Crawford Family.


    li


    Veronica knew that the more Xavier resented Hendric, the more it showed that he actually cared about


    his father. 5


    ¡°Yeah. Cheers!¡±


    With that, the two continued to have a good time drinking and chattering.


    ¨C After finishing supper, both of them were slightly tipsy.


    ¡°Shall I send you home?¡± Xavier asked Veronica after paying the bill, but thetter waved her hand and


    said, ¡°I don¡®t wish to go home yet. I¡®m thinking of going for a walk and getting some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°I¡®lle with you,¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Veronica agreed dly at the thought that she would be leaving Bloomstead in a few days and


    would not have a chance to see Xavier again by then.


    On the other hand, after returning to Twilight Condominium, Matthew stood in front of the French window


    with a ss of red wine in his hand. The spacious condominium seemed to be even quieter without the


    presence of Veronica.


    Looking down at the splendid, bustling city, Matthew took a sip of the wine and sank into deep thoughts.


    Beep¡­ Beep¡­


    Suddenly, his phone on the table rang.


    Matthew looked at the screen to see Tiffany¡®s caller ID, so he answered the call atter hesitating for a


    moment.


    ¡°Hey, Matthew. What are you up to right now? I can¡®t seem to fall asleep, and I really miss you.¡± Tiffany¡®s


    soft voice came forth from the other end of the line.


    However, Matthew¡®s straight face was not moved by her expression. Instead, he said, ¡°The wedding


    ceremony will proceed next month as nned.¡±


    As nned.


    Initially, Matthew intended to postpone the wedding indefinitely, but he found out that Elizabeth was


    diagnosed with Alzheimer¡®s disease today. In addition to that, the doctor mentioned that Elizabeth¡®s


    health was worsening, so the situation was not optimistic.


    Elizabeth¡®s wish was to have a great¨Cgrandchild and see Matthew get married, so Matthew couldn¡®t bear


    to disappoint her.


    After Matthew said that, the other end of the line grew quiet for a long while.


    Grasping her phone tight, Tiffany was extremely agitated and could hardly contain herself. Then, she


    grinned and nodded¨Cincessantly, ¡°Sure, sure! Our wedding ceremony will proceed next month as


    nned.¡±


    The sudden plot twist was totally beyond Tiffany¡®s expectations.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Although Tiffany did not understand why Matthew changed his mind, the details don¡®t matter. No one


    would be able to snatch away her position as the young mistress of the Kings Family as long as Matthew


    intended for the wedding ceremony to happen as nned.


    Tiffany always deemed herself as the No. 1 Talented Girl in Bloomstead and thought she outshined


    everyone else in terms of her talents and beauty.


    ¡°The wedding can proceed as nned. However, I¡®d like to know why the Larsons have to pick on


    Veronica in everything?¡± Matthew questioned Tiffany out of the blue.


    Despite knowing the Larsons had been picking on Veronica all this while, Matthew did not investigate this


    matter thoroughly out of his respect toward Tiffany.


    ¡°M¨CMatthew, why are you suddenly asking about this?¡±


    Tiffany¡®s smile became stiff as her heartbeat elerated and her face turned ashen.


    Could it be that Veronica the b*tch told Matthew something, and so he asked this question?


    Tiffany was so taken aback that she could not regain herposure for quite a while, so she didn¡®t even


    know how to answer Matthew.


    Meanwhile, Matthew did not answer her question too, and his silence held his reasons¨Cif he could not


    get an answer from Tiffany, he would rather choose to not. proceed with their marriage.


    After pondering about it, Tiffany sobbed, ¡°I¨CI didn¡®t pick on Tiffany. I¨CIt¡®s just that I love you too much and


    don¡®t want her existence to divide your love toward me. I was wrong, Matthew. I know it¡®s my fault, but


    can you please give me a chance? I promise to change¡­¡±


    She was such a natural liar that it did not even take long for her toe up with the statement.


    Toward the end, she still did not tell Matthew the truth, but Matthew too had made up his mind¨Csince


    Tiffany was unwilling toe clean, he would send Thomas to investigate the truth.


    ¡°I¡®ll give you one day to think about it. I won¡®t marry you if I don¡®t get an answer!¡± Matthew blurted coldly


    and hung up the call thereafter,


    On the other end of the line, Tiffany was still speaking while holding her phone. ¡°Matthew? Matthew,


    please listen to me¡­¡±


    Beep¡­ Beep¡­


    She still wanted to say something, but all she could hear was a busy tone.


    At once, she flew into a rage and threw the phone fiercely onto the ground which then shattered into


    pieces.


    ¡°Aghh!! Veronica Murphy, you b*tch! It¡®s always about you! Why are you everywhere?!¡±


    Tiffany was so furious that she stomped ragingly on the broken phone and vented her anger


    unscrupulously.


    Lately, she could not eat and sleep well because Matthew wanted to call off their marriage as she was


    worried that Matthew would actually not marry her toward the


    end.


    Just a moment ago, she had finally received good news, but Matthew ended up questioning the matters


    between Veronica and her, to which she did not know how to


    respond


    Obviously, Matthew was not too happy with her answer just now, so he gave her onest chance.


    Meanwhile, Floch and Rachel immediately walked out of their room when they heard the noise from


    upstairs. Seeing Tiffany flying off the handle in the living room, they walked toward her and asked


    concernedly, ¡°Darling, what happened? Why are you so angry?¡±

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147


    ¡°What else could it be?! Veronica the b*tch just won¡®t leave us alone!¡±


    Blood boiled, Tiffany eventually failed to keep her shirt on as she stomped in rage and cursed, ¡°I¡®m going


    to send her to hell! I¡®m going to kill that b*tch!¡±


    :


    Bawling hysterically, she had totally lost all gentleness and good manners a socialite should possess. In


    contrast, she looked like a maniac who was on the verge of breaking down.


    Rachel¡®s expression changed immediately upon perceiving Tiffany¡®s rage, so she instinctively looked tow


    ard Floch, who was standing beside her.


    With that, Floch quickly walked up to Tiffany and retorted, ¡°Nonsense! You must noty a finger on Veron


    ica.¡±


    Hearing that, Tiffany red at Floch with her eyes, which became bloodshot due to anger. At the same ti


    me, shock shed through her menacing face. ¡°Are you defending Veronica the b*tch?!¡±


    With his eyes darkened, Floch waved his hand. ¡°How is that possible? Stop overthinking. I ask you not to


    y a finger on Veronica because she¡®s Old Madam Kings¡® god¨C


    granddaughter and she¡®s quite close with Matthew too. If any mishaps happen to her, the Kings will surel


    y look into the matter. Given their power, do you think they won¡®t be able to catch the


    culprit? You¡®ll be digging your own grave by doing so!¡±


    ¡°My thoughts exactly. Silly girl, what on earth are you thinking?¡±


    Rachel walked up to Tiffany, held her hand, and cooed, ¡°Remember this¡ª


    you and Matthew are getting married soon, and you¡®re pregnant with a child. You should umte virtu


    e for the sake of the child¡®s health and safety.¡±


    ¡°umte virtue my foot!¡±


    Engulfed by rage, Tiffany had totally lost her rationality. She shoved away Rachel¡®s hand furiously and


    scowled, ¡°This child is not Matthew¡®s. Don¡®t you already know that?!¡±


    Of course, Matthew could not possibly be the child¡®s father.


    Back then, Matthew had some interim matters to settle in Castron, so Tiffany tagged


    along to find a chance to sleep with him.


    However, Matthew was not stirred up at all and did not even spare her a nce no matter how hard she t


    ried.


    It was only until the day when Matthew got drunk after a business dinner did Tiffany pretend to have slept


    with him and sessfully deceived him.


    Initially, she thought Matthew would definitely not remain hostile toward her anymore since they had alre


    ady slept together, and with that, she would naturally be able to


    be pregnant with his child thereafter.


    However, litte did she expect that Matthew¡®s attitude toward her did not change much after that incident.


    Having no other choice, Tiffany thought of a way to get pregnant in the shortest time.


    Sure enough, nothing was impossible ording to the saying, ¡®When there was a will, there was a way.


    Therefore, about a month ago, she sessfully conceived a child.


    Nevertheless, the child did not belong to the Kings.


    It did not matter whether or not the child belonged to Matthew. As long as the oue remained the sam


    e, it would not cause any impact.


    ¡°A¨CAlthough this child is not Matthew¡®s, you¡®re still young, so you don¡®t have to worry about that at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, your mom is right. As long as you can marry into the Kings Family smoothly, all these are not an is


    sue.¡±


    Floch patted Tiffany¡®s shoulder. ¡°You¡®re the pride of our family, and you¡®ll definitely be the pride of th


    e Kings Family too in the future. Darling,


    you have to learn to be more generous. Don¡®t be too bothered by these trivial matters. Take Veronica for


    example. She¡®s just an insignificant person, so why do you have to be angry with her? Why


    are you even thinking ofying a finger on her? That would only stain your hands, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡®s not worthy of that!¡± Rachel nodded in tacit agreement as the husband and wife echoed eac


    h other.


    Thereafter, they led Tiffany


    upstairs and continuedforting her for quite some while before urging her to rest early.


    After settling everything, Rachel went back to her room and locked the door. Seeing Floch


    smoking on the balcony, she walked over and sighed thoughtfully.


    Smoking the cigarette between his fingers, Floch too heaved a deep sigh.


    Momentster, he asked, ¡°Is it true that the assassin who attempted to kill Veronica at Dawnpol Vige w


    as not rted to Tiffany at all?¡±


    Standing beside him, Rachel stared at the dark sky and pondered for a moment. ¡°That man went to Daw


    npol Vige before Veronica, so it shouldn¡®t be rted to


    Tiffany. Anyway, you¡®ve overestimated Tiffany. Although she holds the title ¡®No. 1 Talented Girl¡®, it¡®s just an


    inted reputation. You should already know what she¡®s actually capable of.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡®s exactly why I¡®m worried.¡±


    Floch ashed his cigar and lifted his hand to caress his hair while exhaling smoke. ¡°The doctor said


    Randy is recovering pretty well. Since that is the case, I¡®m thinking of fetching him back in the next few d


    ays.¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking about this too. We should¡®ve made some ns for the future earlier.¡± Rachel shook h


    er head in resignation and leaned on Floch¡®s shoulder wearily. ¡°We¡®ve been worrying our whole life. How


    long more can we protect her?¡±


    Perceiving the weariness in Rachel¡®s


    expression, Floch ced his hand around her waist in distress. ¡°We never know


    what will happen in the future. But my dear, you¡®ve suffered with me all your life. Please find a better hus


    band if there is an afterlife.¡±


    ¡°But I¡®m d to be with you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t you think it¡®s exhausting to take each step cautiously?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Life is never easy to begin with. It is already a ray of sunshine in the darkness to be able to grow old wit


    h the person I love.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, you¡®re still the same as back then. You have not changed at all.¡±


    On the other hand, Veronica and Xavier were strolling along the street lessurely


    It was a joy to appreciate some slow¨Cpaced leisure in the midst of this fast¨Cpaced !!


    Lifting her head to look at the sky full of stars, Veronica couldn¡®t help sglung ¡°has


    been so long since I¡®ve seen such a beautiful night sky.¡±


    ¡°I can apany you to stargaze whenever you feel like it.¡±


    Xavier looked aside at the woman beside him with his eyes filled with affection.


    ¡°Despite the beauty of Bloomstead¡®s night sky, it can¡®t hold a candle to the one in my hometown.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall go to your hometown and enjoy the night sky with you if there¡®s a chance in the future. What


    at Veronica and smiled.


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Veronica waved her hand as she was in a good mood.


    Then, the two continued wandering down the street for some time and only decided to go back to where t


    Veronica became tired. Thereafter, Xavier drove Veronica back home.


    Upon reaching her condominium, Xavier parked his car outside the neighborhood. When he watched Vero


    that night when he watched Veronica walk into Matthew¡®s Twilight Condominium.


    And so, he asked once again, ¡°Can I¡­e up for a cup of tea?¡±


    Veronica, who had not walked far, was startled. After pondering on his words, she nodded and said, ¡°Sure


    Xavier was surprised to hear Veronica agree readily.


    After being stunned for a few seconds, he mumbled, ¡°Okay. I¡®ll park the car and tag along with you.¡±


    With a skeptical


    attitude, Xavier walked into the lift of the condominium with Veronica. Upon reaching upstairs, he watched


    After entering her house. Xavier couldn¡®help asking, ¡°You¡®ve been stavmgliere all this while?¡±


    Hearing Xavier¡®s question, Veronica reckoned he actually thought the environment in


    this neighborhood was below expectation, so she smiled ruefully. ¡°Although this is not as good as your ma


    quitefortable here.¡±

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148


    After opening the door and walking in, Veronica waved at Xavier, who was standing across the door. ¡°Co


    me on in.¡±


    Xavier nced around the living room, which had a minimalist design. Nevertheless, because the area w


    asn¡®t too spacious, it actually made the space look more warm and cozy with the dim, yellow light in the li


    ving room.


    ¡°It¡®s pretty cozy here,¡± Xaviermented while walking into the living room to sit on the couch.


    ¡°Please make yourself at home.¡±


    Veronica closed the door and took out


    a bottle of red wine from the wine cooler with a chuckle. ¡°I stole this wine from Matthew¡®s ce. He said t


    his is an aged wine.¡±


    In fact, Veronica saw this aged wine on Matthew¡®s wine cooler back when she was at Twilight Condomini


    um, so she secretly kept it in her bedroom as she nned to devour it.


    However, she got into an argument with Matthewter on, so she took it away together when she left the


    club.


    Veronica shook the wine bottle in her hand and said, ¡°Let¡®s finish it.¡±


    She loved drinking because when she was with Crayson back then, thetter loved bringing her around f


    or drinks, so as time passed, she gradually got better at holding her liquor.


    Nevertheless, Veronica did not realize that she had been drinking quite a lot in thest few months


    due to the pressure from various sources.


    Xavier then took the red wine from Veronica¡®s hand and smiled in spite of himself after checking thebel


    . ¡°I¡®m afraid we can¡®t drink this wine,¡± he said.


    ¡°Huh? Why? Is it because it¡®s an aged wine? I can hold my drink, so that¡®s not a problem.¡±


    ¡°This is not just any ordinary aged wine. This is a 1945 Roman¨¦e¨C


    Conti that was bought by someone at an exorbitant price of 3.9 million at New York¡®s Sotheby¡®s auction. I


    reckoned the buyer gave this to Matthew as a giftter on.¡±


    Hearing thai, Veronica widened her eyes and was left dumbfounded. ¡°What?! 3.9 million? What kind of wi


    ne would cost this much?!¡±


    She knew aged wines were generally more expensive, but she did not expect this one to be so pricey.


    ¡°This bottle of wine was produced in 1945. It was auctioned at an exorbitant price because it¡®s made


    of thest portion of grapes in Domaine de Roman¨¦e¨C


    Conti after World War II, and there were only 600 bottles worldwide. The historical value associated with i


    t has caused the price to keep soaring.¡±


    Xavier guessed Veronica was surely not


    aware of the background of this red wine, so he exined it to her.


    Truth was, he just so happened to have attended the New York¡®s Sotheby¡®s auction in 2018 too.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°What?! That¡®s f*cking expensive!¡± Veronica couldn¡®t help swearing.


    Then, she quickly reached out her hand to grab the wine back from


    Xavier. ¡°A 1945 wine is not drinkable at all without decanting it. Let¡®s forget about having it.¡±


    Carefully holding


    the wine in her hands, Veronica couldn¡®t help sizing up the bottle of wine discreetly out of curiosity. ¡°How


    could it possibly be so expensive? No wonder the bottle looks so old. It¡®s okay, I¡¯ll leave it alone. Maybe t


    he value will increase again in two years¡® time.¡±


    Wait a minute... This is not the main point.


    Veronica had a sudden realization¨C


    she merely stole a bottle of wine from Matthew and had not expected that its value was actually sky¨C


    high. Will Matthew the jerk call the police?


    With her heart jolted, she looked toward Xavier instantly and asked, ¡°What¡®s the punishment of grand the


    ft?¡±


    Knowing Veronica well, Xavier nced at the red wine in her


    hand and understood her meaning immediately.


    After hesitating for a while, he answered, ¡°Since the wine is worth almost 4 million, it¡®s counted as an extr


    emely valuable item. The minimum punishment is 10 years of imprisonment. In a more serious case, one


    could be sentenced to life imprisonment. Besides, the criminal¡®s assets could be confiscated too.¡±


    ¡°Ten years?!¡± Veronica freaked out and gulped. ¡°Oh my goodness! Thank God we have not opened it!¡±


    Then, she quickly put the red wine back into the wine cooler and said to Xavier, ¡°It¡®s gettingte, so you s


    hould get going too. I also have some¡­ I n to head to bed soon. too.¡±


    Veronica wanted to say she also had some stuff to attend to, but she did not say it directly in order to not


    embarrass herself.


    ¡°Sure. Have a goodnight then.¡±


    Xavier¡®s initial intention was to see if Veronica was actually staying here. With that, he was surprised to di


    scover the truth as he did not expect it to be true at all.


    Meanwhile, half an hour prior to this, Matthew was standing in front of the French window in Twilight Con


    dominium while grasping his phone.


    The phone screen disyed a series of numbers that belonged to Veronica¡®s phone number.


    Nevertheless, Matthew did not call her toward the end.


    Later, he made his way to the wine cooler and opened a bottle of wine to fill his ss. Holding the wine g


    lass between his skeletal, slender fingers, Matthew took a sip of the wine elegantly.


    However, the moment he lifted his head, he inadvertently realized the expensive red wine was gone.


    At once, he paused his movements as his eyes darkened.


    At that very second, it was as if he had found a reason to contact Veronica.


    So, he took up his phone and dialed Veronica¡®s number, but the call was instantly disconnected after the


    numbers were pressed. After hesitating for a while, he decided to call the police.


    Not long after the line was connected, a voice emerged from the other end of the line. ¡°Hi, you have reac


    hed 911.¡±


    ¡°I would like to lodge a case. Someone stole my wine.¡±


    ¡°Wine? What wine is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s a 1945 Roman¨¦e¨CConti worth 3,9 million.¡±


    ¡°Alright. May I have your address, please? We¡®lle over to take a statement.¡±


    After enquiring Matthew about


    his address, the police departed immediately to Matthew¡®s condominium. After a round of questioning, the


    ¡°Mr. Kings, we need more


    time for this matter as currently, we have no idea where Veronica Murphy stays yet. We¡®ll inform you imme


    However, Matthew blurted, ¡°That¡®s not necessary. I know where she stays.¡±


    And so, after Veronica sent Xavier away from her condominium, someone knocked on her door while she


    ¡°Who¡®s that?¡± she muttered while dragging her slippers on her feet to the door. ¡°Xavier, why did youe


    ¡ª¡±


    Originally, Veronica thought it was Xavier, but she opened the door to see a few policemen


    standing at the entrance.


    Veronica was stunned at first, but she started cursing Matthew inwardly right after.


    He¡®s indeed a jerk who doesn¡®t act humanly!


    Initially, she nned to return the wine to Matthew


    tomorrow, but she did not expect him to call the police so soon.


    True enough, things don¡¯t always go as nned.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Policeman. I¨C


    I want to lodge a case.¡± Veronica immediately took the initiative and said, ¡°I was just about to wash up and


    Standing at the door, the three policemen exchanged nces with different expressions on their faces.


    The leading policeman, who had tanned skin, questioned Veronica in a deep voice. ¡°What is it about?¡±


    *Please hang on.¡±


    Veronica scurried back to the living room and took out the bottle of red wine from the wine cooler. ¡°li¡®s abo


    grandmother¡®s grandson gave this to me as a gift and told me that this wine is only worth 10 thousand, bu


    grandmother¡®s grandson is setting me up. In fact, he has always been unhappy with how my god¨C


    grandmother doted on me. He gave me this Roman¨¦e Conti, which is the only one left on the earth, and c


    Veronica defended herself volubly with her silver tongue.


    However, the policemen did not buy her words because after all, the one who lodged the case earlier was


    known only heir of the Kings Family in Bloomstead!

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149


    Seeing how simple both the woman and her ce were, it was certainly unbelievable for the woman to b


    e Elizabeth¡®s god¨Cgranddaughter as she had imed.


    What a load of bollocks, thought


    the police officer before he incredulously asked, ¡°Who did you say your god¨Cgrandmother is?¡±


    ¡°My god¨C


    grandmother is Old Mrs. Kings of the unbeatable Kings Family!¡± Veronica exined earnestly, ¡°The King


    s that make up a quarter of The Four Big Families of Bloomstead, mind you.¡±


    Instead of being intimidated, the police officers began to look at each other as they sniggered.


    Then, one of them decided to speak up, ¡°Young Master Matthew already


    called us earlier regarding a case of someone stealing his wine. We have filed a case for him. So please,


    follow us back to the station so that we can further investigate this.¡±


    Despite inwardly cursing the situation out with all her might, she managed to give a calm response. ¡°Oh,


    alright then. Give me a moment to change into something else,¡± she replied with her face full of smiles.


    That sh*thead Matthew just wasn¡®t capable of behaving like a proper human being.


    She knew that he was going to call the cops on her, but she had not expected him to do it so quickly¨C


    she didn¡®t even get the chance to put the alcohol back!


    After changing her clothes while grumbling her way through, she finally stepped out of the room in a diffe


    rent outfit, where her reappearance had caught a few of the police officers by surprise. ¡°Wait, are you¡­ T


    iffany Larson, the No. 1 Talented Girl from the Larson¡®s Family?¡±


    ¡°She looks like Tiffany Larson, but her


    vibe is definitely different,¡± another officer expressed his observation.


    ¡°Oh, she is Larson¡®s other daughter that went missing when she was a baby.


    They had it announced to the public not long ago. She grew up in the boonies. That must be why she ca


    n¡®tpare to Tiffany Larson¡®s elegance. But I have to say, thisdy here might be prettier than Tiffany L


    arson.¡±


    As though Veronica was an item ced on a shelf, the police officers began to evaluate her amongst the


    mselves as they looked at her from head to toe.


    Since the Larsons had revealed Veronica¡®s idently to the public, it was no surprise that they knew about


    her.


    However, no one other than the people in the upper¨C


    ss circle would know about her bing Elizabeth¡®s god¨C


    granddaughter since Elizabeth had intended to only announce it on the day of her birthday celebration.


    Somewhat offended by them openly judging her, Veronica walked past them and decided to walk ahead i


    nstead. ¡°Aren¡®t we going to the police station? Let¡®s go.¡±


    Ai once, some of the police officers began to lower their guards after learning about her identity, but the c


    hattering never ceased even as they followed closely behind her.


    ¡°She really is from the boonies, huh? Just stealing everything she sees.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it isn¡®t as simple as it seems. She did say that Young Master Matthew was the one who gave it to


    her and that Old Mrs. Kings was her god¨Cgrandmother.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you think Old Mrs. Kings would


    take a vige girl in as her god granddaughter? You¡®re overestimating this youngdy.¡±


    ¡°Right. She must have been bbering nonsense. Why would Young Master Matthew call the police on h


    er if what she said was true?¡±


    ¡°That is hard to say. Young Master Matthew made use over here even though he himself knows whe


    re she lives. This is something that someone of his capability can solve at a snap of his fingers, and yet,


    he wanted to do it the hard way. I don¡®t think we shouldpletely disregard what she said.¡±


    ¡°But we can¡®tpletely believe her either.¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡±


    As Veronica walked in front, she could hear the whisperings happening behind her. but she chose not to


    say anything despite feeling frustrated by it.


    Then, they


    took the elevator down and hopped into the police car before finally leaving for the station to get Veronica


    ¡®s statement taken.


    Meanwhile, Matthew was already seated in the main hallway of the police station when they arrived. With


    his legs crossed and torso leaned back against the backrest


    of the chair, he managed to look as casual as he was intimidating.


    Veronica¡®s temper immediately red when her eyes fell on him. As if nothing had happened, he nonchal


    antly lifted his eyes to stare into her angry gaze. The fleeting smile he had on disappeared from his cold f


    ace before it turned into a full grin.


    ¡°Matthew Kings!¡± she called out as her steps came to a halt. She then tore away the bottle of 1945 Roma


    n¨¦e¨C


    Conti from the hands of one of the officers before stomping toward Matthew and mming the bottle on


    a table nearby. ¡°Here is your red wine. I¡®m giving it back to you!¡±


    Instead of replying, Matthew only quietly stared at her. He didn¡®t have to say


    even a word for others to feel the menace emitting out of him.


    Getting timider by the second, Veronica unconsciously gulped. ¡°It is just a bottle of wine! Did you really h


    ave to call the police for something like this? You are just wasting government resources,¡± she continued


    in a slightly meeker tone.


    She swore to the heavens that the only


    reason she took it was that it looked like it would be a good bottle of red wine!


    Furthermore, she had always drunk from Matthew¡®s alcohol stash without his permission when they lived


    together.


    However, this scumbag of a manpletely turned his back on her after Veronica announced that she w


    ould no longer stay by Elizabeth¡®s side as she would be leaving Bloomstead soon. His attitude toward he


    r had changed almost instantaneously because she no longer held any value for him.


    During that one night when she couldn¡®t fall asleep, her eyes lingered on Matthew¡®s wine shelf, and that


    was when her eyes eventually fell on this delectable¨C


    looking bottle of wine. So, she took it but left it unscathed in her bedroom.


    Then, she decided to bring it along with her when she left Twilight Condominium, never expecting the bott


    looking nothing out of the ordinary¨Cto be priced at a staggering 3.9 million!


    Maybe it was her fault for taking the expensive wine, but why did Matthew skip contacting her first before


    Sull sitting without even moving an inch, Matthew lifted his head slightly to peer ar the woman


    before him and questioned her in a low voice. ¡°Do you know how muchi this boule you took is worth?¡±


    ¡°Who wouldn¡®t know that this is a 1945 Roman¨¦e¨C


    Conti¨C¡°She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence when she realized that she had fallen right int


    For Matthew to call the police despite knowing that she was the one who took the wine made it obvious th


    Without waiting for Veronica toe up with another retort, Matthew gave an indifferent wave as his head


    officers standing behind Veronica. Officers, I¡®m sure you all


    have heard her. She knew the value of the wine when she took it,¡± he informed.


    *F*ck!¡± she finally spat. ¡°Matthew, you piece of sh*t. I


    ¡ª¡± Knowing that her following words woulde to naught, she bit her tongue and said, ¡°You were the o


    As for how I knew its price, Xavier was the one who told me about the price of the red wine when he came


    Matthew¡®s face immediately fell when he heard Veronica¡®s words. At that moment, his gaze turned a few n


    Earlier?Xavier went to her ce?


    Her words kept reverberating in his head as he casually lowered his head to look at the Rolex Blue Dial w


    ¡°Oh, really? Can anyone prove that?¡± His fingertips lightly tapped on the back of his hand. Even though he


    threw the question at Veronica, his heart was thumping hard in his chest.


    ¡°Of course!¡± she eximed while taking out her phone. ¡°I¡®ll give Xavier a call right this moment!¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Just then, Matthew suddenly stopped her in her tracks. ¡°You have a close rtionship with Xavier. He is n


    Immediately, Veronica¡®s eyes glued to the thumb drive in Matthew¡®s hand, and even though she didn¡®t say


    others to read the exact thoughts and emotions that were going through her head and heart.

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150


    Veronica was endlessly, unceasingly cursing Matthew on the inside, and if looks really could kill, he woul


    d have been dead by Veronica¡®s gaze.


    The police officers, who were spectators of the argument, stared at the duo in silence.


    They had somewhat figured out that Veronica and Matthew probably had a rtionship moreplex th


    an one could imagine.


    Hence, this situation probably had more than meets the eye.


    HIT


    The deafening silence went on for a while before the leader of the police officers intervened. ¡°Young Mas


    ter Matthew, why don¡®t the both of you try to talk it out first? We can also go by standard procedure if you


    both can¡®t get to the bottom of this yourselvester.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your help, Officer


    Garth,¡± Matthew replied with a small nod, exuding iparable elegance with just a light movement.


    As soon as the police officers had left the hall, Veronica boldly asked with arms akimbo, ¡°What the hell d


    o you want, Matthew? I already returned you your wine, so can I go now?¡±


    Instead of answering her question, he coldly stared at her as his smooth brows raised. ¡°Do you know the


    penalty for grandrceny?¡± Hearing that, Veronica pursed her lips together.


    How could she not know?


    She knew it better than anyone else.


    S


    She then let out an arrogant ¡®hmph¡® andined, ¡°You¡®re considered my brother. How is it considered


    theft if I only took a bottle of your wine?¡± Her emotions were running so high that she had to hold herself


    back in case she identally assaulted him.


    She knew that she wouldn¡®t win a physical fight against him anyway, but it would definitely feel good if sh


    e could just let out whatever she was bottling up inside.


    ¡°It is theft as long as you take something that isn¡®t yours,¡± Matthew responded humorously. ¡°I have known


    you for so long to only find out now that you don¡®t know thew,¡± Matthew spoke slowly in a calm manne


    r and he didn¡®t seem to be


    particrly angry.


    However, Veronica felt as though he was ridiculing her.


    She was almost baffled by his attitude, but her eyes kept ring at the man before her. At that moment,


    her anger was at its peak.


    .


    The silent war went on for a while as they looked at each other unmovingly before her red lips finally part


    ed. ¡°It only took me a short while after knowing you to learn that people can be ruthless when they want s


    omething. What is the point ofplicating things like this? Are you doing this just so I would stay behind


    to keep Grandmapany?¡±


    And find out more secrets about Conrad from Grandma? she quietly thought to herself.


    His handsome features turned frigid as soon as she uttered those words. It wasn¡®t as though it was the fir


    st time anyone


    had said that he was ruthless, buting from Veronica directly? It certainly felt like she had plunged a


    whole sword into him.


    The usually¨Ccalm Matthew¡ªclearly agitated by her provocation¡ª


    asked Veronica in return with his eyebrows raised, ¡°What else do you think you are capable of, if


    not that?¡±


    Hearing his question. Veronica couldn¡®t help but let out a snort.


    Huh. As expected, she thought.


    ¡°Sure. I¡®ll stay, but I¡®ve been feeling homesick and wish to go back for a while. I¡®lle back to Bloomste


    ad after that.¡± Thinking that this was a good chance to make


    Matthew drop the case, Veronica agreed verbally but was actually nning on giving Matthew whatever


    excuse she could after so that she won¡®t need to return to Bloomstead.


    Finally, everything was going as Matthew had nned.


    Hearing her reply, he watched her quietly before swiftly getting up from his seat and heading toward the


    police officers. He then withdrew the case with the reason that it all had


    been nothing but a misunderstanding.


    After the case


    was closed, they both left the police station with Veronica marching angrily ahead while Matthew silently


    watched her from behind.


    There were hardly any cars driving on the road by the time they were outside¡ª


    not even a taxi was in sight.


    Looking around in the middle of the night, she couldn¡®t help but grumble, ¡°Where are the cars, man?¡±


    Meanwhile, Matthew had already made his way into his car. He then drove his car, only to stop before Ve


    ronica and proceeded to lightly honk the car horn twice. ¡°Get. in. I¡¯ll take you home,¡± he said after rolling


    down the window.


    At that, she let out a huff and scowled at him. ¡°Save it. What if you charge me a ridiculous fee for riding in


    your ridiculously luxurious customized car? I can¡®t


    even bear the thought of touching it,¡± she scoffed before walking away.


    Even though she could conveniently order a ride using her phone, she decided against it in an attempt to


    save a few bucks in her pocket¡ª


    she did spend over a million dors just the night before after all. In addition to that, considering how she


    wasn¡®t sleepy despite it being already midnight, she chose


    to take a stroll by the roadside while enjoying the gentle breeze blowing in her face.


    However, she merely took a few steps when she suddenly noticed that Matthew had unknowingly caught


    up with her and was currently walking right beside her.


    Immediately, she halted her steps and red between Matthew and his parked car. ¡°Are


    you crazy? Why are you following me when you have a car right there?¡±


    ¡°My car broke down. I just called the towpany,¡± he replied with a shrug.


    A bright smile instantly appeared on Veronica¡®s face after Matthew said that, ¡°Ha! Serves you right! Karm


    a is a b*tch, eh?¡± she cheered in between giggles.


    Sheughed out loud as soon as her mood was made better, and even though her unadulteratedughte


    r wasn¡®t the least bit refined, it was a sound that felt truly genuine and pure.


    Seeing her chortle made the corners of his sensual lips raise unconsciously as she gave him a sense of


    warmth like a spring breeze in a chilly winter. At that, the cold mask he had on was instantly melted and r


    eced by a gentle and tranquil expression.


    He had his hands ced in the pockets of his suit pants as he continued to enjoy his saunter with Veroni


    ca.


    Since it was the beginning of autumn, the nights were getting colder.


    Veronica began to shrink herself as she felt the cold slowly getting to her. Since she had left her condomi


    nium in a hurry earlier, she was only dressed in a thin blouse


    that could barely protect her from the cold.


    Noticing this, Matthew swiftly removed his coat and tossed it at Veronica. ¡°Hold that for me,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Why should I?¡± she quickly argued in return as she heard his manding¡® tone.


    ¡°Oh?¡± He tilted his head to look at her. ¡°I just withdrew the case not long ago and now you¡®re already turni


    ¡°I¡­¡± She started to retort, but she couldn¡®t think of anything to say.


    Fine, who cares? Good women don¡®t argue with trashy men anyway. Lowering myself is such an un¨C


    ssy thing to do! She calmed herself down with her thoughts.


    Hit by another cold breeze, she quickly threw the coat in her hand over her shoulders. ¡°Are you really not


    wearing this? I¡®ll wear it, then. Don¡®t you dare collect a fee from me because of this!¡± ¨C


    ¡°I won¡®t.¡± Hearing his airily reply, Veronica sarcastically remarked, ¡°Now, that¡®s more like it. I see that you s


    Instead of acknowledging her jab, he asked, ¡°When are you going back to your hometown?¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow. Ah, no


    ¡ª¡± she said after thinking for a bit. ¡°It is already the middle of the night now. If you count the hours, I¡®m go


    Mythpoint was everybody¡®s dream destination.


    Veronica, too, was once tempted by the hustle and bustle of this ce, but s, she had to face reality.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Not only was the cost of living here high, but it was also fairly fast¨C


    paced. A ce that was full of deceit and mind games was not for her.


    She couldn¡®t help but miss her parents and master who were still back at home sometimes.


    Learning that Veronica was departing soon, Matthew¡®s face dimmed, and he


    turned to look at the woman walking beside him.


    Strolling with the breeze suddenly felt like a rare luxury for them to find peace within the busy city.


    A feeling of wanting the moment tost, too, started to creep out from a corner of his heart.


    ¡°Have you ever considered working at Spinfluence Group?¡± he suddenly asked.


    Veronica might be going back to her hometown, but Matthew wished to leave a spot for


    her in thepany when she decided it was time for her to head back to Bloomstead.


    ¡°Forget it.¡± She gave an outright rejection. ¡°That is suicide for me. What if something were to happen at th


    thepany or something. It will be a big mess for me to clean if you decide to send me to the police aga

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151


    Veronica had a vague feeling that there was a plot underway. She had the impression that Matthew bore


    no good intentions toward her and was always plotting something against her.


    That one sentence of hers rendered Matthew speechless. Hence, they stopped talking


    They had no idea how long they had walked when they arrived near the Twilight Club. Seeing that Veroni


    ca was about to cross the street to return to her rented apartment, Matthew immediately said, ¡°You have


    some things left in my condominium.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Veronica couldn¡®t recall what she had left in Twilight Condominium.


    ¡°Clothes.¡±


    ¡°All those clothes are bought by you, aren¡®t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you have already worn them, so now who should I give them to? If you do not want them, I¡®ll jus


    t throw them away.¡± This man knew Veronica¡®s personality well, and he knew exactly what to say to make


    her sumb.


    ¡°Are you sure you do not want them?¡±


    Those clothes were all limited edition from high¨Cend brands. Throwing them


    all away would be such a waste. Thinking of what he said, she reckoned that Matthew was really a wastr


    el. All the clothes were in good condition, but he had no qualms about throwing them away.


    Matthew kept silent and merely nodded slightly.


    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll go to your house and take them away.¡± Veronica pouted before saying, ¡°But I better


    warn you, those are given to me by you and I want to record this down as proof.¡±


    Once bitten, twice shy. After the previous experience, she didn¡®t want to be used by him again.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Matthew said nonchntly.


    They then entered Twilight Club¡®s lobby, swiped the entry card required for its


    tal!


    l


    u


    lui, .


    Ding


    The elevator had arrived at the upper floor. When both of them exited the elevator, Veronica activated he


    r phone¡®s video recording function at once and pointed her phone at Matthew¡®s face. She then said, ¡°Co


    me on, evidence in the


    form of video recording. I am going to record everything down in case youter turn around and sue me f


    or theft, and I would have nothing to exin by then.¡±


    In the past, Matthew was disgusted and enraged by people pointing their phones at him. However, Veron


    ica¡®s mischievous look in doing this made him smile instead. Such a smile was unusual, and his cool¨C


    looking face seemed to warm up.


    ¡°What are you smiling at?¡±


    Raising her phone, Veronica looked at Matthew, who was being recorded on her


    phone. His smile was so mesmerizing that it drew her in and made her fall into it in an instant.


    Such a lovely face. God must have pampered him so much that he was


    given a perfect face with no ws, which was so attractive that it made people forget to breathe.


    Veronica swore that if the person before her was not Matthew, she


    would have gone after him for his attractive face and asked him to be


    her boyfriend. But, remembering the odious heart beneath this good¨C


    looking face, she couldn¡®t allow herself to think any further.


    Seeing that he did not answer her question, she


    continued saying, ¡°You¡®re the one who told me to get the clothes, correct? You have to leave some proof;


    if not, how am I going to get them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will give you all the clothes in my wardrobe.¡±


    ¡°This is merely a broad statement of yours. Come with me.¡±


    She then held his hand, pulled him to the room, and opened his wardrobe. She filmed him again, followe


    d by the clothes in the wardrobe, and asked, ¡°These are the clothes to be given to me, correct?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Free of charge, no regrets, and you wouldn¡®t demand any payment from me, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    Veronicaughed. ¡°Good, as long as there is evidence.¡±


    Smilingly, she saved that video recording into her phone gallery and kept her phone.


    However, just when she was about to tidy up the clothes, Matthew¡®s eyes lit up. ¡°Um¡­ I¡®ve been ying


    a game recently, and you¡®re skilled in games, right? Could you share some experience with me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    A game? When she heard what he said, her jaws dropped. She had previously assumed that it was impo


    ssible for him to y games since he was so busy with his work, and it had never urred to her that he


    would seek her guidance. ¡°Gaming is based on experiences; hence, it¡®s impossible for me to


    teach you for free.¡±


    Needless to say, her response was well within Matthew¡®s expectation, with only variations in a few words.


    He remained calm and asked, ¡°How much is your fee


    to guide me on training three heroes, from now to tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°From now until tomorrow, that¡®s one full day and one night. Such a fee would be¡­ Hmm¡­ Let me think


    ¡­¡±


    Thinking of what to say, she pursed her lips with


    one arm crossed before her and another touching her jaws, and her gleaming eyes looked at him every n


    ow and then.


    Recalling the time in Twilight Club


    where he took one million from her, and another time when he called the police to arrest her, she figured


    that she would not waste such a scarce opportunity to deal with him. After considering all these, she said


    , ¡°At least fifty thousand. No discount. My capability is worth it.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, I¡®ll ask Thomas to find someone else tomorrow, and most probably there will be others with a c


    heaper fee.¡±


    Leaving these words, Matthew turned around and left. Yet, his


    steps were small with a slow speed, as if he was anticipating something.


    ¡°Huh? Hey, wait a minute. We can discuss this.¡±


    How could she let go of such a golden opportunity? Veronica pulled him, walked past him, and stood


    before him. Smilingly, she said, ¡°Tell me how much you¡®re thinking of. I¡®ll give you a discount in light of ou


    r rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand.¡±


    ¡°Sh*t, Matthew Kings, you¡®re going overboard. I merely said I will give you a discount, but not to this exte


    nt. The most I can deduct is¡­ ten thousand.¡±


    ¡°No, ten thousand to be the entire fee.¡±


    ¡°Well, then thirty¨Cfive thousand.¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand.¡±


    ¡°Thirty thousand!¡±


    ¡°Fifteen thousand, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Nay, twenty thousand. Twenty thousand¡ªand that¡®s final. It cannot be any lesser.¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand.¡±


    ¡°Matthew Kings, what do you mean? You said fifteen thousand moments ago, and now it¡®s ten thousand a


    ¡°Fifteen thousand seems to be a little expensive.¡±


    ¡°Expensive, my foot! You¡®re so stingy! Forget it, I¡®ll take fifteen thousand. Transfer this amount to me first a


    Being so defensive against


    him, Veronica felt that she was living in trepidation. He transferred fifteen thousand to her on the spot. Hap


    ¡°Come on, let¡®s y the game on the sofa. I¡®ll teach you.¡±


    Pulling him to the living room, she sat on the sofa happily and forgot she had a wound on her right hand. H


    Sitting close to each other, she tilted her head toward him, looked at his phone, and asked, ¡°Why are you


    ¡°Because¡­¡± You like them.


    Throughout her stay in Twilight Club, he had always seen her ying games. Sometimes she yed the c


    phone version, and no matter which version, she was good at them. And, having no idea when this


    thought started, he wanted to y with her, thinking that it might be a fun experience.


    ¡°Because of what?¡±


    He paused his answer midway and began to keep her guessing. This piqued her interest.


    ¡°I y them to kill time. Work is dull and boring, you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, such a workaholic like you would find working dull too, huh.¡±


    Veronica didn¡®t know how to react. Nevertheless, she proceeded to ask him about his view and understan


    When she felt ufortable with her position, she simply


    ced her hands over his shoulder and rested her jaw on it.

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152


    She could see his phone so much better in this position.


    ¡°Matthew, are you dumb? You can¡®t y Ang like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re so stupid.¡±


    ¡°For Ang, you can use her second skill first, then only the big move. Or, you can use the second skill fi


    rst, followed by the first skill, andstly the big move. If you use her first skill directly without using the oth


    er skills first, your opponent will run away upon seeing it. She¡®s a crowd¨C


    control hero. You do know that right?¡±


    ¡°Further, you¡®re up against the supporting hero, Da Qiao. Her second skill is the ring there, and after


    pleting a full circle with it, she can take away all of her opponent¡®s heroes within it.¡±


    ¨C¨C


    ¡°You have to get yourself familiarized with all


    the heroes and their skills before you can y them better. Know your enemy as well as you know yours


    elf, and you can win a hundred battles without losing a single one.¡±


    Veronica was so engrossed in the game that even the tone of her voice increased by a few decibels.


    Throughout the entire game, Matthew sat quietly listening to her instructions. His delicate fingers scrolled


    the phone disy slowly, controlling the hero, but his gaze was fixed on Veronica, who was almost entir


    ely engulfed in his embrace.


    He could faintly smell her scent, as well as the fragrance of her shampoo from her hair.


    As a result of his inattentiveness, his Ang was instantly killed by a hero who jumped out from the bush


    nearby.


    ¡°Flicker, flicker now! Hey, I¡®ve already said to use the flicker move! What are you doing?¡±


    Veronica was furious. She turned around and red at him, saying, ¡°If I knew earlier that you were so stu


    pid, I wouldn¡®t have agreed to teach you. No, I should¡®ve raised the fee.¡±


    ¡°¡­ don¡®i really know how to y this.¡±


    Despite her shouting and scolding at him, Matthew didn¡®t seem to be angry.


    Instead, it was Veronica who was enraged.


    ¡°Come on, I¡®ll sign in my ount and guide you around.¡±


    She did not realize that


    she was getting too close with him, to the extent where they appeared to be intimate.


    Upon finishing her sentence, she stood up, intending to take out her phone and log into her ount to pl


    ay the game with him.


    And the moment she stood up, his embrace felt void, and the tion he felt earlier faded instantly


    His eyes dimmed in that second.


    DI


    However, when she took out her phone and saw the battery level, she muttered, ¡°Oh no, out of battery. M


    atthew, do you have a charger for an Android phone?¡±


    11


    ¡°No.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°What shall we do, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡®ll ask Thomas to send one overter.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s fine. Send him a message after you finish this round.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Matthew answered.


    She then continued to guide him, with Matthew learning diligently.


    After


    ending this round, he began to talk to divert her attention, and by the time she remembered that he need


    ed to text Thomas, the next round had already begun.


    This went on for tens of rounds.


    They went on until about five in the morning. By then, she was already so sleepy that she fell asleep on h


    is shoulder; her head tilted as if it was about to fall. Noticing this, he raised his hand to support her head,


    but she unconsciouslyy down in his arms.


    He locked his phone and put it aside. The entire living room fell silent in an instant.


    She was sound asleep in his arms, and he let her do so while crossing his legs and cing them on the


    coffee table.


    Being so noisy usually, she was finally quiet now. Looking at her face which was almost identical to Tiffan


    y¡®s, he felt that they were simr, but not entirely alike.


    Her facial features were delicate, and herplexion was fair. Together with the fine contours of her face


    , she looked beautiful.


    While she was lying down, the raven hair of hers slid across her face and covered her beauty.


    Seeing this, Matthew swept her bangs aside with his fingers and kept them behind her ears.


    However, her skin was so delicate and smooth that he couldn¡®t take his fingers away from it when he tou


    ched it.


    CD


    Only when she was in a deep sleep did


    he stand up and carry her in his arms to the room, where he ced her on the bed.


    ment,


    wn beside her


    rin silence. At this moment, nie


    ouldn¡®t


    staring at hd


    Then stop himself from leaning over and kissing her lips.


    Her lips were soft and tender, and had a faint sweet smell. He waspletely engrossed in this feeling.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Veronica felt someone blocking her airway and groaned ufortably.


    Hearing that, he let go of her instantly.


    It was just that her silly¨Clooking face looked too cute at the moment.


    ¡°Do you like her?¡±


    In that split second, this question shed through Matthew¡®s mind.


    This guy, who was smiling just seconds ago, was taken aback by his own thoughts. He stared nkly at t


    he woman in front of him.


    Like her?


    How could this be possible?


    He had spent his entire life focusing solely on his career, and he couldn¡®t


    possibly like such a country girl now.


    His face turned cold when he thought of these.


    He then stood up and left the room quickly.


    It was as if he was running away from her.


    Standing in the living room, he


    sent a message to the group of Bloomstead¡®s four young masters. ¡®Let¡®s drink at our old ce.


    He then went downstairs and entered the club¡®s private room, Number 8888.


    Twenty minutester, two of his friends, Caleb and Skyler, entered the seemingly empty room.


    Caleb Shaw, the only sessor of the Shaw Family. But his mind was set on upholding justice. Hence, he


    university despite his family¡®s objections and was now an inspector in the police station.


    And Skyler Robins, the youngest and the most unusual doctor in Bloomstead.


    His suave and unrestrained appearance gave the impression that he was indecent, but instead, he was a


    However, he had left the medical field to pursue his career in business.


    ¡°Matt, why did you suddenly want to drink?¡±


    With an arm around Caleb¡®s shoulder, Skyler walked toward


    Matthew and teased, ¡°We haven¡®t seen you in a while,


    and we thought you had forgotten about us now that you¡®ve gotten yourself a wife.¡±


    Caleb was the quieter of the two. He simply inquired indifferently, ¡°Is there anything bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Stop saying the impossible, Caleb. Matt is now having a good time with his wife. What could possibly be


    The two of them sat next to Matthew, one to his left and the other to his right.


    Matthew raised his ss and had a sip. ¡°Where¡®s Miguel?¡±


    ¡°He couldn¡®te as


    he had something on,¡± Skyler replied. At the same time, he, too, raised his ss, and they all clinked


    their sses, finishing whatever that was left in them


    After finishing his drink, Skyler set his ss down and moved forward to select a song. The volume was tu


    As he took the microphone and began to sing along with the music, he overheard Matthew asking Caleb,


    ¡°What the heck are you saying?¡± Shocked by what Matthew asked, Skyler who was ready to sing dropped


    He quickly turned around and sat beside Matthew. ¡°Matt, please repeat what you just said. What? Behavio


    ¡°Miss Larson possesses both beauty and talent. As such, it¡®s no


    surprise that no man could resist her,¡± said Caleb, the unromantic guy.


    Matthew took a sip of his wine while holding his ss with his delicate fingers and said, ¡°You haven¡®t answ


    Skyler and Xavier were birds of a feather who flocked together, both being yboys.


    However, as Skyler was now in charge of a multimedia agency, he was no longer surrounded by a diverse


    ¡°The behavior of loving someone? A day apart with her would feel like years. You want to be with her all th

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153


    Skyler, a love expert, shared his views.


    Matthew nced at him doubtfully, feeling what he said was meaningless. He then turned to look at Cale


    b, the boring guy, as if he believed Caleb more.


    Unexpectedly, Caleb nodded seriously, and said, ¡°Basically¡­ correct.¡±


    Receiving such a positive response, Matthew frowned slightly. He went silent for a few moments before r


    aising his ss and finishing the wine in it.


    Caleb and Skyler looked at each other, puzzled.


    ¡°What is this reaction of yours, Matt? Have you really fallen in love with Tiffany?¡±


    ¡°Miss Larson is his wife, and it¡®s natural for him to love her. It would be unusual if he didn¡®t.¡±


    Veronica¡®s face showed up in Matthew¡®s mind as he listened to what they said. ¡°It¡®s not her,¡± he said, grip


    ping his ss tightly as if he was unable to ept the reality.


    Matthew


    was still doubting himself before this, but after hearing what Skyler said, he confirmed his suspicions. Su


    ch as the


    night when he didn¡®t stop Veronica from leaving the condominium, he was restless and irritable for the en


    tire day. That was the reason he


    came up with ideas for her to appear before him. Moreover, he wanted to hug her the moment he saw he


    r, and even when she was sleeping, he kissed her silently. It was only out of moral obligations that he did


    n¡®t do anything else to her.


    But what Skyler said, especially thest part about doing nothing with her being wonderful¨C


    that was spot on.


    ¡°What, not her? You¡®re saying it¡®s not Tiffany?¡± Skyler was stunned, and he couldn¡®t believe that Matthew


    said that. He immediately pursued, asking, ¡°Who would it be if it¡®s not her? Don¡®t tell me you¡®re hiding an


    other woman?¡±


    Caleb was equally surprised. Skeptically, he looked at Matthew, waiting for his answer.


    But Matthew remained silent. He simply raised his ss with his slender fingers and silently drank his


    wine.


    Both of them, as outsiders, were more anxious than Matthew.


    Ater a while of suspense, Skyler pped Matthew¡®s back and uttered, ¡°Come on Matt, answer us. I¡®m get


    ting anxious here. How long do you want to keep us waiting?¡±


    Sull, Matthew remained silent.


    Instead, it was Caleb who broke the suspense. He looked like he was seriously pondering over somethin


    g and asked, ¡°Don¡®t tell me it¡®s the god¨Cgranddaughter that Old Mrs. Kings said she was going to take?¡±


    Clever enough to be perfectly urate, him being a policeman came as no surprise.


    ¡°What¡®re you saying, Caleb? That¡®s impossible.¡±


    Skyler believed Caleb¡®s guess was incorrect and proceeded to analyze the situation before exining to


    Caleb, ¡°Look, the god¨C


    granddaughter that Old Mrs. Kings wanted looks exactly like Tiffany. Further, that girl is just a country girl


    who is not presentable at all. Matt doesn¡®t even like Tiffany, so how would he like another girl who resem


    bles her? It¡®s too far¨Cfetched.¡±


    He shrugged and gave a confident smile, before raising his ss and clinking it with Matthew¡®s. ¡°Am I rig


    ht, Matt?¡± He took a sip of his wine.


    However, while he was drinking, he heard Matthew answering in a deep tone, ¡°I guess it¡®s her.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¨C Cough... cough...¡±


    Hearing that, Skyler spurted out the wine in his mouth while coughing nonstop. ¡°Cough... What the


    f*ck. I nearly choked myself to death. Matt, what nonsense are you saying?¡±


    ¡°And you¡®re still unsure about this?¡± Caleb sensed Matthew¡®s hesitation and reservations in his words.


    Matthew shook his head slightly. ¡°I was uncertain before I came here, but now, I¡®m pretty sure.¡±


    ¡°I assume she¡®s the girl you risked your life to save from the fire? Oh my, when I heard that from Thomas,


    I wondered since when you became such a great man, It turns out that you were saving that girl!¡±


    While drawing tissues to wipe the spills on his clothes, Skyler murmured in his heart, Who is this foryd


    y who enchanted Matt? I must meet her. I must!


    ¡°Since you like her, why did you sleep with Tiffany then?¡± Leaning on the sofa, Caleb asked nonchntly


    with his legs crossed.


    Caleb was tanned, and his hair was cut in a standard buzz cut. Nheless, as he was a policeman who


    had to face hardships


    every day, he gave off the impression of being very healthy, pleasing to the eyes and attractive. Partic


    rly, he was a man of few words. Further, he appeared very decent, and people could sense his righteous


    ness by just a nce.


    ¡°That was an unwanted incident.¡±


    As he spoke, Matthew recalled that time when he was overseas. He got drunk after


    socializing because of his job and had no idea what happenedter that made him sleep with Tiffany.


    But she got pregnant after that, so he had to take the responsibility.


    ¡°Tsk¨C


    tsk, you don¡®t appear to be such a responsible man. But this is a simple matter to resolve. Even though


    Old Mrs. King wants to have great¨C


    grandchildren and you need to marry Tiffany, you can just spend some money and keep your godsister a


    s your mistress. You know how it is with women; they can be easily pacified by gifting them luxurious car


    s and expensive bags.¡±


    Skyler raised his hand


    and patted Matthew¡®s shoulder lightly. ¡°Besides, being such a handsome man like yourself? Any woman


    will be throwing themselves at you! There is nothing difficult in handling just one of them.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The moment Skyler finished his sentence, Matthew red angrily at him.


    That night, Matthew drank a lot, so much that he had no idea what was going on around him. He had no i


    dea why he felt heavy¨C


    hearted upon realizing his true feelings for Veronica. It was more depressing than what he felt on the day


    he knew that Veronica ¡°liked¡± Xavier.


    They drank until dawn, and Matthew was already passed out while lying down. Skyler, who was slightly d


    runk, shrugged and spread out his hands while


    looking at Caleb, who was wide awake. ¡°Tsk tsk. Matt¡®s really fallen for the girl now.¡±


    Hearing that, Caleb merely took a nce at Matthew who was sleeping on the sofa. He understood Matth


    Skyler took


    his phone out and called Thomas. ¡°Thomas, send me the phone number of your boss¡® godsister.¡±


    Thomas was confounded by such a call in the wee hours, with Skyler asking for Veronica¡®s contact. ¡°Youn


    ¡°Stop asking so many questions and just send me the number quickly!¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes sir. Please give me a moment.¡± Thomas hung up the call and immediately forwarded Veronica¡®s c


    At the same time, Skyler and Caleb were both supporting Matthew as they entered the elevator. They wer


    Ring


    The elevator reached the upper floors and stopped.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    They swiped the entry card, entered


    the condominium while holding on to Matthew, and ced him on his bed in his room. They exited the roo


    Upon entering the living room, Skyler saw the bottle of Roman¨¦e¨CConti of the year 1945.


    That was the expensive wine in Matthew¡®s car that Thomas had delivered the night before after driving Ma


    Matthew was learning about games from Veronica at that time, and thus, when Thomas brought the bottle


    on the table.


    ¡°Oh my, Caleb, look. Is this


    the bottle of wine from New York¡®s Sotheby¡®s auction that someone had given to Matthew a few years ago


    Skyler had excellent taste. He recognized the wine by just one look at the bottle, and he couldn¡®t help but


    Suddenly, the door of the second bedroom swung open. Veronica, neatly dressed but wearing slippers, st


    the room, and was stunned upon seeing the two guys in the living room.


    rmed, she asked, ¡°Who are you two?

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154


    Skyler was so startled by Veronica¡®s sudden appearance that he nearly lost his grip on the wine bottle. M


    att¡®s such a badass! He¡®s really keeping the woman as a mistress. Since he¡®s already keeping her as a m


    istress, why would he drink like a fish? What is he acting so mawkish for?


    Keeping silent as usual, Caleb looked Veronica up and


    down without saying a word, whereas Skyler put down the wine bottle, sized her up with an evil leer, and


    flirted, ¡°Wow, what a pretty babe we¡®ve got here.¡± Having met Tiffany in person, they had to admit that Tiff


    any did have the mild disposition and easy manner of a well¨C


    bred youngdy from a respectable family. On top of being gentle and demure, Tiffany exuded the qualiti


    es of a pampered and refined youngdy of note. This woman, on the other hand, was dressed inly. D


    espite her striking resemnce to Tiffany, she had a coldly elegant air about her that made her attractive


    somehow.


    ¡°I¡®m asking you who you guys are! How did you get in here without permission?¡± Veronica asked


    while looking around, but she didn¡®t see Matthew anywhere.


    Folding his arms across his chest in a raffish manner, Skyler motioned at the door, saying, ¡°I walked in he


    re, of course. The door¡®s right there.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡®t that bullsh*t? Could you have crawled in here?¡± Veronica gave


    Skyler a disdainful look. ¡°Who are you guys looking for?¡±


    Skyler¡®s curiosity was piqued by the woman. He couldn¡®t help but joke, ¡°Hey, babe, isn¡®t your attitude a litt


    le too much? We¡®re sworn friends with Matthew, so that attitude of yours won¡®t do.¡±


    Veronica shot back, ¡°What kind of attitude do you want, then? Do you want me to worship you and make


    offerings to you like you¡®re a god or something?¡± What a lunatic! As expected, birds of a feather flock tog


    ether. Matthew¡®s buddies are like him; they¡®re condescending, as though they¡®re anxious to be spoiled by


    people all over the world. He¡®s simply nuts.


    Skyler didn¡®t expect Veronica to talk back to him. Dumbstruck at first, he then looked back at Caleb and c


    ouldn¡®t hide his amusement. ¡°Ah, you¡®re quite interesting, babe. Wanna consider making friends with me


    ?¡± He raised an eyebrow at her with interest.


    Veronica


    shot a scornful look at him. ¡°Cozying up to me like a toady right now after talking down to me just a mom


    ent ago, huh? What a quick change of attitude.¡± With that, she turned toward Matthew¡®s room without bot


    hering to continue entertaining such a frivolous man.


    Skvier was quite slippant on most asions, but he had never been dissed like this by a woman besore.


    Inwardly displeased, he decided to pretend to teach this fiery tempered woman


    some manners, so he grabbed her shoulder, saying, ¡°Stop right there! Take back what you said just now,


    babe, or I¡®m gonna kill you.¡±


    Veronica paused in her tracks before turning her head slightly to give Skyler a : disdainful look out of the


    corner of her eye. ¡°You¡®re the one who showed me how to be a toady and a stuck¨C


    up snob at the same time. You¡®re condescending to me one moment and ying up to me the next. Wer


    en¡®t you the one who said those words yourself? If somebody has to take back what they said, you¡®re the


    one who¡®s gonna do


    it.¡±


    Rendered speechless by Veronica¡®s words, Skyler was simmering with anger. After all, when had he ever


    been trifled with like this by a woman? He felt that he had been challenged. F*ck, to


    think that I¡®d be challenged by a woman! ¡°I¡®m gonna count to three. If you don¡®t apologize to me, I¡®ll make


    you crawl out of here!¡± he warned in a stern voice.


    I


    Caleb looked at Skyler before turning to look meaningfully at Veronica. After raising his eyebrows with int


    erest, he settled back on the sofa right away, folding his arms across his chest¨C


    while watching the man and the woman with great interest.


    ¡°Get off me!¡± Veronica warned in displeasure.


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    Skyler was still counting, but he didn¡®t notice that Veronica¡®s little face had darkened in anger


    with deep furrows in her brow. The next instant, she grabbed


    the hand he ced on her shoulder and threw him over her shoulder right away with one swift movement


    , flinging him heavily onto the ground with a loud thud.


    Skyler felt like the world had spun around him. Before he could realize what had happened, he had been


    flung onto the ground by Veronica without the


    opportunity to resist. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± he gasped in pain while boiling with rage. ¡°Damn


    it! Didn¡®t Matt say you¡®re from a remote backwater ce or something? Why would you know some self¨C


    defense? Ouch, that fall almost killed me¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡®s a lot of nonsense. Is someone from a remote backwater ce supposed to know nothing? You¡®re


    simply nuts!¡± Veronica let out a snort. ¡°What an idiot.¡±


    Auhe sight of the scene, Caleb couldn¡®t help butugh inconsiderately. ¡°Pffft¡­¡± Unlike Skyler, he found th


    is icy¨C


    looking woman quite impressive. All of a sudden, he more or less understood why Matthew would be inte


    rested in this woman.


    Veronica withdrew her gaze and stepped over Skyler, who was lying on the ground¡­ Just as she was he


    ading toward Matthew¡®s bedroom, his bedroom door suddenly opened.


    Stunned, the littledy stood in ce without moving.


    Matthew was drunk, but he had been woken by the loud noise in the living room long ago thanks to his vi


    gnce. He merelyy still in bed, but when he heard a dull thud, he came out of the room, worried. He o


    pened the room door, only to see Skyler lying on the ground as Veronica stepped over him. This woman..


    . she really wouldn¡®t let anyone bully her, eh? His lips curled into a faint smile as a flicker of amusement fl


    ashed across his eyes.


    Skylerined, ¡°F*ck, Matt, you came out atst! Aren¡®t you gonna teach your woman some manner


    s? She attacked me physically despite me being


    your buddy. Ouch, it hurts like hell.¡± Of the four sworn buddies, Skyler was the weakest at fighting, but no


    t even he expected that he would be knocked t by a woman one day.


    Just then, however, Veronica said coldly, ¡°You¡®re home? It¡®s nothing, then. I thought your home had been


    1


    ¡°Hold on a minute,¡± Matthew called out to her. Seeing that the woman was leaving, he asked, ¡°Is our deal


    T


    Startled, Veronica looked back at Matthew. ¡°Can¡®t you be a decent human being, Matthew? Yeah, we¡®ve g


    to y games. But the normal working hours are eight hours per day, and it¡®s been eight hours from the m


    ¡°What the hell, Matt? I¡®m an expert at


    ¡ª¡± Skyler said to Matthew while massaging his aching butt, only to be silenced mid¨Csentence at


    once by Matthew¡®s piercing re.


    ¡°You went to sleep at about 4:00AM yesterday,¡± Matthew said.


    Veronica replied, ¡°Well, 1 did go to sleep at the time, but you didn¡®t wake me up either. You¡®re the person i


    I was sleeping, it meant you¡®d silently given consent. So, the hours


    didn¡®t conflict with our deal. Goodbye!¡± She turned around and picked up several bags of clothes before st


    However, as soon as she reached the door, she saw the delivery guy from One Piece Restaurant showing


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Veronica was startled, but she couldn¡®t stop her stomach from rumbling just then. After giving it some thou

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the delivery guy said, before he turned around and left.


    .


    Veronica turned back into the living room while carrying the food instion box. ¡°He he, Matthew, since y


    ou ordered so much food for


    breakfast, I¡®d better finish them before leaving. Otherwise, it¡®ll be a waste,¡± she said while heading toward


    the sofa with the food instion box in one hand and the paper bags in the other.


    Skyler was sitting on the sofa and groaning in pain when he saw Veronicaing back. However, before


    he could call her to ount for her excessive use of self defense just now, he was kicked lightly by Vero


    nica, who said, ¡°Get up! Move aside a little.¡±


    Skyler¡®s lips twitched violently. He wanted to say something, but when he saw the unsympathetic smile o


    n Caleb¡®s face and how Matthew showed no intention of standing up for him, he voluntarily moved aside


    to make a ce for Veronica.


    Veronica put the paper bags containing clothes on the sofa and the food instion box on the coffee tabl


    e. As soon as she opened the box, she was greeted by a savory smell. ¡°Wow, it smells so good! I happe


    n to be hungry,¡± she said while taking out the sumptuous


    breakfast inside the box: ¡°Aren¡®t you a bit of a spendthrift, Matthew? Why order so much for breakfast for


    both of us?¡± Her heart ached terribly at the sight of the various dishes in the food instion box. This me


    al is damn expensive.


    At the sight of the scene, Skyler was astounded. Not only did Veronica address Matthew by thetter¡®s fir


    st name without the use of honorifics, but she even spoke to him in a rude and even somewhat cocky ma


    nner. Is this what people mean by ¡°spoiling¡°? She simply fears nothing, he thought. In Bloomstead, Skyle


    r had rarely seen anyone who dared to call Matthew by his first name or even haughtily chastise him


    for being a ¡°spendthrift.¡± He felt like his world was being turned upside down.


    On the other hand, Caleb¡®s imprable gaze shifted back and forth between Veronica and Matthew, ma


    king it impossible to figure out what he was thinking.


    ¡°Let¡®s eat together,¡± Matthew said. Then, he went to the master bathroom to wash up.


    Seeing that the man had entered the bathroom, Skyler immediately moved up to Veronica. ¡°Babe, do you


    always speak to Matthew in such a haughty way?¡±


    ¡°Haughty? How?


    Wasn¡®t that just normalmunication? Matthew is a spendthrift in the first ce, so I was only stating t


    he fact,¡± Veronica replied while sitting cross legged on the carpet. After opening the container containing


    the porridge, she


    lowered her head and started to dig in with no intention of waiting for Matthew at all.


    ¡°Aren¡®t you gonna wait for him to join you for breakfast?¡± Skyler asked.


    ¡°Why should I wait for him toe and eat with me? Don¡®t tell me that I have to wait for him to feed me.¡±


    Skyler was rendered speechless by her reply. What a conversation killer. Without saying another word, h


    e slowly walked to Caleb¡®s side and nudged thetter in the arm, exchanging looks with thetter. F*ck, t


    his little babe is no ordinary woman, he conveyed with his eyes.


    Caleb gave him a look in return. I noticed that long ago.


    Skyler shot him a re. If you noticed that long ago, why didn¡®t you stop me just now? Do you know how


    much my butt hurt just now?


    Caleb threw him a disdainful look. Serves you right. You were the one who asked for it.


    Skyler red at him. Get lost!


    The two men kept making eye contact while thinking the same things.


    After a little while, Matthew came out of his bedroom, having washed up, taken a shower, and changed i


    nto a set of


    clean clothes. After looking at the two buddies sitting on the sofa, he darted his eyes toward Veronica, wh


    o was sitting on the carpet. Seeing that she was eating breakfast with relish, he sat down beside her habi


    tually and pushed the ss of specially¨Cordered milk toward her. ¡°Drink this.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Veronica picked up the ss of


    warm milk and took a sip from it before furrowing her brow. ¡°Matthew, did you poison the milk or somethi


    ng? Why does it taste so weird?¡± The milk she drank the other day tasted somewhat weird as well.


    ¡°It¡®s specially¨Cmade milk by One Piece Restaurant. Costs 888 per ss,¡± the man replied nonchntly.


    ¡°888?¡± Veronica was bbergasted. Looking at the milk in the ss in bewilderment, she muttered, ¡°Is thi


    s milk produced by a golden cow or something? Why is it so expensive?¡± As she spoke, she held her hea


    d up and drank up all the milk up to the veryst drop.


    Veronica simply thought that the milk was expensive, but she didn¡®t know that Matthew merely had the m


    edicine that the doctor had prescribed for her added to it,


    and that the ss of milk wasn¡®t that expensive at all.


    A faint smile appeared on Matthew¡®s stony face when he saw that Veronica had finished the ss of milk


    . He then raised his eyes to look at the two buddies across from him, only to find two pairs of eyes starin


    g fixedly at him. The looks in their eyes were strange, with a hint of astonishment; it was as if they were i


    n disbelief.


    Matthew¡®s smile froze, and the corner of his lips twitched slightly. ¡°What


    are you guys waiting for? The food¡®s gonna get cold if it¡®s left uneaten.¡±


    Caleb nced at the dining room nearby with a faint smile. Then, he rubbed his nose with


    an affected smile


    on his taut face. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± He was truly astonished, for Matthew would never have made do with havi


    ng meals on a coffee table in the past. As a cultured man, Matthew always carried himself with the dignifi


    ed air of a noble and was very particr about his lifestyle. How could he possibly have meals on


    the coffee table in the living room?


    Skyler, on the other hand, was appalled.


    Matthew opened a meal box containing shrimp and cheese ravioli.


    As soon as the meal box was opened, Veronica smelled the aroma of the ravioli. In an instant, she no long


    eaten bowl of porridge to Matthew, taking the opportunity to take the ravioli before him away.


    ¡°Mm¨Chmm. You can have it if you like,¡± Matthew replied naturally.


    Nodding vigorously, Veronica picked up a ravioli and ate it. In an instant, her eyes widened, and she gave


    Matthew wasn¡®t surprised by Veronica¡®s abrupt move. The day he found her in the forest after she went m


    neut.


    However, Veronica thought the man was spurning her. ¡°Don¡®t wanna use the fork that has my saliva on it?N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Just as she was about to take back the fork and eat the ravioli herself, Matthew grabbed her hand and bro


    Her head tilted to one side, Veronica stared at Matthew with a look of anticipation, anxiously waiting for hi


    duper delicious?¡±


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Matthew replied.


    ¡°Not bad, you say?¡± Veronica knitted her brows as the smile on her face vanished at once. ¡°You¡®re too pic

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156


    Just as the couple were having a conversation, the te that Skyler was holding slipped out of his grasp


    and dropped onto the coffee table with a loud tter. What the hell? Is the guy before me still the germop


    hobic Matt? He actually made breakfast for this little babe? He actually used the fork that this little babe h


    ad used? He actually enjoys being chided by this little babe?


    Skyler felt that he must have gone insane. His


    mind must have been befuddled; he must have been dreaming about such a side of Matthew. He turned


    to look at the


    equally stupefied Caleb next to him in a daze. ¡°Caleb, hurry up and give me a p! I must be dreaming.¡±


    Like Skyler, Caleb was so shocked by Matthew¡®s behavior that he didn¡®te to his senses for a long ti


    me. Upon hearing Skyler¡®s words, he nodded with a stiff neck, raised his hand, and pped Skyler directl


    y across the face.


    The p was so hard that it knocked Skyler down on the sofa right away, and the resulting pain instantly


    brought him to his senses. Covering his cheek with his hand, he screeched at the top of his voice, ¡°F*ck,


    it hurts like hell! Were you trying to kill me with a p to my face, Caleb? Ouch, my face!¡±


    However, Caleb shook his hand and replied, ¡°Well, my hand hurts too.. which means you¡®re not dreaming


    .¡±


    Skyler winced in pain with a visible p mark on his cheek. ¡°Of course! How could your hand not hurt? M


    y cheek has nearly swollen up! Were you taking the opportunity to take revenge on me? Damn it, Caleb,


    if my face is disfigured, this will be the end of our friendship!¡±


    ¡°Well, I just feared that you couldn¡®t distinguish between dream and reality if I didn¡®t p you hard enoug


    h¡± Caleb exined.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°That being said, you shouldn¡®t have pped the hell out of me!¡±


    ¡°Do you think you¡®d still be alive if I had pped the hell out of you?¡±


    ¡°F*ck! What the hell¡®s going on here?¡± Skyler was quite annoyed.


    Before he could get his anger off his chest, however, he heard Veronica mumble, ¡°Matthew, does your fri


    end have a screw loose or something? Should we call for an ambnce? The way I see it, he¡®s suffering


    from some serious mental issues.¡± Then, she turned to look at Matthew and whispered, ¡°Did your friend j


    ust sneak out of a


    mental asylum? Oh, dear! That¡®d be pitiful. He¡®s quite handsome; it¡®s just that something is wrong with hi


    s mind, which is a waste of his good looks. What a shame.¡± She thought she was speaking in a low voice


    , but unbeknownst to her, Skyler heard her words very clearly and was so enraged that he was nearly un


    able to breathe.


    Shooting an impassive nce at the two men sitting across from him, Matthew quite agreed with Veronic


    a¡®s words. ¡°Perhaps you¡®re right.¡±


    Caleb massaged his burning palm while eyeing Matthew and Veronica. Immersed in shock, even he was


    unable to recollect himself for a long time, let alone Skyler.


    Veronica didn¡®t put down her fork until she finished the ravioli. After wiping her mouth clean, she stood up


    , picked up the paper bags, and said to Matthew, ¡°You guys have a chat, then. I¡®m leaving first.¡± As she s


    poke, she walked past Matthew. Before she left, she even took a sympathetic look at Skyler and gave M


    atthew a worried look, signaling to him with her gaze.


    Matthew followed Veronica¡®s gaze to look at Skyler. Then, he saw her point at her head and mouth, ¡®He¡®s


    not quite right in the head. You¡®d better stay away from him.


    Unable to contain his amusement, Matthew nodded slightly with a chuckle and watched as Veronica left t


    he apartment with the clothes.


    Suddenly, his cell phone beeped with an iing text message. He picked up the phone and nced at


    its screen, only to see that it was


    a text message from Thomas. It read, ¡®Young Master Matthew, Miss Larson is here.


    At the sight of the text message, Matthew¡®s eyes darkened slightly, but he merely texted ¡®OK¡® in reply.


    After Veronica had left, Skyler jumped from his seat and rushed toward Matthew in a sh. ¡°Be honest, M


    att¨Chow long have you been in love with that woman?¡± This is simply the hottest


    news of the year! Skyler once thought that Matthew would never fall in love with any woman. Even thoug


    h he knew that Matthew was going to marry Tiffany, he thought it was because Matthewcked a woman.


    He thought Matthew was merely forced to get married because the position of Mrs. Kings couldn¡®t be left


    vacant. Otherwise, he absolutely believed that Matthew would¡®ve chosen to stay unmarried.


    ¡°Does she know that you¡®re going to marry Miss Larson?¡± Caleb asked thoughtfully.


    Sitting on the sofa, Matthew lowered his eyes in deep thought. ¡°Yeah, she does.¡±


    Skyler leaned on Matthew while wrapping his arm around thetter¡®s shoulders in a


    brotherly fashion. ¡°Answer me, Matt. Don¡®t avoid answering my question.¡±


    Matthew replied, ¡°I¡®m not sure.¡± His thoughts were in a whirl as he gazed at the half caten bowl of porridge


    coffee table with fathomless eyes. He recalled the moments he shared


    with Veronica, but not even he realized when he¡®d started to care so much about her.


    While the three men¡®s conversation in the apartment was still going on, Veronica walked leisurely out


    of the elevator with several bags of clothes in her hands. At first, she had disdained taking these clothes fr


    She nned to put these clothes up for sale online and sell them at a discount. She figured


    that doing so would allow her to get most of her money back and recover part of her losses. Humming a li


    It was already close to 10:00AM at this moment, and there were very few people in the lobby. Paying no a


    to the presence of others, Veronica lowered her head and toyed with her phone, but after she left, a perso


    emerged from a corner.


    The person was none other than Tiffany. After ncing back at Veronica¡®s receding figure, she turned to lo


    Tiffany frowned with a vicious look in her


    eyes. Standing where she was, she pondered for a moment before making a phone call. ¡°Help me check


    has shown up.¡± After giving the instructions, she ended the phone call.


    The private elevator went up before slowlying down. When the elevator door opened, Thomas was s


    The anger on Tiffany¡®s fair and pretty face vanished all at once. She replied with a gentle smile, ¡°Thank yo


    picking me up, Mr. Ritter.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re wee, Miss Larson.¡± Thomas sized Tiffany up with a meaningful look in ius eyes. Then, he ask


    see anyone when you arrived just now?¡± He had sent Matthew a text message when Tiffany arrived. Matt


    Tiffany¡®s beautiful eyes froze slightly. For an instant, there was a look of surprise in her eyes, but it disapp

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157


    ¡°No, I didn¡®t. Who do you expect me to see, Mr. Ritter?¡± Tiffany asked with feigned ignorance.


    Thomas smiled at once. ¡°No, nothing. I just wanted to ask


    if you had seen Miss Carson leaving.¡± He cleverly made up an excuse. Miss


    Carson was one of the secretaries in Spinfluence Group¡®s secretarial department, so it was normal for he


    r to make contact with Matthew.


    ¡°No, I didn¡®t.¡± Tiffany stared fixedly at Thomas without blinking. When her keen eyes noticed the flicker of


    guilt in his eyes, she instantly realized that he was hiding something


    Ding! The elevator reached the top floor.


    Stepping out of the elevator, Thomas made an inviting gesture. ¡°You may go in, Miss Larson. Young Mast


    er Matthew is inside. I¡®ll be going down first.¡± It would be improper for him, a personal assistant, to y g


    ooseberry when the engaged couple were alone in a private space.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Tiffany nodded. Carrying her handbag, she stepped out of the elevator in high heels. After rea


    ching the door to the living room, she knocked on the door, which opened automatically for her to go insi


    de.


    In the living room, Skyler was bombarding Matthew with questions about Veronica, whereas Caleb sat as


    ide and listened quietly without saying a word. When the living room door suddenly opened, they looked


    at the door and saw Tiffanying in.


    Skyler¡®s eyes widened involuntarily; he grabbed Caleb¡®s arm and pinched it hard. ¡°Holy sh*t, why¡®s she h


    ere? It¡®s lucky that Veronica¡®s gone. Otherwise, wouldn¡®t she have caught Matt in the act?¡± he whispered


    to himself.


    However, as soon as he finished his sentence, Matthew immediately shot him a threatening re, sendin


    g a chill down his spine while causing him to let out an involuntary gasp of fright.


    Tiffany said, ¡°Matthew? Oh, Skyler and Caleb! So both of you are here 100?¡± She had been suspecting j


    ust now that something was going on between Veronica and Matthew, but her mind was put to rest when


    she saw Skyler and


    Caleb. She thought she had worried too much just now. Even if Veronica dide, it was a best becaus


    e Matthew had something to give her. After all, Veronica was Elizabeth¡®s god granddaughter, so it was un


    derstandable for them to be in touch with each other


    Furthermore, what else could happen between them in the presence of the upright Caleb?


    Forcing out a chuckle, Skyler waved to Tiffany and ttered her against his conscience, saying, ¡°Ho ho, o


    ur gifteddy is here! You¡®ve be prettier since Ist saw you several days ago.¡± Luckily, he flirted wit


    h women all the time and was often apanied by gorgeousdies, so these words of ttery came to


    him as easily as breathing. They might sound insincere, but he was used to saying them.


    Caleb nodded to Tiffany in greeting.


    Matthew asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡± He looked unperturbed


    upon seeing Tiffany, but his fathomless eyes rested on her face with a touch of scrutiny, as if musing on


    whether she had stumbled across Veronica.


    ¡°I wanted to go to your office to see you at first, but Mr. Ritter said you weren¡®t there, so I came here inste


    ad.¡± Tiffany came to Matthew¡®s side and sat down. Seeing the sumptuous breakfast on the coffee table, s


    he asked, ¡°Matthew, why are you guys having breakfast sote in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Drew and Caleb ordered these since they hadn¡®t eaten breakfast,¡± Matthew replied. Skyler was the fourt


    h child in his family, so Matthew and the others called him ¡°Drew,¡± a nickname that originated from the wo


    rd ¡°quadruple.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Y¨CYeah, t¨C


    that¡®s right. Caleb and I were a little hungry, so we ordered something to eat,¡± Skyler chimed in as he eag


    erly yed along.


    Seeing how the two men echoed each other¡®s words, Tiffany believed their story, and her bad mood just


    now instantly disappeared. Sitting beside Matthew, she pursed her lips slightly while turning to look at the


    handsome man who would soon be her groom. At the thought of this, she felt


    exhrated. Holding Matthew¡®s arm in a very natural manner, she said coquettishly in a soft and


    sweet voice, ¡°Matthew, are you free today? Could you go with me to pick my wedding dress?¡±


    Needless to say, Tiffany was a gorgeous woman with an exceptionally sweet voice, and she could make


    countless men feel their bodies go limp just by acting a bit like a coquette. However, Matthew wasn¡®t one


    of these men. ¡°I¡®m¡ª¡± he began, before changing his tune mid¨C


    sentence upon smelling the overwhelming perfume that Tiffany was wearing. ¡°Don¡®t wear


    perfume anymore. You¡®re pregnant.¡±


    He was only asking Tiny to stop wearing perfume on the excuse of her pregnancy so that he wouldn¡®t


    detest her even more. However, when Tiffany heard those words, she felt she was being loved and cared


    for by


    the man. Deeply moved, she nodded heavily. ¡°Okay, I¡®ll do as you say, Matthew.¡± It doesn¡®t matter even if


    the perfume and


    cosmetics I¡®m using are safe for pregnant women. As long as he dislikes it, I¡®ll correct it, she thought. Fin


    ally she added, ¡°I¡®ll try not to wear makeup and high heels from now on.¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± Matthew uttered impassively with his stony face devoid of expression.


    Skyler and Caleb sat on the sofa across from the couple with their eyes focused on them. Upon sensing t


    does, is the best candidate for the Kings Family¡®s future matriarch?


    ¡°Matthew, let¡®s go pick out my wedding dress with me,¡± Tiffany


    pleaded. Then, before Matthew could say anything, she turned to look at Skyler and Caleb across from he


    be the best men at Matthew and my wedding. Shall we go and pick out our attire together?¡± As Matthew¡®s


    Skyler had a warm personality. Now


    that a beautifuldy was inviting him, he wouldn¡®t turn her down, of course, so he nodded and agreed with


    thinking.


    As


    soon as he finished his sentence, though, he noticed Matthew¡®s darkened face, and the smile on his face


    he shouldn¡®t have epted Tiffany¡®s invitation. That being said, what was said couldn¡®t be unsaid. He scra


    ¡°Since you guys are free today, let¡®s go together,¡± Matthew agreed for the first time.


    The fact that he would agree to go pick out Tiffany¡®s wedding dress with her made Caleb frown slightly. It w


    On the other hand, Tiffany was filled with ecstatic


    happiness. ¡°Okay! In that case, let¡®s go right away.¡± God only knew how long she had been looking forwar


    to this moment. Now that her dream wasing true, this was even more surprising to her than winning t


    million jackpot! After all, the Kings family¡®s future matriarch was a position that had been coveted by


    countless women for a long ume By bing Matthew¡®s wife, she would beat thousands of women to the

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158


    After leaving Matthew¡®s apartment, the group of four headed for thergest bridal shop in Bloomstead by


    car.


    The bridal shop was a branch of a hugely popr international wedding dress fashionbel that was


    favored by many due to the novel and good¨Clooking design of its wedding dresses. By the time Matthew


    and the others arrived at the bridal shop, Thomas had called the shop¡®s owner in advance and asked


    that the ce be cleared of other customers. Therefore, when the group entered the bridal shop, there


    was no one else inside other than the staff members.


    The bridal shop¡®s staff members stood in the lobby in two rows while respectfully awaiting the arrival of


    the big shots. Upon seeing Matthew and the others, the manager immediately went up and greeted


    them. ¡°You must be Young Master Matthew. Pleasee inside,¡± she said. ¡°We¡®ve prepared some


    snacks for you guys. Pleasee with me.¡±


    Matthew didn¡®t want to waste his time in such a ce, though. ¡°It¡®s not necessary. Just take her to try on


    the wedding dresses right away,¡± he replied. Then, he turned and said to Tiffany, ¡°Go take a look and see


    what kind of wedding dress you¡®d prefer.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Tiffany replied happily with unconcealed joy and happiness on her smiling


    face.


    At Mdy Bridal Boutique, every wedding dress was designed by the top designers of a mainstream


    international wedding dress fashionbel. Moreover, the bridal shop would release a new one¨Cof¨Ca¨Ckind


    limited¨Cedition wedding dress every month, making the shop the dream ce for countless women.


    ¡°Pleasee with me, Miss Larson. Young Master Matthew, please have a seat with your friends at the


    lounge,¡± the manager said to the group.


    With that, Tiffany followed the manager to the second floor to pick out her wedding dress, whereas


    Matthew and the others sat in the lounge on the first floor while having tea. Despite the fact that Matthew


    was about to get married very soon, there was no trace of joy on his face.


    Skyler exchanged a brief look with Caleb. Unable to hold back his curiosity, he leaned close to Matthew


    and asked, ¡°Matt, marriage is for life. Have you thought this through?¡± Once the marriage was


    formalized, there would be no turning back. There were some things that mustn¡®t be handled in a


    pdash way.


    Iloiding his cup of tea with a contemtive look, Matthew rubbed the cup¡®s surface liginly with his slender


    fingers.


    ¡°Drew is right.¡± The taciturn Caleb patted Matthew on the shoulder with a mournful


    sigh.


    Matthew didn¡®t respond to either of the two men¡®s words for a long time. It wasn¡®t until he finished his cup


    of tea that he put down the cup, rose from his seat, and said, ¡°Let¡®s go upstairs to pick out our suits.¡±


    With that, he stood up and headed for the second floor.


    Skyler and Caleb looked at each other, at a loss for what to do. After that, they shrugged and shook their


    heads in helplessness.


    At Mdy Bridal Boutique, Tiffany had a hard time containing her excitement as she basked in joy the


    whole time. This was the happiest day for her in decades. After bustling about from noon until 3:00PM,


    she finally picked a.global limited¨Cedition wedding dress that was one of the most beautiful wedding


    dresses at the shop.


    After settling on the wedding dress in satisfaction, Tiffany left with Matthew. She knew it would be toote


    to have a wedding dress made to order right now on short notice, so she had no choice but to choose a


    limited¨Cedition wedding dress. A little impatience spoils great ns, so I can¡®t make a fuss because of a


    wedding dress. Otherwise, if Matthew breaks off our engagement then, I¡®ll regret it very much in the


    future.


    Upon returning to Dragon¡®s Creek Vi, Tiffany said goodbye to Matthew and went back to her home.


    Rachel and Floch weren¡®t home. nning to tell them the surprise after they came back, Tiffany returned


    to her bedroom to take a rest. She went upstairs with a spring in her step while humming to herself.


    However, as soon as shey down in bed, her cell phone rang. It was a phone call from the number that


    she had dialed this morning at Twilight Condominium to have the surveince videos looked into. ¡°Did


    you get your hands on the surveince footage?¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Twilight Club had surveince cameras installed, but it was almost impossible for ordinary people to get


    their hands on the surveince videos due to the high¨Cend luxury club¡®s excellent privacy. However,


    Tiffany didn¡®t hesitate to spend a lot of money to find out the truth in order to investigate the rtionship


    between Veronica and Matthew.


    ¡°The footage has been emailed to you. Check it yourself¡± the caller replied before hanging up.


    Tiffany, who had been somewhat tired just a moment ago, was instantly wide awake. i caming against


    the head of the bed, she opened the email on her cell phone, and sure enough, there was a surveince


    video attached. When she tapped on the video 10 y it, what she saw was the scene of Veronica


    stepping out of the elevator as the elevator door opened. However, when she continued ying the


    video, it suddenly cut to the scene where Veronica and Matthew entered the elevator together. The


    timestamp on the lower right corner of the video showed that the scene was recorded the night before.


    .


    Initially, Tiffany had thought that the person had emailed her the entire video, but she didn¡®t expect the


    person topile all the scenes that had Veronica in them into the video. After ying the video for only


    about half a minute, she noticed from the video¡®s timestamp that not only had Veronica gone in and out


    of Matthew¡®s private apartment before, but she even had the ess card to the private elevator. To the


    best of Tiffany¡®s recollection, only Matthew and Thomas had ess cards to the top floor, so she never


    expected Veronica to have the card as well.


    Tiffany¡®s face turned ghastly pale all of a sudden. Clutching the phone in her left hand, she clenched her


    teeth hard even while continuing to watch the video, and her eyes were aze with violent rage. One


    day, two days, three days¡­ One week, two weeks¡­ ording to the time when Veronica had first


    appeared on the surveince video, she had stayed in Matthew¡®s apartment at Twilight Condominium for


    17 days. 17 days!


    Without Tiffany¡®s knowledge, Veronica and Matthew had lived together for 17 days. Tiffany couldn¡®t


    imagine what had happened during the 17 days Veronica and Matthew had spent living together. After


    all, Veronica had once been pregnant with Matthew¡®s baby. Since they had slept together before, there


    was no way they wouldn¡®t sleep together again while living together.


    Tiffany only felt a suffocating pain in her chest. She felt as though she couldn¡®t breathe; even her mind


    went nk, as though it had been deprived of oxygen. Clutching her cell phone in her hand, she kept


    gasping for breath as her chest heaved up and down. In the end, she even shivered uncontrobly. ¡°That


    b*tch! That f*cking b*tch!¡± She swore to herself to vent her anger.


    Suddenly, Tiffany¡®s belly twinged. pping her hand over her belly, she thought to herself, I¡®ve got to


    calm down. I mustn¡®t get angry. The baby is my only bargaining chip. If I miscarry the baby in a fit of rage,


    I¡®ll pay too dearly for my whistle. Despite her towering rage, she chose to calm down for the first time, but


    tears of humiliation ran down the corners of her eyes. She tried to calm down by taking deep breaths, but


    it took a long time before she recovered herself.


    Knock! Knock! Knock! Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.


    Rachel pushed the door open and came in. ¡°So you¡®re back, Tiffy! How is it? Did you get to try on your


    wedding dress with Matthew today?¡± Having learned from the servants that Tiffany hade home, she


    entered Tiffany¡®s room, only to find how ghastly her daughter looked. ¡°Oh, dear!¡± she eximed at once,


    before sitting on the edge of the bed and putting her hand over Tiffany¡®s forehead. ¡°What¡®s wrong with


    you? Are you feeling unwell or something? Why do you look so pale all of a sudden?¡±


    Upon feeling how much Rachel cared about her, Tiffany felt both aggrieved and resentful; she resented


    her mother for giving birth to Veronica after giving birth to her back then. If it weren¡®t for Veronica, that


    b*tch, I would¡®ve gone up in the world long ago and be the happiest woman in the world by now.


    Not only does that b*tch rob me of my sense of security, but she also seduced my man and shamelessly


    slept with Matthew while I¡®m engaged to him! Struggling to control her emotions, she asked, ¡°Mom, what


    would you do if somebody wants to rob your daughter of her happiness?¡±

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159


    Although Tiffany was constantly trying to get her emotions under control, she eventually gave in to them.


    Every shade of malice that subtly surged in her deep eyes was perceived by Rachel. Thetter was som


    ewhat intimidated by the various atrocities¡ªvexation, abhorrence, envy¨Cfused in Tiffany¡®s eyes.


    ¡°W¨CWho dares take your happiness away? I¡®ll surely make them suffer!¡±


    ¡°Even Veronica?¡±


    ¡°Heh, what are you talking about, silly? Veronica will be going back to her hometown soon. How is she g


    oing to disrupt


    your bliss? Besides, she¡®s now Old Mrs. Kings¡® god granddaughter, so don¡®t pull anything reckless on her


    , okay? We can¡®t afford to make a mistake or we¡®re doomed.¡±


    Rachel¡®s heart skipped a beat. She couldn¡®t help but feel that


    Tiffany was somehow triggered. If it were her usual side, she would have started breaking things. Today,


    however, she was totally different; she was awfully petrifying.


    ¡°Really? I¡®d have assumed the reason you haven¡®t touched her until now is because she¡®s your daughter.


    Otherwise, how has she been able to get away from your countless schemes?¡±


    All this time, the question had always been ringing in Tiffany¡®s head, but she always got carried away by


    her desire to be the Young Mistress of the Kingses and would soon forget about the recurring issue.


    Now that she thought about that, she somehow felt that despite her parents¡® repeated hateful remarks re


    garding Veronica, they never took action to put her


    out of the picture. With their capabilities, eliminating a foolish country girl would be easier than singing th


    e alphabet song.


    At her questioning, Rachel¡®s body stiffened, and her face froze. The only thing about her moving was her


    trembling eyes. After a while, she awkwardlyughed. ¡°Oh, silly, what are you talking


    about? Veronica¡®s just lucky to have escaped death. Now that she has be Old Mrs. Kings¡® god¨C


    granddaughter, of course I can¡®t do anything to her!


    If the Kingses were to know we¡®re plotting against her, how do you


    expect to be married into the Kings Family?¡±


    Tiffany and Rachel stared


    at each other for a moment before the former suddenly grabbed her mother¡®s hand with a grin. ¡°Why are


    you so nervous, Mom? I was only asking because I was curious.¡± For some reason, horrifying assumptio


    ns and suspicion against Rachel rose in Tiffany¡®s heart. She even hid her true emotions from her mother.


    ¡°Is¡­ Is that so?¡± Looking at her grin, Rachel smiled along, though her torced smile was obviously ingenu


    ine.


    ¡°Of course! Forget it, Mom. Anyway, Matthew and I went to try out some wedding gowns earlier. I¡®m exha


    usted, so I¡®m gonna go take a nap.¡±


    ¡°Ah, tired, are you? Okay, okay, then. Better rest up if you¡®re tired. I¡®ll make you some food in the meanti


    me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Oh, save it, silly.¡± Watching as Tiffanyy on her bed


    and slowly closed her eyes, Rachel got up and walked out of the room. Nheless, as the door was ab


    out to shut, she peeked at her daughter on the bed through the instantaneous crevice of the door, only


    to catch her suddenly opening her eyes. They were surging with malevolence, yet a smile was hanging o


    n her face. In that instant, it felt like a nightmare. Although it didn¡®t feel realistic, it certainly made Rachel


    anxious and paranoid. So traumatizing, those eyes...


    Having shut the door, Rachel descended the stairs. As she was perturbed by the matter in her heart, she


    identally tripped on the staircase. Fortunately, Floch caught her in the nick of time, perplexedly saying


    , ¡°You¡®re an adult yet you can¡®t watch your step? What should happen if you knock your head?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°I¡®m fine. I just tripped.¡± As much as she wanted to vent about the happening earlier to Floch, she eventu


    ally kept it to herself. ¨C


    Meanwhile, lying in the bedroom was Tiffany, who pulled out her phone and dialed a number she hadn¡®t c


    alled in a long time.


    ¡°Beep, beep...¡± The call went through, but no one picked it up. As she was about to be sent to voicemail,


    someone answered her call.


    ¡°Wow, is it Christmas already? What made


    you call me?¡± On the phone was a devilish voice with a light chuckle.


    ¡°Take someone out for me.¡±


    ¡°And who will it be?¡±


    ¡°Veronica Murphy.¡±


    ¡°Veronica Murphy? Heh. Although I don¡®t know who that is, how¡®s Queen Larson gonna repay me, hmm?


    ¡±


    ¡°As long as she dies today, I¡®ll give whatever you ask for.¡±


    Ever since Veronica appeared in Tiffany¡®s life, all hell had broken loose, and she couldn¡®t wait for Veronic


    a to disappear from the world. Once Veronica


    was killed off, no one else wouldpete for Matthew¡®s love with her ever again.


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± The man on the phone guffawed with his demonic, barbaric voice. Once he was doneug


    hing, he softly answered, ¡°Good. You¡®re so straightforward, Queen Larson! But I love it.¡°.


    Having reached home from the Twilight Condominium, Veronica started reading a book as shey in her


    bed, only to fall asleep while doing so. Some timeter, she found herself waking up to her phone¡®s ringt


    one. It was a call from Xavier. Slothfully crawled up in bed, she semi¨C


    consciously picked up her phone with her eyes still shut. ¡°What¡®s up, bro¡­¡±


    ¡°Since you¡®re leaving tomorrow, I¡®ve got a present for you.¡±


    At the word ¡°present,¡± her drowsiness instantly dispersed as she ferociously sprung up sitting on her bed.


    ¡°What gift?¡± <3


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Xavier gently giggled on the phone, and his voice was especially melodic. ¡°Knew


    you¡¯d be interested in it. It¡®s three in the afternoon now. I¡®ll be waiting for you at Zeem¡®s at five.¡± ¨C¨C


    ¡°Okay, okay. No problem,¡± Veronica happily answered.


    After getting out of bed, she started packing up her baggage. Thinking that she was about to leave


    her apartment the next day, she felt the one¨C


    year rent she¡®d paid in advance had gone to waste. Helplessly, she contacted herndlord and requested


    losing ten thousand in the process¡ª


    by using any way she could. s, she received a round of rebukes from herndlord


    before getting her refund. After packing up, she delivered her items to the post office to be posted


    to her hometown. By the time she was done with her moving preparations, it was already five.


    While en route to Zeem¡®s on her scooter, she stopped by a scooter store and sold her ride for a few hundr


    owned to ensure an optimal profit. Ultimately, it was already half past five by the time she hastily arrived a


    ¡°I¡®m sorry. Something came up.¡± She chuckled, seemingly embarrassed.


    ¡°Don¡®? worry. I¡®ve just arrived too.¡± Xavier benignly beamed at her.


    .


    As the two got seated, they simply ordered some food and began a leisurely chat. After dinner, Xavier too


    Walking by the road, Veronica quizzed, ¡°You haven¡®t told me what present you got for me yet.¡±


    ¡°You¡®ll find out soon.¡±


    Having reached a four¨C


    way crossroad, Xavier pointed to the opposite side of the road, hinting Veronica to go over with him. After


    light to turn green, the two walked on the pedestrian crossing like normal people. At that moment, a ck


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    ¡°A car!¡±

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160


    Veronica was walking ahead with Xavier following her.


    .


    They were walking and chatting when they suddenly heard a scream behind him. Instinctively, they darte


    d their eyes sideways, only to see a ck van with its headlights off speeding toward them. Instead of sl


    owing down, the van sped up toward them!


    ¡°Watch out!¡± The danger was so sudden that Xavier had his heart in his mouth. However, just as he was


    about to pull Veronica aside, she kicked him away instead.


    Xavier didn¡®t have time to realize what had happened. Even though the kick sent him staggering a few st


    eps to the side, his eyes were constantly fixed on Veronica, only that he no longer had the opportunity to


    save her, even if he wanted to. His mind went nk in the face of sudden danger; he only felt that Veroni


    ca might leave him just like that.


    However, just as he was worried


    sick about Veronica, he saw her bend down sharply to gain momentum. Estimating the time when the va


    n would hit her with absolute precision, she jumped up at the critical moment andnded gracefully on th


    e hood


    of the van, using it to gain momentum before doing a front somersault. Just as she was about tond on


    the roof of the van, she ced her hands on it right away and took the opportunity to somersault off the v


    an,nding on the ground steadily.


    Astonished by her fluid movement, everyone gasped repeatedly, and they were fascinated by her cool ac


    tion.


    ¡°Oh, my God! What quick reflexes she has!¡±


    ¡°Not only does she have quick reflexes, but she must be skilled in self¨Cdefense. Otherwise, if she had


    been a bit slower, she would¡®ve died with the van speeding so fast toward her.¡°.


    NTT


    ¡°What a race against death in real life this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, my gosh! She¡®s simply terrific.¡±


    ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    The onlooking crowd couldn¡®t help speaking of Veronica inudatory terms as they


    talked about what had happened.


    Rushing toward Veronica in big strides, Xavier grabbed her arms and checked on her from head to toe. ¡°


    How are you? Are you alright? Do you feel unwell? Want me to send you to the hospital?¡± He was so wor


    ried about her safety that there was a slight . quaver in his voice as he spoke.


    ¡°Oh, I¡®m alright. I¡®m perfectly fine.¡± Veronica shook her head with an understanding smile. ¡°Are you kiddin


    g me? It was no big deal. There¡®s no way I¡®d let the van hit me,¡± she joked withughter while turning to s


    tare at the ck unlicensed van that was disappearing into the distance. That van seemed to being


    at me. Who wants


    to kill me again this time? Who else could it be other than the Larsons? In some cases, it¡®s easy to figure


    out the


    culprit behind the scenes without even thinking about it. But now that Tiffany¡®s already about to get marri


    ed to Matthew, why would she still not let me off?


    ¡°What are you looking at? I¡¯m talking to you.¡± Still in a state of shock, Xavier went limp with fright. God on


    ly knows how horrifying the scene just now was.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, nope, nothing.¡± Veronica shook her head with


    a chuckle. ¡°Why the hell was that van speeding so fast? It was like it was in a f*cking hurry because of an


    emergency or something,¡± she chided with a casual air. She only said so deliberately because she didn¡®t


    want Xavier to think that the van wasing at her. Xavier has helped me a lot ever since I came


    to Bloomstead. I can¡®t get him in trouble anymore.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°An emergency, eh?¡± Xavier ced his hands on Veronica¡®s shoulders while turning to look at the disapp


    earing van with his head tilted to one side. For an instant, his eyes narrowed slightly with a murderous gl


    eam. Just an ident? No way. The van wasing at Veronica, but this silly girl didn¡®t realize it at all!


    ¡°Yeah, of course. Otherwise, it wouldn¡®t have been in such a hurry.¡±


    ¡°Well, that makes sense.¡± Xavier¡®s handsome face contorted into an awkward smile. ying along with V


    eronica, he continued, ¡°d to hear that you¡®re alright, but¡­ that was a pretty nice spontaneous respons


    e just now. Very cool.¡± He praised her without reservation.


    ¡°But of course,¡± Veronica replied with a self¨Csatisfied smile before walking to the


    other side of the road with him.


    As the pair left, traffic on the road returned to normal, and the cars were driving again as usual. The onlo


    okers just now went about their business as if nothing had ever happened.


    Upon reaching the square on the other side of the road, Veronica couldn¡®t help but


    ask Xavier, ¡°What¡®s the present that you said you¡®d be giving me?¡±


    Seeing how eager Veronica was to know what the present was, Xavier took her hand and strode on with


    her. ¡°Juste with me.¡±


    Next to the square was


    the river bank. After walking across the square, the two stood by the river, and Xavier took out his cell ph


    one and sent a text message.


    Veronica couldn¡®t help but ask curiously, ¡°What is it? You seem so secretive.¡±


    As soon as she finished her sentence, a sound that resembled that of a whistle sounded from across the


    river, and several rays of light reached high into the sky like shooting stars. The next instant, these rays o


    f light exploded into spectacr fireworks with a loud Boom!


    After bursting in midair, the colorful fireworks scattered in all directions like a meteor shower, and the light


    s slowly dimmed. Then, there were several whistling sounds again, followed by another loud Boom! as m


    ore beautiful fireworks exploded in the sky. With their rich disy of lights and colors, the dazzling firewor


    ks illuminated the initially dark sky.


    ¡°Oh, my! How spectacr.¡± Despite being apetitive person, Veronica was a youngdy, after all, so


    she liked fireworks very much. ¡°Is this the present you wanted to give me?¡± Her eyes wandered before ta


    king a nce at the fireworks in the night


    sky. There were a row of fireworks along the river, which meant that at least 60 boxes ¨C¨C


    of firecrackers had been used.


    ¡°Uh¨Chuh. Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course! They¡®re really beautiful. It¡®s just that.¡± Veronica couldn¡®t help clicking her tongue while loo


    of money. I would¡®ve been happier if you had given that amount of money to me instead.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Amused by Veronica¡®s remark, Xavier smiled a gentle smile as he felt happy from the bottom of


    People rarely shot off so many brightly colored fireworks in Bloomstead except during festivals, so the fire


    Stories was overwhelmed with photos that had the fireworks in the background.


    Buzz¡­ The fireworks were so loud that Veronica couldn¡®t hear her cell phone ringing in her pocket, but sh


    She took out her cell phone to take a look, only to see


    that it was a voice message from Melissa. When she held her phone up to her ear, she heard Melissa say


    Only then did Veronica realize that today was Xavier¡®s birthday. However, he never mentioned it at all. Ins


    a feast of fireworks as a present due to her


    impending departure.


    Instead of replying to Melissa¡®s message, Veronica put away her cell phone and continued to watch the fir


    The fireworks disy went on for 20 minutes beforeing to an end. When Veronica and Xavier looked


    people here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xavier nodded slightly.


    The two of them pushed and squeezed their way out of the crowd one after another.

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161


    ¡°Is there something to celebrate today? Why is there suddenly a firework disy?¡±


    ¡°Man, I bet it costs a lot with that much fireworks.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that another billionaire is proposing to a youngmoner?¡±


    ¡°Pffi. You¡®ve read too many of those cheesy stories.¡±


    ¡°I mean, who¡®s to say? How do you exin the long firework disy then?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s been going on for twenty minutes. When will it end? Is there more?¡±


    ¡°Beats me.¡±


    ¡°Let¡®s wait and see.¡±


    Walking through the crowd, Veronica was amused by what the people were buzzing about. What great i


    magination!


    It wasn¡®t until they squeezed through the crowd and back to the side of the road that their surroundings g


    ot a lot quieter.


    ¡°Thanks, Xavier. I really enjoyed the fireworks.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t mention it.¡±


    ¡°Though I see you as my brother, hey, short reckonings make long friends.¡±


    Veronica giggled and suddenly nced subconsciously across the road. With that, she turned back to Xa


    vier, saying, ¡°Wait here. I¡®m gonna buy something across from here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He thought no further of it and stood waiting there just like that.


    Then, he heard his ringtone. With that, he fished his phone out to find Melissa calling. His little sister had


    called a good few times throughout the night, and he finally answered this time.


    ¡°Melissa, W


    ¡°Xavier Crawford; where the hell are you? I made a feast seeing as it¡¯s your birthday today, but I can¡®t bel


    ieve you decided to go AWOL?!¡± Melissa roared, wishing she could teleport to the


    other end of the line and give her brother a piece of her mind.


    ¡°Sorry, my phone was on silent. I didn¡®t hear your calls.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right, like I¡®d believe that! Don¡®t think I¡®ve got no idea what goes on in that little mind of yours! Vero


    nica¡®s leaving soon. You must be with her right now. Am I right, or am I right?¡±


    As Melissa had gotten closer to Veronica, some of Veronica¡®s personality had rubbed off on her, leading


    her to speak a little presumptuously like Veronica would.


    ¡°I¡®m not.


    ¡°You swear?¡±


    ¡°I swear.¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t! As if I¡®d believe anything you say!¡°,


    ¡°You¡®re a girl; don¡®t speak like an uncivilized ape. Better correct that habit, or you won¡®t be able to find yo


    urself a husband.¡±


    ¡°Veronica is much worse than this, yet you still cling to her. Double¨C


    standard piece of sh*t. Whatever. Bye!¡± Melissa furiously hung up on Xavier.


    Xavier couldn¡®t help scoffing as he realized she was right.


    Seeing as Veronica had yet to return, he sent a text to his little sister. ¡®Thanks for remembering my birthd


    ay, Melissa. I¡®ll go back in a bit.


    The Crawford Family consisted of so many, but Melissa was the only one who remembered his birthday¨C


    no, she was the only person in the world to remember his birthday.


    Shortly after, Veronica crossed the road back to him with a couple of paper bags in her hand.


    Seeing that, he asked, ¡°What did you get?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s a secret.¡± Veronica deliberately teased him before leading him further forward


    Since she frequently jogged around the area, she knew there was a gazebo up ahead


    with numerous stone pieces of furniture where people could


    sit and rest. After a ten minute walk, they finally arrived at the seating area by the road.


    Veronica dragged Xavier to the gazebo with a row of stone tables and benches. Although there were alre


    ady people, there was still much space to upy.


    ¡°I¡®m tired. Let¡®s take


    a break there.¡± She pointed to the seating area at the roadside. With that, the two walked further


    ahead and found a quiet spot to sit.


    As it was rather coldtely, there weren¡®t any mosquitoes


    or other bugs around, so they didn¡®t have to worry about getting bitten.


    ¡°Why here, of all ces?¡± Xavier was baffled.


    Veronica answered, ¡°Well, I got a little hungry, so I went and bought some supper. Let¡®s eat.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out a small box from one of the paper bags and put it on the table. Then, she op


    ened it to reveal a golden Pikachu cake.


    ¡°It¡®s a mini cake. I bought it especially. I loved this when I was a kid. Too bad we weren¡®t well off, so I was


    always reluctant to get one.¡± While talking, she fished out a candle and put it on the cake before lighting


    the candle up with a lighter.


    Xavier couldn¡®t help feeling bewildered, having no idea of Veronica¡®s ns.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Make a wish!¡± Then, she pointed at the cake. ¡°I¡®m all about rituals, you see. A


    s a kid, I¡®d always make a wish whenever I ate cake. C¡®mon, let¡®s make a wish together?¡±


    ¡°You sure it works this way?¡± Xavier was entertained.


    ¡°Of course! C¡®mon, cut the crap; hurry up.¡± While urging him, Veronica put her hands together and lowered


    After being stupefied for a while, he finally obliged and copied her. As he slowly closed his eyes, he thoug


    But little did he know, when he closed


    his eyes, Veronica mischievously opened one of hers, peeping and observing his every gesture. Seeing h


    ¡°I¡®m not as greedy as you.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re trying to say I¡®m not as rich as you, aren¡®t you?¡± Veronica teased, then said, ¡°Now that we¡®ve made


    Xavier nodded, then lowered his head with Veronica, ready to blow the candle.


    ¡°I¡®ll count, and we¡®ll blow together on three.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Ready¡­ One, two, three!¡±


    As


    she was done counting, she pretended to go for the candle, and Xavier¡®s actions were almost in sync with


    Xavier extinguished


    the candle, and as he was about to say something, Veronica started pping and singing, ¡°Happy birthda


    Atst, it finally struck him that they were actually celebrating his birthday. Instantly, he was touched, and


    Though Melissa had never forgotten


    his birthday in thest three years, she had always prepared the dinner celebration back in the Crawford R


    ¡°Happy birthday, Xavier. May you look better than ever and take your business to greater heights, so you¡®


    ¡°Thanks.¡± While he felt moved, he questioned, ¡°Did Melissa tell you?¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ Yeah. She¡®s a sweet sister to you. You better treat her right.¡±


    She removed the candle as she spoke. Then, she fished out a mini cake kuite from the paper bag, ranting


    House. Do you know how expensive it is? 39 for one, goodness sake! I know you don! have a sweet


    half each. Just nice, no?¡±

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162


    Then, she waved the tiny tes in her hands, saying, ¡°I had to pay


    five bucks for these tes and the candle. What do you think? Are you surprised?¡±


    Xavier, never this happy his entire life, beamed as he listened to her rant. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said earnestly.


    ¡°C¡®mon, thank¨C


    yous are for strangers. You¡®re rich enough to put on a firework disy while I can only afford to get you a


    small cake and have a heart¨Cto¨Cheart talk. I just hope you won¡®t mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Xavier shook his head.¡±


    After slicing the golden Pikachu cake in half, she put one half onto the paper te, then handed it and a f


    ork to him, saying, ¡°Here, your birthday cake. Eat up.¡±


    Xavier said nothing and left Veronica hanging a couple of seconds before he finally took the cake from h


    er and ate in silence with his head bowed.


    Veronica then grabbed a fork and ate her share.


    ¡°How does it taste? Good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Ha! What did I say? I only pick the tastiest.¡± She was clearly on cloud nine.


    But little did she know, though Xavier ate the cake, it was tasteless to him as he had been so touched by


    Veronica¡®s gesture that he failed to savor it.


    After they had demolished the


    cake, she handed him a napkin to wipe their mouths with. ordingly, she pulled something out of


    the other paper bag. ¡°Here. This is for you. Sort of a birthday present.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°See for yourself.¡± With that, she handed the small ck box to him.


    He opened it after epting the box to find a men¡®s rhodium¨Cted tie clip. It was arrow¨C


    shaped, and a delicate gold chain hung loosely at both ends of the shati. The design was minimalistic, bu


    t it would look perfectly well on a suit.


    *This tiny thing cost me almost three hundred bucks. Though it didn¡®t cost a fortune, I¡®ve put a lot


    of thought into getting you something. Just leave this at home. Don¡®t wear it out in public, or it¡®ll lower


    your social status.¡±


    ¡°No, 1.like it.¡±


    ¡°Keep it somewhere in your home then. If you¡®re seen wearing this, your social status will surely drop.¡±


    Veronica genuinely thought so. After all, Xavier was a young master of the four big families of Bloomstea


    d. People would surely tease him for wearing a three¨Chundred buck essory.


    ¡°Thank you for all of this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡®mon, we¡®re friends. Alright, now that we¡®ve celebrated your birthday, I have to get going. I have to


    go back to my parents¡® tomorrow. I should turn in early.¡±


    She indeed had to go back to her hometown the next day, but the ticket she got was scheduled at eleven


    in the morning. She didn¡®t have to rush at all. Nheless, she had to savagely get back at someone for


    something before she left. Despite her intention to drop her vengeance, some people just wouldn¡®t stop


    until they saw her dead.


    ¡°I¡®ll give you a ride.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡®s cool. I¡®ll get a bike share.¡± With that, she got up, bid him goodbye, and left, not giving him a cha


    nce to argue.


    After seeing her off, standing where he was, he looked


    down at the gift in his hand, pulling a gratified smile unknowingly. It was indeed a happy birthday.


    Veronica didn¡®t ride back to her rented apartment as she had already terminated the lease. So, she woul


    dn¡®t be able to stay for the night even if she wanted to. Her destination was Dragon Creek¡®s Vi. She did


    n¡®t even need to guess who was behind the car ident earlier that night. She


    was hours away from leaving Bloomstead now. So, it was only right that she returned the ¡®favor!


    She was riding a bike, after all, so it was already forty minutester when she finally reached her destinat


    ion. Dragon Creek¡®s Vi was a first¨C


    ss neighborhood, so its security system was of the utmost standard. Hence, without an ess card, s


    he wouldn¡®t be able to enter. In the end, she found a secluded corner and infiltrated the area by climbing


    over a wall.


    ¨C vulv


    As guards were patrolling the area, she carefully avoided them and easily found herself at Larson Reside


    nce,


    Veronica stared nkly at the lit room on the second floor, then squinted as she stood at the gates of the


    monumental vi. With that, she checked her watch to find i it was already hall¨C


    past eleven. Surely Rachel and Floch were already fast asleep.


    Veronica then scouted the area, and after ten minutes, she effortlessly showed up on the balcony of Tiffa


    ny¡®s bedroom on the second floor.


    Click! As it was alreadyte at night, Tiffany killed the lights and got ready to hit the bed.


    But just when Veronica was about to enter, she heard Tiffany¡®s voice. ¡°Have you gone to bed, Matthew?¡±


    Matthew? Matthew Kings? Veronica¡®s heart skipped a beat, utterly shocked. Was she on the phone, or c


    ould Matthew actually be physically present?


    ¡°Well, I can¡®t fall asleep. I miss you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡®ll go to bed soon. Can I see you at Spinfluence Group tomorrow?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°You¡®re the best, Matthew. Goodnight, then.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    Though Veronica hadn¡®t a clue what Matthew said, knowing it was a call, she heaved a sigh of relief. Then


    As Veronica tiptoed, Tiffany didn¡®t notice a thing, even if the room was deadly silent. It wasn¡®t until Veronic


    Amidst the darkness, a cold glini shed and the next second, Veronica put a hand over Tiffany¡®s mouth w


    ¡°Mmph¡­¡± The ambush left Tiffany jumping out of her skin, struggling violently. ¡°Mmph¡­ Who are you¡­ H


    She trembled and shrieked, but given her strength, she was no match for Veronica. Besides, with her mou


    ¡°Stop moving if you want your face intact!¡± Veronica sternly reprimanded.


    Thet vouce¡­ Veronica! Tiffany was horror¨C


    stricken. She wasn¡®t expecting Veronica to sull be alive, and certainly not for her to sneak into her bedroom


    However, an icy dagger was right at her neck. Be


    it as Tiffany may be horrified, she ieigned calmness and asked, ¡°W¨CWhat do you want?¡±


    ¡°What do I want?¡± Veronica snoried. ¡°I¡®ve already forgone everything you had done to me in the past, but


    of stopping, you sent someone to murder me. Do you think I don¡®t have the guts to end you, Tiffany Larso


    This di*mned ticked baich!


    As much as Veronica mulled over it, she could never figure out why Tiffany wanted her dead so badly.


    ¡°Mmph_* Tiffany shook her head, wanting to say something.


    ¡®Shout, be my guest. Feel free to call Mommy and Daddy over if you¡®re not worried that your throat will be


    Following that, she disgustedly wiped her hand on Tiffany¡®s sheets as though her palm was stained with T


    Seeing Veronica had moved her hand away, Tiffany wanted to shout for help. s, the coldness on her ne

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163


    Especially now that she was bearing Matthew¡®s child, she had to protect it at all cost before she got into t


    he Kings Family. Hence, she couldn¡®t afford to be reckless.


    ¡°You deserved it, Veronica. Tell me you don¡®t. You knew I was engaged to Matthew yet you¡®re still living w


    ith him in Twilight Condominium. What are you if not a b*tch? You don¡®t have what it takes to get into the


    Kings Family, so you¡®d resort to bing a shame¨C


    Ah!¡± As Tiffany was venting the frustration in her heart, she was stopped by Veronica¡®s p on her face.¡±


    ¡°I¡®ll give you a chance. Choose your words carefully.¡±


    Oh, was the smack vehement and agonizingly stinging!


    Tiffany gritted her teeth and red at Veronica who was in the dark. ¡°You¡®re a slut, a slut who¡®s always tr


    ying to seduce Mat¨Cp!¡±


    2


    ¡°One more chance.¡±


    will


    ¡°You¡®re still a b*tch no matter how many chances you give me, you shame¨Cp!¡±


    ¡°Again!¡±


    ¡°You shame¨Cp!¡±


    ¡°Try again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t you¡­¡± After receiving a series of smacks, Tiffany, despite her desire to go on insulting Veronica, di


    d not want her perfect face marred, so she consequently stoppedshing out with her venomous tongue.


    Vexed and upset, she ranted, ¡°I warned you to stay


    away from Matthew a long time ago, and you¡®re just asking for death.¡±


    Hearing that, Veronica was enraged as her knife¨C


    holding hand uncontrobly shuddered. In a brief moment, the devil within her was goading her to finish


    Tiffany off as revenge for her family.


    Tap, tap... Out of nowhere, faint footsteps were heard closing in.


    In response, Veronica glowered and slightly raised her brows, staring at the bedroom door. The next mo


    ment, the door was pushed open, followed by a click, and the lights were turned on, illuminating the entir


    e bedroom.


    Floch and Rachel thought they heard something from their room and noticed something was odd before


    storming downstairs. Unsurprisingly, Veronica came. When they saw Veronica¨C


    her foot on the bed, her left arm supported on her knee, and her right hand holding a dagger against Tiffa


    ny¡®s neck¨CRachel was thoroughly dismayed.


    ¡°What do you think you¡®re doing, Veronica?!¡± Floch, who was utterly shocked as well, shakingly pointed h


    is finger at Veronica. ¡°Put down the knife. You¡®re trespassing private property. All it takes is a call to the c


    ops and you¡®ll earn yourself a life sentence!¡±


    ¡°Waa¡­ Dad, Mom, you¡®re finally here. Waa¡­ H¨CHelp me! Call the c¨CAh!¡±


    Before Tiffany could finish her sentence, Veronica gave her a couple more swings on her face, left and ri


    ght. Two splendid ps.


    ¡°What did I say about shutting the f*ck up?! What are you, f*cking deaf?¡± Veronica furiously


    rebuked. She raised her stony eyes and shot the Larson couple, who were standing by the door, a pierci


    ng, icy gaze. ¡°I have truly underestimated each of you. The lowly Larsons, doing anything they want, eve


    n hired thugs to butcher me. Aren¡®t you so disheartened to find me still breathing?¡±


    Resentment¨C


    all there was in her mind. Veronica severely thought she must have been the unluckiest woman in the wo


    rld to have been born as the biological daughter of the Larson couple.


    ¡°B¨C


    Butcher you?¡± The couple were dumbfounded as they peered at each other. They faced each other and t


    acitly turned to Tiffany, realizing what had happened.


    ¡°Ever since Randy¡®s bone marrow donation, you¡®ve beening at me a great deal of times, so I¡®m gonn


    a be deeply sorry for you if I don¡®t return the favor tonight.¡±


    Tonight, Veronica came to the Larson Residence without any ns of leaving Bloomstead in peace. If sh


    e left without giving the Larsons a lesson, she would really be seen as a wimp, a coward.


    ¡°W¨CWhat are you trying to do?¡± Floch pointed at her. ¡°I¡®m warning you, don¡®t do anything stupid!¡±


    ¡°Waa¡­ I¡®m scared, Mom¡­¡±


    Although Veronica had once gone all psycho on


    Tiffany and roughened her up, she had never been this acrimonious,


    Tiffany panicked, fearing that Veronica just might take her life as the result of her emotional outburst.


    ¡°Huh, finally learning to fear?¡± Veronica belittlingly scoffed. Her red, grinning lips were uncannily unnervin


    g. With that, she searched her pocket and pulled out a lighter, raising the lighter in her hand and flicking it


    .


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t be rash, Veronica! Tiffany is your own sister!¡±


    111


    ¡°V¨CVeronica! Are you crazy? What are you trying to do?¡±


    The three Larsons¡® faces nched. At no point in their lives were they this affrighted.


    Regardless, Veronica was still intimidatingly ring at them. She then bent down and lit up the sheets tha


    made of hundred percent genuine goose feathers¨Cinstantly red by the insignificant me.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Fire, Floch! Q¨CQuick, ask for help!¡±


    ¡°Mom, help me¡­ Waa¡­ I don¡®t wanna die¡­¡± Realizing Veronica meant business,


    Tiffany was scared sh*tless and almost pissed her pants. How could she, who was pampered all her life, e


    ¡°Don¡®t move!¡± Veronica intensely yelled, ¡°Well, I dare you to. One


    flinch and I¡®ll slit her throat. What, scared of this puny me? What about the fire you set on my house tha


    IRY


    ¡°Waa¡­ Mom, help me! I¡®m scared!¡± Watching as the sheets burned, Tiffany speedily kicked her goose fea


    ¡°Don¡®t worry. Even if your house burns down today, the smoke detectors aren¡®t going to go


    off, because¡­¡± Veronica revealed an apathetic, spine¨Cchilling grin. ¡°¡­


    I turned off your water system.¡± Since she had


    come all the way here, she had no desire to let them off easily. No matter what happened, these vicious L


    The goose feather sheets rapidly incinerated, and the carpet on the floor, made of sheep wools, ignited al


    Floch and Rachel, on the other hand, were scared to death. Thetter started


    screaming out of the room. ¡°Harris! H¨CHurry up and go turn the water system on! There¡®s a fire! Hurry!¡±


    ¡°Waa¡­ No¡­¡± Tiffany


    was absolutely terrorized. With her eyes extremely reddened, she bit her lips. Feeling as if Death was


    At once, Veronica sneered. She lifted the dagger in her hand and tossed it away. Thump! It was


    nailed into the wardrobe right beside Floch. In that instant, as her movement was so swift, the dagger flew


    Thud¨C The dagger wasn¡®t deeply struck into the wardrobe, yet rumbles could be heard.


    With the threat of the dagger gone, Tiffany sprung out of bed and strongly fell onto the ground before craw

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164


    Rachel¡¯s heart ached terribly at the sight of the sorry state Tiffany was in. Immediately, she helped Tiffany


    up, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Tiffy. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here, so you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Tiffany flung her arms around Rachel as if clutching at straws while crying her eyes out in Rachel¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Sob, sob... I was scared to death! Mom, I¡¯m so afraid.¡±


    The fire was spreading fiercely in the room without restraint as raging mes sent plumes of thick smoke


    billowing toward the ceiling. Still, Floch and the others could see the murderous expression on Veronica¡¯s


    stony face across the mes.


    Veronica threatened, ¡°If you do that again, I¡¯ll drag all of you Larsons to hell with me even if I¡¯ll die for


    that!¡± She was so consumed with rage that she nearly lost her head. Even so, she knew deep down that


    Tiffany was pregnant with Matthew¡¯s baby. If anything wrong happened to Tiffany, Elizabeth would be


    upset, and the Kings Family would be


    concerned. Old Mrs. Kings has saved my life, so I¡®m gonna let Tiffany off this time for the sake of her bab


    y. However, if Tiffany does it again, I might kill all the Larsons. Who cares if I¡®ll go to jail because of that?


    The gushing hot air in the room hit Veronica in the face, and the burning sensation brought her back to


    reality. Concealing the chilliness in her eyes, she turned around and walked to the bedroom balcony


    before disappearing into the night.


    Seeing that she had left, Rachel gave Floch a meaningful look. Both of them had a grave expression, but


    they kept silent.


    Tiffany cried for a while before noticing that she was no longer hearing Veronica¡¯s voice. When she


    looked back, she realized that Veronica was gone. She couldn¡¯t help but snarl, ¡°What are you two waiting


    for? Call the police! Why aren¡¯t you calling the police? Veronica has almost killed me!¡±


    Floch shook his head with a sigh. ¡°If we call the police right now, the police will look into this matter, and


    the Kings Family will definitely be rmed. You have to think this through, Tiffy.¡±


    Just then, the servants had turned on the water system. Activated by the fire, the sprinkler system


    sprinkled water on the room, lowering the temperature in the room and slowly putting out the fire.


    Rachel heaved a grave sigh. ¡°That¡¯s right, Tiffy. You also know how much Old Mrs. Kings likes Veronica.


    Have you thought about how to exin this if the Kings Family


    looks into this matter as well?¡±


    ¡°W-What do you mean?! Am I really your daughter?¡± Tiffany yelled hysterically while stamping her foot in


    anger. Losing control of her emotions, she screamed as if she had gone insane, ranting, ¡°You two don¡¯t


    love me at all! You¡¯ve never loved me¡­ Aah!¡± .


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    p! With deep furrows in his brow, Floch raised his hand and pped Tiffany across the face. He


    sted her angrily, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve warned you repeatedly not to touch Veronica and to think twice before


    doing anything, but you went against my warning andid a hand on her when you shouldn¡¯t have! Do


    you know that she nearly stabbed me to death just now? If anything bad happens to her right now, once


    Old Mrs. Kings looks into it, you can just forget about marrying into the Kings Family. Just look at


    yourself-you look no different from a madwoman! Is this your current mentality after I spent so much


    money every year to have you learn etiquette? If you don¡¯t do anything about that temper of yours, I¡¯d


    say you wouldn¡¯t evenst a year in the Kings Family! Do you even understand what it means to marry


    into a distinguished family? Do you think it¡¯s easy to be the matriarch of the Kings Family?! You¡¯re


    nothing but a hopeless good-for-nothing!¡±


    For the very first time, he furiouslymbasted Tiffany, which was perhaps out of his disappointment with


    her. After finishing his speech, he shot Rachel a re, saying, ¡°Talk about spare the rod and spoil the


    child. Just look at how well you¡¯ve brought your daughter up. Hmph!¡± With that, he turned around and left


    the bedroom.


    Stunned, Tiffany stood in ce, her cheek swollen and aching with a burning sensation from the p just


    now. What Floch had just said reverberated in her mind. She cried bitterly, but she had to admit that


    Floch¡¯s words made sense.


    Marrying into a distinguished family means there will be lots of trials and difficulties awaiting me. I¡®ve got t


    o be steadier. Otherwise, when I marry into the Kings Family and face even greater danger, how am I go


    nna take care of things by myself without Dad and Mom¡®s support?


    Having beenshed out at despite her innocence, Rachel sighed in dejection.


    Just then, Tiffany said tearfully, ¡°Mom, I-I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault for being impulsive. Sob... Sob... I just¡­


    I just couldn¡¯t stand the sight of Veronica, that b*tch, trying to steal Matthew from me. Sob... Sob...¡±


    Tiffany had always been spoiled rotten by her parents ever since she was little, so she had never been


    reprimanded like she was on this day. Although she felt wronged, after some self-examination, she felt


    that her parents had said that for her own good.


    ¡°Sigh. Alright, alright, stop crying. Look at your face. Sigh... Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m gonna apply some ice to your


    cheek to reduce the swelling.¡± Rachel shook her head before going downstairs while taking Tiffany¡¯s


    hand. As they went downstairs, she sighed repeatedly in frustration. ¡°You¡¯re going to get married to


    Matthew very soon, so we


    OPEUT


    mustn¡¯t let anything bad happen at this point. Even if you want to get back at Veronica, you should¡¯ve


    done so after you¡¯ve secured your position in the Kings Family. Sigh, what your dad said was right.


    We¡¯ve spent a lot to teach you etiquette every day and did whatever we could to nurture you, but your


    impulsiveness is gonnand you in trouble one day.¡±


    Feeling guilty, Tiffany pursed her lips and sobbed, ¡°Sorry, Mom. It was my fault for being too impulsive.¡±


    Mom is right that I¡¯ve been too impulsive. I should¡®ve waited until I married into the Kings Family and sec


    ured my position beforeying a hand on Veronica. By the way, if Veronica is really on good terms with M


    atthew, will she


    tell him about what has happened tonight? No, she won¡®t. If she wants to tell him about it, why would she


    e over and take action by herself? So, even if Matthew lives with her, he only does so not because h


    e has feelings for her but because he purely wants to sleep with her, huh?


    At the thought of this, Tiffany felt much more bnced. The next instant, though, she couldn¡¯t help


    feeling angry. In what way am I


    inferior to Veronica, that b*tch? Why would Matthew want to sleep with her but not me? Is it because that


    b*tch is good in bed? She indulged in all kinds of conjectures before feeling that this conjecture might be


    the closest to the truth.


    Early the next morning, Xavier came to the Konig Company to deal with his work, keeping himself busy


    all the way until 9:00AM. He wanted to finish the work at hand as soon as possible so that he could


    apany Veronica to the train station.


    ¡°What¡¯s keeping you busy so early in the morning, Xavier?¡± Melissa pushed the door open and entered


    the office. After casting a sidelong nce at Xavier, who was sitting in the office, she couldn¡¯t help but let


    out a snort. ¡°Hmph, I prepared dinner for you yesterday, but you never came back. How inconsiderate.¡±


    Seeing hering in, Xavier put down the work at hand, smiling gently. ¡°Thanks. I really appreciate your


    kindness.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s so difficult to get you to go home for your birthday every single time,¡± Melissa retorted. She had


    asked Xavier toe home for his birthday because she wanted to help mend Xavier¡¯s rtionship with


    Hendric. However, Xavier refused to go back whenever she prepared a birthday dinner for him. Still,


    instead of getting angry, she walked up to Xavier and handed him a present. ¡°Here¡¯s the present I


    prepared for you yesterday. Now you see how nice I am to you.¡±


    ¡°Well, my sister is nice to me, of course.¡± Xavier stood up and took the present before reaching out to


    ruffle Melissa¡¯s hair. ¡°Whoever marries you in the future will be lucky.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s of course.¡±


    Knock, knock. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and came in.


    ,


    Dressed in a business suit, the man looked at Xavier, then at Melissa, before falling silent with hesitation.

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165


    ¡°No matter. Speak your mind.¡± Xavier had never thought of Melissa as a stranger.


    ¡°Understood. I¡®ve already investigated the incident you asked me to. Tiffany was indeed the one behind l


    ast night¡®s car ident,¡± said the man in the suit.


    Melissa stiffened. ¡°What car ident?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be? Of course it was an ident meant to involve Roni.¡± Xavier¡®s expression chilled.


    ¡°Is Tiffany taunting her because Roni doesn¡®t have anyone to back her up? Go teach Tiffany a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Crawford.¡± The man in the suit dipped his head before leaving.


    The gears in Melissa¡®s head whirred quickly. She eyed the man thoughtfully before turning to face Xavier


    and smile. ¡°You can continue working. Something just came up, so I need to leave.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. I still have work to do anyway.¡± Xavier waved at her and pointed at the present on


    his desk. ¡°Thanks for this.¡±


    ¡°Ohe on, Xavier, why the politeness?¡± Melissa giggled before leaving the office with rushed steps.


    When Melissa reached the elevator, she saw the


    man who had just left. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°By the way, my brother told me to tell you this: he said th


    at the baby Tiffany¡®s pregnant with is an eyesore. You got that?¡±


    The man stiffened for a


    moment. He understood what Tiffany meant. ¡°All right, understood. Please inform Mr. Crawford on my be


    half that it will be done.¡±


    Melissa pressed her lips into a smile, and she nodded. ¡°My brother¡®s counting on


    you.¡±


    That baby was indeed an obstacle. If Tiffany wasn¡®t pregnant, Matthew might not marry her anymore. Mel


    issa would then actually have a chance if she wanted to pursue him.


    Melissa naively assumed that if she got revenge on Tiffany, Veronica would be happy when she saw Tiffa


    ny¡®s downfall. Who wouldn¡®t be delighted to see someone get major payback for a huge grudge?


    Meanwhile, Veronica woke up after sleeping the entire night at the inn. Alier brustung her teeth and gettin


    g herself ready, she packed her things and prepared to head to the train station. When she was checking


    out in the lobby, her phone rang. Slie pulled out her phone to see that it was a call from Xavier,


    Veronica¡®s brows furrowed. After a moment of hesitation, she answered the call. ¡°You¡®re not thinking of s


    ending me to the train station, are you? Since you¡®re calling me at this hour,¡± she teased. Veronica initiall


    y wanted to quietly leave Bloomstead without anyone sending her off. Unfortunately for her, she had forg


    otten to keep the exact time a secret when she told Xavier when the train would arrive.


    ¡°I¡®m outside your home. Come on out. I can send you to the station,¡± Xavier said over the phone.


    Veronica was moved when she heard his gentle voice. Deep down, she knew about his kindness.


    ¡°Oh, right, I forgot to tell you that my train ride got rescheduled. I went to my friend¡®s ce at thest min


    ute for an errand; I¡®ll only be leaving tomorrow.¡±


    Veronica typically disliked partings with others. She always felt that they were sad, so she didn¡®t want Xa


    vier to send her to the train station.


    ¡°Rescheduled? Why didn¡®t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°What¡®s the big deal about rescheduling? Go home. I¡®m busy right now. I¡®ll call you backter.¡± With that,


    she hung up, ruining Xavier¡®s chance to talk to her. After she checked out, she hailed a taxi and


    made straight for the train station.


    Meanwhile, Tiffany¡®s face was swollen fromst night¡®s beating. Bruises could be seen on her face.


    As a talented woman with peerless beauty, Tiffany ced her looks far above everything. When she wok


    e up and looked in the mirror to find her face swollen with cuts running across it, she was so startled that


    she promptly left the manor and rushed to the hospital. On her way there, however, a few vans suddenly


    cut in front of her, blocking her way.


    Tiffany lurched forward from the back seat when the car braked suddenly to avoid the vans. Instantly, pai


    n rushed through her nose. She angrily rubbed


    it. ¡°Are you guys blind? Don¡®t you know that I¡®m pregnant with Matthew¡®s child? Can you even shoulder t


    he responsibility if anything happens to the baby?¡±


    Tittany might be saying this for appearance¡®s sake, but she did indeed care about the baby in her belly. S


    he was worried that something would happen to the baby.


    ¡°Miss Larson, these¡­ these people here¡­ do not seem to have any good intentions.¡± The chauffeur had


    seen his fair share of people in his day. He could tell with just a nce that these men had an ulterior m


    otive.


    .


    And their target seemed to be¡­ Tiffany.


    Now that the chauffeur had voiced his thoughts, Tiffany was terrified out of her wits. She nervously eyed t


    he men walking over to her from outside.


    Knock, knock, knock. The man at the head of the pack walked over to the side of the car and began to tap


    at the car window. Not only did Tiffany keep the window rolled up, but she also immediately locked the car


    ¡°Go! Go on! Leave this ce!¡± She


    reached out to smack the chauffeur¡®s shoulder, unable to stop herself from raising her voice.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The chauffeur checked the situation through his mirror. He shook his head and sighed. ¡°There¡®s no way o


    so that he can save you.¡±


    Having just been reminded of Matthew, Tiffany nodded in realization. ¡°Y¨C


    Yes, that¡¯s right! There¡®s still Matthew. I should call him¡­ yeah¡­¡± As she mumbled to herself, she pulled o


    Beep, beep¨C


    The phone beeped after she dialed his number. Before she got through to Matthew though, the window s


    Tiffany was furious. ¡°What are you doing? Why did you break my phone? Do you know who I am? I am M


    Matthew was currently her only shield. She only hoped that he would descend from the sky and appear by


    her side, just like how he had saved Veronica that time.


    ¡°You¡®re Matthew¡®s girlfriend? Then we got the right one; we were looking for you.¡± The man outside the ca


    them toe over. ¡°Take her away.¡±


    What do you intend to do? Let mydy go, or I¡®ll call the police!¡± The chauffeur was supposed to drive Tiffa


    ¡°Shut your trap, you old coot!¡± The bald man was burly and ripped, having tanned skin. His features were


    blood. He walked over to the driver¡®s seat. There was a loud crash as he hurled a punch at the window. Th


    to try and unlock the door.


    But the chauffeur clung tightly to the man¡®s arm. ¡°No, you cannot take Miss Larson away. Mr. Larson will a


    The chauffeur hadn¡®t finished speaking yet when the muscr man grabbed hold of the chauffeur¡®s head


    that, the chauffeur was out cold.

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166


    Veronica left Bloomstead by train at eleven in the morning so that she could return 10 Cabot Town before


    four. She wanted to surprise her parents, so she didn¡®t tell them she wasing.


    Now that she was back in Cabot Town, Veronica felt overjoyed to see all these familiar sights. Even the a


    ir here smelled nice.


    With her backpack


    on her shoulders, she began to trek to the remote vige where her family home was. In the distance, Ve


    ronica could see her adoptive mother standing by the pig pen, feeding the pigs with vegetables from


    a basket on her arm, Veronica had not seen this familiar scene in ages. She couldn¡®t stop herself from jo


    gging over to stand behind Danie. ¡°Mom!¡± she yelled.


    Danie ended up jumping in surprise from Veronica¡®s shout. The basket she had just ced by the pig


    pen¡®s fence toppled over into the pen. It wasn¡®t until she turned around that she realized


    that Veronica was calling her. Instantly, she was delighted. ¡°Oh, my darling girl, is it really you? Why are y


    ou back? Why didn¡®t you tell me earlier? I could have gone to town to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, it¡®s only a short distance away, Mom. You don¡®t have to do that.¡± Veronica hugged Danie. ¡°I


    missed you so much. Did you and Dad miss me?¡±


    Danie smiled kindly and nodded. ¡°Of course we did. Your father kept bemoaning your absence.¡± Daniel


    le let go of Veronica to take her hand and study her. ¡°You¡®ve only been away for a few months; how are y


    ou so skinny now?¡± She poked Veronica¡®s forehead. ¡°Silly girl, you should have told me you wereing


    home. I would have made a nice roast for you. We don¡®t even have any food in the house now.¡± Then, D


    anie turned to yell in the direction of the yard. ¡°Tony? Tony? Get over here; our girl is back.¡±


    ¡°What? Veronica is back?¡± Upon hearing Danie¡®s voice, Tony immediately walked over from the yard, o


    nly to see that Veronica was truly back. A smile instantly bloomed on his weathered face. ¡°Oh my, she re


    ally is back. I missed you dearly.¡±


    ¡°Dad? Are you feeling better?¡± Veronica walked over to Tony and hugged him, asking about his health.


    Meanwhile, Danie remembered the basket of vegetables that had fallen into the pig pen. When she tur


    ned around, she found the pigs gnawing away at the basket.


    ¡°Hey, get away from that!¡± Danie yelled at the pigs after she opened the gate to the


    pen. She picked up the basket and left the pig pen to walk over to Veronica. Waving the broken basket ar


    ound, she chastised Veronica, ¡°Look at what you did. I¡®ll have you know that this is a new basket.¡± Daniel


    la reached out and smacked Veronica¡®s bottom. ¡°Bad girl.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, Mom, that hurts.¡± Veronica pressed her hands to her butt, pretending that she was in pain.


    However, that broke Danie¡®s heart. ¡°Did it hurt a lot? I didn¡®t even smack you that hard.¡±


    ¡°Haha, just teasing you.¡± A grin split Veronica¡®s face. She was in good spirits as she held her adoptive pa


    rents¡® hands and walked into the yard. As Veronica and Tony chatted in the yard, Danie retrieved a chi


    cken from the freezer and headed to the kitchen to cook it for Veronica.


    After conversing for a while, Veronica


    eyed the chewed basket in the corner. ¡°Dad, Crayson gave you guys this basket, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just two days ago.¡±


    ¡°Great. I haven¡®t seen Crayson in a while. I¡®ll take the basket to him so he can fix it. That way, I can invite


    him to dinner as well.¡±


    ¡°That works too. You should hurry; Crayson misses you a lot.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡®ll go now.¡±


    Veronica returned indoors and dug out the gift she had brought with her from her backpack. With the bas


    ket and gift in hand, she headed straight for Crayson¡®s house.


    Crayson was not originally from Cabot Town. It had been around thirty


    years since he came to live here. He made his home by the foot of the mountain not far from their home,


    where he lived practically in istion. Crayson was most likely his family name, but


    no one knew his full name, not even Veronica.


    Veronica walked on the mountain path. The sides of the path were teeming with foliage. A myriad of flow


    ers bloomed among the grass, swaying in the breeze. With the azure sky high above her, it was a picture


    sque scene.


    Veronica wanted to surprise Crayson when she reached the foot of the mountain, but he happened to be


    fishing leisurely by the river when she arrived.


    ¡°Why did you suddenlye to see me, you ungrateful girl?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Crayson¡®s long beard was flecked with while. His thick, white hair reached his neck, and it swayed in the


    wind. He was dressed in a loose, gray hempen shirt and a pair of inen shoes that were fully handmade.


    He oozed an otherworldly energy, looking like he was from a far higher realm than her. His unkempt appe


    arance even lent an air of mystery to him.


    ¡°Hey there, Crayson. Long time no see.¡± Veronica walked over and flopped down to sit next to him. She t


    urned her head to face him and grinned sinisterly before reaching out to grab his beard and gently shake


    it. ¡°Wow, your beard¡®s gotten so long in just those few months I was away.¡±


    ¡°Scoot off to the side. It took precious time for me to grow that beard, and now you¡®re back. Don¡®t touch


    my beard.¡± Crayson red at Veronica as he pped her hand away. It was only then that his beard was


    free from her evil clutches. ¡°What are you here for? You came to see me empty¨C


    handed. Go, buzz away. Don¡®t get in the way of my fishing.¡± He deliberately made himself look disgusted,


    but he couldn¡®t hide the visible joy by his brows.


    ¡°You really want me to leave?¡± Veronica lifted an eyebrow. Atst, she slowly withdrew the hand from beh


    ind her


    back. A bottle of wine could be seen in her grasp. She looked at the bottle and clucked. ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ Su


    ch a lovely bottle of wine and no one to share it with me. Guess I¡®ll just have to drink alone.¡±


    Crayson¡®s eyes flicked over to Veronica to see the bottle of wine she held. Instantly, his fishing rod seeme


    Veronica was quicker, however. By swinging her arm behind her, she avoided Crayson¡®s lunge.


    Crayson looked at Veronica with a raised brow. Another smile spread across his old face. Then, he jumpe


    land behind her so that he could snatch the wine bottle away.


    Veronica was nimble. With a quick twist and turn, she avoided him again.


    ¡°You damned


    girl, don¡®t you know that I¡®m a senior citizen? Didn¡®t your teachers ever tell you to be mindful of elders and


    ¡°You got that right; I¡®m still just a little kid. Why are you bullying me?¡±


    ¡°Then give that wine over!¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± Veronica held the bottle of wine far behind her. She made a face at Crayson


    betore breaking out into a cheeky grin.


    Crayson frowned. Instantly, he hurled a punch at her. Veronica¡®s smile melted away then. She moved to th


    Veronica backflipped to avoid his kick. As she sailed through the air, her leg swiped out to kick at Crayson


    Just as Veronica¡®s kick was about tond, he reached up to grab her ankle, easily softening the blow of th

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167


    ving been thrown into a disadvantageous position, Veronica toppled to the ground Sull holding onto the


    bottle of wine, she nted her free hand onto the ground and used it to gain momentum tounch a kick


    at Crayson¡®s arm.


    Crayson leaned back just slightly. His hand reached out to grab Veronica¡®s other leg. Then, as he pushed


    her forward, heunched a sweeping kick at her.


    Having lost her bnce, Veronica fell to the ground in a patch of grass.


    *Useless! Not even half a


    year and all the skills I¡¯ve taught you have been thrown to the wind?¡± Crayson rebuked with a grave face.


    ¡°Ouch, that hurts bad.¡± Veronica sat on the ground and regarded Crayson with a pitiful look. ¡°I just wante


    d to keep that bottle of wine intact. I wouldn¡®t have gone down so easily otherwise, okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡®re still an idiot. Don¡®t make any more excuses.¡±


    ¡°Geez.¡± Veronica sighed and scrambled up. She dusted off the grass burrs clinging to her and pouted. ¡°Fi


    ne, I was sloppy in my lessons. I¡®ll admit that.¡±


    Prior to leaving Cabot Town, Veronica had thought herself stronger than others. She had never seriously


    studied while under Crayson. After meeting Matthew though, she finally realized that there were others gr


    eater than her. She couldn¡®t even beat Matthew with her current skills; how could she even go up against


    Crayson?


    Seeing that she was dejected, Crayson swiped the wine bottle from Veronica¡®s hand. ¡°Talk. Who¡®s been


    bullying this student of mine? Tell me and I¡®ll help you to beat them up to teach them a lesson,¡± he said a


    s he uncorked it.


    ¡°If I start taking my lessons with you seriously, will I still be able to be strong?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s a given. As long as you¡®re willing to be my retirement n, this isn¡®t a problem.¡±


    ¡°Heh, don¡®t worry, Master. I shall look after you until you¡®re finally in the dirt,¡± Veronica said as she walked


    over and hugged Crayson, smiling all this while.


    However, Crayson simply sniffed the contents of the bottle after uncorking it. Immediately, his face splii in


    to a grin. ¡°Haha, that¡®s some good stuff. Veronica, bring me a few more bottles of this in the future as tha


    nks.¡± With that, he left with the bottle of wine. A few stepster, he stopped in his tracks and turned back.


    Nice, Crayson still remembers me, at least, Veronica thought to herself.


    The moment after she thought that though, Crayson pushed her away. ¡°Quit blocking the path.¡± He walke


    d over to the riverbank and bent down to pick up his fish trap. Grinning, he mumbled to himself, ¡°Wine an


    d some nice fish. What a spread, hahaha¡­¡± Crayson headed straight to his home, wine bottle in one han


    d and fish trap in another. He had clearly forgotten about Veronica.


    ¡°Hey, old coot, have you forgotten about your student here?¡± she yelled at him from where she stood.


    Crayson turned his head back to nce at her. ¡°You got legs, don¡®t you? Can¡®t you walk? Don¡®t tell me yo


    u want an old man like me to carry you?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    He¡®s got a point there. She stumbled her way over. Picking up the broken basket she had brought with h


    er, Veronica entered Crayson¡®s yard with him.


    Although Veronica had known Crayson since she was little, he was a mysterious man. All Veronica knew


    was that he was called Crayson, and he was good at basket¨C


    weaving and woodworking. He was far more skilled than the average person, and he was also a mysteri


    ous old man who knew a myriad of martial arts styles. Other than that, she knew nothing else about him.


    Veronica looked at the table and chair in the yard and regarded the wooden house that Crayson lived in.


    She knew the table was there for his tea sessions. ¡°You sure know how to enjoy life,¡± she eximed.


    ¡°If you like this ce, you can stay here with me. I could use somepany.¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± Veronica answered as she skipped her way into the house. She surveyed the ce


    where she had grown up. Although it had been half a year since shest saw the inside of Crayson¡®s hou


    se, she had to admit everything was still in its. ce. Nothing had changed. She then took a


    chair and brought it outside to the yard and sat with Crayson. There,


    they enjoyed the wine Veronica had brought, chatting with the pleasant breeze in the air.


    Crayson took a sip of wine and nodded. ¡°That¡®s good wine, all right. Soft and silky down the throat, and it


    s aroma is deliciously pleasant. The aftertaste is lovely. Good stuff. When are you going to bring me anot


    her bottle or three of this, Veronica?¡±


    Theer of Veronica¡®s mouth twitched madly. You sure love your wine, you old coot. Do you know that


    a bottle costs a whole 10,000 bucks?


    Veronica had specially gotten someone to pick a bottle of good wine for her because she knew she woul


    d be returning to her hometown. It was so pricey that it made her doubt her life choices. Downing all of th


    at expensive wine in a few gulps was such a waste.


    ¡°Hahaha, fine, fine. Since you like it so much, I can bring more for you.¡± Veronica nodded and smiled know


    her master; this was something she should do. Even though it was expensive, she should just grin and pu


    ¡°Hey, cool, don¡®t drink too much. My mom is cooking some chicken at home. Let¡®s have dinner together to


    ¡°Oho, dinner, and I don¡®t have to cook. Lovely, absolutely lovely. I¡®ll cross the mountain with you.¡±


    ¡°Tch¡­ you¡®ve got no principles at all if some chicken is enough to bribe you, you codger.¡±


    ¡°Is that how a student should talk to their master?¡±


    ¡°Ow, Master, stop smacking my head. That hurts.¡±


    And so, master and student crossed the mountain together. That night, Veronica¡®s family reunited with Cra


    After dinner, Tony saw Crayson off. Meanwhile, Veronica¨Chaving drunk herself silly


    ¨C fell fast asleep. The next time her eyes opened, it was already morning. She freshened herself


    up a little and changed into a set of workout clothes to go for a run with her cell phone.


    The paths in the isted vige were deserted. Veronica jogged leisurely. Right then, a van drove in from


    off in her head.


    The door of the van opened as she


    hesitated. Subsequently, five or six men dressed in suits emerged from the vehicle.

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168


    A few swarthy, muscr goons with stern looks on their faces began to approach Veronica. At a nce,


    she could easily tell that these skilled men harbored nothing but ill intentions.


    She wanted to make a run for it, but the


    thought of currently being in her hometown, and possibly involving Tony, Danie, or even her master, an


    d putting them in harm¡®s way stopped her.


    So, she decided to quickly think of the next possible thing to do. Using her quick thinking, she pretended


    to be unaffected by their presence. ¡°What¡®s up?¡± she calmly asked.


    For them to stop the car right in front of her could only mean one thing¡ª


    they already knew who she was and where she lived. Running away was futile, at this point.


    ¡°Miss Murphy,¡± the man who seemed to be the leader of the pack called out. ¡°We are here under Young


    Master Matthew¡®s instruction. We will be escorting you back to


    Bloomstead.¡± Unlike his polite tone, his eyes were chillingly threatening as they leered at her.


    It was as if he was saying Veronica would be brought back no matter what.


    ¡°Didn¡®t he mention the reason for wanting me back?¡± she asked again despite fully expecting Matthew to


    eventually force her back. She knew that the man still wanted to have his fingers wrapped around this ¡®p


    awn¡® of his.


    However, she had only returned home the day prior. She did keep her phone turned off from then on as s


    he had nned to disconnect herself from the world for a few days, but she didn¡®t think Matthew would c


    ome for her so soon.


    Why is Matthew in such a hurry? Could something have happened back at Bloomstead? she wondered


    ¡°We are only following orders. We don¡®t know the rest.¡± Like a machine void of emotions and thoughts, th


    e man replied to her dully.


    ¡°Alright. Give me a moment. Let me pack my stuff and I¡®ll be right back.¡±


    Knowing better than to provoke the group of men


    and not wanting to worry her parents and master, Veronica eventually agreed to follow them back to Bloo


    mstead.


    My apologies, Miss Mu¨C¡± The man started 10 object, only to be cut off by an angry roar from Veronica. S


    he knew exactly what he was going to say.


    ¡°Let me repeat myself. I¡®ll be right back after getting a few things from home! Where do you think I can ru


    n away to? You goons even found the way to my home! I¡®m warning you. My parents¡® health isn¡®t at its be


    st. They will surely be affected if they were to see you. I won¡®t let you off if anything were to happen to th


    em.¡±


    Immediately, the men started to hesitate when they saw pure rage burning on her face. After a while, the


    head of the group lifted his wrist, took a nce at his watch, and finally said, ¡°We¡®ll give you 10 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Just wait!¡± she coldly spat before trotting back home to pack up what she needed. She then found Danie


    who was currently cooking in the kitchen. ¡°Mom, there is something that I need to take care of in Bloo


    mstead. I have to leave now. Ry my message on to Dad too. I¡®ll take my leave now,¡± she uttered every


    thing she wanted to say in one breath.


    Even though it was still in the early hours of the morning, Tony was already out


    of the house, and habitually roaming around the fields.


    Danie immediately turned off the stove and put down the spat in her hand. She then wiped the grea


    se off her palms on the apron around


    her waist and held Veronica by her hands. ¡°My child, you only just came back yesterday! What could the


    emergency be?¡± she asked, concerned.


    ¡°Umm¡­ It really


    is nothing. It¡®s just Xavier. He¡­¡± She sputtered out the best excuse she coulde up with at the mome


    nt, ¡°He has appendicitis and is currently in surgery. I¡®m worried about him, that is why I was thinking of go


    ing to pay him a visit.¡±


    Her heart, however, felt apologetic for using her friend to get herself out of the pickle. I¡®m sorry. I¡®m so sor


    ry! The situation calls for it. Don¡®t kill me, Xavier! she silently howled.


    She could only me herself for being tight with Xavier, and for making Xavier someone that Danie co


    uld trust.


    Danie answered thoughtfully, ¡°Oh my, is that so? You really have to go see him then! But before that, w


    hy don¡®t you bring him one of our vige chickens as a token of your sincerity?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡®s not necessary, Mom. He isn¡®t short on chickens. Okay! I really


    have to go now. Bye bye!¡± Veronica hurriedly bade her farewell.


    lict skin wasn¡®t thick enough for her to proudly bring a chicken back to Bloomstead. I was just a lie that X


    avier had appendicitis after all!


    Furthermore, she doubted the thugs would spare her time to catch a chicken.


    ¡°Huh? You punk, why are you rushing?¡± Danie scolded. ¡°Let me ask your dad to send you.¡±


    Veronica was already hopping out of the house then, but she didn¡®t forget to remind Danie. ¡°It is okay,


    Mom. I already called for a cab in town. I¡®m off! Take care of yourself?¡±


    The older woman followed after Veronica for a short while


    before halting her steps. Standing by the side of the road, she could only shake


    her head slowly with a mncholy smile tugging on the corners of her lips. ¡°That brat is really concerned


    about Xavier, huh? She must like him a lot,¡± she mumbled to herself before letting out a sigh. ¡°All daught


    ers have to leave home someday¡­¡±


    Her heart then began to ache at the thought of her only daughter having to get married someday.


    If only she knew that what she was currently worried about was only a lie Veronica could beste up w


    ith in the heat of the moment¡­


    On the other hand, Veronica sprinted her way to the vehicle waiting for her, and after getting in, they wen


    t on a hurried 4¨Chour journey back to Bloomstead.


    She was brought up to Matthew¡®s ce and locked in as soon as they reached Twilight Condominium, w


    here a sense of familiarity immediately hit her as she stood in the middle of the room.


    Then, she promptly plopped herself onto the sofa and checked her phone, only to see that she had miss


    ed a few calls from both Matthew and Xavier.


    She would probably be worried if she had missed someone else¡®s call, but to get missed calls from the t


    wo men? A pretty normal urrence she would say.


    But why would Matthew call her?


    She took some time to ponder the possible reasons before finally deciding to call him back.


    After giving him two calls which went straight to voicemail both times, shey down on the sofa and start


    ed to browse Twitter on her phone.


    The wait nurned out to be one that went on for hours.


    Her eyes watched as the hour hand of the clock hit 2, and when her tummy started making loud gurgling


    sounds from her hunger, she


    shot up from the couch and angrily banged her hand on the table. ¡°Freaking Matthew. Is heing or no


    t? I¡®m leaving if he isn¡®t!¡±


    .


    .


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Ring!


    As soon as she stood up, she heard the sound of the elevator reaching outside the main door


    The door then slowly opened, and there stood a familiar figure¨CMatthew!


    Unable to hold back her anger when she saw the man, she stomped in front of him and red. ¡°Matthew


    She couldn¡®t believe that he had gotten those


    thugs to get her just as soon as she was finally on her long¨Cawaited break from Bloomstead!


    Despite her outburst, the suit¨C


    d man only stood there with an unreadable expression on his handsome face and his captivating eyes


    The unexpected announcement swiftly earned a stupefied ¡®huh¡® from the woman. When she finally proces


    eventually went off on him. ¡°Are you crazy?! Don¡®t you think you are after the wrong person? What has yo


    do with me? I¡®m sure there are tons of people who are eager to celebrate the birthday of the Kingses¡® heir


    This guy probably has a loose screw! What a weirdo. We aren¡®t even close, Veronica grumbled to herself.


    Matthew¡®s face immediately fell when he heard her words.


    As his hands rested


    in the pockets of his suit pants, his grip on his phone tightened. Unbeknownst to Veronica, there was an im


    In the photo, two figures could be seen seated across each other at a table of a gazebo, enveloped


    by the darkness of the night. It was a photo of Veronica celebrating Xavier¡®s birthday with him. She appea


    birthday wish. .


    Matthew hade across the photo on social mediatest night, and oddly enough, he began to feel p


    ¡°I want you to celebrate my birthday with me,¡± he admitted.


    Veronica


    let out a scoff as she rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Sure,¡± she unexpectedly agreed with a humorless smile on h


    stop service. Give me 100 thousand, and I will prepare you a birthday cake, birthday wishes, and a birthda

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169


    Is this damn woman a ve to money or something? Matthew thought incredulously as his face dimmed


    further.


    Veronica couldn¡®t have possibly taken a fee from Xavier when she celebrated his birthday for him, could


    she?


    She had just spent over a million on Xavier at the club the other day. Matthew highly doubted she had ta


    ken Xavier¡®s money just to celebrate his birthday after an incident like that had happened.


    Despite starting to feel out of sorts at the mere thought of it, Matthew only apathetically replied, ¡°I don¡®t h


    ave the money.¡±


    ¡°You don¡®t have the money?¡± Veronica huffed in disbelief. ¡°No money, no talk.¡±


    How could he dare expect her to celebrate his birthday without his financial contribution? Maybe in your


    dreams, she thought before she was hit by a sudden realization. ¡°You brought me all the way back to Blo


    omstead just to celebrate your birthday with you?¡±


    Her guess was dead on.


    A trace of guilt shed across Matthew¡®s face at that, and his thin lips slightly parted. ¡°You promised to ar


    range me and Tiffany¡®s wedding. Who gave you permission to disappear halfway?¡±


    Baffled, Veronica asked in return, ¡°Didn¡®t wee to an agreement on that? How can you go back on yo


    ur own words?!¡±


    ¡°My own words? What have I promised you in my own words?¡± Matthew questioned. After taking a mom


    ent to think about Matthew¡®s question, Veronica only shook her head and replied, ¡°I don¡®t think you promi


    sed me anything.¡±


    The corners of his lips began to lift as he looked at the naive and honest woman in front of him.


    He then walked around her to the living room and propped


    himself onto the sofa. With one hand on the armrest, his other hand was ced on his knee and was ligh


    tly tapping in irregr intervals. His eyes held a glint of interest as he gazed at Veronica. ¡°Tell me,¡± he sta


    rted again. ¡°What ns do you have for the decorations in the wedding hall?¡±


    Upon hearing his words, she could feel her blood pressure rising dangerously high as she was on the ver


    ge of spewing curse words at him at that moment.


    With that, she angrily walked toward him and began to chastise him when she was standing right in front


    of him. ¡°I¡®m not a wedding nner! Why the hell would you want me to decorate the wedding hall?¡±


    Instead of answering her, Matthew continued, ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything in your hands. You can get a wedding


    nningpany if you want.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡®t you hire a real wedding,¡± Veronica started to rebuke, only to stop herself just in time whe


    n a thought shed through her mind. She then made herself appear extremely reluctant as she nodded.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do it since you requested me to. But you should give me an estimation of how much you are


    willing to spend. Let¡®s be transparent about this. If not, what would I do if I went over budget and you deci


    de to not pay up for my services?¡±


    ¡°Inform Thomas regarding any expenses that you


    need to be imed,¡± Matthew nonchntly informed, to which Veronica, too, readily gave her okay.


    She wasn¡®t going to keep saying no as long as he was willing to reimburse her for the expenses.


    Now in a much better mood, she said to him, ¡°I have something else to do. Get your fiance¨¦ to


    celebrate your birthday with you.¡± =


    She then turned around and started to walk out of the ce.


    Staring at her back, Matthew was just about to say something when she suddenly stopped in her tracks


    and warned coldly, ¡°You better watch Tiffany closely, Matthew. She may be your fiancee, and I probably


    won¡®t stand a chance against the Kingses, but don¡®t cross the line.¡±


    She knew that Matthew wasn¡®t the target of her rage and that she shouldn¡®t be telling him this, but it was


    getting hard for her to hold back.


    With a somber look on her face, she then added, ¡°If the day really doese, I hope that you will at leas


    t consider the fact that I was Grandma¡®s savior. Don¡®t you dare every a finger on my family.¡±


    It was difficult to read the myriad of emotions in her eyes, but anyone could have sensed the sadness co


    ming from Veronica through her tone of words.


    Upon hearing this, Matthew knitted his dark brows into a frown and the tapping on


    his knee came to a stop. ¡°What did she do to you this time?¡± he growled.


    His face fell, and his left hand unconsciously curled into a tight fist as his anger began to bubble up.


    ¡°Why ask me when you can ask your little fiance¨¦?¡± After saying that, the coldness in her gaze diminishe


    d, and she turned around again to leave.


    Matthew sat there pondering in silence for quite some time after the door to his ce was shut. He event


    ually got up, and after getting into his car, he drove straight to Dragon¡®s Creek Vi.


    Veronica, on the other hand, was walking by the roadside while giving Xavier a call.


    ¡°Roni?¡± Xavier skipped the greeting as soon as he picked up the call. ¡°You finally turned on your phone!


    I was so close to driving down to Cabot Town myself if I still couldn¡®t get to you.¡±


    Needless to say, he was gleeful about receiving a call from her.


    ¡°There was something wrong with my phone. I went and got it fixed because it wouldn¡®t turn on,¡± she ans


    wered with a giggle.


    ¡°Where are you now?¡±


    She could only lie to him to prevent him from asking her questions as it would onlyplicate things if sh


    e exined further. ¡°I¡®m still in Bloomstead. I haven¡®t gone home yet.¡±


    Knowing that she was still around, Xavier immediately offered, ¡°I¡®ll head over to you


    now.¡±


    ¡°N¨C


    No, it is fine,¡± she quickly rejected. ¡°I¡®m only calling you to tell you that I¡®m safe. I still have to meet up wit


    h my friendter. I¡®ll see you tomorrow?¡±


    Xavier could tell from her tone that she had something else to do, so he knowingly


    stopped asking questions. ¡°Alright then.¡±


    After their call ended, Veronica phoned Yvonne, and as soon as the call was picked up, she went straight


    to the point without starting with small talks like they usually would. ¡°Yvie, can you help me with somethi


    ng?¡±


    ¡°Why are you acting all bashful? What do you need my help with? Just shoot¡±


    This was the second time they spoke on the phone after Yvonne had left Twilight Condominium.


    Their first call was when Yvonne


    had called Veronica to tell her about the good news, which she then transferred the money right after Mat


    thew and Yvonne had signed the contract.


    ¡°Umm¡­ In our earlier conversations, do you remember


    telling me about your friend who does wedding nning? Is she any good?¡± Veronica asked.


    Yvonne


    immediately knew who Veronica was asking about. ¡°Oh, my friend was the nning director of Bloomstea


    time mom now. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°The thing is,¡± Veronica began to exin, ¡°I¡®m nning to open up a wedding nningpany


    and I want to hire your friend. The pay will be high.¡±


    Since Matthew had entrusted her to n the wedding, and


    even allowed her to im whatever expenses she had, she might as well set up a


    newpany, and earn as much as she could from him!


    After arriving at Dragon¡®s Creek


    Vi, Matthew parked his car outside the building and went for the doorbell after getting out of his car. A se


    Ignoring the servant¡®s passionate wee, Matthew merely nced over at the servant coldly and asked


    ¡°I see. You


    are here to see Miss Larson!¡± The servant happilyughed as she brought Matthew along to the main hall


    Miss Larson came home early because she hasn¡®t been feeling well. She is currently resting in her bedroo


    After entering the hall, the servant walked briskly toward Tiffany¡®s parents and carefully announced, ¡°Sir, M


    The couple sitting on the sofa


    had been worried about their daughter¡®s condition the whole day, but as soon as they learned that Matthe


    visit, they were off the couch the next second to wee him.


    ¡°Matthew! You are here to see Tiffy, yes?¡±


    ¡°You are finally here, Matthew. Tiffy has been in bed all day. My husband and I have been so worried!¡± The


    They were confused by Matthew¡®s sudden appearance at their residence, but they soon considered the p


    with one another being the reason for Tiffany¡®s bad state the whole day.


    However¡­


    Why did Matthew have such a sour look on his face?


    ¡°She hasn¡®t been feeling well?¡± Matthew repeated. He tilted his head slightly toward the second floor of th


    go take a look.¡±


    Matthew wanted


    to take a good look at the woman. He was truly intrigued by how ¡®unwell¡® someone who couldy hands o


    He then strode his way up the stairs after he said his fill.


    Floch began to follow after Matthew, only to


    be stopped by Rachel before he could take a step. ¡°Geez, what are you trying to do?


    Let the younglings handle it themselves. Where are you sticking your nose into?¡± she reprimanded.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ITT


    ¡°Did you see the look on Matthew¡®s face?¡± Floch worriedly asked. ¡°What if it is something serious?¡±

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170


    ¡°Even if something did happen, this is the Larson Residence, and Tiffy is pregnant with his child, so there


    ¡®s nothing he can do.¡±


    Rachel cast a nce at Matthew who had gone upstairs. Then, she nudged Floch with her elbow as she


    drew closer to him and whispered, ¡°Why don¡®t we take this opportunity to deepen the rtionship betwee


    n those two soon¨Cto¨Cbe¨Cweds.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Frowning, Floch pressed his lips and nodded after thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Yeah, that¡®s a good


    idea.¡±


    .


    Naturally, Tiffany and Matthew were unaware of Floch and Rachel¡®s n.


    After walking to the bedroom¡®s entrance on the second floor, Matthew lifted his hand and was about to kn


    ock on the door. Nevertheless, he directly turned the doorknob and walked in toward the end. ¨C


    ¡°Get out! I¡®m asking you to get lost! Can¡®t you hear me?!¡± ;


    The moment he walked in, Tiffany¡®s roar emerged in the bedroom. At the same time, she hurled a pillow t


    oward Matthew, hitting him directly.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    With that, Matthew waved his hand and threw the pillow onto the floor.


    The pink bedroom had a princess¨Cthemed renovation. Pieces of bed


    drapes, which were hanging above the heart¨C


    shaped canopy bed, descended onto the pastel pink colored rug. Besides that, there were a few toy dolls


    scattered on the floor.


    Every corner of the room presented an innocent and sweet girly vibe.


    This bedroom, which had a delicate and luxurious design, was not affected by the small fire fromst nig


    ht at all. With every piece of furniture in the bedroom reced, the space looked brand¨Cnew.


    Matthew looked at Tiffany, who was lying


    on her side in the bed and covered in a thin nket with her back facing the door.


    He strode over to the bed and looked down at Tiffany, his eyes giving off a terrifying coldness.


    ¡°I asked you to get out! Can¡®t you hear¨C¡±


    Sensing someone walking near her, Tiffany failed to suppress her anger, so she turned around and yelle


    d.


    However, it was only halfway through her sentence did she


    realize in a shock that the person standing beside the bed was¡­ ¡°M¨CMatthew, w¨Cwhat brings you here?¡±


    Tiffany sprang out of the bed at once, ashen¨C


    faced. At the same time, she still held her grasp on the thin nket to cover herself.


    Her eyes, which looked extremely simr to Veronica¡®s, were filled with panic and fear. However, when s


    he actually perceived that the person in front of her was indeed Matthew, all her panic and fear disappear


    ed immediately,


    The next second, she fell onto the edge of the bed, encircled Matthew¡®s waist with her arms, and started


    wailing. ¡°Matthew¡­ you¡®re finally here¡­¡±


    Choking with sobs, Tiffany cried hysterically from the bottom of her heart. Anyone who


    saw the scene would immediately feel sorry for her.


    However, no matter how sorrowfully she cried, Matthew¡®s frosty heart was not moved even to the slightes


    t bit.


    He stood there like a statue and only asked when the woman in his arms stopped crying, ¡°Are you done?


    ¡±


    Tiffany snuffled and bit her red lips with her front teeth. It was only when she opened her swollen eyes to


    look at Matthew did she realize his countenance was terrifyingly cold today.


    Is... Is he here to question me?


    ¡°Matthew, w¨Cwhat brings you here today all of the sudden?¡±


    Tiffany clearly knew that ever since she and Matthew got engaged, he had rarely


    come to Dragon¡®s Creek Vi. Despite her frequent prompt and invitation, Matthew would onlye for a


    quick visit.


    With his face filled with a horrifying frigidity, Matthew reached out his hand to list


    Tiffany¡®s chin. ¡°Is there anything you want to tell me? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Anything I want to¡­? I¡­ Matthew, I don¡®t get what you¡®re trying to say.¡±


    Perceiving the overwhelming pressure, Tiffany knew Matthew must havee to question her today.


    C¨CCould it be that Veronica the b*tch has exposed the incidents?


    Then what happened yesterday would... No. I¡®m sure Matthew doesn¡®t know about what happenedst ni


    ght, Otherwise, given his identity as the heir of Kings Corporation, he would definitely not allow Veronica


    to act in such an unscrupulous manner either.


    Tiffany guessed Veronica must have told Matthew about the staged ident, but for sure, the abduction


    of her by Veronica was not made known to Matthew.


    At this thought, Tiffany¡®s worry was dismissed.


    Rubbing Tiffany¡®s chin with his thumb, Matthew stared fixedly at Tiffany with his sharp eyes, which were a


    s ck as obsidian, and questioned solemnly, ¡°Do you really not get me, or you just don¡®t want to spill it?


    ¡±


    As his maic voice hit Tiffany¡®s heart gently like a wooden pper, Tiffany¡®s heartbeat elerated, an


    d she was so nervous that she was almost suffocating.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Gulping anxiously, Tiffany involuntarily grasped the nket tight. Her watery eyes looked innocent and pit


    iful, but deep down, they were filled with unconceble hatred and rage.


    Veronica Murphy! You b*tch! Why do you have to treat me like this?! Aren¡®t you happy yet after ruining m


    y everything? And you still want to make Matthew detest me too?! How can you be this vicious!


    ¡°Sorry, Matthew¡­ I¡®m sorry¡­¡±


    Tiffany knew there was no way she could escape, so she closed her eyes helplessly as tears flowed dow


    n her cheeks. With her head dropped in desperation, she muttered, ¡°I¡®ve lost my mind upon knowing Ver


    onica is staying with you i¨C


    in Twilight Condominium. I¡­ was engulfed by jealousy, so I thought of doing that on impulse¡­¡±


    Tiffany was smart¨C


    she knew that it would only displease Matthew if she lied to him at this moment, so she could only admit it


    ¡°Matthew¡­ I know I was wrong. but I¡®m afraid¡­ I¡®m afraid of losing you. I love you. I really love you too m


    Crasping Matthew¡®s wrists tight, Tiffany begged in a pathetic manner. With misery and pitifulness permeat


    Anyone would¡®ve been moved at the sight of her crying. It


    was like watching a beautiful flower being drenched in rain.


    However, Matthew had always been heartless. So, he naturally


    wouldn¡®t be moved by just a few drops of tears from a woman.


    ¡°You even dare to murder your own sister. Are you thinking of killing me off too?¡±


    Almost every day, Matthew could hear the praises from the public toward Tiffany, gorgeous, talented, brilli


    Nevertheless, it was only after getting in touch with Tiffany did he know how fake this woman was¡ª


    her viciousness and malignity were totally outrageous!


    ¡°O¨C


    Of course not. I love you, Matthew. I just care about you too much and have lost my mind. I¡®m sorry¡­¡±


    Shaking her head non¨C


    stop, Tiffany directly got up and knelt on the bed. Holding Matthew¡®s hand, she continued begging without


    I truly regret it now. I swear¡­ I swear that I will definitely noty a finger


    on her anymore from now on. I¡­ I¡®ll make sure to keep my word¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know why she stays in Twilight Condominium?¡±


    Matthew¡®s eyes were filled with detest as he stood straight and continued, ¡°Because she¡®s worried that yo


    kill her when she is asleep. That¡®s why shepromised and moved into Twilight Condominium.¡±


    As smart as an owl, Matthew had long been aware of the


    reason Veronica moved into Twilight Condominium, but it was just that he had never disclosed it.


    ¡°I thought you would repent, but you actually refuse to realize


    your mistakes. I think our marriage should be called off,¡± Matthew warned.


    ¡°You can¡®t do that!¡±


    Panic¨C


    stricken, Tiffany got out of the bed instantly. With her bare feet standing directly on the Persian rug on the


    was wrong. I know I was wrong. I know I¡¯ve disappointed you, but I¡®m


    pregnant with our child. Please be considerate toward our child. S¨C


    She can¡®t live without a father the moment she¡®s born¡­¡°

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171


    The wedding ceremony was happening in a few days, so it would be aplete joke to the Larsons if th


    e engagement was called off now.


    Tiffany could not ept it, and neither could the Larsons.


    ¡°I¡®ve warned you earlier not toy a finger on her again. Did you turn a deaf ear to my words?¡±


    Matthew stood haughtily with his cold, hostile eyes filled with abhorrence as he


    red at Tiffany


    ¡°Okay, I¡®ll noty a finger on her anymore. I swear¡­ I swear I¡®ll stay away from Veronica. Matthew, I was


    wrong. Can you please give me a chance¡­¡±


    If Tiffany was not aware of Matthew¡®s feelings toward Veronica before this, she would have deeply percei


    ved how much he cared and loved Veronicaas of this moment.


    Despite Rachel¡®s constant urge for Tiffany to remain calm and steady, Tiffany could not feign a calm look


    at all at this point of time.


    Thest time Matthew talked about canceling the marriage already scared her to wits. Therefore, no matt


    er what, she could not allow that to happen again.


    Tiffany was so determined to be the mistress of the Kings Family that she even swore to die as a Ki


    ngs.


    Beep... Beep...


    Just then, Matthew¡®s phone rang all of a sudden.


    The coldness on Matthew¡®s handsome face faded a little when he saw Elizabeth¡®s caller ID lit on the scre


    en when he took out his phone.


    He darted a nce at the pathetic woman, who was kneeling on the floor, and answered the call. ¡°Hey, G


    randma.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Matthew.


    Are you free tonight? Bring Tiffany over for dinner. I¡®ve not seen her for a few days. I¡®m starting to miss h


    er already.¡±


    Elizabeth¡®s gentle voice emerged from the other end of the line. After saying that, she sighed in distress,


    which imperceptibly gave a sorrowful impression.


    Matthew knew Elizabeth was diagnosed with Alzheimer¡®s disease, so


    she was stressed and desired to have a grandchild even more.


    Tightening his grip on the phone, Matthew furrowed his brows with a slightly resigned look. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Great. I¡®ll ask the servants to prepare dinner then. If it¡®s not that Veronica had gone back to her hometow


    n, I¡®d like her toe along too.¡±


    Matthew could not tell whether Elizabeth was murmuring to herself or talking to him.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he hummed in response and hung up the call.


    Thereafter, he kept away his phone slowly, bent down, and gently patted Tiffany¡®s cheek. ¡°If this happens


    again, you will never be able to step foot in Bloomstead!¡±


    With that, Matthew shoved away Tiffany¡®s hand and walked away directly.


    After opening the door, he was surprised to see Floch and Rachel standing at the door with a cup of tea i


    n each of their hands.


    ¡°M¨CMatthew?¡±


    Floch peeked at the situation inside the bedroom and smiled awkwardly at Matthew, who cast a cold n


    ce at the two before heading downstairs directly to leave.


    Floch and Rachel stood at the spot as they watched Matthew leaving hotfoot. Then, they rushed into the


    bedroom to see Tiffany sitting at the edge of the bed in a daze with her head lowered.


    ¡°Tiffy, Tiffy, what¡®s the matter?¡± Brokenhearted, Rachel walked over to


    Tiffany and held her hand while showing concern.


    ¡°Did he be aware of Veronica¡®s matter?¡± Floch hit the bullseye.


    Looking downcast, Tiffany nced at her parents with dead eyes and said wearily, ¡°I¡®m tired and would li


    ke to sleep for a while.¡±


    After that, she pulled the nket over herself andy with her back facing the couple without saying anyt


    hing further.


    Meanwhile, Veronica and Yvonne met up with Monica Lewis, an ex¨C


    director of a wedding nningpany.


    The three of them had some discussion, and Veronica told Monica about


    her ideas. Toward the end, both of them reached an agreement for Monica to assume the role of a part¨C


    time wedding nner. All she needed to do was to provide proposal ns and did not have to work in th


    e office on a daily basis.


    It was a pleasant meetup, and Veronica was ted for having recruited such a talented teammate.


    Later on, Veronica went online to order a birthday cake for Tony and requested for it to be delivered to he


    r hometown.


    Then, she used her phone to search forpanies that were seeking to transfer ownership and sess


    fully found a few wedding nningpanies. After checking out thepanies along with Yvonne,


    they found a wedding nnerpany, which was currently


    still running, in the shortest time and signed the transfer of ownership agreement. At the same time, they


    retained all the employees in the saidpany.


    By the time everything was settled, it was already six in the evening.


    Just as Veronica was about to treat Yvonne to dinner to thank her, Matthew called her.


    The reason she spent a huge amount of money today to acquire a wedding nningpany was exact


    ly to earn money from Matthew.


    To Veronica, Matthew was her greatest source of ie now and she couldn¡®t afford to offend him.


    So, she answered his call immediately and said in a fawning manner, ¡°Hey, Bro! What¡®s up?¡±


    ¡°Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°I¨CI¡®m outside.¡±


    ¡°Grandma requested for


    you toe to the Kings Residence for dinner. I¡®lle and pick you up now,¡± Matthew said in a deman


    ding tone as he had no intention to discuss it with Veronica at all.


    Veronica¡®s eyes lit up as she nodded and agreed instantly. ¡°Sure. I¡®ll send you my location so you can co


    me and pick me up.¡±


    After that, she hung up the call and said to Yvonne apologetically, ¡°I¡®m so sorry. Yvie.


    An urgent matter came upst minute and Matthew requires my help. So, I can¡®t bring you to dinner toda


    y anymore.¡±


    Yvonne shrugged indifferently and said, ¡°No worries. There¡®s always next time.¡±


    ¡°Sure. No problem.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡®ll go off first then.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Yvie!¡±


    Veronica waved at Yvonne and smiled cheekily


    after seeing thetter get into her car and left. ¡°Now, I get to save one meal¡®s worth of cash.¡±


    In fact, Veronica


    was reluctant to spend again after forking out a huge sum of money to take over the wedding nning co


    After settling everything, she made a call to Tony, whose birthday was today, to wish him a happy birthday


    Veronica adopted a joyful tone when she talked with Tony over the phone, but in fact, she felt sorry for Ton


    She wished to transfer more money to them, but at the same time, she was worried that they would be co


    Screech


    Suddenly, a sedan car stopped in front of her.


    Seeing the familiar silver¨Cgray sedan car, Veronica opened the car door and got into


    Seated in the driver seat, Matthew darted a nonchnt nce at Veronica with


    aplicated expression.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Why did you tell me Grandma invited me over for dinner on such short notice?¡± she asked.


    However, out of her expectation, Matthew blurted, ¡°Are you very busy?¡±


    Of course...¡± Of course, I¡®m very busy. I¡®ve been gathering resources the entire afternoon


    to earn money from you!


    Nevertheless, Veronica could not say that, so she murmured, ¡°¡­ not.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡®re not busy, it doesn¡®t matter when I tell you about the dinner,¡± Matthew said thoughtlessly and


    The corner of Veronica¡®s lips twitched as she thought Matthew was overly domineering


    Suddenly, her phone started ringing again¨Cit was a call from Danie.


    Danie was still cooking in the kitchen when Veronica had a chat with Tony over the phone earlier, so the


    After Veronica picked up the call, Danie asked directly before she could say anything. ¡°Hey, Roni! How


    ¡°O¨COperation?¡°.


    Veronica¡®s mind went nk for a second before she suddenly recalled lying about Xavier having an appen


    Giggling, she answered, ¡°Oh, h¨Che¡®s fine. It¡®s just a minor surgery. He¡®s doing great.¡±


    ¡°Look at you. You left so hastily this morning and were not even willing to bring some chicken for him whe


    Hearing Danie¡®s reprimand, Veronica frowned and moved the phone slightly away from her ear.

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172


    Because Veronica was holding her phone in her left hand Matthew overheard Danie¡¯s voice when the


    former moved her phone aside


    ¡°Xavier truly likes you and he treats you well too. But look at you-you¡¯re his girlfriend and yet, you never


    show more care toward him. If you continue being like this, others will gossip about you when you guys


    get married in the future. Roni, Xavier is a good man. Since both of you love each other, you should


    cherish the rtionship you have with him. Your dad and I thought you¡¯re not that young anymore, so we


    n to head to Bloomstead to meet Xavier soon to discuss your marriage situation and see if we can set


    a date for your wedd¡±


    Hearing that, Veronica immediately pressed the phone beside her ear and said, ¡°Mom, hold on. What


    nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯m still young!¡±


    She was almost driven crazy.


    From the very beginning, Xavier and her were merely putting on an act, but when it came to Danie,


    she actually started mentioning marriage.


    While chatting with Danie, Veronica did not realize the cold and frosty face of the man sitting next to


    her.


    Both of them love each other? Time to discuss their wedding?


    At that moment, Matthew¡¯s grip on the steering wheel tightened instinctively as he felt a tightness in his


    chest, which made him even more frustrated.


    ¡°Hey, Mom. Please stop talking about this and quickly go eat the cake with Dad. I still have some matters


    to attend to, so I¡¯m hanging up first. Bye.¡±


    With that, Veronica hung up directly.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Veronica suddenly felt that she can¡¯t keep bluffing her adoptive parents like that.


    So, she nned to think of a way to set them straight about the situation lest they would go and find


    Xavier sooner orter to discuss their marriage.


    True enough, to hide a lie, a thousand lies were needed.


    After keeping away her phone, Veronica looked at Matthew, who was driving and ¡®couldn¡¯t help


    mumbling, ¡°Why do all of your birthdays have to be so near to each


    other? You even have the same birthday as my dad.¡±


    Wearing a gloomy look, Matthew remained silent and ignored Veronica.


    Veronica pouted as she just couldn¡¯t understand why Matthew pulled a long face all of a sudden.


    Nevertheless, she was reminded of her identity as the owner of a wedding nningpany now, and


    so she had to please her main source of ie. After all, Matthew was the only customer of her


    wedding nningpany.


    ¡°Stop the car. Stop!¡±


    Suddenly, Veronica saw something and shouted for Matthew to pull over.


    Thetter thought Veronica wanted to buy something for Elizabeth, so he pulled over beside the road,


    after which Veronica got out of the car and ran away.


    In no time, she got back into the car with a bag in her hand. After closing the door and fastening her


    seatbelt, she took out a small cake with a pink pig design from the paper bag. It was still the mini cake


    which cost 39 as Veronica was reluctant to spend even a single penny more.


    ¡°Hey, my dear cash co-I mean, Bro, I bought you a birthday cake since it¡¯s your birthday today.¡±


    Smiling tteringly, Veronica took out a candle from her pocket and stuck it beside the ear of the pink pig.


    After lighting up the candle, she held the cake and looked at Matthew with her head tilted. ¡°Happy


    birthday, Bro. Let me sing you the birthday


    song. Go ahead and make a wish!¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Although Veronica actually did not know when Matthew¡¯s birthday was, she had long heard that he never


    celebrated his birthday.


    So, when Matthew asked her to celebrate his birthday today, she was shocked despite feeling a little


    unhappy with it.


    On the other hand, Matthew switched off the car engine and gazed at Veronica, who wore a fawning


    look, and thought she must be up to no good.


    However, the scene of Xavier and Veronica celebrating their birthday together somehow surfaced


    involuntarily in Matthew¡¯s mind as he stared at Veronica. When he recalled how Danie said the two of


    them were in love with each other just now,


    he immediately felt that the cake did not look tasty anymore at once.


    ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary,¡± Matthew blurted coldly before starting the car engine and continuing the journey


    directly.


    ¡°You¡­ Are you crazy? It¡¯s you who asked me to prepare a cake for you, yet you refuse to eat it!¡±


    Veronica¡¯s face darkened at once. Looking at the candle on the small cake, she lowered her head


    crabbily and blew it off.


    Then, she took out a fork from the paper bag and started eating the cake in the passenger seat.


    It was said that women were capricious, but Veronica actually thought Matthew was even more


    capricious!


    Inwardly, she swore that she would never buy Matthew a cake anymore.


    However, just as she had two bites of the cake, the car pulled over all of a sudden.


    Matthew nced at her coldly and reached out his hand to snatch the cake away from her. ¡°It¡¯s not your


    birthday. So, you shouldn¡¯t eat the cake.¡±


    Biting the fork, Veronica red at Matthew angrily and mumbled, ¡°I can¡¯t eat the cake because it¡¯s not my


    birthday? What domineering rule is that?¡±


    However, Matthew directly snatched the fork from her, took a scoop of the cream cake, and started


    eating it.


    Veronica, who was still trapped in anger, continued babbling, ¡°Didn¡¯t you refuse to eat earlier? Why are


    you eating it now? Matthew Kings, are you insane? This is so frustrating! Why are there people like you


    on this earth?¡±


    Matthew, who rarely had desserts, ignored Veronica¡¯s mutter and savored the cake slowly, which he


    actually found tasty.


    As far as he could remember, his parents did not allow him to have cakes as they imed that cakes


    contained too much sugar and were bad for his health. As such, the cream cakes that he had had were


    specially prepared and were not something like these cakes which were sold in the market at all.


    In fact, Matthew thought the cake was very delicious after tasting it.


    It could be because the cake was indeed delicious, or because it was bought by Veronica; bite after bite,


    Matthew continued eaung the cake non-stop.


    Even though he was eating a cheap cake, he still ate it in a graceful manner. It was as if the gentle,


    refined personality was engraved in his bones, and he gave off a royal aura from head to toe.


    Staring at Matthew in a daze, Veronica was deeply attracted by his extremely handsome face and


    couldn¡¯t help falling for it.


    ¡°Do you want some?¡±


    Perceiving her fixed gaze, Matthew thought Veronica was craving some cake, so he took a piece of cake


    and passed it to her.


    As a non-linear thinker, Veronica was reminded of Tony when she saw Matthew passing her a piece of


    cake, so she heaved a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. If it wasn¡¯t that you brought me back by force, I would


    have been celebrating my dad¡¯s birthday with him at this moment already.¡±


    Veronica pouted and sighed with a disappointed look.


    At that second, Matthew¡¯s hardened heart was moved and actually softened slightly.


    With his hand paused, he stared nkly at Veronica and asked involuntarily, ¡°Do you want to go back


    now?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    Veronica nodded incessantly, but on second thought, she thought it was impossible as it would take at


    least three hours to reach home from here.


    ¡°Ha! It¡¯s so far away. There¡¯s no way I could rush back in time now.¡± Veronicaughed in a self-


    deprecating manner.


    However, right after she said that, Matthew shoved the cake to her, turned the car around, and


    elerated.


    Stunned, Veronica realized that the direction he was heading was not the road to the Kings Residence,


    so she asked, ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Sending you home.¡±


    ¡°Home?¡±


    Veronica widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°Y-You¡¯re sending me home?¡±


    ¡°Or do you wish to walk back on your own?¡±


    Matthew turned slightly toward Veronica with a captivating, bright smile on his handsome face.


    The glow from the sunset shone through the car window and fell on Matthew¡¯s face, giving it a golden


    halo. As a result, not only did he look more handsome indistinctly, but he also became extremely alluring


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not that¡­ L¡±.


    Veronica thought she had misheard him. Scratching her head, she asked in perplexity, ¡°What¡¯s wrong


    with you? Why do you want to send me home all of a sudden?¡±

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to have the same birthday as your father so it would be much livelier if we celebrated


    our birthdays together.¡±


    ¡°But it would be toote even if we go back now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote. It would take us about forty-five minutes to get there,¡± Matthew voiced out and then he


    took out his phone to send a text message to Thomas.


    ¡°Forty-five minutes?¡±


    It was fair to say that Veronica had taken Matthew¡¯s words seriously earlier on but right now, she felt that


    he must be pulling her leg. She leaned back against the front passenger seat and wordlessly finished off


    the leftover cake that Matthew couldn¡¯t finish, the whole time wondering what he was trying to do.


    Five minutester, the car arrived at arge, open space and there was already a helicopter waiting


    there. After Matthew got out of the car, Veronica followed suit and trailed after him. They then boarded


    the helicopter and just then, she had an incredulous look on her face.


    She finally came to her senses after the door to the helicopter was mmed shut and she heard the


    whirring sound of the propellers. At that point, she realized that he was actually going to send her home,


    and it was by the means of a helicopter too!


    ¡°Are you actually sending me home?¡±


    At that, Matthew pursed his lips but didn¡¯t answer her question. Despite that, Veronica was quite sure


    that he wasn¡¯t lying, so she instantly texted her adopted parents respectively. ¡®Wait for me. I¡¯ll be home in


    about half an hour.¡¯


    After she had sent off the text message, she received a phone call from her adopted parents in no time.


    Due to the loud noise in the helicopter, Veronica didn¡¯t answer the phone but instead, shemunicated


    with them via text message throughout the entire journey.


    As such, she was lost in her happy thoughts and she leaned by the window to look outside, a smile on


    her ruby-red lips. She was clearly in good spirits. Suddenly, she came to the conclusion that Matthew


    wasn¡¯t such a mean person after all.


    Thirty minutester, the helicopter arrived at Cabot Town andnded in South Court, which was the


    basketball court in town. Subsequently, Veronica and Matthew


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    got out of the helicopter. As soon as they walked out of the basketball court, the helicopter departed as


    well.


    Meanwhile, Veronica kept her eyes on the helicopter that slowly disappeared into the distance and she


    couldn¡¯t help asking as she reached out to tidy up her hair, which was all messed up from the wind, ¡°How


    did you know where I lived?¡±


    Meanwhile, Matthew, who was dressed in a suit, tucked a hand into the pocket of his trousers and


    straightened his necktie before revealing a wicked smile. However, he didn¡¯t say a word.


    Although Cabot Town was located in a slightly rural area, there were still quite a few people who came


    out for their evening walk after dinner so coincidentally, they saw the duo get out of the helicopter. In no


    time, a crowd stood around, watching the duo while whispering amongst themselves.


    The two of them walked out of the basketball court and there were already two cars parked outside


    waiting for them. A man dressed in a suit instantly walked forward to greet them as soon as he saw them


    walking toward the car. The man then handed over a bunch of keys to Matthew. ¡°Young Master Matthew,


    I¡¯ve prepared everything.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Matthew responded before entering the car.


    Meanwhile, Veronica got into the front passenger seat. Shortly after that, they drove off gradually and


    headed toward Veronica¡¯s house.


    Along the way, Veronica couldn¡¯t contain theplicated feeling that arose within her and she found


    Matthew¡¯s behavior slightly perplexing too. Elizabeth had actually invited them over to the Kings


    Residence for dinner, but Matthew had stood her up and brought Veronica back to Cabot Town to join


    Veronica¡¯s father¡¯s birthday


    celebration. He obviously doesn¡®tck friends and family to celebrate his birthday with!


    After considering the situation for a short while, Veronica rubbed her nose awkwardly and asked,


    ¡°Matthew, do you like me?¡±


    As soon as she said that, the car came to a sudden halt on the road. Meanwhile, Matthew turned to her


    with a surprised look, and there was a sh of awkwardness in his eyes.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? If that¡¯s not the case, then why did you suddenly send a helicopter


    out of nowhere to bring me home to celebrate my father¡¯s birthday? You businesspeople are always so


    cunning, so I¡¯m sure that you must have an ulterior motive here.¡± Veronica was quite sure that she was


    right.


    Just then, Matthew tightened his grip on the steering wheel as his heart pounded furiously. Usually, even


    in meetings that involved tens of billions, he was much moreposed and not as anxious as he was


    right now. Are my frelings for her so obvious now?


    ¡°If I say-¡±


    §£§Ö§Ö§â! §£§Ö§Ö§â! §£§Ö§Ö§â!


    Suddenly, before Matthew could finish his sentence, a car from behind tooted its horn and interrupted his


    sentence. At that point, he furrowed his dark brows and turned back to look at the cake on the back


    passenger seat. He then reached out to push the cake box back into position because it nearly toppled


    over. ¡°I¡¯m just too bored.¡±


    ¡°Bored?¡± Veronica rolled her eyes at him and she was fully trusting of his


    words. Yeah, he must be really bored! Otherwise, why would he havee all the way here? It¡®s so far fr


    om Bloomstead!


    Five minutester, their car came to a stop in front of the entrance of Veronica¡¯s old home.


    Danie was anxiously awaiting their arrival under the darkened dusk skies. As soon as she saw the car


    pull to a stop by their entrance, she instantly came forward to wee them.


    Veronica leaped into Danie¡¯s as soon as she got out of the car. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m back!¡±


    ¡°You reckless girl! You just left in the morning and now you¡¯re back again?! Are you here with Xa¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Murphy, I¡¯m sorry for paying a visit sote at night.¡±


    Just then, Matthew took out the cake and a bouquet of flowers from the back passenger seat.


    Subsequently, he spoke up while walking toward Danie.


    The headlights of the car were still on and at that point, Danie finally saw that it was actually


    Matthew. ¡°Oh¨CYoung Master Matthew, i-it¡¯s you!¡±


    Danie was very surprised to see Matthew. At that point, she reached out and pinched Veronica¡¯s arm


    before ring at her. The former¡¯s using look seemed to be expressing her thoughts


    of, Why is it Matthew? Shouldn¡®t it be Xavier with you? You little brat! How dare you flirt


    with two guys at the same time!


    ¡°Roni mentioned that it¡¯s Mr. Murphy¡¯s birthday today so as her brother. I should pop over to celebrate


    with Mr. Murphy too.¡± Matthew no longer maintained his usual cold, indifferent attitude and he amicably


    chatted with Danie.


    At that, Veronica grumbled to


    herself, Roni?!That¡®s such an intimate nickname and it sounds gross! Is he generally so hypocritical?! He


    ¡®s purposely giving me such an intimate nickname in front of Mom! He¡®s indeed a good actor! What a hyp


    ocrite!


    ¡°Yeah, Mom. Old Mrs. Kings has acknowledged me as her god-granddaughter and he¡¯s her grandson, so


    I should address him as my brother too.¡±


    Just then, Veronica didn¡¯t want her mother to jump to the wrong conclusion, so she quickly came up with


    an exnation.


    ¡°Oh¨Cis that so? In that case,e on in, Young Master Matthew. Let¡¯s head inside. Our ce is slightly


    shabby, so I hope you won¡¯t find the ce unbearable.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Murphy, you¡¯re too humble.¡±


    ¡°Tony, Crayson, hurry up ande out! Look who¡¯s back!¡± Danie yelled out in the direction of the inner


    part of the house.


    Just then, Tony and Crayson walked out together. Immediately, Veronica ran forward happily and gave


    Tony a big hug. ¡°Happy birthday, Dad! I came back in a rush, so I didn¡¯t bring any presents for you.¡±


    ¡°What sort of nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯m happy enough to have you back! Why are you back so


    late at night?¡± Tony beamed widely and he was clearly very happy.


    ¡°Matthew sent me back.¡±


    Veronica smiled happily and walked forward to stand in front of Crayson. Then, she affectionately ced


    an arm around his shoulders. ¡°Master, let me introduce you guys. This is my... uh... brother. His


    grandmother took me as her god-granddaughter, so he¡¯s considered my godbrother.¡±


    After she had said that, she turned to Matthew and introduced Crayson. ¡°This is my master, and his


    name is Crayson.¡±


    Crayson held a tobo pipe in his hand and he took a puff from it. Subsequently, he exhaled and the


    smoke that came out of the pipe shrouded them slightly, affecting their line of vision.


    However, beneath the smoke, there was a change of expression on Crayson¡¯s weathered face as his


    sharp eyes scanned Matthew from head to toe. However, after the smoke dissipated, Crayson lifted his


    head and chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s such a handsome guy. Ha!¡±


    Meanwhile, Matthew walked forward and murmured, ¡°Hello, Mr. Murphy. Nice to meet you, Master


    Crayson.¡±


    Matthew was very respectful toward them, and this was the first time ever that Veronica had seen this


    humble side in him.


    ¡°Mr. Murphy, these are from Roni. She bought you a cake and some flowers.¡± Just then, Matthew handed


    the items to Tony.


    ¡°Gosh, look at this girl! Why did you get me another cake after getting me one earlier?!¡± At that moment,


    Tony looked at Veronica and heaved a sigh.


    ¡°Dad, these are from Matthew.¡± Veronica was thankful enough to Matthew for being able to get home


    today so naturally, she didn¡¯t want to take the credit for his kind gesture.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s take a seat inside. Why are we all standing by the entrance anyway?!¡±

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174


    Danie came forward and led them into the house.


    Inside the house, there was already tons of food on the dining table. There was a mixture of vegetables


    and meat, so it was a well-bnced meal. Besides, there was also a bottle of wine on the table.


    ¡°Mr. Murphy, I need to go outside and get something.¡± After Matthew had said that, he turned around and


    walked out.


    After Matthew had gone out to the courtyard, Crayson rapped the cigarette pipe in his hand on the table


    and red at Veronica. ¡°Does he like you?¡±


    IN


    ED


    ¡°What?! Master, what are you on about?! He has a fianc¨¦e.¡± Veronica brushed him off by waving her


    hands as she thought that he was being quite indecent.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s great to know.¡± Crayson nodded his head solemnly just then.


    ¡°What¡¯s great to know?¡± Meanwhile, Veronica, who was quite confused by his words, couldn¡¯t help


    asking.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just think that this guy is dressed in expensive-looking clothes and he has a noble air to


    him, so he would be way out of your league.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Your master¡¯s quite right.¡± Tony agreed with Crayson too.


    Veronica was at a loss for words upon hearing that. ¡°What¡¯s going on in your brains? Gosh!¡± She shook


    her head and responded, ¡°Dad, today¡¯s your birthday and it¡¯s also his birthday coincidentally, so he came


    over to celebrate your birthdays together.¡±


    D


    As soon as Veronica said that, she also realized how ridiculous the reason sounded and she quickly


    exined, ¡°This was his grandmother¡¯s idea. Actually, my god grandmother instructed him toe


    here.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That does sound reasonable.¡± At that point, Tony nodded his head and he could finally heave


    a sigh of relief.


    Shortly after that, Matthew came back from outside and he had in his hands a crate of whisky. He carried


    it into the house and ced it by a corner.


    ¡°Oh no! T-This must cost so much!¡± Although Danie didn¡¯t drink much alcohol, she knew the cost of it


    was surely exorbitant.


    However, Matthew instantly responded by saying, ¡°Someone else gave it to my family as a gift and we


    couldn¡¯t finish it, so I just brought it along anyway.¡±


    Subsequently, he oflhandedly took out a bottle of whisky from the crate and ced it on the table with a


    warm smile. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, Master Crayson, I¡¯m sorry for keeping you guys waiting.¡±


    The lot of them couldn¡¯t tell the difference between different types of alcohol but Veronica had worked at


    the Twilight Bar as a security personnel for so long, so she naturally knew that this whisky was very


    expensive. This was a top-quality aged whisky and the price of it in the market was as expected.


    However, Veronica didn¡¯t want her adopted parents to feel any unnecessary burden, so she came up


    with a feeble excuse. ¡°Mom, there¡¯s plenty of alcohol at theirs and it¡¯s not expensive. Let¡¯s start on our


    meal, or the food will grow cold soon.¡±


    Subsequently, everyone started eating. It was just some simple home-cooked food and yet Matthew, who


    was used to delicacies, found that the food actually tasted exceptionally better. He savored them slowly,


    as it was filled with the taste of a mother¡¯s love.


    Everyone enjoyed themselves chit-chatting while they drank some alcohol. The conversation flowed and


    the vibe was very enjoyable.


    Just then, Tony was seated on Veronica¡¯s left while Crayson was on her right. She behaved like a


    daddy¡¯s girl in front of the two of them and she reached out to tug at


    Crayson¡¯s goatee from time to time. ¡°Master, you¡¯re so unfair! You came over to visit my dad on his


    birthday but you didn¡¯t even turn up on my birthday! As punishment, you must down a ss of whisky!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Fine. I¡¯ll finish off this ss as punishment. I promise toe during spring next year for


    your birthday.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Okay! You have to keep your word, then!¡±


    ¡°You little brat, how can you behave so disrespectfully! He¡¯s your master, so how dare you tug on his


    goatee?¡±


    ¡°Dad, this is between me and my master, so don¡¯t interfere. Come on-it¡¯s your birthday today, so here¡¯s a


    toast to you. Happy birthday!¡± As Veronica spoke, she suddenly remembered Matthew, who was sitting


    across from her. ¡°Hey, Matthew, it¡¯s your birthday too. Thank you for sending me back home today, and


    here¡¯s a toast to you too. Happy birthday!¡±


    Veronica was truly very happy and thankful for Matthew¡¯s help.


    Meanwhile, he nodded slightly before standing up to propose a toast to Tony. ¡°Happy birthday, Mr.


    Murphy. Wishing you health and happiness


    ¡°Ha! Thank you.¡±


    They sat together and everyone was quite at ease. Their happy and joyful moment created a warm and


    inviting vibe that surrounded them. Meanwhile, Matthew, who was engrossed in such a pleasant


    environment couldn¡¯t help feeling quite rxed somehow.


    Compared to the Kings Family, such harmony and happiness were something only in his wildest dreams


    and it was something that he had never ever experienced before.


    He did drink socially and it was either as he partied wildly with his bunch of buddies or during gatherings


    with his business partners, but he was usually forced to drink on those asions. Perhaps, to be more


    urate, he couldn¡¯t avoid drinking at all. However, right now, he truly felt very happy and he was even


    quite envious of Veronica.


    He envied her for being so carefree and she could let loose of herself so easily. He also envied the


    simple and happy life that she had with an ordinary family.


    After their drinking session, Veronica and Danie cleared the table together before bringing out the two


    cakes. They ced the cakes on the table and then added candles to them.


    Just then, Veronica lit the candles before turning to Matthew and Tony, ¡°There you go-make your


    wishes. Uh... Hold on!¡±


    One of the cakes was ordered by Veronica and it was a ¡®family-themed¡¯ cake, while the other one was


    ordered by Matthew and there were auspicious birthday wishes on that cake. Just then, Matthew and


    Tony stood side by side with each other. Meanwhile, the cake ordered by Veronica was ced in front of


    Matthew, so she had intended to switch the positions of the cake.


    ¡°This is the cake I bought for my dad, so it has to be in front of him.¡± She said that while reaching out to


    shift the position of the cake.


    Unfortunately, as soon as she touched the sides of the cake, Matthew pped the back of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s


    your dad¡¯s birthday, so those auspicious birthday wishes on the


    cake suit him better.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. What¡¯s on your mind anyway?¡± Tony couldn¡¯t help interjecting,


    Meanwhile, Veronica pouted. ¡°Alright, then.¡±


    She was kind of displeased as she started to sing the birthday song, ¡°Happy birthday to you, happy


    birthday to you-¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    At that moment, Danie sang along too. As for Crayson, he continued to puff on his cigarette pipe and


    he turned his dark eyes to stare at Matthew from time to time, but he didn¡¯t say a word.


    Matthew and Tony both had birthday hats on their heads as they leaned forward to make a wish


    Meanwhile, Veronica took photos of the two of them using her phone as she sang loudly.


    ¡°Come here, Roni. Let me take a photo of you with them.¡± Danie turned to speak to Veronica.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Veronica handed over her phone to Danie and then she walked to stand in between Matthew


    and Tony for a group photo.


    Finally, they also took a group photo of all five of them using the timer mode on the phone.


    With all of that done, they finally blew out the candles and enjoyed the cakes. However, everyone was


    quite full from all the alcohol and dinner, so they didn¡¯t eat much of the cake.


    After dinner, they sat in the courtyard and chatted with each other while enjoying the starry skies.


    ¡°Matthew, Roni mentioned that you have a fianc¨¦e. Which family does shee from?¡± Danie tried to


    make conversation and she suddenly recalled that so she asked in passing


    As soon as she said that, Veronica felt her heart sink and she instantly lifted her head to nce at


    Matthew. With an awkward chuckle, she muttered, ¡°Mom, why are you asking about that? You wouldn¡¯t


    know her anyway.¡± Veronica was afraid that her mom would kick Matthew out right away if she knew that


    he was engaged to Tiffany.


    ¡°Gosh, it doesn¡¯t matter even if I don¡¯t know her! I¡¯m just trying to strike up a conversation. What do you


    think, Matthew?¡±


    After their dinner together, they had naturally be much closer and Danie no longer referred to


    Matthew like a stranger by addressing him as ¡®Young Master Matthew


    ¡°It¡¯s just a political marriage,¡± Matthew replied perfunctorily and instantly changed the topic. ¡°Roni, you


    never told me that you had a master.¡±


    It was no wonder that Veronica fought so well-it was all because she had a master to guide her.


    However, for some reason, as soon as Matthew caught sight of Crayson, he felt that this man had a


    domineering aura and thetter didn¡¯t seem like an ordinary person.


    ¡°Tsk! There are a lot of things that you¡¯re unaware of.¡± Veronica suddenly wrapped her hands around


    Crayson¡¯s neck. ¡°Master, he keeps bullying me. You must teach him a lesson on my behalfter on. I


    keep losing to him when we fight, so it¡¯s quite upsetting!¡±

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175


    ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s because you are an idiot. The years you have spent learning those skills from me have


    gone down the drain. Don¡¯t ever dere yourself as my disciple; I can¡¯t afford to be humiliated like this!¡±


    Crayson coldly snorted and responded with a look of disgust on his face while smoking a pipe.


    Veronica darted a re at him. ¡°Master, you are so cold-hearted.¡±


    Her words caused the others to burst intoughter, and Matthew enjoyed the rxing and joyful


    atmosphere a lot.


    They chatted untilte at night. In the end, Grayson wanted to go home, so Veronica and Matthew sent


    him back before they headed back to the house with a torchlight.


    The soft hoots of the nightjars echoed in the old, dense and foggy forest. Veronica clung onto Matthew,


    holding his sleeve with one hand. Her heart was in her mouth.


    ¡°You,¡±


    ¡°Ah! You startled me!¡±


    Veronica was given a fright when Matthew had barely said a word. She pped his shoulder and


    muttered, ¡°You nearly gave me a heart attack!¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I noticed that you are actually very timid?¡± As he rarely saw her trembling in fear, Matthew


    found her current reaction rather amusing.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not my fault!¡± She pouted. ¡°It¡¯s my damn Master¡¯s fault. He told me that this is the path that


    the grim reapers usually take. Ever since then, I have always been frightened when I pass by this area.¡±


    ¡°Hoot!¡± As soon as she said that, a nightjar suddenly hooted and it startled her. In response, Veronica


    grabbed Matthew by his arm and buried her head against his chest, embracing him with all her strength.


    At that moment, she could swear to God that this was the most pathetic day she had ever had in her life.


    She wasn¡¯t afraid of enemies, height, violence-both verbally and physically-nor was she afraid of


    darkness when she was living in a vibrant city. Nevertheless, she was afraid of darkness when she was


    back in her hometown, and she was so terrified to the point of being unable to leave the house at night.


    The sudden embrace of the woman warmed Matthew¡¯s chest, and the faint fragrance of her hair that


    lingered in the air felt familiar and nice.


    Matthew froze on the spot. His arms that were hanging by his sides stiffened for a second before he


    raised them up to pat her on her back. ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to happen. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The hand that was holding the shlight went around her waist while the other gently pinched her


    earlobe. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Roni. I¡¯m here with you.¡±


    His actions felt so familiar to Veronica.


    When she was startled as a child, her grandmother used to touch her ear and shout loudly, ¡°Veronica,


    don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here.¡±


    An inexplicable sense of reassurance swept over her and her fear diminished.


    It was only then did she realize that she was practically glued to Matthew; she could even feel his


    warmth through the thinyer of clothing between them.


    Her petite face flushed crimson as she pushed him away. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I nearly jumped out of my skin.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Matthew followed her from behind and together they traveled down the mountain.


    As they walked, he suddenly asked, ¡°I have a question. Could you help me to analyze


    it?¡±


    1


    ¡°What do you need me to analyze?¡±


    ¡°I have an¡­ old friend. He is going to marry his pregnant fianc¨¦e very soon, but he suddenly realized


    that he has fallen in love with another woman. Have you ever encountered anything like this?¡± he asked


    in an indirect manner.


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ll give a good beating to this sort of jerk if I ever see one. What a thrash!¡±


    As a woman, Veronica empathized with the woman from Matthew¡¯s story strongly. She red at him and


    barked, ¡°As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. You are not half-decent yourself. If it wasn¡¯t


    for the fact that I didn¡¯t diligently practice martial arts with my master, I would have castrated yo¨´ when


    you touched me back then!¡±


    Did I step on her toe? ¡°I-I was talking about an acquaintance of mine. What do you think he should do


    now?¡± Matthew rubbed his nose guiluly.


    ¡°What should he do? This sort of man should be castrated He impregnated his fianc¨¦e and now he


    wants to leave all the mess behind him? Such an a*shole. Even if he were to marry his fianc¨¦e, they


    wouldn¡¯t be happy after marriage but if he didn¡¯t marry his fianc¨¦e, the child she¡¯s carrying would only


    be a victim. It would also be difficult for his fianc¨¦e to have a happy marriage in the future.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°So he should just die! Hmph!¡±


    The question reminded Veronica of her past entanglement with Matthew, which enraged her. In a fit of


    rage, she stomped on Matthew¡¯s foot and twisted her foot for a few seconds before snorting coldly and


    leaving angrily.


    At that moment, even the dark wasn¡¯t scary to her.


    Matthew hissed and he wriggled his left toe for a bit before chasing after her.


    A jerk? Am I really a jerk? Maybe I am. Otherwise, I wouldn¡®t have slept with Tiffany


    when I was intoxicated and impregnated her. Will I choose ¡®her¡® if Tiffany is not pregnant? By ¡®her¡¯, he


    naturally meant Veronica.


    Without giving it any further thought, he went after Veronica and headed back with her.


    After they returned home, Veronica directly returned to her room and mmed the door shut behind her.


    Danie naturally noticed her unusual behavior, and so she asked him, ¡°Matthew, what¡¯s wrong with the


    girl?¡±


    ¡°Roni¡­ fell down when she was walking just now. So, she was mad.¡±


    He randomly found an excuse that even he himself found unbelievable.


    Yet, Danie bought his lie. ¡°Silly girl! She didn¡¯t pay attention while walking and now she¡¯s mad. Forget


    it, let¡¯s not mind her. Matthew, you can sleep over there; I¡¯ve prepared your bed. You can take a shower


    in the bathroom too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Murphy.¡±


    ¡°Drop the courtesy. It¡¯ste; you should get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Good night, Mrs. Murphy.¡± With that, Matthew returned to his room.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    There were a pair of clean slippers and a set of pajamas in the room. The pajamas looked old-fashioned,


    so it probably was a new, unworn pajamas that had been bought for Tony.


    He briefly washed up and returned to the room to go to bed.


    The next morning, after Matthew woke up, he went to the yard, only to bump into Veronica, who was


    about to go for a jog.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    He was dressed in a tidy suit that seemed as immacte as ever, looking bright and energetic as he


    stood before her. With a warm smile, he greeted her. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Veronica cast a cold re at him and directly ran out of the yard to jog along the road.


    Seeing that she was still pissed, he didn¡¯t follow along.


    ¡°Matthew, why are you up so early? It¡¯s only 6.00 AM. Why didn¡¯t you sleep in a bit?¡± Danie, who was


    busy in the kitchen, walked out and saw that Matthew had gotten out of bed, so she chatted with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough sleep.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, then. I¡¯ve prepared your toothbrush and towel. You can go ahead and wash up,¡± Danie


    said, pointing at the toiletries on the table.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Murphy.¡±


    The man was humble and polite. The amiable smile on his handsome face made him seem less


    intimidating and more friendly.


    After his morning routine, Matthew took a walk in the yard. It was rather enjoyable to listen to the


    chickens chirping, dogs barking and pigs grunting. It was a rxing country life indeed.


    Veronica¡¯s house was located by the road. Within thepound, there was a small courtyard, arge


    yard near the main entrance and a tiny small reservoir at the side.


    It was a fine autumn morning. The breeze was cool and a thin mist lingered at the water surface.


    Meanwhile, crystal-clear water droplets hung at the end of the branches and leaves, and soft chirping of


    the birds echoed in the background. It was a pleasant atmosphere that rxed one¡¯s body and mind


    Danie, who had done her chores in the kitchen, weni to the yard. She wiped her hands on her apron


    as she said, ¡°Matthew, is Veronica back? It¡¯s almost time for breakfast. Please ask that girl toe back


    to eat.¡±

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176


    ¡°Okay, sure. I¡¯ll go and look for her,¡± Matthew nodded and replied. Then, he walked up to the road and


    surveyed the surrounding area before she spotted Veronica running in a distance.


    He sauntered toward her. The girl in sports attire wore her hair in a ponytail, causing it to sway in the air


    as she ran non-stop. She seemed exuberant, exuding the vibe of a youngdy, which made the man


    break into a smile that came from his heart.


    She ran and ran, and soon arrived before him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Veronica impatiently muttered


    without even ncing at him.


    ¡°Mrs. Murphy had me ask you to go home for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± she coldly uttered before she walked around him and left.


    However, after barely taking a few steps, Veronica noticed that Matthew didn¡¯t catch up with her, so


    paused in her tracks. Turning her head, she looked at him and asked, ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go


    back to eat. We can head over to Bloomstead then.¡±


    Matthew tilted his body to gaze at the ripples on the water that were formed by gentle breeze. ¡°The


    scenery is as pretty as a picture; there¡¯s no need for us to rush back.¡±


    ¡°No need to rush back?¡±


    There¡®s no such need for you, but there is for me! Veronica grabbed the towel hanging around her neck


    and wiped the sweat on her fair face, panting as she said, ¡°You are getting married in less than 10 days.


    You don¡¯t see the need to be in a hurry, but there are those who do.¡±


    The man raised his dark brows. ¡°That has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Veronica grumbled to


    herself, Damn you! If you don¡®t have anything to do with it, who does? ¡°No, I¡¯m now in charge of your


    wedding nning and I¡¯m in the midst of a serious preparation, so we can¡¯t afford to dy things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact Thomas to have him take full respon¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Before Matthew managed to finish his sentence, Veronica stepped forward in a fluster and


    interrupted, ¡°Since the task has been given to me, I have to make sure that


    it ispleted. How can I hand it over to Thomas halfway through?¡±


    A person¡¯s true intention would be revealed if one failed to maintain theirposure. Veronica had been


    against Matthew¡¯s marriage with Tiffany ever since the very beginning. Thus, her current unusual


    proactiveness caused Matthew to smell a rat.


    He turned to her, darting her a profound nce as he appraised her, as though he was trying to


    prate her thoughts through her eyes.


    Veronica¡¯s heart leapt into her mouth and she was so nervous that she clenched the towel in her hands.


    She immediately exined, ¡°I¡¯ve told you that I can help you n your wedding, but you have to manage


    your fianc¨¦e. If your fianc¨¦e steps beyond the line, I¡¯ll take action on her. I wish that you won¡¯t involve my


    parents in this. This is our agreement, so I¡­ I have to fulfill it.¡± Her mind started to race in search for an


    exnation.


    Matthew stared at her with a sharp gaze, as though he was secretly analyzing how true her words were.


    At that moment, Danie happened to walk up to the road and she called out to them. ¡°Why are you two


    standing over there? Come back and have breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Coming, Mom.¡± Veronica responded to Danie before saying to Matthew, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to eat.


    My parents must have been waiting for some time.¡±


    And so, the two of them returned home to have breakfast.


    They sat at the dining table and chatted over the meal.


    Tony seemed to have recalled something when he raised his head and asked Veronica, ¡°Speaking of


    which, Veronica, I heard from your mother that Xavier had an appendectomy. How is he doing now?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Veronica was stunned by the question at first, but she then let out an awkward smile. ¡°Oh¨Che¡¯s


    fine. He made a speedy recovery.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    She had randomly mentioned Xavier¡¯s condition previously and yet, they kept that in


    mind. Fortunately, I didn¡®t tell them about my injury; they would be worried sick if I did, she eximed


    inwardly.


    Although her arm had recovered from the past injury, a scar remained and she couldn¡¯t exert too much


    strength with that arm. Therefore, she had to wear long


    sleeves when she went back home, and she paid extra attention to everything she did to hide her injury


    from them.


    ¡°Matthew, when are you two going to return to Bloomstead? I¡¯ll tag along as well. Xavier is dating


    Veronica now, so it¡¯s only appropriate that we go and pay him a visit after his surgery,¡± Danie said to


    Matthew as she ate.


    Matthew scooped up some food and fed it into his mouth. Chewing it slowly, he gazed at Veronica.


    Xavier had an appendectomy? Why wasn¡®t I informed about it?


    Yesterday at noon, when Matthew had gone to his partner¡¯spany, he saw Xavier alive and kicking;


    thetter looked nothing like a weak patient who just had an appendectomy.


    Upon noticing Matthew¡¯s prating gaze, Veronica cast him a fierce re that contained resentment


    and anger. Then, she smiled at her parents. ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no need to do that. Xavier has been busy


    lately, so you won¡¯t be able to see him even if you go and visit him.¡±


    As she spoke, she kicked Matthew¡¯s leg under the table, demanding for his cooperation.


    It was only then that it dawned on him why she had lied-she probably had no choice but to make up a lie


    when he had urged her to return to Bloomstead the day before.


    Nevertheless, it was also the same incident that allowed him to learn that Veronica was actually in a


    rtionship with Xavier!


    ¡°I agree with you, Mrs. Murphy. Since they are currently dating, it¡¯s inappropriate if you don¡¯t go at this


    time,¡± Matthew casually chimed in.


    As soon as he had said that, Veronica jerked her head in his direction, shooting him a re so vicious


    that it could burn a hole in him.


    ¡°Matthew Kings, what the hell is wrong with you?!¡± Using her cutlery to shield her mouth, Veronica


    thundered at him-silently, though. In fact, the words were mouthed at him, but the intelligent Matthew was


    able to read her lips.


    Instead of being enraged, he shed a smile at her and said to Danie, ¡°We will be heading back to


    Bloomstead shortly after this. You cane along with us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s goo~¡±


    ¡°Mom, that¡¯s not good!¡± Veronica, who had finally run out of ideas, pped the table in rage. She put


    down her cutlery and red at Matthew again before she let out a helpless sigh.


    Her reaction startled her parents. ¡°Roni, what exactly happened? Is Xavier very ill?¡± Danie¡¯s


    expression fell and she could feel a tightness in her chest.


    ¡°You little brat, just tell us-why are you sighing? You are making your mom and I worried,¡± Tony muttered


    in displeasure.


    As things hade to this point, Veronica couldn¡¯t hide the truth from her parents any longer.


    With her lips pursed, she looked at her adoptive parents guiltily. ¡°Truth is¡­ I¡¯m not dating Xavier. I don¡¯t


    like him at all. We just put up a show to deceive the two of you.¡±


    As a matter of fact, it was merely a show that they had put up. With Xavier being a yboy, even if he


    had some feelings for her, it was surely born out of novelty.


    Back then, Veronica had had no choice but to lie that she was in a rtionship with Xavier, and that


    included the time when she had dered to Matthew that she fancied Xavier. After all, she had been


    wary of the Larson Family, and it was also because of the fact that she was staying in Matthew¡¯s


    apartment at that time. Therefore, she had to use Xavier as an excuse to stop Matthew from having any


    feelings for her.


    At present, Matthew was going to get married soon and Veronica had confessed to him about her


    rtionship with Tiffany. Therefore, she believed that Tiffany wouldn¡¯t take any actions on her because of


    this.


    In addition, after the two of them got married, Matthew wouldn¡¯t allow Tiffany to do anything to Veronica


    either.


    Hence, thetter had the courage to confess the truth right in front of Matthew.


    Then, she added, ¡°I know that you guys think that Xavier has a powerful background and he will protect


    and support me in the future. However, he is not a good choice for a life partner. Everyone in Bloomstead


    knows that Xavier is a yboy who has countless women by his side. In fact, I don¡¯t like him at all, so the


    two of us¡­ we can only be friends.¡±

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177


    ¡°You¡­¡± At this moment, Tony put his cutlery down on the table with a m. ¡°What are you talking


    about?!¡±


    ¡°But if you don¡¯t like Xavier, why did you rush back to Bloomstead yesterday?¡± Danie was somewhat


    disbelieving of Veronica¡¯s words.


    Hence, Veronica could only exin, ¡°I rushed back to Bloomstead yesterday because Elizabeth is my


    god-grandmother. She wanted me to be in charge of Matthew¡¯s wedding ns with his fianc¨¦e and when


    we hit a snag, I had to rush back. I lied because I was afraid I would worry you both.¡±


    Even if this was also a lie, Veronica was secretly vexed with herself for not having thought of this excuse


    the previous day.


    Sitting nearby, Matthew stared at her in stunned silence as her words echoed through his brain.


    She said. She doesn¡®t like Xavier. All of it is just an act!An act¡­


    ¡°You brat! Leave it to you to get up to such nonsense because your father and I spoiled you!¡± Furious,


    Danie threw down her cutlery and stood up, stalking back to her room and mming the door shut


    after her.


    ¡°Look how angry you made your mother!¡± Tony shook his head before continuing in a lower voice, ¡°Let¡¯s


    drop it. Eat your breakfast and once you¡¯re done, you should leave. Your mom will stop being angry at


    you in a few days.¡±


    Upset and feeling utterly guilty, Veronica hung her head like a child who had done something wrong. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, Dad. I¡¯ve let you both down.¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. You should eat and leave. I¡¯m going to see your mom.¡± With a wave of


    his hand, he followed Danie into the bedroom.


    Just like that, Veronica lost her appetite. ring coldly and menacingly at Matthew, she kicked his leg


    viciously before snapping, ¡°What are you looking at? I bet you¡¯re happy now, you jerk!¡±


    Feeling like he had just been on a rollercoaster, Matthew bit back a yelp of pain before getting up and


    following her out of the house.


    After they got into the car, they left.


    On the way back, Veronica stayed silent.


    Meanwhile, he was still thinking about what she said.


    I know you think Xavier is rich and powerful enough to protect me and keep me safe. Keep her safe?Was


    it from the Larsons or I?


    The question lingered in his brain, and even Matthew himself couldn¡¯te up with a clear answer.


    By the time they reached Bloomstead a few hourster, it was already noon.


    Driving her up to the entrance of the One Piece Restaurant, Matthew proposed somewhat timidly and


    with unprecedented gentleness, ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together.¡±


    ¡°If you want to eat, you can eat by yourself!¡± Veronica growled before flinging the car door open and


    mming it shut after she got out.


    As he watched her stalk away through the rearview mirror, he could not help the smile that curled up at


    the corners of his lips.


    In the following days, the both of them did not see each other.


    Veronica changed the name of the newly established weddingpany to ¡®Encounters Bridal Store.!


    After hiring a new assistant and a wedding design director, they set up the venue of the wedding


    together.


    Given how busy she was, she had no time to rent a new ce and simply slept overnight at her office


    every day.


    Although Matthew called her during that period, she declined his call and simply told him via WhatsApp


    that she was very busy decorating the wedding venue.


    Yet, despite ignoring him, Veronica still went out to eat and drink with Xavier.


    Finally, on the night before the wedding, she finished setting up the venue.


    However, since the wedding taking ce on the next day was Matthew¡¯s wedding and thus would be


    attended by socialites from all walks of life, Veronica couldn¡¯t help being somewhat nervous.


    Sure enough, it was not easy working for him.


    That evening, it wasn¡¯t only her, but the entire staff of the bridalpany who had to stay backte,


    Before they got off work, she called apany-wide meeting and instructed them over and over,


    ¡°Tomorrow is the wedding ceremony of Matthew Kings. The Kings Family is the most powerful of The


    Four Big Families of Bloomstead, and his wedding will be attended by socialites and business tycoons


    alike. The wedding must go off without a hitch. I want all of you to put in all of your effort¡ªthat includes


    the lighting team, the wedding design team, the photography and videography team, and the operations


    team for hosting, music rehearsal, and video yback.¡±


    Uneasily, Veronica stared at the employees inside the meeting room, afraid that something would go


    wrong the next day.


    In order to get the best deal, she had invested too much and too deeply in this wedding. This meant that


    if she failed, she would lose everything.


    Since she was in dire straits, she could only be determined not to fail.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Veronica. We¡¯ll put our all into it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll sink or swim with you, President Murphy!¡±


    ¡°Even the power generators are set up. Unless something unforeseeable happens tomorrow, nothing will


    go wrong.¡±


    ¡°The makeup and wardrobe team are ready to go at any moment.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be too nervous, President Murphy. Matthew Kings¡¯ fianc¨¦e is your sister, and she


    wouldn¡¯t me you even if anything were to go awry,¡± someone suddenly uttered in a strange tone amid


    the crowd.


    Even if Veronica hadn¡¯t been with them for long, their investment in this meant they knew not just that


    Tiffany was the bride, but that she looked exactly like Veronica.


    Thus, some of them assumed that Veronica had obtained her oversized wedding order through some


    connections.


    However, as soon as that person spoke, Veronica nced over sharply. ¡°Put away your pointless


    assumptions. If we seed tomorrow, we will be receiving wedding orders nonstop, and you will all


    profit. If we fail, well¡­ tomorrow will be the day this


    Even though she was doing all of this to earn Mathews money, Veronica had been so busy researching


    constantly these past few days, and she even sought wisdom from the owner of a well-known wedding


    company overseas through video¨Cconference calls. She didn¡¯t have the time to eat.


    Presently, she told her employees, ¡°Once this wedding goes off perfectly, thepany will reward you


    400,000.¡±


    Although that was arge number, Veronica had to invest heavily to ensure that the wedding went


    smoothly.


    And then, once she collected her fees from Matthew, that amount of money would be worth nothing.


    ¡°Four hundred thousand?¡±


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s very generous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s at least 10,000 per person!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d better put our backs into it, then.¡±


    Nervous and excited, the employees whispered among themselves.


    Before this, the weddingpany was doing extremely badly, and the employees were gradually


    bingzier and more passive. Now that Veronica had received such an expensive, luxurious order


    from the Kingses immediately after taking over, they were bing excited alongside her.


    ¡°After the wedding, we¡¯ll have a celebration feast. When the timees, we¡¯ll hold a sweepstake, with


    the grand prize being 150,000 and the lowest prize being an LCD TV. In addition, your sries will be


    doubled,¡± Veronica added.


    Just like that, the meeting room was in an uproar. All of the employees were thrilled and even more keen


    to put all of their efforts into it now.


    As the saying went, anyone could be bought if the price was high enough.


    Finally having obtained their interest and enthusiasm, Veronica secretly let out a sigh of relief.


    Meanwhile, at the Spinfluence Group, even though Matthew was about to get married tomorrow, he was


    still going through his files and workingte into the night.


    Upon seeing howte it was, Thomas walked into the office and said, ¡°It¡¯s already in the early hours of


    the morning, Young Master Matthew, and your wedding with Miss Larson takes ce tomorrow. You


    should get some resi.¡±

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178


    As his head was suill buried in his work, Matthew stared at the document on his desk and carelessly


    asked, ¡°How¡¯s the decoration of the venueing along?¡±


    ¡°Thepany that Miss Murphy has taken over has given their all the whole time. The result¡­ has


    exceeded expectations.¡±


    Although Thomas was somewhat worried when the wedding ceremony was first handed over to Veronica


    and even secretly kept notes on her progress as well as a backup team, heter found out that she had


    taken over a wedding nningpany and was about to submit her proposal to him.


    After perusing the proposal, he found that it was perfect and was stunned a few hours ago when he saw


    the venue that had been erected.


    At this moment, Matthew capped his pen after scrawling his signature on the document and raised an


    eyebrow at Thomas. ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡±


    ¡°You can tell how much work Miss Murphy has thrown into it.¡±


    ¡°When has she ever not put any work into earning my money?¡± Matthew asked with a faint smile. Then,


    suddenly thinking of something, he continued, ¡°How much is she asking for?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Thomas paused before lifting a hand to rub his nose. ¡°Three hundred million.¡±


    It had to be said that such a prosperous wedding would naturally be exorbitant.


    Once again, Matthew raised an eyebrow with a silent smile at Thomas.


    Seeing how quiet his boss was, Thomas continued, ¡°A hundred and fifty million has been paid in


    advance. The rest will be paid after the wedding ceremony.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Matthew inclined his head.


    Then, he rose to his feet, walked over to the bar, and poured them each a ss of wine.


    After that, he strolled over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked at Bloomstead¡¯s nightscape,


    whereupon he fell into silence.


    Frowning slightly, Thomas nced at Matthew and summoned his courage after a


    moment of hesitation. ¡°Do you want to see Miss Murphy off after you marry Miss Larson, Young Master


    Matthew?¡±


    There was an obvious meaning in Thomas¡¯ words He was reminding Matthew that once he married


    Tiffany, he would have to let go of Veronica.


    That was precisely something that Matthew pondered as well.


    ¡°Miss Murphy has a strong will and would never yield to others. Once you marry Miss Larson, nothing will


    ever happen between you and Miss Murphy again.¡± When it came to Veronica, Thomas rarely brought


    her up in front of Matthew and would analyze the stakes whenever he had to do so.


    As expected, Matthew¡¯s face darkened and his gaze turned cold.


    Even though he didn¡¯t like what Thomas said, he had to admit that Thomas was right.


    The man casually lifted his ss and downed his drink. Then, after he ced his ss down, he pulled


    his coat from the rack and strode out of the office, saying, ¡°You don¡¯t need to follow me.¡±


    And just like that, Thomas stopped in his tracks.


    After going downstairs, Matthew took a cab to Encounters Bridal Store.


    As he nced up at the out-of-the-way, ramshackle, and sparsely furnished three story wedding


    company, he shook his head with a helpless smile.


    How on earth had this damn woman managed to search for such a ce?


    And how much would she earn by asking for 300 million?


    Pushing open the car door, he stepped out and buttoned up his coat before entering the wedding


    nningpany.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry, sir, but we¡¯re closed-Oh my, y-you¡¯re Young Master Matthew, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The busy employees in the lobby were prepared to kick their visitor out, only to find that it was Matthew


    once they fixed their eyes on him.


    At this moment, he was in a tailored suit that perfectlyplimented his sturdy


    figure. Every step he took showed off his aristocratic bearing, and his handsome face was so wless


    and beautiful that he resembled a Greek sculpture. It was hard to look away from him.


    ¡°Wow, President Kings is so handsome.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®President Kings? Call him Young Master Matthew. You¡¯re right, though; he truly is


    an Adonis.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s even more handsome than he is in the pictures.¡±


    ¡°Y-Young Master Matthew, are you looking for our boss?¡±


    The employees in the lobby flocked to wee him.


    In response, Matthew slightly nodded his head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Come with me then, Young Master Matthew. President Murphy is still working upstairs.¡± One of the


    employees gestured in wee before leading him up to the office on the second floor.


    However, when she opened the office door and walked in with him, they discovered that Veronica had


    fallen asleep at her desk.


    Just as the employee was about to wake Veronica up, Matthew held a finger to his lips in a shushing


    motion. His actions were so suave that they were unintentionally seductive.


    A single nce was all it took for the employee to fall head over heels and blush scarlet against her will.


    Oblivious to her internal turmoil, he beckoned for her toe with him and the moment they left the


    office, he asked, ¡°Has she been swamped with worktely?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she hasn¡¯t rested well for a few nights because of the wedding.¡±


    ¡°I see. Return to your work then.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Young Master Matthew. Would you like tea or coffee?¡± she asked.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Neither. Go on.¡± After dismissing the employee with a wave of his hand, Matthew entered the office


    again to gently shut the door behind him before he sat down on the couch to stare at the woman who


    was sound asleep.


    She had alreadycked sleep. If she hadn¡¯t rested well for the past few nights because of the wedding,


    he didn¡¯t have to be told that she was getting little sleep.


    At the thought of it, Matthew couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat guilty since the nning of a wedding


    shouldn¡¯t have been handed to someone unfamiliar with the industry like her. She wouldn¡¯t have been


    under so much stress otherwise.


    He sat for a while. It was already one in the morning now, but she showed no signs of waking up.


    So, Matthew walked out of the office and dismissed all the employees before returning to her office


    where he removed his coat andid it on her.


    s, his actions had woken Veronica up.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ How did I fall asleep?¡± she mumbled with her eyes shut. ¡°What time is it? Have we inspected


    the venue-F*ck!¡± When she saw his gigantic face looming in front of her the moment she opened her


    eyes, she instantly panicked and woke up. ¡°Matt¨Ccough, Bro, what are you doing here?¡±


    As her heart pounded, Veronica let out a ttering smile and addressed him in the manner that she was


    supposed to¡ª¡¯Bro.


    ¡°What about it? My little sister has started apany. As her brother, shouldn¡¯t I visit her?¡± The man had


    one hand on her desk and the other hand on her shoulder while giving a meaningful smile.


    His intent was obvious.


    It was enough to cause Veronica¡¯s heart to thump.


    F*ck, she was screwed because he had discovered her.


    This son of a b*tch couldn¡¯t be here to ask for a discount, could he?


    As Veronica¡¯s mind spun rapidly, she shook her head with a sigh. ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t bring it up. I initially tried to


    hire a weddingpany to do the nning at first, but once they all heard that it was for the Kings and


    realized that they might have to close down if they did the project badly enough to offend you all, they


    refused to take the case. With no other choice, I could only purchase apany and receive your order


    at great risk,¡± she exined seriously, willing her heart and her expression not to betray her.


    She internally apuded herself for thinking on her feet.


    ¡°I see.¡° Matthew gave a half smile before responding, ¡°Well, since it¡¯s yourpany and you¡¯re my little


    sister, shouldn¡¯t you give me a discount?¡±


    ¡°A discount?¡±

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179


    I knew it. Matthew is just another a*shole. ¡°Oh, no, no, no. Even if we¡¯re biological siblings, I still wouldn¡¯t


    give the discount. I have tens of people under my employment and the decor of your wedding venue is


    all using the state-of-the-art imported materials. Do you know how expensive that is? You can p me,


    but you cannot expect me to p on a different price tag on all this!¡±


    It¡¯s three hundred million we¡¯re talking about here. A ten percent discount already amounts to thirty


    million.


    My legs would be broken way before my stance on this matter ever breaks! Matthew, who had a subtle


    smile on his handsome face, replied, ¡°p you? Sure, but have you thought about whether it would be


    on the right or left cheek?¡± ¡±


    You choose. Whether it¡¯s the right or left cheek, I¡¯m fine with either one.¡± A determined Veronica stuck


    her face out in front of him while she braced herself for the p. Looking at the petite woman with her


    short hair that framed her fair, wless face with a pair of big, bright eyes and long, thick eyshes at


    such a close distance, he felt that she looked just like a fluttering butterfly.


    Her clear innocent gaze made her look yful and adorable. When she smiled, she looked like the pretty


    and innocent neighbor girl whom everybody liked. On the contrary, when she had the poker face, she


    would radiate a sense of femme fatale that fooled people into thinking she was aloof. All of these made


    him fall head over heels for her.


    Although she had disyed abination of being stand-offish and innocent, there was nothing out of


    the ordinary. How could there be such a woman in this world? Matthew never thought that he would be


    charmed by a woman in that manner one fine day.


    ¡°Let¡¯s quickly get this over with! Once you have pped me, I won¡¯t have to give you a discount,¡±


    Veronica reminded as she looked at him. Listening to her, heughed out loud. Then, after seeing him


    raise his hand, she immediately shut her eyes when she saw his handing. Yet, the p that she


    waited for never came. Instead, she could feel the man¡¯s big and warm palm gently touching her cheek.


    Veronica pushed him away with a frown. ¡±


    Are you actually taking advantage of me right now, Matthew Kings?¡± As he staggered backward, the man


    had a slightly cold look as he grabbed onto her elbow. Stepping back, he ced his thumb directly in


    front of her nose. ¡°Have a whiff; what does it smell like?¡± ¡°Ew, it stinks. Did you poop in your hands or


    something?¡± Veronica covered her nostrils in disdain. Matthew nodded seriously and wiped his hands


    with a tissue that he took out from under the desk. ¡°I didn¡¯t go to the toilet earlier.¡± ¡°Then, why does your


    hand stink so badly?¡± ¡°You have to ask yourself that question.¡± ¡±


    Ask¡­ myself?¡± Veronica was caught in a daze before she subconsciously touched her face. To her


    surprise, it was moist. Then, she sniffed her hand. Oh my, it¡­ really stinks¡­ Is this my saliva? This is so


    embarrassing that I could die. ¡°Hahaha, I was asleep earlier. My apologies for that, hahaha.¡± She quickly


    used a few tissue papers to wipe her face. As she was in the midst of wiping her face, she noticed the


    undisguised smile on Matthew¡¯s face. With a stern face, she asked angrily, ¡±


    What are you smiling at? Don¡¯t you drool while sleeping? Gosh!¡± After retracting his smile, he instead


    answered in a low voice, ¡°Properly wipe your face. You wouldn¡¯t want any sh*t to touch your hands.¡±


    Veronica had never thought that Matthew would use such a vulgar word. ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°This was what you


    said.¡± As Matthew shrugged, he syed out his arms and gestured, as if it didn¡¯t involve him. An


    annoyed Veronica thenughed at herself.


    Although women like her behaved in a tactless manner, they were a straightforward and honest person,


    which many people would struggle not to like. Looking at her, Matthew only felt his heart racing. A


    thought crossed his mind in that instant and it made him want to embrace her there and then, but he did


    not dare to do so. He remembered that when he first knew this woman, he had acted in an unscrupulous


    manner toward her, causing her to be deeply hurt. She being hurt was something that he wanted to avoid


    seeing ever again. So, this is what it feels like when love is so near yet so far. ¡°Hello, Earth to Matthew?


    What are you thinking about? Did you hear me calling you?¡±


    Veronica had already said a few things to him, but he merely stood there and stared at her in a daze.


    Waving her hand in front of him, she then pushed him when there was no reaction from him. This finally


    made the man regain hisposure after being in deep thought. ¡°So, has the wedding venue been fully


    decorated?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all done.¡± Then, Veronica, who made an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture, continued, ¡°Don¡¯t think about


    deducting even a single cent from the original amount.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go for supper then.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯m famished.¡± After all, the person in front of her was a spendthrift


    even. Now that Matthew already knew that she had her ownpany as a wedding nner, Veronica


    did not dare to offend him. Seeing as to how she would be receiving the bnce of the payment


    tomorrow once the wedding had ended, it would be unwise of her to offend Matthew at this stage. When


    the two left thepany, they boarded Matthew¡¯s car and left. ¡±


    What do you want to eat?¡± he asked. After thinking for a while, a sly Veronica replied, ¡°You¡¯re my VIP


    now, so I should be the one treating you. As you¡¯ll be married tomorrow, let¡¯s eat something simple since


    you should be resting earlier too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your opinion about me marrying her?¡± Matthew, who was


    driving, hesitated for a while before suddenly asking the question. Veronica was seated on the front


    passenger seat and snorted. ¡°What does your marriage to her have to do with me? All you have to do is


    look after her well. I don¡¯t really have any opinion about this.¡±


    The scum marrying the tramp¡ªwhat a match made in heaven. Her answer was something that he failed


    to predict, yet he thought that it was within reason. A hint of disappointment then shed across


    Matthew¡¯s face. After a long while, he finally replied, ¡°So, what ns do you have for the future? Are you


    going to leave Bloomstead?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ Forget it. I don¡¯t think I will be leaving anytime soon, though.¡±


    Veronica originally wanted to leave the city since she no longer wanted to run into the Larsons,


    but now that she started her own wedding nnerpany, she had a sweet taste of sess and


    wanted to continue managing it. Although it was Matthew¡¯s wedding tomorrow, it was also a chance for


    her to promote her business. At that point, there would be more business opportunities for her. The good


    days wereing, so why should she leave? I¡¯m not going to leave. ¡°I don¡¯t think Bloomstead suits you,¡±


    Matthew uttered after a brief moment of silence. Moments after he finished speaking, Veronica burst in


    rage. ¡°Are you crazy, Matthew? You were the one who wanted me toe to


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Bloomstead and now, you¡¯re the one who wants me to leave. What? Is Bloomstead your home where


    you can order me toe and get lost as you wish?¡± Bloody hell, does he think that just because he¡¯s


    rich, he can y God? Although she was livid, he maintained his focus on the road ahead as if he did not


    hear what she had said. However, if one had observed carefully, they would notice him tightly gripping


    the steering wheel and acting like


    he was holding himself back. Ever since he was young, Matthew had always been a person with a clear


    target. Once he had something in his sights, he would stop at nothing to obtain that particr something.


    Yet, now that he had everything, he discovered that all he wanted was¡­ actually Veronica herself!


    However, reality


    had a different path for him; Tiffany had saved his life once and now bore his child while his grandmother


    had contracted Alzheimer¡¯s and now wanted great-grandchildren. The mounting pressure from


    everything didn¡¯t permit him to reject the wedding. Since it was his responsibility, he had to honor his


    word. No matter


    what one chose in life, one would always lose something in return. For his case, was there even another


    option that he could choose from at this point? There wasn¡¯t. When someone was born into the Kings


    Family, they were expected to fulfill the part delegated to them.

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180


    As the sessor of the Kings Family, his wife had to be someone with both the looks and the


    background topliment him. This was an unwritten iron rule. After being scolded by Veronica,


    Matthew did not say anything. ¡°Turn right in front, we¡¯re going to Sam¡¯s Food Stall,¡± Veronica said angrily.


    Once the car came to a stop, they alighted and walked to the stall. The stall was already rather empty at


    1:00AM. Now that they were seated outside, they ordered some braised vegetables and barbeque


    skewers along with two dozen beers and started to drink. Matthew, who had never been to such a


    shabby roadside stall, would usually feel disgusted by this ce.


    However, for some unknown reason, he did not have such thoughts. It was as if the person sitting in front


    of him had made everything perfect for him. After opening two beers, Veronica handed one to Matthew


    while she was holding another one in her hand. Then, she proceeded to chug it. ¡°It¡¯s boring to just drink


    beer.


    Hey, boss, I¡¯ll have two bottles of white wine,¡± an unhappy Veronica said as she looked like she had been


    affected by Matthew¡¯s words. After receiving the order, the stall owner proceeded to serve them with a


    few bottles of white win. As Matthew apanied her to drink, he thought that the alcohol tasted terrible


    since it had a rough taste and singed his tongue. However, he wasn¡¯t picky and continued to drink with


    Veronica in the silence.


    ¡°Matthew, do you know that you¡¯re every bit as loathing as your fiancee? Just because you both have a


    bit of money and power, you guys think that you can control others as you wish.¡± A drunken man¡¯s words


    were a sober man¡¯s thoughts. After a few mouthfuls of white wine, Veronica was pointing at Matthew as


    she scolded him. The man reached out to take some green beans and took a bite before discovering that


    it had a decent taste and paired quite well with alcohol.


    He was at a loss for words when he listened to Veronica speaking. The barbecue skewers that they


    ordered arrived after a short while. Looking at the skewers that were peppered with spices, Matthew


    frowned and merely stared at it for a long time without touching it. Noticing his face full of disdain,


    Veronica rolled her eyes. ¡°What are you staring at? Eat it. It¡¯s not like the food is poisoned. Is it really that


    hard to make you eat it?¡±


    Then, as she handed amb skewer to him, she added, ¡°Here, try it. I promise you won¡¯t die from just a


    bite!¡± For some reason, seeing Matthew act all high and mighty created a me of rage inside her. A


    hesitant Matthew¡¯s eyebrows were deeply furrowed as he was still unwilling to have a bite. Then, he


    finally took the proffered skewer and ate the meat. At first, all he could taste was the spice. Then, after


    having more bites, he found that the taste was indeed something refreshing. He now understood why so


    many people loved barbeque skewers as it really tasted quite okay in his opinion. ¡±


    So, is it tasty?¡± she asked as she tilted her head. Matthew nodded. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°See, I told you so. It¡¯s


    not poisonous, so it¡¯s edible.¡± While holding a skewer with one hand and the white wine in the other


    hand, Veronica toasted, ¡°Let us toast on asion for¡­ your happy wedding.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Come, let¡¯s toast


    again. Since you¡¯re my brother and a wealthy man, remember to foot the bill tomorrow. Otherwise, our


    rtionship will be considered forfeited.¡± ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep saying that? Don¡¯t you know how to have a conversation, Matthew? It¡¯s boring to talk


    with you.¡± ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°I want to talk about¡­ nothing. This is so frustrating.¡± Some


    people would often chat until the conversation suddenly ended in awkward silence. After being


    exasperated by Matthew, Veronica drank like there was no tomorrow. It wasn¡¯t long before the two of


    them emptied all four bottles of white wine, after


    which she requested for more alcohol from the owner. The two were caught in a rare moment where they


    were having a meal together as they sat in the slightly chilly spring night. While being deep in thought,


    Matthew frequently gazed at Veronica and felt that his heart was weighed down by a rock, which made it


    feel heavy. He had never felt so suffocated before. Matthew never had a moment when he wanted to


    make the woman in front of him his than now.


    Although he liked her a lot, he did not dare to act on his desire because he was like what Veronica said¡ª


    just a scummy Casanova. He did not want her to have an impression of him as a yboy. Both of them


    drank until two in the morning where both were already in a drunken stupor then. ¡°Let¡¯s head home,¡±


    Matthew said. ¡°We should. Otherwise, we might cause your wedding to be dyed.¡± As she rose to her


    feet, she went to pick up the tab.


    When they entered the car, he wanted to send her back home and asked, ¡°Where do you live?¡± As he


    did not know her home address, he thought that Veronica was only living in the office because of her


    heavy workload. ¡°At thepany. Where else can I live?¡± Sitting at the passenger side, Veronica


    mumbled with shut eyes. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll ask Thomas to supervise the wedding venue, so you don¡¯t have


    to worry too much. I¡¯ll send you home to rest.¡±


    ¡°Send me home? Where? I don¡¯t have a ce to stay except at thepany.¡± She doesn¡®t have a ce


    to stay? Mattthew decided in the end to bring her back to Twilight Condominium with a sunken heart.


    After driving all the way to the condominium¡¯s underground parking lot, he was about to exit the car when


    he saw that Veronica was already fast asleep in the passenger seat. The man reached out to help her to


    unbuckle her seatbelt and carry her upstairs.


    As the elevator slowly made its way up from the parking lot, he looked at the woman in his embrace. Her


    cheeks were slightly flushed as she was sound asleep while leaning against his chest¡ªlooking just like a


    tame kitten. Ding. Reaching the top floor, he exited the elevator before heading into his condominium unit


    and carrying her to the room. However, the room in question was actually the master bedroom. cing


    her gently on the bed,


    she turned over as her legs rested on the bedding and continued to sleep after finding afortable


    position. Standing at the side was Matthew, who silently looked on. At that moment, every cell in his body


    was running rampant and disrupting his thoughts. As he leaned beside her, he reached out to hug her.


    The woman moved for a bit before she turned to face Matthew and rested her legs on his body while


    snuggling against his chest.


    Then, she looked for afortable angle before sleeping again. While hugging her, the faint flowery


    fragrance emanating from her caused his body temperature to rise even more as he desired her with


    madness. Leaning over, he looked at her red lips before going for the kiss. Her lips, which were so soft


    and sweet, were like poppy, serving to only make him more infatuated. ¡°Ugh¡­ Go away¡­¡± Veronica


    whined as she struggled for a bit before continuing with her sleep.


    As he slowly released his embrace, Matthew touched her cheek and yed with the messy hair on her


    forehead as he said uncontrobly, ¡°Roni, if I were to send you to a faraway ce after tomorrow, would


    that be okay?¡± If Veronica agreed, he could ignore the world¡¯s objections and still insisted on marrying


    her. Yet, she had never once loved him. If it was in the situation where he had forced her to marry him


    out of pure selfishness


    , Matthew could not bring himself to do that. He did not want to see Veronica depressed. Yet, at the same


    time, he could not bear this torrential abuse and emotional torture because he was afraid that he would


    subconsciously hurt her one day. So, the best way was to send her away.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Matthew understood that his emotions would be out of control whenever he faced Veronica! ¡°Ugh¡­ I


    don¡¯t want that¡­¡± The woman, who was still in his embrace, actually replied as if she had heard his


    question. ¡°D-Do you know that I might harm you one day if you stay here?¡± Finally, he said those words


    that were hidden deep in the abyss. It was only


    when she was asleep that he had the courage to say it. ¡°If¡­ If Tiffany hadn¡¯t saved me back then, if I


    hadn¡¯t acted impulsively after being drunk in Castron where she fell pregnant because of that, maybe,


    just maybe, I wouldn¡¯t be marrying her tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181


    Chapter 181,Her Billionaire Husband


    ¡°Roni, I, Matthew Kings, am already brave enough to face anything and everything thates my way.


    However, when ites to you, I can¡¯t even say ¡®I like you¡¯? Don¡¯t you find me pathetic?¡± The man felt


    mncholic inside as he gave a long sigh. ¡°Goodnight and sleep tight.¡± Touching her hair, Matthew


    leaned down once again and left a kiss on her lips. It was only after he caressed her cheek that he


    stood up and unwillingly left after a long while.


    After switching off the lights, he walked out of the room. However, he had failed to notice that in the dim


    room, Veronica, whose eyes were closed earlier, was wide awake. She was astonished while there was


    an unconcealed shock in her eyes. Did he say that he liked me? As Veronica was someone with good


    alcohol tolerance, she was not one to easily get drunk from a few bottles of white wine. She had only


    fallen asleep because of the umted fatigue from busying herself with the decoration of the


    wedding venue.


    However, she never thought that she would wake up just as Matthew said those words. In the midst of


    her horror, Veronica did not dare to make a sound. She did not dare to push Matthew away even when


    he kissed her lips. Now that she was in a mess, she did not know how to react to all this. Why does he


    like me?


    Remembering the time when they were at her hometown and sending her master home after having a


    drink with him, Matthew said that he had a friend who discovered that he liked someone else when he


    was about to marry his pregnant fiancee¡­ So, Matthew¡¯s so-called ¡®friend¡¯ was actually himself. What


    Veronica did not understand was the timing in which Matthew had fallen for her as she did not dare to


    think about it too.


    If a scummy yboy liked someone, what did it have to do with her? Although she hadforted


    herself that way, she still remembered when she first came to know Matthew. He had tried multiple


    times to forcefully do the deed with no hint of mercy whatsoever. However, now that he said that he


    liked her, he never touched her thereafter. Is he¡­ really in love with me?


    ¡­ At 5:00AM. Veronica had already arranged for a wedding coordinator, Shirley Wilson, to the person


    heading to Dragon Creek¡¯s Vi to attend to Tiffany and anything that Tiffany needed at the wedding


    Yet, the wedding coordinator was barred from entering just as she had arrived at the vi. ¡°Hello, I am


    the wedding coordinator sent over by the wedding nningpany. I am in charge of informing the


    bride of today¡¯s schedule,¡± Shirley said.


    ¡°Miss Larson has asked us to let you wait outside,¡± a bodyguard borated. Shirley could only agree to


    do so in resignation. At the same time, the upstairs of the vi was brightly lit with the makeup artists


    and dressmakers from the bridalpany doing their respective duties: dressing and applying makeup


    on Tiffany. By the time everything was done, it was already six in the morning. At this time, Rachel and


    Floch walked inside.


    She was dressed to the nines and had exquisite makeup. As she was in a twilight-themed dress that


    hugged her waist, she looked extremely youthful since the attire gave her an extremely dignified and


    noble aura. As she stood in front of Tiffany and regarded the beautiful Tiffany from head to toe, Rachel


    eximed, ¡°Oh my, my daughter is the prettiest bride of them all. You are simply too stunning.¡± ¡°Time


    sure flies.


    After raising you with such great care, the day has arrived where you¡¯ll be married off,¡± Floch added,


    albeit with unwillingness. ¡°Congrats, Tiff. You finally got your wish of marrying Matthew.¡± Randy, who


    looked bright and dashing in a custom-made suit, walked over to Tiffany and beamed. ¡°Tiff, as this is


    your wedding today, shouldn¡¯t you be giving your brother a red packet?¡± Sitting in front of the dressing


    table was the apprehensive Tiffany, who looked at the trio as she squeezed out a stiff smile.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Right after saying that, she took out a thick red packet before handing it over to him. ¡°Here


    you go. I didn¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°Hahaha, thanks, Tiff.¡± Waving the red packet around, Randy was extremely


    ted, after which he responded, ¡°You guys should have a chat first. I¡¯ll head down to see whether


    there¡¯s anything else that needs preparing.¡± ¡°Go on then.¡± Tiffany nodded. ¡°My dear daughter, why do


    you look somewhat unhappy today?¡±


    After all, Tiffany was her daughter, so Rachel could tell with just a nce that she had a lot on her


    mind. ¡°Silly girl, it¡¯s the biggest day of your life today, so why are you pulling a long face?


    From today onward, you¡¯ll be Matthew¡¯s wife. Do you know how many women would kill for that?¡±


    While patting Tiffany¡¯s shoulder, Floch added, ¡°Just be a good bride. Me and your mother will deal with


    anything thates your way.¡± Deal with anything thates my way? Holding her hands together,


    Tiffany gave a bitter smile with slightly teary eyes.


    ¡°Okay, thanks Dad and Mom. It¡¯s just that I am a bit tired since I might have slept tootest night.¡±


    After all, she couldn¡¯t change what had already happened. Besides herself, who could help her to take


    on all these things? If everything goes smoothly to the n, she would sessfully marry into the


    Kingses and be Matthew¡¯s wife.


    Yet, it was precisely because today was such an important day that Tiffany trembled in fear as she was


    afraid that her dirtyundry would all be aired today. If not, why would she have been so quiet for the


    past few days? ¡°Getting married is difficult. It¡¯ll be okay once the ceremony is over. Maybe you could


    catch up on some sleep, seeing that it is still early and Matthew will only being to pick you up at


    nine?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you should listen to your mother. Lie down and try to catch some sleep.¡± Floch, who was radiant


    in his suit, disyed a perky state as his slightly protruding belly hinted at his career as a businessman.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll lie down for a bit.¡± Wanting some peace and quiet, Tiffany nodded in agreement. ¡°Be


    careful when you sleep. Don¡¯t ruin your look.¡± After such a reminder, Rachel then dragged him with her


    to leave the bedroom.


    Holding the hems of her wedding dress, Tiffany stood up and walked to the bed before lying down. Her


    mind kept reying the day where she was kidnapped and brought to the old abandoned warehouse.


    She had faced the big, strong men who wanted her to abort the child inside her belly. The child was her


    ticket to marrying into a wealthy family. To keep the child, Tiffany even kneeled on the floor and begged


    that they allow the child in her belly to live.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    However, who would have expected that not only did they want 3 million as hush money, they even


    added an additional term¡­ They added, ¡°We can let you keep the child. We¡¯ll let you off the hook


    provided that you can satisfy us.¡± Tiffany copsed, feeling a kind of despair that she had never felt


    before in her life.


    She was afraid that she would be theughing stock of Bloomstead if what happened that day was


    leaked to the public and her life would resemble that of a street mouse. The tears flowed uncontrobly


    from the corner of her eyes. With a restless mind, she called Matthew¡¯s phone. Ring, ring, ring.


    After a few rings, while sitting in his study to smoke, Matthew looked at his phone on the desk with the


    device showing Tiffany as the caller. His handsome face instantly darkened as he swiped across the


    screen to answer the call. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked. Listen to this. Listen to how cold his tone is.


    Tiffany¡¯s heart sank to her stomach in a sh. ¡°Matthew, are you ready on your side?¡± Holding back the


    tears in her eyes, she asked gently. Taking a drag from his cigarette, Matthew then flicked the ashes


    into the ashtray. ¡°I¡¯m almost done.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so fast. We¡¯re going to get married soon. I¡¯m¡­ a bit nervous


    right now.¡± Yet, what Matthew didn¡¯t know was that her nervousness stemmed from her fear.

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182


    Chapter 182 Blessings From Old ssmates, Her Billionaire Husband


    ¡°It¡¯s just a formality. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°Matthew, I¡­ wanted to ask you something. Did


    you ever¡­ love me?¡± Tiffany suddenly asked the question that she had been dying to know in her


    heart. After she said those words, the other party fell into a few seconds of silence. ¡°I have never loved


    you.¡± He has never loved me! Silence followed his answer.


    Although it was just five words, the feeling was more akin to someone stabbing a knife right into her


    heart without notice and the pain caused Tiffany to forget how to breathe. The pain of having her heart


    torn apart spread across every cell in her body. It was just as expected¡ªhe was never in love with her.


    As to why he was willing to proceed with the marriage, it was all because Matthew wanted to keep the


    promise of them tying the knot after ¡®she had saved him¡¯ and she bore ¡®his child¡¯.


    He thought that he should be the one responsible for it. That was all. ¡°Grandma said that rtionships


    can be fostered. You can also take your time to slowly learn how to love me once we are married,


    right?¡± At that moment, Tiffany looked as pathetic and pitiful as she could ever be. Even the love that


    she desired looked soughable. Now that she was facing a man who did not have a shred of feelings


    toward her, she even had to speak carefully.


    Was this the kind of love she really wanted? Tiffany doubted herself. His answer came after a moment


    of silence. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± When she had asked the question, all Matthew could see was the face of Veronica,


    whom he badly wanted. Even if they looked almost identical, there were still so many subtle differences


    between them, such as their personality, eyebrows, voices, body¡­ Apart from the elegance that


    Tiffany was born with, she wascking in every aspect whenpared to Veronica. However, it was


    Veronica¡¯s brash and honest personality that he particrly fancied. After Matthew¡¯s words, the other


    side of the call went dead silent. ¡°From the beginning, I have said that you are a suitable candidate to


    marry into the Kings Family.


    That is all,¡± the emotionless man added. If what Matthew had uttered earlier was like an icicle that


    pierced her heart, then this sentence was akin to her posthumous torture. It was pain beyond belief.


    With a face that was full of tears, Tiffanycked the strength to even speak. She closed her eyes and


    hung up in despair. What a sentence, ¡®From the beginning, I have said that you are a suitable


    candidate to marry into the Kings Family.


    That is all¡®. At that time, she did not know whether to feel sad or fortunate about the whole thing. It was


    not until a long while that she rposed herself and left the bitterness behind. It wasn¡¯t that she had


    goodposure; it was just that she recently had too much to bear. However, no matter what, the


    position of the Young Mistress of the Kingses was hers for sure. On the other side, a call from Thomas


    came right after Matthew ced his phone down.


    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s almost time for you to get changed.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± After hanging up, Matthew got up


    and walked to the bedroom. The sight of Veronica waking up greeted him as he opened the door.


    When he saw that she was still asleep, the man thought that she looked adorable before his cold face


    was reced by a gentle smile. ¡°Morning.¡± Upon seeing Matthew, Veronica was a bit shocked and felt


    ufortable since his words fromst night echoed in her mind.


    However, fearing that her reaction would be obvious, she could only pretend to walk in a rxed


    manner to him with open arms. ¡°Morning. As the godbrother and the groom of today¡¯s wedding,


    shouldn¡¯t you have prepared a big red packet for me?¡± She would never miss any opportunity to ¡®earn


    money¡¯. Her words stunned Matthew as he replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t prepared it yet. However, your share will


    definitely be included.¡±


    ¡°Then, I shall thank you in advance.¡± Lifting her wrist, Veronica looked at the time on her watch. ¡°It¡¯s


    getting ratherte, so I should be heading to the office now. I wish you¡­ a happy wedding.¡± After that,


    she walked past him and left in a rush. It was already 7:00AM after she headed to the office and


    finished freshening up. Since all of the employees had clocked in at 7:00AM sharp, everything was


    good to go.


    At around eight o¡¯clock or so, Veronica was already patrolling the wedding venue when she suddenly


    received a call. Whipping out her phone, she saw that it was Melissa calling. ¡°Is there anything you


    want by calling so early in the morning?¡± ¡°Veronica Murphy, you are such a heartless person.


    How could you utter such cold words when I¡¯ve been missing you so much?¡± Melissa snorted. ¡°Why do


    you care whether I¡¯ve hurt you when you have already said that I¡¯m heartless?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Angered to the


    point of speechlessness, Melissa then continued, ¡°You know what? Never mind.


    I don¡¯t want to continue with this pointless argument. Oh, right, today is my idol¡¯s wedding. Are you


    attending it?¡± Even through the phone, Veronica could feel how rxed and easygoing Melissa


    sounded. ¡°Don¡¯t you love Matthew very much? Why are you so happy now that he¡¯s about to get


    married?¡±


    This did not seem to make any sense at all. ¡°I¡¯m definitely sad to see him getting married, but this will


    not affect me attending the ceremony. When will you being over? There will be something truly


    spectacr to witnesster, so make sure that you do not miss it.¡± ¡°What¡­ do you mean by that?¡±


    Veronica, who had a great sixth sense for such things, had already felt that something was about to


    ur.


    ¡°The wedding of the century. A woman¡¯s dreaming true. You really shouldn¡¯t miss it. Anyway, I¡¯ll


    see you thereter. Bye.¡± After saying that, Melissa hung up. At the same time, over at Dragon¡¯s Creek


    Vi, all of Tiffany¡¯s close friends and associates had arrived to attend her wedding.


    Caitlyn West, an old ssmate, was the first toe into the room to give Tiffany her wishes.


    ¡°Congrattions, Tiffany. You finally got your wish of marrying Young Master Matthew. You have really


    made everyone envious now.¡± Tiffany¡¯s best friend, Reese Jorge, walked to the dressing table before


    giving Tiffany a big hug. ¡°My dear friend, I hope you¡¯ll have a happy wedding.¡± Afterward, all of her


    friends who were present gave their best wishes to her.


    Thest person who appeared in front of her was the precious daughter of the Dame Family, which


    was one of four great families in Bloomstead, Ruka Dame. On top of being treated like she was the real


    princess of the Dame Family in Bloomstead, she was also madly in love with Matthew. However, she


    did not anticipate that Tiffany would be a step ahead of her to tie the knot with him. Since Ruka was a


    natural beauty, she was dressed to kill.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Thanks to the further assistance from her makeup, she did not lose out to Tiffany in terms of beauty.


    Dressed in the exquisite attire by the French designer, Elise M, she was able to radiate a unique


    aura. Now that she had appeared in such a shy way, her presence overshadowed Tiffany; it was as if


    she was hinting that she was here to crash the party. ¡°You really do have good luck, Tiffany.¡± As former


    ssmates, Ruka did not want to attend Tiffany¡¯s wedding, but was afraid of the gossip that might


    ensue if she did not.


    Tiffany, who was already agitated by Matthew¡¯s words earlier that morning, did not despair any further.


    Instead, she picked herself up and readjusted her emotions as she sat in front of the dressing table to


    wait for his wedding car to pick her up. Compared to the grievance she had felt either, the appearance


    of all her ssmates and their subsequent ttery made her feel more vain and ted.


    This was especially so when she saw Ruka, who always acted so high and mighty, turning green with


    envy from the fact that she would soon marry Matthew. It made Tiffany feel like she had already won


    the game of life. ¡°Thank you for your wishes and for attending my wedding.


    Words cannot describe how happy I am right now.¡± Shooting a nce at Ruka, Tiffany knew that she


    was nning to crash the party today by dressing up so extravagantly. However, she was not angry


    and merely gave a soft smile. ¡°Ruka, you really do look beautiful today.¡±


    Yes, you¡®re beautiful, but you¡®re not the one whom Matthew chose. Then, she added, ¡°Oh, yeah, there¡¯ll


    be a lot of handsome men with promising futures present today. You should make full use of this


    chance to look for your Prince Charming, Ruka.¡±

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183


    Chapter 183,Her Billionaire Husband


    ¡°What kind of talented young man can fulfill my standards?¡± Ruka had a haughty look as she asked in


    disdain. Although Tiffany was secretly sarcastic, she still maintained a prim and proper facade. ¡°Ruka,


    you can¡¯t give up the entire sea for just a fish. What¡¯s more, I¡¯m going to marry Matthew, so why are you


    still so hung up on him?¡± Whether it was a hint or an obvious jab, Tiffany was definitely being satirical


    toward Ruka.


    The ssmates standing by the side nodded as they thought Tiffany¡¯s words had made sense. ¡°That¡¯s


    right, Ruka. Since Matthew is going to marry Tiffany, you should just give up on him.¡± ¡°Ruka, you should


    believe that you can find an even better husband.¡± ¡°I think that you¡¯d have to search for such a man


    abroad. The most talented and youngest man with such a prospect locally has to be Young Master


    Matthew.¡±


    ¡°Hey, although Young Master Matthew is also my idol, I have to admit that he and Tiffany are a match


    made in heaven. I really am super envious of Tiffany now.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Out of all the ssmates in


    our year, Tiffany was always the most outstanding one. Otherwise, why would Young Master Matthew


    fancy her?¡±


    As all their ssmates were singing along to the same tune, Ruka was so mad that her face darkened.


    However, since she didn¡¯t want to act out in public, she could only wish Tiffany hypocritically. ¡°I only like


    Matthew, but if I were to really marry someone, he would not fit the standard I¡¯m looking for.


    However, now that I¡¯m here, I still wish you two a happy wedding.¡± Even though Tiffany had seen through


    Ruka¡¯s arrogant facade, she chose not to expose Ruka. Since it was her wedding today, Tiffany didn¡¯t


    want to ruin the atmosphere. At 9:00PM, eighteen Bentleys without license tes drove up to the vi¡¯s


    entrance in a row.


    While there was a fireworks show at the entrance of the Larson Residence, which illuminated the


    beautiful fixtures of the building, a red carpet had been rolled out from outside all the way to the vi.


    Matthew, who had already changed into a suit, walked out from the car.


    As he faced all the people who took pictures and offered their congrattions, he did not bat an eye or


    return their gestures with a smile. ording to the local custom, when one married, they were required


    to obtain something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.


    However, since the person who came to pick up the bride was Matthew, nobody dared to mess around


    with him as there were eight bodyguards in formal suits behind him. ¡°Matthew¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Haha, Matthew


    looks dashing today.¡± Seeing Matthew, Floch and Rachel approached and ttered the man.


    With his usual aloof manner, Matthew ignored all thevish decor that the vi was adorned with and


    asked icily, ¡°Where¡¯s Tiffy?¡± ¡°She¡¯s waiting for you upstairs. You should quickly head over so that we


    don¡¯t miss the perfect time to get married,¡± Rachel reminded. After climbing the stairs in a sh, he


    arrived at Tiffany¡¯s room.


    When they saw Matthew¡¯s handsome face, her ssmates standing by the door all screamed and


    gasped. ¡°Oh my God, Young Master Matthew has such an imposing aura.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even care to dress


    up in an extravagant manner, yet he still looks so handsome.¡± ¡°My idol looks a hundred times better than


    those actors on TV. Urgh, Tiffany is extremely lucky. I¡¯m so envious right now.¡± ¡°Is this what they call the


    face that Michngelo himself sculpted? I am so in love.¡±


    ¡°He really is out of our league.¡± As the crowd said those words, they all had their phones out to take


    pictures and videos of Matthew. On the other hand, Ruka was like a ck swan in her strapless ck


    dress making a high profile appearance; it was as if she wanted to dere to the world that _she_ should


    be the one to shine.


    Now that she was face-to-face with Matthew, she only gave a cold smile. ¡°Congrattions, Young Master


    Matthew.¡± As the Kingses and the Dames were on good terms, he was obviously familiar with her, yet he


    had no feelings toward her. Gazing at her from head to toe, he replied bluntly, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    After saying that single word to her, he walked past her and went straight into the bedroom. Tiffany sat in


    front of the dressing table in the bedroom as she quietly waited for Matthew to show up. It wasn¡¯t until the


    stunning man with short hair and glossy, ck suit appeared behind her that she finally breathed a sigh


    of relief. Tiffany could see his dashing face disying the usual indifference without so much as a smile


    from the reflection in the mirror.


    Although she had a pang in her heart, she hid that emotion in an instant. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Matthew.¡±


    She stood up. As all the ssmates standing outside had rushed into the bedroom, it made the huge


    space suddenly seem a little cramped. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± the man said to Tiffany as he offered his arm.


    At this moment, all of the ssmates shouted in unison, ¡°Kiss her. Kiss her. Carry her. When the groom


    picks up the bride, they also have to carry the bride downstairs.¡± Although there was unwillingness


    written all over Matthew¡¯s face, he could only squat down and carry Tiffany in the end. At that moment,


    Tiffany felt a sense of happiness that she had never felt before overwhelm her now that she was in his


    embrace.


    Her smile was as beautiful as a flower while she wascent. As everybody present had already


    known about his cold attitude, they did not really care about his reaction. After picking her up from the


    vi, they entered the car and thereafter the motorcade slowly headed to the hotel that was hired for the


    wedding.


    The wedding was said to be the biggest one in Bloomstead that everyone had their eyes on as Tiffany


    and Matthew¡¯s wedding photos were sshed on billboards and huge monitors in shopping malls


    throughout the city. Even though the wedding had cost an absolute fortune since it was exaggeratingly


    grand, there wasn¡¯t no adherence to tradition of ¡®blocking the entrance¡¯, the groom brushing the bride¡¯s


    hair or even helping her to wear her shoes.


    They did not even prepare a bouquet of flowers! No matter how much money had been spent on the


    ceremony, the only reaction it had elicited from the groom was perfunctory, as if he merely wanted to get


    this all over with. However, as the Larsons did not make a huge fuss out of it, the outsiders of course did


    not say anything either.


    After the wedding ceremony at the Royal View Hotel was over, Tiffany was sent to the Presidential Suite


    to rest. The ceremony was held at the first floor of the biggest reception hall in the hotel and the venue


    had been decorated with the theme of a fantasy princess¡¯ castle.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    When one walked in, they would feel like they had entered a fantasy castle where it emanated


    lavishness, romance and a glorious feeling. However, at the same time, the decor also screamed of an


    unspeakable amount of money that was invested in it.


    While Tiffany rested in one of the suites, Matthew and his close friends, namely Skyler, Caleb and


    Miguel, upied the other suite. Standing by the window, Matthew had a ss of red wine in his hand


    as he was immersed in his own thoughts. The few other people looked at each other with bewilderment.


    Then, Skr said, ¡°Matt, it¡¯s not that I want to criticize you, but since you don¡¯t even like Tiffany, why did


    you force yourself to marry her? Isn¡¯t Veronica also an interesting character? Hahaha, but now that you


    are married to Tiffany, I might consider making a move on Veronica, that sassy girl.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to dig your own grave here?¡± Miguel, who had rushed back from abroad, kicked Skr to


    hint at him to stop searching for trouble. Instead, it was Caleb, a quiet person, whomented, ¡°Drew¡¯s


    right. Since you don¡¯t love her, you shouldn¡¯t have married her. Although she did save your life and is


    now bearing your child, these are all problems that can be talked out.¡± ¡°Old Mrs. Kings was diagnosed


    with Alzheimer¡¯s not too long ago.


    Her condition is worsening with each passing day. Her only wish now is to see Matthew married and


    having kids,¡± Miguelmented. After he spoke, all of them fell into silence. From an outsider¡¯s


    perspective, one would find Matthew to be a person who was cruel and devoid of emotions.


    However, his friends knew that he was extremely filial and kind. He was especially filial to Elizabeth, who


    doted on him ever since his mother passed away at an early age while his dad had remarried another


    woman and practically ignored Matthew growing up. In the big and cold Kings Family, only Elizabeth had


    really loved and doted on Matthew.


    That was why his grandmother¡¯s feelings mattered the most to him. It was due to this reason that


    Matthew couldn¡¯t bear to see Spinfluence Group, which was the result of his grandparents¡¯ blood, sweat


    and tears, fall in the hands of others. As a result, he cautiously and rationally managed thepany.

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184


    Chapter 184,Her Billionaire Husband


    With the aim of stabilizing thepany and the Kings Family¡¯s century-old business, Matthew often


    found himself tied to a lot of things with very little freedom to decide. Matthew¡¯s archrival was his


    seventh uncle, the seventh eldest of the Kings Family, Conrad Kings. Today was Matthew¡¯s wedding


    day, and Conrad had returned too.


    The wedding would start at 11.00AM sharp. Veronica was busy running back and forth at the wedding


    venue. Because her face had a strong resemnce to Tiffany¡¯s, she wore a ck mask the whole time


    to avoid causing unnecessary trouble. At this moment, guests and friends had filled up the grand hall.


    They were watching the dance performance on stage. Veronica looked at her watch and saw it was


    already 10.30AM. Thus, she held the walkie-talkie and announced, ¡°It¡¯s 10.30AM. Emcee, please make


    the final preparation. Make sure that everything¡ª¡± Halfway through her sentence, Veronica suddenly


    felt someone pat her shoulder.


    As soon as Veronica turned her head, she saw a man with a slicked back hairstyle and a short beard.


    He had pronounced facial features like the ssic good looks of a model, especially with those pair of


    beautiful and mesmerizing azure eyes. With one nce, one could tell this man was biracial.


    The man wore a gray suit with a ck vest inside, topping his look with a ne with a diamond-


    shaped Obsidian pendant around his neck. ¡°Are you Veronica?¡± the man asked as he put his hands in


    the pockets of his pants and stared at Veronica with his azure eyes. Upon hearing that, Veronica


    frowned slightly, feeling quite surprised.


    I¡®m wearing a mask, and I have never met this man who¡®s currently standing in front of me before. Yet,


    he could recognize me at a nce. ¡°Mr. Conrad, is there something you need help with?¡± Veronica


    asked. ¡°Oh, you recognize me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Conrad Kings, the seventh eldest of the Kings Family.


    Although I have never met you, I have heard much about you.¡± If it was not because of the Kings


    Family, Veronica might not be able to recognize Conrad now. However, she had seen his photos before


    because Elizabeth constantly wanted to introduce Conrad to her as her partner.


    And thus, she was no stranger to how he looked. ¡°Haha¡­ I¡¯m honored to be remembered by such a


    beautifuldy like you.¡± Conrad was born with a ssical facial structure of a magazine-worthy model


    and a finely-tuned vocal chord. When he curled his lips into a smile, there was a slightly more


    irrepressible sinister charm added onto his handsome face.


    Looking at Conrad, Veronica could not help but sigh. Are all male members of the Kings Family this


    handsome? That is one strong gene pool! However, in Veronica¡¯s opinion, unlike the slightly sinister-


    looking Conrad, Matthew¡¯s handsomeness was considerably decent looking.


    Conrad was handsome, but he did not seem like someone with a good nature. Out of courtesy,


    Veronica gently pulled her mask down and smiled. ¡°Mr. Conrad, you¡¯re too kind. I wonder¡­ Why are


    you looking for me?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re the god-granddaughter of Old Mrs. Kings, just address me as Uncle


    Conrad,¡± Conrad said.


    Back then, Old Mr. Kings, Howard Kings, had an affair with a French woman when he was drunk and


    impregnated her. Later, that woman gave birth to Conrad. The age gap between Conrad and Matthew


    was only seven years, and thus that made Conrad the youngest among the elders.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Even though Veronica dared to be rash in front of Matthew, she did not dare to act recklessly in front of


    Conrad. So, she said politely, ¡°Old Mrs. Kings was simply joking. You don¡¯t have to take it seriously, Mr.


    Conrad.¡± As she spoke, Veronica looked at the time on her watch.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get back to work.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Just as Veronica was about to leave, Conrad took


    something out of his pocket and handed it to her. ¡°Here. It¡¯s a gift that Old Madam exhorted me


    repeatedly to prepare for you.¡± ¡°You mean Grandma?¡± Since Conrad¡¯s mother was Howard¡¯s lover, he


    was somewhat discriminating against Elizabeth despite having a good rtionship with her. Hence, just


    like everyone else, he addressed Elizabeth as Old Madam.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Conrad nodded. Veronica looked at the thin and long blue velvet brocade box that Conrad


    handed over. The top of the box had bronzing Chinese letters, and with just one look, Veronica knew


    the item in the box must be extremely valuable. Refusing to ept such a valuable gift, Veronica shook


    her head. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Conrad, for your kindness, but I can¡¯t ept this.¡± It¡®s just too good to be


    true. Such kindness appeared out of thin air.


    Veronica shook the walkie-talkie in her hand. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Conrad. I still have work to do. Let¡¯s talkter.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you leave your number?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Seeing as she could not refuse such a reason, Veronica


    smiled helplessly. ¡°Okay.¡± After giving Conrad her phone number, Veronica left and dived deep into her


    work. Meanwhile, in the Presidential Suite, Matthew stood in front of the French casement.


    Suddenly, Thomas walked in and went straight to his side. Then, he handed Matthew a document.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, this is the information that you wanted me to investigate.¡± After returning from


    Cabot Town the other day, Matthew instructed Thomas to re-investigate everything about Veronica and


    the Larsons.


    Upon receiving the instruction, Thomas immediately sent someone to investigate everything in-depth.


    He followed the clues until he discovered that the person who had rescued Matthew was Veronica.


    Even so, he decided to hide the truth from Matthew after much hesitation. After all, Thomas saw


    through Matthew¡¯s love for Veronica.


    Besides the child conceived, the reason for Young Master Matthew to be willing to wed Tiffany was


    because everyone in the Kings Family thought she was the one who had rescued Young Master


    Matthew. Hence, in order to fulfill his promise, Young Master Matthew agreed to marry her. If the


    marriage was to be canceled now, then Veronica would definitely end up being the person he would


    marry. Business is as fierce as a war. When there¡®s love, there¡®s weakness.


    I do not wish Young Master Matthew to be taken advantage of one day, so it¡®s best I hide the truth from


    him. However, just five minutes ago, someone passed an item to Thomas. After watching the video¡¯s


    content on the thumb drive, Thomas waspletely taken aback. Thus, he decided to take everything


    and pass it to Matthew. ¡°Matt is going to walk up the altar soon. What information is so important that


    he needs to see now?


    Thomas, can¡¯t you read the situation?¡± asked Skyler, who was sitting on the sofa doing nothing. Then,


    he stood up quietly, turned toward them, and came over. Skyler reached out his hand and wanted to


    take the document away from Thomas¡¯ grip. However, Thomas clutched the portfolio tightly and


    refused to let go.


    Matthew, who had watched everything going on with his eyes, frowned slightly. He raised his hand and


    took the document. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Thomas nced at Miguel, Caleb, and Skyler. The meaning


    behind his nce was obvious. He wanted the three to leave the room. The gaze in Matthew¡¯s eyes


    darkened slightly, and he gestured to the three guys with a look. At once, the three of them knew things


    were not as easy as they thought.


    ¡°F*ck! Why are you acting so mysterious?¡± ¡°Drew, stop talking nonsense. Hurry up ande out!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave the room for you guys to talk and stand by the door for a while.¡± Then, the three of them


    went out and closed the door behind them. After ensuring all three of them had left, Matthew opened


    the document file and ordered, ¡°Cut to the chase.¡± ¡°Young Master Matthew, do you still remember Miss


    Murphy had asked you to investigate the truth about her parents¡¯ car ident in the first ce?


    I¡¯d found out the truth behind the car crash. As a matter of fact, it wasn¡¯t the idental mistake by the


    late driver that caused the car ident¡­. The Larsons were behind everything,¡± Thomas informed.


    When Matthew heard Thomas¡¯ words, his hand paused slightly, and he looked a little surprised. ¡°Go


    on.¡± ¡°Also¡­ back when you were involved in a car ident, Tiffany wasn¡¯t the one who saved you. It


    was Veronica.¡± ¡°Roni?¡±


    Listening to Thomas telling the truth with hesitation, Matthew fell into deep thought, doubting the


    authenticity of the matter. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Absolutely sure. I¡¯ve investigated Tiffany as well and found


    out that on the night of your car ident, she and her best friend went to the bar to get drunk. They


    drank until midnight.¡±


    ¡°Heh. Good work.¡± Matthew clenched the document file in his hand tightly, and his sharp pupils


    suddenly burst out with a chill.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185


    Chapter 185 The Wedding Is Off


    After being silent for a moment, Matthew continued, ¡°Pass down my order and call off this wedding at


    once.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Thomas nodded, and his eyes shed slightly. Then, he deliberately uttered, ¡°By now, everyone


    in Bloomstead knows that today is your wedding day. If you call it off now, how will you exin it to these


    outsiders?¡±


    A slight smile formed on the corner of Matthew¡¯s lips after he heard that. Showing no sign of anger and


    with a relieved smile, Matthew said, ¡°I have my own nning.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, are you going to makeshift your n and propose to Miss Murphy?¡±


    The reason Thomas asked that was because he knew Matthew better than anyone else. Hence, Thomas


    had already expected that Matthew would do so.


    Upon hearing that, Matthew kept quiet, meaning he tacitly approved of what Thomas had asked.


    Later, Thomas took out his phone and said, ¡°There¡¯s one more thing that I think you should take a look


    at.¡± He clicked on the video, and the video on the phone started ying slowly while apanied by the


    audio.


    In the video, Tiffany sat helplessly on the ground. She looked helter-skelter and pitiful. ¡°Did Veronica


    send you guys here? Don¡¯t touch me,¡± cried Tiffany.


    ¡°We¡¯re paid to do this. We don¡¯t need to know who paid us, but our paymaster said we can spare your


    life in exchange for the child in your womb!¡±


    Upon hearing that, Tiffany eximed, ¡°C-Child? No! No! Absolutely not!¡± Face turned pale with fright, she


    clutched her stomach and moved back a little. ¡°It must be that b*tch, Veronica! It¡¯s her, isn¡¯t it!? I forced


    her to abort her child back then, so now, she¡¯s going to bury my child together with hers?¡±


    ¡°Stop with this nonsense! Guys, hurry up and kill her child.¡±


    Once again, Tiffany sobbed. ¡°No, the child is innocent. S-Spare my child, please. How much did Veronica


    pay you? I¡¯ll pay you twice the amount. I have the money. I¡¯m rich. I can even pay you guys ten times the


    amount.¡±


    ¡°We have our work ethics,¡± said the bald guy who seemed like the group¡¯s leader.


    Still, Tiffany begged for her life and even directly kneeled on the ground and kowtowed to them. Just


    then, the person standing on one side said to the bald man, ¡°Bro, if she can give us ten times the money,


    that will be more than that of the amount the woman paid us. And if we include this smooth-skinned


    woman in the payment, it looks to me like we¡¯re on the profiting side.¡±


    At once, terror rooted Tiffany to the ground after she heard that. However, these men constantly


    threatened her with the child in her womb. Therefore, in order to keep the child, Tiffany was left with no


    choice. In the end, she gave them a check for 2 million and was assaulted by those six men in turn.


    As he watched until the end of the video, Matthew was enraged, and his facial expression turned icy


    cold.


    At the same time, the dance performance in the grand hall on the first floor had ended. It was almost


    time for the opening of the wedding to begin. The video broadcast team was getting ready to disy the


    wedding photos of Matthew and Tiffany that they had saved.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Unexpectedly, instead of wedding photos, a video started to be broadcasted on the huge screen.


    In the video, Tiffany was tied up and thrown into a warehouse. As she sat helplessly on the ground, she


    looked helter-skelter and pitiful. ¡°Did Veronica send you guys here? Don¡¯t touch me,¡± cried Tiffany.


    ¡°We¡¯re paid to do this. We don¡¯t need to know who paid us, but our paymaster said we can spare your


    life in exchange for the child in your womb!¡±


    ¡­


    All seats were upied in the grand hall located on the first floor. Initially, all the guests present wanted


    to take a glimpse of the joyful moment photos between Tiffany and Matthew. However, who would have


    thought that the screen broadcasted a kidnapping video for everyone to watch. In an instant, the crowd


    was in an uproar.


    ¡°Veronica Murphy? Isn¡¯t she the daughter of the Larsons who got exiled?¡±


    ¡°F*ck! This is madness!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my. This person named Veronica is one dare-devil!¡±


    Soon, everyone started whispering, and the atmosphere of the entire hall instantly boiled with buzzing


    sounds of discussions.


    In the meantime, Veronica, who was standing in the grand hall, felt her whole mind go nk upon


    witnessing this scene. The next moment, she trotted backstage while holding the walkie-talkie and


    shouting crazily, ¡°V-Video! The video! Someone turn off the video immediately! Do it now! Who freaking


    allowed you all to broadcast this video?¡±


    ¡°President Murphy, I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t turn off the video. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either.¡±


    ¡°Turn off the switch! Quick! Turn off the switch immediately. Now!¡±


    ¡°The screen at the wedding is connected to a power supply and a generator, and it also has an automatic


    power storage function. W-We are already working on it¡­¡±


    The employee, who was on the other end of the walkie-talkie, burst into tears.


    Veronica kept running and running, but her footsteps eventually came to a halt.


    The saying, ¡®Whatever you fear wille and seek you¡¯, is true after all. I have poured in lots of effort


    and sacrificed my sleep by staying up day and night just to handle all the affairs regarding this wedding.


    Never did I expect that all my efforts would go down the drain in the end.


    At this moment, Tiffany was in the Presidential Suite, and she received a call from Rachel, who was in


    the grand hall. She was panic-stricken, and she held the phone in a daze, looking unprecedentedly


    helpless.


    ¡°How could this be? M-Mom¡­ don¡¯t let them y the video. I beg you¡­¡± Tiffany cried.


    Although today was her wedding day, Tiffany was constantly on tenterhooks. She had a premonition, and


    she felt that something was going to take ce. However, she just did not expect her sixth sense would


    come true and bad things would eventually happen.


    ¡°Tiffy darling, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here¡­ Ah! Old Mrs. Kings! Old Mrs. Kings! Are you okay?¡±


    Suddenly, a scream sounded from the other end of the phone, and Tiffany could no longer hear Rachel


    talking. All she could hear was Rachel¡¯s voice kept calling out to Elizabeth.


    Meanwhile, everything was in chaos because of the sudden broadcast of the video¡¯s content in the


    banquet hall. Elizabeth, who was sitting in the hall, was angered to the point she fainted right on the


    scene.


    Upon receiving the news, Matthew hurried down from upstairs. When he stepped out of the elevator, he


    heard the buzzing discussions in the hall.


    ¡°How did she get kidnapped?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the main point. The main point is it¡¯s as clear as day that this is the enemy¡¯s revenge toward


    the Kings Family by broadcasting this video at Young Master Matthew¡¯s wedding.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s really going on?¡±


    ¡°O-Oh my goodness! Old Mrs. Kings fainted. Somebody go check on her.¡±


    ¡­


    Matthew was burning with anger, and his handsome face was as gloomy as the stormy clouds. He


    walked toward Elizabeth and instructed Thomas, ¡°Immediately cancel the wedding and bring Veronica to


    see me!¡±


    ¡°Sure, Young Master Matthew.¡± Upon receiving the order, Thomas swiftly sent someone to cut off the


    power supply to the screen.


    Fortunately, Matthew appeared in time. The screen only showed Tiffany begging for her child¡¯s sake and


    not the part where she was r*ped.


    Tiffany, who was in the Presidential Suite, did not hang up the phone. Instead, she was listening to the


    audio of the broadcasted video through a speaker with excellent sound effects. The audio was turned off


    just before the men were about to blurt out offensive words.


    Realizing that, Tiffany felt that her suspenseful heart had found its peace. A while ago, she was seriously


    scared out of her wits, but now she secretly felt lucky that she had escaped narrowly.


    At least, those filthy matters would not be made known to the public. But¡­ how long can I hide the truth


    from Matthew? Can the wedding still carry out as nned?


    Tiffany was extremely worried.


    However, the next moment, Tiffany heard a familiar voice. It was the voice of Matthew¡¯s executive


    assistant, Thomas. ¡°Sorry for troubling everyone to attend this wedding despite your busy schedules.


    However, half an hour ago, both Young Master Matthew and Miss Larson had discussed with each other


    and came to an agreement. They have decided to cancel this wedding peacefully. Thank you all for your


    time.¡±


    Thud¡­


    Tiffany¡¯s phone fell to the ground, and tears of despair streamed down the corners of her eyes.


    Peacefully call off the wedding? Should Iment Matthew¡¯s indifference, or should I be grateful that he


    did not make me look too bad?


    In the grand banquet hall, Matthew passed through the crowd with a gloomy face. When he saw the


    fainted Elizabeth lying on the table, he directly picked her up without saying a word and headed straight


    to the hospital.

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186


    Chapter 186 Chaos at the Wedding


    Standing backstage, Veronica was still anxiously dealing with the power outage on the big screen when


    she saw a group of men in suits rushing toward her.


    Veronica could not help but be stunned for a moment. Looking at the group of men, she felt her temples


    protruding, and her heart felt unease.


    Sure enough, the man who seemed like the leader of the group waved his hand the next moment. He


    pointed at Veronica, turned to the men behind him, and instructed, ¡°Take her to see Young Master


    Matthew.¡±


    At once, Veronica felt something was terribly wrong. I screwed up the wedding that Matthew spent 300


    million to prepare. To make things worse, I was revealed to be the one who ¡®kidnapped¡¯ Tiffany. All these


    have put the Kings Family into utter disgrace and made them theughing stock of Bloomstead. Right


    now, it seems to me that I¡¯m screwed either way, and only my death canpensate for the loss


    suffered by the Kings Family.


    Suddenly, a voice sounded. ¡°What are you doing still standing there? Run!¡±


    The next moment, Xavier appeared out of nowhere. He grabbed Veronica¡¯s hand and fled from the back


    entrance like a maniac.


    ¡°Xavier, why are you here?¡± asked Veronica as she was dragged by him while running.


    ¡°I witnessed this chaos the moment I arrived at the wedding venue after I had finished attending to the


    company¡¯s affairs.¡±


    At this moment, Xavier could care less about the loss the video content would bring upon the Kings


    Family. He was only worried about Veronica, so he rushed backstage as soon as possible. When he saw


    the bodyguards were about to take Veronica away, he immediately dragged her with him.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t run! Chase after her!¡±


    ¡°Someone, help me catch her! Hurry! Hurry!¡±


    ¡­


    Both Xavier and Veronica ran at the front while several bodyguards kept chasing after them.


    As they ran out from the hall¡¯s back entrance, Xavier had spotted his car that his assistant had already


    parked there.


    ¡°Quick! Get in the car!¡±


    Xavier opened the door and hurriedly got into the car with Veronica. They got in the car and left before


    the bodyguards could catch up on them.


    The car drove forward slowly. After only 100 meters, Veronica said, ¡°Xavier, stop the car.¡±


    ¡°Stop the car? Are you crazy? Do you know what Matthew would do to you once you got caught?¡±


    At that moment, Xavier felt that Veronica was getting really besotted.


    ¡°I did nothing wrong, so why should I run away?¡±


    ¡°You are the nner of this wedding, and you ordered someone to kidnap Tiffany. Not to mention, they


    exposed the kidnapping video at the wedding. Those are enough reasons for Matthew to tear you into


    pieces, and it¡¯s probably still not enough to relieve his hatred,¡± Xavier said to Veronica while driving.


    ¡°Even you think I did it?¡± Veronica leaned on the front passenger seat. Once she had calmed down, she


    started analyzing the situation carefully. For some reason, she felt that she had been set up.


    Upon hearing that, Xavier felt stunned for a moment. He side-eyed Veronica, as if in disbelief. Then, he


    frowned slightly. ¡°Y-You mean¡­ someone¡¯s trying to frame you?¡±


    Xavier had witnessed everything that happened in the banquet hall today with his own eyes. Even he felt


    that Veronica¡¯s actions were absurd and stupid.


    Although the exposure of the video at the wedding could make the Larsons lose their pride and dignity, it


    would also lead to Veronica bringing a fatal disaster upon herself.


    Judging from that, Veronica seemed to be acting a bit too reckless.


    However, listening to Veronica¡¯s analysis now, Xavier felt that things were strange too.


    With a gloomy look, Veronica nodded slightly.


    Screech¡ª


    Suddenly, a car sped past and stopped right in front of them, blocking the way. Afterward, several


    bodyguards in suits and leather shoes got down from the four cars in front and back.


    ¡°Xavier, go back and help me investigate who¡¯s the mastermind behind this. I can handle Matthew


    myself,¡± Veronica said to Xavier as she unfastened her seat belt. Then, she opened the door and got out


    of the car.


    ¡°Okay, keep in touch,¡± replied Xavier, not nning to join Veronica to see Matthew. Instead, he wanted to


    investigate the truth and return Veronica¡¯s innocence.


    After that, Veronica closed the car door and said to the bodyguards standing in front of her, ¡°I¡¯ll go with


    you. Take me to meet Matthew.¡±


    With a serious facial demeanor, the bodyguards grabbed Veronica¡¯s arm and rudely stuffed her into the


    car. Then, they left the scene.


    Xavier, who was sitting in the car, immediately took out his phone. Just as he was about to order


    someone to investigate the matter, his phone rang, and Melissa¡¯s call came in.


    With his mind prioritized on Veronica¡¯s matter, Xavier hung up the phone.


    However, Melissa called again just after Xavier hung up the phone.


    He hesitated for a while before answering the phone helplessly. ¡°Melissa?¡±


    As soon as the phone was answered, Melissa¡¯s sobbing voice came from the other end. She sounded


    very sad. ¡°Xavier, where are you? I-I want to see you.¡±


    ¡°Melissa, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Xavier, I-I¡¯m at the Royal View Hotel¡¯s roadside. Can youe and pick me up?¡±


    ¡°Okay, wait for a while. I¡¯lle right over.¡±


    Thinking Melissa was caught up in some sort of an emergency, Xavier immediately turned the car


    around. While driving, he called someone to investigate any incidents that happened in the Royal View


    Hotel.


    Two minutester, he spotted Melissa and parked the car in front of her. Yet, before Xavier could get out


    of the car and ask about her condition, Melissa pulled open the car door and jumped into the car. ¡°Xavier,


    go! H-Hurry and let¡¯s get out of here!¡±


    ¡°Melissa, what happened?¡±


    With a pair of red teary eyes, Melissa bellowed, ¡°Xavier, just hurry up and go! I¡¯ll exin to youter. I¡¯ll


    be dead if those guys caught up to me.¡±


    Powerless against Melissa, Xavier started the car and drove away slowly. He was vaguely aware that


    something was wrong.


    It was not until the car sped away for a few kilometers that Xavier suddenly turned a corner and drove


    into an alley. Then, he stopped the car and turned off the engine. He ordered Melissa, ¡°Tell me what¡¯s


    wrong.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Melissa, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, burst into tears and kept sobbing. However, she did


    not mutter a word.


    Upon seeing Melissa¡¯s demeanor, Xavier narrowed his eyes slightly. A dim light shed in his orbs, and


    he asked, ¡°Today¡¯s video had something to do with you, right?¡±


    When his voice fell, Melissa¡¯s sobbing sound stopped abruptly.


    As expected! It did have something to do with Melissa!


    Melissa¡¯s eyes were red from crying. Holding a tissue in her hand, Melissa shook her head like she was


    ying a rattle drum. ¡°Xavier, I didn¡¯t mean it¡­ I really didn¡¯t mean it¡­¡±


    Then, Melissa turned to her side and grabbed Xavier¡¯s arm. ¡°I sent a group of guys over and asked them


    to kill the child in Tiffany¡¯s womb¡­ I thought Tiffany definitely did not dare to let Matthew know the child


    she conceived was gone since she had been quiet for so long. Later, I ask the group of guys to send me


    the thumb drive that contained the video of Tiffany¡¯s miscarriage. I-I wanted to make Tiffany feel


    ashamed and embarrassed at her wedding so that she couldn¡¯t marry Young Master Matthew.¡±


    As she choked with sobs, Melissa added again, ¡°Back then, in Dawnpol Vige, Young Master Matthew


    personally said that they wouldn¡¯t get married if Tiffany lost the child in her womb. S-So, that was why I


    did it. It¡¯s just that when I sought out the group of guys and asked them for the video recording, they


    refused to give it to me. I thought they wanted money, so I found a few thugs to get the video from them


    forcibly. I was behind schedule by the time I retrieved the video, so I didn¡¯t watch it and directly instructed


    someone to find a way to broadcast the video on the big screen in the wedding hall. In the end¡­ who


    would have thought it was such a video¡­ I-I sensed something wasn¡¯t right with the video when I was at


    the grand hall just now. So, I called them and questioned them. Then, they told me that the video wasn¡¯t


    a video of Tiffany¡¯s miscarriage, but a video of Tiffany being r*ped¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say!? It¡¯s a video of Tiffany being assaulted!?¡± Xavier¡¯s heart jolted, and he red at


    Melissa.

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187


    Chapter 187 Truly an Idiot!


    Seeing as Xavier¡¯s face flushed with anger and the blue veins on his forehead were about to pop,


    Melissa shuddered with terror. ¡°X-Xavier, why are you looking at me like that? I-I¡¯m scared!¡± She sobbed,


    and her tears started raining down her cheeks nonstop.


    Feeling his anger rush straight to his head, Xavier raised his hand and gave a p on Melissa¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh, so now you know to feel terrified for your life ? Don¡¯t you know that what you did is equivalent to


    seeking death!?¡±


    Then, Xavier grabbed Melissa by the cor. With a ferocious look on his face, he scolded her, ¡°That¡¯s


    Matthew Kings! Even if he doesn¡¯t love Tiffany, he¡¯d never allow anyone to create chaos at his wedding.


    Not to mention, the one that you¡¯did hands on was his fianc¨¦e!¡±


    It was all in fate¡¯s hand. Initially, Xavier thought that someone schemed against Veronica in regards to


    this matter. However, he never expected that the mastermind was actually Melissa.


    Seized by uncontroble fury, Xavier mmed his fist on his car¡¯s steering wheel. His enraged look was


    immensely terrifying as he looked like a raging lion that would devour Melissa at any time.


    After adjusting his emotions for a while, Xavier calmed down. He raised his hand and rubbed his


    temples. Then, he looked over at Melissa. Her eyes were red from crying, and he felt bad for her in every


    possible way.


    Raising his hand, Xavier caressed Melissa¡¯s red cheek. ¡°Are you alright? Sorry, I was acting a little too


    reckless just now.¡±


    It was probably better for Xavier to keep his mouth shut because the moment he opened his mouth to


    console Melissa, she cried even harder. She plunged into Xavier¡¯s arms and hugged him tightly. ¡°Xavier,


    I¡¯m scared¡­ Will they kill me? Sob¡­¡±


    Seeing this, Xavier hugged Melissa and patted her on the back. Then, he sighed. ¡°You¡¯re really an idiot.


    Old Mrs. Kings has always dreamed of having a grandchild. Judging from that, anyone can see that the


    Kings Family put great importance on the child Tiffany conceived. You¡¯re simply asking for death!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Still sobbing, Melissa said, ¡°I-I love Matthew. I just didn¡¯t want Tiffany to be married to him. I didn¡¯t think


    so much¡­¡±


    The single-minded Melissa confidently deemed that the Crawfords had a foothold in Bloomstead. In her


    mind, even if Matthew found out it was her who had killed the child borne by Tiffany, he would not do


    anything to her.


    However, the current situation was that the content of the video was Tiffany being assaulted, and it even


    got broadcasted openly for everyone to watch at the wedding.


    All the guests and friends invited to the wedding banquet today were renowned businessmen and


    celebrities. If someone had not stopped the video in time, the scene of Tiffany being assaulted would


    have been broadcasted directly to all these upper-ss socialites to see, and the Kings Family would


    have lost all their dignity and honor.


    Fortunately, the wedding was held in a very private manner, and no entertainment reporters were


    allowed to participate. Otherwise, the blow suffered by the Kings Family would have been unimaginable.


    Even so, if Matthew found out about Melissa¡¯s doings, he would probably think that the Crawfords


    wanted to take this opportunity to inflict revenge on the Kings Family out of anger and make them a


    laughing stock. This would cause theirpany¡¯s stock market to decline, which could lead to


    immeasurable consequences.


    If there were any news reporters who sneaked into the wedding scene today and exposed the news to


    the public, quite frankly, they could spin it and say the Crawfords were trying to bring down the Kings


    Family!


    ¡°Matthew will definitely watch the whole video and find out the truth sooner orter. What you need to do


    now is to find those people immediately,¡± Xavier said.


    Listening to his words, Melissa stood up straight. She nodded her head while wiping her tears off with a


    tissue. ¡°Yeah, Xavier. W-We finally agree on something,¡± said Melissa, sobbing and sniffling. Her


    shoulders huddled from time to time.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ you¡¯re not as stupid as I thought.¡± Xavier nodded, feeling relieved. Then, he said solemnly,


    ¡°After you have found those men, hand them over to me. I¡¯ll immediately buy you a ne ticket to go


    abroad so you cany low before this matter is solved.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Xavier. But, you don¡¯t have to deal with them anymore. I have already dealt with them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve dealt with them¡­ What did you say?¡± Xavier was dumbfounded after he heard that.


    ¡°I¡¯ve obliterated the evidence, because only if they¡¯re dead, then no one will know nor suspect it was I


    who hadmitted the crime. I had sent someone to make the person who secretly sneaked into the


    wedding banquet to broadcast the video and the few people who had assaulted Tiffany vanish from the


    surface of the Earth.¡±


    Shortly after those words escaped from her lips, Melissa had a smug smile on her tearful face.


    As she kept smiling, Melissa soon realized there was something wrong with Xavier¡¯s facial expression,


    and the smile on her face converged inch by inch. Then, her facial expression gradually became stiff.


    ¡°X-Xavier, w-what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Are you a freaking moron? You¡¯re asking me what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xavier only felt that his head was congested with anger. He grabbed Melissa¡¯s shirt and raised his hand


    again, wanting to p her back to her senses. However, he held back when his hand was 10 centimeters


    away from her cheek.


    Clenching all his five fingers into a fist, Xavier smashed on the center console, and instantly, a pit


    appeared on it.


    Melissa had never seen Xavier in such a furious state before.


    Shortly after, Xavier picked up his phone and made a call. After asking the other party to send Melissa¡¯s


    passport to the airport, he bought the ticket for the first flight avable to Castron. Then, he drove both of


    them to the airport. Along the way, he urged, ¡°After you¡¯ve arrived in Castron,y low and don¡¯t call the


    family for now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡±


    Once again, Melissa realized her mistake. Even so, she could only cry nonstop as she was too


    frightened to the point she did not dare to utter a word.


    After a while, Melissa asked cautiously again, ¡°Xavier, will you reveal my doings to Young Master


    Matthew in order to protect Veronica?¡±


    But, her question did not receive an answer.


    ¡­


    At the same time, Veronica was forcibly brought into the car. She sat in the car and left with several


    bodyguards.


    However, their car did not manage to drive far when a car suddenly appeared from the side and


    mmed into the car Veronica was in.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± shouted the man in the front passenger seat as he reminded the man in the driver¡¯s seat.


    ng! ng!


    The car drove slowly on the road. Left and right, two cars were clinging and trapping the car in the


    middle.


    Veronica, who was sitting in the back row, was dizzy from the hit. Just as she was holding onto the car


    seat with both hands, the cars on both sides made a sudden brake. Her eardrums were triggered by the


    sharp and harsh braking sound. It was a sound that was enough to drive people nuts.


    Eventually, the cars were forced toe into stall modes.


    After the driver had stopped the car, the two cars on the left and right, along with the four cars in the front


    and the back, stopped as well.


    A team of foreign mercenary soldiers in camouge uniform and beret appeared in the cars that were


    attacking their car. Wearing sunsses, they got out of the car in an aggressive manner.


    Meanwhile, 8 bodyguards in suits and leather shoes stepped out of the four cars dispatched by Matthew.


    They were going up against those 16 tough-looking foreign mercenaries.


    Who sent these mercenaries?


    Veronica was puzzled.


    Just as Veronica was sitting in the car and silently waiting for the fierce confrontation of more than 20


    people, the door of the car she was in suddenly opened.


    ¡°Why are you still in a daze? Hurry up and get out of the car.¡±


    A familiar female voice sounded. Veronica looked sideways, and the person who came was¡­ ¡°Yvonne?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Get out of the car right now!¡±


    Dragging Veronica out of the car, Yvonne then hopped into her red sports car.


    Then, Yvonne started her car. After making a u-turn in a cool manner, she tantly drove backwards on


    the highway and entered the otherne at the next intersection.


    Eyes looking at the group of people who were confronting each other through the rearview mirror,


    Veronica asked again, ¡°Who are those people? Why did youe to save me?¡±


    ¡°You saved me back then, so it¡¯s reasonable for me to save you now.¡±


    As she said that, Yvonne tilted her head, raised her hand, and pulled down the sunsses to her nose


    bridge. Then, she cocked her eyebrow and smiled at Veronica.

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188


    Chapter 188 Will You Believe Me?


    Veronica nced at Yvonne with a baffled look and smiled without saying a word.


    Then, withplicated feelings, shey back on the passenger seat, closed her eyes, and pretended to


    doze off.


    The car drove on for half an hour before it arrived at a private small western-style building in a remote


    location.


    After parking the car, Yvonne patted Veronica on her shoulder. ¡°Veronica? It¡¯s time to get off. Damn, how


    could you still fall asleep after what happened? I admire your calmness,¡± she muttered as she got out of


    the car.


    When Yvonne got out of the car, Veronica still hadn¡¯t gotten down yet.


    Yvonne frowned and walked over to the passenger seat before opening the door. ¡°Veronica, get out of


    the car!¡±


    ¡°Oh. Where are we now?¡±


    The groggy Veronica rubbed her eyes and walked out of the car, as if she hadn¡¯t fully woken up.


    Yvonne turned back and pointed at the building. ¡°Come in with me. This is my¡ª¡±


    However, before she could finish speaking, someone suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back,


    pinning her against the car, and the next moment, a sharp and cool dagger was ced against her neck.


    ¡°Tell me: Who are you?!¡±


    Veronica, who still seemed sleepy just now, looked angry and gloomy all of a sudden. She had lost all


    sleepiness from moments ago.


    It was obvious that she was acting just now.


    Yvonne was stunned for a moment, then she smiled. ¡°Veronica, stop ying around. I¡¯m trying to save


    you. Do you normally treat your savior this way?¡±


    ¡°Savior? Heh.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s red lips curled slightly, and her beautiful eyes were filled with a sarcastic sneer. ¡°Are you


    telling me the truth or not? I will give you five seconds to tell me; otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being


    merciless!¡±


    From the first time she met Yvonne, she had been suspicious of this woman and had always felt that she


    was very scheming.


    After meeting in Bloomstead again, she had been observing Yvonne¡¯s every reaction.


    ¡°S-Stop it. Swords have no eyes. Nothing good is going toe out of this if you hurt me.¡±


    Yvonne waved her hand and couldn¡¯t help gulping from the nerves. ¡°I really just wanted to save¡­¡±


    ¡°Five!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m really just trying to save you.¡±


    ¡°Four!¡±


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, are you out of your mind? Why¡ª¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°I bet you won¡¯t be able to do this to me.¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, then.¡±


    ¡°One!¡±


    When Veronica finished thest count, she saw Yvonne staring at her intently while her eyes narrowed


    slightly. Her hand holding the dagger retracted, and in a sh, she stabbed directly at Yvonne¡¯s face.


    The speed was staggering, but at the critical moment, Yvonne¡¯s pupils shrank slightly. She suddenly


    raised her hand, grabbed Veronica¡¯s wrist with her hands, and clenched her fist with the other hand


    before punching Veronica¡¯s abdomen fiercely.


    Veronica was initially in pain, which caused her to stagger back a few steps, but she soon regained her


    footing.


    Instead of being angry, she smiled. ¡°You¡¯re revealing your skills so quickly, eh?¡±


    Just now, she deliberately attacked her in the face with a dagger. Normally, people would subconsciously


    resist when they encountered extremely dangerous situations.


    Veronica only wanted to give it a try, but she managed to reveal Yvonne¡¯s skills.


    To be able to catch a de bare-handed in an instant meant that her ability should not be


    underestimated, and her skills must be no less better than Veronica¡¯s.


    Yvonne realized that she was tricked, so she pursed her lips and said nothing.


    ¡°Did what happened today have anything to do with you?¡±


    Up till now, Veronica only felt that Yvonne¡¯s identity was strange, but there was no evidence to prove that


    what happened in the banquet hall today had anything to do with her.


    So, she was just specting.


    ¡°It had nothing to do with me.¡± Yvonne shook her head.


    ¡°Since it didn¡¯t have anything to do with you, why did you save me? What is your purpose in approaching


    me all this while?¡±


    Though Veronica had no deep suspicion toward Yvonne before this, Yvonne¡¯s reaction now had basically


    exined everything.


    It was just that up till now, Veronica still didn¡¯t know why Yvonne tried to approach her so persistently.


    Was it because of Matthew?


    No¡ªthat would be impossible.


    After all, she was the one who ruined Matthew¡¯s wedding banquet. ording to the video yed at the


    banquet, she allegedly kidnapped Tiffany and threatened to kill the child in her womb, which was said to


    be her revenge on the Kings Family.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Now that she was the enemy of the Kings Family, Yvonne saving her right then would mean she was


    making an enemy of the Kings as well.


    Therefore, it could never be because of Matthew.


    But if it wasn¡¯t because of Matthew, then what could be the reason for this?


    ¡°What purpose? Would you believe me if I said that the first meeting was just an ident? I just felt you


    were a good person, and so I saved you today. You have to believe me. I would never do anything to hurt


    you¡ª¡±


    Thud! Halfway through Yvonne¡¯s sentence, the dagger in Veronica¡¯s hand flew at a terrifying speed. With


    a thud, the dagger had sunk into the door frame beside her.


    The strength and precision were astounding.


    ¡°Yvonne Spencer, I don¡¯t care why you approached me, but from today onward, don¡¯t appear in front of


    me again. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you!¡±


    Veronica snorted coldly, walked past her, and left.


    Right then, she couldn¡¯t figure out if Yvonne¡¯s words were true or false, but she felt even more terrified


    the more she thought about it¡ªit only sent chills down her spine.


    If Yvonne¡¯s words were true, who was secretly protecting her?


    However, if her words were a lie, then what was the purpose of Yvonne approaching her?


    With these thoughts in mind, Veronica left.


    Yvonne, who was leaning against the car, looked back at Veronica¡¯s back and sighed helplessly, at a loss


    for what to do.


    Veronica was walking from the suburbs to the city. She was in aplicated mood and called Xavier, but


    no one answered.


    She guessed that Xavier should be busy right around that time, so she decided to not continue calling


    him.


    After hesitating, she found Matthew¡¯s phone number in the address book and dialed it.


    ¡°Beep, beep¡­¡±


    The phone rang twice, but there was no answer as well.


    All of a sudden, a ck car braked and stopped beside her.


    Veronica was stunned, and she turned her head to look at the car parked beside her, only to realize that


    it was Matthew¡¯s car.


    The door opened, and sure enough, a familiar figure appeared in front of her.


    In a suit and leather shoes, he was all dressed up today. He looked blindingly handsome and charming.


    It was just that on that handsome face of his was a gloomy look, which added a sense of coldness to


    him.


    She looked at him, and he looked at her.


    The two locked eyes for a few seconds, then Matthew looked down at the phone in his hand, swiped the


    screen with his thumb, and answered.


    As he held the phone to his ear, he looked at the woman in front of him withplex and deep eyes


    while his thin lips parted slightly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Veronica clutched the phone tightly¡ªshe never expected Matthew to answer.


    She pursed her red lips lightly, hesitated, and said, ¡°What happened today¡­ If I said that I didn¡¯t do it,


    would you believe me?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s voice fell, but Matthew didn¡¯t speak.


    The two just stared at each other, two meters apart, while the autumn breeze ruffled the hair on their


    foreheads, as if strumming each other¡¯s heartstrings.


    ¡°Heh.¡± The woman sneered at her own remarks. ¡°Why would you ever believe me? I am just being


    delusional¡ª¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡±


    With such tender words being uttered from his mouth, he once again disyed an endless amount of


    doting care for her.


    It was those two words that gave Veronica a heavy blow¡ªshe was so shocked that she was speechless


    for a long time.


    Did¡­ Did he just say that he believes me?


    ¡°H-How could you possibly believe me? I am solely responsible for your wedding. What happened during


    the wedding, and the video which clearly stated that I forced her to abort the child¡ªyou have every right


    to believe that I did all that to avenge my child!¡±

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189


    Chapter 189 Marry Me and All My Money Is Yours


    As she spoke, she hung up and kept her phone.


    Matthew stared at Veronica, but the only thing he could see from her sincere face was innocence and


    helplessness.


    He stepped forward slowly and stood in front of her. ¡°Maybe you should watch the whole video.¡±


    ¡°The whole video? W-What do you mean?¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t understand what Matthew meant.


    ¡°On the day you returned to Bloomstead, she was defiled after being taken away by them.¡±


    ¡°A-Are you saying that she was r*ped?¡±


    Veronica was speechless. No matter what, she didn¡¯t expect this to be the oue.


    Thinking about this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill run down her spine. If the video was shown in its


    entirety today, the Kings Family would have be the joke in Bloomstead from then on, and Tiffany


    would have been utterly humiliated.


    The consequences were¡­ unimaginable.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t do this. I¡¯m asking Xavier to help me investigate the truth. I also want to know who¡¯s pulling


    strings behind the scenes, trying to harm me.¡±


    Veronica was furious, and her clenched fists hung at her sides.


    Her gaze was fixed on Matthew from the very beginning, and she was inexplicably worried about


    whether the man would doubt the authenticity of her words.


    ¡°Leave this matter to me,¡± he said softly. ¡°Get in the car and follow me back.¡±


    After he said that, Veronica stood motionless. Matthew frowned inexplicably, but Veronica asked, ¡°Why


    did you choose to trust me?¡±


    Does he trust me just because he fancies me?


    ¡°The Veronica I know is straightforward, honest, bold, and courageous; you even dared to sacrifice your


    life to save someone else when the car was about to explode. How could you do such a despicable


    thing?¡±


    Matthew didn¡¯t mince words when he praised her.


    Listening to Matthew¡¯s exnation, Veronica suddenly realized that he already knew that she had saved


    him the night he was in a car ident.


    ¡°It seems that you¡¯re not stupid either.¡±


    She sighed and smiled helplessly, feeling that Matthew didn¡¯t disappoint her after all.


    Originally, she wanted to rify things with Matthew, because a sensible man would rationally analyze


    everything that happened at the wedding scene today, but she was suddenly taken away by Xavier


    before she could react.


    When she came back to find Matthew, she was inexplicably ¡®rescued¡¯ by Yvonne¡¯s people.


    At that time, she sensed that something was wrong with Yvonne, so she deliberately got into the car with


    her, wanting to know what Yvonne¡¯s identity was.


    It wasn¡¯t until she arrived at the western-style building in the outskirts that she started to take action


    against Yvonne, and she suddenly realized that something was wrong with the building. She nced


    around keenly and found that there was someone powerful hidden in it.


    In order to save her life, she didn¡¯t continue to attack Yvonne and chose to leave the building.


    On one hand, she was trying to save her life; on the other hand, she wanted to find a suitable opportunity


    to investigate Yvonne¡¯s identity in depth.


    ¡°What? Do you think I would be stupid enough to think you did it?¡±


    This damn woman. Am I that stupid to her?


    As Veronica¡¯s suspended heart eased, she rxed a whole lot, and she couldn¡¯t helpughing, ¡°I don¡¯t.


    By the way, how¡¯s Grandma?¡±


    ¡°At the hospital. She¡¯s already awake.¡±


    ¡°Can you¡­ take me to the hospital to visit Grandma? I want to personally exin this to her.¡±


    ¡°With no evidence, what are you going to use to get Grandma to trust you?¡± Matthew seemed a little


    worried. ¡°You¡¯ve been staying upte to n the weddingtely; there are even dark circles under your


    eyes.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help raising his hand and covering her cheek with his huge palm. Then, he caressed her


    cheek with his thumb. ¡°As a girl, you should learn to take good care of yourself.¡±


    Despite his sudden gentleness, Veronica didn¡¯t fall for his concerned act, but pped his hand away


    instead. ¡°Matthew, I¡¯m warning you. If you dare to take advantage of me again, I¡¯ll chop your hand off!


    Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re not still a scumbag just because you broke off your engagement with Tiffany. Don¡¯t


    forget that the child in her belly is yours. You abandoned her just because she¡¯s been r*ped. You don¡¯t


    have any sense of responsibility as a man whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the responsibility of a man?¡±


    Matthew took a step forward, his eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°Do you think this has nothing to do with you?¡±


    He held her wrist in his huge palm, then walked forward and said solemnly, ¡°In the first ce, I promised


    to marry Tiffany because she lied and imed to have saved me. That¡¯s why all that happened. How


    should I settle this score with you, huh?¡±


    Regarding the cause and effect of this matter, there was no way it wasn¡¯t rted to Veronica.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Veronica was speechless. After carefully contemting it, it seemed that this matter was indirectly


    rted to her.


    But¡­


    Even so, she refused to admit it.


    ¡°What does it have to do with me? It was you who didn¡¯t investigate carefully in the first ce, yet you¡¯re


    ming it on me.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me: Why is that ring with her? Why is she so clear about what happened at the scene of the


    incident?¡±


    ¡°S-She stole the ring from my house. Why do you think she tried to attack me so many times in the first


    ce? It¡¯s because she was afraid I¡¯d reveal the truth to you!¡±


    When Veronica recalled the previous incident, her anger flew through the roof. ¡°Speaking of which, I


    remember that I saved you when you were about to die that day. You promised me a reward of 100


    million, but you haven¡¯t given it to me yet.¡±


    Their conversation was open and honest.


    Matthew looked down at the angry yelling woman in front of him. As he peered at her, he suddenly found


    her angry appearance cute.


    They were clearly twins, but why were their personalities so different?


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to marry me, all my money will be yours,¡± Matthew said out of nowhere.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    As soon as he spoke, Veronica was so shocked that she stopped mid-sentence. She was stunned, and


    her eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Marry you?¡±


    I-Is this a confession?


    Veronica suddenly felt her heartbeat speed up, and she was a little nervous, astonished, and ttered all


    at once.

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190


    Chapter 190 I¡¯m Short of Money, Not Men


    ¡°Think about it?¡±


    A warm smile appeared on Matthew¡¯s sexy lips.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as he said that, Veronica suddenly stretched out a foot and stepped fiercely on


    his foot before crushing it. ¡°In your dreams. I¡¯m short of money, not men! Hmph!¡±


    With that, Veronica rolled her eyes at Matthew, then turned around and proudly got into the car.


    Standing in the same ce, Matthew slightly raised his eyebrows, then he slightly lowered his head and


    nced at the gray footprint on his dark and shiny leather shoe. He couldn¡¯t help his lips from curling up


    slightly, and a touch of amusement appeared in his eyes.


    His genuine smile was charming and sultry, but Matthew didn¡¯t realize that his mood had been affected


    by Veronica¡¯s every move.


    Unknowingly, it seemed that all his tenderness had been given to this unique woman.


    Turning around, he got into the car and sat next to Veronica, then said to Thomas, who was sitting in the


    driver¡¯s seat, ¡°Go back to Twilight Condominium.¡±


    ¡°Okay, boss.¡±


    Thomas started the car and drove intently. From time to time, he would look through the rearview mirror


    to see the actions of the two people in the back seat.


    Noticing this, Matthew raised the middle partition, blocking Thomas¡¯ view.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve broken off your engagement with her, then what about the child in her belly? Grandma


    even fainted with anger. Is she okay? She must be very disappointed.¡±


    Veronica leaned against the car door, watching the scenery outside sh past, then let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°She must be very disappointed in me.¡±


    The cause of everything that happened today pointed to Veronica, and everyone was suspicious of her.


    Even the people who attended the banquet had a lot to say about her.


    Feeling worried, she sighed, as if the burden on her shoulders had gotten a lot heavier and was


    suffocating her.


    ¡°Leave it to me. You just need to take care of yourself.¡±


    Matthew looked sideways at her, a lingering gloom on his face.


    Veronica already had severe insomnia, so what happened today would probably bring her greater stress


    and worsen her condition.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried that my¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to protect your parents around the clock. Nothing will happen.¡± Matthew knew what


    she was worried about.


    Everything had been settled, but there was one thing that made Veronica uneasy.


    Confusion was written on her fair face. As she blinked her beautiful glistening eyes, she looked at


    Matthew with puzzlement. ¡°You¡¯re not being so nice to me because you have other intentions, right?


    Matthew, I¡¯m telling you. Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll give you a discount because you treat me better now.¡±


    ¡°A discount?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The 100 million for saving you and the 300 million for the wedding. Not a penny less!¡±


    ¡°Based on how the wedding went, as the head of the weddingpany that is solely responsible, don¡¯t


    you have to be responsible for it?¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Then, you can¡¯t me me. Who knows how many people you usually offend? Now, your


    wedding is canceled, and mypany is in trouble. Great! Who will hire mypany next time? There


    are dozens of people in mypany. Now, we¡¯re done for. Ugh.¡±


    Speaking of which, this was her first time starting her own business. In order to earn Matthew¡¯s money,


    she took over the wedding nningpany and stayed up for several days and nights. She just hoped


    that this wedding would be disaster-proof, but in the end, it ended in a farce.


    Her wedding nningpany¡¯s reputation was ruined, and no one would ever ask to work with them


    again in the future.


    It was a huge loss!


    ¡°Thomas, go straight to the office.¡±


    At the end of the day, Veronica couldn¡¯t let go of the wedding nningpany she had painstakingly


    managed.


    After such a major incident, everyone in thepany was terrified, so she had to go back to preside


    over the situation.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Matthew didn¡¯t make a sound, so Thomas knew that his boss had acquiesced.


    He turned the car around and headed toward Encounters Bridal Store.


    Half an hourter, they arrived at Veronica¡¯s office.


    She said to Matthew, ¡°Thank you for sending me over. Bye.¡±


    Matthew gave her a slight nod. ¡°Call me if you need help with anything.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Veronica responded, she got out of the car and hurried into the office. As a result, as soon as she


    walked into the lounge, she saw several male colleagues scuffling with each other.


    ¡°Oh, stop it.¡±


    ¡°The boss has already run away. There¡¯s no use grappling with each other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s bad luck.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d better hurry up and contact the boss. Otherwise, we might not even get our sries!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think President Murphy is an irresponsible person.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s run away! How¡¯s that being responsible? How naive!¡±


    ¡­


    Thepany¡¯s employees were divided into two factions¡ªone chose to trust Veronica, while the other


    believed that Veronica ran away with the money.


    The two groups of people were arguing and buzzing with noise.


    When Veronica walked into the lounge, she stood there for a full minute without anyone noticing her


    presence.


    ncing around, she saw a ss cup on the table beside her, so she picked it up and threw it onto the


    ground.


    The cup shattered, causing everyone to look over in surprise, and they were even more surprised to find


    that she was back.


    ¡°President Murphy?¡±


    ¡°President Murphy, you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°After you offended Young Master Matthew, we thought you ran away.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and give us our sry. I want to resign. You¡¯ve offended Young Master Matthew. We don¡¯t


    want to get into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right! Hurry up and return our sry!¡±


    ¡­


    Dozens of employees chattered non-stop, and they were making so much noise that her head hurt.


    Dressed in workwear, Veronica tied her hair into a ponytail and ced her hands into the pockets of her


    trousers. Her small face was slightly sunken, and she was looking coldly at them, her sharp eyes


    compelling.


    The noise gradually softened until everyone was quiet.


    Only then did she open her mouth and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you guys talking anymore? Why don¡¯t you


    continue arguing and fighting?¡±


    Her voice was stern, but there was no sound.


    Veronica¡¯s anger gradually subsided. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t say that thepany is dissolved, none of your


    sries will be a penny less!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ what are you going to do about the fact that you offended Young Master Matthew?¡±


    ¡°The bride is your sister, but you actually kidnapped her, and you even hired someone to kill the child in


    her belly. You¡¯re so vicious. How are we supposed to believe you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s too vicious.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that simple.¡±


    ¡­


    Listening to their arguments, Veronica furrowed her eyebrows as she red at everyone. Her harsh gaze


    was rather intimidating, and all her employees quieted down once more.


    She spoke slowly. ¡°Please think the next time you speak. Ourpany was solely responsible for


    Matthew¡¯s wedding. With a budget of 300 million, a single order is enough tost ten years. Would I be


    an idiot and ruin my job?!¡±


    At this moment, another voice rang out in the crowd. ¡°Whether you did it or not, you¡¯ve offended Young


    Master Matthew.¡±


    It was a sentence that was hard to disagree with.


    Veronica had worked as a grassroots employee before too. She knew that what they were thinking was


    normal and reasonable, so she said, ¡°I can understand your mood. If you want to resign, go to the


    finance department now and get your three months¡¯ sry. Get your money immediately and leave.¡±


    An employee hurried in from outside and said to Veronica, ¡°President Murphy, President Murphy, bad


    news. There are suddenly a lot of reporters outside asking for an interview.¡±

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191


    Chapter 191 Matthew Killed Someone


    Interview?


    Veronica¡¯s heart tightened, and a bad feeling arose.


    The reporters were always interested in her because she was Tiffany¡¯s younger sister, which was why


    she had always kept a low profile.


    But this time, the incident happened suddenly, and she was worried about thepany¡¯s employees, so


    she took the risk to go to the office. In the end, she was still pursued by reporters.


    Veronica didn¡¯t want things to be publicized, as she was worried that her adoptive parents in the


    countryside would be worried when they found out about it, so she said to her employees, ¡°If you want to


    resign, go to the finance department. Those who want to stay and continue working will get double pay


    this month and half a month off with pay. Remember, as long as I¡¯m around, your sry will never be


    reduced!¡±


    With that, she gestured to her assistant. ¡°Help me keep them out. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    Shirley Wilson was Veronica¡¯s newly recruited assistant. After a week of contact with Veronica, she still


    admired her a lot, so she nodded and said, ¡°Okay, Veronica. You can go first. Leave this to me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Veronica patted Shirley on the shoulder, then slipped away through the back door.


    ¡­


    After leaving the office, Veronica had nowhere to go. She reached out and touched the ess card in


    her pocket, then finally chose to walk to Twilight Condominium to avoid being pursued.


    Now that Matthew¡¯s affairs had been exposed by the media personnel who had sneaked into the


    wedding, not only had she be the target of reporters, she was also afraid that it had angered the


    Larsons. For all she knew, at some point, she might be assassinated by a killer sent by the Larson


    Family.


    For half an hour, she walked the streets alone while wearing a face mask.


    At this moment, the phone in her pocket suddenly rang.


    Taking out her phone, she saw that it was Matthew calling.


    ¡°Hello? Matt¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent you a location. Come over right away.¡±


    ¡°What? A location? Where are we going¡ª¡± Beep, beep¡­


    He had only said a couple of words over the phone, and he didn¡¯t even give her a chance to finish her


    sentence.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but feel a little irritable listening to the beeping sounds. She opened WhatsApp


    and saw the location Matthew had sent. After hesitating for a while, she stopped a taxi and went to the


    specified location.


    It was an abandoned factory on the outskirts.


    ¡°What is he doing here?¡±


    As Veronica muttered to herself, she paid the taxi driver, then walked out of the car.


    When she approached the factory warehouse, she saw several cars parked outside the entrance, one of


    which belonged to Matthew, and there was another car with a license te that she was familiar with.


    It¡¯s¡­ Xavier¡¯s. Why is he here?


    An inexplicable sense of tension suddenly emerged, and she was stunned for a moment. Then, she


    elerated her pace and trotted into the warehouse.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Sob¡­¡±


    ¡°Sob, sob¡­ Don¡¯t hit my brother. Sob, sob¡­ Don¡¯t hit him¡­¡±


    ¡°Xavier, are you okay? Xavier? Sob, sob¡­¡±


    As soon as she walked to the entrance of the warehouse, she heard the wailing and painful cries, but the


    voice was particrly familiar.


    When Veronica walked in, she saw Matthew dressed in a suit, looking like a gang leader. He had one


    hand in the pocket of his trousers and a cigarette in the other. Smoking indifferently, he stood in front of


    two rows of bodyguards who were standing side by side.


    On the other side was Melissa being held down by two bodyguards, who were gripping her arms and


    pressing her to the ground.


    Shey woefully on the ground, tearfully looking across the room while sobbing incessantly.


    In the center of the warehouse, six well-trained thugs surrounded Xavier. He was hopelessly


    outnumbered, but he struggled like a trapped beast.


    ¡°Stop it! Matthew, what are you doing? Stop it!¡±


    Veronica rushed up to Matthew and shoved him. ¡°What are you doing? Are you crazy? What are you


    doing with Xavier and Melissa?¡±


    It was all happening so suddenly that Veronica didn¡¯t understand what was going on at all.


    However, she could vaguely guess that Matthew kidnapping the two of them must be rted to the


    events of today¡¯s wedding.


    But Xavier was by no means that kind of scumbag.


    Having been shoved by her, Matthew stood as steadily as a mountain. He flicked his cigarette butt and


    slightly raised his eyelids, then he took in the anger and anxiousness on her face.


    For a while, it was impossible to say whether he was jealous of her concern for Xavier, or if he was


    particrly annoyed that she was fooled by Xavier.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you ask him yourself?¡± Matthew¡¯s expression was solemn, and a chill


    appeared in his eyes.


    ¡°Sob¡­ Veronica, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re here. Quickly beg Matthew to stop hitting my brother, please¡­


    Sob, sob¡­¡±


    ¡°Veronica, please save my brother. I can give you money. I can give you a lot of money. Sob, sob¡­ Don¡¯t


    hit my brother. Sob, sob¡­¡±


    Melissa burst into tears, and tears rolled freely down her cheeks along with snot. It mixed in with the


    ashes on the ground, which got stuck to her face.


    As the daughter of a well-known family, she had never suffered such humiliation before. But, in this case,


    she was more concerned about her life. How could she still care about her image?


    Having been knocked to the ground by six people, Xaviery on the ground with a bruised nose and


    swollen face. He curled up in pain and stretched out his hand to cover his abdomen. His head was


    against the ground, and his feet were propped up on the ground. He tried to get up several times, but it


    was a useless struggle.


    At this moment, the scene of Xavier being stained with ashes and humiliated was something Veronica


    had never seen before.


    She was used to seeing his mischievous smile, so she couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart ache for him now.


    ¡°Xavier, are you okay?¡±


    Veronica ran over and helped Xavier, who was lying on the ground and couldn¡¯t get up. Looking him up


    and down, she asked, ¡°Why are you so badly injured? What did you do to make Matthew do this to you?¡±


    Xavier was covered in mud and ash. His face, nostrils, and the corners of his mouth were covered with


    blood stains, and his injuries were severe.


    He staggered as he stood up, and Veronica continued to hold him up when she noticed him being


    unsteady. ¡°Say something. I asked you a question.¡±


    She waited for a long while, but still didn¡¯t get Xavier¡¯s answer, which made her extremely anxious.


    Facing Veronica, Xavier felt a little guilty, and although the words came to his lips, he couldn¡¯t bring


    himself to say it.


    He smiled bitterly. ¡°Do you feel distressed to see me like this?¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? It¡¯s gotten to this point, yet you¡¯re still joking around? Do you think this is funny?¡±


    Veronica was furious.


    ¡°Sob, sob¡­ I¡¯ll talk. If my brother won¡¯t, then let me.¡±


    Melissa, who was held down on the ground, struggled a few times, but she couldn¡¯t break free, so she


    cried and said, ¡°It¡¯s Matthew. Sob, sob¡­ Matthew¡¯s wedding was ruined, and he¡¯s saying that Xavier and


    I sabotaged it. Sob, sob¡­ He¡¯s too deceiving. He has no evidence, so how could he just insist that my


    brother and I did it? Sob, sob¡­ We don¡¯t have any motives at all. Sob, sob¡­¡±


    Before this, Melissa waspletely unaware of the seriousness of the matter.


    It was only at the moment when she had fled to the airport and boarded the ne but was ambushed by


    Matthew¡¯s men and taken away did she feel impending doom.


    Fortunately, she had wiped out all the evidence. Although she couldn¡¯t prove her innocence, there was


    no evidence that she had sent someone to poison Tiffany.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Veronica pursed her lips and turned to look at Matthew. ¡°Is Melissa telling the truth?¡±

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192


    Chapter 192 Please Save Me


    When she asked the question, Matthew¡¯s beautiful face became colder. ¡°You should ask him.¡±


    He pointed at Xavier with his cigarette between his fingers, endless contempt in his eyes.


    Veronica¡¯s mind was nk, and she was unable to determine the truth of the situation in such a short


    period of time.


    Gripping Xavier¡¯s shoulders with both hands, she peered at his bruised face, which was no longer as


    handsome as it used to be. ¡°Did what happened today have anything to do with you?¡±


    Based on her understanding of Matthew, Veronica knew that he wasn¡¯t someone who would make


    arbitrary decisions.


    Without the ability to analyze and make judgements, it would be impossible for him to get to his current


    position, with no one being able to overturn him.


    On the other hand, Xavier did whatever he wanted and was prone to lying.


    So, who¡¯s lying? Or did something go wrong somewhere?


    She couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes were swollen from the beating, but it didn¡¯t affect his expression as he studied Veronica up


    close.


    From the confused look in her eyes, he could almost see disappointment.


    He poked his cheek with the tip of his tongue, then he licked the corners of his mouth in a bloodthirsty


    manner before snorting softly. ¡°No.¡±


    In the end, Xavier chose to lie.


    ¡°If it has nothing to do with you, is it rted to her?¡± Matthew asked solemnly.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Melissa, causing her to turn pale with fright as she shook her head. ¡°No, no. It


    has nothing to do with me. Absolutely nothing. Sob, sob¡­ I-It has nothing to do with me¡­¡±


    Veronica nced at Melissa, who was crying miserably, then turned to Xavier again. ¡°Is what Matthew


    said true?¡±


    She stared unblinkingly at Xavier, as if trying to prate his mind through his eyes.


    Feeling guilty, Xavier couldn¡¯t stand her burning gaze, so he lowered his head slightly, then turned and


    nced at Melissa, who shook her head with a pleading look.


    Although Melissa didn¡¯t speak, Xavier knew that it was Melissa¡¯s strong desire to survive.


    That was his younger sister, his only rtive.


    ¡°Xavier, why aren¡¯t you talking?¡±


    Regardless of how dim she was, Veronica could sense a trace of weirdness in Xavier¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Cough¡­ It hurts¡­¡±


    Xavier lifted his hand to cover his chest, then drew a painful breath before firmly shaking his head. ¡°It has


    nothing to do with Melissa.¡±


    Initially, Veronica was skeptical of Melissa, but Xavier¡¯s statement greatly reassured her.


    It was all good if she had nothing to do with it.


    That meant that everything was just a misunderstanding.


    She knew that Xavier wasn¡¯t that despicable.


    ¡°Matthew, could this be a misunderstanding?¡±


    Veronica let go of Xavier and walked toward Matthew, hoping that he could spare Xavier and his sister


    and re-investigate the matter.


    She took step after step toward the man, who was staring at Veronica the whole time. It wasn¡¯t until she


    approached him that he gave Thomas, who was standing next to him, a look.


    Bang, bang¡ª


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Two gunshots sounded abruptly, followed by a sharp cry that cut through the silence.


    ¡°Ah, my leg! It hurts so much. Help¡­ Oh¡­ Xavier, help me¡­¡±


    ¡°Matthew, what the f*ck are you doing? Stop it!¡±


    Melissa was crying hysterically, while Xavier pounced on her like he had gone insane. ¡°Melissa, are you


    okay? How is it? Where did you get hurt?¡±


    The sudden action shocked Veronica for a moment. She turned around abruptly, but before she could


    see Melissa¡¯s miserable appearance, Matthew grabbed her wrist and dragged her into her arms. His left


    hand went around the back of her head and covered her eyes from the side. ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡±


    His voice was gentle as the sound of water, like the spring breeze in March, soothing as ever.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    However, Veronica wasn¡¯t moved by his actions and struggled instead. ¡°Matthew, let me go! You b*stard!


    How can you shoot Melissa?¡±


    ¡°Miss Murphy, you should take a look at this.¡±


    Just as Xavier was holding Melissa and talking to her, Thomas handed a copy of a document to


    Veronica.


    Matthew let go of Veronica and withdrew his hand, his eyes suddenly lighting up.


    Veronica nced back in Melissa¡¯s direction, but several bodyguards stood in her way, so she couldn¡¯t


    see anything.


    She could only look down at the document in her hand. As she looked through it, her eyebrows furrowed,


    and the hand holding the A4 paper gradually tightened its grip, squeezing the paper until it was out of


    shape.


    There were photos on the document, and the people in the photos had appeared at the scene where


    Tiffany was assaulted.


    The person¡¯s ID card and background information were also printed on the paper, and a bank transfer


    record was attached.


    The person who transferred the money was¡­ Melissa.


    All of a sudden, a sense of loss arose, and it seemed to prate deeply into her organs, sending pain


    all over her body and making her feel extremely ufortable.


    She didn¡¯t continue to look through it. Slowly closing her eyes, she handed the document to Thomas.


    This information was obtained when Thomas investigated Tiffany under Matthew¡¯s orders. After


    identally discovering that Tiffany was assaulted, he continued the investigation and easily found out


    the instigator behind it¡ªMelissa.


    Even though Melissa had sent someone to silence them, Thomas had already gotten hold of important


    evidence.


    Nevertheless, Melissa still innocently thought that with everybody dead, her crimes could be hidden from


    the world.


    Meanwhile, Xavier fought desperately with several bodyguards. Perhaps because Melissa was injured,


    he was like an enraged lion. He was bursting with power, and he fought like a madman.


    Melissay on the ground in pain, wailing bitterly, the severe gunshot wound in her leg bled non-stop.


    Veronica slowly walked over, ignoring the fight happening beside her. She looked down at Melissa in a


    condescending manner and asked, ¡°Did today¡¯s incident have anything to do with you?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Veronica¡­¡±


    Lying on the ground, Melissa stretched out her blood-stained hand and grabbed Veronica¡¯s trousers. Her


    voice trembled from the pain as she said, ¡°It really¡­ has nothing to do with me. Save me¡­ Please save


    me¡­ I¡¯ll give you money. I¡¯ll give you 100,000. 200,000¡­ is fine too. Sob, sob¡­ It hurts¡­ Sob, sob¡­¡±


    In the past, Veronica was greedy for money because she was short of it.


    But at this moment, Melissa¡¯s words deeply burned her heart, as if she was trampling on her dignity.


    For the first time, she truly felt how shameful it was to be ¡®rewarded¡¯ with money.


    Having been severely injured, Xavier was weak as he got up from the ground. He stretched out his hand


    to cover his injured abdomen, then staggered and pointed at Matthew. With a contemptuous smile on his


    face, he said, ¡°Veronica, take a clear look. This is the man you fancy. He¡¯s cruel and ruthless. Human life


    means nothing to him¡­ Ugh¡­¡±


    God only knew how disappointed, pained, ridiculed, and sad Veronica felt listening to Xavier¡¯s remarks!


    She trusted Xavier so much, so she never thought that they would use her as a stepping stone in the


    end!


    If the truth of the matter hadn¡¯t been rified and if Matthew didn¡¯t trust her, her only oue today


    would¡¯ve been death.


    It was a pity that until now, the two siblings still didn¡¯t know that Veronica already knew the truth.


    Veronica looked at Melissa, who was still on the ground tugging on her trousers. The first shot had struck


    her left leg, and the other shot hit the ground, but the pain still made Melissa wail non-stop.

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193


    Chapter 193 The Evaporated Two Billion


    ¡°Let go!¡± Veronica took a step back, but her movement was restrained because Melissa was clutching


    the hem of her trousers.


    ¡°Veronica, save me from here and I¡¯ll give you 100,000. 100,00, alright? I-I can even write you a check.¡±


    Melissa continued to plead.


    Next to them, Xavier was still in a fight and said to Veronica in between punches, ¡°Roni, please. Please


    take Melissa away from here!¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡±


    As a smirk tinged the edges of Veronica¡¯s lips, a look of ruthlessness crept over her petite face. Tilting


    her head at a bodyguard next to her who was holding a gun in his hand, she narrowed her eyes, raised


    her hand, and hooked her finger at him.


    Following her gaze, the bodyguard realized that she wanted the handgun, but he was afraid to pass it to


    her. In the end, he cast an imploring look at Matthew, who didn¡¯t give him any instructions.


    When she didn¡¯t receive any reaction from the bodyguard for a few seconds, Veronica snatched the


    handgun from him directly, pulled the bolt quickly, and fired a shot, aiming it urately for Melissa¡¯s right


    leg.


    A deafening bang sounded in the air, followed by a shrilling cry of pain from Melissa.


    The people who were fighting at the side stopped fighting and turned to watch this scene in disbelief.


    Xavier¡¯s eyes grewrge, and he looked from Melissa to Veronica several times. Atst, when he saw


    Melissa holding her wound and crying in pain, he was sure that Veronica had indeed fired a shot at her.


    ¡°What are you doing, Veronica?!¡± Shoving aside the security guard in front of him, he lunged at Veronica.


    In that moment, Xavier, whose rationale was overwhelmed by his burning rage, carried his injured leg


    and hobbled toward Veronica. ¡°You said that I¡¯m your brother, but this is how you treat me¡­ Uh!¡±


    He had yet to finish speaking when Veronica had already raised the gun and shot his injured leg when he


    was about three meters away from her.


    His body turned limp, and he kneeled down on one knee unwittingly. When his knee hit the ground


    heavily, he gasped in pain, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    The sweat mixed with the blood on his face and flowed down, staining his white shirt red, and he


    appeared as forlorn as a survivor who had just crawled out of battle.


    ¡°W-What are you¡­ doing?¡± Gritting his teeth, he was close to breaking down from the pain, but his


    disappointment in Veronica was greater.


    Ignoring his gaze, Veronica stared at the gun which was still smoking slightly and tossed it to the


    bodyguard behind her.


    ¡°Is money really omnipotent?¡± she muttered and took out her purse, from where she fished out a 500,000


    check and threw it at Melissa.


    The thin check slipped and rolled around with the wind beforending on Melissa¡¯s face, and a corner of


    it was drenched by the tears on her face.


    ¡°500,000 is enough for your treatment.¡± Chuckling in a self-deprecating manner, Veronica closed her


    purse with a loud snap. ¡°Phew, so this is how amazing it feels to spend money!¡±


    Her series of abnormal behavior shocked Xavier, and he was in stunned silence for a long time. At the


    same time, Melissa was not the only one who was equally stunned, but also Thomas and Matthew, who


    were standing nearby.


    Matthew¡¯s eyes were filled with shock, but very quickly, he seemed to have understood something, and


    the slight depression in his eyes was reced by distress.


    She¡¯s doing this¡­


    ¡°Melissa Crawford, I really hate the way you¡¯re showing off in front of me with money,¡± Veronica said


    sarcastically before she turned around and left.


    The second she turned around, she clutched her purse tightly and concealed her trembling hands by


    swaying them naturally as she walked. With her head lowered, she paced to Matthew, pursed her lips,


    and recollected her emotions.


    When she lifted her eyes at him, she shrugged and smiled bitterly. ¡°Thank you for finding out the truth.


    Let¡¯s go and have a drink. Mr. Ritter, you¡¯ve worked hard with your men. Let¡¯s find a ce, and I¡¯ll foot


    the bill.¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Veronica, who was usually stingy, was especially generous today. For a second, Thomas was confused,


    but he quickly understood her intentions. Quietly, he nced at Matthew.


    With aplicated look in his deep-set eyes, Matthew gazed at Veronica, who seemed like apletely


    different person now. ¡°Sure. You¡¯re paying, then,¡± he said with a smirk. Then, he turned and started


    walking out, not forgetting to say, ¡°Thomas, make arrangements for the men tonight and ce it under


    my tab.¡±


    ¡°Got it, boss,¡± Thomas said and bowed lightly. After that, he waved to the twenty bodyguards. ¡°All of you


    have worked hard, and the boss said that we¡¯re going to have a party tonight.¡±


    ¡°Woohoo, great!¡±


    ¡°Boss is so generous! Let¡¯s get wasted tonight!¡±


    ¡°Damn, it has been a tiring evening today.¡±


    ¡°That guy, Xavier, is quite a fighter.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, he knocked out one of my teeth.¡±


    ¡­


    The bodyguards chatted amongst themselves while walking out of the warehouse.


    Standing in the crowd, Veronica turned back to nce thoughtfully at Melissa, who was slumped on the


    ground and had passed out from the pain, with Xavier lying next to her. Without saying anything, she


    then walked away.


    Staring at Veronica¡¯s back, Thomas unwittingly felt that she was an interesting and loyal person.


    Even though she had fired at Melissa and Xavier, it was exactly these shots that had saved Melissa¡¯s life.


    Otherwise, with Matthew¡¯s style of handling matters, Thomas was afraid that there would be an extra


    member in hell now. If even he could tell such a simple thing, of course Matthew had seen through it as


    well.


    After leaving the warehouse, Veronica got into the passenger seat of Matthew¡¯s car; he was the driver.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    The car started rolling slowly, and while looking ahead, Matthew nced at her from the corners of his


    eyes; she had a grim look on her face, and there was sorrow in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who suffered a grievance. Why should you thank me?¡± he muttered.


    Veronica knew very well that what happened at the wedding today would cause an unimaginable loss to


    the Kings Family after this. With the Kingses¡¯ status in Bloomstead, what happened today was enough to


    make Matthew take Melissa¡¯s life as the price.


    In order to cut off this thought of his, Veronica had no other choice but to shoot at the Crawford siblings,


    and she knew that Matthew would definitely know what she meant by doing this.


    Sure enough, this man didn¡¯t disappoint her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m responsible for the wedding today, so you don¡¯t have to give me the bnce payment.


    Take it as yourpensation.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that sounds fair. At least I recovered my losses indirectly.¡±


    ¡°I can forget the bnce payment of 150 million, but you¡¯ll have to give me the 100 million for saving


    your life.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Finally, a smile broke out on Veronica¡¯s glum face, but when she turned to look out the window, it was


    gone from her face in an instant.


    After that, they simply found a ce to eat before returning to Twilight Condominium. Saying that she


    was tired, she returned to her room, washed up, andy in bed without leaving her room again.


    Meanwhile, Thomas went upstairs to Matthew¡¯s study and stopped in front of his desk as he passed a


    document to him. ¡°Some journalists still managed to sneak into the wedding today and uploaded the


    video on the Inte. It caused a hugemotion online, and the stocks of Spinfluence Group


    plummeted because of this canceled wedding, resulting in two billion evaporating into thin air.¡±

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194


    Chapter 194 Floch and His Wife Are Overly Secretive


    With a pen in his hand, Matthew signed a document on the desk and didn¡¯t even nce at the document


    Thomas brought him. Then, he tapped on the desk gently with his pen, gesturing to him to ce it aside.


    ¡°Inform the finance department to transfer 100 million to Roni.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Thomas nodded, and something else came into his mind. ¡°What about the bnce payment for


    Miss Murphy¡¯spany?¡±


    ¡°A problem cropped up during the wedding, so there¡¯s no need to pay out the bnce ording to the


    agreement in the contract,¡± he answered with a straight face.


    Even though it appeared as if he had made the decision ording to the agreement, he was in fact


    trying not to give Veronica any emotional burden.


    What Xavier and Melissa did during the wedding caused irreversible consequences, and Matthew had


    given Veronica face by not pursuing this matter further with Xavier. By epting this huge favor from


    him, it had in turn became a form of burden for Veronica, so she would feel a little relieved if he didn¡¯t pay


    her the remaining bnce of the wedding banquet.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll inform the finance department tomorrow,¡± Thomas said and turned around to leave.


    ¡°Hang on.¡± Matthew called out to him and spoke thoughtfully. ¡°Pass the order that if any journalist shows


    up in front of Encounters again in the future, the newspaper agency they belong to will be shut down


    immediately. Also, I don¡¯t wish to see any topic regarding Roni on the Inte.¡±


    After years of working for Matthew, Thomas had never seen him care so much about another person


    before.


    ¡°By the way, if I didn¡¯t remember wrongly, a few of our men will be getting married this month, right?¡±


    Matthew asked suddenly.


    Thomas nodded. ¡°Yes. Would you like to get them a wedding gift?¡±


    ¡°Inform everyone that thepany will reimburse all expenses for anyone who uses the services from


    Encounters.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll get someone to do it so that nobody will find out.¡± After receiving the order, Thomas then left


    the study.


    I knew it. Boss isn¡¯t a stingy person, so he¡¯ll definitely pay out Miss Murphy her 150 million bnce. Isn¡¯t


    he just using another way to take care of her business now? Thomas thought.


    Meanwhile, at Dragon¡¯s Creek Vi, Tiffany returned to her home after the cancetion of her marriage


    and trashed everything in her room, creating aplete mess and turning the ce into a dumpsite.


    She even cut the wedding dress she was wearing into shreds, but she still didn¡¯t take it off.


    Lying in bed lifelessly with her curled hair falling over her forehead inplete disarray, she scrolled


    through Twitter and checked the trending topics.


    #SocialiteTiffanyLarsonHadAMiscarriage, #YoungMasterMatthewCanceledtheWedding,


    #WhyDidTiffanyCauseTheDeathOfHerSister¡¯sUnbornChild, and


    #MatthewKings&TiffanyLarsonPeacefulBreakup


    Casually, she clicked on one of the trending topics, and it was a video of her wedding when it was


    exposed that she was forced into having a miscarriage. One headline had more than a million likes and


    more than 200,000ments. Reading thements, she saw that the hottest discussions were about


    how unfathomable the rich and influential families were.


    ¡®In such a farce, Young Master Matthew had shown Tiffany enough respect by saying that the breakup


    was peaceful.¡¯


    ¡®The ridiculous things the Larsons did also made the Kings look cheap.¡¯


    ¡®Tiffany Larson is a mean thing. In the beginning of the video, it was said that she forced her sister into


    an abortion.¡¯


    ¡®Both of them look exactly the same. Are they fighting for the same guy?¡¯


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡®Who is this Veronica Murphy, exactly?¡¯


    ¡®The video was exposed at the wedding. Maybe it¡¯s their enemies seeking revenge.¡¯


    ¡®Such a shame for the No. 1 Talented Girl of Bloomstead. It won¡¯t be easy for her to get married in the


    future.¡¯


    ¡®Just one look at Tiffany Larson¡¯s b*tchy face and I can tell that she¡¯s not a good woman.¡¯


    There were much lesser criticisms of her in thements section than Tiffany had thought, so her


    uptight chest gradually rxed. Still, some fiercements from theizens still stabbed her heart like


    a dagger, hurting her so much that it was hard to breathe.


    After an entire afternoon of throwing her temper, she had exhausted all her energy and had nothing left


    to get mad again. Then, she became abnormally calm.


    Calmly, she clicked on the video and watched it y. Unintentionally, she caught sight of Veronica


    standing in the crowd, and fires of fury ignited in her eyes all of a sudden.


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, do you think you can destroy me with this?¡± Narrowing her eyes, she hissed, ¡°If I can¡¯t


    get something, then¡­ don¡¯t even dream that you can have it in this life!¡±


    Downstairs in the living room, Floch and his wife dismissed the servants and sat down with a strict but


    quiet expression.


    Picking up a cup, Floch took a sip of tea and lifted his eyes to nce at the second floor. With a sigh, he


    said, ¡°After today, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll hate Veronica even more.¡±


    Seated on the couch, Rachel appeared as though she was brewing her tea leisurely, but she was in fact


    very troubled.


    ¡°What happened at the wedding banquet was so sudden. Even though it was unexpected, someone¡¯s


    appearance today was very strange.¡± Picking up the teapot, she poured a cup of tea, picked up her cup,


    and sniffed in the fragrance of the tea.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Yvonne Spencer.¡±


    ¡°Who is this Yvonne Spencer?¡± Floch asked, unaware of Yvonne¡¯s background.


    ¡°Thest time after Veronica encountered a fire and was kidnapped on the second day of her


    hospitalization, she ran into Yvonne while trying to escape and was brought abroad. Luckily, Matthew


    arrived in time and saved her. After that, she tried many times to get close to Veronica, and after what


    happened today, she came in brazenly and saved her. However, for some unknown reason, Veronica ran


    away by herselfter. Looks like she¡¯s still suspicious of Yvonne¡¯s identity. This girl is smarter than we


    thought,¡± Rachel said with a heavy heart.


    On the other hand, Floch felt a chill down his spine, and the cup in his hand slipped, falling to the floor.


    ¡°You said¡­ Yvonne brought Veronica abroad? Where did she bring her? Could it be Castron?¡±


    Shaking her head, Rachel answered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Investigate if you¡¯re not sure!¡±


    ¡°Investigate? That¡¯s easier said than done. A few months ago, Matthew tried to find out information about


    this woman named Yvonne Spencer. In the end, he came up with nothing. So, what can we find out?¡±


    Lowering his head, Floch picked up the cup that fell on the carpet and rubbed his fingertips on the rim of


    the cup. ¡°Looks like a storm will hit Bloomstead soon,¡± he mumbled in a daze.


    Silently, Rachel finished her tea and ced down her cup. ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs to check on Tiffany.¡±


    ¡­


    It was alreadyte at night, but Veronica couldn¡¯t fall asleep as she tossed and turned in bed. After


    ying some games, she opened Twitter to check the news on what happened today. Unexpectedly, the


    news which was still trending today in the afternoon had evaporated and disappearedpletely. The


    entire social tform was as calm as a pool of stagnant water with no ripples at all.


    Looks like Matthew has done something, she reckoned.


    In thete night, Veronica, who was not tired at all, got out of bed and changed. Sitting in front of her


    dressing table, she put on smokey-eyed thick makeup and an Afro wig. In an instant, she changed her


    appearance to the point that not even her birth mother could recognize her.


    When she came out of her room, she bumped into Matthew, who wasing out of the study. Frozen in


    their tracks, they stared at each other motionlessly for a full second.


    Subconsciously, Matthew thought that a thief had sneaked into the house, but judging from that figure,


    who else could it be but Veronica?


    ¡°Where are you going sote at night?¡± he asked, concerned.


    ¡°Damn, you can still recognize me after I¡¯ve dressed up like this?¡± Lowering her gaze at herself in self-


    doubt, she then paced to the bar on the side and checked out herself in the mirror. ¡°Did I do something


    wrong? If even you can recognize me, other people would be able to do the same when I¡¯m out.¡±


    Matthew threw back his head and took a sip of wine. Then, he walked over to the bar, ced down the


    ss, and uttered again, ¡°Answer my question.¡±

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195


    Chapter 195 Isn¡¯t That Master?


    ¡°I can¡¯t fall asleep, so I want to go out.¡± Pretending to be rxed, Veronica chatted casually with Matthew


    in an attempt to hide the depression in her heart.


    Too many things happened recently, and it had really worn her out. After saying that, she turned around


    and left with her phone in her hand.


    Matthew watched as she left, but didn¡¯t follow after her because he knew that she needed some personal


    space.


    When Veronica was out of the condominium block, she hailed a cab. ¡°To Mudwood Street, sir.¡±


    Slowly, the cab started to drive in the direction she mentioned. As it waste at night, there were very few


    cars on the street, and the driver drove fast. For a car ride which usually needed an hour, it only took


    thirty minutes today.


    Hopping out after paying, she then went to the central square of Mudwood Street. Under the colorful


    shing lights, a group of yful youths were dancing wildly. A hit song by BIGBANG, Fantastic Baby,


    apanied by the deafening sound of the DJ, was ying and pushing the atmosphere to its apex.


    Boom shakaka, boom shakaka¡­


    Boom shakaka¡­


    Dan-dan, dan-dan, dance¡­


    ¡­


    Dancing to the music, Veronica swayed her head as she enjoyed this moment of rxation.


    The street was located in the suburbs and was a party location for motorbikers. Immersed in the


    boisterous atmosphere, Veronica tried her best to forget all her troubles.


    The song finished ying, and the group of people gradually stepped back, revealing a lineup of more


    than a dozen motorbikes. The motorbikers were either handsome and dashing, wild and adventurous, or


    stylish foreign men, all of whom were looking very pleasing to the eyes.


    A stunningly hot woman in a bikini walked in front of the motorbikes holding a small g above her head


    as she shouted, ¡°Five, four, three¡­¡±


    While the sexy woman was counting down, the motorbikers were already on their gas pedals, revving up


    and roaring their engines, sending an adrenaline rush through the people with the thunderous and


    exciting sounds.


    ¡°Two, one!¡±


    When the final number left her lips, she waved down the g she was holding in her hand in an alluring


    position, and the motorbikes dashed off like they were arrows on overstretched bows.


    ¡°Woo! Do your best!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the best, bro! You¡¯ll get first ce.¡±


    ¡°Go, we¡¯re waiting here for you.¡±


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s so cool.¡±


    ¡­


    More than a dozen motorbikes zoomed through the street and gradually got out of sight.


    Veronica went to a mini-market nearby and bought a can of beer. Sitting at the side of the road, she


    watched the enthusiastic youths fool around happily and felt much better.


    While she was sitting on the curb with a hotdog in one hand and beer in another, she took a bite of her


    food and seemed to see a familiar figure as her eyes squinted slightly.


    Astonished, she muttered, ¡°Is that¡­ Crayson?¡±


    That¡¯s impossible. Why would Master appear here?


    Tossing the food and drink in her hands into the bin, she then sprinted to the opposite street and followed


    the man in a ck robe.


    However, that person was walking very quickly and disappeared in a corner after turning into an alley.


    ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    Looking around, Veronica tried to find him but couldn¡¯t see his figure at all.


    Rubbing her eyes, she muttered, ¡°Did I see it wrongly¡­¡±


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, is that really you?¡±


    While she was rooted to the spot and in a daze, someone suddenly tapped her shoulder from behind.


    Spinning her head around, she couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised.


    ¡°C-Conrad? What a coincidence!¡±


    It was already midnight, so it never struck Veronica that she would run into Conrad in this ce.


    Upon saying that, she reached out and felt her face. With knitted brows, she then felt the wig on her


    head. ¡°You¡¯re still able to recognize me after all these makeup and dressup?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Is it because my makeup skills are too amateur or does Conrad have the eyes of an eagle?


    In front of her, Conrad was wearing a white button-down shirtyered with a ck leather vest. A thick


    chain with a skull pendant was hanging around his neck, and he wore a pair of loose-fitting ripped jeans,


    which made his bearded face appear even more bad-boyish and charming.


    He¡¯s handsome, cool, and attractive!


    He was literally a fashionista on the forefront, and even though he was seven years older than Matthew,


    not a single sign of aging was visible on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯d been watching you in the square for a long time before I was sure that it was you.¡± Taking a step


    back, he gave her a once-over and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°This getup¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he stopped himself.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s up with my getup? Do I look ugly?¡± she asked andughed.


    ¡°No, it has character. I like it.¡±


    Years of living abroad had made Conrad a very straightforward man.


    Pursing her lips into a smile, Veronica was a little embarrassed and changed the topic on purpose. ¡°By


    the way, how¡¯s Grandma doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing well and alright.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡± She nodded and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened at the wedding. That was an


    ident. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Those things are unrted to me, so you don¡¯t have to exin it to me.¡± Conrad interjected and


    grabbed her hand. ¡°Since you¡¯re here in Mudwood Street, it shows that you like motorbikes.


    Coincidentally, I just bought a new Harley, and I can take you for a spin.¡±


    He walked in front while Veronica tagged behind as she stared unblinking at his hand which was holding


    hers. Her mind went nk, and almost automatically, she blocked out Conrad¡¯s words.


    ¡°Uh¡­ o-okay,¡± she stammered, secretly drawing back her hand. ¡°I was just thinking of going for a spin on


    a bike.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fated, then.¡± He cast her a lopsided grin, which was evil, sexy, and charming.


    A man like this was mature and reliable while exuding a dangerous, sexy charm, which made him


    especially attractive. At the same time, Veronica was aware that Conrad was a dangerous figure whom


    she had to stay away from.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty close with Matthew, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    As they walked, they started a conversation, and although Conrad was asking with a smile, Veronica was


    especially careful with every question he was asking.


    Shaking her head, she answered, ¡°We¡¯re just friends. If it wasn¡¯t because Grandma liked me, I don¡¯t think


    we¡¯d have any interactions at all.¡±


    At the edge of the square, Conrad pointed to a ck Harley Davidson motorbike. It was a very cool


    model which was thetest and limited model of the year¡­ with a very shocking price tag.


    Circling around the motorbike, she stared at it and said, ¡°This is thetest world-wide limited edition of


    Ha¡ª¡±


    Vroom!


    The engine sound from a random motorbike cut Veronica off mid-sentence.


    When she lifted her head, a royal blue Harley Davidson motorbike hade to a stop in front of her.


    The motorbike tilted to the side and parked. Taking off his helmet, the motorbiker then ran his fingers


    through his hair and revealed his gorgeous face.


    ¡°You want to go for a spin, don¡¯t you? Let¡¯s go.¡± Looking at Veronica, the man nodded to her slightly as a


    signal for her to hop on.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Matthew?¡± Surprised, Veronica couldn¡¯t figure out why he would show up


    here.


    He was dressed in gray trousers, a white button-down shirt with a ck vest, and a casual ck-and-


    white checkered tie. Although it was the professional attire of a business elite, he looked utterly stunning


    next to the motorbike which was oozing with savageness.


    Her question was not answered. Matthew merely got off the bike, ced the helmet on the seat, and


    walked to Conrad. ¡°What a coincidence, Uncle Conrad.¡±


    ¡°It is a small world.¡± Sticking both hands into his pockets, Conrad shrugged. ¡°Since we¡¯re here, why don¡¯t


    we have a race?¡± he asked, pointing at the motorbikes.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196


    Chapter 196 Veronica Takes Matthew for a Spin


    Oho! Lifting her brows, Veronica suddenly felt the hostility in the air. These two are exactly as rumored¡­


    They don¡¯t get along with each other! Barely a minute after meeting, they are starting a head-on


    competition. Interesting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Pointing to the attire he was wearing, Matthew exined, ¡°These clothes aren¡¯t the


    most convenient. Next time, maybe.¡± Looking away, he then turned to Veronica. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Roni.¡± He


    paced to her and held her hand very naturally. ¡°Do you know how to ride a motorbike? I can teach you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look down on me. Shall we race?¡± Of course Veronica was offended because he


    underestimated her.


    ¡°Sure.¡± He agreed readily.


    Didn¡¯t you just say that it¡¯s not convenient in these clothing? Why is it convenient now? Veronica


    wondered. Could it be¡­ this jerk is really looking down on me?


    ¡°Well, your uncle is here, so you can borrow his Harley while I take yours, and we can have a race. But¡­


    it¡¯s not fun without any stakes.¡±


    She cast him a sheepish smirk, and with just one nce, Matthew knew what she was secretly nning


    in her mind.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Conrad agreed from the side. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll bet on your win with 50,000. What do


    you think?¡±


    For wealthy people, money was merely a figure, but 50,000 was not a small figure for Veronica.


    ¡°Sure¡ª¡±


    But Matthew changed his mind.


    ¡°I just learned how to ride a motorbike.¡± Veronica had just agreed when Matthew broke her off, giving her


    a helpless smile and a shrug. ¡°My skills are really bad. Why don¡¯t you take me for a ride instead?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you really that bad?¡± She shot him a look of disgust, but still took the keys from his hand and


    hopped onto the Harley motorbike. ¡°Get on. I¡¯ll take you for a spin.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Matthew answered, epting her invitation. Before getting on the bike, he turned back and said


    to Conrad, ¡°We¡¯re leaving first, Uncle Conrad.¡±


    He shed him a smile, but the smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes, and even the light in his eyes flickered.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    After he got on the bike, Veronica said, ¡°Sit tight.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± the man behind her muttered and ced his hands on her waist.


    Even though it seemed like a nonchnt act, it was enough to stun Veronica for a second. However, on


    second thoughts, riding on a motorbike was different from sitting in a car, and this act didn¡¯t seem out of


    ce.


    Hence, she throttled and sped off, but she had elerated too much, resulting in a sudden thrust that


    almost threw Matthew off the bike.


    Out of reflex, the man tugged, and after steadying himself, he ced his arms around her waist. ¡°Are you


    sure you know how to ride a motorbike? I¡¯m not insured.¡±


    Chuckling sheepishly, she then said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m not used to this bike.¡± She shed him an


    embarrassed smile as a chill ran down her spine.


    What happened earlier was really because she hadn¡¯t adjusted to this new motorbike. Fortunately,


    Matthew wasn¡¯t thrown off the bike, or else Thomas would really kill her.


    Riding on the road, more than a dozen motorbikes came toward them one after another together with the


    humming of the engines and the yful shrieks and whistles of the men, which made Veronica


    exhrated as well.


    elerating to the maximum, she was riding well until she suddenly ran over a stone, and the front of


    the bike swayed. ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    At first, she was startled, but the next second, she felt the man behind herself leaning against her as he


    wrapped his arms around her and held the handlebars of the bike to hold the swaying bike steady.


    This scene, where she was held in his arms and wrapped around by him, was incredibly ambiguous.

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197


    Chapter 197 Double Premiums


    ¡°Looks like I need to purchase two life premiums when I return,¡± Matthew teased next to her ear.


    Although he was clearly teasing her, she somehow felt that he was flirting with her. Indeed, this jerk is up


    to no good at all.


    ¡°Hey, can you keep some distance?¡±


    Despite him being gorgeous and was the ideal man of thousands of girls in Bloomstead, Veronica was


    an exception. Like a tough woman with a built-in barrier, she instinctively blocked all of his moves on her


    and wouldn¡¯t fall for them.


    In order to get a better view of the road ahead, Matthew tilted his body to the side a little, whereupon


    Veronica freed up her left hand and jabbed backward strongly, hitting him right in the chest with her


    elbow.


    Even with the whistling sound in her ears, she could still hear his gasp.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fool around. It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    After all, they were riding on a motorcycle, and even though he was in pain, he didn¡¯t release his grip on


    the handlebars.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    His voice was low and husky, and it sounded utterly seductive. Although his tone was a little strict, as


    though he was reprimanding her gently, there was also a trace of unwillingness in his voice.


    Veronica¡¯s heart skipped a beat and started to pound against her chest, throbbing without a reason.


    Damn him and his charm!


    ¡°Stop, stop!¡± she cried out immediately as she wanted him to stop the motorbike.


    ¡°Sit still. I¡¯m taking you home.¡±


    ¡°Who says I wanted to go home? I don¡¯t want to go home.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you nning to sleep on the streets tonight?¡± His face turned a little, and he nced at the


    woman in his arms, whispering into her ear, ¡°It¡¯s already 3.00AM.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep. I can¡¯t sleep,¡± she said in a spoiled manner and snorted softly.


    It was true that she couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you somewhere, then.¡± He elerated, and the bike sped up, but it steered very steadily.


    At the intersection, he took a right turn and continued to ride eastward.


    Utterly helpless, Veronica leaned in his arms. From being ufortable in the beginning until the


    eptance that came afterward, she seemed to have be less resistant.


    Another half an hourter, they arrived at the foot of a mountain, and he rode up around the mountain


    until they finally stopped at a tform halfway up the mountain.


    There was no more t, concrete road going upward, but steps instead.


    After getting off the bike, Veronica asked, ¡°Where¡¯s this ce?¡±


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    He held the keys in his hand, turned around, and started walking up the stairs. Following behind,


    Veronica climbed more than a hundred steps and reached an observation tform, which had a wide


    and spacious view.


    Both of them paced to the bench on the observation tform and took their seats. ¡°Look up,¡± Matthew


    said.


    Leaning on the back of the bench, she lifted her legs and rested them on the fence of the observation


    tform. Staring up like this, she was able to see thousands of stars in the dark sky above.


    ¡°There are so many stars. It¡¯s so pretty.¡±


    Her troubled heart slowly calmed down as she stared at the sky filled with stars. ¡°Since my arrival at


    Bloomstead, I¡¯ve never stargazed so quietly before.¡± Suddenly, she pointed at a star above her head.


    ¡°Look, the seven brightest stars which are connected together is the Big Dipper.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    Matthew rested his arm on the back of the bench as Veronica lifted her head and leaned back, resting


    her head on his arm nicely. After speaking, he lowered his head at his cell phone in his hand, wrote a


    text message, and then kept it away.


    ¡°Say¡­ do you think the stars in the sky have troubles?¡± She sighed sadly; just a casual question from


    her had indirectly revealed the predicaments she had in her heart.


    He turned to face her, but in the dark, she didn¡¯t know how gentle his eyes were.


    ¡°Every experience and encounter is a trial. After you¡¯ve been through a lot of them, you¡¯ll be


    invincible and unbeatable.¡± Pausing, he then added, ¡°So, it¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Veronica nodded, but then she shook her head and clicked her tongue. ¡°You¡¯re a


    businessman indeed, sounding so convincing when you speak. It¡¯s such a waste that you¡¯re not a


    salesman.¡±


    The muscles on Matthew¡¯s face turned stiff, and he shook his head as a helpless smile spread across his


    face.


    Seated on the observation tform, they chatted absent-mindedly, and Veronica¡¯s irritation gradually


    faded away until she fell asleep in exhaustion at 4.30AM with her head on Matthew¡¯s shoulder without


    her realizing.


    In the dark, a few beams of light shed, apanied by the sounds of footsteps as someone came up.


    Upon seeing Matthew, the people who came up saw his hand signal and kept quiet. Then, they propped


    up a high-quality folding bed, then ced a soft mattress and pillows on it together with a thin nket


    before leaving quietly.


    Moving aside slightly, Matthew held her up in his arms gently, paced to the bed, and ced her on it.


    After that, hey next to her.


    Maybe it was because of his presence that Veronica felt an unknown sense of security and slept soundly.


    It was autumn, and the night was a little chilly. At 6.30AM, the sun rose and peeked out from the horizon.


    For the entire night, Matthew didn¡¯t sleep a wink, and he gazed at the beautiful view in front of him.


    Initially, he nned to bring her here for stargazing and to watch the sunrise, but seeing how soundly


    she was sleeping now, he felt unbearable to wake her up.


    Slowly, he got up, took out his cell phone, and turned on the camera. Then, he changed some settings in


    preparation to film the sunrise.


    In the end, as though Veronica had felt something, her eyes popped open all of a sudden, and she saw


    Matthew holding his phone horizontally at her.


    ¡°What are you doing, Matthew Kings? Are you sick? Why are you making a recording of me when I¡¯m


    asleep?¡± she eximed, unable to restrain her annoyance.


    Abruptly, she sat up in bed and looked around, only to realize that they were on the observation tform.


    ¡°Where did this bede from?¡±


    ¡°Look over there.¡±


    Without any exnation, Matthew pointed at the sky to where the mountains ovepped each other.


    Turning around to look, the woman saw that the sun was peeking out from the mountains. The bright


    rays from it were turning the clouds red and casting an orange halo on the greenish peaks of the


    mountains. A thinyer of mist drifted between the valleys, moving along with the breeze, and the whole


    scene was like a breathtakingly stunning drawing.


    ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous.¡± Sitting in the bed, Veronica covered herself with the thin nket.


    As it was already autumn, the morning was especially cold.


    Slowly, it dawned on her that Matthew had brought her here to see the stars as well as the sunrise.


    Meanwhile, Matthew scooted next to her and sat down. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want a few pictures?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. That¡¯s right!¡±


    Reaching into her pocket, she felt for her phone. After pressing on the buttons, she realized that her cell


    phone was not responding. ¡°It ran out of battery,¡± she said and nced at Matthew¡¯s phone. ¡°Borrow me


    your phone to take a few pictures and send them to me afterward.¡±


    She set aside her own phone and snatched his phone from his hands tyrannically.


    After that, she turned on the camera, switched it to professional mode, and snapped a few pictures at the


    horizon with a straight face.


    When all that was done, she opened the album and flipped through the pictures she had taken one by


    one.


    While she was swiping, another picture came into view; the background was a mountain in Dawnpol


    Vige, and a rainbow was hanging high above as the both of them stood next to the mountain and took


    a picture with the rainbow.


    In the picture, Veronica was looking into the camera with a victory sign while the man next to her had his


    head turned and was looking at her with affection in his eyes.


    The smile on Veronica¡¯s face slowly turned stiff. As a person who was once in love, it was easy for her to


    tell Matthew¡¯s interest in her from the picture.

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198


    Chapter 198 A Furious Matthew


    So, Matthew had already fallen for her when they were at Dawnpol Vige?


    A sh flood happened at Dawnpol Vige, and she was swept away by the waters. Regardless of the


    danger, Matthew followed the currents and searched for her, but he only risked his life to save her


    because he cared about her, and not because Elizabeth had a liking for her!


    While she stared at the picture in a daze, Matthew kept away his gaze and saw that she was looking at


    that picture on his phone from the corners of his eyes.


    Just as he was about to say something, she suddenly raised her head and held the phone in front of his


    nose, asking, ¡°Since when did you fall for me?¡±


    This abrupt question caught him by surprise, and he furrowed his brows slightly. His dark eyes scanned


    over the picture and fixed on Veronica. After a moment of hesitation, he answered, ¡°Maybe since that fire


    at Regalia Condominium, or maybe even earlier.¡±


    Instead of hiding the fact that he had feelings for her, he had admitted it honestly.


    She recalled that day when she was brought back home by the assassins sent by the Larson Family, and


    they set her house on fire. That night, it was Matthew who had risked his life and barged into the scene


    to save her out of the fire.


    That was the ninth day after she had a miscarriage, and less than two weeks since his engagement with


    Tiffany.


    With a grim face, she tossed his cell phone into his chest and shouted at him angrily, ¡°Matthew Kings,


    you¡¯re a shameless jerk through and through! No wonder you were willing to take me in at Twilight


    Condominium. Tell me: Did you do something to me while I was asleep?¡±


    Matthew uttered, ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°What do you have to say? No wonder you¡¯re always giving me milk at night, and it always has a weird


    taste. You drugged it, didn¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t Tiffany enough to satisfy you? Why did youy your hands on me


    while I was asleep? With so much energy, aren¡¯t you worried that you¡¯ll pass out in bed one day? You¡¯re


    such a jerk! F*ck off!¡±


    Mercilessly, sheshed out at him, raised her hand, and pped him across the face. Then, she snorted,


    sprang up, and put on her shoes before leaving in a huff without turning back.


    His face jerked to a side from the p, and he brushed away the messy hair on his forehead as he


    watched her walk away furiously with a tight knot between his brows.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    This damned woman, he thought. Is she being so fearless because I love her? More importantly, did I


    say anything wrong?


    It was probably before that fire that he fell for her, but he only realized his own feelings for her after the


    return from Dawnpol Vige.


    If it wasn¡¯t because of that one time when he slept with Tiffany in a drunken stupor and she conceived his


    child, in addition to the fact that Elizabeth really wanted to have great-grandchildren, he would have


    annulled the engagement with Tiffany a long time ago.


    Exactly because he was engaged with Tiffany, he didn¡¯t cross the line with Veronica even though he had


    feelings for her due to the formalities that was bounding him.


    As for the milk with a weird taste, it was simply because it was added with some sleep-aid medication,


    and it was a prescription by a doctor. But when she described it, it had turned into a date-rape drug!


    Having never suffered such humiliation before, Matthew got up and kicked the side of the bed. ¡°F*ck!¡± He


    couldn¡¯t help but curse and went down the mountain.


    At the parking spot halfway up the mountain, Thomas and a few men had been waiting there all night.


    Upon seeing Veronicaing down in a huff followed by his own boss, Thomas quickly went to greet


    him.


    ¡°Boss, goo¡ª¡± Stopping in front of Matthew, Thomas didn¡¯t finish his sentence and frowned. ¡°Why is there


    a red mark on your face, like you¡¯ve been p¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to die?¡±


    Before he could finish, Matthew red at him sharply; his eyes were filled with a cold, murderous intent,


    sending a chill down Thomas¡¯ spine. Staggering backward a few steps, he smiled sheepishly and said,


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯m going up with a few men to keep away the bed. Haha¡­ haha¡­¡±


    Then, he slipped up the mountain, as though he was terrified that he wouldn¡¯t be able to live longer if he


    was just a minutete.


    Only when he heard the roar of the motorbike behind him did he stop running and stood on the tform


    as he observed Matthew going down the mountain on the motorbike.


    The smile on his face disappeared, and in its ce was a look of worry.


    For more than a decade, he had been working for Matthew and witnessed as he became what he was


    today step by step. It was his initial apathetic personality and tenacity that made him what he was now.


    That was how he got to his current position, where very few could rattle it.


    There were so many times in the past when young women threw themselves at him, but he was


    uninterested, and there were even some who climbed into his bed through underhanded tactics, but they


    all ended in tragedy.


    However, Veronica was the only exception.


    And Thomas was worried that this exception would be his boss¡¯ Achilles¡¯ heel in the future and


    bring about his downfall!


    No matter how many times Thomas had reminded him, he was afraid to meddle further with his boss¡¯


    rtionship.


    Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, Matthew caught up with Veronica in his motorbike and stopped


    next to her. ¡°Hop on,¡± he ordered in an aloof voice.


    She didn¡¯t even nce at him and continued walking down the mountain, and as she walked, he


    followed next to her slowly. When she was quick, so did he, and when she slowed down, he reduced his


    speed as well.


    Annoyed, Veronica finally blew her top. Spinning around, she red at him with a hand on her hip and


    another pointing a finger at him. ¡°Matthew Kings, are you looking for a fight?¡±


    A helpless look crept over his handsome face. ¡°Hop on and let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°Home? Hmph! Are you sure that¡¯s not your y den? The first time I went there, I ran into you and a few


    women having an orgy. You sure have a lot of energy. Aren¡¯t you worried about contracting diseases?


    Wait¡­ diseases?¡±


    A realization dawned upon her, and she pped her forehead as blood drained from her petite face. ¡°It¡¯s


    over. I¡¯m going to the hospital now for a checkup with the gynae. If I¡¯ve contracted HIV or something, my


    life will be ruined in your hands.¡± The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, and she pointed


    at Matthew furiously, stomping her feet. ¡°Jerk! If I catch any diseases, I¡¯ll definitely drag you to hell with


    me!¡±


    In the end, the man¡¯s patience wore thin with how unbridled and arrogant she was. So, he grabbed her


    finger which was pointing at him and pulled her right into his arms.


    Caught unaware, she fell toward him, and he quickly circled his arm around her waist, hugging her tightly


    and seating her on the motorbike with her face facing him.


    After that, he pinned her down and leaned in.


    ¡°Matthew Kings, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Veronica still had something to say, but she was stopped by Matthew¡¯s stern warning. Like a startled bird,


    she tucked in her neck and kept quiet.


    ¡°Listen carefully to everything I¡¯m going to say today, because I¡¯ll only say it once.¡± With one hand on the


    motorbike and another holding her chin, he put on a solemn expression and enunciated clearly, ¡°I only


    touched Tiffany once by ident because I was drunk. Besides her, the only other woman I¡¯ve ever


    touched is you! Also, I¡¯m not as inhumane as you imagined and wouldn¡¯t lunge myself desperately at any


    woman I see!¡±


    Controlling his temper, he said every word with a force that carried a faint trace of coldness.


    ¡°You make it sound like it¡¯s true. Who are you trying to kid? Back then when I disguised myself, I was so


    ugly that no one could stand the sight of me, but you were still interested in sleeping with me. What was


    that if not an act of desperation?¡± Veronica snapped back in anger. Frustrated, she added, ¡°I¡¯m beginning


    to suspect if you actually think with your lower body. You¡¯re purely a beast! So, you only slept with Tiffany


    once? Are you a sniper who hits the bullseye with just one shot? It¡¯s such a pity that you¡¯re not buying


    lottery tickets with that luck. Or did you build your wealth from all that bluffing?¡±

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199


    Chapter 199 Matthew Is a Despicable Jerk


    Of all the outrageous things Matthew had heard over the years, these were probably the most daring. If it


    was someone else who said it, they would have already be a member of Hell. So, she¡¯s really being


    fearless because she knows that I fancy her, Matthew reckoned.


    Narrowing his dark eyes, he shot daggers at her with his eyes. ¡°Veronica Murphy!¡±


    ¡°Why are you shouting my name? Matthew Kings, I¡¯m telling you. Even you calling my name is an insult


    to me. You¡¯d better¡ªuh!¡±


    While she was stillshing out at him brazenly, the man sealed her lips with a kiss mid-sentence.


    Her head rested on the dashboard of the motorbike, and her eyes were wide in disbelief. ¡°Uh¡­ Get


    away¡­¡±


    As she was kissed against her will, a fire of fury ignited and burned brightly in her heart, and she felt that


    she had been taken a huge advantage of, despite the fact that a familiar scent of masculinity drifted


    through her nostrils when his cool lips touched hers.


    It was a very familiar scent, as though it was there in her dreams every day, and it inexplicably subsided


    the fury in her heart greatly.


    But¡­ what the hell? How is it possible that I¡¯m so familiar with Matthew¡¯s scent? she thought. Has this


    jerk been taking advantage of me everyday while I was asleep? Otherwise, why is his scent so natural


    for me?


    The fury which had subsided rushed through her again, and she struggled to reach out her hand and


    p him in anger. However, the man already expected her to strike him, and he released his grip on the


    handlebar to grab her wrist instead. Getting up, he nced at her with his icy eyes. ¡°What now? You¡¯ve


    grown a liking for pping me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re shameless¡ªouch!¡±


    Stopping, she hissed in pain. She had just started berating him again when he suddenly lowered his


    head and covered her soft lips with his sexy lips, biting her while she was unguarded.


    Instantly, blood flowed from her lips and she tasted it on her tongue.


    ¡°It hurts! Matthew King, are you a dog? Why did you bite me?¡±


    Overwhelmed with anger, she shoved him and lifted her leg to kick him in the face, but his reaction was


    quick. Leaning back, he dodged her attack effortlessly.


    However, the kick was merely a farce because her real aim was to go around him. After hopping off the


    bike, she dashed off without looking back, running away in panic as though there was a vicious dog


    chasing her.


    Straightening himself, Matthew pursed his lips and smirked as he fixed his eyes on Veronica, who had


    run far away.


    ¡°Ha!¡± From the bottom of his heart, he chuckled and shook his head helplessly before elerating and


    leaving.


    Since she was still mad at him, he didn¡¯t want to make the situation even more sour.


    But¡­ the one who¡¯s unting around is her! he thought.


    Previously, there was no way he could ept it when a woman was being unreasonable, but now, he felt


    that Veronica was different from the rest, adding some spices to his otherwise peaceful life.


    After running a few feet, Veronica saw Matthew riding off on the motorbike, and she stopped running.


    Beep, beep, beep!


    She had only walked a little when a car stopped next to her. Seated in the passenger seat, Thomas


    rolled down the window and said, ¡°Miss Murphy, get in the car. We¡¯ll take you back.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± As long as it¡¯s not Matthew¡¯s car, anybody else¡¯s car will do. ¡°Mr. Ritter, you¡¯re a nice guy,¡± she


    said while she opened the car door and got in.


    ¡°Thanks for thepliment, Miss Murphy,¡± he answered. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m a nice guy, but it¡¯s a direct order


    from Boss. Otherwise, we can¡¯t just abandon her in this wilderness.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    About an hourter, they reached the city, and Veronica returned to Twilight Condominium. In the living


    room, while she was standing in the corridor and changing shoes, she saw that the shoes Matthew was


    wearing yesterday had already been set aside.


    Is he back already? she wondered and heard the sounds of pots and pans nging from the kitchen.


    ¡°Go wash up quickly and eat.¡±


    It seemed like Matthew, who was busy in the kitchen, already knew that she was back. She dragged her


    feet in slippers to peek into the kitchen.


    On the stove, porridge was boiling in the pot, and the steam floated into the air before it disappeared into


    the kitchen venttor.


    ncing at the porridge, she then turned to Matthew, theplicated look in her eyes saying, ¡®Porridge


    again? Ha, that¡¯s all you can cook, huh? But I¡¯m not going to eat it. Who knows if you¡¯ve poisoned it?¡¯


    Ignoring his aloof and yet handsome face, she bolted straight for her room, but all of a sudden,


    something came into her mind, and she walked out of her room before turning into Matthew¡¯s.


    At the same time, Matthew happened toe out of the kitchen and caught her going into his room.


    Immediately, a bad premonition loomed over his mind.


    Living under the same roof with him, Veronica had a principle¡ªshe never entered his room without


    permission.


    After he ced down the porridge on the dining table, he paced to the master bedroom, but he had


    barely made a few steps when a roar echoed from his room.


    ¡°Matthew Kings!¡±


    Along with Veronica¡¯s hysterical shriek was the baleful air she carried with her as she stormed out of the


    room. Grabbing an antique china from a surface on the right, she then tossed it in Matthew¡¯s direction.


    ¡°You b*stard! Didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t touch me, you liar?¡±


    The china flew in the air in a parab, flying directly for Matthew, but he managed to catch it in his hands


    with his quick reflexes.


    His exquisitely sculpted face turned grim. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°What happened? Hmph, the cheek of you to ask me that!¡±


    Storming in front of him angrily, she grabbed the tie around his neck and pulled it sharply, tightening it


    and choking his neck.


    I have to admit that this move by this damned woman is wild and dominant, he thought. Paired with her


    outfit today, which made her look like a little thug, she was really cool and attractive.


    ¡°You like to lie, don¡¯t you? Then tell me: What is this, huh?!¡±


    She held up a prescription bottle in her hand, and on the small white bottle was thebel¡ªestazm


    tablets!


    His attractive eyes nced at the bottle that her fair fingers were clutching, but there wasn¡¯t much


    emotion on his face, as though he had expected this.


    ¡°I was right when I said that the milk you offered me every time had a weird taste. So it turns out that you


    really added sleeping pills in it. What a despicable jerk! Do you trust me when I say that I¡¯ll call the police


    now and sue you for r*pe?¡±


    She was mad with rage, and her fire of fury burned brightly and brazenly, burning out thest bit of her


    rationale.


    ¡°You like to lie, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m giving you a chance now toe up with an excuse. Huh?!¡± Enraged, she


    red at him as she pulled his tie even harder.


    On the other hand, Matthew furrowed his brows and snatched his tie out of her hand. Then, he undid it


    and tossed it on the couch.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that estazm is a medication that helps with sleep, but didn¡¯t you realize that you have


    insomnia? I got this medication prescribed by a doctor to help you keep up with basic sleep.¡±


    For a person who wasn¡¯t good at exining himself, Matthew tried to exin helplessly because he was


    forced to a corner by Veronica. However, she didn¡¯t believe a single word he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one with insomnia, and so is your entire family! You¡¯re a despicable jerk!¡±


    Throwing the medication into his face, she then marched back into her room and dashed out after


    grabbing her cell phone and bag.

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200


    Chapter 200 You¡¯re Losing Your Eldest Bro Soon


    Seeing that she was about to leave, Matthew grabbed her hand. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I can bring you


    for a checkup with a doctor.¡±


    Veronica turned back and red at him, her eyes filled with rage as she shouted angrily, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll


    believe you? Who are you? You¡¯re the executive president of Spinfluence Group with a massive


    influence. Forget a town like Bloomstead¡ªyour influence covers just about any ce within the country.


    Who wouldn¡¯t listen to you? As a capitalist, have you done any less of these things?¡±


    Her words got him dumbfounded. This was simr to the story of the boy who cried wolf; the marginal


    utility effect had made it difficult for her to have any trust in him anymore.


    After that, she struggled, but he didn¡¯t release her, and it made her even more enraged. ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    In that moment, a sense of helplessness surged up in his chest because he could clearly feel her anger.


    Of course she was hopping mad as she had misunderstood him, thinking that he had despicably


    drugged her and vited her while she was unconscious. To that, nothing he said could clear the


    situation.


    Jerking away his hand, she snorted and left.


    When she was outside of the living room, she mmed the ss door with her might, and maybe


    because she had used too much force, the tempered ss door broke with a loud crash as the ss


    shattered to pieces on the floor.


    Then, without even turning back, she got into the elevator and went downstairs.


    Ruffling his hair in frustration, Matthew lowered his head, nced at the sleeping pills in his hand, and


    threw them straight into the bin!


    Ring, ring¡­


    Just as he was immersed in his anger, his cell phone started ringing in his pocket. Taking it out, he saw


    Skr¡¯s name shing on the screen, and he picked up the call, saying, ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Matt, it¡¯s been a while since we worked out. Caleb suggested we go to the taekwondo gym today. Are


    you free?¡±


    Skr and the others had also seen what happened at the wedding yesterday, but they only knew about


    the first half of the video. As for the case of Tiffany being assaulted, only Matthew, Veronica, and Xavier


    knew about it.


    Matthew¡¯s good friends, Caleb, Miguel, and Skr were worried that he would be in low spirits because


    of what happened yesterday, so they came up with the idea to ask him out for a workout in the


    taekwondo gym to vent his frustrations.


    ¡°Okay, see you guys at the usual ce at 10.00AM.¡± Matthew agreed straight away.


    ¡­


    After leaving Twilight Condominium, Veronica found a motel at thest minute to stay. Learning from her


    previous experience in house rental, she was worried about the uncertainty in the recent situation and


    decided not to rush into renting a ce.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    So, she found a cheap ce for now andy on the bed as her mind was filled with Matthew¡¯s damned


    face, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.


    In the end, she went downstairs for breakfast, bought two bottles of wine, and started drinking alone in


    the room.


    As some said, it wasn¡¯t the alcohol which was intoxicating, but the heart; she had only drank a little when


    she fell asleep on the bed. Maybe it was the alcohol, or perhaps she was just tired.


    Meanwhile, at 10.00AM, Matthew arrived at a private taekwondo gym in Bloomstead, and the moment he


    went upstairs, he saw his friends in the lounge.


    Skr, in his shy white suit, paced to him with a broad smile on his face. ¡°Matt, you sure arrived on


    time. Previously, you didn¡¯t want to get married to Tiffany, so do you feel relieved now that your marriage


    with her is canceled?¡±


    ¡°Actually, what happened yesterday isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing,¡± Caleb said. He was wearing a


    sleeveless shirt with gym trousers and holding two dumbbells in his hands as he worked out his arm.


    Nodding in agreement, Miguel said, ¡°There are two sides to everything. As for that woman named


    Veronica, I think she¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡±


    Miguel had just started his sentence when Skr and Caleb started coughing, hinting at him frantically to


    shut his mouth.


    Despite their efforts, Miguel was unaware of the things that happened between Matthew and Veronica


    before, so he asked, ¡°What do you guys mean? Did she escape? Or does she love Matthew as well, so


    she ruined the wedding on purpose?¡±


    As Miguel was abroad for a period of time, he had no idea what had happened here recently. In addition,


    he had returned ratherte, and there were many things which the others didn¡¯t manage to tell him on


    time. Therefore, he didn¡¯t think so much before speaking and had identally stepped on andmine.


    Amongst the four of them, he was the oldest¡ªa year older than Matthew¡ªbut he wasn¡¯t as mature as


    him. Maybe it was due to the fact that he was running a talent agency, and that made him naturally


    easygoing in character.


    ¡°Today, we are not talking about women.¡± As Matthew left for the changing room, he uttered, ¡°Miggy, we


    haven¡¯t exchanged skills for a long while. Let¡¯s practice together.¡±


    Even though Miguel was the eldest, Matthew preferred to call him by his nickname because there was


    only a year difference between them.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m thinking of the same thing as well.¡± The ignorant Miguel stood up and went to change in the


    changing room.


    This was their private gym with a dedicated changing room, and clothes were already prepared for them.


    Seated in the lobby, Caleb shook his head while Skr muttered, ¡°Tsk, tsk. Caleb, do you think we


    should book a coffin in advance for your eldest bro?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s call emergency services first. Maybe he still has a chance of survival,¡± Caleb teased as he took out


    a cigarette from its box and started to smoke leisurely on the couch.


    A few minutester, Matthew and Miguel stepped onto the taekwondo ring after changing into their


    taekwondo outfits, head protector, and taekwondo gloves. The two spectators beneath the ring, Caleb


    and Skr, had a te of watermelon and peanuts on the table in front of them as they watched in


    comfort.


    Five minutester, Miguel was beaten to the floor by Matthew in the ring, and he held his bleeding nose


    as he eximed, ¡°Matthew, are you throwing real punches?¡±


    Without a word, Matthew paced over and threw a punch at him.


    Fortunately, Miguel¡¯s skills were very good, and he rolled over on the floor to dodge his punch. Then, he


    did a carp kick-up and sprang to his feet. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being rough, then.¡±


    He swung his left arm, punching at Matthew¡¯s face, but Matthew dodged it effortlessly, and the both of


    them started the fight again.


    Ten minutester, Miguel was lying on the floor, holding his head as he yelped, ¡°Damn it, Matthew! We¡¯re


    just having fun. You don¡¯t have to take it so seriously!¡±


    ¡°Stand up!¡±


    Grabbing Miguel¡¯s shirt, Matthew pulled him up and continued hitting him.


    Twenty minutester, Miguel protected his head in the ring and wanted to jump out, but Matthew didn¡¯t


    give him the chance and continued to hit him violently.


    Already swollen and bruised from the beating, Miguel cried out helplessly, ¡°Caleb, Drew, are you guys


    blind? If you don¡¯t save me, you¡¯ll end up without an elder brother!¡±


    Sitting outside the ring, Caleb and Skr munched the peanuts in their palms and looked at each other,


    engrossed in a conversation.


    ¡°Oh, my. The weather today is not bad,¡± Skr said.


    ¡°Oh, yes. The autumn air is very fresh. Not bad,¡± Caleb answered.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It would be a shame not to hang out outside in such weather.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go out someday.¡±


    Their conversation was just filled with empty chat, and they seemed like they were full of nonsense to


    share, turning a deaf ear to Miguel¡¯s cry for help in the ring.


    No, how was it possible that they had deaf ears? It was simply because they were so caught up in their


    conversation that they ¡®didn¡¯t hear¡¯ him.

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201


    Fortunately, Caleb and Skyler found out about the incident surrounding Veronica and Matthew from


    Thomas. Even though they had known about it just before they came, they still managed to dodge the


    bullet.


    Otherwise, it would have been them needing the trip to the hospital.


    Watching Miguel being badly beaten up made Skyler reach out to caress the man¡¯s cheeks, which left


    Miguel gasping involuntarily. ¡°Matt seems to be reallyying the beatdown on him.¡±


    Caleb yfully said, ¡°How about I call Matt to let you stand in for Miguel instead?¡±


    ¡°Ha, that¡¯s unnecessary.¡± Skyler did not share his sentiments. Sighing, he continued, ¡°Looks like Matt


    really likes Veronica. Otherwise, how could he have taken that p? In all the years that I¡¯ve known


    him, nobody has dared to do that before.¡±


    ¡°Just goes to show how deeply he cherishes her,¡± Calebmented as his smile slowly faded. ¡°Love is


    a burden for Matt.¡±


    ¡­


    At a private hospital.


    Tiffany, who went out in the morning, cautiously came to a private hospital to visit Elizabeth. Because of


    what happened yesterday at the wedding, a lot of reporters had their eyes on her right now, forcing her


    toy low.


    It was until she entered the hospital and saw how the bodyguards were surrounding the perimeter to


    ensure that there were no suspicious individuals or reporters that she breathed a sigh of relief.


    Veronica knew that Matthew must have made a visiting call to the news agencies; otherwise, this kind


    of news would have spread like wildfire now. Since Elizabeth was hospitalized, no reporter would give


    up on such a scoop.


    After asking around, she found out where Elizabeth¡¯s ward was located, which was on the 22nd floor.


    Then, Tiffany prepared herself outside the VIP ward with flowers and supplements in her hands before


    proceeding to knock and enter the room.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Kings?¡±


    Yesterday¡¯s ident had happened so quickly that Elizabeth, who did not expect such a thing, could


    not withstand the shock and fainted.


    After resting overnight in the hospital, she found herself recovering quite nicely.


    Nheless, her utmost concern when Tiffany appeared was¡­ ¡°How¡¯s the child in your stomach?¡±


    Tiffany was a bit stunned by her words. Even though she knew that Elizabeth only cared about her


    unborn baby, her straightforward question still made her a bit sad.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Kings, I¡¯m¡­ I mean, the baby¡¯s fine.¡±


    The thought of the baby made her angry, helpless, and ashamed at the same time.


    Due to the importance of the child, letting those people take the child away was not an option. Hence,


    she chose to get humiliated by those people.


    Six of them, in fact.


    Tiffany felt true despair of being at the hands of those people for half an hour.


    It¡¯s all fine now. I¡¯ll just treat it as being bitten by dogs. They don¡¯t affect me.


    She had thought that once she endured that horrifying experience and managed to save the baby, she


    could continue to be with Matthew.


    Of course, after that, Tiffany hired investigators to find out who those men were, but to no avail. Not


    daring to make a move on Veronica, Tiffany feared that the videos might surface.


    In the end, she came to a conclusion.


    Come what may, I¡¯ll face them all head on.


    cing the things down, she sat beside the bed in tears. ¡°Old Mrs. Kings, I never thought that she


    hates me so much. Sob¡­¡±


    ¡°I know how helpless you must have felt. Don¡¯t worry, as long as the baby is around, I will continue to


    side with you,¡± said Elizabeth, who was wearing a hospital gown and resting against the headboard.


    Holding onto Tiffany¡¯s hands, she tried tofort her.


    As the venue of the wedding was all arranged by Veronica, the timing of the video was all too strange,


    so nobody was sure whether it was done by her.


    Even though Elizabeth had Alzheimer¡¯s, her symptoms were still considered rtively minor. She was


    still able to cope with her daily life just fine.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Kings, will Matthew¡­ Will he no longer want to marry me?¡± Clenching her teeth, Tiffany had


    a face full of tears.


    ¡°Please give me, as well as him, a bit of time. Don¡¯t worry. I will never let this baby be born without a


    mother.¡±


    Although Elizabeth seemed to beforting her, Tiffany understood another meaning from her words,


    which was that even if Matthew did not marry her, the Kingses would still take the baby away.


    Even if the baby was not Matthew¡¯s nor did she ever have any consensual rtionship with him, Tiffany


    still felt a chill down her back upon hearing the old madam¡¯s words.


    ¡°Thank you, Old Mrs. Kings¡­ You¡¯re too kind.¡± She did not mean a single word of what she said.


    Then, she left the ward after a brief chat with Elizabeth.


    Exiting the ward, she bumped into Conrad. ¡°Hello, Mr. Conrad.¡±


    As Tiffany had met Conrad before, they were by no means strangers.


    Equipped with a short beard and a gentle smile, this man seemed, at the same time, mature yet


    approachable. Paired with his natural charisma that radiated outward openly, one would fall for his


    charm at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Conrad, who was in a suit and tie, looked like a business mogul with a hint of elegance about him. ¡°Did


    you cry?¡±


    Tilting his head and looking at her yet-to-dry tear stains, he then took out his pocket square and


    handed it to her. ¡°Matthew really doesn¡¯t know how to cherish a beauty such as yourself, Tiffany.¡±


    His gentlemanly actions made Tiffany a bit shocked.


    Even though they had met a few times, they were not closely acquainted.


    So, his move today left Tiffany somewhat in a daze.


    ¡°T-Thank you, Mr. Conrad.¡±


    She epted his pocket square before using it to wipe her tears while choking, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to


    see this side of me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. We¡¯re all family.¡±


    Reaching out, he patted her shoulder in an act offort. ¡°Women shouldn¡¯t cry. Matthew is a


    responsible person, so I believe he will do the right thing.¡±


    ¡°Yup. I believe in Matthew too.¡± The teary-eyed Tiffany looked extremely pitiful. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Conrad.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Tiffany then left.


    Turning around, Conrad peered at the leaving Tiffany with an inexplicable smile on his face. He finally


    went into the ward after that. ¡°Mother, are you feeling any better?¡±


    ¡°This old body of mine won¡¯t get in the way of me.¡± Sitting on the bed, Elizabeth took a long sigh.


    ¡°Conrad, Matthew, that brat, isn¡¯t talking at all. I still think that whatever happened at yesterday¡¯s


    wedding wasn¡¯t enough of a reason to cancel it. Help me investigate this and see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°A wise decision, Mother, but should we capture Veronica and question her?¡± Conrad tried to probe her


    thoughts.


    Elizabeth paused for a second before frowning and replying, ¡°Do it discreetly and don¡¯t let Matthew find


    out if possible.¡±


    Even though she trusted Veronica, she knew that when a person was old, there were still times when


    they might misjudge a character for who they really were.


    After all, one could never be too careful.


    Everyone was deemed a suspect before the truth was out.


    Besides, every step of the wedding was closely rted to Veronica, so Elizabeth had no choice but to


    make a move on her!


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll get on this now.¡± Following her instructions, Conrad left after a few more words with his


    mother.

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202


    Tiffany, who had covered herself from head to toe with clothing, had left the hospital, not wishing to be


    recognized.


    However, she had only arrived at the car park without getting the chance to get into her car when she


    saw Thomas walking toward her.


    ¡°Mr. Ritter¡­ What a surprise¡­¡±


    Tiffany greeted him with guilt.


    From Thomas¡¯ original spot, it looked like he had been waiting for her for a long time.


    ¡°Miss Larson, the boss wants to see you.¡±


    Thomas walked right up to her with a stern expression and mentioned it in a cold tone.


    ¡°M-Matthew wants to see me? What for?¡±


    For some reason, she felt an uneasy sensation well up from within as she felt her heart skip a beat.


    Trembling, she was afraid that something might happen.


    Thomas only motioned toward her. ¡°Miss Larson, please get into the car!¡±


    He no longer possessed a respectful tone.


    Clutching her bag tightly, Tiffany touched her mask and sunsses before falling into deep thought.


    I had dressed myself so discreetly, yet Thomas was still able to discern my identity from a nce¡­


    It looked like he had been waiting for me. But, what could make Thomas personally find me instead of


    Matthew calling me to meet up?


    Even though she felt very apprehensive, Tiffany still chose to follow Thomas.


    As the car drove away slowly, she felt more and more suspicious of the whole situation.


    Taking out her phone, she called Matthew, but nobody picked up.


    ¡°Mr. Ritter, where are we going?¡±


    Tiffany took off her sunsses and tried to get a grasp of the situation.


    Yet, Thomas did not answer her and only kept his silence.


    ¡°H-How did the investigation go yesterday? Matthew didn¡¯t do anything to Veronica, right?¡±


    Since she did not get the answer she wanted, Tiffany started to change the angle of attack.


    After the incident yesterday, Tiffany had sent her people to search for Veronica, but a whole day of


    searching yielded not even a trace of Matthew or Veronica. So, she could not determine if Matthew had


    made a move on her.


    Maybe nothing happened.


    The car kept heading east until they reached the North Ring Road.


    Tiffany finally noticed that something was off by this point. ¡°Mr. Ritter, where exactly are we going? Also,


    where¡¯s Matthew?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get there.¡± Matthew only answered some questions. If there were any topics


    concerning Veronica, he would avoid thempletely.


    It was another ten minute drive when they arrived at another hospital.


    This hospital was located in a more secluded and outskirt part of the city.


    Sitting in the car, Tiffany looked at the hospital and clutched her bag involuntarily, terrified. ¡°Why¡­ W-W-


    Why did wee to another hospital?¡±


    She held her stomach subconsciously, as if she had guessed what was about to happen.


    Thomas, upon parking the car, looked at Tiffany through the mirror. ¡°Miss Larson, please get out of the


    car.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Not before you tell me what we¡¯re doing here.¡±


    Shaking her head profusely, she said, ¡°I want to see Matthew. Where is he?¡±


    At this point, Tiffany was so nervous that she was almost suffocating while she called Matthew.


    Ring, ring, ring¡­


    After a few rings, Matthew answered her call.


    ¡°Sob¡­ Matthew, where are you? Thomas brought me to a ce called Lifeline Hospital¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you at that hospital¡¯s fifth floor.¡± Matthew immediately hung up upon saying that.


    It was already eleven in the morning by then.


    Pale-faced, Tiffany tried calling him again to no avail.


    Then, the back door of the car opened just as she was hesitating whether to get out or not, as she saw a


    few bodyguards in suits standing outside.


    It looked like they were going to forcefully carry her upstairs.


    Tiffany then wanted to call Elizabeth for help, but Thomas had intercepted this and snatched her phone


    away before shooting a look at the bodyguards.


    Immediately, one bodyguard stepped forward and held her up on each side of her arms while another


    one stuffed her mouth and carried her upstairs, despite her futile struggles.


    Since this hospital was more remote and Tiffany had lived for so long in the center of Bloomstead, she


    did not know what the main purpose of this hospital was.


    Panicking at this point, Tiffany tried to shout out for help only to find that there was not even a staff


    member on the ground floor, making her sink into despair and fear.


    Entering the elevator, they proceeded to the floor where Matthew was on.


    Like a pig being sent to the ughterhouse, Tiffany was brought forth to Matthew on the fifth floor.


    The man had just showered and had changed into a pinstripe suit after visiting a boxing gym. He was


    leaning on the office desk with a cigarette in his hand, taking a drag.


    Upon seeing Tiffany being brought inside, he raised his hand, motioning for them to let go of her.


    The bodyguards nodded and stood at the side as Thomas closed the door.


    The moment Tiffany saw Matthew, she ran toward him, gripping his sleeves tightly and crying. ¡°Sob,


    sob¡­ Matthew, why did you bring me here? What is this ce? Sob¡­ I¡¯m so scared¡­¡±


    Looking down, Matthew frowned upon noticing that she had wrinkled his suit. ¡°Answer me. Was it really


    you that saved me from the ident that happened a few months ago?¡±


    Even though he already had irrefutable evidence, Matthew still chose to give Tiffany a final chance.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Nevertheless, she had no way out by now, so she nodded without a single shred of hesitation. ¡°Yes. Yes,


    it was me. I saved you. At that time, my father sent me to work as a delivery driver under the pretense of


    training me and experiencing how society worked. It¡¯s true. I¡¯m speaking the truth.¡±


    Gazing at the woman in front of him, Matthew was doubting whether a single word from her was even


    true or not.


    In the end, he only picked up a folder beside him and threw it at Tiffany¡¯s face.


    The thick folder pped her face squarely, making the bystanders feel the pain even though they only


    heard the sound.


    Naturally, Tiffany felt the pain too, but her focus was on the folder in front of her as she ignored the


    sensation in her face.


    Then, she squatted down and picked up the folder, asking tremblingly, ¡°W-W-What is this¡­¡±


    Matthew, who silently took a drag, did not answer her, as he only blew the cigarette smoke on her face.


    Even though he did not utter a single word, he believed he had made it very clear.


    With trembling hands, Tiffany opened the folder, revealing a few photos inside. The images themselves


    were not very clear, but there was the date indicated on the bottom right corner.


    They looked to be screenshots from a video.


    ¡°These are¡­ Matthew, why¡­ are you showing me these screenshots?¡±


    She thenughed. This was a shortugh, though, as tears began pouring out of her eyes.


    This was because she knew best what the date signified.


    ¡°What? You¡¯ve forgotten this quickly?¡± With a frown, Matthew¡¯s bloodlust seeped out of his gaze, and this


    powerful gaze scared the wits out of Tiffany.


    Stumbling backward, she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I really don¡¯t know what this is.¡±


    Did she really not know?


    Matthew then sneered and stopped talking.


    Instead, it was Thomas, who was standing by the side, who stated, ¡°Miss Larson, you really are


    something. Deleting the footage where Miss Veronica saved the boss and even took the gift meant for


    her. Did you think that you would be able to trick everybody in this way? You¡¯re still careless, though.


    Even though you remembered to delete the traffic surveince footage, you forgot to delete the footage


    where you were partying with your friends at the bar that very same night.¡±

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203


    Up to this point, Tifanny knew that the cat was out of the bag.


    The folder dropped from her hands as her legs wobbled, making her stumble and fall to the ground.


    She looked like a soulless marite that sat on the ground silently.


    ¡°The baby inside you. Whose is it?¡± asked Matthew with one hand in his pocket while the other was


    holding the cigarette, as he flicked it against the ashtray nonchntly.


    Petrified with fear, Tiffany raised her head. ¡°What¡­ The child? Of course, it¡¯s yours. Matthew, you¡­ you


    can¡¯t break your promise so easily.¡±


    How did ite to this?


    Wasn¡¯t he acting just fine yesterday? Why is he suddenly suspecting where the baby came from?


    This sudden development caught Tiffany entirely off guard.


    She had never thought Matthew would react so quickly.


    ¡°Do you know why I didn¡¯t contact you yesterday?¡±


    Matthew raised his eyebrow, looking like a god about to descend his punishment onto the mortals who


    defied him.


    ¡°W-Why?¡±


    Tiffany asked cautiously, with a voice so small that only a mosquito could hear it.


    ¡°The boss had me contact Castron to investigate every detail of when you were there. Otherwise, why


    would he not call you on the day of the incident?¡± Thomas exined.


    Matthew only suspected her of having a child in her belly because she pretended to save him and tried


    multiple times to harm Veronica.


    She really is a cruel woman who would do anything to achieve her goal.


    In order to marry me, she tried every trick in the book. This made him wonder whether ¡®that one time¡¯


    abroad with her was enough to make her pregnant.


    As expected, the results of the investigation surprised everyone.


    Thomas¡¯ words made Tiffany ghastly pale, making her look a bit terrifying.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s¡­ not like that. This is impossible.¡±


    Shaking her head maddeningly, Tiffany clutched her belly. ¡°The baby is yours. It really is yours¡­ Ugh¡­¡±


    Nheless, she only managed to exin halfway when Matthew leaned down and choked her. ¡°Have


    you thought about how you¡¯re going to die?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ It hurts¡­¡±


    He tightened his grip, making his joints pop, while Tiffany felt like her windpipe was being crushed to the


    point her face started to go all red.


    Raised by the man like a chick, she tried her hardest to hit both of Matthew¡¯s hands. ¡°Ugh¡­ Let¡­ Let


    go¡­¡±


    These few words took all she had.


    Matthew peered at her with a sh in his gaze before he tossed her away like a piece of trash.


    With a bang, Tiffany¡¯s head hit the bed, and her forehead began bleeding.


    Huff¡­ Huff¡­


    The moment she fell down, her neck was released with air rushing into her body, making her cough


    chokingly,pletely ignoring the wound on her forehead.


    Matthew only took a couple of tissue papers from the desk and wiped his hands before throwing them


    away in the trash can with a disdainful expression. ¡°Proceed with the operation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    Thomas nodded.


    Scared out of her wits, Tiffany crawled to Matthew and tugged on his pants. ¡°Sob, sob¡­ Matthew, the


    child really is yours. You can¡¯t be so cruel. If Old Mrs. Kings knew about this, she would be really sad.


    Her biggest wish is to have a great-grandchild. If she knew¡­ Ah!¡±


    In this world, there would always be some that kept crossing his line.


    And in front of him right now was Tiffany, who had not only lied to him but his grandmother as well. She


    had let an old woman who had well crossed fifty years of age wait so long for nothing.


    This d*mned woman!


    Raising his leg, Matthew cruelly kicked Tiffany¡¯s chest as she stumbled backward and rolled on the floor.


    Laying on the ground, she spewed blood.


    She had never seen such a livid and violent side of Matthew.


    In her eyes, the man she loved was silent yet proud and capable. He was the goal of many young


    women.


    Even though he had a cold attitude, at least he treated her somewhat gently.


    It was only that she did not know such a vicious many beneath that cold mask.


    Holding onto her chest, Tiffany was in such pain that she could not utter a word.


    She looked spitefully at him while clenching her free hand so tightly that it started to bleed, yet she did


    not take notice of that.


    Excluding Tiffany, even Thomas and the other bodyguards did not dare to even breathe loudly due to


    what they had just witnessed.


    In over ten years of service, they had never seen their employer so furious before. Even more so, they


    had never seen him harm a woman.


    They were allpletely baffled!


    Soon, Thomas and the others brought Tiffany, who was still lying on the floor, away.


    After ten minutes, Thomas returned with a B-mode ultrasonogram. ¡°Boss, the doctor said that Tiffany¡¯s


    uterine walls are rtively thin. Once she miscarriages, she will never get pregnant again.¡±


    To this, Matthew, who was standing in front of the window with a cup of tea in his hand, turned around


    and stared at him deathly.


    It was only to this one stare that Thomas immediately replied fearfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for spouting nonsense.


    We¡¯ll go ahead with the operation.¡±


    He then left the office with the report in hand.


    If it was by ident, one could be forgiven. If it was on purpose, one should face their own music.


    This time, Tiffany can only me herself. Even if she does end up being unable to conceive from now


    on, it¡¯s all because of her own doing.


    As he walked out, he heard Matthew state, ¡°Skip the anesthetic.¡±


    Stunned, Thomas felt a slight migraine.


    After five minutes, a banshee-like scream emanated from the operation room. It was very haunting and


    sent chills behind their backs.


    Tiffany, bound to the operation table, struggled with all her might only to achieve nothing, as she felt the


    forceps rummaging inside her body, apanied by a pain like she was being whipped to death. It was


    an unimaginable pain.


    After all, she had only experienced the high life and being pampered at all times. She had never had to


    go through such suffering.


    The sensation was one that traveled throughout her body, as every cell in her body screamed in pain. It


    hurt so much that while she cried profusely, the veins in her forehead popped out.


    Her hands were bound to the operation table, leaving her to cry and scream like a specter from hell.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    At this moment, her pain only amplified her hatred toward Matthew and Veronica.


    Time slowly ticked away, leaving Tiffany pale and sweaty, as she did not even have the strength to


    scream in pain anymore.


    There was a moment where it hurt so much that she felt as if she had gone deaf with her brain buzzing.


    After an unknown amount of suffering, the operation was finally over.


    She was then mercilessly dragged from the operation table as the bodyguards carried her downstairs


    before throwing her in the car and driving toward the city center.


    It was approximately forty minutes of driving when they reached Dragon¡¯s Creek Vi, where she was


    thrown out of the car like trash andy there no different from a corpse.


    Thomas threw the report in front of Tiffany and said, ¡°Your uterine walls are thinner than normal ones.


    The doctor had said that after this, you¡¯ll never get pregnant again.¡±


    Upon finishing his statement, he got in the car and left.

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204


    As both mental and physical pain enveloped Tiffany, she could only repeat Thomas¡¯ words in her head.


    ¡®Your uterine walls are thinner than normal ones. The doctor had said that after this, you¡¯ll never get


    pregnant again!¡¯


    She had ascended to the peak in one day and fell into the darkest abyss the next.


    This rise and fall made Tiffany feel as if her whole life was just a joke.


    Even though the pain was ripping at her inside out, she had trained herself painstakingly all these years


    only to live a morevish life and to be the center of everyone¡¯s attention.


    s, all it took was but a moment for her to fall from grace, as she did not have any room to even


    resist.


    Matthew Kings. That man¡­ That man is just a devil in disguise.


    The pain had left her weak all over. Even though Tiffany felt that she was losing blood all over the


    ce, she still climbed up strugglingly and walked one step at a time toward the vi.


    I cannot die here!


    I need to live on. I must live on!


    I will return the pain that I received today a hundredfold to those two snakes, Matthew and Veronica!


    She had decided that since Matthew had refused her right to be a mother, she would also never let


    Veronica have another child in this life!


    I will never allow that to happen!


    Taking a few steps forward, Tiffany felt her vision go dark as she fell backward¡­


    However, before she felt the sensation of crashing to the ground, she fell into a person¡¯s embrace.


    At thest moment, she caught a glimpse of the person and was shocked to find out that it was none


    other than Conrad.


    ¡°M-Mr. Conrad. It¡¯s you?¡±


    She fainted right after uttering that.


    ¡­


    Waking up, Tiffany found herself lying in a ward upon opening her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡±


    Conrad saw Tiffany regain her consciousness and stated that.


    Tilting her head, Tiffany looked at Conrad, who was sitting beside her. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Mr.


    Conrad.¡±


    ¡°I was investigating the incident at yesterday¡¯s wedding. After discovering that your call wouldn¡¯t


    connect, I went to your house in hopes of finding you. Then, I found you fainting.¡±


    Up to that point, Conrad then frowned hesitatingly. ¡°Why did you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to have let you see that.¡±


    The conversation made Tiffany suddenly cry uncontrobly.


    She looked very pitiful.


    This made Conrad reach out and touch her face, wiping her tears away with his thumbs gently.


    ¡°Women should learn how to cherish themselves. Matthew wasn¡¯t meant for you. You should give up


    on this foolish thought.¡±


    When one was in total despair, the smallest act of kindness given by others would seem like a saving


    grace.


    Tiffany felt this gentleness from Conrad, as a thought came to her, when she looked at him with teary


    eyes.


    If I can¡¯t be Matthew¡¯s woman, I can be his aunt!


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Conrad. Sob¡­¡± She cried even sadder in an attempt to gain more pity from Conrad.


    Yet, she did not know that Conrad had gone to the vi to search for Tiffany, only to observe the


    situation for a while. He had seen Thomas dragging her out of the car.


    It was not until she entered the vi that Conrad got out of the car and went ahead to hold her.


    As for why he would appear at such an opportune moment in front of the vi¡¯s entrance, it was


    naturally because he had gotten a tip and had been waiting for Tiffany¡¯s appearance.


    I might be able to use this woman!


    ¡­


    After sleeping through the entire morning, Veronica woke up feeling refreshed.


    She was very calm and collected, as she did not know the chaos that happened without her.


    The afternoon came when she received a call from her secretary. ¡°Miss Murphy, two customers came


    by just now and asked about our wedding package. They also wanted to know if we could give them


    any promotions. Since I thought that we were in need of customers, I went ahead and gave them the


    biggest discount possible.¡±


    ¡°Really? Have they paid the deposit?¡±


    ¡°Yup. They paid us ten thousand upfront. The customers had estimated their budget to be around two


    hundred thousand. This is no small deal by any means.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    Veronica felt her mood lifting.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Nheless, she noticed this sudden influx of business might be due to someone helping her in the


    dark.

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205


    As both mental and physical pain enveloped Tiffany, she could only repeat Thomas¡¯ words in her head.


    ¡®Your uterine walls are thinner than normal ones. The doctor had said that after this, you¡¯ll never get


    pregnant again!¡¯


    She had ascended to the peak in one day and fell into the darkest abyss the next.


    This rise and fall made Tiffany feel as if her whole life was just a joke.


    Even though the pain was ripping at her inside out, she had trained herself painstakingly all these years


    only to live a morevish life and to be the center of everyone¡¯s attention.


    s, all it took was but a moment for her to fall from grace, as she did not have any room to even resist.


    Matthew Kings. That man¡­ That man is just a devil in disguise.


    The pain had left her weak all over. Even though Tiffany felt that she was losing blood all over the ce,


    she still climbed up strugglingly and walked one step at a time toward the vi.


    I cannot die here!


    I need to live on. I must live on!


    I will return the pain that I received today a hundredfold to those two snakes, Matthew and Veronica!


    She had decided that since Matthew had refused her right to be a mother, she would also never let


    Veronica have another child in this life!


    I will never allow that to happen!


    Taking a few steps forward, Tiffany felt her vision go dark as she fell backward¡­


    However, before she felt the sensation of crashing to the ground, she fell into a person¡¯s embrace.


    At thest moment, she caught a glimpse of the person and was shocked to find out that it was none


    other than Conrad.


    ¡°M-Mr. Conrad. It¡¯s you?¡±


    She fainted right after uttering that.


    ¡­


    Waking up, Tiffany found herself lying in a ward upon opening her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡±


    Conrad saw Tiffany regain her consciousness and stated that.


    Tilting her head, Tiffany looked at Conrad, who was sitting beside her. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Mr.


    Conrad.¡±


    ¡°I was investigating the incident at yesterday¡¯s wedding. After discovering that your call wouldn¡¯t connect,


    I went to your house in hopes of finding you. Then, I found you fainting.¡±


    Up to that point, Conrad then frowned hesitatingly. ¡°Why did you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to have let you see that.¡±


    The conversation made Tiffany suddenly cry uncontrobly.


    She looked very pitiful.


    This made Conrad reach out and touch her face, wiping her tears away with his thumbs gently. ¡°Women


    should learn how to cherish themselves. Matthew wasn¡¯t meant for you. You should give up on this


    foolish thought.¡±


    When one was in total despair, the smallest act of kindness given by others would seem like a saving


    grace.


    Tiffany felt this gentleness from Conrad, as a thought came to her, when she looked at him with teary


    eyes.


    If I can¡¯t be Matthew¡¯s woman, I can be his aunt!


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Conrad. Sob¡­¡± She cried even sadder in an attempt to gain more pity from Conrad.


    Yet, she did not know that Conrad had gone to the vi to search for Tiffany, only to observe the situation


    for a while. He had seen Thomas dragging her out of the car.


    It was not until she entered the vi that Conrad got out of the car and went ahead to hold her.


    As for why he would appear at such an opportune moment in front of the vi¡¯s entrance, it was naturally


    because he had gotten a tip and had been waiting for Tiffany¡¯s appearance.


    I might be able to use this woman!


    ¡­


    After sleeping through the entire morning, Veronica woke up feeling refreshed.


    She was very calm and collected, as she did not know the chaos that happened without her.


    The afternoon came when she received a call from her secretary. ¡°Miss Murphy, two customers came by


    just now and asked about our wedding package. They also wanted to know if we could give them any


    promotions. Since I thought that we were in need of customers, I went ahead and gave them the biggest


    discount possible.¡±


    ¡°Really? Have they paid the deposit?¡±


    ¡°Yup. They paid us ten thousand upfront. The customers had estimated their budget to be around two


    hundred thousand. This is no small deal by any means.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    Veronica felt her mood lifting.


    Nheless, she noticed this sudden influx of business might be due to someone helping her in the


    dark.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206


    This thought made Veronica¡®s joy disappear, as she hesitated for a second before saying, ¡°Investigate if


    they are Matthew¡®s people. If they are, return the deposit and reject them.¡±


    Even though the incident at Matthew¡®s wedding caused the reputation of Encounters, her bridal shop, to


    tank, she still did not want to receive any help from him.


    That disgusting man. He must be nning something else. I should just stay well away from him.


    Shirley only felt that this was a wasted opportunity as she replied, ¡°Are we really going to reject this deal?


    Miss Murphy, our shop had sacked over ten staff members at this point. If no businesses our way,


    the employees might grow doubtful. I¡®m afraid¡­¡±


    ¡°We just need to keep to our principles. I know what to do.¡±


    Not saying much to Shirley, Veronica then hung up.


    After that, she sat in the room by herself, remembering all of a sudden that it was Elizabeth¡®s birthday the


    day after tomorrow. However, under these kinds of conditions, she was thinking that Elizabeth might not


    hold a banquet anymore.


    Yet, she still knew she needed to choose an appropriate gift for her.


    At the Spinfluence Group.


    Matthew, who had dealt with all matters at hand, returned to thepany to


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    continue working


    Reaching his office, Thomas stated, ¡°Boss, our stocks have dropped by a whole three points since the


    exchange opened in the afternoon. The higher ups have been voicing theirints over this and said


    that they wish to arrange for a board meeting to discuss this tomorrow.¡±


    Matthew listened to him as he sipped on his tea and focused on reading through the documents on his


    table.


    It was only after a while that he slowly uttered, ¡°Just let everything take its course.¡±


    +10 pearls


    ¡°Mr. Conrad is back. I think he wants to make use of this chaos and reap some benefits.¡±


    Thomas knew these kinds of people¡®s little ploys the most.


    Nevertheless, whatever he could think of, Matthew could naturally think of too.


    Instead, Matthew still kept his calm, as he would never waste his thoughts on such little things, nor did


    he think that such little things were worth his attention.


    ¡°We¡®ll handle any changes by not changing.¡±


    After signing the document, Matthew handed it to Thomas and asked, ¡°How is the progress on the thing I


    asked you to handle?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    At first, Thomas was a bit bewildered, but he then instantly knew what his employer was talking about as


    he sighed defeatly. ¡°The subordinates were not too bright and messed up the whole thing. Miss Murphy


    had returned the deposit and refused to ept their deal.¡±


    ¡°Useless fools!¡±


    Matthew eximed coldly.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Suddenly, someone knocked on his office door.


    Looking up, Matthewnded his gaze on the person who came in, Conrad.


    Standing up slowly, he said, ¡°Uncle Conrad?¡±


    Thomas turned around to see Conrad before he nodded and bowed. ¡°Hello, Uncle Conrad. You guys


    catch up first. I¡®ll be going back to work now.¡±


    he also followed Matthew and


    Because of Matthew and Thomas¡® close rtion greeted Conrad the same way.


    Nodding, Conrad did not say a word as Thomas exited the office before closing the door.


    Inside the office, one was standing while the other remained seated, with both of


    them exchanging gazes of indiscernible depth.


    ¡°Unde, what is it?¡±


    Matthew knew Conrad too well to know that he would note visit him without a specific aim


    He knew that Conrad, who came to him personally, did not just want to tour thepany,


    Today, Conrad had on a full suit and tie, looking like a mature gentleman.


    Standing sideways, he then walked to the resting area by the side and sat on the sofa before speaking,


    ¡°About the incident at the wedding, what¡®s your opinion on it?¡±


    ¡°Did Grandma want you to investigate?¡±


    Matthew crossed his legs as he leaned against his office chair and crossed his fingers. Hitting the back


    of his hands with his fingers rhythmically, he disyed a nonchnce that a dominating individual


    possessed.


    ¡°Yesterday¡®s incident concerned the family¡®s dignity. As the madam of the family, Old Mrs. Kings would


    definitely conduct a deep investigation.¡±


    Conrad was of a mixed race descent.


    In actuality, he was Howard¡®s illegitimate child. However, after being picked up to live in Bloomstead, he


    shared the same roof with Elizabeth for a long time. So, he naturally called her ¡®mother¡® all this while.


    Though in front of others, he was still used to referring to her as ¡®Old Mrs. Kings¡®.


    ¡°I can handle this by myself. You don¡®t have to worry about it, Uncle.¡± Stating this, Matthew took out a


    cigarette before holding it in his mouth and lighting it, slowly taking a drag in the process.


    He was making it very clear that he did not wish for Conrad to interfere in this matter.


    Who knew that Conrad only shrugged his shoulders helplessly and opened up his arms while smiling.


    ¡°Sadly, it¡®s an order from Mother, so I can only follow it.¡±


    He had suddenly changed to referring to Elizabeth as ¡®mother¡®.


    As soon as he said that, Conrad¡®s phone rang. He took it and had a look before smirking


    ¡°Mother wants me to ¡®invite Miss Murphy toply with the investigation. What do you think about that,


    Matthew?¡± Looking at Matthew, Conrad asked smugly.


    Matthew, who was still smoking, stopped at this point as a cold gaze shed across his eyes.


    ncing coldly at Conrad for a split second, Matthew said, ¡°Uncle, I think of you as an intelligent


    individual. So, on the subject of who you can or can¡®t touch¡­¡±


    He deliberately stopped for a few seconds before continuing, ¡°I think you should know best!¡±


    He had thoroughly warned Conrad of this.


    ¡°Since you like Miss Murphy so much, why didn¡®t you marry her in the first ce, instead of causing this


    fiasco? Matthew, it¡®s not that I¡®m scrutinizing you, but I do have to say that you haven¡®t dealt with this


    matter properly.¡±


    Leaning against the back of the sofa, Conrad had ced a hand on the knee of his crossed leg while the


    other was on the sofa. His proud demeanor was as if it was signifying a silent match between them two.


    ¡°Since you know it¡®s my matter, you shouldn¡®t be poking your finger in this pie, Uncle!¡±


    Matthew disyed a cold attitude that did not leave any shame for his uncle.


    ¡°Hahaha.¡±


    Laughing instead of bursting into anger, Conrad stated, ¡°I¡®m never a busybody. But, as you¡®ve seen from


    yesterday, you have been letting the PR team handle everything in regard to the wedding. Even though


    this incident did not cause too much damage to thepany, the losses yesterday already amounted to


    2 billion in value vanishing in stocks. I think that you need to give some exnation to the board


    members, no? Since you don¡®t want me to go to look for Miss Murphy, I¡®ll just have to find the Larsons


    then. If I don¡®t show them something to see, the Larson Family might think that we are just harmless


    ants.¡±


    In this final sentence, Conrad seemed to be stating that the Larsons were digging their own graves by


    offending the Kingses, but in reality, he was talking about Matthew¡®s ipetency.


    rv peano


    Even though he knew the mastermind to be a member of the Larsons, Matthew actually didn¡®t make a


    move. Not only did this damage the pride of our family, it even made the public ridicule us.


    ¡°I know how to deal with my own matters.¡± Matthew flicked the cigarette ashes against the ashtray and


    did not talk anymore.


    Upon seeing this, Conrad lifted his arm and looked at his wristwatch. ¡°It¡®s gettingte now, so I suppose


    I¡®ll take my leave.¡±


    He then stood up and left.


    Exiting Spinfluence Group, Conrad got into his car before ordering his subordinate, ¡°Bloomstead seems


    at peace nowadays, and that is boring. We should inject some fun into our lives. How about¡­ We start


    from the Larsons?¡±


    The driver instantly understood Conrad¡®s thoughts as he replied, ¡°Understood, Sir. I¡®ll call the men now

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207


    Her Billionaire Husband


    At the same time, Hendric, who was on a business trip, took a flight back to the country and made a das


    h to the hospital as soon as the nended.


    When he saw that Xavier and Melissa were fine in the VIP patient room, a wave of relief washed over hi


    m.


    ¡°D¨CDad, you¡®re f¨C


    finally here.¡± When she saw her father, Melissa burst into tears as her fragile heart was crushed after hav


    ing her lege injured.


    At the sight of her tear¨C


    stained face, his heart throbbed in pain. The family had always treated her as the apple of their eyes, yet


    she was now injured.


    cing his briefcase aside, he strode over and lifted the quilt to take a look at her condition. ¡°How do you


    feel? What did the doctor say?¡±


    ¡°Sobs. I¨CI have to rest for at least three months. It hurts, Dad,¡± whined the pale¨C


    faced girl whose voice was


    choked up. The sheer sight of her forlorn state would have caused anyone to feel sorry for her.


    Attempting tofort her, Hendric patted her shoulder. ¡°As long as you¡®re alright. Don¡®t worry about it. Yo


    u¡®ll recover soon. Speaking about it, the Kings Family have gone overboard this time!¡±


    Having said that, he nced


    at Xavier with an icy gaze before making his way toward his bed. Ever since Hendric had entered the roo


    m, Xavier had been phubbing with his head low in anguid manner. In truth, he actually listened


    attentively to the conversation just now.


    They were all Hendric¡®s children, yet he only had his eyes on a few of them and there would never be roo


    m for Xavier.


    Such thoughts fleeted across Xavier¡®s mind before a pnded on his face


    at the very next second. Feeling the stinging pain on his cheek, he looked sideways.


    Because of


    last night¡®s incident, not a part of his body was free of blemishes. He was badly bruised; even his face wa


    s beaten ck and blue.


    Despite that, neither did Hendricfort him nor did he ask for the cause. Instead, he straight upnded


    a p on Xavier¡®s face.


    ¡°Dad, what are you doing? He had nothing to do with this.¡± Even Melissa was taken


    aback by the sudden hit that she voiced our her brother¡®s innocence


    ¡°Hmphille is your ipetent brother who can¡®t take good care of yout¡± Hendric¡®s chest heaved heavily i


    n wrath.


    Hearing that, Xavier snorted in ridicule. Though his check hurt, he did not lift a finger to massage it; he p


    oked it with his tongue instead. As he shed a contemptuous smile, his face was ring with disgust.


    What a ¡®good¡® father I have here.


    ¡°Dad, it¡®s not Xavier¡®s fault. It¡®s all because of that b*tch, Veronica Murphy!¡±


    She and Veronica got along well at the beginning, but the rtionship took a turn after she had witnesse


    d Veronica¡®s ruthless side with her own eyes. The seedling of hostility sprouted in her overnight.


    ¡°It¡®s her! It¡®s all because of her! She took the gun and hurt us! D¨C


    Dad, Xavier is innocent!¡± Melissa exined while tears were wetting her cheeks.


    ¡°Innocent, my foot. It¡®s not like you don¡®t know that your silly brother likes Veronica. Now look at himself.


    What did he get in the end? Veronica is still wagging her tail at Matthew, that motherf*cker. F*ck! How da


    re they touch my daughter! They¡®re not getting away from this!¡± Hendric mmed the table in a fit of rage


    .


    The silent Xavier finally piped up, ¡°Why don¡®t you ask your filial daughter what she has done?¡±


    Even if he cared for his sister, he knew well that he shouldn¡®t lose his sense


    of right and wrong. This time, Melissa was the one in the wrong.


    ¡°I don¡®t give a fig about the truth! Anyone who dares toy a finger on my daughter deserves to die!¡± As t


    he seething ire got the best of him, Hendric pointed at Xavier. ¡°Stay away from that b*tch. I will make sur


    e to tear her into pieces!¡±


    At that moment, Xavier could feel the murderous resentment bearing in Hendric to his bones. He didn¡®t st


    op the man, though. Whether it was the disappointment directed at Melissa or Hendric¨C


    or it could¡®ve been both¨Che remained silent until the end.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Beneath its deceptive tranquility, there was an insidious storm raging in Bloomstead.


    Though


    Veronica had the liberty to wander anywhere she fancied without bumping into the reporters, she had a s


    trong feeling that something was yoing to happen.


    Her biggest worry would be her adoptive parents, who were currently residing


    in the countryside. Someone might hurt them. She promised herself that she would leave Matthew and st


    ay out of the struggle between the rich and powerful. However, she


    couldn¡®t sever theplicated ties with the Kings Family, though she seemed to have had nothing to do


    with them. She was now worried about her own safety. Still, there was someone else caring for her in the


    shrouds.


    After knowing that the abortion was forced upon Tiffany, Floch and his wife reprimanded the Kings Family


    *That Matthew is such trash. Even if it isn¡®t his baby, he shouldn¡®t have done that to you! Besides, what if y


    be pregnant in the


    future?¡± With hands on his waist, Floch roved back and forth in the patient room with a haggard expressio


    Rachel, who was sitting on the chair, calmed her daughter patiently with a soothing voice, ¡°Don¡®t worry too


    ¡°That¡®s right. Cheer up, Tiffany.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re still young. As long as you take good care


    of your body, you can bear a baby again. And I can introduce you to someone better than Matthew.¡±


    The distressed couple tried to provide sce to Tiffany, yet those words were like a thrusting knife that pie


    Finally, she couldn¡®t stand it anymore as she said, ¡°Please, leave. I need a moment to myself.¡±


    Her parents were left speechless. After a moment of silence, they decided to ask a maid to look after her b


    ¡°Judging from how things have transpired until now, I fret that Veronica will cause more trouble than this.¡±


    Letting out a sigh, Floch shook his head helplessly. His tapping fingers on the steering wheel had given hi


    Feeling equally agitated, Rachel kneaded her forehead. ¡°We¡®ve been covering for Veronica this whole yea


    us a lot.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, this is our mission.¡± Floch held her hand. ¡°But if something happens to you, I¡®ll me myself


    After hearing his words, she smiled bitterly as her eyes started to tear up. Due to the silence, a heavy atm

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208


    Chapter 208 The Exasperated Matthew


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Elizabeth offered the fruits to Veronica. ¡°Have some with me. I can¡¯t finish everything myself.¡±


    Since it would be tactless to refuse, Veronica took a fork and a bite of the fruit thereafter. ¡°It¡¯s soft and


    sweet. Grandma, try it.¡±


    Paying no heed to Matthew who was just right next to them, they bbered on and on. It was not until a


    short momentter that Elizabeth cast her gaze on him. ¡°The poor girl, Tiffany, came today and she cried


    buckets. Even if you don¡¯t intend to marry her, she still has your baby. You should¡¯ve at least shown


    some mercy.¡±


    Though she chose not to interfere with the matters of youngsters, she just could not ignore it as she was


    their elder after all. Meanwhile, Veronica lowered her head at the mention of Tiffany¡¯s name and


    remained without a word. Knowing Tiffany¡¯s situation was thest thing on her mind, let alone interfering.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± He did not tell Elizabeth the truth in the end. Considering that she had fainted


    due to high blood pressure yesterday, he surmised that it was untimely to reveal the truth right now as


    she might not be able to ept it. As an afterthought, he had made up his mind to spill the beans only


    after her birthday.


    Elizabeth snorted without a reply and turned to Veronica instead. ¡°It¡¯s my birthday the day after tomorrow


    and we will have a birthday party at Kings Residence. You shoulde with Matthew.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Grandma.¡± Veronica had initially thought that Elizabeth would call off the banquet after such an


    incident had urred. However, the more one thought about it, the more it made sense.


    The very first thing Matthew did after the wedding was call thepany¡¯s public rtions team. In fact,


    involving them was a brilliant move as he had managed to control themotion before it escted.


    Even so, such a trivial incident had caused Spinfluence Group, a corporation which raked in an annual


    profit that surpassed trillions, to incur some losses. It would not be an exaggeration to say that a mere


    sneeze from them could lead to a turmoil in the stock market.


    About an hourter, Veronica was nning on leaving the hospital and Elizabeth requested Matthew to


    send her home. While they walked to the elevator, Veronica did not bother to talk to him at all. Once they


    arrived at the inpatient department, the man finally broke the silence. ¡°Hold on. I¡¯ll get the car.¡±


    ¡°Am I amputated? Do I not have legs? I don¡¯t need you to drive me home,¡± she retaliated and red at


    him before leaving the scene with pride.


    What should I do with this unprincipled scoundrel that knows no boundaries? Of course, I should


    distance myself from him. There is no better answer than this.


    Now that she was deep in her thoughts, Veronica had walked long enough to realize that she should


    purchase her own car for the sake of convenience. When she left, Matthew did not chase after her.


    However, a car halted next to her just as she arrived at the roadside where a familiar voice called for her.


    ¡°Hop on.¡±


    It was an authoritative tone, which left her no room to refuse. After bing vexed, she had enough of


    his arrogance and after ncing at the oing cab, she waved her hand to hail the driver and instantly


    got into the vehicle. Her actions were reflected onto the rearview mirror and Matthew was disgruntled


    upon witnessing the entire thing.


    This pampered woman!


    Swiftly, he followed closely behind the cab until they arrived at a hotel. As he watched Veronica entering


    the building, he waited a few minutes before walking in to confirm his suspicions, only to be told that she


    was staying there for the time being. Despite the vast metropolis, she had no ce to call ¡®home¡¯.


    Matthew felt his chest tightening due to the heart-wrenching truth.


    ¡­


    It was Elizabeth¡¯s 65th birthday banquet today at the Kings Residence and an influx of leading figures as


    well as renowned celebrities from the city was being weed to the ce.


    Veronica went to the mall in her newly purchased car worth thousands yesterday in search of the ideal


    birthday gift for Elizabeth.


    The doorbell suddenly resonated throughout the room early in the morning just as she was about to head


    to the said party. As a result, Veronica walked to the door in confusion. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    The door quickly opened to reveal the tenacious man whom she knew as Matthew. As the gleam on her


    face simmered, she quickly closed the door but he wedged his foot between the crevice.


    An irritated Veronica addressed him with a sharp gaze, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? Remove your


    foot or I will dly cripple it!¡±


    Why does he have to ruin my day the second it starts?!


    ¡°Change into this.¡± Matthew gave Veronica a paper bag.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Clothes.¡±


    ¡°You bought it? Take it back, I don¡¯t need anything from you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Grandma¡¯s birthday today and all the


    big names are invited. This means that today will mark the day you reveal your new identity to the press.


    So, do you think the clothes that you¡¯re wearing will fit such an asion?¡± The stoic Matthew pointed at


    her outfit.


    It was a set of suits she wore on ordinary working days. Why get a new one when you can just wear the


    existing ones?


    That was what she thought initially as she assumed that Elizabeth would not fancy the idea of


    introducing her to everyone after the wedding incident, let alone acknowledging her as her god-


    granddaughter.


    However, Veronica was wrong because that was never the case. Gazing at the paper bag Matthew was


    holding, she discerned the bronze logo. It was a famous brand wherein every piece of its design would


    cost a leg and an arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s from Grandma,¡± he added as he saw through her thoughts that were written all over her face.


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s from her? Alright, then.¡± Veronica dly epted it. After taking the bag, she noticed his


    intention of entering the room and quickly shut the door, blocking his way in.


    The dumbfounded Matthew stood right there with his face close to the door. If he was any faster, he


    would have been mmed in the face. With his eyes closed, he tightened his grip and loudly sighed as


    he tried to contain his growing anger in him. Since when did he stoop to being rejected by someone at


    the doorstep?


    The raging fury was like a ticking time bomb, yet he had nowhere to direct his anger.


    Meanwhile, Veronica had changed into the new stunning dress that had lost a little of its luster due to her


    short hair and bare face.


    After going through her cosmetics, she simply did a light make-up before heading out in a pair of heels.


    Waiting for her outside was Matthew, who shifted his attention from his phone onto her the moment she


    came out. Needless to say, her beauty cast him in a trance.


    He examined her from head to toe¡ªher short hair adorning her fair face; those long eyshes fluttered


    as she blinked her beady eyes; her small yet imposing nose, not to forget the rosy lips that seemed


    kissable as ever.


    Adorning her long neck was a ne thatplemented the off-shoulder long dress, which showed


    off her enticing corbone.


    Stepping in her heels like a prideful swan, Veronica gave an air of elegance that lingered with a tad of


    enchanting charm.

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209


    Chapter 209 You Old Sleazeball


    Although Veronica had always been the untainted beauty in Matthew¡¯s eyes, her beauty was taken to the


    next level as she was dressed to the nines with make-up, albeit a light one. She had him at hello just as


    easy as a snap of the finger.


    Still, someone like her naturally radiated the aura of a royal ice queen, but only if her lips were zipped.


    Such an imaginary facade would instantly shatter into pieces once words escaped her mouth.


    ¡°What are you looking at, you old sleazeball? If I catch you staring at me again, I¡¯ll dig out your eyes right


    away!¡± Her gaze that was as sharp as daggersnded on him as her seething wrath overflowed.


    The uncouth words jarred into his ears and caused his brows to furrow tightly. Despite the urge to teach


    Veronica a lesson, Matthew told himself to be patient. F*ck, why do I even like her?


    The ever decorous and restrained man could not resist his internal cursing anymore. ¡°From today


    onward, you¡¯re part of the Kings Family. Thus, every word and action of yours represents the whole


    family. You gotta behave yourself in public,¡± he advised patiently.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me?¡± Veronica snorted before turning around.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± He suddenly grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ think it¡¯s better if you leave in the one you were wearing previously.¡± He touched his nose as his


    voice had clearly be meeker than before.


    Veronica¡¯s expression fell upon hearing that. ¡°Matthew Kings, do you have a few loose screws in your


    brain? The one who told me to change into this dress was you, but you¡¯re telling me to change it again?


    Do I look like a clown to you?¡±


    While her face was rife with anger, she prodded his chest with her finger. ¡°Why should I listen to you,


    anyway? I¡¯m not gonna change! Bite me if you want to because I don¡¯t freaking care!¡±


    Then, she lifted the skirt of her dress before she strode toward the elevator. Matthew followed suit as he


    shook his head helplessly.


    In the elevator, he was standing behind Veronica but she remained quiet. When they left the hotel, she


    prepared to get her car but he suggested, ¡°Take this!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Before she could even get into the car, she noticed something flying toward her and she hastily


    caught it. She realized that it was a key to a Ferrari car after opening her fist. Since she was dubious,


    she gazed at him. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Is it from Grandma again?¡±


    ¡°I told you that you¡¯re one of us from now on. So, use this car for today unless you wanna tarnish our


    reputation.¡± He did not even try to hide his contempt toward her new car.


    The exasperated Veronica threw the car key back to him. ¡°What? Since I¡¯m Grandma¡¯s god-


    granddaughter, am I no longer Veronica Murphy? If so, I¡¯d rather forsake the title.¡±


    Being drawn into the rich lifestyle was not part of her ns, anyway. However, with how things had


    transpiredtely, she wished to protect herself as well as her family under the name of the Kings Family.


    Still, she had her principles. If she was to be shackled with rules in order to maintain the perfect life of the


    finest as Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter, she would rather relinquish it.


    These words that were spilled at the spur of the moment consigned Matthew into a pensive


    contemtion. Veronica was right; a fetter would only trammel her if her life was interfered with the sole


    reason of bing one of the Kings Family.


    But¡­


    As if something seeped into his mind, Matthew tested the waters. ¡°You should know well regarding the


    standing our family has in Bloomstead. For Grandma¡¯s sake, are you willing to break¡­¡± Your bad habits?


    His voice trailed off as he could not bring himself to finish the question.


    ¡°Why must I break anything? The rich and the poor have different ways of going about with their lives.


    Even if I¡¯m Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter, it doesn¡¯t imply that it¡¯spulsory for me to fit into the high


    society. I am ¡®me¡¯; the one and only ¡®me¡¯ in this world. I will never show concession by changing myself.


    Life is enough of a struggle itself. I don¡¯t wanna burden myself with such a weight,¡± Veronica rted her


    genuine thoughts with equanimity.


    She was Veronica Murphy, someone who definitely would not change herself for others.


    While sping the car keys tightly in his hand, Matthew frowned as perturbation sat on his brows.


    If you can¡¯t change her, change yourself. A voice suddenly rang in his head, as though it was reminding


    him.


    Before that, a question had been guing his mind¡ªwould the Kingses ept her with her


    imperfections when he married her? However, the voice had cleared the hazy air in his head within a


    split second.


    He was the one who liked Veronica. Therefore, he should be the one endeavoring to make changes if he


    really intended to walk down the aisle with her one day. Not the other way round!


    The epiphany elicited a smile on Matthew¡¯s face, which softened his frigid expression. ¡°You are one


    principled woman.¡±


    Subsequently, he bypassed Veronica and slid into the driver seat of the ordinary, mid-range priced car.


    ¡°Your keys?¡±


    She was nonplussed by his sudden change of attitude. ¡°Why did you get into my car?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you can drive with those shoes?¡± he asked while pointing at her heels.


    As she averted her gaze to her heels, she muttered under her breath, ¡°Right. I can¡¯t drive with heels on.¡±


    Veronica hopped onto the passenger seat without any reluctance and buckled up before they hit the


    road. As she was deeply engrossed in her rumination, she stared outside the window throughout the


    journey. Matthew tried to strike a conversation with her a few times, but he kept silent in the end after


    receiving zero responses.


    An hourter, they arrived at the Kings Residence. Unlike its usual atmosphere, the ce was astir as


    the spacious parking lot was filled to the brim with luxurious cars. One would easily mistake it as a tip-top


    auto show.


    From the roadside, the red carpet led the guests up the stairs to the vestibule where the door that was


    embellished with flowers and puny ornaments weed them to the long awaited party.


    The site, which had a modern decoration, had lent a touch of luster to the aesthetic house and


    transformed it into a wondend that tempted one to venture like Alice did in the movie.


    The media surrounded the red carpet with their cameras that shone nonstop at the iing guests.


    Everything was going on smoothly and ording to n until an ordinary car took the center stage.


    ¡°Oh my days. Who is that? Is he lost?¡±


    ¡°I bet its price isn¡¯t enough to buy a tire for our car.¡±


    ¡°Did the Kings Family invite someone poor?¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk. Where¡¯s the security guard? They should drive the person out immediately.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡­


    Amidst the gushing crowd, Matthew alighted from the car. The bewildered crowd stared at him agape for


    a moment before the silence was eventually overtaken by chaos.

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210


    Chapter 210 A Cat¡¯s Paw


    ¡°Oh gosh. Isn¡¯t that Young Master Matthew?¡±


    ¡°Hurry and take some pictures! Since when did he drive such a cheap car?¡±


    ¡°This is going to be in the headlines.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get it. It must be a branded car with ame design.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. You¡¯re clever.¡±


    ¡­


    In light of Matthew¡¯s identity, all the onlookers were racking their brains to investigate the truth behind


    that car. While Veronica was getting out of the car, she overheard their discussion and was annoyed.


    So what if it is only worth ten thousand? Why are they judging someone for a mere means of transport?


    Geez!


    Before she could even voice her thoughts, the reporters focused their gazes upon her. ¡°Isn¡¯t she


    Veronica Murphy? The one who forced Miss Larson to abort the child.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know her! She¡¯s the long-lost daughter of the Larson Family!¡±


    ¡°They resemble each other so much, but after taking a closer look, they have different sets of eyes.


    Veronica has a mole on her nostrils and she has short hair.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Young Master Matthew called off the engagement to Tiffany because of her?!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡­


    Due to their loud gossipy discussion, the newly arrived guests could not help but cast their curious gazes


    on Veronica. Since she felt their scorching gazes burning into her skin, it was making her annoyed.


    However, considering that it was Elizabeth¡¯s birthday banquet, she calmed herself down as it was


    untimely to cause a ruckus on such an asion.


    Someone eximed behind her. ¡°Oh! Isn¡¯t that Tiffany?¡±


    She stopped in her tracks and swiveled to see a beautiful woman in a ck glittering dress. Her maroon


    tresses were tied up to expose her neck wearing a ne. With the diamond tiara adorned on her hair,


    she literally looked like a princess from a fairy tale.


    Did she just call me ¡®Tiffany¡¯?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ve mistaken me as another person. I¡¯m Veronica Murphy.¡± Veronica introduced herself


    confidently.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Tiffany¡¯s younger sister, right?¡± The woman offered a handshake out of courtesy before


    responding, ¡°Nice to meet you, Veronica. I¡¯m Ruka Dame.¡±


    Then, she nced at Matthew. ¡°I¡¯m Matthew¡¯s friend. We grew up together.¡±


    Speaking of that, Veronica immediately recalled the woman¡¯s identity. The glow in Veronica¡¯s eyes


    dimmed instantly as she asked with an icy voice, ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Not a smidgen ofpromise was shown toward Ruka¡¯s courtesy, which resulted in Ruka¡¯s hand


    hanging awkwardly in the air.


    ¡°Tsk tsk. I expect nothing more from a brat who grew up in the vige. She knows nothing about


    etiquette.¡± Following behind Ruka was Reese, who was best friends with Tiffany.


    After what had happened to her best friend, Reese pitied her and inherently resented Veronica.


    ¡°Her dress is decent, though. How dare a country bumpkin like her wear a Dior dress! This is the limited


    edition of thetest collection with a price of 800,000. Why don¡¯t you tell us where you bought the


    counterfeit from?¡± Caitlyn, who got along well with Tiffany, spouted derisive words at Veronica.


    The three of them were present at the wedding that day. Veronica remembered these familiar faces as


    she had wandered around the hall the whole morning to handle the decoration. It was not difficult to see


    through their malicious intentions, though. Judging from their rtionship with Tiffany, they were most


    probably putting Veronica in a tough position for their friend.


    As Veronica brushed her hair behind her ear, she looked at the rude girl and sniggered. ¡°Etiquette should


    be practiced in front of people, not b*tches.¡±


    Having said that, she turned to another girl. ¡°You¡¯re Caitlyn, right? I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re blind, but allow


    me to remind you of your awful sense of fashion. Dull-skinned; short and t-chested, yet you¡¯ve chosen


    a white tube dress? It¡¯s so tight and small for you. Just how many pads did you shove into your chest?


    You should¡¯ve used the money to get a boob job instead. Don¡¯t try to stand out when you¡¯re not even that


    attractive. Know your ce or it¡¯ll backfire. Who knows? You might be the clown of the party today.¡±


    Am I just out of luck today? Why must I listen to dogs barking before even entering the gates?


    ¡°Pfft. She¡¯s sharp-tongued.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, that¡¯s nasty.¡±


    ¡°Well, they had iting.¡±


    ¡­


    In contrast to the busybodies who watched the unfolding drama, Caitlyn and Reese¡¯s faces turned


    crimson in embarrassment.


    It was especially so for Caitlyn, who waspletely humiliated by Veronica. Caitlyn scanned around and


    realized that all eyes were on her, as though they were looking at a clown.


    Now that she was infuriated, she couldn¡¯t care less about Matthew¡¯s presence and ventured, ¡°You brazen


    woman! No wonder Tiffany was bullied and had her engagement with Young Master Matthew called off. It


    must be you who seduced¡ª¡±


    p!


    Not letting Caitlyn finish her words, Veronica gifted her with a p on the face. The strong flung of


    strength caused her to tumble clumsily.


    Click! Click! Click!


    The dutiful reporters immediately took pictures of the shocking scene in the hopes of being the first to


    write the juicy news. However, to their dismay, Matthew swept his gaze over them dangerously.


    With cold sweat swimming down their backs, the startled reporters stopped short and retreated. In the


    face of such a formidable aura, they did not have the audacity to take any more pictures and proceeded


    to delete the pictures they had taken.


    ¡°Is there evidence to support your usation? If not, that¡¯s ndering. Miss West, I understand that your


    parents are pampering you with love, but no one will do the same for you when you step out into the real


    world. This is a lesson of mine for you. Mark my words¡ªthis is the Kings Residence. Just a slip of the


    tongue is enough for you to lose your life.¡±


    Since Caitlyn was Tiffany¡¯s friend, Veronica knew that Caitlyn would not favor her anyway and thus, the


    nasty words spouted from her mouth. However, she was quite impressed by Caitlyn¡¯s shown loyalty


    toward Tiffany.


    That was why she decided to save Caitlyn by ending things with a p. They were at Kings Residence


    and Matthew was just standing right next to her! Once Caitlyn irritated him, she¡ªor even her whole


    family¡ªwould be totally doomed.


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, what do you think you¡¯re doing? How can you hit her?¡± Reese helped Caitlyn up. ¡°Are


    you alright? Ruka, look at her. She has crossed the line.¡±


    Ruka took a glimpse of the pitiful Caitlyn before looking at Veronica. Calctive thoughts whirred her


    mind as she began to chide Caitlyn, ¡°Miss Murphy is right. An usation without evidence is mere


    nder. You shouldn¡¯t speak nonsense when you don¡¯t have proof.¡±


    ¡°Who says so? Tiffany personally told me that the baby she had belonged to Young Master Matthew.¡±

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211


    Chapter 211 A Fool


    Covering her cheek, Caitlyn blurted out as rage was coursing through her blood. The crowd in the vicinity


    had witnessed it all and heard her shocking words loud and clear.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Meanwhile, thenguid Matthew took out a cigarette and lit it up. After inhaling the tip of it sharply, he


    breathed out a puff of smoke, as though he was perched on the top while overlooking the entirety of the


    situation like an outsider. He kept quiet and had no intention of intervening either.


    On the other hand, Veronica interrogated, ¡°Do you know where we are right now? This is Kings


    Residence. I told you that you need evidence first before anything. You think you can nder the


    Kingses¡¯ name so easily? You will go to jail if they sue you.¡±


    Just a moment before, she was impressed by Caitlyn¡¯s bravery, but she took those words back now.


    Caitlyn was nothing more than a silly cat¡¯s paw of Tiffany.


    ¡°I-I-I have no evidence, but this is what Tiffany told me! We¡¯re best friends. She wouldn¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    Caitlyn¡¯s sole intention was to make Veronica theughing stock, hence the foolish tenacity.


    Ruka hesitated momentarily before rebuking, ¡°Stop it, Caitlyn. Stop the nonsense if you don¡¯t have any


    proof. You¡¯re just asking for trouble.¡±


    Then, she turned to Matthew, who was standing next to Veronica. ¡°Matthew, I apologize for her antics.


    Caitlyn must be mistaken. Hope you don¡¯t take it personally.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! So what if I don¡¯t have any proof? Young Master Matthew and Veronica came here in the same


    car. I bet there¡¯s something going on between them, and this can prove that I¡¯m right!¡± Caitlyn, whose


    eyes were red, wasn¡¯t going to alter her stance in the slightest.


    ¡°True. I think Caitlyn¡¯s right. Otherwise, why would Young Master Matthew cancel the engagement on the


    wedding day?¡± Reese seized the opportunity to drive Veronica to the bridge so that she could take


    revenge for Tiffany.


    Looking at her two loyal yet daft friends, Ruka was at her wit¡¯s end. Although the reporters heard


    everything, they didn¡¯t dare spread the news because they had already received the invitation thanks to


    Matthew¡¯s magnanimity. However, the rich were pointing fingers at Veronica with reproachful gazes.


    Veronica remained silent. At first, she wanted to say something, but she deemed that it was


    unnecessary. Since it was Matthew¡¯s matter, he should be the one dealing with it, not her.


    Besides, she had given Caitlyn a chance, yet the dunce wasn¡¯t sensible enough to read the room and


    kept ramming herself to a dead end like a stubborn bull. If Caitlyn had a death wish, she shouldn¡¯t be


    bothered by it as it would be a great chance to dispose of the disgrace of humanity.


    ¡°Veronica looks exactly like Tiffany. I won¡¯t be surprised if Young Master Matthew likes her.¡±


    ¡°I think Miss Murphy is prettier than Miss Larson. She¡¯s cold but pretty.¡±


    ¡°What cold? Look at the beauty mark on her nose. That¡¯s hot. She¡¯s totally my type.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She looks like a celebrity.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd began to gush about Veronica, and before long, the silent Matthew finally beckoned over the


    reporters. Immediately, the reporters rushed their way over and started filming.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce thedy next to me. Her name is Veronica Murphy. Although she grew up in the


    countryside, she¡¯s a kind-hearted person. A few months ago, I was involved in a car ident, and she


    was the one who saved me. Andter on, as if it were a destined fate, she saved my fainted


    grandmother by chance. Therefore, Grandma has acknowledged Veronica as her god-granddaughter as


    a token of gratitude to repay her kindness. Initially, Grandma was supposed to announce the news


    herself; however, I had no choice but to do it first as someone kept saying nonsense to tarnish my


    family¡¯s name.¡± Standing before the press, Matthew introduced Veronica¡¯s new identity. His voice was


    clear and every word held a weight of seriousness.


    ¡°God-granddaughter?¡±


    ¡°Holy moly! I heard the rumors, but I never knew that it was real!¡±


    ¡°So, she was the girl who had saved Old Mrs. Kings.¡±


    ¡°Not only Young Master Matthew, she even saved Old Mrs. Kings? What kind of luck is this? She¡¯s


    blessed.¡±


    ¡°What? She saved Old Mrs. Kings? If so, Tiffany was the one talking nonsense!¡±


    ¡­


    After a moment of confusion, the onlookers stared at Veronica with admiration and jealousy. As though


    they were sharing the same thought, they med it inside their heads as to why the Goddess of Luck


    wasn¡¯t on their side.


    ¡°In this case,¡± said the domineering Matthew, ¡°Veronica is one of the Kingses from now on. Anyone that


    lays a finger on her is no different from going against the Kings Family. I will never condone such


    insolence in the future.¡±


    Silence filled the atmosphere and all eyesnded on Veronica with mixed feelings, but the flock surged


    into a ruckus at the very next second.


    ¡°Would someone even dare to hurt Veronica in the future?¡±


    ¡°Even if she caused a fuss, I¡¯m sure no one would dare to say anything.¡±


    ¡°Is this a rag-to-riches story in real life? Am I dreaming?¡±


    ¡°She is a real-life Cindere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous! She¡¯s d*mn lucky!¡±


    ¡­


    The reporters kept taking pictures of Veronica and rendered Caitlyn¡¯s usations invalid. However, there


    was always someone whose eyes turned green on such an asion.


    One of them was Caitlyn, who started to bber deliriously, ¡°Is the story even true? ording to my


    knowledge, it was Tiffany who saved you and thus the engagement. Yet, how could you change your


    tune by saying that it was Veronica to the public? You are just hiding the fact that she has seduced you,


    aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Ruka attempted to stop her. ¡°Can¡¯t you stop the nonsense at this instant? Matthew is kind enough to not


    hold you responsible. Why would he even alter the truth?¡±


    Everyone present knew that Ruka was on Matthew¡¯s side now. However, her words were actually leading


    the crowd to believe in his words as if he was actually telling the truth.


    ¡°Ruka, you¡¯re wrong.¡± Reese stood forward and huffed, ¡°Everybody in Bloomstead knows that Young


    Master Matthew is intelligent and capable. He got engaged to Tiffany because she was his savior.


    Shouldn¡¯t he know who it was back then? If he truly didn¡¯t know, he must be stupid.¡±


    Those mocking words slipped through her tongue without her thinking. Now that she had lost face in


    front of the public¡¯s eyes because of Veronica, wrath got the best of her and she couldn¡¯t care less about


    it anymore.

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212


    Chapter 212 Tiffany Exposes the Truth in Front of Everyone


    Out of fear for the Kings Family, even if the bystanders there thought that Reese¡¯s words made sense,


    they still looked at Matthew doubtfully.


    Veronica, who was standing beside Matthew, also looked at him due to the pressure brought on by their


    gazes.


    At that moment, the sun shone on him. It seemed as though there was a divine light surrounding him and


    making him seem like an omnipotent being judged by the mortals before him.


    No matter how much she used to detest him, she chose to side with him for now.


    This was all because they had amon enemy, Tiffany.


    Veronica had hated the Larsons for quite some time now, so she was nning on using the media


    present today to destroy them in one swoop and avenge her foster parents.


    ¡°All in all, don¡¯t you masses just want some evidence? I¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Even though Veronica knew Matthew had a lot of proof that could easily expose this affair, she still


    stepped in front of Matthew, wishing to bring the Larsons¡¯ dirty deeds to light.


    Yet¡­


    She was halfway through a sentence before a person emerged from the crowd and interrupted, ¡°Matthew


    is telling the truth.¡±


    This person was none other than Tiffany herself.


    Since today was Elizabeth¡¯s birthday banquet, she felt that she needed to attend it.


    Blending into the masses, she heard every single word of their conversation clearly.


    Then, when she saw Veronica about to produce the evidence, Tiffany remembered that Veronica had a


    habit of secretly recording conversations.


    Today, she came with only one aim in mind, and that was to expose the past in front of the media.


    However, her ¡®truth¡¯ was one that wasbed through with her mother, Rachel, to ensure that it was


    perfect.


    This was the reason why she must not have had Veronica step out and expose their deeds first.


    Sometimes, being exposed and exposing oneself would havepletely different effects.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she the person involved?¡±


    ¡°When did Tiffanye?¡±


    ¡°This is starting to get interesting. Haha, it was worth it toe here today.¡±


    ¡°Fake or real, the truth will be revealed soon enough.¡±


    ¡­


    Everybody grew excited at Tiffany¡¯s appearance.


    Then, Caitlyn, who felt helpless, ran to Tiffany and held her hands before crying pitifully. ¡°Tiffany, you


    must stand up for me. Veronica is a liar. She even struck me in public.¡±


    Facing her friend, Tiffany only gently pried away from Caitlyn¡¯s grip as she walked to Veronica and


    Matthew in a custom made dress and bowed subtly. ¡°Matthew, Veronica, I owe you two an apology.¡±


    The crowd was rendered speechless by this spectacle.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°This is different from what I expected.¡±


    ¡°Who knows what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that the most talented girl in Bloomstead is such a horrendous person in nature.¡±


    ¡°Why did she say sorry?¡±


    ¡­


    Even though they were confused, their expectations for this situation only increased.


    Then, Tiffany turned around to face the masses and the reporters before taking a deep breath. Mustering


    her courage, she made a statement, ¡°I would like to rify some things that happened in the past.¡±


    She spoke in a calm and collected manner while standing up straight like a princess.


    Matthew, who saw Tiffany appear, had a glimmer in his eyes, but he did not say anything.


    It was as if everything was still within his control.


    ¡°A few months prior, the real savior of Matthew¡¯s car crash wasn¡¯t me, it was¡­ Veronica.¡±


    Pausing for a few seconds after that, she ignored the buzz in the scene and spoke into the microphone


    of the reporters, ¡°Five months ago, on the 28th, Matthew was involved in an ident and was saved by


    Veronica, who at that time was a delivery driver, before she sent him to the hospital. Since she and I


    were identical twins, the hospital personnel mistook me for her and told Matthew that it was me who had


    saved him. After knowing this, I became quite uneasy, but my love for him got me over my guilt. After


    that, I managed to find Veronica and bought her delivery app profile for two million, I also changed the


    personal information. I then said that it was me who saved him.


    ¡°With the support of various fake evidence, Matthew chose to believe my lie. He asked me what kind of


    reward I desired, so I said that I wanted to marry him and be his wife. As the cost of saving one¡¯s life was


    bigger than anything else, Matthew promised me that. During this period, even though Matthew and I got


    along just fine, he neverid his hands on me, and I also felt that he did not truly love me. I was nervous


    and worried that everything mighte to light, causing Matthew to cancel his promise. This was why I


    took advantage when Matthew had entertained some customers one night and was dead drunk to


    pretend that we had sex. After that, I went to my father¡¯s hospital and had a fake ultrasound, iming


    that I was pregnant. I only did all this because I was so madly in love with him. This was why the lies kept


    on piling up. This persisted until¡­ until the day of the wedding.


    ¡°I was tired of basing our rtionship on lies and decided to tell Matthew the truth. After discussing it, we


    chose to peacefully cancel the wedding. It was easy to prove that I was lying. This was because on the


    night of the ident, I was at a karaoke center with my friends with the original footage to prove it. I


    made a mistake and I have to face the consequences. Even though Matthew had canceled the wedding,


    he was still a perfect man. I thank him for the days we spent together; I thank him for the care he gave


    me. This is why I chose to expose everything in front of the media and the public to give justice to both of


    them!¡±


    Tiffany stood in front of the media, calmly recalling the ¡®past¡¯.


    There were lies mixed in with the truth, yet because of her ¡®sincerity¡¯, everybody chose to believe her.


    Naturally, her statement made everyone burst into heated discussion.


    ¡°My god, this is¡­ very baffling.¡±


    ¡°No wonder Young Master Matthew chose to cancel the wedding on the day of the event. It was all


    because of this.¡±


    ¡°It seems like Young Master Matthew is quite magnanimous to not have med Tiffany after all this. It


    might be because she is Veronica¡¯s sister, who saved the Kingses before.¡±


    ¡°The young master is too kind.¡±


    ¡°I never thought Tiffany would sink so low. Yet, I also admire her courage for daring to admit her mistakes


    in front of the media. At least she¡¯s willing to own up to what she did.¡±


    ¡°Love blinds one¡¯s thoughts. Tiffany only did what she did out of love for Matthew.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Wrongdoings are still wrongdoings. Even though she did own up to it, one can¡¯t deny she did


    sink a bit low. But, I do admire her sort of women.¡±


    ¡­


    Everybody had a piece of their opinion.


    This also included a shocked Veronica, who was still finding this situation hard to believe.


    That day, Matthew did say he identallyid his hands on Tiffany once, but in his life, he stated that he


    did not touch any other women besides the two of them.


    Veronica did not believe him back then, as she only sarcastically rebuked Matthew, stating how it was


    possible for Tiffany to fall pregnant since they had only done the deed once.

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213


    Chapter 213 Veronica¡¯s New me


    Now, it looked like even Matthew had been tricked by Tiffany.


    Veronica only fell into deep thought during all this. Why would Tiffany, being the prideful person that she


    is, choose to expose herself in front of the media? What drove her to do this?


    Raising her head, she looked at the man standing beside her as a thought came across her mind¡­


    Old Mrs. Kings wanted a great-grandchild so badly. So, if Tiffany really faked a pregnancy, she would


    never be able to hide it for long.


    This only means that Tiffany was very possibly pregnant. But, it wasn¡¯t Matthew¡¯s!


    Following this logic, this means that Tiffany cuckolded Matthew during the period of their engagement


    and had a baby pretend to be his?!


    The train of thought enlightened Veronica, as it had been a few days since the incident of their wedding


    and the cancetion of their engagement.


    Normally, Tiffany hated her guts and wanted her death by all means, but to Veronica¡¯s surprise, she did


    note for her.


    During this period, Veronica was extra cautious, as she had been awaiting someone to assassinate her.


    Yet, nothing happened.


    So, she knew that for Tiffany to fail in making a move on her meant something had happened.


    Perhaps it was because Matthew, who was cuckolded, could not ept this fact and forcefully dragged


    Tiffany to abort the baby.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Or, Matthew, who wanted to preserve his dignity, threatened Tiffany with all sorts of methods, forcing her


    to ignore her pride and expose such disgraceful things to the public!


    If not, maybe Tiffany¡¯s confession actually hid a lot of things that she didn¡¯t wish to expose, while some


    were embellished by her. But, it all seemed to make sense, and she managed to say all this without


    stuttering or even a hint of hesitation.


    It all sounded so smooth. She might have prepared this beforehand and even gone as far as to


    memorize it.


    In actuality, Veronica¡¯s was almost right on the mark.


    In the midst of this crowd, probably only Matthew knew why Tiffany would expose herself voluntarily in


    this manner.


    Even he had to admit that Tiffany had quite the brains. Knowing that she hadmitted an unforgivable


    crime that led to Matthew¡¯s revenge, she chose to admit her wrongdoings in front of the media first.


    By doing this, not only did the Kingses get to keep their dignity, but Veronica would also not be


    misunderstood by the public.


    Nevermind, since her actions fall in line with mine too.


    Of course, he also meant to dispel any doubt about Veronica.


    At the same time, Tiffany was well aware of the video evidence of her being entangled with another man


    and the one where she got humiliated by people. She was afraid that if she really angered Matthew, he


    might just let all these videose to light, which would promptly destroy her life.


    Desperate, Tiffany was forced to make this choice after discussing it with her mother.


    By bncing both losses and gains, they were able to find the best solution.


    ¡°But, on the day of your wedding, when the video of the kidnapping was shown, you were protecting your


    baby with all you had. Doesn¡¯t that prove you were really pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, is it true or not?¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, that didn¡¯t really make sense.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Also, the video on the wedding stated that you had caused Veronica¡¯s miscarriage, no?¡±


    ¡­


    People started to voice their doubts.


    Facing these usations, Tiffany could only grip her dress tightly while feeling frustrated and humiliated.


    Even if Veronica¡¯s child was Matthew¡¯s or whether she did cause her miscarriage, Tiffany could only


    choose to hide the truth.


    Pursing her lips, she hesitated for a moment before facing the shing cameras and calmingly replying,


    ¡°Veronica was indeed pregnant before. However, her miscarriage was an ident. That day, I went out


    with her, but I identally sprained my foot and crashed into her, making her fall down and miscarry. The


    other day, when I was kidnapped by the enemies of the Kingses, it was all because I foolishly thought the


    mastermind was actually Veronica, which I then knew wasn¡¯t after the truth came out.¡±


    Tiffany then turned around after stating that and once again bowed deeply at Veronica. ¡°Veronica, I¡¯m


    sorry. It was my narrow-mindedness that made me misunderstand you. Now, I sincerely apologize to you


    and hope that you¡¯ll ept my apology.¡±


    From the action of turning to bowing and apologizing, Tiffany did not once gaze into her sister¡¯s eyes.


    This was because she was afraid that upon looking at the face that was exactly the same as hers, she


    would fail to hold back her madness and rush forward to tear her to pieces.


    On the other hand, the development of all this made Veronica a bit dazed.


    Never in her wildest dreams did Veronica expect Tiffany to willingly lower her head and apologize to her.


    Nevertheless, Veronica knew that her apology was devoid of sincerity, as even her statement just now


    was full of lies.


    What did she mean by identally crashing into me and making me fall down, therefore causing my


    miscarriage?


    It was because Tiffany had engaged with Matthew, and the Kingses were nning on letting Veronica


    give birth before handing over the child to let Tiffany raise it. This, instead, forced Veronica to take


    medications to remove the child.


    She nearly died that time.


    Yet, Veronica could not deny Tiffany¡¯s shrewdness, as after she had ¡®exined¡¯ everything in front of the


    media, she could no longer rebuke her words.


    This was because if she did, that meant that Veronica would have to tell the whole truth.


    The price was that the truth would almost single-handedly push the Kings Family into the abyss and


    destroy them.


    Even though Veronica detested the Larsons, she did not feel the same toward the Kingses, all because


    Matthew had saved her multiple times.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to mention stuff that has already passed.¡±


    Veronica chose to let Tiffany keep what was left of her pride.


    Thetter half of the video at the wedding was the scene where Tiffany got repeatedly humiliated.


    As the woman who came from a wealthy family and had the most talents, she should be one who was


    admired by all. However, she ended up in such a pathetic state along with the child in her belly being


    forcefully aborted.


    Tiffany, who was willing to apologize no matter if it was forced by Matthew or not, knew that this would


    haunt her in the future.


    She knew that she would not be coveted by innumerable men anymore.


    This retribution almost matched her wrongdoings!


    ¡°Miss Murphy sure is kind. Just look at how magnanimous she is.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re both twins, so I believe that Veronica would not be too harsh on her.¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯m curious as to who the child in Veronica¡¯s belly belonged to.¡±


    ¡°And why do you care about that? It can only belong to her boyfriend.¡±


    ¡­


    Thest sentence only made the shocked Caitlyn more and more frustrated.


    She had thought of every trick in the book just to go against Veronica and stand up for Tiffany. Who knew


    that when she was trying so hard to frame her, Tiffany would suddenly stand out and exin the whole


    situation to the masses?


    Isn¡¯t this just making me look like a fool?


    Livid, Catilyn pointed at Veronica, questioning her, ¡°Since you were pregnant before, that only means


    that you have a boyfriend. Why didn¡¯t you bring him on such a grand asion? If you didn¡¯t, that could


    only mean you don¡¯t have one, or that you dumped him and are in love with another man now.¡±


    Tiffany, who bore the humiliation and lowered herself to exin the whole deal to the public, was akin to


    letting people step all over her.


    She already did not know how to face the masses anymore, but Caitlyn was still trying to stoke the fire as


    if she feared nobody looking deeper into this.


    On the contrary, Tiffany only wanted to end this farce so as to preserve what was left of her pride.


    Fool!


    Exasperated, Tiffany immediately turned around and pped Caitlyn. ¡°Shut up!¡±

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214


    Chapter 214 You¡¯ve Been Cuckolded


    ¡°Veronica is my sister. I will not allow you to divide us so easily!¡±


    Immersed in her anger, Tiffany had given Caitlyn a mean p while scolding her. After that, she ignored


    her friend, who was bleeding from the corners of her mouth, as she waved toward the security guards.


    ¡°Chase her out!¡±


    Caitlyn had already been pped once by Veronica, and now she was pped by Tiffany for no


    apparent reason, which made her even more livid.


    She then held her face in pain as she pointed at Tiffany and shouted, ¡°Tiffany Larson, you heartless


    b*tch! I did all this for you. How could you team up with Veronica and deal with me instead? What are


    you¡­ Ouch! Let go of me! I said, let go!¡±


    The security guards did not give her any more chances to continue causing a ruckus as they dragged


    Caitlyn away while stuffing her mouth.


    This scene made everybody look at her frankly pathetic state, making them all think that new gossip was


    avable now.


    While clenching her teeth, Tiffany withstood the shame and ridicule of the crowd as she turned around to


    look at Matthew.


    Veronica had captured that moment when she gazed upon him.


    It was clear to her that Tiffany¡¯s gaze had lost its admiration and obsession for Matthew. On the contrary,


    despair and hatred had reced them entirely!


    Hatred?


    Yes, that is a look of detest.


    That truly is a spiteful gaze.


    What did Matthew do to make such a woman, who loved him so deeply, suddenly hate him so much in


    just one day?


    Veronica gave up after failing toe up with an answer.


    ¡°Matthew, Veronica, I¡¯ve caused much trouble to the both of you. Since today is Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ birthday


    banquet, I¡¯ve already somewhat attended it. So, if you excuse me, my body is feeling a bit unwell,¡± said


    Tiffany, in a polite way only to keep up appearances.


    Not sure how Matthew would react to this, she managed to slip away before he even opened his mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Otherwise, Grandma will get anxious if we reach anyter,¡± Matthew stated calmly. Then, he


    ced both hands in his pocket and walked toward the entrance of his home without caring about the


    bystanders¡¯ gazes.


    That was how the whole incident was wrapped up, even though the crowd still did not have enough.


    They were still whispering to each other about what took ce.


    The birthday banquet went on smoothly due to Matthew intentionally ordering that no one tell Elizabeth


    about what Tiffany had said.


    So, she was still in the dark.


    Just before the banquet started, Elizabeth held Veronica¡¯s hands and introduced her new identity to all


    the guests.


    Before this, Matthew had already announced this to the press, and now Elizabeth was doing it again,


    making it very apparent just how important Veronica¡¯s current identity was.


    The banquet ended at three in the afternoon as Veronica gave the present she had prepared to


    Elizabeth.


    ¡°Grandma, since I didn¡¯t have anything noteworthy that I could give you on your birthday, I could only


    present you with this.¡±


    Somewhat embarrassingly, Veronica opened the beautiful gift box and presented it to Elizabeth. ¡°It¡¯s a


    ne. Although it isn¡¯t an expensive one, there¡¯s a tracking chip inside it. It can even be charged


    wirelessly, and it doesn¡¯t harm the body in any way. Also, take a look at this; the craftsmanship is very


    detailed. You would look very elegant wearing this, Grandma.¡±


    Veronica then looked toward Elizabeth before saying helplessly, ¡°Grandma, I know that you won¡¯t be


    happy about this, but it is just a precaution to wear this. After all, Matthew and I are very worried about


    you. If you really go missing one day, this can help us find you.¡±


    Since today was Elizabeth¡¯s birthday banquet, Veronica did not give her this in front of outsiders, all so


    that she could save some face.


    Otherwise, nobody could predict how the whole of Bloomstead would react upon knowing that Elizabeth


    had Alzheimer¡¯s.


    Elizabeth, though she very much detested such things, was moved by Veronica¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Okay. I will wear it.¡±


    Feeling the ne, she smiled warmly and said to Veronica, ¡°Come, help me wear it.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    With the ne in her hands, Veronica stood behind Elizabeth and helped her.


    All this happened while Matthew was holding a cup of tea and watching them, feeling at peace all of a


    sudden, as he felt a sense of happiness within.


    If he could stop time, he would not mind freezing it at this exact moment.


    After chatting for a while, Elizabeth told Veronica, ¡°Sigh. These old bones are exhausted after such a


    busy day. Veronica, let Matthew take you out for a bit. I¡¯m going to rest now.¡±


    She had wanted to keep Veronica around for dinner.


    After all, starting from today, Veronica would be the official god-granddaughter of the Kings Family with


    Elizabeth treating her as one of her own.


    ¡°Alright, I will, Grandma.¡±


    Nodding, Veronica then watched Mrs. Coleman help Elizabeth before they walked out of the living room


    to her bedroom.


    All of a sudden, there were only Veronica and Matthew left in the living room. It was so quiet that one


    could hear a pin drop on the floor.


    Matthew, with a passionate gaze, was found looking at Veronica, who also looked up out of instinct.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll allow you to apany me just because of what Grandma


    said.¡± Snorting, she stood up and headed outside while saying, ¡°You better stay away from me!¡±


    ¡°Did Tiffany not exin it clearly enough, or are you incapable of understanding human speech?¡±


    The man suddenly stood up and pulled on Veronica.


    Caught at the wrist, Veronica stopped and frowned while ring at him. ¡°So what if she did exin it all?


    Does this mean you didn¡¯ty your hands on her? Or does this mean some guy cuckolded you?¡±


    As a man, it was his bottom line to beughed at because he was cuckolded.


    Nheless, here was Veronica, crossing the line repeatedly and seeking her demise.


    Matthew then grabbed onto her wrist and pulled on it harder, making her fall into his embrace as he


    hugged her waist.


    Finally, he asked, ¡°Could you repeat what you just said?¡±


    There was a slight hint of anger in his eyes. Even though he was speaking gently with his charismatic


    voice, his smile made Veronica feel uneasy.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    After being embraced by him, Veronica had subconsciously reached out and pushed against his chest to


    create distance between them. However, her actions made it seem like they were very intimate instead.


    She was stunned by the fierce gaze as she said stutteringly, ¡°S-S-So what if nothing happened between


    you and Tiffany? This doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re some sort of saint either. Back then, did you ask for my


    permission before you did it forcefully? You even drugged me when I was resting at Twilight


    Condominium. Matthew Kings, you really are the lowest of scum.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215


    Chapter 215 Falling Into a Secret Basement


    ¡°I¡¯ve already said¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop this!¡±


    Matthew, who was suppressing his anger, tried to exin, but Veronica was having none of it. ¡°Don¡¯t try


    to bulls*it about me having insomnia or depression. Do you think that just because you studied a few


    more years than I did, I¡¯m some sort of fool?¡±


    Exasperated, she continued, ¡°Let me tell you something. If not for the fact that Grandma treats me so


    kindly, I would¡¯ve called the police to let them arrest you a long time ago, you r*pist. Given all your


    previous offenses, being executed by shooting would be too nice of an ending for you!¡±


    This disgusting scum.


    Matthew was speechless at her words.


    With a face as sour as lemons, if not for the fact that he loved her, he would not have let her live to see


    another day.


    ¡°What will it take for you to believe me?¡±


    Exhaling, Matthew restrained himself as best he could.


    Yet, Veronica only pushed him aside and waved him around. ¡°Liar, liar, pants on fire.¡± After saying that,


    she left.


    Matthew, who adjusted his suit with one hand on his hip and the other pinching his eyebrows, watched


    her back as he then started to pace around in the living room.


    Under these current circumstances, he knew Veronica would not believe him no matter what he said.


    Alone, Veronica was walking through the manor leisurely while admiring the gorgeous view of the


    garden.


    Passing through the garden, she crossed a cobblestone pathway before reaching a small bamboo forest.


    The spring wind was blowing on the bamboo as the fallen leaves had umted into a thick pile.


    Veronica, who was still standing on the pathway, suddenly had an ideae to mind, which was to take


    a selfie in this picturesque forest.


    Taking her phone, she was thinking about where the best cement for it was until the pesky Matthew


    came along.


    ¡°What are you gawking at? Come and help me take some photos!¡±


    Veronica ordered Matthew impatiently.


    Matthew was used to being treated like a king and not having to do anything himself. Yet, not only did he


    rage at her, he even felt as if there was something different than usual.


    He thought that the woman in front of him was rather unique.


    Sadly, he had failed to notice that he only enjoyed these interactions due to his overwhelming love for


    her.


    Approaching her, Matthew took her phone.


    Veronica lifted her skirt slightly while stepping into the forest in her heels, only to find them sinking into


    the soft ground.


    ¡°Being a woman is such a pain.¡± Mumbling, she then looked down at her heels before suddenly kicking


    up and flinging one away, making itnd right beside Matthew.


    How¡­ uncouth. Herck of image had imprinted itself in Matthew¡¯s eyes as he frowned and smiled


    subtly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of being pricked since you¡¯ll be barefooted?¡±


    ¡°This is nothing. I was always barefooted at home when I was small.¡±


    Stating that, she kicked her right leg, making her ck high heels fly in an arc that, incidentally, looked


    as if it might strike the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hey, watch out!¡±


    Veronica shouted upon seeing that the high heel might hit Matthew. To her surprise, Matthew had easily


    caught it no sooner after she said that.


    Snorting at this, Veronica mumbled, ¡°He has fast reflexes. Why is he so capable of everything? I can¡¯t


    beat him even if I wanted to. This is so¡­ frustrating!¡±


    If given the proper skillset, she would have crushed Matthew to vent her anger.


    Finally, Veronica stood in the forest while Matthew was taking her photos.


    After a few shots, Veronica, who had lost all interest by now, sat on a rock, which was beside an artificial


    mountain with a few carvings around it.


    Upon seeing her dust her feet while sitting on the rock, Matthew went into the forest with her heels


    before sitting down beside her.


    He had only just sat down when Veronica red at him. ¡°Who told you to sit here? Stay away from me!¡±


    She did not want to be alone with Matthew one bit.


    Having enough of it at this point, Matthew could not hold it in any longer as he slowly looked up with a


    hint of iciness in his expression. ¡°If I were toe and go as youmand, wouldn¡¯t it make me seem


    like I am void of any pride?¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to leave, aren¡¯t you? Fine then, I¡¯ll leave!¡±


    Using the artificial mountain as a support, Veronica stood up and wanted to move to another rock on her


    right. However, just after taking a few steps, she suddenly stepped into nothingness, as she screamed


    before falling straight down.


    From the moment she stood up, Matthew had been watching her, so seeing her fall down made the man


    reach out in an instant to grab onto her arm.


    Unfortunately, he had reached out too fast and, unable to react in time, was dragged down by Veronica


    too.


    Veronica, who felt her vision go dark, only felt the sensation of sliding down roughly before dropping


    vertically and hitting the ground with a bang.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    The moment she hit the ground, there was no pain that dug deep into her bones; instead, shended on


    something soft.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Matthew moaned.


    In the dark, Veronica reached out only to confirm that Matthew had somehow miraculously reacted in


    time to bear most of the damage by hugging her.


    Besides that, he did not even consider what dangersy beneath them.


    At the thought of this, Veronica felt touched.


    ¡°How are you? Are you alright?¡±


    While asking that, Veronica touched his face to his nose, making sure he was still breathing.


    ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡±


    Matthew then moved her hand away before taking out his phone to activate the torchlight function to


    have a look around at their surroundings.


    Yet, the basement was too big and the weak light could not illuminate everything clearly.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve told me about this basement in your house. We almost died here.¡±


    Reaching out, Veronica rubbed her knees. Even though her body was mostly unhurt, her knees had hit


    the ground.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think even Grandma knows about this secret basement.¡±


    Still holding the phone, Matthew was about to call for help until he realized that there was no signal!


    ¡°Is there no signal?¡±


    Veronica had somewhat guessed that. Sighing, she said, ¡°I think we fell for a few good seconds while


    tumbling and crashing straight down. This ce must be twenty to thirty meters below ground. If not for


    the slide slowing us down, I think we would have died from the fall.¡±


    Just now, she was overly panicked, so she did not feel much difort during the fall.


    After taking a breather, she suddenly realized that every inch of her body screamed out in pain,


    especially her legs.


    Veronica knew if she was already feeling such pain, Matthew would definitely not be any better.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here beside you.¡±


    As Matthew tried tofort her, he shined the shlight on her. ¡°Let me take a look. Are you hurt


    anywhere?¡±


    Veronica sat on the ground with her legs curled up while mumbling, ¡°My legs hurt.¡±


    Lifting her skirt up, Matthew saw that her knee had swelled and was bleeding.

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216


    Chapter 216 A Barefoot Veronica


    ¡°You¡¯ve dislocated your knee cap. Hold the phone.¡±


    The man gently touched the wound and made a basic analysis based on how the bone was slightly


    protruding out of ce.


    Under these conditions, Veronica did not argue with Matthew as she obediently took the phone and


    shone the light on her knee.


    She then saw the man lift her leg up gently before he tilted his head a bit to look at her and say, ¡°It might


    be a bit painful. I¡¯ll count to three and then join it back.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Veronica gripped her hands tightly while her heart was beating all over the ce.


    She feared feeling pain very much, so she was afraid that she might trash around in pain when Matthew


    set her bones back.


    ¡°One¡­¡±


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°Argh! F*ck! Matthew, didn¡¯t you say you would count to three?! Why did you do it at two?!¡±


    Shouting in pain, Veronica pped Matthew¡¯s shoulder and pinched it tightly as the sensation made her


    breathe in deeply.


    ¡°Try moving it and see if everything is fine.¡±


    Matthew, who was facing the woman¡¯s sudden outburst, did not seem to mind her screaming as he was


    more concerned about her wound.


    Lifting her leg, Veronica moved it a bit to find it was working just fine, so she immediately stood up and


    walked around. Except for the pain from the torn skin hurting a bit, she found that everything was


    functioning normally.


    ¡°I can walk just fine now. Thanks.¡±


    She smiled at Matthew before focusing her attention on the dark basement they were in, making her


    smile vanish and reced with a sigh. ¡°What kind of ce is this? There isn¡¯t even a signal. We¡¯ll have to


    find a way out, otherwise we¡¯ll soon be¡­ Ah!¡±


    Spinning the phone around the basement, Veronica saw a skeleton in a corner, causing her to scream


    out loud.


    Even though she was a brave woman, in this basement with unknown dangers ahead of them, she had


    not fully prepared herself and was frightened by the sight.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Then, Matthew ran to her before looking toward the direction where her shlight was pointing only to


    find a body lying in the corner.


    ¡°The bonesy t on the floor with no signs of people touching them. There are also ck stains all


    around the skeleton, which look to be the remains of the body when it dposed.¡±


    Matthew closed in and analyzed the body.


    As soon as he said that, Veronica added, ¡°That means that this person didn¡¯t die a long time ago, seeing


    how their clothes are still intact. It looks like the women¡¯s uniform which the servants in your house wear.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Grandma around a year ago that a female servant went missing from the house. Back


    then, we all thought that she had escaped. Because she was an orphan, we had no rtives of hers that


    we could contact. Even though we made a police report, we still couldn¡¯t find her, so we forgot about it as


    time went on.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s an orphan? That is too pitiful.¡±


    Veronica, who rposed herself, only felt pity for such a girl to disappear without a trace.


    Standing in front of the body, she bowed three times. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When we get out eventually, we will


    be sure to bring you out too.¡±


    Although this was just a small act, it made Matthew feel that Veronica was a truly kind woman.


    She really is pure, honest, and kind.


    Holding her hand, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and find the exit as quickly as we can. Otherwise, we would die here


    too. You should switch your phone off for now to preserve its batteries for emergency use.¡±


    Veronica felt a surge of warmth travel through her cold hands as a sudden reassurance calmed her


    nervous heart.


    She did not resist him holding her, knowing that they could meet with danger or activate some trap at any


    moment. That was why it was the safest choice to keep holding hands and continue forward.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Nodding, she then switched her phone off.


    Walking in the hallway of the basement, they observed the basement made out of smoothed stone walls


    that had carvings of divine beasts on them.


    Suddenly, Veronica pointed toward a wall that had a candle with a goddess carving on it. ¡°There¡¯s a


    candle there. Let¡¯s see if it lights up.¡±


    They both saw the candle at the same time.


    Then, the man took out a lighter and tried lighting the wick. Even though the wick had be a solid


    ck substance, it was still miraculously lit.


    ¡°Whew. That¡¯s great. If we have a light source, at least we don¡¯t have to walk around in total darkness.¡±


    Veronica breathed a sigh of relief as her nerves calmed slightly.


    If there was a light, that meant that there had to be an exit.


    Otherwise, the only thing waiting for them in this secret basement without any light would be death.


    While keeping the phone, Matthew saw Veronica when he lowered his head. He then promptly took off


    his leather shoes and stood barefoot. ¡°Wear my shoes.¡±


    Because she was here to attend a banquet today, Matthew had her change into a dress, which Veronica


    chose to match by wearing nine-centimeter-high heels.


    When they fell down just now, Matthew only focused on saving Veronica and had forgotten about the


    shoes.


    Besides, even if they still had them, high heels were not fit for exploring a secret basement.


    Veronica looked at the shoes before pouting. ¡°Are you sure that my size 37 would fit your size 42


    shoes?¡±


    She immediately stated an obvious problem.


    The man¡¯s feet were indeed size 42.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing,¡± he replied.


    ¡°How am I to walk in these? Besides, we aren¡¯t even sure how big this ce is. It will be exhausting for


    me to walk using your shoes, and you might even get hurt.¡±


    Veronica analyzed this calmly.


    Even though Matthew meant well by giving her his shoes to wear, not only did bigger shoes increase the


    burden of walking, they might even irritate the skin of her heel.


    Also, she did not wear socks since she had to wear high heels.


    Her words made sense.


    With a solemn look, Matthew pondered for a while before looking at her. ¡°It¡¯s not as if we don¡¯t have


    another way. Maybe you can try¡­¡±


    He stopped halfway.


    Tacitly, with Matthew, Veronica, who was smart enough to know what he was about to say, turned to the


    skeleton.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a body. It won¡¯t harm you. You don¡¯t have to be that scared either. I¡¯m here. You¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a nag!¡±


    Although Veronica knew that Matthew was just building her courage, she was not as cowardly as


    Matthew thought she was.


    Nevertheless, no matter what, she was still a bit scared as she pointed at his feet. ¡°Give me your socks.¡±


    Matthew was a bit shocked at Veronica¡¯s reaction. Looking at her doubtfully, he then handed her the


    socks.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    The white socks were already covered in a lightyer of dust due to him stepping on the ground.


    After he handed them over, Veronica immediately wore them while saying, ¡°Could you go get her


    shoes?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The man agreed and went to get them.


    Soon enough, he reappeared with a pair of pumps and gave them to Veronica.


    He had thought Veronica would reject his suggestion with disgust¡­

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217


    Chapter 217 Trapped in a Maze


    Nheless, he had never guessed Veronica would take those brown shoes and wear them without a


    shred of hesitation.


    Stepping on the ground, she mumbled, ¡°It actually fits me quite nicely.¡±


    She then wore the other shoe.


    With both shoes worn, she hopped around. ¡°It¡¯s not bad. They¡¯re quitefortable.¡± While saying that,


    she continued to walk ahead.


    It was only after she took a few steps that she noticed total silence behind her. Turning around, she


    found Matthew standing in the same spot.


    ¡°What are you standing around for? Are you waiting to die here?¡± Pouting, she was a bit displeased.


    Matthew replied, ¡°Wow, Roni, you¡¯re very brave.¡±


    Even though people were not as superstitious and old-fashioned as before, a lot of people still feared the


    deceased¡¯s possessions, as some would avoid thempletely.


    Some would even wish they would not touch the deceased¡¯s belongings in their lives. On the other hand,


    Veronica did not reject this notion with disgust, as she epted the reality of the situation they were in.


    The man only felt more admiration toward her.


    Upon understanding his words, Veronica looked down at the pair of shoes before saying, ¡°I¡¯m only


    lending them for now. When we get out, I¡¯ll still return these to the girl. Besides, we still don¡¯t know how


    deep and big the basement stretches or if the terrain is all smooth like now. We¡¯re basically going in


    blind. If I were to walk barefoot and hurt my leg, it would only slow us down even more. The more time


    we spend here, the more danger we will be in. I, for one, do not want to die here.¡±


    Even though Veronica was self-admittedly tough, she was still a bit hesitant when it came to wearing the


    shoes. This was why she wanted Matthew to go take them.


    She wanted to use Matthew to boost her own courage, as she thought that if he dared to touch it, why


    would she not dare to wear it?


    She braced herself and decided to wear the shoes.


    No matter how afraid she was, she did not want to show it in front of Matthew.


    This was because Veronica knew that she had no choice left. If she really walked barefooted, she would


    get hurt eventually. If her wounds got infected or she had no way to continue on, this wouldnd them in


    an even more dangerous disposition.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already wanted to ask what kind of person your master is. Why does he know how to use a gun?¡±


    Matthew finally asked the question he had been curious about for a long time.


    Smiling, Veronica raised her eyebrows smugly. ¡°Of course he knows how to use it. My master knows


    everything. Not only does he know taekwondo, he also knows kickboxing. His forefathers were all


    soldiers. ording to Crayson, his father was an expert marksman and personally taught him how to


    shoot. That was how he had quite an aim when he was young. After that, he became a soldier before


    leaving the army and became a hunter when he returned. I even heard from Crayson that he became a


    grave robber. But, heter quit doing that because it was illegal.¡±


    The mention of Crayson made Veronica babble on, and she looked a lot more rxed.


    ¡°Interesting. Too bad he had such a stupid disciple,¡±mented Matthew as he approached her and


    held her hand. To that, Veronica only rebuked, ¡°Matthew, are you looking for trouble? Do you want to see


    how my master will deal with you when I tell him about this?¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡±


    The man held her hand tightly while making a quiet gesture with the other. ¡°We don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a


    drinkable water source in this ce yet. So, we should talk less and preserve our stamina.¡±


    His words seemed to make sense as Veronica considered the situation they were in and chose not to


    argue with him anymore.


    She then handed the phone to Matthew to let him keep it.


    Taking the candle, Matthew stood in the middle of the hallway. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Let¡¯s see which way the


    wind blows.¡±


    They had a lit candle inside the basement, where they could use it to determine the direction of the wind


    and, from there, if there was an exit.


    As expected, the fire flickered.


    Seeing this, the two soldiered on.


    As the time slowly passed, the two people walked around for a long time in the basement only to find


    themselves right where they fell down.


    Frowning, Matthew said in a low tone, ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for over an hour, yet we¡¯re actually back at


    the same point. If I¡¯m not wrong, we should be stuck inside a squared shaped maze.¡±


    Veronica, who did not reply to him, only stood there with a troubled expression as she slowly closed her


    eyes and retraced the path they took.


    ¡°If so, we¡¯ll have to walk again. But this time, we need to mark the path we walked.¡±


    ¡°I have the same thought as well.¡±


    The two then held hands and began walking again.


    Fortunately, there were oilmps situated throughout the basement, ensuring that they had a proper view


    of where they were going.


    At every corner, Matthew would use themp to burn the walls a little until there was a little ck spot on


    them.


    Taking off her earrings, Veronica used the sharp piercings to mark the spot with ¡®1¡¯.


    In the second corner, she marked ¡®2¡¯.


    ¡°That¡¯s very smart of you.¡±


    Matthew praised her outright as he thought more and more about this woman, who was a diamond in the


    rough and was full of wisdom as well as secrets, that he had found, causing his curiosity to grow and


    making him expectant as to what she would do next.


    At the same time.


    In the Kings Residence, they had noticed the disappearance of Veronica and Matthew. Even though they


    had called them, they could not reach them.


    By this point, Elizabeth and Thomas were sure that both of them were in danger, so they immediately


    watched the surveince footage to look for them.


    Unfortunately, only the front porch and the backyard¡¯s surveince were switched on while the others


    were not.


    In the footage, they only managed to see Veronica and Matthew exit the living room.


    After that¡­


    No further sightings of them could be found.


    ¡°Find them. Send out our people in secret immediately. Find Matthew and Veronica no matter the cost.¡±


    Elizabeth sat on the throne chair as she mmed the desk with a worried expression. ¡°Thomas, buy a


    ne ticket flying to a destination abroad under Matthew¡¯s name. Just say that he went abroad for


    business and would not return so soon, so as to prevent this from leaking and making the employees


    waver.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Old Mrs. Kings.¡±


    Nodding, Thomas immediately left to handle the matter.


    Matthew, as the president of Spinfluence Group, needed to deal with a countless number of things daily.


    His busy workload, paired with the incident that happened at his wedding and the appearance of Tiffany,


    who exposed herself at Elizabeth¡¯s birthday banquet, attracted a lot of attention.


    Even though this did not cause too much harm to the Kings Family financially, it did attract a lot of news


    agencies that all reported on this and also wanted to interview Matthew.


    If even a rumor of Matthew going missing were to be spread now, the reporters would only embellish


    this, causing a chain of irreversible consequences.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    It was not until Thomas had left that Elizabeth asked, ¡°Conrad, how about you be thepany¡¯s


    temporary president for these few days?¡±


    Conrad, with a sad expression, sighed. ¡°Since Matthew is now missing, I can only step up temporarily.


    After all, we¡¯re family. It¡¯s only something that I should do.¡±


    He lowered his head subtly, but one could see a hint of ploy sh across his eyes.

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218


    Chapter 218 The Labyrinth Has No Treasure


    ¡°Mom, you need to rest more as you¡¯re not in good health. I¡¯ll look for Matthew and Veronica.¡±


    When he saw Elizabeth¡¯s sad expression, heforted her by saying, ¡°Anyway, Matthew is someone


    who has experienced a lot of ups and downs. He is very skilled, intelligent, and courageous. I¡¯m sure


    he¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m hoping so.¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    She sighed in disappointment, waved her hand, and motioned for Conrad to leave.


    Conrad nodded and walked out of the living room.


    He led a group of people around the courtyard of Kings Residence and kept searching until he reached


    the bamboo forest in the back garden. Conrad cast a cold nce at the massive rock that Veronica had


    created before giving everyone an instruction, ¡°Examine the area carefully to see if there are any clues.


    Take a few people to the bamboo forest to look around, Santiago.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Sir Conrad.¡±


    The servant took the order and beckoned to several people before entering the bamboo forest in a circle.


    Even though Santiago stepped on the spot where Veronica and Matthew had fallen, he noticed nothing


    out of the ordinary. The night was getting dark and the people who were looking for Veronica and


    Matthew were still searching everywhere.


    Thomas also contacted Caleb, who was the captain of the criminal investigation. As a police officer


    attached to the criminal division, he was naturally more sensitive than ordinary people.


    Furthermore, since he was Matthew¡¯s brother, Thomas naturally thought of him as trustworthy.


    Matthew and Veronica were marking as they searched for the correct path inside the secret room.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break,¡± Veronica, who was tired from walking, said at that moment. We won¡¯t be able to find


    the exit for quite some time, so there¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest in this room.¡±


    Matthew pointed to a room diagonally across from them. There was a wooden door, which was rotten.


    He kicked the door open and led Veronica inside.


    After they lit the night light on the wall with the candle they were holding, the entire room became


    extraordinarily bright under the illumination of the two night lights.


    ¡°This appears to be a study room.¡± There are a plethora of books on the shelves. Could it be some kind


    of ancient martial art? Tsk¡­ If there were any treasure maps or something, wouldn¡¯t I make a fortune?¡±


    Veronica casually cracked a joke, walked over to the bookshelf, reached out and touched the well-


    preserved bookshelf, ¡°Could it be made of Phoebe zhennan? Otherwise, how could it be still intact after


    so many years?¡±


    When the two were looking for the exit, they came across a number of rooms.


    There was arge secret room hall surrounded by mythical beast statues and bronze statues, as well as


    bedrooms, pharmaceutical secret rooms, and so on.


    When Veronica reached out to take a book to read, she noticed a purple sandalwood box beneath a thick


    layer of dust from the corner of her eyes.


    ¡°What is this?¡± she muttered as she opened the box.


    However, before her fingers touched the box, she withdrew her hand. ¡°Matthew,e and take a look.


    The dust falling on the box is of different shades, and there are even a few fingerprints with a thinyer of


    dust on them. Doesn¡¯t this imply that someone knows about and has visited this location?¡±


    Matthew approached her, his gaze fixed on the purple sandalwood box. The box was carved with a


    dragon pattern totem.


    There were obvious fingerprints in the dust on the totem, but there was a thinyer of dust on the


    fingerprints.


    ¡°Based on the thickness and spacing of the fingers, they clearly belonged to a man.¡±


    Then, Matthew extended his hand to open the purple sandalwood box. He was taken aback to discover


    two pistols and a dozen bullets inside.


    When Matthew and Veronica saw that, they had a repressed expression on their faces. They exchanged


    sidelong nces before locking gazes on the box.


    Matthew picked up the pistol and examined it. ¡°This is a 9.1mm Magnum Eagle,monly known as the


    ¡®Desert Eagle¡¯.¡±


    He took another bullet and scrutinized it carefully. ¡°Judging from the age and the fingerprints on the box,


    this person should have been around for no more than two years.¡±


    ¡°They must be from your family since they can enter your secret room.¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t understand these things, so she couldn¡¯t analyze them. However, judging from the


    thickness of the dust on the fingerprints on the box, it was clear that the trespasser had arrived not long


    ago.


    ¡°This still needs to be investigated.¡±


    Matthew couldn¡¯t say for sure that someone from the Kings Family had entered the secret room, but he


    was sure that when the two of them fell from above, they must have touched the gear. That was why


    they fell.


    ¡°Hey, I had an unexpected thought.¡± Veronica snatched Matthew¡¯s pistol, held it in her hand, and tilted


    her head before asking, ¡°We discovered this secret room together. Look at the bronze statues right now;


    they¡¯re all ancient. Shouldn¡¯t we split the money from their sale?¡±


    They were alive after falling from above, which was enough to be regarded as a blessing.


    Those who survived a disaster were bound to have good fortune in the future.


    Veronica was desperate to get out of there quickly so she could sell the bronze statues for a good price


    and be a wealthy woman.


    ¡°That will have to wait until you¡¯re able to leave this ce alive.¡± Matthew raised his brows, and a small


    smile spread across his handsome face. He then raised his hand before pressing the muzzle of the gun


    with his right index finger. ¡°Be careful. With that gun in your hand, you could identally shoot me. You


    won¡¯t be able to leave if I die.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    For the first time, she was at a loss for words and didn¡¯t know how to respond. She had no choice but to


    admit that what he said was correct.


    If something happened to him, it would be difficult for her to escape.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll return the gun to you. I¡¯ll take a look at the books on the shelf then. Let¡¯s find out which years


    they are from. Perhaps I can find ¡®ssic of Mountains and Seas¡¯, ¡®Compendium of Materia Medica¡¯, or


    the painting collections of those ancient writers. I will make a fortune if I sell them at a high price.¡±


    She fantasized about digging up gold and silver treasures, sitting on a golden mountain in the future, and


    bing a rich woman. With that thought, her face lit up with an unmistakable smile.


    ¡°If these good things can be sold for billions, we can still make a lot of money after taxes.¡±


    ¡°I have already thought about it. When I have enough money, I n to take care of several men. Tsk, life


    will be good, and this will be a worthwhile journey.¡±


    Veronica reached out her hand and brushed the thick dust from the bookshelf before pulling out a book,


    daydreaming about a better life in the future.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Matthew drew her into his arms and wrapped his arms around her


    waist, looking up at her solemnly and saying, ¡°Why? Do I not satisfy you on my own?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Veronica wanted to ask him whether he was out of his mind. Did she promise to be with him?


    She changed her mind with a n in her heart and answered, ¡°The point isn¡¯t whether or not I¡¯m


    satisfied. I am a naturally flirtatious woman who adores handsome men. My childhood ambition has been


    to be wealthy and open a harem. We are not suitable at all. People of different aspirations cannot


    get along, you know.¡±


    Although this sentence was not entirely appropriate, it did convey what she intended.


    When Matthew heard that, his face darkened and he stared at her for a long time, unsure of how to


    respond. ¡°Are you confident you¡¯ll be able to handle it?¡± He reached out and punitively pinched her waist,


    expressing his helplessness.


    Right then, she pushed him away and took a step back. ¡°Beautiful men are visually appealing. If I get


    tired of them, I can just get rid of them with no consequences. After all, I am not a woman ofsting


    affection, and I will notmit to a man.¡±

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219


    Chapter 219 A Strange Jar


    She continued to self-deprecate, hoping that Matthew would notice and therefore avoid her.


    ¡°So, how many men do you have in addition to me?¡±


    Matthew¡¯srge hand gripped her wrist and held it tightly, as if he wanted to crush Veronica¡¯s bones with


    his strength.


    Ouch!


    She winced in pain but continued to endure it. She then tilted her head to ponder for a moment before


    casually saying, ¡°Let me think about it. I slept with a guy when I was in high school. However, he was


    terrified and fled, even though it had not yet begun. When I was in college, I fell in love with a man who


    was my first love, and we frequently slept together.¡±


    ¡°Later, I discovered that the first love wasn¡¯t really good in bed, so I dumped him and found a new


    boyfriend. I found a tall and mighty boy who was athletic and ¡®yed¡¯ with him until we graduated. He¡¯s


    now out of the country, so we¡¯re no longer in contact.¡±


    The word ¡®y¡¯ was used appropriately.


    Veronica almost described herself as a bad girl. She self-deprecated to make men think she was a


    sloppy and flirty girl.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. The first time you stumbled into Twilight Condominium, you were still a virgin!¡±


    ¡°Well, that is just ayer of film. Every time I have a new partner, I will go to the hospital to rece them.


    It¡¯s just a thrill to y. Hey, you have no idea about this, do you? You¡¯re no fun.¡±


    She swatted his hand away and moved her gaze to the bookshelf, pretending to look for a book.


    In fact, she sighed with relief as the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.


    She had already smeared herself, disying no self-love or self-respect, so this jerk should no longer be


    interested in her.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Flirty! Extravagant!


    Matthew¡¯s low voice came from behind her just as Veronica was secretly guessing in her heart.


    Despite the fact that the sound was not loud, she could clearly hear it.


    She then took out a blue book, casually opened a page, and looked back at Matthew with a


    contemptuous shake of her head. ¡°This is due to yourck of avant-garde. Think about it. What era are


    we in? It¡¯s the twenty-first century, and men can no longer have three wives and four concubines. Isn¡¯t it


    possible for women to have three husbands and four concubines instead? Even if the traditional concept


    does not allow it, it is not illegal. Am I right?¡±


    As Veronica finished her words, she closed the book in her hand, tilted her head, and looked him up and


    down with her moist and clear eyes. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re quite attractive. I would like to stay with you if you¡¯re


    not too domineering. As long as you promise me that it doesn¡¯t matter if I look for another handsome


    man.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Matthew raised one eyebrow, raising his hand to lift her chin, ¡°If you dare to find one, I will kill one.¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­ You¡¯re filled with rage.¡±


    Veronica shook her head, an indifferent expression on her face, as if she didn¡¯t care about Matthew¡¯s


    threat at all. She then sighed and said, ¡°Unfortunately, life is too short to not have fun. I like money and


    attractive men. We are not meant to be together if you cannot ept it. However, Xavier is unique. He is


    aware of my flirtatious nature, so he can ept me finding another man. Speaking of which, Matthew,


    your love is still too controlling.¡±


    What a jumble of logic! Such a moral deterioration.


    She felt guilty after some remarks, but she persisted in bragging until the bitter end.


    The more she adhered to the idea of making Matthew believe that she was a b*tch, the more reckless


    she became.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe you?¡±


    ¡°It is up to you whether you believe it or not. If you really don¡¯t believe it, you can look into it after we


    leave. My first love is the one I often sleep with. His name is Larry Freeman.¡±


    To be convincing, she actually told him the name of her ex-boyfriend.


    ¡°Larry Freeman¡­¡±


    Matthew murmured Larry¡¯s name. His eyes narrowed slightly as he was skeptical of her words.


    ¡°Unofficial History of Qinghui, Three Character ssic, Secret History of Qing Pce, Secret Affair of


    the Hidden n¡­¡±


    Veronica casually flipped through a few books and couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°What are these¡­ I have


    never heard of these books. I suppose they¡¯re all ancient books.¡±


    She opened a page of the book, Secrets of the Hidden n. Before she could read, Matthew said, ¡°It¡¯s


    gettingte. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She then ced the book back on the bookshelf, and the two exited the study room.


    They had only taken a few steps when Matthew abruptly stopped and said, ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s heart raced and she became nervous when she saw his sudden reaction with a serious face.


    ¡°Did you hear it? There¡¯s water nearby.¡±


    Matthew let go of her and turned around, peering into the vast study room. Finally, his gaze was drawn to


    a ck-sealed jar resting on an offering table against the wall.


    He walked over, and Veronica followed. However, as the two approached, the sound of the water in the


    jar became increasingly louder.


    It was the kind of water that was stirred by external forces, making a gushing sound. The sound was loud


    and clear, and it was obvious that there was something in the jar.


    After all, Veronica was a girl, so she nervously pulled Matthew¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Sh*t. Could it


    possibly be ghosts? Nobody has been here for so long, and the jar is perfectly sealed. If there is


    something in it, we will die.¡±


    No matter how brave a person was, they would be terrified in the face of the unknown.


    ¡°Stay behind me.¡±


    He pushed her behind him, making her take a few steps back. On the other hand, he reached out and


    untied the rope that had sealed the jar, revealing ayer of mud beneath the faded cloth.


    Mud was effective at keeping air out.


    He pulled a dagger from his pocket, which he had found in another room. He then dug up the dirt and


    unraveled severalyers of cloth. He discovered that the bottom had been sealed with kraft paper.


    The seal wasplicated and cumbersome, but it had a high level of confidentiality.


    The sound of the water inside became louder as the jar¡¯s mouth was about to be opened.


    When Matthew was ready to peel off the finalyer of the oiled paper, he turned to Veronica and said,


    ¡°Stay away.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Let¡¯s not open it; it¡¯s frightening.¡±


    She said not to open it, but curiosity got the best of her, and she was desperate to see what was in the


    jar.


    She took a few steps back in response to Matthew¡¯s instruction, and the sound of water in the jar


    gradually faded, eventually returning to silence.


    He kept peeling the paper away. However, instead of leaning over to look directly at it, he turned on the


    sh on his phone, leaned over, and took a photo. He avoided making direct contact with the face and


    coming into contact with unknown dangers.


    Snap, snap¡­


    After taking a few photos in a row, he walked to Veronica¡¯s side. The two took out their phones and


    zoomed in on the photos. They discovered that the jar contained only clear water, and the lines of the


    ck jar were clearly visible.


    The two secretly breathed a sigh of relief. When their eyes met, they quickly shifted their gaze to the jar


    again and walked over tacitly.


    The sound was clearlying from the jar, but why was there nothing in the photo?


    ¡°Wait a minute, there¡¯s a bowl over there, I¡¯ll pour the water out to find out,¡± Matthew stated.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220


    Chapter 220 Veronica¡¯s Fainting Spell


    He waved his hand once again to signal to Veronica not to step forward as he intended to face the


    danger by himself.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ we should just give up looking. What if there¡¯s something that could harm both of us?¡±


    Veronica hesitated for quite some time as she was concerned that curiosity would kill the cat. Well, we¡¯re


    the cats in this case.


    ¡°We¡¯re stuck in a chamber right now and if there are any dangers lurking around that we don¡¯t know of,


    then that would be even more dangerous.¡±


    They were still unable to exit the chamber even at this moment.


    Inside the chamber, they had discovered more than a set of skeletal remains. Although it was quite likely


    that these people had died from starvation or dehydration due to theck of food and water here, they


    could not exactly rule out the possibility that other external factors were involved too.


    If there was indeed some living creature in the jar that could potentially harm them, it would be better for


    them to know their enemies first before building a defense system.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Veronica nodded and stood still in her original spot.


    Matthew took a few steps forward toward the jar before he took arge bowl from the side. On the


    bottom of the bowl were three white circles, which gave off an aura of an antique porcin bowl.


    He ced two bowls on the table and he tilted his head slightly while holding onto the jar; subsequently,


    he put it down after slowly pouring the water out into the bowls.


    The water in the two bowls bobbed slightly under the flickering candlelight before reverting to a calm


    state.


    The water was as clear as crystal with some sparking bits seen in the water under the candlelight. The


    patterns at the bottom of the bowl were evidently seen and without any impurities.


    Veronica tilted her head and stared intently at the two bowls from a distance, but nothing happened at all.


    At that point, her brows were tightly knitted. ¡°What the heck. This is so strange! The water¡¯s too clear and


    it doesn¡¯t make sense at all. More importantly, there is nothing in the water, so what was it that made


    such a hugemotion earlier?¡±


    As the situation created more mysteries and looser threads, the air was starting to feel eerie as chills ran


    down their spines.


    Matthew approached the bowls gradually, but he continued to maintain a fair distance as he studied the


    water intently. However, nothing seemed weird or out of ce. As the water barely moved, it felt that


    danger hadpletely dissipated.


    As for Veronica, she was no longer as frightened as before; she walked forward to stand next to Matthew


    while muttering under her breath and staring at the two bowls of water. ¡°They look like two regr bowls


    of water. The only strange thing is that the water is crystal clear with no impurities, seeing how it¡¯s been


    here for such a long time.¡±


    As she spoke, she took away the little knife in Matthew¡¯s hand and stirred the water with the tip of the


    de.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Suddenly, she screamed and threw the knife aside. Her left hand was rubbing the back of her right hand,


    which was holding onto the knife earlier, as if there was something stuck on her hand.


    ¡°Roni, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Matthew instantly grabbed her and pulled her backward while keeping a tight grip onto her wrist.


    Immediately, he held her wrist up to study her right hand, only to then witness a terrifying sight.


    Unknown, pinkie-sized creatures were bulging out from the back of her hand and moving inside it!


    ¡°The knife! Knife! Matthew, hurry up and hand me the knife!¡± Veronica reacted almost instantaneously


    with the intent to pierce her skin open to remove the creatures within her.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    She turned around and quickly grabbed the knife by the side.


    ¡°Give me your hand,¡± Matthew spoke while holding on to her hand. Just as he was about to pierce her


    skin open to remove the creatures, the back of her hand suddenly returned to its usual state and there


    was nothing protruding on the back of her hand anymore.


    Everything happened so quickly that it felt like a dream they just woke up from.


    Veronica was dumbfounded as she remained stunned in ce for quite some time. She reached out to


    touch the bulge from earlier but she no longer felt anything out of ordinary.


    ¡°Hey¡­ M-Matthew¡­ Am I¡­ about to die?¡± She pursed her lips as she was about to go hysterical. ¡°What


    is that thing¡ªAhh¡­ It hurts¡ª¡±


    Before she could even finish her sentence, she suddenly reached out and clutched her head tightly. ¡°It


    hurts! My head¡­. My head hurts so badly, Matthew! I¡¯m in so much pain¡­¡±


    All of a sudden, the pain hit her whole body and her head felt as if it was about to break from the pain.


    She felt quite weak as she fell to the ground and curled up in pain. Initially, she clutched at her head with


    both hands but subsequently, she started to p her head repetitively with both hands.


    ¡°It hurts¡­ Help me¡­ It hurts so much¡­ Ugh¡­ It¡¯s painful¡­¡±


    Veronica, who usually had a strong level of tolerance for everything, suddenly rolled on the floor in


    agony. The splitting pain in her head was unbearable for her; she ended up taking the drastic measure of


    banging her head onto the ground. Thud, thud, thud¡­


    It felt as if eternity had gone by but in fact, this had merely urred moments ago.


    As Matthew saw her banging her head against the ground continuously, he instantly pulled her into his


    arms. ¡°Roni, what¡¯s wrong? Stop doing that. Here, you can bite on me!¡±


    Intense pain could numb the brain and it was easy for one to identally bite on their tongue or,


    perhaps, injure themselves too.


    An anxious Matthew was at a loss while watching everything unfolding so quickly and horribly before


    him. Without thinking much, he stuck his hand in front of Veronica¡¯s mouth to let her bite on it to


    guarantee her safety.


    ¡°It hurts¡­ Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± She could not stop the tears from rolling off her eyes. Within split seconds, her


    eyes reddened while her face looked no different to a possessed soul. It was horrific yet excruciating to


    watch.


    Her legs thrashed uncontrobly as she continued to bang her head with one hand while holding


    Matthew¡¯s hand with the other; the pain did not seem to subside even when she was biting him.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± The ripping pain spread to his arms and legs as Matthew clenched his teeth in pain, but he


    continued to stifle the pain andforted her. ¡°You can bite on my hand. It¡¯s alright¡­ Just¡­ don¡¯t¡­


    harm yourself¡­¡±


    Judging from the way Veronica bit his hand so forcefully that his skin nearly ripped off, it was definite to


    say that she was in tremendous agony and pain that no one could ever imagine.


    Although Veronica was in great torture, she had yet topletely lose her senses.


    As soon as a metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, her brain¡ªpreviouslypletely befuddled from


    the pain¡ªwas instantly reset, causing her to immediately release Matthew¡¯s hand and push him aside.


    ¡°Get away from me, now¡­¡±


    Before Matthew could even get a word in edgewise, he realized that the body of the woman in his arms


    had gone limp as she copsed subsequently. ¡°Roni? Roni?¡±


    The sudden situation shocked Matthew badly. Though he was normallyposed and calm when faced


    with any situation, it was understandable that this time, he had lost his way of functioning; anxiety,


    torment and terror hadpletely taken over him.


    At that moment, he reached out his finger under her nostrils before touching her neck to make sure her


    heart was still beating. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief after getting a positive response.


    He helped her into a supine position on the ground before heading in the direction of the jar to figure out


    the situation. He stood in front of the table and hesitated for a moment as his cold eyes scanned his


    bloody hands¡ªhis thenar muscles were badly bitten and there were two distinct rows of bite marks,


    allowing his raw flesh to expose.


    Matthew could no longer resist his trembling hand as he stared at the blood trickling down endlessly. He


    lifted his hand and let droplets of blood drip into the two bowls. If you freaking creatures can hide under


    crystal-clear conditions, then I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll show up in no time when I contaminate it.


    His blood trickled bit by bit into the bowl.


    The water that had remained still earlier suddenly moved as it sputtered and sshed vigorously


    everywhere. It felt as if there were fishes in the bowls struggling for their life.


    However, the situation did not only apply to the water in the bowls, but the water in the jar too! With that


    being said, the sshes did not feel the same as the ssh of boiling water.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Matthew could not help but gasp as he turned around to look at Veronica lying on the ground. He


    remained silent for a moment before stretching his hand out to the bowls. If it¡¯s the water that hurt my


    Roni this way, then I have no choice but to figure out what¡¯s in it.

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221


    Chapter 221 The Creature¡¯s Dead


    Matthew originally thought that by stretching his hand out, he would experience the same thing as


    Veronica¡ªunknown creatures crawling under his skin. However, he reached out and nothing happened


    at all.


    The crystal clear water became tinged in red due to his blood and the water continued to ssh all over


    the ce as if there was a torrential rain going on.


    He ced his hand by the side of the bowl and waited for quite some time; still, nothing happened. After


    some hesitation, he ced his hand into the bowl directly.


    Water¡¯s cold.


    It turned out that the cold water was the only thing that stood out, leaving it to be the same as any other


    in water.


    He waited for quite some time and not only did he fail to experience the pain that he was expecting, the


    water in both the bowls and jar also stopped sshing around. The noise gradually died down and so did


    the ripple on the surface before it gradually returned to a calm state.


    At that point, Matthew¡¯s expression turned somber as he frowned deeply because the situation had


    made him perplexed. What the heck is going on?


    Veronica had merely touched the edge of the bowl with her hand, after which some creatures


    immediatelytched onto her skin and burrowed themselves into her body.


    So, Roni touched it and she got hurt, but when I do it, nothing happens? Or did I just identally kill off


    all these creatures with my blood? Blood that destroyed their ecosystem of living.


    Everything was merely a guess and before it could be confirmed, no one would know the exact reason.


    He removed the necktie from his neck and wrapped it around the ce where his thenar muscles were


    heavily bitten by Veronica.


    He turned around and went back to her side but she remained unconscious on the ground.


    ¡°Roni? Roni?¡±


    Matthew gently patted Veronica on her cheeks but she gave no response at all.


    Worried that this would continue, he took a seat on the ground and gently ced her head on hisp


    before reaching out to press on her philtrum.


    He counted the seconds. One¡­ Two¡­ Six seconds went by before the unconscious woman showed


    signs of regaining consciousness. Her eyes twitched and her eyshes fluttered as she slowly came to


    her senses.


    While still feeling befuddled, Veronica leaned on hisp weakly and opened her eyes to look at him


    intently. ¡°Where am I¡­¡±


    ¡°We are trapped in a chamber and you fell unconscious before this.¡±


    Matthew knew that Veronica was momentarily dazed due to the intense pain in her head from before.


    The weakeneddy considered the situation for a moment before she finally recalled everything that had


    urred prior to this.


    She reached out and touched her head whilementing, ¡°Goodness. I¡¯m so lucky to be alive. I thought


    that I was gonna die here.¡±


    ¡°Viins always live on. I think it would take more than this to kill you,¡± he teased her in hope to ease the


    tension and provide somefort to her.


    However, as soon as he noticed that the wound on her head¡ªfrom the excessive banging¡ªwas now


    bleeding, he felt uneasy for her. ¡°Does your head still hurt?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; it doesn¡¯t hurt. I just feel stripped of energy.¡±


    Veronica held onto his hand and sat upright. Her head was hung low as she tried to get back into her


    usual state.


    After quite some time, she finally stood up from the ground, but perhaps it was because of the earlier


    ordeal that she stumbled slightly. Matthew reacted fast enough and quickly went forward to assist her.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m alright.¡±


    Veronica waved to brush him off as she headed toward the side of the table.


    However, before she could even get close to the table, Matthew dragged her back. ¡°Don¡¯t go near that.


    It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± she warned as she flung his hands off. ¡°I wanna have a good f*cking look at what really


    f*cked me up so bad earlier.¡±


    After the unknown creatures burrowed into her body, it first started off as a tingle; then, the tingle turned


    into hell. It was so excruciating that perhaps death was even more rxed than this.


    Bang!


    She had only gently waved her hand, but suddenly there was a loud noise behind her.


    Veronica turned around, only to find that Matthew was thrown far back into the distance. His bodynded


    against the bookshelves with a thud and each row toppled over as all the books were strewn on the


    ground; the ce was a mess.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°You¡­ I¡­¡± She frowned with a confused look. ¡°I didn¡¯t even exert any force. Y-You better not me this


    on me!¡±


    Though Veronica said that, she remained quite confused as she lowered her head to look at her hands.


    She was very certain that she had not exerted any force at all earlier on.


    Meanwhile, the battered man stood up amongst the pile of books while covered in dust, looking rather


    roughed up.


    Matthew reached out his hand to his chest as he looked at Veronica searchingly. He could somewhat


    sense that something was different with her, but he shook his head in constion. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I just lost


    my bnce earlier. It had nothing to do with you.¡±


    Does it really have nothing to do with me? Earlier on, she had only gestured by moving her hands, but he


    could clearly sense that her force had suddenly increased.


    This reaction felt slightly odd. No¡­ To be specific, it feels very strange.


    ¡°You¡¯re too weak.¡± Veronica snorted coldly without giving much thought to the incident earlier. She turned


    around to look at the two bowls and all of a sudden, she decided to reach out to them once again like a


    mad woman.


    ¡°Stop messing around!¡±


    He quickly stepped forward and grabbed her hand. ¡°You were in an extremely dangerous state earlier


    on!¡±


    ¡°Gosh! I realize that. Let go of me.¡±


    Veronica pushed his hand once again, but the same force that she exerted this time did not have the


    same effect on Matthew as before.


    She red at him furiously. ¡°I just want to find out what¡¯s inside. That creature, which sneaked into my


    body earlier, could have easily poisoned me by now and I might be on the brink of death! I wanna know


    how I¡¯ll die before I actually die!¡±


    No one realized the extent of Veronica¡¯s feelings andplicated thoughts at that time. She pursed her


    lips and muttered, ¡°I need more time with my parents. If anything happens to me today, they will be left all


    alone. Do you have any idea how terrible that¡¯d be?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Matthew angrily retorted, ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to you!¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed to the two bowls. ¡°I¡¯ve tried it earlier. The creatures inside didn¡¯t react at all.


    Since you¡¯re injured, you shouldn¡¯t touch them anymore. Once we get out of this ce safely, I¡¯ll send my


    men to bring these to be analyzed at aboratory. With how advanced the world is right now, you don¡¯t


    have to worry because I will definitely find a solution to treat you.¡±


    He vowed, She¡¯s my woman and I will stop at nothing to keep her safe.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Veronica frowned and nced at the two bowls tinged red. ¡°Why is it tinged red inside? Did you drip


    blood into it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I was hurt earlier, so I came over to try adding blood into it to see if the creatures would react to


    me. In the end, nothing odd happened up till now.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?! How could you put yourself in danger after seeing what has happened to


    me?! Are y-you alright?¡±


    Never in a thousand years did she expect that Matthew would actually resort to such a crazy move. She


    could not believe that he wouldnd himself in such ultimate danger despite witnessing the torment she


    just went through.


    Is he unafraid of death?! She was shocked andpletely stunned. But mostly, she was touched by his


    actions.

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222


    Chapter 222 Matthew¡¯s Infected Wound


    As soon as Matthew mentioned that, the previously unaware Veronica instantly realized that he had a


    necktie wrapped around his hand while his wound was bandaged half-heartedly.


    ¡°What happened to your hand?¡±


    She was full of doubt as she headed to stand in front of him and pulled his hand toward her to take a


    closer look. ¡°Did I bite on your hand earlier?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±


    He withdrew his hand to prevent her from further worrying and he did not want her to feel guilty or me


    herself either. However, he seemed to have been presumptuous.


    ¡°You deserve it!¡± she snorted coldly. ¡°This is just a minor bite wound. In the past, I was forced to the point


    of mis¡­¡±


    The incident of her miscarriage popped into her mind and she could not help feeling annoyed all of a


    sudden.


    Veronica experienced a bad hemorrhage during that miscarriage and nearly lost her life. If it was not for


    her luck, she would quite likely have died ages ago at this point. Nheless, this was all in the past, so


    she no longer wanted to bring up unnecessary matters.


    She looked at the two bowls of water tinged with blood and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s make a mark here and


    once we leave this ce, get someone to analyze it to figure out what¡¯s exactly inside.¡±


    ¡°I was just about to do that.¡± Matthew¡¯s voice sounded exceptionally tender.


    Perhaps it was because there were some feelings of guilt and self-me that arose within him after


    hearing Veronica¡¯s unfinished sentence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She turned around and walked out of the study room while Matthew trailed closely behind her.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    They made their way around the massive chamber. In fact, it was better described as a maze than a


    chamber.


    There were many rooms inside; there was a huge clubhouse, a study room, a bedroom and a room for


    producing pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, after exploring the ce further, they found an armory too.


    However, the weapons stored inside the armory were mostly from the ancient days. They seemed


    meaningful but due to their age, it was pretty much worthless even if they were auctioned.


    They continued to explore the ce for quite some time until Veronica finally ended up exhausted. She


    waved before she could proceed further. ¡°I can¡¯t keep going. I¡¯m knackered! I need a rest.¡±


    As they did not have any water to drink or food to eat and she had also used up a lot of her energy, she


    was quite exhausted and stumbled weakly before sitting on the ground. Shey down to rest without a


    care of the dusty ground.


    ¡°This ce is too dirty. I¡¯ll find you a room to take a rest instead.¡± Matthew squatted by her side and


    spoke tenderly.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m tired. I don¡¯t want to move.¡±


    She shut her eyes and waved her hands at him. Right now, all she wanted was to take a long nap.


    When Matthew saw her in such a weak and worn-out state, he patted her shoulders out of empathy.


    ¡°Come on, get up. I¡¯ll give you a piggyback ride.¡± He had his back facing her when he turned around to


    invite her.


    The exhausted Veronica finally opened her eyeszily and asked with anticipation, ¡°Are you really going


    to give me a piggyback?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He then signaled to her to hop on by using his eyes.


    She looked at his wide shoulders and a cunning look shed across her eyes just then. She sat up and


    immediately clung to his back. ¡°Since you¡¯re keen on giving me a piggyback, then I¡¯ll be nice and give


    you the chance to do so. I have to remind you, though. You¡¯re the one who offered, so don¡¯t me me if


    you end up hurt.¡±


    Regardless of whether Matthew¡¯s kindness was genuine or half-hearted, Veronica would never let go of


    the chance to take a break.


    Although they could not contact the outside world with their cell phones at the moment, their watches


    were functioning normally.


    It was now 3.00AM and they had been walking around in the chamber for twelve hours straight. They


    were in a dehydrated state and could no longer find the energy in them to continue moving.


    Veronica clung to his back as he slowly rose to his feet. Not only did he not find her heavy, he actually


    felt that she could gain more weight. He found that she was gaunt and reckoned that she really needed


    some nourishment.


    Matthew supported her body by cing his hands on her backside as she clung to him like a ko with


    one hand around his neck while she used the other hand to hold themp.


    Inside the chamber, which was now a maze, they searched the ce carefully several times and finally


    found some candles that came with a candle holder. As such, the candlelight would not easily be


    extinguished due to the slight breeze produced by their movements.


    Veronica leaned on his strong back and shut her eyesfortably. ¡°I really don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be


    able to leave this ce. If we get out of here, I swear that I¡¯ll live a decent life from now on and maintain


    doing good deeds.¡±


    ¡°Viins live on forever, remember? That¡¯s the perfect description of you, so you don¡¯t have to worry


    about dying anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! I guess so. I agree with that.¡± Her spirits were lifted as she heard his banter.


    However, it did not take too long for her to fall asleep on Matthews¡¯ back as they had been walking for


    the past ten hours!


    She hung themp on her hand, causing themp shade to bump against his body and he could


    somehow still make do with the dim surroundings and move along ahead.


    The woman on his back nodded off as her head bobbed up and down; at times, she nearly fell off his


    back too.


    Atst, Matthew found a bedroom with a bare stone bed which he could use to gentlyy Veronica down.


    He gingerly supported her to prevent her from bumping into anything.


    The stone bed was full of dust; as bad as the condition there was, they were still faced with a dire


    situation right now, so they had to make do with what they had. He quickly ced the coat he was


    wearing over her to ensure that she wasfortably resting.


    As Matthew looked at Veronica deep asleep, he left themp by her bedside before lighting anothermp


    to search for a source of water and the way out.


    He was worried that she would wake up lost without his presence, so he clicked into the note function on


    his phone and wrote, ¡®I¡¯ve gone to look for a water source. Don¡¯t leave this ce when you¡¯ve woken up.¡¯


    After that, he changed his phone settings to remove the password option. Subsequently, he opened the


    page to his note function, so that she could easily see the note given.


    She remained in deep sleep for eight hours in total.


    During this period, Matthew attempted to wake Veronica up but despite his efforts, she remained deep


    asleep. He was worried that something would go wrong with her health, so he felt her forehead from time


    to time and checked her breathing regrly. He was distressed that things might suddenly go south.


    They were located underground and it waste at night, so the temperature dropped significantly.


    He searched around the area and finally found a water source, after which he took some containers to fill


    it with some water before bringing it back into the room. Once that was done, he ced it by her


    bedside.


    As time passed, Matthew waited for Veronica to wake up, but she remained asleep. He noticed her


    curling into a fetal position due to the cold, so hey by her side and took her into his arms.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡­


    The next time she woke up, it was about 12.00PM the following day.


    She opened her eyes to instantly see Matthew¡¯s erged face by her side. However, his previously


    handsome looks were now slightly pale.


    He held her in his arms and she could clearly sense the heat radiating from his body.


    ¡°Matthew?¡± she called out his name, but he did not respond.


    At that moment, her heart skipped a beat, knowing that something did not feel right.


    She reached out to feel his forehead and indeed, he was running a fever.


    Veronica swiftly checked the injury on his palm from the bite that she had given him and noticed that the


    area was still bleeding. There was no sign of blood clots being formed or the wound recovering.


    ¡°Darn it.¡±


    She realized that Matthews¡¯ wound had likely been infected, hence his fever.


    She sat up on the stone bed and looked at the unconscious Matthew while her heart thudded frantically;


    she was anxious.


    He would not be able to survive for more than a few days if they remained stuck here. If his infection


    persisted, then it would be a nightmare.


    Then, Veronica reached out to clutch her hair anxiously as helplessness and despair washed across her.


    They had already explored the ce for such a long time and yet, they had not managed to find the way


    out.


    Perhaps it was likely that they had already found the spot to get out, but a specific mechanism was


    needed to be unlocked first. Therefore, even if they were standing right next to the entrance, there was


    no way that they could get out.

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223


    Chapter 223 Let¡¯s Make a Bet to Not Be Together


    ¡°Matthew, wake up! Matthew? Hey!¡±


    Veronica reached out and tapped his cheeks, but even with her gentle movement, he remained


    unconscious.


    ¡°Matthew, get up right now! Gosh, forget it!¡±


    She failed to wake him up despite several attempts; her hand was raised high in the air as she intended


    to give him a tight p, but sheter realized that she did not have it in her to do so.


    Just as she was in a dilemma on what to do, she noticed that there was a container on the table filled


    with water.


    Matthew must have known that this water was safe to drink; otherwise, he would not have ced it on


    that spot.


    At this point, she did not bother much and all she could instinctively think of was to quench her thirst with


    it.


    She lifted the container of water before checking its condition. It was crystal clear and odorless, so she


    instantly tipped the entire container of water into her mouth and finished it.


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    Wow, I feel like a fish on the shore being thrown back into the sea. I finally feel more alive!


    Veronica finished the water and she felt energized instantly. Just as she was about to put down the


    container, she suddenly realized an important question.


    Water? Where does this watere from? Could the way out be connected to the water source, then?


    With this epiphany, Veronica¡¯s spirits were immediately lifted as the glimmer of hope for survival shone


    upon them. She ced down the container and rushed outside.


    It took only a few steps before she stopped and recalled the still unconscious Matthew. Worried that he


    might wake up and panic without her presence, she suddenly thought of her phone after some


    deliberation.


    She took out her phone and opened the message function to draft a message. ¡®Stay right here for me.


    I¡¯m going to search the way out.¡¯


    After drafting the message, she changed the setting on her phone to remove the password option and


    ced it in his hand. Subsequently, she took Matthew¡¯s cell phone with her.


    Matthew¡¯s phone was also hardly used after they discovered themps as they hadpletely turned


    their phones off, so their battery levels remained quite full. His phone was specially custom-made and he


    had paid more than a hundred thousand for his special phone; to be precise, it was anti-theft, water-


    resistant and shock-proof.


    Veronica took his phone and left the room to search the areas nearby. Atst, she managed to find a


    hidden river that flowed underground.


    She left some markings along the way as she explored the area and she lit up all of themps that were


    located downstream. Finally, she stood at the end of the stream and found that the water continuously


    flowed in the direction outside .


    This has to be the exit!! However, she was unaware of the exact situation outside.


    After some hesitation, she finally plucked up her courage and removed her clothes to submerge


    underwater. She intended to see if there was a way out underwater.


    She was dressed in a gown, so it was hard for her to submerge underwater. As such, she had no choice


    but to remove her clothes.


    However, just as she was about to enter the water with her phone¡¯s shlight, a voice suddenly rang out


    from behind her, ¡°Roni!¡±


    The unexpected shout reverberated in the empty maze and for a moment there, she was frightened out


    of her wits.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    She turned around to find that Matthew was standing not too far away while making his way in her


    direction.


    Veronica was merely d in her underwear and despite feeling slightly embarrassed, she did not bother


    much seeing that there was a much bigger problem to deal with. ¡°Why did youe out?¡±


    Matthew waved her phone and revealed a slight smile on his sickly face. ¡°I saw the message you left for


    me and I knew that you would definitely end up here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I saw the bowl of water that you left in the room and I suspected that there must be a hidden


    stream nearby, so I ended up discovering it here. Look, the water is flowing so that means there should


    be an exit here. I want to go underwater to check it out,¡± she told him about her little discovery quite


    excitedly.


    Her excitement resembled a child who had just made a wondrous discovery.


    ¡°You¡¯re very smart.¡± He walked to stand next to her, then stood by the edge of the hidden stream to look


    at the moving stream as he spoke, ¡°Last night, I discovered this ce while you were fast asleep and I


    can confirm that there is an exit here. However, we¡¯re about two hundred meters away from the exit, so


    you won¡¯t be able to get out.¡±


    Tenderness dipped in his obsidian-colored eyes and his pale lips spoke, ¡°I didn¡¯t leave before because I


    was waiting to share this situation with you once you are awake. Then, I¡¯ll make my way out to seek


    help.¡±


    As Matthew said this, he paused for a moment. ¡°There is a cliff at the end of this stream and a hole that


    measures twenty meters in height on top of it. It would take some time to climb out. Besides, there is no


    phone signal at the bottom.¡±


    ¡°Two hundred meters?¡±


    A professional swimmer would take about one to two minutes to swim two hundred meters. As for a non-


    athlete but with great swimming skills, it would take the person at least five to six minutes toplete


    that.


    The current location they were standing at was the entrance to the hidden stream from the water source,


    so that meant that they would be unable to catch their breaths once they submerged themselves; they


    would have to hold their breaths until they were out of there.


    Matthew had an infected wound and injured hand; therefore, it would be difficult for him to make his way


    to the end of the stream and climb up twenty meters tall.


    ¡°Even if you manage to get out, your wounded hand won¡¯t be enough to help you climb out,¡± a worried


    Veronica advised.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you underestimating me?¡± He lifted his brows and revealed a smile; his smile was as


    heartwarming as a spring breeze.


    There was some stubble growing under his chin after not being able to shave for two days. Surprisingly,


    he excluded more masculine charm and sexiness than usual.


    ¡°I¡¯m not doubting you, but I just don¡¯t want you to overwork yourself. If you end up dead, then I will


    probably die in here too!¡± She was in no mood to joke around when faced with such a life-and-death


    situation.


    Although Matthew had managed to make his way to the end of the streamst night and it clearly


    indicated that he had great physique and stamina, it was also highly possible that he had overexerted


    himself from the ordealst night. As a result, this worsened his infection and hence, his high fever today.


    When one was running a high fever, their stamina and physique would naturally be affectedrgely, so it


    would be illogical topare to their usual self.


    ¡°Roni, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop all this dilly-dally. Let¡¯s leave together,¡± she interrupted his sentence and continued, ¡°There used to


    be a barge right in front of my house and I grew up with my master, so I¡¯m great at swimming.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Are you underestimating me now?¡±


    ¡°This is a matter of life and death and it¡¯s not a joke.¡± Despite knowing well that Veronica was a brave


    and smartdy, Matthew could not help but feel sorry for her. As a man, he felt that he should be able to


    do more.


    ¡°This is bullsh*t. I¡¯m not joking either!¡±


    Her expression turned thunderous as she prodded him on the chest. ¡°Matthew, let¡¯s wager a bet. If I


    seed in crossing the stream, what do you have to offer?¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ If I seed, then I want you to stay away from me. Stop saying sh*t like you¡¯re in love with me or


    something. I don¡¯t like you at all, so you can give up.¡±


    At that point, he thought to himself, This wretched woman¡¯s actually rejecting me by wagering a bet with


    her life?!


    All of sudden, he felt a wave of insult washing over him. Yes, Veronica¡¯s insult. All these years, there had


    been plenty of women who had thrown themselves at him, but she was the only one who hated his guts


    so much. Not only did she dislike him, she even avoided him like a gue. Seriously?! D*mn it!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Matthew? Scared to be a loser?¡± Veronica shook her head with a sneer.


    At this point, it would be difficult to reject after challenging a man¡¯s ego like this.


    Matthew hesitated but he knew there would only be one oue. Even if I stop her from joining me now,


    I¡¯m pretty sure she will stille after me after I jump in. As such, he might as well bring her along and


    find the way out together.

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224


    Chapter 224 Veronica¡¯s Drowning Episode


    ¡°Okay, a bet it is.¡± As he was worried for her, Matthew had no choice but to agree to the bet. As long as


    Veronica endured the swim and made her way out, then he would dly agree to anything she


    proposed.


    ¡°I trust that you¡¯ll keep your words. I¡¯ll definitely make my way out alive for the sake of our bet!¡± She


    patted herself on the chest smugly while being full of confidence.


    ¡°Yeah, I trust that you¡¯ll seed.¡± He nodded slightly and reminded, ¡°Have a go first, I¡¯ll follow closely


    behind you. Remember the phone.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She nodded in agreement and soon after, she stood in ce and did some warm-ups.


    When Veronica was a child, her master had taught her plenty of knowledge that sheprehended


    everything perfectly.


    It was especially so after she had watched the movie ¡®A Letter to Dad¡¯ that starred Johnny Depp, which


    sparked her interest in learning how to hold her breath underwater. Ever since then, she had been


    learning it from her master.


    However, the longest she could hold her breath underwater was five minutes. The two hundred meters


    swim should be manageable for her as long as she persisted slightly longer.


    Veronica, in fact, was betting on her life. After all, she knew that Matthew had sustained a serious injury;


    with theck of equipment and strength to ovee the slippery cave and climbing condition, that itself


    was enough of a reason for Veronica to step in. It would be worrisome to ask Matthew, who was wearing


    leather shoes in a cave with a high fever and injured hand to even do anything. No matter how much she


    thought about it, she could nevere around the idea for him to swim alone. Can a person running a


    high fever even swim two hundred meters, let alone getting out alive?


    ¡°Matthew, if the two of us seed in getting out, then we¡¯re life-and-death buddies from now on. It would


    be virtually impossible for me to date a yer like you, but we can be great buddies; that would be


    quite nice.¡± She was stretching her thighs while doing warm-up moves for her entire body.


    Although it was not nice to be called a yer over and over again, Matthew had somehow gotten used to


    it.


    He nodded slightly and nced at the woman by his side. There was a faint smile in his ocean-deep


    eyes. ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    After two minutes of warming up, the two of them stood by the edge of the stream. Veronica stood by the


    edge of the stream and took a deep breath with the phone in her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m off.¡± She leaped into the water instantly after the simple ¡®farewell¡¯.


    As soon as he saw her leave, he waited for thirty seconds before entering the water.


    The temperature of the water in the hidden stream was extremely cold.


    Veronica could not help shivering as soon as she entered the water, but she clenched her teeth and


    continued to swim on.


    The five minutes distance felt like an eternity to her. She rposed herself and swam forward at a


    consistent speed while trying to maintain her stamina.


    In no time, Matthew caught up with her and guarded her steadfastly behind her.


    She silently calcted the time in her mind as she counted down slowly.


    Four minutes had gone by, but she was still feeling energized enough to continue.


    Furthermore, she was mentally in great condition and reckoned that she could persevere for another two


    minutes. Though it would be hard on her, she was sure that she could manage.


    However, just when she was lost in her positive thoughts as she found sess within reach, there was


    suddenly an intense pain in her head.


    Quick but deadly as a lightning, she felt the same pain she experienced in the maze. You know, the


    feeling of your skull being ripped into two, then yanked around.


    Veronica tried her best to stifle the pain as she continued hard to swim forward.


    Keep going! Keep going! Veronica, you can¡¯t die here! Think about your parents who adopted and cared


    for you! You still have a long life ahead of you!


    She continued to cheer for herself in her mind.


    Meanwhile, Matthew could see every move she made from the shlight of her phone. Although she was


    swimming along, she had slowed down significantly. He sensed that something was off, so he quickly


    swam to her side and grabbed her around the waist to swim forward with her.


    ¡°Umph¡­ Umph¡­¡±


    She could no longer withstand the intense pain in her brain and atst, she inhaled. Next thing she knew,


    a rush of water was gushing into her nostrils and mouth. Gulp¡­ Gulp¡­ With every chug of water, she


    was starting to choke.


    As soon as Matthew noticed that, his heart skipped a beat as he immediately wrapped his arms around


    her. Without much hesitation, he nted his lips on hers and transferred a breath of air.


    At this very moment, everything around them¡ªthe moving waters and the passing time¡ªseemed to


    havee to a halt.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    He continued to look at Veronica struggling painfully in his arms as he kept his lips tightly pressed


    against hers. He held his gaze intently and continued to pass on a firm message with his eyes. ¡®Roni,


    stop struggling. I¡¯ll get you out of here.¡¯


    After receiving the breath of air, she felt some slight relief. Despite the overwhelming torture that could


    easily diminish any human spirit¡¯s for survival, she saw his firm gaze and managed to stifle the pain.


    Matthew was afraid for this to drag out more than a second, so he pulled her along while swimming


    outward.


    However, Veronica did not manage to keep going any further and the intense pain in her skull was


    tormenting her to the point that her entire body convulsed from the pain.


    ¡°Glug. Glug¡­¡± As more water entered her mouth, her body started to twitch.


    Matthew was pained to see her in such a state, but he clenched his teeth and continued to their


    destination. They were getting closer to the exit and he could already see the light shining in; it felt like a


    glimmer of hope.


    At that point, he had used up most of his energy, but the fact that Veronica was on the brink of death


    persistently popped into his mind. He swam on maniacally and continued to move forward¡­


    Whoosh!


    Finally, he arrived at the long-awaited destination.


    Matthew immediately popped his head out of the water as it made a huge ssh. He took a deep breath


    before dragging Veronica toward the edge of the shore.


    After rescuing her, heid her t on the ground and saw her abdomen bulging from all the water she


    had taken in. Seeing her face as pale as a sheet and her body motionless as a corpse, Matthew¡¯s heart


    was in his mouth. There was a strong sense of anxiety and fear that rained over him and he suddenly


    found himself terrified beyond words; he had never experienced such terror before.


    He patted her face in anticipation. ¡°Roni?! Wake up! Don¡¯t go to sleep!¡±


    As he yelled out, he started resuscitating her. He pressed hard on her chest and used professional


    resuscitation techniques.


    One! Two! Three! He continued to perform CPR for more than a minute, but there was only a little bit of


    water that came out of her mouth; she had yet to show signs of regaining consciousness.


    As for Matthew, the wound on his thenar muscle had ripped open and blood spurted out once again. It


    was inevitable as his hands were immersed in the stream and he had been applying heavy pressure


    during the resuscitation. The blood from his hand was now trickling down Veronica¡¯s baster-like skin


    and the sight was horrifying.


    ¡°Roni? Can you hear me? Wake up! Wake up!¡±


    Time went by gradually and he had already been resuscitating her for the past two minutes, but to no


    luck, she showed no signs of recovery.


    Matthew could feel his heart clench as he continued to call out her name with a trembling voice. It felt like


    someone was gripping his throat and his heart was sinking deeply.


    This feeling¡­ it feels like bit by bit, moment by moment, she is slowly leaving me.


    At that point, he could not contain his anxiety as he pumped her heart and cried out, ¡°I thought you


    wanted to be rich? Is that all the money you wanted? Didn¡¯t you promise that we would be best


    buddies? How are you going to be my best buddy if you¡¯re not here?¡±


    The man who was usually calm andposed in every situation he faced had finally lost it.


    He repeatedly called out her name while exerting pressure on his hand. His eyes were flushed red and


    he looked almost monstrous.


    However, that did not stop his action of resuscitation. All he could see in front of him was her lifeless


    body and he could not stop thinking that this was it. This is it¡­

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225


    Chapter 225 Seeded in Rescuing Veronica


    Finally, Veronica took a long-needed breath and opened her eyes after three minutes of resuscitation,


    which felt like eternity.


    ¡°Roni, you¡¯ve finally woken up!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Before Matthew could finish his sentence, Veronica instantly clutched her head with both hands and


    rolled on the ground in utter pain. ¡°It hurts¡­ My head¡­ My head hurts¡­ Help me¡­¡±


    Earlier on, Matthew had noticed Veronica¡¯s odd behavior in the water, but he assumed it was because


    she had run out of stamina.


    Watching her torment before him made him realize that her condition was triggered and her head was


    hurting badly once again.


    A generally resilient woman like Veronica was now clutching her hand and screaming in pain. What she


    was experiencing now was way above her tolerance threshold and her tears could not help rolling down


    her face.


    It was the first time that Matthew had felt such helplessness upon seeing the woman he loved suffering


    out of torture. She¡­ looks like she is suffocating¡­


    He had always regarded himself as invincible up until this moment; he looked at her in torment as she


    struggled on the ground and he was at aplete loss of what to do for her.


    With her hands still clutching over her head, Veronica began hitting her head onto the ground.


    As soon as Matthew saw that, he quickly reached out and ced his hand in between the ground and


    her forehead to create a cushion-barrier.


    The ground surface here was not t at all and the rocks had jagged edges all around, so she would


    immediately bleed and be injured if she continued hitting directly on the surface.


    The spot where he ced his hand was covered with jagged rocks that protruded out beneath.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was in so much torment and she repeatedly banged her head on the ground. In


    fact, she hit her head against Matthew¡¯s hand and after several attempts, his hand was pierced by the


    jagged rocks and blood trickled down his hand.


    ¡°It hurts¡­ Help me¡­ Matthew, sobs¡­ Matthew, I¡¯m in pain¡­ Sobs¡­¡± She hugged her head and


    squatted on the ground as she hit her head against the ground repeatedly. In the end, she sobbed


    helplessly.


    Her sobs felt like a knife lodged in Matthew¡¯s heart and it was heart-twisting for him to see her in such a


    state. He had never felt this much despair in his life as to watching his beloved woman tormented in front


    of him and yet, there was nothing he could do to help her.


    Finally, a constructive idea had popped into his head¡ªmedics!


    ¡°Roni, just hold on. We¡¯re about to get out of here,¡± heforted her while freeing his other hand to grab


    his phone. He opened it and lifted it high as he tried to search for a phone signal around this area.


    However, there was not the slightest bit of phone signal avable at all.


    As for Veronica, she continued to sob in pain. Matthew could not bear to witness this for another second,


    so he lifted his hand and ruthlessly attacked her on the nape of her neck.


    The woman who had been previously sobbing hard suddenly felt darkness descend upon her as she fell


    into an unconscious state once again.


    At that point, Matthew finally realized that she had actually been sessfully resuscitated during his


    continuous CPR attempts. After regaining her heartbeat, she had merely been in an unconscious state.


    Presently, she was no longerining about the pain while silently being unconscious on the ground.


    Suddenly, Matthew had a random thought that crossed his mind. If I had stopped her from entering the


    water with me just now, would she have tagged along without me knowing? And if she had done so,


    wouldn¡¯t she have died if her condition was triggered in the middle of her swim? With this in his mind, he


    was left with nothing but shock and fear.


    He removed his jacket and covered Veronica with it. Subsequently, he lifted his head to look at the steep


    way out. He ced his phone in his pocket and headed over to scan the area as he tried to find a


    suitable spot to climb out.


    Atst, he decided to enter the water and swim to the opposite side before climbing out from the other


    side of the wall.


    The uneven edges of the wall were a perfect climbing spot and he stepped on the protruding rocks while


    grabbing hold of the crevices on top, slowly but surely, he was reaching the top.


    So, let¡¯s recap. Not only did Matthew have his right hand torn by Veronica, his left hand had also just


    been smashed by her on the edged surface.


    Each time he exerted pressure, blood would trickle down his wrist to his elbow and his white suit shirt


    would be stained with bright-red blood.


    Despite that, he was unperturbed as he was intent on getting out immediately to get a phone signal to


    call for help and send Veronica for medical treatment as soon as possible.


    Everything hit him in waves and at that moment, his spirit to seed was stronger than ever.


    With each step he took to climb out, there were some wet rocks that fell from time to time, causing him to


    then slip due to the leather shoes he had on. At times, he nearly fell but he managed to luckily ovee


    the danger each time. With great sess, he finally arrived at the exit.


    He stood at the top of the cave and realized he was surrounded by a wide cliff with a huge rock nearby


    while still able to look far ahead.


    After pin-pointing his current position and looking to his side, he noticed that the Kings Residence was


    located very far away from them.


    Taken aback as he thought, How big is this underground maze?


    While treasuring every second he got, he quickly took out his phone to find that the phone signal had


    been restored.


    Although the battery level on his phone had run quite low, it could still sustain long enough for him to


    make a phone call.


    Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.


    As soon as the phone signal was restored to his phone, his phone vibrated continuously from all the text


    messages and notifications of missed phone calls.


    Matthew ignored the messages and went straight into his contact list to call Thomas.


    ¡°Doo¡ª¡±


    It did not take long for the person on the other end to answer the call as soon as he dialed it. ¡°Boss?


    Boss, is that you? Where are you and Miss Murphy right now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Send the helicopter right away to the bottom of the cliff of a mountain opposite the


    Northern face of Goldie Mountain. I¡¯ll hang a white shirt on the side of the cliff and once you¡¯ve confirmed


    the location,e with some men and bring some climbing equipment to perform a rescue mission


    inside the cave. I also need an anti-leak container to store about one liter of water. Get me a set ofdy¡¯s


    outfit that¡¯s loose-fitting too.¡± Matthew gave the instructions calmly.


    As soon as Thomas heard that, he realized that his boss must have encountered a dangerous situation.


    Without asking any further questions, he instantly sent some men to the location as he prepared the


    containers and departed too.


    Matthew was brought up in this area, so he knew the mountains in this area well. However, he did not


    expect that the location connected to the hidden stream was in fact opposite Goldie Mountain.


    He removed the white shirt he had on and fashioned a rope out of his sleeve. Subsequently, he tied it to


    a rock and made his way back into the cave.


    Inside the cave, Veronica remained in an unconscious state. Matthew sat by her side and stood guard


    silently.


    In no time at all, there was amotion of a helicopter outside and the whirring of the des could be


    clearly heard. Upon the long-awaited moment, he patiently waited for the rescue.


    Thirty minutester, he heard noises from the outside.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Boss?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew?¡±


    ¡°Is anyone down there?¡±


    Several voices rang out and Matthew responded immediately, ¡°Get down here.¡±


    As soon as he said that, the people outside heard hismand and quickly climbed down from the


    entrance of the cave.


    As Matthew saw them descending from the top, he helped Veronica up and covered her with his jacket.


    He buttoned it up to prevent her from exposing her body.


    After everyone had arrived at the cave, Thomas entered the water and swam toward them. At that point,


    he realized that Veronica and Matthew had sustained different levels of injuries respectively.


    ¡°Boss, what happened to you?¡± a shocked Thomas asked with concern.


    He had been working for Matthew all these years, but he had never seen him in such a disheveled state.


    ¡°Hand me the clothes and face the other side,¡± he ordered coldly.


    Thomas handed over the clothes and signaled to his subordinates. Subsequently, everyone turned


    around and had their backs facing Matthew.


    He unbuttoned the clothes and helped Veronica into them. Just as they thought this was the end,


    Matthew said to Thomas, ¡°Send Roni to the hospital right away to get a blood test done. I need to head


    back inside.¡±

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226


    Chapter 226 No Abnormalities


    ¡°Inside? Where are you going?¡±


    Thomas was momentarily stunned before it suddenly dawned on him. ¡°Is there a cave inside?¡±


    Matthew stood up and instructed the men, ¡°You guys can send Roni to the hospital and Thomas will stay


    here with me.¡±


    ¡°Copy.¡± The men responded affirmatively and yelled out to the other men on top of the cliff.


    Subsequently, a ropedder was flung down and one of the men tied a rope around Veronica to carry her


    on his back. He clung to the ropedder and allowed the men on top to pull him out.


    The others left the cave too while Matthew took the opportunity to share with Thomas about the secret


    chamber below. However, it was two hundred meters away from their current location.


    They submerged into the water once again and brought the container with them.


    Finally, they returned to the bedroom where Veronica had been attacked by the unknown creatures. Just


    as they nned to take the mysterious water from the jar, they strangely discovered that the objects in


    the jar had disappeared and there was not a single droplet of water left either!


    Matthew stood in front of the bedroom and stared coldly at the two bowls and jar in front of him. He was


    positive that someone else had entered the ce.


    However, the maze was much bigger than they thought, so it would be virtually impossible to search for a


    person here. As such, he ced the two bowls into the seal-proof container and left the ce.


    When Matthew made his way out once again, he was totally worn out as his stamina had reached its


    peak. If this was under normal circumstances, he could havepleted the swim within four minutes


    and fifty seconds, but due to a myriad of factors¡ªinjuries, high fever and hunger¡ªit took him five


    minutes and thirty seconds toplete the swim out instead; he even choked along the way.


    Thomas remained by Matthew¡¯s side the entire time and was shocked beyond words. Never in his


    wildest imagination would he have expected that there was such a huge secret chamber underneath. At


    that point, he finally caught on to the reason why Matthew and Veronica had disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Send some men to guard this ce. Let¡¯s keep this chamber a top secret for now,¡± Matthew instructed.


    He was adamant about keeping this ce unknown until he found out exactly what was going on inside.


    Who¡¯s the other person in the secret chamber? He had no idea about that, but he was definitely going to


    figure out the truth.


    ¡­


    Veronica was sent over to a private hospital in an unconscious state and the doctors quickly ran several


    tests on her. Meanwhile, Matthew was escorted to get a tetanus shot and his wound dressed too.


    The thenar muscle on his right hand was badly bitten, so he had to get four stitches for each side of the


    bite marks. Subsequently, he had an infusion administered to bring down his fever and prevent


    infections.


    With the IV drip above him, he looked over at the woman sound asleep next to him while waiting for her


    medical result; it was Veronica who he shared the room with.


    An hourter, Matthew held in his hand Veronica¡¯s medical report regarding the various tests conducted.


    However, as soon as he saw the analysis report, he was enraged. ¡°Is this the oue of your tests?


    There¡¯s nothing wrong with her blood? Her CT scan shows that everything is normal?¡±


    The director of the hospital stood in front of Matthew and apologized repeatedly upon noticing Matthew¡¯s


    enraged expression. ¡°Young Master Matthew, we¡¯ve done the most extensive body check for her.


    Besides, you have to trust our capabilities. We¡¯ve indeed examined her and run all the tests carefully, but


    we can¡¯t identify anything wrong with her at all.¡±


    As Matthew recalled the incident from that night, he felt that it was indeed strange and full of mystery.


    There was in fact something in the jar of water, but it was invisible to the eyes. Furthermore, he had seen


    a bulge on the back of Veronica¡¯s hand moving within her.


    As for the jar, it waspletely empty when they went back for it. This was an indication that someone


    deliberately prevented him from uncovering the truth. He was confidently sure that there was something


    in there that was scentless and colorless.


    ¡°Leave the room!¡± He waved his hand and mmed the document onto the table as he retorted.


    Everyone then swiftly left the room.


    Meanwhile, Matthew sat in the room for quite some time before finally grabbing his phone to call his


    buddy, Skyler. ¡°Drew,e over to the private hospital right now.¡±


    ¡°No sh*t, Matt! Caleb and I were just about to visit you. Are you at the private hospital? Sure, we¡¯ll be


    there right away.¡± After hanging up the phone, Caleb, Skyler and Miguel instantly made their way to the


    hospital.


    As soon as they met up with Matthew, he truthfully shared with the three of them everything that had


    happened in the underground maze. Subsequently, he turned to Skyler and requested, ¡°You¡¯re great at


    holistic therapy, so please, examine Roni to see if you can identify anything wrong with her.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the actual situation? I¡¯m creeped out by your words.¡± A grimaced Skyler was significantly


    spooked by Matthew¡¯s words.


    ¡°This is actually quite creepy. We do need to investigate this further,¡± Miguel responded.


    Meanwhile, Caleb¡ªa senior police inspector¡ªasked, ¡°In regards to that maze, are you nning to keep


    it off the records?¡±


    It was an underground maze that could be valuable archaeologically, therefore, it should logically be


    reported to the authorities.


    Faced with Caleb who was a stickler for being responsible, Matthew could not help but smile resignedly.


    Nheless, Matthew was not angry. ¡°I would definitely report this to the authorities but I haven¡¯t figured


    out what¡¯s going on just yet, so I need it to be kept a secret for the time being.¡±


    Caleb was aware that Matthew was a righteous man, so he was not too surprised by Matthew¡¯s reply.


    They sat together in the room and watched as Skyler moved a foldable chair and sat next to Veronica.


    Then, he ced his hand on her wrist and shut his eyes to feel her beating pulse.


    For many years, Skyler had actually stopped working or providing treatment for anyone in this field. If it


    was not for the injured Veronica, he would not have made the exception.


    He checked her pulse carefully and itsted for two minutes. Subsequently, he nced at Matthew and


    shook his head. ¡°Other than a weak liver, there is nothing wrong with her at all.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with her at all?¡± Matthew frowned and sat up with an anxious look on his face.


    ¡°Drew, has your skills deteriorated?¡±


    ¡°Did you do it properly? This doesn¡¯t look as simple as it seems.¡±


    Miguel and Caleb spoke up one after the other.


    Seeing how they were doubtful of him, Skr continued to feel Veronica¡¯s pulse once again.


    Two minutes went by and the oue of the examination returned the same; everything was fine with


    Veronica, there was nothing wrong with her at all.


    However, the situation became more odd as the reality showed the opposite.


    In the afternoon, Thomas came back with the analysis report of the two bowls. The result indicated that


    everything was normal and there was nothing out of the ordinary. The result itself made everything seem


    increasingly mysterious and odd.


    After a period of discussion, Matthew suggested that everyone hide the truth from Veronica. The


    common consensus was that they would tell her the creature in her body had been removed through


    extracting her blood.


    Atst, Veronica finally regained consciousness in the afternoon.


    She opened her eyes and looked around with a weakened pale face. She could only see white walls


    surrounding her as the smell of antiseptic filled her nostrils. I must be in the hospital.


    With a tilt of her head, she scanned the surroundings and saw Matthew by her side, who had an infusion


    drip on his arm.


    The exhausted Veronica remained in bed and nced weakly at the ceiling. ¡°Is there any food here? I¡¯m


    hungry.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She had not eaten for the past two days and despite the administered glucose, she craved to taste


    something and have a proper meal.


    ¡°Miss Murphy, what would you like? I¡¯ll buy you something,¡± the attentive Thomas instantly walked to her


    side and asked respectfully.


    ¡°I want¡­ croissants, scrambled eggs, porridge, pork schnitzel, pork sausages¡­¡± Shey in bed while


    reciting a bunch of food that she craved.


    Thomas was rendered speechless as the list went on and on. Finally, he muttered, ¡°Miss Murphy, can


    you finish all that food that you asked for?¡±

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227


    Chapter 227 Bet? What Bet?


    Thomas was considered to have met countless people before, but he was used to encountering women


    from well-off families ever since he worked for Matthew; these women tend to be aware of their


    reputation in front of Thomas.


    Veronica, on the other hand, was exceptionally different from most people and she was rather


    unabashed before him.


    She remained in bed as she tilted her head to look at Thomas. ¡°Why would you think that I can¡¯t finish all


    of them? Even if I can¡¯t, I can just keep them for my dinner.¡± As a thrifty person, she did not condone


    wasteful behavior, so she definitely meant her words.


    However, at the moment, she was craving something that contained meat.


    ¡°Just get it. Caleb, Drew and Miggy are here too, so they will join us for lunch.¡± Matthew purposely


    brought up his buddies as an excuse to stop Thomas from questioning any further.


    After Matthew had said that, he signaled with his eyes to the men by the side and the trio instantly took


    the hint and went along with his words.


    Caleb replied, ¡°Yeah, I just so happen to be craving some pork sausages.¡±


    Miguel added, ¡°Miss Murphy and I have simr palettes.¡±


    As for Skyler, he went all out. ¡°What, you think we can¡¯t finish some little croissants and sausages?


    You¡¯re definitely underestimating us! Thomas, hurry up and get the food before I grow another strand of


    white hair. I¡¯m starving and you better have the food here before I look another day older!¡±


    Meanwhile, the rest of them were rendered speechless by Skyler¡¯s words.


    A resigned Thomas could only nod his head. ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll get the food right away.¡±


    This is my life, this is my quest. One word from these Masters and I¡¯ve got to run around toplete


    their orders. Gosh, I ¡®love¡¯ my life!


    He turned around to leave the room and shut the door as he walked out.


    Veronica remained in bed for quite some time before looking at Matthew once again as he got up and


    walked to her side. ¡°How are you feeling? Does your head still hurt?¡±


    She shook her head and looked at him as well as the trio by the side. There were some things that she


    kept to herself and left unasked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve met Caleb and Drew before and this guy here is Miguel; you can address him as Miggy. They¡¯re


    my close friends, so you can say whatever¡¯s on your mind.¡± He took the chair handed over by Skyler and


    sat next to her with a tender expression on his face.


    As soon as Veronica heard Matthew¡¯s words, she finally felt at ease as she asked, ¡°Did you get the


    doctors to run tests on me? Have you found out what¡¯s the creature that crawled itself into my body?¡±


    This was the thing she was most concerned about.


    After all, there was an unknown living object that had burrowed into her body, so it was definitely a


    terrifying matter.


    She refused to be diagnosed with any medical conditions at such a young age just to die at a young age


    after that.


    Pain shed across Matthew¡¯s elongated eyes, but he wore a calm front. ¡°You¡¯re quite fortunate. After


    the doctors ran some tests on you, they managed to locate the creature; they made a slit on your wrist


    and released the creature.¡±


    As he spoke, he lifted her left wrist and pointed at the medium-sized wound on her wrist. He described


    everything with a ir. In order to ensure that Veronica would believe his words, he had actually asked


    the doctor to make a little cut on her wrist. However, it was just a minor slit made.


    ¡°What was that thing then?¡± She was quite persistent in her questions.


    ¡°It was an invisible insect and special equipment was needed to identify the creature. In order to avoid


    further repercussions, the hospital disposed of the creature immediately.¡±


    ¡°What?! It¡¯s been disposed of? You should¡¯ve saved it for me!¡± Veronica stared at Matthew intently and


    the more she did so, the more she thought he was lying.


    Veronica was smart, but so was Matthew. He took out his phone and showed her his well-prepared


    evidence. ¡°I couldn¡¯t snap a good picture, so I told the person who saw that creature to draw a picture of


    it.¡±


    He ced the screen in front of Veronica. She stared intently before she realized that the insect in the


    drawing resembled the one on the Michelin logo.


    Feeling as if her stomach was about to turn, she could not bear to look at it any longer. ¡°Oh, disgusting!


    Get the phone off me.¡±


    Veronica reached out to support her forehead as soon as she recalled that Michelin-looking insect


    making its way around her body. Geez, that was awfully disgusting!


    ¡°Not to worry. The doctor mentioned that the creature is harmless and poisonous, so there won¡¯t be any


    after effects,¡± Matthew recited as he lied to her.


    As much as he did not know when her intense headache was going to happen again, he still wanted to


    save her some unnecessary worry so as to not worsen her existing insomnia.


    After he had said that, he nced at the trio with his side-eye in hope to get backup for his lies.


    They received his hint and instantly went along with his words.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Skyler spouted nonsense once again, but this time with a serious face. ¡°Veronica, that thing was horribly


    disgusting! You should have seen it! I even nearly threw up my digested meal fromst night. As soon as


    I heard that the creature was able to burrow itself into someone¡¯s body, I almost hacked at it with the forty


    meters long cleaver in my hand.¡±


    Caleb maintained his usual silent and solemn look but he added, ¡°The doctor said that you should


    monitor your condition for the time being, but there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues.¡±


    As for Miguel, he added, ¡°Drew¡¯s just spouting nonsense, so ignore him! It wasn¡¯t that scary. That


    creature was invisible in the first ce, so no, not scary.¡±


    The three of them tried their very best to put on an act as they went along with Matthew¡¯s words.


    Veronica felt slightly doubtful earlier, but after hearing their words, her suspicions were alleviated.


    It was necessary to reserve doubt as it was her body that got hurt afterall. But¡­ Why didn¡¯t the doctor at


    least show me the creature before disposing of it? I really can¡¯t rx with just a piece of drawing as


    proof.


    However, she did not think too much of it so as to not further burden herself.


    Shey back in bed and tilted her head to look at Matthew¡¯s hands which were wrapped in bandages,


    both left and right hands.


    ¡°You¡­ Are you fine?¡±


    After getting out of the water, Veronica recalled getting resuscitated by him after choking a mouthful of


    water.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± He lifted his hand and casually looked at it.


    The doctor had mentioned that the spot where she had bitten him would definitely leave a scar


    thereafter.


    As such, from then on, he would always be reminded of someone whenever he saw the scar on his


    hand. Which is, you know¡­ everyday.


    Veronica would not be able to forget how indebted she was to him for saving her life.


    She recalled the past when she was tricked abroad by Yvonne, as well as the episode where she was


    washed away by the floodwaters at Dawnpol Vige. Today, he had saved her life once again during her


    drowning episode.


    Having her life be saved over and over again made her feel extremely indebted to him.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Matthew paused for a moment before a cheeky look took over his dark eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve lost the


    bet.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± She pouted slightly and red at him with displeasure. ¡°Well, the circumstances were unfair;


    therefore, it should be redundant. Myst record with my master was five minutes and thirty-six seconds


    underwater. Although there was swimming involved this time, I could definitely have persevered and


    broken my personal record.¡±


    She was actually right this time as there was indeed an unexpected situation that had popped up. Since


    she had agreed to get into the water with him, she was definitely confident in herself. After all, a person


    who appreciated their life would never y jokes with it.


    ¡°Well, a bet is a bet. What only matters is the oue.¡±


    He lifted his brows and revealed a smug smile on his handsome face. Subsequently, he leaned forward


    and ced one hand supportively on the bedside while he supported his other hand on the headboard of


    her bed as he spoke in a low voice, ¡°If you¡¯re down in a warzone, you¡¯re down. No enemies are going to


    care whether you¡¯re sick or alive. ¡± Undeniably, Matthew¡¯s words made perfect sense.


    ¡°That¡¯s uneptable. Let¡¯spete fair and square one more time.¡± Not willing to admit her defeat, she


    haughtily challenged him again. Hmph!

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228


    Chapter 228 Eternally Grateful for Your ¡®Help¡¯


    ¡°The bet¡¯s over so you¡¯ve lost.¡±


    Matthew simply said that and his words were final. He didn¡¯t give Veronica a chance to renege on her


    words.


    She pouted unhappily but suddenly, a thought crossed her mind and she mentioned, ¡°Yes, the bet¡¯s over.


    So, I admit defeat. Although we can¡¯t be buddies, we can be sworn siblings, right? What say you, bro?¡±


    As she said that, she shot a look at the trio by the side. At that moment, the trio was staring at her


    intently and they were clearly engrossed in catching the conversation between the two.


    As soon as Veronica¡¯s gazended on them, they instantly shifted their eyes and pretended to be deep


    in conversation with each other.


    At that moment, she lifted her eyes and reached out to cover her mouth while whispering softly to


    Matthew, ¡°Even if you saved my life, I would never forgive you for the fact that you drugged me. You¡¯re a


    horrible man. The fact that you¡¯re a horrible man doesn¡¯t change even if you saved my life.¡±


    He was significantly speechless. Instantly, the smile on his face disappeared and he was very tempted to


    open up this woman¡¯s head to check out her brain and find out what was exactly inside her mind!


    He no longer bothered to talk to her, so he went to the side and sat down to chat with his buddies.


    Shortly after that, someone from Delisio Restaurant delivered their meal with everything that Veronica


    had ordered. It was a sumptuous meal indeed.


    Thomas took out the dining table andid thevish feast on the table as they sat down together to enjoy


    the meal.


    They were currently in the hospital, so no alcohol was allowed. As such, they held sses of orange


    juice in their hands and toasted Veronica with their sses of juice.


    ¡°Congrattions for escaping danger, Veronica and Matthew.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve survived such a dangerous situation so things will definitely improve leaps and bounds from now


    on.¡±


    ¡°I hope that things will go smoothly for you guys from now on.¡±


    ¡°Get well soon.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Thanks, Miggy, Caleb, and Drew!¡± Veronica chuckled and she seemed to be in exceptionally


    good spirits.


    Since she was Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter and these people were Matthew¡¯s buddies, so naturally,


    she had to address them politely.


    However, Skyler was not much older than her¡ªby two years¡ªso she addressed him by his nickname


    Drew.


    Skyler was significantly displeased by that and he ced the juice in his hand down on the table.


    ¡°Veronica, do you find me less significant? You¡¯ve addressed them so politely and yet I¡¯m just known by


    my nickname Drew!¡±


    He was dressed in a white suit and there was a displeased look on his face. There was also a slightly


    aggrieved look on his face.


    In response, Veronica smiled and wrapped a hand around his shoulders. The smile on her face widened.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve fought with each other and you lost to me in that fight we had at Twilight Condominium the


    last time so that¡¯s why you¡¯ll only be known as Drew.¡±


    ¡°How about Caleb and Miguel then? You didn¡¯t fight with them before?¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Caleb¡¯s an inspector and he used to be in the special forces too. Do you think I would be able to win a


    fight with him? Miguel¡¯s the oldest among us so I have to be respectful of course.¡±


    Veronica found Skyler quite interesting to interact with so she purposely bullied him. Subsequently, she


    lifted her ss of juice and toasted Skyler. ¡°Here, Drew. Bottom¡¯s up. As your older sister, I will be there


    to back you up in the future if you need any help!¡±


    ¡°Go away! Are you trying to take advantage of me?!¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help it. You are the youngest among us all.¡±


    She smiled as she spoke and clinked sses with Skyler before downing her ss of juice.


    Even though she had felt a sharp look from the other side as she wrapped her arm around Skyler¡¯s


    shoulders, she pretended to be oblivious of that.


    After finishing the juice, Veronica put her ss on the table and served herself some pork sausages. She


    was just about to ce the sausage on her te when she suddenly recalled something so she changed


    her mind and put it on Skyler¡¯s te. ¡°Hey, Drew. This is for you. I always share my food. Enjoy it while


    it¡¯s hot.¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm! Now that¡¯s more like it¡­¡±


    Skyler nodded with a pleased look and his anger had pretty much dissipated.


    Cough. Cough.


    Cough. Cough. Cough.


    At that moment, Skyler was just about to use his fork to get the pork sausage on his te when he


    suddenly heard Caleb and Miguel coughing violently.


    A surprised Skyler lifted his head to look at the two and saw them signaling at him frantically with their


    eyes.


    He followed the direction of their gazes and realized that Matthew was currently staring intently at him


    with a cold expression.


    If looks could kill, Skyler would be dead by now.


    Matthew had an ashen look on his face as he stared coldly at Skyler. The look in Matthew¡¯s eyes was


    murderous and it resembled the look in a lion¡¯s eyes when another predator attempted to take over the


    lion¡¯s territory. At that moment, Skyler shuddered with fear.


    With trepidation, he instantly returned the sausage back to Veronica¡¯s te. ¡°Uhh¡­ Hehehe. I don¡¯t


    enjoy sausages that much. I¡¯m not a fan of it. I really don¡¯t like it.¡± In his mind, he thought to himself, This


    is bullsh*t! Pork sausages are my favorite!


    He was forced to give up his favorite food in order to survive this precarious situation.


    Meanwhile, Matthew was very pleased with Skyler¡¯s response. Subsequently, Matthew served Veronica


    some roast chicken. ¡°Here, try this.¡±


    Veronica was quite smart and though she had kept her head down and focused on her meal earlier, she


    had in fact silently noted down the four men¡¯s silent interaction and their conversation.


    Therefore, as soon as she saw the roast chicken on her te, she teased, ¡°This chickie is so cute, so


    why are we eating it?¡±


    In fact, she found her tone of voice to have the potential of inducting vomit and was quite disgusted by


    her own pretentious behavior.


    Subsequently, she transferred the roast chicken to Skyler¡¯s te. ¡°Here you go, Drew. Since you don¡¯t


    like pork sausages, have some roast chicken. It tastes good and you¡¯ll definitely like it. It¡¯s very nutritious


    too.¡±


    At that point, Matthew¡¯s hands that held a fork stiffened. His perfectly-sculpted handsome face instantly


    darkened. This annoying woman! Right now she doesn¡¯t seem to care that ¡®chickie¡¯s so cute so why are


    we eating it¡¯,huh?


    ¡°No, thanks. I don¡¯t enjoy roast chicken either.¡±


    Meanwhile, Skyler, who had been forced to switch his food preferences, obviously didn¡¯t dare to eat


    anything that Veronica served him.


    He instantly returned the piece of roast chicken to her te and pointed in the opposite direction and


    said, ¡°My favorite dishes are in front of Miguel. I¡¯ll move to sit next to him so it would be easier for me to


    get it.¡±


    As he spoke, he instantly stood up, grabbed his stool, and was about to run away.


    However, Veronica didn¡¯t give him the chance at all.


    ¡°Just sit down!¡±


    She pulled him back and shoved him onto a stool. ¡°I told you that I¡¯d back you up from now on. This is


    such a simple thing. I¡¯ll sort it out.¡±


    After she had said that, she stood up and immediately took the dishes in front of her. Subsequently, she


    swapped the positions of those dishes with the dishes in front of Miguel. She ced Skyler¡¯s ¡®favorite¡¯


    dishes in front of him and then she lifted her brows smugly while patting him on the shoulder. ¡°How does


    this feel? I¡¯m a great older sister, huh? Look at how well I¡¯m treating you.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe. Veronica, you¡¯re great. You¡¯re awesome indeed. Thanks, Veronica.¡±


    Skyler smiled awkwardly but the smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. Furthermore, his awkward smile looked


    worse than a sad face.


    At that moment, there was a battle in his mind. Are you even being nice to me? You¡¯re just trying to


    hasten my death! I would seriously be out of my mind if I was eternally grateful for your ¡®help¡¯!


    ¡°Gosh, there is no need to thank me. Since you¡¯ve also regarded me as your older sister so from now on


    you¡¯re under my care! I¡­¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­ Cough¡­¡±


    Veronica had just spoken those words proudly when Caleb, who was eating his meal across the table,


    suddenly choked on his meal at that moment. He immediately tilted his head and sputtered on the


    ground. The food in his mouth spewed out and he couldn¡¯t stop coughing violently as a result.

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229


    Chapter 229 Xavier Struck by His Angry Father


    LIVE


    An error urred. Please try againter


    The trio instantly turned to look at Matthew. They noticed that he was seated upright and he had one


    hand on the table while the other hand, which was bandaged, held on to a wooden spoon. Suddenly,


    there was a ¡®crack¡¯ sound and the wooden spoon broke into two. Frightened, everyone else didn¡¯t even


    dare to make a sound.


    However, Veronica pretended to be oblivious to the situation. ¡°Oh my gosh, Matthew! How did you even


    break your spoon? Gosh! Seriously?! This restaurant is a lousy one. This is uneptable. How can a


    wooden spoon break so easily just like that?¡±


    As she spoke, she reached out and took the wooden spoon from his hand before throwing it into the


    trash bin.


    Subsequently, she took another spoon from the table and handed it to him. ¡°This spoon here is fine.


    Okay, let¡¯s eat. Don¡¯t starve yourself to death because where else would I be able to find someone to


    freeload off?¡±


    Her brazen words were intended to trigger his anger.


    The other three guys looked from Veronica to Matthew. All of them felt that she was exceptionally brazen


    but for someone who was generally quite stern, he continued to condone her behavior.


    Well, regardless of the situation, he was willing to ept such treatment from her, so it was entirely up to


    him.


    Matthew ced the spoon down and he lost his appetite by then.


    He stopped eating, so the other three guys silently ced their cutleries down and they didn¡¯t say


    anything either.


    As for Veronica, she was busy chewing on her food and she looked at them with a confused expression


    at the same time. ¡°Why have the four of you stopped eating? Is it because the food from Delisio


    Restaurant tastes bad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. Hehehe. I don¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Likewise, I don¡¯t have an appetite either.¡±


    ¡°I ate too much in the afternoon so I¡¯m too full.¡±


    ¡­


    Each of them came up with quite feeble excuses.


    She held her utensils and served herself a croissant. She took a bite out of it and smacked her lips while


    tilting her head to look at Matthew, who sat there without moving an inch with a cold look on his face


    before aplicated look shed across her clear eyes.


    Doesn¡¯t have an appetite, huh? Since they¡¯re not feeling hungry, then I¡¯ll finish everything.


    In the end, Veronica ate as the four of them watched on and she enjoyed the sumptuous meal all by


    herself quite joyfully.


    Generally, one tended to be grumpy when hungry so once satiated, naturally, their grumpy feelings would


    disappear too.


    After finishing more than half of the food on the table under the watchful eyes of the four men, she finally


    set aside her cutlery and grabbed some napkins to wipe her mouth. Subsequently, she burped quite


    uncouthly.


    ¡°Blergh.¡±


    The embarrassing sound reverberated in the room as she revealed an awkward smile. ¡°Excuse me. I


    must have eaten too much.¡±


    The three guys looked at Veronica with shell-shocked expressions and subsequently, they turned in


    unison to look at Matthew. Their expressions indicated their thoughts. The woman that you like is indeed


    extraordinary. She¡¯s so uncouth and rough. You¡¯ve strange tastes.


    He was the typical person who enjoyed a refreshing and different type after being used to encountering


    too many ssy and elegant women.


    Matthew sensed the odd looks from his buddies and he coldly returned the stare with a warning look.


    Frightened, they quickly lowered their heads to look at their phones as they tried to hide their presence.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was satiated, so she stood up and she nced at the leftover food on the table with


    a slight shake of her head. ¡°Look at you guys behaving so wastefully! We should appreciate our meals


    and live frugally but here you are wasting so much food. This is such bad behavior!¡±


    They felt quite perplexed to be med for something that wasn¡¯t even their fault.


    Miguel looked at her innocently. ¡°I told you that I wasn¡¯t hungry in the first ce.¡±


    Caleb touched the side of his nose. ¡°I¡¯m vegetarian.¡±


    As for Skyler, he looked at Miguel and Caleb with a troubled look in his eyes. It was as if he was trying to


    say, You guys have said all that can be said. What else can I use as an excuse?


    He racked his brains quickly and came up with the words, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I¡¯m starting to


    feel hungry right now. I could have some.¡±


    However, as soon as his words were said, three voices rang out in unison¡­


    ¡°Finish everything!¡±


    Matthew, Caleb, and Miguel looked at him and entrusted him with the tough job.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    As for Veronica, she nodded her head in approval. ¡°Drew, you look quite gaunt and your bones are


    sticking out. I reckon that you must be the unwee child in your family just like what¡¯s written in the


    novels about affluent people having a least loved child. Your parents must only dote on your brother and


    they don¡¯t love you. They must have mistreated you so you¡¯ve been deprived of food to the point of being


    so horribly gaunt-looking.¡±


    She had jumped to the conclusion based on the novels she had read before that were the typical clich¨¦


    romance novels about a rich and powerful man. In such stories, there would normally be a pitiful


    character thatcked attention.


    At that point, Skyler grimaced. ¡°Heh! Heh! Veronica, you¡¯ve such an overactive imagination. You¡¯re so


    great at this it¡¯s a shame that you¡¯re not working for Lenovo.¡±


    ¡°My immense talents would not be fully utilized there.¡±


    She realized that Skyler was mocking her, but she took it lightly and smiled at him. ¡°Hurry up and finish


    the food. Don¡¯t waste anything. I¡¯ve eaten too much so I need to go for a walk.¡±


    After Veronica had said that, she stretched her hand and rubbed her full belly, and walked out of the


    room for a stroll outside.


    As soon as he saw her walking out of the room, he mmed his spoon on the table. ¡°Miguel, Matthew,


    and Caleb, you guys are such big bullies!¡±


    ¡°How has this got to do with us? Veronica¡¯s the one who bullied you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Miguel¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Roni wanted you to eat more for your own good.¡±


    The final sentence was spoken by Matthew and after he had said that, he turned to look at Skyler with a


    slightlyplicated look in his eyes. Theplicated look in Matthew¡¯s eyes caused a shiver to run


    down Skyler¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Uhuk! Matthew, stop looking at me with such an expression. I¡¯m not interested in a woman like Veronica.


    I¡¯m serious about that. Trust me.¡±


    As a man, he had an exceptionally great sixth sense. He could tell what was on Matthew¡¯s mind with just


    a nce so Skyler quickly exined to save himself.


    ¡°Finish your meal.¡±


    Matthew slowly retracted his gaze and took his utensils in his hand. He was not bothered by the fact that


    the food on the table was leftovers and he started to dig in.


    His actions were very shocking to his other three buddies and they were ck-jawed.


    After all, the Matthew whom they were familiar with was a stickler for hygiene and he would never touch


    anyone¡¯s leftover food. However, he had made an exception for Veronica.


    At the moment, Veronica was taking a stroll in the corridor and she felt bored upon reaching the end of


    the corridor so she made her way down the stairs quite naturally.


    She strolled mindlessly and arrived four floors down.


    At this moment, she heard a voice ring out in the corridor of the floor below her.


    ¡°Konig Company has been taken over by your brother. Once you¡¯re discharged, you can start work at


    Crawford Corporation right away.¡±


    The voice sounded strong and full of energy. As soon as Veronica heard the voice, she knew that the


    person talking must be Xavier¡¯s father¡ªHendric.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Xavier, who was currently leaning against the corner of the wall, lost his temper. ¡°I was the one who


    started Konig Company from scratch, so who are you to take over thepany just like that?! Hendric


    Crawford, do you think that being my father gives you the right to do whatever you want?!¡±


    ¡°Well, the most your stupid littlepany makes in a year is merely ten million. It¡¯s peanuts so do you


    n on getting by in life through achieving nothing? I¡¯m so embarrassed by you!¡±


    ¡°Since you find me embarrassing, then you could just announce to the public that you¡¯ll sever all ties with


    me from now on.¡± Xavier snorted. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you¡¯ve always intended to do?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Hendric roared at Xavier, ¡°Do you actually think that I enjoy showing my concern for you?! If it wasn¡¯t for


    yourte mother, I would not even bother to deal with a despicable thing like you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve arms and legs, so I can fend for myself. I don¡¯t need your concern.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t even protect your sister well, so what¡¯s the point in you having arms and legs for? You¡¯re


    just a useless piece of trash! Your foolish actions resulted in your sister being crippled by the Kings. I


    don¡¯t even know how you¡¯re able to live on with this knowledge!¡±

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230


    Chapter 230 Conrad¡¯s Appearance


    Eavesdropping on the father-son conversation, Veronica felt how unjust Xavier was treated in his own


    family.


    Even though she knew that he was never fully weed within the family, she had never thought that


    Hendric would say such cruel things to his own son.


    Xavier did not rebuke his father and instead only fell into silence.


    Yet, this only made Hendric angrier as he continued, ¡°It¡¯s you who implicated your sister. If you had


    stated your rtionship clearly with that b*tch, Veronica, would your sister have gotten hurt this way?


    Even though she might be the god-granddaughter of Old Mrs. Kings, she hurt my daughter, and for that, I


    will make her pay in full!¡±


    Veronica had seen him scolding his own son on the day of Matthew and Tiffany¡¯s engagement. It was not


    until she spent half a month with Xavier in Mount Chid that she found out how biased Hendric was


    toward Melissa.


    That was why when she struck Melissa, she had already foreseen Hendric targeting her from then on.


    Sighing helplessly, Veronica did not go downstairs. Instead, she sat on the stairs and looked outside


    through the window before falling into deep thought.


    ¡°Melissa was in the wrong about this.¡±


    After a long silence, Veronica heard Xavier¡¯s rebuke.


    His words seemed so weak, though. It was as if he knew he was exining it in vain.


    She knew that even though logic was on his side, all this was still useless in front of Hendric.


    This was just like how Tiffany and she were both Floch¡¯s daughters, but Rachel and Floch only doted on


    Tiffany alone and treated Veronica as nothing more than a nuisance.


    Their treatment of the two girls really could bepared to heaven and earth.


    p!


    A crisp and loud p could be heard in the stairwell as Veronica clenched up.


    Then, she heard Hendric shout, ¡°You shut up! What do you see in Veronica to make you speak up for


    her? She is just a shameless hussy that stole her sister¡¯s boyfriend and is now leeching off Matthew! You


    better get that slut out of your head.¡±


    Such ugly words deeply prated Veronica¡¯s heart, but she felt more pity for Xavier.


    Standing up, she wanted to dash downstairs right then.


    Yet, she stopped after taking a few steps.


    00:00/00:00


    This was the most pathetic moment for Xavier. As they had problems in their ¡®marriage¡¯, their rtionship


    was not as close as before.


    If she really were to go down now, what identity would she use to face him?


    Hesitating once more, Veronica finally stopped in the end and sat back down without doing anything


    else.


    Soon, the sounds of footsteps came from above.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    She thought that the father and son must have left.


    Leaning against the wall, Veronica took a long sigh.


    Back then, she had promised herself to stay away from wealthy families and not get involved in their


    disputes. Yet unfortunately, she had be one of them without even noticing. Even though she still


    wanted out, it was not as easy as just saying it.


    Veronica, who pitied Xavier¡¯s situation, was most disappointed in him as well. She had viewed him as her


    best friend before, but on the day of the wedding, even though he knew the truth, he still chose to ce


    the me on her.


    Xavier should have known that if they were to find out she was the mastermind behind the scandal of the


    wedding, people from everywhere would be eager to kill her. Yet, he still chose to ignore all this!


    ¡°Why are you sitting here?¡±


    Behind her, Matthew suddenly appeared and said, as he saw her spacing out. ¡°Be careful that you don¡¯t


    catch a cold. It¡¯s quite chilly here.¡±


    Veronica then looked back at him. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±


    ¡°Thomas said he saw youe down, so I came here to have a look.¡±


    Standing beside her, the man stated, ¡°The doctor said that you are still quite weak, so it¡¯s best that you


    lie down and rest for now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kick the bucket.¡±


    She had stopped being so yful like she was in the ward earlier and was now serious and solemn.


    Standing up, she went upstairs while passing Matthew.


    The man frowned at this, as his instincts told him that Veronica must have been agitated just now or


    thinking of some unpleasant things for her to disy such a worried look.


    Matthew then followed her. At this moment, Xavier, who heard the distant footsteps, walked to the middle


    of the stairwell and looked up only to have his expression darken.


    Veronica?


    Why is she here?


    Why would a healthy person suddenly appear at the hospital? Is she sick?


    Xavier was befuddled as he had no idea what Veronica had been through for two days, so he


    immediately had his men investigate.


    After a few days, Veronica had gone through all sorts of tests and the results revealed her body to be in


    a normal and stable state, so both Matthew and she were discharged from the hospital.


    Even though her tests came back showing she was normal, it was this result that made Matthew all the


    more worried.


    After all, he and Veronica had clearly seen the unknown object entering her body, causing the splitting


    headache to happen twice. Besides that, Her power surged after she recovered from the first headache,


    making everything seem stranger.


    The weirdest thing was that the report showed everything to be normal!


    After leaving the hospital, Thomas sent them back to the Kings Residence.


    The moment Veronica got out of the car, she thought of something and asked, ¡°Oh, right. How is the


    matter of the girl in the basementing along?¡±


    ¡°Thomas had bought the best grave for her. After they went through with the burial, Thomas investigated


    her only to find that she had an uncle who took her in for a few years, so we gave him a reasonable


    amount ofpensation,¡± Matthew exined everything truthfully to Veronica.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Nodding, she then looked at her new shoes before asking again, ¡°Since we escaped after enduring so


    much, you said that we could split the treasures in the secret basement, right? When are you nning to


    sell them off?¡±


    The mention of money made her eyes glimmer as she became quite ecstatic.


    The man only stood up straight with his hands in his pocket and nced coldly at her. ¡°As per thew,


    the discovery of any tomb or underground vault needs to be reported to the authorities.¡±


    ¡°This underground maze might be something your ancestors left behind, though.¡±


    ¡°This is why I¡¯m having my men investigate the insides of the basement thoroughly to make sure it is my


    family¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ If only we didn¡¯t have to report this.¡± Veronicamented this and felt it was an unfortunate thing.


    The thought of so many antiques in the maze intrigued her. Even though most of them were from the


    Colonialism era and inexpensive, there were a lot of them, so they should still fetch a pretty penny when


    added up.


    While chatting, the two walked in the direction of the residence.


    Elizabeth, upon knowing that the two would be discharged today, had ordered the chefs to prepare a


    lavish lunch early in the morning to wee those two back. ¡°Oh, Veronica, you¡¯re finally back home.¡±


    The two met with a pacing Elizabeth just as they had passed the front hall and reached the hall that was


    used for reception.


    Running forward, Veronica gave her a big hug. ¡°Hello, Grandma. It¡¯s so good to be able to see you.¡±


    She smiled as she was genuinely happy to see Elizabeth.


    ¡°Come. Let me take a look at you.¡± Holding Veronica¡¯s hand, Elizabeth observed her from head to toe.


    ¡°Oh my, look at you! You¡¯ve be so thin. I¡¯ve already ordered the chefs to cook some soup for you


    two, so eat up and replenish your bodies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back, Matthew?¡±


    At this moment, Conrad seemed to appear out of nowhere as a glimmer shed across his eyes upon


    seeing Matthew and Veronica.

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231 An Unclimbable Wall


    ¡°Mr. Con¡­¡±


    Seeing Conrad appear nearly made Veronica call him ¡®Mr. Conrad¡¯ by instinct. However, upon remembering that she was now the god-granddaughter of the Kings Family, she should naturally address Conrad as ¡®Uncle¡¯.


    Smiling, she greeted Conrad. ¡°Hello, Uncle Conrad.¡±


    Matthew only matched his gaze with Conrad¡¯s as he nodded in greeting.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your incident with Matthew. I had nned on visiting you two during the past few days, but I¡¯ve been so busy dealing with the affairs of thepany as Matthew¡¯s stand in. I think you won¡¯t me me for that, will you, Roni?¡±


    Conrad wore a white shirt today and matched his casual gray suit with a pair of gold-framed sses to give off an air of maturity and sophistication. Paired with his mixed-blood origin, he looked like an elegant vampire.


    Even though Veronica had gotten used to Matthew¡¯s good looks, she still thought that Conrad¡¯s devilish attractiveness had its own charms.


    Especially when Conrad was only nine years older than her, but he still referred to her as ¡®Roni¡¯. This made her feel a bit of affection.


    I don¡¯t think he and I are too close.


    Yet, since I¡¯m considered half his niece now, it¡¯s only natural he would address me like this.


    ¡°You jest, Uncle. Why would I mind?¡±


    Veronica shook her head.


    ¡°Alright now, it¡¯s quite cold outside, so let us not stand here any further and have our meal inside.¡± Elizabeth held her hand before they all sat at the table and began to eat.


    Out of concern for Elizabeth¡¯s weakening body, Matthew and Veronica had discussed beforeing here that they would not disclose what happened in the secret basement to her, or she might get worried.


    ¡°Roni, what is your current upation? Matthew and I are thinking of letting youe to work at Spinfluence Group. What¡¯s your opinion on this?¡±


    Elizabeth chatted with Veronica while eating.


    ¡°N-No, I¡¯m doing fine at mypany.¡±


    Slurping the mushroom soup, Veronica shook her head vehemently. ¡°Grandma, I have my own job. I don¡¯t need to go to Spinfluence to work.¡±


    She did not want to see Matthew every day because she thought it would be depressing.


    Besides, she was managing a bridalpany with over twenty employees, so she needed to stay there and continue developing her career.


    This was all so that when herpany got big enough, she could open a branch in her hometown, and then she could finally go back and keep her foster parentspany.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice. When you¡¯re thinking of quitting, just tell me or Matthew. We¡¯ll arrange a job for you at thepany. You can treat it as training as well.¡±


    Elizabeth tapped on the back of Veronica¡¯s hand and smiled kindly.


    ¡°Mother¡¯s suggestion is not bad.¡± Conrad also agreed with Elizabeth before he continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to work at Matthew¡¯spany, you can alsoe to mine.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Even though Matthew was set as the current president of Spinfluence Group, nobody could predict who woulde to control it in the future.


    As for Conrad, he had also set up his ownpany that was doing fine thanks to the support of Spinfluence Group.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandma and Uncle Conrad.¡±


    Veronica then raised her ss of juice before toasting Elizabeth and Conrad while smiling brightly.


    Yet, she knew deep inside that working at Spinfluence Group was not an option. As for Conrad¡¯spany, it was a more dangerous choice that one must not approach.


    It was just that she still had to agree to this to keep up appearances.


    Hearing this, Matthewnded his gaze on Veronica before directing it to Conrad with an inexplicable expression. In the end, he chose not to speak.


    After lunch, Veronica apanied Elizabeth as they walked around the garden. A whileter, Elizabeth stated that she was a bit tired and went for a nap.


    Then, Veronica and Matthew were about to leave the residence in their respective cars. Nheless, just as she was about to bid farewell to Matthew at the entrance, the man only threw his keys to Thomas and got into her car.


    Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Veronica looked perplexedly at Matthew. ¡°Why are you in my car?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m bringing you to a ce.¡±


    ¡°A ce? What ce?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get there.¡± The man did not want to divulge anything.


    Even though Veronica was a tad annoyed, she did not say anything and just drove under Matthew¡¯s directions. Finally, they reached a private estate after twenty minutes.


    It was a Baroque-styled castle, with the gate adorned with floral engravings. Standing at the entrance, one could see a fountain with a pair of dolphins on it as the surroundings were filled with all kinds of flora and fauna.


    Veronica stood at the entrance and looked at Matthew. ¡°Is this your home?¡±


    Yet, the man only said to her, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The two entered as Veronica saw that the Baroque-styled castle had a private golf course, swimming pool, garden, gazebo, and anything else that one could think of.


    The inside of the castle was also very well-designed, featuring a grand-looking chandelier with lights bounced off the obsidian floor tiles propping up the disy case, which housed all kinds of antiques, as the spiral staircase had a few famous paintings.


    The interior of the castle had given rise to the words ¡®filthy rich¡¯. It could only be more extravagant if one chose to cover it in gold.


    The most important thing was that in a city like Bloomstead wherend was a premium, he managed to own such a massive private mansion. He really is¡­ insanely wealthy.


    Veronica¡¯s only thought came to mind, Are all wealthy people insane?


    ¡°Do you live here alone?¡±


    Veronica looked like a country bumpkin as she was shocked by every detail of the ce.


    It would be nice if I also had this kind of money.


    ¡°Pick a room that you like. You can live here from now on,¡± said Matthew, while he was giving Veronica a tour of the vi.


    ¡°A room that I like?¡± Stunned, Veronica pointed at herself. ¡°You mean to say that I can live here from now on?¡±


    Even though the sudden news overwhelmed her with joy, she quickly shook her head in disapproval afterward. ¡°No need. I can find a ce¡­ It¡¯s too far from mypany, so it¡¯ll be an inconvenience.¡±


    She wanted to say that she could find a ce of her own. However, now that Matthew was her ¡®god-brother¡¯, he could just order her around.


    So, she came up with an excuse on the spot.


    In reality, Veronica had heard about this private estate before, and she knew that it was a rich person¡¯s home, which they had invested millions upon millions to build. She had never thought that it actually belonged to Matthew, though.


    Yet, it was true that there was a certain distance between here and her workce.


    If there was no traffic, it would take thirty minutes; but if one encountered the peak hour traffic, it would take at least fifty minutes.


    Coincidentally, the shortcut to Encounters from Spinfluence was also the fastest way to get back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up after work from now on.¡± Matthew interrupted Veronica.


    The reason he was staying at Twilight Condominium was because there was still ongoing construction here. With the workers still redecorating the garden, there were a lot of people, so Matthew did not stay here.


    It was only a few days earlier that the garden waspleted.

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232 Being Caught Red-Handed


    Pouting, Veronica went to the first floor and leaned against the railing while looking down onto the ground floor. Although the luxurious vi did somewhat overwhelm her, it did not make her lose all sense of reason.


    She frowned before ring at Matthew. ¡°Matthew, are you done yet? Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re Grandma¡¯s grandson that I will bear with you again and again! I do admit that you¡¯re very rich, but that doesn¡¯t mean I would ept anything you give me. Do you think that you could persuade me to stay with you by using this fantasy-like castle? Too bad, but I¡¯m not some spoiled princess, nor am I Cindere!¡±


    A sudden burst of rage welled up within Veronica. ¡°I still haven¡¯t held you ountable for the incident with the sleeping pills. But, I¡¯m now giving you onest chance, so I hope you don¡¯t push your luck!¡± Stating that, she then snorted and left.


    Whether Matthew liked her or not, it was not a valid excuse for them to do the deed by using sleeping pills.


    Yet, although Veronica had been cursing Matthew as a scumbag all this time, she had not realized that with her temper, if any other man had dared to drug her, she would make them pay no matter the cost.


    She had only treated Matthew as an exception.


    Maybe it was because he had given his first time to her, and he had never done this with another woman after that. Or maybe it was because she had always treated him differently.


    It was just that she had never discovered these feelings herself.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    Matthew was pissed to the point where veins were popping from his forehead.


    D*mn it. I thought that we had been through this.


    Calling her out, he then pulled on her arm. ¡°What will it take for you to finally believe me?¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Matthew was by no means a patient man, but he had asked Veronica this same question several times now, which was slowly driving him mad.


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    Shaking him off, Veronica said, ¡°Just staying away from me is the best way to prove yourself innocent.¡±


    Matthew did not reply to her.


    That was how the conversation ended.


    Turning around, Veronica went downstairs and left.


    For a woman who was not a gold digger, such avish homestead was nothing more than proof of how rich a person was, and it had nothing to do with her.


    Out of options, Matthew also went down and watched Veronica get in her car and drive off before he took a deep breath and hit a pir beside him.


    This was the first time in his life that getting a person¡¯s trust was so difficult.


    It was as if Veronica¡¯s first impression of him was the final verdict and that no amount of things he didter would change her thoughts of him.


    ¡­


    After Veronica left the vi, she returned to the city center.


    In the afternoon, she had rented an apartment meant for one nearby herpany thanks to a property agency.


    Since the ce was already fully-furnished, she moved in on the same day.


    One day, it was nearing mid-day as she went out to buy some necessities and ingredients at the supermarket.


    After parking in the car park opposite of Walmart, Veronica was about to enter the supermarket when she saw a familiar silhouette.


    Veronica, who was wearing sunsses, was stunned as she took them off and found that the person was Yvonne.


    When she was taken by Matthew¡¯s men on the day of the wedding, it was Yvonne who hired mercenaries toe save her. It was also then that she knew that Yvonne had purposefully gotten close to her with an ulterior motive.


    Even now, she did not know how Yvonne knew her precise location that day.


    Following her in secret, Veronica wanted to see what kind of people Yvonne met with daily.


    Upon seeing Yvonne enter a ce called Autumn Cafe, she wore her sunsses and went in.


    Veronica kept her distance as she followed her from the ground floor to the first floor.


    Standing at the entryway of the first floor, Veronica looked around before finding Yvonne seated on the right side of the room.


    Yvonne sat opposite to a married couple whom Veronica knew very well, Floch and Rachel!


    This all started with the sudden appearance of Yvonne. Veronica only wanted to follow her out of curiosity, but she had never guessed that she would see the three of them sitting together.


    Even though Floch was a businessman, the ce they chose was a rtively secluded and cheaper cafe. They even sat in the corner of the room, which was not a private room meant for conducting any deals.


    Besides that, Floch would always bring his secretary for business deals, but this time, apanying him was only Rachel, who was dressed normally.


    All the signs only pointed to one truth, and that was¡­ They were not here to talk about business.


    ¡°Hello. Excuse me, you¡¯re in the way.¡± A man behind Veronica said to her.


    Veronica was shocked, and she attracted Floch¡¯s gaze. After that, Rachel and Yvonne also looked over in her direction.


    The moment Yvonne realized it was Veronica, her pupils dted, with her face bing pale.


    Subconsciously, Yvonne looked back at the married couple before approaching Veronica. ¡°Veronica, fancy seeing you here. What a coincidence. I¡¯m here to talk business with Mr. Larson. Do you want to join us for some food?¡±


    Veronica took off her sunsses as she looked at her with a raised eyebrow and smirked. ¡°Really? What kind of business can a makeup artist such as yourself and the Larsons conduct?¡±


    After all, she had never heard of the Larson Family being involved in the makeup industry before.


    Just as the two were conversing, Floch and Rachel walked over with a solemn expression. ¡°President Spencer, you were actually friends with Veronica?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, and she even wants to coborate with us. What do you mean by inviting Veronica?¡± Rachel rolled her eyes. ¡°I haven¡¯t even soughtpensation from her for ruining my daughter¡¯s wedding. Now that we know you¡¯re her friend, consider this talk done!¡±


    ¡°What? Hey, President Larson, Mrs. Larson, please hear me out.¡±


    Yvonne was panicking now as she reached out and grabbed onto Rachel only for her to fling her arm away. ¡°From today onward, we will never conduct any business with yourpany ever again. Hmph. Let¡¯s go, hubby!¡±


    Rachel then left with Floch. As Floch brushed by Veronica, he red fiercely and pointed his fingers at her while saying tremblingly, ¡°You¡¯ve ruined Tiffany¡¯s life! I, Floch Larson, will never let you go! You just wait!¡±


    Even though they were both their daughters, Veronica had never understood why her parents detested her so much, to the point where they wanted her dead at all times.


    Standing proudly, Veronica snorted, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    The couple left after that.


    Their haughty attitude only made Veronica feel disgusted.


    On the contrary, it was this scene that made her doubt herself. What kind of rtionship do the Larsons have with Yvonne? Were they really here just to talk business?


    Bewildered, she could not make sense of anything.


    ¡°Seriously, I cannot understand why, even though you and Tiffany are both their daughters, they don¡¯t like you. They really are strange people!¡±


    Flipping her hair, Yvonne had one hand on her hip as she sighed hard and seemed a bit perplexed.

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233


    Chapter 233 Yvonne¡¯s Secret


    LIVE


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    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to treat me to a meal? It just so happens that I¡¯m hungry right now.¡±


    Veronica sat down unreservedly at the spot where the trio were just now.


    Turning around, Yvonne waved toward a waiter.


    After ordering two set lunches and coffee, they waited for their meals to be served quietly.


    ¡°Why did you approach me?¡±


    Veronica leaned on the chair and stared at Yvonne with a cold gaze.


    Her gaze pressured Yvonne as she pursed her lips and did not know how to answer Veronica.


    yvolume


    00:00/00:00FANTASY1adlogoTruvidfullScreen


    At that moment, the waiter served their coffee.


    ¡°Hello, here¡¯s your coffee.¡±


    The appearance of the waiter gave Yvonne a bit of a breather as she kept thinking of how she should


    reply to Veronica.


    ¡°A-Actually¡­¡±


    She said stutteringly, ¡°I was at the wedding too, but I didn¡¯t greet you because I saw just how busy you


    were. It was only after I saw the video that I¡­¡±


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    ¡°Get to the point!¡±


    Veronica mmed her desk and looked very menacing.


    ¡°The point? Oh, you mean those mercenaries?¡±


    Tilting her head, Yvonne scratched her head before taking a sip of her coffee while looking at Veronica


    with eyes full of guilt.


    She then continued hesitantly, ¡°I grew up abroad. As my identity is a bit sensitive, I cannot tell you my


    origins. But, I can confirm that those people were about to kidnap me back to Castron, and the other


    mercenaries are my people. What I can tell you is that both teams were hired by my father, but one of


    them betrayed us.¡±


    Her exnation only served to make Veronica more confused.


    ¡°It looks like your family is quite capable of arranging two teams of mercenaries for you. Now, I have two


    questions for you. First up, why did you save me? Secondly, you don¡¯t seem to be short on money, but


    you still teamed up with Matthew to get close to me. Why?¡±


    No wonder, after Yvonne and Matthew had a sessful partnership, she immediately transferred five


    million to her ount.


    This was twice the amount that was previously agreed upon.


    Back then, Veronica only thought that Yvonne was a kind person. Now, she only thought that she was


    harboring a lot of secrets.


    ¡°I saved you because you saved me once. This time it was me paying you back. Of course, I don¡¯tck


    money, but I was raised in such a way that I don¡¯t ask for money from my parents. I want to create ¡®Yves


    Cosmetics¡¯ without relying on them. Besides, I wanted¡­¡±


    Up to this point, she sighed and covered her face with a helpless expression.


    Her mannerisms did not make her seem like she was acting.


    Frowning, Veronica asked, ¡°And then?¡±


    Bang!


    Yvonne mmed the table all of a sudden. ¡°And then? And then, if mypany doesn¡¯t meet the target


    they¡¯ve set, I would be forced to marry the person they¡¯ve chosen! It¡¯s some guy that I don¡¯t even like!


    This is all so frustrating!¡±


    Veronica¡¯s question seemed to have hit a sore spot, as she suddenlyshed out like an angry cat.


    Observing Yvonne, Veronica kept her gaze on her eyes as she wanted to see if there was anything out of


    ce.


    In the end, she could not determine if Yvonne was too good at acting or that she was actually telling the


    truth.


    Veronica dared note to a conclusion so quickly.


    Upon seeing that Veronica was not speaking anymore, she grew even more annoyed. ¡°Do you still not


    believe me?¡±


    Enraged, Yvonne took her phone out before opening WhatsApp and mmed it on the table. ¡°Here, take


    a look for yourself!¡±


    Veronica nced at the conversation only to see that all of them were voice messages.


    Looking up at her, Veronica pointed at the screen as Yvonne understood her intentions. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    After getting her permission, Veronica clicked on one of the voice messages.


    ¡°Yvie, your father wants you to stop trying to create some cosmeticspany. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in need


    of money. You can juste back, marry Anthony and be the princess of Castron. I really don¡¯t


    know what you are thinking. With every passing day of your absence, Zac has been pressuring us over


    you. Haven¡¯t you considered how tough it is for me and your father?¡±


    Veronica could only stare wide-eyed at the phone as she felt her whole world go silent.


    What¡­ did she just say?


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    She¡¯ll marry Zac and be the princess of Castron?


    That means that this Zac character is the prince of Castron.


    Veronica had a rough idea about Castron through the news.


    At the thought of this, she uttered in shock, ¡°Is this Zac referring to the prince of Castron, Zac Francis?¡±


    This is getting out of hand.


    ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    Before Yvonne could finish her sentence, she felt strange gazesnd on her as she looked at the


    surroundings before silencing herself.


    Leaning forward, Yvonne said, ¡°Who do you think it is, besides him?¡±


    Veronica, who raised her eyebrows, looked at her from head to toe with doubt.


    It was rather unpleasant to not be believed.


    Pissed, Yvonne took her phone and opened a video clip this time.


    Clicking on it, it then yed¡­


    It was set in a restaurant¡¯s private room as the walls were adorned with balloons and ribbons, and under


    the bright lights was an especially eye-catching bouquet of flowers.


    In the video, the subject of focus was Yvonne herself, whereas standing opposite her was the prince of


    Castron, Zac.


    He held the bouquet in his hands while proposing to her.


    ¡°Yvonne, my beautifuldy, do you ept my proposal? I wish to marry you and make you my wife for


    eternity.¡±


    A wave of cheering erupted just after Zac had finished speaking, and the crowd in the video shouted all


    kinds of things.


    ¡°Marry him! Marry him!¡±


    ¡°Kiss! Kiss!¡±


    ¡°Wow, this is so romantic!¡±


    ¡°Kiss her, Zac!¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica, upon finishing the video, was left in utter disbelief, as she could note to terms with


    Yvonne¡¯s true identity.


    A country bumpkin such as Veronica hade to know Matthew, became the god-granddaughter of


    Elizabeth, and now knew the fiancee of the prince of Castron, all within half a year.


    I should go buy the lottery with my luck.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me with that gaze?¡± Yvonne was not used to Veronica¡¯s fierce gaze.


    ¡°So, you mean to say that the mercenaries who were originally hired by your father were then bribed by


    Zac to kidnap you back to Castron in order to threaten you into marrying him?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Yvonne sighed detedly. ¡°You¡¯ve seen what my house is like. There are people guarding it every day,


    and I also bring my bodyguards when I go out. But, I got held back by something and arrivedte. In a


    hurry, I only wanted to sign the coboration with President Larson when you suddenly showed up.¡±


    She continued while taking the contract out and cing it on the desk, ¡°I¡¯ve been working so hard on this


    contract. We had agreed to sign this in the city center this morning, but he said he was preupied with


    something in this area, so he wanted to sign it another day. Because I was so anxious, I forced them to


    find a nearby restaurant here while I came a long way to meet them. My father had already stated that if I


    could develop the market and prove my worth within the year, he would obstruct the forced marriage!


    Otherwise, why would I work myself to the bone?!¡±

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234


    Chapter 234 A Parasite


    LIVE


    An error urred. Please try againter


    ¡°Do you not like the position of being the future princess?¡±


    Veronica was a bit in awe of Yvonne.


    After all, not a lot of people could resist both money and power.


    ¡°What¡¯s so good about being a princess? I prefer my current free and easy life. Besides, Zac isn¡¯t exactly


    a saint either.¡± The mention of Zac worsened Yvonne¡¯s mood.


    Waving her hands, she continued, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him anymore. Either way, since you¡¯ve caused my


    deal to be canceled, you¡¯re treating me today.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡±


    Veronica nodded.


    yvolume


    Even though she was smiling brightly, she looked at Yvonne with a hint of suspicion.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Can she really be trusted?


    After going through so much, Veronica was not one to simply ce her trust in another now.


    In the past, Xavier, whom she trusted so much, also disappointed her in the end.


    Soon enough, their food was served, and the two chatted while eating.


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    Cutting the steak, Yvonne asked Veronica, ¡°How¡¯s businessing along? Do you need me to introduce


    you to some potential customers?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty bad. I¡¯m taking it slow now.¡±


    ¡°There are a few people nning on getting married. I can introduce them to you.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you kind?¡±


    One always had an ulterior motive when offering up something for nothing.


    Veronica did not think they were close enough for Yvonne to risk her own life to save hers, nor were they


    close enough for Yvonne to introduce any potential customers her way.


    Even now, when Veronica had ruined her and Floch¡¯s coboration, a normal person would be outraged


    at this, as should Yvonne.


    Nheless, not only did Yvonne not get angry, she also patiently exined it to Veronica.


    Chewing on a piece of steak, Veronica was slowly pondering over this.


    Am I just paranoid? Or is there something off with Yvonne?


    Yet, she could only observe quietly for now as she did not have any concrete proof.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you talking nonsense? You¡¯re the god-granddaughter of Old Mrs. Kings, so I have to take care of


    you. Otherwise, Young Master Matthew might cancel the coboration between mypany and his. If


    that happens, then I will be at the end of my wits.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    The two then continued to chat while eating before bidding each other farewell.


    ¡­


    A few dayster, the slow business of Encounters was seeing a pick up again.


    Within a month, thepany was marching into an upward rise as they found themselves short on staff


    in the nning department, so Veronica started to hire employees again.


    Profit was certainly rising now, as even though it had direct corrtion to the operation of thepany, it


    was not hard to see from the customers¡¯ reactions that most of them only came because of Veronica¡¯s


    identity as the god-granddaughter of Elizabeth.


    In other words, she was only able to achieve all this because of her identity.


    Veronica did not feel very good about this. It instead gave her a sense of defeat.


    Originally, she wanted to be the god-granddaughter of Elizabeth because of the backing of the Kings


    Family, so she knew that nobody would dare to touch her or, by extension, her foster parents.


    Veronica was already shameless in making use of the influence the Kingses wielded, and now she was


    even making money thanks to them. This all made her feel restless, guilty and agitated.


    It was as if the years she spent studying were wasted, making her seem like a useless ornament waiting


    for people to feed her.


    After receiving a statement from the financial department, Veronica found out that thepany¡¯s profit


    was actually over four million this month!


    For a person who had just started managing apany, this result was exceptional, but Veronica knew


    that if not for her identity, they would not even reach half a million in profit.


    ¡°Oh my God, Miss Murphy, our business is booming!¡±


    After looking at the turnover, Shirley was jumping with joy. ¡°If we continue this trend, our yearly ie


    would be estimated to reach fifty million.¡±


    Even Monica, the head of nning, nodded. ¡°When I was in another bridal store, the best monthly result


    we achieved was the current standard of thepany.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, Miss Murphy, you¡¯re the best. Miss Murphy, do you think we should treat the employees,


    seeing how they¡¯ve worked themselves so hard for a month now?¡±


    Shirley suggested.


    Nodding, Veronica nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve already booked a hotel. So after dinner tonight,


    we¡¯ll go for karaoke.¡±


    No matter what, the employees have worked so hard this month, so I should reward them for it.


    ¡°Yay! You¡¯re the best, Miss Murphy. I¡¯m going to tell them now.¡± Shirley then skipped out of the office.


    Meanwhile, Monica, who was wearing maternity clothes and a thick jacket, looked up at Veronica and


    asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be a joyful thing, seeing how good business is now? Why do I feel that you aren¡¯t too


    happy?¡±


    Veronica then set the financial statement aside before crossing her arms and sighing. ¡°I knew you would


    see through me, given how smart you are.¡±


    Shirley was a fresh graduate, but Monica was not.


    After working in apany for many years, she could be described as knowing everything that


    happened in Bloomstead.


    Most of the customers were acquaintances of Monica¡¯s, or they came to know of her after chatting with


    her.


    So, how could such a quick witted person like her not notice Veronica¡¯s unhappiness?


    Due to the cold weather, Monica had a cup of hot water in her hands as she took a sip before uttering,


    ¡°Of course I could see it. If it were me, I would not be happy with our current performance. I would


    instead feel even more inferior, like a parasite.¡±


    Noticing that she might have said the wrong words, she continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I might have been too¡­


    straightforward.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Veronica looked at her and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°A parasite, eh? You¡¯re right. I am like a parasite.¡±


    At night, thepany had a get together where they had dinner before they went to sing.


    Veronica celebrated for a while in a bar, but then felt a bit bored, so she walked out of the private room.


    However, she bumped into someone as soon as she opened the door.


    ¡°What a coincidence. You¡¯re here, too?¡±


    The person in question was Ruka, the daughter of the Dame Family.


    With flowing long hair, she was wearing a ck and red dress wrapped in a white sweater. She looked


    very stylish and imposing.


    Through the ajar door, Ruka could see a lot of people sitting inside, as she smiled. ¡°Are they your


    employees? I heard that yourpany is doing quite well nowadays.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s doing alright.¡±


    Veronica knew that Ruka had not approached her with pure intentions, so she did not want to continue


    this conversation. ¡°I have something to do, so I¡¯ll excuse myself now.¡±


    Brushed by Ruka, she was about to walk away.


    Before she could leave, the woman behind her suddenly said, ¡°Miss Murphy, luck really is on your side.


    You¡¯ve be just like Cindere, as you¡¯ve be the god-daughter of the Kings Family all of a


    sudden. It sure is a far cry from your previous identity.¡±


    Stopping in her footsteps, Veronica frowned as a hint of unhappiness appeared in her gaze. Looking


    back at Ruka, she asked in a low tone, ¡°Miss Dame, what are you getting at?¡±


    Ruka gently scratched her limited edition Herm¨¨s bag as she smirked. ¡°Since this is such a coincidence,


    why don¡¯t youe to my private room for a while? I was thinking of introducing you to some celebrity


    friends of mine. You¡¯re also a member of the upper society now, so you should start expanding your


    circle of rtionships. It¡¯lle in useful to you someday, just like yourpany. If you weren¡¯t the god-


    granddaughter of Old Mrs. Kings, why would all those people go to you for their wedding nning?¡±


    Her words hit the mark, hurting Veronica.

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235


    Chapter 235 This Is My Token of Gratitude


    LIVE


    An error urred. Please try againter


    Veronica remained unwavered as she smiled and started pping her hands. ¡°Miss Dame is right, but


    there¡¯s one thing I got to bring up here¡ªI can live without the Kings Family, unlike you. If the Dame


    Family goes bankrupt, I¡¯m afraid that you can¡¯t even lift your frail fingers to earn money and you will have


    to rot on the streets.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Ruka was left speechless by Veronica¡¯s blunt remarks, but she brushed it off with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re


    so clever with words that everyone likes you so much. Oh, right! There will be a charity held in the city


    soon. I hope to see you there, Miss Murphy.¡±


    Then, she checked the time on her wristwatch. ¡°It¡¯ste and my friends are waiting for me. Goodbye,


    Miss Murphy.¡±


    With a smile, she waved her hand and left. Staring at Ruka¡¯s back, Veronica felt something creeping up


    her heart. She could sense Ruka¡¯s hostility toward her, and a strong one at that.


    Still, Veronica had to admit that Ruka¡¯s tolerance was on another levelpared to Tiffany¡¯s. As


    expected from ady born with a silver spoon in her mouth¡ªnot only did Ruka exude elegance and


    ss, she was reticent.


    Veronica wheeled around and left as well. Knowing that she would be drinking, she didn¡¯t drive her car


    here. She strolled along the streets while clutching tightly onto her sweater, trying to warm herself


    against the chilling breeze.


    Suddenly, her phone rang. It was Matthew. Ever since she left the vi, it had been a month since they


    last met.


    During that period of time, he messaged Veronica twice, but she left them unread and he never sent


    another text again. On the day she visited Elizabeth at Kings Residence, she didn¡¯t see him either.


    Since it was the first call after a month, she deemed that it was an emergency, so she answered the call.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Then, she waited for the man to speak. When she heard nothing but silence, her brow furrowed. ¡°Can


    you hear me? If you¡¯re not going to say anything, I¡¯ll end the call now.¡±


    ¡°How have you been?¡± Finally, Matthew responded, and his voice was pleasing to the ears as always.


    ¡°What do you mean? Of course I¡¯m doing fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°What about thepany?¡±


    Although she was aware that it was an innocuous question, Veronica couldn¡¯t help the heavy feelings


    that overwhelmed her at the mention of herpany, which had be her sore part. ¡°Speaking about


    that, I should be grateful to you. Thanks to you, we¡¯re doing better than expected.¡±


    00:00/00:00


    ¡°Oh? How are you going to repay me then?¡± Matthew smiled and teased.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote right now. I¡¯ll send you the address and buy you lunch tomorrow. ¡± Her voice sounded tired


    as she terminated the call without a second thought, after which she returned home by cab. Lying down


    on the recliner on the balcony, she gazed at the starry sky, which wasn¡¯t bright enough to lighten her


    mood.


    The next day, Veronica had arrived at Red Dining and booked a private room. After ordering a cup of


    coffee, she waited patiently for Matthew, who finally appeared after ten minutes.


    ¡°Sorry for the long wait.¡± Beneath the blue coat that fit his frame perfectly was a ck shirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I just arrived.¡± She caught a glimpse of the man, who effortlessly pulled off the simple outfit


    and made the restaurant his very own runway.


    While he seated himself opposite her, a waiter entered and gave them the menu. They ordered some


    dishes and a bottle of wine.


    Once the waiter left the room, Matthew stared at her intensely. ¡°You look thinner than you were one


    month ago.¡±


    All the while, he had been busy overseas. Aside frompany affairs, he specially contacted a few


    professionals to examine and analyze Veronica¡¯s blood along with the two bowls from the underground


    chamber. However, the results he received were the same¡ªthere was nothing in particr.


    Matthew even took a trip to the underground chamber again upon returning to the country. He asked


    Thomas to conduct another search, but in vain. That anonymous person entered and left the ce


    without leaving a trace behind, as if he could walk through the walls.


    Who is that person? Colossal doubts clouded Matthew¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m on a diet.¡± She leaned against the chair listlessly and took a sip of her coffee.


    Noticing her bad mood, Matthew fished out something from his pocket and proffered it to her. ¡°I have


    something for you.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    It was an exquisite velvet box in ck.


    Veronica lifted her dubious gaze to look at the gentle man. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    She picked it up and opened it, only to see a pair of red diamond earringsced with a golden tint. With


    the little red tassels, the minimalist essory glimmered under the illuminating lights.


    Tap!


    No woman could easily resist from such a pair of beautiful finery, including Veronica. However, she


    closed the box and pushed it to Matthew regardless. ¡°A reward shouldn¡¯t be received without merit.


    Thank you, but no thanks.¡±


    Having said that, she took out two documents and a pen from her bag before cing them in front of


    him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask how I was going to repay your kindness? This is my token of gratitude.¡±


    Gazing at the documents, he lifted his brow in confusion before opening one of them and reading the


    words that read, ¡®Share Transfer Agreement¡¯.


    ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± he asked solemnly.


    Veronica calmly stirred the coffee. ¡°Within one month, the bridal store¡¯s performance has been growing


    by leaps and bounds. The augmented profit is credited to you, and I feel guilty hogging the money all by


    myself. Even so, every employee, including me, hasmitted ourselves throughout the whole process.


    That¡¯s why I would like to split the profit in half for you.¡±


    ¡®Rags-to-riches¡¯.


    That was the word she heard the most in that month. To her, it was a humiliation shrouded under the thin


    cover of facts. Every ounce of effort contributed by her team was shrugged off because of it, and she


    could feel the burden weighing on her shoulders. No matter how much she thought about it, this was the


    best solution she coulde up with in order to repay Matthew.


    On the other hand, the man¡¯s finger tapped on the document a few times before he tossed it on the table


    without reading further. Anger was evidently ring in his eyes. ¡°Why must we draw a clear line between


    us?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± She looked him straight in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter. It¡¯s not like we


    have anything to do with each other.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? If so, I can¡¯t sign this contract.¡± His countenance simmered as he pushed the document to


    her.

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236


    Chapter 236 Thomas Revealed the Truth


    LIVE


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    Matthew¡¯s refusal wasn¡¯t something unexpected. Veronica leaned against her chair and looked at the


    documents with a frown. ¡°If I weren¡¯t Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter, thepany wouldn¡¯t have


    achieved such a sess. As much as I am grateful to you, I am indebted to the Kings Family.


    Nheless, I can¡¯t deny that it¡¯s a burden too.¡±


    Sheid out her genuine thoughts without hiding. ¡°It¡¯s your call whether you want to ept the offer or


    not.¡±


    If Matthew didn¡¯t sign it, she would shut down thepany due to the guilt of receiving the money.


    Suddenly, a knock resounded on the door, and a waiter walked inside to serve the food. Veronica thrust


    the documents back into her bag before pointing at the dishes. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. The filet steak is amazing. Try


    it.¡±


    Veronica poured Matthew a ss of wine before raising her wine ss and smiling sweetly. ¡°Anyway,


    thank you so much.¡±


    While his eyes were fixated upon her, he wasn¡¯t feeling as happy as he was when he first stepped into


    the restaurant. Mixed feelings were churning in his stomach as he silently raised his ss in a toast to


    her.


    After polishing off the drink in one-go, she eximed, ¡°The wine¡¯s not bad. I guess I should dig in now.¡±


    Humming in response, he savored the sweetness in his mouth. As incisive as he had always been, he


    noticed the exhaustion behind that wry smile on her face. He then gazed out of the window, drifting into a


    pensive rumination.


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    When they first met, there was a dazzling smile on her face all the time, as though no pall of sorrow


    could ever rein her in. Yet, she rarely smiled nowadays, and it pained Matthew to realize that.


    Throughout the meal, they conversed lightly about the trivias before separating ways to their own


    companies.


    Holding the unsigned contract, Veronica arrived at her store. Before she could even announce the sad


    news, Thomas dropped by her ce.


    ¡°Miss Murphy.¡± The man in a suit strode into the store and made his way to Veronica, who happened to


    be in the hall on the first floor.


    She turned to him in confusion. ¡°Mr. Ritter, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I have something for you. Can we talk privately at your office?¡±


    ¡°Sure. This way.¡± She nodded before giving her assistant an order. ¡°Shirley, please bring us some


    coffee.¡±


    While Shirley went to prepare them some coffee, they headed upstairs to the office. Along the way,


    Veronica inquired, ¡°Did Matthew ask you toe?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Thomas let out a smle. ¡°So, here I am to ry the good news.¡±


    After entering the office, they sat opposite each other. With a business smile, Veronica piped up, ¡°What


    good news?¡±


    The enigmatic smile on Thomas¡¯ face was beaming so brightly, as if he couldn¡¯t suppress the gleeful


    feeling in his chest. He ced two documents before her. ¡°Young Master Matthew mentioned that the


    business at your bridal store has been pretty good recently, so he would like to be a shareholder.


    However, considering that the store is quite small, he asked someone to rent the abutting ten-storey


    building for ten years. He especially noted that you must fill in the share rights by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Ten-years rental?¡± She was awestruck by someone¡¯s generosity.


    Renting a ten-storey building for ten years in this kind of ce? Is he trying to monopolize the industry in


    the city?


    ¡°Yes, for ten years.¡± Thomas nodded with certainty.


    Veronica sifted through the contract, only to find the equity division still nk under the written terms.


    She hadn¡¯t filled it in yet, but Matthew had already signed it beforehand.


    While she was focusing on going through the contract, Thomas added, ¡°Young Master Matthew said it is


    up to you.¡±


    However, he had already jumped to conclusions in his head. I bet someone greedy like her will have the


    lion¡¯s share. She¡¯s not going to pass up such an opportunity.


    ¡°Since he has rented the ce, I should sign the contract, of course.¡±


    Matthew was a businessman who only had his eyes on promising projects. Judging from how he had


    rented a ten-storey building for a decade, he knew how much profit was ahead of them.


    She took a pen and flipped open the document again to fill in the nk space. However, just as she was


    going to sign her name on it, Thomas piped up, ¡°Miss Murphy, what do you think of Young Master


    Matthew?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a nice guy.¡±


    ¡°After working for him for so many years, it¡¯s my first time witnessing how he treats someone nicely.¡±


    Thomas smiled sheepishly as he blurted out the implicit words.


    Remaining silent, Veronica merely nced at him coldly.


    Then, he asked the very question, ¡°How are you going to divide the equity, Miss Murphy?¡±


    At that, she stopped short and looked at him dangerously. ¡°Mr. Ritter, are you trying to teach me how to


    handle things?¡±


    From the moment he passed over the documents, she was aware of his whirring mind as his curious


    gaze had given him away, but she forbore from breaking the ice by ignoring it.


    As he had not expected such a direct and indifferent question, Thomas pursed his lips before shing a


    wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, Miss Murphy.¡±


    Next, he zipped his lips under her scorching gaze. It wasn¡¯t until then that Veronica wrote ¡®95%¡¯ on the


    paper.


    Bang!


    In a fit of rage, Thomas mmed the table. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯ve gone overboard, Miss Murphy? If


    it wasn¡¯t for Young Master Matthew, do you think your bridal store could¡¯ve done the same? The rent


    alone surpasses millions. It will be a massive amount of money, including the renovation. Do you think


    that everythinges for free, Miss Murphy?¡±


    His brusque action startled her, but she smiled sarcastically in return. Paying no heed to him, she


    continued filling up the contract.


    Meanwhile, the man stared at her while grumbling furiously, ¡°When you were kidnapped on the cruise


    back then, Young Master Matthew relinquished a contract worth billions and took a flight from Castron


    immediately just to save you; he risked his life to rescue you when there was a deluge in the Dawnpol


    Vige; besides, he found out about your insomnia, so he elft the underground chamber and¡­¡±


    At the mention of the underground chamber, Thomas suddenly recalled Matthew¡¯s warning, and he


    immediately glossed it over by saying, ¡°Young Master Matthew went to lengths to find you the medicine,


    but he didn¡¯t tell you in case you might feel a burden. Not only that, he even hired some people to live as


    your parents¡¯ neighbors just to keep them safe. He sacrificed so much for you, but how can you repay his


    kindness in this way?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s hand stopped when she heard that. Her eyes zed over as his words kept ringing in her


    ears.

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237


    Chapter 237 The Beginning of Thomas¡¯ Journey in Hell


    LIVE


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    What? Matthew asked around just to find insomnia medicine for me? And he gave up a billion worth


    contract just to rescue me from the cruise? He even risked his life to save me from the flood and hired


    people to protect my parents? Veronica was shocked to the core and her mind was in a mess.


    It was no wonder her parents mentioned that they had new neighbors a few days ago. ording to


    them, the neers were hired to keep an eye on the reservoir for any intruders that intended to fish


    there. In actuality, it was to keep her parents safe!


    But¡­ Do I have insomnia?


    Before this, she waspletely aware that she could only sleep when it was four or five in the morning.


    However, it wasn¡¯t a big deal to her as she thought that she only needed a shorter sleep period


    compared to others.


    Not only that, she assumed that Matthew was spouting nonsense when he told her about her problem.


    She did not believe in him one bit! Did she misunderstand him all this time?


    After maintaining herposure, she continued to finish off both the contracts. By the time she raised


    her head, Thomas was standing by the window, smoking silently.


    Even if his attitude was indecent, he was a loyal assistant who had always done his best for Matthew.


    Thus, never once had Veronica med Thomas.


    In any case, she had encountered nastierments since the day she managed thepany as


    Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter. Once was bearable, but not for long; eventually, she had built a towering


    barrier with the bricks thrown at her.


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    ¡°I¡¯ve signed the contracts. Please pass it to him.¡± She ced the pen aside.


    Right then, Shirley entered the office to serve the coffee. She smiled politely at Thomas. ¡°Mr. Ritter,


    here¡¯s your coffee.¡±


    However, Veronica told her, ¡°Shirley, please escort Mr. Ritter out.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But it hasn¡¯t been long since he arrived here.¡± Shirley could sense the heavy mood hanging in the


    air.


    Thomas held the cigarette with his fingers before saying, ¡°No need for that.¡± Then, he took the contract


    and strode out in a fuming rage.


    ncing at the man¡¯s long face, Shirley knew that a note of discord had surfaced during the


    conversation. ¡°Veronica, Thomas works for Young Master Matthew. Did you guys fight?¡±


    Veronica breathed a heavy sigh. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Looking at her wristwatch, she realized that it was 3 in the afternoon. ¡°Stay here. I gotta put up a vacancy


    announcement.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t we have neers already? Why do we need more?¡±


    ¡°Forget it, then. I¡¯ve got some business to attend to. See ya.¡± She waved her hand and left with her bag.


    I bet a rigorous man like Matthew will transfer over some experienced workers, right? Then, there¡¯s no


    need to hire more people for now.


    While Veronica was on her way to the hospital, Thomas was heading toward Spinfluence Group, which


    was quite near the ce. A ten-minutes drive was all that it took.


    After alighting from the car, he made a dash for the president¡¯s office with the contract. Matthew was


    leafing through some documents when he heard someone enter. He assumed that it was one of the


    secretaries, yet the oing person flung a document in front of him.


    He lifted his head to see a furious Thomas. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, I told her that she could decide the equity division as she wished and she only


    gave you 5% of the share! I was wondering how much she would be grateful for what you¡¯ve done for


    her, and I know now. She¡¯s simply incorrigible! ¡±


    Working under Matthew, Matthew had always known Thomas to be a mature and tactful man. However,


    he could no longer contain his temper, considering how much Matthew had changed and sacrificed for


    Veronica. He was quite touchy whenever she was involved in the issue.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Matthew leaned against the chair as he flipped through the contract. ¡°Did you say anything


    else to her?¡±


    ¡°I said everything that was on my mind! She¡¯s mercenary, cruel, heartless, and full of schemes! Not only


    that¡­¡±


    Thomas began his harangue by speaking badly of Veronica in every possible way. As the list went on, he


    suddenly felt a sharp gaze ring at him as it sent chills down his spine. He raised his head instinctively,


    only to see Matthew¡¯s face covered with seething anger.


    Matthew rose to his feet and tossed the contract right in Thomas¡¯ face.


    ¡°Take a closer look at it!¡± Matthew insisted.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Feeling the stinging pain on his face, Thomas had no clue to the reason for Matthew¡¯s rage. It wasn¡¯t


    until he read the terms properly that he finally realized his terrible yet foolish blunder. 95% of the shares


    belonged to Matthew!


    That means Veronica only has 5% of it?


    ¡°I-Impossible! How did I get it wrong?!¡± Unable to ept his mistake, Thomas flipped open the papers


    once again beforeing to terms that it was indeed his misunderstanding. Veronica owned only 5% of


    the shares.


    His expression fell. ¡°She loves money, yet she gave herself only 5%? But why?¡±


    Even though he hated to admit it, it was a fact that she only owned 5% of the shares. In other words, due


    to his daft assumptions, Thomas presumed that she hogged the lion¡¯s share the moment he saw the


    written numbers.


    ¡°Y-Young Master Matthew, is this the reason why you let Miss Murphy decide the division?¡± He trembled


    in the face of Matthew¡¯s fearsome gaze. He gulped in horror as the memories of him attacking Veronica


    with a tirade shed across his mind. His guilty conscience was pricked, but his idiotic action was


    irrevocable.


    In the meantime, Matthew took a cigarette and began smoking. He deeply inhaled the tip before


    breathing out a puff of smoke. ¡°You haven¡¯t rested well in the past ten years while working for me. It¡¯s


    time for you to take a leave.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡­ Young Master Matthew, I apologize for my rash actions, but please rescind that order. I will


    apologize to Miss Murphy until she forgives me. I promise!¡±


    Why did I say that? Why did I freaking say that? How could Imit such a sin?!


    ¡°You should enjoy yourself for a few months on Cory Ind.¡± Matthew walked toward the French window


    with a smoldering cigarette in hand.


    However, Thomas¡¯ face was contorted in despair and pain. ¡°Young Master Matthew, I think I should


    apologize to the person involved myself. I¡¯m sure Miss Murphy is a magnanimous person, and she will


    forgive me.¡±


    The urge to p his untrammeled mouth himself was so strong. He thought, To Cory Ind? That¡¯s not


    an ordinary trip, but a trip to hell!

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238


    Chapter 238 So, I¡¯ve Misunderstood Matthew


    LIVE


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    Cory Ind was an obscure ind where a hellish training took ce. The people who went there would


    have a taste of what it felt like to be in hell, but they would return as whole new people after the arduous


    drill.


    In fact, Thomas was one of the candidates who had sessfullypleted the inhumane training, and


    he would never want to go back there. Once was enough.


    However, his mistake was beyond recall as Matthew insisted on sending him there. ¡°Ask your brother,


    Troy, to take over your position.¡±


    Thomas swallowed back his pleading words and gave in in the end. ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Leave.¡± The man ordered icily.


    The corner of Thomas¡¯ lips twitched as he left the office instantly. Once he exited the building, he gave


    Veronica a call at the entrance, but no one picked up the phone no matter how many times he called.


    His heart sank, and he pped himself a few times in despair. ¡°F*ck! You dumb sh*t!¡±


    The brisk sound of pping attracted the bypassing workers, who knew him well.


    ¡°M-Mr. Ritter, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ritter, are you okay? Do you want us to call the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ritter, is everything fine?¡±


    ¡°There are no mosquitoes, though. Why did you p yourself?¡±


    ¡­


    The weird gazes from his confused colleagues irritated him. ¡°What are you looking at? Don¡¯t you have


    work to do? Can¡¯t I p myself when my cheeks feel stiff? Have you got a problem with it? Huh? Scram!


    Just leave me alone!¡±


    The crowd dispersed in a heartbeat upon hearing his lecture. Once he got into his car with trudging


    footsteps, he rang his elder brother. ¡°Troy, I¡¯m done for. I¡¯m gonna die.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°F*ck! Today, I¡­¡± Thomas recounted the incident in detail over the phone before getting into the main


    point. ¡°Then, Young Master Matthew is going to send me to Cory Ind! He even told me to enjoy myself


    there for months! Darn it! I¡¯m not the same as I was during my younger days. I¡¯m old now. Am I going to


    die there? Troy, is this the end of my life?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re doomed.¡± Troy took a deep breath before bursting intoughter. ¡°Thomas, I-I¡¯m sorry. I


    don¡¯t usuallyugh at this kind of situation, but I can¡¯t help it. How could you say that to Miss Murphy?


    00:00/00:00


    You know how much Young Master Matthew cares about her. You silly!¡±


    While his brother was guffawing nonstop, Thomas¡¯ face was perfused with red in embarrassment.


    ¡­


    Veronica went to the hospital to see a neurologist. When it was finally her turn, she told the doctor about


    her situation.


    On the doctor¡¯s advice, she underwent tests like electrocardiography and electroencephalography. Once


    the doctor took a glimpse of the results, she nodded. ¡°It is insomnia. I presume that it has been two


    months, but most of the patients have it because of massive stress. And most of the youngsters suffer


    from sleep deprivation due to work pressure¡­¡±


    The doctor proceeded with themon situations insomniacs might encounter as well as the things


    Veronica should take note of before scribbling a prescription for her.


    It was half past five when she left the hospital. She checked her phone and saw the missed calls from


    Thomas in the car. Since she was doing a check-up at that time, she could not answer the phone.


    Pondering for a moment, she had a rough guess of the reason why he called her, but she had no


    intention of returning the call.


    Just as she was about to put her phone in the bag, it rang. It was Matthew. Holding the phone tightly, she


    nced at the medicine on the passenger seat. She had misunderstood him all this time.


    The porridge he made and the warm milk he prepared at the Twilight Condominium contained medicine


    that could cure her insomnia.


    Even right now, Veronica still couldn¡¯t face the fact that she was suffering from insomnia. She felt awful


    thinking about how she had thrown all those nasty words at him back then. Although he had tried to


    exin, she never trusted him in the slightest.


    Never in her wildest dream had she imagined the arrogant man being so helpless in front of her. A pang


    of guilt hit her hard upon realizing the truth.


    She would pretend nothing had happened in front of Matthew nheless, because the


    ¡®misunderstanding¡¯ would be a perfect shield for her to reject him.


    It was true that Matthew was nice to Veronica, but that alone couldn¡¯t fill in the gap between them. The


    fact that they weren¡¯t of the same world had determined their fate from the start, not to mention she didn¡¯t


    like him at all.


    ¡°Hello.¡± She answered the call with indifference.


    ¡°Have you gotten off work?¡± His voice sounded gentle as ever. It sounded as though he was handling


    something very precious.


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯m still busy. Thomas stopped by today with the contracts, and I heard everything from him.


    You¡¯re nning to expand the business, right? I¡¯m looking at some information to understand more about


    the bridal stores in Bloomstead.¡±


    ¡°There must be a bnce between work and life. Some rest time after work is important for you to do


    your job better.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up from your office in 20 minutes. Let¡¯s have dinner together.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The conversation ended and Veronica headed straight to herpany. Since it was rush hour, it


    took her longer to arrive due to the traffic. Not long after she alighted from the car, Matthew could be


    seen standing at the entrance.


    ¡°Woah, he must be Young Master Matthew.¡±


    ¡°He is President Murphy¡¯s god-brother. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s here for her.¡±


    ¡°Oh lord, look at that handsome face! I didn¡¯t get the chance to look at him closely at the wedding.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome. A coat and a pair of sunsses? He can be a supermodel and I¡¯ll be his number


    one fan!¡±


    ¡°If only I had such a handsome brother¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The employees, who hadn¡¯t yet gotten off work, swooned over Matthew¡¯s surreal visuals. The sheer sight


    of his well-defined features could captivate one¡¯s heart readily.


    Hearing themotion in the lobby, Veronica turned around to see the man standing by the door.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± she stated nonchntly before pping her hands to draw everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Alright,


    guys. Since we still have some time left, I would like to announce something.¡±


    While everyone gathered in the lobby in three lines, she beckoned Matthew toe over, after which he


    dly walked toward her side and hung the sunsses on his shirt.


    ¡°The way he hung his sunsses is so cool!¡±


    ¡°With those well-defined sculptures and ethereal features, he¡¯s the president we only see inics.¡±


    ¡°If I was as handsome as he is, I wouldn¡¯t have stayed single until today.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. Well, I can guarantee your girlfriend wouldn¡¯t have broken up with you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can fall for another man anymore.¡±

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239


    Chapter 239 The New Boss


    LIVE


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    Standing before her workers, Veronica attempted to maintain herposure as their enthusing words


    reached her ears. She couldn¡¯t help but exim, Good looks aren¡¯t always a good thing.


    ¡°Silence. Allow me to introduce Matthew Kings, the president of Spinfluence Group, who will be our


    majority shareholder from today onward. Henceforth, he will be your¡ªI mean he will be our boss,¡± she


    introduced Matthew¡¯s new identity sinctly, and the employees soon surged into a ruckus.


    ¡°What? That¡¯s so sudden!¡±


    ¡°So, President Kings will be our boss from now on.¡±


    ¡°What a surprise. The Spinfluence Group has been one of the Top 500panies worldwide. Since


    Young Master Matthew is our boss, does that mean we¡¯re in the Top 500 as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all fired up to work for my handsome boss right now!¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica pped her hands once again to silence the noise. ¡°We¡¯ve rented the abutting ten-storey


    building for a decade to expand the business, and the renovation willmence tomorrow. Therefore, I


    would like to make it a point to everyone that ourpany prioritizes talent and dedication. Promotions


    will be offered based on your achievements and performances. Last but not least, we should believe we


    will be able to strive forward and hit big in the future under President Kings¡¯ guidance.¡±


    It was certainly good news to hear that, as the employees were all giddy with excitement and vehement


    joy upon hearing the announcement. Their merriment rubbed off on Veronica, and she was equally


    happy as they were.


    She then turned toward the man standing beside her. ¡°President Kings, would you like to give them a


    word or two?¡±


    With a gentle smile, he nodded and looked at the team. ¡°Do your best. I¡¯ll be looking forward to your


    aplishments.¡±


    Veronica frowned when she heard his short statement, albeit heartening. ¡°Nothing else?¡±


    He hummed in response before the thrilled employees began gushing about him.


    ¡°That is so cool.¡±


    ¡°Cold and domineering. He¡¯s the coolest guy I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m in love!¡±


    ¡°President Kings, may I have a picture with you?¡±


    ¡°President Kings, me too!¡±


    00:00/00:00


    ¡°Can I have a signature of yours, please?¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica was rendered speechless by the sight of the meeting turning into a fanmeeting.


    This guy and his deadly charms! It¡¯s not even his first day officiallying to work, yet he has everyone


    falling for him already!


    ¡°Sure.¡± Unlike his usual aloof disposition, he was rather approachable and amiable today. In hindsight,


    how did the workers react? They surrounded him and took pictures together with him, of course! It was a


    chance that would onlye along once in a lifetime!


    At that moment, Shirley scampered toward Veronica with light steps as she swayed her phone.


    ¡°Veronica, look! Did the picturee out fine?¡±


    Gazing at the girl grinning ear to ear with a peace sign next to the man in the picture, Veronica thought


    she looked cute.


    ¡°Pretty. You look nice.¡± Veronica was never stingy withpliments.


    Shirley nodded rigorously as she smiled sheepishly. ¡°I think it came out nice too.¡±


    While talking to Shirley, Veronica noticed a figure ascending the stairs. Realizing that it was Monica


    heading upstairs, she followed suit.


    Monica was spacing out by the window when Veronica walked up to her. ¡°Are you worried that Matthew


    wouldn¡¯t agree with your part-time job here?¡± Veronica saw through her concerns easily.


    Surprised by the sudden question, Monica hastily rose to her feet with her bulging belly.


    ¡°Sit. The due date is nearing. You should be extra careful.¡± Veronica seated herself opposite her.


    Monica sighed. ¡°I¡¯m more concerned about what will happen after giving birth to my child. President


    Kings is capable of handling thepany well with strict rules and management. When the timees,


    I¡¯m certain that he will¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as I¡¯m here, you have nothing to worry about. Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯ve been one of the


    important pirs of thepany? If you can get everything in order and handle the wedding nning


    well, you¡¯re allowed to stay. You have my words.¡± Veronica buoyed Monica up as she waspletely


    aware of how much passion Monica had for the industry. As a woman herself, she understood how


    exhausting it would be to juggle childcare and work at the same time.


    ¡°For real? Thank you, President Murphy. Thank you so much!¡± Monica was genuinely grateful. ¡°Don¡¯t you


    worry. I¡¯ll hire a nanny to look after my kid so that I can focus on my work.¡±


    ¡°d to hear that.¡± Veronica got up and patted her shoulder to encourage her. ¡°Take care and don¡¯t stay


    toote. I¡¯ll head off first.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Veronica went downstairs, where Matthew was waiting for her while smoking after the hectic photo


    session. Hearing the oing footsteps, the man tossed the simmered cigarette into the trash bin.


    ¡°What would you like for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Anything is fine for me.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡± He walked abreast of her before suggesting, ¡°I¡¯ll take the wheel.¡±


    She followed and hopped onto his car. Along their way to the restaurant, she sat mute, and he didn¡¯t


    bring up the contract either.


    The bridal store had been the pressure that was weighing her down, and he no longer wanted to mention


    anything remotely rted to thepany. The 5% share was enough to imply a lot of things.


    The duo ordered some simple dishes, including porridge, in the private room.


    While they were waiting for the food, Veronica piped up, ¡°Since the store will be expanded, I¡¯ll leave the


    employment to you. Plus, you should select some candidates as the supervisor.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about work on the dining table,¡± Matthew advised gently as he poured her a ss of water.


    His gantry hit her soft spot, and she felt her heart of iron melt because of the warmth enveloping her.


    She focused her eyes on the man with mixed feelings.


    The good-looking man, who only exerted arrogance and an aloof air around him, was always nice and


    gentle to her in particr.


    Recalling back the misunderstanding, she deeply repented her ridiculous reaction. He was trying to help,


    yet she made him mad. However, she knew that rtionships could not be forced.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be visiting Grandma at Kings Residence tomorrow. Wannae along?¡± Veronica invited.


    ¡°Sure,¡± responded Matthew. ¡°There¡¯s a charity in the city the day after tomorrow. Would you like to


    come?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    The atmosphere in the room was wholesome as the light conversation continued before they left the


    restaurant separately. When the afternoon came the next day, they went to Kings Residence together.

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240


    Chapter 240 Bringing Veronica and Conrad Together


    LIVE


    An error urred. Please try againter


    Holding a basket of fruits, Veronica ambled toward Elizabeth. ¡°Grandma.¡±


    Elizabeth handed over the grain that she fed the poultry to the maid. ¡°Roni, you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I miss you, Grandma.¡± Veronica smiled and clung onto the olddy¡¯s arm before looking at the


    poultry. ¡°It¡¯s nice to rear some chickens and ducks as a pastime.¡±


    Elizabeth couldn¡¯t work because of her old age, so it was best for her to indulge in something to lift her


    mood.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I gotta at least do something to kill time.¡± Elizabeth pulled Veronica in the direction of the


    parlor. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. It¡¯s windy.¡±


    Matthew, who had been there the whole time, received no attention and trailed behind them with a


    helpless smile.


    ¡°Grandma, you previously said¡­ said¡­¡± Veronica sat next to Elizabeth, hesitating to bring up the topic.


    Elizabeth patted the back of the girl¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a stranger. Go ahead.¡±


    Only then did Veronica let out a sheepish smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to introduce me to


    someone? Is it still valid?¡±


    When Matthew heard that, his footsteps came to a halt, and the gentleness of his countenance was


    reced with seriousness.


    At the same time, Conrad, who had been staying at the residence, came to the living room after knowing


    they had arrived.


    He happened to hear Veronica¡¯s question, which elicited a smile on his face. ¡°Finally? After this whole


    time?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s still valid!¡± Elizabethughed merrily.


    She had been in a sour mood due to Tiffany¡¯s fake pregnancy, but thanks to Veronica, who visited her


    oftentely, she was able to live her days happily. Her affections for Veronica were genuine.


    ¡°Uncle Conrad, don¡¯t tease me! You¡¯re embarrassing me.¡± Veronica didn¡¯t mind the joke as she


    deliberately ignored the stoic Matthew.


    ¡°Speaking of it,¡± Elizabeth sped Veronica¡¯s hands as she looked at Conrad. ¡°Conrad, you¡¯re still


    single, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve always wanted the two of you to be together. Since the two of you are here, why


    don¡¯t you guys think about it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Veronica shook her head without hesitation. ¡°No, Grandma. Uncle Conrad is nine years older


    than I am.¡±


    00:00/00:00


    Back then, a drunk Howard identally spent the night with Conrad¡¯s mother, hence the youngest kid


    was born. He was two years older than Matthew, but there was a nine-year age gap between him and


    Veronica.


    Sitting on the chair, Matthew held a cup of water that was served by the maid. Unbeknownst to everyone


    present, his eyes were ring with rage.


    ¡°We¡¯re living in the 21st century. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Elizabeth nced at Veronica and tapped her


    forehead. ¡°Men are more mature when they¡¯re older. He¡¯ll take good care of you.¡±


    In the meantime, Conrad averted his gaze from the girl to Matthew, who was sitting silently. Little did


    Matthew know that his tightening fingers around the cup had given him away.


    Interesting.


    ¡°Grandma, I¡ª¡±


    Just as Veronica was about to say something, Conrad preempted her. ¡°I think Roni¡¯s smart and cute. My


    days always seem brighter with her around.¡±


    Not only did he not reject the suggestion, but he also blurted out his genuine thoughts. Regardless of his


    feelings, Veronica was someone useful to him.


    Veronica was stunned for a moment upon hearing that. She looked at Conrad and noticed the insidious


    smile on his visage when their eyes met. Beneath the facade was a terrifying bottomless pit that ranged


    beyond the unknown.


    As a cold chill traveled down her spine, she felt her hair standing on her skin.


    Like a happy bunny, Elizabethughed heartily at Conrad¡¯s approving words. She held Veronica¡¯s hands


    tightly as she said, ¡°See? He¡¯s down for it. Don¡¯t be shy. Why don¡¯t you give it a shot?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. Grandma, what are you talking about?¡± Veronica shook her head vigorously. ¡°I don¡¯t like


    someone who¡¯s older than me by so many years. Five years is the limit. It mustn¡¯t go beyond that. The


    generation gap will be a hindrance to the rtionship.¡±


    ¡°It seems that I¡¯m already an old man,¡± teased Conrad, as he didn¡¯t take her words personally. However,


    Matthew dropped his gaze to the floor as a flicker of glint sparked in his eyes.


    She can only ept a maximum of five-years age gap, but I¡¯m older than her by seven years. Is this why


    she doesn¡¯t like me?


    The seething ire in him morphed into sorrow at the knowledge that a happy rtionship couldn¡¯t be a


    forceful one. He couldn¡¯t possibly keep her to himself for the sole reason that he liked her! That would be


    preposterous!


    He finally realized why Veronica invited him toe along. It was on purpose.


    ¡°In this case, it looks like Conrad is not for you. What a shame.¡± Elizabeth frowned and sighed. ¡°I guess I


    should hunt down some men for you and let Matthew know. His judgments are never wrong.¡±


    Now that the topic had been steered to Matthew, an air of awkwardness began to linger in the


    atmosphere. Veronica calmed herself down while reminding herself that she could end things with


    Matthew this way.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. You¡¯re right about that. Matthew has a talent for judging people.¡± She shed an enticing


    smile.


    Even Conrad was blinkered by her dazzling smile as he said exactly what was on his mind, ¡°Can¡¯t I help


    you with that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, since Conrad is back for good now, you guys should hang out often. Roni, you can take this chance


    to learn more from him. You know that he¡¯s good at managing business.¡± Elizabeth had always treated


    Veronica as her own granddaughter and couldn¡¯t help the urge to shower her with love and care.


    Despite the repulsive offer, Veronica nodded and forced a pristine smile. ¡°That sounds great. Grandma,


    you¡¯re the best!¡±

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241


    Chapter 241 A Shopping Spree


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    LIVE


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    ¡°Little Roni is a liar who tells lies to my mother. You promised her, but I haven¡¯t even received your


    contact number as of today.¡± Conrad sighed while crossing his legs. He took a sip of water, masking the


    mischievous side of him with his dashing looks.


    ¡°Really? Roni, howe? Quick! Add your uncle¡¯s contact number at this instant.¡± Elizabeth red at


    Veronica as she feigned displeasure.


    In the end, Veronica forced herself to nod her head. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been too busy recently.¡±


    Next, she rose to her feet and walked toward Conrad before saving his number. Matthew witnessed the


    entirety of the situation, but he held his tongue until the end of the day, as though he wasn¡¯t there with


    them to begin with.


    As the lively atmosphere reached its height, they enjoyed dinner together.


    After that, an energetic Elizabeth even bbed on and on about everything to Veronica in the backyard.


    It was only until then that she was willing to let the girl leave, despite the heavy heart.


    ¡°I will swing by often to see you, Grandma. Bye bye.¡± Veronica waved goodbye to the olddy before


    getting into her own car. Matthew left on his own as well.


    Standing abreast of Yura while watching the cars disappear from her sight, Elizabeth heaved a long sigh.


    ¡°Roni¡¯s so much like Lily. If Lily¡¯s still here, she should be at Roni¡¯s age now.¡±


    Somewhere in Elizabeth¡¯s heart, there was always a ce for Lily, her little daughter. Akin to Lily,


    Veronica was always the boisterous kid, and that was why Elizabeth had taken a liking to her.


    ¡°Lily loved martial arts and was good at ying chess. She was quirky but adorable and kind. She


    always had that happy face like Roni. And they even have dimples whenever they smile.¡± The tendency


    to dwell on the past grew as people aged, especially on matters buried in one¡¯s heart with loose knots.


    When Elizabeth and Howard got married at the age of eighteen, she gave birth to Matthew¡¯s father,


    vian Kings, the following year. When vian was bestowed with thepany along with his wife,


    Jessica Espin, they named thepany ¡®Spinfluence Group¡¯.


    After having vian, the old couple had a few more children, and it had been a happy family until the day


    they weed Conrad because of Howard¡¯s mistake. The incident inevitably left a scar in Elizabeth¡¯s


    heart henceforth.


    When she reached the age of 44, she was pregnant with a baby girl. It was a geriatric pregnancy, yet she


    insisted on keeping the baby.


    Lily had been a cheerful girl whom everyone favored because of her quirky nature. It was a disaster


    when she passed away ten years ago. The terrible ident had cast a pall of regret upon Elizabeth, who


    took a long time to move on with her life.


    That was why she liked Veronica when they first met at Twilight Condominium. Despite the ugly make-up


    on Veronica¡¯s face, the girl reminded her of her daughter with that same cheerful nature. As she spent


    more time with Veronica, she was captivated by her kindness and optimistic side.


    ¡°Though Lily isn¡¯t here anymore, you still have Veronica by your side. She¡¯s a girl with a warm and tender


    heart,¡± Yuraforted Elizabeth. ¡°Let¡¯s head inside. Winter¡¯sing and it¡¯s getting colder outside.¡±


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Veronica, who was oblivious of the family¡¯s past and the reason behind Elizabeth¡¯s


    affections, had finally achieved her goals. She was sure that Matthew would understand her implicit


    rejection.


    However, she noticed that the man had been following behind her car all the while. Not wanting to reveal


    where she was currently staying, she simply took a turn and drove to a nearby supermarket for grocery


    shopping.


    Matthew parked his car next to hers in the underground parking lot, and they both got out of the cars.


    Veronica feigned indifference to hide her helplessness. ¡°Why are you following me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still early and I¡¯m bored.¡± He primped his coat while striding toward her.


    ¡°I need to buy something. Are you sure you wanna join me?¡± She pointed at his face, as if she was trying


    to say, Are you sure you¡¯re going to join the crowd?


    He pushed her finger lightly. ¡°I¡¯m not that famous. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Having said that, he took out two ck masks for both of them. Despite the fact that he was the sort of


    person who kept a low profile, everyone in high society knew him, but that wasn¡¯t the case for the


    ordinary people who were busy slogging through life. Still, in light of the recent wedding incident that had


    transpired, he reckoned that it would be best for them to wear masks.


    ¡°Fine by me.¡± Veronica wore the mask, and they walked toward the entrance.


    Suddenly, a question struck her. ¡°When was thest time you went to a supermarket?¡±


    It was a hard question for Matthew as it took him a while to give a vague answer, ¡°A few years ago?¡±


    ¡°Gosh, I wonder how mundane your life has been.¡± She shook her head lightly and deemed that his life


    was devoid of color.


    It was 8 p.m., which was the busiest hour in a supermarket. While he went straight into the entrance, she


    pushed a shopping cart for herself. ¡°You¡¯re not buying anything?¡±


    The man turned around and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll push.¡±


    Veronica dly let go of the cart and let him do the work. Wandering around the ce, she scanned the


    shelves. When she caught sight of her favorite snack, she took one packet and shook it in Matthew¡¯s


    face. ¡°Wanna try this?¡±


    Matthew responded without a second thought, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then, she grabbed a box of nuts. ¡°What about this? Do you eat this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    After taking another two steps, she grabbed a box of chocte that was on sale. ¡°What about this? We


    can buy two and get one free.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    At first, Veronica thought he needed those as well, so she took two packets each. It wasn¡¯t until she


    raised a packet of spicy chips that she realized that her presumption was wrong. ¡°Do you like this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She paused momentarily before pointing at the shopping cart filled with a pile of snacks. ¡°Are you sure


    that you eat these?¡±

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242


    Chapter 242 Veronica¡¯s Attempt to Introduce a Girlfriend to Him


    In the end, Veronica heard him solemnly mentioning, ¡°I¡¯ll buy you everything that you like.¡±


    Instantly, the smile on her face disappeared. Despite her having a face mask covering her face, he could


    sense her frown, and so he knew she was quite displeased. ¡°How can I possibly finish all this?! If you


    don¡¯t want to eat them, just say so! You¡¯re being wasteful by buying so much!¡±


    Matthew replied, ¡°I have plenty of money.¡±


    He said that nonchntly and he waspletely unperturbed by her angry retort. On the contrary, his


    words had an indulgent note to them.


    ¡°I can buy them myself. I don¡¯t need you to pay for me! Hmph!¡± Veronica red at him furiously as she


    muttered, ¡°Wastrel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your godbrother, so by right, I should pay for your purchases.¡±


    He had a face mask covering his face and the only visible part was his pretty-looking dark eyes. From


    the look in his eyes, one could clearly see the doting expression in them. He was clearly expressing his


    feelings as a grown male doting on an attractive female, but he insisted that it was a brother¡¯s affection


    for his sister.


    yvolume


    00:00/00:00FANTASY2adlogoTruvidfullScreen


    At that moment, Veronica¡ªholding on to a packet of salt and vinegar potato chips in her hand¡ªpaused


    momentarily in her action, and she instantly turned around to avoid the intense look in his eyes.


    She was clearly aware of Matthew¡¯s feelings toward her, but she continued to force a silly smile on her


    face. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve shown improvement.¡± She clenched her hands into fists and lightly punched him on the


    chest. ¡°That¡¯s right; you¡¯re my brother, so you should behave righteously that way.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Matthew stared intently at her with a tender yetplicated look in his eyes. He seemed to have


    something to bring up, but on second thought, he reckoned that she seemed to have a bad impression of


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    him and that she was quite against their huge age gap, so perhaps it was wiser to continue developing


    their rtionship as siblings for the time being.


    After all, he had a higher chance of sess if they remained closely in touch. Over time, one would


    definitely develop feelings for the other after spending time together, so there was no need to rush into


    things.


    As soon as Matthew realized this, he instantly changed his words. ¡°I don¡¯t like snacks.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like going grocery shopping, and neither do you enjoy snacks. Where¡¯s the fun in your life,


    huh?¡± As soon as Veronica heard him im that he should pay for her as her brother, the pressure she


    felt from before dissipated without a trace.


    It seemed she had achieved her goal ofing to Kings Residence tonight.


    ¡°Do they taste good?¡± He lifted his brows and nced at the snacks in the shopping cart as he asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Veronica waved the packet of salt and vinegar potato chips in her hand and replied excitedly, ¡°Did you


    know, back when I was in school, I would open up a packet of chips as the teacher taught in front of the


    ss? I would hide the chips behind a book and secretly enjoy them under the table.¡±


    As she was quite excited, she reached out to pull down her face mask. She stood by his side and spoke


    as they continued walking. ¡°In the end, do you know what happened? As soon as I opened the bag of


    salt and vinegar chips, the smell of vinegar filled the entire ssroom. The teacher caught a whiff of it


    and she managed to identify where it came from urately. She grabbed a pencil and flung it at me. It


    hit me squarely on the forehead and then¡­ And then I was kicked out of the ssroom. As punishment,


    I had to stand by the corridor for the entire period. The next time I ate salt and vinegar chips in ss


    again, I was caught by the same teacher, so she banished me to the g stand of the sports ground.


    From then on, I was famous in the entire school for this embarrassing matter of eating salt and vinegar


    chips in ss.¡±


    The man by her side listened as she shared the interesting things that had happened to her in her


    schooling years. He couldn¡¯t help picturing her naughty self in his mind, and heughed out loud as he


    teased her, ¡°No wonder you¡¯re quite stupid. It must be because you didn¡¯t study well in school.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! I was very smart during my schooling years and I even gained a schrship with my


    results.¡± She smugly showed off to Matthew her glorious past.


    Meanwhile, he nodded his head slightly and there was an impressed look in his eyes as he kept his eyes


    on her and smiled without saying anything.


    They continued to browse the grocery store and selected some snacks and groceries before paying for


    the items.


    While they were paying for the items, Matthew stood at the back while Veronica stood in front to pack the


    items into bags. At that moment, she heard the cashier suddenly say in a soft voice, ¡°Wow! Your


    boyfriend¡¯s really handsome. He looks like President Kings from the Spinfluence Group.¡±


    Veronica did not expect the cashier to know Matthew, so she smiled and replied, ¡°He¡¯s my brother.


    However, he¡¯s notparable at all to that rich guy that you just mentioned.¡±


    The cashier¡¯s face flushed pink as she nced at Matthew from time to time but didn¡¯t dare to look him in


    the eye. ¡°Oh, so he¡¯s your brother, huh? Does he have a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Veronica was slightly taken aback. Are girls so straightforward in their intentions nowadays?


    Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind, and she immediately shook her head earnestly. ¡°Nope. Not at


    all. My brother doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend. Hey, you¡¯re so pretty. Why don¡¯t you share your contact details


    with him?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    The cashier was considered to have a fairplexion with beautiful features as well. She lifted her head


    and looked at Matthew with sparkling eyes. ¡°Handsome guy, let¡¯s swap numbers, alright?¡± Gosh, he¡¯s so


    handsome and he¡¯s almost six feet tall. He has such charisma too. Besides, he looks so handsome and


    cool, plus he doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend! This is great!


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    He rejected her rudely, with a thunderous look on his face. This annoying woman! She seems to be in a


    haste to sell me off to another woman! Since when am I so worthless?! I¡¯ve never been outrightly


    rejected to such an extent!


    ¡°Huh?¡± The cashier was stunned, and there was a look of disappointment that shed across her eyes.


    At that moment, Veronica kicked Matthew. ¡°You could befriend each other and keep in contact. Anyway,


    you don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡±


    As soon as she finished her sentence, he shot a cold look at her and held his gaze for a moment before


    turning to the cashier. He spoke in a maic voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not interested in women.¡±


    His words were so shocking that the others around them turned their heads to look at him at that


    moment.


    ¡°Y-You¡­ You¡¯re not interested in women?¡± The cashiermented as she scanned their items with the


    barcode machine.


    Even as the others lined up to pay behind them started to point fingers at Matthew, they also looked at


    him with odd expressions on their faces.


    ¡°He¡¯s such a handsome man, but he¡¯s not interested in women!¡±


    ¡°Although it¡¯s quitemon, it¡¯s still such a shame because of his good looks.¡±


    ¡°Darn it. This man¡¯s partner must be extremely handsome too. We girls can¡¯t even find a decent man,


    and yet we¡¯ve lost out on two handsome men here. Gosh!¡±


    ¡°Judging by his aura, he should be the dominant one in the rtionship.¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Veronica heard the crowd¡¯sments and the peculiar looks that they shot at him, and she


    wished she could stick her head into the ground. This is so embarrassing! I¡¯m so embarrassed!


    She looked at Matthew, who had an indifferent and calm look on his face as she quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ve a


    stomach ache. I¡¯ll leave first. Take your time to pay.¡±


    The cashier totaled up their bill and spoke up, ¡°Hi, thates to a total of 398.5.


    He paid the bill, took the items in his arms, and walked off.


    Meanwhile, the spective voices behind him grew louder, but he was unperturbed by everything.


    He walked out of the grocery store and went straight to the underground car park. Veronica was waiting


    for him beside the car by then. As soon as she saw him approach the car, she rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡°There were so many people there earlier. How dare you mention that you prefer the same gender!


    Aren¡¯t you afraid of being on the front page of the newspaper tomorrow?¡±


    She was quite impressed with how he held hisposure. After all, she was so awkward when faced


    with that situation earlier on.


    Matthew took the items and walked to the back of her car. Subsequently, he opened the trunk and ced


    the items inside.


    He shut the trunk and walked to stand in front of Veronica. With a cold look in his eyes, he looked down


    at the woman in front of him and reached out to lift her chin. ¡°Do not fool around next time.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    She opened her mouth and tried to say something, but before she could even get a word across, he had


    retracted his hand. ¡°Good night. You should go home.¡±


    He got into his car and drove off.


    The reason why Matthew walked off so swiftly was that he knew Veronica had made a U-turn and gone


    to the grocery store because she didn¡¯t want him to know where she was staying.

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243


    Chapter 243 Matthew¡¯s Immense Anger


    Since that was the case, Matthew didn¡¯t want to pursue it any further.


    As Veronica watched his car gradually drive off, she reached out and stroked her chin. Suddenly, she


    felt her face flush red.


    This annoying man seemed to be behaving much more tenderly toward her than ever. Her heart raced


    and thudded frantically. This is too much!


    ¡­


    Two dayster, the charity project of Bloomstead was held at Hilton Hotel.


    That afternoon, Veronica sorted out all of her work at thepany and was about to leave for Hilton


    Hotel.


    At that moment, an unknown male walked into her room and stood in front of her. ¡°Hi, Miss Murphy, I¡¯m


    Troy Ritter, and I¡¯m President Kings¡¯ newly appointed personal assistant. This is the gown he sent me


    over with.¡±


    ¡°Newly appointed personal assistant?¡±


    Veronica frowned. ¡°Thomas was doing the job well, so why was he reced?¡±


    The person in front of her also had the samest name as Thomas¡ªRitter¡ªand he had a strong


    resemnce to Thomas, but he was slightly taller and darker. This man seemed to exude a righteous


    air. Though he wasn¡¯t exceptionally handsome, he was quite masculine and his looks were quite


    comfortable on the eyes.


    ¡°The other day, that brat Thomas was rude toward you, Miss Murphy, so President Kings gave him


    some time off.¡± Troy smiled and responded politely.


    ¡°Has he been dismissed?¡±


    ¡°No, he has just been given some time off and has gone on a break.¡± Troy didn¡¯t dare to reveal much,


    so he didn¡¯t tell Veronica the truth.


    Matthew had not brought up this matter with Veronica, so she didn¡¯t bother about it too much. She took


    the gown from Troy and mentioned, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°President Kings said he would be hereter to pick you up and drive you to the event.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Veronica affirmed this, and subsequently, Troy left.


    She took the gown and changed into it at thepany. After doing that, she waited patiently for


    Matthew to arrive.


    The exquisite and pretty gown she had on attracted the attention of her colleagues, and everyone was


    full of praise and admiration. She had no choice but to tell them that it was a rental gown.


    Ten minutester, Matthew arrived at the entrance of herpany, and there was a buzz on her phone


    from the notification by Matthew. She instantly grabbed her square bag and walked out to get into the


    front passenger seat of his car.


    She was dressed in a figure-hugging, strapless gown that was cinched at the waist, and the silver gown


    was adorned with sequins. The special material glittered slightly like the night skies as the sunlight hit


    the dress. It was stunning.


    Matthew nced at her, and his eyes shone at the sight of her. He was once again wowed by her


    stunning looks.


    She looked good in anything that she donned, and she always seemed to be able to bring out the best


    and prettiest features of every gown that she put on. She looked just like an elegant princessing


    out of the castle, and there was an air of nobility that she exuded.


    ¡°You have good taste.¡± Veronica was generous with her praises.


    In response, he curled his lips into a slight smile and retracted his gaze. As he drove, he replied, ¡°It fits


    you very well.¡±


    Ding¡ª As he drove, there was the sound of a text message notification on his cell phone.


    His cell phone number was not generally known to many people, so it must be something urgent if the


    other party contacted him.


    He took a look at his cell phone while waiting at the traffic lights, and he saw that it was a text message


    from a bank with the reminder, ¡®Bank of Destor- Transaction of 328888.00pleted by Veronica


    Murphy on October 8th, 17:05. Your current bnce¡­¡¯


    As soon as he saw the message, his expression instantly turned thunderous, and he turned to look at


    her with a cold expression in his eyes. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an expression of my gratitude for your help in picking out a gown for me. You¡¯ve saved me the


    effort of picking out a gown by myself.¡± Veronica beamed at him, and her red lips curved slightly.


    She had checked the price of this gown and the exact cost was 328888.


    She didn¡¯t want to have any unnecessary mary entanglements with Matthew, so after checking the


    price of the gown, she swiftly transferred the amount it cost to him.


    As for the gown that she had on, she didn¡¯t remove the tags at all because she nned to return the


    gown to the merchant after today¡¯s event. After all, the gown was too expensive.


    He looked at her from the side of his eyes, and he kept his cold eyes intently on her without saying


    anything for quite some time. There were plenty of emotions masked in his dark eyes.


    Meanwhile, she felt slightly apprehensive under his watchful eyes, and she turned her head in the other


    direction before muttering, ¡°The light just turned green. You should start moving. The car behind us is


    honking loudly.¡±


    She was quite clear that her actions would trigger his displeasure, but she honestly didn¡¯t want to be


    entangled with him unnecessarily.


    As for Matthew, he started the car and drove along with his eyes in front of him. He didn¡¯t say a word at


    all along the way.


    Veronica sensed that he was in a bad mood, so she didn¡¯t say a word either and silently watched some


    videos to kill time.


    Half an hourter, they finally pulled into Hilton Hotel.


    The event was held at the grand hall on the second floor of Hilton Hotel.


    Although it was a charity event, it was a special charity event organized by the Bloomstead local


    government. It was actually a cocktail party and an auction.


    The benefactors donated their antiques and collector¡¯s items to be auctioned, and then the entire


    proceeds from the auction would be used for charitable purposes.


    The people in attendance at this charity event were the top scions of society in Bloomstead, so there


    was an array of luxury cars in front of the hotel entrance. Everyone had on custom-made suits or


    gowns, and they were dressed to the nines. It was like a fashion show.


    Matthew got out of the car and looked at Veronica, who was walking in his direction. Subsequently, he


    lifted his arms slightly and signaled to her with his eyes.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this would be appropriate.¡±


    She realized that he intended for her to hold on to his arms. Although she was his god-sister and


    partner for the event, she was still quite against the idea of it.


    ¡°You¡¯re grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter and you¡¯re also¡­¡±


    ¡°Roni?¡±


    Matthew hadn¡¯t finished his sentence when suddenly someone called out her name affectionately from


    behind.


    Both of them turned around to look and saw that it was Yvonne, dressed in a ck,ce pleated dress,


    and she was walking quite briskly toward them in her high heels.


    Perhaps it was because Veronica and Yvonne had an open and honest conversation with each other in


    the restaurant that their rtionship was better than before. Yvonne had now started to address


    Veronica as ¡®Roni¡¯.


    ¡°Yvonne, you¡¯re here as well?¡±


    Veronica suddenly realized that Yvonne was her lifesaver, so the former intended to keep a tight grip on


    thetter the best she could.


    As soon as Veronica realized this, an idea popped into her mind. ¡°Are you here by yourself today


    during such an event? Where¡¯s your partner?¡±


    ¡°President Kings, you¡¯re here too.¡± Yvonne revealed a slight smile and greeted Matthew. Subsequently,


    she turned to look at Veronica and shrugged. ¡°I wish I had a partner too, but unfortunately I don¡¯t have


    one.¡±


    ¡°There is one for you!¡±


    Veronica lifted her brows and dragged Yvonne along. Subsequently, the former shoved thetter right


    in front of Matthew and smiled sweetly at him. ¡°Matthew, here¡¯s a partner for you.¡±


    As soon as Matthew heard her words, a cold look appeared on his face, and he red at her with a


    dark look in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t need one.¡±


    After he had said that, he flung the coat he held in his arms straight at Veronica, and somehow, it hit


    her squarely on the forehead. He then strode off angrily.


    Meanwhile, Veronica pulled the coat off her head. She knew that this was a jacket prepared for her by


    Matthew. After all, it waste autumn now and the weather could get quite chilly. One would definitely


    freeze in the cold if they had a gown on without any jacket.


    A month earlier, the temperature during the day could get up to 86 degrees, but now it had dropped to


    the fifties, so it was definitely hard to get used to this change in temperature.


    ¡°Roni, what are you trying to do? President King seems mad.¡± Yvonne nudged Veronica with her


    elbows to remind her.


    However, Veronica draped the jacket over her shoulders and reacted quite nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯m not his


    mother, so I¡¯m not responsible for his emotions.¡±


    ¡°Matthew?¡±


    As Veronica and Yvonne were talking about Matthew, a voice rang out and interrupted them. They saw


    Ruka dressed in an emerald two-piece suit, and her full cleavage was quite evident from the deep


    neckline of her suit. Her luscious dark hair was slightly curled and hung loosely on her shoulders. She


    had on a pair of red tassel earrings, which made herplexion look much prettier and more milky-


    white than ever. She exuded elegance.


    She was in a pair of stilettos as she strode to Matthew¡¯s side. With a tilt of her head, she curved her red


    lips into a wide smile. ¡°Matthew, do you not have a partner? I don¡¯t have one either. Let¡¯s pair up and


    head inside.¡±

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244


    Chapter 244 Tiffany¡¯s Proposal to Xavier for a Coboration


    ¡°Hey, hey. Look¡­¡±


    Yvonne pointed in front and turned to say to Veronica, ¡°There is someone running after the person you


    have no interest in.¡±


    Although Yvonne was usually quite clueless, she could actually tell that Matthew was interested in


    Veronica.


    Yvonne shook her head. ¡°Gosh, he¡¯s such a great guy, so why aren¡¯t you interested in him?¡±


    Meanwhile, Veronica rolled her eyes at Yvonne. ¡°Compared to the guy who proposed to you, he¡¯s


    totally no match for that person.¡±


    ¡°So, do you find him too ¡®poor¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Go away! What do you mean by that?! What I wanted to put forward is that there is no point in


    forcefully making things work out in a rtionship. After all, if youpare this with your situation, the


    guy who proposed to you can be considered a golden boy, and yet you have no interest in him.¡±


    After Veronica had said that, she lifted her head to see that Ruka had already clutched Matthew¡¯s arm


    and the two of them made their way inside together.


    For some reason, Veronica felt quite displeased to see Ruka¡ªthat conniving and schemeful woman¡ª


    so close to Matthew.


    Yvonne affectionately hitched her hand around Veronica¡¯s arm, and the two of them entered the


    banquet hall as well.


    After the two of them entered the hall, a Land Rover arrived at the hotel.


    The car door was opened and Xavier stepped out of the car.


    After suffering injuries at the warehouse thest time, Xavier had been recuperating from his injuries in


    the hospital the entire time. Fortunately, the gunshot wound he had suffered was on the upper part of


    his right knee, and there were no bone injuries, so he was able to be discharged from the hospital in


    such a short time.


    After all, this was just a minor injury to him that could be ovee by tolerating it.


    However, Melissa was not as fortunate as he was. She had sustained gunshot wounds on both legs,


    and one of the gunshots had shattered her meniscus on one leg quite badly.


    Right now, she was receiving conservative treatment at the hospital, and if her condition worsened,


    there was a high chance that she would end up walking with a limp in the future.


    Xavier shut the car door and instinctively reached out to straighten his necktie. Just as he was about to


    walk off and leave the parking lot, someone got out of a car and approached him from the side.


    ¡°Young Master Xavier.¡±


    Tiffany, who had been waiting there for quite some time, got out of the back of another car. ¡°I¡¯ve been


    waiting for you for quite some time.¡± She spoke up frankly.


    As soon as Xavier saw that it was Tiffany making her way toward him, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Miss


    Larson, why do you want to see me?¡±


    Several days ago, Tiffany told the press that she had been kidnapped by Matthew¡¯s enemy. Although


    that was just an excuse that she hade up with to exin the situation to the others, right now, with


    her standing in front of him, it was quite clear that she was clueless about the truth.


    However, this was as far from the truth as it was.


    Although Tiffany didn¡¯t have the ability to hide the truth, her father¡ªFloch¡ªhad arranged for some men


    to investigate this matter in detail. He had found out that the mastermind of this incident was Xavier¡¯s


    sister, Melissa.


    Initially, Tiffany found this hard to believe, but after that, Conrad visited her frequently, so she beat


    around the bush and sneakily got a confirmation from Conrad.


    At that point, she realized that Melissa was the one who had sabotaged her.


    However, Tiffany refused to let things slide.


    Prior to this, Melissa and Veronica were very close friends, so it was quite likely that Veronica had


    yed a role in sowing discord, or perhaps it was quite likely that Veronica had cajoled Melissa into


    making that decision.


    Tiffany held a limited edition Herm¨¨s bag in her arms and approached Xavier. ¡°Young Master Xavier,


    I¡¯m here to see you because I wanted to discuss a coboration with you.¡±


    She had stayed out of the public eye for the past half a month, and now that she appeared in public,


    she seemed to have lost a significant amount of weight. She had an unhealthy pallor, but with some


    makeup on, she looked quite healthy with rosy cheeks.


    ¡°A coboration?¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Xavier leaned against the side of his car and asked with interest, ¡°I¡¯ve hardly ever interacted with you,


    Miss Larson. We¡¯re not of the same kind, so we would not be able to get along. What sort of


    coboration could we work on together?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Xavier, you¡¯re being too close-minded.¡±


    Tiffany surveyed the surroundings to ensure that there was no one around before mentioning to him, in


    a lowered voice, ¡°Although we¡¯re not friends, we have a mutual enemy, so that would make us friends.¡±


    ¡°Oh. What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard spection that Matthew¡¯s men caused you and your sister to sustain serious injuries that


    required hospitalization due to you approaching Veronica. Is this true?¡±


    Tiffany pretended to be clueless about the incident during the wedding.


    Right now, she had no one else to help her but herself, and she was powerless against the others, so


    she needed to garner the support of someone.


    Presently, Xavier seemed to be the only one suitable around her.


    If she could strike a deal with Xavier, not only would she be able to deal with Matthew and Veronica,


    but she could also find a chance to seek revenge against Melissa once she had obtained Xavier¡¯s trust.


    The torment she had been through all this while had resulted in a drastic change in her behavior, and


    she was now much better at tolerating tough moments.


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Xavier had his doubts about Tiffany.


    ¡°Everyone in our circle is talking about this, so it would be easy for me to find out.¡± Tiffany heaved a


    sigh. ¡°I admire you for your persistence in love, Young Master Xavier. I was exactly the same in the


    past when I was deeply infatuated with Matthew. However, ultimately, I was cast aside by him too.¡±


    Xavier felt slightly repulsed as she approached him.


    ¡°Do you know who else attacked me that day, other than Matthew?¡± Xavier replied with a question.


    ¡°Of course. It was Veronica, right?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re aware of this, you should realize that it was Melissa who sent men to deal with you.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Yes, Veronica and Matthew both mentioned this. However, I¡¯m not stupid. I have never


    crossed Melissa¡¯s path, so why would she send men to kidnap me?¡±


    Tiffany smirked self-mockingly. ¡°I sent men to investigate the matter too, alright? There was no


    evidence to prove that this was all under Melissa¡¯s instructions, but Matthew insisted that it was her.


    Why did he have to do that? It¡¯s all for the sake of helping that b*tch Veronica cover up the truth! He¡¯s


    in love with Veronica and he was afraid that Old Mrs. Kings would be disappointed in Veronica if the


    truth was exposed, so he shifted the me to Melissa. Subsequently, he sent his men to injure you and


    your sister to make the story usible. With the public support, even without any concrete proof, as


    long as he announced to the public that it was Melissa¡¯s doing, she would be med for it regardless!¡±


    Meanwhile, up till now, Tiffany had no idea of the reason behind Melissa¡¯s action. The only possible


    exnation was that Melissa had been taken advantage of by that b*tch, Veronica.


    Xavier scrutinized Tiffany coldly, and he seemed to be trying to deduce Tiffany¡¯s intentions with his


    deep expression as he tried to bore into her eyes.


    Unbeknownst to him, Tiffany was superb at putting on an act.


    Her clear eyes were full of innocence and rage. She did not look as if she was faking it at all.


    At that moment, Xavier was slightly confused. Could it be that she really has no idea about the truth?


    ¡°Young Master Xavier, are you doubting me? Hah!¡±


    She smiled self-mockingly. ¡°In the past, Matthew mercilessly canceled our wedding and brought me to


    the hospital to get an abortion after the truth was revealed that I reced Veronica and imed to be


    the one who saved his life.¡±


    As Tiffany mentioned this, she became quite agitated, and she immediately rustled in her bag for a


    medical report. She flung the report forcefully at Xavier. ¡°Because of Matthew¡¯s action, I can no longer


    get pregnant and bear a child in this lifetime. I hate him! I hate Veronica as well, and I want to seek


    revenge!¡±


    In order to coborate with Xavier, it was imperative that she gained his trust. At this point, she came


    up with some half-truths, and paired with the medical report, it was the best way for her to gain his


    trust.


    Xavier listened to her speak through clenched teeth as he lowered his head to nce at the medical


    report in his hand. The result of the report definitely showed that it would be quite hard for her to


    conceive from then on.


    ¡°Are you really that confident that this is all Veronica¡¯s doing?¡± He asked her probingly.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    She spoke up furiously, ¡°The first night that I was kidnapped, Veronica sneaked into my housete at


    night, and she entered my room from the balcony on the second floor. She personally held a knife to


    my neck and attempted to take my life. If it weren¡¯t for my parents¡¯ timely arrival on the scene, I would


    have died that night! Nheless, she also resorted to setting fire to my room before she left.¡±

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245


    Chapter 245 Fight to ce a Bid


    As Tiffany spoke, she opened the surveince camera footage on her phone, and the screenshot that


    she took of it was exactly the first night when she had been kidnapped.


    The footage was fast-forwarded and yed at double the speed. The video clearly depicted Veronica


    sneaking into Tiffany¡¯s housete at night. Soon after that, the second floor was lit up, and Tiffany came


    down from the second floor. That was the night of Xavier¡¯s birthday.


    Veronica had nearly been run down by a car that night too, so Xavier remembered it very clearly. It was


    that day that he had sent his men to kidnap Tiffany, but then Melissa had given different instructions to


    the men at short notice and instructed them to cause Tiffany to miscarry.


    In the end, the men he sent had not done their jobs as instructed. They had been taken by Tiffany¡¯s


    pretty looks and forced themselves on her, which resulted in all this today.


    Xavier kept his eyes on Tiffany¡¯s cell phone, and as he pondered over the situation, he realized that


    Tiffany had regarded Veronica as the mastermind behind the kidnapping and abuse encounter because


    Veronica had sneaked into Tiffany¡¯s house to take action against Tiffany.


    If he was in the same position, he would have jumped to the same conclusion as well. After all, Melissa


    had hardly been in contact with Tiffany, so it made sense for Tiffany toe to that conclusion. This


    woman¡¯s merely a pretty face. How can she be regarded as a talented girl in Bloomstead? She¡¯s just a


    bimbo. Well, she could be of value if I made good use of her.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to coborate to handle Matthew but Veronica belongs to me!¡±


    Before he had been injured by Veronica, he had treated her extremely well because she was the only


    one in this universe that he thought was sincere and unpretentious. He found that she was a good-


    hearted woman.


    However, that day at the abandoned warehouse, when Veronica held a gun and shot him and Melissa


    without any hesitation before flinging a cheque for half a million at them, the perfect images he had had


    in his mind about Veronica had instantly dissipated and he waspletely disillusioned.


    He had done so much to save her, and he had even nned to start up a branch in her hometown.


    As for the matter with Melissa, Xavier didn¡¯t me Veronica for it at all. However, he didn¡¯t expect that


    Veronica would actually be so angered by Melissa¡¯s actions to the point that Veronica had no qualms


    about shooting them with a gun.


    Xavier had always regarded himself as a man who would do anything for his friends, but never, in his


    wildest imagination, would he have expected the woman he loved to behave as heartless and ruthless


    as Matthew.


    For a split second, Tiffany hesitated, but ultimately, she smiled. ¡°I can promise not to do anything to


    Veronica for the time being because of ourmon enemy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± Xavier lifted his brows and smiled sinisterly while affirming.


    ¡­


    Naturally, Veronica was unaware of the scene that was going on in the parking lot outside.


    However, as soon as she took a seat in the banquet hall, she saw Xavier walk in soon after, with Tiffany


    right next to him.


    The incident with Tiffany had been exposed by the press previously, so her presence caused a slight


    uproar.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the talented girl, Tiffany? The guy next to her¡­ Is that Xavier?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. Xavier¡¯s such a yer. He¡¯s always surrounded by different women.¡±


    ¡°Tiffany¡¯s quite a conniving woman too. However, I do admire her for her courage to admit her mistake


    to the press. She¡¯s daring in her ways, and I like that!¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure that she wasn¡¯t forced by Young Master Matthew to admit her mistake in front


    of the press?¡±


    ¡°Hah! Based on his usual way of handling things, if he knew about this from someone else, he would


    have sought her life. He would not allow her to continue to roam free in Bloomstead.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re quite right about that.¡±


    ¡°I have to say though, Tiffany¡¯s very pretty. Nheless,pared to her younger sister, Veronica,


    she¡¯s slightly less good-looking.¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd continued to discuss amongst themselves about this incident, as the charity event hadn¡¯t


    officially started.


    Everyone spected about this, but none of them were aware that the reason Matthew had spared


    Tiffany¡¯s life was because of her identity as Veronica¡¯s older sister. Veronica had always been the


    subject of spection by the public. Furthermore, after the annulment of their engagement, she had


    instantly been announced to be Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ god-granddaughter. If something happened to Tiffany


    at this point in time, the crowd would once again focus their attention on Veronica. That would be quite


    inconvenient for her. Besides, she would have to face the pressure and spection of the crowd. It was


    because of all this that Matthew hadn¡¯t instantly taken action against the Larson Family.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean that he would continue to withhold doing anything despite his putting a stop


    to things right now.


    ¡°Matthew, look. Tiffany¡¯s here with Young Master Xavier.¡± Ruka sat next to Matthew, and on his other


    side, Veronica sat with Yvonne.


    The seating n for this charity event had been prearranged, and there was a name written on every


    seat. Everyone took their seats ording to their names.


    Veronica heard Ruka affectionately address Matthew, and she couldn¡¯t help but lift her head to nce


    at Matthew. However, he brushed her off and lowered his head to look at the introductory page on his


    phone.


    The introductory page was mainly to introduce the event today and also the items that would be


    auctioned today.


    Ruka realized that her words did not gain Matthew¡¯s attention, so she perceptively realized that he was


    not interested in Tiffany. She was quite pretentious as she mentioned, ¡°Although Tiffany was quite


    dejected for quite a while after the annulment of your engagement, it looks like she has ovee that


    bleak period in her life. I¡¯m so happy for her.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Roni, isn¡¯t that Xavier? Why is he suddenly so close to Tiffany?¡± Coincidentally, Yvonne heard


    Ruka¡¯s words too, so Yvonne piped in as well.


    Meanwhile, Veronica lifted her head to look over, and she kept her eyes on the two who were making


    their way in this direction. At that moment, Veronica¡¯s eyes met Xavier¡¯s eyes from afar.


    His intense gaze was quite deep andplicated.


    At that point, Veronica¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she felt anxious all of a sudden.


    She recalled the conversation she had overheard between Hendric and Xavier at the hospital the other


    day, and she suddenly sympathized with Xavier.


    ¡°It¡¯smon toe with a partner for such events, so it doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± Veronica was quite


    nonchnt about everything.


    Xavier¡¯s and Tiffany¡¯s seats were behind Veronica¡¯s and she felt slightly tense about being seated in


    front of them.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Shortly after that, the charity event started.


    The host introduced the contents of their charity activities and the rundown of the event today.


    Subsequently, the first activity, which was the auctioning of donated items, started.


    The first item presented was an antique vase, and the starting bid was one million. Finally, the item was


    auctioned off for four million.


    Subsequently, the second item was auctioned, followed by the third and the fourth item.


    The fifth item on the action list was a dark blue teardrop-shaped sapphire ne, and it was


    exquisite. There was a great love story for the owner of this ne, so it was quite a meaningful


    item.


    Veronica looked at the ne and found herself somehow quite attracted to it with just a nce.


    Furthermore, her heart raced and she felt very excited at the sight of it.


    ¡°The starting bid for this ne is eight hundred thousand.¡± The host yelled out.


    Veronica instantly lifted her card and ced a bid, ¡°Eight hundred and thirty thousand.¡±


    As soon as she ced a bid, there was a sound behind her, and Xavier called out, ¡°Nine hundred


    thousand!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but turn around to look at Xavier behind her. However, he no longer had his usual


    slightly wicked and unrestrained smile on his face. He had a cold, distant look on his face at the


    moment.


    ¡°Nine hundred and fifty thousand,¡± Tiffany called out subsequently.


    At that point, Veronica rolled her eyes and thought that the two of them must be out of their minds.


    They seemed to be intentionally going against her.


    Earlier on, she didn¡¯t ce a bid on the other items, so the two of them remained silent. Now that she


    had decided to ce a bid, they started to bid against her.


    ¡°One million!¡±


    Just as Veronica was about to ce another higher bid, Ruka bid on it too and brought the auction to


    one million.

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246


    Chapter 246 A Challenge


    Although there was an auction going on right now and everyone could ce their respective bids,


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but feel targeted.


    In the end, she chose to remain silent.


    However, the others continued to ce their bids.


    ¡°One million and thirty thousand.¡±


    ¡°One million and fifty thousand.¡±


    ¡°One million and two hundred thousand.¡±


    The price of the item went up significantly, and finally, it was auctioned off at a high price of seven


    million and five hundred thousand. It was way more than the original worth of the ne.


    Although the ne was quite exquisite, the quality of the stone was mediocre.


    Ruka was the one who had bought the ne for seven million and five hundred thousand.


    After she had ced that bid, no one else continued to ce a bid.


    The host eximed, ¡°Miss Dame has ced a bid of seven million and fifty thousand. Is there anyone


    else who¡¯s interested? Alright! Seven million and fifty thousand once¡­ Seven million and fifty thousand


    twice¡­¡±


    The host purposely dragged his voice as he yelled out.


    Meanwhile, Veronica couldn¡¯t quite tell why, but she felt quite attracted to the ne for some


    reason.


    After some hesitation, Veronica, who hadn¡¯t ced a bid for quite some time, lifted her card and said,


    ¡°Seven¡­¡±


    ¡°Ten million!¡±


    Before she could even ce her bid, Matthew, who was next to her, instantly increased the price to ten


    million.


    She frowned, and there was a displeased look on her exquisite milky-white face. ¡°What do you want


    the ne for?¡±


    He nced at her calmly from the side, and he was about to say ¡®as a gift for you¡¯, but he stifled the


    words that he intended to say.


    Perhaps he was unhappy because she had persistently tried to push other women toward him, so he


    instantly changed his sentence and replied, ¡°I like it.¡±


    Meanwhile, Veronica was left speechless by his reply.


    ¡°Alright, Young Master Matthew from Spinfluence Group has ced a bid for ten million. Is there


    anyone else interested in cing a higher bid?¡± The host was very excited and the atmosphere of the


    auction event became increasingly livelier.


    That was because Matthew hadn¡¯t ced a bid for any of the other items that were being auctioned off.


    Once he ced a bid, though, he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.


    Veronica was evidently angered by his actions, and she inched closer to him. ¡°It¡¯s just a ne. Why


    don¡¯t you stop fighting me for it?¡±


    ¡°This is an auction.¡± He lifted his head slightly, and there was a slight smile on his handsome face.


    ¡°Gosh, I know that. But I don¡¯t have that much money. If you continue cing bids on it, I won¡¯t be able


    to afford it.¡± Veronica used her bid card and covered her face with it as she spoke in a low voice to


    Matthew.


    ¡°You could try and beg me. I might agree to your request.¡± His wicked words were full of dominance,


    and for a moment there, he seemed to resemble his previous coldly distant and elegant self, as she


    first met him.


    ¡°Beg¡­ How should I beg?¡±


    Veronica was slightly confused, and she looked at him solemnly before speaking up in a neutral voice,


    ¡°Please then, could you stop bidding on the ne?¡± There was a confused note in her voice, which


    somehow sounded quite adorable.


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°What else do you want from me?¡±


    She spoke as the host of the auction called out the bidding price onstage. ¡°Ten million twice! Is there


    anyone else who wants to ce a bid?¡±


    She instantly lifted her card and said, ¡°I would like to ce a bid for one hundred on top of the current


    bidding price.¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Pfft¡­ Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°One hundred on top of the current bidding price? Is she challenging Young Master Matthew?¡±


    ¡°This woman¡¯s just banking on Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ affections for her, and she seems to be behaving quite


    insolently.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not wrong of her to ce a bid for one hundred on top of the current bidding price. There¡¯s no


    minimum increment specified for this item.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Eleven million.¡±


    After Veronica had ced her bid, Matthew instantly increased his bidding price by one million.


    As soon as she heard him yell out, she angrily directed a kick at him and leaned over. ¡°Do you have a


    death wish?! I don¡¯t have that much money!¡±


    He felt the pain, but he put on a calm front. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll get my ountant to transfer you the


    one hundred million I owe you for saving my life as soon as possible. That should be enough.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s precious money too.¡±


    ¡°This is for charity, so it¡¯s good to be generous.¡± He revealed a half-smile while Veronica¡¯s expression


    turned ashen from the anger.


    As the two whispered to each other, Xavier and Tiffany¡ªseated at the back¡ªand Ruka, who was next


    to Matthew, were significantly jealous, and there were angry expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Thirteen million!¡± Ruka suddenly ced a bid.


    At that point, Veronica sat up straight and looked at Ruka with a pout on her lips. Veronica realized then


    that it was pretty much impossible for her to win the bid for this ne.


    Even Yvonne, seated next to Veronica, tugged on Veronica¡¯s wrist and said softly, ¡°Stop bidding on this.


    The ne isn¡¯t made of a rare grade of sapphire and it¡¯s iparable to a blue diamond of great


    quality. This is just an ordinary sapphire. It¡¯s not worth the price.¡±


    ¡°I realize that.¡± Veronica nodded. Although Yvonne was right, she somehow yearned to own that piece


    of sapphire.


    ¡°Fourteen million.¡± Tiffany, who hadn¡¯t ced a bid for quite some time now, increased the bidding price


    as well.


    At that moment, the atmosphere of the auction was significantly lively, and the crowd¡¯s spective


    voices grew louder.


    ¡°This is just an ordinary sapphire. It would be great enough if it was sold for more than a million. I can¡¯t


    believe that it has now gone past the ten million mark!¡±


    ¡°Women generally love such trinkets.¡±


    ¡°If my wife wasted so much money bidding on this, I would definitely wring her neck!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Tiffany¡¯s younger sister, right? The sisters seem to be at odds with each other.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite obvious that they don¡¯t get along. Otherwise, why would Veronica have agreed to be


    Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ god-granddaughter and refused to go back to the Larson Family?¡±


    ¡°The Larsons are a well-known phnthropic corporation in Bloomstead. From the looks of things,


    Floch Larson must not be a decent guy.¡±


    ¡­


    Each time Tiffany and Veronica appeared together, they would always be the hottest topic of


    spection.


    The reason for that was that there was amon thing linking them¡ªMatthew.


    Veronica lifted her bid card. ¡°One hundred on top of the current bidding price.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! She¡¯s challenging them so brazenly.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s from the countryside, so obviously shecks manners.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with her doing that. How is that consideredcking manners? I find her quite an


    interesting person.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a battle between the two sisters.¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd continued to whisper amongst themselves, but Tiffany suddenly voiced out, ¡°Veronica, stop


    cing a bid. I intended to bid on this ne as a gift for you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t speak loudly, but her words were audible to most people around them.


    The incident during the wedding dinner had been very damaging to Tiffany¡¯s reputation, so right now,


    she had to resort to anything in order to salvage her image.


    As soon as Veronica heard Tiffany¡¯s pretentious words, the former vowed, Even if she ends up giving


    me the ne, I won¡¯t take it!


    ¡°Thanks for the kind thoughts, Miss Larson. This is for charity, so I reckon I should put in an effort too.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s superficial words were on point, but she also managed to be brash toward Tiffany.


    Although Tiffany was significantly displeased with Veronica¡¯s rejection of her gift, the former smiled


    demurely. ¡°Veronica, you¡¯re quite right. Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll bid on the next item then.¡±


    Veronica merely smiled without saying a word, but in her mind, she thought, What a pretentious b*tch!


    Tiffany¡¯s words sounded very eloquent, and the crowd seemed to have a much better impression of her


    than before.


    ¡°Miss Larson has such a demure personality. She¡¯s definitely the epitome of ady.¡±


    ¡°Other than love, she¡¯s happy to give up everything else to others, so she¡¯s quite a character.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just putting on an act.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a pretentious b*tch! Haven¡¯t you realized that Veronica dislikes her too?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Fourteen million and five hundred thousand.¡± Ruka continued to ce a bid.


    Ruka was the eldest daughter of the Dame Family, so she had both power and great looks. She had


    joined the family business quite a while ago and worked hard along with her father. Thus, she had


    plenty of money. If it was something that she was after, she would definitely be able to get it. Of course,


    though, Matthew was the exception.


    Veronica clearly knew that Ruka was trying to show her up, but she continued to lift her card and spoke


    up, ¡°Twenty million!¡±


    Her sudden increase in the bidding price caused everyone in the hall to turn and look in her direction.

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247


    Chapter 247 Veronica¡¯s Moment of Glory


    Veronica realized that she had acted very impulsively, but it was fortunate because she was confident


    that Ruka would bid for it too.


    Veronica tilted her head and looked at Ruka with a smile on her face. As for Ruka, she leaned forward


    and looked at Veronica with a smile on her face as well.


    Matthew sat in between them and separated the two of them. He crossed his legs and sat straight in


    his seat with his eyes looking to the front, but he could clearly sense the battle between the two


    women.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I heard that Veronica¡¯s not that well-off. How dare she ce such a high bid. She must be doing that


    because she has the Kings¡¯ to back her up.¡±


    ¡°She saved Young Master Matthew and Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ lives before, so twenty million is nothing. Even


    if she used fifty million, the Kings would not bat an eyelid at all.¡±


    ¡°Hah! She¡¯s giving me the chance to see how a nouveau riche behaves.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just an ordinary woman who isn¡¯t familiar with the outside world. She¡¯s too dumb and clueless.


    It¡¯s just a simple sapphire ne, and yet she has ced a bid for twenty million on that.¡±


    ¡­


    There were some people who were annoyed with Veronica¡¯s frenzied bidding, and they found her


    actions wildly arrogant.


    Meanwhile, Ruka slowly lifted her bidding card as she tilted her head to look at Veronica. ¡°Twenty-one


    million!¡±


    ¡°Wow! The eldest daughter of the Dame Family is indeed wealthy.¡±


    ¡°Although Tiffany is much prettier than Ruka, I still prefer the eldest daughter of the Dame Family. She¡¯s


    much more intellectual in her ways.¡±


    ¡°I wonder who would be lucky enough to marry her?¡±


    ¡°That person must be quite impressive too.¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica remained silent amid the loud spection.


    The host continued to yell out, ¡°The eldest daughter of the Dame Family has ced a bid for twenty-


    one million. Is there anyone out there who wishes to ce another bid? Twenty-one million once¡­


    Twenty-one million twice¡­¡±


    As the host continued to yell, Veronica snorted, but she didn¡¯t ce another bid.


    Meanwhile, Yvonne, who was by her side, moved in front of Veronica and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re too


    naughty. You¡¯ve raised the bidding price so much all of a sudden. Weren¡¯t you worried that she wouldn¡¯t


    ce another bid?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll definitely bid on it.¡± Veronica was full of confidence.


    ¡°Are there any other bidders out there?¡± The host scanned the crowd, but no one uttered a sound. He


    held the hammer in his hand and lifted it high. ¡°Twenty-one million thr¡­¡±


    ¡°Twenty-five million!¡±


    Suddenly, there was a loud voice that rang out from the crowd.


    Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice, and they saw Xavier reveal a wicked smile. He


    ced both hands on the armrest by the side of his chair and hollered, ¡°Since Roni loves this ne,


    I¡¯ll win this as a gift for her.¡±


    After he had said that, he leaned forward and inched close to Veronica¡¯s ear to whisper softly, ¡°Does


    that sound great?¡±


    She felt him suddenly inch closer to her, and she could feel a shiver run down her spine at that point.


    She no longer felt as rxed and happy as she was when she first got to know Xavier. On the contrary,


    she felt bone-chillingly terrified around him.


    The other day at the warehouse, she held a gun at him and shot him with it, but right now, he was


    about to spend twenty-five million to buy a ne for her!


    As for Matthew, he was expressionless to the side, but there was a cold glint that shed across his


    eyes.


    ¡°This is interesting. Perhaps today is Veronica¡¯s moment of glory?¡±


    ¡°I know right. Earlier on, Tiffany intended to win the ne for her, and now Xavier¡¯s also bidding on


    the ne as a gift for her!¡±


    ¡°I heard that not long ago, Veronica and Matthew teamed up and hurt Xavier and Melissa. Right now,


    he¡¯s bidding on a ne for Veronica, though. What¡¯s up with that?¡±


    ¡°Could it be false rumors?¡±


    ¡°Xavier never follows the rules in what he does, so who knows what he¡¯s up to.¡±


    ¡­


    The function today was attended by the rich and popr business people of Bloomstead. It was


    supposed to be a simple charity event, but right now it seemed to have be slightly different.


    Veronica shook her head repeatedly and ignored the odd looks cast by the crowd. She clenched her


    fist and made a friendly gesture as she gently punched Xavier in the chest twice. ¡°Stop fooling around,


    Xavier. Though we¡¯re siblings, we should still keep our finances separate. This gift is too expensive, so


    I can¡¯t ept it.¡±


    ¡°Siblings? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting increasingly confused.¡±


    ¡°Previously, Xavier confessed his love to Veronica during Tiffany and Young Master Matthew¡¯s


    engagement party.¡±


    ¡°There is so much entertainment today.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Well, you do regard me as your older brother, so since it¡¯s a gift from your brother, there is no reason


    for you to reject it.¡± Xavier curved his lips into a slightly sinister smile.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±


    Suddenly, there was another voice that rang outzily.


    Everyone was instantly attracted by the cold and low voice. After they realized who was the owner of


    that voice, everyone gasped. It was no one else but Matthew.


    ¡°Do you think that the Kings Family is insignificant? You¡¯re in no position to buy a present for Roni with


    me around.¡±


    Matthew, who had remained silent all this while, resembled a resting beast, and just as the crowd


    overlooked his presence, he suddenly opened his sharp eyes to peer at the crowd. The natural


    dominant and stately aura that he exuded left the crowd in awe.


    ¡°My goodness, it is indeed Veronica¡¯s moment of glory!¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew¡¯sst sentence was so cool!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve gone up against each other. Don¡¯t tell me that they¡¯re both in love with Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. This is getting interesting.¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone present was excitedly entertained by the scene in front of them. Even the host of the auction


    remained silent as he tried to make himself invisible. The decision-maker of Spinfluence had voiced


    out, so he didn¡¯t have the courage to interrupt.


    As for Matthew¡¯s three other buddies, who were seated on the same row as Matthew on the far left,


    they nced at each other with different expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Since when has Veronica be everyone¡¯s favorite person?¡± Skyler was significantly shocked.


    Meanwhile, Miguel reached out to p Skyler. ¡°You¡¯re so ignorant. She¡¯s not everyone¡¯s favorite! Can¡¯t


    you sense the tense situation?¡±


    Caleb mentioned, ¡°Your brain is quite useful, so you should ensure that you bring it with you next time.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Skyler scratched his head. ¡°Did I miss out on something?¡±


    They sat there and watched the unfolding scene, but on the other hand, the battle ensued.


    Xavier chuckled and faced Matthew squarely in the eyes without a spark of fear within him. ¡°President


    Kings, why do you say that? You¡¯re Roni¡¯s older brother, and I¡¯m her brother too. You are allowed to


    buy her a present as a kind gesture from you, while a gift from me is my kind gesture too. There is no


    conflict at all.¡±


    Although Xavier¡¯s words sounded quite nice, it was obvious that he was tantly challenging Matthew.


    Meanwhile, Veronica felt an iing headache as she saw the two of them challenging each other in


    front of the crowd. She was significantly frustrated at that point.


    ¡°Well, I guess it would depend on whether or not you¡¯ve got the capability to win this ne, Mr.


    Crawford.¡± Matthew spoke in a nonchnt voice, but there was a menacing tone to it.


    Shortly after that, he lifted the bidding card in his hand and said, ¡°Fifty million.¡±


    Xavier merely lifted his brows, and there was an inexplicable smile on his face. ¡°Sixty million.¡±


    ¡°What the heck! Young Master Matthew is definitely well-off!¡±


    ¡°Young Master Xavier isn¡¯t doing too badly either!¡±


    ¡°They seem to be like love rivals in a match against each other.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think so too.¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone in the crowd whispered amongst themselves and they were engrossed in spection.


    Matthew lifted his card once again. ¡°One¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Veronica suddenly lifted her hand and smoothed her hair as she heaved a sigh


    frustratedly. She stood up abruptly.


    As she hollered at them sternly, the entire room descended into silence and everyone looked at her


    intently.


    For a moment there, she seemed to be the brightest star in the room and it was as if there was a glow


    to her.


    She frowned and red at him before turning to look at Xavier as she spoke up loudly, ¡°I¡¯m not


    interested in this ne anymore!¡±


    As she spoke, she lifted the bidding card in her hand. ¡°I am announcing right now that I¡¯m cing a bid


    on this ne on behalf of Encounters Bridal Store. I¡¯ll ce a bid for one dor on top of the highest


    bid!¡±

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248


    Chapter 248 Ruka Pranks Veronica Again


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Veronica¡¯s actions took Xavier by surprise. Where does she get the money from?


    Matthew, on the other hand, felt that she was too rational and liked to draw lines between matters,


    which made it extremely hard for him to get closer.


    But¡­ Isn¡¯t that what I like about her, though? Not a gold-digger and definitely not someone greedy, too,


    he thought to himself.


    At that moment, the silence was deafening and everyone looked at Veronica as if they were petrified.


    After a long period of silence, the audience turned to look at the auctioneer instead. Numerous eyes


    were on the host, Alexander, who was visibly nervous while holding the auction hammer in his hand.


    ¡°President Murphy of the Encounters Bridal Store bids sixty million and one.¡± After confirming,


    Alexander looked at the audience and discussion broke out again, but this time, no one dared to bid


    again!


    Veronica¡¯s words clearly ended the chance for Matthew and Xavier to bid again.


    The people on the scene were also not ignorant enough to continue bidding either as that would


    indirectly meanpeting against Matthew and Xavier including¡­ Ruka, who was envious of Tiffany!


    ¡°Going once¡­ Going twice¡­ Bang! Sold!¡±


    The auctioneer made the final decision and announced, ¡°Congrattions to President Murphy from


    Encounters Bridal Store for winning the ne of ¡®Angel¡¯s Tears¡¯. We are very grateful to Encounters


    Bridal Store for your strong support for this charity event¡­¡± The audience apuded enthusiastically


    as he spoke.


    Veronica¡¯s face was full of smoke as she red angrily at Matthew with boiling anger.


    Despite the fact that winning the auction was for the greater good and also a smart move in terms of


    advertising herpany, spending sixty million on a ne was a pretty painful decision to make.


    She could not be any more irritated by Xavier and Matthew¡¯s actions. Auctioning this ne was also


    ast resort.


    Had either Xavier or Matthew won the auction tonight, she would have been seen as taking it for free


    by the public regardless whether she epted it in private or not. Even if she was to publicly reject it,


    she would still be scrutinized, which would create more drama and rumors.


    Veronica had no choice but to win the ne in exchange for arge sum of money. This could save


    her from unnecessary trouble while also advertising for the weddingpany.


    Not¡­ too bad. After all, it was a contribution to themunity.


    The next auction went off without a hitch. After an hour, everyone went downstairs to the reception hall


    for a cocktail party.


    Yvonne brought along Veronica and made their way downstairs to the desert table while she continued


    to gush, ¡°You were so cool just now. Sixty million¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be better to spend that money on a


    sugar baby? s, it¡¯s too extravagant.¡±


    ¡°Yvonne!¡± eximed Veronica, who was eating her dessert on a te.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± The dazed Yvonne gaped while tilting her head to look at her.


    The next second, Veronica immediately stuffed a piece of dessert into Yvonne¡¯s mouth. ¡°Shut up! Of


    course, I know a sugar baby is so much better! You don¡¯t have to keep reminding me about something


    like this in front of other people! What a downer.¡±


    Yvonne smiled as she chewed on her dessert. ¡°Wow, this dessert tastes really good. It¡¯s so delicious,¡±


    she eximed.


    ¡°So, don¡¯t bother me while I¡¯m enjoying the perks here. One more word and I will tape your mouth!¡±


    Veronica shot her a look and gave her a warning.


    ¡°Oh my God¡­ Are you nning to eat a worth of eighty million as cashback?¡± Yvonne sneered with


    her wide Carn eyes.


    As soon as Yvonne finished her sentence, Veronica shot her another look and the next thing she knew,


    Veronica wrapped her arms around Yvonne¡¯s neck while picking up a piece of crystal dumplings from


    the table and stuffed it into her mouth. ¡°Eat it! I beg you not to say anything else!¡±


    My money!!!!!!


    After speaking, Veronica shoved a te of dessert into Yvonne¡¯s hand and pointed her toward a stool


    at the side while threatening her with a waving fist. ¡°You better sit here and not move!¡± It was a warning


    from Veronica, who was about to explode on the spot.


    Yvonne rarely saw her friend in this state, so she nodded frantically and sat obediently to eat her


    dessert.


    The melodious music began to y in the dance hall and gradually, people in the hall respectively


    walked in with their partners as they swayed on the dance floor.


    Veronica found a quiet spot to enjoy the ballroom dancing while she engrossed in the tunes, sweets


    and champagne. However, her heart was in pain.


    While she soaked in her state of depressiveness, a host walked up to the stage and announced, ¡°Good


    evening to all the respected guests, I¡¯m your recement host today. I have some exciting news to


    share with you. I just got a word from the organizer that there will be a surprise for everyone tonight.


    Later, the lighting engineer will sh the lights at random and select two groups of lucky winners to


    dance on the spot. They will be gifted a set of Charmante¡¯stest limited-edition jewelry. The prize is


    exclusively sponsored by Charmante Jewelry Atelier¡­¡±


    The host was talking nonstop, which made Veronica even more bored and depressed.


    Ugh¡­ what to do¡­ Perhaps food is the only answer! She looked at the champagne and desserts on


    the table before she continued eating.


    ¡°Little Roni, why are you here by yourself?¡± A person stepped in front of Veronica, blocking her view.


    ¡°Go¡­¡± Without saying the word ¡®away¡¯, Veronica realized the person standing in front of her was none


    other than Conrad. ¡°Uncle Conrad, you are here too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been here for quite some time but I was sitting at the far corner, so you didn¡¯t notice me.¡± He


    was dressed in a ck velvet suit with sequins and glitter.


    He had one hand in his pocket and a ss of champagne in the other. The charming smile on his


    bearded face exuded sexy elegance everywhere.


    The legendary ¡®yuppie man¡¯¡ªwith a dash of viiny, they could be both attractive and seductive.


    ¡°Uncle Conrad, didn¡¯t you bring your partner today?¡± Veronica asked, tilting her head and looking


    behind him. As soon as the words left her mouth, a beam of light shot over her unexpectedly.


    ¡°Congrattions to our second group of lucky winners today, Miss Murphy and the gentleman in front


    of her. Let us wee them to the center of the dance floor with a round of apuse.¡± Following the


    announcement, thunderous apuse rang out across the ballroom and everyone turned to look at her.


    Veronica¡¯s lips twitched uncontrobly. F*ck! Am I unlucky or am I unlucky?


    Despite Conrad being taken aback, he extended a hand and made a chivalrous invitation with a


    helpless smile. ¡°Would you like to dance with me, little Roni?¡±


    Everyone in the venue once again set their eyes on her. Their eyes were filled with envy, jealousy,


    ridicule, contempt and mockery. There were all kinds of emotions and expressions on their faces and


    the audience was just waiting to have a goodugh at her.


    Caitlyn, who appeared out of nowhere, stood in front of Veronica while holding a male dance partner


    and mockingly said, ¡°Miss Murphy came from the country, so it must be really embarrassing for you to


    dance.¡±


    Caitlyn had been pped by Veronica at the gate of the Kings Residence thest time they met, so


    naturally, it was reasonable for her to hold grudges against her. What a perfect opportunity this is to


    finally have my turn¡­ to humiliate her.

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249


    Chapter 249 It¡¯s Defamatory!


    ¡°Yeah, Veronica is from the countryside and she definitely does not know how to dance.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, what a Cindere-wannabe. She is, after all, a country bumpkin. Had she not saved Young


    Master Matthew and Old Mrs. Kings, she would have ended up on the streets selling stuff.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t even know how to dance, let alone meddling in upper-ss affairs. What an outcast.¡±


    ¡°Look at the way she binges on food. She really looks like a refugee who just escaped from the famine.


    Useless bumpkin.¡±


    ¡­


    These harsh, uneducated mouths all gathered around as theymented.


    However, Veronica could not care less about what they had to say. I don¡¯t gain anything by living under


    your scrutiny, that will only exhaust myself.


    Hundreds of nces came her way, but her elbows remained on the table as she cupped her cheeks.


    She grabbed a piece of brownie with a fork on the other hand and chewed it slowly. While blinking her


    pair of big, bright eyes, she looked at Conrad and asked, ¡°Uncle Conrad, is the Charmante jewelry set


    they mentioned really expensive?¡±


    Everyone was expecting her to be embarrassed, but she remained calm like she was the light of the


    party.


    ¡°Pfft¡­ I told you she¡¯s greedy. She only cares about money.¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°How could she ask it in this way? This is humiliating Charmante.¡±


    ¡°Charmante Jewelry Atelier is a branch of the Dame Group. Miss Dame is in charge, so she is naturally


    generous.¡±


    ¡°As expected from the countryside, hillbilly.¡±


    ¡­


    Seeing how Matthew was not present at that moment and Conrad had been away from the country for


    many years, which made the crowd unfamiliar with him. They spoke to Veronica in a particrly


    unpleasant manner to intentionally embarrass her.


    As she digested the words of the badmouths, she realized after a while that it had nothing to do with


    her luck; it was clear that Ruka Dame was behind all this.


    ¡°This¡­ You¡¯ve got me there.¡± Conrad shook his head as he answered truthfully. He did not know how


    much it was worth at all.


    ¡°If it¡¯s worthless, I¡¯m not going to join in the fun,¡± Veronica dered aloud.


    ¡°Miss Murphy is new to Bloomstead, so it¡¯s understandable that she doesn¡¯t know about Charmante


    Jewelry. However, today¡¯s two sets of thetest limited-edition jewelry are worth 5.58 million. Moreover,


    the limited edition will increase in value over time.¡±


    Ruka, who had changed into a white and gray gradient dress, emerged from the crowd. She was


    haughty as a white swan,pletely dismissive of Veronica while still mocking with her eyes.


    Though Veronica had bid a high price on the ne just now, it was self-exnatory that the money


    was naturally going to be footed by the Kings Family. A pretense was still a facade, after all; no matter


    how noble Veronica pretended to be, it could be easily exposed anytime.


    ¡°Ruka, stop embarrassing Veronica. I¡¯ll dance on her behalf.¡± Tiffany appeared out of nowhere and


    smiled at Veronica, then turned to Ruka. ¡°She just happens to be feeling a little under the weather


    today.¡±


    Anyone present there could not help but admire Tiffany¡¯s open-mindedness and flexibility. Her


    ¡®exnation¡¯ saved Veronica from embarrassment, which demonstrated how thoughtful Tiffany was, but


    it would also expose the fact that Veronica could not dance at all!


    ¡°No one cares about your sisterhood, but the rules of the party are here. Dancing on her behalf is


    equivalent to cheating. That¡¯s a vition of the rules and you guys are being unfair.¡±


    Tiffany¡¯s old ssmate, Caitlyn, had also been brooding about Tiffany when she was in Kings


    Residencest time. They were ssmates for a long time before losing contact with each other and


    this was the very reason why Caitlyn spoke up. It was to add salt to injury.


    However, this was exactly what Ruka and Tiffany wanted.


    ¡°Nothing can be aplished in the absence of norms or standards. If you dance for Veronica, the


    prize will not be hers, then.¡± Caitlyn continued to fan the mes in an attempt to embarrass Veronica.


    All of sudden, Veronica became the target of public criticism.


    After all, she had just been favored by Matthew and Xavier at the auction activity upstairs and became


    the highlight of today¡¯s charity party. Some people envied her luck while others were jealous of her


    looks so it was inevitable that people wanted to see her fall.


    The spotlight had nownded on Veronica, thanks to the lighting engineer. So, I am under the spotlight


    both literally and figuratively, then?


    The people around her were all standing, but a calm Veronica sat and sipped her champagne, then


    raised her eyes to look at Ruka. ¡°Miss Dame, how many lucky winners will there be tonight?¡±


    ¡°There are only two of them.¡± Ruka raised her chin slightly and replied with the arrogance of the Dame


    Group¡¯s eldest princess.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Veronica responded with a nod. She then pretended to be curious and inquired, ¡°Since I am so


    uneducated, I have no idea what ¡®lucky winner¡¯ means. Anyone care to exin to me?¡±


    Ruka was keenly aware of the deliberately said statement, so she did not answer Veronica


    immediately.


    However, there were a lot of people dreading to have a goodugh at her. Some random smarty


    answered, ¡°Since it¡¯s a lucky winner reward, of course it¡¯s a reward for the luckiest groups of people


    today.¡±


    After the girl in the audience replied, Veronica tilted her head deliberately and nced at the crowd.


    ¡°Wow, this youngdy is truly knowledgeable.¡± She extended her thumb and praised her.


    Everyone was perplexed when they heard Veronica¡¯s words, but those who were astute had already


    deduced her intentions.


    After that, she slowly stood up and batted her cold eyes at Ruka. ¡°Since Miss Dame has set up a ¡®lucky


    winner¡¯ reward, she must¡¯ve depended on luck too for that to work. Sure, we dance and we have fun,


    but if it¡¯s all about luck and randomness, shouldn¡¯t consent matter too even as the ¡®lucky winner¡¯?¡±


    As she spoke, she turned to look at Caitlyn once more before shaking her head. ¡°Miss West, am I


    right? It makes no difference whether you¡¯re uneducated or incapable. What matters most is self-


    awareness. You see, although I¡¯m not well-educated, I¡¯m not gonnae out and brag like I know it all.


    Instead, I will only humbly seek advice. Besides, today¡¯s ¡®lucky winner¡¯ is sponsored by Charmante


    Jewelry Atelier, a subsidiary of the Dame Group, which makes Miss Dame¡ªthe executive president¡ª


    ultimate person to exin the terms and conditions.¡±


    ¡°Seeing how youe across so brazenly, some might mistake you for Miss Dame, you know?¡±


    ¡°On top of that, what is the point of Charmante Jewelry Atelier being a sponsor today? For advertising!


    Your baseless exnation may or may not have just painted Miss Dame as a sore loser. Oh no, aren¡¯t


    you indirectly smearing the Dame Group, then?¡±


    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t smearing. It¡¯s defamatory!¡±


    Veronica fought against the whole crowd with just her words and brain. To finish it off, she shook her


    head and sighed. ¡°Oh, Miss West, even as an adult, you¡¯ve failed to see the bigger picture. Your


    English teacher would be embarrassed if they found out! Oh, by the way, which school did you


    graduate from? Tsk tsk tsk¡­ Did you pay for your college entrance?¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Caitlyn only wanted to humiliate Veronica, but she would have never expected Veronica¡¯s words to be


    so cunningly sharp. The direct verbal attack had left her in ck and blue.


    She faltered and stomped her feet angrily before finally roaring, ¡°All this speech just to avoid dancing?


    Well, I¡¯ll tell the truth for you then. You¡¯re just a wild girl from the countryside who can¡¯t even dance to


    save her life!¡±

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250


    Chapter 250 Veronica, You¡¯re Too Deceiving


    ¡°Ha! Veronica sure is an interesting woman.¡±


    ¡°Caitlyn is right.¡±


    ¡°Extremely eloquent.¡±


    ¡°Clever! Miss Murphy is intelligent enough.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯sunching an all-out assault on Miss Dame!¡±


    ¡­


    The audience was conversing quietly, but Ruka¡¯s face was unusually sour. She never expected


    Veronica to be so articte in public!


    ¡°Miss West is obsessed with the topic of ¡®dancing¡¯. Does this mean that your specialty in the college


    entrance examination was dancing, and you were able to get into the university despite yourck of


    language skills by earning extra points for your dancing?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s red lips curled up slightly and she smiled before saying, ¡°It alles down to the adage that


    ¡®people are more valuable when they have self-awareness¡¯. I am willing to admit defeat.¡±


    ¡°Miss West, on the other hand, has repeatedly unted her ability to dance. Isn¡¯t it burying your talent if


    we don¡¯t give you a chance to show it off? This opportunity should be reserved for you and my sister,


    Tiffany. She is a gifted youngdy, and only her exceptional dancing abilities canpete with Miss


    West.¡±


    She introduced Tiffany to the subject in a few words.


    Tiffany had just said something ¡°nice¡± about her, and she remembered it vividly.


    Having said that, Veronica added, ¡°You will astound the world if you defeat Tiffanyter. If you win, I will


    send you my limited-edition jewelry of the lucky winner¡¯s gift to express my respect! What are your


    thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Wow, Roni is a giver.¡±


    Yvonne, who had appeared out of nowhere after eating and drinking, approached Veronica and gave


    her a thumbs up before saying, ¡°The lucky winner prize will be given to Miss West. Isn¡¯t it unfair if she


    doesn¡¯t dance?¡±


    Veronica nced at Yvonne beside her, thinking that they worked great as a team.


    After hearing Yvonne¡¯s words, Veronica had a n in her head. As a result, she frowned and shook her


    head, stating, ¡°That is not eptable. Miss West is, after all, a wealthydy. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll despise


    this ¡®lucky winner¡¯ gift.¡±


    Caitlyn was said to look down on the lucky winner¡¯s prize. The prize, however, represented Veronica¡¯s


    pride, which would mean that Caitlyn despised her.


    Veronica skillfully deflected the problems by making a fool out of Ruka, Caitlyn and Tiffany, making the


    three of them the immediate focus of the audience.


    ¡°Miss Murphy is quite generous.¡±


    ¡°It makes sense. If Caitlyn refuses to dance, not only will it make Tiffany look bad, Miss Dame will also


    be embarrassed as well.¡±


    ¡°Veronica¡¯s ability to direct misfortune to Caitlyn in a few words is undeniable.¡±


    ¡°This woman is intelligent enough.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a simpledy. On the other hand, Caitlyn has big bosoms but no brain.¡±


    ¡°Big bosoms but no brain, you say? She¡¯s just fat, which makes her assets appear bigger.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡­


    To be frank, many people had an interest in what was going on and were content to stand by and watch


    the drama unfold. This spiced up their otherwise dull lives.


    Tiffany, who had been caught off guard, didn¡¯t look good at the moment, and she hadn¡¯t expected to be


    the joke herself.


    She was however now the focus of everyone¡¯s attention because dancing and not dancing would both


    have different oues.


    People wouldugh at her forpeting with Caitlyn, who was a talented dancer, and for seeming to


    bully Caitlyn¡¯s dance moves if she danced. However, if she did not dance, she would be judged. People


    might think she looked down on Caitlyn, and the Dames¡¯ reputation may suffer as a result of the


    winner¡¯s prize!


    The dilemma was making her feel utterly awkward.


    Ruka despised Veronica even more now.


    Veronica¡¯s remarks earlier were a p to her face, but she couldn¡¯t refuse to give a limited-edition


    piece of jewelry. Instead, she had to take the initiative to give it; otherwise, it would only draw criticism,


    making the Dame Group look foolish.


    Caitlyn was the scene¡¯s main attraction at the time. She had been arrogant but now, she appeared


    helpless as Veronica mocked her.


    She was 1.65 meters tall but weighed 130 pounds, making her slightly on the plump side. With just a


    nce, it was clear that she was terrible at dancing.


    Dancers were more self-disciplined in their diets and body sizes in order to be conducive to dancing.


    This was the reason why Veronica had set her up so confidently.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    She felt nothing but shame as she felt everyone¡¯s scorching gaze on her.


    Truth was, she couldn¡¯t dance at all!


    She initially intended to make Veronica aughingstock, but she ended up making a big joke out of


    herself.


    Caitlyn was filled with rage, hatred, and anxiety. Her fists were clenched and her worried eyes were a


    little red.


    ¡°Why are you silent, Miss West?¡±


    Veronica was amused by Caitlyn¡¯s nervous appearance, but had no intention of giving her a chance to


    back down.


    Instead, she turned to Tiffany, who was standing nearby, and said, ¡°Tiffany, what¡¯s the deal with Miss


    West not dancing? Is it possible she doesn¡¯t know how to dance? Or¡­ is she looking down at you?


    Because I recall you two being good friends, so you should be very clear if she can dance.¡±


    Veronica had witnessed Caitlyn and Tiffany¡¯s close rtionship firsthand at Matthew and Tiffany¡¯s


    wedding banquet.


    This was due to Caitlyn being Tiffany¡¯s bridesmaid; at the hotel¡¯s entrance, Caitlyn was beside Tiffany


    the entire time before they went to the suite on the top floor.


    ¡°That sounds superficial.¡±


    Suddenly, a maic and pleasant voice rang across the room, and Conrad, who had been silent


    throughout, said, ¡°Perhaps, Miss West just doesn¡¯t like the ¡®lucky winner¡¯ gift.¡±


    ¡°Who exactly is this man?¡±


    ¡°He appears to be familiar. Oh¡ªisn¡¯t he Conrad King, the Kings Family¡¯s seventh son? He just returned


    from a trip abroad.¡±


    ¡°Sir Conrad? Tsk, he¡¯s so unassuming.¡±


    ¡°Is he Conrad? D*mn, he¡¯s really attractive! I like him even though I¡¯m a man.¡±


    ¡°He looks so young. He¡¯s been back for so long but no one knew. He really keeps a low profile, doesn¡¯t


    he?¡±


    ¡­


    Ruka was initially irritated when Conrad¡¯s identity was revealed, but she was now calm.


    The Dame Family is not the opponent of the Kingses, and she was not someone without self-


    awareness.


    Conrad¡¯s words made Caitlyn afraid, and her face turned pale with fright.


    It was perfectly fine for her to offend the Larsons. After all, regardless of how powerful the Larson


    Family was, they were not one of the four major families in Bloomstead and they couldn¡¯t bepared


    to the Dame Group.


    However, if she offended Ruka, the West Family would be in trouble.


    Caitlyn attended tonight¡¯s public welfare party as a representative of her ownpany. If she directly


    offended the Dames, her future business partners, her parents would undoubtedly strip her alive.


    She bit her lower lip worriedly, and anxious tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°Veronica, how could you


    do that to me? When did I say I was good at dancing?¡±


    As she cried her lungs out, it turned her into a joke that everyoneughed at.


    Veronica, on the other hand, shrugged innocently and smiled helplessly. ¡°Goodness, I¡¯ve been


    wronged. You were the best at shouting when you were talking about dancing just now. I thought you


    were not good at writing, but you¡¯d be great at dancing. I didn¡¯t expect you to be the type to pick things


    up and join in on the fun.¡±

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251


    Chapter 251 The Mysterious Ne


    Veronica took a few tissues from the table beside her and handed them to Caitlyn as she spoke. ¡°Aw,


    don¡¯t cry. Wipe your tears away. Your eye makeup ispletely gone.¡±


    A sobbing Caitlyn then reached out to ept the tissue that Veronica handed over as soon as she


    realized her eyeliner was smudged.


    However, before her hand touched the tissue, Veronica let go and the tissue fell to the ground.


    Caitlyn¡¯s hand became immobile. Veronica¡¯s actions enraged her and she yelled, ¡°Veronica, what are


    you doing?!!¡±


    This is a total humiliation to me!


    Veronica, who had been holding back for a while, restrained her smile and crossed her arms over her


    chest. She looked coldly and arrogantly at Caitlyn, her aura oppressing. ¡°Miss West, I¡¯m just teaching


    you how to behave! You¡¯re useless, but you¡¯re still stirring up trouble everywhere. Don¡¯t go around


    bragging about your IQ of 250 and embarrassing the West Family! Don¡¯t pretend to be a big-tailed wolf


    if you¡¯re not a fox. If you don¡¯t have that IQ, just stay put. Don¡¯t act crazy and go wherever there is


    excitement.¡±


    ¡°You¡­Veronica, h-how dare y-you?!¡±


    Caitlyn burst into tears after being enraged by Veronica. For a long time, the former couldn¡¯t even say a


    thing.


    ¡°What? You¡¯d best go to the hospital to get rid of your stutter and ask the doctor to treat the


    hydrocephalus in your brain so you don¡¯t develop brain atrophy! If you truly cannot afford treatment, I


    will pay for your medical expenses as a courtesy,¡± Veronica retorted, turning Caitlyn red with rage.


    However, Caitlyn didn¡¯t know how to refute her even after a long time


    Finally, Caitlyn responded, ¡°I don¡¯t have hydrocephalus. Hmph! Veronica, you are too much!¡± She then


    bawled while wiping the tears off her face, and ran out the door.


    Everyoneughed at her actions.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned a few things. It turns out that scolding people in this manner is possible.¡±


    ¡°Caitlyn was thoroughly roasted. She deserves it because she usually speaks without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°This is so interesting!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ That¡¯s so humiliating.¡±


    ¡°I know right? It¡¯s giving me intense secondhand embarrassment.¡±


    ¡­


    Caitlyn had everyone¡¯s attention, and the atmosphere became lively as a result of her embarrassment.


    ¡°I apologize for disturbing everyone.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Veronica grabbed a ss of champagne from the table and drank it all at once. ¡°As an apology, I¡¯ll


    punish myself by drinking this ss of champagne.¡±


    She pursed her lips and smiled before wrapping her arms around Yvonne, who was standing beside


    her, and saying loudly, ¡°I drank some wine, Yvie, and I¡¯m a little tipsy. Could you dance with Conrad for


    me?¡±


    Veronica then mercilessly pushed Yvonne toward the dance floor.


    When it came to dancing, Veronica was a disaster.


    Nheless, she didn¡¯t want anyone to arbitrarily plot against her weakness.


    And so, Yvonne had no choice but to agree. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Conrad, who was standing nearby, cooperated very well with Veronica. He smiled at her and then


    approached Yvonne. ¡°Yvie? What a sweet name. Would you like to dance with me?¡±


    He extended his hand like a gentleman, exuding grace the whole time.


    ¡°It¡¯s my honor,¡± Yvonne said sweetly, cing her slender fingers in his palm.


    Conrad and Yvonne walked to the center of the dance floor and began dancing to the melodious piano


    music of ¡°Marriage d¡¯Amour.¡±


    Meanwhile, the bystanders dispersed as there was no more drama.


    Veronica smiled as she looked at Tiffany and Ruka in front of her. Her smile was tinged with disdain.


    She then sat down and continued to drink champagne and y with her phone.


    She pulled out her phone and saw a text message from Matthew.


    ¡®Roni, I have some urgent matters to attend to for the time being, so I wille to pick you upter.¡¯


    The text was delivered half an hour ago, ording to the time stamp.


    Veronica sighed discreetly at that. No wonder she hadn¡¯t seen him.


    ¡°Is Miss Larson¡¯s dance partner not around?¡± A wealthy young master approached Tiffany and greeted


    her.


    Tiffany maintained herdylike demeanor and politely nodded.


    ¡°My dance partner has unexpectedly left. I¡¯m wondering if I have the privilege of inviting you for a


    dance?¡± The man graciously invited Tiffany to a dance.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Tiffany readily agreed and joined the man on the dance floor.


    And so, Veronica and Ruka were left alone.


    Ruka walked behind Veronica and picked up a ss of champagne. She then drank it while watching


    the crowd dance. Her red lips parted gently before she said, ¡°Don¡¯t be toocent. You can screw


    over Caitlyn and Tiffany all you want, but you¡¯re not my opponent!¡±


    It was a hostile warning.


    Veronica listened while trying not tough.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to spend so much time plotting against me, you might as well think about how to win


    Matthew¡¯s heart. There are so many girls chasing after Matthew. If every girl is your fictitious enemy¡­


    Tsk! Miss Dame, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re exhausted.¡±


    Veronica was sitting there with a smile on her face as she looked at Ruka. She then raised her ss of


    champagne and drank it herself.


    She paused for a moment while drinking, then looked at Ruka and said, ¡°Oh¡ªand I¡¯ve never liked


    Matthew.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Why are you telling me this?¡± Ruka¡¯s arrogant expression revealed some surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because I hope you don¡¯t have to be so hostile to me, let alone plot against me in


    secret. Even if you¡¯re not exhausted, I am.¡±


    Veronica was exhausted after such tiring days.


    It would be fantastic if she could put an end to Ruka¡¯s negative thoughts about her by telling her the


    truth so bluntly.


    ¡°You are quite honest.¡±


    Ruka held a goblet in one hand and wrapped her other arm around herself. She drooped her eyelids


    and cast a nce at Tiffany, who was in the center of the dance floor. ¡°At the very least, being with you


    is morefortable than being with your pretentious sister.¡±


    Veronica sneered quietly.


    What does it have to do with me if you¡¯re feeling ufortable?


    You never showed mercy when it was time to attack me.


    Veronica did not bother to respond. As a result, Ruka stood there for a moment, no longer bringing


    contempt upon herself, before turning to leave.


    Soon after, a hostess approached Veronica and ced a tray in front of her. The woman then said,


    ¡°This is the sapphire ne of the ¡®Angel¡¯s Tears¡¯ that you bid on, President Murphy. President Kings


    has already paid for it, and he has asked me to deliver it to you.¡±


    On the tray was an exquisite ne box, as well as a credit card bill for sixty million and one.


    ¡°I bid on it, so why should I ept Matthew¡¯s payment?¡± Veronica was a little dissatisfied with the


    staff¡¯s action.


    ¡°President Kings said he will deduct the money from what he owes you,¡± the hostess replied


    respectfully with a smile.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    In that case, Veronica had nothing to say.


    She picked up the ck carved wooden box and the bill before thanking the hostess.


    She was bored while sitting at the table, so she proceeded to open the carved wooden box. The box


    revealed the ne of ¡®Angel¡¯s Tears¡¯ nestled upon delicate golden silk.


    The ne was made of tinum, and the pendant was a tear-shaped sapphire.

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252


    Chapter 252 Someone Wants to Frame Matthew


    It would be more urate to call the ne ¡®Dream of the Night¡¯ rather than ¡®Angel¡¯s Tears¡¯.


    This was because the pendant of this ne was unusual in shape, even a little vintage, which was


    ipatible with the ne¡¯s post-modern design.


    Veronica clutched the ne and rubbed the pendant gently with her thumb. Her brain was buzzing


    at the time, as if someone was pulling on a nerve, and she gasped in pain.


    Some images shed through her mind in an instant, but they were so brief that she couldn¡¯t retain any


    information.


    However, this strange physical reactionsted only a split second before dissipating.


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts.¡±


    Veronica reached out and rubbed her temples ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t I get enough sleep the night


    before? Is that why I¡¯m having a migraine?¡±


    Migraine used to be a problem for older women but as Veronica got older, she experienced migraine


    symptoms asionally, particrly whenever she pulled an all-nighter.


    For this reason, she didn¡¯t think much about it and put the ne back in the box.


    ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s just wear it since it¡¯s so expensive.¡±


    She was distressed about the ne she had purchased for 60 million, so she simply removed the


    four-leaf clover ne that Xavier had given her from her neck and reced it with the pricey


    ne.


    ¡°You look great in blue.¡±


    Xavier appeared out of nowhere and took a seat next to Veronica.


    She immediately closed the box upon seeing him. After all, it was the ne that he had given her,


    and taking it down in front of him was somewhat inappropriate.


    ¡°How¡­ How is your body recovering?¡± Veronica looked at his legs subconsciously, guilt visible in her


    eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he patted his leg as he breathed a sigh of relief.


    A bartender passed by at this point, and Xavier snapped and crooked his fingers, motioning for the


    bartender toe over.


    When the bartender approached, Xavier grabbed two sses of red wine from the tray and handed


    one of them to Veronica. ¡°I heard your wedding business is doing well right now.¡±


    She then clinked sses with him before taking a sip and sighing. ¡°It¡¯s fine. What about you? How do


    you feel about returning to work at the Crawford Corporation? Are you getting used to it?¡±


    ¡°People must go through an adaptation process, after all.¡±


    Xavierughed at himself, then extended his hand and asked, ¡°Would you like to dance?¡±


    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t know how to dance.¡±


    ¡°Since you can¡¯t dance, why don¡¯t we sit for a while on the top floor terrace? We can have a coffee and


    enjoy the view.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s head felt heavy, so she waved her hand and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ve been busy all day and I really


    want to rest.¡±


    She had lost her calm since thest incident when she was confronted with Xavier again, and she now


    felt a lot of pressure.


    Xavier, too, could clearly feel the distance and strangeness between them after her direct refusal.


    His cold eyes narrowed slightly, and aplex expression shed across his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been dancing a long time and I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    Yvonne exited the dance floor and walked directly to Veronica¡¯s side. She leaned on Veronica¡¯s


    shoulderszily before turning her head to greet Xavier. ¡°Hello, Young Master Xavier! Allow me to


    introduce myself¡ªmy name is Yvonne Spencer and you can call me Yvie.¡±


    Xavier had some impression of Yvonne as he had seen her before.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Do you get along well with Roni?¡±


    He was taken aback by how well the two of themplemented each other.


    Yvonne wrapped her arms around Veronica¡¯s shoulders and smiled before answering, ¡°She is, of


    course, one of my new sisters. Look, she¡¯s my sister and you¡¯re her brother, so that makes you my


    brother. That¡¯s perfectly fine, yes?¡±


    Yvonne appeared to be an extrovert, and her personality was very simr to Veronica¡¯s.


    Veronica frowned as she looked at Yvonne, and it was as if she was looking at some alien. ¡°You have


    to widen your perspective and be more open-minded. Everyone in Destor is family, and with the


    exception of your own family, any guy can be your brother.¡±


    Her yful words made Xavierugh.


    Yvonne, on the other hand, gave Victoria a nk stare. She stretched out her hand and pinched


    Veronica¡¯s arm, thereafter muttering, ¡°Am I that shameless?¡±


    Yvonne then smiled at Xavier as she spoke. ¡°Bro, your family also produces raw materials for makeup.


    Would you be willing to coborate and offer me a discounted price?¡±


    ¡°How can I refuse when Yvie calls me her brother?¡±


    ¡°Right, bro? You really are righteous.¡±


    Both of them then chatted pleasantly.


    After some time, Xavier abruptly stated, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the restroom first. You two can continue talking.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Veronica and Yvonne nodded as he stood up and left.


    On the other side of the hall, Tiffany saw Xavier stride away, thus she got up and followed him.


    At this moment, the host on stage had announced the lucky winner, and Veronica had been summoned


    to the stage to ept the prize.


    Of course, she would not refuse a prize.


    After all, it was an exquisite jewelry worth millions, so she didn¡¯t want to waste it.


    The hall was very lively, but there was a banging sounding from the room behind the hall.


    Xavier kicked the door open, strode into the staff room, and locked his gaze on a male waiter, who was


    hurriedly changing his clothes.


    This was the waiter who had just walked past him with sses of red wine.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    His icy cold eyes pierced the puny waiter into his core.


    The waiter panicked and swallowed nervously while taking a few steps back. His whole face had on a


    single expression, and it was one of guilt.


    ¡°You¡­ What are you trying to do? This is a staff room and idlers are not allowed to enter.¡±


    The waiter was so nervous that he stuttered.


    Xavier pursed his lips and took a step forward. He then clenched his right fist and punched the waiter in


    the face.


    The waiter copsed to the ground, his nose bleeding.


    ¡°What exactly are you doing? How can you punch me? I¡­ Believe it or not, I¡¯m¡­ calling the cops on


    you right now!¡±


    The thin man lying on the ground was terrified.


    Xavier stood in front of the waiter, condescendingly looking down at him. The next moment, Xavier¡¯s


    shiny ck leather shoe stepped on the back of the waiter¡¯s right hand, which was on the ground. ¡°Tell


    me¡ªwho sent you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about¡­ Ouch! It hurts¡­ It really hurts! My hand is about to break!


    Help!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but scream in agony.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t answer my question, I¡¯ll break not only your hand, but also your legs!¡± Xavier threatened.


    D*mn it! How can this man behave so atrociously? Is he sick of living?


    The man kept his mouth tightly shut after Xavier finished his warning, unwilling to say anything.


    Seeing that he kept his mouth shut, Xavier was at the end of his rope, and he cast a nce at a wine


    bottle beside him.


    Without saying anything, Xavier mmed the bottle¡¯s mouth against the wall. Holding the broken bottle


    in his hand, he leaned over and mmed it into the back of the man¡¯s hand. ¡°As long as you can


    handle it, you don¡¯t have to say anything.¡±

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253


    Chapter 253 The Mysterious Man


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± the man screamed in agony as his face flushed red and the veins on his forehead bulged. His


    expression was both hideous and terrifying.


    ¡°Are you still not going to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll exin. Umm¡­¡± The blood was dripping from his hand as it continued to flow. He was


    trembling in pain as if he had lost his strength. ¡°Someone just approached me¡­ The person offered me


    money to spike the wine ss with poison and deliver it to thedy next to you.¡±


    ¡°Who gave you themand? What kind of reward did you receive?¡± Xavier inquired.


    ¡°It was a phone call. A man called and asked for my bank ount information before transferring


    100,000 to me,¡± the man exined truthfully.


    Xavier then squatted down and took the phone from the man¡¯s pocket. When he realized that the


    phone needed to be unlocked using face recognition, he turned it around to face the man.


    The phone had been unlocked.


    Xavier opened the call history and asked the injured man, ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°The top one.¡±


    The man was terrified that if he didn¡¯t tell the truth, he would enrage Xavier and lose his life


    immediately.


    Xavier quickly memorized the phone number using his photographic memory and opened the text


    message interface. As expected, it contained a bank transfer message.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, you should leave Bloomstead.¡± After issuing a warning, he stood up and


    turned to leave.


    However, after only a few steps, he felt unusually hot and the heat was unbearable.


    He felt something was wrong after drinking the wine earlier.


    He believed that Veronica had be Matthew¡¯s godsister and that even if someone was targeted on


    such an asion today, no one would be so eager to attack Veronica.


    As a result, he misjudged the strength of his opponent! The ability of his opponent to court death!


    An enraged Xavier had just fought with the waiter, which depleted his physical strength but elerated


    the poison¡¯s efficacy in his body.


    He endured the pain and left the staff room, where he ran into Tiffany, who hade to find him.


    When she saw Xavier, she made a cold face and asked, ¡°We agreed to coborate, Young Master


    Xavier. You¡¯re really close to Veronica now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Please¡­ Please take me upstairs.¡±


    He could only feel the drug attacking his body and at a fast rate.


    To keep outsiders from discovering what was happening, he wrapped his arms around her neck,


    walked forward with her strength, and urged, ¡°Quick, take me upstairs.¡±


    What kind of drug was this?


    It actually made him weaker and caused his body temperature to increase, whichnded him with


    excruciating pain.


    ¡°Do you feel okay?¡± Tiffany inquired as she observed Xavier¡¯s odd behavior.


    He ordered her, ¡°Go upstairs!¡±


    She resisted at first, but she reasoned that if she wanted to work with him in the future, she needed to


    gain his trust now.


    Then, she apanied him upstairs to the private lounge.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Tiffany led Xavier to the 32nd floor, where she found a private lounge, walked in with him, and shut the


    door.


    ¡°Young Master Xavier, you seem a little ill. I¡¯ll call a doctor.¡±


    She was concerned because she noticed his body was burning while she was holding him.


    However, all those fears became reality.


    Xavier, who was still weak and hot, was gradually gaining strength and his mind was a little foggy. He


    hugged the woman in front of her despite her confused expression. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Roni¡­ Please don¡¯t


    abandon me.¡±


    Tiffany¡¯s head buzzed as he said ¡®Roni,¡¯ and her heart swelled with rage. She was furious. ¡°Young


    Master Xavier, you¡¯ve made a mistake. I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°How could I have misidentified you, Roni? Even if you are reduced to ashes, I will recognize you.¡± He


    hugged Tiffany tightly and said, ¡°Why¡­ why did you cause me such anguish? Do you realize that there


    is no one on this who loves you more than I do? But you¡¯re still flirting with the jerk, Matthew.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Tiffany¡¯s mind was foggy and she felt a pang of sympathy for him since he was exactly like her.


    But¡­ They were different.


    Tiffany had gotten to where she was today thanks entirely to Xavier¡¯s sister, so she had to take


    revenge. ¡°Let go of me, Xavier. I am not Roni¡ªUgh!¡±


    She shoved him and turned to walk away, but who knew that he would lean over and kiss her lips the


    next moment?


    It was a passionate kiss in which he pried her lips open and sucked them.


    Her mind went nk as a result of the sudden action. He had already pressed her against the bed


    when she reacted and wanted to leave.


    ¡°Roni, don¡¯t go¡­ Be my woman, I¡­ I won¡¯t me you. I won¡¯t me you for everything you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy, Xavier? My name is Tiffany¡ªRip¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, he had destroyed her gown.


    How could a frail woman be his opponent?


    Although she struggled with all her might, she couldn¡¯t get away from him.


    That drug gradually made him tyrannical. He tried to stop the drug from spreading throughout his body,


    but it was too powerful.


    His mind was already confused when he felt powerless. Finally, the drug¡¯s efficacy exploded to its peak


    in a short period of time, causing him to go insane and believing that Tiffany was Veronica, whom he


    loved.


    He adored Veronica, but it was an unrequited love. However, she had hurt him and Melissa thest


    time they were in the warehouse.


    His attitude toward her gradually changed after that. Although he still loved her, his heart grew wild


    around her like a vine after rain.


    As time passed by, the people at the dance eventually dispersed.


    Veronica didn¡¯t wait for Matthew to pick her up; instead, she took Yvonne¡¯s car home.


    She washed up andy on the bed when she arrived home while breathing a long sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s


    morefortable to lie in bed.¡±


    ¡­


    Castron.


    In a super-luxurious vi built on a cliff, a mysterious man stood in front of floor-to-ceiling windows


    overlooking the cliff. He held a cigar in his hand, sipped it, and exhaled lightly.


    He fluently spoke in the localnguage, ¡°Your ticket has been prepared, Hendrey. You will depart after


    sunrise.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s my mission?¡± Hendrey inquired, slightly nodding.


    ¡°Get rid of a woman named Tiffany!¡±


    ¡°Murdering a woman is so simple. Why should I do it myself?¡± The mysterious man¡¯s intent perplexed


    Hendrey.


    ¡°I assigned you to this mission because this woman named Tiffany resembles your first love, Veronica.


    As a result, you can simply use Veronica to approach Tiffany secretly and get rid of her.¡±


    The mysterious man continued with a cigar in his mouth, ¡°There are many professionals surrounding


    Tiffany, and it is difficult to kill her. Be cautious, but make sure to kill her! Bring Floch Larson and his


    wife to me.¡±

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254


    Chapter 254 My Grandma Took a Pentakill Using Zayn


    Veronica sat on the bed, opened herptop, and searched for content to see what new projects could


    be undertaken.


    Despite the fact that Matthew had invested in the weddingpany, he was only assisting her because


    they had a great rtionship.


    One must always be ready to face danger.


    She was worried that if things went south with Matthew, she would be back to square one.


    Therefore, she must now develop her own development strategy and goals.


    However, emerce was now severely suppressing entities, and many entities were facing economic


    downfall. On the contrary, live broadcastingpanies, small video productionpanies, and the e-


    sports industry were doing well.


    E-sports?


    She picked up her phone and looked at the game application she always used. She had considered


    starting an e-sportspany several times, but she put it off due to ack of time and money.


    However, she now had a lot of time and funds.


    It was possible for her to attempt it.


    She then opened WhatsAspp and searched for a group called ¡®My Grandma Took a Pentakill Using


    Zayn¡¯.


    It had a total of ten people in it. They were her teammates, and they frequently yed games in a


    group of five, so they had an extremely close rtionship.


    She sent a message, ¡®Let¡¯s y¡­¡¯


    A phone call from Yvonne arrived shortly after the message was sent.


    Why is she calling sote?


    She thought to herself before answering the call. ¡°Yvonne, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Hey Roni. Are you avable tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Get straight to the point.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s nothing major. There¡¯s a jewelry exhibition tomorrow, and my friend who owns the jewelry


    company has invited me to attend. I¡¯m afraid it will be boring, so let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in that,¡± Veronica said, indicating her disinterest in the jewelry exhibition.


    ¡°Oh, but you have nothing else to do. It¡¯s arge jewelry exhibition, and there will be numerous bosses


    present. This is an excellent opportunity to get to know them better. Can you please just go with me?¡±


    Yvonne pleaded with her.


    Yvonne was extremely active and serious about business, and she wished to widen herwork in a


    variety of ways in order to establish and expand her brand, Honeycloud Cosmetics.


    Veronica assumed that if she wanted to do business, she would have to meet people as well.


    After all, it was the first time she presided over a wedding ceremony because she was fully in charge of


    Matthew¡¯s wedding. To make money from Matthew, she only needed to start a weddingpany.


    This was a guaranteed profit of 200 percent!


    However, if she started her own business without relying on Matthew, it would be much more difficult.


    ¡°What time do we meet tomorrow?¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow at six o¡¯clock in the evening.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the best, Roni. Muack!¡±


    ¡°Ew, you¡¯re so disgusting,¡± Veronica said.


    She hung up the phone, got up, and grabbed a notebook, ready to jot down pertinent information she


    found online.


    Then, a slew of messages began to appear in the WhatsApp group.


    Sniper: Zayn, you¡¯re the only one who hasn¡¯t logged into the game.


    Short-legged Ben: Zayn, you haven¡¯t been online in a few days. What¡¯s keeping you so busy?


    Grandma: Zayn must have gone to pick up the girls.


    ¡­


    Since many yers had their favorite heroes, they simply used their heroes¡¯ names as their usernames


    in the WhatsApp group.


    Veronica paused for a moment before responding with two words, ¡®Log in.¡¯


    Shadow Hacker: If Zayn doesn¡¯t turn on their mic, she must be a girl.


    Grandma: Are you insulting girls? Zayn, presumably, is unable tomunicate. Let us not impose him


    or her.¡¯


    Short-legged Ben: Stop with the nonsense. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a man or a woman. I only love Ben.


    Disaster: Log in.


    Several people in the group chatted for a while before logging into the game.


    Veronica never revealed her identity, and there was no selfie of her on social media, so no one knew


    who she was.


    Friends who had been ying together for many years online using voice chat basically meant


    everyone would join forces only to betray each other. For this reason, they were known as the ¡®ck


    Dragons¡¯.


    That night, after ying several games in a row, she was up until the wee hours before going offline.


    The following day.


    Hilton Hotel.


    Tiffany, who had been frantically tossed around by Xavier all night, had already dozed off.


    That night, after initially resisting, she gradually sumbed to Xavier¡¯s ferocity, and she involuntarily


    felt more enjoyment.


    As an adult, Tiffany was not as conservative and traditional as the world perceived her to be. Because


    of the Larson couple¡¯s oppression, she became an indulgentdy in private, which contrasted with her


    gentle and noble image as Miss Larson.


    She was out of control after the first taste of the forbidden fruit, so this time she felt Xavier¡¯s


    iparable bravery after being drugged, which really made her high and flutter like a butterfly.


    Xavier, on the other hand, had ¡®worked hard¡¯ all night and had fallen asleep.


    Fortunately, the hotel suite automatically locked when the door was closed; otherwise, the two¡¯s


    unbearable appearance would have been noticed by strangers.


    At noon, a hotel housekeeper came knocking on their door. ¡°Hello, do you need housekeeping?¡±


    The housekeeper inquired.


    Xavier was awakened by the constant knocking on the door, so he sat up and looked around. He felt


    cold in his body and looked down before ncing at the sleeping woman beside him. The quilt did not


    cover the hickeys on her chest. They must have had a wild nightst night.


    ¡°Hello? Is there anyone in?¡±


    The waiter knocked on the door once more.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± The waiter at the door left after Xavier replied loudly.


    His voice, on the other hand, awoke Tiffany.


    ¡°Young Master Xavier, you¡­ you were too much yesterday,¡± she said as she opened her eyes wearily.


    She was well aware that he was drugged, unconscious and had been misidentifying her as Veronica,


    but she didn¡¯t care.


    Instead, she now had to make Xavier feel bad about himself.


    Although Xavier was unaware of what urredter, he remembered what had urred previously.


    He felt guilty and remorseful for having done excessive things to Tiffany.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said irritably as he scratched his hair.


    ¡°Boo hoo¡­ Apologizing has no use¡­¡± she whimpered. All of a sudden, she choked and sobbed even


    harder. ¡°You are crossing the line¡­ sob¡­¡±


    While listening to her sobbing, he irritably took out a box of cigarettes from his coat, pulled out a


    cigarette and lit it before smoking.


    He fell into deep thought while leaning on the bed, but because he was naked, he could clearly feel the


    stickiness of the bedding.


    Everything demonstrated how wildst night was!


    ¡°Why¡­ Why are you all picking on me? My voice was hoarse yesterday, but you wouldn¡¯t let me go¡­


    Sob¡­¡±


    Even though Tiffany had a good timest night, she felt humiliated and cheated.


    After all, she didn¡¯t do it willingly, so it meant that she was coerced into it.


    ¡°Please allow me to exin.¡± Xavier looked ahead, tucked his cigarette between his fingers, and took a


    drag of his cigarette again.


    D*mn it. Who the hell drugged me yesterday?


    If the two sses of wine he drank were drugged, did that mean Veronica¡­ Was she as insane as he


    was yesterday?

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255


    Chapter 255 The Bloody Woman Lied to Him Once More


    Who went wild with her?


    Matthew?


    No matter how hard Xavier thought, he only had Matthew in mind.


    His mood darkened as he wondered what had happened to Veronica the night before.


    ¡°What exnation can you give me?¡±


    Tiffany screamed angrily, ¡°How am I supposed to face everyone? Ah¡­¡± She sobbed, ashamed and


    heartbroken.


    He ignored her and put out his cigarette. He then stretched out his hand and picked up his clothes to


    put them on, saying, ¡°If you want to call the cops, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    After saying that, he got up and went to the bathroom in a big hurry.


    The bathroom door mmed shut with a ¡®bang¡¯, blocking out the sound from outside.


    In a fraction of a moment, the painful expression on Tiffany¡¯s face gradually faded, and she became


    fierce and vicious. ¡°I will make you all pay the price!¡± she said, raising her slender fingers to wipe the


    tears from her cheeks.


    She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, trembling with rage.


    When Xavier came out of the bathroom ten minutester, Tiffany leaned on the bed frame, sat with her


    knees curled up and wrapped herself tightly in the quilt. She did not look directly at him.


    The man, who had never been in bed with another woman, was in aplicated and depressing


    mood.


    ¡°I¡­I did not call the cops.¡±


    What was the point of calling the cops if they had already slept together?


    It will only make the police aware of the situation and make her even more embarrassed.


    Furthermore, they only slept for one night, so she felt no loss; on the contrary, she could use this


    opportunity to get closer to Xavier.


    This way, it would then be easier to deal with Veronica and exact vengeance on Melissa.


    Tiffany¡¯s choice did not surprise him. With her current situation, exposing themselves would only cost


    her reputation. It was not worth the risk.


    ¡°I owe you this time. I¡¯ll have someone bring you clothester.¡±


    Before leaving, he dressed and cast a nce at Tiffany.


    She resembled Veronica so much, but even if he lingered on her, there were no expectations.


    Not only that, it fueled his desire to win Veronica over.


    After leaving the hotel, Xavier went straight to investigate the number that had dialed the hotel waiter


    the day before.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    The investigation was progressing rapidly.


    The mastermind behind the scene was discovered in less than an hour.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found it, Young Master Xavier. The person responsible for the hotel¡¯s waiter arrangement is¡­ It


    is¡­¡± The investigator stuttered.


    ¡°Melissa?¡±


    Xavier had already guessed it.


    ¡°It¡¯s her.¡±


    The investigator replied.


    Xavier¡¯s temples throbbed hard upon receiving a definitive response. He went straight to the hospital


    after hanging up the phone. He noticed Melissa lying on a hospital bed in the ward.


    She was watching a short video while eating fruit, looking very rxed.


    He rushed to her side, and when she saw him enter, she eximed, ¡°Why are you here¡­ Ah!¡±


    Before she could finish his sentence, Xavier pped her across the face and scolded, ¡°Are you stupid?


    Do you have to be amputated to learn to control yourself?¡±


    Melissa, who had been pped, was taken aback, but she quickly realized what he was implying.


    ¡°What did I do?¡± She raged, her hands pressed against her cheeks. ¡°I just wanted to annihte


    Veronica.¡±


    ¡°You are my brother, but you favor Veronica in everything. Why?¡± Melissa shoved Xavier. ¡°Look at my


    legs! If it weren¡¯t for that b*tch, I wouldn¡¯t be in this state right now. Do you have a problem? My legs


    have not recovered, and I¡¯m afraid I may be a cripple for the rest of my life. Even if I recover, I¡¯ll never


    be able to dance again in my life. Don¡¯t you understand?!¡±


    The shot in the knee shattered her meniscus, and even with surgery now, the consequences would be


    severe in the future.


    How could Melissa bear such grievances when she had a domineering temperament and was regarded


    as a treasure in the Crawford Family?


    However, she had no idea that the drug she put into the wine would harm her own brother.


    ¡°Veronica is now Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ goddaughter, and she¡¯s considered one of the Kings,¡± Xavier warned,


    narrowing his eyes and ring at Melissa. If you keep messing around, you¡¯ll end up killing the entire


    Crawford Family.¡±


    ¡°Are you getting it confused?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of how much Old Mrs. Kings likes her, she is still an outsider,¡± she raged. ¡°Do you think


    Elizabeth and Matthew would inflict harm on our family solely because of Veronica, causing us to


    suffer?¡±


    After all, Veronica had overestimated the Crawford Family¡¯s power in Bloomstead.


    ¡°Such ignorance!¡±


    ¡°I warn you for thest time. Don¡¯t y tricks on Veronica again; otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being


    rude to you,¡± Xavier said as he got a headache from Melissa¡¯s rage.


    ¡°Hmph! Are you still my brother, Xavier? That vixen, Veronica, has enchanted you. You¡­ Hey! Don¡¯t


    leave! Ah! It¡¯s so annoying!¡±


    Xavier had already left the ward before her words were finished, which drove her insane.


    ¡­


    Veronica was working in the office all morning. At noon, Matthew texted her, ¡®When do you get off


    work?¡¯


    She nced at the text message on her phone while in a meeting with a member of the sales team.


    She then turned the phone over and set it aside, ignoring the text message, before she continued the


    meeting.


    At this time, Matthew was ying with his phone in the Spinfluence Group¡¯s office. He then raised his


    eyes and nced at his friends sitting in front of him before stretching out his hand to rub his temples in


    annoyance.


    ¡°Damn, Bro. You haven¡¯t gotten it done yet? You¡¯re wealthy and attractive, yet Veronica doesn¡¯t like


    you?¡± Sklyer asked.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she had a first love? Is it possible that she hasn¡¯t forgotten her first love?¡± Miguel


    chimed in on the discussion.


    As they mentioned his first love, Matthew subconsciously raised his gaze to Caleb, as if waiting for his


    response.


    After exiting the underground chamber thest time, he ordered Caleb to investigate the person named


    ¡®Larry Freeman¡¯ mentioned by Veronica.


    He was so preupied these days that he almost forgot about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on an anti-drug case for the past few days, and I almost forgot about this,¡± Caleb,


    who was dressed in a ck trench coat, said as he leaned back and sat up straight. ¡°Matt, I¡¯ve looked


    into the person named ¡®Larry¡¯. He¡¯s not a student from the university Veronica attends, but rather the


    school hunk of another university at the time. The point is that he is a few years older than Veronica, so


    they can¡¯t possibly know each other.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s handsome face expressed disappointment.


    This was not what he had hoped for.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that sufficient? Matt, this means that Veronica is deceiving you. It¡¯s very likely that she has never


    been in love.¡±


    Sklyer assessed the situation right away.


    ¡°What Drew said makes sense,¡± Miguel said, nodding in agreement.


    When Matthew heard this, his eyes lit up, as if he saw hope, and he fixed his gaze on Caleb, waiting for


    his response.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    Caleb awkwardly touched his hair, saying, ¡°Veronica and Larry have never met, but she has a first love.


    The name is Hendrey Johnson.¡±

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256


    Chapter 256 Special Flirting Tips


    ¡°Does she really have a first love? Are they still in touch?¡±


    Hearing the gossip, Sklyer stood up and walked over to Caleb¡¯s side, pushing Miguel aside. He then


    sat down, smiling. ¡°Caleb, there must be a photo of Hendrey since you discovered him. Come on, let


    me see his face, please. I¡¯m sure you have a picture of him since investigating is your specialty. I guess


    he must be quite handsome. He won¡¯t be able to defeat Matt otherwise¡­ Hey! Why are you hitting


    me?¡±


    Caleb pped him on the head before he could finish speaking, and then said to Matthew, ¡°Drew has


    no manners. Don¡¯t mind him, Matt.¡±


    Skyler followed Caleb¡¯s gaze, and he happened to meet Matthew¡¯s cold gaze. All of a sudden, he felt a


    chill run down his back and immediately smiled tteringly. ¡°It¡¯s a joke, Matt. In my heart, you¡¯ll always


    be the male god, and you¡¯re notparable to Hendrey, that guy. I was just curious to see how he


    looked.¡±


    As he said that, he had an epiphany and added, ¡°If Hendrey is truly that attractive, bro, I will absolutely


    annihte his face. Veronica will no longer adore him.¡±


    He obviously wanted to tter Matthew, but everything he said seemed provocative.


    When Miguel, who was sitting next to him, heard that, he twitched at the corner of his mouth and kicked


    Skyler¡¯s ass, saying, ¡°Go down and buy a pack of cigarettes. I¡¯m out of cigarettes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I don¡¯t have any cigarettes either. You go buy them, and I¡¯ll show you the pictures once you


    do.¡± Caleb concurred.


    ¡°All right, as you said. I¡¯ll leave right now.¡±


    Sklyer was obsessed with gossip and wanted to see the man Veronica adored, so he dashed out of the


    office.


    On the other hand, Matthew appeared expressionless, calm, and serene, but his mood is rather


    complicated, and he is vaguely concerned.


    Hendrey?


    This damned woman even lied to him about the name of her first love!


    Could it be that she really still loves him?


    ¡°Matt, you don¡¯t have to overthink it. Hendrey, ording to my research, has been living abroad and


    has never contacted Veronica. He will most likely not return to the country. You don¡¯t have to be under


    any psychological duress.¡±


    Calebforted him.


    ¡°Caleb¡¯s statement is correct. Hendrey would have returned to the country a long time ago if he liked


    Veronica. So¡­ nothing is going on between them.¡±


    Miguel solemnly waved his hand and pushed his sses, which were on the bridge of his nose, as he


    expressed his dissatisfaction with Veronica and Hendrey.


    Matthew took a sip of the coffee in front of him before putting it down slowly and saying, ¡°The photo.¡±


    ¡°Huh? The photograph¡­ Oh right.¡±


    Caleb had no idea that Matthew was interested in seeing Hendrey¡¯s photos.


    He clearly knew from his understanding of Matthew over many years that he truly fell in love with


    Veronica, and he also developed a strong hostility toward this man named Hendrey.


    That was due to the innate hostility between love rivals.


    Caleb handed the phone to Matthew, who took it. The picture showed an elegant man in a suit and


    leather shoes, with a warm jade face and gold-rimmed sses. He exuded the nobleness of a literati


    and schr.


    ¡°Is this picture photoshopped?¡± Matthew asked a startling question.


    For a moment, Caleb was stunned and subconsciously looked at Miguel beside him. When they looked


    at each other, there was a feeling that could not be described.


    He knew Matthew had deep love for Veronica, but he didn¡¯t expect a man who was always arrogant


    and invincible to feel insecure when faced with a love rival.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s his bare face.¡± Caleb responded.


    At this point, Miguel couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°How handsome is he?¡±


    He stood up and approached Matthew, peeking at Hendrey in the photograph and sighing, ¡°How does


    he look so good? Is he a celebrity?¡±


    ¡°Meh¡­ He¡¯s just an ordinary guy, but¡­¡±


    At the mention of a celebrity, Caleb had a sudden thought. ¡°Hendrey is indeed a well-known actor. He¡¯s


    now quite popr abroad.¡±


    While listening to the two¡¯s conversation, Matthew became contemtive.


    He had been in the business industry for a long time and had never been afraid of anything. However,


    when it came to Veronica, he was repeatedly rejected, which frustrated his spirit.


    Not long after he had fallen into deep thought, Skyler returned excitedly, with a pack of cigarettes and a


    book in his hands.


    ¡°Look at what I brought you, Matt.¡±


    He approached Matthew, shook the book in his hand, and eximed happily, ¡°This is ¡®The Book of


    Flirting¡¯, and the bookstore owner said that it¡¯s the number one best-selling book for flirting. It has aided


    countless marriages, and I purchased it for you without hesitation.¡±


    He immediately threw the book on the table and raised his eyebrows yfully, as if to demonstrate his


    brotherly love for Matthew.


    However, Matthew leaned on the couch with his legs crossed, his cold eyes slightly drooping, and


    looked at the book ¡®The Book of Flirting: How to Make Chicks Fall for Me¡¯. His expression darkened


    instantly.


    ¡°Troy!¡±


    He let out a low yell.


    ¡°President Kings, is there anything you need?¡± Troy, who was standing outside the office door, asked


    as he entered.


    Matthew sipped his coffee, pursed his lips, before raising his handzily to point at Sklyer. ¡°Get rid of


    him!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Hello? What are you doing, Matt? This is not righteous.¡± Sklyer was perplexed.


    On the other hand, Troy immediately understood the situation when he saw the sexy and hot cover of


    the brainless book titled ¡®The Book of Flirting: How to Make Chicks Fall For Me¡¯ on the table.


    After Skyler finished speaking, Troy took a step forward and ced his arm around Skyler¡¯s neck. He


    then leaned over and ced his other arm around Skyler¡¯s legs before throwing him up on his shoulder


    and walking out of the room.


    ¡°Holy sh*t. Troy, put me down! I¡¯m friends with Thomas, so how can you treat me in this way? Put me


    down! Do I not have shame?!¡±


    Skyler fought hard but was eventually thrown out by Troy.


    When Caleb and Miguel saw this scene, Calebu immediately stood up and said, ¡°Matt, I have


    something to do in my office, so I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence that I have a lunch reservation at noon. We¡¯ll get going, Matthew. Talk to you


    soon.¡±


    Miguel, too, found an excuse and left the office with Caleb.


    The office door closed, and the silence returned.


    Matthew picked up his phone and checked it, but Veronica had not responded to his text messages.


    He gave a vague sigh, took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and began smoking.


    He sat alone in the office for a long time, hesitatingly looking at ¡®The Book of Flirting¡¯ on the table


    before finally picking it up.


    The title page of the book reads: Are you still worried about not being able to catch the girl you like?


    Are you still upset because your girlfriend left you for someone else? Are you still a slick fish that slips


    through the fingertips of the rich because you can¡¯t catch beautiful chicks? Don¡¯t be sad; instead, learn


    the art of flirting with girls. This book will teach you how to win the girl of your dreams in three days!

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257


    Chapter 257 An Unexpected Runway Walk


    When Matthew saw these lines, his face went green. He then snapped the book shut and tossed it into


    the trash can.


    After that, he stood up and walked to his desk to resume his work.


    Minutes passed, and despite being busy until three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, there was still no iing


    text message from Veronica.


    Matthew, who was feeling a little mncholy, leaned back in his executive chair, turned the signature


    pen in his hand, and involuntarily nced over at the trash can.


    After that, he stood up with hesitation, walked to the trash can, and picked up the book again.


    Fortunately, there was no trash in the bin, so the book was still clean.


    He flipped to the title page and continued reading¡­


    ¡­


    Veronica had no idea what had happened here.


    She had some free time after being preupied with everything else, and she remembered the


    message Matthew had sent her at the time.


    She took out her phone and sent a reply, ¡®I was busy in the morning, so I didn¡¯t see your text.¡¯


    Not long after the message was sent, another message arrived, ¡®There is a newly opened restaurant


    that serves delicious food. Do you want to have dinner together tonight?¡¯


    Matthew¡¯s invitation was too direct, and Veronica could sense his enthusiasm. However, she declined.


    ¡®I can¡¯t make it. Yvonne invited me to a jewelry exhibition tonight.¡¯


    She had a headache from his intense pursuit and didn¡¯t know what to do.


    This message was like a stone sinking into the sea after it was sent, and there was no response.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    At half past five o¡¯clock in the evening, Yvonne arrived on time at the Encounters Bridal Store¡¯s


    entrance.


    Veronica then went downstairs, got into Yvonne¡¯s car, and headed for the jewelry exhibition.


    As it was arge-scale jewelry exhibition hosted in Bloomstead, many jewelrypanies were


    competing. Only excellent exhibits would have the opportunity to participate in this jewelry show.


    Many people had already taken their seats when they arrived at the jewelry exhibition venue. Veronica


    was about to sit down when Yvonne whisked her away to the backstage area. ¡°Let¡¯s head backstage


    and take a look.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are we doing backstage?¡± Veronica seemed perplexed.


    ¡°Well, just follow my lead.¡±


    Yvonne took her arm and led her backstage.


    Later, arge crowd gathered, including models wearing jewelry on disy, staff members, and some


    designers, including make-up artists and costume designers.


    Yvonne found her friend after walking around the crowd. ¡°Hi Ivana, how¡¯s everything going?¡±


    She greeted her friend, but then she noticed the woman with short gray hair had a worried expression,


    saying, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so worried! A model has sprained her foot and can¡¯t walk at all. The jewelry show will


    start soon. Where should I look for someone to rece her?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What happened?¡± Yvonne frowned, surprised by what she had heard. Thinking for a moment,


    she continued, ¡°Are there no temporary models? You can afford to pay more to hire one.¡±


    Ivana sped her hands and sighed in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of money right now. Even if I pay


    one hundred thousand, I won¡¯t be able to find a model.¡±


    Veronica, who was standing next to Yvonne, heard their conversation. She rolled her eyes, thought for


    a moment, and then asked, ¡°One hundred thousand for a model to walk in the show?¡±


    ¡°Well, over thirty thousand.¡± Since Ivana was looking for a better model, the fee for a show exceeded


    thirty thousand. ¡°The model sprained her foot and it¡¯s now swollen, so she has been sent to the


    hospital,¡± she added.


    At this moment, a voice from the backstage said, ¡°Attention to allpanies, the jewelry show is now


    commencing. Please be prepared to allow the models to enter the venue one by one.¡±


    The organizer of the jewelry exhibition urged everyone backstage, which made Ivana even more


    nervous. ¡°What should I do? That model is well-known in Bloomstead and can serve as the finale.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the model for fifty thousand!¡±


    Veronica spoke up abruptly.


    As she finished her sentence, Yvonne and Ivan both looked at her with incredulous expressions,


    saying, ¡°You¡­ Can you?¡±


    Yvonne yanked on her arm. ¡°Although fifty thousand is a good reward, you can¡¯t fool around. This is a


    jewelry show, and Ivana may lose her job as a result.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll give it my all.¡± Veronica had only one sentence to exin herself.


    Ivana then scrutinized Veronica before realizing her identity. She realized that Veronica had been in the


    news in Bloomsteadtely, so she was quite famous.


    It would be great if she could be the model for this jewelry show.


    She paused briefly before looking at Veronica and saying, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible for you to model for the


    show, but¡­you must do as I say.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if she knew how to walk on the runway; what mattered was that the gimmick had to be


    effective.


    ¡°What exactly should I do?¡± Veronica asked Ivana, who was the designer.


    They stood next to each other and discussed it.


    After everything had been finalized, Yvonne sat down excitedly in a seat reserved in the front row.


    It was only then that she noticed Matthew and Conrad sitting across from her.


    They also showed up.


    As the music began to y, the models emerged one by one, each wearing jewelry, and the


    atmosphere was enticing.


    Veronica, who was backstage at the time, had already changed her clothes and was sitting in front of


    the dressing table wearing jewelry, but when she looked in the mirror, she saw someone appear behind


    her¡­


    It was Ruka!


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Veronica?¡±


    Ruka came here today as the person in charge of the Charmante Jewelry Atelier, but she never


    expected to meet Veronica backstage.


    ¡°Is this the model yourpany hired?¡± She sneered as she looked at Ivana. ¡°Is that all she has? How


    can shepare to me? Are you joking?¡±


    Ruka had an ironic demeanor and disdainful eyes.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Our model is injured, and we can only request temporary


    assistance. This is my pal.¡± Ivana avoided a confrontation with Ruka. After all, she was Miss Dame,


    and Ivana¡¯spany could not afford to offend her.


    ¡°This ispletely absurd, Ivana.¡± Ruka shook her head, her dark eyes fixed on Veronica. Ruka¡¯s


    thoughts were difficult toprehend.


    Veronica noticed Ruka in the mirror and immediately felt her hostility. However, Veronica didn¡¯t give it


    much thought; she just assumed Ruka despised her.


    After Ruka left, Ivana immediately consoled Veronica by saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t walk like


    a model, as long as you exude stage presence and remember what I told you.¡±


    ¡°OK, no worries.¡± Veronica replied.


    She was seated backstage for a while, waiting for the models from differentpanies to finish walking


    one by one. Then, another designer introduced their jewelry¡¯s design inspiration and concept. It had


    been a 20-minute wait.


    Backstage, Ivana¡¯s name was called, and the models from herpany were getting ready to take the


    stage.


    In the jewelry exhibition hall, Matthew had the best view of the runway. Next to him were Caleb and


    Skyler, who happened to be visiting the jewelry exhibition today. Therefore, their encounter was purely


    coincidental.


    After a while, Skyler noticed Yvonne sitting across from them and asked Matthew, ¡°Bro, is the girl


    across from us Veronica¡¯s best friend? If she¡¯s here, does that mean Veronica is present as well?¡±

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258


    Chapter 258 Ruka Is Making Mischief Again


    Skyler suddenly realized something. ¡°Is it possible that Veronica is also here today, and thus you are


    here? I recall you being uninterested in this kind of jewelry exhibition.¡±


    What he said was met with a wary look from Matthew.


    With that, Skyler contracted his neck. He immediately fell silent as he remembered being thrown into


    the elevator by Troy earlier in the day.


    If Veronica is present, where is she now? He wondered.


    The models from Ivana¡¯spany appeared one after the other. Everything went swimmingly under


    the music and stage lighting. Atst, the final model on the runway was¡­ Veronica.


    ¡°Oh sh*t. Matt, look at who that is?¡±


    Skyler, who couldn¡¯t find Veronica, looked up and saw the girl he was looking for on the runway. He


    recognized her at a nce since she had short ck hair.


    Tiffany, on the other hand, had chestnut-colored hair that reached to the waist, so the two were easily


    distinguished.


    Skyler¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Veronica. Matthew followed his gaze as well.


    Veronica walked down the runway wearing a pair of ten-centimeter heels. She was dressed simply in a


    gray-ck tube top dress with a pinched waist that was short in the front and long in the back. A few


    gray-white feathers adorned her left chest, and arge bow adorned her waist. She shone like a star in


    the gxy under the bright light.


    On top of her slender figure, she had high poprity in Bloomstead. Therefore, the audience was


    surprised and cheered as soon as she appeared.


    ¡°Oh my god, isn¡¯t that Tiffany?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s Veronica. Can¡¯t you tell?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s stunning, and she¡¯s much taller than Tiffany.¡±


    ¡°Her figure is far superior to hers. She¡¯s busty.¡±


    ¡­


    Victoria¡¯s appearance piqued everyone¡¯s interest, and there was a lot of discussion.


    Yvonne was the most nervous of them all. After all, she was well aware of Veronica¡¯s inability to model.


    She simply volunteered to be a model for the fifty thousand.


    The next moment, the light fell on Veronica, and Yvonne was stunned as she walked down the runway


    with her head held high.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Due to the enormous size of the exhibition hall, each model would be disyed directly on the big


    screen to avoid blurry images of the models and the jewelry they were wearing.


    Veronica appeared on stage with perfect catwalk strides, her chest and head raised and her eyes fixed


    straight ahead while keeping her facial expression focused and poised.


    When she walked, her hips were slightly tucked and her center of gravity was moderately forward.


    Moreover, her knees buckled inward when she strutted, and there was slight friction between her feet


    as she ced one foot in front of the other and kept her strides long and smooth.


    Her catwalk appeared characteristic, and she looked photogenic on the big screen, leaving a


    remarkable impression.


    This¡­ This was a professional catwalk! Why did she im she couldn¡¯t model?


    She was so good at pretending!


    ¡°Girly lied to me again!¡±


    Veronica made Yvonne drop her jaw. A whole egg could fit in her mouth.


    Veronica¡¯s appearance surprised not only Tiffany, but also Matthew, Conrad, Skyler, and Caleb, who


    were sitting across from Tiffany.


    ¡°Damn, Matt. Is Veronica a model?¡± Sklyer¡¯s eyes widened with amazement.


    ¡°Yes. When I first looked her up, I remembered that she was great at modeling. She even did a catwalk


    in school back then. She also worked as a part-time model while in college to help pay for her tuition.¡±


    Caleb suddenly remembered that while he investigated her boyfriend, he also looked into her school


    life.


    It was just that he initially thought that even though Veronica knew how to model, she might only be an


    amateur. Who would have guessed she was so professional?!


    As he finished speaking, Matthew cast a sharp look at him, as if implying, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Then, Matthew turned to look at the stage, captivated by the stunning woman.


    What kind of surprises does this d*mn woman have in store for him?


    At this moment, Conrad¡¯s lips curled slightly, as if he had seen some prey that piqued his interest.


    ¡°She¡¯s a very experienced model.¡±


    ¡°It turns out that Veronica is a model, and she¡¯s really photogenic.¡±


    ¡°She looks fantastic on camera. She¡¯s unquestionably a pro.¡±


    ¡°D*mn, she¡¯s absolutely gorgeous. She is making the jewelry appear dull.¡±


    ¡­


    Due to the fact that Veronica had recently been in the spotlight, she was familiar with the majority of the


    audience who had attended the show today and who were from Bloomstead¡¯s upper sses.


    Her professional modeling astounded many people.


    However, just as everyone was expressing their feelings about her surprised runway walk, Veronica,


    who was cat walking, suddenly slumped and knelt on the spot. Her kneesnded on the floor with a


    loud thud.


    At that precise moment, the scene erupted with continuous gasping sounds. It hurt everyone to look at


    her, who had fallen.


    Veronica looked down at the runway floor, only to see it split open owing to her idental trip.


    Her ten-centimeter heels suddenly snapped. Even though the situation was unexpected, it was natural


    for it to break because she had fallen so hard.


    The music was still ying, and the model behind her walked by.


    Ivana, who was standing backstage, was terrified and her heart twitched.


    Her charismatic catwalk was overwhelming just moments before. Everyone was shocked to see her


    modeling until she copsed. This made her so nervous that she couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Ruka, who was standing next to Ivana, raised her lips slightly, a smug look in her eye. Veronica, who


    are you to defeat me?


    Among the audience, Matthew¡¯s brow furrowed. When he saw Veronica¡¯s fall, he almost ran to the


    runway, but he restrained himself.


    The runway is sacred to a model, and he should not be there at this time.


    However, just as everyone thought she couldn¡¯t get up, they noticed her taking off the high heel that


    was broken, holding it in her hand, and standing up while fighting the pain in her knees.


    Ouch.


    Her body was trembling in pain, but¡­


    Damn it. She had almost bagged the fifty thousand, so she could not back up now!


    She pursed her lips and took only one second to rx her expression, returning to her natural facial


    expression as if there was no pain.


    However, by the time she stood up, her knees were purple and swollen. One could imagine how hard


    she fell.


    She endured the pain by having her arm akimbo and her high heel in the other. She was wearing high


    heels only on one foot, and she had her right foot on tiptoe before continuing to walk forward.


    Even with one shoe missing, she maintained a steady walk, like a veteran who had been walking on


    the runway for many years, which was incredible.


    She had a high heel in her hand, with the shoce hanging on the back of her hand. Not only was the


    atmosphere not ruined, but she also managed to transform the high heel and make it look like she was


    carrying a bag. She looked sassy and beautiful!


    She came to a halt in the middle of the runway, struck a pose, threw the shoe behind her shoulders,


    before raising her shoulders slightly and smiling.


    At that moment, she looked like she was surrounded by a halo, making her the center of attention on


    stage.


    Particrly when she looked back and smiled after throwing the shoe behind her shoulders. It was


    stylish, charming, and extremely attractive.


    She then turned around and walked toward the center of the runway. As she passed by Yvonne, she


    threw her high heel at her.


    Her unrestrained, cool, and inadvertent actions stole everyone¡¯s hearts.


    Ivana followed Veronica to the center of the runway and stood in front of the host.

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259


    Chapter 259 Hendrey, Who Fell From the Sky


    The host did not pay much attention to Veronica¡¯s knees, but Ivana came over at first instance and


    inquired, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Veronica shook her head and answered, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Ivana. Model No. 82 is wearing yourpany¡¯s final jewelry series. It is indeed gorgeous and


    extraordinary. Could you borate on your design inspiration and ideas for us?¡± asked the host.


    Ivana nodded, took over the microphone, and answered, ¡°The inspiration behind this design came from


    Miss Veronica Murphy. We were having tea one day and she shared the story of her first love with me.


    The love she described resembled the warmth of the sun on a winter day. The warm love she


    experienced instantly inspired me to design the First Love series. That is also why I decided that Miss


    Murphy should be my model this time.¡±


    The fictitious background story was crafted to mask Veronica¡¯s inability to do a proper catwalk, but who


    would have thought that Veronica was actually a gifted model?!


    Even when Ivana saw how great Veronica¡¯s stage performance was, she insisted on using the fictional


    background story.


    ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s very creative, Ivana.¡± The host smiled before turning to Veronica and asked, ¡°I


    believe that besides me, everyone here is very curious to hear what kind of unforgettable first love it


    was to be such a great inspiration for Ivana. Would you mind sharing it with us, Miss Murphy?¡±


    Then, he handed over the microphone to her.


    She took the microphone, nodded slightly, and kept a polite smile while pondering what to say.


    Ivana scooched beside her and whispered in her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Just be casual and tell them


    the story of your first love.¡±


    Veronica grasped the microphone and her thoughts wandered back to a few years ago. ¡°It was a


    freezing winter back then. I rode a bicycle to school and fell hard on the side of the road that had frozen


    a little. At that time¡­¡±


    She looked down at her knee as she spoke and gave a mock smile. ¡°Yeap. I have the same injury on


    my knee right now. It was purple and swollen, and I couldn¡¯t walk at all.¡±


    As soon as the photographer¡¯s lens switched to aim at Veronica¡¯s knee, he zoomed in for a close-up.


    Her knee was seriously injured at this point and it had turned swollen and purple. Blood vessels could


    even be seen underneath the injury.


    ¡°At that time, he happened to be passing by. He noticed that I couldn¡¯t get up due to the pain, so he


    came up to me enthusiastically and carried me to the infirmary. That was the beginning of my first love.¡±


    Veronica did not have stage fright at all as she slowly shared her first encounter with her first love.


    However, just as she handed the microphone back to the host, she happened to see a glimpse of a


    familiar person sitting beside the runway¡­


    It was Matthew Kings!


    As she met Matthew¡¯s deep and chilling gaze, Veronica¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she gulped


    nervously. When¡­ When did he arrive?


    Veronica was so shocked that she quickly exhaled a deep breath, not daring to look directly into his


    cold eyes.


    ¡°It sounds like a simple and beautiful rtionship. Anyway, since we¡¯re on the topic, you might as well


    satisfy everyone¡¯s curiosity. Would you mind telling us whether you still have feelings for your first


    love?¡±


    The host held a device in her hand. She took a glimpse at the message she just received and tossed


    out a private question to Veronica in public.


    At that moment, many people thought that the host was being ignorant by asking such a question.


    However, he had already handed the microphone to Veronica; it was obvious that he had no intention


    of giving her a choice.


    Ivana, who was sitting next to her, immediately interrupted, ¡°Miss Murphy¡¯s leg is injured, so why don¡¯t


    we¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Veronica shook her head and happily took the microphone from the host.


    At that moment, her eyes collided with Matthew¡¯s once again. The two looked at each other from a


    distance, both havingplicated and heavy gazes.


    After taking a deep breath, she clenched the microphone tightly and responded, ¡°Yes, I do. I will never


    forget him.¡±


    Her sentence sounded like she was answering a reporter, but she was, in fact, staring directly at


    Matthew when she uttered those words.


    Now that he was here, Veronica was ced in a difficult situation, but it was better to take this


    opportunity to give Matthew the answer he had always wanted.


    Moreover, Hendrey had long gone abroad. Since she had not announced his name to the public before,


    she had nothing to worry about unless¡­ Hendrey was at the scene!


    Once Veronica was done speaking, the two best friends, Skyler and Caleb, who were sitting beside


    Matthew, looked at each other and both subconsciously distanced themselves from Matthew.


    Terrible damage had been done.


    At the same time that Veronica and Matthew looked at each other, someone in the audience stood up.


    Ruka, who had been observing everything from backstage, was extremely jealous of Veronica¡¯s


    performance earlier.


    Initially, she wanted to embarrass Veronica and make her aughing stock, so she tampered with her


    shoes, but who knew that Veronica would be able toplete a perfect catwalk even on tiptoes?


    Not only did Veronica manage to save herself from embarrassment, she was also even praised by


    everyone.


    Ruka¡¯s jealousy was strong, but when she noticed that Matthew was sitting below the stage while


    Veronica was talking about her first love on the runway, Ruka suddenly found herself to be a wicked


    person.


    The fact that Veronica dared to tell the public about her first love when she was aware that Matthew


    was there meant that she was not in love with Matthew.


    Ruka fell into deep thought and when she raised her head, she saw someone standing among the


    crowd.


    Based on a woman¡¯s intuition, Ruka somehow sensed that the way that person was looking at Veronica


    was a little different.


    She immediately walked up to the lighting engineer and instructed him, ¡°Quick! Turn on the lights.¡±


    As Ruka was the eldest daughter of the Dame Family, she had a special status in Bloomstead.


    Naturally, most people would not dare to oppose her.


    The lighting engineer did not want to offend Ruka, so he shot a beam of light at the man who stood up.


    All of a sudden, that person became the focus of the crowd as everyone looked in his direction.


    Standing on the runway, Veronica could clearly see the man shrouded in white lights from her angle.


    Her gaze wavered, and her breathing stopped.


    How¡­


    How could it¡­ be him?


    ¡°Hendrey Johnson?¡± Veronica could not help calling out Hendrey¡¯s name, but she was still holding the


    microphone, so her voice was amplified countless times.


    As she was extremely surprised, her speech slowed down a lot, but when everyone heard what she


    just said, they took it for an affectionate call.


    Everyone looked at the man named Hendrey and began to whisper to each other.


    ¡°That man must be Veronica¡¯s first love, right?¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Dear heavens! Is this some kind of romance staged by Julius Atelier?¡±


    ¡°What a handsome man.¡±


    ¡°He looks dashing and dapper! How elegant.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Why am I seeing PDA at a jewelry showcase?!¡±


    ¡­


    When Matthew followed Veronica¡¯s line of sight, he saw Hendrey standing in the crowd. Hendrey was


    furrowing his brows and his face was painted with a touch ofplexity.


    Skyler¡¯s jaw dropped in shock. Without daring to speak to Matthew, he turned to Caleb, who was


    beside him, and whispered, ¡°Hold your horses! Didn¡¯t you say that Hendrey won¡¯t be back? Did he just


    fall from the sky?!¡±

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260


    Chapter 260 Veronica¡¯s Live Confession


    The corners of Skyler¡¯s mouth twitched wildly. He realized how coincidental the situation turned out to


    be.


    Spoke of the devil and he actually appeared!


    How could this even happen?!


    In the afternoon, Caleb had just mentioned that Hendrey would not return, so how was this possible?


    How troublesome!


    On the runway, the host couldn¡¯t hold in her excitement anymore as she held the microphone up and


    eximed, ¡°Oh my goodness! Ivana, is this scene of romance staged by you and your team in


    advance? Was it intentional for Miss Murphy to wear the First Love series to do a catwalk, share her


    first love, and confess to Mr. Johnson in the heat of the moment?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Veronica cursed in her heart, What the hell?! It¡¯s a pity you didn¡¯t be a writer!


    Presently, Veronica was immersed in the emotion of surprise. There were no words to describe her


    feelings at that moment.


    However, she could feel that her lips were opening and closing subconsciously.


    A moment ago, she assumed that Hendrey would never know, but unfortunately¡­


    Hendrey, whom she had not seen in five years, unexpectedly appeared in front of her as if he had


    fallen from the sky!


    Most importantly, the host did some exceptional reasoning to link everything together, which left her


    speechless.


    Veronica nced at Hendrey, whom she had not seen for many years. He seemed to look a lot more


    mature than he was back then, but he exuded a nerdy aura that was really attractive.


    While she stared at Hendrey, Hendrey stared back at her. The two looked at each other as if trying to


    remember each other¡¯s faces for eternity.


    Just then, the background music was switched to a romantic tune. Richard yderman¡¯s Marriage


    d¡¯Amour sounded melodious, pushing the atmosphere of the scene to the climax.


    For some reason, Veronica suddenly found her favorite song, Marriage d¡¯Amour, so harsh and ironic at


    this moment as if it was filled with endless ridicule.


    Suddenly, she felt a sharp gaze shooting straight at her.


    Veronica¡¯s gaze turned sideways, and she met Matthew¡¯s heavy and slightly lost eyes.


    At that moment, she felt like her heart had been pricked by a needle, making her a little ufortable.


    She pursed her lips and held the microphone in her hand, feeling a little nervous as sweat formed in


    her palms.


    Yvonne, who was sitting on the other side of the runway, also witnessed the scene. She looked at the


    man named Hendrey and then at Matthew. At that instance, she felt extremely embarrassed for


    Veronica.


    Backstage, Ivana had discussed with Veronica, saying that it did not matter if thetter was poor in her


    catwalk. With her perfect height and body in addition to the made-up story about the design inspiration


    for the First Love series, all Veronica had to do was present the jewelry.


    However, the heavens somehow decided to pull a trick on them. Who would expect that her first love


    actually came today?!


    Most importantly, the host had an ignorant mouth! She just had to speak inappropriately!


    Feeling bad for Veronica, Yvonne dug the ground with her toes uncontrobly.


    ¡°Goodness, this is just so hard to watch!¡±


    She covered her face with her hands, not knowing what to do next.


    Would Veronica get off the runwayter and kill her?!


    Another anxious person was Ivana, who was beside Veronica. Seeing that the atmosphere was so


    pleasant, an idea emerged from her mind.


    He then leaned into Veronica¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°This is a great opportunity to promote Julius Atelier.


    The atmosphere is perfect right now, and you¡¯ve be the MVP of the whole show. Will you y


    along with the flow, Veronica? I¡¯m willing to pay you an extra 15 thousand!¡±


    If one asked what kind of market it was now, it could only be said that thepetition was incredibly


    cruel. A simple model showcase could no longer achieve the same results as it did before.


    It was necessary to add some copywriting so that the jewelry could be ted with ayer of ¡®love¡¯ in


    order to make everything more meaningful and double the sales.


    Therefore, Ivana immediately thought of asking Veronica to agree to what the host said.


    In response, Veronica turned her head to look at Ivana beside her with a hint of coldness in her gaze.


    With just one look, Ivana felt the powerful aura exuding from her body and shuddered.


    On second thought, however, such a good marketing opportunity coupled with a live broadcast would


    undoubtedly double the sales when it was broadcasted. Anyhow, it was an excellent and brilliant


    opportunity.


    Therefore, he bit the bullet and whispered to Veronica, ¡°30¡­ 30 thousand is fine too.¡±


    30 thousand?


    That amount made Veronica¡¯s heart waver.


    For a child born in a low-ie family like her, 30 thousand was an amount that her adoptive parents


    could not even afford to earn for many years.


    Veronica hesitated for a moment, but eventually, her vision darkened, and she fainted.


    She fell on the runway with a bang, shocking everyone.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Why did she faint?¡±


    ¡°Is it because of her knee injury?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look so good.¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd turned morous.


    When Matthew saw Veronica fall, he lunged onto the runway with one big stride, walked up to


    Veronica, and embraced her, calling, ¡°Roni? Wake up!¡±


    Matthew shouted her name, but shey in his arms without responding.


    Veronica, who fainted and fell, grazed her knee on the ground again, so it started to bleed this time.


    Seeing that, Matthew frowned and quickly carried her away.


    Under the stage, Hendrey watched the whole scene. His warm and wless face was painted with an


    iprehensible expression.


    He then quickly left the scene and followed Matthew.


    After leaving the jewelry exhibition, Veronica was sent to the emergency room of the hospital. She was


    pushed out in a tbed after a while and sent to the ward to get IV drips.


    ¡°Doctor, what¡¯s wrong with Roni?¡±


    Matthew was worried that Veronica fainted because of someplications caused by a strange thing


    entering her bodyst time in the underground chamber.


    The doctor waved his hand in dismissal, reassuring him, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. The patient has low blood


    sugar, so just pay attention to that.¡±


    Veronica, who was lying on the bed in the ward, opened her eyes and pouted when she overheard the


    conversation at the door.


    Damn it! It was such an awkward scene earlier. Fortunately, she was clever enough to think of this


    idea!


    Otherwise, she could not imagine how bad the misunderstandings would be if she had admitted that it


    was a live confession to Hendrey.


    How did a normal catwalk suddenly be a confession?!


    Squeak¡ª


    The door of the ward sounded when it was opened, so Veronica immediately closed her eyes and


    pretended to be unconscious.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Kings. I would like to see Veron.¡±


    At this moment, a warm voice sounded.


    This familiar voice had been lingering in Veronica¡¯s mind countless times. Even after years, she still


    had not forgotten it.


    Now that his voice had sounded once again, Veronica could not help but feel her thumping heart


    elerating uncontrobly as she clenched her hands nervously.


    Hendrey Johnson?


    Hendrey Johnson!


    After five years of absence, she thought she would never meet him again, but he returned without any


    news.


    ¡°Roni isn¡¯t feeling well. Why don¡¯t you visit next time?¡±


    Matthew put his hands in the pockets of his trousers and stared coldly at Hendrey, who was a few


    centimeters shorter than him, with a hint of fleeting hostility in his eyes.


    Although he had seen photos of Hendrey yesterday, he had to admit that Hendry was pretty handsome


    himself.


    ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Veron?¡± Hendrey inquired out of curiosity, and his attitude toward


    Matthew was neither humble nor arrogant.

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261


    Chapter 261 Pretending to Be Unconscious


    ¡°That information is confidential,¡± Matthew answered coldly before giving Thomas a side nce. Then,


    the former turned and entered back into the ward.


    Acknowledging what Matthew¡¯s gaze meant, Thomas walked up to Hendrey and said in a polite


    manner, ¡°Mr. Johnson, since Miss Murphy is still unconscious, pleasee back another day.¡±


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Knowing that Matthew was not keen on having him here, Hendrey was rendered helpless. Eventually,


    he nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯lle back when she wakes up.¡±


    After saying that, Hendrey took another nce at the ward and left.


    In the ward, Veronica continued toy unconsciously on the bed. She only opened her eyes when it


    waspletely quiet outside. ncing at Matthew, who was sitting beside her, she immediately


    started acting. ¡°Why are you here? Ouch¡­ Why was I unconscious?¡±


    She covered her head with her hands and gasped in pain.


    The man sitting in the chair immediately stood up, reached out to touch her forehead, and asked out of


    concern, ¡°Does your head hurt?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah¡­ It hurts a lot.¡± Veronica nodded, closed her eyes again, breathed a sigh of relief, and


    murmured, ¡°Why did I suddenly ck out¡­¡±


    She used up almost all the acting skills she learned throughout her whole life.


    However, Veronica was not aware that there was something abnormal in her body, so she did not think


    much when she decided to lie.


    Even though what she said was meaningless, Matthew paid attention to her every word.


    His heart clenched tightly when he heard what she said.


    It had not been long since she left the underground chamber, but she fainted again in such a short


    time. There was also no cause that could be found.


    Would she be in a dangerous situation if this went on?


    There seemed to be an rm constantly ringing in Matthew¡¯s heart, making him even more worried.


    He was usually a calm and collected man, but his stern face was currently painted with worry. His aloof


    expression had faded away and was slowly reced by gentleness. At that moment, even his gaze


    wasced with concern.


    As his burning gaze fell on Veronica, Veronica swallowed subconsciously when she opened her eyes to


    meet his.


    Matthew¡¯s gaze just now¡­ was too intense for her to bear!


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Ivana and Yvonne? I¡¯m still wearing Julius Atelier¡¯s jewelry exhibit,¡± Veronica said


    while stretching out her hand to remove the ne from her neck.


    ¡°These are valuable items and must be returned intact.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re on their way. They might be here soon,¡± Matthew responded and inquired with great concern,


    ¡°How do you feel now? Does your head still hurt?¡±


    ¡°Not really. It just hurts a little just now. Now, my knee hurts, but I should be fine after a few days of


    rest.¡±


    After speaking, she smiled heartlessly.


    Seeing that she was fine, Matthew could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but that did not mean he was


    not worried about Veronica¡¯s condition.


    It cost them quite a lot thest time they went to Castron to inspect the residues in the porcin bowls


    that were brought out from the underground chamber, but their efforts were to no avail in the end.


    That was what made him uneasy.


    ¡°Oh, where is Hendrey?¡±


    Veronica acted as if she had suddenly thought about him as she inquired.


    Sure enough, Matthew¡¯s face suddenly turned cloudy, and even his gaze turned icy cold.


    He stared at her with dark eyes that resembled ink as if pondering about something before questioning,


    ¡°Are you disappointed that the carefully prepared confession had failed?¡±


    As an outsider, everything that happened at today¡¯s jewelry show must have looked like it was


    intricately staged.


    Even if it was thought of as a marketing tool, it was at least prepared and arranged in advance.


    However, Matthew was suspicious.


    If Veronica had always loved Hendrey deeply, then she would not have asked Elizabeth to introduce


    her to someone a month ago in Kings Residence.


    It made no sense.


    He assumed that the confession during the jewelry show was just a marketing tool, or that Hendrey


    suddenly returned, and met Veronica. After knowing she stood a chance to pursue him, she decided to


    stage a confession.


    Matthew could not tell whether Veronica and Hendrey had contacted each other before this.


    After all,munication was now convenient, so it was easy to connect with an old ssmate.


    Matthew was more inclined toward thetter.


    Veronica was not the designer of Julius Atelier, so it was not necessary for her to sell a story to


    promote their products!


    Matthew¡¯s whole analysis turned out to be awfully wrong.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Veronica smiled awkwardly.


    Since Matthew misunderstood, she let him be.


    It would be great if Matthew could stop pursuing her through his own misunderstanding.


    ¡°Oh, that was just an unexpected misunderstanding.¡± She raised her hand and touched her nose


    before immediately changing the subject, ¡°Erm, my leg hurts. I want to take a nap.¡±


    ¡°Does it hurt badly?¡±


    Seeing her pained face, Matthew immediatelyforted her, ¡°The doctor has already treated your


    wound. Your knee was seriously injured so you might need to rest for a few days.¡±


    Veronica looked at the ceiling speechlessly. 7,000 dors was not easy money.


    However¡­


    She suddenly thought of something, so she quickly inquired, ¡°Where¡¯s my phone?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Matthew took out a phone from his pocket and handed it to Veronica. ¡°Drew brought it here.¡±


    Of course, he was the one who ordered Skyler to go backstage to get it.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Veronica took the phone, scrolled to her address book, and sent a message to Yvonne:


    ¡®My shoes should have been tampered with. Help me find out who did it.¡¯


    After falling on the runway, Veronica checked the heel immediately as she picked up the shoe. There


    were obvious traces of glue on it.


    Clearly, someone had done something to her shoes.


    ¡°What else have you hid from me?¡±


    Matthew stared at her with a probing look in his eyes, as if wanting to know how many secrets she was


    hiding.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Veronica was stunned before replying, ¡°Oh. I wanted to be a model when I was young. I also


    worked as a part-time model when I was in school, but I was young at that time, so I couldn¡¯t earn


    much, and I had little work. After that, I worked at a cafe to earn some allowance, so gradually, I didn¡¯t


    have time to work part-time as a model. Over time, it was put on hold.¡±


    Her childhood dream was to be a model, but this career could not support her family financially.


    She still had adoptive parents to support, so naturally, she had no opportunities nor was she financially


    stable to join the modeling career.


    ¡°How many lies have you told me?¡±


    After Veronica answered his first question, Matthew brought up another.


    Taken aback by his following question, Veronica suddenly realized the meaning behind his questions.


    She then smiled awkwardly. ¡°Haha¡­ I was just messing with you the other day. Larry Freeman is the


    popr guy from Cornell College of Performing Arts, which is next to my university.¡±


    On the other hand, she had known Hendrey for almost seven years.


    They were in their first year of high school when they met. In the winter of the first year of high school,


    Hendrey carried her to the infirmary after she injured herself. Since then, she had fallen in love with


    him.


    However, it had always been unrequited love.


    Throughout those years, she had never confessed her love to Hendrey. Though he often hung out with


    her, he did not seem to take interest in her.


    Otherwise, he would not have gone abroad directly after finishing his second year of high school,


    cutting off contact with her entirely.

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262


    Chapter 262 Being an Endorser


    Counting the days since he left, it would be almost five years since theyst saw each other.


    Veronica was somewhat baffled at Hendrey¡¯s sudden return.


    At the same time, Matthew, too, was a little speechless.


    Throughout his whole life, Veronica was the only woman who dared to be so unscrupulous and lie to


    him without thinking twice.


    Knock knock!


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door outside the ward. ncing at the ward door, Veronica saw


    Yvonne and Ivana walking in.


    ¡°Roni, are you alright?¡± Yvonne walked over and inquired in concern. ¡°I was scared to death when you


    fainted earlier.¡±


    Ivana ced the fruit basket and milk aside. Though seeing Matthew was expected, she still greeted


    him respectfully, ¡°You¡¯re here too, Young Master Matthew.¡±


    Matthew nodded slightly in response with a cold look in his eyes. He then walked to the sofa to take a


    seat, making room for the two of them.


    In the eyes of other people, Matthew had always been aloof and indifferent. He had always carried an


    arrogant aura that prevented anyone from getting close to him as if he was some kind of unattainable


    immortal being.


    Ivana watched as Matthew took a seat on the sofa. Even if thetter was just sitting with his legs


    crossed, he invisibly exuded the aura of a king, and his stance was so strong that it was suffocating.


    Nevertheless, it was undeniable that Matthew had extremely good facial features.


    ¡°Ivana.¡±


    Seeing Ivana staring at Matthew in a daze, Yvonne gently nudged her with her elbow, reminding her.


    Ivana was two to three years older than Veronica and Yvonne, but she also had a young heart. Hence,


    she could not help but steal a few more nces at handsome men.


    She looked back at them but was not embarrassed because of the peek. Instead, she whispered,


    ¡°Young Master Matthew is way more handsome in person than in photos.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡±


    Yvonne nodded and gave Veronica another look as if to tell her that she was the only one


    unappreciative of Matthew¡¯s looks when everyone else would swoon over him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Veronica was helpless to Ivana¡¯s obsession with Matthew¡¯s appearance, so she only


    responded to Yvonne¡¯s question.


    Immediately, she thought of something and inquired, ¡°If you guys came over in a hurry, where are the


    high heels? Are they still there?¡±


    ¡°I took a look at the shoe after I got it. There are very obvious signs of tampering. I told Ivana too. She


    already ordered someone to investigate the situation, so don¡¯t worry. I believe there will be news soon.¡±


    Yvonne was a smart person. When she received the heels that Veronica had tossed out on the runway,


    she took a glimpse and realized that there was something wrong with them.


    While Veronica was unconscious and was sent to the hospital, she did not follow up immediately.


    Instead, she informed Ivana to investigate the situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Veronica. I didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen today.¡±


    Speaking of business, Ivana instantly forgot about her obsession with Matthew and sincerely


    apologized to Veronica, ¡°Competition in the business world ismon, but that person had stepped


    over the line and hurt you.¡±


    As she said that, she took out a check from her bag and offered, ¡°Here¡¯s a check with 15 thousand


    dors. The boss of Julius Atelier wanted me to tell you that you¡¯ve worked hard this time, so the


    remaining amount ispensation for you.¡±


    Although Veronica suddenly fell unconscious on the runway, she was the god-granddaughter of


    Elizabeth, and since she had been in the limelight recently, the Julius Atelier jewelry show was well


    received after the live broadcast.


    After the live broadcast, sales exceeded 20,000 within merely half an hour.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s fine, actually.¡±


    Veronica waved her hand in dismissal.


    Although she liked money, she knew her limits.


    Before taking the job, she had discussed with Ivana to be charged 7,000 dors for the appearance


    fee. Naturally, she had to go along ording to the previous verbal agreement.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Ivana was a little surprised as she nced at Yvonne as if to say, You liar! Didn¡¯t you say that she¡¯d be


    easy to bribe?!


    Now that she did not ept thispensation, how could she propose her following ns?


    Once Yvonne caught Ivana¡¯s gaze, she immediately said to Veronica, ¡°To be honest, Ivana came here


    not only to pay you the appearance fee but also to¡­¡±


    She hesitated before stopping and turning her head at Ivana. She wanted to let thetter continue with


    the rest.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Her hesitant speech made Veronica feel anxious.


    Ivana red at Yvonne angrily and then smiled at Veronica, ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s just that


    after Julius Atelier¡¯s jewelry show ended today, the new products were immediatelyunched on the


    official website, and the sales volume surpassed 20,000 pieces within half an hour. We¡­ We¡¯ve never


    achieved such good results before. This is all thanks to your performance today, so my boss asked me


    toe over to propose to you¡­ to be our jewelry endorser.¡±


    ¡°What? Endorser?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s head was buzzing all of a sudden, and her eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°Is this a joke?


    Julius Atelier doesn¡¯t want A-list celebrities to endorse their products but me, a model with no fame, to


    take up the endorsement?! Are you serious?¡±


    After speaking, Veronica shook her head and sighed, ¡°I think your boss must have gone insane or


    broke a nerve.¡±


    Apart from that, Veronica could not find any reasonable cause to exin what happened today.


    An endorsement?


    That would mean she would be paid an endorsement fee.


    At the thought of money, Veronica¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°How much is your boss offering me for the


    endorsement fee?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ivana was a little taken aback by her sudden reaction, so it caught her off guard.


    After thinking about it, Ivana answered, ¡°For the endorsement fee¡­ there will be a one-year contract


    and the endorsement fee will be 45 thousand dors in total.¡±


    At the mention of 45 thousand, Ivana felt a little awkward and embarrassed.


    After all, 45 thousand dors to sign Veronica as the endorser meant having a rtionship with the


    Kings Family indirectly.


    Nevertheless, Veronica was just a country bumpkin who came to the city, and this amount was only


    offered to her because she was Matthew¡¯s godsister.


    As for the 7000-dor appearance fee Ivana promised Veronica earlier, it was just ast-minute deal


    that Ivana had to take. As a result, she was reprimanded after telling her boss.


    It was not until the officialunch of the jewelry series, and more than 20,000 pieces of jewelry orders


    were ced within half an hour, that her stingy boss decided to let Veronica be the endorser.


    Her exact words were:


    ¡°Offer her a 45 thousand dor contract for a year. After all, she is from the countryside and has no


    idea how business works in the city, so this amount should be quite hefty for her. If she doesn¡¯t agree,


    you may request for her lowest quotation to be our endorser, but it cannot go over 150 thousand


    dors.¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°45 thousand?¡±


    Veronica lowered her eyes and pondered.


    She nned on venturing into e-sportster on, so she needed a lot of money. Although 45 thousand


    was not much, it was still arge sum of money, so it was better than nothing.


    Moreover, after quitting modeling for so many years, she managed to earn herself 7,000 dors from


    the catwalk and was now offered an endorsement fee of 45 thousand. Wasn¡¯t that equivalent to a pie in


    the sky?


    It would be foolish of her to not take up such a great offer!


    Of course, she wanted the money!


    Matthew, who was sitting beside them, scrolled his phone without any intention of interfering with


    Veronica¡¯s affairs.

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263


    Chapter 263 Break Up


    Veronica could make her own decisions.


    On the contrary, Ivana saw Veronica¡¯s brows slightly raised thoughtfully as if not wanting to take the


    offer, so Ivana quickly suggested, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I can¡­¡±


    Increase the offer!


    However, before she could finish her sentence, Veronica interrupted her immediately, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll


    take it! Why wouldn¡¯t I? Let¡¯s do it! Do you have the contract? Let¡¯s sign the contract now.¡±


    Veronica was afraid that if she did not sign the contract now, 45 thousand dors would be gone.


    Ivana was taken aback for a moment.


    As expected, no one could beat an experienced businesswoman.


    Her boss was worthy of her title. How did she manage to predict Veronica¡¯s reaction so urately?


    She said that Veronica would ept the 45-thousand dor deal, and she was actually right!


    ¡°You¡¯re agreeing to 45 thousand dors only?! Are you dumb, Veronica? If theirpany wants you to


    endorse their products, that must mean they have taken a fancy to you. Raise the price, dummy!¡±


    Yvonne, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, thought Veronica was too humble.


    ¡°Can you increase the offer?¡±


    The reason why Veronica did not negotiate with Ivana was that she knew it was reasonable for


    someone who had never done a show in public to be offered a 7000-dor appearance fee and a 45


    thousand-dor endorsement.


    Listening to Yvonne¡¯s words at this moment made sense.


    ¡°It should be¡­ alright.¡± Ivan replied reluctantly before inquiring, ¡°How much would you like?¡±


    The reason why she was so reluctant was that she was not sure how much of a raise would be


    appropriate for Veronica.


    If she increased too much, Ivana was afraid that Veronica would continue increasing the price and


    make demands; if she increased a small amount, she was afraid that she would seem stingy.


    ¡°At least another 75 thousand!¡± Yvonne gestured a seven on one hand and a five on the other while


    ncing at Matthew, who was sitting in the corner, and gave Ivana a look.


    She seemed to be saying, Veronica is a part of the Kings Family now. Do you think they will agree with


    45 thousand?


    ¡°45 thousand is a deal. Let¡¯s just go with that.¡±


    After Yvonne finished speaking, Veronica immediately spoke.


    She saw how Yvonne gave Ivana a hint with her eyes just now.


    Thest thing Veronica wanted now was to be tied to Matthew all the time because that would make


    people doubt her ability.


    Encounters Bridal Store was a great example.


    Although the source of customers was mainly from the Kings Family, she also put in a lot of effort.


    She had spent countless days and nights nning with the team, handing over the most satisfactory


    responses to customers, and organizing their working timetables. Did that mean she had no personal


    strengths at all?


    ¡°Veronica, you must be insane¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite exhausted. I think I want to take a nap. You guys should head home now. It¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    Veronica did not want to hear Yvonne continue with that matter anymore.


    Hearing that, Yvonne felt helpless and left the ward with Ivana.


    After they left, Veronicay in bed and fell into deep thought.


    At first, she was willing to be the god-granddaughter of Elizabeth because she needed the power of the


    Kings Family to protect herself, but she never thought that this power would backfire and bring about a


    series of consequences.


    She could not help but wonder if her decision back then was right.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Matthew came over to her side, and when he noticed her staring at the ceiling with her eyes open, he


    knew that she had something on her mind.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Veronica shook her head and urged, ¡°You should hurry up and leave as well.¡±


    It sounded like an order to kick him out.


    Veronica intended to distance herself from him time and time again. Matthew, too, could feel Veronica


    pushing him away.


    His heart sank, making him a little anxious for some reason.


    ¡°Do you really hate me so much?¡±


    Matthew recalled a sentence in the book Flirting 101 which read:


    When a woman is behaving indifferently to you, you may ask her directly if she hates you. This is a test


    to her mind.


    For Matthew, who had no experience in love, it was worth giving it a try.


    Hearing his question, Veronica was inexplicably startled. She raised her eyelids and looked at Matthew,


    who was standing straight, with her beautiful and glossy eyes. At that moment, her heart struggled to


    find an answer.


    The two stared at each other for a few seconds, each having their own thoughts in mind.


    At first, Veronica intended to protect herself in the name of the Kings Family, and her goal had been


    achieved.


    Now that many people knew that she was Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter, they would not act rashly


    toward her. Therefore, it was better to distance her rtionship with Matthew and cut off any thoughts


    he had about her.


    ¡°Do you know what merits do not offset demerits mean?¡± she asked.


    Matthew frowned slightly, puzzled.


    However, Veronica¡¯s abrupt and serious expression made his heart twitch, and a bad premonition


    arose all of a sudden.


    Eventually, she spoke up again, ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you saved me many times before, but even so, it


    doesn¡¯t change the fact that you have forcibly had sex with me many times, and you even forced me to


    do it on the day you got engaged to your fianc¨¦e. You also can¡¯t erase the fact that you killed the child


    in my womb.¡±


    Veronica spat all the nasty words without beating around the bush in order for Matthew topletely


    give up on her.


    She then added, ¡°Back when I stayed in Twilight Condominium, you gave me so-called ¡®sleeping pills¡¯


    and did some unforgivable and awful things to me. Even if I wasn¡¯t the one who suffered from your


    despicable acts, anyone else wouldn¡¯t have easily forgiven you for that!¡±


    Before Veronica knew she had insomnia, she thought that the sleeping pills in Twilight Apartment were


    given by Matthew to her, butter, she realized that it was a misunderstanding.


    Now, this misunderstanding could be turned into a sharp de in severing the rtionship between the


    two.


    Veronica¡¯s every word was like a dagger stabbing into Matthew¡¯s heart. The choking feeling that


    suddenly arose in his chest made him furious yet helpless, but eventually, he endured it silently.


    ¡°Oh, right. I also forgot to tell you that the reason why I agreed to be Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter is


    not that I adore her or anything, but because I wanted to use her love for me as protection. You saw it


    too. Now that everyone knows that I am Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter, they bow down to me and treat


    me like royalty. Even a simple catwalk can drive sales and get me endorsements. Speaking of which,


    these are all given to me by your family.¡±


    When Veronica said that, there was a slight smirk on her delicate face. ¡°But you know what? These are


    what you owe me! Don¡¯t expect me to forgive you even though my status as the god-granddaughter of


    the Kings Family has brought me a lot of benefits. They can only be considered aspensation for


    me not calling the police after I was raped. Listen up¡­¡±


    She paused deliberately and dered solemnly, ¡°Rapists never deserve to be forgiven!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Every enunciation of her words was heart-wrenching to Matthew!


    To be frank, only half of her words were true.


    She did rely on the power of the Kings Family, but she also liked Elizabeth.


    She was grateful to Matthew for saving her many times, but she also hated Matthew¡¯s despicable


    methods against her at the beginning.


    Although Veronica always greeted people with a smile on her face, she had a bruised heart hidden


    under the mask of pretentiousness.


    Her wounds would take a lifetime to heal.


    These words were intended to be hidden deep in the bottom of her heart.


    At this moment, however, the look Yvonne gave to Ivan today became thest straw that crushed


    Veronica¡¯s spiritual support. She, who had always been headstrong, did not want her efforts to be in


    vain because of the support she gained from the Kings. That was why these words were spat in the


    most ruthless way, deeply stinging Matthew¡¯s heart.


    It was equivalent to executing him psychologically and cutting off the possibility of mending the


    rtionship between the two!

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264


    Chapter 264 You¡¯re Blind, Veronica!


    Veronica talked a lot.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    It took a few seconds after Veronica finished speaking for Matthew to suddenlye back to his


    senses.


    Oblivious to the fact that his hands were balled into fists in the pocket of his trousers, Matthew was


    currently on the verge of rage and copsing.


    It turned out that the reason she kept rejecting him was that in her heart, he had already been


    sentenced as guilty!


    To her, he was a rapist!


    Great!


    How wonderful!


    The sullen look on Matthew¡¯s handsome face gradually disappeared which was then reced by an


    unfathomable smile.


    That smile was simply a curved arc at the corners of his lips, not even reaching his eyes.


    After that, he turned on his heels and left without saying a word.


    Bang!


    The room fell silent as the door to the ward mmed shut.


    Veronica swallowed nervously and involuntarily let go of her hand which was clutching the nkets


    tightly, only to feel her tense nerves rx.


    Only the heavens knew that she felt the chilling breath emanating from Matthew¡¯s body. His powerful


    aura enveloped her, making her nervous to the point of almost suffocating.


    However, it was better this way.


    Matthew would probably ignore her from today onward.


    This was what Veronica was hoping for, but she was not happy at all.


    That night, shey in bed until dawn before finally falling asleep.


    At 8:30 the next morning, Veronica received a call from the bridal store, saying that many of the


    customers who had made wedding reservations before canceled their bookings.


    Just this morning, seven bookings had been canceled.


    Listening to her assistant, Shirley, on the other end of the phone, Veronica knew that Matthew must be


    behind it.


    He was infuriated, and this was his way of revenge on her.


    ¡°Got it. If there are more customers who want to cancel the bookingster, just go along with it as long


    as they pay the penalty fee,¡± she instructed calmly.


    ¡°Huh? Is there¡­ Is there a problem, President Murphy?¡± Shirley was keen to find out if something


    happened.


    Veronica shook her head and replied, ¡°Just make sure you do your part.¡±


    After speaking, she hung up the phone.


    However, her misery did not end there.


    Just when she had just put down her phone, another call came in.


    Picking up the phone, she saw that it was from Ivana.


    ¡°Ivana, is there a reason why you¡¯re calling so early?¡±


    In fact, she already had an idea.


    ¡°Well¡­Veronica, erm¡­¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Ivana stammered as if she could not structure her sentence.


    Veronica took the initiative to speak instead, ¡°Oh, I also have something to tell you. I thought about the


    endorsement offer you proposed to me yesterday, but I think I don¡¯t want it anymore. Since I¡¯m good at


    it, I worry that my poprity will grow once I take up this endorsement. I can¡¯t imagine how tiring it will


    beter on when I get countless endorsements in the future. I probably can¡¯t even live a normal and


    peaceful life! Hahaha. Sorry, Ivana. Can you tell your boss for me? Anyway, we haven¡¯t signed the


    contract yet, so it should be fine, right?¡±


    Having said that, Veronica was just trying to save Ivana¡¯s pride. She did not want to make her


    awkward.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? Hehehe, well then. I¡¯ll let my boss knowter. We¡¯re friends too, so you don¡¯t have to


    feel bad.¡±


    Ivan breathed a sigh of relief. The call was to tell Veronica about the cancetion of the endorsement,


    but it was difficult for Ivana to tell her. Who knew that Veronica would take the initiative to reject the


    offer?


    ¡°I called you to set a date to sign the contract, but if you don¡¯t want to, I¡¯ll let my boss know. I¡¯ll also


    come and visit you with Yvonne some other day, alright?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Sorry for the trouble, Ivana.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. That¡¯s what friends are for. I¡¯ll get back to work first. Let¡¯s get in touchter.¡±


    After Ivana finished speaking, she hung up the phone.


    Veronica clutched the phone, and a pale smile appeared on the corner of her lips.


    Yesterday, she told Matthew that she relied on the Kings Family to bring herself countless benefits and


    considered them as a way of hispensation to her, so Matthew immediately started to


    counterattack.


    Great.


    From now on, she could start her own business based on her own strength, and whether she


    seeded or failed depended on fate.


    More importantly, no one would be jealous of her and deliberately retaliate against her because of


    Matthew.


    Last night¡¯s show was a great example.


    If she was right, the incident must have something to do with Ruka.


    On the contrary, Veronica was not saddened by Matthew¡¯s series of actions but felt a sense of relief


    from the burden on her shoulders.


    Not long after, Yvonne came to the hospital to visit Veronica and bought her breakfast.


    Yvonne was also aware that Veronica temporarily decided not to ept the endorsement of Julius


    Atelier, so she did not bring that subject up.


    After all, everyone had their own choices.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Matthew? Isn¡¯t he here all the time?¡±


    Apanying Veronica in the ward for a while, Yvonne asked after not seeing Matthew.


    Without hiding it from Yvonne, she uttered in a direct manner, ¡°We broke off.¡±


    ¡°What? You broke it off with him? Veronica, are you insane?! Matthew treats you so well! How could


    you not cherish him?¡± Yvonne thought that there must be something wrong with Veronica¡¯s mind.


    Unexpectedly, Veronica smiled faintly and inquired, ¡°What about you? Aren¡¯t you going through the


    same thing?¡±


    Matthew was not at fault for liking her, but she was also not at fault for rejecting Matthew either.


    It was just that the Kings Family had had a great influence on her recently. Hence, she might as well


    take this opportunity to draw a line in her rtionship with Matthew so that she would not have to bear


    so much pressure in the future.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Yvonne choked on her words and was rendered speechless. ¡°Okay, that sounds about right, but what


    did you say to make Matthew break it off with you?¡±


    After all, she could tell how well Matthew treated Veronica all this while.


    ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s private.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Boring.¡±


    Since her gossip was not satisfied, Yvonne was a little unhappy.


    Knock! Knock!


    There was another knock on the door outside the ward, and the two turned their heads to look at the


    door. Thereafter, they saw Hendrey appear in their field of vision.


    ¡°Goodness gracious. Is¡­ Isn¡¯t he your first love?¡±


    There was more tea to sip again this time, so Yvonne¡¯s mood lightened up. With an unconcealed smile


    on her face, she patted Veronica¡¯s hand and uttered, ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ You must have broken up with


    Matthew just because you wanted to be with Hendrey, am I right? Was it a coincidence yesterday, or


    did you know he was back?¡±


    Regarding the short coincidence that happened yesterday, Yvonne was not sure whether Veronica truly


    did use that opportunity to confess to Hendrey.


    It seemed true yet not quite.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Veronica nced at her and urged, ¡°You should leave now. Don¡¯t you still have work to do?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    She pouted and huffed in disdain, ¡°How mean.¡±


    It was obvious that Veronica was kicking Yvonne out because she did not want her to ruin the


    atmosphere.


    Yvonne got up and agreed, ¡°Fine. I¡¯m leaving now because I don¡¯t want to be third-wheeling you both.


    Goodbye.¡±


    She waved to Veronica, walked to the door, and greeted, ¡°Hi! Hendrey, right? I¡¯m Yvonne, Veronica¡¯s


    best friend.¡±


    She initiated a greeting at Hendrey, scanned him up and down, and sighed in her heart, What a fine


    man.


    However,pared with Matthew, he wascking a whole lot in terms of appearance, temperament,


    financial resources, and strength.

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265


    Chapter 265 Finally Starting Her Own Business


    Something was definitely wrong with Veronica¡¯s taste in men.


    ¡°Hello, Hendrey.¡±


    Hendrey smiled elegantly and took the initiative to shake hands with Yvonne.


    ¡°Alright, have fun chatting. I have to head back to the office to settle some stuff.¡± Yvonne withdrew her


    hand and left the ward.


    ¡°Sure,¡± answered Hendrey as he walked into the ward with a bouquet in his arms. He saw Veronica


    lying on the hospital bed and halted in his steps.


    The two looked at each other and smiled knowingly.


    Veronica propped herself up with her hands on the bed and sat up against the head of the bed,


    covering herself with the nket.


    At that moment, the quiet ward made them feel somewhat restrained and awkward.


    ¡°Yesterday, you¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The two of them spoke at the same time but stopped when they only uttered a few words. When their


    gazes met, theyughed.


    ¡°Ladies first. You should go first.¡±


    Hendrey ced the flowers on the table and sat on the chair beside the bed.


    Seeing him being so polite, Veronica felt a little awkward.


    Perhaps, in front of her first love, she found it difficult to calm down.


    ¡°When did youe back?¡± she inquired.


    ¡°I just arrived in Bloomstead yesterday, and my friend invited me to watch the jewelry exhibition. I didn¡¯t


    expect to see you there.¡± After saying that, Hendrey hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°On the


    runway yesterday, you¡­¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence!¡±


    Veronica interrupted him while smiling, ¡°We must be fated. I happened to be a model for the catwalk


    yesterday, and in order to create a selling point, I discussed with Ivana of Julius Atelier Jewelry to make


    up a story for the First Love jewelry series. I never expected you to show up at all! Sorry for the


    misunderstanding.¡±


    She knew what Hendrey was going to ask, so she quickly exined the situation to him.


    ¡°Does that mean you pretended to faint on the spot?¡± Hendrey, like the sophisticated man he was,


    smiled elegantly.


    ¡°Of course! Wouldn¡¯t it be way too embarrassing if I hadn¡¯t pretended to faint in that situation?¡±


    Veronica raised her eyebrows and smiled smugly, gloating, ¡°I responded pretty quickly, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    She pretended to be nonchnt as if she did not take what happened yesterday to heart.


    Her response instantly calmed Hendrey down.


    He shook his head and sighed, ¡°You¡¯re still the same as before, you naughty little brat.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡±


    The two chatted until they werefortable with each other¡¯s presence and were not as tense as


    before.


    ¡°Why did you suddenly return after living abroad for so many years?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere else beats our own country, so I¡¯m nning to stay back and settle down here.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. There is also a lot of room for domestic development. Intellectuals like you are


    talented and have a bright future.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting better at ttery,¡± Hendrey could not help but remark as he chuckled. Suddenly, he


    thought of something and asked, ¡°I heard that you were being rmended to study at Collins


    University. How are you doing now? You¡¯ve studied marketing management, so you should be able to


    find a good job.¡±


    Veronica did study marketing management at Collins University, but after going to university, she


    preferred a major inputer science, so she took up a double degree.


    Initially, Veronica didnd a good job, butter when her adoptive father was injured and needed


    money for medical treatment, she could only quit her job in Collins ande to Bloomstead to work as


    a security guard. In that way, she could take care of her parents while earning money.


    After that, she met Matthew, and her journey had been bumpy until today.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m too picky, so I haven¡¯t figured out what to do yet.¡± She did not tell Hendrey that she owned


    a bridal store.


    After all, the bridal store relied on the Kings Family to survive, so it was not considered a glorious


    achievement or anything.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush in looking for a job. It¡¯s more important that you take care of yourself,¡± Hendrey


    comforted her before raising his wrist to check the time on his watch.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and I still have something to deal with. I¡¯lle and visit youter. What¡¯s your phone


    number?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Veronica grabbed her phone and gave Hendrey her number, adding, ¡°Let¡¯s chat on WhatsApp.¡±


    Hendrey tapped on his WhatsApp icon and sent a text message to Veronica while saying, ¡°You don¡¯t


    even know how much effort it took for me to find you. I asked the organizer of the jewelry exhibition and


    went around to find out that you are here.¡±


    The two then exchanged a few more words before Hendrey left.


    Veronica rested in the ward all morning, put on her IV drips, changed the bandage on her knees, and


    went through the discharge procedures while limping.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Once she had left the hospital and was on the way home in a taxi, Shirley called again to inform her


    that all the customers who had booked their weddings had canceled.


    ¡°Got it. Just do what you have to,¡± uttered Veronica nonchntly.


    ¡°But¡­ the renovations next door have all halted. Everyone is worried that Young Master Matthew isn¡¯t


    willing to cooperate with us anymore.¡±


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t things you should worry about. You still have me, so don¡¯t worry,¡± Veronica reassured in a


    low voice andforted Shirley, ¡°You¡¯ve been working overtime recently, haven¡¯t you? Take this


    opportunity to take a rest along with the others.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Sure.¡±


    Shirley seemed to understand something but did not say much.


    The reason why Veronica left the hospital so quickly was that the task ahead was arduous, and there


    were still so many things she needed to do that could not be dyed.


    In the afternoon, Yvonne called Veronica. ¡°Roni, I found out who tampered with your shoes yesterday. It


    was Ruka.¡±


    Veronica was not surprised to learn that it was Ruka as if everything was reasonable.


    ¡°Okay. I got it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°What do you expect? Ruka is the eldest daughter of Dame Group. Do you expect me to beat her up?¡±


    Veronica snorted lightly and chatted with her for a little before hanging up.


    After that, Veronica went to the bridal store by car, held a meeting with all her colleagues, talked about


    future ns, calmed everyone down, and informed them that she was going on a business trip for a


    month.


    Following that, Veronica bought a ne ticket to visit several ces in other states for a so-called


    vacation.


    In Spinfluence Group¡¯s president¡¯s office, Thomas reported Veronica¡¯s itinerary for the first few days to


    Matthew.


    ¡°Miss Murphy went to Fort Schroas for a vacation, and she also bought flight tickets to Nanos and


    Downtown Ferris, which are all tourist attractions. I¡¯m assuming that she¡¯s trying to leave town and wind


    down a little.¡±


    Matthew, who was processing the documents, frowned slightly as he was puzzled by Veronica¡¯s


    behavior.


    This was not her usual style.


    ¡°What about Hendrey?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hendrey joined Dame Group and applied for the president position of Joyous Department Store¡¯s


    headquarters. He is currently serving his probation period, so he is pretty busy.¡±


    Thomas reported the results of his investigation in detail.


    Matthew looked at some reports on the table and squinted his eyes, saying, ¡°Okay. You may go now.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ Do you still need me to continue monitoring Miss Murphy¡¯s whereabouts?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± With that, Thomas turned and left.


    Matthew stared at the reports on the table, lost in thought.


    That night, in the hospital, Veronica¡¯s words hurt Matthew severely.


    He thought that cutting off the business sources of Encounters Bridal Store would make Veronica


    surrender, but now it seemed that it was not the case.


    She even went on a vacation!


    It seemed that she was having a good time.


    Not only Matthew, but everyone thought that Veronica was just traveling and even signed up for local


    tour groups.


    Nobody knew that the tour group Veronica signed up for had nine other members who called


    themselves ck Dragons.

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266


    Chapter 266 She Was Learning to Grow


    The ten of them met each other in a unique way.


    The other nine members of the tour were all men, leaving Veronica to be the only woman. Everyone


    was surprised to find that out.


    Afterward, Veronica traveled with the tour group while discussing with them her n.


    Fortunately, she could walk normally after two days as her injury was no longer serious.


    She made efforts to meet them as she did not want to stir up too much attention in case Matthew finds


    out too much about her.


    Water could carry a boat but also capsize it.


    Matthew could make her rich, but he could also destroy her easily with his power.


    Therefore, Veronica silently paved her way to start a business. By traveling on a tour together, she


    managed to get along with the rest and observe their personalities.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    While traveling, she also visited a few well-known e-sportspanies to carry out thorough research.


    She even participated in tworge-scale e-sportspetitions throughout her tour.


    After discussing with the nine members of ck Dragons, she only managed to persuade two


    members to invest in her idea. The remaining seven members were unwilling to invest due to the high


    risk.


    Veronica thought about it at first, and eventually, she managed to persuade them to sign a two-year


    contract with an annual sry of 30 thousand, while three of them were offered 5% of the shares. At


    the same time, she also managed to recruit e-sports operation managers, project managers, data


    analysts, referees, and club managers with high sries.


    The reason why the seven members of ck Dragons who did not invest were given such high shares


    and basic sries was that Veronica saw their abilities and values!


    After returning to Bloomstead, Veronica rented the 17th and 18th floors of her building as office space.


    After that, thepany was registered in the name of one of the members¡ªVincere Games. It was a


    homonym of Vincent Yale.


    Once everyone signed the contract and the office was fully equipped, they officially started operating.


    Once everything had been settled, two months had already passed.


    In the past two months, Veronica seemed to have been working in Encounters Bridal Store all the time,


    but in reality, she often took the elevator to the 17th or 18th floor whenever her colleagues were not


    paying attention.


    The two adjacent buildings weremercial residential buildings, and there was no connected area


    between the two. Therefore, it was not easily noticeable when Veronica moved around.


    After the e-sportspany officially started its operation, Veronica spent a lot of money to promote


    ck Dragons and started the gamementary live broadcast. The fame of ck Dragons easily


    attracted tens of thousands ofizens to watch the live broadcast online that day.


    Of the seven people who signed the contract, five people formed a team called ck Dragons, while


    the remaining two were responsible for thementary.


    A few days after the live broadcast, the ck Dragons, who had been attracting attention from


    netizens, gradually gained more fame and even attracted a group of diehard fans.


    Veronica and the project manager agreed that at present, they only had to build momentum for ck


    Dragons, increase their poprity, and make thempete with other e-sports teams. Eventually, they


    nned to challenge the most powerful e-sports team to grow their fame!


    Veronica felt fortunate that she met such a group of like-minded people early on. Moreover, they were


    gaming experts.


    The only issue they faced was that there was no start-up capital.


    Now that they were officially established, it was only a matter of course.


    For the past few days, Veronica was so preupied with the marketing ns for Encounters Bridal


    Store as well as nning for Vincere Games that itpletely drained out her energy.


    Even when Hendrey invited her out, she had only met him twice. The two of them would have a casual


    chat over a meal and part ways after that.


    As for Matthew and Xavier, she had not seen them for two months.


    The e-sportspany was gradually getting on the right track, so Veronica was finally able to rest in


    Encounters Bridal Store¡¯s office for a while.


    She had not slept for two to three days now, so she was extremely exhausted.


    Ring¡ª


    The phone on her table started ringing.


    Veronica squinted her eyes to answer the phone and put it to her ear, asking, ¡°Hi, may I know who this


    is?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean who am I? Didn¡¯t you save my phone number?¡± Yvonne¡¯s voice sounded on the


    other end of the phone.


    Hearing Yvonne¡¯s voice, Veronica slowly opened her eyes and inquired, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s snowing, and it¡¯s freezing outside. Let¡¯s have some sushi,¡± she suggested.


    Blurgh¡ª


    Veronica¡¯s stomach started growling the moment she heard Yvonne¡¯s suggestion.


    Since she was hungry, she craved some sushi too, so she agreed readily, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. See youter at Shiro¡¯s Sushi.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, Veronica sat up and ced the nket over her sofa.


    Looking at the document withst month¡¯s turnover on the table, she picked it up and flipped through


    the document. Last month¡¯s turnover was only 30 thousand dors.


    Although there was more than 20 staff before, she managed to recruit a dozen people when the


    business of the bridal store soared. Thepany now had a total of 40 manpower.


    Rent, sries, utilities, and other expenses added up to a total of 30 thousand a month.


    Therefore, the earnings leveled offst month¡¯s expenses. Compared with the previous month when


    the total turnover was only 7000 dors, this month¡¯s performance was way stronger.


    Putting the document aside, she put on a thick woolen jacket and left the bridal store with her bag.


    It was misty in the evening, and snowkes the size of goose feathers fluttered in the air.


    Veronica, who was wearing a pair of ck heels, sank her feet in the thick snow at the entrance of the


    company. As the cold wind blew in the direction of her face, she wrapped herself tightly in her khaki-


    colored trench coat and pulled the red knitted scarf around her neck to cover her face.


    She then spread out her hand yfully to catch a snowke. Watching a hexagonal snowke falling


    into the palm of her hand, she felt a cooling sensation. Under the dim streetlights, it glowed like a star


    before melting into a droplet of water. She found it exceptionally beautiful, feeling her tense mind rx


    in the sight of it.


    Half an hourter, she arrived at Shiro¡¯s Sushi.


    Seeing Yvonne by the window, she took off the scarf, put it aside, and sat opposite Yvonne.


    Yvonne handed her a cup of warm tea and tilted her head to look at Veronica, asking, ¡°Goodness, I


    haven¡¯t seen you for a long time, but why are you so haggard? The dark circles under your eyes are so


    obvious now. What have you been up to for the past month?¡±


    She simply thought that Veronica went on a trip two months ago and had been busy managing the


    bridal store for the past month.


    ¡°Really? Maybe it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.¡±


    Veronica took the cup of tea and took a sip to warm her body.


    In fact, she had not had a proper rest for more than a month now as she was busy with Vincere Games


    and Encounters all day.


    After all, she majored in marketing management and was good at nning and operation, so she was


    naturally worried about her twopanies.


    To put it bluntly, the reason why she worked so hard was that she was currently cash-strapped.


    Before this, Matthew said that he would give her 15 million inpensation whereby 9 million had


    been paid to her in advance to buy a ne that she was currently wearing, but the 6 million had not


    been given to her until now.


    Now that she had to support the operations of Encounters and invest in Vincere Games all by herself,


    she could not guarantee how much longer she could sustain the businesses if there were no more


    funds.


    Veronica was aware that Matthew seemed to be deliberately making things difficult for her.


    Nevertheless, it did not matter. She chose a difficult entrepreneurial life where she could grow stronger


    and be more independent instead of relying on others for everything and being mocked for gaining


    support from the Kings Family.


    That kind of disapproval would only make her life bleak and meaningless.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you love yourself more?¡±


    The rtionship between Yvonne and Veronica gradually became closer. Although they met less in the


    past two months, they kept in touch via WhatsApp.


    Seeing her friend working so hard, Yvonne could not help but feel her heart ache for her.

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267


    Chapter 267 4500-Dor Part-Time Job


    ¡°Ivana just called and said that she¡¯sing too. I think she has something to discuss with you,¡± said


    Yvonne when she suddenly thought of something.


    Just as Yvonne said that, someone said ¡®hi¡¯ and walked over. ¡°Sorry to keep you guys waiting. I got off


    workte.¡±


    ¡°Take a seat. I just arrived too,¡± Veronica greeted her with a smile.


    Ivana ced her bag on the seat and sat next to Veronica casually. ¡°It¡¯s only been two months since I


    met you. How did you lose so much weight? Your jawline is so sharp that you probably can cut fruits


    with it!¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Her little joke elicitedughter among themselves.


    After exchanging a few customary greetings, the trio chatted while waiting for the rest of the food to be


    served.


    ¡°Yvonne said you have something to tell me?¡± Veronica inquired straightforwardly.


    Ivana, who was holding a piece of sushi and dipping it in the sauce, paused and put down her


    chopsticks. She then scooched near to Veronica and asked in a low voice, ¡°I have a job in hand. Would


    you like to consider it?¡±


    ¡°What is it about?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that it was a money-making opportunity.


    ¡°What is it? Don¡¯t be so mysterious. Hurry up and tell us.¡± Yvonne red at Ivana while chewing on her


    tempura. She was getting impatient when Ivana intentionally built up suspense.


    ¡°Remember how Veronica helped me out at the jewelry show before? I met a business partner today


    who is going to organize an auto show and needs a famous model. I rmended Veronica to him,


    and he happily agreed.¡±


    After she finished speaking, she looked at Veronica again. ¡°They¡¯re offering 4500 dors for two hours.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if you would agree to it, so I came over to ask your opinion.¡±


    ¡°So little? It¡¯s freezing cold in winter! How could they only offer 4500 dors of appearance fee?! That¡¯s


    not enough.¡± Yvonne shook her head, grabbed a piece of salmon, and mumbled, ¡°She¡¯s the boss of


    Encounters. How could she only be earning 4500?!¡±


    Veronica mixed the sauce on her te, thinking about it thoroughly.


    Although 4500 was not a big sum, it was not a bad deal for two hours.


    ¡°When did you guys know what happened to me?¡± She suddenly raised her head, looked at Yvonne,


    and then looked at Ivana. Her sharp eyes were cold.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Ivana was stunned for a moment before she threw Yvonne a look of help.


    Chewing the food in her mouth, Yvonne pursed her lips and replied, ¡°Bloomstead isn¡¯t a big ce.


    Rumors spread easily through the walls. I don¡¯t know who started it, but in this circle, rumor has it that


    you and Matthew aren¡¯t getting along, and he¡¯s deliberately making things difficult for you.¡±


    Initially, Yvonne did not n to tell Veronica about this, but she did not expect her friend to be so smart


    to catch on so quickly.


    ¡°Yeah. People in ourpany are also talking about it,¡± Ivana echoed.


    Veronica acted like it did not bother her as she continued eating her food.


    For the past two months, she had been busy with Vincere Games and Encounters. Naturally, she had


    no time to pay attention to rumors and gossips.


    If it was not for Ivana who mentioned to her about the auto showpany offering 4500 to work as a


    car girl, she probably would not have thought about this matter.


    After all, she was the god-granddaughter of Elizabeth. If she was only offered 4500 dors for a one-


    time appearance, most people would worry that Veronica would be offended due to the cheap fee, and


    thus, indirectly offend the Kings Family.


    Since the other party invited her to be a model and offered such a low price, Ivana must have said nice


    things about her in front of them.


    If she analyzed it in detail, she was able to figure everything out.


    ¡°Erm¡­ What Yvie said makes sense. You are the boss of Encounters, so it doesn¡¯t seem appropriate


    for you to take up the offer¡­¡±


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯m taking it!¡±


    Veronica took a sip from the cup before eximing, ¡°4500 is enough for me to pay my house rent for


    more than a year. I can make a lot of money for rent just by working for two hours!¡±


    These words came from Veronica¡¯s heart.


    She did not feel pitiful that she had ended up in such a situation. Instead, she thought it was the normal


    state of life.


    However, when Ivana and Yvonne heard it, they could not help but feel bad for her.


    ¡°Are you insane? The auto show might be an open-air one, and we¡¯re currently in the middle of winter!


    Do you know how cold it will be?!¡± Yvonne admired Veronica¡¯s resilience and determination as she


    regarded her as a good friend.


    Seeing that Veronica was willing to take up a modeling show for 4500 dors made her heart ache.


    She was so infuriated that she mmed the table angrily, scolding, ¡°Don¡¯t take up the job! Isn¡¯t it just


    4500 dors? You don¡¯t need that money.¡±


    ¡°I do need that money,¡± Veronica chuckled softly and continued chewing on her food nonchntly. She


    then took another piece of sushi, dipped it in the sauce, and raised her eyebrows, questioning, ¡°I can


    eat at Shiro¡¯s Sushi for a lot more times with 4500 dors. Doesn¡¯t it sound like a good deal?¡±


    Yvonne looked at the tes of sushi and salmon while nodding with approval, ¡°Yup. Sounds like a good


    deal, but¡­ wasn¡¯t your first love called Hendrey? Isn¡¯t he in Bloomstead? Are you not afraid that it¡¯ll be


    awkward for him to see you?¡±


    ¡°He was dispatched by thepany to take up a course in Castron, so he will likely be back in a month


    or two.¡±


    Though Veronica did not meet Hendrey often recently, she kept in touch with him.


    Otherwise, she would not have known about Hendrey¡¯s current situation.


    ¡­


    The three women ate and chatted until 8 pm before parting ways.


    After returning home, Ivana gave Veronica the contact number of the auto show organizer.


    Veronica immediately texted the auto show organizer via WhatsApp and chatted with the other party


    about the event. Eventually, the other party transferred her a deposit of 1500 dors and agreed to


    meet her at the open-air auto show at Bloomstead Convention and Exhibition Center in the afternoon


    the day after tomorrow.


    Open-air auto show?


    Veronica was lying in bed while listening to the violent gust of cold wind blowing outside. She could not


    help but shudder due to the cold just by thinking about it.


    Making money was not an easy task.


    She politely replied with a message:


    No problem, Mr. Wagner. I will see you then.


    After that, she opened the live broadcast app, searched for ¡®ck Dragons¡¯, and clicked in to watch a


    game of ck Dragons against a regional team online.


    The opponent¡¯s team was well-known, and ck Dragons had also been spending loads of money to


    gain poprity recently. In addition to the poprity umted before, they too had attracted many


    fans.


    However, the number ofizens watching the live broadcast online was less than 50,000.


    Veronica sent a gift without hesitation andmented:


    Let¡¯s get it, ck Dragons!


    After that, she sent a few more gifts generously before putting her phone aside and going to the


    bathroom to take a shower.


    While she was in the bathroom, her phone started ringing.


    Wrapped in a bathrobe, she walked out, picked up her phone, and saw the name ¡®Xavier¡¯ popping up


    on the screen.


    ¡°Why is he calling at suchte hours?¡± Veronica muttered in confusion but answered the phone


    anyway.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Did I wake you up from your sleep?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m used to going to bedte.¡± Veronica smiled and asked straightforwardly, ¡°It¡¯s kindate for a


    phone call. Is something wrong?¡±

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268


    Chapter 268 Yvonne Was Stirring Up Trouble


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me when I hadn¡¯t contacted you for the past two months?¡± Xavier teased Veronica.


    In truth, he was learning to take over the Crawford Family¡¯s business for the past two months.


    Konig Company was previously established as a small business for him to y with. It could barely


    support him financially, but now, he had a heavy burden and responsibility.


    Even though Xavier did not want to take over the Crawford Family¡¯s business, he had to bear the


    pressure, bite the bullet, and ept it.


    That was because¡­ he wanted to be stronger.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    In fact, there was an urgent need for him to be powerful in a short period of time.


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been busy hanging around with your eldest brother to take over thepany. I¡¯m


    worried that I¡¯ll disturb you, so I didn¡¯t contact you.¡±


    A polite reply slipped out of her lips so naturally that even Veronica herself could not believe she said it.


    Thest time she injured Xavier, Veronica simply thought she had injured two people, but she never


    expected that she would hit Melissa¡¯s knee meniscus with another shot, causing her to be lying on the


    hospital bed until today.


    Even if she received the best treatment avable, there would still be long-term side effects.


    Veronica did not feel guilty toward Melissa, but she always found it difficult to face Xavier as calmly as


    she did before.


    ¡°Are you free tomorrow? Do you want to go skiing together?¡± he invited warmly.


    ¡°Skiing? Sounds like fun, but I don¡¯t know how to.¡±


    She indeed did not know how to ski.


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing to worry about when you have me.¡±


    After saying that, he immediately added, ¡°I will call you at 9 am tomorrow on the dot. Can¡¯t wait to see


    you tomorrow. Have a good rest. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡­ Hello?¡±


    Veronica wanted to reject him, but Xavier did not give Veronica any chance to before hanging up the


    phone.


    Such a rushed n made Veronica feel a little awkward.


    She sighed. ¡°Skiing? Sounds like a good way to unwind.¡±


    She did not even take a day off in the past two months.


    Vincere Games was currently operating smoothly while Encounter Bridal Store¡¯s business was


    gradually stabilizing and she was assured that the future of bothpanies was bound to develop


    steadily.


    Therefore, now was the chance for her to take a break.


    However¡­ when she thought about being alone with Xavier tomorrow, Veronica found it somewhat


    ufortable, so she called Yvonne.


    ¡°Why are you calling me sote at night?¡± On the phone, Yvonne muttered.


    ¡°Do you want to go skiing tomorrow?¡± Veronica inquired straightforwardly.


    ¡°Sure. Where are we going?¡±


    When Yvonne asked the question, Veronica was taken aback because she forgot to ask Xavier where


    they were going.


    ¡°It should be¡­ in Bloomstead¡¯s ski resort. Where else could it be?¡±


    ¡°Who are you going with?¡±


    ¡°Xavier.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You want me to be a third wheeler?¡± Yvonne snorted, thinking how unkind Veronica was.


    ¡°I just thought we haven¡¯t been out for a long time, so I want to take you out for some fun. How about


    you invite another person?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two chatted for a while, and after deciding the time, they ended the call.


    After that, Veronicay in bed, feeling exhausted while watching the live broadcast. As time passed,


    she suddenly realized it was already 3 or 4 am in the morning, yet she tossed and turned but could not


    fall asleep.


    Although she was very sleepy and her eyelids were as heavy as lead, she could not fall asleep.


    Feeling helpless, she took a sleeping pill to aid her into sleep.


    The next day, she woke up at exactly 6 am.


    After getting up and going for a morning jog, she had breakfast, went home, got ready, and waited


    patiently for Xavier¡¯s call.


    At 9 am, the four of them met at Encounters Bridal Store.


    When she arrived at the store, she first saw Xavier, followed by Yvonne, who got out of another car.


    Behind her was¡­ Conrad Kings!


    ¡°Good morning, Roni and Young Master Xavier.¡±


    Yvonne was wearing a ck velvet parka, adorable earmuffs, a gray knitted scarf around her neck, and


    had her hair tied into a bun. She looked mischievous yet lovely.


    Conrad, who was standing behind her, was wearing an army green trench coat and a ck turtleneck


    sweater. He looked casual yet mature and sexy.


    Especially with a beard, his smile looked exceptionally sultry.


    Veronica could not help raising her eyebrows, looking rather surprised as she greeted, ¡°Morning.¡±


    ¡°You look cute in this outfit today, Yvie,¡± Xavier praised without hesitation, and then looked at Conrad


    behind her, remarking, ¡°Sir Conrad, aren¡¯t you usually busy with work? Most people don¡¯t manage to


    invite you out. Seems like Yvie is amazingly charming to be able to do so.¡±


    His words held another meaning behind them.


    In response, Yvonne¡¯s fair cheeks were stained with a blush as she bit her lips and smiled awkwardly. ¡°I


    nned to ask Ivana toe, but she¡¯s got ast-minute business trip, so I had to put down my pride


    and drag Sir Conrad with me.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right. Yvie told me that Roni was with you, so I came.¡± He raised his hand and brushed his


    messy bangs that had been blown by the wind. His sexy lips then curled into a smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten


    a chance to rx after returning to Bloomstead, so I thought I could hang out with you guys today.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s continue the chat in the car,¡± said Veronica while moving toward the car.


    After a round of discussion, all of them decided to leave in Conrad¡¯s Jeep Wrangler.


    Conrad and Xavier sat in the front, while Veronica and Yvonne sat in the back.


    An upbeat song was yed in the car loudly, and it boosted the atmosphere in the car.


    Veronica lowered her voice, leaned into Yvonne¡¯s ears, and whispered, ¡°Why the hell did you bring him


    when I asked you to invite someone?¡±


    Yvonne rolled her eyes at Veronica while replying, ¡°Who else can I invite? Ivana isn¡¯t in town. Wouldn¡¯t


    it be awkward for you if I invited someone you don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Veronica was rendered speechless because of her anger as she exhaled a deep breath, nced at the


    two people sitting in front of her, and whispered, ¡°Weren¡¯t you aware of what happened at the wedding


    banquetst time? Aren¡¯t you afraid that the two will be jealouster?¡±


    Although Melissa was the mastermind behind the incident at the wedding banquetst time, Xavier was


    still somehow rted to it.


    On the other hand, Conrad was Matthew¡¯s seventh uncle, so he belonged to the Kings Family.


    The incident upset the Kings Family and the Crawford Family, so they were still holding grudges in their


    hearts.


    Now that Yvonne invited Conrad over, wouldn¡¯t that mean she was stirring up trouble?


    Veronica¡¯s words alerted her.


    Yvonne was stunned for a while before rubbing her head embarrassingly. She then covered her face


    and admitted innocently, ¡°I¡­ I forgot about this.¡±


    Last night when she was eager to join in the fun, Yvonne contacted Ivana immediately.


    After all, Ivana and Veronica were quite familiar with each other and could hang out together now.


    However, Ivana had to go on a business trip, so she contacted Conrad in desperation. Who knew that


    Conrad would ept her invitation?!


    Because of that, Yvonne decided to bring Conrad over.


    Shepletely forgot the grudges between Conrad and Xavier.


    ¡°I¡¯m so done with you!¡±


    Veronica raised her hand to prop her forehead, not knowing what kind of situation she would encounter


    later. She simply hoped that Xavier and Conrad could get along well with one another.

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269


    Chapter 269 A Little Worried


    After a while, Veronica suddenly thought of a key point. ¡°Uncle Conrad came back not too long ago.


    How did you two get so close?¡±


    She then looked at Yvonne with sharp eyes without blinking, trying to detect anything out of the


    ordinary on her friend¡¯s face.


    Sure enough, Yvonne, who had always been a social butterfly, suddenly had a subtle tinge of crimson


    on her cheeks.


    Veronica narrowed her eyes slightly¡­


    Something fishy was going on!


    ¡°What do you mean? Remember the charity eventst time when you dragged me to dance with


    Conrad? We exchanged phone numbers back then,¡± Yvonne exined.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Veronica recalled what happened that day, nodded in response, and said nothing more. She merely


    nced at Conrad, who was driving, and fell into deep thought.


    Although she was not close to him, he was afortable person to hang out with. He was not as cold


    as Matthew, but for some reason, she had a hunch that Conrad was not a simple person.


    Even Matthew had warned her before.


    Conrad and Xavier, who were sitting in the driver¡¯s seat and the passenger seat, were chatting and


    laughing along the way. They seemed to get along well, so Veronica was relieved.


    After more than an hour, they arrived at Alpine Ski Resort in Bloomstead.


    Alpine Ski Resort was thergest ski resort in Bloomstead. In fact, it was thergest in the country.


    Not only were there snowboard skiing activities avable, there were also tubing, ice sculpture


    exhibitions, as well as performances at night. It was a great ce for winter travel and vacation.


    Since the ski resort was at a high altitude and was on the shady slope of the mountain, it only operated


    skiing activities in November every year until March of the following year.


    Ski resorts required ski tracks with different slopes. Therefore, the owner of Alpine Ski Resort would


    convert the steep ski tracks into paragliding spots in summer while the shorter ski tracks would be


    modified to amodate other activities to ensure that the venue was not vacant and that they had


    continuous revenue throughout the year.


    Once everyone got out of the car, they saw how crowded it was at the ski resort. Veronica could see


    that this ce was profiting by the minute and she could not help but sigh. ¡°The business here is really


    good. The boss of Alpine must have made a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Just look at the crowd!¡± Yvonne also sighed.


    The endless stream of tourists was equivalent to walking cash notes.


    ¡°Yeah. Business is really good. As expected, Matthew is a smart businessman.¡± Conrad put his hands


    in the pockets of his trench coat as he watched groups of tourists walking into the ski resort, looking


    like he was sincerely happy for Matthew.


    ¡°Is this ski resort under Matthew¡¯s name?¡±


    Veronica was a little stunned because she did not expect Alpine Ski Resort to belong to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head in,¡± Xavier suggested.


    The others nodded and entered Alpine Ski Resort together to get tickets.


    ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go and get us tickets,¡± Xavier offered.


    Veronica pondered about it before suggesting, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go, Uncle Conrad?¡± She then looked at


    Conrad and smiled. ¡°You are Matthew¡¯s uncle, so you must be able to get a discount for us. Perhaps


    we can even get a pass to y all the activities in the resort to make our visit worth it!¡±


    The cost of a huge resort like this one must have been a hefty amount. In addition to thebor, water,


    electricity, and maintenance fees, the tickets must be pricey.


    ¡°True!¡± Yvonne strongly agreed with Veronica¡¯s suggestion, so she urged, ¡°Conrad, I think you should


    go instead.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if you want me to.¡±


    The corner of Conrad¡¯s lips curled into a smile. Though it looked viinous, there was a hint of


    obedience in his smile. Turning around, he walked to the ticket window while calling Matthew.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some drinks for you girls,¡± offered Xavier as he walked to a stall and lined up.


    Since the resort¡¯s business was booming, every stall had a long line, so it took a while to get what they


    needed.


    While the two girls stood at the same spot, Veronica noticed Yvonne had been constantly staring at


    Conrad. It was as if her eyes were filled with stars.


    ¡°Cough¡­¡± Veronica cleared her throat, pulled the red scarf around her neck to shield her cheeks from


    the wind, and asked Yvonne, ¡°What do you think of Conrad?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Yvonne was taken aback for a moment before she withdrew her gaze and replied Veronica, ¡°Conrad? I


    think he¡¯s a nice person. He¡¯s sexy, calm, and very friendly. Combined with his short beard, he looks


    really handsome and cool.¡±


    ¡°Is heparable to Zac Francis, the prince of Castron?¡± She slowly set a trap for Yvonne.


    The oblivious Yvonne tilted her head and looked at Conrad without blinking. After hesitating for a while,


    she replied cautiously, ¡°He is more handsome than Zac, of course. Way more handsome.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I heard that the more handsome a guy is, the more dangerous they are.¡± Veronica let out an


    audible sigh.


    It was this sentence that made Yvonne instantly catch the hint.


    Her eyes sank and she turned to meet Veronica¡¯s worried gaze. ¡°Do you mean to say that Conrad is a


    dangerous person?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but Matthew told me that¡­¡± Veronica raised her chin slightly and pointed in the direction


    of Conrad. ¡°He¡¯s not a simple person.¡±


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Tsk! They are all businessmen. Which businessman is not treacherous and cunning? Besides, a


    simple-minded person isn¡¯t suitable to run a business, right?¡± Yvonne snorted lightly, not taking


    Veronica¡¯s words to heart at all.


    In other words, Veronica tried every means to persuade Yvonne, but her friend did not seem keen on


    listening.


    Sometimes, it was better to not linger on a topic too long, so Veronica decided to stop after a while.


    ¡°Can you ski?¡± She knew that Conrad and Xavier could ski, but if Yvonne could too, she would be


    embarrassed.


    ¡°Me? Of course, I can,¡± Yvonne boasted proudly.


    On the contrary, Veronica pouted helplessly as she felt an oing headache.


    After waiting for more than half an hour, they finally got the tickets and passed the security check


    smoothly.


    Since Veronica did not know how to ski, she eventually went to a ski trail suitable for newbies.


    Conrad apanied Yvonne while Xavier apanied Veronica.


    Yvonne stood in front of Conrad while holding the equipment and pouting, ¡°Conrad, I can only ski a


    little. You must stay beside me, okay? If you drop me and I get injured, you have to take care of me for


    the rest of your life.¡±


    Veronica, who was standing beside her, went speechless. However, she was still a little worried for her


    friend.


    ¡°No problem, leave it to me,¡± he reassured Yvonne while helping her wear the protective gears.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± When Xavier noticed that Veronica was absent-minded, he quickly inquired.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just figuring out how to use these things.¡± Veronica quickly found an excuse to reply to


    him.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Xavier, as always, was very gentle to her. Holding the knee pads, he went on one knee to help her


    wear them.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    Veronica was not used to Xavier¡¯s attentiveness, so she sat on the snowy ground without bothering too


    much about her image. Grabbing the knee pads, she put on her ski gear and announced, ¡°All done.¡±


    Once she was done, she stood up with the support of ski sticks. However, before she could stand


    straight, she eximed, ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    Just as she was about to fall, he pulled her into a warm embrace and hugged her tightly as he


    reminded her, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Veronica was a little ufortable with his sudden tenderness, so she quickly collected herself. ¡°I-I¡¯m


    fine. I should be able to stand properly now.¡±


    Pushing Xavier away, she held onto the ski sticks to stabilize herself on the ground.

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270


    Chapter 270 Awkward Meal


    The moment he hugged Veronica tightly, Xavier could smell the fragrance of her body. His heart began


    to beat uncontrobly and he started to feel nervous to the point that he could feel his body


    temperature increase when he gazed at her.


    However, once Veronica withdrew from his arms reflexively, Xavier could feel a drop in his heart, and


    there was a chill in his eyes.


    ¡°Let me hold you.¡±


    Xavier stretched out his hand toward her.


    Veronica hesitated for a moment but still held his hand, nning to learn to ski with Xavier.


    ¡°We¡¯re all set. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    At the same time, Yvonne and Conrad were ready, so they held their ski sticks and slid down the track


    smoothly.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll hold on to you.¡± Xavier dragged Veronica forward a little, but just after taking a step,


    Veronica fell to the ground with a thud.


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    Veronica, who had just plopped onto the ground, nced at the tourists beside her with a smile, feeling


    a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Are you still going to ski like this?¡±


    Suddenly, a familiar female voice sounded.


    Veronica turned around and was surprised to find that the person who spoke was Ruka!


    Beside Ruka¡­ was Matthew!


    The two of them were carrying snow gears as they walked over and stood in front of Veronica.


    There was a mocking smile on Ruka¡¯s face, but when Matthew saw Veronica, the gentleness on his


    face was gone and was reced by the cold and indifferent expression he wore when they first met.


    It had been two months since she hurt him mercilessly with her words in the hospital.


    Even when she went to visit Elizabeth at Kings Residence, she never saw Matthew.


    ¡°Are there any rules stating that beginners aren¡¯t allowed to ski here?¡± Xavier spat with a gloomy face


    while leaning down to help Veronica stand.


    Once Veronica got back up, she clenched Xavier¡¯s hand tightly, perhaps worried that she would fall


    over again.


    When she looked up to meet Matthew¡¯s dark eyes, she felt her heartbeat speed up inexplicably. She


    even felt a little restrained.


    ¡°Mind your own business, bitch!¡± Veronica avoided Matthew¡¯s gaze and snapped at Ruka angrily.


    ¡°Did you just call me a bitch?!¡±


    Ruka did not expect Veronica to scold her, so she stomped her feet angrily and questioned her.


    ¡°If you think that¡¯s what I meant, then it is what it is, Miss Dame. I¡¯m not your mother, so I can¡¯t control


    what you think!¡± Veronica sneered and reached out to brush off the snow on her body. Anger was


    currently boiling within her.


    At the jewelry showst time, Ruka tampered with her shoes. Veronica had not even settled that matter


    with her yet, and now Ruka was trying to pick on her again.


    Since she enjoyed being scolded, Veronica decided to give her exactly that.


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, you¡­ you better know your limits!¡±


    Ruka clenched her fists tightly and nced at Matthew beside her as if wanting to see his reaction.


    However, she only saw Matthew lowering his head and pulling a cigarette out of his pocket. He then


    ced the cigarette between his lips and lit it with a windproof lighter.


    Although he did not do much, his swift and dashing movement made Ruka¡¯s heart flutter.


    At the thought of that, Ruka¡¯s anger dissipated.


    ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to argue with you.¡± Ruka smirked proudly at Veronica as if deliberately showing


    off in front of her.


    She then said to Matthew, ¡°Matthew, let¡¯s go skiing. Getting here is not as easy as a walk in the park.


    Let¡¯s not ruin our mood because of a certain someone.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if our moods are ruined. The smell of someone¡¯s perfume as cheap as those sold at a


    broken shop is polluting the air.¡±


    Veronica ruthlessly mumbled a sentence and added, ¡°Xavier, I don¡¯t want to ski anymore. I want to go


    snow tubing and relive the memories of when I was a kid.¡±


    As she spoke, she took the snowboard off her feet.


    After all, she could not even ski. Why did she have to force herself?


    Most importantly, she should have as much fun as possible to rx and unwind.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xavier nodded in agreement, took off his snowboard and protective gears, and turned to leave.


    The two went to the tubing section, lined up, and slid from the highest point of the slope all the way


    down the mountain.


    Perhaps it was the fun of tubing that brought Veronica back to when she was a child. She slid down


    from it, hiked up the slope, slid down, and repeated the process.


    Ring¡ª


    At this moment, the phone in her pocket rang.


    Veronica was currently sitting on the tube, her hands tightly gripping the handle on each side, while


    Xavier sat in the back as the two rushed downhill at high speed.


    The cold wind blew on their cheeks like a sharp knife, but they had a lot of fun.


    Whoosh!


    It did not take long for them to arrive at the bottom and hit an obstacle before the tube came to a


    complete halt.


    Veronicaughed joyfully as she stood up like a happy child.


    On the contrary, Xavier was not very interested in such a childish activity, yet seeing Veronica having a


    good time lightened his mood.


    ¡°It¡¯s way more fun to y here. When I was a child, I would grab some cardboard and slide down a hilly


    slope on snowy days. There was even once when I identally plopped into a pond. My mom was so


    angry when she pulled me out of the pond that she gave me a good scolding.¡±


    Veronica fished her phone out from her pocket while recalling her childhood.


    When she looked down at her phone, she saw that it was a missed call from Conrad, so she said to


    Xavier, ¡°Uncle Conrad called. Hold on. Let me call him back.¡±


    After dialing his number, Conrad answered quickly, so Veronica asked, ¡°Uncle Conrad, are you guys


    done?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s almost 1 pm already. We¡¯ve ordered food in Room 905 of De Luna Hotel. Come over


    quickly,¡± urged Conrad.


    ¡°Oh, okay. We¡¯ll head over now.¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    After hanging up the phone, Veronica and Xavier immediately walked to the side of the road, stopped a


    sightseeing car, and went to Room 905 of De Luna Hotel.


    Unexpectedly, when she pushed open the door to the private room, she saw Matthew and Ruka sitting


    inside!


    Were they together?!


    When she thought about it, Conrad was Matthew¡¯s seventh uncle, so it was normal for them to sit


    together for a meal, but she did not expect Conrad and Matthew to meet just now.


    ¡°Oh? You guys are here. Come in. We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    Seeing Veronica standing at the door of the room, Conrad took the initiative to greet her.


    Yvonne, who was sitting beside him, could not help but nce at Matthew, then at Veronica, feeling a


    little awkward for thetter.


    What was going on?


    Matthew and Veronica had not been in contact for two months, and now, they were sitting together


    here¡­


    That was really awkward.


    ¡°Roni,e and sit next to me.¡± Yvonne stood up and waved at Veronica.


    Since there was no escape, it was better to face reality.


    Veronica smiled slightly, walked toward Yvonne, and sat directly beside her, while Xavier took a seat


    beside Veronica.


    There were two empty seats in the middle, and then there were Ruka and Matthew.


    Veronica¡¯s current seating, however, was perfect to meet Matthew¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271


    Chapter 271 Let¡¯s y Poker


    ¡°So, did you have fun today?¡± Yvonne asked Veronica as soon as they sat down in the private room,


    hoping that she could lighten up the mood.


    Veronica nodded. ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear. We should have all the fun we can; it¡¯s not every day we get to hang out like


    this,¡± Conrad interjected, smiling affably at Veronica before turning his gaze on Matthew. ¡°And what


    about you, Matthew? You brought Miss Dame onto your turf and got some first-hand experience with the


    amenities here. Is there anything you think could be better?¡±


    Matthew looked up at that moment and met Conrad¡¯s eyes.


    Out of his peripheral vision, he could see Veronica staring at him as well.


    Matthew then ignored her and replied impassively, ¡°The opportunity for further improvements has yet to


    present itself, but you¡¯ve always had the keener eye for detail, Uncle Conrad, and I¡¯m all ears if you have


    any suggestions.¡±


    The two men dived into an earnest discussion after that, which left Xavier in a rather awkward position.


    Veronica grew guilty at the sight of this. Xavier had been the one who invited her along to the ski resort,


    but he ended up keeping herpany most of the time and had missed out on all the fun. With that in


    mind, she started to make small talk with him so that he wouldn¡¯t feel sidelined by the other two men at


    the table.


    It didn¡¯t take long for all the dishes to be served. The table was full to the brim, and everyone had a ss


    of wine poured out for them.


    Taking the lead, Conrad raised his ss and said, ¡°Shall we toast to a pleasant day out and friendship?¡±


    ¡°Xavier¡¯s driving today, Uncle Conrad, so drinking is out of the question for him. I can drink on his behalf,


    though,¡± Veronica piped up. She couldn¡¯t hail a car in this remote area, and she didn¡¯t want Xavier to


    drink and drive.


    Taking his drink on his behalf was what a good friend would do. However, she could feel a sharp look


    thrown her way the moment she proposed the idea. At that, she nced up almost habitually and


    immediately met Matthew¡¯s icy gaze.


    ¡°You seem to be on good terms with Young Master Xavier,¡± Conrad observed casually, though his eyes


    were glittering with amusement.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Young Master Xavier. You can drink and Roni will drive you hometer,¡± Yvonne chimed


    in, thinking her solution was the most straightforward and practical.


    Xavier wasted no time in responding, ¡°The roads are slippery after the snow. It isn¡¯t safe for Roni to


    drive.¡±


    His reply was enough to give anyone the impression that things between him and Veronica were more


    than just tonic.


    At once, Ruka could feel the man next to her grow sullen and the barest hint of a smile touched her lips


    as shemented, ¡°How very chivalrous you are toward Veronica, Young Master Xavier. Perhaps I


    should take Matthew¡¯s drink on his behalf as well. Wouldn¡¯t want to be stuck here waiting for a taxi that


    will nevere, would we? What do you say, Matthew?¡± Underlying her melodic voice was an assertive


    tone that drew everyone¡¯s attention to what she said.


    s, no emotion flickered past Matthew¡¯s stoic and handsome face as he hummed curtly in response.


    Veronica never expected Matthew to move on so quickly after their split. Scumbag, she thought sourly


    after seeing his interactions with Ruka.


    ¡°Shall we all have juice instead of wine?¡± Yvonne tipped her head to the side as she looked at Conrad


    inquisitively. ¡°What do you think, Conrad?¡±


    She had been calling Conrad by his first name throughout the whole trip. There was nothing strange


    about this, except for the fact that she was addressing him so colloquially even though he was the oldest


    among the group.


    No one would bat an eye if the both of them were meeting for the first time and thus called each other by


    their first names, but Yvonne knew precisely who Conrad was. In any case, calling the seventh son of the


    Kings Family by his given name despite knowing his formidable status implied that there was more to


    their rtionship than they were willing to admit. She could try to pass this off as a casual dynamic all


    she wanted, but it was an unconvincing attempt.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Conrad said with an approving nod. ¡°Yvie¡¯s right; I should have known better than to order


    wine for the table.¡±


    With that, he summoned the waiter and ordered, ¡°Have all the wines here reced with fresh fruit juice,


    please.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Just a moment,¡± the waiter replied courteously as he set himself to work. He took away all the


    sses of wine and reced them with fruit juice quickly.


    Thereafter, everyone toasted to the fun day out and started to dig into the feast.


    Veronica was ravenous after walking around the park for most of the day, and she wolfed down her food


    without bothering with decorum. Seeing how hungry she was, Xavier heaped a second helping onto her


    te and pointed out affectionately, ¡°Slow down or you¡¯ll choke on your food.¡±


    Then, he reached for a few shrimps and began to peel them for her.


    Stunned by how indulgent he was being, Veronica wanted to stop him, but that was when she saw Ruka


    doing the same thing for Matthew. He was usually anal about someone touching his food, but


    surprisingly, he ate up all the shrimp she put on his te.


    Granted, she was using disposable gloves, but that could not be the only reason why Matthew ate the


    shrimps so readily.


    Veronica was disgusted by how pretentious he was. Following this, she decided not to stop Xavier from


    deshelling shrimps for her. She looked down at the plump crustaceans lying curled on her te, and


    after a moment of hesitation, she picked up her fork and dug in.


    ¡°Have some shrimp, Conrad,¡± Yvonne said sweetly as she put the deshelled shrimps on Conrad¡¯s te.


    ¡°Go on, try them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Conrad gave her a kind smile while scooping those shrimps up before cing


    them onto her te instead. ¡°Here, you can have them.¡±


    Suddenly, the atmosphere in the dining room shifted. It was turning out to be more like apetition


    among couples to see who could be the most loved-up pair in the group.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    As Veronica ate her food in silence, she started to sense that something was off. Everyone else seemed


    to be in a romantic mood, which made her question her own presence here.


    Shit, am I here as just a third wheel? At the thought of that, she couldn¡¯t help losing her appetite even


    though she had been starving earlier. She took a few more bites, then set her utensils down as she


    announced, ¡°I¡¯m done. The rest of you can carry on.¡±


    Xavier mirrored her and said, ¡°I¡¯m full too.¡±


    Upon hearing this, none of the others went on with their meals.


    ¡°I remember hearing you say you have a good hand for poker, Roni. Look, there¡¯s a deck of cards over


    there. Wanna y?¡± Yvonne suggested happily as she pointed at the deck of cards on the sideboard.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Veronica nodded instantly. ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea. Let¡¯s y a round of poker before we head


    over to the ice-sculpting event. Uncle Conrad, Xavier, should the four of us y?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I know I should be more cultured after my years abroad, but the truth is¡ªI have no idea how


    poker works,¡± Conrad confessed self-deprecatingly with a shake of his head, looking helpless.


    ¡°Aw, but that means we¡¯re one man short,¡± Yvonne mumbled with a sigh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m pretty sure Matthew knows how to y poker.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to y poker, either. I guess I¡¯ll be joining Sir Conrad on the sidelines,¡± Ruka said


    without a smidge ofint.


    Frowning slightly, Veronica gave Matthew a long look, then the corners of her lips tipped up in a smile as


    she said, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    As she said this, she walked up to the sideboard confidently and took the deck of cards. The rest of them


    walked up to the table and pulled up their seats. In the end, Xavier, Matthew, Veronica, and Yvonne sat


    clockwise around the table.


    When they had settled down, Veronica said, ¡°Right, so we¡¯ll kick off with a Five Card Draw. The first


    person on the left will ce the bet, and the rest of us proceed clockwise to either call, check or raise.


    Got it?¡±


    The Five Card Draw had the simplest gamey, and while it required a certain skill level, luck yed an


    important role to win too.


    Yvonne nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The men, on the other hand, said in unison, ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll set up a group so that we can use that as a pot. The winner gets to click into the code and transfer


    the winnings,¡± Yvonne suggested.

 Chapter 272

    Chapter 272


    Chapter 272 Ny-Billion Bnce


    Now that everyone had agreed on the gamey, Yvonne set up a group ount and added Veronica


    into it. ¡°Roni, you¡¯ll have to add Young Master Xavier and President Kings into the group.¡±


    Veronica had to be the one to add them, seeing as Yvonne did not have their contacts.


    Left without a choice, Veronica did as she was told. By the time everyone had sent in their codes,


    Matthew, however, was the only one who had not done so.


    How do I do this?


    ¡°Anytime now, President Kings,¡± Yvonne urged.


    Matthew stared at his phone and scrolled through the various options on the tform, hoping that the


    link to send in his code would pop out and save him from embarrassment. He had never done this


    before, and Ruka was equally confused as she mumbled, ¡°Matthew and I have no need for such apps,


    so¡­¡±


    00:00/00:00N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Veronica rolled her eyes at the girl. ¡°Save your excuses; you just don¡¯t know how to use the app.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Ruka was close to snapping, but she held back to keep herself from ruining the atmosphere and


    said instead, ¡°Could you help Matthew with it, then?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Veronica sighed, then agreed reluctantly, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll do him the favor.¡±


    The wedding banquet had set things off between Matthew and Xavier, who happened to be sitting side


    by side at the table. They were both businessmen who observed social etiquette, and they would not air


    their dirtyundry out in public. Besides, the Crawfords were the ones at fault. Having Xavier help


    Matthew now with the money pool app would only aggravate things, Veronica presumed.


    As such, she leaned close to him and pointed at his phone. ¡°See that ¡®My ount¡¯ button over there?


    Tap it.¡¯


    The sudden proximity made Matthew hyper-aware of her familiar scent. It hit him like a ton of bricks


    which instantly transported him to two months ago, when things were not quite as tense between them.


    His heart raced at the thought of this. He swallowed, and an odd, imperceptible look shed across his


    features.


    ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡± Veronica barked. He was so overwhelmed by how close she was to him


    that he was almost in a trance.


    Almost immediately, he snapped out of his daze and clicked into ¡®My ount¡¯.


    Veronica then went on to exin, ¡°Right, then tap on the ¡®Pay¡¯ button over there.¡±


    He did not say anything, but he obediently followed her instructions.


    Veronica was staring at his phone screen, but just as she was about to guide him on finding the code,


    she noticed the bnce disyed in the app. There was a long series of numbers, and once she


    realized how much there was in his bank ount, she began to count the zeroes. Tens, hundreds,


    thousands¡­ ten millions, one hundred million, a billion, ten billion! Holy crap, this guy has ny billion in


    his bank ount!


    The corner of her mouth twitched like she was about to get a stroke just from looking at the numbers. As


    it turned out, there truly was no wallet limit when it came to cash apps like these.


    ¡°What do I do next?¡± Matthew asked when he did not get a response from her.


    She blinked out of her reverie and said weakly, ¡°J-Just click into the ¡®Receive and Transfer¡¯ button. Wait,


    is there a cap for the bet?¡±


    It was only then that she remembered she was ying poker against the big wigs of the business circle.


    Matthew, for example, was the richest man of Bloomstead, and he was quite possibly the richest man in


    the country as well; Xavier, on the other hand, was the young master of the affluent Crawford Family;


    lastly, although her background was vague, Yvonne likely had a worth of over ten billion.


    Am I just making a fool out of myself right now? Veronica asked herself as she re-evaluated the amount


    of money she had in her bank ount.


    Just then, she heard Xavier say, ¡°I¡¯m fine with any betting amount.¡±


    This was followed by a casual chime by Yvonne, ¡°Whatever limit you think is fine, I guess.¡±


    ¡°You call the shots,¡± Matthew added unhelpfully.


    She pursed her lips, rendered speechless by how agreeable they were. Damn it, guys, just because


    you¡¯re fine with anything, it doesn¡¯t mean I have money to spare!


    She thought about how she had braced the icy weather for two hours, risking hypothermia along the way,


    by agreeing to work at an autoshow for two hours. She had only earned about four thousand from that


    gig alone, but that was nothingpared to the amount her presentpany had in their ounts. She


    wondered where she had gotten the nerve to agree to y poker with these billionaire bigshots. I¡¯m an


    idiot, she chided herself. I wonder if I can pull out of the game now.


    She wanted to p herself in the face for being so impulsive.


    At that moment, five pairs of eyes swiveled in her direction. She was not one to wear her heart out on her


    sleeve, but right now, there was no hiding the embarrassment on her face.


    ¡°Roni, if you¡¯re short of money, we can always start out with a small bet, like five hundred,¡± Yvonne


    suggested.


    The amount might seem small at first, but as Veronica pondered on it, she decided that it was still a huge


    pot of money to bet on. Thankfully, there was now against gambling in Destor, otherwise this would be


    considered an illegal enterprise.


    ¡°Five hundred it is. Let¡¯s y,¡± she finally said after taking a deep breath. Nothing to worry about. Just


    shake off the nerves! If I y well enough, I might just win enough down payment for a new house.


    Emboldened by this, she helped Matthew send in his ¡®Receive and Transfer¡¯ code into the group


    ount. Destor had capped the electronic cash tforms at a maximum of one million per day.


    However, the cap did not really mattered much.


    The opening round started, and Matthew was the first one to make the bet.


    Veronica nced at the cards in her hand. Not too bad, she mused. I could call at this point.


    However, after a round of bets, cards were discarded and drawn from the deck. At that point, Matthew


    decided to raise the stakes. Upon hearing this, Veronica pursed her lips and called.


    ¡°Raise,¡± Xavier dered as he added money into the pot.


    ¡°Hah! You seem confident,¡± Veronica pointed out, her eyes glittering. The game continued on until the


    last round of betting ended. When the time came for them to show their hands, sheid her cards down


    happily and said, ¡°Yes! Three of a kind!¡±


    Though the game ended quite quickly, Veronica was very pleased with her hand. She actually wanted to


    raise the stakes a few times but the others were just increasing the bet like maniacs so she resisted.


    ¡°Straight,¡± she dered this round. ¡°I¡¯m taking the winnings!¡±


    ¡°Straight,¡± Matthew interjected coolly just as she was about to take the money from the group ount


    while slowly turning his cards over. ¡°Flush.¡±


    He had raised the stakes to three thousand earlier, and it was all his now.


    ¡°What? And here I am just checking and folding,¡± Yvonne grumbled.


    Xavier did not say anything as he shot Matthew a meaningful look, then his gaze flickered over to


    Veronica. The grin had slipped off her face, and she winced as if regretting to y. ¡°Damn it,¡± she


    muttered under her breath, then tapped on her phone to transfer the winnings to Matthew.


    ¡®Ding! You have received a payment of three thousand.¡¯


    The message popped up on Matthew¡¯s phone several times, preceded by the chime that resembled


    coins dropping.


    In the next few rounds, Xavier won with an astounding royal flush, following by Yvonne winning with a full


    house while Matthew won another two roundster with a flush and a straight. Nevertheless, Veronica


    remained the loser of the group.


    She was starting to lean toward diabolical ns. Chuckling, she looked at Conrad and asked, ¡°Uncle


    Conrad, how about a sponsor? If I win, then you¡¯d be entitled to half the share of my earnings. What do


    you think?¡±


    ¡°Nah, luck avoids you like you are the gue. I¡¯d be much better off sponsoring Yvie,¡± Conrad teased


    from where he sat next to Yvonne and his words stabbed through Veronica like a knife.


    She smiled at him nheless and focused back on her cards. Obsessed with winning the pot, she was


    starting to take this game seriously, but not once did she ever notice Matthew¡¯s gaze flickering over in


    her direction every now and then. She was oblivious to how he was drawn to her every little reaction.


    He registered how much she had lost weight over thest two months.


    ¡°Raise!¡± Yvonne dered.


    Matthew looked down at his cards. He could actually win since he already had a good hand, but he


    chose to remain quiet instead as he folded.


    ¡°Hah! I won! I won the round! Thank you, Lady Luck!¡±

 Chapter 273

    Chapter 273


    Chapter 273 Crayson¡¯s Bad Fall


    Veronica beamed as she showed her hand.


    She had been on a roll since the beginning of thest few rounds, and she was working her way into a


    winning streak.


    Matthew, on the other hand, had on the ideal poker face as he sat stoically next to her. Little did he know


    that Ruka, who was perched on the seat behind him, was aware of the basic rules of poker even if she


    hardly ever yed. She had watched in grim disbelief as he discarded cards that would have given him a


    good hand and feigned bad luck by folding during bets. He was pulling back to let Veronica win.


    With her newly-boosted confidence, Veronica got her head in the game and began to y. As a result,


    her bank ount with a meager sum of seventeen thousand had an additional amount of hundred and


    fifty thousand dors!


    In fact, she wasn¡¯t the only winner; Xavier and Matthew had won several rounds as well, leaving Yvonne


    as the odd one out who somehow managed to lose over four hundred thousand dors during the game.


    ¡°Oh, man, talk about sore luck,¡± she moaned ruefully. She turned to look at Conrad in despair. ¡°Conrad,


    you said you were gonna sponsor me, right? We¡¯re splitting this fifty-fifty.¡±


    4


    ¡°She has a point, Uncle Conrad,¡± Veronica sang, so happy that she was oblivious to how Matthew had let


    her win most of the rounds. ¡°I told you to sponsor me and you refused to. Bet you¡¯re licking your wounds


    now.¡±


    4


    Conrad shook his head in mock exasperation. ¡°Oh, I should have listened to you, Veronica,¡± he said


    melodramatically.


    Meanwhile, Matthew leaned into his seat and stared at the cards he was holding: three Kings and two


    Aces. He had a full house, and if he had shown his hand, he would have won the pot for sure. There was


    at least twenty grand worth of winnings after the bet was raised, but at thest minute, he\ decided to let


    Veronica win. Folding, he tossed his cards into the center pile and pointed out nonchntly, ¡°Someone¡¯s


    on a roll.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve never lost a game of poker,¡± Veronica said proudly, unaware that her poker skills were no


    match for Matthew¡¯s even though she was admittedly better than average yers.


    ¡°Winner buys everyone a meal,¡± Yvonne piped up, wiggling her brows at Veronica as if to remind the


    latter that lunch and dinner would be on her.


    Veronica nodded. ¡°I¡¯m more than happy to.¡±


    ¡°Luck was on your side as well, Young Master Xavier,¡± Conrad remarked.


    Xavier smiled. ¡°It loved Roni a little more though.¡±


    Leaving the men to their conversation, Veronica rose from her seat and made a beeline for the restroom.


    She had been so focused on winning the pot that she refused to relieve herself.


    Not long after, she came out of the restroom stall and headed for themunal sink area to wash her


    hands, only to see Matthew standing there with a cigarette in hand.


    She gave him a cursory nce and said nothing. For a moment, neither of them exchanged a word, and


    she started to powder her nose while staring into the mirror.


    4


    Just then, her phone rang. She quickly capped her lipstick and wiped her hands with a tissue, then fished


    out her phone from her purse. When she saw Danie¡¯s name shing on the screen, she picked up the


    call. ¡°Hey, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness the call got through. Where are you right now, Veronica? Your master wasing


    down from the mountain this afternoon when he slipped and fell. He bumped his head on a rock and is


    currently in aa.¡±


    ¡°What? How did that happen?¡± Veronica¡¯s voice rose by a pitch when she heard the shocking


    information. Next to her, Matthew stiffened and paused from taking a drag, then nced over at her


    worriedly.


    ¡°Crayson isn¡¯t young anymore, and besides, he did take a pretty bad fall. The roads were all coated in


    ice and snow.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back right now.¡±


    With that, Veronica hung up the phone hurriedly. She stood in front of the sink and took a deep breath,


    but that was when she saw Matthew staring at her in therge mirror. She met his gaze in the reflective


    ss, but just as he parted his lips to say something, she turned and walked away before he could


    speak.


    He followed her out of the restroom area closely from behind.


    Presently, she jogged up to the private dining room. She was surprised to see that the room was empty


    save for the cleaning staff and Ruka.


    ¡°Xavier went to make a call while Yvonne and Conrad went skiing¡­¡± Ruka spoke up.


    The cleaning staff was probably here to straighten up the private room before the crowd came in so that


    they could serve dinner at 6 pm on the dot.


    4


    After all, the resort was already packed to the brim with tourists, and the hotel would not be able to take


    in that many customers, even when some of them were to wait in line.


    Veronica immediately called Conrad on the phone, but none of her calls were put through.


    ¡°Take my car,¡± Matthew offered, speaking up behind her.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Panicking, she considered his suggestion and decided that she had no other options right now. She


    reached for the keys he was passing to her and said, ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll bring the car back to you as soon as


    possible.¡±


    She ran downstairs. She was about to call Matthew to ask him which car was his when he suddenly


    appeared and pointed at the silver-gray Maybach parked at the side.


    She turned around to look at him, but she could not bring herself to thank him as she jogged up to the


    car. Just as she was going to start the car and drive away, he walked up next to her and opened the


    door.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she demanded somberly.


    ¡°It takes hours to get to Cabot Town from here. Heaven knows what kind of danger you would be in if you


    were to drive. Get down; I¡¯ll take the wheel,¡± he said solemnly, though there was no disguising the worry


    in his voice.


    While Veronica knew how to maneuver a car, she was not as good of a driver as Matthew.


    After a moment of hesitation, she got down from the car and rounded over to the passenger seat. As


    Matthew fastened his seatbelt, she said, ¡°Could you drop me off at Encounters? I¡¯ll drive back from


    there.¡±


    4


    She did not want to trouble him anymore, and she was at ease after their split. Things had been simple


    and idyllic for her ever since she cut him off, and she liked it.


    He ignored her as he turned the steering wheel familiarly, driving out of the ski resort.


    A whileter, her phone buzzed with a call from Xavier. She picked it up and told him briefly about what


    happened, then hung up.


    Subsequently, she thought it would be wise to call Yvonne as well so that she would not be worried. The


    last thing she wanted was for her friend to fret over her safety.


    During the car ride, Veronica and Matthew were inplete silence. The only sound that filled the


    vehicle was the thumping of the DJ ying his mixtape on the radio.


    It seemed as if the houses surrounding the resort were all wooden cabins. The scenery outside was


    beautiful. The snow, illuminated by the dim lights shining through the windows of the cottages, made the


    twilight hour all the more magical. It was like the whole world had gone quiet, and there was an


    untouchable peace that cloaked thend.


    Veronica imagined this was what it was like to live in a snowglobe-esque town, where all the trees and


    the houses were kept in a gorgeous, whimsical winter wondend.


    It¡¯s breathtaking, she admitted. However, the beauty of nature did not distract her from her worries. She


    was concerned that something bad would happen to Crayson while she was still rushing back to see


    him.


    She knew that Danie would never call her to talk about anything minor in order to spare her from


    worrying, which meant Veronica¡¯s master was badly injured, making her all the more anxious.


    ¡°In all fairness, Crayson is sharp-minded and he is well-trained with martial arts. You have nothing to


    worry about,¡± Matthewforted when he saw how pinched Veronica looked.


    4


    She decidedly ignored him and turned to look out the window. She did not have the chance to retort


    against him back in the private dining room, at least not in front of everyone, but right now, she was in no


    mood to even look at him!


    4

 Chapter 274

    Chapter 274


    Chapter 274 Riling Matthew Up


    It was true that what Veronica said at the hospital had been hurtful, but she started to reevaluate her


    rtionship with Matthew after he cut off all her business ties at Encounters which even led Julius Atelier


    to call off the endorsement deal.


    As it turned out, her business¡¯ sess pivoted on her amicable rtionship with Matthew, and it took


    one sour turn to reveal to her just how fragile such a dynamic was. She had been painfully reminded of


    how powerful he was, so much so that he could flip her life around with just a snap of his fingers. She


    could be soaring high in the sky one day and be brought crashing down the next.


    He was a man who could manipte her life and death like they wereponents of a Rubik¡¯s cube in


    his hand. He was dangerous¡ªdeadly even. Veronica would need nerves of steel if she insisted on


    staying friends with him, let alone date him.


    Nheless, she was still Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter. Matthew wasn¡¯t her only pir of support, and


    she knew she could always turn to Elizabeth for help in desperate times. This was the reason why no


    one in Bloomstead dared touch her even though they knew about her fallout with Matthew.


    Presently, Matthew cast Veronica a sideways nce when she did not respond, then frowned in


    exasperation. Just then, his phone rang, and he fished out his phone with one hand while keeping the


    other on the wheel. When he saw Ruka¡¯s name shing on the screen, he set the phone aside instead of


    picking it up.


    On the other end, Ruka had been waiting for Matthew in the hotel lounge, but he never showed up. She


    didn¡¯t know that he had already left the resort with Veronica.


    ¡°The number you have dialed, can¡¯t be reached¡­¡± She tried calling him again and again, but none of the


    phone calls got through.


    00:00/00:00


    Back in the car, Veronica was listening to the ringtone of the third phone call drone on and on. She


    nced at the number on the screen, then at Matthew, who was unbothered and seemingly intended on


    leaving Ruka hanging. For some reason, she wanted to wince at this man in disgust. He had told her


    how much she liked her a mere months ago, but he was now hooking up with another woman in the blink


    of an eye.


    Veronica silently thanked the heavens that she had not been gullible enough to fall for his sugar-coated


    lies, because in some alternate universe, she could be in Ruka¡¯s position right now. Whew, dodged a


    silver bullet there, she thought.


    Atst, Matthew¡¯s patience ran out, and he was evidently annoyed as he picked up the ringing phone.


    ¡°What?¡± he snapped icily. There was a pause, then he continued, ¡°Yes, she has an emergency back


    home, and I¡¯m dropping her off right now. See if you can hitch a ride with Uncle Conrad. Yeah, okay,


    bye.¡±


    Veronica had no idea what Ruka had said on the other line, but Matthew¡¯s tone was so frigid that he


    could turn someone to ice, and that was how she knew he was a heartless jerk.


    Suddenly, she felt a rush of sympathy for Tiffany and Ruka. Both of them are so head over heels for the


    bastard that they¡¯ve be masochists.


    Marriage d¡¯Amour was ying in the car. The piano bad was an old arrangement, but Veronica had a


    soft spot for it. She closed her eyes and let the music wash over her, imagining the emotions packed into


    each note. It was therapeutic, and it didn¡¯t take long for her to feel better.


    The rest of the world had only just begun to melt away when something abruptly fell onto her torso. She


    opened her eyes in mild rm and looked down to see a throw had been tossed over her.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Take care so that you don¡¯t catch a chill,¡± Matthew said with forced patience, tipping his


    head to one side to indicate that he was talking to her.


    She relished the warmth that came with the throw, nestling further back into her seat in bliss. The heater


    had been turned on, but it did little to keep out the cold.


    Just as she was pulling the throw closer to herself, she caught the faint fragrance that lingered on it. It


    smelled like Ruka.


    At once, she bundled up the throw, hurled it into the backseat, and stated, ¡°I don¡¯t need this, thank you.


    I¡¯m not cold at all.¡±


    She was not fussy by any means, but that didn¡¯t mean she wanted to use someone else¡¯s stuff.


    ¡°The throw is new,¡± Matthew pointed out like he had read her mind. Then again, she had made her


    aversion to using the throw very obvious.


    She rolled her eyes at him and countered sardonically, ¡°Is it now? Then why¡¯s your girlfriend¡¯s scent all


    over it? I don¡¯t need it anyway, so just continue to keep her warm with it.¡±


    A grim expression dawned upon his face as he said, ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s your girlfriend or not, because it has nothing to do with me.¡± She held her


    phone and checked the time while continuing nonchntly, ¡°Drop me off at Encounters and I¡¯ll pay you


    twice the normal fare.¡±


    She had a navigation software on her phone that coulde up with an estimated fare if she just keyed


    in the pick-up and drop-off points. She was determined to pay him every cent of it and more. As things


    were, she refused to owe him favors.


    Matthew¡¯s blood boiled when he heard the pointed tone of her voice, but he tried to keep his anger under


    wraps as he said, ¡°It¡¯s snowing now. We can¡¯t take the highway, and there are plenty of trucks and vans


    using the underpass. It isn¡¯t safe.¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°That¡ªis none of your concern,¡± she said while shooting him a baleful look.


    Pretentious scumbag! You cut off my business ties right after I said all those things at the hospital, and


    you wrecked the only endorsement deal I ever had. You even had the audacity to get someone to look


    into me! She knew about all the things he had done behind her back, and she was disgusted by how he


    could be so heartless by pretending to worry about her like she was some charity case.


    She resisted the urge to snort as she found all this particrly ironic.


    There were only two reasons why Matthew had stooped so low, the first one being he was trying to make


    her bow to him, and the second was that he saw her as a pet that he rewarded and punished as he liked.


    He was making life difficult for her on purpose.


    Right after she snapped at him, however, Matthew mmed on the brakes, and the car rolled about a


    dozen meters ahead before it skidded to a stop in the middle of the road.


    He turned and gazed at her with his ominous, obsidian gaze, and she thought she could see a snow


    storm brewing in the pitch-ck depths of his eyes. She shuddered as a chill ran down her spine.


    ¡°Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you¡¯re Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter now?¡±


    he hissed. At that point, Veronica had pushed his buttons. Curse this woman, he thought, seething with


    rage. He hated how he couldn¡¯t do anything about her tant provocation.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Veronica said matter-of-factly. Her delicate, oval face lit up with a faint smile that did not


    reach her eyes. She looked like she was mocking him, but she could care less about whether or not she


    had offended him. Frankly, she found it easier to agree with him than to retort against him, and the effect


    was just as, if not, more satisfying.


    Matthew¡¯s rage peaked at the sight of her defiance. He reached out his hand and grabbed the scarf


    around her neck, then pulled her close to him as he growled, ¡°Veronica¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She was smirking even though she was merely inches away from him. She stared into his eyes


    and asked, ¡°Are you angry, Matt? Are you going to punch or silence me by having me killed, hmm? Or


    are you going to cut my lifeline?¡±


    There was a hard edge to his jaw as he gritted his teeth, and his face darkened considerably. She could


    hear his knuckles cracking when his fist clenched tighter onto the knitted fabric of her scarf. He was


    obviously holding back.


    Veronica went on to stroke his fury. ¡°What are you getting all worked up for? I mean, you can¡¯t help


    resorting to those ways, because that¡¯s just who you are. In fact, I should probably thank you for sparing


    me from your wrath, or I¡¯d end up like Tiffany.¡±


    A smile curled on her lips, and her face dimpled. She was so beautiful and enigmatic at that moment that


    anyone would have been bewitched by her, but Matthew was so belligerent that his jaw was clenched


    and the veins on the back of his hands were visible. He wanted nothing more than to teach her a hard


    lesson!

 Chapter 275

    Chapter 275


    Chapter 275 Shortcut


    Matthew eyed Veronica darkly as his lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°So. We¡¯ll be at an impasse until I give


    you what you want, is that it?¡±


    He was one more push away from an outburst, but even so, he still spoke slowly and steadily. He was


    calm, much like how the seas and skies were before a storm, as if he waspletely unaffected.


    However, the more he behaved this way, the more anxious Veronica felt. She could sense that there was


    a fire burning in him, consuming him.


    Nheless, she went on to add insult to injury as she drawled coquettishly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to sound


    like you¡¯re forced into this. It¡¯s not as if this is the first time you¡¯ve tried to make me concede to you, right?


    Although¡­¡± She shed him a captivating smile while her red scarf brought out a pink tinge to her


    wless baster skin.


    She looked as alluring as a poisonous poppy, but she was just as aggravating too.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    He had fallen deeply for her, he realized grimly.


    00:00/00:00


    Having trailed off earlier, Veronica continued with wicked amusement, ¡°I¡¯ve never been one to run away


    in the face of fear, Matt, so do whatever you like. I promise I won¡¯t tell Grandma about it, because I¡¯m


    gracious like that.¡± As she said this, she reached up and pried his fingers off her scarf. She shrugged him


    off and turned to get out of the car. She mmed the door behind her and walked away without so much


    as a backward nce.


    Left in the car with his insurmountable rage, Matthew clenched his fists and struck the steering wheel in


    front of him once, then pressed the heel of his palm into the horn several times, disrupting the winter


    serenity with several loud honks.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± he cursed aloud, then leaned back into his seat as he pinched the space between his brows.


    Out of nowhere, a sense of helplessness seized him.


    He wondered if all these years of getting his way had corroded his reasoning mind, or if his affections for


    Veronica had clouded his judgment. Whenever she was around, he felt the need to subjugate her and


    make her ede without question.


    However, his attempts to do just that had been to no avail, and he realized btedly that her heart must


    be carved out of stone if she could stand up to him repeatedly, each time bolder than thest.


    The series of failures had him questioning his own abilities. How is it that I¡¯ve managed to conquer the


    business world but not one woman? Why is it so hard for me to win her over? He had lost, re-grouped,


    and refined his strategies, only to lose again. It was like he was trapped in some vicious cycle.


    From the driver¡¯s seat, he could see Veronica¡¯s proud figure walking ahead. He pinched his brows as he


    watched her leave, and there was no telling what he was thinking about.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was walking down the street huffily after leaving the car. As she kept up her pace,


    she held onto her phone and searched for nearby cars she could hail, but not a single driver was willing


    to pick her up. Worst still was the fact that there were no taxis driving by the area.


    This is quite the conundrum, she admitted as she looked around.


    Just then, her phone rang, and she hurriedly picked up the call when she saw Elizabeth¡¯s name


    disyed on the screen. She felt quite odd receiving a call from her at such an odd hour. ¡°Hello,


    Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Veronica, is it true that your master has been hospitalized after a bad fall?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, right, yes.¡± Veronica slowed in her steps and turned around in disbelief. Sure enough,


    Matthew¡¯s car was crawling up to her. What is that jerk up to now?


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and I don¡¯t want you to go back to Cabot Town alone. I¡¯ve already spoken to Matthew


    and told him to drop you off.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that, Grandma. I can just get a cab¡ª¡±


    Elizabeth cut her off mid-sentence. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors flying around these days too. You¡¯d better


    believe that I gave Matthew a stern lecture, but he told me that the rumors only started after word got out


    that you became my god-granddaughter. He said he only did that for your best interests. Silly girl; you


    didn¡¯t think he was actually out to get you, did you?¡±


    Veronica rolled her eyes at Elizabeth¡¯s exnation. Despicable! The guy¡¯s shamelessness knows no


    bounds! He did it out of my ¡®best interests¡¯? Seriously? Should I thank him then? She waspletely


    baffled by how low Matthew would stoop just to get his way. I can¡¯t believe he actually lied to an olddy!


    Not wanting to expose him for being the lying and scheming devil that he was, she had no choice but to


    go along with the false narrative as she replied, ¡°Grandma, I never thought of him that way. I simply didn¡¯t


    think it was safe for him to drop me off at thiste hour.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all settled now. I¡¯ll have that grandson of mine drop you off, and if he doesn¡¯t, then he and I will


    have a good talkter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, Grandma, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bye-bye now!¡± Elizabeth hung up before Veronica could say anything.


    Sighing as she listened to the series of beeps on the other line, Veronica quirked her lips unhappily,


    wondering what she had done to deserve all this.


    A loud honk sounded next to her at that moment, and Matthew rolled down the car window with a


    roguish, triumphant smile ying on his lips. He said nothing, which infuriated Veronica even more.


    She clutched her phone and opened the car door, then barked, ¡°How low will you stoop, Matthew? Your


    grandmother is nearly in her seventies, and you actually bothered her with something like this? What are


    you, a kid?¡±


    He kept his right hand on the wheel and tapped against the edge with his fingers, contemting his


    reply. ¡°I¡¯m only acting on Grandma¡¯s orders. If you have a problem with that, take it up to her.¡±


    ¡°You know what, just let me down here. You don¡¯t have to see this trip till the end. I promise I won¡¯t tell


    Grandma about this.¡± Thest thing Veronica wanted was for him toe back to Cabot Town with her


    and create even more drama than there already was.


    Matthew retracted his gaze and started the car, continuing down the road. ¡°Should I be worried that lying


    is second nature to you? I wonder how Grandma would feel if she found out you were a habitual liar.¡±


    Being called a habitual liar by the likes of him irked her to no end, but she let this slide. Far too tired to


    argue with him, she took off her scarf and draped it over herself, then closed her eyes as she willed


    sleep toe.


    Next to her, Matthew knew that she was still suffering from bouts of insomnia, and he couldn¡¯t bring


    himself to interrupt her rest. As such, he turned the heater on to full st and cruised ahead.


    Veronica had not had proper rest since Vincere Games was set up. She leaned into the seat and let the


    gentle swaying of the car treading down the road lull her into sleep.


    Worried that she would be ufortable, Matthew lowered the back of her seat so that she could sleep


    better. Thankfully, it was lowered so slowly that there was no sudden impact that would have woken her


    up otherwise.


    Just like that, she slept for a full two hours. Matthew had taken a shortcut to Cabot Town, and by the time


    Veronica woke up, there was about another hour¡¯s drive left before they reached their destination.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± she asked groggily.


    ¡°Glensbury,¡± he replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s fast,¡± she observed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she sat up. It was only after she had


    gotten her bearings that she realized the back of her seat was lowered to a forty-five-degree angle. It


    was no wonder that she had slept soundly through the better part of the journey.


    She frowned at the thought of this and began to question what Matthew¡¯s intentions were. All this


    blowing hot-and-cold on his part was borderline psychotic.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me with such immense gratitude,¡± he pointed out sarcastically. ¡°I only did it


    because someone asked me to.¡±


    Veronica actually believed that by ¡®someone¡¯, Matthew meant Elizabeth.

 Chapter 276

    Chapter 276


    Chapter 276 Stable Condition


    Veronica leaned back into the seat and closed her eyes for a moment, then decided to give Danie a


    call. ¡°Hey, Mom. Where are you guys?¡±


    ¡°Collins City Hospital,¡± Danie replied.


    ¡°Which ward?¡±


    ¡°Just a minute. We¡¯re at Block 21, Room 2109.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯m on my way.¡± Veronica hung up and turned to speak to Matthew, who had his eyes on the road.


    ¡°Could you drop me off at Collins City Hospital?¡±


    When she called Danie earlier, she was told that Crayson had been sent to the district hospital for a


    medical examination. Now that he was transferred to the city hospital, there wasn¡¯t much distance they


    needed to cover.


    Both Veronica and Matthew were silent throughout the ride. They were as good as a pair of strangers.


    00:00/00:00


    It wasn¡¯t until they had walked into the hospital¡¯s patient ward that she shot him a warning look and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything weird in front of my parents.¡± She shuddered to think how her parents would react if


    they found out about the recent happenings in her life, and she would rather Matthew keep his mouth


    shut the entire time.


    He hummed curtly in response, as if he was only humoring her, and said nothing more.


    They then headed out of the elevator and made their way over to Room 2109. Pushing the door open,


    Veronica was greeted by the sight of her adoptive parents and Crayson, whoy unmoving in the


    hospital bed.


    Panic seized her as she rushed up to them and pressed, ¡°Mom, Dad, how is he doing?¡±


    ¡°He only just got out of the emergency room, and the doctor says he¡¯s recuperating,¡± Danie exined


    morosely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Roni, he¡¯s going to be fine. He¡¯s always been a plucky one,¡± Tony addedfortingly.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Murphy,¡± Matthew greeted with a polite nod. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I came here empty-handed; we


    didn¡¯t exactly have the time to stop by the store to get anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Matthew, how nice it is to see you. It¡¯s so nice of you to drop Veronica off when the weather is so


    cold and the roads so icy. I¡¯d be worried if she hade alone,¡± Danie said kindly as she and Tony


    exchanged a small smile.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t care less about how Matthew and his parents were interacting. She was admittedly


    more concerned about Crayson. He was unconscious as hey on the bed, and there was a bandage


    wrapped around his head. He looked to be sleeping soundly, and he did not budge even once, but for


    some reason, his idle state left her panicked.


    She sat down in the caretaker¡¯s chair next to the bed and reached out gently to pat the old man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Crayson? Hey, wake up. I¡¯m here to see you,¡± she murmured softly. She even tugged on his hand


    gingerly, but still, there was no physical response from him.


    Swallowing, she turned to look at Danie and urged, ¡°Mom, why isn¡¯t he waking up? What did the


    doctor say?¡±


    ¡°He suffered from intracranial bleeding after he hit his head, and the doctor performed surgery on him


    earlier. Now, all we have to do is wait for him to wake up,¡± Danie exined.


    If they had to transfer him to the city hospital, Crayson¡¯s situation must be serious.


    With a sigh, Veronica muttered under her breath with a frown, ¡°You¡¯re usually quite the agile fellow. Who


    would¡¯ve thought that you would fall so clumsily?¡±


    She sounded like she was chiding him, but really, her heart was twisting at the sight of him. She saw him


    as family, and she had practically grown up in his home. Never had she imagined something like this


    would ever happen to him.


    When Matthew saw how grim she looked, he consoled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be just fine.¡±


    ¡°Take a seat, Matthew. You must be tired after the long drive. Are you hungry? Want me to go and get


    you guys supper?¡± Tony offered earnestly.


    Both Tony and Danie knew who Matthew was, and they also knew they had to tread carefully around


    him. He might be someone like a brother to Veronica, but his kindness toward her aside, he was still the


    first heir to the Kings. Power and money were his birthrights.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself, Mr. Murphy. I¡¯m not hungry at all,¡± Matthew answered, waving his


    hand dismissively. His gaze lingered on Veronica as she sat firmly next to the bed, where she was


    holding onto Crayson¡¯s hand.


    He was so used to seeing her boisterous and devil-may-care side that the sight of her looking so worried


    made his heart twist. It was as if she suddenly had a weight on her shoulders, and she was intent on


    carrying it on her own.


    Just then, a thought crossed his mind, and he announced to the room, ¡°I¡¯m going out to make a phone


    call.¡± With that, he spun on his heels and walked out the door.


    When the door fell shut, Danie immediately leaned close to Veronica and asked quietly, ¡°Roni, did


    Matthew drive you all the way here?¡±


    ¡°You should have told us he wasing with you. We wouldn¡¯t want him to think badly of you after you


    asked him to drop you off,¡± Tony added.


    Veronica looked out the ss window on the door and saw Matthew standing outside with his phone


    held up to his ear. She shook her head and said, ¡°Mom, Dad, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it. It was Old


    Mrs. Kings who asked him to drop me off. She didn¡¯t want me to drive alone in this weather.¡±


    Tony and Danie were honest country folk, and after bing victims to Floch and Rachel¡¯s schemes,


    they had grown weary of the rich and powerful, worried that the smallest thing could offset these people.


    ¡°How did Old Mrs. Kings find out about Crayson¡¯s injury?¡± Danie asked, bewildered.


    Jerking her chin in Matthew¡¯s direction. ¡°He told her about it.¡± Then, she turned her attention back to


    Crayson. Age was catching up to him, and she could tell from the lines that mapped his face and the


    silver that peppered through his hair and beard.


    She thought about his affable smile and his stern expressions whenever he was training her, and she felt


    her nose prickle.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, stay here for a bit while I go and check on his medical sheet,¡± Veronica said. She rose from


    her seat and walked out of the room to ask the nurses about Crayson¡¯s condition.


    Her parents were farmers, and they didn¡¯t understand what the doctor said well enough to exin it to


    her. As such, she made her way over to the nurses¡¯ counter, only to be stopped in her tracks when


    Matthew called out to her. ¡°I already asked about your master¡¯s condition. It was intracranial bleeding,


    and I¡¯ve¡ªI mean, Grandma has already arranged for a doctor to check up on him after I told her about


    it.¡±


    Stunned, Veronica said, ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have. I¡¯ll call her right now.¡± She had to thank Elizabeth no matter


    what.


    ¡°Nah, forget it. It¡¯ste anyway, and she was about to head to bed when I called her earlier,¡± Matthew


    said, stopping her from making that call.


    If it weren¡¯t for the odd gleam in his eyes, one might actually be convinced that he had been telling the


    truth. However, Veronica was so worried about Crayson that his condition was all she could think about,


    and she did not dwell much on Matthew¡¯s words. ¡°Okay, then, I¡¯ll thank her when we get back.¡±


    After that, she went back to the hospital room.


    That night, Matthew put Tony and Danie up in the hotel next to the hospital, then stayed back in the


    ward with Veronica. He showed no intention of leaving her alone there.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine on my own. You should get some rest,¡± she pointed out when she saw how busy he was as


    he sat to the side while scrolling through his phone, which buzzed every now and then. She wagered that


    his assistant must be texting him aboutpany matters, and he was pouring over them.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Matthew replied, then rose to leave, closing the door behind him.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Veronica blinked in disbelief. He¡¯s leaving just like that? She was the one who asked him to go, but when


    he really did, she couldn¡¯t help feeling empty.


    As she sat in the caretaker¡¯s chair and gazed down at Crayson¡¯s sleeping profile, she mumbled, ¡°How


    can you be this old and still be as stubborn as a kid? I told you to move in with my parents, but you insist


    on staying on your own. The fact that someone found you right after you fell was sheer luck because I


    don¡¯t know what would have happened to you otherwise.¡±

 Chapter 277

    Chapter 277


    Chapter 277 Hijack


    Crayson was both a master and father figure to Veronica. Hence, it was only normal for her to be


    worried.


    She had asked him repeatedly to move in with her parents instead of staying in his house up in the hills,


    but he turned her down every single time. Now that something as grievous as this had happened, she


    couldn¡¯t help fretting over him even more.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Master Crayson, if you don¡¯t wake up right now, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, for heaven¡¯s sake, can you just cut it out? I¡¯m trying to sleep here!¡±


    Just as she was grumbling under her breath, Crayson blinked his eyes slowly and woke up. When he


    saw Veronica sitting next to the bed, he stared at her in bewilderment. Perhaps the open-cranial surgery


    had left him a little disoriented because he couldn¡¯t quite respond to her presence.


    ¡°Master Crayson, you¡¯re awake!¡± Veronica eximed happily when she realized that he had regained


    consciousness. She patted the back of his hand while eximing, ¡°Thank goodness. If you hadn¡¯t


    regained consciousness, I would have thought you were a goner!¡± As she said this, her voice thickened


    without her realizing it.


    Crayson softened and started to register his surroundings. When he felt Veronica clutching his hand, he


    let out a breath and red at her pointedly. ¡°Pull yourself together. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m dead or something.¡±


    00:00/00:00


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t jinx it,¡± she countered cheerily. ¡°You can¡¯t die until you witness me walk down the aisle. In


    fact, I won¡¯t let you die until after you¡¯ve trained my kid how to wield a strong punch, so hold on till then,


    okay?¡±


    Though she could joke, she was actually terrified. Then again, an average person would need about a


    day or two to regain consciousness after intracranial surgery. In any case, Crayson must be stronger


    than he looked if he woke up just hours after the surgery.


    ¡°You ingrate,¡± he bit out gruffly, snorting. ¡°Training you was the most work I¡¯d ever done, and I can only


    imagine how much worse it will be to train your kid. I¡¯m not a babysitter, you know.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re against taking in little kids that much, then you should move in with my parents. The three


    of you can keep an eye on one another, and I wouldn¡¯t have to worry all the time.¡±


    He did not hesitate to reject her proposal. ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m used to living on my own, and it¡¯d be


    awkward for me to live with your parents.¡±


    As though prepared to hear this, she suggested, ¡°Then how about youe to Bloomstead with me


    instead? I¡¯m running a bridal store, and I could use a good security guard with mean skills. It¡¯d be a


    shame if someone with your prowess is just hiding away in the mountains.¡±


    She could take care of him if he agreed to go back with her; he would be by her side at all times.


    ¡°Security guard?¡¯ Crayson¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°In Bloomstead?¡±


    Upon seeing the excited gleam in his eyes, she frowned and asked, ¡°Have you ever been to Bloomstead,


    Master Crayson?¡±


    It was during the time of Conrad¡¯s return to Bloomstead when she had been sitting on the curb of


    Mudwood Street, right outside the main square, and watching the youngsters party the night away. She


    distinctly remembered seeing someone who looked an awful lot like Crayson among the crowd.


    However, by the time she chased after him, he disappeared into an alleyway and she never saw him


    again.


    Following that, Conrad and Matthew showed up, and shepletely forgot about the incident.


    Presently, Crayson¡¯s eyes shed when he heard her question, and he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to


    get around Collins, much less navigate the streets of Bloomstead. You might as well ask me if I could fly.¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Veronica spluttered in amusement. ¡°You have a point. I mean, you¡¯re not entirely literate either, so


    you¡¯d probably end up getting lost in Bloomstead.¡±


    ¡°Has Master Crayson awakened?¡±


    Matthew walked in with a carrier bag full of take-out just as the mood in the hospital room was lightening


    up.


    At the sight of him and the food he had in tow, Veronica¡¯s stomach rumbled, betraying her.


    She had been so worried about Crayson on the way here that she couldn¡¯t eat a bite of food, nor did she


    have the appetite to. Now that he was awake and appeared to be in good spirits, she felt the knots in her


    stomach unclench, and naturally, she began to feel hungry.


    ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t Matthew! I slipped and fell, now look at the sorry state I¡¯m in. I do have to apologize for


    making youe all this way though,¡± Crayson said. Owing to his years of practicing martial arts, he


    was stronger and more agile than most men his age; not even an intracranial operation could affect his


    cheery mood.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯re alright, Master Crayson,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°I brought enough food to feed a


    small army. Care to join us?¡±


    ¡°He just got out of an operation not too long ago, so he can¡¯t have all those carbs and fats,¡± Veronica


    interjected, then tipped her head to the side as she smiled at Crayson. ¡°Guess you¡¯ll just have to watch


    us eat.¡±


    She was no longer as high-strung as she had been moments ago, and her good humor was starting to


    show. Currently, she was also decidedly less hostile toward Matthew.


    Seeing as there were no other patients in the room, Matthew set out the food on the table between the


    beds and opened up the various take-out containers. At once, a delicious aroma filled the room, and


    Master Crayson¡¯s mouth watered.


    He swallowed and glowered at Veronica. ¡°Go eat somewhere else; the smell is too overwhelming for my


    old post-surgery senses.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said defiantly. ¡°I¡¯ll be eating right here.¡±


    She was like a petnt child in front of Crayson, always mischievous and lovable.


    In response, Crayson snorted. ¡°Heartless wench,¡± he grumbled as he turned to face the other way, not


    wanting to look at her.


    ¡°Anyway, back to what we were talking about earlier, you could move to Bloomstead with me and I¡¯ll hire


    you as a security guard for my shop. There¡¯ll be a proper sry, of course. Just sleep on this idea and let


    me know. Bloomstead is the liveliest town I know¡ªat least more so than Cabot Town will ever be,¡±


    Veronica said as she ate her meal, trying to sell Bloomstead to Crayson.


    He thought about this for a moment, then sighed reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯ve spent my whole life in the countryside,


    and I¡¯ve never gone anywhere else to see how the world has changed. I don¡¯t know how long these old


    bones have before they wear outpletely. I guess it¡¯d be good for me to go out and take it all in,


    right?¡±


    This was his way of agreeing.


    Veronica felt her eyes sting with tears as she thanked the old man in thought.


    ¡°Okay then. In that case, you¡¯ll just have to stay put until you get better. When you¡¯re discharged, I¡¯ll


    personallye and pick you up. We can then head back to Bloomstead together,¡± she exined.


    ¡°You¡¯re far too good to work for Roni, Master Crayson. Plus, she¡¯s dirt poor and she won¡¯t be able to


    afford you. Work for me and I¡¯ll make you an offer you can¡¯t refuse, on top ofpany benefits that are


    sure to outdo whatever she puts on the table for you,¡± Matthew piped up as he ate.


    He sounded like he was joking about this, but he actually meant every word he said.


    Veronica grew grim when she heard this and demanded, ¡°What are you trying to pull here, Matthew? Do


    you think you can do whatever you want just because you have money and power? He¡¯s my master, and


    I can tell you right now that he would never work for anyone else but me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, kid. Could you give me a ballpark figure if I were to work for you?¡± Crayson asked with a grin as his


    eyes lit up at the prospect of higher pay.


    Veronica was shocked by this, and she pretended to be hurt as she gasped, ¡°Master Crayson, are you


    seriously going to betray me like this? You¡¯re my master!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I also really love money,¡± the old man confessed as he stroked his beard, chuckling like a


    menacing child.


    ¡°You¡ª¡± She bit the inside of her cheek, suddenly at a loss for words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you over to thepany when youe back to Bloomstead with me, and I promise to give


    you at least twice the pay Roni is offering you.¡±

 Chapter 278

    Chapter 278


    Chapter 278 Treat Him to a Meal


    Veronica was furious at Matthew for his tant attempt to poach someone from her. However, her worry


    was cated by Crayson¡¯s willingness to follow her back to Bloomstead.


    After all, he had been living all alone on the mountain. No matter how good he was at fighting, he was


    still an old man. She was worried that something might happen to him.


    ¡°Haha! Matthew, you are still the best. My student is still too much of a cheapskate.¡± Crayson was smiling


    brightly while his mood lightened.


    The three of them chatted for a while longer before Crayson, who was still drowsy from his recent


    surgery, fell asleep.


    Then, Matthew paid for an extra bed and told Veronica to nap on it while he kept watch.


    However, she was unable to sleep untilte into the night when she drifted off while leaning against the


    side of Crayson¡¯s bed.


    Matthew gently carried her into his arms thereafter. Perhaps it was because she found some sense of


    security in his familiar scent that she did not wake up at all. Instead, she remained asleep as he moved


    her to the bed.


    After covering her with the nket, he headed back to sit on the chair ced next to the patient¡¯s bed. It


    was then that he realized Crayson had woken up.


    ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± hemented as a faint smile spread across his cold face. ¡°It¡¯s still early. You can sleep a


    while longer.¡±


    ¡°Do you like my student?¡± Crayson directly went straight to the point without hesitating.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Matthew was not surprised at all by the sudden question. As he nced at the woman sleeping on the


    cot, he hummed in confirmation.


    ¡°You¡¯re an honest man, but you have definitely fallen in love with the wrong person. With her, what you


    see is what you get. She is extremely frank. When ites to love, she is as thick as a brick. You have


    to be patient,¡± Crayson dered.


    Elderly people required less sleep, which meant he did not need to sleep for long. He had woken up a


    while ago and to his surprise, he opened his eyes to see Matthew carrying Veronica over to the other


    bed before gently cing her down. It was easy to tell the man loved her from how careful and protective


    he was.


    However, Matthew was the heir to the Kings Corporation. Would there really be a happy ending for these


    two?


    Crayson did not know for sure.


    ¡°You are wise, Master Crayson,¡± Matthew said with a sigh and a smile.


    ¡°Alright, go to sleep. I¡¯m fine now.¡± Crayson pointed to the bed next to his. ¡°The nurses had changed the


    sheets and you¡¯ve been busy the whole evening. You have to get some sleep.¡±


    Matthew nodded in agreement without making any protests. He theny in the bed for a short nap.


    When he woke up an hourter, Veronica was still asleep. Hence, he went out to buy breakfast and


    some hygiene products for them.


    By the time he returned to the ward, Danie had arrived and Veronica had already woken up.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy. I¡¯ve bought some breakfast. Let us eat together.¡± As someone who


    did everything perfectly with great care, he had naturally bought breakfast for Veronica¡¯s family as well.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done so, Matthew.¡± Danie frowned and shot a look at Veronica. ¡°Matthew is a


    guest, Veronica. How can you make him run errands for you?¡±


    Hearing that, Veronica pursed her lips. With her folded nket still in hand, she turned to re at


    Matthew. ¡°Ah, yes. Well, are you listening? You are a guest. Don¡¯t buy us anything next time.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, he¡¯s just being nice. How can you be so rude?¡± Crayson barked.


    Veronica was rendered speechless. What did I do wrong now?


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I went for a walk around the shops anyway since I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± Matthew exined.


    After breakfast, the doctor dropped by to check on Crayson. When Veronica heard the doctor dering


    his condition to be stable, she heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she spent her day at the hospital by his side.


    It was only after she had arranged a caretaker for him that she returned to Bloomstead with Matthew.


    A lot of tasks and responsibilities were waiting for Veronica toplete, and she was worried about


    Vincere Games and the bridal store. Thus, she must head back to check in on them. However, she would


    be back at the hospital on the day Crayson would be discharged.


    A few hourster, their car arrived at Encounters Bridal Store in Bloomstead.


    ¡°Let me treat you to dinner tonight,¡± she said to Matthew as she felt guilty about how much he had done


    over the past two days to help her.


    ¡°Oh? I am shocked by the offer.¡± His thin lips curled up into a smile as stars began to twinkle in his eyes.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be. I am only offering because my mom keeps badgering me about it,¡± she said, quickly


    making up an excuse.


    Then, she got out of the car and entered the bridal store.


    Throughout the day, she was busy working away. Finally, she was able to finish her tasks before the end


    of the day.


    She also transferred 4,500 back to the auto show boss.


    After all, Veronica was supposed to go yesterday but was waid by Crayson¡¯s hospitalization. As per


    their agreement, she had to pay double the amount as penalty.


    It was a matter of principle.


    Thankfully, she had won some money at the Alpine Ski Resort. Otherwise, she would be crying over how


    much she had to pay.


    That evening after working hours, Matthew¡¯s car appeared at the entrance of the bridal store just as they


    closed.


    The employees all began whispering when they saw his luxurious car pull up to the store.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that President Kings¡¯ car?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard people say that he was fighting with President Murphy, but doesn¡¯t this mean they¡¯re actually


    getting along well?¡±


    ¡°They must have fought. Think about it. Two months ago, all of our orders were canceled overnight. It


    was definitely his doing. Who else would be powerful enough to do that?¡±


    ¡°If they actually fought, then what is going on right now?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°All I can say is that the rich are all tyrants who just do whatever they like. President Murphy is the same.


    She¡¯s alwaysing and going as she pleases.¡±


    ¡­


    Since they were free as working hours were over, the staff stood around and gossiped.


    ¡°Cough.¡±


    At this moment, Shirley loudly cleared her throat and the gossiping employees turned around to find


    Veronica standing behind Shirley.


    Her face had such a frightening chill that it petrified those present. Instantly, the employees¡¯ faces paled.


    ¡°P-President Murphy.¡±


    ¡°Hello, President Murphy.¡±


    ¡°We were just¡­¡±


    The employees stammered upon realizing they had been caught red-handed. All of them hung their


    heads as they tried to think of a way to exin themselves.


    ¡°Do you have nothing to do? In that case, print out some flyers and hand them out,¡± Veronica snapped as


    she nced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was nearly 5.00PM, which meant it was time for the staff


    to clock off. ¡°Otherwise, head home. If you think it¡¯s too early, then we¡¯ll be letting you go at six from


    tomorrow onward.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. It is not early at all. I¡¯ll be going now, President Murphy.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, President Murphy.¡±


    ¡°See you, madam.¡±


    The staff all scrambled away to pack up their things and dash out the door.


    Beside her, Shirley nced at Matthew, who had been leaning against the car parked outside the store.


    She then cautiously asked Veronica, ¡°What¡¯s going on between him and you? He had always been so


    hostile toward you. Why would you bother with him?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, you have to do things that you do not like. Anyone who is strong enough would never


    bother dancing with snakes.¡±


    Veronica sighed. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be off.¡±


    She then walked out of the store.

 Chapter 279

    Chapter 279


    Chapter 279 Report Him


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Matthew asked upon seeing Veronica walk out of the store.


    With a flick of his finger, he sent his cigarette flying into the rubbish bin.


    ¡°Any suggestions?¡±


    As she asked that, she walked over to the car, pulled open the door, and sat in the passenger seat.


    ¡°Whatever the host wishes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go to One Piece Restaurant then,¡± she replied.


    After all, she could not just dine with Matthew wherever she liked due to his status.


    She did also win big in the Alpine Ski Resort. If splurging on a meal once was enough to return the


    favor, she would happily do so.


    He got back into the car and began driving toward One Piece Restaurant.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t visited Grandma for a few days. She missed you. Visit her when you are free,¡± he said as


    he drove.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she responded, looking out the window the entire time.


    They seemed to be experiencing more snow this year.


    It was a sunny day yesterday, but it was now beginning to snow again.


    Bloomstead was a bright and colorful ce with lights everywhere. With snowkes drifting in the air,


    the city looked extraordinarily gorgeous.


    ¡°Do you love snow?¡± he asked upon noticing her focused attention on the world outside.


    However, her reply surprised him.


    ¡°I like everything except for you.¡±


    After pondering on what she had just said, he found it to be true.


    She liked way too many things when he was not in the equation.


    Even so, he was rendered speechless by her ability to kill off all conversation with one sentence.


    One of his hands reached up to run through his hair as exasperation shone in his eyes.


    What should he even do about this darned woman?


    ¡°You actually hate me that much?¡± he asked after a pause.


    Stunned, she turned to look at him as though he was a fool. ¡°Have I not been obvious enough?¡±


    He was speechless.


    Thus, the conversation ended.


    Soon, the car pulled up to One Piece Restaurant.


    The two got out of the car and were seated in a private room.


    As a member of the restaurant, Matthew did not need to line for a table.


    Within the room, a server handed Veronica the menu before asking, ¡°Good day. What will you both be


    having today?¡±


    Veronica looked up and pointed at the man seated opposite her. ¡°Ask him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything,¡± he calmly stated as he took a sip of water.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said before replying to the server. ¡°Give me a few servings of the cheapest items on your


    menu.¡±


    The server was stunned. ¡°Miss, the cheapest item on our menu is in water.¡±


    The corners of her mouth were twitching hard as she was suddenly hit by the thought that their server


    was kind of an idiot. ¡°I want two servings of the cheapest mains you have along with some appetizers.


    Remember, they must be the cheapest items.¡±


    ¡°Is that all you¡¯re going to order when you¡¯re treating me to dinner?¡± Matthew could not help but ask.


    She nodded. ¡°This is One Piece Restaurant. Even though I have brought you here, I am still poor. Do I


    look like someone who can afford to pay for a feast? Anyway, a feast is unhealthy for you. There will be


    too much fat, and that will lead to all sorts of issues like high cholesterol and high blood pressure. You


    might even die an early death because of that. Considering the billions you have yet to spend, would it


    not be a waste?¡±


    She spoke with such a straight, no-nonsense face that it almost convinced him.


    ¡°As you say.¡±


    He dropped his forehead to his palm before massaging his temple with his fingers.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    If his memory served him right, thest meal she treated him to was breakfast, where she bought two


    tea eggs and a cup of warm milk.


    He remembered that meal very well.


    ¡°Yes, madam. The food will be out shortly,¡± the server said with a nod before turning away with the


    menu in hand.


    During the wait, Matthew was ignored while Veronica paid full attention to scrolling on her phone.


    A few minutester, the server was back.


    ¡°Wow, this ce has really fast service,¡± shemented with a gleam in her eyes.


    However, just as she finished speaking, her face stiffened.


    On the cart being pushed by the server were two tes of in bread and a bowl of mushroom soup


    that was the size of a teacup.


    ¡°Enjoy your meal,¡± the server politely said once the dishes were moved to the table.


    ¡°Wait. That¡¯s¡­ it?¡±


    Veronica knew food at One Piece Restaurant was expensive. It was why she immediately asked for the


    cheapest dishes they had with barely a nce at the menu.


    In fact, if she was not mistaken, the total cost of the food that was currently disyed on the table was


    barely less than 60 dors.


    However, the two tes¡ªno, saucers¡ªbefore her¡­


    Only contained a small block of butter.


    ¡°Yes, madam. The first dish is called the ¡®Cloud Bread¡¯ and is wellplemented by the second dish,


    ¡®Tastes of the Wild¡¯. These are all dishes that required extensive and careful preparation.¡±


    The server was very professional and solemn in introducing the dishes served.


    Hearing the introduction, Veronica pursed her lips. ¡°I see. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy your meal,¡± the server said once more before pushing the cart out of the room.


    The moment the server left, her face drooped. ¡°How dare they cheat us like this! Did the owner of this


    ce die from poverty in hisst life? How could they swindle us like this? ¡®Cloud Bread¡¯? It¡¯s just


    normal bread for Pete¡¯s sake? Besides, they only served us butter without any other condiments. Also,


    this soup is a joke. What did they call it again?¡±


    She stirred her spoon through the liquid. ¡°There¡¯s literally only mushrooms in it. Oh, my goodness,


    there isn¡¯t even texture to chew at this point.¡±


    Her spoon ttered against the te as she dropped it to point at the bread. ¡°This bread is the worst.


    The moment it touches the soup, it disintegratespletely. How do people even eat¡­¡±


    Bang!


    She mmed her palms against the table. ¡°No way! I have to report them to the Bureau of Consumer


    Protection. This ce is a con.¡±


    She pulled out her phone as she said so and began to look up the number to the bureau.


    Meanwhile, Matthew merely raised an eyebrow. He silently watched her as he took a sip from his ss.


    As she kept searching, she said to him, ¡°Hey, you dine here often. That means you are familiar with


    their boss, right? My advice is that you stay away from fools like him. Wait, no. He will be the one


    taking you for a fool, constantly lusting over the money you have. We need to report businesses like


    his. The earlier they close this ce down, the better.¡±


    Hearing that, he could feel the vein on his forehead throbbing. He stroked his chin and was about to


    say something when she held a hand up. ¡°Wait. I have to make a call first.¡±


    ¡°Is this the Bureau of Consumer Protection?¡± she said into the phone. ¡°I¡¯d like to report aint with


    One Piece Restaurant¡­¡±


    She bbered on for a long while before eventually getting off the call. ¡°Well, they say they will


    investigate tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°At this hour, everyone should have clocked off already. Let us focus on our dinner first and listen to the


    good news tomorrow,¡± she solemnly said to him.


    He nodded, remaining as silent as he had been since the moment the server returned with the food.

 Chapter 280

    Chapter 280


    Chapter 280 Yvonne Kidnapped


    Matthew pulled his te over to himself, yet he could not find the appetite to eat.


    After a few moments of silence, he could not resist asking, ¡°Am I going to have just in bread the next


    time you treat me to a meal?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Veronica awkwardly stared at the food on the table.


    ¡°No way,¡± she replied with a fawning smile. ¡°This is all because the owner of this ce is a scamming


    con artist. He really deserves death for this! Men like him should be single forever with no kids¡­¡±


    ¡°Me!¡±


    Suddenly, Matthew shouted.


    00:00/00:00


    ¡°What? What about you?¡± She was confused. What did he mean by that?


    After talking for so long, she seized a moment to sip at her water.


    Just then, he continued, ¡°Six years ago, I opened up this restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Pffft! Excuse me?¡± she sputtered, coughing as she spat out the water she was drinking. ¡°Fucking hell!


    Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The water she had spit out when she choked just so happened to have hit him on the face as well.


    He stiffened and slowly closed his eyes. Despite the calm on his face, he was betrayed by how his


    trembling hand clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white.


    Never had he ever felt so upset.


    Not only had she insulted him to his face, but she had also cursed his family line to end with him!


    Very¡­ Well.


    ¡°You should have said so earlier. How could I have known you were the boss of One Piece Restaurant?¡±


    she said as she dabbed at her mouth with a paper napkin.


    She then pouted and continued in a low mumble, ¡°Even so, the food here is quite expensive.¡±


    As she said that, she noticed his face clouding over as if it was the calm before the storm.


    With a pounding heart, she immediately stood up and walked over with a paper napkin to wipe the water


    off his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I am so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    Before she could finish apologizing, he grabbed her wrist and tugged her closer. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    he asked with a cold stare. ¡°Did you just say I should never have a girlfriend and that I will never sire a


    son?¡±


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Thosest few words were spat out through gritted teeth.


    Matthew was seething with unfathomable rage.


    If it had been anyone else but Veronica who said that, they would be dead by now.


    Locked in his embrace, she gulped hard. ¡°I¡­ It is just a misunderstanding. Hehe, if I had known you


    owned this ce, I would never have said that. Look at you, handsome and kind. One nce and I could


    tell how generous you truly are. Also, One Piece Restaurant is a members-only restaurant where the


    membership fee is over a few thousand dors. This is such a nice business because you only target the


    rich!¡±


    After all, no one who was poor would pay a few thousand dors for a restaurant¡¯s membership fee.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He squinted at her. His gaze was so fierce and sharp that it felt like she was going to be


    eaten up.


    ¡°Yes, absolutely. Of course. When would I ever lie to you?¡±


    Although she was not someone who told lies, she had to concede defeat when it came to the ¡®evil


    overlord¡¯ in front of her.


    She had just insulted his entire family, so there was a good chance that he wanted to tear her to pieces


    right now.


    Deep down, she was shivering in fear.


    His left hand was mped down on her shoulder, making it impossible for her to even move an inch


    while he tilted her chin up with his right hand. ¡°Do you know that if anyone else had acted as brash as


    you did, they would be dead by now?¡±


    There was no doubt about the truth of that statement.


    She believed it whole-heartedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not like other people,¡± she said. She wanted to run away while he let his guard down, but he seemed


    to have sensed her intention for he forced himself closer to her.


    With his arms wrapped around her, she had to watch as he slowly grew closer. His tanned skin was silky


    smooth with no visible powers. It was wless.


    He must have spent a fortune on skincare. How else could he maintain such beautiful skin while looking


    as handsome as he did?


    Her hand subconsciously reached up to stroke his cheek. ¡°Your skin is so smooth. Matthew, what beauty


    products do you use?¡±


    The abrupt change in topic stunned him. For a moment, he just paused in confusion.


    Then, in the next moment, his arms were empty as she fled his grasp. Like a gust of wind blowing by,


    she swiftly grabbed her bag and darted out of the room.


    Having just made her escape, Veronica settled the bill before marching out of the shop. She thereafter


    patted her chest in relief. What she had said in the room was just suicidal.


    Thankfully, she was a fast runner, or she would be dead.


    As she walked away from the restaurant, she nced back at it, shook her head, and sighed. ¡°Con


    artist.¡±


    Ring, ring, ring!


    Her phone began ringing.


    When she eventually dug it out of her bag, she saw that it was a call from Yvonne.


    ¡°Yvonne, call¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you doing, Zac? Let go!¡±


    Initially, Veronica thought Yvonne was calling because she had something to say, but then she heard the


    shrieking from the phone¡­


    ¡°Zac, let me go! This is illegal!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t resist me, Yvie, or your parents will suffer.¡±


    ¡°Just what do you want? Stop it, Zac! I don¡¯t want to marry you. My parents had nothing to do with that


    decision. Don¡¯t you find it insulting to threaten me with their lives?¡±


    ¡­


    On the phone, the conversation between Yvonne and Zac could be heard.


    Even over the phone, Veronica could sense Zac¡¯s threatening aura.


    The youngest prince of Castron was not someone to be underestimated.


    While Veronica could take the risk to rescue Yvonne now, she did not know where Yvonne was. Hence,


    the situation at hand made her feel so helpless.


    ¡°You bastard! Where are you taking me to?¡±


    As if Yvonne heard her thoughts, she began questioning Zac.


    ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m bringing you home.¡±


    ¡°Home? Did youe on a private ne?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s eyebrows raised when she heard that. She silenced her phone and hailed a taxi.


    ¡°Sir, to Bloomstead International Airport please.¡±


    Since Zac came from Castron, that meant he had to go through the international airport.


    While the city had two airports, one only amodated domestic flights while all international flights


    used the other.


    It was easy for her to deduce where Yvonne would be brought to.


    However¡­


    Alone, she was just a woman. Could she really save Yvonne all by herself?


    Just then, she recalled someone who could help her¡ªConrad Kings.


    ¡°Sir, my phone is out of battery. Can I borrow your phone?¡± she asked the taxi driver.


    There was no need for excuses as the friendly taxi driver immediately handed their phone to her.


    She looked up Conrad¡¯s phone number and called it using the borrowed phone.

 Chapter 281

    Chapter 281


    Chapter 281 Rescuing Yvonne


    Beep. Beep. Beep


    The phone rang several times, but no one answered.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he picking up?¡± Veronica muttered, panicking the entire time.


    Since the first call was not answered, she dialed Conrad¡¯s number once more. s, he picked up. ¡°Who


    is this?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Conrad, it¡¯s Veronica. Where are you now? Are you busy?¡± she asked, questions flying out of her


    mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not busy. What is it?¡±


    Even over the phone, he could sense how anxious she was.


    00:00/00:00


    He was certain something had gone wrong.


    However, before he answered, he could not help but think about how odd the entire situation was. Why


    would she call him instead of Matthew?


    ¡°Uncle Conrad, Yvie is in trouble. She has been kidnapped. She will be at the international airport soon.


    Can youe and save her with me?¡±


    She knew what her limits were, so she had to ask Conrad for help.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    After a few more questions about the situation, he hung up.


    Nevertheless, Veronica still kept some of Yvonne¡¯s secrets, and she did not mention Zac¡¯s name.


    Otherwise, Conrad might back out in fear of Zac.


    When the call ended, she heaved a sigh of relief and handed the borrowed phone back to the driver. It


    was then that she realized the driver was staring at her in fear through the rearview mirror.


    Sensing that she spoke too loudly earlier, she was speechless for a while.


    Crap.


    She had just spoken about Yvonne getting kidnapped in the back of his car. Anyone would be afraid


    upon hearing that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, sir,¡± she said with a chuckle. ¡°My friends are ying a murder game, and this is their


    latest script. It¡¯s a very fun game.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Haha. I have heard of that. You scared me just now.¡± The middle-aged taxi driver had been


    scared to his wits.


    He seemed to have believed in her cating words as he eventually calmed down.


    ¡°Kids these days have very interesting games. Isn¡¯t it a little too much to go to the airport for a game?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all in the name of fun. Plus, we can im the expenses.¡± She always had a great poker face


    when she was lying. She sounded so frank that her lie was believable.


    Soon, her taxi arrived at the airport.


    After paying the driver, she then wandered into the airport while listening to the call from Yvonne. What


    she heard then made her nervous.


    ¡°Let me go, Zac. Even if you kidnap me to Castron, I will not marry you. Don¡¯t touch me! I won¡¯t go on the


    ne.¡±


    Hearing that, Veronica knew they were already somewhere in the airport.


    However, she was not a powerful woman. There was no way she could enter the private section of the


    airport.


    Just as she was hesitating, Conrad ran up to her. ¡°Veronica!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Uncle Conrad. Quick. Yvonne is boarding the ne right now. A moment longer and


    we might be toote.¡±


    She dragged him into the airport as she said so.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Conrad. ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the crew of the airport. They will find a way to stall them. Still,


    you must tell me who is trying to kidnap Yvie.¡±


    After all, not everyone could afford a private ne.


    Not to mention, an international flight!


    ¡°He¡­¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Her eyes glistened with hesitation. In the end, she caved in. ¡°It¡¯s her fianc¨¦e. Well, to be urate, it is a


    man her father has betrothed her to, but she doesn¡¯t like him.¡±


    ¡°Stop trying to beat around the bush.¡± As an ex-policeman, Conrad could tell that Veronica was trying to


    hide the kidnapper¡¯s identity.


    There was no way Veronica could continue lying. She had to respond. Hence, she replied, ¡°It is¡­ Zac


    Francis.¡±


    ¡°The youngest prince of Castron?¡±


    Conrad knew who Zac was in a second.


    There were plenty of people who had the same name, but it was rare to find anyone with as much wealth


    along with the name.


    Veronica responded with a nod sadly.


    Yvonne had asked her to keep the engagement a secret, but after what happened today, Conrad was


    Veronica¡¯s only hope of finding her friend.


    While Conrad¡¯s help would be great, revealing the kidnapper¡¯s identityte would only hurt him.


    Hence, Veronica did not even try to lie and said, ¡°I know you can¡¯t reallyy a finger on him, but you just


    need to take me inside.¡±


    Even so, she only said that when she saw hesitation flicker through Conrad¡¯s eyes.


    It was normal to have bodyguards.


    Nevertheless, he would not simply anger the youngest prince of Castron in order to protect the Kings


    Family.


    Even Veronica herself was mildly shaking with fear.


    If Yvonne had not rushed to rescue her without hesitationst time, Veronica would not be doing this


    now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look inside first,¡± Conrad said, not willing to agree to anything yet.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They entered the airport and headed for the specialne that would let them reach the inside section of


    the airport as fast as possible.


    Conrad had even arranged for someone to lead them straight to the ne.


    ¡°Over there,¡± the crew member said, pointing to the ne they were heading toward.


    The door of the ne was still ajar, which meant the ne would not be flying soon.


    Hastily, Veronica dashed over, leaving Conrad behind.


    Inside the ne were two bodyguards who instantly stood up and stopped her. ¡°Halt! This is a private


    aircraft. Get out!¡±


    ¡°Oh? A private aircraft? That is impossible. I just saw someone walk in.¡±


    Veronica deliberately acted like a fool to lower their guards, then she struck swiftly. After a few blows, the


    two men were crumpled on the floor.


    When she charged into the cockpit, she saw Yvonne, gagged, and tied to her seat.


    Yvonne¡¯s eyes sparkled with joy when she spotted Veronica.


    After all, Veronica was a smart woman. She would definitelye to her rescue.


    ¡°Are you Zac?¡±


    Veronica red at the man in a suit, seated next to Yvonne. He had curly, golden hair and a pair of


    sapphire blue eyes. Combined with his freckles and pale skin, it was obvious that he was a foreigner.


    Seeing him, she realized why Yvonne did not like him.


    There was nothing special or pretty about him other than his eyes.


    ¡°Mind your own business, Miss.¡±


    Zac shot her a contemptuous look while his legs were crossed with a magazine in hisp.


    It seemed as though he thought she was in over her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about other people¡¯s business, and I don¡¯t even have the energy to. However,¡± she said,


    pointing to Yvonne. ¡°She is my friend and I will not let you kidnap her.¡±


    Veronica spoke with such self-righteous anger that she had the air of a great hero.

 Chapter 282

    Chapter 282


    Chapter 282 Conrad Knew Zac


    When Yvonne heard that, she teared up from gratitude.


    If she were not being tied up, she would have pounced at Veronica to gratefully hug her around the leg.


    ¡°Ah, I admire your courage.¡±


    Zac scanned Veronica up and down. Currently, she was dressed in a well-fitted outfit with a red scarf


    wrapped around her neck. She looked beautiful and sweet with her neatly trimmed hair. It was obvious


    she was no mere thug.


    ¡°If you can defeat them, I¡¯ll let Yvie go,¡± he said, pointing to the men sitting around him.


    Veronica pursed her lips as she scanned the room.


    All of these men were trained fighters who were professional mercenaries at the very least.


    However, she had to do whatever it took to rescue Yvonne.


    Once she returned this favor, she would never do this again¡­ Well, she would give it a thought before


    acting if this happened again.


    That was what she thought at that moment.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she solemnly said. ¡°This ce is too cramped though. Why don¡¯t you guys fight me outside?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a brave woman, Miss,¡± Zac swiftly said in agreement before shooting his bodyguards a look.


    After getting themand, four of the burliest men in the group stood up.


    ¡°Even so, it is not fair to overwhelm you with our numbers,¡± he then continued. ¡°You¡¯ll fight them one-on-


    one. If you defeat all four of them, I¡¯ll do as I said.¡±


    Her lips twitched upon seeing her opponents.


    No wonder she had found these men so familiar. She had been questioning her memories since she had


    never been overseas before.


    Pondering on that thought, were these not the men who once kidnapped her and Yvonne?


    Furthermore, did he expect her to defeat them all at once?


    What a joke!


    She could not even defeat one of them.


    ¡°To make sure I can fight without fear, please move Yvonne out of the ne while you wait. After all,


    what if you run in the middle of our fight?¡±


    As Zac had been speaking English the entire time, there was nonguage barrier between them.


    Even so, she did not expect him to speak so fluently as if he was a local.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Zac was excited to be challenged by a woman. Thus, he excitedly agreed to the deal and led Yvonne out


    of the ne.


    There were only about two dozen steps out of the ne. She racked her brain trying to think of a way to


    rescue Yvonne.


    Although Conrad was here as well, it seemed he only wanted to observe.


    While she did not like that attitude, she understood his reasons for it.


    Not long after, the few of them left the ne. Standing in the middle of an empty field, she was quivering


    on the inside as she stared at the mercenaries.


    What the fuck was she going to do now?


    She shot Yvonne an upset look, intending to signal her to run.


    However, Yvonne was looking away from her and had her gaze fixated on Conrad.


    He was smoking while the cold wind blew around him.


    Well, that might be good. At least, Yvonne will get to know what kind of person Conrad is. Then, she will


    learn to stay far away from him.


    ¡°Girl, stop dawdling.¡±


    The burliest man with a scar on his face stepped forward and spoke in English as he curled a beckoning


    finger at Veronica. A mocking smirk was stered on his face.


    She remembered him well.


    His name was Ben, and he was the leader of the group.


    ¡°Come,¡± Veronica said while ¡®calmly¡¯ throwing her bag to the side. As she slowly unwound the scarf from


    her neck, she thought hard about how she was going to fight these men.


    Just then, an unexpected voice piped up.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Zac.¡±


    Such a familiar voice. Wait¡­ isn¡¯t that Conrad?


    Holding her scarf in her hand, Veronica froze as undisputed shock flooded her face.


    Did he not choose to stay out of this? What was with the change of heart?


    ¡°Conrad?¡±


    Zac had not realized Conrad was there until he spoke up due to where they were standing.


    It was only when Conrad moved to stand before Zac that thetter recognized the former.


    In an instant, Zac let Yvonne go and rushed over to Conrad for an extremely friendly fist bump.


    ¡°Why are you here, Conrad?¡± Zac asked, surprised.


    ¡°I was going to ask you that question. Why didn¡¯t you call me when you arrived? Have you forgotten your


    friend?¡± Conrad said in a teasing voice.


    The two men happily chatted away, ignoring everyone around them.


    Recognizing the chance for what it was, Veronica dashed over to Yvonne and removed her gag.


    She had expected Yvonne to shout for help from Conrad as soon as she could speak. To her surprise,


    Yvonne actually said, ¡°Save me, Veronica. I don¡¯t want to go to Castron with Zac.¡±


    Veronica was speechless.


    What the hell!


    Was Yvonne blind? Was Conrad invisible?


    Was she only asking Veronica for help because she did not want Conrad to be hurt? ¡°Please spare me.¡±


    Veronica rolled her eyes and shot Yvonne a look, indicating her to ask Conrad for help.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Zac will kill him,¡± Yvonne whispered with a stomp as tears welled up in her eyes.


    Veronica frowned and stopped untying Yvonne¡¯s binds. ¡°However, you are not afraid he would kill me?¡±


    ¡°Well, Zac doesn¡¯t kill women.¡±


    Hearing Yvonne¡¯s answer, Veronica did not know what to say.


    ¡°Freeze!¡±


    When the bodyguards saw Veronica trying to untie Yvonne, they hurriedly shouted to stop her.


    Just then, Zac turned around and said, ¡°Let me introduce you, Conrad. This is my wife, Yvie.¡±


    Conrad¡¯s eyes followed Zac¡¯s finger, and he saw Yvonne staring at him with a pitiful, teary look.


    ¡°She is your betrothed? What a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°You know her?¡± Zac was confused at first, but then he came to a realization. ¡°You are here with the girl


    to stop me from bringing Yvie home with me?¡±


    Conrad nced back at Yvonne who shook her head at him as if she did not want him to admit it.


    ¡°Miss Spencer is the girl¡¯s best friend, and I am the girl¡¯s uncle. Zac, can you do me a favor and spare


    her?¡±


    The entire time, Conrad held himself back and did not refer to Yvonne as ¡°Yvie¡± at all.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Stunned, Zac was at a loss on what to do.


    After a few moments of hesitation, his cold eyes nced at Yvonne before turning to bore into Veronica,


    frowning.


    ¡°I¡¯ll owe you one for this, and I won¡¯t stop you the next time you do this,¡± Conrad said sincerely.


    He had met Zac in Castron. Naturally, he knew just how much Zac loved and adored Yvonne.


    He should not have interfered with this matter.


    However¡­


    Conrad¡¯s gaze then shifted to Veronica.

 Chapter 283

    Chapter 283


    Chapter 283 Yvonne Adores Conrad


    After a few long pauses, Zac finally acquiesced. ¡°Fine. I will let her go this time because you asked me


    to. However, there will not be a next time. You can¡¯t interfere again, Conrad.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lifting his wrist to look at the time, Conrad then said, ¡°It¡¯s not even eight yet. Let me treat you to some


    sushi as thanks.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Chris swiftly agreed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave you two to catch up, Uncle Conrad.¡± Veronica picked up her bags and dragged the untied


    Yvonne away. Before anyone could say a word, the two women were already dashing away.


    They both ran for a long time before they stopped as if they were afraid Zac would change his mind.


    ¡°Huff. Huff.¡±


    00:00/00:00


    Yvonne panted loudly, exhausted by the sprint.


    Meanwhile, Veronica red at her and smacked her on the head. ¡°Girl, is your lust stronger than our


    friendship? You would rather push me out to die than to let the two of them argue?!¡±


    Love is so stupid.


    Veronica did not know what else she could say about the situation.


    ¡°Ouch! That hurt.¡± Yvonne pouted as her hands moved to cover the spot where she was hit. ¡°Don¡¯t be


    angry. I know Zac well. He would nevery a hand on a woman, but he would also never hold back


    against a guy. I like Conrad, so I tried to protect him.¡±


    Veronica felt so disgusted that she did not know how to exin the anger in her.


    ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t be saving you again.¡± She huffed and walked away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will not be asking you for help anyway. Everyone has their limits. Although Zac would not


    lay a hand on a woman, I¡¯m afraid he would start ying tricks on you.¡±


    Yvonne walked with Veronica by her side. Subsequently, the former pulled her jacket tighter around


    herself and continued, ¡°Would you have ignored me if I had not saved youst time?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Veronica pulled her bag higher. ¡°I am not a saint. How can I risk death to save you when I am already in


    a tough position? It¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I just love how straightforward you are,¡± Yvonne replied with augh. ¡°Let us get sushi as well. Wait,


    no. Why don¡¯t we get some BBQ skewers? It¡¯ll be my treat.¡±


    Yvonne wrapped an arm around Veronica¡¯s shoulders as they walked out of the airport. They then took a


    taxi back to the city.


    Inside the taxi, Yvonne was deep in thought as she fidgeted with her shirt.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Veronica casually asked.


    Yvonne bit her lip and blushed. ¡°Roni, do you think Conrad likes me too? Why else would he wade into


    danger to save me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, for goodness¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re the one who called him, but he actually wanted to save me even though he knew my


    kidnapper was Zac. This situation is totally different.¡±


    As she spoke, there was a happy yet shy smile on her face while her fingers linked tightly together.


    ¡°So, do you n on giving yourself to him as thanks?¡± Veronica asked with a raised eyebrow and a


    smirk.


    ¡°If he is willing, I have no problem with that,¡± Yvonne replied with a smile.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t known him for long, yet you want to marry him. Don¡¯t you think you are rushing it? Oh,


    perhaps you are more loyal to your lust for pretty men and that is all you care about.¡±


    Still, Veronica had to admit that Conrad was very handsome. He exuded a unique, mature aura that


    made him unforgettable.


    Even so, she was surprised to see Yvonne fall to Conrad despite having only known him for a short


    amount of time.


    Wow. If Zac found out Yvonne fancied Conrad, their friendship would be destroyed.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvonne looked away and leaned back against her seat.


    Just as Veronica thought she was never going to answer the question, Yvonne blurted, ¡°I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m


    rushing it. I like him.¡±


    What a blunt way of admitting her affections for Conrad. That meant she was truly mesmerized by him.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Veronica really wanted to tell her to move on.


    Conrad was not a man to be underestimated. Despite having only spent a few years overseas, he was


    now close friends with Prince Zac.


    He was dangerous.


    However, she could not bring herself to say anything when she saw how deeply in love Yvonne was.


    The two of them grabbed some food before heading back to their respective homes.


    Although Yvonne was still worried about Conrad, she waited until it was past 11 o¡¯clock before


    messaging him, ¡®Are you asleep?¡¯


    Since Conrad had gone for sushi with Chris, she was worried that messaging him too early would risk


    letting Zac know about them.


    After she sent the message, Yvonney on her bed and stared up at her ceiling. Her mind kept reying


    what happened earlier that evening, and a smile slowly spread across her lips.


    Ding!


    A reply was received


    She quickly grabbed her phone. ¡®No. Today must have been quite terrifying for you.¡¯


    She did not think he would reply that soon.


    Her heart skipped as she looked down at the message filled with concern and love. ¡®Thank you for your


    help, and Roni¡¯s. If you had note to my rescue, I would already be in Castron.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t mention it.¡¯


    ¡®How could I not? You saved my life. Why don¡¯t I treat you to a meal as thanks when you are free?¡¯


    ¡®I would be honored.¡¯


    ¡®Then, it¡¯s settled.¡¯


    Thest response to her messages was an ¡®okay¡¯ and the conversation ended there.


    She rolled around in her bed, unable to sleep. All she saw when she closed her eyes was Conrad¡¯s


    handsome face which made her heart pound.


    With her phone sped tightly in her hand, she eventually typed out a message, ¡®Do you have a


    girlfriend?¡¯


    However, on second thought, she erased it.


    A few secondster, she drafted up another message, ¡®Have you ever thought of being in a rtionship?¡¯


    ¡°No, that¡¯s too forthright,¡± she mumbled to herself before erasing it as well.


    The final message she sent read, ¡®Do you have someone you like?¡¯


    There was no reply to her message.


    She could not help but let her imagination roam free as she felt anxious about the message. After a lot of


    tossing and turning, she finally fell asleepte into the night.


    ¡­


    Back in her apartment, Veronica was huddled in her bed with herptop after her shower.


    She was currently chatting with the staff of Vincere Games about work when Matthew messaged her.


    ¡®The Kings¡¯ family dinner is happening the day after tomorrow. Remember to attend.¡¯


    The Kings¡¯ family dinner?


    ¡®Okay.¡¯ Veronica replied without thinking too much about the event.


    She had always been someone of little words as if saying a word more was a waste of her time.


    On the other end of the conversation, Matthew was standing before arge window in the President¡¯s


    Office in Spinfluence Group. The ability to look over the city made one feel powerful, but everything he


    did when it came to Veronica seemed useless.


    No matter what he did, she did not care for his attempts.


    Staring down at Veronica¡¯s one-word reply, he hesitated as his hands clenched around his phone. He did


    not know what to say, so he stopped sending her further messages.


    He then went back to work. After a long evening of working, he was finally done.


    However, as he drove home, he could not resist driving over to Veronica¡¯s ce.


    Matthew stepped out into the cold, leaned against his car, and silently took out a cigarette to smoke as


    he got lost in his thoughts.

 Chapter 284

    Chapter 284


    Chapter 284 Concurrently Dating Two Women


    Veronica was busy with the operations of her bridalpany the next morning when her assistant,


    Shirley, knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Veronica, there¡¯s someone looking for you.¡±


    As she was in the midst of her errands, Veronica raised her head. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Xavier,¡± Shirley replied.


    ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t understand Xavier at times. She had previously hurt him and his sister at the


    warehouse, which had maimed Melissa. As a result, Hendric had immense hatred for her, so why would


    he allow Xavier to look for her this time?


    When she thought about the time at the hospital¡¯s stairwell and


    Hendric¡¯s eventual assault on Xavier, she could not help but feel somewhatplicated.


    00:00/00:00


    ¡°President Murphy, what are you busy with?¡±


    While she was pondering on the reason behind Xavier¡¯s visit, Xavier had entered the office.


    ¡°What President Murphy? Are you trying to tease me?¡± Veronicaughed as she gestured at the couch.


    ¡°Come, let me grab you a ss of water.¡±


    She rose to her feet and walked to the water dispenser where she made him a ss of tea. Then, she


    went over and sat across from him. ¡°What brings you to Encounters today?¡±


    Ever since Encounters Bridal Store was opened, Xavier had never paid her a visit here.


    ¡°I have a friend who is about to be married, so I have rmended her to visit your store. That being


    said, since we have such a close friendship, you need to give a discount,¡± he slowly answered as he took


    the ss and sampled the tea.


    Although he was asking her to give a discount, he was actually rmending clients to her store in


    reality.


    As such, she was grateful. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Veronica had a slight smile as she slowly lowered her head, after which her expression adopted a


    solemn mood. Then, she asked, ¡°Um¡­ About your sister¡­ Is she much better now?¡±


    She had been forced to do what she did that day, but never once did she feel that she had owed Melissa


    anything. Melissa was a young girl who located someone to humiliate Tiffany at Tiffany¡¯s own wedding by


    broadcasting that gauche video¡ªall because she liked Matthew.


    As a result, Veronica couldn¡¯t help but feel that such a woman was cruel and vicious.


    Xavier¡¯s hand that held the ss of tea paused for a second while there was a slight flicker of light in his


    eyes. ¡°She¡¯s gradually recovering, but the doctor mentioned that she won¡¯t be able to dance anymore in


    the future.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s such a pity,¡± Veronica sighed with emotion.


    At that, she realized that he was silent and knew that he did not want to borate further on this matter.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Then, she changed the topic. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, don¡¯t leave just yet. Why don¡¯t we have lunch


    together? At the same time, you can guide me with some pointers on managing a bridal store. How


    about that?¡±


    ¡°Since you have said it, I can¡¯t reject your request, can I?¡±


    After that, Xavier walked to the desk and perused Veronica¡¯s operation n while holding a discussion


    with her.


    When the clock struck 12.00PM, the two of them left the office and headed straight for a Turkish


    restaurant. However, when they were about to make a move, Matthew arrived at the Encounters Bridal


    Store.


    As he walked into the lobby, he noticed all of the employees were off on their lunch break except for the


    receptionist, who was still on duty.


    When she saw him approaching her, she quickly walked toward him. ¡°President Kings, what brings you


    here?¡±


    Matthew was wearing a id trench coat that wasplemented with a gray scarf around his neck,


    making him look slightly younger and even more handsome. His overall profile gave him an additional


    touch of attraction.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Roni?¡± he asked as he looked around.


    ¡°You mean, President Murphy? S-She just left with Young Master Xavier to most likely catch a bite,¡±


    Shirley replied with full honesty and told Matthew the truth.


    However, she did not notice the man¡¯s cold gaze when she spoke.


    ¡°Shirley, right?¡± Matthew walked to the couch at the side and took a seat while pointing at Shirley to


    follow suit.


    As Shirley did not know what was going on, her voice trembled as she asked, ¡°President Kings, is there


    anything you want me to do for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯m a tad bit worried for Roni. She¡¯s from the countryside and isn¡¯t well aware of how


    cunning people can be. I¡¯m worried.¡± He frowned slightly and sighed as there was solemnity in his tone.


    It was enough to render Shirley confused because she thought that Matthew and Veronica had a feud


    with each other. Why does it look like it isn¡¯t the case? If that¡¯s not the case, why were the orders that we


    received before all canceled?


    She was doubtful.


    Just a mere nce at her expression was enough to tell Matthew what the woman thought. Then, he


    exined, ¡°Handling a bridal store is somewhat like an experience for Roni. She can¡¯t even manage a


    small bridal store if she doesn¡¯t rely on others. A big responsibility in the future would only create more


    embarrassment for her.¡±


    After listening to his boration, Shirley suddenly realized something and immediately gave him a


    thumbs up. ¡°Wow, President Kings, you are really far-sighted. No wonder we suddenly lost our business


    after operating so well. What you just mentioned makes sense. It is only through experience that


    Veronica is able to mature and improve. Sigh, you are being so kind to her, but why didn¡¯t you tell her


    about your intentions?¡±


    Those words from Matthew were from the bottom of his heart.


    However, while he was training Veronica, what he considered was not just relieving her psychological


    burden, but to remove people¡¯s perception of her as relying on the Kings Family for support. At the same


    time, he hoped that such a method would force her to submit to him.


    It was just that he never expected Veronica to be such a tenacious and persistent woman.


    ¡°You must not let her know about this. Otherwise, judging from her indolence, there¡¯s a fear that she


    won¡¯t work this hard. So, Shirley, in the future, you have to inform me immediately if anything happens to


    Roni.¡±


    So much foreshadowing had urred previously, only to buy support.


    Shirley responded, ¡°Ahhh¡­ I can¡¯t do that, President Kings. That would mean I¡¯m betraying Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Roni¡¯s current situation isn¡¯t as simple as you think it is. As her godbrother, I have the duty to¡­ protect


    her.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, President Kings, you are so benevolent. I¡¯m exceptionally envious since it¡¯d be so nice to have a


    godbrother like you.¡± Jealousy was dancing in her bright eyes, but then she heard the man speaking


    again.


    ¡°If you need anything in the future, just let me know. You are Roni¡¯s assistant, which means you¡¯re part of


    the family.¡±


    The phrase ¡®part of the family¡¯ convinced Shirley in a matter of minutes. She hurriedly nodded. ¡°Um,


    okay. For Veronica¡¯s sake, if I need anything, I¡¯ll inform you immediately.¡±


    Ding. Dong.


    There was a notification for a WhatsApp message.


    Conrad, who was in the midst of settlingpany matters, took his phone and noticed that it was


    Yvonne who texted him. ¡®5.00PM tonight at Hilton Restaurant. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at Room 88.¡¯


    She had reserved a room in advance just to invite him for a meal.


    When he saw the message, there was calmness as he stoically replied, ¡®I will arrive on time.¡¯


    After sending the text, he took his device and searched for a person¡¯s profile in the WhatsApp contact


    list.


    He was looking for Tiffany¡¯s inbox, after which he tapped on the keyboard with his slender fingers and


    drafted a message. ¡®Tiffy, are you free tonight?¡¯


    A response came almost immediately after Conrad sent the message.


    ¡®Yeah, I am.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s perfect. I¡¯ll wait for you at 6.00PM tonight at the Hilton Restaurant.¡¯


    It was after he scheduled a time with the other party that he returned to his work. Yvonne, who had


    invited him, and Tiffany, who had been invited, both did not know that he was meeting them at the same


    time.


    Meanwhile, over at Hilton Restaurant, Xavier and Veronica were having their lunch and she had the habit


    of sitting by the window. Yet, nobody could have known that they would be joined by two others while


    cing their orders.

 Chapter 285

    Chapter 285


    Chapter 285 A Private Battle


    ¡°What a coincidence, Miss Murphy, Young Master Xavier. You guys are also here to have a meal?¡±


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    The moment Ruka spoke, both of them turned their heads and saw her in acy ck skirt with an outer


    coat that was made from animal fur. Not only that; she was even holding Matthew¡¯s wrist.


    Veronica¡¯s eyes zoomed in on Ruka¡¯s hand that was on Matthew¡¯s wrist and found it irritating. She was


    cursing herself for such bad luck in her heart since she never expected that she would run into Ruka and


    Matthew at such a ce.


    What a small ce Bloomstead was.


    Xavier coldly raised his head, but didn¡¯t look at Ruka. Rather, his fierce gaze met Matthew¡¯s cold eyes.


    ¡°Since you are here with such beauty, President Kings, Roni and I won¡¯t interrupt you guys.¡±


    As a fellow man, he knew Matthew¡¯s thoughts all too well, which was why he decided to block their path


    of escape.


    00:00/00:00


    ¡°Yes, yes. Since you are having a date with Miss Dame, we won¡¯t be interrupting you guys. Since it is a


    couple¡¯s date, it¡¯s better for you guys to head to the private room instead,¡± Veronica quickly added for the


    fear that Matthew would sit next to them and ruin an innocent meal.


    Hilton Restaurant was one of the top restaurants in Bloomstead. Although it was not gigantic in size, it


    had a quiet and exquisite ambience, which drew both the middle and upper ss to visit the ce often.


    Yet, not many people chose to have their meals here.


    When Matthew looked at Veronica, there was a trace of luster and resentment in his dark eyes. It was as


    if to say that she would always treat him to eggs and milk. If not those two items, it would be the


    cheapest dish that she could purchase at One Piece Restaurant. Why is it that she¡¯s treating Xavier at


    the upper ss restaurant like Hilton Restaurant?


    Such a stark difference in behavior was enough to irritate him.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to be alone than with someone,¡± hemented before looking at Ruka. ¡°Ruka, do you mind


    that we share a table?¡±


    It was evident that Veronica and Xavier were seated there, but Matthew turned the tables on them and


    did not allow them to speak since he knew that he would be rejected, regardless of who asked.


    Ruka turned to the side and her beautiful, angelic eyes gazed at the noble man in front of her as she felt


    the arrogance that he had in front of Veronica. Such a feeling only left her feeling awful.


    Yet, she nodded. ¡°Since I¡¯m well acquainted with both Young Master Xavier and Miss Murphy, I won¡¯t


    mind us sharing a table.¡±


    ¡°Hang on a minute.¡± It was enough for the unhappy Veronica to protest. ¡°Excuse me, you should be


    asking for permission from me and Xavier.¡± Are you treating me as invisible?


    ¡°Roni, you are being sneaky again.¡± The corners of Matthew¡¯s lips curved upward into a smile as he


    spoke gently, but there was an element of tenderness in it.


    Then, he directly took a seat next to Xavier while Ruka sat next to Veronica, which left the both of them


    feeling squashed.


    Ruka found herself swearing, I have never lowered myself to such a level, except ¡­ this time.


    ¡°Hello, what would you guys like to order?¡± When she noticed Matthew and Ruka, the waitress came


    over and handed the menus to them.


    He did not ept the menu, but rather instructed, ¡°The same as what those two are having.¡±


    ¡°Sir, what they have ordered is the couple¡¯s meal,¡± she exined.


    Hearing that, Matthew¡¯s expression dimmed. He was so displeased that he answered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Since he had arrived at such a decision, Ruka had no choice but to follow his order and closed the menu


    while saying to the waitress, ¡°In that case, a set of the couple¡¯s meal, please.¡±


    Although it was forced on her, at least she was dining it with him. Even if she was dissatisfied with him,


    she could only silently endure it.


    ¡°I will make it clear. Since you guys were adamant on joining our table, you¡­ you will have to pick up


    tonight¡¯s tab,¡± an arrogant Veronica noted as she red at him before snorting.


    ¡°What did you say? I didn¡¯t hear it clearly.¡± Matthew narrowed his eyes and shot a warning in her


    direction as if he wanted to threaten her with something.


    She then subconsciously thought of what happenedst night.


    Before she could even answer Matthew¡¯s words, she heard the people at the next table having a


    discussion. ¡°You know, when I had my meal at One Piece Restaurant earlier today, officers from the


    Bureau of Consumer Protection and the Health Safety Department conducted their checks there. I think


    it must have been something serious.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right; I heard that someone reported that the restaurant has overcharged diners.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is true that the dishes at One Piece Restaurant are expensive.¡±


    ¡°There is a reason for it, I¡¯m sure. The chefs that the restaurant has hired have prepared dishes for the


    state banquets. All of their ingredients are guaranteed to be the freshest and the best. Not to mention, it


    is all sourced from natural methods without the use of additives. What you pay is what you get.¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica suddenly felt guilty when she heard the conversation. When she looked at Matthew again, she


    noticed that he had a fiercer nce, which left her resting on pins and needles.


    She tried to tter him. ¡°Hehehe, since we have bumped into each other, how can I allow you to pick up


    the tab? Let me pay for tonight¡¯s meal.¡±


    When she brought Xavier over for the meal, she had intentionally perused the meal while the waitress


    clearly informed that there were discounts today, such as the couple¡¯s package being offered at half its


    normal rate.


    As a result, Veronica was still alright if she had to pay for it.


    ¡°President Kings, you¡¯ve brought your girlfriend out for a meal and Roni has to pick up the tab for you.


    Don¡¯t you think you are being a bit insincere?¡± Xavier took the ss of water on the table and sipped on


    it before hemented lightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts.¡± Ruka didn¡¯t allow Matthew the opportunity to answer as she immediately


    responded, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be exhausting to be calctive with everything in life?¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Miss Dame, you must be an open-minded person.¡± Xavier¡¯s mouth twitched slightly as he


    observed her with aplicated expression.


    Veronica, who had her head lowered, raised her head and caught him peering at her. She mysteriously


    felt that his look was sending chills down her spine.


    After a while, the meals were delivered to their table one by one¡ªfoie gras, sd, cuttlefish ink pasta,


    beef wellington, and a bottle of red wine.


    Now that he was ready to eat, Xavier held his cutleries and sliced the steak before speaking loudly, ¡°Eat


    this, Roni.¡± He then reached out and ced a sliced steak on her te.


    Such a meticulous gesture had moved Veronica, but it also left her feeling distressed. She had


    repeatedly expressed her feelings toward him as she never fancied him but as long as he wanted to glue


    himself to her in enthusiasm, there was nothing she could do.


    As those things surfaced in her mind, the first thing that she saw when she raised her head was not


    Xavier, but Matthew. She only saw Matthew¡¯s emotionless gaze and hisckadaisical posture.


    Ruka gave a slight smile. ¡°Matthew, look at how Young Master Xavier adores Veronica.¡±


    Such a description seemed to have unintentionally reminded Matthew that he couldn¡¯t adore anyone in


    the same way that Xavier treated Veronica.


    However, when she heard it, she felt ufortable and immediately replied, ¡°Did you hear it or not?


    Miss Dame is suggesting that you are not capable enough of looking after others. Heck, you are not


    even helping to slice the steak for her. Better make sure that Miss Dame doesn¡¯t ditch you for another.


    Otherwise, you¡¯d be a loner until your old age by then.¡±


    After saying that, she set aside her cutleries and added, ¡°Excuse me for a second. I need to head to the


    ladies.¡±


    Since she saw that the trio were upset, she wanted to search for somewhere quiet to calm down.


    When Ruka saw that Veronica was leaving, she also ced her cutleries down and removed the napkin


    on herp. ¡°I¡¯ll go with her.¡±

 Chapter 286

    Chapter 286


    Chapter 286 Matthew¡¯s Car ident


    When Veronica arrived at the front, Ruka was behind her as they departed together.


    Now that they were suddenly left alone together, there was a solemn air hanging above Matthew and


    Xavier.


    ¡°President Kings, It¡¯s a known rumor that you¡¯re not close to women, but I think you¡¯re just not content


    with what you already have.¡± Xavier gave a gentle snort while mocking Matthew as he lowered his head


    to slice the steak on his te.


    Matthew¡¯s jade-like fingers raised the wine ss and swirled it a few times before he took a sip of it.


    Then, he calmly answered, ¡°Young Master Xavier, you still have the time to poke your nose into the


    affairs of others. I suppose that means¡­ you¡¯re not busy enough.¡±


    Just that sentence alone was enough to act as a deterrent.


    ¡°I, Xavier Crawford, will never back down from anything.¡± After saying that, he set aside his cutleries and


    turned his head to the side to address Matthew. ¡°And that includes Veronica Murphy.¡±


    00:00/00:00


    Xavier was issuing a challenge to Matthew. As an observer by Veronica¡¯s side, it was clear to him how


    much Matthew fancied her even though she was unaware of it.


    Forget about Matthew and Ruka, the way he looked at Veronica was different from the way he gazed at


    Ruka. One was with indifference whereas the other was with passion.


    Matthew lightly tapped his wine ss with his index finger and noticed Xavier¡¯s reflection that was as


    smooth as a mirror. Then, with a calm expression, he elegantly sampled the red wine. ¡°It also depends


    whether you have the ability to do so too.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± When he heard what Matthew said, Xavierughed. ¡°For me to have a meal with her illustrates that


    I have the ability.¡±


    Provocation. What a provocative statement. Matthew was not exasperated while facing someone like


    Xavier. If he were to be angry, he would have lost his temper earlier. It was because he knew that


    Veronica did not have the hots for Xavier.


    She was merely behaving this way because of her feud with Matthew.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, over at thedies, Veronica went to the sink to wash her hands after using the public toilet.


    As she stood in front of the mirror, she looked at her reflection and reached out tob her hair that had


    been messed up by the wind with her fingers.


    As she did so, she noticed Ruka approaching her with folded arms and staring at her unblinkingly.


    ¡°What are you doing by looking at me like that? Those who are unaware would think that you swung this


    way,¡± an annoyed Veronica teased.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t fancy him? Since you don¡¯t have the hots for him, why aren¡¯t you keeping


    your distance from him?¡± Ruka leaned against the wall with such an arrogant posture that left people with


    a bad taste in the mouth.


    As Veronica turned on the faucet and washed her hands, she retorted, ¡°Those who couldn¡¯t find their


    way out have all sought death. Since you are one of them, why aren¡¯t you dead yet?¡±


    A person would not have said such inappropriate words even if they had suffered from the side effects of


    a brain injury for the past twenty years.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Ruka found herself being helpless as she faced Veronica¡¯s rude behavior before she sighed. ¡°As


    a human, you should know better to have self-awareness. It¡¯s something that you said before.¡±


    It was at the banquet the other day that Veronica said those words to Caitlyn.


    ¡°For a person whocks ¡®self-knowledge¡¯, you are trying to feign knowledge in front of me. Are you even


    worthy of that?¡±


    Now that Veronica had already washed her hands and in the midst of taking the paper tissues to wipe


    her hands dry, she slowly turned to Ruka and responded, ¡°Since you are already Matthew¡¯s girlfriend,


    then you should keep him close to her. If someone else decides to snatch him from you one fine day, that


    won¡¯t be your fault. It will be his since there won¡¯t be any smoke without a fire.¡±


    Her lips formed a small smile after she said those words. ¡°You can be rest assured, though. I, Veronica


    Murphy, won¡¯t stoop so low to fancy a man like him.¡±


    Then, she threw the used paper tissues into the trash bin and walked past Ruka to leave the public toilet.


    Ruka still leaned against the wall with folded arms while her cold eyes slightly narrowed. A brief smile


    appeared on her lips because Veronica really thought that Veronica was Matthew¡¯s girlfriend.


    Although the atmosphere of the dining area was still the same when both women returned to their seats,


    there was a trace of a storm brewing in the air.


    Veronica went to pick up the tab after the meal while Xavier went on his way. Matthew and Ruka also


    went their separate ways.


    She had just taken a few steps at the parking lot when she suddenly stopped and called out for Matthew.


    He also stopped in his tracks and turned his head. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Ruka pursued her lips and tightly clutched her coat made out of animal fur. Then, she walked toward him


    in her pair of high heels. ¡°You have done so much for her, but it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s working out.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression was in the shade of charcoal while his thin lips parted. ¡°Do what you are supposed


    to do.¡±


    After uttering such a cold statement, he left.


    ¡°Matthew Kings, you should give up. If she really likes you, how could she ept you being with another


    woman? You should know well that she doesn¡¯t love you and it¡¯s all your unrequited love.¡±


    Matthew thought that with Ruka¡¯s appearance at Alpine Ski Resort as his girlfriend, it would agitate


    Veronica to the point where she would realize that the person whom she truly loved was him.


    Yet, such a ruse had not worked even after a few days.


    It was not that he never thought about what Ruka said, but rather¡­ he chose not to ponder about it.


    Hearing her words, he stopped and looked ahead while feeling lost.


    Ruka took the opportunity to move closer to him and produced her cell phone before ying an audio


    recording. It was the conversation that she had with Veronica earlier in thedies.


    ¡°Since you are already Matthew¡¯s girlfriend, then you should keep him close to her. If someone else


    decides to snatch him from you one fine day, that won¡¯t be your fault. It will be his since there won¡¯t be


    any smoke without a fire.¡±


    ¡°You can be rest assured, though. I, Veronica Murphy, won¡¯t stoop so low to fancy a man like him.¡±


    Those sentences were enough to shatter Matthew¡¯s heart into a million pieces and into the abyss. He


    refused to turn back while his face adopted an indifferent expression. Only the hands that rested by his


    side gave an inkling into his reaction¡ªhis fingers were slightly curled to reveal his difort.


    ¡°She never loved you at all. So, no matter how persistent you are, what you¡¯ll receive in return is her


    disgust,¡± Ruka enunciated those words.


    Still, the man never said anything as he merely continued to walk toward his vehicle. Once he entered


    his car, he mmed the door.


    There was also someone speeding on the road and flew past everyone like a lightning bolt. As Matthew


    was extremely affected by what Veronica had said and his mind reyed every word of his, he lost his


    concentration while driving, which ultimately resulted in a tragedy.


    Bluntly said, he¡­ was in a car ident.


    It was just that Veronica was unaware of this and was immersed in her work for the entire afternoon.


    It was now 5.30PM and Yvonne was patiently waiting for Conrad in one of Hilton Restaurant¡¯s private


    rooms. As expected, the man arrived at 5.30PM sharp.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the dy,¡± the chivalrous and elegant Conrad apologized as he greeted her with a smile


    while entering the private room.


    His elegance and charm had totally captivated her since her heartbeat was racing. Even her face had


    turned crimson. ¡°You¡¯re fine. I just arrived, anyway. Is it freezing outside?¡± She tried to strike a


    conversation with him.


    ¡°It¡¯s bearable.¡±


    He removed his scarf and left it on the coat hanger, after which he walked toward her and took a seat


    opposite her. ¡°Have you ordered?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I was waiting for you.¡± Yvonne pushed the menu that was in front of her toward Conrad. ¡°That¡¯s


    because I have no idea what your favorite dishes are.¡±

 Chapter 287

    Chapter 287


    Chapter 287 Confessing to Conrad


    Propping her face up with her hands, she tilted her head and looked at the man in front of her while


    being immersed in his stunning looks.


    Even though Yvonne was all about looks, she would not blindly love someone because of it.


    On the other hand, Conrad was different. Besides his looks, he had treated everybody politely while


    being an easy person to get close to.


    The man, who was seated opposite her, took a look at the menu before cing it in front of Yvonne.


    ¡°Ladies first.¡±


    ¡°Okay then.¡±


    This is the man I like. He really is attentive toward women.


    Maybe it was because she liked him so much, every move of his would be looked upon positively by


    her.


    Opening the menu, she ordered a few dishes before she asked, ¡°Conrad, what do you like to eat? I can


    order it for you.¡± This way, she could also discover his preferences. ¡°Hilton Restaurant is best known for


    its beef wellington, so I¡¯ll have one in medium rare. Also, I would like a serving of pasta.¡±


    ¡°Okay. What else do you like? The caviar and truffles here are also quite tasty.¡±


    Conrad only nodded after listening to her rmendation. ¡°I will have a try then.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll order one set of each then.¡±


    Pressing the button, Yvonne called for the waiter.


    After a short while, the waiter walked in. She repeated the dishes that they chose before returning the


    menu to him.


    There was silence in the room after the waiter left.


    Yvonne, who blinked while crossing her hands, was using her right thumb¡¯s nail to scratch her left one,


    as she felt a bit nervous.


    ¡°About yesterday, I really do need to thank you.¡± Breathing in deeply, she continued, ¡°If I was taken


    back to Castron this time, I don¡¯t know when I would step foot into this country again.¡±


    The man leaned against the seat with crossed legs and arms as he sat there imposingly. ¡°Zac seems to


    like you a lot,¡± he stated.


    Looking down at the table, Yvonne shook her head. ¡°I do not like him, though. One shouldn¡¯t force love.


    Besides, I have someone whom I like.¡±


    At this stage, she suddenly looked into Conrad¡¯s eyes as if she was expecting him to ask who she


    fancied.


    Yet, the calm man only returned her gaze with an elegant smile. It was at this moment that nobody


    really knew what he was thinking about.


    Even though it was only by a few seconds, it felt more like an eternity to Yvonne since her expectations


    were slowly dissipating.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Yvonne thought that she had already made her hints obvious, but Conrad did not follow up as


    expected, which could only mean¡­ He doesn¡¯t feel anything for me.


    ¡°Who do you like?¡± he asked suddenly.


    Feeling her heart skip a beat, she found herself unable to breathe out of nervousness as she gripped


    her hands even tighter to the point where she was leaving a mark on her left thumb without even her


    knowing.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    With a hint of shyness in her gaze, she looked up at him¡­


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say it if you feel ufortable. After all, this is quite a private topic. It was me who


    suddenly asked the question.¡± Conrad smiled elegantly as he slowly sipped from the cup.


    ¡°I-It isn¡¯t. I¡­ Actually, the one I like is you, Conrad!¡± She voiced her thoughts after mustering her


    courage.


    Yvonne did not feel anything toward Zac¡¯s advances. At that time, she naively thought that it would be


    hard to love a person.


    Nheless, this all changed the night she met Conrad, where she deeply fell for the man¡¯s charm


    after dancing to a song together with him.


    She discovered from then on that time was not a requirement when it came to love. One just needed a


    nce.


    All it took was a nce at the right person to make her madly in love.


    His hand that was holding the cup trembled as he slowly looked up ¡®bafflingly¡¯ at the shy woman. ¡°Did


    you say¡­ you like me?¡±


    Yvonne pursed her lips. She felt that it was due to nervousness that her lips were a bit dry. She licked


    them and nodded. ¡°I like you.¡±


    Am I confessing right now? My god, I am actually confessing to the man I like right now. This is all so


    sudden. ¡°Um, I¡­¡± Scratching her head, she asked, ¡°Am I¡­ being too sudden?¡±


    Conrad calmly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I and Zac are friends? Are you not afraid that I would tell


    him this?¡±


    The mention of Zac reced her nervousness with frustration. ¡°You¡¯re right. I hate his guts. So what if I


    like you even if he¡¯s here?¡±


    The expectation she had disappeared.


    After all, Zac was the prince of Castron and that came with terrifying influence and power.


    Would Conrad betray his friend just because Yvonne liked him?


    Even Yvonne knew that this was somewhat unrealistic just by thinking about it.


    Her head sank lower and lower as she looked at the table full of disappointment and despair. She


    mumbled, ¡°Do I have to be with Zac just because he likes me?¡±


    ¡°That might not be the case,¡± Conrad suddenly stated.


    All it took was this short sentence to reignite the hope in her heart.


    It was at this moment where she lifted her head that the man had put the cup down and held her hand.


    ¡°Yves, you don¡¯t have to be afraid of anything as long as I¡¯m here.¡±


    As hisrge palm covered her cold hand, a shock of warmth passed through Yvonne, making her so


    nervous that she was about to pass out. What¡­ What does he mean?


    She looked down at his hand, which was gently patting hers. ¡°I felt that you were different from a


    normal girl the moment I saw you. You¡¯re very adorable, innocent, not afraid to speak what¡¯s on your


    mind, and also hard-working indeed. In short, you¡¯re an exceptional person in my eyes.¡±


    My god¡­


    Is he confessing to me right now?


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    Yvonne could hear her heartbeat going out of control to the point where it was close toing out of


    her mouth.


    ¡°So, you¡­ ept my confession?¡± she asked cautiously.


    A straight-forward woman who grew up in Castron did not hide her love for a person.


    After hesitating for a short moment, Conrad smiled softly. ¡°I can only say that you¡¯re the kind of girl that


    I like. But, as to whether or not we can be together or if we¡¯repatible, that remains to be seen.¡±


    Even though his answer was a bit ambiguous, his act of holding her hands was akin to already


    confessing to Yvonne.


    Blinded by love, the woman was both surprised and over the moon as a wide smile appeared on her


    face. Immersed in joy, she only regained herposure after quite some time.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of Zac?¡± Then came the problem Yvonne was most worried about.


    Previous Chapter


    Next Chapter

 Chapter 288

    Chapter 288


    Chapter 288 Conrad¡¯s Ploy


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Of course I am. Why wouldn¡¯t I be afraid?¡±


    Conrad admitted it honestly. ¡°He¡¯s the prince of Castron, who has the love of his citizens. And I am just


    a normal citizen. How can I hope to go against him? What I really need is time. Time to make me able


    to go against him on an equal level. It¡¯s only by then that I can protect you, my little princess.¡±


    Little¡­ princess?


    His sweet words made Yvonne blush instantly.


    Lovesick, she could not think properly as she only nodded profusely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell Zac about


    this. No¡­ I won¡¯t tell anyone about this so as to prevent him from knowing about it. I will fight for more


    time for you to be stronger.¡±


    Aside from Conrad, even her parents were no match for Zac.


    Nheless, in this rtionship, Conrad was the passive one as she was the one pressuring him. After


    all, the person behind her was Zac, a person who could get whatever he wanted in Castron.


    She had a responsibility and the duty to help Conrad hide their rtionship so that Zac would not


    suspect him or get rid of him secretly.


    ¡°Okay. I believe you.¡±


    Nodding, Conrad fell into momentary silence before suddenly asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that this makes


    me look kind of useless?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Yvonne smiled and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re doing great. You¡¯re already the hero in my heart.¡±


    The memories from the previous night resurfaced as she felt that Conrad was her knight in shining


    armor.


    As for Veronica, she felt even more admiration for her.


    ¡°We can try to get along for a while. But, if anyone finds out and our rtionship gets known to Zac, I¡¯m


    afraid that my n will already be aborted before it even begins.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Yvonne nodded repeatedly with an innocent expression.


    Knock, knock.


    Knocking on the door, the waiter entered, and Conrad immediately retracted his hands.


    The two then enjoyed their meal after the dishes had all been served.


    Conrad, who cut up the steak thoughtfully, stabbed one of the pieces with a fork and faced it directly at


    Yvonne. ¡°Yvie?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Looking up, Yvonne found a piece of steak in front of her.


    Stunned, she blushed as her happy gaze met with Conrad¡¯s before she opened her mouth and ate it.


    Oh, how juicy and delicious it was.


    This might be the best beef wellington she had ever eaten.


    It was because the dish was seasoned with a special ingredient: love.


    After all, she did not like medium rare steaks.


    Soon, an hour had passed while they ate and chatted.


    Looking at the time, Conrad said, ¡°Yvie, I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot stay with you for too long. I still have a


    client I need to meet.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You need to meet a client?¡±


    Yvonne was even more moved upon hearing this.


    Conrad actually made time for me even though he had to meet a client.


    ¡°I just came back from abroad, so I¡¯ll be quite busy for some time as there are a lot of matters needing


    my attention.¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Conrad added, ¡°I hope you can understand.¡±


    ¡°No worries. You should go now. I can get back by myself,¡± she stated.


    As he nodded, he took the napkin off of his neck and walked to her side before touching her hair and


    kissing it. ¡°This will all be over sooner than you think.¡±


    The sudden intimacy made Yvonne blush like a tomato as she immersed herself in the sweetness of


    love.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡±


    Yvonne only recovered from this affectionate attack after a long time, when the man was long gone.


    Biting her lip, she covered her face with her hands. ¡°Oh my god, oh my god. This is so embarrassing.


    He actually epted my confession. Also, did he call me Yvie?¡±


    This was the first time she felt this nickname sound so good.


    Naively, she thought that this was the love that she was expecting.


    Oblivious to her, though, Conrad exited her private room only to enter the one next to it.


    Of course, sitting in the other room with exquisite makeup and an elegant disposition was none other


    than Tiffany.


    She had been waiting for Conrad to show while sipping on her coffee patiently until she stood upon his


    appearance. ¡°Hello, Uncle Conrad.¡±


    It was because of the previous engagement with Matthew that she hade to address him as such,


    but she had gotten used to it.


    ¡°Apologies for the wait.¡±


    He sat down opposite her.


    As the same waiter from before walked in, he looked at Conrad with a shocked expression, but the


    waiters had grown ustomed to such a scene.


    It was only after receiving their orders that the waiter left. When he shut the door, he cursed, ¡°You


    shameless scumbag. I hope you be an eunuch!¡±


    ¡°Uncle, why did you want to meet me?¡± Tiffany, who looked tired, had been wasting her days away. She


    would always hide in her home aimlessly and did not want to go out or see anything. She was as


    depressed as one could be.


    Observing her, Conrad stated, ¡°I do sympathize with your current predicament. That is why I asked you


    out in hopes of providing you with a bit of advice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please tell, Uncle Conrad.¡±


    Tiffany took a sip of the coffee while listening silently.


    ¡°There have been a lot of things that have happened in Bloomsteadtely. And you, being the most


    beautiful woman in the city with the brains to back it up, would only garner everybody¡¯s attention after


    such a thing happened. s, the milk has been spilled. But, I still think that you can take the initiative


    and do something rted to charity to wash away those unsightly rumors about your past. You should


    remember something: a diamond will never lose its shine. Such a charismatic woman like you is not


    fated to be buried by the annals of history,¡± he stated all this calmly.


    Yet, Conrad¡¯s words only made Tiffany frown as she asked, after a slight pause, ¡°Uncle, did you call me


    over just to say this to me?¡±


    ¡°Were you expecting something else?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Why are you helping me?¡±


    Conrad was obviously nning on her behalf.


    Nevertheless, nothing came without a cost.


    She knew that he had something to ask of her.


    ¡°Frankly, do you still have any feelings for Matthew?¡± He leaned backward and rested his arms on the


    chairs. Peering at her, he could feel a hint of rage in her gaze, so he continued, ¡°Matthew was born with


    a golden spoon, so his sense of superiority is second nature to him. I only feel sick, seeing how high


    and mighty he thinks he is.¡±


    His words made Tiffany grip her cup as she was unable to differentiate Conrad from friend or foe.


    ¡°You should know that even though I am a member of the Kingses, my mother was not one from a


    prominent family, so I am also not held in high regard in the family. On the other hand, Matthew had it


    all. Isn¡¯t this unfair?¡±


    Even though Tiffany was still doubting Conrad¡¯s words a moment ago, she was starting to trust him a


    bit.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know how an exceptional individual like you, who by the way, is the goddess of my heart


    with the looks and the smarts to back it up, would not be chosen over such a numbnut like Veronica. I


    think that he must have wanted to get a taste of what yful women are like.¡±


    Previous Chapter


    Next Chapter

 Chapter 289

    Chapter 289


    Chapter 289 A Trap for Veronica


    The mention of Veronica made Tiffany solemn. She even tightened her grip on the cup.


    ¡°Do you know who¡¯s in the next room?¡±


    Conrad suddenly asked.


    Curious, Tiffany shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Yvonne.¡±


    ¡°Yvonne?¡± Perplexed, Tiffany asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t she¡­ Veronica¡¯s friend?¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°Yup.¡±


    He then sipped from a cup of water before continuing, ¡°That dumb broad likes me. She even confessed


    to me. Do you think I would pass up on a chance like this?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is that she is Veronica¡¯s friend¡­¡±


    Even though he did not finish his sentence, he thought that Tiffany should have understood his


    intentions.


    As expected, Tiffany thought about it for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you want to use her?¡±


    ¡°When the timees.¡± He admitted to his ns.


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°You? You and I are on the same side. We¡¯re allies. After all, we have the same enemy, Matthew.¡± He


    smiled slyly.


    Looking down, Tiffany drank her coffee while considering Conrad¡¯s words. Nevertheless,she chose to


    believe him in the end.


    After all, everyone in Bloomstead knew about Conrad¡¯s past, which was also his weakness.


    This was why Conrad had been staying abroad for so many years.


    Now that he was back, he harbored grand ambitions.


    His saying that his target was Matthew proved that his ability was not weak. Even though he was the


    seventh oldest in the Kings Family, he could only watch as his rightful possessions fell into Matthew¡¯s


    hands, which made him frustrated.


    Even excluding him, anyone would be frustrated in his shoes.


    After careful consideration, Tiffany raised her cup. ¡°Let¡¯s toast to the destruction of our enemy.¡±


    ¡°Cheers.¡±


    The toast signified their alliance.


    ¡°Excuse me for a moment while I go to the bathroom.¡±


    Tiffany, who still held onto a bit of suspicion, used the excuse of going to the toilet to lightly open the


    next door. As expected, she saw Yvonne sitting inside.


    At that moment, all her doubts were gone.


    Having such a strong ally like Conrad is my honor.


    ¡­


    One day, Veronica felt her right eye twitching like mad. Even though nothing happened, she still felt


    uneasy inside.


    Sadly, she did not know what the problem was.


    After working for the entire day, she only wanted to go back to rest.


    Day after day, it was the same busy workload until one day, she needed to go to the Kings Residence.


    This was because Matthew had said that tonight was the annual get together of the Kingses and that


    everyone needed to be there.


    As the god-granddaughter of Elizabeth, she needed to acquaint herself with everyone.


    Veronica remembered that Matthew wanted to meet up with her before they went, so she gave him a


    call.


    After all, she would feel less awkward around strangers if she had a familiar face around.


    ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is unavable. Please leave a¡­¡±


    The only voice that replied was a mechanical one.


    ncing at her phone, Veronica then called again, only for it to repeat the same message.


    This only made her think. Is he busy?


    Yet, she did not think much of it as she packed and went to the Kings Residence by herself.


    At that moment, Matthew was lying on the bed with his phone not turned on.


    Troy was apanying him.


    Then, he said, ¡°President, there is something that I don¡¯t know if I should mention.¡±


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    Right after waking up from the car crash, Matthew was already on hisptop, dealing with a contract.


    ¡°I found out by ident that Julius Atelier¡¯s model got hurt at the jewelry showcase, as it happened to


    be when Miss Murphy and Miss Spencer went to visit Ivana backstage and when Miss Murphy


    volunteered to be the model. Ivana agreed, after thinking that Miss Murphy had the figure and


    elegance. But, out of fear that she didn¡¯t know how to catwalk, Ivana discussed with her how to


    promote the product using ¡®puppy love¡¯ as the highlight of their story. But, who knew that Hendrey


    would show up at the event and make a mess of everything. ording to the medics, Miss Murphy


    might have pretended to faint.¡±


    Mattthew stopped typing as he frowned. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I confirmed this with Ivana.¡± Troy nodded.


    At that moment, Matthew smiled involuntarily.


    It looked like the voice message of Veronica being jealous, which was recorded by Ruka, might not be


    true after all.


    The man instantly felt his mood lift.


    Cough, cough¡­


    Matthew suddenly coughed. Because the car crash had left him with internal injuries, even though he


    looked fine on the outside, he could not make any sudden orrge movements. Especially when he


    coughed, his body would be in so much pain that he would find it hard to breathe.


    ¡°President, are you feeling alright?¡± Shocked, Troy immediately set hisptop on the table and


    summoned the doctor toe take a look.


    After a brief check up, the doctor scolded Matthew harshly, ¡°You should just rest quietly. What you have


    are internal injuries, so it¡¯s best that you stay put.¡±


    ¡°Noted, doctor.¡± Troy nodded. ¡°We will pay closer attention.¡±


    The doctor then reminded them several times before leaving.


    Naturally, Matthew could not return to the Kings Residence in this state, so he could only let Troy call


    Elizabeth, stating that he was abroad and could not return in time.


    On the other hand, Veronica could not contact Matthew, so she bought some supplements and took


    them to the residence. Even after greeting those from the extended Kings Family, she did not see


    Matthew or his new assistant, Troy.


    It was then that she knew that Matthew was abroad on business after asking Elizabeth.


    She did not think much of it.


    Staying at the residence until nine or so, Veronica stumbled out somewhat drunkenly.


    She was about to leave after telling Elizabeth.


    Originally, she wanted to find a servant to send her home when she bumped into Conrad.


    ¡°Uncle Conrad, I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    A somewhat dizzy Veronica then waved toward Conrad.


    Walking to her, Conrad held her up. ¡°Why are you this drunk?¡±


    ¡°There are so many people today. As the god-granddaughter of Grandma, I had to toast with every


    single one of them.¡± If not for them, she would not have gotten this drunk either.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    ¡°No need. I can let the servants do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ No. Just let the servants do it.¡± Even though she was drunk, Veronica still had her wits.


    After all, she was really cautious of Conrad, and she did not want the man approaching her under any


    circumstances.


    Yet, she could not reject him in the end. Dragged into his car, he then sent her ¡®home¡¯.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    On the way, Veronica felt awful since she was so dizzy.


    Conrad handed her a cup. ¡°Here, have some warm water.¡±


    Since it was his car and there was everything in it, Veronica did not think much of it.


    Besides, one would often get thirsty after getting drunk, so she took the ss and drank from it before


    falling asleep on the headrest.


    Yet, she found herself falling into a deep sleep.


    ¡°Roni? Roni?¡±


    Conrad called her a few times, but she did not respond, which made him smirk.


    The car then arrived at the city center as it stopped at a corner with a person standing there. It was


    Xavier!


    Getting out of the car, Conrad greeted Xavier before he patted his shoulder, and they both smiled at


    each other in silence.


    Xavier then got into Conrad¡¯s car and drove to a hotel.


    Carrying Veronica up to the suite he had booked, he set the sleeping woman on the bed.


    Xavier, who stood by the bedside, watched the woman he loved with her luscious lips and stunning


    features, making him recall the night he spent with Tiffany.


    He suddenly felt his body heating up.


    Unbuttoning her blouse, Xavier lied down beside her and hugged her as he took a few photos with his


    phone.


    The angle of the camera made it seem like one could know what was happening in the messy room


    with just one nce.


    However, Xavier only took these photos before redressing her.


    With such an enticing temptation in front of him, Xavier¡¯s desire was slowly chipping away at his


    rationality.


    Nheless, loving someone meant not hurting them.


    Keeping hisst line of semnce, Xavier adjusted her clothes and continued to let her sleep.


    Throughout the night, Veronica slept soundly on the bed while Xavier slept on the sofa.


    Upon waking up, Veronica found that it was already six in the morning.


    Stretching, she flipped over and opened her eyes only to find herself in an unfamiliar ce.


    Shocked, she immediately sat up. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    She quickly looked at her surroundings before touching her clothes. It was only after ensuring that her


    blouse and pants were clean and untouched that she was able to rx a bit.


    Previous Chapter


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 Chapter 290

    Chapter 290


    Chapter 290 Beware of Conrad


    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡±


    A sudden voice scared her.


    She then turned around to see Xavier curled up due to the cold with a pillow on him.


    ¡°Why are you here, Xavier?¡±


    Scratching her head, Veronica clearly remembered that she had a bit too much to drink yesterday at


    Kings Residence and was about to ask the servants to send her back when Matthew insisted on taking


    her home instead. So, why is Xavier with me now?


    ¡°I called youst night only to have Conrad pick up. As he didn¡¯t know where you lived and was


    suddenly preupied, he drove my car instead, wanting me to send you back. It was only when I


    picked you up that I realized you had moved. So, I could only bring you to a hotel under those


    circumstances.¡±


    Xavier sat up from the sofa, rubbing his neck. ¡°My neck¡¯s all sore after sleeping on the sofa.¡±


    ¡°Are you having a stiff neck?¡±


    Feeling somewhat apologetic, Veronica got out of bed. ¡°Should I bring you to the hospital to check it


    out?¡±


    He moved his neck around and answered. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can bear with it.¡±


    Since he had put it that way, Veronica did not say anything else. ¡°I¡¯ll freshen up, and then we can go for


    breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He agreed.


    Going into the bathroom, Veronica stood in front of the sink and looked at herself in the mirror while


    sighing lightly¡­


    I was too careless this time.


    How could I have fallen asleep in Conrad¡¯s car after getting drunk?


    In the end, I didn¡¯t even know how I managed to get here.


    Thank God it was Xavier who was with me yesterday. If it had been Conrad, I wouldn¡¯t even dare to


    imagine what would have happened. One could never be too careful.


    I was really careless.


    She scolded herself.


    Xavier freshened up after she was done. At half past six, the two went down for breakfast.


    Because the hotel had a breakfast buffet, Veronica insisted on eating in the hotel to save money.


    They separated after breakfast.


    From the start till the end, Veronica did not tell Xavier her new address.


    Reaching home, she changed before going to herpany.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    She had been busy at work until someone knocked on her door at noon.


    The person who opened the door was none other than Yvonne.


    With a box of desserts in her hand, she ced it happily on the office table. ¡°Here. A treat from the little


    princess, me.¡±


    ¡°The little princess?¡±


    Leaning against her chair, Veronica pouted. ¡°Ew, don¡¯t you feel disgusted?¡±


    ¡°What? Doesn¡¯t it sound sweet?¡± She stated smugly.


    She thought, It was very nice when Conrad called me ¡®little princess¡¯ that day.


    Looking into the box, Veronica found a ck forest cake, tiramisu, and other desserts.


    She looked frowningly at Yvonne. ¡°What made you so happy? Just spit it out if you can¡¯t hold it in


    anymore.¡±


    It seems like she has something joyful to share with me if she came here so early.


    ¡°Hahaha, you sure are smart.¡±


    Yvonne then sat down on the sofa before hugging the pillow and looking at Veronica. ¡°I¡¯m in a


    rtionship¡­¡±


    Her expression made her seem like she was experiencing the innocence of puppy love all over again.


    Veronica was holding the tiramisu in her hands when she paused. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you asking the obvious? You can¡¯t possibly be thinking that I¡¯m dating Zac, can you?¡±


    ¡°Is it Conrad?¡±


    Veronica felt her heart skip a beat as the dessert in her hand suddenly lost its taste.


    Putting it back into the box, Veronica set it aside before she walked to Yvonne¡¯s side and sat on the


    sofa, asking in a serious tone, ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­¡± Yvonne smiled slyly. ¡°It happenedst night. I had promised Conrad that I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone,


    but you¡¯re different. After all, we risked our lives together, so we¡¯re kind of allies now.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Veronica found the crux of the question at once. ¡°Did Conrad not want you to tell others?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s because I am still entangled with Zac, so I was afraid that he might not leave Conrad


    alone if he came to know about our rtionship. I only did this to protect him.¡±


    Up to this point, she sighed deeply. ¡°I suddenly think that Conrad¡­ I mean, Conny, is quite a pitiful


    man, having to date me so sneakily. But, it¡¯s good that he still epted me. No matter what happens, I


    don¡¯t think I¡¯ll regret this.¡±


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop!¡±


    Rubbing her temples, Veronica asked, ¡°What do you mean, ¡®he epted you¡¯? Does this mean you


    confessed to him?¡±


    ¡°Yup. You¡¯re right. Didn¡¯t he step in to save me the day Zac came? As thanks, I treated him to a meal.


    But, I just confessed to him since I liked him. I didn¡¯t think that he would feel the same about me.¡±


    Yvonne stated this while immersed in her own imagination of love, as her brain was filled with the


    memories of her and Conrad the night before.


    Her look was one of love sickness.


    On the other hand, Veronica had a stern expression, as not only was she not happy for Yvonne, she


    also looked like she was in deep thought.


    Sighing, she walked to the window.


    It was then that Yvonne noticed her mannerisms. ¡°What? Are you not happy that I found love? Is


    someone getting jealous?¡± She joked.


    With her hands in her pocket, Veronica said, ¡°Yvonne, I told you that Conrad is by no means a simple


    person. Have you forgotten about all I said?¡±


    Since Veronica treated Yvonne as a good friend, she thought that she should remind her again.


    At first, Veronica only thought that Yvonne¡¯s feelings for Conrad were temporary and that they would


    fade away soon enough.


    She had never thought that things would progress to the point where that stupid woman would actually


    confess to Conrad.


    ¡°You only think that there are a lot of baddies in this world because you¡¯vee across so many


    misfortunate things. But, I¡¯m still quite touched, as you are only looking out for me.¡±


    Smiling naively, Yvonne was immersed in her own world, seemingly trapped in it.


    Her expression suddenly made Veronica think that she was speaking to a wall.


    Flipping her hair, Veronica sighed. ¡°Listen to me and be wary of Conrad. He¡¯s not as innocent as you


    think he is. Have you ever thought about how a person that was barely abroad for that long became so


    close to the prince of Castron? How many people do you think can achieve that feat?¡±


    It was not good to know the rich and powerful, as trouble might find oneself instead.


    However, if one still wanted to do that irregardless, that could only mean that they have a scheme of


    their own.


    In Matthew¡¯s eyes, Veronica was more of thetter.


    ¡°Ugh. Just forget about this. I shouldn¡¯t have told you all this. If you continue to speak badly about


    Conny, I will get mad.¡±


    Once or twice was fine, but Yvonne was starting to get impatient the more Veronica badmouthed him.


    Previous Chapter


    Next Chapter

 Chapter 291

    Chapter 291


    Chapter 291 Cuckolded


    The happy atmosphere was destroyed by Veronica.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Veronica was caught speechless for a moment as she could not reply, ¡®this is all for your own


    good¡¯ in time before she saw Yvonne stand up. ¡°I still have some business at mypany. If you would


    excuse me. Goodbye.¡±


    Exiting the door huffily, Yvonne even mmed the door shut, making the office shake a bit.


    Veronica only shook her head at this spectacle, calling Yvonne a fool.


    Gazing at the box, Veronica found out that it contained all her favorite desserts.


    Even though they knew each other for less than six months, she found Yvonne to be a straightforward


    person with no ulterior motives. Also, remembering her likes and dislikes made her feel moved.


    In the end, she still decided to keep an eye on Conrad.


    With such thoughts in mind, Veronica suddenly remembered Matthew.


    So, she called him, wanting to know more about Conrad from him.


    Ring, ring, ring¡­


    It rang for a long time before someone finally answered the call.


    ¡°Matthew, what took you so long?¡± She asked impatiently.


    It was as if she had gotten used to being this cold.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ruka.¡±


    Ruka¡¯s voice came from the other side.


    Veronica was a bit surprised as she looked at her phone and confirmed that she had indeed called


    Matthew.


    So, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Matthew?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s at the hospital.¡±


    ¡°H-He¡¯s at a hospital? Which one?¡¯


    What happened?


    Didn¡¯t Grandma tell me that Matthew was abroad for business yesterday?


    Could it be that Matthew only hid the truth from her because he got hurt in a crash?


    After mulling over different scenarios, this seemed the most usible.


    ¡°It¡¯s Woond Community Hospital.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go there right now. Please send his ward number to me.¡±


    The moment Veronica heard that Matthew was hospitalized made her heart skip a beat as she


    immediately stopped working and rushed to the hospital.


    On the way there, she drove at such breakneck speeds that she did not even notice.


    At one point, she even crossed a red light.


    Finally, she reached the hospital after forty minutes.


    Due to the remote location of the private hospital, the surrounding area was rtively quiet.


    After parking her car, Veronica rushed to ward 2409, which was given to her by Ruka.


    The two bodyguards, who were guarding the entrance to the ward, blocked Veronica from entering.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to enter.¡± One of the bodyguards said emotionlessly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Matthew¡¯s sister, Veronica Murphy. Let me in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know who you are. Please leave.¡±


    The bodyguards did not allow her in.


    Then, the door to the ward opened, and Troy saw that Veronica had a sour expression, so he said, ¡°Let


    her in.¡±


    Veronica was finally let in.


    As for the bodyguards¡¯ attitude, she did not mind it so much.


    After all, Matthew was the president of the Spinfluence Group. It would be chaos if the public got hold


    of how he was staying in a hospital due to suffering from heavy injuries.


    Walking inside the ward, Veronica asked, ¡°How¡¯s Matthew?¡±


    The VIP ward was separated into two spaces. One was a small living room type space, while the other


    was the ward itself.


    Through this method, one could prevent others from snooping around and create an even more quiet


    environment for the patient.


    Troy only impatiently replied, ¡°You can go ask him yourself.¡±


    His flippant attitude only made Veronica doubt herself.


    Why¡¯s he being all fierce?


    It¡¯s not as if his ident had anything to do with me.


    She kept thinking about this as she entered the ward.


    Inside was Ruka, who was sitting on the couch while Matthew was lying on the bed.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    It was a rare sight to see Matthew wrapped in bandages. Even so, he still looked stunning as his face


    was near perfect from any angle.


    Stunned, Veronica then frowned before walking toward him and asking, ¡°What happened? Aren¡¯t you


    something? Still crashing after driving for over ten years? Or was it one of your enemies that caused


    it?¡±


    Matthew woke up after being unconscious for over a day.


    Leaning against the bed, he silently watched as Veronica entered with a torrent of emotions.


    I can never guess what this strange woman is thinking about. What a headache.


    ¡°I won¡¯t die,¡± he replied coldly.


    He was as cold as ever.


    Ring, ring.


    It was then that Matthew¡¯s phone vibrated.


    Opening his phone, he saw that it was a message from Xavier.


    The message showed a series of photos, He then clicked on one of them.


    The man became quite pale as his pupils dted. He held his phone tightly while he became enveloped


    in a cold aura.


    In the photo, Veronica was baring her upper body and was hugging Xavier. Her head leaned against


    his chest, disying a very intimate position.


    One could see that they were in a hotel, and there was even a used condom on the table.


    Matthew only thought as if his world had copsed.


    Just yesterday, Troy had said that her confession to her first love at the jewelry event was an ident.


    The main aim was to let Matthew know that Veronica did not love Hendrey.


    What are these photos, then?


    Are these proof of her being in love with Xavier?


    That means that on that day in the Hilton Hotel, Ruka¡¯s voice recording of Veronica was not words of


    jealousy but¡­


    She really isn¡¯t interested in me.


    She just doesn¡¯t like me, in and simple.


    Is it because the person she loved all along was Xavier?


    Did she love him for a long time now, or is it that they started the rtionship after getting to really


    know each other?


    Matthew then recalled the time where Veronica shot Xavier cold-bloodedly in the warehouse. He only


    thought that she would shoot him so readily because she did not love him.


    Even though it was protecting the Crawford Family, it only showed him how much Veronica cared about


    him when she shot him back then.


    Otherwise, how could their rtionship be so close when Xavier was hurt by Veronica, which led to


    Melissa¡¯s staying in a hospital for months?


    In conclusion, the only way he could exin this was that Veronica had liked Xavier all this time!


    I think that she only didn¡¯t admit her love for Xavier on the day of her father¡¯s birthday, when her foster


    parents urged her to marry him, because I was there too.


    Is it due to fear that I might seek revenge on Xavier?


    All this happened in Matthew¡¯s brain for a second as Veronica set her bag aside and sat next to him


    when he was looking at the photos.


    She was not conscious of his thoughts.


    Looking up coldly, Matthew said to Ruka, who was sitting on the couch, ¡°Leave the room with Troy.¡±


    Ruka only nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two of them then got up and left the ward.


    Laughing, Veronica asked, ¡°Why are you being so secretive? Do you have something to say to me? Is


    it that you crash because you dozed off?¡±


    Matthew, who was trying hard to calm himself, put his phone away and looked up. ¡°Did you go to the


    Kings Residence yesterday?¡±


    Nodding, Veronica replied, ¡°Oh right. I called you yesterday as you wanted to go with me. But, you


    didn¡¯t pick up the phone, so I just went by myself.¡±


    ¡°How did you go back?¡±


    ¡°I was drunk, so Xavier sent me back.¡± She summarized everything, yet she did not mention Conrad.


    ¡°Did he send you back?¡±


    ¡®Nope. We went to a hotel.¡±


    ¡°Hotel? So, you guys slept in the hotel for a night?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I couldn¡¯t possibly bring him to sleep at my house, can I?¡± Veronica replied halfheartedly.


    Tilting her head, she focused on the fruits on the table while thinking about the man peeling the fruits


    for Elizabeth dotingly.


    She took a fruit and found a small knife in the drawer before peeling it for him.


    Veronica still had not noticed Matthew¡¯s abnormality as she was peeling the fruit and asking, ¡°You still


    haven¡¯t stated how you crashed.¡±


    Clutching his phone until the back of his hand¡¯s veins popped, Matthew looked absolutely livid.


    As he nced from time to time at Veronica, the image of them ¡®joining their bodies¡¯ filled his mind.


    Suddenly, he remembered the words Xavier said the day before and thought them sarcastic now.


    ¡°Get out! I want to rest for a while!¡±


    Previous Chapter


    Next Chapter

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292


    Chapter 292 Matthew Coughed Blood


    Matthew¡¯s visage darkened as he ced the phone on the table while trying to contain his temper.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet. I¡¯ll leave after you finish this.¡± Veronica lightly shook the apple in her hand before


    eximing, ¡°Given the way you talked, I guess the ident wasn¡¯t that serious anyway.¡±


    Receiving no response, she quietly peeled the apple before giving it to him. ¡°Here.¡±


    The man stared at her coldly with his tightened brows before ncing at the apple. ¡°I repeat, get out.¡±


    ¡°Matthew Kings, look what I just did for you. And what¡¯s with that attitude of yours?¡± Then, she calmed


    herself down by reasoning that it was understandable for a patient to be in a bad mood. ¡°Fine, I know


    you¡¯re in a bad mood, I understand. I¡¯ll feed you, how about that?¡±


    Having said that, Veronica proffered the apple to him. He looked at her delicate and slim fingers that


    were adorned with manicured fingernails and the images of her hugging Xavier conjured in Matthew¡¯s


    head.


    In a split second, the heat ignited in him and he shoved her hand away. ¡°Get out!¡±


    The dropped apple rolled on the floor and Veronica felt the stinging sensation of pain on her hand.


    Her cheeks were tinted red in rage as she looked at the fallen apple. After a moment of silence, she


    piped up, ¡°Matthew Kings, are you nuts?!¡±


    The zing fire in her could not be appeased as she had no clue to the reason behind Matthew¡¯s


    sudden anger, but there was one thing for sure¡ªshe did not owe him anything. Getting used to his


    terrible mood swings did not mean that she would give in all the time.


    Veronica hurled the dagger in a fit of pique and the pointy edge plunged deep into the table, indicating


    how much strength she had exerted to let off the steam.


    After grabbing her bag, she bid him goodbye. ¡°You should see a neurologist for your brain. You can¡¯t


    act like a child who throws tantrums all the time; it¡¯s not like the world owes you anything.¡±


    She left and mmed the door with a heavy thud, causing the brittle ss on it to shatter and scatter


    on the floor.


    As the witnesses of the mind-boggling scene, Troy and Ruka exchanged nces in confusion. What¡¯s


    going on? She just went in for three minutes and came out so livid! There¡¯s no signs of them fighting


    either.


    However, Ruka did hear Matthew warning Veronica to leave. Thus, Ruka thought that he was genuinely


    angered by the recording she had shown to him the other day.


    With hindsight, she lifted a brow and smirked as things were going ording to her n.


    After Veronica left, Ruka rose to her feet and trod into the room where the man she loved was resting.


    Now that he waspletely hurt by Veronica, she thought she should stay by his side to give him the


    warmth he needed the most right now.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Matthew, a-are you alright?¡± The smile on her face was reced by distress and concern. ¡°Veronica is


    just worried about you, so you shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Leave!¡± Matthew glowered at her before she could even finish her words. His brief order was enough


    to show his aloof disposition.


    Ruka froze on the spot and her expression went stiff for a moment before she pursed her lips.


    ¡°Matthew, I know you¡¯re upset, but I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Leave. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± He frowned and no warmth emanated from that face of his. His sharp


    gaze was as frosty as the winter breeze, which could bite one¡¯s skin and make one shudder easily.


    She gulped in fear; questions flooded her mind as she wondered what Veronica said to make his


    hackles rise. ¡°Okay. Just calm down. I¡¯ll leave.¡± Clenching onto the hem of her shirt, she trudged out of


    the room.


    Now that Matthew was all alone, he took a moment to regain hisposure and looked at his phone.


    He unlocked the screen to reveal the image of Veronica and Xavier hugging together on bed.


    The photo of her arms wrapping Xavier¡¯s waist tightly was enough for Matthew to picture how steamy


    the lovemaking was to the extent that she was so exhausted. Even her neck and arms were covered


    with hickeys.


    It seemed so real that there was no w for him to be suspicious. It did not help that Veronica herself


    had admitted that the photos were true.


    Enduring the stifling churning in his chest, he deleted the message and the pictures vanished from his


    sight. However, the truth was that the hickeys on Veronica¡¯s body were merely drawn with a special


    pen, but he did not know it.


    Matthew ced his phone on the table, after which a surge of liquid rushed through his throat and he


    began to cough blood.


    Troy, who had been watching from outside, thundered into the room when he saw the red stains.


    ¡°President Kings? President Kings?¡±


    He supported Matthew with one hand while ringing the bell with another and shouting, ¡°Doctor! Quick!


    Call the doctor!¡±


    The room plunged into a ruckus and Matthew was sent to the emergency room. After a thorough


    check-up, the doctor advised, ¡°He¡¯s coughing blood because of stress and anger. You should make


    sure he gets a good rest and you mustn¡¯t provoke the patient.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Thank you, doctor.¡± Troy nodded profusely as his head was filled with doubts. Just where did it


    go wrong? Or, did Veronica tell Young Master Matthew something that made him livid?


    Since Troy was Matthew¡¯s assistant, he could not investigate it without Matthew¡¯s permission. Thus, the


    mystery was left unsolved.


    Matthew stayed at the hospital for three days before being discharged. Only his liver and forehead


    were injured from the ident; everything was fine except for the internal injuries. However, the


    stubborn man insisted on a discharge, hence, he started to work despite recuperation.


    A month flew by and it was now the second half of the year. Veronica was surfing the Inte in the


    office and she came across another headline of Tiffany.


    The title was nothing out of the ordinary. It was either indicating Tiffany¡¯s appearance at a charity,


    disaster relief service or her deeds in the old folks homes and orphanages. The same old stories.


    Previous Chapter

 Chapter 293

    Chapter 293


    Veronica had seen simr news of Tiffany many times within the month and she had to admit that it had


    worked wonders.


    The perception that people had of Tiffany took a full one¨Ceighty as manyizens were showering


    Tiffany withpliments and praises. It seemed as though the officials had bought ghostwriters to take


    the lead of the flooding positivements.


    As she watched Tiffany¡®s act of rectitude in the interview, Veronica smiled lightly before skipping the


    video. It was none of her business anyway, so why should she bother wasting her time watching it?


    Feeling bored, Veronica left the office and took the elevator to head to the Vincere Games. She felt her


    efforts had paid off as she observed her busy employees.


    Fortunately, he was introduced as the boss¡® friend to the employees, not as an investor. Therefore,


    everyone in the building did not assume otherwise.


    After being in the office for a while, the manager brought her the financial statements. Given that the


    profit earned this month was finally stabilized with double the profitpared to the previous month, it


    was a good start for them.


    Then, she returned to the bridal store, in which Ivana gave her a call while she was on the way back.


    Veronica answered the call instantly. ¡°Ivana, what¡®s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Veronica, my boss is asking whether you would like to be the endorser for ourpany,¡± inquired


    Ivana carefully as making Veronica angry was thest thing she hoped for.


    HTIT


    ¡°Why me?¡± Veronica was curious as to why Ivana¡®s boss wanted her to be the endorser again.


    At that moment, Tiffany, who had been appearing on the entertainment newstely, came into


    Veronica¡®s mind. Veronica could sense that it had something to do with the recent hot topic on the


    Inte. Although both of them did not look exactly the same, they were like two peas in a pod. One


    could not easily distinguish them at first nce.


    ¡°It¡®s... Uhm...¡± Ivana stuttered in hesitation and let out a wry smile. ¡°The previous endorser is embroiled


    in a scandal and it has greatly affected ourpany¡®s ¡¤ reputation. So, our boss thought of you.¡±


    Despite the long excuse, Ivana did note clean with the exact reason why they wanted her back.


    ¡°How much is the endorsement fee?¡± Since Ivana had no intention of spilling the beans, Veronica


    forsook the thought of prying further.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    The end of the year was nearing and a massive amount of money was needed for the twopany¡®s


    expenses. Besides, she had to keep her promise by giving them a bonus.


    ¡°75,000.¡± The amount was not that high, but it was still considerable.


    ¡°Deal.¡± Veronica dly epted the offer and proceeded to discuss the details with Ivana before


    terminating the call.


    Back in her office, a tired Veronica sat on the chair and kneaded her forehead. However, she received


    a call from Xavier not long after she set down her phone.


    ¡°Xavier?¡±


    ¡°Busy?¡± questioned Xavier nonchntly.


    ¡°I¡®m in the office and the boredom is killing me.¡± She twirled the strands of her hair. ¡°Anything I can help


    you with?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s nothing serious. Remember the client¨Cmy friend whom I introduced you to? It¡®s his wedding


    tomorrow. So, I just wanna check if everything is well¨Cprepared.¡±


    He was referring to his friend who had contacted the bridal store a month ago. In order to provide a


    satisfactory service, Veronica and her team had concocted three proposals for the client, by which he


    was very pleased with. At the mention of it, she finally recalled that the wedding would be held


    tomorrow.


    Veronica responded, ¡°Of course, we are fully prepared. Wait, are you going to be the best man?¡±


    ¡°Bullseye! You¡®re as sharp as always.¡±


    Usually, she would slur over such a subject as she would be the one to me for having Xavier remain


    a bachelor amongst his taken friends.


    The clever woman changed the topic immediately. ¡°Let¡®s have Shiro¡®s sushi together after the wedding


    is over. It¡®s been awhile since Ist had it.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s settled, then. I¡®ll end the call if there¡®s nothing else.¡± She ended the call right after saying that.


    The client Xavier introduced was Jackson Leonard, who had a reputable image amongst the high


    society in Bloomstead. Indulging in assortments of industries, the


    Leonard Family had formed many partnerships with prominentpanies, including Spinfluence


    Group, Dame Group and Floch Group.


    Therefore, it was easy to assume that the guests attending the wedding tomorrow would definitely be


    either rich or famous. The traumatic experience at Matthew¡®s wedding had cast a pall of trepidation


    upon Veronica and she was concerned.


    She was worried that something bad might ur¨Cruining the wedding and bringing loss to the


    company. Therefore, she rounded up the team urgently andmenced an emergency meeting


    pertaining to the wedding.


    When Veronica was still working overtime in the office at night, Yvonne rang her. Veronica frowned at


    the sight of the caller¡®s ID disying on the screen.


    After her friendly warning to be aware of Conrad, Yvonne had rarely contacted Veronica anymore. It


    was either Yvonne was busy with dates or simply angry with her.


    While answering the call, Veronica sounded pissed. ¡°Greetings, little princess. To what do I owe this


    pleasure?¡±


    Yvonne was speechless by Veronica¡®s sarcastic tone. ¡°Veronica Murphy, you,¡±


    ¡°What¡®s wrong? I thought you love it whenever people address you like that.¡±


    ¡°No, I do not! I only want to hear that from Conrad.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk... Another damsel blinded by love.¡± Veronica asked, ¡°So, what brings you to call me? Is


    Conrad in a meeting or on a business trip? There¡®s no way you would suddenly think of me.¡±


    Veronica hit bullseye once again and Yvonne smiled sheepishly. ¡°He went on a business trip and will be


    back tomorrow. I¡®m bored. Wanna go for a movie date?¡±


    Veronica snorted. ¡°You must¡®ve bought the tickets before his business trip and you have no one to


    watch with now.¡±


    ¡°You... Fine, then.¡± Yvonne heaved a long sigh.


    Although Veronica intended to decline, she figured that it would not hurt to let her hair down for a while


    and thus, she went out with Yvonne.


    When Veronica arrived home after the movie, she saw Tiffany downstairs. It was their first meeting in


    three months.


    Veronica alighted from the car and went up to Tiffany. ¡°How did you know that I live here?¡±


    Tiffany looked slimmer than before. Instead of the usual haughtiness and coldness, she was rather


    mature and level¨Cheaded. Veronica knew well what had happened to the woman, which was probably


    the reason for her change.

 Chapter 294

    Chapter 294


    Still, the fact that Tiffany was an innocent victim did not elicit a smidgen of sympathy in Veronica.


    The long curly hair that stuck out of Tiffany¡®s checkered scarf and rested on her ck coat. Since one


    hand was in her pocket while the other hand clutched her bag, she smiled at Veronica. ¡°It wasn¡®t that


    difficult for me to look up where you live.¡±


    Veronica simply nodded. ¡°Anything?¡±


    Tiffany raised her head and stared at the winter sky. ¡°You think I woulde for nothing? In such cold


    weather?¡±


    Veronica remained silent as she was all ears.


    ¡°I heard that you¡®re the one handling Jackson¡®s wedding. Am I correct?¡± Tiffany asked.


    It was not a surprise to Veronica that Tiffany had found out about it. As the woman herself had said, it


    was easy to know news about Veronica since Bloomstead was only of this size afterall.


    ¡°Your point?¡± Veronica¡®s patience was wearing thin.


    ¡°I¡®m here to remind you to be extra careful tomorrow.¡± With that being said, Tiffany shrugged her


    shoulders. ¡°There, I said it.¡± She then walked past Veronica without a second thought.


    A frowning Veronica wheeled around and questioned, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Tiffany¡®s footsteps came to a halt and she slightly turned her head. ¡°It¡®s as I¡®ve told you. If you can¡®t


    prevent the ident from happening, I¡®m afraid that you will have to close down the bridal store in


    Bloomstead.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Veronica coolly ended the conversation despite the questions shing across her head and


    one of them read, Why are you helping me?


    It was obvious what kind of answer Tiffany would give. Because I¡®m trying to make up for the things I¡®ve


    done in the past.


    What a joke. Nheless, she made it a point to stay vignt on the wedding regardless of Tiffany¡®s


    intentions.


    The brief encounter ultimately caused a heavy burden on Veronica¡®s shoulders as she even failed to


    catch forty winks that night.


    She would usually have at least two hours of sleep before waking up at 6.00AM, but


    she was awake that whole night.


    The morning sun had illuminated the day, yet the winter breeze was weing the astir streets.


    The team that was responsible for Jackson¡®s wedding arrived at Elite Hotel early in the morning in


    order to proceed with the rigorous inspection.


    Veronica thoroughly checked the technology like the live sound system and projector multiple times


    and drilled into her team members the need for safety precautions. Let¡®s hope I won¡®t get deja vu


    today.


    If anything bad came to pass, she would have no ce in Bloomstead anymore.


    When the time struck nine, guests began to fill the ce to the brim. Wearing a gray suit and a pair of


    sneakers, Veronica brought the walkie¨Ctalkie to her mouth at times to make sure everything was in


    order.


    The wedding venue was located at the backyard of the hotel. Coating the padded artificial grass were


    imported fresh flowers and vibrant balloons that revived the spring amongst the winter wind.


    Gazing at the oing guests, Veronica felt the pressure pulling her heart deeper to the pits of her


    stomach. It was because all of them were leading figures who possessed great power and affluence in


    the city.


    ¡°Hey! Anything on your mind?¡± Yvonne suddenly tapped Veronica¡®s shoulder from behind.


    A surprised Veronica turned her head instinctively before shooting res at her friend. ¡°Where did you


    come from?¡±


    Yvonne pointed at the entrance where Conrad and Matthew happened to enter just at the right time.


    Conrad looked at their direction before shing a sinister smile.


    Veronica was sure that he should be smiling at Yvonne, yet her guts were telling otherwise¡ªhe was


    looking at her.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Even so, she brushed it off and focused on Matthew whose forehead injury had recovered after a


    month. Complementing his coiffed hair was a pair of space¨Cgray sunsses while the blue velvet suit


    radiated his dashing looks. With an air of elegance, his presence was magnificent as ever.


    Although Veronica was standing at the most conspicuous ce at the entrance, Matthew did not turn


    his head toward her at all, as if those eyes behind the sunsses had not noticed her. The cold¨C


    shouldered woman was displeased.


    Crazy man.


    The way he flipped out at the hospital a month ago had infuriated her and she still had vet to know the


    issue. Still, it was understandable for someone temperamental like him to just brush her off.


    Even if Matthew was not in the mood for talking to her, he should have grown tired of her by now. Thus,


    Veronica returned the favor by pretending not to see him too, so as not to seem clingy.


    ¡°The ce is decorated beautifully. Fresh yet refined. Not bad,¡± praised Conrad.


    Veronica wore a smile that could be described as professional. ¡°You¡®re ttering me, Uncle Conrad.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Conrad. Let¡®s head inside. Let¡®s not disturb Roni while she¡®s on duty.¡± Yvonne let go of Veronica


    and greeted Conrad.


    ¡°Sure.¡± He nodded and they seated themselves near Matthew.


    Following behind the Dame Family were Tiffany and the Larson couple, as well as the Crawford Family.


    Whenever Veronica caught sight of them, she purposely avoided them as she did not feel like greeting


    them at the moment.


    ¡°Veronica, the bride is here.¡± Shirley¡®s voice resounded from the walkie¨Ctalkie.


    ¡°Got it,¡± answered Veronica.


    The wedding was scheduled to begin at 11.00AM sharp. When there was only twenty minutes left


    before crunch time, Veronica went backstage again. ¡°Is the equipment functioning? Did you check the


    wires again?¡±


    As Jackson¡®s bride, Emma Finley was a hardcore fan of fantasy dramas and it had always been her


    dream to`descend from the sky like an angel at her wedding. Emma had presented her suggestion


    many times before this.


    In order to satisfy her clients, Veronica resorted to a dreamy wedding concept where


    the bride would make an appearance like an angel, thereby renting the best equipment, as well as


    some spares, that they could get in the city.


    Nevertheless, it did not stop the restlessness in her chest. It might have been because of Tiffany¡®s


    words that had affected her emotions or it could simply be her being paranoid.


    ¡°President Murphy, don¡®t worry. We¡®ve checked the wires, gond as well as the crane multiple times.


    There won¡®t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, especially the gond. We had it welded again before this and added another safety rope on it.


    Everything is under control for sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡®s right!¡±


    In spite of the reassurance from the prep team, Veronica was still in distress. ¡°Just be careful.¡±


    20 minutes had passed and the host called upon the bridegroom as the music enlivened the


    atmosphere¡ªthe wedding had finally begun.


    Veronica stood on stage, only to see Jackson marching forward with his best men, including Matthew


    who followed behind him.


    The host passed the microphone to Jackson and he started to recount the love story he shared with


    Emma vehemently.


    Next, therge monitor screen featured the bride, who was sitting in a big flower basket decorated with


    vivid colors.

 Chapter 295

    Chapter 295


    In ones and twos, everyone turned to look behind. In the flower basket that was levitating in midair sat


    the beautiful bride in white with a wreath on her head.


    The basket glided through the air, moving steadily toward the stage and gradually nting to the


    ground. With the equipment attached to it, it left pinkish petals along the trail, as though they were


    traces left by the angel.


    ¡°Woah, it¡®s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°She¡®s like an angel! She¡®s so pretty.¡±


    ¡°I want my wedding to be like this in the future.¡±


    ¡°This is absolutely lovely! The bridal store has done a great job!¡±


    Deeply immersed in the dreamy fairytale, the audience eximed in admiration, whereas Veronica was


    the only one worrying that something might happen to the wires as she clenched the walkie¨Ctalkie


    tightly.


    The wire was attached to a crane, which waspletely covered by the wedding posters, so it wouldn¡®t


    ruin the atmosphere. The other end was at the edge of the stage and was perfectly kept out of the


    audience¡®s sight as well.


    The flower cradlended at the edge of the stage safely, and Jackson removed the safety belts before


    walking toward the middle with Emma.


    As everything went smoothly as nned, a wave of relief washed over Veronica.. Right then, Tiffany


    came over to her side and they watched the loving couple


    together.


    ¡°Anything you need?¡± Veronica nced at her from the corner of her eyes.


    ¡°Hjust wanna watch the wedding from another angle.¡± Tiffany sighed,


    Her implicit words could indicate that she had foreseen the looming disaster or that it was simply her


    innocuous wish and blessing directed at the newly wed couple.


    Veronica fell into silence, and Tiffany suddenly suggested, ¡°Tomorrow is our birthday. Wanna celebrate


    it together?¡±


    Birthday? Together?


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    VTT


    ¡°With you?¡± Veronica blinked her eyes as she tuned out the background noises. She


    let out a cold snort. ¡°Now that you brought it up, I almost forgot that we were born on the same day and


    saw the same light.¡±


    ¡°Dad said that the party will be for charity purposes, so it will be held at a nearby welfare home. Isn¡®t it


    meaningful?¡± Tiffany calmly ignored Veronica¡®s sarcasm.


    ¡°My parents found me on February 2nd. So, tomorrow is your birthday, not mine. It has nothing to do


    with me.¡± Veronica tried to straighten things out as she realized that Tiffany had been approaching her


    frequently these two days. Something wasn¡®t right.


    Still, Tiffany wasn¡®t angered in the slightest as she stared at the stage with her hands delved into her


    pockets. ¡°Just because Old Mrs. Kings acknowledge you as her god granddaughter doesn¡®t mean that


    you¡®re one of the Kingses. Get over yourself, please.¡±


    Veronica was at a loss for words.


    There goes the drama in her head again.


    Tiffany added, ¡°Who is Matthew Kings? He¡®s a yboy¨Cor in other words, he¡®s someone who sees


    women as his toys. Back then, I loved him so much that I was willing to sacrifice anything for him. Yet,


    what did I get in return? He forced me into an abortion without anesthesia. Do you know how it feels to


    have the cold forceps twisting around in your flesh?¡±


    She paused for a moment to regain herposure before continuing, ¡°It felt like hell. If my limbs


    weren¡®t tied, I would¡®ve banged my head against the wall and chosen instant death. But I was forced to


    undergo the surgery. After losing my child, I was thrown at my house¡®s doorstep by his men.¡±


    No matter how level¨Cheaded Veronica was, she was shocked to the core by the horrendous story.


    Frowning, she turned to look at Tiffany with mixed feelings.


    Thetter, unexpectedly, smiled as she rted the story with equanimity. ¡°You think that¡®s the worst?


    Nope. It¡®s not. Because the worst part was before the surgery. The doctor said I would be rendered


    infertile from the abortion, but Matthew still...¡±


    A surprise Veronica turned her head at Tiffany, who said softly, ¡°...insisted. He has ruined my life.¡±


    Despite the expressionless face, Veronica¡®s eyes gleamed in surprise because she was aware that


    Tiffany had lied, which resulted in a forced abortion. It wasn¡®t Matthew¡®s baby to begin with.


    Even so, never in her wildest dream had she imagined Matthew to have it done with fetters and without


    anesthesia. He had ruined Tiffany¡®s life without mercy!


    TA


    Although she hated Tiffany, she was afraid the ending that was awaited for her would be the same as


    the tragedy that had happened to Tiffany.


    How... How could he be so cruel?


    As a woman herself, Veronica knew how painful it was to not be able to have children.


    ¡°What¡®s wrong? Are you surprised?¡± Tiffany pulled Veronica back to reality as she smiled like she


    wasn¡®t the protagonist of such a nightmare.


    Veronica felt the chills biting on her skin. She never knew that the man she had been so close to was


    so ruthless and heartless. However, she managed to gather herself immediately. ¡°Why are you telling


    me this? Are you trying to form an alliance with


    me?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s thest thing thates to my mind. It¡®s just out of pity. I don¡®t want you to end up the same as


    I did.¡± Tiffany could never say this without blending these empty words into her genuine feelings.


    Bang!


    Right at that moment, something exploded, and the jarring sound cut through the air as it was amplified


    by the microphone held by the host, who was standing on the stage.


    ¡°Something exploded!¡±


    ¡°Oh lord! Look at the bride! Her face is stained with blood!¡±


    ¡°How could this happen?¡±


    ¡°People are injured!¡±


    ¡°Hurry! Let¡®s go! We should leave!¡±


    The scene was total chaos, with the guests running away frantically. The tables and chairs had toppled


    over into a mess, and the scattering food made it worse.


    Veronica¡®s chest tightened when she heard the explosion. Holding onto her breath, she stood riveted


    and peered over the crowd to see Emma, who was stained with striking red blood.


    At the drop of the hat, Veronica dashed toward the stage. However, it took her a while to reach the


    stage due to the jostling crowd.


    As soon as sheid her feet on the stage, she saw the unconscious couple lying on the ground


    because the exploded object was none other than the balloon, which they were going to send it flying in


    the air with a bouquet tied to it.


    It was a special event that the couple had specially requested, and Veronica had never expected it to


    be the cause of the wholemotion.


    ¡°Quick! Call the ambnce!¡±


    Veronica pushed the crowd away while shouting. ¡°Move out of the way, please!¡±

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    Chapter 296


    A normal explosion from a balloon shouldn¡®t cause any casualties. Thus, it was obvious that something


    had rigged it up, and she had to keep the evidence preserved.


    ¡°Are you the wedding director? Give me back my woman!¡±


    ¡°I knew it! Yourpany isn¡®t reliable.¡±


    ¡°Look at my son! How are you going topensate for it!¡±


    The couple¡®s family members swarmed her, knowing that Veronica was the wedding director. One of


    them just furiously grabbed her by the hair and pped her in the face.


    As she was in the middle of searching for the evidence, the sudden assault took her by surprise.


    Feeling the stinging sensation on her cheeks, she yanked the woman¡®s wrist. ¡°What do you think you¡®re


    doing?¡±


    Like a belligerent beast that would pounce on its prey at any time, she barked in a rage, ¡°Can¡®t you see


    that the balloon has exploded? It¡®s obvious that someone has done something with it! Whether it¡®s


    actually your enemy or my enemy, nothing is confirmed yet! If you¡®re going to make a ruckus and ruin


    the evidence, you will never find out who the culprit is!¡±


    Then, Veronica flung her hand and the woman stumbled to her feet, after which her family managed to


    catch her in time before she fell.


    ¡°F*ck! How dare you speak so rudely when you¡®re the one who has ruined the wedding?¡±


    ¡°Get her!¡±


    ¡°How dare a mere wedding nner act up?¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous.¡±


    Veronica¡®s warning went unheeded, and the crowd began to throw punches and kicks at her.


    However, the fallen Veronica did not feel any pain. She opened her eyes to see Xavier, who hugged


    her tightly in his embrace at that moment.


    While he was enduring the kicks and punches, she could hear his heavy breathing and trembling body


    in the proximity.


    Her mind went nk in an instant as she focused on Xavier. A mixture of emotions surged in her heart,


    which ached at the sight of him suffering for her.


    At the same time, the rest of the guests had dispersed, leaving only Matthew, Troy, Conrad, Yvonne,


    Ruka, and some reporters at the scene.


    ¡°Oh my God! What¡®s happening?¡± Yvonne gasped as she covered her mouth. Her first instinct was to


    call for Conrad, but the presence of the reporters thwarted her. Thus, she resorted to Matthew.


    ¡°President Kings, please help Roni.¡±


    The man in the suit stood firmly beneath the stage. With an emotionless face, he watched the event


    that was happening onstage. His brows frowned lightly, and a glint flickered in his eyes.


    Troy attempted to ask for Matthew¡®s opinion, ¡°President Kings?¡±


    However, the glow in Matthew¡®s eyes dimmed as they fixated on the woman, who was held tightly in


    Xavier¡®s arms.


    ¡°President Kings, what are you staring at? Help her!¡± The distraught Yvonne stomped on her foot.


    To her dismay, Matthew averted his gaze and nced at her coldly before leaving, but the reporters


    saw their chance and osted him immediately.


    ¡°President Kings, the wedding director is your god¨Csister, Veronica Murphy. Do you have anything to


    say about it?¡±


    ¡°Is the Kings Family going to take responsibility for what has happened today?¡±


    ¡°It is said that you and Veronica are not on good terms. Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, what do you think of today¡®s incident?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, if this is a scheme, who do you think the mastermind is?¡±


    While the cameramen were filming, the reporters bombarded Matthew with questions. Their mics were


    shoved so close to his face, indicating how desperate they were for another juicy piece of news.


    Since he had encountered such situations multiple times, Matthew remained unwavered as his cold


    gaze swept across the reporters. ¡°The fact that Grandma acknowledges Miss Murphy as her god¨C


    granddaughter is proof of the good


    rtionship they shared, but Veronica¡®s words and actions have nothing to do with the Kings Family.¡±


    ¡°So, does that mean you really despise Veronica?¡±


    ¡°Still, she is considered one of the Kings Family. Are you really not going to take responsibility for it?¡±


    ¡°But if it wasn¡®t for the Kings Family, President Leonard wouldn¡®t have contacted Miss Murphy.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to cut ties with Miss Murphy?¡±


    As the aggressive reporters tried to pry further, a stoic Matthew looked at them with a murderous gaze,


    making them flinch and zip their lips in a heartbeat.


    Looking at Matthew standing there, not moving an inch, they sensibly made way for him. The unfazed


    man left the scene under watchful eyes.


    Stuck on the ground, Veronica could barely peer through the forceful throngs and watch Matthew leave.


    Her heart throbbed in pain every time he took a step away.


    Suddenly, she felt the pain pervading through every part of her body, and she trembled due to the


    extreme pain.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He left.


    In the end, Veronica was arrested as the wedding director, while Xavier was sent to the hospital for


    treatment.


    That night, when she was at the police station with scratches on her face, Yvonne and Conrad came to


    pay her a visit.


    Thanks to Conrad, the police were willing to bring Veronica to the meeting room. Yvonne sped


    Veronica¡®s hands in concern as soon as she saw her. ¡°Are you alright? What happened?¡±


    Touched by her friend¡®s genuine concern, Veronica shook her head. ¡°I¡®m alright. It¡®s fine.¡±


    She put on a brave face by forcing a smile, not caring a single bit about the scratches on her cheek.


    ¡°Stop lying! Look at you! Look at yourself. There are marks on your face.¡± Yvonne sighed in distress


    before looking at Conrad. ¡°Conrad, can you do something about it?¡±


    Conrad nodded. ¡°Roni, please be patient for a few days. Don¡®t worry, I¡®ll get to the bottom of it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Veronica thanked him and stared at Yvonne. ¡°Yvonne, please check on Xavier for me.¡±


    Xavier had protected her until the end before falling in a swoon. One could easily imagine how bad the


    punches were to have a robust man knocked out.


    ¡°You¡®re already in trouble, yet you¡®re still thinking of others.¡± It pained Yvonne to see Veronica in this


    state.


    Veronica lightly touched the scratches on her face and acted as if they were nothing. ¡°It¡®s no big deal.¡±


    After a brief conversation, the couple left, and Veronica was locked up in the detention room along with


    a few leches, who had heard rumors of her. Ogling at her pretty face, they couldn¡®t help approaching


    her.

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    Chapter 297


    Sitting on the chair and leaning against the wall, Veronica closed her eyes to take a rest. Suddenly, she


    felt someone caressing her cheek. ¡°Hey chick, did someone bully you? I can make you feel better.¡±


    She opened her eyes at that instant. As her eyelids fluttered, she let out an engaging smile that could


    easily awaken one¡®s protective instincts.


    ¡°How so?¡± Her voice was very calm.


    When the men heard that, they exchanged nces before smiling sinisterly. One of them, with blond


    hair, walked toward her and reached out his hand to pinch her white cheek. ¡°So squishy and soft. We


    can pamper you with kisses and warm you up. The weather is so cold and there¡®s no heater here. It


    pains us to see a beauty like you suffer.¡±


    Following that repulsive remark wasughter.


    Veronica cocked her head and stared at them innocently. ¡°But there are so many of you. Who should I


    kiss first?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡®s me. I¡¯m their boss.¡± The blond guy took the lead by pointing at his cheek, waiting for her


    to spoil him.


    ¡°Come closer.¡± She curled her index finger at him, who dly approached her without hesitation.


    Her smile vanished at the very next second as she raised her hand and pped the guy¡®s face, after


    which she kicked him hard, sending him flying about seven feet away.


    Bang!


    The man banged against the wall before falling onto the ground and squirming in pain.


    Veronica, who was still sitting on the bench, lifted her foot on it and propped her chin. She did not hide


    the disdainful glint in her eyes. ¡°Happy now?¡±


    His underlings, who witnessed the entirety of the situation, shuddered in fear and tried to hush their


    heavy breathing.


    Holy cow, what¡®s with her?


    She¡®s a She¨CHulk!


    Mom, I¡®m scared!


    Like a herd of terrified sheep, they flocked together and nudged toward a corner in unison. Meanwhile,


    the man in pain spat to get rid of his broken tooth that was covered with blood. ¡°God d*mn it! It f*cking


    hurts! What are you guys looking at? Get her! Ouch, why does it hurt so much?¡±


    Despite his fierce looks and menacing words, his incoherent threat was quite funny because of his lost


    tooth.


    An irritated Veronica just happened to be looking for a target to let off steam. After suffering so much to


    adapt to her new life in this city, she still failed to protect herself and fell into someone¡®s scheme. As


    she recalled the hardships she had been through, the ire in her red zingly.


    Gazing at the group of men before her, she had made up her mind.


    ¡°Come here. Didn¡®t your boss tell you toe over?¡± She beckoned them over.


    They shook their heads violently because none of them dared to challenge her. Still, Veronica had no


    intention of letting them off that easily.


    ¡°That¡®s it? Sorry, but I¡¯m not done yet.¡± She rose from the bench and strode toward them. Her first


    target was the guy on the right. Pulling his ear, she yanked him over and pped him twice across the


    cheeks.


    One of them tried to stop her but was weed by her kick, and he fell onto the ground miserably.


    It wasn¡®t until the six men were lying on the ground that Veronica pped her hands and returned to


    her seat. With an icy gaze, she stared at her ¡®punching bags¡® and said disapprovingly, ¡°Wise up and act


    your age.¡±


    I wonder how many girls have fallen victim to their acts.


    Right then, a police officer stopped by to check on them. ¡°What¡®s with the noise?¡±


    ¡°Sir, save us! She hit us!¡±


    One of the guys even sobbed. ¡°S¨CShe beat us.¡±


    ¡°Let me out of here or I¡®ll be dead soon!¡±


    ¡°Save us, Sir!¡±


    As if the officer was their mother, the injured men kept whining at him like giant


    crybabies. Looking at their swollen faces, the officer questioned Veronica, ¡°What happened?¡±


    She tucked down her sleeve, ¡°Sir, they were harassing me. It was self¨Cdefense.¡±


    Then, the officer pointed at them with a warning. ¡°Behave yourselves.¡±


    After he left, the gang turned to look at Veronica, but they didn¡®t have the audacity to do anything to her.


    Instead, they zipped their lips and shrank themselves into a corner, trying not to disturb her.


    In the meantime, she zoned out for a moment before lying on the bench to rest. Walking down the


    memoryne in her head, she had never once felt so exhausted and lost.


    How am I going to forget all these scars?


    Even if the moon was hanging high in the midnight sky, her mind was fully awake. Throughout the


    night, she mischievously took a few nces at the men, jolting them from drowsiness. As a result, no


    one slept in that detention room that night.


    On the other hand, Matthew was overlooking the view outside the window in his office at Spinfluence


    Group. The cigarette pinched between his fingers was shouldering


    When Troy entered the office, Matthew asked, ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    ¡°Miss Murphy¡®s at the detention center. Some men tried to take advantage of her, but she taught them


    a lesson. She¡®s currently sleeping on a bench¡± Troy paused for a moment after reporting his


    investigation. ¡°President Kings, is it necessary to take things this far? You care for her so much.¡±


    Although it hadn¡®t been long since he started working for Matthew, Troy knew the man very well. Within


    that one month, though Matthew didn¡®t see Veronica, he had his finger on the pulse of everything that


    was rted to her. As the assistant, Troy was aware of how much Matthew cared for Veronica beneath


    that indifferent countenance.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Why? Do you miss Thomas?¡± Matthew¡®s question implied something else. Something perilous. Troy


    straightened his back immediately. ¡°President Kings, I¡®ve asked someone to investigate what happened


    at the wedding. However, Sir Conrad¡®s men have taken the exploded balloon. It seems like he¡®s on it as


    well.¡±


    ¡°We must find who was behind it.¡±


    ¡°Understood, President Kings.¡± Troy suddenly thought of something as he questioned, ¡°Miss Murphy is


    in the detention center. Should we get her out?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± answered the man without a second thought.


    Even if Troy wasn¡®t sure about Matthew¡®s attention, he had no right to question Matthew¡®s decision,


    hence the obsequious behavior. He left the office without voicing his doubts.


    Now that Matthew was left alone in the office, he sighed and enjoyed the night view. It wasn¡®t until the


    cigarette burned out that he came to his senses and continued his work.


    The next day, Veronica, who had not slept a wink, was pacing back and forth in the detention room.


    She was waiting as she expected Matthew toe save her soon.

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    Chapter 298


    Other than Yvonne and Conrad, no one appeared that night.


    Veronica didn¡®t anticipate Matthew with bated breath, but when he didn¡®t appear, she felt a little empty.


    Someone came to see her after she had been in the detention room for the whole morning. She raised


    her eyes to take a look and was surprised to see that the person standing at the door of the detention


    room... was Tiffany.


    A few thugs couldn¡®t help but whisper when they saw Tiffany at the door.


    ¡°They look exactly the same.¡±


    ¡°They¡®re d*mn charming.¡±


    ¡°I remember seeing them on television.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s true. The one standing outside is Miss Larson and the one in front of us appears to be the Larsons¡®


    abandoned daughter.¡±


    Hearing his words, the thug was punched by a few of his mates.


    ¡°You already know who she is. Why didn¡®t you tell me sooner?¡±


    ¡°You almost had me killed.¡±


    ¡°If you do this again, I will lose my life.¡±


    ¡°Sh*t. It¡®s the Larsons. This is frightening.¡±


    After whacking their mate, the thugs approached Veronica and apologized, ¡°Goddess, we¡®re sorry for


    offending you yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Please, our heroine, spare your life. My name is Kenzo Gayu. Please let me know if you require


    anything else in the future. I will do anything to fulfill your request.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. My name is Spades, like the spades in Poker. Please don¡®t hesitate to contact me if you


    need anything.¡±


    Veronica kept a sharp gaze on them all night; they were all a little sleepy, but they dared not speak.


    She found the ttery both amusing and irritating. ¡°Go away,¡± she said coldly to the few people in front


    of her.


    As she said this, she stood up and walked to the detention room¡®s iron fence. She looked at Tiffany,


    who still wore her delicate makeup while standing outside. She was dignified and elegant, an


    illustration of the attitude of a wealthydy.


    ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡± Veronica leaned against the wall with arms crossed and asked indifferently.


    ¡°I warned you yesterday to be more careful,¡± Tiffany, who was carrying a bag, answered with a small


    smile.


    ¡°Was that done by you or someone you knew at the wedding yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Neither.¡± Tiffany shook her head. ¡°It was just my guess.¡±


    ¡°A spection? Why don¡®t you guess the number of the lottery draw tomorrow, Miss Larson, so that I


    can ce a few bets and win the jackpot?¡±


    Veronica knew Tiffany¡®s words were false, so she refused to believe them.


    Moreover, the fact that Tiffany had appeared inexplicably downstairs at her apartment that day made


    her suspicious. There were numerous inklings.


    ¡°I can only say you¡®re out of luck.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Veronica questioned.


    ¡°Jackson¡®s wife, Emma, is Damien Mayer¡¯s sweetheart. He was pursuing Emma, but she didn¡®t like him


    because he wasn¡®t as wealthy as Jackson, so she dumped Damien. As a result, Damien has always


    been vengeful and he exacts his vengeance at her wedding.¡± Tiffany thought for a long time before


    telling Veronica what she knew.


    Veronica frowned slightly as she heard this because she doubted her words.


    Conrad should have figured it out long ago if things were as simple as Tiffany imed.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    However, just as Veronica was thinking about this, she noticed Yvonne and Conrad approaching them.


    ¡°Hey, Roni. Everything is fine now and you can leave.¡± Yvonne dashed over with a smile. When she


    saw Tiffany standing beside Veronica, she couldn¡®t help but ask, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Yvonne looked at Veronica as she questioned, as if waiting for her response.


    Veronica, on the other hand, had no idea why Tiffany came to her every now and then, so she could


    only shrug helplessly.


    Conrad and Tiffany exchanged different expressions when they saw each other.


    ¡°Mr. Conrad.¡±


    She kept her distance from him in public and even changed the way she addressed him on purpose.


    ¡°Little Roni, thanks to Miss Larson¡®s assistance in providing information on this matter today, I was able


    to investigate and discover the truth so quickly,¡± Conrad told


    Veronica. ¡°The suspect has been arrested, and you are free to go now.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the police arrived, opened the detention room door, and motioned for


    Veronica to exit.


    She walked out with them and came face to face with someone.


    The man¡®s eyes were fixed on her, but she didn¡®t recognize him.


    ¡°He is Damien Mayer,¡± Tiffany, who was standing next to her, said.


    ¡°Why is it that the Dames don¡®t care about him even though he¡®s Ruka¡®s uncle?¡± Veronica¡®s gaze


    returned to the scrawny, sunken¨Ceyed man who had been apprehended by cops and appeared to be


    high on drugs.


    ¡°Since he¡®s unpresentable and not up to par, the Dames have severed ties with him,¡± Conrad


    responded.


    ¡°Alright, Roni. Let¡®s head home quickly since you¡®re fine. It¡®s unlucky to stay in this type of ce for an


    extended period of time.¡±


    After going through a series of formalities in the lobby with several people, Veronica finally left the


    police station.


    Tiffany approached Veronica at the police station¡®s entrance and asked, ¡°Are you sure you don¡®t want


    to follow me back?¡±


    She was talking about the birthday event today.


    To be honest, this was the first time Veronica had realized when she was born. Her adoptive mother


    had previously used the date of her adoption as her birthday, so she was unaware of her actual birth


    date.


    ¡°It¡®s not necessary,¡± Veronica responded coldly before getting into Conrad¡®s car.


    Conrad waved goodbye to Tiffany before driving away.


    Yvonne, who was seated next to Veronica, chatted non¨Cstop along the way while Veronica was so


    preupied with her thoughts that she didn¡®t listen to what Yvonne said.


    ¡°Uncle Conrad, please drop me off at Encounters Bridal Store,¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°Little Roni, I suggest you head back and rest for a few days.¡± Conrad looked back through the


    rearview mirror to take a peek at her.


    She immediately understood what he meant by his implicative words.


    ¡°Yeah, you haven¡®t had a good rest, so let¡®s head home and take a bath to wash away the bad luck,¡±


    Yvonne concurred.


    ¡°Okay, take me back to the apartment then,¡± Veronicamented after having most likely figured out


    what was going on.


    Then, she gave him the address for her apartment. After arriving at the apartment, she declined


    Conrad¡®s and Yvonne¡®spany, saying she would thank themter because she was tired and


    wanted to go home and sleep.


    After that, they said their goodbyes and drove away.


    Veronica came home, washed her face, stood in front of the mirror, and reapplied her makeup before


    changing into a neutral jumpsuit and a peaked cap.


    In the mirror, she was greeted by the reflection wearing a pair of ck¨Crimmed sses and a


    mustache. It was just like how a man would dress up.

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    Chapter 299


    Veronica¡®s dead phone was fully charged and ready to use after she packed everything.


    She turned on her phone while sitting on the sofa and saw that she had received numerous messages,


    and the phone was continuously buzzing and vibrating.


    However, she ignored the messages and went straight to the news.


    ¡®Encounters Bridal Store smashed due to yesterday¡®s incident¡®; ¡®Encounters Bridal Store was smashed


    and staff were injured¡®; and ¡®Encounters Bridal Store is in trouble. Kingses stated they will not


    interfere...


    Veronica frowned even more after casually scrolling through some news.


    Conrad stopped her from going to the wedding store at the time. She simply assumed that there would


    be reporters blocking the store¡®s entrance.


    However, it appeared that things were even more serious than she anticipated.


    At this point, her phone vibrated once more.


    When she looked down, it was a call from Shirley.


    ¡°Shirley, how¡®s the store¡®s condition now?¡± She asked as soon as she answered the phone.


    ¡°Oh, Ron, you finally picked up the phone. There was a mishap. Monica was injured this morning


    during the chaos, and her amniotic fluid ruptured, so she was rushed to the hospital. Fortunately, she


    gave birth to her child safely. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.¡±


    Monica was a wedding nner who had been hired temporarily by Encounters Bridal Store. She was


    pregnant and was about to give birth, but she had no idea there would be such an incident.


    Veronica was full of mixed emotions; she felt gloomy and depressed.


    She couldn¡®t help but sigh, knowing she should have asked Master Crayson toe to Bloomstead


    sooner.


    Outsiders could not enter Encounters Bridal Store if he was present, and this kind of incident wouldn¡®t


    have happened.


    ¡°Has anyone else been hurt?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Jonas, Luna, and ude were hurt as well. Moreover, all of our previous customers canceled


    their ordersst afternoon and this morning, and they were asking for refunds.¡±


    Shirley briefly exined everything to Veronica on the other end of the phone.


    Hearing that, Veronica raised her hand and rubbed her temple. She was stressed out.


    ¡°Allow all the staff to leave as safety is critical. After that, call the cops.¡±


    ¡°I called, but only two or three cops came, and it was impossible to maintain order at all.¡±


    Shirley replied emotionally.


    Through the phone, Veronica could hear the noisy background on the other end of the line.


    ¡°Listen to me. Evacuate everyone. Lives are way more important than the equipment,¡± Veronica said


    immediately before hanging up the phone.


    Then, she left with a backpack.


    She didn¡®t go anywhere but headed to Encounters Bridal Store by foot.


    When she arrived at the store, she discovered that the door had been violently demolished, and arge


    crowd had gathered at the entrance to cause trouble.


    Veronica approached the crowd, looked at the group of troublemakers, and patted one of them on the


    shoulder, saying, ¡°Excuse me, what happened here?¡±


    She was dressed as a man and spoke in a man¡®s voice so that she could not be


    recognized


    ¡°What else would it be? A bride and groom were injured in the store, and the person in charge has yet


    toe forward. Thus, the Leonards ordered us to destroy the


    store.¡±


    While waving his fist, a man shouted, ¡°Compensate! Compensate! We¡®ll smash everything in your store


    if you don¡®tpensate.¡±


    Veronica remained unconcerned and then inquired, ¡°Hey bro, how much are you paid per day? Can I


    join? I¡®m an electrician, and I don¡®t make a lot of money every day. This can be my side hustle.¡±


    ¡°Shoo, shoo! We don¡®t need anyone else now. We are only responsible for wreaking havoc in this ce


    for a day. It costs two thousand per person, and such a good thing cannot be yours


    The man muttered.


    Only then did Veronica take a step away, watching a few police officers struggle to maintain order and


    more than a dozen people standing at the entrance shouting loudly.


    The Leonard Family hired people to cause trouble?


    Her clear eyes narrowed slightly, and an instinct told her that the whole issue was not as


    straightforward as it appeared to be.


    If the Leonards were retaliated against by the Finley Family, they should seek an exnation from


    Damien rather than argue forpensation at the entrance of the store.


    Did the Leonard Family and Finley Family appear to be financially strapped?


    Not at all!


    So why were they doing this?


    Veronica considered two possibilities.


    First and foremost, she was now Elizabeth¡®s godgranddaughter. If the Kings Family did nothing during


    this incident, it would only have had a negative impact and caused financial losses to the Kingses¡®


    company. Second, did these people have the intention of messing with Encounters Bridal Store, or


    were they trying to cover up the true culprit behind the scenes by causing chaos?


    For a while, she couldn¡®t figure out what they were up to, which caused her headache to worsen.


    She stood outside Encounters Bridal Store, watching the weddingpany she had managed for half


    a year, and into which she had poured a lot of hard work and dedication, crumble into nothing.


    This was probably her biggest regret.


    If there had been an ident like thest time, her wedding store might have been able to salvage the


    situation, but this time, everything was predetermined.


    No one would want to work with a weddingpany that had a history of mishaps.


    Because it meant unfortune!


    She then dialed Shirley¡®s phone number and said, ¡°Shir, please notify every employee that they will be


    paid three months of sry in advance and proceed to let them sign a resignation contract. In the case


    of our injured colleagues, I will


    personally visit them in the hospital. You are not required to deal with it.¡±


    Shirley nodded upon hearing Veronica¡®s instructions.


    Then, Veronica transferred some money to Shirley for her to handle thepany¡®s affairs.


    Meanwhile, she made a call and went to the police station again.


    Veronica went home to remove her makeup, change her clothes, and go to the hospital after she was


    done dealing with everything.


    She first went to the hospital to visit her injured employees and Monica, who had just given birth.


    When she entered Monica¡®s ward with the nutritional supplements she had brought, a man carrying a


    baby approached her quickly.


    ¡°Are you Moni¡®s boss?¡±


    The mediocre¨Clooking, dark¨Cskinned man was Monica¡®s husband.


    He handed the baby to an old woman beside him, then walked angrily toward Veronica, before raising


    his hand to punch her in the face. ¡°Do you know that you nearly killed my son? If my son.¡±


    She saw his hand swing out, but she didn¡®t feel the pain. Instead, she gripped his wrist tightly with her


    bare hands.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Watson, what happened to your wife was an ident. I understand your rage, but hitting someone


    is wrong.¡±


    Veronica, who stood 5¡®5 tall, walked in high heels and wore a trench coat. She gave Monica¡®s husband


    a cold look before shaking off his hand. ¡°Today I came here to apologize andpensate. Why are you


    making such a fuss, Mr. Watson?¡±


    When Randall¡®s mother heard thepensation, her eyes lit up before saying, ¡°Hahaha, I see you¡®ve


    come topensate. Randy, let go of her hand and see how she willpensate.¡±


    He snorted coldly when he listened to his mother¡®s words. He then turned around and walked into the


    room.

 Chapter 300

    Chapter 300


    Veronica followed Randall back into the ward. Monica, who had been sleeping had just awoken. When


    she saw Veronica, she couldn¡®t help but wonder, ¡°President Murphy, why are you here?¡±


    Veronica then ced all of the gifts on the ground before walking to the escort chair beside the bed to


    sit. She tilted her head to look at Monica and said, ¡°I¡®m sorry. I didn¡®t expect this kind of thing to


    happen. You¡®ve suffered a lot.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, you and your child are safe, or else I really wouldn¡®t know how to face you,¡± she said,


    slightly frowning and looking at the child in the arms of the elderly woman.


    ¡°It¡®s okay.¡±


    ¡°I was just pushed by ident and fell,¡± Monica said as she sat up and leaned against the head of the


    bed.


    ¡°What do you mean by ident? Thank goodness the child is fine. Otherwise, I wouldn¡®t be able to live


    with you,¡± Randall snarled, before adding, ¡°You should rest at home because you¡®re pregnant, but you


    just had to go to work. Shouldn¡®t a woman stay at home to look after her husband and children?¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    His words were especially vexing. Because Veronica was present, Monica awkwardly smiled at her


    before saying kindly to Randall, ¡°It¡®s best if the child is okay. Don¡®t be angry.¡±


    ¡°Are you the boss of my daughter¨Cinw? You just stated that you wouldpensate us. How much


    will youpensate?¡± Mrs. Watson¡®s eyes shone brightly as she turned to face Veronica.


    Veronica was born in the countryside, so she was clear of what the woman was thinking


    ¡°I would like to discuss this with Monica,¡± she said politely.


    ¡°There is no need for rpense, President Murphy. Shir had informed me that you would give each


    employee three months¡® pay for dismissal. This is sufficient.¡±


    She knew that Veronica¡®s weddingpany was doomed. It didn¡®t make much money at first, but by


    this point, it had gone bankrupt.


    Furthermore, Veronica treated her well during her working days, and she couldn¡®t bear the thought of


    requestingpensation from Veronica.


    ¡°What do you mean, there¡®s no need? You¡®ve been hurt, and my son was almost


    killed. She should pay at least one million dors! Otherwise, I¡®m not going to let her off the hook!¡±


    Randall howled.


    ¡°Randy is right,¡± Mrs. Watson said before nodding.


    As Monica listened to the two of them, her slightly haggard face was instantly dyed with a red glow, and


    she shook her head repeatedly. ¡°Don¡®t listen to them, President Murphy. You don¡®t have topensate


    me, believe me. I¡®m perfectly fine. You only need to pay me three months¡® sry.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you moron!¡±


    ¡°She has to pay one million today, and I won¡®t let her go if she misses a single penny,¡± Randall scolded,


    pointing at Veronica.


    As a result, Veronica became aware that she had been duped.


    That was why Monica insisted on working even though she was pregnant. It seemed that her


    husband¡®s family treated her badly.


    ¡°Of course, I willpensate, but one million..¡± Veronica smiled slightly, saying, ¡°It¡®s impossible.¡±


    Since the establishment of her weddingpany, Monica had indeed helped her a lot, so she came


    here today to visit her and discusspensation.


    She didn¡®t expect Randall to have such an attitude.


    ¡°President Murphy, you can leave first. Let¡®s talk about this some other time.¡± Monica was embarrassed


    by her mother¨Cinw and husband.


    Hearing that, Veronica took out a bank card from her pocket and stuffed it into her hand, saying,


    ¡°There¡®s two hundred thousand in it. You can use it first, and we¡®ll talk about other thingster.¡±


    ¡°No need, President Murphy.¡±


    ¡°Have a good rest. I¡®ll leave first.¡±


    As soon as Veronica got up and was ready to exit the ward, Randall, who was unwilling to give up,


    rushed directly in front of her and scowled, ¡°Try to leave if you dare.¡±


    Seeing this, Mrs. Watson put the sleeping child that was in her arms in the cradle, walked over


    staggeringly, and stood in front of Veronica. ¡°Don¡®t think about leaving if you don¡®tpensate us


    today.¡±


    ¡°Mother! Randall! What are you doing?¡± Monica yelled.


    Although it was a natural childbirth, it took a long time for her to give birth because of the slow opening


    of the cervix.


    Moreover, she bled a lot during childbirth, which was why she was so weak.


    Therefore, her voice was so small to the point that her words were easily ignored.


    Veronica looked at the two people standing in front of her with a gloomy expression and said coldly,


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡®t give us the money, we won¡®t let you go!¡±


    Their attitude was very tough, and with Mrs. Watson standing in front of her, she was indeed in a


    passive position.


    However, at that moment, Randall¡®s cell phone rang.


    He nced at his mobile phone¡®s screen before looking outside subconsciously. The next second, he


    pushed Mrs. Watson to the ground ruthlessly.


    ¡°Mother? Mother, are you okay? Look at what you¡®ve done. I let you in to talk about thepensation.


    How can you beat someone?¡±


    He pointed at Veronica and roared.


    At this moment, the door of the ward was suddenly opened, and a bunch of reporters at the door were


    frantically filming Veronica with cameras.


    Such good timing...


    Veronica saw what was going on, and her pale face was red with rage.


    ¡°Miss Murphy, how can you beat an elderly?¡±


    ¡°I heard that you came here today to discuss thepensation, but why did you start a fight?¡±


    ¡°Look! This woman injured my wife, and she nearly died on the operating table. I let this womane


    over to negotiatepensation, but she actually beat my old mother.¡±


    ¡°She thinks that just because she¡®s the god¨Cgranddaughter of the King Family, she can do this.¡±


    ¡°Miss Murphy, what do you have to say about today¡®s incident?¡±


    The reporters blocked Veronica¡®s path and did not let her leave, but they kept the microphones in front


    of her and continued filming.


    ¡°Randall, can you stop making things up?!¡±


    Monica, who was on the hospital bed, stood up, supporting her body by leaning on the wall with her


    hands. She moved over a little bit, pointed to Mrs. Watson, who was lying on the ground, and said,


    ¡°You guys are going too far! Miss Murphy came here today to talk about thepensation, but you


    keep demanding one million, and even making false usations now. Your behavior is out of line!¡±


    Everyone looked at Monica in unison, and Veronica also turned back. As she listened to Monica¡®s


    words, she couldn¡®t help but sigh.


    Fortunately, justice was served.


    However, things didn¡®t always go in the right direction.


    The next moment, Randall stood up and rushed towards Monica, grabbed her by the hair, and sent a


    p across her face. He was not willing to give up and wanted to hit her again.


    However, the next p didn¡®tnd on Monica¡®s face. Veronica stepped forward and pushed Randall


    away. When he saw this, he lifted his hand to hit Veronica.


    Veronica had been defensive for a while, but she did not dare to make a move.


    In the end, it was Monica who called the police to stop the farce.


    However, the whole incident was circted online within half an hour.


    ¡®Encounters Bridal Store¡®s employee demandedpensation, but was beaten up by the boss¡®, ¡®Mrs.


    King¡®s god¨Cgranddaughter beats up an old woman, ¡®Veronica beats up the injured innocent¡®...


    The news content was filled with malicious clips of the reporters, and it made the viewers think that it


    was Veronica who pushed Mrs. Watson to the ground and that she hit Randall when he denounced


    her.


    As soon as the negative news was released, they were trending on the Inte.

 Chapter 301

    Chapter 301


    The news spread like wildfire.


    Matthew, who was in Spinfluence Group, was aware of the matter as well.


    Troy stood in front of him and exined, ¡°Miss Murphy was duped and she fell for someone¡¯s trick.¡±


    Matthew leaned back in his executive chair, taking a sip from the cup of tea in his hand, and asked,


    ¡°Have found out you who is the mastermind behind the scenes?¡±


    ¡°It was done by the Leonard Family.¡±


    ¡°The Leonards? Jackson had no grievances with Veronica. There is nopelling reason for him to do


    so.¡±


    ¡°My subordinates have discovered the truth. The reason for this is that the wedding site explosion


    injured Jackson and his wife, Emma. Despite it being


    Troy didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but Matthew understood him.


    Troy then went on to say, ¡°Miss Murphy had just gotten out of the police station. Take a look, President


    Kings¡­¡±


    He was awaiting Matthew¡¯s decision.


    With puzzled eyes, the man nced at his phone on the table.


    He seemed to have been expecting


    Veronica¡¯s phone call since yesterday. A


    call to seek assistance from him.


    However, that d*mned woman never contacted him!


    If that was the case¡­


    ¡°Get out,¡± he said, waving.


    Troy was stunned for a brief moment before nodding and exiting the room.


    When Veronica left the police station, Yvonne picked her up and drove her to Yvonne¡¯s house, avoiding


    the reporters who were following her.


    However, it was not a suburban vi, but rather a city apartment.


    Conrad was present when Veronica entered the apartment.


    She looked around, aware that he had visited several times and that there were even indications that


    he had stayed here.


    ¡°Oh, why are such things happening?¡±


    ¡°Roni, don¡¯t worry. With Conrad here, we will definitely be able to help you find a solution,¡± Yvonne said


    as she sat Veronica on the sofa, poured her a ss of water, andforted her.


    Conrad paced back and forth in the living room with his hands in his pockets, a solemn expression on


    his face.


    After a while, he finally turned to Veronica and asked, ¡°Little Roni, what happened between you and


    Matthew? Howe he didn¡¯t do anything when such a big thing happened?¡±


    Veronica took the cup of tea Yvonne handed her and ced it in her palm to warm her cold hands. She


    then shook her


    head and bitterly smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Conrad¡¯s eyes narrowed for a moment as Veronica spoke. He stared carefully at her face as if trying to


    prate her thoughts through her eyes.


    Veronica¡¯s reaction, on the other hand, was too calm, so calm that even he couldn¡¯t figure out what was


    going on.


    ¡°I¡¯ve caused you trouble, Uncle Conrad.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why things have turned into what they are today, and I don¡¯t even understand who I have


    offended.¡± She pursed her lips, sighed in disappointment, and lowered her head slowly.


    She pretended to be upset.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Roni. Everything shall pass.¡± Yvonne patted Veronica on the back, feeling a little


    distressed from her ordeal.


    Knock, knock


    At that moment, someone knocked on the door of the apartment.


    Yvonne stood up and stated, ¡°It should be


    Xavier. I told him that you¡¯re here.¡± She stood up to open the door, and sure


    enough, Xavier was standing there.


    He was wearing a navy-blue windbreaker and sunsses at the time, but the corners of his mouth


    were still clearly purple.


    He walked in. His gaze fell on Veronica, who was sitting on the sofa. His worried face manifested a hint


    of distress as he approached her, asking, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t expected Xavier to show up. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said with a nod. ¡°But you were seriously hurt.


    What are you doing here?¡±


    Despite his injuries, Xavier came to see her on the cusp of the chaotic event, which moved her.


    ¡°If I don¡¯te and see you, I¡¯ll continue to worry about you.¡±


    He took a seat next to Veronica and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you


    being broadcast on television for beating up someone?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t control what they report on the


    news,¡± she said, shaking her head.


    Then, they sat down to discuss the current situation and how to solve it.


    Veronica kept her appearance depressed and emotional throughout the discussion, looking listless like


    a rotten eggnt.


    Finally, Yvonne noticed that Veronica wasn¡¯t feeling well and said, ¡°You must not have slept in the


    detention room the night before. Hurry up and rest in my room. We¡¯ll talk about it after you¡¯ve had a


    good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Veronica nodded, got up, and went to the bedroom.


    After closing the door, shey down on the bed to rest, recalling the events of the previous two days in


    her mind. She had the uneasy feeling that something was wrong.


    She took her phone from her pocket and opened the recording app, which contained five hours of


    recordings.


    She had it turned on since she left her apartment. After all, it was better to be prepared.


    It finally came in handy, which was unexpected.


    She was scrolling through Twitter while lying in bed.


    The first trending search was, ¡®Veronica beats the husband of an injured employee, and the second


    was coincidentally about Tiffany¡¯s birthday banquet being held at the orphanage, where she brought


    jackets, books, and stationery for the children. Furthermore, Tiffany¡¯s donation of 3 million to an


    orphanage was trending.


    The fifth topic in the trending search was ¡®The reason Veronica was abandoned.


    When she clicked on the news, it was nothing more than aparison of two pictures: one of Tiffany


    doing public


    welfare charity and the other of her beating patients in the ward.


    The insults directed at Veronica were unbearable.


    ¡®You¡¯re so evil. You deserved to be abandoned as a child, and you should be dead.


    ¡®It¡¯s no surprise that Young Master Matthew didn¡¯t intervene in this matter. She turns out to be quite


    vicious.


    ¡®She¡¯s the most evil woman.¡¯


    ¡°There¡¯s a huge difference between her and her sister.¡¯


    ¡®She deserves to be abandoned! That b*tch belongs in hell!¡¯


    Veronica then ced her phone on the table and tucked her hand behind her ear. She gazed up at the


    ceiling before sinking into deep thought.


    Despite the fact that she had the ability to make aeback now, she wanted to keep things brewing


    so that she could find the murderer behind the scenes.


    The suspect responsible for what happened at the weddingst time appeared to be Damien, who


    fancied Emma, but Veronica felt that things were not so simple.


    People were clearly plotting to shut down her wedding business and make her the target of everyone¡¯s


    yelling and beatings.


    To put it bluntly, someone wanted to use this opportunity to destroy her.


    Who was behind all of this?


    Veronica could have told Yvonne that she had evidence in her hand, but she didn¡¯t because Conrad


    was present.


    She couldn¡¯t help but think about Matthew¡¯s and Tiffany¡¯s wedding. He shielded Melisa while framing


    her. Even if Xavier continued to contact her, Veronica would still keep her guard up.


    At the same time, Elizabeth knew about


    the issue.


    She dialed Matthew¡¯s number instead of Veronica¡¯s.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    A phone call came in while Matthew was working in the office. ¡°Grandma?¡±


    He was well aware of the reason for Grandma¡¯s call.


    ¡°What are you doing? Why are you staying put when Veronica is in trouble?¡± As soon as the phone call


    was connected, Elizabeth scolded him. ¡°You¡¯re her brother, so how can you watch her suffer from all


    the bullying?¡±

 Chapter 302

    Chapter 302


    Matthew raised his brows and casually stated, ¡°Everyone has to go through some turmoil if they want


    to be a member of the Kings Family. If this situation cannot be handled properly, she is unfit to be your


    god-granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Elizabeth sighed and inquired, ¡°You mean, you¡¯re going to let the girl handle it herself?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Elizabeth nodded as she listened to his words, replying, ¡°You¡¯re right. Okay, let¡¯s just go with it. I¡¯m an


    olddy, so I won¡¯t interfere.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Elizabeth abruptly hung up the phone.


    The issue Veronica was dealing with became increasingly heated, to the point where she received a


    late-night call from her parents.


    Her heart twitched as she saw the phone call from her adoptive mother, Danie. ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Roni. Where are you now? Are you okay?¡±


    Danie was distraught on the other end of the phone, fearful that Veronica would be suffering.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Mom. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want her adoptive mother to be worried.


    Danie reprimanded her as soon as she finished her sentence. ¡°Are you adamant that you¡¯re fine?


    Your father and I have both watched the news on television. You cane home if things get too


    difficult. Home is better than anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m perfectly fine. I can handle this minor inconvenience.¡±


    Veronica consoled Danie and continued to say nice things until she


    persuaded her adoptive mother that she didn¡¯t need toe to Bloomstead.


    That night, because the apartment where Veronica lived was exposed, arge number of reporters


    surrounded the


    apartment.


    Therefore, she stayed at Yvonne¡¯s apartment.


    Xavier and Conrad leftte at night.


    Yvonney on the bed after washing up, her elbows on the bed and her chin supported, looking at


    Veronica. ¡°What are your thoughts? You couldn¡¯t possibly say Conny isn¡¯t good right now, could you?


    He has been running back and forth since your incident, and I was so moved by him.¡±


    She curled her lips as she spoke, ¡°On the other hand, that cretinous Matthew actually distanced himself


    from you in public even when you¡¯re struggling with what¡¯s going on right now. Such a bast*rd!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s wise enough to look after his own hide. He is indeed a businessman, so treacherous,¡± she


    muttered as she turned over, tugging at the quilt, and wrapped herself tightly.


    After that, Veronica began watching a live broadcast of a game on her phone, and


    she was watching Vincere Games y a game against a skilled team from other provinces.


    As a result, she didn¡¯t really listen to Yvonne¡¯s words.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    However, she had long anticipated Yvonne¡¯s praise for Conrad.


    ¡°Having said that, I would also like to thank you.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, this is the first time I¡¯ve slept in the same bed with another woman after


    graduation.¡± Veronica frowned as she leaned sideways on the head of the bed and tilted her head to


    look at Yvonne.


    She changed the subject. After experiencing such an incident, Veronica discovered Yvonne to be a


    very good person who was willing to take risks for her friends.


    Such a girl deserved deep friendship and, more importantly, protection.


    Nevertheless, she was still concerned about Conrad.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the first woman to sleep in my bed since I was a child. It¡¯s a great honor for you.¡¯


    ¡°Oh yes, yes. It¡¯s my honor.¡±


    Veronica chuckled.


    The two of them theny on the bed, chatting.


    Ring, ring¡­.


    A phone call came in.


    Xavier, who was at the Crawfords¡¯ residence, answered the phone after hesitatingly looking at Tiffany¡¯s


    caller ID on the phone screen.


    As soon as he picked up the phone, he heard her softughter from the other side, ¡®Congrattions,


    you will soon get what you want.¡±


    He stood in front of the window, holding a cup of coffee and looking out at the thick twilight. He slowly


    lowered his eyelids. ¡°Likewise.¡±


    ¡°What do you have to say?¡± Tiffany pretended to be unaware.


    ¡°Using Veronica as a stepping stone to


    regain your former reputation. This is


    worthy of praise, and it should be your


    most joyous asion.¡±


    The outside world had mixed feelings about her because of her divorce from Matthew.


    However, she had recently performed


    numerous public welfare tasks, and she


    had gradually washed away her sins.


    The delicate cheeks of Tiffany twitched. into a smile. ¡°On the other hand, I would like to feel sorry for


    Veronica. It is a bad thing to be loved by you.¡±


    From the time Xavier took erotic photos


    and sent them to Matthew, which


    an ident, but Matthew stood by and watched¡­


    Veronica¡¯sst hope for him would disappear as well.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. Perhaps only then will she realize that only I, Xavier, will be there for her until the


    end.¡±


    He simply liked her in the past. Meanwhile, Xavier was now desperately trying to possess her and turn


    her into his personal property and essory.


    By that time, Mathew would be defeated


    by him!


    Xavier didn¡¯t know if he wanted Veronica for himself because he adored her or because he wanted to


    compete with Matthew out of a strong desire topare.


    As a result, he was naturally the most powerful advocate for the issue Veronica was dealing with.


    ¡®In any case, it¡¯s good for us. Tiffany grinned before continuing. ¡°But here¡¯s a


    reminder. You must clean up the mess


    you¡¯ve made every time you do


    something.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a Randall after tonight.¡±


    ¡°You have such vicious tricks. I respect


    you for that.¡±


    He hung up the phone, saying nothing


    more after listening to Tiffany¡¯s sarcasm.


    Yvonne¡¯s apartment.


    Veronica and Yvonne talked untilte at night, at which point Veronica said, ¡°We¡¯ve been chatting for so


    long. I¡¯ll pour you a ss of water to drink.¡±


    She stood up, poured Yvonne a ss of


    water, and handed it to her.


    The foolish woman then drank the ss


    of water and eventually fell asleep.


    ¡°Yvonne? Yvonne?¡±


    Veronica reached out and patted.


    Yvonne¡¯s cheek upon seeing her


    unconscious. She sighed as she noticed


    she hadn¡¯t responded, ¡°Sorry, I know I shouldn¡¯t treat you in this manner.¡±


    Veronica needed to go out tonight, but she couldn¡¯t tell Yvonne.


    Once Yvonne found out, she was bound to tell Conrad about it if he asked.


    How could a woman in love tell the difference between the truth and hypocrisy?


    Veronica despicably put sleeping pills in her water as ast resort.


    She waited on the side of the road for a while after leaving Yvonne¡¯s apartment. When she noticed a


    car approaching, she opened the door and got into the car.


    ¡°Everything is in the car, Veronica,¡± Shirley said to Veronica while driving.


    ¡°Thank you for your efforts, Shir.¡±


    Veronica thanked Shirley and then. inquired, ¡°How is the investigation I¡¯ve ordered you to conduct


    coming along?¡±


    ¡°I contacted the person you requested that I contact, and the other party arrested Randall. We can go


    there right now.¡±


    ¡°No. You should avoid interfering in this matter. Take a taxi after getting out of the car and go back


    home on your own. Remember to keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°Veronica, can you do it by yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Shirley didn¡¯t say anything else after hearing what Veronica had said. After repeatedly reminding


    Veronica to pay attention to safety, Shirley got out of the car and took a taxi back.


    Subsequently, Veronica got into the car before she quickly dressed as a man by changing into a suit


    and wearing a cap. The driver then drove to her destination.


    The person she asked Shirley to contact was the private detective she hired when. she arrived in


    Bloomstead.

 Chapter 303

    Chapter 303


    Chapter 303 Matthew Discovered Her Identity


    This new batch of private investigators were the people whom Veronica had recruited again afterward.


    They were great at fighting and their work was meticulous as well.


    If it weren¡¯t for Randall being Monica¡¯s husband, she would not have bothered to deal with all this


    hassle.


    Regardless, though, she intended to interrogate Randall personally to find out who was behind all this.


    She drove her car directly toward the destination.


    It was past midnight, the roads were empty, so she drove at a high speed. It merely took her half an


    hour to arrive at the destination she was headed for.


    However, before Veronica had the chance to get out of her car, she received a phone call.


    She had a bluetooth headset on, so she answered the phone with it. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bad news. Someone came and broke Randall out.¡± The person on the other end spoke up.


    Veronica was listening to the other person speak when she suddenly saw that there was a car hurtling


    in her direction with the headlights on full beaming from the bend ahead.


    Shocked, she instantly pulled her car over to the side of the road. She had a strong hunch that this was


    the car of the people who hijacked Randall.


    ¡°Is it a ck car?¡± She looked through her rearview mirror and caught sight of thest two numbers on


    that car¡¯s registration te. ¡°Are thest two numbers of the registration te 73?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yeah, you¡¯re right. How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°I encountered the car coincidentally.¡±


    She instantly hung up her phone and made a perfect drift as she turned her car in the opposite


    direction, making her way toward the car ahead. The car in front was driven at a very high speed, so


    Veronica drove fast too.


    She continued to trail after the car ahead, and they drove along the wide motorway toward the tiny


    country roads before finallying to a stop at the entrance of a mechanic shop.


    Veronica had a cap on as she grabbed an electric baton and got out of the car.


    However, as soon as she approached the car in front of her, a sudden click went off, and the darkened


    entrance lit up instantly. The white lights shone through brightly. Subsequently, more than ten men


    surrounded her.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Veronica was dressed in male attire, so she forged a deep, male voice and questioned


    them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been trailing us the entire way. I¡¯m much more interested in finding out who you are.¡±


    The tightly shut doors to the mechanic¡¯s shop were opened from the inside, and a familiar person


    walked out. He was as cold and haughty as before, and he stood there arrogantly. He had both his


    hands tucked into the pocket of his pants and he stood straight. As the lights hit his face, his handsome


    features were much more prominent than ever.


    Veronica¡¯s eyes widened slightly upon seeing the familiar guy in front of her, and she was slightly


    shocked.


    She had made quite a few wild guesses as she tried to figure out the person who had hijacked Randall,


    but never in her wildest dreams would she have expected the person to be Matthew. Why did he


    kidnap Randall? Could he possibly be the mastermind who sent Randall after me?


    However, Veronica instantly banished that ridiculous notion from her mind.


    Although Matthew had an unpredictable mood, he wasn¡¯t a despicable man at all. Besides, if Veronica


    encountered any trouble, it would bring disrepute to the Kingses too.


    Bring disrepute? As soon as she thought of that, realization dawned upon her.


    It turned out that Matthew was just wearing a couldn¡¯t care less attitude about the trouble she was in.


    On the surface, he appeared to allow the situation to unfold, but secretly, he persisted in investigating


    the matter.


    Matthew directed a question at Veronica, but he saw her standing still without saying a word. She


    seemed quite impatient with an electric baton in her hands.


    Matthew lowered his head and took out a cigarette from the inner pocket of his suit. He lit it before


    holding it in between his fingers. He lifted his fingers slightly, and Troy instantly caught on to Matthew¡¯s


    intention.


    ¡°Get her!¡± Troy instructed.


    As soon as Troy yelled out hismand, the men that surrounded Veronica instantly pounced on her.


    Veronica was just about to yell out for them to stop upon seeing their reaction, but before she could get


    a word in edgewise, the men had rushed forward.


    At that moment, she had no other option, so she swung the electric baton at the men rushing toward


    her. She lifted her leg and kicked one of them onto the ground.


    More than ten men rushed toward Veronica, but because she was a tiny target, they had difficulty


    fighting her with their bare hands and feet. They were much more likely to hurt their own men in the


    process.


    At that moment, the man standing under the light while puffing on his cigarette narrowed his eyes


    slightly. He looked at the familiar fight moves used by the person in front of him and a pondering look


    shed across his eyes.


    Subsequently, he pulled his lips into a smile as he held the cigarette in between his lips. His smile was


    slightly resigned with an indulgent note.


    ¡°President Kings, what¡¯s so funny?¡± Troy noticed that Matthew suddenly chuckled, so the former was


    quite confused.


    ¡°Bring this man inside and interrogate him,¡± Matthew instructed Troy.


    As Matthew spoke, he turned around and slowly took a seat on a chair by the side. He watched calmly


    as Veronica remained in a frenzied fight with the ten men.


    Normally, she was quite bad at fighting, but today she seemed to be performing at her peak.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Perhaps it was because she was skillful at maneuvering the electric baton, or perhaps she had too


    many frustrations on her mindtely, so she fought hard. In no time at all, she had defeated all of the


    men in front of her.


    She stood there and panted hard as she looked at the men on the ground. She kept her electric baton


    pointed at them. ¡°Is there anyone who wants toe at me again?¡±


    ¡°Gosh, it hurts so much.¡±


    ¡°She fights so well!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve underestimated her.¡±


    ¡°My head! My head is bleeding!¡±


    ¡°Help me! My arm¡­ My arm hurts¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica had a cold and indifferent look on her face as she stared at the men howling on the ground.


    Subsequently, she turned her eyes to Matthew, who was seated on the chair.


    Angered, she strode forcefully to stand in front of him, and then, she brandished the electric baton in


    front of his handsome face. ¡°Hand over that man to me.¡±


    Her deep male voice sounded quite normal, and no one could tell that something was amiss at first.


    On the contrary, the outfit she had on¡ªa camo suit paired with ck leather shoes and a ck cap


    worn low with a face mask on¡ªmade her look quite dashing and handsome.


    Matthew ignored her and flicked the ash from his cigarette before lifting his headzily. ¡°You fight well.


    Would you like to work for me?¡±


    Meanwhile, Veronica grimaced slightly upon hearing his words. Is he out of his mind? She was here to


    demand Randall¡¯s release and yet, he attempted to recruit her right now!


    ¡°Hand over Randall or else I¡¯ll teach you a lesson you¡¯ll never forget.¡± Veronica lifted the electric baton


    and she flicked the cigarette in Matthew¡¯s hand to the ground.


    The cigarette fell from his hand. The lit-up cigarette butt formed a bright red arch as it fell to the ground


    and bounced slightly before finally ending up on the ground.


    Matthew lowered his eyes and nced at the electric baton in front of him. There was a slight smile on


    his strikingly handsome face as he lifted his hand to gently push the baton aside. ¡°Oh? Is that so? I


    would like to know how you¡¯re going to teach me a lesson.¡±


    At that point, Veronica was speechless. She pondered in her mind, Am I too well-disguised that he


    hasn¡¯t figured out my true identity? Or could it be that he has never studied me carefully enough that he


    doesn¡¯t even recognize me even though I¡¯m standing in front of him?


    ¡°Ah! Help me.¡± Suddenly, there was an agonized wail that rang out from inside.


    Veronica frowned, and she could no longer hold back. Without considering things any further, she


    rushed into the house and pointed at Troy, who was currently beating up Randall. ¡°Let go of him!¡±


    Troy turned around to see Veronica enter the room with Matthew behind her, so Troy stopped and


    stood aside.


    ng¡ª


    The medium-sized door to the workshop was slowly lowered, and Veronica instantly turned around in


    that direction upon hearing it. Shemented in her mind, Oh no! I¡¯ve been too careless and now I¡¯m


    locked inside.


    ¡°Were you the one who sent Randall to do all that?¡± Matthew stood behind her and purposely brought


    that up, despite knowing the answer.


    She shook her head. ¡°No. I came to investigate this matter under instructions from someone else.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Is that so? Since you¡¯re keen to investigate this matter too, let¡¯s work together to find out.¡±


    Veronica hesitated for a moment. ¡°Would you let me leave once I¡¯m done with interrogating him?¡±

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304


    Chapter 304 So It Was Actually Xavier Behind All This?


    ¡°Perhaps so.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll trust you just this once.¡±


    Veronica was aware that she had no other way to resolve this situation. Besides, even if she left with


    Randall, there was no other location that she could take him to. She might as well interrogate Randall


    here and leave after that. That would work out much better. Subsequently, she joined Troy in


    interrogating Randall.


    Meanwhile, at the Crawford Residence, Xavier was wide awake as he waited to hear back from the


    hitman.


    However, he waited for quite a while but received no news at all.


    Just as Xavier was about to grab his phone to call the other party, he received a phone call at the same


    time. ¡°Young Master Xavier, I¡¯ve failed. Randall was hijacked by someone. I¡¯m still investigating the


    matter, and I¡¯m not sure of the identity of the other party just yet.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Xavier¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You¡¯re a bunch of imbeciles! I don¡¯t care what you do, but I want


    Randall dead by tonight!¡±


    If Randall remained alive and this incident became known, there would be severe consequences. As


    soon as Xavier thought of this, he was very uneasy.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m doing all I can to investigate this,¡± replied the other party.


    As soon as Xavier hung up the phone, he was quite restless, and he quickly left the mansion.


    He figured that it would be much better for him to deal with certain things personally.


    Inside the workshop, Veronica held the electric baton in her hand. She used it on Randall and punished


    him badly. Finally, he broke down and told the truth, ¡°Oh¡­ Sobs¡­ Stop hitting me. It hurts. I¡¯ll tell you


    the truth. I¡¯ll tell you everything¡­¡±


    ¡°You should have done that earlier to avoid this punishment.¡± Veronica¡¯s expression was somber as


    she ced one hand in her pocket while holding on to the baton with the other hand. She took out a


    recording device and switched it on to record the ensuing conversation.


    ¡°Boohoo¡­ I don¡¯t know the person either¡­ Sobs¡­ A mysterious person called me and sent me to a


    specified location to get five hundred thousand in cash, and then in return, I was told to frame Veronica.


    The person gave me the contact details of the press and instructed me to frame a woman named


    Veronica. Boohoo¡­ They said that no lives would be harmed, so¡­ so I did everything ording to


    their instructions.¡±


    Randall, who had never experienced torture before, quickly revealed everything that he knew.


    ¡°How did the other party contact you?¡±


    ¡°The person called me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s their phone number?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. Sobs¡­ The other party called me every time they needed to give me instructions, and


    then the number¡­ The number they used would always appear as an unknown number that was


    uncontactable. Boohoo¡­¡±


    Randall sobbed hard, and he felt as if his body was shattered from the beating he had gone through.


    He couldn¡¯t stop shivering from the pain as he asked, ¡°Who are you? H-How are you rted to


    Veronica?¡±


    Veronica was significantly angered, and she instantly swung the electric baton in her hand at him. As


    soon as Randall saw the iing baton, he yelled in surprise, but before the pain hit him, he


    swooned, and then he fainted in a heap on the ground.


    Veronica was not going to let him off lightly, though. She found a bottle of water by the side and


    sshed it on Randall¡¯s face. Instantly, he was hit by a wave of coldness, and he regained


    consciousness right there and then.


    She continued to persist in her interrogation, and it was then that she found out the location where


    Randall went to collect the cash. It was also at this point that she realized the cash of five hundred


    thousand was stored at his house.


    After the interrogation ended, she turned around to nce at Matthew. ¡°I¡¯m done with interrogating him.


    Could you hand this man over to me?¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    After all, Randall was Monica¡¯s husband. Although he was a money-minded man and deserved to lose


    his life over this, she was mindful that he was Monica¡¯s husband.


    Monica had just given birth, so she needed her husband, and their baby needed him, the father, too.


    Matthew lifted his brows and replied, ¡°Why do you want him? Don¡¯t you want to get rid of him?¡±


    He purposely behaved as if he didn¡¯t recognize her, and he mentioned it coldly.


    ¡°Although he¡¯s money-minded, ultimately, he didn¡¯t harm any lives, so he doesn¡¯t deserve to die for his


    crimes.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You¡¯re quite right.¡±


    Matthew nodded his head slightly, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, just take him with you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Veronica clearly didn¡¯t expect that Matthew would give in so easily, but she didn¡¯tment too much


    about that. She carted Randall, who was injured, off with her and dragged him out of the workshop with


    much difficulty.


    Finally, she seeded in stuffing him into the trunk, and subsequently, she started her car and drove


    off in haste. By then, Troy hade forward and stood in front of Matthew. ¡°President Kings, do you


    know him?¡±


    He stood straight, and his deep eyes were focused on the car that had gradually driven off in the


    distance. He kept his eyes on the car until it finally disappeared into the dark horizon, before he curled


    his lips into a smile. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Undeniably, her disguise was perfect. Even Troy was fooled by her, so she was definitely skillful.


    ¡­


    Veronica left with Randall, and she dumped him at a secluded warehouse before leaving.


    This location was definitely the safest spot for Randall because¡­ Since they had found Randall, the


    mastermind behind this incident would definitely want to get rid of Randall too.


    Randall was not the only one with his life in danger; Monica and their newborn baby in the hospital


    were in the same predicament too.


    Just then, Veronica was quite frustrated. She contacted the private investigator to get the surveince


    camera footage around the location where the five hundred thousand was ced so that she could find


    out the actual identity of the mastermind.


    After Veronica had given her instructions, she headed directly to the Women¡¯s and Children¡¯s Hospital.


    She was slightly worried about Monica, so she wanted to pop over for a visit.


    However, as soon as Veronica parked her car and got out of it, she bumped straight into Xavier.


    From the moment Veronica got out of her car, she focused her eyes on Xavier from under her cap.


    Xavier shot a look at her too.


    Perhaps it was because she had intentionally changed her posture and appearance, so Xavier didn¡¯t


    manage to identify her at first nce.


    He headed out of the hospital as she walked into the ce, and they both shot a look at each other, but


    neither slowed down. They continued on their ways and brushed past each other.


    Bam¡ª


    Shortly after that, there was the sound of a car door mming shut from behind her. Subsequently,


    there was a noise of a car¡¯s ignition being started, and then the car gradually disappeared into the


    horizon.


    At that point, Veronica paused in her tracks. She had both hands tucked in her pocket as she turned


    around to look at the car¡¯s lit-up tail lights as they gradually disappeared from her sight. Her heart sank


    subsequently. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fist tightly as she kept her eyes on the


    direction the car drove off in. Suddenly, she felt a chill run down her spine.


    It waste at night, so was it a coincidence that Xavier suddenly appeared at the hospital, or could it be


    because he was here to investigate her matter? As soon as Veronica thought of this, she ran into the


    hospital and entered Monica¡¯s room immediately. Her anxiety was instantly alleviated upon seeing


    Monica and Mrs. Watson deep in slumber while the baby in the cot licked his lips as he slept soundly.


    However, the next moment after that, she recalled something, so she turned around and rushed out of


    the room to leave the hospital. She started her car and drove directly in the direction of Monica¡¯s


    house.


    She had visited Monica at her house before, so she knew the exact location. Coincidentally or not, as


    Veronica drove along the road toward Monica¡¯s house, she encountered the ck car once again. It


    was the car that Xavier had entered when she bumped into him at the hospital entrance.


    After quite some time, she finally arrived at an old township on the outskirts of the city, and she found


    Monica¡¯s house at a nce amongst the row of old houses. The reason for that was that Monica¡¯s


    house was on fire.


    Veronica had gotten out of the car at that point, and she was standing by the sidewalk when she saw


    the scene in front of her. She stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.


    It was then that she realized she had actually uncovered the truth. She had seen the truth with her own


    eyes. The truth was covered by lies, and it pained her to realize that.


    If she had been blissfully ignorant previously and thought that Xavier was at the hospitalte at night to


    help her uncover the truth, then at the moment, with Monica¡¯s house aze and Xavier¡¯s abrupt


    departure, everything was quite obvious and it went without saying.


    The truth was¡­ He was not there to seek evidence; he hade to destroy it.


    The fire at Monica¡¯s house burned intensely, and every resident in the old township was alerted to the


    fire. Some men grabbed megaphones and hollered as they quickly evacuated the crowd. Some of them


    dialed the number for the local fire station.


    Veronica stood by the sidewalk and watched the unfolding scene for a few minutes before turning


    around to enter her car. Subsequently, she left the ce.

 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305


    Chapter 305 Thinks That Veronica Is a Decent Person


    Veronica drove back to the town center and removed her makeup in the car. Subsequently, she


    changed her clothes and parked the car at the location she had agreed upon with Shirley.


    After she had done all that, she got out of the car and hailed a cab from the sidewalk.


    The cab arrived not too far from Yvonne¡¯s apartment when she discovered that there was a street cart


    on the sidewalk, so she got out of the cab before arriving at her destination. She sat by the street cart


    and enjoyed some food and beer.


    She had spent the whole night dealing with the hassle, and she had assumed that it would take quite a


    while for her to find out who the mastermind behind all this was.


    However, it seemed she was wrong and she didn¡¯t even need that much time because the truth was


    right in front of her.


    She had thought about this countless times and the suspects in her mind were Ruka, Tiffany, and even


    Conrad, but she never expected Xavier to be the perpetrator.


    She drank one ss after the other, and the burning sensation in her throat cleared her mind.


    She had thought that Xavier couldprehend the decision she was forced to make in that situation


    for harming him and Melissa in the warehouse, but she was perhaps too naive.


    As she thought of this, she couldn¡¯t help recalling the episode at the Kings Residence when she had


    ended up drunk and Conrad had handed her over to Xavier. He took her to a hotel and spent the night


    there. She was fearful upon realizing the danger she was in that night. Fortunately, nothing happened;


    otherwise, it would be toote for any regrets.


    She sat and continued to drink by herself as she sat by the street cart. After paying her bill, she


    stumbled back to Yvonne¡¯s house.


    Yvonne was fast asleep when Veronica got home, so Veronica freshened up quickly and went to bed


    after that.


    The next morning, Veronica woke up at six o¡¯clock as usual. However, she did not get out of bed.


    Instead, shey there as she used her phone in bed.


    Shortly after that, Yvonne woke up, and she flipped over in bed as she stretched her body. ¡°Phew. It


    feels sofortable to wake up from a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Roni.¡±


    Yvonne clutched the quilt, and her eyes weren¡¯t fully open as she greeted Veronicazily.


    Veronica responded, ¡°Hey, good morning.¡±


    ¡°What would you like for breakfast?¡± Yvonne asked.


    Veronica shot her a look. ¡°Are you nning to make me breakfast?¡±


    ¡°In your dreams. Conrad will buy us something when hees over.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t mind anything.¡±


    Veronica put down her phone and snuggled in bed. ¡°I want to get more sleep.¡± In actual fact, she had


    no urge to sleep at all. However, she found Conrad¡¯s behavior overly enthusiastic and it seemed to


    have blinded her to his true self. She couldn¡¯t help wondering that perhaps Conrad was in collusion


    with Xavier.


    One hourter, Veronica got out of bed and sat on the couch in the living room.


    At that moment, Conrad arrived with breakfast.


    As soon as Conrad entered the house, Xavier turned up with breakfast as well, right after that.


    ¡°Roni, did you sleep wellst night?¡±


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Last night, she had brushed past an aloof and elegant-looking Xavier, and there was a haughty aura


    that surrounded him. Right now, though, there was a slightly wicked smile on his handsome face, which


    made him seem much friendlier and approachable. It was such a stark difference in the personality of


    the same person.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    Conrad noticed that she seemed to be preupied with her thoughts, so he reached over and waved


    his hand in front of her with a concerned expression.


    ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s n-nothing.¡±


    Veronica shook her head and nced at the spread on the table. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I was waiting for you


    guys toe over with breakfast.¡±


    She then grabbed some cutlery and started the meal.


    Meanwhile, Xavier came over and took a seat next to her. He expressed concern andforted her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for some men to investigate the matter, so I¡¯m quite sure that there will be an oue


    soon enough. Don¡¯t feel burdened or stressed unnecessarily. For the time being, just stay here and


    rx with Yvonne.¡±


    In the past, she had regarded Xavier as a friend as close as family, but right now, Xavier was a thorn in


    her side and she couldn¡¯t help being consciously wary of him. However, she had to keep things to


    herself, and she couldn¡¯t show her true feelings because she didn¡¯t have enough evidence to back


    herself up. Most importantly, there was no benefit at all in exposing the matter as there would be


    serious repercussions.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll heed your advice.¡±


    Veronica nodded while she munched on some oatmeal. Suddenly, she lifted her head and asked


    solemnly, ¡°What¡¯s the progress of the investigation?¡±


    Xavier, who was seated across the table from Veronica, shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have much information


    for now.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t found out much yet?¡±


    Veronica gripped her cutlery tightly, and she purposely put on a preupied look as she stirred her


    oatmeal. Suddenly, she mentioned, ¡°Start an investigation on Randall then. Clearly, I¡¯m the target, so


    as long as we conduct an investigation on Randall, we should be able to uncover some clues there.¡±


    ¡°Randall¡¯s gone,¡± Xavier revealed, quite frankly to Veronica.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone?¡± Veronica lifted her head and stared unblinkingly at Xavier with a pair of clear eyes. She


    seemed to be trying to see through to his innermost thoughts from his handsome looks and to see how


    despicable and dark his heart actually was.


    Could this be Xavier¡¯s first step in exacting revenge? Veronica was clueless about this.


    ¡°How long do I have to stay with Yvonne?¡± Veronica heaved a sad sigh, and there was clearly a


    dejected look on her face.


    Yvonne couldn¡¯t help feeling sorry for Veronica upon seeing that. The former moved next to thetter


    and wrapped her arms around thetter¡¯s neck tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything will be fine with


    Conrad and Young Master Xavier around.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Little Roni. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Conrad kept both hands tucked in the pocket of his pants, and he looked down at Veronica from an


    elevated position. ¡°You just have to be mindful not to go out for the time being. Stay here with Yvonne


    and don¡¯t go anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°Why though?¡± Veronica asked perplexedly.


    ¡°There are a lot of nastyments from the public about you and the words are extremely derogatory.


    Although you¡¯re innocent in this and you don¡¯t care about public opinion, it¡¯s still hard to contain the


    spection from the public, so the best way to keep you protected is for you to avoid going out as


    much as possible.¡± Conrad solemnly analyzed the situation for Veronica.


    ¡°Yeah, you should heed Conrad¡¯s advice. By the way, Veronica. Can I use your phone for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She handed over her cell phone to Xavier, and he did something on it for quite some time before


    returning it to her.


    Curious, she asked, ¡°Xavier, what did you do on my phone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve set up a tracking system just in case we need to use it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Thanks.¡±


    She held her phone and nodded at him before continuing her meal. Tracking system? Hah!


    After breakfast, Conrad and Xavier left together. Yvonne had some work to deal with at thepany,


    so she went to the office. As such, Veronica was the only one left in therge apartment.


    Shey in bed and yed on her phone. She looked at the virus that Xavier had installed on her


    phone. Not only was it able to track her exact location, but it was also able to tap into all of the phone


    calls she received.


    Veronica looked at the link he had used to install the virus, and she snorted mockingly.


    This is childish stuff. I got bored of it ages ago, but he unted this in front of me right now? He must


    not have realized that I studiedputer programming at university.


    She remained in bed and browsed through some news on her phone. There were several other


    trending topics other than the news report on the incident yesterday.


    ¡®Randall Watson, who was beaten up by Veronica for no reason, has disappeared¡¯, ¡®The share prices


    for Spinfluence Group have dropped drastically and traded to a halt after Veronica¡¯s incident¡¯, ¡®Tiffany


    wants the public to trust her sister, Veronica.¡¯


    There were somements by the people on the inte, ¡®She has beaten Randall up and now she


    has kidnapped him too. She must be desperate to have a criminal conviction, huh?¡¯


    ¡®Old Mrs. Kings shouldn¡¯t have taken this woman as her god-granddaughter!¡¯


    ¡®I agree!¡¯


    ¡®She brings misfortune to anyone who gets too close to her!¡¯


    ¡®Tiffany¡¯s the kindest. She has actuallye forward and implored us to trust Veronica despite the


    current situation!¡¯


    ¡®She¡¯s too naive. How can she still think that Veronica¡¯s a decent person.¡¯

 Chapter 306

    Chapter 306


    Chapter 306 A Sabotage


    Currently, at Spinfluence Group. Conrad appeared at thepany in the morning. He stood in front of


    Matthew¡¯s desk and looked at Matthew, who was engrossed in work.


    However, Matthew disregarded Conrad.


    Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.


    Conrad knocked his knuckles on the desk with a displeased expression. ¡°Matthew, you¡¯re Veronica¡¯s


    god-brother. How do you n to deal with this matter?¡±


    As soon as Matthew heard Conrad¡¯s question, Matthew didn¡¯t even bother to lift his head. Matthew held


    a ck pen in his hand and continued to scrawl his signature on a document on the desk.


    Subsequently, the former closed the document and lifted his head to look at Conrad. ¡°Uncle Conrad,


    are you here because of this matter?¡±


    ¡°Her matter has be widely spected and ourpany¡¯s share prices have dropped significantly


    since the start of trading today and trading has now halted. The major shareholders of thepany


    don¡¯t dare approach you about this, so they¡¯ve pressured me to deal with this. They¡¯ve expressed their


    opinions and if you choose to stay out of this, I¡¯ll be appointed to take sole charge of this matter,¡±


    Conrad expressed solemnly.


    Matthew ced the document folder aside and leaned back in his chairzily as he lifted both hands in


    the air. He revealed a wicked smile. ¡°Uncle Conrad, do you wish to take sole charge of this matter or¡­¡±


    Matthew paused and purposely dragged his voice. ¡°Take sole charge of thepany¡¯s matters?¡±


    ¡°Are you just going to sit back and let Veronica¡¯s issue fester and persist?¡±


    Conrad stuck one hand into the pocket of his pants and clenched his fist with the other. He knocked the


    desk gently with his knuckles. ¡°Her personal matter has had an adverse effect on our family and


    Spinfluence Group. Even if Old Mrs. Kings dotes on her very much, that doesn¡¯t mean that everyone


    else in the family has to suffer the consequences because of her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±


    Matthew ced his elbows on the armrest of his work chair and used his fingers to support his


    temples. He looked rxed, yet there was a slightly wicked aura that he gave off. ¡°Uncle Conrad, do


    you have any suggestions on what to do?¡±


    ¡°Veronica¡¯s close to you and everyone in Bloomstead knows this, so you should be the one to decide


    what to do.¡±


    After Conrad said that, he added, ¡°Of course, if you have no intention of dealing with this matter, you


    can just easily turn a blind eye to things. However, you would have to exin the situation to Old Mrs.


    Kings and the other major shareholders.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I have no problem exining the situation to them.¡±


    Matthew was quite nonchnt about this. ¡°Uncle Conrad, could you please inform the shareholders


    and whoever requires an exnation from me toe here to see me if they want to? I¡¯ll give them an


    exnation personally.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Conrad didn¡¯t expect Matthew to keep up with this ambiguous behavior, and the former was


    quite resigned.


    ¡°You keep trying to stay out of this, but have you spared a thought about Veronica for all the pressure


    that she¡¯s facing from the public?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s her issue. It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°So does this mean you intend on severing all ties with her?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Conrad, why do you say so?¡± Matthew snorted derisively. ¡°I¡¯m just her god-brother. The only


    person linking the two of us is Grandma, so there are no ties to sever anyway. You¡¯re being ridiculous


    here.¡±


    Conrad moved the hand in his pocket and sneered coldly as he nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go to the press and


    tell them what you¡¯ve just told me so that our losses can be contained as soon as possible.¡±


    After Conrad said that, he turned around and left.


    Meanwhile, Matthew kept his eyes on Conrad¡¯s retreating back, and the former lifted his dark eyes.


    Half an hourter, Matthew¡¯s and Conrad¡¯s conversation was instantly posted on the inte, and the


    ¡®Matthew-Veronica rtionship¡¯ was a source of interest for the public, so swiftly enough, the recording


    of the conversation became a trending topic.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    As soon as Troy saw the trending news, he rushed into Matthew¡¯s office immediately. ¡°President Kings,


    take a look on Twitter¡­¡±


    However, before Troy couldplete his sentence, he heard the sound of a recording from theptop


    on the table, ¡°Uncle Conrad, why do you say so? I¡¯m just her god-brother. The only person¡­¡±


    Obviously, Matthew had seen the news too.


    ¡°Sir Conrad is so despicable! Although his actions have seeded in disassociating the Kings Family


    from Miss Murphy, which is great at salvaging thepany¡¯s loss in the shortest time possible, it would


    be pretty much impossible for you to maintain a civil rtionship with Miss Murphy from now on.¡±


    Troy had a keen sense of acuity, and he pointed out the crux of the matter.


    ¡°Since Uncle Conrad likes it, I don¡¯t mind going along with what he wants.¡± Matthew was unperturbed


    about the situation, and in fact, he had been on his guard as soon as Conrad entered his office.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Randall?¡± Matthew asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s still in that abandoned warehouse. The man who took off with him yesterday kept him captive


    there, and the man also arranged for someone to guard the ce.¡± As soon as Troy mentioned this, he


    couldn¡¯t help asking curiously, ¡°President Kings, how is that man fromst night rted to Miss


    Murphy?¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Matthew revealed a slight smile without answering Troy¡¯s question.


    At that moment, in Yvonne¡¯s apartment, Veronica was still in bed, and she was scrolling on Twitter.


    Suddenly, she saw the trending topic unexpectedly. She purposely clicked into it and listened to the


    entire voice recording.


    Matthew¡¯s familiar voice hit her ears, and though his cold, unfeeling words caused her heart to sink


    slightly, her attention was diverted by Conrad¡¯s despicable ways.


    During the incident at Jackson¡¯s wedding, Matthew had mentioned to the press that he would not


    interfere in the matter. Nheless, he had been secretly investigating the matterst night.


    Evidently, Conrad was unaware of the actions that Matthew took in secret, so Conrad made this voice


    recording and released it.


    Is Conrad actually considering the situation from the perspective of Spinfluence Group? Is he mainly


    concerned about the losses sustained by thepany? Definitely not! Veronica instantly banished that


    idea.


    Although she wasn¡¯t too sure about Conrad¡¯s purpose for doing that, she was sure about two things.


    Firstly, Conrad released this recording with the intention of stirring up trouble between her and


    Matthew. Naturally, then, he would be able to garner her support and get her to work for him. Secondly,


    he had dealt with this matter ¡®with the utmost consideration for thepany¡¯, so he had swiftly


    disassociated Spinfluence Group from her to salvage the losses sustained by thepany.


    Subtly, he had managed to showcase his capabilities and win the support of the upper management


    level and the shareholders, who had been quite worried about the unfolding situation. He hade up


    with such a perfect plot, but it was quite hard to tell whether Conrad and Xavier were secretly in


    collusion.


    However, the worst thing would be if the trio¡ªConrad, Xavier, and Tiffany¡ªhad formed a coboration.


    That would be an extremely horrible situation that was beyond imagination.


    Suddenly, Veronica was slightly worried about Matthew¡¯s current plight. She reckoned that he must be


    having a bad time right now.


    Ring. Ring. Ring.


    Just as Veronica was lost in her thoughts, her cell phone suddenly rang.


    Hendrey¡¯s name popped up on the screen of her phone.


    She hesitated for a moment before answering the phone, ¡°Hendrey?¡±


    ¡°Veronica, I¡¯ve seen the news about your issue. How are you doing? Are you alright?¡±


    On the other end of the line, Hendrey was frantic with worry. ¡°I¡¯ve got something urgent that popped up


    suddenly, so I can¡¯t go back for the moment. Just let me know if you need any help at all.¡±


    Hendrey was originally given a mission toplete back in the country, but unfortunately, luck was not


    on his side. He had encountered an unexpected situation while he was working overseas, so his trip


    had been dyed. He was unable to arrive back in time.


    His mission had been dyed as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Everything¡¯s alright.¡±


    Veronica was in good spirits after receiving a concerned call from a friend, so she smiled and asked,


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. How about you? You¡¯ve got a tough situation on your hands right now, and yet you¡¯ve spared


    the time to call and talk to me.¡±


    ¡°The matter with your bridal store is clear sabotage. Do you need me to assign some men to


    investigate this?¡± He asked.

 Chapter 307

    Chapter 307


    Chapter 307 Don¡¯t You Hate Me?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Trust me. I can handle this.¡± Veronica was full of confidence.


    She continued to chat with Hendrey before hanging up the phone.


    She had just hung up the phone with Hendrey when she received a phone call from Monica.


    As soon as Veronica answered the phone, Monica sobbed on the other end, ¡°Sobs¡­ President


    Murphy, do you know where Randall is? Boohoo¡­ He has disappeared for more than a day now and


    he¡¯s uncontactable. Besides, there was a fire at our house today. I don¡¯t know what to do right now¡­


    Boohoo¡­¡±


    On the other end of the line, Monica, who was still hospitalized, was very worried about Randall¡¯s


    condition.


    Although Randall wasn¡¯t kind toward Monica, they were family after all.


    As Veronica heard Monica¡¯s cries, the former felt a wave of emotions.


    Monica was originally not involved in this matter, but she had been dragged into it for some reason,


    which shouldn¡¯t have happened.


    ¡°Monica, Randall¡¯s not with me.¡±


    Veronica abruptly spoke to Monica, ¡°I know that there are spections on the inte and you¡¯ve got


    some suspicions too, but right now, you should be lodging a police report and not here after me. Do


    you get it?¡±


    Actually, Veronica admitted that she was lying, but if she told Monica the truth, Monica would not


    behave the same way as she was right now¡ªanxious to find out where Randall was.


    By then, Monica¡¯s life would be in danger.


    As such, rather than dragging Monica into this, Veronica reckoned that it was much wiser for Monica to


    stay out of everything.


    ¡°Boohoo¡­ Where could Randall have gone then? Sobs¡­ I¡¯m so worried about his condition.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about him much. I¡¯ll send Shirley over to keep youpany. You¡¯ve just given


    birth, so you must take care of yourself well.¡±


    Veronica spoke on the phone with Monica for slightly longer before giving Shirley a call. Veronica gave


    instructions to Shirley for her to go and keep Monicapany.


    At night, Yvonne returned from work to see that Veronica was still in bed. Yvonne assumed that


    Veronica was in a bad mood, so she stepped forward and gave Veronica a warm hug. ¡°Roni, listen to


    me. There are so many trees in the forest and there are so many men out there for you to choose, so


    don¡¯t be sad and upset because it¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    Veronica was perplexed by her words. ¡°What man?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be other than that bast*rd, Matthew!¡±


    Yvonne bellowed loudly and ced both hands on her hips as she paced back and forth in the room


    angrily. ¡°Look at how abominably he has behaved! It¡¯s bad enough that he hasn¡¯t offered any help, but


    how dare hement on you in that manner with Conrad! This is too much!¡±


    Veronica was aware that Yvonne was quite naive, but the former clearly didn¡¯t expect thetter to be so


    clueless about the wily ways of others.


    Veronica pretended to be confused and asked, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve listened to the recording too, but¡­ I was


    wondering, who was it that released the recording? Could it be Matthew?¡±


    Veronica reminded Yvonne subtly to get thetter to look at this matter logically.


    However, the truth was that a woman infatuated by love clearlycked intelligence.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s Matthew. He must have released the recording to keep Spinfluence Group safe. Hmph!


    It¡¯s fine if he wants to disassociate with you, but why did he drag Conrad into this? I reckon right now,


    the management level of Spinfluence Group must be quite displeased with Conrad. They must think


    that he¡¯s siding with you and not focused on thepany¡¯s benefit. Gosh¡­¡±


    As soon as Yvonne mentioned this, she sat down by the bed andy down as she stared at the ceiling


    with wide eyes. With a sigh, she mentioned, ¡°Conrad¡¯s awesome. He¡¯s just too silly, as he¡¯s always


    considerate of others.¡±


    At that point, Veronica nearly leaped up and pounced on Yvonne to pry open her head and figure out


    what was exactly inside her mind.


    Judging by Matthew¡¯s personality, if he wanted to express his opinion to the public, he would not have


    resorted to using a voice recording.


    She wondered whether Yvonne had forgotten the words Matthew had said to the reporters during


    Jackson¡¯s wedding. He had said outrightly, ¡°Her personal matter has nothing to do with the Kings


    Family.¡± As such, she was quite confident that he wasn¡¯t one to make unnecessary moves.


    ¡°What should we do? It¡¯s my fault for dragging Conrad into this.¡± Veronica had no choice but to be


    mindful of Yvonne¡¯s emotions, and she replied with an aggrieved expression.


    As soon as Yvonne heard Veronica¡¯s remorseful and self-reproaching words, the former sat up in bed


    andforted thetter. ¡°You did not drag him into this! This is the perfect opportunity to test Conrad,


    and it also allows me to see his true personality. However, it¡¯s awesome because he hasn¡¯t


    disappointed me at all. He¡¯s a man worth marrying.¡±


    At that point, Veronica was speechless. She thought, Girl, seriously?! You should learn to judge people


    better. You¡¯re such a bimbo. You¡¯ve been tricked and yet you think that he¡¯s a nice guy.


    She shook her head resignedly and leaned back in bed before starting to y a game.


    ¡°You¡¯re still able to y games, so that means the pressure hasn¡¯t gotten to you.¡±


    As soon as Yvonne saw Veronica¡¯s intense look as she was gaming, the former patted thetter¡¯s back


    with a satisfied look on her face. ¡°Have fun. I¡¯ll wait for Conrad in the living room.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Veronica affirmed without saying anything further. Perhaps she also had no idea of what to say


    to Yvonne.


    Although Veronica was aware that Conrad was a schemeful person who plotted against others, this


    was all her deductions, and she didn¡¯t have any concrete proof to back herself up. There was no way


    she could convince Yvonne.


    In the bedroom, Veronica remained engrossed in her game when, all of a sudden, the door was pushed


    open forcefully.


    Xavier rushed into the room angrily and walked to the table before mming the surface hard. His


    sudden action caught Veronica by surprise, and she was significantly startled.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Are you seriously asking me what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xavier tugged hard on his scarf and removed it from his


    neck before angrily mming his fist into the wall. ¡°Matthew¡¯s a freaking bast*ard! He ims that he will


    protect you, but he has chosen to throw you to the wolves at the first sight of trouble! This is too much!¡±


    While engrossed in her game and destroying a tower, Veronica shot a look at Xavier from the side of


    her eyes.


    She watched as he put on a self-absorbent act in front of her. At that moment, she found the entire


    situation a mockery. She wondered whether he thought she was a fool in his eyes or vice versa.


    ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t want to talk about him.¡±


    Veronica leaned against the headboard and put on a despondent and feeble look as she yed her


    game. She looked as if she had been defeated by life and had now epted what was going on with


    her life.


    ¡°Roni, I¡¯ve told you from the start that Matthew¡¯s not someone you can rely on. You were too naive,¡±


    Xavier reprimanded her while pulling out a cigarette from the pocket of his coat. He lit the cigarette and


    puffed on it silently.


    At that moment, he had a dreadfully worried expression.


    Unbeknownst to him, Veronica saw everything, but she merely found it a joke. The entire situation was


    a mockery, and it was deeply saddening for her.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s normal for one to be naive once.¡±


    She won the game that she was ying and ended the first round of the game.


    Subsequently, she kept her phone aside andmented, ¡°However, the experiences we encounter are


    what make us grow. For example, this time, I¡¯ve also¡­ I¡¯ve learned a lot. By the way, I¡¯m thankful for


    you guys¡­¡±


    I¡¯m thankful to you guys because you¡¯ve shown me how evil exists in life and howplicated the


    ways of society can get.


    Xavier held a cigarette in between the fingers of his right hand and walked to stand next to Veronica.


    He noticed her poutful and pitiful look, so he raised his left hand and hesitated before finally cing it


    on her head and ruffling her hair.


    His actions were very doting.


    ¡°Roni, I hope that you¡¯ll realize from this incident that I¡¯m the only one in this world who would treat you


    well without any expectation of repayment,¡± he spoke in a slightly hoarse and solemn voice.


    Meanwhile, Veronica, who had her head lowered, had a slight glint in her eyes.


    If she hadn¡¯t realized the truth, she would definitely have been very touched upon hearing his words.


    However, she merely found everything a joke at the moment.


    She pursed her lips and blinked her pretty eyes as she asked Xavier, ¡°W-Why are you so kind to me?


    That day in the warehouse, I injured you and Melissa. Don¡¯t you hate me for that?¡±


    Her acting was superb, as she put on a world-ss act.


    She purposely made the tears well up in her eyes, and under the lights in the room, her eyes


    glimmered. The despondent look she had was emphasized by the tears on her stunning, oval-shaped


    face.


    As soon as Veronica brought up that incident, the hand that Xavier had on Veronica¡¯s head stiffened for


    a moment.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Furthermore, his facial expressions clearly stiffened slightly, and it was quite evident. Soon after that,


    he pursed his lips and smiled. ¡°That has all happened in the past. I know that you must have been


    furious at that moment, so that¡¯s why you took that action. I don¡¯t me you for that.¡±


    The reason Veronica asked this question was to probe Xavier and find out if he knew the true reason


    behind her action of injuring them in the warehouse. Nheless, she realized that she was too naive.


    He hadn¡¯t even considered that aspect at all, and he merely thought that she had injured him and


    Melissa in a fit of anger.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good to know.¡±


    Veronica was at a loss for words, and she felt repulsed by Xavier¡¯s hand on her head, so shey down


    in bed and dragged her quilt to cover herself. ¡°I¡¯m feeling tired. Why don¡¯t you go out so I can take a


    short nap?¡±


    ¡°Okay, have a good rest.¡±

 Chapter 308

    Chapter 308


    Chapter 308 The Truth Is Revealed


    Xavier turned around and left.


    One hourter, she was asked toe out of the room, and the four of them had a simple meal in the


    living room.


    The other three mainly focused on Matthew as their topic, and they continued to talk about him.


    Meanwhile, Veronica sat there with a despondent look on her face. She looked very downcast after


    encountering endless pressure and was now quite defeated.


    She didn¡¯t eat much and went back to her bedroom to sleep soon after that.


    Finally, Conrad and Xavier left at midnight.


    Yvonne came over to chat with Veronica for a short while, and subsequently, Veronica ced a


    sleeping tablet into the ss of water that Yvonne usually took before bedtime.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Veronica felt quite guilty as she looked at Yvonne, who was sound asleep.


    At one o¡¯clock in the morning, she grabbed her keys and left the apartment cautiously. She hailed a cab


    and left for the location where she had parked her car yesterday.


    She disguised herself in the car before finally driving to the abandoned warehouse.


    However, as soon as she arrived at the destination, she was surprised to see a very familiar silvery-


    grey Maybach.


    She saw the familiar car te and instantly realized that it was Matthew¡¯s car.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Why is he here?


    Veronica parked her car and got out to see Matthew puffing on a cigarette while leaning against the car


    door.


    ¡°Are you waiting for me?¡± She used a distinct male voice and asked.


    ¡°Obviously.¡± He shrugged with one hand holding on to a cigarette and shot her a cold look. ¡°Do you


    think that I¡¯m here to catch some fresh air in the middle of the night?¡±


    Matthew looked at her with a cold and indifferent look on his face, and she looked exactly like azy,


    good-for-nothing man. She perfected the way a man walked.


    At that moment, his eyes shone, and he was increasingly drawn to the little surprise from her. He


    enjoyed such moments tremendously.


    On the other hand, Veronica grimaced upon hearing his sarcastic words, and she was rendered


    speechless. ¡°Just say what you¡¯re here for.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something here that should be useful to your backer.¡± Matthew handed over a sh drive to


    Veronica and mentioned it coldly.


    She took the sh drive from him and asked curiously, ¡°Are you seriously going to give this to me


    without even finding out my identity? Why should I follow your words?¡±


    He took thest puff on his cigarette before flinging the cigarette butt onto the ground. Subsequently,


    he stamped out the lit cigarette with the front of his shoes and blew a puff of smoke at her face while


    replying calmly, ¡°Other than Veronica, there¡¯s no one else who would choose to hire private


    investigators like you. That¡¯s all she can afford!¡±


    Veronica was currently disguised as a private investigator, and she had also arranged for a man from


    the private investigator agency to keep watch over Randall today, so Matthew easily figured out her


    identity.


    At that point, Veronica was speechless as she thought, What the heck! He¡¯s looking down on me, huh?


    Although she was significantly displeased, frankly speaking, she didck the money, which was why


    she had merely been able to afford to hire the private investigators to help.


    As for Conrad and Xavier, they were powerful and well-to-do men, so they had their own bodyguards


    and henchmen.


    Even if they needed men at short notice, they could easily afford to spend good money and hire elite


    units.


    Meanwhile, Veronica felt awkward and embarrassed after being mocked relentlessly by Matthew.


    Fortunately, she had a face mask on, so her expression was not evident.


    She pouted and asked, ¡°Your news is all over the inte. You¡¯ve disassociated yourself from her since


    the start, right? Why are you helping her then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just helping myself.¡±


    He opened his jacket and ced both hands into the pocket of his pants before lifting his cold eyes and


    saying, ¡°Other than that, pass this message to that stupid woman, Veronica. Tell her not to cause


    further trouble for me; otherwise, I¡¯ll definitely teach her a lesson that she¡¯ll never forget.¡±


    At that point, there was a burst of anger within Veronica upon hearing the words ¡®stupid woman¡¯.


    ¡°You just said that I¡­¡±


    In her frenzied moment, she had nearly exposed her own identity, but fortunately, she had on a voice


    changer just in case something unexpected urred. If not, all her efforts would have gone down the


    drain with a single sentence.


    She instantly paused and stopped talking for a second before responding, ¡°You¡¯ve said that my backer


    is stupid, but I clearly don¡¯t see how smart you are either. My backer told me that the exposure of the


    conversation between you and Mr. Conrad Kings indicated your stupidity. Clearly, youck the most


    basic knowledge of being on your guard against others.¡±


    In fact, this came as aplete surprise to her, as she never expected to bump into him¡­ More


    urately, she had not expected that he would turn up here and wait for her in the middle of the night


    under such bitterly cold conditions, all for the sake of providing sufficient evidence for her to clear her


    name.


    At that moment, Veronica hadplicated thoughts running through her mind, but she was slightly


    ted. It felt as if everything that she had been looking forward to all this time had been granted.


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    Matthew couldn¡¯t quite contain hisughter, so he quickly turned his head in the other direction. The


    smile on his cold face was quite evident, and his smile came quite naturally. She was in dire straits


    herself and their encounter under such circumstances wasn¡¯t exactly ideal, but she was still mindful of


    reminding him to be on his guard against Conrad, so clearly, she wasn¡¯t clueless about things.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Veronica was significantly confused.


    Meanwhile, he shot Veronica a meaningful look before turning around to open the car door and enter


    his car. He reversed and drove off quickly subsequently.


    As soon as Veronica saw his car disappear into the horizon, she lowered her head to look at the sh


    drive in her hands as she muttered, ¡°Could he possibly have figured out my identity?¡±


    She lowered her head and studied her attire before shaking her head as she banished this notion from


    her mind.


    That¡¯s impossible. If he had actually seen past her disguise, then surely he would have exposed the


    truth. He wouldn¡¯t waste the time putting on an act with her, as she didn¡¯t think that he would spare his


    time on this.


    Whoosh. Whoosh. The bitterly cold winter wind howled on, and she shivered from the cold.


    She sniffled and entered the warehouse. She stood in front of Randall and confronted him. She


    remained there for more than an hour before finally leaving.


    The next day, Veronica¡¯s issue festered and she maintained her position as the trending topic on


    Twitter.


    At the same time, the Bloomstead police department put out a search warrant to search for Randall.


    Twitter instantly became abuzz.


    The first trending topic was, ¡®I¡¯ve lodged a report and Veronica¡¯s definitely the prime suspect.¡¯


    The second trending topic said, ¡®Blind guess¡ªRandall¡¯s dead.¡¯


    Both topics had amassed more than one hundred thousand likes.


    ¡®The chances of Randall being alive are quite slim.¡¯


    ¡®Veronica¡¯s quite ruthless in her ways.¡¯


    ¡®They should investigate Veronica.¡¯


    ¡®Veronica¡¯s staff are too pitiful. She must pay the price for killing someone.¡¯


    ¡®Her mom should have strangled her to death as soon as she was born! She doesn¡¯t deserve to live!¡¯


    ¡­


    The trending topics had moved to the top of the chart in barely an hour when a famous person with a


    verified ount published a post with the topic, ¡®Verification that Veronica did hit the person¡¯, and in


    less than ten minutes, that post topped the chart too.


    As soon as one clicked on that topic, they realized that the supposed verification was actually a topic


    used to gain attention.


    In fact, the content of that post was evidence of Veronica giving instructions to Shirley to transfer three


    months¡¯ worth of wages to their staff as soon as she came out of custody, and there was also a


    screenshot of WhatsApp text messages.


    Furthermore, there was also a voice recording included. It was aplete voice recording from the


    moment Veronica entered Monica¡¯s room in the hospital.


    After this topic became viral, everyone on the inte was in a frenzy, and the tides turnedpletely


    all of a sudden. Everyone started to doubt themselves.


    ¡®What the heck? What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    ¡®We¡¯ve¡­ misunderstood Veronica?¡¯


    ¡®Could the video recording be edited? Although she might not have hit the other person, Randall has


    disappeared, though.¡¯


    ¡®I will only trust Randall¡¯s words.¡¯


    ¡®She¡¯s such a kind boss. Did I misunderstand such a kind person?¡¯


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, just as the people on the web continued to discuss the matter, another topic popped up on


    the chart.


    The topic was¡­ ¡®Randall surrendered himself to the police!¡¯


    Following Randall¡¯s initiative to surrender himself to the police, on that afternoon, the police released a


    statement on their official website specifying the details of the matter. The statement included how


    Randall had been bribed with five hundred thousand to frame Veronica. Besides, there was also proof


    that the other party had contacted him by phone.


    Not only that, there was also the chat history between Randall and the reporter to set up a meeting


    time as well as the footage of Randall collecting the cash of five hundred thousand at a specific


    location. Finally, there was also footage of the remains of five hundred thousand after the fire at


    Randall¡¯s house. At that point, the inte was in a frenzy.

 Chapter 309

    Chapter 309


    Chapter 309 Veronica¡¯s Independent Stance


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡®This is such a twist to the event.¡¯


    ¡®Oh my god. It¡¯s a conspiracy! Someone must be jealous of Veronica.¡¯


    ¡®I reckon that the bombing during Mr. Leonard¡¯s and Miss Finley¡¯s wedding must have been done by


    Damien, who was in love with Emma. He must have done that because he couldn¡¯t win Emma¡¯s heart.¡¯


    ¡®Could this be fabricated?¡¯


    ¡®I trust the police!¡¯


    ¡®Randall is such a greedy man! He deserves this.¡¯


    ¡®Veronica¡¯s such a poor thing. This has been horrible for her.¡¯


    ¡­


    Everything was revealed to the public. Now, the spective crowd and the people with nasty remarks


    found themselves at a loss for words.


    However, before Veronica managed to issue a statement, Tiffany had posted something on Twitter. ¡®I


    said I would always trust Veronica! Justice will always prevail despite the time taken for it to ur.¡¯


    Once again, Tiffany was the trending topic after she posted that on Twitter.


    ¡®Wow. She¡¯s the best sister one could have.¡¯


    ¡®But then why are you at odds with Veronica?¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯ll always trust Veronica, while I¡¯ll always trust you.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re awesome.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re the only one who trusted Veronica all this while when everyone doubted her.¡¯


    ¡­


    Once again, Tiffany made use of her ¡®actions¡¯ to win the favor of the crowd, and her poprity grew


    significantly.


    As the main character of this incident, Veronica was the one who secretly orchestrated all this, but she


    was currently fast asleep in Yvonne¡¯s bedroom.


    She remained supposedly clueless about what was going on in the outside world until Yvonne, Xavier,


    and Conrad appeared in the bedroom.


    ¡°Roni? Wake up. Hurry up and wake up!¡±


    Yvonne instantly came forward to pat Veronica as soon as she noticed thetter fast asleep. ¡°There


    has been a major issue.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Veronica snuggled in her nket and rubbed her eyes sleepily as she looked at the trio standing in


    front of her. She muttered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you gone on Twitter?¡± Xavier frowned and asked.


    ¡°Yeah, hurry up and go on Twitter. Come on,¡± Yvonne pestered her.


    Veronica remained slumped in bed wearily, taking her time getting her phone and opening Twitter. As


    soon as she clicked on the trending topic, she couldn¡¯t help frowning as she sat up straight in bed.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Instinctively, she turned to look at the trio. ¡°Xavier, Conrad, is this¡­ your doing?¡±


    She purposely put on an agitated front and yed the part of a person extremely excited after finally


    getting her name cleared. Veronica suddenly felt that it was a shame that she wasn¡¯t an actress.


    Xavier tilted his head to nce at Conrad, and the two exchanged a look before turning to look at


    Veronica.


    From her expression, they didn¡¯t sense anything amiss at all. As such, they wondered, Could it be that


    this has nothing to do with Veronica?


    ¡°Gosh, of course it is! Other than Xavier and Conrad, no one else would lend a helping hand right now.¡±


    Yvonne was ted beyond words, and she hugged Veronica tightly. ¡°Wow! Hahaha! Roni, your name¡¯s


    finally clear. Congrattions! You must not be aware of this, but I have been so worried for the past few


    days!¡±


    ¡°Stop shaking me. Stop it. I¡¯m feeling dizzy from all that.¡±


    Veronica pushed Yvonne aside and lowered her head to look at the trending topic. Subsequently, she


    casually clicked on one of the videos with the evidence as she looked at the two men in front of her.


    ¡°Where did you guys get the evidence?¡±


    At that moment, Conrad and Xavier were of the same opinion. Since Veronica was clueless about all


    this, it must be Matthew who secretly helped her. As such, both of them came to a mutual


    understanding, and they gave the same exnation and worded their sentences simrly.


    ¡°Conrad and I put in a lot of effort to get this.¡± Xavier smiled. ¡°He helped a lot.¡±


    Conrad yed along with Xavier. ¡°Young Master Xavier spent a lot of time sorting out this matter too.


    He treats you very well.¡±


    They continued to tter each other without any sense of awkwardness at all.


    ¡°Thanks. Thank you so much, guys.¡±


    Veronica held her cell phone and pouted. She was close to tears. ¡°If you guys hadn¡¯t provided so much


    help, I¡¯m sure it would have taken ages to clear my name.¡±


    She held her cell phone and yed the footage of the evidence over and over again.


    A portion of the evidence had been provided by Matthew. Furthermore, she had put in a huge effort to


    obtain part of it herself.


    After organizing all of the evidence into a single file, she handed it over to a reliable verified ount on


    Twitter. Then, she shared with Randall, as they met up the night before, about the incident of his house


    being set aze and the actions of the other party to get rid of him. Finally, she managed to convince


    him to surrender himself to the police and confess his crimes.


    Everything had beenpleted by her and Matthew in coboration. However, Xavier and Conrad


    actually had the cheek to im that this was the oue of their efforts.


    At that point, Veronica looked at the two, and she suddenly felt that they were clowns making a fool of


    themselves in front of her as they pranced about.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t get upset. It¡¯s great that everything¡¯s fine now.¡± Yvonne hugged Veronica and


    comforted her.


    ¡°Yes. I can finally go home to my bed,¡± Veronica expressed this as she was torn betweenughter and


    tears.


    That night, the four of them sat down to have dinner together.


    After dinner, Veronica nned to go back home.


    However, Xavier mentioned, ¡°There must be a lot of reporters in front of your house, so are you sure


    that you¡¯ll be fine going back by yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Why don¡¯t you get Young Master Xavier to go back with you? That could help with the situation,¡±


    Conrad suggested.


    Surprisingly, Yvonne, the most clueless person on earth, agreed earnestly, ¡°Yeah! I would not feel at


    ease if you went home by yourself. Just let Xavier send you home, alright?¡±


    Veronica was tired of bantering back and forth between the two, so she replied, ¡°No thanks. Ultimately,


    I do need to face all this by myself.¡±


    After she had said that, she hailed a cab by the sidewalk and went back to her apartment.


    After she left, Conrad turned to Yvonne and said, ¡°Yvie dear, could you go and get me some


    cigarettes? I¡¯ve run out of them.¡±


    Yvonne was infatuated with love, so naturally, she was happy to scamper off and get Conrad some


    cigarettes.


    As soon as Yvonne left the house, Xavier crossed his arms in front of him and spoke solemnly, ¡°It looks


    like Matthew loves Veronica very much. Hah! He ims that this has nothing to do with him, but he has


    secretly settled everything for her regardless.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you should start to have a sense of danger. If Matthew realizes the truth, the two of us


    would basically be dead meat.¡± After Conrad and Xavier had plotted together against Veronica and


    Matthew, they were now considered to be on the same team.


    Once Matthew found out that they were the masterminds behind all this, they would basically be


    courting trouble for themselves.


    ¡°Other than Randall, we¡¯ve managed to remove all of the other evidence so he wouldn¡¯t be able to pin


    this on us. He¡¯s quite smart though, so it¡¯s quite likely that he has figured this out.¡± Xavier heaved a


    sigh, and he felt slightly uneasy.


    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that Randall never saw your face, so stop making any unnecessary moves for now.¡±


    Conrad lifted his hand and stroked his chin as he fingered his stubble. He considered the situation


    before saying, ¡°Even if Matthew has his suspicions, he doesn¡¯t have any proof. Why don¡¯t we just push


    the me onto Ruka? By then, even if Matthew suspects otherwise, at least that dumb woman


    Veronica wouldn¡¯t suspect anything was amiss.¡±


    Both of them thought that Veronica was quite simple-minded.


    At that moment, the cab that Veronica was in finally arrived at the entrance to her apartment. There


    were plenty of reporters surrounding her apartment.


    As soon as Veronica saw them, she remained silent in the car for several seconds before finally


    pushing open the door and getting out of the car. She chose to get out and face the reporters.


    After all, she would not be able to resolve the issue by running away from it, so she had to learn to face


    things by herself.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Miss Tiffany Larson?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Veronica. Veronica¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°Hurry! Come on!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over and interview her.¡±


    ¡­


    As soon as the reporters noticed Veronica¡¯s presence, they mbered ahead and rushed to surround


    her.

 Chapter 310

    Chapter 310


    Chapter 310 A Conclusion


    ¡°Miss Murphy, why did you choose to remain silent regarding this incident?¡±


    ¡°The truth is out now and you were framed. What are your ns for the future?¡±


    ¡°Have you offended someone and that¡¯s why they¡¯ve sought revenge?¡±


    ¡°Who was the one that helped you investigate this matter so thoroughly?¡±


    ¡°How do you regard your rtionship with the Kings Family?¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica was dressed in a ck coat paired with a red scarf, and her bob cut entuated her looks


    and made herplexion seem exceptionally white and radiant. She was stunning.


    She puffed her chest and stood in front of the reporters. Even though she didn¡¯t like how the


    microphones were thrust in front of her, she maintained a polite smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of time today to


    be interviewed by everyone. I do hope that you guys can take turns asking your questions.¡±


    With that sentence, she managed to calm the chaotic crowd.


    The reporters no longer pestered her continuously as before, and they quietened down. They took


    turns asking their questions.


    ¡°Miss Murphy, what do you think of the incident during the wedding?¡±


    ¡°The Kings Family refused to help in this matter, so do you resent them for it?¡±


    ¡°What are your future ns for your bridal store?¡±


    ¡°Do you n on suing Randall?¡±


    ¡­


    The reporters asked several questions consecutively as she lifted her hand slowly and indicated for


    them to remain silent.


    Finally, she mentioned, ¡°The incident during Mr. Leonard and Miss Finley¡¯s wedding has been entirely


    handed over to the police for investigation purposes, so I am at no liberty to interfere. As their wedding


    nner, we have to take the utmost responsibility for the matter, so naturally, we would have to


    compensate them and provide a solution as well.¡±


    ¡°Ever since the ident during the wedding, the Kings Family has not ignored this matter. All this


    while, they have been giving me the chance to handle this by myself to train me. In actual fact, after I


    lodged a police report, the police have been doing the best they can to investigate this matter.


    Naturally, this would not have been possible without the help of the Kings Family. Therefore, I would


    like to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest gratitude to the Bloomstead police force.¡± Veronica


    bowed in front of the cameras.


    She kept her position for several seconds before standing back up and continuing to speak to the


    reporters, ¡°As for your concerns regarding my bridal store, unfortunately, the business has permanently


    shut its doors. In order topensate the staff for the economic losses they¡¯ve sustained, I¡¯ve issued


    three months¡¯ worth of wages to every staff member working there as a token of my apology. Finally,


    the issue with Randall¡­¡±


    Veronica frowned, and she looked hesitant.


    However, at that moment, someone ran toward her. ¡°President Murphy? President Murphy?¡±


    Everyone turned their heads in that direction, and they saw Monica with a baby in her arms as she


    came over with Randall¡¯s mother in tow.


    They squeezed past the crowd, and Randall¡¯s mother got down on her knees in front of Veronica.


    Randall¡¯s mother grabbed the hem of Veronica¡¯s pants and said, ¡°President Murphy, please. I¡¯m


    begging you to release my son. Sobs¡­ We can¡¯t live without him.¡±


    ¡°President Murphy, I realize that Randall hasmitted a huge offense against you, but could you


    please forgive him?¡± Monica held her baby in her arms and was dressed in thick pajamas. She no


    longer cared about her image.


    The reporters didn¡¯t expect to see Randall¡¯s mother and wife appear, so everyone swiftly directed their


    cameras toward them and filmed the entire scene.


    Meanwhile, Veronica¡¯s expression turned quite solemn, and she shot a cold look at Mrs. Watson on the


    ground. ¡°Get up.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t get up if you refuse to let my son off the hook. I¡¯ll kneel in front of you until you forgive him.


    Boohoo¡­ I¡¯ve lost my son anyway, so I have nothing else to fear. Boohoo¡­¡±


    Mrs. Watson¡¯s white hair indicated her age, and she pped her thighs as she sobbed, ¡°Gosh, life is so


    tough! Boohoo¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, what are you doing? Get up right now. Let¡¯s discuss this with Veronica calmly.¡± Monica noticed


    the change in Veronica¡¯s expression, and she quickly leaned forward to drag Mrs. Watson up from the


    ground. Nheless, Mrs. Watson refused to get up.


    Mrs. Watson shoved Monica aside. ¡°You¡¯re the one who brought misfortune to the family! If it wasn¡¯t for


    your insistence on seeking a job for yourself, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up encountering such trouble!¡±


    ¡°Mom, how is this my fault?! Your son was unable to get a job to support us, so I found a part-time job


    at President Murphy¡¯spany when I was pregnant. Not only did President Murphy not hold my


    pregnancy against me, but she also took good care of me. As for Randall, he went against his


    conscience and epted money to frame President Murphy. Do you know how embarrassed I am


    because of you guys?!¡± Monica could no longer stand it as she bellowed at Mrs. Watson.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about all that. I just want my son back. Boohoo¡­ Save us! My son¡¯s gone. I want my son


    back!¡±


    Mrs. Watson gripped tightly on the edge of Veronica¡¯s jacket. She sobbed and yelled shamelessly.


    Just then, Veronica turned to Monica and shook her head resignedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the police have


    pressed charges, so everything will be processed ording to their usual procedure. I have no way of


    withdrawing the case.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t withdraw the case?! You¡¯re the prosecutor, so if you withdraw the


    prosecution, the police would release my son right away.¡± Mrs. Watson pointed at Veronica and yelled


    loudly while keeping a tight grip on Veronica¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re also one of the aplices who coborated with Randall and the reporter


    to put on an act during the fighting incident. I didn¡¯t prosecute you because of your age and the fact that


    Monica was about to give birth, so you should honestly stop causing a scene.¡±


    ¡°President Murphy, I¡¯m so sorry. I realize that it¡¯s Randall and my mother-inw¡¯s fault, but my child


    can¡¯t be without a father!¡± The tears streamed down Monica¡¯s face as she spoke.


    However, Veronica merely shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve done everything that I can. I can¡¯t help you with


    Randall¡¯s issue.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she had no way to help them, but she had actually provided plenty of


    help.


    If Matthew hadn¡¯t gone off with Randall, thetter would currently be a corpse by now.


    She tugged at her clothes and spoke coldly to Mrs. Watson, ¡°Let go.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let go until you get the police to release my son! I won¡¯t let you leave this ce today if you


    don¡¯t do that.¡± Mrs. Watson behaved shamelessly.


    ¡±Since you like to kneel on the ground, suit yourself then. Stay there and don¡¯t move.¡±


    Veronica took out her cell phone and then shrugged out of her jacket with a ir. Subsequently, she


    turned on her back and left the scene.


    She departed elegantly and left behind a stunned Mrs. Watson kneeling on the ground, Monica, and


    the bunch of reporters.


    The reporters tried to go after her, but she had already entered her residential area, and there were


    several security guards standing by the entrance as they kept the crowd out.


    The reporters could not do anything else, so they directed their microphones at Monica and Mrs.


    Watson and started to interview the two.


    Veronica finally entered her house after such a long time away, and shey in her bed after freshening


    up. It felt extremelyfortable to be back in her own crib.


    Suddenly, she received a text message on her phone, and it was from Yvonne.


    ¡®Hurry up and go on Twitter. Hurry!¡¯


    Veronica clicked on Twitter with a dubious look on her face, and she saw a topic, ¡®Randall¡¯s shameless


    mother¡¯ topping the charts.


    Perhaps it was because this matter was of huge public interest, so the interview in front of her


    apartment swiftly became a trending topic in no time.


    There were countlessments by people on the inte¡­


    ¡®She¡¯s such a shrew! This is concrete proof.¡¯


    ¡®A shameless person is undefeatable indeed.¡¯


    ¡®What the heck. She¡¯s shameless. They¡¯ve caused her reputation to be badly tarnished, so how dare


    they go to her to beg for her to withdraw the case?!¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m disgusted by their ways! How can there be such a despicable human being like her?¡¯


    ¡®Veronica¡¯s such a poor thing. Suddenly, I feel quite sorry for her.¡¯


    ¡®Luckily her name¡¯s cleared, otherwise her future would be destroyed. I apologize for my rash behavior


    from before.¡¯


    ¡®How dare Monicae and beg Veronica to let her husband off the hook! Veronica paid her two


    hundred thousand aspensation earlier.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s right. The point is, Monica was totally unharmed.¡¯


    ¡®She¡¯s greedy.¡¯


    ¡®President Murphy, will you restart the business? I would like to work for you. There is no way one


    would be able to find such a great boss elsewhere.¡¯


    ¡­Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    After Veronica finished scrolling through Twitter, she suddenly found that the fuss kicked up by Mrs.


    Watson seemed to have had a great effect.


    It was only after thismotion that the people on the inte finally saw through Randall and his


    mother¡¯s true personalities, so everything seemed much more realistic.


    Nheless, Veronica identified another business idea from this current trending topic.

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 311


    Chapter 311 The Awkward Call


    Veronica was so popr right now, so if she became an inte broadcaster and sold some products,


    surely she would be able to earn a lot.


    She felt slightly regretful at the moment.


    If she wasn¡¯t restricted by her identity, she would definitely take this opportunity to engage the crowd


    and introduce Vincere Games to them. Perhaps then she would be able to make some money from her


    current poprity. Unfortunately, she could not do so under her current circumstances.


    She arrived back home and rested for a moment before her cell phone chimed.


    She grabbed her cell phone to take a look, and she saw that it was Elizabeth on the line.


    Veronica furrowed her neat brows and remained lost in thought. Since the start of her trouble, Elizabeth


    had not contacted her at all, but right now¡­


    She thought of everything that Matthew had done for her, and she couldn¡¯t help thinking that perhaps it


    was done under the instructions of Elizabeth in private.


    ¡°Hi, Grandma.¡±


    As soon as the phone was put through, Veronica greeted Elizabeth affectionately.


    For some reason, each time she spoke on the phone with Elizabeth, she felt a sense of familiarity.


    Perhaps it was because Elizabeth was an affable person and Veronica got along well with her.


    ¡°Veronica, you must have been in so much torment for the past two days. I didn¡¯t contact you for the


    past two days, so are y-you¡­ mad at me?¡± Elizabeth smiled warmly, and she seemed quite kind.


    ¡°Of course not! I just hope you haven¡¯t found me a nuisance.¡± Veronica stood in front of the window and


    looked at the night skies outside. She couldn¡¯t help heaving a huge sigh.


    ¡°I knew about your matter from the start of everything. I purposely went to see that brat Matthew on


    your behalf, but he said that he wanted you to go through this as training, so he refused to interfere.


    This is all his fault!¡±


    Elizabeth suddenly realized that Matthew¡¯s silly suggestion was such a bad idea. ¡°Come to think of it,


    you¡¯re a girl, and all those spections were indeed very damaging to your reputation.¡±


    ¡°Grandma¡­¡±


    Veronica pursed her lips and hesitated before saying, ¡°Actually, Matthew helped me a lot secretly.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so? That¡¯s great then. Hahaha. That¡¯s great!¡± Elizabeth was in great spirits as soon as she


    heard her mention that Matthew had helped her a lot secretly.


    She instantly responded, ¡°It¡¯s quitete now and I feel bad for making you worry about me. It¡¯ste, so


    you should go to bed. I¡¯ll pop by to visit you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Sure! That¡¯s great. I haven¡¯t seen you for so many days and I miss you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back to visit you tomorrow.¡±


    After she had chatted with Elizabeth for a while, she hung up the phone.


    Veronica was worried that her adoptive parents back in her hometown would worry, so she gave them


    a call and exined the situation briefly.


    Finally, she managed to alleviate the worries of the Murphy couple.


    She sensed that their anxious feelings had dissipated and they had calmed down significantly, so she


    hung up the phone after realizing that.


    She sat in bed and switched on herputer to conduct a video conference with the other partners of


    Vincere Games.


    The various partners started off by expressing concern for her situation over the past two days, and


    then they discussed somepany matters. It was only when they had finished the discussion did


    Veronica end the call.


    Shey in bed and yed on her cell phone. She couldn¡¯t help but click into Matthew¡¯s WhatsApp


    profile.


    She recalled that night when he had handed over the sh drive with the evidence to her. It had been


    late at night and bitterly cold then, but he had silently done so much for her without even taking credit


    for anything. She felt quite bad about that.


    She tapped into a conversation with him and typed, ¡®Are you asleep?¡¯


    She studied those words carefully for quite some time before finally pressing backspace.


    Subsequently, she altered the text message, ¡®What have you been busy withtely?¡¯


    After she had typed that sentence, she hesitated for quite some time about whether or not she should


    press send. Finally, she deleted the words slowly.


    ¡°Gosh! This is so frustrating!¡±


    She scratched her head frustratedly, and finally, she ended up dialing Matthew¡¯s number.


    ¡°Doo. Doo. Doo.¡±


    His cell phone went off, and even though it was just a short moment, she found that the time seemed to


    drag on. Suddenly, his face popped into her mind.


    She envisioned his indifferent look as he spoke coldly, ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night, so why did you call


    me?¡±


    He generally handled things quite abruptly andcked affability, so after some consideration, she


    instantly hung up the phone. Forget about it! I shouldn¡¯t call him. I wouldn¡¯t know what to say to him if


    he answered the phone.


    At that moment, on the other end, Matthew had juste out of the bathroom with a bathrobe on. He


    walked toward his desk and was about to answer his phone when the ringtone suddenly stopped


    abruptly.


    He took up his phone to take a look and was quite surprised to find that it was a missed call from


    Veronica.


    His almond-shaped eyes instantly curved into a smile, and there was also a slight smile on his lips.


    He kept his eyes on the red indication of a missed call on his call log, and he remained silent for a few


    seconds before calling her number.


    Doo¡ª


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    As soon as the call was put through, Veronica answered the phone almost instantly.


    Matthew¡¯s expression turned solemn and the smile on his face disappeared as he asked in a low voice,


    ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night. Why did you call me?¡±


    At that moment, Veronica was significantly speechless. Indeed! I was right! She couldn¡¯t help


    suspecting that she was able to read his mind to be so familiar with his ways.


    Awkwardly, she reached out to stroke her nose as she picked her nails anxiously with the other hand.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ E-Everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just¡­¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I¡¯m just what?! For a moment there, her brain whirred as she tried toe up with the words to say, but


    her mind was nk.


    Finally, she replied, ¡°I dialed the wrong number.¡±


    Matthew was rendered speechless by that, and his expression instantly turned ugly.


    He clenched his slender fingers tightly on the phone as he held it by his ears, and he remained silent


    for a moment. He seemed to be waiting for the woman on the other end to start a topic.


    However, Veronica kept silent as well.


    He waited for quite some time but didn¡¯t hear her utter anything, so he asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t have


    anything to say, is it fine for me to hang up?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Oh¡­ That¡¯s fine. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As such, their phone call ended abruptly.


    Veronica lifted her hand and ced it on her forehead. Subsequently, she smacked her forehead.


    ¡°Gosh! Why couldn¡¯t I evene up with a thank you.¡±


    This was the first time ever that she found it so hard toe up with a ¡®thank you¡¯.


    ¡­


    The ident at the wedding was finally resolved for Veronica.


    The next morning, she went to the hospital to pay Jackson and Emma a visit. However, Jackson¡¯s and


    Emma¡¯s hands were injured in the explosion, and they were undergoing skin graft surgery.


    Despite her sincere apologies and offer ofpensation, the Leonard Family refused it.


    Although Damien was the mastermind behind this incident, it had happened at the wedding location


    she had organized, so from a humanitarian perspective, she had to providepensation.


    In the end, she offered a million to the Leonards aspensation, but to the Leonard Family, that was


    a measly amount of money, so they refused to ept it.


    Resigned, she had no choice but to leave the hospital.


    Surprisingly, she bumped into several reporters, so she answered their questions frankly before driving


    off.


    She went back to Encounters and stood in the middle of the messy ce as she recalled how perfect


    the ce was a few days ago.


    In just a few days, thepany that she had started up was single-handedly destroyed.


    ¡°Veronica?¡±


    Suddenly, Shirley turned up and called out her name from behind.


    Veronica turned around to see Shirley there, and the former was slightly surprised. ¡°Shirley? Why are


    you here?¡±


    ¡°You instructed me to keep Monicapany, but she has gone back to her parents¡¯ house. I had


    nothing to do, so I came back to take a look at the ce. I didn¡¯t expect to bump into you here.¡±


    Shirley beamed, and she seemed to give off the fresh aura of a newly-graduated university student.


    She exuded a fresh and wonderful feeling.


    Veronica walked to stand in front of Shirley and ced a hand on thetter¡¯s shoulder. Subsequently,


    Veronica heaved a sigh, ¡°Gosh. Ourpany¡¯s gone. You should start to find another job.¡±

 Chapter 312

    Chapter 312


    Chapter 312 Anxious to Meet Your Future Mother-In-Law


    ¡°Veronica, I mentioned to you ages ago that I wanted to work for you.¡± Shirley lifted her chin in


    challenge, and she had a smug look on her face. She seemed intent on sticking by Veronica¡¯s side.


    ¡°Hah! Work for me?¡±


    Veronica snorted derisively. ¡°I¡¯m about to go bust and won¡¯t even be able to support myself. If you stick


    by my side, you will be worse off than I.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that things will work out for you.¡± Shirley chuckled and turned around to point at the door.


    Veronica looked behind her and saw Matthew standing by the entrance of the shop.


    Veronica was confused by his sudden arrival. She retracted her hand from Shirley¡¯s shoulders and


    asked him perplexedly, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? President Murphy, have you forgotten about our contract?¡±


    He stood upright and shot a cold look at her before striding inside. ¡°I¡¯ve invested millions in the project,


    so aren¡¯t you supposed to seek my opinion before you end the business? My project hasn¡¯t even


    started yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    For a moment there, Veronica was at a loss for words, and she had no idea how to respond to


    Matthew¡¯s words.


    His words made sense, and he had indeed invested in Encounters Bridal Store. Besides, he had also


    rented ten storeys of the building next door in preparation for a booming business.


    However, he had taken offense to a personal issue and stopped the renovation work next door. From


    then on, he no longer stepped foot into Encounters Bridal Store.


    She had assumed that he no longer cared about their coboration project.


    As such, since the incident happened, it had never crossed her mind that he would pick up this project


    and proceed with it.


    ¡°Based on our original contract, I¡¯m the major shareholder of Encounters Bridal Store, so I¡¯m still the


    one who calls the shots here.¡±


    He walked inside and scanned the messy shop left behind from the riot, and it felt as if a bomb had


    exploded in her, and it looked like the aftermath of a . He tried to find somewhere to sit down, but he


    couldn¡¯t find a suitable spot.


    ¡°Get me a chair.¡± He lifted his finger and pointed at the chair by the side as he mentioned indifferently.


    Shirley nodded instantly. ¡°Hold on, President Kings, I¡¯ll get you¡­¡±


    ¡°Stay where you are!¡± Matthew hollered and pointed his slender finger at Veronica. ¡°I want you to get


    me the chair.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± She was significantly displeased to be ordered about by him as if she was his subordinate.


    However, she considered the situation carefully and realized that Matthew had secretly provided her


    with so much help, that his request wasn¡¯t too much.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bring you the chair.¡±


    She turned around and walked to the corner to grab a chair that was intact and wiped it with a cloth


    before cing it in front of Matthew. ¡°President Kings, what are your instructions for today?¡±


    He remained seated with his legs crossed as he leaned back slightly. He linked his fingers and ced


    them on his abdomen. He sat there like a boss, and he gave out an air of dominance and arrogance.


    Although there was a hint ofziness in his posture, there was also a domineering coldness, which was


    akin to a king of the forest who had just awakened from slumber.


    ¡°You¡¯re the person in charge of Encounters Bridal Store, so have you analyzed the issue after


    encountering this incident?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°It was apse on our part to not check the equipment properly. That was why the issue


    ured.¡±


    ¡°One would definitely not be tripped twice by the same thing, but you¡¯re the exception to the rule


    because you¡¯re the stupid person who was tripped twice by the same issue.¡± He chided her without any


    reservations.


    After being told off, she couldn¡¯t help feeling resentful. ¡°How would I have known anyway? This isn¡¯t


    entirely my fault! After all, it¡¯s quite hard to dodge an attack that¡¯sunched silently. I never expected


    Damien to secretly plot behind my back!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve made a mistake, so that¡¯s ultimately your fault. Everyone would only look at the oue. No


    one cares about the process.¡±


    He had a cold expression on his face and exuded the sternness of a leader. ¡°You were quite lucky that


    it was only Jackson injured in this incident. If the bomb was a much more powerful one than this one,


    everyone in attendance at the wedding would be dead. By then, do you think anyone would bother to


    listen to your so-called exnation?¡±


    She clenched her fist tightly by her side. However, the intense re she shot at him gradually


    disappeared as her anger dissipated.


    She blinked, and a slightly remorseful and guilty look appeared on her face. Although Matthew¡¯s words


    sounded very harsh, every sentence made perfect sense. It was quite true that in the adult world, no


    one cared about excuses, and neither did anyone have the time to listen to exnations. They only


    cared about the oue.


    ¡°Yes. I should take full responsibility.¡± Veronica lowered her head gradually and stopped rebuking.


    Initially, he had expected her to lose her temper from being chided so rudely. However, to his surprise,


    she remained silent and listened to his stern chides meekly.


    Her meek eptance was hard for Matthew to take in, and he felt slightly sorry for her.


    ¡°From now onward, you¡¯ll be in charge of the equipment we use at the bridal store. You¡¯re in charge of


    checking the safety profile of the equipment. If there are any issues that arise, you¡¯ll be the one held


    responsible.¡± He stood up and nced at her with a cold expression as he spoke.


    At that moment, Veronica was in shock. She clearly didn¡¯t expect this day where she would be demoted


    in thepany she formed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you against this decision?¡± He noticed the ashen and angry expression on her


    face, so he questioned her.


    ¡°No, I made a mistake, so I am willing to ept the punishment.¡±


    She epted his punishment willingly. ¡°Is there anything else that you would like to instruct us on?¡±


    She continued to ask.


    However, Matthew ignored her question this time.


    He answered a phone call and got up to walk out of the shop. Subsequently, he drove off right after


    that.


    Once he had left, Shirley gingerly walked over to stand next to Veronica, and the former asked in a


    gentle voice, ¡°Veronica, are you alright? President Kings was so fierce earlier. I was trembling with


    fear.¡±


    Veronica heaved a sigh and took a seat on Matthew¡¯s chair from before as she replied defeatly, ¡°His


    words were harsh, but it¡¯s the truth.¡±


    His harsh words were intended to help her learn a lesson.


    ¡°Veronica, are you seriously going to join the equipment team? This is a severe demotion.¡± Shirley felt


    sorry for Veronica.


    Nheless, Veronica was quite nonchnt about this. ¡°It¡¯s great. By starting from the basics, I would


    be able to figure out my shortfalls.¡±


    Veronica took this quite calmly, and not only was she not upset at all, but she also finally felt at ease


    upon seeing Matthew appear. That meant her bridal store was now considered safe.


    She stayed back at thepany and tidied up the ce untilte at night. Finally, she looked at the


    time and decided that it was enough for the day, so she left earlier to head to the mall. She bought


    some supplements and drove toward the Kings Residence.


    It had been quite a few days since shest visited, and this time, as she walked through the doors, she


    suddenly felt something change in her.


    ¡°Veronica, you¡¯re here!¡±


    As soon as Veronica got out of her car, Conrad¡¯s was parked next to hers, and he got out of his car with


    Yvonne in tow.


    ¡°Conrad, Yvonne, you guys are here too.¡±


    However, Veronica thought to herself, Conrad¡¯s back at Kings Residence and it¡¯s normal for him to


    come home, but why did he bring Yvonne along this time? What was his intention? Does he n to let


    Elizabeth know his true feelings and then confess to Yvonne? That¡¯s impossible! The possibility of that


    is practically nil.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me with that glint in your eyes? Are you shocked to see me?¡±


    Yvonne made her way to stand in front of Veronica and clutched Veronica¡¯s arms affectionately. With a


    smile, Yvonne mentioned, ¡°I pestered Conrad to bring me over. I just wanted to meet Grandma.¡±


    At that point, Veronica grimaced and lowered her head. She turned to Yvonne and whispered, ¡°It looks


    like you¡¯re anxious to meet your future mother-inw.¡±

 Chapter 313

    Chapter 313


    Chapter 313 Confessed by Conrad


    Veronica teased Yvonne.


    Even though Veronica was ying around, she still felt worried over how much Yvonne was caring


    about Conrad.


    There were some things that Veronica wanted toe forth to Yvonne, but Veronica was afraid that


    Yvonne might tell them to Conrad.


    ¡°Nonsense. I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Yvonne pinched Veronica¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not stand at the entrance. It¡¯s cold here.¡±


    Coming forward to help Veronica, Conrad picked her things up as she followed Yvonne in.


    They passed the front hall and the little bridge before they arrived at the meeting hall.


    Veronica saw Elizabeth as she walked up to her happily. ¡°Hello, Grandma. Long time no see. How are


    you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Very fine.¡± Holding her hand, Elizabeth motioned Veronica to sit right next to her. ¡°How are


    you ever thinner in the short amount of time that I haven¡¯t seen you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m the same as always.¡± Veronica smiled sincerely as she enjoyed the feeling of warmth when


    she was with Elizabeth. Suddenly, she pointed at Yvonne and said, ¡°Grandma, this is¡­ a good friend of


    mine. She¡¯s called Yvonne Spencer. She came with me just to visit you.¡±


    Intentionally, Veronica exined that Yvonne and she were here together to visit Elizabeth, so she


    would not know that Yvonne liked Conrad.


    Even though Elizabeth was not Conrad¡¯s biological mother, she still liked him quite a lot.


    Yet, it was a pity that she did not know how sly Conrad really was.


    ¡°Hello, Old Mrs. Kings, I¡¯m Yvonne. You can just call me Yvie.¡± Her smile was very bright and innocent.


    ¡°Hello, Yvie. You are very pretty. It must have been cold on the way here. Come, have a seat.¡±


    Elizabeth then ordered a servant, ¡°Pour a cup of water for Yvie.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Old Mrs. Kings.¡±


    Sitting beside Veronica, Yvonne could not keep her eyes off Conrad.


    Even though the man was only talking to Elizabeth without even batting an eye at her, Yvonne still felt


    satisfied just looking at him.


    It turned out that love was so simple and beautiful.


    As they were chatting along, Matthew arrived.


    ¡°Hmph. You¡¯re always the slowest, you brat. Making us wait for you all the time.¡± Elizabeth, who rolled


    her eyes, smiled.


    Obviously, the old madam doted on him the most.


    After gazing at everyone, Matthew spoke in his usual cold tone, ¡°I apologize. There were a lot of things


    to deal with at thepany.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Let¡¯s eat now. If we eat anyter, the dishes will get cold.¡±


    Standing up, she walked toward the dining table as Matthew and Conrad chatted, while Yvonne


    hugged Veronica¡¯s arm tightly and said, ¡°Hey, why didn¡¯t you say that Matthew would be joining us


    today? If I had known, I would havee with you tomorrow.¡±


    Yvonne seemed to not like Matthew at all.


    Nheless, Veronica knew well inside that Yvonne detested Matthew only because, in her eyes,


    Matthew had been acting like a bystander while watching all the misfortunes befall her friend.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to visit Grandma, so just ignore him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Yvonne nodded.


    The few then gathered at the dining table as the servants had prepared avish dinner.


    Yvonne sat beside Conrad and Matthew, who sat next to Veronica and finally Elizabeth.


    During the meal, Veronica thoughtfully peeled the prawns for Elizabeth. ¡°Grandma, have a prawn.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who loves me the most. Just look at Matthew and Conrad. None of them know how to


    take care of me.¡± Elizabeth shook her head and sighed. ¡°Having a girl around me really is better.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, let me help you peel the prawns too.¡± Yvonne suddenly stood up and patted Conrad¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Let¡¯s switch seats. I¡¯ll sit beside Grandma.¡±


    Maybe it was because of love that Yvonne¡¯s love also included Elizabeth. She subconsciously wanted


    to present herself in a more positive light.


    Yet, it was this action that attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    Matthew looked at Yvonne before turning his gaze toward Veronica, only to have their eyes meet.


    Even though their gazes met, no ripples in their hearts were created as they continued eating.


    ¡°Grandma, I heard from Veronica that you have high blood pressure. So, even though you can¡¯t eat


    pork and chicken, a bit of beef should be fine.¡±


    Yvonne kept piling food onto Elizabeth¡¯s te.


    Having met all sorts of people, Elizabeth could see with a nce that something was up. She smiled


    softly. ¡°Yvie, you really are a kind woman. Do you fancy Conrad?¡±


    When he heard this, Conrad tightened his grip on the cutlery as a glimmer appeared in his eyes before


    he looked up and smiled at Elizabeth. ¡°Mother, you shouldn¡¯t talk about such things.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. He¡¯s right, Grandma. I¡­ About that¡­ Me and Con¡­ Well, we don¡¯t have anything going on


    between us.¡± Yvonne became so nervous that she was stumbling all over her sentences.


    ¡°Hahaha. Do you think you can keep it from me?¡± Elizabethughed joyfully. ¡°I was even quite troubled


    about Conrad, a man approaching his thirties, being single. Never would I think that he would have a


    significant other so quickly.¡±


    ¡°You brat. You did quite a nice job hiding it,¡± she said before she stared at Veronica. ¡°And you, you brat.


    Yvie, being your close friend, likes Conrad, yet you didn¡¯t even say anything to me about such an


    important thing.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Veronica was speechless as her gaze darted between Conrad and Yvonne, not knowing what to


    say. Pursing her lips, she could only smile awkwardly. ¡°Grandma, actually Yvonne¡ª¡±


    ¡°Conrad, since Yvie has already taken the initiative, when are you nning to meet her parents?¡±


    Elizabeth did not wait for Veronica to speak and jumped straight into the topic of meeting Yvonne¡¯s


    family.


    An anxious Veronica looked gloomily at Matthew.


    Yet, he was still peacefully eating his meal.


    Even though he was still eating, she was not in the mood to observe his handsome face as she wished


    that he would stop this.


    Otherwise, she did not know where this might go.


    ¡°Mother, we don¡¯t have to be so anxious about this.¡± Conrad knew that he could not refuse to meet


    Yvonne¡¯s family, so he could only dy it.


    Of course, he knew clearly about Yvonne¡¯s family¡¯s background and he could not reject the temptation


    given by the power that came with her.


    As of now, he could not really find an appropriate excuse to let her be his subordinate. However, if he


    could make her his, he could bring his family to an even higher level.


    Conrad¡¯s words made Yvonne¡¯s eyes shine with her face blushing hard. Lowering her head, she looked


    as if she was being confessed to while her hands fidgeted restlessly.

 Chapter 314

    Chapter 314


    Chapter 314 A Battle Between the Two


    In her mind, Conrad, who dared to say this in front of Elizabeth, meant that he had epted her


    confession.


    This was equal to admitting in public that she was his girlfriend.


    It was what Yvonne wanted all along.


    ¡°Y-Yeah, Grandma. We shouldn¡¯t rush this.¡± Yvonne nodded.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Elizabeth suddenly looked at her with some dissatisfaction on her face. ¡°Grandma?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Confused, Yvonne did not know what she was hinting at.


    ¡°Conrad calls me Mother, yet you¡¯re still calling me Grandma?¡± The old woman reminded her


    frowningly.


    ¡°Erm¡­ I-I mean Aunt Elizabeth?¡±


    Scratching her head, she thought that this way of addressing Elizabeth seemed a bit weird.


    Veronica, who was holding a teacup, was sipping from it full of worries.


    How do I expose Conrad to Yvonne?


    ¡°You smart girl. Come, eat up. Look at how thin you are.¡± Beaming, Elizabeth was overjoyed.


    She then sighed. ¡°Conrad is already thirty now. Now that he has someone special, I can slightly rest my


    heart. But, you two should pick up the pace as I want my grandchildren soon.¡±


    ¡°Pff¡­ Cough, cough, cough¡­¡±


    Her words made Yvonne blush, while Veronica choked on the tea and started coughing.


    ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡±


    Upon seeing Veronica choke on water, Elizabeth could not help but ask, ¡°It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m rushing you.


    Now that we¡¯re on the subject, do you want to meet the potential suitors I¡¯ve arranged for you?¡±


    ¡°What? I¡­ No¡­ Cough, cough, cough¡­¡±


    This only exacerbated her cough.


    As she was sitting next to Elizabeth, she could not cough at her, so she chose to cough in Matthew¡¯s


    direction.


    The man frowned heavily as his eyes were full of undisguised contempt.


    Reaching out, he gave her a piece of tissue. ¡°Stupid.¡±


    Insulted, Veronica suddenly felt a bit angry. Holding in her cough, she stared at him. ¡°What does this


    have to do with you!¡±


    Busybody.


    ¡°You¡¯ve dirtied the air in front of me.¡±


    The man sat straightly as a noble-like aura exuded from him. Even his table manners had a certain


    sense of elegance to them, especially whenpared with Veronica, who sat next to him.


    This only showed howcking she was.


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s dirty, you¡¯re wee to eat outside!¡±


    Without waiting for Veronica to continue, Elizabeth added, ¡°Although you aren¡¯t very capable, you¡¯re


    quite fussy, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s sentence made the angry Veronica hold in herughter as she nodded madly. ¡°Yup,


    Grandma¡¯s right. A man shouldn¡¯t be so fussy. If an outsider were to know about this, they might think


    that you¡¯re acting like a princess.¡±


    In other words, she was saying that he was acting like a girl.


    Once she finished her words, she suddenly felt the atmosphere freezing up, as chills ran behind her


    back.


    Shuddering, with the corners of her eyes, Veronica saw him staring daggers at herself.


    ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m correct?¡±


    She purposefully asked Elizabeth this before adding, ¡°Look, Grandma! He¡¯s ring at me!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Matthew Kings? Veronica is your sister. If I ever find you bullying her again, I¡¯ll


    break your legs!¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Grandma said she¡¯ll break your legs!¡±


    Veronica repeated the old madam¡¯s words while looking at Matthew smugly.


    Even though the man looked as cold as ever, an ever so subtle smile appeared on his face as he


    continued his meal.


    ¡°Alright now, let¡¯s eat. Honestly, all of you behave like kids. Hahaha¡­¡±


    Elizabeth suddenlyughed while talking.


    Today, she was in an especially good mood, looking as if she had regressed in age as she sat with the


    younger generation.


    After the meal, Conrad walked with Yvonne in the courtyard while Elizabeth was ying chess with


    Veronica.


    Because Veronica was always apanying Crayson at her hometown, she had learned how to y


    chess. Coincidentally, Elizabeth also liked to y chess, so their interests matched.


    ¡°Matthew, what are you doing there? Pour some water for Veronica.¡±


    Due to one needing a quiet environment when ying chess, Elizabeth ordered the servants to clear


    the room with only the trio left.


    Sitting by the side, the man was replying to messages without taking a break, but he would still look at


    the opposition, whom his grandmother was ying against, from time to time.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like she doesn¡¯t have the arms to do it herself.¡±


    Matthew raised his eyebrows and coldly replied.


    ¡°What? Can I not order you around now that I¡¯m old?¡± While talking, Elizabeth grabbed the pawn and


    knocked Veronica¡¯s king over, stating, ¡°Checkmate!¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so good, Grandma.¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Veronica gave the old woman a thumbs up. ¡°We should y poker next time. My skills in chess aren¡¯t


    that great.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to y anymore. You keep losing on purpose. It¡¯s boring.¡±


    As smart as she was, how could Elizabeth not see Veronica letting her win on purpose? So, she


    pointed at Matthew. ¡°Come here. y against Veronica and let me see how good this brat really is.¡±


    Being called out again stunned Matthew. As his gazended on the chess board, a hint of interest


    roused within him.


    Even though he had known Veronica for a long time and knew the fact that she knew how to y


    chess, he never knew how good she was at it.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The man agreed to it, his face showing a bit of reluctance.


    As Elizabeth stood up, Matthew then gave her a chair to sit beside them while he sat opposite


    Veronica.


    The two then silently rearranged the board, with Veronica being the ck side and Matthew being the


    white.


    ¡°Who goes first?¡± Veronica looked at Matthew. Seeing how both of them sat cross-legged gave her a


    sense of enjoyment, as if they were in the olden times.


    ¡°Ladies first,¡± Matthew said.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Veronica was not shy at all, as she made the first move with the knight while Matthew chose


    to advance with a pawn.


    Just like that, the two engaged in fiercepetition in silence.


    Elizabeth, who observed them, yawned after a while. ¡°Oh my. This old woman is tired now. You two


    keep ying. I¡¯m going to take a short nap.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Grandma.¡± Veronica smiled and nodded.


    Not speaking, Matthew continued to y.


    It was only until Elizabeth entered her bedroom that Matthew said, ¡°One would only expose their


    weakness if they show off too much.¡±


    His words served as a warning to Veronica, as they had another meaning to them.


    ¡°A chance!¡± She defeated his rook using her knight and replied, ¡°Dear President, do you always look at


    things on a surface level only? Don¡¯t you know what it means to hide what you really know while


    showing off to your enemies?¡±


    ¡°Yet, how could someone im to be hiding their true capabilities when theye so close to having


    their reputation dismantled?¡± The man rebuked.


    Veronica¡¯s expression instantly soured. ¡°You¡¯ve said it yourself. It was only ¡®so close¡¯!¡±

 Chapter 315

    Chapter 315


    Chapter 315 A Romantic Time


    ¡°What about Yvonne?¡±


    cing his chess piece down, Matthew looked at Veronica as he asked the question.


    It was this question that made Veronica speechless and not know how to answer him.


    Exchanging gazes, Veronica only sighed and propped her face up using her hands. ¡°I know. It¡¯s just


    that I don¡¯t know how to break it to her.¡±


    Especially to a girl who was at the peak of her love life. How would she believe anyone that told her her


    partner harbored ill intentions?


    Up to this point, Veronica suddenly thought that her tense rtionship with Matthew had gotten


    somewhat better now.


    Since Matthew had helped her so much thest time, she did not continue to be angry at him.


    ¡°Roni, it¡¯s getting quitete now. Should we get going?¡±


    Conrad and Yvonne entered the living room and shook off the snowkes. Veronica smiled. ¡°It¡¯s


    snowing really hard outside. It¡¯s so cold. If we don¡¯t go now, we might not be able to return tonight.¡±


    ¡°Since you all don¡¯t have much to do the next day, you can sleep here for the night and return


    tomorrow.¡±


    Inside the bedroom, Elizabeth had just finished soaking her legs and had not evenin on her bed


    when she heard Yvonne speak, so she came out and stated this to them.


    ¡°Eh? This¡­ might not be appropriate.¡±


    Blushing, Yvonne looked at Conrad as if she wanted to get his opinion on this.


    ¡°Grandma, I think we should go back.¡±


    Veronica did not want to spend the night here as she was afraid of creating more chances for Yvonne


    and Conrad. She was also scared that Yvonne might sink deeper.


    ¡°Return? Do you think my words are a suggestion? None of you are to leave tonight, and that¡¯s that.¡±


    Elizabeth ordered them.


    Hearing this, Veronica could not refuse her any longer.


    Then, the few of them sat and chatted for a while before retiring for the night in their respective rooms.


    Veronica and Yvonne shared a room. Due to her insomnia, Veronica was still awakete at night.


    Lying on the bed with Yvonne, Veronica finally asked something she had been holding in, ¡°Erm¡­ How


    far have you reached with Conrad?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so curious? Why do you want to know about such a thing?¡± The topic made Yvonne


    somewhat embarrassed.


    Veronica remembered that she saw obvious signs of a man having spent the night in her house. ¡°Have


    you two already done it?¡±


    ¡°Yup¡­¡±


    Yvonne nodded after pondering for a while.


    After getting confirmation, Veronica frowned. ¡°How could you be so rash? Don¡¯t you need to discuss it


    with your parents?¡±


    ¡°My parents can¡¯t control who I like. Besides, we¡¯re still in a secret rtionship. When I find an


    opportune moment, I will cancel the engagement with Zac. Then, I can finally be together with Conrad


    openly.¡±


    ¡°Does he like you? Don¡¯t you suspect his feelings toward you?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Would he be together with me if he didn¡¯t like me?¡±


    ¡°But, don¡¯t you think you two are moving too fast?¡±


    ¡°Love at first sight is a split second thing. There are some that even get married after just dating for


    three days. I¡¯m already taking it slow. I¡¯ll have you know.¡± Yvonne felt more and more sour the longer


    she listened to Veronica. ¡°Hmph. I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore. I¡¯m going to switch to another


    room.¡±


    Stating that, Yvonne then stood up and left the bedroom.


    Originally, they had been arranged into two separate rooms, but Yvonne came over because she


    wanted to sleep with Veronica.


    Now that they fell out, Yvonne left without saying a word.


    Seeing her being so stubborn only made Veronica feel a headacheing on.


    After lying on the bed for a while, she found herself unable to sleep as she remembered there being a


    sakura garden in the rear courtyard of the Kings Residence. So, she got out of bed.


    Though upon exiting the room and reaching the hallway, she saw Matthew, who was wearing a ck


    coat, standing there with a cigarette in his hand.


    The soft light reflected on his face, entuating his features and making him seem even more


    charismatic.


    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡±


    Veronica tightened her scarf and walked toward him.


    Slowly, the man looked at her before gazing at a faraway ce. ¡°I could say the same to you.¡±


    He knew that she would not be able to sleep, and that, given her personality, she woulde out.


    That was why he had been standing here, smoking a few cigarettes, only for her to actuallye out.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep. I suddenly remembered that your house has a sakura garden, so I wanted to go see it.¡± A


    feeling of excitement suddenly came to her. ¡°In this kind of old house, it¡¯s quite interesting to walk in the


    sakura garden and feel like a poet from the olden times.¡±


    As the Kings Residence was an architecture with up to a hundred years of history, one would feel as if


    they had gone back in time upon stepping in.


    At the same time, Veronica was wondering how much it was worth if the entire thing was sold off.


    The man scoffed lightly before he extinguished the cigarette. As he walked toward the snow, he was


    followed closely by Veronica.


    Just as the two exited the hallway, she ran back again. ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll go grab an umbre.¡±


    Running back, she grabbed an umbre from her room before catching up to Matthew.


    With a ck umbre in hand, she raised it to cover them both. Maybe it was because Matthew was a


    bit too tall that Veronica felt a bit upset. ¡°You take the umbre since you¡¯re taller.¡±


    The umbre blocked his sight as his vision darkened.


    Looking at the woman next to him before looking at the umbre, he felt that it was actually enjoyable


    for the two to share an umbre while walking in the snow.


    His heart skipped a beat.


    No matter how he felt inside, he still kept up a cold facade nevertheless.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew then took the umbre from Veronica, only to feel a shock of cold from identally touching


    her hand.


    Her hands were freezing cold.


    Looking at her thin outerwear, Matthew took off his coat and threw it at her. ¡°Hold this for me. It¡¯s rather


    inconvenient to wear it while holding the umbre.¡±


    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you cold?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that weak,¡± the man replied nonchntly, as he looked to the front.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wear it then. It¡¯s so cold.¡±


    Without overthinking it, she wore his coat. To prevent them from being drenched in snow, they had to


    walk very closely, as their feet made crunching sounds against the snow. Paired with the cold wind, it


    made quite a romantic scene.


    ¡°It¡¯s snowing rather heavily this year. I haven¡¯t seen it snow this hard in years.¡± Looking like she was


    talking to herself, Veronica reached out to catch some snowkes.


    ¡°Yup,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Do you like snow?¡±


    Veronica suddenly asked.


    Subconsciously, Matthew wanted to shake his head, but it was at that moment that he felt a sense of


    happiness that he had never felt before as they walked in the snow, wishing that time would stop.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really feel anything about it,¡± he said.


    Walking on the pebblestone pathway, one could see both sides lined with bushes that were around


    waist height, and their trimmed edges were covered in snow.


    Veronica touched the snow before looking back at Matthew. ¡°Hey, Matthew. Were you ever in a


    snowball fight?¡±


    The man shook his head, only to see Veronica run at him the next moment. All of a sudden, a wild


    snowball caught him off guard and hit him square in the face.

 Chapter 316

    Chapter 316


    Chapter 316 Matthew¡¯s Confession


    ¡°Pfft¡­ Hahaha. Matthew, you¡¯re so stupid. You couldn¡¯t even dodge that?¡±


    Whileughing, Veronica grabbed another pile of snow from the hedge and pressed it into a ball before


    throwing it at Matthew.


    Though this time, the man only tilted his head slightly as the snowball flew by him.


    He then stood at the spot and cleared his face of snow, which dropped onto his neck. Even though it


    was chilly, he could not disguise his smile.


    Bang!


    Again, another snowball flew at him and hit the umbre before it disintegrated.


    Stiffening up, the man looked at the woman, who was stillughing happily not far away, and threw the


    umbre aside as he threw back a snowball at her.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Matt¡­ Ah! Cough¡­¡±


    Veronica, who was mocking Matthew, got a face full of snow in her face in the end, with some of it


    getting into her mouth.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Sticking her tongue out, she stared back at Matthew. ¡°How could you y dirty like that?¡±


    Veronica was a bit angry, so she quickly threw a snowball back at him. Yet, the man easily blocked her


    attack with the umbre.


    The two of them went at each other, with Veronica losing in the end. Standing there covered in snow,


    she stomped her foot madly. ¡°You¡¯re shameless, Matthew. How could you use the umbre as cover?¡±


    She persisted vehemently.


    However, her angry look made her seem weirdly adorable.


    After seeing her get so angry did the man notice his fault.


    So, he put the umbre down and walked to her. ¡°Alright. Should I stand in front of you to exact your


    revenge?¡±


    Veronica pouted and red at him in response.


    Yet, just as Matthew thought she would not do it, Veronica quickly threw a snowball, which struck his


    head, causing him pain.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­.¡±


    Seeing her ploy seed, the woman turned around and started to run, as Matthew chased her. ¡°You


    think you can just run after doing that?¡±


    Veronica was running very quickly when, all of a sudden, she slipped and fell backward.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Seeing this, Matthew immediately stepped forward and pulled on her hand, only to slip along with her.


    Nheless, because of how tightly he was holding onto her hand, he feared that he wouldnd on


    her, so he hugged her instead.


    With a bang, they crashed onto the ground, as Veronica, who was in his embrace,nded on top of him


    with her lips on his by ident.


    At that moment, Veronica froze up and stared at the handsome face that was so close to hers,


    forgetting to react.


    In the blizzard, her hair was touching the man¡¯s face.


    Even though Matthew had snapped back to reality in a moment, he did not push her away.


    Her cold lips ovepped with his warm ones. They were soft, a bit sweet and tasted nice, making him


    sink deeper and deeper into the moment.


    Badum, badum, badum¡­


    As his heart beat wildly, he gazed deeply at the woman before he held her by her neck and started


    kissing her.


    Veronica, whose brain had shortcircuited, found her senses following the man¡¯s kiss.


    Even though she should have pushed him away and given him a p, only God knew why she did not,


    as the manly smell enveloped her, which was a nice and familiar scent.


    His hot lips had a nice scent that made her mind nk while a shock traveled through her lips, making


    her feel all numb inside.


    As her heart beat faster, Veronica became a statue that let the man kiss her however he liked without


    any resistance.


    The weirdest thing was that she actually felt a bit moved.


    ¡°Mm-hmm¡­¡±


    Snapping back to reality, Veronica pressed her hands against his chest, wanting to get up, but the man


    tightly hugged her waist in return and gazed deeply at her as he asked in a hoarse tone, ¡°Roni, can you


    be my girlfriend?¡±


    The man actually confessed his love to her.


    At that moment, Matthew had forgotten all about the message from Xavier he had received that day.


    Maybe he had just said his true thoughts.


    Stunned, Veronica did not think that Matthew would confess to her so suddenly.


    As the twoy in such a romantic position in the middle of the night in a snowpile, Veronica thought to


    herself, Did he just¡­ confess?


    This was the most unexpected method that Veronica had ever received a confession from before.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    With her hands starting to fidget, she lightly bit her lip due to her realizing her true feelings.


    Even she had to admit that she started to fancy the scumbag at some point in time.


    Yet, it was just a few seconds before she found that¡­


    She liked him.


    Seeing Veronica hesitate made Matthew¡¯s glimmering eyes start to darken. In the end, he asked, ¡°Do


    you like Xavier?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    Veronica answered that instinctively.


    It was her words that made the frowning man feel that something was amiss.


    If she doesn¡¯t like Xavier, why did she sleep with him?


    This was because Matthew knew that Veronica was not such a woman, so he asked, ¡°You said that


    you went to the hotel with Xavier on the night of the Kings Family¡¯s gathering, right? Did¡­ nothing


    happen?¡±


    Maybe because Veronica was in love to depths that she answered him instinctively.


    However, when Matthew added the second question, she felt that something weird was going on.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I received a message after you had spent the night with Xavier¡­¡±


    ¡°What message?¡±


    Veronica looked very serious.


    As her expression was reflected in his gaze, Matthew suddenly realised that Veronica might be in the


    dark about what happened that night.


    So, he said, ¡°I only received a message sent from your phone, stating you liked Xavier.¡±


    By lying, Matthew chose to hide the truth.


    Because he did not know exactly what Xavier did to Veronica that night, he pitied her for not knowing


    anything.


    If Veronica knew that Xavier had done something to her, he was afraid that this would be a nightmare


    that would haunt her forever.


    Holding his anger in, Matthew found himself pitying Veronica the more he got enraged.


    ¡°Roni, I know you have a lot to consider. But, I only hope that you can give me a chance.¡±


    Matthew, who was confessing to Veronica, was speaking to her in a very considerate manner.


    It was only in front of Veronica that the high and mighty Matthew, who did not put anyone in his eyes,


    felt how powerless he was.


    ¡°I¡­ Matthew¡­ I¡­ You¡¯re the sessor to the Kings Family, and I¡¯m just some girl who came from the


    countryside. I could never match up to you, nor can I bear the pressure of your love.¡±

 Chapter 317

    Chapter 317


    Chapter 317 Terms and Conditions


    Out of sheer nervousness, Veronica responded stutteringly.


    ¡°Humans are all equal. I don¡¯t think social status can stop us.¡±


    Feeling Veronica¡¯s slight eptance of his proposal, Matthew pushed on by saying, ¡°Maybe we could


    give this a try.¡±


    Matthew was bravely asking a woman out for the first time.


    On the other hand, Veronica hesitated upon seeing his expectant gaze.


    Suddenly, she remembered what Tiffany had told her and how she had lost her right to be a mother just


    because he did those things to her.


    Veronica could feel her pain as a fellow woman, and she feared Matthew somewhat after that.


    ¡°Matthew, I¡­¡±


    Veronica wanted to say something before the man interrupted. ¡°Stand up. The ground is covered in


    snow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Quickly standing up, she also helped Matthew up.


    Throughout the whole process, Matthew had stood up and cleared his back of snow with his hand still


    held tightly to Veronica¡¯s. ¡°Take the umbre. It¡¯s snowing quite heavily,¡± he said.


    So, he took a few steps backward while holding her hand to pick up the umbre before going to the


    sakura garden.


    His warm hand enveloped her freezing one, making Veronica feel less cold all of a sudden.


    Holding the umbre with his left hand made him feel a bit awkward, so he raised his arm to hug her


    shoulders and held her closer. ¡°Get closer so the snow doesn¡¯t get you wet.¡±


    As she felt Matthew¡¯s gentleness, Veronica¡¯s hands in her coat started fidgeting restlessly and her


    heart was beating so fast to the point where she felt it was getting hard to breathe.


    Before she came to the Kings Residence, she was still angry at Matthew, yet now, they had made up.


    He had just confessed to her.


    Even though there was ack of flowers or a diamond ring, Veronica still could not control her


    heartbeat, fluttering emotions, and¡­ her happiness.


    The man, upon seeing her not acting as calm as just now, thought she looked like a shy teenager in


    love, making him smile subtly.


    ¡°Roni, I know you¡¯re thinking about it a lot now. But, I can give you time to adjust to this.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew stated this somewhat anxiously.


    Yet, he was not one to feel nervous even when facing a billion dor deal to the point where his palms


    were sweating.


    Even though Veronica wanted to refuse him, she could not say that she was not moved by the various


    things Matthew did for her.


    In the end, after countless internal struggles and thinking, she stated, ¡°You said that we could give it a


    try. Then¡­ How about three months? If I find us not working out by then, I hope that you don¡¯t force


    this rtionship. Is that okay?¡±


    Three months?


    Matthew¡¯s eyes shone at her words.


    ¡°Alright. I promise you.¡±


    ¡°But, I have some conditions of my own,¡± Veronica immediately followed up. ¡°Firstly, you cannot touch


    me within this time. Secondly, you will not interfere in my affairs. Thirdly, I don¡¯t want anybody to know


    about our rtionship.¡±


    She had her own ns.


    For now, she still had to be on guard against a lot of people, so it would be best to keep their


    rtionship a secret.


    ¡°Okay. No problem.¡±


    Matthew nodded in agreement.


    Then, he suddenly stopped in his steps before facing Veronica and smiling evilly. ¡°By the way, what did


    you mean by ¡®no touching¡¯?¡±


    He increased the force on her shoulders as if to say that they were making contact right then.


    His question only served to make Veronica blush like a tomato. ¡°You¡­ I¡­ I was referring to¡­ that sort


    of thing¡­¡±


    ¡°What sort of thing?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s¡­¡± Veronica was extremely embarrassed.


    Unable to hold it in anymore, Matthew closed in and blew on her ears before gently saying, ¡°Are you


    talking about¡­ sex?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Veronica pushed him away, feeling as if even her ear lobes had gone bright red.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll promise you that.¡± Matthew nodded and touched her face while his thumb caressed the face


    that he had been thinking of day and night.


    Before this, he was even angry and disappointed at her due to the photos Xavier sent him.


    Now that he knew how dangerous and passive of a situation Veronica was in, he wanted to protect her


    properly.


    He did not think that Veronica would actually give him a chance. It was the happiest thing that ever


    happened to Matthew.


    ¡°Roni?¡±


    He called out.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Veronica looked at him.


    ¡°Can I¡­ kiss you?¡±


    Veronica did not know how to respond.


    Yet, just as Veronica was thinking about how to respond to him, the man grabbed the back of her head


    and leaned down, kissing her.


    It felt different this time.


    His kiss was gentle and careful, as he had one hand on her waist and the other on the back of her


    head. Touching her lips, he pried them open with the tip of his tongue and began kissing her


    passionately.


    All the while, Veronica was standing there stiffly, not reacting.


    She was holding her breath while letting the man kiss her for quite some time before her face became


    all red and her heart was beating wildly.


    It was then that Matthew suddenly let go of her and saw that she was panting loudly. ¡± Silly girl. Don¡¯t


    you know how to breathe?¡±


    Upon being teased by him, Veronica twitched her lips as she red at him in anger.


    Matthew raised his hands, wiped her mouth with his thumb, and touched her nose. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the


    sakura garden.¡±


    The man then took the umbre and held her by the shoulder before they went ahead.


    Throughout the whole process, Veronica did not utter a word as she immersed herself in the romantic


    atmosphere. Even though it was just a kiss and nothing extraordinary, it was enough to make her blush


    hard, feeling as if her heart was about to beat out of her chest.


    She even felt her body burning up during the kiss.


    Veronica only managed to calm her heart after they walked for a while.


    Only then did she ask, ¡°You know that Conrad is also up to no good, right?¡±


    ¡°In the end, he¡¯s still the illegitimate son of the family. He¡¯s nowhere near my level.¡±


    Matthew did not even consider him a threat.


    Yet, it was this omnipotent ability of his that made Veronica feel inferior inparison.


    Pursing her lips, she hesitated for a moment before replying, ¡°Matthew, I do not wish to be your


    sheltered princess. This is why I hope you will not interfere in any future affairs of mine. I want to solve


    all those problems with my own two hands. It will be too stressful for me if you provide and do


    everything by yourself for the two of us. I don¡¯t think I can ept such a rtionship.¡±


    She was different from other women.


    If it were another woman, they would only want to be protected and be a pretty decoration.


    On the other hand, Veronica needed freedom. She wanted to find her true capabilities and express


    herself.

 Chapter 318

    Chapter 318


    Chapter 318 Love


    Matthew responded, ¡°Okay. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± As soon as Veronica said that, Matthew stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her


    intently with a disapproving gaze. ¡°I do not wish to hear that from you again.¡±


    She then pouted at his response. ¡°Why are you so bossy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want us to be such strangers. That¡¯s all.¡±


    She held her tongue as warmth began to enfold her due to his straightforward answer. They continued


    strolling, wandering around the plum trees. The flowers bloomed and tinted the flurry of snow with red


    and pink. It was a sight to behold.


    As the delicate snow brushed against her face, she relished in the flowers before reaching out her hand


    unconsciously to hold his. Subsequently, she pointed out something that was ahead of them. ¡°Look! It¡¯s


    so pretty. The yellow flowers at my ce are nothingpared to these.¡±


    Feeling the warmth wrapping around his hand, he nced at her little hand that was holding his before


    letting out a genuine smile. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Told you that it would be awesome to see it with your own eyes. It feels different during winter.¡±


    Like an innocent child, Veronica let go of his hand and walked toward the tree to take a closer look at


    the flowers. The wide smile on her face expressed her love for the view.


    Just like that, Matthew trailed behind her silently while his eyes zeroed in on her, watching her being


    free and happy while ying. As though her merriment had rubbed off on him, his heart was filled with


    contentment and pure joy.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Once the nervousness melted away with blissful peace, everything seemed to be perfect.


    After roaming around to her heart¡¯s content, Veronica was finally willing to return to Matthew¡¯s side.


    Staying covered underneath the umbre, she rubbed her hands profusely, trying to warm herself up.


    ¡°Huff. It¡¯s freezing cold.¡±


    Matthew put his hand on top of hers and yanked her into his embrace, then proceeded to hug her with


    his jacket. ¡°Are you still feeling cold now, Little Roni?¡±


    Did he just call me¡­ ¡®Little Roni¡¯?


    Although she heard this nickname from Conrad¡¯s lips many times before, which was quite repulsive


    and icky, it felt different when Matthew called her in that manner. Instead of distaste, it elicited a smile


    on her face.


    It actually feels kind of sweet¡­


    Other than her adoptive parents and Crayson, Matthew was the one that had pampered her the most


    with care and affections. Right at this moment, cuddling in his embrace, Veronica somehow felt like she


    was dipped into a jar of honey¡ªeven the air tasted sweet for some reason.


    She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s warm.¡±


    Suddenly, she ced her hands on his chest and pushed him away slightly, trying to make some space


    between them. Still, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to look into his eyes as she lowered her head.


    The snowkes danced along the winter breeze, enveloping the couple that was standing under the


    plum trees. It was beautiful and tranquil that seemed to have the power to make time stop in its tracks


    in order to let the wholesome picture stay longer in stillness.


    ¡°Erm¡­ Can we keep it low-profile? What if someone sees us?¡± Only then did she have the courage to


    raise her head with pleading eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stay like this for a little longer.¡± Matthew shook his head as he grew greedier for her. He had a


    feeling that she might leave as soon as he let go of her.


    ¡°Fine, then. I¡­ Only one more minute.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me the price? I would love to buy the rest of your lifetime,¡± he teased.


    ¡°In your dreams.¡± She snorted but couldn¡¯t help smiling, revealing her adorable dimples.


    ¡°Seems like I can only dream about it.¡± He heaved a long sigh.


    Despite his casual tone, she was able to discern the sadness in his voice. Matthew, who always stood


    before the crowd with a domineering aura, was behaving in such a manner in front of her as if he


    wasn¡¯t the man she often saw in the news.


    Veronica stared at him intensely, and Matthew did the same. Their gazes intertwined each other for a


    long time, as though they weremunicating in silence.


    His breathing suddenly grew heavier and the wind blew away the puff of mist he breathed out. Gulping,


    he covered her eyes out of the blue. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Veronica shook her head to remove his hand and frowned in confusion.


    ¡°You¡¯re seducing me. It makes me wanna kiss you.¡±


    Silence filled the air until she pushed Matthew away. ¡°I think we should keep our distance. You¡¯re too


    dangerous.¡±


    Feeling the void in his arms, he tightened his jacket around him as if that could hold on to the warmth


    on his chest. ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡±


    She looked at her wristwatch and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s past one o¡¯clock, but I don¡¯t feel sleepy.¡±


    Then, she started trudging her heavy feet while recounting her childhood. ¡°During winter, my parents


    used to light up a fire in the store room, so we could chat around the fire while roasting marshmallows.¡±


    She let out a sigh. ¡°I really miss those days.¡±


    The listeners would usually take such statements to the heart at times like this.


    However, Matthew made an abrupt suggestion. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep either. Come, I¡¯ll bring you somewhere


    nice.¡±


    He wrapped his right arm over her shoulders and pushed her nearer to him, after which he held the


    umbre that was originally in his left hand, with his right hand in order to protect her from the falling


    snow.


    Although only silence escorted them to the front yard, both of them equally luxuriated in the peaceful


    romance that was lingering in the air.


    ¡°Oh, what about the underground chamber?¡±


    It was the guing question that she had intended to ask sincest night, but the dispute rendered it


    untimely to do so and she kept quiet about it.


    Yet, they reconciled, which was quite a strange continuation, and she even epted his confession in


    the heat of the moment! Veronica thought she was going to go crazy at that very moment.


    ¡°We¡¯ve passed the case over to the authorities. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, so you¡¯ve given up all those precious valuables? My head hurts.¡± It pained her to watch money


    fly away right in front of her.


    Every piece of the treasure was a relic. Even if it wasn¡¯t from ancient times, they could receive a


    massive amount of money with that many artifacts.


    ¡°Marry me, then all of my money will be yours,¡± Matthew piped up.


    Veronica gave him a look. ¡°Dream on. That¡¯s not happening.¡±


    ¡°Why? Is it because you covet another man?¡± Matthew¡¯s face dimmed as he gazed at her dangerously.


    ¡°I¡¯m still young and I haven¡¯t enjoyed life that much yet. I¡¯m still not ready for marriage.¡± She spoke her


    mind in total honesty, ¡°There¡¯s a long journey ahead of me. It will be a waste to marry right now. Look at


    you. You¡¯re proposing because you¡¯re seven years older than me. I would like to consider that seven


    yearster.¡±


    Seven years? His visage darkened as he frowned while staring at her. That feels like forever.


    In the meantime, Matthew had brought her to a room in the front yard. When the lights were turned on,


    they saw a brazier sitting inside. ¡°There¡¯s no firewood, though. Let¡¯s use charcoal instead.¡±


    ¡°You brought me here just to light up a fire?¡± Veronica asked in surprise.


    ¡°I texted Troy to bring over some skewers. We can drink while eating them.¡±

 Chapter 319

    Chapter 319


    Chapter 319 Are You Trying to Hurt Him?


    It would be Matthew¡¯s first time trying such abination on such an asion, but he knew that


    Veronica liked it, hence the early preparation.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± As expected, she was looking forward to it.


    Soon after they started the fire, Troy arrived and knocked on the door. ¡°President Kings.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    At that, Troy entered the room with an incubator in his arms, only to be shocked by Veronica¡¯s


    presence inside. His eyes reflexively gazed back and forth at the two people.


    I thought they were ignoring each other. What¡¯s happening here?


    Only then did Troy realize his purpose ofing here¡ªbeing a servant. ¡°Understood.¡±


    After cing the incubator aside, he returned to get a grill before starting his job¡ªroasting the skewers


    and warming up the alcohol.


    Meanwhile, Veronica scanned the vicinity and was relieved to see the two opened windows, which


    would help with the venttion so that they wouldn¡¯t suffer from carbon poisoning.


    Needless to say, Matthew had bought the best charcoal which couldst longer and produce less ash.


    When Matthew went outside for a while, Troy seized the chance to clear his doubt. ¡°Miss Murphy, have


    you reconciled with my boss?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean reconcile? We have always been getting along well.¡±


    ¡°Really? But you ignored each other before this.,¡± Troy said with a straight face.


    Veronica suddenly felt the need to remind him as she said, ¡°It¡¯s best not to let others know about the


    rtionship between me and Matthew. You gotta zip your lips tight. Do you hear me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sensing that something was fishy, he narrowed his eyes and stared at her


    intently before a lightbulb went over his head. ¡°Oh! I know! You¡¯re in a rtionship with my boss?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just giving him a chance. If we¡¯re not a fit, we¡¯ll break up eventually.¡± She didn¡¯t hide the truth.


    ¡°That¡¯s a surprise. Never had I thought that my boss would need to pass probation.¡± Troy guffawed


    without a smidgen of guilt.


    Soon, Matthew returned with a hot water bag and he handed it to Veronica. ¡°Warm your hands.¡±


    ¡°We have a fire going, so why the hot water bag?¡± she muttered while reaching out to take over the


    pokemon-printed bag. Her fingertips brushed over its soft fur as she reconfirmed, ¡°Is this now mine?¡±


    Matthew hummed and nodded in response.


    Troy, who was busy roasting the skewers, shook his head. ¡°President Kings, you¡¯ve finally confessed to


    Miss Murphy, yet you gave her only a hot water bag? That¡¯s so lowly¡ªouch!¡±


    Matthew smacked the back of his assistant¡¯s head before thetter could finish his sentence. ¡°Just do


    your job quietly. If it¡¯s not tasty, you better be prepared to stay up all night roasting them.¡±


    ¡°President Kings, I think it¡¯s best for you to be gentle with me. You¡¯re still on probation! What if you¡¯re


    rejected because of a violent tendency?¡± Troy was bolder than usual since Veronica was here too.


    ¡°You dare threaten me?¡± Matthew¡¯s visage darkened.


    ¡°No, boss. T-That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Troy shrank his neck and pleaded pathetically, tickling


    Veronica¡¯s funny bones.


    The trio sat around the fire and chewed the fat while drinking alcohol and eating the delicious skewers,


    which were all marinated and grilled perfectly. Once they had filled their stomach to their heart¡¯s


    content, it was already three in the morning.


    When Matthew ushered Veronica back to her room, she waved her hand at him while bidding goodbye


    with a soft voice, ¡°Bye.¡±


    Seeing how cheeky Veronica looked, Matthew found her extremely adorable. Just as she was about to


    close the doors, he stepped into the room and shut the doors behind him.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡±


    Is he out of his mind?


    They promised toy low and keep their rtionship a secret from others, but having him in her room


    wouldn¡¯t help at all!


    ¡°I wanna sleep together,¡± he blurted while holding her hands.


    Veronica, who didn¡¯t budge at all, pointed at him. ¡°You¡¯re viting our promise.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Because of that promise, I want to treasure today more. I don¡¯t know when we will meet


    again.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going on a business trip overseas tomorrow and I won¡¯t be back in a short while.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Will you be gone for a long time? Won¡¯t you be back by New Year?¡±


    She had just epted his confession not long ago, yet he wasn¡¯t going to be in the country for a long


    period of time. At that moment, anxiety began to creep inside her as her heart suddenly felt heavy


    because she didn¡¯t want him to go.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I might not be able to make it.¡± Matthew¡¯s reply made her head sink as words failed her.


    Then, he pulled the reluctant woman into his embrace and pulled her into bed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will only


    hug you.¡±


    As soon as her body touched the soft bed, he wrapped her with the nket before hugging her. Lying


    down beside her, he stroked her tresses. ¡°It¡¯ste already. Rest now.¡±


    Not only did he want to hug her, he also intended to find out how serious her insomnia was.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Pillowing his arm, she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, pretending to be


    asleep. Initially, she expected her body to refuse any intimacy with Matthew, but she was proved


    otherwise.


    Instead of a repulsive feeling, the cuddle had given her a tingling sensation that tickled her body, as


    well as made her heart race.


    The man¡¯s distinctive scent wafted in her nostrils, satisfying her voracity while putting her mind at ease.


    ¡°Stop thinking nonsense and sleep.¡± As though he saw through her terrible acting, the hand around her


    waist patted lightly like a silent luby that could soothe her to sleep.


    Amidst the dead silence that dawned upon the dark room, they could hear the cries of the winter


    breeze.


    Veronica tried her best to maintain her posture, in fear that something might happen if she awakened


    the man¡¯s primal instincts with one false move. After all, she had learned from her past that she could


    never stop him once they did it.


    Even so, luck wasn¡¯t on her side as it was rather ufortable to sleep with clothes on. Thus, her stiff


    body eventually went numb after time passed.


    Unable to hold it in any longer, she bent her legs while thinking of sleeping like how a shrimp did.


    However, she identally bumped into Matthew, who drew a sharp breath and tightened his arms


    around her at once.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± She was baffled.


    Then, she heard Matthew saying with gritted teeth. ¡°Are you trying to hurt him?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡­I¡­¡± Then, she suddenly understood what her legs bumped into.


    Almost instantly, her face and neck turned crimson. She tried to prop herself up but in vain due to his


    firm arms around her waist.

 Chapter 320

    Chapter 320


    Chapter 320 Are You Really Leaving Now?


    ¡°It hurts,¡± eximed Matthew.


    ¡°It hurts a lot?¡±


    ¡°A lot!¡± ¡°Are you okay? Should I call the ambnce?¡± Shocked, Veronica was worried and didn¡¯t dare to


    move a muscle.


    He suddenly held her hand, and before she could react, he ced it atop the area. ¡°No need for that. It


    will subside after you massage it.¡±


    ¡°B¨CBut how can I do that if you have your clothes on?¡± Due to the distress, she wasn¡¯t in a state of


    mind to think about her words before blurting them out, hence the suggestive question.


    With a solemn face, Matthew dly yed along. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take it off.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She suddenly registered where the conversation was heading and blurted, ¡°Matthew Kings, y-


    you pervert!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. It really hurts.¡±


    Hearing his serious tone which didn¡¯t sound like a joke, Veronica was concerned again. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It feels like it¡¯s going to be broken.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know whether it¡¯s broken or not?¡±


    ¡°Now, my body feels numb due to the pain. I¡¯m not really sure.¡± Matthew lifted his shirt and grabbed her


    head, leading to where his member was. ¡°Help me.¡±


    In the spur of the moment, Veronica, who waspletely deceived, touched the part and felt the hot


    sensation in her palm. There wasn¡¯t a sign of it deting.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Now, she finally fullyprehended the situation, albeit toote. ¡°Matthew Kings, you lied to me¡ª¡±


    ¡°You silly girl.¡± The impish man chuckled lightly before kissing her.


    Under the warm nket, he devoured her with aggressive kisses, causing her mind to be hazy


    due tock of oxygen. However, she couldn¡¯t help but be led by the man¡¯s tempo as she couldn¡¯t resist


    it as well.


    When Veronica finally came back to her senses, Matthew was already immersed in the thrusts, sending


    waves of ecstasy that swept over her senses.


    ¡°Huff¡­ Matthew, are you crazy? T-This is¡­ Grandma¡¯s ce¡­¡± Vexed, she was trying to hang onto


    thest string of rationality. ¡°Liar¡­ You broke your promise¡­¡±


    ¡°About that¡­ Let¡¯s start the promise tomorrow.¡±


    She was rendered speechless for a moment at his shameless statement. ¡°Matthew Kings, you¡¯re truly a


    shameless man.¡±


    ¡°You were the one who made me all fire up, so you should cool it off. Otherwise, who else should be


    responsible?¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    The man abruptly stopped his movements andnded a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Little Roni, I¡¯ll take full


    responsibility. Forget about seven years, even if it¡¯s ten years, I¡¯m willing to wait.¡±


    It was a promise and a pledge of a knight to his princess.


    Enshrouded by the darkness that inherently heightened her senses, Veronica could hear the man¡¯s


    heavy breath next to her ear as his words kept ringing in her head, making her heart palpitate quickly.


    Under Matthew¡¯s ministration, her rapture reached its peak and she could feel herself floating on clouds


    as if she was in euphoria. Initially, she thought both of them would calm down after that one time, but


    her premise was proved wrong.


    Like the grass that grew in spring, the sizzling love could never be pacified that easily once it was set


    on fire.


    Amid the blissful taste of heaven, Veronica suddenly felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Matthew bit her


    shoulder lightly, attempting to leave a mark of his on her body. ¡°Little Roni, from today onward, you¡¯re


    mine. This is my mark on you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s painful¡± She inhaled and snorted in discontentment. ¡°What gives you the right to do that to me? I


    want to do the same to you! If you dare to have another woman, I¡¯lle after you!¡±


    Then, she leaned onto his shoulder before leaving marks on it. Yet, the pain was more like a tickle to


    him and his heart was filled with merriment because it was a mark that indicated her eptance.


    So what if it¡¯s a three-month probation? It¡¯s nothing more than just talk!


    ¡°Alright. I pledge my loyalty to you.¡± He epted the threat with pleasure.


    On that steamy night, Matthew was so high on adrenaline that he couldn¡¯t possibly cease his


    animalistic instincts. It wasn¡¯t until Veronica drifted into dreand due to fatigue that he was willing to


    sleep while hugging her tightly.


    The next morning, by the time she woke up, Matthew was already gone. At the thought that Yvonne


    might enter the room at any time, she lowered her head frantically and looked at herself. She heaved a


    sigh of relief to see that she had clothes on.


    Judging from how neither the bed nor her body felt mmy, it seemed like Matthew had cleaned up


    before leaving. Gradually, she broke into a smile at his consideration.


    Even so, when memories of the steamy event shed across her mind, she smacked her head


    instantly. ¡°Veronica Murphy! Get a hold of yourself!¡±


    Despite the three-month probation, she slept with him just like that. Irritated by her impulsive actions,


    she flung her legs in the air and dipped her head into the nket.


    In retrospect, it had been almost half a year since theyst did it. There were many openings for him to


    force her into doing it all this time, but he held it in nheless. It wasn¡¯t until yesterday that he finally


    gave in to his lustful desire.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    A knock resounded on the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Veronica asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± It was Matthew, who opened the door and came inside.


    ¡°What are you doing here? It¡¯ll be bad if Yvonne and others find out,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Hurry up and


    leave.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I let them drive our cars and told them that you got something urgent to attend to. Yvonne


    and uncle Conrad had left after breakfast.¡±


    After locking the door, he seated himself at the edge of the bed. The sight of her red cheeks prodded


    him to pinch them. ¡°Good morning, Little Roni.¡±


    ¡°What a bad start to the day. Don¡¯t touch me.¡± She pped his hand away in fury. ¡°Matthew Kings, you


    evil man. How could you break your promise like that?¡±


    She pursed her lips and red at him resentfully with puffed cheeks.


    With an arm supporting his head, he settled himself on the bed andy sideways before tapping her


    nose. ¡°The one who begged me to go on was you. How could you me it on me?¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Amongst the fleeting images in her head, the scene of him teasing her naughtily made her face flush


    red at once.


    ¡°Matthew Kings! Y-You shameless man!¡± Veronica covered her head under the nket and snorted


    coldly as she decided to ignore him.


    ¡°Yeah. Everything that Roni says is right. It was my fault and I¡¯m a shameless man. I guess I should not


    stop next time.¡±


    ¡°Matthew Kings! You¡­ Leave! At this instant!¡± She just hoped that the floor would open up a hole and


    swallow her at that moment.


    This is so embarrassing!


    ¡°Alright, then. I have a flight to catch in three hours.¡± The smile on his face faded and he became


    serious.


    Now that she heard that he was going to leave soon, she got out of the nket and stared at the man


    with a heavy heart.

 Chapter 321

    Chapter 321


    Chapter 321 A Kick in the Face


    ¡°You¡­¡± Veronica stared at Matthew intently as her eyes began to tear up. ¡°Stay safe.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what she was supposed to say. There were so many words at the tip of her tongue,


    but she swallowed them, leaving only those two words that had escaped her lips.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you wanna say to me?¡± Lowering his head, Matthew locked eyes with hers and


    pinched her nose. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Her fair nose was tinted with red due to his affectionate touch. ¡°Yeah, nothing.¡±


    Rather than nothing, she didn¡¯t know how to convey the mixed feelings that were churning in her


    stomach into words. Meanwhile, Matthew, who didn¡¯t receive the answer he wanted, was upset.


    However, when he ced his finger on her forehead and parted his lips, he lost his voice as he didn¡¯t


    know what to say either.5


    After their gazes intertwined for a long time, the man sighed silently. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He rose to his feet and headed for the door without looking back.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Veronica got up and grabbed his arm. ¡°H-How long are you going to be there?¡±


    epting his confession yesterday was totally out of the n, but she grew dependent on him after


    merely spending that one steamy night together. Despite the heavy heart of seeing him go, she still


    couldn¡¯t express her reluctance.


    Matthew halted and turned sideways to look at her from the corner of his eyes. ¡°When do you want me


    to return to the country?¡±


    Frowning, she contemted for a moment. ¡°Work is important. Take good care of yourself and give me


    a message once you arrive there.¡±


    At that, Matthew shut his eyes and took a deep breath before turning around to hover over her. He held


    her chin with his fingers and, with a deep voice, he questioned, ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Noticing signs of the seething rage, she cottoned on to the meaning behind his words, but she decided


    to y dumb. ¡°What else? There¡¯s nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Really? Nothing?¡±


    After thinking about it again ¡®seriously¡¯, she gave a certain nod. ¡°Yes. Oh! One more thing.¡±


    Matthew couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Veronica continued to fool him. ¡°The road is quite slippery because of the heavy snowst night. So, I


    think you should hit the road immediately, or you¡¯ll miss your flight.¡±


    As soon as she finished her words, the smile on his face faded, and his eyes, which were fixated on


    her, showed flickers of insidious ferocity.


    Right then, Veronica hushed up, realizing that she had made a mistake. Oops, seems like I¡¯ve gone


    overboard.


    She let out a bright smile immediately. ¡°Matthew, don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m scared.¡±


    However, the man paid no heed to her ims and lowered his body to rest his forehead against hers.


    With the tips of their noses touching each other intimately, he asked, ¡°Was I too lenientst night?¡±


    His eyes narrowed to a dangerous slit while letting out a menacing smile. ¡°Do you think that I won¡¯t do


    anything to you right now?¡±


    rmed, Veronica grabbed his hands and shook her head vigorously. ¡°Grandma¡¯s still here. If she finds


    out what you¡¯ve done to your god-sister, she will not let you get away from it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What will she do to me? I didn¡¯t hear you clearly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my god-brother. Of course she¡¯ll beat you to death foritting¡­ incest.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where this ce is?¡±


    ¡°Kings Residence.¡±


    ¡°This is the most secluded area of the residence. Even the maids seldome here, let alone


    Grandma.¡±


    In fact, Matthew had brought her to the secluded ce after lovemaking, in a worry that others would


    find out about it. However, Veronica didn¡¯t know a thing about it.


    He promised her to keep it a secret, so he thought he should at least do that to not worry her.


    After knowing the truth of their whereabouts, she held her breath in ¡®fear¡¯. Before she could even say


    anything, Matthew¡¯s phone rang. Due to the proximity, she could scarcely hear Troy¡¯s voiceing


    from the other side of the line.


    ¡°President Kings, we should head off right now,¡± reminded Troy.


    ¡°We¡¯ll fly there tomorrow. I¡¯ve got something urgent to settle today,¡± replied Matthew indifferently before


    ending the call.


    Clenching tightly onto the nket, Veronica attempted to give ast-ditch effort by saying, ¡°Matthew¡ªI


    mean, Brother¡ªWork is important! Work is way more important.¡±


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    F*ck that!


    His face darkened as he pinched her cheeks lightly while warning her, ¡°Listen. I¡¯m your man, not your


    brother! If I hear that word from you again, I can¡¯t guarantee what I¡¯ll do to you.¡±


    ¡°B-But I am Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter, so you¡¯re my brother!¡± Veronica was pushing her luck by


    testing his patience.


    ¡°Veronica Murphy!¡± With gritted teeth, he called her name in a fuming rage, and the vehement voice


    jarred into her ears.


    ¡°I¡ªAh! What are you doing?¡±


    Matthew flipped the nket and punished her in a heartbeat, leaving her no chance to escape. This


    time, he ravished her whole body without mercy.


    It was a rare sight to see someone in that inconspicuous area where they were currently, much less


    when he specially informed them to note. Therefore, he had the time of his life to teach Veronica a


    lesson.


    After the strenuous exercise, she was all in and ended up falling asleep in his arms. When she finally


    woke up, she could feel a cold sensation coursing through her swollen part.


    Her eyes shot wide open in an instant, and her mind went nk. Thinking that it was a pervert beneath


    her, she raised her leg and kicked the person away.


    Bang!


    The heavy thud resonated against the walls, followed by the groan of a man. Veronica helped herself


    up, only to realize that the one she kicked was none other than Matthew!


    ¡°I-It was you? What are you doing?¡± She covered herself with the nket as she let her imagination run


    wild.


    After years of knowing him, she found a new side of him. I didn¡¯t know that he loved this kind of y.


    Sitting on the floor as his hair covered the perilous glint in his eyes, the pathetic man showed her the


    medicine in his hand. ¡°I was applying medicine for you!¡±


    He was indeed applying medicine to her. Noticing that her lower part was swollen, he asked someone


    to buy medicine before personally applying it to her, who was still fast asleep.


    However, he got a kick right in the face from her!


    Never once in his lifetime had he felt so humiliated. Veronica Murphy!

 Chapter 322

    Chapter 322


    Chapter 322 She Was Moved


    D*mn, what could he do?


    His woman deserved to be pampered.


    ¡°Apply some ointment?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s gaze was drawn to the bottle of ointment in his hand as she felt embarrassed and


    remorseful. She smiled shyly and blinked her eyes before saying, ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just being too


    defensive. Are you alright? I kicked¡­ Where did I kick you?¡±


    She was concerned. Where did she kick him?


    ¡°My¡­ stomach,¡± Matthew licked his lips and swallowed his rage.


    He lied. How could he tell her that she had kicked him in the face?


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t tell her that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She subconsciously wanted to get up to help Matthew, but she felt chilly when she was about to stand


    up. She had just realized that she wasn¡¯t dressed, so all she could do was sit on the bed. As if pleading


    for mercy, she stared at him with innocent eyes.


    Then, he stood up and approached her, saying, ¡°Lie down!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    She snatched the ointment from his grasp, hid beneath the covers, and smeared some of it on herself.


    Leaning against the headboard of the bed, she wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, exposing only her


    head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving? Won¡¯t you bete for work?¡± Veronica asked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Matthew, who was dressed neatly, appeared irritable as he unbuttoned his suit and pped the back


    vents with both hands. He then put his hands in his pockets and stared at her coldly.


    His dark gaze wasparable to the darkness of the night and seemed to speak a thousand words.


    However, Veronica couldn¡¯t read his mind.


    All of a sudden, she noticed his handsome face had turned a little red. ¡°Why is your right cheek so red?


    Are you having allergies?¡± she inquired.


    Matthew remained deafeningly silent. He didn¡¯t want to admit it was the mark she left on his right cheek


    when she kicked him, but his red cheek was evidence of her great power.


    ¡°Yeah, allergies,¡± he responded quickly, not wanting to exin anything.


    ¡°Come on, let me take a look at your allergy.¡±


    She reached out and grabbed the corner of his suit, forcing him to approach her. With her slender pale


    arm, she grabbed his tie, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning into his face, staring at his


    right cheek.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. Why do you only have allergies on the right side of your face?¡± she murmured.


    Matthew suppressed his rage and slowly lowered his gaze to avoid staring at Veronica¡¯s face.


    He was afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself from settling the score with her.


    As he lowered his gaze, he was surprised to see that the quilt covering Veronica had slipped down to


    her waist at some point, exposing her busty chest.


    Immediately, he experienced a head rush. He frowned as he approached her ear, saying solemnly, ¡°Is it


    because of myck of stamina that you¡¯re teasing me again?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She was surprised for a moment before pushing Matthew away, only to discoverter that the quilt that


    had been covering her body had slipped down to her waist, exposing her naked body.


    She embarrassedly tugged at the quilt and hid under the covers, revealing her cute little head. ¡°You


    pervert! You can choose not to look!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll pay attention next time.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, wear your clothes and I¡¯ll take you down the mountain,¡± Matthew said, motioning


    to a set of clothes on the bedside.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Veronica responded with a nod, her beautiful eyes fixed on him.


    ¡°I told you to change your clothes, but why are you staring at me?¡±


    D*mn it. Why did she always have to tease him? It was making him explode.


    ¡°How can I change my clothes if you don¡¯t go out?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t seen it,¡± Matthew said.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be done! You need to get out!¡±


    He shook his head helplessly again, turning away from her.


    Veronica put on her clothes and entered the bathroom. After taking a shower, she quickly washed her


    face before exiting the bathroom.


    They then left the room, exited the old house through the back door, and drove down the mountain.


    Matthew was behind the wheel.


    At that moment, Veronica¡¯s stomach grumbled. She was so drained by the bast*rd that she was hungry,


    starving even.


    ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± The man drove the car cautiously.


    He had to drive more cautiously because the snowy road was slippery and Veronica was in the car.


    ¡°Whatever is edible. I just want to eat right now. I¡¯m starving,¡± she said, ring angrily at Matthew. ¡°Are


    you a devil? How could you have such great physical strength? I¡¯m dead tired.¡±


    She was still a little irritated as she spoke.


    Veronica knew he had good physical strength before, but it wasn¡¯t untilst night and this morning that


    she truly understood what great physical strength was.


    Even she, as a trainer, couldn¡¯t stand it. She couldn¡¯t help but think that if he had a weak girlfriend, she


    would be yed to death on the bed.


    Matthew couldn¡¯t stopughing when he saw her angry and irritated expression. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I


    couldn¡¯t control myself. I¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time. Hmph, it¡¯s better for you to leave the country and don¡¯te back.¡±


    She snorted coldly.


    Despite the fact that it was aint, it caused Matthew to reflect on himself. They had been wild for


    the past two days, and he didn¡¯t really care about Veronica¡¯s feelings.


    He wanted to express his love in a different way because they eventually reconciled despite the ups


    and downs they had.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect it to be so extreme that it would hurt her.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry.¡± He sighed, feeling guilty.


    Seeing this, Veronica remained silent.


    The car arrived in the outskirts of town forty to fifty minutester. Matthew took her upstairs to a private


    restaurant.


    ¡°This location is extremely remote.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a private dining establishment. It tastes delicious. I also ate it by chance once.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    They ordered some food, which Veronica devoured.


    The way she downed the food made the food appear more appetizing.


    Matthew, who sat across from her, sat silently watching her eat while filling her te.


    She didn¡¯t put down her cutlery until she was full before sheplimented, ¡°It tastes delicious. I can¡¯t


    stop eating.¡±


    As Veronica gave a contented smile, she inadvertently burped. In embarrassment, she covered her


    mouth with her hand, looked at him, and smiled shyly.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew had a smile the entire time and his eyes were always looking at her with affection. He relished


    every moment and every second he had with her. Right then, he took a tissue from his pocket, leaned


    forward slightly, and reached out to wipe the oil stains from the corners of her mouth.


    Veronica¡¯s body froze at his action, and she sat dazed, allowing Matthew to wipe the corners of her


    mouth with tissue. Her heart was warmed.


    This was, in fact, love.


    It was really¡­ lovely.


    ¡°Are you not going to eat?¡± she inquired, after noticing that Matthew hadn¡¯t moved his cutlery much.


    ¡°Just watching you eat is sufficient.¡±


    Veronica was moved by his casual remark for a long time.

 Chapter 323

    Chapter 323


    Chapter 323 A Promise to Her


    After the meal, the two sat in the room and exchanged nces.


    ¡°Are we¡­ just going to sit here?¡± Veronica asked, her red lips parted slightly.


    Speaking of this, she became aware that this was equivalent to being in a rtionship with Matthew¡­


    Being in love?


    It¡¯s such aplicated feeling.


    Matthew raised one of his brows, a smile on his face. His expression was casual, but it was extremely


    charming. ¡°Roni, what do you want to do?¡±


    He extended the sound of the word ¡®do¡¯, as if hinting at something


    ¡°Matthew, I¡¯m warning you¡ªyou are now on a three-month probationary period. We can say goodbye


    at any time if you¡¯re so aggressive!¡± Veronica¡¯s face sank as she spoke.


    This jerk is messing with me! Can¡¯t he stop draining me?


    ¡°Why? You slept with me and don¡¯t want to admit it?¡±


    His charming eyes narrowed slightly, and a wicked smile formed on the corners of his lips.


    ¡°You were the one who slept with me. I¡¯m already kind enough to not have it out with you.¡± Veronica


    snorted bitterly then added, ¡°In any case, we are adults and everyone should take their own


    responsibility. Therefore, the rules we establish will take effect immediately! Don¡¯t try to touch me


    without my consent!¡±


    It was a warning.


    When Matthew noticed Veronica upset, he felt a little faint and nodded quickly ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you,


    Roni. Then¡­¡±


    He considered what other people did when they were in rtionships.


    ¡°How about I take you to the movies?¡± he suggested, his eyes lighting up.


    ¡°How about watching a movie?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ No, no!¡± Veronica quickly refused.


    She shook her head once more. ¡°We are so distinctive that we will be recognized as soon as we step


    outside. Let¡¯s forget about it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll book the entire ce.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s the point of booking the entire venue when movies are meant to be seen in a crowded


    theater? Forget about it. I¡¯m not going.¡±


    Their rtionship could not be revealed for the time being, which was why going to the movies was


    inconvenient.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you used to dressing up as a man to the point where no one knows who you are?¡±


    Matthew remembered how she used to dress as a man; even Troy didn¡¯t recognize her. As such,


    anyone else would surely not recognize her too.


    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Veronica gave him a thumbs up andughed.


    Her smile vanished all of a sudden and she frowned at him. ¡°How do you¡­ How do you know that I


    disguise myself as a man?¡±


    It was at that point that it dawned on Veronica. ¡°You were waiting for me at the warehouse door before,


    so you knew it was me, right?¡±


    She was still wondering how Matthew could trust someone he didn¡¯t know much about at the time.


    It was only now that she realized he had known her identity for a long time but hadn¡¯t exposed her.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Goodness! I thought my disguise was wless and you didn¡¯t notice me. It looks like my abilities are


    just average.¡± She sighed, feeling slightly disappointed.


    ¡°Well, it was pretty good,¡± Matthew said before adding, ¡°At the very least, Troy didn¡¯t recognize you.


    ¡°Did he not recognize me?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    He gave her a firm shake of the head.


    After that, the two left the private restaurant and drove to Veronica¡¯s apartment.


    However, in order to avoid being seen together, she got out of the car and went upstairs first. It was


    only after that did Matthew follow her.


    She couldn¡¯t help but cover her lips and smile the moment she entered the house and shut the door.


    ¡°Why does this feel like you have a secret lover?¡±


    ¡°If you want, I can make our rtionship public. What do you say?¡± Matthew asked as he wrapped his


    arms around her waist and embraced her.


    Holding her in his arms, the man lowered his head. They were extremely close, and his forehead was


    resting on hers.


    His distinct fragrance lingered in her lungs, putting her at ease.


    Veronica shook her head and stated, ¡°Although modern times are not as demanding as ancient times,


    two people must bepatible. I don¡¯t want to be with you as Cindere. We only make our


    rtionship public when I¡¯mpetent. I do not have to be on par with you, but I at least have to be


    good enough, alright?¡±


    She was a strong-willed woman who refused to ept gossip or be pointed at by others who said she


    wanted to be Cindere.


    Because Veronica promised to be with Matthew, she was doomed to face a lot of pressure.


    The irresponsible remarks of strangers were too much for her to bear. She could only train herself to be


    strong enough to be a good match for Matthew.


    With her abilities, she would keep those people¡¯s mouths shut.


    Matthew fell silent as a result of her words.


    He knew Veronica was a strong person, but he didn¡¯t expect his identity to put so much pressure on


    her.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll promise you that.¡±


    ¡°As long as this is what you want, I will do my best to satisfy you, Roni,¡± he murmured as he stroked


    her hair.


    His words were a promise.


    It was enough for Veronica that Matthew was willing to promise her this.


    ¡°Your words put me at ease.¡±


    She smiled but because they were so close, her thick and long eyshes tickled Matthew¡¯s cheeks as


    she blinked, making his entire body burn hot.


    Veronica, however, pushed him away before he could kiss her and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to put on my


    makeup.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s arms were suddenly empty, as was his heart, leaving him feeling lonely for no apparent


    reason.


    Meanwhile, Veronica turned around and entered the bedroom, ignoring Matthew¡¯s disappointed


    expression.


    She secretly let out a sigh of relief and patted her chest. Fortunately, she escaped fast enough, or else


    he might have released the beast in him.


    She entered the room, leaving him standing in the living room as he assessed the one-bedroom


    apartment.


    The house was small, but it was neat and tidy. It was very warm, despite its simplicity.


    In contrast, Matthew suddenly realized that his vi was sorge that living in it would make people feel


    empty and lonely.


    He then entered the bedroom and noticed Veronica putting on makeup in front of the dressing table. He


    didn¡¯t want to bother her, so he sat quietly on the edge of her bed and stared at her.


    Matthew suddenly realized why he fell for Veronica.


    She appeared slender, but she was full of mystery and surprises, as well as determination. She was a


    person that refused to admit defeat, and it set her apart from the wealthy youngdies.


    He sat silently for 40 minutes before she was done with her makeup. She then got up, pulled out a set


    of clothes, and went straight into the bathroom.


    Matthew didn¡¯t have time to see her appearance during the entire process.


    Veronica didn¡¯t appear for another three minutes. Suddenly, a handsome young man with short gray


    hair, a fair face, and distinct features appeared in front of Matthew.


    Veronica wore a round-neck sweater, a thickened men¡¯s sweater over her coat, a skull ne around


    her neck, and a pair of ck outdoor cks to look like a sporty boy.


    There was a hint of uninhibitedness in the handsome and dashing boy.


    The timeless cross earrings on her ears, in particr, made her look inexplicably more ruffian.


    Matthew had to admit that her make-up skills were incredible, but he did not approve of her


    appearance.


    Looking down at her clothes, Veronica inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?¡±

 Chapter 324

    Chapter 324


    Chapter 324 They Both Looked Dashing


    ¡°No problem.¡± When Matthew turned around and walked away, he raised his hand and pinched the


    bridge of his nose, as if he was suffering from a headache as a result of Veronica¡¯s sudden change in


    appearance.


    She followed him out of the room, and put on a pair of Dr Martens before standing coolly in front of


    Matthew.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± she said with a smile.


    As a result, the duo went downstairs together and drove to the theater.


    The car was parked on the mall¡¯s second floor. They exited the car wearing ck masks, and took the


    elevator to the theater which was located on the 12th floor.


    Veronica had already purchased movie tickets for the next hour while on their car ride.


    After they had received their tickets, they had nothing to do. Hence, Veronica said to Matthew in a male


    voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s still early, so let¡¯s go downstairs for a walk.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he responded.


    They then walked around the mall, but everyone did a double take because of their stunning


    appearance.


    Matthew ignored those people¡¯s stares, and he lifted his arm and put it around Veronica¡¯s neck. With


    this, the two of them looked like brothers.


    ¡°Wow! He¡¯s really handsome.¡±


    ¡°This is simr to a television scene in which a tyrant president appears. The man with short grayish


    white hair looks handsome and wild. He¡¯s so cool!¡±


    ¡°Goodness, I love them!¡±


    ¡°Are they models out and about for a photoshoot?¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica and Matthew¡¯s dashing appearances attracted much attention, and many women stopped to


    take photos.


    At this point, two little girls ran over, stood in front of them, and asked Veronica, ¡°Hi handsome! Uh¡­


    can I have your number?¡±


    The girl was courageous and bold enough to step forward to request for Veronica¡¯s number.


    Veronica was stunned for a moment before pointing to herself and asking, ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think¡­ you look like the movie star, Timoth¨¦e Chmet,¡± the little girl replied, shyly holding her


    phone before asking again, ¡°Can I get your number?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s face fell and he wrapped his arms around Veronica¡¯s neck. He then pulled her close and


    refused coldly, ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Oh? I can¡¯t? In that case¡­ Can I take a photo with you, handsome?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°Yes, yes! Can we take a picture with you?¡± said another little girl in a goose-yellow down jacket.


    After seeing the two girls¡¯ boldness and enthusiasm, Veronica immediately agreed, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Since she was a cross-dressing, no one would recognize her, so there was no big deal.


    ¡°We¡¯re busy.¡±


    Matthew tly refused, mercilessly wrapping his arms around Veronica¡¯s neck and walking away,


    ignoring the two girls.


    This scene drew the attention of others and some even pointed at them, sparking heated debate.


    ¡°My God, that man is so overbearing! Could it be that he has feelings for that man?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Take a look at him¡ªhis expression darkened, and it seemed like he¡¯s jealous.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, handsome guys are originally hard toe by, but now that handsome guys are starting to


    get together, what should we women do?¡±


    ¡°They bat for their own team, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! So this is what they mean.¡±


    ¡­


    People behind them continued to talk while looking back at the two of them.


    Veronica could clearly hear their conversation despite the low volume.


    She nced at Matthew beside her, and asked inexplicably, ¡°How could you have the heart to refuse


    the two girls who wanted to take a photo with us?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mine. Why should you take photos with other people?¡±


    ¡°Hey, they¡¯re girls. Girls!¡±


    ¡°Not even girls!¡±


    Matthew cast a cold nce at Veronica beside him and feltpelled to remove the makeup from her


    face. She appeared more appealing to the eye with her face bare.


    D*mn it!


    Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s now going after girls as well?


    Matthew suddenly felt that he had so many more love rivals.


    Veronica frowned and her lips were slightly pursed under the mask as she mocked mercilessly,


    ¡°Matthew, are you¡­ are you jealous?¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Goodness! What is wrong with his man?


    ¡°It¡¯s for your own good, so as not to reveal your identity.¡±


    Matthew provided an enticing reason.


    Veronica pouted and secretly smiled, but she remained silent.


    Veronica could only go with Matthew to the men¡¯s clothing store because she was disguised as a man.


    In the mall, there was a floor of high-end brand stores.


    Veronica rarely visited here.


    ¡°Wee.¡±


    She took him to the Armani men¡¯s clothing store. The staff noticed the two extraordinary men, and the


    fact that Matthew was dressed in handmade haute couture.


    The clothes were of the highest quality, cut to fit, with plenty of drape and ironing.


    It looked expensive.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee to take a look. Our store carries all thetest items,¡± the staff said enthusiastically.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take a look on our own. You don¡¯t have to worry about us.¡±


    Veronica was not used to the staffs¡¯ enthusiasm, so she grabbed Matthew¡¯s arm and walked into the


    store.


    In the store, she looked around at the new clothes and eventually pointed to the linen gray woolen


    trench coat, saying, ¡°Do you want to try it? It looks like it will fit you.¡±


    She chose clothes for Matthew while shopping with him.


    This was some weird feeling, but it made Matthew appreciate the time spent with Veronica.


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s your call,¡± he said with a slight nod.


    He responded casually, but it was easy to sense his extra tenderness towards her.


    On the contrary, several shopping guides on the side couldn¡¯t help but widen their eyes when they saw


    it.


    ¡°Oh my god, I can¡¯t believe such good-looking men bat for their own team!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they like people like themselves?¡±


    ¡°Although it¡¯s not surprising, it¡¯s a shame he¡¯s so attractive and likes men.¡±


    ¡°Shh! Be quiet. Don¡¯t let them hear you.¡±


    ¡­


    Several staff lowered their voices and spoke quietly.


    Veronica, on the other hand, was talking to Matthew, and they didn¡¯t care what the people were talking


    about.


    They didn¡¯t stop talking until Veronica beckoned to the staff and pointed at the clothes. They came over


    and respectfully inquired, ¡°Which one do you prefer? You can try them on.¡±


    ¡°That one.¡±


    The staff lowered their voices and spoke quietly.


    ¡°All right, please give us a moment. Who is wearing it?¡± inquired the shopping guide as she retrieved


    the wool trench coat.


    ¡°He¡¯s wearing it.¡±


    ¡°Go and try it on,¡± Veronica said as she took the clothes and handed them to Matthew.


    She spoke in a low and maic male¡¯s voice, but it wasced with the femininity of a woman. Also,


    Veronica¡¯s gaze for Matthew was full of love.


    Another staff member saw this scene and sighed lovingly.


    Matthew looked at this coat of ordinary workmanship which he didn¡¯t like. However, it had been


    carefully selected by Veronica for him, so he couldn¡¯t refuse.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He grabbed the item and went into the dressing room.


    Veronica stood at the door and in a moment, Matthew came out.


    He usually wore suits and leather shoes. Although he looked cool and handsome, he eventually gave


    people the impression of arrogance, in which strangers found it hard to approach him.


    And this gray woolen trench coat was of a casual style. It not only added a sense of youthfulness, but


    also made a strong visual impact, giving Veronica the impression that Matthew was more


    approachable. At the same time, it managed to retain his nobleness.

 Chapter 325

    Chapter 325


    Chapter 325 Ruka¡¯s World Was Turned Upside Down


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked Veronica.


    She wrapped her arms around his chest and stood in front of him. Looking him in the eyes, Veronica


    nodded happily, ¡°Not bad. Looks like I have good taste.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not because I¡¯m attractive?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s thin and moderate lips elicited a slight smile, and his pupils were brimming with adoration.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a narcissist.¡±


    The man looked good in anything but he waspletely narcissistic, leaving everyone speechless.


    ¡°Hello, do you have any high-end men¡¯s professional attire?¡±


    At this fraction of moment, a customer entered the clothing store and spoke with the staff about their


    requirements.


    That voice was very familiar.


    Veronica and Matthew then subconsciously turned to the direction of the sound and discovered Ruka


    standing in the clothing store lobby.


    At that point, both parties noticed each other.


    ¡°Matthew?¡±


    Ruka approached him and asked inexplicably, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t! What else can one do here apart from shopping?¡±


    Hearing that, Veronica couldn¡¯t help but snort and refute when she remembered the ambiguity between


    Ruka and Matthew.


    Fortunately, she was always professional in her work and she purposefully wore a voice changer


    microphone, or she would be exposed right now.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Ruka frowned, her gaze fixed on the unruly man in front of her.


    She had been in Bloomstead for a long time, but she had never seen this person, let alone know that


    Matthew had such a friend.


    ¡°Matthew, is this¡­ your friend?¡± Ruka inquired.


    ¡°Will I take him shopping if he isn¡¯t?¡±


    Isn¡¯t that obvious?


    Her questions were all meaningless.


    Veronica¡¯s unhappiness was visible to Matthew.


    He didn¡¯t think she was reckless after seeing her reaction. Instead, he sensed jealousy, and it made


    him very happy.


    Sensing the dandy man¡¯s provocation, Ruka sneered and politely replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what your


    rtionship is with Matthew, but I¡¯m guessing you have no idea that he wouldn¡¯t shop at such cheap


    stores. All of his clothes are personally designed by Castron¡¯s chief designer, Millie Bob, and each one


    is one-of-a-kind.¡±


    Despite being a high-end brand, Giorgio Armani fell short of Matthew¡¯s expectations.


    The staff member who overheard Ruka suddenly came to a realization.


    It was no surprise that they didn¡¯t see any logos on that handsome and well-dressed gentleman¡¯s


    clothes. It turned out that all of his clothes were custom-made.


    Moreover, it was designed by none other than Millie Bob, Castron¡¯s chief designer.


    Veronica was obviously embarrassed by this sentence.


    She happened to be out, which was why they went shopping and she dragged Matthew along with her.


    She had already decided to shop in the mall¡¯s high-end section. Surprisingly, Matthew¡¯s clothing was


    even more expensive and had to be designed by the designer herself.


    For a long moment, she was at a loss for words.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to listen to her. The shirt you picked for me is veryfortable and fits well. It appeals


    to me greatly.¡±


    How could Matthew possibly be putting Veronica at a disadvantage?


    ¡°I want this item. Please get me a new one,¡± he said as he waved to the staff.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m very sorry, sir. This is the only one left, and it is currently out of stock.¡± The staff approached


    him and apologized.


    This time, Veronica was even more speechless.


    ¡°Forget it, then. If there¡¯s no stock, let¡¯s leave,¡± Veronica said helplessly with a defeated expression.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s the way. How can Matthew purchase clothes that have been tried on by others?¡±


    Ruka spoke coldly and asionally nced at this man with short silver-gray hair. She had the


    impression she had never seen him before, but he seemed strangely familiar.


    Matthew had mysophobia, so him willing to try on clothes that others had tried on was a massive


    change.


    Not to mention that it was a piece of clothing with no stock left.


    Despite his resistance, Matthew couldn¡¯t help but feel a little distressed when he saw Veronica¡¯s


    disappointed expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just take it back and wash it,¡± he said immediately.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Veronica grumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t buy it if it¡¯s out of stock.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I like whatever you pick for me,¡± he said, smiling softly with glittering eyes.


    Ruka¡¯s eyes widened inconceivably upon hearing Matthew¡¯s words.


    She stared at him, then at the man with short silver-gray hair, who couldn¡¯t stop clutching his bag


    tightly. Her gaze darted back and forth between the two of them.


    ¡°Matthew¡­ You¡­ The two of you¡­¡±


    It was too much for Ruka to handle.


    She could clearly sense Matthew¡¯s attraction to this man.


    His loving gaze was proof that he was madly in love with the man.


    Ruka hesitated for a long time before finally asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on between the two of you?¡±


    Standing on her toes, Veronica raised her hands and wrapped her arms around Matthew¡¯s neck. ¡°Are


    you blind? Can¡¯t you tell the nature of my rtionship with him? What makes you think you know him


    better than I do?¡± she asked Ruka, her chin raised in arrogance.


    Matthew¡¯s attention was drawn to Veronica¡¯s arrogant and smug demeanor. He could not help the wide


    grin on his handsome face and his entire body was refreshed, suddenly feeling as warm as the gentle


    sun in spring.


    He had never seen this side of her.


    Ruka¡¯s thoughts were jumbled, and she bit her lower lip angrily, eximing, ¡°Matthew, I thought you


    liked Veronica? How could you possibly be in a¡­ rtionship with a man? This is impossible! How


    could you possibly fall in love with a man? This cannot be true!¡±


    Ruka shook her head, her beautiful eyes filled with loss and despair.


    If Matthew liked Veronica, Ruka could still fight for him as she was a woman as well; however, if he


    liked men¡­


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Then she wasn¡¯t going to stand a chance!


    Veronica, by chance, had the same thought. If Ruka mistakenly believes that Matthew is interested in


    men, will she retreat and avoid him in the future?


    At that thought, Veronica didn¡¯t care about what Matthew had to say.


    She wrapped her arm around his shoulder. Raising her other hand slightly to pinch Matthew¡¯s cheeks,


    she turned to face him.


    Veronica then leaned over and kissed Matthew on the lips without looking at him.


    The peck was a light as a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water.


    With that, Veronica looked at Ruka and asked, ¡°Is this clear enough?¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god! Am I seeing things? I saw that man kissing the other man!¡±


    ¡°This is so hot! It looks straight out from the movies!¡±


    ¡°This is just too hot to handle!¡±


    ¡°Goodness, what is going on?¡±


    ¡­


    Another uproar erupted when several staff members standing nearby saw the presumptuous man with


    short silver-gray hair domineeringly kissing the cold president, who was in his arms.

 Chapter 326

    Chapter 326


    Chapter 326 This Is Too Exciting


    The person who found it the hardest to ept was none other than Ruka.


    With tightly clenched fists, she red at Veronica with reddened eyes filled with anger. ¡°You¡­ Y-You a-


    actually¡­¡±


    She stuttered for a long time but in the end, Ruka did not manage to finish her sentence.


    She looked straight at Matthew, thinking that the arrogant and noble man she knew in the past would


    definitely beat the other party up if they were forcibly kissing him.


    Never in a million years did she expect the current situation to take ce.


    Not only did Ruka not see Matthew getting enraged, she even saw him looking at the man beside him


    affectionately, a faint smile ying by the corners of his angr lips.


    It was the kind of smile one would reveal when they were satisfied.


    Upon seeing that, Ruka felt that her head was about to explode, and her whole world shattered.


    She knew very well that Matthew liked Veronica.


    Does this mean that he swings both ways?


    At that thought, Ruka could not help but conjure up an image of Matthew sleeping with a woman, only


    to turn around and roll about in bed with this silver haired man currently standing next to him.


    The image was meant to be a sensual one, but it appeared utterly terrifying to Ruka.


    She originally thought that Matthew always had a straightforward and noble attitude, and that such a


    high and mighty man would also be cold and arrogant in private.


    However, the way the silver-haired man put his arms around Matthew¡¯s neck and kissed him just now


    made Ruka feel that in their rtionship, Matthew was not the one who called the shots.


    Wait a minute¡­ F*ck!


    Her impression of Matthew waspletely destroyed, and even the usually prim Ruka couldn¡¯t help


    but swear in her heart.


    What kind of a man have I fallen in love with?


    At that though, Ruka couldn¡¯t help but feelpletely disgusted.


    ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡±


    Veronica ignored the looks of onlookers and stared them down.


    When she saw Ruka¡¯s disgusted expression, Veronica was utterly happy.


    With trembling fingers, Ruka pointed at Matthew and she shouted angrily, ¡°Matthew Kings, you¡­ you


    are so disgusting!¡± She then stomped her feet, thereafter spinning around and running out of the


    clothing store.


    ¡°Pfft! Haha!¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t help butugh when she saw how Ruka ran off.


    However, because she had disguised herself as a man, it made her smile all the more unruly.


    Seeing how Veronica wasughing, Matthew teased, ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±


    Veronica nodded in satisfaction. ¡°But of course!¡±


    With that, she let go of Matthew and looked at the clothes he had on. ¡°Let¡¯s forget this, then. How can


    you wear it if someone else has worn it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll just have a servant wash it once we get back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t do. My man deserves nothing but the best!¡±


    While talking, Veronica dragged Mathhew to the fitting room. ¡°Go on, then. You can change out of it.¡±


    She took his hand, and Matthew dragged her into the fitting room, thereafter closing the door.


    At that moment, the staff started chatting among themselves again.


    ¡°I might be too traditional, but I really can¡¯t ept two men together. Gosh!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really old-fashioned of you. I think the two handsome guys are really eye-catching!¡±


    ¡°There are so few handsome guys to begin with. Now that they are together, goodness knows how


    many women will be sad.¡±


    ¡°Look, I managed to secretly record a video just now. Tsk! I¡¯m going to post it on social media.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What a scene! That was a really good show!¡±


    ¡°Matthew Kings is the richest person in Bloomstead. I had no idea he bats for his own team!¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile in the fitting room, Veronica had just entered when Matthew turned around and pinned her


    against the wall. Propping one hand beside her head, he raised her chin with the other and gazed at


    her from his height. ¡°Woman, do you know you¡¯re ying with fire?¡±


    She had pinched his face in front of everyone and kissed him of her own ord.


    It was as if that scene was burned into Matthew¡¯s mind and he could not forget about it no matter how


    hard he tried.


    Veronica flushed slightly and she blinked her eyes. Putting on an innocent expression, she murmured,


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You can kiss me, but I¡¯m not allowed to kiss you?¡±


    ¡°Is this even a question of a kiss?¡±


    ¡°Then what is it about?¡±


    Puzzled, Veronica widened her eyes and looked at Matthew.


    Matthew¡¯s hand on the wall slipped lower and he wrapped his arm around her waist. ¡°Do you know that


    for a person who likes you, taking the initiative is equivalent to ying with fire?¡±


    ¡°I-Is it? I¡­ Even if I¡¯m charming, you would still be able to restrain yourself, right?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s mouth twitched violently, and she suddenly felt that Matthew¡¯s self-control was too poor.


    ¡°You are my only exception.¡±


    When Matthew spoke, his Adam¡¯s bobbed and he looked at Veronica with a burning gaze.


    As the both of them were pressed together tightly, Veronica noticed a change in the man¡¯s body, and


    her face flushed red. ¡°Matthew Kings, are you out of your mind?! We are¡­ We are in a fitting room!¡±


    she chastised.


    ¡°And? Just treat it as a new experience.¡±


    ¡°Are¡­ are you insane? Even if you won¡¯t feel embarrassed, I will!¡±


    ¡°With your current appearance, no one will be able to find you after today even if they turn the whole


    city upside down.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Veronica could note up with a reply.


    Well, he has a point.


    I¡¯m currently disguised as a man and I lookpletely different, so who would be able to recognize


    me?


    ¡°But we can¡¯t just¡ªumph!¡±


    ¡­


    The staff in the store waited outside for a while, but the duo did not appear even after a long time.


    In the end, one of the staff walked over to the fitting room. Just as she was about to ask the two


    customers why they hadn¡¯te out yet, she heard some muffled sounds.


    Puzzled, she deliberately approached the door and listened.


    It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if she hadn¡¯t done that but now that she did, her face became as red as a


    tomato.


    Goodness, are the two of them¡­


    The staff¡¯s heartbeat elerated. At the thought of Matthew¡¯s status in Bloomstead and the fact that


    she couldn¡¯t afford to offend him, she quickly tiptoed and scuttled away.


    Upon seeing that, the rest of the staff was curious as to what was going on. ¡°Why does it take them


    more than twenty minutes to change out of a coat? What are they doing?¡±


    Meanwhile, the staff who identally overheard the two of them going at it covered her flushed face


    with her hands and whispered, ¡°The two of them are¡­¡±


    ¡°Are? What is it?¡±


    ¡°kiss?¡±


    ¡°Are they kissing?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t very well kiss for half an hour, can they?¡±


    ¡°Sh*t! Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re going at it?¡±


    ¡°Bingo! Shh! Keep it down, everyone! It was only when I listened at the door that I heard moaning.¡±


    ¡°D*mn it, this is too exciting! They¡¯re really shameless, though. This won¡¯t do; I¡¯m going to tell them off


    right this instant!¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?! He¡¯s the wealthiest person in Bloomstead. Not only you, even our boss has


    to tread on eggshells when around him! You¡¯d do well to keep quiet!¡±


    ¡­


    In the end, it was a whole hour before the duo emerged from the fitting room.


    Veronica could not bear to face the others, so she timidly tilted her head and looked away, avoiding the


    burning gazes of the staff.


    On the contrary, Matthew calmly threw the selected clothes to the staff. With his usual coldness, he


    stated, ¡°Wrap up the clothes.¡±


    ¡°Right away, sir. Cash or card?¡± The staff looked at Matthew and Veronica curiously, but they did not


    expose the duo.


    At that, Matthew took out a Centurion Card and swiped it. He then took the packaged clothes and held


    Veronica¡¯s hand, thereafter walking out of the store dashingly.

 Chapter 327

    Chapter 327


    Chapter 327 Matthew Likes Guys


    The minute that they left, the few salesgirls couldn¡¯t help gossiping about them again.


    ¡°Oh, my God! They spent over 50 minutes in there. How passionate!¡±


    ¡°What great stamina they have! To be honest, I¡¯m a little envious of them.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. My husband and I neversted more than half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Guess which one of them is at the top and which one is the bottom.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, the Kings Corporation¡¯s century-old legacy ising to an end at the hands of its current


    president, I¡¯m afraid. Now that he¡¯s going out with a man, he¡¯s bound to die childless. Thepany¡¯s


    century-old legacy is gonna be doomed.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of talking about someone with a personal worth of billions when you guys only


    earn 3,000 a month?¡±


    ¡°Haha! We¡¯re just gossiping to kill time.¡±


    ¡°But I really like the young man with short, silvery gray hair. He was so cool.¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica didn¡¯t hear the salesgirls talking about her, though. As she walked out of the clothing store


    with Matthew, she wished she could shake off his hand and bolt down the road as far away from him as


    possible. However, he held her hand in a firm grip, refusing to let go.


    Consequently, she flew into a rage at once. Glowering at the man angrily, she snapped, ¡°Do you have a


    death wish, Matthew? Don¡¯t you know where this is? We¡¯re at a shopping mall¡ªI repeat, a shopping


    mall! Don¡¯t my rules count anymore?¡± What rules? They¡¯re simply f*cking useless! All of a sudden, she


    felt like she had dug herself into a hole.


    Seeing how furious she was, Matthew merely smiled a faint smile and pulled up the face mask under


    her chin to cover her face. They had tucked their face masks under their chins just now after entering


    the clothing store, but their passionate coupling a while ago caused her to forget about this. ¡°What can I


    do? You¡¯re too charming, Roni,¡± he said tenderly.


    ¡°Charming, my foot!¡± Veronica pointed her finger at his forehead in anger and exasperation. ¡°Let me


    warn you that you¡¯re on a three-month probation period and will be fired once you receive three


    warnings. You¡¯ve received a warning before; today you¡¯re gonna receive another warning. You still


    have onest chance!¡±


    Matthew didn¡¯t give a damn about it, though. ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± He took a step closer to Veronica with a


    roguish smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t I know about the three warnings? Could it be that you added such a rule


    because you loathe to part with me?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Veronica was rendered speechless for a moment. Damn it, he found out what I¡¯m thinking!


    Matthew grabbed her hand that was pointing at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Roni. I¡¯ll do whatever you say from


    now on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you saidst time¡ªno, you also said the same thing the time before that!¡± As expected,


    men are nothing but liars!


    ¡°I seriously mean it this time.¡± The look in his eyes was sincere without the slightest hint of pretension.


    Veronica shook off his hand with a snort. ¡°I¡¯ll believe you onest time,¡± she said, before suddenly


    recalling the movie tickets. She lifted her wrist to check the time. ¡°Sh*t, the movie is about to start.


    We¡¯rete.¡±


    They were supposed to wait for an hour at first. However, they had lost some time shopping for clothes,


    only to spend nearly an hour making out in the fitting room. As the movie had already started ording


    to the time printed on their movie tickets, Veronica couldn¡¯t be bothered to continue arguing with


    Matthew. They quickly went upstairs and entered the cinema with their face masks on.


    The movie was a foreign sci-fi blockbuster, but it was totally without merit save for some of its special


    effects.


    Veronica sat beside Matthew; they hade in so hurriedly that they didn¡¯t even buy popcorn or


    drinks. As she watched the movie, she felt her eyes be somewhat heavy. In the end, she leaned


    her head on Matthew¡¯s shoulder and fell asleep.


    Seeing her sleeping like a baby, Matthew let her lean on hisp, knowing that she had probably fallen


    asleep because she had gotten tired from their prolonged lovemaking just now. Not only that, but he


    even put his arm under her head so that she could sleep morefortably.


    Buzz¡­ Halfway through the movie, his cell phone began vibrating nonstop. He rejected the phone calls


    for fear of disturbing Veronica in her sleep, but his friends and Troy then bombarded him with


    WhatsApp messages.


    Troy¡¯s message read, ¡®Bad news, President Kings! You¡¯re now trending!¡±


    Skyler texted, ¡®Holy cow! Bro, since when are you in love with a guy?¡¯


    Caleb texted, ¡®What¡¯s going on with you?¡¯


    Miguel¡¯s message read, ¡®Matthew, are you going out with a man because you got upset after Veronica


    rejected your feelings?¡¯


    Troy¡¯s second message read, ¡®President Kings, the reporters know you¡¯re at the shopping mall. They¡¯re


    on their way there to look for you.¡¯


    While Matthew was reading the messages, Veronica, who was leaning asleep on hisp, woke up.


    Seeing his grave expression, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Matthew immediately showed her the message Troy had sent her.


    Veronica¡¯s heart skipped a beat the instant she read the text message. She immediately said, ¡°Come


    on, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve to hurry. If the reporters find uster, we¡¯ll be finished.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Matthew nodded.


    With that, they got up and hurriedly left the cinema, taking the elevator straight to the second basement


    before leaving by car.


    Back at the Kings Residence, Matthew had Troy and the others drive his and Veronica¡¯s cars away and


    park a new car at the back door in order to elude Conrad and Yvonne.


    The new car was a cheap and unobtrusive sedan. As the couple exited the second basement parking


    lot, they saw many reporters at the shopping mall¡¯s entrance, who were stopped by a bunch of security


    guards. They knew that these security guards were most probably sent by Troy for the purpose of


    stopping the reporters to make time for Matthew to leave.


    After darting a look in that direction, Matthew stepped on the gas and left right away.


    Veronica¡¯s cell phone had been turned off as it ran out of juice, so she opened Twitter on his device.


    Instantly, she noticed the list of trending hashtags on Twitter. The No. 1 hashtag was ¡®Full Face Photo


    of Matthew Kings¡¯ Boyfriend,¡¯ whereas the No. 2 and No. 3 hashtags were ¡®Matthew Broke off His


    Engagement to Tiffany Because He Is in Love With a Guy¡¯ and ¡®Matthew and His Boyfriend Making Out


    in a Fitting Room¡¯ respectively.


    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the news of Matthew and his mysterious ¡®boyfriend¡¯ upied 22 of the 50


    most trending topics on Twitter. Veronica tapped randomly on one of the tweets with the hashtags,


    which showed not only the photo of her and Matthew in the shopping mall but also the photo of them


    necking in the clothing store. The instant she saw the photo, she realized that she and Matthew had


    been secretly photographed by the sales assistant at the clothing store.


    Theizens¡¯ reactions were mixed. One of the tweets read, ¡®F*ck! I¡¯m never obsessed with celebrities,


    which is why I¡¯m a fan of Young Master Matthew. I never thought he¡¯d blot his copybook in the end,


    though.¡¯


    Another tweet read, ¡®I used to imagine Young Master Matthew liking someone, but I never dreamed


    he¡¯d be in love with a man.¡¯


    The third tweet read, ¡®I¡¯m sobbing. To think that my Prince Charming already has a boyfriend!¡¯


    Anotherizen tweeted, ¡®What else can I say as an old spinster? Please don¡¯t increase the proportion


    of spinsters to men anymore.¡¯


    ¡®Which of them is the top? And which of them is the bottom?¡¯ tweeted anotherizen.


    ¡®Just who the hell is Young Master Matthew¡¯s boyfriend?¡¯


    ¡®I need to calm down!¡¯


    ¡®Good thing that Tiffany didn¡¯t get married to him. Otherwise, her life would¡¯ve been wasted.¡¯


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Aizen wrote, ¡®I¡¯m rooting for them. What year are we living in? This is eptable to me.¡¯


    ¡­


    To Veronica¡¯s relief, there were no offensive insults and abuses flung at them in those tweets.


    However¡­ Turning to look at Matthew beside her, she touched her nose in embarrassment, asking,


    ¡°Uh¡­ Would you like to speak up and exin it?¡±


    ¡°Exin what?¡±

 Chapter 328

    Chapter 328


    Chapter 328 Elizabeth¡¯s Fury


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Veronica was at a loss for words. cing her elbow on the car window to support her head, she


    pondered for a moment before letting out a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s right. How can we exin it now that there are


    videos of us on the inte?¡± As she turned to look at Matthew, she couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat


    guilty. ¡°Well, um¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry. I got ahead of myself.¡±


    If she hadn¡¯t gotten all emotional and kissed him after meeting Ruka, these things wouldn¡¯t have


    happened. And now, everyone knew what had happened.


    She had put on a disguise in the first ce, so no one would know that it was her. However, Matthew


    was different. As the figure at the top of the social pyramid, he was constantly in the public spotlight.


    Now that he was caught up in a ¡®gay¡¯ scandal, he¡¯d probably have to face a lot of trouble in the future.


    At the thought of this, she felt even more guilty. Had she known that this would happen, she would¡¯ve


    dressed up as a gorgeous seductress instead. Even if they got photographed, Matthew would only be


    exposed for having a new lover. His life wouldn¡¯t have been affected and bedeviled as much as it was


    right now.


    Matthew turned to nce at her. ¡°What are you thinking about, you silly girl?¡± Seeing her face droop in


    dejection, he patted her head with his hand. Then, he added affectionately, ¡°How am I gonna protect


    you in the future if I can¡¯t even hold out against this?¡± Whenever he thought of everything Veronica


    would be facing alongside him in the future, he felt that these things were nothing to be afraid of.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help being moved by his casual reply, which was totally beyond her expectations.


    She even felt that he was willing to take on responsibility.


    Even if her tomfoolery had gotten him into trouble, he didn¡¯t mind it at all, nor did he intend to take it out


    on her. ¡°But¡­ this isn¡¯t some trifling matter. And besides, Grandma and others will definitely roast you


    for this. Can you really ept that?¡± Having been scrutinized by outsiders as a victim of malicious


    gossip, she knew how painful and suffocating it was to be the object of gossip.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Matthew looked straight ahead as a faint smile appeared on his good-looking face. The next


    instant, however, his smile faded slightly, and he fell silent.


    Even by looking at the side of his face, Veronica could sense that he was in distress for a brief moment.


    It was as though he wouldn¡¯t take what was happening now to heart because he had gone through


    difficulties and tribtions that were even more uneptable than the present ones. What has


    happened to him before? she wondered.


    After a long time, Matthew finally came to his senses. Turning to nce at the woman beside him, he


    comforted her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. These things can¡¯t affect me.¡±


    Veronica held onto his phone without making a sound.


    Buzz¡­ Suddenly, the phone rang.


    Veronica subconsciously nced at the phone¡¯s screen, on which the word ¡®Grandma¡¯ was shing.


    Her lips twitched; she couldn¡¯t help but think to herself, Speak of the devil. We were just talking about


    Grandma a moment ago, and here she is, calling us right now. ¡°I-It¡¯s Grandma.¡± She handed the phone


    over to Matthew.


    Matthew rejected the phone call and put his phone aside without even looking at it.


    ¡°Is it okay not to answer her phone call?¡± Veronica asked. As soon as she finished her sentence,


    Elizabeth phoned again, as if she would keep on calling until Matthew answered the phone.


    Having no alternative, Matthew could only answer the phone and hold it to his ear.


    As soon as he answered the phone, Elizabeth¡¯s angry yell sounded on the other end of the line.


    ¡°Where the hell are you right now, you rascal? What on earth are you doing out there? Do you think our


    family isn¡¯t in enough disgrace yet?¡± Even Veronica could vaguely hear the angry voice on the other


    end as she sat beside him.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew was silent; perhaps he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Elizabeth continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m asking you? Who the hell was that guy? What is


    your rtionship with him? Are you really gay? Is it because you¡¯re gay that you¡¯ve refrained from


    dating women all these years?¡±


    As far as Elizabeth knew, it was because she had drugged Matthew that he slept with Veronica by


    ident. After that, he started going out with Tiffany, who then got pregnant, which was why Elizabeth


    thought they had slept together. Finally, on the day of Elizabeth¡¯s birthday party, Tiffany revealed before


    the reporters that she had never slept with Matthew and that her pregnancy was a sham.


    It wasn¡¯t until then that Elizabeth realized Matthew had never touched Tiffany. In other words, Matthew


    had only slept with Veronica from start to finish. Not only that, but he had been forced into sleeping with


    her because Elizabeth had drugged him.


    Because of all this, Elizabeth began to suspect that Matthew had no interest in women. Before this, she


    had even been suspecting that he was gay. And now, videos of him and a young man were circting


    online, ¡®confirming¡¯ her suspicion that he was gay. God only knew she was really as mad as hell with


    him.


    ¡°I¡­¡± For a time, Matthew found himself at a loss for how to exin the matter to Elizabeth.


    ¡°You what? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m giving you an hour toe back to the Kings Residence as soon as


    possible, or I¡¯lle to you in person!¡±


    ¡°Grandma¡ª¡± Matthew still wanted to say something, but Elizabeth hung up on him.


    Seeing his long face, Veronica asked, ¡°A-Are you alright?¡± Although she didn¡¯t know what Elizabeth


    had said over the phone, she could tell from his sullen expression that it definitely wasn¡¯t about


    something good.


    Matthew replied, ¡°I can¡¯t keep youpany anymore. Grandma asked me to go back to the Kings


    Residence.¡± He paid special attention to Elizabeth and rarely disobeyed her, knowing that she was in


    poor health.


    Veronica nodded. ¡°Alright. In that case, just drop me somewhere and let me remove my makeup to


    avoid screwing things up in case we¡¯re found out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just do as I say this time.¡± Veronica was determined.


    Upon seeing this, Matthewplied with her wishes without insisting. After dropping her off at the


    ce she specified, he drove straight back to the Kings Residence.


    After taking care of everything, Veronica returned to her apartment and recharged her cell phone


    immediately. As soon as her phone was turned on, it buzzed continuously, vibrating until her palm


    almost went numb. There were messages from Yvonne, Conrad, Ivan, Troy, and Elizabeth.


    Seeing the missed call notifications and the text messages, Veronica felt like her head was splitting.


    Just as she was massaging the space between her eyebrows, a call came in on her phone, causing


    her to be startled by the sudden ringing of her cell phone.


    Veronica looked down at the phone¡¯s screen. As luck would have it, it was also a phone call from


    Elizabeth. She drew back her lips, feeling extremely guilty. After dilly-dallying for a while, she answered


    the phone. ¡°Grandma?¡±


    Elizabeth sounded somewhat displeased. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Veronica? Why couldn¡¯t I reach you


    by phone?¡±


    Veronica scratched her head. ¡°Well, uh, my phone just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at home.¡±

 Chapter 329

    Chapter 329


    Chapter 329 Matthew Is Totally Screwed


    As expected, Elizabeth was angry. She cut Veronica short before thetter could finish her sentence,


    saying, ¡°Come back to the Kings Residence now.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay,¡± Veronica immediately replied with a nod. After all, Elizabeth had summoned Matthew back


    to the Kings Residence. If she went back at once, she could check on the situation and know what kind


    of punishment he would receive.


    After hanging up the phone, Veronica sighed to herself and sat on her bed in a daze.


    Soon after that, Yvonne called her as well. She answered the phone mechanically, saying, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hello, my *ss! Where the hell have you been today? You were no longer at the Kings Residence when


    I got up this morning. Be honest and tell me where you¡¯ve been!¡± Yvonne questioned as soon as


    Veronica answered the phone.


    Veronica pursed her lips. Finding an excuse, she exined, ¡°Well, uh¡­ I suddenly got my periodst


    night, but there weren¡¯t any tampons or sanitary pads at the Kings Residence, so I came back. I¡¯d been


    suffering from period pain since then, so I couldn¡¯t sleep all night. It wasn¡¯t until dawn that I finally fell


    asleep. I forgot to charge my phone, so it turned itself off.¡± What a wless exnation! She couldn¡¯t


    wait to call herself a bright spark.


    ¡°Sigh, that exins it. Anyway, hurry up and take a look at the trending topics on Twitter. Matthew is in


    trouble,¡± Yvonne reminded. She sounded like she was taking pleasure in it, though.


    Veronica didn¡¯t bother to brush her off. She replied straightforwardly, ¡°I saw it just now.¡±


    Yvonnemented, ¡°You saw it? Hmph! Now you know that, don¡¯t you? Not only is Matthew a


    spineless coward, but he¡¯s also involved with a guy! H-He must be bisexual. How disgusting!¡± She


    couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the thought of Matthew being involved with a man and his promiscuous


    lifestyle despite his seemingly cool and noble exterior. The thought made her flesh creep, giving her


    goosebumps.


    Veronica massaged the space between her eyebrows. She never thought that even Yvonne would


    speak of Matthew in such a way. Not only that, but she couldn¡¯t even refute her. She wanted to exin


    what had actually happened, and the words were on the tip of her tongue¡­ but she stopped herself in


    the end. ¡°What actually happened is still unclear, so perhaps it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. But I can¡¯t


    chat with you anymore. Grandma just told me to go back to the Kings Residence, so I¡¯m going back to


    check on the situation.¡± She honestly had no idea how to continue the conversation with Yvonne, so


    she had no choice but to find an excuse to hang up.


    ¡°Alright then, just go back and see with your own eyes how disgusting that shameless guy is. Roni,


    you¡¯re my bestie. Really, I¡¯d advise you to stay as far away from him as possible.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Thanks for the kind advice. Bye.¡±


    Veronica hung up the phone as she didn¡¯t want to continue talking to Yvonne about this. After


    composing herself in her apartment for a while, she changed her clothes, fixed her hair, and left for the


    Kings Residence.


    She drove her car quietly without ying any music along the way. However, her mind kept wandering


    as she drove, and the road was slippery because of the snow, so there were several times when she


    nearly crashed into the curb. After tarrying for an hour, she finally reached the Kings Residence.


    As soon as she arrived at the Kings Residence, she saw a car with a familiar license te number


    parked at the entrance. The car was Matthew¡¯s. On the other side was another car, which belonged to


    Conrad. Has Conrade back as well? she wondered. Not only that, but just as she was standing


    there staring at the license te of Conrad¡¯s car, three cars slowly drove up from behind.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    A headache assailed her all of a sudden. There¡¯s gonna be arge turnout today, she thought. She


    stood aside and watched as three extraordinarily elegant middle-aged couples stepped out of those


    cars. The three men were George, Matthew¡¯s third uncle, Joseph, his fourth uncle, and Chris Espin, his


    maternal uncle, respectively.


    Before she could greet them, she saw two more cars driving up from behind. Luckily, the Kings


    Residence¡¯s entrance wasrge enough to park dozens of cars. Otherwise, the cars probably wouldn¡¯t


    have been able to park here.


    Stepping out of the two cars were several people, whom Veronica had met while attending the family


    dinner at the Kings Residencest time. These elders had some say in the family, and they all stormed


    into the courtyard threateningly while ignoring Veronica¡¯s presence. As she was acknowledged by


    Elizabeth as thetter¡¯s god-granddaughter, these people refused to acknowledge her presence, which


    was why they ignored her upon seeing her. After all, why would they like her? She was but a young


    lady from the countryside who would only get a share of the Kings Family¡¯s wealth by joining the family.


    Veronica followed them closely into the Kings Residence. This time, however, instead of going to the


    drawing room, she followed them all the way to¡­


    Reaching her destination, she looked up and immediately stopped in her tracks.


    As it turned out, they arrived at the Kings Family¡¯s memorial hall. Veronica hade here to pay her


    respects to the Kings Family¡¯s ancestors when Elizabeth previously acknowledged her as her god-


    granddaughter, so she knew this ce. However, never did she think that everyone in the Kings Family


    would be alerted by the incident about Matthew. Not only that, but they had alle to the memorial


    hall together. This is getting blown out of proportion, she thought.


    Just as she stood frozen at the memorial hall¡¯s entrance for a long time, a person came over to her


    side. ¡°Veronica?¡±


    She looked to the side and saw that it was Conrad. ¡°Uncle Conrad, you¡¯re back as well?¡± she said,


    greeting him with a forced smile.


    Conrad was wearing a ck woolen coat with a scarf hanging from his neck. Burying his hands in the


    pockets of his trench coat, he stared at the memorial hall before shaking his head with a sigh. ¡°Sigh.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that Matthew would actually do such a thing? The Kings Family has always


    been old-fogeyish. Now that such a thing has happened, those in the family can¡¯t stand it at all.¡± Every


    word he said stabbed Veronica brutally in the heart like a knife, making her feel more and more uneasy.


    Veronica asked in a roundabout way. ¡°Is it that serious? Is it true that Matthew is in love with a guy? If


    it¡¯s true, what will happen?¡±


    Conrad replied, ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea. Such a thing has never happened to the Kings Family before.


    However, as the Kings Family¡¯s current number-one heir, Matthew has to shoulder tremendous


    responsibility for the family. If he¡¯s really involved with a man¡­ I¡¯m afraid that the Kings Family won¡¯t let


    him stay in his position as Spinfluence Group¡¯s CEO.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s eyes widened as she knitted her brows. ¡°W-What do you mean? You mean he¡¯ll be kicked


    out of Spinfluence Group right away?¡± She had imagined many kinds of consequences, but it never


    urred to her that the matter would be so serious.


    Conrad shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. Let¡¯s go in and take a look first.¡± He stepped into the


    memorial hall.


    Veronica followed him into the memorial hall.


    There were more than 20 men and women standing in therge memorial hall. Fortunately, the


    memorial hall was over 100 square meters in size, or it would definitely have been crowded.


    Those people stood on both sides, whereas Elizabeth stood in front of the altar¡ªon which the


    memorial tablets honoring the Kings Family¡¯s deceased ancestors were ced¡ªwhile glowering at


    Matthew, who was standing at the memorial hall¡¯s center. The scene looked no less intimidating and


    oppressive than that of a trial by a grand jury.


    ¡°You¡¯re simply fooling around and indecent; you¡¯ve made us theughing stock of the whole city!¡±


    ¡°Well, Matthew is good at doing business to a certain degree, but he¡¯s of unsavory character.¡±


    ¡°How shameless of him to fool around with a guy in the fitting room of a shopping mall!¡±


    ¡°What a disgrace!¡±

 Chapter 330

    Chapter 330


    Chapter 330 It¡¯s a Sin to Have No Posterity


    Veronica¡¯s heart clenched as she listened to the insults and abuse those people were hurling at


    Matthew. Sadness came over her when she saw the situation he was in. The man was standing upright


    indifferently, as if he didn¡¯t care about anything, but her heart ached for him nheless. ¡°Say,


    Grandma¡­ could this be a misunderstanding? Could the photos on the inte have been


    Photoshopped?¡± she asked, though even she herself found her own words unconvincing.


    Upon hearing her voice, Matthew turned his head slightly and darted a look at the person behind him


    out of the corner of his eye, but he didn¡¯t make eye contact with her. Why are you here, you silly girl?


    Sitting in her chair, Elizabeth let out a snort. ¡°How could the photos possibly have been Photoshopped?


    There are videos circting all over the inte!¡±


    Veronica argued, ¡°Well¡­ What you said seems to make sense. But the stories of him fooling around in


    the fitting room have to be a frame-up. There¡¯s no evidence proving it; some unscrupulous media


    outlets must have made up those stories to draw clicks.¡± She and Matthew were drawing online


    criticism for making out in the fitting room, but all of this was just a one-sided story with no videos to


    prove it. This would be a nice point for a breakthrough.


    Sensing how much she cared about Matthew, Conrad nced at her meaningfully. Then, he chimed in


    with a nod, ¡°Hmm, you do have a point, Veronica.¡±


    Veronica was surprised by Conrad¡¯s reply; she couldn¡¯t understand what made him choose to side with


    Matthew at this very moment. Perhaps he was smart enough to know that everyone present at the


    scene was coveting the position of Spinfluence Group¡¯s CEO, which was why he chose to side with


    Matthew to win Elizabeth¡¯s favor. After all, everyone knew that Matthew was the person whom


    Elizabeth loved and cared the most about in the whole Kings Family.


    ¡°It¡¯s wrong of you to say so, Conrad. How can the story be false? The clothing store¡¯s employees have


    acknowledged it in front of the media!¡±


    ¡°As the person in charge of Spinfluence Group, Matthew¡¯s every move is under watch by the outside


    world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Thepany could end up being ruined at his hands!¡±


    ¡°Mom, Matthew keeps refusing to get married because he¡¯s in love with a man. In that case, who is


    gonna inherit the Spinfluence Group in the future if you hand it over to him? Who would want to do


    business with a pervert?¡±


    ¡°Mom, for the sake of our family, let¡¯s get someone else to manage the Spinfluence Group¡¯s affairs on


    Matthew¡¯s behalf for the time being so that he can spend some time reflecting on his mistakes.¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone seized the opportunity to freeze Matthew out. It wasn¡¯t that everyone was taking advantage


    of his downfall; it was that they had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.


    Just then, Elizabeth rapped the table angrily. ¡°Shut up, all of you!¡±


    As they were at the Kings Family¡¯s memorial hall, Elizabeth was the only person sitting in the chair,


    whereas everyone else was standing. She red angrily at the crowd. Despite her silvery hair, she had


    developed an increasingly steady andmanding presence over the years. She was usually amiable


    to others, but she looked really intimidating when she was angry.


    As a consequence, everyone instantly fell silent at her angry reprimand, looking at her quietly while


    waiting for her to go on.


    Elizabeth fixed her shrewd, milky eyes on Matthew with a frown. ¡°Tell me what the hell was going on.¡±


    She favored Matthew from the depths of her heart. Sophisticated and smart as she was, she knew full


    well what these people were thinking. Naturally, she also knew that Veronica was the only person who


    would side with Matthew, which was why she had deliberately called her over. There were some things


    that she couldn¡¯t say, so she could only get someone toe forward and say them. This little girl has


    never disappointed me, though.


    While waiting for Matthew¡¯s reply, Veronica only felt her heart pounding; she was so nervous that she


    nearly suffocated. Putting her hands in the pockets of her trench coat, she clenched her fists jumpily


    while looking at his tall figure from behind. She was filled with self-reproach. They were dating, but she


    could only let Matthew bear all the pressure alone at this very moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing to say.¡± Matthew seemed to show no signs of remorse as he held his head up while


    staring at the memorial tablets honoring the Kings Family¡¯s ancestors.


    ¡°So are you admitting that you¡¯re in love with a man?¡± Elizabeth questioned threateningly. Inwardly, she


    hoped that her proud grandson could lie so that these people couldn¡¯t get anything on him. It wasn¡¯t


    that she was partial to Matthew. As someone who had had her day, she knew full well that Matthew


    was the only person in the Kings Family who had an instinct for doing business and was capable


    enough to lead the family further toward greater glory.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Matthew admitted without a second thought.


    ¡°How shameless!¡±


    ¡°Do you think that being in love with a man is something to be proud of?¡±


    ¡°Look, Mom! Matthew admitted it!¡±


    ¡°How audacious! Do you think nobody can do anything about you now that your parents are dead?¡±


    ¡­


    Just then, someone among the crowd suddenly mentioned Matthew¡¯s mother in offensive terms, saying


    something like Matthew was ¡°the son of a b*tch.¡±


    In an instant, the man who had been imperturbable and apathetic just now turned to look straight at


    George, who was standing among the crowd, with frosty eyes. ¡°What did you say, Uncle George? I


    didn¡¯t catch it,¡± he said slowly, with an expressionless face that made one unable to gauge his mood.


    However, Veronica knew that it was the calm before the storm.


    Thinking that he had gotten something on Matthew, George became even more reckless. He said with


    a snort, ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. Do you honestly think no one in the Kings Family can do anything


    about you because your parents have died for so many years?¡±


    Obviously, his words touched a raw nerve in Matthew, who clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles


    cracked audibly. As a result, everyone in the memorial hall sensed that he was on the verge of losing


    his temper. Some couldn¡¯t even wait for him toe to blows with George so that they could fish in


    troubled waters.


    However, before Matthew could do anything, Elizabeth immediately reprimanded George, indirectly


    preventing a tragedy. ¡°Enough of your big mouth, George! You¡¯re already over 50. Can¡¯t you watch your


    mouth? Or do you have no regard for me, huh?!¡±


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re just siding with Matthew. Seriously, I wonder who is your own child here,¡± muttered


    George¡¯s wife as she shielded her husband.


    Elizabeth shot an icy look at her. Then, ignoring herpletely, she said to Matthew, ¡°Matthew, it¡¯s the


    21st century now, so I¡¯m not gonna stop you from being in love with anyone. However, it¡¯s a sin to


    produce no offspring.¡± She pounded the table again. ¡°Do you understand this?¡±


    Matthew looked indifferent without saying a word.


    Elizabeth continued, ¡°I don¡¯t care how much you love that guy, but your rtionship with him must be


    kept from the public. Also, you must find a woman and get married as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overindulging Matthew? How could you let it slide with just a word or two


    now that things have gotten so messy?¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Philip, our mom is just siding with Matthew. I wonder which of us here is her own son.¡±


    ¡°He got engaged to Miss Larson before, only to break off their engagement at their wedding. And now,


    he was exposed for being involved with a man. He has no sense of shame, but the same can¡¯t be said


    about us!¡±

 Chapter 331

    Chapter 331


    Chapter 331 Matthew Tells Her to Get Lost


    Everyone refused to let Matthew off. Veronica was too nervous to breathe. Standing there quietly, she


    watched the situation develop while looking for an opportunity to help Matthew. ¡°That¡¯s right. Matthew,


    Grandma is right. You should find a woman and get married to her,¡± she reminded him indirectly.


    As things stood, he could now propose getting engaged to a woman and take his time with the


    proposal of marriageter. Even if he were to announce to everyone right now that he wanted to marry


    her, she wouldn¡¯t turn him down. She would at least ept his proposal to stabilize the situation first.


    However, the situation didn¡¯t develop as she had expected. Just as she was secretly praying for


    Matthew to agree to this, she heard him say, ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t do as you say.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Veronica was speechless for a moment. However, she dared not speak much on such an


    asion. She dug her teeth into her lips, feeling as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof. How could he be


    so foolish? Did he really refuse Grandma¡¯s demands for my sake because I told him that instead of


    getting married right now, I wanted to strive for opportunities to make myself strong enough to be his


    match before marrying him?


    In the past, she would only remember the despicable things Matthew had done. But now, she saw in


    him the willingness and courage to take responsibility for everything all by himself, which were


    sufficient to prove his over-indulgent love for her. As a result, she was both incredibly moved and guilt-


    ridden. For an instant, she even wanted toe forward and tell everyone right away that the ¡®young


    man¡¯ was actually her.


    ¡°How impudent!¡± Elizabeth flushed angrily. Immediately, she stood up and pointed at Matthew, saying,


    ¡°Either you marry a woman right now or get out of the Kings Family!¡± With that, she left him no room for


    maneuver.


    Everyone at the scene could tell from her words that she was giving Matthew a chance¡­ But he didn¡¯t


    cherish it. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve got no problem marrying a woman¡ªbut not now,¡± he replied. Roni promised


    to marry me a few yearster. I can wait that long.


    Elizabeth nodded. ¡°So you¡¯re not gonna listen to me anymore, huh?¡± She was so furious that her hand


    that was pointing at Matthew trembled.


    Standing next to Elizabeth, Yura immediately tried to soothe her, saying, ¡°Please calm down, Old Mrs.


    Kings. Don¡¯t get angry, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get angry? Ha! Fetch me the tool¡ªnow!¡± Elizabeth ordered in a stern voice.


    Yura was somewhat hesitant, though. ¡°Please think twice about it, Old Mrs. Kings. The tool hasn¡¯t been


    used for years.¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s eyes reddened in anger. ring at Yura, she barked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you not


    gonna obey me anymore?¡±


    As a servant, Yura was unable to refute her employer, of course. ¡°Well¡­ Yes, Old Mrs. Kings. I¡¯ll bring


    you the tool right away.¡±


    Those standing in the memorial hall looked on with folded hands, and some could hardly conceal the


    smug smile on their lips. They couldn¡¯t wait for Matthew to be punished and chased out of the Kings


    Family, upon which no one wouldpete with them for the position of ¡®future head¡¯ of the family.


    Not knowing what to do, Veronica was burning with anxiety. She approached Conrad and asked in a


    whisper, ¡°Uncle Conrad, what is the ¡®tool¡¯ that Grandma talks about?¡± Even though she didn¡¯t know


    what the ¡®tool¡¯ was, she knew that it mustn¡¯t be a good thing.


    Conrad let out a sorrowful sigh. He answered in a grave voice, ¡°It¡¯s the whip.¡±


    His voice was barely audible, but Veronica heard him. ¡°The whip?¡± The so-called ¡®whip¡¯ was a whip


    covered in barbs. Such a whip was very stic and could strip off ayer of skin with each strike,


    making it a tool for an excruciatingly painful way of punishment.


    At the thought of this, Veronica turned slightly pale with fright.


    Before she came to her senses, Yura had brought out the so-called ¡®tool¡¯, which was a two-meter-long


    snakeskin whip. From a short distance, Veronica could vaguely see the faintly visible barbs on the


    whip. The barbs were terrifyingly sharp; a nce at them was all it took to send a chill down one¡¯s


    spine.


    Conrad stepped forward and said, ¡°It¡¯s enough, Matthew. You¡¯d better listen to my mom.¡±


    For a moment, Veronica found Conrad¡¯s actions incredibly ironic. To think that the person who is


    Matthew¡¯s enemy is the only person at the scene who speaks for him. For some reason, she suddenly


    began to feel sorry for Matthew. She felt that his life wasn¡¯t as morous as it appeared. Instead, he


    had to deal with evil people and struggle to stay alive.


    One could imagine how difficult it was. Now that I¡¯ve chosen him, I¡¯ve got to protect my man, she


    thought. At this moment, all her previous misgivings no longer mattered to her. Having made up her


    mind, she plucked up her courage and stepped forward, saying, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve got something to tell


    you.¡± She wanted to tell Elizabeth the truth about everything to prove Matthew¡¯s innocence.


    ¡°Ha! What is it that you want to tell her?¡± Before Elizabeth could speak, Matthew suddenly turned


    around and looked askance at her with cold, proud eyes. ¡°Are you trying to win her favor by telling her


    when I started going out with that guy? Veronica, don¡¯t forget that this is a Kings Family matter. You¡¯re


    only Grandma¡¯s god-granddaughter. What right do you have to poke your nose into my business?¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Veronica was speechless. W-What does he mean? she thought. Matthew¡¯s words were cruel and


    merciless, but every word he said pricked her heart like a needle, causing her heart to ache and warm


    at the same time.


    Matthew was stopping her from speaking because he kept his promise and didn¡¯t want her to disclose


    what had happened today. As a result, her mind wentpletely nk. In an instant, she didn¡¯t know


    what to say.


    ¡°Oh! So Veronica has long been aware of your rtionship with that guy, huh?¡±


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve been fooling around with that ¡®stud¡¯ for a long time. No wonder you never touch


    women.¡±


    ¡°Mom, Matthew is simply unmanageable. In my opinion, with such a wild temper, he¡¯s not qualified to


    be the future head of the Kings Family.¡±


    ¡°This is simply outrageous!¡±


    ¡­


    Making use of the opportunity, those people did everything possible to ostracize Matthew.


    Ignoring their words, Elizabeth looked at Veronica with a frown. ¡°Veronica, what do you want to tell


    me?¡± She had an intuition that Veronica probably came forward not to expose Matthew, but to help him.


    Not only that, but his overreaction to Veronica¡¯s words had revealed something without him realizing it.


    Matthew¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°There¡¯s no room for you to speak here. Get out of here!¡± he yelled at


    Veronica again.


    Standing where she was, Veronica fell silent without moving. Matthew was still keeping his promise by


    taking the me for everything. All of a sudden, she was somewhat puzzled. What on earth gave him


    the strength to stick to his ¡®promise¡¯? Moreover, it was only yesterday that she agreed to go out with


    him.


    In other words, they had only been together on a trial period for a day. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder


    when exactly he had fallen in love with her, as well as how deeply he was in love with her¡ªso much so


    that he was willing to bear so much pressure for her sake.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Elizabeth reprimanded Matthew before beckoning Veronica over. ¡°Veronica,e over here


    and tell me what you want to say. Don¡¯t worry. Nobody dares toy a hand on you with me protecting


    you!¡±

 Chapter 332

    Chapter 332


    Chapter 332 Telling the Truth


    Now that Elizabeth had spoken, no one dared to say anything, of course. Nevertheless, everyone


    sensed her partiality for Veronica.


    Veronica hesitated for a moment. Just as she was hesitating, she looked up and met Matthew¡¯s


    piercing eyes. He was staring fixedly at her, as though to signal her not to tell the truth.


    ¡°He panics now that someone¡¯s gonna expose him.¡±


    ¡°Ha! He¡¯s got a lot more dirty secrets, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°How disgraceful.¡±


    ¡­


    These people were only too eager for Matthew to have a bad time. They hoped for the skeleton in his


    closet to be brought to light so that they could naturally oust him from his position.


    Clutching the cell phone in her hand, Veronica tore her eyes away from Matthew. Then, she bypassed


    him and walked step by step toward Elizabeth.


    All eyes were on her. Filled with anticipation, everyone watched as she walked step by step up to


    Elizabeth, only to stand before thetter for a long time without saying a word.


    Elizabeth¡¯s chair was ced in front of the altar on which the memorial tablets were ced, whereas


    everyone else was standing in the hall, so none of them saw Veronica¡¯s facial expression.


    Just then, however, they heard a cry. ¡°Oh!¡±


    Yura, the servant, and Veronica immediately stepped forward. ¡°Old Mrs. Kings, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay, Grandma?¡± cried Veronica. Then, she looked back and said, ¡°Call the doctor! Grandma


    fainted!¡±


    For a moment, there was pandemonium in therge memorial hall. The Kings Residence had a family


    doctor at first. However, as the year end was approaching, the doctor had gone home on leave, so


    there wasn¡¯t any doctor at the Kings Residence. Consequently, Matthew strode outside with Elizabeth


    in his arms.


    Not seeing the oue they desired, some people began to stir up trouble just then¡­


    ¡°Put my mother down, Matthew! We¡¯ll take her to the hospital. You have to stay in the memorial hall to


    reflect on your mistakes!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Joseph¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Heh, are you not gonna listen to us anymore now that you think you¡¯ve grown up?¡±


    ¡°Put her down!¡±


    ¡­


    They reprimanded Matthew in displeasure, but he ignored them and left right away.


    Veronica was inwardly displeased as well. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t afraid of them at all. She looked back


    and gave them an angry re. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this! Saving Grandma is the most important


    thing here! Can¡¯t you guys distinguish between what really matters and what doesn¡¯t? Hmph!¡± She


    berated them angrily. Then, she turned around and left haughtily.


    Reprimanded by the youngdy, the dozen people were startled at first before they flushed crimson


    with indignation.


    ¡°How impudent! Since when did an outsider have the right to point a finger at the Kings Family?¡±


    ¡°She thinks she¡¯s all that just because Mom favors her.¡±


    ¡°What a goddamn thing.¡±


    ¡°What a disgraceful b*tch.¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica heard all the insults they flung at her from behind, but she didn¡¯t care about it in the slightest.


    These people have got nothing to do with me, she thought. Trotting up to Matthew, she got into his car


    and helped seat Elizabeth in the back seat, after which Matthew closed the car door, got into the


    driver¡¯s seat, and drove away.


    The car drove gradually into the distance, leaving everyone else behind.


    Only then did Veronica pat Elizabeth¡¯s arm. ¡°Grandma, they¡¯ve been left behind.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Matthew took a nce at the rearview mirror, upon which he couldn¡¯t help but


    frown slightly. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re alright?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! What could¡¯ve happened to me, you brat?!¡± Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes with a sigh. ¡°Now


    can you tell me what happened?¡±


    Matthew was still unwilling to tell the truth. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t bear to let him take the me alone, though. So, she said voluntarily, ¡°Grandma, I


    was telling the truth. The person in that photo¡­ It was me.¡±


    Veronica had typed a message on her phone with her back to the crowd at the memorial hall just now.


    The message read, ¡®I¡¯m the person in the photo.¡¯ The text was erged, allowing Elizabeth to instantly


    realize what had happened, which was why she had pretended to faint. Otherwise, there was no way


    they could get away in the presence of so many people.


    Seeing that Veronica had told the truth right away, Matthew felt somewhat helpless, but he couldn¡¯t


    keep his lips from curling into a faint smile. It feels great that this silly girl cares very much about me, he


    thought.


    ¡°And then?¡± Elizabeth questioned with a deep frown.


    Veronica curled her lips. ¡°Well¡­ Where should I begin?¡± Finally, after much deliberation, she merely


    exined, ¡°Actually, I only agreed to go out with Matthew yesterday. But he¡¯s been through so much


    trouble before, and my identity is quite special, so it¡¯s inconvenient to let outsiders know about this. We


    had a date at the movies today, so I disguised myself as a man to avoid causing trouble.¡± She gave a


    brief ount of what had happened.


    ¡°Before the movie started, I took him to a men¡¯s clothing store, where we met the eldest daughter of the


    Dame Family. S-She kept provoking me, so I got mad and gave Matthew a kiss. Who would¡¯ve known


    that we¡¯d be photographed by the store¡¯s sales assistants in secret?¡± Her so-called ¡®special identity¡¯


    was because she looked just like Tiffany. Matthew had just called off his engagement to Tiffany quite


    recently. If word went public that he was in a rtionship with Veronica, they would surely be criticized.


    ¡°Then what about the incident in the fitting room?¡± Elizabeth questioned.


    Color instantly flooded Veronica¡¯s cheeks. Turning to look out of the car window, she put up her hands


    to cover her face, feeling so embarrassed that she wished the ground would open and swallow her up.


    Seriously, Grandma, do you have to ask about this kind of thing?Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Elizabeth was still wearing a grim face. ¡°Fess up, Matthew!¡±


    Matthew nced at her in the rearview mirror. Then, he replied truthfully, ¡°I am a man.¡± The four words


    exined everything perfectly.


    Elizabeth was exasperated. ¡°Don¡¯t you know to restrain yourself?¡±


    Matthew turned his head slightly to dart a look at the woman in the back seat as a faint smile yed


    across his lips. ¡°I like her, so I couldn¡¯t restrain myself.¡±


    ¡°How shameless.¡± Elizabeth let out a sigh. Then, she turned to nce at Veronica beside her. ¡°Now


    you know to feel embarrassed, huh? You shouldn¡¯t have done that in the first ce!¡±


    Veronica was at a loss for words.


    Matthew didn¡¯t want to see her being scolded. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t me Roni. It was my fault for being


    too impulsive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you that I¡¯m talking about!¡± Elizabeth chided angrily before a smile gradually came over her angry


    face. Amused and exasperated, she said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you guys tell me about this earlier? I wasn¡¯t


    prepared for it at all. Had Veronica not told me in time about it, I¡¯d have nearly punished you.¡±


    When she saw the video, she really thought that Matthew was gay. However, at the memorial hall,


    Veronica told her on her cell phone that she was the ¡®man¡¯ in the photo. At that very moment, she


    realized that Veronica and Matthew were in a rtionship. She had always hoped that they would


    be a couple. Now that they had be a couple after so many twists and turns, she was


    naturally happy.


    ¡°How are you two gonna deal with this in the future? Huh?¡± she asked Veronica. ¡°Veronica, Matthew is


    already a grown-up. Now that he¡¯s got someone he likes, he naturally got a little too familiar with you.


    Don¡¯t tell me that you two still n to keep your rtionship a secret.¡± She wanted to ask for Veronica¡¯s


    opinion.


    ¡°Huh? Well¡­¡± Veronica slowly put down her hand to reveal a fair-skinned cheek that was still blushing.


    She touched her nose in embarrassment, saying, ¡°Grandma, w-we¡¯re still trying to get along.¡±

 Chapter 333

    Chapter 333


    Chapter 333 Forgive and Forget


    Everything happened so quickly that she was caught unprepared.


    ¡°Hmph! Do you think I¡¯m a fool? I could tell long ago that you¡¯ve got feelings for Matthew. As for


    Matthew, there¡¯s something different about the way he looks at you. How could he possibly be involved


    with a guy?¡± Elizabeth took Veronica¡¯s hand and gently patted the back of it. ¡°I¡¯ve been in love before.


    How can I not know what it¡¯s like to be head over heels in love? But you two can¡¯t keep going on like


    this. Anyway, I¡¯m happy that Matthew has finally found someone he likes. If he still didn¡¯t confess his


    love for you, I would¡¯ve prepared to set you up with someone. To tell you the truth, I picked six nice


    guys for you and was about to arrange for you to meet them.¡±


    She sincerely liked Veronica and spoiled thetter like she was her own granddaughter. At first, she


    had thought that Veronica and Matthew weren¡¯t meant to be together, so she thought it good for


    Veronica to be her god-granddaughter.


    Little did she think that fate would bring the two of them to develop feelings for each other. Inwardly,


    she was delighted. It was just that she was old, so such an emotional roller-coaster was a bit too much


    for her heart.


    ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Veronica didn¡¯t know what to say in response.


    Matthew didn¡¯t want to see Elizabeth pressing Veronica harder and harder, though. ¡°Don¡¯t put Roni in a


    tight spot. Now that I¡¯ve promised her, I¡¯ll naturally keep my promise. Just give her some time.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. You¡¯re enlightened atst, huh? To think that you even know to feel sorry for her.¡± Elizabeth


    shook her head and sighed with feeling. ¡°Sigh. Well, that¡¯s a good thing. Veronica is a finedy; she¡¯s


    more than a good match for you,¡± she said. Then, she asked, ¡°But what makes you love Veronica? She


    looks just like Tiffany. You¡¯re my grandson, but I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ll skin you alive if you¡¯re just ying


    with her feelings!¡±


    ¡°I never liked Tiffany,¡± Matthew said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Elizabeth nodded with a long sigh of relief. Although she was happy to know that


    Matthew had finally found himself a wife after being single for almost 30 years, she still had a headache


    now that rumors were circting outside. ¡°Well, in that case, tell me what you¡¯re gonna do about


    today¡¯s incident,¡± she said while patting Veronica¡¯s hand again.


    ¡°Sigh. Veronica, it was Matthew¡¯s fault for doing you a disservice. If he hadn¡¯t gotten engaged to Tiffany


    back then, you two would probably have had babies.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s all history now.¡± Veronica was still upset upon recalling what had happened in the past.


    However, Matthew didn¡¯t like her at the time, and nor did she like him. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s


    been eight months since we got to know each other. We¡¯ve gone through a lot of things over the past


    eight months, which slowly brought us together.


    ¡°I¡¯m old. As you know, my health is getting worse by the day. All I want is to have a great-grandson.¡±


    ¡°But, Grandma¡­ I-I¡¯m not prepared for that yet,¡± Veronica argued. She and Matthew had just started


    seeing each other. If they were to get engaged immediately, she feared that Matthew might stop having


    feelings for her one day. Or what should she do if she found out after spending some time with him that


    he wasn¡¯t her type?


    Just then, Matthew interrupted their conversation, saying, ¡°Just give Roni some time. I¡¯ll deal with the


    public opinion.¡±


    ¡°That works.¡± Elizabeth nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you two. How could you two little brats hide it from


    me that you two are dating? I was worried sick about both of you,¡± she said. Then, she patted the


    driver¡¯s seat and warned, ¡°Especially you. You¡¯re already an adult; can¡¯t you afford to get a hotel room?


    How could you fool around with Veronica in the fitting room? Do you think Veronica is as shameless as


    you are?¡±


    Veronica, whose face had just returned to normal, blushed again at Elizabeth¡¯s words. Sh*t, she¡¯s not


    gonna let this slide. At the thought of this, she got so exasperated that she wished she could beat


    Matthew to death. I¡¯ve lost face because of him!


    Matthew couldn¡¯t hide his amusement when he looked up and saw in the rearview mirror that Veronica


    was turning to look out of the car window with her face blushing scarlet. ¡°Yes, Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll take care of your uncles and aunts for you. Hurry up and deal with the media,¡±


    Elizabeth warned again.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Matthew replied.


    Half an hourter, their car arrived at a private hospital. Matthew had asked Troy beforehand to have


    everything arranged, so there were no reporters here. After sending Elizabeth to the ward, he said to


    Veronica, ¡°Roni, I¡¯d like to have a word with Grandma.¡±


    Veronica nodded. ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll wait for you two outside then.¡± With that, she turned around and


    stepped out of the VIP ward before waiting outside.


    Inside the ward, Matthew said to Elizabeth directly, ¡°Grandma, Roni is still young. I can wait for her.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, you can wait, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t.¡± Elizabeth sighed repeatedly while leaning back against the


    head of the bed. ¡°And besides, even if she¡¯s still young, you two can get engaged first. Even if we don¡¯t


    inform the outside world about it, can¡¯t we meet her parents in private to have your engagement


    finalized?¡±


    she said before shaking her head. Then, she stretched out her hand and poked Matthew¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°You useless rascal. You call the shots in the business world; can¡¯t you even take care of Veronica


    now?¡±


    Matthew replied, ¡°Since I like her, I have to respect her.¡± Having been hardhearted and overbearing in


    the past, he had ruthlessly forced himself on Veronica because of his desire for her. At the time, he just


    wanted to sate his lust.


    However, things were different now. Knowing that he had fallen in love with her, he cosseted her with


    utmost care, as if she were a rare treasure. Perhaps this is love. Love makes me realize that if I like


    someone, not only do I have to be nice to her, but I also have to learn to respect her.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Now that you know what it¡¯s like to love someone, just take your time with her.¡±


    Elizabeth let out a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re no longer young. Now that you¡¯ve found yourself a wife, I can finally put


    my mind at rest. Veronica is sensible and understanding. Although she isn¡¯t a famous socialite or the


    daughter of a distinguished family, she¡¯s a one-in-a-million type ofdy.


    You have to cherish her. Also, she¡¯s bashful, so don¡¯t fool around with her outside every day. Why have


    I never realized before that you¡¯re so indiscreet? All you did was do such a disgraceful thing out there.


    You¡¯re already 28 years old. Weren¡¯t you able to restrain yourself for thest 27 years? What made you


    so impatient as soon as you started going out with her yesterday?¡± she said.


    Then, recalling something, she continued, ¡°Even if you want to sleep with her, you should¡¯ve taken her


    to a hotel. If you really can¡¯t do that, just take her back to the Kings Residence more often. I¡¯ll cover for


    you two, okay?¡±


    It¡¯s good for them to spend more time together. If they¡¯re together for a long time, they¡¯ll naturally have


    babies. Once they have babies, all the problems will be solved, thought Elizabeth as an idea formed in


    her mind.


    However, Matthew replied, ¡°The result of my discussion with Roni is that we won¡¯t disclose our


    rtionship to anyone now¡ªincluding Uncle Conrad.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m old, but I¡¯m not blind. Ever since the voice recording of your conversation with him was made


    public on the newsst time, I¡¯ve known that he¡¯s up to no good,¡± she said as a hint of guilt showed on


    her face.


    ¡°Conrad was born illegitimate, but he¡¯s also a poor thing. I know what¡¯s on his mind. It¡¯s just that I think


    he has a rough life, so I¡¯ll forgive and forget as long as he doesn¡¯t overdo anything.¡±

 Chapter 334

    Chapter 334


    Chapter 334 A 100-Million Transfer


    Being a woman herself, Elizabeth understood the difficult position Conrad¡¯s mother was in. She had a


    son with Howard, but he never acknowledged her as his wife in the end.


    She had always known her ce. If someone had to be med for this, Howard was the one who


    should be med. Conrad¡¯s mother was a nice person, which was why Elizabeth, who saw everything


    in ck and white, was especially nice to Conrad.


    Matthew¡¯s handsome face looked somewhat frosty. ¡°Uncle Conrad has something to do with what


    happened to Roni this time. I can forgive him once, but three strikes and he¡¯s out.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I got it,¡± Elizabeth replied, but she didn¡¯t care about this at all. She couldn¡¯t help but question


    again, ¡°Now then, when are you gonna marry Veronica? If you don¡¯t hold onto such a nicedy, she


    might be someone else¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. She¡¯s just 22 years old.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in a hurry, but I am.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re in a hurry, you have to wait.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s f*cking nonsense! How many years can I wait now that I already have one foot in the grave?


    Why is it so hard to have a great-grandson?¡± Elizabeth swore in anger. ¡°A year¡ªI¡¯m giving you a year


    at most. You two must get married by then!¡±


    ¡°Three years!¡± Matthew protested.


    ¡°No chance. I¡¯m giving you guys two years at most.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t get married, then,¡± Matthew replied nonchntly while turning to look somewhere else.


    ¡°How dare you¡­¡± Elizabeth sat up angrily before pping his arm forcefully. ¡°Are you trying to piss me


    off? What a good-for-nothing who can¡¯t even deal with a woman! How useless of you to have such


    good looks for nothing!¡± Every word she said was filled with her distaste for him.


    Then, she pointed at him, saying, ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t me me for not reminding you. Veronica is not only


    fair and pretty, but she¡¯s also a reliable person destined for greatness. If you don¡¯t hold her in your


    grasp right now, then don¡¯t cry in front of me when someone steals her away one day.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s thin lips parted slightly. He wanted to make a retort, but he suddenly found that there was


    some truth in Elizabeth¡¯s words.


    ¡°Enough, just get out of here and take care of the matter. Don¡¯t make a spectacle of yourself again.¡±


    Elizabeth urged him to leave with a wave of her hand. Then, she added, ¡°From tomorrow onward, you


    no longer have toe back as long as Veronica doesn¡¯t return to the Kings Residence. It irks me to


    see you.¡±


    Matthew was rendered speechless. Good God, my standing has plummeted now that there¡¯s Veronica!


    He left the ward.


    Seeing the man stepping out of the ward, Veronica immediately stood up and stared at him with a


    complicated look in her eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    A smile of satisfaction appeared on Matthew¡¯s good-looking face as he put up his hand and gently


    caressed her cheek with his thumb. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt better than I do now.¡±


    Veronica was dumbfounded. ¡°Huh? What makes you say so now that so many things have happened?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t there before,¡± Matthew replied.


    His words tugged at Veronica¡¯s heartstrings, causing her heart to flutter.


    Putting his arm around her waist, Matthew pulled her into his arms and leaned forward to peck her on


    the lips before straightening up. ¡°I¡¯ve talked to Grandma, and she¡¯ll keep our rtionship a secret.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Veronica looked up at him with starry eyes as her red lips curled into a sweet, charming


    smile. ¡°Thank you, Matthew.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s face darkened slightly when she thanked him. Leaning forward again, he bit her lips lightly,


    causing her to gasp in pain. Only then did he warn, ¡°Don¡¯t say the words ¡®thank you¡¯ to me anymore.¡±


    ¡°If I can¡¯t say ¡®thank you¡¯ to you, what else should I do?¡±


    ¡°You can¡­¡± Matthew paused mid-sentence. Then, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, ¡°Why say


    ¡®thank you¡¯ to me when you can deal with it with your body instead? How insincere.¡±


    ¡°Matthew, are you letting your lust take control of you?¡± Veronica knitted her fine eyebrows. ¡°Why have


    I never realized before that you have no sense of shame? Since you¡¯re so lustful, you must¡¯ve slept


    with a lot of prostitutes in the past.¡±


    Matthew pinched her waist gently with his hand that was around her waist. ¡°Am I that kind of person in


    your mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are. I only agreed to go out with youst night, but you never seemed to stop.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Matthew pressed his forehead against hers with a gentle smile. He said


    affectionately, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s thanks to your charm. I¡¯ve been unable to hold back my lust for you since


    you agreed to go out with me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ming me, huh? Let¡¯s break up, then. Our rtionship is still on a trial period, anyway.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote for that!¡± Matthew hugged her tightly. Then, he continued, ¡°Grandma is right that women


    are capricious. I should have married you at once instead of agreeing to wait a few years before


    marrying you. Roni, if I do well during my three-month probation, can we register our marriage first?¡±


    All of a sudden, he felt a sense of danger and thought that Elizabeth¡¯s words made a lot of sense. They


    could get engagedte and get marriedte without making their marriage public. However, they could


    get married in secret right now without living together.


    Veronica was startled; she wasn¡¯t prepared at all. ¡°What? Register our marriage? Do we need to be so


    hasty?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not hasty at all,¡± Matthew replied in a deep, husky voice. ¡°You¡¯re such a great person,


    Veronica. You¡¯ve got a lot of admirers. I¡¯m afraid that if I don¡¯t hold onto you, you¡¯ll run away with


    someone elseter. Where am I supposed to find my wife by then?¡±


    ¡°Pffft¡­¡± Veronica was amused by the man¡¯s words. He had always been as proud as a peacock, with


    an air of detachment that would keep any strangers away. Not only that, but he was aloof and lordly,


    like an otherworldly angel. At this very moment, however, his words sounded so down-to-earth that she


    nearly thought everything was an illusion.


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh!¡± Matthew bit her lips again. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to let the outside world know about


    our rtionship, but we can choose to get married in secret. Does that sound okay to you?¡±


    ¡°Getting married in secret?¡± Suddenly, Veronica thought it good to get married in secret. That way, they


    would still be together, and the outside world wouldn¡¯t know about their rtionship.


    ¡°Alright. As long as you pass your three-month probation period, I¡¯ll agree to it.¡± They had known each


    other for so long, but it was only after many twists and turns that they fell in love with each other.


    Perhaps this kind of love was even more hard-earned.


    ¡°In that case, stay here with Grandma and act in front of those elders. I¡¯m going back to my office first.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay. Let¡¯s stay in touch by phone,¡± Veronica replied.


    Matthew kissed her. Then, he let go of her and left.


    Standing where she was, Veronica watched as Matthew entered the elevator. At that very moment, she


    suddenly felt that love was really wonderful¡ªso wonderful that even the air smelled sweet when they


    were together.


    After a long time, she finally pped her head in realization. ¡°Am I crazy? How could I agree to his


    proposal to get married in secret?¡± As expected, women are stupid when they¡¯re in love. She turned


    around and entered the ward to chat with Elizabeth.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Half an hourter, her phone beeped with an iing text message. She picked it up and took a look,


    only to see that it was a transaction notification.


    It read, ¡®Oculus Bank: Matthew Kings have transferred 100,000,000.00 into your bank ount


    numbered ****5379 on 02-Jan, 16:55:00. Current ount bnce¡­¡¯

 Chapter 335

    Chapter 335


    Chapter 335 Minds in Sync


    Ding! There was another chime of an iing text message. It was a message from Matthew that


    read, ¡®Roni, the 100 million is my betrothal gift for you.¡¯


    Shocked, Veronica immediately said to Elizabeth, ¡°Grandma, I gotta go outside to make a phone call.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Just go.¡± Elizabeth gave her an affable smile.


    Only then did Veronica stand up and step out of the ward. Standing in the hallway, she gave Matthew a


    phone call. After he answered the phone, she immediately said, ¡°What on earth are you doing,


    Matthew? I only want the reward you promised me back then, not you.¡± He had promised to give her


    100 million when she saved his life back then. When she bid for her ne at the auction, Matthew


    had helped cover part of the amount, so there was still an amount of money that he hadn¡¯t paid her yet.


    Even though they were now dating, they should keep careful ounts.


    ¡°You risked your life to save me back then. I can only repay that favor by marrying you.¡±


    ¡°On what grounds? Have you asked for my opinion on it?¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to marry me, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Nope.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I can deign to adopt yourst name upon marriage.¡±


    ¡°In your dreams! Where¡¯s your sense of shame?¡±


    ¡°My sense of shame isn¡¯t valuablepared to marrying my wife.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I don¡¯t want the money anymore.¡± The difference is just tens of millions, anyway. 100


    million is already too much in the first ce. I can¡¯t sell myself off just for a few ten million, right?


    ¡°The money has been transferred to your bank ount, so it¡¯s toote to go back on it now.¡± Matthew


    let out a chuckle. ¡°And besides, you promised at the hospital that we could get married in secret after


    my three-month probation. What has been said can¡¯t be unsaid.¡±


    Veronica was rendered speechless. How could he be so shameless? She put her hand to her


    forehead. She seriously thought that she had carelessly agreed to his proposal to get married secretly


    because she had been bewitched by him. Would it be toote to go back on my word now? ¡°Then let¡¯s


    wait until you pass the three-month probation. We¡¯ve agreed on the rules; I don¡¯t believe that you won¡¯t


    vite them.¡± Recalling how crazy he had been over the past few days, she felt that he would definitely


    fail to restrain himself. What¡¯s been said cannot be unsaid, huh? Once he touches me by then, getting


    married in secret will be out of the question! Easy, Veronica, easy. I¡¯ve got to calm down. How could I


    sell myself after being in a rtionship for just a day? I must¡¯ve been out of my mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± Matthew hung up the phone confidently before driving to Spinfluence Group¡¯s parking lot.


    Due to the uproar caused by the incident about Matthew, Troy immediately ordered thepany¡¯s


    public rtions department to deal with the matter with all their might. Not only that, but he contacted


    the few employees of the clothing store in the shopping mall, bribing them into denying the ¡®juicy¡¯


    incident that had happened between Matthew and Veronica in the fitting room in front of the reporters.


    As for the kiss between Matthew and the ¡®man,¡¯ the man who rarely posted anything on Twitter finally


    posted the first tweet on his Twitter ount. The tweet had no words, but it contained a photo¡ªthe


    photo of him kissing Veronica with his arms around her waist when they stepped out of the clothing


    store at the shopping mall. Since Veronica had disguised herself as a man, the photo showed him


    leaning forward and gently kissing the man with silvery gray hair in a domineering fashion.


    The photo caused a great stir on the inte as soon as it was posted online.


    Ignoring theizen¡¯sments, Matthew turned on hisptop and typed a continuous string of source


    code on his keyboard. After hacking into the surveince system, he called up all the surveince


    footage showing him and Veronica and saved them. After that, he designed a firewall and encrypted all


    the surveince footage in which they had appeared together.


    Meanwhile, half an hour before this, Veronica was also in a state of anxiety because of what had


    happened to Matthew. All the members of the Kings Family arrived at the hospital after that to keep


    Elizabethpany, but shey on her sickbed and pretended to sleep to avoid being bothered by her


    sons and daughters-inw.


    Taking advantage of the situation, Veronica left the hospital and returned home. Using herptop, she


    hacked into her neighborhood¡¯s surveince system and recorded the surveince footage of Matthew


    driving her home, the surveince footage of her taking the elevator and entering the apartment and


    leaving home after wearing makeup, and the surveince footage of them driving to the shopping mall


    together. Besides that, she also recorded all the surveince footage showing them in the shopping


    mall¡¯s parking lot. After that, she found the surveince footage of her getting out of Matthew¡¯s car and


    going somewhere to remove makeup¡ªas well as the surveince videos of her with her makeup


    removed¡ªand saved all the videos.


    Although Matthew had the capability to deal with this right now, he would inevitably draw criticism when


    he went public about their marriage one day. By then, she could produce the surveince footage as


    evidence to silence everyone. If Matthew were to betray her and fall in love with someone else, these


    pieces of evidence would only gather dust in her lifetime. She wasn¡¯t a saint, so there was no way she


    would help prove his innocence if he cheated on her.


    As she thought of this, it suddenly urred to her that those from the entertainment media would


    definitely dig deep into the identity of the ¡®man¡¯ whom Matthew was kissing. It was very likely that they


    would look for the surveince footage immediately. Wouldn¡¯t her rtionship with Matthew be brought


    to light by then?


    She thought of encrypting those surveince videos, but much to her surprise, just as she was ready to


    call up the surveince videos again, she found that these videos had been encrypted and were


    unavable. She was involuntarily perplexed. What¡¯s going on?


    The next instant, she couldn¡¯t help but smile, knowing without thinking that it had to be Matthew who


    was able to encrypt the videos so quickly. These videos couldn¡¯t be deleted. If they did so, when


    someone tried to call up these videos and couldn¡¯t find them in the future, even if they produced the


    videos to assert their innocence, people would say that these videos were faked. Therefore, the best


    way to prevent others from deleting the videos was to set up a firewall. Still, she didn¡¯t expect her and


    Matthew to think the same thing, as if their minds were in sync.


    Having dealt with the matters at hand, she immediately went back to the hospital to continue staying


    with Elizabeth. However, as soon as she reached the door to Elizabeth¡¯s ward, she heard a hubbub of


    voices inside the ward.


    ¡°Mom, what do you mean? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too partial to Matthew?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be hard for you to assuage the public¡¯s indignation by doing this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care about the fact that Matthew has disgraced our family?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! The way I see it, you¡¯ve gone off your head because of your old age.¡±


    Thump!


    ¡­


    Just as Veronica stood at the door and listened to the conversation inside the ward, she suddenly


    heard the sound of something being smashed to pieces from the inside. Startled, she immediately


    pushed the door open and entered, only to see Roxanne Barnes, the wife of Nichs Kings, the fifth


    son of the Kings Family. Smashing the ss on the table to the ground, she pointed at Elizabeth,


    saying, ¡°If you don¡¯t do anything about this today, then don¡¯t me us for defying you in the future!¡±


    Being tall and plump, she spoke in a loud voice, and the words she said were particrly unpleasant to


    hear.


    When those people standing in the ward saw Roxanne exploding with rage, not only did they not stop


    her, but they even added fuel to the mes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! What Roxanne said makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve got to give us an exnation for what happened today. Even if you¡¯re partial to Matthew,


    you have to do so with propriety.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! When did you ever care so much about us? Are we far inferior to Matthew as your sons or


    what?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡­


    These people kept going on at Elizabeth because of this. However, she merely leaned back against the


    head of the bed and hung her head without saying a word.


    At that very moment, Veronica¡¯s heart suddenly twinged. She felt very sorry for the aged Elizabeth.

 Chapter 336

    Chapter 336


    Chapter 336 Elizabeth Blows Her Top


    Because of Matthew¡¯s request, Elizabeth had to bear enormous pressure to keep the rtionship


    between him and Veronica hidden from the public. At the thought of this, Veronica couldn¡¯t help


    ming herself somewhat. ¡°Shut up, you people! Don¡¯t you recognize these words?¡± she barked


    angrily and pointed at the words ¡®Quiet Please¡¯ on the wall while glowering at them.


    Everyone looked back at once. Seeing Veronica standing at the door, they all looked at her with


    contempt and disdain.


    ¡°Ha! How domineering! Since when do you have the right to speak in the Kings Family?¡±


    ¡°Do you honestly think you can be a member of the Kings Family by beguiling Old Mrs. Kings?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°How ridiculous!¡±


    ¡­


    These people taunted Veronica and gave her dirty looks whileughing sarcastically.


    Veronica didn¡¯t care a damn about their contemptuous gaze. She merely said frostily, ¡°I¡¯m the person


    who took Grandma to the hospital and had a ward arranged for her. I don¡¯t care what you guys are


    saying right now, but I¡¯m calling the shots here today!¡± How can I let these people bully Grandma in my


    presence? What a joke!


    These people were very displeased with Veronica¡¯s sharp tongue, especially Roxanne, who wiggled


    her hips and walked up to her before putting out a fleshy hand to point at her forehead. ¡°Who do you


    think you are? What right do you have to tell us what to do?¡±


    ¡°I repeat: this is the hospital, where you have to keep quiet. If there¡¯s anything you want to say, just wait


    until Grandma is discharged,¡± Veronica insisted. After a brief pause, she continued, ¡°If you want to stay


    around to look after Grandma, then stay around. If you¡¯re here to bother Grandma with the matter


    about Matthew, then I¡¯m sorry, but you guys aren¡¯t needed here.¡±


    ¡°Ho ho! You¡¯re quite something, huh?¡± Roxanne let out a snort as a ferocious smile appeared on her


    chubby face. ¡°Do you really think you can be a member of the upper ss by attaching yourself to


    Old Mrs. Kings? You¡¯re nothing but a yokeling out of the backcountry. Look at the cheap clothes


    you¡¯re dressed in. Who are you trying to impress? Only Old Mrs. Kings likes you. You¡¯re getting too full


    of yourself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Sigh. Say, Roxanne, don¡¯t you see that your position in the family is being diminished?


    Even an outsider can boss you around now.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Nichs, someone is bullying your wife. Aren¡¯t you gonna do something about it?¡±


    ¡°Since when does an outsider have the right to point a finger at us? How outrageous.¡±


    ¡°Sigh. What a misfortune for our family.¡±


    ¡­


    These people seized the opportunity to add fuel to the mes.


    Elizabeth felt angry and helpless as she listened to her sons¡¯ and daughters-inw¡¯s words. Above all


    else, however, she was disappointed. They were the dearest people to her, but the fact that they had all


    turned against her for the sake of interests struck a chill into her heart. Not in the mood to speak, she


    turned to look out of the window.


    On the other hand, upon hearing these people¡¯s words, Nichs felt humiliated. Walking up to


    Veronica, he pointed at her forehead. ¡°Get the hell out of here! There¡¯s no room for you to speak here!¡±


    Veronica gave him a disdainful look. Looking unperturbed and dignified, she argued, ¡°Won¡¯t I look like a


    fool if I get lost as you told me to?¡±


    Embarrassed at being mocked by his siblings and their wives, Nichs got hot under the cor. ¡°Heh,


    so my words aren¡¯t working anymore, huh? Believe it or not, if you¡¯re not leaving, I¡¯m gonna p you!¡±


    Even Roxanne was exasperated, and she put out her hand to shove Veronica.


    However, before her hand could touch Veronica, thetter grabbed her wrist. ¡°You wanna hit me?


    We¡¯re at the hospital! Lay a finger on me and I¡¯ll call the security guards over!¡±


    Roxanne struggled for a moment as Veronica clenched her fingers. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, you country


    bumpkin! Let go of me!¡±


    ¡°F*ck, how dare you touch my wife! If I don¡¯t teach you a lesson, you¡¯re not gonna remember who I


    am!¡± Flustered and exasperated, Nichs raised his hand to p Veronica across the face.


    Those watching from the sidelines seemed to be enjoying the spectacle, but Veronica wasn¡¯t afraid at


    all. Shaking Roxanne off right away, she grabbed Nichs¡¯ hand and pressed her thumb against his,


    pushing it with all her might.


    Nichs seemed sturdy with his dark skin and protruding belly, but he found himself defenseless


    against Veronica¡¯s attack. Seeing that she was pushing his thumb, he gritted his teeth in pain, but he


    dared not speak for fear of beingughed at. Consequently, he kicked at Veronica.


    Having no intention ofing to blows with him, Veronica dodged his attack by turning sideways.


    Seeing how everyone stood by and looked on, Elizabeth shook her head and reprimanded, ¡°What the


    hell are you doing, Nichs? How could you act like a child byshing out at a youngdy? Have you


    no sense of shame?¡±


    Only then did Veronica shake Nichs off. After all, he and Elizabeth were a family. If she hit him,


    Elizabeth would be in a tight spot.


    Nichs staggered a few steps back after being shaken off by Veronica. Flinging his hand in pain, he


    let out a few gasps in secret. However, he was angry and resentful deep down.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Flushing with anger, he darted his eyes around the room. Then, he picked up a thermos sk nearby


    and hurled it at Veronica right away. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, you little b*tch!¡± One could judge from how he picked


    up the thermos sk and exerted his strength that there was still some hot water in it.


    Seeing the thermos sk flying at her face, Veronica bent backward and dodged the sk, which flew


    five centimeters above her head before falling onto the ground with a tter and breaking into pieces.


    Veronica was still in a state of shock. What if the bottle of hot water was really sshed onto her face?


    Elizabeth¡¯s heart clenched in fright as well. Baring one foot, she immediately stood up and picked up


    her shoe from the ground regardless of her image. Then, she walked up to Nichs and hit his butt


    with it. ¡°How presumptuous! What were you doing? Do you have no respect for me anymore? I¡¯m still


    alive, and yet you¡¯re already ignoring me now. Are you guys tired of living or something?¡± she yelled


    angrily in a loud voice as she lost her temper for real.


    In an instant, those standing in the ward fell silent, and none of them dared to make a sound. After all,


    Elizabeth was the current head of the family. Even though they had the nerve toin, they were


    afraid now that Elizabeth was blowing her top.


    Having finished her sentence, Elizabeth pointed at them with the shoe in her hand. ¡°Listen up, all of


    you! As long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯m the one who calls the shots in our family, so it¡¯s not your ce to stir up


    trouble here.


    Matthew will take care of his own affairs. If he can¡¯t, I¡¯ll definitely hold him responsible for it, but if you


    guys dare to make trouble during this period, then get out of the Kings Family!¡± she said before flinging


    her shoe to the ground with a loud thud.


    Wearing her shoe with her head down, she reprimanded, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys have the slightest idea


    what¡¯s in those brains of yours? Especially you, George, Nichs, and Philip.


    What have you guys achieved after managing thepany in Matthew¡¯s absence for so many years?


    Thepany¡¯s management is aplete mess; not only did thepany have a bunch of parasites,


    but thepany was full of problems. If Matthew hadn¡¯t taken over and helped you guys deal with all


    the problems, the Spinfluence Group would¡¯ve gone bankrupt, I¡¯m afraid.


    Hmph! He¡¯s a young man, but he¡¯s more capable than the five of youbined! How could you have


    the cheek to kick up a fuss here? What are you fussing about? Huh?!¡±

 Chapter 337

    Chapter 337


    Chapter 337 His Contentment


    ¡°As for thepany¡¯s shares, don¡¯t you know how many shares you own in thepany? You guys do


    nothing every day and get paid for nothing while enjoying the yearly dividends. Not only do you guys


    make no contribution to thepany, but you guys even give me trouble here.


    Have you guys forgotten your family name because of thefortable lives you¡¯re living? Which of you


    think you¡¯ve lived toofortably and want to suffer some hardships?


    Tell me so that I¡¯ll chase you out of the Kings Family and let you start your own business. Let me see


    how big a ssh you can make. You wanna shoot for the moon or something? What a bunch of


    morons!¡± she said with a snort. Then, she turned around and walked out of the ward casually.


    She is¡­ leaving the hospital. Having been admonished, the few people looked at each other. Despite


    their pent-up grievances, none of them dared to stand out again.


    Veronica darted a nce at them. After letting out a sigh, she immediately followed behind Elizabeth.


    Now that things hade to this, Elizabeth no longer had to stay in the hospital and pretend to be sick.


    Veronica helped Elizabeth into the car before driving her back to the Kings Residence. After arriving at


    the Kings Residence, she gave Yura her phone number, telling thetter repeatedly to call her at once


    if anything happened to Elizabeth. Then, instead of leaving the residence, she chatted with Elizabeth to


    keep herpany.


    On the other hand, thanks to Elizabeth¡¯s sudden outburst of anger, those who had teamed up to make


    a fuss stayed quietly at their respective homes, not daring to stir up trouble again.


    Veronica¡¯s cell phone kept ringing while she was at the Kings Residence. Xavier, Yvonne, Conrad, and


    others had been calling her.


    Naturally, Elizabeth knew that she was busy. She said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Veronica. Just go back early. I¡¯m


    alright on my own.¡± She was angry today because of her unfilial sons and daughters-inw.


    Now that she had calmed down, she was no longer angry. At the very least, the problem that weighed


    on her mind the most had been solved. It was better than anything else that Matthew had found himself


    a girlfriend.


    Veronica was worried, though. ¡°Are you really okay?¡±


    Elizabeth took her hand with an affable smile. ¡°As long as you and Matthew are getting along well, I¡¯ll


    be happier than everyone else. Don¡¯t let me down. You¡¯ve seen how much pressure I was under today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandma.¡± Veronica was inwardly moved as she lowered her head.


    ¡°Why thank me when we¡¯re a family? It¡¯s overly polite of you to say that. This is your home. You¡¯re my


    god-granddaughter. When you get married to Matthew one day, we¡¯ll be doubly rted.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Mm-hmm, that¡¯s right.¡± Veronica forced augh. Now that my rtionship with Matthew hase to


    light, I guess Grandma will not only urge him to get married as soon as possible, but she¡¯ll also urge


    me to get married. Just the thought of it stresses me out, she thought.


    ¡°If you have nothing to do,e back often with Matthew. I¡¯m bored here at the Kings Residence.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, good to hear that.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s benign face was all smiles. ¡°Hurry and go ahead with what you


    were doing. It¡¯s been a tiring day. I¡¯d like to sleep for a while.¡±


    ¡°Okay. In that case, I¡¯ll take my leave, Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Drive slowly. It¡¯s dark outside, and the road is slippery,¡± Elizabeth reminded her concernedly.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Veronica replied before leaving the Kings Residence.


    Meanwhile, at the Spinfluence Group¡­


    Matthew was sitting in his office, oblivious to what was going on in the outside world.


    Troy came in with a pile of documents in his arms before putting them in front of Matthew. He said,


    ¡°President Kings, here¡¯s all the detailed information about the Crawfords.¡±


    The story of Matthew kissing a ¡®man¡¯ was much discussed in the outside world, but for some reason, he


    didn¡¯t care at all about this and still acted ording to his will.


    Even though Troy had figured that the ¡®man¡¯ was Veronica, he couldn¡¯t understand why she would


    disguise herself as a man, nor could he understand why Matthew was so concerned about the


    Crawfords all of a sudden. Judging from the man¡¯s chilling expression, he surmised that the former was


    probably going to take action against the Crawfords.


    ¡°Give the instructions to terminate all coborations with the Crawfords immediately,¡± Matthew ordered


    in a grim voice.


    ¡°Yes, President Kings,¡± Troy replied with a nod before turning to leave the office immediately.


    Sitting behind his desk, Matthew reclined in his executive chair and began to slowly read the detailed


    information about the Crawfords. With his present capabilities, destroying the Crawfords would be a


    piece of cake. However, if he were to destroy the family all at once, he would lose a lot of fun. He


    wanted Xavier to slowly taste what it was like to be gnawed at by feelings of anguish.


    He didn¡¯t fuss with Xavier over what had happened at the weddingst time because Veronica treated


    Xavier as a friend. Because of that, he went easy on Xavier. However, since some people fancied


    digging their own graves, he would grant their death wishes, of course.


    ¡­


    Aftering back from the Kings Residence, Veronica tidied her apartment. Only after that did she lie


    on her bed and call Matthew.


    The instant she heard the beep of the dial tone, a subtle feeling suddenly arose inside her. In the past,


    she and Matthew had been at loggerheads, so she would never call him on her own initiative. And now,


    their rtionship had suddenly be so close in just two days, which gave her a subtle feeling.


    ¡°Roni?¡± Matthew¡¯s maic voice rang after the call was connected.


    Somehow, Veronica felt relieved to hear his voice. ¡°A-Are you alright? Did yourpany¡¯s executives


    give you a hard time after such a serious thing happened?¡± Matthew was the Spinfluence Group¡¯s


    CEO, but he had to answer to thepany¡¯s board of directors. Once the interests of thepany


    were involved, those on the board of directors wouldn¡¯t easily let him off.


    Matthew smiled faintly. ¡°Are you worried about me, Roni?¡±


    Veronica was rendered speechless. How could he be in the mood to joke about such a serious matter?


    ¡°Stop it, Matthew. I¡¯m asking you about something serious.¡±


    ¡°Am I not being serious enough in asking that question?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± After hearing his words, Veronica felt somewhat helpless. Naturally, she knew what he meant.


    She thought of everything he had done today. Not only did it make her see him in a new light, but she


    was also moved inwardly. Clutching her phone, she answered his question with a nod. ¡°Uh-huh. I¡¯m


    worried about you, of course.¡±


    However, her reply was met with a long silence on the other end of the line.


    Veronica frowned before moving her phone in front of her to nce at its screen, thinking that the call


    had been disconnected. However, they were still on the phone. Only then did she continue to press her


    phone against her ear, asking, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you busy as well?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Then, why are you silent?¡±


    ¡°I want to hear you speak,¡± Matthew replied on the other end of the line. Standing before the French


    window, he looked out the window in an especially cheerful mood with a faint smile on his handsome


    face. He was capable of everything in the business world, so much so that some evenpared him to


    God.


    Inwardly, however, he had always felt empty, as if there was a void inside him that couldn¡¯t be filled.


    However, upon hearing Veronica¡¯s words just now, he instantly realized what he had always wanted.


    Only when the person he loved was staying by his side would his life beplete and contented.


    ¡°I¡¯m speaking. Ain¡¯t I asking you if anyone in yourpany has given you a hard time?¡±

 Chapter 338

    Chapter 338


    Chapter 338 Starting to Suspect Xavier


    ¡°No one dares to give me a hard time at thepany.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Veronica believed Matthew¡¯s words. After all, he did have enough capability to convince


    those on the board of directors; it was just that things would get more or less tricky.


    Clutching her cell phone, she fell silent for a while after asking the question. After that, she told him


    what had happened at the hospital tonight. After all, what Elizabeth had endured was all because of


    them, so she had to tell him about this.


    However, Matthew wasn¡¯t as angry as she had imagined after listening to the story. Instead, he replied


    calmly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Grandma. They dare not do anything to her.¡±


    ¡°Grandma was really¡­manding when she blew up at the hospital today.¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t hide


    her amusement, but her smile disappeared after a while. Pursing her lips, she continued, ¡°Sorry. I really


    got you two into trouble today.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such things anymore, you silly girl, or else I¡¯ll really get angry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± She chuckled while covering her mouth, feeling incredibly happy as a beautiful smile


    brightened her features.


    She chatted with Matthew for a while before hanging up the phone. However, as soon as she put down


    the phone, she got a phone call from Xavier.


    ¡°Xavier?¡±


    ¡°Have you learned about what¡¯s on the news?¡± Xavier asked, getting straight to the point.


    ¡°Yeah, I saw the news, so I know about it. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Veronica asked despite knowing the


    answer to her question.


    ¡°I told you to stay away from Matthew back then, but you didn¡¯t listen. Look at the sh*tty stuff he¡¯s done.


    He¡¯s a bi! How disgusting.¡±


    It was easy to perceive Xavier¡¯s anger over the phone, as if he really felt sorry for Veronica because of


    what Matthew had done. However, she couldn¡¯t help but recall what Matthew had said to her the other


    night. Matthew told her that while she and Xavier were at the hotel, Xavier had texted him using her cell


    phone, telling him that she had started going out with Xavier.


    However, she could sense from Matthew¡¯s expression that the matter wasn¡¯t that simple. Matthew had


    overreacted after that day. Not only had he spurned her, but he had even loathed her. It made her


    wonder what on earth had happened that night. ¡°Thank you for telling me these.¡±


    She let out a sigh. ¡°I never thought such a thing would happen either. Well, you seem like an unruly


    dandy at other times, but you¡¯re even franker than Matthew when we spend time together in private.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s of course.¡±


    Veronica was utterly speechless; she didn¡¯t expect Xavier to respond in such an unaffected manner


    with no feelings of remorse. ¡°I know what you want to say, but I¡¯m a little tired today. I gotta go.¡±


    ¡°You wannae out for a couple of drinks?¡± Xavier seemed to sense that Veronica was in low spirits,


    and he thought she was upset because of what had happened to Matthew.


    In reality, however, it was just that Veronica didn¡¯t want to y along with such a despicable and


    shameless person. Matthew used to be mean, but he never resorted to dirty tricks. On the contrary,


    Xavier was an out-and-out viin who had even shamelessly installed an eavesdropping app on her


    cell phone. Does he honestly think that I spent a few years at college for nothing? ¡°What about


    tomorrow? I¡¯m a bit tired today.¡±


    Seeing that she insisted on staying at home, Xavier couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Okay. In that case, have a


    good rest,¡± he said before hanging up right away.


    Veronica rested on her bed, thinking. Still, she wanted to know what had happened that night, so she


    took out herptop and hacked into the surveince system. After searching for a long time, she finally


    saw the scene where Conrad had stopped the car to let Xavier give her a ride that day.


    Surveince footage showed that Conrad had exchanged a smile with Xavier when he got out of the


    car and saw thetter. Not only that, but he patted Xavier on the shoulder in a friendly manner before


    Xavier got into the car to drive her to the hotel.


    Veronica had long surmised that Xavier and Conrad were in cahoots, but it wasn¡¯t until now that she


    realized that they had been working together for a long time, especially during the family dinner that


    night.


    She didn¡¯t get drunk that night, so why would she be so soundly asleep that she had no idea how she


    ended up in the hotel? Once she thought about the details, she couldn¡¯t help being terrified. In an


    instant, she realized what she had figured.


    After closing herptop, she sat on the bed in quiet contemtion. After a long time, she called Xavier,


    asking, ¡°Wannae out for drinks?¡±


    Xavier fell silent for a moment. Then, he agreed readily, saying, ¡°I just knew that you¡¯re feeling down.


    Let¡¯s meet up at the usual ce.¡± He was referring to the food stall where they had dined together


    before.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Veronica hung up. After that, she picked up her coat, went downstairs, and drove there right


    away.


    Xavier arrived after she sat at the food stall for a while. Dressed in a cream-colored trench coat, he


    looked handsome as usual, with the air of a young and unruly dandy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for ages.¡± Veronica smiled before pointing at the liquor on the table. ¡°Come


    on, let¡¯s drink.¡±


    Xavier pulled out a chair and sat down across from her before looking at the spirits on the table with a


    worried expression. ¡°Are you brooding over him?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Veronica answered in the affirmative while shaking her head.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    However, her answer made him certain about what he was thinking¡ªthat Veronica came out for drinks


    in the middle of the night because she was upset over Matthew¡¯s passionate kiss with the ¡®unknown


    man¡¯ in public today. Of course, this was a good thing for him. Inwardly, he was delighted, but he


    wouldn¡¯t give himself away.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re feeling down, I¡¯ll drink with you.¡± Without the slightest hesitation, he poured himself a


    ss of liquor and clinked sses with Veronica.


    The two ate skewers and drank while chatting in a good atmosphere. With that, Veronica¡¯s spirits


    gradually ¡®lifted.¡¯


    ¡°Oh, right, I gotta make a phone call. Yvonne called me this afternoon to ask me out to dinner, but I


    forgot about it,¡± Veronica said while taking her cell phone out of her pocket before tapping on its screen.


    ¡°Oh, no. My phone¡¯s dead. Yvonne is probably mad at me now that she can¡¯t reach me by phone.¡±


    ¡°Just call her on my phone.¡± Xavier handed his cell phone to her. ¡°I happen to have her phone number.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay.¡± Veronica nodded and stretched out her hand to take his phone.


    Xavier unlocked his phone and handed it to Veronica. Just as she was taking the phone from him, she


    ¡®identally¡¯ knocked over the single-use bowl in front of her, causing the soup to spill onto her


    clothes.


    ¡°Be careful.¡± Xavier immediately pulled out a few pieces of tissue paper and handed them to her.


    Veronica took the tissue and tried to wipe the soup stains away, but she couldn¡¯t wipe the stains away


    at all. As it happened, her phone call was answered. She chatted with Yvonne while pointing at the


    restroom near the food stall, signaling that she wanted to go there to deal with the oil stains on her


    clothes.


    Xavier didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°Just go.¡±


    With that, Veronica continued to chat with Yvonne using Xavier¡¯s phone while turning around to go to


    the restroom. She was still holding the tissue paper in her left hand as she lowered her head to wipe


    the oil stains away.


    Once she was in the restroom, she turned on the tap and chatted with Yvonne while bringing Xavier¡¯s


    phone back to the home screen. Then, she opened Xavier¡¯s WhatsApp and searched for Matthew¡¯s


    WhatsApp username right away, but no results were disyed.

 Chapter 339

    Chapter 339


    Chapter 339 Realizing the Truth


    He doesn¡¯t have Matthew as a friend? Veronica thought. She then tried looking through the messages


    while conversing with Yvonne. As she scrolled through the numerous messages on the phone, she


    came to a stop upon seeing the name ¡®Matthew Kings¡¯ on the list.


    Without hesitation, she immediately tapped into the message. However, the content of Matthew¡¯s


    message made Veronica¡¯s pupils constrict, as Veronica felt a burst of angere rising inside her.


    The content of the message was photos of her ¡®sleeping¡¯ with the upper part of her body naked.


    Although the quilt had covered the upper half of her body, one could still faintly see that she was


    wearing her birthday suit under theforter. Furthermore, Xavier was seen holding the ¡®sleeping¡¯


    Veronica in his arms while he nted a kiss on her forehead.


    As for the second photo, it was the same as the first photo where Veronica was ¡®sleeping,¡¯ except


    Xavier was smiling smugly at the camera.


    At that moment, she nked from the heavy blow she received upon the sight of these photos. The


    blow hurt so much that she couldn¡¯t get her words out for some time, even though Yvonne was still on


    the other end of the line talking to her.


    Instantly, Veronica¡¯s left hand that was holding the phone tightened its grip to the point where the veins


    in her hand became visible, while her face grew red with anger.


    With the anger she felt, she proceeded to plug the sinkhole in the basin, fill it with water, and throw


    Xavier¡¯s phone into the pool of water; she knew that he could use these photos to threaten Matthew


    one day, as he had the gall to even send these photos to Matthew.


    At this moment, only the sound of the water sshing from the faucet to the water-filled basin echoed


    inside the room. Veronica propped her hands on the basin with her head down and eyes closed, as she


    only had one thing in her mind¡ªretaliation; a through and through retaliation.


    All this time, Veronica had treated Xavier as a friend. She had even chosen not to pursue the matter


    back at the wedding out of consideration of their friendship. Yet, not only were Xavier and Melissa


    ungrateful, but they had done such a thing behind her back. ¡°Blegh¡ª¡± Suddenly, she felt a wave of


    nausea oveing her, as she couldn¡¯t imagine just what Xavier had actually done to her that night.


    In the photos, Veronica waspletely naked, yet she was fully dressed when she woke up the day


    after in the hotel. It was conceivable that Xavier had undressed her and put them back on before she


    woke up. However, she waspletely in the dark as to what Xavier had done to her that entire night.


    Veronica¡¯s first thoughts were the worst-case scenario of the situation: that she had been defiled by


    Xavier on that night.


    Soon, the waterpletely filled the basin and started flowing out onto the floor. The sound of the


    water sshing onto the floor then woke Veronica who was drowning in deep thought. With her senses


    returned, she quickly turned off the tap.


    With her eyes on the phone that was now already turned off, Veronica knew that the phone sinking into


    the water while still on a call had elerated the damage to the phone¡¯sponents. After that, she


    drained the water and filled the basin with hot water instead.


    After some time had passed when the phone could not be switched on anymore, Veronica took a deep


    breath and adjusted her emotions before she went back outside with the now-ruined phone in her


    hand. However, the sight of Xavier standing outside greeted her when she opened the door. Thus, the


    two pairs of eyes met.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Xavier asked as he looked at Veronica with aplicated expression.


    When Veronica met Xavier¡¯s gaze, her eyes involuntarily turned distant and tinged with hatred. The


    times when she treated him as a friend of hers were no more, as she truly hated the man before her at


    this moment. Lowering her head to avoid meeting his eyes, she handed the phone in her hand back to


    him.


    ¡°Sorry, I had a stomach ache, so I went to the washroom, but¡­ I identally dropped your phone into


    the toilet bowl. Since it smelled bad, I could only¡­ wash it for you. I¡¯m really sorry about this.¡± Good


    thing she had taken care of the oil stains on her body. Otherwise, he would have thought that she was


    acting weird.


    ¡°My God! What have you done?¡± Xavier frowned with his attention focused on the phone in Veronica¡¯s


    hand. Feeling disgusted, he hesitated in taking back the phone from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ very sorry about this. Mainly because some of it¡­ got onto your phone, so I had to rinse it off.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Goddamn! Veronica Murphy, you¡¯re really one of a kind!¡± Having not the slightest doubt about


    Veronica¡¯s words, Xavier looked around before going into the washroom and came back out with a


    bunch of tissues in hand. He then used the tissues to take his phone from her hand. ¡°This is


    disgusting.¡±


    ¡°My bad. I¡¯ll buy you a new phone tomorrow. The phone slipped and fell into the toilet when I stood up.


    Even I felt disgusted when I had to fish your phone out of the toilet.¡± Saying that, she purposely sniffed


    her hand. ¡°Ugh¡­ it still stinks.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to buy me a new phone. But that aside, I need to hurry and get the phone fixed.


    There¡¯s a lot of important information inside it, after all.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so important about them? Can¡¯t you apany me to have a few drinks instead?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s all important information for thepany. I¡¯ll need the phone fixed, or else I¡¯ll have a big mess


    on my hand.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    ¡°No need. Just sit and wait here for a while. I¡¯ll ask someone to have it repaired beforeing back for


    you.¡± Saying that, Xavier turned around and left.


    She watched Xavier leave in a hurry. Is the important thing thepany¡¯s information, or those racy


    photos? she thought as she stood still with her eyes slightly cold, her attitude indifferent.


    It was only after a while did Veronica return to her seat and continue drinking to drown her sorrows.


    The things Xavier had done recently had blown past her tolerance. Although she was still keeping up


    an appearance of being friendly with him, she had already started nning her revenge on him.


    Veronica had never once thought of herself as a soft-hearted person. She chose not to pursue the


    matter back when Melissa framed her at the wedding. Xavier joined up with Conrad to cause trouble at


    the wedding and even paid Monica¡¯s husband to frame her, wanting to ruin her. This time, she found


    the photos Xavier had sent to Matthew.


    With all these in mind, she realized just how vindictive Xavier was toward her. First, he stirred the


    rtionship between her and Matthew. Then, he made a move at the wedding to have Monica¡¯s


    husband falsely use her of getting physical with someone and simultaneously fanned the mes of


    that incident in secret to ruin her reputation, all so to force her into a desperate situation. Xavier, you


    truly are beyond ruthless, she thought.


    ¡°Haha.¡± Sheughed at herself before finishing the white wine in front of her. After that, she stood up


    and settled the bill before she made her exit.


    After she arrived home, she couldn¡¯t sleep for the rest of the night, as the matter of Xavier was so


    shocking to the extent that she wanted to confront him at this very moment. Nevertheless, she chose


    not to be reckless, as she had hired a professional private investigator to find out everything about


    Xavier.


    Ring, ring¡ª


    After some time had passed, Xavier called Veronica¡¯s phone several times, to which she didn¡¯t answer.


    Following that, Matthew also called, but she didn¡¯t answer as well due to her exhaustion.


    Sitting by herself on the bed, she continued drinking the cans of alcohol she bought, as her mood had


    reached an all-time low. On this night, she didn¡¯t know how she fell asleep. What she did know was the


    fact that she woke up the next day from sheer coldness.


    When she woke up the next day, she realized that she had copsed on the couch with her body all


    curled up without any nket on her. ¡°Ugh¡­ how could I have fallen asleep here,¡± she muttered before


    she stood up and went over to the bed to continue sleeping.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she had slept. However, she had slept long enough that when she next


    opened her eyes, she found herself to be in an unfamiliar luxurious room.

 Chapter 340

    Chapter 340


    Chapter 340 Brought Back by Matthew


    ¡°Where am I?¡± With one hand on her forehead and the other propped on the bed, she sat up.


    ¡°Awake?¡± The familiar voice came from beside her. However, before Veronica could turn her head in


    the direction of that voice, she was caught in an embrace. As the familiar scent filled her nose, she


    raised her head to find Matthew who was sitting on the edge of the bed hugging her.


    When she saw him, an inexplicable sense of security came over her. With a faint smile, she asked,


    ¡°How did I end up at your ce?¡± She clearly remembered that she was back home before she slept,


    yet she found herself here the moment she woke up.


    ¡°I see you still have the nerve to ask after that fever you had from drinking too much alcohol alone at


    home.¡± Matthew loosened his grip around Veronica before he asked with a slight frown, ¡°What


    happened?¡±


    That night, after Matthew was done with his work in the office, he tried contacting Veronica but to no


    avail. He was worried that he would trouble her should he drop by her house. After all, with the news


    about him all over the inte, there would definitely be paparazzi following him around even after he


    was off work. If he went to her house, the paparazzi would most likely follow him there as well.


    Initially, he thought she had fallen asleep that night. However, he started to worry when he couldn¡¯t


    reach her the next day. Then, he rushed over to her house to find her in bed with a burning fever.


    ¡°A¡­ fever?¡± Veronica shook her head lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t remember anything. Oh, right. What


    about you? How are things with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Matthew had always solved his problems with logic and rationality. With no care as to how


    the world would perceive it, he had boldly posted a picture of him kissing Veronica who was dressed as


    a man without any caption. With that, he washed his hands of the matter and allowed the public opinion


    to fester.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why did you post that picture on Twitter? Aren¡¯t you afraid to be med to death?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so much better to be able to change the minds of countless women that were interested in me.¡±


    Ever since he basically announced his rtionship with the ¡®man¡¯ in the photo by posting the photo on


    Twitter, no women came to throw themselves at him anymore.


    Veronica smiled, as she didn¡¯t know what to say. Leaning against Matthew while she was in his arms,


    she involuntarily remembered the photos she saw on Xavier¡¯s phone that night. Although Matthew


    clearly knew something had happened between Xavier and her, he didn¡¯t turn his back on her and had


    even hidden the truth about it.


    Someone who was as high status as Matthew would by right have his picks of better women. Yet, out


    of the countless women out there, he chose her.


    This fact alone moved Veronica. Regardless, the more she got to know him, the more the feelings of


    guilt and remorse as well as the feelings of her being not worthy of such a wonderful man grew inside


    her. However, her sense of inferiority instantly grew, as she felt she was not worthy of Matthew after


    having been defiled by another man.


    ¡°What happened that day for you to have so much to drink?¡± Matthew asked as he noticed Veronica¡¯s


    pained expression.


    Veronica shook her head and left his embrace. ¡°This is your private vi, right? How about giving me a


    tour around?¡± She hade to this vi, which was just like a European castle, before. Matthew had


    once brought her here and had even reserved a room for her to rest here every day. However, she had


    rejected his offer at the time. Who would have thought that she would be back so soon after that?


    ¡°Alright,¡± the man replied before putting a jacket on Veronica and wrapping a scarf around her. ¡°It¡¯s cold


    outside.¡±


    Standing still, Veronica observed the man withplicated feelings as the man carefully wrapped the


    scarf around her and tidied her hair. This feels warm, she thought before her sense of inferiority grew


    wildly once more. Matthew was an amazing man, as he was gentle, considerate, dutiful, responsible,


    trustworthy, handsome, and wealthy. On the other hand, Veronica could not list even one good point of


    her own.


    ¡°Silly girl, why are you just standing there?¡± The man leaned over and kissed her before holding her


    hand. With his big hand over her slightly cold hand, the two headed outside.


    The vi was huge while the interior design exuded opulence, and the decorations were all luxurious.


    Yet, Veronica could not bring herself to appreciate the European design in this castle-like vi, as the


    matter with Xavier weighed heavily in her heart.


    Outside, the weather was cold and overcast. The bitter, biting winds were howling. Noticing how cold


    Veronica¡¯s hand was, Matthew ced her hand into his pocket. In the next instant, he stopped in his


    tracks.


    With her head still lowered, Veronica continued to walk forward, but came to a stop as Matthew tugged


    her hand he was holding. With how soulless the woman was, he naturally knew that something was on


    her mind. ¡°I hope that we can be honest with each other, especially as a couple in a rtionship,¡± he


    said.


    Veronica knew what Matthew was implying by saying that. Her eyes had lost their usual brilliance and


    were reced by an indifferent and dull gloom. ¡°Huh?¡± She feigned confusion.


    Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her into an embrace. ¡°What are you hiding so badly that


    you won¡¯t even tell me?¡±


    Veronica forced a smile. ¡°What are you saying? It¡¯s nothing like that. I¡¯m just feeling a little dizzy. I


    wonder what¡¯s wrong with me.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll call for our family doctor to have a look at you.¡± Saying that, he dragged Veronica


    back to the bedroom in silence and prompted her to bed. After that, he called for the doctor to check on


    her.


    In the end, the doctor said that her body was weak from anemia, iron deficiency, and insomnia. He


    further borated that the extremely poor quality of sleep had led to a decline in her health and that


    she needed to adjust her sleep time to be better.


    After Matthew¡¯s family doctor left, Matthew looked at her in worry while wearing a mncholic


    expression. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the kitchen staff to prepare your lunch.¡±


    Just as Matthew was about to leave, Veronica grabbed hold of his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t go. I want to cuddle.¡±


    The sadness in Veronica¡¯s eyes tugged at Matthew¡¯s heartstrings, which caused an aching in the man¡¯s


    heart. ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded.


    At his answer, Veronica moved slightly to the side as an indication for him to lie down together with her.


    Thinking that she was in a bad mood, Matthew took off his jacket, lifted theforter, andy down


    beside her. He then fixed her messy side hair for her before he asked, ¡°Tell me, why are you sad?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? I¡¯m not sad.¡± Veronica smiled before she hugged him tightly and kissed him.


    Matthew was slightly baffled by how passionate Veronica was with her sudden boldness and how she


    was lightly sucking on his lips. Even though she had lit a fire in him, the man dared not act on his


    instinct.


    It was not until Veronica realized that Matthew had not reacted did she finally stop. With a frown, she


    said unhappily, ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m already being so forward with you here. Are you trying to say


    something here?¡±


    In response, Matthew revealed an evil grin on his handsome face. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to


    hold myself back from eating you upter on.¡±


    Looping her arms around his neck, Veronica tilted her head slightly and fixed an affectionate gaze on


    him before going closer to the man. ¡°But, that is what I want.¡±

 Chapter 341

    Chapter 341


    Chapter 341 Matthew Begins to Retaliate


    Saying that, Veronica took the initiative to cover his lips with hers again, and her small hands even


    slipped through his shirt restlessly, her cool fingertips touching his skin. In an instant, it was as though


    her touch was an electric current running through his body, causing a chill to run down his spine.


    Influenced by her actions, he began to respond to her kiss, but he didn¡¯t do anything else until the end.


    She was growing anxious. Her small hand gradually traveled down, but when she touched his belt, he


    grasped her hand and warned, ¡°Roni, stop fooling around.¡±


    ¡°Please, I want to,¡± she whined on purpose.


    ¡°ording to the contract, I¡¯m not supposed to ¡®sleep with you¡¯ within three months.¡±


    Naturally, this meant that he wasn¡¯t allowed to have any kind of sexual rtionship with her; he


    remembered it clearly. ¡°If I break the contract and you refuse to marry me, what will I do?¡±


    Veronica jolted in surprise and stopped kissing him. Had he been so concerned about this matter this


    entire time?


    ¡°Uh¡­ Why would I? That wouldn¡¯t happen.¡± She shook her head with a sincere expression.


    Even though her eyes were practically glittering with sincerity, Matthew could still sense that something


    was off. ¡°Roni, tell me, did something happen?¡±


    Although Matthew didn¡¯t know Veronica very well, judging from her behavior in the past two days, there


    was definitely something wrong, but he wasn¡¯t sure what the problem was.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I want it, but you wouldn¡¯t give it to me. Hmph!¡± She pretended to be annoyed


    and turned her back to him.


    Faced by her assertiveness, Matthew was suffering as if he was in a burning fire, but he did not dare to


    break the agreement. It took him so much effort toe to an agreement with her to abide by the


    contract and secretly get married three monthster, but if they broke their agreement because of a


    momentary impulse, nobody would lend an ear to him for his loss.


    ¡°Silly girl, stop fussing. You have a weak body, so you need to rest well.¡± He wrapped his arms around


    her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her hair as heforted


    her, ¡°Take a rest for now. I¡¯ll call you when lunch is ready.¡±


    Veronica closed her eyes to ignore Matthew, while he only stayed by her side like that without saying


    anything else.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Castron tomorrow. Wannae with me?¡±


    At first, he nned to go to Castron a few days ago, but because of the photo incident, the trip was


    dyed and he didn¡¯t make it in the end. Now that things had settled down and he was done teaching


    his family a lesson, he naturally had to go to Castron to deal with those troublesome matters.


    ¡°Are you leaving tomorrow?¡± Veronica turned around to face him. ¡°It¡¯s going to be Christmas in less


    than a month. If you leave now, you¡¯ll only be back after Christmas, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Matthew nodded, his dark eyes filled with longing as he raised his hands to gently caress her


    soft cheeks. ¡°I might not be able to visit your parents this year. When Ie back, I¡¯ll pay them a visit


    immediately.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± She smiled. ¡°Take care of yourself when you¡¯re there and remember to call me.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? If I don¡¯t call you, who else would I call?¡±


    The two looked at each other and smiled. That day, Matthew apanied Veronica for a walk around


    the vi and taught her to y golf. Then, he went to sleep with her in his armster that night.


    However, because of their pent-up desires, Matthew could only get up and take a shower, and then


    went directly to the next room to rest in order not to cross the line. He felt helpless. It was his first time


    finding out that his self-control was this bad.


    The next day, when Matthew had to rush to the airport for his early flight, Veronica didn¡¯t see him off


    and deliberately pretended to be asleep instead. For some reason, she didn¡¯t want to watch him leave.


    Perhaps she had suddenly be ustomed to his presence, and after they had gotten into a


    romantic rtionship, it became difficult for her to leave him. Matthew entered her bedroom and kissed


    her, gently rubbing her lips with his thumb before he turned around and left.


    As soon as the bedroom door slowly closed, Veronica opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling


    nkly, feeling extremely depressed. After lying in bed for another hour, she finally got up to wash up


    and saw that the maid had already prepared breakfast. Once she finished her meal in the dining hall,


    the driver drove her back to the city center.


    As soon as she got out of the car and went home, she turned on her phone, but it had shut down as the


    battery was dead. She went to charge her phone before turning it on again, only to see many


    notifications for missed calls as well as text messages from many people.


    One of the most important messages was the one from Xavier. ¡®I¡¯ve fixed my phone and called you, but


    why won¡¯t the call get through?¡¯


    He fixed his phone? When she saw this message, Veronica suddenly turned pale. How powerful was


    his phone to be able to be repaired after being soaked in such hot water for so long? She had deleted


    the photos when she submerged the phone into the pool of water and also cleared his photo album


    while she was at it.


    However, was it possible that Xavier could still use his phone to recover the photos after this? Veronica


    didn¡¯t dare to consider that possibility. She raised her hand to her forehead. She had been too


    confident to think that as long as she soaked his phone in cold and hot water for a long time, it would


    definitely break and those photos would also disappear. In the end, she was careless.


    She got up and went to the living room where she took a bottle of red wine from the wine cab and


    began to drink. With a ss in her hand and a pillow in her arms, she leaned on the sofa and drank


    silently, wondering what she should do with Xavier.


    Ring, ring¡ª Just then, her phone rang. At first, she thought that it was a call from Matthew, but after


    picking up her phone, she realized that it was Yvonne.


    ¡°Yvonne?¡± Taking a small sip of red wine, Veronica answered the phone.


    ¡°My goodness, my call finally got through. Where are you now? I went to your apartment to find you


    yesterday, but you didn¡¯t answer no matter how many times I knocked on the door. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re


    so depressed that you went off to hit on other guys?¡± Yvonne ran her mouth and didn¡¯t think too much


    about anything. She could only be described as being so simple and naive that she seemed a little


    foolish.


    ¡°What, can¡¯t I hit on other guys?¡± Veronica didn¡¯t refute Yvonne¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hmph, I just knew it. I told Conny that you must¡¯ve gone out to y yesterday, but he said it¡¯s


    impossible.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Uncle Conrad believe you?¡± Conrad knew that Veronica was not at home but he didn¡¯t


    believe that she was going out to rx, so that must¡¯ve meant that he doubted her rtionship with


    Matthew.


    ¡°He said that you¡¯re not that kind of person.¡±


    ¡°Right? I guess Uncle Conrad doesn¡¯t have a good eye for personality.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Why do you sound like you¡¯re implying something about me?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t about you unless you say it is,¡± Veronica teased, feigning nonchnce.


    ¡°Right, I called you to ask you this. I heard from Conny that Matthew canceled all the business


    coborations with Crawford Corporation. What happened?¡± Yvonne asked.


    ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday.¡±


    Yesterday, Veronica was still lying unconscious at home, oblivious to everything that was happening in


    the outside world. If it hadn¡¯t been for Yvonne¡¯s call, she might not have known that Matthew had


    started to take revenge on Xavier until now.


    ¡°There¡¯s no use even if you tell me. I can¡¯t help Xavier anyway.¡±


    ¡°Matthew is being too cruel. Xavier is such a nice person, so why does he target him all the time?¡± On


    the other end of the phone, Yvonne sighed fiercely.


    Hearing that, Veronica didn¡¯t know if she should cry orugh, but she felt that Yvonne was pitiful and


    miserable at the same time.

 Chapter 342

    Chapter 342


    Chapter 342 The Despicable and Shameless Xavier


    Yvonne was being toyed around in the palm of Conrad¡¯s hand, but she didn¡¯t even know it. When


    should Veronica tell her?


    ¡°Yvonne, let¡¯s eat lunch together.¡± Veronica decided to tell Yvonne the truth, hoping that she would


    believe her. If she didn¡¯t, there was no helping it either.


    ¡°Sure, I have something to tell you too. Let¡¯s go to Phil¡¯s Restaurant. I¡¯ll book a private room there.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    After hanging up, Veronica contacted the private investigator again to ask for information on Xavier.


    She knew very well that Matthew started retaliating against him because he was despicable and


    shameless, so she had no reason to stop him, and she didn¡¯t want to either. In fact, after knowing that


    Matthew had made his move, she felt a trace of pleasure and emotion in her heart as though she was


    being cared for.


    That noon, at Phil¡¯s Restaurant, Veronica waited in the private room they had reserved before Yvonne


    quickly arrived. However, there were two others following behind her¡ªXavier and Conrad!


    Upon seeing their arrival, she frowned subconsciously before she rxed and greeted them with a


    hypocritical smile on her face. ¡°You¡¯re here? Yvonne, why did you bring them over without saying


    anything? I only ordered enough for the two of us.¡±


    This woman¡­ Is she an idiot?


    ¡°Roni, are you saying that I¡¯m not wee?¡± Xavier stood by the door with one hand behind his back


    and an evil smile on his lips.


    ¡°Of course not. I just wanted to order the food with all of you together,¡± Veronica replied.


    Yvonne smiled mysteriously and pulled Conrad to stand by the side. Then, Xavier walked inside and


    headed straight for Veronica before he suddenly ¡®conjured¡¯ a bouquet of flowers from behind his back.


    Getting down on one knee as he held a ring box in one hand, he asked, ¡°Roni, will you be my


    girlfriend?¡±


    Speechless, Veronica couldn¡¯t help but jolt in surprise as her smile slipped off her face. She lifted her


    head and looked at Yvonne and Conrad by the side. The two of them looked at each other and smiled,


    then shifted their gazes back to Veronica.


    Yvonne smiled cheekily and said, ¡°Veronica, you have to agree.¡±


    ¡°Veronica, Xavier is a fine man.¡± Saying that, Conrad grabbed Yvonne¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go first and give


    them some space.¡±


    ¡°But I want to watch.¡±


    ¡°Watch what? Be obedient.¡± Conrad tugged on Yvonne¡¯s hand and dragged her out.


    Yvonne stumbled out with him, not forgetting to make an encouraging gesture to Veronica with a


    cheerful smile, as though she wished that Veronica could quickly agree to be with Xavier. Soon, the


    door closed.


    Just then, Xavier spoke again. ¡°Roni, I¡¯ve liked you ever since I met you, and my feelings for you have


    never changed. Can you agree to be my woman? I¡¯ll definitely protect you and treat you well.¡±


    Hearing his confession, the only thing that came to Veronica¡¯s mind were scenes from the photos. She


    couldn¡¯t help but sp her hands tightly together, her patience crumbling.


    ¡°You like me?¡± Veronica¡¯s red lips curled into a sarcastic smile as she sat down and picked up the ss


    of red wine on the table to take a sip. ¡°Xavier, I used to trust you a lot. But, I want to ask you something.


    Don¡¯t you hate me for personally hurting you and Melissa when I was in the warehousest time?¡±


    cing her hand that was holding the ss of red wine on the table, she tilted her head and looked at


    the man who was kneeling on one knee beside her with a hint of contempt in her eyes.


    Hearing that, Xavier smiled. That smile was full of thousands of emotions such as indifference, ridicule,


    and contempt gathered together, and she couldn¡¯t understand what he was thinking.


    Then, he stood up and ced the flowers and ring on the table before taking a seat directly opposite


    her. He picked up the jug of in water and poured himself a ss before he took a sip and said, ¡°Hate


    you? How could I not? My sister still can¡¯t walk like a normal person, and you¡¯re aware that she¡¯s the


    one I love the most in the entire Crawford Family.¡±


    His frankness and honesty bewildered her as she understood something. If Xavier¡¯s phone was really


    repaired, then it could only mean that he was able to voice his hatred because he had found out that


    the photos in his phone had been deleted. If he knew that the photos were erased, Xavier would


    inevitably think that his cell phone did not fall into the toilet, but was deliberately thrown into the water


    by her.


    At the same time, this revealed another piece of information. It was very likely that he had already


    guessed that she and Matthew had joined forces, and there was also a possibility that he and Conrad


    had already guessed that the person in Matthew¡¯s photo was her.


    Veronica¡¯s eyelids drooped slightly as she picked up the ss of wine on the table and took another


    sip. ¡°So, you were the mastermind behind Jackson¡¯s wedding, and you worked together with Conrad to


    drug me at the Kings Family¡¯s banquet that night, right?¡±


    Since things hade to this, there was no need to hide anymore. As soon as she spoke, Xavier only


    smiled faintly and raised his eyebrows as his delicate fingers wrapped around the ss cup and


    brought the ss of water to his lips.


    A momentter, he nodded and admitted boldly, ¡°Roni, did you know? Sometimes, smart women are


    not adorable at all.¡±


    ¡°From your words, if I really were adorable, would you like me?¡± Veronica felt ironic.


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Xavier propped his elbows on the table and supported his chin as he looked directly


    at her and said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true that I like you. Otherwise, why would I want to propose to you?¡±


    For the first time, Veronica felt as though someone was doing her a favor by liking her, and it disgusted


    her.


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    ¡°What did you do to me in the hotel that night?¡± She didn¡¯t bother answering, but asked a question of


    her own instead. Her exquisite face with porcin-like skin showed hints of chilliness as she awaited


    his answer in silence.


    ¡°If you like someone, what else will you do? Do the business, of course!¡± He sneered, ¡°You know, I had


    no choice. This is the magic of love. Do you know that every time I look at Tiffany when she¡¯s under


    me, I think of her as you? Tsk tsk¡­ You two sisters really do look alike. Still, the debauched look


    Tiffany gives me when she¡¯s in bed really makes me burn up.¡±


    Saying that, Xavier shrugged. ¡°But she isn¡¯t you. After I¡¯m done, she¡¯ll still leave me with a sense of


    emptiness and dissatisfaction. So, Roni, will you be my woman? I will definitely spoil you and love you.


    No matter what you want, I will¡­¡±


    Ssh! Before he could finish speaking, Veronica stood up abruptly and sshed the freshly poured


    ss of red wine on his face before she mmed the ss on the table heavily.


    ¡°Xavier Crawford, you are so shameless!¡± Veronica was furious, and her hand holding the ss


    trembled with anger. After cursing angrily, she suddenly felt a little dizzy while standing. Her body


    wobbled as her hands subconsciously held onto the table, while the ss on the table fell to the ground


    and shattered into pieces.


    Veronica held her forehead with her other hand and looked at the calm andposed man opposite


    her. ¡°Xavier, what¡­ did you do to me?¡±

 Chapter 343

    Chapter 343


    hapter 343 Kidnapped Veronica


    Xavier raised his eyebrows and smiled as he took out a piece of tissue and wiped the wine stains on


    his face carelessly. He said indifferently, ¡°Roni, how long have we known each other? Do you think I


    don¡¯t understand you? Ever since you asked to borrow my phone that night, I noticed something was


    wrong with you. Do you really think I don¡¯t know anything?¡±


    Veronica only felt extremely light-headed, and Xavier¡¯s voice even made her ears ring.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve already slept together, you might as well marry me. Otherwise, if outsiders find out, tell


    me, who else would want to marry you in the future?¡± He maintained a calm smile on his face from


    beginning to end, like the cat who got the cream.


    ¡°You b*stard¡­¡±


    Thud! As soon as Veronica finished speaking, she copsed to the ground.


    The moment before she lost consciousness, she suddenly came to a realization. The reason why


    Xavier appeared here was because he had begun to doubt her a long time ago. Hence, before she


    came to this room, he had already bribed the waiters in Phil¡¯s Restaurant to tamper with her wine. She


    had underestimated him. She didn¡¯t expect that this matter would be exposed so quickly. What was


    more, she never expected that a simple meal with Yvonne wouldnd her into such a situation.


    Veronica passed out for quite a while. When she woke up and opened her eyes, she realized that she


    was in a hotel. In the familiar room, the murals on the wall were exactly the same as the room she


    stayed in that day. Lying on the bed, she struggled to get up, but her whole body was limp. However,


    when she turned her head to the side, she saw Xavier¡¯s face beside her.


    ¡°Roni, are you awake?¡± Xavier¡¯s torso was exposed as he propped his elbow on the pillow and


    supported his cheek with a hand. He then stretched out the other to caress her face gently. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­


    Your skin is so soft it makes me want to kiss it.¡±


    ¡°Get your dirty hands off me!¡± Veronica gritted her teeth tightly, immediately turning furious. At that


    moment, she could almost feel the anger surging in her blood.


    ¡°Dirty? Haha.¡± Xavier chuckled darkly, his smile bing more and more hideous on his face as he


    exuded a chilling aura, as though he were a demon from hell. He smiled and squeezed her cheek hard


    with his hand, causing her face to ache in pain.


    He tilted his head and said in a deep voice, ¡°You call this dirty? I don¡¯t even mind you having been


    ¡®used¡¯ by Matthew, and you say that I¡¯m dirty? How pure do you think you are, huh? When Tiffany and


    Matthew got engaged, he was talking to me on the phone while sleeping with you at the hotel. At that


    time, why didn¡¯t you think you were dirty?¡±


    After his cover had been blown, Xavier stopped holding back on his words and exposed all of the filthy


    deeds Veronica had done in the past, ruthlessly tearing her wounds open.


    Veronica frowned in pain. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡±


    She could not understand at all.


    ¡°Why? Because I like you, and I want you. I poured my heart out to you, but what about you? Just


    because Melissa leaked that video of Tiffany, you decided to pull the trigger and hurt me and my sister?


    My sister loves dancing and her beauty so much, but she can¡¯t even walk properly now, and it¡¯ll take a


    while for her to recover. Besides, she can¡¯t even dance in the future. She can¡¯t dance anymore, do you


    understand?!¡±


    Xavier was extremely emotional, and he squeezed Veronica¡¯s cheek forcibly, as if he wanted to crush


    her bones with his bare hand. At that moment, he was like a stimted lunatic with madness exuding


    out of every pore of his body.


    ¡°You and Matthew ruined my sister and turned me into theughing stock of Bloomstead, so I¡¯ll make


    you taste that same pain now.¡± As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and pointed to the side where


    there was a camcorder facing the bed and continued, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the best way to make a


    person suffer? Hahaha, ruin the love of his heart with your own hands, of course! I¡¯m going to record


    the whole process so that Matthew can see with his own eyes how I toyed with his beloved woman.¡±


    At that moment, Xavier regretted notying his hands on her in the hotelst time.


    ¡°Xavier, if¡­ if you darey a finger on me, I¡¯ll die right in front of you!¡±


    Veronica wasn¡¯t just trying to intimidate him. If he really ¡®touched¡¯ her again, she would really want to


    die. However, she would take him down with her before she did!


    ¡°Even if you want to die, it depends on whether I give you that opportunity.¡± Xavier didn¡¯t care about


    what Veronica said at all as he probably didn¡¯t believe that she would try to die just because he touched


    her. After all, hadn¡¯t Matthew alsoid his hands on her in the past?


    Without wasting any more time, he leaned over and kissed her, but she turned her cheek slightly to the


    side and avoided him. This act of rejection caused his eyebrows to furrow, and he was suddenly filled


    with anger. He stared at Veronica steadily as his eyes narrowed, his gaze cold.


    In the next second, he stretched out his hand and grabbed her neck tightly. ¡°What, am I not worthy


    enough to sleep with you? When Matthew did this to you, I didn¡¯t see you resisting!¡±


    Xavier would never forget that during Tiffany and Matthew¡¯s engagement banquet at Hilton Hotel, he


    had called Veronica at that time and vaguely felt that her voice sounded strange, but he only thought


    that it was his imagination. It wasn¡¯t until he saw her emerge in a different set of clothing and sent


    someone to check the surveince footage that he became certain the two of them were doing


    something unsightly in the lounge.


    Veronica red at him. His grip around her neck caused her to be in so much pain, as if her throat was


    about to break. Her face flushed as she struggled instinctively, but she suddenly noticed that her arms


    could move a little. With gritted teeth, she raised her arms with all her strength and slowly moved them


    toward her neck to pry Xavier¡¯s hand away. However, he was too strong, and she only had less than


    one-tenth of his strength, so how could she be his opponent?


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Veronica felt her mind going nk from the pain and theck of oxygen. She couldn¡¯t shake


    Xavier¡¯s hand off, but she identally touched the sapphire ne that had been auctioned for 60


    million around her neck. She clenched the ne tightly with her small hand, and with a strength that


    came out of nowhere, she tore it off with one hand, her thumb pressing against the ck wings that


    enclosed the sapphire. With a gentle push, the wings opened up like the scissor doors of a luxury car.


    As she gripped the gemstone tightly in her hand and supported the hollow wings with her thumb,


    Veronica suddenly drew it toward Xavier¡¯s face. With the ¡®weapon¡¯ in her hand, she could almost hear


    the subtle sound as the ne cut through his skin.


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡± As Xavier, who had his guard down, got scratched on his cheek by Veronica with a concealed


    weapon, he let go of her in pain and covered his face with his hand as a gush of viscous blood


    suddenly rolled down his face.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The wound was very deep and was about three inches long. In just an instant, blood dripped down his


    cheek onto the white quilt, dyeing it red. Xavier¡¯s lips trembled slightly in pain as he red at Veronica


    in disbelief.

 Chapter 344

    Chapter 344


    Chapter 344 It¡¯s You, Master Crayson


    While skating on thin ice, Veronica mustered her strength and pushed Xavier away before tumbling out


    of bed and ran outside. However, her legs gave in after just a few steps and she fell to the ground.


    Thud!


    An unaffected Xavier remained sitting on bed and used a paper towel to wipe the blood off his face


    while staring at her indifferently. ¡°Go on and run. Aren¡¯t you good at running?¡±


    His calm movements revealed a sense ofposure as if he knew that she could not escape his


    clutch. At that moment, she was thoroughly frightened by his embodiment of bloodthirst. Fragility ran


    through her entire body despite wanting to flee this ce as soon as she could. To herst resort, she


    grabbed the ne and violently slid it down her wrist. As she was bundled up during the winter, the


    most vulnerable area to go for would be her wrist, but she was smart enough to avoid piercing her


    aorta.


    ¡°Rip¡­¡± As the skin on her wrist tore open, the blood was gushing out of the wound like the river flow as


    a pang of pain finally overwhelmed her; her organs felt like it was clenching themselves into a pile.


    Perhaps it was the adrenaline, she felt a lot betterpared to her previous limpness. As she saw


    Xaviering closer, she immediately got up on her feet and fled the scene.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Xavier did not expect Veronica to be capable of getting up even after being drugged. He walked


    out on the carpet barefoot while chasing closely behind her. Seeing that she was about to rush out of


    the suite, he became anxious and stepped forward to grab her hair before yanking her backward.


    ¡°Where the hell are you going? Oh, Roni, do you think I¡¯m unworthy of you?¡±


    As her hair was tugged strongly, she could only feel her scalp growing numb from the aching pain. She


    stretched out to protect her hair and roared, ¡°Xavier, let go!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, ever since I brought you here, I never nned to let you out,¡± he replied coldly.


    Veronica abruptly turned around and kicked him in the abdomen. Her strength was astounding and


    completely out of Xavier¡¯s radar. He could not help but stagger a few steps back from her kick while


    struggling to stand upright.


    He stretched out to his abdomen and revealed a hideous smile; with the scar on his right cheek, he


    looked so terrifyingly horrendous that he resembled a cannibal.


    ¡°I like it when you¡¯re angry. Roni, do you think you can fight me with that feebly strength of yours?


    Hahaha¡­¡± Xavier raised his head andughed out of control.


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    The Xavier before her felt like apletely unknown version to Veronica. She watched as his eyes


    turned red as he exuded a morbid aura. A sense of crisis suddenly hit her, which made her realize that


    she could not stay any longer. For the third time, she turned around and ran toward the door of the


    suite. Just as freedom felt a step closer to her, she suddenly realized that the door could not be


    opened.


    Right then, Xavier walked toward her and approached her step by step. She turned around and leaned


    against the door, feelingpletely powerless. Earlier, she had used up all her strength for the kick


    and now, it was only her pain helping her to stand on her feet. How can I save myself when I¡¯m


    powerless?


    Disparity¡ªsomething I have yet to truly feel up until this moment.


    It was different with Matthew; all he ever felt like to her was strength and superiority that attracted fear


    from others, but the good kind. Unlike Xavier, who was aplete one-eighty from Matthew; not only


    was he hostile, but it felt like she was going to be crushed any minute while she was with him.


    The camcorder in the bedroom reminded Veronica of the situation she was in; she could not stop her


    anxiety from growing. If Xavier was to seed today, the thought of existing would be a living


    nightmare when the video was leaked. When the whole world knew that she had been assaulted, she


    would then be the target of scrutiny and humiliation in public. How on earth can I not be terrified? But¡­


    Despite how horrifying my reality is, I can only strike back.


    As Veronica watched Xavier approaching, she instinctively made to punch him; as soon as she


    extended her hand, itnded easily onto his grip as he dragged her away with him. Without much to do,


    her body softened and surrendered to his lead. A smile appeared on his face as he leaned over her


    and sniffed her body. ¡°This is it. This is what Tiffanycks.¡±


    He sped her head with his big palm and let her lean on his chest while whispering in her ear, ¡°Do


    you know how long I¡¯ve waited for this day? I thought you were different from the other girls, but I didn¡¯t


    expect you to be with that son of a b*tch, Matthew. Speaking of which, I¡¯ve always been a big help to


    you since the beginning. So, tell me, Roni¡ªis this really how you thank me?¡±


    Xavier was clearly on the verge of outrage, but his contrasting soft tone sent a shiver down her spine.


    Veronica struggled hard and resisted, but that little strength did not help at all. Instead, it aroused


    Xavier¡¯s interest to finish her up even more.


    He leaned over and picked her up in his arms. ¡°Roni, let me love you. You can be my woman as long


    as we have a child together. But¡­ you disobeyed me, so I have no choice but to trap you at home.


    From then on, no one else can have you but me. You¡¯re mine, forever.¡±


    As he recited his evil daydream, he carried her to the bedroom.


    ¡°Xavier, if you dare to touch me, I¡¯ll die with you!¡± She resisted and cursed at him, but her body and


    voice were as soft as a little cat.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say that. You¡¯ve always been the love of my life since the beginning, so how could I let you


    die? Even if you do¡­ you will die here in my bed.¡± He ced Veronica on the bed and pinched her


    chin. ¡°Be good and not resist. I¡¯ll go easy on you.¡±


    Veronica red at Xavier angrily knowing that no amount of words would help her.


    ¡°Xavier, how did we get here? I¡¯m asking you from the bottom of my heart.¡± She wanted to move him


    with her affection and reasoning, in hope to convince him to let her go. However, these words were


    useless to him.


    He chuckled darkly. ¡°Your mistake was choosing Matthew Kings.¡±


    Not putting much emphasis on his words, he leaned over and immediately kissed her. Just then, there


    was a loud bang! A voice sounded outside the suite, causing Xavier to turn over and walk outside.


    However, just as he opened the bedroom door, he could only feel an ache in his abdomen before even


    reacting. He flew out and smashed directly into the bedroom table before hended on the ground. The


    pain was so excruciating that he could not get up for a long time.


    As the scene yed out before her, Veronica was taken aback. She subconsciously assumed that


    Matthew hade to her rescue, but just as she panned over to the person standing next to the door,


    emotions started to surge uncontrobly within her. It¡¯s you¡­ Master Crayson!


    Crayson was dressed in an old-fashioned green army coat that was tightly wrapped around his body.


    As he stood at the door and nced at Veronica who was lying on the bed, he huffed with anger and


    pointed to Xavier with curses. ¡°How dare youy your f*cking hands on my student, you imbecile! I


    won¡¯t rest until I f*cking destroy you today!¡±


    The furious Crayson walked inside and scanned his surroundings until his gaze stopped on a wooden


    clothes rack by the side. Then, he swept the clothes rack into his hands and smashed it toward Xavier


    without any hesitation.

 Chapter 345

    Chapter 345


    Chapter 345 Yvonne Is Pregnant


    Xavier convulsed with pain and seeing that he was about to be whacked, he rolled around on the spot


    and escaped Crayson¡¯s attack. His actions only made Crayson even more upset; it was not long before


    Crayson removed his green army coat and rolled up his sleeves before marching toward him.


    His aggressive aura made Xavier struggle to rise up from the ground, but before he could stand


    upright, Crayson sent a kick flying his way. He subconsciously dodged the kick, but he did not expect


    that it was just a feint. When his body tilted to the right, Crayson¡¯s foot was already mming to the


    right and directlynded on his face.


    Losing his bnce, Xavier fell to the ground with a loud crash. Crayson walked over and turned


    Xavier¡¯s arm over. Before he could see what was going on, Crayson immediately broke his arm, then


    stepped on his leg without any mercy. He used all of his strength and the sound of bones breaking


    could be heard immediately after.


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Xavier could not bear the pain and screamed hysterically while his face distorted with pain.


    Crayson scoffed coldly before kicking him in the stomach again. ¡°Remember, Roni is my student. If you


    dare toy your finger on her once again, I¡¯ll f*ck you up so badly that your mom wouldn¡¯t even


    recognize you!¡±


    After all, he was an experienced fighter with extraordinary skills and Xavier was not his match at all. As


    he was threatened by the harsh words, Xavier could only lie helplessly on the ground. However, he


    gritted his teeth tightly; his red eyes red at Crayson as a bloodthirsty killing intent suddenly radiated


    off him. s, because his leg was broken and his arm was dislocated, he was even less of a match forContent ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Crayson. Discretion is the better part of valor, Xavier thought as he was not stupid enough to voluntarily


    get himself killed.


    Crayson turned and walked to the bed, then looked at Veronica, who was lying there, with a frown.


    ¡°Idiot, don¡¯t tell anyone that you are my student. It¡¯s embarrassing for me.¡±


    He huffily turned around to pick up his army coat before tossing it onto Veronica¡¯s face. ¡°Put it on and


    come with me.¡±


    Veronica pouted while she sniffled sadly to the master she had a close bond with. ¡°I can¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Sigh, you¡¯re so dull. How many times have I told you to train hard with me, but you refused to


    listen? Look at you now. It makes me angry.¡± The exasperated master sat by the bed, clutched her


    arms and piggy-backed his student.


    ¡°Crayson¡­ Master Crayson, you¡¯re too old for this. Put me down.¡± Veronica did not know how Crayson


    found her here, but at that moment, she gained more respect and gratitude toward him. Actually, I am


    more moved than anything.


    ¡°Shut up. What are you nagging me for? You brat, all you do is embarrass me.¡±


    With her on his back, Crayson steadily headed outside without any trace of weaknesses that a man in


    his sixties or seventies should have. As they walked to the door of the suite, the people from the hotel


    rushed over after hearing themotion and attempted to stop him. However, when they saw him


    carrying Veronica on his back, they exchanged looks with each other.


    No longer suppressing their curiosity, they asked, ¡°What happened earlier? Who broke the door?¡± The


    person in the lead was most likely the hotel manager as he pointed at them while interrogating.


    Crayson shot him straight with a re. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the person who booked this room? Get out


    of my way. Can¡¯t you see that she is hurt? Move aside.¡±


    He roared angrily and his natural disposition made them feel thepelling aura radiating from him.


    They retreated to the side and made way for him to leave with Veronica on his back. The two then took


    the elevator downstairs and left. After they were out of the hotel, Crayson called a taxi and sent


    Veronica to the hospital.


    Along the way, Veronica asked, ¡°Master Crayson, how did you know that I was here?¡±


    ¡°You foolish brat, did you forget that you asked me toe over to Bloomstead just to be your security


    guard? As soon as I arrived, someone contacted and told me that you were in danger at the hotel and


    that I should rescue you,¡± he replied factually.


    ¡°Who called you?¡± Veronica¡¯s brows furrowed. She kept getting the feeling that something was fishy.


    Crayson shook his head while taking out his phone from his pocket and handing it to her. His phone


    was the oldest model to date and even though she had bought him a smartphone before, he did not


    want to use it. Besides, his old phone barely had any signal in the mountains, so it was unnecessary for


    its use. She just did not expect that he would remember to bring his phone when he came to


    Bloomstead.


    Veronica opened the call log on Crayson¡¯s phone and skimmed through it. Other than her, the recent


    calls were all from her parents. However, on the top of the list, it showed a call from an unknown


    number thatsted one minute. Unknown number? This kind of call can¡¯t be tracked at all¡­ Who¡¯s


    helping me? She had no clue.


    In order to not worry her master, she shied away from talking about today¡¯s incidents. Instead, she


    changed the subject and asked, ¡°It¡¯s almost Christmas. Why didn¡¯t you decide toe after the


    holidays?¡±


    Previously, he had identally tripped and suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. Although Veronica


    promised to have Crayson visit Bloomstead, she never dared to because of his injury. She had nned


    to let him recuperate for a while ande again in a few years, but she did not expect him to show up


    like he did today. What a¡­ coincidence.


    When she went to the hospital, the doctor briefly treated the wound on her wrist and inserted an IV drip.


    It took a while for her to recover, but she gradually regained her strength. Beside her was a nagging


    Crayson who red at her with his sharp eyes; however, his nags warmed her heart.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re right. I am too stupid. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone that you¡¯re my master in the


    future to save you some embarrassment.¡± Veronica yfully joked around as she listened to his


    mumbling about his dissatisfaction toward her as a student.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break your leg if you dare to try that.¡± The old man scoffed coldly and out of nowhere, he pulled out


    a huge smoking pipe and began to smoke like a magic man!


    The diligent student nced at the warning sign hanging on the wall that said ¡®NO SMOKING¡¯.


    However, because it was a single ward, she did not care to stop him. For a long-time smoker like him, it


    would be unbearable to stop.


    Veronica stayed in the hospital for a few hours before she took Crayson back to the apartment and


    arranged for him to stay in her house. In the evening, she took him out for a stroll to witness the hustle


    and bustle of Bloomstead. By the time they returned to the apartment, it was already 7.00PM to


    8.00PM. As Crayson was used to going to bed early, he simply washed up and retired for the night.


    Veronica then went out with a notebook andputer and booked a room in the hotel next to the


    community. She had to call Yvonne as soon as she had time. If Xavier and Conrad had already found


    out the majority of the truth, then Yvonne was in the most danger now.


    However, just as she got through Yvonne¡¯s phone and spoke, ¡°Where are you? I have something to tell


    you.¡±


    ¡°Roni, I have something to tell you, too. Haha, I¡¯m pregnant, Roni.¡±

 Chapter 346

    Chapter 346


    Chapter 346 In Secret


    On the other end of the phone, Yvonne happily told Veronica about her news. Though she was happy,


    Veronica felt the opposite. When she heard Yvonne¡¯s message, she fell silent for a long time without


    knowing what to do. She¡¯s¡­ pregnant.


    As Yvonne was stranded by the deafening silence from Veronica, she asked, ¡°Roni, did you hear me? I


    said that I identally discovered that I am pregnant today. I¡¯m going to have Conrad¡¯s child! I am so


    happy!¡±


    The innocently excited Yvonne obviously did not know the kind of person Conrad was to be this


    overjoyed.


    ¡°Yes, I heard you.¡± Veronica raised her hand to her forehead while she was unsure of what to say all of


    a sudden.


    ¡°Why am I getting the feeling that you¡¯re not that happy?¡± Yvonne frowned and questioned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch tomorrow. I have something to tell you. It¡¯s best not to let Con¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll talk about tomorrow¡¯s ns tomorrow. Tell me, how are things between you and Xavier?¡±


    Yvonne had been looking forward to the progress between the two. When Veronica fell unconscious


    earlier, Yvonne assumed that she was busy with Xavier as the phone calls were not answered.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Veronica was rendered speechless. How should I tell her?


    ¡°Is Conrad beside you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Conrad? He¡¯s here. Hehe, after he found out that I¡¯m pregnant, he¡¯s never left my side. He¡¯s being


    really gentle and caring.¡±


    From the phone, Veronica could practically feel Yvonne¡¯s happiness and joy.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, congrattions.¡± Since Conrad was by Yvonne¡¯s side, there were things she could yet to


    tell her. Hence, Veronica could only use her brain for this. ¡°I drank some wine today and I feel bored


    being by myself. Can I sleep over at your house?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Conrad is here.¡±


    ¡°Are you choosing your boyfriend over your best friend?¡±


    ¡°No, no, hahaha, why would I? Come over if you want to. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Yvonne could not refute


    Veronica¡¯s teases, so she could only agree and invite her over.


    After Veronica hung up, she immediately drove straight to Yvonne¡¯s house without further ado. Due to


    the location of their ces, she arrived within a few minutes and immediately went upstairs before


    ringing the doorbell.


    Soon, the living room door opened and Yvonne stood at the door. When she saw Veronica, she grinned


    and rushed over to give her a big hug. ¡°Roni, I¡¯m so happy. I¡¯m a mommy now and I have a baby.¡±


    Of course, she was way overflowed with joy to even realize the situation she was in right now. Veronica


    nced at Conrad, who was sitting in the living room. The man sat calmly while staring at her


    indifferently with a smile that carried a hint of provocation. From the looks of things, he probably knew


    everything.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re happy. Still, you could¡¯ve been more careful. You haven¡¯t told Zac and your


    parents about this, have you? Aren¡¯t you being a little hasty?¡±


    Veronica looked down at Yvonne and took out her phone from her pocket before handing it to her.


    Yvonne was curious as to what she was intending to do with her phone, but as she suddenly caught a


    glimpse of the word ¡®Conrad¡¯ on the screen, it attracted her attention and retracted her question.


    ¡®Find a way to get rid of Conrad since I have something important to tell you.¡¯


    This was the content of the message that Veronica hadposed on the way to Yvonne¡¯s house. She


    knew that Conrad was here, therefore, it would be inconvenient to directly talk to Yvonne about things.


    Yvonne was taken aback for a moment and looked at Veronica with a puzzled expression. However,


    when she saw the seriousness on Veronica¡¯s face, she realized the importance of the situation.


    ¡°Conrad and I are discussing when to talk to my parents before we figure out a way to exin it to


    Zac,¡± Yvonne said with a slight smile. While taking Veronica¡¯s hand, she continued, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside.


    Come in and have a seat. We turned on the heater.¡±


    From Yvonne¡¯s calm reaction, Veronica knew that she had grasped the content of the message


    perfectly. As she followed Yvonne into the living room, she looked at Conrad and greeted, ¡°Uncle


    Conrad.¡±


    Calm and steady. Even if she had guessed that Xavier told Conrad everything, she still pretended that


    nothing had happened.


    Veronica walked in and sat on the sofa while Yvonne got up and sat next to Conrad. She hugged his


    arm affectionately and swung it around while speaking coquettishly, ¡°Conrad, I¡¯ll stay with Roniter, so


    I won¡¯t keep you here. We have some gossip to share, hehe.¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s simple but adorable way of speaking made her naturally likable, but it also pained her best


    friend to see her like this. Veronica knew well that she genuinely liked Conrad while Conrad also


    genuinely liked using her.


    Though she had reminded Yvonne again and again to be wary of him, Yvonne did not care to listen to


    her advice and insisted on being with him, but what surprised her the most was the unexpected baby.


    Conrad really is a piece of sh*t.


    A gentle smile bloomed on Conrad¡¯s seductive features as he stretched out with his hand and caressed


    Yvonne¡¯s hair before asking pretentiously, ¡°Are you going to badmouth me behind my back?¡±


    Veronica poured herself a cup of tea while turning a deaf ear to his words.


    On the contrary, Yvonne reacted extremely quickly with a bright smile over her tiny face as she said,


    ¡°Hmph, of course we will. I want to tell Roni everything about you and let her tell Grandma.¡±


    ¡°You are naughty, little girl.¡± Conrad shook his head helplessly as he stood up and said to Veronica,


    ¡°Roni, since you¡¯re going to sleep here, I won¡¯t bother you. Both of you should rest early. I¡¯lle back


    tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°All right. Goodbye, Uncle Conrad.¡±


    Veronica had nothing much to say, so she readily bid him goodbye. As Yvonne got up to send him out,


    they stood in the hallway and chatted for a while. Veronica did not bother to eavesdrop on their


    conversation as she did not see the point in doing so. Instead, she casually sat on the sofa with her


    phone in her hand and did some hiring. She paid a huge amount of money to a few members from the


    private detective agency she had worked with earlier to constantly stand guard under the apartment


    building and the hallway of the apartment where she lived.


    Veronica was certain that Xavier knew where she lived a long time ago. After he had his hands and


    legs broken by Crayson in the hotel earlier, he would definitely try to seek revenge. She was worried


    that Crayson would be too deeply asleep in the apartment alone, making him a vulnerable target to


    attack. Hence, this was the best she could do to prevent any misfortunes happening.


    As the door to the living room closed with a creak, Yvonne soon walked in.


    She stood by the side and nced at Veronica meaningfully, then walked over to her and sat on the


    sofa. After taking off her shoes, she crossed her legs and looked at her with a pillow in her arms. ¡°What


    are you being so secretive about?¡±


    As Yvonne spoke, she unknowingly ced her hand in her pajama pocket and had a guilty expression.


    What¡­ is she doing¡­ It was at this very moment that Veronica had an epiphany. She was not sure


    whether tough or cry. Well, who can I me other than my own foolishness?


    Now that she¡¯s with Conrad, of course¡­ she would believe him when ites to anything¡­

 Chapter 347

    Chapter 347


    Chapter 347 The Truth Is Out


    Back in the corridor earlier, Conrad must have told Yvonne something before she decided to remain on


    the phone with him. This was the only possibility that would make her touch the phone in her pocket so


    nervously.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°When I asked you out for lunch today, why was Xavier there too?¡± Veronica did not directly bring up


    Conrad¡¯s situation.


    ¡°Oh, Xavier and Conny happened to be with me today when you called, so I took them with me,¡±


    Yvonne answered truthfully.


    ¡°Ha.¡± Veronica smiled coldly. She leaned back and tilted her head before sending a cold stare at


    Yvonne. ¡°Then, do you know what Xavier has done to me today?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Yvonne inexplicably grew a little nervous, as if Veronica¡¯s gaze was sharp enough to


    pierce through her.


    With her burning eyes drilling into Yvonne, Veronica did not directly answer her question but asked


    instead, ¡°Yvonne, tell me, do you think I should believe you?¡±


    Her sudden sternness and aloof gaze made Yvonne feel uneasy, as if she was sitting on a bed of


    needles. She pursed her lips and subconsciously hugged the pillow tightly with both arms while


    stammering, ¡°We¡­ We¡¯re good friends, so why can¡¯t you believe me? Hahaha, don¡¯t you¡­ think so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± Veronica nodded and shifted her body to the side. Just as Yvonne avoided her sharp gaze


    and turned to look elsewhere, she quickly reached into Yvonne¡¯s pocket and took out her phone.


    ¡°Vero¡ª¡± Yvonne eximed, but Veronica immediately stretched out her hand to cover her mouth and


    shook her head at her, motioning her to remain silent.


    She looked down at Yvonne¡¯s phone and sure enough, it had been connected to a call for three


    minutes. Her red lips curled slightly as she gently ced the phone on the table without hanging up.


    Trust my *ss! For a moment, Veronica would really like to not care about Yvonne anymore and leave


    her to fend for herself; at the same time, she felt that Yvonne was just a simple and righteous girl, so


    she could not bear to watch Yvonne fall into their trap.


    She switched the call to speaker mode before releasing the hand that was covering Yvonne¡¯s mouth.


    She continued, ¡°After you and Conrad left, Xavier confessed to me, but I did not ept him. Do you


    know why?¡±


    The nerve-wrecked Yvonne swallowed carefully as she was terrified by both Veronica¡¯s intense energy


    and wit. How does she know that I am on a call with Conrad? Did she eavesdrop on us earlier?


    ¡°W-Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, this I have to start from what happened a month ago. At the Kingses¡¯ banquet that day, I went to


    the Kings Residence, but Matthew was not there. That night, I was drunk and Conrad sent me back,


    but I ended up falling unconscious. After that, he handed me over to Xavier, who took me to the hotel.¡±


    As her story reached this point, Veronica paused and raised her gaze slightly. She tilted her head as


    her dark unreadable eyes carried a hint of hostility. ¡°Do you know what he did to me?¡±


    Two adults at a hotel¡ªwhat else could have happened? Soon, Yvonne¡¯s expression faltered slightly


    and she was shocked into silence.


    However, Veronica sneered and turned to look at the phone and invited with great interest. ¡°Uncle


    Conrad, since Yvonne trusts you so much, why don¡¯t you tell her?¡±


    There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone before a heartyugh suddenly broke out.


    ¡°Hahaha, Roni. I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Although Conrad was already aware that Veronica knew everything, he did not expect her to see


    through his n like a ss. With her brazen invite from the other end of the call, it almost felt like a


    provocation to him.


    ¡°Uncle Conrad, isn¡¯t all this secrecy tiring? I¡¯m tired just by looking at you,¡± Veronica said without


    holding back. ¡°The water you gave me that night was spiked, wasn¡¯t it? At Jackson¡¯s wedding, you and


    Xavier have helped a lot behind the scenes, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ Veronica, what do you mean?¡± Before Conrad could even speak, Yvonne had already grabbed


    her and demanded, ¡°It¡¯s impossible! How can this have anything to do with Conny? There¡¯s no way!


    Veronica, are you mistaken?¡±


    Yvonne found it difficult to ept the sudden plot twist and her voice even trembled a little as she


    spoke. She used to call Veronica ¡®Roni¡¯, but now she was calling her by first name.


    Veronica could feel the surprise and shock from Yvonne¡¯s expression and she answered truthfully, ¡°I


    came here today just to tell you the truth, but I didn¡¯t expect you to believe him more than you believe


    me. If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t have to hide any further. It was Conrad who worked with Xavier that day.


    After I was taken to the hotel by Xavier, he¡­ Ha, do I even have to say it out loud? It¡¯s a pity that I only


    found out yesterday.¡±


    ¡°In order to verify the truth, I specially invited Xavier out and borrowed his phone where I saw the


    photos he took on his phone with my own eyes. Do you know why he did this? It was all because the


    video that Melissa yed at Tiffany and Matthew¡¯s wedding that offended Matthew. Matthew wanted to


    get rid of Melissa, but I made a n to deliberately hurt both of them in order to save their lives. In the


    end, it was all for nothing. Have you heard the story about the farmer and the viper? That was what


    happened to me.¡±


    She continued with a mockingugh at herself, ¡°I treated Xavier as a true friend, but I didn¡¯t expect this


    to happen in the end. After he sent the photos to Matthew, Matthew stopped contacting me for a month.


    Ever since he disregarded me, Xavier introduced Jackson¡¯s wedding business to me. After that, the


    incident at Jackson¡¯s wedding, including the case where I was framed for assault by the reporter and


    Monica¡¯s husband; these were all the work of your sweetheart and Xavier.¡±


    As Veronica spoke, she took out her phone and typed a sentence on it. ¡®Follow me out immediately.¡¯


    She handed Yvonne her phone for a look, then changed her phone to the headset mode and said, ¡°I¡¯m


    going to the bathroom.¡±


    With that, she stood up and beckoned to Yvonne to head outside with her. Just as Yvonne was about to


    ask something else, Veronica shook her head at her. Yvonne sat on the sofa and fell silent, but a few


    secondster, she looked at Veronica firmly and rose to her feet before sneaking out of the living room


    together.


    As the living room door gently closed and the two walked out, Yvonne immediately asked, ¡°Why did you


    ask me out here?¡±


    Veronica looked at her and said somberly, ¡°Yvonne, if you believe me, please leave with me now. But if


    you choose to continue believing in him, you can turn around and head back.¡±


    If Xavier could act on such a despicable and shameless matter, then Conrad would not be any better.


    As a woman, Yvonne never expected Xavier to do such a dastardly thing to Veronica. Or¡­ Is Xavier


    just a bad apple on its own? As a result, Yvonne was hesitating.


    Seeing her hesitating best friend, Veronica continued, ¡°In the private room you booked today, I ordered


    wine after I went. Unfortunately, once again, Xavier tampered with it and took me to the hotel. He


    pointed a camcorder at the bed and nned to vite me. If it wasn¡¯t for my desperate resistance, the


    next time you hear about me, I would be nothing more than a joke.¡±

 Chapter 348

    Chapter 348


    Chapter 348 Conrad Always Does a Clean Job


    Perhaps she was worried that Yvonne wouldn¡¯t believe her words; Veronica rolled up her sleeve and


    showed the cut she received on her arm today.


    The wound was wrapped around with gauze, and she opened it up to reveal a cut with five or six


    stitches, looking like a centipede on her arm.


    ¡°I only hurt my arm, but Xavier isn¡¯t as lucky as me. I identally hurt his face, so he might end up


    disfigured. My master came to rescue me in time and broke one of his legs, and he¡¯s still in the hospital


    now.¡±


    Then, Veronica wrapped the wound swiftly as she said to her, ¡°If I don¡¯t care about you, I¡¯ll just let you


    be with Conrad. I¡¯ve warned you many times before, but you never believed me. These past few days,


    I¡¯ve been looking for evidence and before I can show you anything and tell you the truth, you¡¯re already


    pregnant.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± A huge amount of information crashed into Yvonne¡¯s mind since she was a little stunned and


    overwhelmed.


    However, there wasn¡¯t much time left for her to be in a daze, and Veronica grabbed her hand directly.


    ¡°Come down with me quickly. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be so easy for us to leaveter.¡±


    A puzzled Yvonne blurted, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re pregnant with his child now, and that¡¯s the best bargaining chip.¡± Grabbing her hand,


    Veronica led her down the staircase quickly.


    Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t living on a high level, and going down the staircase could prevent Conrad from


    finding out.


    Veronica went downstairs with her as she held Yvonne¡¯s hand tightly. The whole time, Yvonne¡¯s mind


    was nk, and while they were going down, she suddenly came to a stop.


    Unable to move her, Veronica turned back and saw her holding the handrail, standing without moving a


    muscle as she stared at Veronica, who was a step lower than her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. Why are you standing there?¡± Veronica asked with knitted brows.


    Yvonne struggled as she withdrew her hand abruptly from Veronica¡¯s grip and shook her head. ¡°I¡­ T-


    The way he and Xavier treated you is not right, but Conrad has always been good to me. He has never


    hurt me, and I-I think that he probably loves me.¡±


    Veronica was speechless as her mind shut down momentarily. Finally, she stared at Yvonne on the


    staircase in disbelief, furrowed her brows tightly, and looked into her eyes for a few seconds.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind? Is there something wrong with your brains? How can you tell that Conrad is


    really in love with you? Damn it, I¡ª¡±


    She couldn¡¯t control herself and wanted to curse, but she stopped herself when the words almost


    tumbled out of her mouth.


    ¡°Veronica, I should believe you, but Conrad said that he loves me. Furthermore, he knows that I¡¯m


    Zac¡¯s fianc¨¦e, but he still chose to be with me and took all the heat for it. So, I should trust him even


    more! Although I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s doing that to you, I¡¯ll speak with him and tell him to regard you as


    a friend in the future.¡±


    Yvonne spoke very slowly, just like someone who had received a big shock and hadn¡¯tpletely


    regained theirposure yet. Frankly speaking, she didn¡¯t even seem to believe the things she had


    just said.


    Veronica clenched her fists tightly before she pointed a finger at her. ¡°Did you get a kick in the head by


    a donkey? If Conrad loves you, why didn¡¯t he stand out and announce the rtionship you guys have?


    Why hasn¡¯t he told Zac anything yet? Where did you get that mysterious surge of confidence that tells


    you that he really loves you?¡± As those words left her lips, she paused and asked, ¡°I have only one


    question for you, are you leaving or not?¡±


    At that moment, Yvonne could clearly feel Veronica¡¯s anger and she reckoned that Veronica might blow


    her toppletelyter.


    ¡°Roni, I really believe you¡­¡± she began slowly, but it was clear that she didn¡¯t truly mean the words she


    said.


    ¡°Yes, you believe me, but you also believe Conrad Kings!¡± Veronica scoffed in resignation. ¡°You¡¯re not


    leaving, eh? Fine, then I am. Yvonne, remember this. If you¡¯re in regret one day, don¡¯t me me for not


    trying to save you.¡±


    Everyone has to face the consequences of their actions, especially when they¡¯re being fools, she


    thought. Before this, she was also naive and paid a heavy price. She truly wanted to help Yvonne out


    because she was a genuinely lovely person, but she didn¡¯t think Yvonne would be so stubborn. What


    exactly did Conrad do that she¡¯s so smitten with him?


    After Veronica said her piece, she immediately turned and wanted to leave, but Yvonne took a step


    forward behind her.


    ¡°Roni, I¡­¡± she muttered indecisively.


    Once again, Veronica stopped in her tracks and spun her head around, looking at her with cold eyes


    and saying in an authoritative voice, ¡°I¡¯m asking you onest time. Are you leaving or not?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­ I only think that Conrad probably isn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    ¡°Never judge a book by its cover! Would a terrible person have a neon sign shing that says, Hey! I¡¯m


    a terrible person?!¡±


    Veronica was hopping mad because of Yvonne and when she saw that Yvonne was immersed in her


    emotional turmoil, she merely grabbed her friend¡¯s hand and pulled her down the stairs.


    In the meantime, Yvonne was dragged like a puppet by her until they had reached downstairs. Veronica


    stuck her neck out from behind a wall as she scanned their surroundings and didn¡¯t see Conrad or


    anyone suspicious.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. There¡¯s no one around,¡± she whispered, walking out briskly while holding Yvonne¡¯s


    hand.


    However, they had just walked out of the building when a voice rang behind them.


    ¡°Yvie, are you going to leave with her just like that?¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    It was Conrad¡¯s voice and both of them turned their heads around, only to see him standing with his


    hands behind his back and a few bodyguards behind him.


    Conrad wore a royal blue suit with a coat as he tilted his head and looked at Yvonne. There was a


    wicked smile on his face with a short beard, making him appear sexy and incredibly charming with an


    added touch of danger.


    ¡°Conrad?¡± Yvonne called out his name, unconsciously releasing Veronica¡¯s hand and looking at him


    with aplicated look in her eyes. ¡°Why did you gang up with Xavier to bully Roni when you know


    that she¡¯s my friend?¡±


    Nevertheless, he maintained a smile on his face at her questioning. ¡°Little Yvie, I¡¯m the one closest to


    you, and I¡¯m the father of your unborn child. Are you going to believe her or me?¡±


    An intelligent person was very good at maniption, especially Conrad, who could easily catch hold of


    Yvonne¡¯s soft spot.


    Sure enough, Yvonne wavered after hearing his words.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    She took a nce at Veronica and then at Conrad. For a moment, she didn¡¯t know who she should


    believe.


    ¡°Of course, I believe you, but I¡­ I believe in Roni as well.¡± Nervously, Yvonne twitched the hem of her


    shirt and gazed at the bodyguards behind Conrad. She couldn¡¯t help but inquire as she gestured


    toward them, ¡°Then, can you please exin what those people behind you are doing?¡±


    ¡°Xavier is a wolf in sheep¡¯s skin. Despite having a good rtionship with Little Roni, he could still attack


    her. I¡¯m just worried that he¡¯s nning something against you and concerned about your safety,¡± he


    exined in a reasonable manner.


    And this was what Veronica was worried about the most. Even though she knew that Conrad and


    Xavier were in cahoots, she didn¡¯t have any solid evidence to prove that they were working together.


    Meanwhile, Yvonne was quiet, as though she was contemting the truthfulness of Conrad¡¯s words,


    but Conrad looked away from her and turned to Veronica. ¡°Little Roni, you keep saying that I¡¯m in


    cahoots with Xavier to harm you. Do you have any evidence?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a wise man, Uncle Conrad, and you always do a clean job. So, how could you leave any tracks


    behind?¡±

 Chapter 349

    Chapter 349


    Chapter 349 Yvonne Chose Conrad


    Although there were traces of something, there was no conclusive and strong evidence in the end.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s all just spection?¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s spection or not, you know it better than me, Uncle Conrad. In contrast, while I don¡¯t


    have enough evidence to prove that you¡¯re in cahoots with Xavier, there isn¡¯t enough evidence to prove


    your innocence, either.¡±


    Composedly, Veronica held his gaze steadily, thinking that this man was a massive hypocrite. Still, she


    had to admit that he was always calm and never showed his emotions, which made it difficult to figure


    out what was on his mind.


    ¡°My innocence doesn¡¯t need to be proven if I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. If you don¡¯t believe me,


    what¡¯s the point of me exining further?¡± He shrugged as he sighed and shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°Yvie, I know that you¡¯re friends with Little Roni, so I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. I¡¯ll leave these


    men here to protect you, and I¡¯m leaving first.¡±


    A self-deprecating smile tinged the edges of his lips as though mocking himself for ttering himself¡ª


    he cared so much about Yvonne, but she was still suspicious of him.


    As he walked toward the door, he stopped and reflexively peered at Yvonne¡¯s abdomen when he


    approached her. In the end, all he said was, ¡°Take good care of yourself. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let Zac


    find you.¡±


    As thest syble left his lips, he kept his gaze away and left determinedly without any shard of


    unwillingness.


    Such a scene unfolded in front of Veronica¡¯s eyes, and she stole a look at Yvonne¡¯s anxious face


    before shaking her head almost unnoticeably, knowing that all the things she said to Yvonne earlier


    were all for naught.


    And she could only me all this on Conrad for being so good at maniption, plus the fact that he


    was an excellent actor, vividly portraying his role and the disappointment of a man his life partner didn¡¯t


    trust.


    Then, a sudden thought shed through Veronica¡¯s mind. With such excellent acting skills, it¡¯s truly a


    shame that he never entered the entertainment industry and became an actor.


    The next second, she saw Yvonne trotting over to Conrad and clutching his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t leave, Conrad.


    I-I believe you.¡±


    Perhaps love truly made one blind.


    As Yvonne loved Conrad and had to choose between love and friendship, the baby in her womb also


    carried weight in her choice.


    So, it was without a fraction of a doubt that Conrad Kings would win her favor in the end.


    The dim lighting from the streetmps cast on the man¡¯s body, and the cold night made him appear


    even more lonely.


    He stopped in his tracks and allowed Yvonne to pull his hand, but he didn¡¯t turn his head around.


    ¡°Xavier has done many despicable things to Roni, and it¡¯s only natural that I¡¯m angry and suspicious


    because I¡¯m her friend. Roni is the victim, and it¡¯s normal for me to be suspicious of you. Can you


    please not be mad?¡±


    Yvonne pleaded with him humbly as she stood behind him forlornly, entirely unlike her proud self, which


    Veronica had seen when she first met her.


    On the other hand, Conrad didn¡¯t turn around and jerked away his hand emotionlessly before walking


    out of the neighborhood inrge strides.


    Yvonne was suddenly panic-stricken when she noticed that he was determined to leave, as she was


    terrified that he would break up with her from the anger.


    Immediately, she chased after him and pulled his hand. Then, she walked directly in front of him,


    blocking his path by hugging him. ¡°Conrad, I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t do this. I was wrong, and I shouldn¡¯t


    have suspected you. You¡¯re the father of my unborn child. How could I not believe you? I was just too


    dumb,¡± she said through choked sobs with red-rimmed eyes as tears flowed freely down her face.


    Her despondent face looked so pitiful that it made one feel sorry for her.


    Conrad ran his fingers through her long hair softly as he gazed down at the woman in his embrace and


    said in a voice tinged with a trace of resentment, ¡°Have we known each other for only a short period of


    time? Is it such a short period that you don¡¯t even trust me a little? Did you forget how I saved you


    when Zac wanted to bring you to Castron that time? Did you forget our happy times together at Alpine


    Ski Resort? Or do you feel that I don¡¯t love you enough?¡±


    Yvonne leaned into his embrace, nervous and scared, terrified that Conrad would leave and never


    return.


    She nodded like a lovesick woman and said aggrievedly, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Conrad. I was wrong, and I


    shouldn¡¯t have suspected you. Will you please not be angry and forgive me this time?¡±


    She gestured to the figure ¡®one¡¯ with her right index finger, looking so sincere, cute, and lovable.


    Suddenly, a brilliant smile broke out on his gloomy face. ¡°You¡¯re such a silly girl.¡± He ruffled her hair


    gently and then pulled her into a hug. ¡°No, I¡¯m not angry. How can I ever be mad at my little Princess


    Yvie?¡±


    In his arms, the submissive woman drowned in the immense atmosphere of love, and her mind was


    overwhelmed with the sweetness it brought her. Nheless, she overlooked his smile, which was


    gradually receding, and his eyes that had suddenly turned ruthless and vicious.


    Next to them, Veronica felt like a third wheel, and hanging around wouldn¡¯t help with anything.


    At the end of the day, she could say with a clear conscience that she had already tried her best.


    While Yvonne was in Conrad¡¯s embrace, Veronica started to saunter off, and when she walked past


    him, her eyes instinctively darted to him and saw a gleeful smile on the sexy and mature man¡¯s face.


    He also raised his brow as though mocking her for being nosey and gaining nothing in the end.


    That expression was so hateful that she had the urge to take off her shoe and hit his face with it.


    F*ck you, you maniptive assh*le!


    Once she left the neighborhood, she drove off in her car.


    Ring, ring.


    Her phone started ringing, and when she whisked it out, she saw that it was Matthew calling her.


    So, she parked her car on the side of the road, and regted her emotions before picking up the call.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having breakfast now. What about you? Have you slept?¡±


    His voice was so husky and pleasant that it sent a shiver down her spine, and her horrible mood also


    turned a little better because of his unexpected call.


    ¡°I¡¯m preparing for bed now. Are you used to the things on that side?¡±


    ¡°Everything went smoothly.¡± After he said that, he paused and added, ¡°I just can¡¯t get used to not


    having you around.¡±


    ¡°Howe I never realized that you were such a flirt before this? We¡¯ve been together for just a short


    time, so can you please be more careful of what you¡¯re saying?¡± she teased.


    The man on the other end couldn¡¯t help butugh; the sound of hisughter was hearty and melodious.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already transferred Thomas back, and he¡¯ll be protecting you in the future. So, if there¡¯s anything


    that needs to be done, you can ask him to do it.¡±


    Since thest time Thomas got the wrong idea about Veronica and evenined to Matthew that


    she didn¡¯t know what was best for her, he was transferred to Corey Ind.


    Initially, Matthew wanted to let him train on Corey Ind for a few months, but s, he was worried


    about Veronica. Since he had business overseas, he transferred Thomas back to protect her.


    ¡°Forget it. I wouldn¡¯t dare to ask Mr. Thomas to do anything,¡± she deliberately joked. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.


    Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. My master has arrived in Bloomstead today, and he¡¯ll protect me from now on. Are


    you still worried?¡±


    ¡°Master Crayson is here. Then, where are you staying?¡±


    ¡°A hotel.¡±


    ¡°Okay, take good care of yourself. I¡¯m going to be busy for the next few days, and maybe I won¡¯t be


    able to contact you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, good luck with your work, and don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    They chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up, and then Veronica drove back to the hotel.


    There, she called her private investigator and asked about the situation in her neighborhood. The


    moment the private investigator told her that everything was fine, only then did it set her mind at ease.

 Chapter 350

    Chapter 350


    Chapter 350 Crayson Meets the Larson Couple


    The next day after Veronica woke up, the hotel attendant served her breakfast, and someone knocked


    on her door while she was eating.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± she asked. The person outside immediately answered, ¡°Miss Murphy, it¡¯s me, Thomas.¡±


    Thomas? She couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at his speed. So, she got up and opened the door to her


    suite.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Miss Murphy.¡± Thomas stood before her, smiled politely, and bowed deeply. ¡°I


    apologize to you for my prudent behavior from before. I¡¯m sorry for being so shallow!¡±


    That time at Encounters Bridal Store, Matthew had asked Thomas to bring a drafted contract to


    Veronica to sign. As the ¡®share¡¯ column was empty, Veronica needed to fill it up. In the end, Thomas,


    who was seated across from her at that time, merely took a look and thought that she had assigned


    ny-five percent of the shares for herself.


    Because of that, Thomas had said many mean things to her and evenined a lot about her to


    Matthew after he returned to Spinfluence Group.


    As it turned out, Veronica was actually giving ny-five percent of the shares to his boss.


    It was like a p on his face, and not only that, he was even assigned to Cory Ind for training for


    quite some time.


    Veronica scrutinized him carefully and felt that he seemed to have lost a lot of weight after not seeing


    him for quite a while. He definitely got tanner as he sported a buzz cut on his head which gave off the


    feeling that he was a hardworking man.


    ¡°Apology? It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Of course, Veronica was a little upset about what happened that day, but after she learned that


    Matthew had sent him off to train at Cory Ind, she knew he had received his fair share of


    punishment.


    In addition, Thomas now had lost the fair skin he had when she first met him and so much weight.


    From that, she could tell he had been through many hardships.


    Therefore, she opened the door as she weed him. ¡°Come on in.¡±


    He nodded and stepped in. After he returned from Cory Ind, Troy contacted him and filled him up on


    the recent events.


    Hence, he knew that his boss cared a lot about Veronica, so he was also polite and respectful to her,


    not daring to offend her.


    The hardships on Cory Ind were something he didn¡¯t want to experience again.


    ¡°Miss Murphy, this key is for you,¡± he said, handing a key to her.


    Puzzled, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Boss bought the apartment next to yours after you moved in. He said that since your master is here


    now, you can just live next to him.¡±


    Thomas didn¡¯t even know about this, but from the small details, he could tell that Matthew really liked


    Veronica very much.


    Thousands and thousands of beautiful girls resided in Bloomstead, and until now, Thomas couldn¡¯t


    understand what was so special about Veronica that could have his boss so in love with her.


    After Veronica heard his words, she lowered her gaze to that key, feeling very touched as a warm


    affection bubbled in her heart.


    It seems that Matthew has done so much for me in secret, she thought.


    The whole time, she thought that he didn¡¯t know where she was living after she moved to a new


    neighborhood, but unexpectedly, not only did he know, he even bought the apartment next to hers.


    She took the key from Thomas. ¡°Please tell him thank you.¡±


    ¡°Boss said that he doesn¡¯t want to hear you say thank you.¡± From the beginning, Matthew could already


    guess what she would reply, so he had directly instructed Thomas and told him to pass the message.


    ¡°Boss also said that you¡¯ll have to take care of yourself. If there¡¯s anything, you can just tell me to do it,


    and I¡¯ll put in my best efforts.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I happen to have something that needs you to get done.¡±


    At the moment, Veronica didn¡¯t have anyone she could trust, so she could only rely on Matthew¡¯s man.


    This was a point that affected her deeply because she wanted to find a reliable person, but she didn¡¯t


    have enough money. Unfortunately, her ideas could only remain as wishful thinking.


    ¡°Please tell me what to do, Miss Murphy.¡± Nodding slightly, Thomas was very polite.


    The way he was right now made her very ufortable because he had always disliked her in the


    past, and there was always a hint of indifference and condescension whenever he looked at her.


    Such a big contrast was rather difiting, but she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so formal with me.


    We¡¯re friends.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Murphy.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    At his response, she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to change his current demeanor, so she strode to


    the dining table. ¡°You must have skipped breakfast since you arrived so early. Take a seat and eat with


    me. We¡¯ll talk while eating.¡±


    Although Thomas was a little hesitant, he was also quite hungry. After he returned early in the morning,


    he had been busy with tasks until now.


    Veronica repeatedly invited him when she noticed his hesitance before he took a seat stiffly across


    from her, and they ate together.


    While they were enjoying their meal, she said, ¡°Help me to¡­ keep an eye on Conrad for a while.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Conrad?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Mainly keep an eye out on who he¡¯s meeting and contacting. I want to know all of that.¡±


    At the end of the day, she was still worried about Yvonne and that Conrad would hurt her.


    A girl who was so stubborn in love, even if she had lost a little of her rationale because of it, Veronica


    couldn¡¯t bear to see her badly hurt in the end.


    As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together; if Conrad and Xavier could be so close, it showed


    that he wasn¡¯t a good person to begin with, but he better not go overboard with things.


    After she instructed Thomas with this task, she left with him to go home, where Crayson was eating at


    the dining table. Next to him stood Gaston, the private investigator whom she had hired.


    ¡°Hmph, the cheeks of you to leave an old man here by himself! Have you eaten yet?¡±


    Seated at the dining table, Crayson took a bite of a sandwich and a sip of white wine.


    He loved to drink, and every morning and evening, he would have two sses of white wine, which had


    already be his habit.


    At first, she thought he was drinking too much, which was not good for his health, but after a checkup


    at the hospital, she found that it didn¡¯t affect him. So, she wasn¡¯t concerned about it anymore.


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯m just worried about waking you up.¡± Then, with a smile, she walked to the seat across from


    him and sat as she started chatting with him.


    In the morning, she brought Crayson to walk around Bloomstead, and in the afternoon, she took him to


    Encounters Bridal Shop.


    However, the shop had changed its name to ¡®First Meeting¡¯.


    First Meeting? Encounters? She wondered if Matthew changed the name to First Meeting and


    reopened the shop after she had announced its closure because it was named Encounters before this.


    The shop was being renovated, and Veronica assigned Crayson to supervise the work there. After all,


    he had nothing to do all day, so it was better to get him something to do.


    Initially, she wanted to let him rest a few days before starting work, but he insisted on starting work


    early because he was bored. Finally, out of wits, she agreed to his demands in exasperation.


    The next day, Veronica returned to the Kings Residence to visit Elizabeth.


    Meanwhile, Crayson, who was at the bridal shop, slipped out silently, sneaked to a spot without any


    surveince, and stopped a cab before hopping on. ¡°To Delight Cafe, please.¡±


    Ten minutester, at Delight Cafe, Crayson went upstairs in familiar steps and entered a private room,


    where the people waiting inside were none other than Floch and his wife, Rachel.


    At the sight of Crayson, they immediately got to their feet. ¡°Hello, Master Crayson.¡±

 Chapter 351

    Chapter 351


    Chapter 351 Veronica Begins to Suspect Master Crayson


    Crayson waved his hand, gesturing for them to take a seat.


    Seated in front of him, Floch quickly passed him a cup of tea. ¡°Please have some tea, Master


    Crayson.¡±


    He dispassionately took the cup from him and took a sip before sighing. ¡°Thanks for your call that day.


    Nobody could guess what would have happened if it was just a minuteter.¡±


    Floch tilted his head as he peered at Rachel next to himself and sighed as well. ¡°That was a dangerous


    situation. Rachel found out about it after she identally overheard Tiffany¡¯s phone call.¡±


    Wham!


    Suddenly, Crayson mmed the cup on the table harshly and scared the couple so much with the


    sound that they jumped, and they sat upright nervously, waiting in silence for his reprimand.


    ¡°Take a look at yourselves. Tiffany is right under your noses, and you could still allow her to do


    something like this. Did you forget your identities? Since young, Veronica has been a stubborn and


    proud child. If Xavier got his way with her, and she ended her own life if she took things too hard, I


    would like to see how you¡¯re going to exin this to the higher-ups,¡± he chided angrily.


    Crayson happened to be in Bloomstead that day, but he didn¡¯t expect to run into something like this.


    With his identity, he shouldn¡¯t have appeared to save Veronica, but time waited for no man, and he had


    no choice but to save her.


    Luckily he arrived in time. Otherwise, the consequences would be unthinkable.


    Rachel bobbed her head nervously and agreed. ¡°You¡¯re right, Master Crayson. We¡¯re the ones


    responsible for Tiffany¡¯s actions.¡±


    However, Crayson couldn¡¯t help but stroke his white beard and say with a frown once he noticed the


    looks on their faces, ¡°What? Did you really think that Tiffany is your real daughter?¡±


    ¡°Master Crayson, I-I¡­¡±


    He hit the bullseye with his offhand remark, and panic washed over Rachel¡¯s face as she waved her


    palms frantically but didn¡¯t know what to say.


    On the other hand, Floch took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. ¡°Tiffany has been with us for


    years. How can we not have any feelings for her?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Crayson scoffed, then lowered his head, picked up the cup leisurely, and took a sip.


    ¡°Tiffany¡¯s merely a recement, and you¡¯re well aware of what it means to be a recement. So, I


    would advise you to give up on ideas you shouldn¡¯t have, or else you¡¯re going to be the ones who will


    be upset in the end,¡± he said.


    Some things were just beyond their control.


    Therefore, Rachel pursed her lips before she spoke up, ¡°We understand everything you¡¯re saying, but


    you should also know that feelings grow with time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Master Crayson. Both of us are humans with feelings. It¡¯s impossible for us to be that


    merciless.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    The second Floch finished speaking, Crayson blew his top. ¡°Remember, there¡¯s only one person you


    two have to protect from the beginning until the end. So, don¡¯t get the target wrong.¡±


    Floch and his wife lowered their heads like children who had done something wrong at his tongue


    lashing.


    Crayson couldn¡¯t help but feel a hint of pity as he saw their reactions, and he leaned back into the seat


    as he scratched his silver hair. ¡°Of course, humans have feelings and desires, but if you know that


    there isn¡¯t any end to some things, you should just forget about it. If you have what it takes to turn


    things around, maybe Tiffany will be able to see to your retirement and end.¡±


    The couple gave each other a solemn look, then silently lowered their heads at his words.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What about Randy? How¡¯s that kid doing recently?¡± When he saw that they seemed a little sad, he


    added, ¡°Randy is a good kid and not as arrogant as Tiffany. So, it¡¯s better if you ce your attention on


    him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Crayson. We know what we should do,¡± Floch nodded in affirmation as he answered


    seriously.


    ¡°Even though I¡¯ll be in Bloomstead in the future, we have to try not to meet. Thest time at the center


    of Mudwood Street, Veronica almost recognized me.¡±


    It didn¡¯t hit him that he would bump into Veronica on that street when he went out to get something


    done in the middle of the night, and it gave him a big shock.


    Floch brought up an important subject once they shifted back to the main topic. ¡°Veronica is smart, so


    we have to be careful. But recently, we heard rumors that someone from Castron will being, and


    their target is¡­ Tiffany.¡±


    ¡°Follow this lead and find out who they are,¡± Crayson said casually, adding, ¡°The most important thing


    now is Veronica and Matthew. Now that they¡¯re together, it will cause some big trouble sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible. The media just revealed two days ago that Matthew Kings likes men.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, it created a huge ruckus.¡±


    The couple thought that Crayson hadn¡¯t heard of the news yet, but he merely looked at them in


    annoyance.


    ¡°What looks are you giving me? Can¡¯t you recognize the person in the picture?¡±


    Hence, the three sat together and talked for quite a while before Crayson finally left.


    As for what they were discussing at the end, that would remain a mystery.


    ¡­¡­


    While Veronica was apanying Elizabeth at the Kings Residence, her phone suddenly started


    ringing.


    She got up and picked up the call outside of the living room.


    ¡°Hello, Shirley?¡±


    ¡°Roni, where is Mr. Crayson? I bought him some doughnuts, but I couldn¡¯t find him when I got back.¡±


    Recently, Shirley had been at the bridal shop and would monitor the construction from time to time, sort


    out previous customers¡¯ data or get busy with other tasks.


    As she kept saying that she would always follow Veronica, she had given her paid leave.


    Earlier in the morning, Shirley had just seen Crayson, but something cropped up at thest minute, and


    she left after greeting him. In the end, she had just left for a while when the other party called to inform


    her that she didn¡¯t need toe over anymore, saying that they had solved everything.


    Therefore, she had to return to the bridal shop, worried that Crayson would be bored alone.


    On the way, she saw a doughnut shop and went in to get a few for him. Who would have guessed that


    she couldn¡¯t find him anywhere, so it made her a little worried.


    ¡°What? Crayson is not there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I started searching from downstairs until upstairs, and I¡¯m in your office now, but I couldn¡¯t find


    him,¡± she said anxiously.


    Instantly, Veronica said, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll call him now.¡±


    After she ended the call, she immediately gave Crayson a call. ¡°Where are you, Crayson?¡±


    ¡°Where else can I be? Of course, I¡¯m at the bridal shop.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she muttered, thinking that Shirley probably missed him and didn¡¯t see him because there were a


    few rooms in the shop.


    With that thought in mind, she asked, ¡°What would you like to have for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Anything will do. An old man like me isn¡¯t a picky eater.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll buy you some food after my meal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯mying down and watching TV in the office now,¡± Crayson lied while he was in the cab, not


    expecting that Veronica would call him so suddenly.


    Even though the bridal shop was under renovation, the workers had just renovated the office, so it had


    remained untouched.


    In order to avoid suspicion, Crayson had said that he was in the office.


    ¡°I got it.¡±


    Veronica hung up and wanted to give Shirley a call, but just as she was about to dial her number, it


    suddenly hit her.


    That¡¯s not right! Shirley said she was in the office, and Crayson also mentioned that he was there?


    But earlier, she had clearly heard the sounds of car honks. With the excellent sound instion of the


    office, how could there be the sound of car honks and other noises?

 Chapter 352

    Chapter 352


    Chapter 352 Ruka Apologizes Personally


    With suspicion in her heart, Veronica quickly re-dialed Crayson¡¯s number, but nobody picked up. Then,


    just when she was about to call Shirley to exin the situation, Shirley called her first.


    ¡°Did you find Crayson, Shirley?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I found him. Maybe I didn¡¯t look carefully earlier and missed him,¡± she exined.


    From the other end of the line, Veronica could hear her asking Crayson, ¡°Mr. Crayson, are the


    doughnuts I bought for you delicious?¡±


    ¡°Heh, so nice of you to have me on your mind, youngss. It¡¯s not bad. Good,¡± Crayson said with a


    cackle, and Veronica heard everything clearly.


    She couldn¡¯t help but furrow her brows slightly. Was I too sensitive?


    Finally, she shook her head as she figured she was too stressed recently, which resulted in


    overthinking, and she hung up.


    That afternoon, Hendrey called, saying that he was finally finished with his work. He had just


    disembarked the aircraft in Bloomstead and wanted to ask her out for a meal.


    After she had settled down Crayson, she went to the appointment, but thest thing she was expecting


    to see when she arrived at the teppanyaki restaurant was Hendrey and Ruka seated together.


    Why is she here? Veronica wondered as she kept her gaze on Ruka, looking puzzled.


    In contrast, Ruka smiled softly upon seeing her. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I know that Hendrey asked


    you out for dinner, so I insisted on tagging along.¡±


    All of a sudden, she recalled that Hendrey had been working in a subsidiary of Dame Group since his


    return to the country. So, she could understand that he was on good terms with Ruka.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Without saying much, Veronica slid into a spot next to them, but before she could say anything, Ruka¡¯s


    voice echoed again, ¡°I¡¯m here today to apologize to you.¡±


    ¡°Apologize?¡±


    What¡¯s going on? Veronica asked herself but couldn¡¯t figure out what was happening.


    ¡°Uh, I thought of you as my imaginary enemy before this, thinking that you¡¯re my love rival, but who


    would have thought that Matthew actually likes men? I feel that I look like a joke now.¡± She lifted the


    ss in front of her and had some water. As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly in


    resignation.


    The muscles on Veronica¡¯s face froze, and she tilted her head to look elsewhere guiltily.


    It didn¡¯t cross her mind that Ruka was here to apologize to her, and the reason was that she discovered


    that Matthew ¡®liked¡¯ men.


    Although it was surprising, it was courageous of her.


    Nevertheless, if Matthew announced to the public one day that the ¡®man¡¯ was her, would Ruka loathe


    her to the core?


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize at all.¡± So, she smiled awkwardly as she waved her hand to decline such


    a formal apology.


    ¡°Truth be told, I admire you. Back then, I thought we might have be good friends if Matthew hadn¡¯t


    been in the picture. It¡¯s great now because I¡¯ve given up on him, so I came to look for you and to


    apologize. I was in the wrong for everything before,¡± she said sincerely.


    If they weren¡¯t meeting in a teppanyaki restaurant, Ruka might have wanted to get up and bow deeply


    in apology.


    Beside them, Hendrey smiled gently. ¡°Your personalities are very simr, and it¡¯s not a bad choice to be


    friends with each other.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought.¡± Ruka went along with his words as she lifted the ss on the table.


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, I¡¯ll buy you this meal today, and I hope we can let bygones be bygones. Let¡¯s be


    friends, okay?¡±


    Speechless, Veronica wondered, Is this really a good idea? I feel like we¡¯re ganging up to fool Ruka.


    In addition, she was afraid that Ruka would kill her when she found out the truth one day.


    Their burning gazes bore into Veronica, making her bow to peer pressure. Despite that, she bit the


    bullet, lifted the ss, and clinked sses with Ruka.


    As the saying goes, it is always best not to make enemies of those who might be your friends. Being


    the eldest princess of the Dame Group, Ruka had set aside her pride, apologized, and even offered to


    be friends with her. So, how could she turn her down?


    ¡°Even though a lot was exposed on the news, I¡¯ll remain as Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ god-granddaughter and will


    have a lot of contact with Matthew in the future. Miss Dame, are you sure you want to be friends with


    me?¡±


    Veronica leaned against her seat, held the ss, and drank from it, observing Ruka¡¯s expression as


    she did so.


    With a sigh, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve already given up on Matthew, so all that doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Just don¡¯t


    bring up his name in front of me in the future.¡±A sad expression painted across her delicate and elegant


    features as she waved her hand. ¡°He really got me disgusted.¡±


    That day at the counter in the shopping mall, she had witnessed with her own eyes as Matthew held a


    ¡®man¡¯ and locked him with a kiss. She was so stunned that she was close to pping Matthew across


    the face.


    The whole time, Matthew was the person she admired the most, like a sort of faith. Her faith had


    copsed, and it took her several days to gradually emerge from the shadows.


    At that time, she felt that everything she did to Veronica was terrible, but she couldn¡¯t set aside her


    pride to admit it.


    Fortunately, Hendrey returned, and she could use this chance to look for Veronica.


    Veronica chuckled sheepishly as she voiced, ¡°Yeah, right?¡±


    As she rested her left elbow on the table, she silently palmed her forehead, appearing to sigh


    emotionally. But, unbeknownst to the others, she was wearing an expression of exasperated


    amusement under her slightly lowered head.


    Despite that, Veronica had to admit that Ruka was very brave, and this wasn¡¯t something an average


    Joe could do.


    ¡°Both of you have buried the hatchet, and I¡¯m d to bear witness to it.¡± Hendrey elegantly lifted his


    ss. ¡°We may not have wine now, but I suppose tea is enough. Cheers!¡±


    ¡°Cheers.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha. Sure!¡±


    The three toasted to a drink and finished half a ss of water. Then, the server served them their


    dishes, sat together, and chatted amicably.


    Amid a good time, Ruka turned to Veronica and asked, ¡°Your bridal shop has closed its doors. What do


    you n to do after this?¡±


    Veronica gave it a thought. Despite the fact that she had previously signed a contract with Matthew to


    open up a bridal shop together and that contract was still valid, many things had happened in her bridal


    shop before this. If she continued the business, she had no idea what other trouble would stir up.


    Rather than that, it would be better to think about doing something else and divert others¡¯ attention.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll just look for a job first.¡±


    After going through so much, one thing was clear to her. That was, she had to keep away her thunder,


    and the other thing was, keeping a low profile.


    If she wanted to start anotherpany, there was no need to let others know. Only then could her


    company run smoothly. Otherwise, she couldn¡¯t even guess what other mess would pop up.


    ¡°What was your profession before this? Do you want to considering to work at mypany?¡±


    Ruka smiled brightly. ¡°Mypany iscking in talents like you.¡±


    ¡°Me? Forget it. I should just be a delivery man.¡±


    In her mind, she thought that her time would be flexible if she delivered food. Then, if something


    cropped up at thest minute, she could go immediately to deal with it, and it was convenient for her to


    run other businesses in private.


    Once she started working in apany, she wouldn¡¯t be that free.


    ¡°Hey, how much money can you make doing delivery? By the way, you amazed me with your walk on


    the runway that day. Coincidentally, I have apany looking for models. The working hours every day


    are short, and the pay is not bad. How about it?¡± Ruka suggested.

 Chapter 353

    Chapter 353


    Chapter 353 A Mysterious Woman


    When Ruka had perceived Veronica as her potential rival, she utterly detested Veronica. However, after


    she discovered Matthew¡¯s sexual orientation, there was a total change in her attitude.


    ¡°Really? Can I?¡± Veronica¡¯s eyes brightened at the golden opportunity. Being a model meant working


    every day with a stable ie. Besides, with Ruka as the middle person, Veronica might be able to


    clinch a contract with an agency without any problem. Hence, she would never let this chance slip


    through her fingers!


    When she first came to Bloomstead, she did consider this job, but nopany would want a nameless


    rookie with zero experience on runways. So, she had no choice but to work as a deliveryman and at


    the night market round the clock to feed her parents.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Ruka was confident.


    Hendrey couldn¡¯t help smiling as he added, ¡°With your looks and capability, you might receive a chance


    to expand your career into entertainment, but don¡¯t forget about us once you hit it big!¡±


    His joke tickled Veronica¡¯s funny bone as she let out a chuckle. ¡°Nah, I just wanna earn money.


    Despite the glitz and mor, the entertainment industry was messy and Veronica feared she might be


    unable to survive until the end. Furthermore, her career is her priority. Even if she was going to be a


    model, her job scope stretched beyond presenting her wless side during photo shoots and runways.


    ¡°Hendrey¡¯s right. I think you¡¯ve got the potential.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll take that.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you should. I have an eye for talents.¡± Ruka then suggested, ¡°Since it¡¯s the end of the year,


    I think we should meet the president. You should try talking to him.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll buy you a meal after everything¡¯s settled.¡±


    ¡°Then, we got a deal.¡±


    The trio chattered on and on, having the time of their lives. Finally, when a gleeful Veronica returned


    home, she yed chess with Crayson, during which she received a call from Yvonne. She didn¡¯t pick


    up the phone after ncing at it, though. Instead, after Crayson decided to call it a day and went to


    bed, she walked back to her ce, which was just next to the building.


    Matthew had bought the neighboring residence. With such an awesome andfortable interior


    design, the decoration that Veronica¡¯s house had paled byparison.


    Veronica entered the bedroom and opened the wardrobe, only to be dumbstruck. Inside of it was a


    bunch of winter apparel in different colors and assortments of designs. She checked out some of them


    and realized that all the pieces were from thetest collections. Everything was prepared solely for her.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Touched by Matthew¡¯s consideration and affection, she felt her heart soften by his gesture. Then, just


    as she was thinking about him, he gave her a call.


    She answered it at the drop of a hat. ¡°You¡¯re up?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t slept yet?¡± The mellifluous voice was so familiar that it soothed her heart.


    Her finger grazed over the fabric as she asked, ¡°Since when did you prepare so many clothes?¡±


    ¡°It was these two days.¡± He glossed over the details, hiding that he reced the clothes ording to


    the change of seasons from the day he bought the house.


    ¡°I see.¡± Veronica flopped in bed and hugged a pillow while sharing her little stories, ¡°I ate with Hendrey


    today. Guess who he brought along with him.¡±


    Men¡¯s jealousy was easily evoked by the presence of love rivals that posed threats to their rtionship.


    Matthew, who was no different from any other man, attempted to hide his growing dislike toward


    Hendrey. ¡°His girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Stop joking around. He brought Ruka along with him and she apologized for everything she had done


    to me in the past. She even said that she wants to befriend me.¡± She sighed while twirling her hair. ¡°If


    she found out that the man she met the other day was me, I bet she¡¯ll kill me because of resentment.¡±


    ¡°Ruka¡¯s a decent person. She¡¯s a good friend.¡± Although Matthew didn¡¯t interact with Ruka much since


    he was young, he knew her character well.


    ¡°Decent?¡± Veronica coldly snorted as she deemed that Matthew didn¡¯t know much about Ruka¡¯s true


    colors.


    It was true that Ruka was nice, but she was only friendly to the one she favored. When she was facing


    her enemies, one could equate her behavior to the term ¡®I shall salt the earth behind you once I¡¯m done


    ruining your life¡¯.


    ¡°Hendrey is single, isn¡¯t he? So, they should make a good match.¡± Matthew added another weird


    statement.


    ¡°Since when have you started being a matchmaker?¡± Veronica smiled in merriment. ¡°You¡¯re jealous


    because we had a meal together? That¡¯s unlike you.¡±


    ¡°What else can I do when the woman I like is so attractive? Even if you stay still, men will flirt with you


    anyway.¡±


    She rolled her eyes speechlessly because she was always the one to me in the end. Then, after


    chatting for a while longer, the conversation ended as Matthew had some unfinished business.


    The atmosphere fell into silence, and she leaned against the bedside, feeling the void inside her.


    Veronica felt her heart be heavier because Matthew knew everything, including the night she had


    spent with Xavier in the hotel, thinking about what Matthew had done for her. Matthew was a proud


    man perching at the top of the mountain like he was god, yet he tolerated the fact that she was tainted.


    The more she thought about the cruel truth, the more she perceived herself as someone unworthy of


    him. She could feel the gap between them was growing wider, and nothing couldpensate for it.


    Someone better should stay by his side; that person could never be her.


    On the other side, Matthew was relishing his meal while talking on the phone with Veronica at the vi


    in Castron. When a woman suddenly appeared in the living room, he excused himself and terminated


    the call.


    ¡°Matt, how could you eat alone? You should¡¯ve called for me.¡± The slim woman had long maroon hair


    that swayed slightly with every click of her high heels. She stood before him then she snatched the


    sandwich from Matthew¡¯s hand.


    Instead of chewing her out, he gestured to the maid to make a new sandwich for her.


    ¡°Why are you here early in the morning?¡± The warmth in his eyes dissipated as he stared at the women


    indifferently. There was no tad of hostility in his icy tone, though.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because I missed you. The weather is fine today. Should we hang out for the first time


    after a long while?¡± she said coquettishly.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± After giving a downright decline, Matthew took the documents that were set aside and


    began reading.


    The persistent woman stood up and closed the files before him. ¡°Matt, you¡¯re so cruel. I missed you so


    much, and this is how you treat me?¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°You! Hmph!¡± She pouted in displeasure. ¡°I really missed you a lot. It¡¯s been a year. Can¡¯t you


    apany me for a day?¡±


    Matthew looked at the documents before ncing at her. ¡°Only this time.¡±


    She grinned in triumph. ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡±


    ¡­


    Back in Bloomstead, Veronica¡¯s schedule had changed with effect from today because of Crayson, who


    dragged her out of bed as early as 4:30AM for a jog and training in the park.

 Chapter 354

    Chapter 354


    Chapter 354 To The Modeling Agency


    ¡°You foolish brat! Have you forgotten everything that I had taught you? Can¡¯t you even defend yourself?


    What a waste of my effort!¡± A furious Crayson did not pull back his punches during the training.


    Veronica hadn¡¯t expected him to not pull his punches, so she didn¡¯t go full-out, resulting in suffering a


    punch that knocked her down to the ground. Due to the excruciating pain, she couldn¡¯t get up on her


    feet instantly. ¡°It hurts! Master Crayson, are you trying to kill me and get a new disciple for yourself?¡±


    She covered her stomach as the pain spread throughout her body.


    ¡°From now onward, my mission is to train you daily. If you¡¯re not going to take it seriously, endure the


    pain then. I won¡¯t go easy on you, but I promise I will not hurt your face.¡± Despite his ordinary


    menswear, he stood firmly with his hands behind him like a menacing mafia boss.


    ¡°My face?¡± Veronica didn¡¯t feel grateful for his consideration at all, for Crayson was a man of his word.


    He meant everything he said, and he was serious this time around. Nervous, she rose to her feet and


    attempted to do her best.


    Still, her determination alone was never enough because of herck of sleep. Due to insomnia, she


    slept at four in the morning, and before long, she was forced to receive training. Therefore, the


    inadequate rest had definitely caused her to react slower, falling behind Crayson¡¯s punches.


    Although she was severely beaten up, it didn¡¯t soothe the fire in Crayson as he growled, ¡°Get up! Prove


    that my teaching hasn¡¯t gone to waste! Do you hear me?¡±


    Veronicay on the cold ground while covering her right shoulder, which hurt like hell. ¡°Master Crayson,


    be gentle. I¡¯m dying here.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll beat you to death, you unworthy thing!¡±


    ¡­


    Thus, the hellish morning training went on, and Veronica felt pain in every part of her body. Finally, after


    a quick shower, she decided to take a short rest on the couch and fell asleep in the end.


    It wasn¡¯t until her phone rang that she woke up from her deep sleep, finding herself covered with a


    nket.


    It must be Master Crayson, she assumed, as she had handed the spare keys to him yesterday.


    Lying on the couch, she fumbled about to grab her phone. When she realized that it was Ruka calling,


    she sprang up instantly. ¡°Darn it!¡±


    ¡°Hi. Ruka?¡±


    Both of them had promised to visit the president of a modeling agency today, yet she had long


    forgotten about the meeting due to the impromptu morning training.


    ¡°Are you ready? Where should I wait for you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready. Just text me the address. I¡¯ll see you there.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The call ended, and Veronica texted a cute sticker to Ruka through Whatsapp. They had exchanged


    numbersst night.


    Ruka messaged Veronica the location, where she quickly changed her clothes and put on light make-


    up before leaving the house.


    Twenty minutester, she finally arrived at the destination where Ruka was waiting for her. Veronica


    scampered and greeted, ¡°Morning. Sorry for the long wait.¡±


    With her hair tied up, Ruka wore a pair of sunsses to reveal only her striking red lips that contrasted


    her white coat. Still, she exuded fierce elegance, which added to her ethereal visage with a luster of


    maturity. One could not deny the fact that she was a true beauty.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just arrived. Come on, let¡¯s head inside.¡±


    The duo walked inside and immediately took center stage amongst the employees. Their stunning


    features alone were enough to strike one¡¯s fancy, but having them standing abreast was different. The


    sight of them together was pleasing to the eyes.


    ¡°Oh my. They¡¯re so pretty.¡±


    ¡°Which agency are they from?¡±


    ¡°Are you blind? Can¡¯t you recognize that one of them is Miss Dame? I¡¯ve seen her on television


    multiple times.¡±


    ¡°The one standing next to her is so beautiful! Look at that fair skin and red lips! It seems like she has


    only applied lipstick.¡±


    ¡°If only I had that face, my boyfriend wouldn¡¯t have cheated on me.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. You gotta be kidding me. With that gorgeous face, you should find yourself a rich man.¡±


    ¡­


    Amidst the gushing crowd and clicking sound of cameras, Veronica strode forward with steady steps,


    not to mention Ruka, who had been the center of attention since she was born.


    They took the elevator to the 45th floor, where Starshine Media Agency was located. Ruka thrust her


    hands into her pocket as she talked to the receptionist in a haughty demeanor, ¡°We¡¯re looking for Mr.


    Ludwig.¡±


    The receptionist stood up in a heartbeat, ¡°Sure, pleasee this way.¡±


    She escorted them to an office and knocked on the door. When someone signaled them toe in, the


    duo went inside.


    Along their way, Veronica discreetly observed the surroundings, where there were only good-looking


    people. None seemed ordinary, and they had one thing inmon¡ªyoung. Once again, reality struck


    upon Veronica. Due to the cut-throatpetition, the modeling industry wasn¡¯t as morous as it


    seemed.


    As she entered the office, she realized that the president of this very agency was a blond foreigner.


    Despite being in his 30s, his aura was no joke.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Ludwig. I¡¯ve brought a friend of mine to see you.¡±


    It was obvious that Ruka and Sean were close, given by how she put down her bag and sat on the


    edge of his desk before tapping on it. ¡°Busy?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°There¡¯s a big runwaying up soon. We¡¯re still in the middle of selecting the candidates.¡± Sean rose


    from his seat. Noticing Veronica¡¯s presence, he asked Ruka, ¡°So she is¡­ Veronica Murphy, right? The


    one you had previously mentioned.¡±


    Veronica nodded. ¡°Mr. Ludwig, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    With confident steps, she approached him and offered her hand for a handshake.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Sean Ludwig,¡± introduced the man as he dly shook her hand.


    Ruka added, ¡°Have you seen the video of her previous runway that I sent you? What do you think?


    She¡¯s my best friend, so you better don¡¯t fool around.¡±


    Although Veronica had forgiven her past actions, it didn¡¯t alleviate the guilt in her in the slightest.


    Therefore, she had made up her mind to help Veronica as she thought it could at least repay the


    kindness she had received. However, little did she know that her efforts were actually a burden to


    Veronica. The more she tried, the more Veronica felt terrible for her.


    ¡°Just what do you take me for?¡± Sean smiled.


    Though he was from another country, the long years spent mixing with the locals contributed to


    improving his fluency in English. As a result, he sounded as natural as the locals.


    He sized Veronica up with eyes of scrutiny before nodding lightly. ¡°She has the body, face, and ss.


    Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Veronica, did you hear that? I¡¯ve never heard himpliment someone like that before. You¡¯re the


    first!¡± encouraged Ruka.

 Chapter 355

    Chapter 355


    Chapter 355 The True Power of ck Dragons


    Veronica gave a polite smile in return. ¡°President Ludwig, you¡¯re ttering me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not that bad. I¡¯ve seen the video, and you¡¯ve done pretty well. There are just some ws that we


    can start polishing from now on,¡±mented Sean.


    She felt a little resigned when she heard his words as a tad of disappointment seeped into her voice.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be in your care, President Ludwig.¡±


    It was understandable as she had never been on a runway show before. Thus, she was satisfied to have


    received such apliment alone.


    ¡°That is not a big problem. Let¡¯s settle down with the contract first.¡± Sean dived straight into the point.


    ¡°Since Ruka is here, I¡¯ll be honest with the pay that we can offer you. Your basic sry will be 10,000


    with additionalmissions during the one-month probation. Once you¡¯vepleted the probation, we¡¯ll


    increase your sry to 20,000, and themission will be gauged based on your performance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, President Ludwig.¡± Veronica was content with the considerable amount of pay that came


    with additionalmissions.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to work five days a week with three to five hours per day. Besides, you have to make some


    short clips for promotion purposes. Any objections?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s good.¡± She dly epted it, considering that the pay was great enough.


    Above all, she had sufficient time to focus on improving her career development, which was of utmost


    importance. She actually didn¡¯t have to find another job because share spection would be her best


    option to invest her money. However, she had no choice but to look at the bigger picture as things were


    different right now.


    Since she and Sean agreed on the terms of the contract, they signed it in no time. It was a one-year-long


    contract, which meant that Veronica would work under the agency for a year after probation. If she failed


    toplete the probation, she would be required to leave at any time. Of course, she would have a


    hectic schedule ahead of her because of the many training sessions during her probation.


    After that, Ruka, who was with them the whole time, looked at Sean with arms crossed. ¡°I introduced


    someone talented to you. Shouldn¡¯t you buy me a meal?¡±


    ¡°How would I forget about you?¡± Sean smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll give you guys a tour around thepany.


    Veronica should familiarize herself with the environment from now on.¡±


    The twodies trailed behind him as they toured around thepany,prising four floors with


    meeting rooms, photo studios, offices, make-up rooms, waiting rooms, and so on. Given thepany¡¯s


    size, it was only natural that there would be many employees bustling about.


    The trio then had a meal together. As Sean knew that Veronica was the god-granddaughter of Elizabeth,


    he was pretty friendly to Veronica without the arrogance of a superior. Afterward, thedies thanked him


    for the meal and went home.


    Veronica started working with herptop turned on as she sat on the couch. Recently, she had been


    having online meetings with the workers as she didn¡¯t have the time to stop by Vincere Games, resulting


    in growing disapproval of her attitude by one of the shareholders.


    As soon as she thought about the shareholders, she could feel an impending migraine. She suddenly


    came to a realization that having Vincere Games and the bridal store in the same building wasn¡¯t a good


    idea after all.


    She went to the bridal store at noon, where the renovation was still ongoing, and she shared a brief


    conversation with Crayson before heading to Vincere Games.


    There were a total of three shareholders. Besides Veronica, who possessed the majority shares and final


    say in decision makings, Jayden Stoll and Shawn Adler were the other two shareholders. In contrast,


    Shawn had the least shares, with only 10%.


    As soon as Veronica entered the office, Jayden and Shawn stood up. Jayden shook his head while


    eximing, ¡°If you don¡¯te any time sooner, I¡¯m sure everyone in thepany would¡¯ve forgotten


    you.¡±


    ¡°Good job making only the both of us doing the work, too,¡± Shawn retorted.


    Fortunately, they had agreed to keep her true identity a secret, so the workers had mistaken her purpose


    of stopping by.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work as of today. I¡¯ll treat you to something nice someday.¡± Veronica smiled


    apologetically before questioning, ¡°How¡¯s thepany¡¯s performancetely?¡±


    She only wanted to know thetest management and updates.


    ¡°In addition to its small fanbase from before, the Legion of Vin has received a lot of publicity after the


    sessful promotion. Their live streaming alone was enough to rake in a stable profit.¡± Jayden


    continued, ¡°Aside from Honor of Kings, it is a relief that they ace League of Legends and PUBG as well.


    Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve the same aplishment by streaming only one game.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been active in tournaments too, but it¡¯s difficult for a start-up like us to find investors.¡± Leaning


    against the chair, Shawn frowned with arms crossed. ¡°We have an uing national tournament at the


    beginning of the year. It is important; If our team performs well, they will get the chance topete in the


    Winter Olympic Games. It¡¯s our golden opportunity to bring us fame.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy.¡± Veronica shared the same thought as well. ¡°I wish the best for ourpany, but


    we¡¯re not that professional yet. We¡¯re just a newpany. For now, I think the national tournaments


    should be our priority to build our reputation. After that, we can join international tournaments starting


    next year. About the Winter Olympic Games¡­ we¡¯ll see.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have much confidence about it. Oh, she was ambitious and had goals she wanted to achieve,


    but she also knew her limits.


    After she checked the time, she requested Jayden, ¡°Ask the management team, coach, and the team to


    come over for a brief meeting.¡±


    Although one should always look at the positive side, one¡¯s true capability should also be taken into


    ount.


    The members of ck Dragons came together thanks to their ardent passion for games. It was true that


    they had the skills, but there was still room for improvement for thempared with the professional


    gamers.


    ¡­


    Time flew by in a blink of an eye, and only three days were left before weing the new year.


    Veronica had holidays after working a few days in Starshine. She bought a train ticket for Crayson to


    return home first before going to Kings Residence with a bunch of presents for Elizabeth.


    Yet, she happened to bump into Conrad and Yvonne this time round.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Roni, you¡¯re here. Come on in. It¡¯s cold outside. Yvonne and Conrad are here too. You should go chill


    with them.¡± Elizabeth gave a profuse wee as she waved at Veronica,ughing.


    The couple, sitting together, diverted their gaze instantly to Veronica. When Veronicaid her eyes on


    Yvonne, she remained expressionless while thetter felt helpless and disheartened.


    ¡°Speak of the devil. Mom was talking about you just now.¡±


    Previous Chapter


    Next Post

 Chapter 356

    Chapter 356


    Chapter 356 A Capricious Veronica


    Conrad maintained his image as the nice guy that was ever gentle and considerate, as though nothing


    had happened before.


    Veronica smiled in response to avoid putting Elizabeth in a tough position. ¡°Oh, really? What were you


    guys talking about? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve spoken ill of me.¡±


    Conradughed at her ¡®joke¡¯. ¡°You¡¯re right! Mom thought you wouldn¡¯te because you hadn¡¯te


    recently.¡±


    Yvonne let out a wry smile, trying to hide her awkwardness.


    ¡°Roni, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense.¡± Elizabeth grinned ear to ear.


    Veronica seated herself beside Elizabeth after she ced the presents aside and began a light


    conversation. Then, suddenly, Veronica asked the olddy, ¡°Grandma, do you know that Yvonne is


    pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Conrad told me about it.¡± Elizabeth nodded.


    An insidious Veronica nced at Conrad before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s good news, isn¡¯t it? When will they have


    their wedding?¡±


    ¡°Yvonne said her parents are busy overseas. They¡¯ll be back after the new year to discuss the wedding


    preparations.¡± Elizabeth took a glimpse of Yvonne and sighed. ¡°You youngsters are different nowadays.


    You have your own ways of handling things. It¡¯s no use for an olddy like me to keep worrying.¡±


    Veronica made a quick deduction and concluded that Conrad took the initiative by confiding in Elizabeth


    about Yvonne¡¯s pregnancy when she heard Elizabeth¡¯s words. In the meantime, he had made up an


    excuse to postpone the wedding in order to buy some time.


    Oh, Yvonne. How could you not realize his intentions?


    After lunch, thedies, including Yura, apanied Elizabeth for a stroll in the backyard. When the old


    lady decided to call it a day, Yura escorted her into the house.


    Only then did Yvonne have the chance to have an honest conversation with Veronica. Yvonne felt a lump


    in her throat when she tried to strike a conversation with Veronica. ¡°Are you still angry with me?¡±


    An expressionless Veronica gazed at Yvonne¡¯s hand, which sped hers. Then, she removed Yvonne¡¯s


    hand while saying, ¡°Why should I be? Are we that close?¡±


    That day, she tried everything just to bring Yvonne away, yet Yvonne chose to be with Conrad. How


    could Veronica not be disappointed?


    ¡°I¡­ You¡­¡± Words failed Yvonne as she had not expected Veronica to distance herself so much from her.


    The chilly breeze rustled Yvonne¡¯s fringe, and she raked her fingers through her hair. Finally, she pursed


    her lips as she hesitated momentarily before iming, ¡°Conrad is not as bad as you think. I don¡¯t know


    what happened between you, but you can¡¯t regard him as the same as Xavier.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Meanwhile, Veronica shoved her hands into her coat pockets and showed no sign of wavering, as


    though Yvonne¡¯s words were mere wind to her. None of it bothered her at all.


    ¡°So¡­ So¡­¡± Yvonne was caught off-guard by the sudden question as she stuttered. ¡°I hope this matter


    won¡¯t be an issue in our friendship. Are we still friends?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Veronica gave an affirmative answer, although the tone of her voice was anything but friendly.


    Yvonne bit her lips as she wasn¡¯t so dense that she couldn¡¯t feel Veronica¡¯s cold fury. ¡°Then, can we


    have sushi together tonight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have some business to attend to.¡± Veronica checked the time with her phone. ¡°It¡¯ste. I


    should get going now. Enjoy your stay.¡±


    Then, she left without dy, leaving Yvonne alone in the backyard. While she stared at the figure


    gradually disappearing from her sight, she clenched her hands as she felt something urging her to call


    out her friend¡¯s name. Regardless, she suppressed that urge and remained silent in the end.


    She knew that she could do nothing to amend their bond anymore. Although she was aware of


    Veronica¡¯s good intentions, she firmly believed it was a misunderstanding. One day, she would prove it to


    Veronica.


    After Veronica bid Elizabeth farewell, she bumped into Conrad at the entrance. Their steps came to a


    halt simultaneously when they saw each other.


    Conrad acted as gentlemanly as ever with a dazzling smile. ¡°Are you leaving now, Little Roni?¡±


    Rather than replying to his insincere words, she took a few steps forward in her heels and stood right


    before him with a frosty gaze. ¡°Uncle Conrad, you never fail to surprise me. Just what kind of spell did


    you use on Yvonne so that she can¡¯t get over you?¡±


    He frowned, pretending to be in deep thought, and smiled. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of my charms.¡±


    She snorted in reply. ¡°Well, that is possible. I wonder if this brazen attitude runs in the family.¡±


    In a split second, the smile on Conrad¡¯s face went stiff, and the wind felt colder for some reason. Then,


    as silence dawned upon both parties, a malicious and fearsome glint shed across his eyes, causing


    him to appear more intimidating. Nevertheless, he smiled again at the very next second. ¡°Don¡¯t put it that


    way. If so, do you mean that Matthew is shameless too?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not wrong, but not entirely correct.¡± Veronica paused for a moment. ¡°Although you share the


    same surname, you don¡¯t share the same mother.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    When he heard her provocative remarks, his eyes narrowed into a dangerous slit, and Veronica could


    sense the murderous ferocity osting her from all sides.


    The man was infuriated.


    ¡°Are you angry because of what I¡¯ve said? It seems like you¡¯re notplete trash. You still have feelings,


    huh?¡± The dauntless Veronica added, ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can pretend to like Yvonne. And I¡¯m


    warning you that you better continue this act of yours for the rest of your life.¡±


    She had encountered shameless people before, but they couldn¡¯t hold a candle to Conrad.


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, don¡¯t think that you can do whatever you want with Matthew backing you.¡± Conrad


    had finally lost his temper and shown his true colors.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I think I have the right to do so with Matthew by my side. And what are you going to do


    about it? Huh?¡± She suddenly took a step backward, feigning fear while gasping, ¡°Oh no! Are you going


    to kill me? I¡¯m so scared.¡±


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, you!¡± Conrad, who was incensed by her annoying attitude, pointed at her. ¡°Don¡¯t think


    that you can get away from this. Matthew can¡¯t protect you forever.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Veronica pped her hands approvingly. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that you didn¡¯t be a promoter. You


    could¡¯ve earned big with that slick tongue of yours.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Her wittyeback left him speechless, and he could only re at her. It wasn¡¯t until he nced


    behind her that he changed his expression to a gentle one.


    Previous Chapter

 Chapter 357

    Chapter 357


    Chapter 357 To Die at the Prime of Her Life


    ¡°Yvonne, Roni is leaving. Better bid her goodbye if you haven¡¯t,¡± said Conrad. Veronica gave Yvonne a


    side nce but didn¡¯t turn to look at her. Instead, she strode past the man and left without saying another


    word.


    ¡®Sometimes, one has to walk to the end of the route that they had chosen no matter how much they will


    regret itter.¡¯ That was Veronica¡¯sst advice for Yvonne.


    Yvonne couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed as she watched Veronica leave. She walked toward Conrad¡¯s


    side. ¡°Conrad, how will we clear the misunderstandings between you and Roni? It hurts me to see you


    guys going against each other. S-She¡¯s a good friend.¡±


    After all, the girls had been through hardships together, and she liked Veronica. ¡°Time will heal


    everything.¡± He stroked her hair and gently pushed her into his arms as he reassured her


    She indulged in the warmth and his scent with closed eyes as she pressed her cheek against his chest.


    ¡°Conrad, I believe that we will clear up the misunderstandings one day, and things will return to their


    rightful ce.¡±


    ¡°I think the same too, but Roni is being paranoid. I don¡¯t know what to do with her.¡± A calctive Conrad


    was on the move again. ¡°She doesn¡¯t trust me, let alone Matthew. So, the projects I had with Spinfluence


    Group are called off.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yvonne pushed herself away from his embrace, frowning in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?


    Why do you say that both of them don¡¯t trust you?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t quite wrap her head around it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know what kind of rtionship they have right now?¡±


    She still couldn¡¯t understand his words. ¡°What kind of rtionship? Matthew is Roni¡¯s god-brother, isn¡¯t


    it?¡±


    Conrad smiled helplessly at that. ¡°That¡¯s not all. Little Roni likes Matthew. Remember the photo we saw


    on the news? The guy next to Matthew was Little Roni. She was dressed up as a man.¡±


    ¡°What? She dressed up as a man?!¡± She raised her voice as she was wholly taken aback by the news.


    His brows furrowed as though he was baffled. ¡°You didn¡¯t know about that? You were still close with her.


    Didn¡¯t she tell you?¡±


    Upset, Yvonne shook her head. ¡°No. But are you sure, Conrad? The person in the photo was a man!


    How could it possibly be Roni? You must¡¯ve made a mistake. If she truly wants to be with Matthew,


    there¡¯s no need for her to hide their rtionship. Besides, the scandal has affected Spinfluence Group


    negatively. Grand-Auntie was so livid that she almost punished Matthew. If what you¡¯ve said is true, Roni


    could¡¯ve told Auntie.¡±


    Since Conrad addressed Elizabeth as his mother and Yvonne had now conceived his child, she should


    change the way she addressed Elizabeth. Still, it was not easy for her because of the age gap.


    ¡°No way. I thought she would¡¯ve told you because you were still close back then.¡± Conrad shook his


    head, pretending to be confounded. ¡°Mom knew about it. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve held Matthew


    responsible for the issue.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She lowered her head with mixed feelings before muttering, ¡°Howe she didn¡¯t tell me such


    an important matter? Did she even see me as a friend?¡±


    Right then, Conrad let out an ambiguous smile as though his scheme had seeded.


    ¡°No. I must call Roni now and ask why she didn¡¯t tell me about it. Does she even think of me as a


    friend?!¡± Vexed, Yvonne fished out her phone.


    Yet, the man stopped her. ¡°I bet she has her reasons. Nothing good wille if you ask her right now.¡±


    ¡°So what? When the news broke out, we were still best friends, and I called her tofort her. I even


    scolded Matthew! I guess I acted like a fool back then. She didn¡¯t even take our friendship seriously.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but fume in anger when she recalled that Veronica had given her thest advice when


    she went to Veronica¡¯s ce. She was now certain that Veronica was trying to prise Conard and her


    apart.


    At that thought, she scoffed and looked at Conrad with determination. ¡°Conrad, did you say that your


    projects with Spinfluence Group were called off?¡±


    He cupped her cheeks and responded gently, ¡°Yes. I will never lie to my fianc¨¦e.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about those. We can start new ones.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easier said than done. Lesser projects mean lesser ie. What if I can¡¯t feed my wife and my child


    in the future? ¡±


    Conrad had a way with words as he so easily pinpointed her soft spots that his words made her heart


    melt in affection. ¡°I know you can do it. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Then, he smiled cunningly like a sly fox, for he had achieved his motives¡ªsowing discord in the girls¡¯


    friendship to prod Yvonne into convincing her parents to help hispany. With this tactic, he managed


    to hit two birds with one stone.


    When they left Kings Residence, Conrad went to thepany to finish work, leaving Yvonne alone at


    home. Due to boredom, she phoned her parents and suggested a cooperation with Conrad¡¯spany.


    Although her parents said they would consider it, she was positive that the problem was settled.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was packing her stuff because she was nning to return home the next day. While


    she was halfway through the packing, she received a call from Melissa, whom she hadn¡¯t seen after that


    very incident. She contemted for a moment as she knew that Xavier was probably the reason Melissa


    called her.


    As she had already decided that she wanted to cut ties with the Crawford Family, she rejected the call,


    but Melissa kept calling her.


    Veronica felt defeated at Melissa¡¯s persistence, so she sat on the couch as she answered the call. ¡°Yes?¡±


    Her voice was indifferent.


    ¡°Veronica, I would like to meet you.¡± Instead of anger, Melissa sounded calm, which was out of


    Veronica¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°You can just tell me over the phone.¡± Veronica had learned her lesson and remained vignt so the


    Crawford Family couldn¡¯t threaten her. She was still young; she wouldn¡¯t want to die in the prime of her


    life as she still had things to do.


    Previous Chapter


    Next Post

 Chapter 358

    Chapter 358


    Chapter 358 Tiffany Lost Her Mind


    ¡°Haha, Veronica, you¡¯re such a coward. Do you not even have the courage to meet me now?¡± Melissa


    sneered as she mocked Veronica. ¡°Whatever floats your boat.¡± Veronica did not refute that statement.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Melissa was at a loss for words. After a brief silence, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll send a video to your phone.


    You can reconsider whether you want to meet me or not after watching it.¡±


    Once she was done talking, she directly hung up the phone. Veronica frowned as she held the phone in


    her hand, staring at Melissa¡¯s name that was disyed on the call log while being lost in thought. What


    does she want?


    After what happenedst time, Melissa hated her to the bone. Yet, Melissa suddenly took the initiative to


    reach out to her. It must not be something good.


    Veronica assumed that it was probably rted to Matthew¡¯s attack on Centian Group. Ding!


    A WhatsApp notification sounded. When she picked up her phone to take a look, she saw that it was a


    WhatsApp video from Melissa.


    It was a video taken in a hotel suite; Xavier and the woman in the video seemed delightfully enjoying


    each other¡¯spany like two people who were in love. It was a beautiful sight to see.


    However, when Veronica took a closer look, that woman turned out to be¡­ her! Her heart skipped a beat


    as she held her breath.


    Then, she straightened her posture and observed the video again. After careful observation, she realized


    that the person in the video was not her but¡­ Tiffany!


    Although the woman in the video had the same ck bob hair and looked like her, the hotel room and


    the intense lingering affection between the two people were enough to prove that it was not Veronica.


    It was clear that Tiffany was sober in the video as she tried to take advantage to seduce Xavier. At this


    moment, Veronica¡¯s mind suddenly went nk.


    Had Tiffany lost her mind? How could she get mixed up with Xavier?


    Could it be that she started to pester Xavier after being hurt by Matthew, or was it that because Tiffany


    looked exactly like Veronica herself, Tiffany was willing to be used to Xavier just to provoke her?


    No way! Veronica shook her head.


    She knew that Tiffany was always prideful. Although the woman in this video could be said to be


    Veronica once it was released, it would also have an impact on Tiffany. It would humiliate both of them¡­


    There was no way that she would do that! Veronica rubbed her temples after putting her phone on the


    table. Then, she leaned on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.


    She was exhausted. Back then, she used to envy all the twin sisters. She felt that the connection


    between the sisters was beautiful; they could empathize whenever one or the other was happy or sad.


    Why wasn¡¯t she like that with Tiffany? Veronica sat quietly for a moment before her phone rang; it was


    Melissa again.


    Nevertheless, Veronica picked up the phone without hesitation and slid her thumb over the answer


    button before holding it to her ear. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    She went straight to the point; even trying to word things politely felt like a waste of time.


    ¡°Haha, I like how direct you are.¡± Melissa had a sneer on her face as she continued, ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell


    you through the phone. Meet me at Phil¡¯s Restaurant in half an hour. I¡¯ll see you there.¡±


    With that, she immediately hung up the phone.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Veronica held her phone in her hand and felt an impending headache about to bloom. She sat alone in


    her living room for a while longer before she finally couldn¡¯t hold herself back and decided to call Tiffany.


    Beep, beep.


    The phone rang several times before the other party finally picked up the phone.


    Veronica could hear Tiffany¡¯s clearughter without waiting for her to speak. ¡°This is rare. Why did you


    call?¡±


    It was obvious that Tiffany did not expect Veronica to take the initiative to call her.


    ¡°Tiffany, I don¡¯t care what your rtionship is with Xavier, but I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t be so reckless just


    because we have the same face.¡±


    Tiffany had deliberately worn a wig and pretended to be Melissa. Wasn¡¯t it evident that she cooperated


    with Xavier to record the video and used it as ckmail?


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Tiffany pretended to be confused and continued,


    ¡°Veronica, it¡¯s almost New Year¡¯s Day. Our parents want you toe back and celebrate the festivity


    together. Can you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to waste prattling about senseless things with you. I just called to warn you not to


    pretend to be me to have sex with Xavier! I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re shameless, but I still have my reputation


    to uphold!¡±


    Veronica was utterly weary at the current state of affairs. She had just signed a contract with Starshine


    Media Agency and had officially entered the modeling circle.


    If there was a possibility of endorsements, or if she were to get famous in the future, the video¡¯s release


    with Xavier would make her aughing stock.


    Other than herself, the whole Kings Family would suffer as well. The more she thought about this, the


    more she felt like it would be unsuitable for her to be with Matthew.


    It was all because of Tiffany¡¯s existence; she was the most challenging problem to deal with as she was


    a ticking time bomb. Who knew what Tiffany would do if she went crazy?


    ¡°Veronica, please don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re my sister. You¡¯ll hurt my feelings by talking like that. Also, you


    can¡¯t say that I¡¯m shameless. After all, you were still f*cking Matthew on the day of my engagement with


    him. So, if I were topare, we¡¯re practically almost the same!¡±


    Back then, Tiffany had no idea about any of these. She had only learned about them after getting


    together with Xavier.


    One couldn¡¯tprehend how shocked and forlorn she was when she discovered all this.


    Maybe it was because Veronica had taken so many things away from her. And because of this, she


    hated Veronica to the core.


    Other than wanting to take revenge on Matthew, Tiffany also wanted to destroy every Veronica had.


    Veronica was rendered speechless when she heard this.


    If anyone asked Veronica about her take on that matter, she would insist that she was innocent. Since


    things had already escted, she had chosen to be with Matthew. Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t cast the me


    on him.


    Instead, she said, ¡°You can¡¯t argue with destiny.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, it was just fate taking its course.¡±


    Tiffany¡¯s voice was t with no trace of emotions¡ªbe it joy, anger, or sorrow.


    Actually, to be precise, Veronica could hear a hint of sadness. Tiffany even sounded a little lost as she


    spoke slowly; her helplessness was apparent.


    ¡°If Mom and Dad had strangled you to death on the day they abandoned you, maybe none of these


    would¡¯ve happened. I might not lose my qualifications to be a mother. Veronica, it is you and Matthew


    that ruined everything for me. Everything! Bit by bit, I¡¯ll make you both pay for it!¡±


    Tiffany¡¯sst sentence was squeezed out through her gritted teeth.


    Although vague, Veronica could hear the tremble in her voice.


    Finally, Tiffany let out the anger and resentment that she had held.


    ¡°To destroy us is to destroy yourself.¡±


    Although Veronica knew that Tiffany was serious about her revenge, she did not expect it to be up to this


    extent.


    ¡°Hahaha¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Tiffany threw her head back andughed. Herughter was eerie and


    cold, sending shivers down one¡¯s spine.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been messed up to this point. What else do I have to cherish? Huh? It was all because of


    Matthew that Xavier had hired someone to kidnap and humiliate me. If you were the one engaged to


    Matthew, you would¡¯ve been the victim of that humiliation.¡± Her voice went a decibel higher as soon as


    she said that, and she shouted hysterically, ¡°It should¡¯ve been you, Veronica! It should¡¯ve been you!¡±


    Previous Chapter


    Next Chapter Coming Soon...

 Chapter 359

    Chapter 359


    Chapter 359 Matthew Has a Mistress


    Tiffany almost lost her mind and seemed to have forgotten that it was she who had taken the credit that


    belonged to Veronica and sucked up to Matthew just to try and marry him. Yet now that Tiffany ended up


    at this point, she med Veronica for everything.


    Veronica suddenly felt that Tiffany was pitiful and pathetic.


    ¡°You clearly know that Melissa sent the group of people that assaulted you, yet you still decide to get


    yourself involved with Xavier!¡± Veronica sighed. ¡°I¡¯d advise you to go to the hospital to get your brain


    checked.¡±


    ¡°Veronica you¡ª¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Tiffany was furious and wanted to retaliate, but Veronica did not give her


    a chance as she hung up the phone directly.


    She might have hated Tiffany back then, but Veronica only had sympathy for her now.


    But what was there to sympathize with a mindless idiot like Tiffany?


    Ding!


    A WhatsApp notification sounded again.


    A message popped up on the phone¡¯s screen; it was from Melissa.


    In the message, she said, ¡°Room 902 of the Phil¡¯s Restaurant.¡±


    Nevertheless, Veronica ignored the message as she had no n to go.


    Then, she continued to pack her things at home and did her chores when a call from Shirley came.


    ¡°Shirley?¡±


    ¡°Ron, where are you? Can you do me a favor?¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Shirly sounded a little anxious.


    Immediately, Veronica felt something was wrong and quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with Monica at the children¡¯s hospital. Her child identally got hurt in her mother-inw¡¯s care. I¡¯ve


    asked several hospitals already, and no one is willing to ept this child. He¡¯s in severe condition. What


    should I do?¡±


    Shirley briefly exined the situation to Veronica, and her heart skipped a beat when she heard it.


    ¡°What? Her mother-inw hurt the child?¡±


    ¡°Well, Monica¡¯s mother-inw held a grudge against her because her husband was thrown into prison.


    So, this was her way of taking it out on Monica by hurting the child.¡±


    ¡°I see. Let¡¯s forget about that for now. Where are you guys?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re at the entrance of Westcross Children Hospital. Unfortunately, the little boy is too young, so


    several hospitals refused to ept him. Can you think of something?¡±


    Shirly sounded a little choked up as she spoke, and Veronica could hear Monica¡¯s cry from the other end


    of the phone alongside the baby¡¯s wails.


    Veronica nodded immediately and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    After she hung up the phone, she was going to call Matthew but thought against it, seeing that it was too


    late and she did not want to bother him.


    Then, Veronica gave it more thought before she finally found Skyler¡¯s phone number on WhatsApp.


    Veronica and Skyler had met a few times before, and the two exchanged numbers but had never


    chatted.


    Veronica had learned from Matthew inadvertently that Skyler had given up medicine to be a


    businessman. Before that, he was a prodigy in the medical field. So, naturally, he would have a wide


    range of connections.


    When she thought of this, she took the initiative to reach out to him. Although it was abrupt, she had no


    other way to handle this issue.


    She clicked on his number and let it ring a few times before the other party answered the call.


    ¡°Oh? Roni? Oh my, is this actually you calling me?¡±


    It was evident that Skyler did not expect the call at all.


    ¡°Skyler, one of my friend¡¯s newborn, fell and was injured. He¡¯s in severe condition, but no hospital is


    willing to take him in. I know you used to be a doctor, so I assumed you¡¯d have some connections. Can


    you help save this child¡¯s life?¡±


    It was an emergency, and she did not want to beat around the bush. So, she briefly exined the


    situation without batting an eye.


    Then, she quickly added, ¡°I know it is very sudden for me to suddenly call you like this, but I have no


    choice. Can you help me?¡±


    Although Monica¡¯s husband had taken money from Xavier and joined the reporters to falsely use her


    of assault, Monica had stood by her side, supporting and helping her from the beginning till the end.


    Hence, Veronica had no justification for taking her anger out on Monica.


    Moreover, after establishing Encounters Bridal Store, Shirley worked there as a part-time nner,


    bringing many benefits to thepany. In contrast, Veronica actually admired Monica very much.


    ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s rare that you¡¯re calling me. How could I refuse?¡±


    Of course, Skyler would not reject Veronica.


    After all, he already knew that she and Matthew were secretly in love; she would be his friend¡¯s wife.


    If he were to refuse her question, it would be like asking for death.


    ¡°Currently, in Bloomstead, the best pediatricians are all in Westcross Children Hospital. I¡¯ll give the


    people there a call now. Send me your friend¡¯s phone number,¡± Skyler said.


    At this moment, Veronica did not expect the yful and unruly Skyler, who was always fooling around, to


    be so righteous.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll forward you her number right away. Thank you so much. When youe back, I¡¯ll treat you to


    dinner.¡±


    With that, she immediately hung up the phone and forwarded Monica¡¯s number to Skyler.


    At the same time, Veronica headed downstairs and drove straight to Westcross Children¡¯s Hospital.


    Although she was not married, nor did she have children, as a woman, she could feel Monica¡¯s


    desperation at the current moment.


    How could she just stand idly by?


    More than ten minutester, when Veronica arrived at Westbrook Children¡¯s Hospital, Monica¡¯s son had


    been brought to the operating theater for surgery.


    When Veronica saw Monica, she was sitting in the hall, crying.


    Before Veronica could go up tofort her, Skyler also appeared in the emergency room corridor.


    ¡°Hey, Roni?¡±


    As soon as Veronica saw him, she immediately walked over with a smile. ¡°Skyler, I really have you to


    thank this time. I¡ª¡±


    Just as she was about to thank him, his phone rang, and he raised his hand. ¡°Excuse me, let me take a


    call.¡±


    Then, he turned his back to her and took the call. Veronica could hear a woman¡¯s soft voice from the


    other end. ¡°Hey, Sky, look who I¡¯m with!¡±


    ¡°Who cares who you¡¯re with? It¡¯s none of my business,¡± Skyler retorted angrily, clearly disgusted.


    Because it was a video call, the call was automatically amplified on speakers. So, Veronica, who was on


    the side, could hear everything clearly even if she didn¡¯t deliberately try to listen in.


    Then, she thought to herself, Could it be that Skyler, this dirtbag, slept with another woman and now


    owes it to this woman?


    ¡°Hmph, you heartless sc*mbag. You¡¯re nothing like Matt,¡± the woman in the video call whined.


    Matt?


    Matt?!


    Then, out of intuition, Veronica immediately raised her head and caught a glimpse of the video call in


    Skyler¡¯s hands. There, she happened to see a woman wearing a skimpy red dress with a yellow shawl


    hugging¡­ Matthew!


    Matthew lowered his head as he held a ss of wine, sipping it. The woman hung herself around his


    neck and even leaned her head on his shoulder affectionately.


    The worst part was that he showed no resistance at all!


    Veronica¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, only to feel her heart sink as a suffocating pain surged instantly.


    She continued to stare at Skyler¡¯s phone. Just then, Skyler realized that she was standing behind him


    and immediately lowered the volume of the call and said, ¡°I¡¯m busy now. We¡¯ll talkter.¡±


    After that, he quickly hung up the phone.


    As he put his phone away, he smiled at Veronica as he stared at her, wondering if she saw anything in


    the video call.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As she had never been one to show her emotions, she still kept a calm front even after what she saw on


    the phone and smiled back. ¡°You¡¯ve helped me a lot today. Let¡¯s go for dinner when you¡¯re free.¡±

 Chapter 360

    Chapter 360


    Chapter 360 Skyler Tests Veronica


    ¡°No worries, it¡¯s no big deal.¡± Skyler smiled sheepishly as he replied. His eyes were sharp as he studied


    Veronica, as if he was looking for any sort of hint.


    All this while, he was muttering in his heart, fearing that she would be furious at what she saw on the


    video and break up with Matthew.


    ording to Matthew, he was still on a probation period of three months. Skyler was afraid that she


    would break up with Matthew if she found out about this.


    Skyler did not dare to bring it up, let alone ask her.


    Instead, he tilted his head and nced at Monica, who was sitting on the side, sobbing with her head


    down. Shirley was by her side,forting Monica.


    Seeing that the two of them didn¡¯t notice anything, Skyler leaned toward Veronica and asked in a low


    voice, ¡°Roni, how are you and Matthew doing?¡±


    He was frantically trying to test her to see her reaction before analyzing whether she had overheard what


    had just happened.


    When she heard this, she was a little taken aback as she did not expect Matthew to share these things.


    However, he recalled that the two were very close, and it would make sense for him to do so.


    ¡°Although I do owe you, I don¡¯t think we know each other well enough for me to share about these,¡±


    Veronica answered aloofly.


    Skyler was at a loss for words.


    D*mn it, she was ruthless!


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey. What about this? I¡¯ll trade my favor for an answer!¡± This deal was such a steal for


    Veronica.


    ¡°Just like that? Wouldn¡¯t you be at a loss?¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. Matthew¡¯s affairs are my topmost priority.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Skyler feared that his death day would be near if he identally ruined Matthew¡¯s love life.


    ¡°Oh. We¡¯re alright. We¡¯re still in a probationary period.¡± Her answer was extremely perfunctory.


    Skyler did not get the answer he wanted and asked again, ¡°What do you think of Matthew right now?¡±


    ¡°Your favor has been exchanged for an answer. Unfortunately, you¡¯ve run out of favors,¡± Veronica replied


    indifferently.


    ¡°Oh, hey, Roni, you¡¯ve gone too far. I¡¯ve rushed all the way here to help you. Aren¡¯t you being somewhat


    unkind?¡±


    ¡°Am I? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s red lips curved upwards slightly, and her shallow dimples could be seen. Her smile was


    enticing but also a little yful.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Ding, ding, ding!


    Just as Skyler wanted to question her further, he heard her phone ring.


    Veronica reached out to take her phone. When she saw the caller ID on the screen, her face immediately


    sank, and she turned around to answer the phone.


    Once the phone was connected, she did not speak as she quietly waited for the caller to talk.


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, you actually stood me up! Believe it or not, I will expose that shameful video of you


    and my brother to the Inte!¡± Melissa roared angrily.


    Nevertheless, Veronica was wholly unmoved by her threat.


    That was because she knew very well that one indulgence from her would lead to countless threats from


    Melissa as she became more unscrupulous.


    ¡°If you want to post it, feel free to do so. Could it be that you would listen to me if I told you not to put it on


    the Inte?¡± Veronica sneered. She felt that both Melissa and her brother, Xavier, were sc*mbags.


    ¡°Fine, I shall grant your wish.¡±


    After speaking, Melissa immediately hung up the phone.


    Veronica¡¯s face turned serious when Melissa ended the call as she clutched the phone in her hand;


    uneasiness washed over her.


    Ever since Matthewunched an attack on the Crawfords, his actions had shaken the entire family¡¯s


    impregnable status in the upper ss of society. As a result, their businesses gradually failed, and their


    cash flow stagnated. Soon, most of the factories began to close down due to bankruptcy.


    Even in the past two days, the stocks were limited; Veronica even heard that the Crawfords would


    suspend any new uing stocks.


    Investors that began to sell the Crawfords¡¯ shares were disappointed as no one wanted to buy it from


    them. Thus, they could only watch as the stocks dropped, as theymented their fate.


    Therefore, the purpose of Melissa¡¯s call today was evident.


    Then, Veronica started to think. In the future, even if she could turn things around and change the fortune


    of the Crawfords, Melissa would still continue to threaten her to do her bidding.


    ¡°Hey, Roni, what are you thinking about?¡±


    Skyler, who was standing next to her, saw Veronica lowering her head in thought as she hung up the


    phone. Yet, he shouted for her a few times, but she did not respond.


    Skyler assumed that something must have happened to her.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, no, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Veronica quickly put her phone away and spoke to Skyler, ¡°Anyway, thank you very much for today. I will


    buy you dinner once you¡¯re free.¡±


    After she said this, she did not bother to give Skyler a chance to speak as she walked past him and


    toward Monica.


    ¡°Monica, are you okay?¡± she patted Monica on the shoulder andforted her.


    ¡°Wahh¡­. President Murphy, thank you so much. If it weren¡¯t for your help today, I wouldn¡¯t have known


    what to do.¡±


    Monica held a ball of tissue in her hand as she rubbed her red and swollen eyes, choking and sobbing.


    Then, Veronica noticed that there was a cut on Monica¡¯s mouth which was a little ck-blue. In addition,


    there were several scratches on her cheeks, and her hair was a mess.


    ¡°What happened to you? How did you get hurt?¡±


    Veronica was confused.


    Logically speaking, Monica¡¯s mother is old. And no matter how strong she was, she couldn¡¯t beat Monica


    up like this.


    Shirley, who was beside her, quickly exined, ¡°Roni, stop bringing it up. That older woman is ruthless.


    She went to the extent of calling her daughter and son-inw to beat Monica up like this. That older


    woman is shameless! If you ask me, I think that old woman should¡¯ve gone to jail with her son!¡±


    ¡°What the f*ck, that man is a horrible husband. If you asked me, it would be best to get a divorce as soon


    as possible so you wouldn¡¯t be stuck with this piece of cr*p.¡±


    Skyler, who was walking over, became annoyed when he heard what Shirley had said.


    When Monica saw Skr approach, she immediately stood up and kneeled before him. ¡°Young Master


    Skyler, thank you. Thank you so much. If it weren¡¯t for you today, I wouldn¡¯t have known that the


    immigration counter was automatic.


    Monica¡¯s son was still young and fragile. Nevertheless, her mother-inw threw the child to the ground


    during today¡¯s struggle, causing severe cerebral hemorrhage and weakened breathing.


    As her son¡¯s condition was severe, along with the fact that New Year was approaching, no hospital dared


    to take Monica¡¯s son in.


    Entirely at a loss of what to do, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to beg for help from Veronica.


    Monica sobbed as she thanked Skyler. ¡°President Murphy, thank you for your help. You and Skyler are


    my son¡¯s saviors. I really¡­thank you so much!¡±


    Monica was a beautiful woman with long straight ck hair. So, her sad face from sobbing could easily


    incite one¡¯s urge to sympathize with her.


    ¡°Enough, get up. It¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    Therefore, Skyler couldn¡¯t stand how pitiful she was and felt a sense of difort as Monica sobbed her


    heart out in gratitude.


    Throughout all these, Veronica hadn¡¯t spoken a single word.


    Although she knew that Monica was the one who owed Skr a favor, Veronica was her superior and


    would have to thank Skyler. Regardless, Monica was the one who benefited from his actions, so she


    would have to thank him herself.


    It was something they needed to settle on their own.


    The silent hallways of the hospital echoed with Monica¡¯s choked sobs.

 Chapter 361

    Chapter 361


    Chapter 361 Melissa Truly Has a Strong Taste


    Monica¡¯s voice was choked with tears, and her eyes were so teary that they were bloodshot. At this


    moment, she looked highly helter-skelter.


    When Veronica first met her, she was still an intellectual and graceful, beautiful woman. However, she


    did not expect Monica to end up in such a miserable state after not seeing her for half a month.


    ¡°Shirley, do you mind apanying Monica first? I still have some urgent matters to deal with. I¡¯lle


    to see you, girls,ter.¡±


    In fact, Veronica really had an urgent matter, and she did not dare to dy even for a moment.


    ¡°Sure, President Murphy. Thank you so much.¡±


    With teary eyes, Monica thanked Veronica sincerely. She was tremendously grateful to Veronica for all


    the help that she had received.


    Skyler wanted to follow after Veronica when he saw that she had left in a hurry just to check on the


    situation. However, Monica pulled his sleeve and asked, ¡°Young Master Skyler, what did the doctor say?


    Can my son be saved?¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Skyler really could not answer Monica¡¯s answer. Therefore, he could only console her by


    saying, ¡°He should be fine, so you must not overthink things and exhaust yourself worrying.¡±


    ¡­


    Later, Veronica left the hospital. While on her way back, she passed by an Inte cafe and stopped her


    car at once. She didn¡¯t even bother removing her car keys as she took her bag, ran straight into the


    Inte cafe, and turned on aputer. After she had ess to theputer in her rented


    compartment, her fingers started tapping on the keyboard furiously.


    Shortly after, theputer screen suddenly went pitch ck, and rows of symbols, numbers, and


    ¡®garbled characters¡¯ written in Chinese appeared.


    As Veronica knew very well that Melissa had always done things her own way and never considered the


    consequences of her actions, she thought, Since Melissa said that she would expose the video on the


    Inte, she would definitely do so. Therefore, I must intercept the video before she reveals it to the


    public.


    Even so, the more anxious she was, the more she felt the noise in the Inte cafe was obstreperous.


    ¡°F*ck! Damn! This team, Legion of Vin, is really awesome! They have won several games in just over a


    month!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no fun watching the live broadcast at all. But I¡¯ll definitely buy a ticket if Legion of Vin has a live game


    match.¡±


    ¡°Manager, give me a drink, please.¡±


    ¡°What the hell?! What kind of trash is this? I expect this user to serve as a reinforcement, yet theye


    all the way here just to get killed?¡±


    ¡°Ha! Letting an idiot be the TOP and try to steal my Crest of Insight? Do you have a death wish?¡±


    ¡­


    Coincidentally, today was the day ofpetition between the team from Vincere Games and the


    provincial team. Unfortunately, due to Veronica¡¯spany running an e-sports-rted business and her


    currently being in an Inte cafe, she found herself to be easily distracted at this moment.


    As the atmosphere in the Inte cafe was too noisy, her impetuous mood became increasingly agitated


    to the point that she kept inserting the wrong code several times.


    In a fit of anger, Veronica switched the webpage and started re-entering the code. Within three minutes,


    she directly hacked all theputers in the Inte cafe.


    Suddenly, hundreds ofputers on all three upper and lower floors of the Inte cafe malfunctioned,


    and the screens instantly turned blue.


    There was a burst of malicious swearing in the Inte cafe almost at that moment.


    ¡°Holy sh*t! What¡¯s the situation?!¡±


    ¡°Manager, blue screen error!¡±


    ¡°Manager, what is up with your cafe¡¯s stupidputer?! How can it malfunction and show blue screen


    errors even when I¡¯m ying a game? I was ying a ranked game!¡±


    ¡°F*ck! What the actual f*ck is this?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m watching the game, and things are just getting exciting. F*cking hell!¡±


    ¡°This is pissing me off!¡±


    ¡­


    The enraged group of customers swore and even insulted Veronica¡¯s ancestors as they realized they


    must have been hacked.


    Regardless, Veronica was unbothered by the ruckus they were raising and the rather creative insults.


    After she was done programming the code, she sent a message to Melissa¡¯s WhatsApp. Immediately


    after Melissa clicked it, the program was imnted into her phone.


    Then, her phone went dead no matter what she did.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Melissa was editing the video on her phone. She was going to expose


    Veronica¡¯s video directly through the Twitter verified influencers¡¯ ounts. However, Veronica sent her a


    link right at this moment.


    Under the influence of her curiosity, she clicked on the link. The next moment, her phone was directed to


    a webpage and went dead thereafter.


    Just when Melissa was furious and annoyed, Veronica, who hacked into Melissa¡¯s phone system,


    identally discovered that there were many videos on her phone.


    All those videos were actually the kind of ¡®action movies¡¯ from Japan. Not only that; the scale of the


    ¡®actions¡¯ in the videos was so interestingly hardcore that just a few seconds of watching those videos


    would get people aroused.


    Nheless, for the sake of her scheme to work, she forced herself to look closer. It was right at that


    moment when Veronica found that there were not only videos Melissa downloaded from the Inte but


    ones involving Xavier and Tiffany too. Good heavens! There¡¯s even a video of Melissa with two men!


    Although Veronica was not interested in this kind of video, she was still shocked beyond words.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    She vaguely heard the outsiders¡¯ remarks about Melissa before but did not take them seriously. She


    knew that rumors were always far from the truth, but she didn¡¯t expect that they were more or less on the


    nose about Melissa!


    Now that Veronica saw it with her own eyes, it was truly one of the top ten sights she never expected to


    see in her lifetime.


    She yed the video out of curiosity and watched it for a few seconds. Regardless, when she had a


    clearer look on the face of the man in the video with Melissa, she could not help but gasp. That¡¯s Cody!


    Cody Bowman!


    The colleague, Cody, whom she knew at that time while working in the Twilight Club back when she first


    came to Bloomstead. It was the same colleague who always addressed her as ¡®Big Ron¡¯.


    Veronica ced a significant amount of trust in him, but he eventually betrayed her. It had to be said that


    Tiffany coerced Cody into betraying her. For this reason, Veronica didn¡¯t really hold a grudge against him.


    Still, it never crossed her mind that Cody would change and be Melissa¡¯s¡­ guest of honor.


    Finally, Veronica immediately called Melissa after she had everything she needed from Melissa¡¯s phone.


    Before she could speak, Melissa instantly screamed in a fury, ¡°Veronica Murphy! What sort of virus did


    you imnt into my phone?! You b*tch! Don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t do anything to you by hacking my phone!


    You better listen and listen well. I will send those videos to the Twitter verified influencers¡¯ ounts and


    make them expose you online. I will ruin you in every way possible!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Funny. Why didn¡¯t I find out that you have a hobby of collecting ¡®action movies¡¯ before? This


    hobby of yours is rather interestingly refreshing, dear Melissa.¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t stop theughter that


    bubbled in her chest, so she didn¡¯t. ¡°If you want to post the video, just go ahead. I won¡¯t stop you.


    However, the furthest extent it¡¯ll go is that people will know that something is going on between Xavier


    and me no matter how much you expose me. But you¡ªyou¡¯re different. Threesome, huh? You sure are


    one adventurousdy. Tsk, tsk¡ªas expected, you city folks really know how to have fun.¡±


    As Melissa did not understand the hidden meaning behind Veronica¡¯s words, she was stunned for a


    while. ¡°What threesome? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about and don¡¯t try to evade the subject


    under discussion. Veronica, my terms are the same. Since you¡¯re Matthew¡¯s godsister, you better ask


    him to stop attacking the Crawford Family at once. Otherwise, I will expose your video and cause a big


    uproar. By then, the Kings Corporation and the Kings Family will definitely be dragged into this matter.¡±


    Whenever she recalled those memories of how Veronica had torn her reputation and image to shreds,


    the murderous urge to strangle that b*tch to death would always resurface.


    It was even worse when she saw how Veronica seemed to be enjoying her life to the fullest and even


    became Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter. In contrast, she became more miserable, which triggered her


    immensely, making her hatred toward Veronica fester within her.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m talking about? Well then, let me give you some hints.¡± Veronica


    paused for a while before she continued, ¡°Hotel. One at the front while another at the back, and you, in


    between, like an Oreo. Out of curiosity, was it satisfying?¡±


    At once, her words made Melissa feel as though a bolt of lightning had struck her. Terrified, her face


    abruptly turned ghastly pale.


    So, she swallowed her growing hysteria with difficulty as she stuttered, ¡°Y-You¡­ What are you talking


    about? I don¡¯t understand a word you said, but Veronica, I¡¯m warning you. Do not spew nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Why are you so nervous? From the video, I could see you were quite enjoying the process. The video


    evensted for three hours. Man, you sure have good stamina. Just for that, you have my unwavering


    admiration!¡± Veronica smiled as she mocked Melissa.


    Unfortunately, when these words rang in Melissa¡¯s ears, she was totally enraged. At that moment, her


    hysteria gave way to manic hostility as she yelled on the other end of the phone, ¡°Argh!!! Veronica, I¡¯m


    going to kill you! Kill! You! Dead! Where did you get the video?! Veronica, I swear to God I will kill you!¡±


    Previous Chapter


    Next Post

 Chapter 362

    Chapter 362


    Chapter 362 Appalling Action Movie


    Indeed, Melissa had certain special hobbies; she liked these videos and even enjoyed collecting them.


    However, the security on her phone was nigh unbreakable; that was why she was so bold as to


    download them to her phone for future perusal. She even made sure to lock the photos and videos in her


    phone¡¯s gallery with a password. That way, outsiders had no chance to view them at all.


    Therefore, she didn¡¯t expect that her videos would be leaked after clicking the link sent by Veronica.


    As Veronica listened to the howl from the other end of the phone, the corner of her rosy lips curled into


    vindictive satisfaction, and the illusion of the sword of Damocles she felt brushing against her nape


    dissipated.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± She leaned against the gaming chair in the booth. At that moment, she simply felt that she was


    blessed by heaven. The ckmail material she had on Melissa was enough to ensure that the rabid


    woman would leave her alone for the time being, at the very least.


    Otherwise, Veronica really had no idea how to deal with Melissa¡¯s threat.


    After that, she continued leaning against the chair in thepartment, utterly immersed in her thoughts.


    The atmosphere outside her booth at the Inte cafe was still as noisy as ever. When she realized that


    themotion was still ongoing due to her earlier actions, only then did she react, and she immediately


    restored all theputers in the Inte cafe. After that, she opened the live broadcast software to


    watch the match between Legion of Vin and the top team from Daalgas.


    In the end, Legion of Vin defeated the team from Daalgas with a 2:1 advantage.


    It was an indisputable fact that the team had won.


    At the same time, Jayden and Shawn, partners of Vincere Games, sent a congrattory message on


    WhatsApp. Naturally, this put Veronica in a good mood.


    She kept smiling as she rested her arms on the armrests until she suddenly thought of something. Then,


    she took her phone and called Matthew.


    After she dialed the number, it took a while for the other party to answer her call.


    ¡°Roni?¡± Instantly, the familiar and gentle voice sounded on the other end of the phone. Even if Veronica


    had heard this charmingly maic voice a thousand times, it would still make her heart flutter.


    ¡°Have you slept?¡± Her tone was calm, and not an ounce of displeasure was heard in her voice.


    ¡°Yeah. I slept.¡± Matthew replied.


    Unfortunately, these words that he whispered gently felt like a harsh blow to Veronica as the sharp sting


    of betrayal seeped into her heart.


    Slept?


    Veronica nced at theputer and noticed only a mere 30 minutes had passed since Skyler called


    him.


    Yet, he said he slept?!


    ¡°In that case, have a good rest. I got to get busy.¡±


    Although the weather was cold enough to freeze the tail off a brass monkey, the staff in the Inte cafe


    had turned on the heater to ensure their customers¡¯ satisfaction, so the establishment was warm and


    cozy.


    s, those words that escaped Matthew¡¯s lips sent her into an abyss of frost and biting chill.


    It was a kind of a disappointment that spread from the bottom of her heart and made every pore in her


    body seep with coldness.


    Matthew went abroad for half a month, and he did keep in touch with Veronica during this period. Yet,


    she hardly ever called him at this time.


    Therefore, right at that moment, he knew there must be something up with Veronica for her to suddenly


    give him a call.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did something happen?¡± he asked with concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to inform you that I¡¯m returning to my hometown.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Thomas that it¡¯s still snowing in Bloomstead. So, don¡¯t drive when you go back.¡± He was


    still as attentive and thoughtful as ever.


    Nevertheless, it was different for Veronica this time. The scene of Matthew sitting with the sexy woman


    and his shoulders being hugged by the woman appeared in Veronica¡¯s mind.


    At this juncture, she merely felt she was not the only person he ¡®cared for with great solicitude¡¯.


    Promiscuous!


    ¡°Okay then, bye.¡± Veronica hung up the phone directly. Then, she got up and left the Inte cafe.


    After she exited the Inte cafe, she stood by the roadside. As she looked at the empty space where


    she had parked her car just now, she simply felt that even the ice-cold water from Antarctica was not


    enough to cool down her anger at this point.


    Due to her rush to stop Melissa, she parked her car randomly on the roadside when she entered the


    Inte cafe. Who knew her car would be towed away after a while.


    At the end of the day, all she could do was press her palms against her forehead as she sighed in


    frustration.


    She had no choice but to stop a taxi on the roadside. Then, she went to the Traffic Police Division and


    paid the fine and towing fee. It took her a while to settle everything.


    Later, she bought a bunch of nutritional supplements and went to the hospital to visit Monica¡¯s child.


    However, the doctor in charge transferred the child to the ICU after leaving the emergency room.


    When she was chatting with Monica and Shirley in the hospital ward, Hendrey called.


    Veronica walked out to answer the phone. ¡°Hendrey?¡±


    ¡°Roni, have you gone home yet?¡± Hendrey asked. Then, he immediately added, ¡°I¡¯m talking about


    returning to your hometown.¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. I¡¯m going back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back together. Mypany is also having a holiday, and I haven¡¯t returned to my hometown for


    a long time. This is perfect! Now we can go back together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I was still thinking that I would feel lonely driving back alone.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, okay. Then I¡¯ll see youter.¡±


    With that, the two agreed on a time to meet before hanging up.


    Veronica put away her phone. Before she could enter the ward, Veronica saw Monicae out and


    stand beside the ICU ward. The woman was looking inside through the ss wall with an expectant yet


    distraught look.


    Since Skyler had personally greeted the hospital¡¯s director, Monica was allowed to stay in the standard


    ward next to the ICU ward so that things would be convenient for her if she ever wanted to check on her


    son.


    Veronica sighed as she walked over and said to Monica, ¡°Your mother-inw shouldn¡¯t beat you and your


    son up no matter how angry she was. My suggestion will be that you should report to the police and


    make a statement.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Yeah. What Veronica said makes sense.¡±


    Besides Veronica, Shirley also started persuading Monica, ¡°If you don¡¯t file for a police report and


    frighten them this time, they¡¯ll definitely do it again next time.¡±


    Monica stared at the child lying inside the ICU ward with unblinking eyes as tears ran down her cheeks.


    Finally, she nodded resolutely after a brief hesitation. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    She turned back, looked at Veronica, pursed her lips, and sped her hands together cautiously. Then,


    as her head lowered in gratitude and guilt, she professed in choked sobs. ¡°President Murphy, I was the


    one who had wronged you before. I wouldn¡¯t know what would have happened if it weren¡¯t for your


    generosity.¡±


    Veronica immediatelyforted Monica upon hearing her words by saying, ¡°Nah, it¡¯s alright. No need to


    thank me. We¡¯re acquaintances, not strangers.¡± After that, she added again, ¡°Take good care of yourself


    and your son. I¡¯m still waiting for you toe back to help me one day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will definitely do so.¡± Monica was grateful.


    In the evening, Veronica arrived at the Turkish restaurant as agreed with Hendrey.


    When she arrived, he was already there.


    So, she couldn¡¯t help but smile in slight embarrassment as she apologized, ¡°Sorry for keeping you


    waiting.¡±


    ¡°Oh, not at all. I just arrived too.¡± While Hendrey talked, he poured a ss of water for Veronica and


    ced it before her. Then, he handed her the menu. ¡°Take a look. What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can proceed to order first. As for me, I¡¯ll wait for my girlfriend toe over before


    ordering.¡± Hendrey smiled warmly, raised his hand, and pushed the sses on his nose bridge.


    Veronica, who was drinking water, was startled and asked in surprise, ¡°You have a girlfriend? So soon?¡±


    ¡°I met herst time I came back. It took me a long time to sessfully court her.¡±


    ¡°Which beautiful youngdy actually received your affection? Such a luckydy.¡±


    ¡°You know her.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Veronica looked curious.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find outter.¡± Hendrey kept her guessing.


    Knock, knock, knock¡ª


    While the two were talking, someone knocked on the door.


    Immediately afterward, the room door opened. The person outside pushed the door and walked in.


    A beautiful woman wearing a long woolen coat, slightly curly long hair, a khaki beret, and light makeup


    came into sight.


    Nevertheless, when Veronica looked up at the oing person, her pupils suddenly trembled, and she


    could feel the chill running down her spine.


    ¡°Tiffany, you¡¯re here?¡±


    Hendrey immediately stood up and walked to her once he saw Tiffany. Then, he took the bag from her


    hand and took her hand as he escorted her to the table. Finally, he said to Veronica, ¡°The two of you


    should know each other, so there¡¯s no need for me to introduce you further.¡±


    Previous Chapter

 Chapter 363

    Chapter 363


    Chapter 363 Simmering Tension Beneath the Surface


    ¡°Tiffany?¡± Veronica¡¯s head buzzed with white noise when she saw the woman. In all honesty, she never


    expected that the girlfriend Hendrey was courting actually turn out to be Tiffany!


    What¡¯s going on here? Tiffany merely gave Veronica a gentle smile as she faced Veronica. ¡°Veronica, I


    heard Hendrey say that you¡¯re his ssmate. Is that true? If so, that truly is fate.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Even though Veronica was utterly shocked, she still managed to maintain herposure.


    Instead, she just sat in her seat without much emotion. Then, she held her ss and took a sip of the


    lukewarm water. ¡°It really is ¡®coincidence¡¯.¡±


    Is this a coincidence or intentional?


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a coincidence indeed,¡± Tiffany said as she tilted her head to look at Hendrey. Like a lotus


    rising out of the water, her smile was beautiful andpelling.


    She even went on to say, ¡°Hendrey mistook me for you when he met me for the first time, and I had to


    untangle that web of misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been abroad, so I don¡¯t know much about you and your sister. So, if it weren¡¯t for her exnations, I


    would have continued mistaking her for you.¡± Hendrey smiled and exined the situation to Veronica.


    ¡°Really? How long have you two been together?¡± Veronica raised her eyebrows and asked calmly. Her


    indifferent attitude was like she was casually chatting with her close friends.


    ¡°I fell in love with Tiffany the first time Iid my eyes on her. I particrly liked her gentle, virtuous, and


    graceful nature. I have been confessing and courting her for so long, and it was only after she returned


    from overseas that she was willing to be my girlfriend.¡± Hendrey tilted his head and looked at Tiffany. His


    words were filled with endless tenderness.


    In response to his words, he raised his hand to brush the hair on Tiffany¡¯s cheek. It was as clear as day


    that he was genuinely smitten with her.


    It never crossed Veronica¡¯s mind that she would witness Tiffany sitting and being in a rtionship with


    her first love one day.


    Is this some sort of cosmic joke?


    ¡°Hendrey, let¡¯s order first. Otherwise, Veronica will be hungry.¡± Tiffany pursed her lips, and Veronica


    noticed that when she talked to Hendry, there was a hint of allure in her tone.


    When Veronica heard it, she felt that Tiffany¡¯s voice resembled a soul extractor. Suffice to say, she


    couldn¡¯t help but cringe at it and felt that her soul had ¡®left¡¯ her body out of sheer disgust.


    The two of them ordered first. Then, they handed Veronica the menu, and she ordered hers.


    After the three ced their respective orders with the waiter, they sat and chatted.


    At that moment, Veronica swore to God that if it were not for the fact that Hendrey was her first love, she


    would have left without a word rather than torture herself with Tiffany¡¯spany. But, s, here she was,


    in this very room, feeling her potent disgust toward Tiffany while maintaining the polite facade even


    though her stomach churned at her actions.


    ¡°Hendrey, I told my parents about you, and they said they liked you very much.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good,¡± Hendrey said as he tilted his head. His gaze, which was full of affection for her,


    met Tiffany¡¯s.


    Their love was so deep that he disregarded Veronica¡¯s existence and kissed Tiffany¡¯s rosy lips.


    At this point, Veronica was utterly speechless.


    Damn it! Someone save me from this! I know love is blind! But I never would have expected Hendrey to


    be one of these blind fools!


    ¡°Oh, Hendrey. Veronica is still here. Stop fooling around.¡± Tiffany covered her lips while looking shy.


    ¡°Haha. Veronica, uh¡ª¡± Hendrey smiled awkwardly as he raised his hand, scratched his head, and


    smiled like a lovestruck moron. ¡°Veronica, I hope you don¡¯t mind. I¡ªTiffany is my first girlfriend, so I¡ª


    sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯re all adults. It¡¯s fine.¡± Veronica waved her hand. Nevertheless, she felt that it would be a


    torment for her to sit for an extra minute in this environment, so she excused herself for a momentary


    reprieve, ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom. You guys continue.¡±


    As soon as those words left her lips, she didn¡¯t waste any time removing herself from that bizarre


    situation.


    Veronica could not help it; there¡¯s just a limit to one¡¯s tolerance when ites to something like this. The


    room was filled with flirty vibes, and she was afraid that the lovebirds would suffocate her at the rate they


    were going if she stayed in the private room for a second longer and didn¡¯t get some well-deserved fresh


    air.


    The door closed, and the room fell silent.


    Hendrey looked at Tiffany next to him and saw that she leaned forward to him. Soon, she wrapped her


    arms around his neck, raised her head, and kissed his lips.


    How could Hendrey possibly not give in to his desire when a beauty such as Tiffany was in his arms?


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Naturally, he hugged her back and responded with a passionate kiss.


    Meanwhile, Veronica washed her hands in the public sink in the washroom and leaned on one side to


    y with her phone after she came out.


    After a while, someone appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Why are you hiding here? Are you feeling particrly upset seeing your first love being taken away by


    me?¡± Tiffany stood in front of Veronica and smiled triumphantly.


    Veronica snorted as she kept her phone away, ¡°Do you think that Hendrey would still like you if he knew


    about your past?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well. It¡¯s not my fault that Hendrey likes me.¡±


    As Tiffany spoke, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and pondered deeply. Finally, she added,


    ¡°Not to mention, Hendrey is really handsome. His nature is as gentle and graceful as a gentleman. Apart


    from Matthew, no one looks more handsome than him. It makes me happy to be together with someone


    like him.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡­


    While the two were bickering in the washroom, Hendrey called a mysterious man in the room. ¡°Boss, I


    have approached and got close to Tiffany. So what should I do next?¡±


    To begin with, Hendrey was not a good person, and his feelings for Tiffany weren¡¯t genuine.


    Even so, he did feel that Tiffany was a natural beauty. Like a lotus rising out of the water, her beauty was


    breathtaking.


    It¡¯ll be a pity if I don¡¯t enjoy myself after taking such a beauty down.


    I, Hendrey, never imed myself as a good person. So, of course, I won¡¯t sit around like a saint and not


    have a taste of her.


    ¡°I will send someone to pass you a type of drug. Then, find a way to inject it into Tiffany¡¯s body and see if


    there will be any marks on her back.¡±


    At first, the mysterious boss ordered Hendrey toe to Bloomstead simply to ask him to get rid of


    Tiffany as soon as possible.


    Yet, for some reason, the mysterious bosster asked him to date Tiffany first in order to not


    inadvertently alert their enemy and asked him to find a way to prove Tiffany¡¯s true identity.


    For this reason, Hendrey transformed into Tiffany¡¯s suitor and courted her.


    ¡°Do you mean that Tiffany may not be the person you¡¯re looking for?¡± Hendrey was a little confused.


    ¡°We often cannot be fooled by one¡¯s appearance.¡± With that, the other party directly hung up the phone.


    After a while, Veronica and Tiffany returned.


    The three of them were sitting in the room. Outwardly, they looked like they were ¡®chatting harmoniously¡¯.


    But, in reality, there was simmering tension going beneath the surface, with each of them upied with


    their own thoughts and schemes in mind.


    After dinner, Veronica left.


    Hendrey took Tiffany¡¯s hand and told her he would take her home.


    However, Tiffany suddenly said she wanted a cup of coffee from Urban Break on the roadside. Thus,


    Hendrey had no choice but to buy her a coffee.


    Unexpectedly, Tiffany suddenly spilled the coffee all over herself. She furrowed her brows at the coffee


    stains on her dress as she pouted, ¡°Oh, no. What should we do now? Hendrey, can you stop at the


    nearest hotel so I can change out of these clothes?¡±


    The man driving raised his brows slightly upon hearing her suggestion, ¡°Well, sure.¡±


    Since she¡¯s in a hurry to fling herself into my arms, there¡¯s no reason for me to refuse.


    Therefore, Hendrey took Tiffany to the hotel and checked into a suite room.


    After they entered the room, Tiffany said to Hendrey, ¡°Hendrey, call the customer service department for


    me and request them to send a set of clothes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure.¡± Hendrey nodded slightly.


    With that, Tiffany went into the bathroom to take a shower. But, before she went into the washroom, she


    tilted her head and looked at Hendrey when she closed the door. ¡°Hendrey, you mustn¡¯t peek.¡±


    When the man heard that, a smile painted across his handsome face as he replied, ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 364

    Chapter 364


    Chapter 364 The Mysterious Crayson


    Tiffany took a shower in the bathroom and walked out wrapped in a bathrobe after a long while. Hendrey


    smoked a cigarette as he stood in front of the French window when she came out of the shower. Tiffany


    nced at the brand new set of clothes on the bed.


    Her eyes shed slightly, and she said softly, ¡°Hendrey, you mustn¡¯t look, okay?¡± The man couldn¡¯t help


    his instinctive reaction to turn around when he heard her voice and saw Tiffany wearing a bathrobe. She


    was barefaced, and her long hair was down to her shoulders, revealing her white swan-like neck and


    delicate and alluring corbones. Coupled with her erect nipples due to the chill, she was a true beauty


    desired by all.


    In an instant, Hendrey thought of the lines of a poem by William Wordsworth called ¡®Perfect Woman¡¯,


    She was a Phantom of delight. When she first gleamed upon my sight, a lovely Apparition was sent to be


    a moment¡¯s ornament.


    I must say: these two sisters, Tiffany and Veronica, really are two gorgeous women. Their beauty is still


    soul-stirring even if they don¡¯t wear any makeup.


    But Veronica is the goddess in my heart, so she¡¯s definitely unattainable.


    In fact, she¡¯s even a little aloof. She isn¡¯t as sl*tty as Tiffany.


    It¡¯s interesting. One is a country-bumpkin who came to the city searching for better prospects in life, while


    the other is a daughter of a famous noble family in the capital city. Yet, both have entirely different


    personalities from what people would have expected.


    Truly ironic!


    How could Hendrey not know about Tiffany¡¯s ¡®seduction¡¯?


    With that, he snuffed out the cigarette and walked to Tiffany. Then, he wrapped his arms around her


    waist and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m your man. Can¡¯t I look?¡±


    The domineering words that escaped Hendrey¡¯s lips were utterly different from his warm and soothing


    temperament.


    Actually, there was even a moment when Tiffany could see a dangerous auraing from his eyes that


    lingered around her and did not go away.


    Tiffany pursed her lips as she said enchantingly, ¡°H-Hendrey, I-I¡¯m not ready yet.¡±


    With one hand blocking the distance between them and resisting his approach, she covered her chest


    with the other and murmured with her head lowered.


    ¡°Silly girl.¡± Hendrey leaned over and kissed her lips. The kiss was intensely hot and insanely passionate.


    None of them knew when the bathrobe on Tiffany¡¯s body fell to the ground. Instead, all the two knew that


    they were taking advantage of the hotel bed as they continued their vigorous activities.


    ¡­


    The next day, Hendrey invited Veronica to go back to their hometown together. He lied to her, saying his


    car was being repaired so that he could ask Veronica for a ride.


    Not knowing about his lies, Veronica readily agreed.


    Veronica went to pick Hendrey up, and the two drove back to their hometown.


    On the way, Veronica asked tentatively, ¡°D-Do you like Tiffany very much?¡±


    Hendrey thought of Tiffany¡¯s debauched appearance yesterday upon hearing that question. Boy, she was


    akin to those regrs in clubs. There was not even the slightest bit of nobility in her bones that was


    expected of an heiress like her.


    At that thought, there was a hint of contempt in his eyes.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s not bad,¡± Hendrey replied, betraying his conscience.


    As Veronica heard Hendrey¡¯s words, she leaned against the seat and turned her head to look out the


    window.


    She knew exactly what had happened to Tiffany. From the beginning, when she liked Matthew, she had


    sex with other men in order to conceive a child for the sake of marrying Matthew until she was assaulted


    by the men sent by Melissa and was unable to have children due to a miscarriage. I know them all. Since


    then, Tiffany has been in a slump and has failed to recover from the setback. In addition, she even began


    to develop a ¡®what-the-hell¡¯ mentality and enjoyed all kinds of pleasures with Xavier.


    Although Veronica knew that it was because Tiffany had suffered a colossal blow in life, she had gotten


    to where she was today because she had given up on herself.


    So, despite how much Tiffany disgusted her, she could somehow grasp her despair in the ¡®darkness¡¯ too.


    Although some factors were self-inflicted sins that led to her tragic ending today, it still could not change


    the fact that Melissa did send people to assault her, and Tiffany could no longer bear children after a


    miscarriage because of that. To most women, these two things were unbearable.


    Pitiful and sad at the same time.


    Whenever Veronica thought about this, she would develop sympathy for Tiffany.


    Too bad she doesn¡¯t deserve it!


    ¡°You must have heard affairs about her, right?¡± Veronica asked tentatively, wanting to know Hendrey¡¯s


    thoughts.


    ¡°I know everything about Tiffany and Matthew. But as a girl, it¡¯s actually good enough that she gathers


    her courage to admit her mistakes. To me: these things aren¡¯t important. I don¡¯t think it matters much as


    long as she turns over a new leaf in the future. After all, not everyone is a sage: who canmit no


    error? And we¡¯re still young. Which of us has never made mistakes before?¡± Hendrey replied.


    Veronica did not know what to say for a moment as she listened to Hendrey¡¯s words.


    She did not even know if she should tell Hendrey about what happened between Tiffany and Xavier.


    Nheless, Veronica eventually could not bring herself to shatter Hendrey¡¯s expectations for Tiffany.


    Thus, she decided to observe them for a while.


    After they had been on the road for a few hours, they finally reached Collins, and it was already 11:00AM


    by the time they arrived.


    Veronica could not resist Hendrey¡¯s enthusiasm, so the two had lunch in Collins. Only after that did she


    drive back to her vige in Cabot Town.


    After an hour, she finally arrived in her hometown.


    Veronica parked her car at the gate of the yard. Tony and Danie immediately ran out of the house


    when they heard the sound. They walked to the car, and they weed her with happy smiles on their


    faces.


    ¡°Mom! Dad! I¡¯m home!¡± Veronica got out of the car. Then, she gave Tony and Danie a hug. ¡°How are


    you guys doing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing fine.¡± Danie could not help but smile widely.


    Meanwhile, Tony sighed. ¡°You¡¯re finally back. Atst, I don¡¯t need to listen to your mother¡¯s constant


    rambling and nagging.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you think Roni would stand up for you when shees home?¡± Danie rolled


    her eyes at Tony.


    As for Veronica, she was used to their bickering and could not help but smile at them.


    Then, she said, ¡°Mom and Dad, please help me carry my things.¡±


    She returned to her car, opened the trunk, and systematically retrieved everything inside. ¡°Mom and Dad,


    here are your clothes and shoes, as well as some nutritional supplements. Bring them in first. These are


    the things I bought for my master, and I¡¯ll bring them over to him.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. Quickly bring them over to Master Crayson¡¯s ce. Oh, and while you¡¯re there, ask him to


    come down from the mountain. Let¡¯s have a get-together,¡± Danie urged Veronica.


    ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± Veronica nodded and smiled. Then, she headed straight to the mountain to look for


    Crayson while carrying these few things.


    The cold breeze in winter was freezing, especially in the mountains. Her face hurt from the cold breeze


    constantly brushing against her skin as the chilly wind howled.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    While walking up the mountain, Veronica could not help but mutter in her heart, Damn it, Master


    Crayson! Don¡¯t you feel cold living on the mountain every day?


    Shivering from the coldness, she quickened her pace up the mountain.


    However, the door was locked when she went around the small pond and reached the door of Crayson¡¯s


    courtyard.


    Veronica looked around the house as she ced her gifts down carefully. Yet, there was no sign of


    Crayson at all.


    And thus, she took her phone to call Crayson. However, as expected, there was no signal on the


    mountain.


    Resigned, she could only sit on the milk crate that she carried and quietly wait for Crayson¡¯s return.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the boredom to settle in without her phone to entertain her. So, naturally, she looked


    around for something to do. However, she suddenly discovered that there were several footprints on the


    ground at the door of Crayson¡¯s house.


    As it snowed earlier, it left rather obvious tracks to be seen. She could even see the shoe prints as it


    hadn¡¯t been snowing.


    Judging from the striation and size of those shoe prints, I could tell there were at least four or five people.


    Master Crayson lives in the back mountain, and he doesn¡¯t have the most weing personality and


    generally doesn¡¯t like to talk to people. So, only a few people wille to find him.


    Just like Dad, Master Crayson isn¡¯t that tall, and their shoe sizes are size 7. But these shoe prints on the


    ground are at least size 8 or 8.5.


    The owner of these shoe prints is at least 5¡¯11¡± to 6¡¯2¡å.


    At the thought of that, Veronica¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she scrutinized the footprints. Finally, she got


    up to get a closer look. She squatted as she carefully observed the shoe prints and discovered that there


    were striations of at least three people¡¯s soles, and the sizes were 8 or more.

 Chapter 365

    Chapter 365


    Chapter 365 It¡¯s Christmas!


    In other words, at least three people with a height of nearly 5¡¯11¡± are visiting Master Crayson. But it¡¯s the


    23rd of December in the Gregorian calendar, which is the day before Christmas Eve. Who wille


    here?


    The most significant part is that the shoe prints look new, and Master Crayson isn¡¯t here either. Where


    could he go? Therefore, she got up and followed those shoe prints all the way back. She found herself at


    the other end of the back mountain as she walked.


    Just when Veronica was puzzled and looked around, she abruptly discovered several people standing


    together in the woods behind the mountain.


    Startled, Veronica immediately squatted down and looked at them from a distance.


    Once she took a closer look, she surprisingly realized that Crayson was standing together with three tall


    men.


    While Crayson stood with his hands behind his back and head held high, the three men opposite him


    held their hands in front of them and bowed their heads slightly respectfully.


    Veronica felt a chill down her spine as she witnessed this scene.


    Who are these guys? And, what exactly is Master Crayson¡¯s identity?


    Suddenly, she remembered the person who looked like Crayson she saw on Mudwood Street the other


    day.


    Was I really mistaken?


    Also, was Master Crayson really in thepany¡¯s office? Or was he justing back from outside and


    happened to enter thepany and meet Shirley when I saw him in Encounters Bridal Store that day?


    As she started pondering on the matter, she couldn¡¯t help the growing sense of fear.


    She knew that Crayson had sharp eyes and even more sensitive hearing, so she did not dare to stay.


    Therefore, she could only creep forward and leave quietly.


    When she was back at the door, she sat by the door and continued to wait for Crayson.


    However, Veronica abruptly thought of something that made her heart lurch in her chest with fear while


    she waited. ¡°Oh, sh*t!¡±


    I was observing the shoe prints on the ground earlier and followed them to find Master Crayson. So,


    naturally, I must have also left my tracks!


    I¡¯m afraid¡ªMaster Crayson will surely find out!


    Veronica fell into deep thought as she saw her set of footprints. Then, she walked in that direction again.


    She carefully followed the shoe prints that she had left before, as she shouted while walking toward that


    eerie scene, ¡°Master Crayson? Master? Master?¡±


    At first, her voice was rtively low. Veronica only amplified her voice a little when she was about to


    reach the spot she discovered them just now. ¡°Master? Master Crayson? Where are you?¡±


    Not only that, she slowed down her pace. Thinking that those people would have enough time to hide,


    only then did Veronica walk forward quickly and continue to shout.


    Although Veronica had already spotted Crayson when she came over, she pretended not to see him and


    kept shouting at the top of her voice.


    ¡°Oh, my ears! Be quiet! What are you yelling about?!¡± Crayson came out of the woods with two bundles


    of firewood on his shoulders. He effortlessly carried them as he made his way toward her. ¡°When did you


    arrive?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! I finally found you, Master Crayson!¡±


    Smiling, Veronica trotted toward him. However, her eyes reflexively nced at the spot where Crayson


    was standing and conspiring with several people.


    Sure enough, there was no one there any longer.


    ¡°Why do you get so much firewood? I¡¯ve told you many times, haven¡¯t I? Just stay over at my ce if the


    weather is cold. So, why are you still burning firewood? Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s dangerous?¡±


    Burning firewood was certainly not a big deal if it was an ordinary house. Unfortunately, there were plenty


    of mmable items in Crayson¡¯s home. Furthermore, he lived there alone. Hence, it was really worrying.


    ¡°We can¡¯t avoid doing something essential just because of a slight risk.¡±


    As Crayson spoke, he halted his tracks. Then, he put down the firewood on his shoulder and looked at


    Veronica. ¡°Here! You¡¯re strong enough. Carry this firewood for me.¡±


    Veronica went speechless at his shameless request. Afterward, she pouted, walked over, and carried the


    firewoods obediently. ¡°They¡¯re so heavy!¡±


    ¡°Where did all your energy to nag from earlier have gone to? Hurry up, and let¡¯s go!¡± Crayson ordered


    Veronica, showing no mercy at all.


    Veronica walked forward staggeringly as she carried the bundle of firewood.


    As a result, her feet slipped as she walked, and she fell to the ground with a loud ¡®thud¡¯. ¡°Ouch! My butt


    ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Useless!¡± Crayson snorted with contempt as he grabbed her by the cor to pull her up. ¡°You can¡¯t carry


    the firewoods on your shoulders, and you can¡¯t carry them with your hands. So what can you do?¡±


    As he spoke, he picked up the firewood and walked back.


    In the meantime, Veronica followed behind and moped. ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s normal for me to carry firewood.


    So, how am I able to do it?¡±


    When the two returned to Crayson¡¯s house, he started a fire with the firewood he brought home. Then,


    he took some sweet potatoes from the house and ced them on the fire. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll roast you some


    sweet potatoes to eat. I remember that you liked to roast sweet potatoes while warming yourself by the


    fire in the winter when you were a child.¡±


    ¡°Haha. As expected, master, you love me the most!¡± Veronica was very moved.


    Although she identally discovered that Crayson held many secrets just now, Veronica thought for a


    while, Master has been by my side for so many years, and he has always been very kind to me. He¡¯s like


    a teacher, a father, and a family to me. Moreover, he is at a higher level than ordinary people in terms of


    skill, ability, altruism, and vision. He¡¯s always been a character full of mysteries anyway, so I should leave


    him some private space. I shouldn¡¯t interfere with other matters as long as Master Crayson doesn¡¯t harm


    me.


    After she thought things out, her mood naturally got a little better.


    Veronica sat and chatted casually with Crayson at his home. Later, she dragged him back to her home in


    the evening. The family of four sat together to eat and drink. It was a good time.


    When Veronica returned home, she turned off her phone. She did not want to be disturbed by the outside


    world, let alone answer Matthew¡¯s phone calls.


    The following day, she went up to the back mountain after breakfast. Crayson dragged Veronica to go


    fishing by the river.


    Wearing a self-made coir raincoat, he sat by the river with a fishing rod and fished quietly.


    Looking at Crayson, Veronica thought that the scene exuded a vibe of the lines of a poem she once


    read. ¡®There is only one boat on the water. With an old man in a straw rain cape, who stands on deck


    and fishes by himself, where the snow falls on the cold river.¡¯


    Veronica liked it very much, so she turned on her phone. Taking a few photos of Crayson, she then


    uploaded them to her Twitter timeline.


    Thanks to her shooting angle, no one could see Crayson¡¯s face.


    After that, she posted the pictures with the same caption that conveyed her thoughts. ¡®There is only one


    boat on the water. With an old man in a straw rain cape, who stands on deck and fishes by himself,


    where the snow falls on the cold river.¡¯


    Since they were high up in the mountain, her phone had no inte connection. However, Veronica


    could care less and just allowed her phone to upload the photos automatically whenever there was a


    connection.


    In the afternoon, Crayson took her to practice her boxing skill and y chess. The time passed in a sh.


    The next day, it was the 24th of December, Christmas Eve.


    After getting up early, Veronica went straight up the mountain and dragged Crayson back to her home.


    They sat and chatted together. Later, they made crown roast pork chop and quiche.


    It was already noon after they finished preparing everything.


    After they were done enjoying their lunch, Danie began to prepare the food for Christmas dinner.


    Meanwhile, Tony was busy hanging the Christmas wreath and lights.


    Because they had their own Christmas wreath for their house, Tony also prepared a Christmas wreath


    for Crayson.


    Since it was Bloomstead¡¯s custom to light firecrackers during Christmas, Tony prepared firecrackers for


    Crayson too. Later that night, Veronica went up the mountain with Crayson while taking the Christmas


    wreath and firecrackers with them. Once they arrived at Crayson¡¯s house, she helped him hang the


    Christmas wreath and light the firecrackers.


    Bang, bang, pop¡ª


    The sound of firecrackers crackled, and the strong scent of firecrackers filled the air. With the colorful


    sparks of the firecrackers exploding in the sky and constant wafts of smokeing from the sparks, the


    view looked particrly conspicuous in the snow.


    As Veronica stood there and listened to the sound of firecrackers, she felt like she had returned to her


    childhood.


    Christmas was the best back then!


    In the evening, the four sat together and watched some Christmas shows on TV as they drank and


    chatted. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.


    Crayson and Tony were feeling happy, and they drank a lot of wine. In fact, the two of them even directly


    lay on the dining table. Moreover, it was Danie who dragged them to bed while muttering grumpily.


    After they cleaned up the mess, Veronica and Danie sat in front of the brazier and warmed themselves


    by the fire. They chatted while waiting for Christmas Day to arrive.


    Knock, knock, knock¡ª


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Just then, someone knocked on the door.


    At first, Veronica thought it was someone else lighting fireworks, and she misheard.


    She did not look at Danie until the knock sounded again. ¡°Mom, who could it be at such an hour?¡±


    ¡°Let me check.¡±


    Danie was about to get up, but Veronica pressed her down, asking her to stay seated. ¡°You¡¯ve been


    busy all day. I¡¯ll go get the door.¡±


    With that, she got up, walked to the front yard, and opened the door.


    At this moment, she saw that the person standing at the door turned out to be¡ªMatthew.


    It was not just Matthew alone. Several of his homies, Skyler, Caleb, and Miguel, tagged along too.

 Chapter 366

    Chapter 366


    Chapter 366 Veronica Chases Matthew Away


    When Veronica saw the people who showed up at the front door, she was stunned. Shouldn¡¯t he already


    be abroad? ¡°Why are you here?¡± She simply asked coldly, and there was not much of a happy look on


    her face.


    ¡°Hey, Veronica. Merry Christmas!¡± Like always, the talkative Skyler warmly greeted her. When Caleb saw


    Veronica, he just greeted her by nodding slightly.


    As for Miguel, he kept hisposure. ¡°Merry Christmas. Sorry for the abrupt intrusion as wee here


    without notice.¡±


    Matthew stared at her with mixed emotions as he stood before Veronica bearing gifts. After a while, only


    then did he speak, ¡°I¡¯m here to see Mr. and Mrs. Murphy.¡±


    In the meantime, Veronica stood by the door and held the door with both hands. It was as if she had no


    intention of weing them. ¡°Are you that close with my parents? You don¡¯t need to visit them.¡±


    When she recalled the day she identally saw Matthew being intimate with a woman and even lied to


    her on the phone. She felt that she didn¡¯t know him all that well.


    But it¡¯s perfect this way as it just so happens that I feel that I¡¯m not worthy of Matthew either. So, I should


    end things here once and for all.


    Once she finished speaking, the four men all had different expressions on their faces. Finally, their gazes


    landed upon Matthew. Only Skyler pouted out of guilty conscience and dared not utter a sound.


    At this moment, he was almost certain that Veronica must have seen the content of the video in the


    hospital that day.


    It was just that her reaction at that time was too calm. Now that Skyler recalled it carefully, he felt that her


    calm state was horrifying.


    ¡°Roni, you¡ªI-I have been busy recently and couldn¡¯t apany you¡­¡±


    Matthew did not understand why Veronica was mad at him to the point that she constantly refused to


    answer his calls and reply to his messages.


    At once, the man¡¯s intuition told him that something was off. Therefore, he immediately took a flight and


    flew back home.


    ¡°Since your homies are here, let me just set some things straight. The trial period agreed upon by us is


    three months, but I can tell you my conclusion now. I have concluded that you and I are not suitable for


    each other, so let¡¯s just break up. Also, you guys better hurry up and go back. There¡¯s no ce for you


    guys to sleep, considering I won¡¯t let any of you stay overnight,¡± Veronica said calmly.


    At this moment, Danie¡¯s voice came from the living room and asked, ¡°Roni, who¡¯s outside?¡±


    ¡°No one, Mom.¡± She turned her head back and responded. Afterward, she nced at Matthew coldly


    again, shut the door with a ¡®bang¡¯, and locked the sp. The action was ruthless and heartless.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    If Matthew had not stepped back in time, he would have mmed his nose against the door.


    Veronica turned back, headed straight to the living room, and ignored them.


    Veronica¡¯s thoughts wandered off as she sat in the living room and watched the Christmas show. In her


    mind, she thought, It¡¯s the 24th of December today, yet the four of them gave up the opportunity to spend


    Christmas with their family and drove all the way here?! Am I too cruel for shutting them out?


    Whoosh¡ªpop!


    Suddenly, the sound of fireworks sounded outside.


    When Veronica looked back, she saw fireworks shooting into the sky in the front yard. The fireworks


    exploded and bloomed all over the sky, which was absolutely gorgeous.


    Danie frowned at the sound of fireworks as she asked curiously, ¡°Roni, who¡¯s setting off fireworks at


    the door?¡±


    Veronica scratched her nose sheepishly upon hearing Danie¡¯s inquiry. She knew that it would be


    impossible for her to hide things from Danie, so she replied candidly, ¡°It¡¯s Matthew and his friends.¡±


    ¡°What? Little Roni, Matthew is here? Why didn¡¯t you invite him into the house? Such a mischievous


    youngdy,¡± Danie reprimanded Veronica.


    While saying that, she went to open the door.


    Veronica immediately gripped Danie¡¯s hand as she briefly exined the situation. ¡°Mom, Matthew, and


    I aren¡¯t of equal social rank, and we belong to utterly different worlds. So, it¡¯s not suitable for us to be


    together at all. What will that mean if you open the door now and let him in? Does that mean I agree to


    be with him or disagree to be with him?¡±


    After Danie heard Veronica¡¯s side of the story, she nodded and sighed. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. We¡¯re an


    average family. It¡¯s already overwhelming enough that you could im ties with Old Mrs. Kings by


    bing her god-daughter. How can you get married to Matthew?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle this myself. But, mom, you go to bed first.¡± Veronica looked at her with rare seriousness.


    Danie hesitated for a moment before she smiled in gratification. ¡°Roni, you have grown up wanting to


    take care of things yourself in the future. Okay, I¡¯ll go to bed first.¡±


    Of course, Danie wouldn¡¯t be sleeping after hearing such information. She simply wanted to give


    Veronica the space she needed to deal with the situation outside.


    ¡°Good night, Mom.¡±


    Danie hummed, entered the bedroom, and closed the door behind her.


    Then, Veronica got up and walked to the living room corridor. As she stood there, she watched the


    fireworks blooming outside and felt very ufortable.


    But I have made a decision. I won¡¯t go back on my own words.


    Finally, she returned to the house and continued to wait for Christmas Day.


    During this period, Matthew kept calling and texting her. Yet, Veronica ignored them all and eventually


    blocked him.


    In fact, she did not even reply to a single message sent by Skyler. Furthermore, she rejected all his voice


    calls. Eventually, Skyler was also yet another contact on her cklist.


    Later, Veronica sat in silence as she waited until the clock struck midnight and the host of the Christmas


    show on TV started wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Only then did she hold a tray of firecrackers


    weighing 10,000-ton and lit them up in the yard. First, she cautiously lit the firecrackers. Then, she


    immediately ran to the corridor to watch the firecrackers crackle and explode as they shed sparkling


    firelights.


    Once she lit all the firecrackers, the whole yard was filled with the smell of gunpowder smoke. When that


    was over, she simply whispered lightly, ¡°Merry Christmas, Veronica.¡±


    She wished herself a Merry Christmas. After that, she went into the house without looking back and went


    straight to bed.


    ording to the Christmas tradition in Bloomstead, one should not turn off the lights at night.


    Hence, shey on the bed and was bored. As she constantly thought about the guys outside, she


    became increasingly agitated. Therefore, she switched on herputer and started ying games. She


    stayed up until 4 or 5:00AM, and only then could she fall asleep.


    Finally, she was able to fall asleep. However, Veronica only slept for a while until she was woken up by


    her phone.


    She opened her phone and saw a bunch of Christmas wishes.


    First, it was the Legion of Vin¡¯s group chat. One of the members of the group mentioned Veronica. ¡®Merry


    Christmas, Boss! Give us our presents.¡¯


    ¡®President Murphy, Merry Christmas! We want presents!¡¯


    ¡®Guess what¡¯s missing for my Christmas? Of course, it¡¯s a present. I¡¯m tagging and mentioning all three


    bosses here. Please give us our presents.¡¯


    ¡®President Murphy, what about the year-end bonus? Is there any year-end bonus?¡¯


    ¡­


    Later, the chat group of Vincere Games became lively too.


    ¡®Merry Christmas, everyone!¡¯


    ¡®I hope your Christmas is filled with joy this year!¡¯


    ¡®How time flies. It¡¯s already the final week of this year.¡¯


    ¡®Dear my fellow bosses, Merry Christmas, and don¡¯t forget about our present.¡¯


    ¡®Guys, what are we waiting for? Let the gift exchange session begin!¡¯


    ¡­


    Following the other two chat groups, the Encounters Bridal Store¡¯s chat group seemed boisterous as


    well.


    ¡®President Murphy, wishing you a Christmas that¡¯s merry and bright!¡¯


    ¡®Yahoo! Let the exchange of presents begin!¡¯


    ¡®Boom! Here are some gift cards. Come and grab them!¡¯


    Suddenly, one of the employees mentioned Veronica in the group chat. ¡®President Murphy,e on out


    and give us some benefits!¡¯


    ¡­


    Back then, many colleagues left the group chat when Veronica announced the closure of Encounter


    Bridal Store. However, Matthew took over thepany¡¯s operationter.


    And thus, Veronica directly retained some colleagues in the group and gave them paid leaves. Hence,


    there were still quite several colleagues in the group.


    Later, she received a text from Hendrey. ¡®Merry Christmas!¡¯


    After Hendrey, it was Ruka. ¡®Merry Christmas! I¡¯ll throw you a weing dinner once you¡¯re back in


    Bloomsteadter.¡¯


    Shortly after, Veronica received a Christmas wish from Sean. ¡®Merry Christmas! Although you¡¯re


    Starshine Media Agency¡¯s neer, ording to the rules of Starshine Media Agency, everyone will


    receive their Christmas presents in mary forms.¡¯


    Subsequently, Monica also texted and wished Veronica. ¡®President Murphy, thank you for helping to save


    my son. Here¡¯s my Christmas present for you. It¡¯s my token of appreciation, so you must take it. Merry


    Christmas! I hope your holiday season is full of peace, joy, and happiness.¡¯


    Apart from all the above, Veronica also received Christmas wishes from Shirley, Elizabeth, Conrad, and


    Yvonne, respectively.


    While holding her phone, Veronica read through all the messages one after another. It was as if her


    phone was about to explode from the number of iing messages. At that moment, she felt a migraine


    iing as she wasn¡¯t used to all of these.


    Veronicay on the bed as she took her phone and checked the presents that they gave to her one by


    one. As most of them were mary, she basically logged into her Venmo ount and checked the


    money wired to her by her friends. Once she went through her statement, she realized she received


    1,000 from Sean, 888 from Hendrey, 100,000 from Elizabeth, 5,000 from Monica, and a million from


    Matthew.


    One by one, Veronica thanked those who gave her mary presents by wiring the money into her


    Venmo. She even personally gave Elizabeth a call and wished her a Merry Christmas.

 Chapter 367

    Chapter 367


    Chapter 367 Matthew and Company Visiting for Christmas


    Then, Veronica sent presents to all the employees. In an hour, she spent 50,000 on the presents.


    Although Veronica was reluctant to spend 50,000 on presents, she wanted this Christmas to be merry.


    ¡°Wake up, youzy lump!¡± Danie tried to wake Veronica multiple times in the morning. In the end,


    Danie took a feather duster, pointed at Veronica, and growled, ¡°Wake up now! It¡¯s Christmas. Wake


    up to have the quiche!¡±


    There were different customs in different ces. In Bloomstead, it was customary to have dinner on


    Christmas Eve and eat quiche for Christmas.


    When Veronica saw Danie was getting angry, she jumped up from the bed and said, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be


    angry. I¡¯m awake!¡±


    If Mom maintains her usual attitude, it means Matthew and hispany aren¡¯t here. If they are here,


    she won¡¯t be angry. Instead, she will sit on the bed with me and nag.


    After Veronica got dressed, she reached out to Danie. ¡°Merry Christmas, Mom! Any presents for me?


    I want a present.¡±


    Veronica happily smiled, much like a child. She could buy herself anything. However, she was just a


    child before her parents. They would be happy instead if she asked them for a Christmas present.


    With an icy expression, Danie used the feather duster to softly smack Veronica¡¯s head. ¡°You don¡¯t do


    anything special for me but still dare to ask me for a present?¡±


    Although Danie nagged, she lifted her apron. She then took out a small present she had prepared


    and handed it to Veronica. Smiling, she muttered, ¡°Here, take it. The only thing you keep thinking about


    every year is presents.¡±


    ¡°Yay! Long live your majesty!¡± Veronica chuckled brightly.


    Seeing Veronica smiling happily, Danie was happy too.


    As theyughed, Danie suddenly thought of what happenedst night. So, she sat on the bed and


    asked worriedly, ¡°Roni, did you drive Matthew and the rest away yesterday?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    Danie had a thought. It was quiet outside after setting off firecrackers yesterday. Maybe they left with


    their car.


    ¡°No matter what, he is the young master of the Kings Family. Did we offend the Kingses?¡± Danie


    wore a sad expression while taking Veronica¡¯s hand. ¡°We are just an ordinary family. I am worried that


    you will be in trouble after offending them.¡±


    In the end, Danie was worried Veronica couldn¡¯t handle this matter well and would bring disaster.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mom. He¡ª¡± Veronica thought about it and replied, ¡°I think he is not such a person.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I hope so.¡±


    Danie patted Veronica¡¯s hand. She then sighed heavily and walked out.


    She turned around when she walked to the entrance and red at Veronica again. ¡°Hurry up and get


    up to eat. The quiche is getting cold.¡±


    Danie¡¯s tone returned to its usual sternness.


    Veronica¡¯s mouth twitched when she heard that. Mom really is unpredictable. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m getting up.¡±


    In the end, she got up and wore a new set of clothes. She then cleaned up briefly, and went to the


    kitchen. She and Danie then took the quiche to the living room.


    At the same time, Crayson arrived.


    Veronica stood at the entrance and she couldn¡¯t helpughing when she saw him in a red suit. ¡°Haha!


    Master Crayson, that¡¯s a good suit. I have good taste.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you seem energetic wearing this.¡±


    ¡°You look radiant today.¡±


    Danie and Tony followed suit to praise Crayson.


    Crayson entered with something in his hand and stroked his beard. ¡°You look good in your clothes too.


    Although Veronica is a little brat, she has good taste. Haha¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tsk! No one talks bad about their apprentice. You seem stupid for saying that.¡± She rolled her eyes at


    him.


    As she was saying that, Tony pped her on her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be disrespectful to your master.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    It was a light p that didn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Veronica shrugged and smiled at Crayson. Then, she stepped forward and put her arm around


    him. ¡°Merry Christmas, Master Crayson.¡± As she said that, she spread her hands open. ¡°Quickly give


    me a present.¡±


    Danie, who was distributing tes on the dining table, red at Veronica and scolded, ¡°Don¡¯t ask


    him for a present. He¡¯s getting old and has no ie. You¡¯re putting him in a difficult position.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s a celebration, after all.¡±


    Veronica smiled, currently in a good mood.


    As Crayson was getting old, he had no ie. However, she had transferred money to his bank


    ount monthly for his living expenses. During Christmas, she would transfer extra money to him too.


    So, she asked for a present because she knew he had the money.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Crayson took out a present and stuffed it into Veronica¡¯s hand. ¡°Little brat, I see you¡¯re


    happy to take my present, eh?¡±


    The familyughed, and the atmosphere was harmonious.


    ¡°Master Crayson, please have a seat. The quiche is getting cold.¡± Danie pointed at the dining table


    and invited him to take a seat.


    ¡°Oka¡ª¡± Before Crayson could finish his words, the family heard a loud noise from the entrance.


    At first, they thought someone had breakfast early and visited their home.


    They looked at the door, only to see Matthew, Skyler, Caleb, and Migueling in with presents.


    At that moment, Veronica froze and she was at a loss of what to do. They didn¡¯t leave? Could it be that


    they stay in the car overnight during the cold and windy winter?


    She couldn¡¯t help feeling a little guilty and thought her way of handling the situation was not right.


    ¡°Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy.¡±


    Matthew was wearing a checkered windbreaker with a gray scarf around his neck while carrying a pile


    of presents. With a smile, he proudly walked in and bypassed Veronica to talk to Danielle and Tony.


    ¡°Oh¡ªYoung Master Matthew. Why are you here? It¡¯s still early; didn¡¯t you sleepst night?¡±


    Danie didn¡¯t tell Tony what happenedst night, so he thought Matthew andpany came from


    Bloomstead in the early morning.


    ¡°Matthew, why are you here?¡± Crayson smiled and patted Matthew¡¯s shoulder with affection.


    Danielle nced at Veronica but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Haha! Merry Christmas Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, and Mr. Crayson. I am Veronica and Matt¡¯s friend, Skyler


    Robins.¡± Skyler greeted and then introduced his other friends. ¡°This is Caleb Shaw, and the other is


    Miguel Lynch. We¡¯re friends with Veronica, so we rushed to meet you early in the morning. We wish


    you a Merry Christmas!¡±


    The talkative Skyler finished all the pleasantries by himself.

 Chapter 368

    Chapter 368


    Chapter 368 Eating Quiche Together


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Behind Skyler, Caleb looked at Miguel as they smiled helplessly. Then, they walked up and greeted,


    ¡°Mr. Crayson, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, Merry Christmas.¡± They said simultaneously.


    ¡°Yes, Merry Christmas!¡± Tony was hospitable, and he quickly put them in their seats. ¡°Come on, have a


    seat. We haven¡¯t had breakfast yet. Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    Every Christmas, the family would bake a lot of quiche, so there was no need to worry about not having


    enough of them.


    When Danie heard Tony say that, she could onlyply. ¡°Let¡¯s have a seat. There¡¯s still quiche in


    the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Come on, take a seat. It¡¯s more lively this way.¡±


    Crayson urged the visitors to take a seat too.


    Veronica nced at Matthew. She saw he kept talking to Crayson and Tony,pletely ignoring her.


    Matthew¡¯s easy-going appearance waspletely different from his usual noble self. He looked


    friendlier this way.


    ¡°Then, we won¡¯t hold back.¡± Skylerughed. He then moved a chair and sat down without a second


    thought.


    Caleb nodded at Veronica. ¡°Merry Christmas.¡±


    ¡°Merry Christmas.¡± Miguel bowed at her.


    No one could be rude to someone polite.


    So, Veronica didn¡¯t embarrass them. She just nodded and smiled. ¡°Merry Christmas. Please have a


    seat. I¡¯ll bake more quiche for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Roni¡ªVeronica, Mrs. Murphy¡¯s quiche is delicious. It tastes like the ones from my childhood.


    Can you ask her to make more?¡±


    Skyler was outgoing. However, he could only call her Roni in private and not in public.


    As soon as Skyler finished speaking, Matthew, who was sitting next to him, silently raised his foot and


    stepped on Skr¡¯s foot to make him restrain himself.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Skyler gasped as his face distorted. Thereafter, he found everyone¡¯s eyes were on him.


    He immediatelyughed. ¡°Ha! The quiche is so delicious. Mrs. Murphy¡¯s baking skills are absolutely


    amazing!¡±


    That was a good save.


    Crayson and Tonyughed heartily.


    ¡°You can eat more if you like it. Danie has pre-baked many crusts,¡± Tony said as he greeted Caleb


    and Miguel. ¡°Come on in. Just treat this ce as your home. Don¡¯t be a stranger.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mr. Murphy.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Caleb and Miguel sat down as well, and the men sat at a table to chat and eat. The atmosphere was


    lively and harmonious.


    Veronica stopped before entering the kitchen and looked at the men in the living room. Then, she


    touched her head and shook it helplessly.


    When she was sighing, Danie walked out of the kitchen. Danie held Veronica with a cold hand and


    dragged her into the kitchen. Then, the former asked quietly, ¡°Roni, didn¡¯t you say they left? Why are


    they here now?¡±


    ¡°I thought they were gone. It seems they slept in the car yesterday.¡± Veronica made a guess.


    ¡°So, it turns out that Kynd¡¯s car at the roadside is theirs!¡± After finding out the answer, Danie


    sighed and asked, ¡°What will you do now? I didn¡¯t manage to tell your dad about them. I didn¡¯t know he


    couldn¡¯t take a hint and instead, he invited them in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s Christmas and they slept outdoors for a night. It would not be appropriate to drive them


    away,¡± Veronica said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Danie agreed with Veronica and pointed at the counter to where another freshly baked


    quiche was. ¡°Take that quiche to the living room. I¡¯ll bake more soon. It¡¯s still not enough for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Mom, you¡¯re doing great.¡±


    Veronica walked up to Danie and hugged her, then kissed her on the cheek mischievously.


    ¡°Hey, you got saliva all over my cheek. Jeez!¡±


    Danie wiped her cheek with disgust and red at Veronica angrily. However, Danie didn¡¯t hide the


    smile on her face.


    Thereafter, Veronica went to the living room with the quiche.


    Skyler was smart to clear up a space for Veronica, and he patted the chair on the right. ¡°Veronica, have


    a seat. Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    Skyler was currently sitting to the chair¡¯s left, and Matthew was on the right.


    Although Veronica didn¡¯t want to talk to Matthew, she was not an aggressive woman.


    Hence, she put the quiche on the table and said, ¡°You can enjoy it first. I¡¯ll go bake some more quiche


    with my mom. I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Veronica said with a smile to everyone but Matthew.


    Matthew, on the other hand, was enjoying the quiche, the rich taste lingering on his tongue.


    However, his attention was on Veronica, so he didn¡¯t hear what Tony was talking about.


    Suddenly, Matthew gently put the tableware on the table with a nk. ¡°Master Crayson and Mr.


    Murphy, you may continue eating. I will look for them.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to look at? They¡¯lle back soon.¡± Tony tugged Matthew down, as Matthew was a


    guest.


    However, Skyler immediately said to Tony, ¡°Mr. Murphy, Matthew is Veronica¡¯s brother, so he is kind of


    a part of the Murphy Family. He should be walking around and be familiar with this house.¡±


    His smooth talk made Tony happy. So, Tony nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true! You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Murphy and Master Crayson, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Matthew stood up and walked to the kitchen.


    In the kitchen, Veronica was chatting with Danie. Then, she noticed a shadow over at the entrance of


    the kitchen.


    The mother-daughter duo looked back and saw Matthew standing there.


    Danielle nced at Matthew, then at Veronica, and immediately said, ¡°There you are. You¡¯re just in


    time; please help Veronica. I¡¯ll go get some firewood.¡±


    As they were baking, Danie made an excuse to let Veronica and Matthew spend some time alone.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Murphy.¡±


    Matthew smiled politely and respectfully.


    ¡°Just treat this ce as your home. Don¡¯t be a stranger.¡±


    Danie wiped her hands on her apron and walked outside.


    Matthew stood at the entrance and looked at Veronica.


    Veronica slowly lowered her head. She then sat on the chair and continued to add firewood to the


    oven.


    ¡°Roni?¡±


    Matthew called out and walked over to her side. The woman was making a fire in front of the oven


    without make-up on, looking as lovable as the little girl next door.


    It made Matthew¡¯s heart throb.


    He then asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my phone?¡±


    Veronica, however, yed with poker and poked the fire. She answered casually, ¡°I said, I don¡¯t think


    we are meant to be together as shown during the trial. So, there¡¯s no problem in denying your call.¡±


    Veronica raised her head and looked at him coldly.


    Her face was calm and indifferent, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.


    ¡°Is it because of her?¡±


    Matthew took out his cell phone and erged a photo before handing it to Veronica.


    Veronica raised her head and took a look.


    The woman in the photo was the one who video called Skyler while putting her arms around Matthew¡¯s


    neck that day.

 Chapter 369

    Chapter 369


    Chapter 369 Lovey-Dovey


    Although Veronica saw the woman once, she could clearly remember her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you


    are talking about.¡± Veronica nced elsewhere and avoided Matthew¡¯s question.


    ¡°She is Olivia Reyes, a friend of Skyler and I,¡± Matthew stood before Veronica and exined. Am I really


    exining things?


    It¡¯s been years since I patiently exined my actions to someone. ¡°You are angry because you care


    about me, right?¡±


    Matthew realized Veronica was in a bad mood. Before he returned to Destor, he had received Skyler¡¯s


    call.


    On the phone, Skyler exined to Matthew about the situation in the hospital that day.


    Matthew immediately realized that was the reason Veronica rejected his calls.


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Veronica frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t think highly of yourself.¡±


    However, Matthew couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°Your expression says it all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    Veronica took the poker and swept some firewood in Matthew¡¯s direction. She coldly snorted. ¡°I just don¡¯t


    think we arepatible. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Matthew looked at the hay leaves on the ck leather shoes and revealed a small smile. ¡°We will talk


    about that after three months. I¡¯ll repeat myself¡ªOlivia and I are just friends, and will always be friends.¡±


    Although Matthew was unhappy because Veronica had ignored him for days, he understood that she


    was jealous.


    As such, his mood instantly improved.


    It¡¯s worth putting down the big project in Castron and making a trip back.


    Veronica lowered her head. She held a poker in her hand and poked at the dry grass on the ground, not


    saying anything.


    Are they really just friends?


    Then, why did Matthew lie that day?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you that day because I was afraid you would misunderstand.¡± Then, Matthew added, ¡°You


    should know if I really have a messy private life, I can easily flirt all day as there are many women around


    me. Why should I go to Castron just to get a woman?¡±


    It was very convincing.


    Veronica had to admit many women liked Matthew.


    If he wanted to hang out with other women, he wouldn¡¯t need to do that in Castron.


    However¡­


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe you care for that woman,¡± Veronica muttered.


    After she said those thoughtless words, she immediately stopped. She then turned her head to the side


    and covered her face in embarrassment.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Are you stupid?!


    How can you say your thoughts out loud?!


    Matthew found her embarrassed appearance so yful and cute that he couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away


    from her. Then, he stepped forward, gently ruffling her hair and said, ¡°Roni, I rarely promise one thing.


    However, listen to me carefully¡ªif I don¡¯t love you anymore, I will tell you instead of going to someone


    else behind your back.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you won¡¯t love me one day?¡±


    Veronica turned back and stared at Matthew coldly, a look of sadness and anger on her face.


    Matthew was at a loss for words.


    Then, he shook his head. ¡± I just wanted to show that I¡¯m not going to cheat on you during a rtionship


    or marriage.¡±


    When the duo were talking, a fragrance came out of the oven.


    Veronica nced at the oven. ¡°Oh¡ªit¡¯s ready.¡±


    She immediately put down the poker. Standing up, she walked around Matthew to get the quiche.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    The oven surface was hot because of the fire.


    She identally touched the surface with her bare skin, so she couldn¡¯t help gasping in pain.


    Matthew immediately grabbed her burnt hand and blew it with his mouth. ¡°Stupid girl! Don¡¯t be hasty.¡± he


    muttered, then used the peel to remove the quiche from the oven as he blew on Veronica¡¯s hand.


    Afterward, he released Veronica and put another unbaked quiche into the oven.


    Veronica put her finger to her lips and bit it lightly. ¡°You know how to use a masonry oven?¡± she asked


    with confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯smon sense.¡±


    Matthew said as he poured a bowl of cold water and put Veronica¡¯s fingers in the water. ¡°You should feel


    better after cooling down.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She was getting soft as they cleared out the misunderstanding.


    Danie happened to watch the scene at the entrance.


    Initially, she was worried they would burn the quiche, so she came over to have a look. However, they


    were disying their affection instead.


    Yesterday, Danie heard Veronica say that Matthew¡¯s family was well-off and influential, which was why


    she was not suitable for him.


    However, Danie didn¡¯t like to see them being lovey-dovey.


    ¡°Come on, you can¡¯t even take care of yourself, so how can I be at ease?¡±


    Matthew held Veronica¡¯s hand. He then took out a limited-edition handkerchief from his windbreaker and


    wiped the water from her fingers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your care. You¡¯d better hang out with your best friend in Castron,¡± Veronica mumbled while


    she pulled her hand away.


    Matthew stood there and sniffed. ¡°Hey, why is there such a strong sour smell? Has the vinegar bottle


    toppled?¡±


    ¡°What? The vinegar leaked?¡± Veronica immediately sniffed. ¡°I can¡¯t smell it.¡±


    As she was saying, she walked to the side and looked at the neatly arranged seasonings. ¡°No, the


    vinegar didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish her words, she suddenly understood.


    Then, she turned her head in shame and anger. Her bright eyes were rage-filled and she shouted,


    ¡°Matthew Kings, get out of here!¡±


    She pointed at him, a blush staining her fair cheeks.


    Matthew grabbed Veronica¡¯s hand. He then pulled her into his embrace and wrapped his right arm


    around her waist. ¡°It took me a lot of effort to get my silly girl. I won¡¯t leave easily.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s tiny fists mmed hard on his chest a few times as she growled, ¡°Your fault for lying to me.¡±


    ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you.¡±


    ¡°You still did it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I lied. It¡¯s my fault. I am willing to ept any punishment.¡± Matthew self-reflected and admitted his


    fault with sincerity.


    ¡°Then, I should think carefully about how to punish you.¡± Veronica had a bright smile on her face as she


    said that.


    When they were flirting, they heard a dry cough behind them.


    The two looked back and saw Caleb and Skyler standing at the entrance.


    ¡°Tsk! We don¡¯t need quiche for breakfast anymore. I feel full from all the PDA.¡± Skyler crossed his arms


    and leaned against the door frame as he looked at the two teasingly.


    On the other hand, Caleb smiled without saying a word.


    Mathew shot a cold nce at them as he was unhappy being interrupted. Then, he said, ¡°You have been


    single since birth, so you are only worthy of PDA.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Matt is right.¡± Caleb, who was dressed in a leather jacket and trousers, nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 370

    Chapter 370


    Chapter 370 Confess on the Spot


    ¡°Both of you are bullying me. It¡¯s no fun.¡± Skyler snorted coldly and turned away. ¡°Come back here!¡±


    Seeing that he was leaving, Matthew stopped him and pointed to the quiches. ¡°The quiches are ready.


    Take it out.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do it yourself?¡± Skyler said. As he said that, he received a sullen look from Matthew, which


    was full of warning. And so, Skyler immediately gave up and entered the kitchen. He then cut the quiche


    to serve on a te.


    ¡°I had never worked since I was young,¡± he muttered. ¡°Why should I do chores here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your honor,¡±


    Matthew said calmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll do it. We should not bully a young master who has never experienced suffering.¡±


    Veronica spoke ironically and joked.


    Then, she reached out to take the knife from Skyler. However, Matthew was a step ahead of her. He


    snatched the knife and held Skyler by the cor, thereafter throwing him aside.


    ¡°H-Hey!¡±


    Skyler staggered as he held the door with his hands and stood firm.


    He turned his head to nce at Matthew. When Skyler was about to say something, he found Matthew


    and Veronica looking at each other affectionately. Then, Matthew took a fork, cut a small piece of quiche


    and fed Veronica. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Skyler swallowed the words that came to his mouth, as if they were ufortably tight in his throat.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand the PDA anymore!¡±


    At that point, he stomped his foot, turned around, and left.


    When he walked by the entrance, Skyler stopped and looked at Caleb. ¡°You¡¯re smiling at them. One


    would think you have a girlfriend.¡±


    Skyler had to pull Caleb down.


    After being teased, Caleb calmly replied. ¡°I had a girlfriend until recently. However, you have been single


    since birth. There¡¯s a difference there, no?¡±


    Skyler stayed silent.


    He looked at Caleb sharply as the corners of his mouth twitched wildly. ¡°You¡¯re ruthless!¡±


    He angrily returned to the living room. Caleb then turned around, looked at Matthew and Veronica


    meaningfully, and left.


    ¡°Come back here.¡±


    Matthew suddenly stopped Caleb and pointed at the quiches on the counter. ¡°Take the food to the living


    room.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it together.¡±


    Veronica put out the fire and prepared to serve the quiche. However, Matthew held her hand. ¡°You just


    got hurt. Let Caleb and I do it.¡±


    Although Caleb didn¡¯t say anything, he still nced at Matthew and sighed helplessly.


    Well, I am single, after all.


    I deserved to be exposed to PDA.


    The two left with two tes of quiche. Although Matthew told Veronica not to do chores, she still brought


    a te of quiche to the living room.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh¡ªwhy is Young Master Matthew personally serving quiche?¡±


    Danie immediately greeted Matthew and tried to take the te from him.


    She was worried he wouldn¡¯t do the job well as he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Matthew ced the te on the table. Turning around, he intended to return to the kitchen to get another


    te of quiche, only to see Veronicae over with a te.


    ¡°I told you to not do it.¡±


    Matthew huffed and forcefully took the te. He then put it on the table.


    Although they exchanged only one sentence, everyone could feel the intense atmosphere of love.


    At that moment, they all had an inkling of what was going on. However, they kept silent.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat now!¡±


    Danie brought over another te of quiche. Then, the eight of them sat around the square table to eat


    together.


    Since the misunderstanding between Veronica and Matthew was resolved, the atmosphere was livelier.


    Moreover, with Skyler being talkative, the atmosphere would never turn awkward.


    After breakfast, Matthew helped to collect the tes attentively.


    As Tony was born in the countryside, he believed in masculinity, so he stopped Matthew. ¡°Don¡¯t do it. Let


    Veronica and Danie clean the table.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Just sit down, Matthew.¡± Crayson also agreed.


    Still, Matthew kept a decent smile. ¡°I have nothing to do, so let me help.¡±


    Then, he snatched the te from Veronica¡¯s hand and went straight to the kitchen with a pile of tes.


    Danie followed behind and muttered, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the young master of the Kings Family. I can¡¯t let you


    do chores. Let me do it.¡±


    ¡°Mom, just let him be.¡±


    As Veronica was used to Matthew¡¯s cold and arrogant side, she felt nice when she saw him being down-


    to-earth, friendly and gentle, much like a boy next door.


    Although they were flirting in public, Veronica still exined, ¡°He wants to experience rural life, so let¡¯s


    fulfill his wish.¡±


    ¡°Little brat, what are you talking about? Shouldn¡¯t you go wash the tes now?¡± Tony scolded as he


    frowned. Then, he whispered, ¡°He is a guest; it isn¡¯t proper to let him help with chores.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. Murphy. Matt has been diligent since he was a child. Just let him know if you have any


    chores. He is more than happy to do it.¡±


    Skyler babbled nonsense.


    After speaking, he lowered his head and whispered to Miguel, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Roni, I don¡¯t think I can


    ever see him wash tes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Miguel nodded confidently.


    Seeing that Tony was having difficulty believing Skyler¡¯s words, Caleb chimed in, ¡°Mr. Murphy, what


    Skyler said was true.¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense. Matthew was born in a wealthy family; how could he have done any chores?¡± Tony


    waved his hand with disbelief.


    Miguel, who had never spoken this whole time, looked serious and maintained a mature and prudent


    demeanor. Then, he said calmly, ¡°It is because he has been living in a city that he yearns for rural life. On


    the way here, he said he must experience rural life during the trip.¡±


    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s right!¡±


    Hearing Miguel¡¯s words, Skylerughed really hard.


    He never thought Miguel would be so evil.


    At the same time, Matthew insisted on washing the dishes. Even if Danie tried to stop him, Veronica


    happily tied the apron on Matthew, then patted his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve fastened the apron. You can wash


    now.¡±


    ¡°Stop fooling around, little brat!¡±


    Danie med Veronica for being impolite.


    However, Matthew smiled happily. ¡°Mrs. Murphy, you have been busy all morning. You should take a rest


    and leave it to me.¡±


    He then turned on the water and started washing the tes.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright; just let me do it.¡± Danie was going to grab a sponge before stopping by Veronica.


    ¡°Mom, just let him be.¡±


    She gestured at Danie with a meaningful look.


    As she had raised Veronica for more than twenty years, Danie instantly understood Veronica. Then,


    she observed Matthew washing tes and his every move.


    Suddenly, she thought of what Veronica had said before, so she asked, ¡°Matthew, do rich kids need to


    find those richdies to marry?¡±

 Chapter 371

    Chapter 371


    Chapter 371 Let Roni Marry Me


    Danie¡¯s question caught Matthew off-guard. He stopped scrubbing the dishes in his hand and turned to


    give Veronica a bemused look.


    Veronica quickly tugged on Danie¡¯s arm as she asked through gritted teeth, ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t just ask


    questions like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural to make a wife out of someone I love.¡± Matthew straightened up and answered Danie


    solemnly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how others do it, but my status in the Kingses has yet topel me to consider


    an arranged marriage for business alliance.¡±


    He had heard what Danie implied earlier, given how tactless she had gone about it. Right now, she


    understood what he meant as well. ¡°We can quibble over your intentions,¡± she began. ¡°But it won¡¯t


    change the fact that you rich folks always have tricks up your sleeves. What if you get bored one day and


    decide to move on to the next shiny new toy?¡±


    Danie kept her gaze on him, but she was clutching Veronica¡¯s hand the entire time.


    Upon hearing what Danie said, Veronica could not help feeling the tension condensing in the air. An


    honest and thoroughbred farm worker would not understand the implications of boredom in a


    rtionship, at least not under normal circumstances, but for Danie to have brought it to the forefront


    of her argument only went to show how worried she was. Veronica was admittedly moved by this.


    Presently, Matthew did not break eye contact with Danie as he dried his hands on a rag. Then, he


    walked up to her and nced at Veronica, who was next to her. He decided that there were some things


    better left out in the open than unsaid, and this was one of them. ¡°Maybe we haven¡¯t met enough times


    for you to get a real grasp of my character, Mrs. Murphy, but I can assure you that I¡¯m never one to


    mingle around just because I stand to gain something from it.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s going on between you and Tiffany?¡± Danie asked directly, not at all caring for subtlety.


    Veronica froze. She had been swaying Danie¡¯s arm like how a child might with a parent, but the


    moment she heard her mother¡¯s question, she did a double take. ¡°M-Mom, you know about that, too?¡±


    Veronica was under the impression that slow news days were amon urrence in small towns like


    these, and this was particrly true in cases of middle-aged folk who did not have social media.


    Logically, they should never have found out about the gossip surrounding Matthew and Tiffany.


    However, Danie surprised her, and she was starting to realize that there was nothing she could hide


    from her mother dearest.


    Matthew was unaffected all the same as he started to exin patiently, ¡°The stories are misleading at


    best. I was in an ident half a year ago and Roni was the one who saved me, but Tiffany stepped in


    and took the credit instead¡ª¡±


    Worried that Matthew might worsen the situation, Veronica cut him off and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just say that


    Tiffany took the credit for my work in saving Matthew so that she could get close to him. After that, she


    got him drunk and pretended that they had slept together, then imed that he knocked her up to force


    her into marrying her. When the truth came out in the end, Matthew ended things with her and called off


    the engagement.¡±


    All in all, what Tiffany did was downright despicable, and Veronica didn¡¯t want Danie to think badly of


    Matthew.


    Much to her surprise, Danie and Matthew stared at her like she had grown another head. Veronica


    pursed her lips self-consciously. Did I say something wrong?


    A smile tugged on Matthew¡¯s lips as relief and gratitude flooded through him after seeing that Veronica


    cared about him enough to speak up for him.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Danie shared the same sentiment as well when she noted how her daughter had anxiouslye to


    this man¡¯s defense. Veronica could never hide anything from her; they were not biologically rted but


    they might as well be, given how close their bond was.


    ¡°Do you really like Matthew?¡± Danie asked now, eyeing Veronica steadily. Seeing how thetter was


    already of age, there seemed little point in avoiding a conversation on marriage.


    Danie owed Matthew a solid favor after he had pulled strings and hired a medical team from abroad to


    treat Tony at Saint Hospital in Bloomstead. Without him, Tony would still be unconscious now. As such,


    Danie was more than grateful for Matthew, and she would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t fond of him.


    ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ Uh¡ªI¡­ I¡­¡± Blushing, Veronica struggled toe up with an answer. She did not expect


    her mother to be so forthright, and having Matthew here only embarrassed her even more.


    ¡°Mrs. Murphy, Roni set a three-month trial period for me, which I personally take as probation. If she


    thinks that things will work out well between us after that, then we¡¯ll start dating officially,¡± Matthew


    interjected, sparing no details even though he kept it sinct. ¡°I know how much Roni means to you and


    Mr. Murphy, so you can consider observing my behavior for these three months if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Matthew was a straightforward person who liked clear-cut solutions, and he was never one to beat


    around the bush or cover things up. It was precisely because of this that Danie found him all the more


    admirable.


    ¡°What the hell, Matthew? I didn¡¯t even agree to the three-month probation thing, and you¡¯re here


    bbering about it to my mom?¡± Veronica rolled her eyes at him in disbelief. This jerk is taking a


    preemptive strike and leaving me out of the decision altogether, she thought.


    Now that he had put on such a lovely fa?ade in front of Danie, Veronica had a feeling that she would


    bear the brunt if she were to change her mind about him. Her parents would not let her hear the end of it.


    In fact, Danie prodded Veronica¡¯s temple right now in mock belligerence as she said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe


    you¡¯re trying to hide this from your father and I, you brat! I hope some of Matthew¡¯s honesty rubs off on


    you; we¡¯d be all the better for it!¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute! First of all, I haven¡¯t even agreed to date him and you¡¯re already siding with him? And


    you call yourself my mother? Hmph!¡± Veronica quirked her lips in dismay. She then scoffed once and


    turned to walk away. Truth be told, it might be more appropriate to say she was running away from an


    unwinnable situation.


    After leaving the kitchen, Veronica headed out into the yard out front and buried her face in her hands.


    Her cheeks were so flushed that they felt hot to the touch.


    For heaven¡¯s sake, this isn¡¯t supposed to happen! She had made up her mind to break up with Matthew,


    but by some twist of fate or other, he ended up having a meal at her ce, and now he was talking to her


    mother about marriage!


    Veronica pressed a palm to her forehead as she tiptoed her way to the kitchen door, then hid around the


    corner to eavesdrop on the conversation. She didn¡¯t want Danie to be outsmarted or persuaded by that


    diabolical man. I might be pawned off if that were to happen! she thought grimly.


    In the kitchen, Danie sped Matthew¡¯s hands and said affably, ¡°I know you¡¯re a good kid, Matthew,


    but you¡¯ve seen for yourself what our family is like. We¡¯re humble townsfolk with little fortune to our


    names, and Veronica has been rough around the edges since she was a baby. You, on the other hand,


    grew up in the city; the world is your oyster. You¡¯re far too good for our Veronica, and if she marries you,


    your family will only look down their noses at her all the time. I can¡¯t risk her being unhappy for the rest of


    her life just because of a fleeting moment of love.¡±


    Veronica was touched upon hearing that. There are mothers out there who can¡¯t wait to marry their


    daughters off into wealthy families, and here¡¯s mine who wants nothing more than to see me happy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Murphy. I won¡¯t ever let Veronica get bullied as long as I¡¯m around,¡± Matthew


    promised.


    ¡°I believe you, Matthew, I really do, but none of us can predict the future. It¡¯s a long road up ahead, you


    know.¡± Danie patted his hand and heaved a sigh. ¡°She¡¯s my daughter, and all I want is for her to be


    happy. I can¡¯t give her much, but I would still do all I can to give her the happiness she deserves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t give you full assurance on this, Mrs. Murphy, but as long as Roni agrees to be with me,


    I¡¯d be more than happy to provide a billion in bridewealth and ten vis. I¡¯ll also put it on paper that I¡¯ll


    give up on my fortune if I ever hurt her or cheat on her.¡±

 Chapter 372

    Chapter 372


    Chapter 372 Matthew the Lumberjack


    Give up his fortune? The four words seemed to linger heavily in the air, shocking both Danie and


    Veronica, who was eavesdropping around the corner. Even Matthew was stunned by what he had said.


    He wasn¡¯t sure at which point of time he actually fell in love with Veronica, but after getting to know her


    for the past seven or eight months, he hade to love her enough to put his fortune at stake. This was


    the first time in his twenty-eight years of life that he knew what it was like to love someone so deeply that


    he was willing to give up everything to be with her.


    Perhaps this was what they meant by falling head-over-heels for someone.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He had been aloof and reserved before he met her but now, that icy heart of his was finally thawing.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve known the brat for less than a year; it¡¯s a little too early for you to make grand promations


    about giving up your fortune for her!¡± Crayson interjected as he unknowingly showed up in the kitchen,


    cutting Danie off and putting Matthew in his ce.


    Veronica had been so focused on what Matthew was saying that she did not sense Crayson¡¯s


    appearance as well. She straightened up and turned around to look at him. She pursed her lips and said


    nothing.


    Crayson went on to say, ¡°The brat is too young to be thinking about marriage. If you really like her, then


    you¡¯ll have no qualms waiting for her for another year or two. That ought to give you both enough time to


    think things through before moving onto the next step together.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Danie said approvingly as she nced over at the old man. Now that she thought


    about it, he made a fair point. ¡°Veronica isn¡¯t even twenty-two yet, so marriage shouldn¡¯t be on the top of


    her list at the moment.¡±


    To one side, Veronica stayed silent as she listened to what Crayson and Danie said.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Matthew replied after a moment of thought. He ought to give Veronica¡¯s family some time to


    get used to having him around before he brought up the issue of marriage. ¡°Whatever you say is fine by


    me.¡± After that, his face lit up with a bright smile as he said to Danie, ¡°Mrs. Murphy, I¡¯ll be doing the


    dishes, so you can go out and garden or something if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Uh¡ªalright,¡± Danie stammered. She stayed in the kitchen for a bit just to watch Matthew work,


    and she found herself musing that men who were good-looking and useful in the kitchen were rare finds


    that they had practically turned mythological over thest few years. Roni will be a fool to let such a


    catch go, Danie thought anxiously.


    Meanwhile, Matthew went about cleaning the kitchen and giving the stove a thorough wipe-down. Before


    long, the kitchen was spotless.


    ¡°My, my, who would¡¯ve thought that you¡¯d turn out to be such an ideal househusband?¡± Miguel mused in


    a singsong voice when he traipsed through the entryway and saw Matthew buzzing around the kitchen


    with an apron on and a rag in hand. With a sigh, Miguel added, ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re so good with house


    chores, why don¡¯t you just hand Spinfluence Group to your Uncle Conrad and move in with the Murphys?


    Pretty good option, if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°How much did Uncle Conrad pay you to say that?¡± Matthew cast a sideways nce at Miguel as a smirk


    yed on his lips.


    Even while Matthew was doing humble house chores, there was no hiding the elegance that he


    possessed. He looked positively regal as he undid his apron and hung it on the side.


    ¡°I bet you¡¯re fantasizing about life being like this one day.¡± Miguel shoved his hands into the pockets of


    his trousers and sighed. ¡°Love makes a man go crazy, I guess. I¡¯ve never seen you lift a finger to clean


    up anything anywhere, but here you are scrubbing dishes in your future-mother-inw¡¯s kitchen. I¡¯m


    telling you, if word of this gets back to Bloomstead, all the women who have their eyes set on you will be


    devastated, not to mention be extremely jealous of Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Shut your trap,¡± Matthew drawled. He washed his hands and spun on his heels to leave the kitchen.


    However, he had only just reached the living room when Skyler stood up and shed a mischievous grin


    at him, saying, ¡°There you are, Matt! Veronica¡¯s father was just saying how we could use more firewood


    in this weather. Could you run out to the front yard and chop up the pile of wood there? Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I did not¡ª¡±


    Tony was about to deny this when Caleb interrupted him, ¡°Yeah, I heard Master Crayson mention that


    there isn¡¯t enough firewood, too.¡±


    Thermostats were umon in small towns like these, so to keep out the cold, most houses here had


    closed furnaces installed with a pipe that vented out the smoke through a hole in the wall.


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Master Crayson said nonchntly as he took a long drag of his cigarette. He looked at


    Matthew steadily and added, ¡°Your buddies were telling me how much you wanted to experience life in a


    small town, so here¡¯s your big chance. Go out to the yard and chop up some firewood.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Veronica gaped at Crayson in astonishment. No matter how she looked at it, the old man was


    picking on Matthew for the sake of amusement. She immediately stood up and said, ¡°Master Crayson,


    you can¡¯t possibly have a guest do the work, can you? Dad wouldn¡¯t like it.¡±


    It was hard to imagine someone like Matthew, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, chopping


    up firewood. The thought of it was absurd, and more importantly, Veronica couldn¡¯t bear to have him go


    through thebor.


    ¡°He might be a guest, but you¡¯re my disciple, you brat! He¡¯ll have to go through me if he really likes you. I


    have no ns on letting the both of you see each other if he can¡¯t do a simple job such as chopping up


    firewood!¡± Crayson huffed as he waved his hand dismissively, then looked away without saying anything


    else.


    He had made his intentions clear, and even Danie did not bother countering him. She knew how much


    Veronica meant to him and that he saw her as his own daughter. Thus, it was only normal that he would


    try to gauge just how far Matthew was willing to go to prove his feelings for Veronica.


    Danie had to agree that this was a clever way of going about assessing someone.


    ¡°What? He likes Roni?¡± Tony was the only one in the house who had no idea of this, and it showed. He


    shot a nk look in Crayson¡¯s direction, then at his wife. Finally, he gazed at Veronica and Matthew in


    confusion, then asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know about this?¡±


    ¡°Because all you ever care about is food,¡± Danie pointed out in mock exasperation as she glowered at


    him.


    ¡°Master Crasyon, you¡ª¡±


    Veronica began to protest, but Crayson snapped, ¡°Keep quiet and stay out of this!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m always up for a little exercise, anyway.¡± Matthew suddenly spoke up, not at all bothered. He


    asked Veronica, ¡°Where do you keep the ax?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± She wanted to dissuade him from going through with this ridiculous demand. She was only too


    aware of the discrepancy between her social status and his. If he was the one who was out of her


    league, then there seemed little point in testing him this way.


    ¡°Could you show me where you guys keep it?¡± Matthew went on to ask, soundingpletely unfazed.


    As courteous as he was, she did not miss the authoritative tone underlying his words.


    ¡°Okay,e with me,¡± she said, finally caving in.


    She led him out of the living room and into the store room, then found the ax. She passed it to him, but


    when he grabbed the hilt, she did not let go. Instead, she eyed him gravely and said, ¡®You don¡¯t have to


    listen to Master Crayson, you know. My parents would never let you do something like this, so why are


    you going through with this just because he asked you to?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s obsidian eyes glittered with amusement as he reached out and tousled her hair gently.


    ¡°Because I want to be with you and I want your family¡¯s blessings, including Master Crayson¡¯s.¡±


    Crayson had seen Veronica grow up, and he had trained her in martial arts as well. He deserved every


    bit of respect as a parent would.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine and all, but you¡¯ve never worked a day in your life. How are you going to chop up firewood?


    You don¡¯t even know how exhausting it is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, there¡¯s a first time for everything, right?¡± Matthew pried her fingers off the hilt of the ax and


    walked out toward the fence at the front yard.


    There was a huge stretch of concretend to the left of the entrance, but to the right was earthy ground


    where a pile of thick logs wereid. On top of these was a canvas tarp weighed down by snow.


    Matthew found a level spot and propped up a chopping block. He ced a log on it, then swung his ax


    down and split the wood.

 Chapter 373

    Chapter 373


    Chapter 373 Jealous Matthew


    Only a muffled hum was heard and with a creak, the log instantly split in half. He took another log and


    repeated his actions. He first properly ced the piece of wood before he swung the axe, riving the log in


    half all in one go.


    Matthew¡¯spany and Veronica¡¯s family stood by the door as they watched his every move.


    Veronica soon shifted her eyes to re at Crayson with a displeased gaze, and she angrily reached over


    and tugged on his goatee. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is a little too much, Master Crayson?¡±


    In any case, Matthew was the richest and one of the most powerful men in Bloomstead.


    And that exact superior man is now chopping wood at my house? How is this any different from a


    demotion? she fumed.


    ¡°What is this? You are already siding with an outsider whom you aren¡¯t even married to yet?¡± The old


    man huffed in annoyance and knocked Veronica on the head with his tobo pipe. ¡°You don¡¯t know


    chalk from cheese, you brat.¡±


    ¡°Your master is right, Veronica. He is only doing this for your own good,¡± Danie joined in with the


    nagging.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Tony snorted. ¡°Aren¡¯t you all keeping the secret too well? I am the only one who doesn¡¯t know


    anything.¡± He then turned around and headed to the yard.


    ¡°What are you getting angry at, Tony? I also only just found out,¡± Danie exined as she hurried after


    him.


    After Crayson went with them as well, only Caleb, Skyler, Miguel and Veronica were left standing by the


    door.


    As he did not take the situation seriously, Skyler joined in the fun by taking out his phone and pointed it


    at Matthew for a video. ¡°Tsk! What an interesting day today is. I must take some photos for memory¡¯s


    sake.¡±


    ¡°You are trying to get yourself killed again,¡± Caleb, who was leaning against the door frame with his arms


    crossed, said with a half-smile.


    Miguel brought his hand up and pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose. ¡°Even the toughest of men


    can turn soft in front of a woman,¡± he mused. Matthew would always have that haughty and cold


    demeanor that kept people away, but he still had to do anything he was told to do once he had stepped


    into his inws¡¯ house.¡±


    ¡°Haha! You are a wise man, Miggy!¡± Skyler startedughing at the top of his lungs while pressing one


    hand on his abdomen as he took the video with one hand.


    Veronica was at a loss for words. What a bunch of crappy friends, she thought.


    Honk! Honk! Right at this moment, a white Cadic sedan drove over and stopped in front of Veronica¡¯s


    house.


    ¡°Who is that? Roni, you have a guest,¡± Skyler informed Veronica while putting away his phone.


    Not knowing who it was herself, she walked over to the car.


    A man in a gray trench coat came out as soon as the door opened, and it was only then that Veronica


    realized it was Hendrey.


    ¡°Merry Christmas, Veronica.¡±


    He alighted from the car and greeted her before spreading out his arms to give her a hug. He was


    probably used to how foreigners greeted each other after staying abroad for an extended amount of time.


    She epted the hug rather naturally and out of courtesy, gave him a brief friendly hug. ¡°Merry


    Christmas! Why didn¡¯t you tell me beforeing over?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is because I wanted to surprise you.¡± As he spoke, his gaze moved to look at the few


    people standing at the door. ¡°You gotpany?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. It is Matthew and his¡­ friends. They came here together.¡± Veronica nced behind her, and the


    trio came over immediately.


    She proceeded to introduce them one by one. ¡°This is Skyler Robins. That one is Caleb Shaw, and that


    is Miguel Lynch.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ªYoung Master Skyler, Young Master Caleb and Young Master Miguel, I have heard a lot about all


    three of you. It is an honor for me to finally meet.¡± Skyler greeted them politely as he stepped forward


    and shook hands with them.


    Even though Hendrey had just returned to Bloomstead, he had indeed known about them long ago that


    they came from wealthy backgrounds, had high social statuses and extraordinary abilities, and they were


    good friends with Matthew.


    ¡°Hendrey Johnson? D*mn¡­ You are one good-looking man. I am sure you have tons of girlfriends,¡±


    Skyler smilingly teased with his eyebrows raised.


    ¡°You tter me, Young Master Sykler.¡± Hendrey¡¯s formal smile remained stered on his face as he


    moved to shake hands with Caleb.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Caleb kept being the enigma he was and only indifferently greeted, ¡°Hey, man.¡±


    Miguel also shook hands with Hendrey after that. ¡°As far as I know, you have just returned to the country,


    haven¡¯t you, Mr. Johnson? How do you know so much about us?¡±


    The seemingly normal conversation felt prickly for some reason.


    ¡°You all are famous people in Bloomstead. I can¡¯t not know even if I don¡¯t want to.¡± Hendreyughed with


    his chin raised.


    He swiftly tilted his head to look at Matthew, who was putting his all into chopping the wood at the side.


    ¡°Is that¡­ Young Master Matthew?¡± Hendrey asked despite already knowing the answer.


    ¡°Sure is. I am sure you know that Matt confessed to Roni. Roni¡¯s parents have been treating Matt like


    one of their own, so they asked him to chop up some wood just to exercise his muscles.¡±


    Skyler might be a bad influence of a friend at usual times, but he can be loyal in the face of an enemy.


    He had picked up the sarcasm in Hendrey¡¯s voice when Hendrey spoke earlier, and Skyler quickly


    retaliated by offering an exnation that also reminded Hendrey of the rtionship between Matthew


    and Veronica.


    It would be better to make Hendrey realize how he was behaving now.


    Just as Skyler had expected, Hendrey¡¯s smile gradually disappeared after he said those words. Even the


    man¡¯s pitch ck eyes seemed to grow dimmer by the second.


    However, all of that change in emotion seemed tost for only a second.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Hendrey let out a warm and bright smile again. ¡°Look at how much you have grown. You are


    at that age where you will soon be talking about marriage.¡±


    At that moment, Hendrey raised his hand to caress Veronica on the head, only to stop when Matthew¡¯s


    voice rang out.


    ¡°Roni?¡±


    Hearing that, the group of people tilted their heads to look at him. He was standing there with his


    windbreaker jacket removed, and he was holding it in his hand instead as he hooked his fingers at


    Veronica, signaling her toe over.


    ¡°Matthew Kings, what are you doing on such a cold day?! Are you giving up on warmth just so you can


    look good?¡± Veronica boomed at him while stomping her way to him.


    Hendrey¡¯s fingers froze in mid-air, and he retracted his hand bashfully to slip it into the pocket of his suit


    pants.


    ¡°Worried that I would feel cold?¡±


    Even though Matthew was asking her, his eyes were fixated on Hendrey as he threw Hendrey a knowing


    look.


    After she got close to him, Matthew unhesitantly held Veronica¡¯s hand, but he ended up frowning. ¡°Huh!


    Won¡¯t you look at this? You said that I would rather look good than feel warm, but just feel how cold your


    hands are.¡±


    As he said that, he walked behind her and draped his jacket over her torso. ¡°Come on, now. You have a


    guest. Don¡¯t just stand there. Hurry up and bring him into the house. What if rumors spread about how


    we aren¡¯t hospitable?¡±


    There was nothing wrong with the impressive words he said, but Veronica couldn¡¯t help but feel there


    was something strange going on.


    With a frown on her face, she scrutinized Matthew and hissed softly, ¡°What are you doing? I told you that


    Hendrey doesn¡¯t like me.¡±


    Does he think of me as an idiot who can¡¯t pick up what he is implying? The man leaned over and when


    his lips were next to her ear, he replied in a low voice. ¡°I have no choice. It is your fault for being such a


    charming woman, Roni. You make me feel so¡­ insecure.¡±


    His maic voice wasparable to that of famous voice actors. It sounded so good that Veronica


    thought all her limbs were weakening.


    They were practically in each other¡¯s faces as they whispered to each other. That made them look so


    intimate that one might think they were joined at the hip.


    ¡°Can you please be normal, Matthew? I almost threw up my meal from yesterday,¡± Veronica barked at


    him before swiftly turning her head to look behind. She was somehow greeted by the sight of the four


    men staring at the couple unblinkingly.


    Their sharp gazes made her feel as though she was sitting on pins and needles, and she immediately


    exined to Matthew quietly, ¡°The one Hendrey likes is Tiffany. They are already together.¡±

 Chapter 374

    Chapter 374


    Chapter 374 To Set up the Five Men With the Ladies


    After Veronica revealed the secret to Matthew, she shushed him before she turned around and walked


    toward Hendrey. ¡°It is cold outside, Hendrey. Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Hendrey lightly nodded, but he started to head in the direction of his car¡¯s trunk. ¡°Let me go get


    something first.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ªI am just happy that you are here. You didn¡¯t have to bring anything,¡± Veronica politely protested


    while following him.


    As the trunk opened, it coincidentally gave them the privacy from being seen by others.


    While carrying one thing after another, Hendrey suddenly asked, ¡°Are you the ¡®man¡¯ that Matthew likes


    that made news a while ago?¡±


    This was merely a guess on his part at first.


    But now that he unexpectedly met Matthew during his visit to Veronica¡¯s house, all the pieces of the


    puzzle seem to finally fit together.


    ¡°Ha! Clever boy.¡± Veronica bashfully giggled without any intention to hide the truth.


    She couldn¡¯t help the blood rush to her face whenever she thought of how what happened between her


    and Matthew in the fitting room was exposed on the news.


    Even though that incident was only verbally made known to the media by the shop assistant, who had


    later came forward to ¡®apologize¡¯ by saying that she was only talking nonsense for the publicity, everyone


    knew that the shop assistant was merely covering up the truth.


    ¡°Veronica, do you really trust Matthew Kings so much? You and him are pr opposites. You will be the


    one who ends up being crushed to pieces in the end,¡± Hendrey said worriedly.


    For some reason, Veronica suddenly felt that Hendrey¡¯s attitude toward her from the moment he got out


    of the car had been somewhat unusual.


    Especially that gaze of his. His eyes almost seemed like they were on fire when they looked at her. It


    almost felt like he¡­ liked her.


    On top of that, she didn¡¯t seem to be the only one who thought so. Even Matthew was treating Hendrey


    like a love rival.


    No, it is impossible, Veronica quietly denied. I saw with my own eyes Hendrey and Tiffany being together.


    He must be extra caring toward me because he¡¯s my first love.


    ¡°What about Tiffany? Do you trust her that much?¡± Veronica gradually lost her smile, and she solemnly


    added, ¡°Have you ever thought that you will be the one getting the short end of the stick when it all


    ends?¡±


    Even though the two who cared for each other had asked the same question, one of them had asked out


    of sincerity as a friend, while the other was tantly throwing out a challenge due to greed.


    ¡°Oh¡ªMr. Johnson. How many gifts did you buy that you are still not done carrying them all?¡±


    Seeing that Veronica and Hendrey were chatting the whole time they stood behind the car, Matthew


    rested his elbow on the handle of the axe while he quietly took puffs from the cigarette in his other hand.


    His eyes, however, stayed on the duo standing at the rear of the car the whole time.


    It was only when his view was blocked by the trunk lid that Matthew gave Skyler a knowing look and


    Skyler, in turn, joked about Hendrey¡¯s gifts when he understood what Matthew wanted.


    After Hendrey closed the trunk with his hands full of gifts, Veronica turned to re at Skyler. ¡°I bet you


    got rid of your ex-girlfriend with your endless rambling,¡± sheined.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Caleb couldn¡¯t stop himself fromughing when he heard her words. He then gave her a thumbs-


    up. ¡°You really are clever.¡±


    ¡°You taciturn prick, are you sick of living?!¡± Skyler angrily yelled. He then walked off to one side and


    leaned over to grab a handful of snow, thereafter squeezing it into a snowball and hurling it at Caleb.


    The agile Caleb tilted his head slightly and easily avoided the snowball. Miguel, who was behind him,


    had unfortunately taken the attack for him when the snowball soundlynded and burst on his face,


    turning his face white and cold the next instance.


    ¡°Skyler Robins!¡±


    In pain, Miguel red at Skyler angrily as the corners of his mouth twitched. He was sprinting in Skyler¡¯s


    direction the next second.


    ¡°Oh¡ªsh*t! Bro, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    Knowing that he was in danger, Skyler turned around and ran to hide behind Matthew. ¡°You have to back


    me up, Matt.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Wispy smoke came out from between Matthew¡¯s thin lips as he calmly said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    He then passed the axe in his hand to Skyler. ¡°Here. Take it. I am lending it to you. Go ahead and take a


    few swings. Don¡¯t hold back.¡±


    Skyler didn¡¯t say anything the first few seconds, but he soon shed Matthew a thumbs-up and praised,


    ¡°¡®You cold-hearted man.¡±


    Veronica was watching then when she shook her head out of resignation. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s head inside,¡±


    she said to Hendrey.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The two of them entered the courtyard together and headed to the living room, where Hendrey greeted


    Veronica¡¯s parents and wished them a merry Christmas. They then started to have a chat over hot tea.


    It didn¡¯t take long before the people from the vige came one after another to give the Murphys their


    Christmas greetings, resulting in an endless stream of people in Veronica¡¯s house.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes seemed to glint when they saw the five handsome men there.


    ¡°Golly, Veronica! Aren¡¯t you a capable one? It has only been a year since you started working and yet,


    you made so many new friends!¡±


    ¡°Your friends sure are handsome. Do they have a partner? Let me tell you. My cousin¡¯s second niece¡¯s


    distant cousin is still single. Should I introduce her to your friend?¡±


    ¡°That second aunt? Don¡¯t even bring up that rtive of yours who is a million miles away. Roni, does that


    lad who is chopping wood have a girlfriend? How about I introduce my daughter to him?¡±


    ¡°Do any of you young men want to give me your contact? My daughter is still single. Does anyone want


    to give her a try?¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica¡¯s home usually had only a few visitors because it was located at the very end of the vige.


    It had, however, gathered a crowd just because Matthew and the rest were here. Everyone wanted to


    join in and enjoy the sight of the five men with distinctly different styles.


    Many even brought their daughters along with them.


    Matthew, Hendrey, Caleb, Miguel and Skyler felt like they had turned into circus monkeys in that instant


    their spectators came.


    Veronica was going to step forward to stop the vigers and exin to them at first. It was until there was


    too big a crowd that she simply went home and sat beside the heater to watch the rey of the


    Christmas Concert. She didn¡¯t see a point in giving an exnation.


    Because of herck of initiative, Danie and Tony were the ones who ended up spending their


    Christmas busy offering their neighbors drinks and cigarettes and candies. They couldn¡¯t even take a


    break in between.


    Matthew was still engrossed with violently swinging his ax to chop firewood. A few people had


    surrounded him to watch him, but they stood some distance away as they feared they would get hurt by


    ident.


    They tried to make conversation with him, only to be ignored. Hence, they started to leave him by


    himself.


    Skyler, who was a chatterbox, stood in the middle of a crowd as he boasted about himself, and made his


    three close friends the supporting characters in his story.


    On the other hand, Caleb didn¡¯t enjoy the noise at all. He snuck away from there and followed along


    Veronica¡¯s house until he reached the small reservoir at the right side of her house to have a peaceful


    moment to himself.


    Wham! Wham!


    He heard a noise as he was standing by the reservoir to smoke a cigarette.


    He then went in the direction the sound came from and after a while, he came across a slender girl in an


    aqua coat made of cotton. Her hair was tied into two braids as she sat in front of a bstone by the


    reservoir as she beat a piece ofundry in her hand with a mallet.


    Seeing how red her hands had turned from the cold, he naturally asked, ¡°It is such a cold day today, not


    to mention it is Christmas! Why are you here doingundry?¡±


    The girl only lifted her head to look at Caleb when he spoke.


    He took a good look at her then. With her dark eyebrows, big eyes, fair skin, and the mole under one of


    her eyes, she looked like a proper, pure vige girl.


    She immediately gave him a smile as sweet and beautiful as she was when she saw him.


    Only¡­


    Instead of answering him, she shook her hands to dry them, and then started making a few gestures.


    Caleb let out a frown then.


    Is she a mute?

 Chapter 375

    Chapter 375


    Chapter 375 Feel Bad for Matthew


    ¡°Mm. I am Veronica¡¯s friend. I am here on a trip.¡± Caleb was a police officer. As it was a requirement he


    needed to meet in order for him to solve cases, he had to be able to readmonly used signnguage


    phrases. That was why he understood it when she first signed to him.


    Oh¡ªso you are Veronica¡¯s friend. I heard them talking about you and the others earlier. The girl


    continued to sign, her smile brimming with joy.


    That smile, so extraordinarily bright without any impurity, was so pure it was hard for one not to like it. He


    walked to her side and asked, ¡°My name is Caleb Shaw. How should I address you?¡±


    I am Abby Wright. She signed him a self-introduction, the smile still on her face. Right at this moment, a


    plump middle-age woman came stalking in their direction. Her face looked murderous as she pointed at


    Abby and scolded, ¡°What are you being all wishy-washy for, Abby Wright?! Hurry up and wash these


    nkets!¡±


    Caleb noticed that the woman was holding a nket in her arms. Judging from the color alone, he could


    tell there were at least three nkets Abby had to wash.


    It being Christmas aside, it was a freezing cold day where the temperature was more than minus 10


    degrees. The vigers could only wash their clothes if they were to break the frozen ice of the reservoir.


    And this middle-age woman is actually making such a young girl wash so many clothes and nkets!


    Caleb, who has always been a man of few words, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be visiting


    houses during Christmas? Why are you making her do so muchundry?¡±


    The vigers lived in self-built houses that stood alone. Everyone would usually go door-to-door to offer


    their wishes on Christmas every year.


    In addition, there was a custom of wearing new clothes on Christmas. However, Abby¡¯s aqua coat had


    probably been washed so many times the color had faded. There were also several patches on it.


    Caleb didn¡¯t know that there were still people who wore clothes like this in this time and age.


    The woman proceeded to drop the nkets beside Abby before she red at Caleb and sassed,


    ¡°Busybody.¡±


    She then pointed at Abby. ¡°Get done with the washing quickly, you hear me?!¡±


    Abby nodded in reply. After that, she nced at Caleb with a look in her eyes before she lowered her


    head and continued to do theundry.


    He didn¡¯t say a word as he stood by smoking a cigarette while listening to the sound of water sshing


    as the soft mallet noisily hit the clothes.


    A whileter, Abby put the clothes in a big basin and started with the nkets.


    However, the first nket she washed was too thick and heavy; she couldn¡¯t even carry it after it got wet.


    She suddenly slipped, and she would have fallen into the water Caleb wasn¡¯t one step ahead of her.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± he reminded her while holding her by her arm. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    The girl went pale from the shock of almost falling into the water, but she soon turned around and smiled


    brightly at him while shaking her head.


    After she put down the nket, she signed to him. Caleb Shaw, right? Thank you, Caleb.


    Her soundless greeting somehow made his heart skip a beat.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    He threw the cigarette butt aside and said to her, ¡°I¡¯ll help you with it.¡±


    It is fine. The water is too cold. She was in the middle of signing when he had rolled up his sleeves and


    took the wet and heavy nket from her.


    He knew the water was cold, but he only realized that it was piercingly so when he touched it himself.


    Now that he was closer to her, he noticed how pitiful she was with her hands covered in chilins and


    fissures.


    It baffled him how there still was such a pitiful youngdy in this century.


    With a swoosh, Caleb wrung the nket before putting it on the bstone. Abby first smiled sweetly at


    him, and then smeared someundry powder on the nket before she beat it hard with the mallet.


    Caleb must have been standing too close when she did the chore, which was why the foam from the


    wash sshed all over him.


    She was stunned at first, but she quickly signed. I am sorry; I didn¡¯t do that on purpose. You¡­ She


    pointed at the spot he was standing a while ago. It might be better if you stood somewhere further.


    He lowered his head to look at the foam all on the legs of his trousers, and he couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    He then stepped aside so that he wouldn¡¯t interfere with her work.


    Out of his sense of responsibility as a police officer, Caleb waited for her to be done with the washing, as


    he was worried that she would fall from washingundry that was too heavy for her. He was about to


    take his leave when he realized that the cleanundry had piled into a hill in her basin. There was no


    way Abby could carry the basin with her.


    ¡°Let me help you with it.¡±


    He stepped forward to help her, only for her to put two nkets back on the bstone, and stumbled


    away while carrying the basin.


    Abby had to go uphill to return home from the river. Even though the path had turned icy and slippery


    from all the snow, she had on a pair of boots that should have prevented her from slipping.


    She looked as though she was about to reach her destination when she suddenly lost her footing, and,


    along with her basin, slipped down all the way to where she started from.


    Seeing how miserable Abby was, Caleb rushed toward her and pulled her up by the arm. ¡°Are you


    okay?!¡± he blurted out.


    Instead of looking at him, she stared at the clothes that had fallen out of the basin, which had now been


    stained with mud. She rather angrily and stubbornly picked up the clothes, turned around, and walked


    back to the bstone by the river. She then sat down and washed them again.


    Even if she didn¡¯t speak, Caleb felt upset seeing her bring her hands up to her face to wipe away her


    tears from time to time.


    But then again, she wasn¡¯t the only pitiful person on earth. He couldn¡¯t possibly have sympathy for


    everyone.


    With his brows furrowed, he decided to head back to Veronica¡¯s house. The ¡®spectators¡¯ had already left


    by the time he got there.


    Matthew was still chopping wood when Veronica brought him a cup of hot tea and saw Caleb.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± she asked. ¡°I thought you were lost. I was going to go look for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright. I only went to take a walk around.¡±


    As Caleb said that, he suddenly thought of the incident from earlier, and he pretended to casually bring it


    up. ¡°I happened to see a mute girl over there.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ªyou mean Abby? She is quite a pitiful girl. Her mother was often beaten up by Abby¡¯s father after


    they got married. It got to the point where her mother became mentally ill. The Wright Family wanted to


    abandon her mother, but because her mother was pregnant with Abby at the time and the police


    intervened, the Wrights could only keep Abby and her mother in the family even though they were


    reluctant. Abby has never been able to speak from the moment she was born, and they didn¡¯t know she


    was a mute until she was three years old. The Wrights were very angry about it, but they had no choice


    but to keep her despite how they wanted to throw her away. When her mother passed away and her


    father married another woman, they almost never stopped scolding her for whatever reason.¡±


    Veronica shook her head and sighed, ¡°What an awful life for a young girl.¡±


    Even though her life was hard, Veronica was an outsider who had no ties with Abby. She naturally


    couldn¡¯t get involved in Abby¡¯s¡¯ family affairs even if she wanted to.


    Matthew was sweating profusely as he held his cup of hot tea. As he took slow sips of the beverage, he


    kept staring at Caleb with a cold gaze, and the corners of his lips looked as though they were lifted.


    Caleb happened to catch that half-smile on Matthew¡¯s face, and he reacted by frowning and immediately


    leaving the ce.


    ¡°Take a break; you have cut enough firewood to burn for a month.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty about this.


    After all, today was Christmas. Matthew was supposed to be on a rxing and fun trip here, but he


    ended up chopping wood for her family.


    It just didn¡¯t sit right with her no matter what.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He handed her the cup. ¡°Let me finish chopping all of this up first.¡±


    ¡°There really is no need for you to do this, Matt¡ª¡±


    Veronica wanted to say something more, but the man had turned around and taken a log to put on the


    ground. He was about to swing the axe when he turned around and warned her, ¡°Stand somewhere


    further away. It is dangerous here.¡±

 Chapter 376

    Chapter 376


    Chapter 376 Love Confession to Matthew


    Veronica took a few steps back and quietly watched the noble and otherworldly man chopping wood like


    a normal human being. Still, the noble temperament he had was not one that ordinary people would


    have.


    She was slightly moved out of nowhere as she looked at him. This was a man who was willing to do


    anything, even sacrifice himself to save her. He had even humbled himself by doing chores at her house.


    Veronica didn¡¯t even know what reason she had for her to keep refusing him despite how she really felt


    for him. Especially at that time in the kitchen when Matthew said that he would give her one billion and


    ten vis as bridewealth. And if he cheated in their marriage, he would take none of the possessions and


    leave everything to her.


    Although these words might note true, it was still unimaginable for him to want to give a staggering


    one billion in bridewealth.


    Veronica didn¡¯t have her head in the clouds that she would think that she was worth one billion.


    ¡°Matthew?¡± she called out.


    The man immediately stopped doing his work and put the sharp end of the axe on the ground. He rested


    one arm on the handle of the axe, and ced the other hands on his hip as he looked back at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, so tired he had beads of sweat on his skin.


    Seeing his flushed face and the fine sweat glistening on his forehead, Veronica stepped forward and took


    out a tissue from her pocket, thereafter gently wiping the sweat from his forehead.


    The sudden move surprised the man, and with a smile on his face, he hummed, ¡°Are you worried for me,


    Roni?¡±


    He seemed to be enjoying this moment a lot.


    She pursed her lips as she grabbed the tissue tight while she stared intently at the man who was right in


    front of her with her bright eyes. She was even more moved when she saw how his chest tiredly rose


    and fell from him chopping wood.


    ¡°Matthew, let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s date.¡±


    Wouldn¡¯t it be a pity not to cherish a man who was willing to let go of everything in order to be with her?


    As soon as Veronica said that, the smile on Matthew¡¯s face suddenly disappeared.


    His sharp, straight eyebrows pulled together then, and his eyes suddenly became clear. ¡°You¡­ Are you


    serious?¡±


    ¡°What is the matter? Do you not want to?¡±


    She was puzzled to no end.


    She didn¡¯t understand his reaction and expression after she agreed to be together with him.


    ¡°What? Of course I want to. It is just that¡­¡± Matthew paused and dragged his voice.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You cannot go back on your words after you promise me.¡± The man reached out and pinched her


    delicate cheek. ¡°Think about it properly.¡±


    Veronica pursed her red lips and nodded with a knowing smile. ¡°Mhm. I won¡¯t regret my decision.¡±


    Only then did Matthew¡¯s handsome face beam as a smile appeared. Throwing the axe aside out of joy,


    he engulfed her in one big hug.


    He was overwhelmed by emotions as he soon released her, and he nted a kiss on her lips.


    The kiss was hot and passionate, but after recalling that they were at her home, he immediately let go of


    her.


    ¡°But¡­ when can we get married?¡± After saying that, Matthew suddenly remembered their previous


    agreement. He then said again, ¡°A hidden marriage isn¡¯t a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°We can talk about that next time.¡±


    Veronica stood on her tiptoes and lightly kissed him on the lips. She then turned around and was about


    to leave when she realized Hendrey, Skyler, and Miguel were standing in the doorway and staring


    intently at her and Matthew.


    Her face instantly turned red.


    What the hell? she thought, flustered.


    The one time she took the initiative to confess had actually been witnessed by the lot of them.


    Since when have I lowered my guard so much?


    ¡°Tsk! This is overstepping the line. It is too early to be sticking to each other.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Matthew somehow won her over with his unexpected behavior.¡±


    ¡°Veronica, have you really thought it through?¡±


    Skyler, Miguel, and Hendrey all spoke one after the other.


    Matthew¡¯s friends would naturally be happy for him, but Hendrey¡¯s heart quickly sank to his stomach.


    ¡°Go on and have fun, you guys. I will decide with my mother what kind of yummy food we will prepare for


    your lunch.¡±


    After Veronica bbered about that, she immediately slipped into the yard.


    Matthew couldn¡¯t help butugh when he saw her scampering away due to embarassment.


    After a while, he looked back. Pushing the axe out of the ground with the tip of his shoe, he continued to


    chop wood after grabbing onto it.


    ¡­


    At this time, Caleb had just returned from an unnned drive to town to buy a small box of chilin


    cream.


    When he arrived at Veronica¡¯s house, Miguel and the others were standing by the door while chatting.


    Finally seeing Caleb, Skyler started interrogating his friend, ¡°Where have you been the whole morning,


    Caleb?¡±


    ¡°Around.¡±


    Caleb didn¡¯t walk into the house and instead, he stood on the side of the road as he took out his phone.


    ¡°I will go make a call.¡±


    His ¡®call¡¯ somehow brought him away from the entrance of Veronica¡¯s house.


    With the chilin cream in his hand, he went around her house and headed to the river again.


    Only this time, Abby was nowhere to be seen.


    He went up the small hill and walked a distance, where he saw several houses along the way. However,


    he didn¡¯t know which one Abby lived in.


    He eventually stopped walking and stood on the spot. As he looked down at the box in his hand, he


    couldn¡¯t help but let out a resigned smile.


    This was the first time he did something silly like this for a youngdy he didn¡¯t even know.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    It was probably due to his sense of justice as a police officer that he couldn¡¯t bear seeing pitiful people.


    Not wanting to spend more time looking for her, Caleb turned around and left.


    Unexpectedly, just after taking two steps, he suddenly heard the sound of someone crying.


    As soon as he heard the voice, his expression turned cold and he turned around immediately to go in the


    direction the sound came from.


    As he reached a house in the east of the vige, Caleb saw as he stood by the door that the cruel-


    looking middle-aged woman from earlier was brutally whipping a girl¡¯s legs with a thin bamboo stick.


    And the girl, who was kneeling on the ground, did not dare to escape.


    ¡°Where did this couragee from, huh? I only wanted you to cook lunch, but you are telling me that


    your hand hurts? Are you trying to piss me off? I raised you, you useless thing! But what else have you


    done other than beingzy?!¡±


    The woman pressed one hand on her hip and held a bamboo stick in the other. She then deliberately


    aimed at the girl¡¯s hands as she gave it another good whip. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your hands hurt? I will


    show you what it means to ¡®hurt¡¯. It won¡¯t feel painful anymore after I hit you a few times.¡±


    Ah¡ªdon¡¯t hit me. Abby sobbed while signing. I was wrong¡­ I will cook¡­


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Caleb yelled angrily as he stepped inside. ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡±


    Upon hearing him, the middle-aged woman and Abby both looked over at him.


    Abby¡¯s eyes were red and brimming with tears. That tender gaze her eyes held made her look so pitiful


    that anyone¡¯s heart would break upon seeing that.


    The woman, on the other hand, pointed at him with the stick. ¡°Who are you to stick your nose into our


    family affairs?¡±


    Caleb stood up straight and said solemnly, ¡°This is domestic violence. Anyone has the right to ¡®stick their


    nose¡¯ into this.¡±


    ¡°You are a friend of thedy from the Murphy Family, aren¡¯t you? Hmph! You are the same as them. You


    both have nothing better to do than meddle in someone else¡¯s business. If it wasn¡¯t for Veronica Murphy


    and her parents, this stupid girl here would have been married. I am sick of nosy people like you. Get


    out!¡±


    Caleb could easily tell how much the woman despised Abby from her words alone.


    And the youngdy looks like she isn¡¯t even 18 years old yet! What is this marriage talk about?!


    He proceeded to take out the police badge he carried with him. ¡°I am a policeman. Do you still think I


    shouldn¡¯t bother myself with this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You¡­ you are a policeman?¡±


    The woman took a look at the badge he took out, and her arrogance disappeared instantly. With her lips


    pursed, she looked embarrassed as she smiled and exined, ¡°I was only teaching my girl because she


    was disobedient.¡±

 Chapter 377

    Chapter 377


    Chapter 377 Caleb Wants to Sponsor the Young Lady


    Caleb stepped forward and pulled Abby up, only to realize then that the back of her hand had been split


    open by the woman¡¯s whippings, and there were streaks of blood where she was hit.


    The open chilin wounds also had fresh blood flowing out of them. Without waiting for Caleb to say


    another word, Abby retracted her hand as she turned around and ran into the house.


    He continued to stand where he was, but he was gradually feeling embarrassed and redundant. After


    watching her enter the house, he shifted his gaze to re at the woman instead. ¡°Even though she is


    your family member, domestic violence is a crime. You can still get arrested! I won¡¯t let this go if there is a


    next time.¡±


    He only left Abby¡¯s house after he threw out a warning. Matthew was still chopping wood when Caleb


    returned to Veronica¡¯s house. The rest of them were nowhere to be seen.


    The kitchen chimney in the front yard was billowing with smoke. It was obvious that Veronica¡¯s mother


    was preparing lunch. Caleb pulled out a cigarette from the cigarette box and handed it to Matthew. ¡°This


    is my first time finding out that this is what your muscles are intended for. Chopping wood, eh?¡± he joked.


    Matthew lightly held the cigarette between his lips as Caleb helped him light the end up. Matthew then


    took a drag, and wisps of smoke came out with his breath as he spoke next, ¡°That mute girl hasn¡¯t even


    come of age.¡±


    Caleb was lighting his own cigarette with his head lowered when he heard those words. He was stunned


    for a long second, but he soon continued to light it. ¡°What are you telling me about this?¡± he asked


    slowly.


    ¡°You make it too obvious,¡± Matthew raised his eyebrows, and tilted his chin to gesture to Caleb¡¯s pocket.


    Caleb looked down again, only to find that the box of chilin cream he bought was so big that the part


    with ¡®chilin¡¯ written on it was showing from the top of the pocket.


    His thoughts revealed, Caleb and Matthew looked at each other before they leaned against a tree at the


    side and quietly smoked.


    Matthew flicked the cigarette ash and reminded, ¡°She dropped out of high school, and she is mute on top


    of that. You have to think this through.¡±


    ¡°I want to sponsor her to keep in school.¡±


    ¡°Is this out of charity, or do you have other intentions?¡± Matthew asked. He knew Caleb too well.


    Caleb had never shown interest in any woman. For someone who spent his days at work, he had no time


    for romances. He definitely didn¡¯t have the time to meddle in the affairs of people who had nothing to do


    with him.


    ¡°I am not as nasty as you think I am.¡± Caleb snorted softly.


    Matthew wordlessly smiled at that. ¡°I will arrange for someone to send her to study in Collins, then.¡± He


    had intentionally mentioned ¡®Collins¡¯.


    That was because Veronica lived in Collins.


    ¡°The standard in Collins cannotpare to that of the capital Bloomstead. Since you are offering to help,


    why not send her to Bloomstead?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ªBloonstead¡­¡± Matthew repeated somewhat oddly.


    The corners of Caleb¡¯s mouth twitched slightly then. ¡°You¡­ I¡­ It is just that she is a mute. Bloomstead is


    the capital, and schools in big ces like that are more inclusive. It will be better for her.¡±


    ¡°Fine. We will proceed as you say.¡± Matthew naturally understood Caleb, so he didn¡¯t say anything more.


    Caleb was the one who warningly added, ¡°Don¡¯t let that chatterbox Skyler know. It is not like you don¡¯t


    know how he will¡ª¡±


    ¡°What can¡¯t you let me know? You taciturn prick, you don¡¯t think I am your bro, do you?!¡±


    Skyler had popped out of nowhere when the duo were conversing.


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    When Caleb looked back, he saw Miguel and Skyler walking in their direction.


    Skyler continued to question his friend, ¡°You little piece of sh*t, what have you been sneakily doing all


    morning behind our backs that you can¡¯t let us know?¡±


    Matthew took another puff of his cigarette before he threw the butt on the ground and put it out by


    stepping on it with the front of his shoe. He then picked up the axe and continued to chop wood.


    Skyler, whose curiosity had been piqued, rushed over and stood in front of Caleb. ¡°What are you hiding


    from me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Caleb held his cigarette in one hand and draped the other across his chest as he turned to


    look the other way.


    It was fine when he didn¡¯t move, but as soon as Caleb tilted his body, the content in his shirt pocket


    showed itself to Skr.


    Skyler snatched the box out of his pocket then. ¡°Chilin cream? Tsk! Now this is kind of interesting.¡±


    ¡°Give it back, Drew!¡±


    Caleb stretched out his hand to grab it, but Skyler swiftly hid it behind his back. ¡°I won¡¯t give it to you.


    Hey, you taciturn prick. None of us, including Roni, have chilin. Oh, I see. Matthew and Veronica were


    talking about a vige chick called Wabby Wright, weren¡¯t they? Is she the one with chilin?¡±


    ¡°What Wabby Wright are you talking about? It is Abby Wright!¡± Caleb quickly exined.


    But after he said that, his expression froze as he raised his eyebrows. He suddenly didn¡¯t know what


    more he could say to get out of this.


    What a p in the face!


    He had snitched on himself!


    ¡°Oh? Haha! Abby Wright. Wow, it looks like our taciturn friend has finally stepped out of hisfort zone.


    This is great.¡± Skyler was sincerely happy for Caleb, but he still punched him in the chest. ¡°You heartless


    man! Why are you hiding something like this from me?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense. She¡¯s a mute who isn¡¯t even 18 yet. I only want to help her go to school.¡± Caleb


    grabbed the cream from Skyler and put it in his pocket, and he then swiftly walked away.


    Miguel hadn¡¯t said a word the whole time he watched them.


    On the contrary, Skyler tilted his head to look at Matthew and asked, ¡°What is this, Matt? A mute who


    isn¡¯t even 18 yet? Wouldn¡¯t¡­ Wouldn¡¯t this be a problem?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t seem to hear a word his friend said then. All he wanted to do was chop wood.


    Knowing that he wasn¡¯t going to get his fun from Matthew who was ignoring him, Skyler shook his head


    and grumbled, ¡°Forget it. I will go find out more from Roni.¡±


    ¡­


    Matthew finished chopping the firewood before the afternoon. As if he had some sort of obsessive


    compulsive disorder, he neatly arranged the firewood one by one.


    He only started to head inside when he was done tidying everything up.


    Veronica hade out right about then. Seeing him get done with his task, she couldn¡¯t help feeling


    warm in her chest, and she trotted over. ¡°It must have been hard on you. Here, let me take the axe.¡±


    As she spoke, she took the axe from his hand.


    However, at this moment, she noticed that three blisters had grown in the palm of his right hand.


    She hurriedly put down the axe and grabbed his hand, only to get disheartened when she saw that there


    were three bumpy, translucent blisters there. ¡°Just look at these blisters! Why didn¡¯t you take a break?¡±


    She then grabbed his left hand, where she also found three blisters there.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty at the thought that a man like Matthew who had never done any


    manualbor had now chopped a pile of firewood by himself in the morning.


    ¡°Wait here.¡± She jogged back into the house with the axe. After a while, she came back out with his coat


    in her hand. She then went around and behind him. ¡°Come on, put your coat on.¡±


    She automatically helped him with it.


    The man was fully indulging in the special treatment that was exclusively his.


    He reached out his arms to put it on, and she started to take off the scarf around her neck. ¡°Here, put on


    the scarf. You will easily catch a cold after sweating.¡±


    Even though it was a red scarf, Matthew didn¡¯t show any disdain as he looked at her thoughtfully


    wrapping the scarf on him.


    The woman proceeded to hold his hand and walked toward the side of the road. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I will take you


    to town to get some medicine.¡±


    He wanted to refuse because those blisters were merely caused by friction.


    Still, Matthew wanted more alone time with Veronica. He finally followed her and walked over to the road.


    They then got into a car and headed straight to town.


    Matthew kept his head tilted to gaze at Veronica from time to time as he sat in the passenger¡¯s seat. At


    that point, he was in an impossibly good mood.

 Chapter 378

    Chapter 378


    Chapter 378 I Will Bring You to Bloomstead


    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Veronica was not used to Matthew¡¯s burning gaze. A smile


    appeared on his handsome face then. Keeping his eyes straight ahead, he suddenly said, ¡°You are


    pretty, Roni.¡±


    You are pretty, Roni? Veronica had her hands on the steering wheel when the corners of her mouth


    violently twitched. She couldn¡¯t help but throw him a nce. ¡°Can you please behave like a normal


    human being?¡± she grumbled, somewhat nauseated by his suddenpliment.


    Was this even still the indifferent, high-and-mighty Matthew from the time they first met? It was like he


    was a different person altogether!


    ¡°Hmm? Do you want to see the abnormal side of me?¡± The man looked back at her, his thin lips pulled


    up into a wicked smile. She could tell at a nce what he meant by that.


    She quickly shifted her gaze in front as she drove cautiously. ¡°My parents are still at home waiting for us


    to have lunch together.¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s not make Dad and Mom wait for long then. We have plenty of time in


    the future¡ª¡±


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    ¡°Hey!¡± she eximed. ¡°They are my dad and mom!¡± ¡°Yes, and that makes them my dad and Mmm too.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t even nned the wedding. Stop with your nonsense, Matthew.¡± ¡°It is bound to happen


    sooner orter anyway,¡± he smilingly said. She could see the joy on his face.


    She somehow couldn¡¯t find a word to say in return. There was nothing wrong with what he said. After


    they got the ointment, they headed back to her house.


    While they were on the journey home, Veronica stuffed the ointment in his direction and instructed him,


    ¡°Put some of that on your blisters.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Ointment for just a few blisters? Matthew was too unbothered to do something so


    pretentious.


    ¡°Matthew Kings, is there something wrong with your brain?! Why did we go to town to get you that


    ointment if you weren¡¯t going to use it?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to spend some time alone with you,¡± he admitted. All that couples who had only confirmed their


    rtionship wanted was to have some time to themselves. Even time spent sitting around and idly


    talking could feel wonderful.


    Veronica felt her heart break as she listened to his words. Out of nowhere, she started to pity him.


    They soon arrived home and by the time that they did, the food had already been served on the table.


    The rest of them were waiting for Matthew and Veronica toe back before they started eating.


    With everyone at the dining table, the ambience was harmonious and peaceful even though it was a little


    cramped. After lunch, Hendrey didn¡¯t bring up wanting to go home when he realized that Matthew and


    his friends were going to stay.


    Now that they had nothing to do, they sat together for a poker game of Five Card Draw. But considering


    that Crayson and Tony were here, they only yed a quick game to pass the time.


    Veronica quickly huddled over to join the game when she saw them ying. Caleb only yed for a


    while before he got bored of it, and so he informed them that he was going out for a smoke. He then took


    a stroll around and about the vige.


    It was probably fate that he came across a person harvesting cabbages with a machete at a vegetable


    farm as he was walking on the rural ridge. Seeing that, he decided to walk over to fully experience the


    life of a farmer.


    After all, life in Bloomstead was fast-paced. On top of that, there was nowhere in that urbanized city that


    was remotely rural. It was when he was near that person that Caleb realized it was Abby who was


    hacking off at the cabbages.


    She had changed out of her aqua coat from this morning, and was now wearing a ck-and-red id


    smock. She probably wanted to prevent her clothes from getting dirty in the fields.


    He stood aside as an unexinable wave of sadness hit him, but he did not say anything to her. Abby


    was cing the head of cabbage she had just harvested in the basket behind her when she noticed him


    standing behind her.


    She was surprised at first, but she swiftly smiled and politely bowed. However, instead of signing at him,


    she continued with harvesting the vegetable.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Caleb abruptly spoke. ¡°Do you want to continue your studies?¡± Abby¡¯s hands seemed to stop for


    a while before she stood up straight and turned to look at him. After she put down her machete, she


    signed to him. I am a mute. My mother said that it is a waste of money for me to go to school. It is not


    like studying will do me any good.


    ¡°I heard that you went to high school before. How were your grades?¡± he asked. Hearing this, she


    lowered her head and pursed her lips. A myriad of emotions seemed to sh across the dejected look on


    her face.


    She then raised her hands again. I went to high school after I got first ce in town, but my family had no


    money and my school teachers also thought there was no future for me even if I were to make it to


    university because I am mute. They didn¡¯t insist on having me study.


    Even though universities nowadays epted mutes, it was true that there wasn¡¯t much they could do


    even if they were to graduate from universities.


    Of course, there were mutes who stood out from their peers, but they had to work a hundred times


    harder than normal people in order to get a good job and have a bright future.


    ¡°Do you want to study?¡± Caleb felt sympathetic for everything Abby had had to experience.


    She was a youngdy who wasn¡¯t even of age and yet, she had to put up with the pain and manage the


    house chores even when her hands were covered in chilins.


    She should be spending the most beautiful years of her life studying without worrying about anything


    else.


    Her question made her ponder, and her beautiful eyes suddenly dimmed as she fell into her thoughts.


    She then answered by shaking her head. Turning around, she picked up the knife again and continued to


    harvest the cabbages


    For some reason, Abby suddenly put down the machete again and looked back at Caleb. ¡°My mother


    has found me a partner. I will be getting married after Christmas. What is the use for me to study again?¡±


    In remote rural areas, girls who did not go to school would often be arranged to get married early.


    Abby was no exception to this.


    ¡°You are getting married?¡± Caleb eximed in shock after hearing that.


    How can she get married when she isn¡¯t even 18 years old? Is she going to give birth and continue to


    live a life like the one she is now?


    Abby didn¡¯t ¡®talk¡¯ anymore, and only continued to cut the cabbages off their roots.


    ¡°Do you want to get married?¡± he took a step forward and asked.


    He only saw how she stopped cutting for a second there before she resumed with her chore.


    Abby had probably learned to ept her fate because she knew she couldn¡¯t resist it.


    Struggling was but a futile attempt.


    ¡°I know a charitable organization that can allow you to continue studying.¡±


    She froze again when he said that. She proceeded to put down her machete and put all the cabbages


    she had harvested into the basket without answering him.


    ¡°No one can stop nor interfere as long as you want to go to school. Not even your stepmother and


    biological father. Nothing everyone else says matters!¡± Caleb stubbornly added.


    He had always thought he was not a kind person, but he really couldn¡¯t stand it when he came across


    such a young high school dropout who was abused at home, and was being forced to marry early.


    Now that her basket was full of cabbages, Abby carried the basket in one hand, the machete in the other,


    and left without looking back.


    Seeing this, he persistently followed her and even stood in front of her.


    The youngdy paused briefly to look up at the handsome man in front of her. She only blinked her eyes


    and didn¡¯t ¡®say¡¯ anything before she went around him.


    Caleb was surprised when he realized that her red eyes were blurry from tears. She was so pitiful but at


    the same time, stubborn enough to not want others to see her pitiful side.


    He stretched out his hand and blocked her from walking. ¡°I am a policeman. I have the right to help you.¡±


    In order to prove his identity, he deliberately took out his police badge and showed it to her.


    He then continued, ¡°I will arrange for you to resume your studies in Bloomstead High. No one will bully


    you there. Your stepmother and father can¡¯t interfere in any of your affairs.¡±


    After hearing his words, Abby frowned and put down the basket and machete before he angrily red at


    him. I don¡¯t need your intervention in my business. Who do you think you are? You might be able to help


    me for now, but you can¡¯t help me for the rest of my life!


    It was either because he had angered her or because she had her guard up against him, but the words


    that she signed to him were nothing short of dejecting.

 Chapter 379

    Chapter 379


    Chapter 379 Roni Is Aggrieved


    Caleb was not fluent in signnguage. As a result, he didn¡¯t understand what Abby was trying to


    express. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t understand you,¡± he said.


    When she heard that, her original bright gaze dimmed and her eyes were filled with disappointment.


    She simply smiled and lowered her head to take her basket and machete before leaving.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Caleb went after her and handed her the frostbite cream that he purchased. Noticing her full


    hands, he ced the cream in her pocket before moving off to one side and allowing her to leave.


    Abby lowered her head to look at the cream in her pocket, then at him. Her gaze was filled with


    gratitude and, at the same time, helplessness. After that, she left.


    Caleb did not chase after her again.


    Meanwhile, after spending some time at Veronica¡¯s house, the lot of them were packing their


    belongings and preparing to leave.


    Veronica wanted to apany her foster parents for a longer period of time, so she did not follow


    them back.


    When Matthew was about to leave, he pulled Veronica into the bedroom.


    She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you doing by acting so mysteriously?¡±


    Moments after they entered the room, he shut the door and turned around to face her. One of his


    hands yanked her arm while his other hand rested on the back of her head as he lowered his head and


    kissed her on her lips.


    His heavy breaths rushed into her nose and she found herself immersed in a familiar sensation.


    Veronica raised her hands which were beside her and wrapped them around his waist, tiptoeing to kiss


    him back.


    For those who were in love, separation was unbearable.


    Just as they were enjoying their kiss, someone knocked on the door.


    Veronica pushed him back and asked with her head tilted, ¡°Who¡¯s there? Give me a minute.¡±


    However, there was no response from outside the door.


    She then looked at Matthew, only to notice some dampness on the corner of his lips.


    With her face flushed, she raised her hand to wipe it away. ¡°I have to apany my parents and will


    be back in Bloomstead in a few days,¡± she said shyly.


    Hearing that, Matthew took her hand in his and gently rubbed her back with his fingers. ¡°I need to rush


    back to Castron for some urgent matters first. I should be in Bloomstead by the time you have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Take good care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡± Veronica suddenly had a solemn look. Pointing to his nose, she warned, ¡°We¡¯re over if I find


    out that you lied to me again. I cannot stand any kind of deception or betrayal.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll follow whatever you say, my wife.¡±


    Matthew then smiled tacitly before taking her hand and kissing the back of her palm.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your wife yet! Come on, you should leave now.¡±


    Then, she pried open his grip and opened the door.


    However, as soon as the door was opened, Tony and Danie nearly fell to the ground after losing their


    bnce.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, what are you both doing?¡± Veronica asked with her brows furrowed. Truth was, she


    obviously knew what the both of them were doing. What is going on? These two elders even know how


    to eavesdrop now?


    ¡°Oh¡ªnothing much. We¡¯re just leaning against the door while discussing something. We didn¡¯t know


    Matthew and you are in the room.¡± Tony tried to wiggle his way out by making up some excuses.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We were discussing whether we should give Matthew something since this is his first time


    here.¡±


    Danie suddenly recalled that she had a small present for Matthew in her pocket and she quickly took


    it out and handed it to him.


    ¡°Mrs. Murphy, this is not necessary.¡± He simply waved his hand to it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Since this is your first visit, please ept our best wishes.¡± She insisted on Veronica


    keeping the present while speaking.


    ¡°Just take it. This is my parent¡¯s wishes,¡± Veronica persuaded Matthew.


    With that, he had no choice but to ept it.


    All of them then chit-chatted for a while by the doorway before they left respectively.


    After they all left, Veronica was dragged by Crayson to his house for training.


    Throughout the entire Christmas season, she was subjected to twelve hours of intense training per day.


    It was unbearable and she even tried to flee once, but he found out and taught her a lesson.


    Finally, the holiday season hade to an end whereby she could escape the sufferings and return to


    Bloomstead.


    When she arrived at Bloomstead, Matthew approached her with a bouquet of flowers in his hand just


    as she stepped out of the car. ¡°Roni, this is for you.¡±


    It was a bouquet of blue enchantress, decorated with baby breaths and bright green leaves. The


    colorful silk threads on it made it look especially lovely.


    However, Veronica merely took the bouquet and threw it into the car.


    Matthew was a little disappointed by her actions, but she suddenly jumped onto him and clung to him


    as if she was a ko


    And he reflexively held her as well.


    She then rested her chin on his shoulder and moaned, ¡°I¡¯m finally back! You have no idea how Crayson


    had tormented me. My entire body is aching now¡­¡±


    He was initially feeling disappointed with how she had discarded the flowers but now, when Veronica


    took the initiative to hug him and began whining, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. His mood improved almost


    immediately.


    While holding Veronica in his embrace, Matthew stroked her back and attempted to console her, ¡°I


    know. It¡¯s been extremely difficult for my girl.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s extremely difficult! Crayson would not have allowed me to return if it hadn¡¯t been for Sean¡¯s


    call asking me to report to work tomorrow.¡±


    Veronica treated her superior, Sean, as her life savior now.


    Matthew was aware of her modeling contract with Starshine Media Agency as well as the fact that


    Sean was thepany¡¯s owner. Thus, he did not inquire further. ¡°Would you like to head out for some


    delicious food?¡± he asked instead.


    ¡°No. I am too tired now and I just want to rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He closed the car door with his leg and carried her up the stairs.


    Matthew would have driven her back if Veronica hadn¡¯t insisted on him not picking her up from her


    house.


    ¡°Look, they¡¯re so lovey-dovey.¡±


    ¡°This man is attractive and has a great physique! He¡¯s exactly my type!¡±


    ¡°So embarrassing for them to do this in public!¡±


    ¡°She is so blissful. I¡¯m envious.¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica was tired after driving back and she merely wanted to rest on Matthew¡¯s shoulders.


    It wasn¡¯t until she heard the bystanders¡¯ments that she realized Matthew was carrying her in such


    an embarrassing position that even the bystanders couldn¡¯t stand it.


    Noticing that, she immediately straightened her body and struggled. ¡°Put me down.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of people staring at us. It¡¯s so embarrassing!¡± She looked around while patting his


    shoulder and noticed that many people were talking about them. Embarrassed, Veronica covered half


    of her face and continued, ¡°Put me down now!¡±


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    ¡°They can say whatever they want. I just want to spoil you.¡±


    Matthew tightened his embrace even more andpletely ignored her request. Then, under


    everyone¡¯s gazes, he carried her into the elevator.

 Chapter 380

    Chapter 380


    Chapter 380 Be Decent, Matthew


    Ding! The doors of the elevator shut. Just as Veronica was about to leave his embrace, Matthew turned


    around and pushed her against the elevator wall, thereafter kissing her on the lips.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the elevator, Matthew! Don¡¯t mess around.¡± Veronica was so taken aback by his actions that


    she hit his shoulder repeatedly.


    But Matthew did not let her go. Instead, he gently bit her lips. ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Veronica gasped in pain. With her brows furrowed, she asked, ¡°What¡¯re you doing? That¡¯s painful!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to punish you for not concentrating,¡± Matthew reprimanded.


    She realized right away that he was saying she wasn¡¯t paying attention when he kissed her and that


    she needed to be punished for it.


    This man is getting more and more indecent!


    Ding!


    The elevator stopped and the doors slowly opened.


    Veronica seized the opportunity when his attention was diverted and broke free from his embrace


    before standing beside him.


    They both then focused their attention on the door. A casually dressed elderly man carrying a bunch of


    keys walked in, followed by a young couple.


    They were most likely here to rent a ce.


    Then, the doors closed, and the elevator rose gradually.


    Matthew put a hand around Veronica¡¯s waist. However, before he could do anything further, the young


    couple standing behind the elderly man began to hug and kiss each other,pletely disregarding


    Matthew and Veronica, who were standing behind them.


    When Veronica saw this, she pursed her lips and reflected on how daring today¡¯s youngsters were.


    Even looking at them made her feel shy. She cast a sidelong nce at Matthew as she lowered her


    head and noticed him looking at her as well.


    Seeing that, she merely rolled her eyes, to which he gently pinched her cheek.


    The elevator quickly arrived at Veronica¡¯s floor and the door opened.


    They both got out of the elevator but before she could get into her own unit, Matthew dragged her to


    the one next to hers.


    This unit beside hers was Matthew¡¯s.


    He used a card to unlock the door. With his hands on her shoulder, he pushed her inside before turning


    around and pressing her against the door.


    The door shut with a bang.


    Matthew ced one hand on Veronica¡¯s waist and the other on her face as he lowered his head to kiss


    her.


    ¡°Hey! Calm down!¡±


    Veronica ced her fair palms on his face and said, ¡°Control yourself, young man!¡±


    Through her fingers, Matthew looked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ miss me?¡±


    ¡°I do, but we¡¯ve just seen each other, haven¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°What else do you want?¡± Veronica pretended to be ignorant.


    Hearing that, the man lowered his gaze and gently pinched her around the waist. ¡°You¡¯re up to your old


    tricks again, Roni.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he took her in his arms and carried her into the bedroom.


    Veronica felt that she wasn¡¯t on her feet anymore and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his


    neck, making their positions appear intimate.


    After they entered the bedroom, he gently ced her on the bed.


    Just as Matthew was about to do something more, Veronica raised her leg and pressed it against his


    abdomen, trying to create some distance between them.


    ¡°Rumors say you¡¯re not interested in women, but I¡¯ve realized you¡¯re just being sanctimonious.¡± With


    her head on the pillow, Veronica said with a curious tone as she narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one I¡¯ll do this to,¡± Matthew replied with a raised brow.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you say.¡±


    Laying on the bed, Veronica pursed her lips and ced her hand on her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m starving¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered some food from the One Piece Restaurant. It¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Let me have a rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary!¡±


    Veronica immediately declined Matthew¡¯s offer and gave him a thoughtful look, leaving him to ponder


    what she meant.


    Due to her various rejections, Matthew felt his burning passion fade away as well. He then moved to


    one corner of the room, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, and began smoking quietly while sitting on


    the sofa.


    Noticing his disappointed look, Veronica couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he replied indifferently without looking at her.


    At that moment, someone rang the doorbell. Hearing that, Matthew rose to his feet and went to get


    their lunch.


    He then neatly arranged the dishes on the table before returning to the bedroom to inform Veronica that


    their lunch was ready. However, he saw her fast asleep on the bed.


    That caused him to raise his brows. Is she no longer suffering from insomnia?


    He then approached her and covered her with the nket, but there was no response from her.


    Veronica appeared to be in a deep sleep.


    Seeing that, he smiled and quietlyy beside her, his arms wrapped around her waist.


    He then turned around to look at her. Both of them were close to each other, and a faint and familiar


    scent filled Matthew¡¯s nose, making him all hot and bothered.


    However, he did not want to wake her up. Hence, he could only try to restrain the fire burning within


    him.


    After a while, a sleeping Veronica noticed that something was blocking her mouth and making it difficult


    for her to breathe. She even felt someoneying on top of her.


    She was so exhausted that she couldn¡¯t open her eyes, but she started to wonder, Is this sleep


    paralysis?


    It was until she felt the familiar sensation of something within her that she awakened out of shock.


    And the first thing she noticed when she opened her eyes was Matthew¡¯s attractive and seductive face.


    ¡°Matthew¡­ You¡­ You¡¯re such a b*stard!¡± Veronica was furious and began to punch him on his chest


    while mumbling, ¡°I am so tired¡­¡±


    ¡°You can justy there if you¡¯re tired. You don¡¯t need to move at all.¡±


    He then gave her an indecent smile, to which she cursed.


    She thenzily closed her eyes and started scolding him in her heart.


    ¡°If I had known this earlier, I would not have agreed to be with you,¡± she mumbled to herself.


    ¡°Do you want to repeat what you¡¯ve just said?¡±


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    Under his threat, she surrendered immediately. ¡°Be fast. I am hungry.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Matthew promised.


    Veronica na?vely assumed that given his promise, he would end it soon.


    However¡­


    He took almost two hours before he let her go.


    Even she, who was previously exhausted, became much more awake after what he did. He then


    carried her to the bathroom to clean her up before carrying her to the living room.


    ¡°Put me down. I am not disabled!¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°I just want to carry you.¡±


    And so, Matthew carried her to the dining table and ced her on his legs, her front facing the table, as


    if she were a child.


    That left her speechless. ¡°It is inconvenient for me to eat in this manner. ce me down.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    He rejected her right away. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you,¡± he said. With one hand around her waist, he used his other


    hand to spoon some food.


    The table was full of delectable food, all of which were Veronica¡¯s favorites.


    Matthew then took a fork and fed her a piece of braised meat.


    Veronica, on the other hand, simply shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat unless you put me


    down.¡±


    When he heard that, the hand holding the utensil stiffened and his face became solemn. ¡°Really?


    You¡¯re not eating? Do you believe I¡¯ll deal with you here?¡±


    Here?


    Veronica would never doubt Matthew¡¯s ability to follow through what he said.

 Chapter 381

    Chapter 381


    Chapter 381 Hendrey Laid His Hands on Her


    She lowered her gaze to the table, then to herself. There was only a piece of lingerie underneath her


    fluffy pajamas. This¡­


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but imagine some obscene images in her head, which caused her to gulp and her


    face to flush with redness. This b*stard is really sanctimonious!


    As the heater was turned on, the entire unit was warm and Matthew was only wearing a white shirt. His


    sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his cor was unbuttoned, exposing his neckline. He appeared


    appealing and enticing.


    Even Veronica, who had seen many mesmerizing men, was captivated by him.


    Despite his cold and arrogant appearance, he behaved in another manner when in private. ¡°It¡¯s not good


    for your desire to be this endless, Matthew. It is harmful to your health.¡±


    Hearing that, he smiled vaguely. He then set his utensils down. Raising her chin, he murmured, ¡°Well,


    you¡¯re the one to me. You¡¯re too attractive for me.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s your own nature; don¡¯t me it on me!¡±


    With a disdainful expression, Veronica continued, ¡°Look, you can¡¯t even control yourself now. There were


    so many women throwing themselves on you previously, and I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re unmoved at all.¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡±


    Matthew paused briefly before he softly whispered beside her ear, ¡°I¡¯ve restrained myself for so many


    years but after meeting you, I don¡¯t want to restrain myself anymore.¡±


    His mushy words immediately gave her goosebumps.


    Veronica felt numb, as if an electric current had just passed through her body.


    She raised her head and met Matthew¡¯s gaze, which was filled with desire. When she realized this, she


    pressed herself against the table, ready to flee.


    ¡°Let me warn you, Matthew Kings. Don¡¯t ever think of doing it on the table. I¡¯ll not let you off!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. We can do it on the sofa.¡±


    ¡°Sofa is a no-no too!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get on the bed.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I am still hungry. Exercising right after a meal is bad for your body!¡±


    ¡°You can simply lie down. I¡¯m the only one who is moving.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re such a devil!¡±


    Veronica was at a loss for words. Matthew wrapped his arms around her waist just as she was about to


    flee from him. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. Have your meal now.¡±


    He then ced some food on Veronica¡¯s te before repositioning the chair and standing up to ce


    her on the seat. ¡°You can sit now since it¡¯s warm.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She was stunned, not understanding what he meant.


    But she realized what he meant when she felt the warmth on the seat.


    It was winter and she had few clothes on her. Matthew was worried that the seat would be too cold for


    her, so he sat on it to warm it up.


    Such an insignificant action of his, but it warmed her heart, causing it to ache slightly.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t put her mixed feelings into words, but she knew she was moved and at the same time,


    her heart ached for him as well.


    Matthew appeared to be merciless, but he treated her with such care. Her heart couldn¡¯t help but ache


    for him.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like this?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He then turned around and took a jacket, which he draped over her. ¡°Even if you have a heater, you must


    take care of yourself. Don¡¯t get a cold.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so nice to me, just like a fool?¡±


    Only a fool would be so considerate to others while neglecting himself, she reasoned.


    ¡°What did you call me?¡±


    ¡°A fool.¡±


    Matthew was stumped for words.


    She might very well be the only person in the world who dared to call him a fool.


    But he couldn¡¯t do anything to her at all. Hisrge palm pressed against her head and he said gently,


    ¡°Have your meal fast. The food is getting cold.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Veronica did not say anything else and started eating.


    Matthew, on the other hand, walked to her opposite and ced some food on her te, as well as some


    greasyback shrimp on his.


    His slender fingers then began to peel the shrimp in an elegant and visually appealing manner.


    Just as Veronica was staring at him, Matthew raised his hand and stuffed a peeled shrimp into her


    mouth. ¡°Are you so infatuated with other men as well?¡±


    She simply began chewing the shrimp in her mouth. It tasted great, and had fresh and tasty flesh.


    Then, sheughed. ¡°Who will be infatuated with a fool?¡±


    ¡°What would you be if I¡¯m a fool?¡±


    He did not get angry and continued to peel the shrimps.


    ¡°I am¡­¡±


    Matthew cut her off just as she was about to say something. ¡°You¡¯re my woman. You¡¯d be no better if I


    was a fool.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t get used to his unexpected humor. After all, she was used to his solemn demeanor.


    He then added a few more peeled shrimp to her te. Following that, she also took one of it and gave it


    to him. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Matthew right away opened his mouth.


    It was an enjoyable lunch with a pleasant atmosphere.


    Veronica had never had such a peaceful rtionship with another person. She now felt that every


    moment she spent with Matthew was wonderful and amazing.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, after two weeks of waiting, Hendrey finally obtained the injection solution from the


    mysterious man.


    The first thing he did was to invite Tiffany out for a movie date. After the movie, they had dinner together


    before taking a stroll down the street.


    As Tiffany was wearing a mask, no one discovered her identity.


    They both entered the Hilton Hotel at 9 PM that night.


    Just after they entered the room, they were like a passionate couple, allowing their burning desire to take


    over.


    After a long while when they both had their desires satisfied, Hendrey went into the bathroom to clean


    himself up. He then walked out wearing a bathrobe and smiled gently at Tiffany. ¡°It¡¯s now your turn to


    take a bath.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Tiffany, who was lying on the bed, looked at him seductively and said in a coquettish tone, ¡°After all that,


    I¡¯m utterly exhausted, Hendrey. Can you carry me?¡±


    Hearing that, he raised his brows and shook his head, his face calm.


    However, a glint of scorn and mockery shed through his eyes.


    She has a rotten heart beneath her beautiful appearance. Such a sl*t!


    Tiffany was twins with Veronica, but there was a world of difference between them.


    He approached Tiffany, who was wearing nothing, and carried her up to the bathroom.


    Tiffany had delicate makeup on at that moment, and she leaned against his chest, her fair arms wrapped


    around Hendrey¡¯s neck. ¡°Hendrey, do you love me because I resemble Veronica?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± he replied calmly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°My attention was initially drawn to the fact that you resemble Veronica. But after that, I adore you for


    who you are.¡±


    He gave Tiffany a seemingly perfect answer.


    Feeling relieved, she smiled when she heard that. Her arms around his neck tightened even more, and


    she cuddled in his chest softly.


    He ced her beside the bathtub after they both entered the bathroom and turned on the hot water for


    her. ¡°Holler if you need anything,¡± he said as he exited the restroom.


    Immediately after Hendrey closed the door, the warm smile on his face vanished, reced by an eerie


    expression.


    Then he poured a ss of warm water and when he heard the sound of water in the bathroom was still


    on, he took a pill and put it in the ss of water.


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    Next Post

 Chapter 382

    Chapter 382


    Chapter 382 Veronica¡¯s Identity Is Suspected


    The pill disintegrated instantly in the water. It vanished in an instant after being dropped into the ss.


    Tiffany emerged from the bathroom a short timeter, wrapped in a bathrobe.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± she inquired, noticing Hendreyying on the bed and scrolling through his


    phone. ¡°I¡¯m just reading some news.¡±


    Without even raising his head, he pointed to the ss of water on the table and said, ¡°I poured you a


    ss of warm water. Drink it. It is beneficial to your body to drink some warm water after sexual


    activities.¡±


    His soft, warm voice was soothing to the ears. But what attracted Tiffany was his words. Even though it


    was a minor issue, details revealed a person¡¯s personality. Hendrey was really a nice guy, she thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re so nice, Hendrey.¡± She then walked over to the table, grabbed the ss and sipped the water.


    When Hendrey noticed she had set the ss down, he tilted his head and said, ¡°Finish it. In the future,


    drink a cup of warm water or milk before going to bed. It improves your sleep and is beneficial to your


    health.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    She clutched the ss tightly, her gaze fixed on the water in it, and she felt sentimental.


    Previously, Tiffany had assumed that she would be unable to find someone who would treat her sincerely


    since she had been humiliated before. But now, she met Hendrey.


    Though Tiffany knew that Hendrey loved her because she resembled Veronica, it didn¡¯t bother her.


    As long as he was happy, that was sufficient for Tiffany.


    On one hand, she wanted to have her revenge but on the other, she had to make ns for her future as


    well.


    Without thinking much, she took the ss and gulped the water down.


    Then, she put it down andid on the bed.


    She rested her head on her arms. Tiffany smiled at Hendrey in front of her, but her mind seemed to


    wander.


    After a while, she noticed her eyelids bing heavier, and she fell asleep without realizing it.


    Hendrey noticed that she had not been moving and called out, ¡°Tiffany? Tiffany!¡±


    That went on for a few times. He then extended his hand to pat her on the face to make sure she was


    truly asleep before taking the injection solution from the drawer beside him and injecting it into her arm.


    Retracting the needle, he flipped her around and removed the nket, waiting for the red phoenix sign to


    appear on her back.


    However, he waited for an hour and nothing happened.


    ¡°Why is this so?¡± he asked, his brows furrowed.


    Is there anything wrong with the solution?


    But that¡¯s impossible!


    He shook his head in disbelief. While staring at Tiffany, a frightening thought came to his mind.


    That was¡­


    Was Veronica the one his boss was looking for, rather than Tiffany?


    Veronica?!


    He gasped when he thought of that. Chills went down his spine and he was so shocked that he didn¡¯t


    react for a while.


    Then, he decided to do something.


    He stood up. After leaving the bedroom, Hendrey called his mysterious boss in Castron. ¡°Boss, I am


    sorry. I identally leaked the solution. Can you provide me with another?¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s volume is quiterge. Even if there¡¯s only one-fifth of it left, the person injected with it will still react to


    it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I understand.¡±


    Hendrey did not say anything further and ended the call immediately.


    With his phone in his hand, he stood by the bedroom door and looked at Tiffany who wasying on the


    bed, unsure of what to do next.


    He worked so hard to get close to her in order toplete his boss¡¯ mission.


    But now, he discovered that Tiffany wasn¡¯t the one that his boss was looking for.


    What should he do next?


    Meanwhile, at Dragon¡¯s Creek Vi, Floch gave Crayson, who was in the countryside, a call.


    And the phone in Crayson¡¯s house rang.


    The phone was only used for emergency purposes. No one would have called unless it was absolutely


    necessary.


    A sleeping Crayson was startled awake. He rushed to the table, opened the drawer, and answered the


    phone. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Crayson, something terrible happened. I have just been informed that people from Castron secretly


    arranged for someone to bring a solution to Bloomstead. The solution, once injected, would reveal the


    mark on the Young Lord¡¯s back. But¡­¡±


    Floch said it hesitatingly, and his nervousness was obvious.


    ¡°But what?¡± Crayson was anxious as well, and he felt chills run down his spine.


    ¡°ording to my investigation, the person who was sent here is most likely¡­ Hendrey.¡±


    ¡°Hendrey?¡±


    Crayson blinked. His hand, which was clutching his phone, tightened even more, and his heart sank.


    ¡°Hendrey is dating Tiffany now. She is not back yet at this hour. ording to my informant, both of them


    are staying in a hotel now.¡±


    Floch told Crayson everything he had found out.


    ¡°How stupid!¡±


    Crayson was furious upon hearing that.


    Now that things had progressed to this point, it was very likely that Veronica¡¯s identity had been found


    out.


    Whereas Floch came up with a simple yet effective idea. ¡°Should I send someone over to get rid of


    Hendrey now? I¡¯ve already asked Rachel to pick Tiffany up, but I don¡¯t know whether she¡¯ll be in time to


    stop what Hendrey wants to do.¡±


    ¡°Just go.¡±


    Crayson did not say much and straightforwardly agreed to Floch¡¯s idea.


    Meanwhile at the hotel, Hendrey had just hung up the call when someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± he walked over to the door and asked.


    ¡°Mr. Johnson, I¡¯m Tiffany¡¯s mother.¡± Rachel, who was standing near the door, identified herself.


    When Hendrey heard that, his eyes narrowed and lowered, as if he was thinking about something.


    When Tiffany did not return home after spending the entire night with him previously, the Larsons did not


    have any reaction.


    Why are they acting differently this time?


    Unless¡­


    Hendrey had a terrifying thought in his head.


    Perhaps the Larsons had discovered the n of his boss in Castron and probably, they had also


    discovered his identity and motive.


    If this were true, he would be in a dangerous situation right now.


    Many possibilities raced through his mind in such a short period of time. At the same time, he opened the


    door and looked at Rachel, who was standing in front of him, and greeted her politely. ¡°What brings you


    here, Mrs. Larson?¡±


    Rachel was dressed in a low-profiled manner, wearing a ck dress with a belt and a hat that covered


    half of her face.


    She looked calmly at him and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Tiffany?¡±


    Hendrey then lowered his head and saw the bathrobe he was wearing. Pretending to be awkward, he


    responded, ¡°I am sorry, Mrs. Larson, to have met you in such a manner. Tiffany is sleeping now. Perhaps


    tomorrow¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Hendrey, the person that Tiffany mentioned to me recently, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am Hendrey,¡± he admitted truthfully. I intended to pay you a visit a few dayster, but¡­ I


    apologize, Mrs. Larson.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not for me to interrupt you, young people. But Tiffany is still young, and as her mother, I am


    concerned. Wake her up now and ask her to return with me.¡±


    Though Rachel sounded calm, her attitude was not something easily resisted against.


    Hendrey realized that resisting was pointless as well. Hence, he nodded. ¡°Mrs. Larson, that isn¡¯t


    necessary. Wait for me outside for a few minutes, and I¡¯ll leave once I¡¯ve changed my clothes.¡±


    Right after his words, Hendrey closed the door and dashed to the bedroom.


    Previous Chapter

 Chapter 383

    Chapter 383


    Chapter 383 Get Out, Matthew!


    Hendrey then quickly dissolved the antidote in a ss of water and forced it down Tiffany¡¯s throat. She


    merely had a sip of it. After changing his clothes, Hendrey washed the ss and cleared everything he


    had done. By then, Tiffany woke up.


    When she opened her eyes, she saw Hendrey standing by the bed, neatly dressed. She dazedly rubbed


    her eyes and asked, ¡°Hendrey, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Larson is here for you, so I am going back now.¡±


    He raised his brows, signaling to her to put on her clothes fast. However, she was shocked. ¡°What? My


    mom is here? Since when?¡±


    ¡°She came when you were sleeping. Now, she¡¯s waiting by the door.¡± Hendrey stroked her head and


    continued, ¡°I¡¯ll ask her toe in, and I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    ¡°Is my mom really here?¡±


    Tiffany¡¯s face became solemn and she sat on the bed, feeling enraged. ¡°Is she crazy? What brought her


    here at this hour?¡±


    She took her clothes beside her and put them on herself, grumbling the whole while.


    After she finished changing, Hendrey stood in front of her and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    And with no further words, he turned around and left, without even looking at her.


    His indifferent attitude was cold, seemingly drawing a distance between both of them.


    It was so different from how he was before she fell asleep.


    But Tiffany merely assumed he was upset with her mother for interrupting their sleep.


    Just after Hendrey left, Rachel walked in.


    Tiffany, who was now dressed neatly, was sitting on the sofa with her arms and legs crossed. She gave


    Rachel a fierce stare and said, ¡°Why are you here when you know I¡¯m with Hendrey? Are you trying to


    embarrass me?¡±


    Tiffany was angry with Rachel for not giving her some personal space even though she was already in


    her twenties.


    Rachel simply looked at her calmly in response. Then, much unlike her usual doting manner, she


    approached Tiffany and pped her across the face without saying anything before that. ¡°You¡¯re ady.


    I¡¯ve already reminded you umpteen times that you have to respect yourself. Don¡¯t you know that?¡±


    Rachel could excuse Tiffany for some minor misbehavior but now, thetter had gone overboard.


    From her reprimanding words, it was obvious that Rachel cared about Tiffany, and was feeling resentful


    of what Tiffany did to herself.


    But Tiffany did now know what Rachel was thinking.


    She raised her hand to cover her cheek, which was burning from Rachel¡¯s p earlier, and stared at


    Rachel with disbelief. ¡°You pped me? How could you p me?¡±


    Since young, both Floch and Rachel had always doted on her. Never did Tiffany expect that Rachel


    would p her today.


    How could she bear it?


    ¡°Ever since I was ditched by Matthew, your attitude and Dad¡¯s toward me has changed.¡±


    Tiffany clutched her cheek with one hand and pointed at Rachel with the other as she growled, ¡°Do you


    both now think I¡¯m just an abandoned one? So you¡¯re relying on Veronica once more? Do you think she¡¯s


    now more useful than I am?¡±


    Despite the fact that these were not her heartfelt words, Rachel took them to heart.


    Her gaze revealed a sense of guilt, and she tried to avoid Tiffany¡¯s eyes. With her lips pursed, she


    responded, ¡°Take a look at yourself right now! Both your dad and I devoted so much to establish your


    ¡®talented girl¡¯ reputation, and I thought you would cherish it. But you¡¯re now giving up on yourself! Do you


    think we¡¯re unaware about the things between Xavier and you?¡±


    Tiffany, who was enraged just a few minutes ago, became speechless. She merely looked at Rachel


    coldly, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°You¡¯re a moron! Calm down and think about it yourself!¡± Rachel reprimanded. Then, she took a look at


    the clock on the wall of the living room and asked, ¡°How long have you been sleeping?¡±


    Tiffany did not dare to talk back to Rachel after her embarrassing matters were revealed, and her


    arrogant demeanor vanished.


    Her eyes went reddish and she answered truthfully, ¡°It¡­ It has been more than an hour.¡±


    More than one hour?


    Rachel knew that she was toote.


    She sneered and asked intentionally, ¡°You don¡¯t really love Hendrey, do you?¡±


    ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    ¡°Would you sleep so early if you really loved him, especially since you¡¯re still in the honeymoon phase?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Tiffany was rendered speechless. Her brows furrowed as she raised her head and looked at the antique


    clock on the wall, and she began to ponder about it as well.


    I guess it¡¯s true.


    Her intimate activity with Hendrey that night didn¡¯tst for long. Furthermore, she was a night owl that


    always slept in the wee hours.


    So, why did she fall asleep right after her bath today?


    But she began to make excuses for herself, ming it on her own exhaustion.


    And she did not answer Rachel.


    However, looking at Tiffany¡¯s expression, Rachel already understood what was going on.


    With that, she fiercely red at Tiffany and left right after that.


    After she left, she called Floch immediately. Floch then called Crayson to update him.


    After careful consideration, Crayson instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything to Hendrey for the time being. If he


    has someone to report to, he¡¯s most likely done it by now, and dealing with him now would be futile.


    Perhaps we should use this opportunity to figure out who is behind this whole thing.¡±


    ¡°Noted, Crayson.¡±


    During Christmas, Hendrey visited Veronica¡¯s house. Even though Crayson was getting on in years, he


    could tell Hendrey was interested in Veronica.


    Perhaps things hadn¡¯t yet reached an irreversible point.


    ¡­


    The next day, Veronica, who had been tortured by Matthew all night, awoke in shock. ¡°What¡¯s the time


    now?¡± she asked while sitting up in bed.


    Her heart sank as she looked out the window at the bright sky. ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m runningte for my first day of


    work! My pay will be deducted!¡±


    It¡¯s all Matthew¡¯s fault!


    Ever since Veronica returned yesterday, they had not stepped out from their condominium.


    Initially, they agreed to take a stroll and do some exercise after lunch.


    But Matthew¡¯s so-called exercises were the extreme ¡®love¡¯ exercises on the sofa!


    They spent the entire afternoon going at it. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep after that and


    when she woke up, dinner from One Piece Restaurant had arrived.


    After their dinner, she was toozy to change her clothes, so she curled up on the sofa and watched a


    drama showing on the television.


    And Matthew, after finishing his work, joined her in doing so.


    But coincidentally, the television was showing scenes that were scious and would excite people.


    Matthew¡¯s desire was immediately aroused, and Veronica failed to escape.


    The only saving grace was that she had previously informed him about her work, so he did not dare to


    leave any marks on her body.


    After she changed into her clothes, she wanted to get out of the bed but her legs wobbled, and it almost


    caused her to fall to the ground.


    ¡°Sh*t!¡± She couldn¡¯t control herself from spewing profanities at that point.


    Suddenly, Matthew opened the bedroom door. ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    He was wearing an apron, and he had a spat in his hand and a wide smile on his face.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Veronica ced one hand on her waist and she used her other hand to point at him as she yelled, ¡°Get


    out, Matthew Kings! We¡¯ll break up from today onwards! I don¡¯t want to die in bed one day and turn


    myself into a joke!¡±


    Though she was ady with less physical strength than Matthew¡¯s, Veronica trained with Crayson every


    day. but Matthew still managed to make her legs sore and weak.


    This showed how much this b*stard had tortured her!

 Chapter 384

    Chapter 384


    Chapter 384 Veronica Bes an Assistant


    Matthew felt bad about what he had done once he saw how angry she was. He even felt a little guilty.


    While he usually had a lot of self-control, it had begun to weaken ever since he started spending time


    with Veronica, especially after she agreed to be with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to control myself next time,¡± Matthew reassured her gently. ¡°Breakfast¡¯s ready, soe to


    the table once you¡¯ve washed up.¡±


    ¡°Go away! I don¡¯t want to look at you!¡± Veronica rolled her eyes and stormed into the bedroom, mming


    the door behind her.


    She went into the bathroom to get ready and had a change of clothes.


    Veronica had nned to leave for the office in a huff, but as soon as she opened the bedroom door, she


    was hit by the mouth-watering scent of breakfast.


    Her stomach began to growl. She was starving after aborious night, and the delicious smells whet her


    appetite even further.


    Matthew came over to her and grabbed her hand. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat. I¡¯ll drop you off at the office


    afterward.¡±


    ¡°Why would I let you drop me off? Isn¡¯t that the same as announcing our rtionship to the world?¡±


    Veronica red at him and snorted before stomping off toward the dining table.


    There was a bowl of prawn porridge on the table.


    It seemed like porridge was the only thing Matthew knew how to cook.


    Veronica got her spoon and gave it a good mix before looking up at Matthew, who was sitting across


    from her and staring at her with a pitiful expression.


    Her anger had nearly run its course by now.


    She continued mixing the porridge as she instructed Matthew, ¡°From today onward, go back to your own


    house.¡±


    Matthew did not know how to react. He wanted to say that this was his home too, but he was too afraid


    to actually do so.


    Too afraid, huh?


    He never thought that there woulde a time when he would hesitate so much over a simple sentence.


    ¡°Oh, right. This house is yours too,¡± Veronica added in realization. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go back to my house


    tonight.¡±


    ¡°Just eat your breakfast. You¡¯re going to bete if you don¡¯t hurry,¡± Matthew reminded her.


    She left it at that and made quick work of breakfast before grabbing her bag and heading off to work.


    Just before she left the house, she said to Matthew, ¡°I¡¯ll be going now. Bye.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll drop you off.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯d be troublesome if anyone sees us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Matthew swiftly cleared the dishes and washed up beforeing back out and wearing his


    shoes, then followed Veronica downstairs.


    Veronica was still a little hesitant, but this changed once she saw Matthew walking over to an ordinary,


    nondescript sedan. This guy even got himself a cheap car.


    She climbed into the front passenger seat and was about to ask him whether he could get used to driving


    such an ordinary car when she realized that the car¡¯s interior was decked out like a luxury car.


    ¡°You modified the interiors?¡± She turned to Matthew and asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Matthew nodded and he could not resist nudging her cheek when he saw the adorable look on


    her face. ¡°Seatbelts on.¡±


    Soon, the car was slowly making its way toward Starshine Media Agency.


    After a while, they pulled up outside Veronica¡¯s office.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting off now.¡± Veronica unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to get out of the car when Matthew


    asked coolly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you forgotten something?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She confirmed that she had both her phone and her purse with her. ¡°I¡¯m not missing anything.¡±


    Seeing how clueless she was, he pulled her closer and bent down to give her a kiss on the lips. He bit


    down gently before saying, ¡°You forgot this. Remember it next time.¡±


    He released her and helped her to straighten her clothes before patting her on the head like she was a


    cute puppy.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Veronica rolled her eyes at him before mbering out of the car.


    However, with her back facing him, her lips curled up in satisfaction.


    Her heart was filled with warmth and joy as she basked in blissful love.


    She turned around and waved at Matthew before jogging into the building.


    It was the first day of work after the Christmas break, so everyone had gathered for a meeting.


    Once they were all in the conference room, however, they still had to wait for onest person to arrive.


    Sean was seated at the head of the table. He nced at the lone empty seat to this right before saying,


    ¡°Mia isn¡¯t here yet, so let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡±


    The conference room broke out into a flurry of whispers.


    ¡°Hmph! So, just because she¡¯s the most well-known among all of us, she thinks it¡¯s fine to bete for the


    meeting?¡±


    ¡°How disrespectful of her to make all of us wait for her.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not even an international supermodel yet, but she¡¯s already putting on such airs. I can¡¯t believe


    her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so annoying.¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone in the conference room voiced their disapproval.


    Rania, who was sitting beside Veronica, drew close and muttered, ¡°Mia only started getting famous early


    last year. It hasn¡¯t even been a year since her rise to fame, and she¡¯s already so arrogant. You better not


    follow in her footsteps, Veronica.¡±


    Veronica was tickled by Rania¡¯sment. She shifted in her seat and murmured back, ¡°Even if I wanted


    to do that, I need to be as capable as her first.¡±


    The entire Starshine Media continued to wait for Mia in the conference room.


    The seconds ticked by slowly, and after half an hour, she finally waltzed her way into the conference


    room.


    ¡°Sorry foringte and keeping you waiting, Mr. Ludwig. I was caught in traffic.¡±


    Mia wore a tightly-fitted sweater paired with ck tights and arge coat. Her makeup was immacte,


    and she carried herself with an air of arrogance.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Hmph! She should¡¯ve known to leave the house sooner if there was going to be traffic.¡±


    ¡°Everyone else was waiting for her! What gives her the right to provide such an excuse?¡±


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t even reached the top yet, but she sure acts like she¡¯s the best.¡±


    ¡°Some people just like putting on airs. There¡¯s no helping it.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s alright, Miss Stuart. We¡¯ve only been waiting for a little bit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here, Miss Stuart. Here, take a seat.¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd was split in two. Some of them hated Mia¡¯s guts while some of them groveled at her feet.


    Sean remained neutral. He gestured toward the seat next to him and said, ¡°You¡¯re here. Hurry up and sit


    down. We¡¯ll start our meeting now.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Ludwig.¡± Mia swayed her hips as she strutted over to the seat.


    He finally began the meeting. ¡°Since we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s start discussing thepany¡¯s ns and


    direction for the new year¡­¡±


    He sat at the head of the table, projected his presentation on-screen, and proceeded to talk for over half


    an hour. Some of the things he brought up included Starshine Media¡¯s yearlong ns and thepany¡¯s


    focus for the new year, along with other such information.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll call it a day here. Mia, I need you to stay back for a bit. Everyone else, you can get back to


    work now. Meeting adjourned.¡±


    As soon as Sean¡¯s words fell, the conference room instantly echoed with the sound of chairs scraping


    the ground as everyone leaped to their feet and hurried out of the room.


    Once everyone had left, Sean began instructing Mia, ¡°Mimi, I included your name in for a bridal fashion


    show in Castron and I just received the news that you¡¯ve been selected. Start preparing for the trip as


    you¡¯ll be heading over to Castron tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Ludwig, you should hire an assistant for me first. It¡¯s such a hassle to not have one.¡± Mia pouted.


    Sean sighed. ¡°I haven¡¯t found anyone suitable yet. Tell you what, I¡¯ll arrange for Veronica to follow you on


    this trip to help you. It¡¯d be a good chance for her to learn and get some exposure, and you can give her


    some guidance as well.¡±

 Chapter 385

    Chapter 385


    Chapter 385 Spotted Crayson Acting Suspiciously


    ¡°That¡¯s so sneaky of you, Mr. Ludwig! You¡¯re not arranging for her to be my assistant, are you? You¡¯re


    just trying to get me to mentor her.¡± Mia sulked and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Veronica was made for this industry. She might have joined a littlete, but based on her performance


    during the previous jewelry showcase event, it¡¯s clear that she¡¯s a natural. She¡¯s a diamond in the rough


    that just needs some polishing. You¡¯re her senior in this field, so I hope that you will guide her and get


    along with her.¡±


    Having said that, Sean closed hisptop and got up. ¡°I have something to attend to, so I¡¯m heading out


    now.¡±


    He moved toward the door while speaking, so he neglected to see the sh of intense jealousy in Mia¡¯s


    eyes.


    ¡°I will. Leave it to me, Mr. Ludwig.¡±


    Mia nodded and agreed, but her eyes were shooting daggers.


    For some reason, she felt threatened, and it made her a little antsy.


    Mia left the conference room and headed straight for Veronica¡¯s desk. She rapped on the desk to get


    Veronica¡¯s attention.


    Veronica looked up from her magazine and asked, ¡°Yes, Miss Stuart?¡±


    She did not n on staying long in this modeling agency, but she was still going to do a good job and


    fulfill all tasks required of her.


    This included getting along with her colleagues.


    ¡°Mr. Ludwig said that he hasn¡¯t found me an assistant yet, so you¡¯re going to be my assistant for now.


    You¡¯ll need toe with me to Castron tomorrow,¡± Miamanded loftily.


    Veronica was not keen on following Mia around, but since it was Sean who made the arrangements, she


    had to go along with it.


    In any case, she was the newest rookie to join the agency.


    ¡°Since this is Mr. Ludwig¡¯s orders, feel free to let me know what you need, Miss Stuart,¡± Veronica said


    with a confident smile.


    ¡°Uh huh. I was in a rush this morning, so I haven¡¯t eaten yet. Go get me the famous meat ravioli on Pines


    Street, a bowl of pumpkin soup from Sweetie¡¯s Diner on Westcross Street, and a slice of bacon and


    cheese quiche from Madam Leta¡¯s Bakery on Crimson Lane. Oh, and help me grab my parcel from the


    mailroom in the back.¡±


    Mia swiftly barked out a list of demands.


    Rania felt like she had gone too far, so she piped up, ¡°Miss Stuart, those ces are all so far away.


    Veronica would have to travel across half the city just to get everything. Isn¡¯t that a bit much?¡±


    Wade had been smoking nearby, and he nodded along once he heard Rania¡¯sment. ¡°Rania¡¯s right,


    Miss Stuart. It¡¯s so cold out right now too. Why don¡¯t you just pick one spot to get breakfast from?¡±


    Mia was already in a bad mood, but it worsened once she heard how the other two were standing up for


    Veronica.


    ¡°Huh. Veronica¡¯s only been here for a few days, but you¡¯re all jumping to her defense already.¡±


    She sneered and added mockingly, ¡°Is it because you¡¯re all trying to win her favor since you found out


    that she¡¯s Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ god-granddaughter?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ What utter nonsense!¡± Wade snorted and shook his head, but he left it at that.


    It was Rania who bristled at Mia¡¯s taunting. ¡°You¡¯re the one who went too far, but here you areing up


    with all sorts of excuses.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Well, since you pity Veronica, shall I ask Mr. Ludwig to appoint you as my assistant instead?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Rania did not know what to say.


    Veronica shot Rania a grateful smile.


    She got up and stuck her palm out at Mia. ¡°Since it¡¯s Mr. Ludwig¡¯s orders, I have no reason to object.


    However, I will need some money from you, Miss Stuart, since I forgot to bring my wallet with me today. I


    also got a ride to work today, so I don¡¯t have any means of transportation either. I¡¯ll be iming my travel


    expenses from you as well, Miss Stuart.¡±


    ¡°Travel expenses?¡±


    Mia felt like Veronica was being difficult on purpose, so she said, ¡°You should be able to walk since it¡¯s


    not too far away.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll head out right now.¡± Mia nodded, but she continued holding her hand out.


    Mia rolled her eyes in anger and handed fifty bucks over to Veronica. ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Mia replied.


    Wade called out to Mia, ¡°I rode in on my motorcycle. Let me give you a ride.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯ll be more convenient if I fetch you around.¡±


    Veronica tried to protest. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop arguing. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Wade grabbed his keys and began to walk off without even waiting for


    Veronica¡¯s response.


    Mia snorted derisively and taunted, ¡°Wade, could it be that you have a thing for Veronica?¡±


    ¡°Cut that out. I¡¯m just helping out a colleague,¡± Wade shot back.


    Veronica took the money and followed Wade out of the office feeling conflicted.


    She did not want Wade to chauffeur her around while she bought breakfast. If she had gone alone, she


    could have checked in at Vincere Games for a bit, but now it was no longer possible for her to do that.


    They left the office with Wade bringing Veronica around on his motorcycle.


    When they rode past a cafe, Veronica suggested, ¡°Hey, let¡¯s stop here. I¡¯ll buy you a cup of coffee.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But you need to get breakfast for Mia. If you get a cup of coffee now, she¡¯ll probablyin


    about how long you took.¡±


    ¡°We were caught in traffic!¡± Mia dered with a straight face.


    Wade stared at the empty streets in a daze before chuckling. ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s a lot of traffic today.¡±


    If Mia could use traffic as an excuse, so could they.


    Therefore, Veronica and Wade sat down at a table by the window and began enjoying a cup of coffee.


    ¡°Wade, how long have you been working at Starshine?¡±


    There were quite a few male models in the agency, and Wade was one of themercial models. He


    was a young man with narrow eyes and a fairplexion, and he was the charming boy-next-door type.


    He was very photogenic and would light up under the camera with just a touch of makeup.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in the industry for two or three years now, so I¡¯m considered fairly experienced by now. If I


    don¡¯t make a name for myself in the next two years, I might have to go back home and take up farming


    for a living.¡± Wade chortled.


    He was very easy to get along with as he gave the impression of being a cheerful younger brother.


    ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re still young and you have a bright future ahead of you,¡± Veronica chuckled


    and said reassuringly.


    As they continued chatting, she nced out the window for a moment.


    It was only a cursory nce, and she withdrew her gaze to sip her coffee.


    All of a sudden, her eyes widened and she whipped her head back up to look out the window.


    That man¡­


    ¡°Master Crayson?¡± Veronica¡¯s heart missed a beat.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Wade had not heard Veronica clearly.


    Veronica turned to Wade and said in a rush, ¡°Wade, I have something urgent to attend to, so could you


    please help me get breakfast for Mia? I¡¯ll treat you to a meal sometime. Please, and thank you.¡±


    She leaped to her feet and scampered out of the cafe.


    Once she got onto the street, she ran in the direction where she had seen Crayson. Once she spotted


    his silhouette in the distance, she was doubly sure that it was him.


    Why would he be here?


    Veronica was at a loss.


    To prevent Crayson from sensing that he was being followed, she stopped at a men¡¯s clothing store and


    swiftly picked out a men¡¯s jacket, scarf and cap. After making the payment, she quickly changed into her


    new outfit and put her other clothes away.


    She had managed to do it all in just two minutes.


    After putting on a face mask, she adjusted her cap and left the store.


    Veronica wore a ck leather jacket and a cap pulled low enough to hide half of her face. She stuffed


    her hands into her jacket pockets and sped after Crayson once more.


    She wanted to see who Crayson hade to meet.


    Now, she found it even more usible that the man she had seen at Mudwood Street was Crayson.

 Chapter 386

    Chapter 386


    Chapter 386 Zac Goes Berserk


    Veronica had been tailing Crayson for several blocks when her phone started ringing. She took her


    phone out and saw that Yvonne was calling her.


    After hesitating for a moment, Veronica decided to answer. ¡°What is it?¡± Ever since Yvonne chose


    Conrad, Veronica had stopped contacting her. Yvonne had tried to contact her during Christmas break,


    but she had ignored all of Yvonne¡¯s texts and phone calls.


    She was still tailing Crayson, so answering her phone was a good disguise. ¡°Veronica¡­¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s voice sounded hoarse and stuffy over the phone. Veronica frowned as her gut was telling her


    that Yvonne must have run into some trouble.


    She still considered Yvonne her friend, and while she was disappointed by Yvonne¡¯s decisions when it


    came to Conrad, she did not hold it against her.


    ¡°Sob¡­ save me¡­ sob¡­ Zac found out I¡¯m pregnant and he¡¯s forcing me to get an abortion. Sob¡­


    please save me¡­¡±


    Veronica¡¯s brain stalled. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Zac¡­¡± She paused. ¡°You should be calling Conrad at a time


    like this! You¡¯re carrying his child!¡±


    ¡°Sob¡­ I can¡¯t reach him. You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re the only one I know in Bloomstead,¡± Yvonne wailed in sorrow.


    ¡°Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°Norfolk Hotel, Room 90¡­ Ahh! Zac, what are you¡­ Smack¡ª¡±


    Before Yvonne had even finished her sentence, there was a loud p, and the call was cut off.


    Veronica stopped walking and immediately gave Conrad a call.


    After a short dialing tone, all she heard was, ¡°Greetings. The person you are calling is currently


    unavable.¡± It was obvious that the call did go through, but the receiver had chosen to end the call.


    Veronica tried again, but Conrad still did not pick up his phone.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± She fumed.


    As she stared after Crayson¡¯s silhouette retreating into the distance, she made up her mind. She rushed


    over to catch a cab and headed straight to Norfolk Hotel.


    Yvonne was a dummy who was blinded by love.


    If it had not been for the fact that she and Matthew did not want to make their rtionship public yet, she


    would have immediately asked him to save Yvonne.


    At the same time, she was also worried that he might get dragged into this sorry mess if he helped her


    save Yvonne.


    After mulling over all her choices, her best option was to head to Norfolk Hotel herself.


    During the ride, Veronica searched online to find the number for Conrad¡¯spany¡¯s front desk, then


    gave them a call.


    ¡°Hello, this is Southcon Enterprise. May I know who¡¯s calling?¡± The receptionist greeted her respectfully.


    ¡°Hello. I wanted to ask if Uncle Conrad, oh, I mean President Kings is in the office. Old Mrs. Kings and I


    would like to drop by his office, but he didn¡¯t pick up his phone.¡±


    Veronica lied through her teeth.


    When the receptionist heard that Elizabeth wanted toe over, she immediately replied, ¡°Is he not


    picking up his phone? I just spoke to President Kings, so maybe he didn¡¯t hear the call earlier. You and


    Old Mrs. Kings can drop by anytime as he should be in the office the whole morning.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks!¡±


    Veronica ended the call. A notification popped up on her screen informing her that her audio recording


    file was saved.


    ¡­


    Norfolk Hotel, Suite 906.


    Zac had tied Yvonne to the bed and she could not move at all.


    Meanwhile, Zac, who was wearing a white suit, sat in a chair nearby smoking a cigarette with his legs


    crossed.


    ¡°Zac, let me go.¡± Yvonne struggled and protested as she cooked up a storm inside.


    There was a sinister look in Zac¡¯ eyes. ¡°You¡¯re mine, but you went behind my back and got yourself


    knocked up by some other guy. Do you think that I won¡¯t hurt you, Yvonne?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you, so why are you forcing me to marry you? Zac, you¡¯re the devil incarnate!¡± Yvonne tried


    her best to break free from her restraints, but the ropes had been tied too tightly, so they did not budge at


    all.


    She was filled with dread.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Was she really going to lose her baby?


    Conrad always picked up her call before, so why was he not picking up today?


    ¡°Once I get my hands on your lover, I¡¯ll show you what being the devil truly means.¡±


    Zac stood up and strolled over to Yvonne. His blue eyes were menacing as he grabbed her by her hair


    and spat out through gritted teeth, ¡°Tell me. Who¡¯s the father of your b*stard child?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh! It hurts¡­¡±


    Yvonne gasped in pain from having her hair nearly torn out from her scalp, but she refused to tell Zac


    about Conrad despite her pain and fear.


    Conrad was still trying to gain a foothold in the business world, and he had fallen out with Matthew as


    well. If Zac found out that Conrad was in a rtionship with her, it would get Conrad into even hotter


    waters.


    Yvonne did not want to see him in such a crisis.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business who the father is! As long as it¡¯s not you, I¡¯m willing to be with anyone¡­


    Ahhh!¡±


    Before she could even finish her sentence, Zac pped her across the face. ¡°Why do you insist on


    choosing the hard way? You could¡¯ve been a princess in Castron, but instead, you chose to betray me


    and go around sleeping with other men.¡±


    Zac was still clutching Yvonne¡¯s hair, and he yanked even harder now. ¡°I¡¯ll fill you in on a little secret. Not


    only am I going to find out who that guy is, but I¡¯m also going to castrate him and make him watch as I


    have my way with you. Let¡¯s see which one of you suffers the most when that happens!¡±


    Zac did genuinely like Yvonne.


    Of course, he was also pleased with her parents¡¯ influence in the business world. It was a win-win


    situation for them if they formed a marriage alliance.


    However, Yvonne¡¯s parents were doing business in Castron, so everything woulde crashing down


    for them if they offended Zac.


    Zac wanted Yvonne for his own, and he also eyed the Spencer family fortune.


    He let go of his pride and tried to woo Yvonne, but she ignored him and even cklisted his number.


    To make matters worse, she even hooked up with another man now!


    Yvonne felt like her scalp was about to tear into pieces. She gasped in pain and cried out, ¡°Zac, it¡­


    hurts¡­ let go¡­¡±


    It hurt too much. Yvonne¡¯s eyes grew red as she teared up from the pain.


    The moment Zac saw her crying, he seemed to regain his senses.


    He let go at once and cupped Yvonne¡¯s face in his hands. As he wiped her tears away for her with his


    thumb, he apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yvonne. I¡¯m so sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have treated you like that.¡±


    His heart was aching as he wiped all of her tears away. He reached out with his other hand to massage


    her scalp. ¡°Stop crying, okay?¡±


    Zac gentlyforted her in a soothing voice before saying, ¡°You¡¯re mine. You¡¯re my fianc¨¦e and the


    future princess of Castron, but you betrayed me. You betrayed me!¡±


    His emotions got the better of him, and he began to shout once more. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have betrayed me!¡±


    Once again, he pped Yvonne right across the face.


    This time, his hand left a reddened mark on her face, and she even began to bleed.


    Just then, someone knocked on the suite¡¯s door.


    Zac¡¯s expression went back to neutral at once. He straightened his suit and red at Yvonne before


    stepping out of the bedroom.

 Chapter 387

    Chapter 387


    Chapter 387 Yvonne Realizes the Truth


    The doors opened to reveal a group of five or six people dressed in white coats. All of them wore face


    masks and carried doctor¡¯s bags.


    ¡°Hello, are you Zac?¡± the middle-aged female doctor in the lead greeted Zac politely. ¡°The hospital


    director arranged for us to meet you here.¡±


    Zac must have called the hospital director to arrange for this team of doctors toe over. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Zac¡¯s expression was grim as he led the group straight into the bedroom. When they entered the room,


    they saw a woman whose limbs had been tied to all four corners of the bed. She could not move at all.


    ¡°Get rid of the child in her womb,¡± Zac instructed coldly. By now, Yvonne had given up on putting up a


    fight. Shey motionless in bed and stared at the ceiling in defeat.


    ¡°Sir, this sort of procedure needs to be done at the hospital, or else we would be endangering the


    patient¡¯s life,¡± the female doctor in the lead stated inly out of duty to her patient.


    ¡°She won¡¯t die. It¡¯s just an abortion.¡± Zac waved his hand in frustration. ¡°Just give her some medication


    then. I just want the baby gone.¡±


    The doctors nced at one another as if they were silently discussing their options. Meanwhile,


    Yvonne moved her gaze off the ceiling and nced at the doctors in the room.


    They were supposed to be angels who saved lives, but in Yvonne¡¯s eyes, they were more like


    executioners right now. Hang on¡­


    Suddenly, Yvonne¡¯s eyes lit up. She found the female doctor standing at the back somewhat familiar.


    The doctor was wearing sses, but her body frame and that pair of eyes were very simr to¡­


    Veronica.


    Wait a minute, that¡¯s Veronica! While Yvonne was staring at Veronica, Veronica was also staring back


    at her. Their eyes met, and Veronica¡¯s brows lifted slightly to signal that it was really her.


    Yvonne got the message and immediately shouted to Zac, ¡°Zac, are you sure you¡¯re just trying to get


    rid of my baby? It looks like you¡¯re trying to kill me instead. Go ahead and kill me then, if you dare!¡±


    Her head was turned toward him, and she red at Zac with her bloodshot eyes as she bit down hard


    on her lip. It was impossible to not detect the fury in her words.


    ¡°Sir, she¡¯s already over three months pregnant, so we can¡¯t abort the baby with medication. We¡¯ll have


    to do a proper abortion procedure, and without the necessary equipment, we won¡¯t be able to


    completely clear out her womb. There will be lingering health issues, and the worst case scenario is


    that she might never be able to get pregnant again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We don¡¯t know how serious it might be.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry, but we won¡¯t be able to help you if you insist on having the procedure done here.¡± All the


    doctors began to protest.


    Zac finally epted that it was a serious situation, so in the end, he had to let Yvonne out of her


    restraints. He summoned two bodyguards over and had them carry Yvonne out of the bedroom and


    down to the car.


    Before they reached the lobby, Zac stuffed Yvonne¡¯s mouth with a piece of cloth before taping it shut


    and covering it up with a face mask.


    He wanted to prevent her from shouting. However, Yvonne was not going to try and escape now.


    Sheplied rather peacefully as the bodyguards lifted her into the ambnce. A few of the medical


    team sat up front, while a few sat in the back with the patient. Veronica was one of thetter.


    Yvonne red at the bodyguards and huffed. ¡°There are too many people. One is enough.¡± The two


    bodyguards nced at each other in hesitation. Yvonne immediately shouted at them. ¡°Why are you


    still here? Hurry up and get out!¡±


    One of them jumped off at once. While jumping off, the bodyguard side-eyed his colleague to remind


    him not to let Yvonne escape.


    The bodyguard went over to join the car that followed behind the ambnce. Once the ambnce


    doors closed, Yvonne rapped on the divider and demanded, ¡°Hurry up and go.¡±


    The ambnce slowly started moving. Since it had the sirens on, it was able to speed right through the


    streets. The remaining bodyguard nced warily at Yvonne, but seeing how she was sitting there


    obediently with her hands tied up, he let his guard down and began to scroll on his phone. ¡°Hey there,


    handsome.¡±


    Veronica moved over and sat in front of the bodyguard before whistling at him. He looked up, and all he


    saw was a dark figure flying toward him. There was a loud thud, and before he could even react, he fell


    onto the ambnce floor.


    Veronica put her weapon down before looking at Yvonne with an unpleasant expression on her


    face. ¡°Mmmmmm¡­¡±


    Yvonne shifted about in her seat and struggled against her restraints as her way of asking Veronica to


    release her.


    ¡°So you¡¯re begging me to help you now, huh? Since your beloved Conrad loves you so much, you


    should go and ask for his help instead,¡± Veronica scoffed while untying the ropes that bound Yvonne¡¯s


    wrists. She used it to restrain the bodyguard instead.


    She tied his arms and legs up and stuffed his mouth as well. Yvonne took her phone out to give Conrad


    a call. ¡°What¡¯s the point of calling him now?¡± Veronica barked as she dragged Yvonne over by the arm


    to take a seat beside her.


    ¡°I told you a thousand times that you can¡¯t trust Conrad. Do you think he¡¯s not picking up his phone


    because he¡¯s busy? Fine, he could¡¯ve been busy for a little while, but would he be busy this whole


    time?¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Veronica tried to knock some sense into Yvonne, but she also took her phone out. She tapped rapidly


    against the screen, and soon enough, a video feed popped up.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ isn¡¯t that Conrad? What did you do? Did you hack into Southcon Enterprise¡¯s security system?¡±


    Yvonne gasped in disbelief.


    The video feed showed Conrad organizing some documents. His secretary came over to give him a


    cup of coffee, and he set the documents aside before looking up at her and beckoning her over with his


    finger.


    In the blink of an eye, the secretary ended up sitting on Conrad¡¯s thigh.


    Veronica was speechless. She only wanted to prove to Yvonne that Conrad did not care enough about


    her to answer her calls, but she never expected to be greeted with this scene instead.


    ¡°What¡­ what¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Yvonne turned pale as her tears began to stream down her face like a broken string of pearls.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of crying? Hurry up and give Conrad a call. Let¡¯s see how he reacts.¡±


    Veronica wanted Yvonne to call him now to prove that it was a live video feed.


    For all she knew, this foolish woman might assume that this video was just a recording from the past.


    Yvonne took a deep breath and tried to wipe her tears away, but she continued to sob as she gave


    Conrad a call.


    Once the call went through, Yvonne fixed her eyes on Veronica¡¯s phone. Through the video feed, both


    women could see that Conrad¡¯s phone had lit up on his desk, and they could vaguely tell that it was an


    iing call notification.


    Conrad picked his phone up and nced at the screen before putting it back down.


    Then, he began to fondle the woman in his embrace with one hand while cupping her nape with the


    other and pulling her in for a kiss.


    All at once, things became a little hot and heavy in the office.


    ¡°Greetings. The person you have called is currently unavable. Please try againter.¡± The call had


    not been picked up, so the robotic sound of the automated message rang out, and at the same time,


    Conrad¡¯s phone vibrated a little.


    The screen turned colorful again, so it was obvious that the call was dropped.


    Realization finally hit Yvonne.

 Chapter 388

    Chapter 388


    Chapter 388 A Jaw-Dropping Twist


    ¡°Hah. Hahaha¡­¡±  Yvonne began tough. Her eyes were bloodshot and there was still a fiery red p


    mark across her swollen cheek that glistened with tears.


    Smiling bitterly, she seemed to be mocking her own ignorance and stupidity while expressing her


    heartache after finding out the truth. The truth had stabbed her in the heart and left a gaping wound. It


    was so painful that her breath caught in her throat.


    She clutched her chest and crumpled into a sobbing mess as she raised her hands to hide her weeping


    face. Yvonne¡¯s heartbreaking cries brought out a surge of emotions in Veronica.


    While she had not been in contact with Yvonne, she was still concerned for her. Veronica¡¯s heart ached


    to see Yvonne crying like this, but she felt a glimmer of relief as well. At least, it was not toote to turn


    around.


    ¡°Sob¡­ Why? Why did it turn out like this? I¡¯m so stupid! So stupid¡­¡± All of a sudden, Yvonne began


    pping herself. ¡°Serves me right! I asked for it! Sob¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Veronica frowned and caught Yvonne¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you trying to ruin your face? Why


    put yourself through all this just for a guy like Conrad? So what if you slept with him? Just chalk it down


    to bad luck. At least you¡¯ve seen past his facade now, and it¡¯s not toote yet!¡±


    ¡°Sob¡­¡± Yvonne¡¯s face was streaming with tears, and she trembled from all her sobbing. She turned


    her tearful gaze toward Veronica before reaching out to hug her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m such a fool. I even


    misunderstood you back then. Sob¡­¡±


    Veronica was a little unused to being hugged so fiercely by a woman, but she gently patted Yvonne on


    the back and said, ¡°It¡¯s not toote to turn around. Everything will be fine. You can cry if you want. You¡¯ll


    feel better afterward.¡±


    Yvonne continued to wail her heart out. After crying for some time, she noticed that the bodyguard had


    regained consciousness. Yvonne sat up and asked Veronica, ¡°How did you manage to sneak in with


    those people?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I contacted Matthew and asked him to help me think of a way to save you.¡± Veronica had


    intended toe to the hotel herself to rescue Yvonne, but after giving it some more thought, she had


    to ept that she would be woefully outnumbered.


    She had no other resources, so she had to ask Matthew for help.


    Yvonne recalled what happened back at Kings Residence. Conrad had instigated her into assuming


    that Veronica was hiding her rtionship with Matthew.


    Therefore, Veronica¡¯s forting attitude made Yvonne feel guilty. ¡°Are they Matthew¡¯s people?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think Matthew is a shareholder of this hospital.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s good.¡± Yvonne wiped her tears away once more before standing, then grabbed something


    from the side and began to hit the bodyguard.


    ¡°B*stard! You¡¯re the one who kidnapped me! I¡¯m going to beat you up!¡±


    She grabbed all the items she could use as a weapon in the ambnce and began to let out her anger


    on the bodyguard as she hit him relentlessly. The bodyguard groaned in pain until he eventually


    became unconscious again. His head had begun to bleed.


    Yvonne finally tossed her weapon aside and stumbled back to the seat beside Veronica. She was


    heaving like mad. ¡°I¡¯m so stupid! I¡¯m such a moron!¡± Yvonne beganmbasting herself again.


    After taking all her anger out on someone else, she started going in on herself too. Meanwhile, the


    ambnce cruised down the streets with the sirens on and took several abrupt turns. Soon enough, it


    managed to lose the car that had been tailing it.


    When the ambnce stopped at a safe location, Veronica helped Yvonne out. There was a familiar


    nondescript car parked on the side of the road which made Veronica feel rather unexpected. Why is he


    here?


    ¡°Come with me.¡± Veronica pulled Yvonne over to the car. Once they were seated in the back seat, the


    car started up and drove off. Matthew nced at Veronica in the rearview mirror and asked with a


    gentle smile, ¡°Everything okay?¡±


    Yvonne had been lowering her head glumly ever since she got in the car, but once she heard the


    familiar voice, she looked up to see that it was Matthew. ¡°You¡­ Why are you here?¡±


    Matthew kept his eyes fixed on the road as he focused on driving. He was as cold as always as he


    ignored Yvonne¡¯s question.


    Veronica exined, ¡°He probably got worried since Zac can be quite cruel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s true.¡±


    Yvonne nodded and bit her lip. She was touched by what Veronica and Matthew had done to help her.


    At the same time, she grew quite worried. ¡°Zac will be terribly upset that you guys rescued me. Would


    this¡­ cause trouble for you guys?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Matthew will sort it all out,¡± Veronica assured her.


    ¡°You guys¡­ Are you and Matthew¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡±


    Veronica made a shushing gesture and added secretively, ¡°I decided to give him a chance, so we¡¯re


    dating now.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s nice¡­¡±


    Yvonne used to think that Matthew was a scoundrel, but now that she found out the truth, she realized


    that she was the idiot the entire time.


    As these thoughts flickered across her mind, she began to wail again. ¡°Sob¡­ You¡¯re so wise, but why


    am I so dumb? And you¡¯re still willing to be friends with me¡­ sob¡­¡±


    Yvonne did not know what would have happened to her if Veronica had not been sincere about their


    friendship. If Veronica had been unwilling toe and rescue her, she would probably be facing a fate


    worse than death by now.


    Her crying was giving Matthew a headache.


    He turned on the radio and it started ying some house music.


    Yvonne stopped crying. ¡°Matthew, isn¡¯t this a bit much? I¡¯m crying my heart out here, and you¡¯re putting


    on such happy music. Are you doing this on purpose?¡±


    ¡°You should celebrate your escape from hell,¡± Matthewmented airily as he tapped along to the


    beat.


    ¡°I got my heart broken. Who said anything about hell? I¡¯m upset right now and you¡¯re too¡­¡±


    However, before she could finish her sentence, she swallowed her insults back down.


    Veronica tapped on Matthew¡¯s seat and said, ¡°Change to a different song.¡±


    Since his beloved had spoken, Matthew did as he was told.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t have to cut me off, make out like it never happened, and that we were nothing. And I


    don¡¯t even need your love, but you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough¡­¡±


    All Matthew did was switch to a different song at random.


    What a coincidence that it happened to be the song Somebody That I Used to Know!


    Veronica was speechless, and when Yvonne heard the lyrics, she exploded. ¡°Matthew Kings! You¡¯re


    doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?!¡±


    Matthew shrugged in innocence. ¡°It¡¯s on shuffle, so it has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°You! Sob¡­¡±


    Once again, Yvonne drowned in her own tears as she began to wail so pitifully.


    Veronica felt a growing headache, but she did not know how tofort Yvonne, so she just passed her


    some tissues.


    Soon, the floor was littered with tissues.


    Just then, Yvonne¡¯s phone started ringing.


    As she continued wiping her tears, she checked her phone and saw that it was a foreign number.


    It most likely belonged to Zac.


    Yvonne held her phone and wanted to decline the call, but she stilled for a moment and chose to


    answer the call instead.


    ¡°Yvonne, where did you f*cking run off to¡­¡±


    ¡°Zac, you wanted to know who the father is, right?¡±


    Yvonne cut Zac off and came clean. ¡°It¡¯s Conrad Kings! He told me that you¡¯re a shameless womanizer


    who goes around sleeping with tons of women in Castron, so that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to be with you.


    When¡­ when I was sleeping¡­ he¡­ he forced himself on me! Sob¡­¡±


    What a jaw-dropping twist. Veronica nearly fell out of her seat.


    It was such a sly trick too!

 Chapter 389

    Chapter 389


    Chapter 389 Dying From Overexertion in Bed


    Yvonne continued sobbing into the phone. Veronica could not hear what Zac was saying, but she was


    dumbstruck by what Yvonne had said. After a while, Yvonne said, ¡°Zac, I¡­ I¡¯m not good enough for you.


    I can¡¯t give you my everything anymore. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    She hung up the phone and threw her phone onto the ground. Veronica stuck her thumb up and


    dered, ¡°Good job!¡±


    Yvonne grabbed some tissues and wiped her tears as shemented, ¡°Conrad is trash! He toyed with my


    feelings and used me, and he even fooled around with other women. Since I have to suffer, I want him to


    suffer¡­ even more than I have.¡±


    Her body began to tremble again as she wailed. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯vee around now.¡±


    Veronica patted Yvonne on the shoulder. ¡°There there, don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s not worth spilling your tears over


    such scum.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re right, and I know it¡¯s not worth it, but still¡­ still¡­¡± Yvonne sputtered and sobbed. She kept


    on crying, and Matthew began to massage his forehead in annoyance.


    Ring, ring! Suddenly, a phone started ringing.


    This time, it was Veronica¡¯s. She took it out and saw that it was Sean calling. Her lips twitched a little as


    she shushed Yvonne again. ¡°Shh! Stop crying. I need to answer this.¡±


    Yvonne immediately held her tears back.


    ¡°Veronica, where are you right now?¡± Sean asked as soon as the call connected.


    He did not sound pleased which was understandable since it was currently working hours.


    Veronica felt a prick in her conscience. She scratched her head and scrambled to find an excuse. ¡°I


    apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Ludwig. I¡­ My period came, and my cramps are killing me. I even


    forgot about informing you.¡±


    ¡°¡­It does sound rather serious from the sound of your voice. Did you go and see a doctor about it?¡±


    Sean asked.


    Veronica started working sometime before the Christmas break and was a model employee the entire


    time. She kept to her hours and never camete or left early, so Sean had a pretty good impression of


    her.


    Therefore, he was willing to believe that this was an unexpected incident since it was the first time that


    Veronica had done such a thing.


    ¡°I just¡­ left the hospital.¡±


    Veronica did her best to make her voice tremble and sound weak.


    ¡°Okay, take the day off and rest then. Will this affect your trip to Castron with Mimi tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No, no it won¡¯t. Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Ludwig.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Once the call ended, Veronica sighed in relief.


    As soon as she put her phone away, Yvonne pulled her into a hug. ¡°Thank you so much, Roni. If it


    weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯d probably still be in the dark about all this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re okay,¡± Veronica replied.


    She finally felt at ease now that the issue with Yvonne had been resolved. Despite everything, at least


    she no longer had to worry about this.


    The car pulled into the basement parking lot at Twilight Club, and Veronica brought Yvonne up to the unit


    on the 38th floor of Twilight Condominium.


    Yvonne had stayed here before, so it was familiar to her.


    She stayed in the guest bedroom just likest time.


    As soon as she entered the room, she closed the door and buried herself under the sheets without


    saying anything.


    Veronica knew that Yvonne was in a terrible mood right now, so she left her be.


    Once she returned to the living room, she saw Matthew standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.


    She went over and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    The window looked out on the bustling city of Bloomstead. From where they were standing, they could


    enjoy the view of the dazzling high-rise buildings, the web of car-lined streets, and the flurry of activity as


    the people went about their lively days.


    Matthew nced at Veronica and pulled her close. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged


    her from behind.


    Resting his chin on her head, he spoke in that attractive voice of his, ¡°Don¡¯t you only have eyes for


    Yvonne right now? Why would you pay any attention to me?¡±


    ¡°What now? Are you jealous of Yvonne? Matthew, did you descend from a line of green-eyed monsters?¡±


    Veronicamented teasingly.


    Matthew smiled and continued to hold her in his arms.


    ¡°Matthew, thank you for all your help today. Even though you said that it won¡¯t cause trouble for you, I


    know that Zac isn¡¯t stupid, so he¡¯ll find out the truth eventually.¡±


    Veronica sighed. ¡°Zac is a prince of Castron, so there¡¯s no telling what might happen if he takes offense.¡±


    Now that she thought about it, she realized that Matthew would do anything that she asked him to.


    He did everything she wanted regardless of its consequences!


    She was deeply moved by him.


    ¡°Either way, he won¡¯t be looking into this for now.¡± Matthew bent down and kissed the top of her head.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Yvonne was very cunning. Zac must be focused on getting his revenge on Conrad right


    now.¡± Veronica smiled in amusement at Yvonne¡¯s actions.


    Yvonne was bold and decisive with her feelings.


    However, the baby she was carrying¡­ really made things difficult.


    ¡°By the way, I need to make a business trip to Castron tomorrow,¡± Veronica informed Matthew.


    ¡°For how many days?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    ¡°Take good care of yourself over there.¡± Matthew was worried, so he added, ¡°Do you want me toe


    with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s just a business trip.¡±


    As an employee, she had to have herpany¡¯s interests at heart.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need you to help me take care of Yvonne. Make sure she gets all three meals delivered to her. When


    you have the time, see if you can get that chatterbox, Skyler, toe over. He might be able to get


    Yvonne out of her funk.¡±


    Skyler had a lively and easygoing personality which made him an expert at cheering people up.


    ¡°Ask him toe over and spend some time with Yvonne, or maybe take her around town. What do you


    think?¡± Veronica really wanted to help Yvonne get back on her feet.


    ¡°Is it fine to leave two singles alone like that?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Would it be better if they were two married people?¡± Veronica retorted.


    Matthew chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, Roni.¡±


    He caressed her face. ¡°You must be hungry after all this. I¡¯ll go order something.¡±


    ¡°I feel like eating your prawn porridge, though. What should we do?¡±


    Veronica turned around and smiled mischievously.


    Matthew got a little restless at the sight of her cheeky face. He nudged her fair and pretty face as he


    said, ¡°I thought you would¡¯ve said that you wanted to¡­ snack on me.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°What is running through that head of yours all day, Matthew?¡±


    Matthew bent down and whispered into her ear, ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Veronica was at a loss for words, so she red at him instead.


    Was this still the same cold and distant Matthew that she had known?


    He looked every bit the part of a proud and reserved gentleman, but when they were alone together, he


    was always so¡­ so¡­ shameless.


    ¡°Maybe you should go and find some other woman then. I¡¯m not worried about you, but I¡¯m worried that I


    might end up dying in bed.¡± Veronica pouted jokingly.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go find some other woman now.¡±


    Matthew released Veronica from his grip and turned to leave.


    ¡°Hey! Matthew Kings! You sure about that?¡± she eximed in fury while pointing at him. ¡°If you go


    looking for another woman, I¡¯ll see to it that it never rises again¡­¡±

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390


    Chapter 390 A Cure for Her Insomnia


    Matthew chuckled in amusement at Veronica¡¯s reaction. He turned around and looked at her fondly. ¡°I¡¯ll


    go make lunch for you.¡± He entered the kitchen and called someone to deliver some groceries to them.


    Meanwhile, Veronica went into the guest bedroom to keep Yvonnepany. At noon, they sat down for


    lunch together, but Yvonne could barely eat anything. She quickly excused herself and went back to bed.


    Veronica decided to curl up on the couch and y a game. Lately, she had been too busy during the day,


    so she had to stay up at night to practice. She was afraid of getting too rusty, which might leave the team


    short of a yer when it came time for thepetition.


    Matthew sat beside her and opened hisptop to get some work done. He seemed to want to spend as


    much time with her as he could today since she would be leaving for Castron tomorrow.


    That night, they stayed in the unit at Twilight Condominium to keep Yvonnepany. Veronica climbed


    into bed after washing up, and at the same time, Matthew came out of the bathroom dressed in a robe.


    His hair was still dripping wet, and the droplets of water cascaded down his cheek before falling onto his


    chest. Under the warm light of the bedroom, the droplets of water seemed to sparkle, and it made his


    perfectly sculpted abs appear even more enticing to the eye.


    Even Veronica, with her astounding amount of self-control, could not resist gulping. Darn it. His body¡¯s


    too hot. His gorgeous figure,bined with his chiseled face made him look like an incubus out on the


    hunt.


    ¡°Do you always stare at men like that, Roni?¡± Matthew teased as he came over and lifted her face up by


    her chin.


    Smack! Veronica pped his hand away. ¡°Go sleep on the couch.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to Castron tomorrow and you don¡¯t even know when you¡¯ll being back. Are you really


    going to make me go celibate for so long?¡±


    ¡°You had a lot of training throughout all those years before you met me.¡±


    Matthew sat on the edge of the bed and cupped her naple before saying softly, ¡°It¡¯s like a drug. Once I¡¯ve


    started, I can¡¯t stop.¡±


    Of course, this only applied to Veronica. He was uninterested in any other woman. While his words were


    a little blunt, they conveyed his desire aptly.


    ¡°What are you daydreaming about? Help me dry my hair.¡± Matthew tapped Veronica on the forehead.


    Veronica got out of bedzily and grabbed the hairdryer. She made Matthew sit in front of the vanity table


    before she started blow drying his hair.


    Amid the sounds of the hairdryer, Veronica suddenly piped up, ¡°I just realized that it¡¯s a loss for me to be


    with you.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that so?¡±


    ¡°Other couples seem to have infatuation stages and honeymoon stages in their rtionship, but we


    already seem like an old married couple.¡±


    This was especially evidenced by the fact that she was currently drying his hair for him. It made her feel


    like they had been together for ages now. ¡°What does infatuation look like to you, Roni?¡±


    Matthew asked as he stared at her in the mirror. Veronica continued holding onto the hairdryer as she


    began to think. ¡°Are you trying to scald me to death?¡± Matthew called out while she was still deep in


    thought.


    Veronica moved the hairdryer aside and felt his hair. The part where she had been aiming at felt like it


    was on fire.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked in concern.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not? Oh my, is it that serious? Do you want to call a doctor?¡±


    In her heart, she grumbled as it seemed like everything was fine.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Veronica was still somewhat dazed when the hairdryer was abruptly snatched out of her hands and


    tossed onto the vanity table. Matthew then held her by the waist and threw her down on the bed before


    climbing up on top of her.


    It was too cold, so Matthew pulled the sheets over them before bending down to kiss her.


    ¡°Hey! Matthew, don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t go too far. Just one round.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave any marks on me. I still need to go on a business trip tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡­


    It was just one round alright, but it went on for hours and hours still.


    The next morning, Veronica woke up at around eight.


    Matthew saw how tired she was and did not want to tire her out even further, but at the same time, he


    noticed that whenever they did the deed, she would be able to sleep a few more hours than normal.


    Usually, she would sleep at four or five in the morning and wake up two hourster, but when they


    engaged in a bout of horizontal exercise, she would sleep for at least four or five hours.


    ¡°Matthew Kings!¡±


    By the time Veronica opened her eyes, the sun was already halfway up the sky.


    Shey in bed and bellowed at Matthew.


    Matthew, who had been preparing breakfast, came to the bedroom and said, ¡°Roni, good morn¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Veronica threw a pillow right into his face. ¡°Good morning my ass!


    You promised that you¡¯d only go for one round! You lied to me again!¡±


    Matthew caught the pillow and leaned against the door as he stared at her in amusement. ¡°It was one


    round. It just¡­sted quite long.¡±


    Veronica was speechless. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.


    In the end, she took a deep breath and pointed at the door as she mumbled, ¡°Go away. Go far, far away.


    I don¡¯t want to see you.¡±


    He would be the death of her.


    Why did he have so much stamina?


    ¡°How many hours did you sleepst night?¡± Matthew asked out of the blue. Veronica was nonplussed by


    his question.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She was still hopping mad, but she took her watch to check the time. It was ten minutes to eight. ¡°I


    slept¡­ almost four hours¡­¡±


    ¡°And the night before?¡± He continued probing.


    Veronica searched her memory. She had fallen asleep at about four in the morning and woke up past


    eight. ¡°Slightly over four hours.¡±


    A lightbulb went off in Veronica¡¯s mind thanks to Matthew¡¯s questions, and she blinked in surprise.


    In the past, she would only sleep for two hours at night and take a short nap during the day, but this left


    her in a perpetual state of exhaustion.


    However, for the past two nights, she had gotten a lot more sleep than usual.


    ¡°What are you trying to imply, huh? It¡¯s definitely because my sleeping medication worked! Get out!¡±


    Veronica gestured for Matthew to leave again.


    Matthew chuckled. ¡°Hurry up and get dressed. Breakfast is ready.¡± He turned around and closed the


    bedroom door behind him.


    Once he was gone, Veronica fell back down on the bed in a daze. She yanked the covers to hide her


    face as she muttered, ¡°How embarrassing! I¡¯ve had insomnia for so long now, but it turns out that this is


    the cure? No, that can¡¯t be! It must be the sleep medication I¡¯ve been taking that¡¯s finally working.¡±


    She tried to convince herself.


    After breezing through her morning routine, she sat down with Matthew in the dining room and had


    breakfast.


    Yvonne was still in a bad mood and had not woken up yet, so Veronica did not try to wake her.


    After breakfast, Matthew sent Veronica to her apartment. She stuffed some clothes into a suitcase, and


    then they headed for Starshine.


    Once they reached the office building, Veronica unbuckled her seatbelt and said, ¡°I¡¯m going now. Bye.¡±


    ¡°You forgot something again.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s handsome face turned a little gloomy.


    Veronica frowned and muttered, ¡°We¡¯re right outside the office and there are so many people around.


    What if someone sees¡­¡±


    Before she could finish giving an excuse, Matthew pulled her toward him again and kissed her.


    He gave her a simple peck on the lips and released her immediately after.


    It was a somewhat domineering kiss that was full of adoration as well. Veronica felt all warm and fuzzy


    inside, but she pretended to be annoyed and pouted in discontent. ¡°Why are you always so


    domineering?¡±

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391


    Chapter 391 Abby¡¯s Fault


    ¡°Forget it again and I¡¯ll show you how domineering I can be.¡± There was a veiled threat in that reply.


    Veronica relented. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Goodbye now.¡± She got out of the car and went to the trunk to take her


    stuff. She mmed the trunk shut and smacked it, telling Matthew that he could leave now.


    Matthew did not leave. Instead, he stayed back and watched as she went into thepany, and he only


    left when she was out of sight. Since he had a pair of sunsses on and was driving a disguised car,


    nobody paid him any attention. He called Skyler on his way to work. ¡°Where are you at?¡±


    ¡°Collins, duh. Caleb and I are trying to send Abby to Bloomstead, remember?¡± Skyler was sighing as he


    sounded a little dissatisfied.


    ¡°I got a job for you. You¡¯ll love it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get my hopes up, but what job is it?¡±


    ¡°Someone in the Twilight Condominium just went through a break up. You¡¯re gonna stay with her until


    she gets over it. Oh, and she¡¯s at least a nine.¡±


    ¡°The Twilight Condominium? Whoa, you¡¯re cheating on Roni? That¡¯s a bit¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her friend,¡± Matthew interrupted him slowly, growling like a lion that was going to pounce on its prey.


    Skyler chuckled. ¡°Oh, sorry, sorry. I¡¯ll get there right after Ie back.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s things going on your end?¡± Matthew asked again. He was concerned about his best friend.


    ¡°We talked to the HOA and local cops, but Abby¡¯s stepmom doesn¡¯t want her to be schooled. She still


    wants to marry the kid off, and Abby was even beaten up over that. Caleb pulled the strings and asked


    the cops to warn Abby¡¯s family. They had no choice but to let her go,¡± Skyler exined briefly.


    ¡°Call me if you need any help.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Eh, we¡¯re fine. Caleb cares about her a lot. He even enrolled her in a school. Love changes people a lot,


    huh? He takes care of her like she¡¯s his treasure.¡±


    Skyler kept bbering on, but Matthew hung up without even listening. Veronica, who had gone to work,


    went to the airport with Mia where they obtained their tickets and boarded the flight before it took off.


    A few hourster, Caleb and Skyler arrived at Bloomstead with Abby in tow. Skyler tapped Caleb¡¯s


    shoulder when they passed by Twilight Condominium. ¡°This is my stop. I have something to settle.¡± He


    was not going to be a third wheel while they were dating. I¡¯d rather see that hottie right away.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Caleb stopped the car.


    Skyler said, ¡°Na¡ªGoodbye, Abby. I have to go now.¡±


    Abby nodded.


    He got out of the car, closed the door, and left.


    Then, Caleb continued their journey to a condominium near Bloomstead High and parked his car there.


    He alighted from the car and helped Abby with her luggage. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    She went to theplex with him in silence. They rode the elevator up and eventually came to her new


    house, which was a one-bedroom unit. The house was not big, but it was beautifully decorated, and it felt


    like home. She stared at the house for a while when she came in, at a loss for words.


    Caleb noticed her fidgeting, so he held her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡± He felt a cold sensation


    traveling up his hand when he held hers. Her hand was cold. He ced the luggage down and turned


    the heater on. ¡°There¡¯s a heater here. Just turn it on if you need it. The bills are paid for. Just stay here


    and don¡¯t worry about anything.¡±


    Abby bit her lip, confusion gleaming in her eyes. He then took her into her bedroom and opened the


    closet. It was filled with thetest winter coats, down coats, sweaters, pants, and undergarments.


    ¡°These clothes fit you perfectly, and they¡¯re already cleaned, so you can just change into them whenever


    you want.¡± Just like a concerned brother, he added, ¡°Everything you need is in this room. The nket¡¯s in


    this closet, and all the necessities are in there too. There¡¯s makeup on the dressing table. You¡¯re still


    young, so there¡¯s no need for that, but you still need to pick up a skincare routine. You don¡¯t want to get


    any blisters from the cold.¡±


    Caleb was usually a man of few words, but Abby was the one he wanted to keep talking to. As he


    continued to speak, she only stood there in silence. Since he thought she was still trying to get used to


    things, he advised, ¡°You can look around. I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± He went to the bathroom and


    smoked.


    The condominium was right outside the school. It was only a few hundred yards away, so she did not


    have to travel far just to go to school. Abby was a mute, and going to school would be inconvenient


    enough for her, so he let her stay in this ce to protect her. He came back to the living room after


    having one smoke, but she was not there. He went to the bedroom, but to his surprise, she was standing


    right beside the bed, stark naked. Her hands were balled into fists, and she was shivering. Her face was


    red with embarrassment as well.


    He froze for a moment, and then he frowned and turned around. ¡°What are you doing? Cover yourself!¡±


    He was sure she was not changing into anything and had taken her clothes off on purpose.


    Abby did not move for a while, and he remembered she could not talk, so he insisted, ¡°Cover yourself up,


    please.¡± He waited for a few minutes, but she was still not moving. He had no choice but to turn around


    only to see that she was standing inches away from him.


    Caleb might be a gentleman, but he was still a man in the end. The first thing he noticed was her chest.


    Wow, she¡¯s young, but she¡¯s really well-developed. One look was enough to light the fire of desire within


    him. Goddammit. I¡¯m not a pervert. She¡¯s still in high school. He went around her to pick her clothes up


    and handed them to her. ¡°Cover yourself up.¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked. He had seen a lot of¡­ exciting scenes when he was on the job or hanging out with his


    friends, but still, Abby was a far more perfectdy than those women ever were. Her curves were perfect,


    and her body alluring. Her skin was as fair as a porcin doll.


    He felt a bonering up, but he was a gentleman, so he turned around and refused to look at her. Still,


    she would not take the clothes from him no matter how long he was holding it. In the end, he looked at


    her.


    She signed, You guys only want one thing out of your mistresses¡ªsex. Thanks for taking me away from


    that horrid ce. I¡¯ll give you what you want, but um, can you not knock me up if possible?


    Huh? What the hell? He wanted to curse, but he thought she had a point.

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392


    Chapter 392 You Are a Jerk Too


    Nobody would do anything without expecting something in return. Abby knew her family would never


    ept her, so she left Cabot Town with Caleb. She thought he only wanted to sleep with her, so she had


    to give herself up because he helped her escape and transferred her to Bloomstead High.


    She thought he wanted to keep her as his mistress. Caleb knew what she was thinking, and he felt sad


    for her. He pitied the girl. ¡°Just cover yourself up. I¡¯lle back in a minute. We need to talk.¡± He stuffed


    the clothes into her arms, but he touched her breasts by ident. Even though he did not mean it, the


    sensation of her chest still almost made him snap. He quickly ran away.


    He mmed the door shut and took a few deep breaths, then left the condominium and went to the end


    of the corridor to get some fresh air. The cold wind calmed his mes down and he smoked one more


    time to get back into gear before going back to the living room.


    Abby was already sitting on the living room¡¯s couch when he came back. She was staring at the ground


    nervously and stood up right away when he came in.


    ¡°Sit.¡± He closed the door and sat across from her. He told her in a brotherly manner, ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of


    man you think I am. I just wanted to help.¡±


    She stared at him with her innocent eyes. She signed, ¡®Why do you want to help me?¡¯


    Why? He had no answer for that question. Caleb took a moment to think about it. Ever since he saw her,


    he thought she was an innocent angel who fell down to the earth because of God¡¯s slip up. She went


    through every hardship imaginable, and he sympathized with her. ¡°I¡¯m a cop. Helping people is my job. I


    helped a lot of students before you too.¡± He gave her an excuse.


    A light of worship shone in her eyes. ¡®Give me a second,¡¯ she signed. Abby went to the bedroom and


    came back out with a pen and book a long whileter. She handed them to him.


    ¡°What is this?¡± He took the book and looked at it.


    She signed, ¡®Thanks for letting me stay in school. That must have cost a lot of money. Can you keep a


    record of it? I¡¯ll pay you back after I start working.¡¯


    He wanted to say no, but she might refuse to attend high school if he did. He said, ¡°Remember the test


    papers you did back in the Women¡¯s Association¡¯s office? I gave them to the headmaster. You scored


    well, and the headmaster said you can go straight to senior year. I¡¯ll get you some home tutors to get you


    up to speed. It¡¯ll cost about seven thousand and five hundred dors for the fees and rent.¡±


    Abby might have dropped out after freshman year, but she did not give up on herself. Instead, she asked


    her friends to get the sophomore and senior year textbooks for her. She even asked her friends and


    teachers to get her up to speed. Abby thought she could go back to school if she worked for it, but when


    her stepmother wanted to marry her off, she knew she could never get back to school, so she gave up. It


    was a good thing that her results were decent, and she was good in studies. Caleb had also used his


    connections and got the headmaster to agree to let Abbye in as a transfer student. She would never


    have had the chance otherwise. He got her into senior year and hired some private tutors just so she


    would not have to waste anymore time.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡®Thank you. I¡¯ll repay your kindness,¡¯ she said, and Abby bowed to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Stay here and study from now on.¡± He pointed at the surveince camera in the living


    room. ¡°I¡¯ve installed a camera here. I¡¯ll keep an eye on you, so don¡¯t let me down.¡±


    He did install a surveince camera because he was worried about her. First, she was a youngdy, and


    second, she was a mute. He was worried someone might bully her for that.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Skyler had entered the condominium, but there was nobody in the living room. He went to


    the master bedroom, but there was nobody there as well. When he came to the other bedroom, he saw a


    lady sitting on the window,menting her own fate. ¡°Wait. Yvonne?¡± Oh! Matthew said I¡¯d love this job,


    but this is just some babysitting. Well, maybe it¡¯s therapy, but whatever.


    She turned around and saw Skyler. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She had seen Skyler before. Yvonne knew she


    was Matthew¡¯s friend, but she had no idea why he came.


    ¡°Matt wants me to cheer you up. Said you¡¯re feeling down.¡± He went and sat on the other side of the


    windowsill. He put one of his legs up and rested his elbows on his knee, then rested his chin on his hand.


    ¡°So, you had a breakup. Wanna tell me what happened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡± Yvonne put her legs up. There was a pillow on herp, and she was resting


    her head on it. She stared outside the window, but it could not lift her bad mood.


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s no point being all sad for a dumb guy. Not like he¡¯s gonna know you¡¯re feeling down


    for him. He won¡¯t care.¡± He snorted. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s sleeping with another woman as we speak. If I were


    you, I¡¯d go out and have fun. The malls, the racetrack, the karaoke, and the arcade. There¡¯s tons of fun


    to be had out there. If you¡¯d like, you can just get some gigolos, and they¡¯ll treat you like a queen. Don¡¯t


    waste your time on that b*stard. He¡¯s not worth it. You¡¯re just making him seem better than he actually is


    by being sad.¡±


    She could have shrugged it off, but Yvonne thought about it and felt that he had a point. That jerk hurt


    me. Why should I feel sad because of that? It¡¯s not worth it. She sighed. ¡°You have a point.¡±


    ¡°Duh. I¡¯m a casanova. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a f*ckboy too.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡­¡± He had nothing to say to that. ¡°I was just kidding. Come on, get washed up. We¡¯re going out.


    It¡¯s loads better than you wallowing in your breakup.¡±


    Her phone had been dead since the day before, and nobody could get through to her. She happened to


    be bored as well, so she said yes. ¡°Okay.¡± She washed herself up and got changed before going out with


    him. Matthew¡¯s cars were in the garage, so Skyler grabbed one of the car keys and went to retrieve it.


    Yvonne then climbed into the car, and they rode around town to have fun.


    The flight took more than half a day, but Veronica and Mia finally arrived at Castron, though they seemed


    exhausted. The moment they came out of the airport, Mia tossed her luggage to Veronica. ¡°Hold this for


    me. And my bag too.¡±


    Veronica did not have the luxury to refuse. She pushed both of their luggage without anyints and


    said nothing all the way. She would ignore Mia all the time if she could. Thedies came out of the airport


    and got into the cab that brought them to their hotel.

 Chapter 393

    Chapter 393


    Chapter 393 Caught Red-Handed


    Hotel Ishton was the amodation Sean reserved for them, and the runway was just nearby. It was a


    convenient ce for them to stay. They came to the hotel an hourter. Veronica went to the reception


    and took their key cards before Mia could evenin.


    Veronica spoke perfect Chinese, and Mia envied her for that. She herself graduated from a famous


    college, but she was not that fluent in Chinese. She could barely hold her own in daily conversations,


    and sometimes she would even fail to express herself. On top of that, Veronica was lithe and beautiful.


    She was just wearing a simple ck trench coat paired with a white sweater and ck pants. It was a


    simplebination, but it still made her look like a supermodel, much to Mia¡¯s envy.


    They took the elevator to their rooms, and after they walked out of the elevator, Veronica ced Mia¡¯s


    luggage right in front of her. ¡°Here¡¯s your key card. Your room¡¯s that way, and my room¡¯s this way.¡±


    Mia held her bag and looked around. She arrogantly said, ¡°You¡¯re my assistant. Shouldn¡¯t you take my


    luggage the whole way? You¡¯re not doing your job very well.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Veronica just smiled and ced the key card on Mia¡¯s luggage before leaving.


    ¡°Veronica! Get back here! Take my luggage to my room!¡± she roared at Veronica, but she got no


    response. Veronica went away while she stomped her foot angrily. ¡°Sean will hear about this! You can¡¯t


    let me do everything myself!¡±


    Veronica unlocked her room¡¯s door, entered her room, and mmed the door shut. She had no time to


    listen to Mia¡¯s babblings. The flight had left her stiff, so she stretched for a bit before lying on the bed. It


    waste at night in Bloomstead, but the sun was shining in Castron. She was not tired after sleeping


    the whole way, so she scrolled through her phone and read through the runway show¡¯s details in the


    company group chat.


    It bored her after a while. She was going to get up and go around town, but her phone rang. ¡°Who¡¯s


    even up at this hour in Bloomstead?¡±


    Only the people back home would contact her. And it¡¯s the middle of the night now. Is it Matthew? She


    took her phone out, but surprisingly, the caller was Hendrey. Why is he calling me? Veronica was


    puzzled, and she answered the phone. ¡°It¡¯ste, Hendrey. Why the call?¡±


    ¡°Are you in Larivia now?¡± Hendrey was workingte into the night, and he did not sleep yet. Ruka had


    told him that Veronica had gone to Larivia for work. The thought that she might get found out worried


    Hendrey.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hendrey skipped the formalities and went straight to business. He sounded serious as


    well. She knew he must have something to tell her.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing. Just saying that it¡¯s awless ce there, so stay indoors as much as you can.¡± He had


    called her by impulse, so Hendrey had no idea how to exin it to her. He was worried someone might


    see her in Castron. If they thought she was Tiffany and took her away to conduct experiments on her,


    they might find out who she really was. That¡¯d be bad.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Veronica did not believe it.


    Hendrey said, ¡°Tiffany got on someone¡¯s bad side in Larivia, so you should put some makeup on if


    you¡¯re going out. Don¡¯t want anyone to catch you. That¡¯d be bad,¡± he lied. It was a lousy excuse, but


    that was the only one he had.


    ¡°She crossed someone?¡± Veronica knew Tiffany had gone overseas for a while now, back when she


    was doing public welfare activities. She never thought that Tiffany would get on someone¡¯s bad side,


    though. She was grateful that Hendrey told her that, oblivious to the fact that it was a lie. ¡°Thanks,


    Hendrey. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal when I get back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    They made small talk and hung up. She was going to go out earlier, but she decided to stay back and


    game in case she got in trouble.


    Mia ignored her the whole day, while Sean called her at night. He might sound like he was chiding her,


    but the man was actually asking her to tolerate Mia a little. ¡°She can be temperamental,¡± he said.


    Veronica did not really care. She hung up and slept to shake off the jeg, but she woke up only two


    hourster.


    She was reminded of what Matthew said, and she blushed. Are you kidding me? Are you saying that I


    got a good night¡¯s sleep because we had sex? No. Impossible. I just can¡¯t get used to this bed. After


    that, she washed herself up and put on some makeup. She donned the foreign style getup to make


    going around easier.


    When she met Mia, Mia kept staring at her. She thought this ¡®foreigndy¡¯ looked familiar, but she could


    not remember where she saw her. They got into the elevator with the other guests, and Mia¡¯s phone


    suddenly rang. She picked it up. ¡°Tiffany?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about it. That b*tch is in the same hotel as I am. Sure. Nobody knows us here. I¡¯ll


    teach her a lesson she won¡¯t forget, but don¡¯t forget about your promise too, Tiffany.¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best.¡± She hung up smugly and muttered, ¡°She¡¯s still noting down? That b*tch. She


    even wants me to wait for her? Damn her.¡±


    She cursed and called Veronica. Coincidentally, the ¡®foreigndy¡¯ got a call as well. Her ringtone was


    thetest pop song back in Bloomstead. Mia frowned and nced at her before going back to her call.


    Veronica held her phone and smiled. Hendrey had called the night before and asked her to be careful,


    so she had put on some makeup just to stay out of trouble. Thanks to that, she overheard an


    interesting conversation. It was surprising that Tiffany and Mia were working together to sabotage her,


    though.


    ¡°Goddammit! She hung up!¡± Mia¡¯s face darkened.


    Just when she was going to call her again, the ¡®foreigndy¡¯ came up to her and patted her shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯re an orphan, aren¡¯t you, Miss Stuart?¡±


    The fact that the ¡®foreigndy¡¯ had the same voice as Veronica jolted Mia. ¡°V-V-Veronica? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Surprise!¡± She smirked. ¡°Birds of a feather, I guess. Tiffany¡¯s a fool for working with you. You think the


    two of you can trip me up? Your n failed before it even began. One more idiot and we can film The


    Three Stooges woman edition.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ You¡­¡± Mia stammered, and she failed to make a coherent sentence. Her face was beet red. She


    had no idea Veronica was around, and the fact she caught them red-handed was humiliating for her.

 Chapter 394

    Chapter 394


    Chapter 394 Meeting


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she denied it and waved her phone, pointing at the time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t dawdle around. We¡¯re gonna bete. Let¡¯s go.¡± She turned around and stormed out of the hotel,


    hiding her nervousness with fury.


    Veronica did not waste any time arguing. They left the hotel and went to the venue of the runway show.


    Since it was a big show, it was filled with famous models and talented people. There would be tons of


    people watching it live, so they needed to rehearse. Mia might be the best model back in Starshine, but


    she was the youngest and most inexperienced one in this show.


    Veronica pretended that she was really her assistant, taking care of all the trivial matters for her. Mia told


    her to get bottles of mineral water, sent her off to do some trivial stuff, and ordered her around like she


    owned the ce, but Veronica patiently finished all the tasks. The rehearsal was eventually done, and


    Mia finished her job. Veronica eased up a lot thanks to that. It was then she saw someone familiar


    among the crowd. Wait¡­ Is that Larry Freeman? It¡¯s Larry, isn¡¯t it?


    She had gone to Collins University for her degree, while Larry had gone to the nearby film academy.


    They might have studied in two different schools, but they had still managed to meet up a few times. Mia


    noticed Veronica staring, so she looked at where she was gazing, and she felt surprised to see Larry.


    Whoa, is that Larry, the award-winning actor? Why is he here?


    Mia felt excited, but she still acted haughty in front of Veronica. She pretended to be calm and mocked,


    ¡°What are you looking at? That¡¯s the youngest award-winning actor back home, Larry himself. Why don¡¯t


    you beg me and I might get his autographed photo for you. Well, it¡¯ll cost you a bit, but not much. Seven


    thousand and five hundred.¡±


    Veronica cocked her eyebrow and looked at Mia like she had gone mad. ¡°Seven thousand and five


    hundred?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a low price. It¡¯s not easy getting his autographed photo. The scalpers are selling them for thirty


    grand and more, but I¡¯m just asking for a fraction of that price, so it¡¯s a really good deal.¡± Mia was feeling


    smug and proud, as if she was better than Veronica just because she was a model. ¡°Fine. What about a


    discount? Fory-five hundred¡­ Nah, fifteen hundred for one autographed photo because I know you.


    How many would you want?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What a joke.¡±


    Mia raised her voice on purpose and said in Chinese, ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you can get Larry¡¯s


    autographed photo? But you¡¯re just a civilian! Fine, if you can get that photo, I¡¯ll call you Mom!¡± Everyone


    knew that Larry got in trouble once for signing something. Ever since then, autographs were off-limits,


    though he could still take wefies.


    Mia was loud, and what she said attracted everyone¡¯s attention. They looked at Veronica.


    ¡°Who is she? I don¡¯t think she¡¯s part of us.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s obviously not a dedicated fan. She doesn¡¯t even know about the rules.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been forever since Larry signed anything for anyone.¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s an assistant to that model.¡±


    ¡°She looks stupid.¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone looked at Veronica and started mocking her.


    Mia wanted to embarrass her, so she continued, ¡°You wanted to buy a photo for fifteen hundred, didn¡¯t


    you? I¡¯ll give you fifteen grand, but you¡¯ll have to pay me double if you can¡¯t get that photo.¡± She riled


    things up on purpose.


    Veronica noticed everyone looking at them. She nodded and spoke in fluent Chinese, ¡°Are you sure you


    want ten autographed photos for fifteen grand?¡±


    ¡°What? You chickening out? Fine. I¡¯ll double my offer,¡± she shouted. Mia was hyping things up just so


    Larry would pay attention to them.


    Larry nced at them and said nothing. Veronica was sure that Mia was not friends with Larry. I bet


    she¡¯s just using this chance to approach him. This is the perfect opportunity to embarrass her.


    The onlookers were bored out of their minds, so one of them mocked, ¡°Thirty grand? I¡¯ll buy the photos


    even for forty-five grand.¡±


    ¡°As if. Money¡¯s not the problem here. Larry won¡¯t even autograph the photos, man.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Someoneughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m doubling your model friend¡¯s offer! Sixty grand for ten photos! If you can get them, of course.¡±


    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s just trying to get his attention.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall for her tricks.¡±


    ¡­


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Veronica listened and smiled silently. ¡°Lend me your notebook for a bit.¡± She knew Mia had a pen and


    notebook in her bag.


    ¡°He won¡¯t autograph your photos no matter what you do,¡± Mia mocked as she gave Veronica the pen and


    notebook.


    The onlookers watched as Veronica wrote down something on the sticky note and folded it up. She then


    gave the pen back to Mia and went over to Larry just like that.


    Larry was in traditional attire. He was wearing a ck and white silk shirt inside, and that shirt was


    covered with a wide-sleeve coat made of tulle. His hair was slicked back, and his gorgeous face was in


    full view. The man looked like a god who just came down from heaven. There was a designer standing


    beside him, and they were talking about something.


    Veronica went over to him. Larry could feel her gaze, so he looked at her, but he did not know who she


    was, so he looked down again.


    ¡°Hey!¡± She stood in front of him. The designer looked at Veronica, then at Larry, and he chose to be


    silent.


    Larry looked at her calmly. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Can you take a look at this?¡± Veronica handed the slip to him.


    Larry looked at the women behind Veronica. He felt like they were the center of everyone¡¯s attention.


    Larry looked away and told the designer, ¡°Do you have any special ideas for tomorrow¡¯s runway? In


    terms of my style, of course.¡± He ignored Veronica.


    Mia had been following her, and she smirked. She shouted on purpose, ¡°Veronica, you told us you could


    get an autographed photo, but Larry¡¯s ignoring you.¡±


    For some reason, Larry looked at Mia when she said that, then he turned his sights to Veronica. Still, he


    could not recognize her.


    Just when he was about to leave with the designer, Veronica shouted, ¡°Hey, Crazy! Aren¡¯t you gonna


    look at this?¡±


    That came as a shocker. Everyone gasped and looked at Veronica weirdly.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s just dirty. Calling him names just to get his attention?¡±


    ¡°And she called him crazy.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°His fans are gonna dox her if they find out what she said.¡±

 Chapter 395

    Chapter 395


    Chapter 395 Messing With Mia


    Everyone was expecting a fight. They expected Veronica to get embarrassed, but for some reason,


    Larry stopped in his tracks and looked back in shock. He stared at Veronica and shifted his gaze to the


    slip in her hands. There was only one word written on it¡ªCrazy.


    He hesitated for a few moments, but eventually, he took the slip and unfolded it. The look on his face


    changed ten times when he read through the slip. In the end, he tucked it away and asked, ¡°How many


    photos would you like?¡±


    ¡°Oh my god. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°No idea. Why does Larry suddenly want to give her the photos?¡±


    ¡°This is unexpected.¡± ¡°What did she write? I wanna know.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°And she called him crazy. Do they know each other?¡±


    Everyone was in shock, and they were discussing the sudden change. Veronica, however, remained


    calm. ¡°Ten,¡± she said. ¡°Sure. Come with me.¡± He then chuckled. ¡°Thirty grand for ten photos is a bad


    price though. Sell them to someone else.¡± ¡°Oh my god, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Larry is helping her.¡±


    ¡°Is she his friend?¡±


    ¡°Odd. Did I miss something?¡±


    ¡°Forty-five grand for ten photos, Larry!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you sixty grand!¡±


    ¡°Seventy grand!¡±


    ¡­


    Wow. I just wanted to get his autographed photos. I¡¯m not trying to run an auction house here. Larry


    was a polymath. He had debuted as a model, but eventually everyone found out that he could sing,


    dance, and even act well. She did not expect so many fans of him here though.


    Veronica was the center of everyone¡¯s attention now, while Mia looked really awkward. Someone even


    called her out for being disrespectful to Larry. They used her of cheapening his photos, since she


    would only pay thirty grand for ten of them. Embarrassed, Mia smiled sheepishly and changed her


    tune. ¡°I-I was just joking around with my assistant, Larry. Um, how about I pay you s-seventy-five grand


    for ten photos?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your business. You can do whatever you want.¡± He shrugged, choosing to stay out of this.


    ¡°Fine. Seventy-five grand it is. I¡¯m your assistant, after all.¡± She heaved a sigh and took her phone out


    to text Mia her ount number. ¡°Now give me the money, please.¡± People like them could make


    transactions amounting to a few hundred grand per day, so seventy-five grand going into Veronica¡¯s


    ount was no problem.


    Mia did not expect her to demand payment that soon. She trembled and nched. ¡°We¡¯re not in a


    hurry, are we? I¡¯ll pay you once we get the photos.¡±


    ¡°But Larry promised to give us the photos. Would he lie to us? Or do you not trust him?¡± Veronica


    pushed her into a corner, refusing to let her off the hook that easily.


    Mia held her phone, thinking, I spent a boatload of money yesterday, so I don¡¯t even have seventy-five


    grand right now. How on earth am I supposed to pay her? ¡°No, of course not. I trust Larry.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t have any money then,¡± Veronica said. It hit her where it hurt most. ¡°I don¡¯t mind though.


    Someone else can buy it off me.¡±


    Well, this is unexpected. I just made seventy-five grand from this trip.


    ¡°Hah. You can¡¯t buy his photos without money. What a joke.¡±


    ¡°Wow, she¡¯s super poor.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are poor models on this runway, are there?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd discussed among themselves, and Mia felt humiliated. However, she would never allow


    herself to look bad in front of her idol, so she bit the bullet and said, ¡°I only have my card on me. I¡¯ll give


    you sixty grand first. You¡¯ll get the remaining fifteen grandter.¡±


    ¡°Well, okay then. We are colleagues after all. You won¡¯t go back on your word,¡± Veronica agreed.


    Mia gave her sixty grand. It was a big sum for her, but she had to do it.


    Veronica then told Larry, ¡°Thanks, Larry.¡± She then left like nobody¡¯s business.


    Everyone was shocked. Holy shit. What¡¯s going on? She made seventy-five grand off Larry and asked


    him to finish the job for her. Um, wow. She¡¯s¡­ one heck of a girl.


    Veronica went straight back to the hotel from the runway, and she was removing her makeup when


    someone called her. It was a Destor number, but she had no idea who the caller was. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Demoness? Is that you?¡±


    Veronica recognized that voice, and she roared inughter. ¡°And I thought you forgot about me.¡±


    ¡°Are you free? Wanna grab something to eat?¡±


    ¡°No prob.¡±


    ¡°¡®Kay. Meet me at¡­¡±


    Larry told her the address, and she hung up. After freshening up, she left the hotel. It would be weird to


    meet Larry looking like a totally different person, so she had removed her foreign-style makeup.


    She arrived at a restaurant in Bregonia Street half an hourter. Veronica knocked on the door of the


    room Larry was in, and she went inside. There was only Larry within. She closed the door and turned


    around, then tilted her head to the side. ¡°Hi, Crazy!¡± She smiled.


    He stood up and stared at her in silence, then he smiled. ¡°Hey, Demoness.¡±


    They chuckled and hugged each other.


    ¡°I can¡¯t call you Crazy now, can I? Gotta call you Larry now.¡± They parted and took their seats.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you to say that, Demoness.¡± He shook his head, smiling.


    ¡°Demoness, huh? Didn¡¯t think much about it, but honestly, it¡¯s such an ugly name.¡± She picked the cup


    of coffee up and sipped from it. ¡°What a coincidence. I wouldn¡¯t have run into you if I hadn¡¯te to


    Castron with Mia.¡±


    ¡°I asked Hendrey if he had your number, but he didn¡¯t.¡± He shrugged and sighed. ¡°And I didn¡¯t follow up


    on that.¡±


    ¡°He went back to Destor. I ran into him a few months ago.¡± She put her elbow on the table and rested


    her chin in her hand. She said, ¡°It¡¯s been years, and you¡¯re a lot hotter now. You¡¯re not that same


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been years, and the first thing you did was make a seventy-five grand off me. I had to break


    my own rules for you. I¡¯m still the sameckey, Demoness.¡±


    Larry leaned against his seat and pointed at Veronica. ¡°Still a ve to money like ever. You didn¡¯t


    change.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to eat all you can. The more you eat, the more you make.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

 Chapter 396

    Chapter 396


    Chapter 396 Goodbye, Demoness


    Veronica could be herself around Larry. Even though it had been years since theyst met, she still felt


    as close to him as ever.


    ¡°Why did you put on that makeup though? I wouldn¡¯t have recognized you if it weren¡¯t for your voice


    and that slip.¡± He knew she was a great makeup artist when they first met. It had been years since they


    saw each other though, so he never thought that the beautiful blonde would be her.


    She lowered her head and stirred her coffee. Her eyes glinted, and she lied, ¡°I might have gotten rusty.


    It¡¯s been a while since I did any makeup, and I was bored, so¡­¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mia told me you¡¯re her assistant. Is that true?¡± She was a smart woman back in their school days, and


    she had a lot of business ideas. He thought she would be a businesswoman when she grew up, but he


    never thought she would be the assistant of a no-name model. He thought it was a shame, but he


    could never tell her that, so he suggested, ¡°Wanna work for me? My assistant is shit. We can¡¯t get


    along. I wanna hire someone else.¡±


    ¡°As if!¡± She knew what he was getting at, so she said, ¡°I mean, money doesn¡¯t grow on trees, so I


    started working for a modeling agency. The boss wanted me to take care of Mia and see the world, so


    here I am.¡±


    ¡°I knew it. You already resold phones back in junior high. I knew you¡¯d never settle for a model¡¯s


    assistant¡¯s job.¡±


    The mention of her past made him shake his head, but he was smiling. He knew about her past thanks


    to Hendrey. She started wholesaling cheap phones in the no-name phone market and resold them to


    her ssmates in her junior year. They could not pay her the full amount at one go, so she provided


    instalments and charged interest on it. She was ahead of her time back then.


    ¡°Oh, stop teasing me. Look at me. I have to work as a model¡¯s assistant. Life is bad enough for me,¡±


    she mocked herself.


    Just then, a waiter came in and handed them menus. They made their orders and kept chatting. In


    between, Mia would not stop calling her, so Veronica blocked her. It would be a disturbance otherwise.


    ¡°You¡¯re sessful both back home and overseas. Are you going to expand your career in Destor or


    work your way up Horrywoodo?¡± Veronica asked as she dug in her meal.


    ¡°Not sure. I¡¯ll see where fate takes me. But I can help you if you want to try this industry out,


    Demoness.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean the entertainment industry?¡±


    She frowned and imagined working in the entertainment industry. It was a little tempting, but¡­ ¡°Forget


    it. It takes skills to be an actor, and I¡¯m just a civilian. I can¡¯t get into the industry that easily. I¡¯d rather do


    my own stuff. It feels better that way.¡± Her esportspany was just getting on track, and she could


    not hand over her wedding nnerpany to Matthew. On top of that, she just started working for a


    modeling agency. She would have to terminate her contract with Sean if she decided to work as an


    actor, which meant that she would have to pay for damages. She did not want that.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s better to do something you like. To a carefree life!¡±


    They raised a toast to each other and downed their drinks.


    She put her ss down, and Larry got up to refill it. Her phone rang, and this time, it was a familiar


    number. It was from Matthew. She did not write out his name in her contacts just to keep his identity a


    secret. ¡°Sorry. I gotta take this call.¡± She took her phone and walked out of the room. Veronica only


    took that call after closing the door. ¡°It¡¯ste. You¡¯re still up?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep. I miss you.¡±


    It was a familiar voice, though a bit too gentle. She thought it was sweet and mushy at the same time.


    ¡°Um¡­ Why don¡¯t you act like yourself? I can¡¯t get used to you being so mushy.¡±


    She was used to his aloof behavior, but he spoiled her and would only speak to her gently ever since


    they started dating. It felt jarring to her.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get used to it,¡± he said, but this time, he sounded stiff.


    ¡°Yep. That¡¯s the Matthew I know.¡± She wanted him to act this way. This was the man she knew.


    He chuckled. ¡°You dummy.¡±


    She chuckled as well.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Me? Um¡­ I¡¯m having lunch with Mia,¡± she lied. Larry was an award-winning actor, so she had to keep


    this a secret. Also, if Matthew found out she ran into Larry and had lunch with him, it would cause a


    misunderstanding. He was a jealous man, and his envy could cause disasters. If he really found out


    that she was having lunch with Larry, he mighte to Castron and have so much sex with her, she


    would be bedridden for three days. I gotta lie to stay safe.


    ¡°When are you going back to the hotel?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. Just get some sleep. You don¡¯t have to wait for me. I¡¯ll call you in the morning.¡±


    It was reallyte in Destor, and she did not want her to stay up for him.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good night. Bye.¡± She hung up.


    Larry noticed her beaming when she came back. He teased, ¡°Well, someone¡¯s in love.¡±


    Veronica stopped for a moment. Is it that obvious? ¡°Not technically.¡± She was nning on telling him


    after they went public.


    They sat around for a while after lunch, and Larry took her back to the hotel.


    She got out of the car and was about to say goodbye, but he got out as well. He was a public figure, so


    Larry was wearing a mask and cap even though he was overseas. He went up to Veronica and said, ¡°I


    have an ad shooting in the afternoon, Demoness, so I can¡¯t stay. I have to go to my next job after


    tomorrow¡¯s show, so I might not have the time to say goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re busy.¡± She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not easy being an award-winning actor, huh? You fly a lot.¡± She


    shrugged. ¡°Well, good luck on the show tomorrow.¡± It would be a big show, and there would be a lot of


    crew members working backstage. It would not be easy to find him among the crowd. Besides, he was


    a famous actor. Going out of his way to say hi to her would look weird.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± He sighed. ¡°But now I have your number, so let¡¯s meet the next time I¡¯m home.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± He opened his arms and arched his eyebrow. The guy wanted a goodbye hug.


    She was clear that he had a busy schedule. They had no idea when they would see each other next,


    so she hugged him. ¡°Do your best, Crazy. I hope I can see you on The Christmas Show next year.¡±

 Chapter 397

    Chapter 397


    Chapter 397 Jealous Matthew


    ¡°What?¡± He pushed her away and red at her. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d like to see you next¡­ I


    mean this year¡¯s The Christmas S¡­ Ow! What are you doing?¡± He flicked her forehead before she


    could finish. She covered her forehead and gasped in pain.


    ¡°I sang Dawn Breeze inst year¡¯s The Christmas Show! The ninth performance! And you didn¡¯t see


    me!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh um, sorry. I didn¡¯t see you.¡± Sheughed. Yeah, Matthew and his friends were standing right


    outside my doorst Christmas. I was trying to deal with them, so of course I had no time for The


    Christmas Show.


    At this moment, Larry¡¯s phone rang. He took it out and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s from my manager. Great, she¡¯s


    angry at me now. Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Drive safely.¡± She waved him goodbye. Larry took the call. ¡°Miss Quinton? Yeah, I¡¯m on my way back.


    Right away.¡± He trotted back to his car and honked it to say goodbye, and he left.


    She stood in the same spot, sighing. ¡°Being an actor sure makes a lot of money, but man I feel sorry for


    him. He¡¯s busy as a bee.¡± She went into the hotel lobby and made a beeline for the elevator. It was


    about one in the afternoon, and there were not a lot of peopleing in. After she went into the


    elevator, a mysterious man in a windbreaker, cap, mask, and sunsses came in.


    The other guests left the elevator, and eventually, only the man was left with her. She looked at the


    elevator walls and nced at the man¡¯s reflection cautiously. The elevator doors swung open, and she


    nced outside before going out. As she walked down the corridor, she kept ncing backward. He


    was following her.


    Her heart skipped a beat. Is this what Hendrey meant when he said I¡¯d get tailed because I look like


    Tiffany? She leaned against the wall after she turned the corner, waiting for the mysterious man to


    show up. She kicked him in the face as he did, but he caught her ankle with his bare hands. ¡°Who are


    you?¡± she asked nervously as she did a roundhouse kick, aiming at the man¡¯s chest.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The man expected that. He wanted to catch her feet, but that was a feint. She moved her leg


    downward and kicked his chest. She had used a lot of strength in this kick, and the man staggered


    backward.


    Veronica did not stop. She stepped ahead and gave him a left hook, but he crouched down all of a


    sudden and wrapped his arm around her hip, then threw her over his shoulders and walked toward her


    suite. ¡°Who are you? Who are you?¡± She got her guard up and kept resisting and struggling.


    The man smacked her ass loudly, and she winced in pain, though she knew who he was right away.


    ¡°You¡¯re Matthew, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked and sniffed him. As expected, she caught a whiff of his


    familiarly special smell. Of course it was Matthew.


    He unlocked the door and mmed it shut, then he carried her in and tossed her onto the bed.


    Matthew closed in, asking, ¡°Who is he?¡± He took his mask off along with his sunsses and tossed


    them. He looked at the woman coldly, the look on his face dark.


    Her heart started to race, and she stared at him in shock. ¡°Um¡­ When did you get here?¡± Man, I¡¯m


    stupid. I should have known he was here when he called me back at the restaurant. She naively


    thought he just wanted to have a little chat with her after she came back. She thought that the man


    could be him when she saw him in the elevator, but the fact that Matthew was still back in Destor


    debunked that thought. She expected it to be someone else, only to be surprised. It¡¯s still Matthew in


    the end.


    ¡°Answer my question.¡± He raised her chin, his eyes narrowed and filled with anger. Veronica felt a chill


    run down her spine, and she was like a cat on hot bricks.


    ¡°H-He¡¯s¡­¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°Larry.¡±


    Back in the basementst time, she told him that Larry was her first love, and he shrugged it off.


    However, after he fell in love with her, he realized that her first love was actually Hendrey. He had


    looked into Larry and found out that he was the top actor at the moment. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re lying this


    time.¡± She just keeps fooling around. I have no idea who she really likes. He asked, ¡°Hendrey¡¯s your


    first love, but you fell in love with Larry after that? Is that it?¡± He had been waiting in the lobby for her,


    and when he saw her hugging Larry, he felt a fire burning his heart away.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Veronica thought he was being imaginative. She wrapped her arms around his neck and


    smiled. ¡°You¡¯re angry. Do you like me that much?¡±


    He inched closer, his nose pressing against hers, and he bit her lip. ¡°Answer my question.¡± He was


    acting so much like the first time they met¡ªaloof, distant, and bossy.


    She gulped. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Crazy and I are just friends.¡±


    Crazy? Veronica thought it was an innocent nickname, but it was not the case for Matthew. He thought


    it sounded almost endearing. ¡°Is he your ex?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She frowned in displeasure. ¡°You¡¯re being too bossy, Matthew. So what if he¡¯s my ex? So what if


    he¡¯s not? You¡¯re blowing things out of proportion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m blowing things out of proportion?¡± His face fell, and he stared at her sharply.


    ¡°I said, you¡ª¡± She was going to say something, but he stood up and left the room. She sat up at once,


    but all she could see was him leaving. ¡°Matthew, you¡ª¡±


    He mmed the door shut and left before she could finish. Veronica sat on the bed and scratched her


    head in resignation, but then her phone rang. It was from Yvonne. ¡°Yvonne? You¡¯re awake too?¡± she


    asked.


    Yvonne asked curiously, ¡°Too? Who else is up? Is it Matthew?¡±

 Chapter 398

    Chapter 398


    Chapter 398 It¡¯s a Celebration


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it. I made him so mad, he left.¡± Shey back down and stared at the ceiling in


    silence.


    ¡°What happened? What kind of shitty stuff did you do this time to make him so mad?¡± She wanted to


    gossip. For a moment, she forgot that she just went through a breakup.


    Veronica sighed. ¡°I¡­ Well, he came to Castron so suddenly and called me. He wanted to know who I


    was having lunch with, so I lied and said it was Mia. My friend gave me a ride back and he saw us, so


    he got mad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all? Wow, he¡¯s overreacting.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Oh, we hugged too, and he flicked my forehead. That¡¯s all. That¡¯s all we did.¡±


    ¡°Hm, odd. Why is he so jealous of your friend? You¡¯ve never been to Castron though, so why do you


    have friends there?¡± Yvonne noticed something off about it.


    Veronica answered honestly, ¡°It¡¯s Larry Freeman.¡±


    ¡°Wait, the Larry Freeman? The superstar?¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Hawt damn. I never knew you have a friend like him. He¡¯s a hot and talented man. Handsome, gentle,


    and he never gets into any scandal,¡± she said. Yvonne clicked her tongue. ¡°No wonder Matthew got


    jealous. Larry never gets into any scandal, but he hugged you. Of course Matthew took it the wrong


    way.¡± Larry was one of the most innocent men in the industry and the only male star who had more


    male than female fans. The guy was humble, down to earth, and contributed a lot to charity. He seldom


    appeared in any movies, but every work he did was a box office hit.


    ¡°Um, is this my fault?¡± Veronica flicked her hair back and stopped to think. She then said, ¡°There was


    this one time where I jokingly told him that Larry¡¯s my first love, and I bullshitted a lot. Even told him we


    had sex too. He can¡¯t have taken that seriously, right?¡± She did say that in the underground chamber


    before.


    ¡°You¡¯re done for, Roni. You¡¯re done for.¡± She sighed. ¡°Cupid tried his best to match you up, but you


    managed to push him away for some reason. That¡¯s¡­ an achievement?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating.¡± She thought that Matthew should not get angry over this. He did know that her


    first love was Hendrey, but then he also said she might have dated Larry after breaking up with


    Hendrey. Matthew hade all the way to Castron just to see her, but she had lied to him. I guess I did


    go a bit too far. ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Apologize, duh. Call him. What are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call him then, I guess,¡± she said. Veronica was about to hang up, but she asked, ¡°Oh yeah. Why did


    you call me in the first ce anyway?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I just found out that Zac captured Conrad.¡± Yvonne still loved Conrad in the end, especially


    since he was her baby¡¯s father. She had no idea what to do.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re keeping the child?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already two months old, so I¡¯m keeping it. Conrad¡¯s a piece of scum, but the child is innocent.¡± She


    heaved a sigh.


    Veronica could see that she was wondering if she should keep the child. It had been two days. She


    would have aborted it by now if she really didn¡¯t want to keep the child. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you what to do, but


    you should know what you¡¯re in for if you¡¯re carrying it to term. Think about your parents. Zac might not


    ept it either. Think about it, even if you¡¯re not marrying him.¡±


    Veronica stopped at that point, and Yvonne fell into silence. Veronica then said, ¡°I¡¯ll call youter. I need


    to call Matthew now.¡± She hung up.


    Veronica called him right away, and she heard his ringtone vaguely, much to her surprise. She got out


    of bed and went to the door, where the sound wasing from. She leaned her head against it and


    heard his ringtone ying outside. What is he doing outside?


    The ringtone stopped ying as she hung up. She opened the door at once, but his face was not the


    first thing she saw. Instead, it was a gigantic bouquet of roses.


    Matthew was standing right in front of her. He stared at her gently, a loving smile curling his lips.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Roni.¡±


    The sudden twist surprised her. She looked at him, grateful and guilty at the same time, and she


    pursed her lips. ¡°Um¡­¡± There was a lump in her throat, and she was too touched to say anything. She


    stared at the roses and smelled their lovely scent, which refreshed her. ¡°Thank you.¡± She took the


    flowers and held it in her arms, her face red. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be mad at me. I wasn¡¯t being too nice.¡±


    His cap was already gone. He pushed his fringe back and cocked his eyebrow. ¡°I trust you.¡± He would


    trust her, since he had chosen her. He did feel jealous after seeing her hug her friend, but he had other


    ways of punishing her.


    ¡°You came all the way just to celebrate my birthday?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Matt.¡± She held his hand and took him into the room, and he closed the door after them.


    Veronica tossed the bouquet on the couch and turned around to hug him, then kissed him passionately.


    The kiss warmed his cold, cold heart. He wrapped his arm around her waist and stepped ahead.


    Matthew put the cake that he was holding on the table before he picked her up and tossed her on the


    bed, kissing her back more passionately.


    Just when they were getting into the mood, someone knocked on the door and ruined it. Matthew¡¯s


    face fell, and a storm brewed in his eyes.


    Veronica was amused by that look on his face. She pushed him away. ¡°Get off me. I¡¯ll see what it is.¡±


    ¡°Ignore them.¡± He took the remote control and pressed on a button to close the curtains. He then held


    her and resumed the kiss.


    However, Veronica¡¯s phone rang right at the same time. She looked at it and was surprised to find that


    Larry was calling her. She smiled sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯ll take this call.¡±


    However, he had already taken her phone away and turned on the speaker.


    ¡°Hey, Demoness, I just remembered it¡¯s your birthday today. Sorry for missing that the first time, but I¡¯ve


    sent room service over to give you your present. Just open the door and take it from them.¡±

 Chapter 399

    Chapter 399


    Chapter 399 It¡¯s a Prank


    Veronica froze up. What the hell is he doing? He¡¯s giving me a present now? She blinked and looked at


    Matthew. There was a dark look on his face, and if looks could kill, she would have been dead three


    times by now. Gotta cheer him up.


    She smiled sheepishly. ¡°Um, can you get up for a moment? I need to get the¡­ present.¡± It was a


    coincidence that she ran into Larry on her birthday. She would have forgotten all about it if Matthew had


    note and told her about it. Matthew was upset, but he still got up and let her get the door anyway.


    A foreign waiter stood outside, and he handed a mysterious gift to her. It was a beautiful white box, and


    a ck-gold ribbon was tied around it. ¡°Hello, miss. Here¡¯s your present.¡±


    She closed the door and muttered, ¡°What on earth is this? So mysterious.¡± I hate mysteries. They can


    be a real shocker if done wrongly.


    Matthew leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He was looking at the present with interest and


    waiting for her to open it.


    Veronica licked her lips. It¡¯s gonna get real messy if I don¡¯t open this. ¡°Calm down. I¡¯ll open it right


    away.¡± She went over to the table and put the present on it, then unraveled the ribbon and slowly


    unboxed it. She was curious about what the content was, but the moment she saw the thing inside, she


    nched. Veronica mmed the cover shut as fast as she could, and her arms looked like a blur for a


    moment.


    ¡°Hey, why are you keeping it a secret? Is it something good?¡± Matthew took a seat on the couch and


    leaned forward. He stared at the box and cocked his eyebrow.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing.¡± She mustered the best smile she could and puffed her cheeks, trying to act like a kid.


    ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t see this. My friend gave me this. I have to keep it a secret.¡± She smiled. F*ck you, Larry!


    *uck you! What the hell did I ever do to you? Why did you do this to me, you *sshole?


    ¡°A secret, eh?¡± He cocked his eyebrow and nodded seriously. ¡°I see. You¡¯d better keep that secret well,


    Roni. Don¡¯t let it slip.¡± He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I have to go back to the country for work.¡± He stood


    up and left.


    ¡°Huh? D-Don¡¯t leave, Matthew¡­¡± That was what she said, but what she had in mind was, Please


    leave. Please, please, please, please, please. You can¡¯t find out about the truth, or you¡¯ll kill me.


    However, he stopped right before he left the room, and the man turned around. Unlike his usually aloof


    self, this perfectly sexy man had a gentle smile on his face. ¡°Well, if you want me to stay, then I guess I


    can stay.¡±


    ¡°What? Um¡­¡± Veronica froze up and tried her best toe up with an idea to make him leave. In the


    end, she got an idea. ¡°Matt, um, it¡¯s really sad that I came to Castron and didn¡¯t get a chance to go to


    the biggest amusement park in the world. It¡¯s my birthday today. Can you take me there?¡± She wanted


    to leave the hotel as soon as possible. If she got on Matthew¡¯s bad side, she would probably die.


    He slowly came up to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. The man leaned down and pressed


    his forehead against hers, looking at her with love in his eyes. ¡°Roni¡­¡± he called her nickname


    affectionately.


    She fell for his gentle hold, and she calmed down. ¡°What is it? Are you taking me to the amusement


    park now?¡±


    He shook his head imperceptibly. There were only millimeters between them.


    She could feel his nose touching hers when he shook his head, and his lips brushed against hers from


    time to time, which riled her up. She was waiting in anticipation for his next action, but he turned around


    andy on top of her, pinning her down on the couch. Everything spun around her, and she felt dizzy,


    and before she could regain her bearings, he had already opened the present and taken the content


    out.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Matthew!¡± she gasped, but it was toote.


    Matthew held the gift up in his right hand, and he frowned. He held it between his thumb and index


    finger in disgust. His face fell, and silence descended upon them. It was just like the calm before the


    storm, and the air froze up.


    Veronica was trying to find a way out, so she curled up and held the hem of her shirt. She cursed,


    ¡°Damn you, Larry! I¡¯ll kill you the next time we meet!¡± I knew that f*cker was up to something. I f*cking


    knew it!


    ¡°What is this, Ve. Ro. Ni. Ca?¡± Matthew red at her, enunciating his words slowly. The look in his eyes


    was threatening to burn her up.


    She gulped, her face red with embarrassment, but still she forced a smile. ¡°Um, M-Matthew, Matt, I-I


    have no idea. What do you expect me to say?¡±


    ¡°No exnation? So you admit to cheating?¡±


    ¡°What? No! Of course not.¡± She smiled awkwardly and pointed at the transparent and sexy ckce


    lingerie. One look was enough to cause stirrings in a man¡¯s groin. If someone were to wear it, she


    would probably be burned by the mes of desire.


    Goddammit, Larry! You scoundrel. You couldn¡¯t have gone with something innocent like a diffuser? You


    just had to go with lingerie? She kept cursing him, but at the same time, she wasing up with an


    exnation. She had a feeling he would kill her if she failed to exin herself today.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so close to the superstar. Everyone says he never gets involved in any


    scandals, but I guess they¡¯re wrong.¡± He took the lingerie over and fiddled it with both hands. He was


    gesticting at Veronica with it. ¡°Well, he did give you a present. We shouldn¡¯t waste it, don¡¯t you think,


    Roni?¡±


    The man might be calm and smiling, but she felt a chill run down her spine for some reason, and her


    hair stood on end. Her heart was also pumping furiously. ¡°Matt¡­ I mean, honey¡­ Honey¡­¡± She had


    to find a way to cheer him up, so she shamelessly called him ¡®honey¡¯. ¡°We have plenty of time to do


    that in the future. Why don¡¯t we just go to the amusement park or something?¡±

 Chapter 400

    Chapter 400


    Chapter 400 Special Spending


    He was delighted to hear her call him ¡®honey¡¯, but that was not enough to appease him. He raised the


    lingerie¡­ No, this isn¡¯t even lingerie. Someone just decided to p three pieces of cloth on a string and


    call it a day. It¡¯s smaller than my palm, and most of it is transparent! ¡°I¡¯d rather have my fun on the bed.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    And I love¡­ well, submissive women.¡± He tossed the lingerie to her and looked at the time. ¡°You have


    one minute. Get changed.¡± He got up and sat on the other side of the couch with his legs crossed. He


    was like a king staring down at his subjects, and she thought he looked a bit majestic.


    Veronica was shivering, and she sat up reluctantly. She took the lingerie off her face, and she felt like


    screaming. ¡°Matt, I-I¡¯m tired. Can we not do this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No,¡± he said curtly, as if even one more word would be a waste. Goddammit, Matthew. Fine! Gonna use


    my trump card then. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to do it. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m on my period,¡± she lied, her


    face red.


    ¡°Really? Take it off and let me see.¡± ¡°I-I-I¡­ I said I¡¯m on my period.¡± I can¡¯t take it off. How should I take it


    off?


    ¡°Really? Take it off.¡± He did not care. Matthew lookednguid, as if he was in control. He was making it


    hard for her on purpose.


    She thought about it for a moment and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I take it off in the bathroom and take it to you?¡±


    Oh my god. Is this his fetish or something?


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t feel disgusted. Do it right here.¡± Hah. Let¡¯s see how long you can keep up that lie. ¡°Um¡­


    Um¡­¡± she hemmed and hawed, but she still could not form a coherent sentence after a long time.


    He looked at his wristwatch. ¡°Ten, nine, eight¡­¡± He started counting down.


    She knew him too well. Angering him wouldnd her in a worse spot than she was now. After some


    internal debate, she decided to go all out. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Someone knocked on the door again before she


    could finish, and she heaved a sigh of relief secretly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the door, Matt.¡± Sheughed nervously. She had no idea why the waiter came, but he had saved


    her. Just in time. I hope it¡¯s something important. Best if we can leave this ce. She happily went and


    took the door, then she tilted her head to the side. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Miss Murphy, I¡¯m Frank. I¡¯m the server you ordered. It¡¯s an honor to serve you.¡± The handsome


    man smiled at her, greeting her happily.


    Veronica was a bit out of the loop. ¡°Sorry? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever ordered anything.¡± Matthew hade


    over at that moment.


    The man called Frank nodded at Matthew, and he continued, ¡°Miss Murphy, I¡¯m here to serve you. I know


    you wanted the top three of the club, but don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be happy with m¡ª¡±


    She mmed the door shut before he could finish. She craned her neck stiffly and gulped. Larry, you


    f*cker! You¡¯re gonna kill me! Sheughed dryly, but even she thought herugh was fake. She looked


    back, and indeed, what she saw was Matthew¡¯s icy re.


    He put one hand in his pocket and raised her chin with the other. ¡°What? You¡¯re already dissatisfied with


    me?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­¡± She smiled, but she could feel her heart stopping. Someone knocked on the door again, but


    she ignored it. Even so, the guy outside knocked on it even faster.


    Matthew wrapped his arm around her waist. ¡°Roni, we gotta have integrity. You asked for their top


    servers, so don¡¯t leave them hanging.¡± He took her to the entrance and opened the door.


    There were three men standing outside the door, all of whom were six feet tall. One looked like a happy


    guy, the other was handsome, and thest one looked devilish. They were all hot, but Veronica thought


    she would be dead if she tried anything.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Murphy. I¡¯m Harold, server number 880 of Club Kate. I¡¯m from Bloomstead, just like you. I¡¯ll


    make sure you get the best experience of your life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Donald, Miss Murphy. I¡¯m from Collins. We¡¯re technically from the same town, so do call for me next


    time. I¡¯ll give you a discount.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Murphy. You wanted all three of us to serve. Let us in and we can work.¡±


    The men kept talking. They probably thought Matthew was a gigolo as well, so they did not hold back.


    Veronica swore this was the first time in her life she felt so awkward and tormented. She almost wanted


    to fall on her knees and begged them to stop. ¡°Um¡­ Are you sure you got the right woman? I didn¡¯t call


    for you.¡± She tried her best to stay calm.


    ¡°You paid us, Miss Murphy. We¡¯re all going to serve you for a day and a night. You paid fifteen grand for


    that. We¡¯ll be in trouble if you don¡¯t let us serve you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Our boss specifically told us to make sure you¡¯re happy before we can leave.¡±


    She could see that they were genuine and serious. They were not embarrassed at all, but Veronica could


    feel her face burning up. However, she also felt a chill run down her spine. That song of ice and fire was


    killing her. ¡°I said I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    She wanted to say not, but before she could, Matthew cut in, ¡°Fifteen five grand for a night with three


    men. I guess you guys arepetent. You spent the money, so we might as well use their service. Don¡¯t


    let it go to waste.¡± He took her back into the room. ¡°Come in,¡± he told the men.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± She could not believe what she was hearing. Veronica shoved him away and turned around to


    kick the door shut, then she locked the door and leaned against it. She was already huffing and puffing.


    ¡°Are you mad, Matthew? This is illegal!¡±


    He put his hands into his pockets and smiled. ¡°Not in Castron.¡± She nched, and he chuckled. He had


    actually called the men over to give them a massage, though he was surprised she was so shocked.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s still not right. I¡¯m your girlfriend, and you¡¯re doing it along with three other guys? Where¡¯s your


    conscience?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? They¡¯re just here to massage us. What do you mean? I don¡¯t get it,¡± he


    teased her. He knew what she was talking about, but he yed dumb.

 Chapter 401

    Chapter 401


    Chapter 401 What Have You Done?


    Veronica¡¯s mind went nk when she heard what he had said. ¡°You mean¡­ Uh¡­¡± By the time she


    regained herposure, she realized that Matthew had a sly expression. She could not help but be


    annoyed. ¡°You are such a b*stard, Matthew!¡±


    She rushed to him in a fit of anger and pointed at his face. Before she could even curse at him again, he


    grabbed her finger and embraced her. ¡°Are you mad, Roni?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s back was facing Matthew and she struggled for a while, but was unable to escape from his


    grasp. ¡°B*stard, let me go!¡± ¡°Wear the attire on the couch and I¡¯ll let you off the hook!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Veronica was still mad at that instant and as a result of his words, she turned beet red. Such an


    expression made her look like a cute, ripe peach.


    She closed her eyes in embarrassment and silently cursed Larry¡¯s ancestry. Suddenly, she remembered


    a scene in her mind. I remembered that in high school, on the day of Larry¡¯s birthday, I bought him a


    birthday cake in the shape of a bikini. I even made a wish that when Larry bes an adult, I¡¯ll give him


    loads of products from the brand Q. That¡¯ll help him to woo and court girls. This idiot!


    Although the wish from many years ago was finally realized, the recipient was now a different person.


    Veronica was helpless; she had to reap what she sowed.


    She did not forget that the bikini-shaped birthday cake made Larry the butt of everyone¡¯s jokes for his


    birthday back then. ¡°Can I¡­ not wear it?¡± She made ast-ditch attempt to struggle because she was


    unwilling to wear those clothes.


    ¡°Since you are being naughty, why don¡¯t I ask the few young masters standing at the entrance to teach


    you how to wear ¡¯em?¡±


    Veronica was speechless. My God, have some boundaries! She resisted with all her might.


    Matthew rested his chin on her shoulder before he went close to her ear. Then, he gently blew on it


    before whispering, ¡°You can refuse, but you have to bear the consequences.¡±


    The words ¡®bear the consequences¡¯ were slurred. Veronica felt that she was being threatened and tilted


    her head to look at the two-piece suit in resignation. Then, she decided to cave into the pressure.


    ¡°Alright, I admit defeat!¡±


    The main reason for her surrender stemmed from the fact that she was assigned to be Mia¡¯s assistant for


    tomorrow morning¡¯s show. If Matthew decided to take ¡®revenge¡¯ and cause Veronica to oversleep or


    unable to get off the bed, she could kiss her job goodbye.


    He raised an eyebrow with a smile while his slim fingers yed with a strand of her hair. ¡°I can teach you


    so much.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Teach my *ss! Veronica silently scolded Matthew in her heart, but she took the said two-piece suit to the


    bathroom in the end. After hesitating for close to half an hour, she changed into the attire and emerged


    from the bathroom.


    In the living room was the man who closed the curtains and sat on the couch with crossed legs. Such an


    action illustrated his domineering presence, just like a boss.


    The corners of his lips lifted upward into a slight smile before he raised his hand and pointed to her


    bathrobe after which he asked her to throw it away.


    A reddened Veronica wished that she could bury a hole in the ground to hide in.


    Atst, she pursed her lips and took a breath before she pointed at Matthew with a warning. ¡°Matthew,


    I¡¯m warning you to stay within your limits. Otherwise¡­ Oh, hey! I¡ª¡±


    Matthew did not leave her with any chance to finish her words because he stepped forward to push her


    onto the bed and pounced on her like a hungry wolf.


    Rip. The sound of bare hands tearing the bathrobe was then heard, followed by the apparel being turned


    into strips of cloth and thrown onto the ground like it was a piece of trash.


    ¡°Matthew, you¡­ uh¡­ You¡­ Be gentle¡­¡±


    ¡­


    It was a beautiful day with a blue sky and white clouds toplement it. The curtains were closed, which


    left the suite in a dim manner with remnants of their love being amplified in the air. The two of them were


    comfortably immersed in such an atmosphere.


    It did not take long for voices to be heard with contents that would make one blush.


    However, such joy was soon reced by a plea for mercy before it died off with a sob.


    ¡°Matt, I¡­ I can¡¯t do it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Matt? That wasn¡¯t what you called me earlier, though.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Really, s-stop¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you call me?¡± asked the man as he did not n on letting her off the hook.


    ¡°Honey¡­¡±


    ¡°What? I can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    ¡°Honey; that was what I screamed. Honey.¡±


    ¡°Louder.¡±


    ¡°Mat¡ªUh¡­ Honey. Can you let me off the hook, honey?¡±


    The moment he heard her addressing him as ¡®honey¡¯, there was a sense of contentment on Matthew¡¯s


    face. Yet, he responded, ¡°Women never mean what they say. So, if they ask to stop, it means to


    continue!¡±


    After that, there was a series of back-to-back curses in the room.


    Veronica had used all of her remaining strength to curse Matthew with colorfulnguages before she


    finally dragged his ancestors into the conversation.


    It was a known fact that the man was aroused by her reaction like this.


    ¡­


    Veronica did not know how much time had passed; she only felt that the b*stard, Matthew, intended to


    practice all of his moves on her before letting her go.


    She was sprawled on the bed and was so exhausted that her eyelid felt like it weighed a ton. Then, she


    fell asleep in her drowsy state.


    I¡¯ll just catch a wink¡­


    The minute she opened her eyes, it was already 6:00PM the next day.


    ¡°F*ck!¡±


    The person sleeping on the bed suddenly jumped awake and immediately sat up. Since Veronica had


    woken up in such an abrupt movement, her limbs were in such pain that it felt like someone had tortured


    her violently. This pain is indescribable.


    She took a deep breath and reached out for her phone only to realize that the device was already


    switched off. ¡°Sh*t! I¡¯m f*cked! What is the time now?¡±


    She pushed the nket aside and rose from the bed, but her legs weakened at that moment and she


    copsed onto the ground with a thud.


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± she gasped in pain.


    Veronica¡¯s knees ached as she grabbed the bedside table with both hands to bnce herself. While


    looking at the time on the phone, she growled at Matthew, ¡°Matthew, you son of a b*tch! I¡¯m going to


    return the favor!¡±


    As soon as she opened her eyes, she knew that she would not be able to see him because he had


    angered her by going overboard. To save his own soul, he left in a hurry.


    She swore in her heart that Matthew would not have his way with her the next time they crossed paths,


    but¡ª


    ¡°What?! It¡¯s 6.39PM?!¡± Veronica was stunned and plugged her phone into the charger before she


    switched the device on.


    It only took seconds for the phone to be switched on, but for her, it left like she was in purgatory.


    After the device was switched on, the disy screen was exactly the same as the one listed on the


    landline phone screen.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead. I¡¯m so f*cking dead.¡±


    Now that she was in Castron, her phone¡¯s navigation system had also detected her current location.


    Therefore, the clock had been adjusted to the local time automatically.


    Her heart was originally racing because she thought that she waste. However, she no longer felt


    nervous because the catwalk on the T-shaped runway was in the morning whereas it was already


    nighttime now!


    Buzz! Buzz!


    The phone vibrated continuously to notify the number of text messagesing in and when Veronica


    saw it, she rose from the ground and buried herself in bed. Screw it. It¡¯s alreadyte, anyway. If Sean


    wants to pursue the matter, I¡¯ll let him deduct my wages.


    She left her phone aside in despair before she stared at the ceiling with wide eyes. Then, she realized a


    serious issue. She and Matthew did the deed intermittently whereby they stopped and continued their


    actions until the morning. I actually slept from morning until almost seven at night? And my sleeping


    hours gradually increased?!

 Chapter 402

    Chapter 402


    Chapter 402 They Had a Divergence


    Veronica was not sure how she should respond to the matter. Does an active sex life help me to sleep


    better? No way! This is embarrassing! Since she was not certain about her theory, she took a mental


    note to keep an eye on this matter in the future.


    After she took a minute to catch her breath, she began to feel hungry. Sliding down from the bed, she


    cleaned herself in the bathroom, then changed into her clothes.


    Fortunately, Matthew was being considerate of her current career as a model. He did not leave any


    hickeys on her yesterday; otherwise, she would not be able to go anywhere in that state.


    Later, she dialed the room service to ask them to serve her dinner. As she was having her meal, she


    checked her messages on her phone. It was at that moment she found out that Mia had taken thest


    flight of the day to return to Bloomstead. Thus, she could only book the ticket for tomorrow¡¯s flight without


    any choice.


    On the second day, she took the flight to return to the country. The local time was 7.00AM when she


    arrived at Bloomstead.


    Feeling like she was freezing, Veronica hunched her shoulders while tightening the trenchcoat around


    her as the weather in Bloomstead was chilly.


    As she walked toward the exit, she found a car parked outside and a man was leaning against it.


    Matthew!


    She stared at him in silence while he did the same.


    When their eyes made contact, she rolled her eyes at him. Then, she immediately carried her luggage


    and turned to the left side where the cab services were situated.


    A cab rolled to a stop before Veronica in time, so she opened the door and got in. However, Matthew


    invited himself into the car with a bouquet when she was closing the door.


    ¡°Why are you following me?¡± She scowled at him before she asked the driver, ¡°Sir. I don¡¯t know this guy.


    Can you ask him to get off?¡±


    The driver was observing them from the rearview mirror as he asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Starshine Media Agency.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading in the same direction.¡±


    Both of them answered one after another.


    The driver sighed and he began, ¡°Miss, you know it¡¯s hard to make a living nowadays, don¡¯t you? Since


    the two of you are heading in the same direction, there¡¯s no point in chasing him away. I¡¯ll give both of


    you a discount as apromise. After all, there aren¡¯t many cab services avable at this time.¡±


    Veronica stuttered, ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Before she could reject, the driver already floored the gas and headed toward their destination.


    ¡°Roni, this is for you.¡± Matthew shoved the bouquet into her hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Just as Veronica tried to throw the flowers away, he quickly pressed her hand on the seat to stop her. ¡°I


    got the roses from the garden shed in the Kings Residence. Don¡¯t let them go to waste.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± She red at him. ¡°Stay away from me! Any closer and I¡¯ll call the


    police on you formitting sexual assault!¡±


    She stared at him with a cold expression as the anger enveloped her mind. She looks like the Angry


    Bird, he thought.


    He found it both interesting and heartbreaking by looking at her irritated look, so he asked, ¡°What can I


    do to earn your forgiveness?¡±


    At that moment, the driver burst intoughter. ¡°Hahaha! I thought so! I was thinking that you¡¯re rted to


    each other because you two look like a couple, no doubt! Let me tell you something: it¡¯smon for


    couples to fight, but you will make upter as nothing is going to dwell on you forever.¡±


    Pursing her lips, Veronica turned her attention to the scenery outside without a word. You know nothing!


    she thought.


    ¡°Last warning. Stay away from me!¡± Anger was boiling inside her as she did not bother to wear a friendly


    look at him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be angry about it. I¡¯ve asked Sean for a day off for you, so you don¡¯t have to worry


    about the deduction of your pay. Besides, he permitted you three days off. You can take your rest at


    home.¡±


    Last night, Matthew did not restrain himself because he was furious. However, he regretted his choice for


    ¡®torturing¡¯ her and felt bad for her soon after, so he got in touch with Sean and asked him to allow


    Veronica a few days off.


    ¡°Matthew, I told you before, didn¡¯t I? I didn¡¯t want you to meddle in my career. What do you think you¡¯re


    doing?¡±


    Veronica was merely sulking until she realized that Matthew was crossing her boundaries.


    She had learned a lot from what happened to the Encounters Bridal Storest time, which included not


    announcing her rtionship with Matthew to the public at this point. Otherwise, the public would criticize


    their rtionship.


    People wouldugh at her for upgrading into a noble family, or use her of seducing Matthew to


    be one of the Kingses, or me her for sabotaging the rtionship between Matthew and Tiffany


    as his mistress and so on. Their words were making her feel ufortable.


    Even though Veronica would no longer be mad as she had frequently heard those words from others, the


    words still hurt her like a knife to her heart and the feeling was suffocating.


    She was a tough woman who did not want to depend on others, even if the person was her significant


    other in the future. She wanted to achieve the goal to be a better person who could stand beside


    Matthew.


    ¡°Roni, I¡­¡± Matthew had always been the one who scolded others instead of being scolded, but things


    were different at the moment. He was overwhelmed with guilt as he watched her silently with a tender


    look in his eyes. She¡¯s right. I¡¯ve crossed the boundary.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Please stop the car,¡± Veronica asked the driver.


    The middle-aged driver was aware of the couple fighting in the back seats, so he advised instead of


    stopping the car, ¡°Oh, miss. Your husband did this for your good. Even though he¡¯s wrong to meddle in


    your business, he cares about you.¡±


    Still, her expression sank and she raised her voice as she repeated, ¡°I said, let me off!¡±


    However, the driver was not stopping the car. Understanding the kind of person Veronica was, Matthew


    interrupted, ¡°Sir, please stop the car.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± The driver stopped the car at the roadside when he finally realized the atmosphere between


    them was terrible.


    As the car came to a stop, Veronica did not think twice as she opened the car to get off, but Matthew


    stopped her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to get down. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    His handsome face showed a hint of resignation. Before he pushed the door open and alighted from the


    car, he cast a meaningful look at her.


    However, just as he stepped onto the ground, Veronica threw the bouquet out and closed the door with a


    thump. ¡°Sir, you can drive now.¡±


    Even if the driver was willing to offer a peace talk, he could only start the car as he was not in the


    position to meddle in their business.


    Matthew stood at the roadside when the cold wind swayed at him like a thousand knives.


    He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and ced one between his lips before he lit it. He


    began to walk while smoking as thoughts were running through his mind.


    He knew Veronica was furious. Even though it was a trivial deal to him, he had crossed her boundary.


    Matthew finally knew she was much tougher than he imagined she would be. A sudden worry filled his


    mind as the way she cared about the public¡¯s opinion would push them further away from each other.


    He pondered with a frown between his brows. Will everything change if Veronica is pregnant? As the


    idea shed in his mind, he immediately called Skyler.


    ¡°Matt? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Skyler answered the call with a yawn, then he mumbled, ¡°You better have a good


    reason for waking me up this early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°How do I make it easy for someone to get pregnant?¡±

 Chapter 403

    Chapter 403


    Chapter 403 Xavier Has Kidnapped Monica


    Matthew¡¯s words woke Skyler up from his drowsiness. ¡°What? Pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Matthew hummed in response. The other party kept quiet for a moment before bursting into


    laughter. ¡°Matt, are you kidding me?¡±


    Heughed non-stop at Matthew as though it was the funniest joke of the universe. Matthew¡¯s


    countenance darkened as his lips were pursed into a thin line. ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡±


    The sinister threat sent chills down Skyler¡¯s spine and he covered his face in an attempt to hold in his


    laughter. ¡°I mean, Matt, you¡¯ve gone overboard. I¡¯m just happy for you. You¡¯ve finally wished to have a


    son to y with and I¡¯m going to be another father figure!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Matthew snorted. ¡°Just answer me.¡± ¡°Oh, about that.¡± Skyler cleared his throat before saying,


    ¡°Let me think.¡±


    Silence dawned upon the other side of the line and Matthew could scarcely hear aughter afterward.


    Little did he know that Skyler was guffawing while covering his face with the nket.


    It took him a while to calm down. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯ll prescribe some supplements that are good for


    pregnancy. As long as you do your best, you can get yourself a football team. It won¡¯t be a big deal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Thomas to retrieve it in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Looks like you can¡¯t wait any longer, huh? Good, good.¡± Skyler started the teasing before letting


    out a heartyughter again.


    Matthew¡¯s face dimmed and he terminated the call.


    On the other hand, Veronica returned to her ce by car and unpacked her stuff when Sean suddenly


    rang her.


    ¡°Have you returned to the country, Veronica?¡± he asked in concern. ¡°I heard you¡¯re feeling under the


    weather. Are you feeling better now?¡±


    The corner of her lips slightly twitched as she wondered what Matthew told him. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m all better now,


    but I didn¡¯t attend the showcase that day¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Didn¡¯t you get someone else to help Mimi at that time? That¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. d to hear that.¡±


    Veronica assumed that Matthew had only taken a leave for her. She did not expect him to be so


    meticulous in taking care of the situation by sending a temporary assistant to Mia for assistance. No


    wonder Mia did not me her.


    She was still vexed by the fact that Mia had ripped her off for over ten thousands of dors. Although the


    clever Mia had raked in more than that by reselling the signed pictures, Veronica decided to just shrug it


    off.


    Veronica went to Twilight Condominium in the morning where Yvonne was ying games in her bed.


    Noticing Veronica¡¯s visit, she spared her a nce. ¡°You¡¯re already back from your business trip? That¡¯s


    quick.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m worried about you,¡± retorted Veronica intentionally.


    ¡°Oh, really? It is my honor.¡± Yvonne continued ying the mobile game while speaking, ¡°Give me a


    moment. I¡¯m about to finish this round.¡±


    Suddenly, she sat up and turned on the microphone. ¡°What the hell? What are you guys doing? Attack


    the base, dude! Hurry! Hurry! Phew¡­ That was close.¡±


    Yvonne heaved a long sigh and put her phone aside to look at Veronica. ¡°What¡¯s with the sour mood?


    Look at me. I¡¯m still doing fine although I was made a fool of. You seemed to have it worse than I do.¡±


    In spite of that, she actually felt terrible for the past few days because she was worried about the baby in


    her belly. What could she do about it, though?


    ¡°Where¡¯s Conrad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened, but he was caught and released by Zac. I reckon they¡¯ve made some kind


    of a deal.¡±


    Having said that, she flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. In a haggard voice, she


    eximed, ¡°Men are like this. They say they like you, but they change their attitude at the very next


    second. Zac hasn¡¯t contacted me these days. I received a text from Conrad, though. He sent me two


    words.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡®You cruel woman!''¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s three,¡± Veronica corrected only to receive silent res from Yvonne.


    ¡°Get up. I¡¯ll take you somewhere nice for lunch.¡±


    ¡°The morning sickness is unbearable. I can¡¯t eat anything.¡± Yvonne¡¯s voice trailed off into a whimper. ¡°My


    parents don¡¯t know about my pregnancy yet. I don¡¯t know what to tell them.¡±


    It pained Veronica to see Yvonne in that state, but there was nothing she could help with as she patted


    her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just take your time to think about the baby.¡±


    Despite the urgency, she dared not put the pressure on Yvonne. They yed mobile games for the entire


    day and Yvonne was happy to have Veronica carry the game. Matthew neither returned to the


    condominium nor gave Veronica a call that day.


    Since she was on leave, she was not in a hurry and was phubbing in her bed the next morning.


    Suddenly, her phone rang and it was Shirley calling.


    ¡°Hi, Shir. What¡ª¡±


    ¡°Roni, where are you? Monica is missing,¡± sobbed Shirley.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    A foreboding was cast upon Veronica the moment she received the call. Never once did anything good


    happen whenever it was a call from Shirley as though it was a curse.


    ¡°She¡¯s missing? She¡¯s a grown-up. How could she possibly have gone missing? Are you overthinking


    things?¡±


    ¡°No! Monica¡¯s phone is still in the patient room and the kid is in the ICU, but I haven¡¯t seen her all day.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll be on my way there.¡±


    Veronica got out of the bed and did not wake up Yvonne, who was still fast asleep. After a quick shower,


    she drove to the children¡¯s hospital hastily only to see Shirley crying frantically with reddened eyes.


    ¡°Calm down. Everything¡¯s gonna be fine. I¡¯ll check on the surveince footage.¡± Veronicaforted


    Shirley before heading to the monitor room. At that moment, her phone rang upon receiving a message.


    Her footsteps did not stop as she checked the text. However, it was a clip and the person in it was none


    other than the missing Monica; she finally stopped in her tracks and color drained from her face.


    ncing at the unknown number, she thought, Is Monica kidnapped by her vengeful mother-inw? No,


    that¡¯s impossible. If so, why would she send me a message?


    Dubious, she dialed that number and the call got through after a few seconds.


    ¡°Hello, who are you?¡± she dived straight into the question. However, she received zero responses.


    ¡°Speak to me. How am I supposed to know your conditions if you don¡¯t talk to me?¡± Not only did the


    person kidnap Monica, he knew Veronica¡¯s number and sent her a clip. It was obvious that the criminal


    was fully prepared.


    Suddenly, she heard a man sniggering on the other side of the line. Why is his voice so familiar?


    Her brows slightly furrowed as she contemted for a second before asking, ¡°Xavier?¡±

 Chapter 404

    Chapter 404


    Chapter 404 Xavier Has Gone Mad


    ¡°I expect nothing less from you, Roni. You¡¯re clever as always. It¡¯s me¡ªyou¡¯ve guessed it right! Now, tell


    me, what should I do if you¡¯re so clever?¡±


    Despite the chuckle, Veronica was assaulted by a sense of insidious ferocity despite not being physically


    around him. ¡°Stop beating around the bush. I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    It was not a surprise for her to know that it was him. Ever since he had tried to attack her but was


    hampered by Crayson¡¯s timely arrival, she was aware that he would take revenge one day. It was just a


    matter of time; what was meant to be would eventually happen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll text you an address. Let¡¯s meet up,¡± suggested Xavier calmly before threatening, ¡°You muste


    alone. If Matthew finds out about this, I¡¯ll kill Monica.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I promise.¡± She agreed to his condition without a second thought.


    ¡°Cool. I like that decisive attitude of yours. Too bad you¡¯re not mine,¡± he eximed with mixed feelings.


    Xavier¡¯s embittering words made her heart throb for some reason as her stomach churned. When they


    first met each other, he was the unweed yboy in the Crawford Family. Yet, after spending time


    with him, Veronica realized that he was not that bad of a person.


    Still, people were the imponderables themselves; who would have known that so much had changed


    between them within one year? She could only say that nothing was predictable in this cruel world.


    After hanging up the phone, Veronica returned to the patient room and informed Shirley, ¡°Monica has


    something on and she¡¯s gone back to her parent¡¯s ce. I¡¯ll leave the kid to you, but you may leave if


    you have something else urgent to do. Since it¡¯s the ICU, the nurses can look after him. Don¡¯t worry


    about it.¡±


    ¡°I see. What a relief. I was really scared just now.¡± Shirley trusted her words wholeheartedly and the


    doubts in her mind were dispelled.


    Then, Veronica left the hospital and went back to her ce in which she was surprised to see Matthew¡¯s


    car at the entrance. Frowning, she stared at the man leaning against the car while smoking. Strange


    enough, the silhouette made her chest tighten.


    Although she was not sure when he had been waiting, she presumed that it had been a long wait given


    the pile of cigarette buds around his feet. Clenching onto her phone, she felt bitter, but she wheeled


    around and made herself scarce in the end.


    It was true that they were now a couple. Still, she did not wish to be codependent on Matthew. It would


    make her seem like a fool that was devoid of any merits and only knew how to rely on men.


    She hailed a cab by the road and headed straight to the promised location. Her initial n was to drive


    her own car, but Matthew would find out about it since he was there.


    Veronica phoned Xavier upon arriving at the destination. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    The cab driver scanned the area. ¡°Miss, are you sure that your friend is here? It¡¯s a dested ce with


    only mountains, though. You better be careful.¡±


    Xavier chuckled. ¡°Did youe alone? Why did you hail a cab? Did you perhaps call the police?¡±


    ¡°No, I did not!¡±


    ¡°Head south for another half mile.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She then told the driver, ¡°Sir, please head south for another half mile.¡±


    The car moved slowly and arrived finally at a deste area, whichprised five tall buildings. They


    were roughcast buildings that were over ten floors tall; even the walls were left unpainted.


    Veronica alighted from the car. Along her way to the final destination, she talked over the phone with


    Xavier to listen to his guidance, which led her to the thirty-third floor of thest building.


    Huffing and puffing, she climbed the stairs and could see Xavier sitting by the window from afar whereas


    Monica was all tied up on a chair with her mouth silenced by a tape.


    Veronica had a decent physique, but she had not recovered from Matthew¡¯s torture yet; that was why


    she was all panting while ascending the flight of stairs.


    She looked at Xavier, who was in a dusty space with casual clothes, unlike the usual days where he


    would always be neatly and handsomely dressed; he did not seem to care either.


    Due to the scratch left by Veronica, there was a visible scar on his handsome face, rendering him a


    fierce look. Furthermore, she knew that he had one of his arms chopped off and his leg fractured by


    Crayson. Thus, here was the question¡ªhow did he manage to get to the thirty-third floor?


    He has an aplice.


    Despite the colossal thoughts in her head, she remained pallid as she stood next to him. ¡°Long time no


    see.¡±


    If they were as close as before, she would have wished him a Happy New Year and given him a hug.


    However, that was all in the past now.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been so long, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s already the new year.¡± Xavier sat on the unzed window frame,


    where it would take him a second of distraction to fall off from. Still, he sat there nonchntly while


    smoking in dismal silence.


    ¡°Let Monica go. She¡¯s innocent. I can be your hostage.¡±


    In fact, she waspletely aware of the reason for his summon. Now that he had hurt her, it was no less


    different from offending Matthew, who kept subjugating the Centian Group in every way possible.


    Recently, there was a problem with thepany¡¯s cash flow; many of the small factories were either sold


    off or mortgaged to fill the pit but in vain.


    The bank had caught a whiff of their financial crisis and rejected their loan application, pushing the


    Crawfords to the edge of the cliff. If it was not for that, Xavier would not have resorted to this!


    ¡°Letting her go?¡± He frowned. ¡°So that she can report to the police?¡±


    ¡°I could¡¯ve done that earlier if I really wanted to. I wouldn¡¯t havee this far.¡± Veronica chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had my trust since day one. Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    ¡°Trust?¡± Xavier averted his gaze upon her. ¡°Really? Were you being honest with me when you were


    sleeping with Matthew?¡±


    Veronica fell into silence as she could not answer that question. During Matthew and Tiffany¡¯s


    engagement ceremony, Matthew did take her to a private lounge where they slept together in the end. At


    that time, Xavier called her and questioned what she was doing at which she did not reply in honesty.


    ¡°Stop twisting my words.¡±


    No one would be in their right state of mind to bring up such a topic. The both of them conversed and


    paid no heed to Monica as though she was invisible.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one talking about trust first.¡± He tossed the cigarette and trampled on it before pointing at his


    leg. ¡°Should I thank you for having my leg fractured, then?¡±

 Chapter 405

    Chapter 405


    Chapter 405 The Unbearable Weight of Love


    ¡°Your leg is hurt. You should stay in the hospital, not kidnap Monica.¡± Veronica could never understand


    what was going on in Xavier¡¯s head. It was not like he had his leg crippled for eternity; it was only a


    fracture. However, not only did he refuse to stay in the hospital for recovery, he came to such a sketchy


    ce to kidnap Monica.


    ¡°Stay in the hospital?¡± He burst intoughter as if it was a ridiculous joke. ¡°I do want that.¡±


    Xavier brought his injured leg up and the spasm of pain contorted his face as he gritted his teeth. Still, he


    forced a smile. ¡°What about that old man? Do you think that he will give me the liberty to stay in the


    hospital until recovery?¡±


    He shook his head before gazing out of the window with a bitter smile. Veronica¡¯s chest tightened as she


    did not know what to do with him.


    She had to admit that she had once acknowledged him as her best friend, but she could not forgive his


    betrayal. Needless to say, she was very well-informed of how much pressure he had because of Hendric.


    It was nearly impossible for Xavier to take a good rest in the hospital.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯re not willing to.¡± She sighed helplessly. ¡°Hendric is in Bloomstead and he will find you


    wherever you go, but how about leaving the city? I don¡¯t think he has the energy and time to track you


    down if you¡¯re on the other side of the globe.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?¡± Xavier suddenly turned his head with that sharp gaze of his. ¡°I¡¯m talking about


    Matthew. He ruined the Crawford Family and I became the public enemy. Everyone in the family is going


    against me. Do you know how exhausting that is?¡±


    He rose to his feet with difficulty before teetering toward her to grab her arms and prod her chest.


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, get your facts straight. If it wasn¡¯t for Matthew Kings, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like


    this.¡±


    ¡°What about you, then?¡± Veronica snapped. ¡°Do you think that you¡¯ve been righteous all this time? Most


    of the time, you totally deserve the punishment. You¡¯ve never appreciated anything you have!¡±


    She then shoved him away. ¡°I took you as my best friend and yet, what have you done to me? Back in


    that storage house, Matthew would have killed Melissa if I didn¡¯t do that to the both of you. I expect


    nothing from the two of you, but how could you guys do that to me?!¡±


    People tend to be ironic sometimes; how would anyone know if you never reveal the good deeds you


    have done? But then again, who does that all the time?


    Veronica thought Xavier would understand. Even if he was not grateful for it, she thought they were best


    friends at the very least. Yet, she had not expected things to end up like this.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Words failed him as he stared at her with dry lips. Memories of the storage house began to flood


    his head. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected her merciless acts were done for their sake.


    Even though she had previously mentioned it, it pricked his guilty conscience now that she reminded him


    about it again. However, what was done had been done. It was meaningless to bring up the past.


    ¡°We will never be the same as we were in the past. The Crawfords despise you to the bones. Even if I


    don¡¯te for you today, Hendric or Melissa will still be after you tomorrow.¡± Xavier lowered his head


    with a sigh before taking out a cigarette to smoke in silence.


    Gazing at the quiet man, Veronica did not know what to say at the moment either.


    Ring! Ring! Ring!


    Her ringing phone broke the silent yet solemn atmosphere; it was Matthew calling. After taking a nce


    at Xavier, she went elsewhere to answer the call.


    ¡°Roni, where are you?¡± Matthew¡¯s voice resounded from the other side of the line.


    Her gaze swept across Xavier and the glint in her eyes simmered. Colossal thoughts fleeted across her


    mind and atst, she questioned, ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°Roni, I¡¯m at your ce. Could you¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you like to stay there, suit yourself then. As I¡¯ve said, I will never forgive you.¡± Having said that, she


    terminated the call and blocked his number.


    She was worried that Xavier would be irritated because of Matthew¡¯s incessant calls. She wished to let


    Monica off the hook, but she knew that there were Xavier¡¯s underlings around the area, which rendered it


    difficult to escape from here.


    ¡°Xavier, just tell me if you have any ns.¡± She kept her phone.


    Xavier slightly tipped his cigarette. ¡°Did he piss you off?¡±


    Ironically, they were not on the same channel in the conversation. Still, her heart throbbed in agony at


    that moment as she could feel how much he liked her, but she could not bear the overwhelming weight of


    love.


    ¡°The injury on your leg is serious. It¡¯ll take a long time to recover. I can give you a sum of money for you


    to leave the city. Find somewhere else and start a new life. It¡¯s¡­¡± She paused momentarily before


    continuing, ¡°It¡¯s the only way I can help you.¡±


    Since there was still some savings left, she could give him the money to start his life anew in a new


    ce. It could be a chance for him. Be it right or wrong, she owed Xavier a lot and could not bring herself


    to be cruel to him.


    ¡°Giving me money? Why? Are you pitying me?¡±


    ¡°You can take it that way if you want to. I¡¯m not going to exin anything either, but there¡¯s one thing you


    gotta know¡ªthe Crawford Family stands no chance against Matthew and that includes Conrad. He can¡¯t


    even fend for himself. Who else is going to help you right now?¡± She approached Monica and Xavier


    remained silent while watching here over.


    Anxious, Veronica stared at Monica and shook her head, signaling the woman to stay quiet. While she


    was removing the ropes behind Monica, she continued the conversation with Xavier. ¡°Matthew always


    preserves until the end once he has made up his mind. No one is able to stop him from doing anything


    he wants. Your family will never be able to save themselves given the situation. So, leaving Bloomstead


    is your best option. Instead of pitying you, it¡¯s thest favor I can do for you as your old friend.¡±


    Monica¡¯s face turned pale due to the shock. Veronica noticed that she was shaking when she


    approached the woman. She then patted Monica¡¯s shoulder lightly to put her mind at ease. When Monica


    stood up, she moved her limbs before sprinting all the way out.


    Even so, just as she arrived at the entrance, Xavier grabbed a rock and struck it toward her back,


    causing her to fall onto the ground. It hurt so much that she could not get up to her feet.


    Veronica looked at him. ¡°What are you doing? Monica is innocent. What¡¯s the point of kidnapping her?¡±


    Furious, she shifted the chair and sat next to him. ¡°I¡¯ll be your hostage.¡± She even took and proffered the


    rope to him.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

 Chapter 406

    Chapter 406


    Chapter 406 Monica Will Die


    Prior to this, Xavier harbored a hatred against Veronica to the point that he had even imagined torturing


    the damned woman badly when he encountered her. At that moment, he suddenly felt that there was a


    huge gap between the two of them; it seemed that he was no longer good enough for her.


    On the other end, Monica sobbed silently in pain as she scrambled up from the ground awkwardly. She


    turned back to look at Xavier and Veronica before hastily rushing down the stairs.


    Veronica had no choice but to sit by Xavier¡¯s side and chat with him to allow Monica to escape safely.


    ¡°Although I haven¡¯t been paying much attention to the matters of your family, I do realize that Hendric


    used to be mean to you. After everything that happened, not only did he notfort you, he forced you


    into doing what he wanted. Frankly, he failed as a father.¡±


    Initially, she had assumed that Hendric was upset with Xavier¡¯sck of capabilities, but she had ended up


    realizing that Hendric harbored too much hatred against Xavier from the way Hendric treated his own


    son.


    Hendric was a difficult person with conflicting thoughts; on one hand, he wanted to treat Xavier kindly, but


    on the other, he yearned to torture Xavier.


    ¡°Give Matthew a call and have him stop going after my family. Otherwise, Monica won¡¯t be able to leave


    this building.¡± Xavier ignored Veronica and brought up his condition.


    ¡°W-What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Hendric wants to use thepany as coteral, but have a guess at why all the banks refused to


    approve the loan? It¡¯s all because Matthew resorted to nasty tactics behind our back.¡±


    Xavier shot a cold look at her, causing a shiver to run down Veronica¡¯s spine.


    ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°Hah! Everyone in Bloomstead knows about this except you.¡± He gave a mock smile.


    Yet¡­ How could Veronica possibly have not realized it, though? Even if she had never delved deep into


    the Crawford Family matters, she knew that Matthew must have secretly given instructions to the banks,


    which they then had to evaluate the risks involving that loan.


    Still, judging by the Crawford Family¡¯s strengths, the banks would not have rejected them outright, so


    there was still a chance of reversing things.


    She only continued to speak in order to drag things on in hope that Monica would have more time to


    escape. However¡­


    With Xavier¡¯s ¡®Monica won¡¯t be able to leave the building¡¯, it was enough to make Veronica fearful.


    ¡°How much do you need for the business?¡± she asked as she spoke up.


    ¡°At least five hundred million.¡± Xavier was not being greedy; it was actually because he realized that the


    banks might not approve the loan. Therefore, with five hundred million, he would be able to solve the


    cash flow issue of theirpany at the moment and catch a break for the time being. Their family had


    gone through a lot to get to their current position, so he did not want them to end up defeated by this.


    ¡°That¡¯s such a huge sum. I¡­¡±


    Just as she was stammering and about to change the topic, she noticed that Xavier had reached out for


    the walkie-talkie and spoke to the person on the other end, ¡°Tie up Monica. In five minutes, if I don¡¯t send


    you a text, then you can shove her off the building.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡± A crackle on the walkie-talkie was then followed up by a voice that rang out from the other


    end.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    At that point, Veronica¡¯s heart thudded frantically and there was ayer of sweat coating her palms.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll give Matthew a call right now. Don¡¯t make any rash decisions. Xavier, Monica¡¯s innocent.


    Please don¡¯t do anything awful.¡±


    At that point, she felt that it was such a shame for Monica to have been put through this ordeal of being


    kidnapped by Xavier. If Monica lost her life because of her, then there was no way she could face


    Monica¡¯s little kid.


    Come to think of it, Monica¡¯s child was still in hospital and this was all due to Xavier.


    If Xavier had not contacted Monica¡¯s husband, Randall, in the past, then he would not have been


    imprisoned; there would not have been all of the further urrences. Randall¡¯s mother was extremely


    annoyed with Monica after that, which prompted her to attack Monica while identally hurting Monica¡¯s


    child in the process.


    All of these seemed unrted to him, but in fact, he was linked to everything.


    Veronica heaved a sigh and took out her phone. Subsequently, she located Matthew¡¯s name from the list


    of blocked numbers. After some hesitation, she dialed his number.


    The phone had just rung for a few seconds when the man on the other end answered the call right away.


    ¡°Roni, where are you?¡± he asked.


    However, this time, his voice sounded anxious and she had a bad feeling that perhaps he had found out


    about something.


    ¡°What does that have to do with you?! Matthew, I wanna know what you have done to the Crawfords,¡±


    she asked despite knowing the answer. She also attempted to keep the current tense situation from


    Matthew as she was worried that he would sense something was odd from her tone of voice.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t concern yourself about the Crawfords. I¡¯ll deal with it myself.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean that you¡¯ll deal with it yourself? Matthew, you¡¯ve crossed the line with your actions.


    Xavier¡¯s my friend and he has helped me in many ways, so could you not push him to the brink of


    desperation?¡± she hollered at Matthew on the phone.


    As she spoke to Matthew, she signaled Xavier and indicated, It¡¯s yet the right time to tell Matthew to stop


    him from going after your family because he might suspect something.


    ¡°Where are you? Just tell me.¡± The man on the other end of the line did not answer her question but


    directed another one at her instead.


    His question made her heart sank and she could note up with a response at all.


    Indeed, shortly after that, Matthew mentioned, ¡°Xavier¡¯s by your side, am I right?¡±


    At that point, Veronica was rendered speechless. Sometimes, it was not a good thing for one to be overly


    intelligent.


    ¡°Matthew, if you want me to forgive you for this mistake, then I just have a simple request. Do not stop


    the banks from approving the Crawford Family¡¯s loan.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to help Xavier?¡±


    ¡°Yes. No matter what happens, he used to be my friend.¡± Veronica appeared calm on the outside, but


    she was actually frightened beyond her wits. She gripped her hand tightly in her pocket and continued to


    gulp repeatedly out of fear.


    ¡°What if I say no?¡±


    ¡°Okay. If you reject my request today. then from now on, I don¡¯t want to see you again.¡± Veronica


    delivered herst ultimatum and hoped fervently that Matthew could agree to her request.


    At that moment, Xavier suddenly lifted his wrist to remind her of the time by gesturing to his watch.


    Her expression turned pale instantly and she immediately said to Matthew, ¡°I¡¯ll give you half an hour. No!


    You¡¯ve got fifteen minutes. If the bank doesn¡¯t approve the Crawford Family loan, then our rtionship


    will end right here.¡±


    The smart Veronica was clear that Matthew would have caught on to something by then. On one hand,


    she hoped that he woulde to her, so that Monica could be saved. On the other hand, she did not


    want him to turn up because if he did, then it was likely that Xavier would lose his life.


    This was the first time in her life that Veronica had ever felt so conflicted.


    After finishing her words, she instantly hung up the phone.


    She heaved a silent sigh and turned to Xavier, ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to Matthew and he has agreed to my terms.


    Can you let Monica go in that case?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen minutes. I¡¯ll wait for my family to give me the word. Roni, if things aren¡¯t sorted, then Monica¡¯s


    death will be the token of death for our friendship too.¡± He smiled as he said that.


    Puffing on the cigarette in between his lips, he revealed a slight smile; he looked weathered and slightly


    pitiful, but the scar on his face seemed to be full of untold tales.


    ¡°You¡­ Okay, fine. Let¡¯s wait. We should wait and see, but there should be no issues there since Matthew


    has agreed.¡±


    Veronica silently prayed that Matthew would not screw things up. Otherwise, how was she going to face


    Monica¡¯s child in the future?

 Chapter 407

    Chapter 407


    Chapter 407 Xavier¡¯s Broken Promise


    Ding¡ª Suddenly, there was a notification on WhatsApp from Veronica¡¯s phone.


    She unlocked her phone and took a look. It was a message from Matthew. ¡®Today¡¯s your birthday and


    I¡¯ve ordered you a cake. Send me your location. I¡¯ll arrange for the cake to be delivered to you. I won¡¯t


    turn up.¡¯


    Today¡¯s not my birthday. Veronica frowned. She was quite aware that they had celebrated her birthday


    two days ago in Castron.


    During her birthday, he had kept her up the entire night. That was not an enjoyable celebration at all.


    What does he mean by this text message, huh? Suddenly, it dawned upon her.


    Although she had purposely red up at Matthew by speaking in a rude voice earlier and sounded as if


    she was picking a fight, this was her tactic of confusing Matthew so that he would not overthink the


    situation.


    However, he was too smart and he had discovered that she was currently held captive. He had sent this


    message to probe and figure out whether she was currently in a safe condition.


    If she was safe, then she would be able to send him her location and he coulde over to save her.


    Veronica continued to consider the situation, but everything shed through her mind quite quickly and


    she hesitated about whether to send her location to Matthew.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Give me your phone.¡±


    Xavier scrutinized her coldly and realized that she was looking at her phone in a daze, which caused a


    sudden sense of apprehension in him. Consequently, he snatched Veronica¡¯s phone from her hands.


    At that moment, Matthew called Troy while seated in his car. ¡°Contact the presidents of the banks and


    get them to approve the Crawford Family¡¯s loan request.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Young Master Matthew, why did you suddenly decide to approve their loan?¡± Troy was slightly


    confused.


    ¡°Cut the crap and do what I say right away!¡± Matthew¡¯s solemn voice rang out and he emphasized his


    instructions several times. Although Troy had no idea what was going on, he was aware of the severity of


    the situation.


    After Troy hung up the phone, he instantly contacted all of the presidents of the banks in Bloomstead to


    approve the Crawford Family¡¯s loan.


    Meanwhile in the abandoned building on the outskirts of town, Veronica waited anxiously and checked


    her watch from time to time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Matthew will definitely sort things out.¡± Sheforted Xavier.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    However, he remained seated and held her phone in his hand. He then scrolled through her chat history


    with Matthew.


    Matthew had offered to send her a cake, but Veronica merely replied, ¡®I would never ept a cake from


    you.¡¯


    ¡°Is it your birthday today?¡± Xavier lifted his brows. ¡°I¡¯ve known you for ages, but I honestly don¡¯t know


    when your birthday is.¡± He revealed a self-contemptuous smile.


    She heaved a deep sigh andmented to herself, It¡¯s lucky that you don¡¯t know when my birthday is. If


    you did, then I would be in hot water.


    ¡°Since today¡¯s your birthday, then I¡¯ll grant you a wish.¡±


    His interest was suddenly piqued, and he spoke to Veronica benevolently like a king bestowing his


    subjects a gift.


    ¡°A wish?¡± She smiled resignedly as she lifted her head to brush the scattered hair on her forehead. Since


    there were no windowpanes installed in the building, it felt quite chilly under the cold breeze and she


    shivered from the cold.


    ¡°What a joke. You¡¯re saying as if you would grant anything I wish for.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll never know if you don¡¯t try.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± She hesitated for a moment as she pursed her lips while lost in thoughts. ¡°I wish for Monica¡¯s


    safety.¡± After all, Monica was the innocent party in this entire debacle.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Xavier nodded and took the walkie-talkie to instruct the man on the other end, ¡°Send some men


    to escort Monica out of the ce, but make sure that she has a good night¡¯s sleep today.¡± It was an


    indication to ensure Monica would not report this matter to the authorities.


    However, Veronica was not offended by that. After all, it was natural for a kidnapper to be careful in his


    ways. She merely had conflicted opinions toward Xavier. What sort of person is he like?


    Prior to this, he had talked about killing Monica, but the next moment, he had agreed to grant Veronica a


    wish for her birthday; perhaps he truly did love her.


    ¡°Xavier, thank¡ª¡± Veronica was just about to express her gratitude when she heard Xavier ask, ¡°Have


    you caught the other person?¡±


    Instantly, her heart sank to the pit. Frightened, she asked, ¡°Who is it?!¡± Veronica questioned him.


    Subsequently, she heard the man on the other end of the walkie-talkie voiced out, ¡°We¡¯ve caught


    Shirley.¡±


    ¡°Hold her captive instead.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss¡­ Ah! What are you doing? Aaaah! Save me!!! Sobs¡­¡±


    On the other end, Xavier¡¯s subordinate had just finished his sentence when Veronica suddenly heard


    Shirley¡¯s loud sobs.


    Despite her best efforts at putting up a calm front, she could no longer contain herself.


    She stood up abruptly and stared at him coldly. ¡°What are you trying to do? I told you toe at me.


    What¡¯s the point of using such ruthless tactics on those two young girls??¡±


    He smiled calmly upon seeing her frustrated look. ¡°Is that how easy it is to trigger you? You got to pick


    one of them to save. In the past, you made the choice between Matthew and me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Xavier, you freaking psycho!¡± She could not contain herself at that point and turned around to head


    down the stairs.


    ¡°Go ahead. If you walk down this flight of stairs, then Monica and Shirley will be your worst


    nightmare for the rest of your life.¡± Behind her, Xavier expressed this calmly.


    As soon as Veronica heard his words, a chill ran down her spine as she tightened both of her hands by


    her side. She clenched her teeth and there was simmering anger in her eyes.


    Ring! Ring! Ring! Suddenly, there was a ringtone from Xavier¡¯s phone.


    He instantly answered the call. ¡°What is it? What? The loan has been approved? How much is it? Five


    hundred million? Haha! Great! That¡¯s awesome.¡±


    Finally, Veronica felt much at ease after hearing his conversation with the man. ¡°The loan for your family


    has been approved, so can you release Monica and Shirley now?¡±


    Matthew was indeed very efficient in his ways.


    ¡°You mentioned earlier that you would give me some money to leave Bloomstead, right?¡± he asked


    another question without answering hers.


    ¡°Yes. As long as you leave Bloomstead, then I¡¯ll give you the money.¡± This was thest thing she could


    do for him.


    As much as that was her thoughts ten minutes before, she no longer felt that he deserved her kindness


    anymore!


    ¡°Send me off,¡± Xavier suddenly voiced out.


    Shocked, Veronica wondered, What does he mean by that?


    ¡°I¡¯ll do as you wish and release Monica and Shirley right away, but I want you to escort me out of


    Bloomstead. Otherwise, I might not be able to leave the ce in one piece.¡±


    He intended to use Veronica as a hostage.


    ¡°Okay. I promise.¡± She naturally understood Xavier¡¯s intention, but the most important thing right now


    was for her to ensure Monica and Shirley¡¯s safety. Once they were out of danger, then she would be able


    to find a way to escape too.


    Xavier got up and headed over to her with a slight limp.


    He stood in the same spot two meters away from her and gestured at her. ¡°Roni. Come over and give me


    a hand.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll shove you down the stairs?¡± Veronica¡¯s words were said in a


    half-joking manner, but she seemed to mean it. There was a formal-looking smile on her face, and no


    one could tell what was going on in her mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, of course. I¡¯m worried that I¡¯ll lose out if I end up getting killed by you.¡±


    As he spoke, he walked toward her to stand in front of her and reached out to ce an arm around her


    neck. ¡°But then, Roni, I know that you couldn¡¯t bear to kill me.¡±


    Approaching closer to Veronica, he tilted his head and sniffed her neck. He shut his eyes to take in her


    body scent and he seemed quite attached.


    ¡°Damn it. You¡¯ve still got the familiar scent I¡¯m used to. If only I knew this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have


    wasted my time to act like a good seed.¡±

 Chapter 408

    Chapter 408


    Chapter 408 Xavier, Are You Out of Your Mind?!


    This decision was perhaps the worst move that Xavier had made. Veronica ignored him and helped him


    down the stairs. He had trouble walking properly, so it took him quite some time to get down the stairs.


    For a moment of thought, she was thinking about exacting revenge on Xavier, but she knew that he was


    near desperation. If she actually took control of him and threatened his subordinates to release Monica


    and Shirley, there was a chance that he might choose to take everyone down along with him.


    That was because the Crawfords would undoubtedly faceplete destruction if they did not manage to


    obtain the five hundred million as cash flow.


    If they lost everything, then there was no way that Hendric would let Xavier off the hook. As such,


    Veronica did not dare to act rashly.


    After quite some time, they finally got down the stairs and there was a car waiting below. Xavier pointed


    at the car and indicated for her to enter it.


    The bodyguard inside the car saw the two of them approaching and he instantly opened the car door for


    the duo to get in. Subsequently, the bodyguard entered the driver¡¯s seat and drove off.


    Their car drove off gradually and Veronica¡¯s heart was in her mouth the entire time. ¡°Roni, what do you


    reckon? Where should we head to right now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you,¡± she mentioned coldly but he merely responded, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Collins.¡±


    Collins? Collins was her hometown and Veronica had no idea why Xavier wanted to make his way there.


    Perhaps it was just a transit point for him, so she did not bother to ask him.


    Ten minutester, Veronica¡¯s phone went off. She tilted her head to nce at the screen and it was


    Matthew¡¯s number that appeared on there. However, her phone was with Xavier, so she could not take


    the call.


    She leaned back in her seat and took a rest to preserve her energy. She nned to leave after ensuring


    Monica and Shirley¡¯s safety, hence all she could do now was wait patiently.


    Originally, after receiving Matthew¡¯s WhatsApp message, she replied with her location. After she sent


    that message, she deleted the message from her end rather than recalling the message.


    Subsequently, she replied to him with another message by insisting that she did not want any cake from


    him.


    That was her way of responding to Matthew to indicate that she was in dire straits.


    After that, he no longer replied to her message.


    Veronica prayed silently for him to arrive as soon as possible and seed in rescuing both Monica and


    Shirley.


    On the other end, Matthew brought Thomas and a group of men along with him to the deserted building.


    There were ten cars parked in front of the deserted building and all of the bodyguards alighted from the


    cars; there were more than ten of them.


    Matthew gestured with his hand as he spoke, ¡°Search the building and find them!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master Matthew.¡±


    Under Matthew¡¯s instructions, everyone went off to search for the girls. However, he was told that there


    was no one at all after a few minutes of exploring.


    Matthew frowned and the uneasy feeling within him deepened. He stood in his original spot and gave


    Troy a call to ask, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Have you captured them?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, we¡¯ve captured Melissa and her family members, but that crafty old man,


    Hendric, got away.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Send our men to wait along each exit of the highway,¡± Matthew gave his instruction and turned


    around to enter the car.


    Xavier had made such a brazen act today to kidnap Veronica because this was hisst bid at gaining a


    way out for their family. Ultimately, this had been a futile effort that meant nothing. The only minimal thing


    he gained out of this was that he had managed to seed in taking Veronica hostage.


    Matthew guessed that Xavier would definitely make the choice to leave Bloomstead with Veronica.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, there¡¯s been an issue.¡±


    Sitting in the car with his eyes closed, Matthew could not help but reveal hints of anxiety from his tense


    facial muscles despite being expressionless. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Nothing else mattered to him right now more than Veronica. Unfortunately, Thomas handed over the


    phone to him and spoke up awkwardly, ¡°Y-You should take a look at this.¡± Thomas had no idea how to


    exin things to him as the images were extremely explicit.


    At that point, Matthew¡¯s dark brows were tightly knitted, and his sharp eyes widened. All he saw before


    him was the video on Thomas¡¯ phone. The video ying was taken in a hotel room and it depicted


    Veronica and Xavier in apromising position.


    Of course, though, Matthew had no idea that the person in the video was actually Tiffany.


    Other than Tiffany, Veronica, Xavier, and Melissa, no one else knew the truth.


    ¡°The news of this has been published on the inte and it has instantly topped the charts as the


    trending topic. Many people on the inte have reposted it andmented on it. Right now, it¡¯s the


    hottest topic.¡±


    Matthew lifted his hand to press against his brows as he spoke in a low voice, ¡°Make arrangements and I


    don¡¯t want to see any news of this within half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll see to that right away.¡± Thomas knew the position Veronica upied in Matthew¡¯s heart, so he


    did not dare to dy things any further and instantly called his men to resolve the situation right away.


    Five minutester, Thomas tilted his head once again to look at Matthew by his side.


    Matthew had his eyes shut while resting, seemingly preupied.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Thomas took a look at Matthew before ncing at his phone again. Finally, he mustered up his courage


    and said, ¡°Young Master Matthew, someone is sabotaging us secretly. Our men have been trying hard to


    delete the video and clear the news on the inte, but the other party has paid off some people to


    spread the news and the video widely by using popr ounts.¡±


    During such a critical moment, there seemed to be a bunch of people intent on targeting Veronica.


    Actually, they were more likely to be targeting Matthew than Veronica.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± He appeared to look calm, but his handsome and perfectly sculpted face was devoid of


    expression; he looked calm as if nothing had happened.


    However, Thomas, who had worked for Matthew for such a long time, clearly knew that this was the calm


    before a storm. Once this man unleashed his anger, there would be severe consequences.


    Inside the car, the atmosphere was tense and cold. Thomas found it quite suffocating and he felt as if


    there was insufficient oxygen inside.


    Matthew ced a phone call and conversed fluently in French with the other party. He barely spoke more


    than five sentences before he hung up the phone.


    On the other end, Veronica remained seated in the car and Xavier purposely instructed the driver to turn


    on the radio.


    There was sensational news reported on the radio, ¡®Breaking news! This is today¡¯s trending news. The


    god-granddaughter of Old Mrs. Kings has been found to be in an explicit rtionship with Young Master


    Xavier. There has been a video of them published on the inte which has caused an uproar¡­¡± the


    broadcaster reported today¡¯s incident on the news.


    Veronica, who had been silent all this while, suddenly lost herposure and turned around to look at


    Xavier as she confronted him in a frenzied state, ¡°Xavier, what the heck are you trying to do?¡±


    This b*stard! Does he intend to ruin me?! At that point, she instantly felt that she must have been blinded


    in the past. Although she hated him previously, she did not despise him this badly.


    However, things were much different now and he had repeatedly shown her his deplorable ways that


    broke her views of him. It was then Veronica realized that there was a huge gap and intense feud


    between them.


    ¡°Roni, why are you so upset?¡± Xavier was not the least bit upset and he revealed a smile. He lifted his


    hand to pinch her cheeks. ¡°I like you too much, that¡¯s why. That b*stard, Matthew, isn¡¯t good enough for


    you. He has a bevy of women by his side, so he won¡¯t appreciate you at all. You should stay by my side


    and I¡¯ll definitely treat you well. I promise.¡±


    He actually meant those words sincerely as he really liked her. No, to be more precise, he loved her very


    much.

 Chapter 409

    Chapter 409


    Chapter 409 Veronica Is on the Brink of Death


    However, Xavier¡¯s psychotic infatuation was terrifying. Veronica¡¯s body trembled in anger and there was


    a wave of fury that filled her. She had to control herself to stop herself from strangling him.


    She red at the man she used to think was her best friend and she seemed to find him much more


    distant and terrifying than ever. ¡°Hah!¡± After quite some time, she revealed a smile.


    She leaned back against her seat resignedly. ¡°I can¡¯t stop what¡¯sing because it is only a matter of


    time. Luckily, Melissa has already pre-warned me about what ising, so I¡¯m not as fearful as I should


    be. If you really intend to die, then I don¡¯t mind dragging your sister along. That¡¯s fine with me.¡±


    Veronica was not one to be confined by the ways of society since she was a child, so even if the video


    was released, she was not going to seek death because of that.


    As soon as Xavier heard that, he tilted his head and scrutinized her with a solemn expression. They


    looked each other squarely in the eyes for a few seconds before he finally voiced out, ¡°You¡¯re my Roni,


    so I won¡¯t stand by the side and watch you perish.¡±


    With his strong feelings for her, he reached out to stroke her cheek, but before he could even touch her


    face, she pped his hand aside. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    The sharp look she shot at him was the look she gave an enemy.


    ¡°Get your filthy hand away from me!¡± Veronica yelled out thest sentence and it was quite hurtful as he


    felt a sharp pang in his heart.


    At that point, his expression tensed, and his hand remained frozen by the side of her face. His facial


    muscles twitched significantly. ¡°Filthy hand? Hah! That¡¯s such a great description! You¡¯ve finally admitted


    that you loathe me.¡±


    Veronica was significantly speechless by his words.


    She leaned back in her seat and refused to say anything. After all, she felt that whatever she said was


    basically a waste of breath and she could not do anything about someone as intent on causing trouble as


    Xavier.


    The time ticked by gradually and Veronica was still considering how to escape. She was inside the car


    with the doors locked, so she could not get out at all. This is getting frustrating!


    As she noticed that they were about to enter the highway, she instantly spoke up, ¡°I need to use the


    bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Hold it,¡± Xavier replied mercilessly.


    Her expression instantly turned ugly and she red at him while clenching her fist.


    Meanwhile, they arrived at the toll station and the driver stopped the car to pay the fee.


    At that point, Veronica realized that this was her only chance, so she formed a fist with her right hand


    and gathered up all of her strength. Suddenly, she smashed the ss with her fist.


    Crash!


    As soon as the sound rang out, the ss window was shattered by Veronica¡¯s punch, ¡°Help. Save me¡­


    Save¡­ Umph¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    She yelled out in the direction of the staff manning the toll booth, but Xavier immediately smothered her


    lips with his hand. As soon as the driver noticed the unfolding scene, he instantly elerated and


    rammed the barricade to enter the highway.


    It hurts¡­ Veronica had used up her might to smash the ss and this was her final attempt to escape,


    so she had to do everything that she could. However, it was because of this very cause that it hurt so


    badly; blood trickled down her right hand and the pain from it nearly crippled her.


    She reckoned that she must have broken some bones in her finger.


    Out of desperation, she had no other choice but this; had she not grasped this final chance, then there


    would be no way she could get the word out to Matthew. After alerting the staff at the toll booth, the


    police would be alerted too, so Matthew would definitely be notified.


    Xavier smothered Veronica¡¯s lips and pressed her against hisp as their car drove away from the toll


    station.


    Outside the window, the cold breeze entered their car and the coldness was bone-chilling. However, he


    did not feel the cold at all.


    He nced coldly at the woman in his arms and his expression was eerily thunderous. ¡°Are you nning


    to sacrifice an arm to get the word out to Matthew?¡±


    Earlier on, he had pressed Veronica against hisp to prevent her from yelling for help at the staff at the


    toll booth. At that moment, he released her but noticed that she was barely moving at all.


    Instead, she was trembling; he realized that she was not trembling from the cold but from the pain. Her


    hand hung limply and her fingers were blood-soaked as the blood trickled down her slender porcin


    fingers.


    Despite that, she did not grunt in pain at all. ¡°I would rather lose a hand than be held captive for the rest


    of my life.¡±


    In fact, no one knew how much effort it took for her to utter those words. She refused to leave with Xavier


    and though she had tried toe up with various solutions along the way, the best solution she figured


    out was this current one.


    With that, the car continued moving along the highway.


    The reason why Xavier took this highway was because there were no security cameras along a


    particr stretch, and they could abandon this car there and get off the highway. There was a main road


    after exiting the highway and he had arranged for five identical cars there. As long as they arrived there,


    then he could sessfully leave with Veronica. From then on, no one on earth would be able to locate


    them.


    Still, things were not as simple as Xavier expected.


    The hand of the woman on hisp continued to bleed profusely and her body became increasingly


    weaker as her face turned paler by the minute. He was originally engrossed in his anger and he felt that


    Veronica had disappointed him badly.


    However, as Veronica gradually turned weaker and harder for her eyes to remain open, he suddenly felt


    his heart clench.


    ¡°Roni?¡± He patted her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep.¡±


    At that point, he sensed that something was amiss. He continued to call out her name while reaching out


    to grab her hand; he was shocked to find her bleeding profusely on the wrist.


    The wound on her wrist was her old wound that had burst open and the bleeding was unable to be


    stemmed.


    At the sight of that, he frowned and instantly yanked his tie off from his neck to wrap it around her wrist.


    ¡°Stop fooling around. You¡¯re so good at fighting. You can¡¯t possibly be losing your life from breaking


    some ss. Veronica, you¡¯re not that weak!¡±


    Xavier dressed her wound and held her hand in his, but he realized that her little hand was extremely


    cold to the touch.


    ¡°I won¡¯t die that easily. I¡­ am fine.¡± She remained on hisp and forced those words out of her mouth.


    Though she refused to admit it, she somehow found herself in a very weakened state. Pain¡­ and cold¡­


    The blood was trickling out of her body and her body heat gradually dissipated. She was getting weary


    and did not feel like moving. Instead, she was tempted to remain on hisp and go to sleep. What¡¯s


    wrong with me? Veronica thought to herself.


    Her mind was filled with the memories she had with Matthew since they first met, and the shbacks


    were ying like movie reels in her head.


    She recalled the moment they met, how they got to know each other, and finally got close to each other.


    They appeared to be enemies, but as Veronica recalled everything between them, it was all beautiful and


    she found their memories so sweet and happy.


    ¡°Matt¡­¡± Her lips were pale and devoid of color, but she suddenly muttered his name.


    Xavier¡¯s heart shattered into pieces upon hearing her call out Matthew¡¯s name and the feeling he


    experienced was torturous. However, he was much more concerned about her condition.


    As he looked at her weak and feeble self, he felt as if there was something a part of him about to detach


    from his body. At that point, a wave of fear hit him.


    ¡°Veronica? Veronica? Wake up! Damn it! Why are you falling asleep?!¡± Panic washed all over Xavier.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    He reached out and started to pat her cheeks. ¡°Listen to me. I¡¯ve got a lot of things that I haven¡¯t told


    you. Actually, you know what? You don¡¯t have to get together with me and I don¡¯t intend to make you stay


    with me. I just wanted to make thingsplicated for Matthew. I hate that b*stard so much for always


    acting so high and mighty.¡±

 Chapter 410

    Chapter 410


    Chapter 410 Veronica¡¯s Dying


    ¡°This is so annoying and disgusting! Do you realize that everything in life has a sequence? I was the one


    who met you first and fell for you, but how could Matthew, who came after me, overtake me? This isn¡¯t


    fair to me! There¡¯s another matter that I¡¯ve never told you. Would you like to find out?¡± Xavier spoke to


    Veronica continuously as he was afraid that Veronica would give in.


    That can¡¯t be right. Why did she suddenly deteriorate? If it¡¯s just the wound from her wrist, then she


    shouldn¡¯t be in such a bad state. Xavier felt that something was amiss.


    He held her up and at that point, he was shocked to discover that there was a wound on her left


    corbone as well.


    The bright-red blood trickled down her left hand, which was hanging loosely by her side, while the car


    seats were stained in crimson.


    ¡°What the heck? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Xavier was taken aback. ¡°Damn it! I can¡¯t believe that you actually harmed yourself this badly! Veronica,


    do you really despise me so much to the point of doing this to get away from me?!¡± He felt goosebumps


    out of fright.


    At that point, he finally recalled that she had broken the ss at the toll station. Subsequently, he


    smothered her lips and pushed her down on hisp. In response, she yelped out painfully and struggled


    to get away.


    Initially, he had assumed that she found the pain on her wrist hard to tolerate.


    Now that he thought about it, perhaps the broken ss pieces had been lodged in the surface of her


    vicle skin and when he had grabbed her hard, the ss shards had pierced through her skin and


    entered her body.


    She struggled violently and the gap between his knees was quite wide. Hence, as the blood trickled


    down her corbone and ran down her left arm dripping onto the car seat, he had not realized a thing at


    all.


    Her eyes were half-shut and she seemed limp in his arms. Her head lolled to the side and she was


    lifeless. Despite Xavier¡¯s attempts to shake and wake her up, she did not utter a single word at all.


    ¡°Veronica? Wake up! I said, wake up! Can you hear me?!¡± He was close to being hysterical.


    He had originally thought that he would loathe Veronica to his core. As the unexpected incident unfolded,


    he looked at her in such a bad state and forgot all about his hatred toward her. All that was left was his


    self-remorse. If Veronica lost her life like that, he would not be able to forgive himself for the rest of his


    life; he clearly knew that he would not forgive himself at all.


    ¡°Get off the highway! Hurry up and get off the highway!¡± Xavier kicked the driver¡¯s seat violently to remind


    the driver.


    ¡°Mr. Crawford, Young Master Matthew already knows that we¡¯re on this highway. So, if we get off it right


    now, then it¡¯s no different than surrendering. We have another car in front, so why don¡¯t I send you there


    and you can leave first? I¡¯ll exit the highway after that and send Miss Murphy to the hospital.¡± The driver


    tried to analyze the situation with Xavier and suggested a n.


    However, Xavier yelled at him angrily, ¡°Darn it! Do my words mean nothing to you now?! Hurry up and


    send us to the hospital!¡±


    He could not care less about anything else at the moment. He felt pained to see Veronica in such a


    weakened state. She was nearly unconscious, and her face was as pale as a sheet. It felt as if she was


    on the brink of death.


    The first time that he had watched someone he loved die before him was his mother; the second time


    was Veronica. He finally realized that his love for her was so deep. Regardless of life and death or even


    the threat of Matthew, nothing else seemed to matter to him at that point.


    Right now, he merely wished to save Veronica¡¯s life and send her to the hospital as soon as possible. He


    was much more worried that any dy would result in her death.


    ¡°No, Veronica! I won¡¯t allow you to die!¡±


    Xavier gave his instructions to his people.


    The driver nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll turn back right away.¡±


    They had just gotten on the highway not long ago, so the best way right now was to turn back and head


    in the opposite direction. If they dyed things any further, then there was a chance that she might not


    make it.


    Therefore, a strange scene appeared on the highway¡ªevery car was going in the right direction, but


    there was one single car that was driving the opposite way.


    Veronica¡¯s action earlier had alerted the police and Matthew.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Matthew rushed over at the first instance, but he was not fast enough to catch up with Xavier¡¯s speed.


    As Xavier turned back and arrived at the toll station, he could actually hear the sound of sirens nearby.


    However, his car ran through the barricades and drove on ahead without stopping. He got off the


    highway and sped off in the direction of the hospital.


    ¡°Roni? Don¡¯t fall asleep! Wake up!¡±


    The bitterly cold wind caused shivers to run down one¡¯s spine and Xavier held Veronica tightly in his


    arms as he wrapped his clothes around her. Subsequently, he used both palms to rub her face


    continuously. ¡°Everything will be fine. I¡¯m here for you. I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t fall asleep! Don¡¯t!¡±


    Meanwhile, on the other end, Matthew was about to enter the highway when he received a phone call


    from the police.


    ¡°What?! Did you just say that the car that left before suddenly turned back?¡± Matthew was in confusion


    as he received the phone call as he did not know what Xavier was up to.


    ¡°Yes. He rammed the barricade of the toll station and exited the highway.¡±


    ¡°Okay, noted.¡±


    Subsequently, Matthew asked for the direction Xavier was headed and instructed Thomas to turn the car


    around and follow Xavier.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, since Xavier has gone onto the highway, then he must have something else up


    his sleeves. What could have happened to make him turn back?¡± Thomas asked curiously and he


    obviously wanted Matthew to analyze the situation for him.


    However, at that moment, Matthew sat inside the car with his mind nk as a sheet. He could not help


    the bad feeling that welled up within him as he lifted a hand to touch his right eyelid. His eyelid was


    twitching non-stop involuntarily. Could it be that Roni¡­


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible.¡± He gripped his phone tightly to the point that his knuckles turned pallid.


    He muttered, but Thomas did not catch on, which prompted him to ask immediately, ¡°Young Master


    Matthew, what did you say?¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and step on it,¡± Matthew instructed the driver while taking out his phone to type something. He


    essed the security camera footage and sessfully located Xavier¡¯s car.


    Following that, he dialed a call to someone. ¡°Hurry up and send someone after this car immediately.


    Check where he¡¯s headed.¡±


    It was Caleb on the other line. After all, there were some things that he could be of great help with.


    On the phone, he sensed that something was amiss with Matthew, but he did not dare to pursue things


    any further. He instantly contacted some man to handle the matter.


    Ten minutester, Matthew received a phone call from Caleb. However, Caleb remained silent for quite


    some time.


    ¡°Say something!¡± Matthew held his phone tightly in his hand with a racing heart.


    ¡°Matthew, well¡­ You¡­ I think you should head over there yourself. They¡¯re at the ER of the People¡¯s


    Second Hospital.¡±


    As soon as he heard the words ¡®ER, his phone slid out of his hands instantly.


    Thomas had worked for Matthew for many years, but he had never seen his boss in such a dested


    state at all. Thomas picked up the phone and handed it to Matthew right away before asking, ¡°Young


    Master Matthew, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s eyes were dull and he was momentarily stunned before replying weakly, ¡°People¡¯s Second


    Hospital. Get me to the People¡¯s Second Hospital right away.¡±


    Despite his calm and soft voice as if everything was alright, the fact that he was behaving stoically was


    enough to prove that he was not in the right state of mind.


    This was the first time ever that Thomas had seen this side of Matthew.


    Suddenly, something dawned upon Thomas as he immediately turned to instruct the driver, ¡°Hurry! Send


    us to the hospital as quickly as you can!¡±


    As soon as the driver heard Thomas¡¯ words, he stepped harder on the elerator. Finally, they raced


    through traffic and arrived at the People¡¯s Second Hospital.

 Chapter 411

    Chapter 411


    Chapter 411 Revealing the Mark on Her Body


    When the car halted at the entrance of the hospital, Thomas turned to remind Matthew, who was deep in


    thoughts. ¡°Young Master Matthew, we¡¯re here.¡±


    How would Matthew not realize that? With clenched fists, he nced at the building as a pall of fear cast


    upon him. It took him a while before alighting from the car.


    The cold breeze brushed across his cheeks, dispelling the trepidation in his heart. Yes, it was fear.


    Never once had he experienced such a feeling before. Now that he had a taste of it, he knew how


    terrifying it was to have his loved one lying in the emergency room.


    He was aware that Xavier would not make a detour midway if it was not for Veronica¡¯s critical condition.


    Taking a few minutes to calm himself down, Matthew regained his calm demeanor before striding into the


    hospital and heading toward the emergency room on the twelfth floor.


    Despite his pallid expression along the way, his heart was racing against his chest. Even his fingers in


    his pockets were slightly trembling; the ever dauntless man was now gued by fear.


    Since it was an ordinary hospital, there were rtively a lot of visitors and patients during the day, so the


    elevator was filled to the brim. Glimpsing at the cramped elevator, he decided to take the stairs.


    At first, Matthew ascended the stairs with steady steps before his footsteps began to pick up the pace


    and he began to run upstairs.


    Thomas was following behind him and could sense the change in Matthew¡¯s emotions while knowing that


    Matthew could not face and deny the reality at the beginning. When he was finally willing to ept the


    cruel reality, he was already sprinting up the flight of stairs.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    At longst, the level-headed man slumped into distress because of this.


    Once Matthew arrived on the twelfth floor, he found the emergency room Veronica was at whereas


    Xavier was nowhere to be seen.


    Standing at the empty corridor, he zeroed in on the litmp outside the emergency room and zoned out.


    After a moment of silence, he ordered Thomas, ¡°Find Xavier at all costs!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master Matthew.¡± Thomas wheeled around to make a phone call.


    Meanwhile, Matthew was irritated by his ringing phone. In a worry that the disturbing ringtone might


    affect the surgery behind the doors, he switched it to vibration mode.


    The clock ticked with him standing there until he felt the numbness in his legs. He then turned around


    and walked to the other side of the corridor. Next, he took a cigarette and lit it before started smoking.


    A nurse noticed and intended to thwart him since smoking and noises were off-limits in the hospital, yet


    Thomas stopped her by telling her something. In the end, she took a nce at Matthew and just left.


    Caleb, Miguel, Skyler and the others arrived afterward. The first thing they saw was Matthew leaning


    against the wall outside of the emergency room with his right leg crooked. His hand delved in his pocket


    while the other was pinching a cigarette. There were six pieces of cigarette butts next to his feet as the


    strong smell of nicotine filled the corridor.


    They exchanged looks before approaching Matthew. It was not until then that they noticed that his hand


    was actually slightly shaking. It was their first time seeing him in such a pathetic state.


    ¡­


    On the other side, the Larson couple was at the underground parking lot of the hospital. While they took


    the front seats of the recreational vehicle, Crayson was standing with an upright attitude in front of a


    woman wearing a mask.


    ¡°Master, Skyler is a skillful doctor. Will we be able to pass it without giving the game away?¡± He was quite


    concerned.


    The woman handed him a delicate bottle. ¡°Let her take this, then no one will find out about it; not even


    the greatest doctor in the world can. As for others, someone will contact you soon.¡±


    He gazed at the bottle with a frown before looking at her. ¡°Is this the only way?¡±


    ¡°Everything that has happened today is meant to be. Besides, even if none of them has happened, it¡¯s


    time for her to leave Bloomstead. This is not the ce for her,¡± answered the mysterious woman.


    Now that her identity was revealed, he knew that there was no ce for her in the city.


    ¡°Okay. Leave it to me.¡± Crayson¡¯s negligence had led to such an oue, so he had to take full


    responsibility for it.


    ¡°One more thing¡ªthis must be taken by Tiffany without her knowledge.¡± She gave him another item.


    He retrieved it and asked, ¡°Then, what about Hendrey?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about him. Just go with the flow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± responded Crayson before taking action.


    ¡­


    Matthew, who was standing at the entrance of the emergency room, finally lost his patience and threw


    away the cigarette butt to phone the director of the hospital.


    The busy director made a dash to where he was. ¡°Young Master Matthew, what brings you here?¡± The


    old man approached him with a chuckle.


    He looked at Skyler. ¡°You¡¯ll being with me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Skyler nodded.


    ¡°Oh, sure, sure. I¡¯ll lead you the way, Young Master Matthew.¡± Knowing the purpose of Matthew¡¯s visit,


    the director brought them elsewhere to sanitize their hands and wear sterile clothes before taking them


    to the emergency room.


    Amidst the uncontroble situation, Matthew had a hunch that Veronica might leave him forever if he did


    not enter.


    They were in the surgery room with the director a few minutester. At that moment, a doctor assistant


    was about to give Veronica a shot when she hid the syringe in surprise just as the trio came in.


    ¡°Mr. Stanford, they are the patient¡¯s family who wants to keep herpany,¡± the director informed the


    doctor in charge.


    The doctor masked his displeasure and instructed in a cold voice, ¡°Just stand aside and don¡¯t interrupt


    us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± hummed Matthew as he turned and gave Skyler a look to hint him on what to do.


    Although it had been long since Skylerst treated a patient, there were some things etched in his brain


    as a doctor himself.


    Despite the urge to inquire with the doctor about Veronica¡¯s condition, Matthew dared not interrupt and


    just stood far away. Looking at the forcep pinching the cotton pads that were stained with her blood, his


    heart tightened.


    As if it was predestined, he was standing right next to the doctor assistant, who wanted to ask the duo to


    move elsewhere, but could not do so. It was because the surgery room was spacious and they were


    standing in an empty area, which gave her no reason to shoo them away.


    In the end, the special medicine in her pocket was not used at all.


    ¡°Oh gosh. There¡¯s a tattoo on her body. It looks like a phoenix! The color is so bright and it looks so real.¡±

 Chapter 412

    Chapter 412


    Chapter 412 Matthew Found Out the Truth


    At that time, the doctor assistant noticed a part of the tattoo on Veronica¡¯s waist and eximed in shock.


    Tattoo?


    Matthew was baffled, for he had never seen any tattoos on her before. However, who could the pale-


    faced woman on the operating table be other than Veronica?


    He cocked his head and took a look. With just a single nce, he happened to see the revealed part of


    the ¡®tattoo¡¯ on her waist. Its color was that of blood; the revealed part was the phoenix¡¯s head and a few


    feathers. It looked so real as though it was actually a living being.


    ¡°Holy cow, I didn¡¯t know that Roni has such a gorgeous tattoo. Tsk tsk tsk¡­¡± Skyler nudged Matthew and


    joked, ¡°What luck you have there, Matt.¡±


    Noticing Matthew¡¯s solemn yet anxious face, he realized something. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The numbers are


    normal. She won¡¯t die.¡±


    Although the transfusion of blood was ongoing when they entered the surgery room, Matthew knew that


    she was not in a critical condition given the doctors¡¯ reaction, thereby putting his worries to rest.


    However, his heart was in his throat again. Others might not know of the tattoo because they were not


    the ones closest to her, but that was not the case for him.


    He did not need to sleep with Veronica every day to know for a fact that she did not have any tattoos.


    Still, he could not deny its existence seeing how realistic it looked!


    Matthew and her were only together two days ago. She would not be able to get a tattoo in such a short


    period of time. Rather, it seemed more like a¡­ mark.


    A mark? An image conjured in his head as he came across the mark in a codex previously.


    Where was it again? Where did I see it? He was certain that it was not his first time seeing it.


    A codex?


    He suddenly remembered the day he went to the underground chamber with Veronica in which they


    entered a room and identally toppled over a bookshelf that was stacked up with codexes. He then


    simply picked up one of the books.


    What¡¯s the name again? It¡¯s¡­ Matthew¡¯s brows knitted tightly as he attempted to recall the title of the


    codex. ¡®Secret Affair of the Hidden n¡¯! Yes, that¡¯s it! It¡¯s the ¡®Secret Affair of the Hidden n¡¯!


    That mark was depicted clearly in that book. There was a jar in that same room, which made some weird


    noises after Veronica touched it and was subject to an agonizing illness.


    After that trip, he returned to the chamber to locate that jar again, only to realize that the space was


    cleaned up by someone else with no trace left behind. It was as if nothing had happened before.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Even so, how could he possibly forget about it? That time, he asked the team to look into the


    underground chamber but to no avail as of today.


    Veronica inquired about it numerous times and he said that the case had been taken over by someone


    else. In truth, that was not the case.


    Speaking of the tattoo, the guilty doctor assistant was not fazed by it and merely spared a nce at it;


    her job was to execute what she was paid to do, so how would she know anything about it?


    Meanwhile, Matthew did not respond to Skyler. The duo waited for a while until the surgery had ended.


    Once Veronica was sent to a VIP room, Matthew¡¯s mind was finally put at ease, but the mark on her kept


    bothering him.


    Caleb and the others left in ones and twos upon knowing that she was safe. Now that only silence filled


    the room, Matthew stayed by her side next to the bed by sping onto her hand as if she was going to


    leave him.


    Only God knew how real that emotion felt like to him the moment he caught wind of her news; he could


    feel that she was going to leave him for good.


    However, confusion filled his head at the thought of the mark. Lifting the nket and her clothes, he took


    a peek at it only to see nothing on her skin. It vanished!


    Did I remember it wrongly? Is it on the other side?


    He rose to his feet and went to the other side of the bed to repeat his actions. Once again, there was not


    a red smidgen on her waist! Nonplussed, he was put into a trance as his body went stiff.


    Master Crayson? Matthew suddenly thought of that man. He knew that the old man was not an ordinary


    person during their first meeting. Given the current situation, it was highly possible that Crayson¡¯s


    appearance was not of pure coincidence and Veronica¡¯s identity was not someone ordinary either.


    As such, he trod out of the room. Thomas, who was sitting on a bench while ying with his phone, saw


    him and stood up instantly. ¡°Young Master Matthew, how is Miss Murphy?¡±


    ¡°I need your help.¡± With a stoic expression, he scanned the area to make sure there was no one else


    before whispering, ¡°Find a way to get the Larson couple¡¯s hair or anything that they¡¯ve used before. Do a


    DNA test with this strand of hair.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Thomas had a vague guess, but kept quiet about it nevertheless since subordinates were not


    supposed to interfere with their boss¡¯ matters.


    ¡°Remember to keep it to yourself.¡± In other words, he should not tell anyone about it.


    ¡°Got it. Leave it to me.¡± He left immediately.


    On the other side, Crayson was being told off because the n was a total fiasco.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a failure, the n has to be put on hold. Otherwise, it might raise suspicions,¡± the mysterious


    woman said before leaving in great haste.


    Half an hourter, Troy informed that Xavier was caught. Veronica finally regained consciousness after


    Matthew had looked after her for the entire day in the hospital.


    She opened her eyes and scrutinized the patient room before taking a nce at him. A smile appeared


    on her pale lips. ¡°I¡¯m so d¡­ to see you.¡±


    She wanted to reach out her hand to hold his, but she could not do so due to the fracture on one hand


    and broken bone on the other.


    Unlike his usual days where he always looked handsome and collected, his face seemed haggard with


    the dark eye-circles and beard. He did not clean himself up just so he could take care of her. It would be


    a lie to say that she was not touched by it.


    Now that she had woken up, Matthew caressed her cheek. ¡°You¡¯ve finally woken up.¡±


    ¡°Hades doesn¡¯t like me, so he drove me out as soon as I stepped through hell¡¯s gates,¡± Veronica joked.


    ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re silly,¡± he responded.


    ¡°Oh, how¡¯s Monica and Shirley?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°d to hear that.¡± Nothing mattered more than their safety. It seemed like Xavier was not that merciless


    either.


    However, Matthew did not tell her that she would have been in great danger if she had arrived at the


    hospital one secondter.


    ¡°What about him?¡± questioned Veronica. It was obvious that she was inquiring about Xavier.

 Chapter 413

    Chapter 413


    Chapter 413 Tiffany¡¯s True Identity


    ¡°He¡¯s caught,¡± Matthew answered honestly. ¡°Oh.¡± Since it was within expectation, Veronica did not waver.


    ¡°About that¡­ video¡­¡±


    She looked at him with pursed lips. ¡°That wasn¡¯t me.¡± Although she was not used to exining her


    stance, she figured that it was necessary to exin it to him. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°There is a date stated on the footage. I¡¯ve checked the surveince footage at the hotel and Xavier and


    Tiffany were the only ones who went there.¡± He stood up to pour her a cup of lukewarm water before


    feeding her with a spoon.


    His gentle actions were unfamiliar to her as she blinked her eyes with mixed feelings while gawking at


    him. The man smiled gently in response. ¡°What are you looking at? You should get hydrated.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you, Matt.¡± Veronica was genuinely touched. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say that to me ever again,¡± he


    emphasized. She could not help but smile. ¡°Actually, you can¡­ use a straw.¡±


    She reckoned that he had never taken care of anyone until today, so he did not know how convenient a


    straw was to the patients. As she had expected, his face went stiff in awkwardness in the fleeting second


    at her words.


    Still, he remained serious. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll drink too much. Spoon is better.¡±


    After feeding her a few spoonful to quench her thirst, shey on bed as she mused on the news, which


    exposed the video.


    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ get married in secret,¡± she suddenly proposed.


    Matthew was taken aback by the sudden change in her attitude. His hand that was holding the cup


    paused in midair while his eyes fixated upon her. It took him a moment before letting out a smile. ¡°That¡¯s


    a great idea, but I want to let the world know that you¡¯re my wife.¡±


    How could he not know the reason behind her suggestion? Forget about the fact that it had only been six


    months since his call-off engagement with Tiffany, it would cause a controversy despite having the


    scandal handled and debunked. If they were to get married in secrecy, the outsiders would not point


    fingers at the Kings Family at all.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Veronica blinked her bright eyes at him. ¡°I don¡¯t like a grand wedding. I want it to be simple, so it¡¯s


    fine for me. If you don¡¯t want it, then let¡¯s just forget it.¡±


    ¡°No. Let¡¯s do as you say. We¡¯ll register our wedding after you¡¯ve recovered.¡± It was safer to get married


    first regardless. He was afraid that Veronica would retrieve her words and he would definitely rue this day


    for not agreeing to it.


    ¡°My phone is with Xavier. Could you tell Sean¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told him about it. You¡¯re on leave now.¡±


    ¡°He must be angry since I¡¯ve caused such a big trouble right after signing the contract with them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been settled. You¡¯re in good hands.¡± Matthew pinched her cheek. ¡°Take a good rest for the next


    couple of days. I have something on this afternoon, but I¡¯ll visit you after that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me.¡± She nodded.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    A knock resounded on the door.


    He put down the cup. ¡°Have some rest. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    He went out of the room and closed the door. There stood Thomas, who passed over the DNA test


    results while whispering, ¡°ording to the test, Miss Murphy is not their daughter.¡±


    Thomas was totally surprised by the oue because if that was the case, Tiffany was not their


    daughter too! Holding the paper, Matthew¡¯s face dimmed.


    As expected.


    He returned the papers to Thomas. ¡°Destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Copy, Young Master Matthew,¡± Thomas responded.


    Matthew added, ¡°Get some bodyguards¡ªfemale, if possible¡ªto look after Veronica 24/7. Even if it¡¯s the


    nurse, just keep an eye on anyone who enters the room.¡±


    Now that his guess had hardened into conjecture, the unease in him grew stronger as though something


    was amiss. He then returned to the room to apany Veronica for a while before leaving the hospital


    in a hurry.


    Ever since Xavier had revealed the video, the Inte was rife with articles of Veronica. Despite


    Matthew¡¯s quick actions, a single news could be spread easily through the in this era of globalization.


    Not to mention, there was Conrad adding fuel to the fire behind the scenes by heightening the


    controversy in its full swing.


    In addition to Veronica¡¯s identity as the Larson Family¡¯s long-lost daughter and Elizabeth¡¯s god-


    granddaughter, the news received great attention.


    The trending topics on Twitter and news headlines were hogged by Veronica, Xavier, Tiffany and the


    Kings Family as the list went.


    #Veronica and Xavier¡¯s Clip Video Revealed#The Crawfords¡¯ Revenge, Revealing the Erotic Video of the


    God-Granddaughter of the Kings Family


    #The Crawfords¡¯ Lowly Revenge


    #The Innocent Veronica Murphy Bes the Victim of the Dispute Amongst the Rich


    #The Girl in the Video Is used to Be Tiffany Larson¡­


    Initially, Matthew thought of cating the rage, but he chose to let it be in the end; he even tried to fuel


    the controversy behind the scenes. Since there was already an existing yer, he did not mind joining


    the game.


    At the same time, Tiffany was grounded in her room by the Larson couple.


    Ever since the controversy came onto surface, Floch was flying the handle and pped her in the face.


    ¡°Look at what you have done! Your mother and I didn¡¯t want to see you act like a wh*re after pouring in


    so much effort in taking care of you! Are you proud of yourself for sleeping with so many guys? You¡¯re a


    disgrace to the family!¡±


    Instead of rage, sheughed in response. ¡°How is that my fault? It¡¯s all because of Veronica, that b*tch!


    It¡¯s her. It¡¯s all because of her! She took away Matthew and how can I step into the Kings Family without


    bearing their heir? Matthew just won¡¯t touch me, so I have to find another man to be pregnant. But¡­ My


    life is ruined because of Matthew. He deprived me of my rights to be a mother.¡±


    Tiffany sat onto the ground and wailed. ¡°It¡¯s all Veronica¡¯s fault. She¡¯s the reason for everything that has


    happened, and I want revenge! It¡¯s not only that video; I even disguised myself as her and slept with


    another man. I¡¯m going to reveal everything to let the world know that she¡¯s a wh*re that sleeps with


    every man she knows! Hahahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you fool!¡± Floch kicked her aggressively. ¡°You¡¯ve let us down. Look at yourself! How are you


    going to win Veronica like this? Look at the mess you¡¯re in!¡±


    Disappointment and helplessness seeped into his acrimonious roar. No matter how much love and care


    they showered her with, it was useless because she was meant to be Veronica¡¯s sacrifice.

 Chapter 414

    Chapter 414


    Chapter 414 And the Show Begins


    After the long years of grooming andpany, it was natural for the Larson couple to grow attached to


    Tiffany. After all, it was the same for dogs, let alone taking care of a person. Still, she had blinkered by


    resentment and led herself to a downfall. In the end, she was grounded by her own father.


    Inside the master bedroom, one half of the couple was sitting on the couch whereas the other was


    smoking on the balcony. ¡°What a disappointment.¡±


    Rachel leaned against the couch while hugging a pillow as she sighed. ¡°I did think of grooming her into


    someone outstanding with the hope that she can rece Veronica someday, but I never foresee things


    escting to this. She¡¯s a failure. Not only is her conception distorted, she¡¯s narrow-minded. Veronica is


    definitely in a different league from her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not alone. I did think of that as well, but it seems like we¡¯re wrong.¡± Floch heaved a deep sigh.


    ¡°No. We¡¯re not wrong. Veronica is the chosen one. Even if she¡¯s dead, there will never be a chance for


    Tiffany because she¡¯s just a dummy. We were fooled by the happy days we spent together.¡±


    Rachel shook her head and sighed again. ¡°About the voice note, I¡¯ve asked someone to give it to


    Matthew. I told him that it is to clear Veronica¡¯s name in order to make up for ourck of care all these


    years. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s buying it, though.¡±


    Tiffany confessed that she had disguised herself as Veronica and slept with another man in order to ruin


    her life. Hence, the recording should be enough to clear her name.


    ¡°The water that bears the boat is the same that swallows it up. Tiffany¡¯s existence itself is against thew


    of nature and hence the incident that has happened today. It¡¯s within the expectation. Matthew won¡¯t be


    suspicious, considering how concerned he is about Veronica.¡±


    Floch inhaled at the tip of the cigarette before breathing out a puff of smoke. ¡°Once he reveals the


    recording to the public, that¡¯s when Tiffany¡¯s nightmare begins. She¡¯s just a poor¡­ sacrifice. There¡¯s


    nothing we can do about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Rachel drank her coffee. ¡°Let¡¯s treat her better in the remaining days we¡¯re left with.¡±


    She set down the white European cup before striding out of the room. ¡°I¡¯ll ask her what she wants to eat.¡±


    With that, she went to Tiffany¡¯s room on the second floor. After opening the door with the key, she


    realized that the room was empty with no one in it.


    ¡°Tiffy? Tiffy?¡± She searched the whole room before checking the balcony, but Tiffany was nowhere to be


    found. However, there was a rope tied to the ground at the balcony and before long, she realized that


    she had escaped.


    Rachel rushed upstairs and entered the room to tell Floch, ¡°Floch, she escaped!¡±


    ¡°Have the people look for her. I don¡¯t want any more trouble.¡± He sighed in fury.


    On one hand, Matthew contacted Troy upon leaving the hospital. ¡°How¡¯s the preparation?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s ready. We just need a word from you.¡±


    ¡°Inform every media outlet to take action at this instant,¡± ordered Matthew before the call ended. In the


    next ten minutes, the Inte was swarmed with articles published by the media.


    ¡®Shocking News! It Is Tiffany Larson¡¯


    ¡®Breaking News! The Truth Behind the Called off Engagement Between Tiffany Larson and Matthew


    Kings¡¯


    ¡®The Woman Who Went to the Hotel With Xavier Crawford Is Tiffany Larson¡¯


    ¡®Tiffany Larson¡¯s Fearsome Revenge¡¯


    ¡®Recording Reveals That Tiffany Larson Disguised Herself as Veronica Murphy¡¯


    ¡®Tiffany Larson and Xavier Crawford Conspired Against Veronica Murphy¡¯


    ¡®Tiffany Larson¡¯s Complicated Personal Life¡¯


    ¡®The True Face of Tiffany Larson, the Prodigy¡¯


    It was undeniably big news to have simr articles released at the same time. Many of it contained the


    recording and screenshots as proof.


    It went from how Veronica saved Tiffany while working as a delivery woman to how Tiffany forced a


    marriage by taking Veronica¡¯s credit of saving Matthew. They even exposed her lies of being pregnant


    with Matthew¡¯s baby after sleeping with another man.


    Furthermore, the called-off engagement turned the love into resentment and hence the conspiracy with


    Xavier against the Kings Family and Veronica. The recording, which was provided by the Larson couple,


    attested to the truth of Tiffany disguising herself as Veronica to sleep with Xavier.


    Finally, it was transpired that she had disguised as Veronica again to have a live broadcast of a sex y


    with several men at the same time in the hotel. The public was taken aback at the drop of the bomb.


    One could see that it was recorded through a phone in the clip, where Tiffany was having sex with the


    men. However, after broadcasting for over ten minutes, the police invaded and took every single one of


    them to custody.


    One of the articles revealed the footage of Veronica breaking the window at the highway toll. Since there


    was a surveince camera directed at the window, one could clearly see how she was screaming for


    help before Xavier¡¯s car bulldozed through the railing and made a detour in order to send Veronica to the


    hospital. It was indeed a gory scene.


    Last but not least, there were photos of Veronica lying on the operating table and staying in the hospital


    for recuperation. Shirley and Monica even stepped forward to divulge the kidnap and Xavier¡¯s crimes.


    The mind-blowing footage and pictures sent theizens into a frenzy. Instagram Stories and Twitter


    were broken at that instant as they were flooded withments from them.


    ¡°Holy sh*t! It¡¯s a whole new leaguepared to the soap dramas.¡±


    ¡°Tiffany Larson is so shameless! How could she take Veronica¡¯s credit and lie that her baby is Matthew¡¯s


    just to be one of the Kings? That¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°Is it fake?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®fake¡¯? I¡¯m sure they exposed it after Young Master Matthew consented. She


    basically cheated on him for doing those deeds when they were still engaged. Judging from how the


    news is revealed, it seems like he resents her to the core.¡±


    ¡°What a cruel woman. Despite being sisters, Veronica is much better.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, but Tiffany is the famous girl in the city! She¡¯s basically ruining her life with her own hands.


    The resentment goes as deep as love had.¡±


    ¡°The Larson couple is still not that bad of a person. They revealed the recording to clear up their long-lost


    daughter¡¯s name. Veronica would¡¯ve been ruined if it weren¡¯t for them.¡±


    ¡°None of the Crawfords are good in nature!¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t! It was a live broadcast! I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the No.1 demized video of the year.¡±


    ¡°I hope the police will reveal the live broadcast video, though. I just wanna witness the glorious moment


    of the arrest. Nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get our facts straight¡ªTiffany is really hot. I¡¯ve only tried that position with my goddess.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew really likes Veronica. It must be true love. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have done so


    much just to clear her name.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m shipping Young Master Matthew and Veronica from today onward.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s revealed that Veronica did a runway at a jewelry showcase before. That¡¯s what we call a strong


    woman! She¡¯s gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°Veronica Murphy suddenly piques my interest.¡±


    ¡°No wonder there were problems getting in Veronica¡¯s way when she first opened her bridal store. I bet


    Tiffany is involved.¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone kept gushing and reading the articles pertaining to Tiffany, Xavier, Veronica and the Kings


    Family. They could not stop themselves as though it was a fun show to revel in.

 Chapter 415

    Chapter 415


    Chapter 415 Spare Xavier¡¯s Life


    While the Larson couple was searching everywhere in Bloomstead for Tiffany, they received a call from


    the police and went straight to the police station. Silence dawned upon them in the car as they were


    absorbed in their own thoughts.


    ¡°You can easily tell that Matthew is behind this.¡±


    Rachel propped head with her arm against the window and sighed. ¡°No matter how foolish Tiffy is, she


    wouldn¡¯t have done this in such a critical time.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s foolish for offending Matthew.¡± Floch was feeling helpless as well.


    Despite knowing who the mastermind was, both of them were aware that there was nothing they could


    do about it because Matthew was doing it for Veronica¡¯s sake and she was their future young lord. The


    only option avable was to sacrifice one of them to protect the other.


    Before long, they arrived at the police station and saw Tiffany in the detention room. She crouched while


    wrapping her arms around her knees at a corner in scruffy clothes. With her head buried in her knees, no


    one knew what she was thinking about.


    It pained Rachel to see Tiffany like that. With red-rimmed eyes, she walked into the room and yelled out,


    ¡°Tiffy?¡±


    She called out for her with a soft tone, yet Tiffany did not move an inch as if she could not hear it.


    ¡°Tiffy, M-Mom¡¯s here,¡± she called again.


    Finally, Tiffany raised her head to show her sorrowful face that was rife with helplessness and despair.


    She looked at Rachel coldly with a hollow gaze before rising to her feet to head out of the room,Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    bypassing Floch and the police officer like a zombie.


    She slowly regained her senses at the police station and cottoned on the situation through the


    interrogation. Once again, she fell into Matthew¡¯s trap.


    It¡¯s because of Veronica again! You b*tch!!!!


    Along their way home, the elderly couple attempted to strike a conversation with her only to receive zero


    response from her. She cooped herself up in her room as soon as they arrived home and never stepped


    foot out again.


    Simr to the night sky, it was pitch ck dark in an underground basement with dead silence. Xavier


    was fettered to a steel chair and could not budge at all, rendering him vulnerable.


    Clomp. Clomp. Clomp.


    The sound of footsteps reached his ears and before long, the door opened and the man standing by the


    door turned on the lights, causing him to shut his eyes in difort due to the brilliance.


    A momentter, he adapted to it and opened his eyes to see the person before him. He cocked his head


    and sniggered. ¡°I admit¡ªI¡¯ve lost.¡±


    From the moment he asked the driver to make a detour to the hospital after Veronica bled and fell into a


    swoon, he knew what was ahead of him. Thus, he was not surprised to be caught.


    Click!


    Matthew lit up a cigarette and inhaled the tip of it before exhaling a puff of smoke, which covered his


    face. ¡°You¡¯re brave.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m just a loser,¡± Xavier dissed himself as though he was yielding to fate.


    ¡°I warned you not toy a finger on Roni, but you ignored my words.¡± Matthew stood upright with a hand


    delved in his pocket and the other tapping on the cigarette. ¡°But¡­ I do admire your loyalty for choosing


    to save her life instead of yours. So, I won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    Undoubtedly, Veronica was really important to Xavier. Despite knowing that he would get caught if he


    returned, he sent her to the hospital without a second thought; that alone was enough for Matthew to


    spare his life.


    ¡°You¡­ won¡¯t kill me?¡± Xavier frowned in confusion as he was aware of the vengeful character of


    Matthew.


    I¡¯ve kidnapped Veronica and almost got her killed. Why is he showing mercy?


    Xavier sensed the perilous ferocity in the air.


    ¡°Bring him out.¡± Matthew motioned for the two bodyguards to lift up the chair and bring Xavier out of the


    basement.


    At the underground garage, over ten well-built bodyguards stood in a straight line whereas a tied-up


    Melissa was kneeling on the ground with her gagged mouth.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As soon as she saw Xavier, she whimpered nonstop. Everything she tried to say turned into a


    moan and no one could understand her.


    In split seconds, his heart fell to the pit of his stomach and his face turned pale. ¡°Matthew Kings, what the


    hell are you trying to do?¡±


    The indifferent and prideful man let out an engaging smile. ¡°Why are you so nervous? I¡¯m just ying


    along with your game.¡±


    A calm Xavier became anxious as he stood up albeit being tied. Before he could even reach Matthew,


    the bodyguards pressed him down to sustain him.


    A subordinate brought over another chair for Matthew to watch the scene with crossed legs. He gestured


    to two bodyguards to untie the rope around her legs and ripped her clothes into rags before tossing them


    aside.


    Melissa moaned as she struggled to free herself with widened eyes, but the men were too powerful. One


    of them brought over a chair andmanded her to grovel like a dog on it. She refused, resulting in


    getting a few ps in the face before being pressed against the chair with her hair being grabbed.


    It was literally a live pornography.


    Of course, Xavier was not in the mood to watch it as he wriggled to free himself and roared, ¡°Matthew


    Kings, you better f*cking let my sister go! Juste at me, you f*ckers! How can you do this to a girl?


    Let her go, you f*cking b*stard! Stop it! I¡¯m gonna kill you guys if you touch her. Don¡¯t touch her! Stop!¡±


    ¡­


    Xavier shouted from the top of his lungs while struggling to free himself, causing the steel chair to graze


    against the floor and screeched.


    ¡°You and your loud voice.¡± Matthew, who was phubbing, touched his ear in displeasure.


    Standing next to him was Troy, who motioned the bodyguard to execute something. A jarring scream


    could then be heard at the very next second.


    ¡°Grr¡­ Ah¡­ M-Matthew Kings, juste at me! Don¡¯t hurt my sister. Do you even call yourself a man?¡±


    Cursing at the man, Xavier noticed that his knee had been stabbed while blood was gushing out of his


    joint as it dripped off the hem of his pants. Soon enough, he was surrounded in a crimson pool.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Matthew raised an eyebrow. ¡°You want me toe at you?¡± He smiled in amusement. ¡°As


    expected from a brother who adores his sister. Since you want to suffer for her stead, I¡¯ll be d to grant


    you your wish.¡±


    As soon as Xavier heard that, he stopped his harangue toward Matthew; instead, his face turned ghastly


    almost immediately.

 Chapter 416

    Chapter 416


    Chapter 416 Marriage Certificate


    ¡°W-What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Exactly what it sounds like,¡± Matthew said with a cold chuckle. ¡°Get it yet?¡±


    ¡°You¡ªFor crying out loud, Matthew, you call yourself a human? You¡¯re no better than an animal, f*ck


    you! Veronica must have been kicked in the head to fall in love with someone like you!¡± Xavier snapped


    incredulously. Then, he threw his head back andughed maniacally. ¡°But now that I think about it, I can


    see why you¡¯re so obsessed with her. She has incredibly soft skin and there¡¯s a certain part of her body


    that¡¯s¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s deliciously tight, shall we? I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t get that far with her yet,


    huh? She¡¯s practically untouched!¡±


    Men often lost all sense of reason when their rage was at its peak and Xavier was downright furious after


    seeing the humiliation his sister had been put through. He wanted to probe Matthew¡¯s anger and see the


    man snap.


    Unfortunately for him, Matthew had no ns to let him have the satisfaction. Granted, his fingers


    tightened on the cigarette he was smoking, but there was hardly a trace of emotion on his handsome


    face as he raised his free hand to signal the bodyguards. The bodyguards understood what he meant


    and within the next second, Xavier was dragged before the guards and had his clothes shredded on the


    spot.


    He tried to struggle, but he was no match for the guards who eventually pacified him and reduced him


    into a defeated heap.


    Grunting, he then spat out menacingly, ¡°Kill me if you¡¯ve got the guts, Matthew! Come on, do it!¡±


    Presently, he was pinned in the most embarrassing position against the chair. One of the bodyguards


    held Xavier¡¯s hands firmly on his back and held his head in ce by grabbing a fistful of his hair. One of


    his legs was broken, so he could not retaliate even if he wanted to. He suffered in silence while the


    guards had their way.


    Having never witnessed something like this before, Melissa started crying and whimpering as shey on


    the ground like a pile of trash. Her legs were untied and now that the other guards had turned to target


    Xavier, she was left alone. She scooted into an upright position and used her knees to pull the rag out of


    her mouth. Now that she could speak again, she shrieked miserably, ¡°Why are you doing this to him,


    Matthew? Let him go! Please, you can¡¯t do this to him!¡±


    She tried to crawl over to Xavier, but just as she was about to throw herself over him to shield him, one of


    the guards kicked her to the side.


    ¡°Ow!¡± she yelled as she fell backward. When she hit the ground, the impact seemed to have rattled her


    brains and her whole body ached.


    ¡°Your sibling bond is the stuff of fairytales,¡± Matthew drawled sarcastically with an insidious smirk, though


    there was hatred and contempt in his eyes.


    He never considered himself a nice person and he had already let the Crawford siblings off the hook for


    Veronica¡¯s sake. Since they had not appreciated his mercy then, they could only reap what they sowed


    now.


    ¡°It would be unkind of me to deprive these siblings the chance to show how much they care for one


    another,¡± Matthew added icily with a humorless smile. Then, he rose to his feet and gave Troy a pointed


    look.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Troy said with a nod while a chill ran down his spine when he felt the air around Matthew grow


    cold. As harsh as the punishments were, he had to agree that Xavier, Melissa and Tiffany all got what


    they deserved.


    The trio were admittedly birds of the same feather; they all resorted to underhanded and ruthless ways to


    get what they wanted and they were used to plotting against others as well as scheming. It was only too


    bad that they picked on the wrong person this time!


    Matthew walked away and ignored the torrent of abuse and howls of agony which echoed after him.


    Xavier and Melissa should have known that things would not end well for them and no one could be


    med for theirck of better judgment.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Tiffany, on the other hand, could not die just yet. If she did, then no one would go to Africa with the


    Crawford siblings.


    That afternoon, Centian Group officially went out of business. Hendric tried to look for Xavier and


    Melissa, but when he could not find them, he decided to rally the other family members and left


    Bloomstead.


    Thepany might not have cash or capital, but Hendric had been in the business world long enough to


    know how important it was to save up for a rainy day. He knew that his life would be a mess if the


    company crumbled and the debt collectors started calling round the house to demand payment with


    interest, so he packed up and left the city with his savings.


    Matthew did not say anything upon hearing this and decided that he would not go after Hendric anymore.


    The next day, Matthew was with Veronica when he got a call from Troy, who cut to the chase and stated,


    ¡°The Crawford siblings are on their way to Africa right now.¡±


    The siblings hadsted torture from yesterday afternoon all the way until this morning, which to a certain


    extent was impressive, given the number of people who were there to dole out their punishments and the


    amount of time it would have taken for the deed to be done. It was tough, but Matthew knew Xavier and


    Melissa would not die; indeed, their deaths were never part of his n to begin with.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Matthew answered.


    ¡­


    Three monthster, Veronica finally recovered from her broken arm, which had been grievously injured.


    During the time of her recovery, she stayed at Twilight Condominium where Matthew took gentle, loving


    care of her and they were clearly crazy about each other.


    Yvonne had been staying with Veronica at first, but eventually she got sick of seeing Veronica and


    Matthew acting all lovesick and moved back to her own ce out of frustration.


    As for her baby, Yvonne had made up her mind to keep it and she was already six months into her


    pregnancy. Veronica thought she was being rather stupid to insist on giving birth to the child, but at the


    same time, she could not help admiring her for her strong sense of responsibility. It took a lot of courage


    to prioritize an innocent baby and bring them into the world, even if it would be at the expense of one¡¯s


    long-term happiness.


    Early one morning, rustling sounds and soft panting filled the bedroom. Veronica was starting to get used


    to Matthew¡¯s certain morning activity.


    When the deed was done, shey in his arms and wrapped a slender arm around his waist, then closed


    her eyes as she caught her breath.


    Matthew pinched her nose lovingly and said, ¡°You know how the doctor said you¡¯ve recovered


    completely when we went for the appointment yesterday? Does that mean we can get our marriage


    certificate tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Veronica turned him down tly.


    He looked grim as he gently pinched her cheek with his right hand and asked warningly, ¡°What did you


    just say?¡±


    She opened her eyes and smiled coyly. ¡°I said, I don¡¯t want to go and get the marriage certificate with


    you.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you regretting your decision?¡±


    ¡°A little,¡± she said yfully as she moved to ease herself onto the bed, then drew circles on his chest


    lazily. ¡°I just figured that there¡¯s some good sense in not having a marriage certificate between us, you


    know? If I was to put our marriage on record, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to seduce the other gorgeous men


    out there. I don¡¯t think I want to tie myself down to one guy for the rest of my life, not yet, anyway.¡±


    When he heard this, Matthew slid his arm around her waist and flipped her so that he was on top of her.


    He growled, ¡°Say that again.¡± He was sufficiently provoked.


    Trying to keep herself fromughing, Veronica feigned seriousness and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been with you for


    three months now and I¡¯m getting bored.¡±


    ¡°Rosalie. Murphy!¡± Matthew bit out. ¡°You¡¯re just asking for trouble.¡± He gave her a hard p on her


    bottom, then leaned down as though he was going to show her who was in charge.


    However, when she saw that he was falling for her lies, sheughed and said, ¡°I was only kidding,


    grumpy-pants.¡± She reached under the pillow with one hand while wrapping her free arm around his


    neck. ¡°Here you go!¡± she sang as she proffered a folder. ¡°I¡¯ve already got my official paperwork sorted


    out yesterday. Now, we¡¯re all set to get our marriage certificate today!¡±


    Matthew narrowed his eyes at the plot twist, then said, ¡°Toote.¡±

 Chapter 417

    Chapter 417


    Chapter 417 Matthew¡¯s Proposal


    During the three months where Veronica was recovering from her broken arm, Matthew looked after her


    and took very good care of her round the clock. The only time he did not take care of her was when she


    was working at thepany. That said, she had also fully experienced just how strong Matthew was¡ª


    physically.


    One simply had to acknowledge the differences in strength when things boiled down to it, which was why


    Veronica could only surrender to Matthew in the bedroom. It was the wisest strategy on her part and the


    best thing for the both of them.


    Seeing that she was on the verge of surrendering, Matthew smiled and flicked the tip of her nose


    lovingly, then said indulgently, ¡°I can carry you to the bath¡ª¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, no, it¡¯s fine. I can bathe myself!¡± she answered and quickly pushed him aside, then dashed into


    the bathroom and locked the door behind her.


    She had already witnessed his stamina first-hand and she was not about to take any chances by


    agreeing to bathe with him. If she did, they would never leave the house and get the marriage certificate.


    They each put on a change of clothes after they showered, but at that moment, Veronica¡¯s stomach


    rumbled loudly. She turned to look up at Matthew in mute despair and said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡­¡±


    He hummed in response. ¡°Let¡¯s have ate lunch, then,¡± he suggested while wrapping an arm around


    her waist and leading her into the waiting elevator.


    ¡°Maybe we should go to the Civil Affairs Bureau first. They might be getting off work by the time we¡¯re


    done eating,¡± she pointed out worriedly as she took out her phone and checked the time on the screen. It


    was already 3.50PM.


    ¡°We can always grab a quick bite on the way. It won¡¯t take up much time,¡± Matthew said as he ruffled her


    hair affectionately. He took her hand and led her out of the elevator when the doors opened. They were


    both using masks so that the ever-famous Matthew would not draw attention to himself or be noticed by


    anyone on the street.


    He drove to One Piece Restaurant where they had a quick lunch before they made their way over to the


    Civil Affairs Bureau.


    Along the way, Veronica was scrolling through her phone when she said, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s the twenty-seventh of


    April today. I think it¡¯s a pretty good day for us to get our certificate, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I think every day with you is a pretty good day,¡± he replied softly as he cast her a meaningful sidelong


    nce.


    She clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you just the sweetest?¡±


    ¡°No, I think you are. I mean, I know exactly how sweet you taste, after all,¡± he teased while raising a brow


    at her as a smile curled on his lips.


    ¡°You¡ª¡± She was just about to say something about his devilish behavior when she noticed that the car


    was rolling to a stop. ¡°Hey, why did you pull up here?¡±


    He unfastened his seatbelt and opened the door on his side. ¡°Wait for me in the car,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± She thought he needed to use the washroom or something.


    She stayed seated in the car for about five minutes after which Matthew returned. ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    she asked.


    He closed the door and turned to look at her solemnly. ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Veronica frowned, not at allprehending why he wanted her to close her eyes, but she did as


    she was told anyway.


    At that moment, she felt him sp her hand and before she knew it, something cold slid around her ring


    finger.


    She opened her eyes at once and saw that there was a pink diamond ring on her finger. The diamond


    resembled some kind of a rose, but it was subtle andplemented the delicate and simple band. She


    admired it for a few seconds before she looked up at Matthew and asked curiously, ¡°Why did you pick a


    rose?¡±


    He shook his head as if he was surprised that she did not figure it out. ¡°Your name has a ¡®rose¡¯ in it,


    remember? So, I had the designere up with a briar rose-inspired diamond ring.¡±


    ¡°But why did you choose pink?¡± She gazed at the ring and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s pretty, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a


    little girly for me?¡±


    ¡°Silly thing,¡± he mused good-naturedly as he reached out to prod her temple. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what a


    briar rose stands for?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said honestly with a pout as her curiosity piqued. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be an expert at things like


    these. It¡¯s usually women who read into the meaning behind certain flowers and gemstones.¡±


    It was only then that she realized why Matthew had chosen to go to One Piece Restaurant earlier. It was


    because they would be passing by the biggest jewelry atelier if they were to depart for the Civil Affairs


    Bureau from the restaurant, which meant he had already had the jewelry designer get ready the ring


    months ago!


    It was no wonder that he had avoided talking about the marriage certificate whenever she brought the


    topic up during thest three months; he wanted to put a ring on her finger on the actual day they were


    going to get their marriage certificate!


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked as he held her hand.


    The ring made her slender fingers look even longer and her hand was the color of porcin. She might


    as well be a hand model.


    ¡°I do,¡± she said, nodding.


    The diamond was sparkling under the sunlight that spilled through the windscreen. It looked too dazzling


    to be worn.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it,¡± Matthew said. He gave her hand a squeeze as he gazed at her. ¡°With that ring, I


    make you mine and only mine from this moment on.¡±


    She met his smoldering gaze and felt a smile tug on her lips. She had always envisioned being proposed


    to in a field of flowers; or perhaps in the presence of her closest friends; or during a romantic candlelight


    dinner. However, little did she know that a proposal could be as simple and perfect as this. She was


    happier than words could describe.


    ¡°No,¡± she said as she shook her head. ¡°With this ring, you make me your family. We¡¯re a family,


    Matthew.¡±


    Having said that, she held out her free hand to him, palm-up.


    He gaped at her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your ring! Where is it? You couldn¡¯t possibly have just bought this one without a matching one for


    yourself.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have a ring for myself,¡± he said while pulling out a ck velvet box from his coat pocket and


    putting it in her palm.


    She opened the box and saw that there was another ring in it. It was a men¡¯s ring with a sturdy, simple


    band on which was a green leaf. The craftsmanship was intricate and breathtaking while the cut was


    perfect. It looked like it belonged in a museum.


    ¡®Why is your ring a leaf?¡± Veronica asked in confusion.


    ¡°Why do you think that is?¡± He did not answer her and merely smiled roguishly.


    Her ring was pink briar rose whereas his was a green leaf; they were two halves of a perfect picture.


    Thankfully, Matthew was tasteful enough to pick understated designs that set him apart from the favorite


    selections of the nouveau riche, which included giant diamonds the size of quail eggs and gaudy designs


    which would have rendered the rings impractical.


    The rings he had chosen were ttering and unique without being over-the-top, not to mention refined.


    At that moment, Veronica held his hand and slid his ring onto his finger, then looked up at him with a grin.


    ¡°From now on, you will be my husband. I swear, if you ever cheat on me¡ª¡±


    ¡°I would never,¡± he promised.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    She scoffed. ¡°Have you seen the gorgeous women who parade themselves around you all the time?


    Your promise means nothing!¡± She snorted and added, ¡°The only thing I ask of you is your loyalty.¡±


    As she said this, she lifted a finger as if she was in the midst of a stern lecture and she even had a grave


    look on her face as her grin faded.


    Matthew sped her right hand and stated, ¡°I promise.¡± Then, he pulled her into his arms and patted her


    back gently. ¡°Mrs. Kings, I promise to love and cherish you. May we grow and take on the world together


    until death do us part.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. Maybe we might part because of some other women, right?¡± She shoved him aside and


    red at him.


    The romantic moment slipped away and Matthew was decidedly unhappy as he pointed out in


    frustration, ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you could be a real buzzkill sometimes?¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°I was kidding!¡± She raised her hands and cupped his cheeks. ¡°Mr. Kings, will you love and


    cherish me even when I¡¯m being unreasonable; or childish; or stubborn; or aplete klutz in the


    kitchen? Do you promise to love me in spite of all my ws?¡±

 Chapter 418

    Chapter 418


    Chapter 418 You Cannot Marry Him


    ¡°I¡¯m making you my wife, not my maid or nanny. You don¡¯t need to be a pro in the kitchen or be


    reasonable and mature all the time. You only need to be yourself,¡± Matthew said warmly. There were


    butterflies in her stomach when she heard this, and she felt like her heart could melt.


    Unable to help herself, she smiled and leaned forward. ¡°You¡¯re wonderful, Matt.¡± She pressed her lips to


    his and pulled him into her arms afterward. ¡°It¡¯s my greatest honor to havee to know and love you.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl,¡± he said affectionately, chuckling as he tousled her hair. ¡°Come on, we should get going before


    the Civil Affairs Bureau closes,¡± he reminded her.


    She gasped. ¡°You¡¯re right! We have to leave now or we won¡¯t get our marriage certificate today!¡± With


    that, she pushed him aside and quickly settled back into the passenger seat. As she fastened her


    seatbelt, she prompted him to hurry and hit the gas pedal.


    Matthew¡¯s handsome face lit up with a smile when he nced at the ring on her finger, then at his own.


    The glimmer in his eyes was unmistakably that of a man in love. He did not pull away from the curb until


    after a second or two.


    The fiance-to-be in the passenger seat had nothing to do while they were on the way to the Civil Affairs


    Bureau. When her eyes fell on her ring, she pulled out her phone and searched up the meaning behind a


    briar rose.


    As it turned out, a pink briar rose symbolized a true, sweet love unmarred by time; like a promise of


    eternal happiness. Her fingers clutched her phone even tighter after she read this, and she could not


    help turning to look at the man behind the wheel.


    He was dressed in a well-pressed suit today with his leather shoes and his hair wasbed up to reveal


    a neat and precise side part. He looked immacte under the afternoon sun and it warmed her to think


    that he was dressed up nicely so that they could take a good couple¡¯s photographter at the registrar.


    Matthew was oblivious to the lethal effect he had on women with his roguish air and his chiseled


    features. One could easily drown in his obsidian eyes or be mesmerized by his long eyshes and


    he had a nose that looked like it was a work of the high heavens; his lips had a devilish curl to it too as


    though forewarning someone of his sharp wit and even a sharper tongue.


    Whenever she looked at him, Veronica would feel as if she was looking at a young Johnny Depp. They


    both shared a cold, brooding sort of elegance that made them stand out in a crowd.


    She thought about the first time she met him and how she had found him distant and reserved. She had


    believed that would be one of the few times she would ever encounter him, like two strangers who


    happened to walk past one another every once in a while, but never did she imagine she would marry


    him.


    She also did not expect a man as stoic and unfeeling as Matthew would turn out to be the warmest and


    most loving person she had ever met. He was kind beyond imagination, and it was hard not to like him.


    Granted, he was a man of few words, but he certainly got the job done. He was reliable like that and he


    had demonstrated how much thought he put into what he did just from picking out their wedding bands;


    she would be lying if she said she was not touched.


    ¡°Hey, Matt, has anyone ever told you how sweet and thoughtful you are?¡± Veronica asked curiously.


    Matthew put one elbow on the edge of the car window so that he could prop his head up, then gazed at


    her sideways in amusement as he drawled, ¡°Sweet and thoughtful?¡± He chuckled, sounding a little


    flustered.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m so used to hearing others say I¡¯m a cold-blooded devil who acts without mercy that I can¡¯t believe


    someone would think otherwise,¡± he confessed.


    ¡°You are not cold-blooded!¡± Veronica said. ¡°I don¡¯t know where they got the idea from¡­¡± She was about


    to say something else when she remembered that she had called him something along the lines of a


    cold-blooded devil when they first met. Feeling sheepish, she added helpfully, ¡°But I guess only those


    who truly know you will see how wonderful you are.¡±


    Hearing this, Matthew beamed in satisfaction.


    They pulled up outside the Civil Affairs Bureau ten minutester. They had only just started to queue up


    when Veronica¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    She nced at the screen and turned to say to Matthew, ¡°My mom¡¯s calling. Take a seat, Matt. I¡¯ll be


    back before you know it.¡±


    She handed her queue number to him and headed out of the building. In truth, she knew how easy it was


    for a man of Matthew¡¯s status to obtain a marriage certificate, but she had insisted on a secret marriage


    and he happened to want to experience what it was like for ordinary couples to wait in line at the


    registrar¡¯s office, so he chose not to pull strings at the bureau.


    Had he chosen to pull strings, then they would not be standing here in line patiently waiting for their turn.


    Having gone out of the lobby, Veronica picked up the call and greeted, ¡°Hey, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Roni, where are you?¡± Danie asked immediately.


    Veronica pursed her lips and started fidgeting uneasily. She had only just returned from Bloomstead the


    day before and she secretly took the family records with her. She had been worried that her parents


    would find out what she had done; being questioned by her mom right now had put her on the spot.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± She was at a loss for words.


    Before she could say anything, Danie asked, ¡°Let me guess, you took the family records with you.


    You¡¯re nning to marry Young Master Matthew behind our backs, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Veronica¡¯s fears came true so quickly she barely registered it. She patted the back of her head as though


    to give her mind some encouragement to scramble for an answer, but she was entirely speechless. At


    last, she began to say, ¡°Mom, Matthew and I¡ª¡±


    She was just about to confess and ask for her parents¡¯ blessing when Danie cut her off, ¡°You cannot


    marry him.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Master Crayson, your father and I are on our way to Bloomstead right now. If you¡¯ve already married


    him, then have the marriage nullified before we get there. If you have yet to marry him, then wait for us at


    home,¡± Danie ordered gravely on the other line.


    At that moment, Matthew walked over to her and came to a halt behind Veronica, then asked, ¡°What is


    it?¡±


    She stared at the nk screen of her phone. Her mother had just hung up on her and she frowned in


    distress as she said, ¡°My mom, she¡­ She and my dad know that I took the family records and they¡¯re on


    their way here.¡±


    She could not understand why her family and Master Crayson were so against their marriage.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that while a secret marriage is an appealing idea, we still need your family¡¯s


    blessings before we can proceed with it,¡± Matthew said, pulling her out of her thoughts as he tossed the


    number ticket into the trash can. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head home and wait for your parents to arrive.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But, we¡¯re already here. We might as well just go in and get the certificate,¡± Veronica countered


    while tugging on his hand as she caressed her thumb over his ring. ¡®I mean, we¡¯ve already got our rings.


    We ought to make this official, right?¡±


    ¡°Good thingse to those who wait,¡± heforted. He took her hand and brushed the back of it gently


    with his thumb, then added gently, ¡°Besides, we can¡¯t avoid this forever. They must have their reasons


    for not wanting you to marry me and we have to persuade them otherwise before we can be


    husband and wife. You¡¯re my woman now and your happiness means the world to me. We must have


    your parents¡¯ blessings.¡±


    He was so thoughtful that it was almost heartbreaking.


    Pursing her lips, Veronica considered what he said and stared into his eyes for a long moment. Atst,


    she threw her arms around him and said, ¡°You¡¯re the best, Matt.¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go home,¡± he said while taking her hand and leading her out of the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    Veronica kept looking back at the building even as she walked down the front steps of the hall. ¡°For


    some reason, I keep thinking that we won¡¯t be able to get our marriage certificate if we don¡¯t get it this


    time,¡± she pointed out dejectedly.


    Matthew tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve already put a ring on you, so it¡¯s not as if I¡¯d let you go


    now.¡±


    He regarded her with a warm smile, but deep down, he could not help feeling a little gloomy as well.


    Three months ago, when she had juste out of surgery, Master Crayson caught a glimpse of her


    birthmark. He had been actively protesting her marriage to Matthew ever since and Matthew suspected it


    had something to do with Veronica¡¯s true identity.


    Following that, Matthew took the time to head to the underground chamber and went into that particr


    room once more, whereupon he found the ¡®Secret Affair of the Hidden n¡¯.

 Chapter 419

    Chapter 419


    Chapter 419 There Is No Future for the Both of You


    Having flipped through the ¡®Secret Affair of the Hidden n¡¯ and analyzed Veronica¡¯s situation, Matthew


    concluded that there was more to her than they thought. If he assumed correctly, she could very well be


    the leader of the hidden n.


    Veronica and Tiffany were twin sisters. If the former was the leader of the hidden n, then Tiffany would


    naturally be one as well. Matthew had taken Randy¡¯s sample before to run a DNA test, only to find that


    he was not Floch and Rachel¡¯s biological son, but his DNA structure was simr to Veronica and


    Tiffany¡¯s.


    This could only mean that all three of these siblings were not biologically rted to Floch and Rachel at


    all, but that they were descendants of the hidden n


    If Floch and Rachel somehow managed to get their hands on and raised two of the three descendants,


    then it prompted the question of their true identities.


    In fact, what was Master Crayson¡¯s true identity? Did Tony and Danie know the truth of Veronica¡¯s


    background?


    Countless questions flooded Matthew¡¯s mind and he investigated further into the history of the hidden


    n, only to dig up baseless legends and nonsensical rumors. This led him to think that perhaps the


    hidden n was nothing more than an extinct tribe, but he refused to give up on uncovering the truth.


    After a long while, he finally came to terms with Veronica¡¯s identity. When he chose to be with her, he had


    already made up his mind to protect her for the rest of her life.


    Presently, he and Veronica made their way back to Twilight Condominium.


    They went into their apartment and Veronica immediately plopped down on the couch. She sighed


    wearily as she said, ¡°My parents were totally fine with our ns to marry until Master Crayson decided to


    butt in and dissuade them. That old geezer¡¯s ruining things for me.¡± She reached out to grab a throw


    pillow andy down t on it in frustration. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why he doesn¡¯t like you. You¡¯re the


    ideal husband material if you ask me!¡±


    She did not think it was easy for her to finally meet someone she would like to spend the rest of her life


    with; the only reason why she wanted to secretly marry him was because of his status. She did not want


    to be in the center of public attention, and announcing their marriage to the rest of the world would mean


    sacrificing what little modicum of privacy they had.


    She did not think that in sessfully evading the public¡¯s white-hot microscope, she would have to put


    up with Master Crayson¡¯s unreasonable protest against her marriage to Matthew. Now, the old man was


    on his way to Bloomstead.


    Matthew¡¯s heart went out to her and he poured her a ss of warm water. Handing it to her, he said,


    ¡°Drink.¡±


    She did as she was told and he gently pulled her into his arms while his hand cupped the back of her


    neck tenderly. ¡°Your master has watched you grow up and you¡¯re just like a daughter to him. It¡¯s only


    natural that he wants to have a say in who you get to marry. He¡¯s concerned for your happiness like a


    father should be.¡±


    After drinking the water, Veronica set the ss down on the coffee table. More urately, she mmed


    it down on the coffee table, just hard enough to show how exasperated and belligerent she was. ¡°I know


    that, but it doesn¡¯t mean he gets to stop me from living my life the way I want to. Don¡¯t I get a say in my


    own happiness, too? How can you expect me to just be cool about this?¡±


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re getting worked up,¡± Matthew said as he caressed her hair soothingly. Then, he murmured,


    ¡°Good thingse to those who wait.¡±


    At once, Veronica fell silent. She thought about how Matthew had been a great help around the house


    during New Year¡¯s previously. He had respected her family and did all the dishes, as well as went out in


    the snow just to chop up firewood for the stove. Maybe Master Crayson and my parents will change their


    minds about Matthew after they¡¯vee over and talked to him, she thought. Maybe good things really


    doe to those who wait.


    Hence, she waited alongside Matthew for a few grueling hours. At longst, Master Crayson and


    Veronica¡¯s parents arrived at the Bloomstead train station.


    She and Matthew drove to pick them up after which they headed toward One Piece Restaurant so they


    could have dinner in the private dining room.


    The only time the stifling silence between the five of them was broken was when Matthew ordered the


    food, but as soon as the waiter left, Veronica went back to sulking as she sat next to him.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, Master Crayson, I¡ª¡±


    Matthew was trying to alleviate the tension in the room by making small talk, but he broke off when he


    saw Master Crayson raise his hand to stop him mid-sentence. He obediently kept quiet out of respect for


    the old man.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, I¡¯d like to speak with my daughter¡­ in private, that is. Could you¡­¡± Danie


    began, eyeing Matthew meaningfully as if hoping he would catch on to what she was asking of him.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he replied agreeably. ¡°I was just about to go out for a smoke anyway.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    He rose to leave, but Veronica¡¯s hand darted out to grab his arm. She turned and said with implication,


    ¡°Sit down. Whatever she has to say to me, she can say it in front of you.¡±


    Matthew was admittedly shocked to see how protective she was of him. His heart warmed, but when he


    caught the looks on Danie, Tony and Master Crayson¡¯s faces, he decided that it was better for him to


    give them some space. As such, he thought of an excuse that not even Veronica could counter and said,


    sounding forced, ¡°I need to use the restroom. My stomach¡¯s feeling a little¡­ funny.¡±


    ¡°Your¡ªoh, whatever, go ahead,¡± Veronica said, sighing in exasperation as she let go of his arm. She


    watched as he walked out of the private room. When the door closed behind him, the room fell into a


    deafening silence once more.


    Unhappily, Veronica turned to look at the three figures seated across from her and demanded, ¡°What is it


    about my ns to marry Matthew that makes it so objectionable to the three of you? Do you guys not like


    him or something?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Danie sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not so much about how we don¡¯t like him as it is about how we think he¡¯s


    too good for you.¡± She clenched and unclenched her fingers, then put her hands out like she was trying


    to present her reasons.


    ¡°We¡¯re basically bumpkins to big-city folks like him, so how are we ever going to match up to his family¡¯s


    standards? Roni, you don¡¯t know what these blue bloods can be like and I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt


    just because of your humble background.¡±


    Tony, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke up. ¡°I second your mother¡¯s reason, Roni. I don¡¯t


    understand how you could possibly think you¡¯d outdo the other more aplished youngdies of high


    society who circle around Matthew all the time. He¡¯s rich and capable, but what are you bringing to the


    table other than that pretty face of yours?


    Your mom and I want you to be happy, but marriage isn¡¯t y-pretend, it¡¯s about how two families


    be one and ours is sorelycking in wealth and statuspared to his. Who¡¯s to say you won¡¯t be


    treated like a scullery maid if you marry into his family?¡±


    Master Crayson merely sat and sipped his tea wordlessly. It was only when he sensed Veronica¡¯s


    burning gaze on him that he set his cup down and cleared his throat, then said, ¡°There is no future for


    the both of you.¡± He sounded solemn, his words leaving no room for negotiation.


    Veronica looked at him for a long moment. She could not help feeling that there was more to what he


    said than on the surface. She might be able to let his words slide if he had simply said he did not like


    Matthew or if he thought Matthew was unreliable and the like. However, she found herself rting his


    words to his recent odd behavior and she became somewhat unsettled.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who gets to have a say in whether we have a future or not,¡± she bit out while looking steely.


    ¡°He¡¯s the man I love and I¡¯ll marry him no matter what. I just don¡¯t want to publicize the whole thing and


    get our paperwork sorted in private. Also, I know you all think I¡¯m making the wrong choice here, but¡­¡±


    She paused and squared her shoulders as she met their eyes, then continued, ¡°But probability-wise, the


    good oue is on equal standing with the bad oue. If there¡¯s a fifty-fifty chance that I might end up


    happily married, why do you choose to believe otherwise?¡±


    ¡°Why must you be so stubborn?¡± Tony took a gulp of his warm water and breathed in, then exhaled in


    frustration.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯ve never gone against your will before, not even as a child. I¡¯ve never made you worry


    about me or done anything that suggests I cannot take care of myself. I¡¯ve put a lot of thought into this


    before deciding to settle down with Matthew.


    I¡¯ll admit; there were moments when I nearly gave up because I believed we would never work out; but


    you don¡¯t know how much I have been through and every single time I was in danger, Matthew would


    risk everything, even his own life, just to save me,¡± Veronica said frankly, hoping that she would be able


    to convince them by telling them just how much she and Matthew meant to each other.

 Chapter 420

    Chapter 420


    Chapter 420 The Secret


    ¡°We get it. You¡¯re a big girl now and you think you know better,¡± Master Crayson pointed out in


    resignation. He stood up and began to head out of the private dining room. ¡°I need to use the restroom.¡±


    None of them had had a toilet break since arriving at the train station, so Veronica believed him and did


    not dwell too much on this.


    Leaving the private room, he walked down the hallway and immediately spotted Matthew in the distance.


    The young man was leaning against the steel banisters while smoking, looking deep in thought.


    When Matthew noticed Master Crayson approaching, he straightened up and snuffed out his cigarette.


    ¡°Master Crayson, what are you doing out here?¡± His usual icy demeanor was nowhere to be seen


    whenever he was around Veronica¡¯s family; he more often than not showed them his utmost respect.


    Master Crayson gave him a brief look. Then, leaning against the banister, he pulled out his cigarette


    holder, then produced a small pouch and pinched some rolling tobo. With precision, he put the


    tobo into the cigarette holder and reached for his lighter.


    At once, Matthew quickly offered to light up the end of his cigarette holder for him.


    The amount of respect he showed for the older man was proof of how much Veronica meant to him. Why


    else would a man of his stature offer to light up a cigarette for someone like Master Crayson, who came


    from neither power nor money?


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Stunned, Master Crayson nced at Matthew in mild interest, then puffed on his cigarette for a while. He


    blew smoke out of his nostrils as he sighed deeply. ¡°You know, Veronica is a simple girl from an even


    simpler background. I just don¡¯t see how she¡¯s going to fit in with the rest of your family. Much as we¡¯d


    like to think we¡¯re better than all the talk of status, it won¡¯t change the fact that Veronica will not be happy


    marrying someone out of her league.¡±


    Matthew lit up another cigarette for himself and took a drag of it. After a second of silence, he nodded


    and said, ¡°You make a fine point, Master Crayson.¡±


    ¡°If you truly think that way, then why don¡¯t you stay away from Veronica for her own good?¡±


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t just assume that our rtionship will fail because of our difference in status,¡± Matthew


    countered with a smile. ¡°What if I were to give up my money and status and be an average joe? Would


    that make you change your mind, Master Crayson?¡±


    ¡°Give up your status?¡± The old man frowned and tipped his head to the side to assess Matthew, looking


    deep in thought. However, there was no telling if he was thinking about how truthful or practical


    Matthew¡¯s suggestion was. A momentter, he snorted and said, ¡°Bah! You¡¯re the sessor to the


    Kingses¡¯ fortune. Why would you give that up? You youngsters are always so fickle and immature, it¡¯s


    hard to watch.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, Master Crayson? You can always ask around and I guarantee everyone will tell


    you how I¡¯m a man of my word,¡± Matthew said yfully. He reckoned that the only person who could


    make him go back on his word was Veronica.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to y detective,¡± Master Crayson snapped. ¡°All in all, there¡¯s no getting me to trust


    men like you who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths.¡±


    ¡°Is this really a matter of trust or does it have something to do with Roni¡¯s identity?¡± Matthew looked up


    and fixed his sharp gaze on Master Crayson. There was a dark gleam in his eyes this time and some of


    the respect in his tone was noticeably reced by an usatory edge.


    Master Crayson¡¯s fingers tightened on the cigarette holder and he lowered his gaze as he searched his


    mind for an answer. Not wanting to give anything away, he looked Matthew square in the eye and asked,


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± A smirk curled on Matthew¡¯s lips as he added, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know who you are and


    I don¡¯t care about Veronica¡¯s background. She¡¯s the woman I want to marry and nothing will change


    that.¡±


    This time, he did not sound like he was asking for permission; he was merely making a statement and it


    was a bold one that made his intentions of marrying Veronica loud and clear.


    Master Crayson¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he eyed Matthew inquisitively. ¡°When did you find out?¡±


    He should not be surprised that Matthew uncovered the secret behind Veronica¡¯s identity. After all,


    Matthew was a rare talent and a business prodigy in Bloomstead. His razor-sharp wit and his


    ruthlessness were unmatched in the industry despite his young age.


    Master Crayson had been worried that Matthew would discover the truth and now, his fears hade


    true. If his suspicions about Veronica¡¯s identity were already aroused, then there was no stopping him


    from running further investigations on the matter.


    One could only try so hard to keep a secret from bubbling up to the surface.


    As such, Master Crayson did not try to cover it up anymore and he decided to be frank with Matthew. ¡°If


    you know Veronica is not an ordinary girl, then you should know to stay away from her. There is no future


    for the both of you, I¡¯ve told her as much. Surely you must realize that your rtionship is doing more


    harm than good to her.¡±


    Matthew was impassive toward most things in life; that was just the way he was programmed. However,


    when it came to things that concerned Veronica, his curiosity shot through the roof. He wanted to know


    everything about her background and uncover every secret. He wanted to see just what her fate as the


    leader of the hidden n would be like.


    ¡°When will she leave Bloomstead?¡± At that moment, a sudden thought shed across his mind, which


    was that Veronica was bound to leave Bloomstead soon.


    He had neglected an important detail¡ªMaster Crayson and the Larsons never tried to stop him from


    getting engaged to Tiffany and marrying her, but for some reason, the resistance only applied when it


    involved Veronica.


    Tiffany had grown up in Bloomstead and she had beauty and talent, outshining nearly all the other young


    ladies of nobility here. Conversely, Veronica was raised in the country where no one would know her.


    She was like a gem that everyone sought to protect or hide away on purpose.


    If Tiffany and Veronica were twin sisters, there should be no reason for them to live such vastly different


    lives. And where does Randy stand in all these?


    ¡°You¡¯re a clever fe, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯d like to think that you did not tell Veronica what you¡¯ve learned about


    her so far because you still care for her¡ª¡±


    ¡°Between Tiffany and Roni, I think the former would be more interested in being the leader,¡± Matthew


    said, cutting the old man off as he gazed at him meaningfully. Then, he added, ¡°Roni has told me how


    she¡¯s always wanted a normal and simple life right from the moment we met.¡±


    ¡°Tiffany doesn¡¯t qualify,¡± Master Crayson said dismissively as though not at all concerned about Tiffany.


    Not once did he ever mention Randy.


    Matthew could not help thinking about the passage he read in the ¡®Secret Affair of the Hidden n¡¯. ¡®For


    hundreds of years, only a man stands to be the rightful heir and leader of the hidden n, a


    position no woman shall inherit.¡¯


    He had his suspicions about this at first, but from the looks of it, the hidden n truly had no intention


    whatsoever to have a woman lead them; that would exin why Master Crayson was so protective of


    Veronica.


    ¡­


    In the private dining room, Veronica talked to her adoptive parents for what felt like a long time before


    Master Crayson and Matthew finally came in. The waiters immediately started serving dinner. As


    Matthew resumed his seat next to Veronica, he invited the three figures across from him to dig in. ¡°Mr.


    and Mrs. Murphy, Master Crayson, you must be hungry after the long journey. Let¡¯s have dinner and


    save the heavy talk forter.¡±


    Tony and Danie nced at Master Crayson, then at Matthew, then at each other. Without another


    word, they started eating their dinner.


    They finished the food in a stiff and suffocating silence. Following this, Matthew announced, ¡°It¡¯s getting


    late. We should all head home and catch up on some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Mom, Dad¡ª¡± Veronica was about to say something when Matthew squeezed her hand and said, ¡°Save


    it for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Did you¡ªokay, fine,¡± she relented. It was really gettingte and she did not want to wear her parents


    and Master Crayson out after their long journey here from the country. As such, she had Matthew put


    them up at a hotel.


    After all was settled, she and Matthew turned to head downstairs.


    On the way home, she finally could not suppress her frustration any longer and demanded, ¡°Matthew,


    why didn¡¯t you let me talk to my parents? I know they look stubborn, but they¡¯ll let me marry you because


    they love me and they want me to be happy. You could have let me convince them.¡±

 Chapter 421

    Chapter 421


    Chapter 421 Is Crayson Sick?


    ¡°Why are you concerned when they won¡¯t stop you from receiving your marriage certificate?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re as worried as a toad under a harrow. Are you afraid that I¡¯ll fall in love with someone else?¡±


    Matthew pursed his lips and patted Veronica on the back of her head.


    ¡°Hey! If you really fall for someone else, say the word and I¡¯ll leave without a trace.¡± Veronica snorted


    softly and appeared arrogant on her petite face.


    She was so proud of herself knowing well that Matthew loved her and was fearless because of his love


    for her¡­


    Matthew¡¯s smudged smile stiffened after hearing the sentence and his smile gradually converged until it


    vanished.


    ¡°Look¡­ There¡¯s a car! Look out!¡±


    For a split second, Matthew involuntarily lost his focus and wandered as he stared at Veronica.


    At this precise moment, she pointed to the front and yelled in horror as the car in front came to a halt.


    Regaining consciousness in the next second, Matthew instantly mmed on the brakes.


    Squeak. A piercing sound rang through their ears and Veronica¡¯s body was jerked forward before the


    safety belt dragged her back. Her body then struck the passenger seat hard after thudding around.


    ¡°What are you doing? Keep your eyes on the road while driving!¡± She frowned and scolded Matthew


    angrily.


    She was furious because he drove recklessly, which caused her concern.


    ¡°Are you okay? I was just talking to you, but I was distracted.¡± He gave an arbitrary excuse.


    ¡°Be careful. I was almost shocked to death.¡± Veronica clutched her heart, terrified.


    After the red light turned green, the car began to move slowly. Matthew looked ahead and said nothing


    while the atmosphere in the car fell into deafening silence.


    Veronica, who was sitting in the passenger seat, cocked her head to look at her man. ¡°Are you hiding


    something from me?¡± Intuitively, she felt that he appeared to be distracted by something, ¡°Did Crayson


    say something to you?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No. Master Crayson didn¡¯t say much to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Veronica sighed. ¡°My master is always like that. He likes to ignore people, but he is genuinely nice


    and honest.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t manage to collect our marriage certificate today, so let¡¯s get it tomorrow,¡± she said while


    clutching Matthew¡¯s hand as they arrived at Twilight Condominium.


    ¡°It¡¯s Saturday tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Then¡­ That¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go on Monday.¡±


    ¡°On the ninth of May? I recall you not being fond of the number nine,¡± he reminded.


    Realizing what he meant, she responded, ¡°Oh, yeah. I don¡¯t like the number nine, it feels unlucky. Let¡¯s


    go on the tenth.¡±


    Letting go of Matthew¡¯s hand, Veronica then walked over to the couch and leaned against it while looking


    up at the ceiling and murmuring, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why they¡¯re not giving us their blessings.¡±


    She had a sneaking suspicion that her adoptive parents despised their marriage. They clearly liked


    Matthew prior to this.


    As he heard her words, his eyes gleamed. After that, he went and got her a cup of warm water before


    saying, ¡°It¡¯s a marriage after all, so they will naturally be concerned. In the end, I was the one who failed


    to provide them with a sense of security.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she agreed with a firm nod. ¡°You are a wealthy, attractive man who likes me. Isn¡¯t this like


    Cindere? It¡¯s no surprise that my parents are skeptical.¡±


    What in the world is this fairy tale? This is clearly a fabricated story intended to cloud people with wishful


    thinking. How many real-life examples of Prince Charming falling in love with Cindere will there be?


    ¡°In this case, you have the upper hand.¡± Matthew sat next to her and hugged her. His handsome face


    turned solemn and a glint of loneliness and gloom shed across his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re aplete narcissist.¡± Veronicaughed and set the cup down before wrapping her arms around


    his neck. ¡°I¡¯m getting a little tired¡­¡±


    In fact, she used to have terrible insomnia. Ever since meeting Matthew, her insomnia had been relieved


    and herplexion has improved noticeably.


    ¡°Come on. Rest on me.¡± He embraced Veronica and ced her head on hisp.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I have a show tomorrow, so can you apany my parents?¡± she inquired as she curled up on hisp


    and clutched his hand tightly.


    She had been requesting leaves for a couple of days since signing the contract with Starshine Media


    Agency. This made her feel sorry for Sean, who had been taking great care of her.


    Once, she even went to confront him by questioning, ¡°Mr. Ludwig, I¡¯ve been requesting two to three days


    of leave ever since I started working. Not only are you not mad at me, you even continued to provide


    resources to me. Is it because I am Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter?¡± She was irritated at the time.


    With her natural strong and willful personality, she only wanted to use her own abilities to achieve her


    goals rather than taking advantage of her status as Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter to pave her own way.


    Sean grinned upon hearing her words. ¡°Yes. Because of your identity, I promised Ruka that I would let


    you join Starshine Media Agency. However, Iter realized that you have a lot of potential, spirituality,


    and talent. You¡¯re born to be on the stage. The temperament and nobility you disy on the runway are


    reflective of everything God has given you, allowing you to sparkle and be eye-catching.¡±


    Veronica fixed his gaze on him as he was speaking. She could see the light and longing in his eyes; he


    had high hopes for her.


    Ever since then, she realized that Sean only liked her because she was a dazzling star on the stage; a


    girl with aura and beauty. Furthermore, the fact that she was Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter made him


    appreciate her even more.


    As a result, Veronica became more invested in her work and she was determined to not tarnish the


    Kingses¡¯ reputation.


    The catwalk for tomorrow was also nned a week in advance. Despite the fact that it was not a big


    show, she could not bring the Kings Family down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll look after Mr. and Mrs. Murphy,¡± Matthew assured her.


    ¡­


    After a good night¡¯s sleep, Veronica weed the bright morning. She washed up and went straight to


    the hotel where her adoptive parents were staying.


    Knock, knock! The door opened.


    ¡°Good morning, Mom,¡± Veronica greeted as she tilted her head and looked at Danie. She continued


    upon entering, ¡°Where has Dad gone? Is he out for breakfast? Matthew sent someone to make you


    breakfast. It should be here anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Your father is having a conversation with Master Crayson next door.¡± Danie sighed deeply as she


    combed Veronica¡¯s hair. ¡°Little Roni, you¡¯re driving Master Crayson insane. He stated that he is feeling ill,


    so your father went over to apany him.¡±


    Veronica pursed her lips and took theb from Danie¡¯s grasp. ¡°Mom, please take a seat. I¡¯llb


    your hair.¡±


    She took Danie¡¯s hand and led her to the couch in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, where she sat


    andbed her mother¡¯s hair. ¡°I really like Matt, Mom. Why can¡¯t you just let me be happy?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Master Crayson concur?¡± Danie added while spreading her hands, ¡°His heart wouldn¡¯t be


    aching from rage now had he not approved of it!¡±

 Chapter 422

    Chapter 422


    Chapter 422 Hendrey is Leaving


    The movement of Veronica¡¯s hand came to a halt. ¡°Huh? Did Master Crayson agree? Why am I


    completely unaware of this? When did this happen?¡±


    On cloud nine, she handed Danie theb and said, ¡°Mom, you canb your hair. I¡¯m going to see


    my master.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ brat.¡± Danie shook her head, but her face was flushed with affection. Knocking on the door next


    room, Tony appeared in front of her. ¡°Good morning, Dad.¡± She gave him a friendly smile.


    ¡°Why are you smiling when you¡¯ve upset Master Crayson?¡± chided Tony.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m the one to me. I¡¯m now pleading for his forgiveness.¡± She squeezed in through the gap


    between the doors and found Crayson lying on the bed, quilted and sleeping on his side.


    ¡°Master Crayson? Master Crayson?¡±


    Veronica approached and appeared in front of his face. ¡°Hey, Master Crayson. My mom told me that you


    have agreed to my marriage with Matt. You¡¯re the best!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t have an apprentice like you!¡± Crayson growled angrily. He then snorted, rolled over and


    had his back facing her.


    Seeing this, Veronica stood up and crossed the bed to the other side. As such, Crayson eyed her and


    prepared to roll over before she could say anything.


    However, this time, he was stopped by her. ¡°Hey! What are you doing, Master Crayson? You¡¯ve agreed


    to my marriage with Matt, which is the best news I could get! I swear to God¡­¡±


    Having said that, she raised her palm and solemnly dered, ¡°I swear that Matthew and I will be happy


    for the rest of our lives. Otherwise, we¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Just as Veronica was about to continue, Crayson pouted and pped her on the head, eximing, ¡°Shut


    up! I¡¯m not even in the mood. You¡¯ll irritate me to death sooner orter.¡±


    When she saw her master, who was old and gray, she sensed his distress and love for her. Therefore,


    she gave him a hug across the bedding. ¡°With the exception of my parents, you are the best in the world.


    You must live at least a hundred years!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to move at the age of a hundred. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t feed me and I¡¯ll die of starvation


    instead.¡± He gave her a sidelong nce.


    ¡°What are you bbering about? I¡¯ll have steaks while you have sds; I¡¯ll eat bananas while you eat


    the peel¡­ Ouch¡­¡± She cracked a joke, just like she used to do when she was younger.


    She got a p on the head about halfway through her joke. ¡°Stop ying with me! You rude brat!¡±


    Veronica pouted as she yanked on Crayson¡¯s beard. ¡°You can¡¯t ignore me, Master Crayson. I¡¯m being


    bullied here!¡±


    ¡°You earned it! You should take a beating!¡± he reprimanded.


    The atmosphere became livelier and more rxed as the conversation progressed.


    After a while, Matthew brought his servants along with him to have a meal together.


    Crayson¡¯s condition was brought to Matthew¡¯s attention by Veronica, thus, he contacted the doctor to


    have Crayson examined.


    It turned out that Crayson¡¯s blood pressure was elevated, but everything else was normal. As such,


    Veronica¡¯s anxious heart had calmed down and she left for work after bidding everyone goodbye.


    At 11.00AM, she had just stepped down from the stage after the runway when she bumped into Hendrey


    backstage.


    ¡°Hi, Hendrey. What brings you here?¡± Veronica was taken aback when she saw him.


    She had only seen him a few times in thest three months since her hand fracture ident.


    He was dressed in a white suit and appeared as gentle as he always did. He smiled brightly as he stood


    in front of her. ¡°Are you recovered now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°My arm has healed,¡± Veronica said while moving her wrist.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking good, by the way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so bad. So, how about you? What brings you here?¡± She was here for a runway show at one of


    Bloomstead¡¯s clothing show exhibitions, so it was unexpected to meet Hendrey here.


    ¡°I¡¯m only here to see you.¡±


    ¡°See me?¡± Veronica frowned, clearly puzzled.


    He could have just given me a call. Why does he have toe in person? Is something going on?


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit and talk. There¡¯s a chair over there.¡± She pointed at the resting chair.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Hendrey gestured with his hand and continued, ¡°My ne is departing in an hour. I¡¯m here


    to see you once more before I leave for Castron.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re going to Castron? Didn¡¯t you just return and intend to stay? Why are you leaving in such a


    hurry?¡± She was confused.


    Furthermore, he really appeared rushed to depart this time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived abroad for a long time and gotten used to it. I intended to stay, but even after six months, I


    couldn¡¯t adjust to the environment.¡± Hendrey shrugged helplessly. ¡°Perhaps my adaptability is


    inadequate.¡±


    He pretended to make an excuse, but in reality, he hadpleted his mission; Bloomstead did not need


    him anymore, so it was natural for him to leave.


    Facing her first love, Veronica had some lingering regrets about him.


    However, the past was the past and there was no need to dwell on it. Starting from then, they should let


    go of one another and follow their dreams.


    ¡°You must have made the decision to leave since you only told me about it now. I can¡¯t see how I can


    make you stay either,¡± Veronica said while slightly pursing her lips.


    She then took a step forward and offered him a hug. ¡°Have a wonderful journey. I¡¯ll see you again.¡±


    Since the year Hendrey left Bloomstead, she had been burying the words she wished to say to him. Over


    the years, she had gradually forgotten the unsaid words.


    She remained silent despite the fact that she had thousands of words she wanted to say.


    Atst, she finally let go of Hendrey and looked at him with trepidation in her eyes.


    He could not help but feel his heart race and throb during their long embrace. His hands on the side of


    his body, however, did not lift up, most likely because he was afraid¡­ He was afraid that after embracing


    Veronica, he would be unwilling to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something for you.¡± Hendrey took a delicate square gold velvet box from his pocket and handed


    it to her. ¡°This is a gift for you. I hope you can wear it in the future.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± She epted the box and curiously opened it in which it revealed a luxurious bracelet.


    The ridges and corners of the minimalist luxury bracelet were highlighted by three blue diamonds in the


    center while two bows and arrows are engraved on the left and right sides of the blue diamond splint.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this bracelet. It¡¯s magical and it¡¯lle in handy at a pinch, so¡­¡±


    Hendrey exined solemnly as he picked up the bracelet and ced it on Veronica¡¯s left wrist. ¡°You


    must always wear this bracelet.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    Unable to stop herself from bursting intoughter, Veronica teased, ¡°You sound like a magician. You


    don¡¯t seem like the type to say such childish things. Where did the old you go?¡±


    Herughter made him chuckle as well. ¡°Promise me. You¡¯re not allowed to remove it anytime,¡± he


    reminded her as the corner of his lips curled.


    At this point, Veronica thought he was merely joking. She had no idea the bracelet had such significance


    and could truly protect her in times of need¡­

 Chapter 423

    Chapter 423


    Chapter 423 Tiffany¡¯s Dead


    Veronica raised her wrist and gazed down at her bracelet; her mood oddly depressed. ¡°It¡¯s very beautiful.


    I really like it.¡± She could not help but sigh. In other words, she promised Hendrey that she would not


    take off the bracelet. However¡­


    There were words which she still kept to herself and remained unspoken. Back then, Hendrey left


    abruptly without saying any goodbye; seeing that he had paid a visit to bid his farewell this time after


    reconnecting many yearster, it was considered an improvement.


    He looked Veronica in the eyes with an ambiguous expression. No matter how much he resisted leaving


    her, he did not show a hint of that on his face.


    ¡°Go on with your work, I¡­ It¡¯s time for me to leave.¡± He pointed at his wristwatch, indicating that boarding


    time was approaching and that he would miss the ne if he did not leave now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you off,¡± Veronica added with a smile, ¡°I just happened to be done with my work, so I¡¯m free


    later.¡±


    ¡°Will that be okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m avable anyway.¡± She smiled again before continuing, ¡°Give me a moment. I¡¯ll get


    changed.¡±


    Having said that, she entered the dressing room and changed into a new outfit. Before leaving with


    Hendrey, she said her goodbyes to her boss.


    With that, they left the scene in her red car and drove straight to the airport.


    Veronica, on the other hand, felt inexplicable regret along the way. ¡°Are you nning on staying in


    Castron and never returning to Bloomstead?¡±


    Looking ahead, she nced sideways at Hendrey as she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not likely to return.¡± After responding, he leaned against the passenger seat before taking a deep


    breath and heaved a silent sigh; it was a sigh filled with countless regrets.


    ¡°Veronica, would we still have a chance if I hadn¡¯t left without saying goodbye back then?¡±


    What a surprise. Hendrey actually asked the very question which had been lingering upon him


    throughout this encounter.


    ¡°What made you think about that?¡± Veronica asked, pursing her red lips. ¡°Matt and I are about to get


    married.¡±


    It seemed like she was giving him an incongruous answer just to avoid answering his question.


    After all, what¡¯s past is past. Bringing it up again doesn¡¯t change or do anything.


    Getting married? Hendrey was aware that she had feelings for Matthew, but the two kept their


    rtionship to themselves. Since there were never any rumors about them in Bloomstead, Hendrey


    assumed that they would at least make an announcement regarding their marriage.


    However, Veronica made it sound like¡­ ¡°You¡¯re marrying in secret?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she admitted in a heartbeat.


    To that, he appeared a little dazed. He clenched his fists and replied with a forced smile, ¡°Oh, wow. That


    is a brave thing to do. Congrattions, but I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to make it to your wedding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret marriage, so I¡¯m not nning a wedding.¡±


    ¡°Well, congrattions on your marriage in advance! Wishing you both¡­ a lifetime of happiness and


    love.¡±


    Hendrey clearly felt the pain from the sudden contraction of his heart when he uttered the words ¡®a


    lifetime of happiness and love¡¯. It was a painful, bitter sensation that made it even more suffocating to


    face.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she thanked him for his blessing and turned to look at him next to her. Even with a quick


    nce while driving, she could sense the loneliness and sadness on his face.


    I¡¯ve never really understood why he¡¯d suddenly fallen for Tiffany.


    But now, I do.


    He never had feelings for her in the first ce. He either saw Tiffany as my recement or he was using


    her to get a reaction out of me. Otherwise, why would he, as a boyfriend, remain silent when such a


    tremendous event had urred to his girlfriend?


    ¡°Castron is no more secure than Bloomstead. So, please look after yourself. You know I¡¯m only a phone


    call away,¡± Veronica reminded him when they alighted from the car at the airport.


    While carrying a backpack on his side, he smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Take care!¡±


    ¡°Take care!¡± She gave a slight nod.


    With that, he turned and walked away after waving.


    After entering the airport lobby, Hendrey never once looked back, but Veronica stood there as she


    watched his figure fade into the crowd.


    She was unable to express her confusion and emotion.


    After all, Hendrey was one whom she had loved wholeheartedly. Even if he was her first love, they finally


    had a meaningful farewell for once.


    Veronica reached out to touch the bracelet on her wrist and sighed before getting into the car and driving


    away.


    Her car vanished into the traffic; the man in the hall stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows while his


    starry eyes gradually dimmed, looking in the direction she drove away.


    Veronica, I¡¯m not sure when we¡¯ll be able to see each other again, so please take good care of yourself!


    Hendrey despised having to leave Bloomstead, but he had no other choice.


    Ten minutester, Veronica received a phone call from Caleb while she was on the road.


    She frowned in confusion as she saw his caller ID shing across the phone screen. Why is he calling?


    Is there something wrong with Abby?¡±


    After a brief hesitation, she answered the phone, ¡°Hello, Caleb. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    He let out a sigh and the heaviness in his tone was audible over the phone.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Veronica¡¯s chest tightened. She quickly pulled over to the side of the road and


    inquired eagerly.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Tiffany¡­ She¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ What? Did you just say that Tiffany is¡­ dead?¡±


    As a result of the unexpected news, Veronica¡¯s mind went nk. ¡°Was it a suicide or murder?¡± she


    inquired after a while.


    ¡°The evidence suggests suicide and Randy is also missing,¡± Caleb immediately exined her of the


    situation.


    ¡°How long has Randy been missing? Where¡¯s Floch and Rachel?¡±


    ¡°It took three days to confirm their disappearance. That old couple was in a bad mood and Rachel was


    constantly crying. Floch, on the other hand, smoked cigarette after cigarette.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get it. Thank you very much, Caleb.¡± Veronica hung up the phone and sat in silence in the car for


    a long time.


    Despite her hatred for Tiffany, Tiffany was still her biological sister after all. This unexpected death had


    struck her with more sadness than she had expected.


    If Tiffany was murdered, Matthew was unlikely to be the perpetrator. He would not have waited this long


    to assassinate her.


    Veronica was about to pick up her phone to call Matthew when she remembered Hendrey.


    Regardless, he and Tiffany had been dating for quite some time, so he needed to be informed.


    As a result, she dialed Hendrey¡¯s number right away.


    ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is unavable¡­¡± The intercept message rang on the other end of the


    phone. As such, Veronica sighed as she looked at the time. He¡¯d most likely boarded the ne by this


    time.


    ¡°Matt, have you heard the news about Tiffany¡¯s death?¡± She phoned Matthew and asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Caleb just informed me of this,¡± said Matthew calmly and steadily.


    ¡°Do you think¡­ I should go have a look?¡± Veronica felt conflicted about the situation.


    On one hand, she despised Tiffany, but on the other, she considered Tiffany to be her sister. There¡¯s no


    point in holding grudges against her now that she¡¯s¡­ gone.

 Chapter 424

    Chapter 424


    Chapter 424 Matthew Lied to Her


    ¡°Follow your heart. You can go if you wish to.¡± Matthew allowed Veronica to make her own decision. ¡°I¡­¡±


    She paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Alright.¡± An hour after she hung up the phone¡­


    Knock, knock¡ª


    The door opened moments after Veronica knocked. When Matthew saw her standing at the suite door,


    he grabbed her hand and snatched her into his arms, giving her a warm hug.


    Within his embrace, she closed her eyes and snuggled into his arms.


    The two remained silent as he raised his hand and gently patted her back to soothe her emotions.


    ¡°Has Roni returned? Come on in! Let¡¯s eat.¡± Not hearing any response, Danie turned around to see the


    two of them standing at the door while hugging in a lovey-dovey manner.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Only then did Veronica let go of Matthew and turn to face Danie. She responded with a hum and


    signaled Matthew to keep Tiffany¡¯s death a secret.


    Veronica did not want to reveal too much about Tiffany¡¯s affairs even though they did not care about


    Tiffany.


    He nodded slightly and shut the door before entering the living room with her hand in his.


    In the living room, a sumptuous meal was prepared on the dining table and they gathered to have their


    meal.


    ¡°Roni, your mom and I will be returning to Bloomstead with Master Crayson in the afternoon.¡± stated


    Tony in the middle of his meal.


    Veronica was stunned for a brief moment. ¡°You¡¯ll leave in the afternoon? Didn¡¯t you arrive here just


    yesterday?¡±


    Snap¡ª


    Crayson mmed his cutlery down on the table. ¡°Hmph. Your parents and I are getting older now. We


    can¡¯t take care of you forever. You are free to make your own decision regarding your marriage.¡± The


    enraged master took a sip of alcohol from the ss with staring eyes, looking obviously displeased.


    Having her meal, Danie listened to Crayson¡¯s words and nced at Veronica without saying a word;


    she intended to maintain neutral.


    Crayson¡¯s words held some truth, but so did Veronica¡¯s.


    At that point, Veronica suddenly realized that the meat in her mouth was not appetizing. She lowered her


    head in thought while chewing the pork knuckle in her mouth. ¡°Master Crayson, I know you¡¯re doing it for


    my own good, but my happiness is in my hands. I still want to¡ª¡±


    ¡°For all you want, you can do whatever you like and let us know when the wedding is due.¡± Crayson


    stroked his beard while speaking, then resumed eating.


    After the meal, they all sat for a while before the three elders insisted on leaving. As a result, Veronica


    and Matthew drove them to the train station.


    Along the way, Matthew expressed a desire to have someone drive them back to Bloomstead, but he


    was turned down.


    At the train station, Veronica was just talking to Tony and Danie when Crayson mentioned, ¡°I need to


    go to the toilet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there, Master Crayson.¡± Matthew offered his assistance as if he was worried that the old


    man would get lost.


    Crayson then returned his gaze to Matthew after separating himself from the group and quietly reminded,


    ¡°I hope you will keep your promise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with not marrying for the sake of Roni,¡± said Matthew so casually, but the disappointment and


    pain in his dark pupils were visible.


    ¡°For Tiffany¡¯s death, I believe you must know who the murderer is. Am I right, Master Crayson?¡± he


    asked after a brief pause.


    Matthew was confident at this point that Tony and Danie had no idea about Veronica and Crayson¡¯s


    identities even till now.


    Tiffany¡¯s death, on the other hand, was not an ident and Crayson should be well aware of the reason.


    ¡°Boy, you are very smart. I greatly admire you,¡± Crayson replied as he raised his head to look at Matthew


    meaningfully after pausing for a moment. ¡°I¡¯d be very supportive of you two getting married if Veronica


    wasn¡¯t fated with that identity.¡± He patted Matthew¡¯s shoulder.


    In actuality, Crayson never supported Veronica and Matthew¡¯s marriage from the start; it was all an act


    with Matthew in front of Veronica and her adoptive parents.


    That night, he informed Matthew of some critical information regarding Veronica, prompting Matthew to


    agree with him¡­


    For the time being, Matthew would not register his marriage and marry Veronica.


    ¡°Sigh!¡±


    After speaking, Crayson shook his lowered head and slowly withdrew his hand from Matthew¡¯s shoulder


    before heading to the bathroom.


    Everyone entered the bus after Crayson emerged from the bathroom and Matthew handed them the gifts


    he had prepared before watching them depart.


    The bus was getting farther away and Veronica finally exhaled a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew! They¡¯ve finally left.


    Fortunately, my parents aren¡¯t aware of Tiffany¡¯s death or they¡¯d be overthinking it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back. I¡¯m a little tired,¡± she said while holding Matthew¡¯s hand with a lingering heaviness on


    her face.


    After a long, hazy day at work the next day, Veronica was invited for dinner by Yvonne and Ivana at


    Shiro¡¯s sushi.


    Once they gathered at the restaurant, they ordered their food before opening up their talk. ¡°I heard


    Tiffany is dead, is that true?¡± Yvonne inquired, intrigued.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯d heard rumors about it as well. However, due to Tiffany¡¯s previous scandals, the Larson Family


    did not dare to announce her death, so they nned to cover it up by iming she had gone abroad,¡±


    Ivana nodded and said.


    ¡°Yes. I heard that Mr. and Mrs. Larson are already preparing to auction thepany and they appear to


    be leaving Bloomstead,¡± Yvonne added.


    In response to their questions, Veronica nodded tiredly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°My God! How could something like this happen? She was just fine the other day and now she¡¯s gone¡­¡±


    Yvonne was taken aback and reached out her hand to cover her mouth.


    ¡°She¡¯s earned it. She deserved to die because shemitted far too many sins during her life,¡± Ivana


    grumbled angrily.


    Not saying much, Veronica remained uninterested and gloomy.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Upon noticing her moodiness, Ivana and Yvonne changed the subject.


    ¡°By the way, Roni, would you mind doing me a favor? My baby is over six months old and I¡¯d like to give


    birth at Westcross Children¡¯s Hospital, but I can¡¯t transfer the paperwork there. Any ideas on how I can


    deal with it?¡± Yvonne said to Veronica while extending her hand to caress her stomach.


    Hearing this, Veronica, who was eating California rolls, was taken aback. ¡°You can look for Skyler!


    Apparently, he has a good rtionship with the hospital¡¯s president. Your problem can be resolved


    simply with a word from Skyler. I¡¯m thest person you should look for.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not going to look for him.¡± Yvonne rejected and rolled her eyes as she dipped her sushi into the


    soy sauce. ¡°He¡¯s a jerk.¡±


    Perplexed, Veronica turned to Ivana, hoping for an exnation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I have no idea what¡¯s going on either.¡± Ivana shrugged helplessly.


    ¡°What happened between you and Skyler?¡± Veronica had no choice but to turn to Yvonne before she


    became even more confused.


    After all, Skyler had been there for Yvonne during her depressive period ever since she had broken up


    with Conrad and the two had gradually be friends after that


    Thest thing that Veronica would expect was that they had a fight.


    ¡°What else could it possibly be? Skyler looks down on me, saying I¡¯m not as good as Monica and that I¡¯m


    doomed to care for my child on my own. He even said that I should not have kept the child.¡± Yvonne


    poked the sauce te with her chopsticks as if to express her displeasure.


    As such, her action had drawn Veronica¡¯s attention; her willow brow furrowed slightly and she noticed a


    change in the atmosphere¡­

 Chapter 425

    Chapter 425


    Chapter 425 Attending Tiffany¡¯s Funeral


    ¡°Skyler praised Monica?¡± Veronica asked in disbelief. Monica, in her desperation, came to Veronica for


    help once. Her mother-inw abused her and had hurt her child badly. She phoned Skyler and asked


    him to admit Monica¡¯s child into Westcross Children Hospital. Thanks to that, the child was saved.


    Monica fell on her knees and thanked Skyler, but they did not really talk after that.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Yvonne pouted. ¡°He said she¡¯s gentle, smart, understanding, knows how to make money, and


    takes care of children really well. Instead, he called me a spoiled princess who can¡¯t even take care of


    myself, let alone a kid!¡± She smacked the table. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m mad!¡±


    She¡¯sining, but uh¡­ That sure doesn¡¯t sound angry to me. She looked at Ivana, but the woman


    only cocked her eyebrow and smirked. Oh¡­ So that¡¯s what this is. Okay. This is surprising.


    Veronica took some time to process it and answered, ¡°Skyler¡¯s just concerned about you, but he doesn¡¯t


    know how to show it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about him. He¡¯s annoying.¡±


    ¡°Really? What should I do then? I still have to call Skyler if you need me to get you into Westcross, and


    thest time Monica asked for my help, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright, enough! It¡¯s Skyler this and Monica that!¡± She mmed her cutlery down. ¡°You guys go on


    ahead without me. I need to use the restroom.¡± She got up and went to thedies.


    Ivana whispered, ¡°She¡¯s had wild mood swings ever since she got pregnant. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of the pregnancy.¡± Veronica smiled mysteriously.


    She went back to Twilight Condominium at night. Veronica had her own ce, but Twilight was near


    Starshine and her wedding nning agency was not that far away either, so she stayed around. The


    agency had opened for business a month ago, but it was a runch with Matthew as the boss in name.


    Numerous clients supported it thanks to that and the business boomed. Since Monica had to make


    money for her kid, Veronica assigned her as a part-time wedding nner. Thanks to her talent and


    capability, she was one of the pirs of thepany now. On the other hand, Crayson maintained his


    position as the security guard, but he went back home to rest up as he had not been feeling welltely.


    After arriving home and noticing Matthew¡¯s absence, Veronica went to the study and held an online


    meeting with Vincere Games¡¯ team members. They talked about thepany¡¯s future and the ns that


    would lead to it. Thanks to Veronica¡¯s team, she had been enjoying great sess ever since she


    invested in thepany. They had been making profit ever since the second month. They had made


    four-hundred and forty thousand up until the current month; their momentum could not be stopped.


    Just as Veronica logged out of the meeting and started up a game, Matthew returned home. ¡°What are


    you up to?¡±


    ¡°Just a game. I¡¯ll finish up this match in a jiffy,¡± she answered and went back to her game.


    With that, Matthew went and poured her a cup of tea. He ced it in front of her and stood behind the


    chair to watch her match.


    In the game, she eventually got to the high ground and destroyed the enemy team¡¯s home base tower.


    With that, she won the match and removed her headphones. Leaning into her chair, she stared at


    Matthew and asked, ¡°You must be busy with work, huh?¡±


    ¡°Well, I finished it.¡± He held her cheeks and pressed his lips against hers. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to sleep?


    You didn¡¯t have to wait for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not waiting for you. I-I just don¡¯t feel like sleeping.¡± She would not admit that she was expecting him.


    Suddenly, she remembered something and her eyes shone. ¡°Dad and Mom blessed our marriage. Can


    we head to the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow and get registered?¡±


    ¡°Oh, about that. I need to tell you something.¡± He went around and pulled her up from her chair. Matthew


    sat down and ced her on hisp. ¡°It¡¯s Tiffany¡¯s funeral tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tomorrow?¡± Oh. Not a good day to get wed. She leaned against his chest and wrapped her arms


    around his neck. ¡°Did you find Randy yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Weird. If Tiffany did cross someone, they¡¯d only get back at her or her parents at most. Why did Randy


    get dragged into this?¡±


    Veronica met Randy a few times before. They chatted a few times and he was a lively guy. She did not


    particrly like him, but she did not hate him either. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Tiffany¡¯s death reeks of conspiracy,


    Matt?¡±


    Though Veronica was not sure the cause of Tiffany¡¯s death, let alone being at the scene, Veronica


    believed that things were not as simple as it looked.


    ¡°Not sure.¡± Matthew patted her head. ¡°Just mind your own business and stay out of things you shouldn¡¯t


    ask.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to attend her funeral.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    That night, they did not take long to fall asleep and woke up early the next morning. The couple washed


    up and went to Tiffany¡¯s funeral. Since her funeral was kept secret, there were not a lot of guests


    present.


    It was drizzling and the sky was overcast. It loomed over everyone, spreading depressiveness across the


    air. A big group of people were standing under a tree on the northern side of Saint Cemetery; they were


    in ck attire, holding ck umbres and all of them were facing a gravestone.


    Veronica and Matthew were each holding an umbre and they approached the tree. She saw Floch and


    Rachel standing at the side, hand in hand. They had a ck armband on their arm and a lily pinned to


    their chests. The couple looked forlorn and dejected as Floch¡¯s hair turned gray overnight, seemingly


    aged ten years in just a while.


    Meanwhile, Veronica also saw Ruka, Caitlyn, and Reese there. They were all Tiffany¡¯s friends and Reese


    was also her best friend. Though they had gotten into an argument, Tiffany¡¯s death still hit her hard.


    Moreover, Conrad and Tiffany¡¯s friends were there as well.


    ¡°Why did youe, Veronica?¡± Reese ced a lily in front of the gravestone. She wiped her tears away


    and turned around just to see Veronica and Matthewing closer. Infuriated, she pointed at Veronica.


    ¡°You hypocrite! I bet you¡¯re happy now that Tiffany¡¯s dead!¡± she roared.


    It attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    Caitlyn had hated Veronica for a long time now. She too pointed at her and roared, ¡°Leave! You¡¯re not


    wee here!¡±


    ¡°Veronica¡¯s here? Now that¡¯s surprising.¡±


    ¡°Matthew is here too.¡±


    ¡°Tiffany had a grudge with Veronica. She could be rted to her death.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s just spection.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice for Matthew toe, though. Tiffany tried to dupe him before.¡±


    ¡°The Larsons are gonna treat Veronica better now, won¡¯t they? She¡¯s their only daughter now.¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone was whispering among themselves; they kept looking at Veronica and the Larsons as they


    came up with all sorts of theories.

 Chapter 426

    Chapter 426


    Chapter 426 Respect the Dead


    Infuriated, Ruka chided, ¡°Quiet! Respect the dead, will you?¡±


    Caitlyn and Reese wanted to say something, but Ruka and the Larsons were not looking too happy, so


    they red at Veronica and stepped aside in silence.


    Veronica stepped through the crowd and came to Tiffany¡¯s gravestone. A line of golden words were


    engraved on the surface. It read, ¡®Here lies Tiffany Larson.¡¯ A ck-and-white photo was ced right


    above that line. Tiffany was smiling sweetly in the photo; her eyes were clear and innocent.


    Veronica had no idea when this photo was taken, but seeing the photo of someone that resembled


    herself on a gravestone was bizarre for her. She hated and envied Tiffany before, but now that she was


    nothing more than a pile of ashes, all that hatred disappeared. She stood before the gravestone and


    bowed deeply, then she ced a white lily on it before walking to the side.


    The Larsons stood beside her and she was shocked to see how much they aged in one night. They were


    no longer the proud couple they once were. Having to witness their child die was a harrowing


    experience. The death of their daughter traumatized them and all the light in their life was snuffed out,


    leaving nothing but a husk of darkness behind.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± She had a lot that she wanted to say, but she could not bring herself to say it. Matthew


    uploaded a voice recording online months ago to prove her innocence and that recording was provided


    by the Larsons. As Tiffany¡¯s parents, they should have protected her, but in the end, they gave her up to


    prove Veronica¡¯s innocence.


    Due to that, Veronica was still in disbelief even until this moment. Everything just screamed of a


    conspiracy. Still, it did not matter why they did it. Maybe they were scared of Matthew or maybe they had


    other reasons, but she had to thank them. She heaved a sigh and said, ¡°My condolences.¡±


    With dark circles under his eyes, the man looked at Veronica and heaved a sigh as if he had seen better


    days. He held Rachel, who was crying in silence.


    At the sight of their grievance, Veronica had no idea how tofort the couple, so she left. Matthew left


    a lily for Tiffany and bowed to the gravestone. He talked to Floch for a moment and left.


    Trudging down the hill, Veronica was carrying a heavy heart. It was hard to ept when someone who


    resembled so much like her had died just like that. They might be at odds when she was alive, but


    Veronica still thought it was unbelievable.


    She stayed inside the car for a while before Matthew entered. He noticed how dejected she was, so he


    went around it and opened the passenger seat¡¯s door. He leaned ahead and held her in his embrace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it,¡± heforted her.


    Veronica shook her head. ¡°I just think all of this smells fishy. Caleb said someone made Tiffany¡¯s death


    look like a suicide, but it¡¯s actually a murder. Who¡¯s the one behind this? And who took Randy away?¡± All


    the ¡®coincidences¡¯ in this case told Veronica that things were not as simple as she thought. ¡°I¡­¡± A


    woman¡¯s sixth sense was powerful and she knew that they were only scratching the surface, so she


    wanted to investigate.


    However, Matthew cut her off upon hearing her words. ¡°The Larsons¡¯ case is none of your business and


    Floch and Rachel are handling theirpany¡¯s affairs. They¡¯re leaving Bloomstead next. Randy probably


    isn¡¯t missing. They¡¯ve sent him abroad, maybe. He probably crossed some business rival.¡±


    ¡°You have a point, but¡­¡± She pushed him away and frowned. ¡°Who did he cross anyway? Nobody in


    Bloomstead can push them into a corner. Nobody but you.¡±


    Matthew had no argument for that. They locked eyes and she was staring at him with burning curiosity


    as if she could see through him.


    He stayed silent for a moment and nodded. ¡°Yes. I did it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Veronica could not understand why he did this.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Tiffany, but I wasn¡¯t going to let the Larsons off the hook after what they did to you. It¡¯s just a


    coincidence she died when I was sabotaging the Larsons.¡± He heaved a sigh and held the door frame


    while a frown furrowed his brows. ¡°I had to teach them a lesson.¡±


    In fact, this entire incident had nothing to do with Matthew at all. Had he not confessed, Veronica would


    have grown even more curious about the real mastermind; she would look into the case herself.


    Moreover, Matthew promised Crayson that he would keep this a secret. Of course, he was not going to


    tell her about it; he would rather she misunderstood everything.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s you!¡± She pursed her lips and heaved a sigh. ¡°And I thought she died because the Larsons did


    something really wrong. So, it was just an ident. Still, this is still a bit hard to ept.¡± Yes, it was.


    Tiffany¡¯s death came too suddenly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Just take care of yourself.¡± He patted her head and buckled her up, then gave her a


    kiss. He then closed the door and went to the driver¡¯s seat before driving away.


    Along the journey, it remained quiet in the car. Quiet enough that the only sound was the engine¡¯s hum.


    Veronica was staring outside the window and she felt something was wrong. Some pieces of the puzzle


    did not add up, but she could not put a finger on it. They eventually came home and she went to the


    study for a gaming session to distract herself.


    During the afternoon, Matthew made a feast for lunch, but Veronica had no appetite as she only took a


    few bites. Exhaustion washed over her and she went to lie down on the bed, but she fell asleep instead.


    Eventually, her phone ringing woke her up. ¡°Yvonne?¡± She groggily picked it up and was surprised that


    Yvonne was calling her.


    To her surprise, the first thing that she heard was Yvonne crying from the other end. ¡°Where the hell are


    you, Veronica?¡±


    Her cries woke her up and Veronica sat up on the bed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m bleeding. What should I do? I¡¯m scared!¡± Yvonne was bawling in fear.


    Veronica froze for a moment to process what she just heard. She then pulled her nket away and


    changed into her flip-flops. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ll go to your ce right now. Call the ambnce or get a


    ride to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at home. I called the ambnce, but they¡¯re stuck in traffic. What¡­ What if I lose the baby? I¡¯m


    scared¡­¡±

 Chapter 427

    Chapter 427


    Chapter 427 Sasha¡¯s Back


    On the phone, Yvonne would not stop crying and Veronica was trying her best to calm her down. ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry about it. It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll go to your ce right now.¡± She hung up and looked at the time. 2.00PM¡­


    Peak hour. No wonder the ambnce is stuck in traffic. ¡°Matthew? Matthew?¡± Seeing that he was not in


    the living room, she went to his study instead.


    ¡°Matthew, are you¡ª¡± She thought he would be in his study, but it was empty. ¡°Where is he?¡± She heaved


    a sigh and called Matthew. Headed to the porch, she changed into her shoes and left the house. The


    moment she entered the elevator, the call went through and she could finally get hold of him.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake,¡± said Matthew.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± she asked. Just as she was about to hear his answer, she lost all signal when she


    went into the elevator. As such, she came to the parking lot on the second floor of the basement and


    headed toward Matthew¡¯s parking spot.


    At that moment, she saw him near his parking spot and a drop dead beauty with long, curly hair and


    short crimson skirt was standing before him. Who is she? She was about to go ahead and meet up with


    him, but then that mysterious woman suddenly hugged Matthew.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Matt. I miss you.¡± Sasha held him tightly then let him go, only to punch him in the


    chest. ¡°You¡¯re such a blockhead. You could have called. You can¡¯t expect me to do all the work.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a woman. I don¡¯t see the point in calling you.¡± Matthew frowned with impatience clearly shing in


    his eyes. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still the same blockhead I used to know.¡± She thumped his chest again. ¡°You can¡¯t talk to ady


    like that. I came to see you because I wanna.¡± She stomped her foot and her face red with


    embarrassment.


    ¡°Can you stop talking like an anime girl?¡± Matthew was starting to get really impatient now. He hated it


    when Sasha spoke like this.


    ¡°That¡¯s just how I talk. Hmph!¡± She snorted and approached him again. This time, she held his arm. ¡°I


    don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t get to see you every day. You¡¯re spending the day with me and I demand a weing


    banquet too,¡± she said imperiously, refusing to give him any space to negotiate.


    The man froze up and shot her an icy re. ¡°Hold my arm like that again and I¡¯ll bust up your fake


    boobs.¡±


    Still, Sasha was not even mad about the threat. Instead, she was amused and she puffed her chest out,


    showing off her cleavage. ¡°Impressive, aren¡¯t they? I spent a ton of money on them. Bust them up and


    you¡¯re paying for the recement.¡±


    ¡°How about I pay for the coffin I¡¯ll put you in?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t just¡­¡± She could not argue anymore and flung his arm away. ¡°You¡¯re so cruel, Matt.


    You¡¯d toss your old me behind just because you got a new girl? You¡¯re a jerk.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± The woman who was standing afar could not take it anymore. They were


    getting too close forfort. Herfort. As such, Veronica finally approached them.


    If this had happened back then, the old Veronica would have flown into a rage if she saw Matthew flirting


    with another woman, but after everything they went through, she knew he would not betray her; she


    trusted him.


    ¡°Oh, you really didn¡¯t have toe down, Veronica.¡± Matthew flung Sasha away and approached his


    woman.


    Veronica looked at him for a moment and turned her gaze to this impossibly sexy woman. ¡°Is this your


    friend, Matthew? Care to do the intro?¡±


    Just as Sasha was appraising Veronica, she approached her and extended her hand. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Sasha.


    You must be Veronica.¡±


    She was standing too far away to see this woman clearly earlier, but now she realized who the woman


    was. She was the same one who video-called Skyler at Westcross and hugged Matthew. Why is she


    here?


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice name.¡± Veronica generously shook her hand. ¡°Are you Matthew¡¯s friend?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Matthew was standing beside Veronica with one arm around her shoulder as he nodded.


    ¡°We used to sleep together. We¡¯re more than friends.¡±


    ¡°Can you shut the f*ck up?¡± Matthew shot Sasha a freezing re. If looks could kill, she would be dead


    at this point.


    ¡°Why should I? I¡¯m not lying. We used to sleep on the same bed. I wet the bed once and you kicked me


    out of it. My mom told me about it all the time.¡± Sasha was bringing up the past earnestly. She had a


    serious and innocent look on her face as if she really thought of him as a friend and nothing more.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Is she Matthew¡¯s female friend? Veronica was not sure, but she could not ask as that would be too rude.


    ¡°You sure are a good friend.¡± She smiled. ¡°I have something to do. Gotta go now. You guys have fun.¡±


    Veronica did not mean anything by that, but Matthew had assumed she was angry. As such, he held her


    hand and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Yvonne said she¡¯s bleeding. She¡¯s literally bawling on the phone earlier. I need to see her right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a guy. You can¡¯t help me.¡± Veronica refused. Then, she looked at Sasha and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not


    every day you get to see a friend. You should show her around town. I¡¯ll callter.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Matthew was about to refuse when Sasha nodded quickly. ¡°Sure thing, Miss Murphy.¡± A smile curled


    her lips, but there was no delight in her eyes. She was still appraising Veronica and wondering why


    Matthew was so crazy about her. There must be something different about her.


    Meeting her gaze, Veronica could sense the enmity in Sasha¡¯s eyes and it was a familiar look. It was like


    Sasha was looking at someone who took the guy she liked away from her. Yeah. She likes him, but this


    is not the time to dwell on crushes. ¡°You guys have fun. I¡¯ll be going now. Bye.¡± She waved her hand at


    the woman while swaying her car key around. Before she left, she held Matthew¡¯s neck and pushed him


    down. She then stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lip, telling Sasha that Matthew was her boyfriend,


    not anyone else¡¯s.


    Caught off guard by that, Matthew realized that Veronica was jealous of Sasha and that fact alone


    delighted him.


    She cocked her eyebrow and smiled, then entered her car and revved it up. Just a momentter, the car


    was already out of sight.


    With that, Sasha and Matthew saw her off. A momentter, she broke the silence and clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ Marking her territory, I see.¡±

 Chapter 428

    Chapter 428


    Chapter 428 Yvonne¡¯s Bleeding


    ¡°You?¡± Matthew spared Sasha a nce nonchntly. ¡°In your dreams.¡±


    He then marched toward another car and entered it whereas she hurriedly hopped into its passenger


    seat as well. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m bringing you to Skyler,¡± he answered while driving. ¡°No!¡± She shook her head and red at him in


    rage. ¡°I¡¯ve returned to the country for you. Why are you bringing me to Skyler?¡±


    ¡°I already have a girlfriend, so mind your attitude, please.¡± ¡°Matthew Kings, how can you treat your friend


    like this? Do you still call yourself a man?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t befriend women.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± He easily hushed her and it irritated her so much that she could only sit still in a huff without


    uttering a word. Soon, silence dawned upon both parties in the car.


    Matthew phoned Skyler while driving to hispany to find him. Thirty minuteter, they arrived at their


    destination and the duo took the elevator. They arrived at the presidential office under the secretary¡¯s


    guidance where Skyler was sitting in his ce with crossed legs in anguid manner as soon as they


    entered the room.


    ¡°Hey, Matt. Oh, dude! You¡¯re here. That¡¯s fast.¡± Skyler put down his leg and snapped his fingers at the


    secretary. ¡°Two Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, please¡±


    ¡°Understood, President Robins.¡± The secretary nodded before leaving the office and closing the door.


    Sasha stomped on her feet in vexation and pointed at Skyler. ¡°Skyler, do you have a death wish? Stop


    calling me ¡®dude¡¯ when there¡¯s others around.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I never knew that you¡¯d be so shy. That¡¯s so not like you.¡± He crossed his arms and came up to her


    before walking around her. Shaking his head, he eximed, ¡°Not bad. With this voice and body, you¡¯re


    totally a babe.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She straightened her body with pride at hispliment. ¡°That¡¯s a given. I¡¯ve spent a few millions for this.¡±


    ¡°Wanna know how it feels to touch it?¡± She then approached him and pulled his hand to ce it onto her


    chest.


    ¡°Holy sh*t! Get away from me, pervert!¡± Skyler was taken aback by Sasha¡¯s sudden actions as he


    jumped farther away from her. ¡°You¡¯re a woman. Not a guy!¡±


    Meanwhile, Matthew was smoking on the couch and watched the show with a pallid face in silence. No


    one could tell what was on his mind.


    Sasha tossed her bag onto the couch and flopped onto it. ¡°Hmph! My father keeps calling me a shemale


    and pervert, but how can you say that to my face too?¡±


    Despite her cool tone, Skyler noticed her sour mood and touched his nose while glimpsing at Matthew,


    who shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands as though it was none of his business.


    Skyler seated himself next to Matthew and looked at the woman opposite them. ¡°Uhm¡­ Don¡¯t take it


    personally. You¡¯re a woman, so you should keep a safe distance with men, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I know that, but we grew up together. I even know how many strands of hair you have. Distance my *ss.¡±


    He was at a loss for words to counter that statement. Propping his chin with his arm on the armrest, he


    cocked his head at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a partner? What if your boyfriend finds out how wild you are in


    front of us? What are we gonna do by then?¡±


    Her head sank in dismal silence at the mention of her boyfriend, but he questioned further without a care


    of her emotional change, ¡°Since you¡¯re back in the country now, are you going to go to Castron?¡±


    ¡°I went there for the surgery, so why should I head there again when it¡¯s a sess? I¡¯m not an immigrant


    and I don¡¯t have the intention to marry a foreigner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you have a point.¡±


    Sasha loved dancing from a young age and had a natural ir for it. She was the student whom every


    teacher favored. As much as her love and passion for dancing grew, she hated her gender identity and


    hence the idea of undergoing a sex reassignment surgery (SRS).


    After the incessant shunning by his family upon having numerous discussions, she threatened to kill


    herself in which she eventually persuaded her parents sessfully. In the end, she traveled to another


    country for a surgery to be a woman with the name ¡®Sasha¡¯.


    She underwent several surgeries in Castron and took a few years to recover before transitioning into a


    woman.


    ¡­


    On the other side, Veronica found Yvonne and the ambnce arrived in the nick of time. She


    apanied Yvonne to the hospital for a check-up. After the result came, the doctor imed that


    Yvonne showed signs of miscarriage and needed to be hospitalized.


    In the patient room, a pale-faced Yvonne was put on a drip with her friend apanying her by her side.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±


    She leaned against the bedside and stared helplessly at the ceiling. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m feeling better? I


    haven¡¯t told my parents about it yet. They¡¯ll skin me alive if they find out one day. Plus, there¡¯s no contact


    from Zac either. I¡¯m worried.¡±


    ¡°Both Conrad and Zac are a piece of scumbag. They keep worrying others.¡±


    Veronica stood up to pour her a ss of water and proffered the cup to her. ¡°Your n is ruined. I


    thought Zac wouldn¡¯t let Conrad off the hook that easily when you told him that Conrad had forced you to


    do it, but things are not going ording as we wished it would. We¡¯ve underestimated Conrad.¡±


    Yvonne breathed a long sigh at that. ¡°I¡¯m doomed.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best for you to tell your parents about it. Otherwise¡­ You¡¯ll have conflict with your family.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the guts to do that.¡± She took a sip of water while covering her belly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that my baby


    will be gone once they know about it.¡±


    All and still, the baby was innocent.


    Veronica frowned in contemtion before piping up, ¡°You know that it¡¯s Conrad¡¯s and he knows that


    you¡¯re pregnant. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will use it as leverage to threaten you someday in future?¡±


    Three months ago, when Xavier was abducting her, he revealed the ignominious footage with Conrad,


    heightening the controversy behind the scene.


    Then, Matthew was so livid that he was going to get back at him, but was thwarted by Elizabeth. That


    was why Veronica asked him to stop in order not to upset the old woman. Otherwise, Conrad might end


    up worse than he was at the moment. Still, the fact that he was safe and sound posed a huge threat to


    the baby in Yvonne¡¯s belly.


    Yvonne lowered her head and kept quiet for a moment before saying, ¡°I am. How can I not be afraid? But


    ¡ª¡± She turned her head to Veronica. ¡°But how can I kill the baby inside me just because of that?¡±

 Chapter 429

    Chapter 429


    Chapter 429 Sasha¡¯s Flirting With Matthew


    Veronica had to admit that Yvonne had a point. ¡°Have you contacted Skyler?¡± asked Veronica. ¡°No. Why


    should I?¡± Yvonne snorted with ego.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll help you contact someone to get you an appointment at Westcross Children Hospital.¡± It was


    the most famous hospital in Bloomstead with the best doctors and equipment.


    To give birth at a maternal and child care hospital was not a bad choice, but she had a hunch that


    Yvonne was going there for Skyler. Strange enough, such thoughts just suddenly came to her mind.


    Matthew had asked Skyler to apany Yvonne during the past few months after her broken


    rtionship. In addition to his cheerful personality, Skyler was approachable, gentle and adept at


    cheering people up.


    Perhaps, Yvonne has taken a liking to him because of his gentleness?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Yvonne, do you still¡­ love Conrad?¡± Veronica tested the waters.


    ¡°I must be out of my mind to keep loving him. There¡¯s tons of men in this world.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯ll be difficult for you to find yourself a boyfriend when you have a child.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Yvonne stopped as she lowered her head and caressed her belly. After a moment of rumination,


    she said, ¡°Not everyone dislikes women with kids. Look at Skyler. He keeps mentioning how good


    Monica is. It seems like he really likes her a lot.¡±


    Veronica fell into silence. What?


    After keeping Yvonnepany for a while, Veronica left the patient room to call Skyler.


    ¡°Hey, Roni! What¡¯s the matter?¡± He chuckled.


    He¡¯s a great person, just a little yboy-ish and talkative.


    ¡°Yvonne wanted me to ask if she can have an obstetric check-up at Westcross Children Hospital.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she just ask me personally?¡± He could not understand.


    ¡°She bled and is now in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°What? She should be in a stable condition since she¡¯s six months in. Where is she? I¡¯ll check on her.¡±


    Noticing his worries for Yvonne, Veronica dly sent the address to him.


    Half an hourter, Skyler arrived alongside Matthew without Sasha.


    Skyler went into the room to talk to Yvonne whereas Veronica looked at Matthew. ¡°Where¡¯s your friend?¡±


    ¡°She left.¡± Noticing the displeasure on her darkened face, he approached her and primped her fringe.


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± She raised her eyebrow before snorting. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t love a hot babe? If I were a man, I


    would like¡ª¡±


    Before she could even finish her words, he pulled her into his arms.¡±I don¡¯t like it, though.¡± He wrapped


    his arms around her waist and responded in a gentle voice, ¡°Every woman looks the same to me, but


    you¡¯re different. I can even see you in a crowd at first nce.¡±


    He was blurting sweet nothings without a prelude.


    ¡°God, the cringe.¡± Veronica could not help but smile. Despite the retort, warmth and happiness sprang up


    in her chest.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t say it again.¡±


    ¡°Who says that I don¡¯t like it?¡± She lifted her head and red at Matthew before hugging him to pinch his


    waist. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me who Sasha is yet. How dare you share the same bed with her when you were


    still a child? Don¡¯t you feel ashamed of yourself?¡±


    Even though shepletely trusted him, it was still annoying to see her boyfriend being so close with


    Sasha with her own eyes.


    He lifted her chin. ¡°If we knew each other since we were young, the cheeky person next to me in bed


    would¡¯ve been you, not her.¡±


    ¡°¡®Cheeky¡¯? What an adoringpliment.¡± She began to envy Sasha. ¡°Since you guys have grown up


    together and she likes you that much, should I just back off and give my blessings to the both of you?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just a friend. If she dares to have an idea of it, she¡¯ll get it from me.¡±


    Coming out as a transgender was a personal matter as it was not something generally favored by


    society. Not only did Sasha put up with a lot of stress before the surgery, she now had to deal with the


    massive pressure from manifold parties as well as the destructivements from others.


    As Sasha¡¯s best friends, they had promised each other to keep the truth to themselves. Hence, Matthew


    was simply keeping his promise until the end.


    Hearing his words, Veronica¡¯s mind was put at ease as she nodded. ¡°I trust you.¡±


    After all, women tended to be more sensitive because they could not tolerate any women being so close


    with their partner, although they had grown up together. She liked Matthew and the inherent jealousy and


    displeasure at times were natural. Still, she wasforted by his sincere promise.


    ¡°Why are you here?! Get out!¡± Suddenly, a furious voice could be hearding from the patient room.


    The couple exchanged nces before peeking through the ss on the door, only to see Skyler jumping


    to another side.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I came to visit you because I was worried and yet, this is how you treat me?¡± He


    snapped and pointed at her. ¡°That exins why you¡¯re single. You totally deserve it!¡±


    He then left the room in a fit of pique before turning his head to see Matthew and Veronica cuddling


    outside.


    ¡°Behave yourselves in public, please,¡± reminded Skyler as his face dimmed and he left after that.


    Matthew frowned in discontent while Veronica gave him a light pat and shook her head. ¡°He must be in a


    bad mood. Why don¡¯t you check on him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a masochist. He must be scolded by thedies every month or he¡¯ll suffer.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­ Really?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She smothered her smile and let him go to enter the patient room after which he left to deal with


    some matters.


    She looked after Yvonne all night until Matthew drove to the hospital to fetch her. Since there was


    someone taking care of Yvonne, there was nothing to worry about her safety.


    Even so, the couple did not expect to see someone waiting by the private elevator when they arrived at


    Twilight Condominium. It was none other than Sasha.


    Noticing her presence, Veronica took a glimpse of Matthew instinctively, whose face remained pallid as


    though it was nothing to be concerned of. With that, Veronica figured that she should not get all worked


    up when he was not bothered by Sasha at all.


    They alighted from the car after parking it whereas Sasha came up to him immediately. ¡°Matt, you¡¯re


    finally here. I seriously thought I was going to sleep by the streets.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked Thomas to get you a premium room in a hotel. He should be here at any moment to pick you


    up.¡± His aloof attitude made it seemed like he did not care about her aggressive advances. There was


    coldness in his distanced attitude too.


    He then walked next to Veronica to slide his arm around her shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s head inside and get some


    rest.¡±

 Chapter 430

    Chapter 430


    Chapter 430 The Lovey-dovey Couple


    Veronica suddenly pitied Sasha, who was actually a softie under her sexy appearance. It would be


    overboard to leave her alone by the streets. ¡°Matt, why don¡¯t we¡­ let here with us?¡±


    It was the end of April; although it was hot in the afternoon, the night breeze was chilly due to the huge


    difference in temperature. Leaving Sasha at the underground parking lot in thin clothes would be too


    cruel.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of letting a fox into the house?¡± Matthew questioned nonchntly.


    She shook her head in response as her sense of security came from him. Why should she be concerned


    when he was being honest to her?


    ¡°Sasha,e. Let¡¯s head inside.¡± She beckoned at Sasha.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Sasha smiled and walked to her. ¡°I never knew that you¡¯re this understanding. Others would have


    already gotten into a fight because of me.¡±


    She then averted her gaze onto Matthew. ¡°So¡­ Matt, am I not charming enough to you?¡±


    ¡°Well, at least you know.¡± He gave her a perfunctory response without even sparing a nce at her.


    The three of them entered the elevator with Matthew¡¯s hand around Veronica¡¯s shoulder. His hand


    caressed her cheek and twirled her hair at times while his gaze on her was rife with gentleness.


    Meanwhile, Sasha, who was standing at the corner while clutching her bag, had mixed feelings upon


    seeing the affection.


    Ding!


    The elevator stopped at the top level before its door opened. The couple exited first before Sasha did.


    After unlocking the door with a card, a caring Veronica took out a pair of new flip-flops. ¡°Sasha, put these


    on. It must be tiring to wear those heels.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Sasha before wearing them. When Veronica changed her shoes and turned toward the


    living room, Matthew suddenly pulled her hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Her brows furrowed in confusion.


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She was baffled until he pointed at the flip-flops worn by Sasha. It was not until then did she


    realize that she had never taken care of him like she did for Sasha during their stay together.


    Bending over, she took out his flip-flops from the cupboard and ced them in front of him. With her


    hands on her belly, she bowed at ny degrees to him. ¡°Young Master Matthew, please change your


    shoes.¡±


    ¡°Call me ¡®honey¡¯.¡± The man was satisfied with her acting as he smiled, which indicated his good mood.


    Veronica pursed her lips to hold in herughter before giving another bow. ¡°Honey, it¡¯s been a long day.


    Please put on the flip-flops.¡±


    Now that she knew how much he enjoyed her ministry, she was equally delighted.


    ¡°What the f*ck?¡± Sasha revealed her true self as she cursed. ¡°Please have mercy on me. I¡¯m standing


    right here, you two. I¡¯m so hurt. Stop being all lovey-dovey. You might break up sooner than you think.¡±


    Despite the tease, her stomach was churning on the inside.


    Matthew took off his shoes to wear the flip-flops. cing the leather shoes on the cupboard, he


    suggested, ¡°You can leave if you can¡¯t stand it. No one¡¯s stopping you.¡±


    ¡°No can do.¡± She seated herself on the couch and hugged a pillow before speaking to Veronica, ¡°I¡¯ve


    called Skyler and the gang beforeing. They will be here after buying sushi, so we can have dinner


    together.¡±


    ¡°Awesome! I¡¯m hungry.¡± Veronica dly epted the idea since she loved sushi.


    She then pinched Matthew¡¯s on the arm and whispered, ¡°She¡¯s a girl. Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re being


    too harsh on her?¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be able to go through the door if it wasn¡¯t for you.¡±


    Words failed her when she heard that. Just how fortunate she was to be able to meet such a handsome,


    gentle, and rich guy in her life? Most importantly, he did not worry her when it came to rtionship


    problems; there were no ws she could pinpoint of.


    A touched Veronica stared at him. ¡°Matt, has someone told you how great of a person you are?¡±


    Matthew turned sideways to face her and tap her nose. ¡°Yeah, but only one.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± The smile on his handsome face was smitten by the sweetness of honey. He felt as if he had


    owned the world.


    Sitting nearby them was Sasha, who was suppressing the ire in her while watching their affections. She


    took a deep breath. F*ck! I can¡¯t stand them anymore!


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Hmph¡­ Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡± An embarrassing and inconspicuous sound filled the room.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The couple was stunned momentarily after which Matthew called out to Sasha sternly, ¡°Sasha ude!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She yed dumb as she turned her head toward him with a giggle. ¡°Go ahead. Don¡¯t mind me.


    I¡¯ll stay here watching some videos.¡±


    She then smiled at Veronica. ¡°Miss Murphy, why don¡¯t we follow each other on Twitter? I¡¯ll send this video


    to you since I saw how boring you guys¡¯ interactions are. You should watch it when you¡¯re free. It¡¯s the


    best thing to do with your partner. It¡¯s so boring to just say sweet nothings to each other.¡±


    How could Veronica not know that Sasha was doing it on purpose to anger the both of them? However,


    Sasha¡¯s action piqued her interest instead of anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to throw you out of the door if you send her that,¡± warned Matthew coldly.


    ¡°You¡¯re so mean. Why can¡¯t I send her a short clip when you guys keep acting like that in front of me?¡±


    Next, Sasha turned up the volume of her phone. ¡°We¡¯re living in the twenty-first century. We have every


    right to do whatever we want, don¡¯t we?¡±


    She watched the video as she beckoned Veronica over. ¡°Miss Murphy,e. Wow! This guy¡¯s hot!


    Matthew¡¯s no match for him.¡±


    Hearing the erotic noise, Veronica¡¯s face flushed red in embarrassment. Just as she was going to turn


    down the offer, her phone rang. She fished out her phone to realize that it was Hendrey calling.


    She kept calling him when he was abroad, but it could not get through. After she texted him about


    Tiffany¡¯s issue, he finally phoned her, albeitte.


    ¡°Sasha, shh¡­¡± She ced a finger on her lips, motioning Sasha to keep the noise down. The


    mischievous woman then closed the video whereas Veronica went to the study and shut the door before


    answering the phone.


    ¡°Hendrey, I¡­ Have you read my message?¡± Her heart felt heavy at the mention of the subject.


    The other party paused momentarily before answering, ¡°What message? I lost my phone after returning


    to the country. I bought a new SIM card this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Tiffany. She¡¯s¡­ She has passed away.¡± She had not expected him to not know of the matter as of


    now. ¡°I received the news right after you boarded the ne and I couldn¡¯t contact you afterward.¡±

 Chapter 431

    Chapter 431


    Chapter 431 Matthew¡¯s Schemes


    The conversation fell into silence until Hendrey asked in ¡®surprise¡¯, ¡°What¡­ Did you say? Tiffany, she¡¯s¡­


    she¡¯s gone?¡±


    Although Veronica could not see his expression right now, she could already feel the sadness in him. It


    was not an agonizing feeling, but he could not pretend that nothing had happened before, considering


    the fact that he had shared a past with Tiffany.


    ¡°Her funeral is over, though.¡± In other words, Veronica was wondering if he was still going to return. Yet,


    the man merely sighed and did not reply.


    ¡°Hendrey, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I just need some time alone,¡± he responded before hanging up the phone without hesitation. Du¡­ Du¡­


    Du¡­


    Now that the call had ended, she pondered, He must be in despair to know the sudden news.


    She went back to the living room and sat for a while until Caleb, Skyler and Miguel arrived with the sushi.


    They sat on the dining table and began to revel in the food happily. Amidst theughter of merriment,


    they raised their sses and cheers. Before they realized it, they had already finished seventeen bottles


    of red wine.


    The light drinkers¡ªMiguel and Caleb¡ªhad passed out with one of them lying on the couch while the


    other on the table. Skyler held his ss and let out a heartyughter. ¡°Sasha, see? Caleb and Miguel are


    really bad at drinking. You wouldn¡¯t be able to build up your alcohol tolerance if it wasn¡¯t for me.¡±


    In the meantime, Matthew drank his wine while hugging Veronica¡¯s shoulders with one hand with her


    head resting on his shoulder. She was good at drinking, so she was slightly tipsy. With her leaning


    against his shoulder, she listened to their childhood stories attentively. It was probably because she liked


    him so much that she was rather curious about his past.


    Sasha gulped down the wine before setting down the ss with a thud. Fighting through the dizziness,


    she struggled to look at Matthew while pointing at him. ¡°It¡¯s him! We always slept together in university. I


    have liked him since then¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Right! You guys kept hanging out together back then, but you left without a word in the end. He


    was super sad about it.¡± A drunk Skyler was a mess as well. He could recall the memories pertaining to


    the duo, yet he left out the fact that Sasha had left the country for SRS.


    Meanwhile,Veronica, who had raised her ss to take a sip of the wine, lost her appetite. She shrewdly


    caught the main point from their words.


    They always slept together in university? Sasha left without a word and Matthew was super sad about it?


    So¡­ were they in love?


    Matthew took a nce of the woman, who was leaning against him, with downcast eyes. He could tell


    that she was sober from her fluttering, long eyshes. He knew of her alcohol tolerance as well.


    ¡°Stop the nonsense, Skyler. Matt won¡¯t be sad because of me.¡± Sasha grabbed the wine bottle to fill


    Skyler and her ss. They toasted before downing it in one-go.


    She piped up dizzily, ¡°But I still like him regardless if he was sad or not. I fell in love with him at first sight


    back in the day. Hup! I like him¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything. Matt¡­ Matt loves you so much¡­¡± Skyler poured himself another ss of wine


    and polished it off before bbering ¡®thoughtlessly¡¯, ¡°If he didn¡¯t love you, why didn¡¯t he find himself


    another woman after you left Bloomstead?¡±


    He then looked at Veronica reflexively to notice that she was ¡®fast asleep¡¯ while resting her head on


    Matthew¡¯s shoulder. He continued, ¡°Why do you think he would marry Tiffany? It¡¯s because he thought


    she was his savior. It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s merely an act of gratitude. Then¡­ Then, he came across Roni. Oh! You


    might not know who I¡¯m talking about. Roni is Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Skyler, go back to your ce if you¡¯re drunk!¡± growled Matthew as his face darkened.


    With a crimson face, Skyler raised an eyebrow and pointed at Veronica. ¡°Matt, why are you angry?


    Roni¡¯s¡­ Roni¡¯s sleeping. Besides, I¡­ I¡¯m telling the truth. Only the truth! You don¡¯t love her. You wanna


    marry her because her personality resembles Sasha. You know that¡ªhup¡ªYou do know that Sasha¡¯s


    returning, so you hooked onto Roni to put on a show in front of Sasha.¡±


    Having said that, he cast his gaze onto Sasha and added, ¡°Sasha, the person Matt likes is you. He hates


    how you left without a word, so¡­ He has found someone to rece you. Matt¡­ doesn¡¯t like Vero¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± ordered Matthew as he set down the ss on the table with a thud. He patted Veronica¡¯s


    cheeks lightly. ¡°Roni? Don¡¯t listen to Skyler. He¡¯s¡ª¡±


    He cupped her cheeks and realized that her wine ss was already on the table while she had fallen


    asleep for quite some time.


    ¡°Roni? Roni?¡± He gently patted her cheeks again and was sure that she was ¡®sleeping¡¯ given the zero


    responses.


    ¡°See? I¡¯ve told you that Roni¡¯s asleep, but you didn¡¯t trust me.¡± Skyler mmed the table before pointing


    at him. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think you and Veronica suit each other. Her personality is simr to Sasha¡¯s, but


    she¡¯s not Sasha after all. Since Sasha¡¯s back for good, you¡­ You better not be silly and marry Veronica.


    If this is how you¡¯re going to take revenge on Sasha, you won¡¯t be able to handle the consequences.¡±


    ¡°Really? Matt, do you really like me?¡± Sasha stared at Matthew intensely as tears trickled down her


    cheeks and she began to choke on her words. ¡°I knew it. I knew that there¡¯s n-no way you wouldn¡¯t like


    me.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°But, there¡¯s no future ahead of us,¡± he coldly refused.


    ¡°Why?¡± She was reluctant to give up.


    ¡°You abandoned me back then. Even if I don¡¯t love Veronica, I will never go out with you either.¡±


    ¡°Why? Matt, d-don¡¯t you know why I left at that time? I¡­ I was¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna know why you left, but I want you to taste how it feels to see me and Veronica being


    together,¡± interrupted Matthew sternly while looking at Sasha.


    In fact, Veronica, the heavy drinker, was pretending to be asleep due to fatigue. Who would have known


    that she would discover shocking news afterward? Skyler and Sasha¡¯s conversation reached her ears


    loud and clear.


    Really? Is that true?


    Their words kept ringing in her ears. The shocking discovery made her heart throbbed in pain. However,


    she was willing to believe in Matthew since he had not said anything about it yet.

 Chapter 432

    Chapter 432


    Chapter 432 Veronica Was in Agonizing Pain


    However¡­ She had no idea Matthew would admit it himself! It turned out that thest time Monica¡¯s son


    was injured and hospitalized, she contacted Skyler to make arrangements for his care.


    At that time, Monica happened to see a video of Sasha hugging Matthew¡¯s neck on Skyler¡¯s phone. The


    reason why Matthew did not decline Sasha¡¯s hug at that time was not because they were childhood


    friends. It was because¡­


    He had been in love with Sasha since the beginning! As Matthew stated, he desired to marry Veronica


    solely to enrage Sasha and exact revenge! ¡°Do you still have no idea why I abandoned you back then,


    Matt?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ Because you and I were both men and the world would never have epted us back then. I


    don¡¯t want you, the outstanding heir of the Kings Family, to suffer with me. People chastised me, so I left


    Bloomstead and traveled abroad for my SRS to transition to a woman. I even changed my name andst


    name just to be with you,¡± Sasha said, her voice choking.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°But you¡­ But you eventually decided to stay with this woman. You¡­ Oh¡­ Have you thought about my


    feelings? Matt, you¡­ You¡¯re so selfish¡­. Sob¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you aware of how painful the surgery is for me? I can¡¯t ept who I am now numerous times, but


    you¡¯re the only one who encourages me to keep going¡­ I¡¯m in physical pain, but your rtionship with


    another woman is turning my world upside down. And you used to say you didn¡¯t like women. W-Why did


    you suddenly change your mind? Why¡­ Sob¡­¡± Sasha burst into tears.


    When Veronica heard the unexpected truth, her entire body froze as she was shocked and heartbroken.


    It turned out¡­


    It turned out that Sasha ude was of the third gender!


    Veronica questioned the veracity of this matter. However, when Sasha confided in her about her past


    misery and pain, Matthew¡¯s hand on her shoulder tightened slightly, causing Veronica to feel the true


    reaction of pain.


    The man remained quiet at this point and the silence in the living room was deafening. Save for Sasha¡¯s


    sobbing and the sound of wine pouring, there was nothing but silence.


    Veronica slowly opened her eyes, straightened her body and tilted her head to look at Matthew, whose


    handsome face was flustered. The next second, the wine ss in his hand slipped from his grasp.


    A full ss of red wine was spilled on his legs and the ss shattered as itnded on the ground.


    ¡°Roni, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is everything you said true?¡± Veronica interrupted him in the middle of his sentence, questioning him


    with a gloomy expression.


    His brows furrowed and he did not answer her question. However, silence¡­ was a covert admission.


    She cocked her head and cast a nce at Skyler, only to see him turning around to cover her face and


    avoid her gaze with a guilty conscience.


    ¡°He never loved you at all. You should¡­ be out of the game automatically,¡± Sasha said to Veronica with


    tears streaming down her cheeks.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Veronica only felt a suffocating, knife-cutting pain in her heart. She returned her gaze to meet


    Matthew¡¯splex emotional gaze before standing up to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Matthew responded as he grabbed her hand.


    An apology will never be enough. Veronica shoved his hand forcefully and pped him in the face while


    eximing, ¡°Matthew Kings! You b*stard! You really disgust me!¡±


    Yes. Disgust.


    She strode out of the living room and shut the door firmly. Then, she pressed the first-floor button as


    soon as she boarded the elevator.


    Ding¡ª


    Tears were streaming down her face just as the elevator door closed. Leaning weakly against the


    elevator wall, her body weakened as she slowly copsed on the floor. How can this happen? Huh, this


    is really amusing. I thought Matthew had feelings for me, but turns out it¡¯s all a joke in the end. Yet, how


    can he save me again and again if he is only trying to deceive me at first?


    When the elevator arrived on the first floor, Veronica quickly adjusted her attitude. She then fished out


    her phone and called a private detective, asking the other party to retrieve the information within an hour


    for a high price.


    The private investigator, on the other hand, worked on the matter at first instance.


    Within half an hour, she received a call. ¡°Miss Murphy, we¡¯ve already looked into it. Sasha Calude was a


    man at first; his given name was Manuel Franklin and he has been friends with Matthew since school.


    I¡¯ve emailed you the photos.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Veronica checked her mailbox on the phone where she found an unread


    email. Attached was the resume of Manuel, who was now known as Sasha.


    As she browsed through the document, she came across an image of Sasha huddling with Matthew in


    school when she was a boy; the following image was Sasha¡¯s picture after she had a SRS.


    Veronica had been skeptical of Matthew¡¯s previous conversation with Sasha, but the evidence was now


    clear and she had nothing to doubt.


    She walked in her flip-flops, but she felt powerless to move.


    Therefore, Veronica dragged her exhausted body to the bench and sat. She raised her head and smiled


    as she gazed at the roadside scenery. ¡°Hahah¡­ Hahahahaha¡­¡±


    Her small chuckle in the beginning turned into a reckless and unbridledughter. Sheughed and cried


    as she leaned against the bench. Tears flowed from the corners of her eyes as it disappeared into her


    hair at the temples.


    Despite the fact that it waste at night, Mythpoint was always crowded and people were giving her


    strange looks when they saw herughing as if she was insane.


    Nobody knew that tears of grief were hidden behind herugh.


    This is such a joke. Everything is a joke! Lies. Everything is a lie!


    ¡­¡­


    Meanwhile, at the Twilight Condominium.


    After Veronica had left, Matthew drank ss after ss of red wine.


    Skyler, who sat across from him, was perplexed. ¡°Why did you force Sasha and I to put on a show? You


    should instead give a reasonable reason for breaking up with Veronica! Even if you¡¯re not nning to


    give her a proper reason to break up, you shouldn¡¯t have done it in such a desperate way.¡±


    Sasha wholeheartedly agreed with Skyler¡¯s words. ¡°Yes. Drew is right. You are far too hurtful.¡±


    Matthew invited a few people over today because Miguel and Caleb were lightweight drinkers. Instead,


    both Skyler and Sasha were heavy drinkers. On the surface, it looked like they wereing over for


    sushi, but it was actually a well-nned breakup act.


    Originally, Matthew wanted to cast other women, but he was afraid that Veronica would not believe him,


    so he had to settle for Sasha.


    No one would mock her for being of a third gender and gathering evidence would be simple as well.


    This left Veronica with no choice but to trust his words.


    ¡°I want you two to keep this a secret from Caleb and Miguel.¡± Matthew raised a full ss of red wine and


    drank it all in one gulp.


    Bang! ¡°If anythinges to light, don¡¯t me me for cutting ties with all of you!¡± he said as he mmed


    the wine ss on the table.

 Chapter 433

    Chapter 433


    Chapter 433 Yvonne¡¯s Child Is Born


    Veronica sat alone outside for a long time until she shivered in the cool night breeze. Atst, she rose to


    her feet and left. As she walked, she realized that she was back at Twilight Condominium.


    While standing beneath the towering structure, she raised her eyes to look at it and a sneer appeared on


    the corner of her lips. Is this my subconscious trying to lead me home?


    She turned around, gged down a cab on the side of the road and returned to her own apartment. At


    the apartment door, she flipped the carpet to retrieve a spare key hidden beneath it. She then entered


    after opening the door.


    Familiar, but it does not feel the same anymore. Veronicay on the bed after taking a shower. Still, she


    was not feeling sleepy at all as her mind was a jumble, causing her brain to be fuzzy.


    Her thoughts would involuntarily lead her to Matthew and all she could hear was Skyler and Sasha¡¯s


    conversations at the Twilight Condominium earlier.


    When the truth was revealed, those words circled in her head like a sharp dagger. Veronica¡¯s heart was


    pierced every time she thought about it. It was filled with pain and anguish¡­


    Dawn arrived and the sky brightened; she eventually dozed off. Not long after, she awoke from her sleep.


    Picking up her phone to check the time, she was disappointed to see no unread text messages when


    she unlocked her phone; disappointment and loneliness flooded her face.


    As if Veronica¡¯s argument with her parents and Master Crayson about her marriage the other day was a


    joke.


    The agony she was experiencing right now was a tragic consequence of her obsession with Matthew.


    What a lesson.


    Despaired, Veronica sat on the bed staring nkly ahead and fell silent.


    ¡­


    Matthew never looked for Veronica again after the incident and she never appeared in front of him either.


    Though they were both in the same city and had mutual friends, they never met, so it appeared to be a


    tacit agreement.


    In reality, they were all avoiding each other as they were unwilling to bump into each other.


    She worked as a model for the Starshine Media Agency while also managing Vincere Games.


    In the blink of an eye, three months flew by.


    Veronica¡¯spany, Vincere Games, had a stable ie, so she and her business partners formed a


    joint venture mediapany.


    Since she had previously signed a contract with Matthew for a weddingpany, she had been


    receiving her five percent shares after his weddingpany¡¯s business had soared following itsunch.


    She had an unused bank card linked to a mobile phone number that allowed her to view her earnings,


    but she never used it.


    Regarding Veronica¡¯s identity, it circled back into a mystery once again because of Tiffany¡¯s death and


    Matthew¡¯s cancetion of their engagement. Everything fell into stationary silence as if it was only a


    dream.


    Ring¡ª Ring¡ª


    After the show, Veronica was rxing in the lounge when her phone rang.


    She picked up her phone to see Yvonne¡¯s caller ID shing on the screen.


    ¡°Yvonne?¡±


    ¡°Sob¡­ Roni, my water broke¡­ Sob¡­¡±


    Taken aback, Veronica was surprised to hear Yvonne¡¯s painful voice on the other end. ¡°Why did it break


    so quickly? Isn¡¯t your due date in ten days?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ Sob¡­ I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. Don¡¯t freak out. I¡¯m going to call the hospital.¡±


    Veronica dialed 999 after hanging up the phone and quickly changed her clothes to leave the backstage


    before dashing to Yvonne¡¯s ce.


    Ivana rushed to the hospital after receiving the call as well and waited with Veronica for more than an


    hour, but the baby had yet to be born.


    Suddenly, Yvonne¡¯s scream could be heard clearly from the delivery room.


    After a few moments, the door to the delivery room finally opened.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°May I ask who the family members of Yvonne are?¡± inquired the doctor as he walked out.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Did thebor go well?¡± Veronica asked as she stood up and approached the doctor.


    ¡°The mother suffers from dystocia¡­¡±


    Despite the doctor¡¯s extensive exnation afterward, Veronica remained at the word ¡°dystocia¡±.


    At that sight, Ivana nudged her until she finally came back to her senses. ¡°Veronica, are you listening?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yeah.¡±


    It took the doctor a moment to continue right after Veronica gathered herposure as he said, ¡°This is


    a risk consent form; please sign it.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Needless to say, she was overwhelmed at this point before signing the form atst.


    Since Yvonne¡¯s parents had yet to learn of her pregnancy and she was now in the delivery room,


    Veronica could not possibly let Yvonne die by not signing the consent form. Right?


    With that, the doctor returned to the operating room after obtaining Veronica¡¯s signature.


    Fishing out her phone, she called Conrad¡¯s friend, Skyler, for the first time in three months.


    During this time, she removed Matthew from her life by blocking his phone number and deleting all of his


    contact information.


    Of course, she would not contact Matthew¡¯s friend either.


    ¡°Roni, why are you¡­ Why are you calling me?¡± Skyler asked as he answered the call.


    ¡°I¡¯m currently at Westcross Children Hospital and Yvonne is suffering from dystocia. Can you think of any


    way to get in touch with the best obstetrician?¡± Veronica had no choice but to seek Skyler¡¯s assistance.


    ¡°Dystocia? Sh*t, how did this happen?¡± Skyler muttered, ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll call my friend right


    away and ask for her assistance.¡±


    Twenty minutester, a doctor was seen hurriedly entering the operating room. After some time,


    Veronica finally heard a baby¡¯s cries.


    Finally, her tense heart had rxed.


    ¡°Congrattions, it¡¯s a little boy,¡± the doctor eximed as he walked out of the room, holding the baby in


    his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see the baby. Is everything okay with Yvonne?¡± Veronica inquired as she took a step


    forward and looked at the wrinkled little boy in the doctor¡¯s arms.


    ¡°The mother gave birth safely; everything is fine.¡±


    ¡°The mother of the child is weak and the child will be fed formter,¡± the doctor exined as he


    handed the child to Veronica.


    ¡°Form?¡±


    Veronica was surprised and turned to Ivana. ¡°Damn. We didn¡¯t buy anything.¡±


    ¡°You look after the child. I¡¯ll buy something for Yvonne,¡± she said as she handed the child to Ivana.


    Yvonne¡¯s due date was supposedly ten dayster, so the express delivery package Veronica ordered


    online was still on its way. Who knew she was going to give birth this soon?


    Veronica dashed downstairs, intending to buy a hospital bag for Yvonne¡¯sbor.


    As a result, Veronica, who rushed out of the elevator, collided with someone as she turned to the corner.


    ¡°Oh my! I¡¯m sorry. I¡ª¡± she apologized subconsciously, but was taken aback when she looked up at the


    person in front of her.


    Standing in front of her was none other than Matthew; beside him was Skyler and a doctor in a white


    coat.


    When Skyler saw Veronica, his expression changed and he motioned to the doctor beside him to excuse


    them.


    Veronica saw Matthew again after three months and her heart, which she thought had calmed down,


    suddenly elerated and it was getting intense.


    ¡°A-Are you okay?¡±


    Matthew looked at the woman in front of him and noticed she was sweating profusely, seemingly in a


    rush; he was concerned¡­

 Chapter 434

    Chapter 434


    Chapter 434 The Encounter With Matthew


    Three months and nine days. Over the past month, Veronica had been acting like a wounded deer,


    hiding in a corner and licking its wounds when she was sad.


    Time was the best healer for her broken heart, so she assumed she had already moved on. However,


    she could not help but feel heartbroken when she saw Matthew standing in front of her. But¡­ Who knew


    that he was also in the same excruciating pain?


    However, he refused to show it to the woman he loved. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Young Master Matthew. I¡¯m sorry for


    bumping into you.¡± Veronica took a step back and a polite small smile was stered on her cheeks.


    Matthew¡¯s heart tightened as he detected the hint of alienation in her tone. Even though she had not


    seen him since the breakup, in this day and age, it was impossible not to hear about him.


    Veronica knew from the Inte and her acquaintances that Matthew had been working feverishly these


    days, preparing tounch a market in Castron by investing heavily and acquiringpanies; he was


    very preupied.


    The man maintained his gaze on her as if he wanted to read her emotions from her expression, but he


    could not figure out what she was thinking.


    Veronica¡¯s unwavering eyes and indifferent expression blinded him to anything unusual. ¡°You¡­¡± Matthew


    was surprised to find himself speechless after blurting out one word.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll be heading off first.¡± She smiled brightly while brushing past him and gracefully


    walked away. However, the smile on her cheeks vanished the moment she walked past him. Instead, she


    sped up, almost trotting away.


    When Matthew turned around, Veronica had already exited the inpatient department¡¯s hall; her hasty


    escape seemed to convey her embarrassment and direness. ¡°Why are you making things so difficult for


    yourself?¡±


    Emerging from the corner, he stood beside the man and patted his shoulder. Matthew, on the other hand,


    remained silent before turning around to walk away.


    The reason why he showed up was because he happened to be next to Skyler when Veronica called. As


    a result, he came to the hospital with Skyler.


    After three months of cultivation by Starshine Media Agency, Veronica had be increasingly


    outstanding and he had been watching her catwalk on Bloomstead TV.


    At the end of the day, he drove aimlessly after leaving the hospital.


    To his surprise, he saw a familiar figure on the side of the road¡­


    It was Master Crayson!


    When Matthew saw Crayson, he was instantly transported back to that night three months ago.


    The night when he and Veronica were about to register their marriage when her parents and the old man


    rushed to Bloomstead to prevent them. Followed by that, Crayson and Matthew had a lengthy


    conversation outside One Piece Restaurant¡¯s private room.


    ¡°Now that you know who Veronica is, you should expect her to leave Bloomstead sooner orter. I¡¯ll take


    her away right now if you wish to register for marriage with her.¡±


    ¡°You should know something about Gu poison; a colorless, tasteless, and lethal venom-based poison,¡±


    Crayson exined while staring at Matthew without waiting for a response.


    However, the usual calm and steady man instantly shuddered at the words ¡®colorless and tasteless¡¯.


    Back in the underground chamber, he had witnessed what Veronica had to go through and even found


    the jar in the secret room for testing, but to no avail atst.


    So, it makes sense now! It is extremely poisonous!


    Matthew nodded in response when he heard that. ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°So, do you know how to treat the poison? Do you know where the hidden n can be found? Also, why


    is there no evidence that Tiffany was murdered?¡±


    The fatal three consecutive questions caught Crayson off guard. Thest time he was in such distress


    was probably ten years ago.


    In regards to Tiffany¡¯s death, even though it was dered a suicide, but even the forensic doctor was


    unable to determine the cause.


    ¡°ording to the hidden n¡¯s rules, the Young Lord will be patriarch at the age of 24. Veronica


    has just turned 22, which means she will have to leave Bloomstead in about a year and a half.¡±


    At this point, Crayson heaved a sigh. ¡°Truth be told, a lot of people are hunting down Roni. Being with


    her will only harm her because you will ce her in the spotlight. However, if you leave her now and


    grow powerful enough to intervene with the hidden n in a year and a half, you may¡­ still be able to be


    with her.¡±


    Matthew deduced some vague information from Crayson¡¯s words.


    That was¡­


    The hidden n issue was overlyplicated; Veronica would face numerous dangers even after


    returning to the hidden n and she would need to rely on other external forces to assist her.


    Otherwise, her life was very likely in jeopardy.


    As such, Crayson made them break up to allow Matthew to advance and pave the way as much as


    possible for Veronica; if everything went well, they could still be together in the end.


    However, Matthew would achieve nothing if an error urred.


    Even more¡­


    He might face life-threatening consequences as an intervenor¡­


    ¡°Kiddo, I¡¯m only telling you this because I trust you, but I have to remind you that there could be hidden


    threats and dangers along the way. Despite the difficulties, retreating is the best way to protect yourself.


    After all, given your exceptional personality, you will be able to find other girls.¡± Crayson returned to his


    private room after concluding this before Matthew followed suit.


    That night, the couple went home to Twilight Condominium and Veronica went to bed early. However,


    Matthew went to the hotel after she fell asleep to look for Crayson.


    ¡°I can promise you, but you must tell me¡­ Where is the hidden n?¡± he blurted out as soon as he saw


    the old man.


    The ¡®Secret Affair of the Hidden n¡¯ taught Matthew about the hidden n, but the book never


    mentioned where the hidden n was located.


    He sent Troy to investigate the hidden n after reading the ¡®Secret Affair of the Hidden n¡¯, but there


    was limited information.


    When Crayson noticed Matthew standing outside his door, he simply weed him in without a word.


    After closing the door, Crayson lit a cigarette and uttered, ¡°If you can¡¯t even find the hidden n, then I


    ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Instead of wasting time, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to tell me the approximate location directly, saving


    time, consumption of manpower and material resources?¡±


    Matthew wore a solemn expression as he added, ¡°The hidden n can be easily located via a thorough


    investigation, but looking for it in a high profile manner will only cause unnecessarymotion, which is


    essentially the same as announcing it to the world, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± Crayson nodded.


    ¡°I have a question. Why haven¡¯t you revealed Roni¡¯s identity to her?¡± Matthew was perplexed by this.


    ¡°It¡¯s because¡­¡± Crayson sighed as he sat on the couch.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡­


    Beep beep¡ª


    The horn of a car on the opposite side of the road suddenly sounded, pulling Matthew back to reality


    from the memory.


    He swerved the steering wheel to avoid the oing car and avoided the danger.


    With lingering fears, he exhaled a long sigh of relief and looked in the rearview mirror. Crayson¡¯s


    reflection in the mirror was small and blurry now.


    He did not stop the car and only drove off into the distance.


    Since he had decided to assist Veronica in secret, he had to cut all ties with them to prevent any


    suspicion rising.

 Chapter 435

    Chapter 435


    Chapter 435 Lucky Enough to Meet an Oscar-winning actor


    As such, this was the chance of giving the other party a hit that they did not expect when Roni was in


    trouble. The man, who was driving the car, snorted inughter, ¡°Matthew. Oh, Matthew. Since when


    would you agree to such a bad deal?¡±


    He shook his head and felt that such a silent way of sacrificing was a form of happiness, but he found it


    silly. Unfortunately, Veronica was clueless about everything that he did.


    Meanwhile, Veronica prepared a maternity bag and some necessities for a hospital stay before she


    headed back to the hospital. She entered the ward and saw Ivana and Yvonne, who were still


    unconscious.


    That night, the two of them kept Yvonnepany in the hospital. Both of them were inexperienced, so


    they were troubled the entire night by the baby that had just been delivered.


    Resigned, Veronica ended up contacting the nanny that they had pre-arrangedte at night to get her to


    come over and take care of the baby.


    The next day, Yvonne finally regained consciousness and shey in bed weakly while ncing at her


    baby sound asleep next to her. There was a smile on her frail face. ¡°This little one here gave me such a


    hard time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I wouldn¡¯t dare to give birth after seeing the ordeal you went through.¡± Veronica chuckled


    and asked, ¡°You came up with several names earlier on. Have you decided which one to use?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Yvonne frowned as she considered the situation. ¡°I reckon Ian sounds good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great


    name. Is there any special meaning behind his name?¡±


    ¡°Special meaning?¡± Yvonne shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no special meaning. Ian sounds like the name of a


    powerful man. My son¡¯s going to be an influential man in the future.¡±


    At that point, Veronica was rendered speechless. She could not help bursting intoughter and gave


    Yvonne a thumbs-up. ¡°You¡¯re awesome.¡± Veronica was happy for Yvonne upon noticing that her best


    friend was so magnanimous.


    ¡°Oh my gosh. The little one looked so ugly when I just delivered him.¡± It was a natural delivery, so


    Yvonne was able to move around freely as she did not experience as much pain after the delivery


    compared to a C-section.


    Seated on the lounge chair beside the mother and son, Veronica watched their interaction silently as she


    felt a sudden warm, fuzzy feeling well up within her. ¡°You¡¯ve given birth, so when do you n on


    informing your parents?¡±


    Although Veronica did not agree with Yvonne¡¯s way of proceeding without any discussion with her


    parents, she could not interfere knowing that this was Yvonne¡¯s life after all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let them know about this one monthter.¡± Yvonne did not bother to hide anything from Veronica.


    Lying on her side, the mother tickled the sound asleep little guy with her fingers. Although he looked


    quite wrinkled and ugly upon birth, she still found him adorable.


    ¡°By the way, I might need to go and meet a friend tomorrow, so I won¡¯t have time toe over and keep


    youpany,¡± told Veronica.


    Yesterday morning, Larry had called to inform her that he was back. In fact, it was not much of a return


    as he was only here to film an international sci-fi movie. The production team was here to shoot in


    Bloomstead, so she was able to pop over and visit him. Coincidentally, Yvonne went intobor at around


    the same time.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯te over. I¡¯ve got the nanny and Ivana here, so I¡¯ll be fine. Besides, I went


    through a natural birth and not a C-section, so don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Yvonne was quite nonchnt


    about everything. It was evident from the way that she spoke to Veronica without looking at her as she


    focused intently at her baby.


    At 5.00AM, Veronica was exhausted and took a nap on the little folding bed by the side. The next


    morning, she left and went home. Subsequently, she applied for some time off from Sean and went to


    visit Larry at work.


    Larry¡¯s production team was shooting at Rocky Bay and it took one hour by car for her to get there.


    As soon as she arrived on the set, it was already10.00AM and the weather was scorching hot. She was


    dressed in a white chiffon jumpsuit and she had a pair of ck sunsses and a sunhat on. She then


    walked into the set in high heels.


    As this was the shooting site, there were plenty of fans who knew that Larry was filming in this spot, so


    they mored outside withrge signboards in their hands.


    Looking at the group of fans grouped together outside, Veronica sincerely felt happy for Larry. However,


    she could not quiteprehend the actions of his fans.


    Under such scorching weather, it would be much morefortable to stay at home and y video


    games while enjoying some ice cream. Why did they choose to suffer under the hot sun?


    ¡°Hey. Hey. Hey. Who are you? This area is off-bounds.¡±


    Veronica approached the set and was stopped by one of the staff.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Larry¡¯s¡­¡±


    She was just about to exin when someone headed in her direction from afar and spoke to the staff,


    ¡°Mr. Drew, she¡¯s my friend. Let her in, please.¡±


    ¡°Aaahhhhhhh! Oh my gosh. It¡¯s the man of my dreams!¡±


    ¡°Larry? Larry, I love you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my man! Darling!¡±


    ¡°Larry! Larry! You¡¯re definitely going to soar to poprity.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Wow! This woman¡¯s so pretty. Who¡¯s she?¡±


    ¡°Larry¡¯s a well-behaved actor, so he wouldn¡¯t enter into a rtionship, right?¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica was coincidentally standing next to the fans, yet she already heard the female fans¡¯ words


    before even entering the set.


    She turned her head to take a look at them and was shocked to see the looks directed by the female


    fans. They looked like they were about to devour her.


    The staff waved at Veronica and she immediately made her way inside toward Larry¡¯s direction.


    Since this was a sci-fi movie, Larry was still in a white space suit. It was rather hard to breathe in the


    white suit and his face was flushed red as the sweat trickled down his forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s been about six months since west met.¡± As soon as Veronica approached, Larry voiced out.


    Thest time they had met up with each other was after Christmas, so it was exactly six months now.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s so hard to meet up with you.¡± Veronica moved forward and gave him a friendly hug.


    However, as she hugged him, she suddenly realized that there were multiple gazes directed from all over


    and she was suddenly the center of attention. She could not help squirming from the attention.


    ¡°So¡­ Did you enjoy the birthday present I sent you before?¡± He held her in his arms and whispered into


    her ears with a smile.


    ¡°You idiot!¡± As soon as he mentioned that matter from before, she could not contain her anger at all.


    Still, she was mindful of the watchful eyes of the crowd as she hurriedly shoved him aside and tried to


    kick him out of anger. ¡°Did you know that you nearly killed me with that?¡±


    Her feet had not evennded on him yet and he had already leaped aside to avoid her kick. With a


    giggle, he said, ¡°You¡¯re safe and sound right now. Don¡¯t tell me that your boyfriend found out?¡±


    The word ¡®boyfriend¡¯ was a stab at her heart and she could not help revealing a bitter smile on her red


    lips as she changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯vee all the way to visit you at work, so show me around the ce. I


    want to see for my own eyes how things are generally like when you¡¯re on set.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Larry. Who¡¯s thisdy here? Is she your girlfriend? She¡¯s pretty.¡± At that moment, a well-built man


    with natural blond hair and blue eyes headed toward them and conversed with Larry in French.


    ¡°This is my friend and she¡¯s a fiercedy.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s such a pretty thing, so how can she be fierce? But, it¡¯s alright. She¡¯s stunning though, would you


    introduce her to me? I love American women,¡± the foreigner spoke up.


    Veronica had met this man before and he was a very famous actor from Europe, Stephen Armstrong.


    As soon as Larry heard that, he elbowed the man sharply on his chest. ¡°She speaks fluent French, so


    you should go ahead and ask her.¡±


    ¡°Oh mon Dieu.¡± Larry¡¯s words were startling to Stephen. He had one hand on his waist while the other


    was ced on Larry¡¯s shoulders. The blond man shook his head and chuckled, ¡°Hello, prettydy. How I


    should address you?¡±


    Stephen spoke in broken English and his words were jumbled up.

 Chapter 436

    Chapter 436


    Chapter 436 Please Be My Master


    Veronica could not contain herughter and she replied in fluent French, ¡°Enchant¨¦, je suis Veronica


    Murphy.¡± She made a friendly gesture to shake his hand and added, ¡°I¡¯ve seen your movies and you¡¯re a


    great actor. You¡¯re quite agile and I enjoy your action scenes.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you speak great French!¡± Stephen shrugged in surprise and grabbed her hand before lowering his


    head to kiss the back of her hand. However, Veronica was not quite used to such enthusiastic customs.


    Larry smacked Stephen on the shoulders and formed a fist with his right hand as he pointed with his


    thumb at Veronica. ¡°I need to inform you of this. She¡¯s good at fighting and she¡¯sparable to you, so


    why don¡¯t the two of you go for a friendly match?¡± he spoke gloatingly as if he was the one good at


    fighting and he appeared to be quite smug.


    ¡°Why did you bring this up?¡± She rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Stephen is a huge fan of martial arts and he¡¯s


    always keen to find a sparring partner. I¡¯m just fulfilling his wish,¡± Larry spoke to Veronica in their Collins


    dialect. ¡°Are you an idiot? He¡¯s so well-built and more than six-foot tall. Look at his muscles. You must be


    trying to get me killed, huh?¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°What? Are you kidding me? Even if there were two of him in front of you, you would be fine.¡± They


    bantered back and forth while Stephen watched their interaction with a dumbfounded expression. Finally,


    he lifted his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but could you guys speak in French? I can¡¯t catch your


    conversation.¡±


    Larry smiled cheekily and lifted his brows at Stephen while fueling the mes. ¡°Veronica mentioned that


    your fight moves in the movies appear to be scripted¡­ Ouch!!!¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Veronica had directed a kick in his direction and she quickly


    exined in French to Stephen, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. I mentioned that you are tall and well-built


    with well-defined muscles and I would be knocked down in one single blow.¡±


    ¡°Larry hardly ever praises anyone, so I would be quite keen to¡­¡± As Stephen spoke, he paused for a


    moment to consider the situation before pointing and exining in his slightly stilted English, ¡°In your


    language, I think it¡¯s known as a spa¡­ uh, I mean¡­ sparring.¡±


    As soon as Larry heard the word ¡®spa¡¯, he could not contain himself and burst intoughter. ¡°Hahaha!


    Yes, you¡¯re right. It is a spa. Haha! My stomach hurts from all theughing¡­¡±


    ¡°Larry! Have some decency, alright?¡±


    Veronica gestured to the fans waiting close by. ¡°Your gushing fans are watching you right now.¡±


    ¡°Miss Veronica Murphy, that area there is quite spacious. Why don¡¯t we have a friendly match over


    there?¡± Stephen, who was a martial arts fan, anxiously wanted to spar with her.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Well¡­¡± She awkwardly reached out to stroke her nose before looking at Larry. She could not


    help asking in a soft voice, ¡°Does he usually behave like this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s a martial arts fanatic.¡± He relished in causing trouble for her while he watched her struggle.


    ¡°Give it a go then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s give it a go. I¡¯ll request some time off from the director this afternoon and I¡¯ll treat you to a


    meal.¡±


    Stephen was in his thirties and had bronze-colored skin with a mustache. He was considered to be those


    buff and well-toned menmonly seen in international movies. He had an enrapturing smile that


    looked quite therapeutic.


    The movie was an international blockbuster; although they were filming in the country, the crew members


    were mainly foreigners.


    As soon as they heard Stephen, they rushed over and surrounded the three of them, ¡°Fight! Fight! Fight!¡±


    ¡°Wow! She¡¯s such a good-lookingdy. I like her.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ She looks quite weak. Will she be able to beat him?¡±


    ¡°Come on. Go for a match. Hahaha.¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica realized that some of the people here were displeased with her, especially upon seeing two


    handsome men crowded around her. She noticed the envious looks shot at her by the women and if


    looks could kill, she would be dead by now.


    Since she had no other option, she was forced to agree. ¡°Stephen, he makes me sound like I¡¯m great,


    but I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not that good at martial arts, so please be lenient.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely take extra caution around a prettydy like you.¡± He lifted his head and smiled, making him


    look exceptionally approachable.


    Stephen was born with a fairplexion, but he did not like to y the character of a goody-two-shoes,


    so he enjoyed sun tanning. He had also gotten tanned by making use of tanning beds. Although his skin


    was tanner than usual, he was definitely a good-looking man.


    After all, one¡¯s looks were not affected by one¡¯s skin tone.


    Veronica removed her sling bag and sunsses before flinging them over to Larry. Subsequently, she


    spoke in English, ¡°Larry, you¡¯re such a rascal! Each time we meet up, you¡¯re always creating trouble for


    me! Just you wait! I have been keeping tabs on everything that you¡¯ve subjected me to!¡±


    In response, Larry burst outughing.


    Meanwhile, Stephen removed the costume he had on and led Veronica to a wide space inside. ¡°Let¡¯s


    have our friendly match here. This is a spacious area.¡±


    He walked over with Larry and the group of crew members with nothing to do followed them too. On the


    other end, filming went on as usual on set.


    The originally wide space was now filled with more than twenty people and most of them were dressed in


    their costumes. Their presence made Veronica feel slightly awkward.


    ¡°Fierce one, good luck! Make sure not to embarrass me!¡±


    Larry generally had a cold and indifferent image from the characters he yed, but in reality, he was a


    clown. Still, he had a great personality and it was undeniably rare to find someone unaffected by the


    scandalous ways of the entertainment industry.


    The only ones who truly knew Larry¡¯s true personality were those who were close to him.


    ¡°Miss Veronica Murphy, are you ready?¡± Stephen clenched his fist and put on an offensive stance as he


    waited to make his first move.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    As Veronica shifted her wrist, she saw Stephen rush forward and his punch was headed right at her. She


    was startled and thought to herself, I¡¯ve underestimated him. He¡¯s fast!


    She dodged to the right and lifted her wrist to block his attack and took the chance to attack his stomach


    by lifting her knees.


    It was an unexpected attack for Stephen, so he immediately took several retreating steps before


    steadying himself.


    He shifted his neck and his bones cracked from that action. He nodded earnestly and praised her, ¡°Wow!


    You¡¯ve got great moves!¡±


    Stephen, being a huge fan of martial arts, knew that it was rare to encounter a woman great at martial


    arts; someone like Veronica, who was not only pretty but great on her feet, was definitely one of a kind.


    At that moment, he became very enthusiastic.


    Subsequently, he came forward and directed a blow toward Veronica¡¯s face, but he stopped even before


    he hit her face. It was a false move and he directed a flying kick at her instead.


    Although Veronica did not expect this, she reacted swiftly enough to somersault into the air and leaped


    behind Stephen. Next, she directed a kick at him after turning around and he stumbled from that kick.


    p¡ª p¡ª p¡ª There was a round of apuse that rang out all of a sudden.


    ¡°Dope!¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! Martial arts can be quite impressive indeed.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so cool! I¡¯m so keen to learn from her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so impressed! She¡¯s awesome!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got great moves. Her future husband will surely be in mortal danger.¡±


    ¡­


    Following that, Veronica continued the match and exchanged several blows with Stephen. He had gone


    from underestimating his opponent to finally putting in the utmost effort to fight and he realized that he


    was no match to her.


    Finally, he admitted defeat graciously, ¡°I give up. That¡¯s enough for me. Miss Murphy, you¡¯re really great


    at this.¡±


    Stephen chuckled and ran in her direction. He was not upset at all about losing the fight to Veronica. On


    the contrary, he was delighted. ¡°Would you be willing to ept me as your pupil?¡±

 Chapter 437

    Chapter 437


    Chapter 437 Grandma¡¯s Missing


    ¡°My pupil?¡± Veronica was dumbfounded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Do you reckon I¡¯m good enough to learn


    from you?¡± Stephen pointed at his nose and looked at her expectantly.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Well¡­ Hahaha¡­¡± She revealed an awkward smile. She did not expect Stephen to be so


    obsessed with martial arts to this extent.


    During the first half ofst year, she had not been practicing martial arts properly; instead, for theter


    half of the year, Crayson had implemented a rigorous training regimen for her. Earlier this year, he had


    evene up with different ways to train her despite her injuries.


    When she had injured her left hand, he made her train to fight by just using one hand. For the entire


    time, she had been forced to wake to train at about 4.00AM and she was not given a break either after


    she arrived home from work at night after dinner. She was thoroughly exhausted from all that training.


    Thanks to her dayjob and business with Vincere Games, Veronica was able to improve leaps under the


    immense pressure and discipline. The extent of her improvement was impressive to the point where she


    was astonished too.


    It was merely a year and even if she tried hard, she knew that there would be a limit to her advancing.


    However, she seemed to have a nagging sense that there was still limitless potential within her to be


    discovered.


    She had once asked Crayson about her condition, but he had merely brushed her off by saying,


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re now blessed with some talent because of your idiocy.¡±


    His words sounded too perfunctory, so naturally Veronica did not trust a word of that. However, she did


    not pursue it any further.


    ¡°Wow! That was an awesome performance there, you fierce one! I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯ve gained a


    pupil just like that from visiting me at work! You¡¯re one of a kind!¡±


    Larry was being a jerk and he continued to tease her.


    Slightly resigned, Veronica mentioned, ¡°Stephen, you¡¯re great in martial arts and we¡¯re an equal match


    for each other, so there is no need for you¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. No. No.¡± Stephen shook his head and pointed at the high heels Veronica had on with his finger. ¡°You


    fought me while wearing high heels nearly four inches tall. You haven¡¯t even fought with your best effort,


    so I know that you¡¯ve been holding back. How about you just agree to be my master?¡±


    Even though he was in his thirties, he looked rather goofy as he revealed a sincere look when he spoke


    and it was hard to reject him.


    At that moment, the director yelled out with his foghorn, ¡°Stephen, are you ready? It¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± Stephen nodded and ced both hands on Veronica¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal


    once I finish shooting this.¡±


    After saying that, he clutched Larry¡¯s hands. ¡°Don¡¯t let your friend leave.¡±


    Subsequently, Stephen ran off in the direction of the indoor shooting scene.


    The bystanders surrounding them came forward and heaped praises on Veronica.


    Meanwhile, most of them were actors and actresses whom she had seen in those international


    blockbuster films.


    She greeted them one after the other and for the first time ever, she found that it actually felt great to be


    praised by the others.


    In the end, the crowd dispersed. Larry then brought Veronica to the rest area and continued to chat.


    Shortly after that, Stephen finished shooting his scene and joined them. Stephen invited Veronica out for


    lunch and he mentioned that he had asked for some time off from the director.


    He was very enthusiastic, so Veronica found it hard to turn down his invitation. Furthermore, Larry


    pestered her to ept it, so she ended up agreeing.


    ¡°Master, could I have a photo taken with you?¡± Stephen held up his phone and waved it in front of her as


    he asked.


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± Veronica nodded.


    Consequently, the three of them took a group photo.


    Veronica was in exceptionally great spirits, so she posted the photo on her social media. ¡®I¡¯ve been lucky


    enough to take a photo with Oscar-winning actor Mr. Stephen Armstrong. He¡¯s a witty and charming


    man.¡¯ She included a photo with her post.


    Inside the photo, Stephen stood by her left side while Larry was on her right and the two guys nked


    her. They had even pulled a funny face and it was a photo that left everyone dumbfounded.


    She had just posted the photo on her social media minutes ago and soon enough, thements


    streamed in.


    Yvonne¡¯s words were ¡®You¡¯re such a lousy friend! That¡¯s my idol there, so you must get me an


    autographed photo!¡¯


    Skyler: ¡®Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. He¡¯s an international superstar and fights well. Did you two have a match?¡¯


    Ivana: ¡®Aaahhh!! This is insane! He¡¯s my favorite idol! Help me get an autographed photo, darling boss.¡¯


    Mia: ¡®Tsk! There is nothing to be proud of for knowing Larry. Show-off!¡¯


    Caleb: ¡®Great!¡¯


    Ruka: ¡®Since when did you get to know these huge superstars? Introduce me to them.¡¯


    ¡­


    As soon as these people saw Veronica¡¯s social media status, Matthew¡¯s phone beeped subsequently


    too.


    He retrieved his phone and unlocked it to take a look. His most frequently used profile on Twitter had no


    notification reminder, but there was a notification reminder on the Twitter profile of his ¡®secret identity¡¯


    instead.


    He tapped into it and there was a new tweet made by his friend and he merely followed one user¡ª


    Veronica.


    Someone like Matthew with an exalted status usually scoffed at the thought of creating a second social


    media ount, but because he had broken up with her, they no longer maintained contact with each


    other.


    Somehow, he had ended up registering a second Twitter ount and followed her as his friend to stalk


    her life silently.


    This was the first time in the past three months that she had released her first status update.


    However, as soon as Matthew saw the two men by her side, he frowned and there was a thunderous


    expression on his face.


    He continued to stare at the photo for quite some time before finally cing down his phone; he leaned


    against his chair while he remained lost in his thoughts.


    Ring. Ring. Suddenly, his phone rang.


    He nced at the caller ID and saw that it was a call from Mrs. Coleman, who served Elizabeth at Kings


    Residence.


    Matthew knew that it was rare for Mrs. Coleman to call him, so something must have happened for her to


    contact him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mrs. Coleman?¡± He answered the phone.


    ¡°Gosh, Young Master Matthew, where are you right now? Something¡¯s gone wrong. I was taking a walk


    with Old Mrs. Kings when she instructed me to go and get her a bottle of water. In a blink of an eye, she


    had gone missing.¡± On the other end, Mrs. Coleman was frantic with worry as she spoke.


    ¡°Missing?¡± Matthew lifted a hand and pressed the area in between his brows. ¡°Where did she go missing


    exactly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a park near Falls Street.¡±


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll send some men over to look for her right away.¡± He did not me Mrs. Coleman


    at all and he hung up the phone after saying that.


    He rose from his seat and grabbed his jacket from the coat hanger. Subsequently, he strode out of his


    office.


    Ever since Elizabeth had been diagnosed with Alzheimer¡¯s disease, they had been keeping a close eye


    on her. However, she had been behaving normally for the past few months, so that was why everyone


    had gradually overlooked her.


    At the same time, Veronica, who was currently still located at Rocky Bay, received a phone call too.


    Mrs. Coleman¡¯s number was saved on her phone, so she saw from the caller ID that it was her on the


    line.


    ¡°Stephen, Larry, give me a minute. I have a call to take.¡±


    She pointed at her phone and spoke to the two before walking to the side to answer the phone. ¡°Mrs.


    Coleman?¡±


    ¡°Veronica, something¡¯s gone wrong. Old Mrs. Kings has gone missing. I¡­ I¡¯ve searched for ages, but I


    can¡¯t find her. What should I do?¡± Mrs. Coleman heaved a sigh.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°What? Grandma¡¯s missing? How did that happen? I thought she was doing quite welltely?¡± Veronica


    instantly figured that Elizabeth¡¯s Alzheimer¡¯s disease had worsened.


    Mrs. Coleman pped her thighs out of anxiety. ¡°Gosh! I know! You¡¯re right. But then, I was well¡­ I


    didn¡¯t mean to take my eyes off her.¡±


    ¡°Alright there. Take a deep breath. Where did Grandma go missing? I¡¯ll head over there right now to look


    for her.¡±


    ¡°We were at the park on Falls Street.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Mrs. Coleman. I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± Veronica hung up the phone and turned around to exin the


    situation to Stephen and Larry. ¡°Guys. Something urgent has popped up back home, so I won¡¯t be able


    to join you two for lunch. Please excuse me.¡±

 Chapter 438

    Chapter 438


    Chapter 438 pped by Grandma


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Larry saw Veronica¡¯s serious expression. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Veronica looked at Stephen and exined, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. There¡¯s an emergency at home. My grandma is


    lost, and she has Alzheimer¡¯s,¡± she exined that deliberately.


    ¡°Oh, God! Do you want us to apany you to find her?¡± Stephen spread his hands. ¡°Many hands


    make light work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You should continue filming. I have a friend over there to look for her. Let¡¯s get in touchter.¡±


    After Veronica said that, she stated to Larry, ¡°I¡¯ll have my leave. I can¡¯t dy this matter any further.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Stay safe on your way. Let me know when you find her.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Veronica jogged away from the


    crew and drove back to the city center.


    When she arrived in the city center, she contacted Yura, and they met at the agreed ce. However,


    there was another person next to Yura¡ªit was Matthew Kings.


    Although Veronica knew she could not avoid Matthew here, fortunately, she was mentally prepared. So,


    she stepped forward without looking at Matthew and asked Yura, ¡°Mrs. Coleman, have you found


    Grandma?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I just found her. She¡¯s in the car. Phew! What a false rm. It¡¯s my fault for not noticing it.¡± Yura


    patted her own thighs and said with a smile.


    ¡°You little brat! It¡¯s been a long time since I saw you, and you never visit me at Kings Residence.¡± When


    Veronica talked to Yura, the car window rolled down. Elizabeth wasining about her dissatisfaction


    with Veronica from the car.


    Hearing that, Veronica turned her head and walked toward Elizabeth. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ve made me


    worry!¡± ¡°Come on, get in the car,¡± Elizabeth said as she opened the door to let Veronica get in.


    Veronica knew that the car belonged to Matthew, so she was reluctant to enter the car for a moment as


    she did not want to meet the man. In the end, she had to bite the bullet and get into the car as she knew


    Elizabeth missed her very much. ¡°Grandma, I miss you too. However, I¡¯ve been busy with work,¡±


    Veronica exined.


    Standing by the side of the road, Matthew looked at Veronica, who was in the car, with a dark gaze. For


    a moment, he didn¡¯t know how to get along with her.


    Raising his hand, he tugged at his tie. In the end, he stepped into the car, opened the door, and got into


    the driver¡¯s seat. Then, he looked back at Elizabeth to ask, ¡°Grandma, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Veronica, since you¡¯re free today,e back to the Kings Residence to apany this olddy.¡± Then,


    Elizabeth patted Matthew. ¡°Start the car. Go back to the residence.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Veronica hadn¡¯t figured out how to face Matthew and get along with him either, so she couldn¡¯t


    help but feel embarrassed when she heard Elizabeth¡¯s request. She brainstormed and made an excuse.


    ¡°Grandma, my car is still parked over there. I can drive over.¡±


    ¡°Give me your car keys. I¡¯ll let Thomas drive your car with Mrs. Coleman.¡±


    Matthew raised his eyes and looked at Veronica through the rearview mirror with a calm gaze.


    It was three months after they hadst met. In just two days, they met again. No matter what, Veronica


    felt awkward.


    When she remembered that Matthew liked Sasha, Veronica felt disgusted at this cheater of a man.


    Her heart was aching terribly at that point.


    However, Veronica couldn¡¯t bear to disappoint Elizabeth when she saw the elderly woman¡¯s expectant


    look. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Veronica took out the keys and handed it to Matthew.


    He then threw the keys to Thomas from the car window. ¡°Drive it back to the Kings Residence.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master Matthew,¡± Thomas answered, after which Matthew drove away.


    Along the way, Elizabeth took Veronica¡¯s hand and happily chatted with Veronica.


    Elizabeth was always shrew, so she knew Veronica and Matthew were arguing. She pretended to get


    lost earlier because she wanted them to gather here.


    Veronica was worried about Elizabeth, so she held her hand and reminded the old woman, ¡°Grandma,


    you should go to the hospital for a checkup in the afternoon.¡±


    Elizabeth leaned on the seat and raised her hand, thereafter brushing the silver hair on her temple. ¡°I¡¯m


    just an olddy that no one wants to meet, so it¡¯s useless for someone like me to consult a doctor.¡±


    The words made Veronica speechless.


    Hence, she pouted and said, ¡°I¡¯m with you.¡±


    When she spoke, another voice rang out. ¡°I¡¯m free this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Jeez! So, you two finally have time to apany me?¡± Elizabeth nodded. ¡°Okay, both of you must


    apany me this afternoon.¡±


    Both of us? Veronica was reluctant. She wanted to keep a distance from Matthew to separate herself


    from him. ¡°Grandma, since he¡¯s with you, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    Elizabeth swept a sharp gaze over Veronica just as she was about to say something.


    After being stared at, Veronica immediately fell silent and did not speak.


    ¡°What are you hiding? I¡¯m old but not blind.¡± Elizabeth became fierce and she then said in a tone befitting


    the elder of the Kings, ¡°What are both of you doing? You were fine, but currently, you are causing trouble.


    Both of you never return to the Kings Residence. You did not give me a clear reply when I asked you


    about what happened. Do you still respect me?¡±


    She was angered.


    Now, Matthew and Veronica understood Elizabeth¡¯s intentions.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    It took Elizabeth a lot of effort to get them together.


    Facing the sudden reprimand, Matthew continued to look ahead and drove silently.


    On the other hand, Veronica released Elizabeth¡¯s hand and tilted her head to look out the window without


    speaking.


    Seeing that neither of them spoke, Elizabeth felt a headacheing on. ¡°Tell me, Matthew Kings¡ªwhat


    happened between Veronica and you?¡±


    He tapped the steering wheel lightly while resting his elbow on the doorframe. Then, he ced his


    fingers on his cheek thoughtfully.


    There was a long silence in the car, and it was only after a while did he say, ¡°I broke up with Roni.¡±


    ¡°Broke up? Hmph! There must be a reason for it!¡± Elizabeth continued to pursue the matter.


    A trace of pain shed through Matthew¡¯s gaze. However, the emotion vanished in an instant. He


    answered, ¡°We did not get along after spending some time together, so we naturally broke up.¡±


    ¡°Do you not get along? Hmph! After a year, you¡¯re now only telling me that you do not get along?¡±


    Elizabeth was furious and leaned forward to p Matthew¡¯s head, although Matthew was driving. ¡°What


    the hell are you talking about?!¡±


    Seeing Matthew was pped by Elizabeth, Veronica turned a blind eye and didn¡¯t interrupt. It was


    because she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°You rude thing, you never do things properly!¡± Elizabeth reprimanded while pointing at Matthew angrily.


    Veronica was worried that Elizabeth¡¯s sickness would worsen, so she persuaded, ¡°Grandma, please


    calm down.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t calm down. This brat has never given me peace of mind since he was a child!¡±

 Chapter 439

    Chapter 439


    Chapter 439 Calctive Conrad


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Veronica touched her head and thought hard before exining, ¡°You can¡¯t me Matthew.¡±


    ¡°Who should I me, then?¡±


    ¡°You should me m-me.¡± So, Veronica took all the responsibility on herself and said embarrassingly,


    ¡°He didn¡¯t think we did not get along. However, when we were dating, I felt a gap between us and our


    values did not ovep. Moreover, our hobbies are different, and we have nomon topic, so we are


    out of sync.¡±


    Although the affair between Matthew and Sasha made Veronica sick, Matthew had saved Veronica


    numerous times. Although Veronica still couldn¡¯t understand why Matthew saved her, she was grateful.


    ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t want to get into a rtionship now. I am doing good in thepany and working hard to


    further my career. My career is getting better.¡± Veronica gave an excuse that even she herself thought


    was flimsy.


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Elizabeth frowned and looked at Veronica with doubt as she didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°What is this? Are


    you trying to use a flimsy reason to shut me up?¡±


    Elizabeth was furious, so she gave Veronica another p on her head. ¡°Both of you are liars!¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡± After receiving a p, Veronica shrank back and chuckled guiltily. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry,


    Grandma. You can¡¯t force a rtionship. Besides, although I am not with Matthew, I still love you. Could


    it be that you don¡¯t love me anymore because of this?¡±


    She put her arms around Elizabeth and leaned on Elizabeth¡¯s shoulder, acting like a spoiled child. ¡°Y-


    You! Jeez, the both of you are making me angry!¡± Elizabeth pped her own thigh angrily.


    Veronica raised her head and rested her chin on Elizabeth¡¯s shoulder. Tilting her head, she said yfully,


    ¡°Grandma, please don¡¯t get involved in my rtionship. Although I broke up with Matthew, we are still


    friends.¡±


    Matthew saw the warm scene behind him through the rearview mirror, but he felt ufortable by


    Veronica¡¯s words.


    He nodded cooperatively. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re still friends.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! You guys are hopeless.¡±


    Seeing that they wouldn¡¯t spill out their secrets despite asking them, Elizabeth snorted and didn¡¯t speak


    anymore.


    However, she was nning something.


    Lunch had been prepared by the time they arrived at the Kings Residence.


    During the meal, Conrad appeared.


    ¡°Hey, Roni, Matthew. Why are you back?¡± Conrad was wearing a navy-blue shirt with slicked-back hair.


    He still had a short beard and mature temperament, looking full of masculinity.


    It was a pity that an ugly heart hid behind such a handsome face.


    Although Veronica hated Conrad, she had to be polite as Elizabeth was his mother.


    ¡°Hello, Uncle Conrad,¡± Veronica stood up and greeted.


    Matthew coldly nced at Conrad but didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance when you returned at noon?¡± Elizabeth muttered and then instructed


    her servant, ¡°Get another serving for Conrad.¡±


    Conrad sat down facing Elizabeth. To his left was Matthew, and to his right was Veronica.


    ¡°Roni, how is¡­ Yvie?¡± Conrad suddenly mentioned Yvonne.


    As Veronica heard him mention Yvonne, she subconsciously looked at Matthew, and Matthew returned


    the look simultaneously.


    Yvonne¡¯s child is Conrad¡¯s son. In addition, Conrad addresses Grandma as Mom. Therefore, Veronica


    and I must address Yvonne¡¯s child as our younger brother! I¡¯m sure Conrad must have an impure motive


    to mention Yvonne to Grandma now.


    ¡°She¡¯s going abroad. She¡¯lle back a whileter,¡± Veronica lied smoothly.


    After a while, Yvonne would take her child to Craston to raise him there.


    There wouldn¡¯t be a problem if they were not here.


    Conrad nced meaningfully at Veronica while the servant served his servings. Finally, he took it and


    said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat now,¡± Elizabeth said. Only then did the rest of the family start to eat.


    Conrad attentively passed some pepper to Elizabeth. ¡°Mom, this is for you.¡±


    ¡°Such a kind child. That¡¯s why you¡¯re my favorite.¡± Elizabeth sighed.


    Conrad smiled alluringly. ¡°It is all thanks to you. Do you still remember what you said before? Does it still


    count?¡±


    Veronica, who was eating, frowned when she heard that. She tightened her hands while holding the


    tableware. She had a hunch that what Conrad was going to say must be rted to Yvonne.


    She looked up at Matthew and saw he was calm and eating elegantly.


    That calm appearance made it seem that he was isted from the world.


    ¡°I usually talk a lot. You are testing my memory,¡± Elizabeth answered while eating.


    ¡°Haha!¡±


    Conrad chuckled at that. ¡°That¡¯s funny.¡±


    With that, he lowered his head. After cutting up a piece of meat, he put it into his mouth and chewed


    slowly.


    It was only after a long while that Conrad put down his cutlery and ced his hands on the table. Then,


    he said thoughtfully, ¡°It is about the Spinfluence Group. Mom, you said you were optimistic about


    Matthew and I. You also said you would give the group to whoever had a child. Today, I will bring you


    good news. Yvonne¡ª¡± Conrad deliberately dragged his voice while looking at Matthew. ¡°Yvonne gave


    birth to a childst night. It¡¯s my son.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    It seemed he was asserting dominance in thest sentence.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Elizabeth was surprised and she looked at Conrad. ¡°Are you sure? Didn¡¯t you break


    up with Yvonne? Why did she have your child?¡±


    It was a piece of sudden news.


    Veronica had tried time and time again to persuade Yvonne to not give birth.


    However, Yvonne insisted on giving birth, so Veronica stopped persuading her.


    However, after listening to what Conrad had said, Veronica understood the importance of Yvonne¡¯s son.


    She also understood why Conrad never interfered during Yvonne¡¯s pregnancy.


    He was plotting for the Spinfluence Group.


    Veronica bit her fork, frowned, and looked at Matthew. However, he continued to eat as if he hadn¡¯t heard


    anything.


    His gestures were full of nobility with elegant movements.


    At that point, Veronica had a thought.


    Matthew is intelligent and wise, so he would have known the implication of Yvonne giving birth. However,


    he never interfered with Yvonne¡¯s decision. He just asked why Yvonne insisted on giving birth. I told him


    Yvonne said the child in her womb is a living being. Therefore, no one has the right to kill him. After that,


    Matthew never talked about it again.

 Chapter 440

    Chapter 440


    Chapter 440 Compete for the Spinfluence Group


    ¡°Yvie gave birth at Westcross Children Hospital. The child is about six pounds. It¡¯s a boy.¡± Conrad


    urately told Elizabeth about the child.


    It was evident that everything was under Conrad¡¯s control. Veronica suddenly felt that Yvonne could not


    easily leave Bloomstead now. After Conrad said that, he turned to look at Veronica. ¡°Roni, you¡¯re the one


    who sent Yvie to that hospital, right?¡±


    Veronica said Yvonne had gone abroad a moment ago, but Conrad exposed her lies. Veronica held the


    fork and scooped some sd to her mouth, pretending to be calm. She wanted to avoid the subject.


    However, Elizabeth looked at Veronica with a meaningful gaze. There was a rare seriousness that


    appeared on her wrinkled face. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    She did not address Veronica affectionately. Instead, Elizabeth asked this bluntly. Hearing the stately


    tone of Elizabeth, Veronica did not dare to hide it, so she nodded and admitted, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Conrad must be fully prepared to tell Grandma about this. Even if I deny it, Conrad could stille up


    with evidence to refute me, so it¡¯s useless to lie.


    When Veronica nodded and admitted to it, she keenly noticed that Elizabeth frowned, then nced at


    Matthew. ¡°Matthew, do you know about this?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Matthew continued to lower his head to calmly eat, as if what just happened had nothing to do with


    him. Not many could be calm in this situation¡ªConrad was a ssic example.


    The man thought Matthew would be furious after he said something important. However, Matthew did not


    react. To Conrad, Matthew was pretending.


    Conrad thought that Matthew was panicking, and thetter was only trying to act calm. However,


    Matthew really didn¡¯t care about this. Elizabeth had her mouth agape as she tried to say something.


    However, when she saw Matthew calmly enjoying the meal, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s finish the meal.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± Conrad had to obey when Elizabeth spoke. Still, he couldn¡¯t hold back his giddiness and


    smiled at Matthew. However, the cold man didn¡¯t even give Conrad a nce. They dined quietly, except


    for the crisp sound of knives and forks hitting the porcin tes.


    After the meal, Elizabeth put down her knife and fork to sipe her mouth with a tissue. Then, she said to


    Conrad, ¡°Conrad,e with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± Conrad nodded, thereafter getting up and walking past Veronica to Elizabeth. Then, he


    helped thetter out of the dining room. It was then that Matthew and Veronica were left alone at the


    table.


    Veronica retracted her gaze from Conrad and Elizabeth to look at Matthew, only to see him ying with


    his phone, looking indifferent and rxed.


    ¡°Yvonne¡¯s child concerns the heir to the Spinfluence Group. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this?¡±


    She felt out of touch when Matthew never told her about this.


    However, the one that was out of touch the most was Matthew.


    Matthew turned off his phone screen and raised his head to meet Veronica¡¯s gaze with a pair of charming


    eyes. ¡°It¡¯s useless telling you about this. Would you make Yvonne go through an abortion? Or would you


    be able to stop Uncle Conrad?¡±


    Veronica can¡¯t do anything, so there is no need to tell her about these things.


    Veronica was speechless after hearing these two questions, as she didn¡¯t know how to refute.


    She frowned while holding the tissue she just used to wipe her mouth, feeling irritable.


    A*shole, what do you mean?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Matthew, although we broke up, I am still Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ god-granddaughter. Can you stop being so


    passive-aggressive?!¡±


    She was in a bad mood, so she scolded Matthew.


    Matthew raised his eyebrows in response. ¡°Uncle Conrad is my uncle, and I treat him the same. You


    have to get used to it.¡±


    He spoke slowly, making it impossible for one to tell his feelings.


    However, Veronica felt pained deep down because Matthew was acting as if they had never had an


    intimate rtionship.


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t help but get annoyed. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t do anything. However, I could¡¯ve prepared


    Yvonne mentally if you told me earlier!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have any obligation to do this.¡±


    Facing the woman he loved, Matthew said every barbed word with insult.


    Although he couldn¡¯t bear it, Matthew had to distance himself from Veronica. Only in this way could he


    silently do more for her.


    During the three months of their break up, Matthew asked himself countless times in the boundless dark.


    Is it worth doing this for Veronica? Will she start a new rtionship when I¡¯m helping her? Will she hate


    me forever?


    These questions had gued Matthew for a long time, but he was a persistent man.


    There was no going back for him once he decided something.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Veronica nodded while pulling out a sarcastic smile. ¡°You win, Matthew Kings.¡±


    She angrily pped the tissue on the dining table and left.


    Matthew sat on his chair. He didn¡¯t dare to look at Veronica¡¯s angry and disappointed retreating figure.


    It was because he was afraid that one nce would be seen by the spies from Conrad. In addition,


    Matthew was afraid he would run to Veronica and hug her into his arms to tenderly coax andfort her.


    Veronica crossed the cobblestone path and went to the small pond. Sitting in the pavilion by the pond,


    she sighed deeply. Then, she angrily grabbed the leaves of the lush that were growing on the pavilion


    railing. ¡°B*stard!¡±


    She cursed, then suddenly thought of something important, so she immediately called Yvonne.


    After a few beeps, Yvonne answered the phone. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Roni?¡±


    ¡°Yvonne, Conrad knows that you have given birth to a child. He wants to use your child topete for


    the position of heir to the Spinfluence Group. ¡°You must prepare yourself because Conrad will not let


    your child go.¡±¡±


    Veronica briefed Yvonne about the situation.


    On the other end of the phone, Yvonne was silent.


    ¡°Hello? Yvonne, did you hear me?¡± Veronica shouted worriedly when she couldn¡¯t hear anything.


    ¡°I-I heard it. Don¡¯t worry; I will not let Conrad take my son away even if it costs me my life,¡± Yvonne


    replied decisively.


    ¡°Then you¡ª¡±


    Beep, beep, beep!


    Before Veronica could speak again, Yvonne hung up the call.


    Veronica put away her phone. Leaning against the railing, she sighed.


    She broke up with Matthew, so she didn¡¯t want Matthew to talk about Yvonne¡¯s case.


    Although Veronica didn¡¯t want to show her weakness before Matthew, Conrad was a force to be


    reckoned with and she couldn¡¯t handle him.

 Chapter 441

    Chapter 441


    Chapter 441 You Are Crazy


    What should I do?


    Veronica was filled with worry. At this moment, a servant jogged over. ¡°Miss Murphy, Old Mrs. Kings is


    looking for you.¡± ¡°Okay. Got it.¡±


    Veronica stood up and went to Elizabeth¡¯s yard. In the living room, Conrad was gone, but Matthew was


    in there. ¡°Grandma?¡±


    Veronica nced at Matthew, then looked at Elizabeth. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Come and sit.¡± Elizabeth patted the seat next to her to hint Veronica to go over. Veronica went over to sit


    beside Elizabeth. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Veronica, what do you think about Conrad?¡±


    Elizabeth held Veronica¡¯s hand affectionately and she said that with an amiable tone. It made Veronica


    feel all warm and fuzzy. Veronica looked at Elizabeth. However, Veronica¡¯s initially warm heart turned


    cold when she saw Matthew from the corner of her eye.


    The coldness lingered on her body and made her feel the bone-chilling cold. It was the feeling of


    heartache and loss.


    ¡°Grandma, I-I won¡¯t express my opinion regarding Uncle Conrad. A-After all, I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°You are my family!¡±


    Elizabeth guessed what Veronica was going to say, so she reprimanded, ¡°As long as I¡¯m still here, you


    have the right to speak.¡±


    She patted Veronica¡¯s hand. ¡°Tell me if Matthew bullies you. Although you broke up with him, I will still


    make him pay.¡±


    Veronica felt honored to be favored by Elizabeth.


    However, Veronica wouldn¡¯t take advantage of Elizabeth¡¯s love.


    Veronica pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Okay, Grandma. You really love me the most.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, then¡ªwhat do you think about Conrad?¡± Elizabeth asked again.


    Veronica frowned and lowered her head for a while. In the end, she sighed. ¡°In my opinion, although the


    Kings Family is wealthy, the heir candidates would not have proper leadership and decision-making


    power just because they have a child. To make it fair, let Uncle Conrad and Matt¡ªI mean, Matthew


    compete with each other. The result will be more convincing.¡±


    She did not choose a side and spoke from a neutral standpoint.


    It was because Veronica knew that Matthew would never lose to Conrad.


    Elizabeth nodded when she heard that. ¡°I agree with you.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Grandma, this is just my humble opinion. Choosing an heir is important; you should think


    twice.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Elizabeth patted Veronica¡¯s hand and smiled kindly. ¡°You are smart.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I will be arrogant if you praise me more.¡±


    Elizabeth chuckled cheerfully, then said, ¡°s, I am old and frail. I will rest for a while. You and Matthew


    should rest too. Then, you will apany me to the hospital for a check-up.¡±


    Elizabeth took great care to create opportunities for Matthew and Veronica.


    They could see through Elizabeth¡¯s intention, but they both pretended to be unknowing.


    ¡°Okay, Grandma. I¡¯ll help you to rest.¡± Veronica helped Elizabeth to the bedroom to rest.


    When Veronica came out, Matthew had already left.


    Truth was, it would be a lie for her to say that she was not sad.


    Veronica stood there, lowered her eyes, and stared at the ground in a daze.


    After a while, she sighed and walked out of the living room.


    However, a figure suddenly appeared when she stepped out of the door and she bumped into it.


    Due to inertia, Veronica leaned back and Matthew put his arms around her waist, bringing her into his


    arms.


    Matthew¡¯s breath held a hint of smoke, and a strong nicotine scent hit Veronica¡¯s face.


    She tilted her head and looked to the left of the door, noticing that there was a little soot and cigarette


    butts. Then, she realized that Matthew did not leave but had instead leaned against the door to smoke.


    When she was walking out, he had just finished hisst puff and threw the cigarette butt to walk to the


    room. Then, they collided.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Matthew involuntarily said a word of concern from the bottom of his heart.


    However, he immediately regretted it after he said it.


    I shouldn¡¯t show my care to Veronica before him.


    Matthew let go of Veronica, and she took a step back instinctively. However, she had forgotten that this


    was the Kings Residence. The quaint house had a history of a hundred years and each room had a step


    at the door, so she tripped as she leaned back.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    She fell and instinctively let out a soft cry.


    Initially, she thought Matthew would hold her, but he didn¡¯t.


    He stood there nkly, ignoring her fall.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Veronica hit the ground hard. Her behind hurt from the fall and she couldn¡¯t help but gasp.


    ¡°Matthew, c-couldn¡¯t you have given me a hand?¡± she grumbled while crawling up from the group in


    embarrassment.


    ¡°Why should I do that? It doesn¡¯t matter to me if you fall. You can¡¯t me me for you being clumsy,¡±


    Matthew said coldly and turned away.


    It wasn¡¯t until he turned around and left that Veronica saw Conrad standing a few meters behind.


    He saw everything, and his eyes widened in shock. Raising his eyebrows, he looked at Matthew leaving


    and walked over to Veronica. ¡°Little Roni? Matthew is¡­ Is everything alright between the both of you?¡±


    Veronica flicked the dust off her body and red at Conrad. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. However, you are Matthew¡¯s girlfriend, so why is he ignoring you?¡±


    ¡°Can you stop talking about him to me? You¡¯re crazy!¡±


    Veronica stomped her feet angrily, pushed Conrad away, and left angrily.


    Conrad was puzzled at Veronica¡¯s attitude.


    Are they¡­


    ¡°Haha, interesting.¡± He smiled, but the smile was meaningful.


    And so, he made a call. ¡°Find out what happened to Matthew and Veronica.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Conrad walked into the living room and sat on the chair as he yed with


    his cell phone leisurely.


    After half an hour, his cell phone rang.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°President Kings, someone said Young Master Matthew had broken up with Miss Murphy three months


    ago, and the two haven¡¯t seen each other since then.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Conrad hung up the call. Clutching the phone with his right hand, he thoughtfully tapped the screen with


    his fingers.


    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t see them returning to the Kings Residence. Not to mention they did not go anywhere


    together in the past three months. It seems like they broke up.


    ¡°Hmph! I knew Matthew wouldn¡¯t be loyal to a woman. He throws the woman away after scoring her.¡±

 Chapter 442

    Chapter 442


    Chapter 442 Matthew, You Jerk


    Veronica stomped toward the front yard and from that distance, she saw Matthew leaning against the


    gazebo by the pool. He happened to be sitting where she was sitting just now.


    Veronica only nced coldly at him before she looked away and walked off. ¡°Grandma has an


    appointment for a check-up at 3.30PM. What are you going to tell her if you were to leave now?¡±


    The man leaned sideways on the seat as he rested his elbow on the railings. He had a cigarette between


    his fingers as he spoke to Veronica as she stood nearby.


    Almost all her anger immediately dissipated when she heard his words. Well, I did promise Grandma I


    would go to her check-upter with her.


    After all, I know her character well. What if she gets angry and doesn¡¯t want to go to the hospital for a


    checkup because I am not around?


    Veronica came to a stop as she thought about this. Feeling too embarrassed to go back to the living


    room, she then walked in front of Matthew.


    Her fair cheeks were flushed with anger and after she stood in front of him, she looked at him from her


    height. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are going overboard, Matthew Kings? We might have broken up, but


    shouldn¡¯t you havee to help me up when you saw me fall?¡±


    She was simmering with rage for some reason.


    She could feel her temper re the moment she recalled how he only watched on when she took the


    heavy fall earlier.


    The man flicked away the cigarette ash with his fingers before he put the cigarette onto his lips and took


    a drag. He then blew a faint cloud at her. ¡°I have already helped you once just now,¡± he casually


    reminded her of how he had caught her just in time when she fell backward after bumping into him


    earlier.


    She had pushed him away and as she took a few steps back, she identally stumbled on the


    threshold, making her fall backward again.


    He definitely did not help her then.


    Because¡­


    Conrad hade.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Veronica gritted her teeth. ¡°Did you do that intentionally? You like doing that or something?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ like you at all,¡± Matthew coldly cut her off without even giving her the chance to


    finish her words.


    His answer that he deliberately dragged on shattered thest bit of remaining hope in her heart.


    After hearing his reply, Veronica only stood there stiffly, her gaze incredulous.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that this cold-blooded man she was looking at was the same Matthew who used to


    care so much about her.


    He had changed too much within such a short period of time.


    She didn¡¯t understand what was going on. She even felt like something was amiss at some point but no


    matter how much she pondered over it, she didn¡¯t know what the problem was.


    She did notice how their rtionship had deteriorated ever since Sasha¡¯s appearance, though.


    Perhaps, Sasha was Matthew¡¯s true love.


    ¡°Matthew Kings, you¡­¡± Veronica pointed a finger at him. ¡°You are such a jerk!¡±


    As rage swallowed her whole like a forest fire and clouded her judgment, she raised her hand in a fit of


    anger and swung at his cheek, giving him a hard p on the face.


    A crisp, loud sound reverberated throughout the ce.


    Conrad, who was walking in their direction, just happened to see what was happening beside the


    gazebo. When he realized that, he ducked behind a nt beside him to hide himself.


    The impact of the p made Matthew turn his head to the side. Even the hair on his forehead had


    be messy and it fell into his face.


    He slowly closed his eyes. Standing up, he brought the cigarette to his mouth again and took a deep


    breath before he opened his pair of sharp eyes.


    He then grabbed her by the wrist and warned, ¡°I owe you this one p, Veronica Murphy, but if you dare


    overstep your boundaries again, don¡¯t me me for turning my back on you.¡±


    She started to struggle out of his painfully tight hold on her, but he didn¡¯t have the slightest intention to let


    go. When she finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore, she brought a leg up and kicked him.


    She put all her strength into that kick she aimed directly at him, causing him to stumble backward before


    he found his footing again.


    ¡°From now on, you and I don¡¯t owe each other a thing. You will go your way, and I will go mine. Whether


    you live or die has nothing to do with me anymore!¡±


    After she roared that statement with her finger pointing at him, she trampled out of the gazebo, feeling


    furious.


    She probably wanted to vent her anger at him because of the grudge she held on him.


    Veronica had thought that her mood would turn better after ranting, but the truth waspletely different


    from her expectations.


    Not only did she not feel better, she felt much worse after that.


    As Veronica left the gazebo angrily, Conrad quickly backed away when he saw her approaching.


    He had seen it with his own eyes how the couple not only broke up, but also had a fallout with one


    another.


    Does this mean that I can pull Veronica over to my side now? he contemted.


    On the other hand, Veronica had started to y games on her phone after she went to a room to rest.


    Not long after, a servant came over and informed her that Elizabeth was awake, leaving Veronica no


    choice but to stop her gaming and go to Elizabeth instead. She helped Elizabeth out of the house, and


    together with Matthew, the trio got into the car and headed to the hospital.


    After they came to a private hospital, someone specially came to wee Elizabeth and bring her for a


    series ofprehensive medical examinations.


    While she was undergoing the physical examinations, Matthew and Veronica quietly sat in the lounge


    again as they waited.


    As Veronica didn¡¯t even want to look at Matthew, she quickly logged into her game again to y with four


    other yers.


    However, she received a call from Larry just before she pressed into the game.


    ¡°Crazy?¡± she called out after epting the call.


    ¡°Demoness!¡± He then urgently asked, ¡°Have you found your Grandma?¡±


    It was only then that Veronica remembered how Larry had told her when she was leaving to message


    him if she had found Elizabeth.


    She had somehowpletely forgotten about his request.


    ¡°We found her. She¡¯s alright. I forgot to let you know.¡± Veronica let out an embarrassed chuckle.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Matthew was eavesdropping on the call at the side when his ears perked up at her reply.


    Who the hell is Crazy?


    They seem pretty close.


    ¡°I owe you one.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. When are you free? Let me suck you dry.¡±


    ¡°Should we go for a movie, then? I have time these days. I promise I will be there if you are buying.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. See you!¡±


    Matthew¡¯s mood had suddenly dampened when he noticed how cheerful Veronica was as she happily


    chatted with another person on the phone while she sat on a couch for one.


    That guy is even asking her on a movie date!


    ¡°How unexpected for you to have found your next man so quickly.¡± He inquisitively brought up the


    subject.


    Veronica was looking at her phone when she heard his odd remark. With her eyebrows raised, she


    asked in return, ¡°Is there a problem? You have your Sasha, and I have my toy boy. Besides, we can act


    like siblings with a good rtionship when Grandma is here, but now that she is not, you can totally keep


    your mouth shut and not utter a word.¡±


    Thest thing she wanted to do now was bother herself with Matthew.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He nodded. ¡°Having a toy boy really has made you much more confident now, but does he


    know that we broke up just recently?¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong with your head? Am I not allowed to find another man after we break up? A


    toy boy, you say? It has got nothing to do with you even if I were to be with different toy boys everyday,


    alright?!¡±

 Chapter 443

    Chapter 443


    Chapter 443 Introduce Veronica a Partner


    While sitting on another couch himself, Matthew had his legs crossed as his intertwined fingers were


    ced on his abdomen. ¡°Indeed, it is none of my business. I am just curious who would fancy a fierce


    woman like you.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat guilty at those words he uttered. He had spoken without thinking it


    through and by the time he did, he started to panic. Will we still have the chance to be together after I tell


    her the truth a yearter if I were to piss her off?


    ¡°You are the one who is blind!¡± At that point, the duo had begun to diss each other. ¡°Stay out of my


    business, Matthew Kings.¡± ¡°I would love to, but what choice do I have when I am your godbrother? I will


    be gatekeeping when you find your next man.¡±


    That¡¯s a pretty good reason, right? He quietly praised himself for being clever after he said that. This was


    perhaps the only excuse he had to be able to justifiably get rid of the men around her. ¡°You¡­¡± Veronica


    stuttered, at a loss for words.


    Just as the two of them stared at each other with a confrontational look on their faces, her eyes suddenly


    had a glint as a n came to her. ¡°Alright, then. Since you are my brother, I will need your help with that


    when I look for someone in the future.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it.¡± Despite his short reply, he was cheering on the inside. ¡°Hmph!¡±


    She only huffed without saying anything, and silence soon befell the lounge again. It took some time for


    the physical examination to bepleted. After Elizabeth was done with it, she also came to the lounge


    to sit and rest.


    Seeing Veronica ying on her phone, Elizabeth asked, ¡°Veronica, have you been looking for a new


    partner after you broke up with Matthew?¡±


    She had noticed how quiet and rigid Veronica and Matthew were as soon as she walked in. Seeing how


    they weren¡¯t willing to talk to each other, she had no choice but to use a trick like this to ease the


    atmosphere.


    ¡°Uh¡­ What? A partner?¡± Veronica was stunned by how unexpectedly gossipy Elizabeth was. With a


    bashful smile on her face, she quickly told the older woman an excuse she thought of. ¡°Haha! Grandma,


    Matthew and I have only broken up a little more than three months ago, so I am still on the lookout for


    someone. I will definitely bring him over to introduce you when I have decided on one.¡±


    Because if she didn¡¯t, she was scared that Elizabeth would do the same thing she did before by shoving


    a bunch of photos of candidates at Veronica and making her choose one.


    And just as she expected¡­


    ¡°Oh, I know what a dull man Matthew is. He doesn¡¯t even like to talk. Women don¡¯t like men like him,¡±


    Elizabeth added while she tugged on Veronica¡¯s hand with a gentle smile on her face. ¡°But I do have


    someone decent that I want to introduce to you.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    Veronica had turned to Elizabeth and was about to reject her when she, from the angle she was looking


    from, noticed the change in Matthew¡¯s expression as he sat there.


    And so, she quickly agreed instead. ¡°Alright. I am still young anyway. It is not a bad thing to get to know


    more people.¡±


    ¡°Haha!That is wonderful. I can always trust you to be the open-minded one.¡± While speaking, Elizabeth


    took her phone out and flipped through her contacts before she dialed one of the numbers.


    After she put the call on loudspeaker, the phone made a few beeping sounds before the person epted


    the call.


    ¡°Grandma Elizabeth?¡± The gentle and somewhat familiar voice of a man rang out instantly.


    ¡°Hello? Miguel, dear, what has been keeping you busy recently?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    Veronica¡¯s face immediately froze in shock.


    She was curious about who Elizabeth had in mind to introduce her to, but she never would have thought


    that it would be Miguel, who happened to be Matthew¡¯s best friend!


    As the few of them had a great rtionship and Miguel was a year older than Matthew, he naturally was


    the ¡®big brother¡¯ of the group.


    However, Veronica could tell that even though Miguel was one year older than Matthew, he was far


    inferior in temperament and power whenpared to Matthew.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Still¡­


    As Veronica gave it a thought, her clear eyes glinted and a smile gradually appeared on her red lips.


    ¡°Nothing much. I am not busy at all,¡± Miguel replied before asking again, ¡°Is there something you need


    me for, Grandma Elizabeth?¡±


    The woman seldom called him but whenever she did, she had something important to tell him.


    ¡°Oh, it is just that you don¡¯t have a partner now, yes? I want to introduce you to a fine youngdy, and I


    wanted to check whether you are free for a meetup.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Thank you for worrying about me, Grandma Elizabeth. Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely make time if it


    is for someone you are introducing.¡±


    After Miguel readily agreed, he asked out of curiosity, ¡°Who is thisdy, Grandma?¡±


    ¡°It is¡­¡± Elizabeth took a peek at Veronica as she tried to be secretive about it. ¡°You will know when you


    see her.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Alrighty! But how are we going to meet?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over to the Kings Residence tonight? I will be waiting for you there.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Grandma. I will be there tonight.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. See you¡­¡±


    Elizabeth immediately hung up the phone after bidding him farewell.


    As she put her phone away, she tilted her head to look at Matthew. ¡°Matthew, what do you think of


    Veronica and Miguel?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s face was already maroon from his anger, but he would never dare vent at his previous


    grandmother.


    ¡°Nothing much.¡± He shook his head. ¡°She is boisterous, and he is overly calm.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Their personalitiesplement each other, then. Only couples who make up for what the


    other half is short on can have a longsting married life.¡±


    Matthew almost dropped his phone he was holding when he heard Elizabeth talking about evesting


    marriage.


    ¡°I will leave you responsible for Miguel and Veronica¡¯s meeting tonight. Let me tell you this beforehand,


    though¡ªif Miguel doesn¡¯te or he directly rejects Veronica, I will being for you!¡± Elizabeth


    unhesitantly threatened him.


    Despite not saying a word, Veronica was secretly happy about the fact that Matthew was being lectured


    by Elizabeth now.


    After a while of sitting in the lounge, the test results finally came out, and it showed that everything was


    normal.


    The three of them then headed back to the Kings Residence.


    After arriving, Elizabeth said to Matthew, ¡°I have been bored these days. Come here and y a game of


    chess with me.¡±


    Knowing that his grandmother was deliberately holding onto him to prevent him from giving Miguel a call,


    he blurted out, ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a game with Veronica, Grandma? You and her are evenly matched.¡±


    Bang!


    Elizabeth furiously hit the table upon hearing that. ¡°What? Are you not listening to your grandmother


    anymore? You don¡¯t even want to y chess with me now, huh?¡±


    Okay, then!


    Unable to refuse, Matthew could only bite the bullet and walked over to y chess with Elizabeth.


    As time went by, Elizabeth began to notice how she was not Matthew¡¯s match at all with how he was


    winning game after game. How am I supposed to keep dying if this goes on?


    Left with no choice, she could only wave at Veronica, who was ying a mobile game, over. ¡°Veronica,


    come here and take a look. Be my military advisor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Veronica then stood up and went over to Elizabeth.


    She then moved a chair and sat beside Elizabeth, her eyes looking at the pieces on the chessboard as a


    thoughtful frown donned her face.

 Chapter 444

    Chapter 444


    Chapter 444 Introduce Her to Miguel


    After observing how the game of chess was, Veronica started to provide counsel while seated next to


    Elizabeth. She easily won the first round under her cooperation with Elizabeth.


    Smugly, she peered at Matthew and suggested, ¡°It is so boring ying it this way. How about we turn it


    up a notch by sticking papers?¡±


    ¡°Haha! That is true. It will be boring without a bet!¡± Elizabeth agreed as she chuckled.


    When Matthew saw Veronica¡¯s triumphant expression because she won a game, a sh of light suddenly


    appeared in his eyes. ¡°Sure. We will do as you say.¡±


    He then turned to the servant at the side and instructed them to bring a few pieces of paper and a bowl


    of water, to which the servant nodded and quickly went to do so.


    After they brought the requested items, Matthew tore off a strip of paper, dipped it in water, and stered


    it to his chin.


    However, Veronica was the one who lost during the second round.


    Not only that¡­


    She lost eight consecutive rounds after that.


    By the time Miguel had rushed over, he couldn¡¯t helpughing when he saw how Veronica¡¯s face was


    covered in paper strips in the living room.


    ¡°What are you guys ying? Looks interesting,¡± he smilinglymented while walking toward them to


    join in on the fun.


    Matthew continued to study the chessboard before he proceeded to move his Rook and King.


    Veronica¡¯s King had nowhere to move to this time, which resulted in her loss yet again.


    Upset, she frowned and demanded, ¡°No! Let¡¯s have another round!¡±


    For some reason, she was like a gambler who refused to admit defeat, and was unhappy about losing to


    Matthew.


    ¡°You are a sore loser, aren¡¯t you?¡± Matthee provoked her with a smile on his face, his eyebrows raised.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°You punk, is this how you speak?!¡± Elizabeth loudly reprimanded her grandson before she mediated the


    conflict. ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s continue some other day. Miguel is already here anyway.¡±


    Right then, the servant came over and informed, ¡°Old Mrs. Kings and Young Master Matthew, dinner is


    ready.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Elizabeth briefly responded before walking in front of Miguel. ¡°Come, Miguel. Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, weren¡¯t you going to introduce someone to me? Is thedy not here yet?¡± Miguel adjusted his


    spectacles, seemingly finding it hard to believe.


    ¡°Haha! What is the rush? Let¡¯s have our dinner first.¡±


    She then brought Miguel to the dining room.


    And so, Veronica was left unsatisfied with the oue of the game as she tore the papers off her face


    and squeezed them into a ball before throwing it in the trash can.


    She thought to herself, I will have to improve my chess skills. I wouldn¡¯t have lost every round otherwise.


    Matthew somehow found it funny how Veronica was fuming, but he maintained that impassive look on


    his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t foxes prey farthest from their burrow? You seem to be ¡®hunting¡¯ on my ground now, though.¡±


    Sitting there, he took out a cigarette from the cigarette box. After he lit it up, he took a drag and


    intentionally yet teasingly blew a puff of thin smoke on her face.


    Veronica was already annoyed from her repeated defeat but upon hearing his words, she let out a small


    smile at him.


    It was a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes, yet it looked bright and beautiful.


    Someone as naturally beautiful as she was would still look gorgeous even without any makeup on.


    Her smile was like a cupid¡¯s arrow right through Matthew¡¯s heart, and it skipped a beat.


    ¡°Miguel is your friend, not mine, so why would you say that I am hunting on my ground? Anyhow, I do


    think a gentleman like him isn¡¯t all that bad.¡±


    As Veronica spoke, she pretended to be surprised as she raised her eyebrows at Matthew. ¡°You call him


    your brother, don¡¯t you? If he and I end up dating, won¡¯t you have to start calling me¡­ sister-inw?¡±


    She deliberately dragged her sentence, her every look and word provocative.


    When Mattjew heard her words, his face fell, and his fingers holding the cigarette immediately crushed


    the cigarette butt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± he growled after a long second.


    She proceeded topletely ignore his temper. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? Grandma is the matchmaker. You


    might as well goin to her.¡±


    After saying that, she stood up and walked out.


    Matthew, on the other hand, stayed seated on the chair. His lips were pursed into a straight line and his


    handsome face had gloom written all over it.


    Fuming, he only got up after a while as he strode out of the living room and followed after Veronica.


    The four of them were now sitting around the dining table that was filled with a sumptuous dinner that


    smelled as good as it looked.


    However, all four of them were deep in their own thoughts.


    Miguel, who was still thinking about what Elizabeth said about wanting to introduce someone to him,


    asked again, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t we need to wait for thatdy?¡±


    ¡°Whatdy?¡± Elizabeth asked in return.


    Miguel pushed his sses and solemnly replied, ¡°The one¡­ you told me you wanted to introduce me


    to.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Elizabeth nodded and was about to say something when Matthew threw a cold re at Miguel. ¡°Are you


    deprived of women or something?¡± He ridiculed his friend.


    Miguel seemed ustomed to Matthew¡¯s attitude as he smiled warmly. ¡°I have been single for so long.


    My mother might kill me if I keep dragging on on not getting a partner.¡±


    ¡°Then get your mother to find you someone!¡± Matthew hissed, his eyes aze as he red at Miguel.


    Miguel, however, didn¡¯t seem to understand why Matthew was especially angry today. The former


    thought Veronica was the reason Matthew was mad.


    Matthew had been cantankerous ever since he and Veronica broke up in Twilight Condominium.


    It got to the point where Miguel and the rest of their friends would tease Matthew by saying that he was


    either on his period, or was experiencing menopause.


    ¡°I would have if it wasn¡¯t because of her absolute bad taste. She would always either find short or chubby


    women, or she would bring me a coquette. Tsk! I don¡¯t trust her off-putting taste at all.¡± Having said that,


    he did not forget to praise Elizabeth. ¡°But Grandma is different. Grandma has a good eye. Thedy she


    wants to introduce to me will definitely be a good girl.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± When Elizabeth heard his words, she let out a heartyugh and patted Miguel on the shoulder.


    ¡°You rascal, aren¡¯t you the best at making me happy?¡±


    ¡°I am telling the truth,¡± Miguel added before he picked up his drink from the table and took a sip.


    ¡°Actually, the woman that I want to introduce to you today is¡­¡± Without finishing her sentence, Elizabeth


    nced at Veronica, only to see the young woman with her head lowered as she remained silent. It was


    as if she had something on her mind.


    Under normal circumstances, if they were really just having a conflict, Matthew would not agree even if


    Veronica hadn¡¯t outwardly rejected.


    But now, it seemed like neither one of them had any opinion with the current arrangement.


    Did they really break up? Elizabeth wondered.


    It didn¡¯t matter much, though. Miguel was someone who she watched grow up. She knew that he was a


    good man.


    She thought it would be nice if Veronica could find where her heart belonged if she were to get together


    with Miguel.


    And so, Elizabeth finally revealed the situation to Miguel. ¡°It is Veronica!¡±


    Pfft! Cough, cough¡­


    After Elizabeth finished speaking, Miguel, who had just sipped a mouthful of fruit juice, hadn¡¯t even


    swallowed when he turned sideways, spurted it all out and hacked furiously.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    He coughed non-stop.


    Flushed, he quickly put down the cup and took a few pieces of tissue to wipe his mouth with.


    It was only after a long while that his gaze fell on Matthew, shifted to Veronica, before it finallynded on


    Elizabeth.

 Chapter 445

    Chapter 445


    Chapter 445 You Are Not My Type


    ¡°Y-You¡­ Grandma, the date you said you want to introduce to me is¡­ Veronica?¡±


    Miguel was thunderstruck. He didn¡¯t even have the courage to peek at Matthew¡¯s face as he quickly


    shook his head. ¡°No, no! Grandma, she is not my type!¡±


    The clever answer made the corner of Matthew¡¯s lips curl into a slight arc. Smart, he mused. Or I


    would¡¯ve broken his leg. Although Matthew was satisfied with the answer, Veronica was upset.


    ¡°What type am I? We haven¡¯t even hung out! How do you know if I am right for you or not?¡± she asked.


    As though this was a mere joke, she then continued to tease, ¡°I think you are pretty good. You are gentle


    and polite, and you are much more powerful than a certain someone. Miguel, how about we spend some


    time getting to know each other? You might see that I am not all that bad.¡±


    Veronica had no intention of letting Miguel go just like that, precisely because he was Matthew¡¯s friend.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Miguel was stunned when Veronica didn¡¯t go as he thought she would. He only came back to his


    senses after a while. ¡°I really can¡¯t.¡± He fervently shook his head. ¡°I really don¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°What type of girl do you like, then?¡± she asked. Hearing that, Miguel looked at Matthew with a helpless


    look, hoping that Matthew would say something for him.


    Unexpectedly, Matthew only lowered his head. He picked up a ss of wine from the table and took a


    sip from it. As if immersed in the rich and mellow aroma of the fine wine, he waspletely unaware of


    the secret message Miguel was sending his way.


    Now that he had been ¡®blocked¡¯ by Matthew, Miguel had no choice but tough awkwardly. ¡°I like gentle,


    virtuous, sweet, and cute women.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That is not hard to do.¡± She brought up a hand and ran it through her hair. ¡°I can get a chin-length


    haircut and straighten it out tomorrow. With my appearance, even though I am definitely not considered a


    cute girl, I am not far from the sweet type. And as for being gentle and virtuous like you said, I may not


    be the type, but¡­ it is alright. I can change!¡±


    She seemed to have locked her target on Miguel today.


    Even though Miguel was prepared to be tormented, he never expected Veronica to be so persistent.


    Even Elizabeth was taken aback by Veronica¡¯s words. Did she really leave Matthew because she had no


    feelings for him? Or did she fall in love with Miguel instead?


    She herself wasn¡¯t too sure for a moment there.


    Matthew¡¯s face had turnedpletely dark as he held his wine ss harder, his joints visibly turning


    white. It felt as though the ss in his hand would be crushed to pieces anytime now.


    ¡®I may not be the type, but it is alright. I can change!¡¯ What is she talking about?


    She¡¯s actually willing to do something like this for Miguel¡¯s sake?


    She has never said something like this when we were together!


    As his jealousy welled up, only God knew how many times Matthew repeated a mantra¡ªEndure. You


    must endure.


    If it wasn¡¯t for his excellent self-control, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his emotions at bay. Instead, he


    would have directly carried her back to the room and given her ¡®punishment¡¯ so severe that she would


    reflect on her actions.


    ¡°Ah? Um¡­ Uh¡­¡± Miguel hesitated, unable to utter a coherent sentence for a long time.


    Elizabeth let out a frown then. ¡°Miguel, does it bother you that Veronica was Matthew¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°No, no. Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Since that is not the case, why don¡¯t you want to give me a chance? If you really can¡¯t do it, I will be the


    one doing the pursuing instead,¡± Veronica deliberately said.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Although she suddenly felt bad about ying with Miguel, she had to do it to get on Matthew¡¯s nerves.


    B*stard! I want to give him a heart attack if I can! Veronica fumed before Miguel slowly muttered, ¡°P-


    Pursue m-me?¡±


    The way he stammered that brief, iplete question made it seem as if he had a stutter.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± She smiled softly and turned her head to look at Matthew. ¡°Matthew, since you and Miguel are


    good friends, you should know what he likes to eat or do. You have to tell me so that I can bring him


    something delicious in the future.¡±


    She was thinking how Matthew was always the one who prepared good food for her back when they


    were together.


    Now Matthew had been reced by Miguel, Veronica was the one taking the initiative to prepare all


    kinds of food for Miguel.


    Matthew will probably be pissed if hepared the difference in the treatment, won¡¯t he?


    Upon hearing her voice, Matthewnguidly lifted his gaze and nced at her with contempt. He could


    feel his top blowing off as he observed that joyful smile blooming across her face.


    How dare she provoke me?!


    Instead of answering her, he continued to slowly sip the red wine in the ss, and only spoke when he


    caught sight of the beaming smile on her face gradually turning stiff and then furious. ¡°Having self-


    awareness is what makes one human. Do you know what this is called when you keep forcing yourself


    on Miguel when you already know that he doesn¡¯t like you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Veronica¡¯s eyes went wide with curiosity. The innocence on her face made it look as if she didn¡¯t


    understand what he was saying.


    In all seriousness, she then hit the table with just the right amount of force as she continued, ¡°Of course it


    is called ¡®true love¡¯. Who would stick to a man if it is not because of true love?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s face turned even colder when he gave what she said a thought.


    Are changing her personality and preparing food for Miguel what she thinks ¡®true love¡¯ is?


    So the reason she never did anything when we were together was because¡­


    She didn¡¯t love me?


    Matthew had turned frigid at this point.


    However, he would never let his emotions show on his face no matter how angry he might be.


    Having been in the business for many years, Matthew had long since trained himself to be as impassive


    as could be. Even if he was angry, he could hide his emotions very well.


    ¡°True love? Ha!¡± He snorted lightly as he poured himself another ss of red wine. Slowly cing the


    decanter down onto the table, he looked up at Veronica and hummed, ¡°From what I see, you don¡¯t give a


    rat¡¯s a*s about¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish his words, and only pointed at his own face.


    Without needing to word it, it was obvious he was mocking Veronica by saying she didn¡¯t care about how


    she looked to other people; in other words, he was telling her that she was shameless.


    ¡°Matthew, this is your godsister you are talking about! How could you say that?!¡± Elizabeth red at him.


    ¡°She likes Miguel and she is willing to fight for him, which shows that she knows how to cherish her


    feelings. What is so shameless about it? Your mother was the one who went after your father too. With


    your mentality, would you still say that your mother didn¡¯t care about her¡­¡±


    Hearing that, Matthew immediately fell silent with his lips pressed together. His parents¡¯ rtionship was


    effective to shut him up.


    Satisfied, Elizabeth chuckled. ¡°Miguel, look at how sincere Veronica is toward you. Just spend some time


    together. Who knows? You and her may end up beingpatible. It will be a pity if you miss each other


    because you aren¡¯t willing to give it a try now.¡±


    Miguel and Caleb were so drunk that time in Twilight Condominium that they slept like logs. By the time


    they woke up, Veronica had already left.


    They only knew that Matthew and Veronica had broken up after that, but they had no clue what was the


    reason for the breakup.


    Even Skyler and Sasha said that they didn¡¯t know because they had fallen asleep as well.

 Chapter 446

    Chapter 446


    Chapter 446 For You, I Can Change


    Matthew and Veronica didn¡¯t contact each other for the next three months, which gradually made Miguel


    realize that the two of them had really broken up.


    Still, it was hard not to feel awkward about it with his own best friend¡¯s ex-girlfriend. Miguel was a timid


    man. He might get ideas, but he didn¡¯t have the courage to actually do it. ¡°Grandma, what you said


    makes sense, but¡ª¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Miguel wanted to refuse politely, but Elizabeth didn¡¯t give him a chance to finish his words at all when


    she unhesitantly interrupted him, ¡°I am d it makes sense to you. It means you agree.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, I am trying to tell you¡ª¡±


    He hurriedly tried to interject, but the olddy didn¡¯t have any intention to stop talking. ¡°Alright, alright.


    Veronica is my god-granddaughter, and you are Matthew¡¯s friend. If your rtionship with Veronica works


    out, there will only be room for us to get closer with one another. Haha!¡±


    ¡°Haha! Grandma is right!¡± Veronica quickly agreed. In order to keep up with her act, Veronica even stood


    up and put a braisedmb shank on Miguel¡¯s te. ¡°Have some braisedmb shank, Miguel. This is


    prepared ording to the secret recipe by the Kings Residence¡¯s chef. It is super yummy.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, um¡­ Thanks, thanks.¡± Albeit reluctant, Miguel managed to utter his thanks, but he didn¡¯t make a


    move to eat at all. ¡°Oh my, why aren¡¯t you eating? How about I feed you?¡±


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t cooperating, Veronica used the ultimate weapon by reaching out to feed him the


    lamb shank. Her stance instantly frightened him so much he immediately picked up themb shank and


    took a bite. ¡°Ha! Let me feed myself. But, I have to agree. This tastes amazing.¡± ¡°I am d that you like


    it.¡±


    Elizabeth, too, nodded. ¡°Alright, time to dig in. It will get cold soon.¡± As soon as she said that, everyone


    else lowered their heads and started munching away. The dining table fell into dead silence at that.


    She then said something, which made them reply to her a few sentences, and it went quiet again. At


    some point, Elizabeth brought something up again to start a conversation, but just like before, the other


    three only answered briefly before the conversation ended before it could even begin. The silence


    enveloped them yet again.


    Each of these people who had their minds elsewhere finished their meal hastily in less than half an hour.


    Sitting on pins and needles, Miguel blurted out immediately, ¡°Grandma, I suddenly remembered that I


    have something to do at home. I have to go back quickly. I wille to see you another day.¡±


    This situation was too torturous for him to bear.


    Especially how Matthew has been silent the whole time with his calm and cold expression? As Matthew¡¯s


    close friend, Miguel knew how Matthew would not let him off the hook just like that.


    ¡°Are you going back, Miguel? Give me a ride back, too. I coincidentally have something to hurry back


    and do.¡± Veronica stood up and said to Miguel with a smile.


    Needless to say, Elizabeth was happy to see the two of them being friendly with each other. ¡°Alright.


    Miguel, you are now responsible for sending Veronica home. Matthew will stay in the Kings Residence


    today. I have something to tell him.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, there is something important I need to deal with at thepany tonight. I will be back


    tomorrow if you need me.¡± Matthew straightout rejected his grandmother.


    He didn¡¯t want to give Miguel and Veronica a chance to be alone.


    ¡°Okay. You young people are busy, so hurry back if you want to.¡± Elizabeth got up and waved to the


    servant, Yura. ¡°Come on, Mrs. Coleman. Have a walk with me in the back garden so that I can digest my


    food.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Mrs. Kings.¡± Yura nodded in reply.


    The servant then gave another polite nod at Veronica, Miguel and Matthew. ¡°Please excuse me, Young


    Master Matthew, Young Master Miguel, Miss Murphy.¡±


    After the three replied in acknowledgement, Yura headed off to the garden with Elizabeth, leaving only


    the youngsters in the dining room.


    Veronica deliberately ignored Matthew and went straight to Miguel. ¡°Miguel, aren¡¯t you in a hurry to go


    back? Let¡¯s go. We should leave as soon as possible.¡±


    She really didn¡¯t want to stay with Matthew for one second longer than necessary.


    Hearing Veronica call Miguel in such an intimate way sent a chill down his spine. It was even worse


    when he turned around and met Matthew¡¯s cold eyes. ¡°If you are in a hurry¡ª¡± he blurted. ¡°¡ªlet the


    Kings¡¯ driver take you back. Matthew and I still have something to talk about.¡±


    ¡°I will keep youpany, then,¡± Veronica replied. She knew too well what Miguel¡¯s intentions were.


    ¡°Oh, already gluing yourself to him even before you have established your rtionship? Does not seeing


    him make you feel like dying?¡± Matthew¡¯s suppressed emotions finally exploded, and he couldn¡¯t help but


    snort.


    However, Veronica¡¯s sole purpose tonight was to ruffle his feathers.


    Seeing him fuming actually made herugh instead.


    ¡°What can I do? Isn¡¯t it normal to miss someone you are in love with?¡± She raised her eyebrows smugly.


    ¡°Okay, then. Since you make it a point to cling on to Miguel, go ahead and have a talk with each other. I


    will be waiting in his car.¡±


    She then reached out a palm as she instructed, ¡°How about you pass me the car keys first, Miguel?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Seeing how the two tantly went head-to-head suddenly made Miguel feel like a helpless piece of ham


    sandwiched between two pieces of bread.


    Left with no other choice, he could only pass the keys to Veronica.


    ¡°Thanks, Miguel. Don¡¯t forget that I am waiting for you in your car. Cheerio!¡±


    As she thanked him with a smile, she didn¡¯t forget to blow him a kiss before skipping out of the dining


    room.


    Seeing how ted she was only made Matthew clench his jaw tightly.


    He swore that he had never in his life felt such rage before.


    At the same time, he regretted it.


    He wouldn¡¯t have agreed to Crayson¡¯s offer had he known he would be blinded by jealousy and anger at


    seeing her getting close with other men after they broke up.


    The promised period was a year and a half, but only three months have passed. How am I supposed to


    bear the next 15 months? Matthew grumbled to himself.


    ¡°Matthew? Matthew!¡±


    Miguel had been talking to him for a while now while standing in front of him, but he didn¡¯t get any


    reaction from the seemingly stunned man even after saying a few words.


    He then reached out to pat Matthew on the shoulder, and it was only then that he managed to bring


    Matthew back to earth.


    ¡°Mm? What is it?¡± Matthew asked, to which his friend cried, ¡°I was asking you about what I should do


    now!¡±


    Matthew only cruelly replied, ¡°There is a way out through the back door. Get out through that.¡±


    ¡°So you still love Veronica, right?¡± Miguel asked after sensing something odd about his friend.


    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± Matthew unhesitantly denied.


    ¡°You don¡¯t? Why are you so angry, then? Besides, Veronica is beautiful, good at fighting, and smart. She


    is a needle in a haystack. Grandma is right. It is a pity to miss someone like her. Since you and her aren¡¯t


    meant to be, how about I consider¡ª¡±


    Hearing that, Matthew growled through his teeth, ¡°Try it. I dare you.¡±


    Miguel was so frightened by Matthew¡¯s cold and terrifying eyes that he instinctively took a few steps


    back. As his survival instincts kicked in, he immediately lightened up the mood by smiling and chuckling.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be mad. That was a joke. Besides, you dumped her. Why bother getting in the way of


    her finding a partner?¡±


    Miguel was intentionally trying to get a reaction out of his friend.


    He knew Matthew too well. The Matthew that he knew was a sentimental man. It¡¯s just that his friend


    wasn¡¯t used to expressing love verbally. There was no way Matthew would break up with Veronica just


    like that.

 Chapter 447

    Chapter 447


    Chapter 447 The Tyrant Wanted Her Out of the Car


    ¡°Even if we did break up, it will never be your turn to be with her,¡± Matthew domineeringly dered his


    possession of Veronica to Miguel. In fact, he was feeling helpless about this situation.


    As the person who insisted on introducing a man to Veronica was Elizabeth, there were things he


    couldn¡¯t say even if he wanted to. All he could do was watch his grandmother ¡®add fuel to the fire¡¯.


    Fortunately, the person she was introduced to was only Miguel. Matthew couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine


    how it would turn out if it were someone else. ¡°Alright, alright. Anything you say.¡± Miguel nodded.


    Although he didn¡¯t understand why Matthew was involving himself with Veronica¡¯s affairs, as a good


    friend of Matthew¡¯s, Miguel could clearly feel that Matthew still had lingering affection for Veronica.


    He still feels for her, huh? Will their romance rekindle? His eyebrows crinkled as he thought of a grand


    scheme. ¡°Fine. I am off, then.¡± He waved at Matthew and immediately left the dining hall, nning to


    leave through the back door of the vi.


    Matthew only stood there staring at Miguel¡¯s back before he sighed in relief. He then raised his hand and


    brushed away the hair in front of his forehead. For some reason, he felt a sense of loss, and was even a


    little tired both physically and mentally.


    He walked out of the Kings Residence soon afterward, where he found Miguel¡¯s car in the parking lot by


    the entrance. He then unhesitantly opened the car door and sat in the car. ¡°Miggy, you¡ªMatthew? Why


    are you here?¡±


    Veronica, who was sitting in the car and fiddling around with her phone, thought that it was Miguel when


    she heard someone opening the car door. Surprisingly, it was Matthew who came in.


    ¡°Some people are like dangerous beasts that people can¡¯t help but avoid,¡± Matthew casuallymented


    as he picked up the car key Veronica had put on the dashboard, and started the car before he drove off.


    Despite how fast he was going, she couldn¡¯t react at all from the surprise.


    ¡°You are the wild beast!¡± After realizing that he was insulting her, she no longer held back as she chided,


    ¡°You know best if he left voluntarily or he was forced by you. I honestly don¡¯t know how an unreasonable


    man like you has real friends.¡±


    Even though Veronica was saying this, she had to admit that Matthew was quite a fine man. At least,


    other than that one incident he had with Sasha ude.


    Not only was he responsible, he was also a man of his word. This was something she had noticed


    throughout the time she spent with him. There had been a lot of times she wondered why a man like him


    would fall for Sasha.


    However, it suddenly didn¡¯t seem all that impossible when she thought about current trending movies like


    ¡®Brokeback Mountain¡¯. Novels about love between men, too, usually ran on stories like this anyway.


    She had read and seen too much to the point where she was starting to be able to ept it. ¡°Just watch


    yourself,¡± Matthew said coldly before they fell intoplete silence.


    Thinking about how he had been seeing her on TV recently, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You have done a


    good job in Starshine. It seems like Sean thinks highly of you.¡±


    They were only at each other¡¯s throat the minute before, but now he was showing her his care again.


    Veronica could feel a hint of concern from the tone and attitude in which Matthew spoke. What the hell is


    this? Is he flirting? she thought to herself. Or is this thest ounce of guilt he has left?


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what he thinks of me. Also¡­¡± She opened her bag and rummaged through it. Upon


    finding her wallet, she took out a bank card and handed it to him. ¡°This is the dividend you gave me after


    First Meeting was established. Since I don¡¯t work for yourpany now, there is no need for me to take


    the money.¡±


    Matthew kept his eyes ahead, but his expression dimmed when he caught sight of the Oculus Bank bank


    card out of the corner of his eye.


    So eager to distance herself from me, huh? Regardless, I have the final say. ¡°You have to keep the


    money,¡± he insisted. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°After thepany was established, most of the working teams are your former subordinates. If you


    don¡¯t take the dividends, I will worry that you will take revenge against mypany.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Revenge, my foot! I am not that kind of person.¡± Veronica was angry as she didn¡¯t expect him to


    think of her this way.


    She then red at him before looking at the bank card in her hand. Annoyed, she threatened him, ¡°I


    thought I didn¡¯t want the dividends, but I am regretting it now. Not only do I think you have to give me, I


    don¡¯t want anything less than what I should be getting. Or else, I will set you up behind your back and


    bleed you dry!¡±


    Narrow-minded a*shole who thinks badly of everyone! Veronica grumbled to herself as she leaned into


    the passenger¡¯s seat of the car. With her gaze ahead, she tightly grabbed onto the bank card and puffed


    out her chest.


    She would have loved to get out of the car if it wasn¡¯t because this wasn¡¯t the best location for grabbing a


    cab. She didn¡¯t want to stay in the same space as Matthew even half a minute longer.


    ¡°I have a lot of money. I will acknowledge your ability if you can swindle it all,¡± the man teased. The two of


    them started bickering with each other then.


    ¡°So what if you have mone¡ª¡± She blurted out those words, only to stop halfway when something


    seemed toe to mind. The corners of her red lips then curled slightly, and she suddenly chuckled.


    ¡°Right. You are the heir of the Kings Family, so of course you have money. Besides, you are my brother.


    You having money means that I have money too. You have to take good care of me, alright?¡± She was


    inwardly assessing the situation.


    Even though Matthew couldn¡¯t fathom what she meant, he knew that she definitely wasn¡¯t thinking about


    anything good.


    However, after he calmed down, he realized something.


    The initial reason he broke up with her was to show that he had severed ties with her to the public. But


    now, they were somehow getting close to each other again.


    He was even hoping she wouldn¡¯t ignore him.


    He had thought that feeling could be controlled, but he knew now that he had been overconfident.


    ¡°You are my godsister when Grandma is around, but when she is not, you are you, and I¡­ I am me!¡±


    Thinking of this, Matthew suddenly stepped on the brakes to stop the car. ¡°Get out,¡± he demanded.


    He only took a second to turn into his cold, ruthless self, and he was even stopping the car to get rid of


    her.


    Veronica peeked out the car window and realized that they were in the middle of nowhere. Where am I


    supposed to get a cab?


    ¡°Matthew Kings, don¡¯t you think you are going too far? How am I supposed to go back if you dump me


    here?¡± she questioned angrily.


    Still, he kept his aloof attitude as hemented, ¡°Does it have anything to do with¡ª¡± He deliberately


    dragged his words as he finished, ¡°¡ªme?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Ha! Fine! You win!¡±


    Furious, Veronica unbuckled the seatbelt and opened the door. After she got out, she forcefully mmed


    the door shut, making a loud bang and causing the car to shake.


    As Matthew looked at her to get out of the car and stomp forward, he couldn¡¯t help grabbing the steering


    wheel tightly while he suppressed his emotions.


    Sitting in the car parked on the side of the road, he opened the windows and smoked a cigarette.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was cold-blooded. The reason Matthew did this was because Conrad had been living in


    Kings Residence since he returned to the country. He wasn¡¯t home this afternoon because he had


    something to deal with, but that didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t be home tonight.


    It might be bad for Matthew¡¯s n if Conrad were to see Veronica and him in the same car.

 Chapter 448

    Chapter 448


    Chapter 448 Matthew and Zac Cooperate


    Matthew had pondered over it before he decided he needed to be cruel and firm in making Veronica


    leave the car. Even if she were to get angry about it, he couldn¡¯t do anything. He suddenly thought about


    someone, so he took his phone and gave the person he had in mind a call.


    The person picked up after the phone rang a few times. ¡°President Kings? W-Why are you calling me? Is


    there something I can help you with?¡±


    The voice that came from the other end of the phone was Shirley¡¯s. Matthew went to Encounters to look


    for Veronica when the store¡¯s business was booming before, but he only saw Shirley there. He had


    asked for her contact information then.


    He privately wanted to find a way to form a good rtionship with Shirley so that he couldpletely


    buy her off. However, Shirley, being the littledy with a sense of justice that she was, said righteously,


    ¡°President Kings, I know you are rich and powerful. But no matter what, I will never betray Veronica. I


    can do anything if it is for her good, but if it harms her, the first and only thing I will do is call the police.¡±


    Matthew thought Veronica was a lucky person to have a friend as brave as Shirley upon hearing that.


    ¡°Pick up Roni along the road to the Kings Residence, will you?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Pick her up? B-But she didn¡¯t call me. What should I tell her if she asks me why I am there?¡±


    This is a sticky situation. He thought for a while, and finally made up a reason. ¡°Just say that I was the


    one who called you.¡±


    ¡°But you have already broken up. Veronica will definitely have doubts if I said that it was you who called.¡±


    Matthew and Veronica had not had any contact after the split, but the man had inquired many times


    about her from Shirley.


    However, Shirley didn¡¯t know the reason why they broke up. All she knew was that Matthew was


    protecting Veronica in secret.


    ¡°She won¡¯t. Just do as I say.¡±


    He swiftly hung up the phone after tossing that out.


    Shirley, on the other hand, was pouting as she doubted Matthew¡¯s words.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    After hesitating over it, she still changed her clothes before she set off to her destination in a sedan.


    The car came at an affordable total of 100 thousand. Not only that, it was given to her by Matthew.


    Shirley had refused it before, but eventually forced herself to ept the vehicle after he said that it would


    be more convenient to have a car.


    After driving out of the city in the direction of the Kings Residence, she finally spotted Veronica after


    another 30 minutes of driving.


    She pressed the car horn a few times before she turned the car in Veronica¡¯s direction. ¡°Hop on in,


    Veronica,¡± she offered after the car came to a stop beside Veronica.


    Hearing this, Veronica leaned over slightly, thereafter tilting her head and looking at Shirley who sat in


    the car. ¡°What are you doing here, Shirley?¡±


    ¡°It is President Kings. He called me and asked me toe pick you up,¡± Shirley truthfully replied as


    Matthew told her.


    Her heart started to thump out of worry after she said that. Will she suspect anything? Shirley wondered.


    Surprisingly, Veronica opened the car door and sat up before she mmed it shut. She then muttered


    with her head lowered, ¡°Hmph! That b*stard is only asking you to give me a ride because he doesn¡¯t


    want me toin about him to Grandma.¡±


    Shirley immediately let out a relieved sigh after hearing that. What a strategist President Kings is. He


    guessed it right.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I was just thinking that you will be tired if you were to walk all the way to the


    city.¡± Shirley chuckled as she drove off to the city.


    ¡°Take me to Westcross Children Hospital, please.¡±


    It was necessary for Yvonne, who had just given birth, to have someone by her side at all times.


    ¡°Oh, sure thing,¡± Shirley responded and drove straight to the hospital.


    When they arrived at the hospital, Veronica said to Shirley as she got out of the car, ¡°Thanks for today. I


    need to apany Yvonne more because she is still in the confinement period. Let¡¯s all go for sushi


    after she recuperates.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Alright Veronica.¡±


    Even though Shirley wanted to enter to pay Yvonne a visit, she decided against it when she thought


    about how they weren¡¯t close enough for her to do that.


    After Veronica bid Shirley goodbye, Veronica carried her bag and trudged upstairs to where the wards


    were at.


    She found Yvonne in the hospital ward, but thetter was leaning against the head of the bed, and was


    holding a tissue in her hand as she blew her nose while she sobbed.


    Then, Veronica closed the door before gaping at Yvonne, startled. ¡°What is up with you?¡± she asked.


    Hasn¡¯t everything been going well so far? What could have happened to Yvonee?


    As soon as she saw Veronica entering the ward, Yvonne let out a loud wail and held Veronica¡¯s hand.


    She then leaned against Veronica¡¯s torso and cried with all her might.


    ¡°I am scared¡­ That d*ck of a man Conrad¡­ No wonder he kept being hot and cold toward me


    throughout the time of my pregnancy. He has been aiming for my baby! What should I do?¡± She kept


    sobbing.


    Naturally, Veronica would worry about what Yvonne was worrying about.


    People like Conrad would do anything to achieve their goals.


    He had even endured for more than half a year for Yvonne to give birth to the child in order to take the


    position of the CEO at the Spinfluence Group.


    They couldn¡¯t help but worry that he would soon aim for the newborn child.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s alright. Didn¡¯t your parents arrange for someone to protect you? Everything will be okay as


    long as you go abroad without fail.¡± Veronica brought up one hand and patted Yvonne on the back to


    calm her down.


    As Yvonne breathlessly cried, she shook her head and sobbed, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be afraid if he was acting


    alone, but he has partnered up with Zac. Just now¡­ Hup¡­ Zac called me earlier and said that I


    betrayed him when I was with him. He wants me to¡­ topensate him¡­¡±


    ¡°Compensate?¡± Veronica¡¯s eyebrows only pulled together tighter as things got moreplicated. ¡°Don¡¯t


    tell me he wants the child aspensation.¡±


    It was only a wild guess she made, but Yvonne immediately sat up straight and looked at her with a look


    of disbelief, her shoulders still dropped. ¡°You¡­ Hup¡­ How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I¡­¡± It was just a guess Veronica made. She never thought Zac would resort to something so inept.


    ¡°I was just guessing. Since you said that Zac has partnered up with Conrad, and Conrad happens to


    want the child, I figured Zac would surely find a way to satisfy Conrad.¡±


    ¡°Do you see what is going on? That b*stard Zac has never liked me at all. All he wanted from the


    beginning was power.¡± Yvonne¡¯s eyes were red and swollen as she angrily punched the bed.


    ¡°Despicable. What a despicable, shameless pig!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Don¡¯t get angry. We should think about what we have to do now.¡±


    Veronica thought that Yvonne would be fine as long as she went abroad, but now that Conrad and Zac


    had joined hands, it might not be safe for the mother and her child even if they were to leave Bloomstead


    and return to Castron.


    After all, Caston was Zac¡¯s territory.


    Yvonne wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against them there.


    ¡°I have given it a thought¡­ but¡­ I can¡¯te up with anything¡­¡± As her body racked with sobs, Yvonne


    couldn¡¯t even get her sentence out smoothly. Veronica could only feel her heart ache as she looked at


    her friend bing a crying mess.

 Chapter 449

    Chapter 449


    Chapter 449 Fight Scene With Stephen


    ¡°I think¡­¡± Unable toe up with any good ideas, she sighed. ¡°You have to tell your parents.¡± It only


    made sense for Yvonne to take responsibility since she had given birth to the child.


    Since she didn¡¯t have the basic capability to protect her child at all now, she had to rely on her parents.


    That was the best, and only, choice she had.


    After listening to Veronica¡¯s view, Yvonne pursed her lips and fell silent. ¡°Mm.¡± She only gave a brief reply


    after a long moment. ¡°I will have no other choice, do I?¡±


    Yvonne really regretted how things had be. If only she had listened to Veronica back then, Yvonne


    was sure that she wouldn¡¯t be where she was now.


    She had considered the series of problems that could arise after the child was born, but she never would


    have thought that her child would be both Conrad¡¯s ¡®tool¡¯ to get promoted and her ¡®weakness¡¯.


    ¡°There is someone looking out for you by the door of the ward. Conrad shouldn¡¯t be able to act as he


    pleases,¡± As she sat beside the bed, Veronicaforted Yvonne, who was at a loss.


    She only left the hospital to rest at home after she stayed with Yvonne until some time had passed. As


    she still had to go to work tomorrow and take photos, she must make sure she had adequate rest so that


    she could work in the best condition.


    After returning home to wash up, Veronica went to lie in bed, and was looking at the ceiling when she


    couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Her initial reason for working at Starshine was to hide the truth about her opening apany on the


    side. She never expected she would get so involved with her work.


    It was probably because this was something she truly enjoyed doing. She woke up early the next


    morning as usual. For Crayson¡¯s sake, she headed back to First Meeting to work after she finished


    freshening up.


    Crayson woulde to knock on her door every morning without fail. He was even more on time than an


    rm clock, and he would always drag her along for a morning run. He would then give her various


    intensive training.


    Veronica immediately got up when she heard the knock on the door, for fear that he would disturb the


    other residents¡¯ sleep.


    However, she had a feeling that the old man had been extra harsh on her training recently by increasing


    the intensity of her training. It was as if he was preparing for something.


    After they went to the park, they practiced against each other for half an hour, and he then let her remain


    in a Horse Stance by herself. At that point, Veronica, who was sweating buckets, began to beg for mercy.


    ¡°Crayson, I have to go to workter. Can you let me rest for a bit?¡±


    This isn¡¯t how someone is supposed to live life!


    Her daily routine now consisted of her having to go for a run in the morning, then train for an hour before


    she went home to wash up and go to work. And in the afternoon, she had to deal with Vincere Games


    after getting off work.


    The esportspany was mainly involved in gamepetitions. Now that they had added a live


    broadcast segment and had recruited many live broadcast employees, they were nning to contract


    two Inte celebrities at a high fee.


    Veronica almost felt out of breath with so many things happening every day.


    Still, life was going at a pretty good rhythm for her.


    At least this way, she wouldn¡¯t have the time to think about Matthew.


    Crayson had a ruler in his hand when he walked in front of Veronica and tapped her on the head lightly.


    ¡°What is the point of taking a break when you are in a Horse Stance? Back then when my master trained


    me, he used to make me stay in the pose for an entire morning. Look, you are not bncing your lower


    ¡ª¡± And so, his nagging began.


    Veronica had heard those words so much that her eardrums had probably worn out.


    ¡°What are you saying, Crayson? Even though my skills aren¡¯t amazing right now, who would dare bully


    me? Besides, you said it yourself that your training is for keeping the body fit and healthy. I am very


    healthy now and I can put up a fight. Do I really have to keep doing this?¡±


    She was so fatigued she thought she was on the verge of a breakdown.


    Standing in a Horse Stance for an hour wouldn¡¯t usually be that big of a deal, but it felt rather


    ufortable for Veronica to remain in the pose while she was on her period.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± The old man huffed and pped the rule on her behind. ¡°Lift your chin. Chest up. Tuck your


    core in. You better stand properly.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± She started to speak, only for her to not know what to say in return.


    She couldn¡¯t figure out why he was so obsessed with making her train so hard no matter how much she


    thought about it.


    Remembering the various situations Crayson had encountered before, she asked tentatively, ¡°Crayson,


    where are you from? You have never told me about your past since I was a child. It is really no fun


    staying in this pose. Why don¡¯t you talk to me?¡±


    Actually, it wasn¡¯t as boring as she said it was. Her problem now was that her lower abdomen was in


    pain, and the menstrual cramps were sucking the energy out of her.


    Her sudden question must have surprised him as he took a nce at her, a glint appearing in his deep


    eyes.


    He then looked somewhere else with his outstretched hands behind his back. As he held the ruler, he


    started pacing beside her. ¡°I have forgotten about the past,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Then how is it that you remember your master?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Once a teacher, always a teacher. How can I possibly forget?¡±


    ¡°Haha! Then how about you tell me about your master, Master Crayson?¡± She finally called him her


    master.


    ¡°My master, he¡ª¡± Crayson had just begun to tell the story when he came to an abrupt stop. He then


    raised his eyebrows and peered at Veronica. ¡°You better do as I tell you to. Don¡¯t ask about anything


    else.¡±


    After that, the man kept his mouth shut no matter how many times she tried to dig into his history by


    asking questions.


    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t get anything more out of him, Veronica had no choice but to give up. However,


    her curiosity had been piqued.


    ¡°By the way, Crayson, I will need you to take a leave and help me keep Yvonne safe these two days after


    I go to work. Conrad Kings is the father of her child, and he had been trying to take the baby away.¡±


    As Crayson had been in Bloomstead recently, he also had an inkling about what was going on with


    Yvonne.


    ¡°Sure.¡± He nodded when he saw the solemn look on her face. ¡°I will take leaveter and go keep her


    company at the hospital.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Thanks so much, Crayson,¡± Veronica said with a smile.


    She was moved by how much Crayson was willing to quietly do for her.


    Her smile was only returned with a p from the ruler on her waist. ¡°Stand properly if you want to thank


    me. No cheating.¡±


    The sudden pain made her suck in a deep breath. ¡°Ouch¡­ That hurts¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica packed up and went to thepany after exercising in the morning.


    When the usual morning meeting ended, Sean made her stay behind as he reminded, ¡°Roni, you are


    going to shoot some clothes from some phone application shopping brands today. They may not be high-


    end, pricey products, but it is a good start for you nheless. I hope you can take it seriously.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. Alright, Mr. Ludwig. I will¡ª¡± Her phone in her pocket rang out, cutting her off while she answered


    Sean, who was sitting beside her.


    She took out her phone and nced at the caller ID, only to see that she was getting a call from Larry.


    Finding it inconvenient to take the call with her boss here, Veronica was about to reject the call when


    Sean encouraged, ¡°It is alright. Go ahead and pick it up.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Okay.¡±


    She swiftly picked up the call, and her greeting was reced by a ¡°Crazy?¡±.


    ¡°Hey, Demoness. Are you busy?¡±


    ¡°I am at work. Shoot.¡±


    ¡°I bring good news. There is a fight scene, right? Stephen rmended you to the director. He said that


    you are excellent at fighting, and he wants to fight against you. Would you like toe and give it a try?¡±


    Veronica could feel Larry¡¯s excitement even through the phone.


    However, she was more ted than he was upon hearing his words.


    ¡°What? D-Did you say that Stephen rmended the director to let me y a supporting role that will


    fight him?¡±

 Chapter 450

    Chapter 450


    Chapter 450 You Must Be a Snail


    Stephen Armstrong was a popr international superstar who was loved by the public because of his


    handsome appearance, good acting skills, and down-to-earth personality.


    Veronica had only seen Stephen on TV, but she never thought there woulde a day she would be


    able to act in a movie with him.


    ¡°Yup. How does that sound? Do you want toe over? Tsk! My gut is telling me that you must be so


    overjoyed you have forgotten who you are!¡± Larry couldn¡¯t hold back and spoke with an ent.


    In fact, Veronica was exhrated. Her heart was beating faster than usual from the jitters. However, her


    eyes darted toward Sean, who sat beside her, and she said to Larry, ¡°I have to ask for my boss¡¯ opinion


    on this. I will call you backter.¡± ¡°Sure, no problem.¡±


    ¡°I will call youter.¡± After she hung up, she sped her phone with both hands and looked at


    Sean. ¡°What is it?¡± Sean asked after hearing the conversation from the side.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Veronica frowned and thought about it, seemingly looking for a better way to express her


    question.


    She took a moment to herself before exining, ¡°Here is the thing¡ªwasn¡¯t I at Rocky Bay to visit a friend


    of mine who was filming a sci-fi blockbuster two days ago? I met Stephen Armstrong there, so my friend


    ended up telling him that I am good at fighting, which got Stephen wanting to spar with me¡­ And today,


    he told the director that he wants to have a fight scene with me.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a situation that could be summarized into 2 to 3 sentences, but she knew that Sean would


    definitely be muddled if she didn¡¯t exin it to him.


    ¡°What did you say? Stephen Armstrong?¡± He suddenly remembered the photo he saw of her circle of


    friends the other day. ¡°Oh, is the friend you are talking about¡­ Larry Freeman?¡±


    ¡°Heh, that is the guy.¡± Her answer surprised him. ¡°When did you get to know a top actor like Larry


    Freeman? And you and him seem pretty close, too.¡±


    ¡°Friends. We are just friends.¡± Veronica didn¡¯t dare tell Sean their actual rtionship, lest Sean asked her


    to have Larry do something as her friend.


    Hearing that, Sean twirled the pen he was holding between his fingertips and let out a deep frown as he


    thoughtfully said, ¡°You have to think this through. You promised the partner today that you would take a


    set of photos today. Even though they are a mid-range clothing brand, it still is a good start.¡±


    In any case, the breach of contract was subject topensation as long as the contract was signed.


    Moreover, it would be bad for her reputation. Veronica understood what Sean was trying to say.


    After all, she was still a no-name model. She might have participated in a catwalk in Bloomstead, but it


    wasn¡¯t a big-enough stage for her to brag about it. ¡°Then¡­ I will go take the pictures today.¡±


    ¡°Decide for yourself. If you want to go to the filming location, I can terminate your contract with the


    partner or rmend another model,¡± Sean offered before reminding her, ¡°Also, even though I don¡¯t


    know how good you are at fighting, you have never been an actress, after all. With your zero


    experience¡­ it might not work out even if you were to choose the movie¡­¡±


    He must have encountered countless offers like this to find it unsubstantial.


    Stephen Armstrong was an international superstar. Countless popr domestic actors had been


    eliminated from auditions, not to mention Veronica, who was a novice without any experience in acting.


    ¡°Alright. Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Ludwig.¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t say anything much after that, but she soon left the office after having a small chat with


    Sean.


    After she was outside the office, she gave Larry a call. ¡°Hey, Crazy. Thank you for your kind intentions,


    but I have other things to do today. Please pass Stephen the message and thank him for me.¡±


    Truth was, she still had the tiniest bit of hope, but she also understood that such a big crew would never


    wait for her.


    Her rejection would automatically mean one lost opportunity.


    Despite how reluctant she was, she had to fulfill the contract.


    ¡°What is holding you up? Seriously, Demoness, did a donkey kick you in the head and break your brain?


    This is an internationally renowned director who must have gotten tired of winning awards we are talking


    about. You will have a bright future ahead if you are part of the crew and the director takes a fancy to


    you.¡±


    Even Larry thought that Veronica was an idiot for rejecting such a good opportunity.


    ¡°Thanks for the thought. I really do appreciate it, but I signed a contract with a clothing brand and we


    agreed to shoot today.¡±


    Although it was just an ordinary coboration, it was still a new starting point for her.


    Moreover, Sean had gone through lengths to get her that contract.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Alright, then, if you have made up your mind.¡±


    ¡°Mm. Tha¡ª¡± Beep! Beep!


    Larry had hung up before Veronica could finish her words. He was probably irritated by how she had


    outright rejected him even though he had pulled strings for her to have the chance.


    After the call ended, she stood in the corridor and leaned against the wall. She then looked down at her


    phone before letting out a long sigh.


    She couldn¡¯t help feeling like it was a pity as his words kept ying back in her head.


    Not long after, she went to the clothingpany with her workce¡¯s staff to take photos of her in


    different outfits.


    Her entire morning was spent on taking photos.


    She continued to change into more than 10 outfits and take photos in the afternoon.


    The photoshoot didn¡¯t progress smoothly as she didn¡¯t have experience doing this, and it dragged on


    until 4PM before she was done.


    After finishing work, she changed back into her clothes and went back with thepany staff.


    She took her phone out when she was seated in the car, only to realize that she had gotten a bunch of


    missed calls. It was mostly from Larry, with the exception of one unsaved foreign number.


    Ignoring the call from the overseas number, she called Larry back.


    Beep! Beep!


    The dial tone had only rang twice before the other end epted the call and greeted her with a harsh


    scolding. ¡°What have you been doing, Demoness?! How could you not pick up my call?! Oh, you make


    me so mad.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Today is a really busy day for me.¡± Feeling guilty, Veronica let out a bashful chuckle. ¡°What is the


    matter?¡±


    ¡°Are you done with your work?¡± he angrily questioned her.


    ¡°Mhm. I am done here.¡±


    ¡°Get your a*s here if you are.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°When else? Think I am going to tell you toe over next year?¡± Still angry, Larry then roared, ¡°Now!


    Immediately! ASAP! Get your butt here!¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh. I aming! Coming, alright?¡±


    He had rarely gone off on her, but she could only patiently take his scolding today since she was the one


    who let him down.


    She then got out of the car and directly got a cab from the roadside to head to Rocky Bay.


    After urging the cab driver throughout the journey, she finally arrived at the location after 40 minutes,


    where she immediately trotted toward the crew.


    They were about to stop her when they saw her, but Larry was one step ahead of them when he dashed


    toward her and grabbed her by the wrist. ¡°Are you a snail? Did you crawl all the way here?¡± he


    demanded in annoyance.


    ¡°Get off my d*mn back! Even the cab almost turned into a ne. I couldn¡¯t possiblye here in a


    rocket, could I?¡± Veronica was also infuriated. She then sassed, ¡°Why did you want me toe here in


    such a hurry?¡±


    He had better have a good reason for doing this to me, or else I will kick this b*stard to death!

 Chapter 451

    Chapter 451


    Chapter 451 The Director Is Furious


    ¡°What else do you think I called you here for? Stephen persuaded the director to push back the scene for


    you.¡± Larry kept walking forward as he turned his head and pointed a finger at Veronica. ¡°You are in luck.


    It just so happens that Stephen likes ¡®kung fu¡¯ very much, and he is obsessed with you. He wouldn¡¯t have


    humbled himself and begged the director if it was someone else.¡±


    Even though certain fight scenes could be pushed back during filming, some plots couldn¡¯t wait because


    of the setting. Furthermore, the crew had taken a lot of effort to make a fairly expensive set just for


    Stephen¡¯s fight scene.


    Veronica¡¯s absence alone had dyed the progress of the entire crew. ¡°How is this a good thing? I can¡¯t


    act at all. Also, couldn¡¯t you just reject Stephen for me if I didn¡¯t answer your call?¡±


    Veronica might be interested in trying out acting, but she wasn¡¯t a fan of owing others favors. The point


    was, she was self-aware. She was aware that she was ipetent and was not worthy of making


    everyone wait for her.


    Even though Stephen was well-intentioned, his actions inadvertently had made Veronica feel stressed. ¡°I


    told Stephen that, but he is so stubborn. He insisted on making the director wait for you for the day.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± She was speechless after hearing that. As soon as they walked outside the studio, Stephen, who


    saw Veronica, hurried over to her while he greeted her enthusiastically. ¡°Hello, Master.¡±


    ¡°I would rather you call me Veronica, Stephen,¡± she replied bashfully. She had never agreed to be his


    master.


    ¡°Veronica? That is a very nice name. Come. I will take you to meet the director. I¡¯ve made him very angry


    because I wanted to give you this opportunity.¡±


    It was probably because Stephen was a martial artist that he was straightforward and had proceeded to


    ruthlessly shove Larry away. He then threw his arm around Veronica¡¯s shoulders and struck up a


    conversation, as though they were the best of friends.


    ¡°How did you do that backflip and side kick when we were fighting yesterday? It was awesome! And the


    foundation of your basic skills are really solid. You are definitely as good as you look.¡±


    ¡°I am sure we are evenly matched. I am not as good as you say.¡± Veronica gave a modest reply.


    On the other hand, Larry, who was left aside, looked at the two people who were happily chatting in front


    of him with a gloomy expression on his face. ¡°D*mn you, Demoness! How dare you forget that I am


    here?¡±


    After entering the studio, Stephen brough Veronica straight to the rest area to meet the director.


    ¡°Johansson, this is Veronica Murphy, the American woman I told you who knows martial arts. Her kung fu


    is quite remarkable,¡± Stephen praised her without hesitation.


    He then introduced the director to her. ¡°This is the famous director Johansson Wiume. He has won


    various awards in Castron, such as the Best Director Award, the Best Screeny Award, and the Best


    Creative Award. Anyway, he is a talented person.¡±


    Veronica was not acquainted with Johansson, but she had seen him on TV.


    She couldn¡¯t help feeling intimidated as she looked at the director with an artist¡¯s temperament. He


    appeared to be in his fifties, with fluffy mid-length hair and a full beard. Even his sharp eyes were


    oppressive.


    She nodded slightly and maintaining the basic etiquette, reached out to shake his hand. ¡°Mr. Johansson,


    I am truly sorry for keeping you waiting.¡±


    The man only continued to sit in his chair as he watched the rey on the camera. Hepletely


    ignored the hand she reached out.


    Left hanging, Veronica raised her eyebrows in embarrassment before she clenched her outstretched


    hand, thereafter slowly retracting it.


    Stephen felt upset when he saw Johansson sitting on his high horse, so he sent a kick his way. ¡°This is


    my future master. Can you be a little more polite?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Hearing that, Johansson snorted coldly and got up to stand in front of Veronica. After looking her up and


    down with a displeased gaze, he turned around and took a script to push it to her. ¡°You are going to y


    a very powerful and mysterious master. There are only three lines you have to recite throughout the


    scene, whereas the rest are fight scenes. Can you do it?¡±


    She only felt a headache hit her when her eyes fell on the script swarmed with French words, but still she


    smiled and took it from his hand. ¡°I will do my best,¡± she squeezed out.


    ¡°Look at the script first. I will have the martial arts instructor judge the effect of your fight during the fight


    scer. If it doesn¡¯t work, I won¡¯t let you be a part of the team, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Johansson was a strict man when it came to his work, and he didn¡¯t allow room for ws.


    Especially considering how Veronica had no acting experience at all, her joining the crew would only


    lower the quality of the production.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Alright. I will take a look.¡± She nodded at the director with a polite smile on her face before she looked at


    Stephen and Larry with her face flushed shyly. ¡°What should I do? I really don¡¯t know how I can pull this


    off.¡± She sighed.


    At that point, Veronica felt like crying.


    He indeed lives up to his reputation as an internationally renowned director. His temper is in line with his


    identity!


    Larry couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing, as he seldom saw her looking embarrassed. ¡°Demoness, I


    rarely see you like this. But¡ª¡±


    He started cackling again before he finished his words.


    ¡°Are you doneughing or not?¡± She red at him with her lips pursed. ¡°Teach me something if you are.¡±


    ¡°Let me teach you,¡± Stephen suddenly said. He then added gantly, ¡°I have some experience in fighting


    from filming before. We can design and n out the part you will auditionter.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You are such a dumbo. It is impossible you can¡¯t learn anything with Stephen and I as your


    masters,¡± Larry teased.


    ¡°P*ss off! I am not your apprentice!¡±


    ¡°Ha! Who knows? Wouldn¡¯t it make you my apprentice if you were to enter the film and television industry


    one day? Try calling me Master, and I might get so happy I get everything you need ready for you. That


    can easily be done with just a word or two from me.¡±


    Based on Larry¡¯s ability, it was indeed something easily achievable.


    He had been in the entertainment industry for so many years that he had built a solid ce with a wide


    network of contacts for himself. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult at all for him to rmend Veronica.


    Furthermore, the entertainment industry was short on female celebrities who could fight as well as


    Veronica. With abination of strength and beauty, she had a sure road to sess if she were to enter


    the film and television industry.


    ¡°Geez! Enough with that. Don¡¯t keep on boasting just because it doesn¡¯t cost you money to do so.¡± She


    waved her hand while pretending to be disgusted. ¡°You and Stephen have a lot of experience. Let¡¯s look


    into my character for now.¡±


    After the men nodded in response, the three of them moved to the lounge together to read the script.


    As it was a sci-fi blockbuster, the character Veronica would y from the script was a viin with a small


    supporting role, and she had almost no lines she needed to read. All she needed to do was put on a


    good show with her fighting skills.


    ¡°Even though it doesn¡¯t test your acting skills much, the role still has a certain emphasis on fight scenes.


    Then again, those are things you have to mind only after you pass the audition.¡±


    Stephen waved the script around as he raised his eyebrows proudly at her. He then reached out to rub


    his chin. ¡°You are very skilled at fighting. You can just improvise during the audition. You don¡¯t have to


    prepare at all,¡± he confidently bragged.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that. Don¡¯t auditions include tests on other things as well? I will still bomb it if I don¡¯t fit the


    role.¡±


    ¡°Johansson only wants to see what you are capable of. Otherwise, do you really think he would wait for


    you for the entire day?¡±

 Chapter 452

    Chapter 452


    Chapter 452 Come Work in the Entertainment Industry


    Veronica believed Stephen¡¯s words as much as she doubted them.


    Larry shrugged before speaking in English, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I don¡¯t know. Johansson and Stephen are


    friends. I don¡¯t really know what goes on between them.¡±


    Seeing the two of them talking about secrets openly, Stephen spread his hands curiously and asked,


    ¡°What little secrets are you chatting about?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I was just asking him if my abilities will disappoint.¡± Veronica didn¡¯t tell him the truth.


    However, the men still exined some basic skills and methods to her.


    Half an hourter, the production assistant came over and called her for the audition. She was a nervous


    wreck by then. She might only have three lines, but it was possible that she wouldn¡¯t even have the


    chance to read her dialogue during the audition.


    After entering the studio, Veronica nervously balled her hands and pursed her lips, falling into utter


    silence.


    When Larry noticed this, he put his arm around her shoulders and without caring about how others might


    look at them, whispered in her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Just let go. Remember this¡ªif you perform well


    today, and on top of having Johansson and Stephen¡¯s support, it will be easy for you to get into the


    industry in the future.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t nervous at first, but you sound like you are saying that I won¡¯t have the chance to join the


    industry if I screw up today,¡± Veronica uttered, only half-jokingly.


    ¡°Nah, it won¡¯t be that bad.¡± His hand on her shoulders yed with her hair. ¡°With your beauty, you can


    still earn your keep even without any acting skills.¡±


    To be honest, Veronica had never thought that she would be able to act one day. Her modeling career


    was only a part-time gig as well. It really was an unexpected surprise for her to be given a shot at acting.


    It would be a lie to say that she wasn¡¯t thrilled about it. After she walked in front of Johansson, the


    director asked her with an indifferent expression, ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    That sharp look of his made her gulp involuntarily as a chill ran down her spine. ¡°Mm. Ready as I¡¯ll ever


    be.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Give it a go.¡± He nodded. With that, everyone stepped aside to give her space.


    At that point, Stephen walked up to her. ¡°I am d to have another opportunity to fight with you. You


    have to go easy on me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I am just average,¡± she denied. She wasn¡¯t used topliments for fear that she would


    be conceited.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± As soon as the director said that, Stephen immediately turned serious as the smile on his


    face faded. ¡°Are you Ghiin¡¯sst trump card?¡±


    Ghiin was the viin in this movie, and the plot here was already close to the finale. All of Ghiin¡¯s


    subordinates were either dead or injured, and only his personal bodyguard, Stana, still stood strong.


    ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Veronica was utterly nervous to the core. She did exactly as Stephen and Larry had told


    her about making her voice cruel and her eyes murderous. After she threw that one sentence out at the


    top of her lungs, she unhesitantly bolted toward Stephen.


    Next up was the fight scene between the duo. However, as they both were skilled at fighting, there was


    nothing the martial arts instructor could guide them on.


    The fight between the two was in full swing, and it rendered everyone stunned. They didn¡¯t forget to


    apud during the more exciting parts. Even the director was caught off-guard by Veronica¡¯s amazing


    skills.


    ¡°This is great! Where did they find someone like her?¡± As he watched from the side, he started chatting


    with the martial arts instructor who sat beside him.


    The instructor only had a confused look on his face when he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know this beautifuldy, but


    she is good. Her every attack is solid. I think Stephen might not even be her match.¡±


    All of a sudden, the instructor felt a sense of danger hit him. How am I supposed to keep my job if there


    is someone who can both act and fight in the crew?!


    The director continued to watch them for a while before he told them to stop, and the two did as he said.


    Stephen didn¡¯t seem to have had his fill, but he was in a great mood as he stood in front of Veronica.


    Giving her a thumbs-up, he stated, ¡°You are really good. I heard from Larry that you are a model, yeah?¡±


    Veronica hummed in agreement. ¡°Any thoughts of jumping into a different industry? With your ability,


    being a model is¡­ How do you say it in yournguage? Ah, yes. It is a waste of natural resources.¡±


    ¡°That is over-glorifying it,¡± sheughed after hearing his words. Right at this moment, Johansson walked


    up to her with his hands on his hips. As he looked her up and down with critical eyes, he nodded and


    commented, ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell at first, but you are good. You are not just empty talk.¡±


    Johansson had seen too many women who wanted to get into the industry with their looks, which


    exined why he was still skeptical toward Veronica.


    However, she had won him over when she showed that she knew how to fight during the fight scene


    between her and Stephen earlier.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Director.¡± Veronica bowed and smiled with a humble attitude. ¡°What


    do you do? Can I get you to act in a movie next time?¡±


    Directors often had to source for talents. Women like Veronica especially, were as rare as a blue


    diamond. ¡°Huh? Me?¡± She gaped, feeling ttered. This surprise hade to her so fast she didn¡¯t even


    have time to fully process what was going on.


    Veronica had watched a lot of martial arts films as a child, and she knew that actors like Jean-ude


    Van Damme and Jackie Chan were discovered by the director, and had their breakthrough into the film


    industry because of their martial arts skills.


    Despite all that, she had never thought that she, too, would catch the eye of a director because of her


    martial arts one day.


    She couldn¡¯t calm down even after a long minute had passed. After she hesitated, she subconsciously


    looked to Larry, whom she was closest with.


    The only person who could give her a sense of security at a time like this was probably the one she was


    most familiar with.


    The man only smiled as he nudged her shoulder. ¡°You are finally making something of yourself, eh?


    Does this mean that we can film together in the future? Tsk! Look at how unwilling you were to call me


    Master when I asked you to earlier. It is not toote now. After all, I have a lot of experience.¡±


    He had always been worse off than her from the time they first knew each other. He must be proud to be


    hitting an UNO reverse card on me today, Veronica mused.


    The corners of her red lips lifted slightly and instead of replying to him, she said to the director, ¡°Mr.


    Director, I have no acting experience, but of course I will agree to it as long as you don¡¯t dislike me.¡±


    Everyone, Veronica included, had the ambition to rise higher in society.


    She naturally wouldn¡¯t reject the opportunity, knowing that it was easy to make money in the


    entertainment industry.


    Who would evenin about having too much money?


    Not me, that is for sure.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Come with me. I will need you to fill out a form and leave your contact information.¡±


    Johansson¡¯s attitude toward her had done a 180.


    His sudden kindness somehow made her feel ufortable.


    She then followed Johansson to the lounge, with Stephen and Larry in tow.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    As she sat in front of Johansson, they had a brief chat before they brought up the pay for her


    appearance in the movie.


    After discussing it, he decided to pay her 20 thousand as remuneration.


    ¡°Twenty thousand? Wow, you are pretty capable, Demoness. You are getting 20 thousand for your first


    movie appearance. I was only paid 80 a day back when I took up small roles in films.¡±

 Chapter 453

    Chapter 453


    Chapter 453 Super High Sry for a Movie Appearance


    Twenty thousand?


    This is an amount that Veronica didn¡¯t even dare dream of. But she knew one thing for sure¡ªthe reason


    she was promised such a high sry was because of Stephen and Larry¡¯s blessing, and that she had


    good fighting skills.


    ¡°Mr. Director, you¡­ don¡¯t actually need to give me that much.¡± She was guilt-ridden at this point. ¡°I will


    only be starring in this fight scene. You are giving me too much money. I feel bad about epting it.¡±


    Her words made Johansson raise his chin as he let out a heartyugh. ¡°With your ability, you are worth


    the price. Besides, I am looking forward to our future coboration.¡±


    Action actors were already as rare as they were. Most fight scenes relied on either bridge suspension


    cables or special effects, and neither could get Johansson the effect he wanted.


    He would always pay attention to action actors as he appreciated them.


    This was why he was willing to wait for Veronica the whole day.


    Even though he seemed solemn just now, that was just his attitude toward work. He had never meant to


    put Veronica on the spot.


    After all, he hade across a lot of beautiful women like her who people around them would honey


    their rmendation of these women, only for them to fall short of his expectations in all ways possible.


    It was proven now that him waiting on Veronica was worth it.


    ¡°I look forward to working with you too.¡± She nodded with a smile on her face.


    She was d that she had signed a reasonable contract with Sean because she was Elizabeth¡¯s


    granddaughter.


    It was written in ck and white that other than modeling, she would not get involved in doing anything


    beyond that, such as being an anchor, an actress and the like.


    On top of that, the contract would onlyst for a year.


    It was only after she joined Starshine that she learned that the minimum period for a model¡¯s contract


    was three years.


    Hers, however, was only a year.


    They were talking about the contract after they had gotten more familiar with each other when Sean told


    her, ¡°When we signed the contract with you, I didn¡¯t think you would stay in ourpany for long after I


    knew that you were the god-granddaughter of Elizabeth Hutchinson. If I had known that the Madam


    wouldn¡¯t interfere with your work, you would have had to sign a three-year contract like the rest of them


    as well.¡±


    Most bluebloods didn¡¯t like actors and actresses very much.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    After all, actors would have to hug or kiss on screen.


    It might just be another requirement of the upation, but it wasn¡¯t something notable families could


    ept.


    It was normal for Sean to have reservations about this.


    But what Veronica didn¡¯t know was that Sean signing a one-year contract with her, and not interfering


    with anything else she did, was not Sean¡¯s intention. It was Matthew who wanted this for her.


    How would Sean have the courage to sign a long-term contract with her when Matthew had personally


    called him for a ¡®friendly greeting¡¯?


    Maybe if he didn¡¯t want Starshine anymore, that was!


    ¡°It¡¯s ratherte. You can go to the set tomorrow to film this scene.¡± After Johansson finished speaking, he


    suddenly remembered that Veronica had to work. ¡°Do you have the time?¡± he added.


    He had already asked her about the contract she signed with Starshine Media Agency after the long chat


    they had.


    Naturally, he felt at ease about his coboration with her after confirming that her contractedpany


    would not interfere with her other matters. Not only that, she had even showered Starshine in praise,


    saying that it was a legitimatepany.


    ¡°I have time tomorrow.¡± Veronica nodded quickly, unable to hide her excitement.


    When everything was wrapped up, Larry and Stephen invited Veronica for a meal together again. The


    three then went to a sushi restaurant, where they found the most quiet corner to sit in.


    Because they all wore masks and were dressed casually and kept a low profile, they didn¡¯t attract any


    attention from the people around them.


    They happily conversed, and it was 9.30PM when they left.


    Larry, who suddenly remembered that Veronica hadn¡¯t driven herself to the filming location, offered then,


    ¡°It iste. Let me send you home.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I can just get a cab.¡± She then gave a roundabout excuse for her rejection. ¡°It


    is more convenient for me to use a cab, anyway.¡±


    It would take half an hour to drive to her apartment from here, which meant that it would be past 10PM


    by the time Larry rushed back to the hotel.


    She was worried that him getting insufficient rest sote at night would affect his filming tomorrow.


    More importantly, Larry was no ordinary person. Veronica could only imagine the kind of false rumors


    that would spread tomorrow if he was photographed sending her back to the apartment.


    ¡°It is so unlike you to be so wishy-washy, Demoness.¡± Larry was dressed in casual clothes, and had a


    ck cap and a mask on as he stood beside her when he reached out and patted her on the head. ¡°Hop


    in quickly. We would have reached your ce by now if we didn¡¯t spend time listening to all this


    nonsense.¡±


    He then turned to Stephen and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Stephen. Let¡¯s send her home together before we return


    to the crew.¡±


    ¡°That is a good idea,¡± Stephen readily agreed.


    Finding it hard to refuse their kindness, Veronica had no choice but to get into Larry¡¯s car. However,


    instead of giving him her apartment¡¯s address, she made a different request. ¡°Please send me to


    Westcross Children Hospital. A friend of mine just gave birth. I have to keep herpany for a while.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Larry then started the engine of the sedan, turned on the GPS, and went straight to the destination.


    ¡°Veronica, feel free to ask me if you have anything you don¡¯t understand.¡± Stephen, who sat in the back


    seat, offered to help Veronica, who was currently seated in the passenger seat.


    He realized that his interest in her had been piqued, though the time he spent with her was short.


    With how they could happily talk aboutmon topics and hobbies, it somehow made him regret


    knowing her toote.


    ¡°Oh, okay. I¡ª¡±


    Veronica was just about to reply to him when Larry suddenly interrupted, ¡°What are you calling her


    Veronica for? Demoness sounds much better.¡±


    ¡°Demoness? That doesn¡¯t sound very nice, does it?¡± Amused by Larry, Stephen let a handsome and


    sultry grin show on his face while shing his row of white teeth.


    ¡°It¡¯s her nickname. It doesn¡¯t sound bad at all!¡± Larry rebutted in all seriousness.


    He then looked through the rearview mirror to nce at Stephen before he himself started tough


    cheerfully.


    This yful side of his was the exact opposite of the cold, ruthless image he portrayed on screen.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t get used to the contrast, and so she teasingly asked, ¡°Do you think your fans will regret


    liking you if they knew what a goofball you are?¡±


    Because of how cold he looked when he was his serious self, most of the roles he was offered were of


    domineering presidents and the like.


    He had also attracted numerous fans because of his extreme good looks and talent in acting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that,¡± Larry answered her as he drove with both hands on the steering wheel.


    ¡°Do I look like I would believe that? If you really don¡¯t care, why do you keep such a low profile when that


    personality of yours would inevitably attract the attention ofdies?¡±


    After seeing the many entertainment news, Veronica hade to understand that the charismatic


    characters on the screen werepletely different from how the celebrities were in private.


    A lot of stars were intentionally ¡®selling¡¯ a false image to the public.


    In recent years, many top stars had their true personality revealed due to the continuous exposure by the


    media. Even those who went to prison for drug offenses, and those with problematic private lives were all


    cklisted from the industry.


    She had seen Larry on TV before, and she had thought then that it must have been hard for him to still


    maintain his public image when his true personality was pr opposites with his image to the world.


    ¡°I am not interested in those women.¡± Larry sighed. ¡°Most of them have bad intentions. It is not easy to


    find someone as dumb as you, so what is the point of keeping in contact with them? I will only end up on


    the losing end eventually.¡±

 Chapter 454

    Chapter 454


    Chapter 454 Hendrey Johnson¡¯s Secret


    Dumb? Veronica automatically ignored everything else Larry said and shot him a sharp look. ¡°You are


    dumb one!¡± ¡°What are you, if not dumb? I heard a lot of your old embarrassing stories from Hendrey


    back then.¡±


    ¡°Hendrey? W-What did he tell you?¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t help being curious after hearing Larry say that.


    Stephen, who was sitting in the back seat, had his ears perked up as he eagerly tried to hear about


    Veronica¡¯s past.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Larry frowned slightly as he fell into deep thought, his elbow on the car window to support


    his head. He suddenly burst outughing within the next few seconds. ¡°Ah, I remember now! Hendrey


    said that you and some boys from the vige climbed a tree when you were in junior high school.


    You then fell from the tree, and you were knocked breathless the whole day. He also said that you were


    catching shrimps at a pond when you fell in and¡­ Haha! Hendrey also said that you are super dumb.


    You were in third grade then. It was obviously a school day, but a childhood friend of yours who was


    cutting ss saw you on the way and lied to you that it was a holiday.


    You just believed him and dumbly went home with him instead of going to school! You even stole


    someone¡¯s peas while you were walking home. And when you were discovered, they chased after you


    for a few miles to get you. Haha!¡±


    As he brought up the stories, Larry started imagining what it was like, and he soon burst intoughter.


    His voice was so contagious that Stephen and Veronica couldn¡¯t help butugh along. ¡°Were you really


    so naughty when you were a child, Veronica?¡± Stephen chuckled.


    She didn¡¯t feel embarrassed when her childhood was ruthlessly uncovered. Instead, she let out a deep


    sigh afterughing. ¡°Yeah. I grew up in the countryside. My school was quite far from home, so I always


    followed the children in the vige to school. I even got tricked by my childhood friend who was ying


    hooky. I believed him when he said that it was a holiday. I ended up¡­ being punished by my father.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but reminisce when she thought about her past. Life when she was a child was so


    pure and beautiful that she still longed for it.


    As she spoke of this, a thought suddenly hit her and she asked, ¡°How does Hendrey know so much


    about me? I only told him about me skipping ss. How did he know about things like climbing trees and


    catching shrimps?¡±


    ¡°Hendrey contacted your childhood friend Solst year. Sol was the one who told him all this.¡±


    ¡°Last year?¡± Veronica repeated as her eyes fell, her eyebrows knitted together in concentration.


    It was true that Sol Lewis was her friend from the vige. He was a boy half a year younger than her, but


    he had been doing business in the south all these years. The two would asionally reach out to one


    another.


    Hence, Sol knew where she was. Sol would definitely have asked her whereabouts if Hendrey had


    gotten into contact with him and asked him about Veronica.


    It made it seem possible that Hendrey didn¡¯t meet her by chance at the jewelry showcase in Bloomstead


    last year, and that he¡­ hade for her.


    Does this mean that he still has feelings for me?


    But the thing is¡­


    Why did it take him only a while to be with Tiffany if he did like me?


    He has never returned ever since Tiffany¡¯s death.


    It all seemed to sum down into one possibility¡ªHendrey must have liked Veronica, but upon finding out


    that she had gotten together with Matthew after he came back to the country, he had turned to Tiffany


    instead.


    And finding out the things that happened to Tiffany must have been such a huge blow that he decided to


    return to Castron again.


    Veronica clearly remembered how Hendrey had received news of Tiffany¡¯s death shortly after he had


    gone to the airport. It was after that that she couldn¡¯t reach Hendrey anymore.


    There was no news from him even after she had told him about Tiffany.


    Veronica unwittingly began to feel like something was wrong, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what the problem


    was.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Do you still meet up with Hendrey often?¡± she casually threw out a question.


    Larry didn¡¯t think much about it and nodded. ¡°We contact each other frequently, but we seldom meet. The


    last time we met was when he went to Castron from Bloomstead. He called me to pick him up after he


    got off the ne. We haven¡¯t seen each other since we split that day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you and him are quite¡ª¡±


    She wasn¡¯t thinking too deeply into it at first when she replied casually, but she stopped halfway through


    her words when she suddenly thought about how she interrogated Hendrey that day about why she


    couldn¡¯t get through to him. The man told her that he lost his phone then.


    She couldn¡¯t possibly be mistaken because she remembered his reply clearly.


    She had called him right after she found out that Tiffany had died half an hour after she sent Hendrey to


    the airport, but her calls didn¡¯t get through.


    It was not until the end of Tiffany¡¯s funeral that Hendrey called her back. When she asked him to exin


    why she couldn¡¯t contact him, he said that his phone had been stolen.


    Her expression suddenly became solemn, but she still pretended to keep it nonchnt as she asked


    Larry, ¡°So he called you after getting off the ne? I was wondering why he didn¡¯t pick up my calls that


    day. I thought his phone was stolen.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Do you really think anyone can steal his phone? You underestimate


    Hendrey.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± She gave a random reply. Her heart had instantly started thumping hard against her


    chest as she felt a feeling of foreboding.


    Hendrey lied to me, she concluded in disbelief before a ridiculous thought hit her. Why did he lie,


    though? Is he rted to Tiffany¡¯s death in any way?


    On one hand, Veronica thought that she must be going crazy to be thinking about something impossible


    but on the other, she felt that there was something more to why Hendrey rushed to leave and had


    deliberately not picked up the phone.


    ¡°By the way, what is he doing abroad now? We haven¡¯t had much contact ever since he returned to


    Castron.¡±


    ¡°I was going to ask you that, but you have already brought it up.¡±


    Larry nced at Veronica as he muttered, ¡°He has been very discreet with what he does abroad. For all I


    know, he doesn¡¯t have a fixed job. I don¡¯t know exactly what he does. I have asked him before, but he


    didn¡¯t tell me anything. I do think he looks like those secret agents you see in TV shows, though. He is


    always going in and out of high-end ces with high-ranking officials.¡±


    Larry seemed to be hiding this from Stephen as he said this in English.


    He was doing this because Hendrey had specifically warned him to not tell anyone about him when they


    met up before.


    However, Hendrey must have failed to take into ount that Larry was an insensitive, clueless man.


    Despite Hendrey¡¯s warning, Larry had blurted it all out to Veronica because she was one of his people,


    and she was also Hendrey¡¯s first love.


    ¡°Gosh, how mysterious.¡± Upon hearing that, Veronica pretended to be surprised by covering her mouth


    and acting like a curious cat.


    Hendrey must be living quite a good life if what Larry said was true. It didn¡¯t make sense that he would


    return to Bloomstead to be the president of a small branch office.


    Thatpany was a small branch of the Dame Group, where the sry for working there wasn¡¯t high at


    all.


    More importantly, running thepany required certain management skills and experience. Hendrey,


    however, didn¡¯t have any experience. How could he pop out of nowhere and immediately be the


    president of apany?


    Furthermore, he resigned after only a few months of resuming the position as the president and signing


    the contract after the probation period.


    The development of this situation just didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Veronica then lowered her head and thought it through, and her eyes happened to fall on her wrist. She


    was wearing a bangle that Hendrey gave her when he left Bloomstead. He told her then that this bangle


    might save her life during an emergency situation.


    He didn¡¯t seem like he was joking at all when he told her that gravely.


    She hesitated for a moment before she rolled up her sleeve and reached out to wave the bangle in front


    of Larry. ¡°He even gave me a bangle when he left,¡± she murmured. ¡°He also said that this bangle can


    save my life at a critical moment. Haha! It sounded outrageous to me.¡±


    Larry, who was driving, only threw an uninterested nce at the bangle. ¡°It seems like he still can¡¯t forget


    about you.¡±


    Suddenly, Stephen pointed from the back seat at the bangle on Veronica¡¯s outstretched arm and


    questioned, ¡°Veronica, where did you get the bangle from?¡±


    From the look on his stern expression, there seemed to be something he left unsaid.

 Chapter 455

    Chapter 455


    Chapter 455 It¡¯s a Wrap!


    ¡°This? It was given to me by a friend.¡± When Veronica noticed the odd expression on Stephen¡¯s face, she


    quickly followed up, ¡°Does this bangle have an interesting backstory or something?¡± ¡°I have seen it


    before. It¡ª¡±


    Stephen seemed like he was about to say something, but when he raised his gaze from the bangle to


    meet Veronica¡¯s expectant eyes, he immediately looked away while he shook his head. ¡°It looks familiar,


    but I can¡¯t remember where I saw it.¡±


    After his eyes darted away, he tilted his head to look out the window. His change of expression in that


    split second was all she needed to confirm that the bangle had a story behind it. Her suspicion of


    Hendrey only deepened with that.


    Deciding she didn¡¯t want to ask any more questions, she changed the subject. ¡°Crazy, I will go to the


    crew earlier tomorrow. Remind me of things to watch out for before the shoot, okay?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. Just rx,¡± Larry replied, not knowing that she only mentioned that to change the


    topic. The car finally arrived at the entrance of the hospital not long after. As she got out of the car, Larry


    also followed suit while asking, ¡°How long will you be here for? I will wait for you if you will be quick.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. See you!¡± Veronica waved and walked in front of Larry before she pointed at his


    cheek. ¡°Get in the car quickly. For your information, you are not wearing a mask, yet you¡¯re out and


    about. Aren¡¯t you afraid you will see scandals about you tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Alright. I am off, then. Call me if something happens.¡±


    Larry then turned around to get back into his car. Stephen was still in the car when he rolled down the


    window and waved at Veronica. ¡°Bye!¡±


    She hummed with a smile. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Larry then started the car and slowly drove off. After they


    left, Veronica, with her high heels on, turned around and walked into the hospital.


    As soon as she arrived at the entrance to Yvonne¡¯s ward, the first person she saw was Crayson sitting on


    the bench in the corridor. He was still in his security uniform as he slept leaning against the bench.


    She immediately felt her nose burn as her heart seemed to ache. Because she had too much to handle,


    she had told him early this morning to keep an eye on Yvonne in case something were to happen to


    Yvonne.


    However, she didn¡¯t think he would be here all day. ¡°Crayson?¡± Veronica stepped forward and gently


    patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Were you keeping watch here the entire day? Have you eaten?¡±


    Although he was always hale and hearty, it was an undeniable fact that he was an aged man. She


    couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty and remorseful for making a man his age go out of his way to do so much for


    her.


    He eventually opened his eyes but when he saw her, his gaze turned into a re as a frown appeared


    on his face. ¡°Little brat, it¡¯s a good thing you still remember toe. Your master might die of hunger if


    you were another secondte.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Veronica knew for sure that he hadn¡¯t had his meal. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten?¡± She thought


    for a second before smilingly offered, ¡°Let¡¯s have something together, then. I haven¡¯t eaten as well.¡±


    In fact, she wasn¡¯t hungry at all. She only wanted to keep himpany while he ate. ¡°Aye.¡± He yawned,


    putting on a reluctant expression. ¡°Can you stay here a little longer? I am going in to check on Yvonne.¡±


    After she informed him, she headed straight into the ward, where Yvonne had her child in her arms as


    she yed with the boy. ¡°Oh! There you are, Roni!¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s face immediately erupted in joy when she saw Veronica, and she hurriedly walked to Veronica


    while carrying the baby. ¡°Look! He is smacking his lips in his sleep. Isn¡¯t it adorable?!¡±


    Seeing her motherly love overflow, Veronica finally felt a little more relieved about her friend. She then


    put down her bag and reached out to carry the boy. ¡°Come. Let me hug him.¡±


    ¡°Here you go, but be careful.¡± Yvonne carefully passed the baby to Veronica, and thetter began to rock


    him gently. ¡°Even though he is still a newborn, his facial features look quite simr to yours,¡± she


    commented.


    ¡°He is my son. Of course he looks like me.¡± Yvonne stood with her hands akimbo before she turned


    around and walked toward the bed. She let out a sigh as she plopped down on it. ¡°I am lucky I have a


    maternity matron here to apany me. I would probably be worn out otherwise. It just doesn¡¯t make


    sense for anyone to raise children. It is too tiring.¡±


    As Yvonneined, she dropped her whole body on the bed.


    ¡°Thank you, Roni. Mr. Crayson has been keeping watch by the door the whole day. I only told him to go


    home at night.¡±


    Yvonne had repeatedly told Crayson to go home when night fell, but he had rejected every time. Left with


    no choice, she made sure to watch him go into the elevator before she went back into her ward.


    Unbeknownst to her, he hade out of the elevator again after she went into the room, and had quietly


    stayed outside to keep guard.


    Veronica only replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. He happens to be on leave today.¡± She didn¡¯t want Yvonne to


    feel burdened.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Still, I feel bad about it. After all, Mr. Crayson isn¡¯t young anymore and yet, he has to take care of me. It


    pricks my conscience. But again, I am getting discharged tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Discharged?¡±


    Her sudden mention of dischargement surprised Veronica.


    And so, she told everything that happened today to Yvonne before adding regretfully, ¡°That is why I can¡¯t


    pick you up to leave the hospital tomorrow. I am really sorry.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, you are starring in a movie? Am I friends with a future best actress?¡±


    As though she was the one who was going to film tomorrow, Yvonne was ted after hearing Veronica


    bring it up.


    Veronica didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at her friend¡¯s antics. ¡°It is just a small and unimportant


    supporting role. Stop with your nonsense. Alright, get some rest soon. I have to go back to prepare. I am


    going to the filming location early tomorrow morning.¡±


    She saw the other two bodyguards guarding the corridor when she entered the ward just now.


    Needless to say, Yvonne¡¯s father must have been the one who arranged these mercenaries to stay by


    Yvonne.


    But in order to not make it too conspicuous, they only stood by the corridor instead of sitting directly


    outside the ward¡¯s door.


    Furthermore, they probably were bigger than a team of two who could work in shifts. It would be safe to


    leave Yvonne to them.


    ¡°Okay then. I wish you sess tomorrow!¡± Yvonne cheered Veronica on.


    She got up to take her child and carefully held him in her arms. Right about then, the boy woke up and


    started crying.


    ¡°Goodness, my little nugget. Why are you awake again?¡± Yvonne then waved at Veronica. ¡°Hurry up and


    leave. I need to coax my honeybun.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help butugh before she turned around and walked out of the ward.


    She walked up to one of the mercenaries in the corridor and informed him, ¡°You must be extra vignt


    these days. Yvonne may be in danger these two days.¡±


    Conrad is such a scary man. We have to be careful.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Murphy.¡± The mercenary, who was already familiar with Victoria, nodded and said nothing


    more.


    Afterward, she brought Crayson for ramen, and then some alcohol before she finally went home.


    After returning home, she had a video conference with the person-in-charge at Vincere Games. It went


    on untilte night but when it was done, she began to search for action movies for reference.


    Veronica only went to sleep in the dead of the night, and then woke up the next day to repeat her training


    yesterday.


    Exhausted, she went home to take a shower and after changing into fresh clothes, she set off to the


    filming location.


    When she found Larry among the crew, she asked him for his advice on things she had to pay attention


    to.

 Chapter 456

    Chapter 456


    Chapter 456 Congrattions


    After a while, the shooting started. Before the shooting, the director Johansson walked up to Veronica


    and said, ¡°Both of you have experience in martial arts, so you don¡¯t need a martial arts instructor. Just


    improvise. However, you must remember that you are a viin and must lose to Stephen.¡±


    They did the choreography yesterday, so Veronica knew how to be defeated. Before the shooting, she


    thought it would be difficult and would need to be reshot at least two dozen times. However, much to her


    surprise, she and Stephen had terrific chemistry as the scene went smoothly.


    Veronica said her dialogues well. Soon, she was kicked by Stephen ording to the script and fell from


    the second floor to her death. The director repeatedly asked whether she needed a wire harness.


    However, she rejected them.


    There is a cushion underneath, so it won¡¯t be dangerous. In the end, the fight scene waspleted in


    just one take. ¡°Cut!¡±


    As the director called to stop, he stood up and apuded, and the others in the studio followed suit.


    ¡°Such fun! Professionals are built differently.¡±


    ¡°So cool! That choreography is too cool!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I have a crush on her!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the real deal; it¡¯s so


    amazing!¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica wore a tight leather jacket and pants paired with high heels. With her short chin-length hair and


    ck fingerless gloves, she looked like a powerful woman.


    The movie character had short chin-length hair, and Veronica¡¯s hair was a little longer than it, which was


    why she didn¡¯t bother to wear a wig. Instead, she just had simple makeup with ming red lipstick, and it


    made her look utterly sensual.


    In addition, with the blessing of her own abilities, she could easily pass the take for the fight scene with


    Stephen. After the filming, Veronica got up from the ground when she heard the apuse and reached


    out to wipe the blood on the corner of her mouth.


    She had bit into a capsule to leak the fake blood from her mouth, in order to look like she had died. She


    then jogged over to the director and asked, ¡°Director, how was it? Is there something I should take note


    of?¡±


    ¡°Very well. You did well, so we don¡¯t have to retake.¡± He patted Veronica¡¯s shoulder and gave her a


    thumbs up. ¡°You are talented. I never thought that you were good at acting.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what do you mean she is good at acting? It¡¯s just beginner¡¯s luck.¡± Larry came over to tease her,


    but he still praised, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your chemistry with Stephen. In addition, you have only three lines,


    so it was alright, I guess.¡±


    After being praised by the Oscar-winning actor Larry, as well as Johansson, Veronica was surprised.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    She felt that it was unbelievable.


    ¡°Larry is right. We can use this take because of your martial arts skill and luck. But, of course, you have


    to thank Stephen for cooperating with you.¡±


    Johansson agreed with Larry.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    Veronica was ecstatic, and her heart was pounding with excitement.


    Initially, she thought she would be scolded by Johansson and temporarily reced by the former actress.


    However, everything turned out smoothly.


    Stephen then came down from the second floor, and Veronica walked over to give him a big hug. ¡°Thank


    you, Stephen.¡±


    The gentleman hugged her, and then they let go of each other. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s so cool to act in


    a fight scene with you.¡± He shrugged as he added, ¡°If every actor in the fight scene knows how to fight, it


    would be easy for all.¡±


    As an experienced actor, Stephen had seen too many stars who couldn¡¯t do wire stunts for fight scenes,


    as it was too hard for them.


    Veronica curled her red lips and smiled but said nothing.


    These days, it was not a requirement to practice martial arts. Although Stephen¡¯s requirements were


    reasonable, finding a skilled martial artist was too hard.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take a photo together!¡±


    Larry came over with his cell phone, and the trio took a photo.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t hide her excitement, so she posted a photo on Instagram with the caption, ¡®It¡¯s an


    honor to act with the one and only Stephen. I¡¯m so lucky!¡¯


    She never thought that she would act with Stephen. However, it really happened, so Veronica was very


    excited and happy.


    She had nothing to do in the morning, so she stayed with the crew and watched Larry and Stephen act.


    After the production was done at noon, they had lunch together.


    ¡°These two days, Stephen has a lot of work, but I am free. Can you be my tour guide and show me


    around Bloomstead?¡± Larry said to Veronica while eating.


    Stephen, who was eating too, frowned. ¡°No, you must bring me along as well. I can ask the director for


    leave. He will agree to my dy.¡±


    With his rtionship with the director, Stephen could quickly get a two-day leave.


    Veronica was speechless upon hearing that. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think this is a great idea.¡±


    She thought Stephen was too friendly.


    However, it was fun to interact with him, so she was happy as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s a great idea.¡±


    Stephen raised his eyebrows and smiled happily.


    ¡­


    At the same time, Matthew sat in the executive chair in the Spinfluence Group. He stared at the photo on


    the phone screen as he closed the documents on the table. Looking at Veronica¡¯s bright and sensual


    smile as she stood with two handsome men made Matthew jealous.


    Matthew unhappily threw his phone on the table with a bang, his expression bing thunderous.


    D*mn it! Why can she easily attract men? It¡¯s only been a few days since she met them, and they are


    getting so friendly now!


    Matthew was furious, and he felt a headacheing on.


    He paced back and forth in the office as he raised his hand to rub his eyebrows. He also repeatedly


    picked up and put down his phone.


    In the end, he still dialed Veronica¡¯s number.


    After a few beeps, Veronica answered, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    It was Veronica¡¯s familiar voice. This was the exact woman who gave Matthew countless sleepless


    nights.


    Hearing that voice made him go crazy.


    Only God knew how much he missed her these days.


    Although they had just met in the Kings Residence, Matthew¡¯s longing for Veronica grew like vines after


    he saw the photo of her with two men.


    It made him crazy, so he couldn¡¯t help but call her.


    However, after Veronica answered the call, it was like a wake-up call for Matthew after he heard her


    indifferent voice.


    He pursed his lips, not knowing what to say for a moment.


    Why is she so indifferent to me? Why doesn¡¯t she treat other men the same?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Matthew demanded.

 Chapter 457

    Chapter 457


    Chapter 457 Veronica Is Pissed


    Matthew held the phone and put it to his ear as his earlier question echoed in his mind. He couldn¡¯t help


    but frown. D*mn it, why is my self-control getting so bad? Why couldn¡¯t I help calling her after I saw her


    group photo with Stephen and Larry?!


    Matthew had made the call on impulse. Now that he had calmed down, he didn¡¯t even know when he


    had called Veronica. It was as if the process of calling Veronica happened in an illusion.


    On the other end of the line, Veronica had a dark expression when she heard Matthew¡¯s voice. B*stard,


    why are you calling me?!


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to report my schedule to you. If you have something to say, do it now. Don¡¯t waste my time!¡±


    Veronica scolded Matthew angrily. Then, she added, ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± Busy?


    Hearing her words, Matthew remembered the intimate photo of Veronica with Stephen and Larry. In the


    photo, she was smiling and was in a good mood. Is she being so-called busy flirting with handsome


    men? Bullsh*t!


    Matthew was gloomy and wished he could immediately appear before Veronica and take her home to


    hide her. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you are busy with; you muste to the Spinfluence Group immediately.¡±


    Matthew hadpletely lost his reasoning at that point.


    He did not care how he nned to keep his distance from her in order to not be discovered by outsiders


    that they were close. It didn¡¯t even matter how he tried to keep himself away from Veronica so that she


    would not realize that he still loved her.


    He had long forgotten everything about those ns. Matthew could swear he had never lost his mind


    until now. However, Veronica ruthlessly refused. ¡°I said I¡¯m busy.¡±


    B*stard, who does he think I am? Can I be easily called toe and go?


    Seeing that she didn¡¯t want toe over at all, Matthew irritably ran his fingers through his hair.


    Suddenly, he had a sh of an idea and he said with an indifferent tone, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to


    know about Yvonne?¡±


    After a year, Yvonne and Veronica had be good friends, and they could even call themselves best


    friends. Matthew knew Veronica had been worried about Yvonne. Hence, he hit it where it hurt.


    As Matthew managed to grab her by the heart, he managed to let Veronica change her mind in a


    second. And so, she immediately said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Veronica put away her phone and couldn¡¯t help cursing, ¡°What the heck!


    Why won¡¯t he say anything on the call? He kept wanting me to be there. This is ridiculous.¡±


    However, there was no other way. To help Yvonne, Veronica had to go.


    After saying goodbye to Larry and Stephen, she left the ce and agreed to hang out together tomorrow.


    She then drove to the Spinfluence Group.


    It was rush hour, so it took her about an hour to arrive at thepany.


    She knocked on the door, and Matthew¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Veronica was the god-granddaughter of the Kings Family, so she was free to enter thepany with no


    one stopping her.


    She opened the door and walked in, but didn¡¯t see Matthew at the desk.


    After taking a few steps inside, she found Matthew sitting on the couch in the lounge area, preparing to


    eat.


    A full-course meal was on the table, filled with bnced nutrition and a variety of food.


    Veronica¡¯s stomach groaned as she had been busy in the morning.


    That sound was obvious in the quiet office.


    Her angry face suddenly flushed red, and Veronica felt annoyed and beyond embarrassed.


    Despite that, she still managed to maintain her icy fa?ade and walked up to Matthew. ¡°What is it about


    Yvonne?¡±


    Veronica had mixed feelings in her heart when facing the man she used to love.


    Matthew nced at her. Lowering his head, he picked up his fork and knife. ¡°Let¡¯s talk after eating.¡±


    ¡°Matthew, I¡¯m swamped. Can you eat after you tell me about Yvonne?¡±


    Veronica was very annoyed and felt Matthew was deliberately wasting her time.


    After she finished saying this, Matthew stood up, and a charming smile appeared on that handsome face


    of his. ¡°You can go now if you are busy.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Veronica felt her blood boiling. She clenched her fists on the side tightly and wanted to fight him.


    Calm down. I must endure it. I can¡¯t be so rude.


    She took a deep breath and smiled politely, ¡°Then¡­ please go ahead and have your meal. I will wait for


    you.¡±


    Then, she simply threw her bag on the couch and sat opposite Matthew.


    He didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he forked up some meat and chewed slowly.


    He ate at an average speed with elegant movements, and it was pleasing to the eyes.


    Coincidentally, the food on the table was all Veronica¡¯s favorite.


    She felt that the b*stard Matthew did it on purpose.


    The moment that thought urred to her, she heard him say, ¡°You can have some too if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat.¡±


    Veronica leaned on the couch, snorted coldly, and refused despite wanting it.


    Then, her stomach growled again.


    At this moment, Veronica almost went crazy.


    She trained frantically with Crayson, then rushed to film in the morning. In the end, she only ate one


    sandwich to fill her stomach.


    Then, she nned the fight scene choreography with Stephen and fought with him a few times to build


    their chemistry. Truth was, she had been hungry for a long time and felt dizzy.


    Now, she could not resist when she saw food.


    However, she didn¡¯t want to eat Matthew¡¯s lunch even when hungry.


    ¡°These dishes are made by a new top-level state banquet chef from One Piece Restaurant. They taste


    amazing. It¡¯s a pity that you won¡¯t eat them.¡±


    Matthew deliberately teased Veronica and used the fork to point at the steamed fish. ¡°The steamed fish


    is tender and delicious. It melts in the mouth and has no fishy smell, not to mention has a refreshing


    aftertaste. It is truly the best. Look at this roasted pork too; it is made with secret sauce. Moreover, it is


    not greasy and tastes amazing. However, the chicken sd is too spicy for my taste. I can¡¯t stand spicy


    food.¡±


    Matthew ate while borating on the food to Veronica.


    Although he couldn¡¯t eat spicy food, he still ate Veronica¡¯s favorite food. He was aware that Veronica had


    a strong taste and liked spicy food.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Hearing the exnation, Veronica suffered as her stomach growled louder.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you shut up while you eat?¡± Veronica angrily gritted her teeth.


    Matthew held a fork and knife, and he looked up with an innocent expression. ¡°Why can¡¯t Iment on


    the meals made by my home chef?¡±


    He meant to say it was just ament he said for himself.


    At that point, Veronica almost burst into anger.


    Matthew did not say anymore, but he ate the meal gracefully with a fork in his hands. He chewed slowly,


    making it look all the more delicious.


    ¡°F*ck!¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but swear and picked up the tableware on the table in a fit of rage to start eating.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t allow you to eat. That tableware is for Thomas,¡± Matthew pretended to stop her.


    Veronica ignored Matthew. Instead, she took a piece of roasted pork and stuffed it into her mouth to


    enjoy it. ¡°You¡¯re too slow, so I¡¯ll finish it for you. Then, we can discuss serious business soon.¡±


    She thought of herself as a clever girl as she said a perfect statement.

 Chapter 458

    Chapter 458


    Chapter 458 Matthew Has Cancer?


    Veronica was a foodie, and coupled with her being hungry for a long time, making her look at Matthew


    enjoying the food alone was a physical torment and destruction for her.


    Matthew deliberately scolded Veronica, but he still involuntarily smiled as he looked at her lowered head


    while she ate. He slowed down his eating, and in the end, he stopped doing so altogether.


    On the other hand, she swept through several tes of food on the table at an incredible speed. She put


    down the knife and fork before she took out a tissue and wiped her mouth with a satisfied look.


    Then, she leaned on the couch and let out a long sigh to the point where she indecently huped. Her


    burps were apparent in the office. At that, Veronica immediately raised her hand to cover her mouth with


    an unnatural look on her face.


    Matthew spent a considerable time with Veronica, so he was ustomed to her cold appearance and


    carefree temperament in private. Truth was, he found it fascinating.


    Feeling his hot gaze on her, she frowned. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Now that the meal is over, can


    you talk about Yvonne?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you at least clean up the table after eating it for free?¡±


    Matthew sat on the couch with crossed legs as he pointed at the dirty tes on the table, signaling her to


    put away the dishes.


    Although Veronica was unwilling to do it, she still cleaned the tes and wiped the table with a paper


    towel to keep it clean as she thought to herself, But, of course, it is all because I ate a free meal¡­ Bah,


    what am I talking about? The meal was delicious!This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    After getting everything done, Veronica looked at Matthew with a cold expression. ¡°Can we talk now?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded slightly. ¡°Conrad is¡ªouch! I have a slight headache.¡± Before he could finish his


    words, he suddenly raised his hand and rubbed his head with a pained expression.


    As Veronica had been with Matthew for a long time, she knew that he would never attempt to seek


    attention by acting pitiful. Veronica¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he cried out in pain, and she sat up


    straight, feeling slightly nervous. ¡°A-Are you alright?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s imagination suddenly took a turn for the worse. Matthew was flirting with Sasha and said he


    loved Sasha out of the blue, despite him being close with Veronica.


    Hence, Veronica was confused and tormented during these times. On one hand, she thought the


    rtionship between Matthew and Sasha was bizarre and felt his confession was fake but on the other


    hand, Veronica felt Matthew might really like Sasha.


    Whether it was true or false, Veronica couldn¡¯t see through it.


    Hence, when she saw Matthew cry in pain while clutching his temples, Veronica thought Matthew might


    be dying of cancer, so he pretended to like someone else to break up with her¡ªjust like the plot of a


    soap opera.


    Although they broke up three months before, she knew her heart only had Matthew in it. The room in


    Veronica¡¯s heart was small enough to keep him and him only.


    Although Veronica was deceived by Matthew, she still couldn¡¯t forget him. So, she could only let time


    pass and gradually forget about him with the flow of time. ¡°I-It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s just a headache.¡±


    Matthew rested his head on his palm, and his elbow was on the couch. His dark eyebrows were knitted


    into a frown while his handsome face was filled with pain. ¡°If not, I better call a doctor for you.¡±


    Veronica was worried about him, so she took out her cell phone and prepared to call a doctor. Matthew


    felt her concern for him. The heart that fell to the bottom gradually warmed as he saw hope. Then, he


    said, ¡°It¡¯s my recurring illness. Get me a masseuse to rub my head and I¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°Masseuse?¡±


    Veronica was stunned and she raised her head to look at Matthew, who was seated on the opposite side.


    He had closed his eyes in pain.


    She was so nervous that she stopped breathing for a moment before she quickly nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get


    you a masseuse now.¡±


    Veronica clicked an application to get a masseuse. However, she sighed when she saw the masseuse


    would only arrive after half an hour. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll give you a massage.¡±


    Her initiative surprised Matthew.


    He opened his eyes and noticed a trace of concern on her delicate face, so he felt relieved. Then, he


    waved his hand and refused. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I can hold out until the masseusees over.¡±


    ¡°It will take at least half an hour for the masseuse toe, so I might as well give you a massage.¡±


    Veronica did not give Matthew a chance to refuse. She then got up and walked behind Matthew. Raising


    her hands to his temples, she pressed on it softly.


    This move surprised Veronica after she calmed down. She stopped her movements and thought,


    Veronica Murphy, have you lost your mind?! Matthew has broken up with you, yet you still care about


    him?


    She was dumped, yet she was worried about him. Veronica was afraid she would contradict herself, so


    she blurted out, ¡°I can¡¯t find anyone else to tell me about Conrad¡¯s n if you die in the office. Besides, if


    you die here, the people in thepany would think I poisoned you.¡±


    It was an exnation.


    After speaking, even Veronica herself felt that it was a superfluous exnation.


    Matthew felt Veronica¡¯s mood change. He curled his lips up slightly, his handsome face lit up with a small


    smile.


    However, the smile was fleeting, as if he was afraid to be discovered by Veronica.


    ¡°You may leave now. I¡¯ll just bear with it.¡±


    Although he said so, Matthew sat upright so Veronica could continue with the massage.


    ¡°Oh, shut up. No matter what, you are Grandma¡¯s grandson. If you die, Grandma will never forgive me.


    She will hate me for the rest of her life.¡±


    Veronica came up with a better excuse this time.


    However, Matthew didn¡¯t speak.


    She stood behind him and massaged him considerately.


    It was in the afternoon as the sunlight poured in through the ss window, and the beam fell on Veronica


    to envelope her in a hazy halo. It made Veronica and Matthew look intimate, looking much like an old


    married couple.


    Matthew wanted to talk to Veronica, but he didn¡¯t dare to.


    It was because she would ask about Conrad once he spoke. Once he said the answer, he feared


    Veronica would just leave.


    Scared?


    The selfish Matthew never thought he would describe himself as being scared one day.


    After massaging him for a while, Veronica asked again, ¡°How is it? Are you feeling better?¡±


    He hummed softly in response. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did you head to the hospital to check your brain? It¡¯s not a good thing to have a headache. You should


    check it out.¡± Veronica was concerned, but she was afraid Matthew would find out her feelings andugh


    at her for caring for him even after he dumped her.


    Hence, she added, ¡°If something bad happens to you, I¡¯m afraid Grandma will have a hard time in the


    future.¡±

 Chapter 459

    Chapter 459


    Chapter 459 Send Yvonne¡¯s Child Away


    It was well known that Elizabeth pampered Matthew, so it was no exaggeration for Veronica to say so. ¡°I


    won¡¯t die.¡±


    Matthew closed his eyes and enjoyed Veronica¡¯s massage. If something terrible happens to me, does


    she only care about Grandma being sad because of me? What about her?


    They were silent for a while before Matthew said, ¡°Uncle Conrad keeps wanting that child. Yvonne won¡¯t


    be able to get rid of him even if she goes to Castron with her child.¡±


    Matthew knew Veronica was worried about Yvonne, so he told her about it. At the mention of Yvonne,


    Veronica was filled with worry and it showed on her face. Finally, she said, ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°If Yvonne trusts me, I can settle the child down safely. However, she can¡¯t see the child within a year.¡±


    Matthew didn¡¯t have any good ideas. After all, Yvonne had to hide from both Conrad and Zac.


    Matthew could stop Conrad from hurting the child, but he couldn¡¯t stop Zac. Veronica stayed silent.


    She was stunned, and her massaging had stopped too. Then, she went around him and sat opposite the


    man. ¡°After a long time, you could onlye up with such a bad idea?¡±


    Veronica thought Matthew had a better solution other than separating the child from the mother.


    Matthew leaned on the couch and gazed at Veronica with calm eyes. ¡°Why would you think I have better


    ideas? Even if we take Uncle Conrad out of the picture, we still have to fight Zac. I can¡¯tpete with the


    royal family alone.¡±


    Even if he couldpete with the royal family, Matthew wouldn¡¯t waste his energy on a person who had


    nothing to do with him. Hearing Matthew¡¯s words, Veronica lowered her head, knowing that what he said


    was reasonable. ¡°Yvonne loves that child. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s easy to separate them.¡±


    ¡°Is it easy for her to let the child die?¡±


    The simple words stunned Veronica to the core. After being silent for a while, she said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask


    Yvonne¡¯s opinion.¡± After saying that, she got up and prepared to leave. Before leaving, she asked


    Matthew, ¡°If the child is taken away, can Yvonne have a video call with the child? How often will they


    meet?¡±


    ¡°I can let them see each other once every three months. Of course, it¡¯s best not to chat online if there¡¯s


    no emergency.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±


    Veronica left without saying anything. When she left the office, she wanted to tell Matthew to go to the


    hospital for a check-up. However, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it.


    After leaving the Spinfluence Group, Veronica drove straight to Yvonne¡¯s home and met Yvonne at her


    house. At this moment, Yvonne was lying in the bedroom and nursing the baby in her arms.


    Seeing Veronicae over, Yvonne asked, ¡°Why did youe back so soon? Is the filming over? How


    did you feel during your first shoot?¡±


    ¡°It was alright. I was fortunate to have the guidance of an expert, and I had a great time.¡±


    Veronica walked into the room and closed the door. After sitting on the couch, she exchanged a few


    words with Yvonne before she changed the subject. ¡°Have you thought about what to do with your


    child?¡±


    Yvonne had no idea what to do with her child, and the question had been bothering her. It was


    undoubtedly the biggest problem for her now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She had a sad expression on her face, and she looked very worried. ¡°Yvonne, t-there¡¯s another way to


    save him.¡± ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ The child¡­ You can consider separating from him; this way, you may be able to protect him,¡±


    Veronica said hesitantly. She was unconfident, worried that Yvonne would disagree.


    After all, the baby was Yvonne¡¯s child. Yvonne gave birth to a child with much effort, so she couldn¡¯t


    possibly give the baby up in such a short time.


    Moreover, the baby was still young, so Yvonne wouldn¡¯t bear to do so. ¡°S-Separate?¡± Yvonne was


    stunned, and her eyes fell on Veronica nkly. ¡°You mean¡­ send the child to a safe ce?¡±


    ¡°Matthew just contacted me. He said the best way to protect your child is to send him away to a ce no


    one knows, so someone can safely raise him.¡±


    ¡°Matthew? Didn¡¯t that b*stard break up with you? Why did he suddenly seek you out to talk about me?¡±


    Yvonne felt there must be an ulterior motive for Matthew to do this. In addition, Veronica had broken up


    with Matthew a few months ago, so he had no reason to do so.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± Veronica pointed to the baby in Yvonne¡¯s arms. ¡°It¡¯s rted to him.¡±


    She then told Yvonne about the agreement between Conrad and Elizabeth.


    It was only then that Yvonne realized the situation. ¡°Matthew is helping me because he will profit from it.


    If my child is not taken away by Conrad, he will not be the heir to the Spinfluence Group, right?¡±


    Other than that, she could not think of a better reason. Her thought was the same as Veronica¡¯s.


    ¡°Matthew knew you would be reluctant to separate your child, so he said he would let you meet your


    child once every three months. Compared to you, I think it will be better to let Matthew handle this stuff.¡±


    Yvonne was surrounded by only a few mercenaries arranged by her father to protect her. Moreover, her


    parents were spied on by Zac¡¯s men for a long time, so their every movement would be easily


    intercepted by Zac.


    On the other hand, Matthew was powerful. He had secret forces, so cing a child in a safe ce was


    easy. Yvonne stayed silent, and she paced back and forth in the room with the baby in her arms.


    The wrinkled child wasn¡¯t the best looking baby, and he looked like an old man. However, Yvonne still felt


    warmth and thought the baby was cute when he smacked his lips and reached his arms out of his


    clothes.


    She never thought of separating from the child, and the proposal made her flinch. ¡°Is Matthew reliable?


    Will he k-kill the baby because the baby interrupts his ns? Also, where will he ce my child? I¡¯m still


    worried. Roni, you¡ª¡±


    Yvonne asked several questions one after another, revealing her nervousness.


    Veronica raised her hand to make Yvonne calm down. ¡°Please calm down. Firstly, Matthew won¡¯t kill


    innocent people. Secondly, if he wanted your son¡¯s life, you wouldn¡¯t even have been able to give birth to


    your child. I don¡¯t know where Matthew will ce your child, but he will rify it to you.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ Let me think about it.¡± Yvonne still couldn¡¯t make a decision, so Veronica didn¡¯t force her. ¡°You


    should think about it. I think you should decide sooner. If you dy the matter, it won¡¯t be good.¡±


    The good friends stayed in the house for a while before Veronica left. However, Veronica did not go


    home. Instead, she went to meet Sean at Starshine Media Agency. Sean¡¯s voice came from inside when


    she knocked on the office door. ¡°Come in.¡±


    She opened the door and walked in, only to find that Ruka was there. ¡°Ruka, you¡¯re here too?¡±


    Ruka and Sean had a good rtionship, so she often came to thepany when free.


    Ruka sat on the couch and she had her arms crossed over her chest. She smiled lightly when she saw


    Veronica. ¡°You are amazing. I never thought that you would know the superstar, Larry Freeman.¡±

 Chapter 460

    Chapter 460


    Chapter 460 Not an Ordinary Woman


    In Castron, Mia lost a bet with Veronica worth hundreds of thousands, and the former suffered a lot. After


    returning to thepany, she secretly said terrible things about Veronica.


    Mia had also embellished the story where Veronica hooked up with Larry. Then, Ruka saw the picture


    from Veronica¡¯s Instagram Stories.


    ¡°He¡¯s an old friend,¡± Veronica replied, then asked, ¡°I believe you and Mr. Ludwig have something to talk


    about, so I will leave you two alone ande backter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. I have nothing to talk about with him.¡±


    Ruka waved her hand to Veronica and patted the couch. ¡°Sit down for a while. Let¡¯s talk; it¡¯s been too


    long since we saw each other.¡± Truth was, it was only about a month since theyst met.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Veronica cast Sean a pleading gaze, hoping to seek his help. However, Sean said, ¡°She is here for you.¡±


    He pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose and stood up with some documents in his hand. ¡°You


    may chat. I¡¯ll do something and be right back.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he left the office. With the boss away, Veronica lost her restraint and asked


    Ruka, ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡±


    They had each other¡¯s contact information, so they could talk over the phone. However, Ruka wanted to


    meet Veronica in person, which meant Ruka might have something important to say to Veronica.


    Ruka wore a deep V-neckline sleeveless red corset dress. Coupled with her long hair and red lips, she


    exuded an icy sensuality. Veronica had to admit that Ruka was beautiful and she had natural charm.


    Indeed, Ruka was a stunner.


    The woman raised her hand and turned around to face Veronica. Raising her beautiful eyebrows, Ruka


    murmured, ¡°Well¡­¡± She thought for a few seconds, then asked, ¡°Do you know where Hendrey is now?¡±


    ¡°Hendrey? As in Hendrey Johnson?¡±


    When Hendrey returned, he worked in a branch of the Dame Group, so naturally he talked with Ruka


    and often had meals together.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t he go abroad? I was able to contact him when he first went abroad. However, it now


    seems that he has disappeared into thin air. Aren¡¯t you friends? I think you know where he is.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t been in touch with him for a while.¡± Veronica shook her head, and curiosity


    surged into her heart. ¡°He¡¯s been abroad for so long, so why are you looking for him? Wait, oh¡­¡± Then,


    she realized something. ¡°Are you¡­ I mean¡­ do you like him?¡±


    She asked dazzlingly with a wicked smile on her face. ¡°Hey, what are you talking about?! I just want to


    chat with him.¡±


    A blush appeared on Ruka¡¯s cheeks, which was very unlike her. This rendered Ruka¡¯s exnation


    powerless.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡± Veronica put away her smile, took out her cell phone, and searched for Hendrey¡¯s


    phone number. ¡°This is the only contact information I have ess to. Don¡¯t you have the number too?¡±


    ¡°Try to call him,¡± Ruka urged. ¡°I¡­ Okay.¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t refuse. After all, she could work in Starshine


    because of Ruka, so she couldn¡¯t afford to offend the woman.


    Veronica dialed Hendrey¡¯s number, but a mechanical female voice came out from the phone, ¡°The


    person you called is unavable.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Veronica called again, but Hendrey¡¯s phone was still turned off. She


    shrugged at that. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened.¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± When Veronica couldn¡¯t contact Hendrey, Ruka sighed. ¡°It¡¯s so annoying. It¡¯s worrying that he¡¯s


    not replying.¡±


    Ruka was worried about Hendrey. However, not only did Veronica not worry about him , she even


    suspected something was amiss with the man.


    ¡°Just be patient. Maybe you will be able to contact him soon.¡± Veronica tried to calm Ruka. Ruka¡¯s


    delicate face was full of disappointment. Finally, she said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing else I can do, though.¡±


    Without getting any news from Hendrey, she left after sitting for a while. Then, Veronica waited for Sean


    to return to the office and told him about the filming in Rocky Bay that day.


    He was relieved to learn that Veronica¡¯s first filming went smoothly and received unanimous praise from


    Johansson and Stephen.


    ¡°Continue with your great work. If you be popr and someone contacts you to film another show, I


    can also profit as I¡¯m your agency.¡±


    ¡°When did ourpany expand to the film industry?¡±


    Thepany had been training models and only epted a few advertisements.


    The experienced model in thepany, Mia, had only done two episodes in a reality show, so the


    company had never dipped much into the film industry.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have a good seedling until now, so we didn¡¯t expand our business into the industry. The


    entertainment industry is toopetitive. The neers are all bought with money. It was too


    troublesome, so I didn¡¯t try to expand to that industry.¡± Sean leaned on the executive chair while turning


    the pen in his hand. ¡°If you have the skill to develop in that direction, I¡¯m happy to see it. After all, we can


    earn money together. It¡¯s a win-win situation.¡±


    These words made Veronica calm down.


    She thought that if the otherpanies asked her to shoot a drama series, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sign


    the contract with thepany as she already had a contract with Starshine.


    Thinking about it, she was overthinking it.


    ¡°Johansson was feeling generous and gave me 20,000 for today. I will report the ie to the finance


    department; please send the money to me ording to the share.¡±


    She came here today to discuss this with Sean.


    Before filming, she called Sean, and he had made it clear that she could sign a contract with the crew


    just one time.


    However, Veronica still had to send the money to thepany when she got the ie.


    ¡°Forget it. As an agencypany, I didn¡¯t help you with anything. You did everything alone, so you don¡¯t


    have to pay thepany.¡±


    Sean was not a stickler for formality, so he didn¡¯t care about Veronica¡¯s little ie.


    ¡°However, you must discuss everything with thepany from today onwards. If you can participate in


    dramas, I can assign an agent to help you.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thank you, Mr. Ludwig!¡±


    Veronica felt very happy.


    ¡°The contract isn¡¯t too long. If you want to renew the contract, do it. If you don¡¯t, you can find another job.


    However, that¡¯s for the future.¡±


    Sean casually talked about the contract.


    When he drafted the contract, Matthew intervened, so Sean did not dare to y tricks on the contract.


    After all, as a businessman, he wouldn¡¯t do anything when there was no profit.


    When he saw Veronica had an outstanding performance, he knew she was a rare seedling and should


    value her.


    Presently, he added, ¡°However, if you are willing to sign a long-term contract with us, I will do my best to


    give you the best resources.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still new.¡± Veronica chuckled at that.


    ¡°If you are highly valued by Johansson, it means you have the skills. I n to find an instructor for you to


    improve your acting skills. I want you to develop your acting skills.¡±


    Sean liked Veronica not only because of her skills, but also her connections.


    He had great eyes and knew that she was no ordinary woman.

 Chapter 461

    Chapter 461


    Chapter 461 Investigating Tiffany¡¯s Death


    Sean¡¯s respect made Veronica happy. She chatted with Sean for a while before leaving the


    company. When she reached home, she turned on theputer and checked Hendrey¡¯s surveince


    video from when Tiffany died three months ago.


    From the surveince area near Hendrey¡¯s house, Veronica slowly cracked the surveince video of


    each ce one by one. Veronica found out that Hendrey was not at home the day Tiffany died. Instead,


    he only went home at 9.00AM. After entering the house, it took less than 20 minutes for him to pack up,


    change his clothes, and leave with a suitcase.


    It was the same clothes he wore when Veronica and Hendreyst met. Veronica retraced Hendrey¡¯s


    footsteps and found from the surveince that he did appear near the Dragon¡¯s Creek Vi, but he never


    went in.


    However, the surveince near the vi only yed for a few minutes, and there was no video. Since


    Hendrey appeared, all the videos were deleted. Veronica tried to restore the deleted video, but it was to


    no avail.


    It had been three months since the videos were deleted, so they could not be retrieved. All the clues


    stopped here. Tiffany had been buried for several months with no evidence, so an autopsy can¡¯t be


    performed¡­ Wait, autopsy?


    Veronica narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. Caleb handled Tiffany¡¯s case and he was in the Bloomstead


    Bureau, so he must have an autopsy record at his police station.


    Hence, Veronica switched an IP address. Hiding all her browsing traces, she broke into the system and


    tried to check Tiffany¡¯s autopsy report. However, it showed that there was no such person. Seeing this


    happen, Veronica was unable to calm down.


    Tiffany¡¯s death has too many secrets. At first, Caleb concealed the truth about Tiffany. Matthew didn¡¯t


    even know about it at all. Now that I think about it, they are not ignorant but deliberately hiding the truth.


    What happened?


    There were no more leads. Veronica leaned on the couch, looked up at the ceiling, and fell into deep


    thought.


    If Tiffany¡¯s death is rted to Hendrey, why would Matthew ignore it? Could it be because Tiffany and


    Xavier kidnapped Matthew, so he turned a deaf ear? It makes sense, right?


    ¡°Forget it. I should stop thinking.¡±


    After thinking about it, Veronica didn¡¯t know what the problem was. She then felt that since Tiffany was


    dead, she didn¡¯t need to hold on to the matter.


    She tried to soothe her emotions but couldn¡¯t suppress her deep desire for the truth. She sighed. When


    she was about to close theputer to rest, she realized it was already 5.00AM.


    ¡°It¡¯s thiste!¡±


    It seemed that Veronica had investigated Tiffany¡¯s death for a whole night. She took a quick shower and


    went straight to bed to sleep. She had taken a two-day leave from Sean, so she didn¡¯t have to work the


    next day.


    Although she didn¡¯t have to go to work, she couldn¡¯t escape Crayson¡¯s torture, as the man hade


    over at 5.30AM to wake her up for training.


    Hearing the knock on the door, Veronica got up and opened the door. ¡°Master Crayson, please let me


    sleep. I just slept for half an hour.¡±


    She begged him pitifully with pleading eyes.


    Seeing Veronica¡¯s dark under eyes, messy hair, and pale face, Crayson couldn¡¯t bear to make her train.


    In the end, he waved his hand. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you rest today. However, you must make up for it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Master. Thank you!¡±


    After Crayson let Veronica go, she closed the door and went back to sleep on the bed.


    Ever since she broke up with Matthew, her sleep quality had returned to its previous state, with her


    having a short sleep time and insomnia.


    She had gone to the doctor and had some medicine prescribed, but it had little effect.


    Veronica¡¯s cell phone rang at 9.00AM.


    Veronica, who was ying with her phone, answered the call. ¡°Crazy?¡±


    ¡°Where are you? Stephen and I have already packed up. Have you decided where to take us?¡± Larry


    asked Veronica eagerly.


    Meanwhile, their part-time guide, a.k.a. Veronica, was in the toilet. She turned on the loudspeaker on her


    mobile phone, opened the browser interface, and kept scrolling through the content. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided


    on it. The weather is good these days; how about taking you to a barbecue?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°A pic? Not bad. However, it will be boring with just the three of us.¡±


    ¡°Bring Stephen along, and I¡¯ll invite some friends over. We can go together.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know your friends.¡±


    ¡°After meeting each other, you guys will get along.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask for Stephen¡¯s opinion.¡± Larry ended the call.


    Then, Veronica looked at the travel guide of Bloomstead. After reading it, she didn¡¯t think there were any


    exciting ces on it, so she decided to take Larry for a pic.


    Soon, her phone rang again. It was from Larry.


    ¡°Stephen agreed. However, we will bring a friend over too. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course. No problem. Don¡¯t be hasty, though. I¡¯ll send you the locationter.¡±


    After Veronica finished talking to Larry, she hung up the phone.


    Then, she contacted Monica, Shirley, Skyler, and Caleb to invite them out.


    This time, Veronica had an ulterior motive for inviting them.


    She invited Skyler in order to make the invitation to Caleb more natural. This way, she could find out


    something about Tiffany¡¯s death.


    For some reason, she desperately wanted to know about Tiffany¡¯s death.


    It was as if her death was enchanted, which attracted Veronica to investigate further.


    After inviting them, Veronica spoke to Skyler. ¡°Skyler, I have a task for you. First, you must bring Miguel


    along, but don¡¯t tell him I¡¯m here too.¡±


    Skyler was confused upon hearing that. ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ I met Miguel once and had an argument with him, which made him angry. After thinking


    about it, I realize I was in the wrong, so I want to take this opportunity to apologize to him. If you let him


    know I¡¯m there, he definitely won¡¯te.¡±


    Veronica lied without batting an eyelid.


    Skyler believed in the lie. ¡°Okay, easy-peasy. I will invite him.¡±


    ¡°I believe in you. If he¡¯s not here, I won¡¯t be your friend anymore. Also, your idol, Stephen, will be there. If


    Miguel isn¡¯t there, you are not wee either.¡±


    As Skyler knew martial arts, it was not surprising that his idol was Stephen Armstrong.


    With Stephen around, it was easy to make Skyler help her.


    Sure enough, just as Veronica said, Skyler had a gleam in his eyes. He nodded repeatedly and vowed to


    bring Miguel.


    At the same time, Matthew, who was busy working in the Spinfluence Group, received a call from Miguel.


    ¡°Matthew, Skyler invited me to have a pic. Are you going?¡±

 Chapter 462

    Chapter 462


    Chapter 462 I Like You


    Miguel received a call from Skyler, asking him out for a pic. Hence, Miguel asked, ¡°What about


    Matthew? Is heing?¡±


    Skyler remembered Veronica was there, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate to call Matthew over. He declined


    politely, ¡°He¡¯s crazily busy with work, so I didn¡¯t invite him.¡±


    Miguel didn¡¯t think much about it and hung up the phone. However, he felt that not inviting Matthew


    meant they would miss out on some fun, so Miguel still called Matthew to invite him over.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy with work.¡± Sure enough, Matthew declined. Since breaking up with Veronica, Matthew had


    turned into a workaholic. He worked non-stop, from day to night. It was as if he had gone crazy.


    Miguel sighed in response. ¡°Although work is important, you should take care of your health. Also, our


    gang hasn¡¯t spent time together for a while; we should meet-up sometime.¡±


    Miguel¡¯s words made Matthew unable to refuse, so he could only agree. After that, Veronica found the


    most suitable ce for a pic and sent everyone an address. Skyler shared it with Miguel.


    Then, Miguel said to Skyler on WhatsApp, ¡®I called Matthew, and he said he woulde.¡¯ Seeing this


    message, Skyler widened his eyes and wanted to stop Matthew froming. However, after thinking


    about it, Skyler knew Miguel would start to suspect things if he stopped Matthew.


    If Miguel doesn¡¯t go, I can¡¯t meet my idol, Stephen Armstrong. After weighing the pros and cons, Skyler


    muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Matt. Unfortunately, to meet my idol, you have toe along too.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen when Veronica and Matthew met again, but Skyler couldn¡¯t care


    much. And so, Caleb, Skyler, and Miguel prepared the barbecue grills, ingredients, drinks, and the like.


    Then, they drove their respective cars and met at Qurra Mountain. The mountain was the most suitable


    ce for a barbecue.


    There was a small stream at the foot of the mountain. The beach was to one side of the stream, and to


    the other sidey Qurra Mountain.


    Qurra Mountain had beautiful and pleasant scenery, and it was a good choice for a barbeque.


    An hourter, the cars arrived at the foot of Qurra Mountain.


    When Veronica stood at the foot of the mountain and waited for them, the first to appear was Monica.


    Monica had hired a maternity matron to care for her child so she had the time to go out.


    Then, Shirley and Caleb arrived.


    However, Caleb brought Abby over too.


    ¡°She is on break, so I brought her over. You won¡¯t be angry, right?¡± Caleb asked Veronica after greeting


    Monica and Shirley.


    Veronica teased, ¡°You have already brought her here. I can¡¯t chase her away, can I?¡± As she said that,


    she looked at Abby and stepped forward, thereafter giving the girl a big hug. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. You¡¯re


    getting more beautiful.¡±


    Thest time Veronica met Abby was during winter. Abby¡¯s face was chapped, and her hands were


    covered with frostbite. After half a year, her face was clean. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and Abby


    wore a white T-shirt, jeans, and canvas shoes. She looked like a cute girl and was attractive.


    Everyone would like a girl like this.


    As Abby and Veronica came from the same vige, they knew each other.


    Abby smiled and signed, Long time no see, Veronica. How are you doing?


    However, Veronica was confused, as she could not understand signnguage.


    Caleb immediately stood up and acted as an interpreter. ¡°Abby said it¡¯s been a long time, and she asks


    how you are doing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m alright. Unfortunately, I was rather busy, so I didn¡¯t have the time to visit you. However, since


    you¡¯re on semester break, you can visit me whenever you have some free time.¡±


    Abby nodded. Okay, don¡¯t me me for annoying you.


    Caleb tranted again.


    After chatting for a while, Veronica introduced Shirley and Monica to Abby, so they would get to know


    each other.


    Abby was worried it would be hard tomunicate with them, so she typed out her words on her phone.


    At the same time, another car came and parked beside them.


    Looking at the familiar car, Veronica frowned as a premonition arose.


    Sure enough, she saw Matthew and Miguel get out of the car.


    Veronica¡¯s temple throbbed.


    Why is he here?


    Matthew looked at Veronica with the same look.


    He stood beside the car and stared at Veronica with flickering eyes. His handsome face even showed a


    hint of gloominess.


    D*mn it! Why is Veronica here for the pic? How dare Skyler lie to me?!


    Miguel, too, was dumbfounded. ¡°Uh¡­ Hehehe, I didn¡¯t know Veronica was here. I wouldn¡¯t havee if


    I knew she¡¯s here.¡±


    As he said, he turned around and looked at Matthew. ¡°Forget it. Caleb is here too. You can stay; I¡¯ll leave


    now.¡±


    Thest time Miguel was in the Kings Residence, Elizbeth introduced Veronica to him. Since then, he


    had avoided Veronica.


    However, the world was too small. He now met her here.


    Deep down, he wanted to run away.


    And in reality, Miguel did exactly that.


    He turned around and got into the car to start it, preparing to leave. Then, he saw Veronica run over and


    grab the car door while ignoring Matthew. She said to Miguel with a smile, ¡°Miguel, why did you run away


    when you saw me? Do you really hate me this much?¡±


    Miguel looked at Veronica, then looked away. However, he identally caught a glimpse of Matthew¡¯s


    fierce gaze.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    He was in despair.


    Veronica, I don¡¯t hate you. However, I cherish my life and want to live longer.


    ¡°No, no! Of course not! I just remembered that I have something to do and have to go now. I will see you


    next time.¡±


    Maybe not. The more I see you, the more my life will be in danger.


    ¡°Why next time? We just met. Since we are meeting now, let¡¯s have fun.¡±


    Veronica tilted her head and smiled brightly. Then, she leaned forward and reached out, effectively taking


    out the car key.


    Miguel wanted to grab the key, but she hid the key behind her and raised her eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re not


    coming down? Should I say, pretty please?¡±


    It was obviously a threat.


    She meant that if Miguel did note down, Veronica would attack him.


    Miguel pursed his lips and felt a chill run down his spine.


    It was especially the case when Matthew stood behind Veronica and he stared at Miguel. It made Miguel


    break out in goosebumps.


    ¡°Veronica, please forgive me. We¡¯re really notpatible. Right, we are not suited for each other.


    Moreover, I found a girl I like.¡±


    Miguel could onlye up with an excuse to reject Veronica; otherwise, he was afraid he would die in


    Veronica¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Have you really found a girl you like? But I can tell it¡¯s a lie.¡± Veronica shook her head. ¡°Besides, even if


    you find her, she should get in line behind me. After all, I like you too, and I willpete with that girl to


    find out who is more suitable for you.¡±

 Chapter 463

    Chapter 463


    Chapter 463 I Have No Shortage of Spares


    Veronica only asked Skr to bring Miguel over to put on a show, in the hopes that Matthew would


    eventually hear about it. However, Matthew was there.


    In this case, I must really put on an act before Matthew. ¡°You¡­ Miss Murphy, please have some self-


    respect,¡± Miguel said as he reached out to grab the key.


    However, Veronica hid the key behind her, not wanting to give it to Miguel. ¡°Am I disrespecting myself by


    pursuing someone I love? You must have failed yourprehension test during your school days.¡± ¡°I¡­


    You¡­¡±


    Miguel stammered. At that point, he was sweating profusely. He nced at Veronica and Matthew, and


    Miguel felt a chill run down his back upon noticing Matthew¡¯s terrifying gaze.


    Gulping, Miguel answered in a resigned tone, ¡°Fine, you win. I can¡¯t afford to anger you, but I can


    hide.¡± After speaking, he moved from the driver¡¯s seat to the passenger¡¯s seat and was about to leave.


    Veronica turned around and nned to go to the other side of the car to stop Miguel. However, Matthew


    stopped her path, and he did not n to move an inch.


    Frowning in displeasure, Veronica raised her head and met his eyes. Still, she didn¡¯t speak and chose to


    go around to the left. However, when she went left, he went left and when she went right, he went right


    as well. Veronica was annoyed that she was blocked, so she ordered in a cold voice, ¡°Get out of the


    way.¡±


    Matthew put his hands in his pockets and looked down at Veronica from his upright position. His dark


    gaze was like an unpredictable abyss. He remained silent. Veronica pursed her lips and frowned. ¡°I told


    you to get out of the way. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    Why is he deliberately blocking my way? Could it be that Matthew is still in love with me? Bah, who am I


    kidding?! He loves Sasha right from the start. F*cking cheater. ¡°No.¡±


    After a long silence, Matthew said a word. ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight?¡±


    ¡°Miguel is my good friend. You are disturbing a good friend of mine, so I can¡¯t just sit back and ignore


    what is going on.¡±


    Matthew spoke in an orderly manner. Those words are reasonable. ¡°Is he your biological brother, then?¡±


    Veronica snarled, then continued, ¡°He¡¯s not your family, don¡¯t interfere with us.¡±


    The scene had everyone¡¯s attention, but they wisely chose to watch silently and not intervene. Although


    Veronica had broken up with Matthew, their rtionship was delicate and hard to fathom.


    ¡°I treat him as my own brother.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Is that so?¡±


    Hearing his words, Veronica grinned. ¡°You say that, but do you want to sleep with your brother too? You


    already have Sasha, yet you still want to cheat on her and get together with Miguel too?¡±


    Veronica felt sick when she thought Matthew had feelings for Sasha while they dated.


    She had to admit she was a conservative and couldn¡¯t ept it. She was even more unwilling to ept


    a cheater.


    Veronica¡¯s words were full of humiliation, but Matthew could sense a fit of jealousy in her words.


    She says such cruel words because she still cares about me, right?


    Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡±


    However, that smile was over-analyzed by Veronica.


    He¡¯s smiling so gently. Could it be that he really likes Miguel?


    Veronica remembered that when she first went to Twilight Condominium to find Matthew, she saw him


    with two women.


    She entered the living room at that time, and the two disheveled women came out of the apartment.


    Although Matthew exined itter, now that I think about it, could it have been a lie?


    ¡°You¡­ That¡¯s impossible. Miguel is an upright gentleman, so he wouldn¡¯t cheat like you.¡± Veronica raised


    her eyebrows and smiled confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t give Miguel up because of your words. I love


    his gentle, easy-going, and cheerful demeanor.¡±


    Veronica tilted her head, looked at the fleeing Miguel, and smiled. ¡°Although he escaped today, there¡¯s


    still a long time ahead. One day, I will capture his heart.¡±


    She said this to Matthew, but her gaze was on Miguel the whole time. It sounded like a deration of


    love.


    The smile on Matthew¡¯s face disappeared and it was reced with a cold and terrifying aura.


    At the same time, a car honked.


    Another car was parked there. The door opened, and Stephen and Henry came out.


    Matthew was about to speak, but he saw Veronica looking behind him. He followed her gaze to see


    Stephen and Larry appear.


    Are they¡­ here too?


    Matthew¡¯s expression turned thunderous at that moment, and there was a sense of calm before the


    storm.


    A majestic air came over him, making those surrounding him unable to breathe.


    ¡°Hi, Crazy! Hello, Stephen.¡±


    Veronica walked toward them while waving at them from a distance.


    Matthew narrowed his eyes and silently stretched out a foot. Veronica stumbled unexpectedly and fell to


    the ground.


    Matthew quickly stretched out his arms to wrap them around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do your legs go soft when you see handsome men?¡±


    Matthew had hidden meaning in his words.


    The dirty joke caught people off guard.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. When she was about to curse at him, she changed her mind


    and smiled at Matthew. ¡°That¡¯s right. Is there a problem?¡±


    She was hugged tightly by Matthew. She used one hand to put some distance between them and used


    the other to pull at his tie. With a charming smile, she purred, ¡°Speaking of which, you taught me a


    lesson. You let me know that love is not worth it at all. However, life is too short, so I must learn to enjoy


    life. I must not miss any good things around me, such as money, power, and handsome men. Of course,


    I have no money or power, but it doesn¡¯t affect me in hooking up with men.¡±


    Veronica said those words lightly, and no one could tell the sadness she felt within. On the contrary, one


    would think she was showing off.


    In the end, Veronica rose on her toes and approached Matthew before she whispered in his ears,


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t have to take the initiative. With my appearance, I will neverck a spare that loves me.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    To irritate Matthew, Veronica painted herself as an easy girl.


    As she said that, she pushed Matthew away to walk toward Larry and Stephen.


    As she walked, she turned back and loudly thanked Matthew, ¡°Thank you for helping me; otherwise, I


    would¡¯ve definitely fallen.¡±

 Chapter 464

    Chapter 464


    Chapter 464 But Demoness Doesn¡¯t Like Me


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    The way she spoke sounded like she was cutting Matthew out of her life. After she finished her sentence,


    she ignored the troubled expression on Matthew¡¯s face as she hurried off toward Larry and Stephen.


    ¡°Why is it just the both of you? Didn¡¯t you guys say there was someone else?¡± Veronica tilted her head


    and peeked into the car to find just the both of them.


    Larry shrugged. ¡°Both of us took a day off. The rest of the production crew is busy, and the director didn¡¯t


    allow them to take a break,¡± he exined. Both of them were used to speaking in English. Before


    Stephen couldprehend what they were saying, Skyler charged toward them like a madman before


    grabbing Stephen¡¯s arm. ¡°My idol! Hahaha¡­ Hello, my idol. I¡¯m¡­ Oh, my apologies! I should speak in


    Chinese,¡± Skyler cried.


    Skyler had been too excited for a moment¡ªhe nearly forgot that Stephen was from Castron.


    After Skyler switched to a differentnguage, he began to speak to Stephen again. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Veronica¡¯s


    friend, Skyler. I¡¯m a loyal fan of yours, and I¡¯m so shocked to see you here today. Can I get an


    autograph? You¡¯re my idol. Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m so excited! I¡¯m so happy right now!¡± Skyler grabbed Stephen¡¯s


    arm firmly while he bombarded Stephen with a string of words.


    Veronica dragged Skyler aside when she saw the embarrassed look on Stephen¡¯s face. ¡°Stop fooling


    around. Can you be a little more dignified?¡± she whispered to him in English. Then, she apologized to


    Stephen in Chinese. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My friend is a loyal fan of yours, so he¡¯s especially excited to see you in


    person.¡±


    Stephen nodded before responding with a grin. ¡°Hahaha¡­ It¡¯s fine! Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Skyler


    immediately pulled his phone out when he saw howid-back Stephen seemed. Skyler hastily stood


    beside Stephen before snapping a few pictures with him. Right then, the few people who were standing


    by the side walked over. Veronica positioned herself as the middleman as she began to introduce the two


    parties to each other.


    However, she introduced all of the people except for Matthew. She didn¡¯t seem to care even as the


    man¡¯s expression turned grim and sour. Larry, on the other hand, asked about Matthew when he realized


    that there was someone Veronica hadn¡¯t introduced. ¡°Who¡¯s this, Demoness? I noticed how you guys


    seemed really close earlier. He¡¯s not your boyfriend, is he?¡± Judging by how the man interacted with


    Veronica earlier, Larry had a feeling that this man wasn¡¯t just any regr friend.


    Veronica gave Larry a solid nudge to his chest. ¡°Are you blind? What makes you think he¡¯s my


    boyfriend?¡± She pouted and shot Matthew a dissatisfied re before introducing him to the rest. ¡°Let me


    introduce you guys to each other. This is Matthew, the future heir of the Kings Corporation. He¡¯s also my


    godbrother.¡±


    ¡°Woah. He¡¯s your godbrother?¡± Larry seemed to sense something fishy as he let out a whistle while


    raising his eyebrows suspiciously. ¡°What are you thinking about? Old Mrs. Kings took me as her god-


    granddaughter, so he¡¯s my godbrother. Anyway, he has a girlfriend, so you should stop overanalyzing the


    situation.¡± Veronica emphasized the fact that he was taken.


    Larry let out a rather bashful smile after hearing her exnation. ¡°Oh, I see. Sorry about that.¡± He took a


    step forward and reached his hand out in front of Matthew. ¡°So, you¡¯re Young Master Matthew, huh? I¡¯ve


    heard a lot about you. You¡¯re really good-looking! I¡¯m Demoness¡¯ good friend, Larry.¡±


    Matthew kept the same calm and icy expression on his face, but there was a glint in his dark pupils as he


    looked at the person in front of him. ¡°Hello,¡± he greeted while reaching to shake Larry¡¯s hand. Matthew


    didn¡¯t say anything else after that¡ªhe was a man of few words, after all.


    ¡°Hello, Young Master Matthew. Do you still remember me?¡± Stephen stepped forward to shake Matthew¡¯s


    hand before striking a conversation. ¡°We met in the production team in Castronst year,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Matthew spread his lips into a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a year since west met. You¡¯re looking


    better than ever.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Thank you!¡± Stephen threw his head back as heughed. Veronica hadn¡¯t expected Stephen


    and Matthew to have met each other in the past. What a small world, she thought to herself. ¡°Alright.


    Let¡¯s head up the hill. There¡¯s a nice spot where we can have a pic. How about this? The guys can


    carry all the heavy stuff while the girls can take the lighter ones.¡± Veronica took charge of the situation,


    and everyone began to make a move.


    Skyler idolized Stephen a lot, so he kept tagging along behind Stephen. Caleb and Abby walked as a


    pair¡ªAbby couldn¡¯t use any signnguage if she were carrying things in her hands, so Caleb made sure


    that she didn¡¯t have anything to hold. Shirley and Monica were a little shy, so they kept to themselves as


    they walked side-by-side. Larry, Veronica, and Matthew were the remaining three.


    Veronica opened the trunk of the car to pull out the barbeque grill. When Larry saw this, he hurried


    forward to offer help. ¡°Let me do it, Demoness. Step aside.¡± He held onto Veronica¡¯s arm before tugging


    her to one side. She allowed him to do the hard work as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and


    stared at him. ¡°Alright, alright. Since you¡¯re so good at this, you can do everything.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Ma¡¯am,¡± Larry replied with a light-heartedugh. Matthew simply stood by the side as he


    watched both of them interact with one another. At that moment, he felt utterly invisible¡ªboth of them


    hadpletely ignored his presence. The expression on his face was so dark that it seemed that ck


    ink would drip down from his chin at any moment. With his fists tightly clenched in the pockets of his


    cks, Matthew pressed his thin lips into a straight line as he tried his best to contain his emotions.


    Suddenly, he was reminded of what Veronica had said earlier. ¡°With my good looks, I¡¯d have no shortage


    of handsome men pursuing me!¡± She¡¯s right. There is no shortage. Even our country¡¯s well-known Oscar-


    winning actor is willing to treat her like a queen. So how could she have ack of pursuers?


    Even though he seemed calm and collected on the outside, Matthew was going through a state of


    emotional turmoil. It was psychological torture¡ªhe felt like he would lose his mind at any moment. The


    same question popped up in his head once more. I used to think that I could cut ties with her, then


    secretly build my capabilities so that I could help her to pave her future pathway and give her a good


    foundation to work from. But will this n really work out? Is it toote to regret my decisions?


    Matthew had never been an indecisive man, but he simply couldn¡¯t seem toe to a conclusion on this


    matter. On one end, he was telling himself to keep himself calm and in control; on the other end, he


    couldn¡¯t stop the jealousy brewing in him as he watched Veronica and the other man flirting with one


    another. This psychological torture made him feel like he was about to go crazy.


    ¡°You can take these and make a move first, Young Master Matthew.¡± Larry handed Matthew a few items


    before telling Matthew to leave. He was trying to send Matthew away, and Matthew could clearly tell what


    Larry¡¯s intentions were. ¡°What¡¯s this? Is my presence a nuisance to you guys?¡± Matthew spread a faint


    smile across his handsome face. He looked breathtakingly handsome as he raised his chin a little to


    reveal his sharp jawline.


    Then, he gave Veronica a fond nce before speaking carefully. ¡°Are you interested in my godsister?¡±


    Matthew was talking to Larry while ying the role of a ¡®godbrother¡¯. Right then, Veronica shot him an


    irate re as she felt that Matthew was acting like a madman.


    In the end, Larry handed Matthew arge bag of frozen skewers before tugging his lips to form a wide,


    sunny grin. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been interested in your godsister, you know. Unfortunately, she¡¯s


    a Demoness who refuses to give me a chance. I guess we have no choice but to treat each other as


    good friends for now.¡±

 Chapter 465

    Chapter 465


    Chapter 465 He¡¯s Worried


    Veronica flung her arm over Larry¡¯s shoulder after he finished speaking. ¡°We know each other too well; I


    don¡¯t have feelings for you anymore. I prefer the sort of guy who can make my heart thump when I first


    see him. By the way, you¡¯ve been in the entertainment industry for a while now, so I¡¯m sure you know


    many handsome guys.


    Why don¡¯t you introduce a few to me soon?¡± She was clearly saying this for Matthew¡¯s ears. Hmph! Does


    he think I don¡¯t have better options? If he can have Sasha, I can also date other handsome men. It¡¯s all a


    game! If he wants to y, then I¡¯ll y with him!


    Matthew could feel his temples throbbing when he heard Veronica¡¯s words ringing in his ear. However,


    he had no choice but to hold himself back.


    ¡°If you ever guide Roni down the wrong path, I will never forgive you for it,¡± he said in the end. Since


    Larry saw Matthew as Veronica¡¯s godbrother, he figured that he would have to speak to Larry with that


    ¡®godbrother¡¯ role in mind.


    When Larry heard what Matthew said, he turned around and grinned at Matthew. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to do


    so. Nevertheless, I can¡¯t stop other men from throwing themselves toward her,¡± he said. Larry was


    indeed a good friend¡ªhe yed along with Veronica by using his words to trigger Matthew.


    Veronica gave Larry a look to indicate that he had made a smart move. ¡°Well, of course. I have way too


    many pursuersing after me now,¡± Veronica added. She might have sounded rather conceited, but


    she didn¡¯t sound like she was exaggerating it.


    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you guysing?¡± The rest of the people were already a distance away, and Skyler soon


    realized that there were three people who hadn¡¯t caught up with them. So, he waved his arms in the air


    and told them to hurry. Veronica carried some bags in one hand and rested her other hand on Larry¡¯s


    shoulder.


    ¡°Hurry up, Crazy. I remember how your parents used to host barbeques and how great you were at


    preparing the food. I¡¯ll have to try some of your cooking today! Hahaha¡­¡± Veronica and Larry chit-


    chatted as they walked, leaving Matthew all to himself.


    Matthew, ustomed to being treated like a VIP, couldn¡¯t bear to be left on his own. His face turned hot


    with rage, and the veins in his arms protruded out of his skin¡ªhe was evidently infuriated by the


    situation.


    Hold it in. I have to hold it in! He kept telling himself to calm down, and he eventually walked behind them


    after he managed to soothe his anger a little. He walked at a quick pace, and he soon caught up with


    Larry and Veronica.


    With about 10 feet between him and the duo, Matthew walked behind them and listened to their


    conversation. Veronica had an arm around Larry¡¯s shoulder, and they were chatting andughing as they


    walked.


    Sometimes, Veronica would throw her head back as she let out a heartyugh. She didn¡¯t seem to care


    about her image at all. Meanwhile, Larry didn¡¯t seem like he was trying to keep his image as a celebrity,


    either¡ªthey interacted casually andfortably.


    Matthew tried to strike a conversation with them, but theypletely ignored him. ¡°Hey, Demoness, do


    you remember how you climbed over the school walls to go to the cyber cafe? I thought you would guide


    me in gaming, but all you did was get me punished,¡± Larry said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re dumb. We wouldn¡¯t have gotten caught if you had managed to win the game


    earlier! What nonsense,¡± Veronica replied. They continued talking about games for a while, and Matthew


    finally found a chance to interrupt them midway. ¡°Did you guys skip high school and climb out to y


    computer games?¡± he asked.


    Larry frowned and nced at Veronica before looking at Matthew. ¡°Yes¡­¡± he started with a nod. But


    before Larry could say anything else, Veronica interrupted him by patting him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re talking about this, I just recalled something. I heard the others say that you were caught


    skipping school once and were forced to stand on the stage in front of everyone else. Hahaha¡­¡±


    Veronica let out a cheerful giggle as she thought about this funny incident.


    Laughing was contagious¡ªLarry startedughing along as well. Matthew had never been a part of


    Veronica¡¯s past, so he felt a mixture of interest and regret as he heard both of them talking about their


    younger days. He regretted having known her a little toote.


    Regardless, that was only 20% of what he felt¡ªmost of his emotions were rted to jealousy and anger.


    That d*mned woman. We only broke up for less than three months. How dare she put her arm around


    another man¡¯s shoulder while ignoring me? She¡¯s¡­ too much!


    Once they got up the hill, the guys began to set up the grill for barbequing while the girls prepared tables


    and cutleries for the meal. They delegated the tasks clearly between the guys and girls, so they


    efficiently got things done.


    Since Larry¡¯s parents used to have a barbeque stall, and since he used to follow his parents to work, he


    was especially good at preparing the food. Naturally, he was tasked with handling the skewers at the


    grill.


    Stephen helped Larry out with the grill, and Skyler, a long-time fan of Stephen, stuck to him like gum


    everywhere he went. The few girls didn¡¯t have much to do, so they sat on the mat and pulled out a deck


    of cards to y.


    Abby dragged Shirley and Monica along to y cards with her. Caleb was worried that they¡¯d have


    troublemunicating since Abby couldn¡¯t speak, so he stuck by her side the whole time.


    As the three girls sat on the mat and yed their card games, Veronica and Matthew looked somewhat


    out of ce while sitting beside them. Veronica ignored Matthew, who was staring at the view in the


    distance. So, she got to her feet and walked to the nearby trees, where she wanted to stroll around and


    feel the breeze.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    This part of the hill was rtively t, and the grounds were mostly rocky, so there wasn¡¯t a lot of


    overgrown grass around them. Furthermore, the ce was blocked from strong winds, so it wasn¡¯t likely


    for them to have a fire emergency.


    Veronica had done her research online before picking this ce. While she was doing her research, she


    found out that there was a mining cave nearby that the miners had abandoned in the past. In the cave


    was a mining pit that had smanders in them.


    Since she didn¡¯t have much to do, she figured that she would take a stroll down the hills instead of


    standing around awkwardly. Their barbeque spot wasn¡¯t far from the depths of the hills, so she only had


    to walk through the forest for a few minutes before she got there. She followed the instructions on the


    website and searched around to find the abandoned mining pit.


    As she stood around the area, a cool breeze greeted her. The wind was refreshing, especially under the


    sweltering summer heat. She was just about to walk back when she heard some rustling sounds behind


    her. When she turned around, she realized that the person standing behind her was¡­ Matthew. ¡°Why


    did you follow me here?¡± Veronica wasn¡¯t too pleased to see him there.


    Matthew stood a distance away from her with both his hands stuck in his pockets. He maintained his cool


    demeanor as he spoke. ¡°This is an abandoned mining pit, and it¡¯s probably really deep. It¡¯s dangerous to


    be here,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Veronica let out a scoff. She felt like he was a busybody. Of course, I


    know that it gets deep inside. How else can the smanders survive there, right?


    I¡¯m a grown-up, so of course, I can take care of myself. Anyway, we¡¯ve already broken up, so why is he


    faking his care for me? Who is he faking it for?


    She turned around and walked carefully over to the cave. Matthew parted his lips as if he were about to


    say something, but he simply followed behind her when he saw her walking in. ¡°Ah!¡±


    Even though Veronica was wearing ts, there were too many rocks under her feet, so she identally


    tripped a little. She instinctively let out a cry when she nearly fell. But soon after that, she steadied


    herself before she continued walking.


    She was perfectly fine, but Matthew, who was following behind her, felt excessively worried for her. ¡°Stop


    right there!¡± he shouted. When he saw her making her way further into the cave, and when he saw how


    dark it was inside, he worried that an ident might happen there.

 Chapter 466

    Chapter 466


    Chapter 466 He Kissed Her


    ¡°What is it?¡± Veronica turned around and red at him with a displeased look on his face. The man took


    a few steps forward and grabbed onto her hand before dragging her out. ¡°Follow me. It¡¯s too dangerous


    here.¡±


    ¡°Why are you dragging me out? Let me go!¡± Veronica was fuming as she tried to shake him off. However,


    her tiny hand was no match for hisrge and muscr arms, so she couldn¡¯t get him to let go at all. ¡°Hey,


    Matthew. Don¡¯t force me to get violent!¡± Veronica growled.


    Matthew finally let her go after hearing her threat. He turned around and stared at her with his handsome


    features. ¡°Do you know how dangerous this is? If anything happens to you, I¡¯ll¡ª¡± He pointed at the


    mining well.


    ¡°Even if anything happens to me, what has that got to do with you? There¡¯s no one else here, Matthew.


    So, you don¡¯t have to be all pretentious in front of me,¡± she said. After the ¡®inappropriate¡¯ things that


    happened between Sasha and Matthew, Veronica had always felt resentful toward him. So, she would


    instinctively argue against whatever he said.


    ¡°It does have nothing to me. Nheless, if anything bad happens to you, Grandma would hold me


    responsible.¡± This was the best excuse he coulde up with. ¡°Hah!¡± Veronica seemed to have


    expected his response, and she spread her lips into a sarcastic smirk. ¡°Who are you? You¡¯re Grandma¡¯s


    biological grandchild¡ªshe would definitely take your side. How could she possibly lecture you? What a


    joke,¡± she hissed.


    Veronica¡¯s delicate face was filled with a scathing look, making Matthew feel rather annoyed. After she


    finished speaking, she turned and walked back into the mining pit. After walking for about 10 yards, she


    looked ahead to see a pit of water about 90 yards away from her. There were smanders inside. Out of


    curiosity, she wished to go over to take a look.


    The smander, scientifically known as the Ambystoma mactum, was a tailed amphibian from the


    family of hermaphrodites and the phylum Chordata. Their bodies wererge and t, and they generally


    had a length of about 23 to 32 inches. They lived in caves, stone caves, and deep pools of streams and


    rivers at least 0.6 miles above sea level. It was a rtivelymon creature and belonged to the


    national second-level protected animals.


    Veronica hadn¡¯t seen them before, which was why she felt so curious about them. Regardless, she


    hadn¡¯t expected Matthew to be so resistant to the idea. Humans were generally rebellious. The more


    Matthew wanted to stop her, the more she wanted to take a look at it. Finally, when Matthew saw her


    walking in without even looking back, he reached forward to grab her arm again. ¡°Come back!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Matthew. Aren¡¯t you tired of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wuu¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Veronica had been frowning at Matthew when a baby-like cry sounded from inside the cave. It came out


    of nowhere, and it echoed through the walls of the cave. Veronica was so shocked that she flung herself


    into Matthew¡¯s arms before hugging him tightly. ¡°What the f*ck! What was that? Why is there a child in


    there?¡±


    She was like an octopus that clung to Matthew tightly. The man was stunned at how scared she was,


    and his muscles tensed up for a moment before he patted her on the back. ¡°How will you go in there if


    you¡¯re such a scaredy cat?¡±


    ¡°Wuu¡­¡± The cave was filled with the sounds of water and the baby¡¯s cries. Veronica was too scared to


    let go of Matthew. ¡°What¡¯s going on? It sounds like a child¡¯s cries, but it doesn¡¯t seem exactly like it¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the sound of smanders, you silly girl.¡± Matthew couldn¡¯t help butugh at her. His handsome


    features spread into an amused look as he told her the truth.


    ¡°What?¡± Veronica let go of Matthew immediately. ¡°Was that really the sound of smanders?¡± Oh gosh.


    I¡¯m such an uneducated woman. Coming to think of it, I might have heard someone say this in the past.


    Smanders do sound like that. Well, I might know it as a fact, but it¡¯s still horrifying to hear it for the first


    time.


    Both of them exchanged nces for a moment. They had traveled nearly 40 yards into the cave, so it


    was much darker there. The man¡¯s back was facing the light, so Veronica couldn¡¯t really see his


    expression. Nevertheless, she could sense his gaze on her. Right then, she recalled how things were


    when she first initiated hugging Matthew. She pouted for a moment, and a somewhat awkward look


    surfaced on her face.


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m here to see the smanders. You don¡¯t have to follow me.¡± Veronica exined herself to


    reduce the awkwardness she felt. ¡°Let¡¯s go together. I¡¯d like to see them as well.¡± Matthew understood


    that Veronica wanted to see the smanders, so he decided to go with her in order to satisfy her


    curiosity.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    They walked into the cave, and Matthew turned his phone¡¯s shlight on to guide the way. They made


    their way in to find a few smanders swimming around in the deep pond. Since the smanders were


    nationally protected animals, they simply looked at them for a moment before walking off. Veronica spoke


    to herself for a while as she admired the fish, but Matthew wasn¡¯t paying attention to her.


    His focus was all on the face that he had been missing every day and night. Ever since they broke up, he


    hadn¡¯t really got a chance to spend quality time with her. Only God knew the amount of control that


    Matthew needed to stop himself from hugging her at that moment. ¡°Matt¡ª¡± Veronica was looking at the


    smanders, and she let out a cry of excitement when the smanders made noises. She tilted her


    head and called for Matthew. Right when she was about to say something, she felt the man pulling her


    into his arms before pressing his lips against hers. At that moment, a familiar scent of vani shot up her


    nose.


    The scent was unique to Matthew, and it triggered something within Veronica. His lips felt warm against


    her cold skin, and the kiss was sweet, loving, and gentle. She couldn¡¯t help herself from wanting more of


    him. Veronica hadn¡¯te to her senses yet, so she stood still in her spot while allowing him to kiss her.


    It was the middle of summer, and they were dressed in thin clothes, so she could clearly feel his heaving


    breaths and his thumping heart.


    In fact, for a second, she felt immersed in his passionate kiss. Unfortunately, the sound of smanders


    was like a wake-up call to her. She quickly pushed Matthew away before raising her hand to give him a


    p across the cheek. ¡°Matthew, you b*stard!¡± As her hand swung toward his face, he widened his eyes


    and stood still while staring at her.


    Veronica knitted her sharp brows and stopped her hand inches away from his face. The force of her


    hand brought about a surge of wind that made his hair move. ¡°Are you crazy? You¡¯ve only been away


    from Sasha for half a day. Are you already horny to a point where you¡¯d kiss anyone you see?¡± Veronica


    was clearly furious, yet she couldn¡¯t bring herself to p him.


    Matthew could have easily avoided her p, yet he didn¡¯t move at all. Tiny details like these made


    Veronica more confused than ever. Why didn¡¯t he fight back? Why did he kiss me? Does he still have


    feelings for me?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t¡­¡± I didn¡¯t control myself! Matthew couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the rest of his sentence,


    so he changed his narrative instead. ¡°I just miss Sasha after seeing you,¡± he muttered before turning


    around and walking away. He walked calmly and casually, almost as if the kiss hadn¡¯t happened at all.


    When Veronica came to her senses, she pointed at Matthew¡¯s back before shouting at him. ¡°I want you


    to stop right there, Matthew!¡±


    Thedy ran over and circled around him to block his way before holding her hands out to stop him.


    ¡°How dare you leave after taking advantage of me?¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do then?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You kissed me once, so I¡¯ll have to kiss you back to make it even!¡± After her resolute deration, she


    actually grabbed his cor and dragged him over before getting on her tiptoes to kiss his lips. As


    revenge, she even bit him on the lips before letting go of him.

 Chapter 467

    Chapter 467


    Chapter 467 Their Wild Experience


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    What did her actions mean if Matthew¡¯s kiss was just out of pure rashness? Was it done in the spur of


    the moment as well? Veronica felt like she was being driven by her emotions. However, both she and


    Matthew were typically people who were in control of her feelings. Veronica even had a thought that


    shed across her mind: Matthew must love me. Otherwise, why would he kiss me?


    ¡°What are you looking at? We¡¯re calling it quits now. Otherwise, I¡¯d be on the losing end.¡± After she


    kissed him, he kept staring at her without looking away. This made her feel extremely awkward, so she


    had no choice but to confront him fiercely. Matthew¡¯s dark pupils were glistening as he gave her a


    passionate gaze. She didn¡¯t understand what was going on in his mind, and she didn¡¯t realize it as he


    tugged his lips into a slight smirk.


    ¡°Based on what you¡¯re saying, does it mean that you¡¯ll have sex with me again if I decide to sleep with


    you right now?¡± For some reason, Matthew came up with this statement.


    ¡°Hmm. Yeah. Of course!¡± Veronica nodded as if she had been possessed by some spirit for a moment.


    The man stepped closer to her and was only inches away from her as he spoke. ¡°Roni, are you that


    against me taking advantage of you?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you saying? Why would I allow you to take advantage of me¡­ Mmm¡­¡± Before she


    could finish her words, Matthew wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close before kissing


    her on the lips. This time, the man¡¯s kisses were much wilder and more aggressive. He bit her lips all he


    wanted.


    Veronica was too stunned to do anything¡ªshe simply allowed him to kiss her, which went on to a point


    where she could barely breathe. The strong scent of the man shot up her nose, and she felt like she had


    been dragged back in time to when she was still dating him. All the pleasant memories came back to her,


    and even the air around her felt sweet at that moment.


    Perhaps the love Veronica had for him made it easier for him to dominate her. She fell deep into an


    ocean of passion and fondness. By the time she returned to her senses, she had found herself being


    lifted by Matthew. Before she knew what was going on, she found herself riding him. Everything was


    made easier because she was wearing a flowery dress¡ªit made it easier for Matthew to ¡®ess¡¯ her.


    Matthew was already deep inside her before she could even process the situation. He was constantly


    training his physique, so he had powerful limbs. Furthermore, Veronica was only 90 pounds, which felt


    like nothing more than the weight of a kitten to Matthew. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Veronica tried to wriggle her way out


    when she finally realized what was happening. Nheless, she realized that she was in a somewhat


    awkward position. Is there something wrong with me? Matthew and I have already broken up for three


    months, so why would I still let him bully me? It¡¯s okay if he teases me since I have always been able to


    protect myself. But now, I¡¯m slowly allowing him to¡­ to¡­


    ¡°Matt¡­ Mmm¡­¡± She straightened her figure as she tried to say something, but her words were at the tip


    of her tongue when she felt a strong force pushing into her. Her entire body felt weak for a moment, and


    she felt like she was about to lose her mind at that moment. In the end, she simply rested her face on his


    shoulder. She was too ashamed to meet anyone. Veronica. Veronica?! You¡¯re such an idiot! This is too


    embarrassing. Sh*t. I can¡¯t bring myself to face anyone right now.


    She tightened her grip around his shoulders as she felt her face turning hot. Nevertheless, she refused to


    let Matthew notice how she was ¡®falling¡¯ for him. Wouldn¡¯t he realize that I still like him? No. That can¡¯t


    happen. So, she pressed her lips together and forced herself to act cool before she leaned in to whisper


    in his ear. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you like to do it in ces like these.¡±


    Matthew paused for a moment when she finished her sentence before reacting like a madman. No one


    could possibly understand the sensation that shot through his body when she was whispering into his


    ear. Her breath felt soft and sweet against his skin, and she had managed to seduce him even without


    trying to. This made him feel like he was about to lose his mind. ¡°Is that so? I thought that¡­ Roni¡­ I


    thought you enjoyed it too, Veronica.¡± They seemed to be having an invisiblepetition with one


    another¡ªneither wanted to express their attraction to the other party.


    ¡°Even though you take everyone thates to you, I have to say¡­ your¡­ you¡­ You¡¯re rtively good-


    looking in the whole of Bloomstead¡­ and your stamina¡­ isn¡¯t something that others can easily surpass.


    I like it¡­ Of course, but¡­ I just like¡­ your energy,¡± Veronica conveyed hesitantly.


    ¡°Well¡­ The same goes for you,¡± Matthew murmured after shamelessly embracing herpliment. Their


    ¡®showdown¡¯sted for a long while, and they were in the cave, so their phones had no signal. The people


    at the barbeque couldn¡¯t contact them at all. Yet, everyone knew about Matthew and Veronica¡¯s


    rtionship, so they could all guess what had happened. Everyone came to the silent agreement of not


    asking any questions.


    Meanwhile, both Veronica and Matthew felt like they hadn¡¯t genuinely ended their rtionship even


    though they had broken up three months ago. They hadn¡¯t contacted one another since the breakup,


    probably because there was some built-up resentment on both ends that made them so furious at one


    another. But after the rage was over, both parties were still unwilling to lose to the other. So, they ended


    up spitting words that added oil to the fire between them.


    After more than two hours, Matthew spread his coat across the ground, and Veronicay on top of his


    chest. She shut her eyes without saying anything, and before she knew it, she fell asleep in the cave. For


    some reason, her sleep always felt better when she was with Matthew.


    Matthew stared at the woman who was fast asleep, leaning close to nt a kiss on her forehead before


    he got up and left. When Veronica woke up, she realized that no one was around her. The fulfilling


    sensation within her dissipated instantly, and she was filled with nothing but disappointment. She rose to


    her feet and went back up the hill, where she found Matthew chit-chatting with a few others.


    Everyone shifted their gazes to Veronica when she first walked over. ¡°Hurry up ande here, Veronica.


    We¡¯re going to finish all the food if youe anyter,¡± Stephen cried.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right of you, Demoness. Your friend might be important, but don¡¯t we matter to you? How


    could you abandon us just to y with your friend?¡± Larry asked.


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re not a loyal friend at all!¡± Monica wailed.


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t stay with your friend just because they made better food there,¡± Shirleymented.


    ¡°Yeah, that wasn¡¯t nice, Roni. But, how could you go off with your friends without inviting us along?¡±


    Skyler cried.


    ¡­


    Veronica froze for a moment before she understood the situation. I bet Matthew came up with an excuse


    beforeing back up the hill. He probably told them that I went for a stroll and that I bumped into


    friends who were also barbequing. Then, they probably think that I told him to pass the message that I¡¯m


    going to bete.


    She quickly grasped the situation and smiled in response to the rest of them. ¡°They are my high school


    friends, and they insisted on chatting after I bumped into them. Unfortunately, my phone ran out of


    battery, so I couldn¡¯t tell you guys anything,¡± she exined. This was the perfect excuse.


    On the other hand, Matthew had his back turned to face Veronica¡ªall he focused on was the skewers


    and beer in his hand. It was almost as if he didn¡¯t know her at all.

 Chapter 468

    Chapter 468


    Chapter 468 Each Takes What He Needs


    Veronica was reminded of the ¡®wild¡¯ things that went down in the cave earlier as she stared at Matthew¡¯s


    figure. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from blushing, and there was even an odd sense of joy that bubbled


    within her as she thought about it. Right then, Skyler came over with a bottle of beer. ¡°Here you go. You¡¯ll


    have to finish three bottles as punishment,¡± he teased.


    ¡°Fine, fine. It¡¯s my fault, anyway.¡± She took the beer from him and chugged it while thinking¡­ Doesn¡¯t


    Matthew like Sasha? Why would he get involved with me? Is this what others mean when they say that


    the grass is always greener on the other side? Even with Sashamitted to him, he still misses the


    excitement of being with me. Is that why he was so wild and passionate earlier?


    I guess this is the only way I can make sense of it. Well, there¡¯s no harm done, I guess. We¡¯re all adults,


    and it¡¯s not wrong to say that we have to fulfill our bodily desires. Furthermore, I don¡¯t have a boyfriend,


    so¡­ what I¡¯m doing isn¡¯t wrong, is it? Veronica felt better afterforting herself a little.


    ¡°Woah, your alcohol tolerance is impressive, Veronica,¡± someonemented. ¡°Roni¡¯s tolerance is no


    joke!¡± ¡°How impressive. She drank it all without hesitating.¡± ¡°It really seems like no amount of alcohol can


    get you drunk, Demoness.¡±


    ¡°Woah, woah. That¡¯s great. You¡¯re so cool, Veronica.¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone cheered for Veronica as she finished all three bottles of beer. Then, she took a seat on the


    ground beside Larry as he handed her a few skewers. ¡°Here. Try some of my cooking.¡± There were fried


    fish cakes, squids, and some meat. These were all Veronica¡¯s favorite foods, and she was shocked that


    Larry remembered her preferences.


    She took the skewers from him while smiling. ¡°It¡¯s been years since I tried the skewers that you¡¯ve


    prepared. I wonder if they still taste the same,¡± she said before taking a bite of the food. She chewed on


    it slowly while nodding in awe. ¡°Your career in the entertainment industry is really in the way of your


    sess as a barbeque stall owner! Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°You should eat more if you like it. I¡¯ll prepare more for youter,¡± Larry offered.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Veronica smiled and paused for a moment before making a statement to strengthen the lie she


    had told earlier. ¡°Your skewers are so much better than the ones my high school friend made.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Larry let out a chuckle before handing more food to her. Matthew, who was sitting opposite


    them, sent a nce in Veronica¡¯s direction every now and then. He looked rather displeased to see how


    attentive and sweet Larry was to Veronica, but he simply continued munching on his skewers without


    saying a word.


    The few of them sat around and chit-chatted while eating. A whileter, they gathered and yed some


    Five Card Draw. Since they were from different family backgrounds, Shirley, Monica, and Abby preferred


    to y Fighting the Landlord, while Larry, Matthew, Veronica, Caleb, and Stephen preferred ying Five


    Card Draw. They were all immersed in their games, and their gathering only ended in the evening.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The group parted ways after that. Veronica sent Monica and Shirley home before heading home herself.


    She had just gotten to the entrance of her house and was changing her shoes when she received a call


    from Yvonne. ¡°Yvonne?¡±


    ¡°I thought about it, Roni. I think¡­ we should hand the child to Matthew. After all¡­ I trust him more than I


    trust Conrad,¡± Yvonne said. She had interacted with Matthew a few times and had a rtively good


    impression of him. Furthermore, he had agreed to let her visit the child every three months, and she


    knew where he was nning to arrange for the child to stay.


    Yvonne was afraid of Conrad, and she was terrified of Zac. So, the best choice was to hand the child to


    Matthew for hiding. Yvonne figured that she would take care of all the expenses. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Veronica hadn¡¯t expected Yvonne to agree with having Matthew as the caregiver.


    ¡°My mom just called me, and she told me that Zac has been bugging them. I¡¯m worried¡­ that we might


    not be able to control Zac and that he might force me to hand him the child,¡± Yvonne exined in a


    helpless and dejected tone. Veronica knew that Yvonne probably felt like she was at her wit¡¯s end.


    ¡°Alright. Hold on for a moment. I¡¯ll give him a call.¡± Veronica changed back into her shoes before heading


    downstairs once more. As she walked out of her unit, she stopped near the parking lot and gave


    Matthew a call. Beep beep beep¡­ The dial tone sounded thrice before he picked up the call. Veronica


    knew the call had gotten through, but Matthew was silent on the other end of the line. At that moment,


    she couldn¡¯t help but recall what had happened in the hills earlier that day.


    Her face turned into the color of tomatoes as she thought about the incident. Fortunately, there aren¡¯t a


    lot of people who know about the cave in Qurra Mountain. It¡¯s not a very popr spot. Furthermore, even


    though it¡¯s a good ce for having barbeques, it¡¯s too far from the city, so there aren¡¯t many people


    visiting it. Things would be truly awkward if I actually bumped into someone just now.


    ¡°Yvonne called me earlier, and she said that¡­ She agrees with your suggestion.¡± Veronica went straight


    to the point. She spoke to him about Yvonne¡¯s matter as if nothing had happened between her and


    Matthew in the cave earlier that day. Matthew could tell what she was doing, but there seemed to be a


    tacit agreement between them. ¡°Fine. Tell her to send the kid over to the parking lot in the mall, and I¡¯ll


    send someone over to pick the kid up. There¡¯s no need for her to bring anything along with her,¡± he


    instructed calmly.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Veronica replied. Her words were followed by a few seconds of silence. She hesitated for a long


    while before questioning Matthew again. ¡°Can we really¡­ trust you?¡± Veronica was worried that Conrad


    would use Yvonne¡¯s child to snatch the role as the heir of the Kings family. If that¡¯s the case, would


    Matthew also use the kid to threaten Conrad? But after she asked her question, she suddenly realized


    how dumb she sounded. With Matthew¡¯s power, he doesn¡¯t need to threaten Conrad at all. Conrad isn¡¯t


    even worthy of his effort.


    So, before Matthew could say anything, Veronica continued with her words. ¡°I trust you. You wouldn¡¯t do


    something so vile,¡± she dered. Then, she ended the call without saying anything else. After that, she


    paid a visit to Yvonne¡¯s ce and chatted with Yvonne while trying her best to avoid the maternity matron


    in the house. That night, both Yvonne and Veronica paid a visit to the mall that Matthew mentioned, and


    they handed the child to a stranger they met in the basement.


    The other party brought a maternity matron with them as well, and the matron took the child into her


    arms immediately. Even though Yvonne couldn¡¯t bear to part ways with her child, she felt like she didn¡¯t


    have a choice as she was too afraid to bring the child home. The maternity matron carried the child into


    the car of a man who was dressed in a suit. Soon enough, the vehicle sped off down the road.


    All Yvonne could do was watch as her child was sent off. Tears streamed uncontrobly down her


    cheeks, and she sped her hand over her mouth as she let out silent sobs. Veronica hurried over to


    comfort Yvonne when she saw how devastated Yvonne was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is all temporary, and


    you¡¯re doing this to protect your child. You¡¯re doing this out of love, right? There are still many things you


    need to deal with, so you need to stay strong, okay?¡± After what happened that day, Yvonne had a better


    understanding¡­


    Veronica had gone through the same thing and managed to walk out of it as a stronger and better person


    who couldn¡¯t be threatened. ¡°Yeah. I know. I¡¯ll work hard, and I won¡¯t allow anyone to ckmail me into


    doing something I don¡¯t want to do in the future,¡± Yvonne replied.


    ¡°All the best.¡± Veronica let out a sigh before continuing. ¡°Matthew said that he¡¯d send you guys videos


    after the child settles in. So, you¡¯ll be able to hear from the child then.¡±


    ¡°By the way, can you ask him for the amount I have to pay him?¡± Yvonne was afraid that the child would


    live a tough life if she didn¡¯t provide any funds. But Veronica simply smiled at this statement. ¡°You¡¯re


    saving Matthew a lot of trouble by passing him the kid. Do you think money matters more than that?¡±


    Matthew was just taking what he needed.

 Chapter 469

    Chapter 469


    Chapter 469 Follow Me to Meet Hendrey


    After the child was sent away, Yvonne¡¯s emotions were all over the ce, so Veronica decided to stay in


    the vi to be with her. Both of them chatted for a long while and only slept in the middle of the night.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    The next day, Veronica made her way to work, keeping her busy for a few consecutive days. However,


    she was reminded of an incident when she was done with her work.


    She recalled what she had done in the mountains with Matthew a few days ago, and she realized how


    she hadn¡¯t taken any morning-after pills following their intercourse. So¡­ Does it mean that I¡¯m at a


    higher risk of getting pregnant? Just the thought of it made Veronica feel horrible.


    One day, Veronica headed to the lounge to get some rest after she took a series of pictures in the studio


    at work. When she walked past the office, she bumped into Ruka. ¡°Hey!¡± Veronica greeted Ruka first.


    When Ruka saw Veronica, she walked over and gave her a friendly squeeze on her arm. ¡°What have you


    been up to? I haven¡¯t seen you around at all,¡± Rukamented.


    ¡°Well, what else could I be up to? I was just filming in the studio this whole morning,¡± Veronica replied.


    ¡°I heard Sean say you¡¯re a pretty influential figure at work. I bet Mia¡¯s really jealous of you.¡± Even though


    Ruka wasn¡¯t in Starshine, she was highly familiar with everything that was happening in thepany.


    ¡°Well, a fight is bound to happen as long as women are involved,¡± Veronica said with a nonchnt shrug.


    A conflict had already started brewing back when Mia and Veronica were in Castron together, and Mia


    had already despised Veronica back then. Tiffany was the one who was giving Mia her orders, but Mia


    hadn¡¯t even shown up at Tiffany¡¯s funeral when she passed away. Their friendship was practically


    meaningless as they had only been using one another from the very start.


    Both Ruka and Veronica made their way to the lounge. ¡°What brings you here today?¡± Veronica asked.


    Since Ruka discovered that Matthew was interested in ¡®men¡¯, she was no longer as hateful toward


    Veronica. Back then, Ruka had treated Veronica as a love rival since she was interested in Matthew.


    Nevertheless, after Matthew was exposed online for having kissed a ¡®man¡¯ on the streets, Ruka was


    utterly taken aback for a while.


    Furthermore, when they were in the clothing store, Veronica kissed Matthew¡¯s neck while she was


    dressed in men¡¯s clothing, and she did it right before Ruka¡¯s eyes. The whole incident came as a


    considerable blow to Ruka, and the impact was so strong that itpletely changed her view on things.


    Ever since then, Ruka had started getting closer to Veronica. They were rtively close, but they weren¡¯t


    close to a point where they¡¯d share everything with each other.


    ¡°Well¡­ I was thinking of taking a trip to Castron,¡± Ruka spoke after some hesitation.


    ¡°Castron?¡± Veronica frowned as she recalled how Ruka had asked her about Hendrey just a few days


    ago. ¡°Are you going there to meet Hendrey?¡± Ruka smiled without saying anything for a while.


    Regardless, there was a somewhat awkward look on her face.


    ¡°You used to be interested in Matthew. Have you fallen for someone new already?¡± Veronica asked in a


    teasing manner. Ruka pouted at the mention of Matthew. ¡°Stop talking about that guy.


    That was such a shame,¡± sheined while sitting on the couch and resting her forehead against her


    palm. ¡°It was all one-sided love. If I knew that he was into men from the start, I wouldn¡¯t have fallen for


    him at all, right? Ugh. Every time I think about the fact that he likes men, I just¡­¡±


    Ruka pressed her hand against her chest as she gritted her teeth and frowned to put on a pained


    expression. ¡°I¡¯m sure you feel my pain, right?¡±


    Veronica shook her head. ¡°No. I can¡¯t rte at all. I¡¯m not interested in a jerk like him.¡± Her words were


    theplete opposite of how she felt. Thankfully, I¡¯ve already broken up with Matthew. Otherwise, Ruka


    might find out that I¡¯m the one who was pretending to be a man, and she¡¯d kill me!


    ¡°At least you¡¯re not in love with him anymore. You¡¯ve spared yourself from all the pain that I¡¯m feeling


    now,¡± Ruka sighed. She ran her long and slim fingers through her hair and thought about it for a moment


    before suddenly realizing what she had said earlier. I just realized this now, but it seems like I do admire


    Hendrey quite a bit. I can¡¯t believe I exposed myself there. Well, he is pretty good-looking.


    As the youngdy of the Dame Family, Ruka had been to all sorts of events and ces. She had seen


    countless men in her life, but Hendrey was the one person that indeed left an impression on her. Sure,


    she had fallen for Matthew in the past, but they had grown up together. Regardless of how good-looking


    he was, his looks would never stun her to the point that left her breathless.


    Hendrey was different. He had a unique aura and was gentle and kind to those around him. Ruka


    couldn¡¯t seem to forget about him after meeting him the first time. She had to admit it¡ªshe was in love


    with him. ¡°Hehe¡­ Actually¡­ Actually¡­ I wanted to meet Hendrey to talk to him for a little.¡± Ruka could


    sense the rather amused look in Veronica¡¯s eyes, which made her feel incredibly uneasy.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all women? You don¡¯t have to exin yourself.¡± Veronica leaned back on the couch. ¡°Hendrey


    is a pretty good guy, but¡­¡± When Veronica thought about all of the mysterious and secretive stuff


    surrounding Hendrey, she gave Ruka a kind reminder. ¡°You don¡¯t know him for long yet. Suppose you¡¯re


    genuinely interested in him. Then, you should find more chances to get to know him and spend time with


    him.¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t know if Ruka was aware of Hendrey¡¯s past with Tiffany. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to


    initiate a talk with Ruka about it either. ¡°By the way, he¡¯s your ex-boyfriend. Do¡­ you not mind if¡­?¡± It


    was natural for women to be interested in their crush¡¯s ex-partners.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be bothered by? It¡¯s all in the past,¡± Veronica said. Yet, Ruka still felt the curiosity


    bubbling within her upon Veronica¡¯s mention of the past. So Ruka got up and sat beside Veronica before


    casting her an interested gaze and nudging her elbow. ¡°Hurry up and tell me about it. How did you guys


    break up in the past? Hendrey is such a handsome man, and he seems pretty gentlemanly. He looks like


    a good guy.¡±


    Veronica turned her head to look at Ruka. ¡°Are you interested in him?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Well, back then¡­¡± Veronica leaned back in her seat and gazed at the ceiling as she recalled the past.


    ¡°We were doing pretty well back then, but the whole breakup was a mess. He wanted to further his


    career overseas, so we lost contact after that.¡±


    ¡°Was that it?¡± Ruka wasn¡¯t too satisfied after hearing Veronica¡¯s brief exnation of her breakup.


    Suddenly, Ruka was reminded of the first jewelry exhibition that Veronica had ever done. Her eyes lit up


    as she questioned Veronica. ¡°When Ivan¡¯s team hosted the jewelry exhibition, you wore that set of


    jewelry called ¡®First Love¡¯. Was that inspired by Hendrey?¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Veronica covered her mouth as she let out a burst ofughter. It was as if she had just heard the


    funniest joke ever. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? That was just a title. Anyway, if you¡¯re


    interested in Hendrey, you should meet up with him.¡± Veronica was also curious to find out how Hendrey


    was doing. It didn¡¯t feel good not to know what he was up to.


    At the mention of serious business, Ruka forgot all about her curiosity about Veronica¡¯s past. ¡°I can¡¯t find


    him, so I want you to go to Castron with me. I¡¯ve already gotten Sean to give you a break, and he


    agreed,¡± she said sternly.


    ¡°I¡­ Did you guys make the decision for me? Do I even have a say here?¡± Veronica sent Ruka a side


    re.


    ¡°Hehehe. Don¡¯t give me that look. I did you a favor, too¡ªI helped you contact apany in Castron for a


    fashion show. So that¡¯s what I¡¯ve done for you in return. How does that sound?¡± Ruka gave the other


    woman a cheekyugh. It was as if she was unting how thoughtful she was.


    Well, in that case¡­ What else can I say? Veronica thought. In the end, she simply nodded to show her


    gratitude. ¡°Thank you for providing me with a job, Madam. I¡¯m so thankful for this.¡±

 Chapter 470

    Chapter 470


    Chapter 470 Sasha¡¯s Pursuer


    Ruka was pleased since Veronica agreed to her suggestion. ¡°I should be the one thanking you since


    you¡¯ve agreed to go to Castron with me. Come on; I¡¯ll buy you a meal.¡±


    They headed to Phil¡¯s Restaurant, where they had their meal in a private room. ¡°You can go ahead with


    your meal. I need to use the washroom.¡± Veronica finished her beef wellington, but her stomach felt


    rather uneasy. I wonder if it¡¯s because I drank cold waterst night.


    ¡°Sure. Go ahead.¡± Ruka nodded. Veronica got to her feet and headed out of their room before walking


    toward the washroom. Right then, she heard the sound of people arguing. ¡°I dare you to touch me again!


    I¡¯ll¡­ Ah!¡±


    The argument was followed by a scream, along with a banging sound. The person¡¯s voice sounded


    somewhat familiar to Veronica. She instinctively stopped in her spot as a person¡¯s face popped up in her


    mind. Sasha! It sounds exactly like her.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at yourself, Sasha? Do you think anyone other than me would be interested


    in a psycho like you? Do you think you¡¯re actually a woman now? Well, you don¡¯t have a uterus at all!¡± A


    man¡¯s loud and harsh voice filled the air.


    ¡°Wu¡­ No¡­ You can¡¯t say that¡­¡± she cried. ¡°Hmph! Am I wrong? Do you think Young Master Matthew


    would be interested in someone like you? You can¡¯t even bear his child!¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica stood still in her spot for a long while. She hadn¡¯t intended to eavesdrop, but the person¡¯s words


    made her contemte matters for a while.


    Tap tap tap¡­ Right then, the sound of footsteps came closer to her. Before she could turn around to see


    who it was, someone shoved her out of the way. ¡°Step aside.¡±


    The rough push sent her crashing against the wall beside her, and she let out a gasp of pain when her


    shoulder struck the concrete wall. ¡°How dare you hit Sasha, Adrian?! Do you have a death wish?¡±


    This voice was even more familiar to Veronica. She immediately spun her head over to see the person


    who had pushed her aside¡ªSkyler. And the guy in the suit behind Skyler is¡­ Matthew? What¡­ is he


    doing here?


    ¡°Wu¡­ You¡¯re finally here, Matt.¡± Sasha, who had fallen to the ground after being hit, hastily scrambled to


    her feet before running to Matthew and hugging him.


    However, Matthew didn¡¯t allow her to do so¡ªhe pushed her aside before lifting his leg to kick Adrian in


    his chest. Thump! Adrian fell backward and hit the table behind him before copsing onto the ground.


    He was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t even stand up properly for a while.


    ¡°I¡¯ll paralyze you if you every another finger on Sasha!¡± Matthew hissed through gritted teeth. His voice


    was filled with hatred and anger.


    Meanwhile, Veronica pressed her palm against her chest as she stood by the door and watched


    everything that went down in the room. At that moment, she couldn¡¯t help but think about what happened


    between her and Matthew in the cave a few days ago.


    For a while, Veronica had felt some hope in her¡ªshe thought that Matthew was still attracted to her even


    if he had fallen for Sasha for a time. I thought he could give up on his peculiar rtionship with Sasha to


    return to me.


    But it seems like I was just overthinking all along. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t Matthew realize my presence


    after they shoved me into a wall? He should¡¯ve recognized me even from my silhouette.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Adrian pressed a palm against the ground before forcing himself to his feet. He rubbed his


    chest with his other hand as he let out a sarcasticugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you liked snatching away things


    that others fancy, Young Master Matthew.¡±


    Sasha, who was wearing a dress that fell below her knees, stood behind Matthew with a fearful look on


    her face. She grabbed Matthew¡¯s sleeve with her fair and slender hand, showing how much she


    depended on him.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Do you fancy her? Does your definition of fancy involve hitting the other


    person? Look at Sasha¡¯s face!¡± Skyler, who was standing in front of Matthew, pointed at Sasha¡¯s face


    while confronting Adrian. Nevertheless, when Skyler turned to point at Sasha, he found himself


    distracted by Veronica¡¯s figure standing outside the room.


    Skyler paused for a moment. ¡°R-Roni! What are you doing here?¡± Skyler¡¯s eyes lit up for a moment as he


    instinctively nced in Matthew¡¯s direction. Shit. Was the person I pushed aside earlier¡­ Veronica?


    Thankfully, I didn¡¯t say anything wrong. Otherwise, everything might have been exposed.


    Matthew nced at the look on Skyler¡¯s face, and he felt his muscles tensing up immediately. When he


    turned around, he found himself looking at Veronica, who had her left hand clutched onto her right


    shoulder.


    She was staring at him with a dazed look on her face. The moment he met her gaze, he felt his heart


    sinking. For some reason, he found himself panicking.


    As he was focused on Veronica, Sasha noticed how his expression had changed. She followed the


    direction of his gaze to see Veronica standing outside. ¡°W-What are you doing here?¡± Sasha was just as


    shocked to see Veronica.


    Veronica straightened her figure as she felt multiple pairs of eyes turning to focus on her. She quickly


    lowered the hand that had been holding onto the shoulder. ¡°What are you guys looking at? You guys can


    go on. It¡¯s a free ¡®show¡¯; it¡¯d be a waste if I didn¡¯t stay to watch,¡± she said in the most nonchnt tone she


    could muster.


    After that, she crossed her arms in front of her chest before walking over to lean against the door frame.


    This time, she looked like an actual spectator. Deep down, she knew that she¡¯d seem like she was


    running away if she left right then.


    On the other hand, she didn¡¯t want to appear pathetic or helpless in front of Matthew, showing him that


    she still had feelings for him. There was a battle going on within her¡ªshe didn¡¯t want to lose, but she


    didn¡¯t want to end up in an awkward position, either.


    Veronica¡¯s presence made everyone feel surprised and embarrassed at the same time. Veronica felt just


    as awkward as the rest, but she was used to putting on a show, so she stuck her hands into her pockets


    before pulling some candy out.


    She unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth before speaking. ¡°Go on, guys.¡± Her words were


    rather muffled as she had candy in her mouth. Regardless, they could still hear what she was saying.


    The corner of Skyler¡¯s lips twitched as he stared at the woman outside the room. He was so shocked by


    her presence that he felt like his jaw was about to drop.


    Meanwhile, Matthew didn¡¯t seem to show much emotion on his wless face. Instead, he slowly turned


    his head back to give Adrian a disdainful stare. ¡°I want you to turn the other way the next time you see


    Sasha.


    Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to face the consequences.¡± With that said, Matthew held onto Sasha¡¯s wrist before


    turning around and leaving. As he brushed past Veronica¡¯s shoulder, he didn¡¯t even bother to gaze at her


    at all.


    Skyler, on the other hand, was still furious at Adrian. He wagged a finger in Adrian¡¯s face as he scolded


    him. ¡°Sasha belongs to Matthew, you f*cker! I¡¯ll f*ck you up if you every another finger on her! F*ck!¡±


    Once he was done cursing at Adrian, Skyler walked over to Veronica with a grin on his face. ¡°Hey, Roni.


    We¡¯ll leave now, alright? I¡¯ll buy you a meal soon. You¡¯ll have to get Stephen toe along, alright? It¡¯s a


    date!¡± He patted Veronica on the shoulder and chuckled before hurrying off.


    Veronica raised an eyebrow before curling her red lips into a smirk. Does he genuinely want to buy me a


    meal? I bet I¡¯m not the main reason he wants to have a meal with me. Stephen is his idol, after all.


    Since the ¡®show¡¯ was over, Veronica nced at the man in the room before leaving. I have to say¡ªthis


    guy is pretty good-looking, she thought.


    Adrian was dressed in a vintage-looking outfit. He had a gentle and kind face, yet he seemed to be a


    rather mean person. In Veronica¡¯s eyes, any man whoid hands on another woman couldn¡¯t possibly be


    a nice guy. She met gazes with Adrian for a moment before turning to leave. ¡°Are you¡­ Veronica?¡± The


    man spoke up all of a sudden.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 471

    Chapter 471


    Chapter 471 Stay Away From Those Men


    Veronica looked back at Adrian, somewhat confused. How did he know her name?


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± She asked coldly. He walked up to her, studying her with a sophisticated look in


    his eyes as if he was admiring a piece of merchandise. That look made Veronica feel repulsed. ¡°If


    there¡¯s something to say, speak. If not, leave.¡±


    Just as she said that she turned around, intending to leave, but Adrian stopped her. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go. Do


    you not want to know how I know your name?¡±


    She chewed on the Hershey¡¯s Kisses in her mouth, pursed her lips, and smiled. ¡°You like Sasha; Sasha


    knows me. It¡¯s no surprise that you¡¯d know my name,¡±


    Even if she were curious, she wouldn¡¯t show it. What she hated the most was being seen through by


    others regarding her emotions and thoughts. Coincidentally, her wild guess was correct.


    ¡°I heard Sasha mentioned you before, and I know that you take a fancy to Young Master Matthew.


    Although I don¡¯t understand why you like such an arrogant man, are you interested in working


    together?¡±


    Adrian withdrew the scrutinizing gaze he had just now and asked her in a frank manner. Although


    Veronica knew that he would bring something up, she did not expect him to propose such a ridiculous


    proposal.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not interested.¡± Her tone was blunt, and the rejection was clear. Adrian didn¡¯t really


    understand the rtionship between Sasha and Matthew.


    The two-timers Adrian was talking about happened between Matthew, Veronica, and Sasha. It was a


    pity that even Veronica herself was a stepping stone to Sasha.


    As she thought of that, she let out a sardonic snort and exited the room This time, Adrian did not follow


    after her. After she went to the bathroom, she returned to the private room.


    Ruka was sitting at the table, ying with her phone. When she saw Veronicaing in, she shot her


    a re. ¡°If you don¡¯te back in another minute, I was going to ask someone to go look for you in the


    toilet.¡±


    Why did she take so long in the toilet? Did she fall in?


    ¡°With my size, it¡¯s hard for me to fall into the toilet,¡± Veronica teased her before sitting across from her


    and continuing to eat.


    ¡°I¡¯ve bought the ticket for the day after tomorrow; we will leave then. So, you can have a day off


    tomorrow.¡±


    Originally, Ruka nned to leave tomorrow, but something came up in thepany, so she had to


    return and settle it personally.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just listen to your arrangements,¡± Veronica answered; she had no opinions on this.


    ¡­


    On the bed inside the Hilton Hotel¡¯s Presidential Suite, amongst the messy bed sheets, were two naked


    bodies; Conrad and Zac.


    ¡°Wow, Conny, you really drive me crazy.¡±


    Afterward, Conrad leaned against the head of the bed as Zacy beside him. Conrad held a cigarette


    with his right hand, hanging it off the edge of the bed as he flicked the cigarette butt and sighed.


    He closed his eyes with a cigarette in his mouth and did not say a word.


    After a while, Zac couldn¡¯t wait for his reply any longer, and his face darkened. ¡°You were the one who


    begged me on your knees back then. What¡¯s wrong? Do you regret it now?¡±


    His azure blue eyes radiated a little bit of coldness.


    Conrad frowned slightly when he heard this before rxing his face again. He now had his usual


    devilish yet charming smile. ¡°What do you mean, regret? I was just thinking about where Yvonne hid


    her child.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, as long as you¡¯re not regretting things.¡±


    Zac snorted coldly before he got up, picked up a bathrobe, and wrapped it around his waist. Then, he


    stood barefoot on the carpet and stared at Conrad. ¡°It is you who said that once you¡¯ve had a child, you


    can sessfully be the heir of the Kings Family. You¡¯ve tricked Old Mr. Kings, and he allowed your


    child to be born without any hurdles. Nevertheless, your status in the Kings Family is not guaranteed


    now that the child is lost.¡±


    Conrad took a hard puff of his cigarette and narrowed his eyes. Despite that, Zac continued, ¡°If you


    can¡¯t find Yvnonne¡¯s child, you can¡¯t be the heir as the head of the Kings Family. You and I are just


    chess pieces to them.¡±


    With that said, he walked up to Conrad and propped himself on the bed frame with one hand while the


    other pinched Conrad¡¯s chin, saying, ¡°You should know the consequences of being a worthless chess


    piece.¡±


    Conrad squeezed the cigarette on his fingers with a little force and broke it, but he still had a wild,


    arrogant smile. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? You gave me a year, and it has only been six months. If I can¡¯t even


    settle such a small thing, then I, Conrad Kings, am not qualified to be your partner.¡±


    He looked up and looked straight at Zac.


    As the two stared at each other, the air in the room froze.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Zac was the first to break eye contact as he raised his head and smiled. ¡°Hahaha, I knew that I have


    good judgment in characters.¡± Thus, the hand that held Conrad¡¯s chin went to pat his face. ¡°I¡¯ll be


    waiting for your good news.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Conrad nodded slightly


    ¡°Would you like to take a bath together?¡± Zac pointed to the bathroom with a wicked smile on his pale


    face.


    Unfortunately, Conrad declined as he shook his head. ¡°You go ahead. I have a call to make.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Without a second thought, Zac turned to the bathroom and closed the door.


    Once Conrad heard the door closed, the smile on his face instantly dropped, and he was now utterly


    gloomy. It was terrifying.


    Half a year ago, he deliberately came to Bloomstead to find Yvonne once he found out that she was


    pregnant.


    At that time, she called him several times, but he did not pick up.


    Back then, he thought that the child would not survive the day. Who would¡¯ve thought that she


    managed to escape with the help of Veronica?


    Not only that, that b*tch even bit Zac back, saying that she was the victim.


    Therefore, Zac immediately sent someone to catch Conrad. Although Zac initially wanted to kill Conrad,


    he ultimately gave Conrad a choice.


    Zac would spare Conrad¡¯s life if he were willing to surrender to him.


    This was also why Conrad was reluctant to save Yvonne when she was caught on the ne for the first


    time by Zac.


    Zac had an interest in Conrad as early as the time they first met in Castron, and he had always kept his


    distance from Zac on purpose.


    s, destiny loved making a fool of people; in the end, Conrad still ended up in Zac¡¯s clutches.


    Conrad was unwilling to die like this, so he could only choose to submit to Zac, stating that as long as


    the child in Yvonne¡¯s stomach could be delivered smoothly, Conrad would be the heir of the Kings. Only


    then would he be Zac¡¯s right-hand man and help him ascend to the top position.


    Although Zac liked Yvonne, his affection toward her wasn¡¯t that deep.


    In the eyes of a politician, even their loved ones had to be evaluated for their value. Naturally, they


    were good at weighing the pros and cons of people.


    The reason why he wanted to marry Yvonne was just to use her family¡¯s power.


    There were a thousand ways for him to destroy the Spencer Family, but if he managed to conquer the


    Spencer Family, he would be even more powerful.


    After a while, Zac stepped out of the bathroom and onto the carpet with his bare feet. Then, he leaned


    over to pick up the clothes on the ground. As he wore them, he said, ¡°I¡¯m in Bloomstead this time for


    some business, and I just stopped by to see you. If it isn¡¯t because there are urgent matters to deal with


    back in Carston, I would¡¯ve stayed a few days longer to apany you.¡±


    Conrad lifted theforter, put on his bathrobe, and went straight to the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in


    Carston when I¡¯m free.¡±


    ¡°All right, it¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll head out first,¡± Zac said.


    Conrad brushed him off and entered the bathroom. Just as he was about to close the door, Zac pushed


    it open and walked in, grabbed Conrad by the arm, and pushed him against the wall. ¡°Remember, from


    the first day we slept together, you¡¯re already mine. So from now on, stay away from those men¡­ and


    women!¡±

 Chapter 472

    Chapter 472


    Chapter 472 Sasha Is Causing Trouble


    Conradughed off Zac¡¯s overbearing deration of possession. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in women nor men,


    except¡­you.¡±


    He deliberately ttered Zac against his will. Despite knowing Conrad was lying, Zac enjoyed his


    ttery. Then, his big palm pinched Conrad¡¯s buttocks hard before he turned away in satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯m


    leaving.¡±


    And this time, Zac really did leave. When Zac left the bathroom, Conrad had been leaning against the


    wall in the same position, even after hearing the sound of the door closing in the living room.


    After an unknown amount of time, Conrad, whose eyelids were slightly drooping, slowly raised his eyes


    and faced the mirror on the sink across from him.


    The new and clean mirror reflected his pathetic appearance; there was even a disgusting hickey on his


    corbone.


    The man¡¯s depressed face gradually became emotional, like a brewing storm.


    Suddenly, he took arge stride towards the mirror, raised his hand, and smashed the ss mirror with


    a punch, only to hear the ss mirror shattering and falling to the floor. As a result, ss pieces were


    scattered all over the floor, and some shards fell into the sink.


    Conrad seemed utterly unaffected by his bleeding right hand; it was as though he couldn¡¯t feel pain. He


    clenched his fists on the side as he stood upright and stiff.


    Only a tiny part of the mirror was left on the wall, and that piece reflected the hickey on his corbone,


    which seemed to drown him in humiliation.


    His clenched fist trembled with anger as his eyes drooped slightly as he nced at the broken


    fragments in the sink. Then, he picked one up and scratched it across the hickey that he could see in


    the mirror.


    With his swift action, the sharp shard directly made a cut on his body, and red blood dripped down his


    chest and onto the bath towel wrapped around his waist, dying it red.


    Although there was blood, he still wasn¡¯t satisfied. He held onto the shard and scratched at the hickey


    twice until it was in a wholly gory mess before he stopped.


    Conrad didn¡¯t even flinch throughout his self-muttion.


    Smash!


    His hand suddenly became weak as he lowered it slowly, and the ss shard fell to the ground. Then,


    he limped to the bath like a walking corpse.


    Conrad stayed there for three hours; it was getting dark outside. When he came out, he sat on the bed,


    deep in thought, before he decided to call someone.


    ¡°Help me contact a reliable hospital and make a report¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica visited Yvonne after work, and they had dinner together before she went home.


    Yet, she did not expect that there would be an uninvited guest downstairs at her apartment.


    Veronica had a purse slung over her shoulders as she walked towards her apartment in high heels,


    only to see Sasha standing there.


    Veronica didn¡¯t ignore her because she knew that Sasha was here for her.


    ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± Veronica asked unceremoniously as she walked toward Sasha.


    Today at the western restaurant, Sasha took a beating from Adrian, and her face was still a little


    bruised. The skin on her elbow was also torn, so she had a Band-Aid on, looking a little haggard.


    But even so, it did not ruin her stunning beauty.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the sight of Sasha; she was a beautiful specimen. Back when she


    was a man, she was so handsome that people did not dare to look for too long, fearing that one more


    nce would lead them to fall for her. Now that she had be a woman, she had a naturally


    seductive feminine aura.


    ¡°Today, at the western restaurant¡­¡±


    Sasha hesitated, pursed her lips, and sighed. ¡°Forget it; I¡¯ll get straight to the point.¡±


    Veronica remained silent and waited for Sasha to continue.


    ¡°Why weren¡¯t you at the restaurant today? Could it be that¡­you knew Matt was there?¡±


    Sasha did not want to beat around the bush and questioned directly.


    ¡°What did you say? Sorry, I didn¡¯t catch it.¡±


    Veronica sneered at the sudden interrogation, thinking to herself that Sasha was quite an imaginative


    one.


    How could Veronica have known where Matthew was?


    Did Sasha take her for a seer and that she was omniscient?


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    If that were true, wouldn¡¯t she be a god?


    Veronica¡¯s contempt was apparent, and this instantly made Sasha feel annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t care how


    much you like Matt, but he belongs to me, Sasha ude. Now that you two have broken up, you


    should stop pestering him. I¡¯ve always thought that you were capable of handling a breakup, but now it


    seems like that¡¯s not the case. It seems like I¡¯ve thought too highly of you. You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop it right there!¡±


    Veronica raised her hand to stop Sasha. ¡°What are you talking about? When did you see me entangling


    myself with Matthew? Your imagination is truly one of a kind, and it¡¯s a pity that you don¡¯t work for


    Lenovo.¡±


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re caught up with Matt, and it makes you unhappy. But, I am Matt¡¯s true love, and I


    hope you will stop being his mistress and seduce him everywhere he goes. It¡¯s really shameless¡ªah!¡±


    Sasha¡¯s eyes darted behind Veronica, and suddenly, her words became more vitriolic and insulting.


    As a result, Veronica pped Sasha across her face harshly.


    This caused her to stagger two steps back; she missed herst step and fell directly to the ground.


    ¡°Veronica!¡±


    At the moment Sasha fell, a familiar voice sounded behind her.


    Before Veronica could even look back, she noticed Sasha covering her cheek, staring behind her as


    she burst into tears. ¡°Maatt, w-why are you here¡­?¡±


    Regardless of how embarrassing she looked, she got up from the ground and bowed to Veronica again


    and again. ¡°Roni, although I don¡¯t know why you hit me, I¡¯m so sorry. I hope you can forgive me if I did


    something wrong.¡±


    She knew the reason behind Sasha¡¯s apology.


    And she couldn¡¯t help but feel entirely grossed out by Sasha.


    However, although Veronica knew what Sasha was doing, she couldn¡¯t guarantee that Matthew was


    aware of it.


    Sure enough¡­


    He stepped forward and dragged Sasha behind him. Then, he red at Veronica with a gloomy


    expression and asked imperiously, ¡°Who said you could touch Sasha?¡±


    His stunning face was cold; one angry look from him was enough to drive Veronica into the bottomless


    abyss, making her suffer from the agony of the biting chill.


    Veronica looked at him with a hint of surprise, then nced at Sasha, who was standing behind him


    with a smile on her red lips.


    So, after everything that Veronica had done for him, it was nothing inparison to the wed lie


    spilling from Sasha¡¯s lips.


    That was right.


    After all, the person he once loved and still loved deeply was Sasha.


    How confident did Veronica have to be topare herself to Sasha?


    ¡°No one said I can¡¯t touch her,¡± Veronica retorted.


    ¡°Matt, forget it. I-I took the liberty ofing to see Roni today. Maybe I said something wrong and


    made her angry.¡±


    Sasha was acting like a spoiled brat, frowning and pouting, with tears flowing down her cheeks


    uncontrobly. It was hard to imagine that she was once a man.

 Chapter 473

    Chapter 473


    Chapter 473 Turning Against Each Other


    Matthew ignored Sasha; instead, he stared straight at Veronica, waiting for her to answer. It was this


    exact attitude of his that made Veronica feel even more upset.


    That interrogative look on his face was as if he wouldn¡¯t let her go if she couldn¡¯t give him a reasonable


    exnation. In the face of something so familiar and deeply engraved into her mind, she couldn¡¯t help


    but think about what happened that day in Qurra Mountain.


    She thought about how passionate they were and the heartache she was feeling right now. She stared


    at the man unblinkingly; her fingers that held the bag began to tremble slightly.


    Then, she discretely took a deep breath, kept her emotions in check, and put on an indifferent front


    before smiling at his charming face. ¡°Am I right?¡±


    After she said that, she added, ¡°Bro.¡± ¡°Apologize!¡± Matthew ordered, without leaving room for


    argument. This cold attitude brought Veronica back to when they first met; he was extremely


    oppressive without a care for others¡¯ circumstances.


    Besides, he was always aloof, ordering people around. ¡°No way!¡± She spat out two words bluntly.


    Sasha noticed the tense atmosphere and took Matthew¡¯s hand. ¡°Matt, I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t need to get


    Roni to apologize to me. In all honesty, I should be the one apologizing to her. I just didn¡¯t want Roni to


    spread what happened in the western restaurant today. Maybe I misspoke and made her angry.¡±


    In the beginning, after Veronica and Matthew had broken up, he only allowed Sasha toe over as


    his fake lover. Although he did not tell her the reason for their breakup, Sasha knew that he loved


    Veronica deeply.


    However, the three coincidentally met at the western restaurant earlier today, and Veronica happened


    to see Matthew standing up for Sasha.


    So, Sasha wanted to take this opportunity to visit Veronica in the middle of the night to tell her to stay


    away from him.


    But who would have thought that Matthew had somehow found out about it ande over as well?


    As Sasha was talking to Veronica just now, Sasha noticed himing over. Although she was


    surprised, a n brewed in her head. She deliberately angered Veronica to the point that she would


    p her.


    Sasha was confident that since Matthew was the one that initiated the breakup, it wouldn¡¯t be weird for


    Veronica to be angry at her. This was a rare opportunity to sow discord between Veronica and Matthew.


    It was all going well until now.


    At this moment, when Sasha felt the tension between the two, she couldn¡¯t help but feel afraid.


    That was especially so when she saw how ruthless he was toward Veronica, and she realized that he


    would be even more heartless toward her once he left.


    ¡°Don¡¯t test me!¡± Matthew said.


    ¡°Yo, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Suddenly, Conrad showed up before the trio. He saw the confrontation between Matthew and Veronica,


    and his gaze darted to Sasha, who was standing behind Matthew, and his eyes flickered slightly.


    ¡°Matthew, as the brother of Veronica, how can you side with outsiders to bully her?¡± Conrad said.


    It was no wonder that Matthew and Veronica were rarely seen together in the past days. They


    appeared to have broken up, and the reason behind that was Sasha ude.


    As far as he knew, Sasha was a transgender woman.


    Matthew really had a broad palette!


    Nevertheless, although she had undergone gender reassignment surgery, she was still unable to have


    children.


    With that, as long as he managed to find Yvonne¡¯s child, how could he still be scared about being


    unable to be the patriarch of the Kings¡¯ Family?


    Conrad¡¯s mind was filled with these thoughts.


    At this moment, Veronica nced at him and snorted. ¡°What ¡®brother¡¯? What could be more important


    than his lover?¡±


    Her attitude toward Matthew became more callous as anger burned in her heart. In the end, she


    couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°There¡¯s one way for me to apologize to Sasha. Only¡­over my dead body.¡±


    ¡°What, do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare to?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s face was tense; his handsome face was outrageously gloomy.


    It had never been his intention to treat Veronica like this.


    He had hurried over once he learned that Sasha wasing to Veronica¡¯s ce. s, he did not


    expect Conrad to appear out of the blue.


    In order to keep up with his act, he had to be merciless to Veronica.


    ¡°What a joke! In such a big city like Bloomstead, is there anything that you, Matthew King, dare not


    do?¡±


    It was as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world.


    Although there was a smirk on her fair, delicate face, Veronica¡¯s heart felt like it had been stabbed


    again and again.


    The knife was dripping with blood, and the pain was almost excruciating, but she had to hold herself


    together.


    ¡°Since you know how capable I am, you should know how to act.¡± Then, Matthew put his arms around


    Sasha, pulled her to the front, and ordered Veronica, ¡°Apologize!¡±


    ¡°Roni¡­ Actually¡­ There¡¯s really no need. Don¡¯t be like this. I-I¡¯m fine.¡±


    For a moment, Sasha almost believed Matthew¡¯s performance.


    She didn¡¯t understand why he was so angry and arguing with Veronica, but Sasha knew one thing.


    And that was¡­


    At this moment, the cruelty that she would endureter would bound to be ten times worse than what


    Veronica was suffering right now.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± he reprimanded as his gaze remained fixated on Veronica, waiting for her to apologize.


    In the face of Matthew¡¯s aggression, Veronica was thoroughly disappointed.


    Those clear eyes were like ripples, but their depth was like pr ciers, covered with a thickyer of


    frost. His gaze was frigid to the bone.


    ¡°In your dreams!¡± After she spat out those words, she pushed past Sasha and walked toward her


    apartment.


    Yet, the next moment, Matthew called out, ¡°If you dare to leave, I will ensure you¡¯ll never get a job!¡±


    His threats were ruthless.


    Although his tone was filled with arrogance, everyone knew that he was really capable of doing what he


    had just threatened.


    This made Veronica halt in her steps; she never expected that he would be so uncaring.


    Still, she took a deep breath. ¡°Oh, really? I¡¯d like to see how you¡¯re going to stop me,¡± she said as she


    tilted her head slightly at him before she left unhesitatingly.


    At this moment, Matthew¡¯s hand in his pocket tightened slightly. That was because he didn¡¯t expect


    Veronica to be so stubborn.


    ¡°Matt, I think you should just let it go.¡± Sasha tried to calm him down.


    As a result, Matthew fished out his phone and dialed Thomas. ¡°Contact Sean immediately and get him


    to terminate his contract with Veronica. Also, let the news spread that anyone who dares to work with


    her will be my enemy.¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Thomas was dumbfounded for a moment. He couldn¡¯t understand how


    the situation had changed; how two people who were madly in love with each other were now at each


    other¡¯s throats.


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡± He did not dare to question Matthew and quickly hung up the phone.


    After Matthew kept away his phone, he immediately left with Sasha.


    This whole time, he did not say a word to Conrad.


    Conrad fell into deep thought when he saw Matthew bringing Sasha away.


    He was pondering carefully on what exactly happened between Matthew and Veronica when the two


    turned against each other and fought like this.


    Could it be that it was all an act?


    No, there was no way.


    With Matthew¡¯s power, which was far above Conrad¡¯s, there was no need for Matthew to y games.


    But what on earth was going on?


    Could it be that Veronica did something that crossed Matthew¡¯s line?

 Chapter 474

    Chapter 474


    Chapter 474 Veronica Is At Her Wits¡¯ End


    As doubts grew in his mind, he turned into the unit building. He took the elevator up to Veronica¡¯s


    apartment and knocked on the door. Finding out where she lived was an easy task. Conrad rapped on


    the door with growing impatience.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Veronica¡¯s muffled voice came from inside the apartment before she opened the


    door. There wasn¡¯t the slightest hint of surprise on her face when she saw him standing in the doorway.


    ¡°Is something up?¡± asked Veronica.


    She thought, Today¡¯s been a lively day. Everyone¡¯sing over to join in on the fun. ¡°I¡ª¡°


    Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a ring ringtone. However, it wasn¡¯t his phone, as


    he didn¡¯t recognize the ringtone.


    ¡°I have to take this,¡± muttered Veronica. Sean¡¯s name shed on the screen and she couldn¡¯t help but


    frown slightly. As she ruminated on Matthew¡¯s words, she could guess why he was calling.


    She silently cursed at Matthew in her heart. Afterward, she walked toward the living room and


    answered the call. ¡°Mr. Ludwig?¡±


    Sean¡¯s voice on the other end sounded flustered. ¡°Veronica, what the hell did you do to piss Matthew


    off? He told me to terminate our partnership. Did the two of you fight or something?¡±


    Sean felt that he was in a bind. He was fully aware that his small mediapany was incapable of


    competing with Matthew.


    Matthew¡¯s words carried the weight of the imperial decree. Sean had no choice but to swallow his pride


    and ept his marching orders as he was in no position to disobey Matthew. Unless ¡­ he was willing


    to burn all bridges with Matthew.


    Veronica bit her lips as she tugged at her hair in annoyance. Eventually, she muttered, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll


    head to the office tomorrow and officially terminate our partnership.¡±


    She¡¯d been around Matthew long enough and knew him far too well by now. He wouldn¡¯t take ¡®no¡¯ for


    an answer.


    Sean¡¯s Starshine Media Agency simply could not withstand the retaliation Matthew would unleash. If


    Sean refused to roll over, Matthew would utterly destroy hispany.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Veronica didn¡¯t want her troubles to bother anyone else.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad ¡­ I do admire your talent. Maybe you should talk to Elizabeth Hutchinson. You are her


    god-granddaughter, after all. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll turn you away if you need help.¡±


    Sean was trying his best toe up with a n for her.


    However, Veronica couldn¡¯t stomach the idea of begging for help again and again. She wouldn¡¯t do it;


    her pride couldn¡¯t handle such a thing. ¡°That¡¯s all right. I appreciate your concern. Thank you for taking


    such good care of me at Starshine. I promise I¡¯ll buy you dinner someday.¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ I look forward to that.¡±


    Sean had wanted to give a few parting words of advice. Nheless, he sensed Veronica was not in a


    good mood, so he chose to say nothing in the end.


    After she hung up the phone, she lounged on the couch. She looked up at Conrad as he had invited


    himself in, and she all but growled, ¡°Well, say whatever it is you have to say.¡±


    Conrad was making a statement that he wasn¡¯t here to hurt her by leaving her door wide open. He


    pointed at the couch. ¡°Can I sit down? I just want to chat.¡±


    Veronica waved her hand indifferently. ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s actions had truly hit her where it hurt, and she could feel the utter disappointment and


    despair welling up within her.


    The happy times they had spent together yed in her mind like a movie. She had once thought that


    meeting Matthew was the best thing that had ever happened to her.


    She knew better now. The love that Matthew could give to Sasha was indeed something that made


    everyone envious, and she was not an exception to that rule.


    He would end Veronica¡¯s career just because she had pped Sasha.


    Veronica was once again grateful that she hadn¡¯t revealed her stake in Vincere Games. She had


    inadvertently given herself a lifeline.


    She could takefort in the fact that thepany had a stable ie and was diversifying into


    other ideas. At the very least, she didn¡¯t have to worry about being strapped for cash for the time being.


    Yet, it was an undeniable fact that Matthew¡¯s actions had dealt a significant blow as she felt that with


    every beat of her heart, the metaphorical knife just kept twisting deeper and deeper. What a heartless


    man.


    ¡°Matthew acted too rashly. You guys were so close. Even if he did all this because of Sasha, he


    shouldn¡¯t have treated you like this.¡± Conrad wanted tofort Veronica, but he was also digging for


    more information.


    Yet, Veronica was entirely in the dark. There was no hope of getting any useful information from her.


    ¡°What happened is between Matthew and me. So, you don¡¯t have to worry too much about it.¡±


    Finally, she ced her phone on the table. She still hadn¡¯t offered Conrad a drink until now. The


    meaning of her discourtesy was obvious.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. Are you sure you¡¯re not here to talk about Ian?¡±


    Ian was Yvonne¡¯s son.


    Veronica suspected that Ian was the real reason why Conrad hade over sote.


    Conrad chuckled embarrassedly. He tilted his head as he murmured, ¡°You¡¯re far too clever for your own


    good.¡±


    He pulled out a wallet from his suit pocket and ced a check on the table. ¡°Here¡¯s ten million dors.¡±


    Still, Veronica leaned back into the couch and stared nkly at the check without saying a word.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t be by Ian¡¯s side after he was born. I¡¯ve failed as a father. I understand Yvie doesn¡¯t want me


    to see him, but please pass this money to her as a ¡­ gesture of goodwill.¡±


    The sincerity in Conrad¡¯s voice was palpable.


    While he was full of polite smiles, and he gave off a courteous impression, Veronica could sense that


    the intentions of his visit today were not as pure as they seemed.


    This money was bait.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you.¡± Veronica leaned down as her slender and fair fingers traced the


    cheque. Then, she gently pushed it back to Conrad. ¡°Yvonne has her family¡¯s help. She¡¯s also more


    than capable of supporting herself. She doesn¡¯t need your money at all.¡±


    Yvonne had her ownpany. In fact, she had her parents¡¯ generous support, so she didn¡¯t have to


    work at all. Besides, she was constantly working hard just to prove herself and develop as an


    individual.


    Forget about Yvonne. Even someone as poor as me wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to ept this money,


    thought Veronica.


    Conrad kept his cool even after Veronica had insulted him. ¡°I know you don¡¯t think much of this money,


    but it¡¯s only a year of alimony. So, please, just do me this favor, will you?¡±


    Veronica huffed; she had no idea what Conrad was trying to do here. She firmly said, ¡°The child¡¯sst


    name is Spencer. He¡¯s Yvonne Spencer¡¯s child.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Well, seeing as you¡¯re not willing to help me, I suppose I better contact Yvie myself.¡±


    With those words, he picked up the check and stood up to leave.


    Then, she squinted as an idea came to mind. If Conrad is willing to spend 10 million to impress


    Yvonne, then what¡¯s the harm in epting the cash?


    Veronica called out, ¡°Leave the money. I¡¯ll pass it on to Yvonne.¡±


    Conrad halted in his steps as a cunning gleam shed through his eyes. Regardless, he did nothing


    but turn around and ce the check back on the table. ¡°Thank you, Veronica. You have no idea how


    much this means to me.¡±


    Finally, he left the apartment, closing the door on his way out.


    Veronica stared wordlessly at the check for a long time. She picked it up and stared at the piece of


    paper a little longer with a solemn face.


    Her thoughts were interrupted by the chiming of her phone.


    This time, it was Ruka calling.


    Veronica answered the phone, but before she could get a word in, Ruka dispensed with the


    pleasantries as she blurted, ¡°Veronica, what¡¯s up with you and Matthew? I just got off the phone with


    Sean. He said Matthew ordered him to end his partnership with you?¡±

 Chapter 475

    Chapter 475


    Chapter 475 True Colors


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Veronica nodded. ¡°Yeah? That¡¯s it? What is going on with you guys? I heard from Sean that you


    offended Matthew, and he¡¯s now trying to force you to admit to your mistakes. This is why Sean asked


    me to persuade you to give in just this once, for the sake of your career.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t easy for thepany to find a good candidate, especially one as good as Veronica. Sean felt


    like he hit it off well with Veronica, and there was no doubt in her capabilities regarding her work. It wasn¡¯t


    a good idea to terminate a contract just because Veronica offended Matthew.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I offended the person that Matthew likes, and so he forced me to apologize. Unfortunately, I


    couldn¡¯t do it, so this happened,¡± she said in a light-hearted manner.


    She lost a job, and it would be difficult for her to find employment in Bloomstead. Yet, how she casually


    exined her current dire situation made it seem like she was merely talking about the weather.


    ¡°The person he liked? Who is it?¡±


    As Ruka once loved him, Veronica¡¯s words aroused her gossipy nature. ¡°Sasha. Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°Sasha? Who is she?¡±


    ¡°Sasha ude.¡± ¡°I know her name is Sasha, but I¡¯ve never heard of this person before.¡± The


    conversation between them didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Do you know Manuel Franklin?¡± Veronica didn¡¯t try to hide anything from Ruka. After all, Matthew


    gave Veronica a hard time today, so it was only natural for her to hold a grudge against him.


    ¡°Oh, yeah I know.¡± ¡°You know Manuel Franklin, but you don¡¯t know Sasha ude?¡±


    ¡°What do they have to do with each other?¡±


    ¡°Are you dumb? Do you still not understand? Manuel went through a sex reassignment surgery and


    became Sasha. D*mn it! She came to my ce to insult me today, so I pped her. Matthew saw all of it,


    yet he demanded I apologize, or else he would make me lose my job in Bloomstead!¡±


    She started getting more agitated the more she talked about the incident, and finally, she couldn¡¯t hold


    herself back as she let it all out.


    She was truly highly irate about the matter.


    It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if whatever happened in the cave at Quran Mountain hadn¡¯t happened a few


    days ago. Because of that passionate day, she thought she still had a ce in his heart, but she ended


    up receiving his brutal treatment, which was a harsh wake-up call as his actions disappointed her utterly.


    ¡°Hold up. Let me try to process this. This is way too much information.¡±


    Ruka analyzed the words that Veronica had just said, and then it dawned on her. ¡°Right. I think I heard


    someone say that Manuel had a sex change operation before, but I didn¡¯t know she was called Sasha


    now. Damn, Matthew¡¯s tastes can be really¡­ interesting, to say the least.¡±


    She thought of the previous encounter in the mall when Matthew kissed Veronica, who was dressed as a


    man. Nheless, Ruka still found herself wholly repulsed when she recalled the incident.


    At that time, she couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Now, when she heard Veronica venting her frustrations, everything suddenly seemed to make sense.


    Veronica was silent for a while as her head drooped in discouragement.


    ¡°Hey, so what¡¯s your n? Do you want to work for me?¡± Ruka felt a little sorry for her.


    A few months ago, Veronica and Matthew were so loving, and it was as though they couldn¡¯t get enough


    of each other. Suffice to say, it made Ruka insanely jealous.


    Nevertheless, when she saw that Veronica was abandoned by Matthew as well, she couldn¡¯t help but


    sympathize with her.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. Matthew let it be known that anyone who dares to hire me will be working against the


    Kings Corporation.¡± Veronica didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for anyone.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t believe he can go against me.¡±


    ¡°You can protect me for now, but can you protect me forever?¡± Veronica inquired sharply.


    Ruka was rendered speechless momentarily because that was a good question. It was one that she,


    herself, didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    ¡°I appreciate your kindness. I will think of a way myself. Anyway, it¡¯s gettingte. Goodbye.¡± Veronica


    hung up the phone and went to take a shower. Afterward, she sat on the bed as she had a video


    conference with Vincere Games¡¯ partner.


    Thepany¡¯s revenue was stable, and the turnover had increased substantially.


    Thepany participated in apetition in the first half of the year and won an award, and now many


    sponsors wanted to cooperate with them.


    Finally, there was some good news in such a disastrous chapter of her life.


    After the video conference ended, Veronica suddenly thought of the 1.5 million dors that Conrad had


    given her to pass on to Yvonne. Therefore, she nned to visit Yvonne tomorrow.


    The next day, Veronica woke up early to train as usual. After she finished training and ate breakfast, she


    went out to visit Yvonne.


    Initially, she had nned to apany Ruka to Castron tomorrow. Thus, Yvonne had requested Sean


    for a day off in her stead.


    Now, it seemed like a wasted effort.


    When Veronica arrived at Yvonne¡¯s vi, she was doing yoga.


    ¡°So anxious to get back in shape?¡± Veronica teased.


    ¡°s, a woman¡¯s body changes after giving birth. But, of course, I would like to maintain my figure.¡±


    Yvonne did a backward stretch and asked, ¡°Why did youe over so early today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought something for you.¡±


    Veronica walked up to Yvonne and waved the check given by Conrad in front of her. ¡°Here¡¯s 1.5 million. I


    was asked to bring it to you. He says it¡¯s for the child¡¯s living expenses for one year. He will also pay for


    child support for the following years ordingly.¡±


    ¡°Conrad?¡±


    Yvonne immediately lost her motivation to exercise after hearing his name. Instead, she sat on the yoga


    mat and took the check from Veronica. After she had inspected it for a while, she frowned. ¡°What is he


    ying at?¡±


    ¡±I¡¯m going to continue to y dumb.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. He¡¯s going to reveal his true colors sooner orter.¡± Yvonne nodded her head.


    The two chatted for a while before Veronica left the vi and went to Starshine Media Agency to sign the


    termination contract with Sean.


    It was precisely at this moment that Yvonne¡¯s cell phone rang.


    When she turned it on, she saw an unfamiliar string of numbers on the screen.


    ¡°Hello. Who¡¯s speaking?¡±


    ¡°Hello. Are you the wife of the owner of this phone? Your husband has fainted. I found your phone


    number on his phone under ¡®wife¡¯,¡± the other party spoke frantically.


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy. I¡¯m not married yet. How could I have a husband?¡± Yvonne cursed at them and hung up


    the phone.


    She threw the phone on the table in vexation and sat on the couch as she pampered herself with a facial


    mask.


    But the longer she thought about it, she suddenly felt that the string of numbers just now was somewhat


    familiar.


    Suddenly, she realized something and muttered to herself, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Conrad¡¯s number?¡±


    After the previous conflict between them, she blocked his number.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Still, she bought a new phone, so she forgot about blocking his number on this one.


    Isn¡¯t that his number?


    Her mind recalled the words of the person who had just called¡­


    Are you the wife of the owner of this phone¡­Your number is on his phone, under ¡®wife¡¯.


    All this time, Conrad had not been in contact with her.


    Yvonne thought that she had blocked him so he couldn¡¯t call her. Now that she had thought about it


    carefully, she changed her phone, so it was possible for Conrad to call her now. Though, he never took


    the initiative to contact her.


    He even gave 1.5 million to her through Veronica.


    Why am I still called ¡®wife¡¯ on his phone?


    All kinds of thoughts came to mind, and she felt slightly unsettled.


    Just now, the person said that Conrad had fainted.


    Yvonne felt a hint of uneasiness and figured she should at least call back to find out what exactly was


    going on.

 Chapter 476

    Chapter 476


    Chapter 476 Conrad¡¯s Spectacr Acting Skills


    ¡°Are you crazy, Yvonne? You¡¯re not even in contact with that b*stard anymore. So, what does he have to


    do with you even if he¡¯s dead?¡± Yvonne was talking to herself aloud.


    She eventually ced her phone down and closed her eyes as she had her facial mask on. But after that


    little facial session, she still felt anxious. So, she couldn¡¯t help but call the number again. Beep beep¡­


    The phone rang a few times before the other party answered. Yvonne immediately asked, ¡°Hello, was it


    you who called me just now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was my colleague who called. May I ask if you are the family of the phone owner? Pleasee to


    the hospital to pay the hospital fees.¡± ¡°Hospital?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The patient fainted on the road and was taken to the hospital. The situation is bleak and needs


    further examination. But you¡¯d bettere over and pay the medical¡­¡±


    ¡°Doctor, the patient¡¯s situation is very unpromising. Look, here are the test results. There are signs of


    cancer cells spreading.¡± ¡°Cancer cells? Let me see.¡±


    Yvonne was conversing with the doctor when another woman¡¯s voice rang out on the phone. When she


    heard the other party say ¡®cancer cells spreading¡¯, her heart pounded in fear. How can this be?


    ¡°Hello, are you his family? Please hurry up ande to the hospital. The patient¡¯s condition is in dire


    straits,¡± the doctor continued to say to Yvonne. Yvonne was frozen in ce before she replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll


    be there right away.¡±


    Then, she hung up the phone and went to wash her face before quickly changing her clothes. She didn¡¯t


    hesitate as she drove straight to the hospital.


    It took half an hour to reach there, and Yvonne¡¯s mind kept recalling the doctor¡¯s words. As the doctor¡¯s


    words echoed in her mind, the uneasiness within her swelled with each passing second.


    The moment she arrived at the hospital, she inquired about the situation at the front desk and went to the


    ER. However, when she had just run to the corridor, she heard amotion originating from the ER.


    ¡°Sir, your situation is very severe. Please cooperate with the treatment.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s right. You have liver cancer, and it has spread. You won¡¯t have much time left if you don¡¯t get


    treated in time.¡± ¡°I know you must be worried about money, but is money as important as your body?¡±


    A few medical staff tried to stop Conrad, but he pushed them away. ¡°Let go! I told you, I¡¯m fine. What do


    you mean I have liver cancer?¡±


    ¡°We did a CT scan on you, and it shows clearly that you do.¡± The doctor tugged on his arm. ¡°You need to


    get treatment as soon as possible.¡±


    Suddenly, he pushed the doctor against the wall and held onto the doctor¡¯s neck with his hand. ¡°I repeat,


    I am not sick. And, if this thing gets out, I¡¯ll drag the hospital¡¯s name to the mud!¡±


    Everyone was stunned, and nobody dared to make a sound after hearing that threat.


    Only then did he let go of the doctor¡¯s neck. He let out a derisive snort as he walked in the direction of


    the elevator.


    There, he saw Yvonne, who was standing by the doors of the elevator.


    This caught him by surprise as he halted in his steps momentarily. Regardless, he continued walking


    toward her with furrowed brows.


    Yvonne had just heard the entire conversation, and it was only then that she discovered that he was


    ill. But¡­


    Is he acting?


    Yvonne still had some doubts about the matter.


    She thought that Conrad would talk to her when heid his gaze on her. Instead, he stopped at the


    elevator entrance to press the elevator button, faced the other way, and didn¡¯t say a word.


    During the whole time, it was as though he didn¡¯t see Yvonne, who was just standing at the side.


    If it weren¡¯t for the slight pause in his steps earlier, she would have believed that he hadn¡¯t seen her.


    Although they were in close proximity, it felt like there was a chasm between them.


    Even though she hadn¡¯t seen him for half a year, her heart still pounded now that he was right before her.


    Even the thought of him having cancer caused a burst of pain deep inside her heart.


    Ding!


    The elevator door opened when it reached their floor.


    Conrad immediately entered the elevator. He didn¡¯t even hesitate to press the close button, so the doors


    closed after him, and he left, just like that.


    From the beginning to the end, he didn¡¯t even nce at Yvonne; it was as if she didn¡¯t exist.


    At this time, a paramedic came over. ¡°Are you the wife of the gentleman just now?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yes, I am.¡± Yvonne returned to her senses and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Why


    was he so emotional just now?¡±


    The doctor standing before her was the same doctor Conrad had just choked. He pointed to the CT


    report in his hand and said, ¡°The patient has advanced liver cancer and now needs treatment, but I see


    that the patient was agitated just now. It¡¯s probably because he couldn¡¯t ept reality. As the patient¡¯s


    family member, you must persuade him to cooperate with the treatment. He must fight for that sliver of


    chance that the treatment takes, and he lives a long life. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that he doesn¡¯t have long


    to live.¡±


    ¡°What? He doesn¡¯t have long to live? What do you mean?¡±


    Yvonne clutched onto her bag nervously. She unconsciously held her breath as she waited for the


    doctor¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°Look, the cancer cells have spread so much. It is severe.¡± The doctor pointed to the CT report. ¡°If it


    deteriorates further, he will only have about less than a year to live.¡±


    The doctor let out a long sigh. ¡°After years of practicing medicine, I¡¯ve seen too many reactions like this


    from patients. Most of them are not willing to ept it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I-I understand.¡±


    Yvonne nodded her head, but her mind was filled with white noise.


    In the end, she didn¡¯t even know how she got into the elevator and left the hospital.


    After she returned to the vi, Yvonne had expected that Conrad would take the initiative to contact her,


    but she didn¡¯t receive a single text from him even though she had waited for the entire day.


    ¡­


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Veronica and Ruka had agreed to go to Castron the next day, but today she received a call from Ruka,


    saying that the fashion show scheduled in Castron had been canceled.


    Ruka asked, ¡°So¡­ Do you still want to go to Castron?¡±


    She knew that Veronica was in a bad mood, so she was cautious with her words.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ve already promised you that, and I won¡¯t go back on my promise.¡±


    So, the two took a ne the next day and went straight to Castron.


    On the other hand, Yvonne tossed and turned. She stayed awake the whole night as her mind was


    preupied with Conrad¡¯s situation.


    The check sitting on her bedside table kept reminding her of the man.


    Finally, she couldn¡¯t resist it anymore as she phoned Conrad.


    Beep, beep¡­


    Someone picked up the phone.


    After the call was connected, Yvonne did not wait for the other party to speak.


    Both of them knew who each other was, but Conrad didn¡¯t have the intention of talking first.


    ¡°W-What are you doing right now?¡± Yvonne finally stammered out a question after swallowing the other


    questions she had for him in her heart.


    ¡°Working.¡±


    Conrad¡¯s attitude was slightly cold. ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Yvonne didn¡¯t know what to say. Finally, she nced back at the check on the bedside table and


    asked, ¡°I just wanted to ask, why did you give me the check?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Veronica exin? That check isn¡¯t for you. It¡¯s for the child.¡±


    He sounded indifferent, which made her feel as though there was a wall between them.


    She was utterly unused to his cold reception, so she couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something very


    wrong with the way he was acting.


    Could it be¡­ that there is something he couldn¡¯t tell me?


    ¡°I can raise the child myself. Where are you? I¡¯ll return the check to you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± he didn¡¯t leave room for discussion as he refused.


    But Yvonne was stubborn. ¡°I don¡¯t want your things.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m at thepany.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then, I¡¯ll be seeing you.¡±


    Yvonne took the check and drove to Conrad¡¯spany.


    Humans were innately curious creatures. Therefore, she was no different from everyone else. If anything,


    she was even more curious and worried since she was still deeply in love with Conrad and the mother of


    his child.


    Now that she had learned that he had cancer, she felt very ufortable.

 Chapter 477

    Chapter 477


    Chapter 477 The ¡®Truth¡¯ Is Revealed


    After Yvonne arrived at Southcon Enterprise, she checked in with the receptionist, who took her to the


    president¡¯s office. She rapped smartly on the door, and a muffled voice permitted her to enter after a


    while.


    Her hand hovered over the door handle. She swallowed nervously before pushing the door open and


    entering the office. ¡°Ugh ¡­¡±


    Conrad slouched in the executive chair and was coughing uncontrobly. Conrad looked flustered when


    he saw Yvonne entering the office. He hastily stowed away the medicine boxes on the table into the


    drawer.


    In his haste, he identally knocked over a box of medicine, and it ttered noisily on the floor. Yvonne,


    who just happened to walk over, picked up the box when she spotted it.


    The box wasbeled ¡®Soranib¡¯. Thebel further exined, ¡®This product is used for treating inoperable


    or distant metastatic hepatocellr carcinoma.¡¯ ¡°How dare you touch my things?!¡±


    Conrad lunged over and snatched the box away from Yvonne. He stuffed it into a drawer and mmed it


    shut. A loud bang resounded in the office.


    He shot Yvonne a re. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just here to hand over the check? You can leave if you¡¯ve done what


    you came to do.¡±


    Then, he smoothly picked up a document on the table and pretended to read it. He had no intention of


    entertaining Yvonne.


    Yvonne felt the difort in her heart swell when she saw his agitated outburst. She had known him for


    such a long time and had never seen him in the throes of such a violent temper. Furthermore, the look of


    panic on his face was not an act. ¡°Does he really have ¡­ cancer?¡±


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. A secretary stepped into the office and said, ¡°President Kings,


    the meeting has begun.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡±


    Conrad ced the document back on the desk. Then, he stood up and said, ¡°If you¡¯ve delivered the


    check, please leave. As you can see, I¡¯m very busy. I have no time to idle chatter.¡±


    He strutted out of the office and headed for the conference room.


    Inside the office, Yvonne stood frozen in the same spot. She was instantly besieged by a swirl of


    emotions that she couldn¡¯t even begin to identify.


    She was wholly frazzled as her thoughts felt like a ball of yarn. She had no idea what to make of


    everything that had just happened.


    She was in love with Conrad, and the sudden terrible news stunned her. She was suddenly overwhelmed


    by a sharp re of despair.


    Her reverie was interrupted by yet another series of knocks on the door.


    The door opened, and a woman peeked into the office.


    Click, ck, click, ck.


    Her high heels clicked on the floor tiles as she stepped into the office. ¡°Where¡¯s President Kings?¡±


    ¡°Ah, h-he¡¯s gone to the meeting,¡± sputtered Yvonne.


    The woman who just stepped in was the chief secretary. Therefore, it was only natural that she


    recognized Yvonne. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you, Miss Spencer. Why don¡¯t you sit down for a while? Would you like a


    drink? Some coffee? Tea?¡±


    The chief secretary arranged three thick folders on Conrad¡¯s desk.


    Yvonne stole a quick nce and noticed that they were insurance documents.


    Her heart pounded with trepidation, so she blurted the first drink that came to mind, ¡°Umm ¡­ if it¡¯s not


    too much trouble, do you have any grounded coffee?¡±


    ¡°Why, of course.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Miss Spencer.¡± The chief secretary briskly walked out of the office.


    After Yvonne ensured that the door was closed shut, she hurriedly grabbed the insurance documents.


    She initially thought it was the insurance Conrad had bought for her. s, her worst fears were


    confirmed when she opened the folder. It was a life insurance n that Conrad had bought for himself,


    and he had listed Yvonne as the beneficiary.


    In that instant, tears suddenly welled in her eyes as she began to ept the reality that he was truly ill.


    She turned her attention to the second insurance contract.


    It was an ident insurance. The insurance insured both Yvonne and Ian for ten million dors.


    The insurance even had both their ID numbers.


    Yvonne sighed as she continued to read the third document. It was a profit-sharing policy for Ian.


    The amount insured was another ten million.


    Yvonne suddenly remembered something after she had read all three documents in detail. She hurriedly


    scanned the file and discovered that Conrad had bought it for her six months ago ¡­


    Six months ago¡­ Isn¡¯t that when Zac arrived in Bloomstead and kidnapped me?


    She was sure of it. She had called Conrad, begging for help, but he hadn¡¯t picked up the call. Instead, it


    was Veronica who had rescued her and showed her footage from a surveince camera.


    In the video, Conrad was sitting in the office with a girl straddled on hisp.


    Why? If I mean nothing to him, then why did he buy me an insurance policy half a year ago and make


    me the beneficiary?


    An answer came to mind ¡­


    Could this all be an act on Conrad¡¯s part?


    He clearly had her contact information yet chose not to contact her.


    He obviously knew where Ian lived. So why hadn¡¯t he visited him?


    Conrad constantly threatened to take Ian away, yet he had made no concrete moves.


    Yvonne mulled over the onught of information. At the end of the day, it was too much for her to bear


    as her knees wobbled, and she fell to the ground.


    She clutched the contract close to her chest as her hands trembled uncontrobly. Finally, she couldn¡¯t


    hold back her tears and broke down in uncontroble sobs.


    Yvonne ced the documents back on the desk and sat on a couch in the lounge room.


    Not long after, the chief secretary brought her a cup of coffee. ¡°Miss Spencer, please take your time.


    President Kings is currently in a meeting. He¡¯ll be with you as soon as the meeting is over.¡±


    Yvonne sniffled as she tried to wipe away her tears discretely. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait.¡±


    ¡°Miss Spencer, are you crying? Is everything okay?¡±


    Yvonne nodded her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    The chief secretary clearly wanted to say something but bit her tongue out of professionalism. ¡°All right,


    please let me know if you need anything else.¡± Then, she turned and left.


    As soon as the door shut, Yvonne couldn¡¯t stop bawling.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Excruciating pain tore through her heart. It didn¡¯t hurt like this the time she and Conrad had a


    misunderstanding. It even hurt more than the time he suggested they break up.


    Why is this happening?


    She sobbed as an oppressive sense of despair overwhelmed her entire being.


    The office door opened, and Conrad entered the room. He stared at her. ¡°W-Why are you still here?¡±


    Yvonne choked back tears. Her face was red and blotchy from crying, and she looked at him with tears in


    her eyes.


    She saw the face she knew so well, as calm, dignified, and charming as ever. The instant she was


    reminded that the man she loved didn¡¯t have much time left, agony gripped her heart.


    Conrad didn¡¯t say anything upon seeing her tears; he offered no words of constion. Instead, he sat


    down at his desk and began sorting out a pile of documents.


    This tant attempt at ignoring Yvonne confirmed her suspicions.


    There¡¯s no doubt about it! Conrad knew he had cancer. That¡¯s why he deliberately chose not to answer


    my calls. That¡¯s why he had an affair with another woman.


    Both Conrad and Zac were friends. After she nted evidence on Zac to frame Conrad, Zac spared


    Conrad¡¯s life, knowing that his friend was fighting cancer.


    This line of reasoning made too much sense.


    She braced herself as she staggered towards Conrad.


    She stumbled over, gripped his desk, and mumbled, ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡±


    Conrad didn¡¯t look up from the documents he was reading. She immediately noticed that he had already


    hidden the insurance policies away.


    ¡°No.¡± Conrad¡¯s answer was curt and matter-of-fact as if he wasn¡¯t dying from cancer.


    That wasn¡¯t the answer Yvonne was looking for as she stood mutely by the desk. For a long time, she


    didn¡¯t know what to say; tears wordlessly rolled down her face.


    Her fingers scratched against the desk in anxiety. Finally, after she watched on as Conrad signed some


    of the documents, she bit the bullet and muttered through gritted teeth, ¡°I ¡­ read the insurance


    documents.¡±


    Conrad¡¯s hand wavered as soon as he heard what she had said. Then, he violently mmed the pen


    against the table. ¡°How dare you go through my things?¡±

 Chapter 478

    Chapter 478


    Chapter 478 Yvonne Falls for His Trap Again


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Yvonne couldn¡¯t bring herself to say the words. So, she pursed her lips gently together,


    suppressed the sadness in her heart, and said. ¡°Answer my question.¡±


    All she wanted now was to find out why Conrad lied to her, and she needed to hear his reasons from


    him.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I need to tell you.¡± He lowered his head and started working, taking his eyes away from


    her. ¡°Get out. I¡¯m going to work now,¡± he said and began to read a document carefully, ignoring Yvonne.


    She was distressed and annoyed when faced with his indifference. Hence, she took a step forward,


    snatched the document out of his hands, and tossed it aside. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s wrong with you?!¡±


    This time, she raised her voice and yelled hysterically.


    Conrad was shocked by her reaction as he stared at her in disbelief and was at a loss for words for a


    long while.


    ¡°Do you have cancer? Did you already have cancer six months ago, so you refused to pick up my calls


    after Zac caught me to make me lose hope in you? Is that right?¡±


    Her heart was filled with anxiety without an answer from him, and tears rolled down her face


    uncontrobly from her swollen eyes, looking incredibly pitiful when she was sad and crying.


    There was a split second when Conrad was shocked and touched by Yvonne¡¯s reaction upon finding out


    that he had ¡®cancer¡¯. Despite that, his mind started reying the things that had happened between him


    and Zac.


    That night, he was taken away by Zac precisely because Yvonne had fibbed to Zac, and that was how he


    ended up being humiliated.


    If it weren¡¯t because of this woman in front of him, he would have never been vited by Zac.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Taken over by his self-esteem as a man, Conrad felt that he had suffered a great insult, and he directed


    and amplified all the abuses he had suffered from Zac on Yvonne.


    Because of that, the affection and guilt that arose from her reaction disappeared in an instant.


    All that was left was hate.


    Even so, he had to finish his performance perfectly, and this was the moment an actor could disy his


    skills.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Conrad rose to his feet, reached out to pick up the document she had snatched away earlier, and


    returned to his seat again, continuing his work.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! It¡¯s not like that!¡± Yvonne shook her head repeatedly in disbelief, unable to ept the


    things he said. ¡°Why? Why did you lie to me? Why?¡±


    She choked as she sobbed, and her cries were so heartbreaking that she couldn¡¯t handle all the


    emotions swirling in her. She slowly crouched down and cried helplessly with her head buried in her


    hands.


    Conrad feignedposure as he pretended to be reading the document. When he noticed her crouched


    figure on the floor, he narrowed his eyes, and a smirk tinged the edges of his lips.


    Yvonne Spencer, you brought this upon yourself! he thought. From now on, everything you go through


    will be your retribution.


    After a long moment of silence, he drew a few pieces of tissue and passed them to her. ¡°Stop crying¡­


    You¡¯re affecting my work.¡±


    She was startled by his sudden attention as she nced at his face, which carried a trace of grief.


    Although he had said the cruelest things, it was all for her own good, and she couldn¡¯t help the tears that


    rolled down her cheeks due to his considerate nature.


    She felt incredibly annoyed as she sprang up and punched his shoulders repeatedly. ¡°You¡¯re a meanie! A


    meanie! Why did you lie to me? Why¡­ Conrad, you¡¯re an *sshole¡­¡± she cried, sniffling between her


    words.


    She punched him to vent her frustrations, but he didn¡¯t resist at all. Slowly, he stood up and let her rain


    her punches on his chest.


    Yvonne was tired from raining brows at him, so she threw herself into his chest and circled her arms


    around his waist, sobbing, ¡°Conrad, why didn¡¯t you tell me about all the things that had happened?


    Why?¡±


    At this point, Conrad thought his performance was close to perfection, and he said solemnly, ¡°That¡¯s


    because it¡¯s enough if only one person is suffering.¡±


    When Yvonne finally heard an answer from him, she raised her head slowly, staring at him woefully


    through her swollen and teary eyes. ¡°Why are you¡­ so silly? You¡¯re so silly¡­¡±


    How could such a silly man exist? He had done so many things secretly that she knew nothing about for


    her sake.


    If she hadn¡¯t received the call yesterday, she might never find out the truth her whole life.


    ¡°Why do I think that you¡¯re more silly than me?¡± He wrapped an arm around her waist, and used another


    hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks with tissues. ¡°Yvie, we¡¯ve already broken up. Don¡¯t you know


    that you shouldn¡¯t look back after a breakup? You¡¯re still young, and a great future awaits you.¡±


    He looked at her with adoration as he said the words which tugged at her heartstrings the most, and


    even though he was persuading her to break up with him, it charmed her into loving him more as now


    she would do anything to stay with him.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want that. I-I¡­ only want you.¡± Therefore, she grabbed the hand that was wiping away her


    tears and ced it on her chest, where her heart was beating against it. ¡°My heart is so small that it can


    fit only you. All I can think about is to love you, and I¡­ don¡¯t want to love anyone else anymore.¡±


    As he heard her sincere confession, he was a little touched and held her tightly in his arms. ¡°Yvie, what


    should I do with you? You¡¯re still so young, and I¡­ I¡¯ll only hold up your youth.¡±


    She leaned against his chest, breathed in his scent, and felt utterly at peace. Even though he had


    cancer, she was content to have met such a man in her life.


    ¡°Conrad, you¡¯re¡­ everything I want,¡± she muttered, stood on tiptoes, and held his face with her palms as


    her lips met his.


    This kiss was deep and passionate.


    Conrad didn¡¯t turn her down; he had to admit that when it came to Yvonne, she was curvaceous and had


    an incredible figure. In addition, she always practiced yoga, and was the best in bed among the other


    women he had been with.


    While they kissed each other passionately, he led her toward the lounge and pulled the door open before


    taking her into the small resting area. Then, he ced her gently on the bed.


    When he was above her, he asked again in a husky voice, ¡°Silly Yvie, are you¡­ really not going to regret


    this? You should know that¡­ maybe I can¡¯t be with you for a long time.¡±


    This was simply to tell her that he may not live long, and she could still choose to leave him now.


    The tears in her eyes rolled down the corners of her eyes, and she shook her head. Finally, she wrapped


    her arms around his neck, kissed him, and said, ¡°Conrad, I just want to be with you forever.¡±


    Where in the world am I going to find such an amazing man like him? she asked herself.


    Silently, she decided in her heart that even if she had to give everything she had in this life, she would


    treat his cancer and stay with him until thest moment of his life.


    ¡°Yvie, you¡¯re¡­ so silly.¡±


    Conrad leaned down, held her waist, and picked up the remote control next to the bed to close the


    curtains.


    After that, merrymaking broke out in the tiny lounge. At first, it was Yvonne taking the initiative until it


    became Conrad who was in control.


    Although they were utterly engrossed in their merriment, Yvonne was a little worried about Conrad¡¯s


    health, and a few times, she couldn¡¯t help but advise him, ¡°Conrad, you¡¯re unwell, so you shouldn¡¯t


    overdo it.¡±


    However, he was affectionate and loving as he said, ¡°My physical condition is excellent. So, it¡¯s not a


    problem.¡±

 Chapter 479

    Chapter 479


    Chapter 479 Conrad¡¯s Scheme


    After their merriment, Yvonne fell asleep while Conrad leaned against the bed¡¯s headboard, looking out


    the window with deep thoughts in his mind.


    Even though his n was a sess, he felt no satisfaction or exhration from it. In contrast, he felt


    even more troubled.


    Time passed by, and the tired Yvonne woke up. When she saw that the man was smoking beside her,


    she reached out and held him by the waist. ¡°Conrad, you¡¯re not well. Why are you still smoking?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Despite what he said, he had already put out the cigarette between his fingers in an ashtray.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so worried about me.¡±


    ¡°How can I not worry about you¡­?¡±


    As she leaned on him, she took in his unique smell, then immersed herself in bitter sadness.


    She had even forgotten that it had only been two weeks since she had given birth and was still in her


    maternity period.


    ¡°You should be worried about yourself and the baby. It will be best if both of you are healthy and safe.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t any sweet talk, but just because Conrad said these in his ¡®current condition¡¯, it moved


    Yvonne so much that she felt a sting in her nose again.


    Tears stung her eyes, and she pursed her cherry lips. ¡°The baby¡­ Have you met him yet?¡±


    Since he knew which hospital the baby was born in and also had a copy of his proof of birth, could it be


    that he had also met the baby before? she wondered.


    ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± he admitted. ¡°The baby is very adorable, and his eyes look just like yours.¡±


    The best lies are the ones that were built upon the truth. If it weren¡¯t because he didn¡¯t have cancer, even


    he would be caught up in the lie and feel touched.


    For Yvonne, just the thought that Conrad purposely stayed away from her because he had cancer and


    even nned their breakup filled her with guilt.


    ¡°Conrad, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Previously, she had made all the preparations to guard herself against him, but who knew that he didn¡¯t


    have any thoughts of harming the baby, not to mention taking the baby away from her side?


    ¡°Huh? Why are you apologizing out of the blue?¡± A gleam shed past his eyes, feigning ignorance even


    though he knew what she meant.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± She raised her head, looked into his eyes, and whispered softly, ¡°Before this¡­ I kept having the


    wrong idea about you. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want you to meet the baby. I-If I knew that this is what the


    situation is, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed Matthew to hide the baby.¡±


    All the prep work from before was so that he could find out the baby¡¯s whereabouts from Yvonne.


    Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t expect that everything would progress so smoothly.


    Three days, he thought. No, if I calcted everything into hours, it was only fifty hours.


    Luckily Veronica wasn¡¯t in the country, or Yvonne wouldn¡¯t have taken the bait so easily.


    ¡°You¡­¡± He knitted his brows slightly and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s just as well. It¡¯s not a bad thing to pass the baby


    to Matthew. He¡¯ll probably protect the child well. Otherwise, I can¡¯t imagine what will happen if Zac finds


    the child.¡±


    ¡°Conrad, aren¡¯t you enemies with Matthew the whole time?¡±


    ¡°Silly Yvie, no matter how we¡¯re always going against each other, we¡¯re still rted by blood. On the


    other hand, Zac is a ruthless person you must beware of.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°But Roni told me previously that you wanted to take the baby¡­¡± she trailed off hesitantly as she couldn¡¯t


    bring herself toplete her sentence.


    ¡°You wanted to say that I¡¯m using the baby as the bargaining chip to vie for the spot as the heir?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± When Conrad said it aloud, Yvonne¡¯s heart felt more at ease.


    He held her in his embrace as he twirled her hair yfully and stared at her cherry lips before giving her


    a light kiss. ¡°Even though I¡¯m going to die, that is my baby after all, and I just want him to have what he


    deserves.¡±


    Conrad¡¯s initial intention was that since the baby was a member of the Kings Family, the Kings had to


    provide the benefits and inheritance he deserved.


    Since he had such a perfect exnation at hand, Yvonne wholly believed his words, and she was so


    moved that she couldn¡¯t even express the emotions she was feeling in her heart.


    Therefore, she lifted her head to look at the man in front of her andmitted his handsome face into


    memory as her admiration and love for him overwhelmed all of her rationale.


    She ced her hand on his face and stroked the stubble on his chin. Even though he had a beard now,


    his mature appearance made him even more attractive, making her heart skip a beat.


    ¡°Conrad¡­¡± she whispered softly.


    He raised his brows. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Do you know that you¡¯re the most amazing man I¡¯ve ever met in my life?¡± she said, and her voice


    started to quiver while her fingers on his face trembled. ¡°God is simply too unfair.¡±


    Conrad felt triumphant from the sess of his strategy when he saw that she had fallen so deeply into


    the trap that he had set for her till she could not untwine herself from him. Despite that, he didn¡¯t disy


    those emotions on his face and continued with his passionate act. ¡°Loving you with my whole life is


    God¡¯s gift to me. I¡¯m very content, Yvie.¡±


    Right after the words left his lips, he leaned over and took her lips again.


    When both parties had deep feelings for each other, it was only natural that they were unable to control


    the burst of hormones that followed.


    Hence, from morning until afternoon untilte night, they both made love with breaks in between. Their


    passion was overflowing, as though they were madly trying to make up for the six months they had lost.


    On this day, she realized that being with him brought her exhratingfort and satisfaction.


    Atst, shey therepletely drained, shaking her head. ¡°Conrad, that¡¯s enough¡­ enough¡­¡± Then,


    she sat up and dragged the man behind her to face him. ¡°Please watch out for your health, okay? You¡¯re


    in a special period now.¡±


    ¡°Silly Yvie.¡± The corner of his lips curled into a smirk as he held her waist and pulled her into his


    embrace. ¡°If my body will perish, girls, I will cherish. My motto in life is, life is short, so we should always


    live in the present.¡±


    A phrase that was filled with positive energy took on a different twist when Conrad said it.


    She drew circles on his chest with her slender fingers, feeling the warmth from his skin and lusting for the


    madness from earlier.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that. Your health is more important.¡±


    She was apprehensive about his health, and although he seemed fine now, the outbreaks of some


    diseases were concentrated inter stages, making it impossible for people to notice. Nheless, now


    that she knew he was sick, it would be better if she paid attention to everything.


    ¡°Once. Just once, okay?¡± He leaned towards her and whispered into her ear, ¡°Do you have any idea how


    I made it past these six months?¡±


    One phrase was all it took to turn her on; her ears felt hot, and she nced at him with blushed cheeks,


    saying, ¡°T-Then¡­ just this time, okay? After this, both of us have to¡­ control ourselves, alright?¡±


    While he gazed at the dumb girl before him, who appeared as innocent as a rabbit, a smile spread


    across Conrad¡¯s face, but his mind was filled with scenes when he was humiliated by Zac.


    ¡°Okay, I promise you. I¡¯ll get you a ss of water.¡±


    Then, he got up, paced to the table, and took out a ss from the cab. He also took out something


    else before pouring her a ss of water and dropping it in.


    That thing melted in water immediately and went unnoticed.


    ¡°You must be tired, aren¡¯t you? Have a drink of water.¡± Finally, he turned around and passed the water to


    Yvonne.


    When she saw how attentive he still was toward her, she was very touched. ¡°You¡¯re so nice, Conrad.¡±

 Chapter 480

    Chapter 480


    Chapter 480 Poor Yvonne


    Yvonne didn¡¯t have her guard up against Conrad, so she had no idea that he loathed her to the core, and


    all this hatred stemmed from the fact that she fibbed to Zac about him before, whichnded him in such a


    miserable situation.


    To begin with, he disliked intimate acts between men, and of all things, he had turned into the person he


    hated the most. With this shame deeply etched into his bones, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to forgive¡ªor


    even ept¡ªYvonne.


    After she drank the water, he held her in bed and continued embracing her until her mind gradually


    became confused. Then, he pulled away and kept her upied with something else.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Before he entered the bathroom for a shower, he made a call to a person. ¡°Bring them here.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr.


    Kings,¡± the person on the other end answered and hung up.


    After a long wait, half a dozen men showed up with camera equipment in the small lounge of the


    president¡¯s office. Well-built and tall, these burly men looked like they had the brutish manner of a


    butcher.


    Conrad swept his gaze past these men before him, smirked icily, and turned to leave the office without a


    word.


    Then, he took out a bottle of wine from the wine cab in the office, opened it, and poured a drink.


    Finally, he paced to the French windows, stood there, and watched Bloomstead, the city that never


    sleeps.


    Half of his plot was a sess, but he felt no pleasure after having his revenge. In contrast, his heart felt


    heavier, and he wondered what he should do after he had his revenge on Yvonne. What now after this?


    How can I deal with Zac?


    As long as Zac remained alive, his days would be dark, miserable, and hopeless. The cause of all of this


    was due to Yvonne; it was all her fault.


    Laughter burst out from the lounge. ¡°Everything aside, this chick is quite a stunner.¡±


    ¡°We struck a good deal today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! Ha!¡±


    As the door to the small lounge was kept slightly ajar, he could hear all the voices inside clearly.


    Tonight, Conrad stood in front of the windows and finished three bottles of wine, listening to the


    ceaseless noises from the room as his face remained emotionless.


    This schemested for a few hours before everyone finally left. Everything was akin to a nightmare, but


    the person involved¡ªYvonne¡ªknew nothing at all, and when she woke up, it was already afternoon the


    next day.


    ¡°Ouch¡­ it hurts¡­¡±


    The first thing Yvonne felt upon waking up was soreness all over her body, especially one particr part


    of her body was in pain.


    However, when she saw Conrad, who was dressed neatly and standing at the windows, worry filled her


    mind, specifically regarding the fact that he had ¡®cancer¡¯ now, and she immediately ignored the pain she


    felt.


    ¡°Are you awake, Conrad? Are you¡­ feeling okay?¡±


    When she recalled their crazy lovemaking the day before, she was perturbed that his body couldn¡¯t take


    it.


    The man merely turned around and peered at Yvonne, who was on the bed, before smiling at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake? Go and wash up quickly.¡±


    If she didn¡¯t, he would only find her disgusting.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She thought that he was asking her to take a shower because they were too crazyst night, and her


    body was a little sticky, after all. Probably because it was too warm in the summer, there was also an


    ufortable stenching from her body.


    She got up, wrapped herself in a towel, and went to the bathroom, but every step she took sent a jolt of


    pain through her.


    She knew that it was the ¡®results¡¯ of using too much force, but when she recalled how she was taking the


    initiative yesterday and that both were in so much pleasure, she thought this little bit of pain was nothing.


    She didn¡¯t utter a sound as she was afraid it would make him feel guilty if she told him about it.


    In the bathroom, she let the hot water run, and the second she felt the water, she took a deep breath in


    pain. ¡°Ouch¡­¡±


    Despite feeling ufortable, she tolerated the pain while showering and then changed into the clean


    clothing Conrad had prepared for her. Then, she pursed her pink lips and ced her hands behind her


    back, wearing a shy expression on her beautiful face. ¡°Conrad, I¡¯m sorry I¡­ messed up your lounge.¡±


    Goodness, Yvonne Spencer. You¡¯ve really lost your mind. You know that Conrad is unwell, but you were


    still so crazy. That¡¯s really irresponsible of you, she chided herself. She silently vowed I¡¯ll never ever go


    so ¡®crazy¡¯ with him again after this.


    Conrad merely swept his cold gaze past the messy room, and a cruel gleam shed past his eyes.


    Finally, he turned around and opened the window to air the room; all sorts of scents filled this room, and


    it made him feel sick.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m taking you out for a meal.¡± He paced to her and patted her


    head gently. She must be famished.


    Hence, they went to eat, and the next few days were the happiest days of Yvonne¡¯s life.


    While she spent her time together with Conrad, basking in his affection and care, she literally felt that she


    had fallen into a jar of honey, and even the air tasted sweet.


    However, as fate would have it, Zac came to Bloomstead for business purposes on this day, and as


    expected, Conrad couldn¡¯t turn down the pressure from him. He felt like a piece of meat on the chopping


    board and was utterly at Zac¡¯s mercy.


    The fury and hatred in his heart built up little by little, but he didn¡¯t dare to speak a word about it. After


    Zac was gone, he brought Yvonne to his office again.


    That night, Yvonne didn¡¯t leave and fell into a ¡®slumber¡¯ so deep that it was as though she had passed


    out, but she didn¡¯t know a thing about the scene that took ce after she had ¡®fallen asleep¡¯.


    Conrad was seated on the couch with his feet on the coffee table as he swayed the wine in his ss


    before giving it a leisurely taste. As he listened to the noises from the bedroom, he chuckled, but there


    was not a hint of happiness that reached his eyes. After that, hisughs turned even more outrageous


    and loud.


    He was akin to a person with a mental health condition who had lost his mind as heughed maniacally.


    He didn¡¯t know why he wasughing, but he thought fate was making a fool out of him, leaving him


    feeling that life was sad and ridiculous. While he wasughing at the unfairness in life, Yvonne was kept


    in the dark, ignorant of all that was happening.


    So, after every time he was ¡®summoned¡¯ by Zac, Yvonne had to suffer the corresponding ¡®punishment¡¯.


    Only by doing this could he bear the hatred in his heart and feel vindicated.


    Days like this went on for a very long time; lost in the nightmare, Yvonne was oblivious to everything, and


    when she found out afterward, it was another round of thunderstorms.


    Never would she imagine that the ¡®lie¡¯ she told Zac before would lead to the destruction of her entire life


    and even draw her closer to the end of her life.


    But of course, this was all only going to happenter.


    In Castron, Veronica and Ruka didn¡¯t have any news of Hendrey after arrival. Still, Veronica didn¡¯t have


    the nerve to look for Larry to contact Hendrey as that would only alert him.


    So, Ruka could only use her own connections to look for Hendrey himself. Despite that, they got nothing


    even after staying there for a week.


    By the end of it, they hung out in a bar. Ruka kept drinking and sighed. ¡°Where the hell did Hendrey go?


    Could it be that he¡¯s not in Castron at all? Otherwise, why can¡¯t I find him even after pulling so many


    strings?¡±


    It was as though he had evaporated into thin air, and it baffled her.


    Veronica shrugged as she replied, ¡°Maybe.¡± Ruka¡¯s exnation seemed to make sense to her¡ªit was


    possible that Hendrey wasn¡¯t in Castron at this time.


    However, she didn¡¯t expect that during that one week when she wasn¡¯t home, it changed the course of


    Yvonne¡¯s life for the worst.

 Chapter 481

    Chapter 481


    Chapter 481 Completely Out of Job


    After Veronica and Ruka stayed in Castron for a week, they were still unable to find out anything about


    Hendrey¡¯s whereabouts. Finally, disappointed and discouraged, they could only return to Bloomstead


    empty-handed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve wasted a week of your time.¡± When they arrived at Bloomstead, Ruka said to Veronica


    apologetically, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to work with me?¡±


    Everything was going smoothly when Veronica worked at Starshine Media Agency, but they terminated


    her contract, and Matthew was exerting pressure on her now. What should she do afterward? Ruka


    wondered, worried for her.


    Veronica shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can take care of it,¡± she said, confident in herself.


    ¡°Okay.¡± In the face of Veronica¡¯s confidence, Ruka didn¡¯t want to force the issue anymore and waved her


    hand. ¡°Oh, all right. Bye-bye!¡±


    ¡°See you!¡±


    After she said her goodbyes to Ruka, she drove home and slept for a day due to jetg.


    The next day after she woke up, she trained with Crayson.


    As he never interfered much with her private life, and she had already asked for leave before going to


    Castron, he didn¡¯t say much about her sudden absence.


    When she was finished with morning training and breakfast, only then did she open the job-searching


    app and send out her resume.


    Matthew had heartlessly turned against her for Sasha¡¯s sake, and she would like to find out if he was


    really that ruthless.


    Thus, she was upied the entire day as she sent out more than a dozen applications and made many


    calls just for a job. In the end, as she expected, she was turned down by all of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re not the right fit for the position.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, ourpany is fully-hired.¡±


    ¡°Ha, Miss Murphy. This is an order from Young Master Matthew, and we can¡¯t make an enemy out of him


    because of you.¡±


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, you say? Hmph, don¡¯te and mess with ourpany.¡±


    In the calls, the people were either rejecting her indirectly or directly, and there were even some who


    avoided her like the gue.


    Unable to find a job, she stood on the balcony and stared into the distance as she pondered deeply


    about her current situation. Finally, she focused her thoughts on one person.


    Finally, she dressed up simply and drove to her destination.


    Half an hourter, she arrived at Luminesce Enterprise, Miguel¡¯spany.


    In Bloomstead, the Kings were the leading family amongst the four greatest families, while the Lynch


    Family held thest ce amongst the four.


    Veronica entered Luminesce Enterprise, then politely introduced herself to the receptionist, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m


    Veronica Murphy, and I have an appointment with Mr. Lynch.¡±


    Of course, she didn¡¯t have an appointment with him, but this wasn¡¯t the point.


    ¡°My brother sent me here to pass something to him,¡± she added.


    The receptionist thought that her name sounded familiar. ¡°Uhm¡­ Who¡¯s your brother?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My brother is Matthew Kings, and I¡¯m the god-granddaughter of Old


    Mrs. Kings.¡±


    Back then, this issue caused quite amotion in Bloomstead, and Veronica purposely brought this up


    so that the receptionist wouldn¡¯t turn her away and would take her upstairs.


    Sure enough, after hearing Veronica¡¯s introduction, the receptionist became very friendly to her. ¡°I see,


    so you¡¯re Miss Murphy! I know who you are. Are you here to deliver something for Mr. Lynch? Here,


    follow me upstairs.¡±


    A mere receptionist couldn¡¯t offend someone from the Kings Family, especially since it wasmon


    knowledge that Matthew was very close with Miguel. Therefore, they didn¡¯t have the guts to snub


    Veronica.


    Veronica followed the receptionist, stepped into the elevator, and went straight to the president¡¯s office.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Outside the president¡¯s office, the receptionist rapped on the door. Just when she was about to tell


    Miguel that Veronica was here, Veronica put a finger to her lips to shush her, whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t say


    anything. I want to give Miggy a surprise. You can go back to work first.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure.¡± The receptionist nodded agreeably, then quickly turned around and left.


    After Veronica ensured that the receptionist had left in the elevator, she pushed the door open and strode


    in.


    However, Miguel wasn¡¯t seated at his desk in the office, and she thought, Could it be that he¡¯s not in?


    Then, she took a few steps inside and saw that Miguel wasid back on a couch in the lounge area,


    resting his feet on the coffee table as hezily read a document in his hand.


    She couldn¡¯t help but stand there dumbfounded, and the man on the couch sensed that someone had


    come in. So, he tilted his head toward the sound of footsteps and was startled to see that it was actually


    Veronica.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°W-What are you doing here?¡±


    In a panic, he closed his document and ced it on the table. When he wanted to stand up from the


    couch, he slipped because he was too nervous and slid off the couch,nding on his bum on the


    carpeted floor and looking very embarrassed.


    ¡°Bah-ha-ha!¡± Amused by his reaction, she asked while chuckling, ¡°Am I a demon, Miggy? Why are you


    so nervous when you see me?¡±


    This guy, she thought. He acts like he has seen a ghost whenever he sees me¡ªwhat a funny guy.


    Miguel scrambled to his feet and patted down the nonexistent dust from his clothes. ¡°W-Why are you


    here?¡±


    Once he was standing upright, he straightened his suit and had the demeanor of a polite gentleman.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t Ie over? I¡¯m here to visit you because I¡¯m free.¡±


    She didn¡¯t hesitate to take a seat on the couch and didn¡¯t ask him what he meant with his question at all.


    Instead, she lifted her head to look at him, and she could clearly see the awkwardness and helplessness


    on his face, which inexplicably amused her.


    ¡°Why are you visiting me? I¡¯m doing fine.¡± After he adjusted his sses in a nervous gesture, he


    scratched his head. ¡°Just tell me why you¡¯re here.¡±


    While he started a small talk with Veronica, he paced to his desk as he yed with his phone in his


    hands.


    Veronica didn¡¯t say anything when he had his cell phone in his hands, and the second he set it aside,


    she asked, ¡°Did you send out the news?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he blurted, confused.


    ¡°The text you just sent to Matthew. Why are you asking me?¡±


    She thought this was highly mocking because she knew Miguel would contact Matthew, but that sat just


    fine with her because she wanted to meet Matthew today.


    ¡°That¡­ I-I was just asking Matthew what he¡¯s doing.¡± His eyes wavered, and he appeared more guilty


    with every passing second.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you honestly, Miggy. It¡¯s true that I¡¯m here today because I¡¯m in trouble.¡± Veronica didn¡¯t like to


    beat about the bush as she went straight to the point.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m jobless now, and I can¡¯t find a job. As you know, Matthew is deliberately making my life difficult, and


    I¡¯mpletely broke and destitute. I¡¯m desperate now, so I came looking to you for help. Will you


    consider epting me?¡±


    Just the thought of the things between Matthew and Sasha, she was filled with anger and


    disappointment, and she came looking for Miguel today because she was sure he would contact


    Matthew. So, she nned to meet Matthew and talk things out face-to-face.


    ¡°A-ept you?¡±


    Veronica literally meant that she hoped that he could hire her and let her work in Luminesce Enterprise to


    support herself, but it took on a different meaning when it reached Miguel¡¯s ears.

 Chapter 482

    Chapter 482


    Chapter 482 Veronica Is Desperate


    He thought that she wanted him to take her in. ¡°So, is that okay?¡± She nodded eagerly as she gazed at


    him with unblinking eyes filled with anticipation.


    ¡°No, no, no! There is no way that¡¯s happening. Really, it¡¯s impossible.¡± He was utterly flustered as he


    waved his hand and turned her down. He was waving his hand so quickly that the shadows were


    ovepping. ¡°You should just wait for Matthew before we speak about this matter again.¡±


    Veronica nodded. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine.¡± Thus, she checked the time and saw that it was 1.30PM, and she


    immediately pleaded with Miguel. ¡°Miggy, can you please order food for me? I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    With her lips pursed, she looked so pitiful that anyone would feel sorry for her. A soft-hearted person like


    Miguel naturally couldn¡¯t bear to see her so down-and-out and desperate, so he asked, ¡°What would you


    like to eat? I¡¯ll order it for you.¡±


    Until now, he still couldn¡¯t figure out the secret between Matthew and Veronica or what Matthew was


    currently hiding from Veronica. When would their love-hate rtionshipe to a stop?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, either.¡± She hung her head as she sighed despondently. ¡°Anything to eat will do. It¡¯s


    been¡­ two days since I ate anything.¡±


    It was lucky that Veronica was smart enough and had already registered an ount abroad. Therefore,


    all thepany revenues were directly transferred to that particr bank ount, so Matthew wouldn¡¯t


    discover it.


    On the other hand, it was indeed a fact that she didn¡¯t have much money left on her, and it wasn¡¯t an


    exaggeration for her to say something like this.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten for two days?¡± Miguel paused slightly while holding his phone, and his eyes were


    brimming with pity as he looked at her. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll order food for you.¡±


    Then, he contacted One Piece Restaurant and ordered two set lunches and one nutritious meal to be


    delivered to Luminesce Enterprise. After he had called for lunch for the both of them, he sat on the


    executive chair at his desk and texted Matthew.


    ¡®What happened between you and Veronica? I know she¡¯s still in your heart, so why can¡¯t you talk things


    out personally? She can¡¯t find a job now and hasn¡¯t eaten for a couple of days. Without money, she can¡¯t


    even purchase food for herself. So, what the hell happened that made you mistreat her so badly?¡¯


    It was precisely because Matthew and Miguel had a close bond, and that was why Miguel thought that


    the way Matthew dealt with situations was a little extreme and uneptable. Furthermore, he knew that


    Matthew liked Veronica, and he wanted to persuade Matthew to be kinder. So that even if he had


    reasons that he couldn¡¯t give voice to, he shouldn¡¯t be treating Veronica this way.


    Miguel sat by his desk and kept a distinct distance between himself and Veronica, and although she


    could feel that he was acting distant, it didn¡¯t bother her at all. As she all but leaned on the couch to y


    games on her phone.


    After she finished one game, the food delivery guy arrived, and another person came with him¡ª


    Matthew!


    The employee from One Piece Restaurant delivered the food and set them neatly on the table. ¡°Mr.


    Lynch, your food is here. Enjoy your meal.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± Miguel nodded and said to Veronica, ¡°Eat up quickly if you¡¯re hungry.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Miggy.¡±


    As she didn¡¯t have much appetite during breakfast this morning, she was kind of hungry now, and when


    she picked up the fork and was about to dig in, she heard Miguel say, ¡°Matthew, you¡¯re finally here.¡±


    Matthew?


    She couldn¡¯t help freezing while holding the fork when she heard Miguel¡¯s words and didn¡¯t bother to


    raise her head. Instead, she continued what she intended to do and started eating.


    Matthew was dressed in a ck shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He kept his short hair


    neatly groomed, his facial features were deep-set, and he always had a dispassionate look. Thus, he


    radiated a sense of authority without even speaking. He entered the office with a frown and instantly saw


    Veronica eating in the lounge area.


    She was crouched by the table as she stuffed her face with food using the fork in her hand. She looked


    exactly like a person who had been starving for quite some time. In that instant, he felt a tight squeeze at


    his heart, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her.


    Despite that, he thought about it again and recalled the text message he received from Miguel while he


    was on his way here; even Miguel could tell that he was just putting up a pretense, so how could he


    convince others that his words and acts were real?


    Therefore, he decided to be ruthless until the end.


    ¡°Why did you call me over so hurriedly?¡±


    He paced to Miguel¡¯s desk, slid a cigarette from the pack, and lit it. Then, he indifferently brushed his


    gaze over Veronica at the lounge area before his eagle-like eyes shifted to Miguel. ¡°Miguel, even though


    we¡¯re brothers, you should know my personality and that I mean what I said.¡±


    Miguel was utterly taken aback by how strict he was acting. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t decide whether


    Matthew was putting up an act again or he was truly angry.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.


    In response to Miguel¡¯s confusion, Matthew merely leaned against the desk and pointed a finger at


    Veronica, who was eating. ¡°A week ago, I announced to the world that anyone who takes Veronica


    Murphy in will be my enemy. You¡­¡± He paused momentarily before he tilted his head at Miguel. ¡°Don¡¯t


    you understand my words?¡±


    His gorgeous, sculptured face carried a sinister air, and he didn¡¯t seem to be joking at all.


    The moment Miguel realized that Matthew wasn¡¯t horsing around, he thought, Damn it, what¡¯s the


    situation now? What should I do?


    Meanwhile, in the lounge area, Veronica ¡®ignored¡¯ Matthew¡¯s presence and stabbed into a piece of meat


    with her fork. After she had taken a bite and was chewing on it, that was when she heard Matthew say


    that ruthless phrase. In that instant, she felt a sharp pain in her heart, as though a knife had stabbed


    through it, and it hurt so much that she felt her body pulsing with pain.


    Is he really treating me so mercilessly just because of one Sasha ude? she asked silently.


    ¡°Matthew, no matter the problem between the two of you, you still need to understand something, and


    that is, she¡¯s your god-sister. Does Old Mrs. Kings know what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Miguel was entirely out of wits at this point, and he could only bring up Elizabeth into the matter.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Hmph, do you really think that my grandmother will take a Cindere that walked out of the mountains


    seriously? Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m the decision-maker in the Kings Family.¡±


    Matthew raised his brows arrogantly as his eyes were filled with disdain at that warning. He even held


    the cigarette and flicked the ashes into the ashtray for good measure.


    Veronica burst into a chuckle. She side-eyed Matthew once and said to Miguel, ¡°See, Miggy? I told you


    that I¡¯m desperate now. I wonder if you¡¯re willing to take me in?¡±


    How much does he love Sasha that he is so ruthless as to cut off all chances of her building a career for


    herself? Miguel thought. ¡°Well¡­¡± Caught in a dilemma, Miguel scratched his head and said, ¡°Let me give


    Old Mrs. Kings a call.¡±


    This time, Matthew didn¡¯t stop him, and Miguel made a call to Elizabeth. After she picked up the call, he


    first asked her about her well-being before diving into the topic. ¡°Old Mrs. Kings, do you know what¡¯s


    happening between Veronica and Matthew?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Don¡¯t mention that rascal to me. I told him off after he came home, but he doesn¡¯t listen to me at


    all.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m old, and my words carry no weight anymore. But Miggy, you must help out


    Veronica. That girl is quite pitiful.¡± In the call, Elizabeth sighed, again and again, utterly disappointed with


    Matthew.

 Chapter 483

    Chapter 483


    Chapter 483 Be a Car Sales Consultant


    Elizabeth felt that Matthew had changed a lot recently, and when he returned to the Kings¡¯ Residence,


    she did try to talk to him about this matter. Despite that, he was like a changed man and was being so


    difficult that Elizabeth was very disappointed in him.


    She reckoned that he was probably hiding something or had to do this out of necessity. In addition, she


    was old and didn¡¯t want to interfere with the affairs of the younger generation, so she no longer insisted


    on ordering him to maintain a friendly rtionship with Veronica.


    Miguel frowned and sighed as he didn¡¯t expect that Elizabeth would say something like this. ¡°I got it,


    Ma¡¯am.¡±


    After he hung up, he tossed the cell phone on the desk in frustration and spun around to sit in the


    executive chair. Finally, he raised his head, faced Matthew directly, and said, ¡°Since Veronica can¡¯t find a


    job recently, why doesn¡¯t she work for me?¡±


    As he knew that there must be a hidden reason why Matthew was doing this, hence he decided to help


    her out.


    Matthew took a deep drag from the cigarette between his fingers, then exhaled the smoke at Miguel¡¯s


    face. ¡°What, my big brother? Don¡¯t you understand what I said?¡±


    Although Miguel was the eldest amongst them, Matthew would very rarely address him as ¡®big brother.


    So, when he did so today, it sounded somewhat sarcastic, as though he was ridiculing Miguel.


    ¡°Of course, I understood what you said, but I can¡¯t disobey Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ orders.¡± He shrugged


    helplessly and replied, ¡°She¡¯s always kind to me, and I¡¯ve owed her many favors. Now that she wants me


    to return the favor by helping Veronica, I really can¡¯t bring myself to say no to her.¡±


    This was a reason he made up by himself because he knew that Matthew wouldn¡¯t speak what was on


    his mind now. As his friend, he had to think of a way to keep Veronica to prevent her from ending up on


    the streets.


    When Matthew heard Miguel¡¯s suggestion, his face turned frigid. ¡°So, you mean that you¡¯re abandoning


    me as your brother?¡± he questioned.


    In a corner, Veronica, who was eating while listening to their conversation, murmured in her heart, Is


    Grandma really the reason Miggy is willing to help me out?


    Suddenly, she felt a shard of warmth in this cold world and was incredibly touched.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do if that¡¯s how you want to view things.¡± Miguel narrowed his eyes and continued,


    ¡°Matthew, you¡¯re too ruthless. I heard that you¡¯re the one who forced Veronica to apologize because of a


    conflict between her and Sasha, and after she refused, you wanted to push her into desperation. In this


    matter, you¡¯re the one who has gone overboard.¡±


    Matthew was silent, and he loosened his tie in frustration. ¡°This is your choice. I hope you won¡¯t regret it


    later.¡± After he spat out a threat, he whirled toward the door and stormed out of Miguel¡¯s office.


    When he left, he didn¡¯t even look at Veronica. Every action he took was executed elegantly, and he didn¡¯t


    show any hesitation as he left in a fury, and his relentless attitude sent a chill over Veronica¡¯s heart.


    Bang!


    The office door came close with a loud bang, and she ced her cutlery away. Then, she climbed up to


    the couch, slumped into it, and sighed deeply.


    In the meantime, Miguel didn¡¯t say anything and merely observed her quietly as she turned her head to


    stare out the window. The initially delicious lunch felt like ashes in her mouth, and she had no appetite


    left.


    After a while, she picked up her fork again and continued shoveling food into her mouth, not forgetting to


    thank Miguel. ¡°Thanks, Miggy.¡±


    She would remember this for life regardless of why he decided to help her. Initially, she thought he would


    turn her down, but who knew that he was willing to go against Matthew for her sake?


    She had never expected such a turn of events and didn¡¯t know what to say besides thanking him


    sincerely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. I¡¯m only doing this because I promised Old Mrs. Kings.¡± Miguel snorted and put up an


    aloof attitude as he lowered his head and continued to read the agreement. Afterward, he added, ¡°But


    you don¡¯t have any experience in mypany, and I won¡¯t pay you for doing nothing just because I


    made a promise to Old Mrs. Kings. I run a business, not a charity.¡±


    Veronica understood the meaning behind his words and immediately reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr.


    Lynch. Just give me a job, and I¡¯m sure I can do it well.¡±


    I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything I can¡¯t excel in, she thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make arrangements for you to work in a 4S store for a while. As for everything else, I¡¯ll consider it


    later.¡±


    Although his initial objective was to help her, he was aware that suddenly arranging a job for a woman


    with no job experience in this field would bring unnecessary suspicion to their rtionship.


    Therefore, the best way to help her while maintaining a professional rtionship was to send her to be a


    car sales consultant at the market.


    Being a sales consultant was a very technical job that put one¡¯s ability to test, and he believed that


    Veronica would do well working in a store. No matter how bad it was, she would still have a basic sry


    and wouldn¡¯t end up starving on the streets.


    At the same time, Veronica was chomping down on mashed potatoes as she looked back on her years of


    experience in Bloomstead. First, she was a security officer in Twilight Club while working part-time as a


    food deliveryman, then she set up her own business, which failed afterward. Next, she started working in


    Sean¡¯spany, Starshine Media Agency.


    In just more than a year, she went through so many different jobs, and now, she was going to be a sales


    consultant in a 4S store.


    Ah, life, shemented silently. There are so many ups and downs. And even more downs¡­


    ¡°In order to give you a job, I have had a falling out with Matthew. So, if you think that it¡¯s beneath you to


    work in a 4S store after being a model, you can turn down my offer,¡± Miguel said seriously and strictly.


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t ever think that.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll remember your kindness for giving me a job.


    Why would I reject it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Perhaps because there was a change in their roles, Miguel¡¯s attitude toward Veronica also took a big


    turn. Or maybe it was because the lighthearted atmosphere between them disappeared when they were


    at work, and there was a solemn, suffocating air in its ce.


    Hence, she finished her lunch quietly and kept away her cutleries before presenting herself before him.


    ¡°Mr. Lynch, I¡¯m ready. May I ask when I can show up for work?¡±


    Miguel, who was reading a document, was a little surprised when he heard her, and he raised his head


    to look at the stunning woman standing in front of him. She had a proud and noble look in her eyes, and


    her demeanor was extraordinary, which gave others an unattainable vibe.


    Miguel knew that it was easy to shift from frugality to luxury, but not the other way around.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    When she was working in Starshine Media Agency, her career was booming every day, and just a couple


    of days ago, she was working with Larry and his crew. One could say that she had a bright future


    awaiting her.


    However, because of the incident with Matthew, her ¡®career¡¯ took a downward turn, and he thought that


    she would turn down his offer like a spoiled girl, but she agreed readily instead.


    This character of hers really made him look at her in a different light.


    ¡°Have you considered it carefully?¡± he asked.


    A smile spread across her lips. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m kidding, Mr. Lynch?¡±


    At the Kings¡¯ Residence, Elizabeth wanted to match the both of them together, so they chased after each


    other at that time without any pressure at all.


    But now, they met each other¡¯s eyes solemnly as they spoke about work, and her serious attitude toward


    work genuinely impressed him.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you a probation period of a month. If you can¡¯t even sell a car in a month, you¡¯re not fit for


    the job.¡±


    All of Miguel¡¯s 4S stores were selling high-end cars, and the abilities of the sales consultants in his stores


    were not to be underestimated.

 Chapter 484

    Chapter 484


    Chapter 484 Patrick Simon¡¯s Greedy Eyes


    She had to adapt to survive when coexisting with jackals. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lynch,¡± Veronica said politely


    with a nod. From the drawer, Miguel took out a name card. ¡°Go for an interview at the 4S store at Pines


    Street. Contact this person, and he will make sure that you get the job sessfully.¡±


    When she received the ck name card from him, she saw the words ¡®Sales Manager, Patrick Simon¡¯


    and his phone number embossed in gold. ¡°I¡¯m going over right now.¡±


    After she sincerely expressed her gratitude to Miguel, she left Luminesce Enterprise with the name card.


    Still, unexpectedly, she bumped into Matthew standing in the car park when she walked out of the


    building.


    The man casually stood next to his car; a cursory nce from her made her notice that he already had a


    bunch of cigarette butts around his feet. From that, she could infer that he was purposely waiting for her.


    However, she merely nced at him once and went straight to her own car, but he strode to her and


    stopped in front of her, blocking her path. After he forcefully blocked her way, he didn¡¯t say anything and


    simply fixed his eyes on her with a deep look.


    ¡°May I help you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Actually, you¡¯re not desperate. As long as you apologize to Sasha, I¡¯ll let you return to work at


    Starshine.¡±


    Although Matthew knew that Veronica had a stubborn personality, he didn¡¯t expect her to be this


    obstinate. In order to make a living in this society, it was essential to be flexible, and being stubborn was


    not a good trait to have in the workforce.


    Veronica ran her fingers through her fringe, raised her perfectly arched eyebrows, and mocked,


    ¡°Apologize? Hmph, you can forget about it.¡±


    If this happened when she first got to know Matthew, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to bow down and apologize.


    After all, dignity and all were worth nothing to her, but the situation was different now.


    First of all, she assumed that Sasha was the one who acted out first, and she wasn¡¯t at fault at all.


    Secondly, she was capable enough to support herself, so why should she sumb to his threats?


    There was no way that would ever happen. No way, no how.


    Veronica Murphy, you¡¯re really¡­ too stubborn.¡± Matthew stuffed his hands into his pockets as a


    malicious smile spread across his face. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯ll let you get the job so easily just because


    Miguel gave you the job?¡±


    ¡°Whatever. You can do anything you like if you think that it doesn¡¯t affect your life and work by wasting


    your time on an ant like me.¡± Finally, she inhaled deeply and lifted her chin proudly before continuing,


    ¡°But if you want me to apologize¡­¡± She pursed her lips and mustered her courage, saying, ¡°That¡¯s


    impossible.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then we shall see just how long you can hold out.¡± Every word falling from his


    lips was akin to repeatedly stabbing himself in the heart, but he had no other choice.


    Since he had decided on this path, he had to carry on no matter how difficult it was. Thus, after he


    delivered his threat, he spun around and left.


    Yet, before he left the basement, he also reminded her. ¡°Remember, apologize to Sasha when you can¡¯t


    take it anymore, and I promise I¡¯ll let you live your life peacefully.¡±


    By the time he finished speaking, he had already entered his car and closed the car door, leaving


    Veronica rooted to the spot as she listened to him start the engine and depart.


    Her hands hanging by her sides tightened slightly, and she breathed in deeply. ¡°I said that I won¡¯t


    apologize. Never!¡±


    She was speaking to herself, but she raised her head to look at the skies with a tenacity and


    resoluteness she never had before.


    Afterward, she hopped into her own car and went to the 4S car gallery at Pines Street.


    At the store entrance, she gave a call to the man whose name was printed on the name card. ¡°Hello, are


    you Mr. Simon? I¡¯m Veronica Murphy, and I would like to apply for the position of car sales consultant in


    your store.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Miss Lambert has told me about it. Come over. I¡¯m in the store,¡± the man on the other end


    of the line said warmly as he chuckled in wee.


    Although Veronica didn¡¯t know who the Miss Lambert he mentioned was, she reckoned that Miguel must


    have instructed someone else to call Patrick before this.


    At the end of the day, Miguel was thepany president, and it would be out of ce if he were the one


    to call the store manager. In addition, it would expose that the person backing her up was Miguel.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    That being said, once she joined the store, she would receive extra care from others but wouldn¡¯t be able


    to test her actual sales abilities and personal standards.


    After she hung up, she went into the store and found Patrick after asking around.


    The man, Patrick, was nearing his forties and was a portly, greasy man with a huge belly and sses. It


    didn¡¯t help that he had a naturally narrow set of eyes, which made him look rather shifty at first nce.


    As Veronica was dubious of his abilities and personality, she was naturally wary of him. That was


    because the moment he saw her, he asked, ¡°Are you Veronica Murphy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Simon,¡± she answered.


    After that, his squinty little eyes shone with greed as he gave her a once-over, leering at her like she was


    utterly stripped before him, which was very repulsive.


    Heughed heartily. ¡°Come on,e with me for the interview,¡± he said in a friendly tone, leading her


    into the office for an interview.


    In the office, Patrick served her a cup of tea. ¡°Here, have something to drink. Ho-ho! Girl, don¡¯t be


    nervous. Just take this ce as your home and regard me as your brother. After all, Miss Lambert


    introduced you to this ce.¡±


    Veronica carefully took the tea from his hands, ced it on the table, and shed him a customer service


    smile. ¡°Okay, Mr. Simon.¡±


    Whenever she made an expression, it revealed a dignified temperament, and people could tell that she


    was different from the others.


    ¡°Hey, girl. Have we met somewhere before? Somehow, I find you a little familiar to the eyes.¡± He was


    definitely not saying this as a conversation starter but because he had really seen her before. Then, he


    pped the table as it came to him. ¡°Oh, I remember now. Were you a model before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Lambert.¡± She nodded.


    At this moment, Patrick¡¯s phone started ringing, and he held it as he said to her, ¡°Girl, take a seat while I


    pick up the call.¡± So, he rose to his feet as he palmed his phone. Then, he walked to the door and


    answered the call. ¡°Hello, Miss Lambert?¡±


    ¡°Is Veronica Murphy there?¡± the woman named Kelly asked.


    ¡°Ho-ho! Oh yes, she¡¯s already here.¡±


    ¡°Pat, I¡¯m telling you, this Murphy girl is a piece of trouble. I heard that she offended the heir of the Kings¡¯


    Family. Previously, she was doing well as a model but was forced out of her job. Out of desperation, she


    spent some money and contacted me. That¡¯s why I arranged for her to work at your store.¡± Kelly


    exined the situation to Patrick on the other end of the line.


    When he heard that such a terrifying circumstance led Veronica to his doorstep, he quickly shut the office


    door and whispered, ¡°What? She offended the heir of the Kings¡¯ Family? Do you mean Matthew Kings?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly. I also received some money from a senior at work, and he kept asking me to give her a


    job in the car store. There¡¯s nothing else I can do, too. Later, I¡¯ll give you a token of appreciation. Please


    ept it and take it as my sincere thanks.¡±


    The woman named Kelly Lambert called Patrick to tell him about the situation. She gave him a small


    token of appreciation afterward because she truly hoped he wouldn¡¯t turn Veronica away.


    On the other hand, Veronica came here for the interview, wholly clueless that Miguel had spent so much


    effort in order to ensure that she was hired.


    Initially, Patrick¡¯s attitude toward Veronica was warm, but after he heard the things Kelly said, his attitude


    took a considerable downturn. Therefore, when he returned to the office and faced Veronica, his warm


    reception had utterly disappeared as though the smiling man from earlier was a mere figment of


    Veronica¡¯s imagination.

 Chapter 485

    Chapter 485


    Chapter 485 I Won¡¯t Fall For You


    ¡°Ho-ho! Here, fill out the job application first. Even though Miss Lambert introduced you here, you¡¯ll still


    have to pass the assessment period.¡± Patrick chortled again with a crafty gleam in his eyes. ¡°Our store


    sells high-end cars, and every sales consultant has shocking sales skills. In sales, everyone relies on


    true abilities to make a living. Just having a pretty face isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    Thatst phrase was a deliberate jab at Veronica, but she didn¡¯t mind and nodded her head obediently. ¡°I


    understand what you mean, Mr. Simon. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Patrick raised his brows and


    looked at her with a bit of contempt and greed. ¡°First, let me tell you about the sry and benefits¡­¡±


    After he briefly exined the sry and benefits to her, she nodded, saying that she would show up for


    work, as usual, tomorrow, and left the store. When she noticed that it was still rtively early, she called


    Yvonne and went to visit her at her ce.


    When she reached Yvonne¡¯s apartment, she was practicing yoga, and Veronica chatted casually with her


    while seated on the couch. Then, she couldn¡¯t help but point out, ¡°Tell me honestly, what exactly


    happened to you that made you so happy? You seem to be in high spirits today.¡±


    As Yvonne had rekindled her rtionship with Conrad, and he didn¡¯t allow her to tell Veronica the truth


    so that it wouldn¡¯t start an unnecessary misunderstanding, Yvonne didn¡¯t dare to say a word to Veronica.


    Furthermore, Matthew and Veronica¡¯s rtionship recently had turned sour, and he even cut off all her


    employment opportunities,pletely ignoring their rtionship as siblings. From this, it showed that


    Matthew was a ruthless person.


    Yvonne knew that Conrad was unwell. Thus, she was worried that Matthew would use some underhand


    means to deal with Conrad. That was the main driving force that motivated her to hide the truth,


    especially since Matthew had suddenly kindly offered to take care of her child.


    As she looked back at things now, she thought that his sudden enthusiasm that appeared out of thin air


    must be hiding some sort of evil intentions; Matthew must have taken her baby away to ckmail


    Conrad!


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­¡± She faced Veronica with her back as she stretched her calves. ¡°I feel more at ease


    now that the baby is not with me, and I¡¯m not in danger anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Veronica muttered, taking her words at face value.


    Both of them chatted for a bit more until Veronica received a call. She stared at the unknown number and


    hesitated for a few seconds before pushing the green button. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Miss Murphy, I¡¯m Adrian Cond. You probably¡­ still remember me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Although the man on the line pronounced each word perfectly, it still sounded a little awkward.


    ¡°Yeah, why are you calling me?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t surprising to her that he found her number, but what she found odd was the motive he initiated


    contact with her today.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about what¡¯s happening to Matthew Kings?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Heh, do you know that he doesn¡¯t love Sasha at all and that both of them are just putting up


    an act?¡± Right away, over the phone, Adrian blurted a particr topic, immediately getting Veronica¡¯s


    undivided attention.


    Sure enough, upon hearing that, she frowned as she contemted the truthfulness of his words.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    Ever since she broke up with Matthew, every single cruel act he did toward her seemed to make sense.


    Despite that, there was a niggling thought in her mind that screamed that things somehow didn¡¯t add up.


    So, when Adrian suddenly told her that Matthew didn¡¯t love Sasha, it naturally aroused her curiosity.


    ¡°Second floor of Autumn Cafe. I¡¯ll give you thirty minutes to get here,¡± he said, hanging up after he had


    given her the location.


    Veronica palmed her phone as she slipped into her thoughts while she stared at the call record page on


    the screen.


    Yvonne was keeping away the yoga mat when she caught Veronica¡¯s sudden shift in mood and asked in


    concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing. It was a call from a property agent. Look how destitute I am, and he actually asked if I¡¯m


    interested in purchasing a house.¡± She shrugged as she made up an excuse on the spot and added,


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy the whole day and need to start working at the store tomorrow. I¡¯ll be heading home


    now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure.¡± Yvonne nodded and watched as Veronica rose to her feet and started toward the door.


    Then, she quickly called her. ¡°Veronica?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± She halted in her steps and spun her head around to look at Yvonne.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± She sped her hands together as she fidgeted her thumbs nervously, speaking hesitantly, ¡°I¡­


    miss my baby. Will you help me ask Matthew when I can meet him?¡±


    After she had spent time with Conrad for the past few days, she could clearly feel how much he was


    missing the baby and his adoration for him. Yet, he had never asked to see the baby. This made Yvonne


    feel incredibly sorry for him. As a father, he couldn¡¯t even visit his own son.


    She reckoned that Conrad didn¡¯t bring up the suggestion to see the baby because he was worried that


    she might misunderstand his intentions, thinking that he had feigned illness to find out the baby¡¯s


    whereabouts.


    ¡°This¡­¡± The mention of Matthew made Veronica inexplicably frustrated. ¡°Don¡¯t you have his contact


    details? You can contact him yourself because I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with him right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Yvonne muttered, not forcing the matter.


    After Veronica left Yvonne¡¯s ce, she drove to Autumn Cafe and saw Adrian seated by the window on


    the second floor. She headed straight to him and slid into the chair opposite him.


    Adrian was dressed in a suit with suspenders and a bow tie. Suffice to say, he stood out like a sore


    thumb in the cafe, and when he saw that Veronica was seated across from him, he immediately checked


    the time on his wristwatch. ¡°Not bad. You¡¯re rather punctual. What would you like to drink?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. Just speak what¡¯s on your mind. I don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to keep in contact with Adrian, but somehow, there was always an invisible force


    directing her, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from agreeing to meet him.


    Maybe I care too much about Matthew, and that¡¯s why I fell for Adrian¡¯s words, she thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re a very straightforward woman.¡± He shook his head in amusement, then took out a few


    photographs and passed them to her.


    With her eyes glued on the photographs, she picked them up and realized that the people in them were


    none other than Matthew and Sasha.


    In the first photo, Sasha was following Matthew, reaching out her hand and trying to grab him, and the


    following picture showed him jerking away her hand.


    As she shifted through the photos, it was akin to watching a fast-forward video that showed Sasha


    following behind Matthew as she tried to grab him, but he shook her off. Then, when she wanted to say


    something, he suddenly caught her by her throat, pointed a finger at her forehead, and said something.


    After that, she saw that Shasha was thrown to the ground, Skyler helping her up, and Sasha was crying


    with her face buried in her hands.


    Veronica held those photos in her hands, waved them, and said derisively, ¡°You¡¯re judging Sasha and


    Matthew¡¯s rtionship based on these photos?¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    That was ridiculous. She was sure that her face basically had a sign that said, You have got to be kidding


    me.


    ¡°Of course, a few photos don¡¯t mean anything, so why don¡¯t you listen to this?¡± Then, he ced a voice


    recorder in front of her, turned it on, and hit the y button.


    ¡°Sasha ude, I¡¯ve warned you to leave Roni alone. Are you testing my bottom line?¡±


    Sasha sobbed, ¡°Matt, y-you¡­ are just so important to me.¡±


    ¡°If you f*cking say this again, don¡¯t me me for sending you off to Africa. I¡¯m telling you again, even if


    you¡¯re a woman now, I won¡¯t fall for you.¡±

 Chapter 486

    Chapter 486


    Chapter 486 Discovering the Truth


    Veronica had carefully distinguished the voices in the recording, and it was really Matthew¡¯s voice. As


    she was highly sensitive to voices¡ªafter all, she had to mimic voices when dressing up in different


    genders and had also worked as a voice actress before¡ªshe was sure that the recording was authentic.


    However¡­ she thought. If Matthew really doesn¡¯t like Sasha, then why did he insist on breaking up with


    me and even act like he really likes Sasha?


    All of a sudden, Veronica felt as though she was thrown into a deep, confusing abyss, and she had lost


    her way and couldn¡¯t find the exit. ¡°Where did this recordinge from? What if it was staged by a few


    voice actors? Who knows?¡±


    She immediately adopted a disdainful expression as she attempted to get some information from Adrian.


    ¡°The other day, I ced a miniature bug into her pocket when Sasha came to see me. So, it¡¯s not difficult


    to find out this information.¡± ¡°I think Sasha doesn¡¯t like you, does she?¡±


    Despite the fact that she didn¡¯t have many interactions with Sasha, she was sure that she liked Matthew.


    People always said that the eyes were the windows to the soul, and the eyes would unwittingly reveal


    emotions when a person was in love.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°You¡¯re brilliant, Miss Murphy.¡± Adrian didn¡¯t deny the truth. ¡°Yes, Sasha doesn¡¯t love me. Since you know


    that she has undergone surgery before, you should understand that no one else in this world can ept


    her but me. At the same time, she¡¯s very reliant on me.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s reliant on you, why is she staying by Matthew¡¯s side? I really think you¡¯re overestimating


    yourself, Mr. Cond.¡±


    ¡°The fact that she likes Matthew Kings doesn¡¯t affect my love for her. I invited you today because I want


    to strike a deal with you.¡± He rubbed his fingers against the coffee cup on the table, then took a sip and


    continued, ¡°From the recording, I can tell that Matthew Kings likes you. You¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, Veronica broke him off, saying, ¡°The recording can¡¯t prove anything, and I¡¯m sure


    that he doesn¡¯t like me.¡±


    After she listened to the recording, she could be sure of one thing¡ªif Matthew didn¡¯t like Sasha, she


    could test that out in many ways, but if he really didn¡¯t like Sasha, it meant that he had some secrets he


    couldn¡¯t reveal, or he had no other choice.


    In that case, it went to show that Matthew was purposely distancing himself from her by breaking up with


    her, and it was highly possible that he was scheming something. Hence, she should y along with him.


    Despite that, she wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure about the rtionship between Matthew and Sasha, so


    she reckoned that there was a need to keep it a secret for Matthew.


    ¡°Also, there¡¯s something else which you probably don¡¯t know about, Mr. Cond.¡± He raised her brows as


    she shrugged helplessly. ¡°That evening after I met you in the caf¨¦, Sasha came to look for me and


    started a fight with me because she felt that I was still seducing Matthew even after the breakup. I struck


    her, and Matthew happened to see that. After that, he forced me to apologize to her, but I refused. Just


    one word from himter, itpletely destroyed my career, and he also sent the word out that anyone


    that hires me is making an enemy out of the Kings Family,¡± she said, telling him what happened that day.


    However, this came as unbelievable to Adrian. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is impossible.¡± She tilted her head as she looked into the distance forlornly and sighed deeply.


    ¡°People are capable of anything when they¡¯re mad. Who knows if they didn¡¯t n this recording specially


    for you?¡±


    Only God knows, she thought, unable to exin this recording despite brooding over it.


    She wasn¡¯t sure about Matthew¡¯s real purpose at the moment, so this was all she could do.


    ¡°Mr. Cond, I don¡¯t think I can help you with anything because I can¡¯t even save myself from the fire pit.¡±


    Finally, she rose to her feet as she intended to leave the caf¨¦.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Adrian sang a different tune this time, ¡°Nevertheless, I still think that Matthew Kings has


    feelings for you. His family is huge, and so is their family business. Therefore, it¡¯s impossible for him to


    date Sasha because she can¡¯t bear any children.¡±


    The Kings Family is huge, and so is their family business. Therefore it¡¯s impossible for him to date


    Sasha? Veronica repeated in her head.


    This phrase from him was as good as a wake-up call, and she knitted her brows as her eyes grewrge


    with sudden realization. That¡¯s right. The Kings Family has a vast business empire, and they definitely


    won¡¯t allow him to be with a barren woman.


    Furthermore, it just so happened that Matthew and Conrad were vying for the position of the heir; it


    showed that this position mattered very much to Matthew.


    If that were true, why would he marry Sasha?


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help butment, No wonder previously, when he broke up with me, I couldn¡¯t help but


    feel that there was something not quite right. Nevertheless, now that I have this little nugget of


    information, everything only seems logical on the surface.


    Considering his current position, it seemed highly likely that Matthew was probably hiding something


    from her.


    Slowly, she turned her head around and stared at him. ¡°That¡¯s his choice, and it¡¯s not rted to me.


    Rather than wasting your time on me, why don¡¯t you contact Sasha yourself and get rid of your abusive


    ways? Maybe things will change, then.¡±


    She had absolutely zero tolerance toward abusive men, and even though Veronica found Adrian foul,


    she wouldn¡¯t make it that obvious.


    She stood at the entrance when she left the caf¨¦ and watched the sunset in all its glory. The sunset was


    suddenly such a beautiful sight to her with its warm palette of colors, and she suddenly felt as though a


    ray of sunlight had shone into her life, giving her hope that things would take a turn for the better.


    The moment she returned home, she took out herptop and decided to investigate the truth behind the


    matter. After giving the current situation a good thought, she began her investigation from Twilight


    Condominium.


    The surveince of Twilight Condominium had audio as well. So, as long as she could crack the


    surveince cameras, she could find the part where Matthew and Sasha were speaking and maybe find


    some clues.


    They had broken up for more than three months, so she started her investigations the week before the


    breakup. Unfortunately, she could only detect the video content of them nning a conspiracy by going


    back a few days.


    Therefore, she buckled down and got right down to it. She made herselffortable on the couch,


    turned on herptop, and cracked the surveince system. Finally, she entered the date and started


    watching the videos at double the speed.


    The video content of the first day was the video of her and Matthew at home. In the yback, both of


    them were intimate and loving. As she watched those lovey-dovey scenes, she couldn¡¯t help but slip into


    those sweet memories, and the edges of her lips curled up unwittingly.


    Fast-forwarding at sixteen times the speed to the next day, she saw Matthew leaving in the afternoon


    anding back. When it was almost dark, he left the ce again at seven in the evening and only


    returned after ten.


    Veronica distinctly remembered that they nned to register their marriage on this day, and that was why


    both of them were dressed in white so that it would be more convenient to take pictures for the marriage


    registrations.


    In the end, the registration didn¡¯t happen, and she received a call from her adopted mother that they


    wereing to Bloomstead.


    Hence, they could only give up the idea and wait for their arrival, and when they reached Bloomstead,


    they went to pick them up to eat at One Piece Restaurant. In the evening, after they arranged for her


    parents to stay at Crayson¡¯s ce, Matthew returned to the condominium with her.


    All these were very normal at first, but while watching the surveince, Veronica suddenly realized that


    Matthew had left her bedroom at around two in the morning, and he tiptoed when he closed the door.


    After that, he changed his shoes at the entrance and left.


    Thus, she immediately paused the surveince video, rewound it, and reyed it.


    Suddenly, she remembered asking Matthew the next day after she woke up why she didn¡¯t see him the


    night before.

 Chapter 487

    Chapter 487


    Chapter 487 Questioning Crayson


    She continued ying the video and saw Matthew making a call, but the yback speed was in fast-


    forward motion and so fast that she couldn¡¯t hear anything. So, she yed it at normal speed to listen to


    the audio.


    ¡°Master Crayson, are you asleep? Yeah, I¡¯m going to look for you now. Roni is already asleep. I hope


    that you can give me an eptable reason. Otherwise, I won¡¯t break up with her.¡±


    After he said all that, he hung up, and Veronica¡¯s eyes opened wide with disbelief as shivers kept running


    down her spine, and she felt her entire body turning chilly with sudden realization.


    What happened? So, that night at One Piece Restaurant, Crayson and Matthew went to the bathroom


    together to have a chat, but¡­ what did they speak about?


    All of a sudden, she felt that there were too many secrets surrounding Crayson.


    On that day, when they entered the VIP dining room of One Piece Restaurant, the atmosphere was very


    tense, but after Matthew and Crayson returned from the bathroom, it became much more rxed. At that


    time, she thought that Matthew had pacified Crayson.


    Now, it looked like that wasn¡¯t what happened.


    Perhaps overwhelmed by her curiosity, she followed the surveince until the hotel, but after Matthew


    went into Crayson¡¯s room and left, it was already two hourster.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    It wasn¡¯t clear to Veronica what they had spoken about during that period.


    As she was met with a dead end when it came to such crucial information, she thought of One Piece


    Restaurant, and after she cracked the restaurant¡¯s surveince, she finally found the part where Matthew


    and Crayson were having a conversation.


    Unfortunately, the surveince didn¡¯t have audio, and since things hade to this stage, there was no


    point in investigating further.


    Matthew broke up with me because it¡¯s Crayson¡¯s idea, she concluded. But why?


    That night, she couldn¡¯t sleep a wink at all, and at 4.30AM, Crayson called her on the phone for morning


    training.


    Veronica, who hadn¡¯t slept a wink the night before, changed into gym clothes and went jogging with


    Crayson. After that, they sped along the path to the park to start their morning training.


    Despite being 5.00AM, the sun was already shining overhead due to summer.


    Veronica didn¡¯t immediately start her training routine when they reached their training spot in the park.


    Instead, she held the water bottle in her hands, twisted it open, and gulped two mouthfuls.


    Finally, she trudged to the bench and plopped down.


    Crayson wore a loose-fitting sports outfit with a ruler in his hand, then he strolled up to her and gently


    patted her shoulder. ¡°Are you beingzy again, you wretched girl? Get up and start training now. Don¡¯t be


    lazy.¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply to his apparent yful taunt but ced the bottle of water to the side and gestured to the


    spot beside herself by patting it gently. ¡°Take a seat for a while. Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Her face was serious, and she clearly wasn¡¯t in a joking mood. As Crayson knew exactly what had


    happened to her recently, he assumed that she was simply in low spirits.


    ¡°What happened? Who bullied you again?¡± He snorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t wake up early in the morning and train


    you all day just so that others can walk all over you. Where are the results of your everyday training¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why did you ask Matthew to break up with me?¡±


    Crayson had yet to finish his sentence when Veronica cast him a sideways nce, staring fixedly at him


    with her sharp gaze, and her face was cold as her eyes burned with a need for answers.


    Her powerful, dominant aura stunned him for a moment, and they held that gaze for a few seconds until


    he gradually recovered.


    He blinked guiltily, looked away, and muttered weakly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Then, let me jog your memory. On that day when we wanted to register our marriage,


    Matthew went to look for you at the Hilton Hotel in the evening. What did the both of you speak about?¡±


    ¡°That day¡­ That day¡­¡± Crayson wracked his brains for a usible excuse, pped his forehead, and


    eximed, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m an old man with a bad memory, but I chatted a little with Matthew about his future


    ns in life. That¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± There was an aloof look on her fair and delicate face, and she asked, ¡°I saw you that night at


    the za on Mudwood Street. So, what are you doing going to Mudwood Street alone?¡±


    On that day, she was feeling down and went to the za on Mudwood Street alone, where she ran into


    Conrad by chance. That was the night she saw Crayson, and she even thought that her eyes were


    ying tricks on her because that person disappeared after she gave chase.


    Meanwhile, Crayson¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes glimmered with unease.


    ¡°You can¡¯t remember as well?¡± Veronica sneered. ¡°On the 19th, you appeared at Pines Street. What


    were you doing?¡¯


    That day was the first day she started working at Starshine. Because of a conflict with Mia, she was sent


    to buy breakfast, and that was when she bumped into Crayson.


    She quickly changed her clothes in a boutique on that street because she wanted to follow him. But, in


    the end, she received a call from Yvonne, calling her for help.


    She abandoned her chance to follow Crayson in order to save Yvonne.


    ¡°Heh, your eyes must be ying tricks on you, wretched girl. I was still in the countryside on the 19th.¡±


    He chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head in response. Yet, a shrewd gleam shed past his eyes


    when he turned to look aside.


    ¡°The countryside?¡± She nodded and said, ¡°At the mention of the countryside, that reminds me of


    something else. On the 28th, I brought some stuff to visit you at your ce, but you were in the forest


    close to your house. What were you nning with those people?¡±


    Crayson¡¯s heart hammered in his chest, and the palms he had ced on his knees unconsciously


    clenched in anxiety. He thought that if he did everything behind her back, she wouldn¡¯t find out anything,


    but who knew that she had bumped into so many things.


    Nevertheless, on the 28th, when Crayson saw Veronica, he had already sensed something amiss, but


    since she didn¡¯t say anything, he didn¡¯t care to bring it up, either.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me the truth now?¡± she inquired aggressively.

 Chapter 488

    Chapter 488


    Chapter 488 Matthew Is a Big Fool


    She fixed her gaze on Crayson unblinkingly, as though she wanted to guess what was on his mind by


    observing every shift of his facial expressions.


    On the other hand, as Crayson was conscience-stricken, he stared at the ground with a guilty


    expression, not daring to meet Veronica¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°If you still can¡¯t remember, I¡¯ll give you another reminder. Back then, when you just went to the bridal


    shop as security, the shop was still under construction, and you left the shop in between that period. So,


    where did you go?¡± She put everything on the table to talk it out.


    ¡°I can ept and understand that everyone has secrets, but now, you¡¯re starting to interfere in my


    private life. I can¡¯t help but wonder why you¡¯re willing to stay by my side when your skills are above


    average, and you¡¯re evidently not a regr person. So, what¡¯s your motive?¡±


    The whole time, although Veronica hadplete trust in Crayson, she also doubted his identity. It would


    be fine if he were just a regr person, but he wasn¡¯t. His skills, abilities, and personal erudite kept


    reminding her that there was a reason why he was staying by her side.


    Crayson silently cursed in his heart for hisck of foresight when faced with her relentless line of


    questioning. He knitted his brows tightly as he thought it over and came up with an excuse. ¡°As expected


    of my student. You have very keen observational skills, indeed!¡±


    He let out a long sigh as he leaned on the bench¡¯s backrest, stacked his knees together, and crossed his


    arms across his chest as he watched the sun slowly rise from the east. Then, hemented, ¡°I wasn¡¯t a


    simple man back then, but all those things have nothing to do with you. The reason I¡¯m by your side and


    teaching you all sorts of skills is because your parents had once saved my life.


    After spending more time with you, I developed a liking for a mischievous girl like you. Otherwise¡­¡± He


    came to a pause halfway and tilted his head at Veronica. ¡°Otherwise, with your family background, why


    do you think I¡¯d take you on as my student?¡± he asked, lifting his hand and smacking her right in the


    middle of her forehead. ¡°Do you know how many wealthy and influential families invited me to be their


    teacher, but I rejected all of them?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    At first, Veronica didn¡¯t believe him, but he didn¡¯t seem like he was lying when she saw howposed


    he was despite exining his circumstances in a lighthearted tone. Hence, she took his words as half-


    truths. ¡°Then, who are those people who came looking for you in the forest near your house?¡±


    ¡°Those people? They used to be my subordinates.¡±


    ¡°Your subordinates from before? Why are they looking for you now? And¡­ what did you use to do


    before?¡± She was now entirely invested in digging for information on this mysterious master of hers as


    she started tossing out one question after another.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know what happened in the past because it¡¯s not beneficial to you. However, I wanted


    you to break up with Matthew precisely because they came looking for me.¡±


    Crayson used up all his creative juices and quick wit toe up with a usible reason in hopes that


    she wouldn¡¯t uncover anything else. After all, his student was brilliant and had a sharp eye. Thus, he


    knew that if he faltered now by saying just one wrong thing, it could lead to countless questions


    afterward.


    This time, she was silent as she waited patiently for his answer.


    He looked into the distance and acted as though he had delved into past memories. ¡°Those people have


    been through thick and thin with me, and they are quite capable and strong. They told me that Zac and


    Conrad are coborating to go against Matthew. In the future, Matthew¡¯s life would likely be in danger.


    That¡¯s why¡ª¡±


    While Veronica listened to his exnations, she couldn¡¯t suppress her impatience and sprang up to her


    feet. ¡°That¡¯s why you forced Matthew to break up with me?¡±


    Perhaps it was because of the trust she had for him, plus he had watched her grow up, and they were as


    close as family; he had entirely convinced her with his half-truths.


    When she heard that he had forced them to break up, all she felt in that instant was a rising fury that she


    could barely restrain. It was all too much for her as by the end of it, she was hopping mad and wholly


    frustrated.


    Crayson¡¯s face turned solemn when he saw that she was throwing a fit, and he hit her firmly on the butt


    with the ruler. ¡°Wretched girl, I¡¯m doing this all for your own good. Your parents worked so hard to care


    for you. What would they do should anything happen to you? Do you think that I don¡¯t know what


    happened during your parents¡¯ car ident?


    .That¡¯s all because the Larson couple had done something sneaky. Think about it, if a mere Larson


    Family can render your father unconscious for several months, what do you have to go against Zac? It¡¯s


    not like you don¡¯t know his identity and family background.¡±


    Everything that Veronica knew, Crayson also knew. Hence, he weaved a lie within a short period of time.


    Of course, not everything was a lie; Zac and Conrad were working together to go against Matthew, and


    he was merely mixing in some made-up stories together in his cocktail version of the truth.


    Veronica stood there stiffly as she was utterly dumbstruck at his harsh reprimand. Her eyes flickered as


    she stared at him. Finally, she slowly slumped into the bench.


    That¡¯s right, back then, didn¡¯t Floch and Rachel create a car ident when they were picking on me?


    she thought. As a royal member of Castron, I can¡¯t imagine Zac¡¯s family¡¯s influence and power, and my


    parents will be in the most danger if I make an enemy out of Zac.


    ¡°Also, I¡¯m not as heartless as you think. The agreement between me and that chap is that if he could


    take care of the mess with Zac and Conrad within one and a half years, I¡¯ll allow both of you to be


    together.¡±


    The one-and-a-half-year agreement was proper, but it wasn¡¯t referring to the affair between Matthew and


    Zac. Instead, in one and a half years, Veronica would probably join a hidden n and utterly disappear


    from the public eye.


    There were so many things that she wasn¡¯t ready to know, so he didn¡¯t want to bombard her with the


    truth.


    ¡°But¡­ Oh¡­¡± Veronica wanted to berate and me Crayson for everything she had gone through in this


    short amount of time. Nevertheless, she knew he was doing this because he cared for her on second


    thought.


    She let out a forlorn sigh as she hung her head and pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not a person who is afraid of


    death. Rather than asking him to break up with me, I would rather face it together with him,¡± she said in


    resignation.


    Now that the misunderstanding had been cleared up, and she suddenly thought that Matthew was a


    huge dumbass, how could he endure so much by himself and hide it from her at the same time?


    He was willing to give so much for her sake, and while she was moved beyond what words could


    express, she was also overridden with guilt.


    Trust, she thought. At the end of the day, Ick trust in him.


    Only Heavens knew how much she wanted to fly to his side and help him out right now.


    More than that, she wanted to appear next to him, give him a hug and kiss him.


    ¡°There¡¯s also another reason he agreed to break up with you. Your existence will be his Achilles¡¯ heel;


    without you, he will have one less hold. Only then could he go all out to deal with Zac and Conrad.¡±


    Crayson was worried that she would have the impulse to reconcile with Matthew when he saw the


    devastated look on her face, so he tried to coax her into seeing things his way. ¡°Have you ever


    considered this?


    Even though you¡¯ve broken up with him, you can still do something for him quietly. That way, you¡¯ll be


    maintaining your distance from him so that it won¡¯t attract Zac and Conrad¡¯s attention while you help him


    out in secret. That will add to Matthew¡¯s advantage.¡±


    Sure enough, after Veronica heard his advice, she jerked her head up to look at him, and her eyes


    couldn¡¯t help but sparkle with excitement.

 Chapter 489

    Chapter 489


    Chapter 489 Helping Him


    ¡°Zac and Conrad are paranoid. They¡¯re keeping a close eye on you. You¡¯ll have to stay away from


    Matthew if you want to help him.¡± Crayson only said that so they would not get back together, or


    otherwise, it would have a great impact on Veronica. And yet he had a point too.


    Veronica mused about it for a moment and nodded. ¡°Yeah. I should be on the lookout for them.¡± No


    wonder Matthew insulted Sasha when she came to me and destroyed her career after that. It looks like


    he¡¯s ruining her work, but he¡¯s actually putting on a show for Conrad and keeping Sasha safe.


    ¡°B-But we can stay in touch as long as nobody knows, can¡¯t we?¡± She missed him. This was the first time


    she had missed someone so dearly in her life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Crayson poked her forehead. ¡°If those b*stards find out that you¡¯re talking


    with Matthew, everything you did would be all for nothing. They might kidnap you or your parents. They


    might also do me in. Either way, we¡¯d just be a piece of deadweight for Matthew.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    She wanted to say something else, but Crayson nced at her. ¡°No buts. You¡¯ll have to go for a year and


    a half without him if you really want to be with him. It¡¯s a test. I won¡¯t stop you if the two of you can get


    through it.¡±


    ¡°A year and a half? It¡¯s been three months since we broke up.¡±


    ¡°Fine. A year and three months.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®okay¡¯ me. Get up and train. You can¡¯t even help him out with how weak you are right now!¡±


    It was hurtful, but it was needed. Crayson pointed out her weakness, and it motivated her. From that day


    onwards, she went through training hell. She wanted to stand by Matthew¡¯s side as an equal, not


    deadweight.


    She had breakfast and got changed after her morning training. When she was about to leave for work,


    she remembered she wasn¡¯t working with Starshine anymore. Veronica went back to her bedroom and


    changed into a ck work attire and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She paired that up with a pair of


    ck heels. Since she would be working at a car dealership, she opted to get a cab instead of going in


    her own car. As she was on her way to work, she looked outside the window, and a smile curled her lips.


    He didn¡¯t betray me. I¡¯m so lucky to run into someone who cares about me.


    She arrived at the dealership twenty minutester, and she went to see Patrick.


    Patrick was in his office. Veronica was in ck suit and pants. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she


    only had light makeup on, but that was enough for her to stand out among her peers. She nailed that


    mature woman look, and nobody was prettier than she was. Patrick¡¯s eyes shone when he saw her. He


    felt something stir in his heart, telling him to approach this woman no matter what.


    ¡°Mr. Simon? Mr. Simon?¡± Veronica stood outside his office, greeting him, but Patrick was leering at her.


    He didn¡¯t even hear Veronica.


    She sighed silently and knocked on the door, snapping Patrick out of it.


    ¡°Oh, hi, Veronica. Here. Fill this form out.¡± Patrick knew the situation she was in. He didn¡¯t have to butter


    her up, but the fact that she was a damsel in distress was enough of an opening for him. He wasing


    up with a n to get in her pants. Patrick pulled out an employment form from his file and handed it to


    her.


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Simon.¡±


    Veronica took the form from him, but he took advantage and grabbed her hand instead, caressing it. He


    then locked eyes with her.


    Their gazes met and Veronica smiled sweetly, as if she wasn¡¯t refusing his advances. Patrick was


    delighted. She might have been a sessful woman in the past, but now she¡¯s just amondy. It¡¯ll


    be a cinch to get in her pants. ¡°It¡¯s your first day here. There must be a lot you don¡¯t know. Ask for me if


    you need anything.¡± He stood behind her and put his hand on her back, caressing it.


    Veronica understood that she was in a bad ce right now. She would endure the harassment as long


    as Patrick stayed within boundaries. She¡¯d rather stay out of trouble. However, if he did toe the line,


    someone would be seeing a doctor, and it would not be her. She quickly filled the form out and handed it


    to Patrick. ¡°Done, sir.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course. You may leave now.¡±


    Patrick asked another guy to take Veronica around the dealership and get to know about how work was


    done. The guy was called Hanson. He was a tall, happy-go-lucky guy. His skin was fair, but it was slightly


    ruined by his e breakout. Hanson was a kind, optimistic guy. He happily exined all the rules of the


    dealership to Veronica.


    Just when Veronica was going around the dealership to check the cars out, she noticed the other


    salespeople huddling closer to Hanson.


    ¡°Hey, pimplehead. You¡¯re really nice to her, huh?¡±


    ¡°She looks like a b*tch to me. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you got her number, doncha? Give it to me. She¡¯s a ten.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. She¡¯s a b*tch. First day on the job, and all she does is flirt with the guys.¡±


    ¡°I bet she¡¯s not as innocent as she looks. Probably just quit a brothel somewhere.¡±


    ¡­


    Men would naturally try to butter up beautiful women, while most women would bear at least some


    enmity toward the same kind of women. They would hate her just for her looks, even if they never had


    any conflicts before.


    It was a grating conversation, but Veronica didn¡¯t care about it. She was used to this, and it didn¡¯t faze


    her. She thought Hanson was cute though. They call him pimplehead just because he has e issues,


    and he doesn¡¯t even mind it.


    She spent the whole morning getting to know how the workflow would go. Someone called her when it


    was nearly lunchtime. It was Patrick. ¡°What is it, Mr. Simon?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to call me that. It¡¯s too formal. Just call me Patrick when we¡¯re alone. You don¡¯t have


    to eat out. I reserved a spot at a restaurant. Let¡¯s have lunch together.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Simon, I¡ª¡± The call ended before she could say anything. A group of customers came in at the


    same time. Since Veronica was right at the doorstep, she greeted them. ¡°Good morning. What would you


    ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re Veronica, aren¡¯t you?¡± Someone suddenly came in front and stood before Veronica.


    Oh. Goddammit. Mia? Just great. The one person I don¡¯t want to see right now.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

 Chapter 490

    Chapter 490


    Chapter 490 Mia¡¯s Scheme


    Veronica was surprised to run into Mia at a ce like this. She knew Mia would do anything to sabotage


    her. They had bad blood between them after all. Veronica didn¡¯t care though. As long as she could sell


    the car, she could secure a job as a full-timer in the dealership.


    Then, she¡¯d no longer be deadweight for Miguel, and once she settled down on a job, she could spend


    most of her time helping Matthew too. ¡°Fancy seeing you here, Mia. Are you thinking of getting a new


    car? Come in.¡± Veronica served her like any lowly service industry worker would. She wanted Mia to feel


    like her superiority was acknowledged and respected by others.


    Mia smiled smugly when she finally saw the haughty Veronica treating her like she was a queen. She


    heard what happened between her and Matthew, and she knew how bad Veronica must be having it.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Still, she never thought Veronica would fall so far as to work in a car dealership. She just posted a selfie


    of herself, Stephen the action-star, and Larry the Oscar-winning actor on her social media not too long


    ago.


    This overwhelming gap delighted Mia. She held her bag higher and came up to Veronica. The woman


    cocked her eyebrow and smiled. ¡°Sean told me you quit a few days ago. I thought you found a job in


    another agency. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡±


    This dealership had been here for a long time, and they only sold luxury cars. The fact that Veronica was


    treating her like a queen was proof that she wasn¡¯t a shareholder. She¡¯s probably really a salesgirl now.


    ¡°Modeling bored me out, so¡­¡± Veronica put on a sheepish look and heaved a sigh. ¡°Life is hard, but it


    must go on.¡± She changed the subject, ¡°You¡¯re getting a car, aren¡¯t you? Come in. Take a look. I¡¯ll tell you


    everything you need to know.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Mia answered quickly, but her eyes glinted with cunning. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about


    cars. Do exin everything to me like I¡¯m five.¡±


    Veronica nodded. ¡°Sure. No problem. What¡¯s your budget? And what kind of car are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Mia nced backward. Everyone was looking at another car some distance away. Her eyes glinted,


    and she shoved Veronica. ¡°What do you mean I can¡¯t afford this car? You can¡¯t talk to me like that. I want


    to see your manager!¡±


    Mia¡¯s usation came really suddenly. Veronica was expecting something like this to happen, but she


    never thought it woulde this quickly. She was just going to turn her phone¡¯s recording function on


    too, but it was toote.


    The other customers looked at them. They stared at Mia for a moment, then they turned their eyes to


    Veronica. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a salesgirl here? That¡¯s no way to talk to a client.¡±¡±Rude.¡±


    ¡°Pimplehead, see what happened.¡± The men who came with Mia and the salesmen approached them.


    Hanson was worried about Veronica. He huddled closer to her and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Veronica looked at him and shrugged. She shook her head. ¡°She¡¯s kinda an enemy of mine, so¡­¡± Darn.


    I thought she¡¯d get into it a bit more slowly. Never thought she¡¯d go in for the kill right away too. She


    knew Mia would nder her again, so she was nning on making a recording, but she was one split


    second slower. Well, this is going to be amusing.


    Mia turned around and approached a pudgy man with a big belly. She stood in front of him, sobbing


    sadly. ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe she said that to me.¡±


    The pudgy, pervy man wrapped his arm around Mia¡¯s lower back. ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s unbelievable. It¡¯s fine,


    sister. I¡¯ll back you up. So, what were you gonna buy anyway?¡±


    Mia wiped her tears and pointed at the red Ferrari 2021 edition. ¡°That¡¯s the one I wanted. I didn¡¯t say I


    was gonna buy it. I said I like it, a-and she said I can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    The man looked at the car and shot a re at Veronica. ¡°Nobody talks to my sister like that. That¡¯s no


    way to make a sale. Apologize, now!¡± The man ordered Veronica to apologize without even bothering to


    know the truth.


    Oh, so that¡¯s why Mia was in such a hurry to sabotage me? She¡¯s trying to get her sugar daddy to buy


    her a Ferrari and trip me up at the same time. Two birds with one stone.


    ¡°Apologize?¡± Veronica was stubborn. She would never deign to apologize, especially not to Mia.


    However, getting a job was hard, and it would be nice if she could make a sale just by saying sorry to


    Mia. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll do it.¡± She sighed and approached Mia. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for saying that, Ms. Stuart.¡± The


    workce was a cruel ce. Mia used her of something she didn¡¯t do, but she had no proof. Arguing


    with her would just make things worse. Apologizing might make things better for her.


    Mia was surprised that Veronica would apologize without putting on a fight. She never thought Veronica


    would follow her orders so readily. Mia kept crying, since she had no idea what to do.


    And then Veronica said, ¡°But I was just telling the truth. You alone can¡¯t afford this car.¡± Yes, she was


    riling Mia up on purpose. To be precise, she was riling the man up. She didn¡¯t care how many men Mia


    had slept with. Veronica just wanted to sell the car.


    That was a good cue for Mia to continue her act. She grabbed the chance and cried louder. ¡°See? You


    heard what she just said to me?¡±


    Veronica had never heard of this ¡®brother¡¯ of Mia before. They used to be colleagues, so she knew that


    Mia was an orphan. She had no rtives of her own.

 Chapter 491

    Chapter 491


    Chapter 491 Running Into an Enemy


    Mia¡¯s sugar daddy fell. He wouldn¡¯t allow a mere salesgirl to look down on Mia because that would mean


    she was looking down on him as well. He roared, ¡°I want to see your manager! I will not stand for your


    attitude!¡±


    Veronica wasn¡¯t even angry about his attitude. She said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, sir. Mia was my


    colleague up until just a few days ago. I know her well. The car she wants costs about 1.3 million. It¡¯s a


    bit out of her league. See this new car here? It costs about 440 grand. It suits her really well.¡±


    The dealership¡¯s guys didn¡¯t know Veronica very well. They had no idea she used to work with Mia, and


    the revtion came as a shock. Mia¡¯s sugar daddy looked a bit surprised as well. He whispered, ¡°Does


    she really know you?¡±


    Mia was leaning against the guy¡¯s chest, gnashing her teeth in fury. She red at Veronica, and if looks


    could kill, Veronica would have died. She ndered Veronica just to humiliate her and egg her sugar


    daddy on into getting her the car, but after what Veronica said, the guy calmed down.


    More importantly, Mia rmended the cheaper car instead of the pricier one. That red one costs more


    than twice as much as this cheaper model! ¡°Yes. She¡¯s Veronica Murphy.¡± Mia wouldn¡¯t let her go this


    easily. ¡°Elizabeth of the Kings Family is her god-grandmother. She broke up with Matthew, and he


    cklisted her in the whole industry.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so she¡¯s Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter?¡± The man was reminded of something, and a sneer curled


    his lips. He roared, ¡°Where¡¯s your manager? Get him here right now or I¡¯ll ruin your shop!¡±


    This man was another enemy of Veronica. His name was Quest Lemilo. He had a wedding nning


    agency back in Bloomstead. Business was going well, but there was this one time where customers who


    had paid the deposit changed their minds and turned to Veronica¡¯s agency instead.


    Matthew took away a lot of his agency¡¯s customers just to make Veronica¡¯s business better. He lost a lot


    of money because of that. Quest was infuriated, but he did nothing because of how powerful the Kings


    were. It¡¯s surprising to run into her here.


    Mia was curious as to why Quest changed his attitude so suddenly. ¡°W-Why are you so mad all of a


    sudden?¡±


    Quest snorted and gave Veronica a look of condescension. He said, ¡°She ran a wedding nning


    agency before and took a lot of my business. I lost a lot of money because of her. Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d run into


    her today.¡±


    He hated Matthew for pulling the rug from under him, but he was too weak to do anything about it, so


    when he realized that this woman was Veronica, he decided to vent everything on her.


    ¡°I-Is that so? That¡¯s a bit too much.¡± Mia was delighted. She wanted to sabotage Veronica every chance


    she got, and now luck was on her side. Veronica ran into someone she couldn¡¯t handle right now, and


    that was great. She still wanted to get back at Veronica for scamming her out of so much money back in


    Castron.


    One of the salespeople called Patrick toe over. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Patrick came rushing down and


    approached Quest quickly. ¡°Mr. Lemilo? What brings you here? Come, please have a seat.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

 Chapter 492

    Chapter 492


    Chapter 492 Veronica¡¯s Masochism


    ¡°Please, please, have a seat.¡± Patrick looked like a servant weing his master. Quest pulled a face


    and pointed at Veronica. He asked, ¡°Is she an employee here? She insulted a client. She has no


    manners at all. I demand an exnation.¡±


    Patrick knew what had happened. Someone told him earlier. He nced at Veronica and frowned


    deeply. Now he thought Veronica was nothing but trouble.


    ¡°No wonder she insulted the client. So, she used to be a model.¡± ¡°And Mrs. Kings¡¯ god-granddaughter


    too. Probably got kicked out or something.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a scheming woman. She¡¯s probably trying to marry Matthew too. Just being a god-granddaughter


    isn¡¯t enough for her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s pretty. Has that mature woman feel. And she has that good vibe too. So,


    she¡¯s a good fit as a model.¡±


    ¡°As if. She looks like a subus out for someone¡¯s money.¡±


    ¡­


    The salespeople were whispering among themselves, though it was loud enough for Veronica to hear.


    Patrick was furious due to the turn of events. If looks could kill, he would have murdered Veronica on the


    spot. However, when he turned to Quest again, he was all smiles. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Lemilo. She¡¯s a newbie.


    She doesn¡¯t know the rules well.¡± He roared at Veronica, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Apologize!¡±


    He wanted to get into Veronica¡¯s pants and just got some money from Kelly. It would be embarrassing for


    him if he had to fire her now, or he wouldn¡¯t have tried to appease Quest.


    Veronica knew Quest was trying to bring her down, but she needed this job. She had to apologize, even


    though she didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Of course, Mr. Lemilo. It¡¯s my fault for insulting her. Sorry, Mia. I was being


    presumptuous. I thought you were going to pay for it yourself. But if it¡¯s your brother paying for it, then, of


    course, he¡¯ll buy the million-dor car. After all¡­¡± She drawled, ¡°We can see how much he loves you.¡±


    She was pushing them into a corner. Veronica apologized to them and praised Quest for spoiling his


    sugar baby. If he ended up buying the cheaper car, that would only mean he didn¡¯t love her enough.


    Mia had no idea what Veronica was trying to do, but she yed along. ¡°Of course. Quest is nice to me.


    He doesn¡¯t care about cheap cars either. Only the best gets his interest.¡±


    Mia was young, beautiful, and a popr model. Of course, she was aiming to reach greater heights, or


    she wouldn¡¯t have dated Quest. She would only get the most expensive things. She might have a grudge


    against Veronica, but all she wanted now was to get something from Quest. After considering her


    options, she put her grievance aside and said, ¡°Well, you did apologize. I suppose I can let you¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Quest was here to humiliate Veronica. Therefore, he wouldn¡¯t let it go that easily as he rudely


    pointed at her face. ¡°You insulted my sister, and that means you insulted me! So, you either grovel before


    me, or you p yourself. Or I¡¯ll make you pay, you hear?¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll buy the car if I just p myself, are you? And you¡¯ll give all themission to


    me?¡± she asked him, much to everyone¡¯s surprise. They thought she would be mad about it.


    Her words stupefied everyone. They never thought Veronica would go so far just to sell a car.


    ¡°Just some ps? No. I¡¯ll record a video while you p yourself.¡± Quest kept pushing it.


    Everyone kept quiet and watched the show unfurl.


    Mia knew Quest was getting back at her, and he promised he would buy the car if Veronica would p


    herself. Naturally, she was more than happy to witness this.


    ¡°Sure. How many ps? How far should I go before you¡¯re satisfied?¡± she asked calmly.


    ¡°When your face is swollen whole.¡± He sneered darkly.


    Veronica took her phone out and turned the camera on. Finally, she handed it to Hanson and instructed,


    ¡°Record it for me.¡±


    Hanson took it dumbly, and his jaw dropped in surprise.


    Mia wouldn¡¯t let this chance pass. She took her phone out and started recording too. I¡¯m going to post


    this to my wall. She stood beside Hanson and started recording.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said Mia couldn¡¯t afford the million-dor car. That was rude of me, Mr. Lemilo. I


    shouldn¡¯t have looked down on both of you, and I apologize for that. But you promised you¡¯d buy the car


    if I apologize by pping my face until its¡¯ swollen. So don¡¯t go back on your word,¡± she repeated herself,


    a hint of cunning gleaming in her eyes.


    ¡°I never go back on my word.¡± Quest straightened his suit out and smirked. He thought a girl like


    Veronica would just stop after a p or two, but he underestimated her.


    She looked up and raised her hand, and then she swung it hard at her cheeks. She pped herself right


    in front of everyone, and the p was audible. Her head turned to the side from the impact.


    The crowd was shocked. They had seen a lot of stuff in their lives, but this was their first time seeing a


    woman torturing herself like that.


    Veronica stuck her thumb out and wiped the blood off the corner of her lips. She rubbed it on her index


    finger, and the crowd saw some crimson liquid spreading across her finger.


    ¡°She¡¯s bleeding? Wow, that¡¯s one tough woman.¡±


    ¡°God. It¡¯s just one sale. She didn¡¯t have to go so far.¡±


    ¡°Look at her face. I can see the mark. Oh no, it¡¯s swollen.¡±


    ¡°My god, it¡¯s really swollen. This is terrifying.¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica took a tissue out of her pocket and wiped the blood away from her fingers. She looked at


    Quest, a smile curling her lips. ¡°Are you satisfied, Mr. Lemilo?¡±


    Quest had seen many people in his life, but Veronica was the most formidable woman he had ever seen.


    He felt a little mortified. ¡°I meant you gotta p both sides of your face.¡± He sneered.


    Mia, who had been delighting herself in this, agreed, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what he meant! This is a half-done


    job.¡± Patrick wasn¡¯t the manager for nothing. He knew these guys were out for Veronica, but he kept


    quiet and let things unfurl.


    ¡°Very well. As you wish.¡± She brushed her messy fringe as if she didn¡¯t feel the p earlier. Then, a


    momentter, she pped the other cheek as hard as she pped herself the first time. Everyone could


    hear the p, but none spoke. Veronica might be beating herself, but she was standing with her head


    held high.


    Her face was swollen, and blood was trickling down the corner of her lips, but she wasn¡¯t even flinching


    from the pain. Instead, the air around her felt tense and suffocating, as if the sight of her alone struck


    fear in everyone¡¯s hearts.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 493

    Chapter 493


    Chapter 493 Attack on Veronica


    When she was done, she looked at Quest calmly. ¡°Done, Mr. Lemilo. So are you going to sign the


    purchase contract now?¡±


    Two ps were nothingpared to the pain she endured throughout her training. She did this for a


    purpose and not only for themission.


    Everyone was shocked by what Veronica did, especially Mia. She never realized Veronica could go so


    far for something. She wanted to insult her, but the car was more important. A million-dor car. I don¡¯t


    get this every day.


    Patrick quickly stepped in to de-escte things. ¡°She apologized, Mr. Lemilo. Please forgive her.¡± He


    looked at Veronica and realized her cheeks were really swollen. He could also see the mark on it, much


    to his shock. I¡¯ve seen a lot of women in my life. Some of them are snakes, but this? This woman is in


    another league of her own.


    Veronica was staring at Quest, mockery filling her eyes. Quest saw that, and he was annoyed.


    ¡°You should apologize for what you did. I¡¯m not going to pay for your mistakes.¡± Quest wanted to leave.


    He wasn¡¯t going to pay for a non-contract binding promise that he had made.


    Yep. I knew this would happen. She went over to Hanson and took her phone from him. The recording


    continued, but she was pointing her camera at Quest this time. She asked loudly, ¡°You¡¯re a


    businessman, Mr. Lemilo. Going back on your word won¡¯t look too good for you. I¡¯ve recorded everything


    you said.¡± Yeah. I¡¯m no idiot, and I will never p myself for nothing.


    Quest stopped in his tracks and turned around, ring at her. ¡°Is that a threat?¡±


    ¡°No. Just hoping you¡¯d stay true to your word.¡±


    ¡°And what if I refuse?¡±


    ¡°Then, this video will find its way to the Inte tomorrow.¡± She saved the video, opened her email app,


    and then sent the video to her backup email. She kept backups of important stuff like this.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    This doesn¡¯t look too good. Mia huddled closer with Quest and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s not too expensive


    anyway. Not worth the risk, Quest. If Veronica does upload that video, it will hurt your reputation and


    business.¡± She was genuinely advising him, though she also wanted that car too.


    Quest was infuriated as he didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way. He red sharply at Veronica for a


    moment and snorted. ¡°Fine. Take my card. A million is nothing. I have all the money I need.¡± He would


    buy the car just to protect his reputation, but that didn¡¯t mean he would let Veronica off the hook.


    Her colleagues watched as Veronica made the sale. She did it in less than an hour, and it was a million-


    dor sale too. That was a new record. Everyone envied her, though they knew she would have to pay


    dearly for that.


    Hanson approached her and whispered, ¡°Are you really fine with this? Quest might get back at you.¡±


    We¡¯re no match for the rich. Veronica¡¯s in big trouble now. Hanson thought it wasn¡¯t worth it.


    Veronica smiled, but she said nothing. She knew Quest would get back at her for this, but it was okay.


    This was precisely what she wanted.

 Chapter 494

    Chapter 494


    Chapter 494 Matthew Is Extremely Concerned


    Due to Matthew currently in between a rock and a hard ce, Veronica was forced to break up with


    him. Moreover, she was aware of Zac and Conrad¡¯s highly paranoid nature. Hence, she knew very well


    they might not believe Matthew would genuinely break up with her.


    She agreed to be humiliated by Quest today because she wanted to offend him and use his or Mia¡¯s help


    to post the video on the Inte.


    By that time, she would definitely be mocked by others, while Matthew would undoubtedly hold his


    ground and ignore the news. So, when Zac and Conrad saw that, they would finally let their guard down


    and believe that there was no way that the breakup was a fluke.


    On the other hand, she could pretty much secure her current job, too.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m scared. Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Veronica stared at Quest in resignation, who had left the


    ce with Mia, and sighed with regret. ¡°But who wouldn¡¯t seize a single chance to line our pockets?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say! Throwing away your dignity just for the sake of earning that little amount ofmission,¡±


    the salesperson on the side, Lillian Daubney, ridiculed her with her backhanded pliment¡¯. Then, she


    continued. ¡°Look at your face. It¡¯s all swollen like risen dough. I feel disgusted just by looking at you.¡±


    Veronica gazed at her coldly before retorting, ¡°You speak as if you¡¯re not here to earn a living. Well then,


    since you think so highly of yourself, you might as well be a volunteer. So, why should you stay around


    and work hard to hit your performance target?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Lillian¡¯s face reddened with anger when Veronica refuted her. ¡°No matter how desperate I am to


    earn a living, I won¡¯t ever p myself as you have.¡±


    ¡°Sounds logical.¡±


    Veronica nodded very pertinently. ¡°After all, your worth isn¡¯t on par with the price of the car sold even if


    you p yourself so hard that you might need stic surgery to recover.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Lillian still wanted to say something else, but Patrick, who was standing by the side, immediately stood


    up and mediated the conflict. ¡°Alright. Alright. Stop making such a fuss. Anyway, Veronica sold the most


    expensive car on her first day of work today. This can be considered record-breaking in our sales, so no


    doubt. It¡¯s something worth learning from.¡±


    The two ps on the cheeks that Veronica gave herself earlier made Patrick witness her resolution: she


    would do anything to reach her goals. Likewise, it made him more interested in this woman.


    Lillian rolled her eyes when she heard Patrick¡¯s words. ¡°So, you¡¯re asking us to learn how to p


    ourselves like her? Hell no! I¡¯m not as shameless as her. Am I right, Hanson?¡±


    When Hanson saw that Lillian had dragged him into the argument, he merely scratched the back of his


    head awkwardly as he gave her a dry smile but didn¡¯t add in his two cents.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Patrick couldn¡¯t help but reprimand her, ¡°As co-workers, you guys should help one another.


    Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too rude to your new co-worker?¡±


    Once he had reprimanded Lillian, Patrick turned to look at Veronica with a concerned look. His attitude


    toward Veronica changed drastically after she managed to sell a luxury car. ¡°Look at how swollen your


    face is. Come, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital, and you can take the rest of the day off. Report to


    work again after the swelling on your face subsides.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mr. Simon.¡±


    Veronica could feel her cheeks burn with pain, and what she really wanted now was to go back and rest.


    Considering the two overly hard ps she gave herself earlier, she was slightly worried that she would


    be disfigured. The only reason why she could still waste her time arguing with her co-workers was that


    she could tell that her cheeks weren¡¯t bleeding.


    Thus, Veronica got into Patrick¡¯s car as he drove them to the nearest hospital.


    At the same time, Matthew was sitting at his desk working on documents in the Speilbenz Group.


    Suddenly, the phone on his desk vibrated.


    However, instead of immediately looking at his phone, he simply signed the document after he read it.


    Finally, he closed the file, put it aside, and pulled his phone toward him. He unlocked it and clicked open


    the WhatsApp message.


    He saw it was a message from Miguel.


    As he leanedzily against the executive chair, he clicked on Miguel¡¯s message on WhatsApp and saw


    that it was a video.


    Once he yed the video, he realized it was taken in a 4S Center. He immediately recognized the


    person in the video was Veronica.


    Just when Matthew wondered why Miguel sent him this video, he abruptly heard a brisk pping sound


    and saw Veronica p herself hard in the video.


    At that moment, his grip on the phone tightened slightly. He furrowed his eyebrows and sat upright as


    though he could feel the rising tension through the video.


    After he watched the video, he exited his WhatsApp and looked through the contact list on his phone.


    Later, he contacted a number. ¡°Help me find out which hospital Roni went to.¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Veronica was in the hospital undergoing aprehensive examination. Fortunately, the


    results showed that everything was normal.


    Therefore, the doctor prescribed her some medicine to consume and applied antiseptic cream on her


    cheeks in the hospital before allowing Veronica to leave the outpatient department with Patrick.


    When they walked out of the outpatient department to the parking lot and were on their way toward


    Patrick¡¯s car, Veronica noticed a familiar-looking vehicle was parked in the parking space next to theirs.


    Hence, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the license te curiously and wonder why that car was there. It


    would be a lie to say that she wasn¡¯t shocked when she saw the car door open and a familiar figure step


    out.


    It¡¯s¡ªMatthew!


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    When she saw him appear, she momentarily halted in her tracks. Since she didn¡¯t want Matthew toe


    across her disheveled state, she automatically wanted to turn around and hide away.


    ¡°What a coincidence. I didn¡¯t expect to encounter you here. What¡¯s the matter? You look like you¡¯ve


    gained a lot of ¡®weight¡¯ after just one day of not seeing you.¡±


    Matthew had been sitting in the car and waiting for them for quite a while. He only got out of the car


    when he saw Veronica show up.


    Still, when he took a clear look at Veronica¡¯s swollen cheeks, he felt his heart ache like someone had


    tugged his heartstrings.


    Silly Roni. Must you work so hard just to sell a car?


    As expected of her miser¡¯s temperament.


    Nevertheless, Matthew curled the corners of his lips into a mocking smile even if he was extremely


    heartbroken by her condition.


    As for Veronica, she felt exceptionally distressed for him ever since she knew the actual reason behind


    Matthew breaking up with her. She felt that Matthew had done a lot for her without ever saying a thing.


    In fact, she might not have been made aware of what Matthew did if it wasn¡¯t for an ident.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡±


    With her facial expression as cold as ice, she said ruthlessly, ¡°Such a small world we live in.¡±


    In the meantime, Patrick, who was beside Veronica, also recognized Matthew. Although Patrick hadn¡¯t


    come across Matthew in person often, Matthew was a regr on the news.


    When he saw Matthew with his own eyes at this moment, he was deeply shocked by the powerful aura


    emanating from his entire figure. Even an indifferent look from Matthew would make him shiver with fear.


    This man¡ªhe looks young, yet his aura is domineering!


    ¡°You sure are sharp-tongued. I¡¯m afraid it was this exact nature that caused you to get pped.¡± He


    raised his eyebrows slightly, looking like he was here to gloat upon her misfortune.


    ¡°Are you a part of the special police forces? Why do you stick your nose in everything? Such a true busy


    body you are,¡± Veronica snorted as she rolled her eyes at him. Without further ado, she ignored him and


    walked toward Patrick¡¯s car.


    Matthew turned around as he noticed that she intended to disregard him and pass him by, so he asked,


    ¡°What a mouth! I¡¯m curious as to who could have beaten you up like this.¡±


    Instead of getting an answer from Veronica, Patrick was the one who hesitantly replied to him. ¡°Uhm¡­


    it¡¯s Quest. Mr. Lemilo from Green Reserve Corporation. He was the one who asked her to p herself.¡±


    The reason why he told Matthew the truth was that Patrick wanted to test Matthew¡¯s attitude toward this


    matter so he could facilitate his future moves.


    After all, Veronica was Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter and was of godbrother and godsister rtionship


    with Matthew.


    ¡°Oh, really? How interesting,¡± Matthew said. Unfortunately, that was all he had to say about the matter as


    he retracted his gaze and left without a word.


    In the car, Veronica kept gazing at Matthew. She only looked away and lowered her head silently when


    she saw him disappear from sight.


    In her heart, she silently prayed. Matt, please don¡¯t seek trouble with Quest. Otherwise, all the efforts that


    I put in today will be in vain!


    Meanwhile, just after two hours, someone uploaded the video of Veronica pping herself in the 4S


    Center to the Inte. Not only that, the video even made it into the list of Twitter¡¯s top trending topics.


    In the blink of an eye, her video went viral all over Twitter and the Inte.


    Yet, those who posted and shared the video would insert either ¡®the Kingses¡¯ hashtag or keyword to gain


    attention and poprity.

 Chapter 495

    Chapter 495


    Chapter 495 Yvonne¡¯s Mutiny


    Only through Yvonne¡¯s phone call did Veronica know about this matter. ¡°Roni, where are you? Are you


    alright?¡±


    Yvonne sounded anxious on the phone, like she had discovered something shocking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Veronica was spread out on her bed, applying a coldpress to her cheeks to reduce swelling.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me what¡¯s wrong?! Didn¡¯t you watch the news?!¡± Yvonne was furious. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell


    me about such a huge issue? You can alwayse and work in mypany if you can¡¯t find a job. So,


    why bother selling cars and suffering such indignity?¡±


    After Yvonne watched the video, she felt terrible for Veronica. Deep down, she thought that it was really


    a waste for Veronica to be a car salesperson with her capabilities.


    ¡°I¡¯m lying down and resting. I don¡¯t have time to watch the news.¡±


    Veronica reached out and touched her cheek. Although she could feel it was still swollen due to the


    stinging pain she felt when she applied pressure to her cheek, she grinned and replied lightheartedly. ¡°It¡¯s


    okay. I¡¯m doing quite well. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Just as Yvonne was about to say something, Conrad, who was hugging her, hinted at her. At once,


    Yvonne understood and said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m worried about you, but I¡¯m more worried about my son.


    Look: you had an excellent rtionship with Matthew before, yet he¡¯s now driving you to a dead end


    merely because you pped Sasha. What about my son? Will Matthew really do anything to my son?¡±


    Yvonne was genuinely concerned about Ian¡¯s safety.


    Matthew treated Veronica very kindly before because she had rescued Old Mrs. Kings and was his


    godsister.


    But Matthew isn¡¯t directly rted to Ian, so he has no reason to help Ian at all.


    What¡¯s more: I¡¯m worried that Matthew will use Ian to threaten Conrad one day.


    Not only is Conrad the father of my child, but he also has a terminal illness now, so I must protect them.


    Meanwhile, Veronica didn¡¯t know how to answer after she listened to Yvonne¡¯s words.


    My break up with Matthew was simply a show, and because of that, I could understand Matthew¡¯s


    problematic situation. But it¡¯s different for Yvonne. She doesn¡¯t know the truth, so how can she


    understand Matthew¡¯s intention?


    ¡°Although that b*stard isn¡¯t as kind as we thought, he won¡¯t go as far as to murder a child. Think about it:


    how can you give birth to the child so smoothly if he wants to kill your son?¡±


    Veronica enlightened Yvonne, hoping that she wouldn¡¯t overthink the matter.


    ¡°You can say that, b-but¡­ I¡¯m still worried.¡± Yvonne sighed. ¡°Prior to this, you and Matthew just called it


    off, and your rtionship with him wasn¡¯t this terrible. But, now that you two are on terrible terms with


    each other, I¡¯m truly worried for my son¡¯s safety.¡±


    At the same time, Conrady beside Yvonne and hugged her. While he had an ear to the words Yvonne


    said to Veronica, he smiled and yed with a strand of her hair in front of her chest, curling it around his


    finger.


    It sure took me a lot of time and effort to put up a show so that I could gain Yvonne¡¯s trust and find out


    where the child was.


    Now that everything¡¯s going ording to n, victory is within my grasp!


    On the other end of the phone, Veronica could understand Yvonne¡¯s anxious mood. ¡°Yvonne, although


    Matthew indeed pushed me to a dead end, I think he¡¯s more of a gentlemanpared to Conrad.¡±


    Since there was something that she couldn¡¯t be frank with Yvonne about, Veronica could only indirectly


    tell her.


    Initially, she thought that Yvonne would trust Matthew. But God knew what had happened to her, and she


    suddenly changed her mind. ¡°Roni, I-I want to¡­ bring my child back.¡±


    When she said those words, she looked up and nced at Conrad, who was in front of her. Then, she


    wrapped her arms around his waist and rubbed her face against his chest.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Now that Conrad was seriously ill, all that she wanted was for Ian toe back and stay by Conrad¡¯s


    side.


    She thought maybe in this way, Conrad would live longer.


    ¡°You¡ªdo you want to rethink it?¡± Veronica tried to press her.


    ¡°No. I had thought about it clearly.¡± Yvonne gave her exact answer.


    Ever since she knew that Conrad was ¡®ill¡¯, all that she could think of every day was that she wanted to


    bring Ian back from Matthew¡¯s side.


    It just so happened that she had a logical and sensible reason for her to do so after something happened


    to Veronica today.


    Yvonne was worried that if she didn¡¯t seize the opportunity now, she didn¡¯t know when it would be the


    next time she wished to bring the child back from Matthew¡¯s side.


    Meanwhile, Veronica felt rather helpless when she knew that her persuasion had failed. ¡°Since you have


    thought about it clearly, then contact him yourself. I have lost contact with Matthew and don¡¯t wish to see


    him again.¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t dare to tell Yvonne the truth. As the saying goes, caution is the parent of safety. I still


    have to watch what I say, even in front of Yvonne.


    It¡¯s not that I suspect Yvonne, but I¡¯m worried that someone will purposely approach her to gain


    information or inquire about my rtionship with Matthew through Yvonne.


    The consequences will be disastrous if someone finds out that Matthew and I are still keeping in touch.


    ¡°Oh, okay then.¡±


    Yvonne breathed a sigh of relief the moment Veronica gave in to her request, and there was a faint smile


    on her face that couldn¡¯t be concealed. Then, she continued. ¡°Actually, Roni, you can just quit your job in


    the automobile shop ande to work at Honeycloud Cosmetics Limited. I have a lot of positions that


    are suitable for you. It¡¯s rather a waste for you to work as a salesperson in an automobile shop.¡±


    Based on Yvonne¡¯s understanding of Veronica, she felt that Veronica was a well-rounded person, and


    one should not underestimate her sales ability. Therefore, it was a waste of talent to use her ability in an


    automobile shop. Thus, instead of letting her continue working in the automobile shop, Yvonne believed


    it was better for Veronica toe to herpany and hold the position of sales manager. She felt that


    only in that way Veronica could truly shine and have a bright future awaiting her.


    ¡°Yvonne, I appreciate your kindness, but I think I¡¯m doing fine here. It¡¯s gettingte, and I want to rest.


    We¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow if anything else happens.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go find Matthew tomorrow. Can¡ªyou apany me?¡± Yvonne begged Veronica. ¡°I¡¯m


    afraid Matthew wouldn¡¯t want to let my son go if you don¡¯t go with me. What shall I do then?¡±

 Chapter 496

    Chapter 496


    Chapter 496 Let¡¯s Find Matthew


    After Veronica ended her conversation with Yvonne, she ced the phone on the bedside. Just as she


    was about to close her eyes and rest, her phone rang again.


    The person who called her this time was Shirley. Then, she received a call from Monica. After that,


    several partners of Vincere Games also called her and asked her about her condition. Finally, she


    received a call from Miguel. ¡°Mr. Lynch?¡±


    At first, Veronica deliberately teased Miguel because Matthew broke up with her. It was an act she


    purposely put up for Matthew. However, she didn¡¯t feel the need to deliberately tease Miguel again now


    that she had discovered the truth.


    ¡°I saw all the news articles on the Inte. You¡ªis your face okay?¡± Miguel was a little worried about


    Veronica. ¡°Nothing major. I¡¯ll be fine once the swelling subsides.¡± Veronica replied nonchntly.


    As Miguel listened to the rxed and joyous tone in her voice through the phone, he wondered whether


    she was just pretending to be calm and rxed to prevent anyone from knowing how much she was truly


    suffering.


    ¡°I did ask you to work hard, but I never said you can put down your dignity to grasp this job opportunity,¡±


    Miguel said sternly, his serious nature that rarely appeared showed in his tone.


    He was probably highly opposed to Veronica¡¯s way of seeking a job.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Dignity?¡±


    Veronica carefully discerned the word as she curled the corners of her lips into a smile, then continued.


    ¡°What is dignity when I have no job and therefore no source of ie? I¡¯m just trying to survive in our


    cruel society, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Although Veronica was acting this time, she actually felt firsthand what it meant to survive with little to no


    dignity when her adoptive parents were hospitalized in a car ident and needed money for medical


    and surgical expenses. Likewise, it was also at that time that she understood the meaning of dignity.


    After she said those words, there was a long silence on the other end of the phone.


    When she noticed Miguel¡¯s hesitance, Veronica said, ¡°Miguel, I¡¯m doing quite well. Thank you for your


    concern, but I¡¯m sleepy. We¡¯ll keep in touch again.¡±


    As soon as she said that, she directly hung up on Miguel.


    Unexpectedly, the phone started to ring again just after seconds she put it down.


    At this rate, she could feel her patience wearing thin.


    She had expected the video to make the news headlines, and the only thing she wanted to do now was


    to avoiding across this matter. She tried her best to restrain herself from reading the news and


    looking up at those gossip as well as unsightlyments.


    Nevertheless, it gave her a headache after seeing these people call her repetitively, one after another.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    Just as she was about to answer yet another phone call, she realized that she hadn¡¯t checked who the


    caller was, so she brought the phone before her narrowed eyes and nced at the caller ID. Hence,


    when she saw it was Larry, she answered the call with her eyes closed and saidzily, ¡°Make it snappy.


    I¡¯m trying to sleep here.¡±


    ¡°Demoness, how can you still sleep at such a crucial hour? Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t seen the news


    articles on the trending topics yet!¡± Larry was surprised.


    ¡°I saw,¡± Veronica said rather impatiently, ¡°But what else can I do even if I saw it? Since it¡¯s already


    making headlines, just let it be. I won¡¯t lose anything anyway, and it doesn¡¯t impact me much. It¡¯s nothing


    but just another topic for those idlers to gossip about, that¡¯s all.¡±


    She was exceptionally calm, and such eerie calmness she was disying was entirely beyond Larry¡¯s


    expectations.


    So, he scratched his nose as he carefully mulled over her words, then nodded firmly. ¡°Your words do


    make sense.¡±


    Nevertheless, Larry¡¯s confused brain suddenly became functional again. ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t sound right.


    I¡¯ve heard about Matthew going against you, but with your capability, you don¡¯t have to abuse yourself for


    the sake of selling a car. You can always seek refuge with me as yourst resort. Besides, Stephen also


    said he would connect you with his foreign friends and help you to get into the entertainment industry.


    How about that?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    Veronica declined his offer without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m not that interested in the entertainment industry.¡±


    Despite saying that, as someone who was once in showbiz, she knew the words she said to Larry


    weren¡¯t genuine.


    Matthew has already imed that whoever recruits me in the entertainment industry will be his enemy.


    It¡¯s clear that I won¡¯t have a chance to shine in Destor. Hence, He¡¯ll definitely bring me abroad to develop


    my career growth if I am to follow Larry.


    She knew her abilities well and was sure that she didn¡¯t have such skills to survive abroad, so she had all


    the more reason to stay in Bloomstead.


    Only in Bloomstead can I train and be of better help to Matthew!


    ¡°You!!¡±


    Larry was at a loss for words for a while. He had a headache because of Veronica¡¯s stubbornness. ¡°Why


    are you so strong-headed? Demoness, I never thought you would do such a thing in order to sell a car.


    You can tell me if you face any difficulties. I¡¯ll support you too, even if you¡¯re jobless in the future.¡±


    ¡°Support me? How am I going to repay you? Are you perhaps thinking of asking me to devote my life to


    you?¡± Veronica covered her lips andughed, ¡°Hahaha¡ªif so, I hit the jackpot.¡±


    In reality, her rtionship with Larry was wholly tonic. Naturally, none of them would have improper


    desires for each other.


    ¡°Bullsh*t! You don¡¯t look like a woman at all. What¡¯s the difference between marrying you and staying


    single?¡± Larry teased snappishly. Despite his teasing, he breathed out a long sigh after saying those


    words.


    Just when he was about to say something, Veronica heard a voice sound on the other end of the phone.


    ¡°Larry! Quick! It¡¯s time to take the action scenes between you and Stephen. Hurry and get yourself butt


    over to rehearse the lines.¡±


    ¡°I got it!¡± Larry responded. After that, he said to Veronica, ¡°Alright. I need to get back to work. Let¡¯s chat


    later.¡±


    Veronica only had her moment of leisure after she hung up the phone.


    Ten minutester, a mobile phone SMS alert sounded.


    She turned on her phone and clicked on the SMS. She saw it was a transaction notification sent by the


    bank. ¡®Oculus Bank: 500,000.00 received from Larry Freeman to your ount ending with 7539 at


    9.37PM on July 15. The bnce of the ount is¡­¡¯


    Shortly after, another WhatsApp message popped on her phone just when she read the SMS. When she


    opened it, she realized it was a voice note from Larry. ¡®I transferred 500,000 to you. You can use it for


    now. Just rest at home for a while if you don¡¯t wish to enter the entertainment industry. But, please switch


    to another job once the storm is over. As for your job at the automobile shop, just ditch it and don¡¯t report


    to duty tomorrow.¡¯


    Since Larry had always been carefree and joyful when she got along with him, it rather made Veronica a


    little ufortable when she heard the serious and calm tone in his voice at this moment.


    Even so, Veronica simply thanked him for his help.


    After she had sent the text, she switched off her phone and went to sleep.


    Otherwise, she really didn¡¯t know who else would call her.


    The following day, Veronica woke up feeling refreshed after a good night¡¯s sleep. The first thing she did


    was look at her face in the mirror. She only felt relieved once she was certain that the swelling had


    subsided.


    After her morning exercise, she had a hearty breakfast. Then, she went to the bank and transferred back


    the 500,000 that Larry had transferred to herst night.


    I don¡¯t need and shouldn¡¯t take this money. But, even though she didn¡¯t ept the money, she would


    never forget Larry¡¯s kindness toward her in her moment of need.


    Later, Yvonne contacted Veronica as they intended to discuss the matter of having Ian return to Yvonne¡¯s


    care with Matthew. She drove over to pick Veronica up, and the two headed straight to Spinfluence


    Group.


    Once they arrived at the Spinfluence Group¡¯s office building, they entered the building on the first floor


    and stopped at the front desk. Yvonne stepped forward and said to the receptionist, ¡°Hello, we¡¯re here to


    look for President Kings.¡±


    The receptionist at the front desk regarded Yvonne and then at Veronica. ¡°Do you have an


    appointment?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the godsister of President Kings, and it¡¯s Old Mrs. Kings who asked her toe,¡± Yvonne lied


    while directly pointing at Veronica.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. President Kings said that Miss Murphy isn¡¯t allowed to enter the Spinfluence Group¡¯s


    office building. The decision is final, and it won¡¯t change even if she shows up with Old Mrs. Kings.¡±


    The front desk beauty exined, telling them that she wasn¡¯t intentionally making things difficult for


    them.


    Veronica frowned, feeling a little helpless. Nevertheless, she naturally needed to finish her act since she


    was acting.


    Hence, she mmed the front desk angrily. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?! Why aren¡¯t you guys letting me


    in to find Matthew?!¡±

 Chapter 497

    Chapter 497


    Chapter 497 Hendrey Has Been Kidnapped


    Perhaps Veronica had exerted too much effort into her act and caused a big ruckus. Even Yvonne, who


    stood beside her, was startled, let alone the front desk beauty.


    The pretty receptionist shuddered at Veronica¡¯s hostile reaction and immediately exined. ¡°Miss


    Murphy, I¡¯m really sorry. This is an order from President Kings. If you¡ª¡±


    As she spoke, she started ncing around for help. When her gazended behind Veronica, she felt so


    relieved that she immediately pointed her finger in that direction. ¡°Miss Murphy, President Kings is here.


    You can just find him if you have any issues.¡±


    Veronica and Yvonne both turned their heads at where the receptionist had gestured. As expected,


    Matthew was dressed in a neatly pressed suit and had just entered the lobby with his special assistant,


    Thomas.


    Yvonne felt anxiety overwhelming her as she grabbed Veronica and whispered, ¡°Roni, c-can you help me


    talk to him? I-I¡¯m scared.¡±


    At the same time, Yvonne¡¯s mind recalled how the receptionist refused to let them enter the building a


    while ago. The firm attitude shown by the front deskdy earlier proves that Matthew really hates


    Veronica.


    When she realized that, she became even more anxious and worried. And if I don¡¯t take my child and


    leave at this point, I¡¯m afraid I may not have a chance again in the future.


    Most importantly, Conny is seriously ill right now; I don¡¯t know how much time he has left.


    Sure enough, Veronica knew what Yvonne was worried about. Although Veronica wanted to press her to


    rethink her decision, she was well aware that Yvonne had made up her mind. Hence, she felt like it was


    pointless for her to say more.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She nodded slightly and answered. Thus, she sauntered toward Matthew and stopped in front of him,


    rudely blocking his path. ¡°Matthew, why are you avoiding me?¡±


    Veronica directly questioned Matthew before everyone arrogantly.


    Somehow, people felt Veronica was taking advantage of Matthew¡¯s kindness after seeing her prideful


    demeanor.


    In the meantime, Matthew hid his slightly clenched fists in his pants pockets, and his cold gaze fell on


    Veronica¡¯s face.


    He looked closer at her and found that the swelling on her cheeks had subsided. He also noticed the red


    marks caused by the p had faded, making him secretly sigh with relief.


    God knows how worried I was about her!


    ¡°Thomas, take her away.¡±


    After he gave the order, the man withdrew his gaze, bypassed Veronica, and left.


    Even though he really wanted to take her upstairs to his office to have a casual chat and spend time with


    her, their current situation prohibited him from acting so.


    His mind shed back tost night in Twilight Condominium. Last night, Matthew stood before the French


    window with a ss of red wine in his hand. While he overlooked the brightly lit Bloomstead, he felt he


    had returned to the good times he had spent with Veronica.


    Buzz¡ª


    Suddenly, the phone in his pocket started ringing, piercing through his thoughts.


    Matthew ced the red wine on the table next to him and grabbed his phone. When he nced at the


    screen, he saw a string of numbers instead of a caller ID.


    Although he didn¡¯t save the phone number in his contact list, he clearly remembered it was Crayson¡¯s


    phone number.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate to answer the phone. ¡°Master Crayson?¡±


    Ever since Matthew broke up with Veronica, Crayson had hardly contacted him. But, as it was already


    midnight, he knew there must be something urgent for Crayson to suddenly contact him.


    ¡°Matthew, I¡¯m not sure where Zac obtained the news, but he has begun to doubt Veronica¡¯s identity,¡± he


    said solemnly.


    Matthew frowned slightly at the information. So, he paused momentarily before he continued to ask in


    confusion, ¡°But isn¡¯t Veronica¡¯s identity made known to a little group of people? How did the information


    leak out?¡±


    ¡°Walls have ears, Matthew. There¡¯s no such thing as an absolute secret in this world.¡± Crayson sighed.


    Then, he added, ¡°Right now, countless pairs of eyes are staring and watching her every movement. So,


    you must keep your distance from her.¡±


    ¡°I know what to do.¡± Matthew reached up and massaged his temple while looking down at the street


    under the building. As he looked down, he pondered for a moment. Finally, he asked Crayson, ¡°Is there


    anything I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact, there¡¯s indeed something I need your help with.¡± After Crayson discovered


    something, he tried to personally investigate the matter, but to no avail.


    Nevertheless, since Matthew had offered his help, he felt that Matthew might be able to help him with


    this problem that had been guing him.


    ¡°Someone is missing, so I need you to investigate this matter secretly.¡±


    ¡°Do tell, Master Crayson.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Hendrey Johnson.¡± Crayson let out a deep sigh. He continued worriedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear from this


    guy at all after he went to Castron. It¡¯s like he had disappeared into thin air. He knows too much, and I¡¯m


    constantly on tenterhooks now that he has lost contact with me.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    When Hendrey was in Bloomstead, Crayson had the chance to get rid of him. Still, after discovering


    Hendrey seemed to be helping Veronica secretly, Crayson decided that he would keep Hendrey alive,


    thinking that he might be a useful chess piece in the future.


    Yet, Crayson became somewhat worried since he had heard no news from Hendrey after leaving


    Bloomstead for Castron.


    ¡°Hendrey Johnson?¡±


    Matthew didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Nheless, through Crayson¡¯s words, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him


    to guess that Hendrey must know about Veronica¡¯s identity. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll arrange for an investigation about


    this matter.¡±


    ¡­


    Everything that had happened was due to his conversation with Crayson. Now, in the Spinfluence Group,


    he had to work hard to eliminate all the obstacles before he could even think about having a life together


    with Veronica.


    In order to keep a distance from Veronica, Matthew purposely distanced himself, and his attitude toward


    her became wholly aloof.


    Thomas swiftly stepped forward and acquiesced to Matthew¡¯s instructions. He stood before Veronica and


    gestured to her to take her leave. ¡°Right this way, Miss Murphy.¡±


    Despite not understanding what Matthew would do, he knew that, as Matthew¡¯s special assistant, he


    simply had to carry out his orders.


    With that, Veronica¡¯s gaze turned chilly. She ignored Thomas as she took a step aside and blocked


    Matthew¡¯s way again. ¡°You can ignore me, but you mustn¡¯t ignore Yvonne.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡±


    At once, Yvonne impatiently eximed, ¡°I just want to see my son. I miss him so much. Can you return


    him to me?¡±


    ¡°Your son?¡±


    Matthew raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°I have never seen your son. Miss Spencer, could it be that you


    have made a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡ª¡± Yvonne was stunned. In an instant, she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    As it never crossed her mind that such words would escape from Matthew¡¯s lips, she widened her eyes


    in shock, and her mind went nk.


    ¡°What do you mean by she made a mistake? Weren¡¯t you the one who took her son from her?¡± Veronica


    asked. She was clueless as to why Matthew would say that.


    However, there was one thing Veronica knew very well¡ªMatthew¡¯s words would instill uneasiness in


    Yvonne and scare her out of her wits.


    As expected, Yvonne rushed up to Matthew in the next seconds. She reached out and pushed him.


    ¡°Matthew, stop pretending to y dumb. You were the one who asked me to entrust my son with you that


    day. You were the one who told me you wanted to protect my son!¡±


    She roared anxiously, and her eyes instantly welled up in tears.


    Matthew twitched the corners of his lips. ¡°What a joke. We¡¯re not rted, so why should I protect your


    son?¡±


    As he coldly regarded Yvonne, who was roaring at him like a psycho, Matthew felt she was like a fool,


    ridiculous yet pitiful.


    Although Veronica isn¡¯t in the know about Yvonne and Conrad, I know that they have gotten back


    together again.


    Despite not understanding the actual reason behind their reconciliation, I know I mustn¡¯t hand over the


    child to Yvonne.


    If only Yvonne weren¡¯t Veronica¡¯s best friend, I couldpletely ignore all this sh*t!


    ¡°Bullsh*t! I clearly¡­ entrusted m-my son with you.¡± Yvonne couldn¡¯t help choking in tears. After that, she


    pointed her beautiful and slender finger at Matthew¡¯s face. ¡°Believe it or not: I¡¯ll call the police now and


    sue you for child abduction if you don¡¯t return my son to me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Matthew wasn¡¯t bothered at all. ¡°Well, your phone is with you. Do whatever you want. I don¡¯t


    care.¡±


    He left immediately after he finished saying just that.


    Veronica instantly stomped after him to demand an answer from the unreasonable man. Unfortunately,


    the phone in her pocket suddenly rang just as she was about to yell something at him.


    Hence, she took out her phone, nced at it, and saw it was Ruka contacting her.


    Ruka has just called me this morning and talked about matters rting to the news. Something must be


    up on her side now that she calls me again.


    Therefore, Veronica wasted no time in answering the call. ¡°Ruka?¡±


    ¡°Veronica, something happened! I¡¯ve been dispatching people to search for Hendrey, but I just received


    news that h-he seems to have been kidnapped, and his whereabouts are still unknown.¡±

 Chapter 498

    Chapter 498


    Chapter 498 Encountering Tiffany


    ¡°How can it be?¡± Veronica was in absolute shock. ¡°When was this?¡±


    ¡°After Hendrey went to Castron, I looked for him for a long time and couldn¡¯t get in touch with him. So, I


    kept dispatching people to investigate. Finally, just a while ago, I received news that he was kidnapped,


    but I¡¯m not sure who kidnapped him and where he is right now.¡±


    Perhaps because she was really worried about Hendrey¡¯s whereabouts, Ruka sounded anxious through


    the phone. ¡°Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll get in touch with youter.¡±


    Veronica hung up the phone. Then, she looked up only to realize that Matthew had already made his


    way toward the elevator. She put away her phone and rushed over at once. Unfortunately, Thomas


    grabbed her as soon as she took a step. ¡°Miss Murphy, Young Master Matthew has given orders that


    you¡¯re not allowed up.¡±


    ¡°Hold it right there, Matthew!¡± Yvonne rushed toward Matthew frantically when she saw that Veronica was


    being held back. Ding!


    Coincidentally, the door of the elevator opened. Matthew entered the elevator first, followed by


    Yvonne. He nced at Yvonne and pressed the ¡®close¡¯ button.


    At this rate, Yvonne couldn¡¯t care less about other things. She grabbed Matthew¡¯s suit and shouted,


    ¡°Give me back my son! Give me back my son¡­¡±


    Panic crept in, and the words in her sentence turned into wails as she burst into tears.


    The man raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked at the scene unfolding before him. There was a hint


    of displeasure in his eyes. ¡°Was Conrad the one who asked you toe?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Yvonne was stunned. She looked up at the man in front of her dazedly. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    How does he know that Conrad and I are back together? Did Veronica tell him?


    No, that can¡¯t be.


    Veronica still doesn¡¯t know I got back together with Conrad.


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense with me. I want my child!¡± she roared in anger again.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you check the authenticity of his terminal illness rather than wasting your time here seeking


    trouble with me?¡±


    After Matthew finished speaking, the elevator dinged again as they reached his floor. Thus, when the


    elevator door opened, he walked straight out.


    Only a stupefied Yvonne was left in the elevator. Matthew¡¯s words from earlier echoed in her mind. Why


    don¡¯t you check the authenticity of his terminal illness rather than wasting your time here seeking trouble


    with me?


    How did he know that Conrad was diagnosed with cancer?


    And what does he mean by asking me to investigate the authenticity of Conrad¡¯s cancer? Could it be


    that¡­ Is Conrad faking his illness?


    Yvonne was lost in her thoughts. When she snapped back to her senses, the elevator had already


    arrived on the first floor.


    The door opened, and she saw Thomas and Veronica standing by the elevator door.


    Veronica had keen observational skills, so she immediately noticed that there was something wrong with


    Yvonne¡¯s facial expression. Hence, she inquired with concern, ¡°Is something the matter, Yvonne?¡±


    ¡°Huh? N-Nothing.¡±


    Yvonne shook her head absent-mindedly. ¡°I-I¡¯m feeling a little unwell. I want to go back and rest.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s words undoubtedly left a severe impact on Yvonne. At this moment, she was dubious about


    Conrad¡¯s terminal illness.


    However, Yvonne had no way to determine the authenticity of the matter because of the ill rtionship


    between Matthew and Conrad. Hence, she could only investigate it by herself.


    ¡°You¡¯re not feeling well?¡± Veronica noticed something odd with Yvonne¡¯s behavior. So, she stood beside


    her and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What did Matthew say to you?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing.¡±


    Once again, Yvonne shook her head. ¡°He said that he would return the child to me in a few days and


    asked me to wait for another two days. Roni, I¡¯m going back first. Thank you for helping me with today¡¯s


    affair.¡±


    Before Veronica could reply, Yvonne had already left the building.


    Veronica stood on the spot and watched her retreating figure. For some reason, she could feel that


    Yvonne was preupied with something, yet she didn¡¯t know the cause of it.


    Therefore, she turned her head and nced in the direction of the elevator. She couldn¡¯t help but think of


    what Matthew could possibly say to Yvonne.


    Buzz¡ª


    Just as she was deep in her thoughts, her phone rang again.


    She fished out her phone from her pocket and nced at the screen, and she saw it was Ruka calling


    her again.


    ¡°Ruka?¡± She answered the phone.


    ¡°Veronica, can you spare me some time and apany me to Castron?¡±


    Since Ruka was very aware of Veronica¡¯sbat skills and her rtionship with Hendrey, she wanted to


    take Veronica along with her for her trip to Castron this time.


    She thought she could feel safer with Veronica around.


    ¡°Me? I¡ªfine. When are we going?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, I guess. I¡¯m booking the flight tickets now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure!¡±


    After Veronica thought about her invitation, she agreed to join Ruka on her trip to Castron.


    After she ended the call, she walked out of the building quickly. Nevertheless, she saw no sign of Yvonne


    at the entrance.


    Veronica called Yvonne, but she didn¡¯t answer her phone.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    At this moment, Yvonne was driving her car and headed straight to the hospital.


    She came to the hospital, where she stumbled upon Conrad before. Regardless, she didn¡¯t pause for a


    moment before using her connections with one of the higher-ups as she directly contacted the insiders


    and investigated Conrad¡¯s personal medical records.


    Later, she arrived at the director¡¯s office, sat there, and waited for a while. Then, the hospital¡¯s director,


    Lucas Clementon, came over with the case file and handed it to Yvonne. ¡°Oh, Yvie. Will you still be


    willing toe here and see me if nothing urs?¡±


    Due to Lucas and her father being old acquaintances, Yvonne trusted Lucas very much.


    Usually, Yvonne was most reluctant to use personal connections to get things done. Yet, she made an


    exception this time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for troubling you, Uncle Lucas. I would havee and seen you a long time ago if I hadn¡¯t


    thought that you¡¯re busy with your work every day.¡±


    Yvonne smiled slightly. Her eyes fell on the case list in Lucas¡¯ hand, and she asked, ¡°Is this medical


    record authentic? Is Conrad really sick?¡±


    When Lucas heard that, his fingers that were holding the case sheet trembled slightly, he nced at


    Yvonne with a meaningful gaze, and his facial expression turned a little unnatural at her query.


    Finally, he sighed. ¡°Those whom God loves die young. It¡¯s a pity that a brilliant man like Conrad actually


    can¡¯t escape the w of fate.¡±


    Yvonne frowned at his words. ¡°I-Is it true?¡±


    Today, she even held a little hope that Matthew¡¯s words were true when he told her that there was


    something wrong with Conrad¡¯s medical record.


    If Matthew¡¯s words turned out to be urate, Conrad wouldn¡¯t have had to face death.


    Nheless, when she thought about it in another way, she couldn¡¯t help but think Conrad was quite


    shrewd and scheming if he faked his illness.


    After she received Lucas¡¯ confirmation of the situation, Yvonne¡¯s suspicion of Conrad instantly


    disappeared.


    After she chatted with Lucas for a while, she left the hospital.


    Later, she fell into a long period of self-me as she felt that she shouldn¡¯t have suspected Conrad, the


    man that she imed to love wholeheartedly.


    ¡­


    After Veronica and Ruka flew for more than ten hours, they finally arrived in Castron.


    Once they got off the ne, Veronica immediately asked her, ¡°Where shall we goter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had everything arranged. We¡¯ll head to Eksdale Street first.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll follow your n.¡±


    The two left the airport, and a car pulled up by the road. When a handsome man with blonde hair and


    azure eyes in a suit saw Ruka, he beckoned to her and strolled over.


    ¡°Ruka! Finally, you¡¯re here!¡± The man spoke fluent English. He smiled slightly, showing a row of pearly


    whites, and his smile was friendly.


    Veronica had seen him thest time she came to Castron with Ruka.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Emilson,¡± Ruka said politely.


    Afterward, the two got into the car and went straight to Eksdale Street.


    Once they arrived, they headed straight to the hotel since Ruka had arranged their stay in Filton Hotel,


    which was located on Eksdale Street.


    At noon, the three of them ate together. After the meal, they departed from the hotel, and Veronica


    casually strolled on the street. Suddenly, she saw a familiar figure in the crowd.


    She was stunned for a moment before she jogged over to the figure. ¡°Tiffany?¡±

 Chapter 499

    Chapter 499


    Chapter 499 She¡¯s Still Alive


    In the bustling Eksdale Street, a shop was having its grand opening. The store management team had


    invited a lion dance team to perform a lion dance, and a lot of customers gathered by the entrance.


    Since the people in Castron still practiced this lion dance tradition for their store opening ceremony,


    Veronica stopped to watch. She admired the fantastic performance put up by the lion dance team and


    felt the happiness she once felt during her childhood.


    It seems that I rarely got to see any lion dance performance as I grew up. After all, this tradition is no


    longer practiced in Destor.


    She stood amongst the crowd and watched as a yellow lion stepped on the pir, shook its head, blinked


    its big eyes, and then jumped to the high pir in front of her. Later, it did a backflip and jumped back.


    Drums and cymbals apanied this whole performance, and it won countless apuse.


    Right at this moment, Veronica spotted a familiar figure in a goose-yellow cardigan appearing at the door


    of the store.


    No! It¡¯s not a familiar figure, but a face that I can never forget!


    The face that looks exactly like mine!


    It¡¯s¡ªTiffany!


    Tiffany?!


    But isn¡¯t she dead?


    At once, Veronica felt a chill running down her spine, and she couldn¡¯t help shivering. Likewise, her mind


    went nk with shock.


    Just like that, she looked at the person on the opposite side with the lion dance team in between them


    and met the person¡¯s gaze.


    The next moment, Veronica turned around, squeezed herself out of the crowd, and chased after Tiffany.


    She pushed her way through the crowd, arrived at where she saw Tiffany, and grabbed the woman in the


    goose yellow cardigan. ¡°Tiffany?¡±


    The woman turned back, and Veronica saw it was an unfamiliar face. The woman scolded her in


    displeasure, ¡°Who are you? You must have made a mistake! What a weirdo.¡±


    When Veronica realized that, her hand grabbing the woman¡¯s cardigan stiffened slightly. She instinctively


    scanned the person from head to toe as she apologized sincerely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡±


    This person in front of me doesn¡¯t resemble Tiffany even the slightest.


    It¡¯s not her at all.


    Veronica¡¯s eyes darted around the crowd. s, those people were all standing there watching the


    wonderful lion dance and no one was walking amongst the crowd.


    Everything seemed calm in the hustle and bustle.


    Although it looked like Tiffany had never appeared, Veronica was sure that she was absolutely right.


    Veronica left the crowd and immediately did a quick run around the area. She kept chasing and


    searching, yet she found that those people on the street were either walking normally, ying, or talking


    on the phone. She couldn¡¯t detect any individuals acting suspiciously.


    By the end of it, Veronica stopped in her frantic search as she ruffled her hair in agitation.


    Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°Veronica?¡±


    The tap frightened her, and she spun around, thinking it was Tiffany.


    However, she saw Ruka and Emilson instead of Tiffany.


    ¡°Where did you go? Emilson and I had been looking all over for you!¡± Ruka scolded. Then, she noticed


    that Veronica¡¯s expression was a little off. Thus, she frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you


    see something?¡±


    Ruka copied her when she saw that Veronica was searching for something. Yet, she didn¡¯t see anything


    out of the ordinary.


    ¡°N-Nothing. I think I saw my ssmate from elementary school just now. Too bad she walked too fast,


    and I couldn¡¯t catch up with her,¡± Veronica said perfunctorily as she came up with a usible excuse.


    ¡°Are you silly?¡± Ruka patted her on the shoulder. ¡°You can just send your ssmate a text if you can¡¯t


    catch up with her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a ssmate from many years ago. How would I have her contact information?¡±


    ¡°Ask your ssmates, and you should be able to know. Communication these days is so easy. You can


    easily find anyone just by the tip of your finger.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s not a big deal. Why go through so much effort to find someone?¡± Veronica waved her hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go,¡± said Emilson.


    Later, the three of them walked across the road. As they walked, Veronica didn¡¯t forget to turn back at the


    crowd, especially at the store that was holding an event. There was a tinge of doubt in her eyes.


    It¡¯s clear that Tiffany is dead. But why is she still alive?


    After Tiffany died, Randy disappeared as well. Floch and Rachel also sold thepany and fled to


    Castron.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Castron?


    Aren¡¯t I in Castron?!


    Veronica immediately felt goosebumps all over her body as chills ran down her spine.


    ¡°Veronica? Veronica? Earth to Veronica!¡±


    Ruka was talking to Veronica, yet she just lowered her head and walked forward like she couldn¡¯t hear


    her at all.


    Finally, Ruka patted her shoulder hard. ¡°Veronica, are you hiding something from me?¡±


    Veronica suddenly came back to her senses and shook her head. ¡°No. Why would you say that? I was


    just thinking, where can Hendrey go if he disappeared like you said he was.¡±


    At the mention of Hendrey¡¯s name, Veronica instantly thought of something. Hendrey?


    Tiffany?


    Back then, news of Tiffany¡¯s death came right after Hendrey left Bloomstead.


    Now that I encounter Tiffany in Castron, does that mean she and Hendrey have a close rtionship?


    Somewhere deep down, Veronica¡¯s instinct was telling her that both Tiffany and Hendrey must have had


    some kind of rtionship.


    Nheless, she currently couldn¡¯t quite figure out what that rtionship was.


    Ruka sighed at the mention of Hendrey¡¯s uncertain whereabouts. But then, her eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, by the


    way, Matthew came to Castron today too.¡±


    ¡°Matthew? H-He¡¯s here too?¡±

 Chapter 500

    Chapter 500


    Chapter 500 Matthew Has Been Kidnapped


    ¡°Yeah. He was on the same flight as us,¡± Ruka said helplessly, ¡°I only found out when they called me to


    tell me about it.¡± Veronica frowned and murmured when she heard that information, ¡°What¡¯s he doing in


    Castron?¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand Matthew¡¯s purpose ining to Castron at this time. Could it be that it has


    something to do with Hendrey too?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Ruka was indeed clueless about the purpose of Matthew¡¯s visit to Castron this time.


    Despite her confusion, she shook her head and said, ¡°Never mind him. You two aren¡¯t in touch now


    anyway. It¡¯s better to stay away from a sc*mbag like him. In fact, the farther, the better.¡±


    When she heard Ruka scolding Matthew, she felt a little bad for him in her heart, for she knew that


    everything Matthew endured today was for her sake.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go back to the hotel. We still have to look for Hendrey tomorrow.¡± Veronica changed the


    subject and set off toward the hotel where they were staying.


    After they returned to the hotel, Veronica spread herselffortably on the bed to rest.


    Since she had nothing else to do, she held her phone and scrolled through her social media. Then, she


    came across a post uploaded by Larry.


    ¡®It¡¯s a wrap, Bloomstead!¡¯


    Below the caption, there was a photo of the filming crew packing their things.


    ¡°It¡¯s over so soon?¡± Veronica muttered. But on second thought, the sci-fi movie filmed by Larry¡¯s crew


    was only shot in Bloomstead. So I guess half a month can still be considered quite a long time.


    Just as she was thinking, her phone buzzed, and Larry¡¯s phone number was disyed on the phone


    screen.


    She answered the phone without hesitation.


    ¡°Yo! Demoness! It¡¯s in the middle of the night, so why aren¡¯t you asleep yet? Hahaha! Hurry up ande


    out to have some fun! Otherwise, we can¡¯t hang out anymore after I return to Castron tomorrow.¡±


    It just so happened that it was early morning in Destor at this hour.


    After Larry finished filming, he called Veronica and asked her to go for a karaoke session with him.


    Since he was going back to Castron tomorrow, he knew he wouldn¡¯t have time to apany her


    anymore.


    ¡°What a coincidence. In that case, you can juste straight to Castron for a get-together. I¡¯m in


    Castron, and I just arrived today.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing in Castron?¡± Larry was shocked.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to travel.¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t tell Larry the truth, but she nned to ask him about Hendrey after she met him.


    ¡°F*ck! You didn¡¯t even tell me that you traveled to Castron! You¡­¡±


    And just like that, the two chatted on the phone for a while before hanging up.


    Due to the time difference, Veronica was suffering from jetg and was a little sleepy at the moment. So,


    she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she had slept when her phone on the bed suddenly vibrated incessantly.


    Veronica reached out with her eyes closed and grabbed the phone. She squinted her eyes, swiped the


    answer button, and answered the phone. ¡°Hello, who is it?¡±


    ¡°Miss Murphy, it¡¯s me.¡±


    A male voice came from the opposite side, and Veronica felt the voice sounded somewhat familiar.


    The moment she realized who could possibly be the owner of the voice, she widened her eyes, and she


    was instantly awake.


    Veronica sat up as she nced at the phone number, and a sudden realization hit her. Isn¡¯t this Thomas¡¯


    phone number?


    Veronica recognized the number as Thomas frequently got in touch with her when she was still together


    with Matthew.


    ¡°Thomas, is there anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°Miss Murphy, something happened to Young Master Matthew,¡± said Thomas anxiously, who was on the


    other end of the phone.


    ¡°Are you saying¡­ Matthew?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. H-He has been kidnapped. The other party said Young Master Matthew won¡¯t be able to make it


    through tonight if you don¡¯t show up.¡±


    At this juncture, he had no choice but to seek help from Veronica.


    Before they arrived at Castron, Matthew had firmly instructed Thomas not to mobilize the power behind


    them in Castron regardless of the circumstances.


    Although Matthew was developing business in Bloomstead, his business empire had actually grown all


    the way to Castron. Naturally, he had his own prominent support behind him in Castron as well.


    Yet, because he had promised Howard that he would secretly help Veronica, Matthew pressed Thomas


    that he mustn¡¯t mobilize the power behind them in Castron if he didn¡¯t give the green light.


    Nevertheless, for Matthew¡¯s kidnapping incident this time, the other party made it clear that they wanted


    to see Veronica in exchange for Matthew¡¯s continued wellbeing.


    Thomas and Matthew flew to Castron together on the same flight as Veronica. Although Ruka and


    Veronica didn¡¯t see them, both Thomas and Matthew saw them. Hence, that was how Thomas knew


    Veronica was also in Castron.


    ¡°Kidnap? Who kidnapped him?¡± Veronica certainly would still doubt the authenticity of the matter if it was


    a call from someone else.


    Thomas was Matthew¡¯s man and someone whom Matthew trusted the most, though.


    For that reason, Veronica naturally wouldn¡¯t suspect him.


    It was just that she was a little bewildered. Why did Matthew get kidnapped after Hendrey was


    abducted? What¡¯s more bizarre is that they both get kidnapped on the first day they arrive in Castron.


    And what is the other party trying to pull by asking to see me?


    ¡°It should be someone from the ck Ace Mob.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Castron. How is it possible for someone from ck Ace Mob to be lurking around here?¡±


    ¡°The members of the ck Ace Mob are everywhere, so it¡¯s not surprising for them to appear in


    Castron.¡± After Thomas briefly exined the situation to Veronica, he asked anxiously, ¡°Miss Murphy, I


    know you¡¯re in Castron. Can I trouble you toe over here?¡±


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll send you my location, and you wille to pick me up.¡±


    After Veronica ended the call, she sent her location to Thomas. Then, she waited in the hotel lobby for a


    long time.


    Still, she didn¡¯t forget to send a message to Ruka before she left. ¡®Ruka, I ran into a friend, and I will have


    dinner with my friend tonight. So I¡¯ll see youter.¡¯


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Veronica knew Ruka would definitely be worried sick if she left without any exnation.


    ¡®Yo! You have quite a number of friends, I see. I can¡¯t believe you even have friends in Castron. I smell


    something fishy going on,¡¯ Ruka replied in seconds.


    Judging from her teasing, it was clear that she had misunderstood something.


    Despite that, Veronica didn¡¯t bother to exin as she was in a hurry. Hence, she just replied to her with a


    smiley emoticon.


    Ten minutester, her phone rang. It was Thomas. On the phone, Thomas told her that someone was


    coming to pick her up and gave her the kidnapper¡¯s contact number.


    Veronica immediately left the hotel and saw a ck car waiting by the entrance. After she confirmed the


    license te number, she didn¡¯t waste a second getting into the vehicle.


    Despite not seeing any signs of Thomas in the car, Veronica said nothing.


    The car sped down the street. She watched helplessly as the time passed by every minute and every


    second, and realized that an hour had passed, yet they still hadn¡¯t arrived at their destination.


    At this rate, Veronica was getting a little impatient. So, she asked, ¡°How much longer will it take to


    arrive?¡±


    ¡°Stay calm, Miss Murphy. We¡¯ll be there in half an hour at most,¡± the driver said.


    ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t rush, and drive slowly.¡± Although Veronica was in a hurry, she didn¡¯t want to put the driver in


    a difficult situation by urging him.


    Eventually, she became even more worried when she remembered that Matthew was kidnapped, and his


    possible kidnapper was someone from the ck Ace Mob. As they said, however strong an outsider is,


    they should never underestimate the local gangster. I don¡¯t understand, though. Since when did Matthew


    offend the members of the ck Ace Mob?

 Chapter 501

    Chapter 501


    Chapter 501 The Mysterious Woman


    Veronica finally saw Thomas after another half an hour. After alighting from the car, she closed the door


    casually and asked Thomas, ¡°How is Matt now?¡±


    She was very concerned about Matthew¡¯s condition. Thomas was aware that Matthew and Veronica had


    split up. Even though he thought the breakup was fishy, that did not mean that she was aware of it too.


    Thomas was taken aback by her reaction at this precise moment. ¡°Miss Murphy, Young Master


    Matthew¡­ He¡­¡± Thomas sighed before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t expecting to pull you into this.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you on about? I¡¯m asking you about Matt¡¯s condition.¡± The incongruous


    conversation between them heightened Veronica¡¯s anxiety.


    ¡°He should be fine. ording to my analysis, the enemy appears to being for you. It¡¯s only the first


    day you¡¯ve been in Castron and the enemy already knows you¡¯re here, that to me is absurd.¡±


    ¡°Miss Murphy, it may be very dangerous to rescue Young Master Matthew. Are you sure you want to do


    this?¡± Thomas was concerned about the conspiracy.


    ¡°Do I look like I fear death?¡± she inquired with a cold face. Though Thomas admired her calmness and


    ruthlessness¡­


    However¡­


    ¡°You and Young Master Matthew are no longer together. I won¡¯t make you do anything that you don¡¯t


    want to,¡± he added.


    Veronica might have appeared calm on the outside, but her heart was racing because she was worried


    about Matthew. Her patience was nearly gone after listening to Thomas¡¯ ramble. ¡°Are you done talking?


    Just hurry up. Which car should I bring?¡±


    She returned her gaze to the three sedans parked on the side of the road, unsure which one to take to


    begin her journey. However, she did not receive a response to her question for quite some time.


    When Veronica turned around, she saw Thomas standing motionless as if he had suspicions of her. After


    all, the couple had just split up and her eagerness to help was questionable. ¡°Are you a moron? Matt and


    I¡ª¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Only then did she realize she had addressed Matthew too intimately.


    Then, she quickly changed her words. ¡°Despite my breakup with Matthew, he¡¯s someone who has saved


    my life and Old Mrs. Kings values him very much. I also will not ignore the fact that he is my nominal


    brother.¡±


    For some reason, Thomas was persuaded by her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take this car.¡± He pointed at a silver-gray sedan in the first row. Veronica then went straight to the


    passenger seat while he took the lead in getting into the driver¡¯s seat before heading to the destination.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew is taken to an old hideout, but you are only permitted to go there by yourself. I¡¯m


    terrified that there will be a trap. Miss Murphy, please reconsider it.¡±


    Regardless of Veronica¡¯s decision to save Matthew or not, Thomas could understand both sides of her


    reasoning. Frowning slightly, she leaned against the passenger seat and looked ahead while deep in


    thoughts.


    Eventually, she asked, ¡°Did Matthew offend anyone in Castron?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew is a business mogul, so there will always be lurking enemies.¡±


    ¡°No, that is not correct.¡± Veronica analyzed, ¡°If it is a business rival, they wouldn¡¯t dare to kidnap him and


    they wouldn¡¯t be aware of my rtionship with Matthew either. It feels more like¡­ an acquaintance¡¯s


    trick.¡± ¡°An acquaintance?¡±


    Thomas gave her words a thought, filtered through those who had previously met with Matthew, and


    shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no one suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Thomas, please assist me in preparing something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡­


    The silver-gray sedan arrived outside the castle thirty minutester.


    The European-style castle, which was illuminated by bright lights, was reminiscent of Disney¡¯s dream


    castle while exuding a noble atmosphere.


    The car came to a halt outside the entrance as the guards instructed them to step out of the vehicle. ¡°It


    was your people who asked us toe here,¡± Thomas exined.


    ¡°You! Leave!¡± A ck man stood guard at the door and growled at Thomas. He was wearing a beret and


    a camouge uniform with a rifle hanging around his neck.


    ¡°You,e in,¡± he said, pointing at Veronica.


    ¡°No way. We can¡¯t let her in alone.¡±


    The ck man was wearing an invisible microphone and appeared to be listening to the person on the


    other end of the line, so he ruthlessly instructed them, ¡°Drive him out.¡±


    ¡°Miss Murphy?¡± Thomas¡¯ heart was racing.


    However, Veronica walked through the castle arch without looking back. At that moment, a woman


    approached, pointed to the security entrance, and asked Veronica to pass through there.


    She did not object and walked right in with the guards. Upon entrance, she found herself in a magnificent


    castle with line lights installed around the castle¡¯s edges and corners. The bright yellow lights


    entuated the castle¡¯s outline, making it even more dreamlike as if one was entering a majestic pce.


    Avoiding the main chamber area, the guards led Veronica to the side chamber.


    After a series of security bodychecks, another guard led Veronica into the hall.


    Astounded by the castle¡¯s exterior decoration, she sighed deeply when she saw thevish interior


    decoration.


    However, her mind was not present as she was more concerned about Matthew.


    When she noticed that the hall was empty, she tilted her head to look at the person beside her and


    asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your master?¡±


    Veronica spoke French to him because he was concerned that the guard did not speak English.


    ¡°Please sit,¡± the guard replied unexpectedly in English.


    With that, he exited and shut the heavy relief door after speaking.


    Veronica stood in the hall frowning as she was unsure what the guard meant. She then simply turned


    around and walked over to the couch to take a seat.


    After a long wait, there was no one in sight either.


    Veronica was bored and pulled out her phone, only to find that the signal here had been blocked,


    rendering her out of range formunication.


    With nothing else to do, she put her phone away and leaned against the couch while Matthew¡¯s rescue


    n started to form in her head.


    The clock was ticking and twenty minutes had passed. She had no idea how long it had taken until the


    door finally opened.


    ck, ck, ck¡­


    It was the sound of high heels clicking against the floor.


    Veronica turned around to see a beautiful woman with dreadlocks walk in. She was tall and dark-


    skinned, with blue dreadlocks tied in a high ponytail while dressed in an army green vest, camouge


    pants, and a pair of Doc Martens.


    The simple outfit entuated her curves and made the muscles on her arms visible, making her appear


    to be a trainer at first nce. Despite the inconspicuous scar on her face, her femme fatale beauty and


    aura were undeniable.


    Veronica rifled through her archives of faces, but she could not recall ever seeing this woman before.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Veronica. Did you request to see me?¡± she asked politely as she rose to her feet.


    The woman put her hands in the pockets of her camouge pants and stood upright to look at Veronica


    with a dominant aura.


    Even Veronica, who was experienced in life, felt oppressed by the woman before her.


    ¡°Ha, so you¡¯re Veronica. Tsk, you¡¯re quite pretty, I guess. No wonder Sebastian was captivated by you.¡±

 Chapter 502

    Chapter 502


    Chapter 502 Long Time No See, Xavier


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    The womanmunicated in French. ¡°Sebastian?¡± Veronica asked, slightly puzzled. ¡°Oh, you


    understood? I thought you wouldn¡¯t catch it.¡±


    When the mysterious woman entered earlier, Veronica stood up and greeted her in English, leading her


    to believe that she could not understand French. ¡°Come along with me,¡± the woman said coldly before


    turning around and walking away.


    Without any hesitation, Veronica immediately followed suit before they exited the side chamber and


    made their way to the back of the pce.


    She quietly followed the woman in front of her while asionally hearing the patrol passing by greeting


    her ¡®Princess¡¯. Is this woman a princess?


    She suspected that the woman might be the daughter of a powerful figure within the ck Ace Mob.


    How can I save Matthew when I¡¯m up against such a formidable foe?


    Suddenly, the confidence which she had harnessed earlier was slowly shrinking away. They were


    walking for a solid five minutes and Veronica was having a hard time keeping up as the woman walked


    efficiently. Soon, they made their way around to an attic and descended the stairs.


    At that point, Veronica paused for a moment, clearly hesitating. Noticing the footsteps behind her had


    disappeared, the woman turned around to see Veronica standing still.


    ¡°You want to see Matthew, don¡¯t you? How can you meet him if you¡¯re just standing there?¡± she sneered


    lightly. Is this a trap down there? Veronica panicked inwardly.


    Even Thomas was powerless now that Matthew was in the hands of this woman. Furthermore, the


    enemy summoned Veronica personally, implying that they were targeting her.


    Without any much choice, she followed the woman down the stairs despite having thousands of reluctant


    voices screaming within her.


    The spiral staircase brought the twodies down to a basement, which was illuminated by all the lights in


    the room, appearing as bright as the day.


    There were two floors in total in the basement; the first floor being a wine cer at which the strong


    aroma of fermented grape filled the air; the second basement floor, on the other hand, was heavily


    guarded with a cage in clear sight.


    Veronica had a feeling of unease in her heart. Is Matthew locked up in the cage? she pondered.


    The next second, she heard the woman before her shout into the distance, ¡°Sebastian?¡±


    Veronica tilted her head and looked forward, only to notice that the back of the man in front of her looked


    familiar.


    Only as they approached the man did he finally turn around.


    Sh*t! Veronica could not believe her eyes as her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach while terror filled


    her veins.


    ¡°X-Xavier?¡± She paused for a moment and stared at him with utter shock, which she could not begin to


    hide.


    Identical with the woman, Xavier was donned in an army green vest, camouge pants, and Doc


    Martens.


    He did, however, rece his short hair with a longer style and had it in a ponytail at the back of his head.


    Hisplexion was also a few shades darker and he had a prominent scar on his face.


    That¡¯s my doing¡­ Veronica thought to herself.


    Six months passed by and she noticed that he had visibly gained a lot of weight.


    To put it more urately, he¡¯s be buff.


    Though Xavier¡¯s skin back then was not the glowiest, he still had a very healthyplexion. However,


    the man who stood in front of her now had a darkplexion and no longer had a trace of a smile on his


    face. Instead, there was a cold, stern, yet charismatic appearance.


    Inparison to the past, he was apletely different person.


    The dreadlocked woman approached Xavier, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him on the


    lips while saying, ¡°Is this the woman you swore you couldn¡¯t forget, darling? She is breathtaking. All of


    you Destorian men seem to enjoy damsels in distress.¡±


    Hearing that, Xavier shot his murderous and cold re at the woman, who then shrugged upon noticing


    his agitation. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡± She stepped back diligently, letting go of his hand.


    ¡°Long time no see,¡± Xavier said as he approached Veronica with his hands in the pockets of his loose


    camouge pants.


    Since the man was not speaking earlier, Veronica did not notice anything out of the ordinary until he


    uttered the words. His voice has be so hoarse and he speaks so differently now.


    Due to his cold appearance and chilling sharp eyes, she perceived Xavier to be a wild wolf that could not


    be tamed as it was always full of aggression.


    Truth be told, she was terrified of him.


    Xavier¡¯s fighting abilities had previously proved to be superior to hers, but his muscr figure now said it


    all; it was enough to convince her that he had transformed significantly in the past six months and that


    his abilities could only be more exceptional than ever.


    ¡°You¡­ What brings you here?¡±


    Back then, Xavier took her to the hospital, but Veronica had no idea how things unfolded after that. She


    did, however, ask Matthew on how he handled Xavier after which he said he dispatched Xavier abroad


    with no signs of returning.


    Since then, she did not pursue the matter any further and was thoroughly surprised to see Xavier now in


    Castron again after a half-year absence.


    ¡°Where else should I be? In Lispon, being humiliated by others?¡± Xavier¡¯s lips curled slightly.


    ¡°L-Lispon?¡± Veronica was having trouble keeping up with his thoughts.


    What happened in Lispon?


    What humiliation was he alluded to?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in six months and you¡¯ve be so pretentious.¡± He raised his hand and ruffled his


    ck hair; his words and actions gave him a wild but handsome aura.


    It was the kind of irresistible wildness that no one could handle but kepting back for it. Furthermore,


    the scar on his face only enhanced his charisma, rather than reducing his handsomeness.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about. You¡­ Forget about it,¡± Veronica said, shaking her head.


    She realized there was already a chasm between her and Xavier that could not be bridged, and it was


    pointless to continue talking, so she asked directly, ¡°Where¡¯s Matthew?¡±


    She finally understood why the enemy wanted to see her when Matthew had been kidnapped. It¡¯s you,


    Xavier.


    ¡°You must be still longing for Matthew. Is he all you can think about?¡±


    As he said that, his face turned even more ruthless while his dark pupils turned as cold as the winter air.


    His gaze alone was able to send chills down to anyone¡¯s spines if they ever dared to look into it.


    Veronica sighed and her lips pursed. ¡°The past is no longer relevant, Xavier. I believe that now that you


    have your own life, you should live it well. That¡¯s only gonna be for the greater good.¡±


    ¡°Live my life well?¡±


    Xavier raised his head andughed as if he had heard a funny joke. ¡°For the greater good?¡± Hisugh


    continued on until his smile suddenly faded from his face.


    With such a swing of emotion, Veronica was taken aback by his expressions.


    Following that, he approached and grabbed her cor before yanking her forward and growled, ¡°How can


    I live a good life when Matthew murdered Melissa? Huh? You tell me!¡±


    ¡°Melissa¡¯s¡­ dead?¡±


    With this sudden news dawning upon her like a lightning strike, Veronica was having a hard time


    processing what she had just heard. What the hell is happening?

 Chapter 503

    Chapter 503


    Chapter 503 Xavier¡¯s Intention of Killing Matthew


    All the sessive events that happened today were hard for Veronica to swallow all at once. Shaking


    her head, she wore a dazed expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t know.¡±


    She pondered for a bit before asking, ¡°Do you think that your sister¡¯s death¡­ has something to do with


    Matthew?¡±


    If Melissa¡¯s death has nothing to do with Matthew, then why would Xavier kidnap him?


    But¡­ Matthew isn¡¯t such a cruel man. The woman in braids, who was standing behind her, seated


    herself to a nearby chair beforezily leaning over to the table and listened to their conversation.


    Fishing out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, she was quietly smoking while trying her best to lower


    her presence.


    One could see that Xavier¡¯s hand, which was grabbing onto Veronica¡¯s cor, was starting to tremble.


    From the popped veins to his tightly pursed lips, he was obviously holding his anger in.


    Even though he did not answer her, Veronica already knew what the truth was. At that moment, a series


    of excuses hung by her lips, but she could not bring herself to say them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know so much had happened.¡±


    However, her words of apology were merely a futile attempt.


    Although it was true that Veronica loathed Melissa, but for Xavier, she only felt avoidance and disdain


    toward him. In fact, she never truly hated him because he was once her ray of light in her before dark


    world.


    Yet, who knew that at the end of the light was an infinite abyss?


    Sure, he kidnapped her and put her life in threatening danger, but at the brink of her death, Xavier


    ignored Matthew¡¯s hunting and did everything he could by risking his freedom to send her to the hospital.


    Though the wounds she sustained that time was because of Xavier, he did not y the viin till the end.


    Snorting, Xavier maintained a cold expression. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. I won¡¯t ept it either.¡±


    He then turned around and walked to the woman with braids. ¡°Antheena, give me a cigarette.¡±


    It turned out that the woman was called Antheena.


    She took out a cigarette for him before lighting it.


    With a hand on his hips and the other holding the cigarette, he took a few drags.


    From the start till the end, his back was facing Veronica.


    ¡°What are you nning to do now that you¡¯ve kidnapped Matthew?¡± After hesitating for quite a while,


    Veronica finally asked the question she had been dreading to ask.


    Vrrr, vrrr, vrrr¡­ All of a sudden, Xavier¡¯s phone vibrated in his pocket.


    He took his phone and looked at the caller. As if he did not want Veronica to overhear the conversation,


    he distanced himself before taking the call.


    ¡°What?¡± Xavier asked.


    ¡°Get rid of Matthew,¡± the other person ordered.


    Biting on the cigarette butt, Xavier had a cold look in his eyes. ¡°I never nned to let him live from the


    moment I kidnapped him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t end the fun so quickly. Remember, release the news tomorrow and we¡¯ll see just how far his


    influence reaches.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Xavier took a drag and puffed it out. ¡°As per your request, Veronica is here. Now, can you


    tell me why you want her?¡±


    From the start, the person Xavier hated was only Matthew and not Veronica.


    Wanting her toe today was not Xavier¡¯s intention but the mysterious mastermind¡¯s.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about Antheena. If you dare to harm her, I will not let you off the hook so easily.¡±


    The other party did not seem to answer Xavier¡¯s question, for they were warning him indirectly that he


    should not over-concern himself about Veronica since he had his current lover, Antheena.


    Before Xavier could say anything, the person had already terminated the call. Gripping his phone tightly,


    he stood on the spot motionlessly.


    He knew that these people only kidnapped Veronica because of her and Matthew¡¯s close rtionship.


    Yet, now that she is here, the person wanted to see Matthew¡¯s backing.


    At that point, Xavier could not grasp what they were trying to do. However, his instincts told him that


    there was something grand at y.


    The brief moment of silence was then interrupted by him when he instructed his subordinates through a


    phone call, ¡°Spread the word that Matthew¡¯s doomsday is here.¡±


    He hung up after giving themand.


    Standing at the corner, he finished the cigarette with a deep frown. It was after that did he return to


    Veronica.


    ¡°I heard that you broke up with Matthew, so why would you stille?¡± Xavier asked Veronica.


    Alert, Veronica did not n to tell him the truth.


    ¡°Who told you that?¡±


    Rolling her eyes, she continued, ¡°I admit that I was a bit worried upon hearing that Matthew was


    kidnapped, seeing how I liked him in the past. But, after hearing that he was kidnapped by the mafia, I


    rejected them immediately. Who knew that the b*tch, Thomas, would send his men to my hometown and


    threatened me to go, or else my parents would die.¡±


    She secretly praised herself for being so smart. Before she came, she had reached an agreement with


    Thomas and he had then ordered his men to perform the task ordingly. If Xavier and the others were


    to look into this, they would find that there were a lot of strangers that had appeared in her hometown.


    Up to this point, she pouted and continued, ¡°Is there no more room for discussion between you and


    Matthew? Can¡¯t you just let him go? If you don¡¯t, my parents will have to die along with him.¡±


    Being one who had a performance background, Veronica utilized the atmosphere and revealed the most


    helpless and worried expression she could present.


    After all, she really was worried about Matthew¡¯s safety. Yet, Xavier could tell that something was off from


    her statement.


    ¡°Really?¡± he said it so suspiciously as if he did not fully trust her words.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can send your men to validate my words. Or maybe, you could even save


    my parents. I won¡¯t stop you from harming Matthew. It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s just I ask you to not kill him.¡±


    Fearing that she might be projecting her inner thoughts too tantly, Veronica added, ¡°Xavier, Matthew


    had saved my life before. If I just watch him die, I might live the rest of my life with guilt.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± he replied snarkily.


    Raising his eyebrow, Xavier reiterated her words, ¡°You said that as long as I don¡¯t kill him, you will stand


    by and watch things unfold?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Veronica purposefully nodded calmly. ¡°He¡¯s an *sshole. It¡¯s up to you to punish him as you see fit. I can


    ept anything you do as long as you don¡¯t kill him. This is also somewhat of a punishment for him. You


    should know that if Matthew died right in front of me, Thomas will not let my parents live either.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Are you daft? You kidnapped him, but you made mee. Isn¡¯t this just a tant statement to everyone


    that only I can save him? If I escape unscathed, Thomas will only think that I betrayed Matthew. Do you


    think that the Kingses would let me live if that happens?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s brain was working overtime as she spoke extra carefully in fear of showing her intention.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Having said all that, she was suddenly curious about something. ¡°I wish to know more about something


    else though. Since you¡¯ve already kidnapped Matthew, why do you still need me here?¡±


    Xavier shrugged his eyebrows and replied, ¡°This isn¡¯t my idea.¡±

 Chapter 504

    Chapter 504


    Chapter 504 A Beaten Matthew


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Xavier, who was curious as well, told her upfront that it was not his intention to kidnap her. ¡°You. What


    other secrets do you have?¡±


    ¡°Secrets?¡± Feeling her brain go nk, Veronica was momentarily stunned. She had no secrets to speak


    of. In fact, for a period of time, even Veronica was doubting herself that she was the root of the problem.


    Up until now, she could note up with a head start.


    However, it was Xavier¡¯s question that enlightened her. It was Crayson¡¯s sudden appearance that led her


    to think something was off, especially when he had been growing increasingly strict on her trainingtely.


    Under normal circumstances, a woman in her twenties¡ªlike Veronica¡ªcould defend herself adequately


    with the skills she possessed, so it made more sense that she did not need to polish her techniques


    further. Furthermore, when Hendrey left Bloomstead, he gave her a bracelet, stating that it could save


    her in case of an emergency.


    Thest time she was riding the same car as Steven and Larry, Steven¡¯s expression was very strange


    uponying eyes on the bracelet. There must be some secret in all this, but Steven did not say anything.


    Besides, Tiffany¡¯s death was also not caused by Matthew, which made her death even more so


    mysterious. The weider thing was that after Tiffany¡¯s ¡®death¡¯, Randy went missing with Floch and Rachel


    without looking further into their daughter¡¯s death. Instead, they sold thepany and moved to


    Castron. Now that Tiffany is still alive, what does this all say?


    Veronica, who felt that nothing was out of ce before, could clearly detect that something was awry in


    retrospect and that she might be harboring a secret which she had yet to discover.


    But, if I¡¯m keeping some sort of secret, then¡­ Crayson did mention that Matthew broke up with her


    because Zac and Conrad were targeting him, so he did not wish to implicate her as well. In hindsight,


    those words might be false as well.


    So, what is the real reason that Matthew broke up with me?


    She remembered that when Thomas saw her, he did ask why she was willing to help Matthew. From


    that, she could tell that Thomas knew something behind the scenes.


    Gleaning from those words, she also knew that Matthew had his own reasons.


    Is there a possibility¡­ that Matthew did all this for me?


    This train of thoughts spooked her as she only felt chills run down her back.


    ¡°What secrets can I possibly have? Aren¡¯t your people monitoring me constantly? I think that your men


    might even know me better than myself at this point.¡±


    She then waved her hands impatiently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted your revenge on Matthew? Just do


    whatever you want to him. After that, let me take him away. If you can do that, then I¡¯ll owe you one this


    time, Xavier.¡±


    Before she could make full sense of the situation, Veronica decided to proceed cautiously.


    Her aim today was to first get Matthew out. When they left here, she would find a way to pry the truth


    from his mouth.


    ¡°Looks like you really don¡¯t care about him anymore.¡±


    Blinking slowly, Xavier walked further in with Veronica following him.


    Passing through a hallway, they arrived at a closed room.


    Facing the hallway was a very thick pane of ss window. Behind it, there was a man who hung on a


    cross.


    Even though it was very dim inside, she could see that the person tied up was Matthew.


    He was wearing a ck suit pants and white shirt, yet his shirt was dotted with blood. Wounded all over,


    he seemed to be unconscious.


    Due to the spaciousness of the room, he was approximately thirty feet away from where Veronica stood.


    Through the ss, she could see Matthew¡¯s bloody figure as her heart slowly shattered into pieces while


    sadness could not seem to hide itself from her face.


    Used to seeing Matthew being so omnipotent, she could not ept the sight of him in such a pitiful state.


    My heart is about to burst from the pain.


    Pursing her lips, she clenched her teeth and her arms trembled for a bit.


    Veronica, who feared that her emotions might get the better of her, put her hands in her pockets to make


    it seem like she was rxed. ¡°I can tell that you hate him very much, but I heard that you and Melissa


    made it out of Bloomstead just fine. Are you sure that Matthew had anything to do with her death?¡±

 Chapter 505

    Chapter 505


    Chapter 505 Xavier, Gone Mad


    Standing beside Veronica, Xavier froze upon hearing her words. With furrowed eyebrows, memories


    started to flood into his mind. The scenes from half a year ago were just like yesterday as it yed out in


    his mind.


    Xavier could never forget how Melissa was humiliated by Matthew. He could never ept how after he


    and Melissa were sent to Lispon, they became prisoners and were forced to provide services to ¡®guests¡¯


    everyday.


    Melissa, who was born with a golden spoon, was the precious daughter of the family and she had lived


    her life being loved by all around her. In contrast, Melissa did not have any right of way in Lispon as if


    she was treated like a pig at the ughterhouse.


    Forced to ¡®service¡¯ customers, she did try to escape once, but they broke her leg after they caught


    her. Even under the condition that her wounds had yet to recover, she still had to receive untold


    humiliation by them.


    Atst, she could not take it anymore and attempted to take the easy way out.


    Due to the incident, she thoroughly enraged those people; they cuffed her limbs and only released her


    when she needed the toilet or at meal times.


    Not long after enduring such hellish days, Melissa totally lost her mind.


    Bing insane, she got the freedom she wanted as she was eventually set free.


    After that, Xavier managed to escape from that hellhole and came to know that Melissa was kidnapped


    before being toyed to death.


    He tried every way to recover her body. In the end, he only found a skeleton.


    ¡°Mind your own business.¡±


    He took out a cigarette and lit it before taking a long drag. The two fingers that were holding the cigarette


    were trembling subtly. It was a memory that he never wanted to relive ever again.


    Even if he did burn that purgatory to the ground and watch with his own eyes how the people who


    abused him struggled in vain and died in the inferno, it still could not wipe the hatred away from his mind.


    Turning around, he sat down on the chair at the side.


    A bodyguard immediately walked up and poured a cup of coffee for him.


    Xavier sipped on his coffee then asked, ¡°What do you want to drink?¡±


    Veronica, who had been gazing at him, snapped back to reality. ¡°I¡¯ll have¡­ tea. Nevermind, I don¡¯t think


    you guys have that. I¡¯ll have a cup of cafette.¡± She walked up to Xavier and sat beside him.


    As if they ignored the huge interrogation room in front of them, it looked more like an underground castle


    that was a good dating spot.


    Xavier took another sip before gently setting down the porcin cup and waved at the person beside


    him. The person nodded before opening the door and exiting.


    It was then Veronica found out that the door was password encrypted.


    The security here sure is tight.


    Her instincts told her that with how Xavier was treating Matthew, he did not n on ever letting him see


    another light of day.


    What do I do if he really wants to kill Matthew?


    ¡°Are you thinking about how to save him?¡± Xavier asked herzily.


    Veronica never thought that he would be this direct.


    Smiling helplessly, she answered, ¡°I am. I was thinking, with how tight your security is and how everyone


    of your subordinates is a fighter, how am I supposed to escape if you wanted to kill me after ending


    him?¡±


    There was some hint of truth mixed in with lies. At that moment, both knew each other¡¯s exact thoughts.


    ¡°Everybody knew how much you loved each other. So, why did you break up?¡±


    Xavier had known Matthew for so many years. He was a man who had never touched another woman


    and had always kept his distance with them up until he met Veronica.


    For countless times, Xavier had witnessed how Matthew could risk his life just to save Veronica.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    With such strong determination, he must love her to his core. Otherwise, why would anyone sacrifice


    himself like that?


    A bodyguard soon came over with a cup of coffee and set it in front of Veronica. She nodded at the


    person as a sign of thanks.


    Picking the coffee up, she looked up only to match Xavier¡¯s gaze, which made her eyebrows twitch.


    I guess it¡¯s true that a third person POV will always be more logical than the parties involved.


    Even onlookers knew that it was highly abnormal for Matthew to end their rtionship, and to think that


    she really bought it.


    ¡°Beats me.¡±


    Blowing on the piping hot coffee, she carefully drank it. Yet, she still put it down in a hurry and gasped,


    ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s so hot!¡±


    She then took a tissue and wiped her mouth before sighing and asked, ¡°How about you use this chance


    and ask him for me?¡±


    Saying that, she looked down at her coffee with an uneasy expression.


    Could the coffee be poisoned?


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Xavier suddenly smirked. Reaching out, he held Veronica¡¯s cup and drank the coffee. ¡°Hmm, I


    wonder if this is poisoned or not?¡±


    Uttering the words, he ced it back in front of Veronica with a slightly disappointed look. ¡°You¡¯ve never


    trusted me.¡±


    Hot coffee?


    She only took a small sip before spitting it all on the tissue. Does she think that I¡¯m blind?


    Since her actions were seen through by Xavier, Veronica could not hide her embarrassment.


    Pursing her lips, she silently breathed out heavily and became solemn. ¡°It was because I trusted you too


    much in the past.¡±


    Undoubtedly, her words caused Xavier¡¯s face to turn dark.


    Yes, it was my fault.


    It was my fault for harboring impure intentions toward her.


    It was my fault that Matthew met her after.


    ¡°I¡¯m a hyena. It¡¯s only right for you to distrust me.¡±


    All of a sudden, Xavier followed up with augh. ¡°Have you ever watched trans films?¡±


    He switched the subject at a heartbeat while smiling devilishly at Veronica.


    Badum!


    At that moment, Veronica tightened her fidgeting hands with her face paling before she forced another


    smile on her face, although anyone could see through such a simple facade.


    ¡°W-W-What do you want?¡± she asked stutteringly.


    ¡°I heard from the grapevine that the reason he broke up with you was because he liked Manuel. Oh, I


    meant Sasha, since she¡¯s a woman now. If he liked men that much, I could make his wishe true.¡±


    Even though Xavier¡¯s words were directed at Veronica, his gaze was fixated on the room which was a


    good thirty feet away. Presently, his mind was upied with the memories of his and his sister¡¯s


    humiliation under Matthew¡¯s hands.


    In his eyes was intense hatred as a strong bloodlust enveloped Xavier. Even when Veronica, who was


    looking at his side profile, could feel his killing intent, which sent chills down her spine.


    Tightening her grip, she frowned.


    Think¡­ Think, Veronica! Soon enough, she managed to interrupt him before he could order his


    subordinate. ¡°Xavier, i-i-it isn¡¯t too appropriate to do that. This kind of humiliation is far worse than death.


    You could change the method of torture¡­¡±


    Bang¡ª Crash!


    Yet, Veronica had not finished her sentence when Xavier stood up and flipped the table over, causing the


    cups to fall and shatter.


    Themotion had not ended with Xavier lifting his foot and kicking Veronica¡¯s chair heavily.


    Everything went down so fast in a split second and Veronica could not react to his sudden change in


    attitude. With that, she hit her head on the floor, causing her to go nk.


    Subconsciously, she clutched her head and took a deep breath.

 Chapter 506

    Chapter 506


    Chapter 506 Midnight Invader


    Suddenly, he kicked her in the stomach before bellowing like a wild beast. ¡°Humiliation that is worse than


    death? Humiliation that¡¯s worse than death?! Humiliation that¡¯s worse than death?!?¡±


    He repeated his words three times through clenched teeth, hence he spoke in a slow manner. With every


    repeated sentence came two kicks; atst, Veronica endured a total of six kicks.


    Pain. Since she was being kicked, she subconsciously curled up into a fetus position, prompting the


    kicks tond on her stomach, legs, arms, and even head.


    With pain emanating throughout her body, every fiber of her being was screaming. Even if Veronica was


    a trained fighter, she could still feel that Xavier used all his strength in his assault, leaving her


    motionlessly in agony. ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    After the attacks stopped, she gasped a fresh breath of air and slowly stood up. In spite of her ability to


    rise up, her brain still felt foggy as blood formed a steady stream from her nose.


    Without a care about her image, Veronica wiped the blood with her sleeve before gazing up at the man


    to discover something horrifying¡­


    Xavier, whose face turned red and veins popped, was trembling as he stumbled backwards and kicked


    the chair he was sitting on. ¡°Even you¡¯re aware of what¡¯s ¡®humiliation that¡¯s worse than death!''¡±


    He finished his sentence by striking his fist against the wall. Thud¡­ A faint strike could be heard with


    Xavier standing there motionlessly.


    Soon enough, Veronica could clearly see the blood from his fist slowly staining the white wall, drip by drip


    and jarring enough to look at.


    No matter how clueless Veronica was, he understood why Xavier had such a huge reaction.


    At that time, she was admitted to the hospital and before she was discharged, Matthew told her that he


    sent Xavier and Melissa away and that they would never return to Bloomstead ever again.


    However, Veronica did not know that he would take revenge on Xavier in such a low, despicable way.


    This was why her words agitated Xavier and drove him in a frenzy.


    All of a sudden, she felt a mix of emotion inside her. She could finally puzzle how Melissa met her end


    with her understanding of Xavier¡¯s hatred toward Matthew.


    Looks like Matthew might not make it through this ordeal.


    Standing there dazed, Veronica looked at Xavier nkly as words of concern reached her throat, but she


    could bring herself to utter them.


    She was no saint; she knew that if the person on the receiving end was Matthew, she would do anything


    to exterminate the perpetrator¡¯s family from the earth.


    Veronica might not be a man, but she could feel how traumatic it must be for one to go through this. This


    kind of thing can only haunt him forever.


    Just as she was deep in her thoughts, Veronica felt that her nose was still bleeding.


    Bending over, she picked up the tissue box on the ground before setting the chair upright. She slumped


    down on the chair as she wiped the blood with the tissues before grumbling, ¡°Have you gone mad?


    Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to teach Matthew a lesson? Why did you hit me? F*ck, this hurts so


    much.¡±


    Since she was barely able to handle Xavier, Veronica could not imagine how she would rescue Matthew


    later.


    She knew that Xavier was a person that would always want to get even.


    Due to Matthew¡¯s actions that destroyed his future, Xavier would only return an eye for an eye.


    Therefore, how could she just sit and watch this unfold?


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Although Veronica was speaking to Xavier calmly, she was racking her brains to find a solution, which


    made her feel like she was about to copse.


    ck, ck, ck¡ª


    It was then the sound of high heels rang in the hall.


    Trailing the source of the sound, Veronica saw Antheena running over.


    The woman red at Veronica for a split second before shifting her gaze to Xavier.


    ¡°Are you okay, Sebastian?¡±


    Sebastian was Xavier¡¯s name when he was abroad.


    Antheena stood beside him and held his wrist while tugging on his hand that crushed against the wall.


    Staring at it, she felt her heart pang. ¡°Why did you hurt yourself like this? Why are you all just standing


    there? Grab some bandages right away! Idiots.¡±


    Following Antheena¡¯s orders, those stunned bodyguards finally reacted to the situation.


    They then proceeded to clean the scene up and grab some medical equipment.


    All the while, Veronica was seated and kept her gaze at Antheena and Xavier, but her heart was with


    Matthew, who was separated by a ss window.


    Being unconscious, even such a hugemotion outside could not wake him. This just went to show


    how injured he was.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you to rest for now.¡± Antheena dressed Xavier¡¯s wounds before holding his hands to


    leave.


    While his wounds were being dressed, Xavier gave a mysterious look at Veronica then looked away.


    After he was brought away by Antheena, Veronica resembled a piece of trash that was left in the corner.


    Sitting on the chair, she looked at the huge and empty room with Matthew in it, wanting very much to call


    out to him.


    Yet, before she could do that, a personnel walked in. ¡°Miss Murphy, the madam wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She rose to her feet and took onest look at Matthew. She knew that Xavier would not kill Matthew just


    yet; hence, she followed the bodyguard outside, leaving the underground cell.


    Entering the side area of the castle, she returned to the main hall when she first arrived.


    She sat on the couch and waited for Antheena, but the night came and she still had yet to show up.


    It was then a bodyguard served her a meal. ¡°The madam said that she¡¯s busy today. She¡¯ll visit you


    tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Where will I be sleeping?¡± asked Veronica.


    ¡°There¡¯ll be a maid that¡¯ll show you your quarterster.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks then.¡±


    Veronica was feeling very perplexed inside.


    Matthew was kidnapped here and I was threatened intoing here, but why are they treating me like a


    guest?


    Looking at the steak and pasta on the table, Veronica felt no sign of hunger. Yet, upon thinking that she


    still had something to do at midnight, she knew she needed to eat.


    Antheena wouldn¡¯t have poisoned the food, would she? After all, this is their territory. It would be a walk


    in the park for them to kill me if they wanted to. I don¡¯t think they would go through the trouble like this.


    With that, she slowly finished the meal and even drank a cup of red wine.


    An hour went by before a servant came and brought her upstairs to the guest room.


    Entering the quarter, Veronica stood at the balcony of her room anxiously while silently waiting for the


    time to pass like a statue.


    With the night settling in, the castle only had a fewmps on. As such, she turned the lights off in her


    room and slowly waited on the bed.


    It was currently 1.30AM. Another thirty minutes at most and I¡¯ll leave the room.


    ck.


    Suddenly, the door was unlocked.


    Sh*t. Shutting her eyes, shey on the bed and wanted to see why the person came in.


    The door was opened as the person creeped in stealthily.


    In the dark, Veronica peered through her eyes and saw a shadow approaching her.

 Chapter 507

    Chapter 507


    Chapter 507 Establishing Contact with Thomas


    The mysterious figure only walked stealthily toward her and they did not seem to be sneaking around,


    judging from the way they walked; instead, it looked as if they were about to prey.


    Without waiting for Veronica to speak, the person sat down by the bed and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re not


    asleep.¡± She thought that the person¡¯s silhouette seemed a bit familiar. As expected, it was Xavier.


    Even though she did not respond, her body tensed up as she was wary of him. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± he


    asked gently and his mood was clearly different from the bloodlust tone he had in the underground cell


    earlier.


    Still, it was a weird thing to ask, seeing that it would be impossible for her injuries to not hurt. Since


    Xavier knew martial arts, he kicked her with all his power while treating her as if she was his mortal


    enemy and nearly beating her to her demise.


    Although a few hours had already passed, Veronica still felt agony all over her body. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he


    apologized sincerely. ¡°I brought some ointment for you. Apply it.¡± He set the medicine on the table and


    fell into silence.


    With conflicting emotions, Veronica did not know how to face him. She then asked after a long hesitation,


    ¡°Then, was it not your intention to kidnap Matthew?¡±


    She recalled that in the cell, Xavier did mention that it was not him who threatened her intoing


    here. This also means that someone else is behind all this.


    ¡°If I say no, would you believe me?¡± Xavier asked after a brief moment of silence. Understanding what he


    meant, Veronica asked, ¡°Why did they kidnap Matthew and made mee here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Will I die?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you won¡¯t.¡± Xavier was not sure either, so he could not give her a concrete answer. ¡°Is your


    backer the head of the triads?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know or you don¡¯t want to tell me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he replied truthfully as he really had zero clue.


    From the simple conversation, Veronica asked a lot of questions, which she did not get any answers to,


    making her even more high strung and uneasy.


    In the dim bedroom, one was lying down while the other was sitting in mutual silence.


    In the tranquility, they could hear the footsteps of the patrol walking outside as well as the wind caressing


    the leaves.


    Seeing that Xavier had no intention to leave, Veronica purposefully made her breathing sound more


    stable so as to chase him away before she could execute her rescue n.


    Yet, Xavier knew her all too well.


    ¡°The security here is very tight with a world-ss security system in ce. It¡¯ll be close to impossible if


    you want to rescue Matthew out of here.¡± As he reached into his pocket, he took a cigarette out before


    lighting it ame.


    The dark room was suddenly illuminated and Veronica opened her eyes to find an exhausted Xavier.


    The scar on his face that she left with her ne was still clearly visible as it looked like a struggling


    centipede, despite the lengthy six months.


    Taking in a huge drag, he snorted it out through his nose, filling the room with the smell of nicotine.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less if you broke up with Matthew for real or not, you best give up on that thought if you


    want to keep your life.¡± Xavier gave her a warning.


    This, however, was precisely what Veronica was struggling with.


    If Xavier really wanted to harm her like how he treated Matthew, she could easilye to terms and


    despise him with all her being. Yet, that was not the case as he had always been protecting her


    whenever he could because of all the feelings he reserved for Veronica. This was why she found it hard


    to hate him in spite of all that he had done, and she even shared bits of his pain.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you that his men are watching my family. If I can¡¯t rescue Matthew, they will make my family


    disappear.¡± Veronica held onto this excuse.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent my people to your hometown and took care of those people,¡± said Xavier while looking


    at her.


    In the dim room, his frowning eyebrows were highlighted by the burning cigarette butt as he heaved


    another long puff.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Veronica did not expect that Xavier would act this fast, so she quickly thought of


    something else and continued, ¡°U-Unless you let me go and I¡¯ll make sure of my parents¡¯ safety myself.¡±


    Yet, her words were like a rock that sunk into the sea as it received no reply. Eventually, she found


    herself waiting for nothing before she lost her patience and questioned again. At that moment, Xavier


    flicked the cigarette ash into the ashtray and took a drag. With the cigarette in his mouth, he uttered,


    ¡°You¡¯re getting naughtier, Roni.¡±


    Naughty?


    Am I some pet of his?


    ¡°If you dare to even step out of this castle, I will immediately kill Matthew,¡± he warned her.


    After that, Xavier did not wait for Veronica to answer as he stood and left.


    Arriving at the door, he reminded before closing it shut, ¡°Forget about rescuing Matthew. I¡¯ve said it, the


    security here is airtight. Unless you can walk on air, don¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    ck.


    The door was shut and the room regained its silence.


    As if she was dead, Veronicay hopelessly on the bed.


    From Xavier¡¯s words, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll kill Matthew today.


    I still have a chance.


    Two hourster, it was 3.30AM.


    Locking her door from inside, Veronica went to the balcony and made sure that there was nobody


    patrolling nearby before she went under the camera¡¯s blind spots and jumped down to the ground.


    After passing by a road, she hid herself in the nearby bushes before carefully heading to the building in


    the north.


    After five minutes, she sessfully infiltrated to the first floor of the building and entered the study.


    Before she came to the castle, Thomas had already briefed her on theyout of the ce, so she found


    this study purely using her memory.


    Switching on one of theputers in the study, Veronica quickly hacked the security system.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Just as what Xavier described, the airtight security and solid defense system required Veronica to use


    half an hour to hack into the mainframe.


    By then, she was already sweating all over.


    She first used theputer to contact Thomas in secret, sending Matthew¡¯s exact location to him before


    shutting down the security system of the castle and leaving the room. Finally, she headed back to her


    bedroom.


    The most fortunate thing was that nobody found out about her little outing.


    Now, all she had to do was lie on her bed and patiently wait for Thomas¡¯ rescue.


    Even though she wanted to help, she knew that the odds were against her. Moreover, she could not


    ascertain the reason as to why Matthew broke up with her and she could only assume that he was


    involved in a bigger n somehow.


    If I just recklessly charged in, I might ruin his ns.


    So, might as well I leak the news to Thomas. I believe that he will know what to do next.


    The time seemed to pass by ever so slowly.


    Veronica watched the sky turn from sundown to sunrise. s, she did not receive any message from


    Thomas.


    At 6.30AM, she decided to get out of bed and head downstairs after which she saw Xavier in the living


    room.


    ¡°Have you washed up?¡± He was sitting on the couch and reading the newspaper.


    Veronica nodded in response.


    ¡°Good. Come and have breakfast, then.¡± Xavier put the newspaper down and led her to the dining table.


    ced before her was an incredible spread as Xavier gave her a cup of milk. ¡°Drink it. After this, I¡¯m


    going to bring you to meet a friend.¡±

 Chapter 508

    Chapter 508


    Chapter 508 Hendrey¡¯s Appearance


    Veronica froze as her face showed the slightest hint of surprise before it returned to normal. ¡°Friend?


    What friend?¡± She suddenly had a foreboding thought. ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡± Xavier ced the


    ss of milk and sandwich in front of her. ¡°Eat up.¡±


    Stating that calmly, he then started digging in his breakfast. The ambiguity of his words made Veronica


    feel very uneasy. With no one else at the dining table, the ce was eerily quiet as the two silently ate.


    Even after the sandwich was finished, she did not remember what it tasted like as anxiety totally


    engulfed her, leading her to think that the food was tasteless.


    Picking up the ss of milk, Veronica took a huge gulp before setting it down. She subconsciously


    spared a nce at Xavier, who was sitting opposite her, and his cold eyes further unsettled her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He tossed the tissue onto the table and headed outside while she followed suit silently. They


    left the west side of the castle and walked toward the main chamber.


    Keeping a close eye out, Veronica was secretly marking down the hallways and patrol routes of the


    castle. In the end, what surprised her was that Xavier did not bring her to the main building but to the


    observation tower beside it.


    The attic was in a very high up ce with French windows surrounding the room while equipped with


    surveince equipment and telescopes. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± Veronica was perplexed. Even


    though she appeared calm on the outside, she was very frantic inside.


    With such tight security, even if she told Thomas roughly where Matthew was kept, they might not


    sessfully infiltrate the castle.


    Ignoring her, Xavier walked to the window facing the main gate of the castle and sat down on a chair.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for someone.¡±


    ¡°Waiting for¡­ someone? Who is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when they arrive.¡± Xavier¡¯s reply was akin to him not revealing anything, for it only served to


    make Veronica more uneasy.


    After a long wait, a sedan slowly drove into thepound an hourter.


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± said Xavier.


    Veronica immediately shifted her attention to the ck sedan. Due to the height of the attic, she could


    not see properly when viewing from such a distance.


    Hence, she took a telescope and aimed it downstairs only to find that a man in a white suit had just


    alighted from the car.


    That man was none other than¡­ Hendrey!


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°It¡¯s him?¡± Veronica was shocked. Not only Ruka was searching for him for a very long time now, she


    could not uncover anything either no matter how hard she tried. Nobody could have guessed that he


    would appear in this castle.


    ¡°Do you know who lured Matthew into the trap?¡± Xavier hinted at her while raising his eyebrows.


    ¡°Are you saying that it was Hendrey?¡±


    ¡°Who else but him?¡± His nonchnt reply made Veronica sink into deep disbelief as she reached out


    involuntarily and touched her bracelet.


    Back then, it was Hendrey that gave her this bracelet when he was about to leave Bloomstead.


    Initially, she only thought that there was more to his identity, but she figured that he was not hostile


    toward her. Now, it seemed like she was too naive.


    Without saying a word, Veronica ran downstairs.


    On the other hand, Xavier slowly rose to his feet and followed her.


    By the elevator, she quickly arrived at the ground floor since nobody was upying it.


    As Veronica exited the adjacent tower, she hastened her steps and called out Hendrey before he could


    even step foot in the main building. ¡°Hendrey?¡± she yelled.


    Donned in a white suit, Hendrey had his hands in his pockets when he walked up the stairs before he


    looked over to the source of sound.


    From far away, he could see that Veronica was walking toward him. The moment he saw her, he felt his


    heart tightened as he was rather surprised.


    He retreated his steps and approached her while looking over her shoulder only to see no one else.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Hendrey, who looked as gentle and polite as always, had a sense of elegance emanating from him,


    making him seem like a charming prince.


    Yet, Veronica was not in the mood to care about his looks as she asked, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Just as she was about to voice her thoughts, she saw that there was another stranger apanying


    Hendrey, so she suppressed her anger and changed her tone. ¡°Was it you who devised a trap to kidnap


    Matthew?¡±


    At the thought of that, Veronica was cursing Matthew at how stupid he was.


    He¡¯s usually so intelligent, so why would he get caught in a trap like this?


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Hendrey questioned back.


    Although he dodged the question, it looked like he admitted to doing it.


    Unable to hide the disappointment on her face, Veronica replied, ¡°Why are you asking me that?


    Shouldn¡¯t you know that better than I do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that I really don¡¯t.¡±


    Indeed, Hendrey did not know why Veronica would show up here; however, he kept his words regarding


    Matthew¡¯s situation.


    As soon as he finished his sentence, he saw Xavier approaching them from her behind.


    In an instant, his expression changed as he asked coldly, ¡°Do you have anything else to say? If not, I¡¯ll


    be going ahead now.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have. I want to know why you threatened me intoing here even after you¡¯ve gotten


    Matthew?¡±


    Veronica was like a haughty woman, but in reality, she was just trying to obtain information.


    The trip to Castron finally made her realize that her identity might not be as simple as she thought.


    Therefore, she decided to use this chance to probe around a bit.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to direct that question toward him.¡± Hendrey tilted his jaw at Xavier, who was standing


    behind Veronica.


    Not even batting an eye at Xavier, she changed her question, ¡°I don¡¯t care about what happens to


    Matthew. Just let me go.¡±


    She then looked at Xavier and sighed. ¡°Can I at least go into hiding with my parents after I¡¯ve returned to


    my hometown? If I can¡¯t rescue Matthew, his men will surely take revenge on me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just arrived. What¡¯s the hurry?¡±


    Smiling chillingly, Xavier replied, ¡°Since your friend is here, why not let us head inside and have a nice


    chat?¡±


    To that, Veronica did not respond since she could not decipher Xavier¡¯s intentions. Yet, it was Hendrey


    that nodded instead. ¡°Okay.¡±


    As such, they went up the stairs toward the main hall of the castle.


    Feeling a bit helpless, Veronica was forced to follow them.


    On the way, she heard Hendrey, who was in front of her, ask Xavier, ¡°Are you nning to kill Matthew?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had the intention of letting him walk out alive,¡± Xavier replied.


    Even though they spoke in a soft tone, Veronica still managed to make out what they said.


    Actually, even without dering it, she knew that he would not let Matthew go that easily.

 Chapter 509

    Chapter 509


    Chapter 509 The Malevolent Antheena


    Veronica could not understand why Xavier took her to the attic despite knowing that Hendrey was


    visiting. She figured that Xavier must have discovered something hence descided to bring her there.


    Perhaps, he was trying to remind her about the tight security in the castle and that she should quell her


    preposterous thoughts.Don¡¯t tell me he had found out about what happenedst night?


    She was uncertain. They entered the living room, only to see that Antheena was already there. Hearing


    the sound of footsteps, she turned around and cast her gaze onto them. The moment she caught sight of


    Hendrey, a smile appeared on her once cold yet gorgeous face as she scurried to him and wrapped her


    arms around his neck. ¡°Hendrey, you¡¯re finally here! I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    She then gave him a peck on the cheek. Given that she was Xavier¡¯s girlfriend, her intimate gesture


    toward Hendrey was nothing more than a form of greeting etiquette practiced in Castron. Still, it was


    obvious that she and Hendrey were close.


    Despite the tranquility of her countenance, a storm was brewing inside Veronica.


    Antheena and Hendrey are so close, so all this time he should have known that Xavier is still alive. Yet,


    he didn¡¯t say a thing. What a sly fox.


    ¡°My little princess got prettier again.¡± Hendrey stroked Antheena¡¯s hair gently with a soft smile.


    ¡°That is for sure! I am always pretty,¡± she said with unreserved confidence. Her straightforward demeanor


    was rather likable.


    Then, they started to make small talk after getting themselves seated on the couch, whereas Veronica,


    who was sitting on another couch, was being left out of the conversation as though she was not even


    around. Even if she wished to join in, she had no rights to do so. Taking her leave was out of the


    question too.


    She was finally relieved from the long agony of sitting on pins and needles when Xavier suggested,


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a good day, why don¡¯t we y card games? Antheena loves to y card games the most,


    after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m up for it! Sebastian knows me the best!¡± Antheena hugged Xavier, who was sitting next to her, and


    kissed him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± She rose to her feet and beckoned Veronica toe along.


    Veronica followed the trio without second thoughts. She did not know where they were going to y, but


    she knew for a fact that their notion of ying card games was not as simple as to kill time. To lose both


    her rights to talk and liberty to move while being the passive party was the worst feeling ever for her.


    The trio walked in front of her, with Antheena standing in between the two men. They looked very close


    to each other as she wrapped her arms around their shoulders while talking andughing together.


    The scorching sun hung up high in the sky. The heat lingering in the air blew across Veronica¡¯s face,


    adding fuel to her bubbling frustration.


    Being the ever boisterous person that she was, she had been uncharacteristically quiet for the first time.


    No matter how domineering and calm she was in the face of everything, she somehow felt jittery and


    reserved at the moment.


    After all, the direction they were heading toward was where the underground basement was located. And


    to her despair, that was exactly where they were heading for. In the end, they had arrived at the same


    ce that she was at yesterday¡ªthe second floor of the underground basement.


    Inside the basement, there was a table with desserts and alcohol on top of it. Beyond the ss window


    of the interrogation room was a ck curtain drawn to prevent people from peeking inside. Veronica was


    getting more and more nervous by the second.


    ¡°Hey, something on your mind?¡± Antheena abruptly patted her shoulder.


    Veronica¡¯s heart skipped a beat at that, but she remained cid as she replied, ¡°Nothing, I was just


    thinking it might be boring to y card games here.¡±


    One would say that her Chinese proficiency was excellent as she could speak fluently with perfect


    pronunciation. It was certainly not something one would expect of a country bumpkin.


    The trio exchanged nces before looking back at Veronica simultaneously. They put on a sinister smile,


    which sent chills down her spine.


    ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s way more fun this way.¡± Antheena smiled while pointing at one side of the table. ¡°Veronica,


    why don¡¯t you sit over there?¡±


    Since the owner of the house had said so, Veronica could only obey and took a seat at the designated


    spot, which was facing the interrogation room. The rest of the group took their spots around the table as


    well; the men sat on her either side whereas Antheena sat right across her.


    ¡°Come on. I can¡¯t wait anymore! Let¡¯s get the game started already!¡± Antheena rubbed her hands in


    excitement.


    Veronica, who had remained silent for a while, finally spoke up. ¡°No gambling, right? Just a casual


    game.¡±


    ¡°The game is only fun when money is involved though. But anyway, let¡¯s y a few rounds first.¡± Xavier


    nced at her coldly before pointing at the center of the table. ¡°Roll the dice. Whoever gets the greatest


    number will go first.¡±


    All of them rolled the dice and Atheena rolled seventeen, which was thergest number among them.


    Therefore, she would start first.


    After the cards were dealt, Veronica questioned, ¡°Which type of card games are we ying?¡±


    ¡°The simplest one¡ªDurak. Just get rid of your cards as fast as possible,¡± Xavier replied.


    It was indeed one of the easiest card games.


    ¡°Ace of Diamonds.¡± Antenna pulled a card out from the deck and ced it at the center of the table to


    start the game. After that, she ced one of her cards on top of the ace. ¡°Four of Diamonds.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡­


    Antheena won the first round. Before Veronica could query about the bettings, Antheena snapped her


    fingers at the bodyguard, who was there with them.


    He nodded lightly and carried over a lottery box. As Antheena was about to reach into the box, she


    stopped when she took a glimpse at Veronica. ¡°I heard that Veronica is lucky with this kind of thing.


    Would you help me to pick one for me?¡±


    There were balls of the same color in that transparent lottery box. Even though Antheena was asking if


    she would like to help, Veronica knew that she had no other choice but toply since the trio were


    looking at her expectantly.


    ¡°My pleasure,¡± she dly epted with the intention to figure out what this was all about.


    The bodyguard with the lottery box came up to her and she picked a ball randomly. Another bodyguard


    took it and read, ¡°Nine.¡±


    Next, he ryed the number through the walkie-talkie.


    Nine? ¡°What does ¡®nine¡¯ mean?¡± Veronica asked.


    However, before they could give her the answer, she heard an agonizing scream from behind the


    curtains of the interrogation room.


    Thump! Her heart dropped as she came to a sudden realization. She clenched her hands into fists as


    she gulped. This is no card game; this is a massacre in disguise!


    Veronica was smart enough to figure out the meanings behind the numbers written on the balls. It was


    either referring to the frequency or type of punishments.


    And that scream just now. It does not belong to Matthew, but somehow it sounded familiar. She feigned


    calmness as she asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    Antheena put on an innocent face as she shrugged and shook her head. ¡°Not sure who they are, but one


    thing I¡¯m sure of is that they are the intruders fromst night. They are dauntless enough to invade my


    territory, so they deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, seven! Your turn, Veronica,¡± she said while rolling the dice.


    With anguid expression, she bent over slightly to take five cards from the deck before Xavier followed


    suit.


    When it was Veronica¡¯s turn to take the cards from the deck, she was still in a trance.

 Chapter 510

    Chapter 510


    Chapter 510 Troy was Caught


    ¡°Anything on your mind?¡± questioned Hendrey as he gazed at Veronica. She came back to her senses.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just wondering who would dare to intrude Princess Antheena¡¯s territory. He must


    have a death wish.¡±


    Everyone knew who that person was. And now, she was more certain than ever about one thing¡ªXavier


    took her to the attic to tell her that her little secret was discovered. It was also a warning that whoever


    intruded the castle could never escape.


    Last night, Thomas sent out a rescue team upon receiving her message. However, that voice did not


    belong to Matthew nor Thomas. Then, who could it be? They won¡¯t make such a big fuss over a small fry,


    though.


    ¡°Who else? Of course it¡¯s Matthew¡¯s confidant, Troy,¡± Xavier responded. It was not until then did Veronica


    realize that the familiar voice belonged to Thomas¡¯ elder brother¡ªTroy! He came to save Matthew under


    Thomas¡¯ arrangement, but he fell into a trap.


    ¡°Oh, is it?¡± She was on tenterhooks as she forced a smile. ¡°Foolish. He can¡¯t even save Matthew out of


    here. Useless.¡±


    ¡°I know right. He¡¯s so useless, but we should make the best use out of him. It should be his honor to


    have the chance to entertain me,¡± said Antheena while looking at her cards. ¡°Let me see which one I


    should ce forward. This one. Six of Clubs.¡±


    ¡°My little princess is getting better at this, huh?¡± Hendrey shed her a smile that was so gentle it felt like


    he was a loving brother. His gaze always alternated between Antheena and Xavier. He seldom looked at


    Veronica.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Unsurprisingly, Antheena won the round again.


    ¡°Lucky me.¡± Sheughed while motioning the bodyguard toe over.


    He approached her with the lottery box, and she took another ball before tossing it to another bodyguard.


    The bodyguard took a glimpse at the number. ¡°It¡¯s eleven, Young Mistress.¡±


    Following that, he ryed the message through the walkie-talkie. ¡°Eleven.¡±


    The shriek echoed throughout the basement, drowning the sound of shuffling cards and sending chills to


    whoever had heard it.


    ¡°This is so fun!¡± Antheena pped her hands in joy.


    Veronica was astonished to see how hypocritical Antheena could be. It was obvious that she was a cold-


    blooded woman with no mercy, yet she could still act innocent like how she was right now. The fact that


    she did not even bat an eye at her cruel acts horrified Veronica greatly.


    ¡°Kai, draw the curtains open. That way we can enjoy the show as we y.¡± She ordered the bodyguard,


    who was holding the walkie-talkie.


    Kai passed on the message and the curtains that were blocking the view to the interrogation room were


    soon drawn. Veronica could clearly see how Troy was tied up and beaten to a bloody pulp. Even so, the


    card game continued.


    Though, Veronica was not in the mood to y at all. For the next few rounds, there would only be new


    punishments awaiting Troy regardless of whoever won the game. In other words, she was here to watch


    Troy being punished.


    ¡°Veronica, are you tired? Why don¡¯t we y another game? Truth or Dare.¡± Antheena tapped her head


    and contemted. ¡°Whoever wins will throw a question. If that person tells the truth, there will be no


    punishment, but if it¡¯s a lie, then he has to be punished. How about that?¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Hendrey went along.


    Xavier held her chin and gave her a kiss on the lips. ¡°If you want it.¡±


    Antheena smiled in delight. ¡°Veronica, what about you?¡±


    Veronica remained silent as she thought, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea, but what can I say?


    ¡°As you wish,¡± she said nothing more than those three words.


    Another round of card game ended. With Xavier and Hendrey working together, Antheena won the game


    once again. She grabbed the walkie-talkie from Kai and said, ¡°He¡¯s Matthew¡¯s right-hand man, isn¡¯t he?


    Ask him. Why did Matthew and Veronica break up?¡±


    Her gaze fixated on Veronica as she spoke while her beady eyes flickered like a sly fox. It was then that


    Veronica realized that the punishments up until now were merely an ¡®appetizer¡¯ before the ¡®main course¡¯.


    The person in the room repeated Antheena¡¯s words to Troy, who then answered weakly, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡±


    It looked like he had to use every ounce of strength in him just to say those three words.


    ¡°Do you really not know or is it because you don¡¯t wanna say it? I don¡¯t have much patience here,¡±


    Antheena spoke over the walkie-talkie without averting her gaze from Veronica.


    Veronica¡¯s gaze swept over Antheena, and she looked into the interrogation room to witness Troy being


    punished with various kinds of cruel punishment.


    As she watched on, she could feel the chill running down her spine, as well as the excruciating pain, as if


    she was the one getting punished instead.

 Chapter 511

    Chapter 511


    Chapter 511 He Deserves to Die


    ¡°I-I really don¡¯t know.¡± Through the walkie-talkie, Veronica could hear Troy¡¯s trembling voice from all the


    torture. Although she frowned with mixed feelings, she propped her chin in the palm of her left hand on


    the table. Acting all rxed, she ced a card at the center of the table.


    ¡°He¡¯s still not telling? Troy is such a bullhead.¡± Veronica smiled. ¡°Perhaps, he really doesn¡¯t know. You


    are quite peculiar though, Antheena. Why are you asking an outsider instead of the person involved?¡±


    In spite of the worries she had for Troy, she could not let it show on her face. Or else, the others would


    catch onto something. As soon as she finished her words, Antheena raised her eyebrow. ¡°I can¡¯t trust


    your words.¡±


    She then turned to look at Xavier. ¡°Sebastian, which punishment is the most painful one?¡±


    Xavier lit a cigarette and pondered. ¡°I reckon rubbing salt into the wound hurts the most.¡± When he said


    that, he was referring to the actual act, not the phrase.


    ¡°You¡¯re so mean, Sebastian.¡± She burst into aughter before she spoke over the walkie-talkie, ¡°Did you


    hear that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Mistress,¡± the person on the other end replied. Staying quiet, Veronica took a glimpse at


    Xavier indifferently. Looking at the slight curve on her lips, he could not figure out what was on her mind.


    Aside from him, Antheena and Hendrey were having a hard time reading her mind as well. To them, she


    was merely a country bumpkin. Even if she came from a distinguished family, she had not seen the real


    world yet. However, her nonchnt demeanor gave them a surprise.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Before long, a jarring scream resounded from the walkie-talkie. ¡°It hurts. It hurts¡­ I-I don¡¯t know. I


    really don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Still tight-lipped about it, huh? You guys continue then.¡± Antheena set the walkie-talkie on the chair next


    to her before smiling at Veronica. ¡°I¡¯m feeling lucky today, so let¡¯s continue with the card game.¡±


    She had decided to y mind games to see how long Veronica could put up with it.


    ¡°Luck is only a booster. Skillse before that,¡± Veronica added.


    The four yers proceeded with the card game while Troy¡¯s incessant screaming resounded, making


    one shudder in fear.


    Once she lifted her head, Veronica could clearly see how he was tortured in the interrogation room.


    Hence, whenever she looked up, she would only look at Antheena. She would not let her eyes stray


    toward the gruesome scene behind Antheena even for a second.


    Right then, an epiphany struck her.


    Why are they bothered with Matthew and my rtionship? The moment they caught Troy, they should


    probably figure out that I was the one who sent out the message. Yet, Antheena keeps asking for the


    reason why we broke up. And it¡¯s unlikely to be out of pure curiosity as the three of them wouldn¡¯t just


    spend their time here ying card games to pass time.


    The more she thought about it, the weirder it seemed. She had a hunch that there was a bigger secret


    rted to her.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    As the card game continued, so did the torture.


    ¡°Young Mistress, he fainted.¡± The walkie-talkie resounded.


    Antheena ced a ¡®Seven of Hearts¡¯ on the table before talking over the gadget, ¡°Then, wake him up.¡±


    Thus, they yed from morning until noon. Since she could not pry anything out of Troy, she threw away


    her cards as frustration bubbled in her. mming the table, she jumped to her feet in a fit of rage.


    ¡°Motherf*cker. Let¡¯s see how far he can go.¡±


    With a scowl on her darkened face, she turned around and marched into the interrogation room.


    Meanwhile, Xavier took a nce at Hendrey before looking at Veronica. ¡°Not going to say ¡®hello¡¯ to your


    old friend?¡±


    Old friend?


    It only took her a while to figure out who he meant. He was referring to Troy.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really count as friends if we¡¯ve only met for a few times now, does it? If it does, what about you


    and Hendrey then?¡± She retorted coldly, and she bypassed him to enter the room.


    Hendrey¡¯s downcast eyes remained cid as the two men followed suit. As soon as they stepped into


    the room, Veronica could detect a strong metallic smell mixed with a repulsive odor lingering in the air.


    She reckoned that Troy had probably pissed himself after going through so many cruel punishments.


    As she walked closer to him, she finally understood what it truly meant to be all battered and bruised.


    Although he was not stunningly handsome, he was undeniably attractive and talented in the usual days.


    However, right now, every part of his body was covered in injuries. His face was full of cuts and


    bloodstains, and his eyes were swollen to the point that he could not even open them anymore.


    It was her first time seeing such a tragic scene, and she had no words to describe how she felt about the


    sight at the moment.


    Antheena crossed her arms and kicked at the bodyguard. ¡°Useless fool. Why can¡¯t you get an answer


    from him?¡±


    The bodyguard fell onto the ground from the kick, but soon got up to his feet again. ¡°Forgive me, Young


    Mistress. He¡¯s very stubborn. Maybe we can go for the extreme.¡±


    ¡°As long as you could get words out of his mouth, then I don¡¯t care about what method you used.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Mistress.¡± He nodded vigorously and left.


    It pained Veronica very much to see Troy in such a sorry state. Suddenly, Antheena encircled her arm


    around Veronica¡¯s neck. ¡°You¡¯ve known Matthew for so long. Are all the people around him that


    useless?¡±


    Veronica slowly turned her head sideways and smiled at Antheena. ¡°It has barely been two years. How


    would I know that? You¡¯re putting me in a tough spot, Antheena.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know either? Tsk tsk tsk¡­ That¡¯s a shame. Today, it is Troy who gets the punishment, but


    Matthew will be up for it tomorrow.¡± Antheena divulged the information on purpose.


    Veronica then asked, ¡°Speaking of him, I¡¯ve been wondering about something. Did Matthew offend you in


    any way? Why are you treating him like this?¡±


    She could not think of any reason, but if she had toe up with one, she reckoned it had to do with


    Xavier.


    And as Veronica had expected, Antheena snorted coldly. ¡°He deserves to be dead for hurting the person


    of my love.¡±


    What ame excuse. If he deserves to die, she doesn¡¯t have to take things this far. She can just kill him


    in one-go!


    ¡°But he should bear the responsibilities for his deeds alone. So, there¡¯s no need to drag someone


    innocent into this, right?¡±


    ¡°Innocent? If Matthew is the mastermind, then his right-hand man is the aplice. So, he should go to


    hell as well.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Since they deserve to be dead, just kill them then. Why did you force me toe


    here?¡±


    Veronica noticed Antheena was agitated, so she seized the chance to pry further. She thought she could


    obtain more information, but Antheena kept quiet for a while.


    Antheena tapped lightly on Veronica¡¯s shoulder as she said, ¡°Well, I need to have someone to clean after


    the mess when they¡¯re dead, right? I can¡¯t have them dirty my ce, after all.¡±

 Chapter 512

    Chapter 512


    Chapter 512 Hendrey¡¯s Plot


    At that moment, the bodyguard who left earlier returned and brought a syringe in his hand. He walked


    toward the unconscious Troy, who had his head lolled back, and jabbed him viciously.


    No one queried about the injection, but each of them clearly knew what was going on. ¡°For how long


    have you known Hendrey?¡± Veronica finally asked the question she had always been curious about.


    Antheena responded, ¡°I¡¯ve known him for nearly seven years now.¡±


    Nearly seven years? That¡¯s exactly how long Hendrey had left Bloomstead and came to Castron for, so


    he¡¯d got to know Antheena as soon as he arrived in Castron. Larry had also mentioned previously that


    Hendrey was on good terms with the royalty and his family background remained a mystery. Evidently,


    he was a fairlyplex person.


    If Veronica was not mistaken, Hendrey must be aware of the fact that Tiffany was alive.


    ¡°Miss Antheena, three minutes are up and you can start the interrogation process,¡± the bodyguard


    reminded Antheena by the side as he threw cold water onto Troy.


    Ssh! The water went all over the ce before the bright-red mix trickled onto the ground.


    Antheena retreated with a look of disgust. ¡°Hey. Why did President Kings and Veronica break up?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ I-I¡¯m not too sure about that. I know that Sasha was hired by President Kings to stage a scene


    with him so that Miss Murphy would jump to the wrong conclusion and break up with him.¡±


    Forced into a dazed state, Troy spoke slowly and he was evidently not his logical self.


    His answer did note as a surprise to Veronica though as she had already guessed that bit.


    The three of them shot meaningful looks at her and their intense stares made her feel ufortable.


    She frowned and asked, ¡°Are you saying that Matthew staged the breakup? Has he ever loved me


    then?¡±


    Veronica turned the tide and took control of the situation as she gave out an oblivious air to the others.


    ¡°I-I think he still does.¡± Troy¡¯s words undeniably gave Veronica a glimmer of hope, but she was also


    forced into a tough spot.


    She could have pretended that she no longer had any connection with Matthew, but at this point, it was


    pointless denying things.


    ¡°But then, President Kings has no ns to marry you because he said that¡­ you were not a good match


    for him,¡± Troy added.


    Troy¡¯s statement clearly stunned Veronica into oblivion. Can Troy¡¯s words be trusted?


    ¡°Ha. What a f*cking yer!¡± Veronica put on an angry act. ¡°That b*stard should rot in hell! He wasted my


    time and toyed with my feelings! How dare he say that I¡¯m not a good match!¡± She angrily kicked the


    heater by the side and upended it.


    Meanwhile, Xavier and Hendrey exchanged looks with each other and they seemed to be


    communicating silently with each other.


    Soon after that, Xavier walked toward Troy and asked, ¡°So, are you guys the only ones assigned to


    rescue Matthew after he was abducted? How did you guys find out about this?¡±


    ¡°It was Miss Murphy¡­ Miss Murphy revealed this information to us and provided the address to us, so I


    came over first to scout the area. Tonight, Thomas will bring more men to conduct the rescue operation.¡±


    The injection was indeed quite effective and Troy revealed everything unreservedly.


    ¡°How many men have you assigned to spy on my parents secretly? If Matthew ends up dead, will


    Thomas kill my parents?¡± Veronica put on an anxious expression as she moved forward to interrogate


    Troy.


    He was quite weak from the torment he suffered and he tilted his head while expressing weakly, ¡°Dead¡­


    Everyone will end up dead and go down with President Kings if he ends up dead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair! How can you do that? They were the ones who abducted Matthew, so what has that got


    to do with me? Why do my family members have to suffer?¡±


    ¡°Because Xavier was the one who abducted President Kings, but Hendrey was the one who concocted


    this plot. You used to be in a rtionship with Hendrey, so you¡¯re one of the suspects too. We would


    rather get it wrong than to let the perpetrator get away. We won¡¯t let any of you get away with this!¡± Troy


    spoke stiltedly.


    From Veronica¡¯s brief exchange of words with Troy, she had obtained a definite answer and she realized


    that he had notpletely lost his mind under the influence of the injection; he was merely putting on an


    act.


    She was not surprised about this as she had found it strange for someone as intelligent and cunning as


    Matthew to be abducted so easily. Perhaps he had walked into the trap purposely because he had


    something else plotted. She could not confirm her deduction, but since Troy was merely putting on an


    act, then she would definitely y along too.


    She suddenly tilted her head and red furiously at Hendrey. ¡°Did you plot with Xavier and set this trap?¡±


    Hendrey maintained his elegant andposed smile. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Veronica instantly strode forward and stood in front of Hendrey. Suddenly, she reached out to shove him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a f*cking idiot! I have never crossed your path and yet you did this to force me to my death?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t end up in that state with me by your side.¡± Hendrey had an exceptionally calm look on his


    face.


    ¡°And why is that?¡± Veronica red at him furiously.


    ¡°I like you, but Matthew took you from me and yet didn¡¯t appreciate you, so he deserves to die.


    Coincidently, Xavier hates him to the core, so we decided to join forces to bring him down. I find that it¡¯s a


    win-win situation for me.¡± Hendrey¡¯s words made perfect sense.


    Veronica raged and growled, ¡°You¡¯re indeed a ruthless man! But what did I do wrong? My parents are


    innocent, so why should they be implicated?!¡±


    ¡°No one would dare toy a hand on you with me around.¡± Hendrey came to stand in front of her. ¡°Do


    you think that you could survivest night¡¯s situation if there was someone here who intended to take


    your life?¡±


    ¡°Gosh, Sebastian, look at them. They¡¯re so annoying. How dare they disy their affections for each


    other in front of us.¡± Antheena pouted and walked over to Xavier to hug him as she initiated a kiss.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave, then. Ignore them.¡± Xavier dragged Antheena and headed out of the room.


    However, she pointed at Troy. ¡°What about him?¡±


    ¡°Keep him here. He could be useful to us,¡± Xavier mentioned before leaving with her.


    Veronica was angered beyond words and her eyes were red-rimmed. ¡°Hendrey, you¡¯re such a b*stard! If


    anything happens to my parents, I won¡¯t forgive you for the rest of my life!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fine. I¡¯ve sent some men to protect them.¡±


    ¡°For real?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°But then¡­ Are they really going to kill off Matthew?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. That would be up to Xavier.¡± After Hendrey said that, he asked, ¡°Does it pain


    you to see him dead? Are you still in love with him?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of that, I just don¡¯t wish to see anyone die before me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you to your room. You should get some sleep.¡±


    Hendrey reached out to take Veronica¡¯s hand in his, but she did not put up a struggle at all. On the


    contrary, she meekly allowed him to hold her hands and leave the cer.


    She returned to the room andy in bed to get some rest.


    Meanwhile, Hendrey left the castle and drove off. Along the way, he made a call.


    At the same time, the mysterious man located in the living room of a mansion by the cliff answered the


    phone.


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve seen Veronica and slowly gained her trust. What should I do next?¡± Hendrey briefly recounted


    the situation.


    ¡°Get rid of Matthew who¡¯s always in the way. Tiffany and Veronica will be useful to us, so we¡¯ll let them


    live. Make sure that you keep a very close eye on Veronica¡¯s adopted parents.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡± Hendrey hung up the phone and parked the car by the road side as he wound down the car


    window and silently puffed on his cigarette inside the car.


    When he was about to leave Castron previously, he realized that Crayson behaved quite suspiciously


    and was secretly investigating him.


    As a result, Hendrey had purposely staged his own abduction and released the news to attract Crayson¡¯s


    attention and use that opportunity to find out the powerful forces Crayson secretly had in possession.


    However, he did not expect Crayson to hand over everything to Matthew for him to investigate.


    As soon as Xavier found out that Matthew was in Castron, Xavier asked Hendrey to coborate with him


    to abduct Matthew. Seeing that this was a win-win situation for Hendrey, he agreed to it naturally. As


    such, the subsequent events today arose.

 Chapter 513

    Chapter 513


    Chapter 513 Released by Antheena


    Inside the castle, Veronicay in bed and tried to take a rest, but her mind was upied by the events


    that unfolded recently. At the same time, she was trying to figure out Matthew¡¯s abduction. She had a


    niggling sense that there was something wrong, but she could not figure out the exact issue.


    What was it that was so important to Matthew to the point that he was willing to sacrifice one of his


    closest aides just to continue carrying out the matter? Veronica thought hard, but she could not seem to


    get to the bottom. Finally, she decided to approach Hendrey.


    That was also why she did not shrug off his hand when he took her to the cer. Perhaps the only way to


    figure out what was going on was to get to know Hendrey better.


    In the afternoon, the servants served her meal into her room. For the rest of the afternoon, Veronica did


    not leave her room at all and she spent the entire time daydreaming. Suddenly, she could see from the


    balcony that Hendrey, Xavier, and Antheena were at the grassy patch of the backyard.


    She looked on from afar and noticed that they were happily chit-chatting with each other in great spirits.


    As for her, she was a caged bird as she remained in her room. At night, dinner was simrly served by


    the servants to her room and she ate it regardless.


    Night fell and once again, Xavier slipped into her bedroom at midnight like a phantom.


    He did not utter a single word, but stood by her bedside and remained in the same position for a long


    time.


    Had Veronica not sensed that the other party was Xavier, she would have thought that it was a spirit


    standing by her bedside.


    Suddenly, she smelled a sweet scent and was instantly on guard as she caught a whiff of that. That smell


    of incense would cause one to fall unconscious. Immediately, she held her breath and concentrated on


    the surroundings. She turned to the other side and conveniently pulled her nket closer to cover her


    mouth and nostrils. Luckily, she did this so naturally that it looked like a person shifting position in her


    dreams.


    After Xavier was finally sure that Veronica was fully unconscious, he moved closer and furtivelyy right


    next to her as the soft bed sagged slightly from his weight.


    She was not sure what Xavier was going to do, but she did not dare to maintain her stiff posture to


    remain on guard.


    In the end, he uncovered the nket and hugged her sideways. He did not do anything else other than


    holding her in his arms.


    Meanwhile, Antheena leaned against a tree trunk underneath a tree downstairs. She had one hand in the


    pocket of her camo suit while holding a cigarette in between her fingers with the other hand. She puffed


    on the cigarette quite frustratedly and there was a downcast look in her eyes.


    Inside the room, Xavier held Veronica in his arms and put his face against her soft hair as he took in the


    scent of her without making a move. She was oblivious to what was on his mind, but she could sense


    that he had no intent to harm her. After some time, he finally left.


    As she heard the soft patter of footsteps and the door closing, she focused on the surroundings for a


    while before confirming that he had left. Immediately after, she swiftly turned her body and sat up as she


    stretched her shins in bed. She felt her body aching all over after maintaining the same position for a


    prolonged period. However, she had just sat up in bed for a moment when she perceptively caught the


    sound of footsteps outside her door. With a frown, she instantly hid into the bed before covering herself


    with the nket motionlessly.


    The person outside entered the room and shut the door before approaching her. Subsequently, the


    person leaned over and immediately uncovered the nket on her.


    ¡°Wake up!¡± a woman chided.


    Veronica could tell that it was Antheena¡¯s voice.


    She sat up in bed and looked at Antheena in the dark. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You¡¯re leaving right now.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I am?¡± Veronica was suddenly confused by her intention.


    However, it suddenly dawned upon Veronica that Xavier had just left not long ago before Antheena


    showed up subsequently. Though the two did not bump into each other, there was still an unmistakable


    note of anger in Antheena¡¯s voice.


    Evidently, she must have misunderstood that something had happened between Veronica and Xavier, or


    perhaps she felt that he continued to harbor feelings for Veronica, which exined why she was sending


    her away.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got two choices here. Leave or die.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯ll leave right away!¡± Veronica scrambled out of bed in a haste. After all, it was


    wiser of her to adapt her actions to the current circumstance. She did not care whatever reason


    Antheena had to let her go, but she had to leave this ce as soon as possible right now. She could only


    imagine herself as a burden if she remained any longer.


    If she stayed on, then she might ruin all of Matthew¡¯s ns, considering that he might have something


    nned. As such, she swiftly put on her shoes and followed Antheena down the stairs.


    There were no bodyguards the night before, but there were four of them downstairs tonight. Evidently,


    they must have discovered her actionsst night, so this was a preventative measure to stop her from


    escaping.


    ¡°You there, remove your outfit.¡± Antheena walked over to the bodyguard by the left side of the stairs and


    instructed him.


    The bodyguard was slightly stunned. ¡°Miss Antheena, what are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ordering you to do as I say right now!¡± she eximed in a cold voice. Perplexed, the bodyguard


    nced from Antheena to Veronica and eventually took off his clothes. He ced his camo suit, a pair of


    ck boots, and a beret to the ground. Following that, Antheena turned around to look at Veronica.


    ¡°Change into this.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Without any further exnation, Veronica knew why she had to change into this outfit, so she obeyed her


    instructions and did ordingly.


    As Veronica donned the outfit, Antheena warned the rest, ¡°If anyone amongst the four of you reveals a


    single word about this, I¡¯ll definitely kill you myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Antheena,¡± all of them replied in unison.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Antheena was angered beyond words. Their voices were too loud and she was worried of


    being discovered.


    As Veronicapleted her outfit, Antheena headed out of the castle immediately with her. She picked a


    car from the parking lot and drove out of the ce swaggeringly.


    Even after leaving the vicinity of the castle, Antheena continued to drive on.


    Veronica nced sideways at her from the front passenger seat and said, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Just stay away from my man. I¡¯ll let things slide this time, but if I see you


    seducing him next time, I won¡¯t hesitate to kill you.¡±


    Antheena was not one who med someone blindly without investigating the matter. On the contrary,


    she was a very rational person. From the start, she had been told by someone else that Xavier used to


    be in love with Veronica. Xavier had also called out Veronica¡¯s name repeatedly in his dreams more than


    once. Therefore, Antheena had considered the situation before entering the bedroom; if something illicit


    went on between Veronica and Xavier, then Antheena would definitely have taken Veronica¡¯s life.


    However, as soon as she uncovered the nket on Veronica, she noticed from the weak glimmer on her


    phone that Veronica¡¯s outfit was untouched, so she was convinced that nothing had happened between


    the two of them. As such, Veronica was still alive until this second.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite rare to find a woman as rational as you are,¡± Veronica mentioned and heaved a faint sigh.


    ¡°Xavier¡¯s very lucky to have your love. I hope¡­¡± She tilted her head and looked out of the window as she


    maintained a moment of silence before saying, ¡°that you guys stay together.¡±


    Antheena could fathom Veronica¡¯s well wishes. She kept her eyes on the road as she squinted slightly


    before turning to look at Veronica. ¡°I recall that there is some conflict between the two of you. Don¡¯t you


    hate him?¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is that happened between us cannot be summarized in a few sentences. I did harbor hatred


    toward him in the past, but he¡¯s never intended to harm my life, so I can¡¯t quite find it within myself to


    hate him.¡±


    Of course, Veronica was still wary of Xavier as she kept her guards up around him. Even more so, she


    repelled him. She had hated him once upon a time, but after getting to know his encounters, she


    managed to dispel her hatred.


    Screech¡ª The car came to a halt all of a sudden by the road side and Antheena turned to Veronica.


    ¡°Get out of the car. This is the furthest I can send you.¡±

 Chapter 514

    Chapter 514


    Chapter 514 The Truth Is Revealed


    Veronica opened the door and alighted from the car before standing by the roadside. She saw Antheena


    maneuver the steering wheel and perform a perfect drift before speeding off into the night.


    Pulling the attention back to herself, Veronica found her phone ringing continuously in her pocket. There


    was no phone signal inside the castle, so she had kept it switched off the entire time.


    Only after she got out of the car did she finally switch on her phone, which prompted it to receive all the


    notifications and phone calls all at once. She took out her phone and saw that it was a call from Thomas.


    ¡°Miss Murphy, how¡¯s your phone active? Where are you?¡±


    It was likely that he had set up a program on her phone that once the text message he sent was received


    by her, he would get a notification about that.


    That was why Thomas called her almost instantly. ¡°Antheena escorted me out of the castle safely,¡±


    Veronica reported frankly. ¡°Is she by herself?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where is she? We need to stop her and capture her. We will definitely be able to rescue Young


    Master Matthew with her as our hostage.¡± Thomas started to plot.


    In fact, Veronica had naturally thought of the same idea too. Although she was not a person with high


    ethics, she did not want to be an ungrateful one either. Antheena had just risked herself to send Veronica


    out and she was very grateful about that. If Veronica betrayed Antheena now and helped Thomas


    capture her, then Veronica would appear despicable.


    ¡°Hurry up and tell me! My brother¡¯s still in captivity inside and I don¡¯t even know his current status!¡±


    One of the criteria of being Matthew¡¯s closest aide was to have a calm personality; at that moment,


    Thomas¡¯ emotions were getting out of control. After being reminded by him, Veronica instantly recalled


    the torment Troy had suffered. Finally, her rational self overcame her emotions. ¡°I¡¯ll pin you the location.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, she instantly sent the location to Thomas and gave him Antheena¡¯s license


    te number too.


    Veronica had an eye for detail and she had memorized Antheena¡¯s te number as soon as she entered


    the car. With the location provided by Veronica, Thomas merely had to lie in wait at the route leading


    back to the castle and he would be able to capture Antheena there.


    As Veronica was leaving the street, she gave Skyler a call.


    It was daytime in Bloomstead at the moment.


    Initially, Skyler was quite perplexed to receive Veronica¡¯s call. ¡°Gosh, Roni, it¡¯s not often that you would


    call¡ª¡±


    ¡°I want Sasha¡¯s number.¡±


    ¡°Sasha? Why would you need her phone number?¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap and just give it to me. One more thing, top-up five hundred to my number,¡± Veronica


    retorted exasperatedly and hung up.


    Shortly after that, Skyler sent Sasha¡¯s phone number to Veronica. At the same time, she received a text


    message from her phone provider that her number had been credited with five hundred. With that, she


    called Sasha immediately.


    Ring¡ª Ring¡ª Ring¡ª The phone rang three times before Sasha finally answered, ¡°Who¡¯s on the line?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Veronica.¡±


    ¡°W-Why are you calling me?¡± The phone call came unexpectedly and Sasha was surprised.


    ¡°I need to know why Matthew pretended to court you in order to force me into breaking up with him?¡±


    Veronica went straight to the point and interrogated Sasha.


    At that point, Sasha¡¯s head buzzed and she did not expect Veronica to find out so soon.


    However, Sasha denied it vehemently and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what I¡¯m on about, huh? I¡¯ll exin and you can listen then.¡± Veronica increased her


    speed and ran while she spoke on the phone with Sasha, ¡°Matthew¡¯s in Castron and he was abducted


    along with Troy. I¡¯ve just received news of Troy¡¯s death and they kidnapped Matthew because of me. The


    reason for that is to investigate the mystery behind my identity. If you don¡¯t tell me what¡¯s going on right


    now, then I won¡¯t be able to save his life. You won¡¯t get to see him ever again if he dies.¡±


    It was natural for a woman to be led by her emotions and Sasha was in love with Matthew, so she was


    extremely worried about him. She had just gotten wind of Matthew¡¯s troubles in Castron and was about


    to head over to Castron when she unexpectedly received Veronica¡¯s call just then.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Sasha stammered and was quite hesitant.


    ¡°Still not talking? Alright then, I¡¯ll hang up if you refuse to talk. As for Matthew, I can¡¯t be bothered about


    him. Anyway, his safety has nothing to do with me.¡± Veronica was prepared to hang up the phone upon


    saying that.


    However, Sasha instantly piped up at that, ¡°I really don¡¯t know your identity, but Matt wanted me toe


    back from Castron to put on an act in front of you so that you¡¯d misunderstand and break up with him.¡±


    ¡°Why did it have to be a breakup?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either, but I can tell that he loves you very much.¡± Sasha gripped her phone tightly.


    ¡°Veronica, Matt¡¯s done a lot for you, so whatever it is, you¡¯ve got to rescue him. Otherwise, I¡¯ll definitely


    go after you.¡±


    Veronica had been running hard, so her panting voice could be heard clearly from the phone. Due to


    that, Sasha was convinced of Veronica¡¯s words.


    ¡°I got it.¡± Veronica hung up the phone and slowed down before she looked behind her with her phone by


    her ear.


    It waste at night and there was not a single vehicle on the road. She was worried that she would be


    discovered if she remained by the roadside, so she ran into the dense forest.


    Panting, she leaned against a tree trunk to take a rest while she dialed Crayson¡¯s number.


    ¡°You brat! It¡¯s about time you call me! I thought that I was dead to you.¡± On the phone, Crayson raged


    angrily.


    ¡°Master Crayson, Matthew¡¯s been abducted.¡±


    She had informed Crayson that she was headed to Castron, so he was not surprised at all.


    As soon as she mentioned that Matthew had been abducted, Crayson descended into silence.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, his abduction should be rted to me.¡± Though Veronica was not confidently sure


    about her statement, her theory solidified upon arriving at the castle. She could sense that something


    was strange with the situation judging by everyone¡¯s reaction and there was something mysterious


    lurking underneath everything.


    ¡°Hmph! He must have been abducted because he offended too many people. What has that got to do


    with you?¡± Crayson snorted and reserved the truth.


    ¡°I was abducted too and coincidentally, I met Xavier here. Xavier still has a thing for me, so his girlfriend


    secretly let me go because she didn¡¯t want us to be entangled with each other.¡±


    Veronica took a deep breath. ¡°Besides, Tiffany¡¯s alive and I¡¯m pretty sure that you know this.¡±


    Undeniably, this trip to Castron so far had brought her a lot of new information.


    All of these appeared to have no direct link to her, but if everything was puzzled together, she somehow


    associated this with something rather horrifying.


    Her first instinct was that she had a family background that had to remain a secret. Otherwise, why would


    an average being like her manage to survive so many potentially fatal ordeals? Even more so, Floch and


    Rachel¡¯s attitudes were very fishy too.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    In the past, they had despised her and shown their hatred for her quite evidently. Despite the fact that


    Tiffany was stunning and talented, and Veronica¡¯s emergence would not have taken away any of


    Tiffany¡¯s glory, the Larsons¡¯ remained persistent in their attempts to get rid of her.


    Ultimately, upon Tiffany¡¯s death and Randy¡¯s disappearance, the Larsons behaved overly calm, which


    was the strangest part of the situation. Veronica was not sure whether she was right in her deductions,


    but she felt that she was involved in everything.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me what¡¯s going on, then I¡¯ll sacrifice myself to save Matthew¡¯s life right away!¡± Veronica


    came up with this final ultimatum and threatened Crayson. ¡°You should be aware that I always mean my


    words.¡±

 Chapter 515

    Chapter 515


    Chapter 515 Veronica¡¯s Discovery of Her True Identity


    As soon as Veronica¡¯s words hit, the caller on the other end descended into a prolonged silence.


    Crayson was hesitant and he went through an inner turmoil for quite some time. Ultimately, he realized


    that he could noy keep the matter a secret forever.


    ¡°Your life is way more precious than anyone else. If Matthew ends up dead, then I can only say that he¡¯s


    a foolhardy person butcks the influence.¡± Veronica was stunned in ce by Crayson¡¯s words.


    My life is much more precious than anyone else¡¯s?!


    ¡°Is that so?¡± She snorted derisively and asked, ¡°I¡¯m quite keen to find out what sort of family background


    I hail from to actually be worth Matthew sacrificing his life for?¡± Although Veronica¡¯s tone of voice was


    calm, her heart pounded frantically.


    All this while, she had a niggling sense that there was something wrong with Crayson, but she had never


    thought to link things to herself. Right now, the truth was right in front of her, but she somehow felt


    uneasy.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Tony¡¯s daughter, but neither are you Floch¡¯s daughter.¡± Crayson heaved a sigh and nned


    to reveal the truth to Veronica while still hesitant.


    Finally, he exhaled a deep sigh and revealed the truth, ¡°Have you heard of the hidden n? You¡¯re a


    descendant of them and because of various reasons, you were sent to live in Bloomstead after you were


    born. Matthew broke up with you in order to build up an influence for you in secret; the reason for that


    was so that once you rejoined the hidden n in the future, he would be able to secretly help you.¡±


    ¡°H-Hidden n?¡± Veronica reeled from the information.


    She had considered various possibilities in her mind, but never would she have expected that she was a


    descendant of a hidden n.


    Suddenly, she frowned. ¡°If I¡¯m a descendant of the hidden n, then Tiffany should be the same too.


    Why am I the only one under your protection and why didn¡¯t you protect her?¡± She was practically


    identical to Tiffany as they were twins.


    The strange thing was that Crayson seemed to despise Tiffany very much.


    ¡°She¡¯s not a descendant of the hidden n! She¡¯s not even your twin.¡±


    ¡°How can that be possible? We¡¯re identical!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just a decoy. After you were born, your DNA sample was taken and she was cloned from you.¡±


    Since Crayson had decided to tell Veronica the truth, he did not have any intention to hide anything from


    her as he revealed Tiffany¡¯s identity to Veronica as well. Veronica leaned against the tree trunk and felt


    weak all over that she nearly slumped to the ground. Clone?! She had heard of that before, but she had


    always felt that it was something too far-fetched and unrted to her. Unexpectedly, Tiffany was actually


    a clone!


    Veronica lifted her hand and massaged the spot in between her brows as she tried to deal with her


    emotions. After quite some time, she finally recollected herself.


    On the other end of the line, Crayson continued, ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve encountered Tiffany in Castron.


    You¡¯ve got to be mindful of this and stay away from Floch and Rachel. Where are you right now? I¡¯ll send


    someone over to pick you up.¡±


    Look at how influential he is. Even if Crayson¡¯s currently back home in a rural area, he¡¯s able to allocate


    people in Castron to protect me.


    ¡°Does Floch and the rest know everything?¡± Veronica tried hard to maintain herposure as she asked


    calmly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How about Hendrey? What sort of role does he y in all this?¡±


    ¡°There has always been a mysterious guy in Castron trying to find out your identity by running


    investigations secretly. Hendrey came because he wanted to probe about your true identity. However, he


    didn¡¯t betray you back then, so I spared his life. It looks like I was too wishy-washy and I left us a ticking


    time bomb there.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Child, there are some things that I can¡¯t exin in just a few sentences. Hurry up and send


    me your location. I¡¯ll send someone over for you and take the earliest flight to Castron tomorrow


    morning.¡±


    This was his worst nightmare and yet it happened. Previously, when Veronica mentioned that she would


    be going to Castron, Crayson had been worried that she would encounter those people. However, he


    ended up convincing himself that nothing had happened back then when she visited Castron with Ruka.


    He thought that this trip would be a smooth one simrly, but the truth was ultimately revealed.


    ¡°Send me the contact details of your people and I¡¯ll contact them myself.¡± Veronica recollected herself


    and continued to head toward the dense forest.


    ¡°Okay, sure,¡± he responded solemnly and reminded her as well, ¡°Remember my words and make sure to


    stay away from the Larsons.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± Veronica did not bother to ask further and hung up the phone on Crayson.


    The Larsons clearly knew Tiffany¡¯s identity and yet they stood on her side, which was an indication that


    they were fully aware of everything. If Tiffany was just supposed to be a decoy, then the Larson Family


    should not have left Bloomstead without a word to head to Castron upon her supposed ¡®death¡¯; that was


    proof enough that the Larsons had the intention to double-cross. The worst thing that could happen


    would be that they intended to support the decoy they created in the past and snatch the leader¡¯s


    position with the clone.


    Veronica finally found out the truth and she could not help but mock herself, Everyone knows the truth


    except me. I¡¯m the only idiotic one who was kept in the dark. This is absurd!


    Shortly after that, Crayson sent a string of numbers to her.


    She looked at the numbers and dialed them immediately. Ring¡ª Ring¡ª Ring¡ª


    Even though it was the middle of the night, the phone merely rang thrice before the other party answered


    it.


    ¡°Hi there, who am I speaking to?¡± a woman asked from the other end of the line.


    ¡°I¡¯m Veronica Murphy,¡± she revealed her identity.


    As soon as her words hit, the person on the other end was momentarily stunned before finally asking,


    ¡°How can I help?¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Crayson wanted me to contact you and he said that you would be able to resolve any issue I have.¡±


    ¡°Are you currently in Castron?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle and get you.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Veronica contacted the other person on WhatsApp and shared her current location so that they could


    reach her as soon as possible.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile on the other end of Castron, Thomas¡¯ detailed n was a sess and he managed to


    capture Antheena and brought her with him. After capturing her, they instantly texted Veronica, who was


    already in Destiny¡¯s car.


    Destiny was the owner of the number that Crayson gave Veronica. She was tall with a voluptuous figure


    and her hair was bright-red in color. Her skin was porcin-white and she had a blue orchid tattooed on


    her vicle, which enhanced her sexiness. Undeniably, she was indeed a stunner.


    Even though she was nearly in her forties, her well-sculpted features andrge eyes were very


    captivating.


    She was dressed in a slinky ck top paired with leather pants and jacket. She also had a pair of high


    heels on and she resembled the Marvel character, ck Widow.


    ¡°Is Crayson your superior?¡± Veronica asked out of curiosity.


    Destiny lifted her brows and nodded solemnly. ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then arrange for some skilled men and if necessary, I¡¯ll lead them to rescue Matthew.¡± Veronica


    did not intend to hide her ns.


    After all, she was aware that her tracks were spied upon ever since she came to Castron, so Matthew¡¯s


    matter should not be news to them either.


    Meanwhile, Destiny was exceptionally calm upon hearing her words.


    After some time, Destiny put both palms in the air and shrugged. ¡°Are you sure about that? They did


    everything they could just to keep you safe, so aren¡¯t you afraid of danger if you turn up now?¡±


    ¡°Since they¡¯ve found out about my identity, even if I don¡¯t turn up, I wouldn¡¯t be any safer in the future.¡±


    Veronica rolled down the car window and tilted her head to look out. There was a sudden rush of cold air


    hitting her before she heaved a sigh.


    ¡°Anything that is meant to happen will happen eventually and I won¡¯t be able to avoid it. As for Matthew,


    there is no way that he and his closest aides should lose their lives because of me.¡±

 Chapter 516

    Chapter 516


    Chapter 516 Rescuing Matthew


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to consult Master Crayson about this.¡± Destiny was worried about Veronica¡¯s action and she


    was even more worried to make any decisions on her own ord. Otherwise, she would not be able to


    take responsibility if the major plot was ruined.


    Veronica maintained her silence while Destiny had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on her


    phone as she dialed Crayson¡¯s number.


    The other party answered the phone and Destiny immediately reiterated Veronica¡¯s words to Crayson. As


    soon as he heard that, he was not too surprised but descended into silence once again. It was likely that


    he was considering the situation and trying to figure things out.


    After some moments of thought, he heaved a sigh before replying, ¡°She¡¯s a grown woman and there are


    some things that she¡¯s got to decide for herself ultimately. All you¡¯ve got to do is to ensure her safety.¡±


    Crayson had watched over Veronica since she was a child and he knew her personality more than


    anyone else. No one would be able to stop her from doing anything that she had made up her mind to


    do.


    Since Destiny had the phone on loudspeaker, Veronica heard Crayson¡¯s words clearly from the


    passenger seat. From the phone call he shared with Veronica earlier and up until Destiny¡¯s call now,


    Crayson had been sighing non-stop. Veronica had known him for such a long time, but she hardly ever


    heard him express such dejected sighs. For a moment there, she somehow felt that he had aged


    significantly. Her identity hade as a huge shock to her; though she was able to maintain her


    composure on the surface, the inner turmoil she faced lingered on persistently and she could not seem


    to calm down.


    ¡°Hand the phone to her,¡± Crayson mentioned to Destiny.


    ¡°You¡¯re on loudspeaker, so you can just continue speaking.¡±


    Destiny nced at Veronica and felt that this girl was scaringly calm. She¡¯s indeed learned the best from


    Master Crayson. She¡¯s not frantic even when faced with an urgent situation and this is a trait that she is


    exemry inpared to everyone else.


    ¡°Veronica, just go ahead with whatever you wish to do, and don¡¯t be afraid because we¡¯ll be here to


    support you.¡±


    After Crayson¡¯s brief pause, Veronica assumed that he was about toe up with some touching words


    for her. Unexpectedly though, it was just a simple sentence.


    However, his words were powerful enough to make her feel much at ease after hearing it. After all, there


    was nothing more settling than having a strong support system.


    ¡°I get it. We¡¯re not about to say goodbye to each other for good, so why are you being so sentimental?


    That¡¯s all. Bye.¡±


    Veronica did not like the solemn and sentimental atmosphere, so she replied impatiently and hung up the


    phone.


    She tilted her head and looked out of the window without a word.


    Meanwhile, Destiny asked, ¡°I can tell that Master Crayson dotes on you very much. All of us know how


    strict he can be, so are you the only one he treats so tenderly?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? He could never be associated with the word tender.¡±


    Veronica shook her head. ¡°I used to stay with him and I was subjected to hardcore training every other


    day. If I didn¡¯t do well, I would be punished physically. He¡¯s a monster!¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Destiny burst intoughter at Veronica¡¯s antics.


    The atmosphere in the car gradually loosened up as the two of them bantered back and forth with each


    other.


    Finally, they arrived back at Destiny¡¯s ce and Veronica was assigned the guest room to take a short


    rest.


    She gave Thomas a call while she rested and asked, ¡°How are things on your side?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seeded in capturing Antheena and I¡¯ve also contacted her father to get him to release the


    hostages. They mentioned that they would only agree to release one of them.¡± Through the phone,


    Thomas¡¯ dejected voice was quite evident.


    Veronica had seen Troy¡¯s horrible state for her own eyes, so she naturally did not dare to reveal the truth


    to Thomas as she was worried that her revtion would trigger him to make some irrational decisions.


    ¡°Antheena¡¯s very precious to her father, so he will definitely release Matthew and your brother, but it


    won¡¯t be easy to achieve though.¡±


    She considered the situation for a moment before adding, ¡°You¡¯ve abducted his daughter, so he won¡¯t let


    you guys get away with this so easily. When will you be meeting him? Send me the time and location.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Miss Murphy,¡± Thomas responded.


    Just as she was about to hang up, he suddenly asked, ¡°Miss Murphy, did you get to see my brother and


    Young Master Matthew? How were they doing?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­¡± She hesitated. ¡°They¡¯re not in a great condition, so you must bring more men with you to the


    meeting pointter on.¡± With that, she hung up the phone on Thomas as she was afraid that he would


    ask more questions.


    Subsequently, Veronica sat on the couch in the guest room and calmly analyzed the situation.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Crayson had mentioned that she was a descendant of the hidden n and would have to eventually


    return to the n. This also inherently meant that she would face a lot moreplicated matters while


    she was there. That was also why Matthew had broken up with her on the surface; he was actually


    secretly building up an influence to pave a smoother path for her in the future. Based on this, they


    abducted him and coerced her to go to the castle before interrogating Troy in the underground cer,


    likely because they suspected that Matthew¡¯s breakup with her was just a farce. If it was indeed a farce


    and Matthew was in love with her, then it was an indication that they were on the same team¡ªalso


    known as the enemies of the ck Ace Mob.


    Be it Tiffany or Crayson, clearly, the mastermind behind all this was a patient man with foresight. This


    was a plot that ran over twenty years, so the amount of effort behind all this was immense. Veronica


    suddenly understood why those people did not harm her life despite going after her repeatedly. It must


    have been because of her identity as the descendant of the hidden n and she could be useful to them.


    At that thought, she could not help but let out a gasp.


    In the underground cer, Troy had been forced to reveal the truth, which had evoked the murderous


    intent of Xavier and the gang. As such, after finding out the truth, they were intent on getting rid of


    Matthew just to get rid of the potential obstacles they might face in the future.


    ¡°Thank goodness. Gosh.¡± Veronica anxiously fidgeted. It was fortunate that she had told Thomas the


    truth when he asked her for Antheena¡¯s location. Otherwise, Matthew would very likely be in mortal


    danger if they did not have Antheena as a hostage.


    However, Matthew was way more intelligent than most people, so how could he possibly be abducted so


    easily? To her deduction, she found the situation to not be as simple as it seemed¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile at the Blenheim Pier, after Thomas contacted the leader of the ck Ace Mob, he arranged


    for Xavier to shuttle Troy and Matthew over for the exchange of hostages. It was 4.30AM and the moon


    was covered by clouds with barely any stars in the sky. There were more than ten cars that slowly drove


    into the spacious area close to the pier before they formed two lines and parked the cars perpendicrly.


    Xavier alighted from the car and a gang of well-built men appeared by his side. Each of them had hulking


    figures and they were clearly henchmen used to fighting.


    He nced at Thomas, who had just gotten out of the car across, and instantly questioned, ¡°Where¡¯s


    Antheena?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in the car. Where¡¯s Young Master Matthew?¡±


    Both of them walked to the middle of the spacious field and they stood less than six feet apart as they


    nced at each other with arrogant and cold looks on their faces respectively.


    ¡°Hand over Antheena and you¡¯ll get to see Matthew and your brother.¡± Xavier reached out to flick up his


    suit.


    As he did that, Thomas went into defensive mode and shifted a hand to his lower back.


    At that sight, Xavier could not help snorting inughter. ¡°Why are you so jittery? I¡¯m just going to puff a


    cigarette.¡± Subsequently, he fished out a packet of cigarettes and put one between his lips before lighting


    it to puff on it. His rxed and nonchnt attitude heightened Thomas¡¯ anxiety levels.


    After all, Thomas was the one who had executed all the things that Matthew did to Xavier. As one of the


    people involved in the past, Thomas felt quite perplexed to see Xavier in Castron and being involved with


    Antheena. He found that Xavier indeed was not one to be taken lightly.


    ¡°Stop stalling! Once you hand over Young Master Matthew and my brother, I¡¯ll instantly hand over


    Antheena to you in one piece.¡±

 Chapter 517

    Chapter 517


    Chapter 517 Say Goodbye, Xavier


    Compared to Xavier, Thomas was on edge as he had never experienced this pain. ¡°Good. I like how


    straightforward you are.¡± Xavier slid a hand into his pocket as he raised another to snap his fingers.


    His subordinates, who were standing close by, understood his signal and walked to a sedan. They


    opened the car door and lugged two people out. Yes, they were being dragged out of the car.


    As the car was not parked far away, Thomas could see the bodyguards carrying two limp bodies with


    ck hoods over their heads.


    It was obvious the people being carried on the bodyguards¡¯ shoulders had fainted. Their legs were


    hanging limp on the ground as they were dragged forward. His eyebrows furrowed as he burned with


    anger. ¡°What the hell did you do to them, Xavier?¡±


    ¡°A life for two. What more could you ask for?¡± Xavier held a cigarette between his two fingers and


    sniggered, ¡°Hand Antheena over.¡± ¡°F*ck, you¡ª¡±


    Thomas wanted to argue, but Xavier did not have much patience. ¡°If you dilly-dally anymore, I can¡¯t


    promise you what will happen to the two of them.¡± ¡°Then, remove the hood. How else can I confirm it¡¯s


    them?¡±


    ¡°You need to bring Antheena out first.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Thomas relented. He signaled to the people behind him,


    and they immediately opened the car door and walked Antheena out of the car toward them.


    The square was dim, with only the soft yellow light from the faraway street lights illuminating their


    silhouette. They stood still with the hostages a few meters apart and removed the hoods and mask,


    respectively.


    Finally, Thomas could see Matthew¡¯s barely recognizable and badly beaten-up face, while Troy was


    covered in scary bloody welts. That was his brother! Thomas clenched his fists and wanted to punch


    Xavier in the face, but he controlled his anger. ¡°Let them go.¡±


    Then, both parties released their hostages at the same time. Thomas¡¯ quick-witted bodyguards


    immediately went up to support Troy and Matthew.


    On the other hand, Antheena walked toward Xavier without a scratch on her, but her hands were tied up.


    ¡°Sebastian, I knew you would return.¡±


    She was carefree and rxed despite the tense situation. Xavier¡¯s well-defined eyebrows furrowed


    slightly at her remark. ¡°You¡¯re too mischievous. We have to hurry back.¡±


    He took a step forward and pulled on her hands, which were still confined by a rope before he walked


    toward the sedan. Suddenly, a voice rose from behind them. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, why the rush to


    leave, Xavier?¡± the bright voice asked.


    Everyone turned and looked at the source of the voice to see Veronica, dressed in a ck casual outfit


    and her hair in a ponytail. She walked with confidence toward them in her Doc Martens.


    ¡°How could you do this to me, Miss Murphy?¡± Antheena¡¯s blue eyes hardened when she saw Veronica.


    She had so graciously saved Veronica, but Veronica kidnapped her as a hostage in return. She should


    have killed Veronica when she had the chance.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Miss Antheena.¡± Veronica shook her head and smiled sweetly. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have treated


    you so, but you guys kidnapped Matthew, and I have to save him. But it¡¯s alright now since you¡¯ve


    returned him, and we have handed you back in one piece.¡±


    As she spoke, she reached into her pocket and took something out. It was a square ck velvet box the


    size of her palm.


    ¡°However, I have something I¡¯d like to return to Xavier,¡± she spoke as she stood before Thomas and


    faced Xavier, who was about 10 meters away.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xavier got curious.


    Antheena kept quiet and watched as the situation unfolded between Xavier and Veronica.


    ¡°After today, we probably will never have the chance to meet again. But, inside this box is the four-leaf


    clover ne you gave me. Do you remember that? I want to return this to you personally.¡±


    Xavier had given Veronica an expensive ne she had worn for a long time. Later, he bid for the


    teardrop sapphire blue ne during an auction. Only then did she remove the four-leaf clover


    ne.


    She tried returning the ne to him, but he did not take it with him.


    ¡°Ne?¡± Antheena, who was deeply in love with Xavier, frowned as jealousy consumed her.


    Xavier had not given her a ne since they had been together.


    He nced at Veronica and then quickly swept his gaze at Troy and Matthew, who were being whisked


    away. His eyes twinkled as he answered, ¡°There¡¯s no need to return it. I won¡¯t take back what I¡¯ve given.¡±


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared. That¡¯s not like you.¡± Veronica sighed. ¡°Fine. I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d be


    cautious of me when I was trying to bid a proper goodbye. I¡¯ll throw it away since you don¡¯t want this.¡±


    She looked down at the box, sighed again, and raised her arm to dump it into the trash can.


    ¡°Give it to me.¡± Antheena suddenly insisted. ¡°I¡¯m very interested in that ne.¡±


    She gestured her tied-up hands at Xavier as she said, ¡°Untie me.¡±


    He furrowed his brows and nced at Veronica again. Finally, he came to a decision as he told


    Antheena. ¡°You wait here. I¡¯ll get it.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Women are so troublesome.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded obediently.


    To love a person would make one invested in him, including his past. Antheena loved Xavier to her core.


    Even though she was the young mistress of the ck Ace Mob, she was deeply enraptured by his


    mature poise and fell head over heels with him.


    Unfortunately, despite the public thinking that they were an item, Xavier had never promised her


    anything.


    He tookrge strides and stopped before Veronica with his hands out. ¡°Give it to here.¡±


    Sadness crept up Veronica¡¯s delicate cheeks as she looked down at the box in her hand. ¡°After our


    goodbye today, I hope that you and Antheena can be happy.¡±


    ¡°My matters are none of your business.¡± Her blessing felt like a curse.


    As he watched her up close, he could see the faint shadows of bruises and cuts on her face. Those were


    caused by him when he lost control of his emotions and hit her in the basement the other day. Then,


    suddenly, his heart started beating faster.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right.¡± Veronica dipped her head slightly. ¡°I hope that we won¡¯t be contacting each other


    anymore after today.¡±


    Finally, she palmed the box and lightly rubbed her fingers against it as she passed it to him. Just when


    he reached out to grab the box, Veronica aimed a kick at his left leg.

 Chapter 518

    Chapter 518


    Chapter 518 Matthew Is Going Down With Me


    Xavier was caught off guard by Veronica¡¯s kick. However, he managed to block it with his arm and


    counterattack due to his quick response.


    s, the petite woman did a neat somersault andnded behind him. Before he could react, he felt


    something cold against the back of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Veronica warned in a low voice, ¡°Hand


    Matthew over now.¡±


    Thomas, who was standing by the side, was dumbfounded. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Young Master Matthew¡­¡± As the


    words came out of his mouth, Thomas¡¯ eyes glinted with realization. ¡°So, it was¡­ a hoax?¡±


    He frightfully dashed toward the sedan and opened the door. He scrutinized the person inside wearing


    Matthew¡¯s clothes and had a simr figure to Matthew, only to realize he wasn¡¯t Matthew.


    Thomas was deceived because that person¡¯s figure and hairstyle were simr to Matthew¡¯s. Besides, his


    face was so swollen and bloody that it was hard to determine what he initially looked like. Plus, to make


    matters worse, Thomas¡¯ attention was all on his brother, Troy.


    Xavier took advantage of that as he was sure Thomas would not realize it, but he did not expect


    Veronica to show up.


    Opposite them, Antheena, who had been a bystander all this while, immediately jumped to her feet and


    angrily questioned Veronica, ¡°Veronica, you¡¯re such a vicious woman. I¡¯ve let you and Matthew go. What


    else do you want?¡±


    Veronica held the gun against Xavier¡¯s head with one hand and used the other to grip his shoulders.


    ¡°Keep both hands up. Turn around.¡±


    Heplied with her fury-fueled orders. As he was turning around, hemented, ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve


    looked down on you. You¡¯ve improved greatly in the six months I¡¯ve not seen you.¡±


    He knew she must have had some sort of trick up her sleeves. So, that was why he came over when


    Antheena wanted to grab the box from her. But, no matter how he tried to be careful, the odds were


    against him. He had to admit that he had underestimated her.


    ¡°I¡¯m way behindpared to you,¡± Veronica snorted at him and looked at Antheena, who was a few feet


    away. ¡°If you want him alive, it¡¯s easy. Just give me Matthew.¡±


    At that moment, her attitude made it obvious. They did not need to question if she had really broken up


    with Matthew back then.


    ¡°How did you find out?¡± Xavier wracked his brain but still could not figure out what went wrong.


    ¡°Well, I can only say that your n had too many ws.¡±


    At first, Veronica was almost deceived by them. Nevertheless, when she was sitting in the bedroom of


    Destiny¡¯s vi pondering the whole incident, something felt off. The ¡®Matthew¡¯ that she saw in the


    basement was acting oddly.


    He was intelligent, strategic, and a good fighter. So, he was a difficult target to kidnap. Even if he was


    abducted, he had the ability to protect himself.


    She remembered vividly how badly the people in the basement were beaten up. They all had their heads


    hung low as they sank into unconsciousness. Veronica knew very well that Matthew was very alert all the


    time and would never allow himself to faint when his life was in danger.


    Besides that, they used every trick in the book to coerce her to go to the castle because they were not


    sure if she was secretly working with Matthew. So they would never kill him.


    Most importantly, Xavier resented Matthew with his entire being, mainly because of his sister Melissa¡¯s


    death. If he could take his revenge and torture Matthew, he wouldn¡¯t have gone mad and beat Veronica


    up in the basement.


    Therefore, it was evident that even though Matthew was kidnapped, they had orders from above not to


    hurt him. Xavier was furious at that and took it out on her. So that was how she concluded that Matthew


    was safe.


    She arrived ten minutes before Thomas and Xavier¡¯s meeting and found a good hiding spot. As she held


    a pair of binocrs, she observed from afar until she saw the swollen-faced Matthew. Right then, she


    was confident that her deductions were correct and that person was not the real Matthew.


    Veronica snorted derisively, ¡°I know how much you loathe Matthew. Even if Antheena¡¯s father asked you


    to let him go, you wouldn¡¯tply. So, it was obvious that he wouldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    Xavier was a vengeful man. Since he had finally gotten his hands on Matthew, he wouldn¡¯t let go of this


    golden opportunity to kill him, even if he had to sacrifice Antheena.


    Veronica had two ns in ce for this situation. In the first n, she foresaw that if Xavier brought


    Matthew over, he might have someone to snipe Matthew after his release. Thus, she asked Destiny to


    look for the best sniper to hide in the spot with the best view.


    If Xavier or somebody else attacked Matthew, then Xavier wouldn¡¯t live to see the next sunrise.


    The other n she had was that if Matthew didn¡¯t show up as she suspected, she would think of a way to


    hold Antheena or Xavier hostage in exchange for Matthew.


    Right now, things were going ording to her second n.


    ¡°Ha! Very clever.¡± Xavier¡¯s lips curved up into a smirk, and he muttered with a low voice only they both


    could hear. ¡°But so what? Matthew is destined to die tonight.¡±


    An intelligent person like Xavier also had a backup n. It was either he deceived Thomas and retreated


    safely with Antheena, or he would die here, but Matthew would be going down with him.


    Veronica¡¯s heart tightened, and she frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    As they were at a standstill, the rest of the people from both parties dared not move. The situation was


    tense, as though they were waiting for the other shoe to drop.


    On the vast square, Veronica stood in the middle holding Xavier at gunpoint.


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart girl. I¡¯m sure you can piece the puzzles yourself.¡± Xavier kept his arms raised as he


    gazed at Antheena, who looked anxious as she kept pacing back and forth. He felt a little guilty.


    She was a nice girl, but he was not the one for her. A wretched man like him was not a match for a


    woman of her caliber. He was unworthy of her love.


    ¡°Let him go, Xavier.¡± Veronica¡¯s voice was filled with mncholy. ¡°You should know that if Matthew¡¯s not


    released, you¡¯ll die too.¡±


    Then, she nced at Antheena standing not far away and continued, ¡°From what I know, ck Ace


    Mob¡¯s leader, ke, only has one daughter, Antheena. She¡¯s the apple of his eye. So, he would not


    hesitate to exchange his daughter¡¯s safety with Matthew. He¡¯s not letting you off the hook that you tried


    to do this with a fake Matthew.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Veronica was not an omnipresent being and could not predict what would happen. She analyzed the


    situation with Destiny despite it being just a hypothesis.


    Xavier let out augh at her words. ¡°So, I¡¯ve got no choice. Since this is what it¡¯se to, I¡¯ll just bring


    him down with me!¡± He gave up struggling as his voice was filled with despair and self-deprecation.


    Veronica¡¯s heart skipped, and her breath caught in her throat. It seemed like everything was speeding


    toward the worst-case scenario.


    Xavier would give up his life just to avenge his sister by killing Matthew. But, even if Xavier dies, she


    would do everything in her power to keep Matthew alive.

 Chapter 519

    Chapter 519


    Chapter 519 Matthew Is Dead


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it onest time. I¡¯ll kill you if you don¡¯t let Matthew go!¡± Veronica said that in Chinese loud and


    clear to send the message across to Antheena. As expected, Antheena was unnerved when she heard


    that. ¡°What are you trying to do, Veronica?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s red lips curved up into a smirk, and she whispered to Xavier, ¡°It¡¯s your choice if you want to


    die, but I don¡¯t want Matthew to be hurt.¡±


    Afterward, she looked at Antheena, who wasn¡¯t far and ordered loudly, ¡°Xavier has Matthew hidden


    somewhere. I¡¯ll give you 30 minutes, Antheena. If you can¡¯t give Matthew back, then be prepared to


    collect his dead body!¡±


    As they were both women, Veronica could feel how deeply Antheena loved Xavier. So, Antheena would


    never allow Xavier to die on her watch.


    Xavier was taken aback by Veronica¡¯s tactics. He did not expect her to be so bright and calctive


    in just half a year that he had not seen her. However, she only had Matthew in her heart. There was no


    ce for him there.


    ¡°Move!¡± she instructed as she grabbed his shoulders, pressed the cold muzzle against the back of his


    head, and took him with her. Thomas and the other bodyguards stood around, prepared to take action if


    anything went wrong.


    Antheena stood opposite them, fuming as she watched Veronica taking Xavier away. She could only


    order her subordinates, ¡°Go. I want everyone looking for Matthew.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Mistress.¡± They answered, got in the car, and drove off to look for him.


    On the other side, Veronica got Xavier into the car. When Thomas opened the car door for Xavier to get


    in, Xavier looked meaningfully at the northwest corner of the square.


    As he expected, that small action caught Veronica¡¯s attention, and she looked over thoughtfully with


    furrowed brows.


    When she looked in that direction, she was just in time to catch Xavier, who was entering the car, using


    his right hand to click on something on his left wrist.


    ¡°Wait!¡± she yelled as she grabbed his left wrist and pushed up the sleeve to see his digital watch in a


    countdown.


    She shuddered as her heart leaped to her throat. The watch was counting down from six minutes.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    No, it was now 5 minutes 54 seconds!


    ¡°Xavier!¡± She snarled through gritted teeth as her other hand holding the gun trembled.


    Nevertheless, he only gave her a malicious sneer. ¡°Kill me. I¡¯m happy enough to know that he¡¯ll be with


    me in hell.¡±


    ¡°You f*cking snake,¡± Veronica cursed and swung the gun¡¯s handle at the back of his head with great


    force.


    With just one hit, Xavier was out like a light and fell to the ground unconscious.


    ¡°Thomas, search the area! Matthew is around there,¡± she said and sprinted toward the northwest corner


    while setting up the timer on her phone.


    Thomas, who was beside them, knew what had transpired and immediately understood the situation.


    ¡°Tie him up.¡± He pointed at Xavier and ordered his subordinates, then added, ¡°You lot guard him, and the


    rest join the search.¡±


    By this time, Antheena had already ordered her people to leave and look for Matthew. As everyone left,


    she sat alone in the car and stared at the vehicle that held Xavier captive.


    Veronica bolted across the square with all her might.


    The port¡¯s cool wind whizzed past her ear and blew on her face, but her heart sank to her stomach, and


    she only felt the bone-chilling cold.


    Matthew, you can¡¯t die. You can¡¯t die! She chanted in her mind while shouting, ¡°Matthew! Matthew!¡±


    Her intuition was telling her that he was nearby.


    So she ran to the northwest corner and saw many containers lined up. She whizzed between them in the


    narrow pathway and kept yelling for Matthew desperately, ¡°Where are you, Matthew? Answer me if you


    hear me!¡±


    She kept screaming his name, and eventually, her voice even showed that she was close to losing her


    mind.


    The strong-willed Veronica had never been so anxious about a person up until now.


    She switched on the torchlight function on her phone and looked around in a frenzy with the beam of


    light as her guide. She kept ncing at the phone¡¯s timer as the countdown continued.


    Around her were Thomas¡¯ men, who were also calling out Matthew¡¯s name.


    They had been searching for a few minutes but still could not locate him. Veronica was at her wit¡¯s ends


    despite expending arge amount of energy running around trying to find him.


    She was stunned as she saw thest row of containers after looking for so long to no avail.


    She stumbled dazedly. ¡°How could this be?¡±


    She trembled like a leaf and phoned Thomas immediately, but she was so nervous that she clicked on


    the wrong number.


    She didn¡¯t waste time as she hung up the phone, looked for Thomas¡¯ number again, and dialed. He


    picked up in seconds. ¡°Miss Murphy?¡±


    ¡°Wake Xavier up. Ask¡­ Ask him where Matthew is. Quick. Go now!¡±


    ¡°Okay. Alright. I¡¯m going now.¡± He didn¡¯t dare dy and went immediately.


    She leaned weakly against the railing on the square¡¯s edge as her heart hammered in her chest. Behind


    her was the port while the sounds of the waves crashing and the cries of seagulls echoed in her ears.


    She regretted knocking out Xavier just now. She was confident Matthew would be here, but now she had


    missed the golden opportunity to save him.


    If she had interrogated Xavier more, maybe he would reveal Matthew¡¯s whereabouts.


    Veronica wholly regretted her rash actions as she sunk into self-deprecation.


    Yet, she knew all too well that Xavier would rather die than tell her where he hid Matthew.


    She was chilled to the bone as devastation overwhelmed her till she could feel her hair stand on end.


    It was unclear if the sea was too cold or for a different reason, but she couldn¡¯t stop her body from


    shaking like a leaf.


    If Matthew died today, she would never forgive herself as long as she lived.


    The containers on the square¡¯s corner were all piled up, blocking the light. Veronica slumped on the floor


    in the dark and looked at the watch¡¯s timer. She only had 58 seconds left.


    She tightened her grip on her phone and watched with wide eyes as the seconds ticked by. That feeling


    of knowing that the person you love the most is going to die and you were helpless tormented her to no


    end.


    A tear dropped from the corner of her eyes. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was the harsh wind blowing against her


    face or her utter deste state.


    She slowly closed her eyes, leaned against the railing behind her, and took a few deep breaths before


    snapping them open.


    At this very moment, she glimpsed something out of the corner of her eye. It was a tower crane set up on


    the sea. As the tower crane was very far and tall, she had missed it earlier while looking through the


    containers.


    She frowned deeply as she quickly rose to her feet and stared at the tower crane. She had a suspicion


    that Matthew was there, but it was so far. Would she stand a chance?


    As she gazed at the timer on her phone for a final time, she saw the screen light up and disy the time.


    It was at 5 minutes 13 seconds.

 Chapter 520

    Chapter 520


    Chapter 520 I Must See Him Even if I Die


    When Veronica clicked on the timer, 30 seconds had already passed. This meant that she only had 17


    seconds left. She knew right then that there was nothing left she could do.


    As she raised her gaze to the crane, she stared at it as tears blurred her vision. Finally, she sobbed as


    she murmured, ¡°Matt, I owe you this life.¡±


    At herst syble, a bright light emitted from within the tower crane, and a loud explosion followed. The


    fire lit up the night sky, and she watched helplessly as the front end of the tower crane fell and


    plummeted into the sea.


    Even though it was a port, the crane was set up a few hundred meters away for some construction. So,


    the water was deep enough to absorb the impact.


    ¡°Matthew. Matthew. Matthew.¡± She chanted his name under her breath and didn¡¯t even realize it when


    her phone dropped to the floor.


    All of a sudden, she rushed to the edge like a madwoman and jumped over the railing with a hand on it


    for support. Then, she didn¡¯t miss a beat as she dived into the sea.


    The sea was utterly freezing thiste at night. Despite this, she plunged into the water as the waves


    swallowed and brought her under.


    She tried hard to swim up to sea level. Once she managed to fight against the current pulling her under,


    she swam toward the tower crane as it burned.


    After she swam for a long time, she continued swimming as though ¡®exhaustion¡¯ wasn¡¯t something that


    existed in her dictionary. She only wanted to reach the spot the tower crane had fallen as soon as she


    could.


    Even if Matthew died, she needed to see it to believe it.


    Waves crashed against her as if trying to deter her from swimming forward and pushing her back.


    Nheless, she only had one thought in her mind: to see Matthew, even if it was to find his scattered


    belongings. Suffice to say, she had given up any sliver of hope of seeing him alive at this point.


    As anguish fueled her, she had unknowingly swam about 300 meters.


    On the square, everyone heard the explosion and came to the edge, ready to investigate.


    At this very moment, a person suddenly popped up from under the water.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone there. Go check it out,¡± a person ordered as the rest quickly ran over. It was Matthew.


    ¡°It¡¯s Young Master Matthew. Quick, help him.¡±


    ¡°Pull him up!¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, are you alright?¡±


    The few leaned on the railing and reached out with their hands to pull Matthew up tond.


    Once he caught his breath, he stood outside the railing and jumped over it. Then, he took another deep


    breath as he swept his short ck hair back. ¡°Where¡¯s Xavier?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still in the car, Young Master Matthew,¡± a bodyguard promptly answered.


    Wrath engulfed Matthew as he strode toward the direction the bodyguard pointed at. It was about 200


    meters from where he stood to the parked car.


    Before they could get close to the car, two gunshots were heard, and they saw a car drift and stop beside


    another sedan.


    Then, the sedan¡¯s door opened, and Xavier jumped into Antheena¡¯s car at lightning speed.


    ¡°S*it! Xavier got away,¡± the bodyguard beside him shouted.


    Matthew¡¯s dark brows furrowed and his oppressive aura emerged mixed with hostility and ruthlessness.


    He raised his hand and extended them to the side. The bodyguard beside him instantly gave him a gun.


    Matthew aimed a few shots at the sedan, but the car was fast and too far away from him. Therefore, the


    bullets only damaged the car¡¯s windows and did not stop it in the slightest.


    ¡°After him!¡± he ordered as his men rushed into their vehicles.


    At that moment, Thomas came running in from the left. ¡°Young Master Matthew? Are you alright?¡±


    Thomas had been scouring the area and almost ran out of the square, for he feared he missed a spot


    until he received his subordinate¡¯s call that Matthew had returned safely. So, he returned immediately.


    Anger swept across Matthew¡¯s handsome face as he nced coldly at Thomas. ¡°Good for nothing! You


    can¡¯t even watch over a person.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± A stunned Thomas didn¡¯t understand what was happening.


    A bodyguard beside him told him. ¡°Xavier got away.¡±


    ¡°He got away?¡± Thomas¡¯ eyes widened, and he ran toward the car. But after a few steps, he stopped and


    looked back at the rest of his colleagues to ask, ¡°Where¡¯s Miss Murphy?¡±


    ¡°Roni¡¯s here?¡± Matthew heard Thomas and forgot about Xavierpletely.


    Then, one person squeezed through the bodyguards and answered Thomas, ¡°After we heard the


    explosion, a person jumped into the water, but I didn¡¯t see who it was.¡±


    Thomas looked Matthew in the eye and suggested hesitantly, ¡°Could it be¡­ Miss Murphy?¡±


    It was not just Veronica but Thomas was also ready to jump into the sea when he heard the explosion.


    Still, he was too far away and soon received a call informing him of Matthew¡¯s safety far before he


    reached the edge of the sea.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± he cursed as he threw the gun to the bodyguard beside him and sprinted toward the sea. Then,


    he jumped in without hesitation.


    As Thomas saw what had transpired, he started delegating tasks to the rest of the men, ¡°Those who are


    strong swimmers. Get in there.¡± At his order, quite a few of them also jumped into the sea.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Matthew swam from the shore to the tower crane and searched for her, shouting, ¡°Veronica? Veronica!¡±


    He was not alone, though, as the other bodyguards swam over and searched for her. Unfortunately, they


    did not find her despite searching for a long time.


    After being in the water for a long time, some were at their limit and returned to shore. The dozen or so


    people in the search had dwindled to just a few.


    Time ticked past, and soon half an hour had passed, but there were still no signs of Veronica.


    Thomas swam up to Matthew and shook his head. ¡°We still don¡¯t see her, Young Master Matthew. Could


    she¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut up! No matter what, I want to see her, alive or dead. Search!¡± Matthew growled angrily and


    continued yelling her name.


    He knew that she was a good swimmer. So, nothing could happen to her.


    As worry and anger filled him, he punched the tower crane¡¯s metal pir. Suddenly, he frowned and


    looked up at the tower crane. His eyes glinted as her possible location formed in his head.


    So, he used the tower crane¡¯sdder and climbed up. The tower crane was tall despite part of its


    structure submerged in the sea. There were still a hundred meters of it above the water.


    Matthew swiftly scaled all the way up to the operator¡¯s cab and vaguely saw a person sitting inside


    through the ss window. His heart, caught in his throat, finally settled as the tension left his body. His


    body swayed a little due to the sudden loss of worry guing his mind.


    Still in the water, Thomas watched Matthew ascend the crane and didn¡¯t return after a while. So, he


    instantly figured out that Veronica was right there. ¡°Let¡¯s go. She¡¯s found,¡± he instructed the men, and


    they all returned to shore.


    On the tower crane, Matthew pulled open the door of the operator¡¯s cab and walked in before he closed


    it.


    In the dark, Veronica sat on the chair, her head buried in her curled-up legs. She sat there unmoving and


    utterly silent.


    Yet, when he entered, he faintly heard some sniffling.


    She knew someone was there, but she assumed it was Thomas who had found her.

 Chapter 521

    Chapter 521


    Chapter 521 He Is Actually Alive


    After all, she had heard them calling out to her from beneath, but she was too tired and depressed to say


    anything as she was overwhelmed by the news of Matthew¡¯s death.


    ¡±Please leave. I need some time alone.¡± All Veronica wanted was to be alone as she was still in agony


    and didn¡¯t want anyone to be near her. The sobbing and trembling in her voice were heartbreaking for


    Matthew to hear.


    As he heard her cry, his hands couldn¡¯t help but twitch as he stood by the side, wanting to hold her in his


    arms. Then, he opened his mouth and called her, ¡±Roni.¡± His tone was gentle and yearning as he called


    her by her name.


    Veronica stiffened when she heard his voice and was stunned momentarily; she was afraid that it was


    just her imagination. Then, she turned sharply to look at the person beside her.


    The night was dark, and she couldn¡¯t clearly see the person inside the operator cab of the tower crane.


    ¡±Is it you?¡± she asked hesitantly as she wouldn¡¯t want to be stirred awake if it was only just an illusion or


    a dream.


    Matthew sensed her nervousness, so he stepped forward and hugged Veronica, who was sitting in the


    operator¡¯s seat. ¡±Silly girl, who else can it be other than me? How can you ask such a silly question?¡±


    As he hugged her, she felt that he was drenched. She leaned against him and asked again, ¡±Is it¡­ Is it


    really you?¡±


    She could have sworn that she saw the front of the tower crane explode. How could he still be alive?


    Veronica didn¡¯t dare to believe all of this and raised her hand to squeeze him. It was all too real¡ªthe


    touch and his rock-hard abs.


    Her eyshes fluttered several times in the dark before realization set in, and she burst into tears almost


    immediately after. It was more heartbreaking to listen to her cries than when she held back her emotions


    and wept alone. At that instant, she stood up and hugged Matthew by his neck, pulling him close to her.


    ¡±Sobs¡­ You scared me. Do you know how worried I was? Sobs¡­ I thought you were dead. Have you


    ever thought that I would be in pain for the rest of my life if I were the reason for your death?¡± she cried


    and pushed Matthew away, hitting him ruthlessly on his chest to vent her emotions. ¡±Why did you have to


    hide everything from me?¡±


    Veronica wailed as if her feelings tore her body and soul. It had been years since she had ever been in


    such a state; maybe it was because nobody could feel the angst and despair she had just experienced.


    The reason Matthew came to Castron was because of her. If she was the reason for his death, she


    couldn¡¯t imagine the torment and guilt she would live with for the rest of her life, as every day would be a


    living hell for her. She even had the thought of killing Xavier to avenge him and taking her own life once


    everything was over.


    Just as this extreme thought shed across her mind, he appeared like an angel from the sky, calling her


    ¡®silly girl¡¯ and ¡®Roni¡¯ as if nothing had happened. This rollercoaster of emotions he had put her through


    made her feel utterly out of her element.


    ¡±I¡¯m sorry,¡± Matthew said as he stood there, allowing her to hit him endlessly, but the punches she rained


    on him were light. Despite being upset with him, it was as though she still couldn¡¯t bear to inflict any pain


    on him.


    ¡±You can¡¯t fix anything with sorry!¡± she shouted.


    Her words made him purse his lips into a thin line. He couldn¡¯t see Veronica¡¯s expression in the dark and


    could only determine her emotions and expressions by the sound of her trembling voice. Therefore,


    when he heard her cries, his heart shattered into pieces.


    ¡±I promise that from now on¡­¡± He paused before continuing, ¡±I will discuss everything with you.¡±


    If there had been a dim light, Veronica would see his red-rimmed eyes and the distress on his face. But,


    the only thing she could only hear was him gulping as it waspletely dark inside the operator cab.


    The next minute, he pulled her into his embrace and hugged her tightly as if she would leave when he


    released his grip.


    Veronica leaned into his embrace greedily as she closed her eyes and hugged him back, still feeling


    shaken by today¡¯s events.


    They stood there for a long time without moving; both remained silent as they tried to calm the storm of


    emotions in their heart.


    To Veronica, this was the peace she had never had.


    Rumble. Suddenly, her stomach growled, destroying the peaceful atmosphere as it echoed in their ears.


    ¡±Are you hungry? Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you somewhere to eat.¡± Matthew had a faint smile on his face. But,


    she didn¡¯t let go of him and asked, ¡±Can I ask how you escaped the explosion?¡±


    ¡±If I couldn¡¯t solve such a matter, how would I be able to live until now?¡± His words meant that he had


    made countless enemies from the years he was doing business; it was a regr thing for them to plot


    against him. So if he couldn¡¯t resolve this matter, how would he be able to stand at the top of his game?


    ¡±You¡­¡± Although she wanted to ask further questions, she had already known a fair amount of it when


    she was at Crayson¡¯s ce, and there was no need to dig deeper for now. So, she decided she could


    ask the rest of the questions when they returned home. ¡±Forget it. I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    ¡±Okay.¡±


    When the two came down from the tower crane, Thomas had already ordered his men to wait for them


    with a submarine underneath. After they were sessfully taken back to the shore, he drove them back


    to another vi. The moment Destiny saw that Veronica was safe and sound, she also dismissed her


    subordinates and returned home.


    This was Matthew¡¯s vi. Although it was empty for a long time, servants still cleaned this ce. He held


    Veronica¡¯s hand and guided her to the bedroom on the second floor before closing the door. Finally, he


    took a good look at her and noticed she was still drenched. Thus, Matthew ruffled her hair as his heart


    ached at the sight. ¡±Hurry up, take a bath, or you might catch a cold.¡±


    ¡±Oka¡ªAchoo!¡± After she sneezed, she shivered and quickly rushed into the bathroom to take a hot


    shower.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    It only took minutes before she was done showering as if she couldn¡¯t wait to sit beside Matthew to talk


    to him and look at him. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. Nheless, once she was


    finished with her shower, she realized that she didn¡¯t have any clothes to change into! There were only


    two towels hanging by the side.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but pout as she wrapped herself in a towel and walked out of the bathroom with


    flip-flops. Finally, she called Matthew, who was standing by the balcony. ¡±I didn¡¯t bring any¡­ How did you


    bathe so quickly?¡±


    Once she stepped out of the bathroom, he entered the room and closed the balcony door behind him as


    he went. As he walked closer to her, Veronica realized he was in an all-ck casual outfit. His wet hair


    had be dry and fluffy after being blow-dried; he was back to his handsome self.


    ¡±I used the bathroom next door.¡± Matthew smiled. Then, as he focused on the bruises on her face, he


    gently ced his hand by her cheek and rubbed it softly with his thumb. ¡±Does it hurt?¡± he asked.


    ¡±It¡¯s fine.¡± Veronica shook her head. In reality, she wanted to say that it hurt. But she knew that no matter


    how painful it was, it was nothingpared to the suffering when she learned that he had ¡®died¡¯. The


    agony was so unbearable that it seeped through her bone and whole body. It was more gut-wrenching


    than death itself.


    ¡±Here, I¡¯ll dry your hair.¡±


    He held her hand tenderly and led her to the dressing table. Finally, he took a blow dryer from the


    drawers and began to blow dry her hair. As she sat by the dressing table, she was quiet as she stared


    intently at the reflection of Matthew in the mirror without averting her gaze for even a single second.

 Chapter 522

    Chapter 522


    Chapter 522 Little Temptress


    Even though the blow dryer¡¯s noise was rather loud, Veronica¡¯s mood was utterly unaffected. If anything,


    she thought the current situation was delightful.


    Inparison to 30 minutes ago, when she felt a gut-wrenching heartache, this moment was so sweet


    that she thought that she might be dreaming.


    Every stroke he made through her hair was filled with tenderness as he gently held her hair with one


    hand and gripped the blow dryer with the other. Only then did Matthew realize that her hair was ck,


    straight, and there was so much of it.


    After he was finally done with her hair, he started on her bangs. When he was finished, hebed her


    hair gently after switching off the blow dryer and setting it aside.


    Then, he leaned toward her ear and said, ¡°My dear, you¡¯re gorgeous.¡± He ced one hand on her


    shoulder and the other on her head to softly caress it.


    Veronica pursed her lips and smiled; her lovely cheeks were slightly flushed as she said, ¡°I would turn


    conceited if you keep praising me like this.¡± ¡°You should be.¡±


    As he spoke, he ced one palm on her cheek to turn her face and kissed her. The kiss was rather


    sudden. However, no one knew that Matthew had restrained himself from doing so for a terribly long


    time.


    Veronica gradually immersed herself under his tender and affectionate kiss as her breathing became


    erratic.


    The man wrapped his arms around her waist, led her to her feet, and turned her around. Then, he swiftly


    yet carefully pushed her down onto the bed and pulled the quilt over her.


    Veronica was only in a bathrobe, so as she fell, the robe came undone, which showed her slender


    figure. ¡°Are you that impatient?¡± Matthew teased as he slightly raised his brow and flicked the tip of her


    nose. ¡°Go away. I¡¯m not. It¡¯s clear that you didn¡¯t prepare clothes for me.¡±


    Her cheeks were ming at this point. ¡°It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t done this before. Why are you still so


    shy?¡± Her adorable expression tickled his heart. ¡°I¡¯m not as shameless as you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only shameless to you.¡±


    Matthew gave her another kiss as those words fell from his lips. This particr night, the two spent a


    wholly passionate yet wild night together. Nevertheless, Matthew stopped being proactive and started to


    be rtively passive after an hour.


    Thus, Veronica took the opportunity to strike, allowing him to witness the other side of her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know


    you are such a tormenting little tempter.¡± ¡°Do you not like it?¡±


    ¡°I love it. I can¡¯t ask for more.¡± He smiled contentedly. Veronica, who had been doing it for some time,


    copsed and said, ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡­ I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡± ¡°You just yed with fire, and now you want


    to back out?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t up to you,¡± Matthew teased as he spanked her lightly.


    ¡­


    The two drove each other mad till 3.00AM before they decided to call it a night. Veronica eventually woke


    up around noon, utterly grumpy and ravenous.


    She stretched out after opening her eyes, only to discover that Matthew was lying beside her. But, he


    wasn¡¯t asleep as he was working on hisptop situated on hisp.


    She flipped to the side and looked at the charming man before her.


    He closed theputer and said to her before she could respond, ¡°The chef has prepared lunch, so


    we¡¯re just waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get up.¡±


    Veronica, who was in bed, reached out with her arms to hug his waist and rubbed her cheek against her


    waist like azy kitten.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have someone bring it up.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to cause a fuss. I¡¯ll get up.¡±


    When she was about to get up, he remained unmoving, so she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Go outside. I¡¯m


    going to get dressed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it all. There¡¯s no need to be shy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not used to it yet.¡±


    She pulled the quilt tightly over herself, exposing her little head and raven-ck hair strewn across the


    pillow. Her cheeks were visible, and they were as fair as a porcin doll. Coupled with her pouty red lips


    and pearly whites, she made an unbearably enchanting figure.


    Each and every action of hers tugged at Matthew¡¯s heartstrings.


    He almost couldn¡¯t restrain himself from wanting more, but when he thought she was hungry since she


    was in the cockpit of the tower crane in the early morning, it would be taking things a little too far.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Then, the man proceeded to lift the quilt as he wore his flip-flops and left the room.


    When did he wear his clothes? Veronica thought curiously as she peered at his back.


    Grumble¨C


    Her stomach made sounds of protests yet again.


    Veronica¡¯s stomach was in pain from hunger, so she immediately scrambled off the bed and put on the


    clothes that Matthew hadid out. Then, she headed downstairs after using the restroom for a quick


    wash.


    Just when she was walking down, a delicious smell assailed her senses.


    She instantly quickened her pace and just about ran to the dining room. ¡°What delectable meal did they


    prepare?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all your favorites.¡±


    When he saw her approaching from where he was standing in the dining area, Matthew moved forward


    to meet her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the forehead.


    ¡°Go away. I¡¯m starving,¡± Veronica said, exasperated as she pushed him to the side.


    He initially wanted to pull the chair for Veronica, but that brat shoved him away and marched right to the


    dining room. As soon as she sat down, she didn¡¯t even bother waiting for him as she began devouring


    her food with relish.


    She appeared as if she had gone more than three days without eating.


    Of course, Matthew didn¡¯t mind her rudeness. On the contrary, he was actually rather heartbroken.


    What happened the day before was beyond his expectations, and he didn¡¯t anticipate Veronica to take


    on so much for him.


    She dove into the sea by herself and swam a couple of hundred meters but showed no signs of fear.


    In the face of Xavier, she was brave, fearless, and ruthless.


    Despite Matthew hearing about all of these from Thomas during his report, he could still feel the tension


    and anxiety that she must have gone through.


    Matthew secretly sighed, thinking just how lucky he was to be able to meet such an individual in this life.


    ¡°Slow down. No one is snatching your food,¡± he admonished her lightly as he approached her. Then,


    once he was seated, he started piling up more food on her te.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving to death. I didn¡¯t eat much yesterday and spent the entire night working.¡±


    Veronica refuted as she chewed her food.


    ¡°I understand, but slow down, or you¡¯ll choke.¡±


    Matthew ced his cutlery down and reached out to peel a shrimp for her.


    Veronica¡¯s hunger was gradually satiated as she continued to eat. Then, when she slowed down her


    pace, she urged, ¡°You should eat too.¡±


    She served him a piece of meat and regarded Matthew. ¡°You got skinnier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the same. It¡¯s you who should eat more.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to carry me if I overate.¡±


    ¡°It only indicates that the man is useless if he can¡¯t carry his own woman.¡±


    Veronica grinned widely. ¡°You never spoke like this before.¡±


    She suddenly stopped smiling and stated solemnly, ¡°Matthew, listen carefully. If you hide anything from


    me again, I will never forgive you. You promised me that you would discuss everything with me in the


    future. I want us to be honest with each other, to go through all those trials and tribtions together. You


    shouldn¡¯t make all the decisions for me without even consulting me, especially when these decisions


    involve me.¡±


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    While he ate his food slowly, the man nodded and said, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    It was a rather perfunctory answer.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Initially, Veronica was somewhat incensed when she saw that he wasn¡¯t taking her seriously. Regardless,


    after she reflected on what had happened recently, she realized that he had done so much for her and


    that she couldn¡¯t bear to force the matter now.


    ¡°So, are you still reluctant to tell me the truth?¡±


    Veronica wiped her lips after finishing thest bit of food on her te, kept it away, and looked at him


    expectantly.

 Chapter 523

    Chapter 523


    Chapter 523 She Picked the Best Man Ever


    Matthew¡¯s hands halted in their movements, and then he ced his cutlery away. Subsequently, he


    interlocked his fingers and looked at her seriously. ¡°What do you want to know? When Crayson


    contacted me this morning, you already heard what he said.¡±


    ¡±I didn¡¯t expect you to be in frequentmunication with him.¡± ¡°Both of you keep hiding things from me.


    So tell me, what was the reason you yed their game and allowed them to kidnap you?¡± Veronica


    asked with pursed lips.


    She always felt that the whole incident behind his abduction was riddled with oddities. Especially when it


    came to Troy. Thomas and Troy were both Matthew¡¯s right-hand men. Matthew would undoubtedly not


    retain them by his side if they weren¡¯t capable.


    Matthew couldn¡¯t help butugh at her words. ¡°You¡¯re so smart. How should I deal with you?¡±


    ¡±Since you know that I¡¯m smart, you should watch out. If you dare to plot against me in the future, you


    will be in trouble,¡± Veronica warned as she narrowed her eyes and graced him with a mischievous grin.


    ¡±Are you going to ¡®punish¡¯ me?¡±


    He smirked. She was caught off guard when he made a dirty joke during the serious conversation. As


    Veronica nced at Matthew in disbelief, she gaped at him before finally rebuking him, ¡°You are


    shameless.¡±


    Her response made him chuckle. ¡±I¡¯m just teasing you.¡±


    After he paused briefly and gave the whole situation some thought, he replied, ¡°Since you have guessed


    it all, I¡¯ll tell you what I was nning. I sneaked in to discover more clues for my investigation.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°There has always been someone discreetly investigating you, and he even ced several spies all


    around the ce,¡± said Matthew as he shook his head. ¡°This person is someone who has deep ties with


    the hidden n, and his identity is highly obscure.¡±


    ¡°Crayson dispatched people from Castron to check the identity of the person behind the scenes, and the


    result pointed to ke Denson. Although ke is the leader of the ck Ace Mob, he is disabled and


    does not leave the castle during typical days.¡±


    ¡°In order to learn if ke is truly disabled and to get a better understanding of him, I ventured into the


    castle.¡±


    As he said that, he looked at Veronica and sighed regretfully. ¡°Unfortunately, the person who has close


    ties with the hidden n is not ke.¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t him, who is it?¡±


    Veronica felt perplexed. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with a suspect, and she asked, ¡°Why not investigate


    Hendrey Johnson? He raises the most red gs.¡±


    Crayson began his investigation with him andter discovered Fleck along with his quest.


    ¡°It¡¯s so problematic. Why don¡¯t you just kidnap Hendrey and torture him to make him spill the truth?¡±


    ¡°You underestimate him. Why would I risk going to the castle if I can capture him easily?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Hendrey is a sly and cunning person who has plenty of tricks up his sleeves. Even Crayson¡¯s men had


    always failed to try to catch him.¡±


    ¡°He has indeed gone deep under all our radars.¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    It seemed that her understanding of Hendrey was really superficial.


    ¡°But I did get something out of this whole farce. I still discovered clues in ke¡¯s study room and


    identified the person behind all of these. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    Matthew came to a stop and bitterly shook his head.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    His reaction made her anxious.


    ¡°The other party is basically nobody. I only got his name; there was nothing more I could find online


    about him. Even the lone photograph is a hazy old ck-and-white image.¡±


    This indicated that the clues were wed, and they couldn¡¯t continue their investigation.


    Veronica went silent at the ill tidings.


    She became even more worried due to Matthew¡¯s solemn demeanour.


    ¡°Given that someone like you can¡¯t even find clues about this person, just how terrifying is he?


    Furthermore, I don¡¯t believe Hendrey is necessarily aware of the enigmatic figure backing him.¡±


    Veronica felt fear surging in her heart, and her face showed her uneasiness.


    The look on her face attracted Matthew¡¯s attention. So, he stood up and moved next to her, cing his


    large palm over the back of her head and allowing her to rest against his chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡±


    As he stroked his slender fingers through her hair, he stated sincerely, ¡°I would never let harme


    upon you as long as I live.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Veronica was immediately enveloped by a tremendous sense of security, which made her feel extremely


    at ease.


    ¡°We put in a lot of effort, and even Troy suffered severe harm as a result, but we only acquired the name


    of the individual responsible behind this. I just can¡¯t imagine how powerful the person is.¡± She sighed as


    she pressed her cheek against him.


    ¡°Matt¡­ you don¡¯t have to do so much for me. After all, we¡¯re not married yet.¡±


    Even though they weren¡¯t married, Matthew had already done so much for her that she felt awfully guilty.


    What shocked her the most was that the person behind this was so powerful that even Crayson and


    Matthew couldn¡¯t find any helpful information about that person. She had no idea just how mind-blowing


    it would be when the person finally deemed to reveal himself.


    Veronica had already devised the worst strategy in response to the opponent¡¯s unpredictable power.


    Perhaps death was her ending.


    She was a descendant of the hidden n, ording to Crayson, but to protect her, Tiffany ¡®appeared¡¯.


    Now that they knew Tiffany¡¯s identity yet decided to keep her, they were quite likely to allow her to


    rece Veronica,


    The future was unpredictable, but it would undoubtedly be filled with various challenges before they


    could live in peace.


    She had no idea whether her future would end in a hopeful tone or one filled with despair.


    Veronica didn¡¯t want Matthew to take the risk and follow her.


    How could she drag him into this situation with a clear conscience when none of this had anything to do


    with him?


    ¡±Then, let¡¯s return home in the afternoon and register for marriage there right away.¡± Matthew was aware


    that Veronica was acting in his own best interest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Veronica shook her head slowly, somewhat resisting the idea. ¡°You¡¯ve done more than


    enough for me, and I just want you to be safe for the rest of your life. But, if¡­ if something were to


    happen to me, can you please look after my adoptive parents in my stead?¡±


    ¡°They are just ordinary people. Yet, despite how difficult it was for them, they raised me and cared for


    me.¡±


    She was adopted because her adoptive mother was unable to bear children.


    Her adoptive mother had given her the utmost attention and love as if Veronica were of her own blood.


    She had always been brilliant. Besides, she had finally be aware of her true identity. Although she


    didn¡¯t want to admit it, she was well aware that shecked the influence and capability to protest or


    resist.


    It would be no exaggeration to say that she was practically useless.


    Because she had no options.


    ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    Matthew lightly flicked her forehead. ¡°You have slept with me, and now you belong to me. I¡¯ll break your


    legs if you dare to flee.¡±


    He spoke the most outrageous words in the gentlest tone.


    It reached Veronica¡¯s ears, but she felt mncholy instead.


    What kind of luck did she have to nab such a great man?


    Hmm, I did pick him up, didn¡¯t I?


    Back in those days when she was delivering food, she found this man in a car ident.


    Was this what they said as ¡®good karma?


    ¡°Hehehe, I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    Veronica forced a smile. ¡°But I¡¯m really not in a hurry to get the certificate now. Let¡¯s take care of


    everything before we actually discuss the matter. When everything is settled, we will get the marriage


    certificate, and then you¡¯d give me the best wedding of the century, okay?¡±


    She tried to prevent the matter of their marriage as much as possible.


    The more she knew about how perilous their current situation was, the less she wanted to drag him into


    it.

 Chapter 524

    Chapter 524


    Chapter 524 Your Glibness


    ¡°The awful idea of breaking up earlier was because I wasn¡¯t sensible,¡± said Matthew as he softly patted


    the back of Veronica¡¯s hand around his waist. ¡°We¡¯ll be married once we return since you already know


    the truth.¡± How would he not know what she was thinking?


    ¡°Why the rush? Don¡¯t you have your own business to take care of?¡±


    ¡°I know that Zac and Conrad have been making things difficult for you,¡± Veronica said grimly. ¡°You should


    concentrate on your work for now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed incredibly burdensome. But¡­¡± Matthew stopped abruptly and looked down at Veronica. ¡°The


    most challenging issue is Conrad.¡±


    ¡°Zac is the prince of the royal family of Castron. His status is noble and powerful. So I can see why you


    may think he¡¯s challenging. But Conrad?¡±


    Veronica was quite confused. ¡°Yvonne is the one you need to question about this,¡± Matthew


    said. Veronica, who was incredibly intelligent, realized what Matthew meant immediately. She released


    his hand and gasped in shock. ¡°You mean they got back together?¡±


    ¡°If they reignited their love, it wouldn¡¯t be that frightening.¡± ¡°But things are much more insidious than you


    think¡­ ¡± he muttered hopelessly as he moved the chair aside and sat down.


    Matthew didn¡¯tplete his sentence as he couldn¡¯t seem to find a suitable way to put it. It was more


    like¡­ it was so disgusting he didn¡¯t know how to put it into words. ¡°Oh, just tell me. Stop beating around


    the bush.¡±


    Veronica was deeply concerned about Yvonne¡¯s issues since she thought of her as a close friend. She


    was well aware that Matthew was a person who usually went straight to the point. So, whenever he


    hesitated, it usually meant that things had gone to hell in a basket.


    What unimaginable thing could happen between Conrad and Yvonne?


    She racked her brains but couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡°It all began when Zac knew that Yvonne was pregnant,


    kidnapped her, and when you went to rescue her.¡± ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°After you freed Yvonne from Zac, Yvonne contacted him and ndered Conrad. She said that she


    became pregnant because he raped her. Therefore, Conrad had deliberately approached Yvonne,


    intending to get his revenge and find his child.¡±


    Matthew told her every single detail of the incident. He saw Veronica¡¯s pallid look when he had finished


    speaking, and he continued to exin, ¡°When you and Yvonne went to Spinfluence Group the other day


    to look for me, I informed Yvonne about it. It¡¯s unfortunate that she¡¯s so utterly blinded by love that she


    didn¡¯t trust me.¡±


    Everything was the result of Yvonne¡¯sck of intelligence. He always had proof behind his words, but


    Yvonne chose to trust Conrad.


    Bang! Veronica¡¯s face turned red with anger, and she mmed the table. ¡°Conrad, that sc*m, actually did


    such a thing to Yvonne! And Yvonne, is she an idiot?¡±


    She could feel her mind spinning with fury as her chest heaved while she tried her best to restrain herself


    from losing her temper. But doing so was arduous, so her not-so-irond control over her emotions


    slipped through.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d better call her. What if Conrad finds someone to do such a thing to Yvonne again?!¡± Once bitten


    twice shy, and yet Yvonne was enough of a fool that she didn¡¯t even sense the danger. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s


    a wise choice to tell Yvonne now?¡±


    Matthew was well aware that Veronica was worried about Yvonne, so he didn¡¯t immediately reject the


    suggestion. Instead, he reminded, ¡°Yvonne is not as smart as you, nor as rational as you.¡±


    The implication behind his word was that after telling Yvonne, she would definitely impulsively confront


    Conrad, and her ending would be far from happy.


    ¡°So, what should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Book a return trip for tonight, and we¡¯ll talk about other things when we return to our country.¡±


    Veronica had no other choice but to follow Matthew¡¯s arrangement. She nodded but still couldn¡¯t hold in


    her rage. ¡°How can there be someone as malicious as Conrad in the world? He deserves to be put to


    death!¡±


    Ring¨C


    Matthew¡¯s mobile phone rang at this very time.


    After he swept his gaze over the number, he took the call and said, ¡°Well, I see.¡±


    He replied with only a straightforward sentence before hanging up the phone.


    ¡°It was Thomas. He said that Xavier and Antheena were injured by me when they tried to escape


    yesterday,¡± Matthew remarked to Veronica as he raised his eyes.


    ¡°Your tone suggested that they are not in danger of dying.¡±


    Veronica scowled, feeling awful about what had urred the day before.


    Suddenly, she had a notion. ¡°You¡­¡±


    She swallowed the words about toe out of her mouth when her eyes met Matthew¡¯s inky ck ones.


    You harmed Antheena and are bound to enrage the ck Ace Mob. After all, Antheena was Fleck¡¯s


    precious daughter, was what she intended to say.


    There was really no way they would be getting out of having bad blood with the ck Ace Mob now.


    Veronica was hesitant to voice her thoughts because she didn¡¯t want to reveal her ¡®concerns¡¯.


    She knew that when she showed just how apprehensive she was about Matthew getting dragged into


    her business, he would be acutely aware of her intention to break up with him.


    So, the wisest course of action was to pretend to know nothing.


    ¡°Do you find it unfortunate?¡±


    Veronica deftly shifted the subject to prevent Matthew from picking up on her momentary pause.


    Unfortunately, as his eyes met hers, she reflexively looked away. Therefore, he knew precisely what she


    was thinking, even though she didn¡¯t say a peep about it.


    Simrly, he took notice of it but decided to feign ignorance.


    He nodded. ¡°There will be endless problems if Xavier isn¡¯t eliminated.¡±


    Regarding Xavier¡¯s matter, Veronica initially felt that Matthew was taking things too far, until yesterday


    when Xavier went insane and wanted to bring Matthew down with him. She thought that Xavier¡¯s actions


    were way out of line. It was so out of line that the line was probably a speck of nothing to him.


    Thus, she had nothing worthwhile to say about Xavier¡¯s fate.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see Destinyter today. I want to pay her a visit because we¡¯re flying home shortly.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Matthew responded affirmatively.


    Veronica visited Destiny in thete afternoon, but she insisted on going alone rather than having


    Matthew apany her.


    After Veronica passed the gift and thanked Destiny, she left.


    Once she had arrived home, she saw Matthew standing on the stairs outside the hall, smoking a


    cigarette thoughtfully while watching the twilight. He had ¡®pensiveness¡¯ written across his handsome


    face.


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    Matthew put out his cigarette, dropped it in the trash, and walked down the steps to meet Veronica as


    soon as she left the car.


    His sculpted and beautiful face instantly broke into a smile when heid his eyes on her. ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    he asked as he took her by the hand and embraced her in his arms.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck as she tilted her head and gave him a sweet smile, replying, ¡±I


    just visited someone, not get involved in a fight. How could I ever be tired?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not tired, but I am.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re tired? What have you been up to today?¡± Veronica was confused.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    It must have been something extremely demanding for Matthew to im to be exhausted.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of thinking about you.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Pfft¡­ Hahaha!¡±


    After a brief moment of shock, she grinned and patted his chest. ¡°Such a cheesy pick-up line. Since


    when were you so glib?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    When Matthew saw Veronicaughing uncontrobly, he furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t say


    any pick-up lines anymore.¡±


    ¡°No, I like it a lot. You can say more. I promise not to think of you as a ¡®greasy¡¯ person.¡±


    ¡°Greasy?¡±


    He genuinely didn¡¯t understand most of the terminology used on the inte.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ Oh, would you look at that! I¡¯m thirsty. Let¡¯s drink some water, shall we? Veronica waved his


    questions off as she sensed that Matthew wouldn¡¯t understand it even if she exined her quip.

 Chapter 525

    Chapter 525


    Chapter 525 Take You to the Movies


    Veronica, Matthew, and Thomas all took a flight back to Bloomstead. Troy suffered severe injuries and


    had to stay at Castron to rest and recover.


    Veronica¡¯s phone was waterlogged. Therefore, the instant theynded, Matthew gave her a brand new


    one. The two then returned together to the Twilight Condominium. Matthew had a lot of properties under


    his name, but Veronica¡¯s favorite will always be the Twilight Condominium.


    This was because this ce held so many happy memories together in the past. Veronica took off her


    shoes as soon as they reached home and slipped into herfy slippers. She then dragged herself to


    the couch and slumped into the couch wearily. ¡°I¡¯m so exhausted after such a long night¡¯s flight.¡± ¡°Why


    are you on the couch?¡±


    Matthew came over and lifted Veronica up, carrying her bridal style. She looked like azy little kitten in


    his arms. ¡°Go sleep in the bed. I¡¯ll cook you some porridge.¡±


    Of course, all this man knows is cooking porridge. Nevertheless, Veronica still felt like a princess as she


    wallowed in his arms, enraptured in love. She chuckled sweetly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat porridge; I just want


    you to apany me in bed, please?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that you only want to sleep with me and do nothing else?¡±


    The man gazed down at thenguid little girl cradled in his arms with his hooded eyes.


    Her long silky hair was draped on her shoulders. Even without any makeup, her exquisite face was


    embellished by luscious red lips and pearl white teeth; it altogether showed off her natural beauty.


    Moreover, it gave her a dreamy yet mysterious demeanor, which made her look enchanting as it also


    strummed the strings of his heart.


    She was irresistible to him. He wanted to ¡®y¡¯ with her so badly. ¡°Hmm¡­ that depends on you.¡±


    Veronica extended her slender snow-white fingers and traced them down Matthew¡¯s against his nape.


    Her fingertips slowly caressed his Adam¡¯s apple and made their way down to his cor. Finally, she


    tugged at his tie, and she looked precisely like a seductress right at that moment.


    As they entered the bedroom, he kicked the door shut before gently plopping her onto the bed. He then


    smirked at her, asking, ¡°Do you know the repercussions for provoking me?¡±


    Veronica grinned before biting her lip. She tried to hold back her giggles as she shook her head,


    answering him, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How about I show you instead?¡±


    His threatening tone made Veronica regret acting so presumptuously. Thus, she dove for the duvets and


    wrapped herself in them. ¡°Matthew, I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t you dare go too far!¡± she warned.


    Before she could even finish, the man suddenly lifted the duvet and threw it aside; the woman squeaked


    as she felt the covers slip away from her. To make things worse, he even had the gall to say, ¡°You¡¯re too


    dirty. Let¡¯s take a bath.¡±


    ¡°No way. I don¡¯t want to take a shower with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such azy person; if I don¡¯t bathe you myself, I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t clean yourself properly.¡±


    ¡°If I bathe with you, you¡¯re just going to make me filthier.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Veronica once again wrapped herself inside the nket, and her implications were not lost on him.


    ¡°Oh really? Then don¡¯t me me for ¡®staining¡¯ you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±


    Veronica kept trying to push his buttons but was met with ¡®punishment¡¯.


    After being separated from each other for so long, their hearts grew fonder for each other. So, it was


    more of a ¡®let¡¯s get wild¡¯ than a punishment.


    The two expressed their deepest love for each other by physically expressing it in bed. They both drifted


    into endless pools of ecstasy.


    Veronica thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the time they spent together.


    She didn¡¯t know how often she would have to enjoy happy times like this with Matthew, so she was


    exceptionally aggressive that night.


    All the heavy training given by Master Crayson, especially the horse stance training she¡¯s been doing,


    had finally been put to good use.


    Matthew sensed her fervency naturally, so he squeezed her hand and teased, ¡°It looks like little Roni is


    getting hungry for me.¡±


    Veronica became bashful by hisment and denied, ¡°You shameless bastard, no I¡¯m not¡­ ugh¡­¡±


    She let out an uncontroble soft moan as her body sold her out.


    The man grinned in satisfaction. Then, he released her hand and ced it on her waist. With one swift


    turn, they switched positions.


    ¡­


    It was a long yet passionate night. Unfortunately, time flies when you¡¯re having fun.


    It was already noon when Veronica finally fell asleep due to exhaustion. By the time she woke up,


    Matthew was nowhere to be found.


    Hence, she reluctantly pushed herself off her bed as she got ready for the rest of the day. After she


    changed into her clothes, she left the bedroom.


    Her slippers barely made a sound as she dragged herself around the house.


    There was no sign of him in the living room, and he wasn¡¯t in the dining room either.


    Finally, she approached the study room. He didn¡¯t shut the room¡¯s door, so she could hear his voice from


    outside without her even entering.


    ¡°Has he looked into our birthday horoscope? Which day did he say was suitable?¡±


    ¡°On the sixth day of the month after the next? No way, that¡¯s too long.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll do it on the sixteenth of next month. Immediately pick out a team and prepare for the


    wedding. I want to give her the best wedding.¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon hearing his arrangements.


    She immediately decided to stop eavesdropping as she quietly tiptoed away from the study room.


    When she returned to the bedroom, shey back down on the bed. Again, she was overwhelmed by


    stress from what she¡¯d heard.


    She could swear on her life that she loved Matthew, and from what she could see, he loved her dearly as


    well.


    But she loved him far too much to let him get dragged into her problems.


    After she went through such a perilous situation at Castron, she had a much better understanding of her


    own identity.


    All she could say was that they shouldn¡¯t act like big fish in a small pond.


    Matthew had the power to protect her here within Bloomstead. Nevertheless, Matthew¡¯s power was no


    match for that outside of Bloomstead.


    If this were to go on, she feared that one day her problems might get him hurt or worse.


    Conrad had terrible intentions, and he treated Elizabeth poorly. If Matthew weren¡¯t there, the Kings¡¯


    Family would be in jeopardy, and they couldn¡¯t guarantee Elizabeth¡¯s continued wellbeing.


    Veronica lost count of how many times Matthew had risked his life just to save her. She will forever be in


    debt for how much he had sacrificed for her.


    This was a debt that she would never be able to repay fully.


    She was grateful and touched, but she couldn¡¯t let him sacrifice himself for her anymore.


    Eventually, she flipped sideways as shey on the bed, immersed in her thoughts and trying to figure out


    a solution.


    Her thoughts were interrupted when Matthew pushed the bedroom door open and entered the room.


    ¡°Silly girl, it¡¯s time to wake up.¡±


    As soon as she heard the door, she quickly shut her eyes and feigned sleep.


    The man walked over to her and caressed her delicate cheeks. ¡°Are you not awake yet?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Veronica pretended to drowsily open her eyes and stretched her arms. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. Now I¡¯m so


    exhausted that I can¡¯t even move a limb,¡± sheined. ¡°I just woke up and washed up. Yet, after a


    change of clothes, I was lured back to bed because I was so tired.¡±


    ¡°Lazy girl.¡±


    Matthew flicked the tip of her nose and said, ¡°I¡¯ll carry you to the living room and put on a new movie for


    you, so you can enjoy it while you eat.¡±


    ¡°A movie? Well, well, is it a romantic ¡®action¡¯ movie?¡±


    Veronica smiled at him cheekily as she raised her eyebrows suggestively.


    He poked her forehead gently and replied, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Do you think I have the same guilty


    pleasure as you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    She wanted to argue, but she suddenly remembered herself identally stumbling upon a website link


    and clicking on it while in the study room. She was watching some videos on that website before she got


    caught red-handed by Matthew.


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°You were even drooling. You call that curious?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, that didn¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Veronica shook her head vigorously and firmly confirmed, ¡°No, I did not.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a few hours, and you¡¯ve already forgotten everything now, do you? It looks like I need to


    remind you about it again.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s words made Veronica utterly bashful.


    Her fair skin turned red like an overripe peach. ¡°I was just¡­just¡­umm¡­¡± she stammered as her mind


    whirled for an excuse.


    ¡°Just what?¡±


    He asked rhetorically, and she found herself lost for words. Finally, he replied in her stead, ¡°Just couldn¡¯t


    help yourself?¡±


    He described what she meant perfectly.

 Chapter 526

    Chapter 526


    Chapter 526 Confrontation


    That afternoon, Veronica wanted to meet up with Yvonne. Right when she was going to dial Yvonne¡¯s


    number, she changed her mind and decided to catch her by surprise instead.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride there,¡± Matthew said to Veronica as they walked out of the house. ¡°We can¡¯t be seen


    together. So I think we should just drive separate cars.¡±


    He would be leaving thepany for a few days, so he needed to return to thepany to handle some


    work. ¡°Okay. Get in the car, and I¡¯ll give you a ride to get your vehicle.¡±


    He thoughtfully opened the passenger seat¡¯s door for her. Then, he closed the door and walked to the


    driver¡¯s seat when she entered the car.


    They drove towards the neighborhood of Veronica¡¯s rented apartment and stopped there. Then, she


    unbuckled her seatbelt, saying, ¡°I might stay over at Yvonne¡¯s ce for dinner, so I won¡¯t be eating with


    you tonight.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Matthew nodded lightly. His face darkened when he saw that she¡¯d unbuckled her seatbelt and


    was about to leave the car. He proceeded to grab her elbow and tug her towards him.


    She was caught off guard, so she fell backward without resisting, and the man caught her in his arms.


    Finally, he leaned over and softly pecked her lips, nibbling them a little before releasing them. It was as if


    he was iming his territory by saying, ¡°If you dare leave me like this next time, I will ¡®punish¡¯ you on the


    spot.¡±


    He made sure to emphasize the word ¡®punish¡¯. It didn¡¯t take rocket science to understand what he meant


    by that. His antics amused Veronica. ¡°It¡¯s very not like you to be this clingy.¡±


    On the surface, she ridiculed him, but deep down, she was lovestruck,pletely infatuated by


    him. Maybe this was what it feels to be in love; it felt¡­ great.


    Matthew gently flicked her forehead and said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s my fault for falling in love with such a heartless


    girl like you.¡± For her to take the initiative was like hoping that pigs could fly.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Veronica beamed at him as she raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck,


    pulling him into another kiss.


    That one small kiss she gave didn¡¯tst long, but it was enough to spark the me of desire for her in


    Matthew. His big palms drew her head back toward him when she pulled her lips away. He swiftly took


    the lead and pressed his lips against hers, sucking onto them and softly gnawing her lips.


    They both slowly closed their eyes,pletely indulging in their passionate kiss.


    Beep. Beep.


    Suddenly, they heard a car horning from behind them.


    They both opened their eyes and broke off from the kiss. The two gazed at each other and smiled.


    ¡°Darn it. You messed up my makeup.¡± Veronica lightly hit Matthew¡¯s chest. She rose to her feet and said,


    ¡°I have to go. See youter.¡±


    Before she left, she took out a tissue and passed it to him as she said, ¡°Here.¡±


    She even pointed at his lips with her pinky finger where the lipstick stain was.


    He waited until Veronica left and closed the door behind her before looking into the mirror. She left a faint


    lipstick stain on his lips.


    Matthew shook his head and smirked, using the tissue she gave to wipe it off.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    He watched her retreating figure enter her car before he went ahead and drove off.


    Nevertheless, he still stopped at the neighborhood¡¯s entrance and waited for Veronica to drive out.


    Not long after, her car appeared. When she saw his car parked on the side of the road, she suddenly felt


    moved by how sweet and gentle he was toward her.


    She drove by his car and lowered the car window of the passenger seat. She tilted her head at him and


    waved, saying, ¡°I¡¯m off, see you tonight.¡±


    ¡°Drive safely,¡± Matthew reminded her.


    She gazed at the man wearing a bespoke ck dress shirt and a tie around his neck. His raven hair was


    complemented by his chiseled jaw, long nose, and angr lips; he looked like a piece of beautifully


    sculpted artwork. Although half of his face was concealed by his sunsses, all of this was already


    enough to bring out his alluring charm.


    The pair of ck sunsses he wore added a sense of aloofness. His every movement was elegant and


    exuded a strong aura wherever he went.


    F*ck how can a man be this charming?


    He had deeply enthralled her.


    The car behind her honked, pulling Veronica away from her reverie. She waved and said sweetly, ¡°Bye-


    bye!¡±


    Finally, she started the car engine and drove off, disappearing into the traffic.


    Matthew sat in his car as he watched her leave. Gradually, the doting smile on his face faded and was


    reced by a sullen look; he seemed like he had a lot on his mind.


    With a cigarette in hand, he leaned back on the car seat as he smoked.


    His lips slightly parted, letting out puffs of smoke every now and then as they swept away some of his


    troubles.


    All of this was just the beginning, and he couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine the challenges toe in the


    future or how her fate would turn out.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, at Yvonne¡¯s house, Veronica had parked her car outside the vi at the side of the road. With


    that done, she got out of her car and strolled towards Yvonne¡¯s house.


    She knew the passcode to Yvonne¡¯s estate, so she walked in after entering the passcode. The maid then


    greeted her.


    The maid quickly greeted her upon seeing her. ¡°Why, hello, Miss Murphy! I¡¯ll inform Miss Spencer you¡¯ve


    arrived.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to. I want to surprise her.¡± Veronica waved her arm as she said.


    She had asked Ivana to ensure Yvonne was at home beforeing to her ce.


    The maid nced behind the living room and smiled, ¡°Miss Spencer¡¯s boyfriend is also here. Now that


    you¡¯re here too, the more, the merrier.¡±


    Boyfriend?


    As she had expected, Conrad was here too.


    ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m here to join the fun. Mrs. Sarah, you can return to what you were doing.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± The maid went right back to her chores.


    Veronica took one nce at the living room and walked toward it.


    Luckily, she had sneakers on today, so she could pad without making a sound.


    She walked from the yard towards the living room. As soon as she stepped through the living room door,


    she witnessed an interesting sight. Yvonne was sitting on Conrad¡¯sp with her arms around his neck,


    kissing him.


    Her joyousughter rang like bells; she was as happy as a child receiving presents on Christmas


    morning.


    At that moment, Veronica¡¯s heart clenched with anger and pity for the girl.


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡±


    Conrad and Yvonne still haven¡¯t noticed Veronica¡¯s presence. Well, they did, but they thought it was the


    maid who had entered to do some chores, so they didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    Veronica lightly coughed, finally capturing the two¡¯s attention as they both looked over at her.


    The instant Yvonne noticed Veronica was standing by the door, she immediately slid off Conrad¡¯sp and


    stood aside. Her face was flushed with a mix of dread and embarrassment as she stuttered, ¡°R-Roni,


    you¡¯re here! When did youe back?¡±


    Yvonne was panic-stricken; she never thought that Veronica would suddenly return from Castron.


    On the other hand, Veronica balled her hands into tight fists. She even had to take a few deep breaths to


    calm the fury that was raging within her.


    ¡°What a pleasant surprise!¡±


    She struggled to maintain herposure, restraining herself from beating up Conrad on the spot.


    Conrad was also as bothered as Veronica. But he had an excellent poker face, so they didn¡¯t easily catch


    his difort.


    Veronica marched toward the two and threw a cold glower at Conrad. She didn¡¯t even try to hide the


    chilly hostility in her eyes.


    Her expression made Yvonne¡¯s heart leap to her throat. She quickly positioned herself before Conrad


    and shielded him from Veronica. She nervouslyughed as she said to Veronica, ¡°Wait, Roni, please let


    me exin¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay, speak. I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    Veronica turned her gaze towards Yvonne and red at her before plopping onto the couch, crossing her


    legs as if she were the mistress of the house. She leaned on the couch, waiting for Yvonne¡¯s excuses.


    She wanted to see how Yvonne was going to defend herself.


    ¡°Yves, are you sure Little Roni will believe you even if you exined everything?¡±


    Conrad instantly turned the tables with his question.


    Veronica was vexed by his sudden intervention and stared daggers at him. She was once again tempted


    to fight Conrad right then and there.


    She was never a quick-tempered person, but right now, all she wanted was to beat the living sh*t out of


    this jerk.

 Chapter 527

    Chapter 527


    Chapter 527 Destroy Conrad


    ¡°Conny, shut up!¡± Yvonne immediately butted in and pulled Conrad over to sit on a couch. Then, she


    circled around the coffee table to sit beside Veronica on the couch of her choice. ¡°Roni¡­¡±


    Yvonna reached out and intended to hold Veronica¡¯s hand. However, the second her fingers touched


    Veronica¡¯s hand, Veronica pped her hands off and snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    She was not going to touch a hand that was stained by a filthy jerk like Conrad. Yvonne¡¯s smile stiffened,


    and she even thought that Veronica was overreacting. Even so, the more she thought about it, judging by


    Veronica¡¯s misconception towards Conrad, her overreaction was granted.


    ¡°Actually¡­Roni, Conny had his reasons for treating me that way.¡± ¡°His reasons?¡¯


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yvonne nodded vigorously as she looked at Veronica with puppy eyes filled with pity. Veronica


    raised an eyebrow, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the reason? Because he was terminally ill?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t merely an assumption, but Matthew had told her about this yesterday. ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    Before Yvonne could even exin, she had already beat her to it. As a result, Yvonne was so flustered


    that she didn¡¯t even know how to start.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    She pursed her lips before sighing, sadly hanging her head. ¡°You¡¯re right. He was diagnosed with a


    terminal illness¡­ It¡¯s stage-four liver cancer.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Veronica sneered at them, ¡°Stage-four?¡± She then pointed at Conrad, who looked far from ill. ¡°Doesn¡¯t


    seem so to me.¡± Then, she scowled at the doleful Yvonne and scoffed, ¡°Yvonne, it seems to me that you


    have stage-four of stupidity. I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s no cure for you.¡±


    In her opinion, Yvonne was pretty much a lost cause at this point.


    Nevertheless, her merciless words were enough to provoke Yvonne. Her face contorted in anger as she


    leaped to her feet and reprimanded, ¡°Veronica, because I respect you as my best friend, I¡¯ve decided to


    exin everything to you calmly and not start a fight. So what¡¯s wrong with you? I already said Conrad


    has stage-four liver cancer, and you think I¡¯m lying to you?¡±


    As she spoke, she turned towards a table and pulled out some documents from the drawer. She then


    tossed the papers at Veronica when she approached the woman. ¡°See for yourself then! These are his


    cancer diagnostic reports, and it¡¯s literal evidence for his diagnosis. So I wasn¡¯t just making things up.


    Also, what you said to him was very hurtful. You should apologize to him immediately!¡±


    Conrad was already distraught due to his cancer. Naturally, Yvonne felt that Veronica¡¯s words would hurt


    his self-esteem.


    Conrad was currently seated opposite them with his legs crossed. He lowered his head as he sulked,


    face stered with sadness and sorrow, but deep down, he was gleefully gloating.


    Except, Yvonne wasn¡¯t smart enough to see through his act.


    ¡°Yves, you don¡¯t have to exin to her. Little Roni would never believe you.¡±


    Conrad chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, ¡°She had a deep misconception about me, so it¡¯s


    reasonable for her not to believe me. Plus, she was just doing this for your own good. You really


    shouldn¡¯t have spoken to her like that.¡±


    Veronica had never seen such a pretentious man in her whole life.


    She was so close to charging at Conrad and strangling him.


    ¡°Conny, of course, I know Roni is doing this for my own good, but I can¡¯t just stand here and let her


    misunderstand you further,¡± Yvonne said, heart filled with sympathy for Conrad¡¯s misfortune.


    Veronica almost lost it upon hearing how she kept siding with Conrad.


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll believe that Conrad does have stage-four liver cancer, but only for now. Despite that,


    what if, and I say that hypothetically, what if he were lying to you? Have you ever thought about the


    consequences of that?¡±


    At Castron, Matthew told Veronica everything about Conrad and Yvonne down to thest detail.


    Unfortunately, Matthew only had proof that Conrad¡¯s cancer was fake. As for Yvonne being abused, he


    had no solid evidence, and it was all just his spection since the victim herself wasn¡¯t even aware of


    her torment.


    After much consideration, Veronica decided to keep all the horrible things he¡¯d done a secret from


    Yvonne.


    She thought hiding the truth was the right thing to do to protect Yvonne.


    Veronica¡¯s words sent Yvonne deep into her thoughts, so she pondered the matter as her head hung


    thoughtfully. Finally, she looked up at Veronica with determination in her eyes, saying firmly, ¡°I trust him.


    He would never lie to me.¡±


    Veronica fell silent at Yvonne¡¯s resolute words. Suffice to say, she was utterly dumbfounded.


    She definitely has a few loose screws. No, make that several.


    ¡°Alright. If you say so. I have nothing else to say.¡±


    Veronica decided not to haggle with her any further, so she gave her car keys to Yvonne. ¡°I parked my


    car outside. I prepared you a gift, but I identally left it in the car; go and take it yourself.¡±


    Veronica brought a gift for Yvonne because she told thetter she was going to Castron, so Yvonne


    asked her to help buy the gift.


    Yet, they ended up returning in a hurry, and she¡¯dpletely forgotten to get Yvonne¡¯s gift. Therefore,


    she had to pick a gift for her at the mall instead.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Yvonne took over the car keys from Veronica. She felt a sense of remorse for how she spoke to


    Veronica. ¡°I¡¯m¡­really sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have spoken to you so harshly. I¡­ I was just clouded by anger.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I get it. Your rtionship is none of my business.¡± Veronica flopped on the couch leisurely. Then,


    she crossed her arms against her chest as she nced over at the side, refusing to even spare a nce


    at Yvonne.


    Yvonne pouted at her actions. ¡°Conny, please get some water for Roni. I¡¯ll go and get the gift.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Conrad nodded.


    Yvonne walked out of the living room with the car keys. After she waspletely out of sight, Veronica


    lunged toward Conrad and grabbed him by the cor, followed by a fist toward his face. ¡°You piece of


    sh*t!¡±


    Nheless, Conrad was nimble and managed to hold onto her arm. Little did he know that Veronica¡¯s


    punch was merely a feint; she punched her left fist right at his abdomen when he grabbed her arm.


    Despite that, Conrad still managed to block off her second attack thanks to his agility, but Veronica


    caught him off guard and swung her leg right at his crotch.


    Veronica had gathered enough force in that one kick. After that, her every strike was rapier-like and


    calcted, and it eventually wholly caught Conrad by surprise.


    He knew she was quite a skilled fighter, but he never would¡¯ve thought that she was this capable.¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡± he winced.


    The instant her kicknded, agony red from between his legs. He felt as if his whole body was


    throbbing from the excruciating pain as she didn¡¯t hold back with her kick.


    He had his back hunched as he clutched his crotch in agony. His face was flushed red, and veins


    protruded around his forehead as he gasped out due to the pain, ¡°Veronica Murphy¡ª you b*tch!


    ¡°What the f*ck did you call me?¡±


    Veronica took one step back and kicked him square on the chest. Conrad fell backward and off the


    couch, hitting the hard floor with a thud.


    Hey on the floor; body doubled over. He couldn¡¯t care less about the pain from the fall as he was


    wholly blinded by the crippling pain in his lower body.


    This woman has a deathwish!


    Regrettably for him, she wasn¡¯t even close to done with punishing him. Instead, she stormed to him and


    gave him a few more powerful kicks.


    She made sure to apply as much force as she had endured when she was brutally kicked by Xavier that


    day in the cer of Antheena¡¯s castle.


    ¡°Yvonne may be a fool, but that doesn¡¯t mean I am one too. So you better listen up. If you darey


    another finger on her, I will make sure you suffer for the rest of your pathetic life!¡±


    Conrad was in too much pain to stand up and defend himself; all he could do was lie on the floor like a


    punching bag.


    He gritted his teeth as he helplessly watched on while Veronica punted him repeatedly.


    He slowly let out a hystericalugh as he spat, ¡°Oh really? I may not be able to stop you, but I will make


    sure Yvonne suffers for the rest of her life!¡±


    Hisugh creeped Veronica out so much that it sent sharp chills down her spine.


    Suddenly, she had an awful premonition that he wasn¡¯t making things up when he said he would take


    revenge on Yvonne.


    Veronica tightened her fist once more and gave him one final hard blow at his crotch with her leg. ¡°Then,


    I¡¯ll make sure that you suffer for the rest of your life first.¡±

 Chapter 528

    Chapter 528


    Chapter 528 Conrad Was Done For


    That final kick still wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy Veronica, so she added a few more good kicks. In the end,


    Conrad couldn¡¯t take the agony any longer and fainted on the spot. ¡°Oh my God! Veronica, what have


    you done?¡±


    Yvonne, who had just returned with her gift in hand, witnessed Veronica mercilessly beating


    someone. When she got closer, she realized it was Conrad who was lying unconscious on the floor.


    She dropped the gift on the floor and rushed toward Conrad¡¯s side. She pushed Veronica away from him


    and shrieked, ¡°Are you crazy? I told you Conrad is sick. How could you do this to him?¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s eyes turned red from rage, and she looked like she was frothing at the mouth to tear Veronica¡¯s


    arm off.


    Despite being given such a re, Veronica merely watched dispassionately as Yvonne knelt on the floor


    and shook Conrad¡¯s body. She tried to wake him up, but her efforts were in vain. ¡°Conny! Conny, wake


    up! Please wake up, Conny!¡± As she saw Conrad lying motionless, it gradually fed into her panic. ¡°Conny,


    please don¡¯t scare me! Please be okay¡­¡± Yvonne sobbed.


    ¡°Yvonne?¡±


    Veronica called her name again, but Yvonne didn¡¯t respond to her.


    Veronica patiently called Yvonne again, but she was too busy calling Conrad¡¯s name, hoping he would


    wake up.


    s, Veronica couldn¡¯t stand it further and seized Yvonne¡¯s arm to drag her to her feet. Then, she


    pped Yvonne across the face for good measure. ¡°Can you calm the f*ck down and listen to me?¡±


    She pped Yvonne so hard that Yvonne was utterly stupefied.


    Yvonne stood agape, with her eyes dazedly transfixed on Veronica.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t believe me? Now¡¯s the chance to prove it once and for all. Pick any


    hospital in Bloomstead that he¡¯s never been to before. If that hospital confirms that he has cancer, I,


    Veronica Murphy, will personally kneel in front of him and apologize once he¡¯s awake.¡± Veronica said in a


    firm and determined tone.


    Yvonne¡¯s mind went nk briefly. She looked at Veronica, who looked very serious; she then


    remembered what Matthew had warned her about back at Spinfluence Group. She took a look at


    Conrad, who was passed out on the floor with mixed feelings.


    She hesitated for a long while before finally biting the bullet and nodding in agreement. ¡°Alright. You said


    it yourself. If Conny is diagnosed with cancer, I want you to apologize to him.¡±


    Yvonne may be foolish, but she knew well that Veronica was only looking out for her.


    Nevertheless, Yvonne would never make Veronica kneel and apologize. In her opinion, that was just


    taking it too far. But Veronica must apologize to Conny if she¡¯d been proven wrong.


    Hence, making Conrad receive a diagnosis on the spot was the only way to convince Veronica to trust


    him.


    The two then dialed 911 and sent Conrad to the Bloomstead People¡¯s Hospital as quickly as possible.


    When they reached the hospital, the doctor wanted to know what had happened to the patient. Veronica


    hid the truth and only told the doctor that the patient probably passed out due to liver cancer. ¡°Please


    give him a checkup to see if it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Liver cancer? Why isn¡¯t he already admitted to the hospital in the first ce? Never mind you two hurry


    and make the payment. I¡¯ll bring the patient for a checkup.¡± The doctor and a few nurses then pushed


    Conrad, lying on a hospital bed, toward the emergency room.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    When Veronica saw that the doctor was about to leave, she stopped him. ¡°Doctor, the patient probably


    wouldn¡¯t take it well. So please inform¡­¡± She nced back at Yvonne and continued, ¡°Inform his wife if


    you were to find out about anything.¡±


    ¡°Alright, no problem.¡± The doctor was already used to requests like this as many patients find it hard to


    ept that they are diagnosed with certain illnesses.


    The doctor and nurses pushed Conrad straight into the emergency room. Meanwhile, they went to pay


    Conrad¡¯s consultation fees.


    Yvonne had been in a bad mood ever since their argument, so it was only natural that she refused to talk


    to Veronica.


    ¡°You chose this hospital on your own, and you need to have faith in yourself.¡± Veronica shook her head


    and sighed. ¡°Yvonne, you¡¯re just too¡­ naive.¡±


    Veronica sighed yet again as though she genuinely seemed like she didn¡¯t know what to do with Yvonne.


    Yvonne was on edge the whole time. Deep down, she knew that Veronica had always been nice to her


    and wanted the best for her. Plus, she knew that Veronica had broken up with Matthew, so it would be


    impossible for Veronica to lie to her because of Matthew and Conrad¡¯s conflict.


    There were only two possibilities.


    Either Conrad lied to her, or Veronica had gotten it all wrong.


    If it turned out to be thetter, she would forgive Veronica as long as she apologized. But if it turned out


    that Conrad had been lying to her all along, she honestly didn¡¯t know what she would do.


    ¡°Roni, can I ask you something? How did you find out about Conrad?¡±


    When she¡¯d finally calmed down, Yvonne had only just realized that Veronica wasn¡¯t surprised upon


    seeing Conrad at the estate.


    Instead, when she told Veronica about Conrad having cancer, she looked like she¡¯d already seen it.


    Veronica leaned herself against the wall and stared at Yvonne coldly. ¡°He will reap what he sows.¡±


    Yvonne remained silent when she heard those words.


    She had no clue what Veronica meant.


    She was like a cat on hot bricks as she fidgeted on the bench in the empty hospital hallway.


    To her, every second was torture; the more she had to wait, the more anxious she grew.


    Because Veronica mentioned that Conrad had cancer, the doctors had to rush and run a checkup to


    confirm it.


    After not even half an hour, the emergency room¡¯s door burst open, and out came the rather displeased


    doctor, who frowned at the duo. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the patient. Why would you say he has


    cancer?¡±


    Veronica looked unsurprised upon hearing what the doctor said. On the other hand, Yvonne¡¯s face


    drained of all color when she listened to the doctor¡¯s words.


    Yvonne was frozen in shock for a moment. Then, she went up and desperately grabbed the doctor by the


    sleeve. ¡°W-What do you mean? You¡ª Are you saying that he doesn¡¯t have cancer?¡± She was so


    agitated she could barely speak.


    ¡°No¡­no, he doesn¡¯t. He¡¯s fine.¡±


    The doctor thought Yvonne was happy to know that the patient didn¡¯t have cancer. So, he even added,


    ¡°The previous hospital must¡¯ve misdiagnosed him. In fact, his vitals are good, and he¡¯s pretty much a


    healthy person.¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­ That¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    Yvonne stumbled backward in disbelief as tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°How could he not have


    cancer?¡±


    ¡°Misdiagnoses are umon, but it happens more frequently than you think. Don¡¯t worry. Your husband


    is healthy. If you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to get him diagnosed at a different hospital.¡±


    The doctor tried to convince Yvonne.


    ¡°Doctor, are you sure you didn¡¯t miss anything? Why would he pass out if he doesn¡¯t have any


    illnesses?¡± Yvonne grabbed the doctor again as she pressed.


    She would¡¯ve never thought that Veronica had knocked out Conrad.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°We¡¯re still trying to figure things out.¡±


    The doctors had to reexamine the patient when they found out he didn¡¯t have liver cancer.


    Meanwhile, a nurse came over and whispered into the doctor¡¯s ears. She then returned to the


    emergency room.


    ¡°Doctor, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yvonne asked impatiently as her eyes shed with concern.


    ¡°What happened to the patient before you brought him here? We just found out that his lower body was


    swollen. After a proper checkup, we realized that he had a testicr rupture.¡± The doctor eyed Yvonne


    as he spoke. Then, his face grew serious as he asked, ¡°I see both you and your husband are quite


    young. Do you guys have children?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    Veronica, who had been standing aside silently all this time, suddenly spoke.


    ¡°Hu¡­¡± The doctor heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good news then. In his case, all we can do is try our


    best to repair the damage done. Unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t look too good; the worst scenario would be him


    not being able to reproduce anymore for the rest of his life. So, please prepare yourself for the worst.¡±


    With that, the doctor rushed back into the emergency room.


    Veronica raised one of her eyebrows. She was akin to a cat that had gotten the canary when she heard


    the doctor¡¯s diagnosis.


    That bastard deserved this.


    Yvonne, on the other hand, stood nkly. For a fleeting moment, she was wholly unresponsive as tears


    streamed down her cheeks.

 Chapter 529

    Chapter 529


    Chapter 529 Sticking up for Yvonne


    When Veronica looked at Yvonne and saw her empty expression, she couldn¡¯t help but feel pained yet


    angry at the same time. She walked to Yvonne¡¯s side and supported her. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe in the


    doctor¡¯s words, we can take him to another hospital for a checkup. However, we have to let Conrad


    remain unconscious, or he¡¯ll still get up to his tricks.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right¡­¡± Yvonne nodded mechanically before looking up at Veronica a secondter. Her eyes


    were damp and her tears clung to her eyshes; she stubbornly refused to let them slide down. Her


    teary expression melted Veronica¡¯s heart. In a trembling voice, Yvonne asked, ¡°What about you? C-Can I


    believe you?¡±


    Yvonne was not to me for not believing her. After all, she did not know who to believe now. Ever since


    she found out that Conrad was hospitalized, to the time she found the insurance policy at hispany,


    and after Matthew reminded her, she had gone to the hospital to look for the director who personally told


    her that Conrad had cancer.


    As soon as Yvonne said that, her expression changed as if she suddenly thought of something. She


    immediately took out her phone, her fingers trembling as she dialed a number. ¡°I¡¯ll send you an ID


    number. Help me find out if there is any insurance under this person¡¯s name.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Yvonne immediately sent the ID number in her phone over. She had gotten


    this ID number the day she stayed the night at the hotel. When she lost the room card given to her by


    Conrad afterward, he was not there, so she had no choice but to ask him to send his ID number to her.


    Once she copied the ID number and edited the message, she sent it to her right-hand man, before she


    took a weak step and flopped down on a bench in the hallway limply.


    All this time, she had been obsessing over whether or not Conrad actually had cancer, but she had


    neglected the insurance policy contracts she had seen in his office. If those contracts were fake, the truth


    would be clear.


    Veronica was annoyed by Yvonne¡¯s questioning earlier, but once she thought of the things that Matthew


    said, she gathered her emotions and sat beside her to patiently calm her down. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you


    believe me or not, but you should believe the doctor¡¯s words. Also, the truth can¡¯t be hidden for long. As


    long as you want to find out Conrad¡¯s true nature, there are many ways for you to do so.¡±


    ¡°I need some space.¡±


    Yvonne leaned against the wall behind her and closed her eyes, falling silent.


    Around ten minutester, her phone rang, causing her to jolt violently before picking up. ¡°How did it go?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t wait to know the result.


    ¡°President Spencer, I¡¯ve looked into every insurancepany, and Conrad hasn¡¯t bought any insurance


    from any of them. However, he has a car insurance from Fed Insurance.¡±


    ¡°Just a car insurance?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After hearing the words of confirmation from the other end of the call, Yvonne closed her eyes in despair,


    while the phone in her hand slid and smashed onto the ground, its screen turning ck from the fall.


    She propped her elbows on her knees and buried her face into her hands, crying bitterly and loudly as if


    she were a child.


    At the sight, Veronica felt pained and raised her hand to pat her shoulder, silently soothing her.


    Meanwhile, she let out a sigh with a face full of worry.


    Yvonne could not ept the mere knowledge that Conrad had lied to her. If she knew that Conrad had


    done all those despicable and shameless things, would she go crazy? At that thought, Veronica was


    even more reluctant to tell Yvonne the truth.


    p!


    Just as Veronica was in deep thought, Yvonne suddenly raised her hand and pped herself, followed


    by yet another p on her face. ¡°I¡¯m so stupid! I¡¯m so stupid! I¡¯m so stupid¡­¡±


    She kept repeating those words while pping her own face.


    Veronica hurriedly grabbed her hands and stopped her. ¡°Are you crazy? Conrad lied to you because he


    is a scheming b*stard, and you just didn¡¯t know that. Now that you know the truth, it¡¯s not toote to pull


    yourself away.¡±


    She was afraid that Yvonne would take it to heart, but upon witnessing her beating herself up, Veronica


    was even more worried.


    Yvonne tilted her head and allowed her hair to fall messily over her face,ughing through her tears as


    she asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? That I¡¯m ridiculous?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Yvonne, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re stupid. You¡¯re just too naive. In other words, you love him too much.¡±


    ¡°Haha, what a tactful way of saying it. Isn¡¯t being naive the same as being an idiot?¡±


    Yvonne shook off Veronica¡¯s hand and stumbled to the elevator, where she pressed on the button and


    headed downstairs. When she left the hospital, she walked aimlessly as if she were a walking corpse.


    Veronica was still worried about her, afraid that something might happen to her, so she kept trailing


    behind her.


    After walking for an hour or two, Yvonne went to a nightclub in the end. It was already six in the evening,


    and the nightclub had just opened. She ordered a drink and sat at the bar counter, drinking, while


    Veronica sat aside and watched her without saying anything, silently protecting her. During a time like


    this, she knew that Yvonne would only want some time to herself.


    As the time grewte, the nightclub became more and more crowded. From time to time, a few guys


    came to strike up a conversation with Yvonne, but she did not even spare them a nce.


    Finally, a fat man went up to speak to her, but when he didn¡¯t get a response, he cursed, ¡°Why are you


    still acting high and mighty at a ce like a nightclub? Tch.¡±


    Ssh!


    Suddenly, Yvonne threw a ss of spirits at the fat man in the suit and red at him, cursing, ¡°F*ck off.


    You¡¯re calling me high and mighty just because I ignored you? The way you can¡¯t control your weight


    shows how capable you are.¡±


    Saying that, she gave him a kick.


    Yvonne¡¯s voice was so loud that Veronica, who was sitting at the side, could hear it clearly. She couldn¡¯t


    help but be surprised as she rarely heard Yvonne cursing. After all, Yvonne was from a wealthy family,


    and would not be as ¡®foul-mouthed¡¯ as she was. From the looks of it, she must¡¯ve been so emotional


    because she was hurt by Conrad, and the fat man¡¯s words had hit her sore spot, causing her to blow up.


    However, Yvonne could barelynd a punch, so how would she be the fat man¡¯s opponent?


    The man stumbled from her kick and immediately smashed his ss to the ground before he stepped


    forward and grabbed Yvonne¡¯s hair. ¡°Damn it, how dare you shout at me? Do you have a death wish?¡±


    The fat man raised his hand and was about to p Yvonne in the face when his wrist was grabbed by


    someone else.


    ¡°Psst!¡± Veronica whistled at him seductively. ¡°What¡¯s the point of bullying a weak woman? Why don¡¯t I


    y with you instead?¡±


    Yvonne was her friend, so she would cover for her. After all, she was already in a bad mood, and


    whoever was looking for a fight at this time was just giving themselves up. Now that a good opportunity


    to vent her anger was here, Veronica would not let it go.


    ¡°Oh, looks like we have a stunner here.¡± The fat man looked at Veronica, only to see her dressed in


    sportswear with her hair tied in a simple high ponytail, looking innocent yet provocative.


    ¡°How would you like to y?¡± He grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth.

 Chapter 530

    Chapter 530


    Chapter 530 The Beauty of a Honeymoon Phase


    Veronica pulled Yvonne behind her to protect her with a faint smile on her pale face. ¡°How do you want to


    y?¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re quite open-minded.¡±


    The fat man raised his hand to caress Veronica¡¯s cheek, but before he could touch her, he received a


    kick from her that sent him flying. With a thud, he fell heavily to the ground, hitting the chairs in front of


    the bar counter and causing the people nearby to take a few steps backward in rm before they


    crowded around him to watch.


    ¡°Done already? I haven¡¯t yed enough yet.¡±


    Veronica raised her eyebrows, her innocent face tinged with a hint of dashing provocation. Though she


    clearly looked harmless and could even make any man desire to protect her, she was surprisingly


    ruthless. It made the crowd of onlookers thoroughly impressed by her, and many men even looked at her


    with infatuated and admiring eyes.


    ¡°You¡­ Ouch, damn it¡­ It hurts¡­¡± The fat man lying on the ground covered his abdomen with one hand


    as he pointed at Veronica with a trembling hand, his pain causing him to be unable toplete a full


    sentence.


    ¡°I beat you up as a lesson for you. Don¡¯t just pounce on a woman whenever you see one. It makes you


    look like a primitive beast!¡± Veronica cursed before she dragged Yvonne through the crowd and headed


    outside.


    The crowd made way for her while murmuring to themselves.


    ¡°Wow, thisdy is so cool.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m in love.¡±


    ¡°Wow, she¡¯s too cool. I¡¯ve already fallen for her even though I¡¯m a girl.¡±


    ¡°She was so protective of that girl. Do you think they¡¯re a couple?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. They¡¯re clearly best friends.¡±


    ¡°This man is so cheap for hitting on girls just because he¡¯s bored. How shameless.¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica, who had already left the nightclub, didn¡¯t hear what they were saying. She stopped a cab by


    the roadside and took Yvonne back to her rental house. She was still unsure of Conrad¡¯s current state,


    but she was certain that he was badly injured. Based on his personality, he would definitely not be willing


    to give up. Hence, for Yvonne and her own safety, Veronica decided to take her to a hotel for the night.


    After booking a room, she took Yvonne, who had remained silent throughout their journey, to the room.


    After silently taking a bath, Yvonne went straight to bed.


    When shey down, she said to Veronica weakly, ¡°Thank you for apanying me. It¡¯ste now. You


    should hurry back. Also, you hurt Conny¡ªI mean, Conrad, so you have to be careful in case he takes


    revenge on you.¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s words of concern made all the worries in Veronica¡¯s heart disappear instantly. She had been


    fretting over Yvonne¡¯s various emotions earlier, but now that Yvonne had calmed down and mellowed


    out, Veronica naturally felt much better.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You should rest now.¡±


    Veronica walked to the living room andzily sprawled out on the couch as she took out her phone. To


    her surprise, there were several missed calls on her phone. When she was in the hospital, she had


    turned on the silent mode and forgot to switch it off. Hence, her call log was filled with unanswered calls


    from Matthew and Crayson.


    She immediately opened Matthew¡¯s WhatsApp and sent him a text message. ¡®I¡¯ve injured Conrad, and


    I¡¯mying low with Yvonne at a hotel right now. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s convenient to take her back to the


    apartment because she doesn¡¯t know about us yet.¡¯


    Veronica was very careful. Knowing the ¡®rivalry¡¯ between Matthew and Conrad, she was afraid that


    Yvonne would be suspicious again because she was with Matthew.


    Bzzt¡ª


    The phone, which had been put on vibrate mode, rattled with a text from Matthew.


    ¡°How fast,¡± she muttered as she tapped on the message.


    ¡®Where are you?¡¯ Matthew asked.


    Seeing that, Veronica immediately sent him her location along with a smiling emoji.


    At this time, a string of numbers appeared on her phone. It was Crayson.


    Without hesitating, she instantly picked up. ¡°Master Crayson?¡±


    ¡°You little brat. It¡¯s been a day since you¡¯vee back. Why haven¡¯t you looked for me yet?¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Crayson was so furious that he could feel the anger rushing straight to


    his head as he spoke. He thought that after Veronica found out who he was, she would definitely look for


    him first after returning to Destor to question him. However, he had not expected that she would not call


    him after returning for a full day. How could he not be angry? She¡¯d truly gotten bold!


    Of course, Crayson did not know that Veronica was dying to fly to him and ask him about the situation,


    but Yvonne¡¯s side of things was more urgent, so she had no choice but to take care of it first.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Veronica reached out and scratched her head with a dryugh. ¡°Something¡­ happened here.


    Tomorrow, at thetest, I¡¯ll definitelye and see you.¡±


    There were a lot of things she needed to figure out, so she certainly had to go to Crayson.


    After hanging up the phone, Veronicay on the bed and looked at the ceiling, thinking about all the


    times Matthew had said Conrad would retaliate against Yvonne. Unfortunately, when he knew exactly


    what was going on, everything had already happened and he could not do anything about it.


    After lying down for some time, her phone buzzed again. When she picked up her phone, she saw that it


    was a phone call from Matthew.


    She frowned and nestled in the couch before picking up in a quiet voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Open the door.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Open the door?¡± Veronica was taken aback. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Outside your room.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even told you my room number yet.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you need to?¡± Matthew asked, thinking that she underestimated him too much.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± She hung up the phone while mumbling to herself and sat up on the couch. After ncing at


    the living room door and then back at the bedroom door, she got up and walked toward the door, quietly


    pulling it open.


    As expected, Matthew was standing outside. He wore a tailored suit and his short hair was well-


    groomed, causing him to emanate a dignified and aristocratic aura. When he saw her, his lips curled up


    in a light smile that was full of charm.


    Veronica instantly surrendered herself to his beauty, nearly losing herself. Wrapping her arms around his


    neck, she stood on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the lips, whispering, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Matthew wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her a step back, leaning against the door frame.


    His gentle gaze was bright as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s


    because¡­ I missed my silly girl.¡±


    Veronica leaned against the door frame with her arms around his neck, while his arms were wrapped


    around her waist as his forehead leaned against hers. The two of them made a romantic and sweet


    sight. However, the two who were deeply immersed in love did not know how romantic and beautiful they


    looked, enough to draw the envy of others.


    ¡°You¡¯re so smarmy. How can you miss me when you only haven¡¯t seen me for a day?¡± Veronica pouted.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t miss me when you broke up with me in the past.¡±


    Matthew tilted his head and nibbled on her lips, lightly sucking on them. She tasted soft and sticky, with a


    few hints of sweetness, which made him feel a little greedy.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    He replied, ¡°I nearly went insane from the torture.¡±

 Chapter 531

    Chapter 531


    Chapter 531 Screwed Her Over


    Their breakup was painful for Veronica, but it was painful for Matthew as well. As he restrained his


    fondness for her, he could hardly sleep at night and barely had any appetite. If not, he would not have


    lost his mind in the cave with Veronica when they went on a pic together at Qurra Mountain. ¡°Really?¡±


    Veronica asked doubtfully. ¡°Don¡¯t you already know the answer?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Veronica shook her head, speaking in a serious manner. The truth was that she had really


    forgotten about that matter. Matthew¡¯s face darkened, and he pinched her waist gently with his hand that


    was wrapped around her as a small punishment. ¡°Have you already forgotten about the incident in Qurra


    Mountain, hmm?¡±


    When he mentioned Qurra Mountain, Veronica¡¯s face reddened, and her ears heated up as she lightly


    pursed her red lips. ¡°Uh¡­ It was so long ago¡­ O-Of course I¡¯ve forgotten.¡±


    Although more than a month had passed, she would definitely not forget about something as wild and


    exciting as that. She was only ashamed to say it out loud.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve really forgotten, I can take you back for more.¡± Though his words were innocuous on the


    surface, they seemed to have a deeper meaning as he spoke.


    Her brows furrowed and her eyes sparkled as she replied meekly, ¡°That depends on my mood.¡± Upon


    seeing her pure yet seductive expression, Matthew was unable to hold himself back.


    He leaned close to her ear and said, ¡°Now that I think about it, you must¡¯ve enjoyed yourself that day too,


    Roni¡­¡±


    ¡°You dirty old man.¡± Veronica rolled her eyes. When she heard the sound of the elevator from the


    hallway, she began pushing him away. ¡°Someone¡¯sing. Behave yourself, will you?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re doing something shameful. Why are you scared¡­¡±


    Just as Matthew was speaking, Veronica caught a nce of the people exiting the elevator. All of a


    sudden, her eyes widened, and a look of panic shed past her eyes. In the next moment, she grabbed


    Matthew and dragged him into the living room, closing the door smoothly behind her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Matthew asked as he leaned against the wall of the entrance hall.


    ¡°Shh.¡± Veronica raised her finger against her lips, signaling him to keep his voice down. ¡°It¡¯s Ruka. I didn¡¯t


    expect her to be in this hotel.¡±


    When Thomas contacted her in Castron and asked her to save Matthew, Veronica called Ruka after


    leaving the hotel, saying that she had an urgent family matter and had to return to her country first. As


    Ruka was worried about Hendrey, she didn¡¯t ask any further questions. However, she did not know that


    Veronica did not return to Destor at all, but had a narrow escape from death in Castron instead.


    ¡°Even if she saw us, it won¡¯t matter.¡± On the contrary, Matthew felt that it was time to announce their


    rtionship to the public, so he did not want to hide it anymore.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Veronica frowned. ¡°Ruka used to like you so much, and she gave up on you


    because she saw me kissing you while cross-dressing at the mall and thought you swung the other way.


    If she found out that you¡¯re dating me now, she¡¯d easily guess that I was the one who kissed you at the


    mall that day. Aren¡¯t you just helping me gain another enemy?¡±


    ¡°How long do we have to keep this up?¡± Matthew¡¯s face sank. He seemed unhappy.


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for this. Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± After saying that, Veronica did not forget to warn him.


    ¡°Also, you must not let Yvonne know about our rtionship. If she knows that we¡¯re dating, she might


    think that I paid off that hospital to prove that it¡¯s a lie that Conrad doesn¡¯t have cancer.¡±


    Although Matthew and Conrad were uncle and nephew, they were also rivals in the Kings Family.


    Yvonne¡¯s family was well off, and she also bore Conrad¡¯s child, which gave that child too much influence


    on the Kings Family. Once Yvonne found out that she was dating Matthew, she would definitely think that


    she was lying to secure Matthew¡¯s position as heir to the Kings Family.


    ¡°Okay, whatever you say.¡± Matthew expressed his approval.


    His sharp eyebrows lifted as he raised his hand to caress her cheek, his thumb tracing her red lips.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to know. How did you make Conrad impotent?¡±


    ¡°Is hepletely impotent?¡± Veronica had left with Yvonne in too much of a hurry and still didn¡¯t know


    the specifics of Conrad¡¯s condition.


    ¡°If he takes some pills beforehand, he can somewhat hold out. He¡¯s basically impotent.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Veronica roughly understood what Matthew meant. However, not only did she not feel guilty, but


    she even felt that Conrad had gotten what he deserved.


    ¡°This is what he deserves for all the rotten things he¡¯s done.¡±


    With this, she had also taken revenge for Yvonne.


    ¡°Have you thought about how you¡¯ll tell Grandma?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Veronica¡¯s face suddenly fell, and her expression turned helpless. ¡°I-I was only thinking about


    enacting revenge on him. Ipletely forgot about this.¡±


    She had no regrets. When she bumped into Conrad at Yvonne¡¯s vi, she was enraged and was


    completely out of her mind. Even now, as she remembered that Conrad called Elizabeth ¡®Mom,¡¯ Veronica


    did not regret it.


    ¡°I was just teasing you. You¡¯ll be fine as long as I¡¯m here.¡±


    Matthew stroked her head as he gazed at her with a burning gaze. Then, he traced his hand down along


    her face and smoothly lifted her chin before he kissed her lips.


    ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Her eyes widening, Veronica pped his chest and pushed him away. ¡°What are you doing?


    Yvonne¡¯s still sleeping inside!¡±


    ¡°She drank a lot at the bar, so she must be asleep.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do either!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I want to¡­¡±


    Matthew looked down. As Veronica followed his line of sight, she saw a small yet conspicuous bulge


    below.


    Her cheeks turned as red as a tomato from embarrassment. ¡°Matthew, how do you¡­ have such poor


    self-control now?¡±


    Particrly after they reconciled in Castron, her rtionship with Matthew had been heating up rapidly,


    and they got along better than ever. The frequency also gradually increased as well. However, on second


    thought, every couple seemed to act like this in their honeymoon phase.


    Veronica forced herself to calm down. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go out and book a room.¡±


    After all, they were already in a hotel, and going downstairs to book another room was a matter of a few


    minutes.


    ¡°Toote.¡± Matthew did not give Veronica a chance and immediately dragged her into the bathroom


    before locking the door.


    ¡°Hey, calm down! Yvonne is still here.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping.¡±


    ¡°What if she wakes up?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Mmph¡­¡±


    Of course, she had no room to retort, and she didn¡¯t dare to make a loud noise for fear of waking Yvonne


    up. Hence, she could only give herself up to him.


    However, just as she was drowning in delight, the bedroom door opened as Yvonne blearily walked to


    the living room in her pajamas. ¡°Roni?¡±


    When Veronica in the bathroom heard the voice, her body stiffened, and her toes curled in


    embarrassment. It¡¯s over. I¡¯mpletely doomed.


    Not daring to respond, Veronica, who was bending over the sink, turned around and red angrily at


    Matthew. ¡°You¡¯re going to screw me over.¡±

 Chapter 532

    Chapter 532


    Chapter 532 The ¡®Burr¡¯ in the Bathroom


    She was so nervous that her heart nearly jumped out of her throat, but Matthew still remainedpletely


    unfazed. He even got more excited when he sensed her panic, which made him enjoy himself even


    more, and naturally, he became bolder.


    ¡°Roni?¡± Seeing that no one responded, Yvonne called out again.


    ¡°I¡¯m in¡­ Mmm¡­¡± Due to Matthew¡¯s teasing charged attacks, her voice suddenly trailed off into a moan,


    causing Veronica to immediately cover her mouth in horror before she replied, restraining herself, ¡°The


    bathroom¡­ My stomach hurts.¡±


    She was afraid that if she didn¡¯t tell Yvonne, she would most likely break into the bathroom. Fortunately,


    the doors to the bathroom in this hotel were not transparent, or it would be truly over for her. But on


    second thought, if the bathroom was see-through, Matthew would have never dared to let loose here.


    ¡°Oh, are you okay?¡± Yvonne slipped on her slippers and walked to the bathroom to knock on the door.


    Knock, knock!


    The sound terrified Veronica so much that she held her breath, sping her hands on the edge of the


    sink while she pursed her lips, not daring to make a sound.


    However, Matthew still remained unbridled and had no intention of stopping, which made Veronica angry


    and furious, yet doubly stimted. In a situation like this, she was unable to control her body¡¯s instinctive


    reaction, and the dampness that it caused stoked Matthew¡¯s fire even more, nearly making him crazy.


    ¡°N-Nothing¡­ I¡¯m using the bathroom. You should hurry up and¡­ go back to sleep.¡±


    Under the repeated pounding, Veronica¡¯s words became fragmented as she spoke, but Yvonne only


    thought that she had a stomach ache.


    ¡°From your voice, you sound like you¡¯re having a hard time. Do you¡­ want me to send you to the


    hospital?¡± she asked with concern.


    Veronica¡¯s nervous heart raced, but she could only force herself to y it cool. Behind her, Matthew had


    also finally stopped and no longer deliberately teased her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be fine after a bathroom break. Why did youe out?¡±


    Did Yvonne need to go to the bathroom as well? No, that wasn¡¯t right. There was a bathroom in her


    bedroom.


    ¡°Oh, I woke up, so I came out to see you. I was¡­ afraid you¡¯d be gone.¡± Her emotions plunged into


    depression, she leaned back against the doorway of the bathroom and lowered her head while ying


    with the hem of her shirt, saying morosely, ¡°I know I said too much to you in my house today. I¡­ I wanted


    to apologize to you.¡±


    Veronica was rendered speechless. I¡¯m begging you, Miss Yvonne. Stop apologizing. Can you please


    leave? she thought to herself tearfully.


    However, Matthew began teasing her again and again, making her tremble repeatedly and frantically,


    unable to stop biting her sleeve.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve hurt Conrad, he will definitely take revenge on you. Even if he doesn¡¯t retaliate against


    you, the Kings Family won¡¯t let you off easily.¡± Speaking of this, Yvonne sighed again. ¡°Good thing I didn¡¯t


    bring my baby back in the first ce. If I¡¯d handed him over, I would¡¯ve been doomed. That being said, I


    should express my gratitude to Matthew. Even though he was a jerk to you, he still helped me. I didn¡¯t


    think that Conrad would be despicable enough to set me up with such a cruel tactic. I hate him¡­ I really


    hate him¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me, how¡­ how could I have been so stupid? Now that I think about it, when I went to hispany


    to look for him that day, I coincidentally saw the insurance contract. Besides, why did I believe it when


    someone called me and said that he had saved me as ¡®Honey¡¯ on his phone? Hic¡­ I¡¯m too stupid. I¡¯ve


    inherited my mother¡¯s hopelessly romantic personality, hic¡­¡±


    As Yvonne spoke, her tears poured down like rain, and she looked up at the ceiling helplessly, letting her


    tears slide down her cheeks as she sobbed uncontrobly. Whenever she thought about what happened


    to her, her heart would be plunged into an indescribable amount of pain.


    Meanwhile, in the bathroom, though the man who had not had enough fun tried not to make a sound, he


    never intended to let Veronica go. She tried to resist, but he restrained her firmly, giving her no chance to


    escape; she did not dare to speak either. Hence, she could only remain passive as Yvonne kept talking,


    while the b*stard was equally ¡®incessant¡¯ behind her.


    Veronica was just as troubled. Only God knew how tormented she was at the moment. All she wanted to


    do was cry out for help.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ think too much about it either. Conrad is cunning, so it makes sense that you were tricked by


    him¡­¡± She spoke quickly, afraid that if she slowed down a little, she would not be able to hold herself


    back from making any evocative sounds.


    ¡°You should quickly get back to sleep. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow,¡± she added, praying that


    Yvonne would go back to the bedroom as soon as possible.


    However, Yvonne replied, ¡°I can¡¯t fall asleep. My heart¡­ hurts.¡±


    Veronica was speechless. If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll be¡­ just as tormented as you.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Yvonne, I think I have a little diarrhea. Can you go down to the pharmacy and buy me some


    medicine?¡± Suddenly, Veronica came up with a bright idea to send Yvonne away.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, okay.¡± Yvonne nodded.


    Not longter, there was the sound of a door closing outside the bathroom. Hearing that sound was like


    salvation to Veronica.


    She let out a long breath and cursed, ¡°Matthew, you b*stard¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Try saying that again!¡± Matthew¡¯s lips curled into an evil smile. Although he had not stopped earlier, he


    was still restraining himself. Now, knowing that Yvonne had left, he became uncontroble again.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t say anything. Just¡­ hurry up¡­ Yvonne will be back soon.¡±


    ¡°That depends on your performance.¡± He pinched her fiercely and painfully, causing Veronica to draw a


    breath.


    A whileter, his burning passion finally sizzled out before dying down.


    As the two cleaned up simply, Veronica furiously threw a fierce punch on Matthew¡¯s chest. ¡°Just you wait.


    I¡¯ll teach you a lesson when we get back!¡±


    ¡°Ow¡­ It hurts¡­ Are you trying to murder your own husband?¡± Matthew covered his chest, feigning a


    look of pain.


    Veronica rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t put in any strength at all, okay? What an actor you are.¡±


    Saying that, she opened the bathroom door and walked out. However, there was a beeping sound from


    the entrance of the living room, and the next moment, the door opened. At the same time, Matthew was


    just about to walk out of the bathroom.


    In the nick of time, Veronica lifted her foot and kicked the man who was about toe out of the


    bathroom back in before closing the door swiftly. ¡°Yvonne, why did youe back?¡±


    As she wasn¡¯t sure how long Yvonne would be staying here, she paid part of the deposit when she


    booked the suite and asked for two room cards. Back then, her intention was to be able to conveniently


    come over to see Yvonne, but she hadn¡¯t expected this situation to happen.


    Veronica was panic-stricken, and Yvonne walked in and frowned. ¡°Why is yourplexion so terrible?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine, my stomach just hurts. Didn¡¯t I ask you to buy some medicine for me? Why are you back so


    soon?¡±


    ¡°I forgot my phone.¡±


    Perhaps it was because Yvonne had been distracted because of Conrad, but when Veronica asked her


    to buy medicine for her, she only took the spare room card with her when she went out andpletely


    forgot about her phone.


    ¡°Wait a second, I need to use the bathroom. Let me do that before I leave to buy the medicine.¡± Yvonne


    had drunk quite a lot earlier. Although most of it were just low-alcohol cocktails, anyone would get a


    bloated stomach if they drank that many sses.

 Chapter 533

    Chapter 533


    Chapter 533 Caught by Yvonne


    ¡°Huh?¡± Veronica was taken aback as she recalled that Matthew was still in the bathroom. If Yvonne


    bumped into him, she would definitely know what had happened in the bathroom earlier.


    ¡°I said I need to use the bathroom,¡± Yvonne replied while heading toward the bathroom.


    Her actions nearly scared the soul out of Veronica. Her thoughts raced, and her eyes lit up all of a


    sudden as she grinned, pretending to be calm. ¡°I think it¡¯s better if you use the bathroom in your


    bedroom. It¡­ It stinks really bad inside. The venttion in this hotel is too poor.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Upon seeing Veronica raise her hand to fan her nose, Yvonne nodded dully and walked toward


    the bedroom. Veronica took a few steps toward the living room and watched Yvonne enter the bedroom,


    making sure she heard the sound of the bathroom door closing in the bedroom before she let out a deep


    sigh and immediately opened the bathroom door. Instantly, she was met with Matthew¡¯s dark expression.


    His handsome face was slightly angry, and he fixed his dark eyes on her intently without blinking,


    comining of his discontent.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Veronica smiled tteringly and immediately went forward, tiptoeing to wrap her arms around


    his neck and kissing him on the cheek. ¡°Oh, darling, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    Due to the urgency of the situation, she was forced to kick him back into the bathroom when she saw


    that he was about toe out. Who did she think he was? He had never suffered even when they were


    kidnapped by Xavier, but he got kicked by her today, which naturally made him angry.


    He wrapped his arm around her waist, his sharp eyes narrowing. ¡°Have you thought about how you¡¯ll


    die?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Of old age, of course.¡±


    Matthew reached out and pinched her tender cheek, leaning in front of her as he said in a deep voice


    that was full of warning, ¡°How delusional. If you have to die, you should do it in bed.¡±


    ¡°Okay, whatever you say.¡± Veronica took his hand. ¡°Hurry up and go. Quickly. If you dy any further,


    you¡¯ll be exposed.¡±


    Saying that, she dragged him out of the bathroom and pulled the door open before pushing him out.


    ¡°Roni, you¡ª¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Bang!


    Before Matthew could finish saying anything else, he turned around and the room door was flung shut


    with a bang, mming directly into his nose. He clung to the door with a stiff body, and his hands that


    were hanging by the sides clenched together uncontrobly.


    The next moment, he felt a sudden surge of warmthing out from his nose. Gritting his teeth,


    Matthew raised his hand to touch his nose and looked down at his fingers. They were stained scarlet.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± he cursed, his eyes sparking with fire. However, all of a sudden, the corners of his lips curved


    up uncontrobly once more.


    A door away, Veronica, who was in the living room, naturally did not know what had happened to


    Matthew. She let out a long sigh and went to sit on the couch. As her mind trailed uncontrobly to what


    had happened in the bathroom earlier, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from flushing red.


    ¡­


    The next day, after Veronica finished her breakfast with Yvonne in the dining room, she said, ¡°Yvonne,


    don¡¯t go anywhere today and just stay in your room. I have some urgent matters to take care of, so I


    can¡¯t stay with you.¡±


    Using a spoon, Yvonne scooped a spoonful of warm milk and took a sip before raising her eyes to look at


    Veronica emptily. ¡°Okay, got it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to send aputer overter. You can settle your work on theputer.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After finishing breakfast, Veronica sent Yvonne back to her room while she went downstairs and drove


    back to Twilight Condominium. Before going home, Veronica had called Matthew, who was waiting for


    her at home. Hence, when she entered the living room, he was already leaning against the door frame,


    waiting for her.


    ¡°Why are you standing here? You scared me.¡± When Veronica entered the door and saw Matthew, she


    got startled.


    ¡°What did you do that made you so timid?¡± he asked in return.


    Veronica gave him a sidelong nce. ¡°Do I need to remind you what you did yesterday?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Matthew took her hand and brought her into his arms. ¡°It doesn¡¯t


    matter what I did, but I remember clearly what you promised me yesterday.¡±


    ¡°What did I promise you?¡± His sudden question made Veronica confused.


    ¡°I asked you how you wanted to ¡®die,''¡± he reminded helpfully.


    Veronica looked around. It was only then that she recalled that yesterday, when he asked her to choose


    a way to die, she said she wanted to ¡®die of old age¡¯, but he said he wanted her to ¡®die in bed.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re always so shameless. All of the rumors that said you stay away from women are lies. Was it a


    persona your team created for you?¡± Veronica yfully smiled, snuggling in his arms and looking up at


    him.


    From their close distance, Veronica noticed that his nose was a little bruised. ¡°What happened to your


    nose?¡± she asked with a frown as she reached out to touch it, as if thinking that it had been smeared on.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my wound, so how would I know?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, a trace of anger surfacing on his sharp face. ¡°Yesterday, someone


    pushed me out of the room, and when I turned around, the door mmed directly on my nose¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Veronica instantly came to a realization and couldn¡¯t help but let out


    augh. ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    As sheughed uncontrobly, her mind surfacing with Matthew¡¯s embarrassed expression, she trembled


    with joy and covered her stomach whileughing. ¡°Sorry, I really¡­ Hahaha¡­ I really didn¡¯t do it on


    purpose¡­ Hahaha¡­¡±


    She really didn¡¯t mean to mock Matthew, but she had never seen him in such a sorry state. As soon as


    she thought about him being mmed in the face by the door, his nose bleeding, she was unable to stop


    herughter.


    Veronica was not the only one who thought so. Even Matthew had never embarrassed himself like that.


    As she doubled overughing, the man who had been slightly angry earlier was amused by her antics.


    He went forward and picked her up in his arms before heading straight for the bedroom.


    ¡°Hey, Matthew, what are you¡­ Hahaha¡­ What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What else can I do except for you?¡±


    ¡°N-No more, please. I won¡¯tugh at you anymore. I really won¡¯t.¡± Veronica shook her head, raising her


    hand and swearing, ¡°I really won¡¯tugh¡­ Pfft¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, she couldn¡¯t help but snicker again. When she saw that Matthew


    was really going to ¡®punish¡¯ her, she stifled herughter. ¡°I won¡¯tugh anymore, really.¡±


    Then, she reached out and looped her arms around his neck, swaying coquettishly. ¡°My body can¡¯t take


    it anymore. Can¡¯t you let me go?¡±


    He spanked her bottom with his hand that was holding her as he said, ¡°Now you¡¯re notughing


    anymore? It¡¯s toote.¡±


    In the end, Veronica was unable to escape from his clutches. This time, he did not deliberately draw


    things out, but he still used more than an hour before he finished.


    Exhausted, Veronicay sprawled out on the bed, ring at him with sorrowful eyes. ¡°Matthew Kings,


    you won¡¯t be able to get a wife like this.¡±


    She didn¡¯t call him Matt anymore, and called him by his full name instead.

 Chapter 534

    Chapter 534


    Chapter 534 We¡¯re Going to Get Married


    ¡°Do you know how mountain bandits get married?¡± Matthew¡¯s question came out of nowhere, causing


    Veronica to freeze before she heard him continue, ¡°They kidnap their wives.¡±


    The moment he said that, Matthew¡¯s expression turned serious as he cupped her chin and said


    meaningfully, ¡°Roni, listen carefully. Once you¡¯ve slept with me, you¡¯re mine. In the future, if you dare to


    abandon me, it doesn¡¯t matter if I have to go to the ends of the earth, but I will definitely get you back.¡±


    He was still joking seconds ago, but he began warning her out of nowhere, causing Veronica to


    specte inwardly if he had already guessed what she was thinking.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to run away.¡± Veronica pursed her lips and smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck


    and nting a kiss on his lips. ¡°My darling is so fit, handsome, and rich. You won¡¯t even be able to drive


    me away from a rare man like this.¡±


    Though she deliberately acted intimate and said that she would not leave, Matthew could sense from her


    faintly twinkling gaze that she was lying. However, he didn¡¯t point it out.


    ¡°Sigh. Forget it, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Veronicay on the bed and frowned slightly. ¡°I¡¯m going to


    see Master Crayson today. Do you want toe with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡­¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Before he could finish, Veronica waved her hand. ¡°Since you¡¯re quite busy, it¡¯s best for you to not go. I


    can just visit Master Crayson alone.¡±


    Saying that, she let out another sigh. ¡°After I started working at the auto shop, I¡¯ve only gone to work for


    a day, and I¡¯ve been on leave ever since. Tell Miguel for me, or I¡¯ll be in trouble if they don¡¯t give me my


    commission.¡±


    It cost her a p to finally sell a car at the auto shop. If she didn¡¯t receive hermission because she


    didn¡¯t go to work, it would be a big loss.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let Miggy knowter.¡±


    Knowing that Veronica didn¡¯t want him to visit Crayson with her, Matthew didn¡¯t force her. After the two of


    them washed up and changed their clothes, they drove away from Twilight Condominium.


    As Crayson was still working as a security guard at First Meeting, he was still in Bloomstead, but he had


    the day off today and was resting in his apartment.


    The day before, Veronica and Crayson agreed to meet that day, so he had taken a leave of absence


    from the weddingpany. With nothing to do in the morning, he was walking around the neighborhood


    when he saw Veronica getting out of Matthew¡¯s car.


    ¡°Little brat?¡± His clouded eyes lit up with a kind smile when he saw Veronica.


    Ever since Veronica left for Castron, Crayson had been living in fear, and it was only after learning she


    had safely returned home that he was able to let out a sigh of relief. It was as if he was an elderly father


    who had watched his child grow up and was worried whenever she was away.


    However, when he recalled that Veronica did note to see him after returning to Destor, he couldn¡¯t


    help but feel jealous. Looking furious, he shot her a re. ¡°I thought you had forgotten about me.¡±


    Upon hearing his voice, Veronica tilted her head and looked over, only to see Crayson walking over with


    a frown and a gloomy expression, his hands behind his back.


    ¡°Hehe, hello, Master Crayson.¡± Veronica smiled fawningly and skipped over to him.


    However, she did not expect Crayson to re at her, directly avoiding her extended arms, before he


    went around and walked straight to the side of Matthew¡¯s car.


    Crayson refusing her offered embrace made her stomp her feet with anger.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you closer to Matthew than me now?¡± Crayson asked bitterly.


    Naturally, Veronica could understand the meaning of his tone. She smiled and immediately walked to


    Crayson¡¯s side, reaching out and wrapping her arms around his neck. ¡°Oh, are you jealous?¡±


    Though she teased him on the surface, she felt extraordinarily happy in her heart. She knew that


    Crayson treated her like his own child and had watched her grow up, so it was inevitable that he would


    be jealous now that he felt she only had eyes for Matthew.


    ¡°Move aside. Out of sight, out of mind; I¡¯d much rather not see you every day.¡± Crayson waved his hand


    with a look of boredom, but the corners of his mouth carried a smile that could not be hidden.


    Just then, Matthew came out of the car and closed the door before greeting Crayson. ¡°Master Crayson,


    why are you downstairs?¡±


    Neither Matthew nor Veronica knew that Crayson had been so preupied with thoughts of them that he


    could not sit still at home and eventually came downstairs to wait for them. However, he naturally would


    not voice his thoughts.


    ¡°It was suffocating in the house, so I came out to get some fresh air.¡± He roughly came up with an excuse


    and brushed it off before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go into the house and talk.¡±


    Veronica frowned slightly, a glint flickering past her eyes as she intimately held onto Crayson¡¯s arm. ¡°Matt


    still has work to do. You should let him go to thepany. He has a lot of work piled up in the past few


    days when he went to Castron.¡±


    She had some personal matters she wanted to talk to Crayson that she did not want Matthew to be


    present for.


    Matthew understood Veronica¡¯s thoughts and immediately agreed, ¡°Yes, there¡¯s still some work to be


    done at¡­¡±


    ¡°Put all of that aside.¡± Crayson red at Matthew. ¡°Yourpany¡¯s business is important, but it¡¯s not that


    urgent. Follow me upstairs.¡± His final three words were said in amanding tone.


    Crayson was no less shrewd than the other two, and they could know each other¡¯s thoughts with just one


    look, so how could he not tell that Veronica wanted Matthew to leave? Still, he did have something


    important to discuss with them.


    Matthew stood in front of him and did not respond, but raised his fisted hand and gently tapped his nose,


    raising his eyes to look at Veronica, as if asking for her opinion.


    Veronica shrugged helplessly. ¡°Since Master Crayson has spoken, let¡¯s go up together.¡±


    So, the three of them headed into the apartment together.


    The ce where Crayson was living was the suite next to Veronica¡¯s, and it was the same one that


    Matthew had bought before.


    When they entered the living room, Crayson gestured for them to sit down while he made tea for them.


    Sitting next to a teapoy, he prepared the tea cups while waiting for the water to boil.


    After Crayson made a pot of tea while conversing with them, he ced a cup in front of Matthew and


    looked at him with raised eyebrows. ¡°What are your ns with Roni?¡±


    Immediately, he went straight to the point. Earlier, he had aggressively forced Matthew to follow them


    upstairs just to talk to them about this matter. Perhaps for others, finding a partner was just a matter of


    being a good match for each other, but Veronica had a different status and background, and was


    destined to have a future full of ups and downs, so he needed to know what Matthew¡¯s intentions were.


    Hearing that, Veronica was stunned and looked at Crayson in astonishment.


    Then, she looked at Matthew, only to see him calmly picking up the cup on the table and blowing on the


    hot steam of the tea before he took a small sip and said, ¡°I, Matthew Kings, have never regretted


    anything.¡±


    With this sentence, he was undoubtedly making a statement to Crayson and Veronica.


    Veronica was not particrly surprised by his answer, but only let out an imperceptible sigh that was


    filled with pressure. She knew how good Matthew treated her, but she also deeply loved him, so how


    could she bear to watch him step into danger?

 Chapter 535

    Chapter 535


    Chapter 535 Yvie, You¡¯re Not a Good Girl Anymore


    ¡°What about you?¡± Crayson asked while putting the cup of tea in front of Veronica. ¡°Me?¡± Veronica


    smiled brightly before turning to nce at Matthew. Resting her head on his shoulder, she held his arm,


    saying, ¡°I want to be with Matt, of course. You can¡¯t stop us this time, Master Crayson. You know how


    much he¡¯s done for me in Castron this time.


    I¡¯m touched, and I¡¯m also grateful for that.¡± As she spoke, she patted his knee and took his left hand


    before entwining her fingers with his. ¡°So, I want to swear to you that I¡¯ll marry no one else but him.¡± That


    was right; she¡¯d marry no one else but Matthew. As long as she was still able to remain unscathed in the


    end, she¡¯d definitely go to him and ask him to marry her.


    Matthew looked as usual when Veronica¡¯s words reached his ears, but the look in his obsidian-like eyes


    was unfathomable. Turning his head slightly, he fixed her with a meaningful and probing look.


    Sitting across from them, Crayson drank his tea without looking up. Then, he heaved a long sigh. ¡°Sigh,


    there¡¯s nothing I can do about the affairs of young people like you. I¡¯m too old for that.¡± After a long while,


    he nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll discuss it with your parentster.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but you have to put in some good words for me in front of my parents. Otherwise, I¡¯ll quit being


    your apprentice,¡± Veronica said like a spoiled child.


    Amused by her adorable and witty demeanor, Crayson smiled from ear to ear while stretching out his


    hand to poke her forehead. ¡°Look at that happy-go-lucky manner of yours! I wonder what Matthew likes


    about you.¡±


    Veronica bragged cheekily, ¡°He likes me because I¡¯m good-looking, of course. I look cute and attractive.


    What a sweetheart I am!¡±


    Matthew went along with her. ¡°Uh-huh. Roni is the prettiest woman ever.¡±


    Veronicaughed smugly. After a long time, she came to the point, asking, ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase, Master


    Crayson. If I¡¯m right, Floch and Rachel were supposed to take orders from you in the past. Have they


    gone rogue now?¡± If it hadn¡¯t been the case, Crayson wouldn¡¯t have warned her to stay away from the


    couple in Castron a few days ago.


    At the mention of this, Crayson paused for a moment. After taking a sip of his tea, he plonked the teacup


    on the table to vent his resentment. ¡°Sigh¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about the couple. Just be careful of them.¡±


    As it turned out, Floch and Rachel used to address him as ¡°Mr. Crayson¡± and took orders from him.


    However, several months ago, the mystery man behind the scenes contacted Floch and sent the couple


    a video, causing them to turn traitor instantly. The video was about how the child born to the couple was


    raised by the hidden n before dying in an ident. Fearing that Floch and Rachel would be


    devastated by the death of their child, the hidden n had kept it a secret, not daring to tell the couple


    about it.


    When the mystery man behind the scenes found out about Tiffany and Veronica, he first devised a n


    to kill Tiffany. However, after learning of Floch and Rachel¡¯s biological child, he changed his n at the


    last minute, deciding to take Tiffany back to Castron and use her to his advantage. In the meantime, he


    had several psychiatrists brainwash the couple, eventually beguiling them into submitting to him.


    Naturally, Crayson was furious at the couple¡¯s treachery, but he also sympathized with them for their


    loss.


    ¡°I got it.¡± Understanding what Crayson meant, Veronica stopped fretting about it. She asked, ¡°When


    should I return to the hidden n, then? What is my purpose in doing so?¡±


    ¡°The original n is that you have to return to the hidden n in a year. But now that the situation has


    gotten out of control, you have to return to the hidden n within half a year.¡±


    She asked, ¡°In that case, won¡¯t they do anything to me while I¡¯m in Bloomstead?¡± Since those people


    wanted to make Tiffany their puppet, they¡¯d certainly hope that she¡¯d be the real heir to the hidden


    n. On the other hand, Veronica was an unnecessary hindrance that had to be gotten rid of.


    ¡°Not even a powerful outsider can overwhelm a local tyrant. This is Matthew¡¯s territory, so they won¡¯t try


    anything. And besides, if they want to substitute you with Tiffany, they still have too many things to do,¡±


    Crayson exined as he analyzed the current situation. Then, he continued, ¡°While they¡¯re making


    preparations, we have to make preparations for that, too. And you¡­¡± He looked at Veronica. ¡°You have


    to put all your work aside. I¡¯ll take you somewhere for closed training.¡± They had to batten down the


    hatches. Veronica was stillcking in many aspects. In order for everything to go even more smoothly for


    her in the future, he still had to train her with greater intensity. He said to Matthew, ¡°If you want to marry


    Veronica, you have to wait until she¡¯s done taking care of the hidden n¡¯s affairs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to marry Roni first.¡± Matthew made himself clear. From start to finish, he had never asked if


    Veronica would no longer return or how he was supposed to be together with her if she were to return to


    the hidden n and be the next head of the n. Even so, the fact that he never asked about it


    didn¡¯t mean that he had never pondered over this.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Master Crayson say that I still have to undergo training? I still have to return to the hidden n to


    deal with things, so I don¡¯t have time to¡ª¡± Veronica argued in an attempt to refuse him.


    However, before she could finish her sentence, Matthew cut her short. Fixing her with a frosty stare, he


    said, ¡°We¡¯ll get married after your training at thetest!¡± He sounded like he was merely notifying


    Veronica instead of consulting her.


    The smile on Veronica¡¯s face froze instantly. Knitting her brows slightly, she pursed her red lips as


    sadness surged up within her. After squeezing Matthew¡¯s hand, she finally forced a smile, saying, ¡°Even


    so, you have to ask Master Crayson if he¡¯s okay with it. One has to gain permission from their parents to


    get married, so it¡¯s not up to me whether we can get married by then.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Your idea isn¡¯t impossible.¡± Crayson didn¡¯t reject the idea. ¡°If you two are certain by then that you want


    to get married, Matthew has to make preparations in advance in Bloomstead. It¡¯ll be nice since nothing


    will hold us up.¡±


    Veronica was rendered speechless. Have you two asked for my opinion on this? After pondering for a


    moment, she agreed in resignation, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Nobody knows how long the training will


    take, so everything can wait until the training is over.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, at the hotel, Yvonne was sitting alone on the living room couch and watching television. Her


    mind was in a fog; she was so spaced-out that she had no idea what was ying on TV.


    Just then, the cell phone on the table suddenly rang.


    Yvonne darted a look at the phone¡¯s screen and saw the name ¡°Conny¡± disyed on it.


    After seeing the name, she instantly became furious from the bottom of her heart. She sat on the couch


    for a long time without moving while staring at the phone¡¯s screen, unblinking.


    The phone call was automatically cut off before her phone rang again.


    Only then did she answer the phone and put it on speaker. Sitting cross-legged on the couch with a


    cushion in her arms, she quietly waited for the caller to speak.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Veronica?¡± As soon as the phone call was put through, Conrad immediately questioned Yvonne


    where Veronica was with no intention of exining himself to her.


    Provoked by his attitude, Yvonne flew into a rage. ¡°Why should I tell you that?!¡±


    ¡°Yvie, you¡¯re not acting like a good girl anymore.¡±


    These words were spoken tenderly, but they took on a sinister note as they came out of Conrad¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 536

    Chapter 536


    Chapter 536 Yvonne Has Lost It


    Yvonne couldn¡¯t help but shiver. She swallowed, pretending to be calm as she said, ¡°Yes, I was such an


    idiot before. I let you fool me with a few words, and I believed everything you said. Didn¡¯t you treat me


    like a fool?¡±


    Sheughed at herself, herughter filled with an indescribable bitterness. Now that she recalled the way


    she had been extremely distressed when she found out that Conrad had cancer and had taken great


    care of him, she felt like a fool. It was no wonder that Veronica called her an idiot. She was absolutely


    right.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re a fool. You¡¯re not half as smart as Veronica, and you¡¯re always so self-righteous.¡±


    Conrad hadpletely removed his disguise and stopped ying games with Yvonne. ¡°On the surface,


    you look innocent and lovely, but you¡¯repletely different in bed. I¡¯ve always wondered if you¡¯ve ever


    worked at a nightclub from the way you acted.¡±


    He hadpletely shed all pretenses, and every word he said was like a knife digging into Yvonne¡¯s


    heart.


    After being insulted by him, Yvonne, who was pretending to be calm, could no longer stay calm and


    could not help but curse, ¡°Conrad Kings, you f*cking b*stard. Serves you right that Roni ruined you


    completely with her kick. Karma, I¡¯d say!¡±


    After a quick pause, she hysterically roared, ¡°Karma!¡±


    Through the phone, Conrad could hear her heavy breathing; it was obvious that she was furious.


    However, heughed instead of getting angry, but his smile did not reach his eyes, making him look


    extraordinarily vile and appalling.


    ¡°Karma? Ha.¡± His sharp eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll let you off the hook? Yvie, you¡¯re the


    one who forced my hand.¡±


    ¡°If you have the guts,e at me. I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± At the other end of the phone, a low and eerieugh rang out, the sound of which made a


    chill run down her spine. Yvonne didn¡¯t know what he was up to, but hisughter made her heart race


    slightly.


    ¡°Yvie, do you know what group intercourse is?¡±


    Yvonne fell silent. She wasn¡¯t a naive girl anymore, so how could she not know what it meant? However,


    what did he mean when he said that?


    ¡°W-What are you nning?¡± Her small hands tightened around her phone anxiously.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you half an hour. If you don¡¯t show up, you¡¯ll have to face the consequences.¡± Saying that, he


    immediately hung up.


    ¡°Con¡ª¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Beep, beep, beep¡­


    Yvonne was full of anxiety, and she wanted to ask something else, but Conrad had already hung up the


    phone. His decisiveness made Yvonne even more uneasy as her mind reverberated with his abusive


    words, and her whole body was enveloped in fear.


    After thinking about it, Yvonne left the hotel and went home to change her clothes before going to the


    hospital. At the inpatient department in the hospital, in one of the wards, she managed to meet with


    Conrad.


    Dressed in a blue and white striped hospital gown, he was leaning against the bed, looking down at the


    computer in front of him. When he heard the door open, he didn¡¯t even raise his head, but the corners of


    his mouth curled up in a grin. ¡°Not bad, you¡¯re just in time. My princess, Yvie, you¡¯re always so obedient.¡±


    It was only then that Conrad inclined his head, his sinister gaze trained on Yvonne as he smiled


    meaningfully.


    Yvonne gulped tensely, but she still pretended to remain calm and said, ¡°I came over just to see your


    miserable appearance. I heard that you thought you were impotent?¡±


    Her red lips curled up slightly while her hands wrapped around her chest, feigning a look of calm as she


    looked at Conrad disdainfully.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference? Haven¡¯t you already given birth to a son for me, Yvie?¡±


    Neither of them was willing to back down.


    ¡°My son belongs to me. What does he have to do with you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny. Without me, how would you even get pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Why you!¡± Yvonne was so angry that she became speechless. ¡°What exactly did you call me over for?¡±


    Conrad pointed to the hospital gown he was wearing. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m a patient now. Naturally, I


    asked you toe over to take care of me.¡±


    ¡°Haha, keep dreaming,¡± Yvonne said, as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world.


    ¡°Keep dreaming, you say?¡± Conrad raised his eyebrows and hooked his finger at her. ¡°Come, let me


    show you something.¡±


    His eyes signaled for Yvonne toe over and look at hisputer. Her intuition told her that there


    must be something on it, and she stood in ce hesitatingly for a moment before she took a step toward


    the bed. However, as soon as she got close, he yanked her wrist and tugged it toward him, subsequently


    releasing his grip on her wrist and roughly pushing the back of her neck in the process, forcing her to


    look at the screen.


    ¡°Damn girl, why are you still acting so high and mighty in front of me? Look at how licentious you look in


    bed. Exciting, huh? Isn¡¯t it more thrilling than the other movies you¡¯ve seen before?¡± Conrad asked


    harshly.


    Yvonne looked at the video on theputer, and when she clearly saw the video of a few men


    surrounding a woman, she frowned, her heart racing. Just then, one of the men in the video who had


    been blocking the woman¡¯s face walked away, and she realized that the woman was none other than


    herself.


    In an instant, the walls of her heart copsed. Her eyes widened, and her mouth gaped slightly in


    surprise as she turned pale with fear.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ This is impossible¡­¡± Yvonne said, shaking her head mechanically. It was clear that she


    was in shock and could not recover.


    ¡°Impossible? My princess, don¡¯t you recognize yourself? Tsk tsk, you¡¯re really cute when you act like a


    fool. Hahaha¡­¡± Conradughed unrestrainedly.


    Hisughter sounded extraordinarily harsh and piercing. In fact, it hurt so much that even breathing was


    painful for her. Her body went limp and she fell helplessly to the ground,pletely terrified.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong, Yvie? The floor is too cold. Get up quickly, or I¡¯ll be heartbroken when I look at you.¡±


    He spoke sarcastically, continuously mocking her.


    The air conditioning was turned on in the ward, and she was wearing thin chiffon pants, so the floor did


    feel cold. However, no matter how cold it was, it was iparable to how her heart felt.


    Her empty eyesing back into focus, she looked at Conrad before she fiercely stood up and pounced


    on him. ¡°What did you do to me¡­ Ah!¡±


    Before she could get close to Conrad, she was instantly sent flying to the ground by one of his


    outstretched feet and tumbled backward, eventually hitting the wall behind her heavily. Her vision swam


    from the impact, and she wasn¡¯t able to return to her senses for a long time.


    Then, she heard Conrad¡¯s mercilessughter. ¡°Can¡¯t you see what I¡¯ve done? My princess, Yvie, is such


    a greedy woman. I had to go to great lengths just to satisfy you.¡±


    His serious words relentlessly pierced Yvonne¡¯s heart as she nkly sat on the ground, forgetting the


    pain that wasing from her head.


    ¡°Delete it, delete it¡­¡± She mechanically repeated these two words and got up from the ground again,


    madly lunging at Conrad before she mmed theptop ced on the mattress onto the ground and


    stomped on it fiercely. ¡°Delete it, delete it¡­ Delete everything!¡±


    ¡°Go on, smash it. I can give you a hundredputers to smash as long as you want it. After all¡­ I have


    unlimited copies of this video.¡±

 Chapter 537

    Chapter 537


    Chapter 537 She Wants to Kill Conrad


    Back then, Conrad had painstakingly arranged for this day, but it had arrived sooner than expected. He


    leaned against the bed with a mocking smile on his face. ¡°You look more attractive when you¡¯re angry


    compared to your pretentious look, hahaha¡­¡±


    Conrad unrestrainedly humiliated Yvonne, trampling on her dignity, as if the only way to relieve the


    endless humiliation in his heart was to see herpletely lose her mind. What happened with Zac was


    still fresh in his mind, and the pain she felt at this moment was the same as the pain he felt before. It was


    an eye for an eye¡ªshe was just getting what she deserved.


    Yvonne kept stomping theptop on the ground, her ears ringing with his words as she fell into despair.


    Her brain buzzed and she stared at him nkly, her facepletely pale. The images in the video


    lingered in her mind, each of them a scene of shame and a stain on her life.


    She thought that him faking a terminal illness was bad enough, but she never thought that he would do


    something so heinous. For a moment, her world copsed. Her body kept trembling and her hands


    clenched into small fists as she had a mental breakdown.


    ¡°Why¡­ Why did you do this to me?¡± After a long time, she asked in a breathless voice.


    The smile on Conrad¡¯s face gradually disappeared as a sense of humiliation surged in his heart. His


    eyes shing, he snorted. ¡°This is what happens when you make an enemy of me.¡±


    How could he tell Yvonne about the things Zac had done? After all, he didn¡¯t want anyone to know about


    the shame he felt.


    ¡°You want¡­¡± Knowing that Conrad had a purpose, Yvonne pursed her lips and quickly restrained her


    emotions before asking, ¡°You want to use the video to exchange for the child, right?¡±


    Other than that, she couldn¡¯t think of any other reason.


    Raising his eyebrows, Conrad did not refute. ¡°Yes. Hand over the child, and I promise to delete all the


    videos.¡±


    ¡°You were able to lie about having cancer. How do you expect me to trust you?¡±


    Yvonne had already exhausted all her trust in Conrad and would not believe even one word from him


    anymore.


    ¡°That makes sense.¡± He nodded and lowered his eyes, ncing at theptop that had been trampled


    into two halves on the ground. ¡°I suppose you can refuse, but¡­ thousands of people will probably see


    that gorgeous body of yours tomorrow.¡±


    With just a sentence, he sent chills down her spine, as if she had been dunked into a bucket of ice.


    Yvonne gritted her teeth as she shivered uncontrobly. ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t kill you right here and


    now?¡±


    ¡°I bet¡­ you wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Conrad smiled yfully. ¡°You¡¯re smart, so you should know that even if I die,


    it won¡¯t stop these videos from being published.¡±


    These things could simply be handed over to someone else to handle, or he could just log into the


    software and publish it in advance himself; it was not a difficult task at all. Conrad¡¯s words were exactly


    what Yvonne was worried about.


    As a woman, if the video of her being ruined spread, it would be the same as sending her to hell, leaving


    her spending the rest of her life in a nightmare. Indeed, she did not dare to risk that. Yvonne was


    completely at a loss. She didn¡¯t know what to do to solve this matter. Though she wanted to tell Veronica,


    she found it a difficult issue to divulge to others.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 24 hours. If you can¡¯t bring the child here, you can just wait for your video to be published.¡±


    Saying that, Conrad hummed a little tune in a leisurely manner, as if what happened to him had no effect


    on him.


    ¡­


    Somehow, Yvonne managed to leave the hospital in a daze, her mind inplete disarray. After


    returning to the vi, she went straight into the bathroom and soaked herself in the bathtub, where she


    took a bath sponge and pressed a handful of shower gel before frantically scrubbing her body. As if she


    were a soulless machine, she kept scrubbing herself, and even ran out of an entire bottle of body wash.


    Though her body had turned red, she did not stop. She felt as if the filth wasing out from her bones,


    fueling Yvonne and nearly driving her crazy.


    After a long soak in the bathtub, the water had turned cold, and she fell asleep while leaning on the tub in


    the end. Unsure of how long had passed, Yvonne woke up feeling dizzy, so she pulled a bath towel and


    wrapped it around her body before copsing on the bed.


    Shey around doing nothing for a full day. Her phone that was ced on her bedside had long since


    run out of battery and turned off automatically. Yvonne, who had been sleeping for a long time, only woke


    up when her stomach gurgled with hunger, but she still felt weak.


    She spaced out for a moment before her eyes lit up abruptly and she sat up in a sh, reaching out to


    grab her phone and immediately charging it when she saw that it was out of battery.


    When she anxiously turned on her phone, it kept vibrating incessantly. There were many missed calls


    from Veronica, as well as calls from people such as Conrad.


    She tapped on Veronica¡¯s text message. ¡®Don¡¯t turn off your phone next time. You nearly scared me to


    death. I hurried to your house to look for you and saw that you were asleep, so I didn¡¯t disturb you. Have


    a good rest. Don¡¯t overthink things.¡¯


    ¡®Call me after you wake up tomorrow.¡¯


    ¡®Are you awake yet?¡¯


    As she listened to Veronica¡¯s voice messages, Yvonne¡¯s eyes turned red, her heart filling with guilt and


    remorse. When she thought about the day before yesterday when she reprimanded Veronica for


    Conrad¡¯s sake, she felt like a foolish clown.


    biu~


    Bzzt!


    Suddenly, her phone vibrated with a text message.


    When Yvonne tapped on it, she saw that it was an inte link sent over by Conrad. After a moment of


    hesitation, she tapped on the link. A warning popped up on the page, but she continued to browse


    anyway. Unsurprisingly, it was indeed a foreign website that disyed various kinds of unsightly videos.


    Just as she was wondering to herself, she keenly noticed that the video thumbnail in the bottom right


    corner was somewhat familiar.


    As it was a rmendations page, there were multiple videos on the screen, each having a tiny


    thumbnail which she didn¡¯t see at first nce. Now that she saw it clearly, her heart raced and she turned


    pale with fear. Yvonne¡¯s hand trembled while she held her phone, and her thumb quivered as she tapped


    on the video, only to find that it was in high definition. Fortunately, her eyes were blurred out.


    Ring, ring!


    Yvonne¡¯s phone rang all of a sudden, startling her. Upon seeing that it was a call from Conrad, she


    immediately answered it. ¡°Conrad, are you trying to ruin me?¡±


    Although the video was blurred out, those who were familiar with her could tell at a nce that it was her


    in the video.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°My little princess, you look so unpleasant when you¡¯re emotional,¡± Conrad drawlednguidly. Listening


    to his mocking voice, Yvonne felt furious and frantic.


    Then, he continued, ¡°I said I gave you 24 hours, and it was you who did not appreciate the chance and


    keep your promise. As the person who broke our deal, you have to pay the price!¡±


    ¡°Conrad, you scumbag! Delete it now. Delete the video immediately!¡± she roared, her voice even


    breaking at one point.


    ¡°Delete it? Not a problem. As long as you hand the child over to me.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­ You¡¯re delusional!¡±


    ¡°It seems that you won¡¯t believe my words unless I take some drastic measures.¡± With that, Conrad


    immediately hung up.


    Though Yvonne called him back, her calls kept getting declined. Five minutester, just as she was trying


    to figure out who to contact to get rid of the video, she suddenly realized that the mosaic on the video


    was all gone. In that instant, shepletely lost her mind.

 Chapter 538

    Chapter 538


    Chapter 538 Yvonne¡¯s Deceit for Her Child


    Ring, ring. Just then, a phone call from Conrad came again. Yvonne answered the phone without


    hesitation and yelled, ¡°Conrad Kings, are you not going to stop until you¡¯vepletely ruined my life?


    What have I ever done to you to make you¡­e after me like this?¡± Holding her phone to her ear with


    one hand, she covered her face with the other hand as she cried bitterly.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. Hearing the little princess crying so miserably really makes the heart ache.¡± Conrad smiled


    coldly before he continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that as long as you hand over the child, I¡¯ll delete the


    videos. All of it. Plus, shouldn¡¯t you know just how important that child is to me? As the child¡¯s father, why


    would I try to harm him?


    Right now I¡¯m fighting with Matthew to be the next heir of the Kings Family, so the boy must be by my


    side. He is my son; I will not bring harm to him. A tiger, though cruel, will not devour its cubs after all.¡±


    Since Conrad was the seventh in line, his son was his best bargaining chip. Although Elizabeth was in


    favor of Matthew, Conrad had his ways to gain his brothers¡¯ support. Moreover, with Zac¡¯s help from


    behind the scenes, it would be easy for him to be a ¡®Kynd man.¡¯


    As Conrad knew he was inadequate now to properly ¡®serve¡¯ Zac, he was afraid that Zac would abandon


    him the moment he found out. Hence, he needed to quickly settle this affair.


    Slightly hesitating, Yvonne tightened her grip on her phone as she pondered with a frown. She was


    actually taken in by the man¡¯s words. ¡°I-If I hand the child to you, what guarantees do I have that you¡¯ll


    delete the videos?¡± She knew Conrad was still right at the end of the day, as the child was indeed his, so


    the child would be safe even if she handed him over.


    Hence, she thought that it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal to hand the child over for now to ensure the video got


    deleted first. Then, when the dust settled, she would find another way to get the child back from him.


    This way, everything would be resolved neatly for her.


    ¡°Yves, you¡¯re still the mother of my child. What good is there for me to leak the video?¡±


    ¡°But, t-the link you¡¯ve sent¡­¡±


    ¡°That leads to a privatework with very little traffic. It was just a warning from me to you.¡± Conrad


    paused briefly before his tone shifted to a stern one. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left for you to think about


    this.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it. I promise. But, you have to delete the video right this instant!¡± Yvonne was afraid that


    people who knew her would see the videos. If that came to pass, all that was left for her was a path


    leading to hell.


    ¡°Hehe, my little princess is the best when she¡¯s well-behaved,¡± Conrad said with a sinister smile before


    he ended the call.


    After the call, Yvonne kept refreshing the page on her phone until the video was finally taken down three


    minutester. It was only then did she feel a huge weight lifted from her shoulder. Leaning back against


    the head of the bed, she felt ill at ease as she started thinking of ways to get her child back. After some


    pondering, she dialed Veronica¡¯s number.


    Currently, Veronica was nestled on the couch while watching a movie together with Matthew. With her


    head on hisp, she answered the phone. ¡°Yvonne?¡±


    ¡°Roni, I¡­ I¡­¡± It was difficult for Yvonne to say it out loud.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Realizing that something was wrong with Yvonne, Veronica immediately sat up and


    leaned against the couch instead before she continued, ¡°Do you want me toe over?¡±


    ¡°N-No need. I¡¯m fine,¡± Yvonne stuttered, as she couldn¡¯t help but be anxious over having to do another


    shameful deed. With her lips pursed and one of her hands clutching the bedding, she took a moment¡¯s


    reprieve before she said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve thought about it. I want to go back to Castron.¡±


    ¡°You want to go back?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The reason I¡¯vee to Bloomstead to further my career was to prove myself to my parents. Now


    that I¡¯m here¡­ I can see that I am reallycking. S-So, I want to go back with my child.¡± Left with no


    other choice, she could only lie to her friend. She knew that Matthew would not hand her back her child if


    she didn¡¯t do it this way.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    In truth, Veronica felt that it was a good choice for Yvonne to return to Castron. Not only were her parents


    there, but they were also powerful and influential enough to shelter her from harm. Thinking back on


    what had befallen her, Veronica couldn¡¯t help but pity her. She knew her to be a good person who didn¡¯t


    want to only depend on her parents, so she decided to venture out on her own. Unfortunately, she came


    across that scoundrel, Conrad Kings. Ultimately, the feelings she had for Yvonne were closer to


    penitence, as she was the one who had introduced the two of them to one another.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± Yvonne answered. Then, after a brief silence, she asked, ¡°Do you mind asking Matthew


    when he can return my child to me? I¡¯ll need to arrange my ne ticket soon.¡±


    Veronica tilted her head and nced at the man beside her before she answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give


    him a call and ask him now. Since you¡¯re the one who wants to go back to Castron, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t


    stop you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Roni.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite with me,¡± Veronica said with a smile before she ended the call after a few


    exchanges of pleasantries. Then, she put down her phone on the table before she turned to look at


    Matthew. With her head resting on her hand and her elbow propped on the couch, she said to him,


    ¡°Yvonne wants to bring her child back to Castron.¡±


    Hearing that, Matthew furrowed his brow and said, ¡°It sounds good, if she really ns to do so.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I also think it¡¯s good for her to return to Castron.¡± Veronica automatically ignored the insinuation


    hidden in Matthew¡¯s words.


    Both Veronica and Matthew were in the dark about the video that Conrad had recorded, while Conrad


    was only still specting at this time.


    ¡°Just where exactly are you keeping the child?¡± Veronica was slightly curious as well.


    ¡°Not far from here. He¡¯s in Collins.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Collins?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Matthew answered with a nod.


    The most dangerous ce was the safest ce. Matthew had never intended to send the child away to


    a distant ce. Hence, at Veronica¡¯s request, he instructed his men to bring the child back. Before night


    fell, Veronica brought the maternity matron who was taking care of the child and the child himself to


    Yvonne¡¯s vi.


    After receiving Veronica¡¯s call that she was on the way, the haggard-looking Yvonne immediately put on


    makeup to conceal her pale face and waited for their arrival in the living room. When Veronica came with


    her baby in hand, she immediately went forward to greet her. The moment sheid eyes on her baby, a


    bead of tears came falling from her eyes.


    The child was fair and his skin was clear. His eyes wererge like a pair of grapes and his eyshes


    were long like a pretty doll. With such features, he was indeed a very cute child. ¡°Goo goo gaga¡­¡± The


    baby waved his tiny hands and started grasping the air with his little fingers. When Yvonne came into the


    baby¡¯s sight, the baby giggled with bubbles blowing from his mouth. It was a very cute scene for those


    who saw it.


    ¡°Here, hold him. Such a cute little rascal. Looking at him makes me want to have one myself.¡±


    Veronica was in love with the child when she held him in her arms as she kept showering the baby with


    praises. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s inherited some good genes from his parents with how good-looking he is. I¡¯m


    certain he will grow up to be a handsome man. By then, manydies will fall for his charm.¡±


    Sniffling, Yvonne took the baby from Veronica with a smile filled with joy. However, she couldn¡¯t hold back


    the tears from welling up in her eyes. ¡°Mommy missed you so much.¡± With her eyes on the baby, she


    gently rubbed her cheek on the baby¡¯s delicate skin while her heart ached as though it was stabbed by a


    knife.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be crying when you¡¯ve been reunited with your son.¡± Veronica patted Yvonne¡¯s shoulder


    as sheforted her. ¡°To avoid you having a long night, I¡¯ve already booked a flight back to Castron for


    you. The flight is scheduled for three o¡¯clock in the afternoon tomorrow.¡±


    There were only two flights per day to Castron. The first flight felt rushed as it was in the morning at


    eight-thirty. As Veronica was worried that Yvonne might dawdle with the child, she decided to book the


    afternoon flight instead.


    Yvonne¡¯s eyes lit up briefly. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 539

    Chapter 539


    Chapter 539 Treachery


    Yvonne felt touched, knowing that Veronica had done everything for her sake. The two of them sat in the


    living room and chatted for a bit, but Yvonne was out of it. When she noticed that it was already close to


    eight, her eyes lit up as she thought of a n. ¡°Roni, I won¡¯t ask you to stay the night here since I want to


    sleep with the baby. I¡¯m afraid that¡­ the baby will disturb you.¡±


    Looking at the warm scene of Yvonne doting her baby, Veronica felt slightly envious. ¡°Alright, then you


    should have some rest. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow morning.¡± She knew that Yvonne wanted to spend some


    time alone with the child as she hadn¡¯t seen the child for some time, so she didn¡¯t want to disturb the


    mother-son bonding time. Thus, after a few more pleasantries, she left the vi.


    As there were many mercenaries stationed for the vi¡¯s protection, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems as


    long as Yvonne stayed put. Not to mention, it would only be one night before she flew back to Castron.


    Even if Conrad is fast in gathering information, news of the child returning to Yvonne wouldn¡¯t reach his


    ears that fast, she thought.


    Nheless, Veronica felt a vague sense of uneasiness. So, instead of going to Matthew, she decided to


    first stop by Vincere Games. Since she would be away from Bloomstead for a long time to undertake the


    Devil¡¯s training, she needed to take care of thepany¡¯s affairs before leaving.


    Fortunately, she had a good rtionship with the partners of thepany. Thus, she only needed to


    exin to them that she would be out of contact for some time as she would be undergoing special


    training in Castron and that she would arrange for someone to take care of thepany¡¯s affairs in her


    ce. As the partners made no objections, she left after spending close to two hours in thepany.


    When Veronica came back to Twilight Condominium, she found Matthew in the living room. Sitting on the


    couch while working on hisptop, he looked as though he was waiting for her return.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping yet?¡± Veronica asked while she changed into her indoor shoes. Then, she


    walked over to Matthew and wrapped her arms around his neck before she kissed him on the cheek.


    Closing hisptop and setting it aside on the table, the man then looped his left arm around Veronica¡¯s


    waist. ¡°I was waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Matt, you¡¯re such a wonderful man.¡± With a smile filled with desire, she rested her chin on the man¡¯s


    shoulder with her head slightly tilted enough for the man¡¯s face toe into her peripheral vision. Then,


    shemented, ¡°When I saw how gentle and tender Yvonne was when she had her baby in her arms, I


    was envious of her.¡±


    ¡°Is that not a simple matter? Your husband can grant you your wish whenever you desire,¡± Matthew said


    with a mischievous smile.


    Veronica pondered with a frown before she said, ¡°That little baby was really cute. However, I don¡¯t wish


    to have a child yet. Since I¡¯m still a child, I don¡¯t want to be raising another child.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no concern. I can work a little harder in raising two ¡®children.''¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be too hard on you?¡±


    Although she had posed such a question, she was still touched and felt her heart melt into a puddle


    listening to Matthew. Though he was several years older than her, he had always taken great care of her.


    She enjoyed such a life where she was pampered daily by him.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Taking care of my wife and child is not only my obligation but also my duty, so it won¡¯t be hard on me.


    On the contrary, it would be¡­ my honor.¡± Matthew pinched her cheeks. ¡°Grandma has always wanted a


    grandchild. Don¡¯t you want to fulfill her wishes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying it as though I can make a baby on my own.¡±


    ¡°Does it? Listening to you, do you think that I am not up to the task?¡±


    Noticing the hints of craftiness shing in the man¡¯s deep ck eyes, Veronica immediately waved the


    white g in her heart. ¡°No, no, no. I truly did not mean that¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to exin. I understand.¡± The next second, Matthew lifted her up like she was a child and


    made a beeline for the bedroom.


    Meanwhile, at the hospital.


    Holding her baby in her arms, Yvonne entered the hospital after getting out of the car. On the way to


    meet the person, the baby was in deep sleep while she felt a sharp ache in her heart with every step she


    took. I¡¯m sorry, my child. I¡¯m the one at fault here, she thought as she held back her grief. Escorted by


    two bodyguards for her protection, she made her way to the inpatient department with the baby in tow.


    And so, she went upstairs and headed straight for Conrad¡¯s ward.


    Leaning on the bed, Conrad was watching the news when Yvonne entered his ward. Upon the sight of


    her appearance with the child in her arms, he smiled, a glimpse of light zipping across his eyes. ¡°Today¡¯s


    Yves is truly obedient.¡± Then, he lifted the bedding and got up. Although he still felt pain in his injuries


    whenever he moved, it was still within the range of his tolerance. After he walked up to her, he fixed his


    gaze on the child in her arms while paying extra attention to the birthmark behind the child¡¯s ear. Looks


    like the irregr birthmark of the size of a small thumb is indeed present, he thought to himself.


    Disliking how close Conrad was, Yvonne took a step back and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already brought the child here,


    so you can delete the videos now, right?¡±


    With a frown, Conrad replied, ¡°Although you did bring the child here, a DNA test needs to be done.¡±


    Then, the man went to the table and took a cotton swab before returning to the mother-son pair. After he


    dabbed the drooling out from the corner of the baby¡¯s mouth with the cotton swab and pulled a few


    strands of his hair, he handed them to his bodyguard standing outside the door and instructed him to


    send them to a designated ce to expedite the process.


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Conrad said as he pointed at the couch. ¡°If you had handed over the child earlier, then I


    wouldn¡¯t have had to resort to such dire measures.¡± He then poured a ss of warm water for her and


    ced it on the table.


    As Yvonne did not trust Conrad, she was afraid to ept a drink from him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you


    that much.¡± And so, she ignored the man as she only fiddled with her phone with the child in her arms. In


    truth, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to be fiddling with her phone right now. None of the videos she yed on


    the phone were even on her mind, as she could only think of the baby in her arms. Must I really hand my


    child over? She was still hesitating.


    Half an hourter, the result of the expedited test was out. Afterparing the DNA of the two samples,


    it was confirmed that the child was indeed Conrad¡¯s. Thus, he put down his phone and walked up to


    Yvonne. ¡°Now then, give me the child. Let me see just what a child of my genes looks like.¡±


    ¡°Delete the videos first!¡± Yvonne raised her voice as she hugged the child tightly, unwilling to hand the


    child over.


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll delete them.¡± With his phone in hand, Conrad sat beside Yvonne as he deleted each


    and every one of the videos from his phone. ¡°There, all deleted.¡±


    After Conrad deleted the videos, Yvonne went through the recycle bin on the phone and the file


    application on the phone. When she had confirmed that there were no longer traces of the videos, she


    heaved a sigh of relief. However, she immediately felt a sense of regret the moment she cast her eyes


    downward at the child in her arms. ¡°Jerry, Eric!¡±


    Upon Yvonne¡¯s words, the two bodyguards outside instantly entered the ward. As Conrad¡¯s attention


    shifted to the two bodyguards, she immediately stood up and made her way out of the ward with her


    baby. Since Jerry and Eric were the strongest among the mercenaries stationed in the vi, they would,


    at the very least, be able to handle ten men on their own, so she held hope that she would be able to


    make a getaway here.


    ¡°Block his path while I leave with the child,¡± Yvonne instructed the two men and was about to leave the


    ward, but was stopped by Jerry and Eric. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Move aside! I told you to block that


    man!¡± she yelled while trying to drag them away from her path. However, the two of them remained still


    as they continued to block the ward exit.


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± Behind Yvonne, Conrad let out augh. Leaning on the couch, he took out a cigarette and


    ced it in his mouth. After lighting the cigarette and taking a drag, he asked, ¡°Just where does the little


    princess think she¡¯s going? Hmm?¡±

 Chapter 540

    Chapter 540


    Chapter 540 ¡®Yvonne¡¯s¡¯ Returned to the Country


    Yvonne looked back at Conrad, and upon seeing how he calmly and gracefully sat on the couch, she


    immediately knew that the two men behind her had stabbed her in the back. ¡°You¡­ I treat you both well.


    Why have you betrayed me?¡±


    Her eyes were wide and red from anger. Hearing that, Jerry and Eric looked at each other before the


    yellow-haired Jerry said, ¡°In your people¡¯s words, ¡®human beings die in pursuit of wealth, and birds die in


    pursuit of food¡¯. Mr. Conrad pays us dozens of times more than you do.¡±


    ¡°Tell me how much he is paying you.¡± She then added with a roar, ¡°I will double that!¡±


    The brothers smiled at each other and shook their heads. ¡°We have already betrayed you anyway. We


    will be marching into death if we go back on our words now.¡± Eric sighed.


    They knew there was no turning back from the moment they made their choice as they could already


    imagine the consequences of going back to Yvonne¡¯s side after betraying her.


    Seemingly on the verge of losing her mind, she turned back and looked at Conrad as she hissed, ¡°You


    despicable man!¡±


    ¡°I am despicable? No. You are the one who went back on your word.¡± He tapped the ash off the cigarette


    between his fingers. ¡°I gave you your chance. You were the one who didn¡¯t appreciate it.¡±


    After he finished saying that, he threw a speaking look to the man behind Yvonne.


    All she felt was a pain in her neck before her vision went ck, and she fell to the floor.


    Another bodyguard had gotten himself ready to catch the child in her arms right when she went limp.


    ¡­


    The next day at Twilight Condominium, by the time Veronica woke up, Matthew had already prepared her


    some prawn porridge.


    It still brought her immense joy even though he always made porridge or simple sandwiches for their


    breakfast every day.


    These days, however, she had not been eating much because of her loss of appetite.


    ¡°Come. Eat the prawn porridge I cooked for you. I will bring you a ss of hot milk.¡±


    Dressed in casual clothes and an apron, Matthew had rolled his sleeves up to his elbow, and was


    holding a spat in his hand. He looked like a chef who prepared state banquets.


    However, he was way more handsome than a real chef who prepared state banquets. His current outfit


    especially gave him that extra touch that made Veronica drool.


    ¡°You are so handsome today, Matt,¡± she generouslyplimented him, only for Matthew to peek at her


    from the corner of his eye. ¡°Fine. I will let you take a few more looks.¡±


    ¡°Gee whiz, what a stuck-up fellow.¡± Elbows on the table, Veronica propped her chin with her hands as


    she beamed.


    After seeing him enter the kitchen, she took a spoonful of prawn porridge and blew at it. She was about


    to eat when she suddenly felt her stomach turn, and she gagged.


    She then put down the spoon and ran to the washroom.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    She began to retch with one hand pressing onto her chest, but the next moment, she immediately


    covered her mouth.


    Something is wrong! she suddenly realized. I haven¡¯t had my period in over a month, and now I am dry-


    heaving? What is going on?


    Veronica was hit by a feeling of doom all of a sudden. Many seconds had passed, but still she hadn¡¯t


    come back to her senses.


    It had been more than a month since she forgot to take a pill after she rolled in the sheets with Matthew


    on Qurra Mountain.


    Not only did her period note, she had a loss of appetite, and would asionally suffer from acid


    reflux.


    She had thought that it was her gastritis that rpsed, but now¡­


    It seemed like she might be¡­ pregnant.


    Matthew stood outside the bathroom and knocked on the door. ¡°Roni? What is wrong?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh. My stomach hurts all of a sudden.¡±


    In order to hide it better, she took off her pants and sat on the toilet.


    ¡°Hurry it up, okay? The porridge is going to go cold,¡± he reminded her.


    ¡°Mhm. Okay.¡±


    She quietly breathed a sigh of relief after that. She couldn¡¯t help feeling d that he didn¡¯t hear her retch


    earlier. I am doomed otherwise.


    She continued to stay in the washroom for a while before she finally shuffled to the dining room.


    Feelings of uncertainty began to arise when she saw him sitting there eating.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have anything to eat if you continue being all wishy-washy.¡± He was telling her to hurry over


    and eat.


    Resigned, she sat in front of him and scooped a spoonful of porridge. She then forced herself to eat it,


    but she didn¡¯t thoroughly chew in fear of throwing up.


    ¡°Does it taste bad?¡± Matthew asked all of a sudden.


    Sitting across from her, he noticed that her eyebrows were pulled together, and she was eating with her


    head lowered, as though she had something on her mind. It looked like it was hard for her to swallow


    that spoonful of porridge.


    He swiftly took a spoon of porridge and tasted it. ¡°It tastes fine.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± When Veronica snapped back to reality, she quickly shook her head. ¡°N-No. It is probably due to


    something else. My throat doesn¡¯t feel too good.¡±


    She decided to put down her spoon when she finally couldn¡¯t force herself any longer. ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± she


    stated. ¡°My throat hurts.¡±


    Another spoonful of this and she would be projecting everything out.


    Matthew was a clever man. She would be doomed if he found out the truth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat if you don¡¯t want to. I will take you to the hospital for a quick check-up,¡± he suggested after he


    stood up to clean up the table.


    Veronica got up as well, and she shook her head while she helped him with the cleaning. ¡°No need for


    that. I will get medicine to lower my body temperature when I pass by the pharmacyter. I need to go to


    Yvonne¡¯s anyway.¡±


    Right after she said that, the phone in her pocket began to ring.


    After setting the table cloth aside, she took out a tissue to wipe her hand with. She then took her phone


    out and saw that she was getting a call from Yvonne.


    ¡°Yvonne, I am on my way to you,¡± Veronica informed Yvonne after epting the call.


    ¡°No. It is fine. I called you to tell you that I am getting on a ne soon.¡±


    ¡°You are boarding now? Isn¡¯t the flight I booked for you this afternoon? Where are you getting on a ne


    now?¡±


    Her question was met by momentary silence. ¡°Um¡­¡± Yvonne tried again, ¡°I am in Lothen. I came to


    Lothenst night because I was worried about my baby being brought here. I am taking a flight from


    here.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before you left?¡± Veronicained, to which Yvonne only sighed. ¡°I was


    worried.¡±


    ¡°Lothen is so far away from here. I can¡¯t make it there right now. Go ahead and board your ne.


    Remember to video call me when you arrive in Castron.¡±


    ¡°I have already contacted my parents. They will be picking me up from the airport. Don¡¯t worry about me.


    After ¡®Yvonne¡¯ said that, she added, ¡°I am boarding now. Talk to youter. Bye.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t say anything more after she heard the boarding announcement broadcast on the other


    end of the phone. ¡°Hurry up and get on the ne, then. Safe travels.¡±


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± The call was cut after ¡®Yvonne¡¯ hummed in reply.


    As Veronica held her phone and recalled her conversation with Yvonne, she couldn¡¯t help feeling


    something was wrong. However, she couldn¡¯t exactly point out what the problem was.


    Sitting on the chair, she let out a long sigh.


    Matthew happened toe out of the kitchen then. ¡°Should we move back to the vi?¡± he suggested,


    thinking Veronica was worn out.


    After all, there wasn¡¯t much space in this condominium unit. It would make it even more inconvenient if


    there were servants here.


    She shook her head and rejected his idea. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I like it here. It feels like home.¡±


    Even though the vi was morous and magnificent, a ce of that size always felt extremely cold


    because of how empty it was.


    All Veronica wanted was to live a harmonious life alone with Matthew; not having anyone to disturb them


    did feel pretty good.


    Otherwise, she would never feel truly rxed.


    Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡°You are the one who has to suffer because of me. Do you


    find it hard to cope with having to do everything by yourself when you used to live in an enormous vi


    and had tons of servants waiting on your hand and foot?¡±

 Chapter 541

    Chapter 541


    Chapter 541 Pregnant With Twins


    Matthew undid his apron and put it on the back of the chair before he walked over to Veronica. After he


    tilted her chin with a finger, he gently ced a kiss on her forehead. ¡°I am fine as long as you are here.


    The only thing I worry about is how I will never be fine if you dump me one day.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s words had an underlying message, but Veronica pretended to not understand. She only


    pouted and boasted, ¡°You will have to serve me well, then. Who knows if there wille a day when I


    dump you because I am not happy.¡±


    ¡°That, of course, is my fault when you put it that way.¡± Leaning close to her ear, Matthew lowered his


    voice as he murmured, ¡°It seems I will have to work out more from now on. What am I going to do if my


    woman dumped me because I can¡¯t ¡®serve¡¯ her well due to ack of stamina?¡±


    Veronica was stunned for a beat before she muttered, ¡°You old pervert!¡±


    ¡°It has been years since I passed the legal age. You are not wrong for calling me old.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Matthew Kings, you are getting more and more unscrupulous!¡± Veronicaughed, amused by


    Matthew.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Aren¡¯t you going to see Yvonne? You should go now.¡±


    ¡°I am not going anymore. She is already on a ne.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    Matthew didn¡¯t think too much about it.


    With both his head and heart filled with Veronica, he didn¡¯t care about other people, much less concern


    himself with them. ¡°That works out just nice. I will take you to the hospital to check your throat.¡±


    ¡°It is just sore. I am not going to the hospital.¡±


    In fact, Veronica didn¡¯t have a sore throat at all. She would definitely get busted if she agreed on going to


    the hospital.


    She got up and walked toward the bedroom as she waved dismissively. ¡°You should get to work. I will


    sleep in for a bit. I might not have such afortable life in the future.¡±


    ¡°I will keep youpany.¡±


    Hearing that, Veronica quietly grumbled to herself, How am I supposed to get a pregnancy test if you are


    here?


    ¡°What are you keeping mepany for?¡± She tried to shoo Matthew off. ¡°I am still going to hang out with


    Ruka today. I can¡¯t possibly let her see us together.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t.¡±


    Veronica was rendered speechless at his short reply.


    Resigned, she could only call Ruka. ¡°Hey, where are you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re finally giving me a call, huh? I thought you went missing.¡±


    Ruka continued to huff from the other end of the call. ¡°I asked you to go find Hendrey with me, and you


    actually abandoned me and went home yourself!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I didn¡¯t have a choice. Speaking of Hendrey, have you found him?¡± Veronica acted all innocent.


    She didn¡¯t want Ruka to know too much about her rtionship with Hendrey. The more Ruka knew, the


    worse it would be for her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see him, but I heard he is fine.¡±


    ¡°That is good news. Are you free today? Do you want to go shopping?¡±


    ¡°Sure! When are we going?¡±


    ¡°I will go to you in a while.¡± Veronica proceeded to tell Ruka what time she would be there.


    She had no choice but to ask Ruka out to go shopping together.


    Now that they were together and Matthew was aware that Veronica would be leaving soon for hardcore


    training that wouldst half a year, Matthew tried his best to spend as much precious time with her.


    On the other hand, she only wanted to get rid of him so that she could get a pregnancy test from a


    pharmacy and test if she was pregnant.


    She honestly didn¡¯t know what other excuse she coulde up with, if not shopping.


    After half an hour, Veronica sessfully left Matthew as she drove to Luka¡¯s.


    As she was passing by a pharmacy, she stopped the car to buy a pregnancy test. She went as far as to


    buy five different brands, out of fear that one of them would be inurate. After that, she ran to a nearby


    public restroom, and did the test with all five sticks.


    Her heart immediately dropped when she looked at all the two-line test results after five minutes.


    Feeling uneasy, Veronica swiftly called Ruka and came up with a reason to suddenly not go.


    She then quickly drove to the hospital, registered, and did an ultrasound.


    After an hour-long wait, she finally got the ultrasound results, and was sitting in front of the gynecologist


    when the doctor cheered after reading the report.


    ¡°Oh my, you are such a lucky youngdy. You are pregnant with twins!¡±


    As a gynecologist, the doctor understood the joy of having twins, as not everyone could conceive twins.


    However, Veronica didn¡¯t want children now.


    She had considered keeping the child if she turned out to be pregnant. After all, she had had an abortion


    before. Going through it again would be unfair for the child as it would be irresponsible to herself.


    Receiving the unexpected ultrasound test result of her having twins, however, made her feel like the sky


    had fallen.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, have you decided which hospital you want to give birth in? If it is in our hospital, you can open a


    file first, and thene for an obstetric checkup.¡±


    The doctor carefully looked at the examination report and continued, ¡°The children¡¯s condition is normal,


    but you must pay attention because they are twins. What about your husband? Did he note with you


    for the examination?¡±


    ¡°Ha! He doesn¡¯t know yet. Thank you, doctor. I will discuss it with my husband at home.¡±


    Veronica got up, took the examination report from the doctor, and walked out of the obstetrics and


    gynecology department.


    Standing in the hall on the third floor, she looked down at the report in her hand, and froze for a second


    before she threw it into the trash can.


    ¡°Roni?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Someone suddenly called out from behind.


    The shell-shocked Veronica was so preupied with the sudden news that she didn¡¯t hear the voice at


    all, and she went into the elevator that brought her downstairs.


    By the time Skyler, who was strolling along from the end of the corridor, ran to the spot where Veronica


    stood, he realized that the elevator had already gone downstairs.


    ¡°Did I get the wrong person?¡± he asked himself, confused.


    As he wondered about that, his gaze drifted and happened tond on the report in the trash can.


    Half of the report was peeking out from the can as it wasn¡¯t properly dumped. Skyler then picked it up


    and took a look at it, only to be surprised when he saw the unmistakable words written on it¡ªVeronica


    Murphy.


    His face further fell after he swept through the content of the report. ¡°Holy moly! Twins? Hell¡­ Who is the


    father?¡±


    Didn¡¯t Roni and Matt break up? Did she cheat on him already?


    No. That is not it.


    Roni even called to ask about Matt a few days ago. It is unlikely she cheated.


    He finally wondered, Could the children be Matt¡¯s?


    A nurse came running toward him in the middle of his musings.


    ¡°Dr. Robins? Dr. Robins! Why did youe here?¡±


    He slipped the ultrasound result into his folder. ¡°What is the matter?¡± he asked, to which she answered,


    ¡°The doctor wants to see you.¡±


    Hearing that, he nodded and left with the nurse.


    Veronica had left the hospital and had driven to a park where she sat alone and spaced out.


    Matthew didn¡¯t call her either, as he didn¡¯t want Ruka to find out about their rtionship after Veronica


    told him that she would be spending time with Ruka.


    At the same time, Matthew had taken some time out to busy himself with arranging official documents in


    his office when he received a call from Skyler. ¡°Matt, where are you?¡± Skyler asked as soon as the call


    went through.


    ¡°Thepany.¡±


    ¡°Aye. Wait for me. I am on my way to you.¡±


    After saying that, Skyler didn¡¯t give Matthew any chance to speak and immediately ended the call.


    Meanwhile, Matthew didn¡¯t give it much thought as he put his phone aside and continued to work.


    After half an hour, Skyler barged into the president¡¯s office like a tornado and, when he stood in front of


    Matthew, hit the table as he gushed, ¡°Matt, something big has happened!¡±

 Chapter 542

    Chapter 542


    Chapter 542 The Baby Is to be Born


    Although Skyler was yelling in an agitated tone, Matthew was still calmly reading the document. Parting


    his thin lips, he slowly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    It was as if Matthew had gotten used to Skyler¡¯s carefree personality and felt that the emergency Skyler


    imed was not really an emergency at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± Skyler was a little hesitant as he was unsure if the child in Veronica¡¯s womb was Matthew¡¯s. Then,


    he tried again, ¡°Y-You¡¯d better mentally prepare yourself.¡±


    Atst, Matthew finally closed the file and looked up at Skyler. ¡°You better have something really


    important to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Skyler hurriedly nodded. After hesitating for a while, he said, ¡°Earlier, my friend invited me to


    his hospital to check out a rare case, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°The point is that I found out Roni is pregnant, so¡­¡± Skyler drew out his words while staring at Matthew,


    and he noticed that Matthew was giving him a cold stare while his eyebrows twitched. As such, Skyler


    thought that the child wasn¡¯t Matthew¡¯s, which is why he muttered, ¡°The father might be¡­ someone


    random?¡±


    Matthew raised his eyes as he shot a cold gaze at Skyler. Then, he mmed the documents on the table


    at Skyler. ¡°I¡¯m the random man you¡¯re talking about!¡±


    ¡°What? Is it really you?¡±


    Needless to say, Skyler was still surprised.


    He hung his head in thought and muttered, ¡°No wonder I saw Roni looking lost at that moment. You


    broke up with her, after all. However, she is pregnant, which is obviously why she¡¯s sad. A-After all, you


    already lost a child.¡±


    As he said that, Skyler ced the ultrasound examination report on the table.


    Matthew picked up the report and read it with a dark expression. Then, he leaned against the executive


    chair and subconsciously picked up the phone to call Veronica.


    However, he hesitated when he unlocked his phone and tapped on Veronica¡¯s contact.


    Eventually, he slowly ced the phone on the table.


    Instead, he pulled out a cigarette from the case and lit it to have a smoke while leaning on the chair.


    Then, he fell into a long silence.


    Matthew¡¯s reaction made Skyler confused. ¡°Hey, Matt. W-What¡¯s with this reaction? The child is all yours,


    so why don¡¯t you hurry up and ask Roni?¡±


    Skyler felt like a back-seat driver.


    Seeing Matthew was calm and did nothing, Skyler was anxious for his friend.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s cold eyes turned to Skyler, his gaze full of warning.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Skyler was utterly baffled as he was confused about what Matthew was thinking. ¡°It¡¯s such a big deal, so


    why don¡¯t you contact Roni?¡±


    Contact? Of course I want to contact her. Moreover, the only thing I want is to be by Veronica¡¯s side right


    this moment. However, Veronica hid the news of her pregnancy from me repeatedly. Then, she lied that


    she went shopping with Ruka, only to go to the hospital for a checkup. If it wasn¡¯t for Skyler identally


    seeing her in the hospital, I don¡¯t even know how long she will hide this from me.


    ¡°When you had an ident in Castron, Roni called me. She said she knew that you still had feelings for


    her. Why don¡¯t you guys¡­ get together again?¡±


    Skyler was worried as he looked at Matthew¡¯s stony expression.


    ¡°Look, you¡¯re rich and influential. Soon, you will have twins. You¡¯re at the peak of your life. Roni is so


    beautiful, and her personality is both spicy and sweet. Not to mention she is skilled, intelligent, and wise.


    Matt, she¡¯s a keeper. Old Mrs. Kings has been looking forward to your child for many years. I¡¯m sure


    she¡¯ll be happy for a long time to know Roni is pregnant with twins. Would you like to guess if it is a


    pigeon pair, or is it two boys or two girls?¡±


    The talkative Skyler rambled on and on.


    Hence, Matthew flicked the ashes at the ashtray while holding the cigarette butt between his fingers and


    coldly nced at Skyler. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    The nagging made Matthew have a headache.


    ¡°Matt, what are you doing? You have twins; shouldn¡¯t you celebrate it right now? Why are you trying to


    shut me up?¡± Skyler rolled his eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t shut up, and I shall call our brothers out to celebrate for


    you.¡±


    ¡°You can continue with your n if you have a death wish.¡±


    Matthew said that in a low voice, effectively shutting Skyler up.


    ¡­


    After taking a walk alone, Veronica drove to First Meeting.


    Crayson, the security guard, saw Veronica the moment she arrived at the entrance of First Meeting and


    had just gotten out of the parking lot.


    Crayson was immediately happy. ¡°Hey, why are you here, little brat?¡±


    Then, he walked up to her dressed in a navy blue security uniform with a smile. However, he immediately


    noticed she looked down in the dumps, so he asked in concern, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You look pale.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Veronica pointed at the rest area outside thepany. ¡°I have something to talk to


    you about.¡±


    So, they walked to the rest area under the sunshade. After pulling out a stool and sitting down, Veronica


    couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Grayson sat opposite Veronica. Veronica had a sad and long face, so it was easy to know she had


    something on her mind.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Veronica stammered and looked up at Crayson as she mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Crayson was stunned for a moment. Then, he pped the table and stood up while pointing at


    Veronica. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    Like most parents, knowing their child was pregnant could be overwhelming.


    As Veronica¡¯s master, Crayson ced high hopes and trust in Veronica like a father. However, he was


    still furious when he heard the news.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Veronica lowered her head while picking at her nails uneasily as her thoughts were in disarray.


    There are things that I really don¡¯t want to tell Master Crayson. However, my situation is unique, so I


    can¡¯t hide it from him.


    Seeing Veronica didn¡¯t say a word, Crayson moved his chair angrily and sat down to re at Veronica.


    ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Her mind was in a mess, and she hadn¡¯te up with a solution.


    That day Crayson told her that she was scheduled for six months of training. Now that she was pregnant,


    the n was put on hold.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he returned to the hidden n, so it was a real dilemma where the child would go.


    ¡°Abort the child!¡±


    Crayson gave a definite answer and also made his stance clear.


    Veronica was not surprised by Crayson¡¯s answer, so she replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s twins.¡±


    ¡°Twins?¡±


    It¡¯s already a sin aborting a child, not to mention two children¡­


    This stumped Crayson.


    After thinking about it, he asked, ¡°Does Matthew know?¡±


    Veronica shook her head. ¡°Not yet. However, I have no intention of telling him either.¡± After dropping her


    head for a long time, Veronica suddenly raised her head and said firmly, ¡°However, I will keep the


    children.¡± She had made her stand. She then murmured, ¡°I came here today because I wanted to


    discuss something with you. It¡¯s about leaving Matthew.¡±


    From the day Veronica learned her identity, she had thought about not involving Matthew.


    He¡¯s already sacrificed too much, so I don¡¯t want him to get involved anymore. After all, he has nothing to


    do with any of this.

 Chapter 543

    Chapter 543


    Chapter 543 Seal His Memory


    When she finished, she didn¡¯t see Crayson being surprised. On the contrary, he was unusually


    calm. Crayson took a cigarette case out of his pocket to pull out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. Then,


    he lit it and took a pull.


    In the countryside, he always liked to carry around a tobo stick and smoke leaves. However, in the


    city, he had subtly changed his habit. After that, Crayson let out a long breath. ¡°Alright. You guys aren¡¯t


    meant to be.¡±


    In the apartment earlier, when Crayson was talking to Matthew and Veronica, he noticed that Veronica¡¯s


    eyes were flickering and she was seemingly plotting something. He knew it but didn¡¯t say it out loud.


    Crayson had long expected that Veronica woulde over to talk to him about Matthew, but he didn¡¯t


    expect she would bring the news of the twins too.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s meant to be is anyone¡¯s guess.¡± Veronica leaned on the chair and looked sideways as she


    lamented, ¡°The hidden n is in crisis, so I don¡¯t want to drag him down with me.¡± ¡°Then you guys aren¡¯t


    meant to be.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± Veronica shook her head. During mid-summer, the scorching sun was like fire. Only the


    breeze brought a trace of coolness and messed up Veronica¡¯s bangs.


    She lifted her pale and delicate fingers to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear as she said, ¡°As long as I¡¯m


    alive, I can still continue our fate.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Crayson snorted coldly and stopped dwelling on the topic. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°I want to leave Bloomstead as soon as possible and go to a ce where no one knows me. I will give


    birth to the children and settle down. Then, I will return to the hidden n.¡±


    I must deal with the matter of the hidden n. I can¡¯t hide from that duty forever. However, the babies in


    my womb are almost two months old, so I should be fine in hiding for another eight months. At that time,


    I will safely deliver to the children and ask someone to take care of them, and I can return to the hidden


    n without worries.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Will Matthew let you go?¡±


    Crayson took off his security cap and scratched his head. Then, he snorted with his hat on again, clearly


    not believing Matthew would let Veronica go.


    ¡°With how he feels about me, he will surely not let me go. However¡­¡± She paused mid-sentence as her


    eyelids lifted. Then, she looked at Crayson with those clear and watery eyes. ¡°If he forgets about me, he


    won¡¯t stop me.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Crayson suddenly couldn¡¯t understand Veronica¡¯s thoughts.


    Veronica blinked with her long, thickshes. The slightly drooping eyelids hid the shimmering gxy that


    appeared in her eyes.


    However, her eyes became dull again in a blink.


    After a long while, she raised her head and said, ¡°I was fortunate enough to read a book called¡­¡± She


    slowed down while looking up at Crayson and continued, ¡°Secret Affair of the Hidden n.¡±


    After saying the book¡¯s title, Veronica kept staring at Crayson as she tried to get some clues from his


    subtle expression.


    As expected, Crayson frowned, and there was a surprise in his eyes. ¡°Where did you read it?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. However, it is clearly stated in the book that one of the hidden ns can seal a


    person¡¯s memory.¡±


    Some things were coincidental, yet they seemed to be fate.


    For example, when Veronica first went to the Kings Residence and identally fell into the underground


    chamber, she coincidentally found the book Secret Affair of the Hidden n in the chamber study.


    At that time, she was lost and tired in the chamber. So, she saw the book and curiously read it. Then,


    she just saw the record about the hidden technique used to seal the memory.


    From time to time, Veronica wondered if this was God¡¯s arrangement.


    Crayson held the cigarette while taking several puffs until the cigarette was exhausted. Then, he pressed


    the cigarette butt into the ashtray and put it out.


    ¡°Answer my question,¡± Crayson repeated.


    Veronica knew Crayson was very concerned about the hidden n, so she didn¡¯t hide it and stated,


    ¡°There is an underground chamber in the Kings Residence. Once, I broke into the chamber with Matthew


    by mistake and identally stumbled upon it in the study.¡±


    ¡°The Kings Residence underground chamber? In which year was the chamber built? How old is that


    book?¡±


    ¡°The underground pce is at least a hundred years old. The Secret Affairs of Hidden n is a blue-


    skinned book; I think it is an isted copy left over from thest century.¡±


    After she finished, Crayson leaned on the seat with his arms around his chest and pondered.


    After a long while, he murmured, ¡°The hidden n has always been very secretive, and not many people


    know about the n¡¯s existence. Why would Secret Affairs of Hidden n appear in the Kings


    Residence underground chamber? Could someone in the hidden n be in the Kings Family?¡±


    ¡°What is the significance of having people in the hidden n in the Kings Family?¡±


    Veronica noticed Crayson¡¯s solemn expression and knew this was no trivial matter.


    ¡°It depends on what their level is.¡± Then, Crayson sighed and waved, ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s put this matter


    aside for now. I will investigate it after this. However, you said you want to seal Matthew¡¯s memory. Are


    you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Veronica nodded without thinking.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you regret it?¡±


    ¡°He has saved my life many times since I met him. Hence, I owe him a lot. At first, I felt peace when he


    saved me; I even felt he was kind and worthy of my trust. However, as he saved and sacrificed for me


    more, I feel that this is a debt that I can¡¯t repay, which makes me uneasy.¡±


    Love required mutual sacrifice.


    Veronica wanted to do a lot of things for Matthew. However, she could not do so.


    Since she had met Matthew for more than a year, he had repeatedly taken risks for her. Hence, the


    kindness she owed him would be difficult to repay in her lifetime.


    I can¡¯t even repay him now, but the debt is infinitely stacked!


    In the end, the debt had reached the limit she could handle, and Veronica could no longer ept


    Matthew¡¯s sacrifices.


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to do it. However, not everyone can seal memories. Let me know after you think about it,


    and I¡¯ll help you contact someone that can do it as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need more time. I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡±


    Veronica was resolute in her decision.


    That stubbornness wasforting to Crayson yet heartbreaking.


    He looked at Veronica meaningfully and didn¡¯t say anything.


    In the end, he just nodded. Then, he got up and left.


    After he left, Veronica sat alone under the umbre in the rest area for a long time.


    Ring, Ring¡ª


    Her phone in her pocket rang suddenly.


    She took out her cell phone and saw the call was from Matthew.


    Veronica hesitated for a moment before she answered the call. ¡°Matt?¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Matthew asked in a gentle tone, ¡°Are you done shopping? Why haven¡¯t


    you responded to messages I sent to you?¡±


    Listening to his warm voice, Veronica only felt a dull ache in her heart, and she felt heartbroken for him.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done. I¡¯ll go back right away.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait for you at home.¡±


    ¡­


    After half an hour, Veronica returned to the Twilight Condominium and walked into the living room to see


    Matthew sitting on the couch.


    When the man heard the sound, he turned to look at the entrance. Veronica was leaning against the wall


    with one hand and carrying a lot of bags in the other arm while standing there to change her shoes.


    With a tired look, she pouted at him and said, ¡°Jeez, Ruka can¡¯t stop shopping. I¡¯m about to die of


    exhaustion.¡±

 Chapter 544

    Chapter 544


    Chapter 544 Attacked by an Ex-girlfriend


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Matthew got up and walked toward Veronica with a gentle smile. His expression was


    indifferent, as if he didn¡¯t know Veronica was lying. Then, he smoothly took the bags from her hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of stuff. Is there a gift for me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Veronica was stunned for a moment, then she shook her head with her face full of


    embarrassment. She reached out and scratched her head. ¡°Oh, my¡­ I was too tired from shopping with


    Ruka and forgot about it.¡±


    Truth was, she did not shop at all. She bought a few clothes at the roadside mall on the way back to


    continue the lie, and she did not even know if they fit her.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for forgetting about you. Should we go shopping tomorrow? I can pick a few clothes for


    you.¡± Veronica wisely changed the subject. Matthew gave her a meaningful look. His pupils were dark


    and unclear, making it impossible to fathom what he was thinking.


    ¡°Alright.¡± He responded and led Veronica to the living room. The tired little woman lounged on the couch


    as she mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡±


    Whether it was from the hot weather or the pregnancy that gave women the habit of napping, Veronica


    felt tired. She couldn¡¯t help but be thankful that the children in her womb were unharmed after being


    severely beaten by Xavier in Castron, and they were indeed a gift from God.


    Matthew poured a ss of warm water and handed it to her. ¡°Here, drink some water.¡± That gentle and


    considerate naturepletely differed from his ruthless and domineering image.


    It was hard to imagine the cruel man everyone talked about would be so considerate. Veronica couldn¡¯t


    help but think of the poem. In me, the tiger sniffs the rose.


    Then, she got up to sit cross-legged on the couch and epted the ss of water. She smiled genuinely


    as she murmured, ¡°Matt, you¡¯re so kind to me.¡±


    After speaking, she took arge gulp of water from the ss. Matthew took the cup and ced it on the


    table, then took out a tissue to wipe the water on Veronica¡¯s mouth.


    Suddenly, his delicate fingers pinched her chin and lifted slightly. ¡°My kindness to youes at a price.¡±


    ¡°Huh? A-At what cost?¡±


    Veronica looked at the standing man before her, and she could feel the discreet coldness from his


    expression, though it was not obvious.


    ¡°You should be nice to me too. If you were to abandon me one day¡­¡± He paused, and his gaze was


    tinged with a hint of coldness. ¡°I will break your legs and put you under house arrest.¡±


    Matthew squeezed Veronica¡¯s chin hard, making her gasp in pain. ¡°Ouch! You¡¯re hurting me.¡±


    Veronica pouted and pped Matthew¡¯s hand away.


    As she reached out and rubbed her chin, her eyes dropped in thought and something shed through


    her gaze. Matthew is clearly not in the right mood. Does this mean he knows something?


    After thinking about it, Veronica couldn¡¯t remember what she had done wrong.


    Suddenly, Matthew asked coldly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me?¡±


    Veronica looked at the man for a moment, as if she could perceive something.


    She frowned and asked after a moment of hesitation, ¡°Y-You know all about it?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Just tell me all about it.¡± Matthew sat sideways beside her and put his arms around her


    shoulders. ¡°First Meeting is mypany, so how could I not know when you tantly went to Master


    Crayson?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Veronica was stunned and confused. ¡°Y-You mean the part where I met Master Crayson?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    Veronica used his left hand to hold her hand while gently rubbing her hand with his fingers to feel her


    delicate and smooth skin. However, he hid his loneliness behind his slightly drooping eyelids.


    He was giving Veronica a chance, and only gave her a little pressure.


    Hearing that from Matthew, Veronica secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. After


    shopping with Ruka, I passed by First Meeting, so I went to rest and chat with Master Crayson.¡±


    ¡°To discuss with him about abandoning me?¡±


    Veronica stayed silent. What an ambiguous statement; what is he trying to say?


    ¡°Roni, even if you go out to train for six months, I¡¯ll stille to you. If I suddenly can¡¯t contact you one


    day, you are doomed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, haha¡­¡±


    Veronicaughed dryly as she understood what Matthew meant, so she shook her head and leaned on


    him while nuzzling him. ¡°How could I? You¡¯re so kind to me; I wouldn¡¯t want to leave you.¡±


    Then, the man put his arms around her and smoothed her hair. ¡°Roni, promise me you won¡¯t leave me,


    okay?¡±


    Matthew was disappointed that he couldn¡¯t hear the truth.


    However, it also confirmed his thoughts that Veronica was reluctant to tell him about her pregnancy,


    because she wanted to leave him. She wants to take my children and leave without a word!


    Leaning against his chest, Veronica closed her eyes to hide the pain in her eyes, and she did not answer


    him for a long time.


    Ultimately, she held Matthew¡¯s hand while picking her nails uneasily and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The reply was somewhat superficial.


    This time, Matthew was silent.


    They sat on the couch with their thoughts, and no one spoke for a while.


    A phone rang and broke the silence.


    It turned out that it was Veronica¡¯s cell phone, and it was from Elizabeth.


    Veronica took out her phone and nced at it. Then, she looked up at Matthew. ¡°Caleb? Why is he


    calling me?¡±


    After answering the phone, Veronica asked, ¡°Caleb, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Where are you? If you are free,e to the police station.¡±


    ¡°Police station? W-Why?¡±


    ¡°Shirley is injured and in the police station, so hurry over.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Understood.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Veronica repeated the situation to Matthew and anxiously got up to walk


    toward the foyer. ¡°Matt, I have to hurry over there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with you.¡±


    Knowing Veronica was pregnant with twins, Matthew was getting worried about her.


    They changed their shoes in the foyer, went downstairs, and drove straight to the police station.


    They walked into the police station lobby in Bloomstead and saw Caleb.


    Hence, Veronica hurriedly stepped forward and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why was Shirley suddenly


    injured?¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Caleb was dressed in a navy blue uniform with a police cap and exuded a strong sense of justice.


    He removed his police cap to run his hand through the hair, then nced at Matthew behind Veronica


    and felt surprised. It was because Caleb didn¡¯t expect that they were still together.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­plicated.¡±


    ¡°Speak up if you have something to say. Don¡¯t beat around the bush.¡±


    Veronica was worried about Shirley. After all, Shirley had been working with Veronica ever since Shirley


    graduated from college.


    Later, Shirley stayed at the weddingpany and worked with Monica. When she was free, they would


    have dinner together. Hence, Veronica regarded Shirley as her sister.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of that jerk Skyler. He kept flirting with girls daily, then his girlfriend¡­ Wait, no. His ex came


    and hired someone to beat Shirley. I also contacted Skyler, but I couldn¡¯t reach him.¡±

 Chapter 545

    Chapter 545


    Chapter 545 Skyler¡¯s Been yed


    ¡°Girlfriend? I-I thought he didn¡¯t have one.¡± Veronica had thought Skyler wasn¡¯t in a rtionship since the


    first day she knew him. So what is this about a girlfriend who has popped out of nowhere?


    She looked back at Matthew with a curious face as she waited for him to give her an answer. With no


    intention to hide the truth, Matthew exined, ¡°Skyler¡¯s first love is the reason he is like this.¡±


    After saying that, he paused and hesitated, seemingly thinking of a way to exin it to her in a sinct


    manner. ¡°In short,¡± he eventually added, ¡°his first love yed him. And he in turn started ying other


    people.¡±


    Veronica finally understood after hearing that. It turned out that Skyler was such a casanova because his


    first love had hurt him. On top of that, he was still not over her.


    Now that she was back, she had probably beaten Shirley up because she thought that there was


    something between Skyler and Shirley.


    ¡°That jerk of a man! All he does is flirt and hurt women!¡± she chided while taking her phone out to give


    Skyler a call.


    However, her call went unanswered, and she only heard her call go into the voicemail.


    Left with no choice, she hung up and went in with Caleb. She saw Shirley in the lounge then.


    Shirley was dressed in a waist-cinching summer suit, and her hair was pulled into a high ponytail. But at


    this moment, her high ponytail was a mess that tilted to one side, and there were three bloody scratches


    on her fair face. On top of her eyes being swollen from crying, she also had blood at the corners of her


    mouth.


    ¡°Shir?!¡±


    Heartbroken, Veronica walked over to Shirley.


    As soon as Shirley, who was sobbing, heard that familiar voice, she looked up and saw Veronica walking


    in. She immediately got up and rushed toward Veronica and threw her arms around her as she sobbed.


    ¡°You are finally here, Ron,¡± she wailed.


    Since Shirley didn¡¯t have rtives or friends in Bloomstead, she had naturally gotten close with Monica


    and Veronica.


    She decided to call Veronica because she didn¡¯t want to disturb Monica, who had to go to work and take


    care of her child.


    Besides, Veronica was quite close to Skyler.


    ¡°Come now. It¡¯s alright. I am here.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but sigh as sheforted the woman who sobbed in her chest like a child. She


    somehow felt like Shirley was a young girl even though Veronica herself was only a few years older than


    Shirley.


    ¡°R-Ron, I am scared.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I am here for you. You will be fine.¡± With that, Veronica pushed Shirley away and looked at her


    from head to toe. ¡°How do you feel? Are you injured? I will take you to the hospital for a check-up.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°My t-tummy hurts.¡±


    Shirley continued to sob as diamond-like tears rolled down her beautiful face, making Veronica feel even


    worse than she already did.


    Matthew, who was standing at the door, looked at Caleb with cold eyes. ¡°Where is his girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Drew¡¯s girlfriend sure isn¡¯t someone easy to deal with. She is extremely tight-lipped about the thing she


    had someone else do for her. If it wasn¡¯t for Shirley being Veronica¡¯s close friend, I wouldn¡¯t have said


    that she is Drew¡¯s girlfriend without enough evidence. That would have been immoral.¡±


    Both witness and material evidence were needed to carry out an investigation. Even though Caleb knew


    that Skyler¡¯s girlfriend was the person who pulled the strings behind the scene, he couldn¡¯t just say that


    without sufficient evidence. He would be ndering and defaming her.


    Still, the men were close, so he trusted Skyler would someday tell the truth himself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him. What about you? Why are you with Veronica again?¡±


    Compared to Skyler¡¯s love life, Caleb was more concerned about how Matthew and Veronica¡¯s


    rtionship had progressed.


    ¡°As you can see, we are together. We are getting ready to¡­ get married,¡± Matthew admitted.


    ¡°You are getting married? What an unexpected plot twist!¡± Caleb was very surprised. ¡°I have a feeling it


    will be a tough wedding¡ªouch! What is that kick for?¡±


    Before Caleb could finish his sentence, Matthew had kicked him on his thigh, eliciting a pained gasp from


    the man.

 Chapter 546

    Chapter 546


    Chapter 546 Make Her Pay


    ¡°Shut up if you can¡¯t say nice things.¡± Matthew¡¯s expression sank, and he shot a cold gaze at Caleb. Just


    that one look managed to make Caleb break out in cold sweat.


    ¡°I was just saying. Don¡¯t take it personally.¡± Caleb rubbed his nose and as a glint shed across his clear


    eyes, he leaned in to Matthew and whispered in his ear, ¡°Women are all sentimental beings. You can


    definitely make her yours if you get her pregnant.¡±


    After saying that, Caleb even proudly wiggled his eyebrows at Matthew as the former made another


    confident remark. ¡°It is a conclusion I got from experience.¡±


    Matthew, who was standing as straight as a pole, crossed his arms in front of his chest, his nonchnt


    gaze falling on Caleb. ¡°Experience from being single for 30 years, you mean?¡±


    The smile on Caleb¡¯s face disappeared in that instant, and he rolled his eyes before falling silent. So they


    say the best way to kill a man is by killing his soul, he sighed.


    Right then, Veronica came out of the lounge with her arm around Shirley. The women then stood in front


    of Caleb. Veronica¡¯s fair face looked slightly irritated as she demanded, ¡°I am bringing her home. Please


    find out what you can. Shirley is one of my people. Anyone who hurt her will have to pay!¡±


    Shirley couldn¡¯t help feeling touched by how they had each other¡¯s back.


    Sniffling, she burst into tears again. ¡°You are so nice to me, Ron.¡±


    Even though they weren¡¯t rted by blood, Veronica felt like a real sister to Shirley. With that, Shirley had


    be even more determined to repay Veronica in hundredfold.


    After hearing Veronica¡¯s words, Caleb mumbled, ¡°Um¡­¡±


    He tilted his head to look at Matthew, only to feel the corners of his lips twitch when he saw how


    Matthew¡¯s attention was on Veronica alone.


    As expected, Caleb sighed again. What is a bropared to a woman?


    ¡°Alright, I will make sure Skyler gives you an exnation,¡± he answered her perfectly.


    After that, he walked the three of them out of the police station, and only walked back in after the sedan


    was no longer in his peripheral.


    ¡°Fweet!¡±


    A whistle that sounded from behind immediately stopped him in his tracks. When he turned his head, he


    was greeted by the sight of a ¡®fully armored¡¯ man in ck casual clothes, ck cap, sunsses and


    mask. The man was stered to the automatic sliding door as he greeted Caleb.


    It was safe to say the man was acting like a weirdo.


    As a policeman, Caleb could feel his senses telling him that there was something wrong with the man.


    Could he be a crime suspect who is here to give himself up?


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    As the only visible parts of the man were the parts above his waist as he stealthily stuck himself to the


    door, Caleb didn¡¯t recognize him at first nce.


    It was only until he stood in front of the man, and the man had taken off his sunsses that he


    recognized it was Skyler.


    ¡°Geez, you didn¡¯t even recognize me? I should probably call you Mr. Visual Impairment instead of Caleb.¡±


    He jumpily nced left and right as he spoke.


    ¡°How am I supposed to recognize you when you are wrapped like a mummy?¡±


    Caleb put his hands in his pockets and subconsciously switched on the demeanor of a police officer as


    he demanded, ¡°Why can¡¯t I get through to your phone? Your woman had Shirley beaten up. Matt and


    Veronica have just left. You had better give them an exnation.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Duh. I wouldn¡¯t have the guts toe out if they hadn¡¯t left.¡± As Skyler spoke, he put his sunsses


    back on. ¡°I came here to let you know that I have to stay out of the public¡¯s eye for now.¡±


    ¡°What ¡®public eye¡¯ are you talking about? Don¡¯t tell me you got into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am going to hide from Sofia.¡± Skyler shook his head and sighed. ¡°Why do you think she beat


    up Shirley? It is because I am close to Shirley. Also, she is using such a cruel method to force me to


    appear since I have been hiding from her ever since she came back.¡±


    Hearing that, Caleb let a chuckle slip. ¡°You used to love her to death back then, but now you are hiding


    from her when she is looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! She was the one who dumped me and yet, she is looking for me now. Why would I spend time to


    meet her?¡±


    As Skyler huffed, he took a cigarette out of his pocket and lightly nibbled the butt. He then lit the other


    end and puffed away.


    He didn¡¯t give Caleb one as he knew that the police officer wasn¡¯t allowed to smoke during working


    hours.


    Skyler then added, ¡°What the hell does she think I am for her toe and go as she please?¡±


    Caleb¡¯s phone began to ring at that point.


    ¡°Let me take this call,¡± he threw out while pressing the ept button.


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Caleb. It is Yenna here. Um¡­ Have you seen Skye?¡± In fact, Sofia was the one asking from


    the other end of the call.


    Sofia had stayed abroad for years, and had changed her number after she came back. That was why


    Caleb didn¡¯t know that she was the one calling.


    Hearing that, Caleb looked at Skyler and intentionally repeated, ¡°You are looking for Skyler?¡±

 Chapter 547

    Chapter 547


    Chapter 547 Shir Is Very Cute


    Skyler¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and waved his hand to signal Caleb not to betray him. ¡°I don¡¯t know


    where Skyler is, but there¡¯s something I want to ask. Did you hire someone to beat Shirley?¡±


    ¡°What? What happened? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± ¡°Sofia, your affairs with Drew are


    private, and I have no right to interfere. However, as a police officer, I must warn you about this. By the


    way, I want to remind you that Shirley is a good friend of Matt¡¯s girlfriend, so don¡¯t make a mistake.¡±


    As Caleb finished speaking, there was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, so he ended the


    call. He nced at Skyler coldly. ¡°Handle your own affairs. You better give an exnation to Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Roni, you mean? I don¡¯t want to.¡± Skyler did not dare to meet Veronica for fear of being beaten, and he


    couldn¡¯t resist her.


    However, he noticed Caleb was unhappy, so he gave in immediately. ¡°How about this? You ask Shirley if


    she¡¯s with Roniter. If they¡¯re not together, tell me. I will personally visit Shir to apologize to her.¡±


    So, they happily decided on the n. On the other hand, Veronica took Shirley out of the police station.


    First, Veronica took Shirley to the clinic to get some medicine, and then she sent Shirley home. After


    that, Veronica stayed with Shirley for the whole day and didn¡¯t leave until dark.


    After some reassurance, Shirley was in a much better mood.


    Matthew had One Piece Restaurant deliver a meal to Shirley. Looking at the sumptuous dinner, Shirley


    immediately felt way better.


    After sending off the delivery man, someone knocked on the door.


    At that, Shirley got up and walked to the door to ask, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    A familiar male voice echoed over.


    Shirley looked into the peephole and found that it was Skyler, so she opened the door. ¡°Young Master


    Skyler, why are you here?¡±


    Skyler walked in with a pile of supplements and grinned at Shirley. ¡°Shir, I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s all my fault that


    you got hurt, and I¡¯m here to make amends.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    As he spoke, his gaze fell on Shirley¡¯s face. Seeing a few scratches on her delicate cheeks and a bruise


    at the corner of her mouth, he couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty.


    He felt that Sofia was too unreasonable.


    Shirley looked at Skyler, who wasden with bags, while pursing her lips cautiously and shook her head.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡±


    The dignified Young Master of the Robins Family personally came to her for this ident, so she


    epted the thought.


    However, she was surprised.


    Skyler lifted his foot to close the door while putting the bags on the floor. Then, he turned around to pinch


    Shirley¡¯s face while shoving her cheek to the side. He smacked his tongue. ¡°Tsk! How horrible. They


    should be punished.¡±


    His slender and fair hand cupped her chin. Then, he frowned as he carefully examined Shirley¡¯s face. As


    if he was going to look more closely, he deliberately inched toward her face.


    Shirley felt his closeness, and it was until she could feel the man¡¯s warm breath. Then, she bit her lips


    nervously as her pale cheeks tinged with a touch of scarlet. Even her ears became warmer.


    In an instant, her heart rate was getting higher as her breathing became faster.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m a-alright.¡± Shirley was not used to Skyler¡¯s approach, so she waved his hand away. ¡°Young Master


    Skyler, I¡¯m really alright.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    Although Skyler was carefree and did not notice Shirley¡¯s flickering gaze, he still could see her peach-like


    cheeks flushed with an unnatural blush.


    Shirley wore cartoon pajamas while wearing a pink bunny headband. Her hair was tied into two braids,


    which made her look petite and cute.


    On the other hand, Skyler was used to seeing Shirley wearing professional attire the whole day, so he


    was swayed by her. ¡°Shir, you¡¯re more suitable for casual wear, and you look better without makeup.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shirley looked down at her pajamas and hastily exined, ¡°I took a shower when I got back, so I


    changed my clothes and took off my makeup.¡±


    She took a shower after being beaten and took off her makeup to apply the medicine.

 Chapter 548

    Chapter 548


    Chapter 548 The Rival Coming to Her


    ¡°I see.¡± Skyler didn¡¯t pay much attention to her words, as the fragrance of food hanging in the air caught


    his attention instead. ¡°You¡¯ve cooked? It smells amazing!¡±


    ¡°It was Young Master Matthew. He asked the One Piece Restaurant to make them for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s from One


    Piece Restaurant? Tsk! What a heartless man Matt is! He has never ordered food for me from that


    restaurant.¡±


    Hearing those words, Shirley had no choice but to be courteous. ¡°There is too much food, and I can¡¯t


    finish all of it by myself. Young Master Skyler, why don¡¯t you join me?¡±


    Meanwhile, Skyler immediately epted the offer. ¡°Sure! I¡¯m kind of hungry at the moment.¡± There was


    no answer from Shirley because she was taken aback by his response. I¡¯m just being polite. Are the


    wealthy ones always taking things for granted?


    She left the thought to herself withoutmenting on his behavior. After that, she led him to the dining


    room and brought over a set of cutleries for him.


    As Skyler picked up his spoon and was ready to eat, Shirley suddenly stated, ¡°Young Master Skyler, you


    haven¡¯t washed your hands.¡±


    As he was ustomed to living his own way for his whole life, Skyler perked his head up in surprise


    when he heard her reminder.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Shirley was holding his gaze as he watched her. Her casual outfit and the warmly decorated room gave


    off a leisurely mood.


    Skyler had never experienced such a feeling before.


    It was as if at that moment, the void inside his heart since long ago was filled by something he couldn¡¯t


    make sense of, and the feeling had fulfilled his mind in a split second.


    After he spent years in a haze, he felt truly at home for the first time.


    It was different from back at the vi, where his family and he would gather around the dining table and


    dine in silence as the servants served them at the side.


    It was always quiet and had no traces ofughter around the table, which only frustrated him more.


    ¡°Alright. Where¡¯s the bathroom?¡±


    ¡°There.¡± Shirley pointed in that direction.


    Skyler washed his hands in the bathroom. It was only after he stepped out of the bathroom that he


    noticed the decorations in Shirley¡¯s apartment.


    She was keeping the small living room tidy and organized. There was a bunch of white roses in the vase


    on the coffee table.


    What a coincidence! White roses are my favorite flower.


    ¡°You like roses?¡± Skyler asked as he lifted his chin to gesture over the flowers on the coffee table in the


    living room.


    Shirley answered with a smile, ¡°Right. White roses symbolize pure love.¡±


    His eyes were shining at her words as a thought shed through his mind. We think alike.


    He joined her back at the dining table and the two ate in silence.


    Even though Skyler and Shirley met often, it was the first time the pair had a meal together. Moreover, as


    their first meal together was happening in her home, Shirley was a little restrained.


    She served herself some food and nibbled on them. To make it less awkward between them, she


    initiated the conversation.


    She wasn¡¯t hiding her admiration of him between her words.


    After all, other than being a yboy, Skyler was a man with many strong suits.


    His capability, friendliness, and sense of humor were the perfectbination to leave a good impression


    on others.


    Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.


    Shirley put the cutlery on the table as she pushed her chair back. ¡°I¡¯ll answer the door.¡±


    Monica had reached out to Shirley before Skyler¡¯s visit, so Shirley was expecting Monica at the door.


    After all, it was already half an hour since theyst talked, and Monica was supposed to be here at any


    time.


    She wasn¡¯t expecting a woman in light makeup would stand outside her apartment when she opened the


    door. The woman with shoulder-length ck hair was wearing a ck baker boy cap.


    Her crop top and the pair of cks were in ck, too. A gold chain was hanging down from the side of


    her top and buckled on the waistband, while her feet were d in a pair of sneakers.


    The outfits set off the reddish tone of her porcin skin and her slender waist. Besides, it was obvious


    she had abs.


    ¡°You must be Shirley. Allow me to introduce myself, I¡¯m Sofia Green.¡± The woman introduced herself as


    she brushed past Shirley and walked into the living room.

 Chapter 549

    Chapter 549


    Chapter 549 She¡¯s at the Door


    ¡°Sofia Green?¡± Shirley had no idea who the woman in front of her was. However, Sofia¡¯s unique


    temperament caught Shirley¡¯s attention, and she thought that Sofia was a beautiful woman.


    Sofia¡¯s fit figure and fancy outfits could outshine a celebrity. However, Sofia wasn¡¯t as good as Veronica


    in Shirley¡¯s opinion. Somehow, she has the face of an inte sensation.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯m Skye¡¯s girlfriend,¡± Sofia answered as she put her things down in the foyer without noticing the


    person in the dining room. Shirley was confused by the statement. ¡°Who¡¯s Skye?¡±


    ¡°Skye¡± was a nickname given to Skyler by Sofia. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb.¡± Sofia swept her long hair to the back


    of her shoulder as she sized Shirley up with a disdainful look. ¡°That¡¯s a fresh choice of outfit. No wonder


    Skye would look at you. Guess I¡¯m wrong about you before. You really are something, eh?¡±


    Shirley didn¡¯t need more description to understand who ¡°Skye¡± was.


    She¡¯s referring to Skyler! The realization was blowing her mind.


    Shirley already got hit in the first ce because of Skyler. Now, his girlfriend showed up at Shirley¡¯s door.


    How am I supposed to prove myself innocent?


    Thinking back on it, Shirley regretted asking Skyler to join her for the meal.


    From the dining room, Skyler could probably hear their conversation in the foyer, but he did not reveal


    himself. Shirley didn¡¯t need to think twice to understand he wanted to avoid agitating the situation.


    After all, she was good at observing her surroundings and reading people after being Veronica¡¯s


    assistant.


    Hence, she stated, ¡°Miss Green, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve misunderstood. I have nothing to do with Young


    Master Skyler, and I wish you two a happy rtionship. I¡¯m quite tired, so I apologize for not inviting you


    into the house.¡±


    Shirley wanted to chase Sofia away and avoid getting involved with the woman. Things probably


    wouldn¡¯t end well if Sofia found Skyler in Shirley¡¯s house.


    ¡°I¡¯m already here to apologize. What¡¯s with your attitude?¡±


    Folding her arms, Sofia was ring daggers at Shirley with a tilted head, as if telling thetter to know


    her ce.


    Sofia would only swallow her pride and apologize to Shirley in the first ce due to Shirley being rted


    to Veronica. Or else, she would never go soft on another woman.


    Shirley found Sofia¡¯s rude behavior and arrogant attitude irritating, but she was afraid of such a person.


    ¡°Miss Green, I forgive you. I appreciate your kindness, too. However, I¡¯m exhausted after what happened


    today.¡±


    Shirley was helpless against Sofia¡¯s outrageous attempt, and she couldn¡¯t hide the tiredness and


    impatience that were written all over her face.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    However, Sofia was seeing things from a different perspective. Sofia thought Shirley was provoking her,


    and the idea of being looked down upon by a poor woman from the lowest level offended her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got quite an attitude.¡±


    Sofia reached out her hands and shoved Shirley. Shirley took a few steps back in her slippers before


    losing her bnce as she stumbled on the presents from Skyler. She let out a shriek in surprise and fell


    to the ground.


    Skyler walked out of the dining room when he could no longer stand it for not doing anything. ¡°Sofia, stop


    being unreasonable!¡±


    He found Shirley on the ground as soon as he joined the two in the foyer. He immediately assumed Sofia


    was the one who pushed Shirley, so he turned to Sofia with a cold look. ¡°Now what? Are you still not


    satisfied even after you beat her? Are you trying to do it again at her house?¡±


    Sofia widened her eyes in disbelief when she saw Skyler in Shirley¡¯s apartment. She knitted her brows


    as she stuttered, ¡°Y-You¡ª¡±


    She pointed at Skyler before turning to point her finger at Shirley. ¡°You told me that you have nothing to


    do with him!¡±


    Before Sofia could get an exnation from Shirley, Skyler walked over to the woman on the ground and


    helped her rise to her feet as he asked in concern, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    It was just an everyday question, but he was talking gentler than usual to Shirley due to the guilt filling his


    mind.


    From what Sofia saw, Skyler was taking extreme care of Shirley.

 Chapter 550

    Chapter 550


    Chapter 550 Deaf After Being pped


    ¡°I-I am okay.¡± Shirley shook her head as she pushed Skyler away to keep some distance from him. She


    didn¡¯t want Sofia to misunderstand the situation.


    When she moved a few steps to her left and kept herself away from him, she wasn¡¯t expecting Sofia¡¯s


    p tond on her face as the woman scolded, ¡°Making a move on my boyfriend? Do you have a death


    wish?!¡±


    Sofia¡¯s handnded on Shirley¡¯s face, making a clear and loud noise. The blownded right on Shirley¡¯s


    ear, and it was ringing right now. Taken aback by Sofia¡¯s move, Shirley paused for a beat before she put


    a hand next to her ear to rub where she was hit.


    It hurts! ¡°Sofia, are you out of your mind? I¡¯m the one to me! This has got nothing to do with her!¡±


    Skyler dragged Shirley away from Sofia¡¯s view as he stepped in front of Shirley to keep her out of Sofia¡¯s


    reach. Anger was boiling within him as he red at Sofia.


    Their eyes bored into each other. Skyler took his time to study the woman with a nice figure in front of


    him. He had been missing her every second in the past, but now he could no longer recognize her.


    She had be a stranger to him. Skyler was rejecting the thought of Sofia returning to the country


    after all these years. He couldn¡¯t ept the truth and hoped to run away, so Sofia couldn¡¯t find him.


    He never prepared to see her in her old self, still bossing people around. Sofia pointed at Shirley. ¡°This


    b*tch is trying to seduce you! I¡¯m just teaching her a lesson. Did you forget what I¡¯ve told you in the


    past?¡±


    ¡°Stop mentioning the past!¡± Skyler growled at her as soon as she finished her words.


    Watching her with a pair of cold eyes, he clenched his fists before he pulled Shirley into his embrace. He


    grabbed her waist in his left arm while his right hand held her chin in a firm grip as he pressed a kiss onto


    her lips.


    The kiss was as light as a feather. After that, he released Shirley and turned to Sofia. ¡°Are you satisfied


    now?¡±


    He then sneered. ¡°You should know that people have no obligation to wait for you if you want to leave,


    especially me. I won¡¯t wait for anyone.¡±


    He was saying these words against his will.


    Pursing her lips, Sofia gestured at Shirley as she was trying to say something, but she eventually gave


    up on the attempt as she drew her hand back to her side.


    Holding his gaze, she nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve always known I¡¯m the one at fault, but can¡¯t you see now I¡¯vee


    back to marry you? You¡¯re the one who has been avoiding me.¡±


    Sofia was speaking the truth. She returned to the country only to marry Skyler, and it was the main


    reason why the man didn¡¯t want to see her and had been avoiding her.


    Sofia had to investigate his recent social activities as she was left without choices.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Monica and Shirley were both his frequent contacts, but Sofia ruled Monica out due to Monica having a


    family, and Skyler wouldn¡¯t be interested in her.


    Hence, Shirley was the only person left to be suspected by Sofia.


    Feeling the pain in her ear, Shirley covered it with her left hand without joining in the conversation.


    Skyler shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re back because you¡¯ve had enough fun in another country? Sofia, how can


    you expect someone to wait for you forever? I have given you three years to reconsider, but you never


    take the opportunity. As for now¡­¡±


    He stopped for a moment and sighed before he continued, ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡±


    Putting an arm around Shirley¡¯s shoulder, Skyler tilted his head and lifted his chin, gesturing at Shirley. ¡°I


    like a docile and gentle girl better.¡±


    He tightened his grip around Shirley¡¯s shoulder as he dered, ¡°I am not seeing you these days because


    I don¡¯t want to waste my time exining. Now Shirley and I are about to get engaged, so I suggest you


    better forget about our past.¡±


    Sofia red at the pair with puffy cheeks as she clenched her fist at the side. She parted her lips to


    speak, but eventually, no words escaped her.


    After a long silence, Sofia nodded. ¡°Skyler Robins, how dare you?!¡±


    After that, she immediately turned on her heel to leave. The tears in her eyes hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed by


    Skyler, but he didn¡¯t follow her.


    ¡°Shirley, I¡¯m sorry. I¡ª¡± Once Sofia was out of sight, Skyler released Shirley and apologized. When he


    noticed she was covering her ear, he scowled. ¡°What happened to your ear?¡±


    ¡°My ear hurts,¡± she mumbled.


    Based on his perception as a doctor, he was aware that she was ufortable. Pulling her hand away,


    he got close to her and gave her a quick check, only to find a few drops of blood in her ear.


    ¡°We must go to the hospital now!¡± Skyler¡¯s expression sank at Shirley¡¯s condition, and he wasted no


    more time taking her to the hospital.

 Chapter 551

    Chapter 551


    Chapter 551 Shirley Has Became Skyler¡¯s Girlfriend


    After doing a check-up in the hospital, the medical result showed that Shirley was suffering from a


    ruptured eardrum by an external force.


    ¡°You need to eat the pills for the time being ande back four weekster for a review. You¡¯ll need


    surgery if you aren¡¯t recovered by that time.¡± After picking up the prescription, Skyler reminded Shirley as


    he stood in front of her.


    She nodded and took the medicine from him. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you home.¡± He was feeling guilty


    to cause her to be in such a condition. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Don¡¯t reject me.¡± Skyler snatched the prescriptions from her as he dragged her toward the exit by


    grabbing her wrist. Shirley followed behind him without fighting. All she could see was his warm hand


    around her slender wrist and his dependable silhouette.


    The thumping of her heart was deafening. Shirley could feel her heart beating faster and her breath


    quickening. Her flushing cheeks due to nervousness were sending warmth all over her face, and she


    even forgot to wriggle out of his grip.


    She followed him back to his car. After that, Skyler drove her back to her apartment. Once she arrived at


    her destination, Shirley thanked him. ¡°Thank you for sending me back. Goodbye.¡±


    As she finished her words, she turned around to open the car, but her attempt failed when she found the


    door was locked. ¡°Young Master Skyler, the door¡¯s locked,¡± she reminded as she cast him a shy look.


    ¡°Shirley, will you be my girlfriend?¡± Skyler was facing her with a serious expression. ¡°What?¡± The


    unexpected confession left her at a loss and she could hear the buzzing in her head.


    ¡°A fake one, I mean. I need your cooperation. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll pay you.¡± Even after he finished his


    proposal, Shirley was still lost in her thoughts, as if she hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock.


    She needed time to digest the breaking news. Sensing her hesitation, Skyler added, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you one


    hundred thousand for a month. I¡¯ll end the deal as soon as Sofia leaves.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Shirley hesitated. For her, one hundred thousand was indeed a huge sum. After all,


    Shirley was a fresh graduate. Such a pay was tempting for a young woman like her, and she saw no


    point in rejecting the offer.


    However, she also thought of the fierce Sofia, who caused Shirley a ruptured eardrum with just one p.


    She¡¯s a horrible woman. After thoughtful deliberation, she shook her head. ¡°The reward is tempting


    indeed, but I¡¯m afraid of her. I think¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll add another one hundred thousand to your pay! But it means I need to live in your apartment too.¡±


    Noticing her re and the rmed look on her face, Skyler exined, ¡°We need to make it look real. It¡¯s


    dubious if we¡¯re living apart from each other. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take the couch in your living room.¡±


    Sofia was a clever woman. She had sharp eyes and could notice a n¡¯s ws if they were careless.


    ¡°Did you say two hundred thousand?¡± What enormous pay!


    Biting her lip, Shirley stared at the roof of the car as she made the calctions in her mind. Two hundred


    thousand for one month means four hundred thousand for two months. Usually, I need to work for at


    least two to three years for that kind of amount.


    ¡°Will youpensate me for her hitting me?¡± Shirley took a direct approach. Her eyes were twinkling as


    she smiled, and Skyler thought it was utterly adorable.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Her look made him burst intoughter. ¡°What if she beat you up till death? There¡¯s no use of


    compensation anymore.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re living in a society ruled byw. I don¡¯t believe she would do that. She¡¯ll restrain herself when


    you¡¯re with me.¡±


    ¡°Alright. You¡¯ve got yourself a deal, but we need to sign a contract first. You can¡¯t deny it if it¡¯s in ck


    and white. It just so happens that I have a printer at home.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! Who taught you to be a fan of money?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s natural to be fond of money. I don¡¯t need to learn from anyone.¡± Shirley chuckled.


    They went back to her apartment together. Shirley drafted a contract and printed it out before she


    handed it over to Skyler for his signature. Later, he transferred ten hundred thousand into her bank


    ount as a deposit.


    She looked for a nket from the cab before she put it on the couch and told him, ¡°You¡¯ll sleep here


    starting today.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± He nodded.


    She cast a nce at the wall clock and noticed it was only 8.00PM, and she wasn¡¯t sleepy yet. On usual


    days, she would binge watch thetest drama, but with Skyler in her home, she had no idea what she


    should do.


    ¡°You should take a rest. I¡¯ll rest in my bedroom.¡±


    Even though she had known him for a long time, living with him in the same house was a different thing.


    Shirley was ufortable with the changes in her daily life, so she retreated to her bedroom.


    When she was lying on the bed, she finally noticed something odd.


    The apartment featured only one bedroom and one living room, thus the bathroom was built in the


    bedroom.


    Oh my God! What should I do?

 Chapter 552

    Chapter 552


    Chapter 552 Something Happened to Sasha


    Meanwhile, in the Twilight Condominium, Veronica was resting her head on Matthew¡¯sp as they binge-


    watched a soap opera in the living room. At times, his slender fingers holding the fork would feed her a


    melon chunk.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Tasting the juicy melon, she felt quite rxed in the peace and wonderful atmosphere, enjoying the


    sweetness brought by her rtionship.


    ¡°It tastes good. You should try it.¡± She picked up a fruit chunk with the fork and reached for his mouth.


    ¡°Say ¡®aah¡¯.¡± She was talking to Matthew like a child. He stifled augh at her tone. ¡°I¡¯m not a child.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want it? Then I¡¯ll dly have it.¡± His contentment was showing from the smile on his face.


    Veronica had fun with his reaction as she ate the fruit chunk by herself.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t want it.¡± Matthew stared at the woman lying on hisp. ¡°Toote.¡± Veronica


    raised her brow at him as a triumphant look showed on her delicate face.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡ª¡±


    As she was speaking with fruit in her mouth, her voice was muffled. Before she could finish her words,


    Matthew put a hand on the back of her head as he leaned over and initiated a kiss on her lips.


    His warm lips pressed onto her cold ones and he nibbled on them before he stopped, his forehead


    touching hers. He then murmured tenderly, ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡±


    As soon as hisment left him, Matthew aimed for another kiss on her lips. The taste of the tender kiss


    lingered on their lips.


    At that moment, the buzzing of his phone on the table interrupted the two smooching on the couch.


    Matthew backed away from Veronica with a scowl.


    ¡°D*mn it!¡± Grumbling, he allowed the displeasure to show on his face. From where Veronica was lying,


    she could see his lips glimmering from their shared saliva as he sat upright. It was evident of their


    intimate moment and her heart skipped fast at that.


    Her cheeks flushed at the thought, and her smoldering gaze held his stare. She studied his handsome


    profile from where she was, and concluded his sharp jawline was a bonus to his attractiveness.


    Grabbing his cell phone from the table, Matthew took a nce at the caller ID before he answered it.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Sasha was the one who called. She answered him through a sob. ¡°Matt, where are you?¡±


    Veronica could hear a faint voice over the phone in the quiet living room, but it wasn¡¯t clear enough for


    her to hear the full conversation.


    Matthew¡¯s once rxed expression was reced by a scowl as he stopped caressing Veronica¡¯s face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did he hurt you again?¡±


    The ¡°he¡± Matthew mentioned was none other than Adrian.


    Sasha tried to answer him through a whimper. ¡°H-He is¡­ Ah!¡±


    Out of the blue, Sasha screamed from another end of the line. Veronica noticed Matthew¡¯s body tensed


    at it.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m good. Matt, I¡ª¡± Before Sasha could finish her words, the call ended abruptly and all he


    could hear was a busy signal.


    Worried about Sasha¡¯s well-being, Matthew dialed her number, but his three attempts ended up being


    not picked up by the owner.


    Suspecting something wasn¡¯t right with the silence, Veronica raised herself on her elbows and asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Something happened to Sasha. I need to pop by and see what¡¯s up.¡±


    Matthew was holding her hands in his when his pair of eyes full of determination bored into her as if they


    were telling her to give him her trust.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Veronica was aware of Sasha having feelings toward Matthew, but he didn¡¯t share the same feelings as


    Sasha and wouldn¡¯t reciprocate it.


    Veronica knew it was important to strike when the timing was right.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Matthew willingly agreed with her.


    The two got up from the couch and changed their shoes at the entrance before heading toward the


    elevator.


    Once the pair stepped into the elevator, Veronica sighed in resignation. ¡°What¡¯s exactly happening?


    There¡¯s too much drama in just one day.¡±

 Chapter 553

    Chapter 553


    Chapter 553 Veronica¡¯s Jealousy


    ¡°That¡¯s life.¡± Matthew put a hand on Veronica¡¯s head and caressed her long hair as he consoled her.


    Tilting her head to the side, she exchanged a look with him and smiled knowingly.


    After that, the pair took off to Sasha¡¯s apartment by car. Once they found a spot in the parking lot, he led


    Veronica straight into one of the apartment buildings and headed toward the elevator.


    As they stepped into the elevator, she watched him press the button of the sixteenth floor. Aplex


    expression stered to her ivory face as she cocked an eyebrow at his familiarity with this ce and


    alluded, ¡°It seems like you know your way around here.¡±


    Turning to the side, Veronica allowed her meaningful gaze to rest on Matthew. He took only one look at


    her to know what she was implying. He reached out to her with one arm and held her in it as the other


    hand tilted her chin upward. He grinned from ear to ear as he murmured, ¡°Am I sensing a hint of jealousy


    from my Little Roni?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! You wish! Dream on!¡± pping his hand away, she rolled her eyes at him as she whined. As


    soon as she finished her words, he leaned over without warning and kissed her on the lips. His tongue


    parted her lips for better ess before he slipped it into her mouth and their tongues met.


    Veronica was taken aback by Matthew¡¯s sudden kiss. However, he released her from his grip and


    straightened his body before she could reciprocate as he asked her with a smirk, ¡°How did that taste?¡±


    She stared at him without a word.


    As the pair broke apart from their deep kiss, a string of saliva dangled between their lips and glistened


    under the light in the elevator.


    A momentter, the string broke loose and fell on her lips. Veronica licked her lips subconsciously at the


    sensation and shook her head, ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Matthew raised his brow. ¡°But I saw someone licking her lips for an aftertaste.¡±


    Did I?


    Veronica tried to recall, and the realization that she did lick her lips dawned on her btedly.


    A twinge of shame grew inside her chest, and her face flushed at the feelings and seemed redder than


    usual.


    She cast him a shy smile and wiped her lips with her sleeve before she shook her head in denial. ¡°It isn¡¯t


    sweet, I told you. The saliva is full of bacteria. There¡¯s no way it tastes sweet.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve be an expert by tasting it so many times.¡± Matthew couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°I


    really can¡¯t tell from your exterior that you have such a unique hobby.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who likes it!¡± Veronica retorted, feeling resignation at his attempt to tease her.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    There was a long story between her and the drool.


    It was back when she was a student that she would lie on the table for a nap during recess. Sometimes,


    she drooled and she took the opportunity to smell it. It didn¡¯t have a nice smell at all.


    The elevator stopped at their destination and opened with a chime, stopping her from expressing more


    opinions regarding the topic. As Matthew and Veronica stepped out of the elevator, their hands found


    each other without a cue and held tightly.


    Even if it was a casual gesture, it showed their rapport with each other.


    She took the lead and stepped onto the corridor before scanning her surroundings. ¡°Which way?¡±


    ¡°On your left side. The one at the end.¡± He pointed in that direction.


    Holding his hand, she took the initiative to head in that direction.


    Matthew followed behind Veronica and watched her for a moment before his gaze lowered to their


    holding hands.


    Her slender fingers were cold even in the summer. When the coldness touched his warm fingers, they


    became a perfectbination.


    Matthew caressed the back of her hand with his index finger, appreciating the soft and smooth sensation


    of her skin.


    Even though it was just a small gesture, it was enough to make him smile. At that moment, he realized it


    was the definition of his love for her.

 Chapter 554

    Chapter 554


    Chapter 554 Sasha Confessed to Matthew


    ¡°Here?¡± Veronica stopped at the end of the corridor and turned to Matthew as she pointed at the door on


    her right side. After he nodded, she knocked on the door.


    She didn¡¯t notice anything wrong before she knocked on the door, but was soon to realize something


    was wrong when her hand touched the door.


    She turned to him involuntarily for assurance. As their gazes met, the pair pushed the door open and


    stepped inside the room without a word.


    A small living room with a European style design came into their view. The decorations in the room were


    abination of light luxury and minimalist as they bathed in the dim light of the ss chandelier.


    As soon as the pair stood in the living room, they noticed the room was in a mess. There were many


    empty liquor bottles on the coffee table and small shards of broken bottles, wine, and fruits were


    scattered on the ground.


    ¡°Sasha?¡± Matthew called out before he headed toward her bedroom. However, Veronica tugged at his


    hand before he could make it further.


    He turned around with a confused look and saw her shaking her head at him. She gestured at the


    bedroom door and implied that she would take a look instead.


    The second thought came to him. Veronica was right, though. After all, it was a woman¡¯s bedroom, and a


    man shouldn¡¯t go into a woman¡¯s bedroom without her permission.


    As he was worried about Sasha¡¯s well-being, he neglected the fact that she was a woman.


    Or perhaps Matthew had never considered Sasha as a woman.


    Letting go of his hand, Veronica strode toward the only bedroom in the apartment suite and pushed open


    the door.


    Sasha didn¡¯t turn on the lights in her bedroom. The light from the living room shone over the opened


    door, illuminating the bedroom with faint light.


    Veronica could see Sasha was facing away from the door, dressed in acy tulle nightgown.


    Grabbing hold of the doorknob, Veronica parted her lips and was about to say something before Sasha¡¯s


    words stopped her.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Sasha mumbled.


    Veronica sought the opportunity to introduce herself, but Sasha was faster. ¡°I thought you loved


    Veronica, but it turns out you¡¯re holding me in your heart too. Matt, I¡¯ve something to tell you. It took me a


    while to finally make the decision. Actually, I have no feelings for Adrian at all. The only man in my mind


    will always be you because I¡¯ve fallen for you since a long time ago. If it isn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have


    gone through with the sex reassignment surgery.¡±


    As she finished her words, Sasha began to untie the sash of her nightgown. Then, she undressed by


    pulling the fabric away from her chest to the sides and allowing the nightgown to slip from her milky-white


    shoulders. Atst, an almost perfect figure was presented before Veronica.


    It was an unexpected turn of events for Veronica. She gaped as the scene unfolded and couldn¡¯t form a


    proper response.


    Even though she didn¡¯t get an answer, Sasha continued, ¡°I drank a lot today to give myself some liquid


    courage. T-That¡¯s the reason why I could finally have the courage to call you here. I-I want to be


    your girlfriend. ¡±


    Sasha was acting on a purpose. She was pretending to get hit by someone on the phone, only to trick


    Matthew toe over to her ce.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    She wasn¡¯t known as a brave woman, so she had been hiding her true feelings to herself, never


    revealing them to Matthew.


    Everything changed when Veronica showed up. Sasha felt a sense of crisis when she saw Matthew


    could even sacrifice himself for Veronica¡¯s sake. Sasha couldn¡¯t restrain herself from the feelings


    anymore, so she drank a lot of alcohol to give her the courage to call him.


    She was aware of his arrival as she heard him calling her name a moment ago, but she hadn¡¯t mustered


    the courage to face him to confess. Therefore, she could only face away from the door as she expressed


    her true feelings without a stop.


    Little did she know that she woulde face to face with someone else when she turned around


    expecting Matthew to be there.


    ¡°Veronica?¡±


    Widening her eyes at the unexpected person, Sasha nked out for a second before another thought


    urred to her. She covered her body with her arms and screamed, ¡°There¡¯s a pervert here!¡±


    As soon as she expressed her surprise, she picked up the clothes from the ground and covered her


    body. Meanwhile, Veronica was dragged back to her senses by Sasha¡¯s scream. As she turned on her


    heel to leave, she noticed Matthew walking over. Taking a few steps back into the room without


    hesitation, she closed the door without a loud thump.


    Even though Sasha was once a close friend of Matthew¡¯s, who could even share a bed with him, she


    was already a woman at the moment. Thinking that Matthew shouldn¡¯t invade Sasha¡¯s privacy as there


    was a difference between the two genders, Veronica closed the door with determination.

 Chapter 555

    Chapter 555


    Chapter 555 What a Shameless Woman You Are


    As the door shut, the bedroom once again fell into darkness. After Sasha wore her thin nightgown back,


    she soon realized the fabric wasn¡¯t sufficient to cover her bare body, thus she had to search for a pair of


    pajamas and change into them.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Atst, she turned on the bedsidemp, and the dark bedroom was instantly reced by blinding light.


    Veronica met Sasha¡¯s eyes after she adjusted to her surroundings. No words were said as they


    exchanged a challenging look with each other in the quiet room. The atmosphere in the room


    immediately tensed.


    ring at the woman in front of her, Sasha clenched her fists tightly in anger and her pretty face was


    overwhelmed by anger. ¡°Veronica, you¡¯re so shameless!¡±


    Her words broke the silence.


    As she perked her head up and tucked the hair behind her ear, Veronica gazed at the ground to hide her


    uneasiness.


    Sasha¡¯s behavior was on a whole new level.


    At that moment, Veronica was none other than the person who was feeling embarrassed on behalf of


    Sasha.


    The former raised her brow in resignation as she adjusted her mood and cast an emotionless nce at


    Sasha. ¡°You¡¯re the one who stripped in front of me. How can you use me as the one who is


    shameless?¡±


    Leaning against the door, Veronica studied the woman standing next to the bed with a calm demeanor.


    ¡°Besides, you already know that Matthew is mine, but you still used such kind of dirty tricks to seduce


    him. How dare you nder me when you¡¯re the one who tried to throw yourself at him?¡±


    Veronica must admit that she had underestimated Sasha.


    Truth be told, Sasha wouldn¡¯t have missed the news that Matthew had returned from Castron.


    Veronica could always see Sasha¡¯s affection for Matthew, so a question was wandering in her mind all


    the time yesterday. Once Sasha had gotten hold of the news that Matthew was involved in an ident in


    another country, she would¡¯ve taken the opportunity to visit him as soon as he returned to the country.


    However, Sasha didn¡¯t show up as expected even though Veronica anticipated it for two whole days,


    which was out of character for Sasha, and it confused Veronica.


    It eventually turned out that Sasha had a n in mind.


    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m ndering you? Aren¡¯t you supposed to tell me when you¡¯reing into my


    room?¡± Sasha pointed to the floor tiles beside her feet. ¡°This is my room and my house! I haven¡¯t given


    you permission toe in!¡±


    Recalling the scene a moment ago, Sasha shook in anger involuntarily.


    She thought that she could finally muster the courage and confess to Matthew, not expecting everything


    to end up in misery.


    Moreover, she embarrassed herself in the presence of her love rival. It was such an embarrassing


    moment and the spotlight effect didn¡¯t help to ease her anxiety at all as her hatred toward Veronica only


    grew deeper.


    She must be mocking and looking down upon me right now, or else she won¡¯t have the triumphant smile


    on her face.


    Truth was, Veronica had no intention to mock Sasha or anything. The smile on her face was a bitter one


    as she was helpless against Sasha¡¯s usation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried a few times, but you aren¡¯t stopping with your speech any time soon.¡±


    Veronica shrugged as a pain pulsed at her temple. A momentter, she waved her hands in dismissal.


    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s forget about it.¡±


    Walking across the room, she finally stopped before Sasha with a serious expression. ¡°I know you have


    feelings for Matthew. I also know most of your story. I respect you for your courage to pursue love and all


    of your sacrifice in the process. However, you must understand that Matthew doesn¡¯t share the same


    thoughts as you. You should stop wasting your time on the attempt to change his mind.¡±


    These were the wordsing from the bottom of Veronica¡¯s heart. She pursed her lips before she


    sighed. ¡°Sasha, you¡¯re Matt¡¯s friend¡ªa friend he has known since childhood. If you don¡¯t mind, I want to


    be your friend too. You can tell me everything and I¡¯ll do the best I can possibly do. However, there¡¯s one


    thing you should keep in your mind. Matt can satisfy all of your needs, except one.¡± Veronica stopped for


    a moment before she enunciated clearly, ¡°His love.¡±


    Even though the idea of undergoing gender reassignment surgery was slowly epted by the public,


    most were still against it, let alone acknowledging a rtionship involving such an element.


    Moreover, Matthew was seeing Veronica, for the time being, so he wouldn¡¯t reciprocate Sasha¡¯s feelings.


    Deep down in her heart, Veronica respected Sasha¡¯s sacrifice to pursue her true love, but Sasha was


    doing all of this for her own sake and never thought about Matthew¡¯s needs.

 Chapter 556

    Chapter 556


    Chapter 556 She Nearly Miscarried


    ¡°Yes. The only person he loves is you. Otherwise, how could you act so arrogantly in front of me?¡±


    Sasha chuckled coldly as she growled, ¡°Veronica, don¡¯t be a hypocrite. You disgust me.¡±


    She lowered her head, took a nce at the pajamas beside her, and pointed to her own chest. ¡°Laugh as


    much as you want. Many people already regard me as a joke anyway. It makes no difference to include


    you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it if that¡¯s what you think.¡± Veronica did not want to argue with Sasha any further. ¡°I simply


    want to advise you that now that you¡¯re a woman, you must learn to respect yourself.¡±


    Women were generally more passive than men, making them more vulnerable to bullying. Hence,


    without self-respect, women would be at a disadvantage.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Veronica turned around and walked to the door after she finished her words. Sasha, on the other hand,


    was enraged as she looked at Veronica¡¯s retreating figure. An unknown rage burned in her heart, eroding


    herst semnce of sanity.


    And on the spur of the moment, she kicked Veronica¡¯s back hard. Veronica was taken aback as she


    staggered a few steps forward andnded on the table. Her stomach mmed into the sharp corner of


    the table.


    Despite having undergone the surgery, Sasha was once a man. Her strong body structure and muscle


    strength were not something that the surgery could change.


    She had also previously practiced self-defense techniques and Taekwondo. With that, her earlier kick


    was indeed powerful.


    Veronica was caught off guard and waspletely unprepared.


    This was exacerbated by the fact that her physical condition had deteriorated since returning from


    Castron. She yelled in pain after the kick and her hard collision with the sharp corner of the table before


    copsing on the ground.


    Her abdomen became increasingly painful as she fell to the ground, and it eventually spread to her


    limbs. The agony was so intense that Veronica curled up, unable to say anything else for the time being.


    Outside, Matthew heard Veronica¡¯s scream as well. He dashed into the room, concerned about what had


    happened to her.


    The only thing he saw was Veronica curled up on the floor, looking as if she was about to pass out from


    the excruciating pain.


    His heart sank when he saw that. Remembering that she was pregnant, he immediately turned


    horrifyingly pale.


    ¡°Roni?¡± Matthew yelled for her and dashed over to her side to carry her up.


    Sasha, who was standing nearby, was taken aback. When she noticed Matthew ring coldly at her as


    he carried Veronica out, she shook her head and exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ Matt¡­ I¡­ I only lightly kicked her.


    She was the one who mmed herself into the table.¡±


    Matthew was already at the door when Sasha exined. When he heard Sasha¡¯s words, he halted his


    steps and stared sternly at her. His gazes gave her chills, as if her heart had been pierced.


    ¡°If anything happens to Roni and my children, not even your death will satisfy me!¡± he eximed.


    Then he dashed outside with Veronica in his arms.


    Veronica, on the other hand,y helplessly in his embrace, one hand on her abdomen and the other


    pulling at his sleeve as she mumbled, ¡°Matt¡­ I¡¯m in pain¡­¡±


    Her murmur was soft, and her face was bing paler by the second. Cold sweat was dripping from


    her brow, and she appeared to be in excruciating pain.


    Her mind was preupied with the pain that even though she had heard Matthew mention the children


    to Sasha earlier and knew he had learned about her pregnancy, she didn¡¯t ask any further questions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Roni. I¡¯m taking you to the hospital now. Please hold on for a little longer.¡±


    With that, Matthew quickly entered the elevator. As the elevator began to descend, he looked at the


    woman in his embrace, his heart racing as he nearly suffocated.

 Chapter 557

    Chapter 557


    Chapter 557 Sasha Is Seeking Her Own Doom


    It was unusual for the strong-willed Veronica to reveal her anguish in front of Matthew. As a result, when


    he saw her trembling in pain, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart ache and his mind tumble into chaos.


    As soon as he exited the elevator, he dashed toward his car. Veronica wasn¡¯t particrly heavy, but his


    arms were aching.


    That was because he wasn¡¯t sure how to carry her¡ªnot too tight as he might hurt her, but not too light in


    case she fell. Hence, he could only straighten his arms and hold them firmly in ce.


    ¡°Roni, just hold on for a while longer¡­ Please¡­¡± he said after putting her in the back seat before


    hopping into the driver¡¯s seat and speeding away.


    Matthew drove at a high speed but with extraordinary stability, all because of Veronicaying in the back


    seat. It was alreadyte in the night. There weren¡¯t many obstacles on the road and it took him driving


    past three red lights to get to the hospital.


    As soon as he arrived, he parked the car and jumped out of the driver¡¯s seat. He then dashed to the back


    seat to carry Veronica without even closing the driver¡¯s door.


    ¡°Roni? Roni?¡± Matthew bent down to carry her, only to discover that she had passed out.


    When he saw that, his heart immediately sank. He dashed to the emergency room with her in his arms,


    nervously gulping. ¡°Doctor? Where¡¯s the doctor? Please save my wife!¡±


    In the heat of the moment, he referred to her as his wife. Veronica was already his wife in his heart. The


    only thing that remained was to register their marriage. The doctor on duty immediately went up to him.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°My wife is pregnant and she identally hit her abdomen earlier. She¡¯s in so much pain that she


    fainted!¡± Matthew exined the situation briefly.


    ¡°Oh my. That¡¯s so careless of her! Send her inside quickly!¡±


    The doctor then brought Matthew into the emergency room and asked him to ce Veronica on one of


    the avable beds. ¡°Register for her at the counter now.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ Alright¡­¡± Matthew cast a few more worried nces her way. Despite his words, he remained


    standing by the bed, staring at her with no intention of leaving.


    Seeing that, the nurse right away pushed him out. ¡°Sir, the doctor needs to check on the patient now. You


    have to leave first.¡± Matthew was then pushed out of the emergency room. He retracted his gaze and


    tried to calm his thoughts as the door of the emergency room closed behind him.


    For a few moments, he was dazed and had no idea what to do. He subconsciously took out his cigarette


    holder, took a cigarette from it and ced it in his mouth before taking the lighter out.


    When lighting the lighter, he lowered his head to aim the cigarette butt at the me.


    His mind was a jumbled mess. He noticed that his hand holding the lighter was still trembling and he


    raised his left hand, intending for it to hold his right hand firm. But he was stunned when he saw his left


    hand.


    He had no idea how long his left hand had been covered in blood.


    Upon seeing that, he froze. The lighter slipped from his grip, and he stared nkly at all the wet blood on


    his hand as he became even paler.


    After a few moments of calming himself down, he headed to the counter to register for Veronica. Then,


    he waited outside the operation theater after he saw Veronica being pushed inside.


    Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the quiet corridor. Matthew, who was smoking, raised his head and


    saw a few people exiting the elevator and trotting toward him.


    They were Caleb, Skyler, Shirley, and Sasha.


    Sasha knew she had done something wrong and was terrified. After calming down, she called Caleb.


    Caleb then called Skyler after a few moments of thought, thinking that as a doctor, thetter might be of


    assistance.


    Skyler was stunned when he received the call and learned what had urred. ¡°What? Roni hit her


    abdomen? She is already pregnant! Is Sasha tired of living?¡±


    Shirley, who was in the room, was rmed by his voice and came out to inquire about the situation.


    Skyler told her everything, and they went to the hospital together as they were both worried about


    Veronica.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

 Chapter 558

    Chapter 558


    Chapter 558 High Risk of Miscarriage


    ¡°Matt, how¡¯s Roni doing?¡± ¡°Miss Murphy¡­ She should be fine.¡± ¡°President Kings, Roni¡¯s pregnant, so


    why didn¡¯t you keep a closer eye on her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry¡­ Matt, I-I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Four of them walked toward Matthew and stood in front of him


    as they expressed themselves, one after the other.


    As soon as Sasha said that, Shirley instantly turned her head and red at her. ¡°What do you mean by


    you didn¡¯t mean it? You¡¯re just jealous of Roni and President Kings¡¯ close rtionship because you¡¯re in


    love with him. You can¡¯t have him, so that¡¯s why you¡¯ve taken action against Roni, huh? You¡¯re such a


    vicious woman!¡±


    Shirley regarded Veronica as her family member, so she could not stand by and watch her be bullied.


    That was why Shirley loathed Sasha so much that she was angered beyond words.


    ¡°Who do you think you are? You¡¯ve got no right to point fingers at me!¡± Sasha did not mind being told off


    by the gang, but she could not stand being chided by an outsider.


    ¡°What difference does that make? Anyone who harms Roni is my enemy too! Sasha, I¡¯m warning you, if


    anything bad happens to the child Roni¡¯s carrying, then I won¡¯t let you get away with this!¡± Shirley¡¯s anger


    grew as she spoke and her voice became shriller.


    Sasha also vented her simmering anger upon being pointed at and scolded viciously, so she reached out


    to shove Shirley. ¡°B*tch! Who do you think you are to yell at me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey! Hey! Hey! Sasha, what are you doing?¡±


    Skyler, who was standing by Shirley¡¯s side, saw her being shoved once again and she nearly stumbled


    to the ground. He instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her behind him protectively.


    He frowned. ¡°You¡¯re a woman too, so why are you making things tough for another woman?¡±


    ¡°Oh! So, she¡¯s the woman who seduced you, huh?¡±


    A realization suddenly dawned upon Sasha. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re bold enough to yell at me. It¡¯s because


    you¡¯ve found someone to back you up, huh?¡± Sasha mocked Shirley displeasedly, but heart ached


    slightly. In the past, the four of them had the closest rtionship, but now, Matthew sided with Veronica


    while Skyler stood on Shirley¡¯s side. What about me? she wondered who would actually show concern


    for her.


    ¡°Get out of the room if you guys are going to keep this up!¡±


    Matthew, who was sitting on the bench, brewed a cold look in his eyes and scanned everyone in the


    room. Feeling the oppressing energy, the noisy ones instantly shut up and no one dared to utter another


    word.


    Still, Shirley continued to re at Sasha discontentedly and her chest heaved up and down in anger.


    On the other hand, Skyler noticed that Shirley¡¯s angry look resembled a wild feline that had its ws out


    in an attack mode, so he found her rather adorable. He reached out to pat her on the shoulders to


    indicate for her to calm down.


    Meanwhile, there was a glint in Caleb¡¯s clear eyes as he caught sight of that before lifting a brow


    questioningly. Ooh, something is going on here.


    The corridor descended into silence and each of them remained standing or sitting without speaking a


    word. After waiting for an eternity, the lights of the operation theater finally dimmed.


    The door was opened from the inside and Veronica was wheeled out of the operation theater as the


    doctor trailed behind. Instantly, Matthew dashed forward and asked the doctor frantically, ¡°Doc, how¡¯s my


    wife doing?¡±


    Wife?! Sasha¡¯s eyes widened in shock and she could not help but turn to look at Matthew. The grip she


    had on her bag tightened and she felt her heart sink as a cold feeling washed all over her. They had not


    even signed the marriage papers yet, but he had already addressed Veronica as his wife! There was a


    wave of agony that hit her and she felt her entire body convulse from the pain.


    In truth, Sasha was deeply infatuated with Matthew and had even transitioned for him; her love for him


    was a stubborn obsession to the point of insanity. She had gone through so many difficulties to finally


    stand next to him. Just as she was about to reach the finish line, she found herself utterly defeated by


    Veronica.


    The feeling of defeat hit her hard and pounded on her rational mind. At that moment, she was in a


    despondent state. However, shortly after that, she found herself unwilling to ede defeat and ept


    the fact that she had lost to Veronica. She was also unwilling to ept that Matthew now belonged to


    Veronica.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    As such, the hatred within her grew immensely and for a moment there, the emotions she harbored took


    over her mind as it filled itself with wicked plots.


    ¡°The patient had originally suffered from a tough pregnancy; now that she suffered a blow to her womb,


    she is at a high-risk of miscarriage. I would rmend that she remains on bed rest in the hospital


    under observation.¡±


    Hearing the doctor¡¯s words, Matthew¡¯s heart clenched and his brows remained tightly furrowed as his


    trembling lips could not quitee up with any words to say.

 Chapter 559

    Chapter 559


    Chapter 559 Doomed if You Offend Sofia


    Matthew turned around and watched as Veronica was wheeled out of the operation theater.


    Subsequently, he held her hand and apanied her to the wards.


    The rest went along as well, but Skyler was the only one who remained at his original spot before he


    exined the situation to the doctor, ¡°She¡¯s my best friend¡¯s wife. You must take whatever it needs to


    save the child.¡±


    Skyler was much more aware than anyone else of the importance of Veronica and her child, so they had


    to ensure the unborn child¡¯s safety. Otherwise, Sasha would be doomed; they used to be best friends, so


    Skyler would never allow them to turn against each other.


    Although he gave out an impression of a talkative yer, he was actually a meticulous man. ¡°Sure, Dr.


    Robins. We¡¯ll definitely try our best.¡± The doctor nodded.


    ¡°Thank you for your efforts.¡± Skyler nodded and turned around to leave. Inside the ward, Veronicay in


    bed with a drip injected to her hand, still unconscious.


    Matthew sat by her bedside and kept a vigil next to her without moving a single step. He held tightly to


    her hand and did not let go of her at all.


    Standing beside Matthew, Calebforted him, ¡°Miss Murphy¡¯s a kind person, I¡¯m sure she will be


    blessed with a long life ahead.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! President Kings, Roni has always been blessed,¡± added Shirley as she continued to shoot


    daggers with her eyes at Sasha, showing her evident anger.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You guys should leave.¡± Matthew gave instructions for them to head home. The few


    exchanged looks with each other but did not object to his instruction. As such, they bade farewell to him


    and exited the ward.


    Just as they were leaving the room, Skyler came over and asked, ¡°Why are you guys leaving so soon?¡±


    ¡°Matt¡¯s in a foul mood and our presence is annoying him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. President Kings is very worried


    about Roni.¡± Shirley shook her head and heaved a sigh as she tilted her head andmented, ¡°I¡¯m


    envious that Roni has found a man that loves her so much.¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Crazy b*tch!¡± Sasha red at Shirley exasperatedly and slung her bag on her shoulders before


    stomping off in her high heels.


    ¡°You¡¯re the crazy one! They were in a great rtionship with each other and yet you¡¯re the one who


    came in between them! You¡¯re either sick in the head or you¡¯ve got some serious ethical issues. Do you


    actually enjoy being a homewrecker?¡± Shirley rebuked.


    Sasha, who had just taken a few steps forward, paused in her tracks and clenched her fists tightly before


    turning around. She red at Shirley unblinkingly with a furious look in her eyes and headed back in


    Shirley¡¯s direction.


    Sensing the sharp look in Sasha¡¯s eyes, Shirley was scared stiff and instantly cowered to hide behind


    Skyler. She tilted her head and looked at Sasha as she tried to reveal a fierce look. ¡°If you darey


    hands on me, I¡¯ll be sure to get Roni to beat you up after she¡¯s given birth.¡± As Shirley spoke, she waved


    her fist at Sasha and appeared to be fearless, knowing that she had someone backing her up.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Sasha stood in front of Skyler and saw that he held a protective stance before Shirley; he was


    intent on standing up for her. Seeing that, she snorted derisively, ¡°She might not even be able to give


    birth to that child. Besides, you im that I¡¯m a homewrecker, but have you looked into the mirror? You


    got involved with Skyler and came between him and Sofia. Are you proud of yourself then? You¡¯re


    shameless yourself, so how dare you act all ethical and point fingers at me!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ That¡¯s not true!¡± Shirley felt wronged at the mention of that matter and she stood up angrily from


    behind Skyler as she attempted to refute Sasha¡¯s words. However, he merely wrapped an arm around


    her neck and signaled to her. ¡°Koff. Koff.¡±


    He coughed twice to remind Shirley about her promise today. Momentarily stunned, Shirley came back to


    her senses instantly and frowned without uttering another word.


    Nheless, she refused to allow Sasha to have thest word, so she added, ¡°Miss Green and Skyler


    broke up ages ago, so even if I date him, I¡¯m not a homewrecker! Hmph!¡±


    Meanwhile, Caleb had his arms crossed while leaning against the wall as he enjoyed the primetime


    drama. He lifted his brows and thought, Oof! That¡¯s a lot of information for one episode!


    Sasha was rendered speechless for a moment and turned to shoot a helpless look at Skyler, whose eyes


    immediately shifted elsewhere. In this case, he had no intention of standing up for her at all.


    Disappointed, she gave a self-mocking smile before sneering, ¡°Skyler, since we¡¯re friends, I¡¯m just gonna


    remind you one thing¡ªyou can offend anyone but never Sofia.¡±


    With that, Sasha turned around and left without another word. ¡°Huh? Hey, Sofia is¡­¡± Skyler stretched his


    hand out and attempted to say more, but he realized that he was unable to think straight.

 Chapter 560

    Chapter 560


    Chapter 560 Abby Collecting Recybles


    Caleb, who was standing by the side, pragmatically agreed with Sasha¡¯s words after which he nodded as


    well. ¡°She¡¯s right. Be careful because you might burn yourself.¡±


    ¡°You taciturn prick! You should pay more attention to yourself rather thanmenting about my life. Your


    parents will find out about you and Abby soon enough. By then, they¡¯ll surely break your legs!¡± Skyler


    was upset with Caleb, so he brought up Abby to take a shot at him.


    Although Caleb was a police officer by profession, he originated from a wealthy family background and


    his family was well-to-do. A woman suitable to marry into the Shaw family would definitely have to be a


    wealthy debutante. Not only was the woman expected to be cultured and knowledgeable, but she also


    had to be able to hold herself well in front of people. Only someone from such a background would be a


    great match for the Shaws.


    As for Abby, who had originated from the countryside like Veronica, she clearly was not a good match.


    Furthermore, she was a mute and still underaged.


    ¡°Matt has been able to handle his matter with Miss Murphy quite well, so why would you think that I won¡¯t


    be able to handle mine as well?¡± Caleb expressed his annoyance with a thunderous expression on his


    face.


    ¡°I guess just by the fact that she¡¯s a mute and she¡¯s not even eighteen yet.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m well-aware without your reminder!¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Oho! The taciturn prick is upset! Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Looks like you¡¯ve indeed fallen for Naruto. Ouch! That


    hurts! Why did you kick me?¡±


    Skyler did not even get to finish his sentence when Caleb lifted his feet to kick him on the thigh. Gasping


    in pain, he started to yelp loudly.


    ¡°You deserve it!¡± Caleb left right after saying that.


    After he left the hospital, he drove back home and somehow found himself approaching Abby¡¯s


    apartment close to her school. He sat in his car and wound down the window to light a cigarette.


    Subsequently, he puffed on it silently.


    In a blink of an eye, half a year had gone by since he had arranged for Abby to attend her final year of


    high school here after Christmas. However, he only saw her a handful of times. The only time they had


    gone out together and enjoyed themselves was during the barbeque at Qurra Mountain that Veronica


    invited them to.


    It was not that he did not want to see her but because hecked the courage. He lifted his wrist to check


    the time on his watch and it was already midnight. Locating his gaze up the building, he could easily find


    Abby¡¯s window out of the multiple windows of the apartment.


    Perhaps it was because he hade over secretly a lot of times, so he was able to easily locate her


    window. He sat in his car and finished puffing a few cigarettes. After checking the time and realizing that


    it was close to 1.00AM, he finally started his ignition and made a U-turn. He drove for about half a mile


    when he noticed a woman with a nylon bag busy rummaging for some recyble items at a garbage


    point.


    He shook his head andmented to himself about the hardships in life. After all, it was 1.00AM and yet


    there was someone here busy trying to seek some recybles. Without giving much thought to it, he


    continued on his way.


    Perhaps it would have been much better had he not nced through the rearview mirror, but he did. At


    that moment, he perceptively sensed that the figure looked familiar before he frowned and instantly


    turned back. He drove into the rubbish collection point and wound down the window to tilt his head to


    look at the side.


    To his surprise, he realized that that woman was none other than Abby! That quickly exined the


    familiarity he felt through the rearview mirror as he kept his eyes on her back. Meanwhile, Abby, who was


    busy collecting recybles, sensed a car stopped behind her and instantly turned around in shock to


    take a look.


    As soon as she realized that the man in the car was Caleb, her face instantly turned as pale as a sheet


    and she hastily shoved the nylon bag she had behind her to hide it. Despite doing that, she was too


    skinny, so she did not manage to hide the bag full of stic bottles behind her tiny figure.


    Underneath the dim yellow street lights, she was dressed in ck pants and a gray hoodie with her hair


    tied into two braids. She also had a make-and-cap disguise on, so she waspletely covered up. She


    did not expect Caleb to turn up at this time of the day and neither did she expect him to sessfully


    identify her with just a single nce. Ah. I forgot that he¡¯s a cop. No wonder he has a knack for


    remembering faces and physiques.


    Caleb tightened his grip on his steering wheel and his expression darkened significantly. After a brief


    pause, he opened the car door and got out to stand in front of Abby as he hollered angrily, ¡°What are you


    doing?¡±


    Just by standing there was enough to be hit with the stench from the pile of rubbish behind her. After all,


    this was a rubbish collection point for every resident staying in this area.


    It was the peak of summer and the weather was high, so the stench was horrendous.


    Abby shook her head and bit her lip. She lowered her head because she did not dare to meet his eyes


    and she looked like a guilty kid who hadmitted a mistake.


    Watching her silence, his anger grew as he spoke in a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯m asking you, what are you doing


    here?¡±

 Chapter 561

    Chapter 561


    Chapter 561 A Furious Caleb


    As a cop, Caleb had a natural air of authority to him. Abby was fearful of him and she trembled under his


    loud chide. She took a step backward and lowered her head much more. She kept her eyes on the


    ground and from her limited angle of view, she caught sight of Caleb¡¯s shiny leather shoes.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Time went by, but he did not move an inch. At that point, Abby finally let go of the nylon bag and signed


    to him. ¡®I¡¯m collecting recybles.¡¯ ¡°I can obviously see that, can¡¯t I?¡±


    His voice became much lower; though Abby kept her head lowered, she could sense from his tone of


    voice the intense fury.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking, why are you collecting recybles? Do you know what¡¯s the time right now? It¡¯s 1.00AM and


    you have to get up at 6.00AM for school. Why are you not in bed but here collecting recybles? Abby, I


    helped you get out of the countryside for you to receive schooling here, and I didn¡¯t do that for you to


    collect garbage!¡± Caleb hollered at her continuously, which startled Abby, so she kept her head lowered


    without uttering a single word.


    She had joined the school at the start of the year and Caleb had arranged for her to attend the final year


    of high school. However, after Abby attended several days of sses, she took the initiative to contact


    him and request to start sses from junior year because she wanted to build up her foundation and


    sessfully attend Bloomstead University.


    As such, Caleb readily agreed to her request.


    In order to catch up on the school work and attain exemry results, Abby had spent every single day of


    her summer break religiously revising school work.


    He noticed all of her efforts, but he clearly did not expect to find her collecting recybles.


    ¡°Are you just going to keep silent? Fine. Go back and gather your belongings right now and you can go


    back to your hometown at this instance!¡±


    He reached out to grab Abby, but she struggled to get away and flung his hand aside. Her eyes were


    red-rimmed and the tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to allow the tears to stream


    down her face.


    She shook her head. ¡®I don¡¯t want to go back.¡¯


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go back, then you gotta focus on your studies. Do you think that this is the right


    learning attitude to have? You should just let me know if you need more money. Do you f*cking think that


    I don¡¯t have this kind of money?¡± Caleb unexpectedly cursed in a haste.


    This was the first time ever that Abby had seen him in such an angry state. To her, although the fairly


    dark-skinned Caleb had a buzz cut, he was still very handsome and full of justice, exuding a sense of


    security at all times.


    Each time she encountered him, she found herself in an inexplicably happy state. He would naturally


    beam widely upon seeing her smile like a carefree kid and his smile was always sincere and


    exceptionally warm. This time, the smile on his face had disappeared and all that was left was a furious


    expression.


    Abby mustered up her courage and met Caleb¡¯s eyes. She bit on her lip with her pearly white teeth


    without realizing that she had drawn blood.


    She lifted her hand and signed, ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Without any further exnation, she merely apologized before


    turning around to leave.


    ¡°Stop there!¡± Caleb chided her and pointed to the nylon bag in her hand. ¡°Throw that away!¡±


    Stunned, Abby shook her head in refusal. She had put in a lot of effort to collect these, so it would be a


    shame to discard them.


    ¡°I said throw that away! Did you hear me?¡± he growled at her once again.


    Abby was quite confused as to why Caleb was so agitated. Does he think that I¡¯m an embarrassment to


    be collecting recybles? I guess that must be it. She nced longingly at the nylon bag full of


    recybles next to her and after further hesitation, she finally left the bag on the ground.


    ¡°Go home, wash up, and go to bed!¡± he instructed.


    Abby did not respond much either as she turned and headed toward the apartment.


    Though Caleb was significantly angered, there was nothing else he could do than to merely trail after her


    in silence.


    They walked back to the apartment and throughout the half-mile distance back, they walked in a single


    file without uttering a single word to each other.


    Finally, they arrived back at the lobby of the apartment and Abby turned around to sign to Caleb, ¡®I¡¯ve


    arrived home. Good night.¡¯


    He merely shot a look at her before walking past her to enter the elevator of the building.


    Meanwhile, Abby trailed after him silently and they went up to her apartment. The ce was sparkling


    clean, and everything was spick and span in ce.


    Taking a seat on the couch, he turned to say to Abby, ¡°Why are you standing there? Hurry up and


    shower before going to bed!¡±


    She puffed her cheeks and meekly went to her bedroom to get some clothes before eventually taking a


    shower in the bathroom.

 Chapter 562

    Chapter 562


    Chapter 562 Abby Bullied at School


    While Abby was taking a shower, Caleb took a seat on the couch and essed the surveince camera


    footage of her living room from his phone.


    Though he had installed a security camera in the living room, he was not one to spy on someone else,


    so he merely nced at it from time to time each day just to ensure her safety.


    He essed the security camera footage and checked the daily records. Surprisingly, he found out that


    Abby finished her homework every night and left the apartment at 10.30PM. She came back at 1.00AM


    every night and left for school at 5.00AM after changing into casualwear. Religiously, she came home


    from school at 6.00PM everyday.


    Caleb randomly selected ten days¡¯ worth of footage to view over the span of four months and he was


    surprised to find that this was her daily routine. At that instance, hepletely found himself in rage as


    he sat in the living room to puff on his cigarette.


    After quite some time, Abby walked out of the bedroom in her usual nightgown that had lost its color after


    being in the washer for too many times. She wore it as her pajamas for the entire summer.


    ¡®It¡¯ste now, aren¡¯t you going to head home?¡¯ She walked over and stood in front of him as she signed


    to him.


    The man kept his head lowered and puffed on his cigarette while ignoring her. She ended up standing


    there foolishly.


    After he was done with his cigarette, he extinguished it with his bare fingers and flicked the butt into the


    rubbish bin before lifting his head to stare straight into her eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to exin yourself?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to exin yourself, huh? Well, I have some questions for you. You¡¯ve been going


    out every night for the past four months to collect garbage and then leaving early in the morning to sell


    them, is that right?¡±


    Abby was stunned. ¡®H-How did you find out?¡¯


    After she signed that, it suddenly dawned upon her that he was a police officer, so it would be a piece of


    cake for him to find out the information.


    Caleb crossed his legs and leaned back against the couch as he focused his cold eyes on her.


    The look in his eyes terrified Abby as she felt goosebumps crawling on her arms. After some hesitation,


    she lifted both hands to sign. ¡®I¡¯m thankful for your great help in assisting me re-enroll in school to finish


    off my studies. I regard you as my family and you¡¯re like my older brother. But then¡­¡¯


    ¡°Type it out with your phone. I don¡¯t understand that.¡±


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    Although Caleb was able to understand some signnguage, Abby¡¯s speed and frequency proved quite


    challenging for him, so he ended up confused.


    Resigned, she had no choice but to grab herptop; it was the one that Caleb had bought for her to


    make things easier in her studies. Despite having such a gadget, they had never contacted each other


    via video call.


    Abby powered theptop and clicked into a Word file to type. ¡®I wanted to say that I¡¯m thankful for the


    opportunity to re-enroll in school to finish off my studies. You¡¯ve been of great help and I found out


    afterward that you¡¯ve been spending a lot of money on me, so I¡­ I wanted to earn my keep as soon as


    possible to repay you.¡¯


    There was another incident that she did not dare to mention to Caleb. Truth be told, she had been


    constantly picked on in school due to her disability.


    There were several boys who frequently targeted her and extorted her in school. They beat her up if she


    did not hand over money to them and they also threatened her that they would publicize the footage of


    her being beaten up to make it viral.


    Frightened by that possibility, Abby had no choice but to collect recybleste at night every day and


    scrimp toe up with a fixed sum for them. That was the only way she could gain some peace to focus


    on her studies daily.


    ¡®We¡¯ve only met each other several times, but why are you offering me so much help? I feel like I might


    not be able to repay this in my lifetime.¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect any repayment.¡±


    ¡®We¡¯re not rted to each other, so I definitely have to repay this favor. It¡¯s logical for me to repay any


    debt owed.¡¯


    ¡°Abby, listen carefully to me. I helped you re-enroll in school by sponsoring you and I sponsor plenty of


    students every year. You¡¯re the most disobedient one amongst them,¡± he spoke loudly and there was


    clearly a displeased note in his voice.


    Meanwhile, Abby felt quite guilty as she sped both hands together uneasily. After some time, she


    signed to him, ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

 Chapter 563

    Chapter 563


    Chapter 563 As Soon As Possible


    ¡°I don¡¯t want an apology. If I catch you selling scraps again, you¡¯ll have to return to your home.¡± With that


    being said, Caleb left the apartment without looking back. After walking quite a distance, he entered the


    car and drove away.


    Though, it did not take long before he turned on the surveince footage through his phone to check on


    Abby. Through the footage, he could see that she was wailing on the couch with her head buried in her


    kneecaps.


    His stomach was churning with mixed feelings as he listened to her wail. She eventually fell asleep on


    the couch after crying for a while.


    At first, he intended to leave her just like that. But, in the end, he just could not bring himself to do it. He


    then made a detour back to the apartment, and carried the sleeping girl to the bed.


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    As heid her down onto the bed, she suddenly shuddered and let out a whimper in her sleep before


    hugging his arm. Curling up into a ball, she began sobbing as though she was in extreme pain.


    ¡°There, there. Everything¡¯s okay.¡± Caleb sat by the bed, thinking that he might have gone too far just now


    and frightened her.


    Soon, Abby fell into a deep sleep and let go of his hand. He stared at the girl who slept like a little kitten.


    And no one could possibly hate her with how her baby cheeks made her look like an adorable child.


    Raising his hand, he hesitated momentarily before reaching for her cheek. While he caressed her cheek


    softly, his heart raced uncontrobly, as though it would pop out of his chest at any time. It was the first


    time he felt such fluttering sensations.


    At that moment, Skyler¡¯s words rang in his head, which irritated him and prompted him to leave right


    away.


    On the other hand, Veronica, who was hospitalized, had finally regained her consciousness. The first


    thing she saw was a haggard-looking Matthew sitting next to her bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The moment he saw her eyes open, he lurched forward and asked gently, ¡°Feeling


    better?¡±


    She looked at him with hollow eyes as she parted her pale lips to speak, ¡°The baby. Is the baby okay?¡±


    She ced her hand on her belly, worrying that something went wrong with the baby.


    The man smiled gently as he ruffled her fringe. ¡°The baby is safe and sound, but you have to stay in the


    hospital to avoid a miscarriage, or it¡¯ll be dangerous.¡±


    He dared not ry the doctor¡¯s words to her since she might overthink about it.


    Veronica pulled his hand. ¡°S-Since when do you know about it?¡±


    Had she not been at Sasha¡¯s home yesterday, she would not have known that he was privy to her


    pregnancy all the while.


    ¡°I¡¯m your man. How can I not know when it¡¯s something about you?¡±


    ¡°Matt, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Silly girl. Don¡¯t worry too much. Just take as much rest as you need. And the doctor advised you to stay


    in the hospital for now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Okay.¡± She nodded. Considering how weak her body still was, she drifted into dreand in no


    time. Though, she felt even more stressed than before with how things turned out.


    Now that Matthew knew of her pregnancy, he would definitely find a way to keep the baby and bring the


    marriage forward.


    After resting in the hospital for a night, she made a video call to Yvonne out of boredom. Yet, the call was


    rejected.


    Following that, Yvonne called to inform that she was unable to take a video call since her parents were


    around. They shared a light conversation for a short while before terminating the call after Yvonne said


    she had errands to run.


    Veronica sensed something was wrong with Yvonne, but her worries were dispelled afterward. After the


    call ended, Yvonne had sent her a picture of Ian with a bright smile on his face.


    Everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just being paranoid right now.


    ¡°Have some porridge.¡± Matthew held a bowl of porridge while sitting next to the bed. He blew to cool off


    the spoonful of porridge before lifting it to her lips. ¡°Here.¡±


    Veronica ate it and smiled in contentment. ¡°Matt, you¡¯re the best.¡±


    Holding the spoon, his hand stopped midair before he reciprocated, ¡°Then, you should marry me as soon


    as possible. I have contacted your parents to invite them to Bloomstead. Once you¡¯re discharged from


    the hospital, we¡¯ll register our marriage as soon as possible.¡±

 Chapter 564

    Chapter 564


    Chapter 564 He Doesn¡¯t Want to Die


    Matthew did not seek Veronica¡¯s consent or inform her that they were nning to register their marriage.


    As a result, it was clear that she no longer had the right to oppose it. Complexity and emotional


    suppression were inscribed in her bright eyes. She gave him a thoughtful look before lowering her head


    again.


    With a single nce, he could read her expression and continued to assist her in cooling the porridge by


    blowing on it. He exined, ¡°Roni, don¡¯t me me for making decisions without consulting you. You, too,


    keep secrets from me.¡±


    Although he does not say it explicitly, I know what he means. He acted strangely when I returned home


    yesterday afternoon and kept asking me questions. Still, I keep my pregnancy a secret, and he makes no


    further inquiries. Is it possible that the secret I¡¯m keeping from him is that I¡¯m pregnant?


    ¡°Registration of marriage is a serious matter. You should have discussed it with me.¡±


    ¡°To discuss it with you, and for you to think of a reason why we shouldn¡¯t?¡± It was hard to gauge the


    man¡¯s emotions from his tone of mild concern. Matthew didn¡¯t put the spoon down and kept feeding


    Veronica her porridge.


    ¡°I¡­¡± She stumbled over her own words.


    ¡°Look, you don¡¯t even know what to say.¡± Smiling helplessly, he said, ¡°Open your mouth.¡±


    Veronicaplied and opened her mouth for a mouthful of tasteless porridge.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know how to exin it. I¡¯m not sure if I want to marry so soon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant with twins. Do you not want them?¡±


    The fact that Veronica inquired about the unborn child¡¯s condition after she awoke indicated that she


    cared and intended to keep them. Matthew casually asked the question after reading her mind.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m still young. Even if the babies are gone, I can still be pregnant again,¡± she lied.


    ¡°Yes. If the babies are gone, you can get pregnant again, but will it be the same babies?¡± He became


    serious, and his dark, obsidian eyes showed a hint of anger.


    Veronica shied away from looking into his cold eyes. Instead of holding her head high in defiance, she


    hung it low in shame and thought deeply about what had happened. She was aware of his exemry


    treatment of her. However, the weight of his love was bing too much for her to bear.


    Thud! Matthew ced the bowl on the table and sat in an upright position. ¡°There are some things that


    we should talk about.¡±


    Suddenly, he became solemn, and the atmosphere in the ward changed as well. Veronica leaned back


    against the headboard, turned her head, and gazed out the window as she quietly listened to him.


    ¡°I know your worries, and I know a little about the hidden n. No matter what dangers you will face in


    the future, I will remain by your side, and we will endure it together. Roni, you ought to be familiar with


    my character. Once I make up my mind about something, I will not change it. Moreover, I am now the


    father of your child, you are my wife, and we are a family.¡±


    As if to reassure her, he reached out and took hold of her hand, gently stroking her fingers with his.


    Then, he said, ¡°Please trust me just this once.¡±


    In Matthew¡¯s words, ¡®trust¡¯ referred to his personal ability and strength. He wanted her to have faith in him


    so they could face the challenges and dangers of the hidden n together.


    Veronica was able to get a vague sense of the strength that emanated from the warmth of his hands as


    they wrapped around her cold hand. This was the strength of determination and self-confidence. When


    she looked up into his resolute eyes, even her steely resolve faltered just a little. She had a mix of


    feelings about it.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡± she voiced the question that had been upying her thoughts.


    The man¡¯s lips suddenly curled into a smile while his previously stern expression instantly softened and


    endeared him to those around him. ¡°Is there anyone alive who is not afraid of death? I¡¯m afraid of death,


    so why aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Any living, breathing human being had some level of trepidation about their own mortality.


    Matthew would never pretend in front of her, let alone put on an act for her. The simplicity of his words


    seemed to strike at her insecurities, causing her to feel an even greater sense of emotion.


    She affectionately shook her head while she gazed into his eyes. The overflowing love she felt for him


    was evident in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m scared of dying, but that¡¯s my fate. But you are different; you can avoid it


    completely¡ª¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°We can onlye together because of fate and destiny.¡±

 Chapter 565

    Chapter 565


    Chapter 565 Matthew Is Beaten


    Matthew rose to his feet and sat by the bed. He rested Veronica on his shoulder while hugging her. ¡°All


    you have to do is to stand behind me, and let me protect you. Of course, my Roni is smart. We can


    devise strategies and bear the burden together.¡±


    He twirled the strands of hair that flowed down on her shoulder. ¡°Zac is returning to Bloomstead in a few


    days, and there will be another storm to deal with. If you¡¯re scared, you can choose to run away.


    Although I hope you¡¯ll be my adviser, I do understand if you decide to escape.¡±


    He said the exact opposite as he attempted to persuade her to reconsider her decision.


    ¡°I will never run away!¡± She was leaning on his shoulder when she abruptly straightened up and turned to


    face him. ¡°You¡¯re the father of my babies. How can I run away right now? That¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Veronica paused midway as she thought of something, then froze with her lips pursed in silence.


    ¡°What made you stop?¡± Matthew smiled as he stroked her cheek. ¡°If I¡¯m in trouble, you will never


    abandon me. So, do you think I¡¯ll just watch when it¡¯s your turn?¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± He shook his head lightly to prevent her from saying anything further.


    ¡°Roni, you know me very well. I will not back down after I make up my mind.¡± Matthew softly touched her


    corbone. ¡°You¡¯re mine. If I can¡¯t even promise your safety¡­ I will live the rest of my life with an empty


    soul.¡±


    Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m at the top of my game and used to win at everything; I¡¯ll never lose again. It will be a


    huge setback if I fail to protect my wife. I am right about what I say.


    Veronica finally understood what he meant.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll register our marriage.¡± She nodded seriously and gripped his hand tightly before she ced


    it on her belly. ¡°From now on¡­ We are a family of four.¡±


    She was enjoying the moment. She could not help but imagine how happy they would be after the babies


    were born. It would be lovely.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Hey, Matt. Do you prefer a baby boy or a baby girl?¡± Veronica was curious.


    They had never discussed kids. She was not sure if he wanted kids either. Veronica remembered him not


    liking kids the first time they metst year.


    ¡°As long as they are our child, I¡¯ll love them.¡± Matthew was slightly concerned as he stared at her doused


    in happiness.


    The doctor mentioned the injury on her belly, and that she should be hospitalized in case of an


    emergency. However, due to her unstable pregnancy, there was a risk for miscarriage. The only thing he


    would do was to find the best gynecologist and apany her to protect the babies.


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    Veronica had decided to spend the rest of her life happily married to Matthew. All her concerns had


    vanished, and she was all smiles and adorable.


    It was a stunningly wonderful moment.


    Matthew waspletely immersed in the joy but did not lose himself. Instead, he felt everything came


    unexpectedly. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was like the colorful bubbles ejected from a bubble gun,


    which could shatter and disappear at any time.


    ¡°Have some porridge. It¡¯ll get cold soon.¡± He continued to feed her porridge, and they heard footsteps


    beyond the door.


    Veronica raised her head when the door was opened. Elizabeth entered the room briskly while still


    smiling. ¡°Geez. You brat. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about the good news?¡±


    Veronica was stunned momentarily, and she whispered into Matthew¡¯s ear. ¡°You told her?¡±


    ¡°No. It is only about marriage.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s initial n was to inform Elizabeth and make her happy. Even so, since Veronica¡¯s condition


    was unstable, he thought that failing to keep the baby safe would backfire. Elizabeth was old and weak;


    and she would find it difficult to tolerate any mishap.

 Chapter 566

    Chapter 566


    Chapter 566 Even if It Hurts, It¡¯s a Blessing


    ¡°Oh,¡± Veronica responded and shed a smile instantly. ¡°Grandma, what brings you here?¡± She lifted the


    nket in an attempt to rise and greet Elizabeth.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You should be on the bed and resting.¡± Elizabeth rushed to the bedside and gripped her


    shoulders. ¡°I know everything. The doctor said you¡¯re hurt and need rest. Stay still. Your health is


    important and so is the baby, haha.¡±


    The cmities had exhausted Elizabeth during the past year, and she spent her days in a terrible mood.


    Her Alzheimer¡¯s disease made the situation worse. Although it was under control, they could not stop it


    from worsening. She was concerned about Matthew¡¯s marriage, but their unstable rtionship worried


    her.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    This morning, Matthew called her to inform her about the wedding. He exined the previous breakups


    were part of the initial struggle period of a rtionship. It was nothing more than squabbles. The news


    exhrated Elizabeth. After the call ended, she quickly requested that someone look into their condition,


    only to discover that Veronica had been injured and was currently in the hospital. When she found out


    Veronica was pregnant with twins, she was in seventh heaven and dashed to the hospital.


    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Veronica shook her head.


    Worried that Veronica would be unable to handle the news of an unstable pregnancy, Matthew warned


    the medical staff of her condition. He wanted them to announce that Veronica had suffered from a mild


    injury and needed a week of recuperation only. Therefore, Veronica and Elizabeth thought it was a small


    matter.


    ¡°Grandma, have a seat.¡± Matthew stood up and helped Elizabeth with her seat. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, young man!¡± She sat on the chair and pped his butt. ¡°Tell me. Why didn¡¯t you


    inform me about the pregnancy?¡±


    In the eyes of the elderly, kids would always be kids, regardless of age. No matter how outstanding and


    persistent Matthew was, he was her grandson.


    However, she was still furious, so she pinched his thigh. ¡°How dare you keep secrets from me. Am I still


    your grandma?¡±


    She med him.


    ¡°Pfft¡­ Haha.¡± It was such a rare sight to have seen Matthew being beaten. Veronica covered her mouth


    as she burst intoughter.


    Matthew¡¯s starry eyes sank for a moment as he became frustrated. Still, the pall of gloomy clouds lifted


    when he nced at the womanughing. ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t, you found out about it, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    He said helplessly as he sat by the bed and turned to stare at Veronica with an expression that asked,


    Having fun?


    ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s different from hearing it from you personally.¡±


    Now that he was so preupied with Veronica and kept making eye contact with her in the middle of the


    conversation, Elizabeth was vexed. She yanked his ear. ¡°You only have your eyes on Roni. Do you not


    love your grandma anymore?¡±


    Outsiders regarded Matthew as a leader with a stern demeanor, as though no one dared to approach


    him. Yet, Elizabeth yanked his ear right in front of Veronica.


    Embarrassment and helplessness were clearly seen on his face. Matthew was embarrassed because he


    had lost pride in front of Veronica, who wasughing at him. He was helpless as he could only tolerate


    Elizabeth¡¯s lecture since she raised him single-handedly with unlimited love.


    Most importantly, Elizabeth had gone through a rough year. It made him happy to see her smiling right


    now.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t my dignity matter?¡± He had to give her a sidelong nce since she was pulling his ears.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Nice one, Grandma!¡± It was unusual to see him in such a depressed state. Veronica was having


    fun andughing as she recorded everything on her phone. ¡°Don¡¯t let it go just yet. I need to record this


    and forward it to Matt¡¯s friends. They¡¯ll love it!¡±


    ¡°Great idea. Roni, hurry up!¡± Elizabeth took Veronica¡¯s side and refused to let go of Matthew¡¯s ear.

 Chapter 567

    Chapter 567


    Chapter 567 A Talk With Crayson


    Veronica held her phone and captured the scene whileughing uncontrobly. ¡°You believe you can get


    away with anything now, don¡¯t you?¡± Matthew threatened with a sneer.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Elizabeth released his ear and smacked him on the back of his head.


    ¡°What did you say? Who are you threatening here right now, young man? Roni is my god-


    granddaughter.¡± He fell into despair as he stared at her in disbelief. ¡°Who is your real grandson?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Nobodyes before Roni and her baby.¡± Elizabeth was literally overjoyed with the


    prospect of a joyful asion. She was expressing her happiness with a pair of smiling eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Grandma is the smartest!¡± Veronica gave her a thumbs up while filming the entire


    scene. The butler, who was in the same room, grinned as he saw how happy they were with each other.


    He then exited the room, closing the door behind him.


    ¡°Grandma¡¯s the best.¡± Veronica took Elizabeth¡¯s hand and raised her brow at Matthew, trying to provoke


    him. ¡°You¡¯ll get it from me once we get home.¡± The man smiled in exasperation and shook his head


    helplessly.


    How can I be angry? Rather, I am fortunate to see the two most important women in my life happy. After


    the merriment, Elizabeth brought up a serious subject. ¡°Matthew told me you will register the marriage


    after you are discharged from the hospital. You¡¯re pregnant before marriage and it will tarnish your


    reputation. Why don¡¯t we speed things up and have the wedding as soon as possible? What do you


    think?¡±


    As a woman, I understand how others will speak negatively about Veronica, even if it is appropriate.


    Given the Kings Family¡¯s status, it will undoubtedly be the subject of gossip. It is a thoughtful


    gesture for her.


    ¡°Huh? I¡­¡± Veronica paused as she turned her head to look at Matthew. ¡°I agree with Grandma on that.¡±


    He took her hand in his. ¡°We might be rushing things, but I guarantee it¡¯ll be a grand wedding.¡±


    ¡°I.¡­¡± Veronica dared not to answer. Even if she agreed, she was confident that she had to persuade


    Crayson. If he opposed it, the wedding might have to be canceled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll speak with Master Crayson personally.¡± Matthew saw right through her concerns. After a moment of


    pondering, she finally agreed, ¡°O-Okay.¡±


    That morning, Elizabeth kept Veronicapany in the hospital while Matthew went straight to First


    Meeting to see Crayson. He had already instructed his man to pick up Veronica¡¯s parents, who would


    arrive in the city at noon. The only problem now was Crayson. He drove to First Meeting and parked in


    the parking lot. Crayson, who was on duty, noticed the familiar car and approached it.


    ¡°Master Crayson,¡± Matthew greeted him as he alighted from the car. ¡°What brings you here? You haven¡¯t


    been here in a long time,¡± hemented. He wore a navy blue uniform and addressed Matthew with an


    amiable, approachable smile.


    Thanks to Matthew¡¯s consent, I can keep my beard even after working in the First Meeting. Matthew


    extended a cigarette to him. ¡°I need to speak to you about something.¡±


    Crayson was about to take the cigarette, but he hesitated when he heard that. Matthew noticed the


    expression on Crayson¡¯s face as he lifted the cigarette. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ Fine. You¡¯re my boss. It has to be work.¡± He held the cigarette in his mouth as Matthew lit it for


    him. Meanwhile, a security guard was so shocked by the scene that he gaped.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

 Chapter 568

    Chapter 568


    Chapter 568 I Must Marry Roni


    That is clearly our boss! Why did he offer that ordinary, old geezer a cigarette? He even lit it for him!


    While the security guard¡¯s ears perked up at the smell of gossip, Matthew and Crayson went to the lobby


    before heading to the office on the second floor.


    ¡°Holy moly. Isn¡¯t that Crayson? Why do I feel like President Kings is behaving humbly in front of him?¡±


    ¡°Am I seeing things? Are they friends?¡±


    ¡°Are you blind? How is that behavingly humbly? He¡¯s just respecting the elders.¡± ¡°Wow. He¡¯s so


    handsome and gorgeous!¡± ¡°Hold on. My man just looked at me!¡± ¡°He¡¯s so hot. God help me¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you on about? Shirley said that President Kings has someone he likes. Stop daydreaming.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard that from Shirley too.¡±


    ¡­


    Along the way to the office, they drew attention from the employees in the lobby as they began to figure


    out Crayson¡¯s identity. Needless to say, most of them were deeply captivated by Matthew¡¯s handsome


    looks as their eyes sparkled in awe and admiration.


    The duo then entered the office. ¡°Master Crayson, here.¡± Matthew spread his arm respectfully. Once


    Crayson seated himself, Matthew poured him a cup of coffee and ced it before him.


    In front of Crayson, Matthew shrugged off his identity as the president of Spinfluence Group and


    behaved like how one should in front of a senior.


    Crayson reclined on the couch with the cigarette between his lips. The faint puff of smoke raised and


    blurred his features, shrouding the concerns sitting upon his brows.


    ¡°Master Crayson, I¡¯m sure you know why I¡¯m here.¡± Matthew sat upright in a respectful manner. ¡°Roni is


    pregnant with my babies; they¡¯re twins. I bet she told you about it yesterday.¡±


    He added, ¡°I know that she has a lot of worries, but I managed to persuade her.¡±


    Crayson heaved a long sigh. Pinching the cigarette away from his mouth, he tapped on it without lifting


    his head. ¡°So, is there anything you wanna tell me?¡±


    Obviously, he was ying dumb.


    ¡°Roni¡¯s not an ordinary person and you¡¯re the most important figure to her. So, when ites to


    marriage, I¡¯m sure she hopes to receive blessings from you.¡±


    Crayson was smart enough to know what he meant by that. He was implying that Veronica had a special


    identity while Crayson¡¯s identity was rtively peculiar; if Crayson opposed the marriage, it would be


    tough for the couple to tie the knot.


    Matthew voiced out his thoughts, but Crayson took the cup of tea from the table and had a sip of it. He


    then hung his head low, fully absorbed in his rumination while not even a nce was spared to Matthew.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Suddenly, Crayson sighed again and set the cup on the table. He slowly lifted his head to look at


    Matthew and his murky eyes were rife with mixed feelings.


    Matthew could vaguely feel his struggle from the hesitation.


    ¡°Master Crayson, you¡¯ve seen how Roni grew up. Once a teacher, forever a father. I¡¯m sure that you wish


    her true happiness.¡± Matthew was aware that Crayson had his worries since there was the hidden n.


    He supposed that Crayson did not have the call for certain matters.


    ¡°Matthew, you¡¯re a smart guy and you know how it is right now. I¡¯m not in the position to make decisions


    for certain matters.¡± As he had expected, Crayson could not give him a certain answer, so that response


    did not surprise Matthew.


    ¡°I truly respect you as Roni does. Since you can¡¯t give us a definite answer, I hope you won¡¯t stop us.¡±


    Matthew set his attitude forth. ¡°Although we haven¡¯t registered our marriage, she¡¯s the only love for me.


    Our death is an imponderable and I have no ns on taking that into ount at the moment, but I must


    marry Roni!¡±


    His engaging yet sharp, dark eyes were overwhelming for one to refuse his request.


    ¡°Is this a threat?¡± Crayson¡¯s gaze swept across Matthew as his amiable face disyed a tad of


    dominance.


    ¡°How dare I, Master Crayson?¡±

 Chapter 569

    Chapter 569


    Chapter 569 Tony Was Enraged


    ¡°I understand how difficult this is for you, but I have no choice but to marry her.¡± ¡°We¡­ can do our part


    respectively,¡± Matthew grumbled with a frown. There was a double entendre in his words.


    Crayson abruptly lifted his gaze from the cigarette butt in his hand and looked at Matthew. Their eyes


    met each other before the old man broke into a smile.


    ¡°I was wrong. I didn¡¯t like you with Veronica at first, but you¡¯ve grown on me.¡± ¡°Time is the most reliable


    witness.¡± ¡°Roni¡¯s parents will be arriving at Bloomstead in the afternoon. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to pick


    you up and we¡¯ll have a light meal together,¡± Matthew added as he curled his lips.


    Slotting out another cigarette from the box, Crayson sat on the couch and lit his cigarette without any


    words. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter tonight.¡± With that, Matthew rose to his feet and left.


    The frowning old man remained deep in thought on the couch even after Matthew left. Within seconds,


    the faint puffs of smoke lingered in the vast office.


    ¡­


    In the afternoon at the Hilton Hotel suite, a group of five sat in the private room; the list included Danie,


    Tony, Crayson, Elizabeth, and Matthew.


    After ordering the food, Matthew stood up and did a Kings Family¡¯s ritual by pouring a cup of tea for each


    of the elders. Since Crayson was the eldest and also Veronica¡¯s master, the first cup of tea was served to


    him. He then did the same for Danie and Tony after greeting, ¡°Mom and Dad, please have some tea.¡±


    The way Matthew addressed the elderly couple stunned them for a moment as they did not respond for a


    long time. Elizabeth, on the other hand, smiled happily as she believed that Matthew had finallye to


    his senses.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Young Master Matthew, this¡­ Uhm¡­¡± Words failed Danie as she gave an awkward smile


    before looking at Tony, then at Crayson, and finally back at Matthew.


    ¡°Please take a seat,¡± Matthew said with his hand resting on her shoulder. It was an indication that he had


    something to say. Tony was just about to say something when Danie shot him a look, signaling him to


    remain silent.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally matured.¡± Elizabeth sighed as Matthew poured her another cup of tea.


    After concluding the Kingses¡¯ ritual, Matthew walked over to his seat and announced while standing,


    ¡°Roni is a little ill and is currently on bedrest for the baby. Therefore, she¡¯s not here today. Mom and Dad,


    I invited you here because I have an important thing to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Young Master Matthew, haha¡­ Things between you and Veronica are not even starting to take


    shape yet.¡± Danie paused for a long time before continuing, ¡°You young people sure are getting ahead


    of yourself. She¡¯s too young to have a child; have you asked her for her thoughts?¡±


    Danie was born in the countryside and was not much fussy about anything, but she was most


    concerned about Veronica. After all, she only had one daughter, who resembled a pearl in her palm, so


    she had to make sure that her baby daughter was in good hands.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Matthew nodded slightly before grabbing the remote on the table and turned on the


    television next to him.


    The TV screen was projected from his phone and he initiated a video call with Veronica, which


    connected after a few beeps.


    After the call was through, Veronica was seen lying against the hospital bed and wearing a hospital


    gown.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    To avoid worrying her parents, she purposefully applied makeup to make herself appear full of energy


    and radiance with no sign of illnesses.


    ¡°Mom, Dad.¡± She waved before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I won¡¯t be able to join you for dinner in


    Bloomstead.¡±


    Bang! At that moment, Tony pped the table angrily and yelled, ¡°What went through your head? I can¡¯t


    believe you got pregnant as an unmarried woman! Are you trying to make us look bad? Huh?¡± Tony¡¯s


    conservative mindset was irritated by Veronica¡¯s unprepared pregnancy.


    He did not have the guts to chastise Matthew because Matthew had an excellent family background and


    he was indebted to him. Hence, he scolded Veronica instead.


    ¡°I¡¯mpletely to me, not Roni.¡± Matthew took the blow. ¡°I invited you here today to discuss my


    wedding with Roni. My n is to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau on Monday to register and get the


    marriage certificate. As for the wedding, it will be held at the beginning of next month.¡±


    ¡°Huh? This¡­ Isn¡¯t this a little hasty?¡±

 Chapter 570

    Chapter 570


    Chapter 570 Expensive Dowry


    Danie looked at Crayson with pleading eyes as if she wanted him to seize control of the situation. In


    the eyes of the couple, he was considered as a member of the Murphys and also their big brother.


    Whenever they encountered any tricky decisions, they would always seek Crayson¡¯s advice.


    ¡°You¡¯re her parents, so you have the authority to make the decision.¡± The old man sipped on his tea


    casually and was seemingly unbothered, but Matthew could vaguely figure out what was on his mind.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to rush things through. Veronica and Matthew have only been dating for over a year,


    and we are now expecting a child and a wedding! We should be grateful for this double blessing.


    Hahaha¡­¡± Elizabeth said cheerfully, pointing to Matthew. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by this stinky boy who


    appears cold on the outside. He¡¯s actually very thoughtful. I can tell he really loves Veronica.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fate that they met among billions of people. It¡¯s truly a blessing when two people form genuine


    feelings for each other and that doesn¡¯t happen every day. Don¡¯t we all want our children to live happily


    ever after? Am I right, my inws?¡± Elizabeth persisted in her efforts to make this marriage possible as


    she was fearful that Veronica¡¯s parents would object.


    ¡°A well-matched couple is everything in marriage.¡±


    Tony had an old-fashioned and traditional temperament, but he also knew what was right and wrong.


    ¡°Throughout the ages, marriages must take ce in the right and well-matched households; otherwise,


    how can the newlyweds live happily ever after?¡±


    He tapped the table and emphasized, ¡°Veronica is my only child. I don¡¯t dread for her to marry into a


    wealthy family; I only wish for her to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! Tony is right. We don¡¯t have much capability, so we don¡¯t expect her to be a social climber. We


    sincerely wish for her happiness for the rest of her life so that we can be at ease.¡±


    Which parents on earth would not want their children to live a happy life? When Veronica heard her


    parents¡¯ words, tears welled up in her eyes as her parents were not usually vocal at expressing


    themselves.


    ¡°I¡¯m so lucky to have you, Mom and Dad.¡±


    Though Veronica was their adopted daughter, they loved her unconditionally.


    This is most likely the blessing I cultivated in my past life, she pondered.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve made the decision to marry Matt. I have faith in him and I know he will not let me down.¡±


    However, she kept quiet about her and Matthew¡¯s fatal experiences in order to not worry her parents; she


    kept her position as the hidden n¡¯s heir a secret as well.


    This was also why Crayson had kept the truth hidden his entire life out of fear that her parents would not


    be able to bear it. At that, Veronica was unequivocal about it.


    ¡°Matt stated that he would like to receive the marriage certificate on Monday and I ept that. We


    agreed to get married early next month too.¡±


    Veronica pursed her lips and looked at her three elders from the video call before adding, ¡°Master


    Crayson, Dad and Mom, I love Matt and I hope to marry him. Of course, what I truly desire is your


    blessing.¡± After she finished speaking, the private room fell silent.


    At that moment, Tony turned away from her with an unfavorable expression; Danie, too, was at a loss


    for words while clearly hesitating; simrly, Crayson remained deafeningly silent.


    As such, the atmosphere was dignified for a brief moment, which made everyone a little depressed.


    Seeing how things unfolded, Matthew turned around to grab a few items from the side before


    approaching Tony and Danie.


    ¡°This is the record of the bank transfer. The dowry of one billion has already been transferred to your


    card, Dad. Roni assisted you in applying for the card,¡± Matthew said as he proffered the card to Tony.


    ¡°This is the property ownership certificate for Bloomstead¡¯s most opulent neighborhood. It is yours, Mom


    and Dad. It is a forty-eight story building with an elevator serving two households. When you have


    nothing nned for the future, you can just collect rent and kill time.¡±


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    ¡°This is the vehicle for you. It will be more convenient for both of you to travel in the future.¡±


    Matthew presented the hefty gifts to Tony and Danie as well as another three to Crayson while


    exining, ¡°Master Crayson, this is yours. You¡¯re Roni¡¯s master, so I will naturally treat you as my father


    as well.¡±


    Elizbeth, who had previously supported Matthew and Veronica, could not help but be hurt after hearing


    what Matthew had just said.


    One billion!


    It¡¯s a forty-eight story building in the heart of Bloomstead, with an elevator for every two households!


    The value of this property is incalcble¡­


    At this point, she was unsure whether the marriage was a good idea.

 Chapter 571

    Chapter 571


    Chapter 571 Marriage Confirmation


    Sure, marrying someone you love is irrefutably the right thing to do, but with such extravagant betrothal


    gifts? Gosh, I am sweating just from hearing it.


    On the other end of the line though, Veronica was moved to tears by what Matthew had done. She


    recalled him showing up at her house on New Year¡¯s Day and mentioning the wedding to her adoptive


    mother. At that time, he promised to pay a dowry of one billion, which Veronica assumed was all talk


    then. Who knew he actually did as he said?


    The Bloomstead house was worth every square foot ofnd, with a square foot costing forty thousand


    dors. In other words, the value of the building was incalcble!


    ¡°It¡¯s too valuable, Matt.¡± Veronica desired to marry Matthew, but she was embarrassed by his


    astronomical betrothal gift.


    ¡°You silly girl,¡± Matthew responded with a beam on his handsome face, ¡°We¡¯re a family.¡±


    We¡¯re a family.


    These three simple words provided Veronica with a sense of security and warmth.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    She was deeply moved despite the fact that it was not an outright confession. ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡±


    Even through the video call, Veronica¡¯s voice could be heard choking up as tears streamed from the


    corners of her eyes. Out of happiness, she burst into tears andughed. ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m in tears! This is


    far too embarrassing.¡± She was amused by her own action as she wiped her tears away with her slender


    fingers.


    She was not crying because she wanted to; she was just too moved and the tears flowed uncontrobly


    from her eyes.


    Meanwhile, Tony examined the property right certificate that wasid in front of him. He knew that


    Matthew would not dismiss such issues lightly and he was surprised by his generosity.


    This sum of money and real estate, which had been transferred prior to the wedding into the Murphy


    couple¡¯s ount, basically meant that Tony and Danie fully owned them now. Even if the young


    lovebirds decided to divorce in the future, Matthew would be unable to recover the money either.


    Although Tony had no idea how wealthy the Kings Family was, Matthew¡¯s willingness to provide this


    impressive dowry was enough to demonstrate his love for Veronica.


    Not to mention the time when Matthew assisted Tony in chopping the woods back at home on New


    Year¡¯s Day, it was all kept in Tony¡¯s memory. At that moment, he turned to face Danie, only to find her


    nodding. The two were not bribed with money, but their future son-inw¡¯s manner had gained their trust.


    ¡°What has kept you so quiet, Master Crayson? Is it because you don¡¯t trust me and Matt?¡± Veronica


    regained herposure and noticed that Crayson had remained silent, prompting her to inquire.


    ¡°Hmph, I can¡¯t be in charge of your marriage.¡± He sighed. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m getting old.¡±


    His words rendered Veronica speechless. Wow, Hollywood has just found their new Oscar-worthy actor.


    Twenty years of acting and the director has just called ¡®Cut!¡¯ What a master indeed.


    ¡°Since you won¡¯t be in charge, I¡¯ll take it as a yes.¡± Her lips pursed into a smile. ¡°So¡­ Mom and Dad, I


    assumed you¡¯re giving us your blessings too. Matthew is kind to me. He¡­ ¡±


    Veronica acted coquettishly over the phone with her parents, hoping that they would ept her and


    Matthew¡¯s marriage.


    ¡°Oh dear, we are aware of the genuine love both of you have demonstrated for each other. What¡¯s the


    worry for if they truly love each other? It¡¯s for their own sake.¡± Elizabeth was sympathetic to Matthew¡¯s


    lavish dowry, but she also adored Veronica. At this point, she could only do her best to support the


    lovebirds¡¯ marriage.


    Meanwhile, Danie was on the fence, so she stared at Tony while awaiting his decision.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± He gently pped the table with his hand while saying, ¡°Don¡¯t you think our


    daughter is obstinate? It¡¯s not like we can separate them now that she¡¯s pregnant with the Kingses¡¯


    child.¡±


    Danie nodded in agreement before asking, ¡°Crayson, what do you think?¡±

 Chapter 572

    Chapter 572


    Chapter 572 Finally Married


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it to fate.¡± Crayson sighed and did notment further. Atst, Matthew felt relieved after


    the elders agreed to their marriage while Veronica, who was at the other end of the call, could not hide


    her cheerful smile.


    In the evening, they had dinner together before heading to the hospital to visit Veronica. Tony and


    Danie stayed in Bloomstead for several days and they were invited by Elizabeth to the Kings


    Residence. They returned to the countryside after a few days of apanying Veronica and before they


    departed for home, the ount passbook was left behind.


    Perhaps it was God¡¯s blessings, Veronica¡¯s baby¡¯s condition gradually improved during her one-week


    hospitalization. At longst, everything seemed to be going in the right direction.


    Monday came and it was the day for their registration of marriage. Veronica still woke up from the


    hospital, but by 8:00AM, she and Matthew had finished packing and were on their way to the Civil Affairs


    Bureau together.


    The view outside the window was breathtaking as she sat in the passenger seat; the sky was crimson


    red and the scenery was as lovely as her wonderful mood. The couple in the car was clearly unable to


    hide their joy as they exchanged nces with big smiles on their faces with love abundantly filling in the


    air.


    In less than thirty minutes, they arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau. The two walked through a special


    lane, signed an application form, and received their marriage certificates within fifteen minutes.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Even when the staff member handed over their stamped certificates, there was a hint of warmth running


    through Veronica¡¯s fingertips as her heartbeat elerated due to her excitement. We¡¯re official!


    ¡°From now on, you are the most important person in my life. Remember, we will never be divorced; just


    widowers who love each other till the very end,¡± Matthew said as he drew her hand and ced it in his


    palm. His lovely reminder cleared her mind of strange thoughts.


    ¡°Hahaha, judging by your affection for each other, you two will certainly grow old together. Why talk about


    death on a day like this?¡± the amiable staff, a nearly fifty-year-old woman, sincerely blessed them.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Veronica thanked the staff before exiting the Civil Affairs Bureau hand in hand with


    Matthew. Since they had to take photos, they were dressed in matching white shirts and ck pants.


    The morning ray shone on them as they walked out of the bureau and stood on the corridor outside,


    ting ayer of orange halo on the couple and making the scene look as lovely as ever.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a photo, Matt. The sixth of August is going to be our special day from now on.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He gave a nod.


    With that, Veronica took out her phone and turned on the selfie mode. Standing next to Matthew, she


    leaned on his shoulder and instructed, ¡°Look at the camera, please. Hey, show our certificates!¡± Her left


    hand was held high to position her phone, whereas her right hand was clutching the certificate before her


    chest while shaking it, signaling him to do the same.


    ¡°Do I look dumb?¡± Matthew was not used to taking selfies and thought this method of photography was


    ridiculous.


    ¡°How is this dumb?¡± she asked, a slight frown appeared on her face as she red at Matthew. ¡°Do you


    not want to be in the picture?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Then, raise your certificate and position it closer to mine. Bring your head closer too.¡±


    She looked at him in the camera and said, ¡°Look at the camera. Don¡¯t blink.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± the man responded and she was ready to press the shutter button.


    At that precise moment, Matthew suddenly leaned in and kissed Veronica on the cheek while the camera


    happened to capture this perfectly.


    With such an unexpected kiss, it drew the attention of the Civil Affairs Bureau¡¯s staff.


    ¡°They look so good together.¡±


    ¡°They are both attractive. Such a match made in heaven!¡±


    ¡°They are made for each other!¡±


    ¡°Ha! They will be happy when they marry. It won¡¯t be long before they realize that marriage is the death


    of love.¡±

 Chapter 573

    Chapter 573


    Chapter 573 Sweet Love


    The two exchanged a knowing smile as they listened to the conversations of those around them. ¡°Is it


    possible that our marriage will be the death of our love?¡± Veronica asked, her bright star-like eyes were


    unable to conceal the happy smile.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Matthew confirmed. ¡°Yes?!¡± Veronica was bbergasted. He took her hand in his and wrapped his


    arms around her waist before hugging her tightly. Deep affection was smeared across his narrow eyes as


    he said, ¡°We¡¯ll be together until death do us apart. Before our lives end, I will tell our children¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he paused to lean over and nt another kiss, then whispered into her ear, ¡°We must be


    buried together when we die.¡±


    Thanks to him, the terms ¡®death¡¯ and ¡®grave¡¯ opened up brand new meanings to the couple. With just a


    peck of love dusted onto these words, it somehow sounded desirable and wonderful to look forward


    to. ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re far too eloquent. You must have flirted with a lot of girls in the past,¡± Veronica joked as she held


    Matthew¡¯s face in her slender fingers. ¡°In the past, I was the one who was flirted with.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you find it that hard to believe?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a woman ma. You are both handsome and wealthy. Of course, it¡¯s me that I don¡¯t believe


    in.¡± For once, Veronica told the truth.


    Matthew was a well-known figure in Bloomstead and he was both a genius and gifted business mogul in


    the field. Not to mention how he was already part of the Kingses the moment he was born, granting him


    this undeniable stern, charming, handsome aura that he was betrothed upon. What a real life Prince


    Charming he is.


    Veronica, on the other hand, came from an average and humble household in the countryside. Due to


    that little factor, the two were diametrically opposed and shecked a certain amount of confidence.


    ¡°What are you on about, silly girl?¡± He pinched her flushed cheeks. ¡°When ites to identity, I¡¯m far


    below you.¡±


    ¡®Identity¡¯ referred to Veronica¡¯s identity as the Young Lord of the hidden n.


    ¡°Hey, this is our big day. Can we not go down to that worrying topic?¡± She gave him a nk stare.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    A sore spot should not be touched.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Matthew nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Or¡­¡± Veronica thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s rx today by going to the movies, visiting


    the amusement park, and doing everything a couple should do.¡±


    On a special day, it was nice to do meaningful activities.


    ¡°You can do whatever you want after our wedding, but not now¡­¡±


    ¡°The doctor advised you to stay rested.¡± He shook his head.


    If it was not for the marriage certificate today, Matthew would not have allowed Veronica to discharge


    from the hospital. It took a long time to stabilize the child in her belly and she must be careful not to put


    herself in danger again.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d better go back and lie down for the sake of you two little guys,¡± Veronica muttered while lowering her


    head and gently patting her stomach.


    Being a mother was not easy.


    ¡°It¡¯s so unexpected and I¡¯m not prepared,¡± she sighed. Her original n was to marry after the age of


    twenty eight, but life was always full of surprises.


    ¡°There is no need to rush because the baby will be born in eight months. It is sufficient to be mentally


    prepared.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Veronica agreed with Matthew.


    ¡°Phew, let¡¯s head back quickly. It¡¯s so hot,¡± she said as she fanned her cheeks with her hand.


    ¡°Let me carry you.¡±


    Concerned that his wife was exhausted, Matthew lifted her and steadily led her down the stairs. The


    people around him were envious of this scene as they paused to watch; some even took photos and


    videos with their phones.


    ¡°Oh my God. I want a love like this too.¡±

 Chapter 574

    Chapter 574


    Chapter 574 Abby Has Passed Out


    ¡°Why do other girls have such fulfilling love while I¡¯m always surrounded by scumbags?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so attractive. He looks exactly like my dream guy.¡± ¡°Yo, that woman is absolutely stunning! I¡¯m


    pretty sure I¡¯ve seen her before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, she looks familiar.¡± At Pines Street¡¯s north alley in Bloomstead¡­ ¡°Freeze! Let¡¯s see where


    you can go!¡±


    Caleb finally apprehended a criminal suspect after running for two blocks. The suspect was knocked to


    the ground by a simple m on the shoulder. Caleb pressed one knee against the man¡¯s back, used his


    right hand to remove the handcuffs from his waist, and cuffed the suspect on his wrists.


    ¡°What a runner you are. You must have had a lot of practice escaping every day,¡± Caleb eximed as he


    pped the suspect¡¯s head.


    Ring¡ª Ring¡ª


    Suddenly the phone in his pocket rang unexpectedly.


    ¡°Who¡¯s speaking?¡± Caleb inquired as he answered the phone.


    ¡°Hello, this is calling from Bloomstead High. Are you Abby¡¯s guardian? the caller on the other line


    inquired.


    Taken aback, Caleb frowned upon hearing this. He looked at his colleague who had approached him


    from behind and said, ¡°Take him back to the station first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Officer Shaw. Phew¡­ Damn. This guy can really run.¡±


    While wiping the sweat from his brows, the colleague approached and yanked the suspect up. ¡°Follow


    me!¡±


    With that, Caleb took a step back and answered the person, ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    Sh*t. Did Abby make a mistake at school?


    I doubt it. She¡¯s an excellent student.


    ¡°Pleasee to the school as soon as possible. Abby just passed out in ss.¡±


    ¡°Passed out? What exactly is going on?¡±


    ¡°The nurse from the infirmary said that¡­ Abby was hungry¡­ She fainted from a low sugar level,¡± the


    homeroom teacher on the other end stammered.


    The teacher felt incredulous after saying this. I can¡¯t believe students from this school would still faint


    from hunger.


    ¡°Did she pass out from hunger?¡±


    This is absurd.


    Caleb sent Abby money every week, which was more than enough to cover her weekly expenses. So,


    how could she have passed out from hunger?


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    ¡°Please head to Bloomstead High,¡± Caleb said as he trotted out of the alley and stopped a cab on the


    side of the road.


    On the way there, he repeatedly urged the cab driver to drive faster.


    Atst, he arrived at Bloomstead High after more than forty minutes.


    He went straight to the infirmary after exining the situation at the school gate.


    Knock, knock.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Caleb and I¡¯m Abby¡¯s guardian,¡± he said to several people in the infirmary after


    knocking on the door.


    Since it was working hours, he did not have time to change out of his uniform. Furthermore, he was on a


    mission when he received the phone call from Abby¡¯s teacher.


    ¡°Oh, Officer Shaw, right? Come in,¡± Abby¡¯s homeroom teacher greeted.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with Abby?¡± he questioned as he entered the room.


    ¡°She is now awake and receiving nutrition therapy.¡± The ss teacher pointed at the infirmary ward.


    Caleb walked up to the ward¡¯s door and peered through the half-closed door before seeing Abby lying


    silently on the bed as his heart twitched uncontrobly.


    ¡°Is there anything out of the ordinary about Abby at school?¡± he inquired as he walked back to the


    infirmary on tiptoe.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Thest time he saw her, she was picking up recybleste at night; this time, she fainted due to


    hunger. I cannot imagine what she has been going through.


    ¡°Despite her inability tomunicate, Abby is a bright and well-mannered student. If she has a question,


    she will write it down and ask it on paper, and she consistently ranks among the top in the ss.¡±


    Shaking her head, the teacher concluded, ¡°There¡¯s nothing unusual about her.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± Without further questioning, Caleb then proceeded to the ward.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me what happened?¡± he asked as he closed the door and approached Abby.

 Chapter 575

    Chapter 575


    Chapter 575 Bullied


    Abby, who was lying in on the bed, had just heard Caleb¡¯s voice. However, she was not surprised to see


    him showing up here. She used signnguage and gestured, ¡®I¡­¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it after your drip.¡± Caleb motioned for her to lie down peacefully by cing her raised


    hand back onto the bed. It could result in a backflow of blood if she was to sign during her drip.


    The pale girl nodded without expressing anything as she bit her lower lip cautiously, not daring to look


    Caleb in the eyes. He sat next to the bed and fiddled with his phone before making another call. He


    could only remain silent since there was no verbalmunication. Furthermore, they were the only ones


    in the ward, making the atmosphere awkward.


    After more than an hour, Abby was finally done with the nutrition therapy and the nurse left after


    removing the needle. ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± he demanded coldly.


    Despite the fact that he was not interrogating prisoners, the cold aura, navy blue police uniform, and the


    unspoken sense of oppression made Abby nervous to the point of suffocation.


    ¡®It¡¯s nothing,¡¯ she signed while shaking her head. ¡°The doctor says you passed out from not eating.¡± He


    noticed herplexion was haggard and sallow from the moment he walked in, and she had lost a


    significant amount of weight.


    ¡°I send you money on a regr basis and it covers living expenses. Shouldn¡¯t you exin yourself? I


    should have asked you thest time I saw you.¡± At the mention of the incidentst time, Caleb seemed to


    be saying, ¡®You¡¯d better give me a reasonable reason.¡¯


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    However, Abby kept her eyes closed and bat an eye at him. In the dead silent ward, she lifted her hand


    and repeated her gesture. ¡®I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡¯


    ¡°Please don¡¯t test my pa¡ª¡± Caleb was usually cold and stern, but he was afraid of frightening her


    halfway through his words.


    He rose and sat next to the hospital bed while softly saying, ¡°I am your guardian and I require information


    about your situation. After all, I¡¯m a cop and your¡­ brother. You must not withhold anything from me.¡±


    Hearing that, Abby pursed her lips and raised her eyes before mustering the courage to look him in the


    eyes. However, she paused once more and remained speechless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate my abilities as a cop.¡±


    He was implying that he could figure things out even if Abby did not let on a single word to him.


    ¡®Actually¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ I want to save money and repay you as soon as possible.¡¯ Abby made up a


    ridiculous reason.


    ¡°Abby!¡± Her lies infuriated Caleb.


    Frightened, Abby quickly sat up and gestured before her heart pounded even harder. ¡®I¡¯ll go to the


    restroom first.¡¯


    She rose to her feet and went to the restroom after wearing her shoes.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Caleb sighed deeply before reaching out to helplessly pat the bedside.


    He was frowning when he caught sight of Abby¡¯s phone on the bedside table. Picking up the phone, he


    noticed that it required a password to unlock. However, he happened to catch a glimpse of her password


    a while ago, so he was able to unlock it right away.


    He went through her call logs and text messages, only to find nothing unusual. Soon, a list of contacts


    appeared when he opened WhatsApp. The fourth avatar in that list of recent contacts was a red clown


    icon with the nickname ¡®The Devil¡¯.


    Caleb was drawn in by the nickname, so he clicked into the chat¡­


    The Devil wrote, ¡®It¡¯s time to hand in the money, Naruto.¡¯


    Dated September 1st.


    It was the twelfth of September today, so the conversation was dated eleven days ago.


    The Devil texted, ¡®Damn it. Why aren¡¯t you handing over the cash? Meet me at the school entrance


    tonight. Don¡¯t even think about trying to flee!¡¯


    Dated September 4th.


    The Devil wrote again, ¡®F*ck you, Naruto. I¡¯m going to kill you today.¡¯


    Abby replied, ¡®I¡¯m really sorry¡­ I¡¯m really out of money now.¡¯


    The Devil threatened, ¡®If you can¡¯t get me 3,000 today, I¡¯ll upload all of your photos to the campus forum.¡¯

 Chapter 576

    Chapter 576


    Chapter 576 Both Became a Trending Topic


    The date was September 5th, and exactly one week had passed since that date. As it was Monday, it


    was the day Caleb should transfer the money, but there were many things to be done in the station, so


    he didn¡¯t have the time to make the transfer yet.


    Therefore, he took out his phone, added ¡®the Devil¡¯ to his WhatsApp ount, and made a few


    screenshots of the chat history before setting his phone aside on the desk.


    Soon, Abby returned and stopped in front of him. ¡®I¡¯m fine and have to return for sses now. So get


    back to your work, and don¡¯t worry about me.¡¯


    ¡°Okay, go ahead.¡± Caleb acknowledged with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re fine now. Unfortunately, I have


    to return to the station.¡±


    He rose to his feet, walked around her, and left for work.


    Every week, he would give her 700 for living expenses, which was more than enough based on the


    expenditure of Bloomstead High.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    In addition, he had her teachers¡¯ contacts and her ss¡¯ group chat. If there were a need to pay for


    material fees and other expenses, it would pop up in the group chat, and he would transfer it directly to


    the teacher.


    He knew her family¡¯s situation, so he was worried that giving her too much money would make her lose


    herself. That was why this was the amount he gave after calction¡ª700 a week, and if she saved on


    her expenses, she could save 300 per week.


    So, just where did that 3,000e from?


    That afternoon, a police car appeared at Bloomstead High, and the bully next to Abby was taken away.


    The following day, the news of what happened to the bully spread in Bloonstead and even made it to the


    school forum.


    On that same day, everyone learned that the school bully had transferred to another school.


    As for Abby, who was focused on her studies, she wasn¡¯t aware of this situation at all. Still, the odd thing


    was, after that day, Caleb woulde and visit her more often.


    ¡­


    In the meantime, after Veronica and Matthew received their marriage certificate, they quickly returned to


    the hospital and the ward to rest.


    As shey on the bed, she was bored to tears, so she started kicking up a fuss, ¡°I¡¯m so bored, and I want


    to go home.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re pregnant, so you have to rest.¡±


    ¡°I cany in bed at home, too,¡± Veronica whined in a spoiled manner, gazing at him with puppy eyes.


    Matthew knew her well, so he was aware that she could be utterly bored to death fromying in


    bed. Therefore, he also expected that bed rest would drive her crazy, but he was also worried that the


    medical equipment at home wasn¡¯t adequate to handle her situation.


    After some contemtion, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely impossible to rest at home, but you¡¯ll have to return to


    the manor with me.¡±


    The manor he meant was an incredibly luxurious and extensive private estate that was as huge as a


    castle.


    ¡°Huh?¡± She sulked and immediately shook her head. ¡°But I want to return to Twilight Condominium.¡±


    Although Twilight Condominium wasn¡¯t huge, both of them had been living there since they met, and she


    had a deep affection for that ce as it was very cozy and seemed more like home to her.


    ¡°Then, justy here without anyints.¡±


    If she stayed at the manor, he could arrange for a doctor to be on call and purchase medical equipment


    in a short period of time in case of emergency. Regrettably, the Twilight Condominium was too small,


    making such arrangements impossible.


    ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s boring,¡± she said and harrumphed haughtily. Since she didn¡¯t get her way, she decided to


    turn away from him and start ignoring him.


    Just then, her phone on the table started ringing. Despite being told not to strain herself, her hand


    snapped out to grab her phone as shey on her side. Then, she noticed the caller ID on the screen and


    saw that it was a call from Monica.


    ¡°Hi, Monica.¡±


    ¡°Roni, you¡¯re so mean. You already received your marriage certificate with Matthew, but you didn¡¯t even


    tell us about it. Do you still take me as your friend?¡± Monicained in disgruntlement on the phone.


    ¡°Huh, what? When did you find out about this?¡±


    A surprised Veronica couldn¡¯t figure out how Monica knew about her marriage to Matthew.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s from the Inte. This is already on the trending news, and ourpany is abuzz with


    thetest gossip. So, it¡¯s only natural for me to learn about this.¡±

 Chapter 577

    Chapter 577


    Chapter 577 Help Me to Court Hendrey


    ¡°Trending topic?¡± Never did Veronica imagine that news of her marriage to Matthew would be a


    trending topic despite them keeping such a low profile.


    Buzz, buzz. Suddenly, another iing call appeared on her phone screen while she was in the midst


    of another call. The caller¡¯s name was clearly disyed on the screen¡ªRuka.


    Veronica¡¯s chest tightened, and she couldn¡¯t help but gulp in trepidation. ¡°Uh, I-I¡¯m very busy. I¡¯m working


    on something now. I¡¯ll definitely call you backter.¡±


    After she hung up on Monica, she anxiously picked up the call from Young Mistress Ruka Dame. It¡¯s true


    when they say you attract your fears, she thought.


    Back then, she had seen for herself Ruka¡¯s feelings for Matthew, and her biggest fear was Ruka learning


    about her and Matthew. However, the marriage certificate in her hands was still piping hot in her hands,


    and Ruka already knew about it.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Sheughed sheepishly as she said, ¡°Ruka, why did you call me to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Veronica Murphy, you¡¯re married to Matthew?!¡±


    While Veronica wasughing awkwardly and had yet to finish her sentence, Ruka had already cut her off


    with her yell. Sharp and ear-piercing, her voice was enough proof of how mad she was.


    She leaned against the bed¡¯s headboard and shot Matthew a death stare as though saying it was all his


    fault.


    The man merely smirked and shrugged helplessly.


    She rolled her eyes at him in response and said humbly, ¡°W-Well, this is a misunderstanding. Listen to


    me, Ruka¡­¡±


    Listen? What was she going to say? Even she didn¡¯t know what she should say.


    While she hesitated and tried to wrack her brains for something, anything, she slipped into an


    ufortable silence.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you all the time you need. If this isn¡¯t enough, I¡¯ll look for you, and you can speak to me


    face-to-face.¡±


    Ruka suppressed the boiling anger in her heart as she felt betrayed while she waited for Veronica to give


    her a decent exnation.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Veronica raised her hand and pinched her nose bridge, but no matter how hard she tried, she had no


    idea how to exin their situation to Ruka. Then, right when she was about to lose all hope and thought


    she would lose a good friend, someone snatched her phone away.


    Matthew sat beside her as he held her phone and turned on loudspeaker mode. ¡°I¡¯m the one who asked


    Roni to do this. I¡¯m sorry that we lied to you.¡±


    For the first time ever, Matthew actually apologized to someone else besides Veronica.


    Even though he did it to protect her, it was still a very shocking move.


    On the other end, Ruka was stunned for a few good seconds before she removed the phone from her


    ear and checked the screen. When she saw the number and was sure that it belonged to Veronica, she


    recalled the voice from earlier and eximed, ¡°Matthew Kings?¡±


    Is this really Matthew Kings? The man who is always high and mighty is actually apologizing to me?


    ¡°Due to various reasons, I asked Roni to hide our rtionship from the public. So I apologize if I have


    hurt you, and I¡¯m willing to bear all the consequences.¡±


    Meanwhile, Veronica was experiencing something else when she felt protected in such a domineering


    way. She suddenly felt that his charisma was off the charts! He looks so dashing right now!


    ¡°Matthew, b-both of you are¡­ too much!¡±


    Beep, beep, beep.


    After she stammered those words, she didn¡¯t hesitate to hang up the phone. With that done, Matthew


    returned the phone to Veronica. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much as long as I¡¯m around.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy for you toment from the sidelines since you¡¯re not the one getting criticized!¡± All of her


    anger erupted. ¡°See? Ruka must be really mad. If shees at me with a sixteen-inch machete, I¡¯ll be


    sure to use you as a meatshield.¡±


    ¡°I doubt she dares.¡±


    ¡°If she really does, what are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°If she really has the guts toe, I¡¯m willing to take on everything for you.¡±


    Matthew raised his head high as he puffed up his chest while he dered confidently. At that instant,


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but giggle despite her anger.


    ¡°My god, you¡¯re so annoying. I don¡¯t even know how I should face Ruka and Yvonne anymore. Even


    though Yvonne is back in Castron, she would be shocked if she had read the news.¡±


    As long as she had signal on her phone, Yvonne would definitely hear about the news of her and


    Matthew, although she was back in Castron. So, Veronica didn¡¯t even want to imagine just how infuriated


    she would be.

 Chapter 578

    Chapter 578


    Chapter 578 Yvonne Is Going to Kill Her


    Buzz, buzz. The phone on the bed started vibrating again, but Veronica couldn¡¯t see the screen as the


    screen was facing downward. Still, she said confidently, ¡°That must be Yvonne. I bet she wants to kill me


    now.¡±


    As she spoke, she picked up the phone, but when she saw Ruka¡¯s name on the screen, her heart started


    beating apprehensively, and she was a little jittery when it hit her how obsessed Ruka was with Matthew


    back then.


    ¡°Hi, Ruka,¡± she answered tentatively, carrying a trace of ttery. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re a liar, Veronica Murphy!


    You and Matthew Kings are both liars! I¡¯ll never forgive you!¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re liars and absolutely horrid. You can scold us as much as you want. This is really my fault, and


    I ept it.¡± What else could Veronica do when she was the one in the wrong in this situation? Since the


    day she lied to Ruka, she should have guessed that she wouldnd herself in such a difficult situation.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of scolding you? You have to make it up to me!¡± ¡°How should I do that?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me? If I tell you how, will you agree to it?¡± Ruka asked instead. ¡°Yes, as long as it¡¯s not


    anything illegal, I¡¯ll agree to anything you say.¡± In order to make up for her mistake, Veronica was willing


    to agree to any of Ruka¡¯s requests, as long as they weren¡¯t out of the line.


    ¡°Okay, you said it. Not me,¡± Ruka enunciated each word clearly as she nodded imperiously.


    Just one word and Veronica felt that she had dug a hole for herself, and Ruka was waiting for the


    moment she would jump in.


    As expected, she heard Ruka continue, ¡°Help me to court Hendrey. I love him, and I want to be his


    girlfriend.¡±


    A speechless Veronica cast a despairing look at Matthew. Since the call was in loudspeaker mode, he


    had also heard Ruka¡¯s request.


    She held her forehead in exasperation and wished she could travel back in time and give herself two


    ps before she could promise something like that. How could she have agreed to Ruka¡¯s request like


    an idiot? Wasn¡¯t she just making her life more difficult?


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    The call fell intoplete silence, and after waiting for an eternity without Veronica¡¯s answer, Ruka said,


    ¡°Hello, did you hear me?¡±


    When there was not a single sound of a reply, Ruka thought that the phone had lost signal.


    Veronica made an excuse on the spot and lied, ¡°Oh, there was no signal earlier, and I didn¡¯t hear you.¡±


    ¡°I said that I can forgive you and Matthew, but you¡¯ll have to help me court Hendrey, and I¡¯ll forgive you


    guys. Even though both of you are horrid, it¡¯s all thanks to your lies that I realized I¡¯m not in love with


    Matthew. In this world, there are other outstanding men besides Matthew. For example, Hendrey.¡±


    When she spoke, it was clear that she was proud, which stemmed from her admiration and love for


    Hendrey.


    Veronica didn¡¯t know how she should turn her down, and she grabbed her hair anxiously as she let out a


    long sigh.


    ¡°What do you mean by this? Is that a yes or no?¡± Ruka asked impatiently.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Veronica was out of wits at this point. ¡°You can¡¯t force a rtionship, so I can only do


    my best to help you win Hendrey over. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as long as you¡¯re willing to help me. That¡¯s more than enough.¡±


    Even though what happened between Veronica and Matthew came very suddenly and caught her off


    guard, she gradually let go of her feelings for Matthew as time passed. Or maybe, she had reexamined


    her feelings for Matthew and realized that she merely admired and liked him.


    There was still a vast difference between love and like.


    After they ended the call, Veronica tossed her phone aside and sighed, dazedly staring at the ceiling.


    ¡°Luckily, Ruka had ced her love elsewhere. Otherwise, she might really kill me.¡±


    Just the thought of it sent shivers down her spine.


    ¡°Oh, look here¡­¡± Finally, she nced at Matthew as she smacked him gently to vent her slight


    dissatisfaction. ¡°Others simply need to give their feelings in a rtionship. Why do we have to risk our


    lives?¡±

 Chapter 579

    Chapter 579


    Chapter 579 Sasha Starts Some Trouble


    She joked,ughing at her turbulent fate and how unfair it was to her. ¡°Maybe this is just a test.¡± Next to


    her, Matthew consoled her, but his phone started ringing instead.


    First, it was a call from Thomas and Troy, then Skyler, Caleb, Miguel, and the others phoned him,


    desperate to rify the news. Of course, Veronica¡¯s phone didn¡¯t have time to rest, either.


    Shirley, Ivana, Larry, Stephen, Sasha, partners of Vincere Games, and the others called her one after the


    other. Just by picking up calls and answering them the best they could, they spent more than an hour


    until Veronica gave up and turned off her phone. Eventually, Matthew did the same.


    At first, they thought that they could have some peace to themselves, but who would have guessed that


    Skyler, Miguel, and Thomas came knocking after a while?


    ¡°Goddammit, Matt. Both of you are progressing very quickly!¡± After Skyler entered, he didn¡¯t even bother


    with the pleasantries before he started grumbling, ¡°I just found out that Roni is pregnant with your child,


    and you already have your marriage certificate. You¡¯re hiding everything from us. Do you even regard us


    as your buddies?¡±


    ¡°This is much better. I¡¯m relieved to know that both of you have patched things up and are doing well


    now,¡± Miguelmented, pacing to Veronica¡¯s side and shaking his head with a smile. ¡°Despite not being


    directly involved in your rtionship, I was still somewhat tortured when the both of you were on terrible


    terms with each other.¡±


    Previously when Veronica and Matthew suddenly broke up, Elizabeth wanted to introduce Veronica to


    Miguel, and Veronica had agreed to it just to spite Matthew.


    That was a difficult time for Miguel.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Miggy, I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± She shed him a mischievous smile even


    though she felt highly guilty.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair, Roni. Do you only have Miggy in your eyes?¡± Skyler snorted. ¡°If it weren¡¯t me who told


    Miggy about your pregnancy, he wouldn¡¯t even know about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Veronica knew that after she had arrived at the hospital to save her baby, it was Skyler


    who had contacted the best doctor to help her with her baby, and that was why her baby¡¯s life was saved.


    Although she was grateful, she didn¡¯t express it. ¡°If you want credit, you should go to Matthew, not me.¡±


    ¡°Sheesh, you¡¯re not ying fair,¡± he whined, shaking his head.


    Thomas stepped forward and congratted Veronica politely, ¡°Congrattions, Miss Murphy. Not only


    are you pregnant, but you are also married to Boss. That¡¯s double the happiness.¡±


    ¡°You say the nicest things, Mr. Ritter.¡± She gave him a thumbs-up and asked concernedly, ¡°How¡¯s your


    brother doing? Is he getting any better?¡±


    In Castron, as Troy was severely injured, Matthew and Veronica had returned to the country first while he


    had stayed behind to recuperate, and just a few days ago, he was sent back home.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Miss Murphy. Troy is doing quite well, and he¡¯ll be fine after a period of


    rest,¡± Thomas answered.


    The few of them sat together and chatted casually. Only Caleb was missing because he was still busy


    with Abby.


    In the evening, Sasha appeared at the ward. At the sight of this particr unexpected guest, Matthew¡¯s


    expression turned a few notches colder. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Sasha wore a pair of sunsses, dressed in a long, ck-colored dress as she stood in the ward in her


    sky-high heels. ¡°You don¡¯t wee me anymore now that you have her?¡±


    Veronica leaned against the headboard as she stared at Sasha and wondered, It¡¯s already nighttime.


    Why is she still wearing sunnies?


    After she gave the odd sight some thought, she came to the conclusion that there could be only one


    possibility¡ªmaybe Sasha couldn¡¯t ept that both of them were married, so she cried.


    In the afternoon, Sasha had also called tosh out at her, but Veronica didn¡¯t argue with her because she


    didn¡¯t want to put Matthew in a tight spot. So instead, she had directly hung up the call.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Afterward, Sasha called her several times. Thus, Veronica decided to block her number to prevent any


    verbal fights from urring.


    ¡°You should be d that the baby in Roni¡¯s womb is safe. Otherwise, do you think that I¡¯ll let you have


    the chance to stand before me?¡±

 Chapter 580

    Chapter 580


    Chapter 580 Wedding Photos


    They were once good friends, but now, they were enemies. A stunned Sasha stood rooted to the spot,


    and her expression couldn¡¯t be seen clearly because she was wearing shades. However, her pain could


    be seen from how her hand shook slightly as she tightened her grip on her handbag.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! Matthew Kings, don¡¯t you care about me the slightest?¡± She pressed against


    her chest as though to suppress the whirling emotions in her heart as she continued in anger, ¡°After that


    day, I med myself for a very long time. I admit that I love you and want to be with you. I also want to


    break up the both of you, but no matter how terrible I am, I¡¯ll nevery my hands on a baby! But how?


    How could you think of me as such a despicable person?¡±


    Matthew rose to his feet and paced to her; his sculptured and handsome face looked utterly cial. ¡°So,


    what are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±Just one question and it rendered Sasha tongue-tied. After she learned that Matthew and


    Veronica had registered their marriage, she almost went nuts. So, she hid at home and bawled her eyes


    out to the point that they were utterly swollen.


    So, even though she felt wrung up, she was still filled with disgruntlement. Thus, she came looking for


    Matthew in the hospital because she couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    Despite that, right now, in front of Matthew, she didn¡¯t know what to say when he asked her such a


    question.


    Finally, she thought about it, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask herself, That¡¯s right. So why did I look for him


    at the hospital?


    Meanwhile, Veronica leaned against the bed¡¯s headboard with her head lowered, ying on her phone,


    and didn¡¯t say a thing.


    She knew that Sasha didn¡¯t do it on purpose and didn¡¯t want to pursue the matter, too. Nevertheless,


    Sasha had intense feelings for Matthew, and he was saying mean things to her so that she would give


    up.


    A rtionship that had no beginning shouldn¡¯t be showered in any hope at all, and Veronica supported


    and approved of his actions.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m here to apologize to Veronica!¡± With no idea how she should answer him, Sasha finally


    came up with an excuse and snapped back at Matthew angrily. ¡°Move aside. How am I supposed to


    apologize to her when you¡¯re standing in my way? You¡¯re so protective of her. Do you think I can hurt her


    right in front of you?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s eyebrows shot up, and the iciness in his eyes dissipated slightly as he stepped aside and


    made way for her.


    Sasha gripped her purse tightly as she dug her nails into the genuine leather strap, silently venting her


    frustrations.


    She walked to Veronica and looked at her as she yed on her phone. Although she was fair, there was


    a healthy blush on her skin, and she looked superb.


    Look at her. Matthew protected her well, Sasha thought, envious and jealous.


    Still, she mustered up her courage and apologized insincerely, ¡°It was my fault that day, and I¡¯m sorry


    about that. I hope you¡¯ll forgive me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over now, and since the baby is fine, I won¡¯t pursue the matter.¡± Veronica locked her phone, then set


    her phone aside and lifted her gaze to look at the woman before her. ¡°I ept your apology.¡±


    Sasha didn¡¯t know what to say again.


    She red at Veronica through her shades for a long while before snorting. ¡°I¡¯m apologizing because I


    feel bad toward your unborn child, but it doesn¡¯t mean that your rtionship has my blessing. Veronica


    Murphy, I won¡¯t wish you guys any happiness.¡±


    After she said that, she flounced out of the ward in a huff, mming the door heavily behind her. A loud


    bang echoed, and the door shook so violently that even the windows trembled.


    Veronica shook her head and rolled her eyes at Matthew. ¡°Look at the consequences of your terrible love


    affairs. What a mess.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault that you¡¯re caught in this mess.¡± Matthew stopped next to her, lifted her chin with his hand,


    and leaned down to nt a kiss on her cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so mushy. I¡¯m not even a child.¡± Although she was clearly basking in his tender adoration, she


    pretended to dislike it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already fixed the wedding date. A few dayster, once you¡¯re feeling better, we¡¯ll have our wedding


    pictures taken.¡±

 Chapter 581

    Chapter 581


    Chapter 581 Kill Veronica Murphy


    Since Matthew took Veronica¡¯s health very seriously, he didn¡¯t want to urge her to take the wedding


    photos.


    So, he unlocked his phone and showed her the arrangements he had made for their wedding. ¡°I got


    someone to check out some dates, and the best one is in two weeks¡¯ time, so I decided on that day.


    However, the wedding dress isn¡¯t finalized yet. So, tell me, which design do you prefer?¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    He started scrolling through the pictures on his phone and showed Veronica several designs that caught


    his eye.


    ¡°I¡­ May I try out some wedding dresses?¡± Veronica pouted. ¡°There¡¯s only one wedding a lifetime. So if I


    don¡¯t try out a few dresses, I¡¯ll definitely regret it.¡±


    She knew that the pictures of wedding dress designs on his phone were all designed in a hurry by the


    people he had hired, and once she had decided on a design, he would get someone to customize it as


    soon as possible.


    But¡­


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me how expensive the dress is¡­¡± She held his hand and continued, ¡°I just want to


    go through the entire wedding process with you, so our wedding is more meaningful.¡±


    Besides, she knew that Matthew wasn¡¯t a superstitious person, but he got someone to check out the


    dates just to have a good omen. On the other hand, she didn¡¯t have any major requests¡ªall she wanted


    was to experience their wedding properly.


    He gave her a doting smile as he replied, ¡°Sure, anything is fine as long as it makes you happy.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s take a look at some dresses tomorrow, okay?¡±


    ¡°So quickly?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just taking a look tomorrow. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll immediately find something which I like.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    In the ward, they sat and discussed the wedding process a little before they finalized the wedding. At


    night, Veronica turned in early, and when Matthew left the ward, he gave Thomas a call.


    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s sote now. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Immediately find the best wedding nner in the country. I need to have the best proposal within two


    days.¡±


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re the owner of a bridal shop. Wouldn¡¯t it reflect badly on yourpany if you hire someone


    else to do the job?¡± Thomas reminded him.


    ¡°Would it?¡± he asked sternly.


    The edge of Thomas¡¯ lips twitched at his boss¡¯ reaction, and he shook his head vigorously. ¡°No, not at


    all.¡±


    You¡¯re the owner, and if you¡¯re not worried about thepany¡¯s image, why should I even care?


    ¡°Although the wedding is important, the most important issue is security. Prepare everything ahead, and


    if anything happens at that time, you¡¯ll bear all the responsibilities!¡± Matthew warned gravely.


    Thomas had long understood this, just based on how much Matthew loved Veronica. He knew very well


    that the wedding was just as important as Veronica was to Matthew.


    ¡­


    On the other side, the Antheena Castle was located in Castron.


    As the ck Ace Mob¡¯s leader, ke Denson so cherished his daughter that he had named the castle


    after Antheena.


    In the morning, Xavier stood at the window with a cigarette between his fingers as he stared into the


    distance.


    Antheena approached him from behind, reached out, circled her arms around his waist, and rested her


    head on his back. ¡°Darling, what are you thinking about?¡±


    Xavier took a long drag from the cigarette instead of answering her. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°They legalized their marriage.¡±


    By ¡®they¡¯, there was no doubt that he meant Veronica and Matthew.


    A hurt look shed past her beautiful clear blue eyes. ¡°You¡­ Can¡¯t you even lie to me for once?¡±


    How could she not know that Veronica and Matthew were married? This matter became a trending topic


    in the country and almost caused the server to break down. But, even if she didn¡¯t care for such an


    important event, her father would.


    That was why she casually asked a question when she saw Xavier in a daze on the balcony, but who


    would have thought that he would bluntly tell her the truth?


    All of a sudden, she couldn¡¯t decide whether she shouldpliment him for being a straightforward man


    or for being a man who wouldn¡¯t mince his words.


    Xavier¡¯s thin lips moved, and a wisp of smoke wafted out of his mouth. Then, a soft breeze blew past and


    swept it away, disappearing from sight.


    After a long while, he flicked the ash off the cigarette¡¯s tip as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie to you.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s impossible between you and her,¡± she said in disappointment.

 Chapter 582

    Chapter 582


    Chapter 582 The Rich Are So Complicated


    ¡°I know that.¡± ¡°Since you know it, what are you hoping for, then?¡±


    Antheena didn¡¯t receive an answer to her question, and she leaned against his back just like that with a


    sad look underneath her thick, longshes. After a while, she said, ¡°What would it take for you to forget


    her?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps only death can cut off my yearning for her.¡± There was a time when Xavier wasbeled as a


    Casanova, but he had always been a faithful person, and all that was just a cover-up.


    In the Crawford Family, everyone looked down on him, and Veronica was the only one who was nice to


    him besides his sister. During the darkest period of his life, Veronica showed up and gave his lonely soul


    a sense of belonging.


    Gradually, he realized that he was in love with that woman. She was like a brilliant pearl. She was


    intelligent and stunning, possessed extraordinary skills, and always exuded a certain charm.


    Especially her smile, which was pure and bright like a breeze on a summer day, could take away all the


    sadness and troubles in his heart. It was akin to a warm sun as it had the power to warm his cold heart.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    It would be impossible for him to forget her.


    Unless he died. Only death could put an end to his love for her.


    Antheena¡¯s eyes were unfocused for a moment before she tightened her arms around his waist. ¡°You


    must be hungry. Let¡¯s have our breakfast downstairs.¡±


    If Veronica was dead and Xavier could forget about her. If that were the case, then Antheena wouldn¡¯t


    mind being the one to pull the trigger.


    She had utterly misconstrued what he meant.


    They ate downstairs, and Hendrey showed up after they had just finished breakfast.


    ¡°Why did you have breakfast sote?¡± Hendrey wore a white suit and smiled gracefully. ¡°Or, did I arrive


    too early?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Would you like to have some?¡± Antheena offered, shing him a smile.


    ¡°No, thanks. You guys can have it,¡± he replied and turned to Xavier. ¡°Let¡¯s talkter.¡±


    The light went out in Antheena¡¯s bright eyes, and the sandwich in her mouth turned tasteless.


    She feignedposure as she continued eating, but her mind was full of images of Veronica. What is so


    attractive about that woman making Hendrey and Xavier fall head over heels in love with her?


    After breakfast, she left the living room and went to practice marksmanship in the training room.


    Meanwhile, Xavier and Hendrey left the living room, too, and took a walk in the castle.


    ¡°Are you here because of her?¡± Xavier asked casually, sticking his hands into his jeans pockets.


    ¡°I always thought that Matthew Kings is a smart man, but I didn¡¯t think that he would be so dumb as to


    make such a big fuss when he got married. Isn¡¯t he just pushing her into the fire pit?¡± Hendreymented,


    shaking his head, appearing as though he couldn¡¯t understand what was going through Matthew¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Are you her enemy now or her ally?¡± Xavier stopped in his tracks and turned to him slightly. ¡°Hendrey,


    what¡¯s on your mind, huh?¡±


    Under the morning light, Xavier¡¯s tanned muscles were visible in his sleeveless shirt. Because of the scar


    on his dashing face, he seemed even more mature and brimming with the charm of a sophisticated man.


    ¡°What about you, huh?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± At Hendrey¡¯s question, Xavier raised his brows, and they smirked when their eyes met.


    ¡­


    In Bloomstead, the news that Matthew and Veronica had registered their marriage became a widely


    discussed topic on the Inte, causing an instant uproar.


    ¡®Good lord, what¡¯s happening now? Isn¡¯t this woman the one who was engaged to Matthew Kings


    before?¡¯


    ¡®The rich are so flighty. After he canceled the engagement to this woman¡¯s sister, he is now engaged to


    her instead!¡¯


    ¡®Isn¡¯t Young Master Matthew uninterested in women because he was seen kissing another man in a mall


    before this?¡¯


    ¡®Wow, he has such interesting tastes.¡¯


    ¡®The rich are soplicated.¡¯


    ¡®Isn¡¯t Veronica Murphy the god-granddaughter of Old Mrs. Kings? How could they get married?¡¯


    ¡®His ex-fianc¨¦e¡¯s private life is a mess. She totally deserves to be dumped.¡¯

 Chapter 583

    Chapter 583


    Chapter 583 A Letter of Confession


    While Veronica wasying in bed, she browsed her phone and read manyments criticizing Matthew,


    saying that he dumped Tiffany and had now married her instead.


    For a man who had no interest in women, he got married to one solely for the purpose of having an heir,


    didn¡¯t he?


    There were a whole lot of abusive words below, and some people even went straight to the official social


    network page of Spinfluence Group to insult him.


    Matthew wore a calm expression as he scrolled through thements and seemedpletely


    unaffected, but in Veronica¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯t be more sorry for him.


    Hence, while he was busy at work, she took out herptop and uploaded a recording of herself getting


    into disguise on the inte.


    Finally, she used her own social media ount and posted a story.


    ¡®@MatthewKings, I¡¯m thankful fate allowed us to meet, get acquainted, and support each other.


    All of this started on thatte night when I saved you while making a delivery, and you promised me a


    100 million reward.


    It¡¯s funny to think about it now because you found the wrong person to repay the kindness, you idiot. And


    you even foolishly agreed to marry your ¡®savior¡¯ as an act of gratitude.


    Perhaps the Universe guided you in the dark, and you still found your way to me.


    I know that I¡¯m not good enough for you and didn¡¯t dare to disclose our rtionship to the public. So, you


    agreed to my request to hide our rtionship, and even when I disguised myself as a man, you were


    willing to show up in public with me. Ignoring the stares from everyone, you kissed me.


    After that, the media did an expos¨¦ on the story, and you were ced under fire. Not even your


    grandmother cut you any ck, but you still bear all of that alone.


    Everything you did gradually made me believe in the story of Prince Charming and Cindere.


    Furthermore, it touched me deeply, and I began to believe in love.


    But it was useless for me to be the only one to believe in love because my parents opposed it.


    In their opinion, a marriage between families of equal standing is essential, and they were worried that I¡¯d


    have a difficult life if I married you.


    It was you!


    You are the one who moved them with practical actions.


    Before we were in a serious rtionship, my father was unconscious for months, and you¡¯re the one who


    contacted an overseas specialist to have him treated.


    While you were courting me, you drove with friends to my family house to look for me on Christmas Eve,


    but I turned you away at the door. You guys set off a lot of fireworks outside my house, taking it as


    spending the new year with me.


    That night, I thought that you¡¯d give up and leave with your friends, but you didn¡¯t.


    Without even a Christmas dinner, you spent the cold night in the car and came knocking on my door


    again on Christmas.


    Although my parents allowed you entry, they were so friendly to your friend that they ignored you and


    even sent you out to cut the firewood.


    Who are you?


    You¡¯re the CEO of Spinfluence Group, the future sessor of the Kings Family, a person that countless


    people regard highly.


    I thought you¡¯d turn down my parents¡¯ attempt to make things difficult for you, but you didn¡¯t.


    Until now, I still remember that Christmas day clearly. It was snowing heavily and freezing. With an axe in


    your hands, you chopped firewood outside the door the whole morning, covered in sweat and looking


    exhausted.


    I still rememberst year at Regalia Condominium.


    That night, I was drunk, and my apartment identally caught fire. As it waste at night, nobody


    noticed it until somebody called the police when the fire got out of control.


    The firefighters arrived on time and evacuated the residents in an orderly manner.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Right then, it was you who set aside your own safety and the firefighters¡¯ obstruction. Dashing into the


    fire scene, you¡¯re the one who found me in the bathroom, dead to the world.


    That night, my long hair was burnt short, and you were also injured.


    Also, after that, when I set up a bridalpany, some incidents cropped up because I offended some


    people, and thepany was set to fail.


    On the surface, you kept your distance from me, but you secretly helped me to investigate the matter


    and sent the evidence to me. That was why I could take care of the incident so smoothly.


    Although Encounters Bridal Store closed down afterward, you took over thepany, increased the


    investment value, kept all my previous employees, and gave me some shares, knowing that this


    company was borne out of my blood, sweat, and tears.


    ¡­


    All these are merely a minuscule part of all the things you have done for me, and words cannot express


    how deeply moved I am.


    During the days after we met each other, we broke up and made up. All the twists and turns shaped and


    turned us into what we are today.


    I¡¯m thankful to fate for our encounter, to you for yourpany, and to my parents for their blessing.


    For the rest of my life, I¡¯m willing to go through thick and thin with you, brave through storms together,


    and hold your hand until we¡¯re gray and old.


    To my beloved Mr. Kings. ¡®

 Chapter 584

    Chapter 584


    Chapter 584 The Past Is Exposed


    After Veronica repeatedly proofread her story and edited the text until she was satisfied, she attached the


    pictures, which were more than a dozen pictures of them from when they first started dating, as well as


    the gif and video of her disguise process.


    Veronica¡¯s social media handle was called ¡®Little Roni, the Master of Disguise¡¯.


    This was an ount she started using since high school, and because she constantly updated it with


    videos, she had umted quite a considerable following. That was why she hadn¡¯t changed her


    handle before.


    After everything was perfect, she published the content without hesitation.


    As her ount had umted more than 300,000 followers, the number of her followers exploded to


    more than a million after the video of her and Matthew was released.


    Her fans were on both ends of extremity¡ªeither they were critical of Matthew and wanted her to steer


    clear from that jerk, or they were berating her, saying that she was a scheming bitch.


    However, she had ignored all the messages in her direct message so as not to spoil her own mood.


    With the help of the power of her followers and the trending topic between her and Matthew, her social


    media ount went viral within fifteen minutes of publishing the post.


    The title, ¡®Veronica Murphy¡¯s Letter to Matthew Kings, shot straight to the top search.¡¯


    ¡®My god, were there so many stories?¡¯


    ¡®Mom, I¡¯m beginning to believe in love again.¡¯


    ¡®The modern-day Prince Charming and Cindere.¡¯


    ¡®Is this for real?¡¯


    ¡®Every word on the Inte is filled with emotions. It doesn¡¯t look fake.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m a fireman and was there when the Regalia Condominium caught firest year. I did see someone


    dashing into the fire to save a girl, but I didn¡¯t know that it was her!¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡®Goodness, that¡¯s so romantic!¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m a food delivery girl as well. May I ask where I could find a wealthy man like that? I would like to have


    a fairytale romance, too.¡¯


    ¡®Did they hire a PR?¡¯


    ¡­


    Just within thirty minutes, the post received 2.3 million likes and 30,000ments.


    Immediately, bloggers who were following current affairs started to dig up news and videos.


    #RegaliaCondominiumVideoExposed #MurphyWasReallySavedByKings


    #ShoppingMallVideoExposed #TheDressedUpManWasHer


    #ShockedThatMurphyHadAMiscarriageForHim


    #Expos¨¦! #KingsSavedHerFromFloodWithAHelicopter


    #KingsChoppingWoodAtTheMurphysExposed


    ¡­


    Due to the development of the Inte, bloggers kept posting news and digging out all that had


    happened before in the following hours.


    And so, their love story was made public, taking over the spot of the top search in all major search


    engines.


    All the keyboard warriors who started abusing and criticizing them gradually took a turn in their stand and


    started supporting their rtionship. Some even insisted on a grand wedding to be held.


    Even the hashtag, ¡®Prince Charming and Cindere isn¡¯t a fairytale¡¯, made it as one of the trending


    topics.


    In the hospital bed, Veronica monitored what was going on on the Inte and saw that there were no


    more abuses. In its ce were countless blessings for their marriage, and her heart which was on


    tenterhooks, finally rxed.


    At the same time, Matthew was in his office in Spinfluence Group. As he leaned into his executive chair,


    he read the ¡®letter¡¯ Veronica wrote him from his screen, and a warm reced his usually aloof


    expression.


    In front of the desk stood the head of the public rtions department. Initially, Matthew was worried that


    these negative voices would affect Veronica¡¯s mood, so he asked the people from the PR department to


    take care of this.


    Unexpectedly, before he could go into a detailed discussion with the head of the department, the


    department head received a call and told Matthew about the situation.


    When the employee informed him of the current state of affairs, he logged on to his social media and


    saw Veronica¡¯s letter for him.


    From the beginning until the end, he examined each word closely and even read it through four times.


    ¡°Uh¡­President Kings, do you still need the PR department to take care of it?¡±


    As he was used to seeing Matthew being aloof, his heart nearly stopped beating due to the shock of


    seeing his boss, Matthew, suddenly staring at the screen in a daze with a faint smile on his face like he


    was a fool in love.

 Chapter 585

    Chapter 585


    Chapter 585 Disy of Affection


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Matthew shook his head, stood up, and picked up his jacket from the coat stand before


    heading out. A confused head of the PR department stammered, ¡°President Kings, then I¡­ Huh?


    President Kings?¡±


    There were still things he wanted to say. Unfortunately, Matthew didn¡¯t give him the chance as he left the


    office without even looking back, holding his jacket in his hands.


    He was in the hospital ward carrying a bag in less than thirty minutes. After he ced the bag on the


    bedside table, he gazed at Veronica affectionately.


    Veronica was leaning against the bed¡¯s headboard and had herptop on herp as they met each


    other¡¯s eyes. Then, they smiled and didn¡¯t mention what happened on the Inte.


    ¡°I brought you a dessert.¡± He presented a tiramisu to her and said, ¡°I know you like this, so I asked the


    chef in One Piece Restaurant to make it for you.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the chef in One Piece Restaurant only serving Western food?¡±


    ¡°Who says that a chef like that can¡¯t prepare dessert?¡± He opened the box with relish, then held the fork


    and wanted to feed it to Veronica, but she snatched it from him.


    ¡°Let me do it myself. I¡¯m just here due to my pregnancy. So I¡¯m not paralyzed,¡± she joked.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    When he heard her teasing, he lifted his hand and knocked on her forehead. ¡°What nonsense are you


    saying?¡±


    ¡°Ouch, that hurts! I¡¯m just kidding.¡± She shot him a re, picked up the fork, and cut out a piece of


    tiramisu. Just when she wanted to stuff it in her mouth, she caught sight of Matthew with a look of


    anticipation at her trying out the food, and she passed the tiramisu to him. ¡°You can have it first.¡±


    When she wasposing the content of the post, she couldn¡¯t help but recall the pieces of the past.


    Then, while she was writing, she realized that he had always been the one to ¡®sacrifice¡¯ himself for her


    while she had never done anything for him.


    Every time she thought of this, she felt utterly guilty and med herself for not being more aware of


    things.


    ¡°I bought this, especially for you,¡± he said in a voice filled with adoration, shaking his head.


    When it came down to it, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration that he wanted to spoil her to bits.


    Veronica furrowed her brows unhappily. ¡°You won¡¯t eat it even if I feed it to you?¡±


    ¡°That depends on how you do it,¡± he pointed out with raised brows and hidden implication behind his


    words.


    Despite that, there was no way that Veronica would satisfy him.


    Thus, she ced the box of tiramisu on the table and leaned slightly forward to get closer to him. Then,


    at lightning speed, she pinched his cheeks and stuffed the tiramisu on the fork into his mouth. ¡°Will this


    method work?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help butugh as his face fell in disappointment when his scheme didn¡¯t produce the result


    he anticipated. Therefore, he frowned as he pulled her into his arms and leaned down for a kiss, sharing


    the dessert with her before he released her, satisfied.


    ¡°This is the correct way to share.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s brows knitted slightly as she put on a disgusted look, but she unwittingly licked the dessert


    from her lips. ¡°Hey, Matthew Kings, you¡¯re so gross,¡± she said in feigned disdain.


    ¡°Really? I thought you enjoyed it.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    She blushed as she jerked away and lowered her head as she started eating silently.


    Matthew couldn¡¯t help it, but whenever he saw her turning docile and obedient as she hid away her


    thorns, he would always have an image of azy kitten in his head. As a result, he had the urge to pinch


    her, which was precisely what he did. Finally, he gave in to his impulses as he reached out and pinched


    her cheek, which felt veryfortable to the touch.


    ¡°Why did you pinch me?¡±


    She was still enjoying the delicious dessert, so she merely stuck out her tongue and licked her lips softly,


    perhaps because she felt that there was some cream on her lips.


    This was just an unconscious reflex, but it was like a fatal hit to his heart as it immediately ignited his


    desire for her.


    Hence, he tugged her into his embrace and closed the gap with a kiss. The kiss was hot and passionate,


    a type of uncontroble passion, and all he wanted was to take in all of her until they became one.

 Chapter 586

    Chapter 586


    Chapter 586 Yvonne Is In Trouble


    Veronica looked rather ridiculous as she still had a fork in one hand and the dessert in the other, as his


    sudden kiss entirely caught her off guard.


    She was so stunned that she couldn¡¯t even return the kiss as she merely blinked and stared at Matthew,


    who had his eyes shut and was utterly engrossed in it.


    His face was directly in front of her, and his skin color wasn¡¯t fair but more mature and masculine.


    In addition, his skin condition was excellent, so smooth that she couldn¡¯t see his pores. In such close


    proximity, she could clearly see his fine hairs instead.


    Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t realize that her long, thickshes were brushing against his skin gently like a


    feather, and like adding oil to the fire, Matthew found it even harder to control himself.


    Gradually, Veronica noticed his quickened breathing and snapped back to her senses.


    ¡°Mmph¡ª¡±


    She was trying to speak, but because Matthew had blocked her mouth by kissing her, all her words


    turned into senseless nonsense.


    The man who was immersed in the passion snapped back to his senses and snapped his beautiful eyes


    open suddenly. When he saw her shaking her head, he released her lips and ced her head against


    his chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ever since she was hospitalized due to her pregnancy, Matthew didn¡¯t dare to share a bed with her


    because he was worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself.


    Earlier, one kiss was all it took to lose his mind like he was poisoned with poppy.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s okay.¡± Naturally, she sensed that he was ming himself, so she felt a little sorry for him. Yet, some


    questions needed to be asked, so she schooled her face while she asked a rather tricky question


    seriously, ¡°Will you¡­ be okay if you hold back like this?¡±


    The man¡¯s body had just started to calm, but one question was all it took for him to start wanting more.


    He kneaded her earlobe between his fingers as he whispered, ¡°Are you going to help me out?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As she overreacted by straightening her back suddenly, she knocked hard into his chin because she had


    raised her head too high.


    He hissed in pain while she cried out, ¡°Ouch, that hurts.¡±


    While he held his chin, she held her head with the hand that was holding the fork and winced in pain.


    ¡°Your chin is really hard.¡±


    ¡°If it were an imnt, I would have been disfigured just from that knock,¡± he joked, stroking her head.


    ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡±


    ¡°You bet it does.¡± She grimaced in pain while she hissed through her teeth.


    ¡°Have something sweet if you¡¯re in pain. It won¡¯t hurt if you have more.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Veronica took a couple of mouthfuls of tiramisu faithfully since he looked confident. While she was


    enjoying the dessert, she nodded in agreement. It seemed like dessert could really help to relieve some


    pain.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°No wonder Yvonne was either in bed or asking me to buy her sweets. That¡¯s because sweets really


    could¡ª¡± As she spoke, her hand with the fork stopped mid-air, and she raised her eyes, looking at


    Matthew with a grim expression. ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    He immediately recognized the rm on her face, so he became nervous along with her, too.


    She set the dessert aside carelessly without bothering to wipe the crumbs from her lips as she hastily


    took out her phone and checked Yvonne¡¯s social media, only to realize that she hadn¡¯t posted anything


    for the past few days.


    ¡°Oh, no. Yvonne is in trouble.¡± Veronica was sure that Yvonne had run into danger. ¡°She loves gossip,


    and our news has been all over the Inte for the past couple of days, but she didn¡¯t even call me to


    ask about it. Also, she usually likes to post her updates in her close circle of friends and her social


    media.¡±


    As Yvonne¡¯s close friends could only see the updates she posted, many people couldn¡¯t see her updates


    and didn¡¯t know that she had a habit of posting almost daily, only to her close friends.


    ¡°Rx, maybe she¡¯s busy,¡± Matthew assured her.

 Chapter 587

    Chapter 587


    Chapter 587 The Company Lost 50 Billions


    ¡°That seems unlikely.¡± Veronica held her phone nervously in her hand. ¡°I already sensed something


    amiss when I was on a call with her the other day, but I couldn¡¯t point out what¡¯s wrong.¡±


    So, she pushed herself off the bed, went out of the ward, and borrowed the nurse¡¯s cell phone to call


    Yvonne. In the end, the call kept ringing, but nobody picked up. She continued to make several calls until


    someone picked it up finally.


    Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t any sounding from the other end of the call, and she gulped anxiously.


    Since she knew something was wrong, she didn¡¯t want to alert anyone by using her actual voice, so she


    spoke in a man¡¯s voice and asked, ¡°Am I speaking with Miss Yvonne? I¡¯m calling from the gym, and your


    membership has expired. There¡¯s a promotion in conjunction with our anniversary tomorrow. If you sign


    up for a year, you have another year for free. Would you like to take part in this?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡± Someone finally answered from the other end, but it wasn¡¯t Yvonne. It was very distinctly


    male.


    And Veronica couldn¡¯t be more familiar with that voice.


    The man hung up after turning her down, and she stood beside the table, her nervous face losing its


    color a little.


    Matthew saw the troubled look on her face, so he carried her and walked to her ward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.


    Yvonne still has value to Conrad, so she¡¯s safe for the time being.¡±


    Although Yvonne was in trouble, it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out who had taken her away based on the time.


    So, he didn¡¯t need Veronica to spell it out for him before immediately assuming that it was Conrad.


    Back in the ward, Veronicay in bed, her mind filled with thoughts of Yvonne and her child.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    She pinched her nose bridge and said guilt-ridden, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should have realized something


    was wrong with her from the beginning, but I didn¡¯t delve into it, and she¡¯s now in danger. Did that jerk


    lose his mind?!¡±


    Matthew fetched her a cup of tea and passed it to her. ¡°Have some tea and calm down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for tea now,¡± she rejected, shaking her head.


    He knew that Yvonne¡¯s disappearance bothered her greatly, so he ced the tea on the table and


    slipped into a seat next to the bed as he held her hand. ¡°Because your enemy is calmer than you now, all


    the more reason for you to keep a cool head when something happens. If you can¡¯t even control your


    emotions and keep a level head, how could you take on and avoid the traps your enemy is setting for


    you?¡±


    Matthew knew how important Yvonne was to Veronica and how close they were. The fact that Yvonne


    was in trouble was also a threat to him, but regardless of how serious the situation was, he would keep


    his cool and logic.


    The flustered and worried Veronica started topose herself after hearing him.


    Finally, she slumped against the bed, held his hand tightly as the unease wrapped around her like a vine,


    and stared ahead nkly as her mind whirled with his possible motives for doing such a thing. ¡°Both


    mother and child are in Conrad¡¯s hands now, but he¡¯s weak and powerless. Taking Zac and her parents¡¯


    influence into consideration, he probably wouldn¡¯t harm her for the time being.¡±


    At her logical analysis, he nodded in agreement. ¡°He¡¯s not that dumb.¡±


    ¡°But even if Conrad doesn¡¯ty a finger on Yvonne now, it is only a matter of time before he hands her


    over to Zac, who¡¯s sick beyond words, and nobody knows what kind of despicable things he would do to


    her.¡± At the thought of this, worry overwhelmed her. ¡°It has already been a few days, and it must be


    difficult for such a timid person like her.¡±


    Then, she turned to look outside the window with an anxious expression. Matthew always had an eye on


    her, so it was only natural that he could sense her concerns from her profile.


    Nheless, he didn¡¯t tell her that Zac had arrived in Bloomstead today and hispany had suffered


    tens of billions in losses because of data leakage.


    The person who did this had probably joined hands with Zac.


    As Matthew didn¡¯t want Veronica to get worked up and was even more rmed about causing a


    turbulence in thepany, he had been suppressing the news from the media the whole time.

 Chapter 588

    Chapter 588


    Chapter 588 Troy the Betrayer


    Xavier and Zac were inside the booth having a delightful chat at a private club. ¡°Cheers! Congrats,


    though.¡±


    Xavier held the wine ss by its stem and clinked it with Zac¡¯s ss. ¡°By making Matthew lose fifty


    billion this time, it¡¯s akin to causing him heartache. Hahaha.¡±


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t provided such reliable information and leaked all of his secrets, Matthew wouldn¡¯t have lost


    this badly.¡± Zac raised his head with a smile. It was apparent he was in a good mood.


    Once he was done with his wine, he poured another ss. ¡°Here, let me, Zac Francis, give you a toast.


    From today onward, we are on the same boat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just fifty billion. It¡¯s a small amount for Matthew.¡± Xavier sighed. ¡°The fifty billion won¡¯t be much of an


    impact on him, but the leaked secrets will cause the big businesses of Castron to terminate their dealings


    with him. This is equivalent to losing the financial backers in the Castron market. Matthew would


    resemble an eagle with broken wings.¡±


    At that, an excited Zac raised his head andughed heartily.


    There was an immediate loss of fifty billion for Matthew because it was his biggest business deal. It


    meant that he would lose more than tens of billions annually.


    At that thought, he suddenly figured that such a loss most probably didn¡¯t just affect Matthew¡¯s current


    finances. Instead, it might have even caused significant damage to his assets.


    Zac rose to his full height and approached Xavier to clink sses with him again. Then, after taking a


    seat next to Xavier, Zac ced an arm around his shoulders. ¡°It is thanks to you this time, Xavier. I have


    also seen how sincere you are. As for ke passing the message through you, return and let him know


    that I agree.¡±


    ke was Zac¡¯s father and the head of the mafia.


    Although Xavier had taken the initiative to help Zac, he had actually submitted a nomination certificate.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I appreciate your straightforward attitude.¡±


    He clinked sses with Zac as their gazes met with a slight smile.


    Despite celebrating their current win, both were deeply entangled in their own schemes.


    Knock. Knock.


    There was a knock on the door, which resulted in Zac giving a nce at the bodyguard. It was a sign


    asking the bodyguard to open the door.


    At the door was a familiar figure standing there. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Xavier.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    When the bodyguard allowed the person to enter, he poked his head to survey the surroundings. When


    he realized that there was nothing abnormal, he closed the door of the room.


    Xavier and Zac, who were in the midst of drinking, were seated on the couch with crossed legs, making


    them look like big bosses.


    When they noticed their guest entering, they scanned that person with their gazes before smiling at each


    other.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t met for a while, but you¡¯ve made such a recovery.¡±


    Xavier held the wine ss and took a sip.


    Zac frowned and asked, ¡°Are you sure we can coborate with such a person?¡±


    ¡°Duh,¡± came the resolute answer.


    Xavier gave a light snort and pointed at the person in front of him with the wine ss. ¡°He¡¯s also


    responsible for making Matthew suffer such a loss.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you sure? That¡¯s kind of interesting.¡± Zac was shocked as he ced one hand on his chest


    while sipping from the wine ss he held with his other hand.


    Still, he suddenly frowned. ¡°Wait¡­ This person looks familiar. I remember now!¡±


    He mmed the armrest of the couch as he suddenly realized something. ¡°Isn¡¯t he Matthew¡¯s right-hand


    man? He¡¯s Tom something. Thomas Ritter? No, not him. Troy Ritter. He¡¯s Troy Ritter, right?¡±


    ¡°You have a good eye.¡± Xavier gave Zac a thumbs-up while praising him. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s him.¡±


    Zac was excited to learn that he had the correct answer. ¡°As far as I know, Matthew had always been


    good at bribing people. So, how could this guy have betrayed him?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Xavier lightly snorted as he raised the ss of red wine in his ss. Then, he raised his head to drink


    the wine. ¡°He may be good at bribing people, but don¡¯t forget, he¡¯s always been a paranoid man¡­¡±

 Chapter 589

    Chapter 589


    Chapter 589 Zac and Xavier¡¯s Ruse


    After a pause, Xavier turned his head and looked at Troy. ¡°Troy has betrayed Matthew, so he will


    definitely be fired.¡±


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡±


    Zac was intrigued and waited for the man¡¯s exnation quietly.


    ¡°Last time in Castro, Matthew had sneaked into the castle for Veronica¡¯s sake, but he didn¡¯t inform Troy.


    Troy was then arrested and tortured as a result, but he¡¯s gutsy. No matter how we tortured him, he never


    spilled any secrets. It was only when we injected him with a special substance that we had him talking.¡±


    More From The Web

 Chapter 590

    Chapter 590


    Chapter 590 Matthew Has Left


    After the failed business deals in Castron, he had no choice but to personally meet the other party and


    attempt to salvage the situation.


    The person whom he felt the most worried about after leaving was Veronica. He was not afraid of her


    safety, but he couldn¡¯t say the same for her emotions as it would affect the child she was carrying.


    Veronica was leaning against the headboard and staring outside the window as she was deep in thought


    about Yvonne¡¯s kidnapping. It was evident that she was despondent.


    Yet, the man had said that he was going on a business trip. She understood the kind of person that


    Matthew was. He would usually apany her whenever she was down in the dumps, but now that he


    was leaving, he definitely had to attend to something important.


    Veronica nodded. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll take the next two days to consider Yvonne¡¯s matters.¡±


    ¡°The flight¡¯s leaving in an hour¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Let me see you off.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you treating me like a child who needs a guardian to send him off?¡± He gave her a gentle


    smile as he raised his hand to brush the loose strands of her hair on her forehead aside. ¡°I¡¯m a little


    reluctant to part with you, though.¡±


    ¡°And you have the nerve to say that you¡¯re not a child. What a boring idiot. You are no different from a


    child, you know,¡± Veronica deliberately teased. Afterward, she waved her hand. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s quickly be


    on our way. Don¡¯t miss the ne. Shirley and Monica will be swinging byter, so it¡¯d be inconvenient for


    you to be here.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Matthew nodded, and when he stood up to leave, he ced an arm around her neck to allow her to lean


    on him.


    He ran his fingers through her hair as he sighed in disappointment. ¡°I¡¯m also reluctant to leave you.¡±


    ¡°You men are in turmoil whenever you can¡¯t obtain your desired item but don¡¯t know how to show your


    appreciation when you have it. We have only gotten together and have years ahead of us. So, it¡¯d be


    much appreciated if you could behave like this on a daily basis instead of being temporarily reluctant.¡±


    Veronica had said those words to Matthew on purpose.


    On the one hand, it was to inform him that he had to be responsible for her for the rest of her life.


    On the other hand, she also wanted him to leave as soon as possible so that he won¡¯t miss his flight and


    be able to attend to his essential matters.


    Even though she was reluctant to see him go, she dared give voice to those particr sentiments.


    Veronica feared that the moment she said she would miss Matthew, he would drop everything on hand to


    be by her side.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± She yawned twice and added, ¡°I¡¯m sleepy, so I want to catch forty winks. You should leave.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    The man cradled the back of her neck and gave her a peck on her forehead.


    The kiss was extremely long; it was as if he was reluctant to part ways before he found his way to her


    lips.


    Her lips were akin to a pillow¡ªsoft and fluffy, but they carried a trace of sweetness that made Matthew


    greedy for more.


    ¡°Hey, Matthew Kings. You are going overboard.¡± Veronica pushed him away with disgust. ¡°Why aren¡¯t


    you leaving? I still need to sleep. I always feel exhausted now that I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Go ahead and sleep.¡±


    He helped her to lie down before he tucked her in bed before turning to leave.


    Veronica was on the bed and closed her eyes to sleep, but it was only after Matthew stood by her


    bedside for a good minute before he was willing to leave.


    When she heard the door to the ward closing, she slowly opened her eyes and blinked while her


    eyshes fluttered. As such, she fell into deep thought. What did Matthewnd himself in?


    She took her cell phone and made a call. ¡°Colt, help me investigate all the matters pertaining to


    Spinfluence Group.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll attend to it right away.¡±


    Colt Mullen was a member of the detective agency with whom she had always maintained contact. As a


    result, she knew that he was someone capable of whom she could rely on.


    At that time, Veronica saw Colt¡¯s ability and spent arge sum of money to lure Colt and his partner to


    work for her.


    After she hung up, shey down again as her thoughts were in utter chaos.


    By virtue of her asking Colt to investigate Matthew¡¯s affairs, it meant that Yvonne¡¯s issue would be


    dyed.


    Knock. Knock.


    ¡°Matthew was aware of this in the end, though. He didn¡¯t say anything but arranged for Troy to


    recuperate in Castron. Since Castron wasn¡¯t his territory and he still allowed Troy to head there, it was


    obvious he was abandoning Troy. To put it bluntly, Matthew thought that Troy spilled all of the beans and


    betrayed him because Troy couldn¡¯t endure the torture.¡±


    At that, Xavier raised his eyebrow slightly as a sneer appeared on his now-mature face. ¡°Hahaha¡­ that


    Matthew would have never realized that his suspicions had actually given me such opportunities.¡±


    Zac was thoughtful while his gaze fell on Troy, who was wearing loose ck sportswear that was


    complemented by a ck cap. Even after the scabs of his injuries had fallen off, he still had scars from


    his torture.


    Not to mention, there were visible injuries on his hands.


    ¡°By betraying Matthew, aren¡¯t you worried that Matthew would take revenge by killing your brother?¡± Zac


    asked as he was wary of Troy.


    As long as the person involved was associated with Matthew, he would not easily trust the person.


    ¡°One, I¡¯m not that silly as to not protect myself. Two, I won¡¯t give him such a chance,¡± Troy answered as


    his eyes radiated a wave of ruthlessness.


    Zac held the ss of wine and leisurely sipped on it. ¡°If you can betray Matthew today, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll


    betray me tomorrow. I won¡¯t use the services of such a person.¡±


    When he said those words, Xavier frowned as there was disbelief in his expression.


    ¡°Hmph! You are just like him. Both of you are conceited!¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Troy coldly sneered as he raised his head to look at Xavier. ¡°Since you don¡¯t trust me, then why should I


    coborate with you guys? Please give me thepensation that you promised earlier. I won¡¯t bother


    you again in the future.¡±


    When he disclosed the information to Xavier, he would have discussed thepensation and requested


    an amount of 50 million.


    Since the deal had fallen apart, it was only natural for him to request the money now.


    Xavier turned to Troy before looking at Zac. Yet, he noticed that Zac was winking at him.


    He immediately understood what Zac meant and took out his purse to produce a check for 50 million that


    had been previously prepared. ¡°This is yours. It won¡¯t be any less.¡±


    As Troy observed the thin check and the number of zeros on it, he took it and counted it before he turned


    to leave.


    He didn¡¯t even bid those two men adieu on his way out.


    Bang!


    The door was mmed shut.


    Xavier asked with incredulity. ¡°You still don¡¯t trust him, even after he¡¯s done so much?¡±


    ¡°I, Zac, never trust anyone easily, but¡­¡±


    He paused and tapped the wine ss with his right index finger before he continued. ¡°To be his right-


    hand means that the man has extraordinary abilities. We can¡¯t use such a person.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I have my own ns.¡±


    Zac didn¡¯t reveal his ns to Xavier but merely wanted Troy¡¯s contact details from Xavier.


    ¡­


    After Matthew calmed Veronica down in the hospital, he took her hand and said softly, ¡°Roni, I¡¯m heading


    abroad for a business trip, so you¡¯ll have to take care of yourself in my absence for the next few days.¡±

 Chapter 591

    Chapter 591


    Chapter 591 Are You Sure About That?


    Not too long after that, both Shirley and Monica paid her a visit. ¡°Hi, Veronica. I¡¯m here with Monica.¡±


    Shirley opened the door and walked in with an item. Behind her was Monica, carrying a child. ¡°Roni, how


    do you feel? Are you feeling much better?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± As soon as they both appeared, the originally silent ward became lively. Veronica lifted the


    quilt and wanted to rise to her feet to attend to her guests. ¡°Have a seat. I¡¯ll pour you some water.¡±


    As soon as she said those words, she went toward the water dispenser but was hurriedly stopped by


    Shirley, who said, ¡°Geez, Veronica. You are pregnant with twins and trying to keep the children. Your


    health is more important. Take a seat with Monica. Let me serve you two.¡±


    Shirley had a livelier nature, so she pulled Monica and Veronica to the couch while she went to grab


    some water for them.


    Veronica smiled in gratification at Shirley and turned to look at Monica. The cute baby in Monica¡¯s arms


    instantly captured her attention. ¡°Monica, your son is so adorable, like a sculpture. Can I hold him?¡±


    ¡°Be careful because the child makes a lot of noise.¡±


    As Monica was aware that Veronica was pregnant, she would naturally be rtively moody. Thus,


    Monica handed her son to her.


    ¡°Oh my God¡­¡± Veronica almost melted at the sight of him.


    The child was not shy with strangers as he made himselffortable in Veronica¡¯s embrace. He raised


    his eyes to look at her with a tilted head. He had bright, big eyes on top of his pursed pink lips that were


    coated with tiny bubbles formed by his saliva. He could not have been any cuter.


    ¡°Gosh, he¡¯s adorable.¡±


    Veronica stretched her little finger to gently poke the boy¡¯s chest to tease him, but he was bouncing as


    he giggled. ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±


    Such a tender voice was extremely healing because it would melt even the hardest of hearts.


    ¡°Veronica, when you have delivered your child, you can exchange parenting tips with Monica,¡± Shirley


    joked as she ced the sses of water on the table.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re having twins,¡± Monica was envious of Veronica. ¡°I¡¯m really envious of you. You and the


    children¡¯s father have such good genes, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a pair of stunners as children.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to say.¡±


    Veronica teased the little man in her arms, but her finger was instead pinched by his warm hand. Such


    an action warmed her heart and caused her maternal love to overflow in that instant.


    They then sat and had a short chat, after which Veronica inquired about the Encounters¡¯ situation.


    Maybe it was because of Matthew¡¯s influence plus a group of excellent employees that pushed


    Veronica¡¯s Encounters to rise to the top and upy the wedding market in Bloomstead with a steady


    turnover.


    ¡°Shirley?¡± Veronica suddenly turned to Shirley. ¡°Hello, how much did Matthew pay for your service?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Shirley panicked. ¡°All of the wages have beenmissioned. I¡¯m doing alright now and earn


    more than ten thousand a month.¡±


    ¡°Was I asking about your wages in Encounters?¡±


    Her expression sank as she suddenly became solemn.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    This expression left Shirley flummoxed, and she finally stammered, ¡°Veronica, you¡­ W-What do you


    mean?¡±


    Shirley looked at Monica in confusion with the hopes that Monica could remind her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I¡¯m just as clueless.¡± Monica shook her head as she took her son from Veronica¡¯s


    arms. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, so take a break.¡±


    When the child was back in his mother¡¯s arms, he was ted and held Monica¡¯s arm while babbling.


    Kids who were less than a year old would still be unable to speak.


    When Shirley saw that Veronica wasn¡¯t joking, she racked her brains and thought about it¡­ until her


    eyes suddenly brightened in realization. ¡°Oh¡­ Hehe¡­ Veronica, I¡­ About that ¡­ It¡¯s better for you to


    have a word with President Kings. He was the one who convinced me that it was for your own benefit if


    we lied as he didn¡¯t want to worry you, so¡­¡±

 Chapter 592

    Chapter 592


    Chapter 592 Let Shirley Resign


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told him every single move you made.¡± Shirley pouted pitifully. ¡°I was silly back then, and I


    never thought much about it. But¡­ President Kings is really nice to you.¡±


    She thought that this matter had been well-kept, but she didn¡¯t expect Veronica to actually know


    everything. ¡°Wow, you hid it really well. I didn¡¯t even know about this.¡±


    Monica shook her head, teasing Shirley. ¡°Stop making fun of me, Monica. Veronica will kill me


    later.¡± Shirley was close to tears. ¡°You even said that it was for my own good. If I kill you, I¡¯d be severely


    ignorant.¡±


    Veronica reached out and poked her on the head. ¡°If you do it again, you¡¯ll be demoted from the bestie


    position.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Shirley pulled Veronica in a hug, rubbing her head against Veronica¡¯s body.


    ¡°Veronica, you¡¯re the best.¡±


    Her mischievous and adorable behavior, causing the other two tough. They sat together and chatted


    for a while before taking their leave.


    Veronica looked at the time and watched the seconds tick by. Thirty minutes after they left, Veronica


    dialed Shirley¡¯s number. ¡°Veronica?¡±


    ¡°Shirley, is Monica still with you?¡±


    ¡°No, she just went home.¡± ¡°Good. Come to the hospital for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡± Shirley could sense that Veronica had something to tell her, so she immediately turned


    around and went back to the hospital.


    After going into the ward and closing the door, she walked up to Veronica¡¯s bed and sat down next to it.


    ¡°Veronica, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Veronica leaned against the headboard and put down her phone. ¡°Shirley, I know that you¡¯re a


    hardworking girl. It¡¯s been more than a year since you started following me, and I trust you a lot.¡±


    Everyone left when Encounters closed down, but only Shirley was willing to stay by her side and help her


    with all sorts of tasks.


    ¡°Veronica, just tell me what needs to be done. I promise I won¡¯t abandon my mission.¡± Shirley reached


    up and patted her chest, full of confidence.


    ¡°I want you to resign from Encounters.¡±


    ¡°You want me to resign?¡± Shirley panicked. After a moment¡¯s shock, she grabbed Veronica¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Veronica, I¡¯m really sorry. I know I shouldn¡¯t have told President Kings about you, but¡­ but more often


    than not, I inform him about you because I fear for your safety. He cares so much about you and loves


    you so much, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°What did you think I meant?¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I want you to leave Encounters because


    I want you to help me with something else. Also, I hope you¡¯ll stop contacting Matthew this time.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    When she realized that Veronica was asking something important of her, Shirley expressed anticipation


    on her face, her eyes shining.


    ¡°After you resign, rent a studio in Bloomstead. It has to be an office building of at least a thousand


    square feet¡­¡±


    Veronica took Shirley¡¯s hand and told her about Vincere Games. Then, she reminded Shirley, ¡°I¡¯ve put a


    lot of effort into Vincere Games. I need you to take over my work at thepany.¡±


    ¡°Wow, since when did you have a gamepany, Veronica?¡±


    Shirley was instantly ovee with admiration for Veronica.


    After telling Shirley everything she needed to do, Veronica started a video conference with the partners


    of Vincere Games.


    By the time everything was settled, it was already 7.00PM.


    During that time, Thomas came over and delivered dinner for her. Veronica didn¡¯t have much of an


    appetite, so she only ate a little.


    Because Matthew had left, there were always bodyguards stationed at the entrance to her ward. It was


    quite a tricky problem for Veronica.


    She still had something she must do, but because of the bodyguards at the entrance, it proved to be an


    inconvenience to her.


    After all, there were some things Veronica didn¡¯t want Matthew to know.


    Ring, ring! The phone on her table sounded.


    Veronica looked and saw that it was a call from Colt. ¡°Did you find out anything?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I heard that a certain top secret of Matthew¡¯spany got leaked, causing a major investor in


    Castron to suffer a huge loss. Matthewpensated for the loss and paid the liquidated damages as


    well, totaling up to five billion. Also, the boss from Castron revoked their partnership, making it an


    unimaginable loss for Matthew.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Chapter 593

    Chapter 593


    Chapter 593 Sean¡¯s True Colors


    ¡°Does he know who leaked the secret?¡± Veronica was considerably shocked. She had never expected


    such a major incident to happen.


    A few days ago, he even said that Zac would be visiting Bloomstead sometime soon. There was unrest


    in Bloomstead these days, so could this have something to do with Zac?


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t figured that out,¡± Colt replied. ¡°Alright. Just rest for a while, you two. You can figure out


    Yvonne¡¯s whereabouts tomorrow.¡± ¡°Understood, President Murphy.¡±


    Colt ended the call. Everything instantly went quiet in the huge ward. The deste silence seemed to


    itch her insides like ants, stopping her from finding peace.


    Just the liquidated damages andpensation alone cost five billion; this was proof enough of the


    humongous scale of this business. The chain reaction it must have caused would incur even greater


    losses. In fact, it was so severe that it was impossible to estimate.


    Veronica leaned against the headboard and let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Such a huge incident happened, but in the end, he¡¯s still reluctant to tell me about it.¡±


    She shook her head, feeling that Matthew was too good at protecting her. He even treated her like a


    sheltered little child.


    In the future, there would be even more difficulties and challenges to face. She couldn¡¯t let him brave all


    of those alone.


    It waste at night, but Veronica was wide awake.


    She crawled along the pipes outside, which was situated below the window of the washroom. She


    descended three floors, then snuck into the washroom on the twenty-first floor. She tiptoed out to find all


    the patients sleeping and walked out boldly.


    After leaving the hospital, Veronica hailed a cab back to her apartment. She changed her clothes and


    brought aptop with her, then drove away from the heart of the city.


    While on the road, she took her phone and made a call. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disturbing you sote at night.


    Were you asleep?¡±


    ¡°Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you at your private detective agency in half an hour.¡±


    With that, Veronica ended the call straight away.


    After driving to the suburbs, Veronica pulled up at the entrance of a private house. Then, she walked


    over there and knocked on the door.


    Soon, someone came and answered the door. ¡°I have an appointment with your boss.¡±


    With that, Veronica walked right inside.


    She went up to the third floor and sat in the reception room, helping herself to some water.


    Soon, a man with golden hair and blue eyes appeared in the reception room. When he saw Veronica, he


    curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Let me guess; you¡¯re here for something rted to Matthew, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Veronica ced her elbow on the table as she supported her head, cocking her head to one side as she


    looked at him. ¡°You really are outsmarting everyone else, Mr. Ludwig. It is no wonder you can run a


    private detective agency under everyone¡¯s noses and still be the boss of Starshine at the same time. I


    have always been curious, though¡ªhow do you manage your dual identities?¡±


    Indeed, the boss of the private detective agency was none other than Sean from Starshine.


    Since Veronica was quite skilled at hacking, she had a little fame in the hackermunity.


    To investigate her foster father¡¯s ident, she had no way but to ask themunity if there were any


    private detectives for hire in Bloomstead. Then, someone rmended this hidden gem of a detective


    agency.


    Veronica bumped into Sean after that, but she still wasn¡¯t sure of his identity back then.


    In their encounters that followed, and after making contact with Sean at Starshine, she finally confirmed


    that Sean was the boss of the private detective agency.


    ¡°Since you already know this, how am I supposed to keep it up?¡±


    Sean sat opposite Veronica and crossed his legs. He removed a cigarette from his cigarette case and lit


    it, then took a puff.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    He looked at Veronica with a cold gaze, shaking his head. ¡°You know I don¡¯t wee you, so why are


    you still here?¡±


    ¡°Despite everything, we¡¯ve worked together before. Don¡¯t get so hung up on grudges, Mr. Ludwig.¡±


    Veronica knew that Sean hated her. After all, she had snatched Colt and his partner from Sean some


    time ago.


    Colt was a very capable person, and Sean had favored him greatly.


    At first, Veronica could only guess Sean¡¯s rtionship with the private detective agency. After that, she


    took great pains to squeeze some information from Colt. It was only then that she confirmed Sean¡¯s


    identity.

 Chapter 594

    Chapter 594


    Chapter 594 Invested


    ¡°Are you saying that I still have to smile and wee you even though you snatched my people away?¡±


    Sean shrugged, his azure eyes filled with dissatisfaction. ¡°Not really. I¡¯m asking for your help because I


    want to partner up with you and achieve a win-win situation.¡±


    Veronica smiled before adding, ¡°I¡¯ve looked into it; even though your private detective agency is doing


    quite well, youck skills in hardware.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Your people can investigate very well, and some of them are also skilled at fighting. However, youck a


    team of hackers.¡±


    She lifted the cup and sipped some water from it, saying confidently, ¡°I can provide you with a team of


    professional hackers on the premise that I will be taking some shares as well.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    With that, she sighed and leaned back. ¡°Last year, I already told you that I intended to buy your detective


    agency, but you were reluctant at that time. Also, my funds werecking, so I could only dream back


    then.¡±


    Things had changed, though. Veronica now had a considerable sum of money and capabilities, so she


    was brave enough to discuss these terms with Sean.


    ¡°Taking shares? Hahaha¡­¡±


    Sean threw his head back andughed. His heartyughter resounded in the reception room, and it


    sounded extra¡­ patronizing.


    He was looking down on Veronica.


    Faced with his sneers, Veronica wasn¡¯t mad. Instead, she smiled.


    She lifted theptop bag next to her and unzipped it, retrieving herptop from within. After turning it on,


    her hands flew across the keyboard, cking the keys. Then, she turned theptop around so that Sean


    could see the screen.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a look, Mr. Ludwig?¡±


    She nudged theptop toward Sean. ¡°You¡¯re from Castron, and based on the current market, Castron


    has more potential in development. However, you chose to expand your horizons in Bloomstead instead.


    I¡¯ve been curious for the longest time, but when I looked into Zac, I identally found information about


    you. Say, is this mere coincidence?¡±


    Sean was originally uninterested in theptop that Veronica had nudged toward him, and he didn¡¯t even


    spare the interface a nce. However, when he heard her words, he suddenly thought that there was


    more to this woman than met the eye.


    His gaze subconsciously moved toward the screen on theptop, which disyed someone¡¯s personal


    information.


    He straightened himself and neared the screen. It was then that he realized that the personal information


    on the screen belonged to him.


    His date of birth, address, and detailed family circumstances were all listed, and the rted information


    below consisted of his interactions with Zac¡ªthere were even photos attached to his file.


    ¡°Who gave you this?¡±


    Sean frowned, forcibly snapping the cigarette in his hands in half.


    ¡°One must have enough capital if they were to partner up with you. If I can¡¯t provide anything useful, how


    can I discuss partnership with you?¡±


    Veronica crossed her arms, her clean little face withholding a smile. She hadn¡¯t put on much makeup, but


    she was still beautiful and alluring.


    It was especially so when she was serious. She had a cold aura to her, but her beauty still radiated from


    within. She also subconsciously exuded a sense of cold pride.


    Her aura was getting more and more simr to Matthew¡¯s.


    ¡°I graduated with a double degree, and one of them is rted to theputer field. Hence, I¡¯ve made


    connections early on. If I say the word, I can easily get two top hackers to work for you.¡±


    Veronica had been independent and self-reliant from a young age. If she hadn¡¯t faced a dead end, she


    wouldn¡¯t ask anyone for help.


    When Veronica¡¯s foster father was hospitalizedst year, Matthew transferred him to a high-ss private


    hospital. More than two million was required, and people would be willing to fund her as long as she


    asked.


    However, she kept mum about it.


    After all, one would reap what one had sown.


    She wouldn¡¯t ruin her good image in their eyes if she could help it.


    However, it was different this time. Even if she coaxed a top hacker to help her out, she was also helping


    them earn money. It would be a win-win situation, so it should be fine.


    ¡°Even though my detective agency isn¡¯t earning millions every day, the sry is definitely attractive. I


    don¡¯t need any of those things you¡¯ve offered.¡±

 Chapter 596

    Chapter 596


    Chapter 596 Mortal Enemies


    As such, Veronica wouldn¡¯t ask any questions that didn¡¯t matter. Xavier raised his wrist to look at the time


    on his watch. ¡°It¡¯s exactly 5.00AM. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in the hospital? Why are you here?¡±


    Xavier was very confused about Veronica being here early in the morning. ¡°I should be asking you the


    same question,¡± she said.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to ask? What else is there for men, save for drinking and having fun with women?¡± He


    shrugged, acting all nonchnt about it. ¡°Leave. I¡¯ll pretend I never saw you.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t forget Xavier¡¯s hatred toward Matthew, nor could she forget about everything that


    happened in Castron. However, she knew even better that Xavier never wanted to take her life.


    Regardless, Veronica didn¡¯t dare provoke Xavier at this point. She was purely afraid that he might harm


    the baby in her tummy. She averted her gaze and walked toward the elevator¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve met and all, why don¡¯t we have a meal together?¡±


    It was a sincere invitation, but after that, Xavier added, ¡°I just want to treat you to breakfast. No matter


    how many grudges I hold against Matthew, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Veronica hesitated a little. ¡°Can I decline?¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to be so heartless?¡±


    There was disappointment in Xavier¡¯s voice, and his tan face looked even colder and fiercer due to the


    scars left on it.


    However, she only saw the coldness on Xavier¡¯s face; she didn¡¯t notice the hidden pain in the depths of


    his eyes.


    ¡°What would you like to eat? It¡¯ll be on me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t dare go against Xavier, for she feared that he might resort to violence.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything.¡±


    Xavier simply wanted to have a meal with her, and he didn¡¯t mind what they would be eating.


    The two walked out of the underground parking lot. Veronica kept to the left while Xavier walked on the


    right. There were about three yards between them, making it seem as though there was an invisible


    chasm between them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay so far from me. I already said that I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    He noticed her expressions, and he naturally knew what Veronica was worried about.


    At that, he snorted. ¡°I saw for myself the power you¡¯re capable of in Castron.¡±


    Xavier was wearing a ck shirt paired with jeans. His hands were stuck in his pockets as he cocked his


    head to look at her. Then, he said, ¡°To be honest, I was really impressed.¡±


    ¡°It was just for self-defense,¡± Veronica said indifferently.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting married soon. We¡¯re friends, so aren¡¯t you sending me an invitation?¡±


    ¡°An invitation toe and ruin everything?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your wedding. Even if I¡¯m not the groom, I won¡¯t ruin it.¡±


    Xavier spoke with all earnesty.


    Hearing him talk, Veronica suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to look straight at Xavier. ¡°Can I


    believe what you say?¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t be bothered to lie about this.¡±


    He stared intently at Veronica. Perhaps because of the dim lights in the parking lot, he couldn¡¯t quite


    make out her expression.


    ¡°But¡­ Roni, who decided to hold a wedding in the middle of a storm? Who¡¯s the silly one, you or him?¡±


    Xavier wasn¡¯t lying. He wouldn¡¯t destroy the wedding, nor would he ruin Veronica¡¯s big day.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    However, just because he wasn¡¯t making any moves, it didn¡¯t mean that others would do the same.


    Veronica¡¯s clear little face was filled with fatigue. ¡°Should we just give up at the slightest inconvenience?


    Ever since you guys found out about my identity, I¡¯ve been walking on needles. Even if I don¡¯t hold a


    wedding these days, would it change your ns at all?¡±


    She then shook her head. ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see you hurt.¡±


    Xavier looked sad, and there was hidden sorrow in the depths of his eyes.


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    Veronica questioned as she frowned. She didn¡¯t want to look Xavier in the eye, so she turned to look


    elsewhere. ¡°As long as you¡¯re still enemies with him, there will never be peace between us.¡±

 Chapter 597

    Chapter 597


    Chapter 597 All of Xavier¡¯s Memories


    ¡°In that case, who will pay for Melissa¡¯s death?¡± He only had eyes for her, but her heart was filled with


    Matthew. Xavier raised his voice, feeling angered.


    ¡°So stop saying those dignified words. Your hatred has determined our rtionship.¡± She strode forward.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I know a ce that serves delicious pancakes.¡±


    Veronica changed the subject, and the two never exchanged another word after that. After getting out of


    the parking lot, they walked east for about two hundred yards. A stall was already in business. Veronica


    walked in, then turned back to nce at Xavier. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Whatever¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Veronica didn¡¯t ask more questions as she said to the female vendor, ¡°Two


    pancakes, two puddings, and two donuts, please.¡± ¡°Coming right up! You are an early couple, aren¡¯t you?


    Hahaha,e and have a seat.¡±


    The vendor had seen Veronica having breakfast here before, but she rarely saw Matthew. That was why


    she thought Xavier was Veronica¡¯s husband.


    Xavier didn¡¯t say anything. This was perhaps the rtionship of his dreams. Meanwhile, Veronica


    couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin.


    If she told the vendor that he was a friend, the vendor might think that it couldn¡¯t possibly be a simple


    rtionship if the two got up at 5.00AM for breakfast.


    At times like this, silence was the best option.


    The two walked to a spot and sat down facing each other.


    Veronica¡¯s gaze subconsciously went to the vendor, who was frying up the pancakes. She began to


    recall something from the past.


    Back then, she had offered to treat Matthew to breakfast, and after much frugality, she finally purchased


    a tea egg and warm milk for him.


    But when she treated Xavier to meals, she would go to food stalls or even Twilight Club, where millions


    would be spent. Because of that, Matthew held a grudge for the longest time.


    Within one year, they had already be mortal enemies.


    ¡°I was quite surprised. I thought you¡¯d tell Matthew so that he could get hold of me.¡±


    Xavier crossed his fingers, cing them on the table. There was a faint smile at the corners of his lips as


    he looked at her.


    Despite an extra scar on his face, it still didn¡¯t affect his good looks. Instead, it gave him a calm aura that


    could only be obtained from numerous hardships.


    ¡°You said it yourself; I have a weddinging up.¡±


    Veronica shook her head and added, ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause a ruckus.¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    In actuality, even if her wedding wasn¡¯t near, Veronica wouldn¡¯t tell Matthew that she had met Xavier.


    She nced at Xavier¡¯s bulging muscles, which were causing his shirt to tighten. It was proof enough


    that he was working hard to improve himself.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t figure out Xavier¡¯s true abilities. She was worried that if the two met, both would be


    considerably injured. In other words, it wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone.


    ¡°Here, pancakes for you.¡±


    The vendor served the double pancakes, puddings, and donuts. She even praised, ¡°Darling, your


    husband is so handsome.¡±


    Veronica was exasperated at being misunderstood a second time, so she exined, ¡°He¡¯s my friend. He


    just came back from overseas.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I see. Hahaha¡­ Sorry, I assumed too much.¡±


    The vendor had an awkward look on her face.


    Veronica smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy your meal, then.¡± The vendor smiled and walked away.


    Veronica looked at the motionless Xavier. ¡°Put some syrup on the pancakes and eat them while they¡¯re


    hot,¡± she said.


    ¡°How long has it been since west had breakfast together?¡±


    Xavier poured the syrup as he spoke.


    ¡°Never!¡± She replied.


    His hand paused a little halfway through pouring. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    After that, the two began to eat breakfast silently.


    As Xavier ate, he praised, ¡°It really is delicious. I wonder if I¡¯ll have a chance toe here again in the


    future.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    She replied heartlessly, then put down her fork and stood up. ¡°I need to use the bathroom.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t slept for the entire night, and she didn¡¯t have time to go to the bathroom either. Naturally, she


    couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer.


    However, when she emerged from the bathroom, Xavier had disappeared from the spot they were


    seated at earlier.

 Chapter 598

    Chapter 598


    Chapter 598 Yvonne Was Sent to Castron


    Veronica knew that he had left without a single goodbye. She turned back to her spot and continued


    eating. When she looked up, she noticed that the pancakes on Xavier¡¯s te were gone. The donuts


    were gone as well, and a part of the pudding was stained with oil. He probably only took a few bites.


    The past shed across her mind as she recalled various events, and Veronica had mixed feelings in her


    heart. After paying the bill, Veronica couldn¡¯t be bothered to return to her apartment, so she went straight


    to the ward.


    When the two bodyguards on duty outside the ward saw Veronica, they widened their eyes. ¡°M-Miss


    Murphy, when did you leave?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why didn¡¯t we see you leave?¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Veronica replied calmly, ¡°I got hungry, so I went downstairs for breakfast. You two were asleep.¡± As she


    spoke, she passed the food in her hand to them. ¡°Have some.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Murphy.¡± The two didn¡¯t think too much about it. Everything was fine as long as


    Veronica was safe, after all. Once she was back in the ward, Veronica sat by the bed. She thought about


    how Zac and Xavier had bothe to Bloomstead. Was it proof that the two were already working


    together?


    His strongest enemies had teamed up, and even ck Ace Mob was involved. Could Matthew really


    withstand this?


    Veronica felt uneasy, and out of desperation, she finally dialed Destiny¡¯s number. During the incident in


    Bloomstead, Crayson gave her Destiny¡¯s contact number, and she had kept it all this time.


    Destiny called Crayson her teacher and was very respectful toward him. Veronica knew that she would


    be using Destiny in the future, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to use her a bit now.


    ¡°Young Lord?¡± Destiny had probably saved Veronica¡¯s phone number as well, for she called Veronica


    ¡®Young Lord¡¯ right away.


    ¡°Just call me Veronica.¡± She couldn¡¯t get used to being called that. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Young Lord? Why


    are you calling me at this hour?¡±


    Veronica was speechless. She was quite a stubborn character, and her personality reminded Veronica of


    Crayson.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t be bothered to beat around the bush as she said immediately, ¡°Matthew is in Castron


    right now, and I¡¯m a little worried about him. Can you please support him from the shadows?¡±


    ¡°Piece of cake,¡± Destiny replied decisively. She would fulfill any request Veronica had for her. Then,


    Destiny asked about Veronica¡¯s wedding before hanging up at the right time.


    Having stayed up all night, Veronica could hardly withstand the sleepiness anymore. Finally, she plopped


    onto the bed and fell asleep.


    When she woke up, it was already noon. Her private detective, Colt, had phoned her. ¡°President Murphy,


    Yvonne is not in this country.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She and her child were sent to Castronst night.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± Colt¡¯s capabilities were limited. He could easily investigate anything within the country, but it


    would be a challenge to look up matters overseas.


    The call yesterday might have alerted her, or perhaps since Zac hade to Bloomstead, he took the


    opportunity to arrange for Yvonne¡¯s departure.


    No matter what, Yvonne had lost her freedom.


    Even though it wasn¡¯t life-threatening, she would still suffer greatly.


    After getting up, Veronica asked the bodyguards to bring in aptop. She easily found out the phone


    numbers belonging to Yvonne¡¯s parents, so she called them up right away and told them everything.


    Veronica had originally wanted to find Yvonne¡¯s exact location beforeunching a rescue operation, but


    unexpectedly, Yvonne was already sent overseas.


    Since Yvonne was overseas, the best course of action would be to inform Yvonne¡¯s parents.


    After exining extensively, Veronica finally got Yvonne¡¯s parents to believe her.


    In the two days that followed, Veronica had nothing to do for the first time in a while. Monica and Shirley


    woulde over and apany her sometimes. Ruka also called and said that after the wedding,


    Veronica needed to go to Castron with her to see Hendrey again.


    Veronica readily agreed, for she still had a mission to aplish in Castron.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Shirley had just resigned from Encounters. She stood at the entrance, turning back to nce


    at the bridal store longingly.

 Chapter 599

    Chapter 599


    Chapter 599 Shirley Was Beaten Again


    Crayson walked over and looked at Shirley, who was carrying a box. ¡°Child, why did you resign so


    suddenly?¡±


    Shirley was especially close to Veronica, so she was on good terms with Crayson at the bridal store as


    well. There were even times when Shirley would get Crayson to teach her some self-defense techniques.


    ¡°Well, I resigned because I¡¯m no longer interested in this job.¡± Veronica had told her beforehand that she


    couldn¡¯t tell anyone about her resignation, and she had to keep it a strict secret.


    Shirley put down the box in her hands, then walked over to Crayson and gave him a big hug. ¡°Mr.


    Crayson, we¡¯ll meet next time. We¡¯ll go to Veronica¡¯s house and have sushi together. If all else fails, you


    and Veronica cane over to my house for sushi.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Sure, we can decide on the detailster.¡±


    Crayson threw his head back andughed. ¡°All the best in finding your next job, and do tell me when


    you¡¯ve found one.¡±


    ¡°I most certainly will.¡±


    Shirely smiled. She waved at Crayson, then carried her box as she left.


    However, as soon as she turned around, she saw someone else.


    The woman was leaning against a red Ferrari. Her arms were crossed, and she was holding a cigarette


    in one hand. When she saw Shirley, she tossed the cigarette onto the ground and walked toward Shirley.


    ¡°S-Sofia Green?¡±


    Seeing her here, Shirley went pale in the face. Her body instinctively rooted to the ground, and fear was


    written all over her face.


    Ever since that time she was pped at her apartment, Shirley hadn¡¯t seen Sofia in days.


    She thought Sofia would let her off the hook, but unexpectedly, Sofia had once again turned up here.


    Sofia was still wearing an outfit that exposed her navel. She was also wearing a loose-fitting pair of


    casual pants. She looked cool and beautiful, but her personality was horrible.


    ¡°Why are you so scared? Do you think I might eat you?¡±


    Sofia red at her.


    ¡°W-Why are you looking for me, then?¡± Shirley pursed her lips, so terrified that she didn¡¯t dare stand her


    ground.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    She spoke.


    ¡°C-Can we not?¡± She said timidly.


    ¡°Shirley, remember this. Never try to cross the line with me. I don¡¯t have much patience!¡±


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t get so cocky yourself.¡±


    Shirley swallowed. She shifted the box to one arm as she reached out and pointed at Crayson, who was


    standing a short distance away. ¡°That¡¯s my grandpa. He¡¯s very strong. If you dare bully me, I¡¯ll get my


    grandpa to hit you.¡±


    With that, she lifted her chin stubbornly.


    You want me to go with you?


    Who knew what Sofia might do to her?


    This wretched woman had so many tricks up her sleeve. She was cruel and ruthless, so if she resorted


    to violence, Shirley would be done for.


    Sofia looked in the direction Shirley was pointing at. Standing at the entrance of the bridal store was a


    plump old man. He was taking off his hat with one hand and brushing his white hair with the other. Sofia


    couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°A silly old man like that, and you¡¯re telling me he¡¯s strong? Shirley, who do you


    think I am?¡±


    Shirley was silent.


    Don¡¯t you know that you should never judge a book by its cover?


    Of course, she only thought that in her mind. She didn¡¯t dare refute, fearing that Sofia would really beat


    her up.


    ¡°Are youing with me or not?¡±


    Sofia¡¯s patience was running out as she frowned, questioning.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    She shook her head furiously. ¡°You¡ªAh!¡±


    Before Shirley could finish speaking, Sofia stepped forward and grabbed Shirley¡¯s hair. ¡°You little wretch,


    I¡¯ve given you a chance by being nice, haven¡¯t I? Since you insist on going about it the hard way, I¡¯ll


    show you!¡±


    When she saw Shirley being protected by Skyler thest time they were in her apartment, Sofia was


    absolutely pissed off.


    After holding it in for a few days, Sofia wanted to talk it over with Shirley, but in the end, the woman was


    reluctant toply. She thought Shirley was being arrogant simply because Skyler had her back.

 Chapter 600

    Chapter 600


    Chapter 600 Crayson Protects Shirley


    Sofia had done a background check on Shirley before. She thought that for Shirley to be favored by


    Skyler, and to even live together with him, Shirley was probably from a decent background even if she


    weren¡¯t from a rich family. However, Shirley was just amoner.


    In terms of family background, looks, and talent, Sofia was superior to Shirley. Despite that, Skyler still


    loved Shirley more. This was a huge p to Sofia¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ouch¡­ It hurts! Don¡¯t grab my hair¡­¡±


    The one thing Shirley hated the most was to have her hair grabbed.


    From the distance, Crayson had just put on his security hat when he heard a scream near him. He


    turned to see a woman grabbing Shirley by the hair.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Crayson took out his electric baton and swiftly strode over to them. He pointed at Sofia, ¡°Let go of her!¡±


    ¡°Poor old man, having toe to work at your old age. You¡¯d better mind your own business.¡±


    Sofia didn¡¯t want to argue with an old man in case people mocked her about it. ¡°You have nothing to do


    with this matter between me and her, so you¡¯d better not intervene.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m her grandpa¡ªdo you think I¡¯d just stand by and watch?!¡±


    Seeing Sofia¡¯s arrogance andck of manners, Crayson felt that shecked discipline.


    Themotion caught the attention of the people in the lobby of the bridal store. A number of people


    walked over to them, and when they saw Shirley¡¯s hair being grabbed, they came even closer.


    As for Sofia, when she saw those peopleing, she wasn¡¯t scared at all. Instead, she said loudly,


    ¡°Look closely, everyone. This woman seduced my boyfriend, leading him to cheat on me. You shameless


    thing! How dare you live with my boyfriend behind my back! Everyone, you¡¯d better keep an eye on your


    men in case she seduces them as well.¡±


    Her lethal words caused a huge uproar.


    The people who walked out were all Shirley¡¯s colleagues. When they heard Sofia speaking of Shirley like


    that, they were all in disbelief.


    ¡°Really? Shirley isn¡¯t someone like that, right?¡±


    ¡°She looks so innocent. I never thought she¡¯d seduce someone¡¯s boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Shirley, you¡­ I mean, you¡¯re just too shameless.¡±


    ¡°Even his girlfriend is here! You¡¯re really a disgrace.¡±


    ¡­


    Those people knew that Sofia was a ruthless woman, and one of the keys hanging from her pocket was


    the key to her Ferrari, the logo in full disy.


    The Ferrari was right next to them, and it was parked exactly at the entrance to the store. It was obvious


    that the woman had parked it like so.


    Mainly because of Sofia¡¯s position, the colleagues didn¡¯t dare speak up for Shirley.


    ¡°That¡¯s your own business. Let her go!¡±


    On the other hand, Crayson couldn¡¯t care less about those messy matters between them. He gave a


    stern shout,manding Sofia to let go of Shirley.


    The colleagues immediately tried to convince Crayson.


    ¡°Mr. Crayson, you should just leave them be.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this woman isn¡¯t someone you can mess with.¡±


    ¡°Shirley has already resigned, so please keep your nose out of this.¡±


    ¡°You might get yourself involved in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Right? She¡¯s the shameless one who seduced the woman¡¯s boyfriend. She deserves it.¡±


    ¡­


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Shirley knew that society was cruel, and the people around her lived life in extreme rity. However, she


    never thought that they¡¯d be so heartless.


    She had only just resigned, but her ex-colleagues were already talking about her like that!


    ¡°Hear that, old man? Don¡¯t meddle in my business!¡±


    Sofia pulled at Shirley¡¯s hair as she walked toward her car. Meanwhile, Shirley was in so much pain that


    she kept screaming.


    Sofia wasn¡¯t holding back at all!


    Crayson couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. He stepped forward and grabbed Sofia¡¯s wrist. ¡°Let her go!¡±


    When she felt Crayson¡¯s grip on her, Sofia stopped and red at him. ¡°You useless old man, I have a


    ninth-degree ck belt in Taekwondo. You¡¯d better stop digging your own grave!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Crayson, it hurts so much when she grabs my hair¡­¡±


    Shirley was in so much pain that tears streamed down her face. She only felt like aplete mess.


    Crayson pointed at Sofia with the electric baton in his hand. ¡°Let go.¡±

 Chapter 601

    Chapter 601


    Chapter 601 A Mysterious Crayson


    ¡°You¡¯re such an annoying geezer!¡± As someone who was born with a silver spoon, Sofia felt her pride


    being tampered by Crayson in front of the public. Thus, why would she be worried if he was hurt?


    She raised her leg to kick him. ¡°Step aside, you old thing.¡±


    As she attempted to deliver the kick, he grabbed her ankle and pushed her away while holding the


    electric baton with one hand. Exasperated, Sofia released Shirley¡¯s hair before performing a flying kick


    midair at his head.


    Remaining firm on his spot steadily, he parried her advance with the baton. ¡°Tsk¡­ Ugh¡­¡±


    Although Crayson made use of it as his defense, anyone could tell that that was one strong kick from


    Sofia. However, the baton did not budge an inch as it was unbothered like a riveted steel.


    When she eximed in pain, he released his grip and she almost fell. She barely gained a purchase


    after taking a few steps back. It was not until then did she realize that he was not an ordinary old man.


    Screech¡ª


    Suddenly, a screeching sound of a car jarred into everyone¡¯s ears, drawing their attention. They saw


    someone running over from the car and his expression darkened the moment he saw Shirley¡¯s ponytail


    turned into a mess.


    ¡°Sofia Green, what are you doing?¡± Skyler sprinted all the way here for Shirley once he caught wind of


    Sofia¡¯s arrival. He set his work aside immediately, yet it was toote.


    Crayson, who recognized him, roared, ¡°Hey, young man! Look at what you¡¯ve done!¡±


    The guilty Skyler was aware that he was at fault. ¡°Master Crayson, leave it to me.¡±


    Skyler had always admired Veronica. After he found out that Crayson¡ªthe security guard¡ªwas her


    tutor, he inherently held Crayson with high regards.


    Most importantly, that made Crayson Matthew¡¯s tutor as well. Hence, Skyler should never offend him in


    any way.


    ¡°Skyler!¡± Grievance grew in Shirley as her eyes reddened. ¡°Get outta my house. I¡¯m not ying with your


    games anymore. I don¡¯t want any of the money you promised. Hmph!¡±


    She felt so wronged that she made herself scarce from the scene without the box, which fell onto the


    ground.


    ¡°What? What game?¡±


    ¡°What does she mean by that?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Maybe Shirley is not the mistress, but she was paid to put on a show with Young


    Master Skyler?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd could not wrap their heads around it whereas Sofia looked at Skyler in confusion, ignoring the


    pain on her ankle. ¡°So, you¡­ You were acting this whole time?¡±


    She felt guilty and sorry toward Shirley. ¡°Skye, I-I¡¯ll apologize to Shir¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Skyler cut her off in rage. ¡°Sofia Green, everything between us is in the past now. It doesn¡¯t


    matter if it¡¯s fake, but I just want you to stop your antics. You¡¯re a smart person. You should know what to


    do.¡±


    After straightening things out with her, he shifted his gaze onto Crayson. ¡°Master Crayson, thank you for


    helping.¡±


    After bowing slightly, he headed to his car to chase Shirley. In split seconds, everyone was impressed by


    Crayson, who was so cool while locking horns moments ago. No one expected that from him judging


    from his appearance.


    Especially with how Matthew paid homage to him and how Skyler treated him with reverence, it definitely


    piqued their interest.


    ¡°Woah. Mr. Crayson, that¡¯s awesome!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Crayson, what do you do, honestly? Why is Young Master Skyler and Young Master Matthew so


    nice to you?¡±


    ¡°Are you a retired president of apany who¡¯s experiencing life?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Crayson, Mr. Crayson, could you teach me some self-defense moves?¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

 Chapter 602

    Chapter 602


    Chapter 602 Taking Her to a Blind Date


    Skyler followed Shirley hard on heels by car. After parking it at the roadside, he alighted from it and


    approached her to pull her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Shirley shrugged off his hand while sobbing. ¡°Stop apologizing. I agreed on it because of money anyway,


    but I don¡¯t want the money anymore. Since we have no business, let¡¯s not meet each other ever again.¡±


    At that moment, a garish red Ferrari stopped by the road and Sofia got out of the car. ¡°Shirley!¡± she


    shouted and hurried toward Shirley. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I misunderstood you. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Tears were pooling in Shirley¡¯s eyes as she alternated her gaze between Sophia and Skyler. In the end,


    she shoved him away and walked away. This time, Skyler did not go after her.


    ¡°Skye, could you give me one more chance? We can return to how we used to be.¡± Sofia pulled his arm


    and helplessness was written across her face. ¡°I know that I was being reckless before this. I was


    childish and I didn¡¯t appreciate it, but I¡¯m regretting it. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Reckless?¡± he scoffed as indifference tinged his countenance. ¡°Is that why you married another person


    and filed a divorce to be with me? Am I a recyble or what?¡±


    ¡°No. I just¡­ think that I still love you. For real.¡±


    ¡°If you put it that way, I guess you¡¯re willing to marry me even if I¡¯m a divorcee?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Sofia had not expected him to put it that way. She was aware that the pain she imposed onto him


    was irrevocable. With pursed lips and clenched fist, she hesitated.


    ¡°I can already tell from your expression. Sofia, don¡¯te¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± She was firm. ¡°It was my fault and I ept your punishment. You can get married, but I¡¯ll wait for


    you. Once you¡¯re divorced, we can get married.¡±


    Her words did not make sense as it took Skyler aback as well. He was stunned for a moment before


    blurting one word, ¡°Crazy.¡±


    ¡­


    Shirley, who had nowhere to go, wandered around aimlessly until she arrived at the hospital to meet


    Veronica while choking on her sobs. ¡°Roni¡­¡±


    Veronica was using herptop in bed when she saw the crying woman. ¡°What happened? What¡¯s with


    your hair?¡±


    Veronica ced theptop aside and got out of bed to pull Shirley over to the couch.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Here. Wipe your tears.¡± She handed a few tissue papers to Shirley. ¡°Tell me. What happened?¡±


    Shirley held them and wiped her tears off with her head hung low. She kept crying and her shoulders


    were trembling. Instead of prying further, Veronica patted her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her


    emotions.


    After she collected herself for a while, she recounted the whole story to Veronica.


    ¡°Are you silly? You¡¯re digging your own grave.¡± Veronica sighed. ¡°Staying under the same roof makes it


    easy to fall for someone. Skyler is a rich yboy. It doesn¡¯t matter if he does whatever he wants, but


    what about you? Once you¡¯re stuck in the abyss, you¡¯ll get hurt because of your feelings.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Shirley¡¯s head hung low as she sped onto the tissue paper. Recalling the memories she shared


    with Skyler, she piped up, ¡°Could you introduce someone to me, Roni?¡±


    There were some things that she dared not think too much of, especially the fluttering feelings she


    experienced when she was in the same space with Skyler.


    She was genuinely afraid that she might not extricate from the abyss like Veronica said.


    ¡°Sure. That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Veronica smiled and removed Shirley¡¯s hair tie after which shebed


    Shirley¡¯s hair to help her tie a ponytail.

 Chapter 603

    Chapter 603


    Chapter 603 Skyler Is Jealous


    ¡°Thank you, Roni,¡± thanked Shirley. They continued the conversation and her mood brightened. ¡°Look.


    What about this guy?¡± Veronica found a picture in her phone. ¡°He¡¯s Wade Yoder, a magazine model. I


    knew him in Starshine. He¡¯s not bad.¡±


    When Mia bullied her at the beginning of her career with Starshine, Wade and Rania stood up for her.


    Since then, Veronica got along with them and became good friends, especially Wade. He was a reliable


    man.


    ¡°Woah. He¡¯s really handsome, but¡­ he¡¯s a model. Why doesn¡¯t he have a girlfriend? Besides, he¡¯s out of


    my league.¡± Shirley knew her ce.


    Wade was handsome and he dressed neatly, but Skyler could totally beat him out in terms of looks. Yet,


    there was already a huge gap between her and Skyler, rendering him a man she could not covet.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. His performance is decent, but not to the extent of shining his name in thepany. The


    female models in thepany have super high standards and they¡¯re quite realistic. They will only hunt


    for someone better, so it¡¯s natural for him to be left out.¡±


    Veronica informed Shirley of Wade¡¯s situation first before acquiring her opinion. Now that Shirley was up


    for it, she decided to talk to him tonight.


    Veronica added, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, I think I gotta update you on thetest market of Esport. At least you


    know something.¡±


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Although Veronica had given one-on-one training to Shirley, she was still worried. She made an


    arrangement for Wade and Shirley¡¯s blind date on the next day whereas she and Monica would check on


    the wedding dresses.


    Shirley, who had quitted her job, enjoyed her morning at home. At the thought of the afternoon date, she


    was not as happy as she expected herself to be. I should actually be excited for it.


    When she arrived at Phil¡¯s Coffeehouse at 2.00PM, she looked for Wade based on the position sent by


    Veronica.


    He was sitting in the open area outside at which she could see him as soon as she walked over there.


    ¡°Hi, are you Wade Yoder?¡± Shirley approached the man, who was wearing a gray shirt matched with dark


    blue jeans. He appeared younger and more handsome than he was in the picture.


    Skimming through a magazine, Wade rose from his seat with a smile. ¡°You must be Shirley Wilson.¡±


    The smile revealed the faint dimples on his cheeks, which softened his disposition to a gentle one.


    Today, she was dded in a white shirt and light blue ripped jeans. The ponytail definitely added luster to


    her jaunty appearance.


    ¡°Yes, I am. Sorry for my tardiness.¡± She smiled lightly.


    ¡°I came a while ago. Have a seat. Here, would you like to have something to drink?¡± Wade proffered her


    a menu.


    ¡°Cappino, please.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Without asking much, he beckoned over a waiter. ¡°We would like to have a cup of cappino, a


    mousse cake and this ice cream.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Please wait for a moment.¡± The waiter took away the menu.


    Wade spoke to Shirley, ¡°Their mousse cake and ice cream are delicious. You should try some.¡±


    ¡°I like desserts.¡±


    Considering that it was her first blind date, Shirley was reserved and feeling nervous. The tranquility in


    her disappeared the second she caught sight of him and her heart was still racing.


    She probably did not even realize how she looked with those blushing cheeks.


    Their conversation went on and on as they got along. Suddenly, Wade pointed behind her. ¡°Does that


    person know you? Why does he keep staring at you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± A confused Shirley turned her head and looked at the pointed direction, only to be surprised.


    It was because she saw Skyler sitting under a parasol with crossed-legs alongside a tan-skinned


    foreigner. Apparently, they were having a discussion on something.

 Chapter 604

    Chapter 604


    Chapter 604 She¡¯s Silly and Stupid


    When Shirley looked at Skyler, he happened to be watching her too. Her heart skipped a beat and


    nervousness grew. She raised her left hand and propped her elbow on the table to cover half of her face.


    ¡°You two know each other?¡± Wade sensed something wrong. ¡°No, no, no. We don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Hence, he had been feeling cranky since morning, which prompted him to ask someone to look into


    Shirley¡¯s whereabouts.


    After he caught wind of her location, he arranged a meeting with his client for a business affair here.


    ¡°Huh?¡± She turned her head in surprise. When she saw Skyler standing right next to her, she sprang to


    her feet immediately. ¡°Sky¡ªWhat a coincidence. I didn¡¯t know you and your friend are here.¡±


    Her heart squeezed as she gulped down her saliva nervously. Her cheeks were flushed red when she


    thought, Bloomstead is such a small city. I even bumped into him on my blind date? What am I gonna


    do?


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Skyler questioned as he nced at Wade.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ H-He¡¯s¡­¡± Shirley was clueless of how to introduce Wade to him.


    At that moment, Wade stood up with a polite smile. ¡°I¡¯m her fri¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his words, Skyler interrupted, ¡°Are you guys on a blind date?¡±


    It was on purpose; he interrupted Wade intentionally so that Wade could not finish his words.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Huh? How¡­ did you know about this?¡± She was baffled, for she did not know how Skyler found out


    about the blind date.


    Did Roni tell him? But even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t tell him where we are. Did he follow me all the way


    here?


    A preposterous idea popped into her mind and she figured that she was out of her mind for having such


    a scary guess.


    ¡°Oh. So, it is a blind date.¡± Skyler nodded and pulled out a chair to sit before looking at Wade. ¡°I¡¯m Shir¡¯s


    friend. She¡¯s kinda dense and she¡¯s not that smart, so I guess I can be her wingman.¡±


    Wade fell into silence. Seeing how confused she was, he nodded in the end. ¡°Alright. How should I


    address you?¡±


    ¡°Skyler.¡±


    ¡°Skyler Robins? The famous, talented doctor in Bloomstead?¡± Wade knew of Skyler¡¯s identity the


    moment he saw him. He had seen Skyler before, but Skyler might not be able to say the same.


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart one. How did you know me?¡±


    ¡­


    The men bbered on and on whereas Shirley sat aside and drank her coffee in silence since she could


    not seem to join the conversation.


    A voice rang in her head, Shirley, does he like you? It seems like he¡¯s ruining your blind date.


    Another voice chipped in, You must be crazy. Everyone knows that Skyler Robins is a yboy. He¡¯s met


    so many women, so why would he like you? Look at Sofia Green. She¡¯s literally an angel. He doesn¡¯t


    care about you. You¡¯re nothing.


    She held her cup and took a sip of coffee while her gazended onto Skyler unconsciously. Needless to


    say, this man was really handsome; he had that bad boy vibe in him.


    He looks like a celebrity. Who is it again? Oh, Zachary Quinto!


    Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!


    Her heart raced so quickly as her mind was in a mess.


    ¡°Shirley is a silly girl and she¡¯s quite stupid. I don¡¯t think that you¡¯ll make a good couple,¡± said Skyler


    outspokenly while he crossed his legs and leaned against the wooden chair.

 Chapter 605

    Chapter 605


    Chapter 605 He¡¯s Back


    ¡°I think Miss Wilson is adorable and smart. Do you have an opinion of her, Young Master Skyler?¡± Wade


    took a glimpse at Shirley.


    Without looking at her, Skyler raised his gazenguidly. ¡°She¡¯szy and doesn¡¯t do the house chores.¡±


    Shirley was utterly speechless and his behavior was confusing her.


    What is he doing? He¡¯s ruining my blind date! Does he have feelings for me? Even if that¡¯s true, the


    difference in our status is too huge for us to stay together until the end.


    Then, she thought of Veronica and Matthew, who were not of the same world.


    No, no, no. How can Ipare myself with Roni? She¡¯s good at fighting, owns apany, has a double


    degree, and she¡¯s Old Mrs. Kings¡¯ god-granddaughter! We¡¯re different.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    After a moment of hesitation, she protested, ¡°Skyler Robins, what are you talking about? I¡¯m not that bad.


    Wade, don¡¯t listen to him.¡±


    The fact that she raised her voice caused a frown on Skyler¡¯s forehead. ¡°Do you like him?¡±


    Her hands on her knees formed into tight fists. As her heart was beating profusely, she nodded firmly.


    ¡°Yes. I think Wade is not bad. If he feels the same, I wanna give it a shot.¡±


    Next, she looked at Wade bravely. ¡°Wade, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± The sudden question caught him off guard as he alternated his gaze between the two before


    nodding. ¡°Yeah. I think¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be bad to try it out.¡±


    ¡°Great. Let¡¯s exchange our numbers.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Therefore, Skyler sat right there and watched Shirley taking the initiative to approach Wade as her


    potential partner. Finally, the two of them exchanged their contact numbers.


    At that very second, the smile on his face disappeared and a channel of rage shot up into his head for


    unknown reasons.


    He was livid.


    He was exasperated.


    Still, he did not utter a word and walked away instead. She did not spare him a nce, but Wade saw


    Skyler talking to the foreigner for a moment before they left together.


    While saving her contact number, Wade said, ¡°I know that you were trying to make him angry. He¡¯s gone


    now. You¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. I really wanna give it a shot with you.¡±


    She did get into a rtionship at a teen age, which jeopardized her studies in the end. She was given a


    lecture too when her family found out about it. After that one time, she stayed single as of today. Love


    had always been something sacred to her.


    However, Skyler was nothing but a bypasser in her life and her rationality was telling her that he would


    never be her life partner. Thus, it would be better to end things clearly instead of having other ideas.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Wade was not convinced.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± She nodded with pursed lips before giving it a thought. ¡°How about a movie date right now?


    It¡¯s on me. We can call Roni overter to have dinner together.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a n to me.¡±


    ¡­


    In the afternoon, Veronica was resting at the hospital when her phone rang. Shirley informed her of the


    sessful date and invited her for dinner. The moment she put down her phone, Matthew rang her up.


    ¡°Matt?¡±


    They hardly contacted each other after he went abroad these days. It was his birthday a few days ago;


    she wished him ¡®happy birthday¡¯ early in the morning through a phone call since she could not give him


    any present.


    Other than that, she did not phone him because she did not wish to bother him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m bored. I was going to sleep.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a parcel for you. I asked someone to put it in front of the door,¡± he announced.


    ¡°What is it? Why is it in front of the door?¡±


    The way he behaved mysteriously piqued her interest.

 Chapter 606

    Chapter 606


    Chapter 606 The Best Present


    She lifted the nket and tipped her feet into the sandals after which she sauntered to the door to open


    it. Since it was a VIP patient room, there was a mini parlor outside.


    Once she opened the door between the patient room and parlor, a big bouquet of delicate red roses


    appeared right before her eyes. There were not only red roses wrapped in the ck craft paper, the


    white baby¡¯s breath also tinged its color amongst the red flowers, adding clusters to the red petals.


    The pleasant fragrance flushed over her face, elevating her mood.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your parcel. Please kindly receive it,¡± said the person behind the bouquet.


    Since the huge bouquet of flowers covered that person, she could not see his face clearly.


    ¡°What is he doing? Why the flowers?¡± murmured Veronica as she could not smother the delightful smile


    on her face.


    ¡°There¡¯s a box among the flowers. Check it out,¡± said the man.


    She looked at the flowers at which there was a red rectangr box lying on them. She took it out and


    opened it.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    It was a delicate multiflora rose ne and the shining pink diamond shone prettily.


    When they were engaged, he gave her a wedding ring that came with a pink multiflora rose; now, he


    gifted her another ne of the same flower and color¡ªit was a set! It was a gorgeous pair for one to


    wear.


    Her rosy lips curved into a smile as she shut the box. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She held the flowers while thanking the ¡®delivery man¡¯. However, when she uplifted them, the flowers fell


    sideways to reveal a hole in the middle. It was as if she was carrying a heavy box.


    Suddenly, she saw a big box in which a dazzling wedding dress was ced in it. When Veronica paid full


    attention to it, a familiar voice resounded. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    This voice¡­


    ¡°You¡­ Pfft! How dare you trick me!¡± She lifted her head only to see Matthew standing in front of her.


    She could not help grinning as she grumbled, ¡°I see you¡¯ve got a new job as a delivery man, huh?¡±


    He even changed his voice so as to not be discovered by her. Otherwise, how could she not recognize


    his voice?


    ¡°So, do you like it?¡± He smiled gently.


    ¡°Of course, I do. I love it.¡±


    She gazed at the box which was filled with the wedding dress. It had a lid and its edges were surrounded


    by flowers wrapped in ck craft paper. That was why she did not notice it in the first ce.


    ¡°You gave me a surprise, but I didn¡¯t give you anything on your birthday. What should we do?¡±


    The original n was to take Matthew back to her hometown to spend his birthday with Tony, who


    shared the same birth date.


    However, Matthew went abroad and her condition did not allow them to do so. So, she had no choice but


    to ry her birthday wishes to them through phone calls.


    ¡°Silly girl¡­¡± Matthew tapped the tip of her nose as he looked at her belly and ced his hand on it. ¡°It¡¯s


    right here. This is the best present you¡¯ve given to me.¡±


    Their baby was the best present in the world.


    Smiling, she ced the flowers atop the table and grabbed the box from his hand to set it aside. She


    walked to him before giving him a hug. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Matt. You don¡¯t know how much I missed you


    the past few days.¡±


    No one knew how much she was worried about him. Still, she could not show it on her face, let alone


    calling him to check up on him.


    For Matthew, it was the scent he missed all day and all night. He reciprocated the hug, bending over to


    snuggle on her face with his cheek. ¡°I missed you so much, so I came back as soon as I settled it.¡±


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± She did not release her arms. Instead, she closed her eyes to indulge in the


    sense of security within his arms.


    ¡°Hmm. Everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    The business deal in Castron fell through. He endeavored topensate for the client, but his effort was


    in vain. Still, that was the best ending as long as they did not turn into enemies.

 Chapter 607

    Chapter 607


    Chapter 607 A Sweet Moment


    ¡°That¡¯s great, then.¡± Veronica did not bother to ask any more questions as she straightened herself to lift


    her head to look at Matthew, who was right in front of her. He was as handsome and charming as before.


    She tiptoed and nted a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Is this considered an effort to grant me and our child a


    blissful life?¡±


    He furrowed his dark brows slightly before nodding solemnly. ¡°Yes, of course. If I don¡¯t work hard right


    now, how will I be able to provide for my wife and kid in the future?¡±


    ¡°Well, things aren¡¯t that bad. We don¡¯t require much and you can just provide us with the most basic


    things.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s uneptable. I would definitely want my woman to lead a blissful life.¡±


    ¡°I feel the happiest as long as I am with you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Can I take this as your confession of love for me?¡±


    Veronica smiled shyly. ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°You should rest more, then.¡±


    As Matthew spoke, he leaned forward and swept her into his arms before walking into the hospital room


    and putting her on the bed. ¡°The doctor put you on bed rest, so you should do that.¡±


    ¡°My back aches from lying in bed for too long.¡±


    ¡°How about I give you a massage?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no longer sore.¡± Veronica hurriedly came up with an excuse as she could not bear to get him to give


    her a massage.


    He looked exhausted and the dark circles around his eyes were rather prominent. Clearly, he had been


    staying up till the wee hours of dawn and had not been getting enough rest.


    As such, she shifted her position slightly on the hospital bed and tugged his hand. ¡°Hey, lie down next to


    me. I want you to hug me.¡±


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    In actuality, she felt for Matthew and wanted him to take a rest by lying down for a short while.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t changed out of my dirty clothes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°I realize that I can¡¯t say no to you.¡± He reached out to pinch her chin lightly. Soon after that, he removed


    his shoes andy sideways in bed with a hand ced on her waist.


    ¡°I¡¯m your wife, so you should dote on me.¡±


    Veronica continued to flirt as she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against his chest


    before heaving a sigh, ¡°You didn¡¯t let me know in advance that you¡¯ve alreadymissioned a wedding


    gown, so I went with Monica to try on wedding dresses this morning. I was exhausted from all that and


    I¡¯m tired now. I just want to take a nap.¡±


    Although she had only tried on three wedding gowns and was not exhausted from that, she came up with


    this excuse to let him take a nap.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep youpany.¡± He agreed andy next to her.


    Veronica shut her eyes and maintained the same position. In no time at all, she heard a regrly paced


    breathing in her ears.


    At that moment, she finally opened her eyes which had been shut for some time and there was a pained


    expression on her face.


    He had actually gone abroad to sort out the mess, but he kept her in mind and custom-made a wedding


    gown, and even nned a surprise for her. At that thought, she was determined to cherish this precious


    man.


    She hugged him and they took a long nap together for the entire afternoon. Finally, she woke him up at


    5.40PM.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I fell asleep.¡± As soon as Matthew woke up, he looked at the time and realized that he had


    been asleep for three hours.


    ¡°I just woke up too.¡± Veronica sat up and stretched her body.


    Earlier on, she was worried that he would be awakened if he sensed her movement, so she held still and


    maintained her position without moving for three hours. Right now, her muscles felt stiff.


    ¡°I woke you up because it¡¯s time to go for dinner with Shirley. I forgot to tell you that I introduced a man to


    Shirley. His name is Wade Yoder. He¡¯s a model for Starshine Media Agency and he¡¯s a nice guy.¡±


    She briefly exined the situation to Matthew.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Shirley¡¯s a great woman, so it¡¯s good to introduce someone to her.¡± Matthew considered


    the situation and felt that by doing so, Sofia would not develop the wrong impression of Shirley.


    However, he did not know what had happened over the past two days.


    Veronica heaved a sigh and replied, ¡°Shirley¡¯s too naive and Skyler was being foolish too. He moved into


    Shirley¡¯s house to make Sofia believe him. He also said that he would avenge Shirley and that silly girl


    agreed too¡­¡±


    They sat in bed as Veronica recounted in detail everything that had happened over the past two days to


    Matthew.

 Chapter 608

    Chapter 608


    Chapter 608 A Walk Down Memory Lane


    Veronica mentioned how Shirley was beaten up at First Meeting before Crayson helped Shirley settle


    everything. As soon as Matthew got to the end of the story, his chiseled face instantly turned thunderous.


    ¡°That¡¯s stupid.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Shirley has agreed to try and see how things work out with Wade. Everything should be fine.¡±


    Veronica noticed that he was slightly unhappy, so sheforted him by saying, ¡°Skyler doesn¡¯t have ill


    intentions.¡±


    ¡°Well, an honest mistake could sometimes be irrevocable.¡±


    ¡°Right now, he has already attempted to fix the mistake, so you should just pretend that you¡¯re unaware


    of things,¡± Veronica coaxed him.


    Then, she got out of bed and headed over to the desk. Subsequently, she took out a dainty little wrapped


    box and turned around to head over to Matthew¡¯s side. ¡°I wanted to give you this present during your


    birthday, but unfortunately, you were abroad that day, so I couldn¡¯t give it to you then. The elders used to


    say that one shouldn¡¯t celebrate their birthdays after the actual day has gone by, so this can¡¯t be your


    birthday gift. Instead, you can take this as a little surprise from me.¡±


    ¡°Roni, that¡¯s so thoughtful of you.¡±


    Matthew took the dainty little wrapped box from Veronica and revealed a slight smile. ¡°Can I open this


    right now?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Okie.¡±


    He gently untied the dove-gray patterned bow on the box before opening the square box, which revealed


    a thick photo album.


    Matthew furrowed his brows as his dark eyes glimmered hopefully.


    He removed the album from the box and ced the box on the table before flipping to the first page.


    Instantly, the first photo that came to his eyes was one from the car crash.


    The photo was taken under dim lighting and hey in the upturned car as blood pooled around him; it


    was a horrific sight.


    ¡°How did you get this photo?¡± Matthew was curious.


    Veronica came over to his side and took a seat. She pointed to the photo and said, ¡°You should get used


    to it because I love taking photos as evidence.¡±


    Moreover, she also had a habit of taking voice recordings.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you show me the photo back then and reveal that you were the one who saved me?¡±


    This was a question that had troubled Matthew for some time now.


    Veronica recalled the things that had happenedst year and she could not contain herughter. ¡°Look at


    this photo here. It was taken at Kings Residence and you¡¯re enjoying a meal with Grandma.¡±


    She did not mention the reason to Matthew because she was caught in too many difficult situations back


    then. However, this was all in the past, so there was no need to bring things up.


    They sat together and went through the photos. Each one of them was new to Matthew as he had never


    seen them.


    At that moment, they flipped the page and saw a photo taken on Mount Chid and he could not help


    revealing a slight smile. ¡°I have this photo too.¡±


    He took out his phone and went through his private album to pull out the photo. ¡°Back then, this was


    taken at the school in Dawnpol Vige of Mount Chid.¡±


    The entire area was arge mountainous region, so the school was built by the mountainside.


    It was raining heavily that day and they had gone up the mountain to the school to check things out. As


    they were leaving the school, their clothes were stained with mud. Coincidentally, they noticed a rainbow,


    so they stood by the cliffside with their backs facing the rainbow and snapped a photo. It was still fresh in


    their memories.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop browsing the album.¡±


    Veronica mmed the album shut. ¡°We should leave now. If we end upte, Shirley and Wade will


    definitely be anxious.¡±


    She grabbed Matthew¡¯s hand and left the hospital together after which they sped off toward the address


    provided by Shirley.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡­


    Matthew and Veronica¡¯s wedding date was approaching and the couple went to get their wedding photos


    done. They also sorted out the invitation cards and came up with a guest list together. Despite their busy


    schedule, they were in good spirits.


    Most of the time, Matthew was the one doing the bulk of the work as he was concerned about the baby¡¯s


    well-being.


    One day, Crayson came over to visit Veronica at the hospital.


    ¡°Matthew, could you get me a box of cigarettes, please?¡± As soon as Crayson entered the room, he


    came up with an excuse to send Matthew out of the room.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Matthew was intelligent enough to realize Crayson¡¯s intention, so he got up and left the room


    while shutting the door after him.


    ¡°Roni, your wedding will be held in two more days¡­¡± Crayson sat on the chair in the room and heaved a


    deep sigh. ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡±

 Chapter 609

    Chapter 609


    Chapter 609 The Uing Wedding


    All along, Crayson had not been supportive of Matthew and Veronica¡¯s marriage. ¡°Master Crayson, I


    would never regret any decision that I¡¯ve made.¡±


    Veronica had a solemn expression as she spoke, ¡°You should realize that even if we don¡¯t get married,


    what¡¯sing for us will stille at us.¡±


    ¡°Do you realize the massive danger that you would face during the wedding day?¡± Crayson was much


    more worried about Veronica¡¯s safety than anything else.


    ¡°In reference to the safety issue, Matthew is much more aware of it than me. Besides, I¡¯ve contacted


    Destiny a week ago. With her and Matthew protecting me at the same time, though I can¡¯t guarantee that


    I¡¯ll be perfectly safe, I reckon I wouldn¡¯t be subjected to too much danger.¡±


    Naturally, she had also considered the issues that Crayson was concerned about. It was something that


    had to be inevitably faced, so running away from the problem would not resolve things.


    ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± Crayson repeated his question once again.


    Veronica lowered her head and considered his words for some time before finally nodding firmly. ¡°Yes,


    I¡¯ve made up my mind. This time, I won¡¯t look back.¡±


    She recalled the past and thought of all the things that Matthew had done for her. He had sacrificed


    silently all this while. If she could not tie the knot with him and walk down the aisle hand-in-hand, then


    this would most likely be the most regretful thing in her life.


    Meanwhile, Crayson lifted a hand to stroke his goatee beforeing to the realization that his goatee


    had been sheared. In the end, he stroked the short white stubble on his chin.


    His cloudy eyes were full of coldness and one could not seem to tell what was on his mind.


    His eyes remained fixated on Veronica for some time before he finally heaved a sigh. ¡°Since you¡¯ve


    made up your mind, then just make sure that you don¡¯t regret your decision. I¡¯ll head off to work now. I¡¯m


    out of annual leave.¡±


    First Meeting belonged to Matthew and even if Crayson did not turn up to work, no one wouldment


    about that. He merely came up with an excuse to leave.


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re heading back home together tomorrow.¡± Veronica did not make him stay


    any further.


    Crayson stood up with both hands behind his back and shot a look at her before leaving. There was a


    complicated look in his eyes.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Vaguely, Veronica sensed that he had a lot of things to share with her, but in the end, he kept all the


    words to himself. He left and his retreating figure looked exceptionally wizened and there was an


    inexplicable air of dejectedness around him.


    In the afternoon, Matthew helped Veronica sort out the hospital discharge procedures before sending her


    back to her hometown.


    Monica, Shirley, Ruka, Larry, Stephen, Ivana, Wade, Sean, Skyler, Caleb, Miguel, and Rania went along


    with Matthew to head to Veronica¡¯s hometown. Naturally, Crayson came along too.


    ording to the local marriage custom, the bride¡¯s family had to put up a feast on the first day and invite


    family members and friends over to join in.


    Veronica¡¯s house was merrier than ever with the visit of their friends.


    Matthew had brought along plenty of stuff and they were all betrothal gifts, so his subordinates drove a


    few cars to transport them.


    The group arrived at the vige. As they parked their cars by the side of the road, it was an impressive


    sight with a range of luxurious cars. There was a Ferrari, a Porsche, a Maybach, a Lamborghini, and the


    most inferior vehicle out of the lot was in fact an Audi.


    The vigers came out in droves to take a look and they were impressed by the scene in front of them.


    ¡°Wow! Veronica¡¯s snagged a rich man and she¡¯s made a great match.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re so wealthy. Gosh, I¡¯m so envious.¡±


    ¡°Those who turned up today are wealthy people and those men are so handsome. It would be great if I


    could snag any one of them as my husband.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Do you think that she would be able to be a member of the upper echelon after her marriage?


    Once the man has had enough of her, he will definitely cast her aside.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s considered capable of having seeded in marrying a wealthy man.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite right.¡±


    ¡°Tony and Danie will be able to hold their heads up in town from now on.¡±


    ¡°Not only would they be able to hold their heads up, but they would have their noses in the air from now


    on.¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Tony and Danie shrugged off the crowd¡¯s gossipy exchanges.


    After all, they were just country bumpkins who tended to get jealous of one¡¯s good fortune. Therefore,


    Tony and Danie were unsurprised by the rude words.


    The group alighted from their cars and carried the gifts over to congratte Tony and Danie. The


    couple could not contain their beaming smiles at all.


    In the afternoon, everyone gathered to y some card games since they had nothing much to do.


    Needless to say, the atmosphere was lively in the household on that day.

 Chapter 610

    Chapter 610


    Chapter 610 Unwillingness to Part


    However, Danie tugged Veronica¡¯s hand and led her into the house. They sat in the bedroom as the


    mother clung unwillingly to the daughter¡¯s hand. ¡°Roni, I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re about to get married


    soon. After your marriage, you¡¯ve got to learn to be a good wife and behave maturely. You can¡¯t stay a


    childish one forever, got it?¡±


    ¡°Gosh, Mom! I know that I¡¯ll always be a child in your eyes.¡±


    Veronica hugged Danie affectionately and said coyly, ¡°I¡¯m not marrying off to somewhere distant and


    I¡¯ll be able toe home anytime I want. Besides, if you can¡¯t bear to part with me, then move to the city


    with me.¡±


    ¡°Your dad and I have lived in the countryside for our entire lives and we¡¯re used to it here. We definitely


    won¡¯t be moving into the city. We just wish for a life of happiness for the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re the best!¡± Veronica lifted her head and noticed Danie¡¯s reddened eyes. At that point,


    Veronica could not help bursting intoughter. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m just getting married and it¡¯s not a sad matter.


    Why are you crying?¡±


    As soon as Veronica said that, Danie smacked her on the back of her head. ¡°You little brat! You were


    such a tiny little thing when you were a child¡­¡±


    Danie made a gesture with her hands. ¡°I raised you tirelessly, and your dad and I worried so much


    about you. Now that we¡¯ve finally raised you into a wonderful woman, we haven¡¯t even got to enjoy you


    for more than two years and you¡¯re about to marry into another family soon. I would of course be¡­¡± As


    she spoke, there was a hitch to her voice and she cried, ¡°Be sad to part with you.¡±


    ¡°I get it. I get it. I can¡¯t bear to part with you guys either.¡±


    Veronica was saddened to hear Danie¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We live so close to each other, so I¡¯d be able


    toe home regrly. During New Year¡¯s, we can alternate between celebrating with Matthew¡¯s family


    and you guys annually. I¡¯ve spoken to Matthew about this.¡±


    ¡°Those are just minor issues.¡± Danie wiped her tears and got up to her desk before opening the drawer


    to obtain a red box with worn-off paint.


    Danie sat next to Veronica and opened the box. ¡°I¡¯ve got something for you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Veronica was very curious as she was unsure of what was inside the red box.


    ¡°This is for you.¡± Danie opened the box and took out an item wrapped in red cloth from the box. It was


    an emerald bracelet.


    Though the bracelet appeared to be an antique, it looked as good as new. The emerald stones were


    translucent in the air and the rity was perfect too. At a nce, it was definitely high-grade emeralds.


    ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯ve kept such a precious object to yourself.¡±


    Veronica beamed widely. ¡°Were you nning to keep this from me if I didn¡¯t get married?¡±


    In reality, Veronica did notck any jewelry as she had a bangle on her wrist which was gifted by


    Hendrey. Although Hendrey¡¯s identity was now rather fishy, she had a strong feeling that the bangle


    would be a life-saver during a critical moment, so she kept it on all this while.


    Besides, Elizabeth had also gifted Veronica a bracelet back then and it was passed on from the earlier


    Kings¡¯ generation. She found the bracelet too precious, so she did not wear it and kept it stored at


    Twilight Condominium.


    ¡°What are you on about? This bracelet was gifted to me by your grandmother and you¡¯re our only


    daughter, so who else would this go to?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I was just joking.¡± Veronica revealed a knowing smile.


    Shortly after that, Tony walked into the room and nced at Veronica before flinging the cigarette he was


    puffing to the ground and putting it out. ¡°Gosh, my daughter will no longer be part of our family after her


    marriage. We should have given birth to a son.¡± Tony cracked a joke.


    ¡°Even if you had a son, Dad, I would remain your favorite child.¡± Veronica tilted her head while she


    snuggled against Danie¡¯s shoulders.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Danie red at Tony. ¡°Stop talking nonsense in front of our precious daughter!¡±

 Chapter 611

    Chapter 611


    Chapter 611 The Wedding Entourage


    ¡°I was just joking with Veronica. Chill,¡± Tony scoffed and turned around to the other side as he rummaged


    through the drawers for something.


    Finally, he came in front of Veronica and handed a bank card to her. ¡°Here you go. This bank card is for


    you. This contains your mom and I¡¯s total savings over these years. It¡¯s not much, just about three to four


    hundred thousand, so use this on yourself sparingly and don¡¯t spend too much of Matthew¡¯s money.


    Although you guys will be married soon, it¡¯s not nice to spend his money all the time. You would end up a


    topic of spection as time goes by.¡±


    Tony and Danie were concerned about the huge disparity in family background and they were worried


    about Veronica suffering after her marriage.


    ¡°How did you guys get that much money? Back then when you guys were hospitalized, Mom didn¡¯t


    mention a word about our family savings.¡± Veronica was confused.


    ¡°Your mom and I are old, so it would be a waste of money to seek treatment with this money. This is your


    dowry from us. Even if we¡¯re not around someday, this money should not be used on us,¡± he replied


    nonchntly.


    However, these nonchnt words he spoke sparked volumes and evidently proved their immense love


    for Veronica.


    Touched, Veronica got up to hug Tony. ¡°Sob. Dad, you¡¯re the best! I suddenly have the urge to not get


    married. I feel the happiest staying with you guys.¡±


    ¡°What sort of nonsense are you on about? Matthew¡¯s a great guy and he treats you like a queen. I


    reckon that he¡¯s a worthy man.¡±


    Based on Tony and Danie¡¯s observations, they could tell that Matthew was sincerely in love with her.


    As such, the three of them continued to chat in the bedroom.


    Knock! Knock!


    Veronica, who was standing near the entrance, pulled the door open.


    With a smile, Matthew entered the room. ¡°Dad, Mom, I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Come on in.¡±


    Tony indicated for Matthew to enter the room before he pointed at the chair next to himself. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    Matthew nodded slightly and walked over to take a seat by the side. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s Roni and my wedding


    day. Are you two sure that you don¡¯t want toe to Bloomstead?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t join you in Bloomstead.¡± Danie nced at Tony and shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll hand over our


    daughter to you. As long as you bring happiness to her, we would consider that as having our greatest


    wish fulfilled.¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is my only daughter here.¡± Tony took a look at Veronica and continued, ¡°We won¡¯t be going to


    Bloomstead. Crayson will go instead. We¡¯ve got guests and family members here, so we can¡¯t possibly


    leave them to their own means at our house.¡±


    Matthew remained speechless as he nced at Veronica to seek her opinion.


    She lowered her eyes and considered Tony¡¯s words before saying, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    In the afternoon, everyone sat down together for a meal. Subsequently, Caleb, Skyler, and Miguel left


    with Matthew.


    The sky was clear and particrly beautiful on the twenty-second of August. At 7.30AM, twenty red


    Ferraris adorned with ribbons arrived in front of Tony¡¯s house.


    Since it was still early in the morning, the guests had not arrived and it was not too congested. The car


    entourage departed from the hotel in Collins City, so it did not take them too long to arrive.


    Meanwhile at home, Veronica had gotten up at 5.00AM to get her makeup done and everything went


    smoothly.


    As the car entourage came to a halt, fireworks and firecrackers were lit in front of the Murphy Residence.


    Crackle¡­ Bang! Bang! Bang!


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    The atmosphere was exceptionally lively and fun as it was apanied by the loud firecrackers and the


    colorful decorations in front of the Murphy Residence.


    Matthew led the group and his groomsmen trailed after him.


    As soon as Shirley saw them approaching, she rushed back into the bedroom. ¡°Roni, Roni, President


    Kings is here! Hahaha¡­ I¡¯ll block him at the entrance to ask for a present¡­¡±


    Veronica was wearing an exquisite wedding gown and remained seated on the bed. At that moment, she


    could not contain herughter. ¡°You should ask for more and make as much money as possible from


    this.¡±


    ¡°That goes without saying of course! Shirley and I will definitely ask for a huge sum!¡± Ivana tugged


    Shirley¡¯s hand and shut the door after themselves as they stood guard by the door.

 Chapter 612

    Chapter 612


    Chapter 612 Stopped From Fetching the Bride


    Matthew had just approached the entrance when the huge entourage of family members mobbed the


    entrance. ¡°The groom¡¯s here! Congrattions! Hurry up! Where are the presents?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You can¡¯t enter the room without giving us presents.¡±


    ¡°Gosh. You¡¯re so handsome today.¡± ¡±No matter how handsome he is, he would still have to give us the


    presents to enter the room.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You can¡¯t just take the hands of my cousin like that.¡± ¡°Exactly! There are plenty of men after my


    cousin!¡±


    ¡­


    Other than Veronica¡¯s family members, some of her ssmates and best friends mobbed the door as


    well.


    Matthew was donned in a ck tuxedo, looking very shy and charming. He held a bouquet of flowers


    in his hand and smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯ve definitely prepared presents for everyone, but you guys should voice


    out your well-wishes too.¡±


    ¡°Wishing you two a blissful married life. Here¡¯s to evesting love!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a match made in heaven.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy a blissful life together.¡±


    ¡°May your life be filled with love and happiness!¡±


    ¡°Wishing you evesting love and a life of happiness.¡±


    ¡­


    Matthew could not help beaming upon hearing their well-wishes and he turned back to look at Skyler.


    Instantly, Skyler reached into the pocket of his trousers and took out a stack of luxurious gift cards to


    hand over to Matthew. ¡°Matt, don¡¯t give out too many of these. There are some more people blocking the


    other entrances behind.¡±


    However, the groom took the gift cards and flung them into the air with a flourish as he scattered the


    cards to the left side of the room.


    At that moment, the one hundred gift cards rained down andnded on the ground. The crowd


    scrambled to grab the presents and the entrance was instantly cleared. As a result, Matthew managed to


    enter the house.


    After getting past the main entrance in front, Ruka, Larry, and Destiny were the ones guarding the main


    door to the house.


    Ruka blocked Matthew¡¯s path. ¡°Congrattions, Matthew. It must have been tough for you to keep this a


    secret from me, huh?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Matthew was in good spirits, so he revealed a great-looking smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to turn up to


    your wedding too.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Stop the unnecessary chatter. Hand over the presents. Otherwise, no one will be allowed in!¡± Larry


    walked over and nudged Ruka gently. ¡°Is that right, Ruka?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Ruka nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me, or else, you won¡¯t be able to get past me.¡± Destiny lifted her brows and smiled.


    At that moment, Danie whispered softly into Tony¡¯s ears, ¡°Tony, I reckon that these people here seem


    quite impressive. There is even a foreigner among them. How did Veronica get to know all these


    people?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the fuss? Matthew¡¯s so wealthy, it¡¯s definitely normal for him to have some foreign friends,¡±


    Tony exined.


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that.¡± Danie nodded and agreed with him.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    On the other hand, Matthew took several envelopes from Miguel and handed them to the three. ¡°Thanks


    for your hard work.¡±


    As soon as the envelopes were handed over, Ruka opened one of them andmented, ¡°Five million?


    You¡¯re very generous.¡±


    Skyler was in charge of the gifts of smaller denominations. It was reasonable to distribute those to


    Veronica¡¯s family members because if they were given arger amount, it could potentially cause further


    repercussions in the future.


    However, the three people in front had different identities, so Matthew took that into consideration too.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re considered my sister, Ruka, so you deserve this.¡± Matthew smiled.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Larry crossed his arms in front of himself. ¡°I gave up several jobs to attend this.¡±


    It was Veronica¡¯s big day today, so Larry and Stephen had asked for some time off from the production


    crew.


    Since both of them were famous actors, they kept their caps and sunsses on the whole time in order


    to avoid the public eye and ruin the wedding.


    ¡°Everyone gets the same.¡±


    The envelopes that Matthew handed over to them were the same; each of them was given two


    envelopes with a five million cheque inside each of them.


    ¡°Okay. Since you¡¯re so generous, then we¡¯ll let you in.¡± Destiny waved the envelope in her hand and


    moved aside.

 Chapter 613

    Chapter 613


    Chapter 613 Not Going to Ruin Her Wedding


    They entered the living room and headed off to the bedroom. This time, Ivana and Shirley were the ones


    guarding the door.


    Matthew gestured for Caleb to take out the envelopes before he handed them over.


    As soon as the two of them saw the sum inside their envelopes, they exchanged awkward looks with


    each other before smiling as they opened the door meekly. ¡°Wee in, groom!¡±


    Inside the room, Veronica sat cross-legged on the bed and she could not contain herughter. ¡°You guys


    just let him in so easily, huh? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s such a sloppy job?¡±


    Shirley and Ivana waved the envelopes in their hands and pouted resignedly. ¡°Gosh, President Kings is


    way too generous and we simply have no means of resisting.¡±


    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s right! He¡¯s too generous! Haha¡­¡± Ivana covered her mouth and snickered.


    Meanwhile, Matthew held a bouquet of flowers in his hand and entered the room. ¡°What¡¯s the matter,


    Roni? It looks like you¡¯re not so keen to see me.¡±


    He handed the bouquet of flowers to her.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Veronica purposely teased him.


    ¡°Hey! How about a kiss for the bride? You have to kiss the bride!¡±


    ¡°Kiss her! Kiss her!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Come on, Matt. Go on!¡±


    ¡°Kiss her! Kiss her!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone gathered and cheered rowdily.


    As such, Matthew headed over and bent down to lift her chin. Subsequently, he nted a kiss on her


    lips.


    ¡°Ooh! That¡¯s cute!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Tsk. Tsk¡­ Matt, that¡¯s not right. One kiss isn¡¯t enough!¡±


    ¡°How sweet!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡­


    At that moment, Matthew turned around to re at Skyler. ¡°Shut your mouth.¡±


    Skyler instantly stopped making a sound and he no longer dared to make a ruckus.


    Soon after that, Matthew helped Veronica with her shoes and hairdo. Next, he swept her into his arms


    and carried her into the car under the watchful eyes of the crowd.


    Danie and Tony trailed along with a look of reluctance in their eyes.


    They wound down the car window and Danie reached out to hold Veronica¡¯s hand. ¡°Roni, you¡¯ve got to


    be sensible and be a good wife once you¡¯re married into the family, alright?¡±


    Tony also piped up by the side, ¡°Yes. Be a loving wife, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright, I get it, Mom.¡±


    Veronica could not contain her tears upon seeing her adoptive parents tear up.


    Matthew came over and gave Danie and Tony a hug. ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of


    Roni and I promise I won¡¯t let anything bad happen to her.¡±


    ¡°I believe in you.¡±


    ¡°If you ever cause Roni to suffer even the slightest bit, I won¡¯t let you get away!¡±


    Danie and Tony expressed themselves worriedly while Matthewforted them once again before


    inviting Crayson into the car.


    Next, the bridesmaids and groomsmen entourage entered their respective cars and left together.


    As the vehicles left one after the other, Tony and Danie remained in ce and watched the twenty red


    Ferraris drive off in the distance. In the end, they could not contain their tears from streaming down.


    The entourage left the countryside and headed to town before entering the highway.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Zac, Conrad, Hendrey, and Xavier were huddled together inside a private club in


    Bloomstead.


    Xavier held a cigarette in his hand and stood in front of the French windows. He kept his eyes on the


    scenery outside as he spoke in a low voice, ¡°I do not ask for much. I only have one request. I want her to


    tie the knot sessfully.¡±


    As soon as his words hit, the people at the table exchanged looks with each other and they wore


    different expressions despite remaining silent.


    Conrad flicked the ash from his cigarette deftly into the ashtray. ¡°Young Master Xavier, you¡¯re so


    lovestruck. You¡¯re still infatuated with Veronica, huh?¡± He was being sarcastic.


    Each time he recalled how Veronica single-handedly ruined him, he could not control his rage and


    wished he could rip her to pieces.


    ¡°Mind your own business,¡± Xavier uttered coldly and could not care less about continuing the


    conversation with Conrad.

 Chapter 614

    Chapter 614


    Chapter 614 A Lavish Wedding


    Regardless of the situation right now, Conrad was considered to be one of Zac¡¯s men. As soon as Zac


    saw Conrad¡¯s face turn ashen out of anger, he instantly voiced out, ¡°Young Master Xavier, I reckon that


    you shouldn¡¯t let this perfect opportunity go to waste. After all, an opportunity rarely knocks twice.¡±


    Meanwhile, Hendrey sat on the couch and silently puffed on his cigarette without uttering a single word.


    He kept his eyes lowered and his gaze fell to the table as he seemed to be lost in thoughts.


    Xavier stood in front of the window and held a cigarette in between his fingers. He snuffed out the


    cigarette forcefully on the windowsill and a ferocious note seeped in his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll say this to all of you


    right now. If any of you eveny a single hand on her before the end of her wedding ceremony, then that


    means you¡¯re going against me!¡±


    The other day after he had encountered Veronica, he promised her that he would not ruin her wedding.


    He promised not to take action during the wedding ceremony and this was the final thing he would do for


    her.


    ¡­


    The bridal entourage turned into the highway and sped along it swiftly and steadily.


    They then exited the highway upon arriving at Bloomstead. As Veronica sat in the car, she casually


    nced outside and her gazended on an advertisement signboard by the roadside.


    On the advertisement signboard was a photo of her and Matthew. There was a caption underneath the


    blissful photo. ¡®Hand in hand, let¡¯s walk through life together.¡¯


    As soon as she saw the photo, she was stunned and was just about to question Matthew about it when


    their car elerated. Subsequently, she saw the next advertisement signboard and there was another


    photo of them.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Simrly, another caption below went, ¡®You¡¯ve pledged to enter into a marriage with me, so I pledge to


    hold your hands for eternity.¡¯


    Veronica had just finished reading the words on the advertisement signboard when the content of the


    next signboard appeared in front of her eyes.


    At that moment, she was surprised to discover that the advertisement signboards along the road


    contained photos of her and Matthew with sweet captions. Furthermore, the advertisements on the cabs


    that zoomed past them also disyed well-wishes for their wedding day. She could see everything from


    every spot her gazended on.


    ¡°You¡­ Why did youe up with such an exaggerated disy?¡±


    She tilted her head to nce at him. ¡°It¡¯s alright to maintain a low profile for our wedding.¡±


    Meanwhile, Matthew, who was seated by her side, pulled his lips into a slight smile. ¡°I¡¯m getting married


    today, so there is no reason to maintain a low profile.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­ Alright, then.¡± Veronica could not contain herughter as a content smile appeared on her face.


    She tilted her head to look outside the window and the huge poster-sized photos formed a picturesque


    scene outside. Be it the advertisement signboards by the roadside, therge disy in the square, or the


    advertisements disyed on the cabs, every inch was covered.


    Shortly after that, their car arrived at the Antis Hotel. All twenty of the Ferraris parked in a row at the


    hotel entrance.


    However, with the hotel as the center, the areas within a radius of a mile away were guarded by


    bodyguards, so the reporters and members of the press were stopped from approaching.


    There was a red carpetid out at the entrance to the hotel while next to the carpet were wreaths made


    of red roses. There were fairy lights adorning the ce and the decorations looked grand, extending all


    the way into the lobby.


    The two of them had just alighted from the car when the hotel staff let off twenty fireworks in unison at


    the main square of the hotel. Whoosh! The fireworks were let off and erupted into a stunning disy in


    the sky. There were also firecrackers being lit at the same time.


    Instinctively, Veronica lifted her head to look at the fireworks. It was then that she realized there were


    colorful helium balloons in the air; tied to the bottom of each balloon was a long note with well-wishes


    written on them.


    There were also a bunch of horizontal banners by the entrance and written on them were various jesting


    comments, which clearly looked like they came from Matthew¡¯s buddies.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Matthew held out one hand and made a gentlemanly gesture.


    Veronica could not help frowning. ¡°You¡­ I¡­ Are we going straight in like this?¡±


    She was slightly shocked. What happens to the usual procedure?


    ¡°Juste along with me.¡±


    Matthew held her hand and led her into the lobby as their friends stood by the side before releasing the


    party poppers in their hands in unison. The colorful streamers and dried flowers then rained onto the


    couple. In the air, there were also drones hovering to shower them with red rose petals. The atmosphere


    was heightened as the song ¡®Mariage d¡¯Amour¡¯ rang out.


    Matthew took Veronica into his arms and reached out to shield her head before gently lowering her veil.


    Subsequently, he led her into the room in quick strides.


    They first went past the lobby, then entered the elevator to get to the penthouse suite.


    Every step they walked on was covered by red carpet and the intricately designed feature wall was


    adorned with beautiful flowers and ribbons. There was also a gold cursive writing of ¡®Happy Marriage¡¯


    adorning the wall.


    The hotel staff was also dressed ording to the theme.


    At the same time, many luxurious cars gradually entered the parking lot of the Antis Hotel and the


    guests entered the ballroom on the second floor after showing their invitation cards.


    The time ticked by and it finally came to 11.45AM. The wedding ceremony officially started.

 Chapter 615

    Chapter 615


    Chapter 615 Matthew¡¯s Anxious Look


    The venue was presently filled with guests in attendance. As soon as the music rang out from the


    wedding ballroom, the imposing doors were slowly opened from the outside. There was a spotlight


    beaming from inside the ballroom to the entrance.


    Finally, the doors were fully open and the spotlight shone on the bride and groom. Matthew held


    Veronica¡¯s hand and slowly led her into the ballroom. The couple came into the crowd¡¯s line of sight and


    there was a flurry of gasps.


    Veronica was wearing an exquisite tiara that looked stunning while dressed in a flowy white wedding


    gown. There was a silver-threaded embroidered part on the gown and it depicted a butterfly fluttering its


    wings in the air, symbolizing metamorphosis.


    Meanwhile, the handsome groom next to her wore a custom-made white tuxedo with sapphire stone


    buttons on his sleeves, apanied with a pair of shiny leather shoes.


    There was also a live band by the left side of the ballroom and they were dressed ording to the theme


    as well. At that moment, they yed the song ¡®The Happiest Trip¡¯.


    The host of the day was dressed in red and he held the microphone as he congratted the couple with


    cheesy, romantic words. After quite some time, he finally went into the main segment. ¡°The Murphys


    have proudly brought up Miss Veronica Murphy into a well-educated, polite, and charmingdy.


    Today, Mr. Matthew Kings from the Kings Family, who¡¯s intelligent, good-looking, and upright, is about to


    marry Miss Veronica Murphy on the 28th of September 2022. All of us here are gathered at the Antis


    Hotel today to celebrate their unification. May their married life be blessed with happiness¡­¡±


    The couple walked into the room hand-in-hand apanied by the music yed by the live band and


    the host¡¯s speech. Gradually, they made their way toward the stage.


    The bridesmaids, Shirley and Ivana, and groomsmen, Skyler and Miguel, trailed behind. The groomsmen


    looked dashing in their customized blue tuxedos. The handsome men and stunning women were a sight


    for sore eyes as they stood in front of the room.


    Although the guests-filled room was dim, the surrounding lights lit up slowly with each step the married


    couple took. Finally, thevishly decorated wedding venue was showcased to the crowd.


    At the top of the entrance to the ballroom, there were plenty of pink ribbons of differing lengths that led to


    the stage. In the middle of the ribbons was an exquisite-looking octagonalntern with gold tassels


    underneath.


    Smackdab in the middle was a huge rectangr-shapedntern with crystal beads running down the


    side. Underneath the warm yellow hues of light, the uneven-shaped crystal beads reflected brightly like


    stars in the skies. It was exceptionally grand and elegant.


    The route toward the stage was disyed like a catwalk stage and the ground wasid with a carpet that


    looked like billowing clouds with golden embroidery on the sides. Both sides of the stage were also


    covered up with rails adorned with fresh pastel flowers and there were two meters tall flower wreaths by


    the side. The entire ce was inviting.


    The backdrop of the stage was decorated in gold and wooden hues. The entire backdrop was filled with


    fresh flowers and ribbons of pastel colors while the flowers were arranged to depict a male and female


    figure with interlocking arms. It was jaw-dropping to see the final oue.


    On the stage, Elizabeth and Crayson sat side by side and they were finely dressed too. They looked very


    smart-looking in their outfits, which fitted the theme perfectly.


    ¡°Wow! This is so pretty!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! My jaw¡¯s on the floor.¡±


    ¡°Everything is so stunning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous! This is such a perfect wedding. I need this for myself!¡±


    ¡°Clearly, Matthew dotes on Veronica very much.¡±


    ¡°I thought that the story of Prince Charming and Cindere was just a fairytale, but apparently not.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh! I¡¯m starting to believe in the existence of true love once again.¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone in the room was envious and most of them took out their phones to snap photos or record


    videos of the ceremony.


    There was also a wedding videographer at the venue the whole time, who recorded the entire wedding


    from the start. The video was then broadcasted live throughout Bloomstead.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    The wedding ceremony went smoothly ording to n. After the host finished his long speech, he


    asked Matthew, ¡°Young Master Matthew, before you take the hand of Miss Murphy as your legally


    wedded wife, do you have any words to say to her?¡±


    Matthew took the microphone from the host. As he looked at his future wife standing before him, he


    could not stop the frantic thuds of his heartbeat.


    He held the microphone tightly in his hands and revealed a faint smile as he tried to stem his anxious


    feelings. ¡°Roni¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Matthew was at a loss for words due to his anxious feelings.


    Skyler, who stood behind Matthew, could not contain hisughter and snickered in a low voice, ¡°Hahaha!


    Matt! You weren¡¯t even this nervous when you had to give a speech in front of the crowd at college.¡±

 Chapter 616

    Chapter 616


    Chapter 616 The Ceremony


    Matthew turned his head slightly and shot a look from the side of his eyes at Skyler before averting his


    attention to Veronica as he gulped anxiously.


    ¡°Roni, I¡¯ve been so blessed to have encountered you and¡­ your existence has brought colors into my


    life, which used to be dull and boring.¡±


    He paused for a moment and stepped forward to hold Veronica¡¯s hands. At the same time, he gently


    stroked the back of her hand, as if this gesture of holding her hand made him feel significantly at ease for


    some reason.


    ¡°For the rest of our lives, no matter how tough things get, I hope that we will continue to walk through life


    hand-in-hand, for better or worse.¡± As he said this, he held her hand tightly with a sincere and loving look


    in his eyes. Although it was just a few simple sentences of confession, Veronica was content with that.


    She reached out and took the microphone from his hand. ¡°All of the heartfelt words I have for you are


    written on that post on Twitter the other day, but listen here, Matthew Kings. After our marriage, that


    means you¡¯re solely mine. So, if you dare to abandon me, then I vow to chase after you to the ends of


    the earth.¡±


    As Veronica said that, she revealed a faint smile on her red lips and her dark eyes sparkled brightly; her


    happiness clearly shone through at that moment. ¡°Wow! How blissful!¡±


    ¡°I like this confession of love.¡± ¡°Oooh¡­ I hope that they will remain happy forever.¡±


    ¡°I can tell that she really loves Matthew.¡± ¡°Kiss her! Kiss her!¡±


    ¡­


    The guests below the stage were all family and friends of the couple since the couple did not invite


    anyone else other than their close ones.


    Veronica and Matthew realized that their wedding was potentially full of danger, so the more guests they


    invited, the rowdier the scene would be. As such, if something bad urred, it would result in worse


    consequences.


    Onstage, Matthew kept his eyes on the woman before him. Today was their wedding day and she was


    dressed in a billowing white gown with minimal makeup. Herplexion was wless with just a slight


    rosy tinge to her porcin skin. Her bright-red lips entuated her pearly-white teeth and her thick, dark


    yet slightly upturned eyshes covered her dark eyes that sparkled. Her features were perfect and she


    was such a natural beauty that he could not quite keep his eyes off her.


    As soon as Veronica finished saying her vow, he strode forward and ced a hand behind her neck


    before domineeringly nting a kiss on her lips right in full view of the crowd.


    His kiss came about suddenly and Veronica was taken aback by that. At that moment, she heard shrill


    screams, whistling noises, and supportive yellsing in all directions.


    Matthew was dressed in a white tuxedo today and this was a different style from his usual cold and


    elegant attire. However, his white tuxedo entuated his features much better. His well-groomed brows


    and prominent features were perfectly wless. It was apt to describe him as dashingly handsome to the


    point that heads would turn at the sight of him.


    Although this was their wedding ceremony after all, Matthew¡¯s sudden action of kissing Veronica resulted


    in excited screams throughout the room. She was not used to being the center of attention, so she gently


    pushed him aside shyly with a bright-red face.


    Instantly, the host took the microphone from her and started his long speech again.


    Their wedding was based on Matthew¡¯s family traditions, so there were some specific customs to follow.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    The next step was the exchange of wedding rings before they finally expressed their gratitude.


    ¡°I now pronounce you husband and wife. We wish you a lifetime of happiness together.¡±


    Veronica and Matthew faced the direction of the guests and took a bow.


    ¡°Express your thanks to your elders and parents. After all, they raised you and showered you with love.


    Here¡¯s to wishing the elders a life of longevity and blissfulness.¡±


    The two of them then turned around and bowed to Elizabeth and Crayson on the stage.


    Elizabeth repeatedly nodded with approval and she could not contain her happiness. Her face was


    flushed red out of excitement while Crayson remained unperturbed and calm sitting next to her. No one


    could read his emotions.


    ¡°Finally, express thanks to each other. You¡¯ve finally entered into a union with each other. From now on,


    you¡¯ll face life together.¡±


    The couple turned to each other and kept their eyes on their significant partner affectionately. Each of


    them had content smiles on their faces.


    Following that, they lowered their heads and bowed to each other in unison. At that moment, Veronica


    was immersed in the scene as she took in the happiness and excitement of the wedding ceremony.


    Originally, she was keen to go through with an ordinary wedding, but she assumed that since the


    wedding had been organized in a haste, Matthew would have gone for a simple exchange of wedding


    vows.


    However, she did not expect that he would put in so much effort to carry out such a grand and elegant


    traditional wedding within such a short timeframe. Everything was ording to the wedding of her


    dreams and she felt that her dreams had finallye true.

 Chapter 617

    Chapter 617


    Chapter 617 Looming Danger


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    After the end of the ceremony, the host handed over the microphone for Elizabeth to share some words


    with the married couple. At that moment, she seemed very energetic and beamed widely the entire time.


    As she held onto the microphone, she expressed herself excitedly, ¡°From today onward, Veronica¡¯s my


    granddaughter-inw. Watch out, Matthew, because if you bully her, I¡¯ll definitely give you a spanking


    regardless of my old age.¡±


    Veronica could not contain herughter as Matthew hurriedly shook his head and held her hand tightly


    before shaking his head again. ¡°Oh, I promise you that won¡¯t ever happen.¡±


    ¡°My wish is fulfilled now that the two of you are married. From now on, I wish for a life of happiness for


    you two. I hope everything will go well¡­¡± Elizabeth¡¯s breath hitched as she spoke.


    Perhaps it was because Matthew, whom she had raised since young, had now formed a family on his


    own. This was one of her wishes fulfilled, so she was now at ease.


    Veronica instantly hurried over as soon as she noticed Elizabeth¡¯s tears and hugged her. ¡°It¡¯s alright,


    Grandma. It¡¯s our big day today. Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy. Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m happy for you guys.¡± Elizabeth embraced her. Veronica smiled. ¡°Grandma,


    don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll definitely have a great life.¡±


    Subsequently, the microphone was handed over to Crayson and the video camera was focused on him.


    In that instant, a forced smile appeared on Crayson¡¯s solemn face. ¡°You two have finally tied the knot and


    your parents have finally gotten their wish fulfilled too. We would be content to see you guys live a happy


    and blissful married life from now on.¡±


    The crowd gave a round of apuse following his speech.


    However, Veronica knew that Crayson was not actually happy. Not only was he concerned about too


    many things, he also was not supportive of their rtionship.


    Nheless, Veronica naturally did not make this known during the ceremony. She walked over to stand


    in front of her elder. ¡°Master Crayson, although you¡¯re just my teacher, I respect you as much as a father.


    I¡¯m very happy to have you here with me witnessing my wedding and I feel very blessed.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Your happiness is what matters the most.¡±


    Crayson nodded and shot a meaningful look at Matthew. The old man did not intend to say anything, but


    as soon as he saw that the camera was focused on him, he had no choice but to add, ¡°I treat Veronica


    like my own daughter. If you dare to give her a hard time, I won¡¯t let things slide.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master Crayson. I promise not to ever disappoint Roni.¡± Matthew made a promise solemnly.


    ¡­


    The wedding ceremony proceeded sessfully and it finally came to an end. Matthew held Veronica¡¯s


    hand and headed backstage before going upstairs to the penthouse suite. Following that, they changed


    into their next outfit.


    The bridesmaids and groomsmen remained in the living room and chatted, and the atmosphere was very


    lively.


    Veronica sat on the bed and nced at the gowns hanging by the side. There was a wedding gown and


    even an evening dress. Everything was readily avable.


    She sat cross-legged with her hands supporting her chin as she ced her elbows on her knees before


    ncing at Matthew. ¡°Matt, thanks for giving me such avish and perfect wedding.¡±


    Matthew stood in front of the French windows and he could see the whole of Bloomstead from there. He


    could not help it and had the urge to puff on a cigarette, but as soon as he recalled that Veronica was


    pregnant, he immediately stuffed the cigarette back into the box.


    Turning around, he walked over to stand in front of Veronica as he ced a hand on her face and


    cupped her cheek. ¡°Roni, are you afraid?¡±


    They were both clearly aware of the potential dangers they would encounter during the wedding


    today. Veronica shook her head. ¡°What is there to be afraid of? I¡¯ve got you by my side, so there is


    nothing to be worried about. But then¡­ Would the guests we invited today be in danger?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll be fine.¡± Matthew was confident. ¡°As long as their safety is guaranteed, then that¡¯s


    fine.¡± She heaved a gentle sigh and got up to hold his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should head down and


    propose a toast to the guests.¡±


    Veronica had changed into her evening gown and she wore a pair of ballet ts. She had removed the


    intricate veil she had on before, so her longhair was now pulled into a simple bun. Even so, her ethereal


    looks were prominent and it was hard to believe that someone as stunning existed in real life. With such


    a calm demeanor she exuded, it was undeniably very attractive to everyone.

 Chapter 618

    Chapter 618


    Chapter 618 The Ongoing Wedding Ceremony


    The moment Veronica tried to leave, Matthew pulled her into his embrace with his arms around her


    waist. ¡°Let me look at you a little longer.¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Bending over, he kissed her lips as though he could never get enough of it. His warm lips captured hers


    and the faint cologne fragrance enveloped her. That familiar scent stirred her breathing and heartbeat.


    Since it was a happy asion, it took a little intimate affection in such a fluttering atmosphere for her to


    fall into the abyss. Knock. Knock. Knock.


    ¡°Matt, are you done?¡± Skyler¡¯s voice resounded beyond the door while the couple were being all lovey-


    dovey. Matthew¡¯s movement came to a halt as his expression darkened. Slightly irritated, he pulled


    Veronica out of the bedroom.


    ¡°Hurry! The guests are waiting for you guys,¡± urged Shirley, who was present as well. They headed


    downstairs and strode through the lobby to toast with the guests table by table. Despite the music


    ying in the background, it could not drown the gushing.


    At some point, the couple finally walked to Conrad¡¯s table, where George, Pepper, Nichs, and Delphi


    were around too. Matthew made a toast with them at the same time.


    ¡°Uncle George, Aunt Pepper, Uncle Nichs, Aunt Delphi, thank you foring to our wedding,¡± said


    Matthew gently while holding his ss of champagne to clink with their sses.


    Even if they were usually at odds with Matthew, he did not mind them, since it was Veronica and his big


    day. He would not want to ruin the wonderful wedding.


    George nced at Veronica while sitting. ¡°Matthew, you¡¯re still too young. I hope you won¡¯t regret it in


    future.¡±


    Pepper added, ¡°Veronica is indeed pretty, but the prettier a woman is, the more dangerous she is.¡±


    Delphi rolled her eyes at Veronica. ¡°I just don¡¯t get it. How could you fall for a woman with no ss like


    her? She beat us up that day! I¡¯m not letting her off the hook that easily!¡±


    Nichs snorted coldly before gulping his drink in one-go. ¡°Old Mrs. Kings is giving you too much liberty.


    I think she¡¯s on a spell or she wouldn¡¯t have supported you guys.¡±


    Then, Matthew¡¯s cousins began to stop them in ones and twos. ¡°Dad, cut out the nonsense. It¡¯s


    Matthew¡¯s wedding.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Mom. I think Veronica is a knowledgeable one. They are a match made in heaven!¡± ¡°Geez! Uncle


    George, Aunt Pepper, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as Matthew likes her, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s destined for them to love each other. I think they¡¯re the perfect match, though. I¡¯m sure about one


    thing¡ªthey¡¯re a good-looking pair.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with Scarlet. I think she¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡­


    Matthew¡¯s cousins had a different attitude toward him; they stood up and gave their sincere wishes to the


    couple. Matthew was displeased by the elderly seniors and almost drove them out, yet Veronica shook


    his hand lightly and red at him, motioning him not to act recklessly.


    Thus, he stomached it in the end. After looking at his younger cousins, he turned his head to introduce


    them to her, ¡°Roni, this is Scarlet, Cleo, Riley, and Jody.¡±


    Next, he looked at the gang while pointing at her. ¡°Veronica.¡± Since vian was the eldest, Matthew was


    naturally the eldest amongst his cousins. ¡°Veronica, congrattions! Wishing you all the love and


    happiness.¡±


    ¡°Best wishes!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping for your happiness.¡±


    ¡°Veronica is so pretty! Lucky you, Matt!¡±


    ¡­


    They made a toast with Veronica, who returned a polite smile. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    After that, the couple approached Conrad. Since Conrad was Matthew¡¯s uncle, he was obliged to attend


    the wedding. However, he did not act suspicious that day despite their history. Perhaps it was because of


    Elizabeth¡­ or other reasons.

 Chapter 619

    Chapter 619


    Chapter 619 Keeping Veronica Safe


    There was another uncle of Matthew¡¯s on Conrad¡¯s table, who toasted with the couple andnded his


    gaze onto Conrad.


    While the couple was holding the sses in their hands, Matthew piped up, ¡°Uncle Conrad, thanks for


    carving the time to attend our wedding.¡±


    In spite of the undercurrent between them, they appeared serene on the outside. Conrad rose to his feet


    to clink his wine ss with theirs and a forceful smile appeared on his handsome face. ¡°Congrattions.


    Wishing you a long and happy marriage.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Conrad,¡± responded Veronica as the dark glint in his eyes went unnoticed. How could


    his light smile remain when his gaze turned sinister? They spoke of totally different emotions and no one


    could see through him.


    After he downed his drink, he patted Matthew¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Once the guests leave, the both of you gotta


    clean up the ¡®mess¡¯.¡±


    The so-called mess was a warning to Matthew. It was as if Conrad was trying to say, ¡°If the two of you try


    to leave right now, it¡¯ll be a war.¡±


    Matthew raised his eyebrow and smiled nonchntly. ¡°That is for sure. It¡¯s our wedding. It¡¯s natural for us


    to be thest ones to leave.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°d to hear that,¡± replied Conrad before he seated himself.


    In the meantime, his ominous gaze swept across Veronica and she happened to notice his expression.


    Still, she merely smiled at him and shrugged it off.


    The next table was full of Matthew¡¯s friends. Aside from his close friends, there were some that Veronica


    did not know of.


    ¡­


    The guests began to disperse after 2.00PM. Matthew asked someone to drive Elizabeth home, but she


    kept holding Veronica¡¯s hand tightly with a bright smile. ¡°Roni, you¡¯ve finally married Matthew. My wish is


    finally granted.¡±


    Matthew had given Veronica a hefty amount of dowry, yet Elizabeth was not satisfied with it. However,


    she let it go when she thought of her identity in the Murphy Family. She was the only daughter in that


    family, hence everything would be bestowed to her in the end.


    ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you this happy.¡± Veronica gave her a hug. ¡°Mrs. Coleman


    will take you home. It must¡¯ve been a hectic day for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± The grinning old woman nodded vigorously before leaving the hotel with Yura.


    The newly wed couple walked to the door to watch Elizabeth enter the car and leave. Finally, their hearts


    sank down from their throats.


    Skyler came to them and the ever-breezy man was wearing a solemn face. ¡°Will she be in danger?¡±


    ¡°Conrad doesn¡¯t have the guts to hurt her,¡± reassured Matthew, who looked across in a distance while


    sping onto Veronica¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Why?¡± Skyler could not follow.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t revealed himself in public, but that doesn¡¯t mean that he¡¯s dead. As long as he¡¯s still


    somewhere, Conrad won¡¯t be able toy a finger on her.¡±


    ¡°But why is he doing this to you?¡±


    Hearing that, Veronica nced at Skyler like he was an idiot. ¡°Of course it¡¯s because Matt¡¯s getting in his


    way to the ¡®throne¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Woah. Roni, you¡¯re getting smarter!¡± Skyler lifted his eyebrow and smiled, but his eyes were full of


    distress.


    When they returned to the parlor, Crayson and Destiny came up to them. Matthew¡¯s footsteps came to a


    halt as he turned sideways to face Veronica with a smile. ¡°Head on with Master Crayson and Destiny


    first. Good girl.¡±

 Chapter 620

    Chapter 620


    Chapter 620 It¡¯s High Time


    The man caressed her hair when he said ¡®good girl¡¯, which melted Veronica¡¯s heart with his loving


    affections. ¡°Hmm, okay.¡± She did not insist on staying this time for the sake of her babies in her belly.


    Even if it was for her children, she had to make sure that she was safe herself.


    ¡°Master Crayson, Destiny, I¡¯ll be leaving Roni to you.¡± Matthew looked at them. ¡°Thank you for the hard


    work for the past few days. Take a good rest.¡±


    It was all words of courtesy as he did not mention anything about the ¡®danger¡¯. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll bring this brat


    back.¡± Crayson nodded seriously and pulled Veronica¡¯s hand before heading to the back exit.


    ¡°To the rooftop,¡± reminded Matthew when he saw them attempting to leave through the back exit. They


    stopped midway and turned to look at him, then they took the elevator to the rooftop. As for the imminent


    incident, everyone did not bring it up mutually.


    Although Veronica was very worried about Matthew, she did not tell him to stay safe, which could easily


    stir up one¡¯s emotion. It was because she knew that he would resolve it.


    Before long, a whirring sound could be heard from the rooftop of Antis Hotel. The helicopter¡¯s wings


    were so noisy and it was the very kick-off of an aggressive war. diu~


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Almost instantly, the second floor of the hotel was caught up with gunfire and


    screams, as well as the nking of the falling furniture. The parlor was stirred in chaos.


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    Soon, a group of people joined the fray; it was Caleb¡¯s team. Instead of attending Matthew¡¯s wedding


    ceremony, Caleb had been monitoring the scene through the surveince cameras in order to keep them


    safe.


    ¡°Have Shirley and Ruka left?¡± questioned Skyler out of nowhere when he and Matthew revealed


    themselves at a corner with pistols in their hands.


    ¡°They left half an hour ago,¡± Matthew answered and fired a few shots behind the wall at the same time.


    He teased, ¡°Why? Are you already a man in love with Shirley?¡±


    ¡°What? Motherf*cker! Why are there so many of them?¡± Skyler looked at the bullet bypassing him before


    sting a few shots at the opposite pir. The bullets punctured a few holes on it, spilling dusts all over.


    He cursed and continued, ¡°I just think that she¡¯s kinda cute and that¡¯s it. She helped me and I can¡¯t just


    leave her.¡±


    ¡°Just admit that you like her, man. It¡¯s not like you to avoid things,¡± Matthew retorted and jumped forward


    to take cover behind a table. Raising his hands in the corridor upstairs, he shot at the man in suit, who


    exposed himself through the railing.


    Followed by the gunshot, the man fell off from the railing andnded onto a table on the second floor.


    The Antis Hotel had good sound instion. Since it was Matthew¡¯s wedding, no one was allowed to


    cross the five hundred meter vicinity. Thus, they would not have to worry about outsiders finding out


    about the situation.


    The helicopter hadnded on the rooftop at 3.00AM under his arrangement two weeks ago. No one


    could go there because the doors were locked too.


    Thomas would be waiting for them right there to take the trio somewhere safe. As Matthew¡¯s right arm,


    he had been through water and fire as well as hardships alongside Matthew. One should never


    underestimate his abilities.


    Thus, Matthew was not worried in the slightest by leaving Veronica to them.


    People kept swarming into the hotel and the gunfire did not stop. In such a short period of time, the


    parlor was disfigured into a ruin-like ce as everywhere were clusters of bullet holes.


    At the same time, Zac was in the backseat of a ck Rolls Royce outside the hotel. He frostily stared at


    Troy, who was sitting in the passenger seat. ¡°Matthew Kings calcted everything, huh? He switched the


    hotel staff with his people. None of my men can get close to him. Troy Ritter, this is your onest


    chance!¡±

 Chapter 621

    Chapter 621


    Chapter 621 Buying off Troy to Kill Matthew


    In order to differentiate who were theirrades and enemies, as well as to guarantee the hotel staff


    safety, Matthew switched every staff member to his men by approving them leaves. Furthermore, the


    whole hotel was rented two weeks ago. No outsiders were allowed to enter.


    His meticulous arrangement was out of Zac and the others¡¯ expectation. Besides, Matthew had always


    been vignt; aside from his confidants, no one was allowed toe near him.


    Not only did no one gain the upper hand of the fight, whichsted for more than half an hour, Matthew


    was also unscathed. As a result, Zac became anxious about that.


    ¡°Earning your trust by executing Matthew? It¡¯ll be my loss. Count me out,¡± Troy refused without a second


    thought.


    ¡°Come again?¡± Zac¡¯s sunsses covered the cold glint in his eyes.


    ¡°One hundred million dors if I kill him. Once everything¡¯s done, I¡¯m out of the team.¡± Troy turned his


    head. His scarred face spoke of cruelty and his eyes were as frosty as ice. It was as if he was an


    emotionless machine.


    Zacughed. ¡°Deal.¡±


    A hundred million dors for Matthew Kings¡¯ head? This is a steal! How can I miss this chance?


    He dly epted the offer.


    ¡°Now pay half of it as a deposit.¡±


    ¡°Half of it?¡± When Zac looked at Troy¡¯s indifferent expression and eyes, he hesitated momentarily before


    fishing out his wallet to give him a check.


    Just as Troy was going to take it, Zac suddenly withdrew his hand. dded in a suit, Troy frowned while


    meeting Zac¡¯s eyes.


    Even if he was wearing sunsses, Zac could discern the murderous glint in Troy¡¯s eyes. Zac shed a


    smile and ced the check in Troy¡¯s hand before patting his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you to bring


    home the bacon.¡±


    Without checking the amount written on it, Troy shoved it into his pocket and held the pistol on his waist.


    At that moment, the driver in ck had Troy¡¯s head at gunpoint! After pausing for a second, Troy swiftly


    reloaded the bullets. However, his eyes remained fixated on Zac as he snorted. ¡°Is this your sincerity,


    Prince Zac?¡±


    Realizing that he had made a fuss over a false rm, the driver slowly kept his pistol. Zac¡¯s ego was


    affected by Troy¡¯s words as he quickly straightened his back and smacked the driver¡¯s head. ¡°Apologize.¡±


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    Tolerating the pain, the driver shrank his neck and did as he was told to. ¡°Mr. Ritter, I¡¯m sor¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his words, Troy had already exited the car and mmed the door before leaving.


    ¡°Wow. I like that.¡± At the sight of Troy¡¯s silhouette, Zac could feel his dominance surging because of that


    man¡¯s sexiness.


    Compared to Matthew, he suddenly prefered Troy. He raised his eyebrows and licked his lips as his gaze


    slightly softened.


    After walking for about hundred meters, Troy began to run toward Antis Hotel at which the bodyguards


    were still defending the ce under Matthew¡¯s orders in order not to let anyone enter.


    Their job was to keep any outsiders from entering the hotel so as to not hurt or sacrifice any innocent


    lives.


    ¡°Troy, you¡¯re finally here. You should check what¡¯s going on inside,¡± the bodyguard greeted him and


    pointed at the hotel anxiously.


    ¡°Okay. Watch out, you guys.¡± His footsteps did not stop as he sprinted all the way to the hotel. The


    moment he reached the entrance, he shot three people down.

 Chapter 622

    Chapter 622


    Chapter 622 Antheena¡¯s Scheme


    Troy sessfully entered the parlor in Antis Hotel upon executing some of Zac¡¯s subordinates. As


    soon as heid his foot in it, the horrifying gunshots jarred into his ears nonstop.


    ¡°Troy?¡± Xavier, who was sitting in the lounge, called his name. Troy turned to that direction, only to see


    Xavier crossing his legsnguidly on the couch while fumbling with his gun. Meanwhile, Conrad and


    Antheena were next to him too.


    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Troy halted and headed to the lounge while observing them coldly.


    Xavier leaned against the couch and lifted his brow. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? It won¡¯t hurt if we wait a little


    longer. Matthew Kings won¡¯t get away with this.¡±


    The victory was in their hands as it seemed like they had made aprehensive n. ¡°Zac sent you?¡±


    Conrad inclined his body forward as his elbows rested on his knees. His right hand was pinching a


    cigarette and his face disyed hints of excitement.


    ¡°A hundred million for his head.¡± Obviously, he was referring to Matthew¡¯s head. ¡°Oh? Not bad.¡± Xavier


    chuckled and exchanged nces with Conrad. No one knew what was in their head.


    Buzz! At that moment, Antheena¡¯s phone vibrated. She inclined onto the back of the couch while


    unlocking her phone to read the iing message. ¡®Veronica went to the Primrose Residence.¡¯


    Following that, the person sent the exact location of Primrose Residence. Antheena skimmed through


    the text and nced at Xavier from the corner of her eyes. Seeing how he was paying attention to the


    conversation with Troy, she heaved a silent sigh of relief as he did not notice the notification.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± Xavier had high expectations for Troy. Meanwhile, Conrad discarded the


    cigarette into the ashtray before standing up to warm up his shoulders. ¡°Time to hunt down the beast. I


    mustn¡¯t be left out of the game.¡±


    He nned to tag along Troy to witness how Matthew would be killed. His mind would be put at ease


    only when he saw him dead with his own eyes.


    ¡°I agree.¡± Xavier saw eye to eye on it.


    As such, they headed to the second floor, but a few gunfire were released once they walked out of the


    stairs.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The bullets hit the wall and tiny fragments sttered midair. Xavier barely dodged them as he took a step


    back.


    Troy pulled Xavier to his back before firing a few shots at the corridor. Then, he crouched down and


    rolled forward. Next, he slowly proceeded to the parlor along the wall.


    The delirious Conrad trailed behind him. ¡°I have to see how Matthew Kings meets his death today! Only


    one of us will be thest one standing in the Kings Family!¡±


    Conrad and Matthew were destined to be at odds for a lifetime, as their lives basically depended on how


    capable they were.


    ¡°Antheena, follow behind me, and be careful.¡± Xavier turned his head to shake his head worriedly at


    Antheena.


    He did not wish to involve her in this fight of death, but she insisted. Thus, he had no choice but to bring


    her along.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± The ponytailed woman smiled at him confidently.


    They joined the mess and bullets were flying everywhere at the scene. Screams and nking noises


    mingled in the air of danger. Still, Matthew knew martial arts and it would not be easy to eliminate him.


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    They fought through for a while, but Matthew was nowhere to be seen. So, they went to the third floor.


    The first seven floors in the hotel were ballrooms while there were only suite rooms the higher they


    advanced. It was difficult for one to enter the tightly secured suite rooms.


    After searching for more than twenty minutes, they failed to find Matthew¡¯s shadow. At that moment,


    Xavier suddenly realized that Antheena had gone missing.

 Chapter 623

    Chapter 623


    Chapter 623 Unease


    ¡°Antheena? Antheena!¡± Xavier shouted, but nobody answered him. He took out his phone, only to realize


    there was no way they could get in touch with the outside world because the cell phone signal had been


    jammed on the second floor and above.


    ¡°Conrad, keep an eye on Troy while I look for Antheena,¡± he said to Conrad in a loud voice before turning


    around to leave. At this moment, they had arrived on the fifth floor.


    Seeing the mess everywhere in the hotel, the smell of gunpowder filling the air, and the wailing people


    lying on the ground, Xavier looked as stoic and indifferent as an emotionless robot. Coming all the way


    downstairs from the fifth floor, he searched everywhere for Antheena while shouting her name, but he


    didn¡¯t find her. In the end, he came down to the first floor and made a phone call.


    Beep! Beep! Beep! Antheena¡¯s phone rang several times, but no one answered the phone. Xavier made


    a few more phone calls in a row, but they went unanswered. At this moment, he knitted his brows and


    tightened his grip on his phone as a bad feeling came over him.


    ¡°Crap!¡± he swore. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he came down to the sub-basement parking lot and


    drove off before dialing a number on his way. ¡°Find out where the helicopter on the rooftop of Antis


    Hotel has gone¡ªnow!¡±


    He was 100 percent sure that Antheena must¡¯ve gone to look for Veronica. Even though he wasn¡¯t


    certain about Veronica¡¯s location, he saw with his own eyes the direction in which the helicopter left at


    the time. Therefore, he had no choice but to set out in that direction.


    Meanwhile, Hendrey showed up at the scene in the hotel and met up with Conrad before anyone


    realized it. They kept some distance from Troy to avoid alerting thetter of their presence.


    In the end, Troy finally saw Matthew and Miguel on the sixth floor, but they were moving very slowly with


    Miguel supporting the wounded Skyler.


    ¡°President Kings!¡± He called out to him while quickly trotting up to them. ¡°Are you guys alright?¡±


    ¡­


    An hour and a halfter, an SUV drove toward Primrose Hill at lightning speed whereas a dozen sedans


    were slowly moving forward in a row at a fork ten kilometers away from the foot of the hill.


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    At this moment, Veronica was sitting in the living room at the vi on Primrose Hill while drinking uneasily


    from the ss of warm water she was holding in her hands. ¡°Destiny, can your people make sure that he


    is safe?¡± she asked worriedly.


    Having changed into a ck figure-hugging leather suit, Destiny nodded. ¡°My men are in charge of


    dealing with those on the periphery, so they won¡¯t be attacked from both sides.¡±


    Still knitting her brows, Veronica pursed her lips before looking up at Crayson, who was standing at the


    vi¡¯s entrance. ¡°Master Crayson, I¡¯m worried about Matthew. He¡¯s the one they¡¯re targeting¡­ Could you


    help him? I have Destiny and Thomas with me over here, so nothing wrong is gonna happen.¡±


    The sole purpose of the setup this time was to get rid of Matthew. As Crayson had said, she wouldn¡¯t die


    at the moment, nor did the culprit behind the scenes from Castron intend to get rid of her right now.


    This was perhaps because she was still too valuable to die at the moment. However, Matthew was


    different. He had offended ke and was Conrad¡¯s sworn enemy, not to mention that he¡¯d be a great


    help to her in the future. Now was the best and only opportunity to get rid of him.


    Overwhelmed with anxiety, Thomas jumped to his feet from the . ¡°Mrs. Kings, let me go there to take a


    look.¡± Having worked for Matthew for years, he felt really uneasy about leaving his boss alone at this


    very moment.


    ¡°Okay, just go.¡± Veronica agreed to his decision.


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary. Let me go instead.¡± Crayson tossed the butt of the cigarette he was smoking onto the


    floor. After stubbing out the cigarette butt with the tip of his shoe, he looked back and said to Thomas,


    ¡°You and Destiny have to keep Veronica safe at all costs.¡± With that, he left the vi and went to the


    apron on the back of the hill with the helicopter pilot without looking back.

 Chapter 624

    Chapter 624


    Chapter 624 A Storm Is Brewing


    Veronica was on pins and needles. She stood up, walked to the door, and stood in the yard, ignoring the


    breathtaking scenery of ovepping mountain peaks that stretched as far as the eye could see at a


    nce.


    It was fall, and the sun wasn¡¯t as scorching hot as it had been in the hot summer. A breeze kissed the


    side of the hill and greeted her with a slight chill while ruffling her hair. After walking a few steps toward


    the vi¡¯s entrance, she turned around and looked in the direction of the back of the hill while waiting


    endlessly. At other times, she¡¯d only think that time flew like an arrow. At this very moment, however,


    every passing second was torture to her, making her feel so awful that she nearly fell apart.


    Chuff¡­ Atst, following the roar of the helicopter engine, she saw the helicopter taking off slowly from


    the back of the hill. The spinning helicopter des created a strong gust of wind that rustled the trees.


    Veronica let out a secret sigh of relief, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling that the helicopter was flying slower


    than when it arrived early on. She clutched her cell phone while praying for Matthew¡¯s safety, knowing


    that today would be a game of life and death. When danger was inevitable, it was better to deal with it


    once and for all than to extend the battle line.


    ¡°Mrs. Kings, Young Master Matthew will be alright. God will keep him out of harm¡¯s way, after all,¡±


    Thomas said in an attempt tofort her when he came to her side and saw the worried look on her


    face. ¡°As Young Master Matthew had said, all you have to do is protect yourself and your baby and wait


    for his return. Everything will be fine this time as long as Conrad is dealt with.¡±


    Conrad wanted to gain control over the Spinfluence Group, but Matthew was the biggest obstacle to it.


    However, Matthew was too formidable to be overpowered using business methods, so he had no choice


    but to solve the problem once and for all by such inferior means.


    Holding her head up, Veronica watched the helicopter fly into the distance until it was reduced to a ck


    dot in the blue and white sky and finally disappeared from her sight. Pursing her red lips lightly, she


    mumbled, ¡°I-I believe in him.¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. I believe in Matthew. But¡­ She didn¡¯t know why, but her


    right eyelid kept twitching. A strong unease stirred her heart, making her incredibly worried and agitated.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting windy¡­¡±


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    Suddenly, the sun hid behind the dark clouds and cast a dark shadow across the sky. A strong wind blew


    without warning, sweeping up the fallen leaves and causing them to whirl in the sky.


    Veronica¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Thomas, it¡¯s going to rain.¡±


    As soon as she finished her sentence, a sh of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a rumble


    of muddled thunder.


    ¡°Mrs. Kings, there¡¯ll be a thundershower this afternoon ording to yesterday¡¯s weather forecast.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fall already. Why would a thundershower still ur?¡±


    Noticing that something was wrong with Veronica, Thomas immediatelyforted her, saying, ¡°It¡¯s still


    mid-fall, so it¡¯s normal for thundershowers to ur.¡± His boss had told him a million times to make sure


    that she was safe, so he dared not be careless. And besides, he feared that her pregnancy would be


    affected if she got too worried.


    Just then, Destiny came out as well. The strong wind rustled her blonde hair. After tucking her hair


    behind her ear, she looked up at the sky and said, ¡°It¡¯s about to rain. Hurry and get in.¡±


    ¡°Miss Destiny, you go in with Mrs. Kings first. I¡¯m going down the hill to take a look,¡± Thomas said. With


    that, he stepped out of the vi and headed downhill.


    Veronica entered the vi with Destiny. She was so distraught that she couldn¡¯t calm down, like a sailboat


    on the vast sea that stumbled across a storm that stirred up turbulent waves and left the sailboat at its


    mercy. Going upstairs to the third floor, she stood on the balcony while staring into the distance.


    The rain came pattering down. Beads of rain pitter-pattered against the ss window before forming


    large raindrops that streamed down the window in zigzags. In just a few seconds, the floor in the vi¡¯s


    yard became wet with rain. The rain sttered all over the ce while pattering heavily on the leaves.

 Chapter 625

    Chapter 625


    Chapter 625 Where Are You Going, Miss Murphy


    As Veronica gazed into the distance, clouds of wispy fog slowly rose from the hillside, forming a


    landscape that looked like an incredibly picturesque fairnd. However, the rain unsettled her even


    further. She had never been as restless and worried as she was at this very moment.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Suddenly, there were gunshots sounding from the foot of the hill, and the sound


    reverberated in the mountains.


    The bodyguards keeping watch outside the vi were alerted at once. In an instant, they adopted a


    defensive posture, and some of them even ran downhill in an attempt to check out the situation.


    ¡°Miss Murphy, somebody¡¯sing.¡± Destiny hurriedly pushed the bedroom door open and came in.


    She said, ¡°You have to hide at the back of the hill with me right away. Mr. Crayson says there¡¯s a


    hidden cave at the back of the hill that¡¯s absolutely safe.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s hands clenched into fists by her sides. All of a sudden, she felt that she had spent years


    practicing martial arts for nothing as she couldn¡¯t put her fighting skills to use at this very moment. She


    looked back and said to Destiny, ¡°Give me a gun.¡±


    ¡°Come on, put on the raincoat first,¡± Destiny said. It was raining cats and dogs outside, so she feared


    that Veronica might catch a cold, which would affect the baby in her womb.


    Without turning down the offer, Veronica quickly took the raincoat from Destiny and put it on before


    taking the gun and the bullets from thetter. Then, she came downstairs and headed for the back of


    the hill with thetter.


    The cave was in a hidden location. The two of them could only reach there by threading their way


    through thistles and thorns, so they had no choice but to move very slowly.


    The sound of gunshots continued to reverberate continuously in the valley behind them while pulling at


    their heartstrings. Awakened by the sound, the birds on the trees pped their wings and flew into the


    sky to leave the dangerous ce.


    Veronica was escorted from behind by Destiny and eight bodyguards while a bodyguard led the way


    ahead of them. Before they realized it, the sound of gunshots had gotten closer and closer to them. It


    seemed that there was another bunch of people at the back of the hill.


    Bang! Suddenly, a bullet was fired in their direction. It hit the bodyguard in front of Veronica, causing


    him to copse at once.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Destiny shouted while dragging Veronica to crouch down.


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    A few dozen assassins showed up around them. To put it urately, they were mercenaries dressed in


    army camouge who made their way through the dense forest with agile movements while firing away


    madly in Veronica¡¯s direction.


    ¡°You go that way while I lure them away,¡± Destiny said while pointing to Veronica the location of the


    cave at the back of the hill. After that, she ran to the north with four bodyguards and fired several shots.


    ¡°She¡¯s over there! After her!¡±


    ¡°Go catch up to her!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    ¡­


    The gunfire drew the attention of the mercenaries, causing everyone to run to the north one after


    another.


    Veronica was wearing a camouge raincoat that allowed her to hide in the bushes without being


    discovered easily. After the sound of gunshots gradually faded into the distance, she finally stood up


    and left with several bodyguards. As she ran, she pped her hand over her belly. She really felt that


    the baby in her womb had arrived at an inopportune moment. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have needed


    these people to protect her life, which would allow more reinforcements to help Matthew.


    The heavy downpour stopped as quickly as it started raining. However¡­ it was already getting dark


    outside.


    Veronica was quickly walking in the dense forest when several people suddenly popped up from


    nowhere in front of her. ¡°Miss Murphy, we¡¯ve been waiting a long time for you.¡±


    Veronica stopped in her tracks before taking a good, hard look at the person before her. ¡°Antheena?¡±


    Wearing her long, blonde hair in a braid, Antheena was dressed in a gray tank top, a pair of loose-


    fitting fatigues, and a pair of ck boots. The tank top showed off her voluptuous curves as she stared


    coldly at Veronica with a handgun on her hip and a Desert Eagle in her hand. ¡°Look how much trouble


    I¡¯ve taken to congratte you on your big day and wish you a happy marriage. Well, we¡¯re


    acquaintances, after all,¡± she joked.


    Worrying for Veronica¡¯s safety, one of the bodyguards stepped forward to shield her behind them. ¡°Be


    careful, Mrs. Kings.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s pale lips curled up. Pushing the bodyguard away, she said to Antheena, ¡°It¡¯s so nice of you


    toe all the way here just to give me your best wishes, Miss Antheena.¡±

 Chapter 626

    Chapter 626


    Chapter 626 Antheena¡¯s Madness


    ¡°Miss Murphy, I always have a strong hatred for people who bite the hand that feeds them. I¡¯ve saved


    your life, so I¡¯m gonna kill you¡­ so that we¡¯re even,¡± said Antheena. Then, she raised her hand, aimed


    her Desert Eagle at Veronica, and fired at her.


    At the sight of this, the bodyguard immediately stepped forward to shield Veronica with his body.


    ¡°Watch out, Mrs. Kings!¡±


    In the nick of time, Veronica shoved the bodyguard away with all her might and fell to the ground with


    him to dodge the bullet. However, as soon as she fell over, she saw the other bodyguard getting shot


    with no ability to fight back. The bodyguard copsed, whereas the other two dodged the bullet by


    quickly hiding behind a big tree.


    Lying prostrate in the thorny bushes, she aimed her gun at Antheena and her men and fired a few


    shots with quick precision, taking down two of the mercenaries.


    The bodyguard who had fallen over with her quickly fought back by shooting the mercenaries. He said


    in a whisper, ¡°Run, Mrs. Kings. We¡¯ll be hanging on here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Not daring to keep on fighting, Veronica hurriedly crawled away on her belly.


    She was naturally nervous when such a fierce battle happened at close quarters, but she quickly


    regained herposure and crawled to the side in an attempt to leave the battlefield. On the other


    hand, the few bodyguards fled in a direction opposite to hers in order to draw the gunfire to themselves


    and divert the attention of those people.


    Seeing that they¡¯d gone far, Veronica finally got up and ran forward quickly while keeping a protective


    hand on her belly for fear of hurting the babies in her womb. She had been hospitalized for two weeks


    in order to keep the babies, so she was really afraid that she would lose the two adorable babies this


    time.


    Not daring to pause for a second, she quickly passed through the dense forest. However, before she


    could run far, a voice spoke behind her. ¡°Are you running so fast because you¡¯re afraid of me?¡±


    It was Antheena¡¯s voice.


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    Veronica¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Suddenly, she made a bolt for the big tree on her left and hid behind


    it right away.


    Bang! As soon as she hid behind the tree, a bullet followed and hit the tree right away. Pieces of the


    tree bark flew in all directions, and a wisp of smoke emerged as the bullet embedded itself deeply in


    the trunk.


    Clutching her handgun with both hands, Veronica asked, ¡°Antheena, I admit that I¡¯ve used you, but I


    didn¡¯t touch a hair on your head. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going too far in trying to finish me off?¡±


    Bang! As soon as she finished her sentence, another shot was fired at the tree behind her. She could


    sense the tree trembling slightly when the bullet hit the trunk. Pressing herself closely against the big


    tree, she held her gun in one hand while quickly taking off her raincoat with her other hand.


    ¡°Sebastian said that he wouldn¡¯t forget you unless you were dead,¡± Antheena said loudly. ¡°You hurt him


    too much, so I have to kill you.¡±


    Sebastian was the name Xavier used abroad.


    Little did Veronica think Antheena¡¯s desire to murder her would stem from Xavier. Suddenly, she flung


    the raincoat in her hand from the left side of the tree before leaning out from behind the right side of the


    tree. Seeing that Antheena was shooting the raincoat with her attention focused on it, she quickly fired


    two shots at the former, hitting her right away.


    ¡°Aaah!¡± Antheena copsed following a scream.


    Veronica managed to hit her. Holding her gun, she cautiously walked toward her while aiming her gun


    at her the whole time. ¡°If you have to kill me just because he likes me, how many moredies are you


    gonna kill¡­ Aaah!¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, a person emerged from her left and hit her in the arm. Letting out


    a soft cry of pain, she quickly shot back at the shooter with her right hand, gunning down a mercenary


    who showed up on the east side with unfailing uracy.


    The mercenary copsed following the sound of the gunshot. His figure disappeared into the bushes


    and brought down a patch of thorny bushes.


    As soon as Veronica looked back, she saw Antheena standing up and aiming her gun at her with her


    left hand. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    At this moment, the twodies were only a dozen meters away from each other. Antheena was wearing


    her tank top, having been hit in her right arm and shoulder. Blood streamed down her shoulder and


    soaked her tank top.

 Chapter 627

    Chapter 627


    Chapter 627 You Look Beautiful in Your Wedding Dress


    Antheena clenched her teeth in pain, but her left hand didn¡¯t tremble at all as it held the gun. ¡°You


    probably don¡¯t know that I¡¯m good at shooting with my left hand, do you?¡± She could shoot with both


    hands, but she definitely shot with greater uracy when she shot with her left hand instead of her


    right.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Veronica was shot in the left arm. The pain of her skin being burned caused her to stagger a step back


    before she barely managed to steady herself. She pointed her gun at Antheena, who aimed her gun at


    the former.


    Bang! Bang! Without the slightest hesitation, the two fired at each other at great speed. Just then, a cry


    of rm suddenly sounded in Veronica¡¯s ear. ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Before she could look sideways to see who it was, she was shoved hard and fell over. The instant she


    fell over, she saw who it was.


    It was none other than Xavier.


    He took the bullet for her and was shot in the left chest. After he was shot, there was a faint spattering


    of blood from his wound, and he fell straight to the ground.


    ¡°Aaah!¡± Antheena didn¡¯t manage to dodge the bullet across from them, either. The bullet ended up


    hitting her in the left vicle.


    Veronica never intended to kill Antheena, so she didn¡¯t aim at thetter¡¯s heart at all. After she was


    shot, her handgun slipped out of her grasp as though she had instantly lost strength in her left hand.


    Her face pale with pain, she took a few steps back while staring unblinkingly at the man who showed


    up all of a sudden as her blue eyes widened in disbelief. Why is he here? How did hee here? Is he


    even willing to lose his life to save this woman?


    ¡°Xavier?¡± Veronica nched in shock before she quickly got up and rushed to Xavier¡¯s side. ¡°Are you


    crazy? Don¡¯t you know that the shot would kill you?¡±


    Xavier was tall, and Antheena¡¯s shot was aimed at Veronica¡¯s heart, so the bullet hit him several


    centimeters below his heart. However, arge amount of blood instantly gushed from his wound,


    soaking his ck shirt and dyeing his navy blue suit red.


    Lying on the ground, he looked at the woman whom he longed for day and night and who kept him


    awake at night. When he saw the panic-stricken and worried look on her face, his lips curved into a


    smile. ¡°Roni¡­ Are you¡­ worrying about me?¡±


    Stunned, Veronica stared nkly at him, not knowing what to say for a moment. She had changed her


    clothes and was wearing a thin dark-colored cotton shirt with a white slip dress underneath.


    Xavier was terribly wounded as blood gushed from his wound like the mouth of a spring at this very


    moment.


    Crouching next to him, Veronica drew a sharp dagger from the back of her hip. Then, she picked up her


    gun, removed a bullet from it, and held the bullet in her hand, using the dagger to cut the back of the


    bullet casing open. As she was too nervous, the dagger made a deep cut on her finger while it cut the


    bullet casing open, causing blood to drip down her fingers.


    When Xaviery on the ground and saw how pale she looked and how her body trembled


    uncontrobly in a rare moment of panic, his pale lips curled into a smile.


    ¡°Why are you smiling? You¡¯re dying, you know?¡± Veronica was so nervous that she ignored the twinge


    in her nose and her slightly reddened eyes. She tremblingly held the yellow brass casing that had been


    pried open before moving Xavier¡¯s hand away from the wound. ¡°Put up with it while I stop the bleeding


    for you.¡± She poured the gunpowder in the bullet casing onto his wound, but the small amount of


    gunpowder couldn¡¯t stop blood from gushing from his wound at all.


    Xaviery quietly and submissively while looking at her panicked demeanor. The sky was getting dark,


    but the outline of her cheeks seemed even more clear-cut and matchlessly beautiful when the dim light


    shone on her face. ¡°Y-You look really¡­ pretty in your wedding dress¡­ at your wedding today.¡±

 Chapter 628

    Chapter 628


    Chapter 628 Xavier Is Dying


    As he spoke, his pained expression eased into a smile, but blood gushed from his lips with every word


    he said.


    Terrified by the sight of this, Veronica nearly broke down as feelings of guilt, remorse, self-reproach,


    and surprise welled up within her. ¡°Shut up and stop talking, will you?!¡± she chided. Then, she pried


    another bullet casing open without realizing that her voice was quavering and that she was already on


    the verge of a breakdown.


    Her left arm was wounded, and more blood would flow from the wound as she clutched the bullet in her


    hand with all her might. However, she couldn¡¯t be bothered about that much. She simply didn¡¯t want


    Xavier to die, nor did she want to see him die because of her.


    ¡°No, I just¡­¡± Thanks to his injury, Xavier¡¯s handsome face betrayed a feeling of frailness that softened


    the sharp outlines of the scar on his face while lending him a feeling of tenderness. He raised his left


    hand with difficulty in an attempt to caress her face with a tender look in his eyes, but he was too


    severely wounded to raise his hand. In the end, his hand fell to the ground weakly before it could touch


    her face. He smiled, and his lips seemed even paler. ¡°I just wanted to caress your face¡­¡±


    The gesture hit a soft spot in Veronica¡¯s heart profoundly, causing tears to gush uncontrobly from her


    eyes and blur her vision. ¡°I¡¯m telling you to keep still! Don¡¯t you hear me?!¡± she yelled hysterically in a


    trembling voice.


    Just then, there was a sound of footstepsing from behind.


    Veronica heard the sound very clearly, but she didn¡¯t look back.


    Shortly after that, a few people were standing nearby, whereas Antheena was helped up before she


    came over.


    Xavier looked at Antheena before his eyes fell upon her gunshot wound. Seeing her blood-soaked tank


    top, how pained and pale she looked, and how she was drenched with sweat, he said weakly, ¡°Are


    you¡­ hurt?¡±


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    Antheena looked at Xavier; her eyes widened as all kinds of emotions shed across them. In the end,


    enduring the pain in her right arm, she tremblingly took out a gun and pointed it at Veronica¡¯s forehead,


    saying, ¡°Do you believe that I¡¯ll¡­ kill her right now?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Xavier nodded slightly. Then, he said as if with all his might, ¡°W-When I said the word ¡®death¡¯ on


    the bedroom balcony the other day¡­ I was referring to my own death.¡±


    Antheena was startled at once before the conversation she once had with him on the bedroom balcony


    of her castle in Castron crossed her mind. When she asked, ¡°How on earth will you forget about her?¡±,


    he replied, ¡°Only death can stop my yearning for her.¡±


    She mistakenly thought that Xavier meant he¡¯d only forget about Veronica if thetter was dead, but


    little did she think he was actually referring to his own death. As the truth shattered her dream, she


    went weak at the knees, and the gun in her hand dropped to the floor as the mercenary next to her held


    her up.


    Her eyes zed over for a moment. She looked at Veronica, who was silently cutting the bullet casings


    open, then at the badly wounded Xavier, who was breathing weakly, beforeughing in self-


    deprecation.


    ¡°Miss Antheena, should we kill her?¡± a mercenary asked her in Chinese.


    Just as she was hesitating, she saw Xavier shaking his head. With thest bit of his strength, he said,


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll marry you when¡­ I¡¯m fully recovered.¡± Naturally, he was bargaining with her by offering to


    marry her in exchange for Veronica¡¯s life.


    If Antheena was thoroughly disappointed with him just now¡­ she lost all hope in him at this very


    moment. Overwhelmed with harrowing despair and heart-rending pain, sheughed at herself. ¡°Ha!


    Haha¡­¡±

 Chapter 629

    Chapter 629


    Chapter 629 Kill Me, and You¡¯ll No Longer Be Distressed


    She looked at the buddies standing next to her as the faces of those deceased buddies shed across


    her mind. Only then did she realize how stupid and ridiculous she was. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡± she said before


    passing out instantly as the words used up all her strength. The few mercenaries held her up and left


    with one of them carrying her on his back.


    Their movements didn¡¯t disturb Veronica¡¯s actions, but how could she not understand the meaning


    behind Xavier¡¯s words with her cleverness? Her nose twinged even more. Tears kept welling up in her


    eyes, and her heart ached so terribly as if it was being ripped apart. Overwhelmed with guilt and self-


    reproach, she felt deeply indebted to him.


    ¡°Bear it for a moment. Your wound is bleeding too much.¡± She wiped her tears away with her right hand


    before producing a lighter from her pocket. After darting a worried look at him, she stuffed the thin shirt


    she had taken off in his mouth.


    Knowing that she was doing all this to stop his bleeding, Xavier was very surprised. At the same time,


    he nodded, but he didn¡¯t have the strength to speak. And besides, he couldn¡¯t speak with her shirt in


    his mouth for fear that he might bite his tongue in pain.


    Veronica aimed the lighter in her hand at his wound. Not daring to hesitate, she lit up the lighter right


    away, producing a small me that was followed by a searing sound.


    ¡°Aaaah¡­¡± Xavier let out a gut-wrenching scream while curling up in pain. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Veronica held


    him down and prevented him from moving to avoid stretching his wound and causing the bleeding to


    continue.


    Naturally, it was very effective to burn his wound to quickly stop the bleeding and cause the wound to


    scab over with gunpowder, but Xavier looked increasingly pale. Veins stood out on his forehead, and


    he trembled all over uncontrobly.


    ¡°Just put up with it a little longer.¡± Seeing how he looked as though he wished he were dead, Veronica


    subconsciously held him in her arms and patted him gently on the shoulder. ¡°The pain will go away


    very, very soon¡­¡± she said as tears ran down her cheeks.


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    Her approaching caused her faint scent to linger around Xavier¡¯s nose. The familiar scent worked


    miraculously like a sedative, diverting his attention and easing the pain in his wound. Gradually, he felt


    like it didn¡¯t hurt that much anymore. He quietlyy on the ground and stopped struggling madly.


    Only then did Veronica get up and pull her shirt out of his mouth. Then, she put the shirt behind his


    back and tied them to the wound, finishing the makeshift bandage with a knot. After doing all of this,


    she slumped to the ground listlessly and looked up at the sky. The sun was sinking in the west, and


    night fell.


    The bugs were singing in her ears, and several fireflies flew in the grass while illuminating the dark


    night with a faint greenish glow that made the dark night seem especially beautiful. The wind pped


    the tree leaves and rustled them, like a lively tune that slowly brushed one¡¯s worries away and calmed


    a restless heart.


    Sitting beside Xavier, Veronica watched the fireflies hop around and chase one another in the woods.


    They flew freely in the air, looking so carefree that it filled people with envy. She mumbled, ¡°You¡¯ve put


    me in a difficult position. How am I gonna face Matt?¡±


    Xavier went to great lengths to get rid of Matthew, but he also risked his life to protect her. He wanted


    to kill her husband and the babies in her womb while trying to protect the wife of his enemy.


    Veronica sensed the mixed feelings and anxiety within her at this moment, but she seemed to feel


    Xavier¡¯s emotional struggle and pain as well.


    ¡°You can¡­ kill me¡­ so that you¡¯ll no longer¡­ be distressed.¡± Xaviery feebly on the ground as if he


    had exhausted all his strength by speaking.


    Breathing weakly, he stared at the fireflies in the night sky while listening to the sound of the wind


    brushing gently against the grass. His hearing weakened, and his vision started to blur until he fell into


    boundless darkness¡­

 Chapter 630

    Chapter 630


    Chapter 630 Losing Contact With Matthew


    After a long time, somebody came and rescued Veronica and Xavier. It was Thomas. When he saw


    Xavier, he pointed his gun at thetter in an attempt to get rid of him, but Veronica stretched out her


    hand and stopped him. ¡°He¡¯s the one who saved me,¡± she said.


    Thomas knitted his brows, thinking that she was being sentimental. ¡°Mrs. Kings, we¡¯ll bring endless


    trouble upon ourselves if we don¡¯t kill him right now.¡±


    ¡°In that case, just wait until he has fully recovered and leaves. You guys may do whatever you want by


    then.¡± Tilting her head to one side, she looked at Xavier¡ªwho was lying on the ground¡ªwith a frown


    and aplicated look on her face. ¡°But now, no one¡¯s allowed to touch him!¡± she said in an


    authoritative tone that brooked no objections.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Thomas clenched his fists angrily. In the end, he let out a snort and signaled to the bodyguards behind


    him to take Xavier away with a wave of his hand.


    The group safely returned to Primrose Residence. Everything inside was fine; perhaps those people


    didn¡¯t stop here after they broke in and failed to find the person they were looking for. Naturally, the


    inside of the vi wasn¡¯t damaged.


    After returning to the vi, Veronica was brought to her bedroom to lie down and rest.


    Destiny came to her side while carrying the first-aid kit. She asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been shot in the left arm,


    and the bullet has to be removed. Do you need¡­ an anesthetic or something?¡± She worried that the


    latter couldn¡¯t stand the pain of her skin being torn apart.


    Looking as pale as a sheet, Veronicay in bed while staring at the ceiling before shaking her head.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need it.¡± She was now pregnant. If she were to use an anesthetic, it¡¯d do great harm to the


    babies in her womb.


    ¡°Okay. Put up with it, then.¡± Sitting down next to her, Destiny began to clean the wound and removed


    the bullet for her.


    Naturally, the process was very painful, but all Destiny saw was Veronica¡¯s tautened face, the deep


    furrows in her brow, and her clenched teeth. However, she didn¡¯t hear any cry of pain from thetter.


    Her incredibly strong endurance and astonishing willpower beat her expectations, and for the very first


    time, she saw this youngdy in a different light. No wonder Mr. Crayson praises her again and again in


    front of everyone. She deserves that indeed.


    After removing the bullet, she quickly stitched the wound before dressing and bandaging it.


    Veronica was already drenched all over with sweat, and her lips were bloodless.


    ¡°It¡¯s done. You rest for a while.¡± Destiny took away the dirty and bloodstained sheet beneath Veronica.


    Then, she stood up, packed up the stuff, and prepared to leave the bedroom.


    Veronica immediately asked, ¡°Where is Matt? Why hasn¡¯t hee back yet?¡± It¡¯d been five hours since


    she left in the afternoon, but she hadn¡¯t heard anything about Matthew so far, nor had she seen


    Crayson, Skyler, and others. This unnerved her very much, and she grew more and more worried with


    each passing second.


    A peculiar look shed across Destiny¡¯s eyes. Lowering her head, she cleaned the non-existent dust


    off herself, saying, ¡°It was a fierce battle. They fought all the way from inside the hotel to the outside


    before escaping in a car while being chased along the way. Nobody knows where they went in the end,


    but there was a fire in the hotel, so a lot of police officers and firefighters were sent out. Someone in the


    government is suppressing the news, so those who were wounded or dead are all counted as


    casualties of the fire.¡±


    The number of casualties was falsely reported to avoid unnecessary unrest that caused panic in the


    outside world. After all, somebody had gone to the scene of the incident to deal with the aftermath, so


    there were few people left when the police arrived.


    Veronica only worried about Matthew¡¯s safety, though. She immediately asked, ¡°Have you guys called


    them? Are you guys able to reach them?¡±


    Destiny shook her head. ¡°No, we can¡¯t reach any of them.¡±


    Veronica grew even more uneasy. She sat up in bed at once, saying, ¡°You mean they can¡¯t be


    reached? What about your people, then? Can¡¯t they be reached as well?¡±


    Destiny exined, ¡°ording to my people, they only saw a few cars speeding out of the underground


    parking lot and chasing one another, but they couldn¡¯t tell who were in those cars. However, Matthew,


    Skyler, and others weren¡¯t at the scene, so don¡¯t worry.¡± The fact that they weren¡¯t spotted was the best


    news of all.

 Chapter 631

    Chapter 631


    Chapter 631 Bad News


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Sitting on the bed, Veronica slowly hung her head and didn¡¯t ask any more


    questions, but her haggard face was loaded with worry.


    It had been more than five hours, but there was no news from Matthew so far. She could vaguely feel a


    hint of unease. With his capabilities, he shouldn¡¯t have taken so long to get things done.


    ¡°Hurry up and lie down. You haven¡¯t recovered yet,¡± Destiny urged, concerned about Veronica as she


    helped her to lie down on the bed. Only then did Veronica ask, ¡°Where is Xavier? Did you arrange for a


    doctor?¡±


    In the back of the mountain, she only stopped his bleeding, but did not remove the bullet from his


    wound. He still needed a doctor to take care of his injury.


    ¡°The family doctor is already helping him with his wounds, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Destiny sighed


    and said, ¡°Now, you just need to take care of yourself. The chef is already making you some porridge,


    and I¡¯ll bring it overter for you to eat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Destiny.¡± Veronica looked at her and thanked her sincerely.


    ¡°It¡¯s what I should do. You don¡¯t have to be so polite with me.¡± Destiny, with the first-aid kit in hand,


    smiled gently and turned around to leave the bedroom.


    The moment the door closed, Veronica¡¯s smile dropped and was reced by a thick, lingering worry.


    Her right eyelid had been twitching incessantly this afternoon, and she also felt an inexplicable panic


    and nervousness. These small physical abnormalities had been tormenting her, as if there were several


    ants crawling around in her body, but she wasn¡¯t able to get rid of them, and the feeling was


    maddening.


    Shey on the bed, looking out of the window. The night sky was full of stars, and she could hear the


    rustling of the leaves in the wind, which stirred her heart to be more and more restless.


    Matt, you must stay safe.


    Half an hourter, Veronica got up from the bed and walked downstairs. Looking at Destiny and


    Thomas sitting in the living room, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where is Matt? Is there any news yet?¡±


    Even standing by the railing on the second floor, Veronica could smell the thick nicotine smelling


    from the first floor hall, so she could imagine how much they had smoked. She was sure they were just


    as restless and full of worry as she was.


    Thomas stubbed out the cigarette butt in his hand in the ashtray and stood up while walking toward the


    window, pushing it open to disperse the cigarette smell, saying, ¡°Someone just came by and told me


    that Conrad was seriously injured and taken away by Anthony. Xavier is still in aa in the second


    floor guest room, isn¡¯t he? All of the key figures aren¡¯t there, so Young Master Matthew should be fine.¡±


    Though heforted Veronica, his words made her heart sink to her stomach, as if it was a stone


    thrown in a deep pool, falling endlessly without reaching the bottom of the cold pool, trapped in


    torment.


    Her bright eyes instantly dulled as she looked at the people in the living room. Noticing that they looked


    uneasy as well, Veronica did not want to add to their turmoil, so she nodded slightly and forced a smile.


    ¡°This is good news. If the ¡®main force¡¯ isn¡¯t here, Matt must be fine. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re celebrating and


    drinking somewhere right now.¡±


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    Celebrating and drinking? How could that be? After all, today was their big day, and after he was


    finished, ording to his nature, he would be the first to contact her.


    Veronica did not want to add to their burden, so after she finished, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and visit Xavier.


    Which room is he in?¡± ¡°West side. He¡¯s in the guest room on the far side of the west side.¡± Thomas


    pointed in the direction of the west side of the second floor.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go over and take a look.¡±


    Standing by the railing, Veronica walked toward the west side. When her figure disappeared from the


    second floor corridor by the stairway, after making sure that the people on the first floor couldn¡¯t see


    her, she went weak in the knees and subconsciously reached out to hold onto the wall.

 Chapter 632

    Chapter 632


    Chapter 632 Betrayed Boss


    Unable to suppress the grief from her calm and collected face, she slowly closed her eyes and turned


    to slump against the wall and resting her forehead against it, her eyes misted with sorrow.


    Xavier was now lying unconscious in his room, Antheena had not been gone long, and they said that


    Conrad was injured and taken away by Anthony, so who else was Matthew¡¯s opponent?


    ¡°Is it Hendrey?¡± Skyler, Caleb, and Miguel were all there, so how could they not be Hendrey¡¯s


    opponent? However, there was still no news from Matthew. For Veronica, this was the worst news.


    She bit her red lips tightly, her body trembling faintly when she suddenly heard footstepsing from


    the stairs. After a quick sniffle, she straightened up and went into Xavier¡¯s room, subsequently closing


    the door.


    In the bedroom, the lights were on, and Xavier was still lying unconscious on the bed. Back on the


    mountain, he had been bleeding excessively and drenched in blood.


    Moreover, the location of his injury was close to his heart, and he was in critical condition. After looking


    at the equipment by his bedside and seeing that everything was stable, she was able to let out a sigh of


    relief.


    Walking to the bedside and looking at the familiar face, Veronica suddenly felt that it was a little


    unfamiliar, to the point where she didn¡¯t understand Xavier, nor his true thoughts.


    Meanwhile, in the hall on the first floor, the phone that Thomas ced on the table suddenly rang,


    almost instantly attracting everyone¡¯s eyes to look over.


    He almost reflexively grabbed the phone and answered it immediately, ¡°How¡¯s it going over there?


    Right now, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Your brother has betrayed us. He¡­¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Miguel¡¯s voice sounded. His words were like a thunderbolt that instantly


    shattered all hopes that Thomas had. Thomas knitted his eyebrows. He asked, ¡°W-What do you


    mean?¡±


    Through the phone, he heard another heavy sigh. Miguel seemed to be having difficulty telling the


    truth, while the person next to him said, ¡°F*ck, give it to me. I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    It was Skyler¡¯s voice. ¡°Thomas, you b*stard, Matt was kind to your family, so why are you doing this?


    That son of a b*tch, Troy, took 100 million from Anthony and went to Matt, and while Matt was in a


    fierce battle with someone else, he was filling in the shots in the back. It was three shots. Three! You¡¯d


    better not run away! When I return, I¡¯m going to shred you to pieces!¡±


    Skyler¡¯s hysterical roar leaked out inadvertently from the phone, and the few men sitting next to him


    looked at each other with increasingly upset faces.


    Thomas stood frozen in ce, clutching his phone tightly as he asked, ¡°Impossible. What kind of joke is


    this? How could my brother betray Young Master Matthew? He is definitely not that kind of person!¡±


    ¡°Not that kind of person, my foot! I saw him hurt Matt with my own eyes. I just hate that I was wounded


    and wasn¡¯t able to kill your brother with one shot, so he got away,¡± Skyler roared again.


    Thomas waspletely baffled. All of his beliefs copsed at this moment, his heart in utter shambles.


    All he said was, ¡°No way¡­ It¡¯s impossible, my brother would never betray Young Master Matthew¡­ It¡¯s


    impossible¡­¡±


    Troy¡¯s figure emerged in his mind. The two siblings went through the gunfire with Matthew, but why


    were they using Troy of betraying him?


    At this moment, the other people on the couch also received a call. Their phones rang in unison, and


    after they received the call, they looked at Troy immediately and finally replied along the lines of ¡°Got


    it,¡± or ¡°Understood.¡±


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    After that, they hung up the phone and walked toward Thomas. ¡°Capture him.¡±


    The person leading them was Luke, who was also a right-hand man along with Thomas and Troy, but


    he was usually assigned to handle other matters by Matthew, so he did not often appear in front of


    others.

 Chapter 633

    Chapter 633


    Chapter 633 Blocked Signal


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Waylon.¡± A bearded man stood up and walked over toward Thomas. ¡°Thomas, I¡¯m


    sorry.¡± Saying that, he went to drag Thomas out, but got kicked away by Thomas. ¡°Get lost. Try


    touching me if you dare!¡±


    Thomas was still absorbed in the previous message and was distraught, unable to ept the


    reality. However, Luke immediately pointed his pistol at his head without saying anything. ¡°Do you want


    to be like your brother?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. My brother didn¡¯t betray anyone! If you keep spouting nonsense, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    The thoroughly enraged Thomas took out his pistol from the back of his waist and aimed it at Luke. At


    the same time, several men beside him pulled out their guns with a flourish, pointing their ck


    muzzles at him. The peace was instantly broken, and they began to go head to head again at this


    moment.


    Meanwhile, after understanding the situation, Destiny stood up and said, ¡°Thomas, you will naturally


    get an exnation about your brother¡¯s issue when theye back. For now, you should cooperate


    with them and calm down in your room. Aren¡¯t you afraid that Veronica would hear you if you¡¯re causing


    so much noise? She is in a fragile mental state now, and if she learns about this and it affects the


    children in her womb, which one of you will take responsibility for it?¡±


    Thomas clutched his cell phone with one hand and his pistol with the other, his face red with anger and


    the veins on his forehead popping out as he trembled.


    However, after hearing Destiny¡¯s words, he pursed his lips and gradually calmed down. mming his


    phone on the table with a thud, he conceded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for them toe back. I will never believe


    that my brother would betray us!¡±


    The two of them grew up together, so it was natural that he would believe in his brother. There had to


    be a misunderstanding somewhere, without a doubt.


    Luke, who had a shaved head and a darkplexion, frowned. ¡°If your brother really betrayed Matt,


    you better think about how you¡¯re going to survive on your own.¡±


    As they were siblings, if one of them was a traitor, the other would naturally be suspected.


    At these words, Thomas flinched for a moment while subconsciously thinking of the worst case


    scenario. In the end, his eyes were resolute as he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Then, I will definitely kill


    him with my own hands, regardless of our brotherhood!¡±


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    ¡°Take him downstairs. Make sure to keep an eye on him.¡±


    After Luke waved his hand toward his men, they came forward and took Thomas out of the vi and


    directly to a room in the backyard where they locked him up.


    Feeling a little uneasy, Destiny instructed, ¡°Until theye back, let¡¯s keep things hidden from


    Veronica. Block the signal in the vi and get a few people to keep watch outside. If there is any news,


    come in and report to us.¡±


    It was only by blocking the signal in the vi that Veronica could be prevented from hearing the news.


    In order to avoid missing any important news, they could only arrange people to guard outside the vi.


    Only by doing so would they not miss any important calls.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Destiny, I¡¯ll take care of it right away.¡± Saying that, Luke got up and immediately left to


    complete his task.


    Unbeknownst to them, Veronica, who was in Xavier¡¯s room at this time, happened to hear his cell


    phone buzzing in his pocket. She carefully took it out, and the word ¡®Johnson¡¯ appeared on the screen.


    Johnson? Hendrey Johnson?


    Instinctively, Veronica reached out and slid the answer button on the screen before holding the phone


    up to her ear, but she didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Matthew was shot three times. With the distance that Troy shot him at, even though he was saved, I


    don¡¯t think he¡¯ll survive the night. On the contrary, you and Antheena¡­¡±


    Though the voice was familiar and warm, at the moment, it was as if his words were wrapped in sharp


    daggers that pierced Veronica¡¯s heart with each syble and caused it to bleed. It left her with an


    almost suffocating pain.

 Chapter 634

    Chapter 634


    Chapter 634 What Happened to Matt


    Veronica was frozen as she held the phone, her pale lips gaping, but her throat was so tight that she


    was unable to say a word, as if she had lost her voice.


    ¡°Huh¡­ What did you say? What happened to Matt?¡± Finally, Veronica roared, her voice as hoarse as a


    crow. On the other end of the phone, the man paused. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Answer me! I¡¯m asking you, what happened to Matt? Answer me now!¡±


    In that instant, Veronica¡¯s emotions crumbled, and she stood up in a sh, her tears streaming down


    her face like a river. She did not look pained, but instead, her pale face was robotic, as if she were a


    puppet, and only her open eyes kept streaming with tears, like a trickling fountain.


    ¡°Veronica?¡± Hendrey¡¯s heart thumped. ¡°W-Why are you with Xavier?¡± ¡°Hendrey, answer my question!¡±


    Veronica finally found her voice and asked quietly.


    Hendrey didn¡¯t expect Veronica to be the one to answer the phone, and he had no idea what had


    happened to Xavier. After hesitating, he said, ¡°Anthony bribed Troy, and heavily wounded Matthew.


    He¡­¡±


    All of a sudden, the phone turned silent. ¡°Hello? Hello? Keep going!¡± Veronica shouted a few times, but


    she did not receive any response. When she looked at the phone again, there was no longer any


    signal.


    Her body went limp and she sat on the edge of the bed, the phone slipping out of her hand and


    dropping to the ground, bouncing a few times before it eventually stopped moving.


    At that moment, her mind was nk, her right eyelid was no longer twitching wildly, and even her heart,


    which had been tense and restless all afternoon, instantly eased up. As if knowing the result and that


    everything was as she expected, she gradually calmed down.


    She sat numbly on the edge of the bed, and her eyes, which had been flowing with tears, gradually


    dried up. Raising her hand to brush away the tear marks on her cheeks, Veronica quickly gathered her


    emotions and calmed herself down.


    She got up and walked out of the room, deliberately ncing at the people in the first floor hall as she


    passed by the railing. When those few people saw her, they first looked up at her in unison, then they


    turned back one after another, hanging their heads, not saying anything.


    Veronica indifferently walked to her room and changed into a casual outfit, carrying her cell phone with


    her, before she opened the back window and slowly jumped down the balcony, disappearing into the


    twilight.


    After leaving the vi and going down the hill, she looked at the cars parked on the roadside and


    casually drove one away without anyone noticing her.


    As she sped along the road, she gradually realized that she didn¡¯t get any calls at all, as if her phone


    was broken. She pulled over to the side of the road and fumbled with her phone, only to find that the


    background wallpaper of the phone was reced with a signal alert on it, but in reality, the phone was


    set to airne mode.


    Immediately, she connected to the inte, and her phone began to vibrate frenziedly with a huge


    influx of text messages and WhatsApp messages; it was almost as if her phone was about to blow up


    with messages.


    Seeing that, Veronica was a little annoyed with the messages that kept pouring in as it affected her


    speed of opening her call history. Swiping a notification away, she finally tapped on Matthew¡¯s phone


    number and called him, even though her phone was still vibrating after she made the call. Beep,


    beep¡­


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    The call was made, but nobody answered her call. Though she tried again, all she heard was the dial


    tone, and nobody answered even after making several calls.


    Then, she began calling Miguel, but he didn¡¯t pick up. Even though she called Caleb, Skyler, Crayson,


    and Troy, none of them were willing to answer her calls, as if they had agreed on it beforehand.

 Chapter 635

    Chapter 635


    Chapter 635 Finding His Whereabouts


    Eventually, Veronica called Colt. Although he was not at the scene of the ident today, she¡¯d asked


    him to monitor the surveince footage around the hotel.


    When her call was picked up, without waiting for her to speak, Colt said, ¡°President Murphy, I finally got


    through to you.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where Matthew is?¡± Veronica questioned without beating around the bush. There was a


    noticeable tremble in her voice when she spoke, perhaps even without her noticing it.


    ¡°This afternoon, Hanson and I have been watching from the monitoring room all day, but the signal in


    the hotel is blocked, so we couldn¡¯t see anything at all. However, a few hours ago, the two of us saw a


    few carse out of the garage and head down the city center to the river avenue, and then they


    appeared in the CCTV¡¯s blind spot,¡± Colt informed her.


    ¡°Did you get a good look at who was in the car? Was Matthew there?¡±


    After asking that, Veronica waited for Colt¡¯s answer. Colt and Hanson were both from the private


    detective agency, and they were two people who were rather capable, both of whom she had scouted.


    However, as Hanson was quiet and not very talkative, she was usually in contact with Colt.


    ¡°After I zoomed in on the surveince footage, I could only see that the person driving was Young


    Master Lynch. Caleb was in the second car, and I didn¡¯t recognize any of the other people. I vaguely


    saw someone in the back seat of the first car, but could not see clearly who it was.¡±


    He was also not sure if Matthew was there, but as they were all best buddies, they naturally would not


    leave Matthew behind. ¡°They disappeared along the river avenue, right?¡± Veronica pressed.


    ¡°Yes, they did. I¡¯ve retrieved all the surveince footage of the other exits along the river avenue, but I


    haven¡¯t seen their care out.¡±


    ¡°I got it. Please keep looking into it.¡±


    Veronica hung up the phone and connected it to the car¡¯s Bluetooth. Then, she started the car and


    sped off toward the river avenue. When she came to Primrose Residence, she took a helicopter, but


    now that she was driving there, even if she went as fast as she could, it would still take more than an


    hour.


    This period of time was definitely a psychological ordeal that nearly broke her. She tried to remain calm


    and unruffled in the face of danger as she was afraid that if she messed up, she would only add to the


    trouble.


    On the way, she drove the car quickly and smoothly. Even if she forced herself to calm down, she could


    not stop her mind from wandering and nearly hit the car in front of her.


    A long timeter, her phone rang. Upon ncing at the phone number, she saw that it was from


    Destiny, and answered it immediately without hesitating. ¡°Veronica, where are you now?¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    In the vi, the maid knocked on Veronica¡¯s door to deliver her meal, but it never opened. Feeling a


    little concerned, Destiny sent the porridge in on the maid¡¯s behalf, only to find that Veronica was no


    longer there. In her anxiety, she even referred to her directly by her first name as she spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m outside. I¡¯m doing fine, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us that you were


    going out?¡± Destiny asked angrily.


    ¡°Did you guys tell me when you changed my phone to airne mode behind my back and blocked the


    vi¡¯s inte?¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t help but question, but then she calmly said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. You don¡¯t


    need to worry about me.¡± ¡°Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°Just rushing toward the river avenue. The surveincest showed that they disappeared in that


    section of the road.¡± ¡°All right, we¡¯ll head over as well.¡±


    Destiny hung up the phone and immediately led men to chase after Veronica. Veronica put her phone


    aside and continued to drive forward, forcing her heart to calm down as if putting a seal on it. However,


    the seal eventually began to shift and struggle as it cracked, and in the end, it eventually broke.

 Chapter 636

    Chapter 636


    Chapter 636 Admitted to the Hospital


    Veronica could not restrain herself from thinking about the terrain along the river avenue. There,


    although it was called the river avenue, the terrain of the roads were steep, and there was even a cliff


    on one side, making the area extremely dangerous.


    She did not know what kind of situation and ending she would face, and she could not contain her fear


    and dread. Those emotions emerged within her like bamboo shoots, breaking the ground and growing


    uncontrobly, densely upying her entire heart and leaving no room for her to calm down.


    ¡°Matt, please don¡¯t let anything happen to you!¡± At the traffic light intersection, she stopped the car.


    While waiting for the light to turn green, she ced her hand over her abdomen. ¡°My babies, your


    daddy will be fine. He definitely will be fine.¡±


    She talked to the newly formed children in her belly, looking for a touch of sce. As soon as the green


    light came on, her car darted out as if it were a sharp arrow, rendering an arc on the road.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    However, when Veronica showed up at the river avenue, she couldn¡¯t find anything at all. She kept


    driving back and forth in the blind spot of the surveince, searching while calling Colt and the others at


    the same time, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t get any news. After that, Destiny, Luke, and others came


    and joined the search together, but there was still no luck.


    That day, Veronica spent her night sitting in the car, or getting out of the car to look for them. Though


    she was exhausted, she ignored Destiny¡¯s words of caution. The gauze on her arm was already


    stained red with blood, but she just couldn¡¯t calm down.


    It wasn¡¯t until she began to feel a slight abdominal pain in her abdomen and worried about the children


    in her belly that she stopped searching frantically, but got into the car and went to the hospital under


    Destiny¡¯s escort.


    After the doctor examined her, he said that the fetus was in danger and she needed to be hospitalized


    to keep it alive. Veronica¡¯s heart ached for Matthew, but she knew deep down that if she went by


    Hendrey¡¯s words at that time, it was highly likely that Matthew had already¡­


    She thought of the worst possible oue, but if that was the worst possible oue, then the only


    thing she could do now was to give birth to the children in her belly safely and securely.


    Veronicay in the hospital to receive treatment, and Destiny apanied her, not leaving her side for


    even a second.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting sleepy. You should rest. Don¡¯t worry now. If I¡¯m willing toe to the hospital by myself, I


    won¡¯t leave again,¡± Veronica said to Destiny, wanting her to leave so that she could have some time to


    herself.


    Destiny sighed. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll wait outside. Call me if you need anything.¡± Saying that, she got up and left


    the ward, closing the door behind her.


    Veronicay on the hospital bed, looking at the suspended IV drip, then at the ceiling, and finally she


    nced sideways at the window, the hollowness and sadness inside her gradually amplifying and


    slowly swallowing her up. The pain,pared to the injury on her skin, was simply much more


    excruciating. Though she tried to calm herself down, she just could not fall asleep.


    Outside the ward, Destiny felt uneasy and asked the doctor to add the right amount of sedative to


    Veronica¡¯s medicine and mix it into the IV drip in the end. Atst, Veronica finally fell asleep.


    The next day, when Veronica woke up and opened her eyes, it was already daytime. ¡°How did I sleep


    for so long?¡±


    In her sleep, she did not rest peacefully. She dreamed that Matthew fell off a cliff and drowned, and


    after learning the news, she went to look for Matthew like a madman, spending three days and three


    nights, only to find a corpse that was so swollen and deformed by the water that its features could not


    be seen at all. As a result, she woke up with a start.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake? Feeling better?¡± Destiny walked over and inquired.


    She was still in a tight ck leather jacket, her long blonde hair tied up simply, and her fair face was


    completely haggard and tired, her pair of sapphire-like eyes dull and lightless.

 Chapter 637

    Chapter 637


    Chapter 637 Missing


    Veronica knew that Destiny had stayed up all night, and she nodded. ¡°Yeah, I feel much better.¡± ¡°Go


    wash up and have something to eat,¡± she said, pointing at Veronica¡¯s belly, ¡°Even if it¡¯s for their sake,


    you have to take good care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Veronica was quiet as she got up and went to the bathroom to wash up, then obediently


    returned to the bed and leaned against it.


    Destiny pushed the overbed table in front of her and ced her breakfast on top of it. ¡°This is a


    nutritious porridge that I had someone prepare for you. Eat as much as you can.¡±


    Though Veronica¡¯s left arm was injured, it did not affect her ability to eat. She sat quietly on the bed and


    ate, and even though she was pregnant and experienced morning sickness, she still forced herself to


    hold it in and finished everything. Destiny was right. Even if it was for the sake of the children in her


    belly, she had to take good care of herself.


    Upon seeing Veronica¡¯s excessive quietness, Destiny grew more and more worried. ¡°They¡¯re already


    doing their best to search for Young Master Matthew, so it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I believe in them.¡±


    Other than believing, she had no other choice. Being pregnant, she could only stay in the hospital to


    nurture her babies. She even felt that the two children hade at a bad time, affecting her ability to


    find Matthew, but then she thought that if Matthew was gone, then these two children would be a gift


    from God that kept his bloodline alive.


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    No, that won¡¯t happen. He won¡¯t die so easily. Veronica kept reassuring herself inwardly, not even


    daring to touch her phone again.


    After a day had passed, no one showed up in the ward. Two dayster, except for Destiny and Luke,


    there was still no one else. However, on the third day, Crayson finally turned up.


    The moment she saw Crayson, Veronica immediately sat up and looked at him with a hopeful gaze.


    ¡°W-Where is he?¡±


    During the past three days, no one knew how long and torturous her days had been. Even she herself


    wasn¡¯t aware of how strong her self-control was to restrain herself and not let herself go insane.


    Crayson was dressed in a loose set of ck clothing and canvas shoes. In the few days they hadn¡¯t


    seen each other, his beard had grown a lot longer. Walking into the ward, he nced at Veronica,


    seemingly avoiding her burning gaze in a guilty manner as he shook his head. ¡°No, we haven¡¯t found


    him.¡±


    ¡°Y-You haven¡¯t found him yet? It¡¯s been three days already, and you can¡¯t even find him?¡±


    Veronica felt her emotions gradually lose control. The news brought by Craysonpletely crushed all


    her hopes and expectations. She thought that his appearance would bring good news, but she did not


    expect that there was still nothing at all. So, when Skyler and the others did not answer the phone, it


    was also because they were struggling to find Matthew.


    ¡°That day, the car washed down from the river avenue and fell into the river. It was dark, and the water


    was swift, so they were swept away and went missing after that.¡±


    Crayson frowned sadly at Veronica¡¯s thin appearance, feeling heartbroken. ¡°Silly brat, don¡¯t be sad. If


    we can¡¯t find him, it means he¡¯s not dead. It¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    He fell into the river. Veronica¡¯s mind was full of the nightmare she had the other day, when she also


    dreamed that Matthew had fallen into the river, and thest thing she found was a floating corpse that


    was so swollen she could not see its features. She slowly closed her eyes, hiding the grief and despair


    in her gaze.


    ¡°What about Caleb and the others?¡± she asked feebly.


    ¡°They are all looking for Matthew,¡± Crayson replied, sounding a little forlorn and disappointed.


    ¡°I understand. You¡¯ve worked hard recently, so hurry up and go back to rest.¡± Veronica forced a smile


    and said, ¡°Master Crayson, you¡¯re right. Not finding him is good news.¡±

 Chapter 638

    Chapter 638


    Chapter 638 Fooling Elizabeth


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    After a few days of not seeing her, she had lost her charm, and her fair cheeks became even more


    heartbreakingly sallow, while her beautiful and clear eyes had turned into a dusty pearl, dull and


    colorless.


    Crayson felt heartbroken and stepped forward, wanting to soothe her, but he wasn¡¯t able to form the


    right words in his head. ¡°All right, you should get some rest. I¡¯ll go and rest for a while too.¡±


    In the end, he never mustered enough courage to face Veronica, and nodded to Destiny as a greeting


    before he turned to leave.


    ¡°Go and see Master Crayson off. I want to rest for a bit.¡± Veronica told Destiny to leave as she wanted


    to be alone for a while.


    As shey on the bed, her mind was filled with images of Matthew. From his knitted brows to his smile


    and his gentle, maic voice that rang in her ears, they all kept lingering in her mind.


    Bzzt¡­


    The phone on the table rang. When she picked it up, she saw that it was a call from Elizabeth. The


    words ¡®Madam Elizabeth¡¯ hit her hard at the weakest spot in her heart, and the sudden pain spread to


    all of her limbs, and each of her pores seeped with pain. Veronica held the phone in one hand and


    covered her face with the other, closing her eyes in near despair.


    As her phone buzzed and vibrated, she eventually chose to answer the call.


    ¡°Hello, Grandma?¡± She regted her voice, reverting to her usual yful state in an attempt not to let


    Elizabeth catch on.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally picking up the phone, you brat. I heard Conrad say that you left for your honeymoon


    overseas the same night you got married to that boy. Conrad even told me not to call you. Aren¡¯t I just


    being worried about the children in your belly? You must be careful, okay?¡±


    The news about Antis Hotel waspletely covered up. Almost no one knew what had happened


    inside, and there was no trace of any information on the inte. The only news, if any, was a press


    release saying that she had left on her honeymoon with Matthew on a helicopter.


    The fire at the hotel happened at six in the evening. After it was made public, the official announcement


    was that there were no guests at the scene and only a few waiters were injured, and the matter was left


    unresolved.


    Elizabeth had no doubts about this as she had been contacted by Conrad after all. Matthew had


    instructed early on to the people in the Kings Residence not to tell Elizabeth anything, and they went to


    great lengths to conceal the news every day.


    Knowing that Elizabeth was kept in the dark, Veronica felt her heart ache. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. We¡¯ll


    take care of ourselves. When we go back, we will definitely visit you as soon as possible.¡±


    Saying that, she mped her throat and imitated Matthew¡¯s voice. ¡°Roni, hurry over and take a bath.


    I¡¯ve prepared the hot water for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, wait a minute, I¡¯m on the phone with Grandma,¡± she replied, skillfully maneuvering between the


    two ¡®identities¡¯ in order to carry out her act.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Okay, okay, I won¡¯t interrupt you two anymore. Hurry up and take a bath. Oh, now that


    you¡¯re with children, you have to be careful. You have to always think of the children first.¡± Elizabeth


    couldn¡¯t stopughing, afraid that the two would do something to hurt the babies in Veronica¡¯s womb.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Grandma, what are you saying? Okay, I got it. You have to take care of yourself too. Bye,¡± she


    replied with a smile.


    Though the tone of her voice was pleasant and rxed, and there seemed to be nothing wrong at all,


    unbeknownst to Elizabeth, tears were already running down her haggard cheeks and dripping onto the


    bed, drenching the nkets.


    ¡°Okay. You should rest early too.¡± Thinking that they had probably gone abroad if they were taking a


    bath at this hour, Elizabeth muttered, ¡°You youngsters know how to enjoy life much better than us.¡±

 Chapter 639

    Chapter 639


    Chapter 639 Kicked Out


    After that, their call ended. Beep, beep¡­


    As she listened to the dial tone, the phone slipped out of her hand and fell on the bed. Veronica


    covered her face with both hands. She did not make a sound, but there were tears dripping from her


    chin, and her shoulders were trembling.


    A few more days passed, and there was still no news from Matthew. Veronica, who was in the throes of


    grief, turned her sorrow into motivation and was in the process of improving her emotions. When Luke


    knocked on the door of the ward and came in, he saw Veronica, dressed in a hospital gown, standing in


    front of the window looking into the distance, extremely quiet.


    ¡°Mrs. Kings, we just received news that Conrad held a shareholders¡¯ meeting at Spinfluence Group to


    announce that Matthew has disappeared and he will take over thepany¡¯s affairs on his behalf for


    the time being,¡± he informed Veronica about thepany¡¯s affairs.


    However, she answered calmly, ¡°I understand.¡± Luke was shocked into silence. He could not


    understand why she reacted this way. Sensing that Luke hadn¡¯t left, she turned around and looked at


    him indifferently. ¡°Even if those old foxes at Spinfluence Group knew that Matthew was missing, they


    can¡¯t do as they please.


    After all, if thepany¡¯s profits are lost, so would theirs. Conrad was injured, but he went to the


    company in a hurry before his injuries were healed, so he must have brought a big project with him, or


    it would not have been possible to easily convince those old foxes.¡±


    In any case, Conrad still had Anthony behind his back, and along with his abilities, it was a piece of


    cake for him to take over Matthew¡¯s position if he wanted to.


    As he listened to Veronica¡¯s exnation, Luke felt a little amazed. He hadn¡¯t expected her to be able to


    predict things so well. It¡¯s just that¡­


    ¡°Are we just going to let Conrad take over the boss¡¯ position without doing anything about it?¡± Luke


    asked, worried that one day Matthew woulde back and there would be no ce for him in


    Spinfluence Group.


    ¡°What about Thomas?¡± Veronica changed the topic without replying to him.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± At the mention of Thomas, Luke said furiously, ¡°His brother betrayed us and killed¡­¡± As soon


    as the words arrived at the tip of his tongue, he was worried that it would affect Veronica¡¯s emotions


    and immediately changed his words. ¡°That guy is still being locked up.¡±


    ¡°Bring him here,¡± she instructed. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I can do that. He is still a major suspect, and if he hurts


    you again, I wouldn¡¯t know how to exin it to the boss.¡±


    ¡°If Thomas wanted to kill me, he would¡¯ve done it at Primrose Residence. There¡¯s no need for him to


    wait until now. He is loyal to Matt, and I trust him. Bring him over to see me,¡± she said once again.


    Saying that, she walked toward the bed, but Luke didn¡¯t respond for a long time. Veronica knitted her


    eyebrows, her cold eyes sweeping over at him, carrying an invisible sense of oppression. At the sight,


    Luke immediately nodded and agreed, ¡°Yes, Mrs. Kings, I¡¯ll bring him over immediately.¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    A few hourster, Thomas showed up in the ward. He was wearing a clean suit and his hair was sleek


    and shiny, but his face had a sullen disheveled look that could not be hidden. Luke walked in with him


    and stood at the door, as if concerned for her safety.


    ¡°Please leave. I want to talk to him,¡± Veronica said. After a brief moment of hesitation, Luke turned


    around and left. ¡°Come here and sit down. I have something to tell you,¡± she instructed, pointing to the


    bedside chair.


    In the past, Thomas was spirited and vigorous, and most likely because he had been working


    alongside Matthew for a long time, he carried himself with a sense of overbearance as well. But now


    that he had received a huge blow, he had lost a lot of weight and looked extremely disheveled.


    He raised his head and looked at her with bloodshot eyes. ¡°They all said that my brother had killed


    Matthew, but I don¡¯t believe it. My brother would never do such a thing.¡±

 Chapter 640

    Chapter 640


    Chapter 640 Taking Over the Company


    Thomas stubbornly insisted on his opinion, but he neglected the impact this matter had on Veronica.


    After he finished speaking, he noticed a hint of pain surfacing on her face, and only then did he shut his


    mouth.


    ¡°I believe you.¡± Veronica leaned against the headboard and pointed at the chair beside her. ¡°Come here


    and sit down.¡±


    Her words were a resoundingmand and not a pleasant ¡®invitation¡¯ at all. With his head hanging


    down, Thomas trudged over slowly and sat on the chair.


    Veronica picked up theptop on the table and yed a video before handing it to him. ¡°Take a look at


    this.¡±


    The video¡¯s content showed the meeting at Spinfluence Group. The more he watched, the angrier he


    became, and finally his hands turned white as he gripped theptop, producing a cracking sound at his


    knuckles.


    ¡°It¡¯spletely expected that Conrad, who has been coveting Spinfluence Group for a long time, would


    do this to Matt.¡± She retrieved theptop and put it on the table, calmly looking at Thomas. ¡°There is


    definitely more than onepany that has contributed to Matt standing at where he is today. Since


    you¡¯re his close friend, I want you to tell me now, what other properties does he have under his name


    besides Spinfluence Group? Where are they? Who controls them?¡±


    Her questions werepletely unexpected. He originally thought that she had called him over today to


    interrogate him about Matthew¡¯s ¡®death,¡¯ but he didn¡¯t expect these questions at all.


    He furrowed his eyebrows, his dark pupils filled with amazement. ¡°How can you be so¡­ calm when


    Young Master Matthew is in trouble?¡±


    Veronica shot him a cold nce and closed her eyes, hooking the fingernails of her crossed index


    fingers as she inclined her head to look out of the window. Then, she let out an inaudible sigh. ¡°If he¡¯s


    alive, Skyler and the others are doing their best to find him, and will certainly find him; if he¡¯s dead, all I


    can do is to protect what can be protected, as well as the children in my belly.¡±


    ¡°Can facing the news of his survival by being depressed solve the problem? If it can, I think that it¡¯s a


    way of letting it out. Besides, why should I pretend to be strong? I am now his wife and the mother of


    his children. No matter what, I will do what I have to do.¡±


    Although she was strong, she was still a woman. When those things happened all of a sudden, it was


    as if a storm had hit, and her sturdy fortress copsed in a sh, shattering her blissful family and


    breaking the ¡®boundary¡¯ that had put her at ease, leaving her drowning in the sea, stormy and alone.


    The only thing she could do was to remain strong¡ªto live firmly until she could usher in thest light.


    Thomas looked at the woman in front of him in astonishment. His initial disdain and aversion toward


    her gradually disappeared as he changed his views of her and slowly chose to respect her, so much so


    that at this moment, he looked at her with admiration. No wonder Young Master Matthew dotes on her


    so much. No one would dislike a woman who¡¯s so dazzling. After all, she could act spoiled when she


    should, be arrogant when necessary, and be resilient when needed.


    ¡°Mrs. Kings, thank you for believing in me.¡±


    He found it ironic that those who used to call him their buddy thought of him as a traitor as well


    because of his brother¡¯s betrayal, but the woman he used to look down on went against the majority


    and put absolute trust in him instead.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I just believe in Matt¡¯s insight,¡± she said in an indifferent tone.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°What about my brother?¡± Thomas asked reflexively.


    At his words, a sad look flitted past Veronica¡¯s eyes, and she avoided the question. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about


    Matt¡¯s other businesses.¡±

 Chapter 641

    Chapter 641


    Chapter 641 Shot in the Chest


    ¡°Other than Spinfluence Group, Young Master Matthew also owns Halston Technology, Alpha Design,


    Super Foods¡­¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Thomas revealed the otherpanies under Matthew¡¯s name. First


    Meeting was the weddingpany that the two of them co-owned and One Piece Restaurant was the


    top chain store in the country, which Veronica already knew about.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    With a notebook, she wrote down some important information about thepanies and said, ¡°Make


    copies of all the details of thesepanies for me as soon as possible. Also, help me engage an


    assistant.¡±


    There were some things that she couldn¡¯t solve by herself, so she needed an assistant to aid her.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Kings.¡±


    Thomas got up and turned around to walk toward the door. However, just as he reached the door, he


    stopped and swirled in hesitation before he returned to her side once again. ¡°Mrs. Kings¡­¡±


    He stood upright, then bowed vigorously and deeply. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Veronica still chose to believe in him even when he was exiled by the rest and it truly moved him.


    ¡°Get to work.¡± She waved her hand and instructed, ¡°Just focus on doing your tasks well.¡±


    After Thomas nodded and left, the ward fell into silence once again. The excessively quiet atmosphere


    was filled with sorrow; it enveloped Veronica so tightly that even breathing seemed painful.


    Matthew was nowhere to be found, and the day of their wedding was also the day they parted. God


    truly was cruel.


    That afternoon, someone knocked on the door of the ward.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    At her words, the door opened and Skyler walked in, followed by Miguel and Caleb. The three men


    were carrying a pile of supplements, each with a face full of frustration. When they came in, their first


    reaction was to observe her. When they noticed that she was leaning against the headboard with a


    calm and collected look, they could not hide their surprise in their eyes before they finally regained their


    composure.


    ¡°How are you, Roni? Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t have the time to visit youtely.¡±


    ¡°What did the doctor say?¡±


    The three of them fired questions at her separately as they ced their things down.


    Veronica closed theptop that was on herp and raised her eyes to look at them. ¡°I thought that if


    Matt wasn¡¯t found, you guys wouldn¡¯te to see me for the rest of your lives.¡±


    Her words made the three of them exchange nces, and they averted their gazes that wereden


    with grief.


    ¡°Miguel, I want to know what really happened that day at Antis Hotel after I left.¡±


    Among the three of them, Veronica was closest to Skyler, but he wasn¡¯tposed enough, which left


    Miguel. Hence, there were questions that she would like to ask Miguel even more.


    Miguel was dressed in a white suit and his figure was upright as he wore a pair of ck thin-rimmed


    sses on his face, his eyes bloodshot behind the lenses, and his face looked tired. Meanwhile, Skyler


    and Caleb were both in a simr state.


    ¡°That day¡­¡± Miguel ced one hand in the pocket of his suit pants, touching his nose with the other.


    After some hesitation, he nudged Caleb with his elbow. ¡°Caleb, it¡¯s better for you to say it.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, let me.¡± Skyler walked over and sat on the chair next to the hospital bed and looked at


    Veronica. ¡°That day at Antis Hotel, after you guys left, Anthony and his men came, and the fight


    lasted for a long time until Troy appeared. At that time, I was wounded, and Miguel was supporting me


    while Matt and Troy fought side by side. The fight was almost over, but that scum, Troy, suddenly fired


    a few shots at Matt¡ª¡±


    ¡°Where was he shot?¡± Suddenly, Veronica interrupted Skyler¡¯s words, and she looked at him with red


    eyes.


    ¡°H-He¡­ He was shot in¡­ the chest.¡±

 Chapter 642

    Chapter 642


    Chapter 642 Six Months Old


    Skyler was stammering, but he spilled the truth in the end. He was hit in the chest? Veronica stiffened


    up, and a chill ran down her spine. She could feel her heart starting to palpitate. She turned her


    attention to the scenery outside the window in an attempt to hide her pain from everyone. ¡°And then


    what happened?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We were surrounded by enemies. Matt and I trusted Troy to watch our backs, but that b*stard ran


    away before we even knew it. We took Matt and left the hotel, but Zac¡¯s men kepting after us.


    Then, the car fell into the river, and¡­ and¡­¡±


    Skyler started sobbing and clenching his fists. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he couldn¡¯t speak.


    Caleb approached Skyler and patted his shoulder. He told Veronica calmly, ¡°We¡¯ve sent our men to


    search for him. You should stay calm. Getting agitated won¡¯t be good for the baby.¡±


    Caleb was a police officer. He thought he wouldn¡¯t get affected by something like this after the many


    simr cases he had gone through, but this incident still got to him.


    ¡°You guys can take your time with the search. There¡¯s no rush.¡± She heaved a sigh and tried to hold her


    tears in. She put on a tough look and turned around. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t see his body, he¡¯s still alive.¡±


    Her voice was soft and gentle, just like a stream flowing silently in the mountains. She seemed calm,


    but on a closer look, anyone could see that she was faking it.


    ¡°I¡¯m really impressed, Roni.¡± Skyler gave her a thumbs up. ¡°We won¡¯t let you down. We¡¯ll find him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Matt¡¯s lucky he has friends like you.¡± Veronica was grateful for their help.


    The gentlemen were surprised that she was consoling them. It changed their opinion of her a little.


    They stayed in the ward for a long time. They thought they would have to console her, but in the end,


    she didn¡¯t need it. Eventually, they left.


    The trio stood outside, looking worried.


    Skyler said, ¡°Roni¡¯s really tough.¡±


    Caleb said, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s impressive. But it¡¯s a good sign. If she¡¯s feeling depressed, think what that¡¯ll do


    to the baby.¡±


    Miguel said, ¡°We need to find Matthew, pronto.¡±


    Skyler doubted if they could do it. ¡°It¡¯s been a week, but he¡¯s still nowhere to be found. Is he still alive?


    Hey, why¡¯d you hit me, Caleb?¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Caleb snapped, ¡°Say something stupid again, and I¡¯ll toss you out of the building.¡±


    Miguel said, ¡°Alright, enough. He¡¯s just worried about Matthew.¡±


    The elevator arrived, and the gentlemen entered it.


    ¡­


    Two months flew by like a breeze, but still, there was no news about Matthew. Veronica was nearly


    three months pregnant when she married him, and now she was nearly six months pregnant.


    She didn¡¯t move back to the Kings Residence, nor did she stay in any vi Matthew owned. Instead,


    she moved back to Twilight Condominium. That was where they first met, and after living there with him


    for so long, it was a ce she would call home rather than the other residences.


    Yvette handed her a ss of warm milk. ¡°Here, Mrs. Kings. Have some milk.¡±


    Veronica told Thomas to hire Yvette. She graduated from Oxford, and she had served Matthew ever


    since she came back. She was one of his most trusted assistants, but now that he was missing, she


    was delegated to Veronica¡ªa woman three years younger than she was. Naturally, she had some


    comints about that.

 Chapter 643

    Chapter 643


    Chapter 643 Grandma¡¯s Sick


    However, after two months, Veronica managed to win over Yvette with her wisdom and


    composure. ¡°Thank you.¡± Veronica¡¯s hair was held up by a simple hair clip. Locks of hair tumbled down


    the sides of her face, and she looked cute in that style. She was standing before the French window


    when Yvette came.


    Veronica took the milk and drank it as she went through the file in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve gone through the file,


    and there¡¯s nothing wrong with it. You¡¯ll have to keep an eye on thepany for a bit. I¡¯m heading to


    Castron tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Does Mr. Ritter know you¡¯re going overseas?¡± Yvette looked at Veronica¡¯s baby bump. Not even the


    oversized sweater could cover it. She was worried.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell himter. Colt ising with me this time. You can call him if you can¡¯t reach me.¡± ¡°How long


    will the tripst, Mrs. Kings?¡±


    ¡°A week at most, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Veronica said, ¡°Prepare the car. We¡¯re going to the Kings Residence.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡± Yvette left the room.


    Veronica was slowly getting out of the pit of sadness and tried to take over Matthew¡¯spany in his


    absence.


    Skyler and Miguel would teach her about business, and Veronica had even hired some mentors to


    teach her about this as well. And with Destiny helping her, she was starting to get the hang of this.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    She numbed her pain every day with work, trying to forget about Matthew¡¯s disappearance and solely


    focusing on protecting the baby. She was dealing with her sadness just fine. However, the same


    couldn¡¯t be said for Elizabeth. She knew about Matthew¡¯s disappearance after he went missing for


    three months, and her Alzheimer¡¯s had gone worse as she fell into a hole of abject misery. Fortunately,


    the otherpanies didn¡¯t get affected too much, as Matthew seldom showed up.


    That didn¡¯t mean they had no problems, however. After Conrad took over Spinfluence Group, he


    snagged a few high-ticket deals for thepany and consolidated his spot as thepany leader. He


    had also found out that Matthew had some other businesses and was going to try and take them all for


    himself.


    Her phone started to ring, and it broke her train of thought. She headed to the table, put her milk down,


    and picked the phone up. ¡°Hey, Grandma,¡± she said sweetly.


    ¡°Young Mistress, you have toe back. Mrs. Elizabeth¡¯s acting up again. She¡¯s looking for Young


    Master Matthew all over the garden,¡± Yura quickly said.


    Veronica¡¯s face fell, and she nodded. ¡°Be right there.¡± She hung up her phone and went back to her


    room to change into a ck down coat. Then, she hurried downstairs and hopped into the car¡¯s


    backseat. ¡°To the Kings Residence,¡± she told Yvette.


    Yvette revved the car up and asked, ¡°Do you want to get Old Mrs. Kings something?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s acting up again. Drive us there.¡± Veronica leaned against the seat and massaged her forehead


    as she looked outside the window.


    The sky was overcast. As she looked up, she realized that even the snowkes looked grey in color.


    Chilly gales blew across the city, riling up the snow and covering every street with a white nket.


    She felt her heart tighten up as she watched the scenery outside. She kept thinking about the moments


    she shared with Matthew¡ªit wasn¡¯t like she wanted to have a trip down memoryne, but it just kept


    dragging her into it. She tried to run away, but it was a futile attempt.


    A short while after, they finally arrived at the Kings Residence.

 Chapter 644

    Chapter 644


    Chapter 644 Matthew¡¯s Back


    Veronica got out of the car, and Yvette held an umbre over her. She handed Veronica a red scarf.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold. You should wear this.¡±


    Yvette was a slender woman. She wore a long ck coat that entuated her waist. Her hair was


    cropped short, which brought out her features even more. She was an aloof woman, to begin with, and


    with her wearing gold-rimmed sses, she looked more like a handsome woman than a beautifuldy.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Veronica looked at her in surprise and took the scarf from her before wearing it around


    her own neck.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Thomas told me to do this,¡± Yvette said.


    Veronica merely acknowledged it without saying anything further. She took the umbre from Yvette


    and darted into the Kings Residence. She went through the yard and passed over the man-made


    bridge until she was finally in the backyard.


    Even before she reached the ce, she could hear Elizabeth yelling, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. I want to


    see Matthew, and you¡¯re calling him here right now.¡±


    Elizabeth is at it again. Veronica froze in her tracks and looked at the snow beneath her. It felt like her


    heart was getting even colder. She closed the umbre and handed it to Yvette, and then she clenched


    her fists before heading toward Elizabeth. ¡°Grandma?¡± She reced her sadness with a sweet smile.


    Elizabeth was pointing her crutch at the servants as she yelled at them. Veronica exchanged a look


    with Yura, and thetter shook her head. There was visible sorrow in her eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing, Grandma? I told you Matthew¡¯s overseas. You don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡±


    Veronica went up to Elizabeth and stopped before her, holding her hand as she said yfully, ¡°Don¡¯t


    you miss me at all?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Elizabeth kept her dementia under control with medications, but Matthew¡¯s


    disappearance had hit her greatly, and it exacerbated her condition. She couldn¡¯t even recognize


    Veronica when she was having an episode.


    ¡°I¡¯m Matthew¡¯s wife, your granddaughter-inw.¡± She forced a smile and put Elizabeth¡¯s hand on her


    belly. ¡°And this is your great-grandchild. Look, it¡¯s this big now.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The scowl on Elizabeth¡¯s face was then reced by a grin. ¡°So, Matthew has a son now.¡±


    Phew, she¡¯s feeling better. Yura waved at the servants, telling them to leave.


    However, Elizabeth suddenly frowned again. ¡°I want to see Matthew. Call him and tell him he needs to


    come back right now.¡±


    In the past, she had been nothing but the epitome of elegance, so the current sight of her suffering


    from dementia broke Veronica¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Grandma, Matt is¡ª¡±


    Someone came in and interrupted, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Matthew? Is that you? You¡¯re finally back, you little brat. I¡¯ve missed you!¡± Elizabeth flung Veronica¡¯s


    hand away and approached the neer. She held his hand and looked at him closely. ¡°You work


    and work and work, but you nevere to see me. And look at you. It¡¯s only been a while, and you


    have lost some weight. And you look older too.¡±


    Veronica was infuriated when she saw who it was. She then looked at Yura and kept her mouth shut.


    Conrad sneered and looked at Veronica smugly as he held Elizabeth¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, I¡¯m here now. Did


    you throw a tantrum when I wasn¡¯t around?¡±


    He resembled Matthew a little. As such, Elizabeth¡¯s yearning for Matthew had made her mistake of


    Conrad as her beloved grandson. She was as happy as ark just from seeing Conrad, thinking he was


    Matthew.

 Chapter 645

    Chapter 645


    Chapter 645 You¡¯re Nothing Without Him


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Veronica watched as Conrad led Elizabeth into the house. Sadness and sorrow welled up within her. I


    can¡¯t even take care of her without you, Matt.


    ¡°Madam Elizabeth is doing worse now, madam.¡± Yura sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to go through this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine as long as she¡¯s happy.¡± Veronica shook her head and heaved a silent sigh. ¡°With her


    condition not getting any better, her happiness takes precedence.¡±


    They entered the living room. Conrad kept talking to Elizabeth patiently until she was asleep. A


    momentter, he came back out and looked at Veronica coldly. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. How are you doing?¡±


    Conrad was a handsome man. He had a clear jawline and chiseled features. The stubble he had on his


    chin added to his allure. He had looks, but that was all. He was simply a good-looking man with a heart


    filled with nothing but malicious intent.


    She sat back down on the , holding a cup of warm water. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She took a sip of the water. ¡°What


    about you? Are you haunted by nightmares every night?¡±


    He took off his ck coat and leaned back on the couch across from her. The man crossed his legs


    arrogantly andughed. ¡°I don¡¯t lose any sleep or appetite. No nightmares either.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear.¡± Not in the mood to speak with him any longer, she left the living room to see the yard.


    She remembered she wasn¡¯t even dating Matthewst winter. Back then, she stayed there for the night


    only as Elizabeth¡¯s god-granddaughter due to the heavy snow. She and Matthew strolled the path and


    had a little banter. Eventually, they fell and shared a kiss. It was then he confessed to her.


    The confession was still fresh in her mind as if it had just happened the day before. A whileter,


    someone approached her.


    It was Conrad. ¡°He¡¯s dead. If you know what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯ll give me everything he has, and I¡¯ll


    spare you and your baby.¡±


    She stepped on the snow and snapped coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t take you as a beggar, Uncle Conrad. Trying to


    beg me for something you can¡¯t get your hands on?¡± Veronica didn¡¯t even deign to look at him.


    That got on Conrad¡¯s nerves. His face was contorted with rage, but it was quickly reced by a smile.


    ¡°You ruined me, and I killed your husband. We¡¯re even now. Did you actually think I spared you out of


    the kindness of my heart?¡±


    What happened back then was humiliating for him. He even spent countless nights dreaming about


    throttling her to sate his anger.


    She stopped in her tracks andughed. She turned around to look at him. The snow and gale were


    blowing on her. She could see her breathe out as a white puff as it came in contact with the cold


    air, but the wind soon blew it away.


    ¡°You should thank me for not killing you. If I knew this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t just ruin you. I¡¯d kill


    you,¡± she answered darkly. There was not a glimmer of light in her eyes. Only darkness and cold fury


    remained.


    He pointed at her lividly. ¡°Do you really think I won¡¯t kill you?¡±


    Yvette stepped forward, but Veronica raised her hand and wagged two fingers, telling her to step back.


    ¡°So, you think you can kill me? Looks like Zac found a good doctor for you. He wouldn¡¯t have done that


    unless you had something good to offer, though. You¡¯re nothing without him.¡±

 Chapter 646

    Chapter 646


    Chapter 646 Meeting the Spencers


    Veronica had ruined Conrad back at Yvonne¡¯s ce, but she heard that he hired a top international


    andrologist to heal him. Guess it must be going well.


    ¡°You¡¯re just asking for it now!¡± Conrad flew into a rage and raised a hand against her. Yvette¡¯s heart


    skipped a beat, and she tried to step in.


    However, Veronica caught his wrist in a tight grip, stopping him from moving. She hissed, ¡°If we¡¯re both


    going to die, I¡¯ll make sure you go before I do.¡± She flung his hand away.


    For some reason, Conrad staggered for a while before he found his bearing. No one knew whether it


    was due to her force being too strong or the ground being all slippery.


    She then left after that.


    ¡­


    When Veronica returned to the city center in the afternoon, she asked Shirley and Monica out for tea.


    Thedies knew how much Matthew¡¯s disappearance had impacted her, so they didn¡¯t bring his name


    up.


    Someone texted her while they were chatting. She took her phone up and clicked on WhatsApp to


    check from whom she received the message. It was from Xavier, and he had sent her a photo.


    He saved her life at the wedding, and she was hospitalized after that. He left without saying goodbye,


    and they had never contacted each other since then. She opened the photo and saw a red invitation


    card emzoned with golden words. It was a petite card, but she could feel the ss it radiated.


    Xavier texted her again a momentter.


    ¡®My wedding¡¯s in two days. Wannae?¡¯ he asked.


    Veronica was then harkened back to the day of her wedding. Back at Primrose, she watched as he fell


    to the floor from taking a bullet for her.


    When that mercenary asked Antheena if they should kill Veronica off, Xavier shook his head weakly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll marry you once I recover.¡± He exchanged his marriage just to save Veronica.


    She could see his face in her mind; that arrogant, thuggish, and yet charming look. It was supposed to


    be a soothing memory, but she felt her heart aching for him. The ache wasn¡¯t like the splitting kind of


    pain, no. It was more like a numbing pain spreading throughout her body as if she was being pricked by


    thousands of needles all over.


    Shirley noticed the downcast look in Veronica¡¯s eyes. She asked, ¡°Are you alright, Roni?¡±


    Monica asked as well, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Veronica put her phone on the table and smiled. ¡°Yeah. I just wanna see you girls and have some tea.


    It¡¯s been a while since west met.¡±


    Her smile wasn¡¯t genuine. It was sloppy, even, but her friends were used to it. Ever since Matthew was


    gone, she had never smiled happily.


    ¡­


    Veronica and Ruka finallynded in Castron. She had promised Ruka this trip even before she was


    married. Colt and Destiny tagged along as well.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to drag you with me, darling. And you¡¯re pregnant too.¡± Ruka held Veronica¡¯s hand and


    rubbed her cheek on Veronica¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know you love me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, let me go.¡± She tried to shrug Ruka away. Great. I can feel goosebumps all over my skin.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m your guardian. I can¡¯t just let you go.¡± Ruka smiled and took Veronica into a car.


    Because of the time difference, it waste at night in Castron. A driver drove them to the hotel so they


    could retire for the night, but Veronica woke up early the next day and drove to Yvonne¡¯s house. Her


    friend had given her the address before.


    As she stood before the majestic Edinson Manor, she thought to herself, No wonder Zac wanted to get


    Mr. and Mrs. Spencer on his side.

 Chapter 647

    Chapter 647


    Chapter 647 Visit


    Veronica rang the doorbell, and a pudgy, bearded foreigner approached her. He asked in Chinese,


    ¡°Who are you? Are you looking for someone?¡±


    She answered in fluent Chinese, ¡°I¡¯m Veronica, Yvonne¡¯s friend. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer know I¡¯m


    coming.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Come in.¡± The man cracked a smile right after she announced herself. He


    opened the golden gates and weed her. ¡°Please get into the car, Miss Murphy. I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    ¡°Sure, thank you.¡± She got into the car, and the servant drove her through a few vineyards before finally


    arriving at the castle. ¡°Weird. Where are the other servants?¡±


    The Spencers had ten thousand acres ofnd, yet there was barely anyone around. It felt forlorn, even.


    Like the ce was abandoned.


    ¡°The manor¡¯s sold. The master and madam will be moving out soon, so they sent most servants on


    their way,¡± the servant in the car sighed.


    Veronica was shocked, but she decided not to ask any further. She got out of the car and followed the


    servant into the great hall. The moment she entered, she saw a couple on the couch talking about


    something.


    ¡°Sir, Madam, Miss Yvonne¡¯s friend is here,¡± the servant approached them and announced. The


    Spencers looked at her and stood up.


    She went up to them politely. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Spencer, I¡¯m Veronica. Yvonne¡¯s my friend. I justnded in


    Castron, so I thought I would swing by for a visit.¡±


    The Spencer couple was in foreign attire due to them living most of their lives here.


    Mrs. Spencer¡¯s short hair was tied up in a bun. She was wearing a ck wool sweater and adorned a


    light grey shawl made of mink fur. She was nearly fifty years old, but thedy kept herself well, and a


    hint of beauty remained. Unlike the otherdies in the upper society, she didn¡¯t bother with


    resplendence. Though she had light makeup on, it couldn¡¯t hide the harried and sorrowful look in her


    eyes. She looked at her husband solemnly before approaching Veronica. ¡°So, you¡¯re Veronica?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Veronica handed them a little gift and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the sudden visit. I hope I¡¯m not


    intruding.¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t have to buy us anything. Come in. Sit.¡± Mr. Spencer invited her in. He looked a lot


    friendlier than his wife was.


    Veronica headed to the couch and looked at the second floor. ¡°Is Yvonne still asleep?¡± Too many things


    were going on at once in her lifetely that she had no time to see her friend.


    She told the Spencers what happened to Yvonne before she was married to Matthew. Then, she heard


    that Yvonne was saved after that. She only called Yvonne once, and they stopped staying in touch after


    the incident at the wedding.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Mrs. Spencer stammered. She seemed to find talking about this difficult.


    ¡°She¡¯s not in?¡±


    ¡°She¡­¡± Mrs. Spencer shook her head and heaved a sigh. ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Gone? Where¡¯d she go?¡± Veronica looked a little surprised. This is her house. Where else could she


    be if not at her home?


    Mr. Spencer, whose name was Hensen Spencer in full, adjusted his sses and took the seat across


    from Veronica. He also shook his head and sighed. ¡°This is a tragedy. I failed to protect my daughter


    from all those suffering.¡±


    A servant approached Veronica and handed her a cup of tea. She said thanks and kept on listening to


    Hensen¡¯s story.


    ¡°I sent my men to save her right after you called. We did bust her out, but that b*stard, Zac, has that


    scandalous video of Yvonne. I¡­ I¡­¡±

 Chapter 648

    Chapter 648


    Chapter 648 The Baby¡¯s Gone


    Hensen looked old and sorrowful. There was unspeakable agony in his eyes as he brought that tragic


    story up. He was starting to sob, so his wife exined, ¡°He ckmailed us with the video and


    demanded money from us. And it didn¡¯t stop after one time, no. He kept demanding more and more.


    Yvonne almost killed herself a few times when she found out what was happening.¡±


    Mrs. Spencer started crying at that point as well. Veronica pulled out some tissues and handed them to


    her. Thedy wiped her tears with them and continued, ¡°She¡¯s our only daughter, and we love her. We


    couldn¡¯t stand by when someone was trying to humiliate her. In the end, we had to give him everything


    we had before he finally let us go.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Castron was a liberal country that wouldn¡¯t stop anyone from uploading pornography. If Zac did upload


    that video, he definitely would not censor Yvonne¡¯s face, and the video would go viral and turn Yvonne


    into the butt of everyone¡¯s joke. She was born in Castron. If the video made its way to the inte,


    everyone would start throwing slurs and bullying her whenever they saw her.


    The Spencers were old school, and they loved Yvonne. There was no way they would let Zac spread


    that video.


    Zac had been eyeing the Spencers¡¯ wealth for a while. So, he exploited their love for Yvonne and set


    her up just to get his hands on all their money. Now that they had lost everything, Zac had no more use


    for them or the video, so he deleted everything.


    ¡°That b*stard.¡±


    Veronica clenched her fists. So, that¡¯s where he got the funds to invest in Spinfluence. He wrung the


    Spencers dry and injected the money into Spinfluence. Zac¡¯s gonna turn it into his ything soon


    enough. Conrad is nothing but a fool.


    ¡°It¡¯s never wise to go against the royalty. You made the right choice, Mr. and Mrs. Spencer. When push


    comes to shove, money¡¯s only superficial. A united family is more important,¡± she said.


    Zac was the youngest prince of Castron royalty, and he was spoiled rotten. A small family like the


    Spencers couldn¡¯t hope to fight him.


    ¡°Yes. At least we¡¯re all still alive.¡± Mrs. Spencer heaved a long, long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about


    Yvonne.¡±


    Thedy started bawling her eyes out, and Veronica was upset as well. She wrapped her arm around


    the grieving woman and hugged her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Spencer. They¡¯ll pay for what they did to you


    guys.¡±


    ¡°Yvonne locked herself from everyone. We couldn¡¯t bear to see her in that state, so we sent her away.


    She¡¯s going to start over in a new ce. Please, forget about her, Miss Murphy.¡±


    Hensen didn¡¯t want Veronica to see Yvonne again. He was grateful for what the youngdy did for his


    daughter, but now all he wanted to do was protect thest sliver of innocence Yvonne had in her life.


    ¡°I understand.¡± She could see why they were doing this. ¡°What about the child?¡±


    ¡°We gave him to someone else.¡± The child was a mark of humiliation for the Spencers, and they were


    worried that he might serve as a constant reminder of Yvonne¡¯s trauma if they kept him around.


    Veronica¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Does Yvonne know about this?¡±


    The Spencers stared at the ground and shook their heads.


    ¡­


    Veronica had departed the manor before she knew it, but all she could think about was what the


    Spencers said. She wanted to help Yvonne, but she didn¡¯t have enough power to do that. I¡¯m still too


    weak.


    Yvonne¡¯s fortunate that her parents love her enough to keep her safe, even if it means giving up


    everything they had.


    She got into her car and called Colt. ¡°I need you to look for a child.¡±


    ¡°Their name?¡±


    ¡°Ian. Ian Spencer. And keep this a secret.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Colt hung up and Veronica slowly closed her eyes. She put her hands on her belly and thought, If I


    were to end up like Yvonne someday down the line, who¡¯s going to protect my child?

 Chapter 649

    Chapter 649


    Chapter 649 To Find Her Love


    Veronica ran into Destiny when she returned to the hotel. ¡°You went out, didn¡¯t you?¡± Destiny wanted to


    see her earlier, but nobody came to take the door even after she had knocked on it.


    ¡°Yes. I was seeing a friend,¡± Veronica answered honestly. ¡°I have something to tell you. There¡¯s some


    business here that needs my attention. Come straight to me after you¡¯re done with your work.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Thanks foring with us. Going back and forth between Bloomstead and Castron must be


    exhausting.¡± Veronica was grateful that Destiny came with them. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. That¡¯s my job, and


    remember what I said about the Larsons. Stay away from them.¡±


    Destiny beamed and waved her goodbye before leaving the hotel with her luggage in tow. She got into


    a cab and left Veronica behind. The reason she could leave without worries was that nobody in Castron


    would be stupid enough to attack Veronica. Even when they held Matthew hostagest time, they


    neverid a finger on her.


    She went back to her room to get some rest, but she was reminded of the text Xavier sent. He¡¯s going


    to get married tomorrow.


    Someone then knocked on the door. ¡°Veronica? It¡¯s me. Open up, I need to tell you something.¡±


    Ruka? Veronica took the door and saw a sad Ruka standing outside. She was staring at Veronica


    intently. ¡°Can you ask Hendrey out for me? I tried to call him, but he wouldn¡¯t pick his phone up.¡±


    She crossed her arms angrily and leaned against the wall. ¡°I have a long line of suitors waiting for me,


    but why won¡¯t the guys I like reciprocate my love?¡±


    Ruka was a tall, lithe, and beautiful woman. She was also the beloved daughter of Dame Group¡¯s


    owner. In a way, she was a modern-day princess.


    But even princesses had their own dilemmas. For example, Ruka would fly all the way to Bloomstead


    just to see the man she loved, but she couldn¡¯t even get the chance to see him.


    Veronica shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have his number, so I can¡¯t help, but¡­¡±


    She then recalled something, so she said, ¡°It¡¯s Antheena and Sebastian¡¯s wedding tomorrow. Hendrey


    is going to show up, so you can try your luck there.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Antheena Wenni Sterlit? The daughter of a mafia boss?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see. They say she¡¯s marrying a Destorian instead of a local, and the guy¡¯s called Xavier. Is it true?¡±


    Ruka was in gossip mode. She tossed Hendrey aside for a moment and stared at Veronica, waiting for


    an answer.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Veronica nodded and went into her suite, and Ruka followed her inside.


    ¡°Gods, he¡¯s a lucky man. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s marrying ke Sterlit¡¯s daughter. I heard he¡¯s part of the


    mafia, and he spoils Antheena rotten. Even their castle is named after her.


    Antheena Wenni Sterlit was Antheena¡¯s full name, while Xavier¡¯s other full name was Sebastian


    Robinson.


    ¡°So, are you going to the wedding tomorrow?¡± Veronica sat down on the couch and held a pillow to rest


    her head on. Then, she looked at Rukanguidly.


    ¡°Of course. And I definitely will get my hands on the invitation. Hendrey¡¯s there, and I intend to see


    him.¡± Her eyes were shining as she said that. She seemed to be anticipating the dawn of the next day.


    ¡°You¡¯re going by yourself then. I¡¯m beat, so it¡¯s sleep time for me.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Can do.¡±


    Thedies reached an amicable conclusion.


    ¡­


    Ruka dressed herself up the next day for the asion. Veronica opted out, so she was nning on


    giving the newlyweds a gift, but she eventually realized they needed nothing. Guess that n¡¯s in the


    bin now.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    While Ruka was gone, she called Sean, who was also in Castron. Due to Matthew¡¯s disappearance,


    she had to delegate the task of opening a private investigating agency in Castron to Sean, whereas


    she would handle the agency back in Bloomstead.

 Chapter 650

    Chapter 650


    Chapter 650 Mysterious Intruder


    Antheena and Sebastian¡¯s wedding was a grand spectacle. As she was on her way to see Sean,


    Veronica noticed that the street¡¯s billboards were filled with their wedding photos.


    ke held a ten-day feast and treated all the poor people there to free meals. His actions garnered


    more blessings for his daughter¡¯s wedding.


    Veronica¡¯s phone rang, and she looked at it. Xavier? She hesitated for a moment before taking the call.


    ¡°Congrattions on your wedding.¡± She wished him well.


    A long silence ensued, but she could vaguely hear a resigned sigh on the other end. Her brows


    furrowed, and she looked at her phone again. He¡¯s still on the line. She asked, ¡°Why¡¯d you call me?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re in Castron. Why you aren¡¯ting to my wedding?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t surprised that he knew she was in Castron. She pursed her lips. ¡°Sorry, but I have


    something to settle.¡±


    She clenched her phone tighter, and the light in her eyes dimmed, but she hid her sadness away.


    ¡°Antheena really likes you. I wish you all the happi¡ª¡±


    Xavier hung up before she could finish. She felt herself suffocating a little from how cold he was being.


    She almost couldn¡¯t speak.


    That night, Ruka came back drunk and in tears. She hugged Veronica the moment she saw her. ¡°We


    broke up, Veronica¡­¡± She cried like a child who lost her best toy. ¡°That arse wouldn¡¯t see me!¡±


    That is totally not a breakup. You¡¯re just telling everyone a lie.


    She led Ruka back to the room and consoled, ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯re other men out there waiting for you.


    The world¡¯s a big ce. You¡¯ll find your one true love someday.¡±


    Ruka slumped down on the . ¡°No! I only want Hendrey¡ª¡± She felt her stomach churn, and bile was


    rushing up her throat.


    Veronica quickly handed her a trash can and watched as her friend threw up in the poor container, all


    the while mumbling a certain person¡¯s name under her breath.


    She let Ruka do as she pleased for a while before putting her to bed. She no longer squirmed around,


    and Veronica could return to her room with no worries. However, she kept tossing and turning that


    night.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    It waste at night, but she was still not sleepy. She then stood up and headed to the French window to


    take in the vista underneath her. The moon was shrouded, but the neon lights shone high into the air.


    The buildings looked like shining Christmas trees that lit the city up.


    Everyone said beautiful scenery could make one feel better, but Veronica begged to differ. The weight


    in her heart still couldn¡¯t be lifted even as she watched the view.


    She couldn¡¯t drink any alcohol due to her being pregnant, so she sat down and stared out at the lights.


    She had no one but the darkness to apany her.


    However, she then heard a quiet creak. It was almost inaudible, but she shrewdly noticed it, and she


    felt someone closing in on her.


    When that someone was finally leaning down, Veronica suddenly opened her eyes and produced a


    dagger. ¡°And who are you supposed to be?¡± she hissed while pressing the dagger closer to the


    intruder¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 651

    Chapter 651


    Chapter 651 Nemesis


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Xavier answered. He was happy that Veronica was on high alert, but he also felt sad for her.


    What kind of horrors did she experience to sharpen her senses so much?


    Xavier? Veronica tucked the dagger away. ¡°I thought it was your wedding night. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Just here to see what you¡¯re doing. You did say you were too busy to attend the wedding.¡± He stood


    before her, staring down at her.


    The room was still dark, and the only source of light came from outside. They could vaguely see each


    other, but the looks on their faces were hidden.


    She had no answer to his question, so she just plopped down on the couch and said, ¡°You should


    leave. Antheena¡¯s gonna be worried if she finds you missing.¡±


    ¡°She was in a great mood the whole day and had knocked herself out.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re her husband, so you should stay with her no matter what happens.¡±


    ¡°Are you lecturing me?¡±


    ¡°J-Just a friendly reminder.¡± She turned her attention to the dark skyline and said nothing more.


    Xavier sneered. After he had adjusted to the darkness, he took out a bottle of red wine and two sses


    from the wine cab. When he turned around and saw Veronica¡¯s baby bump, he realized she was


    still pregnant, so he tucked one ss away.


    He took the seat across from her and ced the ss on the table. With ease, he uncorked the bottle


    and poured one ss for himself to enjoy.


    The scent of wine was alluring to Veronica. Ever since Matthew¡¯s disappearance, her days were filled


    with stress and anxiety. She really wanted to enjoy some wine, but her pregnancy was stopping her.


    ¡°Why are you here anyway?¡± She leaned against the couch and rested her head on her hand, her


    attention fixated on Xavier.


    Despite the room being dark, the two of them did not go to turn on themps as if they had gotten used


    to the dim light in the night.


    ¡°No matter what happens, the fact that we used to berades is true. Do you really have to go so far


    to reject me?¡± He raised his ss and took a sip, and then he chortled.


    ¡°We have our own families here. Staying alone in a room together won¡¯t bode well for our happiness.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about me?¡±


    ¡°No. I just don¡¯t want anyone to take this the wrong way.¡± She tilted her head and looked outside.


    The winter air misted the windows, blurring the lights that shone outside. She swore she saw Matthew


    staring back at her from amongst the lights and that she could hear hisughter.


    Xavier noticed her lying motionlessly and spacing out, and he immediately knew what she was thinking.


    ¡°Are you thinking about him?¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer for the longest time. Just when he was about to break the silence, she asked,


    ¡°Would you have remained enemies if he was still alive?¡±


    He stared down at the . His eyes shone like glistening obsidians drenched by the rain, but that glimmer


    died the moment she asked him that question.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He clenched his ss tighter. ¡°It won¡¯t end until one of us is dead,¡± he stated.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Another long silence followed. She didn¡¯t mean to cut off the conversation, but she had no idea what to


    say after that. Matthew was directly involved in Melissa¡¯s death, but half of it was her fault. Even putting


    her death aside, what Matthew did to Xavier was enough to warrant a lifelong grudge.

 Chapter 652

    Chapter 652


    Chapter 652 Found Him


    Guess that was the wrong thing to ask. ¡°Let¡¯s never meet again. Antheena is sweet to you. Treasure


    her,¡± Veronica said solemnly.


    ¡°That depends on what happens,¡± Xavier replied nonchntly and drank his wine in silence.


    She eventually started feeling drowsy, and then she felt someone carrying her. Her first instinct was to


    defend herself, but Xavier said, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± He then took her to the bed and tucked her in. ¡°Sleep. I


    have to go now.¡±


    He knew how skilled she was, but still, she was so on guard against him, even when she was almost


    asleep. That sight pained him greatly. Like he had been stabbed in the heart.


    Veronica¡¯s eyelids weighed a ton earlier, but now they felt as light as feathers. Shey on the bed and


    stared at his silhouette. ¡°Yeah. Bye.¡± And farewell.


    He was surprised that she said goodbye without even hesitating. He let out a nasalugh and exited


    the room. He was disappointed, but still, he closed the door gently.


    She never wondered how he got into her room¡ªnobody could stop him if he wanted to get in anyway,


    so she decided not to think about it. And she fell asleep soon after that. Veronica looked for Ruka after


    she woke up the next day, but the girl was not in her room. She called her and found out Ruka went to


    see Hendrey again.


    Since she had nothing to do, Veronica met up with Sean and took a stroll around the agency in Castron


    as they talked about the business¡¯ future.


    She got a cab back to the hotel when the sun was starting to set, but then her phone started ringing.


    She took it out. Thomas?This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Tho¡ª¡±


    ¡°I found him, Mrs. Kings! I found Young Master Matthew!¡± Thomas gushed the moment she picked up


    the call. His voice was raspy from the excitement coursing through his veins at that moment.


    Her eyes instantly filled with delight when she heard that news, and they started to shine. She sat up


    straighter, barely able to contain her joy. ¡°You found Matt?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I just got the news. Found him in a Riversouth town. When are youing back, Mrs. Kings?¡±


    Thomas was buzzing with joy. He would love to see Matthew right away.


    ¡°Keep this a secret. I¡¯ming back right now.¡± She hung up and logged into an app to buy a flight


    ticket. There was a flight scheduled in an hour and forty-five minutes from that moment. She booked it


    and told the driver, ¡°Take me to the airport, please.¡±


    ¡°Of course,dy.¡± The driver turned around at the crossroads and headed toward the airport.


    She had her passport and ID in the bag she was carrying. Nothing in the hotel was important, and all


    she wanted to do at the moment was get back to Destor.


    She looked outside the window. She wasn¡¯t in Destor, but this ce¡¯s sunset was almost picturesque.


    She felt warm and fuzzy for some reason. Delight, excitement, and a hint of fear welled up within her.


    Matthew was missing for three months, and now she finally got some news about him. She felt


    trepidation creeping up on her.


    ¡°Can you go faster, please?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be against the rules,dy.¡± The driver red at her through the rear-view mirror. He looked


    displeased. This wasn¡¯t his first time taking an unreasonable passenger.


    ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry, and I can¡¯t afford to bete. Please, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± She unzipped her bag and


    unloaded a stack of cash, and then she leaned forward and put the money on the passenger seat.


    ¡°Please.¡±

 Chapter 653

    Chapter 653


    Chapter 653 Situation


    Money could buy anything. The driver¡¯s eyes shone, and his scowl turned into a smile. He chuckled.


    ¡°Sit tight,dy. You¡¯re gonna get there in time.¡±


    He sped up drastically before Veronica could react, and the momentum pushed her back into her seat,


    but she didn¡¯t mind. A smile curled her lips. Wait for me, Matt. I¡¯ming.


    She had sessfully boarded the ne ny minutester, but not without calling in a favor from


    Destiny. The driver did his job, but the pesky checkpoints slowed her down. Destiny told the staff of the


    air flight to wait for Veronica, and that was what they did.


    The flight took off, and Veronica felt like singing. She would keep looking at the time only to realize one


    measly second had passed. Time has never been this slow.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Theynded in Bloomstead about a dozen hourster, and she hurried out of the airport. She was


    going to get a ride back, but Destiny had already told Thomas to pick her up. Veronica saw him waiting


    for her outside the entrance.


    ¡°Mrs. Kings!¡± Thomas trotted over and handed a coat to her. ¡°It¡¯s snowing. You should wear a coat.¡±


    She only cared about Matthew at that moment, and she didn¡¯t realize she was out in the cold without a


    coat. She took the coat and hung it on her arm, and then she frowned. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s him?¡±


    ¡°Positive.¡±


    ¡°Get us some flight tickets to Riversouth right now.¡± Since it¡¯s really him, all I have to do now is to travel


    full speed ahead.


    ¡°No. Yvette told me I have to take you back home so you can rest, or she¡¯s going to kill me.¡± Thomas


    pouted and heaved a sigh. ¡°I¡¯d like to see the Young Master Matthew too, but you¡¯re pregnant with his


    sons, and I have a duty to protect you three.¡±


    ¡°Lemme check the flight schedules.¡± There¡¯s a little distance from Bloomstead to Riversouth. Going by


    ne is the superior choice here. She checked the schedule on her phone and heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°There¡¯s a flight heading to Clearwater Town in two and a half hours. We cannd there and hop on


    another flight that¡¯ll take us to Riversouth.¡±


    Thomas had a look of resignation in his eyes. ¡°Mrs. Kings, you have to take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nobody knows me better than I am.¡± She smiled confidently and booked two flight tickets.


    It was already six in the evening when she flew back from Castron. Thanks to the difference in time


    zone, it was already night when shended in Bloomstead. She had no time to rest, so all she did was


    catch a little break in the car. And then, she was off to Riversouth with Thomas. They arrived at the


    town at ten the next morning.


    Riversouth was a perpetuallyfortable ce. Its climate was more agreeable than Bloomstead¡¯s. It


    was barely sixty degrees Fahrenheit out there. All she needed was a knitted shirt and sweater. When


    she exited the airport, she saw Caleb and Miguel weing her.


    She approached them. ¡°W-Where is he?¡± she asked, holding back her excitement.


    The gentlemen pursed their lips and shared a look. In the end, Miguel said, ¡°He¡¯s doing fine, but we


    didn¡¯t tell him you¡¯re here.¡±


    Veronica had a feeling things weren¡¯t as simple as Miguel was putting it, but she didn¡¯t show any


    curiosity. All she did was nod and get into the car. She took off her ck down coat and only wore a


    knitted sweater.


    The temperature was perfect, but she felt hot for some reason. Her forehead was drenched in sweat a


    whileter. She said, ¡°Give me a minute, Miguel. I need to get some clothes.¡±

 Chapter 654

    Chapter 654


    Chapter 654 Caleb¡¯s Displeasure


    Veronica couldn¡¯t change in the car, not when the gentlemen were around. She didn¡¯t have any clothes


    to change into either, so she told Miguel to stop the car to let her get some new clothes.


    Thomas tugged on his shirt as well as he spotted a man¡¯s fashion store nearby. ¡°I¡¯ll get some new


    clothes too. I¡¯ll get cooked at this rate.¡±


    They hopped out of the car and went to the fashion stores.


    Miguel lit a cigarette and took a few deep hits. There was frustration in his eyes, and he flicked the ash


    outside the window. ¡°Will she take it well?¡± He wondered aloud.


    Caleb was in the passenger seat. His arms were crossed, and his eyes were fixed on the road ahead


    of him. A frown was furrowing his brows. It was there the moment he saw Veronica. ¡°She¡¯s a lot


    tougher than we give her credit for,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s a nicedy. No wonder Matt loves her.¡± Miguel nodded.


    Caleb suddenly received a text message. He whipped his phone out and unlocked it. A WhatsApp


    message? He opened the app and realized that the text was from Abby. The first message was a


    photo.


    The background was filled with falling snow, and in the forefront was a gloved hand holding cotton


    candy. There was a smiley on the heart-shaped candy, and it stood out against the ck glove.


    The second message was a text. ¡®Saw a cotton candy merchant when I came down, so I bought one.


    Can¡¯t believe it cost me seven dimes. Cotton candies sure are pricey now.¡¯


    Caleb read the text. First, he was surprised, and then heughed.


    Abby rarely contacted him. He wondered why she was texting him. Maybe she¡¯s trying to share her


    happiness with me?


    ¡°What are you staring at? You got that dumb smile on your face.¡± Miguel was intrigued by thatugh.


    He turned around and looked at the phone. ¡°Oh, is that from Naruto?¡±


    What did he call her? Caleb shot Miguel a death stare.


    Miguel shook his head. ¡°Whoops, slip of the tongue.¡±


    ¡°Her name is not Naruto. It¡¯s Abby,¡± Caleb enunciated. There was a hint of warning in his voice.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. That¡¯s her name.¡± For a moment, Miguel seemed to have put Matthew¡¯s case behind him.


    A smile wiped away his depression for the first time in a while.


    These gentlemen grew up together. They were like brothers, and what happened to Matthew also hurt


    them deeply.


    Caleb was satisfied with Miguel¡¯s response. Just when he was about to text Abby back, she deleted her


    messages. Why did she do that?


    Abby quickly texted, ¡®Sorry. That wasn¡¯t for you.¡¯


    That exnation wiped the smile off Caleb¡¯s face, and he started frowning again. That wasn¡¯t for me?


    Then, who was it for? Realization suddenly struck him. Is she seeing someone?


    Miguel was still talking to Caleb, but when he got no answer, he turned around to see what was


    happening. Okay, he doesn¡¯t look happy. He nced at the text and cocked his eyebrow. ¡°Is she


    seeing someone?¡±


    Caleb¡¯s frown deepened, and the look in his eyes darkened. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Nobody would send that stupid picture otherwise. Only young couples deeply in love would share


    everything in their lives with their partner.¡± Miguel raised his hand and popped the cigarette into his


    mouth, and then he drew a deep hit. ¡°I told you you¡¯re a blockhead.¡± He chuckled.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

 Chapter 655

    Chapter 655


    Chapter 655 Meeting Him


    Caleb¡¯s face fell. His frustration and anger were almost palpable. Right then, Veronica and Thomas


    hopped back into the car. Caleb looked at his phone and tucked it into his pocket without texting Abby


    back.


    Then, Miguel drove them slowly to their destination. Veronica quickly told a retail assistant her size and


    got two sets of clothes the moment she went into the store. She changed into one of the sets and kept


    the other as backup.


    The clothes she chose were a thin beige shirt and a ck Chanel Style coat. The oversized shirt was


    enough to cover her baby bump.


    The clothes were haphazardly mixed and matched, but they still managed to make her look tall and fair.


    She looked lithe,nguid, and adorable at the same time. ¡°Are we there yet?¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    They were surrounded by beautiful courtyards of different shapes and sizes. They could see a flowing


    river on their side, and gorgeous nts decorated the riverside with greenery. The water¡¯s surface


    reflected the courtyards that stood in this town. Branches swayed as breezes brushed across them.


    This ce was like a city made in a portrait, but Veronica had no time to admire the scenery. All she


    wanted to do was see Matthew.


    ¡°Almost,¡± Miguel answered. He peered into the rear-view mirror and saw the hurried look in Veronica¡¯s


    eyes. She had longing written all over her face.


    She kept herposure at all times ever since Matthew went missing, but when she finally got news


    about him, herposure broke down, and it was reced by the burning desire to see him.


    Miguel drove slowly across the tiled path. He dodged the pedestrians and kept making right turns until


    he found a parking spot at the roadside.


    Then, he finally stopped the car. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Veronica got out of the car right away and looked around, but Matthew was nowhere to be found. Caleb


    was approaching her, and she asked, ¡°Where is he?¡±


    She felt her heart thumping thunderously, and that was all she could hear. She had no doubt her heart


    would leap out of her chest if she was in a cartoon world. Even breathing felt hard for her, and her


    palms kept sweating.


    Caleb looked depressed. He nced at Miguel, who hade out of the car, and then he gazed at the


    peopleing out of the courtyard before them. ¡°He¡¯s right there.¡± Caleb pointed at the people behind


    Veronica.


    Stars twinkled in her eyes, and they glimmered with hope. Despite her nerves, she still turned around.


    ¡°Mat¡ª¡±


    She wanted to call his name, but what she saw made here to an abrupt halt. The wind blew away


    her half-finished word as she fell into silence.


    A woman was pushing a wheelchair about twenty yards away, and on that wheelchair sat one man in a


    ck tracksuit.


    The man¡¯s left arm was missing, and his sleeve billowed in the air as the wind blew through it. Half of


    the man¡¯s face was burned off, leaving nothing but grotesque wounds that would scare off even the


    most seasoned thug.


    Veronica was petrified. She tried to walk, but her legs felt like lead. She imagined running into a


    perfectly handsome and alluring Matthew, but that man in her dreams was gone. Half of his face was


    ruined, and his left arm was missing.


    Her mind exploded, and all her strength left her body. Caleb noticed what was going to happen, and he


    held her before she could fall. ¡°Calm down,¡± he cooed.


    Then, he red at Miguel. ¡°Told you we should have kept this a secret from her.¡±


    Miguel tugged on his necktie. Pain welled in his eyes, and he looked at Veronica with sympathy. ¡°She¡¯s


    his wife. She has a right to know what happened to him.¡±

 Chapter 656

    Chapter 656


    Chapter 656 Can¡¯t ept Reality


    Thomas, who was standing nearby, immediately noticed what was happening and ran forward. ¡°Young


    Master Matthew? Young Master Matthew, what happened to you?¡±


    Thomas stood in front of the wheelchair and lifted the hollow, dangling sleeve. ¡°Where¡¯s your arm?


    What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°W-Who are you?¡± The woman who was pushing Matthew¡¯s wheelchair red at Thomas as she came


    forward to push him away. He could vaguely hear what she said as she snapped, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with


    you? Are you insane or something?¡±


    Thomas stumbled after being shoved aside. He stared incredulously at the plump, average-looking


    woman with short hair. ¡°Who are you? What¡¯s your rtionship with Young Master Matthew? What


    happened to Young Master Matthew?¡±


    The more he spoke, the more agitated he became. He even grabbed the woman by the cor and


    snarled at her.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing, Thomas?!¡±


    Just then, Skyler darted over and pushed Thomas away. ¡°Stop it!¡±


    Skyler stood between Thomas and the short-haired woman. He turned to her and exined, ¡°Sorry


    about that, Sadie. This is a friend of mine. We were all his friends, so it¡¯s just a little hard for us to


    ept what¡¯s happened to him.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I see.¡± Sadie red at Thomas before crouching down beside Matthew. Her tone instantly became


    soft and gentle as she asked, ¡°Scotty, they¡¯re all old friends of yours. Do you recognize them?¡±


    The man in the wheelchair stared at them nkly before shaking his head.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Scotty?¡± Veronica came forward and asked after taking some time topose herself.


    Skyler started exining right away. ¡°Sadie here saved Matt and she¡¯s the one who has been looking


    after him the past few days. She didn¡¯t know his name, so she called him Scotty. Also¡­¡±


    He paused and pressed his lips together before stammering, ¡°He¡¯s¡­ mute¡­ and¡­ he lost his memory


    too.¡±


    ¡°N-No. That¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    Veronica had known that Matthew would be injured when they found him, but even then, she could not


    ept the fact that Matthew lost his left arm, was half-disfigured from burn scars, and couldn¡¯t even


    speak anymore.


    She shook her head vehemently. After holding out for three months, she finally crumbled. All her hopes


    were dashed. She was left with nothing but the shock and horror of the earth-shattering reality.


    The pain that coursed through her felt like she had fallen onto a bed of needles that were stabbing into


    every fiber of her being. It left her teary-eyed and gasping for air. It hurt so much that she could only


    sob in silence.


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    ¡°Veronica, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t be like this¡­¡±


    When Miguel saw how anguished she was, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve listened to


    Caleb. I shouldn¡¯t have told you about this.¡±


    Veronica clutched her chest and her mouth. She didn¡¯t want to try, but her tears kept streaming down


    her face.


    Her body went weak, and Miguel had to hold her up. All she could do was lean against him for support.


    After a while, she finally regained some of herposure, but she shook her head determinedly. ¡°Have


    they done a DNA test? Is it possible that he isn¡¯t¡­ isn¡¯t actually Matt?¡±


    Skyler turned around and nced helplessly at Caleb and Miguel.


    ¡°Exactly. Young Master Matthew is a very capable man. How could it be¡­ how is it possible that he


    ended up like this? But¡­¡± Thomas added.


    He wanted to suspect the veracity of this as well, but there was nothing to suspect.


    Although the man in front of them right was a little disfigured, his face was notpletely wrecked.


    How could he not recognize his own boss?


    ¡°Roni, don¡¯t try to fool yourself anymore. I had the same thought when I saw Matt yesterday, so I can


    rte to what you¡¯re feeling. You¡­ you have to ept reality.¡±


    Skyler¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he added, ¡°I¡¯ve been buddies with Matt for several decades now. Do


    you think I¡¯d fail to recognize him?¡±

 Chapter 657

    Chapter 657


    Chapter 657 Veronica¡¯s Anguish


    Then, Skyler came over to Matthew and tugged at his cor. ¡°Here. See the scar on his corbones? I


    did that by ident when we were fighting once. The wounds from three shots he took on your


    wedding day are still here as well!¡± ¡°Caleb and I have seen them already. Veronica, you¡­¡±


    Miguel sensed the anguish Veronica was feeling. His heart ached for her as he said, ¡°I chose to tell you


    because I trusted that you¡¯d be able to ept reality.¡±


    Veronica pushed Miguel away and stumbled over to Matthew. Her eyes were red and glistening as she


    sniffed and choked out, ¡°Matt, do¡­ do you still recognize me?¡±


    He looked up at her cluelessly. After flitting his eyes between her and that woman, Sadie, he shook his


    head. ¡°What does shaking your head mean? You don¡¯t recognize me anymore?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s eyes widened as her tears cascaded down her cheeks. ¡°Have you really forgotten


    everything?¡±


    At that moment, she did not know whether it was a blessing or a curse to have found Matthew


    again. No matter how strong she was in the face of insurmountable pressure, right now, she could not


    face the reality of the situation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t despair, Roni. If something happens to you, it¡¯ll only hurt those who care about you and bring joy


    to your enemies.¡± Skyler looked at Veronica both exasperatedly and sympathetically as well. ¡°I won¡¯t let


    those who hurt Matt get away with it. Once I get my hands on him, I¡¯ll make his life a living hell. He¡¯ll


    have a fate worse than death.¡±


    Skyler¡¯s eyes glinted murderously as they swept over Thomas.


    Thomas¡¯ conscience weighed down on him heavily. He clenched his fists and straightened up. ¡°You


    don¡¯t need to look at me like that, Young Master Skyler. If I ever see my brother again, I won¡¯t show him


    any mercy either!¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t!¡±


    Skyler was fuming. He pointed at Thomas and snarled, ¡°That¡¯s your brother you¡¯re talking about! Are


    you sure you¡¯re willing to hurt him? Matt saved you and your brother¡¯s lives, but this is how you repaid


    him!¡±


    ¡°My brother¡¯s the one who wronged Young Master Matthew, not me. Why are you getting mad at me?!¡±


    Thomas gritted his teeth and red at Skyler in fury. ¡°As I said, even if he¡¯s my brother, if I get my


    hands on him, I¡¯ll take revenge on behalf of Young Master Matthew. You¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    Veronica shrieked through her tears. ¡°Can¡¯t you guys be quiet?!¡±


    The reality was far too bleak for her to ept right away. She wanted some peace and quiet.


    Caleb noticed her state and passed her a tissue. His lips parted as he tried to think of something to say


    infort, but all the words he could think of seemed to be of no help at all.


    In the end, he chose to remain silent.


    Veronica epted the tissue and wiped her tears. She took a deep breath and steeled herself before


    approaching Matthew.


    She stood in front of the man in the wheelchair and stared at him. The handsome man she knew was


    gone, and the half-scarred face of the man in front of her right now spoke of the horrors he went


    through.


    Her hand quivered as she lifted it up to stroke his face, but it hovered in mid-air as she did not have the


    courage to touch the scars.


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    ¡°Are you scorning him?¡±


    Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice rang out from behind.


    Everyone turned to see who it was, and they all saw Sasha showing up out of nowhere.


    She wore a long, V-necked dress paired with a gray suit jacket. Her heels cked on the ground as


    she came over.


    However, when her eyes fell on Matthew, her footsteps stopped so abruptly that she nearly lost her


    bnce.


    However, she did not look down at the stone pavement in front of her. Instead, she continued to step


    closer to Matthew. Her eyes were wide with disbelief as her red lips parted with an audibly shocked


    gasp.


    ¡°How¡­ how could this be?¡±

 Chapter 658

    Chapter 658


    Chapter 658 Deepest Gratitude


    Before Sasha came, she had already heard about Matthew¡¯s condition and had prepared herself for it.


    That was why she could not resist mocking Veronica when she first saw her.


    However, when she came close and saw Matthew¡¯s appearance, she finally understood what Veronica


    was feeling earlier. ¡°And who are you?¡±


    Sadie, who had been standing behind Matthew, stared at Sasha doubtfully. All at once, she was


    overwhelmed with curiosity regarding Matthew¡¯s true identity.


    Sasha ignored Sadie. Instead, her manicured fingers reached out and felt Matthew¡¯s empty left


    sleeve. Instantly, her tears began to flow. ¡°How could this happen? Matt, aren¡¯t you supposed to be


    invincible? Why did you let yourself end up like this?¡±


    Her hoarse voice trembled as it spoke. Everyone¡¯s hearts were heavy as they took it all in. Veronica¡¯s


    feelings wereplicated as well.


    After a pause, she said to Sadie, ¡°Thank you for saving my husband. I¡¯ve been searching for him for


    three months now. Since he¡¯s still alive, he shoulde home with me.¡±


    Regardless of Matthew¡¯s current state, he was still her husband. She wanted to take him back to


    Bloomstead and get him treated there.


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    Sadie shook her head. ¡°How do I know if you people are good or bad? He¡¯s lost his memory now and


    doesn¡¯t recognize any one of you. I won¡¯t let you guys take him away.¡±


    ¡°Give him to me. I¡¯ll give you 150,000,¡± Sasha said to Sadie as she wiped her tears.


    Then, she turned to Veronica. ¡°What makes you think you still have the right to be with him? You¡¯re the


    reason why he ended up like this. You can¡¯t protect him, Veronica. You¡¯ll only cause him to get hurt


    again. Since he has lost his memory, he should just stay with me forever. That¡¯ll be safer for him.¡±


    Sasha¡¯s love for Matthew was pure and genuine. All she wanted was to be with him.


    Even though his looks were ruined, she didn¡¯t mind at all.


    Her words were like daggers that stabbed right through Veronica¡¯s heart.


    They echoed in her head and gutted her soul.


    She stumbled and stared at Sasha in disbelief. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    She stammered and faltered without being able to form a sentence.


    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spewing, Sasha?¡±


    Skyler saw how upset Veronica was after those words and couldn¡¯t stop himself from chastising Sasha.


    However, Caleb, Miguel, and Thomas all said nothing.


    First of all, all three of them did agree that Matthew¡¯s heavy injuries were rted to Veronica. Secondly,


    Troy was the perpetrator, and thus, Thomas did not dare say anything.


    ¡°Is it nonsense?¡±


    Sasha¡¯s ashen face turned red with anger. She glowered at Skyler and shoved him. ¡°Drew, how can


    you say you¡¯re best buddies with Matt? Look at his condition right now! How can you say that it has


    nothing to do with Veronica? Are you under some kind of spell?¡±


    ¡°Before Matt knew Veronica, he did whatever he wanted and lived a life of freedom. Look! Look at him


    now! Look at the terrible state he¡¯s in right now! Don¡¯t you feel bad for him at all?¡±


    She had long since deduced that Veronica would bring disaster upon him, but she underestimated just


    how cmitous it would be.


    ¡°Matt is¡­¡±


    Skyler tried to refute her, but when his eyes fell upon Matthew, his words died in his throat, which


    throbbed so painfully that he could not say anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Veronica could not deny it. She med herself as well.


    She knew that if it hadn¡¯t been for her, Matthew would have continued to have a glorious life.


    However¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re married now, and I will take care of him till death do us part.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s stricken expression gave way to a look of resolve. She looked at Sadie and bowed slightly.


    ¡°Sadie, thank you for saving my husband. If you¡¯re suspicious of me, we can go to the nearest police


    station to verify my identity. You have my deepest gratitude for saving him, so¡­ if there¡¯s anything you


    want, go ahead and say it.¡±

 Chapter 659

    Chapter 659


    Chapter 659 Insatiable Greed


    ¡°Veronica Murphy!¡± Sasha shrieked. Her eyes were round with fury. ¡°I gave you a chance before! Matt


    said he loved you and wanted to marry you, so I came to ept that and didn¡¯t try to ruin your


    wedding. I did my best to give the two of you my blessing. But what about you? You caused him to end


    up like this! Does he have to die before you¡¯re satisfied?¡±


    In her rage, she wagged her finger at Veronica. ¡°You know, for the past three months, if it hadn¡¯t been


    for Drew and the others holding me back, I would¡¯ve marched right over and made you pay for this!¡±


    Veronica had been tormented for the past three months due to Matthew¡¯s disappearance, but Sasha


    was no better. She was either drowning herself in alcohol or sending people out to look for Matthew. All


    she wanted was to find him before Veronica did.


    Unfortunately for her, her wish had not been granted. She was a step toote.


    Veronica took a deep breath topose herself. She nced at Matthew before stating calmly to


    Sasha, ¡°Let me thank you on Matt¡¯s behalf. He¡¯s a lucky man for being loved by you, but Sasha, he¡¯s


    the father of the two babies that I¡¯m carrying right now. So what if he¡¯s injured? Even if he¡¯s in aa, I


    would still stay by his side and take care of him his entire life.¡± ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sasha!¡± Sasha wanted to continueshing out, but Caleb couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He


    spoke up and admonished her. ¡°Matt was prepared for everything from the day he married her, even


    death.¡±


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    ¡°They¡¯re married now. Legally, they¡¯re husband and wife. Stop causing a scene,¡± Miguel added. ¡°Y-You


    guys¡­¡±


    These were all her closest friends once, but they were now all standing up for Veronica. She was


    infuriated, but she could not refute them.


    She clenched her fists and crouched down in front of Matthew before saying softly to him, ¡°Matt, do you


    want to leave with her or with me? I¡¯ll do as you say. As long as you¡¯re willing to leave with me, I¡¯ll take


    you with me, even if it means cutting off all ties with them.¡±


    The conflict between the two women reached its peak.


    Sadie was at a loss.


    As she observed these people who were dressed immactely and carried themselves with an air of


    refinement, she made up her mind. ¡°Hang on. Since you¡¯re all his friends, I¡¯ll let you take him away, but


    you must give me 750,000 aspensation, or else, don¡¯t even think about taking him away!¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Both Veronica and Sasha agreed at once.


    Sadie was a little taken aback.


    They agreed right away. Did I ask for too little?


    Is it toote for me to ask for 1.5 million instead?


    ¡°Uh¡­ 750,000 is just a reward for saving him. If we add in the cost of treatment and daily expenses,


    you¡¯ll need to give me another, fifty¡­ uh, no, another 150,000. Yes, another 150,000!¡±


    Sadie held her fingers up for emphasis.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    The two women responded in unison again.


    Sadie did not expect that.


    Oh, shoot. I didn¡¯t think it through.


    Her eyes flickered and she changed her tune right away. ¡°Uh¡­ Why don¡¯t we just round it up to¡­ 1.5


    million?¡±


    Since they agreed to 900,000, 1.5 million should be no big deal to them.


    As soon as her words rang out, everyone¡¯s expressions changed. They all turned to her with warning


    looks in their eyes.


    Under the overwhelming pressure of all the gazes that were on her, she quickly backtracked with a


    smile. ¡°Haha. That¡¯s a bit much, huh? Haha. I was kidding. It¡¯s just a joke. 900,000 it is then. Make the


    transfer first.¡±


    ¡°Thomas, get in touch with the finance department and ask them to transfer 900,000 to Miss Sadie


    Anderson over here,¡± Veronica instructed Thomas.


    Sadie did save Matthew and they were all grateful to her for it, but her increasing demands earlier


    proved that her greed was insatiable.

 Chapter 660

    Chapter 660


    Chapter 660 Facial Reconstruction Surgery


    Who knew what would happen if Sadie¡¯s demand for 1.5 million was met? She might start demanding


    more in the future. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Kings.¡±


    Thomas nodded and walked over to Sadie. ¡°Please give me your bank details. I¡¯ll get the finance


    department to make the transfer now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh. Great. Fantastic. I have my bank details right here on my phone.¡±


    Sadie was ecstatic at the sudden windfall of 900,000. She couldn¡¯t care less about Matthew now. After


    pulling up her bank details on her phone, she recited the ount number out loud for Thomas.


    Five minutester, she received a text informing her that 900,000 had just been transferred to her bank


    ount. Veronica pushed Matthew¡¯s wheelchair herself as she headed off.


    Sasha didn¡¯t want to let them leave. She tried to stop Veronica, but Skyler dragged her to the side and


    said quietly, ¡°It¡¯s better if Matt stays with Roni. If Adrian finds out that he¡¯s with you, both of you might


    get beaten up together. When that happens, who¡¯s going to save you guys?¡±


    Adrian was in love with Sasha, and she too relied on that violent man far too much. ¡°I¡­¡±


    Sasha couldn¡¯t refute him. Skyler patted her shoulder. ¡°Take a word of advice from a friend. Just carry


    on with your life. You can visit Matt whenever you have some time to spare.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. I can¡¯t believe how heartless you are, Drew. We¡¯re childhood friends, but here you are


    defending an outsider!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just telling it like it is.¡±


    ¡°I have no freaking idea what kind of spell that witch put on all of you. Why are all of you taking her


    side?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Matt¡¯s wife now. Stop saying such ridiculous things.¡± Skyler waved to Sasha. ¡°We¡¯re leaving


    now. Bye.¡±


    He started jogging to catch up to Veronica and the others. All of them climbed into the car which took


    them to a nearby tarmac with a helicopter waiting for them.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    The helicopter ride to Bloomstead took a few hours. Itnded right on the rooftop of Matthew¡¯s Saint


    Private Hospital. After disembarking from the helicopter, he was immediately wheeled off for a full body


    checkup.


    While waiting for him, Veronica had some time to think. She decided to discuss her thoughts with the


    others. ¡°Matt is injured now and it¡¯ll be quite a while before he can fully recover. Once we get out of the


    hospital, I n on taking him to Pinewoods Vi. It has an extremely tight security system so he¡¯ll be


    safe.¡±


    Pinewoods Vi was a private vi that waspletedst year. Matthew had brought Veronica to the


    ce once.


    The vi took inspiration from Renaissance architecture and looked like a castle straight out of a


    fairytale. It was extravagant in every sense of the word.


    Before they got married, Matthew had decided to make Pinewoods Vi their marital home, but in the


    end, Veronica did not have a chance to move in yet.


    Caleb, Miguel, and Skyler nced among themselves before nodding atst.


    ¡°That works. It¡¯ll be more suitable for him to recuperate at Pinewoods Vi.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll feel more at ease if he¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°Now that Matt¡¯s injured, the most important thing is to guarantee his safety.¡±


    ¡°s, Matt is useless now¡­ Ouch! What are you doing, Miguel?¡± Skyler did not think there was


    anything wrong with what he said, but Miguel kicked him.


    Skyler frowned and exined, ¡°It¡¯s not a nice thing to say, but it¡¯s true. Matt¡¯s useless now, and what I


    meant to say is that in his current condition, people most likely won¡¯t be wary of him anymore, and it¡¯s


    unlikely that they¡¯ll try to harm him further.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Drew has a point,¡± Caleb agreed.


    Veronica sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll keep him safe. I also want to get in touch with a stic surgeon as soon as


    possible so that he can undergo facial reconstruction surgery.¡±


    Skyler nodded. ¡°I thought about that too. Leave it to me. I know an internationally-renowned stic


    surgeon who can definitely help Matt recover his looks.¡±

 Chapter 661

    Chapter 661


    Chapter 661 An Update


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Grandma to know about Matt¡¯s current condition. I¡¯m worried that it might aggravate her


    condition as well, so please help me keep it a secret.¡±


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    Elizabeth¡¯s Alzheimer¡¯s was getting worse, and if she found out that Matt was heavily injured, it might


    be too overwhelming for her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We understand.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t tell Old Mrs. Kings about it.¡±


    ¡°I was nning on keeping it from her too.¡± The three men readily agreed. They were all grownups


    now. It was time they learned to be more discerning when it came to sharing bad news.


    ¡°Thank you. All of you have been working so hard to try and find Matt throughout the past few months. I


    really¡­ can¡¯t thank you guys enough.¡±


    A word of thanks felt meager inparison to all that they had done, but considering the wealth and


    status that each of them had, there was nothing Veronica could give that would count as adequate


    compensation either.


    In any case, it was crude to bring up money in these sorts of scenarios, and also uncalled for


    considering the rtionship they had with Matt. Regardless, she would never forget what they had


    done for her and Matt.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been friends with Matt for a long time now, and even though we¡¯re not rted, I think of him as my


    brother, so you don¡¯t need to feel indebted to us.¡± Miguel nced at the x-ray room and said kindly, ¡°If


    you run into any trouble, remember to let us know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t feel like you can¡¯t ask us for help,¡± Caleb assured.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be your children¡¯s godfathers too, so we¡¯re one big family. You don¡¯t need to feel bad


    about relying on us,¡± Skyler added.


    They knew how difficult things were for Veronica right now and had deep sympathy for Matthew¡¯s


    predicament. Now that the couple was reunited, they hoped that the family would remain safe and


    sound.


    Soon, Matthew was done with his various checkups and it was time to go through all the reports.


    They gathered in the hospital director¡¯s office.


    Their expressions were grim as they watched the pile of reports grow taller.


    One of the specialist doctors started exining the situation. ¡°His memory loss is caused by a blood


    clot formed after his head injury. He will regain his memory once the blood clot dissolves. As for the


    loss of speech, it¡¯s due to the blunt force trauma that damaged the corticalnguage areas of his


    cerebral cortex. As it has been quite some time since his injury, it¡¯s quite unlikely for him to recover his


    speech.¡±


    The doctor exined the report in great detail to Veronica.


    Despite having braced herself beforehand, the doctor¡¯s words still hit her like a wrecking ball that


    smashed whatever hope she could muster to smithereens.


    She looked at Matthew and slowly crouched down beside him to ask, ¡°Did you hear what the doctor


    said?¡±


    Matthew stared nkly for a moment before nodding.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, at Castron.


    Zac was hard at work in his study when he received a call from Conrad.


    ¡°Matthew didn¡¯t die. They found him.¡±


    Zac straightened up in his chair once he heard what Conrad said. ¡°What did you say? He¡¯s not dead


    yet? He didn¡¯t die even though Troy fired three bullets into his chest at such a short distance?¡±


    ¡°He escaped with his injuries, but the car exploded when it fell into the river. He lost his left arm and his


    face is disfigured. Not only has he lost his memory, but he lost his ability to speak and his legs seemed


    to have been injured as well. He¡¯s a paraplegic now.¡±


    Conrad¡¯s tone was a little gleeful as he ryed all the information.


    ¡°Oh? That bad, huh? Are you sure it¡¯s him?¡± Zac could not help but feel suspicious.


    ¡°100% positive. He still has the wounds on him, as well as scars from old injuries. They¡¯ve spent the


    last three months looking for him. Once they found out where he was, they rushed over to pick him up,


    and they brought him to the hospital for a full checkup. I heard that Veronica nearly fainted when she


    saw Matthew.¡±


    Conrad was positively giddy with joy when he heard about it.


    Then, he asked, ¡°Do we still need to get rid of him?¡±


    Zac cocked his eyebrows after taking in the news. He chuckled and said, ¡°A missing arm, a disfigured


    face, memory loss, and loss of speech as well. Tsk tsk tsk¡­ It¡¯s a pity to see him now, especially when


    you think about what he used to be. What¡¯s the point of killing a guy like him? We should let him keep


    his sorry excuse of a life. After all, he has nothing left. Being alive is far more excruciating than death.¡±

 Chapter 662

    Chapter 662


    Chapter 662 Trying to Please Zac


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Wait. Let me send you a photo.¡± Conrad put the call on speaker before sending Zac a photo


    of Matthew in his current state. He cackled and said, ¡°Look at him now. Nothing gives me greater


    satisfaction.¡± A few secondster, Zac received the photo.


    After clicking into it, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ He looks so pitiful. I wouldn¡¯t have believed


    that this is Matthew Kings if it hadn¡¯t been for the other half of his face.¡± ¡°I know, right?¡±


    ¡°Leave him be for now. It mighte in handy in the future.¡± Zac stroked his jaw. ¡°Seems like Troy


    Ritter is a pretty ruthless fellow. There¡¯s no telling what he might do, so make sure to keep him well-


    protected. It¡¯d be a great loss to lose such an able man.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t even manage to kill Matthew even though he was that close. Are you sure he can be


    trusted?¡±


    Conrad was overwhelmingly cautious whenever it came to people that were rted to Matthew. That


    included Troy.


    ¡°It just proves that Matthew¡¯s a hard man to kill. My men saw with their own eyes how the three shots


    were fired right at Matthew¡¯s heart, and yet, he still survived.¡±


    Zac shook his head andmented, ¡°Still, even though he¡¯s not dead, he¡¯s still useless now and not


    someone we need to be afraid of anymore. s, with one less rival around, it feels like things would be


    a little boring from now on. Hahahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°You have a point.¡± Conrad chuckled along with Zac. Matthew¡¯s presence used to be Conrad¡¯s greatest


    threat. He even went through all that effort to locate his child just for the sake of taking over


    Spinfluence Group.


    However, in the three months since Matthew¡¯s disappearance, even though he didn¡¯t have his child as


    a bargaining chip, he was still able to take over Spinfluence Group with great ease. He wasn¡¯t keen on


    taking care of the child that b*tch Yvonne gave birth to anyway.


    Whenever he saw that child, he would get shbacks of Veronica destroying his manhood, and he


    would be overwhelmed with the urge to choke that child to death.


    After giving an update on Matthew¡¯s situation, Conrad recalled the actual purpose of him making the


    phone call, so he said, ¡°I¡¯m trying to take over Halston Technology which is still under Matthew¡¯s name.


    Thepany is currently researching unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and they¡¯ve reached thest


    few stages. Once they¡¯ve seeded, they¡¯ll have made a giant leap into the aviation industry and will


    definitely have one foot through the door when ites to military contracts. If¡­¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and say how much.¡±


    The moment Conrad started speaking, Zac knew that he was asking for money.


    ¡°Halston Technology¡¯s most valuable asset is the core technology for their UAV. I heard that Matthew


    invested several billion into the research. We need to either think of a way to acquire thepany itself


    or acquire the entire operation that handles the core technology research. Whichever one it is, it¡¯s still


    going to cost a lot of money.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Conrad didn¡¯t report an actual figure. He merely gave a broad overview of the situation to Zac.


    When it came down to it, Zac was the one holding the purse strings, so Conrad did not have a say.


    ¡°Do I look like an ATM to you? Ever since you took over Spinfluence Group, I¡¯ve pumped in about 15


    billion in funding and investments. Are you asking me to fork out a few billion more now? Do you think I


    print the money myself?¡±


    Zac mmed his hand against the desk in fury as he growled, ¡°It¡¯s been three months. I¡¯ve only seen


    several hundred thousand in profit. When am I ever going to make my money back?¡±


    ¡°You hold the majority stake in all the projects you invested in, so you¡¯ll receive the bulk of the profits


    once the money startsing in, but this will take time, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Don¡¯t bother giving me excuses. I¡ª¡±


    Zac was about to continue his rant when Conrad cut him off. ¡°When are youing to Bloomstead?


    It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw you. I miss you.¡±


    That left Zac speechless for a moment.


    He flicked his blonde hair aside as his blue eyes deepened. He chuckled and asked, ¡°Are you missing


    me or the ¡®little me¡¯?¡±


    Conrad¡¯s face was contorted with disgust, but he pretended to be calm. ¡°There¡¯s no difference.¡±

 Chapter 663

    Chapter 663


    Chapter 663 Going Into Labor


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Fine. I¡¯ll make some time for a trip to Bloomstead in a few days. Wait for me.¡± Zac threw his


    head back with a chuckle and ended the call.


    After putting the phone away, Conrad stared out the window with a dark gaze. Zac was the kind that


    was easily blinded by lust. Everything could be settled in bed.


    Conrad was green with envy over the 45 billion that Zac got from the Spencers. Once he pocketed the


    whole sum, Zac would be of no use to him anymore!


    ¡­


    Matthew was hospitalized for treatment, and Veronica spent all her waking hours at the hospital with


    him, with work being the only exception. The stic surgeon arrived in Bloomstead very quickly, and


    aftering up with a n for the procedure, he began the first surgery.


    It was a sess, and over the following months, Matthew underwent several more facial reconstruction


    surgeries. Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the third of May.


    Veronica, who carried on working as her belly continued to protrude further and further, suddenly felt a


    sharp pain in her lower abdomen. Liquid started trickling down her thighs, so she quickly said to Yvette,


    ¡°T-Take me to the hospital, now.¡±


    Her due date was supposed to be the eighteenth of May and she didn¡¯t think that the babies would


    arrive two weeks early.


    Everyone in the meeting room was frantic. Immediately, they started checking in on her. ¡°Are you


    alright, Miss Murphy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my. You¡¯re going intobor.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how dedicated to work you are. You¡¯re even holding a meeting when you¡¯re about to go


    intobor.¡±


    ¡°Quick. Take her to the hospital right away.¡±


    The senior executives at Halston Technology thought highly of Veronica, and their concern for her was


    genuine too.


    After helping Veronica downstairs to the car, Thomas dashed over to the driver¡¯s seat while Yvette


    stayed with Veronica to keep her steady. The car sped straight to the hospital.


    Once they arrived at Saint Private Hospital, Veronica was taken into the delivery room.


    Matthew, Miguel, Caleb, Skyler, Monica, and Shirley all rushed over as soon as they got the news.


    They gathered outside the delivery room and waited fretfully.


    Matthew couldn¡¯t speak, so he could only sit in his wheelchair and stare at the delivery room in silence.


    Miguel¡¯s expression was grim. He nced at Thomas and asked sternly, ¡°Veronica¡¯sbor date was


    right around the corner. Why did you let her continue working at the office?¡±


    Thomas sighed helplessly. ¡°Conrad has been lying in wait all along. Recently, he started making a


    move on Halston Technology. Miss Murphy was worried that Conrad might take thepany away, so


    she has been working overtime every day without letting us know about it. How was I supposed to stop


    her?¡±


    Yvette pursed her lips and added just as helplessly, ¡°Miss Murphy has been working herself to the


    bone. The only time she¡¯s not working is when she gets her six hours of sleep. Thomas and I try to


    minimize bringing up work in front of her, but she has her ways of finding out what¡¯s going on with the


    company.¡±


    After hearing the two of them, Shirley began to chastise herself over her inadequacy. Despite having


    taken over Vincere Games for nearly seven months now, she still had to trouble Veronica on and off


    whenever she encountered something she couldn¡¯t handle.


    ¡°Miss Murphy has been dealing with a lot of matters for First Meeting too. She¡­¡± Monica¡¯s heart ached


    for Veronica. ¡°Ever since President Kings lost his memory, Miss Murphy has been shouldering the


    burden of everything by herself. Although she¡¯s pregnant with twins, she has only gained 20 pounds


    during her pregnancy. My heart aches to see her like this.¡±


    ¡°Roni¡¯s incredible. I don¡¯t think I could ever be as strong as her.¡± Skyler nced at the delivery room.


    His heart thumped ufortably as he heard her agonizing screamsing through the walls.


    Time continued ticking. Crayson got the news and rushed over as well.


    Veronica¡¯s painful cries echoed in the corridor, and everyone continued to wait anxiously.


    After two hours and forty minutes, the screams stopped atst. The light in the delivery room dimmed


    as the door opened and two nurses came out with smiles on their faces. ¡°Congrattions! It was a


    smooth delivery. She gave birth to a pair of twins¡ªa son and a daughter. Come. Who¡¯s the father?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Matthew. He was missing an arm and could not hold the babies.

 Chapter 664

    Chapter 664


    Chapter 664 Twins


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold the baby. Let me take a look at my grandson.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll hold the other one.¡± Miguel and Skyler


    stepped forward and took the two bundled-up babies from the nurses. They brought them over to


    Matthew.


    ¡°Look, Matt. It¡¯s our little princess. She¡¯s adorable.¡± ¡°Matthew, look at this little rascal. He looks just like


    you when you were a baby. I recall seeing your baby photos before. You looked just like them.¡±


    After listening to the two of them, Matthew looked at the babies, and his formerly heavily-disfigured


    face morphed into a smile.


    There was a smile on Crayson¡¯s ordinarily stern face as well. He used his right index finger to stroke


    the little baby girl¡¯s face and chuckled. ¡°Look at her brows. She¡¯s going to take after Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ Mr. Crayson, she hasn¡¯t even opened her eyes yet. How do you know she looks like


    Veronica?¡± Shirley teased. Everyone chuckled along with them.


    Soon, Veronica was wheeled out of the delivery room. She was unconscious after expending too much


    energy duringbor. She had bled out a lot as well.


    The group filed into the hospital ward behind her and quickly busied themselves with the cots for the


    two newborns. They happily fussed over the babies.


    After everything that happened, the two children were like a ray of sunlight that appeared after the


    storm¡¯s passing. They were all in a great mood now.


    One of the babies started crying and the other followed suit, which made the crowded hospital ward


    even more stifling.


    Veronica woke up. She leaned against the headboard and stared at the two cots beside her before


    shing everyone a weak smile. ¡°Let me take a look at the two babies.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll bring them over to you right away.¡±


    Shirley cradled the little girl in her arms and brought her over to Veronica. She giggled and said, ¡°Look,


    Veronica. She looks just like you. She¡¯ll be a beauty when she grows up.¡±


    ¡°Here. This is the little guy. I think he¡¯s calmer than his sister.¡± Monica brought the other baby


    over. Crayson frowned and asked, ¡°Have you and Matthew decided on the children¡¯s names yet?¡±


    Veronica nced at Matthew and replied softly, ¡°Yeah. We talked about this before. Our daughter will


    be Ada Kings, A-D-A, while our son will be n Kings.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Skyler chuckled in amusement. ¡°Roni, isn¡¯t that a bit too simple? Ada?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. Ada is a simple name, but it means ¡®happy¡¯. I want her to have a happy, simple life.¡±


    A simple name that meant happy, but in reality, it wasn¡¯t easy to live a simple, happy life. Veronica


    didn¡¯t want her children to go down the same paths she did. Matthew nodded in agreement.


    The others stayed for a little longer before Veronica said, ¡°Why don¡¯t all of you go home first? I feel like


    sleeping now. Thomas, stay a little longer. I want to talk to you about something.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    The others started saying their goodbyes, peppered with all sorts of words of advice, and they


    promised toe again tomorrow.


    Crayson and Matthew followed the others and waited outside the room. All at once, Veronica and


    Thomas were the only ones left in the spacious room. ¡°Mrs. Kings?¡±


    Thomas stood beside the bed and called out to her respectfully. Veronica stared at the two babies who


    were sound asleep in their cots. She had a slight frown as she asked slowly, ¡°Did everything go


    smoothly? No one suspected anything, right?¡±


    Thomas exhaled in relief and said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Mrs. Kings. If you hadn¡¯t gone along with the


    n like clockwork, it would¡¯ve all been for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll leave all the power in your hands. Remember to be careful and not give


    anything away.¡± She gazed at Thomas with piercing eyes and a grave expression. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Kings.


    Don¡¯t worry. Nothing will go wrong.¡±


    ¡°Make sure to keep everything confidential. No one else must know about this apart from you and


    me.¡± ¡°You got it,¡± Thomas promised firmly.

 Chapter 665

    Chapter 665


    Chapter 665 The Babies¡¯ First Month


    ¡°Carry on with work. Ask the others toe in.¡± She waved Thomas off. Soon after he left, Crayson,


    Matthew, and Yvette returned to the room.


    Veronica said to Yvette, ¡°Yvette, hurry up and find two confinementdies to help with the babies. I¡¯ll ask


    the hospital to discharge me tomorrow. There¡¯s still a ton of work waiting for me at the office.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! You just gave birth. It¡¯s fine if you put off work for a little longer.¡± Crayson was worried


    about Veronica. He didn¡¯t want her to start working so soon.


    Even Matthew nodded along and gestured for her to rest instead of returning to work. Veronica smiled.


    She knew they were concerned for her. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. It was a natural delivery, not a Cesarean section.¡±


    After C-sections, the mothers would need to remain in the hospital for at least two weeks, but when it


    came to natural deliveries, the women could be discharged after a day or two. It was even possible to get


    out of bed right after giving birth too.


    The next day, Veronica was forced to remain in the hospital to rest. Tony and Danie rushed into the city


    bringing eggs and chickens with them. They showered Veronica with concern.


    Meanwhile, Matthew¡¯s facial reconstruction surgery had been very sessful. The surgeon worked on


    making the disfigured half of Matthew¡¯s face resemble what he used to look like based on the photos he


    was provided. However, he still needed to do a few touch-ups, and these had to wait.


    Thus, the following day, the whole family moved back into Pinewoods Vi.


    Danie personally saw to all of Veronica¡¯s meals as she stayed with her throughout her confinement


    period.


    Veronica had initially wanted to lose baby weight right after giving birth. She weighed 103 pounds when


    she was discharged from the hospital, but after her confinement month, she weighed 108 pounds


    instead.


    However, as she didn¡¯t breastfeed and didn¡¯t stay up all night with the babies, herplexion was


    healthy and glowing.


    When Tony and Danie took the two babies out on a walk around therge vipound, Crayson


    went into Veronica¡¯s study and closed the door behind him.


    ¡°Veronica, it¡¯s already¡­¡±


    Crayson had something he wanted to say, but Veronica interrupted him. ¡°I know. You need to return to


    the hidden n next month and you need to head off earlier. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already prepared for it.¡±


    She said all this without even taking her eyes off the desk in front of her.


    Once she finished, she made a call to Thomas. ¡°Get in touch with Conrad. Sell Halston Technology to


    him for 4.5 billion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Kings.¡±


    Thomas acknowledged her instructions without further questions.


    Once that was done, Veronica closed the file in front of her and looked up at Crayson with a determined


    expression. ¡°Go and get ready. You can head back to the hidden n the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Crayson was taken aback by her reaction. ¡°Halston Technology is very important to you. Why did you


    decide to sell it off all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very important to me, but I need to go back to the hidden n too, so I have to give up on


    Halston Technology. Otherwise, who¡¯s going to guarantee that all will be well with thepany while I¡¯m


    not in the country?¡±


    Veronica came up with the n to sell off Halston Technology a long time ago. It was not ast-minute


    decision.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    She leaned back in her chair and stared out the window. ¡°The only people I¡¯m worried about now are


    Matt and the children. Everything else can¡¯t affect me.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell your parents that you¡¯re going to Castron. They won¡¯t suspect a thing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Crayson.¡±


    Veronica thanked him simply before burying her head in work again.


    Crayson stood in silence and frowned. He stared at Veronica with searching eyes. For some reason, he


    felt as if she had changedpletely after finding Matthew again. Her attitude toward him was a lot more


    distant than before.


    The next day, Veronica organized a one-month celebration for Ada and n. It was held right at


    Pinewoods Vi.


    She only invited their closest friends such as Miguel, Skyler, Caleb, Abby, Monica, Shirley, Sean, Larry,


    Stephen, Ivana, Wade, and Ruka. No one else was invited, not even Elizabeth.

 Chapter 666

    Chapter 666


    Chapter 666 A Partnership with Zac


    Three dayster, Conrad purchased Halston Technology for 4.5 billion. One weekter, Veronica got a


    bunch of people to keep watch around Pinewoods Vi to make sure that Matthew and the kids were


    protected. Then, she headed to Castron with Thomas and Crayson. They were nning to meet the


    hidden n once they arrived.


    Meanwhile, Conrad gave Zac a call. ¡°I¡¯ve already purchased Halston Technology, and Veronica and


    Crayson are on the way to Castron. I bet their next step will be to visit the hidden n,¡± Conrad uttered.


    ¡°I heard about this.¡± Zac had a woman in his arms, and she was massaging the man¡¯s firm muscles.


    ¡°We need to find a way to capture Matthew and bring him to Castron as well.¡±


    ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll arrange for that to be done.¡± Conrad waspletely obedient to Zac.


    ¡°Once you capture him, there won¡¯t be anyone around to keep an eye over all of Matthew¡¯spanies.


    This would be the best time for you to snatch all his otherpanies. Don¡¯t let me down, Conrad,¡± Zac


    added.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure everything goes well,¡± he replied. As long as Veronica and Matthew weren¡¯t


    in the country, Conrad could easily destroy the rest of Matthew¡¯spanies. He would then purchase


    them at a low rate. He could leave Matthew with nothing to his name in just a span of two months.


    Whenever this thought shed across Conrad¡¯s mind, he felt wildly excited.


    After ending the call, Zac lowered his phone onto the table and gazed at the woman in front of him. She


    had the exact same face as Veronica, and she was dressed in a gray, casual outfit. She was smoking


    the cigarette between her fingers with a rxed look on her face. ¡°Are you going to tell me your n


    now, Miss Larson?¡± he asked.


    Tiffany had cut her hair so that the endsy in an even line above her shoulders. She shot an icy re


    at the woman sitting beside Zac before giving him a look. Zac immediately got what she meant. ¡°Be a


    good girl and wait for me outside,¡± he uttered while giving the girl a squeeze on her waist. The girl


    nodded and let herself out of the room.


    ¡°Alright. Speak up.¡± Zac lifted his hand to bring his cigarette closer to his lips. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh


    when he next looked at Tiffany. ¡°You and Veronica look practically like the same person. I would have


    thought you were her if you hadn¡¯t told me who you were,¡± he said.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why would I want to have a partnership with you if I didn¡¯t look exactly like her, right, Prince Zac?¡± An


    icy look surfaced in Tiffany¡¯s eyes at the mention of Veronica. She despised Veronica after everything


    that she had gone through. Tiffany had to spend an entire year training herself just so that she could


    finally show herself in public. This also gave her the ability to negotiate with others.


    For example, she could now get the prince of Castron, Zac, to do some stuff for her. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m all


    ears.¡± Zac was prepared to hear what she had to say. ¡°Prince Zac, I¡¯m sure you understand why


    they¡¯ve only attacked Matthew without ever attacking Veronica, right?¡± Tiffany started with a question.


    Zac lowered his gaze and thought about the question with a serious look on his face. ¡°Veronica is the


    next Young Lord of the hidden n. I doubt anyone would have the guts toy hands on her until she


    returns to the hidden n. However, I¡¯m not sure about the logic behind this. I might have heard a thing


    or two, but I¡¯m not too sure,¡± he uttered.


    Even with the powerful resources he had, Zac didn¡¯t have the guts to attack Veronica either. Firstly, he


    was slightly afraid of the consequences. Secondly, Veronica was a key figure in the hidden n. He


    had been intrigued by the hidden n for a long time, so he wanted to wait for the chaos to arise when


    Veronica first met with the hidden n. That way, he¡¯d be able to proceed with his n of sneaking into


    the n.


    ¡°Well, let me tell you a thing or two about this,¡± Tiffany uttered.

 Chapter 667

    Chapter 667


    Chapter 667 Tiffany¡¯s n


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Tiffany really wanted Zac to be on her side, so she had no choice but to tell him everything that she


    knew. ¡°There was some internal conflict going on with the hidden n a few years ago, and the head of


    the hidden n¡¯s left party, Tanya Ledger, tried to overtake the head of the n.


    She murdered the head of the n, Nadine Elrod, while Nadine¡¯s daughter, Hayley Elrod, escaped.


    Later on, Hayley gave birth to Veronica. As you know, they ce more importance on girlspared to


    boys, so after Veronica was born, they used their new skills to clone another girl.


    I¡­ am that girl. Throughout the years, Randy and I stayed in the Larson Residence just to catch the


    attention of the public. They used me to redirect the attention in order to protect Veronica, who was


    hidden the whole time.¡±


    ¡°Initially, Veronica didn¡¯t have to appear in public before returning to the hidden n. Unfortunately,


    things didn¡¯t go as nned, and Randy was diagnosed with leukemia.


    He needed a bone marrow transnt, and I wasn¡¯t a good match for it, so Veronica was the one who


    ended up doing it. The transnt was a sess. In order for Veronica to be willing to help with


    Randy¡¯s illness, the Larsons harmed her parents and forced Veronica to donate her bone marrow.


    That was what triggered the rest of the events. What amuses me the most is that I never knew all these


    things,¡± Tiffany uttered. She then let out a scoff. Her grip on her cigarette tightened, and the ash fell


    onto the ground. Tiffany¡¯s knuckles were white, and her eyes were filled with an unconceble rage.


    ¡°After that, the current head of the n, Tanya, found out about my existence. She tried multiple times


    to kill me, but I somehow managed to survive her attacks.


    The veryst time it happened was that time when the news announced that I hadmitted suicide


    by jumping off a building. Fortunately, Hendrey managed to n things out and save me before taking


    me away from Bloomstead. It was only after that that I understood the purpose of my existence.


    I was only here to be Veronica¡¯s recement, and my job was to protect her while she returned to the


    hidden n. However, those peopleter realized that Veronica was too smart and that she couldn¡¯t be


    controlled.


    That was when they started to see me differently¡ªthey wanted to use me as their final weapon. If


    something happened to Veronica, they would use me as their dummy for a lifetime. Or if they had no


    choice, they would sacrifice my life to save hers. Hahaha¡­¡±


    Tiffanyughed at her situation while she bent down and pulled out another cigarette for herself. She


    popped the ball that gave the cigarette its vor, ced it below her nose, and sniffed it before putting it


    between her lips.


    She lit the cigarette and took a big puff. When Zac heard what Tiffany said, he finally knew that


    whatever he had heard was the truth. He shrugged helplessly. ¡°I sympathize with your situation, but I


    don¡¯t think I can be of much help to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being too humble, Prince Zac.¡± Tiffany raised her hand to brush her fringe aside before she


    curled her red lips into a smirk. ¡°The hidden n is located beyond the eastern border of Castron, and


    it¡¯s surrounded by mountains.


    They have tons of rich minerals around them, and they are situated in a spot where the maic fields


    are naturally disrupted by the geography of the ce. So, the outside world cannot contact the hidden


    n at all. The hidden n has been cut off from the world for a long time now.¡±


    ¡°From what I know, Castron has always wanted to obtain the hidden n¡¯s minerals and resources. I


    believe you¡¯d be able to secure your role as the prince of Castron if you manage to get the hidden


    n¡¯s resources, Prince Zac,¡± Tiffany said. Zac¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard something that he was


    interested in. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯d like to work with you, Prince Zac. If you help me to murder Matthew and Veronica to make sure


    that I sessfully get my spot as the head of the n, then I¡¯ll work with you and share the resources


    you want with you.¡±


    Deep down, Tiffany didn¡¯t have high hopes of actually bing the head of the n. She¡¯d be d if


    she actually got to be the head of the n, but even if she didn¡¯t get to do so, her priority was to kill


    Veronica and Matthew. She despised both of them.


    After finishing her words, she saw a look of shock in Zac¡¯s blue eyes. He stared at her for a long while


    as if he was contemting.

 Chapter 668

    Chapter 668


    Chapter 668 Tiffany¡¯s Hunting Her Down


    Tiffany continued speaking after that. ¡°Your benefits are way higher than your risks here. If we seed,


    we¡¯ll join forces and enjoy our victory together. If we fail, then¡­ No. I believe we wouldn¡¯t fail with the


    power that you have, Prince Zac.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Zac tilted his head back tough when he heard her words. However, she couldn¡¯t seem to


    understand what was going on in his mind when she looked into his eyes, which looked like endless


    pits of darkness.


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart woman, Miss Larson. How are you sure that I¡¯m not going to fail?¡± Zac always knew


    about the grudge Tiffany held against Veronica, but he never knew how greedy and wild she was.


    ¡°Everyone knows how powerful the prince is. There¡¯s no need for you to be all humble. Also, perhaps


    you don¡¯t know this, but I saw the primary prince, Alfred, heading over to meet that person,¡± Tiffany


    stated.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Alfred Francis was the primary prince of Castron, and he was the king¡¯s favorite son. Zac was just the


    secondary prince, and the king¡¯s love for him was merely superficial.


    There had been an unspoken rivalry between Zac and Alfred for years now, and they never got along


    with each other. The ¡®person¡¯ that Tiffany was referring to was the mysterious person whom Tiffany had


    the honor to meet a few times.


    As expected, Zac¡¯s expression darkened the moment he heard Tiffany¡¯s words. He knitted his brows


    together and clenched his fist with his cigarette still between his fingers. Tiffany nced at his posture


    and noticed how furious he was.


    At that moment, she knew that she was on her way to seeding with her n. She pulled her phone


    out to validate the statement that she had just made. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re familiar with this ce, Prince


    Zac,¡± she uttered while showing him the surveince camera footage.


    The video showed Alfred appearing in a part of the castle. He hurried over to the main hall of


    Antheena¡¯s castle. Zac¡¯s muscles were tense as he red at the footage with a burning hatred in his


    eyes. After being silent for a long while, he finally spoke. ¡°How should I know if I can trust you as a


    partner?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to rely on each other as long as we know that our sess will give us what each of us


    wants. After all, I¡¯ll still need your help in the future, and you¡¯re not going to lose anything by helping me


    now.¡± Tiffany had brought up the matter of her seeing Alfred in Antheena¡¯s castle because it indicated


    that he was forming a partnership with someone.


    In other words, if Zac didn¡¯t seize the opportunity that Tiffany was offering him, he would lose to Alfred.


    If that happened, Alfred would naturally be the first and obvious choice as their next king.


    Zac hesitated for a moment before agreeing to Tiffany¡¯s offer. Both of them started working on their


    n.


    ¡­


    Two nightster, Destiny and Crayson left to discuss and decide on their n to return to the hidden


    n. Veronica and Thomas had gone to the outskirts where the private detective agency was.


    They wanted to check out the situation there. However, as they were on their way back, the vignt


    Thomas realized that someone was following them.


    ¡°We¡¯re being trailed, Mrs. Kings,¡± he announced. Veronica had aptop on her thighs, and theptop


    consisted of all sorts of data that Yvette had sent to her. She was too focused on reading one of the


    reports, so she didn¡¯t even bother to lift her head up.


    ¡°Get rid of them,¡± she ordered. She had been through too much to even feel surprised by her situation


    at that point. Naturally, she was no longer that little girl who would panic when encountering such


    matters.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Thomas floored the gas pedal, and Veronica felt her body being thrown backward. She knitted


    her brows together in response to her back being pressed against her seat, and she shut herptop as


    she figured that she wouldn¡¯t be able to work in that situation.


    Screech¡­ Bang! All of a sudden, two sedans appeared in front of them, and Thomas had no choice


    but to hit the brakes. The car behind them was speeding, so it mmed directly into the rear of their


    car.


    Veronica¡¯s body was thrown forward, and her head struck the dashboard on the passenger¡¯s side. She


    saw stars for a moment. ¡°Are you okay, Mrs. Kings?¡± Thomas asked frantically. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She waved


    him off before opening the car and getting out of it.

 Chapter 669

    Chapter 669


    Chapter 669 Matthew¡¯s Held at Gunpoint


    Castron had a rtively low poption density, and there were even fewer people to be seen around


    them since they were on the outskirts of the city. The streets didn¡¯t even have any street lights.


    Veronica got out of the car, and she had to rely on their car headlights to see that there were three cars


    behind them and two in front of them. More than ten men pushed their doors open and got out of the


    five cars.


    Someone who was in the van at the back was pushed out in a wheelchair. Veronica felt her heart


    sinking when she saw the person. ¡°Matt?¡± she uttered.


    ¡°Hey, Veronica. It¡¯s been a while.¡± A familiar female voice sounded in the crowd, and Veronica turned


    over to find Tiffany walking out from the group of men. She was dressed in a tight, ck suit, and she


    had a bob cut that seemed to sharpen her features. She looked extremely foxy and seductive.


    It was then that Veronica realized how she hadn¡¯t seen Tiffany in more than a year. ¡°Tiffany, why¡­ Why


    did you kidnap Matt?¡± Veronica asked before sending Thomas a side re. ¡°What are you guys doing?


    Why didn¡¯t you tell me that Matt got kidnapped?¡± she hissed.


    Thomas felt sorry for himself. ¡°I¡­ I wanted to tell you, but Master Crayson didn¡¯t allow me to.


    Furthermore, they all said that they were looking for Young Master Matthew already.


    Telling you about it would only make you feel more worried.¡± Matthew, who was sitting in the


    wheelchair, spoke to her with the use of his limited signnguage. ¡®I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t me him for it.¡¯


    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re fine?! You got kidnapped!¡± Veronica growled.


    ¡°Oh, you lovebirds are making my eyes well up with tears.¡± Tiffany walked over to Matt and held onto


    the handles of his wheelchair before looking down at him. Then, she turned to gaze at Veronica.


    ¡°To watch your lover turn into a disabled and ugly man without an arm¡­ He¡¯s even mute now. Ah¡­


    how heartbreaking,¡± she uttered. ¡°Let go of him!¡± Veronica wanted to protect her husband. ¡°You can just


    come for me if you want to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Go for you, huh? Hahaha. Don¡¯t worry. Neither you nor Matthew are going to be free from my attacks!¡±


    Tiffany hade up with a detailed n before meeting Veronica today. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have


    had the guts to kidnap Matthew just like that.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to meet you at first, but we¡¯re siblings, after all¡ªI wanted you to know what was going on


    before you died, just so that you could find peace in your afterlife.¡± Tiffany sounded extremely arrogant


    as she spoke.


    All of a sudden, she grabbed onto Matthew¡¯s hair and pulled a gun out to hold it against his temple.


    ¡°Kneel down, or I¡¯ll kill him now!¡± Tiffany growled.


    Matthew was in a wheelchair, but his limbs were tied down, so he was practically no different from a


    farm animal that could be ughtered at any time. He couldn¡¯t even protest when Tiffany grabbed his


    hair.


    ¡°Let Young Master Matthew go!¡± Thomas felt rage building up in his chest. He pointed a gun toward


    Tiffany, but all of the men around her immediately directed their weapons at Thomas.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Tiffany had never felt so good in her life¡ªshe was pleased to see how helpless her


    enemies were. She pointed the gun at Matthew¡¯s left leg before shooting it once. She didn¡¯t hesitate for


    even a second before firing.


    Bang! The gunshot was extremely loud, and it scared off the birds in the trees around them. ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Matthew let out a cry of agony. His entire body was trembling as he was in a lot of pain. ¡°Look at that.


    What sort of man did I fall for in the past? Was he as cowardly as this?¡± Tiffany continued tugging on


    Matthew¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Back then, you heartlessly sent me to the hospital for an abortion, and you didn¡¯t allow me to get any


    anesthesia for it. You even got others to shame and embarrass me. Do you know how much I hate you,


    Matthew? No, I don¡¯t just hate you¡ªI also hate Veronica!¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Tiffany¡¯s emotions were starting to get out of hand, and she was acting on impulse at this point. She


    pointed her gun toward Matthew¡¯s right knee before firing twice. ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± The man was in so much


    pain, yet all he could do was twist and turn in the wheelchair as he cried out in agony.

 Chapter 670

    Chapter 670


    Chapter 670 He¡¯s Finally Back


    Since Matthew was mute, he couldn¡¯t say anything. He could still sign words with his hands even


    though they were tied, but he was just thrashing around and shaking his head frantically at this point.


    Tiffany felt at peace just to see how desperate and helpless he looked. She spread her lips into a smile


    as she saw him wailing in pain. Herugh made her sound almost like a mad woman.


    Veronica narrowed her eyes before turning to look at Thomas, who was standing beside her. They


    exchanged nces andmunicated only with their eyes. The very next second, Veronica lifted her


    hand up and pointed a gun directly at Tiffany before firing.


    Bang! Her attack was swift and urate, and it hit Tiffany directly in her chest. ¡°Ah!¡± Tiffany let out a


    loud cry. The bodyguards immediately tried to shoot Thomas and Veronica when they saw what


    happened. However, Thomas and Veronica had already done a backflip tond behind the bodyguards


    by then.


    The bodyguards had fired their guns only to realize that they had shot their colleagues who were


    standing on their opposite end. ¡°Ah¡­¡±


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    ¡°F*ck. I hit the wrong person¡­¡± a bodyguard muttered.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?!¡± a voice cried.


    ¡°Help me¡­¡± someone called.


    ¡°You guys are useless. You guys are supposed to kill Veronica and Thomas!¡± another one cried.


    ¡­


    While everyone was caught up in the chaos, Veronica shot the bodyguard in front of him. Once the


    man copsed, she snatched his gun and pointed it directly at Matthew, who was sitting in the


    wheelchair. She shot him once, and her bullet uratelynded right in the middle of his forehead. He


    died on the spot.


    ¡°Hurry up and run, Mrs. Kings. I¡¯ll protect you!¡± Thomas stood in front of Veronica to keep the other


    bodyguards away from her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to die from this. We can split up and run,¡± she


    cried. Then, both she and Thomas ran in opposite directions while shooting anyone who chased after


    them. About 20 minutester, Veronica managed to get rid of thest person who was chasing after


    her. It wasn¡¯t hard work at all.


    However, she was alone in the dark, and she had no idea where Thomas had gone. She could hear


    faint gunshots in the distance, but she was too tired to continue running, so she simply sat in silence


    while waiting for Thomas to deal with the rest of the people. All of a sudden, she heard a soft rustling


    from beside her. Vignce surfaced in her eyes, and she lowered her body from where she was sitting


    on the ground as she held onto her gun with both hands. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    She could feel that the person had stopped moving, but the person didn¡¯t seem like he was about to


    say anything, either. She froze for a few seconds and blinked before spreading her lips into a smile. ¡°I


    was about to find a stepfather for my kids if you had disappeared for any longer, you know,¡± she


    teased.


    ¡°Hah. Is that so?¡± This was a voice that Veronica hadn¡¯t heard in eight months. There was a twinge of


    pain in her chest when she first heard his voice. The pain seemed to spread all across her body, and it


    made a lump grow in her throat. Her vision started getting blurry.


    Matthew reached over and tugged on her hand before pulling her into his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I put you


    through all of that pain, silly girl,¡± he muttered.


    Veronica wrapped her arms around his waist before burying her face in his chest. She couldn¡¯t bring


    herself to say anything for a moment¡ªall she wanted to do was to inhale and take in his familiar scent.


    Matthew stroked her smooth hair in a gentle manner while he gazed at her lovingly. He had one arm


    around her waist, and he desperately wished that he could hold her forever. ¡°I took a peek at our kids.


    They¡¯re ugly. They don¡¯t look like either one of us,¡± he muttered. He couldn¡¯t resist the urge to fool


    around. ¡°How could my son be so ugly? I¡¯m Matthew¡ªMmmph!¡±


    Before he could finish his words, Veronica had already pushed him away and started punching him on


    his chest. ¡°You b*stard. Couldn¡¯t we have had a discussion first? Do you know how worried I was? I


    was nearly scared to death!¡± She was fuming, and she released all her pent-up rage as he punched


    him in the chest.


    Matthew stood in his spot without moving, and he allowed the woman to punch her however he


    wanted. ¡°Is that so? I couldn¡¯t tell that you were worried about me, but I sure was impressed by your


    amazing acting skills.¡±


    He lifted his hand to pinch her on the nose.

 Chapter 671

    Chapter 671


    Chapter 671 Return Me the Wedding Night


    Veronica scoffed as she ceased beating him. ¡°You¡¯re such a jerk! Do you have any idea how difficult it


    is for me to put on that act? What were you thinking when you found that recement, and even


    rendered him mute and handicapped with broken limbs? You¡¯re so vicious!¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t done by me.¡± Matthew took her hand in his and the two of them sat down on the ground,


    her in his embrace.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    When he was brought out of Antheena¡¯s castle, he was already mute as a result of being poisoned.


    The veins in his left leg ruptured, while his elbow became infected and had to be amputated. All of this


    had absolutely nothing to do with me.¡±


    The person who was killed by Veronica earlier was the one they found in the cer of Antheena¡¯s castle


    previously. It was the same man who looked like Matthew and was hired to pretend to be Matthew.


    More From The Web


    Subsequently, at the harbor, Xavier handed that man over to Thomas in exchange for Antheena, who


    had been kidnapped.


    That man, along with Troy, was then brought back for treatment in case they needed to use him in the


    future.


    As he resembled Matthew, Matthew sought out a top stic surgeon to perform minor procedures on


    the man, which resulted in him looking exactly like Matthew now.


    To deceive the others, all of the scars and wounds on the man¡¯s body were deliberately created in


    ordance with what Matthew had on his body.


    ¡°Tiffany shot him a few times earlier. Terrified, he used signnguage to tell them that he wasn¡¯t you,


    but they did not understand signnguage and thus didn¡¯t understand what he was saying.¡±


    ¡°So, you killed him?¡± In fact, Matthew understood everything.


    Veronica, on the other hand, felt bad for doing that as the man was innocent, but she was left with no


    other options. There would be a lot of repercussions in the future if she did not act cruelly and kill that


    man now.


    ¡°You did well. When Xavier handed him over to Thomas, he was already half dead. He would have died


    long ago if it hadn¡¯t been for my intervention. When he agreed to be my substitute, I had given his


    parents thirty million. He was expecting this day.¡±


    Matthew cradled Veronica¡¯s shoulders and he leaned in so that she could rest her head on his


    shoulder.


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t surprised by what he said. She was well aware that since the man was willing to be


    Matthew¡¯s substitute, he knew it would cost him his life.


    ¡°How clever my Roni is! So, when did you realize I was still alive?¡± he asked, hisrge palm caressing


    her cheek.


    ¡°When I heard that Thomas shot you three times in the heart, I knew you wouldn¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you once told me that your heart is on the right side. And when I first met that man in the


    small town, I knew he wasn¡¯t you. Caleb too. Being an investigator with excellent observational skills,


    he sensed the man wasn¡¯t you as well. However, he did not tell Miguel and Skyler.¡±


    Veronica leaned on his shoulders as she spoke, feeling happy but with something weighing on her


    heart.


    He shared a bed with her, and had apletely different vibe with that man. It was impossible for her


    to be so stupid that she couldn¡¯t recognise her own husband.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I made you suffer.¡±


    Matthew extended his hand. Lifting her chin, he moved closer, thereafter kissing her on the lips.


    It was only a soft kiss, but it sparked a burning fire between them both.


    With that, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back deeper. Their breaths were


    bing increasingly short and heavy.


    Matthew took off his suit jacket and spread it out on the floor before he pushed her down. ¡°Wifey, I¡¯m in


    the mood.¡±


    Moving closer to her ear, his breaths fell on her earlobe as he murmured, ¡°Our wedding night was


    postponed for eight months. Don¡¯t you think you shouldpensate me?¡±


    ¡°How dare you say that when you were the one who left me alone.¡± Veronica raised her head and bit


    his lips hard. ¡°I would have died of agony if I hadn¡¯t realized the man wasn¡¯t you. Were you not afraid of


    that?¡±


    ¡°Well, my wife is never someone who can be easily deceived.¡±

 Chapter 672

    Chapter 672


    Chapter 672 ¡®Matthew¡¯ Is Dead


    He then grinned roguishly andnded on top of her. The dark clouds were dissipating in the middle of


    the night, and the bright moon rays shone through the leafy trees, casting lovely shadows on the


    ground.


    Chirping of birds and insects filled the air. Fireflies, shining with beautiful green-yellow lights, were


    flying around freely.


    The duo¡¯s heavy breaths and light hums were both drowned out by the insects¡¯ chirping.


    Unknown to everyone else, it was a passionate and exhrating summer night for Matthew and


    Veronica.


    As Veronica¡¯s phone was left in the car, nothing, including phone calls, could interrupt them.


    But fate decided otherwise. About two hourster, Veronica heard someone yelling for her from a


    distance.


    ¡°D*mn!¡±


    Matthew scolded. ¡°I have to punish Thomas when I am back for destroying the ambience.¡±


    ¡°I truly pity him.¡±


    Veronica was amused by Matthew¡¯s words.


    After two hours of being intimately close, he reluctantly ended what he was doing.


    Then, he tightened his embrace around her and said, ¡°I have to leave now, Roni. You know what you


    have to do tomorrow.¡±


    When she heard that, she nuzzled her head against his chest and closed her eyes slowly. ¡°I can¡¯t bear


    leaving you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will look for you again.¡±


    ¡°Sure. But Matt, please take good care of yourself. Don¡¯t make me worry about you.¡±


    As if she couldn¡¯t bear to let him go, she hugged him tightly and kissed his lips.


    Her kiss wasmanding, craving for more, and she couldn¡¯t bear to let go of her hands at all.


    ¡°Alright. I really have to leave now.¡±


    Matthew held her face in his palms and gave her a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t trust


    anyone other than Thomas. Not even Master Crayson,¡± he reminded her, concerned.


    His words seemed to imply more, but she did not ask further.


    They then stood up and tidied their clothes. As he turned around, preparing to leave, she took his hand


    in hers.


    Their hands then gradually drew apart, leaving only their fingertips touching, and gradually, even the


    warmth on their fingertips faded away.


    In the dark, Veronica saw him vanish among the bushes.


    Her burning heart became empty with his departure.


    She stayed in the same spot, but she couldn¡¯t see him anymore. She could only listen to the sound of


    him moving through the bushes.


    It was only when the sound could no longer be heard that she raised her head to look at the night sky.


    The stars were shining and the moon was bright. All the moonlight that was shining on her made her


    feel warm.


    Everything was lovely andfortable at this point.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    She inhaled deeply, smelling the fresh and sweet air free of industrial pollution.


    Then, she tidied her hair, smoothed her clothes, and ran a small circle around the area to appear to be


    sweating profusely before running to the direction from which Thomas¡¯ voice came.


    ¡°Thomas, I am here,¡± she yelled when she got closer.


    The men rushed to her, followed by Thomas, who examined her from head to toe. ¡°Are you okay,


    Young Mistress?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright. They chased me too far inside, and coupled with the darkness of the night, I got lost. I


    almost couldn¡¯t find my way out.¡±


    Veronica gasped as she spoke, with one hand on her waist and the other wiping sweat from her head.


    ¡°Where is Matt? Did you all manage to save him? How about Tiffany?¡±


    The mention of Matthew made Thomas nervous. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and his throat was so dry


    that he found it hard to spit out a single word.


    Seeing that he went silent, one of the men beside him answered, ¡°¡®Matthew¡¯¡­ is dead. He was shot in


    the head, most likely while shots were firing amidst the chaos earlier. M-My condolences, Y-Young


    Mistress¡­¡±

 Chapter 673

    Chapter 673


    Chapter 673 They All Knew the Truth


    ¡°He¡­ He is dead?¡± Veronica was still in a happy and blissful mood as her thoughts were still on the


    man who had been intimate with her earlier, and his scent seemed to be lingering on her.


    It was like a child finally getting her favorite blueberry cake. This joy couldst her a few days. But now,


    she had to pretend that she was in agony because of ¡®Matthew¡¯s¡¯ death.


    This was extremely difficult for her. ¡°How¡­ How did this happen?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t in the mood to act and had no idea how to proceed. Hence, she pretended to faint right


    away. ¡°Young Mistress?¡±


    ¡°Are you alright, Young Mistress?¡± ¡°Get her to the car and send her to the hospital right away!¡±


    The conversation between the bodyguards and Thomas echoed throughout the surroundings. Then,


    they carried Veronica to the car. When they were loading her into the car, they identally used too


    much force and knocked her head against the car door, which luckily, she didn¡¯t yell in pain.


    The car started and drove away. She noticed that the cars behind followed as well. Not long after, they


    arrived at the hospital. Veronica was still pretending to be unconscious.


    She might have been caught if she had acted differently, but she waspletely confident in her act of


    being unconscious.


    When she was young, Crayson forced her to do extensive training. To avoid them, she would pretend


    to faint every now and then. Such deception was already etched in her bones.


    After various tests and scans, Veronica was taken to the ward. She heard someone talking initially, and


    thereafter, Crayson and Destiny came in.


    ¡°Matthew¡¯s death was a blow too heavy for Veronica.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. The Young Lord and President Kings are deeply in love. It must be extremely hard for her


    to ept his death.¡±


    They then sighed at the same time and said nothing further.


    Meanwhile, Thomas was busy contacting Caleb, Miguel and Skyler throughout the night.


    Veronica, on the other hand, actually fell asleep while pretending to be unconscious in the ward.


    The following morning, she awoke early. She sat up by herself when she noticed no one else in the


    room.


    Suddenly, the door swung open. Thomas walked in with his eyes red. His face was haggard, and his


    chin stubbled.


    Seeing that Veronica was awake, he slowly walked toward her. ¡°Young Mistress, Young Master


    Matthew¡­¡±


    While Thomas was speaking, he turned around to make sure no one was behind him before quietly


    closing the door. ¡°Has he been doing well recently?¡±


    His unexpected question stunned her. ¡°He¡­ is fine,¡± she replied, her eyes tinged with doubt.


    Thomas had always been so respectful and polite towards ¡®Matthew¡¯ that she assumed he was in the


    dark. It turned out that he knew everything since long ago but had kept quiet about it.


    This guy can truly hide things!


    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    He continued, standing in the ward with one hand on his waist and the other ruffling his hair, ¡°The


    imposter is no longer alive. How are we going to act like we¡¯re in pain?¡±


    ¡°When did you realize the truth?¡± She raised her head and looked at him. ¡°You truly kept it well from


    me!¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ I¡­ Uh¡­¡±


    Thomas gave an awkward smile in response. ¡°I¡¯ve always assumed you were in the dark. Hence, I


    don¡¯t dare to tell you in case you unintentionally let the cat out of the bag. But yesterday, after you


    emerged from the bushes, I smelt a familiar scent from you and I knew right away that you knew the


    truth.¡± He then added, ¡°I have no other ir besides being particrly sensitive to smell.¡±


    Thomas had previously assumed that Veronica was stupidly unaware of the entire situation, but it


    turned out that he was the one who was dumb.


    ¡°Did you tell anyone else?¡± she asked worriedly.


    He shook his head at that. ¡°No. But I sense that Caleb is beginning to doubt. Nothing can escape his


    hunch as an investigator. But Skyler and Miguel, I believe, do not suspect anything.¡±

 Chapter 674

    Chapter 674


    Chapter 674 Acting Is Difficult


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve sensed something, I believe both of them did as well. Miguel has been away for several


    years and may not have suspected anything, but Skyler is a doctor. He should be able to see that the


    wounds on the deceased man were all purposefully created.¡±


    Veronica began to analyze the situation. Then, she grumbled, ¡°And he is the type of person who cannot


    keep a secret! He might have also told Miguel. Everyone is just putting on a show right now.¡±


    Initially, Veronica thought that Skyler and Miguel would not have discovered the truth. However, given


    that Thomas had picked up on it, she assumed that Skyler and Miguel would have suspected it as well.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s what I think too,¡± Thomas agreed while nodding his head.


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    Then, as if he thought of something, he asked, ¡°Master Crayson seems to be feeling very heavy over


    the matter. Should we tell him the truth?¡±


    The mention of Crayson reminded Veronica of Matthew¡¯s words the night before. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t


    trust anyone. Not even Master Crayson.¡±


    With this in mind, Veronica pursed her lips and pondered for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. The


    fewer people who are aware of it, the better. We found out the truth because we are all close to Matt.


    Conrad, on the other hand, had been away for several years and didn¡¯t know Matt well, let alone Zac


    and the others. What we need to do now is to let everyone believe that Matt is no longer alive.¡±


    They were the only ones who knew Matt well, so in fact, it wasn¡¯t surprising for them to discover the


    truth.


    At this moment, footsteps resonated from the outside.


    Veronica quickly raised her gaze to exchange nces with Thomas. The next second, she started


    shaking her head, pinching her thigh hard, causing tears to well up in her eyes, and cried out, ¡°No! It¡¯s


    impossible! I don¡¯t believe he died just like this!¡±


    ¡°Sorry for your loss, Young Mistress. But you have to be strong for the sake of Ada and n!¡± Thomas


    right away yed along with her.


    Both of them acted with an easeparable to a professional actor.


    Crayson overheard their conversation as he entered the room. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad. What happened has


    happened. The most important thing right now is to return to the hidden n. It is no longer safe to stay


    here,¡± he said as he looked Veronica in the eyes, feeling sorry for her.


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not going back. I want to stay with Matt here. I don¡¯t want to go anywhere¡­¡±


    While Veronica was crying, she stood up and staggered to Thomas. ¡°Where¡¯s ¡®Matt¡¯? Where is his


    body? I want to be with him right now. Bring me to him.¡±


    ¡°His body is currently in the morgue. We have arranged with the aviation authority for a special ne to


    return his body to Bloomstead around two hourster,¡± Thomas responded as he looked at her, taken


    aback by how well she acted in her grief.


    It seemed that Veronica did learn a few things during her time at Starshine Media Agency.


    It was said that sheter met Larry, who casted her in a science fiction film. Though her role was minor,


    it was her first time acting in Starshine¡¯s film and Sean, the boss, had specifically engaged a


    professional trainer to teach her about acting.


    It was all thanks to Sean that Veronica could now act so well.


    ¡°I need to see him right now. He¡¯s not dead yet. He won¡¯t die so easily.¡±


    With tears flowing, Veronica walked past Thomas and Crayon and went straight to the lift entrance to


    wait for the elevator.


    However, at this instant, she took a sidelong nce and noticed a suspicious man standing near the


    nurse¡¯s station. Realizing that, she immediately squatted down and buried her face in her hands,


    sobbing.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Thomas and Crayson followed her out of the ward. Witnessing her sorrowful state, one of them was


    astounded by how well she acted, while the other¡¯s heart ached for her but he had no idea how to


    console her.


    ¡°Young Mistress, don¡¯t get too worked up. You have to ept it¡­¡± Thomas quickly ran over and helped


    her to her feet.

 Chapter 675

    Chapter 675


    Chapter 675 It¡¯s All Part of the n


    Because Thomas was leaning over to support Veronica by her arm, she got up and whispered in


    Thomas¡¯ ear, ¡°Someone is monitoring us. Go check the morgue¡¯s surveince and see if anyone has


    touched the body. You should know what to do.¡±


    Hearing that, he frowned as he knew what she meant. ¡°Understood,¡± he replied without turning his


    head, for fear that he would be exposed if he did.


    Hence, Thomas had no choice but to continue acting with Veronica. ¡°We have to respect the dead.


    Let¡¯s hurry back to the country. They are all waiting for Young Master Matthew back home.¡±


    After they went to the morgue, Veronica burst into tears while holding the corpse.


    Her grief-stricken act was a perfect enactment of how a heartbroken person would be.


    While Thomas stood aside tofort her, he took out his phone and sent a message to someone,


    asking him to check the surveince.


    Thomas got a reply half an hourter. ¡®Someone has definitely touched Young Master Matthew¡¯s


    corpse.¡±


    Holding his phone, Thomas gently touched Veronica¡¯s shoulder to let her take a look at the screen.


    Veronica, who was crying, quickly took a nce. As Crayson couldn¡¯t stand seeing her sad, he chose


    to stand outside the morgue while taking a smoke.


    After that, Veronica took something out of her pocket and passed it to Thomas. ¡°Here. Take this.¡±


    More than an hourter, everyone got on the ne and set off for their journey home.


    A few more hourster, Zac got the DNA test report sent to him by his subordinates. ¡°Wepared the


    thing sent by Mr. Conrad with Matthew Kings¡¯ hair. It is definitely him.¡±


    Zac was standing in front of the French windows smoking a cigarette when he listened to his


    subordinate¡¯s report. With a frown, he reached out to take the report and nced at it before he shook


    his head. ¡°He died so easily? It is still unbelievable to me.¡±


    ¡°It sounds about right to me. He is useless, anyway. He can¡¯t escape even if he wanted to. Isn¡¯t he just


    a fish on a cutting board that life is in someone else¡¯s hands?¡± his subordinate logically analyzed.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Upon hearing his words, Zac raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°That makes sense. Tiffany Larson sure


    helped us get rid of a big problem right there.¡±


    ¡°It is a good thing that Miss Larson only killed Matthew Kings and left Veronica Murphy unscathed. It


    will be difficult to exin to ke Denson and for you topletely clear yourself from this as well,


    Boss.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The Heavens must be watching over us. Haha!¡±


    As he was suddenly in an ecstatic mood, Zac raised his head andughed. He then turned around and


    walked to the couch to sit down before he picked up the wine ss and shot the red wine down in one


    gulp.


    Afterwards, he had his subordinates leave as he gave Conrad a call. ¡°He is dead. The corpse will arrive


    in Bloomstead in a few hours. You will definitely be on a roll without Matthew in Bloomstead. I hope you


    don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure he is dead?¡±


    Knowing that such a strong opponent had passed away, Conrad was filled with surprise, joy and


    disbelief.


    ¡°I asked someone topare his hair with what you sent. It can¡¯t go wrong,¡± Zac gave Conrad a


    definitive answer.


    The person on the other end of the call was silent for a long second before a heartyughter broke out.


    ¡°This is great! It is all thanks to Tiffany. It seems that I have to treat her to a meal to thank her some


    time.¡±


    Conrad had longed for Matthew¡¯s death.


    Now that Matthew was finally dead, Conrad¡¯s next n was to take away all of Matthew¡¯s properties,


    and personally get rid of Veronica. Only her death could make up for the grievances he had suffered


    before.


    As they considered Matthew a mdy, his ¡®death¡¯ no longer made them feel the need to be worried.


    But what they didn¡¯t know was that Matthew had long expected that they would n something like


    this. That was why he had specially given Veronica his hair when he and her met, and they had let


    them secretly exchange the DNA test results.

 Chapter 676

    Chapter 676


    Chapter 676 Sasha Kicking up a Storm in the Mourning Hall


    The news of Matthew¡¯s ¡®death¡¯ spread like wildfire. Veronica decided to unabashedly organize a


    funeral, but she didn¡¯t tell Elizabeth, for fear that it would be another blow to the older woman.


    In an instant, news about Matthew was everywhere in Bloomstead, and even Veronica became a


    trending topic on the Inte.


    As it hadn¡¯t been long since Veronica and Matthew had gotten married before his ¡®death¡¯, some


    unscrupulous media outlets had straight-out said that Veronica had the face of a ¡®husband jinx¡¯, and


    that she had killed her husband as soon as she got married. Some even spected that she was a


    viinous Cindere who had gotten married because she was up to no good, and had now killed him


    so that she could take the inheritance.


    Despite all that, Veronica chose to ignore the trending topics and poured her heart into the funeral.


    Even though she didn¡¯t invite anyone to the huge memorial hall, there were still countless guests who


    came to mourn Matthew on this day.


    She stood aside looking at the ice casket in the mourning hall, wherey a man she knew but didn¡¯t


    know his real name.


    For a split second, Veronica wondered if she would cry her eyes out if Matthew really died one day.


    She was d that he was alive and well. If he really died, she might not be able to forgive herself for


    the rest of her life.


    With a hymn ying in the mourning hall, Veronica stood off to one side in ck mourning clothes as


    she watched the people walk in with white chrysanthemums in their hands.


    Whether they were sincere or not, happy or sad, it seemed that human nature could clearly be seen at


    this moment. It was like a magic mirror that showed the most ugly and fake sides humans had.


    It even got Veronica thinking that Matthew¡¯s uncles would havee here to start something if it wasn¡¯t


    because Miguel and the others were in the mourning hall.


    After a busy day, the crowd gradually dispersed from the venue.


    Veronica was exhausted, but at this moment, Sasha walked in in a ck outfit and red eyes.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Holding two white chrysanthemums in her hand, she walked step-by-step into the mourning hall and to


    the ice casket. It was as though she had lost her soul as she quietly stood in front of the casket for a


    long time.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart ache as she looked at how disheartened Sasha was, but she


    thought that the pain was a good thing for the woman.


    She could probably let go of her obsession with Matthew after he ¡®died¡¯.


    ¡°Why are you dead? This is impossible! You have survived no matter how tough the situation has been.


    How can you die?!¡±


    Sasha, who was unable to ept reality, smashed the flowers against the casket. She seemed to have


    lost her mind when she tried to pry the casket open.


    Seeing this, Veronica frowned and immediately gave Thomas a knowing look. Thomas then stepped


    forward and held onto Sasha. ¡°Please stop, Miss ude. Young Master Matthew is gone. He won¡¯t be


    able to leave in peace if you were to kick up a fuss.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me. Don¡¯t you dare touch me!¡±


    Sasha was like a wilted flower after Veronica hadn¡¯t seen her for a few months. The former¡¯s originally


    rosy cheeks were all hollowed, and there was an air of decadence in her haggard appearance.


    Shakily, Sasha stretched out her ck nails and pointed at Thomas. ¡°Tell me, is this fake? Is it?¡± she


    demanded.


    Thomas only frowned as he didn¡¯t want to bother himself with the crazy woman.


    Veronica was still standing aside when she decided to walk over, only to be stopped by Shirley. ¡°Roni,


    your body is weak. Don¡¯t go there. What if she attacks you?¡±


    Because of Matthew¡¯s ¡®death¡¯, Shirley and the rest of the group had been keeping Veronicapany


    as they were worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to ept the truth.


    This ¡®y¡¯ that they were in allowed Veronica to clearly know who was the friend, and who was the foe.


    She could tell who was sincere and who wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. Don¡¯t go there. Thomas will deal with her.¡±


    Monica held Veronica back as well to stop her from going over. Even Ivana was trying to persuade her


    from doing so.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

 Chapter 677

    Chapter 677


    Chapter 677 She Hit Veronica


    Thinking that she needed to give Sasha an exnation, Veronica peeled their hands off of her before


    she walked toward Sasha.


    ¡°Thomas, let go of her.¡±


    As she waved Thomas off and walked in front of Sasha, who was making a fuss, a waft of alcohol


    scent hit her nostrils almost immediately.


    Sasha could only numb herself with alcohol after being unable to ept the news of Matthew¡¯s death.


    Hearing that, Thomas did as instructed with hesitation, but he didn¡¯t forget to remind Veronica, ¡°Please


    stay away from her, Mrs. Kings. She is crazy.¡±


    To him, Veronica¡¯s current status was the same as that of Matthew. Since his boss was currently not


    around, he naturally needed to be responsible for protecting the safety of thedy of the house.


    He was still holding on to Sasha¡¯s arms, but the woman flung his hands away. ¡°F*ck off, Thomas!¡±


    As she shouted loudly, she red and pointed at him before she chided, ¡°Are you even human? Matt


    used to be so good to you. Now that he is dead because of this sl*t, Veronica, you are still trying to


    protect her? Have you gone blind?!¡±


    Sasha had never epted the fact that Veronica and Matthew were together. Seeing Thomas being so


    loyal to Veronica after Matthew¡¯s death only made her angry on Matthew¡¯s behalf. It felt like his death


    was in vain.


    ¡°This is my own choice. It has nothing to do with you,¡± he retorted.


    ¡°Yes, it indeed has nothing to do with me. It has¡­¡± Sasha came to a pause and turned her outstretched


    hand toward Veronica. ¡°It has everything to do with her! She is the reason why Matt died!¡±


    Veronica let out a frown at being pointed in the face and scolded at. She seemed somewhat resigned


    as she tilted her head to look away.


    Matthew¡¯s death was a hoax, but Sasha¡¯s sadness was just as true. Even though Veronica was being


    humiliated, she couldn¡¯t find a word to say to Sasha, and she didn¡¯t have the heart to have Sasha


    chased out of the hall either.


    No one had expected Sasha to suddenly raise a hand and swing her palm at Veronica¡¯s face when the


    latter was deep in her thoughts with her head lowered.


    p!


    As the clear sound reverberated around the hall, multiple pairs of eyes immediately turned in the


    direction of the sound.


    Even though there was barely anyone left at this time of the night, Matthew¡¯s close friends and loyal


    subordinates were all still around.


    Everyone looked over at the same time upon hearing that.


    ¡°Sasha ude! What are you doing?!¡±


    With his fast reflexes, Thomas shoved Sasha out of the way. As she was in high heels, she quickly lost


    her footing and heavily fell to the floor, the impact leaving her dizzy.


    Veronica raised her hand to cover her throbbing cheek and her face darkened a bit. She immediately


    blew her top while looking down at the woman lying on the floor. ¡°Get her out of here!¡±


    She had intended to treat Sasha with respect, but there was no way she could tolerate Sasha for hitting


    her.


    She acknowledged Sasha¡¯s feelings for Matthew, and knew that Sasha was devastated over Matthew¡¯s


    fake death, which was why Veronica could put up with it when Sasha had kicked up a fuss. However, it


    was sickeningly infuriating how Sasha had been testing her limits again and again.


    Seeing Veronica struck, Shirley quickly ran over and scrutinized her cheek with her head tilted. ¡°Roni!


    Are you alright?¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    After she removed Veronica¡¯s hand away, Shirley swiftly lost her temper when she saw the handprint


    on Veronica¡¯s delicate and fair cheek.


    Shirley then turned around with her sharp gaze on Sasha, and stalked toward her before she leaned


    over to grab her by the cor. She then unhesitantly nted her palm on Sasha¡¯s cheeks twice. ¡°I will


    beat you till you die, you crazy drunkard! Getting all crazy just because you had some to drink? Roni is


    more devastated than anyone because of President Kings¡¯ death! How dare you hit her!¡±


    No one here had ever seen the quiet, adorable and lovable Shirley they knew get so aggressive before.


    Her dainty face was so thick with rage that even her eyes were piercing as they red at Sasha.

 Chapter 678

    Chapter 678


    Chapter 678 Adrian Cond¡¯s Arrival


    Skyler, who was walking toward them from not far away, stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what


    was going on. A hint of surprise shed by his pitch-ck eyes that went wide slightly.


    No, instead of surprise, it was more like he was amazed.


    It was as if the door to a whole new world had been opened, and he was learning new things about


    Shirley again.


    ¡°Oh my, I didn¡¯t know she had such a fiery temperament,¡± teased Miguel, who was standing beside


    Skyler.


    As they were at a ce like this, Miguel¡¯s voice was lowered so that no one else could hear him.


    Hearing him, Skyler tilted his head and quietly nced at him with his eyebrows raised.


    Just as Skyler was about to approach Shirley, another figure was one step ahead of him.


    Said person was no one other than Wade Yoder.


    Wade, a model at Starshine Media Agency, was also Shirley¡¯s boyfriend who was introduced to Shirley


    by Veronica.


    The two gave dating a go for half a month, but Shirley had wanted to break up as she didn¡¯t think they


    suited each other. However, Wade, who imed to like her, wanted to continue pursuing her.


    Skyler was kicked out of Shirley¡¯s single apartment on the day that Sofia hit Shirley at the entrance of


    First Meeting.


    Ever since then, Skyler had been deep in his work everyday. The few times he did actuallye


    across Shirley all ended up with her hiding from him.


    Now that he was seeing Wade walk toward Shirley and pull her aside, Skyler couldn¡¯t help his


    expression from falling.


    ¡°Why are you just standing here? Aren¡¯t you going to take a look?¡±


    Miguel had a yful smile on his face as he watched Skyler¡¯s expression.


    ¡°It is none of my business!¡± Skyler snorted before turning and walking to the pantry, where he stood


    alone grumpily smoking.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    After Shirley was brought aside, Wade stood in front of her to protect her. ¡°Miss ude,¡± he said to


    Sasha as she scrambled off the floor and tried to pounce on Shirley. ¡°You are drunk.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d best get out of my way! I am going to tear her to shreds. B*tch! How dare she¡­ she hit me?!¡±


    Even though Sasha was a woman now, she had the bone structure and strength of a man. As she


    staggered forward, she pushed Wade aside and swung her hand at Shirley¡¯s cheek.


    Seeing this, Wade subconsciously brought a foot up at Sasha, causing the intoxicated woman to fall to


    the floor again.


    ¡°What are you all doing?¡±


    Before Veronica could stop him, another voice rang out within the mourning hall again.


    Everyone immediately whipped their heads in the direction the sound came from, only to see Adrian


    emerging from the crowd.


    Adrian kept his eyes on Sasha the whole time. Seeing her fall to the floor, he automatically picked up


    his pace to help Sasha up.


    ¡°Boohoo¡­ Sob¡­¡±


    The moment she saw Adrian approach, Sasha immediately threw herself against his chest and bawled


    her eyes out.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Don¡¯t cry anymore. I am here. I won¡¯t let them off the hook.¡± He put his arms around her


    and patted her back to soothe her. With his head tilted, he coldly nced at the crowd before his eyes


    finally fell on Wade. ¡°You were the one who hit Sasha?¡±


    Even though Adrian had an abusive streak, that didn¡¯t stop him from loving Sasha.


    He was the only one allowed to beat up the women he fancied!


    Wade looked at the tall and dignified man in front of him, and he couldn¡¯t help feeling overwhelmed by


    the powerful aura from the man from just one look at him.


    When Wade thought about Shirley behind him, he still picked up his courage and retorted, ¡°Yes, I was


    the one who did it.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. I admire you owning up to your actions¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mr. Cond.¡±


    Veronica suddenly interrupted Adrian and walked in front of Wade. As she stood still, she stared at


    Wade with cold eyes. ¡°It has got nothing to do with him. This is my husband¡¯s mourning hall. Sasha


    ude barged in and hit me for no reason. They were just teaching her a lesson on my behalf. Come


    at me if you are displeased about it.¡±

 Chapter 679

    Chapter 679


    Chapter 679 An Impulsive Move


    Adrian wasn¡¯t an ordinary man. If Wade got on the man¡¯s bad side, he would have to suffer the


    consequences.


    Shirley wasn¡¯t expecting a man to stand up for Sasha. As she came back to her senses, she found the


    man standing imposingly before her having a unique temperament, unlike any normal person would.


    Recalling Wade taking the other man head-on for her, Shirley was deeply touched. Her gazended on


    him, shining with a hint of respect and gratitude.


    Adrian studied the mark on Veronica¡¯s face before he lowered his gaze to the woman in his embrace.


    ¡°She indeed hit you, but not without a price. Besides, you even kicked her. Mrs. Kings, do you think you


    can bully my woman and walk away with it?¡±


    ¡°What do you think? Sasha deserves to be hit after kicking up a fuss at Young Master Matthew¡¯s


    funeral!¡± Nobody would ever know if Thomas was too deep into his act or if he was hating Sasha from


    the bottom of his heart. In any case, he looked like he was enraged as his cheeks flushed with anger.


    Then, he added, ¡°Since you im her as your woman, you should¡¯ve taught her to behave. She better


    remember to never show her face around Mrs. Kings again.¡±


    As Thomas finished his warnings, he turned to Sasha. ¡°Listen up, Sasha¡ªeven though Young Master


    Matthew is dead, he¡¯s Mrs. Kings¡¯ man. You have no right to confront her.¡±


    Veronica gaped at the domineering man as she began to see Thomas in a new light.


    Adrian was aware of Sasha¡¯s reason to cause a scene, but being exposed in public was a humiliating


    experience. He suppressed the anger building up inside his chest and continued, ¡°Even so, it didn¡¯t


    give you the excuse to hit her. Mrs. King, I want an exnation regarding the matter. You won¡¯t want to


    challenge me.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Cond, you need to remember to respect the dead. Are you trying to cause trouble at my


    husband¡¯s memorial?¡±


    Even though Veronica was shorter than Adrian, her courage didn¡¯t waver for a single moment when


    she stared right back at him, as if she was a heroine on the battlefield.


    Casting a nce at the ice casket on the side, Adrian furrowed his brows. ¡°I¡¯ll let this matter slip for


    once, as Matthew used to treat Sasha with care. There won¡¯t be a next, or else I¡¯ll make you pay.¡±


    ¡°Allow me to thank you on my husband¡¯s behalf,¡± Veronica replied.


    Adrian sneered at her words before he grabbed Sasha¡¯s wrist and headed toward the exit. As he


    walked fast, Sasha was having trouble following as she was in heels. Hence, she had to jog to catch


    up.


    Looking at the duo leaving, a bad feeling clung to Veronica¡¯s chest. ording to what she knew of the


    man, Sasha was bound to take a beating tonight.


    Indeed, she was right about it.


    Meanwhile, Shirley sighed in relief. ¡°Roni, who is that guy? He has a strong presence.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him that well.¡± Shaking her head, Veronica held Shirley¡¯s hands. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re


    doing this for me, but you need to think twice before you act in the future, alright?¡±


    Sasha made a scene over Matthew¡¯s matter a while ago. Even though Adrian was displeased at her


    behavior, he would never allow others to wrong her. Once he decided to take revenge on Shirley or


    Wade, the two would live a life worse than death.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Shir. That was reckless.¡± Monica shared the same concern as Veronica.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned my lesson.¡± Shirley nodded before she looked to the ground and mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s just that I


    don¡¯t want to see Roni wronged by anyone.¡±


    ¡°I know you did this for me.¡± Veronica patted the back of the woman¡¯s hand and told her gently.


    Miguel and Caleb stood next to the group without a word. The duo had been thinking that Veronica


    would have trouble diffusing the situation, but their guess was proven wrong when she sent Adrian


    away with a few words, which left them not contributing.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Stepping to the side with Wade, Shirley put a hand on his arm as the residual fear emerged inside her


    chest. ¡°Wade, thank you for helping me out, but Roni¡¯s right. You should be more careful next time, or


    else you might get on someone¡¯s bad side.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. It runs in the men¡¯s veins to protect the women.¡± He cast an understanding smile at


    her. It was bright, and she could feel her tension lift.

 Chapter 680

    Chapter 680


    Chapter 680 Skyler Was Losing His Temper


    Stepping out of the break room, Skyler lit himself a cigarette. As he felt his mood ease, he turned


    around and found Shirley holding Wade¡¯s arm. She lifted her head to see him better with a smile


    stered to her face. Skyler¡¯s face darkened when he noticed the lovey-dovey vibe the pair was


    emitting.


    As Shirley could see the overflowing affection in Wade¡¯s eyes, she avoided meeting his gaze and


    involuntarily chose to run away. ¡°I-I have to go to the washroom.¡±


    She looked for an excuse to get out of the situation.


    When she began to walk in his direction, Skyler immediately turned on his heel and returned to the


    break room.


    Shirley had to walk down the corridor and pass by the break room until she reached the washroom. As


    she was halfway through, someone grabbed her arm out of warning and pulled her inside the


    breakroom before mming the door closed.


    Her world spun for a moment, and Shirley finally found Skyler standing in front of her when he pinned


    her against the door.


    ¡°Young Master Skyler, what are you doing?¡± As she found out the person was him, Shirley pouted in


    displeasure as her thin brows furrowed tightly.


    Her angry look was a duplicate of a provoked kitten. Not only was she harmless with the look, she also


    looked more adorable. It was hard for one to stop themselves from caressing her head.


    ¡°What is it? You¡¯re dating Wade, so I can¡¯t even touch you?¡± Recalling her casting a smile at Wade a


    moment ago but frowning at him as if he was her foe, Skyler felt the anger building inside his chest.


    ¡°What does that have to do with it?¡± His question left her confused and she had no idea about where it


    came from.


    Seeing her frustrated look, he mistook it for she was despising him, and the thought annoyed him more


    than he thought it was capable.


    ¡°I bet you don¡¯t even know about his family circumstances.¡± Skyler raised his brows at Shirley and


    sneered. ¡°Hees from a poor family. Lately, his mother has fallen sick, which will cost a lot of money


    to treat her. I heard he¡¯s close with the president of the Horizon Group.¡±


    At the end of his words, Skyler paused for a moment before he added, ¡°Do you get what I mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Shirley felt his words were more strange than made sense. ¡°He¡¯s free to make friends and be


    close to them. Young Master Skyler, are you implying he shouldn¡¯t make friends with women?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Skyler stared at her speechlessly. Why did I bother to talk to this silly girl? It¡¯s like howling at the moon!


    ¡°Do you want me to be more honest? Fine. Wade asked for one million from the president of the


    Horizon Group, Tal Gibson, to treat his mother¡¯s disease. ¡±


    Tal Gibson of the Horizon Group was a woman in her early thirties who took great care of her


    appearance. She was a rare beauty with an enchanting look and a distant personality in the business


    world.


    Many excellent men had been expressing their affection to her, but she was never moved by one of


    them.


    Truth was, Skyler wasn¡¯t aware of it until he got the information from his gang of buddies.


    ¡°How did you know that he ¡®asked¡¯? You weren¡¯t even there when the president of the Horizon Group


    gave him one million!¡± Shoving him away, Shirley cast him an angry look. ¡°Stop meddling in others¡¯


    business and pay more attention to your fianc¨¦e instead.¡±


    She harrumphed with displeasure before she opened the door and walked off.


    The door of the break room mmed in Skyler¡¯s face. The stirred air due to the force swayed his fringe


    away from his forehead and revealed the frown of anger between his brows.


    D*mn her! He took his anger out by kicking the chair beside him.


    After Shirley left the break room, she walked toward the lobby instead of the washroom.


    Her mind kept repeating Skyler¡¯s words from a few minutes ago. After pondering for a short while, she


    decided to look for Wade to clear her doubts.


    Wade wasn¡¯t in the lobby as she expected. Later, she found the man in her mind leaning against a


    pir as he smoked alone near the entrance.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± she asked in concern.


    As soon as he saw her walking over, he put the cigarette out and threw it into the bin as he stood


    upright. ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°I-I heard that you¡¯re facing some difficulties recently, right?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Taken aback by the approach, Wade kept silent for a few seconds until an idea popped into his


    mind. Casting a longing nce into the distance, he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that my mother is


    sick, but she has already done surgery in the hospital. For the time being, she¡¯s undergoing


    rehabilitation treatment.¡±

 Chapter 681

    Chapter 681


    Chapter 681 A Five-Year Contract


    ¡°Oh.¡± Shirley nodded and pursed her red lips. Even though she knew that Wade had things he hadn¡¯t


    said, she didn¡¯t know how to ask him about it.


    With her head bowed slightly, she frowned and thought carefully before adding, ¡°You¡­ can let me


    know if you face any difficulties. I may not have a lot of money, but I can still help you if it won¡¯t take too


    much money.¡±


    Shirley had been working for Veronica ever since she graduated from university, and had decent


    savings from her frugal way of living.


    Even though it wasn¡¯t a lot of money, she was willing to lend a hand if Wade needed help.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Wade smiled upon seeing how sincere she was. ¡°You telling me this is enough for me.¡±


    Sighing, he couldn¡¯t hide the exhaustion on his face. ¡°I was going to borrow some money from you, but


    I can imagine how hard it is for a woman to be earning her keep. Plus, I can¡¯t return the money anytime


    soon, so I borrowed one million from my friend instead.


    When he said that he borrowed money from a ¡®friend¡¯, Shirley knew that the person he was talking


    about was probably the boss of the Horizon Group, Tal Gibson. However, Shirley was more than


    willing to believe him, since he told her that he was borrowing money from Tal.


    ¡°Your friend treats you real good. They even lent you one million. I am envious.¡±


    She intentionally said that to get more information out of him.


    ¡°It is nothing, really.¡± Wade shook his head and tilted his body, his eyes staring into the horizon. ¡°You


    mightugh, but I have actually already resigned from Starshine. I borrowed money from the president


    of the Horizon Group, but she requested for me to be her male secretary in return.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shirley eximed, her big eyes filled with disbelief.


    She didn¡¯t think Skyler was right.


    Shriley¡¯s eyes were wide open due to the extreme surprise. When Wade turned back and met her eyes,


    there was a trace of sadness in his own. ¡°I am not made to be a model. I have just been mediocre


    throughout the many years, and I can¡¯t make much money. I have only signed a five-year contract as


    her secretary with her. I will be free after five years.¡±


    For his mother, he had no other choice.


    After all, one million was no small amount. He was but a small-time model. He wasn¡¯t wealthy by any


    means.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Still overwhelmed by shock, Shirley didn¡¯t immediately know what to say in return. She only wordlessly


    gawked at him for a full minute.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like that.¡± Wade let out a resigned smile. ¡°I am just her secretary. It is not


    like I am her toy boy.¡±


    His eyes were so clear and pure they looked like clean pearls as he looked at her.


    He had gained her trust in that instant.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Mm, I understand. But¡­¡± Shirley was going to say something else, but decided against it when she


    thought it was inappropriate just when the words were about toe out of her mouth.


    The next day at Matthew¡¯s ¡®funeral¡¯.


    After the body was cremated, Veronica took the ashes to the cemetery in Nimbus Hill and found the


    perfect location for the burial.


    There were also many who had attended the burial today.


    Veronica and Matthew¡¯s close friends put up such a good show that even Crayson and the Murphy


    couple were convinced.


    The two of them would asionallyfort Veronica in fear of her taking her own life because she


    couldn¡¯te to terms with Matthew¡¯s death.


    Of course, Sasha came today as well.


    However, she was wearing sunsses and a solemn ck suit with a dark ribbon around her neck


    today. She only stood in front of Matthew¡¯s ¡®tombstone¡¯ and bowed. In the end, she didn¡¯t even look at


    Veronica before she turned around and left.


    Veronica clearly saw the injuries on Sasha¡¯s face and blood stains on her neck when thetter was


    bowing.


    The sight gave Veronica mixed feelings. She didn¡¯t know how she should treat Sasha anymore.


    After the long day, everyone, except for Veronica, left the cemetery. She kept standing beside the


    tombstone, and not even Crayson and the Murphy couple could move her no matter how much they


    tried.

 Chapter 682

    Chapter 682


    Chapter 682 Wounded


    Veronica felt bad when she saw how devastated her birth parents were. However, despite how


    apologetic she felt toward them, she herself was at a point of no return now.


    She knew that someone was definitely keeping an eye on her every move from the dark today. It would


    certainly cause doubt about Matthew¡¯s death if she were to return home.


    She had to make it believable from every aspect. She finally returned to the vi after a long and


    excruciating night. After taking a few days¡¯ rest at home, she left with Crayson to the hidden n.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    It was a few more days of resting for her when they arrived at Castron. Crayson wasn¡¯t in a rush


    anyway. The only thing he was worried about was Veronica¡¯s physical condition.


    On this very night, Veronica was lying in the bedroom resting around midnight when she heard a small


    sound.


    When she was keenly aware of the noise, she reached under her pillow before her fingertips touched a


    dagger.


    She kept the dagger for self-defense, and she only carried it around in case of danger when she least


    expected it.


    However, she had never thought that someone would attempt to do something to her right after she


    arrived in Castron.


    In the dark of the night, she squinted and watched the ck figure slowly approaching her. For some


    reason, she suddenly noticed that the person had no killing intent.


    Something shed through her eyes when realization hit her. ¡°Matt?¡±


    The man must have been surprised when he heard that as he abruptly stopped in his tracks.


    Seeing this, Veronica sat up in her bed and turned on the bedsidemp. Sure enough, the man


    standing in front of her was none other than Matthew.


    ¡°Silly girl, how did you know that it is me?¡±


    He was slightly caught off-guard by her.


    Despite knowing that she was skilled, he didn¡¯t think she would be able to detect his presence.


    As soon as she lifted the nket, Veronica immediately hopped out of bed and threw herself at him,


    barefoot. ¡°Long time no see!¡± she murmured. ¡°I missed you so much.¡±


    Only God knew how worn out she was both physically and emotionally, having to deal with the funeral


    proceedings these few days.


    She had dedicated her lifetime¡¯s worth of acting performance during his funeral. No one knew how tired


    she was, but she was so exhausted she didn¡¯t feel like talking either.


    ¡°I know. I have missed you too.¡± He pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on her head before


    slowly closing his eyes to lose himself in the magical moment of being with her. ¡°I came here because I


    knew you missed me.¡±


    It was probably because they were connected emotionally, or because Matthew was aware of how true


    Veronica¡¯s love for him was that he would take the risk toe to her side.


    Otherwise, she would definitely feel sad being alone.


    She put her arms around his waist, and with her cheek against his chest, she closed her eyes and took


    shallow breaths. As his scent lingered in her nostrils, it felt as though each beat of his heart she was


    listening to was tugging at her heartstrings.


    ¡°You¡¯re so good to me. I am so happy to see you.¡± She held him a little harder. ¡°Do you know how tiring


    this funeral has been? During the funeral, I would somehow think of it as the real thing, and I would


    think about how scared and miserable I would be if you were gone.¡±


    The funeral had given Veronica the deep realization of how empty and painful it would be when the


    person she loved was gone. It made her appreciate her feelings for Matthew even more.


    ¡°Silly girl, it is all just a show. You¡­ got way too deep into character.¡±


    ¡°No. What is deep is my love for you,¡± she confessed while gently shaking her head.


    Veronica then released Matthew and pulled him along to sit by the bed. As she looked at him, she still


    felt how close they were even when they were meeting up after some time.


    Her deep gaze into his eyes was returned with an equally feverish one from him. It felt as though there


    was electricity in their eyes that left each other all numb and tingly.


    All of a sudden, they reached for each other, and passionately mmed their lips into each other¡¯s.

 Chapter 683

    Chapter 683


    Chapter 683 He Is Here


    Like a fiery tornado that swept through, the kiss was hot and crazed. The initial neat bed had turned


    into a mess after a few hours of bedroom warfare.


    As the satisfied couple huddled together, Veronicay against Matthew¡¯s chest. ¡°Matt, I feel like I have


    to tell you this since you were best friends before. I saw Adrian hit Sasha the other day.¡±


    Veronica would always remember the p Sasha had given her in the mourning hall.


    However, Veronica had always been someone who could clearly tell apart a grudge from gratitude. She


    wouldn¡¯t harbor hatred for Sasha just for one p.


    ¡°Sasha doesn¡¯t love Adrian, but Adrian doese from an unusual background. She¡­¡± Matthew


    paused and continued solemnly, ¡°She brought it upon herself.¡±


    He and Skyler had warned Adrian to stay away from Sasha when heid his hands on her before.


    Sasha was the one who went looking for Adrian after that.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    It wasn¡¯t like Matthew and his friends could do anything when Sasha was the one voluntarily stepping


    into the lion¡¯s den.


    Unfortunately, no one knew that the reason Sasha returned to Adrian again was to provoke Matthew.


    First of all, she wanted to use Adrian¡¯s romantic feelings for her to provoke Matthew to let him know


    about his love for her. And second of all, if Matthew turned out to not love her, she could also attract


    Matthew¡¯s attention by getting into conflicts and getting beaten up by Adrian.


    Men all loved meek women who depended on their men, and men were born to find pitiful women


    irresistible to not protect. That was what made Sasha think that those were the only ways she could


    ¡®awaken¡¯ Matthew¡¯s love for her.


    However, Sasha did not have any self-awareness. She had no idea that everything she did was just to


    deceive herself.


    Right then, Veronica¡¯s tummy started rumbling.


    Embarrassed, she peeked at Matthew and let out a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat. I will eat with you,¡± he suggested, to which she nodded in response.


    She had been fully immersed in the character of a widow nowadays, after all. Thinking that she had


    probably convinced Zac and the rest of them, she decided it should be reasonable for her to order


    takeout to dine together.


    And so, she called the front desk to order some supper.


    It only took a while before the food was here.


    The couple got up and sat in the living room as they watched the sumptuous supper on the table.


    Veronica then ced her elbows on the table and looked at Matthew, her eyes full of admiration and


    love. ¡°Matt, how long has it been since we ate together?¡±


    The bathrobe-d man was sitting across from her when a refreshing smile appeared on his wlessly


    handsome face. ¡°Too long.¡±


    As he spoke, he put on gloves and deshelled a prawn for her. ¡°I know you like this. Have more.¡±


    It had been some time since hest saw her. Now that they had reunited, Veronica was visibly thinner


    than she was before. His heart broke to see her current state.


    Thest time they met was in the forest in the dark of the night. He couldn¡¯t see her well then, and he


    didn¡¯t know how much she weighed too.


    Now that he was seeing her under the bright lights, he finally saw clearly how much sharper her


    features had gotten. She was so skinny she barely looked like her old self.


    ¡°I am sorry for making you suffer.¡± He ced the prawns on her te. Dark eyebrows pulled into a


    frown, he got up and walked to her side before putting his palms on her cheeks again, making her lean


    into him. ¡°I suddenly realize how botched the n is. You are putting up with too much by yourself. I


    regret this. I probably should fight head-on.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s red lips immediately curled into a happy smile when she felt Matthew¡¯s guilt and self-me.


    She felt that all the sacrifices were worth it.

 Chapter 684

    Chapter 684


    Chapter 684 Will You Be Back After Going to the Hidden n?


    ¡°No, I think your n is just fine. Think about it¡ªeverything you are doing now is for me, whereas Zac


    and the others have let down their guard as they think you¡¯re dead. You will be able to handle


    everything with ease when you counterattack. I am even starting to yearn to have a better life between


    us.¡±


    Veronica often had dreams that she and Matthew would stay together until the end of their lives, living


    simple and ordinary days as a loving couple.


    ¡°I am d you are saying this,¡± Matthew murmured. He was extremely touched by her.


    ¡°Alright, now. Come sit down. Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    After Veronica pulled him to sit down, the two began to chat while eating.


    The suite¡¯s heavy drapes were drawn, and with its dimly lit yellow lights, the room looked as dark as


    night from outside.


    The vignt couple wanted to do everything with utmost care and attention to detail.


    ¡°Right, you haven¡¯t told me how you managed to stay alive after you were hit by the bullet.¡±


    Matthew had left so hastily thest time that Veronica didn¡¯t even have time to ask him in detail.


    ¡°I was gravely injured on the day of the wedding, and the car did fall into the river. But I didn¡¯t die after


    falling into the water. I managed to escape and leave Bloomstead,¡± he exined.


    Veronica took the cutlery and stuffed the prawn into her mouth before chewing it carefully. With a sly


    look in her moist eyes, she asked tentatively, ¡°I am guessing you purposely dropped your car into the


    river?¡±


    In fact, she was sure that everything was nned by him since thest time she saw him.


    For a man as intelligent as he was, Matthew would have died a hundred times during the years he


    strived in the business world if a gun fight out in the open had managed to kill him.


    The top dogs in the business world might look morous on the surface, but they had only got to their


    positions today after stepping on adder made out of the skeletons of their opponents.


    As the richest man in Bloomstead, Matthew Kings was not one to be underestimated.


    It would be more amazing if he really did die.


    As he held a ss of red wine while listening to her words, a small smile graced his sharp features.


    ¡°My woman is so clever. I wonder if that is a good or bad thing.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is a good thing,¡± Veronica retorted.


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to hide from your sharp eyes if I did something bad behind your back someday,


    would I?¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Hahaha!¡± He seeded at making herugh with his words.


    Veronica didn¡¯t think he would still be in the mood for jokes at a time like this.


    With a hand covering her mouth, she let herselfugh heartily.


    Matthew closely looked at her every expression, every detail imprinting deeply in his mind. It was as if it


    would be a memory he would have for life.


    He gently swirled red wine in his wine ss before lifting his chin to take a sip. ¡°There is something we


    have to talk about.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Veronica asked, her smile gone when she noticed the solemn look on his face.


    ¡°You are the leader of the hidden n. What are you going to do if everyone forces you to stay as the


    head of the n after you return to the n?¡±


    This question had troubled Matthew for the longest time, but he had never taken the initiative to ask


    her, for fear that he would put pressure on her.


    But the truth was that they were about to enter the n. They hade to a point that everything had


    to be well prepared in advance.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Veronica sighed and messed up the strands of hair on her forehead. ¡°I know. I have always been


    thinking about this as well. But¡­ Matt¡­¡± She looked at him with clear eyes. ¡°To me, home is where


    there are you, me, and our children. I have never wanted to stay in the hidden n.¡±


    ¡°You might not have, but what about Master Crayson?¡±

 Chapter 685

    Chapter 685


    "Master Crayson... He..."


    Veronica promptly fell silent.


    Head bowed, she poked at the food on her te with her fork for a long minute before she spoke


    again. "I have my own choices and thoughts."


    As she said that, she raised her head abruptly and stared at Matthew with an unwavering gaze. "My


    home, my children, my husband¡ªthey are all in Bloomstead."


    This was exactly why Veronica wouldn''t stay with the hidden n no matter what.


    The reason she agreed to go to the hidden n was because she was afraid of the power of the n,


    and she knew that she was too weak to win against them.


    But after going to the hidden n, there were certain things that Crayson didn''t have the final say.


    Veronica was also more confident now after she had Matthew behind her back.


    This was also why she didn''t tell Crayson the reason Matthew faked his death. Veronica had her own


    ns.


    Crayson had been dormant for so many years, and even though he was always good to her, his loyalty


    for the hidden n ran deeper.


    People like him had strong beliefs. It was hard to say for sure if he would do something unimaginable to


    her for the hidden n''s sake.


    "You have me. Don¡¯t worry." Matthew smiled warmly as he looked into Veronica''s glittering eyes.


    Hearing that, she nodded and let out a long breath. "You are my husband. Who am I going to trust if not


    you? Also, Uncle Conrad has been keeping his eyes on your propertytely. He probably can''t hold


    himself back from doing something after I left Bloomstead." "You have done a good job. Many of your


    thoughts coincide with mine even though we haven''t talked about it beforehand. Go on and take


    charge. I trust you, and I believe in my own taste."


    He sounded somewhat proud as he spoke.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Matthew must be thinking about how he made the best choice that he had never regretted when he


    married Veronica.


    "For some reason, I suddenly don''t know if you areplimenting me or yourself." Veronicaughed at


    his words.


    cing the fork down on the te, she rested her elbows on the table and propped her chin on her


    palms. She then quietly blinked and stared at him with gentle, beautiful eyes.


    The man swiftly got up to pour her a bowl of herbal soup. "Have some. You need a recharge."


    She only sincerely replied, "I don''t want to. I want to look at you."


    She didn''t feel hungry anymore as she looked at the handsome man. She would rather take one more


    look at him in case she couldn''t see him for a long time again if she missed tonight.


    Matthew''s hands that were peeling the prawns paused slightly, and he looked up at the woman sitting


    opposite him. Seeing her gentle smile, he shook his head helplessly and tilted his head to the side


    before heughed out loud.


    With his sharp features, he looked even more scrumptious when he looked to the side, each and every


    line on his face bing clearer.


    He was the type of man who looked like a cold beauty when he was serious. However, him covering his


    lips and chuckling gave him a seductive and bewitching charm.


    "Were your parents very good-looking? How can you be so handsome otherwise¡ª"


    Veronica rarelyplimented him like this. This was also the first time she had brought up his parents.


    Their existence wasn''t a good memory for Matthew. On the contrary, the smile on his face gradually


    lost its warmth and turned cold as soon as she mentioned them.


    She only realized that she had said the wrong thing when she noticed his odd reaction.


    He was already shaking his head before she finished uttering an apology. "It''s okay. I am the one who


    is not over them." After hesitating for a second, he continued, "I will bring you to pay them a visit after


    all this is over." "Alright. We will do that when we safely reunite."


    He hummed a reply before changing the topic. "Eat more. You have lost too much weight." He


    continued to put food on her te, his eyes filled with love for her.

 Chapter 686

    Chapter 686


    "I have put on weight! I will turn into a pig if I continue eating."


    Veronica had been controlling her weight without going overboard. She was already exercising to lose


    weight during confinement.


    "Have you considered how a pig might feel when you say something like that?" Matthew teased in


    return.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    She immediately burst outughing before nagging him solemnly, "The fatter a pig is, the more popr


    it is. It is a lifelong thing for a woman to maintain her figure. Won''t I be pitiful if you dump me for a


    young and beautiful wife one day because I no longer take care of my appearance?" "Are you sure I


    am the one who would dump you and not the other way around?" Matthew took a sip of wine and


    raised his eyebrows meaningfully.


    Following Matthew''s ''death'', and in the order of session, Veronica was the first in line to inherit all


    his properties. Matthew had nothing in his name now.


    In the blink of an eye, Veronica had be the richest woman in Bloomstead.


    Even she was surprised by the revtion when she was handling the various transfer procedures.


    "I have been wondering about how confident you are to leave so much property under my name."


    The two hadn''t discussed it beforehand, and she had guessed the truth. Even though Matthew had


    faked his death, she knew that he didn''t care about the property since he was willing to do so.


    However, they weren''t talking about anything less than a billion. It was a sum that totaled to trillions.


    Veronica was as touched as she was d to find such a great man after knowing how much he trusted


    her.


    "I have always had faith in my taste." While he spoke, his clear eyes were burning passionately as he


    looked at the woman he loved.


    "Thank you." Veronica was moved from the bottom of her heart.


    "Thank you for never leaving my side, Matt."


    She couldn''t believe how fortunate she was to have met him.


    "I have always wondered what would I do if you weren''t here. Do I really have to surrender to fate?"


    If she hadn''t gotten to know Matthew and he hadn''t fallen in love with her, she would have been very


    passive and helpless when it came to matters regarding the hidden n.


    The only reason why Crayson and Destiny were obedient to Veronica was because she was the future


    head of the hidden n.


    However, Veronica didn''t want to be the head as she had no control over how things would pan out


    once she returned there.


    "Our meeting in this life is probably for me to repay you for your kindness in our past life." "Past life?"


    She found it hard to imagine a non-believer of the supernatural like Matthew to say something like this.


    "How would I have found you in a sea of people if you hadn''t done good deeds and umted good


    karma in your past life?" After saying that, he brought up an example to emphasize his point. "I


    wouldn''t have had the opportunity to dine with you now if you hadn''t saved me that day."


    It was all fate at work.


    It was as though the world worked in mysterious ways that brought them together.


    "Come. Let''s toast to our fate. Here''s to our meeting, our getting to know each other, and our future."


    Veronica took her wine ss from the table and lightly clinked it against his. "May we spend eternity


    together." "Oh my, is my Roni envious of couples who grow old together?" "Of course! That is what a


    lifetime love truly means." "Alright."


    Matthew bumped his ss against hers again.


    Just as Veronica was about to raise the ss and take a sip of wine out of it, she was stopped by


    Matthew, who told her to wait.


    "What is wrong?" She paused and looked at him with careful eyes, only to see him get up and walk


    around the table to stand in front of her.


    "Stand up, please." He pulled her by the hands to help her up. "We should have had our own wedding


    toast on the wedding night. We didn''t have the chance to do it before, but we can''t skip out on it."


    There was an incident on the wedding day, which made them miss the toast. Not only that, they didn''t


    even have the opportunity to have alcohol together when they met in the forest on the outskirts


    ofCastron.


    Matthew couldn''t miss it this time around.

 Chapter 687

    Chapter 687


    They had a toast done in public on the wedding stage once, but it wasn''t a toast between just the two


    of them.


    This small gesture of Matthew had moved Veronica to no end.


    It was in the tiniest details that she had seen his sincerity and love for her. She had noticed and kept it


    all locked away in a corner of her heart.


    Matthew raised his elbow and intertwined it around hers. As they held their wine sses, they looked


    at each other with deep affection, their faces full of smiles.


    They then downed the half-full ss of wine in one-go.


    After they drank the wine, Matthew suddenly frowned andined, "Why does the wine taste


    bitter?"


    ¡°Bitter?" She slightly froze before taking a look at him and her ss. "But mine isn''t bitter."


    ¡°Mine is quite bitter. There must be something wrong with the wine."


    There is something wrong with the wine?


    "Mhm." He then suggested, "Try it for yourself." "Alright, let me have a taste."


    Veronica, who was so rmed her chest felt tight, immediately reached out to snatch the bottle of wine.


    However, she hadn''t even touched the bottle when Matthew suddenly pulled her into a hug. "We drank


    from the same bottle. For mine to be bitter and yours to be fine, there surely is something wrong with


    my ss of wine. You should be trying mine."N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Right when she was caught off-guard, he mmed his lips against hers, and slid his tongue between


    her teeth before she could react.


    However, she innocently sucked on it and savored its taste before she let out a frown and pushed him


    away. "It doesn''t taste bitter, no?"


    Seeing the solemn look on her face made Matthew chuckle out loud. "Roni, has anyone ever told you


    that you are so... silly that it is adorable?"


    Veronica''s expression when she tried her best to understand Matthew was so cute that the man


    couldn''t help reaching out to pinch her cheeks, which were as plump and fair as a baby''s.


    She immediately wrinkled her eyebrows when she was hit by realization. "You have gone overboard,


    Matthew Kings!" "Just that is too much?" His long arms reached over to scoop her into his embrace.


    Leaning close to her ear, he purred, "I don''t see you saying I went overboard when I made you cry in


    bed."


    What? Veronica choked. Where did thate from?


    He let out hot breaths with each heavy exhale, andit stroked the strands of hair near her ear. The few


    yful strands of hair that fluttered around her ear and neck seemed to tickle her all the way down to


    her toes.


    For some reason, Veronica''s breaths also became heavier as she gulped, and her cheeks flushed out


    of embarrassment.


    The man let out a devilish smile when he saw the expressions on her face. "You must be ''starving1


    because of your hubby''s long absence, aren''t you, Roni?" "N-No! Not everyone''s head is in the gutter


    like you!" Veronica reprimanded him.


    Matthew put his arms around her waist and pulled her back to his front. Such an intimate embrace


    somehow seemed to fill the air with a sweet scent.


    "Human beings have seven emotions and six desires as they should. How is that dirty? It won''t be ''six


    desires'' if you leave the desire out of humans. That is more like abstinence." He brought a finger to tap


    her on the tip of her nose. "Don''t tell me you are trying to make me a monk."


    Only monastics would live a life of abstinence.


    You and yourme arguments and perverted logic." Veronica couldn''t help the happiness written all


    over her face when she heard his exnation. "But it somewhat makes sense." "Of course." Just as


    soon as he said that, Matthew leaned over and positioned her horizontally before carrying her like a


    bride into the bedroom. "I don''t know if my dear Roni is hungry, but I sure am ''starving''." "Matt..." She


    felt embarrassed when she saw his posture. Arms wrapped around his neck, she bounced her legs in


    her attempt to squirm away from him. "Let''s not..." "Not what?"


    He bent his torso and put her down lightly on the bed before he coyly pinched her chin. "Hmm?"

 Chapter 688

    Chapter 688


    The couple proceeded to have another delightful, almost out-of- body session that brought Veronica to


    one peak after another.


    She had to admit that Matthew had great stamina.


    After they were done, he carried the exhausted woman and washed her up in the bathroom before


    taking her back to the bed.


    She eventually woke up after a short nap. Arms around his waist, she held him in a tight hold, as


    though fearing that he would leave as soon as she let him go.


    When she felt the warmth from his skin, she rubbed her cheek like a spoiled kitten on his chest.


    "Be good."


    Matthew suddenly reached out and pped heron her behind.


    His gruff voice sounded so maic and attractive she went numb after hearing his low whisper.


    As she stuck her cheek to his chest, she could feel the light vibration as he spoke. This was the


    happiness she wanted most.


    "Aye-"


    She dragged her reply, making her look both yful and cute.


    It was exactly her cheekiness that always fueled the fire in


    Matthew''s loins, but she didn''t have the slightest idea of what she did to the man.


    "I definitely won''t be back for the time being after going to Castron. Is it fine for me to bring Thomas


    with me, and I leave Yvette and Miguel to handle thepany?"


    Veronica had no choice but to make the decision herself because she couldn''t contact Matthew.


    Even though Caleb came from a family that did business, he himself was a police officer now. As for


    Skyler, Veronica couldn''t help thinking how he would be an unreliable person to depend on, even


    though he had given up on medicine and pursued business instead.


    Miguel was the only person she thought was reliable.


    "Miguel is rtively calm. It will be good to leave it to him."


    In fact, Matthew wasn''t too worried about thepany. He knew that Miguel, Caleb, and Skyler were


    all people he could trust.


    No matter who Veronica entrusted the power to manage thepany to, the trio woulde together


    to discuss difficult problems.


    "Aren¡¯t you worried about our children? Right, I haven''t told you. Our daughter''s name is Ada, and our


    son is n." It was then that Veronica realized Matthew had never asked about their two children.


    Even though she was just considering the possibility of Matthew not caring about the children at all, she


    noticed she was worried for nothing the next second.


    The reason he wasn''t worried was because he had secretly arranged for their children to be protected.


    "Mm. I know." He nted a kiss on her forehead. "It has been hard on you, Roni. Let''s not have


    another child after our twins." "Why?" Veronica was confused by his sudden deration.


    "I know it took a long time for you to give birth. You lost a lot of blood as well. It must have been


    excruciating." He couldn''t help hugging her tightly as he spoke. "I am sorry I couldn''t be by your side on


    the most important day of your life. It''s my fault."


    In fact, even though Matthew wasn''t near the delivery room that day, he was in the hospital watching


    everything that happened in the corridor through surveince at all times.


    Still, he felt guilty about it.


    "Don''t worry about it. You are always by my side as long as our hearts are together." Sensing that he


    was feeling depressed and was ming himself, Veronica raised her head and kissed Matthew on the


    lips. "It''s because I know that you love me."


    Matthew wouldn''t have had to stay hidden in the shadows and move around if it wasn''t because of the


    particrity of her identity.


    What he had to put up with was way, way more than hers.


    Veronica''s eyes were overflowing with love when she met his gaze.


    "I should be thanking you. It is my greatest blessing to have you silently guarding me. I definitely want


    to be with you if there is a next life. You can take it as my repaying you¡ª" "Why wait for the next life


    when you can repay me just fine right now?"


    Matthew suddenly let out a yful chuckle and rolled on top of her.


    She couldn''t help feeling resigned by his incessant pesteringAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 689

    Chapter 689


    Absence made the heart grow fonder.


    Even though Veronica had heard this before, it was only now that she finally experienced firsthand how


    insane missing someone could feel.


    No matter how sleepy she was tonight, she didn''t dare close her eyes.


    She didn''t know when was the next time she could see Matthew again. With the little time they had left,


    she wanted to cherish every second she spent with him.


    However, she finally couldn''t stand the drowsiness and fell asleep.


    Veronica didn''t know what time she woke up, but she was aware of the emptiness between her arms.


    Reaching out to touch the bedding beside her, she felt the residual warmth on it.


    He probably left just a while ago,she concluded.


    When she got up to open the curtains, a dazzling light immediately shone in, making her narrow her


    eyes in difort as she stretchedzily.


    She then walked to the bedside, where she found a note on the table.


    ''Roni, I can''t bear to wake you up when I see how well you are sleeping. Remember, don''t be nervous


    standing in the light, because... I will always be watching over you from the shadows."


    Ring-a-ling!


    Just as Veronica dazedly stared at the note, the sound of the doorbell ringing came from the living


    room.


    Her heart quickly skipped a beat then. Surely it is not Master Crayson? she wondered.


    After slipping the note under the pillow, she walked to the door in the living room and looked through


    the peephole, only to see that it was a waiter.


    She let out a sigh of relief as she pulled the door open.


    "Good day, Ma''am." The waiter smiled. "This is the breakfast you ordered."


    As Veronica subconsciously looked back at the living room, she noticed how the dining table was as


    clean as new. Matthew had obviously cleaned it up and asked the waiter to bring out everything.


    She knew that he was a careful man who wouldn''t let anyone notice his presence.


    Also, he must have ordered this breakfast for her.


    "Come on in."


    She opened the half-closed door and let the waitere in.


    Upon permission, he pushed the cart into the room and ced the breakfast nicely on the table before


    leaving. He didn''t forget to wish her a great time while she enjoyed her breakfast.


    After uttering a thanks, Veronica looked back at the carefully prepared food on the table. She noticed


    how they were all her favorite Western food.


    Sure enough, Matthew''s love for her was reflected in the subtleties.


    Her red lips pulled into a small smile as happiness bubbled up inside of her.


    She then went to the bathroom to freshen up before she sat down and enjoyed her breakfast.


    While she had the shrimp and cheese ravioli, her eyes fell on the spot in front of her, and she was filled


    with overwhelming joy and warmth as she reyed the joyous night they sharedst night.


    Suddenly, Veronica felt an urge to go to the hidden n immediately and solve everything as soon as


    possible. She would then return to Bloomstead with Matthew to live a simple and happy life together.


    Knock, knock.


    Someone knocked on the door right when she was lost in the beautiful fantasy of the beautiful future


    that awaited them.


    Standing up, she went to open the door, only to find Crayson and Destiny standing there.


    After Destiny greeted her, she asked Veronica, "Are you done packing? Let''s have breakfast


    downstairs together." "Uh... I ordered breakfast because I was too hungry," Veronica exined and, out


    of courtesy, asked, "Would you both like to join me inside?"


    Matthew had overestimated her appetite by ordering her about five dishes for breakfast. Veronica


    surely wouldn''t be able to finish everything on her own.


    It didn''t feel right for someone as frugal as her to waste food.


    "Go on and eat what you ordered. Destiny and I will head downstairs."


    Crayson swiftly rejected her offer, as he thought that she only ordered for herself.


    As he spoke, he and Destiny walked to the elevator. "Hurry up and pack up," he reminded her. "We will


    be leaving in an hour." "Okay."


    Veronica nodded in reply and went back into her room to take her breakfast.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    An hourter, Veronica, Thomas, Crayson, Destiny and a driver all got into the sedan.


    This time, the five of them directly set off for the hidden n.

 Chapter 690

    Chapter 690


    Veronica had never asked about the internal situation of the hidden n, but now that she was about to


    enter the ce, she asked, "How are we going to get there?"


    ¡°You will see when we get there." Instead of giving an answer to her straight, Crayson took two bottles


    of mineral water and passed them to Veronica and Thomas. "Have some water. The weather is hot


    today." "Thank you, Master Crayson."


    After Thomas took the bottle, he subconsciously twisted the lid open and took a sip.


    Veronica, on the other hand, wasn''t thirsty, and she only held the bottle in her hand and looked out the


    window, seemingly in deep thought.


    Destiny was sitting in the passenger''s seat. With Crayson in the middle, Thomas was on his left, and


    Veronica on the other side.


    When Crayson noticed that Veronica was only holding the bottle without drinking it, he reminded her,


    "We have a boat rideter, so you had better drink some water first. This type of mineral water is very


    effective for suppressing seasickness."


    Veronica wouldn''t have noticed it if he hadn''t spoken.


    After he said that, she lowered her head to look at the cylindrical bottle. It was a normal bottle of


    mineral water with a bluebel and a while logo.


    Not paying much mind to it, she casually nodded and opened her bottle''s lid to take a sip.


    However, it was exactly at this moment that she vigntly noticed the deep look she couldn''t name


    Crayson was throwing her.


    She suddenly recalled that one night Tiffany intercepted her. After Veronica and Matthew had had


    some ''fun'' in the forest, Matthew had told her before she left to not trust anyone, including Crayson.


    At that point, Veronica immediately went into high alert.


    She continued to nonchntly nce outside the window as she tilted her head to sip a mouthful of


    water.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    She was in a ck sports outfit today.


    After all, Matthew had only ''passed away'' a while ago. As his wife, she naturally had to be dressed in


    ck to show her respect for the ''dead''.


    After taking a mouthful of water, she wiped her moisture on her lips, and she discreetly spit the water


    onto her sleeve.


    "How long until we reach the hidden n, Master Crayson?" she pretended to be casually asking.


    "Two to three days. It is far," he sighed as he replied.


    With that, Veronica stopped asking questions and leaned into the seat, not uttering another word.


    Being the clever person that she was, she kept her eyes on Thomas'' reaction throughout the ride.


    As expected, there was something wrong with the water.


    It had only been a few minutes but he was already deep in his sleep.


    Veronica knew Thomas for as long as she knew Matthew.


    Her impression of him was that he was a mature and cautious man. Even though he could be a little


    arrogant and aloof, he was an undeniably capable person.


    So how can someone who is more nervous than I am about going to the hidden n be asleep at a


    time like this? she pondered.


    Not knowing why Crayson had drugged the bottled water, she could only force a yawn. "I''m sleepy."


    After pretending to be drowsy, Veronica leaned against the back of the seat and ''fell asleep1 after a


    moment.


    Crayson was also a wary one. He only called out to the sleeping ones after 10 minutes had passed.


    "Thomas? Thomas!"


    When he saw that there was no reaction from the younger man, he pushed Veronica instead. "Little


    brat? Wake up? Hello?! Wake up!"


    Veronica, who was pretending to be asleep, only continued to act without opening her eyes.


    "You can stop calling them, Mr. Crayson. They are definitely asleep," reminded Destiny who was sitting


    in the passenger seat. "I put a big dose of drug in the water. Just one sip can render them unconscious


    for two whole days." "Isn''t such big dosages harmful for these young ¡¯uns?" Crayson sounded unhappy


    after hearing Destiny''s words.


    "Don''t worry," Destiny reassured him. "I know my boundaries." "Alright, then. A few of our own are at


    the intersection ahead. Let''s drop Thomas off. He can''t go to the hidden n."

 Chapter 691

    Chapter 691


    Crayson did not n on letting Thomas, an outsider, to join the hidden n from the very start.


    Veronica had her guesses, yet she had not expected Crayson to have a n in mind, which he kept


    from her.


    At the thought of being all alone upon joining the hidden n, she was touched. If it was not for


    Matthew''s help, it would have been difficult for her to go against the whole n and extricate from


    them.


    "Yes, Master." Destiny nodded with solemnity. "Will the leader be mad if we keep her in the dark?"


    "This brat has always had her opinion on everything since young. It''ll be an issue if she knows about it."


    He heaved a sigh and looked at the ''unconscious'' Veronica. In a serious tone, he said, "Besides, she


    lost her babies after returning to the n. She''s not going to stay here for a long time anyway."


    "I''m impressed, Master." Destiny admired him from the bottom of her heart.


    Thomas was Veronica''s only pir of strength, yet they lost him. Thus, it rendered her escape difficult


    and it was basically driving her to a dead end.


    Still...


    "Won''t she hate you?" Destiny questioned.


    Frowning, he leaned against the seat and sighed. It took him a couple of moments to reply. "So what if


    she hates me? What else can I do? It''s for the sake of our n."


    "It must be hard for you, Mr. Crayson. You''ve been alone for a long time for the sake of the n. You


    didn''t get married and devoted your whole life for us instead. You''re a great man."N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Regardless of Crayson''s method, his devotion for the n alone was admirable.


    He kept quiet, but the ''unconscious'' Veronica felt heartache. Ever since she was little, he looked after


    and pampered her as if she was his biological daughter.


    Although she called him an old geezer at times, she considered him as her family and her grandfather.


    However, who would have expected such turns of events?


    She was in a dilemma right now. Should she resent Crayson, or be grateful to him, or praise his loyalty


    for the hidden n?


    The more she thought about it, the scarier it was.


    Fortunately, Veronica took notice of his reaction when she drank the water. Otherwise, she would not


    have known his true thoughts.


    Even so, she reasoned his actions as a result of his sense of responsibility, that he would never hurt


    her no matter what. After all, she grew up under his care and there was affection in between.


    She pretended to be asleep along the way. When the car finally stopped, she heard people talking and


    the unconscious Thomas


    was then handed over to someone else.


    Crayson and the others hopped onto the car and they continued their journey. After a long while,


    someone carried her aboard a ship before locking her up in a room.


    Lying in bed, she dared not move a muscle in a worry that there was someone else in the room.


    Following the long wait was the ship''s departure.


    As she heard the vague chattering from outside, she made a rough guess that there should be at least


    twenty people onboard. Suddenly, nature called.


    She opened her eyes slowly. After confirming that there was no one in the room, she got out of the bed


    and headed for the restroom. To her luck, the room came with a restroom. Otherwise, they could have


    found out that she was awake.


    After finishing her business, she flushed the toilet and scurried to the bed to pretend to be asleep. Not


    only did she imitate her previous posture, she made sure the creases on the nket were the same.


    Creak.


    Soon, the door opened and someone came into the room.


    "It''ll take about three to five days to arrive at the hidden n. She can''t always be sleeping, though."

 Chapter 692

    Chapter 692


    It was Destiny speaking. Veronica figured that she was talking to Crayson.


    Looking at the ''sleeping'' woman, he kneaded his forehead with a solemn expression. "We''vee this


    far. We can wake her up when the nightes. Let her take a nap before we arrive."


    "We''ve indeed gone quite far and she doesn''t know the direction either. Why must we let her ''take a


    nap'' before arriving?" Destiny could not understand as she thought it was an overkill to do so.


    "She¡¯s too smart. If she discovers where the entrance is, she might escape one day." He sighed.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    He had been sighing oftentely. It could be because of how serious the situation was, or the sadness


    he felt upon knowing that the moment Veronica joined the hidden n, it would be the start of their


    rtionship petering out.


    Regardless, it was the helplessness of making a sacrifice to protect everyone out of his sense of


    loyalty.


    Sensing Crayson''s gloomy mood, Destinyforted him, "Master, I think... she¡¯ll understand your


    decisions. Once she''s willing to stay with us, we''ll ask someone to send her children to us for a reunion.


    Fortunately, Matthew''s dead. If she has lingering feelings, she wouldn''t wish to stay."


    Speaking of that, she paused to gaze at the sleeping woman. "We should really thank Zac. If it wasn''t


    for him, we wouldn''t have the


    chance to execute Matthew."


    "Enough! Don''t you bring that up ever again! If Veronica finds out about it, she might kill you and even


    me!" Crayson red at her and snorted before leaving the room.


    Knowing that she had angered him, Destiny hurriedly walked out of the room. "I''m sorry, Mr. Crayson. I


    will be careful next time."


    The moment the door closed, Veronica''s eyes shot open and she stared out of the window. Shock,


    pain, and horror filled her eyes.


    Mixed feelings pervaded her heart and the agonizing pain perfused every part of her body as she was


    trembling.


    What happened after Matthew fell into the sea? Why don''t they wanna tell me?


    She was aware that Matthew did not tell her the truth. It was because he was afraid that she would fall


    into despair with the pain crumbling her. In fact, she thought that his worries were groundless.


    However, the pain felt so real at this very second. The memories she shared with Crayson conjured in


    her head. His love, care, guidance...


    Every scene shed across in her mind like a movie as the pain was suffocating her.


    Before she knew it, Veronica already got up from bed. Sitting right there nkly, she looked out of the


    small window in rumination as agony doused her.


    Even the air wasced with bitterness. It coiled around her and she could not get out of it as guilt was


    consuming her.


    If Matthew was really dead, she could not imagine what she would do upon discovering the truth. If that


    event came to pass, she would be the cause for his death. Then, would she avenge him by killing


    Crayson?


    No. I don''t think I can.


    Thankfully, Matthew was still alive and she did not need to bear such hellish pain in making a choice.


    Still, if she put it that way, Matthew had sacrificed so much for her. How was she supposed to repay


    him for the rest of her life?


    Her eyes were burning as she suddenly chuckled as if her whole life was a joke. The moment she saw


    her very first light of the world, she had been living ording to others'' ns and never once was she


    off-trail.

 Chapter 693

    Chapter 693


    Veronica felt that her life had been a poorly writtenedy; it was pathetic. She sat on the bed until the


    night dawned, devouring the room with darkness. Remaining seated, she could feel the boat swaying


    slightly, but she did not feel dizzy.


    Creak.


    A stranger opened the door and walked into the room. She was stunned momentarily to see Veronica


    spacing out on bed before she wheeled around and left. Then, Veronica could hear her shouting,


    "Destiny. Destiny, the Young Lord is awake."


    Following that was the sound of footsteps. Soon, Destiny and Crayson entered the room together.


    "Hey, brat. You''re up." After noticing the awakened Veronica facing toward the window on the bed


    without moving, he knew that something was wrong with her.


    Reflexively, he nced at Destiny, who stepped forward. "Veronica, how are you feeling?"


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    In response, Veronica did not look back. The way Crayson addressed her alone was enough to pierce


    an invisible knife deeply into her heart. The throbbing pain perfused and seeped into her veins,


    drowning her into the tingling agony, which felt awfully deranging.


    "Where''s Thomas?" she inquired indifferently like an immobile machine.


    Grayson''s brows creased as he slowly strode to her side with his hands ced behind him. "I didn''t tell


    you something, that outsiders are not allowed to enter the n''s territory. So, I asked someone to send


    him away."


    It was a feeble exnation. Veronica did not move a muscle as though she was a sculpture.


    After a couple of moments, she slowly turned her head andnded her cold gaze upon him. The glint in


    her eyes was unfamiliarly frosty.


    Just one look of them made his heart race. After all, he looked after her as if she was her biological


    daughter, despite not running in the same blood.


    "What did you add into the water?" she interrogated directly.


    Given how smart Veronica was, Crayson had seen thising. "Ever since Matthew ''passed away'',


    you haven''t been in your right state of mind. That''s why I added some drugs so that you can have a


    good sleep."


    "Are you sure you didn''t drive Thomas away while I was sleeping?" Her words were sharp.


    Her frigid eyes zeroed in on him, giving him goosebumps all over his arms. He eventually shifted his


    gaze as he could not look into her eyes.


    Destiny quickly defended. "Veronica, it was my idea. It has nothing to do with Mr. Crayson."


    "Zip it!" barked Veronica. "I''m speaking to my master. Don''t interrupt us."


    Her expression was dark. As though she was stuck in an ice cave, the cold airshrouded herwholeand


    her domineering aura was putting pressure on others.


    Destiny held her tongue at the drop of the hat and stopped protesting, perhaps due to the guilt.


    "Enough. Give us a moment," Crayson told Destiny.


    After alternating her gaze between him and Veronica, she left the room hesitantly. Still, she stood by


    the door upon closing the door.


    Now that the two were alone in the room, Veronica stared at him and questioned, "What do you mean


    by that?"


    It was not until today that she finally realized that she, as well as Matthew, was set up by Crayson.


    Previously, he duped Matthew into breaking up with her with the excuse of building up his force in


    secret. In doing so, Matthew would be able to help her with his power.


    However, it seemed like it was all a lie to have Matthew breaking up with her. With that in n, she


    would be disappointed in him before deciding to cut ties with him.

 Chapter 694

    Chapter 694


    That way, Crayson could shake off Matthew, who was a burden to him. It was because Matthew and


    Veronica''s rtionship would make her linger on Bloomstead, which would be a drawback to her once


    she took over the position as the leader ofthe hidden n.


    Matthew was not an easy opponent and he might be a threat considering his own power. Hence,


    Crayson had racked his brain and thought of separating the both of them.


    It was no wonder that Crayson was opposed to their rtionship. However, Veronica insisted on


    staying together with Matthew, and he had no choice but to agree on it.


    Thinking about it, everyone was wreathed in smiles on their wedding day, except for Crayson, who had


    a long face.


    In fact, he already had ns to eliminate Matthew so as to cut the ties between her and Bloomstead.


    After that, as Destiny had mentioned, they would bring Veronica''s kids over here once she secured her


    position in the n. Of course, her adoptive parents¡ªTony and Danie¡ªwould be here too when the


    timees.


    They were too old and too young to protest anyway, hence they were seen as a pawn in chess.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    What a fabulous n that is.


    "Thomas is an outsider. He cannote and these are the rules.


    I''m worried that you might oppose it, so I added some drugs. No matter how I put it, it''s because this


    old man is afraid of you. You''re stubborn, and it won''t do anything good when we get into a fight."


    Veronica snorted and smiled sarcastically. His ''reasonable'' exnation truly impressed her.


    Crayson and Destiny''s conversation kept ringing in her ears. At that moment, the way Veronica looked


    at him waspletely unfamiliar.


    Perchance, it was her first time seeing his true colors. Thus, her innocence and ignorance were to


    me for.


    It is because of one thing¡ªmy foolishness!


    It was not an exaggeration to say that she was a fool. Fortunately, Matthew was still alive and she did


    not have to live under the shadows of self-reproach.


    Then, she rose to her feet and stretched her body. She turned around and left the room without sparing


    a look at Crayson.


    Opening the door, she stood at the corridor to survey the area at which both sides of it were rooms.


    The luxurious, white shipprised four levels and a deck.


    She loitered around, going to every floor to observe every nook and cranny while calcting the


    number of people onboard. There were twenty-eight people in total, including the crew members and


    captain.


    Some of them owned the particr features of the locals in


    Castron¡ªblonde hair, blue eyes, and well-defined face. Meanwhile, the others looked simr to the


    people in Bloomstead.


    Veronica could still remember the content written in the ''Secret Affair of the Hidden n'', the book she


    and Matthew found in the underground chamber. ording to the book, the hidden n was a part of


    Hayberry in the Destorians'' map.


    Wars were prevalent everywhere a century ago. Thus, the hidden n escaped in order to seek refuge


    from war. In the end, they found and resided in a utopia-like ce from then until today.


    Therefore, their looks were no different from the Destorians. The only difference was the height¡ªthey


    were tallerpared to the Destorians.


    "Young Lord."


    "Greetings, Young Lord."


    "Young Lord."


    Every single time Veronica passed by them, they would greet her as the young lord respectfully. The


    unfamiliar addressment made her feel exotic and out of ce. Of course, she could feel the sarcasm


    more than anything.


    "Veronica, you must be starving. Would you like to have something to eat?" asked Destiny, who walked


    to her side.


    Veronica nced at her coldly. "I have no appetite."


    She then looked back before heading toward the deck.


    At that moment, Destiny handed over a coat. "The wind is strong. You should wear this. The


    temperature dips during the night and it''ll be chilly out there."

 Chapter 695

    Chapter 695


    It was a ck woolen coat. Instead of refusing it, Veronica took it and put it on before heading toward


    the deck as a worried Destiny followed suit.


    After they walked for more than ten feet, Veronica suddenly halted and looked back with a frigid


    expression. "Why are you following me? Think I might jump into the freezing water and swim to


    Castron?"


    The corner of Destiny''s lips twitched as she did think of that possibility.


    "Don''t worry about it. I don''t wanna go to the hidden n, but I don''t wanna die either."


    The ocean temperature varied during the day and night; it could dip below zero degrees at night.


    Furthermore, forget about losing one''s way in the sea, one might not be able to survive until the next


    day in the sea.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Still, Destiny was worried that Veronica might steal the kayak for her escape. Without saying much,


    Veronica turned around and continued her way to the deck. She covered her body with her clothes as


    the chilly sea breeze brushed her face. She figured that the cold temperature was almost the same as


    the sea.


    The chill bit the bones and sent pain to the heart.


    Veronica''s footsteps were slow as though she was having a stroll whilementing about Crayson and


    the gang''s wealth. This huge, posh ship cost at least millions, but she was not sure about the exact


    amount.


    Standing on the deck, she suddenly thought of the movie ''Titanic''. That surreal love reminded her of


    Matthew, whom she wished she could share this moment with.


    She leaned against the railing to stare at the starry, somber sky. Besides the night breeze, the sound of


    pounding waves buzzed into her ears.


    The ship swayed along the strong wind and she was feeling lucky for not suffering from seasickness.


    Otherwise, she would not be able to survive the constant swaying.


    After a while, Crayson approached her. "It''s cold outside. Let''s head downstairs. You might catch a cold


    this way."


    Veronica looked back to take a glimpse at him. Thanks to the lights on the deck, she could clearly see


    his face. Years of life vicissitudes drew wrinkles on his countenance, making him appear amiable.


    There was one thing she was genuinely curious about. Master Crayson, if I still insist on leaving the


    hidden n after spending some time there, will you threaten me to stay by using my adoptive parents


    and my kids?


    Still, she kept it to herself due to fear. The fear of seeing him nodding; the fear of her words sparking an


    idea to him when he had yet to think that far.


    "I''m starving. I''m craving your chicken wraps."


    Hunting was not an illegal activity when she was young. Back then, the both of them would have


    training and hunting in the mountains. When they caught a wild chicken, he would always make her


    some chicken wraps.


    After plucking and dressing it, he would fill the wraps with the meat before adding ayer of butter to


    cook it.


    Veronica made a few attempts on making the same dish, but they were not as tasty. She figured that it


    was his specialty dish or something.


    Not only did Crayson''s chicken wraps not smell bloody, they were also juicy and delicious with a strong


    taste.


    "You''re putting me in a tough position, youngdy. How can I make you those here?" He took her


    request as a sign of her appeasing rage.


    He added, "What about catfish stew? You loved the ones I made."


    His words made her happy, for she knew that Crayson still cared for her. If she was willing to stay with


    the hidden n forever, things could have stayed this way.


    However...


    Who knew what would happen in the future?


    "Sure! It''s a good idea to have catfish stew out in the ocean." She nodded as she dly epted his


    suggestion.

 Chapter 696

    Chapter 696


    "Come with me, then. It''s cold outside." Crayson walked over to pull her hand and led the way


    downstairs.


    Touching her cold hand, he bbered on, "Look. You can''t stand the cold, yet you exposed yourself to


    the wind on the deck. If your mother knows how naughty you are, she could nag you for the whole day."


    He was naggy as before with those familiar words. Yet, her mentality had changed upon hearing that.


    As an afterthought, she blurted the question in her head, "Hey, what if someone wants my life? Will you


    risk your life to save me?"


    "Hmphl That¡¯s pure nonsense. You''re my disciple! Anyone that harms you will be a dead meat."


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "If I''m not the young lord of the n, will you still protect me?" inquired Veronica.


    This time, Crayson stood still and paused for a moment before gazing back at her. While the hesitation


    lasted for a few seconds, his murky eyes spoke of confusion under the illuminating light. "I raised you,


    and you''re no less from my own kid. No matter what happens, I will risk my life to save you."


    When he said his answer, his eyes were overflowed with sincerity and genuine feelings that signified


    the weight of his words. Thus, she believed in him.


    Even so, there was another question that seeped into her mind. What if that person is you or someone


    who belongs to the n?


    That difficult question remained unasked until the end.


    Crayson released her hand. "Let''s go. I''m freezing."


    She trailed behind him toward the dining room downstairs at which she sat down while watching the


    television out of boredom since her phone and watch were confiscated.


    That way, she would not be able to stay in contact with the outside world.


    While Veronica was waiting for Crayson''s catfish stew, she stared at the television screen while resting


    her elbow atop the table. Then, she turned her head to gaze at the darkness out of the window, falling


    deep into rumination.


    / wonder how Matthew is going toe to the hidden n. Silly mon.


    They knew each other for only more than two years. During this period of time, they got married after


    merely a year and half. Yet, he was willing to make such a big sacrifice for her life.


    Just how lucky am I to meet such a perfect man? Is it really as he hod said that day? That I amassed


    my luck and blessings in my previous life, so I was able to meet him?


    She smiled at that.


    After spending three days cruising the ocean, Veronica went through her days peacefully with them as


    everyone avoided the sensitive topics.


    At longst, the cruise ship moored at an isted ind. The crowd disembarked the ship with their


    luggages.


    Veronica scanned the boundless edge of the ind. She had a hunch that they were getting closer to


    the hidden n, but this was not the ce they lived.


    They wedged through the rainforest; the dense lines of trees towered over them and the bushes were


    as tall as an adult; the sound of birds chirping and crickets singing did not stop.


    The weather was hot enough for one to stand, but trekking through the thick forest did not help at all.


    They felt hotter as time passed.


    Veronica was their priority, hence she was only carrying one backpack while moving around in the


    middle of the crowd.


    Along their way, she scrutinized the area only to realize that people hardly took this route. However,


    she could vaguely discern the outline of the path¡ªa trace of human life.


    There were no routes to begin with in the world, and humans paved it.


    Considering the little amount of people hiking through the woods, the path could be scarcely seen.


    At noon, they took a rest and Veronica asked, "How much longer?"


    "At least two more days," answered Crayson as he handed her a bottle of water.


    Looking at the water bottle, she raised her eyebrow. In the end, she took it with a faint smile to quench


    her thirst. She was on her guard, but she was way too thirsty for that.

 Chapter 697

    Chapter 697


    Considering Grayson''s capability, it was a breeze to have him knock Veronica out. Plus, why would he


    use the same method when he had drugged the water previously?


    The lunch breaksted for an hour before they continued their journey. All the while, Veronica was


    taciturn as she observed everyone attentively.


    These guys had been walking for a solid four hours since morning. Although they took ten along the


    way, no one was feeling exhausted. Rather, one could tell that they were trained fighters from their


    steady steps.


    Their power evoked fear in her, for she could not imagine what kind of scene she would see once they


    arrived at the hidden n''s territory.


    They walked in the woods for another few hours in the afternoon. The fact that she could not see the


    landform ahead of them rendered her the passive party of the situation. The closer they got to the


    territory, the more nervous she felt.


    However, right when she was being wary of Crayson, she fell into his trap and became unconscious.


    It was a long sleep, so long that she could feel how long the dream was dragging. No matter how much


    she tried to wake up, she failed. It was no less different from a nightmare.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    The sudden explosion woke her up as she recoiled up in bed. In contrast with the darkness in the


    room, the fireworks burst into vibrant colors, lighting up the room with colorful brilliance through the


    window.


    Frowning, she looked around the room and saw amp on the headboard. After turning it on, the


    furniture around her took her back as her eyes widened.


    It was a wooden room; although the electrical appliances were of modern facilities, the ceiling, window,


    and floor were made of wood. However, the electrical appliances were made by brands that she had


    never heard of.


    She scanned outside the window with the help of the fireworks, only to discover the unorganized,


    traditional roofs and balconies.


    Scanning over the whole picture, she almost mistook it as a dazzling night view in a fictional movie.


    A nonplussed Veronica rose to her feet before she walked to the window to look out of it. She realized


    that she was in a house on the mountain pass at which she could scarcely see the market at the base.


    It was bustling with the people and lights. She could even hear the noisesing from there!


    "It''s gorgeous," she eximed.


    Still, when she thought of Crayson at the very next second, her expression fell. She wheeled around


    and headed downstairs.


    On the first floor, a few people were having a revel around the table in the living room. Conversation


    andughter of merriment definitely enlightened the atmosphere.


    She stood right there as her cold gaze swept across them and her arrival drew their attention. Her


    ferocious appearance caused Crayson to clench his fists subconsciously as his veins were protruding


    on his temples.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Nevertheless, he let out a friendlyugh. "You''re up, Roni."


    However, if one took a closer look at him, it was easy to notice the flickering guilt in his eyes.


    Veronica gazed at him coldly. "If I didn''t know how defensive you are toward me, I would''ve thought that


    you see me as your family. Say, how should I trust you?"


    She had been watching out for him ever since the departure from Castron, yet she let her guard down


    on the ind and fell for his trap.


    It felt awful. His actions were relentlessly eating into her affections she harbored for him.


    Destiny, who was sitting aside, stood up to exin. "Veronica, Master¡ª"


    "Am I talking to you?" Veronica averted her cold gaze onto Destiny. The glow on Veronica''s well-


    defined features dimmed and her aura was intimidating.

 Chapter 698

    Chapter 698


    As Destiny noticed Crayson getting nervous, she was getting jittery for some reason too. She usually


    addressed him as ''Mr. Crayson'', but she called him Master out of nervousness.


    Especially when Veronica''s eyes zeroed in on her presently, her cold aura was sending chills to


    Destiny''s spine.


    "You¡ª" She parted her lips, intending to say something, but nothing escaped through her mouth.


    "Since you''re awake, have something with us. I''ll exin everything to youter." Crayson did not wish


    to see Veronica getting livid. However, he had no choice but to abide by the n''s rules.


    She examined the seated people, who wore green, ck or checkered head scarfs. They had either


    silver earrings or silver neck rings on them as well. Mostly in blue, green, red, ck, and white, the


    cored shirts on them stretched into narrow sleeves and fit waists. There were even floral patterns


    embroidered on the edge of the pants.


    Those were distinguishing features of the hidden ns and they were simr to that of the Haians.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Crayson and Destiny donned the traditional clothes too. Veronica, who was in a ck tracksuit,


    appeared inconspicuous as she stood right there.


    Their distinctive clothes were attractive and pretty to her, yet she


    felt something strange about it. It was as if she had traveled to another space, where she was


    unfamiliar with and repulsive of.


    Veronica riveted on the spot whereas the people spoke in their localnguage with Crayson. She could


    not understand a single thing and her passive stance made her worry.


    After they finished talking, a fair-skinned and gentle-looking man rose to his feet. He approached


    Veronica and introduced himself, "Hi. I''m Mateo Elrod. Nice to meet you."


    Mateo dressed in a blue-ck buttoned short that had short sleeves and the same ck pants as


    everyone else. Although he did not wear a headscarf, his delicate features stood out with those golden


    spectacles and he seemed like a gentleman.


    Most importantly, he was speaking in English! Since one should reserve their anger toward a person


    with a positive attitude, Veronica figured that it would be impolite to keep her sour face on since he took


    the initiative first.


    She shook his hand. "Hi, I''m Veronica."


    "Yup, I know that." He nodded. "Waylen Elrod is my grandfather. He has mentioned about you all these


    years."


    Then, he suddenly realized that she might not know who he was referring to, so he pointed at Crayson


    and exined, "Waylen is his real name."


    "He knows that you don''t understand ournguage, so I''ll be your interpreter in the future," he added.


    The unfamiliar ce, people, andnguage were weighing her shoulders down with an invisible weight.


    Her brows furrowed before smoothened as she nodded lightly. "Okay. Thanks in advance."


    Veronica needed an interpreter, otherwise, it would be difficult for her to roam around the hidden n.


    "Don''t sweat it. Let''s go and have some food." Mateo extended his arm and they sat down to enjoy the


    meal.


    "Veronica, allow me to introduce them to you. They work for your mother. He''s Aiden Elrod. This is


    Rory Finnegan, Shoy Finnegan, and Wren Ledger," Crayson introduced their names and identities.


    Later on, she found out that the people in the hidden n were named after the surname Ledger, Elrod,


    Finnegan, Beckett, and Monroe.

 Chapter 699

    Chapter 699


    Mother?


    It was Veronica''s first time hearing Crayson mentioning her mother. The fact that she was oblivious of


    her mother¡¯s name lent more reason to how ironic her life was.


    Ever since she was young, she was aware that the Murphy couple were her adoptive parents. Then,


    she thought her biological parents were the Larson couple when she met them.


    Now, she finally knew that her biological mother was the leader''s daughter in the hidden n.


    Unfortunately, she neither knew of her name as of today nor did she wish to know about it.


    "Is that Veronica Murphy? She looks exactly like her mother."


    One of themughed. "She definitely takes after her mother. She''s gorgeous!"


    "She seems cheerful, but her attitude is kinda cold. They''re totally the same."


    "It''s her first time here. I''m afraid she won''t get used to the environment."


    While they were gushing about Veronica, Mateo, who sat next to her, interpreted the whole


    conversation for her.


    Since she had been deceived by her closest person, she had her guards on against everyone. She


    even questioned the validity of his interpretation in her head.


    Grr...


    Suddenly, her stomach began to rumble in protest as she was hungry. Most of the dishes were


    Western, but there was a te of fried centipedes amongst them. The sheer sight of the exotic food


    made her stomach churn.


    "Have these if you''re hungry. This one might look scary, but it''s tasty." Crayson wore his amiable face at


    her as though he had never betrayed her before.


    "It''s rich in proteins. It''s nutritional," introduced Mateo. "It''s our specialty."


    ''Our''?


    That word prompted her to look at him in silence. A couple of momentster, she finally held her


    cutleries and dug in. Fortunately, most of their food was spicy, which suited her palette.


    She quietly enjoyed her meal whereas the rest continued chattering. However, Mateo did not interpret it


    for her this time. It might be probably a mere water-cooler conversation.


    Ten minutes had passed when she put down her utensils. "Enjoy your meal. I had my fill." It was


    spoken in English.


    Following that, Mateo interpreted her words to others instantly. They nodded with a smile as their gaze


    landed upon her in contentment and adoration.


    Subsequently, Crayson said something to Mateo after which he conveyed the message to Veronica.


    "They said they''re happy to see you enjoy your meal. My grandfather asked me to take you for a tour


    around the area since it''s your first time here."


    "Sure. Thanks." She dly epted the offer.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Since it was her first visit and she was unfamiliar to the hidden n, she figured that she had to adapt


    herself to the environment as soon as possible.


    She stood up and nodded to them before leaving with Mateo trailing behind her. The sun had already


    set when she stood in the yard. As the bright lights shone in garish colors, the ce was as bustling as


    it was in Bloomstead. However, the building structure was inclined to the Haians'' culture.


    "This ce is actually really pretty. I''ve been to the city you lived in once. Frankly speaking, its beauty


    is nowhere as near as this." He led her down the mountain while introducing, "I believe that you''ll fall in


    love with the ce."


    Bluestone bricks paved the route toward the base with two lines of greenery nted on both sides


    whereas two or three-storey bamboo houses were built above the mountain pass, looking awry and


    scattered. They were beautiful with those bright-lit ornaments hanging on the doors.


    Marching forward, Veronica inhaled the floral fragrance and felt the fresh air channeling through her


    lungs. She could not help but acknowledge how relishing this ce was.

 Chapter 700

    Chapter 700


    Peering into the far distance, Veronica could vaguely see the thin mist coiling around the mountain


    pass. It added a mysterious mood to the ce with the help of the lights in its city center.


    "Master Crayson hardlyes back here. How did he earn their trust, though?" she questioned out of


    the sudden.


    She recalled Crayson leaving the countryside at least four times for a long period of time annually.


    Whenever she asked where he had gone to, he would say that he went for a trip and stayed at a


    friend''s ce. He did not mention anything else other than that. Now that she thought about it, he might


    have returned to the hidden n all along.


    "He returns at least five to six times a year and those people would look for him sometimes. You might


    not know about this, but he has power here. No one can threaten his ce." Mateo then added, "He''s a


    great man."


    She coldly snorted. "He is a great man."


    Noticing her disapproval of Crayson, Mateo quickly descended the stairs and looked up at her. "Miss


    Murphy, you must''ve misunderstood Grandpa. He''s¡ª"


    "How old are you?" she interrupted.


    "Grandpa told me that you''re two days older than me," he answered seriously.


    There was nothing wrong with the polite way of him addressing her, yet she felt weird about it.


    "It seems like you know a lot about me."


    "Not much, but I mostly heard it from Grandpa. He says that you''re an amazing person and¡ª"


    "Let''s drop the honorifics. Just address me in afortable manner."


    "Oh. Sure, Roni."


    Veronica was rendered speechless as she never knew that they were this close to have him call her


    that.


    With that, she did not continue the topic further as she remained indifferent to strangers while


    wandering around the night market alongside Mateo.


    The different, puny items and things, which she had never seen before, were a whole new world to her.


    Even so, she was not in a state of mind to enjoy the mood due to the heavy weight in her head.


    "Veronica Murphy?" someone called her name abruptly.


    Veronica''s footstep halted as she looked back reflexively, only to see Tiffany standing behind her. There


    was another man beside her too¡ªit was none other than Hendrey!


    "What a coincidence. I never expected to see you here this soon."


    Tiffany was wearing a blue buttoned shirt and a blue embroidered floral skirt. The silver cap on her had


    a silver tassel dangling and there were also silver rings around her neck. With light make-up, she


    looked like a legit Haian; she was breathtakingly beautiful.


    Meanwhile, Hendrey''s buttoned shirt and embroidered pants were in the same shade as his ck head


    scarf, making the man as handsome as ever.


    Veronica took a glimpse at Tiffany before gazing at Hendrey. "Long time no see. Mind exining


    something?"


    His eyes wavered the moment he noticed Veronica before he spotted a nearby coffeehouse. "Why not


    have a cup of coffee together?"


    He pointed at the coffeehouse.


    Being able to meet one¡¯s old friend in an unfamiliar ce would always be a good thing.


    However, she could only feel her heart doused by frigidity as though she was in a freezing, ice cave.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    As she frowned in hesitation, Tiffany held Hendrey''s hand smugly. "Why? Are you afraid?"


    "You''re not afraid of losing your life in my hands. So, why should I?" Veronica red at her before


    heading toward the coffeehouse.

 Chapter 701

    Chapter 701


    Mateo didn''t say much as he looked at Tiffany meaningfully before following Veronica into the cafe.


    After asking the owner for a private room, they entered and took their seats. He took the menu and


    asked Veronica what she liked before ordering Roobois tea and a few specialty snacks.


    "Hey, didn''t Matthew just pass away? Did you find new love so soon? Aren''t you afraid that he won''t


    rest in peace?" Tiffany leaned on the rattan chair and spoke sarcastically.


    Since she was wearing a silver hat, the silver tassels hanging on the edges of the hat made a bell-like


    sound when she moved slightly. The sound was pleasing to the ear.


    Veronica''s face darkened as she locked her gaze on Tiffany. Mateo, who was sitting beside her, spoke


    up immediately. "Did you juste out of the toilet, Miss Larson? Why are you spitting bullsh*t?"


    "Who the hell are you? Was I talking to you?" Tiffany raised her chin slightly arrogantly and looked at


    Mateo with contempt.


    "It doesn''t matter who I am. It''s disgusting to see you acting almighty and domineering," he spat bluntly.


    "Seeing how young you are, you must be Veronica''s lover boy." Tiffany covered her lips with her hands


    and smirked. "It''s understandable, though. After all, her beloved husband passed away not long ago,


    so she needs thepany of a man to get over her sorrow."


    "You..."


    When Mateo heard that, he became furious and hurried over toward her.


    As soon as she saw this, she jumped to her feet in shock, took a few steps back, and asked, "Are you


    trying to hurt me? I''m warning you, you better be aware of my identity before you decide whether to hit


    me."


    "Don''t get worked up." This time, Veronica stood up.


    She walked in front of him and reached out to push him behind her while she stared at Tiffany with a


    cold gaze.


    Suddenly, with Mateo and Hendrey keeping an eye on the situation, she raised her foot and aimed it at


    Tiffany''s face. However, at a critical juncture, Hendrey pulled Tiffany aside, stood up, and shielded her.


    After Veronica failed tond the kick, she retracted her leg. She red at Hendrey before turning her


    gaze to Tiffany. Her delicate hands were balled into tight fists, and the dark orbs in her eyes were filled


    with surprise and disappointment.


    "I didn''t know your feelings for her were that persistent."


    In any case, Veronica never expected Hendrey to stand up and protect Tiffany at a critical moment.


    Suddenly, she was reminded of the bracelet on her wrist. She removed it without hesitation before


    hurling it angrily in his direction. "I''ve wanted to return this bracelet to you, so... here you go."


    Hendrey put out a hand and caught the bracelet firmly, then looked at it in his palm, and it appeared as


    if the warmth of her hand was still present. There was a brief moment of sadness in his eyes as he


    furrowed his chiseled brows, but when he looked up, his eyes were calm. "You can''t hurt Tiffany. She


    ¡ª"


    "You can''t get away from Matt''s death, either. I will let you and Tiffany go this time, but wait until I settle


    ounts with you two sooner orter!" Veronica warned solemnly.


    "It also depends on whether you can live until that time. Veronica, do you think the hidden n can


    amodate you? You must not know how many people want you dead here." Tiffany rolled her eyes


    at her and quipped.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    At this moment, she seemed to have forgotten that she had the exact same face as Veronica and her


    true identity.


    "You''d better pray that Hendrey will never leave you." After leaving her with that sentence, Veronica


    turned around and left.


    After Veronica left, Mateo stared at Tiffany and said, "So, you''re aware that it''s the hidden n here?


    Then, you should always be aware of your identity. If you ever die as a substitute, you will only die


    before her."


    He then left gracefully after saying that.


    Tiffany was slightly startled and was shocked by the mming of the door."W-Who is he? How did he


    know about me?

 Chapter 702

    Chapter 702


    Hendrey shoved Tiffany''s hand away and spat with cold eyes, "Sooner orter, you will die because of


    your mouth."


    What a foolish woman. He wondered how Floch Larson and his wife raised Tiffany and how she earned


    the title "Talented Lady of Bloomstead."What a joke.


    "Didn''t I just say that Matthew died? What''s wrong with that? I was stating the facts." She arrogantly


    snorted and sat on the rattan chair.


    Recalling the past, before Veronica appeared in Bloomstead, Tiffany was the brightest star in the entire


    town. Veronica''s appearance disrupted her perfect life, turned it into a total mess, and made her a


    laughingstock.


    After experiencing many highs and lows, Tiffany had lost herposure for some time. So, it was


    inevitable that whenever she saw Veronica, Tiffany would be agitated and lose control of her


    emotions. All Tiffany wanted was to humiliate Veronica and watch her be enraged. Tiffany


    believed she would finally win after Matthew''s death because Veronica was so badly affected. That''s


    why she spoke carelessly when she saw Veronica in the hidden n.


    "They are right about one thing. Here in the hidden n, you will die in front of Veronica if you do, so


    you better watch out from now on." Hendrey left her with that sentence and mmed the door after


    leaving.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was strolling down Hidden Street. She was upset, so she went to a pub, ordered


    some wine, and drank alone. Mateo sat across from her and drank with her. The two did not engage in


    conversation but rather drank to calm their agitation.


    While drinking, she noticed a spark of light in his eyes, so she picked up the wine bottle and shoved it


    at him. "Let me give you a toast to thank you for what happened earlier."


    The hidden n had traditional pubs and served locally brewed fine wines in retro-style bottles, so


    there was a certain vibe to it.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    "Don''t mention it, Roni." Mateo smiled and drank a big gulp.


    "One more. Please take care of me in the hidden n."


    "No problem."


    "One more toast. Since you''re the grandson of Master Crayson, you are considered family to me."


    Veronica kept making Mateo drink, thinking he''d get drunk only after another bottle. However, as the


    wine neared its end, his face flushed red, and his speech slurred.


    She immediately ced the bottle down, leaned forward slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Can you


    tell me about the history of the hidden n? Did the old man tell you what he ns to do with me?"


    "Hmm... I can tell you the history, but Grandpa says I can''t tell you anything else."


    Veronica was speechless. It seemed that he wasn''tpletely drunk yet.


    "Fine. Let''s just drink, then. I''m not in a good mood today, so you must drink with me." After saying that,


    she grabbed another bottle of wine and ced it in front of him before clinking her ss with his.


    "Drink."


    "Okay. Let¡¯s drink." Holding the bottle, Mateo tilted his head backward and took another big gulp.


    While drinking, she used the napkin on the table to wipe her mouth and secretly spit some wine on it.


    She even lowered her arms and poured the wine into the trashcan next to her. Afterward, she forced


    herself to drink two more bottles of wine with him.


    By then, Mateo''s entire face had turned crimson, and he even started puking while holding the wine


    bottle. Veronica was persistent in making him spill the secret, but he managed to grit his teeth without


    blurting a word. Eventually, the two got drunk after downing an unknown number of wine bottles. The


    only useless information she managed to get from him was her biological mother''s name...

 Chapter 703

    Chapter 703


    Hayley Elrod was her biological mother''s name.


    Afterward, Crayson and Destiny showed up in the pub. When they noticed Mateo and Veronica were


    drunk, they ordered someone to send them back to the bamboo house.


    In the bedroom, Veronicay dizzily on the bed until she fell asleep. While sleeping, she could vaguely


    feel a familiar scent beside her. That familiar feeling made her open her eyes instantly. Sure enough,


    someone else was lying beside her, embracing her and stroking her cheek with his big palm.


    In the darkness, Veronica was aware of his identity, even though she couldn''t see him. She was


    ovee with emotion and reached out to give him a tight hug before nting a passionate kiss on his


    lips. As if through telepathy, they were aware of each other''s presence. The passionate kiss was like a


    prairie fire burning endlessly. During the process, both of them immersed themselves tacitly and


    enjoyed the wonderful moment. None of them ventured to break the silence or spoil the pleasant


    atmosphere.


    While hugging him, Veronica ced her fingers on his back. She gently rubbed the scars left by the


    three gunshot wounds on his back, feeling a dull pain hitting her chest. He had sacrificed too much for


    her. Throughout the passionate love-making session, she clenched her teeth and restrained herself


    from making a sound for fear of rming the people outside.


    After an unknown amount of time, their blissful session came to an end. She hugged him tightly, her


    cheek pressed against his hot


    chest as she inquired, "When did youe?"


    Veronica only arrived in the hidden n yesterday afternoon, and Matthew quickly found out where she


    stayed. His presence gave her a sense of security.


    "I came two days before you."


    He hugged her and nted a kiss on her forehead, uttering, "Silly girl. Don''t be afraid. I''m always here


    for you. Do everything you want without fear."


    "Thank you, Matt." She closed her eyes and let herself bepletely submerged in the feeling of


    safety he had given her.


    "You''re my wife. I''d do anything for you."


    "I''m so lucky to have you, h-honey."


    "What did you call me?"


    After Matthew got acquainted with Veronica, she always called him by his first name. She only started


    calling him by his nickname, Matt, recently. Now that he finally heard her calling him ''honey,'' he was


    instantly over the moon.


    "Honey!"


    "It''s too soft. I can''t hear you."


    "Honey?"


    "What?"


    "Honey! Honey! Honey..." She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear.


    Unable to control his joy, he reached out to p her bum lightly. "What an annoying little brat."


    They say that ''absence makes the heart grow fonder.'' Matthew was already missing Veronica like


    crazy. Now that she was finally in his embrace, it was more difficult for him to restrain himself. Feeling


    the burning desire in his body, he got up and pinned her down again, confessing, "I want to do it again.


    What should I do?"


    "Nuh-uh. It''s dangerous now. We can''t be discovered."


    She also missed him very much, and all her thoughts about him turned into a lingering drizzle,


    nourishing her, making her unable to restrain herself too. Though she refused him, her body reacted


    more honestly.


    Matthew could feel the moisture on his fingertips when he caressed Veronica unintentionally. He then


    chuckled, "You''re lying, Roni."


    Being teased by him, her cheeks flushed red. "Stop being shameless. I never knew you were this


    annoying before."


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "Why should I pretend to be a gentleman with my wife? I''m not a hypocrite."


    Hooking her chin with his finger, he leaned down and kissed her soft, red lips.


    To Matthew, Veronica was like a coquettish poppy in full bloom. Just a single touch would make him fall


    out of control. That feeling was... exceptionally wonderful.

 Chapter 704

    Chapter 704


    After another round of intense, intimate sessions, Veronicay beside Matthew and panted softly like a


    lazy little kitten. Just then, he stuffed something into her ear like a magic trick.


    "What did you put inside?" She felt something extra in her ear, so she asked.


    "Tiny earphones that trante automatically."


    He pinched her cheek and exined earnestly, "I know you don''t understand thenguage of the


    hidden n. So, I ordered someone to custom-make this thing long ago. It''s tested and proven to work


    efficiently. I thought you might need it."


    Matthew''s attentive manner in which he took care of her and his adoration for her shone through in his


    actions. Veronica was so moved by the gesture that she was at a loss for words.


    "Matt, you treat me so well, but 1-1... don''t know how to repay you."


    His excessive love for her invisibly ced a tremendous psychological burden on her.


    All this while, he had been sacrificing for her, while she received it with endless greed. It made her


    wonder if she was useless. Why did she need him to do everything for her?


    "What are you talking about? You''re my wife. What do I need in return?"


    After a brief pause, Matthew gave it some thought and continued, "If you want to repay me, then


    promise me that you will never leave me in this life. Roni, keep in mind that I am a very domineering


    person. When I pamper you, I can give you the entire world, but the only thing I cannot ept is


    betrayal. If you betray me one day¡ª"


    "What will happen?" Veronica was curious.


    "I will..." He lowered his voice and leaned into her ear, whispering, "I will imprison you by my side


    forever."


    " Pfft!" Facing his serious attitude, she grinned. "That day will nevere."


    She swore it would never. Veronica was aware that she was someone who would repay others''


    kindness to her. If Matthew already gave her everything, how could she even betray him?


    "Anyway, I''m really touched." She wrapped her arms around his waist, restlessly stroking his skin,


    enjoying the moment''s beauty.


    While deep in thought, she suddenly asked again, "If I miss you one day, how can I contact you? After


    all, we''ll not be able to leave the hidden n for at least the next three or five months."


    The hidden n''s issue was serious and could easily affect the whole body. It was easy for them to


    come here, but leaving would be asplicated as flying to the moon.


    However, Veronica was afraid of the hidden n''s power, so she had toe. The current situation


    made her extremely passive.


    "As long as you say you miss me, I''ll appear in front of you immediately," Matthew said.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "Teh. Like in the movies? Do you think you can fly or teleport to me right away?"


    Hearing the contempt in her words, he chuckled without further exnation.


    "By the way, did you also know that Hendrey and Tiffany have alsoe to the hidden n?"


    Veronica assumed that since Matthew arrived at the hidden n earlier than her, he must have already


    known that Hendrey and Tiffany were there as well.


    "Yeah."


    "That''s good. They know you, so you better be careful. Don''t let them see you."


    Their meticulous n was done to ensure everything could be carried out seamlessly after arriving at


    the hidden n. The whole n would go down the drain if Matthew''s identity was discovered.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t get caught." He held her right hand and linked his fingers with hers.


    In the darkness, Matthew leaned against the head of the bed. In contrast, Veronica leaned in his arms


    while rubbing her cheeks against his chest, quietly immersing in his presence, unable to pull herself


    out.


    If time could be stopped, it would be wonderful to remain in this moment forever. The two sighed in


    their hearts.

 Chapter 705

    Chapter 705


    While the couple hugged each other, Veronica tried her best not to fall asleep. However, being with


    Matthew put her at extreme ease. Coupled with more than three hours of intense exercise earlier, she


    couldn''t help but feel drowsy, so she eventually fell into a deep sleep.


    The next day, the warm sunshine shone into her room through the windows. Veronica rubbed her eyes


    in a daze and suddenly recalled something. The moment she opened her eyes and nced beside her,


    he was no longer there. She reached out and felt a pinch of coldness as she touched the empty bed


    beside her. He must have left long ago. Hugging the nket, she fell into a trance as if recalling the


    beautiful time they had spent togetherst night.


    Meanwhile, in Bloomstead, Shirley, Jayden, and Shawn were having a meeting in the Vincere Games


    meeting room.


    Jayden and Shawn were partners of Vincere Games, of which Jayden held 35% of thepany''s


    shares, Shawn had 10%, and Veronica owned the majority. Since Veronica handed thepany affairs


    to Shirley, the two were dissatisfied and wanted to cause trouble for her. During the meeting, they


    mentioned the issue of sponsor recruitment. The two men looked at each other and exchanged ideas


    secretly.


    Shawn closed the folder in his hand and twisted a ck pen in his hand while uttering to Shirley, "The


    company''s contract with the previous partner has expired, and ourteam¡¯s poprity has also


    increased. We need to recruit new sponsors. Since the team is preparing for the national fall


    competition, Jayden and I will have to lead the team for training, so we''ll leave the sponsorship up to


    you."


    "Yeah. The national fallpetition is an important event. If we can win the game, we''ll move on to


    participate in the international event." Jayden nodded as his gaze fell on Shirley when he uttered


    seriously.


    It had been half a year since Shirley joined the Vincere Games. She worked actively and earnestly


    every day in order to integrate into thepany as soon as possible. Still, these people thought she


    wasn''t knowledgeable about games, so they treated her with contempt.


    "Okay, no problem." She nodded slightly. "Any ideas on whichpanies to look for?"


    "Spinfluence Group, Horizon Group, and Cyberten Holdings. These threepanies are the most


    powerfulpanies at present. If we can obtain sponsorship from any of them. In thatcase, we will be


    able toplete thepany''s annual performance ahead of schedule the following year."


    Jayden tapped on the table lightly with a pen, assuming the posture of a superior.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    When Shirley came to thepany, Veronica had made it clear that Shirley was taking over her


    position. Still, no one was willing to obey a youngdy.


    Regarding Jayden''s arrogant attitude, Shirley''s displeasure did not show on her face. No one in the


    workce sympathized with the weak, and only by showing an impressive performance could one


    prove one''s strength.


    "Okay. I''ll try my best." She nodded.


    "Try your best?"


    Shawn frowned with dissatisfaction written all over his face. "We want you to make sure you get the


    sponsorship. Think about it. Have you ever achieved anything after joining thepany? Why do we


    need you if you can''t even settle such a small matter?!"


    Even Jayden, who was sitting beside him, shook his head. "I don''t understand why Veronica let you, a


    layman, take care of thepany. Is she treating us like fools? We work overtime and dedicate


    ourselves to thepany, but she earns what we work for. What the hell?"


    "Hmph. Is that even a question? She does treat us all like fools!" Shawn snorted.


    The two had suppressed their dissatisfaction with Shirley at first, but now that their emotions had


    erupted, they criticized Veronica in front of Shirley, which made her furious.


    Frowning, she felt the heat creeping up her face. ring at the two with piercing eyes, she grunted,


    "You two..."


    She wanted to refute them by raising her voice but suddenly recalled what Veronica had taught her.

 Chapter 706

    Chapter 706


    Shirley recalled Veronica''s advice: In the workce, only one''s capability could solve any problem.


    Impulsivity was never the way to solve a problem.


    Thinking of that, Shirley restrained the anger in her heart and replied, "Sure. I will give you a


    satisfactory answer."


    "How long? You know, there''s not much time left until the games," Shawn prodded.


    The two maintained a strong respect for Veronica before, mainly because of her capability. Second, her


    rtionship with Matthew made them respect her even more. Now that Matthew was ''dead,'' she


    dumped thepany to Shirley again, so the two of them were naturally dissatisfied.


    Just as Shirley was pondering about it, Jayden decided for her, "I will give you a week at most. You''ll be


    switched to the logistics department if you can''t figure it out."


    The two were nning to seize power, and she was well aware of that, so her pressure instantly


    increased. Clenching her fists, she agreed to their request. After giving them an OK gesture, she


    closed the document and left the office.


    As the office door was mmed shut, Jayden and Shawn smirked at each other with pride in their


    eyes.


    "Oh, what a young and energetic youngdy. Let''s just lean back and watch the show." Jayden''s lips


    curled upward into a sinister smirk.


    Shawn leaned back, cracked his neck, twisted his body, and closed his eyes while uttering, "By the


    way, Jay, weren''t you being too much? The threepanies you mentioned won''t even spare us a


    nce. It''s impossible for us to coborate with any of them. You''re trying to make that youngdy look


    bad, aren''t you?"


    When Shirley returned to the office, she made herself a cup of coffee, sat at the desk, and looked up


    Spinfluence Group, Horizon Group, and Cyberten Holdings. Eventually, she couldn''t help but let out a


    long sigh.


    Conrad was now in charge of the Spinfluence Group, so it was impossible to coborate with them.


    Once he found out that the Vincere Games was Veronica''spany, she was afraid he would destroy


    them without any effort.


    Vincere Games had always been Veronica''s painstaking effort, and Shirley knew it better than anyone


    else. Holding the pen, she crossed out the Spinfluence Group on the notebook. Only Horizon Group


    and Cyberten Holdings were left.


    Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she thought of Wade. He was now the secretary of Tal Gibson, the


    president of Horizon Group. Could she ask him for help?


    "Oh, forget it. He has already been of great help to me." Shirley shook her head and crossed that idea


    out in her mind.


    Eventually, her gazended on Cyberten Holdings, arge Intepany. Dialing the phone


    number, she made an appointment to meet the president. However, the one who answered the call was


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    the secretary, and she was rejected outright. Helplessly, Shirley grabbed her bag and drove directly to


    Cyberten Holdings.


    The car she drove was a car given to her by Matthew before. At that time, he had been contacting her


    privately to inquire about Veronica''s affairs, so this car was a sort of reward for her.


    After Shirley went to Cyberten Holdings and walked into the reception of thepany''s headquarters


    building, she handed her business card to the receptionist and exined the purpose of her visit.


    Unfortunately, the receptionist wasn''t even interested in an unknown e-sportspany. He nced at


    her business card contemptuously and refused to take it. "I''m sorry, President Brennan is on a


    business trip overseas."


    "Business trip? Erm... when will he return?"


    Jayden and Shawn only gave her a week. Suppose Mr. Garrick Brennan of Cyberten Holdings was


    away on business and didn''t return in time. Wouldn''t she be forced to rely on Horizon Group instead?


    "President Brennan didn¡¯t inform us. He might be out for a week or two," the receptionist said


    something casually, then lowered his head and began to tidy up the neat desktop.


    Obviously, he wasn''t interested in having a long conversation with Shirley. Despite her continued


    prodding, he still failed to provide satisfactory responses to her questions. Helplessly, she left the


    company and stood beside the road, trying to search for news regarding Garrick Brennan. Sure


    enough, she made an interesting discovery.

 Chapter 707

    Chapter 707


    The news showed that Garrick was participating in a charity event in the morning, but the event had


    ended. When Shirley nced at the time, it was 10.30AM, so she waited at the roadside, trying her


    luck.


    The scorching sun was like a ball of fire, but she stood under the shade of a tree, feeling the slight wind


    blowing in her direction. However, the breeze was surprisingly warm, so she sweated profusely.


    Though she felt warm and thirsty, she dared not go to the washroom for fear of missing Garrick when


    he returned. Fortunately, her dedication paid off. At 1.10PM, a ck Lamborghini stopped in front of the


    company. After taking a look at the car te, she was confident that it was his designated car.


    Shirley''s eyes instantly lit up. Carrying her bag, she trotted over on high heels. "President Brennan!


    President Brennan?" she called out to him.


    At 1.10PM, the sun was hanging high up in the sky. Few people were at the entrance of thepany


    building, so he immediately spotted her.


    Garrick, who was in his early forties, had his hair slicked back, had a tanplexion, deep facial


    features, and a mature man''s sedateness. He also had a straight figure entuated by his suit and


    leather shoes. In every gesture, he exuded innate nobility and gentlemanly elegance. His first


    impression was that he was a very tasteful and charismatic man.


    When Shirley saw his photos on the Inte, she thought he was a handsome man, but in fact, she


    couldn''t help but see the light shining in her eyes. She was amazed at his handsomeness and, at the


    same time, shocked by his stable and calm aura that developed from years of working in the business


    industry.


    This man is manly, cool, and charismatic.


    "Are you looking for me?" Garrick scanned her from top to bottom, pondering who she was.


    "President Brennan, my name is Shirley, and I belong to the Vincere Games. I wonder if you can spare


    a few minutes to discuss a possible coboration?" Shirley went straight to the topic.


    Seeing the scorching sun, the secretary beside him opened an umbre to block Garrick from the sun.


    When he looked at her, he noticed her delicate little face had blushed scarlet, and fine sweat was


    dripping from her forehead. He instantly knew that she had been waiting outside for a long time.


    Although she worked hard, there were many people who had to work as hard as her, so he didn''t waver


    at all.


    "Vincere Games? Haven''t heard of it. Sorry," Garrick rejected Shirley outright in a polite manner.


    "President Brennan, Vincere Games is¡ª"


    Shirley took a step forward to exin, but before she finished speaking, Garrick ordered his secretary,


    "It''s pretty hot today. Get a bottle of water for this youngdy."


    "Yes, President Brennan." The secretary nodded and looked at the bodyguard behind him. The


    bodyguard then took out a bottle of water from the car.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She wasn''t in the mood to drink right now! Shirley hurriedly caught up with Garrick, trying to seize the


    opportunity, but two bodyguards came up to stop her.


    "Miss, President Brennan is very busy."


    The secretary came over and handed the water to her.


    She looked helplessly at Garrick, who was walking further and further away. She stomped her feet


    angrily, feeling upset but helpless. Disappointed, she took the water bottle, unscrewed it, and drank half


    of it in one gulp.


    Not reconciled, she left Cyberten Holdings and racked her brains to find out Garrick''s schedule for the


    rest of the day. Quickly, she learned that he had a dinner party in Philwind Hotel''s Rose Lounge.


    "Philwind? Philwind?" Shirley mumbled the hotel''s name until she realized Philwind Hotel belonged to


    Ruka!


    With that, she called Ruka immediately.


    "Shirley?"


    Since Ruka and Veronica were close, Shirley quickly became acquainted with Ruka, and they even


    exchanged phone numbers before. Before Veronica left Bloomstead, she instructed Ruka to help


    Shirley if she encountered any difficulties.

 Chapter 708

    Chapter 708


    "Ruka, I''m sorry to bother you." Shirley felt a little embarrassed to ask for Ruka¡¯s help the first time she


    called her.


    On the other hand, Ruka was smart enough to find out Shirley needed help. Hence, she said, "Did you


    encounter any difficulties? Do you need my help?"


    "Hehehe, you''re right. Well... I have a client who will dine at Philwind Hotel tonight, so I''d like to ask if I


    can get in as a waiter. Don''t worry, Ruka. I know my limits, and I swear to not affect your hotel''s


    reputation."


    Philwind Hotel was a high-end star-rated restaurant with strict management so as to provide guests


    with top-notched hospitality. If she entered the hotel as an outsider and was found out by the guests, it


    would certainly affect the reputation of Philwind Hotel. Though she knew that well, she was desperate,


    so she could only resort to such a move.


    "I thought it was something serious. Who''s your client? Do you want me to make an appointment with


    him? Isn''t that easier?"


    "It''s totally fine. Thanks for the offer, Ruka, but I''d like to try it myself."


    Shirley was suddenly overwhelmed by Ruka''s kind and considerate character, although she looked


    cold and aloof.


    "Sure. I''ll let my staff know. Just look for the hotel manager once you arrive."


    "Alright. Thanks a lot, Ruka. You''re the best."


    "Don''t mention it. Feel free to contact me if you need anything else."


    Ruka knew that Shirley was one of Veronica''s best friends. Since she sympathized with Veronica''s


    condition, she also had a soft spot for Shirley.


    "I will. Thanks again, Ruka. Goodbye." After hanging up the phone, Shirley breathed a sigh of relief and


    clenched her right fist while pumping it in the air. "Yeah!"


    Meanwhile, at 6PM, Shirley dressed as a waiter at the Philwind Hotel. She stared out the window on


    the hotel''s second floor for a long time and finally saw Garrick entering the hotel.


    She clenched her fists nervously, gearing up.


    After waiting more than ten minutes, she knocked on the door of the Rose Lounge with a pot of tea.


    After getting permission, she pushed the door open and entered the room.


    In the huge lounge, the dining table was empty, but the side hall was very lively. Shirley scanned the


    room and found a few rich kids ying poker, surrounded by hot chicks around them. Among the


    crowd, she immediately spotted Garrick.


    Shirley swallowed nervously, walked over with the teapot, and bent over to pour tea for everyone.


    Lastly, she gave Garrick a cup of tea and handed it to him personally. "Please have some tea,


    President Brennan."


    Her actions attracted everyone''s attention and caused a round of gossip.


    "Tsk, tsk... Your charm has no limits, Garrick."


    "Woah. Even a waitress knows you."


    "Tsk. What a bold waitress."


    "Anyway, this youngdy looks quite innocent, doesn''t she?"


    "Garrick, go on and take the cup from her. Hahaha..


    Everyone teased him a little, and Garrick, who was ying poker, raised his eyes slightly and noticed


    Shirley''s face. He then withdrew his gaze and ced his bet on the table. He also didn''t take her tea


    but just let her leave it. To Shirley, that feeling was worse than him yelling at her to get out of his sight.


    "Four of a Kind!"


    A man sitting opposite him raised his head and smirked. "Women yer, huh, Garrick?"


    Seeing that Garrick wasn''t even sparing Shirley a nce, she felt so nervous that her palms started


    sweating, so she ced the teacup beside him. She knew the rules of poker, so she dared not interrupt


    them. Holding the tray, she turned to leave.


    Just then, Garrick asked, "Do you y poker?"


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    "Phewit!"


    "Tsktsk... Hahaha..."


    "Did your style change, Garrick?"


    "So you like her type, huh?"

 Chapter 709

    Chapter 709


    Amidst the crowd''s roar, Shirley turned around with the teapot and walked to Garrick''s side, replying,


    "I... know a thing or two."


    "I''m not feeling lucky today. y two rounds for me."


    When Garrick stood up, the blond beauty beside him red at Shirley before obediently getting up to


    give up her seat to him. Shirley ced the teapot down and sat cautiously in his position while he sat


    beside her.


    "What are you guys ying?" she inquired.


    "Poker."


    Garrick sat beside her, took out a cigarette, and put it in his mouth. Seeing that, Shirley quickly took a


    lighter to light the cigarette for him. However, when the lighter was shoved at him, he shot a cold re


    at her. Even though he didn''t speak and merely looked at her, she was so frightened that she


    immediately put down the lighter and got ready for the game.


    "I raise. Go on. It''s your turn," the dealer with chestnut-brown hair reminded her.


    Looking at the cards in front of her, she said, "Call."


    "Royal Flush. Hahaha." The man opposite her threw his cards and burst intoughter.


    Shirley''s lips twitched wildly, and she subconsciously looked back at Garrick.


    "Are you doing this on purpose? You shouldn''t have yed a call!" The blond beauty standing beside


    Garrick pointed to the card in front of her and snorted, "Do you know how much money you''re losing for


    this round? If you y the cards without tactics and lose this round, I suppose you don''t even have


    enough money to pay for it."


    Shirley was even more nervous upon hearing the blonde beauty''s remark. When she turned around


    and looked at her cards, she couldn''t help but regret her decision. She shouldn''t have yed a call!


    Feeling helpless, she grinned foolishly and gasped secretly.


    A few of them poked their heads in and started getting into a heated discussion.


    "Hahaha. It''s true."


    "Is she actually a spy, Garrick?"


    "What is she doing? I could''ve won this round if it wasn''t for her!"


    "What the hell is this?"


    Because of that, everyone cast strange nces one after another at her. Due to her guilty conscience,


    she felt her palms sweating due to nervousness.


    However, the door was pushed open at this moment, and someone came in. "What''s with the lively


    mood in here? What are you guys


    ying?"


    Hearing the familiar voice, everyone turned their heads to see the neer. It turned out to be Skyler,


    in a white shirt, who was walking in with a short-haired beauty in a red dress.


    "You''re finally here, Drew. Garrick would''ve lost everything if you came anyter, including his


    underwear."


    "Hahaha. Come on in. Garrick found an interesting girl. Come and watch."


    "Is she your new girlfriend? Where''s your wife?"


    "How bold of you to bring a girl in. Aren''t you afraid that Sofia will kill you?"


    These people seemed very familiar with Skyler and knew his situation well, but...


    Shirley never expected to see him here. She gritted her teeth when she nced at him and then at the


    short-haired beauty beside him. For some reason, she felt a chill in her heart.


    The moment Shirley noticed him, Skyler also saw her.


    Subconsciously, he let go of the woman beside him. Still, she grabbed him by the arm and smiled


    gracefully while she greeted, "Hello, everyone. I''m Gianna. Nice to meet all of you."


    "Come on, Skyler. Join us for a round of poker." The guy with the chestnut-brown hair stood up and


    greeted Skyler politely.


    Stunned, he questioned Shirley, "Why are you here?"


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    She was currently wearing a waitress outfit, so he was dumbfounded. Since when did she resort to


    working as a waitress?


    Recalling what a yboy Skyler was, Shirley couldn''t help but feel disdain. "Why can''t Ie here


    when you can?"

 Chapter 710

    Chapter 710


    The conversation between the two made everyone puzzled. Everyone subconsciously exchanged


    nces with each other. Even Garrick was somewhat surprised.


    "Hey, do you know her, Skyler? Is she your guest of honor? Tsk. She looks quite innocent, though. I


    couldn''t tell how clever she was."


    "Youngdies these days are smarter than you think."


    "I looked down on you."


    "Don''t screw up, Garrick."


    "Garrick, don''t be blinded by this vixen."


    Everyone started talking and maliciously specting about Shirley.


    Hearing the unpleasant words from the crowd, she was infuriated. Nevertheless, she was carrying a


    significant amount of responsibility, and she had to struggle for the opportunity to negotiate cooperation


    with Garrick. Otherwise, Veronica would be kicked out of the Vincere Games.


    "President Brennan, I''m sorry. I was too nervous just now and yed the wrong card. Can you... give


    me another chance to win it back for you?" Shirley mustered up her courage and tried to make herself


    seem less nervous.


    Skyler noticed that there were stars in Shirley''s eyes when she looked at Garrick, so he couldn''t help


    but frown. Walking over to the dealer''s seat, he sat down and mocked, "You? Careful not to lose


    Garrick''s entire property."


    His sentence elicited a burst ofughter from the crowd.


    Hearing that, she couldn''t control her heart from beating so fast. She felt like she was on tenterhooks


    right now. She was so nervous that she could almost hear her own heartbeat clearly.


    On the other hand, Garrick sat on his chair and crossed his legs while smoking a cigarette silently


    without speaking.


    The four quickly started a new round.


    Skyler started first by cing an ante. Then, everyone looked at Shirley, but she returned a


    dumbfounded gaze at them.


    "Are you sure you know how to y?" Skyler rolled his eyes at her and pointed at the ante.


    Only then did she realize it was her turn, so she quickly ced her ante.


    Once the game officially started, everyone around quieted down. Shirley ced one of her hands


    beside her and wiped her palm on her pants because she was sweating due to nervousness. This


    movement quickly fell into Garrick''s gaze. Raising one of his brows, he couldn''t help but smirk.


    "Raise." Skyler raised the bet.


    When it was Shirley''s turn, she said, "I fold."


    "Straight Flush."


    Skyler managed to win, so Shirley decided with a "call" in the next round.


    "Straight Flush!"


    Once again, Skyler won the round. He raised his brows and smirked. "Thanks."


    "Do you even know how to y? You haven''t gotten any good cards yet!"


    "Yeah. What''s wrong with you?"


    "Why did you volunteer when you didn''t know how to y?"


    "What a buzzkill."


    A few of them grunted andined.


    On the other hand, Shirley was so nervous that she almost suffocated. Not daring to speak, she silently


    flipped her cards and decided with another "call."


    "Royal Flush!"


    Skr threw the cards on the table and started pping. "Did you just read my mind? Why are you


    giving me everything I want?"


    "Are you here to pick a fight?"


    "What the hell?"


    "Did she go easy on him?"


    "Cheating?"


    "Youngdy, do you know how much losing a round costs? In less than five minutes, you already lost


    2.5 million for Garrick!"


    2.5 million? Shirley was bbergasted.


    Even though she knew that the riches bet arge number, she never expected to lose one million as


    soon as she sat down.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Her breathing was stagnant, and even though the air conditioner was turned on in the private room,


    she felt warm and sweaty.


    "P-President Brennan, I..."


    Mustering her courage to look at Garrick, Shirley apologized, "I''m sorry, l-l didn''t do it on purpose."

 Chapter 711

    Chapter 711


    Dognabbit. I just want to use the chance to be around Brennan more and find time to talk business with


    him. Who''d have thought it''de to this?!


    However, Shirley had no regrets, for it was the only chance she had to get close to Garrick.


    "Don''t worry about it. It''d be a miracle if you could win a game of poker against those old foxes."


    Garrick pulled a surprisingly amiable smile, leading Shirley to look at him with twinkling eyes filled with


    gratitude and admiration.


    But lo and behold, Skyler caught her gaze and he spected her rtionship with Garrick


    groundlessly.


    "When has Brennan started taking a liking to the babe-in-the- woods type?" he ridiculed after taking a


    gander at Garrick.


    "Have a cherry, Mr. Skyler," said Gianna as she popped a cherry into Skyler''s mouth while sitting next


    to him. "She looks pretty cute.


    Even I''d fall for her, let alone Mr. Garrick."


    "Here, let me teach you." Garrick pulled a chair over to sit next to Shirley, teaching her poker while


    resting one arm on the back of her chair.


    She had to admit that Garrick was amazing in poker, so much so that he could even guess what his


    opponents had, and just like that, Shirley won ten games straight, sessfully retrieving all her bet


    money.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Then, the dishes had been fully served, and the utterly defeated few hurriedly waved their hands and


    left the side all.


    "C''mon, let''s eat. I''m done ying."


    "What freaking luck."


    "You''re Garrick''s Lady Luck, aren''t you, Miss?"


    "It''s because Garrick''s lucky today."


    "You can say that again."


    As they yed using checks and Garrick won over twenty million by the end of it, he pulled a five


    hundred thousand check, the smallest amount among the stack, out and handed it to Shirley. "Yours.


    Good work."


    However, the young woman frowned while looking at the check. "I don''t need it."


    Who does he think I''m?! Angerced her face as she pursed her lips, then mustered up the courage to


    ask if he could give her his phone number, as the one she got earlier in thepany was evidently his


    assistant''s.


    "She''s a daring one, eh?"


    "Garrick, girls like her are good at ying hard to get. You should keep your eyes peeled."


    "How about I give you my number instead, sweetheart?"


    "A phone number instead of money? Tsk, tsk... Greedy."


    While Garrick hesitated as the others judged Shirley, Skyler had enough. "What are you doing?"


    "I didn¡¯t realize I was supposed to report whatever I do to you!" Shirley was vexed.


    She had promised Veronica not to tell anyone about her rtionship with Vincere Games, so she didn''t


    want to bring it up.


    "Why grovel at him when you can juste to me for money?!" Skyler grabbed Shirley by the wrist and


    headed outside, but she wrestled it away and snapped, "Let go! What are you, a lunatic?! Who are you


    to me to meddle in my business?!"


    To Shirley, he was a licentious man. Hell, she wished she could stay as far away from him as possible.


    D*ckhead!


    After snapping at Skyler, she turned to Garrick. "President Brennan, can-"


    But to her dismay, the man turned to the washroom without even sparing her a nce before she even


    finished her words.


    He had tantly disregarded her, and Shirley thought her pride had been stepped on.


    While everyone else looked silently at Skyler and her like they were enjoying a show, Gianna asked


    gingerly, "Mr. Skyler, who''s... she?"


    To that, the man red grimly. "What are you, blind?! Can''t you tell she''s a woman who wants to turn


    from rags to riches?!"


    Ever since he told Shirley about Wade at Matthew''s ''funeral'', she constantly infuriated him.

 Chapter 712

    Chapter 712


    It had been some time since theyst met, so Skyler was surprised to meet Shirley on this day, and


    little did he think that she was so down and out she was now an attendant at Philwind, much less that


    she was trying to hook up with Garrick!


    Is she still the Shirley Wilson I know?!


    Gianna, on the other hand, looked grim from being inexplicably yelled at, and she sat next to Skyler


    after taking a gander at Shirley, saying nothing more.


    Meanwhile, Shirley caught the other women''s disdainful look at her, and she left the private room,


    ultimately unable to take it anymore.


    That said, she didn''t leave for good, just standing at the entrance, waiting for the people in Rose


    Lounge to leave.


    Atst, the people inside finally came out after two hours, and Shirley, who had been standing by


    Garrick''s car, immediately came forward when she saw him approaching her direction.


    "You have alcohol in your system, President Brennan. Would you like me to be your chauffeur?" She


    mustered up her courage and volunteered as she looked at a drunk Garrick. "I''m a pretty decent driver


    if I do say so myself."


    She noticed from their game of poker that while the other men were fondling the women in their arms,


    Garrick was the only man who had never touched a woman the entire time.


    Thus, she trusted that he was a true gentleman.


    Meanwhile, Garrick rubbed his temples and moved away from the biondie who was keeping him


    steady. "You go back ahead. She''ll drive me." At that, he chucked his car key to Shirley.


    ted, she instantly opened the back door, helped Garrick into the vehicle, got into the driver''s seat,


    and drove away, ignoring the biondie''s jealous gaze the entire time.


    "Goldgulf Court," Garrick muttered before going to sleep.


    Shirley said nothing either the entire drive, keeping her eyes focused on the road while following the


    directions on the GPS.


    A little over forty minutester, they arrived at Goldgulf Court, avish mansion, and as Shirley pulled


    over, the butler came out from the house.


    It wasn''t after she opened the back door that she realized Garrick was asleep, and she dared not wake


    him up.


    "Thank you for sending Mr. Garrick back," the butler in his fifties thanked Shirley courteously while


    closing the back door, then asked her to leave. "It''s reallyte now. You should go home."


    At that, Shirley pursed her lips and said, "Oh, alright. I''ll be going then."


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The next second, the butler entered the driver''s seat and drove the car into the mansion as the fancy


    gate closed automatically behind.


    Shirley, on the other hand, turned around, and her heart sank while


    looking at the darkness up ahead. How am I supposed to go home when it''s already sote, and there


    isn''t a car in sight?


    Inside the mansion, Garrick opened his eyes after the car stopped. "She''s gone?"


    "Yes, sir," the butler answered.


    To that, Garrick rubbed his temples, exited the car, and removed his suit jacket while heading into the


    living room, where Sofia happened to be watching a soap opera.


    "You said Skyler likes a girl by the name Shirley Wilson?" he asked soberly as he sat in the armchair


    across from Sofia after chucking his jacket on the backrest.


    Sofia nodded with a perfunctory hum of affirmation as she patted the sheet mask on her face.


    "She''s also the reason he didn''t want to marry you after you came back?"


    "Why else do you think?! Huh, if it wasn''t that he kept her close, I''d have mangled that b*tch!"


    Sofia had never feared anything in life, so it was even less likely she would fear Shirley. It was merely


    because Skyler had warned her in private that she dared not cross Skyler.


    "Are you sure she''s the one who affected your engagement?" Garrick had doubts.


    "Of course!" Sofia got inexplicably exasperated mentioning Shirley, and she ripped her sheet mask off,


    huffing, "Skyler had even moved in with that b*tch! It''s her fake angelic personality that lured Skyler


    away from me!"


    Garrick wasn''t an idiot. Skyler showed up with a woman named Gianna...

 Chapter 713

    Chapter 713


    Skyler, however, barelyid his eyes on Gianna and kept his eyes on Shirley the whole night instead.


    Of course, all of it didn''t go unnoticed by Garrick.


    "Alright, I''ll deal with that chick for you while you get married to Skyler ASAP and fulfill Mother''sst


    wish as well as yours. I can only do this much for you as your brother."


    He had thought Shirley looked oddly familiar at first nce, yet he just couldn''t remember where he


    had seen her until it struck him when he returned to his office that Sofia had shown him a picture of


    Shirley before.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Thus, he didn''t ask Shirley to leave when he saw her at the hotel.


    "Really?" Sofia''s eyes lit up as she leaped off the sofa and hugged her brother. "Yay, Garrick, I love


    you! Haha... You''re the best brother in the world!"


    "Alright, that''s enough. What happened to beingdy-like?" Garrick poked the young woman''s head.


    "Who else will spoil you other than me now that Mom''s gone?"


    "Hehe... you''re the best, Gary," Sofia gushed.


    Meanwhile, at the hidden n, Mateo''s voice came after a knock at the door. "Roni, wake up. Breakfast


    is ready."


    Veronica sat up in response and ruffled her hair, letting it hang naturally loose.


    As Matthew had given her a custom mini tranting earpiece, she had no other choice but to let her


    hair down to conceal it in case anyone discovered it.


    "I¡¯m up."


    She got out of bed in her pajamas, took a gander at the paper in the trash can, and brought it to the


    bathroom, chucking the paper into the trash can inside before cing the trash can back in the


    bedroom.


    After all that was done, she finally answered the door, rolling her eyes at Mateo, who stood behind it.


    "Morning."


    She was pleasantly surprised at how well he could drink despite his gentle appearance. To think he


    only got drunk after she forced him to down four whole jugs, but to her dismay, his lips were tightly


    sealed!


    "You sure can drink, Roni," the young man praised with a beam.


    "Not as well as you can." Veronica withdrew her gaze and headed to the bathroom to wash up.


    She always reckoned that she had a pretty high alcohol tolerance, butpared to Mateo, it really was


    nothing. Worst, she was still wasted despite having cheated the night before, dumping away most of


    what she had to drink.


    "You tter me, Roni," said Mateo at the door instead of following


    her inside. "I''ll wait for you downstairs."


    "Alright," said Veronica as she squeezed some toothpaste on the toothbrush after washing her hands.


    A few dozen sets of clothes were neatly arranged in the closet. As it was spring all year long here, only


    summer clothing was avable. Fortunately, though, not all were hidden n clothing. So Veronica


    simply put on a floral dress and a pair of ts and let her hair hang loosely before heading to the dining


    room downstairs, where Crayson, Destiny, and Mateo were waiting.


    She approached the table and chowed down, seeing it was Destorian breakfast.


    "So what''s for today?" she asked while putting her cutleries down after finishing her meal.


    "There''s nothing important for the next couple of months. So you''ll learn the hidden n''s native


    language with Mateo, learn the stories of some influential members of the hidden n, and also


    increase your training." Crayson disclosed his arrangement.


    "Two months?!" Veronica got worked up at once. "Why didn''t you onlye for me two monthster


    when there''s nothing for me to do within this time?! My children are still in Bloomstead, and you guys


    know that!"


    "Because of specific reasons, no one can enter the hidden n for three months next week onward. If I


    don''t bring you over in advance, things would be set in stone by then, and what use will it be if you


    come by then?"

 Chapter 714

    Chapter 714


    Crayson answered honestly.


    Veronica had no clue what ''specific reason'' Crayson was talking about, but since no one coulde


    into the hidden n for as long as three months, it meant that he would have either returned to the


    hidden n or at Castron every time he left home in the past.


    From the looks of things, no doubt he had also raised an army of his own in Castron.


    "When will thise to an end?" She just wanted an answer, not liking waiting ceaselessly.


    "A few months maybe, at most, one year," Crayson answered extremely perfunctorily.


    Veronica, on the other hand, asked no more.


    She might not be able to control everything, but she could find a way to leave the hidden n as soon


    as possible.


    Her departure entailed Matthew''s future, and if she remained here, all of Matthew''s businesses would


    eventually be Conrad''s by the time they returned to the hidden n.


    "I''ve already thought it over. Once the inside of the hidden n is stabilized, I''ll send someone to bring


    the children over. It''s better for them to be with you." Crayson sighed before continuing. "Your adoptive


    parents wille over too."


    Despite making the arrangements with Veronica''s best interest at heart, the young woman eventually


    laughed after hearing Crayson''s words. "And then?" she asked.


    "And then?"


    Mateo and Destiny, on the other hand, could clearly tell Veronica wasn''t in the brightest mood. At that,


    they exchanged a nce and took a gander at Veronica before diverting their gaze back to their food,


    eating silently.


    Crayson, too, naturally caught Veronica''s grim face and displeasure. "That''s it," he answered.


    "That''s it? Huh!" She sipped a ss of milk before mming it back down on the table, seemingly


    venting out all her displeasure.


    At that, she looked up icily. "Have you asked for my opinion?! From the moment you disclose my


    identity, have you ever asked what I think?! Do you know what I look like?!" Veronica questioned


    gravely, rendering Crayson stumped while looking at her with a deep frown.


    His muddled eyes were filled with fathomless emotions as slivers of pain shed across them.


    Having watched the young woman grow up, he naturally didn''t want to see her upset when he regarded


    her as his own. But s, he didn''t have a choice either.


    "A puppet!" Veronica screeched. "I feel like a puppet! What do you see me as?! A heartless machine?!


    And that Hayley Elrod! Had she ever considered my feelings before giving birth to me?! If I were to


    live only to be controlled my whole life, then I''d rather die as soon as I was born!"


    Yes, if she knew her future would be this horrible, she''d rather they strangle her as soon as she was


    born. Either way, it was better than this.


    Her sudden outburst rendered the other three silent.


    Veronica sneered at that. "Hidden n? Young Lord? What does it all have to do with me?! No, I''m a


    puppet. What right do I have to choose my life?!"


    At that, she got up and left.


    Meanwhile, as Crayson watched Veronica leave the living room, he turned worryingly to Mateo. "Follow


    and keep an eye on her."


    "Yes, Grandpa," Mateo obliged and jogged in Veronica''s direction after wiping his lips with a paper


    napkin.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Destiny, who had been silent all this while, said gravely, "The Young Lord isn''t someone we can control


    easily. I doubt the hidden n can make her stay."


    s, what she said was precisely what he worried about most.


    However, the elder didn''t answer but only waved his hand and told her to get a bottle of liquor for him.


    Destiny could tell just how upset Crayson was, so he went to hand him a bottle of the hidden n''s


    medicinal liquor. "Don''t drink so much. It won''t do you good."

 Chapter 715

    Chapter 715


    "Get someone to protect her in secret," Grayson instructed worriedly as he opened the bottle, poured


    the liquor out, and took a sip. "The chief of the hidden n has already taken Tiffany Larson away. His


    purpose is obvious, and Veronica will be in grave danger. Her safety is a priority."


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Crayson. Leave it all to me."


    "Hmm. One more thing. Keep a close eye on everyone thates."


    "Yes, sir." Destiny nodded in acknowledgment.


    As Veronica descended the mountain in exasperation, her heart grew heavy when she looked at the


    breathtaking scenery of the hidden n while Mateo followed right behind her.


    Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and turned around. Her sharp, icy gaze instantly sent chills down


    his spine, and he hurriedly exined, "Hey, don''t worry. I''m not going to stop you from doing anything.


    I''m just here to keep an eye on your safety."


    "Do you have a cigarette?" she asked out of the blue.


    "Sorry?"


    "Cigarette."


    "It''s not so good for a girl like you to smoke, is it?"


    "Why can''t a woman take a drag when they''re annoyed but a guy can? Quit yapping and give me one!"


    At that, she walked to the boulder aside and leaned against it.


    The gentle, refreshing morning breeze carried a whiff of floral scent with it as it traveled, soothing her


    nerves.


    To think she had held all her emotions back for so long just to explode right then.


    Then again, her babies were where she drew the line, and what Cranson was doing was dancing on


    her threshold.


    Meanwhile, Mateo pulled a cigarette out, handed it to Veronica, and even thoughtfully lit it up for her


    with a lighter.


    At that, she took a heavy drag only to get choked by the smoke. Cough, cough... Cough, cough,


    cough...


    "Pfft... Haha. Don''t act tough if you don''t knowhow to smoke. This isn''t good stuff anyway." The young


    man took the cigarette straight away from Veronica''s fingers and took a drag like it was nothing.


    "Hey, I''ve taken a drag!" Veronica eximed in shock as she pointed at the cigarette in his hands.


    "So what? It''s not like you have any infectious diseases. What a waste to throw it away," Mateo


    disputed as he flicked the ashes aside while reminiscing. "The adults didn''t allow us to smoke back


    when I was in school, but one of my dormmates snuck some cigarettes into the dorm. A bunch of us


    used to share a cigarette with each other. At the time, nobody gave a sh*t about sharing cigarettes."


    Veronica dropped the matter entirely as well after seeing that he didn''t mind at all.


    With that, she sat on the boulder cross-armed as she looked into the distance while pondering for a


    long time before stating, "Ry a message for Master Crayson for me. My kids are where I draw the


    line. If he daresy a finger on them, I won''t y nice."


    Ever since the truth had unfolded, Crayson had been changing her impression of him again and again,


    making her disappointed, and even more so... hopeless, toward him.


    Veronica honestly didn''t know how to face the man she once regarded as a family now.


    Mateo, on the other hand, frowned and deliberated. "My grandpa doesn''t have a choice either, you


    know." Ultimately, he thought he should defend his grandfather.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    At that, his eyes lit up. "Why don''t I tell you my grandpa''s story?!"


    However, Veronica kept her eyes on the uneven buildings halfway up the mountain, which looked


    exceptionally stunning, wreathed by the mists and clouds like a mysterious veil had shrouded them.


    Mateo took it as a yes, seeing that she said nothing, and he sat next to her. "My grandpa was the elder


    of the hidden n before chaos loomed us. He was second only to the chief and a sagacious man.


    Everyone respected him. He used to have a wonderful and loving family, too, all until Tanya Ledger


    usurped and annihted everyone in his family. Only my mother survived in the end and gave birth to


    meter."

 Chapter 716

    Chapter 716


    "My grandpa shouldered the blood feud of our family, and he wanted to avenge them by fighting Tanya


    to the death. However, Hayley gave birth to you and entrusted you to my grandpa. He was the only one


    she trusted in the entire hidden n. Back then, this entire ce was in absolute chaos, and it was not


    as peaceful as everything looks now. Everywhere you looked, chaos took shape, and there were even


    people dedicated to killing your mother. To protect you two, my grandpa took you guys away and even


    left me here. When I learned of this when I grew up, I honestly hated him for it. But with time, I came to


    realize he did it for the greater good. He was selfless and great. As such, my hatred for him gradually


    faded and I came to admire him..."


    "His sacrifice sounds touching, indeed," Veronica interjected. "However, they controlled my life without


    ever stopping to ask how I felt. Also, it was his choice to put his vengeance aside and help Hayley and


    me flee the hidden n. It had nothing to do with me. Lastly..."


    She pointed down the mountain as she continued, "Look at the hidden n. You said it was chaos


    everywhere you looked, but now, peace has been restored. Do you know what bes a nation with


    internal turmoil and usurp? Do you know who the biggest victims are?"


    "The people."


    "Huh, you''re not as stupid as you look." Veronica shook her head. "In that case, you should persuade


    your grandfather to give up reiming the throne of the hidden n. It''spletely pointless.


    If he really wants to avenge his family, why don''t he just kill Tanya and let the next Young Lord take


    over?"


    Mind the era we''re living in. To think Crayson and Hayley and their followers would have such pedantic


    and old-fashioned thinking.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "In that case, let me show you a ce." At that, Mateo dragged Veronica down the mountain without


    waiting for her answer to where a convertible off-roader was parked.


    "Get in," urged Mateo as he got into the driver''s seat.


    Veronica, on the other hand, wanted to ask where they were going, but judging from his rare straight


    face, she knew it was serious business.


    With that, she entered the vehicle, slowly heading toward east downtown.


    "Where are we going?" Veronica couldn''t help satisfying her curiosity, but Mateo kept it mysterious.


    "You''ll know when we get there."


    It had been over five hours since they left downtown, and the surroundings grew more secluded by the


    minute. Finally, another short distanceter, Veronica caught sight of several residences not far away.


    However, they weren''t doubled or tripled-story penthouses but shabby make-shift camps.


    Every now and then, there would be people passing by. They had tannerplexions and were literally


    skin and bones.


    Veronica''s heart skipped a beat. "Is this... a slum?"


    Just as she thought they were going up to the densely popted slum, Mateo pulled over all of a


    sudden and pointed ahead as he leaned against his heat. "Look there, up east. The slum continues


    miles ahead. Tens of millions of impoverished people gather here."


    Veronica looked at all the disheveled, starving people and thought their lives were a living hell as she


    sat in the front passenger seat.


    Their homes were so shabby that a storm would be enough to bring them down. They stood no chance


    against the forces of nature at all.


    Their clothes either had holes in them despite having mended them, or they were tied securely to their


    bodies. None fit them perfectly at all. Who knew where they found them?!

 Chapter 717

    Chapter 717


    Ever since arriving at the hidden n, she had only ever been around the busiest parts of downtown,


    so she had to admit she was blind and ignorant.


    Right then, she was reeling in utter shock, unable toe to herself.


    "The gap between the rich and the poor in the hidden n is drastic; the rich are loaded with money,


    while the poor can barely even feed themselves, and this is the result of Ledger''s usurper. It''s all peace


    and prosperity in the vibrant city center because those people live their best lives in the rich


    neighborhood by trampling all over these people." Mateo fixed his gaze on the slum not far away with a


    tense face while locking his fingers on the steering wheel. It was evident he was livid.


    Right then, he waspletely different from the young man he was a few hours ago. Even his aura


    had frosted over.


    "Why would my grandfather wait for decades just for vengeance? He bore the humiliation just for these


    people with a bleak future. He simply hoped that he could do something to save them from this misery.


    As the head of the hidden n, Tanya is tyrannical and ruthless, and she drains the people of their


    money, but they are powerless despite having long been discontent with her ruling. The rich are using


    the least amount of money to enve the people in the slum, but none of them ever experienced their


    misery. So we''ve been waiting..."


    He paused at that, drifting his aching gaze on Veronica before continuing, "We''ve been waiting until


    you''re old enough to im the throne. The people of the hidden n hold fast to a conventional notion


    ¡ªthey will only stand for the descendent of the true head of the n."


    It was why they kept waiting, only bringing Veronica back when she was old enough to im her ce


    as the head of the n and gain everyone''s support to overthrow the current rulers.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "Grandpa shouldered all the responsibility in hopes that the people can really live a happy, peaceful life


    free of poverty, and not this heart wrenching scene we''re looking at." Mateo locked his brows into a


    deep furrow as he boomed. "I also hope that no one will have to suffer like this."


    Veronica fell silent at this point, unsure of what to say for a moment.


    Veronica had been living a sweet life under Destor''s protection in this peaceful era. As such, how could


    she possibly know there were still people in this world who had to worry about their next meal or if they


    had a ce to seek shelter?!


    Mateo didn''t take Veronica into the slum as it was chaotic inside, and he was worried that danger would


    befall her.


    Veronica had been super silent on their way back, looking out the window the entire time. Her mind


    was burdened as if a boulder was crushing it and suffocating her.


    She was no saint, and she knew that well. How could she save them when she could barely save


    herself?! However, for some reason, a voice seemed to be calling her from the depths of her heart,


    urging her.


    Veronica remained silent even after returning to the bamboo house, and she decided to watch some


    TV after dinner. s, they were all local channels, and she had no idea what they were talking about.


    At that, she turned herputer on. Though she could change the websites to Spanish, all that was


    avable was the hidden n''s local news, and it was impossible to be directly tranted into Spanish,


    so it was the same thing with the TV as well.


    There was no difference between having wi-fi or not.


    Knock, knock, knock... Just then,Mateo knocked on the door. "Roni, are you asleep?"


    "What''s up?"


    How could she fall asleep when it was only 8.00PM?! Hell, she even wanted to wander around in the


    market and experience the customs here. Well, ?should take things as theye, as they say. Since


    she couldn''t leave anytime soon, she had no reason to get worked up either.


    "Grandpa wants me to ask you something."


    "Oh." She got up and opened the door. "What is it?"


    "Grandpa instructed me to teach you the hidden n dialect, and it''ll be some time before you can


    master it. As such, he wants me to ask you if you want to stay here or move somewhere quieter."

 Chapter 718

    Chapter 718


    Mateo wanted Veronica''s opinion on it.


    Veronica, on the other hand, propped one arm against the door frame while holding the knob on the


    other as she pondered for a second. "I''ll just stay here since I like the ce. The view is nice, and it''s


    easy to get to the market."


    Most importantly, the ce was close to downtown, making it convenient for Matthew to visit her.


    "Alright, then. I''ll bring the learning materials over."


    With that, Mateo went downstairs to return in no time with arge stack of books and papers in his


    arms. "Here you go. These are everything you need to learn the hidden n dialect. You can look


    through them first."


    "You said it yourself; this is the hidden n dialect, and in case you''ve forgotten, I know nothing about


    it."


    "Grandpa long reminded me to prepare a local version. You''ll be able to understand," he exined.


    Veronica quirked a brow slightly in response as she took the learning materials from him. "How


    thoughtful of your grandfather."


    The young man heard the insinuation in her tone. Nheless, he didn''t respond to it and instead


    yed dumb. "Yeah, he really sees you as a granddaughter."


    "Anything else?" Veronica turned grim the next second. Even the surrounding air turned chilly.


    At some point, she started rejecting Crayson a little, no longer wanting to hear anything about him.


    "That¡¯s all. Roni-''''


    m!


    The poor young man hadn''t even finished his words when Veronica took a step back with the materials


    in her hand and mmed the door shut, keeping him out.


    "Roni, I know you can''t forgive Grandpa just yet, but I hope you can understand him. He has a good


    reason."


    However, no response came from inside the room.


    "You might not know this, but Grandpa would tell me a lot about you whenever he came back from


    Bloomstead, and every time he talked about you, his eyes would light up, and he''d wear a smile on his


    face. I envy you sometimes with how much Grandpa adores you."


    Well, I don''t need this kind of adoration, nor do I want it, Veronica mused.


    "Roni... Sigh, forget it. You should rest early." Mateo wanted to continue on, but he realized Veronica


    wouldn''t respond at all. So he left, done speaking his thoughts.


    After he left, Veronica looked through the learning materials at her desk and was intrigued since they


    were indeed in the localnguage.


    Later on, Veronica had trouble sleeping as it approached midnight, tossing and turning in bed, still wide


    awake.


    It was pitch ck inside since the lights had been switched off, but as the moon hung high up in the


    sky, the moonlight was able to shine through the window, illuminating the dark room a little.


    Just then, a silhouette entered through the window, and Veronica smiled instantly upon seeing his


    shadow.


    Meanwhile, the man approached her and looked silently at the young woman in bed.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Just when he assumed she was sound asleep, Veronica jumped up, grabbed his hand, and pulled him


    into her arms. "I knew you''de!"


    The faint familiar scent immediately attacked Matthew''s nose following her approach, and he loved the


    scent as it belonged only to his beloved Veronica.


    Matthew returned the hug and nted a kiss on her forehead. "Were you waiting for me?"


    "Mm-hmm. I missed you," Veronica answered frankly. "So I''ve been waiting for you."


    "Silly girl. Are you not afraid I won''t show up?" He smiled. Though the moonlight outlined his profile in


    the dark, it wasn''t strong enough for her to see his expression.


    At that, she felt his cheek while mumbling, "I''m not. I''m only afraid you''d get caught."


    "What are you thinking? You think a mere bamboo house can stop me? How can I be your husband if I


    can''t even deal with this?"

 Chapter 719

    Chapter 719


    At that, Matthew asked, "Do you have a set of pajamas? I haven''t showered yet."


    "I do." Veronica nodded in affirmation, got up to fish for a set of pajamas in the dark, and handed it to


    him before leading him to the bathroom.


    After opening the door, she switched on the lights, led Matthew inside, and closed the door behind


    them.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The lights inside were so brilliant that they blinded her eyes, but it allowed Veronica to take a good look


    at Matthew.


    She stood looking at the man she missed so dearly in front of him as she held his cheeks while


    brushing her thumbs against them. "You''ve lost weight," shemented with an aching heart.


    Though they had met the night before, she couldn''t see him clearly in the dark, and now that she could,


    she realized he had lost a lot of weight. The stubble was visible on his chin, and it pained her to see


    him like this.


    However, Matthew smiled, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her into his arms when he


    saw the concern in her eyes.


    "What are you talking about? I didn''t change a bit."


    The couple was barely an inch apart, and because of the warm weather, they were both wearing thin


    clothing, so they could feel each other''s warm bodies and beating hearts.


    "You''re my husband. I''d know if you''ve lost weight." Veronica''s eyes turned misty as she felt a lump in


    her throat. "Matt, is it really worth it for you to do so much for me?"


    She was scared. It had barely been three years since they first met, yet he was loyal to her and even


    willing to sacrifice everything in exchange for her safety, doing his very best in everything.


    However, for someone who had been living realistically, she had seen one too many times where


    couples ended up fending for themselves when faced with troubles. Thus, everything Matthew did


    touch her deeply. In fact, she felt uneasy standing by his side, thinking she owed him far too much.


    On the other hand, Matthew naturally got where his beloved wasing from, and he pinched her


    cheeks with a gentle smile. "Not entirely. I never told you this; I''m sure you know the hidden n has


    impable mineral resources, and Zac has been eyeing them here. This is a treasure ind. Of


    course, I''vee with a purpose." Matthew spoke of the truth but not entirely.


    Given his wealth back in Bloomstead, it''d be a few lifetimes before they''d be able to spend it all. In


    other words, it was absolutely not necessary to risk obtaining the minerals here at all. That said, he


    could onlye up with ns and devices to ease Veronica''s uneasiness and guilt.


    "Really?" Veronica quirked a brow in response, feeling doubtful.


    At that, he picked her up, carried her up to the sink, and propped his hands against it. As he leaned


    closer, he nodded with a gentle smile. "Of course. How can I miss it when I''m already here? I''m sure


    you know well that these resources are incalcble. If it ends up in


    Zac''s hands, I''m afraid we''ll no longer have a ce in Bloomstead by the time we return."


    If Zac truly got their hands on the hidden n''s mineral resources, it''d undoubtedly make him much


    more powerful, and once he achieved that, Zac surely wouldn''t allow them to be alive when they


    returned to Bloomstead.


    After all, it wasn''t the first day Zac had wanted to annihte them. In fact, the man wouldn''t even want


    them to leave the hidden n at all.


    Veronica nodded in agreement at that. "You''re right. Is there anything I can do to help?"


    "There is."


    "What is it?"


    "Learn the hidden n dialect with Mateo. We''ll need it in the near future. As useful as the earpiece I


    gave you is, it''s very reactive, and you need to charge it. Plus, it can''t pick up certain country dialects,


    and it won''t be able to trante them."

 Chapter 720

    Chapter 720


    "Alright, I''ll do as you say." Veronica nodded.


    Now that serious business was out of the way, she looked at Matthew with a tilted head, wrapped her


    arms around his neck, and straightened her body a little to kiss him.


    Matthew quickly got turned on as he savored her sweet, soft lips, and he pressed the back of her head


    to attack them back.


    Beneath the warm bathroom lights, two shadows entwined, and the couple made love ceaselessly from


    the sink to the bathtub and back on the bed as they indulged without restraint, drowning in the moment,


    seemingly wanting to make up for all the time they had losttely.


    Eventually, Veronicay spent in his arms. "I feel sleepy..."


    Matthew smiled as he caressed her soft cheek with his fingers. "Go on and sleep. I''m here, so there''s


    no need to be afraid."


    Completely spent, the young womany lifelessly in his arms with closed eyes as she mumbled, "Are


    you not worried that they''ve put cameras in here and will catch you?"


    Yes, she was concerned, but at the same time, she thought she was worrying for nothing after voicing it


    out loud.


    "Rx, I came prepared."


    At that, he moved the hand caressing her cheek to her back and


    patted it like he was coaxing a child to sleep. "Good girl, go to sleep."


    Despite being absolutely sleepy, Veronica felt his ripped muscles, drawing circles with her fingertips


    obsessively.


    Since Matthew worked out all year long, he was super ripped, looking even better than most hot


    models. Meanwhile, she developed a love for poking his rock-hard muscles.


    "I don''t want to sleep, though. What if you''re gone after I wake up?" She genuinely didn''t want to see


    him leave and just wanted to cuddle with him ceaselessly.


    Meanwhile, he propped his head up against the pillow and held back the urge tough when he heard


    what she said. At that, he leaned against her ear and whispered hoarsely, "Are you suggesting round


    two?"


    His warm breath blew against her ears, causing her fine hairs to brush her skin, tickling her.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Veronica tucked her neck in response and jolted as though electricity coursed through her body from


    her fingertips.


    The lights in the bedroom had been switched off to prevent people outside from discovering what was


    going on inside.


    Matthew had been holding back his burning urge as they snuggled in bed. However, Veronica''s teasing


    caused his self-control to fall apart, and he was instantly turned on.


    "Mm... No..." She shook her headzily and mumbled, "How are you still so energetic? To think I''d


    worry if you have enough rest every day."


    "Are you saying I''m impotent, Roni?"


    What the heck?! Veronica couldn''t keep up with Matthew at all. However, the man didn''t give her time


    to think and instead attacked her at once, throwing them into another wild session.


    Back at Bloomstead, Shirley returned to work in the morning and had just sat down in her office at


    Vincere Games when Jayden and Shawn entered.


    "I heard you went to meet President Brennan of Cyberten. How did it go down?" Jayden, who was


    dressed in a ck dress shirt, looked at Shirley with hints of disdain as he held a cigarette in his mouth.


    Next to him, Shawn scoffed. "Isn''t it obvious it''s a no-show?"


    Jayden and Shawn were recalcitrant men in the first ce. The only reason they were willing to work


    with Veronica was that she was a brilliant gamer and had unparalleled skills. Thus, they respected and


    feared her.


    Later, after knowing she was Elizabeth''s god-granddaughter, their respect for her deepened. Now that


    she gave thepany to a witless girl, they were naturally displeased, and their true colors showed.

 Chapter 721

    Chapter 721


    Shirley was sitting behind her office desk and was in the midst of thinking how to contact Garrick, but


    instead, she saw the two enter without knocking.


    She scrunched her eyebrows together. "Don''t you two know how to knock?"


    Jayden and Shawn looked at each other and ignored her question.


    "You guys gave me one week and it''s not even been a week yet. Why are you in such a hurry?"


    Long ago, Veronica had told her that the best way to deal with Jayden and Shawn was to be firm with


    them, so she remembered that.


    Hence, she closed her file and put on a serious act. "Instead of wasting your time here talking


    nonsense, why don''t you use the time to train with your teammates? Don''t embarrass thepany by


    losing the game after I find you a sponsor."


    Those words poked directly at Jayden and Shawn''s soft spot, which rendered them dumbfounded.


    "Sure. Judging from your words, I see you''re confident that you can seed. Jay and I will be waiting


    for your good news, then." With rolling eyes, Shawn then turned around and left.


    Meanwhile, Jayden did not say anything; he coldly nced at her and followed Shawn.


    After the office was back to being silent, Shirley resignedly leaned against her office chair and heaved


    out a long breath while feeling stressed.


    Ring! Ring! Ring!


    The phone on the table began to ring, so she picked it up and looked at it. On the screen were Skyler''s


    name and number.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Just one look at it was enough to make her decline the call immediately.


    He had been constantly calling her sincest night, but when she recalled how he had degraded her


    back at Philwind Hotel''s Rose Lounge, she could not help but feel angry. Therefore, she did not pick up


    any of his calls.


    After the call ended, he phoned again, but she hung up without any hesitance once again.


    The silence only remained for a while before the phone rang again.


    Frustrated, Shirley did not even look at the screen when she picked up the call and ced it beside her


    ear before roaring, "Skyler Robins, don''t you have anything to do? Why do you keep calling me?"


    Once she finished, the other party fell silent.


    Not hearing any noise, she asked, "Why aren''t you speaking?"


    "Ahem. .."The person on the other end coughed softly to clear his throat.


    Shirley frowned and immediately noticed that the voice did not sound right. Then, she quickly brought


    her phone in front of her and looked.


    When she saw the name on her phone, she was so shocked that she sprang to her feet. "What? I''m so


    sorry, President Brennan. I didn''t know it was you. I''m so sorry..."


    Although Garrick was not before her at the moment, she still bowed and maintained a humble attitude


    when apologizing to him. She also used her other hand to tap her head while scolding herself for being


    so stupid.


    "No worries. Thank you for sending me backst night. Do you have time this afternoon? Why don''t we


    have lunch together?" He took the initiative to invite her.


    His sudden attitude change made Shirley dumbfounded and she seemed to have a brain fart for a few


    seconds before she nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes. I have time."


    "Alright, then. 11.30AM at Lanci''s Restaurant."


    "Oh. Sure. I''ll be there, President Brennan," she affirmed repeatedly, but Garrick had already hung up.


    Still holding her phone, Shirley looked at the number again and her shocked expression turned into


    excitement as she jumped up and down in joy. "Yoy!"


    Since Garrick had taken the initiative to invite her, there was still a chance for cooperation.


    Excited, she sat back in her chair and took out a book titled ''The Psychology of Business'', and started


    perusing it.


    Although she was not into sales, discussing a partnership with someone also needed such knowledge.


    Time slowly passed and it was 11.00AM.


    Not wanting to waste any more time, Shirley left for Lanci''s Restaurant in her car.


    Once she arrived there, she stayed in the car and waited until it was 11.20AM before calling Garrick.


    "President Brennan, I''ve arrived at Lanci''s Restaurant. Where are you?"

 Chapter 722

    Chapter 722


    "Second floor, by the window."


    "Oh, alright."


    While trying to control her wildly beating heart, Shirley grabbed her bag and went up to the second


    floor. She looked around and saw Garrick in a sky-blue shirt sitting by the window.


    He had his sleeves rolled up around his elbows, revealing his muscled arms. The sapphire Rolex watch


    on his wrist added to his noble temperament and striking appearance. With that visual, his mature and


    charming attributes were off the charts.


    He''s so handsome.


    Shirley came to a stop before him and nodded lightly. "Sorry to keep you waiting, President Brennan."


    "I''ve only just arrived."


    He then motioned for her to take a seat, indicating that she sat across from him."What would you like to


    eat?"


    "I''m not picky. Anything is fine."


    While sitting in front of him, Shirley revealed a natural yet sweet smile, which was lovely to see.


    "They serve great filet steak here. I rmend that you try it."


    "Sure."


    "Girls do love themselves some desserts, right? Why don''t I order a strawberry mousse for you?"


    "Thank you, President Brennan."


    She suddenly felt that Garrick was very considerate and he was not as cold as he was yesterday.


    Instead, she could feel that he was rather happy today and his attitude was kinder than before.


    After Garrick ordered the food and a bottle of red wine, the waiter left and he finally looked at Shirley.


    While gazing at her, he subconsciously scanned her attire from head to toe. She was dressed in a


    ck suit with her hair in a ponytail and her bangs were swaying in the wind, but it did not look messy.


    Instead, it entuated her fair face.


    With her natural-looking makeup, her lips were a beautiful rose pink and she looked like an innocent


    youngdy.


    Although her beauty wasparable to Sofia''s, Sofia had a more stunning and arrogant temperament


    than Shirley. In fact, Garrick could not understand why Skyler was more interested in Shirley''s type.


    "My sincerest apologies. I had a little too much to drink yesterday. You sent me back to my home, but I


    forgot to ask someone to do the same for you. How did you get home?" He pretended not to know and


    asked.


    "Yesterday..." Shirleyughed awkwardly. "I booked an Uber home."


    She chose not to tell the truth.


    Meanwhile, Garrick could only feign ignorance despite knowing the truth.


    His apartment was far from the city center and there were no e- hailing cabs nearby, let alone hailing


    one by the roadside, so she must have walked a long way before she could hail one.


    "That''s great. After I sobered up today, I was worried about how you got home. It looks like I have


    nothing to worry about.


    "You''re too kind, President Brennan. It''s only a small matter."


    When Shirley saw Garrick speaking with such elegance and politeness, she suddenly felt a sense of


    admiration for him.


    No wonder Garrick is so popr among women. Even I am attracted to his charm, let alone other


    women.


    The two exchanged pleasantries and the waiter brought over their dishes. "Your food has all arrived.


    Please enjoy your meal."


    After the waiter left, Shirley began to eat while asionally chatting with Garrick.


    She found that he was not as cold as others had described him. Instead, he was humorous and it was


    rxing to be with him.


    "You tried so hard to persuade me to cooperate with you yesterday, but why didn''t you mention a word


    about it today?"


    He picked up his ss of red wine off the table and sipped on his Roman¨¦e-Conti before asking.


    Shirley, who was enjoying her pasta, set down her fork, pulled out a tissue, and wiped her red lips. "I''m


    afraid that discussing business with you after working hours might spoil your mood."


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    The book she read earlier mentioned about not discussing work over a meal when it was the client who


    asked for a meal together.


    "It''s alright. I''m all ears."


    "Really?"


    "Yes."


    "Alright, then. Let me introduce ourpany, Vincere Games..."


    Now that she had the opportunity, she borated on thepany''s situation and development to him,


    as well as thepany''s future ns and trends.

 Chapter 723

    Chapter 723


    Veronica was not wrong about Shirley. She admired Shirley''s working capabilities and it was evident


    that she was a hard-worker.


    After she finished her exnation and analysis, Garrick saw her in a different light.


    "It does sound promising. If you have some time to spare, please bring me on a tour of thepany,"


    he suggested.


    Shirley immediately understood that he wanted to head over to thepany for a survey. Hearing that,


    she was so excited that her eyes lit up with anticipation.


    "Sure. I''m avable anytime when you''re free." She nodded heavily while feeling ecstatic.


    Initially, she thought it would be difficult to convince Cyberten Holdings to cooperate with her, but it


    seemed like she was getting closer to victory.


    As she was happily staring at Garrick, she saw two people appear from the elevator entrance out of the


    corner of her eye.


    Frowning, Shirley found herself pausing in her motions as her hand holding the fork stopped in the air


    while a wave of unnoticeable anger shed across her eyes.


    Why is Sklyer here?


    She came here today to talk with Garrick about their partnership, so in order to not let Skyler ruin the


    atmosphere she and Garrick had, she turned around and looked outside the window to avoid being


    seen.


    ording to Skyler''s temper, he might cause an embarrassing scer. If he angered Garrick, her


    chances for cooperation would be slim to none.


    Propping her elbows on the table, she covered half of her face to avoid being seen by Skyler. However,


    she did not know that he hade here for her.


    "Didn''t you hear my calls?"


    He wore a vibrant light yellow suit and had his hairbed up, which added a trace of arrogance and


    unruliness to his charm.


    Walking straight toward them, he stopped beside Shirley, looked at the man opposite her with narrowed


    eyes, and questioned her.


    "Skyler, it''s such a pleasure meeting you here, but unfortunately, Miss Wilson and I have just finished


    lunch. Would you like to sit down and have some?" Garrick asked while maintaining his usual refined


    attitude.


    Looking at the leftover food on the table, Skyler had a feeling that Garrick was throwing sarcastic


    remarks at him.


    Meanwhile, Shirley did not expect Skyler toe here for her. No matter how hard she wanted to hide


    from him, she obviously could not.


    While slowly turning her head back, she looked at him with unamused eyes. "Sorry. I was busy and


    didn''t hear my phone ringing."


    Then, she looked guiltily at Garrick and was afraid that Skyler would make a big fuss, so she


    immediately ttered him with a smile. "President Brennan, please excuse me for a bit while I tend to


    some personal matters."


    "I need to use the bathroom."


    With a slight nod, Garrick got up and walked around Skyler to head for the bathroom.


    While he left, Shirley''s eyes followed his leaving figure. She was extremely nervous because she was


    afraid that Skyler might anger him and ruin their partnership. Yet, this was all observed by Skyler as he


    interpreted it as her utmost admiration for Garrick, so much so to the point where she seemed to be


    entranced.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "You seem to have a unique taste in men. Are you into older men?"


    After all, Garrick was over forty years old. Although he was a mature and charming gentleman, he was


    still a decade olderthan her.


    Into older... men?


    Shirley felt her temples pulsing. Who would have thought that Skyler would think of such a thing?


    "You..."


    With an intense re, she wanted to retort him, but she immediately swallowed her words as soon as


    she thought of the unfavorable sight of Garrick walking in on their ugly argument.


    After considering the situation, she decided to endure her rage. "Young Master Skyler, do you have


    something to tell me?"


    Watching her feign ignorance, he was so angry that his eyes were burning with rage, which prompted


    him to grab her wrist. "Do you have a conscience?"


    Feeling the immense grip, she felt pain and tried to shake him off but to no avail.


    As Skyler had his back toward the restaurant, he could not see that the other guests present were


    casting strange nces at him.


    On the other hand, Shirley felt embarrassed when she noticed the looks being thrown at them.


    "If you have anything to say, you can say them without getting physical," she warned.

 Chapter 724

    Chapter 724


    Rolling his eyes at her, Skyler gnashed his teeth while slightly raising his chin and motioning toward the


    direction of the bathroom. "Do you know who Garrick Brennan is?"


    "Of course, I know who he is."


    If she had not known who Garrick was, would she have repeatedly approached him?


    "How about his rtionship with Sofia Green?"


    Dumbfounded, she asked, "W-What''s their rtionship?"


    "Garrick is Sofia''s biological brother."


    "Biological brother? If so, why would they..."


    The news came so suddenly that it stunned Shirley.


    "Are you trying to ask why they have differentst names even though they are siblings? Ha. That''s not


    something you should be bothered with, but remember, Garrick Brennan is not someone you can


    provoke, so keep your distance."


    Actually, Skyler had nned to find herst night, but an ident suddenly broke out at the factory in


    Torrag city, so he immediately rushed to Torrag after leaving the Philwind Hotel. Therefore, he did not


    even have time to visit her.


    The only thing he could do was to call her, but that damned woman would not pick up his call.


    Shirley fell silent.


    What she could not understand was that if Garrick was indeed Sofia''s brother, and Sofia had


    misunderstood her rtionship with Skyler, would he not resent the person who had wrecked her


    sister''s rtionship as her brother? Why would he take the initiative to contact her?


    Still, no matter which situation it was, Skyler must have misunderstood her attitude toward Garrick.


    "Young Master Skyler, I don''t need you to bother with my business."


    Once she said that, she lowered her head and looked at her wrist, which was still wrapped by his hand.


    His grip was so tight that her wrist continued to hurt.


    Is he trying to break my wrist?


    "Can you let go?"


    Enduring the pain in her wrist, she tried to act as calmly as possible.


    Skyler had not gotten a single shut-eye while rushing back from Torrag this morning. After he arrived in


    Bloomstead, he immediately rushed to her house only to find no one there. Then, he had someone find


    out her movements and finally discovered where she was.


    However, he did not expect that she woulde here to have a meal with Garrick.


    It was a kind and sincere gesture from Skyler''s side, but he felt that she had mercilessly humiliated


    him. Her attitude was akin to throwing his dignity to the ground before stomping on it.


    While the two gazed into each other''s eyes, one was enraged while the other was pretending to be


    calm.


    He threw her hand away a long timeter. "Very well-said. You better not regret it."


    After he said that, he... did not turn around and leave but sat down on Garrick''s seat instead.


    At that moment, Garrick hade out of the bathroom. His face still looked as refined as ever, but he


    was not angry when he saw Skyler sitting in his seat. Instead, he called for the waiter.


    The waiter immediately came over. "Sir, what can I help you with?"


    "Clean up the table and bring over the menu."


    "Yes, sir. Please wait a moment."


    After saying that, the waiter immediately cleaned up the table.


    Subsequently, Garrick sat down beside Skyler. "I heard something had happened at your factoryst


    night. Has it been resolved?"


    "It''s not a big deal."


    Leaning against his seat, Skyler subconsciously took out a cigarette from his pocket, but he


    remembered smoking was not allowed in this restaurant, so he could only take out his lighter and y


    with it.


    Shirley, who was opposite him, felt speechless.


    He was so angry a moment ago and she thought he would storm out, but who would have expected


    that not only did he not leave, but he also sat down for a meal?


    What is he up to?


    "It''s Sofia''s birthday in a few days. Why don''t youe over for a meal together?" Garrick asked, then


    added, "Grandpa hasn''t seen you for a while and misses you."


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Thatst sentence destroyed all of Skyler''s chances to refuse.


    While holding the lighter, Skyler looked at Shirley, who was taking her seat slowly, and felt his heart


    sink as he suddenly felt guilty.


    Yet, when he saw that she was not even paying attention to him but was rather talking to the waiter, his


    face immediately fell. "Sure."

 Chapter 725

    Chapter 725


    "Sir, what would you like to order?"


    The waiter ced the menu on the table. Without looking through it, Skyler randomly ordered a steak,


    a sd, and another bottle of wine.


    After the waiter left, he looked at Garrick. "Did Sofia tell you toe look for Shirley?"


    He went straight to the point.


    Shirley, who had just managed to calm down her pounding heart, instantly felt her head buzzing.


    "President Brennan is¡ª"


    Just as she was about to exin the situation, she heard Garrick''s gentle voice. "I''m here to discuss


    our partnership with Miss Willson."


    "Partnership? What partnership?"


    This time, it was Skyler''s turn to feel confused.


    Although Shirley did not want Skyler to know too much about her affairs, she knew that if she kept


    quiet, he would investigate them himself. By then, he would discover the rtionship between Vincere


    Games and Veronica.


    After contemting the situation, she could only exin, "I''m here on behalf of mypany to discuss


    our partnership with President Brennan. Young Master Skyler, this matter involves ourpanies, so


    we have to keep it confidential. Please don''t ask too much about it."


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    "Whichpany?" asked Skyler.


    Shirley kept quiet, not wanting to answer.


    In the end, it was Garrick who responded, "Vincere Games. You like ying games, so you must know


    quite a lot about this industry.


    Do you know Vincere Games?"


    "Vincere Games?"


    Hearing that, Skyler''s eyes lit up. "I know them. They''re a very promisingpany. Their team was


    once unknown, but they quickly rose to fame. Also..."


    As he spoke, he suddenly stopped and looked at Shirley with a frown. "You''re looking for sponsors?"


    He was right on point.


    Nodding, she responded with a hum.


    "That¡¯s easy. I''ll go over to yourpany this afternoon."


    Now that he knew she hade here to discuss their partnership with Garrick, his sullen mood


    brightened instantly, as if the dark clouds above his head were all blown away.


    Meanwhile, Shirley was speechless.


    With a frown, she could not hide her anger anymore. "Young Master Skyler, this is my job. I don''t want


    to use my private connections to get the job done easily."


    "Why? Are you looking down on the Robins'' power?"


    "Of course not. I came to find President Brennan because it''s what my superior ordered."


    "Then, shut up. I''ll contact your boss."


    Shirley was so pissed that she clenched her fists and felt a headacheing.


    Yet, Garrick was Skyler''s future brother-inw, so she could not throw a fit even if she wanted to.


    "President Brennan, thank you for the lunch. I still have something to do, so I''ll be taking my leave first.


    We''ll keep in touch."


    She could not stand seeing Skyler anymore and was afraid he would ruin the cooperation between her


    and Garrick''spanies, so she chose to leave.


    "Alright. See you," Garrick agreed.


    She then red at Skyler, but she saw him raise an eyebrow at her while wickedly smiling before


    throwing her a wink.


    Though he looked like a rascal, he had a carefree and unruly charm.


    The raging fire in her heart was suddenly put out because of his smile. Not only that, but she also felt


    her heartbeat rising.


    How pathetic, she secretly scolded herself while angrily picking up her bag to leave.


    Once her figure disappeared out the door, the smile on Skyler''s face immediately disappeared as he


    stared coldly at Garrick. "Leave her alone."


    His tone was slightly cold.


    On the other hand, Garrick was not surprised by Skyler''s threats.


    "You''re overthinking it. We were just talking about business. As for your rtionship with Sofia, that


    only concerns the two of you and I don''t have any right to interfere with it, nor am I interested in


    interfering with it," Garrick lied calmly while maintaining his gentlemanly front.


    "That would be best."


    Looking out the window, Skyler saw Shirley walking toward the parking lot and getting into her before


    she drove into the distance. His eyes might be cold, but a trace of affection could be sensed in them.

 Chapter 726

    Chapter 726


    That afternoon, Shirley busied herself in her office for a while before calling Garrick.


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    After three rings, he finally picked up the phone. "Miss Wilson?"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Haha. Yes, it''s me, President Brennan."


    Sheughed sheepishly as she greeted him and went straight to the point. "I called to see when you''d


    be avable so I could bring you to our office to look around."


    They were in the middle of nning when Garrick talked about touring thepany, but they did not


    expect Skyler to suddenly appear and disrupt the discussion.


    "How about ten dayster?"


    After saying that, Garrick exined, "There''s a lot going on with thepanytely, so I can only do


    ten dayster."


    "Sure. I''ll arrange everything ording to your time."


    "Good. It''s settled, then."


    "Alright. Please continue on with your work, President Brennan," Shirley said humbly before hanging


    up.


    Standing in her office, she clutched her phone in her hand and started pacing around the office while


    thinking of a n.


    Although Garrick had agreed toe over for a visit, it did not mean their partnership was confirmed in


    any way. So, she still had to contact Tal Gibson from Horizon Group just in case.


    After giving it some thought, she picked up her phone and called Wade. However, before she could


    make the call, she received one from Skyler.


    While looking at his number popping up on her phone screen, she answered the call as her fair face


    showed frustration.


    "Young Master Skyler?" she addressed him in an unfamiliar way and her tone was filled with alienation.


    On the other end of the call, Skyler felt bothered when he heard her address him that way. "What?


    Don''t I have a name?"


    "You''re the young master of the Robins Family. It is not my ce to call you by your name."


    She then continued to speak in an unfriendly tone, "Whatever you called to say, just say it. I''m very


    busy."


    There were stillpany matters she needed to deal with, and since Jayden and Shawn did not give


    her much time, she had to use up every spare second she could.


    "Are you at thepany? I wanna go over there for a visit now," he asked directly without beating


    around the bush.


    "I''m... not," she rejected him without thinking about it.


    No matter which situation it was, she did not need hispany to invest in hers.


    On one hand, she was afraid he might find out that the real boss behind thispany was Veronica.


    On the other hand, she was even more afraid of owing him a favor.


    If Sofia found out about this, she woulde to thepany and humiliate her again.


    The events that happened in front of First Meeting''s entrance were like a nightmare to her and she still


    felt chills whenever she thought about it.


    "Alright, then. Call me after you get back to thepany." Without asking any more questions, Skyler


    hung up.


    Breathing out a sigh of relief, Shirley set down her phone and decided to call Wadeter to ask about


    Tal''s current situation.


    In the meantime, atthe hidden n...


    After a passionate night with Matthew, Veronica was feeling delighted.


    The following day, Mateo came over and told her to head downstairs for breakfast, so she obediently


    went downstairs.


    "Roni, I have something to tell you. We found a great chef today and he''ll be in charge of our breakfast


    from today onward," Mateo told her while they were descending the stairs.


    "A chef from the hidden n?"


    Although dishes from the hidden n were simr to those from Castr¨®n, there were still some


    differences.


    The locals here enjoyed their spices a lot while most of the dishes were not shy with them either,


    especially local delicacies like scorpions, centipedes, andrvae. Such dishes were always seen on the


    dining table.


    When Veronica saw those dishes, she almost puked outst night''s dinner. She never thought of


    herself as a dramatic person, but those dishes gave her goosebumps.


    "No. They recently found a chef and brought him here from Castr¨®n. I think he''s from Bloomstead too."

 Chapter 727

    Chapter 727


    "He''s from Bloomstead?" Veronica''s eyes lit up as she felt curious.


    It always felt more reassuring when one could meet a fellow citizen abroad.


    "That¡¯s right. Let''s have our meal first. You''ll find out about himter." Mateo raised the suspense.


    After heading down, Destiny and Crayson were already waiting for her in the dining room.


    When the two saw hering over, they immediately smiled warmly at her.


    Perhaps they felt guilty, so they treated her so well that she thought they were ttering her.


    Crayson had always been strict with her, but when she saw that he was treating her with more


    cautiousness, she secretly felt ufortable inside.


    "Come over and let''s eat. See if the dishes today are to your liking."


    Waving his hand at her, Crayson beckoned her over and pointed at the breakfast dishes.


    Then, she walked over and saw meat ravioli, waffles, meatloaf, pancakes, omelets, and nutty banana


    oatmeal. It was a hearty breakfast that was filled with Bloomstead specialties.


    Just smelling it had already made Veronica gulp down her saliva.


    "It smells great."


    After saying that, she sat down and picked up her fork to stab a piece of ravioli. Biting into the tender


    pasta, she could taste the meat inside and it was juicy, vorful, and simply delicious.


    "It tastes good," she muttered and continued to chew her food while thinking, Not only do they taste


    fresh and delicious, but they''re also quite familiar.


    "Here, try something else." Destiny pointed at another dish while looking at Veronica with anticipation.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Sure."


    After swallowing the ravioli, Veronica grabbed the bowl of nutty banana oatmeal. She scooped a


    spoonful of it before gulping it down.


    Though it was only a mouthful, she carefully tasted everything and was suddenly stunned as a faint


    light shed across her eyes.


    She frowned and her eyes showed that she was stunned. The others around her looked at her in


    unison. "What''s the matter? Does it not taste good?"


    "Roni, if it doesn''t taste good, I''ll fire the chef," Mateo suggested.


    Meanwhile, Destiny sighed. "But it''s hard to find a chef from Bloomstead."


    Crayson sighed while shaking his head because he felt mncholic.


    "I think it''s good. It tastes great." While saying that, Veronica picked up her spoon again and scooped


    another mouthful of oatmeal before putting it in her mouth to chew slowly.


    It was not long before her bowl became empty and she was so full that she burped.


    "Thank you for your hard work in finding me a chef." She raised her head to look at Crayson.


    Although she was still the girl Crayson had known for most of her life, her words felt like a dagger that


    pierced through his heart, making him feel numb pain. It seemed like ever since she came to the


    hidden n, she did not smile as vibrantly anymore and the shine inside her eyes had also gradually


    dimmed.


    "As long as you like it." He let out a sigh, withdrew his gaze, and ordered Mateo, "Bring the chef over


    here."


    "Yes, Grandpa." Mateo then rose to his feet and exited the lounge.


    A whileter, he came back with a man.


    The man looked tall and was wearing a ck and blue striped shirt, wide pants, and old-fashioned


    green boots that could be seen anywhere.


    He had a head of ck hair with tanned skin, double eyelids, brown pupils, and on his chin was arge


    mole.


    Whenever he walked, he would hunch his back, giving others an unconfident feeling.


    Looking over, Veronica felt...


    "Where did you find such a simple and honest family? I heard from Mateo that he''s from Bloomstead.


    Can he understand the hidden n''s dialect?"

 Chapter 728

    Chapter 728


    The problem Veronica was most worried about was this.


    Destiny, who sat on the left side of Veronica,ughed and exined, "He''s a friend of one of my


    subordinates. He can understand the hidden n''s dialect and has been living here for a long time.


    Otherwise, why would I let him cook for you?"


    "That''s right. If he couldn''t understand our dialect, then it''d be troublesome for him to buy groceries


    daily."


    Smiling, Mateo exined, "I apanied him down the mountain to get groceries today, so don''t


    worry. He''s a hundred percent safe," he assured with confidence.


    Propping her hands on the table, Veronica cupped her chin and stared at the simple yet honest man


    while tilting her head. "What''s your name?"


    "My name is Iron Pir." The man looked at Veronica sideways while speaking in a Bloomstead dialect.


    Pfft!


    Hearing that name, she could not help butugh.


    Then, she covered her lips with her hand, shook her head, and immediatelyposed herself to


    pretend to be calm. "My apologies. I just think your name is quite special."


    Meanwhile, Crayson and Destiny did not think much about it and thought Veronica wasughing at the


    name ''Iron Pir."


    It was already the twenty-first century, so the name ''Iron Pir'' was indeed strange.


    "Iron Pir? Ugh... The food isn''t bad. Can you make me something different this afternoon?" Veronica


    sighed disappointedly and could not help butin, "The dishes in the hidden n aren''t delicious


    and I miss Bloomstead''s delicacies."


    "Of course. You may order whatever you want to eat. I can make everything."


    Nodding, he looked at her sincerely.


    "I want to eat..." After thinking about it, she waved her hand. "Forget it. Just make me your signature


    dishes."


    Once she finished, she got up and ascended the stairs. "Mateo,e up to my roomter. Didn''t you


    say you wanted to tutor me?"


    "Sure. I''ll head up in a minute," he affirmed.


    Later, he went upstairs and his identity changed into that of Veronica''s teacher as he started to teach


    her the hidden n''s dialect.


    Near noon, her stomach began to rumble and she could not focus on her studies anymore. Then, she


    smelled something fragrant creeping in from the window. Her eyes lit up as she said, "That smells


    great. Can I go and watch how Iron Pir cooks?"


    "What¡¯s the rush? You can eat right after he''s done."


    "Don''t mention it again. The food here doesn''t suit my taste. You guys like delicacies such as ants,


    scorpions, centipedes, andrvae.


    There''s nothing you won''t eat. I just want Iron Pir to cook me some meat dishes and see if they suit


    my taste."


    She pouted, making her look a little pitiful.


    Not willing to make things hard for her, Mateo waved his hand. "Okay, okay. You can go, but I''ll only


    give you five minutes. Come back and continue learning after you''re done watching."


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "No problem."


    With an ''OK'' gesture, she immediately rose to her feet and went downstairs.


    Meanwhile, Destiny and Crayson were no longer downstairs while only the buzzing sound of the


    kitchen could be heard, as well as the sound of the chef banging his spat against the pan.


    The young woman walked toward the kitchen, pushed the door open, and watched Iron Pir cook.


    "Aheml"


    She cleared her throat and bellowed, "Iron Pir, are you cooking lunch?"


    The man, who was in the middle of cooking, heard hervoice and turned around to see Veronica leaning


    against the doorframe with her hands folded before her chest while calmly looking at him.


    There was a faint smile on her fair face and her eyes looked like they were filled with shimmering stars.


    "Miss, why did youe all the way here?" he asked while holding the spat.


    Straightening up, she walked before him and stepped onto the back of his feet before getting upon her


    tiptoes. "I came to watch you cook," she spoke every word firmly.

 Chapter 729

    Chapter 729


    "Miss, do you have any orders for me?" the man asked with seriousness.


    Slightly raising an eyebrow, Veronica tilted her head to look at the cabbage being cooked inside the


    pan and smiled. "Who likes vegetables? I wanna eat some meat."


    In actuality, cabbage was her favorite vegetable and he knew of her preference, which was why he


    bought it at the market.


    "I''m sorry. It''s my fault that I didn''t serve you much ''meat''. I''ll cook some more meat for you tonight." It


    was a double entendre.


    Of course, Veronica could understand what he was implying, so she could not help but imagine it in her


    mind while blushing.


    "Uhm... Actually, eating more vegetables doesn''t sound like a bad idea either."


    Pointing at the pan full of cabbage, she ordered, "You should hurry up and stir them. If you don''t, they


    might burn."


    "Yes, Miss," the man responded before turning back to stir the cabbages.


    Meanwhile, she stood behind him and watched silently as he focused on cooking. The feeling she had


    was so sweet as if she were caked in honey.


    Although he had changed his voice and appearance, how could she not recognize him? Still, she had


    to say that she did underestimate his abilities. Frankly, she did not expect that he would be such a good


    cook and it shocked her.


    If it had not been for the nutty banana oatmeal this morning, she would not have been so sure that he


    was Matthew.


    She knew that he was good at making good oatmeal, but how did he learn the hidden n''s dialect and


    cooking in such a short period of time?


    After giving it some thought, she guessed that he might have learned how to cook and speak their


    dialect when he suddenly disappeared for half a year.


    In such a short amount of time, not only did he have to arrange everything in secret, but he also had to


    learn cooking and anothernguage. How challenging would that have been?


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    She could not imagine how Matthew did it and her heart was filled with endless gratitude.


    Suddenly, she discovered that the distance between their capabilities was like the entire Milky Way. If


    she did not work hard to be more excellent, she would feel like she was not worthy of Matthew.


    He was a perfect man who was loyal to his love and he was even willing to sacrifice himself for his


    wife...


    What kind of woman would be worthy of such a perfect man?


    "Miss, would you like roasted pork or braised pork?"


    Matthew then served the fried cabbage in a dish and proceeded to clean the pan while asking, "You


    can tell me whatever you want to eat. I''ll head to the marketce this afternoon to buy the ingredients."


    Standing there, Veronica looked at Matthew with her hands behind her back and hesitated. Her watery


    eyes were wet as she hid herplicated emotions in them.


    "I''m not picky with food. I tried your cooking this morning and it tasted good. You''re such a good...


    chef."


    Although Crayson and Destiny were not present, she did not dare to speak to him in public as if they


    were husband and wife. For safety, they had to keep their distance in order not to be discovered.


    "Thank you for thepliment, Miss. You should go about your day. I''ll call you after the food is ready."


    His lips curled into a smile as he looked at her.


    However, his rustic makeup made him look like a simple person, so his smile looked quite ordinary.


    "Okay."


    Slightly nodding, she resisted not to rush up and hug him before reluctantly turning around.


    Lastly, she said, "You''ve worked hard."


    Matthew ced the pan back on the stove and rubbed his hands on his apron. Every move he made


    was identical to that of a real chef.


    With brown contact lenses, his eyes curled with his faint smile. "It''s what I should do."


    Another double entendre.


    It only took one sentence to melt Veronica''s heart.


    She looked at him affectionately as she felt like her legs were made of lead, making it hard for her to


    move. At this very moment, her wish was to keep her eyes on him, silently and peacefully.

 Chapter 730

    Chapter 730


    "Miss, please go ahead with your matters." Matthew maintained his cool and reminded her.


    Then, Veronica spun around and left the kitchen to head upstairs. While leaving the kitchen, she


    reluctantly turned to look at him.


    After going up to the second floor, she continued to learn and discarded all of her mixed feelings so that


    she could focus on her studies.


    An epiphany popped inside her head. I need to work hard and I need to learn more. I need to be the


    best version of myself so that I can be worthy of... him.


    A whileter, someone knocked on the door. "Miss, it''s time to eat."


    Inside the room, Mateo immediately stood up and replied, "Alright, then. ss ends here, so let''s head


    down for lunch."


    He thought Veronica might have been hungry, which was why she came down to watch the chef cook


    earlier. Assuming that she was famished, he did not force her to continue learning.


    "Alright. Wait a minute while I finish this line of words."


    While she continued on with her studies, she was dead focused on learning and did not want to drag


    anyone down with her. Matthew had learned the hidden n''s dialect within half a year, so she could


    not fall too far behind him.


    After finishing thest line of texts, Veronica stood up and went downstairs with Mateo.


    The dining table was filled with a hearty lunch as Crayson and Destiny just happened to enter in the


    meantime.


    When Destiny smelled the aroma of the cooked dishes, she could not help but praise, "It smells so


    good. Iron Pir has such good skills.


    Meanwhile, Crayson nodded in agreement. "Indeed. It smells wonderful."


    He then saw Veronica running down the stairs from the second floor and her vibrant smile was


    contagious. "Hahaha... Look how excited Little Roni is."


    Looking at Crayson, Veronica replied, "I''m just very hungry."


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The others exchanged smiling nces without saying anything more.


    After they arrived at the dining room, they washed their hands and sat down after which the food was


    served.


    At that moment, Mateo shouted toward the kitchen, "Iron Pir,e over and eat with us."


    "Why are you calling him over? We don''t know him, and eating with him is not as rxing. Wait until


    we''re more familiar with each other," Veronica immediately refused Mateo''s suggestion.


    Due to his family upbringing, Matthew had been eating elegantly for over twenty years, so the way he


    ate was alsoced with a noble temperament.


    The closer they got to him, the easier he would be exposed.


    Destiny and Crayson, in particr, were cunning. Once they suspect Iron Pir''s identity, it would not


    be anything good for Matthew.


    "Hehe. Miss is right. I still have some dishes left in my kitchen, so I can eat over there."


    While standing by the kitchen, ''Iron Pir'' smiled at Mateo before turning around to enter the kitchen


    and closing the door.


    "Just let him be. Let''s eat." Crayson did not mind the small mishap and began to eat.


    The dishes Matthew prepared for lunch were fried cabbage, spicy fried cmari, pot roast, crab cakes,


    and fish and chips.


    These were all dishes Veronica liked to eat and looking at them made her feel shocked.


    She did not know how much hard work Matthew had put into learning all these things in half a year, but


    at this moment, she only wanted to give him a big hug aside from the immense gratitude she felt.


    However...


    Now was not the right time.


    Therefore, she lowered her head and began to eat.


    With so much delicious food before her, she should have had a big appetite, but with so much on her


    mind, she thought the food tasted like rubber.


    It was the first time she came to realize that being overly pampered to the point where self-sacrificing


    for the sake of another could bring so much pressure.


    "Oh, right, Grandpa. Where will Iron Pir be staying?" Mateo suddenly asked.

 Chapter 731

    Chapter 731


    "Since you''ll be cooking for her, just stay here. We have an empty room on the east end of the third


    floor, don''t we? Clean it up, and let him live there. A nanny will report to duty tomorrow to clean and


    cook for us," Crayson asserted.


    Veronica, who was lowering her head to eat, froze slightly as she sliced the fish chop, and a faint gleam


    shed across her eyes. She ced the fish into her mouth and slowly chewed it. Her silence perfectly


    concealed her emotional turmoil.


    How wonderful would it be if Matthew lived by her side here? If the person she missed all day long was


    by her side, it could bring her endless peace of mind.


    "Oh, okay."


    Mateo pouted and whined, "Why didn''t shee today? It would save me trouble."


    Crayson red at him. "You''re sozy. Is it really so exhausting to clean a room?"


    "Hehe. Just kidding." Mateo chuckled sheepishly under Crayson''s indignant re.


    In the afternoon, she studied in her room while Mateo cleaned the room and brought Matthew over to


    show him the room. She was so concentrated on her studies that she simply ate a few bites of dinner


    and continued to study.


    It was already 1.00AM when Veronicay down on the bed to rest after a tiring day.


    As soon as shey down after turning off the lights, a person appeared in her room. The familiar scent


    came to her as the man nimbly lifted the nket andy down next to her.


    Veronica wrapped her arms around his waist as soon as hey down and rubbed her head on his chest


    like a kitten.


    "Why did you eat so little just now? Did you not like my food?" he asked while hey on his side and


    gently ran through her ck hair with his fingers.


    She closed her eyes, leaned her cheek against his chest, and murmured, "You learned howto cook and


    the hidden n''snguage in six months, so I have to work hard too."


    However, she thought of the remarks she didn''t say out loud. You''ve done so much forme. I''ll let you


    down if I don''t work hard. You''re perfect. You''ll be out of my league if I don''t work hard.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew''s crispughter echoed across the dark room. "Okay, I believe you."


    He did not think Veronica''s excessive study efforts were terrible. Instead, he encouraged her to study


    harder.


    All of a sudden, an unnamed emotion flickered within his eyes. "I heard someone say that she didn''t


    have enough meat to eat."


    "What?" Veronica was taken aback. She opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion. It didn''t


    matter, even though she couldn''t see his face in the darkness.


    As she was in a daze, he leaned over and kissed her passionately. Both of them indulged in the ocean


    of love and embraced each other.


    Meanwhile, Shirley was talking to Wade on the phone in Bloomstead. She was informed that Tal, the


    president of Horizon Group, had been away on a business trip, so they could only meet after Tal


    returned from the trip.


    The next day was the third day of the week''s deadline that Shawn and Jayden gave Shirley.


    After the meeting, Shawn and Jayden looked at Shirley with agitated expressions.


    "It''s been three days. How''s your progress?" Jayden asked.


    Despite their forceful interrogation, she answered indifferently, "Today is the third day. What''s the


    hurry?"


    The more anxious they were, the more it meant they were up to something. Perhaps, they were hoping


    that she would fail to sign a contract with Tal so they could kick her out of thepany and acquire


    Veronica''spany.


    "Hah! We were just reminding you." Shawn snorted derisively.


    At this moment, a receptionist knocked on the door, entered, and intoned respectfully, "Miss Wilson, Mr.


    Adler, Mr. Stoll, Mr. Robins is here."

 Chapter 732

    Chapter 732


    "Mr. Robins? Do you mean the president of Pinnaclestone Corp?"


    Jayden looked at Shawn in surprise. "Is he here to see you?"


    Shawn shook his head with a confused expression. "I know of Skyler, but I have never met him in


    person."


    Skyler was a legendary figure in Bloomstead. He was brilliant and gifted with medical knowledge, but


    later, he abandoned his career in medicine for business, which was a source of confusion for many.


    "I don''t know him either. Why is he here?" Jayden was baffled.


    "Whatever. Let''s go." Shawn closed the file on the table, got up, and walked out with Jayden. Both of


    them had never thought that Shirley would be acquainted with Skyler.


    Shirley, who couldn''t be bothered to leave, leaned back in her seat.


    Thispany was Veronica''s. Skyler''s sponsorship would bring thepany to the next level, but


    Shirley wanted to avoid owing Skyler such a big favor because of Veronica. It would be more


    straightforward if she owed him a mary debt, but how could she return such a favor?


    Shawn and Jarden walked into the reception room and saw Skyler dressed in a yellow suit, a punk


    hairstyle, and ck piercings on his ears. He was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed and his


    hands on the couch. He looked like a dashing yet wild man. It was difficult


    to imagine that he was a medical prodigy just by his looks.


    Jayden walked forward and extended his hand with a polite smile as he greeted him, "Hello, Mr.


    Robins. Wee to ourpany."


    Skyler did not shake his hand. Instead, he looked at the two men in front of him and asked, "Do you


    have a staff by the name of Shirley?"


    "S-Shirley?"


    A shocked Jayden instinctively looked at Shawn, and they sawplicated emotions in each other''s


    eyes. Their minds were running amok with suspicion.


    Was Skyler here to pick a fight?


    It was no wonder that the distinguished Skyler woulde to thepany today. Shirley had offended


    him.


    Jayden and Shawn judged the current situation with their logic. They deduced that a bigpany like


    Pinnaclestone Corp would not be here to talk about coboration with a small gamingpany, so


    Skyler must be here to make things difficult for her.


    "Shirley? Hah, yes, she is our staff, but she''ll be fired soon because she iszy, ipetent, and unfit


    for ourpany. Mr. Robins, do you want to see her?" Shawn framed her by ridiculing her as an


    unqualified staff member.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "Yes. Shirley isn''t qualified for the job, but she was offered a job here because of some personal


    connection. She always hangs around and is never serious about her job," Jayden added.


    Skyler''s eyebrow raised slightly as he listened to them. "Is that so? I wonder what kind of personal


    connection you are referring to."


    "She is a friend of our major shareholder."


    "Your major shareholder? Who is he?" Skyler inquired curiously.


    Jayden and Shawn hesitated. Before Veronica left, she repeatedly warned them not to reveal her


    identity, but the two men could not risk offending Skyler, so they said honestly, "It''s a she. Veronica


    Murphy. You may not know her."


    "Veronica?"


    Tsk tsk, what a surprise.


    Skyler never thought that Vincere Games was Veronica''spany.


    No wonder she was so good at ying games. She literally owned a gamingpany.


    Skyler loved to y games, so he diligently followed the news of the game tournaments of the top


    teams in the field and knew a thing or two about Vincere Games.


    Vincere Games was rtively new in the market as it had only been established for more than a year,


    but its team was famous among gamers.


    It was a surprise that Veronica founded Vincere Games, making Skyler admire Veronica even more.


    "Why? Do you know her?" Jayden asked curiously. That was because Skyler sounded as if he knew


    Veronica personally.

 Chapter 733

    Chapter 733


    Skyler looked down slightly. He bet that Veronica did not want anyone to know about her owning


    Vincere Games, which exined why she did not bring this up to anyone.


    In fact, now was a critical time since Matthew and Veronica were not in the country. If the vengeful


    Conrad found out about it, he would not spare a small e-sportspany even though he found the


    company too weak to be his opponent.


    "No, I don''t know her," Skyler said. "Call Shirley over. I want to see her."


    Jayden and Shawn wore confused yet agitated expressions as they nced toward the secretary at


    the side. "Bring Shirley over."


    "Yes." The secretary nodded, turned around, and went to the conference room.


    Shirley reluctantly entered the reception room and saw Skyler sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.


    He wore a yellow suit with a short punk hairstyle and a pair of simple ck studs. He looked


    charismatic, with a certain wildness to his charm.


    No wonder they said that "Chicks dig bad boys." Even his snobbish image could be evocative.


    She had to admit that she felt her heart skip a beat when sheid her eyes on him.


    "Shirley, what is going on?! Why did you upset Mr. Robins?"


    "Do you know who Mr. Robins is? Hurry up and apologize to him right now!"


    Jayden and Shawn ordered indignantly as they red at Shirley.


    Shirley was baffled and speechless by their reprimands.


    On the other hand, Skyler, the party concerned, sat on the sofa leisurely and looked at the three of


    them quietly with the aura of a big boss. A hint of gloominess shed in his eyes, and his cold


    expression frightened Jayden and Shawn. The two men felt a chill down their spines and goosebumps


    all over their arms.


    "Why are you still standing there?! You''ve offended Mr. Robins. That''s your own business! You


    shouldn''t involve thepany in it!"


    Jayden felt that thepany was established by him, Veronica, and Shawn, and they had spent a


    tremendous amount of effort to aplish what they had achieved today. If they were forced back to


    square one because of Shirley, he would not spare Shirley and Veronica.


    "I¡ª" Shirley parted her red lips slightly and was about to say something when Skyler interrupted her


    deeply, "What''s her position in thepany?"


    "She manages thepany on behalf of our partner," Shawn exined respectfully while casting a


    fierce re at Shirley. It was as if he wished his eyes could emit aser beam so that all that was left of


    her would be ashes.


    "Oh, I see..." Skyler nodded slightly. He moved his hand, which rested on the sofa, to his knee, and


    tapped his knee with his fingers. The action seemed peculiar and ambiguous.


    "Mr. Robins, please calm down. She is ourpany''s staff, but she is not our partner. Since she has


    offended you, we will take responsibility for it. We''ll fire her immediately," Jayden came forward and


    made his decision known.


    Then, he turned to look at Shawn and signaled him with his expression, fearing that Shawn would not


    understand his reasoning.


    The moment Shawn understood Jayden''s hints, he marched forward and said with a so-called


    righteous tone, "Don''t worry, Mr. Robins. We will fire her. Wait, we''ll fire her immediately!"


    Jayden and Shawn had been attempting to fire Shirley, but since they did not have a reasonable


    excuse to do so, they could only put her in a difficult position. Now that they had the chance to fire her,


    they immediately seized this golden opportunity.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    They even figured out what to say when Veronica came back. They would say that they were forced to


    fire Shirley because she had offended Skyler, and Veronica would not be able to refute their decision.


    Then, when Shirley was not around, they could freely embezzle thepany''s funds, fake the


    ounts, and even secure their positions in thepany while turning Veronica into a mere


    figurehead.

 Chapter 734

    Chapter 734


    When the time came, it would be a piece of cake for Jayden and Shawn to kick Veronica out of the


    company.


    Skyler watched on as Jayden and Shawn were tantly berating Shirley, and he couldn''t help but feel


    annoyance surging within him. He red at Shirley and snapped, "Don¡¯t you want to say something?"


    D*mn it! Why do you be a dumb pushover when you are facing other people, but you are so hot-


    tempered when you are with me?! You only dare to be cocky and arrogant when you ''re with me, don''t


    you?!


    Shirley pouted slightly at his tone. Then, she turned to re at Shawn and Jayden. "I''m here because


    of Miss Murphy''s order. It''s not up to you to decide whether I should stay or leave!"


    Jayden and Shawn froze in disbelief. Apparently, they didn''t expect Shirley to disregard Skyler.


    "Hey, do you know who you offended? He is the son of the Robins Family, one of The Four Big


    Families of Bloomstead! So if you want to ruin your reputation, be my guest, but don''t drag us into your


    mess!"


    Shawn trembled in fear. "You''re fired! Do you hear me?! You''re fired! No one can help you this time."


    "Yes!" Jayden echoed.


    "Hey¡ª" An enraged Shirley was about to retort when Skyler suddenly spoke, "Oops, that''s too bad. I


    wanted to sponsor yourpany for Shirley''s sake, but since you want to fire her, I think I have to


    withdraw the sponsorship."


    Then, he abruptly rose to his feet, walked to Shirley, wrapped his arm around her neck, and pulled her


    into his embrace. "Shir, let''s go. It''s just apany. If you like it, I''ll buy it for you." He was putting on


    an act by flirting with her.


    It was just a tinypany, and the acquisition would not cost much. Skyler could easily buy the


    company without even batting an eye, but it was such a smallpany there was no point in him doing


    so. Moreover, he would not dare to acquire it since it was Veronica''spany.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Shirley instinctively attempted to struggle but stopped when she saw Skyler winking at her discreetly.


    He was emboldening her and consolidating her position in thepany right now. She would be


    ungrateful and ignorant if she embarrassed him now.


    "Okay. I love it," Shirley echoed, ying along with Skyler.


    Although she did not want to owe him a favor, she had no choice. It was apparent that Jayden and


    Shawn would love to kick her out of thepany, and Skyler''s appearance was a blessing to her.


    Jayden and Shawn were so dismayed that their jaws almost dropped as they watched nkly as the


    ''couple'' left together.


    "F*ck! What the hell is going on?!" The astonished Jayden pushed his sliding sses on the bridge of


    his nose.


    "S-So is Mr. Robins really here to see Shirley?!"


    "D*mn! Is Shirley his girlfriend?"


    "But isn''t Sofia-something his fiancee?"


    "Who cares if she''s Sofia or Tahlia?! Hurry up and chase her, orthepany will be doomed!"


    Shawn pped his thigh, hurriedly ran out of the reception room, and stood humbly in front of Shirley


    and Skyler. "Uh... Excuse me, Mr. Robins."


    Then, he donned a ttering smile and bowed at Shirley. "Shirley, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. I said


    those things because I thought you had offended Mr. Robins. I''m so sorry. Jayden and I misjudged the


    situation. We''re sorry."


    At this moment, Jayden also rushed over and apologized, "Miss Wilson, please forgive us. We said


    what we said in order to save thepany. I''m sorry that we misunderstood your situation. Haha, Mr.


    Robins, I''m so sorry for letting you see this. It''s so embarrassing."


    "Yes, Mr. Robins, we''re sorry. Please be merciful," Shawn followed up with a pleading.


    Skyler shoved one hand in his pocket and wrapped another around Shirley''s neck while casting a cold


    gaze at the two men. "Why are you apologizing to me? I don''t think I know you very well."


    Jayden and Shawn exchanged bewildered nces.


    "Ah¡ªhahaha! We''re so sorry for ruining the cooperation between us, Shirley."


    "Forgive us, Shirley. We were so worried about thepany and hastily arrived at such a conclusion


    before discussing the matter with you. We''re so sorry."

 Chapter 735

    Chapter 735


    The shrewd Jayden and Shawn made up all sorts of excuses to shut Shirley up.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Shirley frowned as she was disgusted by their hypocritical remarks. Skyler, who observed Shirley''s


    expression keenly, raised his eyebrow and sneered, "Is this how you treat her? Hmph, she''s my


    girlfriend, and I adore her like my precious diamond. You, on the other hand, raise your voice at her!"


    Adore me like his precious diamond? His remarks caught Shirley by surprise, and it made her heart


    skip a beat. She did not realize that her cheeks had crimsoned due to hisment.


    "What¡ª" Jayden was dumbstruck before turning to Shirley and apologizing, "Shir, I''m sorry! I''m so


    sorry for my earlier attitude. Please forgive me. You know how important thepany is to us _ I?


    "Shir? You have the nerve to call her Shir?!" For some reason, Skyler became even more annoyed


    when he heard another man address Shirley as ''Shir''.


    "What? Oops, sorry, sorry. Miss Wilson, haha, Miss Wilson, we''re so sorry. Jayden and I weren¡¯t


    thinking things through when we spoke just now. So please ept our apology and ask Mr. Ribons not


    to take over thepany."


    Shawn was stunned by the turn of events.


    Shirley was worried that Skyler would make a big deal of this and acquire Vincere Games. If that


    happened, she didn''t know how to face Veronica. She pursed her lips while she thought things over


    and feigned annoyance. "It''s none of my business. You want to fire me anyway, and it''s just happening


    two days earlier."


    "Is that so? Did they try to fire you already?" Skyler''s voice became sharp and shrill, and his re


    toward them became more fearsome. "I''m surprised. Why didn''t you tell me earlier?"


    As he spoke, he took out his phone and called his assistant. "Check Vincere Games'' background right


    now and evaluate its price. I want to acquire thepany."


    As he spoke, he locked his gaze on Jayden and Shawn, and the two men felt chills down their spines


    and were shaking in their boots.


    "No! Please don''t, Mr. Robins!" The terrified Jayden wanted to stop Skyler, but he didn''t dare to touch


    him, so he turned to Shirley and pleaded, "Miss Wilson, Shawn and I didn''t mean anything we said!


    Please don''t take our words seriously! We babbled, that''s all¡ª"


    Jayden raised his hand and directly pped himself on the face several times. "We''re sorry! We''re so


    sorry!"


    Shawn realized the seriousness of the matter as he watched


    Jayden pping himself and begging. He imitated Jayden''s actions and pped himself too. "Miss


    Wilson, please stop Mr. Robins, please! Please don''t let him acquire thepany! We''re so sorry! We


    shouldn''t have handled things so rashly."


    Although thepany was established slightly over a year, they had put in a lot of effort to bring it to


    where it was now. All their efforts would go down the drain if it were acquired now.


    Shirley did not want Skyler to buy thepany too. Initially, she assumed that he was just scaring


    them, but she didn''t expect him to really call his assistant and ask his staff to make preparations for the


    acquisition of thepany. So, she was equally as flustered as the groveling men.


    "That''s enough. Stop pping yourself. I''ll think about it," Shirley eximed with a frown. Then, she


    brushed off Skyler''s hand on her shoulder and tugged him forward. "Let''s go."


    As she pulled him with her, he curled his lips into a slight smirk while looking at her tiny hand holding


    his. The smirk didn''t seem to contain much joy, but it was clear to everyone that he was in a better


    mood.


    Shawn stepped forward to catch up with them when he watched them leave, but Jayden pulled him


    back. "You don''t have to go after them. Everything should be alright."


    Jayden looked in the direction of the elevator in a daze and sighed, "Veronica recruited Shirley. I think


    she wouldn''t sell thepany..."

 Chapter 736

    Chapter 736


    Chapter 736 The Frustrated Skyler


    Jayden didn¡¯t even feel confident when he muttered those words, but he was left with no other choice.


    The elevator slowly descended. Shirley didn¡¯t even realize that she was still clutching Skyler¡¯s hand in


    a death grip because her mind was an utter mess.


    Ding! The crisp sound echoed across the elevator as it arrived at the first floor.


    After the elevator door slowly slid open, the two walked out, with Shirley taking the lead and Skyler


    following behind her obediently.


    She eventually sensed a slight stickiness in her hand when they walked out of the building lobby. She


    looked down and shrieked in surprise when she realized that she was still holding his hand. Her face


    flushed crimson in record them, and she quickly released him.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Can you please call your secretary and stop the acquisition of thepany?¡± she asked a little


    timidly. However, she became slightly frustrated when she saw him ignoring her and scrolling through


    his phone without saying anything.


    She had no idea that he was actually sending a message to his secretary. ¡®Cancel the acquisition of


    Vincere Games.¡¯


    Then, he kept away his phone, regarded Shirley indifferently, and smirked. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see how you


    behave.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Shirley was rendered speechless and rather frustrated by his antics, but she owed him a favor


    since he had helped her out just now. So, she should still show her sincere gratitude instead of blowing


    up in his face.


    She checked the time on her watch and found that it was 10.30AM. Finally, she looked at Skyler and


    suggested, ¡°How about lunch? My treat.¡± She wanted to invite him to a meal as thanks.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll spare my time to¡ª¡±


    He was over the moon, but he remained remarkably calm. Then, before he could finish his sentence,


    her phone rang. She quickly whisked it out and saw Wade¡¯s caller ID shing on the screen.


    Skyler was taller than her, so it was only natural that he could see the caller ID on the screen when he


    looked down. As a result, his good mood took a dive, and his expression darkened at the sight.


    Shirley turned around and answered the call with her back to Skyler, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Shirley, are you free?¡± Wade¡¯s gentle voice resonated from the other end of the line.


    ¡°Yes. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ My boss assigned me to go on a business trip out of the blue, and my mom is in the hospital


    now, so¡­ Can you please take care of her for the next two days?¡±


    Wade was at his wit¡¯s end and had no choice but to ask for her help. He felt embarrassed after making


    such a request, so he frantically blubbered, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I know that it¡¯s very abrupt. If you¡¯re not free, I


    can¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I can help. Where are you now? I¡¯ll go and meet you.¡±


    Skyler, who was standing behind Shirley, looked grumpy and exasperated after hearing her answer,


    knowing that she was going to meet up with Wade.


    After Wade told her the address, she ended the call.


    The two of them had been on good terms since Veronica introduced them to each other. Although


    Shirley rejected him when he confessed to her, they remained good friends.


    She knew that his mother had cancer and that he had a demanding job. In order to clear his mother¡¯s


    debt, he quit his modeling career and was forced to work as Tal¡¯s secretary. Therefore, she ced


    him in high regard due to his genuine love and dedication to his mother.


    She turned around and smiled apologetically at Skyler. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. Something urgent hase


    up, and I need to meet my friend now. So let¡¯s take a rain check for lunch, okay?¡±


    ¡°Friend? What friend?¡± Skyler asked, his tone eerily cold.


    ¡°A-A friend.¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Shirley knew that Skyler didn¡¯t like Wade, and there was a high chance that he would probably blow a


    fuse if he knew that she canceled their lunch because of Wade.


    ¡°Why are you acting so dodgy? Are you worried that I¡¯ll mess with him?¡± Skyler ran a hand through his


    hair in frustration and red at her coldly. ¡°Do you really care for him that much?¡±


    The anger that had just subsided suddenly surged within him, making him even more irritated.

 Chapter 737

    Chapter 737


    Chapter 737 Threatening Shirley


    Shirley froze on the spot due to the sheer anger Skyler was projecting. Her mind went nk like a


    brokenputer. She was so shocked that it took a few embarrassing moments to finally understand


    Skyler¡¯sment.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? He¡¯s just a friend.¡± Shirley couldn¡¯t understand why Skyler disliked


    Wade so much.


    She could hear on the phone that Wade was bing anxious, so she quickly reassured him, ¡°That¡¯s


    it. I have to go now. Bye!¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Skyler stepped forward and stood in Shirley¡¯s way. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at kicking down


    thedder.¡± He looked slightly austere, and his eyes gleamed with a cold aura.


    ¡°Mr. Robins, as I said, I have something urgent to take care of now. I¡¯m very grateful for your help


    today, and I¡¯ll definitely repay the favor in a couple of days.¡±


    Their rtionship, which had just eased slightly, became estranged again because of Wade¡¯s phone


    call.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Skyler could feel her coldness judging from her t tone, and he was slightly annoyed. Yet, he was


    even more irritated when Shirley left as soon as she finished speaking.


    He shoved his hands in his pocket, tilted his head slightly, and rubbed his chin. He looked like the


    typical bad boy, but his aura was captivating and charming. The girls who walked past him couldn¡¯t help


    but look at him shyly, and a few braver ones even wanted to ask for his number.


    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s so handsome.¡±


    ¡°He looks like my idol.¡±


    ¡°I want his number! Can you help me ask for his number?¡±


    ¡°Forget it! Can¡¯t you see that he was fighting with his girlfriend?¡±


    As the young girls talked, they soon turned their attention to Shirley.


    ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s his girlfriend? She looks quite dull.¡±


    ¡°Dull? She looks so pure and innocent! I bet she¡¯s his angel.¡±


    ¡°I like her! She looks so beautiful and refined.¡±


    As they chatted, they walked further and further away.


    The words ¡°his angel¡± lingered in his mind, and he smirked in amusement.


    Instead of going after her, he took out his phone and called her.


    Shirley, who was striding away, looked down when she heard the ringtone. She stopped in her tracks


    when she saw Skyler¡¯s name popping on her screen and turned to look at Skyler, who was standing


    not far away.


    Skyler shook the phone and motioned for her to answer the call.


    Shirley sighed in resignation as she answered the call.


    ¡°I was going to discuss with you the acquisition of Vincere Games, but since you¡¯re so busy, I¡¯ll be out


    of your way,¡± Skyler said indifferently and immediately ended the call.


    ¡°Sky¡ª¡± Beep beep beep¡ª Shirley was about to say something when the dial tone echoed in her ear.


    She hastily raised her head due to the abrupt ending of the call, but Skyler had already turned away


    and left.


    She immediately became rather panicked when she watched him leave without hesitation. She


    hurriedly called Monica and told her about the situation briefly. Then, she asked Monica to go to the


    hospital to check on Wade and consult the doctor and nurses about Wade¡¯s mother¡¯s condition. With all


    that was said and done, she finally told Monica that she would pay the hospital a visitter.


    After she made the necessary arrangements, she quickly chased after Skyler to stop him from buying


    Veronica¡¯spany.


    ¡­


    Early in the morning in the hidden n, Veronica sat at the table enjoying the food and was deep in her


    thoughts when Crayson suddenly said, ¡°Roni, we¡¯ll be going outter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± She nodded without asking any questions.


    Ever since she arrived within the hidden n¡¯s settlement, she could only obey orders, no questions


    asked, and she had no say in anything. Therefore, there was no point in arguing against Crayson¡¯s


    arrangement, and she didn¡¯t even bother to try digging for information.


    ¡°Mateo, you¡¯reing with us too, so hurry up and finish your food,¡± Crayson instructed Mateo.


    ¡°Got it, Grandpa.¡± Mateo nodded.

 Chapter 738

    Chapter 738


    Chapter 738 Meet Your Mother


    Veronica chewed the dumplings in her mouth. She could vaguely sense that there must be something


    important today, judging from Crayson¡¯s solemn expression and tone.


    After breakfast, the new maid came over to clean up the table. Veronica went upstairs for a brief wash-


    up. When she returned downstairs, she happened to see Matthew, who was leaving for the market.


    ¡°Iron Pir, are you going to the market?¡± She walked forward and talked to him. He looked quite


    humble with the brown shirt and baggy pants. It was absolutely impossible to associate him with the


    dignified Matthew back in Bloomstead.


    ¡°Yes, miss.¡± He looked back at her, who was walking down the stairs and stood on the spot to wait for


    her. She walked down the stairs, stood before him, and smiled. ¡°Do you know how to make fish stew


    and braised pork?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°Can you please prepare those for lunch? I¡¯m craving them.¡± She beamed.


    Actually, she did not have high demands on food, and she was pleased since he personally prepared


    her meals these days. She simply wanted to talk to him for a while, hence the lunch suggestion.


    Before Matthew focused his attention on her, he quickly scanned around them. Only after noticing no


    one around them did he lower his voice and whisper, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be back at noon, so don¡¯t think about it,¡± Crayson suddenly walked in from the living room


    and said to Veronica.


    ¡°What? We¡¯re noting back?¡± Veronica pursed her lips and sighed. ¡°Alright then. I can only wait til


    dinner. Iron Pir, I¡¯ll be looking forward to the meal! Thanks!¡±


    She winked at Matthew, signaling that she would heed his warning.


    ¡°Roni, you¡¯re already done? Okay, I¡¯m ready too. Let¡¯s go!¡± Mateo said as he rushed downstairs.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go,¡± Veronica said. She nced at Crayson and then at Matthew. She did not dare to talk to


    him for a while longer for fear of exposing him, so she lowered her head and left.


    The three went down the mountain together. The morning breeze blew past them, and the air was


    refreshing and revitalizing. Veronica was mesmerized by the breathtaking scenery as she looked at the


    dream-like hidden n and the mansions of different shapes and sizes. ¡°The scenery here is out of this


    world. It¡¯s a pity that we can¡¯t turn this ce into a tourist spot.¡±


    She believed that there would be a considerable amount of ie if they developed the hidden n


    into a tourist spot.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy for the outsiders toe in here,¡± Mateo blurted. It was clear that he had given that


    idea some thought.


    ¡°Ahem¡ª¡± Crayson suddenly coughed to clear his throat and swiftly changed the subject. ¡°Roni, do you


    know where I¡¯m taking you today?¡±


    ¡°No. Where?¡±


    She knew the entrance to the hidden n from the outside world was very reclusive, or Crayson


    wouldn¡¯t have drugged her before bringing her in.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you to meet your mother.¡±


    My mother?


    Veronica immediately halted in her tracks, brows furrowed at the news.


    She knew that sooner orter, she would meet Hayley, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be now. It happened


    so fast that she was far from prepared for the reunion.


    For more than two decades, she thought she was an orphan who had been abandoned. After so many


    years, she finally found her birth mother, but she still found the idea repulsive.


    Crayson and Mateo were leading her there and didn¡¯t notice her odd behavior due to the mention of her


    birth mother.


    Despite how unprepared and reluctant she was, she had no choice but to follow them down the steps.


    Then, they took a car at the bottom of the hill straight to their destination.


    The SUV drove away from the city for more than an hour and arrived on a hill outside the suburbs.


    There was a vi on the hill. The estate covered an area asrge as three to four basketball courts.


    The vi¡¯s white walls and blue tiles blended the architectural elements of the hidden n and ssic


    design, making it look exclusively chic, atmospheric, and luxurious.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

 Chapter 739

    Chapter 739


    Chapter 739 The Reunion


    Crayson, Veronica, and Mateo walked to the massive gate. Then, Crayson took the initiative as he


    pressed the doorbell to announce their arrival. The gate of the vi slowly opened, and a maid


    appeared before them. ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±


    The maid was speaking thenguage of the hidden n dialect, but Veronica could understand her well


    because she was wearing a miniature earphone that automatically tranted her words. Even now,


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but feel touched that Matthew had given her such a practical and useful gift.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Mr. Elrod. Doe in. Madam has been expecting you.¡± The maid was very excited when


    she got a good look at Crayson. She hurriedly opened the gate and invited the three in, but she kept


    staring at Veronica when thetter entered. It was difficult to ignore such a piercing stare, and she felt


    somewhat uneasy by the attention.


    Hayley was her mother. Since the maid was under Hayley¡¯s employment, it was only natural that she


    had guessed Veronica¡¯s identity when she saw the heavy resemnce between them.


    Sure enough, the maid walked up to Crayson and whispered, ¡°She must be Madam¡¯s daughter, right?


    She looked exactly like Madam when she was young.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Crayson answered.


    ¡°Wow, time really flies. She has grown so big in the blink of an eye. I¡¯m sure Madam will be very happy


    to see herter. No wonder she ordered the chef to prepare lunch today.¡±


    Judging from their friendly chat, she quickly deduced that the maid was well acquainted with Crayson.


    After they entered the vi¡¯s hall, the maid trotted over to the sofa in the living room and spoke


    respectfully, ¡°Madam, Mr. Waylen, and Mateo are here.¡± The maid deliberately skipped Veronica, most


    likely because she wanted to give Hayley a surprise.


    The woman sitting on the sofa jerked and looked back at them. Only then did Veronica realize¡­


    The nearly fifty-year-old Hayley was dressed in a ck, form-fitting dress. She wore her long hair in a


    neat bun at the back of her head, only essorized with a zed hairpin. Herplexion was fair. It


    also should be noted that she maintained her skin and body very well for her age. The temperament of


    the nobledy exuded from her body effortlessly, making her look dignified and charismatic.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was leisurely andid back. The personalities of the mother-daughter duo were


    as different as day and night.


    Hayley stared at Veronica intensely. Finally, she carefully ced the book in her hand and slowly


    walked toward Veronica. ¡°A-Are you Veronica?¡± Hayley asked with fluency.


    Faced with Hayley¡¯s approach, Veronica instinctively took an uneasy step back. She merely regarded


    Hayley calmly without any emotions in her eyes.


    Or perhaps, Veronica was excellent at concealing her emotions, and it would be challenging for most


    people to tell how she was feeling right now.


    ¡°Roni, she¡¯s your mother, Hayley.¡±


    Crayson knew that Veronica was a bit ufortable by the unfamiliar Hayley, so he stood beside her


    and coaxed, ¡°I know you may feel a little awkward and distant since you two are meeting for the first


    time, but Roni, she has done so much for you. It¡¯s just that she has also kept you in the dark for your


    sake.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The gracious Hayley politely gestured for them to take a seat. ¡°Come, Veronica, have a


    seat. Mateo, Mr. Crayson, have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Mateo happily nodded and tugged the quiet Veronica to sit on the sofa.


    The maid came over and asked, ¡°Would you like coffee or tea?¡±


    Hayley had gone to Castron or other countries from time to time, so she had a change of taste, and she


    took a fancy to coffee. So she purchased a lot of coffee beans from abroad and ground them herself.


    ¡°Coffee.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯ll have a cup of coffee too.¡±


    Both of them ordered a cup of coffee.


    The maid gave a slight nod and turned around to leave.


    The maid came over shortly with two cups of aromatic coffee and a cup of well-steeped tea.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 740

    Chapter 740


    Chapter 740 She Is Your Sister


    ¡°These are the coffee beans from Castron. It tastes good, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s to your liking.¡± Hayley


    pointed to the cup of coffee the maid brought over and said to Veronica.


    Veronica raised her eyes to look at Hayley. Her gaze was indifferent; her eyes reflected no emotions.


    However, at this moment, Veronica suddenly realized one thing¡ªshe might have met Hayley before.


    Hayley¡¯s appearance looked too familiar. She definitely had seen Hayley before, but she couldn¡¯t


    remember where.


    The maid ced the coffee in front of Veronica. The exquisite white porcin coffee cup had gold


    edges and carved patterns on the cup. It looked expensive even at first nce. In fact, the golden


    spoon on the saucer screamed wealth.


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    Veronica picked up the cup, blew it slightly, took in the rich coffee aroma, and took a sip. Then, she


    nodded slightly, ¡°Wow, it really tasted good.¡± It was a ssic answer.


    Her mood was highlyplicated because she was meeting her mother, whom she had never met for


    more than two decades, so she was not in the mood to actually taste the aromatic coffee before her.


    ¡°Goomi, my oriya and I¡ª¡± A cheerful voice echoed from the hall¡¯s entrance and came to an abrupt halt.


    The crowd turned around and saw a tall young girl in a red and bluepel, short-sleeved blouse, and


    blue and red pleated skirt entering the doorway. She was wearing a unique silver cap made by the


    hidden n and a circle of silver tassels draped around the silver cap. It set off her fairplexion, and


    she looked extraordinarily stunning.


    Behind her was Randy!


    In the hidden n dialect, ¡®goomi¡¯ referred to the aunt while ¡®oriya¡¯ referred to the younger brother.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t understand a word, but she was not entirely clueless, thanks to the earphone.


    Moreover, there was a real-life trantor beside her¡ªMateo. So, she did not have to worry about the


    language barrier at all.


    ¡°Lamia, Randy,e here.¡± Hayley waved toward them. ¡°Let me introduce them to you.¡±


    Lamia Elrod looked at them and then at Randy before walking toward Hayley.


    Before anyone could say anything, Randy red fiercely at Veronica and hissed, ¡°What are you doing


    at my mom¡¯s house?!¡±


    Randy grew up within the Floch Family and always regarded Tiffany as his only elder sister.


    Even though Veronica and Tiffany looked alike, they weren¡¯t entirely the same, so he could easily


    distinguish between them.


    He was two to three years younger than Veronica but much taller than her. At this moment, he was


    wearing the hidden n¡¯s costume as if he had already blended in with the n.


    Veronica swept a cold nce at him and snorted derisively, ¡°It seems that the after-effects of the


    surgery are quite serious. How could you forget who saved you?¡±


    Randy had cancer back then. He would have been a handful of ashes if she hadn¡¯t donated her bone


    marrow to save him.


    ¡°Do you think no one would donate bone marrow to me if you didn¡¯t save me? Hah! Stop ttering


    yourself!¡± He smirked nastily.


    They were siblings by blood, but now, they were fighting each other. Hayley suddenly felt that her


    decision at the beginning was a colossal mistake.


    ¡°Stop it, Randy. She is your sister!¡± Hayley snapped, but Randy didn¡¯t buy it.


    ¡°I only have one sister, and that¡¯s Tiffany.¡± Randy raised his voice and red at Veronica disdainfully as


    he barked, ¡°She¡¯s nothing but a pile of s*it!¡±


    Lamia seemed to understand theirnguage. She stood at the side and frowned in dismay. It seemed


    as if she wanted to say something, but she remained silent before this family drama.


    ¡°You¡¯re born from the same mother, so if you¡¯re insulting her, you¡¯re cursing yourself too. Do you think


    it¡¯s an honor to be a pile of ¡®sh*t¡¯?¡± Mateo had had enough. He stepped forward to defend Veronica as


    he red at Randy furiously.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

 Chapter 741

    Chapter 741


    Chapter 741 Poison


    Randy got on Veronica¡¯s nerves, but Mateo¡¯s reply almost made herugh. He has humor and a sharp


    tongue. ¡°Why you little¡­¡± Randy had no goodebacks.


    Hayley thought this was going too far. She chided, ¡°Apologize to your sister, Randy.¡± ¡°I told you, she¡¯s


    not my sister. I¡¯m never going to apologize to her.¡± He hmphed and left.


    ¡°Where are you going, Randy?¡± a worried Lamia shouted. She then said to Hayley, ¡°I¡¯m going after him,


    Aunt Hayley,¡± she said in Trs.


    Veronica¡¯s eyes glinted. She was interested in this woman named Lamia. After they were gone, Hayley


    turned back to Veronica. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault. I spoiled the boy.¡±


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    It was a genuine apology, and she did feel sorry. She knew Veronica wouldn¡¯t ept it, but at least she


    wouldn¡¯t mock her. Or so she thought.


    ¡°Apologies are cheap. It won¡¯t change a thing.¡± Veronica sat down on the sofa without looking at


    Hayley.


    She picked the cup of coffee up and took a sip. Then, she looked at everyone. Their eyes were set on


    her, but their gazes didn¡¯t unsettle her. Coldly, she said, ¡°I have a lot to do. If you have anything to say,


    say it. I need to leave soon.¡±


    She had to master the hidden n¡¯snguage and know them better as soon as possible, but she


    didn¡¯t want to see Hayley. She might look elegant, gentle, and approachable, but Veronica just couldn¡¯t


    find it in herself to sympathize with her. For some reason, she disliked Hayley.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Veronica¡¯s indifference came as a shock for Hayley, and she sighed. She turned to Crayson for


    help.


    ¡°Your mother misses you. It¡¯s been years since shest saw you. She wishes to talk to you,¡± Crayson


    said gently.


    Veronica looked at the table and mmed her cup onto the saucepan. ¡°Really? I thought she misses


    being the boss of this n. I don¡¯t understand. Randy and Tiffany grew up together with the Larsons.


    Why didn¡¯t you take Tiffany back along with him? Now that she knows who she is, how are you going to


    deal with her?¡±


    They made a bad move. What the hell were they thinking? She had been thinking about that matter,


    and she thought it was a bit hard to handle. They raised Tiffany up as a cover for Veronica, but they


    never expected Tiffany to find out who she really was.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Hayley had no idea how to answer.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Crayson stepped in again. ¡°This is an ident. It¡¯s my fault I didn¡¯t clean up this mess. It¡¯s not your


    mother¡¯s fault.¡±


    ¡°Please. Even if I don¡¯t fault her, it wouldn¡¯t change a thing.¡± Veronica leaned on the sofa, a sneer


    curling her beautiful lips. ¡°You know the Larson siblings share a close bond, and yet you brought him


    back nheless. Do you want Randy to betray you? Or do you think he won¡¯t have the guts to poison


    you?¡±


    It was obvious Randy would help Tiffany out no matter what. If she wanted him to poison Hayley and


    kill her, he would do it without a moment¡¯s hesitation.

 Chapter 742

    Chapter 742


    Chapter 742 In Trouble


    ¡°Your mother and I decided to bring Tiffany back, and¡­¡±


    Crayson wanted to exin, but Veronica shot him an icy look. ¡°Did I ask you? If you are going to


    represent her on every single subject, then why did you bring me here? You could have done that back in


    the city,¡± she interrupted Crayson.


    One look, and Crayson could see the indifference and anger in her eyes. He thought she wouldn¡¯t hate


    him for bringing her home, since he practically raised her, but reality proved him wrong. He wondered if


    she was hating him.


    ¡°Grandpa¡¯s just trying to exin the n, Veronica,¡± Mateo exined. He was still smiling, trying to ease


    the tension. ¡°Shut it!¡± Veronica snapped. ¡°This has nothing to do with you!¡±


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    She never talked about the time Crayson and Destiny tried to harm Matthew. Nobody knew the weight


    she was bearing, and nobody knew how much she was holding herself from making Crayson her enemy.


    She didn¡¯t have a choice ining to this ce. Nobody asked her if she wanted to. Nobody but


    Matthew.


    Hayley looked upset, and her face paled. She pursed her lips, sat down, and sipped some tea. Slowly,


    she said, ¡°We have our n, and you don¡¯t have to know about it for now. We have a long road ahead of


    us. What you have to do now is master the n¡¯snguage as soon as possible, or you¡¯ll find it hard to


    do anything here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything but that?¡± For some reason, Veronica wanted to rebel. Instead of doing what Hayley


    wanted her to do, she would stir trouble in the n. The thought spread like wildfire and took over her


    mind in a moment.


    ¡°The only thing you have to do now is master the n¡¯snguage,¡± Hayley said solemnly.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    A smile curled Veronica¡¯s lips. ¡°But why should I listen to you?¡± She turned her gaze to Crayson once


    more. ¡°And you. Have you asked if I wanted toe back?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Crayson had no answer. He had no idea what to say, since he never asked her what she wanted.


    He knew she never wanted toe, but he had no choice, so he never brought it up.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like this, but I have no choice. I¡¯m doing this for the people.¡± Hayley had no choice. She


    had a duty to uphold.


    ¡°I missed the part where that¡¯s my problem. I can¡¯t even get my sh*t together, and you expect me to care


    for your people? Are you mad?¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s unfair, asking you to stay. But we¡¯ve discussed. Once you defeat Tanya, we¡¯ll try to send you


    away.¡± The look in Hayley¡¯s eyes was genuine, unadulterated. Veronica couldn¡¯t even doubt her.


    ¡°Just tell me what¡¯s your Tiffany policy.¡± Veronica could let everything else slide, but she must know what


    they were going to do with Tiffany, or it would be hard to guess their next n.


    Crayson and Hayley exchanged a look, but they said nothing. Veronica remained silent as well, but she


    kept staring at them.

 Chapter 743

    Chapter 743


    Chapter 743 A Familiar Bracelet


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Eventually, Veronica won the staring contest and Hayley said, ¡°Tanya has met up with Tiffany.¡±


    She stopped and gave Veronica a moment to think. This meant that Tiffany and Tanya might have


    reached an agreement and were working together. Veronica sneered silently. Man, her n is bullsh*t.


    She just made things that much harder for herself.


    Hayley continued, ¡°I know what your concerns are, but Randy is my son. I can¡¯t just abandon him. Your


    master and I had a conversation. We¡¯re going to seal his memories in a few days and cut off all contact


    between him and Tiffany.¡±


    Veronica answered, ¡°He¡¯s not the problem. All Tanya needs is Tiffany¡¯s help, and she can usurp the


    n leader. If Tiffany tells everyone who she is, do you think the rebels would keep fighting?¡±


    More From The Web


    Veronica had no idea how the hidden n worked at first, but after spending some time with them, she


    realized how much they valued bloodline. They would only acknowledge their new leader if their blood


    was legitimate. Tiffany looked just like her. If she told everyone she was Hayley¡¯s daughter, and that


    she supported Tanya, the rebels would stop protesting.


    Now Veronica knew why the mysterious Castron guy wanted to keep Tiffany around. They could use


    her to take Tanya¡¯s position as leader away, or they could work with her and share the n¡¯s resources.


    Either way, they would lose nothing in this deal.


    ¡°Our n is¡­¡± Since they couldn¡¯t hide it anymore, Hayley told Veronica about their n.


    Veronica said nothing even after she heard the n.


    They had lunch together in the vi. On their way back, Veronica felt frustrated all of a sudden, so she


    took a stroll with Mateo in the marketce.


    A whileter, Mateo needed to relieve himself, so he went to the bathroom. ¡°I need to use the restroom.


    Give me a minute.¡±


    Veronica stood in front of a shop. She saw a mobile phone shop not far away and wanted to take a


    look. The hidden n used an internalwork and all their phones were made for the nsmen, but


    she still needed one for convenience¡¯s sake.


    Just when she was about to go, someone stopped her. ¡°Come with me, Miss Murphy,¡± the man said in


    Trs.


    Veronica blinked and stared at the man before her. He was wearing hidden n attire, and a ck


    shawl covered his head. His skin was tanned, but his eyes were sharp. This was no ordinary man.


    ¡°Why should I?¡± It hadn¡¯t been long since she came to the n. A lot of the people around her knew


    how to speak Trs, but she didn¡¯t find it weird. Most people who did speak Trs must be working for a


    bigshot.


    ¡°Because of this.¡± He raised his hand and showed her a golden bracelet that was lying in his palm.


    It was a familiar bracelet. She had worn it for almost a year, after all. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said.


    The man extended his hand and led her into an alleyway. They made a left turn and passed three


    streets before finally arriving at a hidden private tea shop.


    It was a three-story building, and the ushers were wearing hidden n attire as well. When they saw


    the pair approaching the shop, the ushers said something in hidden nnguage. It meant ¡®wee¡¯.


    Veronica was grateful for the trantor device Matthew gave her, or thenguage barrier would have


    stopped her from doing a lot of things here.

 Chapter 744

    Chapter 744


    Chapter 744 Hendrey Is Here


    She went to the third floor and saw Hendrey in the room on the west side. He wasn¡¯t the only one in the


    room. There was a middle-aged woman and a young man inside as well.


    The woman was in a navy shirt, and her hair was tied up in a bun held by a silver brooch. She looked


    solemn and proud.


    Veronica¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had a hunch who these people were. All her attention was on the


    woman, so the handsome man beside her was neglected.


    ¡°Veronica?¡± Hendrey stood up right away. There was delight in his eyes, his enthusiasm impossible to


    hide. ¡°Come in. I have something to tell you.¡±


    More From The Web


    ¡°What do you need?¡± Veronica took the seat Hendrey was pointing at.


    Another solemn woman entered the room. She took a stool and took up the spot between the young


    man and the woman.


    ¡°This is Tanya Ledger of the hidden n, and this is her trantor. Thed is Liam Ledger, the son of


    Tanya.¡± Hendrey did the introductions.


    Veronica stared at the people before her. Man, so many names to remember. Good thing I have a good


    memory. Elrod, Ledger, and so much more. She had heard so much about Tanya, but now she finally


    saw her in the flesh.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Hayley¡¯s daughter. As beautiful as she used to be.¡± Liam gave Veronica a polite smile.


    Veronica cocked her eyebrow. Even though Tanya was imposing, she wasn¡¯t scared. ¡°You¡¯re proficient


    in Trs,¡± shemented calmly, stopping anyone from reading her.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m fluent in eightnguages,¡± Liam bragged smugly.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Tanya coughed and shot her son a look.


    Liam quickly shut up, but he was still smiling at Veronica.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Veronica?¡± Tanya sped her hands together and looked at her sharply, as if she was


    interrogating a criminal. It was probably a habit she forged from her work.


    The trantor tranted what Tanya said.


    ¡°You may leave now. I¡¯ll do the trantion.¡± Liam waved the trantor away and said, ¡°I¡¯m your own


    son. Don¡¯t you trust me? I can¡¯t believe you got a trantor.¡±


    He was speaking in the n¡¯snguage, and Veronica didn¡¯t understand a word of it, but fortunately,


    her trantor tranted everything.


    ¡°Fine. Leave.¡± Tanya shot her son another look but gestured for the trantor to leave them.


    The trantor stood up and bowed at them before she left. After she closed the door, everyone turned


    their attention to Veronica, but she was staring at Hendrey. ¡°You lied to me. So you knew I was at the


    show. That¡¯s why you went, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yvonne dragged her all the way to a jewelry exhibition back then, since Ivan¡¯s jewelry was included in


    the event. Yvonne was his friend, so she took Veronica along for the ride.


    But Ruka sabotaged Ivan¡¯s model, so he had to ask Veronica to step in. He even changed his jewelry¡¯s


    name to ¡®First Love¡¯. Veronica never thought Hendrey was also at the event.

 Chapter 745

    Chapter 745


    Chapter 745 Deception


    Veronica thought it was just a coincidence, but now she knew it wasn¡¯t. That was nothing but a


    scheme.


    Hendrey pursed his lips and clenched his fists. Instead of answering the question, he changed the


    subject. ¡°The leader has something to say.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Tiffany¡¯s ally. Why did you want to see me?¡± ¡°I am no ally of hers. We just have amon


    goal.¡± ¡°You¡¯re honest. Do you want apliment?¡± Veronica shook her head in resignation.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about our businesster. You have something else on your te now.¡± He turned to Tanya.


    ¡°Tell her what¡¯s on your mind. Liam and I will trante.¡±


    Tanya nodded. A frown furrowed her forehead, and an unfathomable look appeared in her eyes. A


    moment of silenceter, she said, ¡°I¡¯m not one for pleasantries. To be honest, I want to work with you.¡±


    Liam tranted it for Veronica.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I know about you and Hayley, and I know what happened in Bloomstead, but speaking as a mother, I


    think Hayley¡¯s a selfish soul. Your family¡¯s in that city, and yet she brings you all the way here. She


    wishes that you would stay. My sources tell me that she¡¯s going to bring your foster parents and their


    children over next.¡±


    Tanya was a smart woman. She made it sound like a regr conversation, but every word she said


    was everything Veronica cared about. The woman was a master maniptor. She was pitting Veronica


    against Hayley, but she underestimated Veronica. Tanya thought she was just a girl who knew nothing


    about society, but she was wrong.


    Veronica nodded and rested her chin on the back of her hand. She tilted her head to the side and


    stared at Tanya seriously like a student contemting her teacher¡¯s question. ¡°And?¡± she asked.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Tanya froze for a moment as surprise shed in her eyes. That¡¯s not what I expected. Most people


    would be mad. They¡¯d curse Hayley for that. I was expecting her toin, but this is her response?


    Tanya was flummoxed. ¡°Um, I know you don¡¯t care about the n, so I wish to help,¡± she answered.


    She was still genuine. Even more genuine and believable than Hayley, in fact. Yeah, right. They¡¯re all


    liars. ¡°So what¡¯s your n?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you away and make sure they have no chance to take you back.¡±


    ¡°A tempting offer, but I never said I wanted to leave.¡± A smile curled her lips, and she pushed her fringe


    back. ¡°You don¡¯t know me at all. My foster parents were born in a ce of poverty, and I was destined


    to live the life of a poor woman. It almost traumatized me, but now life has changed for the better. I¡¯m


    rich, powerful, and well-fed. Why would I want to leave?¡± she lied.


    Tanya¡¯s face fell, and she looked at Hendrey. ¡°I thought you said she doesn¡¯t care about money.¡±


    She was talking in the nnguage, and neither of the gentlemen bothered to trante. They thought


    Veronica had no idea what they were talking about.


    A befuddled Hendrey shook his head dumbly. ¡°She¡¯s lying. I¡¯ve known her for many years. I¡¯m sure


    she¡¯s lying.¡±

 Chapter 746

    Chapter 746


    Chapter 746 Dangerous


    Veronica sipped some tea and popped a piece of the dessert into her mouth. She pretended she had


    no idea what they were talking about. The snack she picked up was pink and petal-shaped. It was soft,


    sweet, and delicious. Huh. They make good desserts.


    ¡°Hayley must have told you a lot, Miss Murphy. You should know no good wille from making an


    enemy out of me. I can give you two options.¡± Liam tranted everything.


    Veronica stayed silent for a moment to y along with them. She didn¡¯t want them to know she


    understood what they were talking about. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°One, if you want to stay, then you¡¯ll have to work with me. I can give you glory and fortune. Two, I¡¯ll


    pay you to leave. You¡¯re set for life with that kind of money.¡± Tanya was a smart woman. If this was


    something money could settle, she would be generous about the amount.


    ¡°Another tempting offer. So, how much are you paying?¡± Veronica sat up straighter and stared straight


    at Tanya in anticipation.


    ¡°Forty-three million.¡± Tanya raised four fingers and made an offer she deemed was generous.


    Veronica stopped shoving the dessert into her mouth, and she blinked. ¡°Forty-three million?¡±


    Amused, she looked at Hendrey. ¡°Did you tell her about my husband¡¯s worth? Forty-million is


    pocket change for me.¡± How stupid must she think I am to make that offer?


    Hendrey held his forehead in frustration and said to Tanya in the nnguage, ¡°Remember her


    husband, Matthew? His worth is more than ten billion. Forty-three million is an insult.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s already that rich, then there¡¯s no reason to take the money. She wants to leave the n safely.


    That¡¯s her priority,¡± Tanya rebutted darkly, but she had a point.


    Hendrey mused over it and turned his attention to Veronica. ¡°Things aren¡¯t as simple as they look,


    Veronica. Sending you away is the best offer she can make. You have two kids, and they can¡¯t lose


    you.¡±


    He was speaking to her heart in hopes of convincing her.


    But Veronica just kept eating the desserts and even licked her lips. For a moment, she looked like she


    was mocking them. Once she was done eating her dessert, she continued, ¡°How much did she pay you


    for this?¡±


    ¡°A lot, and I won¡¯t deny it, but you know we¡¯re friends. I¡¯ve never tried to hurt you, and leaving this ce


    is good for you. You overestimate the Elrods. They¡¯re no match for the leader. You have no idea what¡¯s


    going to happen to them,¡± he exined patiently.


    He spoke in Trs. Liam knew what Hendrey was talking about, but he didn¡¯t trante it for his mother.


    Hurriedly, Tanya asked, ¡°What are they talking about?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Hendrey¡¯s convincing her to leave,¡± he answered curtly.


    ¡°150 million on top of my original offer. Best deal. Leave, and I¡¯ll make sure your departure is a safe


    one.¡± Compared to the potential chaos that would happen in the n, 150 million was nothing. Tanya


    leaned back and looked at Veronica coldly. ¡°Stay, and you¡¯ll lose more than you gain.¡±

 Chapter 747

    Chapter 747


    Chapter 747 Scum


    ¡°Sorry, but 150 million isn¡¯t what I¡¯m after. I¡¯m going after the n¡¯s ore,¡± she answered honestly. ¡°If you


    can give me some of those, I¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡± Matthew wanted that resource, and she seized


    the chance to see what Tanya¡¯s policy on that was.


    ¡°What?¡± Tanya¡¯s face fell, and surprise filled her eyes. A whileter, she humphed. ¡°Preposterous.¡±


    Nobody tranted that, but that didn¡¯t mean Veronica had no idea what she just said. ¡°Fifteen billion.


    Take it or leave it,¡± Tanya said for thest time, and she left.


    Liam looked at thedies before he finally left with his mother. When they emerged from the tea shop,


    Liam had concocted a mischievous little idea. ¡°I have an idea, Mom. Wanna hear it?¡±


    Tanya rolled her eyes and got in the car. ¡°Not a good one, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t say that about


    your son!¡± Liam gave her a scandalized look.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re my son that I know you can¡¯te up with any good ideas.¡±


    The driver revved the car up and left when both of them had gotten in. Liam was sitting beside his


    mother, and he chortled. ¡°If you want her to submit, then you¡¯ll need to talk to her heart.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll woo her. She just lost her husband. If I can give her love andpanionship, she¡¯s going to fall for


    me. And if she dates me, she won¡¯t argue with you anymore, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Liam had a little n of his own. The moment he saw Veronica, he was attracted by her beauty and


    elegance. He just couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.


    As the leader¡¯s son, he had a lot of beauties he could sleep with, but Veronica was different. She came


    from the city, was beautiful, and had an air of elegance about her. She was his cup of tea. He also


    knew she could fight and was the wife of a billionaire. The allure of a young wife was irresistible for him.


    ¡°Ridiculous.¡± Tanya shot him a re. ¡°Don¡¯t forget who you are.¡±


    Liam¡¯s face fell. ¡°That is not ridiculous. Not like this is a patriarchy. I won¡¯t get to be the leader anyway,


    and I don¡¯t care. But you expect me to not make new experiences? That¡¯s not fair, Mother.¡±


    The fact that only women got to be the n leader disgruntled Liam, so he spent all his time ying


    around and bedding all the women he could get.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He guilt-tripped her, and she couldn¡¯t scold him when he brought that up. ¡°Um¡­¡± Tanya didn¡¯t know


    what to say.


    She¡¯s not talking. She¡¯s wavering. Thus, he added, ¡°Mom, she¡¯s just gonna be a fling. If I can get my


    hands on her, it¡¯d be a big boon for you. I¡¯d like to help too. Besides, she¡¯s already a mother of two. You


    can¡¯t expect me to marry her.¡±


    That rationale finally doused Tanya¡¯s hesitation.


    Her gaze was solemn, and her brows furrowed. Something glinted in her eyes, and she let out a sigh.


    Then she nodded. She looked at her son and said, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but she¡¯s Waylen¡¯s student.


    She¡¯s more capable than most people we know, so don¡¯t go overboard.¡±


    ¡°Rx, Mother. I¡¯m hot. I can make a widow fall for me easily.¡± Liam was confident.

 Chapter 748

    Chapter 748


    Chapter 748 Treating Her


    Veronica was still in the tea shop. She leaned on the back of her chair and looked outside the window


    silently. It was not the time to leave, for she was waiting for someone.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, I figured I should tell you that Xavier and his team are going to arrive tomorrow.¡±


    Hendrey told her what he knew. ¡°I assume Zac will be here too?¡±


    Since Xavier would being, then so would Antheena. Zac had been eyeing the hidden n¡¯s


    resources for a long time, and Veronica believed he woulde as well. ¡°Yes, along with Troy,¡± he


    answered.


    ¡°Things are gonna get rowdy.¡± A smile curled her lips, and she chuckled. ¡°You killed Matthewst time,


    so who¡¯s gonna die this time? Me?¡± She slowly turned around and stared at Hendrey.


    He had no idea how to answer that question, and his face fell. His eyes glinted with guilt, and he hung


    his head low. The cup of tea in his hand was the only thing assuaging his guilt. ¡°I still hope you¡¯ll work


    with Tanya. At least she can keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°Or it could be wishful thinking on your side.¡± Then someone kicked the door open.


    It mmed into the wall, stirring up a gust of wind. Veronica and Hendrey looked at the door, and it was


    none other than Mateo standing outside. He directed his fierce re at Hendrey. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have


    taken her away.¡±


    It was unusual to see the soft-spoken Mateo so enraged. At least Veronica had never seen him act so


    angry. He¡¯s interesting.


    Veronica wasn¡¯t surprised he showed up. She had been waiting for him. It was a test to see how fast


    they could find her after she went missing.


    ¡°She¡¯s a grownup. She can go wherever she wants.¡± Hendrey stood up and adjusted his sses out of


    habit.


    Mateo stepped into the room and looked at Veronica for a moment, and then he narrowed his eyes at


    Hendrey. ¡°Stay away from her, or I will beat you up.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Hendrey was only three years older than Mateo, and his cool and collected demeanor made Mateo


    look like an impetuous boy. Veronica wasn¡¯t averse to that kind of personality, however.


    ¡°Your rash attitude isn¡¯t a good trait.¡± Hendrey was smiling, but there was scorn and disdain in his eyes.


    ¡°You have no right to criticize me. She¡¯s on our side now, and you¡¯re a threat to her. Stay away.¡±


    Just then, someone opened the door again, and it creaked. Everyone turned around only to see Liam


    standing outside.


    Liam looked at Mateo and ignored him. Then, he approached Veronica and lied, ¡°I believe this is our


    first meeting, Miss Murphy, but I think we can be good friends. May I treat you to dinner?¡±


    Hendrey and Mateo were surprised and bbergasted.


    Veronica was surprised for a moment as well, but she resumed her usual self quickly.


    ¡°What do you want with her, Liam?¡± Mateo changed the subject, but he was talking in hidden n


    language.


    ¡°None of your business, kid. The adults are talking here.¡± Liam cocked his eyebrow arrogantly.

 Chapter 749

    Chapter 749


    Chapter 749 He¡¯s Jealous


    Well, he was the son of Tanya, after all. Of course he was proud. ¡°You¡¯re not even that old, Liam. Stay


    away from her, or you¡¯re gonna have a knuckle sandwich feast.¡± Liam was starting to get a little


    aggressive.


    Veronica had to reevaluate her opinion of him. She had thought he was just a nice, nerdy guy who


    couldn¡¯t fight, but now he seemed to be quite impulsive.


    ¡°Lay a finger on me, and you¡¯re gonna get it.¡± ¡°Your mother is nothing, Liam. She¡¯s not gonna be the


    n leader for long.¡±


    ¡­


    They kept arguing, which gave Veronica a headache. She left the room, and Hendrey followed. After


    she went downstairs, Hendrey handed her the bracelet again. ¡°Keep it. I don¡¯t take back any gifts I give


    out.¡±


    Veronica looked at the bracelet and refused, ¡°No.¡± She left the tea shop without even saying goodbye,


    but when she came home, she didn¡¯t see Mateo anywhere.


    Crayson asked, ¡°Why are you alone? Where¡¯s Mateo?¡±


    ¡°He ran into a friend, so they¡¯re having a chat,¡± she gave an excuse and looked at the kitchen, ignoring


    what Crayson was saying. She could hear Matthew cooking inside and she wanted to take a look, but


    she went upstairs for fear of getting found out.


    A whileter, someone knocked on her door. ¡°Time to eat, Miss Veronica.¡±


    Matthew. Veronica¡¯s heart leaped with delight when she heard his voice. She quickly opened the door,


    and he came in right away. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pinned her against the door.


    Then he bit her lip.


    She gasped from the pain and thumped his chest. ¡°Are you mad? They might find out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re yelling at your little bodyguard.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Veronica was confused.


    He raised her chin. ¡°You¡¯re one charismatic woman. You just came to the n, and already two men


    are fighting over you. I feel insecure, so what should I do?¡±


    There wasint and frustration in his voice, and Veronica wanted tough, but she felt for him.


    She puffed her cheeks and grinned. ¡°Nope. I just met Liam today, and he¡¯s getting ideas about me. It¡¯s


    as obvious as the sun.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He cocked his eyebrow. He didn¡¯t look as handsome as he used to under that disguise. In


    fact, he looked inconspicuous, but the air around him was still indisputably and obviously imposing.


    ¡°Of course.¡± She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. ¡°He¡¯s not even a tenth of the man


    you are.¡±


    ¡°Really? Can you borate?¡± He smirked.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Not much to borate. He¡¯s bad in every aspect?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he purred. ¡°You¡¯ve only just met him, but you already know he¡¯s bad in every aspect? How


    come you never told me you¡¯re a irvoyant?¡±


    Was that some joke? Veronica got the innuendo, and she said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you tonight, but you need to


    leave now, or they¡¯ll find us out.¡± She pushed him away and opened the door so he could leave.

 Chapter 750

    Chapter 750


    Chapter 750 The n¡¯s Past


    She went to the bathroom and straightened herself up beforeing back down. The first thing she


    heard was Crayson chiding, ¡°Look at you. How many times have I told you to hold back? Why wouldn¡¯t


    you listen to me? You can¡¯t even beat Liam! This is a disgrace.¡±


    She reached the first floor and looked at them. Mateo¡¯s face was bruised, and blood trickled down the


    corner of his lips. His right eye was also bruised. She sympathized with him, but she also found it


    funny.


    Veronica let out augh. ¡°A-Are you fine?¡± I thought he could handle it. He looked so confident. Guess


    that¡¯s not the case.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry. Liam got it worse than I did. Both of his eyes are bruised,¡± he said proudly.


    Crayson mmed the table. ¡°This is preposterous. You know his mother is the n¡¯s head, and yet you


    challenged him? This is a sensitive period. You can¡¯t just start trouble anywhere you go.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s because this is a special period that they won¡¯t do anything to us. They want to get reelected, after


    all.¡± Mateo snorted. ¡°The first thing Tanya did after she usurped the throne was to grant us mercy and a


    life of peace. They won¡¯t renege on their word right now.¡±


    The hidden n was a united one, and they thought only the Elrods should be the leaders. That was


    why Tanya spared them after she usurped the throne. She needed to appease the people.


    Tanya still despised the Elrod royalty after she took the throne. She knew she needed to destroy every


    single one of them, but her people protested.


    After she executed Nadine, the previous n leader, over some petty reason, the n started rebelling


    again. The civil war cost her her youngest son and a sizable portion of her army. The defeated Elrods


    goaded the people into a protest and forced her to grant mercy to the Elrods.


    Tanya had just taken the throne, and she hadn¡¯t established her authority just yet. She also had


    enemies within the fold just trying to take her out. Left with no choice, she granted mercy, though her


    real n was to secretly take all the Elrods out after the people had calmed down.


    Then, Hayley escaped and disappeared like she never existed before. It was earlyst year when she


    made her reappearance. By then, the Elrod remnants had built up a powerful force andwork. It was


    thanks to that that Hayley kept herself safe.


    Tanya made many attempts on Hayley and Veronica¡¯s lives, but all of them ended in failure.


    The ession was right around the corner, so she wouldn¡¯t dare to send anyone after the Elrods at this


    moment. If the people found out, they would be enraged ande after her. It would put her empire in


    jeopardy.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool. She¡¯s finding a reason to take us all out, and you¡¯ve given her the perfect one! You


    assaulted her son!¡± Crayson was furious. This might seem trivial, but it could affect their whole n.


    Veronica had been taking her time to sort out the whole n¡¯s issues, and she agreed with Crayson.


    Tanya had been trying to take Hayley and the remnants out, but she had no excuse. Now Mateo just


    gave her one. If she came after them because of this, it could cost them everything.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Mateo froze. He had no answer to that.

 Chapter 751

    Chapter 751


    Chapter 751 Matt Became Veronica¡¯s Bodyguard


    ¡°It¡¯s not his fault.¡± Veronica stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m responsible as well.¡±


    She got a headache when she heard Mateo and Liam quarrel in the private room. Without giving it


    much thought, she left the two to work it out amongst themselves.


    Now that she thought about it, it did seem like her method of handling it was inadequate.


    ¡°It¡¯s got nothing to do with you. You didn¡¯t even understand what we were talking about.¡±


    Mateo was the type of person who owned up to his actions. He would never push all the responsibility


    on Veronica.


    Now that he had said that, she couldn¡¯t exin even if she wanted to.


    As he said, she ¡®didn¡¯t understand¡¯ what they were saying. And if she argued about how she had a


    trantor and could understand their conversation, she would only be in trouble.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    She remained silent at that. You¡¯re on your own then.


    ¡°Oh, Mateo. You were too reckless.¡± Destiny also shook her head.


    With that, she turned her head to look at Crayson. ¡°Mr. Crayson, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be inappropriate for


    Mateo to show up these days. Veronica also needs someone to protect and trante for her. What


    should we do?¡±


    They already knew about Tanya approaching Veronica, but they didn¡¯t ask much.


    Of course, since they didn¡¯t ask, Veronica would never take the initiative to talk about it.


    Crayson raised his hand to touch the short white hair on his head and his worry only grew as he let out


    a long sigh.


    Veronica¡¯s eyes dropped slightly as a sh of light appeared in her eyes. ¡°Or we can let Iron Pir


    follow me. I can protect myself and I don¡¯t need anyone to protect me. Besides, he is the only one who


    is not a member of the hidden n.¡±


    She intentionally dragged herst sentence. ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Destiny was slightly surprised to hear that. She turned her head to look in the direction of the kitchen


    and happened to see Iron Pir walking over with the food.


    Then, she withdrew her gaze and exchanged a nce with Crayson as if asking for his opinion.


    ¡°No!¡± Mateo was the first person to stand up and object. ¡°Iron Pir is an ordinary person who doesn¡¯t


    understand anything. He doesn¡¯t know the rest of the hidden n. How can we let him follow


    Veronica?¡±


    ¡°And you think you are capable of doing it? Just look at your handiwork!¡± Crayson angrily huffed, his


    hand heavily hitting the table.


    ¡°What? What did I do?¡± Matthew gaped at them with a ¡®bewildered¡¯ look, his obedient and honest


    appearance making him look silly. He was putting on the perfect act now.


    Seeing this, Veronica quietly sighed to herself. What a good actor. I¡¯m surprised I never noticed. Tsk


    tsk. It¡¯s a pity he isn¡¯t an actor.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Crayson¡¯s eyebrows were tightly pulled together as he pondered. He finally had no choice but


    to agree with Veronica¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Fine. Let Iron Pir stay with you these two days. I¡¯ll find


    someone new who can protect you within these few days.¡±


    ¡°Mm, that¡¯s what I have in mind as well,¡± Destiny pressed her hands together and echoed.


    Mateo¡¯s face turned dark immediately. ¡°We agreed on letting me protect Roni. What¡¯s the meaning of


    this? It¡¯s only Liam. I can just avoid him in the future.¡±


    Hearing that, Crayson red at him and boomed, ¡°Shut your mouth! Go and reflect on your actions in


    your room. No dinner for you tonight.¡±


    The grandfather and grandson continued to look at each other until Mateo lost the battle and stomped


    back to the room angrily, mming the door shut behind him.


    ¡°Brat, what are you doing standing there zoning out? Hurry up ande have dinner.¡± Crayson waved


    Veronica over to the dining room after the living room regained its peace.


    During the meal, Matthew stayed by himself in the kitchen.


    To avoid revealing his identity, he didn¡¯t want to appear too much in front of Crayson. Veronica,


    however, was disheartened by the fact that Matthew could only eat in the kitchen. Every bite of the food


    that she chewed tasted like wax.


    Crayson put food on her te at the dinner table while he murmured in aforting tone, ¡°Don¡¯t mind


    it too much. Mateo is reckless because he is still young. Let Iron Pir apany you these few days.


    He might not be as skilled as you are, but he has worked for Destiny for many years. He can be


    trusted.¡±

 Chapter 752

    Chapter 752


    Chapter 752 A Different Matthew


    ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± Veronica scoffed, a cold sneer tugging on the corner of her lips. Unlike the


    reluctant look she had on, she was cheering and jumping on the inside.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    During the meal, Veronica kept praising ¡®Iron Pir¡¯ for his excellent cooking skills. She ¡®couldn¡¯t help¡¯


    eating two extra servings.


    ¡°Goodness, I can¡¯t go on. I¡¯m going to explode from all that food. I¡¯ll be taking a stroll outside.¡± She then


    stood up and rubbed her tummy with a pained look on her face.


    The servants proceeded to remove the food from the dining table. Clutching her abdomen, Veronica


    paced back and forth in the living room.


    Crayson let out a rare smile when he saw her. ¡°What is an adult like you doing stuffing yourself silly like


    that?¡±


    Veronica rolled her eyes at his words. Instead of replying, she walked outside. Crayson happened to


    see ¡®Iron Pir¡¯e out of the kitchen at this time, and he waved him over.


    ¡°Iron Pir, Mateo won¡¯t be avable to keep Veronicapany these days. You¡¯ll take his ce,¡± he


    stated.


    As it was rather sudden, Crayson couldn¡¯t find a suitable candidate to protect Veronica. Furthermore,


    with how Veronica was against the hidden n, he knew that she would be upset if he got someone to


    guard her at his discretion. Because of that, he had no choice but to discuss it with Iron Pir.


    ¡°About the meals¡­¡± Matthew stopped before he finished his words.


    ¡°You are responsible for cooking when she is home, and you will apany her when she is out.¡±


    The reason he asked ¡®Iron Pir¡¯ to cook was also to take care of Veronica. Naturally, ¡®Iron Pir¡¯ was


    also responsible for protecting her when she was away from home.


    Matthew stood slumped in front of Crayson. He seemed hesitant as he held back the words he wanted


    to speak.


    ¡°Can you do it or not?¡± Destiny¡¯s voice sounded displeased when she saw Matthew standing there


    quietly.


    ¡°I can, but¡­¡±


    Head tilted, he let that sentence trail off, seemingly hesitant.


    ¡°But what? Go on, tell us.¡± The short-tempered Destiny hated it when ¡®Iron Pir¡¯ beat around the bush.


    ¡°Um¡­ I applied to be a chef, but now I¡¯m being asked to work part-time as a bodyguard¡­¡±


    Matthew ¡®did not dare¡¯ to look up at the faces of Crayson and Destiny, but he stretched out his right


    hand and rubbed his thumb and index finger together.


    No words were needed to know what he wanted.


    The corners of Destiny¡¯s mouth twitched as she rolled her eyes at him in disappointment. ¡°Hmph!


    You¡¯re what the people in Bloomstead call a near-sighted person. You only see things in front of you.¡±


    ¡°I am just an employee, and I have a wife and children at home. I wouldn¡¯t have wanted toe here if


    it wasn¡¯t because my friend told me I would make money here.¡±


    Matthew perfectly portrayed the image of amon man. Even though he was standing in front of the


    two of them, they didn¡¯t have the slightest doubt about his identity.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Life isn¡¯t easy for anyone.¡± Not bothered about the trifles, Crayson merely waved


    casually. ¡°Your new sry will be double what you¡¯re given now, but you have to take good care of


    Veronica. You won¡¯t get a penny otherwise.¡±


    Matthew grunted in response.


    ¡°What are you still waiting for?¡± Destiny then growled, ¡°Go to Veronica!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I have no money in hand¡­ Can I get my sry in advance?¡± He tugged at the clothes on his body.


    ¡°This is what I wear in the kitchen. I¡¯m afraid the strong smell of grease will embarrass Miss Veronica.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Destiny was annoyed for no reason. Just as she was about to blow her top, she saw Crayson take out


    a wad of hidden n money from his pocket and put it in front of Matthew. ¡°Use the five thousand here


    first. What you said makes sense. Since you¡¯re going to protect Veronica, you must keep up


    appearances too.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you, Mr. Crayson.¡±


    ¡®Iron Pir¡¯ took the money and after he bowed to Crayson and Destiny, he was out of there in a sh.

 Chapter 753

    Chapter 753


    Chapter 753 Short Conversation with Iron Pir


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± Seeing him run away, Destiny was red with anger as she pointed at his


    back while yelling, ¡°And I thought you were reliable! Turns out you¡¯re just a money-grubber.¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t need money in this economy? There¡¯s nothing wrong with loving money either. It¡¯s


    precisely people like him who know exactly what they want. In other words, as long as they¡¯re paid well,


    they can even give their life away for Veronica.¡±


    Problems that can be solved by money aren¡¯t problems, Crayson believed. ¡°You¡¯re right. What you say


    makes sense.¡± After thinking about it, it does seem reasonable. Therefore, Destiny nodded in


    agreement.


    Meanwhile, Matthew sprinted after Veronica below the mountain while waving the five thousand in cash


    in his hand, exining everything that had just happened.


    When she heard everything, she burst outughing while holding her stomach. ¡°Hahahahaha¡­ Oh,


    my, Iron Pir. Are you trying to make meugh to death? I can almost imagine how angry Destiny


    must¡¯ve looked.¡±


    She wanted to address him by the familiar nickname, Matt, but when the word lingered at the tip of her


    tongue, she forced it back. Caution is the parent of safety. No matter the circumstances, I must be


    careful to avoid anyone eavesdropping on us.


    Seeing Veronicaugh so heartily, Matthew also curved his lips into a smile. Only the heavens know


    how much I want to hold her hand at this moment, but¡­ I can¡¯t, and I¡¯m afraid to do it.


    ¡°She was indeed quite pissed.¡± That was undeniable.


    While raising her hand to cover her lips, Veronica was still in a fit ofughter as she turned to look at


    Matthew and asked, ¡°Why have I never discovered that you were so talented in acting and disguise?


    How many secrets are you still hiding?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very much.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll tell you everything once we leave the hidden n.¡±


    ¡°We will definitely leave here very soon.¡±


    At first, Veronica was not very confident when she said that. Right after she finished, she stopped in her


    tracks and turned to face Matthew while looking at him with worry in her watery eyes. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s harmful


    to your skin if you keep your makeup on for too long.¡±


    Due to the special asion, his makeup was created to be longsting, and taking it off would be a


    hassle, which was why the makeup on his face became harmful to his skin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Drew made it extremely breathable for me, so it doesn¡¯t harm my skin.¡±


    Although Skyler created all the makeup products Matthew used, they only helped in reducing the harm


    on his skin and did not decrease the level of damage to zero percent. That was something Veronica


    knew very well.


    On the other hand, Matthew only said that in hopes that she would not feel bad for him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As she looked into his eyes with deep affection, aplicated emotion filled her clear eyes. As much


    as she wanted to throw herself into his arms, she had to suppress her urge. She remembered


    everything he had done for her.


    Withdrawing her gaze, she looked down at the stairs to avoid his eyes. It was then she felt a soreness


    in her nose and a warm feeling in her eyes as she went silent for a while.


    ¡°It feels good to be able to openly stay by your side.¡± Matthew yed with the five thousand he


    received from Crayson while looking into the distance, eximing sentimentally.


    ¡°Crayson gave these to you to buy clothes. Let¡¯s do that now. I think the hidden n¡¯s traditional outfit


    fits you well.¡±


    The hidden n¡¯s traditional outfits were more conservative, so even the men¡¯s summer clothing had


    bracelet sleeves, which greatly covered their figures.


    Since Matthew had put on makeup and changed his appearance, there was no way to hide the scars


    on his body still. Therefore, it would be better if he changed into the hidden n¡¯s clothing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I do enjoy going shopping with my wifey.¡±


    Since the road before them was empty, he boldly called her ¡®wifey¡¯.

 Chapter 754

    Chapter 754


    Chapter 754 Bluffing


    It would have been fine if Matthew did not enunciate that, but when he did, Veronica was so scared out


    of her skin that she reflexively observed their surroundings. She released a sigh of relief after seeing


    that no one was around them.


    ¡°Be careful of eavesdropping,¡± she reminded. ¡°I know.¡± While tilting his head to look at her, he raised an


    eyebrow and smiled. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t because our situation disallows it, do you think I¡¯d keep such a huge


    distance from you?¡±


    Veronica did not notice it earlier and only just discovered that. Ever since they descended the


    mountain, Matthew had been keeping a constant distance of twenty inches from her so that no one


    would suspect anything.


    ¡­


    Back in Bloomstead, Shirley apanied Skyler for lunch, which lessened his anger a little.


    Subsequently, she shared a coffee break with him before he was finally satisfied.


    As for the matter of ¡®acquiring¡¯ Vincere Games, he told her that he would head back and think about it.


    After hearing that answer, Shirley felt a ball of anger inside her, but she could not do anything about it


    and only stormed to the hospital in anger to visit Wade¡¯s mom.


    Inside the hospital ward, Monica was taking care of Wade¡¯s mom when she saw Shirley, who she then


    reminded of a few things before leaving.


    Shirley spent the night on the hospital¡¯s folding bed and helped Wade¡¯s mom wash up the following


    day. After that, she went out to buy breakfast and cared for the patient.


    Due to Skyler¡¯s warning when he came to the office yesterday, Jayden and Shawn did not dare to


    cause any moremotion. Instead, they even weed Shirley with a smile despite her beingte to


    work.


    ¡°Hahaha. Shir, you came. Have you eaten breakfast? I bought some extra food today. Would you like


    some?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s right. I also bought some extra food this morning. Why don¡¯t we have breakfast together?¡±


    The two had been agonizingly waiting for Shirley toe to work. As such, they began ttering her


    after she came out of the elevator, wanting to find out thetest news about thepany.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like eating with people I dislike. It ruins my appetite.¡±


    While holding her purse, Shirley nced at them coldly before walking past them and leaving. She


    knew those two were overly pragmatic as she witnessed everything that happened yesterday.


    Therefore, she did not even pretend to be polite to them.


    Once she left, Jayden and Shawn looked at each other while helplessness and anger surfaced on their


    faces; they were frustrated but afraid to say anything. After that, the two immediately chased after her


    and upied both sides.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Today¡¯s weather is quite sunny. How about taking your boyfriend out for a walk while you¡¯re


    free? Shawn and I will be here, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Jayden chuckled and promised.


    Meanwhile, Shawn nodded repeatedly and suggested, ¡°That¡¯s right. Very right. It¡¯s just the right time to


    take your boyfriend out for a walk.¡±


    Hearing that, Shirley stopped in her tracks abruptly. She scrunched her beautiful eyebrows before


    looking at both sides with disdain on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t you two have somewhere to be? I still need to get


    sponsors or I might get kicked out of thepany.¡± Her words were clearly expressing her displeasure.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    How could Jayden and Shawn not know how much she liked to hold grudges?


    ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s our fault the other day. We were being too impulsive, but we did it for thepany¡¯s sake.


    Ourpany is stagnant in its development stage, which is why we decided to put pressure on you.


    We hope you can understand where we¡¯reing from.¡±


    After that, Shawn pipped in, ¡°President Robins must be kidding when he said he was going to acquire


    ourpany, right? Ourpany is so small, so it must not be of interest to him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not Skyler. What¡¯s the use of asking me?¡± Shirley retorted and went directly into her office.


    The two immediately went after her, but when they arrived at the door, they saw her mming the door


    in their faces and almost hitting them in the nose.

 Chapter 755

    Chapter 755


    Chapter 755 It¡¯s All a Trick


    While standing outside the office, Jayden and Shawn were frustrated and angry, but they could only


    force themselves to endure the feeling because of Skyler and Shirley¡¯s rtionship.


    Shawn raised his fist, wanting to knock on the door, but he was stopped by Jayden. ¡°Let¡¯s not bother


    her anymore. What if we make her mad? She might get President Robins to acquire ourpany. We


    won¡¯t have anything left by then.¡±


    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll go with your idea.¡± Shawn¡¯s face was as dark as storm clouds. However, he could not voice


    his anger, so he left with Jayden.


    The next morning, Shirley dialed Garrick¡¯s number at 9.30AM sharp. Tut¡ª Tut¡ª Tut¡ª


    After a few rings, he answered the call. ¡°President Brennan, good morning.¡± ¡°Morning,¡± he calmly


    responded to her greeting. ¡°Did I bother you by calling so early in the morning?¡±


    Back when she invited Garrick to have a tour of thepany, both of them agreed that the date would


    be today, which was why Shirley had prepared to call him at 9.30AM.


    ¡°I finished all my work.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great.¡±


    It was not hard to hear the happiness in her voice. She continued, ¡°Do you have any spare time to visit


    ourpany for a tour today?¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°About that¡­ I might not be able to make it today.¡± Garrick¡¯s tone sounded hesitant.


    However, Shirley merely brushed it off as his guilt for standing her up. As much as she felt resigned,


    she had already mentally prepared herself for this answer and could only smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re not


    avable today, how about¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± he interrupted her. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with my car, so it¡¯s been sent in for


    repair, and thepany car is upied, so¡­ I¡¯m sorry to stand you up.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh¡­¡± After being stunned for a moment, she finally regained herposure. ¡°How about I


    drive over to pick you up? I just happen to be free since there isn¡¯t much to be done at thepany.¡±


    I thought he blew me off deliberately. Turns out he can¡¯te over because he doesn¡¯t have any


    transportation.


    ¡°Would it be inappropriate?¡±


    ¡°No! There¡¯s nothing inappropriate about it. You must be at thepany, right? I¡¯ll head over now to


    get you.¡± Once Shirley was done informing Garrick, she hung up and left thepany.


    Half an hourter, she arrived at Cyberten Holdings and saw Garrick walking out of thepany from


    a distance, so she descended the car to greet him.


    ¡°Hello, President Brennan.¡± She went up to him.


    ¡°Shirley, I¡¯m sorry for the trouble, I¡ª¡±


    While Garrick was talking, the phone in his pocket rang. He fished out his phone and excused himself.


    ¡°Excuse me while I take this call.¡± Then, he turned to the side and answered the call.


    ¡°Yes, Dad. I¡¯ll head back now.¡±


    Although Shirley did not know who was on the phone with him, the words he said next resembled a


    bucket of cold water being sshed at her.


    Turning to face her, Garrick shrugged his shoulders in defeat. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. There¡¯s something urgent


    at home, so I have to leave. Can we have a raincheck for yourpany¡¯s tour?¡± The elegant man in


    the suit looked guilty and helpless.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. No worries.¡± Shirley waved her hand but suddenly recalled something. ¡°President Brennan,


    since your car is under repair, how about I send you home?¡±


    With the respect and protection of her client in mind, she was respectful toward him because she


    desperately needed someone¡¯s support.


    Garrick frowned as he scanned around. ¡°Why isn¡¯t there a cab at this hour?¡±


    ¡°Why do you need to hail one? I can send you there. Come on, President Brennan.¡± Shirley walked


    toward her car and pulled the back door open before gesturing for him to get in.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Garrick shook his head in embarrassment and hooked his lips. ¡°Too much trouble for you.¡±


    ¡°No worries, President Brennan. We¡¯re friends.¡±

 Chapter 756

    Chapter 756


    Chapter 756 Garrick¡¯s Girlfriend


    When Shirley arrived at Garrick¡¯s home, it was already an hour after their conversation at Cyberten


    Holdings.


    Looking at the many luxury cars outside the manor and the crowd that spanned everywhere, she


    concluded that his home must have some sort of ongoing gathering, so she did not think or ask about


    it.


    After she stopped the car by the entrance, she urged Garrick, ¡°President Brennan, we¡¯ve arrived. Go


    on quickly. You wouldn¡¯t want your family to wait.¡±


    The man seated in the backseat looked out the window and a faint light shed across his eyes before


    he looked at his watch and offered, ¡°It¡¯s already 11.00AM. You should stay for lunch.¡±


    ¡°What? No, no, no. I shouldn¡¯t.¡± Since Shirley was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, she turned around and


    smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯ll be just in time for lunch when I head back.¡±


    ¡°You just said we were friends. If you reject my appreciation offer to my home for lunch, wouldn¡¯t that


    mean you don¡¯t see me as a friend?¡± He sincerely invited her and threw out a great opportunity.


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop hesitating and let¡¯s go.¡± Without giving her any chance to hesitate, Garrick alighted from the car


    and stood aside to wait for her.


    He was, after all, the president of Cyberten Holdings, so Shirley could not offend him or dare to


    disrespect him. As a result, she could only muster the courage to descend the car before


    apanying him inside the manor.


    Upon entrance, they were weed with fresh flowers and balloons that were wrapped in bright and


    beautiful ribbons. Beside them was a huge poster with a picture of Sofia and the text, ¡®Happy Birthday,


    Little Princess¡¯.


    When Shirley saw the poster, her expression went stunned and her steps stopped abruptly. Then, she


    finally remembered the day at the restaurant where Garrick had told Skyler that Sofia would be having


    a birthday party couple of dayster and that his grandfather had invited Skyler to attend it.


    Whenever people in Destor said ¡®a couple of dayster¡¯, they usually meant a few dayster, but


    Shirley did not expect Garrick to mean it so literally.


    ¡°Hey, Gary, you¡¯re finally home. Oh, my. Is this your girlfriend? She looks so pretty.¡±


    ¡°Garrick, how could you still go to work when you know it¡¯s your sister¡¯s birthday? That¡¯s outrageous.¡±


    ¡°So, Gary finally found himself a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°No wonder he insists on going to thepany. It¡¯s to find a reason to bring his girlfriend to Sofia¡¯s


    birthday party.¡±


    ¡°She looks so beautiful. I¡¯m sure your father will be overjoyed when he sees this.¡±


    Then, there was even more incoherent chatter.


    Right after Shirley and Garrick came in, a few women with heavy makeup and lots of jewelry came and


    surrounded the two. The women observed both of them while continuously chattering.


    When Shirley heard what they were talking about, she felt speechless. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°My dear aunts, please stop joking around. This is my friend. Just call her Shir.¡±


    Though Garrick looked like he was clearing their names, the nickname ¡®Shir¡¯ was proof of their


    rtionship.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before Shirley could voice her exnation, the crowd had be more weing toward her after


    they heard what he had said¡­


    ¡°Oh, my dear Shir, you look stunning.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s indeed a cute-looking youngdy. No wonder Gary hasn¡¯t found a girlfriend for so long. It turns


    out he¡¯s into this type of woman.¡±


    ¡°Garrick is so lucky to have found a pretty and young woman like you.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Shir. Let¡¯s go inside to have some fun. I¡¯m sure his dad will be very happy to see you.¡±


    All of Garrick¡¯s aunts were exceptionally interested in Shirley and were enthusiastically conversing with


    her as if they had known each other for a long time.


    The sudden turn of events made Shirley blush bright red as she shook her head to deny, ¡°You guys


    have mistaken something. I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shir, you head inside with them. I need to take a call.¡±


    Without waiting for her to finish her sentence, Garrick waved his phone at her, showing an iing


    call, after which he went aside to take it.


    Now, there was no way that she could exin their rtionship.

 Chapter 757

    Chapter 757


    Chapter 757 Skyler Went Crazy


    The few women enthusiastically held Shirley¡¯s hand and brought her inside. ¡°Adam, your family just


    struck gold! Gary finally found a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Quick. Come over and have a look. Gary¡¯s girlfriend is a beautiful youngdy.¡± ¡°You can finally rest


    assured. Gary has a girlfriend, so all of you can finally stop worrying about him.¡±


    No matter how many times Shirley exined that she was not Garrick¡¯s girlfriend, the others all turned


    a deaf ear to that. Just as she was feeling defeated, she finally saw a familiar figure sitting among the


    group on the couch¡­


    It was Skyler! Since she had noticed him, he had naturally noticed her as well.


    Old Mr. Brennan, Old Mrs. Brennan, Adam, Sofia, and Skyler all rose to their feet and looked over to


    see Shirley being pushed over by a bunch ofdies.


    ¡°Adam, she¡¯s Shir, Gary¡¯s girlfriend.¡± ¡°Have a look. What do you think?¡±


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    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she look pretty? At a nce, she looks like a clean child.¡± ¡°She looks quite young. So, it


    means Gary likes his girlfriends young.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    The crowd was amused and burst outughing when they heard that. There was one exception,


    though, which was Skyler. He was staring at Shirley with grim eyes when he questioned, ¡°When did


    you start dating him?¡±


    This damn woman sure knows how to attract men. I just dealt with Wade and now she has Garrick


    hooked as well. Why didn¡¯t I ever realize she was so attractive to men?


    ¡°I¡­¡± When faced with Skyler¡¯s question, Shirley felt her heart thumping wildly as she nervously pursed


    her lips. ¡°There must be a mistake. I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Drew, she¡¯s my guest. You¡¯ll scare her by acting so fiercely.¡±


    Coincidentally, just as Shirley was about to exin, Garrick appeared. He grabbed her wrist and pulled


    her behind him to shield her from Skyler.


    Instantly, Shirley and Garrick¡¯s rtionship shifted to the next level. If she was to keep trying to exin,


    it would seem as though she was being pretentious. Of course, her exnations were unnecessary to


    the others in the room.


    ¡°Gary, when did you guys get together?¡±


    Today¡¯s protagonist, Sofia, was wearing a white tube-top princess dress that hugged her waist; her


    slightly curly hair was let down and the silver crown was decorated with diamonds. She looked


    incredibly stunning, just like a real princess.


    She took a step forward and tilted her head to look at Shirley. ¡°So, you¡¯re actually Gary¡¯s girlfriend.


    Gosh. I¡¯m so sorry for misunderstanding you back then.¡± As she said this, she affectionately grabbed


    Shirley¡¯s hand and smiled.


    At that moment, Shirley had a sudden realization and finally understood what was going on today, as


    well as Skyler¡¯s reminder the other day. I have fallen into Garrick¡¯s trap. He¡¯s trying to use our


    rtionship to create a fake scene and make Skyler misunderstand that Garrick and I are a couple.


    That way, Garrick can make Skyler stop liking me. However, God¡¯s ns supersede their own. They


    don¡¯t know that Skyler doesn¡¯t like me! she innocently thought.


    So, Sofia¡¯s hostility must be because she misunderstood that I like Skyler, so I can use today¡¯s chance


    to y pretend with Garrick, which counts as an indication to her that I don¡¯t like Skyler.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s alright. Everything is now in the past.¡± Shirley smiled, tacitly admitting her and Garrick¡¯s


    rtionship.


    That answer also made Skyler¡¯s face fall and turn as dark as ink. His sharp gaze was looking at her like


    he was trying to pierce a hole through her, which terrified her to the point that she was trembling and


    afraid to look up at him.


    After that, Shirley was led to sit on the couch and was forced to converse with Garrick¡¯s aunts.


    Meanwhile, Skyler sat opposite her and was staring intently at her with his cold gaze, which scared her


    so much that her heart was constantly trembling.


    ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯d like to use the bathroom,¡± she suddenly spoke up mid-conversation.


    ¡°The bathroom is at the end of the hall. Turn left and walk to the very end.¡±


    Old Mrs. Brennan, who liked Shirley a lot, pointed in a direction before turning to Sofia and urging, ¡°Pia,


    bring her to the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I can head over on my own.¡±


    After that, Shirley sprinted in the direction of the bathroom like her life depended on it and was so


    nervous that she thought she would faint. She stayed inside the bathroom for a while andposed


    herself before preparing to head outside. However, at that moment, a dark shadow pushed the door


    open and dashed in before locking it from the inside.


    ¡°S-Skyler, why did youe in?¡± She was so nervous that she stammered.

 Chapter 758

    Chapter 758


    Chapter 758 Inside the Bathroom


    ¡°Why are you so flustered?¡± While trapping Shirley against the wall, Skyler braced his hand beside her


    head and used the other to hook her chin to make her look into his eyes. ¡°Huh?¡±


    The sound of him dragging his question resembled a hammer hitting her heart with a bang, making her


    even more terrified.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Not knowing where to look, she dodged his gaze and bit her lip while lowering her head to mutter,


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ flustered.¡±


    Not flustered? Just look at how she¡¯s biting her lips until they¡¯re almost bleeding, yet she says she¡¯s not


    flustered.


    ¡°I seem to have underestimated you. You¡¯ve made yourself Garrick¡¯s girlfriend so quickly. Are you trying


    to get back at Sofia by bing her sister-inw?¡± While gnashing his teeth, Skyler wanted to crack


    Shirley¡¯s head open and see what she was thinking inside.


    ¡°What? Sister-inw¡­¡± Her mind went nk as she stared confusedly at Skyler while her mind was


    frantically spinning.


    A whileter, she finally figured it out. Skyler has misunderstood me.


    ¡°About that¡­ President Brennan and I¡­ Our rtionship doesn¡¯t concern you. Young Master Skyler,


    don¡¯t you think you¡¯re sticking your nose into other people¡¯s business?¡± She straightened her back and


    reasoned with him.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± At that, his face fell as he stared at her with grim eyes while slightly exerting


    more strength on the hand that was pinching her jaw.


    ¡°I said, I-I want to be Garrick¡¯s girlfriend, so please keep your distance in the future, alright, Young


    Master Skyler?¡± Shirley never wanted to have anything to do with Skyler, but that guy always seemed


    to stick to her like glue. Also, he even made Sofia misunderstand her several times and enticed Sofia to


    pick on her. Such events were deeply inked into her memory.


    When she finished and noticed that Skyler was not replying, she continued, ¡°I forgot to tell you. I know


    about you and Sofia¡¯s past, so don¡¯t try to use me to attack and take revenge on her. I¡¯ve let you do it


    once, but I won¡¯t let you do it again. Also, please have mercy and stop using me as your shield. I can¡¯t


    afford the consequences of that.¡±


    At first, it was the tens of thousands he promised that made Shirley agree to be his fake girlfriend.


    It was also during then that she was clueless about Skyler and Sofia¡¯s rtionship, which was why she


    so stupidly agreed to the deal.


    Later when she gradually understood the rtionship between the two, she discovered that Skyler was


    only using her to break and take revenge on Sofia, who had betrayed him. As for her, she was just a


    sacrificial item in the mix.


    ¡°I dare you to say that again.¡± With both fists tightly clenched together, rage gradually appeared in


    Skyler¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Everything I said is the truth.¡±


    ¡°To you, am I such a despicable person?¡± His good-looking eyes were squinted into slits while the


    depths of his jet-ck pupils hid an indescribable emotion.


    After a moment of silence, she finally replied, ¡°Yes, everything I saw with my eyes is the truth¡­


    Hmph¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, Skyler leaned in and kissed her on the lips. His burning lips touched


    her slightly cold ones; it felt like ice mixing with fire, and sparks were flying everywhere.


    While the kiss deepened gradually, Shirley felt her mind going nk and was stunned for a while


    before starting to struggle. However, Skyler caught her wrists with one hand and easily popped the


    button on her waist open.


    Since Sofia was wearing a pair of ck chiffon pants, the heavy material dropped straight to her ankles


    when it was unbuttoned.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ Skyler, have you gone mad? We¡¯re at Brennan Manor!¡± Shirley was so terrified that her face


    was blushing red while she frustratedly red at him.


    A smirk appeared on Skyler¡¯s face as he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, here you¡¯re shy? I remember you


    being eager when we were at the apartment the other day. Why are you pretending to be a good girl


    now?¡±


    Sometimes, it was better not to bring up history as it might distract one¡¯s soul.


    At that moment, her oval face instantly turned red like a ripe peach while she reprimanded him in


    shame, ¡°You said you would forget about what happened that day!¡±

 Chapter 759

    Chapter 759


    Chapter 759 The Dangerous Skyler


    Shirley would have forgotten about it had it not been an exceptionally memorable event. Now that the


    matter was mentioned, it was safe to say it was all Skyler¡¯s fault back then.


    Last year, at the entrance of the First Meeting, Shirley was beaten up by Sofia and felt humiliated, so


    she called Veronica, who then told her that she had arranged a blind date for her. At that time, Shirley


    did not take it to heart and thought Veronica was only trying tofort her.


    That night, she was in such a bad mood that she went to a bar to get drunk and then hailed a cab back


    to her apartment in her drunken state.


    The drunk Shirley saw Skyler and lunged at him while hitting and chastising him, but she soon felt like


    doing that was not enough. As a result, she slept with him under the influence of alcohol.


    When she woke up the following day and saw him sleeping beside her, she was so shocked that she


    fell from her bed and repeatedly apologized to him while begging him to forget about what happened


    that night.


    Seeing that Sofia had beaten up Shirley, Skyler felt guilty, so he agreed.


    Since then, both of them had never mentioned that incident, and no one else knew anything about it


    besides them. However, she did not imagine that Skyler would suddenly go bonkers and bring up this


    incident today.


    ¡°Yes, I did. I have already forgotten about it for ten months and just happened to remember it today.¡±


    ¡°H-How could you¡­¡± A flustered Shirley kept her voice extremely low, afraid someone outside might


    hear her.


    ¡°Do you know what I hate the most?¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°I hate it the most when someone takes away what I used to have!¡± As he maneuvered the hand that


    was pinching her jaw, he turned to forcefully pinch her cheeks to relieve the dissatisfaction inside him.


    Right when Shirley¡¯s eyes had reddened from the pain, he pushed her against the counter and leaned


    toward her. He was quick to skillfully locate the meeting point and merged their bodies before she had


    the chance to react.


    Feeling wronged, she wanted to cry for help but did not dare to make a sound and even bit her lips to


    stop herself from groaning.


    ¡°Skye? Skye?¡±


    Suddenly, Sofia¡¯s shouts were heard from the corridor.


    When that voice entered Shirley¡¯s ears, she was so nervous that she felt her heart inside her throat.


    She turned her head and looked at Skyler pitifully, begging him with her innocent eyes. Please let me


    go¡­


    Meanwhile, Skyler held her waist and pulled her into his embrace so that they could be closer together.


    He was enjoying the process even more and leaned in to whisper in her ear, ¡°Do you believe that she


    wouldn¡¯t dare toe inside even if she knows you and I are in here together?¡±


    ¡°Have¡­ Ugh¡­ Have you gone mad?¡± Shirley¡¯s reddened eyes were filled with tears.


    ¡°Skye, where are you?¡± Sofia¡¯s voice sounded closer as she approached step by step. For some


    strange reason, Shirley felt nervous but also excited. Her body began to produce more dopamine,


    which caused her to feel like she was floating in the clouds.


    At that moment, Skyler suddenly piped up, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m inside the bathroom.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    While he answered Sofia¡¯s calls, it did not affect his progress while strongly attacking Shirley¡¯s body.


    That reply also shocked Shirley out of her wits and made her entire body, even every pore on her skin,


    unknowingly tense up as well.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The man let out an almost inaudible groan from under his breath.


    ¡°Pia, have you seen Shir?¡±


    Another man¡¯s voice sounded in the corridor. It was Garrick.


    The already nervous Shirley instantly became even more nervous and felt as if her heart was about to


    fail and her breathing was about to stop.


    ¡°What? Shirley¡­¡± With a slightly pale face, Sofia subconsciously nced at the bathroom before


    forcing a smile and saying, ¡°She might have gone to the garden. I¡¯ll go with you to look for her.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I happen to have something I need to talk to you about.¡±

 Chapter 760

    Chapter 760


    Chapter 760 An Enraged Matthew


    After that, the sibling gradually walked away. Inside the bathroom, Shirley finally could not bear the load


    as tears flowed down her eyes and she began sobbing while feeling aggrieved. However, Skyler had


    no intentions of letting her go and mercilessly went at it for half an hour before setting her free.


    While they sat on the counter, he embraced her while using his thumb to wipe away the traces of tears


    around her eyes. He suppressed the displeasure in his heart while grimly warning her, ¡°Remember.


    Garrick Brennan will never have anything to do with the woman that I, Skyler Robins, had slept with,


    even if she is a woman I discarded.


    After saying that, he leaned in and pecked her red lips. ¡°Shir, you¡¯ve crossed the line. In the future¡­ be


    more obedient.¡± He gently patted her cheeks and ignored her red eyes and fearful sobs.


    That day, Shirley did not know how she left Brennan Manor. Also, she had discovered something new


    about Skyler and felt even more terrified of him.


    ¡­


    At the hidden n, Veronica and Matthew descended the mountain and shopped at a few clothing


    stores to pick out some clothes for him before taking a stroll along the night market. Yet, at that


    moment, an uninvited guest reappeared before her.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Murphy.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam appeared from inside the crowd and greeted her while waving the thing in his hand. Then, he


    offered, ¡°I heard Hendrey say that you don¡¯t have a phone, so I bought one specifically for you.


    Although you don¡¯t understand the hidden n dialect yet, it doesn¡¯t affect your ability to answer my


    calls.¡±


    Back when Veronica saw Mateo¡¯s injured face, she thought Liam would be in the same situation, but it


    was then she discovered that Liam only had a small bruise at the end of his eye while the rest of him


    was intact. Inparison to Mateo¡¯s situation, it seemed that Liam¡¯s strength was not to be


    underestimated.


    Before she could speak, she suddenly felt a cold aura enveloping her, making her shiver. Turning to her


    side, she saw that Matthew¡¯s face was gloomy as he looked at Liam with unfriendly eyes.


    It was obvious when someone wanted to kill another. At the very least, Matthew¡¯s gaze looked very


    sharp.


    Subsequently, a slight smile crept up her red lips. Why have I not discovered that Matthew gets jealous


    so easily?


    ¡°Thank you, but no thanks. We can afford to buy a phone.¡± Matthew took arge step forward and used


    his body to shield Veronica and obstruct the greedy gaze Liam was throwing at her. This gaze is very


    bothersome.


    Having his vision blocked, Liam subconsciously tilted his head, but Matthew moved his body along with


    him and securely blocked Veronica from Liam¡¯s view.


    Liam withdrew his gaze while scrunching his eyebrows together and eyeing Matthew up and down.


    ¡°Where from you? Scram.¡±


    As soon as he said that, the others knew he did not learn English well.


    ¡°Sorry, but no.¡± Matthew kept his words short and simple.


    Although his ordinary ¡®appearance¡¯ gave others the feeling that he was a humble and honest person at


    first impression, the gloomy gaze he was shooting at Liam had a trace of a domineering aura, which


    made Liam feel a little under pressure. Who am I? I am the youngest son of Tanya Ledger, the man


    who can do whatever he wants in the hidden n. How can I be afraid of such a small fry?


    ¡°I¡¯ll only count to three. If you still won¡¯t move, I¡¯ll make you leave here on your knees.¡± After snorting


    contemptuously, he red at Matthew in disdain. ¡°Three, two, one¡­ Very good. You¡¯re dead meat.¡±


    With a raise of his right hand, Liam ordered, ¡°Break this insolent being¡¯s legs.¡±


    ¡°M¡ªIron Pir, you¡­¡± Veronica tugged on Matthew¡¯s sleeve, reflexively wanting to call him ¡®Matt¡¯, but


    she quickly realized and changed titles. ¡°Let it be. It¡¯s better to have fewer troubles than more.¡±

 Chapter 761

    Chapter 761


    Chapter 761 Exchanging Phone Numbers with Liam


    Pulling Matthew behind her, Veronica smiled gently at Liam. ¡°Thank you for the kind gesture, but I¡¯ve


    already bought a phone.¡± While saying that, she waved the bag in her hand, which had a mobile brand


    logo on it.


    ¡°You have?¡± Liam looked at the bag she was holding and a trace of disappointment appeared on his


    face, but then, his eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s even better. We can exchange contact numbers.¡± Then, he


    sprinted over and immediately blocked the road in front of her.


    Judging by his actions, Liam was indicating that if Veronica did not exchange contact numbers with


    him, he would not stop pestering her.


    A trace of slyness appeared in her moist eyes. ¡°Since you insist, I can¡¯t reject you.¡±


    She took out the newly bought phone and handed it to Liam, who happily received it and entered a


    series of numbers before dialing his phone. It was not until he heard the device ring that he chuckled


    and returned her phone to her. ¡°That¡¯s done. Now that we have each other¡¯s contact information, we¡¯re


    considered friends, so do keep in touch.¡±


    When he gave her the phone, he nced at Matthew with an unfriendly gaze, seeming to be very


    displeased with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you again.¡±


    After receiving the phone, Veronica turned around and left.


    Matthew withdrew his gaze before trailing behind her. The two walked into the busy marketce, and


    he spoke up when they had walked a distance away. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Master Crayson would


    object to your decision to meet with Liam in the future?¡±


    Since Veronica had given Liam her contact number, it meant she would be meeting him again in the


    future. Despite knowing that she was doing this to get more information about the hidden n, it did not


    mean that Crayson would agree.


    ¡°He even disagreed with our marriage, but look at us.¡± She joked.


    The two looked at each other and smiled before heading toward the mountain.


    Perhaps it was because the bustling marketce was filled with people, it caused the couple to not


    notice someone hiding in a corner.


    ¡°Is Liam pursuing Veronica?¡± prodded Tiffany as she watched Liam leave and tilted her head to look at


    Hendrey beside her.


    Meanwhile, the indifferent Hendrey held a cigarette between his fingers and drew in a breath before


    nodding calmly.


    ¡°He has only met up with Veronica a few times and already has eyes on her? That¡¯s absurd.¡± While


    crossing her hands in front of her chest, she confidently muttered to herself as a sly glint appeared in


    her eyes.


    ¡°Ouch! Hendrey, my¡­ Hiss¡­ My stomach hurts. You head back while I go to the bathroom.¡± Without


    bothering to ask whether Hendrey agreed or not, Tiffany found a reason and left.


    The man leaned against the wall, smoking while sending her off with his cold eyes. The indifference in


    his eyes became greater as he said to himself, Does she think she can hide her schemes from me? I¡¯m


    just toozy to expose her.


    The self-proimed intelligent Tiffany passed through the crowd and rounded a street before walking


    forward to ¡®identally¡¯ bump into someone, plunging herself to the ground. ¡°Ouch!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you look where you¡¯re going?¡± Liam was walking on the road while devising a n to hook up


    with Veronica when someone bumped into him, ruining his good mood.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, i-it wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± Tiffany apologized to Liam with her crappy hidden n dialect.


    Back when she was at Castron, she was forced to learn the hidden n dialect every day just so that


    she could smoothlymunicate with the hidden n aftering here. Although she sounded raw, it


    did not affect how shemunicated.


    Hearing the gentle voice, Liam lowered his head and took a nce¡­


    He was shocked at what he saw.


    When he looked at the woman on the floor, his eyes widened as he immediately bent down to help her


    to her feet. ¡°Oh, no. Miss Murphy, I¡¯m sorry. I bumped¡­ No, wait.¡±

 Chapter 762

    Chapter 762


    Chapter 762 Tiffany Trying to Hook Up with Liam


    Liam¡¯s actions stopped abruptly as he frowned while looking at the woman he had just helped to her


    feet. ¡°You¡¯re not Veronica Murphy!¡±


    ¡°I-I think you have the wrong person. I-I¡¯m Tiffany Larson.¡±


    Retreating a step, she lowered her head and patted the dust on her dress with her fingers. However,


    the angle she was standing entuated her shapely figure perfectly. She and Veronica looked the


    same, so she was naturally a beautiful woman as well.


    Yet, whenpared with each other, Veronica was more of a cold and elegant beauty that resembled


    a hibiscus. On the other hand, Tiffany had gotten rid of her former gentleness and had be more


    charming, flirtatious, and seductive.


    ¡°Tiffany Larson?¡±


    Liam¡¯s mind was running as quickly as it could and soon thought of Tiffany¡¯s identity. Then, the


    unfamiliarity on his face disappeared and was reced with elegance and gentry. However, it was


    particrly obvious that he was faking it because of the arrogance in his bones.


    ¡°Sir, do you recognize me?¡± With a slightly shocked expression, Tiffany scrunched her thin eyebrows


    together and asked, ¡°I-I just arrived here, so how could you recognize me?¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ It¡¯s a coincidence, actually. I have a friend who knows your younger sister, and I discovered


    from her that she has an older sister. It seems like we¡¯re destined to meet.¡±


    While observing her figure with an unfriendly gaze, Liam almost had the words ¡®scoundrel¡¯ written on


    his face as if he wanted the world to know how perverted he was.


    ¡°Really? It does seem like we¡¯re destined. I didn¡¯t expect to meet Veronica¡¯s friend in the hidden n.¡±


    After discovering that Liam knew how to speak English, Tiffany also switched to English so that she


    couldmunicate better.


    Truth be told, if they used their ages to distinguish their birth order, Veronica was Tiffany¡¯s older sister


    and not her younger sister. However, not many knew about this fact, so it was natural that no one


    would openly talk about it.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ It¡¯s fate that brought us here. Have you eaten yet, Miss Larson? If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to


    treat you to dinner to express my apology for bumping into you.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ wouldn¡¯t be inappropriate, would it?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be inappropriate about? A friend¡¯s friend is also a friend. We¡¯re all friends here, so


    come on. I¡¯ll treat you to some sushi.¡± Without giving Tiffany any chance to reject him, Liam pulled her


    into a sushi restaurant.


    That night, the two exchanged contact information. He tried many times to invite Tiffany out but was


    rejected every time.


    What I want is to reel in a big fish. I can¡¯t act like I¡¯m an easy catch, so ying hard to get is the best


    tactic. After all, that was what Mom told me.


    ¡­


    At mid-mountain, Veronica returned to the pavilion with Matthew, who greeted Crayson before returning


    to his room.


    As for her, she was about to carry all her bags upstairs when Crayson called her over.


    ¡°Come over,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Did you buy a phone?¡± While staring at the bag she was carrying, he revealed a displeased


    expression.


    ¡°Is there a problem with that? What era do you think we¡¯re living in? I don¡¯t feel like myself without my


    phone. What¡¯s more, it would help me learn better if I had a phone with me,¡± she exined to Crayson


    with calm eyes before turning around and heading upstairs.


    When she ascended to the corner of the stairs, she stopped and looked back at him. ¡°I did note to


    the hidden n to be imprisoned. You must know my character well. I¡¯m not the type who follows the


    rules. The stricter the rules, the more rebellious I be.¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    That was a clear warning to him. I¡¯ve merely bought a phone at the marketce, yet he¡¯s already


    dissatisfied with it.

 Chapter 763

    Chapter 763


    Chapter 763 A Gathering


    Veronica knew Crayson was afraid he could not keep her under control, but he knew even better that


    she was uncontroble.


    Besides him, Destiny was also sitting on the couch. The two watched Veronica slowly disappear at the


    end of the stairs and looked at each other, feeling frustrated.


    ¡°Mr. Crayson, are we being too lenient on her?¡± While tidying her bangs, Destiny sighed. ¡°After


    tomorrow, the hidden n will gradually be livelier, and if she continues behaving this way, she¡¯s


    no different from a horse that escaped its reins.¡±


    By then, keeping Veronica under control will be an exceptionally difficult task. ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Picking up the tobo pipe, Crayson pinched out some tobo from a pouch and packed it inside the


    pipe before lighting it and taking a puff. Since he had been smoking like this all his life, it became an


    etched habit in his bones. Veronica has always been very assertive since she was young, so how can


    she easily yield to others?


    ¡°Her matters don¡¯t concern you. What you should be concerned with is Mateo. Don¡¯t let him cause any


    more trouble.¡± He switched the topic.


    Seeing that Crayson did not want to talk about Veronica, Destiny stayed out of it.


    That night, Matthew appeared in Veronica¡¯s bedroom like always. The couple enjoyed a pleasurable


    and affectionate round of coption. Though groans and pants sounded inside the room, they


    deliberately suppressed their voices to avoid being overheard.


    After they were done, Veronicay in Matthew¡¯s embrace. ¡°Matt, Zac, and the others will being to


    the hidden n tomorrow. W-What would happen if they found out about your identity?¡±


    After all, he that touches pitch shall be defiled. No matter how well Matthew disguises himself, the truth


    cannot be contained for long, and he will soon be discovered.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He turned to his side and hugged her waist while gently patting her back with his fingers. ¡°There are


    two more months till the coronation for the new head of the hidden n. Even if they don¡¯t discover my


    identity now, I would still have to reveal myself then. It¡¯s just a matter of time, and it doesn¡¯t affect my


    n too much.¡±


    ¡°Two months is neither a long nor short time. We can¡¯t be sure that there won¡¯t be any idents.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, so what if they found out about me? I don¡¯t want to show up before you in my current


    appearance either. What if you find me ugly and decide to throw yourself into another man¡¯s arms?


    What will I do then?¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­ What kind of joke is that?¡±


    Matthew had seeded in making Veronicaugh.


    Suddenly, she thought of something and asked, ¡°By the way, have you seen the future head of the n


    since you came here?¡± The future head of the n was Tanya¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°Of course. She looks pretty but not as charming as my wifey.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! Just praise her if you want to. Why drag me into this? I won¡¯t feel jealous.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°But I feel jealous because you don¡¯t seem to care about me, so what should I do? Not only am I


    jealous, but I¡¯m also hungry¡­¡± Then, Matthew cupped the back of her head and leaned in for another


    kiss.


    This time, it began gently and gradually became crazier until Veronica was lost in his deep breaths.


    The following day.


    Although the hidden n looked flourishing and peaceful on the surface, there was chaos underneath.


    Zac, Troy, Xavier, Antheena, and the others had quietly entered the borders of the hidden n today


    and settled down quickly.


    Meanwhile, Veronica had been focusing on learning the hidden n dialect and was not paying


    attention to what was going on beyond her study. She buried herself in the ssics until she received


    an invitation from Liam one day.


    ¡°Hello, Goddess Veronica, what have you been busy with?¡± His unorthodox tone came from the other


    side of the phone call.


    While looking at the thick book before her that had its pages filled with vocabry, Veronica felt her


    hands were sore from all her writing, and her mind was buzzing. Shaking her hands, she then leaned


    against her chair and looked outside, half-heartedly answering, ¡°Is there something you need, Young


    Master Liam?¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ Nothing much. It just so happens that Tiffany has arrived at the hidden n, so as the host of


    thisnd, I have nned and arranged a bonfire gathering. Come over and have some fun.¡± He


    enthusiastically invited her.


    Tiffany? Veronica could tell that Tiffany and Liam had met each other. At first, she wanted to refuse but


    still nodded and agreed in the end. ¡°Sure. When is it?¡±


    Since they were bound to meet each other, there was no use in escaping it. Moreover, meeting them


    could let her know more about the hidden n¡¯stest movements, so it was advantageous.


    ¡°It¡¯s tonight. Do you want me to pick you up?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Veronica did not act pretentious and directly agreed to Liam¡¯s offer.


    Given her awkward situation, she should not be meeting with Liam, but she was born a rebel. The more


    Crayson and the others wanted to control her, the more she wanted to go against them because¡­ she


    had her ns. Matthew said that I should trust no one but myself. So, I choose to head into the tiger¡¯s


    den.

 Chapter 764

    Chapter 764


    Chapter 764 Telling the Others About the Gathering


    During lunch, they gathered around the dining table. Veronica was carefully chewing on the food


    Matthew had prepared and could not help but notice how much his cooking skills had improved.


    Yet, such a perfect man could give his life for her and even willingly be a servant. She took in all


    of his sacrifices, and the guilt inside her increased as the days passed.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m going out tonight.¡± As she stabbed a roasted squash, she took a bite and looked down.


    ¡°Liam invited me out.¡±


    A second ago, there were still sounds of cutlery hitting porcin tes, but as soon as her words fell,


    the dining table was plunged into silence. Even with her head lowered, Veronica could feel burning


    gazes aimed at her, but she remained calm and continued eating while pretending not to notice them.


    Crayson¡¯s expression was as dark as storm clouds as he instinctively looked at Destiny opposite him,


    meeting her eyes. Before he could say anything, Mateo could not hold back his temper and spoke up,


    ¡°You¡¯re going out with Liam? Roni, can¡¯t you tell that he¡¯s trying to hook up with you?¡± His words were


    very straightforward.


    After scooping some baked fish onto her te, Veronica deboned her piece of fish while replying


    calmly, ¡°Of course, I can.¡±


    ¡°Yet you¡¯re still going out with him?¡±


    Raising his voice, Mateo had the words ¡®I¡¯m not happy¡¯ written all over his face, and he was looking at


    her like she was an idiot.


    ¡°Zac and the others will be there as well. They are all my acquaintances.¡± In the end, she exined a


    little. While speaking, she deliberately nced at Crayson and noticed him releasing a sigh of relief


    after she said that.


    ¡°Grandpa, aren¡¯t you going to do something about this?¡± Mateo looked at Crayson, waiting for him to


    chastise her, but Crayson did not make a sound after a long while.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Instead, he continued to eat his food. ¡°She has her ideas, so there¡¯s no use for me to say anything.¡±


    ¡°Fine, then. I¡¯ll go too,¡± Mateo added.


    ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Before Mateo could finish speaking, Destiny and Crayson¡¯s voices immediately sounded as they


    mercilessly rejected that idea.


    Mateo was at a loss for words. With a tense expression, his mouth was still hanging at hisst word as


    he looked at Destiny with a stunned expression, which instantly turned gloomy.


    ¡°You guys¡­ You¡­ Fine¡­¡± After realizing that his words were futile, he turned to Veronica and


    pleaded, ¡°Roni, bring me with you. I¡¯ll be very obedient and won¡¯t pull your leg or cause any trouble.¡±


    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll bring Iron Pir with me. He¡¯ll suffice.¡±


    He¡¯s my husband, so I must bring him with me.


    ¡°That Iron Pir is an idiot who can¡¯t trante. How can bringing him be more useful than bringing me?¡±


    Idiot?!


    Veronica¡¯s grip on her fork froze slightly as she rolled her eyes while silently reprimanding, Your entire


    family is an idiot!


    ¡°All of them can speak English, so there¡¯s no need for you to trante anything.¡± After saying that, she


    put down her cutlery. ¡°I¡¯m done eating, so I¡¯ll be studying in my room.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait. Roni, don¡¯t go! Roni¡­¡±


    Though Mateo kept calling her, she continued walking without looking back, greatly disappointing him.


    He let out a resigned sigh and nced at the kitchen as a n appeared in his mind.


    Subsequently, he eagerly gathered the dishes on the table after their meals and childishly approached


    Matthew, offering him a cigarette. ¡°Iron, how about taking a smoke?¡±


    Matthew, who was busy cleaning up, ced a tablecloth on the side and washed his hands while


    shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t smoke.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t smoke?¡±


    Frowning, Mateo lowered his head and yed with the cigarette in his hand. ¡°Since you don¡¯t, excuse


    me for a bit.¡± He then sprinted out of the kitchen and returned after a while.

 Chapter 766

    Chapter 766


    Chapter 766 Mateo¡¯s Failed n


    Matthew did not readily agree, but instead, he wore a ¡®troubled¡¯ expression while saying, ¡°I¡¯ll give it a


    try.¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled, then. Iron, I¡¯ll head back to my room and wait for your good news.¡±


    Seeing that the matter was settled, Mateo was in such a good mood that there was an unconceble


    smile on his face. Subsequently, he got up and left, closing the door behind him.


    The calmness on Matthew¡¯s face instantly disappeared as a gloomy aura slowly emerged around him.


    While ncing at the twenty thousand in his hand, he smiled and shook his head resignedly.


    At 3.00PM, Mateo came out of his bedroom, wearing a suit and looking all dressed up. Immediately, he


    saw Craysoning toward him and thought his grandpa was looking for him, so he smiled and


    exined, ¡°Grandpa, Iron told me he has something to do this afternoon, so I¡¯ll be apanying Roni


    to the gathering.¡±


    ¡°He told me about it earlier, but the little brat followed him out, saying that it wouldn¡¯t affect attending


    the gathering if they went to deal with his matters first. You should obediently stay at home.¡± Crayson¡¯s


    words were undoubtedly a blow to Mateo, which caused him to freeze in his spot while his clean and


    fair face fell.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Did Iron Pir just go back on his words?!¡±


    I used twenty thousand hidden n credits to bribe him. I didn¡¯t expect I would get yed.


    ¡°What do you mean he went back on his word? He said he had something to do, but the little brat said


    she was bored and followed him out,¡± Crayson exined before walking away.


    However, he had just taken a few steps when he stopped abruptly and turned around to scrunch his


    gray eyebrows together. While ring at Mateo, he questioned, ¡°You brat, did you bribe Iron Pir? IMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    was wondering why he suddenly said he didn¡¯t have the time to apany Veronica.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡­¡± Mateo felt like crying but could not shed any tears, so he quickly waved his hand while


    exining, ¡°No, no, no. There¡¯s no such thing. Iron told me he had something to do and asked if I could


    apany Roni. Jeez. It¡¯s all just a misunderstanding, purely a misunderstanding.¡±


    While squeezing a smile onto his long, bitter face, he quickly turned back into his room, looking worse


    than he would be if he was crying.


    Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, Matthew drove a Land Rover toward the outskirts of the city


    and stopped in a secluded scenic area with luscious greenery and clear water.


    Turning to his side, he looked at the woman in the passenger seat while using his fingers to y with a


    lock of her hair. ¡°Tell me, what am I going to do with you?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Veronica was in the middle of enjoying the beautiful scenery and was taken aback


    by Matthew¡¯s question.


    ¡°First, it was Liam, and now, there¡¯s Mateo. Oh, Roni, why didn¡¯t I discover that you were so alluring


    before?¡± When he said that, his eyes showed a trace of helplessness.


    When she saw his current appearance, she felt distressed and took his hand into hers. ¡°What are you


    talking about? There¡¯s nothing like that. Mateo is Crayson¡¯s grandson, and he only protects me


    because of him, so stop imagining things.¡±


    ¡°If you think I¡¯m imagining things, then you¡¯re so wrong.¡± He wiggled his arm around her waist and


    exerted some force to pull her onto hisp. ¡°Mateo told me on his own. Not only that, he even used


    twenty thousand hidden n credits to bribe me, wanting to take this chance to hook up with you. So,


    tell me. Should I teach him a good lesson?¡±


    ¡°What? I-Is that true?¡±


    I swear that I never knew Mateo had feelings for me. He has been very weing since I arrived at the


    hidden n. Just like his bright and warm personality, he¡¯s charming and likable. Who would have


    thought that he harbors such feelings for me?


    ¡°Roni, I¡¯ve begun to regret my decision.¡±

 Chapter 767

    Chapter 767


    Chapter 767 Roni Is a Vixen


    Hugging Veronica¡¯s waist, Matthew let her sit across hisp and used his fingers to hook her chin while


    gently running the pads of his fingers across her skin. He sincerely confessed, ¡°If I reveal my identity,


    will I be able to drive away all your secret admirers?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say that as if you don¡¯t have any.¡± His words amused her.


    However, she could not deny that the way Matthew behaved when he was jealous made him look


    inexplicably cute and¡­ a tiny bit pitiful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject.¡± He pinched her chin a little harder with a trace of punishment in them.


    ¡°Gosh, Matt. What were you thinking?¡±


    Meanwhile, Veronica was amused by the jealous Matthew. She wrapped her arms around his neck


    before angling her head to lean against his corbones, rubbing her face against him. ¡°I only have you


    in my heart. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s Liam or Mateo, even if a hundred naked men were standing before me,


    nobodypares to my charming husband.¡±


    ¡°Are you for real?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am.¡±


    While straightening her body, she repeatedly nodded at him. She looked into his eyes and felt the


    concern he had for her on his worried face. Feeling distressed, she leaned in and took the initiative to


    kiss him. However, the moment she started the kiss, they could not stop.


    With hisrge hand cupping the back of her head, Matthew gently bit and sucked on her lips, getting a


    good taste of her sweet and soft lips. As if he had taken a drug, he sank into the kiss in one fell swoop.


    It was not until both of them were breathing heavily that Veronica patted Matthew¡¯s chest, wanting him


    to let go. However, he would not let go of her, so she could only let him kiss her unrestrainedly while


    muttering incoherently, ¡°Matt, stop it. Someone might see us.¡±


    The man¡¯s excitement and biological reaction had exposed his thoughts, but she was embarrassed and


    nervously looked around, afraid that he might lose control of his emotions and do something that would


    get them discovered by others.


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t. There¡¯s rarely anyone whoes here. Also, the people around here listen to me,¡± he


    replied in his deep, hoarse voice while shutting his eyes and leaning his forehead against hers.


    Now, Veronica had no reason to reject him even if she wanted to, but¡­


    ¡°I¡­ Matt, I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely why I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll get overexcited and we¡¯ll get discovered. I won¡¯t


    be able to face the public then.¡± She was blushing so madly that even the bases of her ears were


    slightly rosy.


    It was then Matthew abruptly stopped his movements and hugged her close before leaning into her ear


    and whispered, ¡°But¡­ I want it.¡±


    That left her speechless. She felt a pang in her heart that was so painful that it felt like her heart was


    about to shatter. From the moment my secret identity was revealed until now, Matthew has selflessly


    contributed and sacrificed so much for me that I might not be able to return the ¡®debts¡¯ I owe him, even


    if I have three lifetimes. If I reject his request, which is a reasonable one between a married couple, it


    will be too cruel for him. More importantly, I can¡¯t stand seeing him upset. How can I stand to see a


    man who is willing to give up his life for me be sad?


    ¡°H-How about we make it¡­ quick?¡± She gently bit her red lips while her snow-white skin appeared rosy


    and delicate like a flower.


    It was exactly this innocent appearance that tickled his heart like a light feather, arousing his desire so


    much that he felt like he was about to explode. ¡°Roni, you¡¯re such a seductive little vixen.¡±


    Matthew, who always had good self-control, was powerless against Veronica.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

 Chapter 768

    Chapter 768


    Chapter 768 Shirley Is Dead


    While she gradually lost herself in coption, she felt like she was drunk and was shooting for the


    stars, floating in the air. Sometimeter, she was tuckered out while leaning against Matthew¡¯s chest


    andzily closing her eyes. ¡°Matt¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Feeling satisfied, the man was smiling as he hugged her in his embrace while rubbing her


    cheeks with the pad of his finger.


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    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Veronica let out an almost inaudible groan between her breaths but did not speak because


    she only wanted to call out his name.


    ¡°There, there. Sleep.¡± He drew a nket from the back row and covered her body with it, patting her


    back tofort her like a child.


    The worn-out Veronica then fell asleep in his embrace. She used to have insomnia, but it gradually


    faded after meeting Matthew, which amazed her.


    ¡­


    Back in Bloomstead, Shirley dragged her tired body back to her apartment and went straight to the


    bathroom before filling the tub for a bath.


    Recalling what had happened at the Brennan Manor, she felt endless humiliation and aggravation as


    tears fell from her eyes. Just like that, she soaked in the tub for an unknown amount of time and did not


    even realize that the water had gone cold.


    Since she kept crying, she tired herself out and fell asleep.


    On the other hand, Skyler unavoidably felt guilty when he saw her disheveled and sad appearance


    after what he did.


    After leaving Brennan Manor, he went to a bar alone to get drunk. However, no matter how much he


    drank, his mind was filled with the image of Shirley tearing up in aggrievance. Frustrated, he decided to


    pick up his phone to call her.


    He dialed her number, but no one answered the call. So, he dialed it again but had the same results.


    Even after repeating that five to six times, there was still no response.


    A flustered Skyler felt his heart skip a beat while he had a bad feeling about this situation. Picking up


    the wine ss before him, he downed the rest of the drink and got up to leave.


    His first stop was thepany, but he could not find her there, so he went to the hospital where


    Wade¡¯s mom was staying, but she was not there either. In the end, he went to the apartment Shirley


    was renting.


    Since Skyler had stayed here before, he knew that she had kept her spare keys hidden under the mat.


    He found the key and opened the door before dashing inside. ¡°Shirley?¡±


    The living room was empty, so he went to the bedroom but found it empty as well. Looking at the bag


    and phone on the couch, he knew that she was obviously at home. Then, his eyesnded in the


    direction of the bathroom, so he walked over.


    The door to the bathroom was ajar, so he called out to Shirley without receiving a response. At that


    moment, he felt a heart-wrenching pain spreading all over his body and even his fingertips were


    trembling slightly.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible.¡± A bad thought appeared in his head, but he quickly brushed it off.


    Skyler carefully pushed the door open and walked inside. His actions looked like they were captured in


    slow motion. It was not until he entered the bathroom that he discovered a person was floating inside


    the bathtub.


    Boom!


    Feeling his body stiffen up, he stared horrified at the floating woman in the bathtub, his face instantly


    turned ashen.


    ¡°S-Shirley?¡± He used every ounce of his strength to call out her name, but who would have expected


    that his voice sounded as deep and raspy as a duck¡¯s quack? His voice was so soft that it was almost


    inaudible.


    Although he wanted to move forward, his legs felt like they were made of steel and were so heavy that


    he could not lift them. He wanted to call out her name but realized that he could not speak.


    The scene from the bathroom at Brennan Manor reappeared in his mind, and one after another, the


    scenes in his memory began to turn ck and white.


    It was the first time Skyler felt so much guilt for something he had done. Have I gone overboard?


    ¡°Shirley¡­ Shirley?¡± It took him some time to return to normal before he dashed over to her body and


    embraced her out of the water.

 Chapter 769

    Chapter 769


    Chapter 769 Taking Care of Shirley


    Ssh! Water sttered everywhere and even wet Skyler¡¯s clothes. While hugging the woman¡¯s waist,


    he gently tapped on her cheek. ¡°Shir¡ª¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The woman in his arms groaned as her long, curly eyshes batted before shezily opened


    her eyes. Then, she saw Skyler with her blurry vision and could not help but feel bothered. ¡°How


    annoying. You¡¯re even pestering me in my dreams.¡±


    That left him speechless. Damn it! Does she hate me that much?


    Skyler had always been someone women sought after, and Shirley¡¯s words were like a huge blow to


    him, testing his urge to drop her back into the cold bathtub. However, he felt her skin gradually warming


    up and used his hand to touch her forehead. Just as he expected, she had a fever.


    Since she was previously soaking in cold water, her skin felt cold, but now that she was out of it, her


    skin had be burning hot.


    ¡°What do I do with you?¡±


    After bringing Shirley back to her bedroom, Skyler looked around her apartment and found some


    medication. Then, he poured her a cup of water and sat on the edge of the bed, ready to feed her the


    medication. However, she was feeling dizzy and had her eyes closed, so she would not open her


    mouth, which caused him to fall into a difficult situation.


    Having no other choice, he pinched her cheeks to force her mouth open and force-fed her the


    medication. Later, he thoughtfully helped her cool down.


    Filling a wash basin with water, he dipped a towel into it before twisting the towel to get out the excess


    water. Subsequently, he removed the nket on her to wipe her body. However, he felt his throat run


    dry when he saw her moist and fair skin, which looked like she had just taken a bath in milk.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± While frowning, he threw the towel right into the wash basin and stormed out of the bedroom.


    m!


    He closed the bedroom door and stood outside the bathroom door for a while. His fists tightly clenched


    by his sides, feeling a wave of desire raging inside him. Picking up his coat, he was about to leave


    when he thought about how Shirley still had a fever, so he stayed and apanied her.


    When he returned to the bedroom and saw the passed-out woman in bed, he could only patiently dry


    the towel again to help wipe down her body¡­


    ¡°Ahh! What are you doing?¡±


    A sudden scream sounded in the room, and before Skyler could react, he had been kicked off the bed.


    Coincidentally, he fell into the wash basin, sttering water everywhere. ¡°Ugh¡­ What the heck!¡±


    At that instant, he swore that this moment was the biggest humiliation in his lifetime.


    Shirley, who had awoken, wrapped herself in her covers and stared horrified at him. ¡°Y-Y-You b*stard.


    Get out! Scram!¡±


    Since she had taken some fever-reducing medication, she regained consciousness when Skyler was


    lifting her covers and touching her body¡­


    She was terrified of him after the incident at Brennan Manor, which was why it triggered her fight-or-


    flight response.


    At this moment, she could see the towel in his hand and the wash basin under him. It was then that she


    realized what had happened¡­


    ¡°Have you gone mad? How could you kick me?¡± Skyler was in a pathetic state as he rose to his feet


    from the wash basin. Looking down at his wet pants, he immediately turned gloomy while tightening his


    grip on the towel to the point that his joints were cracking.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Shirley was so afraid of him that she was trembling and did not dare to look into his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t


    want to see you.¡±


    ¡°This is outrageous. I must have gone bonkers to be worried about you!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Not having experienced such humiliation like this before, Skyler was so enraged that he threw the towel


    onto the floor before leaving with a m of the door. With a loud bang, the door mmed shut so


    harshly that even the window ss panels shook.


    As for Shirley, she was so scared that she was trembling and did not even dare to breathe loudly. She


    nced at the towel and wash basin on the floor and suddenly felt that she might have misunderstood


    him.

 Chapter 770

    Chapter 770


    Chapter 770 Meeting Them Again


    Back at the hidden n, Liam arrived at the foot of the mountain and called Veronica, which


    sessfully woke her up from her slumber in Matthew¡¯s embrace.


    She picked up her phone and looked at the shing chain of numbers and recognized it as Liam¡¯s


    phone number. They had just switched to a new phone yesterday, so besides him, no one else knew


    her contact number.


    After answering the call, she nced at Matthew and put it on speaker. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Miss Murphy, where are you?¡± he asked.


    Veronica observed her surroundings and still had no idea where she was, so she answered,


    ¡°Something urgent came up, so I left home. Just send me the location of the ce, and I¡¯ll head over to


    find you.¡±


    Havinge all the way here to pick her up but missed her, Liam was displeased, but he did not show


    it and merely smiled. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll send you the location.¡±


    ¡°Great. It¡¯s settled then.¡±


    After hanging up, shezily leaned into Matthew¡¯s embrace while wrapping her arms around his waist,


    squinting her eyes. ¡°They¡¯ve all arrived. Is there going to be a huge change in the hidden n?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll act ording to the situation. There¡¯s nothing to be scared about,¡± heforted her.


    Although his words sounded reassuring, Veronica still felt a little restless.


    Following that, the two tidied up their appearance before starting the car and heading toward the


    location Liam had sent.


    When they arrived at their destination, it was already half an hour after Liam¡¯s call. It was now 6.30PM


    and the sun was setting.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The ce Liam had chosen for this campfire party was awn outside the hidden n pce. There


    was a mountain and creek on the north side of thewn, which created a beautiful scene. As it was


    almost dark, fireflies twinkled among the green grass, dazzling the air under the campfire¡¯s light.


    When they headed inside, they were stopped by two soldiers outside the pce and were only let in


    after Veronica revealed her identity.


    Right after entering the ce, she saw Liaming over to wee her. ¡°Hahaha. Miss Murphy, you


    finally made it.¡± While greeting her, he nced at the rustically clothed bodyguard behind her and could


    not help but roll his eyes.


    ¡°My apologies. Something came up, so I¡¯m a littlete,¡± Veronica politely replied with a slight nod.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Come on, let¡¯s head over to the others.¡±


    Smiling brightly, Liam led her to the spot beside the campfire and announced, ¡°Everyone,e and


    have a look at the distinguished guest I brought over.¡±


    The few that were sitting beside the campfire gazed over. When they saw her, they each had different


    expressions and thoughts.


    ¡°Roni?¡±


    The most excited of the bunch was, of course, Xavier. When he saw her, he immediately sprang to his


    feet and walked over to ask concernedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the distinguished guest Prince Liam invited to


    be you. It¡¯s been a while since west met. How are you doing?¡± Hepletely neglected Antheena


    and did not even notice her grim gaze that was filled with jealousy.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this Veronica, my younger sister? What a coincidence meeting you here,¡± Tiffany spoke up


    with a faint smile.


    Meanwhile, Zac rose to his feet and walked over with his arms intertwined across his chest. ¡°We¡¯ve met


    again.¡±


    Hendrey also stood up and looked at her. Though he did not utter a word, his gaze was filled with


    mixed emotions.


    As for Troy, who was beside Zac, his expression remained as cold as ever while he silently stood to the


    side. However, his dark eyes nced at the man behind Veronica.


    ¡°Liam, you¡¯re so mean. How can you invite Veronica without telling me?¡± Tiffany bit her red lips while


    gently nudging Liam¡¯s body with hers, voicing out her dissatisfaction.


    Even though Tiffany and Veronica were twins, Liam could feel that Tiffany was overly frivolous, which


    did not evoke his urge to conquer her.

 Chapter 771

    Chapter 771


    Chapter 771 The Prince Got Mad


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get to meet her now? Hahaha¡­¡± While Liam stared fixedly at Veronica, his eyes were


    shooting out a passionate light. It was a gaze that made Matthew feel especially displeased.


    Ignoring Tiffany, Veronica smiled at Liam before approaching Xavier. ¡°It has been a while since west


    met. I wasn¡¯t able to attend you and Antheena¡¯s weddingst time. Is it toote to wish you guys a


    happy marriage?¡±


    As she was talking to Xavier, she tilted her head to look at Antheena, who was approaching them from


    behind, and a smile appeared on her red lips.


    Antheena did not reject her sincere gaze and wishes, nor did she think Veronica was fake. That was


    because she was clear that Veronica only had eyes for Matthew. Even if Xavier could not forget his


    feelings for Veronica, his feelings were only one-sided. However, her jealousy was deeply rooted inside


    her, which made it difficult to ignore.


    Approaching her husband¡¯s side, Antheena held his arm while affectionately saying, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Neither of them mentioned the matter of being assassinated at Primrose Residence.


    ¡°Come on, why are you all standing there? Have a seat. Since we¡¯re all acquaintances, let¡¯s not be too


    modest with each other,¡± Liam urged while instinctively wanting to pull Veronica¡¯s arm and lead her to


    sit down.


    Still, no matter how quick he was, how could hepare to Matthew?


    Quickly moving forward, Matthew pulled her to the side so quickly that Liam, who was looking in front,


    did not notice that she was gone. Therefore, he reached and grabbed Matthew¡¯s wrist instead.


    At first, Liam thought that Veronica would struggle to break free once he grabbed ¡®her¡¯ wrist, ording


    to her personality. However, it had been quite a while, yet ¡®she¡¯ had not responded.


    Feeling a little giddy, he even used the pad of his fingers to gently caress ¡®her¡¯ skin. He thought that


    since Veronica looked as beautiful as a flower and had skin as fair as snow, her skin must feel delicate


    and smooth like a peeled egg. Yet, who would have thought that not only was ¡®her¡¯ skin not smooth, it


    even felt like a man¡¯s skin?


    Just as Liam was feeling confused, he discovered that the others were looking at him with strange


    looks and quirky smiles.


    Stunned, he turned his head to look over and found himself holding a big, burly man, whose face was


    dirty with a big mole¡­ You? Iron Pir?!


    ¡°Prince Liam, your interests are indeed quite special.¡±


    Since Veronica was trying so hard to hold back herughter, she felt she was about to injure herself


    internally.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam was Tracy¡¯s youngest son, so he was indeed a young prince. Though Veronica could address him


    as ¡®Young Master Liam¡¯ outside the pce, she had to address him as ¡®Prince Liam¡¯ within the vicinity.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Zac¡¯s eyes lit up as he burst outughing while looking at Liam with a meaningful gaze.


    ¡°Scram!¡± The embarrassed Liam red at Matthew with sharp eyes, wanting to strangle him to death.


    ¡°Who said you coulde in here? Go away!¡±


    Instead, Matthew lowered his head and stayed silent, trying his best to hide his existence. Since


    everyone at the scene was people whom he was well-acquainted with, he would inevitably expose


    himself if he spoke.


    ¡°He¡¯s with me. Since he¡¯s not weed here, we¡¯ll leave.¡± When Veronica saw the man she loved


    being humiliated, she naturally stood up and protected him. She looked at Matthew and added, ¡°Iron


    Pir, since Prince Liam doesn¡¯t wee us, let¡¯s leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Veronica.¡± Heplied with her and turned around, wanting to leave.


    ¡°I only asked him to move to the side. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re nning to let a mere bodyguard sit among


    us?¡± With a darkened expression, Liam felt defeated andined.

 Chapter 772

    Chapter 772


    Chapter 772 Killing Tiffany


    ¡°Prince Liam is right. Please sit, Veronica.¡± Hendrey treated Veronica as gently as ever.


    Xavier looked at her, his dark brows furrowed. Then, he nced at Antheena beside him but kept his


    mouth shut. On the other hand, Tiffany red at Veronica and Hendrey resentfully and then casually


    took a seat next to Liam.


    A bonfire was lit on thewn, and seven to eight low rectangr tables were ced around it with two


    futon cushions beside each table. The table had a full spread of delicious food with a few bottles of fine


    wines.


    ¡°She¡¯s my honored guest, so it¡¯s only proper that she sits next to me.¡± Liam rebuffed Hendrey and


    politely said to Veronica, ¡°Miss Veronica, this way, please.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Veronica wanted to refuse Hendrey¡¯s and Liam¡¯s offers because she knew that the moment she


    epted, someone would learn about this and immediately turn into a raging and jealous little monster.


    ¡°Come on. Just sit here. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to eat you.¡± Liam didn¡¯t allow her to decline as he tugged


    her hand over to sit on the main seat.


    That instant Liam¡¯s hand was on her, Veronica immediately felt a chill down her spine and instinctively


    shook off his hand, fearing Matthew would rush over and threaten Liam with a sword.


    ¡°I can walk by myself.¡± She smiled awkwardly.


    Then, Liam snapped his fingers, and a band started ying a tune. When the merry song began, a


    group of beautiful women dressed in Hidden n costumes came forward to dance along. The


    atmosphere turned harmonious and peaceful as the music and song resonated across the venue, and


    the dancers performed wonderfully.


    ¡°Come, have a drink.¡± He raised his ss in mid-air and clinked sses with the others in mid-air. With


    that done, he turned to Veronica with a bright grin and urged, ¡°This is the best wine from our n. It¡¯s


    amazing. You should give it a taste.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Veronica answered politely.


    Tiffany was jealous as she watched their interaction. So, she gritted her teeth and sneered, ¡°Veronica,


    it¡¯s truly amazing that you could be in such a good mood. Your husband died not long ago, yet here you


    are, mingling with another man so intimately. Aren¡¯t you worried that he won¡¯t be able to rest in peace?¡±


    The smile on Veronica¡¯s face froze upon hearing her words, and her hand that was holding the wine


    ss trembled slightly. Still, she slowly lifted the ss and polished off her drink elegantly under the


    crowd¡¯s gaze. The orange glow of the bonfire illuminated her face, softening her delicate facial


    features. No one could even see a trace of irritation after Tiffany¡¯s provocation.


    Yet, she ced the wine ss down firmly, picked up a fork on the table, and suddenly threw it like it


    was a dagger without even looking away from her ss. In a blink of an eye, the fork flew straight


    toward Tiffany and pierced through her palm, which was holding her own ss of wine.


    Ssh!


    ¡°Argh!¡± The wine ss fell with a crash as Tiffany promptly flung it away on the wooden table. The wine


    sshed on the hem of her skirt, and along with it was the blood that spilled out of her injured palm,


    which stained her skirt red.


    ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing. He won¡¯t rest in peace because you¡¯re not dead yet!¡± Veronica¡¯s


    expression turned sullen, and her gaze promised death.


    When the performers witnessed such a scene, they shrieked in horror and quickly fled. The band also


    came to a screeching halt. The surroundings fell silent, which made Tiffany¡¯s scream shriller across the


    venue.


    Hendrey¡¯s primary responsibility was to protect Tiffany. So, when he saw that she was injured, he


    jerked to his feet, dashed over, and demanded sourly, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Veronica huffed scornfully. ¡°What am I doing? Can¡¯t you see? I told you, I¡¯ll kill her sooner or


    later. Since your job is to protect her, you should have known better than to allow her to scurry around


    me!¡±


    Even though she knew Matthew was alive, she had put up with Tiffany for far too long. She wasn¡¯t a


    saint, but she would have tolerated Tiffany¡¯s presence. s, that moron repeatedly tried her patience.


    She knew Tiffany was foolish, but sometimes it made her wonder just how this idiot had survived to


    adulthood.

 Chapter 773

    Chapter 773


    Chapter 773 So Scared She Peed Her Pants


    After all, Tiffany only existed because of Veronica¡¯s genes. Of course, she could be considered a clone.


    Still, if there were studies on whether clones would like the original copy, Veronica was confident that


    people would pay good money to confirm that there wasn¡¯t an instant bond and that clones are entirely


    different individuals. Nevertheless, Tiffany didn¡¯t appreciate Veronica¡¯s involvement in giving her a


    chance to live; it was quite the opposite, in fact.


    ¡°Veronica! H-How dare you! You have the cheek to kill me in the royal pce of the Hidden n! This


    is tant contempt to the head of the n!¡± Tiffany held her left hand, which was trembling in pain as


    the fork was still stabbed clean through her palm. Crimson blood flowed down the fork, and her pale


    face twisted into a painful grimace.


    Resentment surged in her heart, and she raised her head to re daggers at Veronica. She


    desperately wanted to lunge at Veronica, cut her open, and drain her blood to dispel the hatred


    festering within her. Unfortunately, they were at the Hidden n, and she had to be on her best


    behavior.


    ¡°You¡¯re about to die, yet you still care about the location of your death.¡± Veronica grinned sinisterly.


    ¡°But¡­ at least you will die knowing where you¡¯ll be buried.¡±


    With that, Veronica advanced on Tiffany¡­


    The atmosphere suddenly turned intense and hostile. Xavier, Antheena, Zac, Liam, Troy, and the rest


    watched their fight from the ramparts. Although Zac had a secret alliance with Tiffany, he could not


    tantly take sides to avoid suspicion.


    ¡°Over my dead body.¡± Hendrey stood in front of Tiffany and guarded her.


    Veronica stared at the man before her. His face was as gentle and elegant as usual, and this face


    ovepped with the one she remembered from several years ago. Everything seemed to have


    remained the same, yet everything seemed to have changed.


    She curled her lips into a mirthless smile and defiantly said, ¡°Then, over your head, be it.¡±


    As she spoke, she leaned down slightly and clutched another fork on the low table while she attacked


    him with a powerful kick¡­


    Hendrey didn¡¯t expect her to attack him. Still, he had to protect Tiffany even though he felt that she


    deserved it for offending Veronica. So, he nimbly sidestepped Veronica¡¯s attack and retreated hastily as


    she lunged at his face with the fork in her hand. Then, Veronica abruptly turned her stance and took the


    opportunity to switch her target to Tiffany.


    ¡°Argh! Hendrey, help me!¡± Tiffany howled in terror. Although she had practiced martial arts when she


    disappeared, her skills were nothingpared to Veronica¡¯s. They weren¡¯t even close in terms of skills.


    It also didn¡¯t help matters that she was injured, so she couldn¡¯t respond fast enough to counter


    Veronica¡¯s attack.


    Liam lounged on his seat and watched Veronica while sipping on his winenguidly. He couldn¡¯t help


    but feel that she was full of surprises. He had always had a preference for women who were


    outstanding regardless of their physical appearance. So, his attraction for Veronica was merely a


    shallow thing. It mainly was derided from his sexual needs as a man.


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    ¡°Look, Sebastian. She does love her dead husband, after all,¡± Antheena leaned over and whispered to


    Xavier while enjoying the fight. She wanted to hammer in the fact that Veronica loved Matthew from the


    moon and back. That way, Xavier would know that he would never have a chance to win Veronica¡¯s


    heart, even if Matthew was dead!


    ¡°Tiffany deserves everything that¡¯sing for her!¡± Xavier finished the remaining half ss of wine in


    one gulp, heavily mmed the ss on the table, and wanted to get up to deal with Hendrey. However,


    at this moment, Iron Pir had already stepped forward before him and charged at Hendrey.


    Frankly, Matthew was far more skilled than Hendrey, but to hide his identity, he deliberately slowed his


    response and tried to look as clumsy as possible. Nheless, he still seeded in holding Hendrey


    at bay.


    Veronica was touched when she saw Matthew lending her a hand. Then, she red coldly at Tiffany


    and spun the fork skillfully around her fingers. ¡°You reap what you sow, Tiffany. I have given you plenty


    of chances.¡±


    ¡°V-Veronica, you can¡¯t kill me. We¡¯re at the Hidden n. Y-You can¡¯t kill me!¡±


    Tiffany was so terrified that her face was stark white. She mbered backward in fear as she


    stammered, ¡°H-Hendrey, help me! She¡¯s going to kill me!¡± Regrettably, despite her desperate cries,


    Hendrey was busy with Iron Pir, so he couldn¡¯t step in to protect her.

 Chapter 774

    Chapter 774


    Chapter 774 Disgrace


    ¡°Za¡ªArgh!¡± A desperate Tiffany ran toward Zac, but she had only made two steps before Veronica


    hurled the fork with deadly uracy and pierced her calf with it. It was so painful that Tiffany crashed


    on the floor in a mess of tangled limbs, gripped her calf, and wailed miserably.


    The hostile Veronica slowly walked up to Tiffany, stepped on her calf mercilessly, leaned down, and


    pulled out the fork brutally. Her action was swift and ruthless, and the cutlery¡¯s removal seeded in


    tugging Tiffany¡¯s flesh, which resulted in another round of piercing screeches from Tiffany. Her


    agonized cries echoed across the sky.


    The guards not far away didn¡¯t dare to step forward despite the horrifying scene because they did not


    receive any orders from Liam to interfere.


    Finally, Veronica moved away and stepped forcefully on Tiffany¡¯s abdomen. She leaned down, propped


    her left elbow on her knee, and yed with the blood-stained fork with her right hand. Then, she gently


    brushed the fork on Tiffany¡¯s fair face, leaving a bright red smear across her cheek.


    Finally, she rested the fork on Tiffany¡¯s neck, and her face gradually turned sullen. ¡°Tiffany, you brought


    this on yourself. Remember to be a good person in your next life!¡±


    With that, Veronica raised her hand and decisively stabbed the fork down. At that moment, Tiffany¡¯s


    eyes widened with horror. It was as if she saw the Grim Reaper approaching and felt Death itself


    brushing against her skin with its hands.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Suddenly, a stone shot over from afar and hit the fork in Veronica¡¯s hand with great force right in the


    nick of time. The power behind that throw made her hand numb. Regardless, it managed to redirect her


    course and cause the fork to fly out of her hand.


    Everyone simultaneously looked over and saw a man and a woman storming over. They were dressed


    in the Hidden n¡¯s traditional costume. They raised their chins proudly and strode over elegantly,


    exuding a natural charisma as they made their appearance.


    ¡°Imbecile! How dare you attempt tomit murder outside our pce! How dare you disrespect our


    n and the royal family!¡±


    Judging by the fact that the man spoke in English, he investigated everyone in attendance thoroughly.


    Then, the man who spoke turned his gaze at Liam and spoke in thenguage of the Hidden n,


    ¡°Liam, you¡¯re a prince, yet you did nothing to stop them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, brother¡¯s right. How could you allow this to go so far?¡± the woman on the side chimed in.


    ¡°Woah, my dear brother and sister, do you think I can stop them? They are so powerful and highly


    skilled. My hands are tied.¡± Liam shrugged and spread his arms helplessly.


    Matthew and Hendrey immediately halted while Veronica stood up and spared Tiffany. Tiffany, who


    sensed that she was given a new lease on life, hastily crawled to Zac¡¯s side and hid behind him,


    trembling like a leaf.


    Zac, who was drinking wine, furrowed his brows as he watched the people who had arrived. Then, he


    instinctively sniffed when he smelled something out of ce and immediately identified it as a stench of


    urine. His face twisted in disgust, and he side-eyed Tiffany. His gaze quickly traveled downward to her


    skirt.


    Tiffany knew what had happened when she saw the revulsion in his eyes, so she forced herself to


    scoot away.


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Zac snapped and grimaced in distaste. The woman had soiled the ce where he ate and


    drank. He also felt rather suffocated as he thought that even the air was polluted by her presence.


    Right then, he felt that Tiffany was such a useless coward. She peed her pants because of Veronica.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The bonfire wasn¡¯t a good light source as the fire shifted and crackled, making the shadows dance.


    Plus, Tiffany was wearing a light-colored skirt, so no one could see any signs of wetness on her dress,


    but they could smell it. Thankfully, the evening breeze blew by, and it soon scattered the pungent smell


    in no time.


    ¡°Let me introduce to you all. This is my elder brother, Dominik, and this is my eldest sister, Eleanor,


    who is also the leader of the hidden n,¡± Liam introduced the two to the crowd.


    Zac, Xavier, Antheena, Hendrey, and Troy immediately came forward and greeted them respectfully.


    On the other hand, Veronica and Matthew stood aside quietly, as they couldn¡¯t be bothered to suck up


    to the Ledgers like sycophants.


    Dominik had his hands behind his back as he sized Veronica up with an unfathomable gaze. Then,


    after a while, he ordered the servant trailing behind him, ¡°You, take Miss Tiffany to get changed.¡±

 Chapter 775

    Chapter 775


    Chapter 775 Matthew Is Madly Jealous


    ¡°Yes, Prince Dominik.¡± The servant walked up to Tiffany. ¡°Miss Larson, pleasee with me.¡±


    The disheveled Tiffany was worried that others would discover that she peed her pants, so she hastily


    left with the servant.


    ¡°You¡¯re Veronica?¡± Eleanor Ledger walked up to Veronica and gave her a curious once over.


    The Haians had prominent and distinctive facial features with thick eyebrows and big sparkly eyes.


    Eleanor¡¯s facial features were especially eye-catching. She had the stunning beauty of an exotic


    woman.


    Eleanor asked the question in English, but Veronica heard Eleanor and Dominik talking fluently with


    Zac in Chinese, and she couldn¡¯t help admiring Tanya, who had raised her children well.


    Her three children were each proficient in at least threenguages, and even the most untalented child,


    Liam, was proficient in eightnguages. Veronica deduced that she should never underestimate their


    family¡¯s capability. In fact, Tanya¡¯s children were so outstanding that she quickly assumed that Tanya¡¯s


    subordinates werepetent. Considering all these factors, could Hayley and Waylen even win in a


    fight against Tanya?


    ¡°Yes.¡± Veronica nodded and donned a diplomatic smile.


    ¡°I know you. You are Hayley¡¯s daughter. So, you want to steal the position of the n¡¯s leader from me,


    don¡¯t you?¡± Eleanor tilted her head slightly and quipped with a smile, but her eyes never left Victoria.


    Her voice was crisp and pleasant to the ears, but her remarks made everyone¡¯s expression change into


    one of uneasiness.


    Even Veronica, who was not easily shocked, was bbergasted as well.


    Everyone present knew that she was Hayley¡¯s daughter, but no one would bring it up. Moreover, she


    couldn¡¯t tell if Eleanor was oblivious or feigning ignorance by airing that out in the open.


    Or perhaps she wanted to intimidate her in public.


    As though they were cued, everyone swiftly turned their gazes at Veronica withplicated


    expressions on their faces. Some were observing the scene calmly; some were waiting to see whether


    one would embarrass themselves, while others looked on worriedly.


    ¡°You should ask Hayley about this. She should be able to give you an urate answer,¡± Veronica


    replied calmly.


    ¡°Haha! Rx. I¡¯m just asking off the top of my head. My mother has been the leader of the n for


    years. If you guys can steal it away from her easily, it will only mean that she is incapable of being a


    leader.¡± She chuckled airily, and there was a hint of naivety in herughter.


    Her bizarre actions made Veronica blink at her dazedly.


    ¡°Come on. Please sit. My brother¡¯s friends are also my friends. We don¡¯t stand on ceremony here. Do


    enjoy yourself.¡± Eleanor sat at the empty table across them, where the servants had already prepared


    tableware, food, and wine.


    Then, she raised her ss and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to know you all. Let me give you a toast.


    Please tell me more about the outside world.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too humble, Princess Eleanor.¡±


    ¡°You have such a delightful and bubbly personality. I have always loved to be friends with girls like you.¡±


    ¡°Please visit Castron when you¡¯re free. I¡¯ll show you around.¡±


    ¡°Princess Eleanor, you¡¯re so funny and gorgeous.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a toast too.¡±


    ¡­


    Veronica left Liam¡¯s table. She went to the table where Tiffany had just sat and had the servants bring


    two new sets of tableware over as she settled in with Matthew.


    As they mingled, Matthew leaned in close to Veronica and whispered, ¡°Eleanor is not as innocent as


    she seems. Be careful.¡±


    Veronica took a sip of wine and murmured under her breath, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have fought with Hendrey.


    What if your identity was exposed?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I could, I would like to expose my identity today, or else¡ª¡± someone will steal my wife


    away!


    He was frustrated enough with Mateo¡¯s presence. Then, to make matters even worse, he was forced to


    endure Xavier and Hendrey¡¯s presence.

 Chapter 776

    Chapter 776


    Chapter 776 Confession, Busted


    Matthew was not worried about Liam since the man only coveted Veronica for her beauty, but Mateo,


    Xavier, and Hendrey were different. They sincerely adored Veronica, which had ced him under


    tremendous pressure. Therefore, he truly wanted to expose his identity so he could be with her openly.


    Veronica knew the implication behind his words, although he didn¡¯t finish his sentence. She shook her


    head with a weak smile.


    Zac sat right next to Eleanor as he vividly illustrated Castron¡¯s beauty and prosperity while Eleanor


    listened with gusto.


    ¡°I need to use the restroom,¡± Veronica said to Liam, who was staring at her and promptly left.


    That was a rather flimsy excuse. She actually wanted to take a breather at the hillside. As she stood


    alone on the hillside, she felt the evening breeze blowing on her skin and looked up at the starry night


    sky. The fireflies embellished the breathtaking night view, which made for an extraordinarily beautiful


    yet serene picture.


    ¡°Are you thinking of him?¡± A male voice suddenly sounded behind her. She turned around and found


    that it was Xavier.


    She rxed her tense shoulders and shook her head in denial. Xavier was obviously referring to the


    ¡°deceased¡± Matthew. Veronica felt a little suffocated inside as she stood on the hillside and gazed at


    the bustling city.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have brought Antheena here.¡± The Hidden n was in dire straits now, and danger


    lurked at every corner.


    Xavier shoved his hands in the pockets of his light gray jeans, stood beside her, and looked into the


    distance. Then, he sighed. ¡°He¡¯s not here. Who else would protect you if I didn¡¯te?¡±


    The evening breeze was quite chilly, but his words were filled with endless warmth wrapped around


    her. She couldn¡¯t deny that she felt touched by his care for her.


    Immediately afterward, she felt a lump in her throat as she felt genuinely sorry for Xavier. He despised


    Matthew. So, would he also hate her for the deception if he knew that Matthew was still alive?


    ¡°Will you hate me if you learned that I have been lying to you all along?¡± She couldn¡¯t resist the need to


    know and finally asked him the question that had been guing her for a while.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± Xavier answered resolutely.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me what the lie was?¡±


    ¡°I trust you. You wouldn¡¯t lie to me unless you were forced to do so. Also, you wouldn¡¯t have bothered


    to lie.¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡± Veronica chuckled bitterly. ¡°You¡¯re far too trusting. Aren¡¯t you worried that I would betray you one


    day?¡±


    He sighed heavily as he crossed his arms around his chest, raised his eyebrows, and smirked. ¡°No,


    you¡¯re not that kind of person.¡±


    Veronica pursed her lips. A sudden burst of sorrow surged within her, and she felt terrible for him.


    ¡°Actually, Antheena is a nice girl. She dearly loves you. You should cherish her.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯s nice? She wants to kill you! Since you can call your killer a nice girl, doesn¡¯t it mean that you¡¯re


    a better person than she will ever be?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already married.¡±


    ¡°I can divorce her.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Veronicamented, ¡°It¡¯s not fair to her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to make up for it.¡± Then, in Xavier¡¯s annoyance, he took out a cigarette from its case, lit


    it, and took a deep drag. The cigarette shed like a starburst in the darkness and flickered like a red


    firefly.


    ¡°Roni, d-do I still have a chance?¡±


    He was confessing his feelings to her, but she didn¡¯t answer him. Heughed bitterly. ¡°I know you¡¯re out


    of my league. Although you have been married and have two kids, you¡¯re the future Young Lord of the


    Hidden n and wealthy. Meanwhile, I have nothing.¡±


    The gap between the two of them was vast.


    ¡°You¡¯re humble. Actually, you¡¯re very nice.¡± Veronica didn¡¯t want to hear him belittling himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m nice? So, do I have a chance to be with you?¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Veronica tilted her head to look at Xavier. Suddenly, she spotted a man standing not far away from her


    peripheral vision. It was a familiar figure. Although he stood in the shadows and remained silent, she


    knew who he was.


    Xavier sensed her wandering mind, so he turned around and took a peek.

 Chapter 777

    Chapter 777


    Chapter 777 Expose


    ¡°The bodyguard Crayson assigned to you is quite skilled. The people around you are all talented and


    powerful,¡± Xavier said with a sigh. Initially, he was unaware of Veronica¡¯s identity, but he was not


    surprised at all after learning about it because her temperament and aura had always been so


    distinctive. That was what caught his eye in the first ce.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I asked for it.¡± Veronica withdrew her gaze and sighed faintly. She wanted an ordinary and


    simple life, but it seemed that fate had other ns.


    She looked up at the sky and gazed at the shining stars. The frogs were croaking gently as though they


    were singing under the moonlight. For a moment, it seemed as if she had gone back to the summer of


    her childhood, where she would rest her head on Danie¡¯s knees, and Danie would fan her with a


    bushel fan. Back then, she would lie on her back as she looked up at the sky and count the stars.


    ¡°I can help you if you want to leave,¡± Xavier inched closer to her, lowered his voice, and whispered.


    He was a man of his word, and she never doubted him. The problem was that the nicer he was to her,


    the more regretful she felt.


    It was especially so when Matthew was still alive and standing not far away from them. What would


    happen if Xavier knew the truth? She couldn¡¯t even imagine how furious he would be.


    ¡°Antheena is a nice woman. Don¡¯t break her heart.¡± Veronica changed the subject and turned around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve left for too long, and they might start gossiping about us if we don¡¯t return soon.¡±


    She walked straight to Matthew. Although it was dark, she could sense his intense re, making her


    feel awkward.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    The three returned to the bonfire and took their seats. The crowd drank and chatted about everything,


    but no one mentioned anything about the session of the n.


    Therefore, the atmosphere remained cordial and harmonious. It also helped that everyone gradually


    rxed the more they drank.


    All of a sudden, Liam rose to his feet, walked to Veronica with a ss of wine, and waved his hand at


    Matthew, signaling him to stand aside. However, Matthew ignored him and continued to drink with his


    head down.


    ¡°Miss Veronica, tell your bodyguard to get out of the way. He¡¯s so annoying.¡± Liam pouted in


    displeasure.


    Veronica twitched her lips slightly and looked at Matthew. ¡°Uh¡­ Can you move aside a little?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel sheepish as she spoke. That feeling worsened when she met his cold and


    profound eyes. Still, he frowned slightly as he rose to his feet reluctantly, walked to the vacant table at


    the side, and sat there.


    ¡°You speak so gently to your bodyguard.¡± Liam chuckled and made himselffortable in Matthew¡¯s


    original seat. ¡°I heard that you could drink, so I wanted to have a couple of drinks with you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Prince Liam, but you¡¯ve misheard. I can¡¯t hold my liquor.¡±


    ¡°My mom told me pretty women always lie, and you¡¯re no exception. Haha! So, cheers!¡±


    Liam clinked sses with Veronica. Thus, she had no choice but to drink with him.


    ¡°Wonderful! Haha! I¡¯ll pour you another.¡± Liam picked up the wine bottle only to find it empty. Hence, he


    waved at the servant nearby. ¡°Hey, bring a few more bottles of wine over.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Prince Liam.¡± The servant immediately acquiesced and did as he was instructed.


    ¡°So, Liam, it seems Veronica has caught your fancy, huh?¡± Eleanor teased him and said to Veronica,


    ¡°Fair warning, Liam is a yboy. He will date whomever he takes a fancy to as long as she is pretty.


    Watch out for that.¡± She exposed Liam without a single shred of pity.


    ¡°Eleanor, how could you say that? Is this how you treat your brother? I¡¯m hurt.¡± He shot her a re.


    The crowd was a little confused as they listened in on their conversation. Finally, Antheena couldn¡¯t


    help piping up with a smile, ¡°Actually, which of you is older? Prince Liam, Princess Eleanor is supposed


    to be your elder sister, right? But you seem to speak quite casually with her.¡±

 Chapter 778

    Chapter 778


    Chapter 778 Love Eating Lamb


    Antheena asked a critical question. Dominik burst out in jovialughter and exined, ¡°Liam is the


    youngest, of course. But when we were kids, Liam and Eleanor made a bet during a race. The bet was


    that if Liam won, Eleanor would have to call him big brother. Well, he won in the end. So, from then on,


    she would talk to him like he was her elder brother. Eventually, they got used to it.¡±


    ¡°You guys are quite close,¡± Zacmented with a sigh and continued to drink his wine. The


    disappointment and sadness in his eyes were undeniable under the bright firelight of the bonfire.


    Perhaps, they reminded him of his siblings and that he envied the easy harmony and affection of the


    Ledger Family.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Prince Liam, the wine is here.¡± The servant brought a jar of wine, knelt before the two, and poured the


    wine.


    Right then, Tiffany made an appearance and nced slyly at the bottle of wine the servant was


    holding.


    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s enjoy the wine. The roastedmb will be ready soon. You can try Hidden n¡¯s


    special roastedmb.¡± Liam was cheerful, hospitable, and easygoing. He was a natural social butterfly.


    ¡°Thank you, Prince Liam, for your hospitality.¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    ¡°Wow, this wine is excellent.¡±


    ¡°I heard about the delicious roastedmb when I arrived here. I¡¯m truly looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°I love eatingmb.¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd chattered andughed leisurely, and the atmosphere was cordial and lively. Still, there were


    two exceptions¡ªIron Pir, whose expression was as gloomy as a storm cloud throughout the


    banquet, but he was ignored due to his status as a mere guard. Then, there was Tiffany, who was


    utterly embarrassed that she humiliated herself in public. Iron Pir didn¡¯t want to talk, while Tiffany


    tried not to join in on the conversation so that no one would notice her and mock her.


    After the crowd put down their sses of wine, Liam turned back to the servant and instructed, ¡°Ask if


    the roastedmb is ready. Send it over once it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Prince Liam.¡± The servant turned around and swiftly left.


    Not long after, several people carried two whole roastedmbs over, and two other servants propped


    up the folding rack, set up the roastedmbs, and wielded knives to cut them into edible pieces.


    ¡°Oh my, this smells delicious!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I can¡¯t wait to have a bite.¡±


    ¡°What spices do they use to roast thembs? It smells amazing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was what I was thinking too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of roastedmbs, but none of them smell this great. I have always lovedmb chops.


    Can I have more?¡±


    ¡­


    The chef took a knife, cut themb efficiently, and ted it. Finally, the servants delivered it to each


    person one by one.


    Dominik had a charming smile on his face as he urged, ¡°Please give it a try. The Hidden n¡¯s roasted


    lamb has perfectly crispy skin and tender meat. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a hit.¡±


    Both Antheena and Tiffany had a preference formb, and Veronica was no exception. As she greedily


    stared at themb chops on the te, she quickly wore the disposable gloves and ate them with relish.


    ¡°Here. This is the special sauce. Dip the meat in it. It tastes even better, I promise.¡±


    Antheena clicked her tongue. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ Prince Liam, you¡¯re so biased. Why don¡¯t we have that too?¡±


    ¡°Probably because you¡¯re married,¡± Zac teased.


    The crowd broke out in amusedughter, but Veronica was on pins and needles. She instinctively


    nced at Matthew at the next table, only to see him sullenly drinking as he remained as silent as the


    grave.


    Hendrey noticed her gaze and turned to look at Matthew. But then, he couldn¡¯t help butment


    curiously, ¡°Hmm, I wasn¡¯t paying any attention to it earlier, but Veronica, I find your bodyguard rather


    familiar.¡±


    His inadvertent statement attracted everyone¡¯s attention, and all eyes turned simultaneously to look at


    Matthew. Nevertheless, Matthew merely sat cross-legged with his waist arched. He didn¡¯t even bother


    to raise his head at all. He only silently drank the wine and enjoyed the roastedmb as though he was


    the only man left in the world.

 Chapter 779

    Chapter 779


    Chapter 779 Let¡¯s Spar


    ¡°He¡¯s so reserved. I would have thought he was mute if I hadn¡¯t heard him speak earlier,¡± Antheena


    remarked.


    Eleanor nced at Matthew with intrigue. ¡°He looks quite homely, but when he fought with Hendrey just


    now, I could see that he was quite strong.¡± Then, she turned to Dominik and asked, ¡°Can I spar with


    him?¡±


    ¡°I heard that Princess Eleanor is highly skilled in terms of martial arts too. I¡¯m interested.¡± ¡°Yes, you


    guys can spar.¡±


    ¡°Eleanor, don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± ¡°Yeah, he irritates me. Eleanor, teach him a lesson for me.¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Princess Eleanor, you should forget it. He¡¯s stronger than me. I¡¯m worried he will hurt you by mistake,¡±


    Hendrey blurted. It didn¡¯t sound anything out of the norm, yet it was clear that he seemed to be


    provoking her.


    Veronica could tell what Hendrey was up to. She swept an unfathomable nce at him and happened


    to meet his eyes. He dodged away guiltily.


    ¡°Hah! You underestimate me.¡± It seemed that the provocation worked on Eleanor. So, she raised her


    eyebrows and confidently walked up to Matthew. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name? Can you spar with me?¡±


    Matthew poured himself a bottle of wine and replied indifferently, ¡°No.¡± His tone was light and breezy,


    but his refusal was swift and affirmative.


    Tiffany, who had been silent due to the humiliation, resented Iron Pir for his involvement in the


    incident earlier. Veronica would not have had the chance to make a move on her had he not stepped in


    to fight with Hendrey. When she saw this, she immediately said imperiously, ¡°You¡¯re just a bodyguard.


    How dare you disregard the Young Lord of the Hidden n. This is outrageous!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Matthew and Veronica red at her in unison, terrifying her into


    silence.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Tiffany. Veronica, people would even say that you are defying the Young Lord if word gets


    out.¡± Zac added fuel to the fire.


    Xavier couldn¡¯t stand the two, so he came to Matthew¡¯s defense and said, ¡°One should always get the


    other party¡¯s consent in a spar.¡±


    Among the people in attendance, Xavier was the only one who would take Veronica¡¯s side.


    Unfortunately, he was also a married man. As a result, his remarks drove Antheena up the wall as she


    retorted, ¡°He should be grateful that the honorable Princess Eleanor is willing topete with him, yet


    he rejected her. That¡¯s so rude! He¡¯s lucky that Princess Eleanor is a nice person. Otherwise, he would


    have been dragged out and executed if it were anyone else.¡±


    Antheena kept fanning the me, hoping to drive a deeper wedge between Veronica and Eleanor.


    ¡°Since he doesn¡¯t want to spar, please don¡¯t push him, Princess Eleanor.¡± Veronica did not want to


    force Matthew into a difficult position. Besides, she also wanted to protect her beloved man. Then, she


    pursed her red lips slightly and beamed. ¡°Hendrey said that Iron Pir¡¯s skill is far above his. Princess


    Eleanor, why don¡¯t you spar with Hendrey? You can challenge Iron Pir after you beat him.¡±


    It was about time to let someone have a taste of their own medicine.


    Although Veronica was initially in a dilemma since Hendrey was her first love, her feelings for him


    gradually dissipated with time.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eleanor looked at Hendrey and pondered seriously for a few seconds before nodding. ¡°Okay.


    Come on, Hendrey, let¡¯s spar, but¡ª¡± She paused and turned to Matthew. ¡°Your name is Iron Pir,


    right? I¡¯ll spar against you if I win against Hendrey. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Matthew agreed unexpectedly. It was probably because he thought that Eleanor would not be


    able to win against Hendrey.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal.¡± Eleanor snapped her fingers and grinned in excitement.


    Veronica had gone through the information packet she was given. So, she knew that even though


    Eleanor was only three years older than Liam, she was a happy-go-lucky person with a bold and open-


    minded temperament.

 Chapter 780

    Chapter 780


    Chapter 780 Their Drinks Were Spiked


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there. It¡¯s spacious,¡± Eleanor said as she pointed to the wide lot not far away. She didn¡¯t


    ask Hendrey¡¯s opinion, and the usually passive Hendrey could only ept her suggestion.


    The crowd eventually got up and walked toward the said location, but Matthew remained seated.


    Veronica waited patiently for everyone to walk past them before going to Matthew and patting his


    shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look. We can¡¯t give ourselves away.¡±


    He ced the wine ss on the table and nced at Veronica with displeasure. ¡°Have you thought


    about how you should be punished tonight?¡±


    She bit the bottom of her lips uneasily. Then, she licked her lips and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.


    Why should I be punished?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t? Alright, it¡¯s my fault then.¡± With that, he got up, turned around, and walked away from her.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Hey!¡± Veronica found his jealousy amusing, but she couldn¡¯t cheer him up in front of so many


    people, so she had no choice but to let him sulk for now.


    Eleanor and Hendrey were already in their battle stance when she went over, yet Zac and Liam


    suddenly eximed excitedly, ¡°Guys, let¡¯s make a bet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet on Hendrey to win.¡± Zac immediately ced his bet.


    Liam said, ¡°I have to support my sister.¡±


    Xavier answered, ¡°Eleanor.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Antheena beamed. ¡°I think Hendrey will win.¡±


    Tiffany quipped, ¡°Hendrey.¡±


    Dominik sided with his sister as he said, ¡°Eleanor.¡±


    Troy followed suit by saying, ¡°I support my boss¡¯ choice.¡±


    Veronica hesitated. ¡°I¡­ Eleanor.¡±


    Then, everyone turned to look at Matthew.


    Matthew looked ahead indifferently. ¡°I do not have money.¡± I¡¯m just a servant, so, of course, I don¡¯t have


    any money.


    Veronica looked in askance at him. He gets in character quite seriously, doesn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re not included. Hendrey has four votes, and Eleanor has four too. It¡¯s quite fair. Alright, you


    guys can start now.¡± Liam giggled. ¡°Come on, give me your money and ce your bets.¡±


    Eleanor stood in front of Hendrey and bowed deeply. ¡°Mr. Johnson, don¡¯t hold back.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± Hendrey replied.


    ¡°On your marks, start!¡± Liam shouted, and the two began to fight in earnest.


    Eleanor clenched her fists tightly and hurled a left hook toward Hendrey, but he gripped it easily and


    countered her attack. She used the inertia as leverage to make a front flip, jumped to his back, and


    kicked him. Her speed was so fast that it was beyond his expectation, so he soon suffered a blow


    against his back.


    ¡°Princess Eleanor, I¡¯m impressed.¡± Hendrey was careless and let his guard down, and there was an


    unmistakable hint of admiration when he looked at her. Hence, when he struck again, he started taking


    the battle seriously as he didn¡¯t lose focus this time.


    Two servants moved a table and ced it in front. Zac and Liam ced the money on the table and


    observed the spar attentively.


    Then, Liam muttered, ¡°I¡¯m so thirsty! I¡¯ll have a drink of water.¡± He got up and went to the bonfire to


    fetch himself a ss of water.


    The fight between Eleanor and Hendrey was nerve-racking and intense. Both were equally skilled, and


    their stances were captivating. The crowd continuously cheered in excitement.


    Suddenly, Veronica felt dizzy. She looked at Matthew and found that he stood rather far away from her


    and still seemed to be sulking, so she did not want to bother him. However, there were many people


    here, and they could easily give themselves away by interacting with each other too often.


    So, she turned around, walked back to the bonfire, and sat down. Then, she propped her elbows on the


    table, cupped her forehead, and muttered. ¡°This wine has strong aftereffects.¡±


    Veronica blurted to Liam, who was drinking wine and admired his excellent alcohol tolerance. Shortly


    after, she began to feel her mind slipping away, and she even felt a little hot.


    Liam wanted to drink in water, but there was only wine on the table, so he drank some wine to


    quench his thirst. s, the more he drank, the hotter he became, and his mind got fuzzier. His gaze at


    Veronica soon turned from tant admiration to something akin to hunger.

 Chapter 781

    Chapter 781


    Chapter 781 They Fight


    Liam tossed away his wine ss and smiled lecherously. ¡°Miss Veronica, I-I like you. C-Can you be my


    girlfriend? Hehe, I¡¯m the prince of the Hidden n. I¡¯ll pamper you with all the money in the world if you


    be my girlfriend. What do you think?¡±


    The delirious Liam pounced on Veronica and dragged her into his embrace while mumbling


    incoherently.


    Unfortunately, Veronica was currently gued with an intense headache, as if a sledgehammer was


    pounding her brain. Hence, she felt dizzy, disoriented, and utterly miserable. Still, when Liam suddenly


    lunged at her, she suddenly regained her senses.


    ¡°Liam, what are you doing?! Let go of me!¡± She desperately tried to shove him away, but he wouldn¡¯t


    budge.


    ¡°Darling, just be with me. Your husband is dead, and I like you. So, just be my woman, okay?¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind? Get lost!¡± She struggled and tried her best to resist the crazy man. But for


    some unknown reason, she felt strangely weak.


    Not too far away, Matthew noticed that Veronica was no longer where she was, and as soon as he


    turned around, he was immediately greeted by the scene happening by the bonfire. His face turned


    sullen and gloomy in a blink of an eye as he rushed toward them. Shortly after, a man¡¯s loud and shrill


    scream echoed through the venue.


    Everyone turned around in confusion and shock, only to see Iron Pir holding Liam down on the


    ground and beating him violently while Liam was screaming at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over and have a look.¡±


    The group of people hurried over to the bonfire. Hendrey and Eleanor also stopped their spar and


    followed suit. The soldiers who were guarding nearby rushed over and surrounded them as they saw


    Liam being beaten.


    ¡°Hey! How dare you beat the prince?!¡±


    ¡°Take him down!¡±


    ¡°Veronica, has your bodyguard gone crazy?!¡±


    ¡°Tell him to stop! Hurry!¡±


    Veronica still possessed a degree of rationality despite her current condition. When she saw that


    Matthew had beaten Liam so severely that thetter¡¯s mouth was bleeding, she scrambled to her feet


    and tugged on Matthew¡¯s arm. ¡°Stop! Stop it!¡±


    s, Matthew couldn¡¯t hear anything as he was filled with rage. He brushed Veronica off, grabbed


    Liam¡¯s cor, and served him with a brutal right hook. Liam was tossed back about four to five meters


    and fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    The soldiers surrounded Matthew and rebuked him in the Hidden n¡¯snguage, ¡°Halt! Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Everyone was bewildered, but Xavier keenly spotted Veronica¡¯s slightly disheveled state and


    questioned with a frown, ¡°Did he touch you?¡±


    His remarks quickly caught everyone¡¯s attention, and they soon came to a correct conclusion about


    what had happened.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Dominik marched forward and said with displeasure, ¡°You can call Liam a womanizer, but he would


    never do such a ridiculous thing in public. Miss Veronica, I hope you¡¯re not trying to push all the me


    on my brother!¡±


    Veronica was on the opposing side of the Ledger royal family, so it was possible that she tried to stir up


    a controversial issue.


    After Dominik finished speaking, Matthew and Xavier stared at him, but this time, before Matthew could


    say anything, Xavier snapped, ¡°Let¡¯s ask Prince Liam and see what¡¯s going on. Then, we¡¯ll know the


    truth. So, don¡¯t start pointing fingers without knowing all the facts.¡±


    Therefore, he walked toward Liam, grabbed him by the cor, and shook him. ¡°Hey, what exactly did


    you do to Roni just now?¡± He chose to stand up for Veronica because he loved her.


    As his wife, Antheena was angered by his actions. Her hands balled into fists as she watched her legal


    husbanding to another woman¡¯s defense. There was an unconcealed hint of ruthlessness and


    jealousy in her eyes as she red at Veronica.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Release me¡­¡±


    Liam pushed Xavier away and pounced at Veronica again. ¡°Hehe! Miss Veronica, b-be my woman! I-I¡¯ll


    take care of you. I-I don¡¯t mind that you¡¯re a widow¡ªArgh!¡±


    Before he could get close to her, Xavier was so furious that his forehead veins bulged. He mercilessly


    kicked Liam in the back. As a result, Liam fell to the ground with a thud, and it just so happened that his


    head fell right by Veronica¡¯s foot.

 Chapter 782

    Chapter 782


    Chapter 782 Eleanor Ledger


    Considering Liam¡¯s silence, it was clear that he was unconscious. At that moment, everyone in


    attendance was shocked upon witnessing the scene.


    Even Matthew, who had always beenposed and levelheaded in the face of danger, looked at


    Xavier with shock and bewilderment. Although one could be selfish and easily jealous when in love with


    someone, he was still dismayed when he saw how Xavier cared for Veronica.


    In the past, when Antheena hunted down Veronica in Primrose Residence, it was Xavier who protected


    Veronica and saved her life. Matthew would forever remember this and deeply knew that he owed


    Skyler a huge favor.


    ¡°You, send Liam to the doctor. You, guard the scene!¡±


    Dominik was keen and sensible, so he knew that Liam had reacted so abnormally because he had


    been drugged. Therefore, he turned around and swept an austere re over everyone. ¡°Ladies and


    gentlemen, this is a scheme gone wrong. I¡¯m sorry, but no one is allowed to leave until we get to the


    bottom of it.¡±


    ¡°Who dared to harm Liam?! Guards, investigate this matter thoroughly!¡± Eleanor bellowed sternly and


    then pointed at Matthew. ¡°And you! How dare you hurt the Prince of the Hidden n! Guards, lock him


    up!¡±


    She targeted Matthew but left Xavier out of it. It was probably because Matthew had embarrassed her


    earlier.


    ¡°Princess Eleanor, this seems personal, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Veronica stood in front of Matthew and blocked the


    guards. ¡°Or is it true that the royal family of the Hidden n can do whatever they please?¡± She


    pointed at Liam, whom the soldiers were supporting. ¡°He, Liam Ledger, attempted to assault me in


    public. Iron Pir is my bodyguard, so he¡¯s just doing his job.¡±


    She was dizzy, but to force herself to maintain her sobriety that was barely there, she clenched her fists


    tightly and made sure that her nails bit into her palms. The stinging pain kept her conscious.


    Nevertheless, her body still felt limp and weak, which caused her to feel a well of frustration at this


    whole debacle.


    ¡°Even if Liam assaulted you first, that is no reason for a bodyguard to subdue him so harshly!¡±


    ¡°Hah! That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± Veronica sneered. ¡°So, ording to you, when can he take action? After Liam


    r*ped me? You should feel lucky on Liam¡¯s behalf, though. If it weren¡¯t for my bodyguard, you would be


    scraping up his remains.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Dominik raised his hand and firmly put the argument to a halt. ¡°Maids, bring the


    guests to rest in the pce, and send our men out to investigate the scene.¡±


    Thus, the guards escorted the people into the pce, and each had a room of their own to rest.


    Perhaps to avoid the masterminds contacting each other, Dominik personally arranged their rooms and


    sent guards to guard the door.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Regardless, he also promised to release them before midnight.


    Veronica was worried about Matthew, but he shook his head at her, signaling her not to worry, so she


    couldn¡¯t say anything in protest. However, she had no idea that Matthew was taken to the side pce


    as soon as they parted ways.


    The pce of the Hidden n¡¯s royal family was magnificent. Even the side pce was luxurious and


    grand.


    After he was led into the side pce, he stood in the middle of the hall and saw Eleanor arriving not


    long after.


    She held a snakeskin whip in her right hand, tapped it gently on her left hand, and sauntered


    confidently toward Matthew. Finally, she circled him and sized him up.


    Snap!


    She fiercely flung the leather whip. The whip cut through the air, making an ear-piercing sound.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± she demanded.


    Matthew raised his eyeszily and merely gazed at her dispassionately. ¡°Miss Veronica¡¯s bodyguard.¡±


    His answer and tone were calm and unobtrusive, yet it was his steadfastness that aroused Eleanor¡¯s


    curiosity. She clutched the whip in her hand, stood before him, and raised his chin with the whip.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know what I¡¯m best at, do you?¡± A confident smile appeared on her exotic face.


    ¡°I¡¯m best at disguises.¡±

 Chapter 783

    Chapter 783


    Chapter 783 Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free Card


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Matthew raised his well-defined eyebrows slightly, and his lips curled upward into a small


    smirk.


    Eleanor lifted her elbow and propped it on his shoulder boldly. ¡°I sensed an abnormality in your face


    from the first time I saw you. You are extremely well-disguised, and I apud you for it. But even if you


    can hide it from everyone, you can¡¯t hide it from me.¡±


    Disguises were what Eleanor excelled at, which was also her favorite hobby.


    When she was young, she couldn¡¯t leave the pce because of her status as the Young Lord, so she


    had to dress up to sneak out of the castle. As a result, after some time, she managed to fool the


    soldiers and leave the pce sessfully. Since then, she would disguise herself from time to time. As


    the adage would say, ¡®practice makes perfect¡¯. Therefore, over time, she became a master of disguise.


    She wouldn¡¯t have thought that her hobby would inadvertently help her one day.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, Young Lord. You¡¯re wise and intelligent. You certainly managed to fool everyone with


    your naive and innocent mask.¡±


    Matthew wanted to reveal his identity so many times out of irritation due to his love rivals that were


    constantly making a nuisance of themselves around Veronica. Still, he didn¡¯t expect Eleanor to expose


    his identity first, so he didn¡¯t bother to hide it from her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault, though. That¡¯s because the world is foolish.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Eleanor turned around, went to the desk by the window on the right, and retrieved something from it.


    Then, she sauntered to Matthew, slowly raised her hand, and presented the item to him. ¡°I think this is


    your real identity, right?¡±


    In her hand was a photo, and the person in the photo was no other than Matthew!


    Even though he knew Eleanor was brilliant, he couldn¡¯t help but be slightly astonished when she


    showed him the photo. This woman is really something.


    ¡°I take your silence as a yes.¡±


    Eleanor curled her red lips into a confident smile and looked at the photo in her hand with a piercing


    gaze. ¡°Sharp eyes, well-defined brows, and a straight nose. You¡¯re handsome and manly, and your


    appearance is exactly my type. Fortunately, you¡¯re also cold and domineering, not as sissy as those


    young brats. Otherwise, I¡¯ll find you disgusting.¡± She held the picture, admired his face, and remarked


    lightly.


    Then, she stood in front of Matthew with her hands crossed in front of her chest. Finally, she tilted her


    head and stared at his face. ¡°I want to see what you look like in person. So, do me a favor and remove


    your makeup.¡±


    He didn¡¯t move a muscle as he stared at her icily, his expression stone cold. Then, Eleanor added,


    quickly assuming that he would refuse, ¡°In exchange, I¡¯ll help you conceal your identity.¡±


    ¡°Reason?¡± he demanded. Her unusual tactic confused him, and he couldn¡¯t figure out what was in her


    mind.


    ¡°Your purpose ofing here is for Veronica, but those masterminds do not know of your existence,


    which means you are a wildcard. I¡¯m looking forward to the day when you reveal your identity and ruin


    their ns.¡± She gently lifted his chin with her leather whip. ¡°After all, it is to my advantage.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason why I should not grant favor to what you said.¡± As soon as he said that, he turned


    around and walked away. It was as if he was saying, I¡¯m leaving now. Go ahead and tell the whole


    world who I am.


    ¡°What¡ªHey, wait!¡±


    Eleanor couldn¡¯t figure out his character or temperament, so she didn¡¯t seed in manipting the


    man. She felt frustrated and awful when she saw that her n had failed. She trotted to him and


    stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s the deal. If you can remove your makeup and show me your


    face, I promise I¡¯ll do everything I can to protect Veronica for once when she¡¯s in danger. You should


    know that I have the power to do so.¡±


    Eleanor was smart enough to know to take advantage of the people he cared about most, and it was


    highly effective.


    Matthew hesitated for a second and readily agreed. Dangers were lurking everywhere in the Hidden


    n, and no one could predict what would happen next. This deal would be worth it if he could get his


    hands on a verbal ¡®get-out-of-jail-free card¡¯ from Eleanor in exchange for something so simple.

 Chapter 784

    Chapter 784


    Chapter 784 Marry Her


    ¡°You¡¯re the Young Lord of the Hidden n. You should be happy to see her die. Why¡ª¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew was skeptical of Eleanor¡¯s promise because it didn¡¯t make any sense.


    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know me.¡± She turned around, ced the photo back on the table,


    and sat on the table¡¯s edge. ¡°I appreciate talent andpetence. However, even if I be the head


    of the n, I will not simply kill someone capable.¡±


    For some reason, Matthew instinctively felt that Eleanor was a woman of her word. Human intuition


    was truly amazing yet mystifying.


    ¡°Come with me.¡± Eleanor waved at him. She led him to the bathroom, stood by the sink, and handed


    him a potion bottle. ¡°Use this to remove your makeup. It¡¯s very convenient.¡±


    He rolled up his sleeves, took the potion, leaned over, and began to remove his makeup. Eleanor stood


    beside him during the whole process and gazed at him with interest and amazement.


    Five minutester, Matthew removed all the makeup on his face and neck, revealing a clear face. His


    complexion was slightly tanned, but because he had recently applied thick makeup on his face, the


    layers of makeup caused his skin to turn fair.


    He took a towel and wiped the water from his face. Then, he turned sideways to face Eleanor. ¡°Are you


    happy now?¡±


    When she stood face-to-face with him, she stared at him curiously. A soft light enshrouded him due to


    the dim glow in the bathroom, which made his facial features more prominent.


    His eyebrows and eyes were sharp and domineering, and his eyshes were naturally curled and


    long. After he removed his contact lenses, his eyes were like a pair of obsidians. He had an aquiline


    nose, and his lips were just right. His cheekbones and jaws were well-defined and looked so sharp they


    could cut. Frankly, he was an incredibly handsome specimen.


    His lips were slightly hooked as if he was born with a natural smile. It softened his cold demeanor and


    heightened his gentleness. All in all, his features exuded a certain elegance with a hint of unreachable


    dignity.


    Thump! Thump!


    Eleanor could feel her heart beating wildly. She stared at Matthew in absolute awe and astonishment,


    and it felt as if everything around her at this moment had disappeared, leaving only this man before her.


    Because of her status as the Young Lord of the Hidden n, she had seen several handsome men


    over the years. These men would constantly fawn and tter her like a litter of puppies begging for


    treats.


    Meanwhile, Matthew gave her the cold shoulder, but he was so charismatic and had a distinguished


    face. His appearance superimposed the image of Prince Charming in her imagination, which made her


    yearn for him to be hers.


    ¡°I¡¯m a married man, Young Lord. Please behave yourself,¡± Matthew reminded her firmly and walked out


    of the bathroom.


    Eleanor licked her lips and swallowed dryly. She followed him out of the bathroom and touched her


    face. It was the first time she became a blushing damsel after seeing an attractive man.


    She slowly walked to the desk and sat down. Matthew¡¯s photo was still on the table. ¡°It seems you are


    not photogenic.¡± The image of him was handsome, but he was even more outstanding in person. He


    possessed a certain quality that one couldn¡¯t describe with words.


    ¡°That¡¯s not important.¡±


    ¡°No? Okay, let¡¯s talk about Veronica. Why do you love her so dearly?¡± Eleanor was genuinely curious.


    He casually shoved his hands in his trouser pockets, stood in front of her, and intoned deeply,


    ¡°Curiosity killed a cat. Princess Eleanor, please don¡¯t pry into businesses that aren¡¯t yours.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± She nodded, leaned back on the wicker chair, propped her elbow on the armrest, and


    cupped her chin. ¡°Your trip to the Hidden n is dangerous and risky. Do you want to consider


    marrying me? Then, I can appoint you as my official husband and ensure that Veronica can leave this


    ce alive.¡±


    Although men and women were equal in the Hidden n, women still held more power and influence


    here. Besides, to produce more heirs, the royal family of the Hidden n allowed polyandry marriages.

 Chapter 785

    Chapter 785


    Chapter 785 Confession


    Matthew sat leisurely on the chair beside the desk when a servant brought in a cup of tea. He picked


    up the cup elegantly, gently blew the tea, and took a sip. ¡°You¡¯re very confident, Princess Eleanor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent my people to investigate you and Veronica before you came here, and I know what you¡¯re


    capable of.¡± Eleanor rose to her feet, strolled to him with her hands behind her back, and sat directly on


    the armrest of his chair. Then, she leaned in close. ¡°A woman needs to have enough power and


    capability to stand side by side with you. Obviously, Veronica iscking in many ways.¡±


    ¡°I want a wife, not a right-hand man.¡± He brushed her off with a smile. ¡°As a husband, I should protect


    my wife. So, why do I need my wife to be all-knowing and powerful?¡±


    He took a small sip of the fragrant tea leisurely and swept his gaze across her. ¡°Princess Eleanor, I¡¯m


    afraid you¡¯re looking for the wrong man. A domesticated toy boy is more of your cup of tea, pun


    intended.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s tant remarks rendered her speechless. She rested her elbow on his shoulder and looked


    at him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen too many soft-spoken and weak men, and a dominant and burly man like you is


    exactly my cup of tea. Never mind. You¡¯ll understand that I¡¯m the most suited person to be your wife


    one day. I¡¯ll always reserve the position of my ¡®official husband¡¯ for you.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to reject my offer in a hurry.¡± Eleanor chuckled instead of being frustrated after


    Matthew¡¯s swift rejection. She slightly leaned over, came close to his ear, teasingly blew on his ear, and


    whispered flirtatiously, ¡°Trust me. One day, you¡¯ll marry me.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She was filled with confidence.


    Meanwhile, Dominik was interrogating the guests one by one at the side pce, and it just so


    happened that the next person was Tiffany.


    When Tiffany saw Dominik inside the pce, she bowed and confided, ¡°Prince Dominik, I know who


    did it, but¡­ I can only tell you.¡±


    Her words clearly implied that she would only talk after he dismissed the others.


    He frowned and waved the servants off. Then, he sat on the main seat with a cold expression, made


    himselffortable as he rested his elbow on the armrest, and red at her. ¡°Talk.¡±


    Thud!


    After the servants left and shut the door, Tiffany got down on her knees and begged, ¡°Prince Dominik,


    please forgive me! This is a misunderstanding. I-I wanted to set Veronica up, but there were some


    mistakes, and Prince Liam drank the wine.¡±


    She came clean, sobbing all the while. She looked and sounded inexplicably sincere.


    Her actions and confession surprised Dominik, but he remainedposed and collected. He merely


    raised his eyebrows slightly, picked up the cup on the table, and leisurely took a sip of the coffee as he


    waited for her confession.


    Tiffany knew that his silence meant that he was giving her a chance to exin herself, so she hastily


    continued, ¡°Prince Dominik, you saw that Veronica tried to kill me, so I¡­ I tried to take revenge, and I


    thought of spiking her wine. When I bought the drug, the seller told me it would take effect in an hour,


    but I didn¡¯t expect it to take effect so quickly. I¡¯m sorry! Please forgive me, Prince! I¡¯m willing to do


    anything for you to repent my sin!¡±


    In just two years, her experiences made her thoroughly experience the cruel reality of society, and she


    lost the ability to trust anyone. She was so insecure that she was willing to throw herself into thep of


    anyone who could protect her to keep herself safe and alive. Unfortunately, she was overly impulsive


    when she did this today.


    Veronica tried to kill her in public, and that rightfully scared the shit out of her. Because of Veronica, she


    became aughingstock. She had many reasons to resent the woman, but this was the straw that


    broke the camel¡¯s back, which was why she spiked the drink.

 Chapter 786

    Chapter 786


    Chapter 786 False Evidence


    ¡°How dare you? Youmitted a crime in our pce and poisoned my brother.¡± Dominik held the


    coffee cup with his slender fingers, and his tone was so calm and light that Tiffany couldn¡¯t figure out


    his emotions. However, the domineering aura exuding from his body made her fear him.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Prince Dominik! I¡¯m innocent. Please forgive me. As long as you pardon me, I-I¡¯ll


    tell you all of Prince Zac¡¯s ns.¡±


    During the evening bonfire feast, she happened to see a servant sending wine over after she had tidied


    herself up, so she asked to whom


    the wine was sent, and the servant answered it was to Liam.


    So, she walked to the venue with the servant. Then, she saw Liam and Veronica standing side by side,


    so she deliberately tripped the servant, and as the servant was about to fall, she grabbed the wine


    bottle steadily and poured the drug she was carrying into the wine bottle.


    Her original n was to cause Liam to be hers using the drug, but she never thought that


    Veronica would ruin her scheme yet again.


    Nevertheless, Liam was too slow and clumsy to even rip Veronica¡¯s clothes apart. Tiffany was


    frustrated that her n to humiliate Veronica failed, and she secretly harbored frustrations at Liam for


    being so useless.


    ¡°Oh? Zac¡¯s n?¡± Dominik¡¯s eyes gleamed with a dangerous light as he was intrigued by the topic.


    ¡°Prince Dominik, i-if I tell you his n, h-he will kill me. P-Please¡­¡±


    Tiffany was a good actress. She knelt on the ground and sobbed pitifully. Plus, it helped that she was a


    gorgeous woman. Therefore, hardly any man could resist seeing her sorrowful expression. Regardless,


    Dominik had always been of a keen mind, so he knew what she was implying.


    ¡°Okay. If you tell me Zac¡¯s n, I¡¯ll forgive you and keep this conversation a secret.¡± As far as he was


    concerned, Tiffany was a nobody, but she had some value if she could expose Zac¡¯s n to save


    herself.


    ¡°R-Really?¡± Tiffany was thrilled, but she didn¡¯t show it outwardly. She knew that he wanted to know all


    about Zac¡¯s n. She also knew Dominik woulde to herter to extract more information once she


    told him helpful information. Besides, she had ample opportunity to hook up with him when they


    exchanged information. Compared with Liam, Dominik was the better choice.


    ¡°I¡¯m a man of my word.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Prince Dominik.¡± She bowed as a teardrop rolled down her cheek. ¡°Zac came here


    because¡­¡±


    ¡­


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    Two hourster, everyone was summoned to the main hall. Eleanor and Dominik sat on the main seat,


    which was in the main hall¡¯s upper region. The rest sat on the chairs in the two rows of the hall. Since it


    was already ratherte, the servants served tea to the guests.


    Since Tanya was present today, Eleanor was the acting regent of this meeting, and Dominik was her


    assistant.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry for the inconvenience.¡± Dominik rose to his feet and announced, ¡°I¡¯ve investigated the


    matter clearly. It¡¯s a misunderstanding, to say the least. Liam is sick, so he took traditional medicine


    today, and themb he ate tonight had several spices. The Cleistogenes in the spices superimposed


    the effect of the medicine and produced an aphrodisiac effect, which was why he acted that way toward


    Miss Veronica. I¡¯ve also sent my men to bring Liam¡¯s medicine over. A traditional doctor will exin the


    matter in detail.¡±


    Soon, a servant brought over a pile of herbal residue, and an old doctor entered the hall. He fiddled


    with the herbal residue, retrieved some herbs, then showed everyone the roastedmb recipe and


    pointed to the seasoning spice. Next, he searched for the content in the medical book and exined


    the situation to everyone present.


    ¡°So, this is what has urred. Please return and consult the doctor yourself if you have any doubts or


    confusion.¡± With that, the old doctor respectfully bowed to Dominik and Eleanor before departing.

 Chapter 787

    Chapter 787


    Chapter 787 The Truth Comes Out


    The people sitting on either side of the hall were silent, each bearing different thoughts in their minds.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve found out the cause, how do you n to solve this matter, Prince Dominik?¡± Matthew,


    who was sitting beside Veronica, demanded sternly.


    He removed his makeup in the side hall, but he re-applied the makeup before going to the main hall.


    Therefore, no one knew his true identity except for Eleanor and Veronica.


    ¡°Uh, I¡­¡± Dominik stammered. ¡°Miss Veronica, although it was an ident, we would take responsibility


    for my brother¡¯s reckless actions. May I know whatpensation you want, Miss Veronica?¡±


    Veronica felt the exchange was highly ironic. Could they trulypensate her in any way she wanted?


    ¡°Give me money. I¡¯m an ordinary person, and I love money.¡±


    After she arrived at the Hidden n, Crayson and the others were in charge of her finances. She could


    only spend when they deigned to give her some. If they didn¡¯t give her any, it sucked.


    After she finished speaking, she heard someone snicker and secretly mocked her, but she didn¡¯t care.


    After all, it felt even more awful to be penniless.


    They confiscated all her things before she came to the Hidden n. When she went to Crayson and


    asked for her items to be returned, he merely told her that he had left them in Castron. What else could


    she do?


    ¡°Haha! Please don¡¯t say that, Miss Veronica. We¡¯re all ordinary people.¡± Dominik chuckled in


    amusement and turned to ask Eleanor, ¡°Five million. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Up to you.¡± Eleanor didn¡¯t have any thoughts as she kept staring at Matthew with obvious delight.


    Dominik asked a servant to fetch a card, walked up to Veronica, and handed the card to her. ¡°Miss


    Veronica, please ept this as a token of our apology, and we thank you for your magnanimousness.


    When Liam wakes up, I¡¯ll bring him to you to apologize in person. Please rest assured that I will ensure


    that he will be punished for this.¡±


    The card he gave her was a special ck card. Passwords were not required, and she could withdraw


    money from specific banks. This kind of ck card was equivalent to a domestic checkbook.


    Five million was nothing to the Hidden n royal family, who were more concerned about their


    reputation. Since it would not be good for anyone if this matter were exposed.


    Both the Hidden n royal family and Veronica would be wholly embarrassed because of this matter,


    so the best way to solve the problem was to settle the case privately.


    ¡°Is that all? If so, we¡¯ll be taking our leave.¡± Veronica slid the card, hid it on her person, rose to her feet,


    and waved to Matthew. Shortly after, they left together.


    She felt pretty satisfied after seeing Liam receiving a beating. Fortunately, Liam didn¡¯t severely harm


    her, so she could ept thepensation, albeit reluctantly.


    After the two left, the rest began to dismiss themselves as well.


    In the main hall, Eleanor held a cup of tea and took a sip before asking lightly, ¡°Dominik, is that really


    why Liam did what he did? The medicine effect and whatnot?¡±


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you believe it?¡± Dominik asked tly as he watched the crowd walking further away.


    ¡°No. It just came off the top of my head.¡±


    Eleanor gave him a bright grin, stood up, and stretched out her limbs. ¡°Oh, my body is all stiff. I¡¯m


    exhausted. I¡¯m going back to bed. Good night.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Good night,¡± he responded.


    Eleanor skipped and hopped and left the main hall happily. It was only when she rounded the corridor


    of the main hall and was a safe distance away did she resume her usual demeanor. She ambled


    around with her chin slightly raised and had a cold expression on her face.


    The joy in her beautiful eyes had long disappeared, and ayer of frost reced it.


    There was something fishy about tonight¡¯s incident.


    Other than Atheena, Tiffany, Matthew, and Veronica, the rest of the people went to consult the doctor


    about this matter after they left and received the same answer as the doctor from the Hidden n


    Pce. It was the superposition of two medicinal effects that produced an aphrodisiac effect.


    The doctor¡¯s exnation didn¡¯t resolve their skepticism, but they were made to ept the ¡®truth¡¯ being


    forced down their throats.


    After all, Veronica drank the wine, but she was hale and hearty.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 788

    Chapter 788


    Chapter 788 The Ledgers¡¯ Conspiracy


    Today¡¯s events would have be even moreplicated if Veronica hadn¡¯t been fine.


    Meanwhile, Veronica and Matthew sat in the car and drove down the mountain. She handed a wet


    handkerchief to him and said, ¡°Matt, find a way to do a drug test on this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Matthew¡¯s expression turned cold, as if he realized something but still needed further


    rification.


    She slumped against the passenger seat and closed her eyes to rest, but she could feel her heart in


    her throat as she recalled the incident earlier. ¡°Someone tried to make a move on Liam and me.


    There¡¯s something wrong with the wine.¡±


    Screech!


    Just as she finished speaking, he harshly stepped on the brake and stopped the car abruptly.


    ¡°You were also drugged?!¡± He scowled in displeasure as his eyes turned cial.


    ¡°Liam drank most of the wine. The drug¡¯s effect was strong, which exined why he was so out of


    control. I only had a small ss, so I was slightly better off. Regardless, I felt very ufortable when


    I was in the room assigned to me in the pce. I was hot and parched. Then, a servant brought over a


    cup of tea. I was so thirsty that I finished it all in a gulp. I felt better right after. After a short while, the


    effects of the drug had worn off.¡±


    Veronica told Matthew everything that had conspired in the pce. He quickly understood her


    underlying message. He pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you suspecting that there is an


    antidote in that cup of tea?¡±


    ¡°Liam organized the bonfire dinner and chose the location near the royal pce. Therefore, the royal


    family would have to take full responsibility if anything happened. So, Liam is certainly innocent, and so


    are the pce¡¯s inhabitants. Therefore, the only suspect is probably¡ªher.¡±


    ¡°Tiffany?¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But today¡¯s events would be even weirder if it was Tiffany.¡± Matthew squeezed Veronica¡¯s hand gently


    as he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and focused his eyes on the road. ¡°Everyone was


    locked in their respective rooms after being brought into the pce. Tiffany didn¡¯t have time or a


    chance to give you the antidote, which meant that the only people who gave you the antidote were the


    Ledger siblings. Excluding the sick Liam, only Dominik and Eleanor could arrange for someone to


    deliver it to you.¡±


    Although Eleanor was with him, she had the phone with her during that period. Hence, she could send


    a message to someone outside the room and order them to do her bidding.


    ¡°That¡¯s where the problem lies.¡± Veronica¡¯s frown deepened as she thought things over. ¡°If they gave


    me the antidote, it would mean that they had figured out the truth. So, why would they lie in public and


    bail Tiffany out?¡±


    ¡°She defected to the Ledgers,¡± Matthew blurted, which just so happened to be what she had in mind.


    It was impossible for the Ledgers not to learn the truth and the mastermind behind such an


    underhanded scheme. Yet, when they knew that it was Tiffany who had spiked the wine, not only did


    they not punish her, they concealed the truth. It could only mean that the two sides had formed an


    alliance and were working together.


    ¡°Tell me when something like this happens again.¡± Matthew ruffled her hair gently. ¡°I¡¯ll always be


    around. You don¡¯t have to bear everything alone.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you everything next time,¡± Veronica nodded and responded softly. She didn¡¯t tell him


    previously because she didn¡¯t want to worry him.


    ¡°Eleanor knew who I was. You should be careful when you see her next time.¡±


    ¡°What?! She knows?!¡± Veronica jerked upright, and she raised her voice in trepidation. ¡°How? What


    happened?¡±


    ¡°I was careless. When our men investigated her background, they overlooked her personal preference.


    So, we went in, unaware she was a master of disguise. She easily discovered me and guessed my


    identity.¡±


    ¡°Since she knew who you were, why didn¡¯t she disclose your identity earlier? Why did she conceal it?¡±


    Eleanor¡¯s decision was too bizarre for Veronica to understand.

 Chapter 789

    Chapter 789


    Chapter 789 She Has No Choice


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what she is up to, but she¡¯s sly. You¡¯d better be careful and watch out.¡± Matthew didn¡¯t


    want to go into detail about what happened in the royal pce, lest she should worry. ¡°I¡¯ll send you


    back, so you can get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The exhausted Veronica nodded and leaned against the car seat as she fell silent. The spiked


    wine drained her of her strength and was tortuous to her as well. Although she had taken the antidote,


    her body had consumed the drug, so she felt fatigued.


    As soon as they returned to their current home and walked into the courtyard, a person suddenly


    scurried towards them.


    ¡°Roni, what¡¯s going on? What took you so long? What did you do?¡± Mateo was worried sick as he had


    waited for them all night. Then, he pointed to the living room and whispered, ¡°Grandpa is worried about


    you guys too, and he has been waiting for you.¡±


    It was already 11.30PM, ording to the Hidden n¡¯s time, which was veryte.


    ¡°Nothing happened. I just had a lot of fun, so I forgot the time,¡± Veronica blurted an excuse off the top of


    her head. Frankly, she didn¡¯t want to talk about tonight¡¯s events.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mateo¡¯s youthful face was tinged with a sense of disappointment when he heard this.


    Regardless, he quickly turned his head and red at Matthew. ¡°Iron Pir, return my money!¡±


    ¡°Money?¡± Matthew feigned ignorance. ¡°What money?¡±


    ¡°You promised to let me go today, but I couldn¡¯t make it. So, the agreement is null and void, so you


    have to give me back my money!¡± Actually, it had nothing to do with money. Mateo just refused to allow


    Iron Pir to have the longer end of the stick. After all, he was genuinely upset that he couldn¡¯t join


    today¡¯s festivities.


    ¡°I tried my best, but Miss insisted that I go. If you want your money back, you should get it from her.¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    With that, Matthew turned to Veronica and winked at her before walking to the living room. She stood in


    ce and discretely bit down on her bottom lip in amusement. Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t express it so


    as not to upset Mateo further.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ I¡¯m tired. I need to go to bed now. We¡¯ll talk about this tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What? No¡­ The night¡¯s still young.¡± Mateo tugged at Veronica¡¯s sleeve piteously. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a drink.


    Tell me what you did today.¡± He was truly curious.


    ¡°Get your *ss over here, little brat!¡± Suddenly, Crayson yelled as Veronica still hadn¡¯t entered the


    premises.


    ¡°You heard him. I have to get going.¡± She shrugged her shoulders helplessly and entered the living


    room, utterly disregarding Mateo¡¯s disappointment.


    To her surprise, Crayson and Destiny were not the only ones in the living room but also¡­ Hayley. Why


    is she here?


    Matthew stood beside the sofa with his head down, looking exactly like a servant who had made a


    mistake and was waiting for punishment. Veronica was genuinely impressed by his acting skill. It¡¯s a


    shame that he never thought about bing an actor.


    Veronica suppressed her amusement as she sauntered over. Then, she nced coldly at Hayley and


    asked tly, without even greeting her, ¡°Just say whatever you want to say. I¡¯m tired and want to sleep.¡±


    She had no intention of telling them what had urred today.


    Crayson frowned in displeasure. He nced at Hayley and then snapped at Veronica, ¡°Brat! Your


    mother came all this way to see you. She waited all night.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she responded indifferently. There was a nd sort of disdain in her demeanor. ¡°What¡¯s the


    matter, Madam Hayley?¡± she asked in a faux earnest manner.


    Her aloof tone indicated that she was wholly disgusted by their actions. Since she wouldn¡¯t havee


    to the Hidden n had it not been for her status and the fear that they would threaten her with Matthew


    or their two children.

 Chapter 790

    Chapter 790


    Chapter 790 Hayley Is Here Again


    The Hidden n is and of crisis. Nheless, they are full of benevolence and morality. They


    seemed to be magnanimous and wanted to save those in the living hell, which is why they asked me to


    return andpete for the position of head of the n, but they didn¡¯t even bother asking my opinion


    about this matter. Veronica narrowed her eyes indifferently.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Hayley maintained the poise of a noblewoman as she sat on the sofa, looking as graceful and


    elegant as ever. Still, there was a look of unconcealed sorrow in her eyes when she gazed at Veronica.


    ¡°Master Crayson told me that you went to the pce. I was worried, so I came to check on you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Veronica spread her arms wide in response, and she almost did a little spin before them.


    Then, she grumbled, ¡°You can go home now. It¡¯s gettingte, and I¡¯m sleepy.¡±


    Others might hint to their guests that they overstayed their wee, but she didn¡¯t even bother with


    pleasantries.


    ¡°Watch your tongue, little brat!¡± Crayson¡¯s face sank at her rudeness, and he angrily smacked the


    sofa¡¯s armrest. ¡°She¡¯s your mother! How can you treat her like that?!¡±


    ¡°My mother? Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I have too many mothers. I might have forgotten them if you didn¡¯t bring it


    up.¡± Veronica curled her red lips upward and nodded earnestly.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Then, she deliberately corrected her posture, bowed slightly at Hayley, and said respectfully, ¡°Madam


    Hayley, thank you for your concern, but I am fine and have returned unharmed. But I¡¯m a little


    exhausted because I overindulged earlier. If you have anything to say, we¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow,


    okay?¡±


    This time, she ditched her aloof demeanor and talked pleasantly and gently. Yet, her feigned amicability


    merely made them feel frustrated and exasperated.


    Destiny was utterly annoyed by Veronica¡¯s attitude as she self-righteously thought that she was an


    ungrateful child. Therefore, she reprimanded Veronica harshly, ¡°Hey, behave yourself! Do you know


    how the sacrifices Master Crayson and Madam Hayley have made for you over the years?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s smile gradually faded at that reminder. She raised her head slightly, shot a sharp re at


    Destiny, and tilted her chin defiantly. ¡°In your opinion, how should I behave?¡± These people are so


    ridiculous and outrageous.


    Veronica had chosen to hold back her anger all this while and tried her best not to get into an argument


    with them, especially when it was about Matthew. She knew full well the despicable things Crayson and


    Destiny had done, but she chose not to confront them head-on.


    But here they were, constantly forcing her to be respectful and considerate to Hayley, saying that it


    would be better for her to show Hayley the filial piety she deserved. Frankly, the term ¡®tall order¡¯ didn¡¯t


    even begin to cover their demands!


    ¡°She¡¯s your mother! You¡ª¡±


    The agitated Destiny was about to say something when Hayley waved her off. She was dignified and


    gracious as always when she remarked, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Veronica has a hard time epting me for now. I


    can understand that. She¡¯s right. It¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±


    ¡°Madam Hayley, please stay here tonight. It¡¯s quite chaotic these days, so we don¡¯t want any harm to


    come to you,¡± Mateo, who had been silent all this time, suddenly suggested.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s right. There are so many people eyeing you and finding the right chance to strike. Nothing


    can happen to you during this critical moment.¡± Crayson sighed and added, ¡°Just stay here and make


    do for the night.¡±


    This establishment had three stories. Besides, one building was near the front and another in the back.


    So, they had plenty of guest rooms avable.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± Hayley hesitated, but she looked at Veronica when she spoke as if


    seeking her opinion. Veronica ignored her, turned around, and stormed up the stairs without waiting for


    their dismissal.


    She was not in the mood to act as a loving daughter right now, but these people could dream on!


    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. Veronica is stubborn, but she¡¯s kind and sensible. You guys rarely had time for one


    another after she arrived at the Hidden n, so it¡¯s going to be hard for her to ept you for the


    moment. Please be patient.¡±

 Chapter 791

    Chapter 791


    Chapter 791 Mateo¡¯s Confession of Love


    No matter what Crayson did, he always put Veronica and the good of the hidden n first.


    ¡°I¡¯ve watched the girl grow up myself, and honestly speaking, this time¡­¡± Crayson sighed, then waved


    dismissively at Matthew. ¡°You¡¯ve had a long day as well. Get some rest.¡±


    He did not air dirtyundry in front of others. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Matthew acknowledged and turned in.


    Meanwhile, Hayley frowned as she watched the young man walk away. ¡°Is he staying upstairs as well?


    Are you sure this is a wise decision?¡±


    ¡®Iron¡¯ was a man, after all, and Hayley thought it wasn¡¯t proper for him to be staying on the same floor


    as Veronica.


    ¡°Iron¡¯s an agile fighter. It¡¯s for the benefit of Veronica¡¯s safety that I have him stay on her floor. So, he


    can get to her immediately if anything happens,¡± answered Crayson, who had only given the order after


    much deliberation.


    ¡°I see where you¡¯reing from.¡± Hayley nodded in acknowledgment and said nothing more.


    Rather, a hesitant Mateo would shift his gaze over to Hayley with pursed lips every now and then.


    Of course, it hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed by Hayley, and she smiled at him. ¡°Is there something you want to


    say, Mateo?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Me?¡± At that, Mateo scratched his head and chuckled bashfully. ¡°I, um, I do, actually.¡±


    ¡°Well, speak up then.¡±


    ¡°Really? Anything at all?¡±


    ¡°Look at you¡­¡± Hayley shook her head helplessly. ¡°Your grandfather and I have been friends for so


    long; we¡¯re family, are we not? So, tell me. What¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha¡­ I, um¡­ I¡¯ll tell you then.¡±


    At that, he sat next to Hayley, and just as he was about to tell her his secret, he found Crayson,


    Destiny, and Hayley all staring at him, making him nervous.


    ¡°So, your grandfather is not allowed to know about it, is he?!¡± Crayson shot a re at the young man.


    ¡°N-No.¡± Mateo chuckled foolishly, then looked over his shoulder to nce upstairs before finally


    requesting, ¡°Actually, I¡­ I was wondering if¡­ I can protect Roni from now on?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha,¡± Hayley giggled with amusement. ¡°You¡¯re friends with Veronica. It¡¯s only right that you keep


    her safe.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it! To think I got curious for nothing.¡± Crayson thought his grandson was just carrying


    coals to Newcastle.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± Mateo quirked his lips, knowing that he had been mistaken.


    ¡°What is it then?¡±


    Bafflement enveloped the trio¡¯s eyes as they wondered what exactly the young man was trying to say.


    ¡°s!¡± He sighed with frustration and pinched his nose bridge, finally speaking his heart out after some


    deliberation. ¡°I had already met Roni when I went to Bloomstead years ago, and I¡­ I¡¯ve fallen for her


    since then, Madam Hayley. What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ Can I¡­ stay by her side?¡±


    Finally, they all realized what had been running through his head; they¡¯d be dumber than a rock not to.


    As the three of them processed the news, they leaned against the couch, with each having their own


    thoughts but saying nothing.


    ¡°Are you guys not going to say anything?¡± Mateo grew apprehensive when none said anything despite


    being pensive.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The oue baffled him truly.


    ¡°Have you hit your head on a wall?! How dare you?!¡± Crayson chastised.


    Though Veronica has had two kids in Bloomstead, she was still to be the head of the n, and


    the only suitors worthy of her would certainly be the best of the best.


    With that notion in y, Crayson believed Hayley would most certainly think his grandson was


    unworthy, and Destiny echoed Crayson¡¯s thoughts as she nodded silently in agreement.

 Chapter 792

    Chapter 792


    Chapter 792 Possessive Boyfriend Strikes Again


    As Mateo pulled a long face, Hayley chuckled. ¡°You do know she has two kids and was once married,


    right?¡± ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Then, why still her?¡± ¡°As I said, I¡¯d already fallen for her when I first met her at Bloomstead, and I¡¯ve


    been waiting for her all these years. Actually¡­ I didn¡¯t want to bring it up, but I worry she¡¯ll be taken


    when she¡¯s such a keeper.¡±


    Mateo genuinely loved the young woman, and he wanted to seize the chance now that she had


    returned and years of waiting finally ended. Nothing would change his love for her, no matter how her


    past had been.


    ¡°Oh, Mateo, you¡¯re still too young. Sometimes, things aren¡¯t as simple as you imagine,¡± dissuaded


    Hayley earnestly as she patted his shoulder.


    ¡°What else is there that I can¡¯t take when I can even wait for over a decade?¡± he debated with


    determination. ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I want your support, Madam Hayley. Just say yes, and I¡¯ll


    pursue Roni above board. She and I are the same age; I believe I can take good care of her. Of course,


    you¡¯re wee to assess me.¡±


    ¡®Be brave to pursue someone you like¡¯ had always been one of Mateo¡¯s life creeds. But too bad


    Veronica hadn¡¯t been living in the hidden n until now. Thus, he never got a chance to prove himself.


    His words took Hayley aback, and his passionate sincerity sessfully moved her. ¡°I¡¯ve known you


    since you were a child, and you¡¯re a decent match for Veronica, too, knowing you¡¯re simple and gentle.


    But Veronica¡¯s a mother of two after all and was also once married. Compared to you¡­ As long as you


    can ept that, I¡¯ve got no problem with it.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Mateo¡¯s eyes lit up. He was grinning from ear to ear with tion.


    ¡°But I¡¯m still not the one with the final say, no? You have to get Veronica to say yes.¡± Hayley didn¡¯t stop


    him from pursuing Veronica, as she had her ns as well.


    Because the young woman grew up in Bloomstead, where her twins and adoptive mother were


    currently residing, and she also was once in a marriage, her heart remained there, so grounding her


    here was impossible. Thus, they had to find a reason to make her stay willingly, and love was the best


    betting chip.


    If Mateo could sessfully make Veronica fall in love with him, she would eventually stay willingly.


    The hidden n monarchy was super liberal and could even ept polygamy, and once Veronica


    ascended the throne, she could take in more husbands. So what if Mateo was one of her many


    husbands?!


    ¡°Of course, no problem at all!¡± Mateo whooped, so jovial that he couldn¡¯t stop grinning. In fact, he would


    jump with joy if the three of them weren¡¯t around.


    ¡°Look at you, still behaving like a child.¡± Hayley teased, then got up, announcing, ¡°I¡¯m going to turn in


    now. You guys should get some rest as well.¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Crayson, on the other hand, was somewhat surprised that Hayley would say yes, and he naturally


    didn¡¯t have a problem with it.


    Mateo was his grandson, and Veronica was his apprentice. Their marriage would only bring the two


    families even closer, and he was more than happy to see it happen.


    Meanwhile, upstairs¡­


    Because Veronica¡¯s bedroom door was open and Mateo unconsciously raised his voice due to tion,


    the couple heard the entire conversation clearly from Veronica¡¯s bedroom.


    After closing the door gently, Matthew pinned Veronica against it and held her chin. ¡°Tell me, Roni, what


    should I do with you?¡±


    In the depths of his fathomless eyesy ill-conceived helplessness.

 Chapter 793

    Chapter 793


    Chapter 793 Well, This Is Awkward


    ¡°Haha, I, uh¡­¡± Veronica gazed at Matthew with her back pressed against the door, and as her


    conscience crept up on her, she shifted her head aside, no longer daring to look at him. ¡°What does it


    have to do with me?¡±


    Goodness, this is maddening! Liam was already enough trouble as it was, and now Mateo was trying to


    wedge himself into the picture! I seriously have no time to deal with this sh*t.


    ¡°What does it not?¡± argued Matthew as he pressed his forehead against hers. His sudden closeness


    intimidated her so much that she forgot to breathe for a second.


    At that, she shook her head like a rattle for the sake of her dear life. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly hold me


    ountable for whom they like, can you? Whom I like is you,¡± rejoined Veronica as she lifted her chin,


    gazing doe-eyed at him. The sincerity in her eyes made it impossible for anyone not to believe her.


    ¡°Really?¡± Matthew quirked a brow. ¡°Is this your love confession to me?¡±


    His inner self did a summersault of joy.


    ¡°Not really.¡± She shook her head without a second of hesitation.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°My love for you is an old piece of news that you already know about, or why do you think I¡¯d marry


    you? Thereby making this a fact and not a confession,¡± exined Veronica solemnly, but it only made


    Matthew snigger in amusement. ¡°And there¡¯s a difference?¡±


    ¡°Of course. There¡¯s a fundamental difference.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me you used to love me, and now you don¡¯t?¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help thinking Matthew was trying to get her to dig herself into a hole with these


    questions.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that either. You¡¯re now the father of my twins, which makes us family.¡±


    ¡°So, there¡¯s all there is? Family and no love?¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Is there a difference?¡± Veronica threw his question back at him.


    Matthew turned grimly in response, and he pinched her waist with the hand wrapping around it. ¡°So,


    someone lost her love for me and now wants to move on, does she? Looks like I haven¡¯t been


    performing welltely¡­¡±


    As he drawled histter words, he picked her up, locked the door, then gently put her down on the bed


    before lying on top of her.


    ¡°Stop. Quit it. They¡¯re all here. We¡¯re dead meat if they find out.¡± Veronica tried to shake him back to his


    senses.


    ¡°Let them find out, then. I¡¯m on the verge of losing my wife. What do I care anymore?!¡± Matthew pulled


    on the covers and wrapped both of them underneath.


    The next second, he attacked her lips, kissing wildly and passionately as it was all he could think of


    right then, and yet Veronica couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what Matthew had just said. Let them find out,


    then. I¡¯m on the verge of losing my wife. What do I care anymore?!


    For some reason, she thought it wouldn¡¯t be something he would ever say, but he did, and she thought


    it was cute of him.


    Who¡¯d have thought the Matthew Kings would one day be ¡®cute¡¯?


    Turned on, she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.


    Things heated up pretty quickly under the covers, and their breathing became erratic.


    By the time Veronica came to herself, both were already in their birthday suits, expressing their love for


    each other.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    Lo and behold, a knock came at the door, cutting their pleasant night short.


    Veronica happened to be high on estrogen when the knock at the door forced her to hit the brakes,


    leaving her sexually frustrated.


    At that, she fought the difort back and cleared her throat, trying her best to sound normal. ¡°Who is


    it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Veronica.¡± A gentle voice¡ªclearly belonging to Hayley.


    Veronica quirked her lips in response. Then as she nced at the man on top of her, she bit her lip in


    shyness and frustration.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she asked again.


    Meanwhile, Matthew wrapped his arms gently around her, not daring to make a move or a sound for


    fear that the person outside would discover their intimate act.

 Chapter 794

    Chapter 794


    Chapter 794 Tricked


    ¡°I¡­ Can we talk?¡± Hayley decided that she needed to have a heart-to-heart talk with Veronica after


    some deliberation, as she believed too many things were getting in the way between them. If she didn¡¯t


    sort them out, Veronica would probably never ept her as her mother.


    ¡°We can talk tomorrow. I¡¯m already in bed.¡± Veronica turned her down without hesitation. In fact, she


    thought Hayley was being ridiculous.


    It was already in the middle of the night, yet thetter wanted to chat with her instead of going to bed.


    Please don¡¯t tell me she intends to talk all night.


    ¡°Oh, okay then.¡± Hayley left with great defeat at that.


    Because of how well the soundproofing was in the room, the couple couldn¡¯t tell if Hayley had left, so


    Matthew could only hold his beloved tenderly while kissing her lips as he moved slowly.


    ¡°How is it possible for you to be so busy?¡± He quirked his lips, a tiny chuckle escaping him.


    ¡°You should consider yourself lucky that it isn¡¯t our babies out there, or you can only sleep in the guest


    bedroom every night.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be it.¡± He nibbled her lip gently. ¡°I¡¯ll see that the two sleep in the guest bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Well, some father you are.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my wife, and that makes you mine, with or without kids.¡±


    Pfft! Veronica snorted a peal ofughter, made amused. ¡°Possessive much, Kings?¡±


    After a wonderful, tender night, Matthew carried Veronica into the bathroom for a quick shower, but


    then the young woman winced in pain as her hand came in contact with the clear water.


    Matthew immediately captured her difort, and it wasn¡¯t until he checked her hand that he noticed


    the wound in her palm.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± he asked with a frown.


    Despite not prying, he knew just what had happened with one nce¡ªshe must¡¯ve injured herself to


    stay sober after having gotten drugged in the bonfire feast outside the pce.


    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s only skin deep. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Veronica groggily with closed eyes as shey


    in the tub, so spent that she didn¡¯t even want to lift a finger.


    ¡°You have toe to me the next time anything happens. I don¡¯t want to see you dealing with it


    yourself,¡± he warned while pinching her cheek punitively.


    ¡°Yeah, sure¡­ I¡­¡± Worn out, Veronica left her words hanging just like that.


    Seeing that sheyzily like a kitten, adorably alluring, Matthew caressed her cheek affectionately


    before kissing her forehead.


    After showering her, he dried her up before finally carrying her back to bed, and it wasn¡¯t until nearing


    sunrise that Matthew returned to his room on the third floor.


    As it happened to be in the same spot as hers, just a floor above, all he needed to do was jump up


    from the windows to return to his room.


    Meanwhile, at Bloomstead, Shirley went to work with dark circles in the morning. Her sleep had been


    terrible due to constant nightmares.


    The morning meeting proceeded as usual, and Jayden and Shawn treated her with due respect, no


    longer giving her a hard time. Their behavior hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Then, right as she returned to her office, her phone rang, and she checked it to find it was Garrick.


    ¡°Hello, President Brennan?¡±


    ¡°Do you have time for coffee? There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to talk to you about,¡± Garrick asked.


    Because of what happened in Brennan Manor, Shirley became greatly disappointed in the man and


    thus began holding her guard against him.


    Hence, while she remained respectful on the surface, Garrick would be able to sense her aversion if he


    was observant enough.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s all the same if you tell me about it over the phone, President Brennan,¡± she answered with


    a smile.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing¡­¡± Garrick became somewhat hesitant as he sighed. ¡°I tricked you during my sister¡¯s


    birthday, and I know I should¡¯ve exined it yesterday, but because of the circumstances, I couldn¡¯t


    find the right time to do so. Then, I got held back at night. That¡¯s why I¡¯m only calling you now.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

 Chapter 795

    Chapter 795


    Chapter 795 Schemes


    Trick? Shirley naturally realized it was a sham, but what she didn¡¯t expect was that Garrick would admit


    it so frankly and even apologize for it. But why?


    Seeing Shirley say nothing, Garrick continued, ¡°This is a family matter, so it¡¯s never disclosed to


    outsiders. I won¡¯t be telling you about this either if it isn¡¯t that I owe you an exnation. Hmm¡­¡± He


    began sounding hesitant. ¡°How about this? We¡¯ll meet when you¡¯re avable so I can exin it to you


    in person.¡±


    Never had Shirley expected the CEO of Cyberten to humble himself before her, and it would be on her


    now if she continued to snub him. After all, Garrick made it clear that he wanted to apologize to her in


    person, so he might have had a good reason for his actions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in an hour where we had coffeest time.¡±


    Since she had said that she was upied, it¡¯d be evident she was lying if she agreed to meet him right


    away. Thus, she could only push the rendezvous an hourter.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you there.¡± Garrick hung up at that.


    Then, while Shirley was spacing out as she sat on her chair, her phone, which she left on the desk,


    buzzed.


    She picked it up in response and found a missed call from Skyer¡ªthe call had ended after ringing for a


    couple of seconds.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    What is he trying to do?


    Then, all that had happened the night before came to her, and she blushed involuntarily. At that, she


    chucked her phone aside without replying.


    An hourter, she turned up for the rendezvous and found Garrick sitting by the window once she


    entered the cafe.


    With that, she approached the table. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, President Brennan.¡±


    Her sudden appearance startled Garrick, who had been engrossed in his phone. Immediately, he


    ced his phone, screen down, on the table.


    ¡°You¡¯re here! Care for a drink?¡± he asked.


    At that, Shirley beckoned to a server, who approached her. ¡°How can I help you, miss?¡±


    ¡°A Blue Mountain, please. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right back with your order.¡± With that, the server left.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase, President,¡± said Shirley as she sat upright in her seat. Her innocent smile was


    long gone, reced by indifference.


    Garrick, on the other hand, smiled when he picked up her change in attitude toward him. At that, he


    pulled something out of his briefcase, put it on the table, and pushed it toward Shirley. ¡°Do you


    remember seeing this young woman?¡±


    It was a picture of a stunning, fair maiden in a white blouse, whom Shirley made out with one nce.


    ¡°She was at the birthday party yesterday.¡±


    She remembered the young woman well, for thetter would wander around Garrick every now and


    then, not to mention when the young woman¡¯s gaze at her was one of aversion and jealousy.


    ¡°Her name¡¯s Nancy, the blind date my aunt set me up with. I think she¡¯s trying to win me over because


    she likes me. Of course, I¡¯ve rejected her outright, but she isn¡¯t the type to give up easily.¡±


    Meanwhile, Shirley said nothing but let Garrick tell his story.


    ¡°When you came to my office, I had nned on only returning to the manor after visiting yourpany,


    but my father made me head home right away. Then, I saw her car parked at the entrance after arriving


    home. That¡¯s why I asked you to go in with me. I had wanted to exin to my rtives when they


    mistook you for my girlfriend. But then I thought about using this chance to make Nancy give up her


    pursuit, so I said nothing.¡±


    At that, he dipped his head in apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Wilson. I know it was very ungentlemanly of


    me.¡±

 Chapter 796

    Chapter 796


    Chapter 796 An Apology Gift


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what happened.¡± The truth was finally revealed to Shirley, but just as she was about to


    ept Garrick¡¯s apology, Sofia came to her mind.


    The next second, Garrick¡¯s voice traveled to her ears. ¡°After you leftst night, Pia told me about what¡¯s


    going on between you and Skyler. I¡¯m not going to get involved in whatever it is between you guys, but


    of course, I still have to apologize to you on behalf of Pia for that p. I reprimanded herst night, but


    given how spoiled she is, it¡¯s hard to make her listen to me.¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    He shook his head, and his smile wasced with helplessness. ¡°I think you¡¯ve gotten the wrong picture.


    There¡¯s nothing between him and me.¡± Shirley rified at once. ¡°Skyler and I¡ª¡±


    ¡°As I said, I won¡¯t get myself involved in whatever¡¯s between you guys,¡± Garrick reiterated without


    letting her finish her exnation. He then handed her a gift. ¡°A token of my apology. Please ept it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cool. I didn¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Her instincts told her what was inside the blue, rectangr velvet box


    likely cost a fortune. Thus, she returned the gift. ¡°What matters is that the misunderstanding is cleared.


    I¡¯m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, Mr. Brennan.¡±


    From President Brennan to Mr. Brennan was enough to prove that she trusted him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to take a look at what¡¯s inside?¡± he asked amiably while pointing at the box, to which


    Shirley shook her head with a smile.


    ¡°Haha.¡± Garrick chuckled, hisughter exceptionallyforting. ¡°I¡¯ve had the pleasure of meeting many


    women in my life, but you¡¯re the first to turn my gift down.¡±


    At that, he picked up the box and opened it to reveal a ne.


    ¡°This cost 3,832, and it¡¯s an affordable ne,¡± he said while pointing at the price tag. ¡°I know you


    won¡¯t ept anything too valuable, so I got you this instead to express my apology. Please take it.¡±


    Know thyself, know thy enemy; a thousand battles, a thousand victories.


    He had asked around and learned that Shirley was simple, honest, self-reliant, and not materialistic.


    Giving a girl like her something expensive would only make her question his motives and even stay


    away from him.


    ¡°What? I¡­¡± It never urred to Shirley that Garrick would be so detail-oriented.


    She turned her gaze onto the gold ne, which looked off-the-shelf. It was apparent that he had


    spent little time picking it out.


    That said, it was already quite thoughtful of a billionaire CEO to even want to buy an affordable


    ne. It would indeed be rude of her to turn him down, but¡­ she¡¯d feel guilty if she epted it.


    ¡°I appreciate the gift, President Brennan, but I still have to turn you down. Why don¡¯t you buy me lunch,


    and we¡¯ll call it even?¡±


    ¡°Haha, sure. If that¡¯s what you prefer.¡± Garrick acquiesced.


    It was still rather early. There was still about an hour to lunchtime, and Shirley found the hour rather


    agonizing.


    Feeling helpless, she could only make idle talk.


    All of a sudden, Garrick¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Sorry, I have to take this,¡± he apologized to Shirley as he picked


    the device up.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± She nodded, then turned to her phone.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m with a friend at a cafe¡­ North Primrose Avenue¡­ I won¡¯t be back for lunch. See you.¡±


    Garrick ended the call fairly quickly.


    Shortly after, Garrick and Shirley had a pretty pleasant conversation about Shirley¡¯spany when


    suddenly, a chirpy voice interrupted them. ¡°Hey, Gary!¡±


    The pair looked in the direction the voice came from and found Sofia approaching them in a sexy,


    fashionable crop top.


    Meanwhile, next to her was¡­ Skyler.

 Chapter 797

    Chapter 797


    Chapter 797 Pretentious Pair


    Awkwardnessced Shirley¡¯s face as she saw the pair while Garrick stood up and asked, ¡°What brings


    you guys here?¡± It was evident he had no clue about it.


    ¡°Huh¡­ Is Shirley the friend you¡¯re meeting with?¡± Sofia asked Garrick after taking a gander at the other


    woman. ¡°Skye and I were looking for a ce to get coffee, and you said you were here, so we came.


    Why didn¡¯t you tell me you¡¯re on a date with Shirley?¡±


    While she spoke, Skyler, dressed in a ck t-shirt, nced icily at Shirley, who also happened to be


    ncing at him.


    As the two made eye contact, all that happened the night before popped into their heads.


    While he remained impassive, a tinge of rednessced her face, and she immediately lowered her


    head, no longer daring to look him in the eye.


    Garrick hurriedly exined, ¡°Nonsense. I got Shirley to act as my girlfriend at your partyst night to


    stop Nancy from making further advances. As such, I asked her out today to express my gratitude.¡±


    With that, he turned to Shirley. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Miss Wilson?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Though it was somewhat different from what he had told her earlier, Shirley just thought he had


    tweaked the truth to spare her feelings.


    Meanwhile, Skyler frowned after hearing Garrick¡¯s exnation, and his gaze at Shirley this time was


    one of dismay.


    Was that what it was? Then, I¡¯d mistaken herst night, hadn¡¯t I?


    On the other hand, Shirley felt ufortable by Skyler¡¯s burning gaze, so she could only sip her coffee


    to alleviate the awkwardness.


    In actuality, Garrick had colluded with Sofia when he asked Shirley to meet him, and that was why she


    had shown up with Skyler at such perfect timing to rub the fact that she was seeing Skyler in Shirley¡¯s


    face.


    Feeling victorious now that she had achieved her purpose, Sofia turned to Skyler. ¡°We¡¯ll let you guys


    get back to whatever you were doing. Come on, Skye. Let¡¯s head upstairs.¡±


    However, Skyler had other ns. ¡°It¡¯s almost lunchtime. Why don¡¯t we have a meal together?¡± he


    suggested after checking his watch.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Shirley looked up in response, but lo and behold, her gazended


    involuntarily on Sofia¡¯s hand wrapped around Skyler¡¯s arm, causing her heart to twinge.


    To think these two can act as though nothing happened the night before when Skyler did whatever he


    wanted to me in the Brennan Manor¡¯s bathroom, and especially when Sofia heard it all at the door¡­


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    She might not know just what sort of rtionship the pair was in, but she did know that she felt


    disgusted.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯d be awkward for Miss Wilson and me when you two are on a date,¡± Garrick teased.


    ¡°I agree with Mr. Brennan,¡± Shirley echoed.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all friends here. What¡¯s there to be awkward about?¡± Skyler interjected right as Sofia spoke up,


    then moved next to Shirley and said, ¡°Scoot over.¡±


    Shirley was stumped, surprised that Skyler would so shamelessly stay for lunch.


    At that, she checked Sofia out from the corner of her eyes and found thetter looking grim. She


    wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was because Skyler wanted to sit next to her despite being her boyfriend.


    ¡°I think you should sit next to¡ª¡± Shirley wanted to suggest that he sit next to Sofia, but the man didn¡¯t


    even give her a chance to finish her words. ¡°Did you not hear me?¡± He huffed with a frown, leading


    Shirley to shut up at once and shift over as told, intimidated by hismanding attitude.


    Meanwhile, Sofia¡¯s gaze turned grave, and she exchanged nces with Garrick when the pair wasn¡¯t


    looking.


    Eventually, they took their seats without a word.


    ¡°Shirley, I want to apologize to you,¡± said Sofia with her fingers interlocked on the table. Meanwhile, her


    gaze at Shirley was one of utter repentance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for mistaking your rtionship with Skye. I


    thought you two¡­¡±

 Chapter 798

    Chapter 798


    Chapter 798 They¡¯re Getting Married


    Sofia paused, probably trying to find a way around what she wanted to say. However, she gave up in


    the end, thinking it was too unpleasant no matter how one put it.


    Then, she continued, ¡°It¡¯s onlyter that I realized it was all just a show. I¡¯m sorry. I meant to apologize


    to you but could never find the right chance to do so. Tell you what? Let me pay for lunch. How about


    that?¡±


    Can¡¯t find the right chance to apologize? Yeah, right. I¡¯ll be a monkey¡¯s uncle if you weren¡¯t able to


    apologize in thest six months. Just how shameless can you be to say something like that?! Shirley


    ranted in her head but didn¡¯t express anything on the surface.


    As the saying went, ¡®Punish no man who sincerely asked for forgiveness¡¯, she could only force a smile


    and forgive Sofia. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Shirley. You¡¯re the best. Do you suppose we could be friends?¡± Sofia asked, then grabbed her


    phone without giving Shirley a chance to say no. ¡°Come, let¡¯s add each other on WhatsApp. We should


    hang out sometimes.¡±


    If Sofia hadn¡¯t opened her WhatsApp QR code, Shirley could¡¯ve still said no, but now, the unique


    square barcode was right in front of her. ¡°Here, scan mine.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Sure¡­¡± answered Shirley reluctantly. She was Garrick¡¯s sister, after all, and Vincere still


    needed the coboration with Cyberten. She couldn¡¯t afford to jeopardize it.


    Aside, Skyler¡¯s countenance was grim and enigmatic.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re friends now. You can¡¯t turn me down when I ask you to hang out, alright?¡± Sofia chirped.


    One had to admit that the young woman was gorgeous. Her ck crop top, long, let-down hair, and


    delicate makeup gave her the sense of forthrightness and insouciance of a capable woman, and it


    wouldn¡¯t be hard for someone to be infatuated with her at first nce.


    ¡°Haha, sure. I¡¯ll join you when I¡¯m not tied up with work.¡± Thus, Shirley would certainly turn Sofia down


    with the excuse of being busy with work whenever thetter invited her to hang out.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you two shake hands and put everything behind.¡± Garrick guffawed. ¡°You sure are the


    bigger woman, Miss Wilson.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment, President Brennan.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡± At that, Garrick turned to Skyler. ¡°Skyler, you must invite Miss Wilson to


    your wedding with Pia.¡±


    However, Skyler only took a silent and enigmatic gander at Garrick. Instead, it was Sofia who


    answered, ¡°Naturally.¡±


    ¡°That would be my honor.¡± Shirley nodded with a superficial smile, then put all her attention on her


    coffee as she sipped on it.


    They¡¯re getting married? Huh¡­ Great¡­ Great.


    That said, all that happened the night before came to her mind, and a dull, aching pain struck her heart.


    Just then, her phone, which she had left on the table, pinged, and she checked it to find it was a


    message from Wade. ¡®I¡¯ll be able to head home tomorrow, Shir. I appreciate you looking after my


    mother.¡¯


    Wade had asked Shirley to look after his mother while he was on a business trip, and Shirley would


    check on the elder every single day. Even if she couldn¡¯t make it, she¡¯d ask Monica to help bring food


    over and keep the elderpany for a while.


    Speaking of which, Monica needed to receive the gratitude she deserved.


    With that, she replied, ¡®I didn¡¯t do much, actually. Monica has been making the most effort. You should


    treat her to a meal or something when you return.¡¯


    ¡®Sure. I¡¯ll treat you two to lunch, then. I appreciate you guys helping me out,¡¯ Wade replied instantly.


    ¡®Hey, what are friends for? Don¡¯t mention it.¡¯ Shirley smiled unconsciously as she typed away, probably


    feeling relieved because Wade was returning.


    However, Skyler couldn¡¯t help but turn grim when he saw her expression, and he tilted his head to peek


    at her phone only to find a name at first nce¡ªWade Yoder.


    Instantly, a dangerous storm brewed within him.

 Chapter 799

    Chapter 799


    Chapter 799 Hatred Out of Jealousy


    ¡°What would you guys like for lunch?¡± Sofia changed the subject and beckoned to a server, who came


    over with a menu. At that, Sofia handed the menu out.


    Initially, she had intended to hand it to Skyler, but an idea struck her, and she shifted it toward Shirley,


    saying, ¡°Here, Shirley¡ªhave a look at the menu.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good with anything,¡± Shirley replied. ¡°Alright then¡­¡± At that, Sofia said nothing more and ordered


    sharing tes for everyone.


    Surprisingly, it was a rather pleasant lunch¡ªwell, for three people at least. Only Shirley felt


    ufortable as though she had a fishbone stuck in her throat the entire meal. Though no one said


    anything unpleasant, she still felt like she was on a chopping board.


    It wasn¡¯t until the end of the lunch that she heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at Garrick. ¡°I¡¯ll have to


    make a move, President Brennan, Miss Green. I still need to make a trip to the hospital.¡±


    She had ordered some food using her phone, so she had to pick it up and bring it to Wade¡¯s mother.


    Meanwhile, Skyler¡¯s face tensed up, looking somewhat grim.


    ¡°Alright, you do what you¡¯ve got to do. Gary and I should be leaving as well. We have something to


    attend to,¡± said Sofia.


    ¡°Are you going to Big Heart Hospital?¡± Skyler asked on purpose, to which Shirley nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Give me a ride, then. I happen to have business with their director,¡± Skyler said.


    ¡°Skye, Shirley isn¡¯t going to the hospital to sightsee. Why don¡¯t I give you a lift instead?¡± There was no


    way Sofia would allow the two to spend some time alone, right?


    Since she had driven Skyler over, she understood that he wanted someone to give him a lift. However,


    that certain someone could never be Shirley.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have business to attend to with your brother? Go ahead. I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m done,¡± Skyler


    retorted icily, sessfully shutting Sofia up.


    At that, Sofia clenched her fists which were resting on her knees. Despite being disgruntled, she dared


    not let it show too obviously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you, Shirley. Please don¡¯t mind him. Skye has a habit


    of troubling other people,¡± she said with a forceful smile.


    ¡°I, um¡­¡± Shirley, too, wanted to reject Skyler¡¯s request. ¡°I have to make a detour and pick up some


    food. Why don¡¯t you let Miss¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± interjected Skyler, seemingly knowing what Shirley had in mind.


    To that, Shirley quirked her lips and said nothing.


    Meanwhile, relief escaped Sofia as she could make out Shirley¡¯s reluctance toward Skyler.


    With that, the four of them headed out after Garrick paid the bill.


    After bidding farewell, Garrick left with Sofia, and Shirley¡¯s smile gradually faded away when the car


    disappeared from her sight. At that, she turned around and looked icily at Skyler. ¡°It just hit me that I


    have something to attend to at the office. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to get a taxi if you want to go to the


    hospital, Young Master Skyler. Sorry.¡±


    She thought the man was repulsive for wanting the best of both worlds when she recalled his


    rtionship with Sofia as well as what he had done to her the night before.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    With that, she headed straight to her car without giving Skyler a chance to defend himself.


    However, just when she started the vehicle and was about to leave, the door to the passenger seat


    opened, and Skyler hopped right in.


    ¡°I¡¯m in no rush,¡± said the man inly as he buckled the seatbelt, looking like he hadn¡¯t picked up her


    rejection.


    It all happened so suddenly that Shirley was taken aback for a second, and when she came to herself,


    her gaze at him turnedplicated. She furrowed her brows and pursed her lips, deliberating


    momentarily before finally killing the engine.


    ¡°Young Master Skyler, since you¡¯ve already made up with your¡­ ex-girlfriend. We shouldn¡¯t keep in


    contact anymore.¡±


    She believed a decent distance should be kept between men and women.

 Chapter 800

    Chapter 800


    Chapter 800 A Super Loving Matthew


    She should stay away from Skyler even more so when that had happened between them. ¡°Well,


    someone¡¯s full of herself, isn¡¯t she? I merely asked you to give me a ride, and you¡¯re already imagining


    all sorts.¡± Skyler shifted his head to the side and tugged at his lips, looking like he was holding back his


    amusement.


    On the other hand, Shirley, speechless by his rebuttal, just started the car and headed to the restaurant


    to pick up her order.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After arriving at the restaurant, Skyler turned grim again as he watched the young woman jog into the


    restaurant from inside the car.


    Very quickly, she returned with a food jar in her hand, even panting as she entered the car.


    Since she was worried that the food might spill, she shoved the food jar into Skyler¡¯s arms, requesting,


    ¡°Keep it close to you, please.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you leave it in the back seat?¡± A certain someone grumbled, feeling displeased.


    ¡°I¡¯m driving here. Given how much traffic there is, the food will spill easily.¡±


    It¡¯s just one meal. Do you have to overreact? Skyler retorted but still reluctantly took the food jar from


    her, not saying a word more.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, at the hidden n, Matthew made breakfast bright and early and brought them out to the


    dining room when everyone started getting out of bed.


    When Veronica descended the stairs, her heart ached as she watched the once nobleman now


    enving himself and doing servile chores.


    Matthew returned a smile when the couple exchanged a nce, seemingly consoling her.


    Very quickly, everyone took their seats and enjoyed breakfast.


    Meanwhile, Mateo, who was sitting next to Veronica, gantly pushed a ss of milk to her and said,


    ¡°Have some fresh milk, Roni. I had Iron buy you some at the market.¡±


    The others at the table naturally knew what he was trying to do, and they exchanged nces but said


    nothing, eating their breakfast in silence.


    Of course, Matthew, who happened to being out of the kitchen, heard Mateo¡¯s words, and he


    turned grave in response.


    At the same time, Veronica caught sight of Matthew the second she looked up, and her heart ached for


    him when she saw the visible disappointment on his face.


    He had done so much for her that she could never fully repay him in this lifetime, so how could she


    bear to see him heartbroken, let alone jealous?


    ¡°No, thanks.¡± She pushed the milk back to Mateo. ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of milk.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t? Have some oatmeal, then. I told Iron you like oatmeal, so I had him make you some.¡±


    Mateo was sweet enough to keep track of Veronica¡¯s preferences, but what he didn¡¯t know was that


    Matthew knew her diet and tastes even better. In fact, her oatmeal was made separately from everyone


    else¡¯s.


    Veronica looked at the bowl of oatmeal. Despite knowing Matthew had taken the extra mile, it would


    mean that she epted Mateo¡¯s gesture if she ate it, wouldn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Master Crayson, Mateo isn¡¯t getting any younger. Aren¡¯t you going to find him a suitor?¡± asked


    Veronica as she brought the bowl of oatmeal to her, stirred it, and blew a spoonful of it before eating.


    ¡°The hidden ndies all look pretty decent. You should find him a wife while he¡¯s still young. You


    know it won¡¯t get any easier once he gets older.¡±


    ¡°He¡­¡± Crayson was still figuring out how to answer Veronica when Mateo suddenly sat upright and


    objected, yelling, ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Veronica asked nonchntly as she kept her eyes on the oatmeal.


    ¡°Because¡­ Because¡­¡± Mateo hesitated, unsure how to exin himself. Just then, Veronica¡¯s voice


    traveled to his ears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to look for a girlfriend? You¡¯re not thinking of staying single for the rest of your life like


    me, are you, Mateo?¡± she teased while stirring the oatmeal so that it would cool down quicker. ¡°I intend


    to stay a widow to mourn my husband.¡±

 Chapter 801

    Chapter 801


    Chapter 801 Never Marry Again


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Veronica made her stance very clear and severed all hopes for Mateo ever to make her his. At the


    same time, her statement shocked everyone at the table, causing them to gaze at her in unison.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to remarry?¡± Crayson cried out exasperatedly. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Even Hayley wasn¡¯t


    having it. ¡°Anyone can choose to stay single, but not you.¡±


    ¡°Matthew Kings is dead, and you intend to be a widow? What are you, a fool?¡± Destiny sassed while


    Mateo implored, ¡°You¡¯re still young, Roni. How can you not remarry? You still have a wonderful life


    ahead of you, so don¡¯t dwell in the past.¡±


    After listening to their words, Matthew drooped his eyelids and headed to the yard. All that mattered


    was Veronica¡¯s stance.


    Meanwhile, Veronica put her spoon down and looked icily at Hayley, who was sitting right across from


    her. ¡°I didn¡¯te to the hidden n for the throne or because you¡¯re my birth mother; rather, my


    children¡¯s lives would be at stake if I don¡¯tply. I will help you reim the throne, but I will not stay,¡±


    she bellowed. ¡°My mind won¡¯t change. Not now, not ever. Also, you can forget about finding me a suitor


    here in the hidden n, for I will never fall in love with your kind¡ªeven if myst choices are between


    them and Bloomstead¡¯s beggars.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± she drawled. ¡°I don¡¯t belong here.¡±


    ¡°How dare you speak to your mother like that, Veronica?!¡± Crayson reprimanded.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Hayley shook her head at Crayson with her usual graceful smile before turning to Veronica.


    ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s what you want. Come, eat your breakfast.¡±


    Some things couldn¡¯t be forced, but¡­ she believed time could change them.


    After breakfast, Veronica went upstairs to study while Mateo sat on the couch with Hayley and the


    others.


    ¡°You don¡¯t suppose it¡¯s over for me, do you, Madam Hayley? I mean, Roni made it clear.¡±


    He had been so hopeful and enthusiastic the night before, but who¡¯d have thought he¡¯d wake up to his


    burning passion drowned mercilessly by Veronica¡¯s answer?


    ¡°You still have much to learn, Mateo.¡± After taking a sip, Hayley put down her coffee, then said slowly,


    ¡°Veronica and Matthew were deeply in love with each other, and he just died not long ago, so it¡¯s only


    normal that Veronica can¡¯te out of the loss. If you really like her, treat her well. Women fall very


    easily for a man¡¯s tenderness and care. As long as you do your best, everything will fall into ce.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Mateo¡¯s eyes lit up, hopeful again.


    ¡°I was once where you are. I won¡¯t possibly lie to you, now, will I?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, great, great. You treat me the best, Madam Hayley.¡±


    ¡°Well, look at you. I¡¯ve been treating you like my own ever since you were a kid.¡±


    While the two discussed Veronica inside, Matthew, who was taking a drag at the door, overheard their


    entire conversation, and his gaze turned sub-zero.


    Upstairs, Veronica was studying when her phone rang. It was a call from Xavier, who had asked


    Veronica for her number at the banquet.


    ¡°Hey, Xavier,¡± she greeted.


    However, nothing came from the other end for a moment before Xavier¡¯s concerned voice sounded,


    ¡°How were youst night?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Really? You were alright? Was your liquorst night really fine?¡± Though Dominik had already given


    him the answer at the pcest night, Xavier still didn¡¯t believe him.


    Meanwhile, Veronica fell silent, not answering him.

 Chapter 802

    Chapter 802


    Chapter 802 Tease Mateo


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t trust me or want to reveal anything to me, but I just want to make sure you¡¯re okay.


    Bye.¡± Disappointed, Xavier ended the call quickly.


    Veronica lost the mood to study after being disturbed by the call and thus began fiddling with her phone


    when a notification popped up.


    She and Matthew had cracked their phones after purchasing them, and they were set to English now.


    It was a concise message from Matthew. ¡®The antidote is in the handkerchief.¡¯


    It was the handkerchief she had deliberately poured some of the drink onto the day before and taken


    out with her in her pocket after cing it into a stic bag.


    It was just a guess, but who¡¯d have thought the drink was really spiked?!


    It seemed that Tiffany had colluded with the Ledgers, or perhaps, she did all she could to make a deal


    with them to achieve sess through double-dealing¡ªshe was very insecure, after all.


    ¡®I got it.¡¯ Veronica typed, then thought for a second and added a kiss emoji before sending the


    message.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    Suddenly, there came a knock at the door.


    At that, Veronica put the phone down and opened the door to find Mateo standing behind it with books


    in his hands, ready to teach her.


    Since Veronica¡¯s bedroom was pretty big, half of it could be divided into a study area. For


    convenience¡¯s sake, she didn¡¯t bother doing her lessons in the study.


    However, after knowing Mateo¡¯s feelings for her, she suddenly thought it wasn¡¯t appropriate for just the


    two of them to be in her bedroom.


    ¡°Mateo, how about we¡ª¡± Just as she suggested doing the lessons in the study, she found Matthew


    standing behind Mateo.


    ¡°Young Master Mateo, I want to learn from you too.¡± Matthew¡¯s checkered nnel and mundane


    disguise made him look like a simple and honest man.


    ¡°No!¡± Mateo red icily at him, having been startled by his sudden appearance.


    At the thought that ¡®Iron¡¯ had tricked 20,000 hidden n credits out of him the day before, indignation


    surged within him.


    ¡°All I have is 20,000. Here, take it. Consider them my lesson fees,¡± said Matthew as he pulled 20,000


    hidden n credits out of his pocket.


    Seeing that it was precisely the money he had been tricked out of, Mateo immediately reached his


    hands out, but Matthew withdrew his hand and asked, ¡°Are you going to teach me?¡±


    ¡°Give me the money first.¡± Mateo extended his hand with a ¡®no money, no talk¡¯ attitude.


    However, Matthew didn¡¯t yield to his threat. Instead, he turned to the staircase and bellowed, ¡°Master


    Waylen, Young Master Mateo says he isn¡¯t willing to teach me.¡±


    Crayson¡¯s real name was Waylen Elrod, and Matthew was currently ying the role of a servant. Thus,


    he could only address the former as Master Waylen.


    ¡°Mateo?!¡± Crayson¡¯s warning immediately came from downstairs.


    Grimness immediately enveloped Mateo¡¯s face as he red daggers at Matthew, only to find thetter


    chuckling foolishly. ¡°Hehehe, Master Waylen said I don¡¯t have to give you money since I serve this


    family. In that case, I think I won¡¯t give it to you,¡± said the man with a straight face as he put the money


    back into his pocket, causing Mateo to froth at the mouth.


    Matthew¡¯s mischievous side was one that Veronica had never seen before, and she couldn¡¯t help


    wanting to chuckle.


    ¡°Fine!¡± Mateo shouted toward his grandfather, who then replied, ¡°Iron has been tasked to keep


    Veronica safe from now on. You must see that his hidden tongue is fluent.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    This arrangement made Mateo so livid that his face flushed from anger. However, he dared not


    comin.


    Though she was amused, Veronica fought back herughter and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the study. My


    room can¡¯t fit all three of us.¡±

 Chapter 803

    Chapter 803


    Chapter 803 Mischief During ss


    ¡°As you wish, Miss Veronica,¡± said Matthew as he quirked a brow and smirked at Veronica¡ªbehind


    Mateo¡¯s back, of course.


    Mateo, on the other hand, was feeling indignant. However, since it was an order from his grandfather,


    he had no choice but to oblige. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get moving,¡± said the young man exasperatedly.


    ¡°Hold on, let me get my stuff.¡± With that, Veronica headed back inside to grab her pen, notebook, and


    study materials before following the two to the study.


    The massive study was located on the west of the second floor, and it was filled with shelves full of


    books of various genres from the hidden n, Castron, Destor, and many other countries. There was


    such a wide variety that it was practically a mini library.


    While five-sixths of the study was upied by books, the remaining one-sixth was the lounge area,


    which was fully furnished with a work desk and a couch among many other things. As two balconies


    extended from the study, the room was exceptionally spacious.


    ¡°How are we going to study when there¡¯s only one desk?¡± Veronica mumbled, then headed out into the


    corridor to shout toward Crayson, who was chatting with Hayley on the first floor. ¡°Master Crayson, I¡¯m


    studying with Iron. Can you please ask someone to bring another desk up?¡±


    To that, the elder nodded. ¡°Sure. Proceed with your lesson first, and I¡¯ll have them bring it up in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Veronica before returning to the study.


    As there was only one desk avable for now, Veronica beckoned Matthew to move things around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move theptop aside first. Mateo can take the executive chair while we sit on the rattan chairs.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± Matthew nodded in acknowledgment, then proceeded to sort the desk out, which they


    completed in no time.


    While the couple sat next to each other, Mateo sat in the executive chair across from them with books


    in his hands. ¡°We learned how to pronounce the 26 alphabets yesterday, so we¡¯re going to learn a few


    simple words and dialogues today,¡± he said sternly, behaving like a teacher would as he tapped the


    desk with a ruler and nced icily at the couple. ¡°Turn to page ten.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± answered Veronica as she flipped to page ten. Matthew obliged as well.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Natural sunlight shone in from the window as the couple recited their words out loud. For a moment, it


    felt as though time had rewound to their school days.


    After a long lesson, Mateo began feeling thirsty, and he put the book down, announcing, ¡°Continue


    memorizing the words while I get myself some water.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sir.¡±


    During lessons, Veronica would refer to Mateo as ¡®sir¡¯, but once sses were over, she¡¯d return to


    calling him Mateo, distinguishing work and study very nicely.


    With that, the young man headed out, closing the door behind him as he left.


    As new words were introduced, Veronica tried to memorize them with agony, but Matthew closed her


    book up suddenly. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t someone studious? No wonder you were a straight-A student.¡±


    The young woman frowned upsettingly as she turned her head to Matthew, only to find his head


    propped up against the desk with his right arm. Though his face looked average under the disguise, the


    mediocrity couldn¡¯t suppress his innate nobility.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a ss here. Focus. Otherwise, things will get very problematic if I still don¡¯t


    know hidden tongue,¡± Veronica chided, then mused, Can you please focus? What are you trying to do?


    Lo and behold, Matthew put his left arm on her shoulder and pulled her into his arms while grabbing


    her chin with his right to nt a kiss on her lips.

 Chapter 804

    Chapter 804


    Chapter 804 Plotted Against Mateo


    Veronica¡¯s heart pounded, and she thought kissing under such circumstances was nerve-racking yet


    thrilling, for it felt like they would get caught any second.


    That said, she didn¡¯t fight it but let Matthew kiss her as he pleased. At that moment, all she could smell


    was Matthew¡¯s unique scent, and it intoxicated her.


    It wasn¡¯t after two minutes that Matthew finally released her. ¡°Your face is pretty flushed,¡± he couldn¡¯t


    help teasing when he saw how bashful she looked. ¡°Are you not worried Mateo will notice it when he


    comes back?¡±


    At that, Veronica buried her face in her hands, panicking. ¡°Is it that bad?¡±


    ¡°Come on, this isn¡¯t your first rodeo. How can you still be shy about it?¡± ¡°Says the guy trying to swallow


    my mouth. I could barely even breathe.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on you for being a dummy. Don¡¯t pass the buck.¡± Matthew flicked her forehead lightly. ¡°There aren¡¯t


    cameras in here. You don¡¯t have to be nervous. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to eat you up.¡±


    Creak¡­


    Suddenly, the door opened, and Mateo came in with a cup of coffee.


    He had thought he¡¯de in to find the two fooling around or cking off, but to his surprise, they were


    sitting upright, assiduously memorizing.


    After closing the door, the young man returned to his seat, leaningzily against the executive chair as


    he read a book while listening to the two slurring their words.


    However, he failed to realize Veronica¡¯s left hand and Matthew¡¯s right were under the table.


    He tugged on her hand mischievously, having a ball as he fiddled with her tender fingers.


    While Matthew behaved brazenly against Mateo¡¯s watchful gaze, Veronica tried to wriggle her hand


    out, but very quickly, she realized it would be a futile attempt, so she just let him hold it tightly.


    ¡°Write it repeatedly once you have the words down. You can only sear the words in your brain after


    reading and writing them over and over again, or they will nevere to you,¡± said Mateo sluggishly.


    He didn¡¯t seem to have too much patience with the two. In fact, whenever he looked at Matthew, his


    gaze would beced with despise.


    Beforeing to the hidden n, Matthew studied intensively and managed to master it in just half a


    year. One might assume he had a knack fornguage or was even gifted at it. However, the truth was


    that no one knew just how much blood, sweat, and tears he had put into achieving such a remarkable


    feat.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    With that, the two pulled out their pens and notebooks, scribbling the words attentively.


    On the other hand, Mateo became tired from sitting, so he adjusted the back of the executive chair and


    turned it into a recliner.


    After making himselffortable, he ced a book on his face and drifted off to sleep.


    Meanwhile, the couple continued scribbling their newly learned words, but sometimeter, there came


    muffled snores. The two reflexively stopped and looked in the direction of the sound to find Mateo dead


    asleep, and the two smiled as they exchanged a nce.


    Pulling another mischief, Matthew held Veronica¡¯s chin as he leaned over to kiss her lips, causing her


    to tense up at once. She was so shocked that her eyes widened with fear, worried that Mateo would


    suddenly wake up and catch them in the act.


    While struggling, she kept her peripheral gaze on Mateo worriedly, feeling as though her heart would


    jump out of her chest at any second.


    After sessfully shoving Matthew away, she ced a book in front of her face and turned her head to


    re daggers at Matthew. ¡°Are you crazy?! You and I will be dead meat if he catches us!¡± she


    whispered.


    ¡°Rx, he won¡¯t be waking up anytime soon,¡± Matthew answeredposedly, baffling Veronica. ¡°He


    won¡¯t? Why?¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°There¡¯s a little something in his coffee.¡±


    As for what this ¡®little something¡¯ was, Veronica got a pretty good picture even if Matthew kept his lips


    sealed.

 Chapter 805

    Chapter 805


    Chapter 805 She Likes Matthew?


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that.¡± Veronica wasn¡¯t sure if she should be amused or worried by what Matthew


    did. ¡°I have to master thenguage quickly, or things will be troublesome in the future.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you should stop, did I? I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Veronica¡¯s eyes lit up as she remembered how Matthew managed to master the hidden tongue


    within a very short time. Realizing there must be some sort of trick to do so, she became excited.


    ¡°Great. Tell me, what¡¯s your secret to mastering thenguage so quickly?¡±


    The man chuckled in response. ¡°There¡¯s no secret or trick. The only way to do it is to memorize.¡± ¡°No


    tricks? How did you manage to master it so quickly, then?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Matthew lifted a finger and tapped her nose. ¡°Your hubby¡¯s smart.¡± Veronica


    chuckled, amused by his smug look. ¡°Howe I never realized how vain you are?¡±


    Later at noon, Matthew made a feast, and as everyone sat down for lunch, Crayson turned to Veronica.


    ¡°I had a chat with your mother, and we¡¯ve decided to readjust your daily schedule. From now on, your


    sses start at 6.00AM and end at 3.00PM. It¡¯ll be followed by martial arts practice. We have limited


    time, so we have to utilize all the time we can get.¡±


    Grimnessced Veronica¡¯s face as she looked at the timetable on the table. ¡°Wake up at 6.00AM, end


    at 10.00PM¡­¡± she mumbled, then snorted, seemingly expressing her disapproval.


    At that, Hayley put her cutlery down and pulled her signature graceful smile. ¡°We know we¡¯re asking a


    lot, but it¡¯s all for your good.¡±


    Meanwhile, Veronica took a mouthful of food and chewed slowly. ¡°Well, I appreciate it,¡± she answered


    mockingly without looking up.


    After lunch, a servant came jogging in before Veronica could return to her studies. ¡°Master Waylen,


    Madam Hayley, Dominik, Eleanor, and Liam are here.¡±


    ¡°What do they want?¡± asked Crayson with furrowed brows and hands behind his back.


    ¡°They¡­¡± The servant nced at Veronica. ¡°They¡¯re here for Miss Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Tell them to leave.¡± Mateo turned grim. ¡°Who said they coulde as they please?!¡±


    On the other hand, Veronica disregarded everyone and headed outside. ¡°I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡±


    Given Hayley¡¯s identity, it wasn¡¯t a good idea for her to go out. Hence, she headed upstairs to observe


    the situation outside the window in her room.


    Of course, it was also to prevent the Ledgers from running into her if they were toe inside.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Mateo followed behind Veronica, worried that something bad might happen.


    After exiting the living room and traversing the yard, Veronica found the Ledger siblings standing


    outside through the fences very quickly.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she looked inly at the siblings after stepping out of the yard.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought Liam over to apologize to you.¡± Dominik had always been steady and wise, and people


    would find him sagacious in how he carried himself.


    ¡°What I did the other day was rude. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Liam apologized agonizingly with a tilted head. It was


    evident the young prince hade against his own will.


    Eleanor, however, stretched her neck and looked into the house, seemingly finding something before


    finally asking, ¡°Murphy, where¡¯s your little sidekick?¡±


    Veronica was then reminded of what Matthew had told her¡ªEleanor had discovered his real identity.


    That said, the princess¡¯ abnormally keen interest in him gave Veronica a less-than-likely idea¡­


    She can¡¯t possibly have feelings for Matthew, can she?!


    Women had pretty urate gut feelings, after all.

 Chapter 806

    Chapter 806


    Chapter 806 Nemesis


    Nearly instantly, Veronica¡¯s gaze toward Eleanor became defensive.


    The princess had stunning exotic features, to begin with¡ªjust a little makeup would already make her a


    bombshell. Her beauty was one of sexy yet not sultry, as her every action reflected her confidence and


    sophistication in her beauty.


    Even Veronica had to admit that she paled slightly next to Eleanor despite believing she was beautiful


    as well.


    ¡°No clue. Do you need him for something, Your Highness?¡± Veronica snubbed Liam¡¯s apology


    automatically and put all her attention on Eleanor instead.


    ¡°Not really. I just thought I could spar with him, seeing that he¡¯s a pretty skilled fighter,¡± the princess


    answered indifferently.


    Aside, Dominik shook his head with a helpless smile as he exined, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind Eleanor, Miss


    Murphy. She has always been like this. She has been practicing martial arts since she was a child, you


    see, so she loves to spar with others.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I was apologizing to you!¡± Liam shot Veronica an exasperated re.


    When had he, the remarkable prince of the hidden n, ever been snubbed like this?!


    Still, Veronica didn¡¯t want to hold on to that issue, so she said, ¡°You didn¡¯t mean it anyway, so let¡¯s just


    leave it in the past.¡±


    With that, she turned to the other two, ¡°Do you have anything else? If not, I¡¯m going back in.¡±


    ¡°Are you not going to invite us in for some tea?¡± Eleanor hurriedly spoke up, seeing that Veronica had


    actually turned around. ¡°Is this how you Destorians treat your guests?¡±


    The reason the siblings hade was that Eleanor wanted to see Matthew, so it was only normal that


    she felt indignant when she was already asked to leave after only standing at the gates for a while.


    ¡°Why you¡ª¡± Mateo, not one happy to see the siblings, wanted to turn them away when Crayson came


    out of the house.


    ¡°Please forgive their rudeness, Your Highnesses. We are most certainly honored that you¡¯d visit us,¡±


    said Crayson with a smile as he strode over.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Liam asked contemptuously because he genuinely didn¡¯t know who Crayson was.


    Instead, it was Dominik who nodded a greeting. ¡°You must be the legendary Master Waylen Elrod,


    aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Back when the Elrod n still reigned over the hidden n decades ago, Waylen had served as the


    chief minister, a position equivalent to a nation¡¯s prime minister.


    What was more, because he excelled in governing and assisted the former head of the n in leading


    the nation to prosperity, he became revered by many.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you, Master Waylen. What an honor it is to meet you,¡± greeted Eleanor with


    a slight nod.


    Though both regarded the other party as a nemesis, window dressing still had to be done. After all, the


    Ledger n imed to tolerate the Elrods in public, so they would spare thetter even if they were


    the formerly hidden n monarchy.


    ¡°To think Your Highnesses still remember this old man. Hahaha,¡± Crayson guffawed, then shot a


    disapproving nce at Veronica. ¡°What happened to your manners? Why didn¡¯t you invite Their


    Highnesses inside? Do you want people to criticize me for being discourteous?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all me. Roni has nothing to do with this.¡± Mateo defended Veronica, probably because he didn¡¯t like


    seeing Crayson reprimand her.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Alright, enough. Pleasee in.¡± Crayson invited the Ledger siblings inside and then led them to the


    living room.


    As everyone took their seats on the couch, the servants went to get refreshments.


    Just then, Matthew came out from the kitchen wearing an apron. It seemed that he was working away


    in the kitchen a second ago.


    ¡°Iron!¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes lit up at once. ¡°What is this that you¡¯re doing?¡±

 Chapter 807

    Chapter 807


    Chapter 807 Eleanor Ledger


    Eleanor¡¯s question was purely out of curiosity. Suspicion stirred within everyone when Eleanor kept


    asking and mentioning Iron since arriving at Elrod¡¯s residence. That said, none expressed their


    bafflement.


    Crayson, on the other hand, answered with a chuckle, ¡°Iron is a Bloomstead chef that I hired specially


    to take care of Miss Veronica¡¯s diet.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then he must be an amazing chef.¡± Eleanor smiled, then requested, ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much


    about Destorian food and culture but never had the chance to visit. I wonder if we have the privilege to


    try Destorian food?¡±


    Dominik frowned subtly but said nothing as he maintained his usualposure. Liam, on the other


    hand, nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ve also heard all sorts of praises about Destorian food. Miss Murphy,


    seeing that we¡¯re all friends here, can we stay for lunch?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Mateo turned them down mercilessly as he couldn¡¯t stand the Ledgers.


    ¡°You guys showed up too suddenly, so I¡¯m afraid we only have food for so many.¡± Veronica politely


    turned them down after realizing Eleanor¡¯s intentions toward Matthew.


    Besides, Veronica already felt terrible when Matthew enved himself as their private chef, and the


    guilt gave her immense stress.


    She already couldn¡¯t do anything but feel bad for Matthew, so how could she bear to let him cook for


    others?! Hell, he wasn¡¯t really a chef!


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I¡¯ll call and have them deliver some ingredients over.¡± Eleanor yed dumb, rendering


    Veronica speechless.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Must I really spell it out for you?


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Just as Mateo wanted to speak up, Crayson shot a piercing gaze at him, and the young man


    immediately shut up.


    Meanwhile, Matthew came back into the house with a handful of coriander. Many flowers and nts


    had been nted in the yard, including coriander, providing the kitchen some convenience.


    ¡°Hey, Iron.¡± Eleanor got up from the couch and waved at Matthew while approaching him. ¡°Miss Murphy


    told me your cooking is as amazing as a state banquet chef. Can we join you guys for lunch? I¡¯ve


    always really wanted to try Destorian cuisine. You won¡¯t say no, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my honor to receive your recognition, Your Highness,¡± monotoned Matthew.


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re being too modest.¡± Eleanor beamed. ¡°I can¡¯t possibly freeload either. How about I follow


    you into the kitchen and learn a thing or two from you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea, Princess Eleanor.¡± Crayson stopped her, thinking it¡¯d be a disaster if


    she followed him to the kitchen.


    Though Dominik felt humiliated and also thought Eleanor wasn¡¯t behaving like herself, he still


    maintained a calmposure for pride¡¯s sake. ¡°Just let her be, Master Waylen. Eleanor has always


    been inquisitive since she was a kid. Sorry for troubling you.¡±


    Of course, Crayson couldn¡¯t say anything more when Dominik had put it that way. ¡°Hahaha,¡± he


    guffawed obsequiously. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard Princess Eleanor is erudite and knows a thing or two about


    many subjects. Now that I¡¯m seeing it for myself, I must admit she is studious. I¡¯m very impressed.¡±


    Veronica didn¡¯t know how much genuineness was in Crayson¡¯s ttery, but when she saw the elder


    ncing shrewdly at Eleanor, she knew Crayson had his guard against Eleanor.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Master Waylen. Eleanor isn¡¯t as impressive as you put it.¡± Dominik smiled amiably.


    The Ledger siblings each had unique personalities. Dominik was steady, wise, and gentle. Eleanor


    might look quirky and harmless, but she was actually cunning and artful. Liam, on the other hand, was


    all muscles and no brain. He wore his heart on his sleeve.

 Chapter 808

    Chapter 808


    Chapter 808 Be My Master


    As the conversation in the living room continued, Eleanor followed Matthew into the kitchen and even


    closed the door behind her.


    While Matthew cleaned and gutted the fish professionally, he monotoned sarcastically, ¡°You want


    everyone to know you show me favoritism, don¡¯t you, Your Highness?¡±


    He suddenly thought Eleanor was a difficult one, and it made his head hurt. ¡°I naturally won¡¯t reveal


    your identity when I¡¯ve promised you that. But what other people think is not my business.¡±


    In other words, ¡®I, Princess of Eleanor of the hidden n, am only responsible for keeping my mouth


    shut. It¡¯s not my problem if other people start asking questions.¡¯


    Of course, Eleanor had an axe to grind.


    Only the heavens knew how restless of a sleep she had at night after Matthew left. All she could see


    was his drop-dead gorgeous face every time she closed her eyes in bed. Thus, she lugged Liam over


    to apologize to Veronica the second the young prince woke up.


    yvolume00:00/00:44TruvidfullScreen


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    But as His Royal Highness, The Prince of the hidden n, Liam naturally wouldn¡¯t be willing to


    apologize to Veronica. Eleanor used every trick in the book before getting him to agree to it.


    That said, the apology was just an excuse, for her purpose was to see Matthew from the get-go.


    However, she started regretting after seeing Matthew¡¯s uglyced, average face.


    Why did I let him put his disguise on instead of making him show his true face to the world? Oh, what a


    pleasing scene it would have been.


    ¡°Shall I give you my thanks, then,¡± quipped Matthew inattentively as he descaled the fish with a sharp


    knife.


    ¡°Hahaha, no need to. I¡¯ll take the feast as your gratitude, so you better make it nicer and hope that I¡¯ll


    eat a little more.¡± It was as though she couldn¡¯t make out his underlying tones at all, but Matthew knew


    all too well that she was just ying dumb.


    Seeing that he said nothing, Eleanor rolled her sleeves up and offered, ¡°Come, I¡¯ll be your sous-chef.


    You can also teach me how to make Destorian food in the meantime.¡±


    At that, her eyes sparkled as an idea hit her, and she propped her right arm against the cooktop while


    eyeing Matthew amorously with a tilted head. ¡°Say, Iron, how about I be your disciple? You¡¯re


    going to teach me how to cook, and I¡¯ll call you master from now on, deal?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Matthew turned her down without even a split second of hesitation.


    Of course, Eleanor expected his rejection, so she smiled seductively and reminded him, ¡°You know you


    can walk in and out of the pce as you wish if you be my master. It¡¯ll benefit you and even


    Veronica.¡±


    He paused for a second when he heard Eleanor¡¯s words but returned to gutting the carp silently.


    The princess¡¯ smile widened as she had a good guess as to what was running through Matthew¡¯s mind.


    At that, she patted his shoulder lightly. ¡°It¡¯s decided then. How are you nning on making the fish,


    Master Iron?¡± She got into character in a snap.


    Meanwhile, in the living room, a red g was raised within Veronica when Eleanor still hadn¡¯t returned


    from the living room after such a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see if we have enough food for all of us,¡± she announced and headed straight to the


    kitchen without caring what the others thought.


    Eleanor¡¯s cheerfulughter came from inside the kitchen when Veronica arrived at the door, causing


    her heart to skip a nervous beat and her hand at the doorknob to pause.


    After a moment of hesitation, she still decided to open the door, only to find the princess thoughtfully


    wiping the sweat off Matthew¡¯s forehead with a handkerchief. ¡°You¡¯re sweating, Master Iron. Let me


    wipe it off you.¡±


    Matthew found Veronica standing in the doorway the second he turned to his side with a sharp knife. At


    that, he shifted his gaze to Eleanor¡­

 Chapter 809

    Chapter 809


    Chapter 809 I Will Support You in Spirit


    Matthew pressed the knife against Eleanor¡¯s handkerchief and gently pushed it aside. ¡°Don¡¯t think for a


    second that your botched acting can drive a wedge between us.¡±


    As a man, especially a husband, of integrity, he naturally wouldn¡¯t worry Veronica would


    misunderstand, and he had utter faith in their love.


    On the other hand, Veronica¡¯s sliver of worry disappeared instantly after hearing Matthew¡¯s words. I¡¯ve


    let my imaginations run wild, haven¡¯t I?


    With that, she entered and closed the door behind her with a smile. ¡°Are you looking to change your


    cup of tea, Your Highness?¡±


    Made livid yet amused by the couple¡¯s counterattack, Eleanor threw the handkerchief into the trash can


    and quirked her brow. ¡°Well, this is no fun. Can¡¯t you guys even pretend to be mad at each other for


    one second and amuse me?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Her humor defused the awkwardness in a snap, and her straightforwardness left a good impression on


    Veronica.


    Not everybody could be so carefree and spontaneous.


    Veronica and Matthew smiled as they exchanged a nce. Then, he returned to sorting the fish out


    while Veronica lowered her head, letting the warmth and fuzziness inside fill her up.


    ¡°Oh, news sh. Iron is my master now. Hands-on learning will happen in the future, so try not to get


    jealous, alright?¡±


    While speaking, Eleanor quirked a taunting brow toward Veronica as she deliberately leaned closer to


    Matthew.


    Indeed, Veronica couldn¡¯t do anything against her tant seduction and challenge, but she still jeered


    with crossed arms, ¡°You do know the difference between defeat and jealousy, don¡¯t you? I suggest you


    better be prepared for both, Your Highness.¡± With that, she left with a triumphant smile.


    ¡°Wait, hold up. You¡¯re going to leave just like that?¡±


    ¡°And why should I stay?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried I might do something to him?¡±


    ¡°Be my guest. As long as you have the confidence to do it, I¡¯ll be with you in spirit.¡± Veronica turned


    around with a confident smile. It was obvious how confident she was in Matthew.


    Seeing Veronica leave the kitchen carefreely while humming a tune as she closed the door, Eleanor


    dropped her smile instantly and sagged like a deted balloon, feeling defeated for a long time before


    ring at Matthew with a feigned contemptuous snort. ¡°I have all the time in the world to make you


    mine, and you guys will rue belittling me today.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a word for being overconfident,¡± Matthew said inly as he ran the tap water over the carp.


    ¡°Conceit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been conceited all my life, so what more another?¡± With that, she grabbed the vegetable aside


    and asked, ¡°How should I prepare this vegetable? I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Remove the ends and see if any worms have gotten into it. If there is, throw it aside.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Well, that¡¯s quite easy, isn¡¯t it?¡± Eleanor nodded, then concentrated on prepping the


    vegetable.


    Meanwhile, outside, Liam asked Veronica when he saw her returning, ¡°What is my sister doing in


    there? Why hasn¡¯t shee out?¡±


    ¡°Princess Eleanor¡¯s thirst for knowledge is as intense as a lost man in the Sahara, so she asked Iron to


    be her master, and now, she¡¯s learning how to cook from him,¡± the young woman answered as


    she took a seat. With that, she grabbed a cup of tea and instantly felt rxed when she smelled the


    aroma.


    ¡°Eleanor made Iron her master?!¡± Liam shot right out of his seat in disbelief. ¡°This is absurd! She¡¯s the


    princess of the hidden n! The monarchy name will be tarnished if this gets out!¡±


    For the longest time, Liam had a problem with Iron and wanted to give the man a solid piece of his


    mind. But now that he had be Eleanor¡¯s master, there was no way Liam could teach Iron a lesson


    anymore.


    The poor prince¡¯s face was still blue and ck from being bbored by Matthew the night before.

 Chapter 810

    Chapter 810


    Chapter 810 Overconcerned


    That said, Eleanor thoughtfully covered up the injuries on his face with concealer before they headed


    out, saving the young prince from being ridiculed in public.


    ¡°Liam!¡± Dominik lectured. ¡°No honest job is too lowly to deserve respect. Eleanor has always been


    inquisitive about new things and is happy to learn from others. You should learn that from her.¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡ªHmph!¡± Liam snorted upsettingly, then flumped back onto the couch as he mocked, ¡°Well, you¡¯re


    the big brother. Whatever you say goes.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you brothers sure are close. You two remind me of my younger self. My temper was exactly


    like Prince Liam¡¯s.¡± Crayson thought out loud, then said, ¡°You guys chat. I have to get something done


    in the study.¡±


    ¡°Please go ahead, Master Waylen,¡± said Dominik deferentially as he got up, to which Crayson nodded,


    then headed upstairs to the study.


    Hayley was reading at the desk in the study when she heard the doorknob turning. At that, she looked


    up to find Crayson approaching her. ¡°Have they left?¡±


    Crayson closed the door and sighed. ¡°They want to have lunch here, and Eleanor actually made Iron


    her cooking teacher. We can¡¯t take the girl lightly.¡±


    ¡°Iron is just an average Joe. For her to reach her hands toward him¡­ No doubt she wants to bribe him


    and make him their spy.¡± Hayley analyzed the situation rationally.


    ¡°Now that you put it that way, we should use him well.¡± The elder, too, devised a few ns for ¡®Iron¡¯.


    ¡°No rush. Let¡¯s observe first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Crayson nodded, then added, ¡°They¡¯re eating downstairs, so I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to


    stay here all afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Hayley made nothing of the issue.


    Matthew made a table full of Bloomstead¡¯s specialties for lunch with Eleanor¡¯s help.


    Crayson, Mateo, Veronica, and the Ledger siblings took their seats at the dining table and got ready to


    eat when Eleanor suddenly stood up. ¡°Wait, my master made the lunch himself. He should join us at


    the table.¡±


    Oh, how Veronica wished for Matthew to join her at the table, but she had her concerns.


    On the one hand, she worried Matthew¡¯s cover would be blown, and on the other, she couldn¡¯t find the


    proper excuse to let him join them.


    Her overconcern would undoubtedly blow his cover.


    Now that Eleanor had made the request, Veronica echoed, ¡°Yes. Princess Eleanor is right.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just a cook, so how can he join us?¡± Liam disapproved, causing Eleanor to shoot a nasty nce


    at him. ¡°Are you saying a chef is lowly, Liam? Might I remind you he made everything that¡¯s on this


    table? Also, Iron is my master now. I won¡¯t let you disrespect him!¡±


    The princess was rather intimidating when she pulled a stern look and behaved like a true monarch.


    At that, Liam quirked his lips and snorted disdainfully, saying no more. It then dawned on Veronica that


    Liam had zero say in front of Dominik and Eleanor.


    ¡°Master Iron,e. Sit next to me.¡± With that, Eleanor patted Mateo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do you mind


    scooching over so Master Iron can sit here?¡±


    Dominik sat on Eleanor¡¯s left, Mateo sat on her right, and Veronica sat right across from her.

 Chapter 811

    Chapter 811


    Chapter 811 Don¡¯t You Have Hands?


    Mateo¡¯s face fell. Just as he was about to turn her down, he looked up and saw Crayson staring sternly


    at him. Left with no choice, he rose and sat down on the chair beside it.


    Just then, Matthew took off his apron and shuffled toward them from the kitchen. ¡°Come on, Master


    Iron. I¡¯ve reserved a seat for you.¡± Eleanor patted the seat beside her with a bright smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you


    think I treat you well?¡±


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    There seemed to be an insinuation in her words. She was trying to mock Veronica, who was seated


    across from her. ¡°Thanks, Your Highness.¡± Matthew didn¡¯t mind it as he sat down beside her.


    As the only senior among the younger people, Crayson said, ¡°Alright. Since everyone¡¯s here, we¡¯ll start


    having lunch.¡± Hayley never came down to join them. Those who knew what had happened never


    brought up this matter either.


    All of them were seated together in the dining hall. Since Eleanor was a talkative person, everyone was


    proactive during the conversation, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any hostility going on between them. At


    the very least, they appeared to be friendly to each other.


    Veronica felt that Eleanor was suited to be a diplomat. She was a person who could perfectly hide all


    her emotions from her face, and no one could read her mind. People like her were terrifying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a taste of the fish.¡± Eleanor picked up a piece of the meat with a fork and put it into her mouth.


    As she devoured it, she gave Matthew a thumbs-up. ¡°You certainly live up to your name as my master.


    The fish is ptable as it¡¯s fragrant, tender, and slightly sweet. I can¡¯t praise you enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a taste as well.¡± Liam got himself a piece of the fish and ced it in his mouth. His eyes


    brightened with surprise as he had never expected it to be so good, but he still pretended to be calm.


    ¡°Is it delicious? I think it¡¯s average, though. Let me think. Oh, it¡¯s not spicy enough. It would¡¯ve been


    great if it was cooked with more spices,¡± he remarked with a frown.


    Members of the hidden n loved spices, and they expected the food served to them to be spicy.


    However, not every dish had to be spicy to be delicious.


    The fish that Matthew had prepared was one such example. He just had to fry it until both sides were


    golden, then stew it with spring onions and carrots. After that, he added a handful of coriander and let it


    simmer. As a result, the fish was tender and ptable without any fishiness.


    Dominik got himself some meat and had a taste, then said to Matthew, ¡°Your cooking skills are


    excellent, Iron Pir. The fish is delicious.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for yourpliment, Your Highness.¡± Matthew nced at him with a bashful smile and


    nodded.


    Then, Matthew picked up an entire fish and ced it on Veronica¡¯s te. ¡°Have some fish, Miss


    Veronica. If you don¡¯t eat it now, it¡¯ll be gone soon. Master Waylen told me you love eating fish, so I


    specifically prepared it for you.¡±


    He was a cook, so it was inappropriate for him to take the initiative to ce some food on Veronica¡¯s


    te. However, since he had mentioned Crayson, everything seemed reasonable. It was especially


    true since the Ledgers had praised the fish for being ptable. Therefore, it would likely be gone for


    good in no time.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Although Veronica was touched, she never let her emotion show on her face.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Mateo gazed at Matthew. ¡°I¡¯m considered your half-master. It¡¯s impolite of you not to


    ce some food on my te.¡±


    For some reason, he was displeased when he saw Matthew getting some food for Veronica. To his


    surprise, Matthew shot him a dispassionate nce and refuted, ¡°Don¡¯t you have hands?¡±


    At that, Mateo was speechless.


    Eleanor guffawed in response. ¡°You have a point, Master Iron. You¡¯re not supposed to make things


    difficult for my master, Mateo.¡±

 Chapter 812

    Chapter 812


    Chapter 812 Loggerhead


    ¡°Come on, Master Iron. The pork you¡¯ve prepared is delicious too. Here¡¯s a piece for you.¡± Eleanor


    hospitably ced some food on Matthew¡¯s te, ignoring the others¡¯ awkward stares.


    Matthew looked at the piece of pork on his te and frowned slightly. Without saying anything, he


    continued having lunch. However, he never touched the piece of pork given to him by Eleanor.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    He had prepared several dishes and soups for lunch that included steamed chicken, fried cod fish,


    braised pork, fried broli, pickled cucumbers, baked beans, chicken soup, and mushroom soup.


    As the dishes were aromatic and ptable, everyone around the table quickly gobbled them up.


    Veronica never expected that the Ledgers would love these simple dishes, but they were so eager to


    wolf down the food.


    After lunch, they left the dining hall and the servants came over to clean up the mess. The Ledgers


    were then ready to leave.


    ¡°Thanks for treating us to lunch, Master Waylen, Miss Murphy, Mateo.¡± Dominik expressed his gratitude


    gently.


    Craysonughed and replied humbly, ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, Your Highness.¡±


    Eleanor said, ¡°Dominik, it was Master Iron and me who prepared the dishes in the afternoon. You


    should thank us.¡±


    Everyone could tell that she was in favor of Matthew. It was as though she was worried that they were


    not aware of it.


    Unable to take it anymore, Liam reminded her, saying, ¡°Please restrain yourself, Eleanor. Do not forget


    about your identity.¡±


    An unfazed Eleanor waved her hand at Matthew. ¡°Thanks for your treat, Master Iron. Please drop by


    the pce to visit me sometime in the future.¡±


    Dominik saluted them briefly. ¡°See you, Master Waylen, Miss Murphy, Mateo, Iron Pir.¡±


    Born to be a nobleman, he was well-mannered and calm. After the three of them left the yard, their


    bodyguards followed them as they returned home.


    In the yard, Mateo muttered, ¡°What on earth are they trying to achieve, Grandpa?¡±


    The smile on Crayson¡¯s face faded. Then, he turned around and nced at Matthew, his gaze


    inscrutable. ¡°Come with me, Matthew.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Waylen.¡± Matthew whirled around and followed him into the living room.


    Mateo walked up to Veronica and whispered, ¡°Roni, do you think Princess Eleanor is into that


    loggerhead?¡±


    Loggerhead?! Veronica¡¯s alluring face fell. ¡°Who are you calling a loggerhead?¡± How dare he call my


    husband such a tacky name? That¡¯s intolerable.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Iron Pir.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think he¡¯s dumb?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a nickname. Why are you mad?¡± Mateo felt that she was overreacting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever call someone names. That¡¯s nasty.¡± Veronica rolled her eyes and turned around to leave.


    As she brushed past Mateo, she stamped on his foot, causing him to groan in pain. ¡°Ouch! My foot! It


    hurts! Are you trying to cripple me, Roni?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry for stamping on your foot. I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± Veronica apologized with an insincere smile,


    then entered the living room.


    ¡­


    When they returned to the pce, Liam parted ways with Dominik and Eleanor as he wanted to have


    some fun with a beautiful maidservant.


    After entering the side hall, Dominik turned around and red at Eleanor. Unlike his usual gentle self,


    he questioned, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t get it.¡± Eleanor raised her hand and fiddled with a few strands of hair on


    her shoulder. Then, she ambled toward a chair and took a seat. Seeing that there were some cakes on


    the table, she picked one up and took a bite.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Iron Pir!¡±

 Chapter 813

    Chapter 813


    Chapter 813 Buttering Her Up


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about him?¡± Eleanor ced her hand on the armrest and lookednguidly at


    Dominik. ¡°It seems that there¡¯s no tacit understanding between us, Dominik. Think about it; Iron Pir is


    Veronica¡¯s cook. If I can make him side with us, won¡¯t he be our pawn? Also, the Ledgers will


    never trust him. When they see that we¡¯re close, they¡¯ll try to make use of it. Depending on how we use


    him, that guy will be a good pawn.¡±


    Her words made Dominik fall into his thoughts. After pondering for a moment, he squinted his eyes and


    asked doubtfully, ¡°Is that really what¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Eleanor flicked the crumbs off the tips of her fingers. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m into an ordinary


    cook?¡± Certainly, her insincere words were meant to fool him.


    A glint shed across Dominik¡¯s eyes as he fell for her words. After giving it some thought, a smile


    yed on his initially pressed lips. ¡°You¡¯re indeed intelligent, Eleanor. Why don¡¯t you tell me more about


    your n?¡±


    ¡°Okay, this is what I think¡­¡± Eleanor exined her n to him solemnly. He listened attentively as it


    was apparent that he had taken it seriously. Then, he shared his thoughts with her so that they could


    come up with a plot together.


    ¡°That¡¯s an excellent idea, Dominik.¡± Eleanorughed. After listening to his n, she gave him a


    thumbs-up. ¡°In fact, that¡¯s the best idea I¡¯ve ever heard in a long time. It¡¯s decided, then. I¡¯ll get some


    rest now.¡±


    She waved her hand, ced both hands behind her back, and elegantly left the side hall. The instant


    she turned away from Dominik, the smile disappeared from her alluring face. Her eyes were cold and


    distant as she gave off a dispassionate vibe.


    ¡­


    The next morning in Bloomstead, Shirley woke up early and prepared breakfast. She also packed up


    some food for Wade¡¯s mother and helped her wash up. When she was done with all that, she headed


    to thepany in a hurry.


    After the usual meeting, she gave Garrick a call and invited him to visit herpany. This time, Garrick


    directly agreed to it.


    Having learned their lesson, Jayden and Shawn wouldn¡¯t dare to make things difficult for Shirley again.


    When Shirley led Garrick to take a stroll around thepany an hourter, Jayden and Shawn were


    shocked. Now, they not only treated her with respect but also buttered her up.


    ¡°President Brennan, esports is popr among young people now, and it¡¯s a rising industry. If you work


    with ourpany, you¡¯ll earn a handsome profit.¡± As Shirley led Garrick on a tour around thepany,


    she exined to him the current trends in the industry.


    ¡°Yes, Pia has told me a lot about it. She was very supportive when she learned that I was going to work


    with yourpany.¡± Garrick no longer appeared as leisurely as he usually did. He was serious and


    authoritative when it came to working.


    He nced at Jayden and Shawn, then said to Shirley, ¡°The sponsorship is decided, then. I have to go


    back now. As for the contract, I¡¯ll inform you toe to mypany and sign it when it¡¯s ready.¡± After


    a pause, he asked, ¡°Will it be too troublesome for you?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no! It¡¯s fine, President Brennan.¡± Shirley repeatedly shook her head. ¡°Since you have work to


    do, I won¡¯t hold you up. Thanks foring over despite your busy schedule.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re friends, so you don¡¯t have to be overly polite with me.¡± Garrick gave her a friendly pat on the


    shoulder and turned to the others. ¡°See you, Mr. Stoll, Mr. Adler.¡±


    ¡°Thanks foring over, President Brennan. We¡¯ll see you off.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t thank you enough, President Brennan.¡±


    Grinning from ear to ear, the two of them shook hands with Garrick.


    They then saw him off and watched him leave in his car. Following that, Jayden and Shawn surrounded


    Shirley before asking, ¡°Why are you so close to President Brennan?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

 Chapter 814

    Chapter 814


    Chapter 814 Skyler¡¯s Surprise Visit


    ¡°We¡¯re just friends,¡± Shirley replied perfunctorily. She didn¡¯t want to fall out with them. She was


    swamped with work the entire morning. It wasn¡¯t until 11.00AM that her phone on the table vibrated


    momentarily. When she took a look, she realized it was a message from Wade. ¡®When are you getting


    off? I¡¯ll pick you up.¡¯


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Then, her phone buzzed again as another message appeared on the screen. ¡®Thanks for taking care of


    my mother in the past two days. I¡¯d like to treat you to a meal. I hope you won¡¯t turn me down.¡¯


    As Shirley went through the messages, a smile yed on her lips. Her fingers flew over the keyboard


    on the screen as she replied, ¡®Why would I turn you down? It¡¯s a free meal, after all. I¡¯m getting off at


    11.30AM. See youter.¡¯


    She was more than willing to take care of Wade¡¯s mother, and it was the least she could do. All the


    same, she knew that he had been in a terrible mood, so she thought she could cheer him up by having


    a meal and a conversation with him.


    ¡®Alright. See you soon,¡¯ Wade replied to her a momentter. ¡®Alright.¡¯ Shirley then put down her phone


    and continued working.


    Time seemed to fly when one was busy. Soon, it was time for her to leave the office. Jayden and


    Shawn came over and asked, ¡°Do you have any ns, Shir?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have lunch together. Do you want to join us?¡±


    Since they were now aware of Shirley¡¯s rtionship with Skyler and Garrick, they were cautious


    whenever they talked to her¡ªit was to the point where they had started fawning over her. They were


    worried that if they upset Shirley, she would express her grievances to Skyler, who then might acquire


    Vincere Games.


    ¡°I have some ns, so I won¡¯t be joining you guys.¡± Shirley turned them down politely. The two of them


    waved their hands and turned around to leave the office.


    Shirley packed up her stuff and put on a white jacket. Then, she picked up her bag and left the building.


    Following that, she waited for Wade outside the office tower.


    A momentter, she was greeted by Skyler before Wade arrived. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Shirley was scrolling through her phone when she heard someone speak to her. She looked up and


    saw Skyler standing in front of her. Subconsciously, she furrowed her brows. ¡°Why are you here, Young


    Master Skyler?¡±


    Young Master Skyler?! The smile on Skyler¡¯s face disappeared when he heard the dispassion in her


    voice. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shir!¡± Before Skyler could finish his sentence, he was cut off by an enthusiastic voice.


    They turned to look at the source of the voice and saw a dapper-looking Wade getting out of his car.


    There was a bouquet of red roses sprinkled with baby¡¯s-breaths in his hands. The flowers were


    wrapped in ck paper and multipleyers ofce, making the bouquet look delicate.


    Wade jogged toward them, and when he caught sight of Skyler, he said, ¡°Hi, Young Master Skyler.¡±


    Just as Skyler was ready to nod in response, he saw Wade looking away and beaming at Shirley. ¡°This


    is for you. I hope you¡¯ll like the flowers.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Shirley could barely contain her excitement as it was her first time receiving flowers from


    someone. She sniffed at the roses and remarked, ¡°They¡¯re fragrant.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like them.¡± Wadeughed heartily. He had carefully picked out these flowers. Before


    coming to this ce, he was worried that she might not like them. Therefore, when he saw her


    excitement, he was pleased as well.


    On the other hand, Skyler wasn¡¯t sure how he should respond. Do they think I¡¯m invisible or


    something?!


    ¡°I¡¯ve booked a private room at Serril¡¯s Hut. Let¡¯s go,¡± Wade said, then turned to Skyler. ¡°We¡¯re going to


    have lunch together, Young Master Skyler. Do you want to join us?¡±


    He didn¡¯t mean to invite Skyler as he thought the other man would turn him down. Much to his surprise,


    Skyler nodded directly and replied, ¡°Well, I¡¯m feeling a little hungry now. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 815

    Chapter 815


    Chapter 815 A Surprised Monica


    The smile on Wade¡¯s face froze as he subconsciously took a nce at Shirley. It wasn¡¯t like he could


    reject Skyler then, so he said, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get into the car, then.¡± He pointed at the Audi A8 parked


    beside the road. ¡°I¡¯m using my boss¡¯ car.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± Without saying anything else, Shirley shuffled toward the car. As soon as he arrived


    at the vehicle, Wade opened the door to the passenger¡¯s seat. ¡°Shir¡ª¡±


    ¡°She might obstruct your vision with such a big bouquet, so I¡¯d better get into the passenger¡¯s seat


    instead,¡± Skyler said, then bent his back and got into the passenger¡¯s seat before buckling up. He did


    everything in one smooth motion. Wade¡¯s jaw dropped as he stared fixedly at Skyler, who didn¡¯t seem


    embarrassed at all.


    Skyler had never been concerned about how others might think of his actions, so he didn¡¯t feel


    embarrassed at all. Despite being gaped at Wade, he pretended to know nothing as he said, ¡°Thanks.


    You¡¯re quite a gentleman, Mr. Yoder.¡± Then, he directly closed the car door.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Wade was stunned while looking at Skyler, who was now in the passenger¡¯s seat. He


    mechanically turned around and gazed at Shirley. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. He¡­¡± Wade faltered as he had no idea


    what to say.


    ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s what he¡¯s like. He¡¯s a young master, so he¡¯s used to having the car door opened for him.


    Please don¡¯t mind him.¡± Shirley smiled in embarrassment.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind it at all.¡± Wade shook his head. Then, he moved and opened the door of the


    back seat for her. ¡°Please get in, Shir.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Shirley got into the vehicle with the flowers. Wade closed the door and sat down in the


    driver¡¯s seat. Then, he started the engine and set off. The traffic was bad as it was noon, so the car


    was moving slowly.


    Wade talked to Shirley as he looked at her through the rear-view mirror. ¡°Thanks for taking care of my


    mother. When I returned today, she kept urging me to treat you to a meal. She also praised you for


    being kind-hearted and beautiful. She even said that it¡¯s hard to find a woman like you these days.¡±


    Although he was passing on his mother¡¯s words, Skyler and Shirley could hear the deeper meaning in


    his words.


    ¡°Please help me thank your mother for herpliment. It was the least I could do,¡± Shirley replied. As


    she recalled something suddenly, she went on to ask, ¡°By the way, have you invited Monica?¡±


    Wade told her the day before that he would treat her to a meal, so she told him to invite Monica as well.


    ¡°Yes. She sent me a message earlier saying that she¡¯s arrived.¡± The traffic light turned green, so Wade


    stepped on the gas pedal and continued driving. Meanwhile, Skyler stared fixedly at the front in silence


    as a glint shed across his dark gaze.


    A momentter, they arrived at the restaurant and entered the private room. As expected, Monica was


    already waiting for them inside. ¡°You¡¯re finally here. I¡¯ve been waiting for ages.¡±


    Monica waved her hand to greet them. When she caught sight of Skyler entering the room, her eyes


    brightened. ¡°Why are you here, Skyler?¡±


    After her husband went to jail back then, her mother-inw fought with Monica and hurled her newborn


    child to the ground. Left with no other choice, she asked Veronica to contact Skyler.


    It was Skyler who helped her get in touch with those from Westcross Children Hospital, and her son


    was sent to the hospital in time and survived. Since then, she had always been grateful to Skyler.


    Whenever she met him, she would talk to him with respect.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Am I not wee?¡± Skyler arched his brow as a smile yed on his lips. He was born


    with a wicked smile, but when women caught sight of it, they would misunderstand and think that he


    was flirting with them.


    ¡°No, no, no! That was not what I meant. I¡¯m just surprised because I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time.¡±


    Monica pointed at the seat beside her. ¡°Have a seat, Skyler.¡±

 Chapter 816

    Chapter 816


    Chapter 816 I Have Something to Tell You


    All of a sudden, Skyler¡¯s phone started ringing. He fished it out and took a look. ¡°I¡¯ll answer this call


    outside.¡± Then, he turned around and left the private room.


    Shirley clicked her tongue. ¡°Where are your manners, Monica? You only greeted Young Master Skyler.


    Don¡¯t you see us standing here as well?¡±


    When he heard Shirley¡¯s teasing remarks, Wade startedughing. Monica extended her hand and


    pinched Shirley¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯re getting nastier. You¡¯re brave enough to make fun of me now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts! Go easy on me, Monica. I¡¯m just pulling your leg.¡± Shirley chuckled. The atmosphere


    was lively in the private room.


    However, in the corridor outside the private room, Skyler looked at the number from a foreign country


    and frowned. His expression turned solemn in an instant. He clenched his phone and answered the call


    before putting the device beside his ear. ¡°Thomas?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just received a message from Young Master Matthew. You can set off now, Young Master Skyler.¡±


    Thomas didn¡¯t go into details as he only passed on Matthew¡¯s word.


    However, Skyler knew Matthew very well.


    Matthew was a meticulous man who would do everything he could to ensure that things would go


    ording to n. Before Matthew left Castron for the hidden n¡¯s headquarters, they had met for one


    last time. At that time, Matthew told him he would let him go to the hidden n¡¯s headquarters


    someday.


    Miguel was a reliable man who was now the chief operating officer of Matthew¡¯spany in


    Bloomstead. On the other hand, even though Caleb was a taciturn man, he was resourceful and tactful.


    They worked well together, so Matthew could leave thepany to them with peace of mind. In the


    end, he decided to let Skyler go to the hidden n¡¯s headquarters. Another reason was that Skyler was


    a skillful medical practitioner. As such, Matthew could set his mind at ease with the man around.


    ¡°Do I have to set off now?¡± Skyler¡¯s grip on the phone tightened. He turned to look in the private room¡¯s


    direction and hesitated.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you being held up right now?¡± Thomas asked as he realized something amiss.


    ¡°Not really. I just want to bring someone with me. Would that be possible?¡±


    ¡°You can do that as long as the person can be trusted.¡±


    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s decided, then.¡± Skyler hung up the call and returned to the private room.


    As they were seated around the table, they had their lunch in a joyful atmosphere. When they were


    done with the meal, Skyler picked up his phone and sent a message to Shirley, who was just seated


    across from him. ¡®I have something to tell youter.¡¯


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Shirley¡¯s phone buzzed, and the screen lit up. While having dessert, she took a look at the phone and


    saw the message. After shooting Skyler a nce, she ignored him and continued having her dessert.


    Skyler¡¯s face fell as he was ignored by the woman. He had the urge to strangle her, but he patiently


    sent her another message. ¡®Roni wants me to ry her words to you.¡¯


    As expected, at the mention of Veronica, it worked. Shirley put down her spoon and replied promptly,


    ¡®Sure.¡¯


    Meanwhile, Wade was talking to Monica about her child, so he never noticed what they were doing. A


    whileter, Wade said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Shir. Why don¡¯t I send you back to thepany? You might be


    ¡°Oh, well¡­ Why don¡¯t you send Monica back first? Ourpany is going to work with Young Master


    Skyler, so there¡¯s something we need to discuss.¡± Since Shirley was unable toe up with a good


    reason, she could only make one up.


    Hearing that, Wade squinted his eyes at Skyler and quickly looked away. ¡°Sure, that won¡¯t be a


    problem. What about the flowers?¡± The flowers were left in the car before they got out of the vehicle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and get them,¡± Shirley replied.


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go together,¡± Monica said.

 Chapter 817

    Chapter 817


    Chapter 817 He Still Cares About Her


    They left the private room and went downstairs. After Wade paid the bill, they stepped out of the


    restaurant together. Wade took out the flowers from the car and passed them to Shirley. With a bright


    smile, he offered, ¡°Do you want me to pick you upter?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I¡­ have to work overtime. There¡¯s a lot of work to dotely.¡± Shirley turned him down tactfully.


    Although Wade never said anything, she could see the fervent affection behind his gaze. She felt that


    she had to tell Wade eventually that she didn¡¯t love him.


    ¡°Alright. Keep in touch.¡± Wade smiled, then said to Monica, ¡°Let¡¯s get into the car, Monica.¡± He then


    waved his hand at Skyler. ¡°See you, Young Master Skyler.¡±


    Monica waved her hand at them and entered the vehicle. Only then did they leave the ce.


    Shirley watched as the car pulled onto the main road and disappeared into the distance. Then, she


    turned to Skyler and asked, ¡°Did Roni tell you to look for me? What does she want to tell me?¡±


    Skyler felt irked at the sight of the bouquet in her hands. After shooting her a dispassionate nce, he


    pointed at the sun. ¡°Are you sure you want to talk under the scorching sun?¡±


    ¡°Where should we go, then?¡± Shirley couldn¡¯t bear the heat as well, so she held the bouquet with one


    hand and raised her other hand to block the sunlight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to your ce,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°My ce?¡± Shirley instinctively took a step back and shook her head. ¡°No¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you want to swagger into yourpany with a bouquet in your hands?¡± Skyler cut her off. When


    he noticed the subconscious vignce on her face, his heart sank. There seemed to be something


    stuck in his throat that irritated him.


    He took a few steps forward and looked down at her. ¡°Am I a wolf or something? Are you worried that


    I¡¯ll swallow you?¡±


    Shirley was rendered speechless. You¡¯re worse than a pack of wolves, she thought. After hesitating for


    a bit, she replied, ¡°No.¡± Despite what she said, she dipped her head, suggesting otherwise.


    Skyler had been suppressing his fury, but it burst out of him as he grabbed the woman¡¯s arm. ¡°Get this


    straight, Shirley. You were the one who climbed onto my bed. If I¡¯m a wolf, what does that make you,


    huh?¡± he drawled with extreme displeasure.


    Faced with the man¡¯s hostility, Shirley trembled and pressed her lips together.


    A cab happened to pass by. Skyler stopped the vehicle and pushed her into it before heading to their


    destination. Half an hourter, they arrived at her apartment and entered the living room.


    It was Shirley¡¯s home, but after Skyler entered the ce, he was deluged with a sense of familiarity.


    Completely at ease, he sat down on the couch and crossed his legs.


    Meanwhile, Shirley stood in the living room with Wade¡¯s flowers in her hands, at a loss for words and


    not knowing what to do.


    ¡°What are you doing there? Have a seat,¡± he ordered andnguidly leaned his back against the couch.


    It was as though he was the owner of this house.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Shirley put down the flowers on the table and ced her bag on the couch. Then, she sat down


    with her legs joined and her hands ced on her knees, looking like an obedient student as she looked


    at Skyler.


    They gazed at each other for several seconds before Shirley stood straight up and snapped, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s


    my home. Why should I let you lead me by the nose? That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Then, she turned around and


    stomped her foot before striding toward the kitchen.


    Her roar stunned Skyler. He initially thought that she would pick up a knife from the kitchen and kill him,


    but he soon realized that she had put a kettle on the stove and started boiling some water.


    Seeing that, he felt his fury subsiding as he looked at the woman with amusement. Then, he pressed


    his back against the couch and examined her home. Nothing seemed to have changed since he moved


    out previously.

 Chapter 818

    Chapter 818


    Chapter 818 Come with Me


    Even though theyout was simple, it was clean and tidy. Everything was neatly organized, and it gave


    off the warm feeling of a cozy, little home.


    He hadn¡¯t stayed in Shirley¡¯s house for long, but after he left, he would often think back on the warmth


    of that ce while he lived in the huge empty vi. He even grew to like the atmosphere of a lived-in


    ce despite its small size.


    ¡°What did Veronica ask you to tell me?¡± Shirley walked up to the entrance and changed into a pair of


    slippers, then shuffled back to the couch and sat down.


    ¡°She¡ª¡± Skyler paused, then lowered his gaze. His dark pupils darted a little as he said, ¡°Actually, there


    are many things that you don¡¯t know. When Veronica contacted me this time, she wanted you toe


    with me to see her. As for thepany¡¯s matters, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to take care of it for you¡ª¡±


    As he spoke, Skyler hastily exined, ¡°This is what Veronica wants.¡± Skyler hadn¡¯t wanted to take


    Shirley away from Bloomstead, but that jerk named Garrick kept bothering her. That old fox was


    cunning and devious, so Shirley couldn¡¯t possibly win against him.


    Skyler was worried about Shirley and even more so about Wade. After some consideration, he decided


    to bring Shirley with him and leave Bloomstead.


    ¡°If Veronica wanted me to see her, why didn¡¯t she contact me directly instead of talking to you?¡± Shirley


    barely trusted Skyler. She knew that no matter how much of a jerk Skyler was, he wouldn¡¯t betray her,


    but she still doubted him instinctively.


    ¡°She¡¯s with Matt now. Everyone in Bloomstead knows Matt is ¡®dead¡¯, so they¡¯re all keeping an eye on


    Veronica. If she contacted you, are you sure that you wouldn¡¯t expose Matt¡¯s identity?¡±


    Skyler secretly apologized ten thousand times to Matthew in his heart.


    He was really at his wits¡¯ end, or he wouldn¡¯t have betrayed Matthew.


    ¡°What? President¡­ President Kings, he¡­ isn¡¯t he¡­ Mmph¡ª¡±


    The breaking news came so suddenly that Shirley couldn¡¯t believe it. Subconsciously, she got up and


    sat down next to Skyler, grabbing his sleeve as she questioned him.


    However, before she could finish speaking, Skyler held her mouth shut. ¡°Are you trying to get yourself


    killed?!¡±


    At being reprimanded, Shirley collected her thoughts and instantly fell silent. She nodded, signifying


    that she wouldn¡¯t say another word.


    At that, the two realized how close they were to each other.


    Shirley¡¯s fair face flushed bright red as though she was experiencing her first love. She immediately let


    go of Skyler¡¯s hand and lowered her head, not daring to look at him.


    Skyler was a head taller than Shirley. Since Shirley was wearing her hair in a ponytail, Skyler could see


    that even Shirley¡¯s ears and neck were tinted red.


    However, it was exactly this idental shyness of hers that excited Skyler to no end and he instantly


    became ufortable.


    ¡°Cough¡­¡± He averted his gaze and cleared his throat, then returned to the topic at hand. ¡°There are


    some things I can¡¯t tell you right now, but Veronica wants you toe with me. She¡¯s run into some


    trouble over there and needs our help.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. When are we setting out?¡±


    Shirley was still shocked at the news that Matthew was still alive. For a long while, she couldn¡¯t recover


    from the shock, and she had even forgotten the embarrassment just now.


    Shirley followed Veronica for more than two years, and she had absolute trust in Veronica. Matthew


    also treated Shirley nicely, and she was grateful for that.


    Now that she knew that the two were in trouble, Shirley naturally wouldn¡¯t hesitate to help.


    Skyler was originally worried that Shirley might decline, so he didn¡¯t expect her to agree so readily. It


    caught him by surprise.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Tomorrow. But once we set out, it might take two months before we return, and we cannot contact


    anyone back home. You¡¯d better inform all your rtives and friends today so that they won¡¯t think


    you¡¯ve gone missing. It would be a pain if they reported it to the police.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Shirley nodded, then asked some questions about the situation before she began calling her parents


    and friends. She told them that herpany was sending her abroad for private training, so she


    wouldn¡¯t be able to contact them for the next few months.

 Chapter 819

    Chapter 819


    Chapter 819 Matthew¡¯s Ability


    Fast forward to half a monthter in the hidden n, Veronica and Matthew were having their lessons


    in the study one morning. After lunch, Veronica told Crayson that she was rather full, so she wanted to


    take a walk down the mountain.


    As usual, Matthew followed closely behind. As they walked on the steps, Veronica lowered her voice


    and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did you ask me toe out so mysteriously?¡±


    ording to the schedule Crayson gave her, she had martial arts practice at 3.00PM. ¡°You¡¯ll know


    later.¡± Matthew gave Veronica a mysterious smile, then descended the mountain with her.


    They weaved through the bustling market and passed by three streets before they arrived at a


    restaurant called One Piece Restaurant. Standing at the entrance of the restaurant, Veronica looked at


    the shop¡¯s sign hanging above their heads. She mumbled, ¡°One Piece Restaurant?¡±


    She gave Matthew a meaningful look. In Bloomstead, Matthew also owned a top-ss restaurant


    called One Piece Restaurant and now, he was bringing her to One Piece Restaurant again. Could it be


    that this guy opened up a branch in the hidden n without her knowing?


    The man pursed his lips into a smile. ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡± Even though Veronica didn¡¯t ask too much about


    it, the two only had to exchange looks to know what the other was thinking.


    ¡°So, you wanted me to go down the mountain for this.¡± Veronica nodded as she walked into the


    restaurant, amused. She examined the interior and style of the restaurant in detail.


    ¡°This is a teahouse and a restaurant rolled into one, and private rooms are provided. The restaurant¡¯s


    design is abination of modernity and the unique motifs of the hidden n.¡± As Matthew led


    Veronica up the stairs, he gave her a brief exnation of the restaurant.


    The restaurant opened recently and the decorations looked brand new, but customers were already


    flooding the ce.


    Veronica was surprised at the sight, and she gave Matthew a thumbs-up. ¡°Good job.¡±


    She had truly underestimated Matthew¡¯s ability to fit in.


    He could open a restaurant in the hidden n market within such a short time, and the people running


    it were probably capable and trustworthy as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already bought this seven-story building,¡± Matthew said indifferently.


    However, Veronica was surprised once more.


    In the hidden n, due to their unique architecture, all the buildings were made out of wood. Hence,


    the height of the buildings was severely limited, and buildings could only go up to seven stories. Even


    so, there weren¡¯t a lot of seven-story buildings around either.


    However, Matthew managed to purchase a whole building right from the get-go. He would need dozens


    of employees to run the ce, and those employees had to be people whom he trusted!


    How did Matthew do all of this?


    Veronica followed him up to the seventh floor to discover that there was half a floor above it.


    The two climbed up thedder to arrive at the half floor. As they stood there, they gazed down at the


    huge entirety of the hidden n. They could see the entire market from there.


    Veronica suddenly understood why Matthew bought this building.


    Just as she was about to praise him, she saw him lifting a finger and pointing at a street below them.


    ¡°Do you see that man in a blue suit? Don¡¯t you think he looks familiar?¡±


    Veronica leaned slightly forward and looked below them. The man in the royal blue suit walking in the


    streets did look familiar. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Sky¡­ Skyler?! Wait, why does the woman next to him look like


    Shirley?¡±


    ¡°You have good eyesight.¡± The man raised a hand and patted her hair softly as he smiled gently.


    ¡°Are they Skyler and Shirley? Why are they here?¡± Veronica frowned deeply. ¡°What is Skyler thinking?


    How can he bring Shirley with him?!¡±


    Veronica wasn¡¯t hiding the secret of her identity on purpose, so she wouldn¡¯t be mad if Shirley found


    out.


    However, the hidden n was grave. Bringing Shirley here would be the equivalent of pushing her into


    a fiery pit.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I heard from Skyler that Sofia¡¯s brother, Garrick, has been plotting against Shirley. Since Shirley trusts


    Garrick too much, Skyler was worried, so he could only bring her to the hidden n.¡±

 Chapter 820

    Chapter 820


    Chapter 820 Unfortunate


    ¡°Does he have a thing for Shirley?¡± Veronica keenly caught some key information. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡±


    Matthew didn¡¯t provide an exact answer, for he couldn¡¯t figure out what Skyler thought of Shirley either.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll wait for them in a room.¡± Matthew reached out and took Veronica¡¯s hand. He executed


    the action with such ease that it looked like he had repeated the same action countless times.


    However, ever since they arrived in the hidden n, the two had kept their distance on purpose, fearing


    that they would be discovered. However, they were in One Piece Restaurant right now. This was


    Matthew¡¯s turf, so he could do as he pleased.


    Feeling the warmth from his palm, Veronica felt her heart warming up, and the smile in her eyes was


    almost overflowing. They went to the first private room on the fifth floor. After stepping in, Veronica


    realized that it was designed like a suite.


    The outside was a living room, whereas a bedroomy within. The opposite of the bedroom was a


    study for work, and the desk was right next to the window.


    ¡°This room isn¡¯t open to the public, is it?¡± Veronica stood in the room and nced around her, then


    looked at Matthew in confusion. The man curved his lips as he took her hand and pulled her into his


    embrace. He held her lightly and asked, ¡°How are you so smart?¡±


    His fingers caressed her face, then he leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers. His actions


    were intimate and filled with love.


    The two looked into each other¡¯s eyes at a close distance. Their breaths grew heavier at this point, and


    Matthew said hoarsely, ¡°If Skyler and Shirley weren¡¯ting so suddenly, I¡¯d be getting it on with you


    right now.¡±


    Veronica let out augh. With an arm wrapped around his waist, she gave his back a gentle pinch.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you had enough of mest night? Why are you asking for more here?¡±


    She was impressed. She wondered how he could have such strong stamina.


    The man shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°In what sense?¡± She didn¡¯t understand.


    When she finished speaking, she saw a wry smile on Matthew¡¯s face. Thetter leaned in close to her


    and said in a low voice, ¡°There were outsiders back there, and you couldn¡¯t rx. I could barely hear¡­


    you.¡±


    In an instant, Veronica¡¯s face flushed red, and she looked like a little cooked shrimp.


    Just as Veronica was shyly biting her red lip, Matthew reached up and held her chin. ¡°In this suite, even


    if you shout with all your might, no one would be able to hear you.¡±


    ¡°Go away and quit your nonsense!¡± Veronica was blushing fiercely at his words. Unable to defy his


    passionate gaze, she reached out and pushed him away.


    Even when Veronica had pushed him away, Matthew still held her hand tightly.


    Hence, he gently pulled her into his embrace. Veronica¡¯s body twirled against her will before she was


    held in his arms with her back to him.


    Matthew¡¯s right hand held her cheeks and guided her head to the left. He then leaned in, tilted his


    head, and kissed her red lips.


    Their lips pressed together gently. Veronica could feel the burning passion of his lips and his heavy


    breaths. Her heart thumped along with the excitement, and her breaths began to lose their rhythm.


    Knock, knock¡ª


    What unfortunate timing.


    Along with the knocks on the door, a voice sounded. ¡°Pardon, your visitors have arrived.¡±


    Hearing the voice, Matthew looked up reluctantly. He noticed a gleaming sliver trailing from the corner


    of her lips, so he reached up and wiped it away, smiling lovingly as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll get the door.¡±


    He let go of Veronica, then walked up to the entrance of the living room, proceeding to open the door.


    Skyler and Shirley were standing right there.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Matthew didn¡¯t say much as he stood to the side, allowing the two to enter.


    At first, Shirley and Skyler hadn¡¯t recognized Matthew, and they thought he was just a stranger.


    Then, they only noticed Veronica standing at the side after they had entered the living room.


    Shirley was extremely excited as she ran joyously over to Veronica and hugged her. ¡°Hahaha,


    Veronica, I¡¯ve finally met you again! I was so worried.¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Being hugged with such enthusiasm, Veronica gave a helpless smile as she patted Shirley on the back.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Skyler brought me here.¡± Shirley pointed at Skyler as she spoke.

 Chapter 821

    Chapter 821


    Chapter 821 A Million Questions


    Skyler walked forward and frowned. ¡°You said that Matt is here, right? Where is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s closer than


    you think.¡± Veronica raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Skyler to look at the man behind him.


    Skyler and Shirley turned around, catching sight of the normal-looking tanned man with a mole on his


    face. They couldn¡¯t notice anything odd about him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t recognize me anymore?¡± Matthew stuck his hands into the pockets of his loose


    pants, raising his eyebrows with a half-smile. ¡°Matt?¡±


    ¡°President¡­ President Kings?¡± After getting into the hidden n, Matthew had always used a fake


    voice to talk so that he could disguise himself. His appearance was also altered, so the two didn¡¯t even


    suspect that it was him.


    Now that he was speaking in his original voice, the two immediately recognized him. ¡°Oh, my


    goodness, President Kings, are you really alive? I couldn¡¯t believe it when Skyler told me.¡± Shirley was


    bewildered as she opened her mouth in shock.


    After a stunned moment, she walked up to Matthew and reached out to pinch his arm. ¡°You¡¯re alive.


    Are you really President Kings?¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Scenes of Matthew¡¯s funeral reyed in her mind, and now that Matthew was right in front of her in the


    flesh, it felt surreal. It might even be too fantastical to believe.


    ¡°As real as can be.¡± Matthew smiled lightly. ¡°Tsk, Matt, it¡¯s okay to make yourself look ugly, but this is


    too much. You¡¯re a real daredevil sometimes. If I were Veronica and had to look at your ugly face all the


    time, I might have nightmares.¡± Skyler couldn¡¯t help but tease him.


    Matthew delivered a kick to his leg. ¡°Get lost.¡± The party exchanged nces andughed, their voices


    resounding within the room.


    After they took their seats, Matthew began making tea. Shirley grabbed Veronica¡¯s arm and spoke as if


    she had discovered something amazing. ¡°Veronica, you¡¯re awesome! You¡¯re the young lord of the


    hidden n, but I had no clue at all! Also, did you know? Right from the moment I walked into the


    hidden n, I felt as if I had traveled through time. Everything here makes me feel like I¡¯m in a dream. I


    was so used to seeing skyscrapers, so the old-fashioned buildings make it seem like we¡¯re in ancient


    times. Also, when did you find out that you¡¯re the young lord of the hidden n? Have you always


    known that President Kings was alive?¡±


    Shirley¡¯s mind was filled with a million questions.


    Ever since she entered the private room, she had been holding Veronica¡¯s hand and asking all sorts of


    questions.


    Veronica patiently gave Shirley a run-through of everything, and it was only then that Shirley


    understood some of it.


    However, when she saw Matthew in the hidden n¡¯s traditional attire, she found it hard to adjust to the


    sight.


    ¡°Did you just arrive today?¡± Veronica picked up a cup of tea in front of her and took a sip as she asked


    with faked indifference, ¡°How many days did it take you to get here?¡±


    ¡°About ten days from Castron.¡± Skyler calcted the time in detail, then gave Veronica an urate


    answer.


    While holding the cup, Veronica slightly lifted her eyelids as she looked at Matthew. ¡°Crayson lied to


    me.¡±


    She had once asked Crayson; since the ascension ceremony of the young lord of the hidden n was


    two months away, why did she have to hurry to the hidden n? At the time, Crayson said that if they


    werete by a few days, they wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the hidden n by then.


    However, Skyler and Shirley managed to enter the hidden n without a hitch.


    ¡°Master Crayson is a possessive man. If you stayed in Bloomstead with the children any longer, he was


    worried that you¡¯d change your mind. He also convinced you toe in advance so that you could get


    used to life in the hidden n. I think he must have hoped very strongly that you would get used to this


    ce and stay here.¡±


    If one were to get someone to stay behind, one would have to offer an advantage that could tempt the


    other.


    The hidden n had picturesque views and a simple way of living, and those were considered its


    greatest advantage.

 Chapter 822

    Chapter 822


    Chapter 822 Call Her Veronica


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I used to think that Mr. Crayson was a nice person. I didn¡¯t know he was such a bad guy.¡± Pouting,


    Shirley pitied Veronica. ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s stop talking about this.¡±


    Veronica switched the subject and asked, ¡°Matt, where will they be staying for now?¡± ¡°One Piece


    Restaurant. Since we have three rooms, you two can just pick any of the rooms to sleep in.¡± Matthew


    had nned it all in advance. Knock, knock, knock¡­


    Just then, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Boss, someone¡¯s looking for you,¡± the person announced.


    Matthew stood up in response and said, ¡°Carry on with your conversation. I¡¯ll excuse myself for now.¡±


    He walked out of the living room before closing the door.


    With only three people left in the living room, Veronica wanted to ask Shirley about Vincere Games


    without Skyler overhearing them.


    Yet, she heard Skyler say, ¡°Since I brought Shirley over, I¡¯ve already arranged for someone trustworthy


    to help you manage Vincere Games. Thepany will certainly rise to new heights.¡±


    Then, he winked at Veronica before smiling smugly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Roni. I won¡¯t tell Matt about this.¡±


    When Skyler first knew about Veronica managing a business in secret, he found it hard to believe the


    news. Yet, after thinking of her independent nature, he thought that she would not want to rely on


    Matthew in the long term, so it was natural for her to start a business.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Veronica thanked him before she nced at Shirley, seemingly ming her for it. Knowing


    that she had made a mistake, Shirley looked down at her feet and stuttered, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, R-Roni. I¡­


    I¡­¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with her. I only got someone to look into this because I saw her going to work at


    Vincere Games. Then, I got exposed.¡±


    Fearing that Veronica would me Shirley for this, Skyler immediately exined the situation. Hmph,


    isn¡¯t he being too protective right now? ¡°Why are you in such a panic? It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m going to punch


    her.¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t help teasing Skyler upon seeing the worried look on the man¡¯s face.


    Yet, how could Shirley not understand the underlying meaning in her words? Blushing, Shirley looked


    very shy. ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense, Roni.¡± ¡°Nonsense? What do you mean?¡±


    Veronica looked at Shirley with a confused expression. ¡°I mean¡­ I¡­¡±


    Speechless, Shirley found out that her response was too exaggerated.


    Skyler, who was sitting by the side quietly, looked at the two women with a smile. Not long after,


    Matthew returned to them and they spent the whole afternoon chatting happily.


    In the evening, he ordered the kitchen to prepare a few dishes, and they continued to talk while they


    ate.


    They were having an enjoyable time, and after seeing how happy Veronica was, Matthew did not


    remind them of the time although he realized it was gettingte.


    This persisted until 10.00PM when Crayson called her, reminding Veronica that it was time to go. As for


    Matthew, he brought Shirley and Skyler to choose their rooms.


    Skyler settled on the first room while Shirley chose the second one with only a thin wall separating


    them. Then, Matthew gave both of them micro trantion devices, telling the duo to wear them


    whenever they went out so that life in the hidden n would be easier.


    ¡°Goodnight. I¡¯ll have to return with Roni now since the weather forecast predicted rainter in the night.¡±


    He held Veronica by the shoulders and spoke to the two.


    ¡°Okay, President Kings.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Matt and Roni. You guys go ahead first.¡± Shirley and Skyler nodded.


    After Skyler spoke, Matthew suddenly red at him. ¡°Call her Veronica!¡±

 Chapter 823

    Chapter 823


    Chapter 823 Scaredy Cat


    He had disappeared on the day of the wedding, so nobody had the chance to remind Skyler about it. In


    the end, he still addressed her as ¡®Roni¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been calling her Roni for more than two years. It¡¯s sort of be a habit by now, hahaha¡­¡±


    Whileughing about it, Skyler still corrected himself on ount of Matthew. ¡°Goodbye, Veronica.¡±


    Holding herughter in, Veronica waved her hand. ¡°Alright, go and rest up. We¡¯ll get going now.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Miss Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Roni, Matt.¡± In the end, Skyler still did not change how he addressed Veronica. Matthew


    held Veronica¡¯s hand and went downstairs, not bothering to correct Skyler this time.


    There were rules to operating a business in the hidden n, and every shop had to close by 9.30PM


    and shut the lights off at 10.00PM.


    Because of that, absolute silence permeated the ce, creating a stark contrast between the hustle


    and bustle during the day.


    Shirley looked at the man beside him and pointed to her room. ¡°Uh¡­ I-I¡¯m going to sleep now.¡± ¡°Okay.


    Goodnight. Call me if anything happens.¡±


    With that, they went back to their respective rooms. Inside the room were all the daily necessities and


    washed clothes that Matthew had ordered his people to prepare beforehand.


    After washing up, Shirley used the new phone Matthew had given them. Besides being able to call


    someone, all other functions were disabled.


    Bored out of her mind, she could only lie down on the bed and stare at the ceiling. Slowly, her brain


    started to recall urban legends such as vampires appearing in people¡¯s homes and headless


    horsemen.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    The more she thought about it, the more afraid she became. Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the


    room, and she trembled out of shock.


    Light shone through the window again as she thought she was hallucinating. Not being able to take it


    anymore, she stood up in an instant and ran out of her room to Skyler¡¯s, banging on his door.


    ¡°Skyler, open the door!¡± she shouted. She heard the door unlock a few secondster, and the door


    quickly swung open. Skyler looked at the pale-faced Shirley, but thunder interrupted him before he


    could say anything.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Scared out of her wits, Shirley hugged Skyler tightly without a second thought, and she trembled


    in his embrace. It was so sudden that it shocked him.


    His eyes lit up, and it was apanied by a smile as he patted her back. ¡°It¡¯s just thunder. Don¡¯t be


    scared.¡± The trembling woman in his embrace calmed down upon hearing this.


    After a while, she pushed Skyler away and took a step back. ¡°S-Sorry about that. I-I was a bit shocked


    just now.¡±


    Shirley blushed in embarrassment upon thinking of their hug. Yet, she did not mean to do that. From


    the start, she had been afraid of thunder and the dark. After arriving at the hidden n, her brain


    started to recall all those crazy horror stories.


    Despite the normal weather, Shirley¡¯s face was pale and sweat covered her forehead, hinting that she


    was not faking this. All of this made Skyler pity her. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Just as he wanted to ask Shirley if she wanted him to go over and apany her, he heard her say, ¡°I-


    I can¡¯t sleep like this. Can I sleep in your room? D-Don¡¯t misunderstand, though! I can sleep on the


    floor. You can just sleep on the bed. Is that okay?¡±


    Although Skyler did not say anything, he was beyond happy inside. Is that okay? Of course! It can¡¯t get


    any better than this. Even though he was jumping for joy inside, he did not express it explicitly.

 Chapter 824

    Chapter 824


    Chapter 824 Eleanor Came Again


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    As such, Skyler only said, ¡°Okay.¡± He then closed the door behind Shirley and walked to his bedroom


    with her following slowly.


    The bedroom was huge, and it had a six-foot-long bed with white sheets on it, making it look clean and


    neat. Shirley pointed at the sofa and asked timidly, ¡°C-Can I sleep on the sofa?¡±


    Skyler sat on the bed before taking off his t-shirt, which shocked Shirley. ¡°W-What are you doing?


    Skyler, don¡¯t cross the line!¡± As she said that, he had already taken his shirt off, revealing his striated


    muscles.


    Given Skyler¡¯s build, his muscles were only visible after he took his clothes off. With a charming look


    and a yful smile, he could charm anyone he wanted to with ease.


    Holding the t-shirt in his hand, Skyler announced, ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep. Why are you still wearing your


    shirt?¡± He then looked at her chest and said, ¡°Oh, we¡¯re different.¡± He then pointed at his proud chest


    and shrugged, smiling mischievously.


    Skylery on his side, propped his head up with his arm, then suggested, ¡°The couch isn¡¯tfortable


    to sleep on. Why don¡¯t you sleep on the bed instead? I promise I won¡¯t do anything. Besides, with this


    being a six-foot-long bed, it¡¯s more than enough to amodate both of us.¡±


    His words were sincere, for he did not have any ulterior motives. Looking at the sofa, Shirley thought


    that although it was not as big as the one in the living room, it could still fit her.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll just sleep here.¡± She then walked to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll bring my nket over.¡± Seeing how


    helpless she was caused Skyler to smile as he thought it was the correct decision to bring her to the


    hidden n as well.


    Given how crafty Brennan¡ªthat old fox¡ªis, she¡¯ll be spinning in the palm of his hands in no time if she


    stayed in Bloomstead.


    Just as he was thinking about this, he heard the door shut. It was Shirleying back with her nket


    in hand. Not wanting her to be so cautious, Skylery down with his back facing the sofa and slept.


    Shirley noticed that Skyler wasn¡¯t moving when she entered the room, so she assumed that he had


    fallen asleep. As such, she tiptoed to the sofa and covered it with the nket before shutting the lights


    off and going to sleep.


    ¡­


    After Veronica and Matthew left the restaurant, they returned to Mountainside Gardens. Inside the


    building, the lights were still on, and the sound of people chatting could be faintly heard.


    The two stopped in their tracks upon hearing this and exchanged nces before walking inside. ¡°Oh


    my, Roni, you¡¯re finally back. If you had returned anyter, Grandpa was going to tell people to


    capture¡­ I mean, find you.¡±


    Mateo, who was pacing in the living room, heard the footsteps and looked up to see that Veronica had


    returned with ¡®Iron Pir¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s only been half a day since I went out, yet he wants to capture me


    already?¡± Veronica remarked with a snort.


    ¡°Hahaha, you jest. It was just a slip of the tongue.¡± Mateo shook his head and pointed at Crayson, who


    was sitting on the sofa. ¡°Grandpa was waiting for you since he had something to discuss. Today,


    Eleanor swung by, saying that she wanted to look for you and Iron Pir.¡±


    While sitting on the sofa, Crayson was wearing a loose green shirt with a pipe in his hand. Meanwhile,


    his legs were crossed.


    Coupled with his tan skin, his face became even more solemn due to his anger. ¡°Hmph, it turns out you


    still remember your way home, huh?¡± Crayson nced at her and snorted.


    Veronica waved at Matthew. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day for you, Iron Pir. Go upstairs and rest up. I¡¯m going


    to have a word with Crayson now.¡± ¡°Understood, Miss.¡±


    Matthew nodded and went upstairs. Veronica then walked to the couch and sat across from Crayson.


    ¡°Why did Eleanore to look for me today?¡±

 Chapter 825

    Chapter 825


    Chapter 825 Meanie


    Crayson did not answer Veronica¡¯s question. Instead, he continued smoking his pipe while his gaze


    remained on Matthew as thetter walked upstairs. His gaze made Veronica¡¯s heart skip a beat. He


    can¡¯t have suspected Matthew¡¯s identity, can he?


    ¡°You¡¯ve been working with Iron Pir for quite some time now. How do you find him?¡± Crayson avoided


    her question and diverted his attention onto Matthew. Feeling that something was amiss, Veronica


    replied, ¡°Well, he¡¯s honest and kind. He¡¯s alright. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Eleanor has been trying to get close to himtely. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s ying at, so you¡¯d better


    be on guard.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± While letting out a snort, Veronica grabbed a teacup on the table and stood up. She then took a


    sip of tea before saying, ¡°Based on your deduction, I think that you¡¯ve underestimated Eleanor. If she


    wanted to start with Iron Pir, she would have been too obvious¡ªanyone can tell from her actions and


    words.¡±


    Although she wanted to say that Eleanor simply fancied Matthew, she could not bring herself to say so.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Nodding in agreement, Crayson then shook his head. ¡°Sigh. I was thinking about this too. In


    that case, why did she approach Iron Pir? I don¡¯t think she wants to learn cooking from him, does


    she?¡±


    ¡°In any case, beware of Iron Pir from now on. Don¡¯t leak any important information to him. That way,


    he won¡¯t be worth much to Eleanor,¡± Veronica suggested. She then continued, ¡°Let¡¯s observe things for


    now. Then, we¡¯ll handle any problems when they arise. We can¡¯t panic because of this.¡±


    ¡°You have a point.¡± Crayson then took a drag from his pipe. As smoke came out from his nose and


    covered his wrinkled face, it made him look even more weathered.


    With unknown thoughts in his head, Crayson frowned for a while before looking up. He said, ¡°Oh, I


    almost forgot. Eleanor has invited you and Iron Pir to a banquet at the pce tomorrow.¡± ¡°A


    banquet?¡±


    Is this a trap? Veronica was unsure of this. ¡°Using Iron Pir as a guise, they invited you along. I don¡¯t


    think this is a simple invitation.¡± Crayson looked at her. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to attend, then don¡¯t go.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to go.¡± Veronica nodded instantly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of them ying dirty?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m attending it alone, so I don¡¯t have to worry about anything. Besides, with you guys


    around, Eleanor wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to me.¡±


    She was very sure of this.


    ¡°Alright. If you¡¯re so sure about this, let¡¯s go.¡± At this point, there was no more tobo in his pipe, so


    Crayson emptied the ashes into the ashtray before he stood up and left. ¡°Rest early. I¡¯m going to bed


    now.¡±


    After Crayson went to rest, she remained seated on the sofa, recalling the events that happened


    recently. Veronica thought about what Eleanor had in store for Matthew and her tomorrow.


    Yet, after much consideration, she could note up with anything concrete.


    ¡°Roni, if you¡¯re going to the pce tomorrow, could you bring me along?¡± Mateo, who had been silent


    all this while, sat down next to Veronica after Crayson had left.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I can¡¯t decide that for you!¡±


    Veronica pushed him away and pointed at Crayson¡¯s back, hinting that he should speak to his


    grandfather about this matter. If Crayson agreed, then she would bring him.


    After that, she went upstairs, leaving Mateo to sulk alone in the living room.


    ¡°Hey, Roni, am I not your brother? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too mean?¡± Mateo stood up and


    comined.


    After arriving at the staircase, she stopped and turned around with one hand on the railing. ¡°You


    stinking brat, you still don¡¯t know me well enough. When have I ever been kind?¡± she said with a smile.

 Chapter 826

    Chapter 826


    Chapter 826 A Married Man


    ¡°You¡­¡± Mateo intended to say something else but noticed that Veronica had already gone up the


    stairs. He lifted a hand and scratched his head before heading directly into Crayson¡¯s bedroom to seek


    Crayson¡¯s approval.


    Meanwhile, upstairs, Veronica went back into her room and entered the bathroom to freshen herself.


    However, Matthew was still nowhere to be seen in her bedroom aftering out of the bathroom. She


    couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°Is he noting over today? Whatever. I¡¯ll read before bed.¡±


    She walked past the screen separating the bedroom from the study room and was about to head to her


    desk when suddenly, she felt a tug on her elbow. Subsequently, she was taken into a pair of waiting


    arms.


    At that moment, she was hit by a waft of the refreshing scent of body wash. She leaned against the


    man¡¯s well-built chest and wrapped her arms around his waist quite naturally. ¡°I thought that you¡­¡±


    As she lifted her head to speak, she saw an aloof but handsome face in front of her eyes.


    Ever since she joined the hidden n, Matthew had been in full disguise with makeup on. However, he


    had removed his makeup right now and revealed his actual looks. It was also the same face that


    Veronica missed dearly.


    However, Veronica frowned and ced her fingers over his cheeks before gently caressing his supple


    face with the tip of her fingers. She couldn¡¯t contain her sympathy as she said, ¡°Your skin is fairer than


    before because of the thickyer of makeup you apply every day.¡±


    It was fortunate that his skin condition was great, and even when he applied makeup daily, the pores


    on his face were not erged. On the contrary, his face appeared fairer than ever, but that was exactly


    what pained Veronica.


    After all, constantly having makeup on one¡¯s face would ultimately damage their skin. Perhaps there


    might not be any issues for the time being, but over time, Matthew¡¯s skin would be affected.


    Veronica cupped his face with both hands and lifted her head to look at the man right in front of her.


    Her eyes looked misty, and the pain in them shone through.


    ¡°Silly girl.¡±


    He revealed a smile on his handsome face and wrapped his arms around her waist. Subsequently, he


    said affectionately, ¡°I¡¯m a married man, so I wouldn¡¯t mind as long as you don¡¯t find it hard to ept.¡±


    He spoke gently, and despite the warm, fuzzy feeling that welled up within her, she felt quite awful as


    the guilt in her intensified. ¡°Matt, I¡¯m so lucky to have you.¡±


    After saying that, she stood on her tiptoes and shut her eyes gradually before making a move to nt a


    kiss on his lips. Naturally, Matthew found her irresistible when she made the first move.


    Perhaps her skin felt cool to the touch because she was born with a naturally cooler body temperature.


    As for Matthew, he felt something raging inside him, and his skin was warm to the touch. Their lips


    touched, and the sh between ice and fire felt like a zap of energy running through them. There was


    romance in the air.


    Matthew kept one hand tightly around her waist while lifting her bottom with his other hand to carry her.


    Next, he turned around and put her on the desk as he plundered ferociously.


    ¡°Mmph¡­ N-Not here.¡± Veronica shoved Matthew back, and she seemed to find it hard to get used to


    the current situation. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want to do it here.¡± He pressed his forehead against hers, and the


    tips of their noses touched slightly as he spoke in a hoarse voice.


    Despite the two of them being married and in cohabitation for quite some time now, each time she was


    next to him, she couldn¡¯t help feeling her heart race. The sense of excitement and tension she felt was


    exactly what she experienced when they became intimate for the first time.


    She smiled, feeling resigned. ¡°I can¡¯t talk sense into you, huh?¡±


    ¡°Is that a yes, dear wife?¡± ¡°What do you think¡­ Mmph¡­¡± Veronica wanted to say something, but her


    words were smothered by his kiss. After a flurry of movements, the world seemed to spin out of control


    for them as they lost themselves in the crazed, passionate moment.


    Outside the window, the moon shone brightly, apanied by an entire night sky filled with stars. The


    room was utterly dark, and the only light that came from the moonlight streamed through the window.


    The room was filled with a dim silvery light that looked like a thin veil, and it felt quite romantic and


    beautiful.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It waste at night when Matthew finally swept her into his arms and helped her into the bathroom to


    take a shower. He couldn¡¯t resist her voluptuous figure and had another go due to his unrestrained


    passion.


    Finally, he took her into his arms and led her into bed. At that point, she was exhausted beyond words,


    so she leaned back and remained limp in his arms. She looked as meek as a kitten.

 Chapter 827

    Chapter 827


    Chapter 827 Mateo


    ¡°Roni?¡± The man leaned on his side against the headboard and tucked her under the nket.


    Subsequently, he lifted his head and twirled a wisp of hair by her ears as he toyed with her hair. ¡°Let¡¯s


    go to One Piece Restaurant next time, alright?¡±


    One Piece Restaurant was his base right now, and he could do whatever he wanted over there.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± In a dazed state, Veronica likely didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind Matthew¡¯s words, so


    she affirmed with a grunt.


    At that point, Matthew pulled his sexy lips into a smile and leaned forward to blow gently in her ears.


    Her smooth hair bobbed slightly against her skin, and it felt ticklish.


    He lowered his voice, ¡°The soundproofing there is much better, and I prefer seeing your unbridled


    passion.¡± He didn¡¯t enjoy it here, where she was afraid that the others would realize something was


    going on if she was noisier than usual.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s go to bed.¡± Just then, Veronica reached out and wrapped her arms around Matthew¡¯s


    waist as she snuggled against his chest, finding afortable position to go to sleep.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s sleep.¡± He couldn¡¯t bear to see her in this exhausted state, and he was quite pleased to find


    out that her sleep quality had improved significantly.


    Last year in Bloomstead, she experienced very bad insomnia, so she needed to get drunk to sleep


    well. Ever since they got together, her symptoms had improved significantly, and now, sleep came quite


    naturally to her, so he could finally feel at ease.


    The next day, Matthew got up early in the morning and went to buy some ingredients to make


    breakfast.


    After he prepared breakfast, everyone gathered in the dining room to enjoy their meal. Meanwhile,


    since Eleanor invited Matthew to join them at the dining table, he naturally joined Crayson and the


    others at the same table during mealtime.


    ¡°Iron Pir, Eleanor seems to be interacting with you quite frequently as ofte. You should be on your


    guard, for she¡¯s not someone you should take lightly.¡± Crayson subtly probed for information and


    seemed to be on his guard against Matthew.


    ¡°Miss Veronica has reminded me about that.¡± Matthew nodded and continued to eat with a lowered


    head. At that moment, he tried to make his presence unnoticeable.


    ¡°Yes. I also think Eleanor¡¯s preferential treatment for you is quite strange. Could it be that she really


    enjoys your cooking?¡± Mateo chewed on some meat ravioli as he muttered, ¡°Although undoubtedly,


    you¡¯re great at cooking.¡±


    However, Mateo kept feeling that something was amiss. ¡°I don¡¯t care about her reasons for doing that,


    but you must be on your guard. The members of the Ledger Family aren¡¯t to be taken lightly, so you


    should watch out and don¡¯t be taken advantage of.¡±


    Crayson ate his porridge while ring at Iron Pir. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll be taken advantage of


    by the bad guys and end up hurting Veronica.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be on my guard.¡± Matthew put on an honest and trustworthy act in front of them, so he didn¡¯t


    generally speak much. He portrayed Iron Pir perfectly, and his acting was wless.


    ¡°Grandpa, since you¡¯re worried about Iron Pir, let me go along with them to the dinner party at the


    pce. With me around, the chances of us encountering danger would decrease, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Mateo had pleaded with Crayson for quite some timest night, but Crayson rejected Mateo¡¯s request,


    so the former was quite disgruntled.


    ¡°Are you sure that you would be of help and not a cause of further trouble?¡±


    Crayson snorted coldly. ¡°I want you to meet some people with me in the morning. The session


    ceremony for the hidden n will happen in less than two months, so there is plenty to do.¡±


    ¡°Am I allowed to say no?¡±


    ¡°Try me! I¡¯ll break your legs if you do so!¡± Crayson immediately burst his bubble with a single sentence.


    At that point, Mateo answered huffily, ¡°That¡¯s so unfair! You only care about Roni. Hmph.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, Veronica couldn¡¯t contain herughter upon seeing Mateo¡¯s angry expression.


    When she¡¯d first gotten to know Mateo, she assumed he was a steady guy. After all, he didn¡¯t speak


    much but was quite opinionated.


    Now, she realized Mateo was likely unfamiliar with her back then, so he had put on a cool front around


    her. In actuality, he was a friendly young man with a simple personality.

 Chapter 828

    Chapter 828


    Chapter 828 Teasing Shirley


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you can¡¯t even stop talking while you¡¯re eating.¡± Crayson appeared to be quite firm


    in his decision, and perhaps it was because he had an important event to bring Mateo along.


    The group stopped talking and finished their meal in silence. After breakfast, Veronica gathered some


    of her belongings and freshened up before leaving with Matthew.


    Almost a month had passed since Matthew started his job at Mountainside Gardens. Matthew was now


    on good terms with Crayson, so Crayson had arranged for an SUV for Matthew to use.


    It was easier for Matthew to get around to buy groceries, and it would also be much more convenient


    for Veronica to get around.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The geographical location of the hidden n was mainly in the mountain regions. Hence, the roads


    were mainly mountainous terrain, so the members of the hidden n preferred SUVs over any other


    cars, and it was the best-seller in this region.


    After starting their journey, they sat inside the car and made a detour to One Piece Restaurant. Inside


    One Piece Restaurant, Shirley and Skyler enjoyed breakfast together inside their room.


    The incidentst night made Shirley feel quite awkward, so she silently went back to her room before


    dawn broke.


    She was used to being afraid of the dark, and she was quite a coward. This hit her even harder while


    she was at the hidden n, for the building designs here exuded a mysterious feeling. She would


    always be quite fearful as night fell.


    At that moment, she clung tightly to a bowl of pudding and lowered her head to eat. However, she


    suddenly thought of something and put down the spoon before lifting her head to look at Skyler. ¡°Y-


    You¡­ Could you not let Roni know?¡±


    Skyler was eating his omelet halfway, and he was caught by surprise. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean¡­


    Well¡­ When I was with you yesterday¡­ Don¡¯t tell Roni about that.¡±


    Veronica would tell me off quite badly and say that I was useless if she knew that I rushed into Skyler¡¯s


    room in the middle of the night.


    Skyler, who had been quite confused before this, suddenly realized what was going on, and a cunning


    look shed across his brown eyes. ¡°Yesterday? What happened yesterday? Do you mean the incident


    where you suddenly hugged me in front of my room?¡±


    Shirley was an innocent young girl, so she couldn¡¯t quite take Skyler¡¯s teasing words. At that moment,


    her face flushed bright red, and she hurriedly lowered her head. She held a spoon in her hand and


    continued to eat the pudding.


    ¡°N-No¡­ That¡¯s not it. I-I mean the part where I slept in your room.¡± She stammered, and as she spoke,


    she wanted to stick her head underground.


    There was no way she could reverse time, but if only she knew that this would happen, she would


    never have joined Skyler ining to the hidden n. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll try not to say anything.¡±


    Meanwhile, Skyler beamed widely upon noticing that she had blushed out of mortification and couldn¡¯t


    take his teasing words. As such, he stopped teasing her.


    This little girl is foolish but quite adorable. It¡¯d be quite hard to imagine what would happen if she ends


    up in Garrick¡¯s hands. That cunning man would surely take advantage of her.


    As soon as Skyler realized that, he naturally came up with illicit images in his mind, and suddenly, his


    expression darkened somehow. ¡°You¡¯re so dumb. I don¡¯t even know how you manage to survive to this


    day.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Shirley was just about to rebuke his words when she suddenly heard knocks on the door from the living


    room.


    She immediately stood up to go over and open the door. As soon as she saw the duo at the entrance,


    she beamed. ¡°Roni and Pre¡­ Iron, it¡¯s you guys! Good morning.¡±


    Shirley nearly mentioned ¡®President Kings¡¯ out of instinct, but she quickly corrected herself to keep


    Matthew¡¯s identity a secret.


    Veronica revealed a relieved smile, and the look in her eyes indicated that she was pleased with


    Shirley for being a fast learner.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Veronica stepped forward and entered the room while expressing concern, ¡°Did you guys get much


    sleepst night? Have you gotten ustomed to this ce?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, we have. We¡¯re quite ustomed to this ce.¡±


    Shirley nodded and revealed a slight smile against her will. However, she rubbed both hands together


    restlessly.


    Skyler also stood up and nced at them. ¡°Good morning to you too. Have you had breakfast? Do you


    want to join us for another round? Matt, I must say that the chef here at One Piece Restaurant has


    exceptional culinary skills. The food tastes the same as what I would get in Bloomstead.¡±


    As Skyler spoke, Matthew also entered the room from the outside.


    Just then, Skyler sputtered upon seeing Matthew walk in. Matthew was dressed in a loose, oversized,


    ck-and-white striped T-shirt and a pair of baggy pants. Added to that were his extremely tan face


    and the conspicuous beard on his face. At that moment, Skyler found Matthew a horrendous sight to


    see.

 Chapter 829

    Chapter 829


    Chapter 829 Making Fun of Matthew


    ¡°Pfft¡­ Matt, your outfit is so over the top.¡± He just felt that Matthew¡¯s outfit was an unbearable sight to


    behold. Perhaps because Skyler wasughing without a care in the world, Veronica and Shirley began


    to chuckle as well.


    On the other hand, Matthew circled behind Skyler and delivered a p to thetter¡¯s head. ¡°I suspect


    that even Shirley is smarter than you. At least she knows what to say and what to keep quiet about.¡±


    ¡°Ouch, that hurt. I think I¡¯m getting a concussion.¡± Skyler reached out and patted the back of his head.


    ¡°You guys in One Piece Restaurant are all family, so what are you scared of, anyway?¡±


    ¡°The walls might have ears.¡± With that, Matthew took a seat next to him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Iron is right.¡±


    Shirley nodded enthusiastically, expressing her agreement.


    Skyler reached up to cover his mouth with his hand, his shoulders shaking as heughed. ¡°Oh, man.


    You could¡¯ve picked so many names, but you went with Iron Pir, hahaha¡­ I have to tell everyone this


    story for ages when I get back to Bloomstead, hahaha¡­¡±


    Matthew smiled in exasperation. ¡°Of all Destiny¡¯s subordinates, only a certain person called Iron Pir


    has exceptional cooking skills. I had no choice!¡±


    Only by cooking could he get the closest to Veronica and subsequently move into Mountainside


    Gardens without a hitch. Even if Crayson found a chef, he could get Veronica to fire the chef with


    excuses like the taste was subpar or the food didn¡¯t suit his tastebuds.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect Crayson to let Destiny look for a chef, and neither did he expect Destiny to


    appoint him immediately.


    Also, Iron Pir rarely came into contact with Destiny, so that was why Matthew chose to impersonate


    him. ¡°To be honest¡­ I also feel it¡¯s a far cry from your usual aura, President Kings.¡± Shirley tried to


    stifle augh as she spoke.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s overdoing it! See, even Shirley dares to tease you now.¡± Veronica reached out and prodded


    Shirley on the head. ¡°You¡¯re getting bolder now.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I was just joking.¡± Shirley chuckled sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Matthew didn¡¯t mind it at all. Instead,


    he pointed at the breakfast on the table. ¡°Come, eat. I have something to talk to you guys about.¡±


    Now that it was time for business, Skyler and Shirley immediately stopped smiling as they listened


    carefully.


    Matthew lifted his wrist and nced at his watch. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯ll keep it brief. You and


    Shirley aren¡¯t familiar with the hidden n, so don¡¯t expose yourselves for now. You even have to learn


    how to hide your identity, especially you, Shirley.¡± He looked at Shirley while frowning slightly.


    ¡°You cannot protect yourself, so always remember not to let anyone notice your existence. Skyler might


    have to sneak out during the night with me, so don¡¯t make a fuss if you can¡¯t find him. If thingse


    down to it, you might even have to cover for him.¡±


    Shirley bit her lip slightly as she looked at Matthew, half-understanding. She then looked at Skyler and


    nodded. ¡°Okay, I got it.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t get us to stay in all the time; it¡¯ll be lonely,¡± Skylerined. ¡°I will prepare two


    computers for you with cracked games installed so that you have something to do in your free time.¡±


    Matthew had already made the preparations. However, as much as he had nned for the unexpected,


    he never thought that Skyler would bring Shirley to the hidden n.


    He was upset about it and even thought that Skyler had made the wrong decision. However, he didn¡¯t


    reprimand Skyler too much with Shirley around.


    ¡°When I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll teach you how to dress up. You can put on some disguises and go out for a walk; it¡¯ll


    be fine.¡± Veronicaforted Shirley, fearing that Shirley would be saddened.


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re the best, Veronica.¡± Shirley hugged Veronica¡¯s arm while rubbing her head against


    Veronica¡¯s shoulder in an excellent mood.


    After a few reminders to Matthew, Veronica left One Piece Restaurant and drove toward the pce.


    After a half-hour drive and past a stretch of winding road, the car went up the hill and pulled up in the


    parking lot.

 Chapter 830

    Chapter 830


    Chapter 830 Something Happened to the Children


    The hidden n¡¯s pce was situated on a higher mountain. The top of the mountain was t, and a


    pce was built there. If one stood on top of the pce and gazed below the mountain, one could see


    the entirety of the hidden n¡¯s bustling city center, giving one a sense of authoritative superiority.


    However, as soon as Veronica and Matthew got out of the parking lot, a shy red SUV drove up to


    them and honked. As the SUV pulled up, the person in the passenger seat poked their head out and


    waved at the two. ¡°Hey, we meet again.¡±


    The one speaking was Zac. He opened the car door and thanked the driver, then closed the door and


    walked right up to Veronica. ¡°Are you here to attend the banquet too?¡±


    Zac was in his usual silver-gray suit. It enhanced the prominent features on his face and made him


    more handsome, but it highlighted the spots on his face as well.


    He reached up and smoothed back his short blond hair, smiling in self-proimed suave. When she


    saw Zac, Veronica decided not to humor him. She simply gave him a half-hearted response before


    continuing her way forward.


    Zac ignored Matthew, who was standing beside Veronica. Instead, he jogged up next to the woman


    and walked alongside her.


    ¡°I know you still hate me because of what happened to Matthew, but what can you do? You can¡¯t kill


    me.¡± He shrugged, then said cockily, ¡°However, I can allow you to make use of me. Let¡¯s work together


    to fight against the hidden n. What do you think?¡±


    When Zac finished speaking, Veronica paused in her steps and looked squarely at him, smiling in


    disdain as she said, ¡°Allow me to make use of you? Hah, what a humble position for you to be in,


    Prince Zac.¡±


    ¡°You were forced toe to the hidden n, and I know you¡¯re not interested in bing its leader. If


    you¡¯re willing to work with me, no matter what you ask of me, I¡¯ll agree to it.¡±


    His serious demeanor did look earnest and sincere for a moment. However, Veronica would rather


    believe that ghosts existed instead of believing Zac. ¡°Nice. Are you sure you¡¯ll agree to anything I ask?¡±


    she queried.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Zac nodded, full of confidence as he ced his hands in the pockets of his pants. He had


    the aloof stance of a prince.


    Veronica reached up to push back a strand of stray hair picked out by the wind. She stared coolly at


    Zac, then parted her red lips as she said, ¡°If I¡­ ask for your life, would you give it to me?¡±


    She spoke slowly on purpose, the murderous intent in her voice so strong that it couldn¡¯t be dismissed.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Hahaha, Missus Murphy, you¡¯re indeed as bold as theye.¡±


    Before this, Zac had always called Veronica by her name, but now, he was trying to get on her good


    side by calling her ¡®Missus Murphy¡¯ in an intimate manner.


    He continued, ¡°I know a certain thing, and if I were to tell you about it, I trust that you¡¯d be willing to


    work with me.¡±


    For an unknown reason, Veronica suddenly had a bad feeling about this. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zac smiled as he crossed his arms. ncing at the man standing next to Veronica, he slowly said,


    ¡°After Matthew died, you came to the hidden n alone, leaving your children under Yvette and Luke¡¯s


    care. Why do you trust them so much?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Veronica immediately tensed up as she couldn¡¯t help but step closer to


    Zac, questioning, ¡°What happened to my children?¡±


    Zac raised an eyebrow and shrugged as he raised his right hand. ¡°I, Zac, swear on the entire royal


    court of Castron that I have never touched your children.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± Veronica was on edge now as panic began creeping into her


    heart.


    However, Zac didn¡¯t tell her the answer right away. Instead, he walked closer to her, then leaned in and


    whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you at Elysium Hotel tonight.¡±


    With that, Zac walked right past her and left the scene.

 Chapter 831

    Chapter 831


    Chapter 831 Watch Your Manners


    Veronica stood where she was, clenching her fists as fury raged inside her. ¡°In the end, they still did


    something to our children.¡± ¡°That¡¯s within expectations.¡± Matthew¡¯s behavior was extremely calm. ¡°Let¡¯s


    go.¡±


    The two didn¡¯t talk much, but they seemed to have silently agreed not to mention this again. After


    entering the pce and proving their identities, Zac, Veronica, and Matthew were led into the pce¡¯s


    east wing.


    In the east wing, Xavier, Hendrey, Tiffany, and the others were present. Everything was just as


    Veronica and Matthew had expected. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Master Iron. We¡¯ve been waiting for ages.¡±


    When she saw Matthew walking in, Eleanor, who was wearing a red dress, jogged up to him in


    wee. Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, and she wore a silver hat that looked like a


    flower crown. As she ran, the silver ornaments decorating the circumference of the hat rang like silvery


    bells, and it was quite a melodious sound to hear.


    In the hall of the east wing, seats were arranged in two parallel rows at the sides. A small table was


    ced between each pair of seats, and an assortment of desserts, fruits, and wine wasid out on the


    tables.


    ¡°Princess Eleanor.¡± Matthew nodded slightly at her but cleverly dodged Eleanor¡¯s outstretched hand.


    Seeing that, Veronica raised an eyebrow, a subtle curve forming on her red lips.


    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ve told you so many times to just call me Eleanor. You are my master, so you don¡¯t have to


    call me Princess.¡± Eleanor noticed Matthew¡¯s rejection but didn¡¯t express it in the slightest. Instead, she


    casually reached out and took Veronica¡¯s arm, saying, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while too. I¡¯ve missed


    you. I specially reserved seats for you and my master, so you can sit next to me.¡±


    Veronica had a shocked expression at Eleanor¡¯s kindness, then nced at Matthew as she moved her


    gaze past Eleanor. The look in her eyes seemed to say, ¡®Thanks to you, I¡¯m being treated well too.¡¯


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Princess Eleanor,¡± she replied.


    Seated at the side, Tiffany nced at Veronica and said huffily, ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Veronica. Since when


    did you be so close to Princess Eleanor?¡±


    When Tiffany recalled how she had been disgraced during thest gathering, she hated Veronica even


    more.


    Now, when she saw how close Veronica was to Eleanor, she somehow felt a little uneasy.


    At first, she was the most captivating person, but ever since Veronica appeared, she had stolen


    everything from her. Only Veronica¡¯s death could appease the hatred in Tiffany¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Why? Do I have to ask for your permission to get close to anyone?¡± Eleanor didn¡¯t spare Tiffany any


    kindness.


    After having been insulted in public, Tiffany was furious, but she could only lower her head and stay


    silent.


    On the other hand, Dominik was seated at the head position. He reprimanded Eleanor, ¡°All visitors are


    guests. Eleanor, mind your manners.¡±


    Eleanor stood next to Veronica and Matthew, a hand taking Veronica¡¯s arm while her other gripped


    Matthew¡¯s wrist.


    The man wanted to struggle free, but Eleanor appeared rxed and calm. She even responded to


    Dominik¡¯s reprimand with an ¡®okay¡¯, but she gripped Matthew¡¯s hand in silence as she fought against


    his efforts, reluctant to let go.


    She was expending effort in her left hand, so her right hand, which was holding Veronica¡¯s wrist, also


    applied some force without meaning to do so.


    Sensing something odd, Veronica turned to look at Eleanor and realized that Eleanor was holding


    Matthew¡¯s wrist while smiling at him. At once, she understood what was going on.


    Eleanor dragged the two to the upper section of the hall. She sat next to Dominik while Matthew sat on


    her right, followed by Veronica. Next to Veronica sat Hendrey and Tiffany.


    Sitting across them were Zac, Xavier, Antheena, and Troy.


    ¡°Princess Eleanor, have you summoned us for a reason?¡± Zac leaned against the armrest as he asked


    straightforwardly.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

 Chapter 832

    Chapter 832


    Chapter 832 Plot of the Hidden n


    ¡°Of course. The hidden n¡¯s annual fall hunt is just around the corner. I¡¯ve summoned all of you here


    so that I can invite you to participate in the fall hunt.¡±


    The hidden n had retained their tradition from the past. They would hold the annual Prayer


    Ceremony, as well as a hunt during spring and fall.


    Most men in the wealthy families of the hidden n had learned to fight since young. They were skilled


    at archery on horseback. Since the technology was progressing, both bows and guns were allowed in


    hunts.


    When Eleanor had finished speaking, Dominik added, ¡°The hunting festival will be held for five days,


    and the winner will be greatly rewarded.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a hunt, so why extend it to five days?¡± Hendrey expressed his confusion.


    ¡°The hunting grounds are located between Mount Manos and Mount Gazette. Since thend between


    the mountains is huge, this time round, the hunt tests speed and survival skills in the wild and self-


    preservation. Not counting the time allocated for the hunting festival, the hunt itself will take only four


    days. Also, the prey will be revealed on the morning of the festival, and whoever hunts the target and


    arrives at the finishing line first will be crowned the winner.¡±


    Dominik exined the process briefly, then added, ¡°If anyone can find the prey and return to camp


    within the first day, the game will end right then.¡±


    When he finished speaking, the crowd exchanged nces and began whispering to each other.


    Veronica looked at Matthew next to her, then said in a small voice, ¡°ording to what I know, the


    hidden n¡¯s hunts always ended within two or three days. Looks like the hunt this time isn¡¯t as simple


    as it seems.¡±


    Her thoughts echoed in the minds of everyone present.


    Tiffany instantly panicked as she said quickly, ¡°Hunts are reserved for skilled people, right? I¡¯m just a


    weak woman, so I won¡¯t be joining.¡±


    The situation would be perfect for slipping in a murder or two. If she joined, she feared that her life


    would be at risk.


    ¡°What are you scared of? You have Hendrey protecting you, right?¡± Eleanor smiled as she said, ¡°I have


    already signed up for everyone present. If Hendrey participates in the festivities alone, he can¡¯t stay by


    your side to protect you, so it¡¯ll be even more dangerous for you.¡±


    Just like that, shepletely refuted Tiffany¡¯s argument.


    Stuck between a rock and a hard ce, faced with a threat and a warning, Tiffany could do nothing but


    comply.


    ¡°Yes, Princess Eleanor has a point.¡± Antheena nodded in agreement.


    When she spoke, she was looking at Tiffany. However, when she finished speaking, she cast a


    meaningful nce at Veronica, a hidden glint shing across her azure eyes.


    Coincidentally, as Antheena was looking at Veronica, thetter looked at her as well. The two met each


    other¡¯s gazes and quickly looked away.


    Even in that fleeting moment, Veronica could feel the murderous intent in Antheena¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯ve not been feeling well recently. I do not wish to participate.¡±


    Veronica declined straight out, and she wasn¡¯t negotiating with Eleanor.


    Even though their plots were written obviously on their faces, Veronica still needed a reason to decline.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Being able to decline was one thing, but having the intent to decline was another.


    However, she had underestimated how low the Ledgers could go.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Dominikughed heartily. ¡°It¡¯s just an event, and everyone is just joining in for fun.


    However, Madam Hayley hasn¡¯t appeared in public for years, right? Tomorrow, my mother will be


    announcing the news that Madam Hayley and her biological daughter have been invited to the hunting


    festival. Of course, my mother has already talked to Madam Hayley about this.¡±


    At that, he suddenly questioned, ¡°Do you not know of this, Miss Murphy?¡±


    The unexpected query caught Veronica off guard. She subconsciously nced at Matthew, then


    shed a smile at Dominik. ¡°She meant to inform me today, but since Princess Eleanor invited me to


    the pce, I couldn¡¯t wait for her.¡±


    She was referring to none other than Hayley.

 Chapter 833

    Chapter 833


    Chapter 833 Rece the Chef


    They left the pce in the afternoon. Matthew was driving while Veronica sat sullenly in the passenger


    seat. Matthew said, ¡°Tanya is a cunning old fox. She would invite all the hidden n officials to the


    hunting festival, so Hayley was asked to attend along with you. This is an opportune chance for Hayley


    to publicly introduce you to the hidden n, and it would also serve as a foundation for you to fight for


    the throne. Hayley definitely won¡¯t decline the invitation. There¡¯s no reason to.¡± Matthew sighed


    forlornly.


    Veronica sighed as well. ¡°In other words, Tanya¡¯s plot is to let me have a taste of my own medicine.


    She wants me to join in the hunt, then she would get rid of me during the event. After all, those who


    enter the hunt have to sign a mortality contract.¡±


    She clicked her tongue and shook her head,menting, ¡°Tanya is gaining the upper hand. She will lure


    Hayley to get me to join the festivities, and when everyone knows of my existence, I won¡¯t have a


    reason to decline the hunt. If I say no, the people would be disappointed in me right away, and I would


    be a disgrace to the Elrods. When the Elrods fight for the throne in the future, even Hayley¡¯s supporters


    might switch sides.¡±


    There was an unwritten rule in the hidden n that during the hunting festival, the princes and young


    lords of the hidden n were obliged to participate under most circumstances.


    Only the brave could be the head of the hidden n and lead the n to prosperity.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    This was a firm belief in the hearts of every hidden n member.


    Since most of the hidden n members were trained inbat, they looked down on the weak.


    ¡°This time around, not only do you have to participate in the hunting event, but you also have to win it.¡±


    Matthew was greatly worried.


    The danger presented itself earlier than he had expected.


    The participants of the hunting event were all top hunters. How many of them were assassins sent by


    Tanya, and how many people could Hayley arrange to protect Veronica?


    It was a situation with only a tiny chance of survival.


    The two fell silent.


    Once back at Mountainside Gardens, the two had just entered the hall when they saw Hayley sitting


    there.


    Veronica nced at the table in the living room. A few teacups were stillid out on the table, yet to be


    cleaned up. It was apparent that several people had visited this house before they returned.


    She nced at Matthew, who nodded and said, ¡°Master Waylen, Madam Hayley, I¡¯ll be taking my leave


    now.¡±


    As a chef and part-time bodyguard, Matthew still had no right to listen to their conversation.


    ¡°You may go.¡±


    Crayson nodded.


    Veronica walked up to the couch and sat down. Before Hayley could say anything, she suggested,


    ¡°Let¡¯s hire a new chefter. Things are getting busier these days, and you can¡¯t expect him to protect


    me on top of making three meals a day for us.¡±


    She was earnestly concerned about Matthew, but she endured until the right moment to voice her


    suggestion so that Crayson wouldn¡¯t suspect anything.


    ¡°Even though Iron Pir is skilled, it isn¡¯t appropriate for him to work as both a chef and a bodyguard.¡±


    Mateo agreed with Veronica¡¯s statement. Then, he grinned and said, ¡°As such, Iron Pir won¡¯t be


    following you around in the future. He just has to focus on cooking, or his cooking skills will be wasted.¡±


    Since his fight with Liam, Mateo was grounded by Crayson to rethink his actions. To prevent Liam from


    exacting revenge, Matthew was also sent to protect Veronica.


    These days, no matter how much Mateo begged, Crayson never once allowed him to stay by


    Veronica¡¯s side.


    When Mateo finished speaking, he asked Veronica, ¡°Roni, just say yes, pretty please? I keep begging


    Grandpa, but he won¡¯t let me protect you no matter what. He even said that Iron Pir will put his life on


    the line to protect you. Tsk, he¡¯s just underestimating me.¡±


    Veronica, who was a little thirsty, poured a ss of water for herself. When she heard what Mateo said,


    her hand froze while holding the ss, and she subconsciously looked up at Crayson.

 Chapter 834

    Chapter 834


    Chapter 834 Crayson Finds Out the Truth


    Coincidentally, Crayson was looking at her as well. His muddled eyes were dark with unfathomable


    depths, where treachery lurked. Veronica quickly averted her gaze and red at Mateo. ¡°Crayson is


    right. You¡¯d be better off protecting yourself with your half-baked skills.¡±


    Even though she said that, Mateo¡¯s words resounded in her mind. ¡®He won¡¯t let me protect you no


    matter what. He even said that Iron Pir will put his life on the line to protect you.¡¯


    Crayson had always kept a low profile, and he never exaggerated his words. Those words of his were


    intriguing.


    ¡°Veronica, you went to the pce today, right? Did they mention anything about the hunting banquet of


    the hidden n?¡± Hayley came over in the morning and had been waiting for Veronica ever since.


    When she saw Veronica returning home, she couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Veronica replied readily,


    then smiled and said, ¡°They asked me to participate in the hunting festivities, but I wasn¡¯t interested, so


    I declined.¡±


    For the hunting banquet this time, Veronica didn¡¯t have a choice and was obliged to attend. However,


    she wanted to see how Hayley would convince her.


    ¡°You declined?¡± Hayley was a little surprised, then she tilted her head to exchange nces with


    Crayson before hastily saying, ¡°The hunting festivities this year is arge-scale hunting event that


    happens every ten years. All the officials of the hidden n will be attending. Tanya invited me and


    your master to participate, and she even said that we can bring you along and announce your identity


    to everyone present. This is the perfect chance to announce your identity, so why did you decline?¡±


    ¡°Oh. In that case, I just have to attend the event without joining the hunt, right?¡± Veronica feigned


    ignorance. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go if I don¡¯t have to join the hunt.¡±


    ¡°Well¡ª¡±


    Having her words cut off by Veronica, Hayley suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say.


    She sent a pleading look at Crayson, signaling that he should take over.


    Crayson held a pipe in his hand as he took two puffs from it. ¡°Since you¡¯ve been asked to attend the


    event, you¡¯re obliged to join in the hunt as well. Not only do you have to join, but you¡¯ll have to win the


    hunt as well. You may not know this, but even though it¡¯s a hunt, it also tests the capabilities of the


    young lords of the hidden n. The young lords of the past all performed wonderfully in the hunting


    event to prove their capabilities. Only then can the people be convinced.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The strong are respected in the hidden n.¡± Hayley sighed, anxiety written all over her face.


    At the side, Mateo immediately straightened up and looked at Veronica with an uneasy gaze. ¡°But that


    means Roni will be in danger, right? Tanya and the others are thinking of ways to get rid of her, so


    during this hunting event, Tanya¡¯s elite army can easily remove her from the scene.¡±


    The trap wasid out carefully, and the scheme was as obvious as it came.


    Veronica lowered her gaze, silent as she picked up the teacup and took a small sip. She then put the


    teacup down and looked up to see Hayley and Crayson both staring at her with intent gazes.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me? I¡¯m frail, and I probably can¡¯t even win against Eleanor. How am I going to


    join the hunt like this? I can¡¯t do it, I really can¡¯t.¡± She hastily waved her hands in denial. As she spoke,


    she suddenly pped her knees and said in realization, ¡°What about Tiffany? She has been trainingContent property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    and waiting for a chance. Isn¡¯t this the best chance for her to disy her skills? How can she miss this


    opportunity?¡±


    It was a serious suggestion, and when Veronica spoke, both her emotions and tone were extremely


    normal. However, the two people seated opposite her could hear the sarcasm in her words.


    Back then, under the loving care of Mr. and Mrs. Floch, Tiffany spent her life in luxury as she enjoyed


    treatment as a rich young daughter. In contrast, Veronica¡¯s life was filled with injustice.


    However, Veronica truly felt that Tiffany¡¯s fate was quite cruel. Still, Tiffany didn¡¯t deserve her sympathy.

 Chapter 835

    Chapter 835


    Chapter 835 Puppet


    ¡°Tiffany may look like she¡¯s working with Hendrey and Zac, but ording to what I know, she has been


    in frequent contact with Dominik and Liamtely. She might have her ns. She¡¯s too ambitious and


    uncontroble.¡± Crayson frowned deeply, the thin smoke spewing through his breath and barely able to


    hide the worry on his face.


    It hadn¡¯t been a month since his return to the hidden n. Everything was beyond his control, and that


    made him feel extra helpless and exhausted.


    ¡°Yes, Tiffany is totally out of control. No matter what we arrange for her, she won¡¯t agree to it.¡± Hayley


    sighed, but her legs were neatly ced together as she sat on the couch, her back as straight as a


    ruler. No matter how troubled she was, she still presented herself as a noblewoman.


    ¡°Since she¡¯s out of control, how do you deal with her?¡± Veronica asked curiously as she gazed coolly at


    the two people sitting opposite her, awaiting their reply.


    In reality, Veronica had always felt pissed, but she tried her best to hold it in. The two kept talking about


    Tiffany being out of control, and it sounded like they thought she was easier to control.


    They should¡¯ve known that only puppets were the easiest to control. What did she mean to them, then?


    yvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreen


    ¡°Tanya¡¯s target this time isn¡¯t just you; it¡¯s Tiffany as well. If nothing goes wrong, she probably won¡¯t be


    leaving this hunt alive.¡± Crayson¡¯s tone was grave as he kept puffing his cigarette to ease the turmoil in


    his mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a pity to give up on the seeded yer you¡¯ve raised so carefully for more than 20


    years?¡± Veronica leaned against the couch as she asked, smiling.


    Her sarcastic smile pierced through Hayley¡¯s heart.


    Hayley knew that Veronica hated them, so she was doing her best to fill in the nks in their mother-


    daughter rtionship. However, she hadn¡¯t expected their rtionship to grow more distant. She felt


    helpless about it, and she didn¡¯t quite know where to direct her energy.


    ¡°Fate determines all.¡± Crayson frowned as he spoke sternly. ¡°Veronica, I know you find this unfair, but


    we¡¯re doing this for your own good. Of course, your mother and I still have to discuss what to do with


    Tiffany.¡±


    Just as Veronica had said, it was a pity for them to discard the ¡®pawn¡¯ they had raised for more than 20


    years. ¡°In that case, I guess I should thank you guys.¡± With that, she got up and walked up the stairs.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯m going up to rest.¡±


    ¡°Come back!¡± Seeing that she just got up to leave, Crayson put on a dark expression as he gripped the


    pipe, knocking it heavily against the table. ¡°Madam Hayley has been waiting an entire day for you, but


    you¡¯re leaving just like that? How rude of you!¡±


    Veronica had just taken a few steps when she paused, then slowly turned around. The fury on her face


    was reced by a smile as she said, ¡°Haven¡¯t we discussed everything we needed to?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I still have to discuss with you about the hunting festivities,¡± said Hayley.


    ¡°Discuss?¡± Veronica repeated the word. ¡°Is a discussion with me even necessary? You¡¯ve already


    decided everything, so you only have to tell me what to do on the day itself. I trust that you won¡¯t just


    stand by and watch as I die in the hunting event. After all, I have much more worth than Tiffany.¡±


    With that, she turned around and went up the stairs without even looking back.


    Mateo looked at her figure with a dark look on his face. Then, he turned to look at Crayson and Hayley.


    ¡°I can understand why Roni is mad. It¡¯s unfair of you to treat her like that.¡± He stood up from the couch


    as well, and as he was about to leave, he added, ¡°No one in this world would willingly be a


    puppet.¡±


    Only puppets were controlled by people.


    What was the definition of a puppet?


    It was nothing more than a soulless doll.


    Upstairs, Veronica returned to her room to see that Matthew was already there.


    He was sitting at the desk, reading something. When he noticed Veronica¡¯s sullen expression, he got


    up and walked up to her. He put an arm around her waist and caressed her hair with another hand,


    asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

 Chapter 836

    Chapter 836


    Chapter 836 Don¡¯t Worry, I¡¯m Here


    Veronica wasn¡¯t in a good mood. She reached up and brushed Matthew away, then circled him to sit on


    the rattan chair. She ced her elbow on the handle, then held her hand to her forehead as she said


    gravely, ¡°Matt, Crayson might have figured out your identity already.¡±


    When she finished speaking, she looked up at Matthew, her eyes filled with worry. Seeing the gray


    clouds over her face, Matthew walked up to her and took her hand. He pulled her up, then proceeded


    to sit on the couch so that Veronica could sit on hisp.


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t even have observational skills of that level, it¡¯d be kind of scary,¡± he said. Veronica sat


    sideways on his thighs, frowning in confusion. ¡°To put it simply, if Crayson can¡¯t figure out your identity,


    it would mean that his observational skills and alertness are subpar, and he¡¯s probably not fit to bear


    important responsibilities?¡±


    ¡°Smart.¡± The man rubbed the back of her hand with his right hand, then said, ¡°Since he¡¯s supporting


    Hayley, he must be more skilled than the average person. It¡¯s only a matter of time before he realizes


    my identity, so it¡¯s not a surprise.¡±


    ¡°But now that he¡¯s found out, why hasn¡¯t he exposed you?¡±


    This was the real problem Veronica was troubled about.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Perhaps he has other intentions, but we don¡¯t know what they are. Of course, the easiest guess is that


    he wants Zac, Xavier, and the others to underestimate their enemy. Then, he would work with me to


    deal with them, catching them off guard.¡±


    His analysis was logical and well-supported.


    His extremely calm reaction humbled Veronica.


    She was too invested and involved, and that was why she got too nervous.


    After hearing Matthew¡¯s analysis, Veronica instantly rxed. Like a balloon that had run out of air, she


    leaned weakly against his chest, mumbling, ¡°They¡¯re letting Tiffany attend the hunting event this time.


    When that happens, Tiffany most probably won¡¯te out of it alive. Say, Crayson and the others have


    raised this pawn for more than 20 years. Will they give up on her so easily?¡±


    The man smiled faintly as he reached up to scratch the skin on her face. ¡°You already know the answer


    in your heart, so why would you ask me?¡±


    ¡°Before this, I found out that the hidden n has another way, which is to seal memories. Crayson and


    the others have suggested doing this to Tiffany, but they haven¡¯t done anything like that so far. I don¡¯t


    quite understand what they¡¯re thinking. Also, they¡¯re wary of me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to overthink it; we¡¯ll cross that bridge when wee to it. Moreover, the ascension


    ceremony of the head of the n is just around the corner. We just have to wait another month or two


    before we can leave.¡± Matthewforted Veronica, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.¡±


    His words seemed to calm Veronica immediately, and her tense emotions gradually rxed.


    However, in the next second, she remembered their encounter with Zac and what he had said. In an


    instant, she straightened up and stared right into Matthew¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you have a way to contact the


    outside world? I want to know how our children are right now.¡±


    Having spent more than 20 days in the hidden n, she was swamped with work every day. However,


    in her spare time, her thoughts were upied with her two children in Bloomstead, and she feared that


    they would get into danger.


    ¡°Roni¡­¡± With both his hands, Matthew held her hands and gripped them tightly in his grasp as he


    gazed at her with a firm look in his eyes. ¡°If something is bound to happen, it will. If you worry too


    much, you¡¯ll only panic and lose your cool. Sometimes, you can learn to counter change with


    steadfastness.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to say¡­¡± Veronica made a droopy face, deted. ¡°But we¡¯re weak and powerless in the


    hidden n. Every enemy we face is strong and powerful, and if we make a single wrong step, we¡¯ll be


    falling into the abyss before we know it.¡±


    The tremendous stress was so overwhelming that Veronica felt a little suffocated. Her exhaustion was


    multiplying.


    She began to doubt herself again, feeling that she was too weak and had no right to be standing next


    to Matthew. She felt like she couldn¡¯t shoulder any great responsibility and that she was just dragging


    him down.


    ¡°Zac wants to meet us at Elysium Hotel tonight, right? We¡¯ll know more when we get there.¡±

 Chapter 837

    Chapter 837


    Chapter 837 Great Ambitions Shall Not Be Bothered by Trivia


    Meanwhile, Veronica was done with dinner as she was about to head over to Elysium Hotel with


    Matthew after resting at Mountainside Gardens. Since Zac¡¯s contact number was in her call log, she


    was able to call him directly. ¡°I¡¯m here. Where are you?¡± ¡°Room 507. I¡¯m waiting for you.¡± Zac gave a


    terse reply and hung up the call.


    Right after staring at her phone, Veronica turned her attention to Matthew, who was standing next to


    her, and entered the elevator. As the elevator headed upstairs, they both arrived on the fifth floor and


    proceeded to make their way toward room 507 before knocking on the door.


    After the duo stood at the door for a few moments, Zac finally answered the door, tilting his head while


    looking at Veronica with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been expecting your arrival.¡± The next second, he stood aside


    and opened the door further. ¡°Pleasee inside.¡±


    Veronica responded by giving the man an icy re and headed inside the room. However, when


    Matthew followed right behind her, Zac stuck out his arm and stopped him from taking a step further.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing here?¡±


    Apparently, Zac wasn¡¯t happy with Matthew¡¯s presence and wasn¡¯t going to let him spoil his fun,


    considering the trouble he went through until Veronica finally agreed to meet him.


    ¡°Wait for me outside.¡± Veronica looked back and gestured to Matthew with a wink, thinking there was


    nothing to worry about because Matthew could just barge in should anything happen, as they were


    merely separated by a door.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Alright, then,¡± Matthew responded, giving Zac a hostile stare, as if to warn him not to create


    any trouble. As soon as he stepped outside, Zac immediately closed the door.


    ¡°What were you trying to say when we were outside the pce earlier today? Was it about my child?


    What happened?¡± Veronica asked after she walked to the living room and sat on the couch.


    ¡°Haha. What¡¯s the hurry? Just rx and grab a drink.¡± Zac took a bottle of red wine from the shelf and


    grabbed two empty sses. Then, he sat in front of Veronica and poured the red wine into them.


    ¡°You¡¯re somewhat passive in the hidden n. I also knew you were reluctant toe here, but if you


    agree to help me, I could let you leave the hidden n peacefully. So, are you sure you¡¯re not going to


    think about it,dy? I promise this is going to be a sweet deal for you.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to bribe me with the money you got from conning Yvonne¡¯s parents?¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t


    help but recall the unfortunate incident that befell Yvonne earlier while sitting in front of Zac. After all,


    she would never be able to forget the evil deeds that Zac and Conrad did together. ¡°I don¡¯t think my


    conscience will ever let me ept that money.¡± She sneered with disdain.


    Zac, who was pouring the wine into the sses, reacted with a smile. ¡°A man with great ambitions shall


    never be bothered by trivia.¡± After putting the ss half full of red wine in front of Veronica, he added,


    ¡°The hunting ceremony is a trap for those who are brave enough to walk right into it. Therefore, are you


    sure you can get away with it safely once you¡¯re in it?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Veronica glimpsed the ss of red wine on the table as her instinct prompted her to exercise caution


    against Zac. Therefore, she didn¡¯t even touch the red wine but went on to ask, ¡°You¡¯ve always worked


    with Tiffany. What brings you to me now?¡±


    ¡°Thatdy? Haha.¡± Zac shook his head and took a sip of his red wine, crossing his legs while resting


    his arm on the couch like a mafia boss. ¡°Tiffany is nothing but a pampered and spoiled child. Ady like


    her is bound to be a failure her whole life. The fact that she won¡¯t stop seducing other men shows that


    she doesn¡¯t know her ce at all.¡±


    Although Tiffany thought she was clever enough to keep Zac in the dark about her secret approach to


    Dominik and Liam, she had no idea that the man was keeping tabs on every move she made.


    Nevertheless, Zac didn¡¯t think it was worthwhile spending too much time on her, deeming her less


    useful than she should be.

 Chapter 838

    Chapter 838


    Chapter 838 She Outsmarted Herself


    Veronica curled her lips upward, unsurprised by Zac¡¯s words. ¡°I only came here because I thought I


    could hear about my children, but if you don¡¯t say anything about them, I guess there¡¯s nothing else we


    both can talk about.¡±


    She then paused for a few seconds and added, ¡°As for the deal you mentioned, do you think I¡¯d work


    with someone who killed my husband?¡± Only a fool would work with a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. Veronica


    wondered if she was so dumb in Zac¡¯s eyes that it made him think she would agree to work with him.


    ¡°Haha.¡± Zac swirled the ss in his hand while keeping his eyes fixed upon the wine in it, ignoring


    Veronica¡¯s response, as if he was absolutely confident about his proposition.


    Thinking Zac had no intention of answering her question, Veronica stood up and headed outside.


    However, as soon as she stood up, her vision suddenly cked out shortly before she copsed onto


    the couch.


    In a matter of seconds, Veronica suddenly felt all her energy drained from her body, struggling to move


    a muscle. ¡°W-What did you do to me?¡± She red at Zac and questioned the man, but despite using all


    her strength to talk, her voice still sounded so soft that it was barely audible.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Look at you¡ªthedy who outsmarted herself.¡± Zac looked up andughed. ¡°You¡¯re a clever


    woman, which is why I¡¯m using a fragrance that is odorless.¡± He raised his hand and shook his ss


    while exining what it was about.


    ¡°This ss of wine actually contains the antidote you need, but unfortunately, you threw away the


    chance that I just gave you.¡± In fact, Zac put the antidote into the wine when he poured it for Veronica.


    However, he was sure that she would not drink it due to her skeptical nature. As he expected, she fell


    for his evil scheme.


    In the meantime, Veronica red at Zac and shifted her gaze to the ss of red wine, sticking out her


    arm to reach for it, but no matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn¡¯t summon the strength to lift her


    hand. At that moment, she felt extremely vulnerable, like she was suffering from sleep paralysis. ¡°M-My


    bodyguard is right outside the room, Zac. So, you¡¯d better not do anything silly.¡± Thedy tried to warn


    the cunning man.


    ¡°Haha. You mean your foolish bodyguard? He has probably been lured away by my men by now, so he


    is noting to save you. Unfortunately for him, I doubt he is even going to make it through tonight.¡±


    Zac revealed his sinister n while guzzling down the red wine in his ss. Upon cing it on the


    table, he ran his fingers through his blonde hair and smiled lecherously as he approached Veronica.


    The next second, he carried her in his arms and headed toward the bedroom.


    On the other hand, Veronica was disgusted by the unpleasant alcoholic smell that was wafting toward


    her when she found herself in the man¡¯s arms. Despite her strong urge to flee, she didn¡¯t have the


    strength to move even a muscle as she was just like a defenseless pig ready to be ughtered


    anytime. Ugh! That smell is driving me crazy! Where are you, Matthew? Pleasee back and save


    me.


    The poordy couldn¡¯t stop praying for Matthew to return for her. As soon as she found herself in the


    bedroom, she was ced in the bed with a camera supported by a tripod stand beside it. This pervert


    is using the same old trick again. How cheap! God knows how many innocentdies have fallen for his


    dirty trick. Darn you, Francis! Not knowing how manydies had fallen victim to Zac¡¯s scheme, she


    cursed the man for his lechery and wickedness.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Zac sat beside the bed and caressed both sides of Veronica¡¯s jawline, whereupon he bent over and


    took a sniff of her. ¡°Wow, you smell nice. That harlot, Tiffany, is nothingpared to you.¡± He then


    pinched her chin and added, ¡°Do you know how long I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment?¡±


    ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t you dare touch me!¡± Veronica tilted her head, struggling to break free from Zac¡¯s grip,


    but to no avail. ¡°I thought you liked men, didn¡¯t you? Now, go away.¡±


    ¡°Haha. I¡¯m d that you know me well, but guess what? I like women too. Haha¡­¡±

 Chapter 839

    Chapter 839


    Chapter 839 Xavier¡¯s Rescue


    Zac gloated while unbuttoning his shirt. As he took off his clothes, Veronica soon lost the strength to


    even scream, overwhelmed and suffocated by disappointment and hopelessness. Not long after Zac


    took off his zer and t-shirt, Veronica suddenly heard a loud thump that sounded like someone


    kicking the door. ¡°Matt¡­¡±


    Veronica tried to get the intruder¡¯s attention, but her voice was so soft that Zac couldn¡¯t even hear her.


    When the duo turned their attention to the door, they saw a silhouette in a ck t-shirt and a pair of


    loose camo trousers. It turned out that Xavier had walked right through the door and was heading


    toward the bedroom.


    ¡°What brings you here¡ª¡± Zac was stunned, but before he could finish his sentence, he was greeted by


    a powerful right hook into the face from Xavier. ¡°What the f*ck! Are you asking for trouble?!¡±


    Zac, who took a punch in the face, staggered backward and ramped onto the camera and his tripod


    stand before he fell onto the ground. On the other hand, Xavier was furious when he saw the camera,


    even the veins on his forehead were popping. As he radiated a strong murderous aura, he clenched his


    fists like an angry beast. Sensing Xavier¡¯s rage, Zac appeared a little panicky as he had never seen


    Xavier like that. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? You¡¯d better stay out of my business, Xavier. Don¡¯t


    forget, even your father-inw has respect for me, so you¡ª¡±


    Before Zac couldplete his words, Xavier charged at him andnded a kick on the former¡¯s face as


    hard as he could. The next moment, Zac was seen bleeding from his nose as he found himself on the


    verge of losing consciousness. Soon, he continued to take a beating from Xavier, who wouldn¡¯t stop


    lecturing and cursing him at the same time. Nevertheless, Zac, who was weakened and exhausted by


    his injury, was simply too dizzy to hear what Xavier was saying.


    Meanwhile, Veronica didn¡¯t expect that it was Xavier who hade to her rescue, wondering what had


    brought him to her. Where is Matthew? Why did Xaviere instead of Matthew? Her mind was filled


    with questions that she wanted answers to, but to her dismay, she was too weak to even utter a word.


    After roughing up Zac, Xavier approached the bed and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Veronica


    still d. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going to get you out of here.¡± Although the man acted like a merciless fighter


    a few minutes ago, he turned into a tender and sentimental gentleman when talking to Veronica.


    Carrying her in his arms, he made his way out of the room.


    At the same time, when Xavier turned around, Veronica glimpsed Zac and realized he was knocked


    out. At the sight of that, she couldn¡¯t help but worry that Xavier might find himself in trouble.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re curious why I showed up,¡± Xavier added. ¡°I saw you and Iron Pir when I was strolling


    around in the street earlier. So, I decided to follow the two of you out of curiosity, only to see him lured


    away by someone else to the backdoor. When I saw him surrounded by several skilled fighters, my


    intuition told me that you were probably in danger, which was why I decided to continue following you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Veronica expressed her gratitude. However, she was still barely able to talk as the drug¡¯s


    effect had notpletely worn off, but that also made her worry about Xavier. After all, she had no idea


    what Zac used to drug her, and Xavier was likely exposed to it as well when he arrived in time to save


    her. Nevertheless, she was quickly relieved when she recalled the fact that Xavier was only there for a


    short period. Besides, he went straight into the bedroom as soon as he opened the door, so she


    believed he was likely safe.


    ¡°Alright, say no more. You should probably take some rest now. I¡¯m right here, so you¡¯re going to be


    fine.¡± With Veronica in his arms, Xavier took her and left Elysium Hotel. In the meantime, Skyler arrived


    and rushed to room 507 less than 30 seconds after they left. On the other hand, Xavier took a cab with


    Veronica and took her to a nearby hotel, where he rented a room for her to rest.


    Also, he approached a doctor to examine Veronica¡¯s condition, whereupon he made her a cup of tea.


    ¡°Here. Take your medication.¡± He sat her up in bed.

 Chapter 840

    Chapter 840


    Chapter 840 Just in Time


    With Xavier¡¯s help, Veronica was able to sit up straight, but since she was still weak, she could only


    lean on the man as the duo¡¯s interaction appeared a little too intimate. Holding Veronica¡¯s medication,


    the man carefully fed it to her mouth just when she opened it slowly and took a sip bit by bit.


    Having the woman whom he loved right in his arms, Xavier felt the strong temptation to kill Zac for what


    he did back there when he saw Veronica¡¯s pitiful look. Somehow, that brought him back to the moment


    he kidnapped Veronica because of his selfish possessiveness, but as he had grown wiser and matured


    over the years, he recalled the incident in hindsight and felt like hitting himself in the face with the


    unforgivable deed he did back then.


    Nevertheless, it was precisely the mistake he made out of his impulse that brought him closer to


    Veronica, but even so, he couldn¡¯t stop regretting his action. In spite of that, he was grateful that


    Crayson made it here in time, or he wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life.


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Despite the unpleasant bitterness, Veronica forced herself to swallow the medicine. After


    that, she noticed Xavier¡¯s absent-minded expression and said, ¡°Hey, Xavier.¡±


    Upon snapping out of his trance, Xavier slowly helped Veronica lie back down and ced the empty


    spoon on the table. Then, he grabbed a piece of napkin and wiped her mouth. ¡°Have some rest. The


    doctor said you¡¯ll be up and around again in no more than ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Veronica responded with an affirmative hum, gazing at Xavier while thanking him gratefully.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Xavier.¡± Having been saved by Xavier twice, Veronica felt indebted to him as she


    was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.


    ¡°What¡¯s Iron Pir¡¯s number?¡± Xavier asked.


    Worried that Matthew could get his identity exposed, Veronica was afraid a fight between the two men


    would ensue. Thus, she decided not to tell Xavier about Matthew¡¯s number. ¡°Don¡¯t bother calling him.


    He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Although she had only just taken her medication not long ago, she was already feeling a


    lot better as she was at least able to speak more clearly.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Xavier didn¡¯t press on with his question. Instead, he grabbed himself a chair and sat right


    beside the bed. ¡°Why were you in Zac¡¯s room?¡±


    ¡°I ran into Zac in the pce earlier today. He told me that something had happened to my children and


    wanted to meet up with meter, which led me to the point where you found me. I did my best to take


    all necessary precautions against him, but I guess I was still no match for his guile.¡± Although she


    thought she would be safe with Matthew around, she didn¡¯t expect him to be lured away by Zac¡¯s men.


    Suddenly, Veronica knitted her eyebrows. ¡°Xavier, can you bring me my phone? It¡¯s in my pocket. I¡¯d


    like to make a call.¡± While she had absolutely no doubts about Matthew¡¯sbat skills, she couldn¡¯t


    help but wonder what was taking him so long toe to her. Is he in danger or something? Worried


    and anxious, she immediately contacted Mateo to request his help in searching for Matthew. As soon


    as she finished her words, she heard someone knocking on the door outside the room. At that moment,


    her eyes brightened up as she wondered whether it could be Matthew.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the door.¡± Xavier rose from his seat and stepped outside the bedroom. Is it Iron Pir? Or could


    it be Zac¡¯s men who havee for retaliation? Xavier wondered to himself while approaching the door.


    As the knock on the door grew more and more rapidly, he quickly grabbed the door handle and turned


    it, only to realize their visitor was none other than Skyler. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here?¡± Xavier was taken


    aback by Skyler¡¯s sudden appearance.


    However, Skyler was not in the mood to answer Xavier¡¯s question; he shoved him aside and walked


    further into the room. ¡°Where is Roni? Xavier, I¡¯m warning you. If you every a finger on Veronica, I


    swear I¡¯m going to make you regret it!¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

 Chapter 841

    Chapter 841


    Chapter 841 Matthew Survived


    ¡°Veronica is in the bedroom,¡± Xavier replied. Skyler immediately opened the door and stepped inside


    the bedroom. It wasn¡¯t until he saw Veronica lyingfortably in bed with a nket on her that he


    finally felt relieved. ¡°Phew! Are you alright, Roni?¡±


    ¡°Skyler, Matthew¡­ I mean, Iron Pir is in danger. You must find him at once!¡± Veronica nervously said


    the moment they saw each other. ¡°Look at yourself. You should worry more about yourself instead of


    him.¡± Skyler walked closer to the bed and sat down, lifting a quarter of the nket before running a


    quick diagnosis on Veronica.


    A few momentster, he detected nothing wrong with her just when he spotted the empty spoon on the


    table with a little bit of residual medicine. It was then that he heaved a sigh of relief once again. ¡°You¡¯ll


    be fine in a while. Dang it, Zac! I¡¯m going to make that fe pay when I meet him again!¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Forget about me. Find Iron Pir.¡± As Veronica was feeling better, she grabbed Skyler by his sleeve


    and implored him to search for Matthew.


    On the other hand, Xavier was merely standing by the door with both of his hands in his pocket, leaning


    on the door frame while silently watching the duo. At that moment, they were interrupted by a familiar


    voice from the living room. ¡°Roni?!¡±


    It turned out that Xavier only left the door ajar right after he let Skyler in. Thus, that allowed Matthew,


    whose arrival was long overdue, to enter the room before he called out to Veronica. As he was too


    worried about her, he unknowingly dropped his pretense and addressed her the way he had always


    been used to.


    Upon glimpsing Xavier, he walked past him and approached the bed, whereupon he grabbed Skyler by


    his shirt and shoved him aside. Then, he sat in the chair and held Veronica¡¯s hand tightly, showing her


    his concern. ¡°Are you alright, girl? I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯mte.¡± With his mind full of Veronica, Matthew was


    so caught up in her status that he neglected the other two men who were also in the bedroom.


    When Xavier heard how Matthew called Veronica, he straightened his body, stiffening from head to toe.


    He then recalled looking back at the living room when he saw ¡®Iron Pir¡¯ approaching them. However,


    when ¡®Iron Pir¡¯ walked past him and shoved Skyler aside before holding Veronica¡¯s hand, Xavier¡¯s


    eyes were filled with indifference. He is¡­ Matthew? Matthew Kings?! The man clenched his fists


    tightly, radiating an intimidating aura. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but fix his gaze on Matthew


    with rage, just as the back of his hands were covered in veins. However, when Xavier shifted his eyes


    to Veronica, he realized thedy was also looking at him instantly.


    As their eyes met, Veronica apologized guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xavier.¡± I¡¯m really sorry that¡ªI lied.


    Xavier had put his vengeance behind him ever since Matthew faked his death, believing that Matthew


    was truly dead. At the same time, he felt sorry for Veronica¡¯s fate and even tried to protect her by


    marrying Antheena. Nheless, he didn¡¯t expect everything he saw and heard to be just a show


    Veronica and Matthew put on to fool everyone else.


    So, even the funeral was fake?! She lied to everybody! She lied to me!


    At the thought of that, Xavier was heartbroken and disappointed, ridiculing himself for being a fool that


    was toyed with. While his gentle gaze turned into a pair of soulless eyes, Veronica, who noticed his


    depression and negative emotions, was overwhelmed by a stab of pain.


    Soon, Veronica removed her nket and sat up straight when she felt much better. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t


    mean to keep you in the dark.¡± In fact, she was also in great pain, finding herself stuck between


    Matthew and Xavier. After all, while Matthew was the man she loved, Xavier was the one who had


    rescued her again and again.

 Chapter 842

    Chapter 842


    Chapter 842 Antheena¡¯s Confession


    Although Xavier once did Veronica wrong, she couldn¡¯t deny his efforts to make up to her. Therefore,


    the feelings she had for Xavier were a mix of positive and negative emotions. As much as she was


    wary of Xavier, she felt somewhat safe around him.


    In the meantime, Matthew noticed the painful emotion on Veronica¡¯s face and looked back at Xavier.


    ¡°Thanks for saving Roni.¡± As a man with principles, he was grateful for Xavier¡¯s heroic action of


    rescuing Veronica despite their bitter history.


    ¡°Take her with you and get out of my face! Now!¡± Xavier gritted his teeth while bearing the pain that was


    tormenting him on the inside. ¡°Who do you think you are? Why should we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Unhappy with Xavier¡¯s attitude, Skyler talked back, but before he could finish his sentence,


    he was interrupted by Matthew, who cut him short harshly. The next moment, Matthew carried Veronica


    in his arms and headed outside.


    Meanwhile, Veronica, who found herself in Matthew¡¯s arms, couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Xavier, feeling a


    pang of guilt and pain like a de that was plunged through her chest. On the other hand, Xavier only


    walked closer to the window and lit up a cigarette before puffing at it, his eyes filled with indifference. At


    the same time, Veronica couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathetic for the man when she saw his silhouette.


    As soon as the trio made their way downstairs, they left the hotel and drove off. Not long after they left,


    a car pulled up outside the hotel¡¯s exit, whereupon someone stepped out of the vehicle and mmed


    the door hard behind her. After that, she headed upstairs and stood right outside Xavier¡¯s room,


    knocking on the door repeatedly.


    With the cigarette still in his mouth, Xavier slowly turned around and walked toward the door. Then, just


    when he was beginning to make out his visitor¡¯s face, he took a p that turned his face the other way


    in his cheek, his skin feeling unbearable pain.


    Needless to say, Xavier¡¯s forehead was covered by his fringe, thanks to the impact of the p he just


    took. At the same time, the cigarette also fell onto the ground shortly before the burning end was


    extinguished.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind, Sebastian? How could you get physical with Zac for that b*tch, Veronica?


    Are you trying to get me and my father killed?!¡± Antheena flipped out, her eyes turning red, yet it was


    not because of disappointment but because of anger.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After all, she couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Xavier only had eyes for Veronica despite everything she did


    for him. I saved him from all the trouble and took him to the castle so that he could be my father¡¯s


    right-hand man. I even married him in the end, but why won¡¯t he forget about Veronica?!


    ¡°Haha.¡± Xavier ced his hand over his burning cheek, smiling ambiguously instead of reacting with


    anger. Fixing his gaze on Antheena, he said, ¡°Great! I deserved that.¡± The next second, he walked


    toward the living room and sat on the couch, puffing at another cigarette. Deep down, he had no


    intention of exining to Antheena what had happened. In fact, he didn¡¯t even feel like talking at all.


    Meanwhile, Antheena, who noticed Xavier¡¯s silent depression as he was smoking, instantly regretted


    her impulsive action, pitying the man. At the same time, her right hand, with which she pped Xavier¡¯s


    face, was still feeling a burning sensation in the palm, indicating just how much strength she used to


    spank his cheek. After all, Xavier was the man she loved, but the feelings she had for him were


    ironically not mutual.


    A few momentster, she snapped out of her trance and walked into the room, closing the door behind


    her. Then, she approached Xavier and sat down beside him, caressing his cheek while rubbing the red


    mark with her fingertips.


    At that moment, she felt as if she had a sore throat, speaking with a hoarse voice as she began to


    worry about Xavier. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I must have been blinded by my emotions. It must


    have hurt, right?¡±


    Nevertheless, Xavier didn¡¯t answer Antheena at all but continued to puff at his cigarette while setting


    his eyes somewhere in front of him absent-mindedly. Soon, Antheena wrapped her arms around Xavier


    and rested her head on his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have raised my hand to you. I-I just love you so much. I cared for you, but ever


    since we got together, you never said ¡®I love you¡¯ to me, and neither did you ever touch or kiss me.


    Never! You never did any of those things with me.¡±

 Chapter 843

    Chapter 843


    Chapter 843 Leave Xavier Alone


    ¡°I¡¯m a human being made of flesh and bones. I have feelings just like any other normal human being.


    Do you know that? But why won¡¯t you forget about Veronica even after all the things I did for you? I


    never turned my back on you, after all! Do you know how scared I was when Matthew died? When he


    was said to be dead, I was scared that you¡¯d return to Veronica because you thought there was still


    hope. I¡¯m sorry, Sebastian.


    I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I just love you too much!¡± As the daughter of the ck Ace Mob¡¯s leader, Antheena was


    treated like a princess, as she was the apple of everyone¡¯s eye. Nheless, out of all the people she


    could have settled down with, she chose Xavier and was forgiving enough to ept his past.


    While Antheena was known to be an indifferent woman who was elegant, calm, and smart, she was


    somehow attracted to Xavier¡¯s secretive nature. In fact, she found the scar on the man¡¯s face incredibly


    charming, as if it was a sign that showed how his age had made him mature and experienced.


    Because of that, she grew more and more obsessed with Xavier¡¯s charming personality. As her


    obsession with the man grew stronger with time, she was even willing to abandon her pride for him,


    disregarding the unequal status between them.


    In the meantime, Xavier, who had just heard Antheena¡¯s confession, shivered in his hand with the


    cigarette pinched between his fingers. Then, he leaned forward and stubbed the cigarette in the


    ashtray, whereupon he turned around and pinned Antheena on the couch, kissing her lips. In response


    to the man¡¯s intimate advance, Antheena was still caught in a trance, unable to react to his unexpected


    reaction.


    After all, Xavier had been keeping a distance from her ever since both of them got married. Deep


    down, she could only remember the only intimate interaction they ever had, which was the kiss he


    nted on her forehead on their wedding day as a gesture of formality.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Still, much to her disappointment, they had never shared any other intimate moment since then.


    Therefore, Antheena was stunned yet excited about Xavier¡¯s long overdue kiss, snapping out of her


    trance a few secondster before she responded by kissing his neck.


    As the amorous vibe in the room began to intensify, the man and the woman went on to share their


    first-ever intimacy, which finally made Antheena¡¯s dreame true. While she thought her touching


    confession had finally moved Xavier and made him fall in love with her, she had no idea that he only


    made love with her because he couldn¡¯t get over the disappointment that he felt for being lied to by


    Veronica. Therefore, when Antheena took pity on him, his rational mind was taken over by his


    sympathy, which prompted him to grant her wish out of pity.


    On the other hand, Veronica was able to walk like normal when Matthew carried her back to the room


    at One Piece Restaurant. Nevertheless, he continued to hold her hands tightly without letting them go.


    ¡°Matt, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    She shook off his hand and walked closer to the table to pour herself a ss of water. However,


    Matthew beat her to that and reached the kettle before she could before he proceeded to fill an empty


    ss with warm water.


    ¡°Here. Drink some water.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Veronica raised her ss and started drinking, but her eyes were fixed on the mug on the table


    as if her soul had already left her body. Even after finishing the water inside the ss, she continued to


    mp its edge with her lips, as if she was still drinking without realizing that it was already empty.


    Meanwhile, Matthew was able to see through Veronica¡¯s absent-mindedness, furrowing his eyebrows


    while asking, ¡°Is Xavier really that important to you?¡± The man seemed to be jealous.


    It was then that Veronica snapped out of her trance and put down the ss in her hand. She then


    looked down and let out a sigh. ¡°Well, I lied to him.¡±


    ¡°So, if you were given a chance back then, would you have told him the truth?¡± Matthew asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Veronica shook her head. Despite the bitter history between Matthew and Xavier, she


    was annoyed by the dilemma she found herself in. After all, she was caught in the middle between her


    beloved husband and the man to whom she was indebted. Oh, dear. What am I going to do?


    ¡°I¡¯m going out now. Take some rest.¡± Matthew turned around and made his way outside.


    Nevertheless, Veronica, who seemed panicky, sat bolt upright and seized Matthew¡¯s arm. ¡°Leave


    Xavier alone!¡± Thedy anxiously begged for mercy on Xavier¡¯s behalf.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Matthew stopped in his tracks and looked back, his face darkening a little.

 Chapter 844

    Chapter 844


    Chapter 844 Just an ident


    ¡°Matt, please do me this favor and leave Xavier alone. Can you?¡± Veronica didn¡¯t want the two men to


    fight each other because if that happened, she didn¡¯t know whose side she should take.


    ¡°You want me to leave Xavier alone?¡± Matthew repeated Veronica¡¯s words, a painful expression


    shing across his face. As the two of them exchanged gazes, the man pursed his lips and smirked


    sarcastically. ¡°So, you really care about him, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Meeting Matthew¡¯s distant gaze, Veronica guiltily looked away as she struggled to summon the


    courage to look him in the eye. When Matthew didn¡¯t receive an answer from Veronica a few moments


    later, he assumed that her silence was a yes. Thus, his face turned cold and darkened just when he


    shook off Veronica¡¯s left hand that was seizing his wrist.


    However, thedy, whose right hand was also holding Matthew¡¯s other wrist, didn¡¯t release her grip until


    the man forcefully shook her hand off. As soon as he turned around and walked away, Veronica grew


    even more anxious and begged with a high-pitched voice. ¡°Please, Matt! Please do me this favor!¡±


    At that moment, Matthew, who just took a step out of the door, paused in his tracks and stood in ce


    for a while, radiating a cold aura. At the same time, he was seen clenching his fists tightly, indicating


    just how mad he was. After the stalemate went on for a few moments, Matthew finally took a step


    forward and walked away, leaving Veronica behind in a trance.


    On the other hand, Shirley was ying someputer games to kill boredom when Skyler returned to


    his room downstairs. Upon hearing the noise, she quickly came out of her study and smiled at Skyler.


    ¡°Wee home.¡±


    Skyler scanned his surroundings in the living room and realized every single light was on, as well as


    the noisy audio from theputer. Therefore, he was instantly able to tell that Shirley had a hard time


    adjusting to her life with the hidden n, believing she was afraid of the dark when the night set in.


    ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡± For some reason, Skyler had a strange feeling that Shirley was waiting for


    him, just like a wife waiting for her husband. Ah, this would be so good. I guess it was the right choice


    to bring her to the hidden n.


    ¡°What?¡± Shirley was stunned, trying to figure out the meaning behind Skyler¡¯s question. Wait a minute!


    Something¡¯s off. It¡¯s as if he is trying to imply something ¡®ambiguous¡¯. Despite the thought of that, she


    shook her head and replied, ¡°Nah. I was just ying some games to kill boredom, but now that you¡¯re


    back, I figured we could y together.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Skyler smiled mischievously, yet his yfulness was precisely what was capable of


    stealing someone¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Yes, of course. Ourpany is in the video game industry, so I¡¯m merely using my time to learn a


    thing or two in the hope that it¡¯s going to help me at work.¡± Shirley came up with a convincing excuse to


    invite Skyler to join her.


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s y some games then.¡± Skyler took a step forward and caressed Shirley¡¯s head, wrapping


    his arm around her neck while heading toward the study.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Ufortable with the intimate interaction, Shirley shook off Skyler¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Mr. Robins,


    please remember your ce. Don¡¯t forget¡ªyou have a fianc¨¦e.¡±


    At that moment, the smile on Skyler¡¯s face stiffened just as he red at Shirley. ¡°Remember my ce?


    Have you forgotten about the time you tried to bed me when you crept into my bed the first time? Then,


    you sneaked into my roomst night in an attempt to spend the night with me. Why didn¡¯t you remind


    yourself of your own ce when you did all those things?¡± How ungrateful! Doesn¡¯t she have a heart?


    This is unforgivable.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Shirley¡¯s face blushed as she pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯ve always told you. What happened


    the other day was simply an ident.¡± Ugh! I¡¯m going to have a hard time living this down. Although


    she couldn¡¯t lie to herself about her feelings for Skyler, the unequal status between the two of them


    made it seem impossible for them to be together, in her opinion. Furthermore, Shirley had not forgotten


    about Skyler¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡ªSofia.


    Shirley was in a terrible mood that day, which was why she tried to drown her sorrows with alcohol but


    ended up getting drunk by the time she got home. Wanting to confirm whether she had driven Skyler


    away, she opened his bedroom door, only to realize he was still there.


    As her rational mind sumbed to the alcoholic influence, she swung her fist across the air and


    punched Skyler¡¯s face. She was motivated by her desire to avenge herself for the humiliation she had


    suffered earlier that day when Sofia pped her at First Meeting.

 Chapter 845

    Chapter 845


    Chapter 845 He Is Pissed Off


    Just as Shirley was hitting the man, she saw that it was Skyler. Now that she saw the gentleman whom


    she was so in love with, Shirley took the initiative to cup his face and kiss him, after which was history.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    The next thing she knew was that it was morning, and she was lying in Skyler¡¯s arms. Apart from


    feeling sore everywhere, she felt something was off. Looking down, she realized that his manhood was


    still inside of her. Although a year had passed since the ungodly incident, she still felt embarrassed


    whenever she thought about it.


    ¡°Did you think you don¡¯t have to take responsibility since it was an incident?¡± As Skyler spoke, he


    grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward the bedroom. ¡°Come, I think we need to talk!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Skyler. W-What are you doing? Can¡¯t we talk in the living room? Why should we head to the


    bedroom?!¡± Shirley tried to struggle out of his grip, but Skyler was too strong. Thus, not only couldn¡¯t


    she swat his hand away, but her wrist was also hurting from his vise-like grip.


    When they entered the bedroom, Skyler grabbed her by the shoulder and forced her to sit on the bed.


    Then, he took off one of his shoes, stepped on the bed, propped his elbow against his knee, and


    grabbed her chin. ¡°Since you want to set things clear between us, why don¡¯t you tell me how you will be


    responsible for this matter? Hmm?¡±


    Hearing his words, Shirley thought that he was kidding. However, judging by his solemn expression,


    she knew that he was serious. ¡°It has been a year, though,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been ten months and twenty-one days. Since when did it be one year?¡± Skyler blew on


    her cheeks on purpose, causing her hair to fly and stick to her cheek, making her look adorable.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shirley didn¡¯t expect him to remember it so clearly. Many thoughts shed across her mind, and


    she quickly found an excuse. ¡°You have so many women surrounding you, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯s normal for


    you to have slept with many of them. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ll take responsibility for each and every one of


    them?¡±


    Judging by his means, she wondered if he had slept with other women just to be rich.


    When Skyler heard her words, his face turned grim. Then, he released her chin and gripped his


    knuckles tightly. ¡°Am I a yboy to you?¡± As he spoke, he probed her chest with his fingers.


    At that, Shirley shook her head.


    Just as Skyler¡¯s expression softened when he saw her reaction, she announced, ¡°It¡¯s not only me.


    Everyone in Bloomstead knows this.¡±


    Say what? Skyler gritted his teeth and sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t think of me as such a person. Even if it¡¯s true, I¡¯ll


    be the one f*cking others, not the other way around. If they want to sleep with me, they have to pay me


    for it.¡± Then, he raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Have you thought about how much you¡¯d be paying


    me?¡±


    ¡°Money? I have it.¡± Shirley was serious. Immediately, she reached for her phone, but then she realized


    she didn¡¯t have it with her. Hence, she tilted her head and bit her lip as she thought about it. ¡°I have a


    combined of almost one million and two thousand in my savings ount and PayPal. Is it enough for


    you?¡±


    At this moment, Skyler was frustrated to the point where he would crush his teeth by gritting them too


    hard. ¡°What makes you think I am only worth a million for a night?¡± He suppressed the urge to choke


    her and continued, ¡°If I were to sleep with a woman, I would give her five hundred million.¡±


    ¡°Five hundred million? That much? I-If that¡¯s so, shouldn¡¯t you be giving me five hundred million for the


    time we did it at Brennan Manor?¡± She found a loophole in his ims, beating him to it before he


    ckmailed her.


    When Skyler heard her words, he chuckled sinisterly. Thisdy sure has a good imagination.

 Chapter 846

    Chapter 846


    Chapter 846 She Is Mad


    ¡°That time at Brennan Manor didn¡¯t evenst for an hour. Plus, those women who could be with me


    stayed for at least a week. A day is 24 hours long, so there are 168 hours a week. If we turned 500


    million into hours, an hour should be¡­¡±


    Skyler paused for a moment. ¡°It will be around two million and nine thousand, but I¡¯ll make it three


    million for you. We¡¯re talking about money now, right? Why don¡¯t we count how much you are going to


    pay me?


    As my sugar mommy, the price would be ten times higher than what I gave those women, so you have


    to pay me five thousand million. After all, you have slept with me for a night, and we have been


    together for more than a week.¡± As Skyler spoke, he smirked evilly and shrugged. ¡°If you can pay up


    now, I will let this matter off the hook.¡±


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°F-Five thousand million?¡± At that moment, Shirley felt that she was being tricked. Can I still take back


    my words? ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°D-Didn¡¯t I say it already? I only have one million and two thousand.¡± ¡°So, how are you going to pay


    me?¡± He tilted his head and smirked. ¡°Since you want to rify things, I¡¯ll be happy to oblige.¡±


    Hearing his words, Shirley had a grim expression. Then, she pursed her lips and scratched her head,


    saying, ¡°I don¡¯t have that much money.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t? Alright then. You can pay me back with your body.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Shirley¡¯s cheeks were flushed red, and she mumbled ¡®*sshole¡¯ quietly.


    ¡°*sshole? If I were an *sshole, I would have sold you and had you pay back the debt by working. Do


    you think I would have waited until now?¡± He snorted coldly.


    Hearing his words, Shirley pouted and lowered her head since she didn¡¯t dare to utter a word. After


    some time, she muttered, ¡°You have a fianc¨¦e. You can¡¯t do this to her.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Didn¡¯t what happened at Brennan Manor rify it to you?¡±


    Shirley recalled her bonding moment with Skyler in the bathroom at Brennan Manor when Sofia was


    just outside. Sofia clearly knew what was happening at that moment, but she didn¡¯t stop them. Hence,


    Sofia¡¯s stance was clear¡ªshe knew she had wronged Skyler, so she wouldn¡¯t care if he had cheated


    on her.


    Suddenly, Shirley thought of something and red at him. ¡°No, you are quibbling. Although it was my


    fault that night, you had gotten your revenge afterward. So, we are even!¡±


    When Skyler heard her words, he didn¡¯t know what to say as he wondered why she had suddenly


    be wise.


    ¡°Hmph! You are a liar!¡± Shirley was enraged, and her trust in Skyler was utterly gone. Then, she


    pushed him away and left. Bang! As she closed the door, it made a loud noise, and even the windows


    shook slightly.


    ¡°Is she really mad?¡± Skyler frowned as he looked at the door. Initially, he was going to coax her, but


    then he thought, Why should I apologize when she only knows how to make me angry? With that timid


    and cowardly personality, I doubt she won¡¯te looking for me!


    After some time, it was 1.00AM, and Skyler was tossing and turning in his bed. After all, it had been


    hours since Shirley had left, and she still hadn¡¯te looking for him. She is timid and afraid of the


    dark, yet she still decides to endure the darkness that would terrorize her rather thane to me.


    Thinking about it, Skyler couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. At that moment, he sat up from bed abruptly


    and ruffled his hair in frustration. Then, he got out of bed and lit a cigarette he had taken from the


    cigarette box on the table. As he put it in his mouth, he paced ck and forth in the room. Only did he


    leave the room when he was done smoking. Initially, he wanted to check up on Shirley, who was next


    door, but when he walked toward the living room, he stopped in his tracks and pondered for a second


    before looking at the window.


    Since her living room is next to my bedroom, why don¡¯t I just climb through the window and see if she is


    sleeping?

 Chapter 847

    Chapter 847


    Chapter 847 Something Is Wrong with Shirley


    What if she is sleeping soundly? Won¡¯t I look stupid if I wake her up as I knock on the door? After


    giving it some thought, Skyler felt that his dignity was more important. Then, he returned to his room


    and climbed out of the window.


    The design of the hidden n¡¯s house was simr to the traditional cornice bucket arch. As Skyler


    climbed out of the window, he stepped on the bricks and arrived at Shirley¡¯s living room window with


    ease.


    Seeing that the window to her room was half-opened, Skyler pushed open the window and went into


    the living room sneakily. As he stood in the living room, he could vaguely hear soundsing from the


    bedroom. Is she still awake at thiste hour?


    Then, he headed toward the bedroom and gently pushed open the door. At that moment, he noticed


    that the nightmp was still on, and her phone was ying an unknown song from the hidden n.


    Moreover, the bedsheet was crumpled into a ball, and there was no sight of Shirley.


    At that moment, he felt his heart sink, and he panicked. Where is she?


    He went to the bathroom and opened the door, but no one was there. Then, he turned around and


    headed toward the study room. However, there was still no sight of Shirley.


    ¡°Shirley?¡± Skyler called out, but there was no answer.


    At this moment, Skyler was worried sick about her. Then, he returned to her room, trying to see if he


    could find any clues about her missing by checking her room thoroughly.


    However, as Skyler stood in the bedroom and inspected every inch of the room, he didn¡¯t notice


    anything.


    Where could she have gone to?


    Just as Skyler was in thought, he saw the cupboard¡¯s door move. Then, he frowned and nced at the


    ashtray by the nightstand. He grabbed it and held it tightly as he tiptoed toward the cupboard. As he


    stood beside it, he listened closely. When he didn¡¯t hear anything, he grabbed the handle of the


    cupboard and opened it.


    ¡°Ah!¡± At that moment, a shriek sounded.


    Only then did Skyler notice that Shirley was cowering in the corner of the cupboard. Her head was in


    between her knees as she shivered.


    Thud! Skyler dropped the ashtray to the ground and grabbed her shoulder as he dragged her out.


    ¡°Shirley, it¡¯s me!¡± he yelled.


    When Shirley, who was frightened, heard his voice, she raised her head and saw that Skyler was


    standing outside. Then, she hugged him tightly and buried her face in his chest as she sobbed.


    When Shirley threw herself in his arms, Skyler noticed that she was drenched in sweat. Seeing that she


    was in a vulnerable state, Skyler couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the youngdy. He didn¡¯t know why, but


    he felt his throat tighten, and he was heartbroken at the sight of her. If I didn¡¯t make fun of her that


    night, she wouldn¡¯t have been so frightened.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Hey, hey, I¡¯m here.¡± He wrapped one of his arms around her waist while patting the back of


    her head.


    ¡°It was you. You scared me¡­¡± Shirley hupped.


    She couldn¡¯t sleep because of the dark, so she turned on some music and the light. However, just as


    she fell asleep, she was having nightmares. While still frightened, she heard noises outside, which


    scared her even more, and she quickly hid in the closet. Since she was so nervous when she heard her


    name, she didn¡¯t realize that it was Skyler¡¯s voice and thought she had imagined things. Never did she


    expect that it would be Skyler!


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be here with you. I¡¯m right here.¡± Skyler nodded and released her. Then, he grabbed her


    hand and said, ¡°If you are scared, you cane to my room. Don¡¯t worry, I-I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing that he had promised her, Shirley didn¡¯t refuse the offer and went to Skyler¡¯s room.


    A few hours earlier, she had fought with Skyler and went back to her room out of rage. She had


    overestimated herself since she thought she could slowly adapt and endure her life in the hidden n.


    Now that Skyler was there, she quickly followed him as she wanted to leave the cold and dark room.


    Initially, Skyler didn¡¯t lock the door since he thought Shirley would surelye over. Now, it was


    convenient for them.


    When he led her into the bedroom, he made her sit on the bed and lean against the bedpost. Seeing


    that she was drenched in sweat, he went to the bathroom and took a towel that was soaked in water.


    Then, he sat beside her and gently wiped the sweat off her forehead.


    Since Shirley was still terrified, she didn¡¯t care if Skyler was gentle and caring toward her.


    Noticing that something was off with her, Skyler put the towel by the table and sat cross-legged on the


    bed. Then, he asked, ¡°Can you tell me why you are afraid of the dark? You didn¡¯t seem frightened of it


    when we were at Bloomstead.¡±

 Chapter 848

    Chapter 848


    Chapter 848 Run Away from Home


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Skyler knew Shirley was timid and scared of the dark. However, he was surprised that she had such a


    huge reaction after she came to the hidden n, which was quite suspicious.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Shirley bit her lip and recalled. While doing so, she would still look around nervously. Noticing


    that she was shaken up, Skyler was heartbroken.


    ¡°This is a long story¡­¡± Shirley sighed. ¡°It all started about ten years ago. At that time, I could see things


    that normal people couldn¡¯t. No matter day or night, I would see my deceased grandfather following


    me. At that moment, I had a weak body.


    I was fine during the day, but I would get a fever whenever it was nighttime. When my parents took me


    to the hospital, the doctor told them I was just having an illusion from the fever and gave me a


    prescription. It continued for a month, and nothing was working. Then, my parents heard that I might be


    seeing things and went to find a famous shaman in the local area.


    She said the evil spirit had taken advantage of me since I had low energy. After that, she gave me a


    cup of water mixed with incense ash to drink and put a knife under my pillow while I slept. I didn¡¯t see


    my dead grandfather again for a long time, and the fever was gone. Only then did my life return to


    peace.¡± As she spoke, she paused for a moment before saying, ¡°I live in a rural area, and the houses


    there were made out of wood, which is simr to the houses here. Thus, I was afraid when I came


    here.¡±


    Since the people from Shirley¡¯s hometown were poor, they would build houses made out of wood or


    wheat. As time passed, those houses were reced by apartments, and Shirley almost forgot about


    those memories. It was not until she came to the hidden n and saw their clothing and houses that


    she recalled those memories. Plus, she had heard many supernatural stories when she was young, so


    she was afraid as soon as she was in an unfamiliar environment.


    ¡°No wonder.¡± Skyler breathed a sigh of relief andforted her, saying, ¡°It¡¯s fine now. Everything is


    over.¡±


    Listening to her past, he didn¡¯t think she was exaggerating since he had a friend who had a simr


    experience. He remembered that his friend had a high fever after an incident, and the doctors couldn¡¯t


    find out what was wrong with him.


    Only did he recover when a few shamans helped him. However, Skyler was unsure whether humans


    would have an illusion if they were frightened or if spirits truly existed. He only knew that he shouldn¡¯t


    have brought Shirley to the hidden n. When he thought about her pale face and recalled the scene


    where she was shivering in the corner, he felt his heart throb in pain.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Why don¡¯t we have a walk tomorrow?¡± Skyler was nning to take Shirley to the church so


    the priest could pray for her. Maybe after that, she would be braver, he thought.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Shirley hummed in response.


    Then, Skyler scooted closer and sat beside her, leaning against the bedpost. Suddenly, he thought of


    something and smiled. ¡°Oh yeah, it reminds me of a funny story from my childhood. When I was young,


    my parents were busy working and didn¡¯t have time to spend with me.


    At that time, I would throw a tantrum to get their attention, but it didn¡¯t work. One day, they promised to


    celebrate my birthday, but they left as soon as they got a call from the office before my birthday started.


    That day, I was so devastated and cried in my room. Then, I decided to run away from home.¡±

 Chapter 849

    Chapter 849


    Chapter 849 Love Confession


    ¡°In the middle of the night, I packed my bag, took my dog with me, and left on a ¡®runaway trip¡¯.


    However, the next day¡­¡± Just as Skyler was still talking about his childhood story, he suddenly noticed


    that Shirley was falling to the side. When he held onto her, he realized that she was asleep.


    She must have been exhausted from staying high alert all night. Thinking about it, Skyler carried her


    and gently ced her on the bed. Then, hey beside her quietly and covered her with the sheets.


    Looking at her peaceful expression, he couldn¡¯t help but feel butterflies in his stomach. He tucked her


    hair behind her ear and saw the delicate skin beneath it. At that moment, Shirley looked lovely and


    peaceful.


    Ba-dump! Ba-dump! At that moment, Skyler could feel his heart racing, and he gulped hard. In the end,


    he couldn¡¯t suppress his urge anymore and leaned down to kiss her. When his lips touched hers, he


    could feel a tint of sweetness, and her lips were as soft as jelly. In that split second, he was captivated


    by her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± While Shirley was asleep, she felt that someone was disturbing her, and she turned her face


    to the side, along with her whole body. Then, she snuggled into afortable position before


    continuing to sleep.


    At that moment, Skyler was propping himself with both hands on the bed. While still in that position, he


    looked at Shirley, who had her back facing him, and smiled as he shook his head.


    ¡°You are crazy, Skyler,¡± said Skyler to himself as he breathed out. Feeling the rising desire in his lower


    abdomen, he headed toward that bathroom and took a cold shower.


    As he stood under the shower head, he could feel his burning desire decreasing as the cold water fell


    onto his body. After feeling that he was back to normal, he wore his pajamas andy on the bed by her


    side. However, he was in pain since such a beautiful woman was sleeping beside him, and he couldn¡¯t


    do anything. After tossing and turning a few times, he scooted toward the end of the bed and tried to


    get some sleep.


    At that moment, he had distanced himself more than 3 feet away from her on the bed.


    As Skylery on his sides, his eyes were fixed on Shirley. Then, he couldn¡¯t help but scoot closer to her


    and pull her into his embrace.


    If you keep scaring her, she will surely run away, Skyler.


    Run? Where can she run to if she is unfamiliar with the hidden n?


    No, I have to be a gentleman. I can¡¯t do her dirty!


    Why can¡¯t I, though? I had already forced myself into her when we were at Brennan Manor. It wouldn¡¯t


    hurt if I did it again. Plus, she was the one who seduced me.


    ¡°F*ck!¡±


    At that moment, Skyler felt as if he was going crazy. He got out of bed and headed toward the living


    room. Sitting in the living room, he grabbed a bottle of liquor and started drinking.


    Drinking never made a man better, but it made many a man think he was better. Maybe the specialty


    wine from the hidden n was strong since Skyler felt tipsy after having two whole bottles of it. Then,


    he decided to rest. When he returned to the room, he saw Shirley and walked toward her. Hey


    beside her and wrapped his arms around her, smelling the refreshing scent on her. Then, he flipped her


    over and had his hands beside her cheeks. Looking at the woman who had been on his mind for ages,


    Skyler couldn¡¯t help but kiss her.


    At first, the kiss was light, but then it turned into a passion.


    On the other hand, Shirley, who was sound asleep, thought she had a wet dream. Only when she woke


    up in realization did she feel something thrust inside her continuously. When Shirley opened her eyes,


    she saw Skyler¡¯s handsome face close to her, and he was kissing her.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Skyler¡­¡± Shirley called out to him and tried to push him away. However, Skyler hugged her tightly and


    said, ¡°Don¡¯t push me away. N-No¡­¡±

 Chapter 850

    Chapter 850


    Chapter 850 Dishonest


    Shirley, who was struggling a moment ago, froze after hearing Skyler¡¯s words. As he stared at her


    intensely, he mumbled, ¡°Do you know why I brought you here to the hidden n?¡± ¡°W-Why?¡±


    ¡°I-I have feelings for you. I¡¯m afraid that the old fox, Garrick, will plot against you, and I¡¯m even more


    afraid that the lover boy, Wade, will win your heart. You¡¯re all that I¡¯ve ever wanted. Y-You came into my


    life and stole my heart, so you need to take responsibility.¡± Without stopping his actions, he confessed


    to her affectionately since he was drunk.


    Of course, he might just be telling her the truth under the influence of alcohol.


    At that moment, Shirley had forgotten to struggle and was immersed in his words. All she could feel


    was her heart pounding quickly. ¡°B-But things are impossible between¡­ us. You already have Sofia,


    your fianc¨¦e.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible between Sofia and me. We will never get married. The person that I have feelings for is


    you¡­¡± After saying that, he leaned forward once again and kissed her on the lips while interlocking her


    fingers with both his hands. ¡°Y-You¡¯re drunk, Skyler.¡± Shirley had to remind him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I just want you.¡± As he said that, his actions became more brazen. Instantly, her mind


    went nk, and she wanted to resist, but thefort she felt made her weak. Despite telling herself to


    get her head straight, her feelings for him dominated her rationality.


    Just this once¡­ Right. How many times can I let myself go in my life? It¡¯s just this once, Shirley! You


    can only let yourself go this one time!


    After convincing herself internally, she lifted her hands to wrap them around his neck and transformed


    passivity into an initiative. Following that, with their great chemistry in the dark, they satisfied all their


    desires before falling asleep in each other¡¯s embrace.


    Throughout the night, Shirley¡¯s heart was racing so fast that she stayed wide awake. She told herself


    that Skyler was drunk and that he would surely forget everything the next day he woke up.


    So, she quietly waited for the man beside her to breathe smoothly before she moved his hands away


    stealthily and stood up slowly to escape from the ¡®crime scene¡¯.


    However, just as she stood up, Skyler dragged her back and pressed her right onto the bed. ¡°Are you


    trying to run away after having a taste of my body?¡±


    At once, her eyes widened. ¡°A-Aren¡¯t you drunk?¡±


    When he heard that, he replied with a cheeky smirk, ¡°Hey, I was just tipsy.¡± How could he have such an


    amorous night with her if he was so drunk that his whole world was spinning?


    ¡°You!¡± She was embarrassed and mad at the same time, which caused her face to redden. At that


    moment, she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°What about me?¡± He lifted her chin with his long fingers and leaned forward to nibble her lips


    affectionately. ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk about you?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start from the first time youid your hands on me. You already had feelings for me since then.


    Am I right?¡±


    At that time, Skyler didn¡¯t miss any of her reactions as soon as she woke up, and he could clearly see


    the struggle in her eyes. Only when she initiated their interactions while unconsciously calling out his


    name did he notice that she felt the same for him.


    When Shirley heard his question, she turned around and didn¡¯t dare look him in the eyes. ¡°No. That¡¯s


    not true.¡±


    Hearing that, he put on a teasing smile and whispered beside her ears, ¡°Your body says otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± She had noeback, so she turned around and red at him.


    When they looked each other in the eyes, Skyler could see the anger in her eyes. Finally, she admitted


    to his ims, though in an annoyed manner. ¡°Yes! I have feelings for you! So what? You¡¯re some


    affluent young man from the Robins Family, and you have a fianc¨¦e. So what if I have feelings for you?


    I¡¯ve already tried my best to distance myself from you, Skyler, but you still kept pestering me and even


    brought me to the hidden n!¡±

 Chapter 851

    Chapter 851


    Chapter 851 A Tempting Condition


    As Shirley continued, she felt upset all of a sudden. ¡°I¡¯m scared of being here. And without Veronica


    here, I can only depend on you. What do you think I should do?¡±


    When Skyler heard what she said, he felt terrible for her but was happy at the same time. So, he


    reached out his hand to caress her face. ¡°If you have feelings for me, just admit it. Why consider so


    much? So what if I¡¯m from the Robins Family? I¡¯ve never used my family¡¯s money since graduating


    high school. So, no one has the right to tell me what to do. As for Sofia, I¡¯ve told you many times that I


    won¡¯t marry her. At this point, we are history.¡±


    However, she still shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re born into a wealthy family, so there are many things that you


    don¡¯t know. Thepatibility of social ss between a couple was, and is still, very important.¡± She


    softly bit her red lip and hesitated for a second. ¡°Skyler, we¡¯re even after tonight. I hope that you can


    forget everything about today too. I¡¯ll find Veronica tomorrow and ask her to bring me out of here.¡±


    At first, when she came to the hidden n, she thought Veronica had something to tell her, but only


    after tonight did she realize she was unwanted there. Instead of stirring trouble here, she wanted to


    leave this ce as soon as possible to save trouble.


    ¡°Even?!¡± At once, Skyler grabbed her by her shoulders while anger emitted from his brown eyes. ¡°Who


    do you think I am? Huh?!¡±


    His sudden outrage shocked Shirley so much that she didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. She looked at him


    nkly and kept quiet for quite some time. Meanwhile, the fear in her eyes nearly flowed out of them.


    Seeing that, he felt relented and softened his tone immediately. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m just ying with


    you?¡±


    ¡°Are you not?¡± she asked, throwing the question back at him.


    ¡°Seriously? Am I really such a jerk?¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t answer his question, her eyes had already exined it all.


    At this moment, he suppressed his desire to choke her. After calming down, he exined, ¡°We can


    spend about two months together in the hidden n. Why don¡¯t we try to be together? Maybe I¡¯m really


    not as bad as you think I am.¡±


    ¡°Try to be together?¡± As she repeated his words, there were sparks in her eyes. She was hesitating, as


    she couldn¡¯t deny that she was honestly tempted. Since that rtionship in high school, it had been


    such a long time since she had been involved in a rtionship.


    Furthermore, since the first time she met Skyler, she had been deeply attracted to this handsome but


    roguish man. He was free, casual, brash, and yful, but somehow, he seemed like he had his


    principles in everything he did. Needless to say, he was also a well-known medical prodigy in


    Bloomstead. It would be difficult for her not to be attracted to an attractive young man.


    ¡°Yes, we can try to be together. If we¡¯re notpatible, we can end things before we return to


    Bloomstead. If that happens, we¡¯ll still be friends, and no one will know about what happened. What do


    you think?¡± he swallowed his pride and asked gently. Although he looked calm on the outside, he was


    excited and nervous on the inside. He was even secretly praying for her to agree to his request.


    ¡°Skyler.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± he answered when he heard her calling his name. Then, she continued, ¡°I-I am from a low-


    ie family and graduated from an average university. I don¡¯t have any special skills, and I¡¯m nothing


    like Veronica, who is so good at fighting and a master at hacking. She¡¯s even good at games and has


    such an affluent background. I-I¡¯m just a in Jane, and I¡¯m also a coward and a fool. Are you sure that


    you can ept a person like me?¡±


    Even though their love for each other was already in the air, Skyler didn¡¯t expect to confess to her in


    this way. Shirley¡¯s rationality asked her to reject him, but his condition of ¡®trying to be together¡¯ was just


    too tempting to her.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Heughed loudly and raised his hand to softly flick her forehead. ¡°I want a woman I love, not a


    business partner. I like everything about you, and I will allow you to be a coward because I¡¯ll always


    have your back.¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 852

    Chapter 852


    Chapter 852 Strong Resentment


    I want a woman I love, not a business partner. I like everything about you, and I will allow you to be a


    coward because I¡¯ll always have your back.


    Shirley¡¯s mind was filled with Skyler¡¯s words a moment ago, and she felt a lump form in her throat. With


    her eyes shimmering in the light, tears welled up in them.


    When Skyler saw her eyes turning red, the smile on his face froze, and he became nervous. ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong? Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head and blinked, catching some teardrops on hershes. ¡°Do you sweet talk


    every woman like this?¡±


    Even during her rtionship in high school, she had never received such a heartfelt confession.


    Skyler was a master at rtionships, for everything he said touched her so much that tears welled up


    in her eyes. For that one moment, she felt that she had found the other half of her life¡ªher prince, who


    came sote into her life.


    When he heard that, his face darkened, and he wrapped his hands around her waist to let hery down


    on her side. Then, he lifted his hand and pped her on her bottom as a punishment. ¡°Do I look that


    cheap?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She pouted her lips and looked down, showing her long and rich eyshes. It was as if


    she didn¡¯t know how to answer his question.


    ¡°Don¡¯t imagine things if you don¡¯t know. We agreed on trying to be together for some time, so let¡¯s not


    think about other things within this period, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Shirley was still not used to the intimacy between them, so she said while blushing, ¡°S-Skyler,


    it¡¯s okay for us to try to be together, but can we not let Veronica and President Kings know?¡±


    ¡°Are you still addressing me by my name?¡±


    ¡°What should I address you as then?¡±


    ¡°Just not my name.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She considered with a frown. ¡°Ky? Sky?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with Ky.¡± Skyler felt this nickname was not bad.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with Sky,¡± both of them announced in unison.


    Thinking about her request, he knitted his brows together in dissatisfaction. ¡°Why do you not want them


    to know, though?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to let Veronica and President Kings know about us for now, so it¡¯s just right to address you


    as ¡®Sky¡¯,¡± she answered.


    At this moment, he smiled resignedly. ¡°Okay, anything you say.¡± He hugged her in his arms and felt like


    he was on cloud nine.


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Veronica waited for Matthew for a long time after he left One Piece Restaurant, so


    she returned to Mountainside Gardens alone.


    After showering, shey on the bed to have some rest and looked at the time ticking on the wall clock,


    but Matthew was still nowhere to be found. In the end, she picked up her phone to dial his number, but


    his phone was turned off.


    Throughout the whole time, she was worried about Matthew. She was scared that he would look for


    Xavier for trouble.


    Before this, Matthew has hidden his identity, so he won¡¯t cause a conflict with Xavier even when he


    meets him. Now that his identity has been exposed, will he look down on Xavier? Or will he get his


    revenge on that matter in the castle? She didn¡¯t know what to do with the strong resentment they had


    for each other.


    After another half an hour¡¯s wait, it was already 2.30AM. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so she changed


    her clothes and left Mountainside Gardens quietly.


    She came down from the mountainside with her car keys in hand. After starting up her jeep, she drove


    toward the hotel that Xavier was in. It was midnight, and the streets were quiet and deserted. She


    speeded all the way and reached the hotel within 20 minutes.


    After she went upstairs, she went straight to room 308 on the third floor and knocked on the door.


    Knock, knock¡­ No one answered the door after a few knocks. So, she lifted her hand and knocked on


    the door again.


    After quite some time, there was still no one answering the door. This is weird. Has Xavier left the hotel


    already?


    Just as she was ready to turn around and leave, the door was opened, and Xavier was standing at the


    door with messy hair and a bathrobe. When he saw that it was Veronica at the door, his bleary eyes


    turned clear at once.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

 Chapter 853

    Chapter 853


    Chapter 853 Held the Grudge for Too Long


    From Xavier¡¯s look, it was obvious that he had just woken up. Only then did Veronica know that


    Matthew didn¡¯t look for him.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡­¡± she stammered and tried her best to think of a reason. In the end, she lied. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,


    so I wanted to call you to thank you, but your phone couldn¡¯t be reached. I thought you were in danger,


    so I came here to check on you.¡± She still didn¡¯t mention anything about Matthew.


    With his hand on the door handle, he recalled everything that had happened a few hours ago with a


    clear mind. Suddenly, his gaze turned dark, and he demanded coldly, ¡°Are you saying a liar will care


    about me? Haha. Am I supposed to thank you?¡±


    Suddenly, he estranged himself from her because of Matthew¡¯s fake death and all the lies she told him.


    ¡°Xavier¡­¡± She whispered his name and raised her head to look at him. The moment she looked him in


    the eyes, she could feel the iciness emanating from them. After just a nce, she lowered her head in


    guilt. ¡°I know I lied to you, but you and Matt hate each other. I knew what we wanted, so the only thing I


    could do was hide it from you.¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Xavier was not moved at all. ¡°Please leave if you¡¯re done.¡±


    Despite his request for her to leave, she didn¡¯t turn around to leave but lifted her head and asked with


    anticipation, ¡°Can you and Matt drop your grudges for each other?¡±


    If they kept treating each other as enemies, they would get hurt eventually, and no matter who got hurt,


    it was not what Veronica wanted to see. Everything would be sorted out if she could figure out a way to


    resolve Xavier and Matthew¡¯s rtionship.


    ¡°Drop my grudges?¡± He raised his voice because he couldn¡¯t control his emotions. After saying that, he


    turned around to look in the direction of the bedroom before walking out and softly closing the door.


    As he stood in front of Veronica, he put both his hands in the pockets of the bathrobe and stared at her.


    ¡°Listen properly, Veronica¡­¡± Then, he said every word firmly, ¡°In this life of mine, either I die, or he


    dies.¡±


    Some things were difficult for him to say, but even when he didn¡¯t, she knew about his tragic past and


    his sister, Melissa¡¯s death.


    ¡°There¡¯s a question that I want to ask. Are we still friends?¡± she asked him calmly.


    This sudden question brought Xavier into silence. After a few seconds, he parted his lips and


    answered, ¡°A few hours ago, we were, but now, not anymore.¡±


    Not anymore? Disappointment shed in her eyes, and all her memories with him came into her mind.


    From the moment they met at the Twilight Club, this childe didn¡¯t despise her ¡®ugly¡¯ look after she


    dressed up, and then he found out her identity and pretended to be her boyfriend in front of her


    stepmother, right until he and Matthew came to save her in Mount Chid. All these scenes were like a


    movie running through her mind.


    At first, Veronica admired him, and they became good friends eventually. After that, because of those


    things that Melissa did that provoked Matthew, he started taking revenge on the Crawfords and Xavier


    kidnapped Veronica¡­ In the end, they became enemies.


    Veronica thought she would hate Xavier for the rest of her life, but who knew that he would risk his life


    to block Antheena¡¯s bulleting at her during her wedding at Primrose Hill? That bullet was an inch


    away from killing him at that time.


    It was also during that day when she dropped all the grudges that she had for him.


    After interacting with Xavier a few more times, she found that he had changed. His character had


    changed, and he treated her with respect. She even thought that he was a nice friend to have.


    However, they held grudges against each other for too long, making them irreconcble. So, she could


    only make a choice.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Veronica nodded and looked down to hide the disappointment in her eyes before turning


    around to leave.


    After taking two steps forward, she stopped and turned around gradually. ¡°You are no match for Matt,


    Xavier. I know Melissa¡¯s death has been a pain in your heart, but I believe that she wants you to be


    happy. As for me, I don¡¯t want to see any of you get hurt.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

 Chapter 854

    Chapter 854


    Chapter 854 He¡¯s Hurt


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to see any of us get hurt? Or do you just not want to see him get hurt?¡± Xavier asked


    Veronica in an indifferent tone.


    ¡°He is my husband and the father of my two children, and you are my friend.¡± She shook her head. ¡°If I


    knew things would turn out this way, I wouldn¡¯t have befriended you.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for her, everything after


    that wouldn¡¯t have happened.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made your choice to help Melissa get her revenge no matter what. I won¡¯t disagree with that,


    but you should get this one point straight. Her death is not directly associated with Matt. If you really


    want to talk about the cause, Melissa brought this on herself.¡± Then, she sighed deeply before saying,


    ¡°Take care.¡±


    After that, she turned around resignedly and didn¡¯t turn around anymore. Meanwhile, Xavier stood at


    the same spot and looked at Veronica from the back while clenching his fists in his pockets. Instantly, a


    painful look took over his good-looking face.


    If I knew things would turn out this way, I wouldn¡¯t have befriended you. He knew that she was in a


    difficult position between the two of them, but he needed to get his revenge for Melissa¡¯s death. ¡°If you


    need a person to pay for it when he¡¯s dead.¡± His expression turned upset. ¡°I will give myself to you.¡±


    Having a broken family, being homeless, and having the love of his life marry his enemy, he was


    experiencing all kinds of tragedies in this world. Yet, the only thing that was keeping him alive was the


    idea of eliminating Matthew.


    When Matthew ¡®died¡¯, he thought that he had gotten rid of his pain, so he started to worry about


    Veronica, who wasing to the hidden n. In the end, he followed her, but he didn¡¯t know that


    Matthew¡¯s death was just a part of their n.


    Xavier turned around to return to his room and walked to the window. Then, he watched as she left the


    hotel on her ride. The moment she left, he felt as though a part of his body was taken from him. That


    pain spread all over his body, and even breathing became a difficult task.


    After Veronica left in her car, she still couldn¡¯t reach Matthew, so she could only return to the


    Mountainside Gardens.


    Since she didn¡¯t feel like sleeping at all, she took two bottles of wine and a ss from the wine rack


    and went upstairs. As she sat in the bedroom, she turned on the television but couldn¡¯t understand


    what was ying on it since she didn¡¯t put on the micro trantion earbuds.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t interested in the TV series as well, as she was drinking the wine one ss after


    another. When the wine entered her throat, she could feel a mild burn, followed by sweetness, but she


    was extremely bitter deep down.


    I¡¯m confident about convincing Matthew to spare Xavier, but if Xavier tries to kill Matthew again and


    again, will Matthew be kind enough to keep forgiving him? That¡¯s impossible.


    After three sses of wine, she was getting a little tipsy. Just then, a slight noise came from the


    window. She raised her head to look in that direction and saw that Matthew was jumping into the room.


    He had removed his makeup and was wearing casual gray pajamas with a white bandage wrapped


    around his hand.


    ¡°Why are you not asleep?¡± He knitted his brows slightly when he walked over and saw the empty wine


    bottle on the table. ¡°Why did you drink so much wine at such ate hour?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s face was blushing after drinking. She tilted her head and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you.¡±


    After saying that, she pulled his bandaged hand to herself. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Just by seeing that, she knew that his hand should be severely injured since. For a person like him,


    who was always on a knife edge, he would ignore those minor injuries and wouldn¡¯t wrap them up with


    a bandage.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He was gentle as usual as he held her hand. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She didn¡¯t ask anything and justy on the bed with him.


    This night, they just embraced each other quietly and weren¡¯t as passionate as they were previously


    during their amorous nights.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me where I¡¯ve been?¡± As he hugged her, he was waiting for her to ask, but she


    didn¡¯t do so.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 855

    Chapter 855


    Chapter 855 Xavier Is in Trouble


    ¡°I know. You went to look for Zac.¡± As Veronica faced Matthew with her back, she wrapped his injured


    hand in her palms and didn¡¯t dare move around because she might hurt him.


    ¡°You met Xavier.¡± Judging from her response, Matthew made a clever guess. Before Matthew left, she


    kept pleading for Xavier, but she was sure he had gone for Zac instead. Her behavior showed that


    either she looked for Xavier or dropped him a line.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was too narrow-minded and misunderstood you.¡± Since she was at fault, she wanted to


    admit it. She knew that she had misunderstood Matthew and should apologize to him for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Hended a kiss on her head. ¡°Xavier saved your life, so I won¡¯t kill him, but¡­¡± He paused


    for a moment. ¡°If he keepsing at me looking for death, I hope you won¡¯t me me for it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she answered resignedly. Their rtionship was like a deadlock. Hence, it would be better for


    her not to be involved. At his moment, Matthew realized that Veronica was not in a good mood, and he


    could roughly guess why. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep. It¡¯ste already.¡±


    They embraced each other to fall asleep, but with so many thoughts in their minds, they could only fall


    asleep after a long time.


    After a while, the sky started to brighten up from the east. When Veronica opened her eyes, Matthew


    wasn¡¯t beside her anymore. So, she turned around and continued to sleep.


    Thud, thud, thud¡­ Sometimeter, the loud pounding on the door woke her up.


    So, she sat up from the bed sluggishly. ¡°Stop knocking.¡±


    After she stood up, she slopped about in her slippers and went to the door. As soon as she opened it,


    she red at Mateo at the door with a frown. ¡°Why did you knock non-stop? Are you crazy?¡± With the


    wine that she drank and insufficient sleep, she just felt heavy-headed.


    ¡°Hehehe. I was just afraid that you died in your sleep.¡± Mateo giggled. Then, a spark shone in his eyes


    as he said, ¡°Oh, right. I have big news. I received this news just now, saying that Zac¡¯s left hand was


    cut offst night. I heard that the suspect is Xavier and Zac had him arrested.¡±


    ¡°Zac¡¯s hand was cut off?¡± Veronica was in shock.


    ¡°Yes. Xavier did it. I also heard that he even gave Zac a beating yesterday. Probably because Zac was


    eyeing his wife.¡± Mateo wasn¡¯t sure about what happenedst night, and everything he knew was just


    hearsay. In the end, he told Veronica this false information.


    ¡°Xavier is captured?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Matthew came back with injuriesst night. It was obvious that he went to look for Zac, but after seeing


    that he was fine and thinking that Matthew would fear Zac¡¯s status, she thought that he probably just


    taught Zac a lesson. It was out of her expectation that he would cut Zac¡¯s left hand off.


    Yet, Zac thought that the person who amputated his hand was Xavier and even captured him.


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s captured.¡± Mateo nodded.


    Within seconds, he noticed that something was not right with Veronica¡¯s expression, so he asked with


    concern, ¡°Are you alright, Roni? You look slightly off.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± She waved her hand at him. ¡°Let me get changed.¡±


    As she said that, she turned around to return to her room. After closing the door, she changed her


    clothes while thinking about Zac¡¯s case.


    Before long, she had changed her clothes and gone downstairs after washing up.


    Meanwhile, the others were already seated at the dining table with the usual breakfast prepared by


    Matthew.


    Veronica walked over and sat down beside Matthew. Then, she looked at him with a profound gaze


    before telling Crayson, ¡°I told you yesterday to change a chef. Don¡¯t forget about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Roni. Why do you feel so sorry for Iron Pir?¡± Mateo pouted. ¡°If we were to talk about rank, you


    should be addressing me as your master. I¡¯ve been teaching you every day, after all. So, I¡¯m the one


    whom you should feel sorry for.¡±

 Chapter 856

    Chapter 856


    Chapter 856 Mateo¡¯s Confession


    ¡°Of course, I feel bad for you.¡± ¡°Here, have more of this.¡± Veronica ced a hard-boiled egg into


    Mateo¡¯s bowl. ¡°Roni¡¯s the best.¡± Veronica easily brushed Mateo off with just an egg.


    Crayson, on the other hand, was having his breakfast solemnly. After finishing his porridge, he asked,


    ¡°Have you all heard of Zac¡¯s incident?¡± He first nced over at Veronica before looking over at


    Matthew, as if he was implying something.


    Hearing that, Destiny sighed, ¡°This is a serious matter since Zac is the prince of Castron and Xavier


    dared to provoke him. I¡¯m afraid that he is done for.¡±


    At the same time, Veronica lowered her gaze as she had her porridge absent-mindedly before giving a


    half-hearted reply, stating, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard about it.¡±


    ¡°The death of Roni¡¯s husband must have something to do with Xavier. Therefore, it serves him right to


    be captured.¡± Mateo, who was unaware of the fact, added, ¡°This is karma.¡±


    ¡°Although we are within the hidden n¡¯s territory, Zac is the high-born prince of Castron. All of you


    better stay away from him and not get yourselves into trouble.¡± Crayson emphasized hisst phrase to


    warn and remind them about the severity of the issue.


    Matthew was quiet, and Veronica merely nodded after hearing Crayson¡¯s warning. Mateo, who was still


    kept in the dark, chuckled mysteriously. ¡°We can just watch from the side and reap the spoils when


    both sides suffer. Isn¡¯t that the best?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense and eat your food!¡± Crayson red at him with a piercing gaze. ¡°You¡¯re still


    acting frivolously even though you¡¯re an adult.¡± Everyone around the table kept quiet as they had their


    breakfast.


    After the servants cleared the table when everyone was done with their meal, Veronica called out to


    Matthew, ¡°Iron Pir. Please apany me down the mountains to buy something.¡±


    ¡°Roni, let me go with you.¡± Mateo rushed over to Veronica and added, ¡°Iron Pir must be busy. It¡¯s


    better not to trouble him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not busy.¡± Matthew¡¯s words had shattered Mateo¡¯s hopes of having some alone time with Veronica.


    ¡°Miss Veronica, let¡¯s go.¡± Matthew walked toward her.


    ¡°Please bring me along,¡± Mateo pleaded. Since he couldn¡¯t get rid of Iron Pir, he chose to join them


    so that he could spend more time with Veronica.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± She had no choice but to let Mateo tag along.


    As they descended the mountain, Matthew was walking next to Veronica, making Mateo upset and


    jealous as he thought they had been too close to each other.


    ¡°Iron Pir?¡± He stretched his hand and pulled him aside. ¡°Can you please move over? I need to speak


    to Roni.¡±


    Matthew was displeased about it, but Veronica red at him before he could say anything. Left with no


    choice, he nodded with acknowledgment and took a step back.


    ¡°Roni, there¡¯s a theater around here. Would you like to watch a musical?¡± Mateo suggested as he


    walked next to her.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m not into that,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Or we can go watch a movie?¡± he suggested.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like watching movies either,¡± she answered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like that too? Arge-scale concert will be held in two weeks at the neighboring Sloan City.


    Would you be interested?¡±


    ¡°How would I be interested when I can¡¯t understand yournguage?¡± Veronica replied.


    ¡°True that.¡± Mateo nodded. After giving it some thought, he suggested again, ¡°Why not have a bonfire


    party, or let¡¯s go hiking?¡±


    That instant, Veronica suddenly felt cold on her back, and she subconsciously turned around to find


    Matthew staring into her soul.

 Chapter 857

    Chapter 857


    Chapter 857 The Interrupted Confession


    It was awkward for Veronica, but she tried to hide it. ¡°Hey, Mateo. Listen, I know how you feel about


    me.¡± As she spoke, she paused to turn around and face him before exining solemnly, ¡°I need to tell


    you that I don¡¯t see you that way.¡±


    The sudden rejection came so unexpectedly that it caught Mateo off guard, and the smile on his face


    froze. He looked at Veronica in a daze before replying, ¡°No worries, although you don¡¯t have feelings


    for me now, you¡¯ll eventually do. I know your husband just passed away, so you¡¯re not ready to move


    on yet. However, I believe that time will heal your heart. You¡¯ll eventually put the rtionship behind


    you and move on. There¡¯s still plenty of time, and I¡¯m willing to wait for you and grow old with you.¡±


    This time round, before Veronica coulde up with a reply, Matthew directly pulled her into his arms


    and held her face with his hand before nting a kiss on her lips.


    ¡°What the heck!?¡± Mateo was dumbfounded by what he saw. He was wide-eyed as he stared at the


    couple kissing right in front of his eyes.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    The next moment, his expression turned grave, and he yelled, ¡°Yo, Iron Pir! Let go of Roni! She is


    mine!¡±


    As soon as Mateo spoke, he threw a punch at Matthew. Noticing that, Matthew grabbed onto his fist


    with one hand and punched his right eye while eximing, ¡°I should tell you that she is my wife!¡±


    After they hade to the territory of the hidden n, many of them seemed interested in Veronica,


    and Matthew had been putting up with it. Mateo was so brazen that he announced that Veronica was


    his and even imed that her husband was ¡®dead¡¯, which made Matthew feel horrible. He had been


    holding it in to conceal his identity, but this time around, he had had enough.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Mateo fell onto the ground after he took the blow. As he endured the pain, he covered his eyes


    with his hand and yelled at Matthew, ¡°Iron Pir, are you trying to dig your own grave? How dare you


    force a kiss on Roni and even hit me!¡±


    Seeing how humiliated Mateo was, Veronica red at Matthew and grumbled,¡± What are you doing?¡±


    Matthew ignored her and tightened his grip around her waist to pull her closer.


    ¡°Hey, get your hands off her! Don¡¯t touch Roni!¡± Just then, Mateo got up from the ground and started


    grabbing Matthew, but before he could do so, Matthew managed to seize his arm. He tried to wrench


    himself free but to no avail.


    ¡°W-What are you trying to do?¡± Mateo was exasperated.


    With that, Matthew raised his brows and smirked. ¡°Let me reintroduce myself. I¡¯m Matthew Kings, and


    thisdy right here is¡­¡± He paused while looking at Veronica lovingly. ¡°She is my wife, Veronica


    Murphy.¡±


    ¡°D-Did you just say that you¡¯re Matthew Kings?¡± Mateo was wide-eyed, and his jaw dropped as he


    froze on the spot after hearing the revtion.


    Seeing that, Matthew let go of his arm and pinched Veronica¡¯s cheek. ¡°I was bothered by what I saw.


    What can I do?¡±


    At that, the embarrassed Veronica held her forehead and responded, ¡°You¡¯ve acted too rashly. Even


    though¡­¡± She then looked over at Mateo guiltily while covering half of her face and whispered, ¡°Even


    though you can¡¯t stand it anymore, you shouldn¡¯t have hit him.¡±

 Chapter 858

    Chapter 858


    Chapter 858 Exposed His Identity


    ¡°He imed that your husband is dead. How could I agree to that?¡± Matthew spoke pridefully. ¡°I¡¯ve


    been holding it in, but I can no longer do it.¡±


    ¡°What? Roni, is he really Matthew? He¡¯s not dead? So, the both of you have been together behind my


    back?¡± the furious Mateo eximed while pointing at both of them.


    ¡°Mateo, I¡¯m sorry for not telling you the truth.¡± She sighed and gently pursed her lips. ¡°Matt¡¯s death was


    made up, and I¡¯m sure that Mr. Crayson knew about it, but he didn¡¯t tell you. You can ask him about it.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for Mateo, who had slipped his tonguest night and disclosed some information, Veronica


    would have thought that Matthew¡¯s acting skills were good enough to fool Crayson. Little did they know


    that Crayson was so cunning and shrewd that he didn¡¯t speak of it, although he had found out about


    Matthew¡¯s identity.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Veronica guessed that Crayson had told Hayley about it but not Destiny. Given Destiny¡¯s hot temper,


    she would have denounced Matthew if she had known about it.


    ¡°Grandpa knew all this while?¡± Mateo was disheartened by the revtion, looking disappointed. ¡°A-All


    of you are being too much!¡± With that, the furious Mateo turned around and left for Mountainside


    Gardens.


    As Veronica looked at him leaving, she was in distress. ¡°Is it a good idea to reveal your identity now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± Matthew ced his arm around her shoulder as he looked at Mateo before saying in a deep


    voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me toe down with you to discuss Zac¡¯s incident? How are we going to prove


    Xavier¡¯s innocence if I don¡¯t speak out?¡± No one, including Zac, would believe their words if Matthew


    went to confront him as ¡®Iron Pir¡¯. However, it would be believable if Matthew said that he was the


    one who cut off Zac¡¯s arm after he exposed his identity.


    Matthew¡¯s actions warmed Veronica¡¯s heart, but she was concerned at the same time. ¡°If Zac knew that


    it was you, have you thought of a way to keep yourself safe?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take one step at a time.¡± Matthew tried not to overthink it.


    ¡°Why is Zac still unaware of your identity after what you¡¯ve done to him?¡± Veronica asked curiously.


    ¡°He was still asleep when I went over. After I dismembered him, his horrible shriek attracted too much


    attention. It turns out that there are a lot of pros in his courtyard. If I hadn¡¯t gone overst night, I


    wouldn¡¯t have known that he had brought along that many bodyguards over.¡±


    Matthew briefly described what happenedst night, but she knew he had endangered himselfst


    night, although he didn¡¯t speak of it.


    As she lowered her gaze and looked at his injured arm, she held his arm gently. ¡°Matt, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, we are a family. That¡¯s the least I could do for you.¡±


    With a smile, Matthew caressed her head. ¡°We should head back now. I can finally remove this hideous


    makeup. If I still have it on, I¡¯m afraid that my dear Roni will run away with another younger man,¡± he


    teased.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s nonsense!¡± she refuted, thinking he was getting cheekier by the day.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Heughed it off. As he held her hand, they walked up the stairs and headed to


    Mountainside Gardens. The mountain wasn¡¯t steep, and each staircase was low, so it was a pleasant


    walk.


    Under the morning sun, a gentle breeze blew, and the sun shone on the earth¡¯s surface as if coating


    thend with a shade of orange. Against the backdrop of the beautiful scenery of the hidden n


    territory, everything was picturesque, like a fairnd.


    After Matthew announced his identity, his heart felt lighter. ¡°This ce is indeed a nice ce to live


    after our retirement,¡± he uttered after taking a deep breath.

 Chapter 859

    Chapter 859


    Chapter 859 Mateo¡¯s Emotional Breakdown


    ¡°Is that so? Why not settle down here when we are old?¡± Veronica said jokingly. ¡°This ce is Heaven


    on Earth, and we will be away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. We can put everything


    behind, which is great, but we don¡¯t belong here.¡±


    As soon as they walked into the courtyard of Mountainside Gardens, they heard Mateo and Crayson


    arguing. Matthew and Veronica looked at each other and held tightly onto each other¡¯s hands before


    walking into the main hall.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that Matthew is actually Iron Pir when you already knew about it?¡± Mateo


    pointed at Crayson furiously and fumed, ¡°Her husband is just by her side, and you watched as I made a


    fool out of myself. Have you ever thought about my feelings?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to tell you yet.¡± Crayson never expected Matthew to reveal his identity in front of Mateo so


    abruptly. While they were arguing, Matthew and Veronica walked in from the courtyard.


    Destiny, who was standing at the side, was startled at the revtion. Upon noticing them, she stared at


    Matthew and asked, ¡°You are Matthew Kings?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Since Matthew did not have to put up an act anymore, he stood tall and reverted to his usual


    cold personality.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Iron Pir? If you¡¯re Matthew, where is Iron Pir? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve killed him?¡±


    Destiny wasn¡¯t close to Iron Pir, but she knew that he was one of her subordinates. If Matthew really


    did kill him, then they¡¯d have unfinished business!


    ¡°Heh, do you think I¡¯m as cold-blooded as all of you?¡± Matthew narrowed his gaze and pursed his lips


    as he exuded confidence.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve been in disguise, then you shouldn¡¯t have revealed yourself now.¡± The furious Crayson


    pointed at Matthew and confronted him wide-eyed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you n to go to Zac!¡± The wise


    Crayson had managed to guess Matthew¡¯s intention.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mateo was puzzled.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Matthew admitted to the older gentleman¡¯s im.


    Hearing that, Mateo seemed to have made sense of the situation. ¡°So, the one who harmed Zacst


    night wasn¡¯t Xavier, but it was you, Matthew?¡±


    ¡°Are you really Matthew?¡± The enraged Mateo still wasn¡¯t convinced and approached him as he tried to


    remove Matthew¡¯s makeup.


    However, Matthew pushed his hand away and scoffed coldly. ¡°Get away from me.¡±


    There was such a stark contrast between the aura and the honest appearance of Iron Pir and


    Matthew that Mateo thought he was hallucinating.


    ¡°You really are Matthew! I¡¯ve spent almost a month with you, but I didn¡¯t realize your identity. How can I


    be this dumb!¡±


    He thought that he was hriously stupid. He felt embarrassed when he recalled how he tried to get


    chummy with Veronica and even confessed to her a few times! All of them were done right in front of


    Matthew.


    ¡°Mateo, it¡¯s not your fault. Matt learned about the art of disguise, which was why he could hide his


    identity from a lot of people, including your grandpa. I¡¯m sure that he just found out about it not long


    ago.¡± Veronica tried to console him as she didn¡¯t want to see him beating himself up because of it.


    ¡°Liars! All of you are liars!¡± The furious Mateo scoffed and pushed Veronica away before running out.


    Veronica lost her bnce, but Matthew grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.


    The infuriated Crayson looked around and watched Matthew leave through the window as he shook his


    head. ¡°We have sinned!¡± He looked over at Veronica and Matthew before sighing. After taking a seat


    on the couch, he took his cigar out and started smoking. Destiny, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t stop


    staring at Matthew as she was still shocked at the sudden revtion.

 Chapter 860

    Chapter 860


    Chapter 860 Matthew Must Be Eliminated


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    They initially thought Matthew was dead, and no one expected him to still be alive. ¡°What are your


    ns moving forward?¡± Crayson asked them about their n. Since Matthew had revealed his identity,


    Crayson couldn¡¯t force him to stay in disguise.


    ¡°The hunting ceremony is around the corner. Tanya will be alerted by the revtion of your identity, and


    she will increase staffing to deal with Veronica. This isn¡¯t good.¡±


    ¡°I have my ns for the hunting ceremony.¡± Matthew had been holding onto Veronica¡¯s hand without


    letting it go. ¡°However, I¡¯ll need to leave with Roni right now.¡±


    ¡°Must you go look for Zac?¡± Crayson asked solemnly while puffing on his cigar.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Matthew¡¯s reply was brief.


    ¡°Alright. Since both of you had discussed it, go ahead.¡± Crayson waved at them. With that, the couple


    looked at each other before turning around and leaving.


    Not long after they had left, Destiny sat in front of Crayson and asked, ¡°Sir, why didn¡¯t you tell me when


    you¡¯d already known about his identity earlier on?¡± From her tone, she seemed to me him for hiding


    the information from her.


    ¡°You think that I¡¯ve known about it from the start?¡± Crayson rolled his eyes at her. ¡°Matthew isn¡¯t as


    simple as you think he is, and his disguise was so good that I couldn¡¯t even tell. If it weren¡¯t because I


    saw him climbing from the third floor into Veronica¡¯s room one floor down one night, I wouldn¡¯t have


    been able to guess his identity.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Otherwise?¡± Crayson lifted the cup from the table and took a sip. ¡°We had underestimated our enemy,


    especially you! You couldn¡¯t even recognize your subordinate, but you questioned me about it?¡±


    Hearing that, Destiny, who was moring earlier, softened her attitude and smiled embarrassedly,


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not that close to Iron Pir. He normally works in the kitchen, so I rarely see him, which is why I


    never noticed it.¡±


    As she spoke, the smile on her face disappeared, and her expression turned vicious. ¡°The fact that


    Matthew could hide from Zac and the hidden n¡¯s trap and make his way here is just unbelievable.


    Sir, I¡¯m afraid that our n might be disrupted because of him.¡±


    Hearing that, Crayson held onto the ceramic cup and took thest sip before squinting his cloudy eyes.


    ¡°No one can ruin our n since the hunting ceremony is just around the corner.¡±


    ¡°Sir, you mean¡­¡± Get rid of anyone who gets in the way. Destiny thought to herself. However, when


    she saw Crayson tightening his grip on the teacup and crushing it, she instantly knew his intention.


    ¡°I knew he spelled trouble.¡± Crayson released his grip and stared at the broken pieces of ceramic


    teacup while mumbling, ¡°I won¡¯t be at peace if I don¡¯t get rid of him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Sir, you and the Old Master¡¯s n to restore the nation had been in the nning for


    almost twenty years. We shouldn¡¯t let Matthew ruin it.¡±


    With that, Destiny stood up and announced confidently, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get rid of him for you!¡± She


    then walked around the couch and left.


    At the same time, Veronica and Matthew descended the mountain and drove straight to One Piece


    Restaurant. Meanwhile, in One Piece Restaurant, both Shirley and Skyler were still having breakfast as


    they woke upte.


    Since they had officially confirmed their rtionshipst night, Skyler tantly did it with Shirley again


    in the morning. She was so exhausted that she went back to sleep which was why she woke upte.


    ¡°Here, you should eat more.¡± Skyler handed her a shrimp dumpling and said, ¡°You¡¯re too skinny, and it


    feels bony when I hug you.¡±

 Chapter 861

    Chapter 861


    Chapter 861 The Truth Is Revealed


    ¡°No, I weigh more than a hundred pounds.¡± Shirley shook her head and ced the shrimp dumpling on


    Skyler¡¯s te. ¡°You need to eat more.¡±


    Skyler smirked and raised his eyebrows when he heard that. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Are you concerned


    that I won¡¯t have enough energy if I don¡¯t eat enough?¡±


    The innocent Shirley was unaware of Skyler¡¯s innuendo. ¡°Of course not. All I want is for you to eat


    more.¡± ¡°Oh, I see what you mean. You¡¯re criticizing me for not doing a good job of serving you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡ª¡± Shirley¡¯s cheeks flushed scarlet as she realized what he meant. ¡°What nonsense are you on


    about?¡±


    Skyler is such a pervert who constantly drops innuendoes! ¡°What are you talking about? I see you both


    having a good time even from a distance,¡± Veronicamented.


    As the entrance to the living room was open, Veronica and Matthew entered the room holding hands.


    ¡°Veronica and Iron!¡± Shirley cheerfully stood up. ¡°We¡¯re having breakfast right now. Why don¡¯t you


    come over and have some too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ste; why are you eating breakfast now?¡± Veronica looked at the wall clock, which showed that it


    was already 9.30 AM. ¡°I¡­¡±


    Shirley was shy, and the flush on her face didn¡¯t go away. Veronica¡¯s words made her unconsciously


    recall what happened the night before and she couldn¡¯t help but blush.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh? What exactly is going on?¡± Sensing something was amiss, Veronica turned her head and nced


    at Matthew. The two exchanged a knowing smile.


    ¡°What? N-Nothing at all.¡± Shirley then shook her head vigorously. ¡°I slept in, so I¡¯mte.¡± Matthew


    nodded as he pretended to believe her. ¡°Is that so? But Shirley, what made you so nervous about


    Roni¡¯s casual remark?¡±


    Although Shirley¡¯s reply was unusual, her reaction gave itself away. Skyler grinned in resignation as he


    noticed Shirley flushing red like a tomato. Then, he asked Matthew with a sidelong nce, ¡°Why did


    youe here so early?¡±


    ¡°Am I not weed here?¡± Matthew¡¯s remark had a double meaning. ¡°One Piece Restaurant is your


    domain and we¡¯re only freeloading, so of course you are wee here.¡± Then, Skyler lifted an eyebrow


    at Veronica. ¡°Right, Roni?¡±


    As he finished his words, Matthew immediately pped him. ¡°Call her Veronica!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I get


    it. Veronica.¡±


    Skyler couldn¡¯t stand up to Matthew¡¯s stubbornness, so he addressed Veronica by her first name.


    Then, he spread his arms and drawled, ¡°You shouldpensate me for that.¡± ¡°Do you prefer a death


    pension?¡± Matthew warned Skyler with piercing eyes.


    ¡°You are so violent, Matt!¡± Skyler shook his head. ¡°Ro¡ªI mean, Veronica, you must be cautious. This


    individual is violent. Let me know if he hits you. I¡¯ll summon Caleb and Miguel over to defend you.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t help but giggle as she sat down across from Skyler. ¡°You are cheerful. That suggests


    something nice has urred. You two are deceiving us.¡±


    Shirley and Skyler had been flirting with each other since Veronica arrived, which she thought was very


    unusual. ¡°Oh, Veronica. What kind of nonsense are you on about? Sky and I did nothing unusual,¡±


    Shirley¡¯s face flushed again as she said this.


    ¡°Oh! Who are you calling ¡®Sky¡¯?¡± Veronicaughed as she covered her lips. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    Skyler couldn¡¯t take it any longer. In the end, he took Shirley¡¯s hand and drew her to hisp. Then he


    wrapped his arms around her neck and introduced her openly, ¡°Shirley is my girlfriend. In the future,


    please keep an eye out for us.¡±


    ¡°Skyler! D-Didn¡¯t you agree to keep our rtionship a secret for the time?¡±


    Shirley blushed and pointed a finger at Skyler. However, he raised his hand and poked her on the


    head. ¡°Come on, Shirley. You¡¯re too obvious. Do you think Matt and Veronica can¡¯t tell?¡±

 Chapter 862

    Chapter 862


    Chapter 862 Support from Veronica


    When one was in love or had a crush, they would not be able to hide the look in their eyes. As such,


    when Veronica and Matthew entered, they sensed something peculiar going on. Presently, Shirley bit


    her lower lip as she looked at Veronica. Smiling shyly, she murmured, ¡°Veronica¡­¡±


    ¡°You are free to love. I¡¯m not going to interfere.¡± Veronica couldn¡¯t say too much because Skyler was


    present. ¡°I-I¡¯d like to state that I have no intention of lying to you. Sky and I are in a trial period to see if


    we¡¯repatible¡ª¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Skyler cut her off in the middle of her exnation. ¡°Nonsense! We¡¯repatible.¡± ¡°Roni, Shirley has


    been in the hidden n for two days. Staying in the same room all the time must be boring. Would you


    like to take her for a walk?¡± It was Matthew who made that suggestion.


    He needed Veronica¡¯s help to distract Shirley as he talked to Skyler about something vital. Meanwhile,


    Veronica cooperated with him.


    She took Shirley¡¯s hand as she stated, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you out for a walk.¡±


    Shirley giggled and agreed. ¡°Okay. I have been getting boredtely.¡±


    She smiled openly before getting up and leaving the room with Veronica.


    When they were in the corridor, Veronica asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly agree to attempt to date him?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Shirley was hesitant to tell Veronica what happened, as she feared that Veronica would think she was


    frivolous.


    After some thought, she mumbled, ¡°He confessed his feelings to me. I¡­ I was caught up in the


    moment and agreed. However, we agreed to have a trial period to see if we are indeedpatible.¡±


    ¡°Shirley¡­¡± Veronica called out, then came to a halt before the other woman. With a solemn attitude,


    she stated, ¡°I have no objection to you dating Skyler, but you must exercise caution. I don¡¯t want you to


    get hurt, okay?¡±


    Even Veronica couldn¡¯t be sure of Skyler¡¯s character because the man was a Casanova. As such,


    Shirley couldn¡¯t possibly know more than Veronica.


    Furthermore, the disparity in prestige between the two was too great, not to mention that Sofia would


    also get in the way.


    In short, the rtionship would be nothing butplicated.


    ¡°Veronica, I know you¡¯re keeping an eye out for me.¡±


    Shirley then bowed her head and clenched her fists together nervously. She paused for a long time and


    looked around to see if anyone was nearby. After ensuring no one else was around, she began, ¡°A-


    Actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Come to my room to talk.¡±


    Veronica took Shirley¡¯s hand and led Shirley upstairs, knowing that she wanted to speak about


    something in private.


    Shirley sat at the table in front of the window as soon as she entered the room. Veronica then brewed a


    cup of tea before sitting across from her. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Well¡­ It all startedst year when Skyler spent a few days at my ce to escape


    Sofia. Then¡­¡±


    Shirley nced at Veronica from time to time as she spoke, as if she were a child who had made a


    mistake.


    ¡°Sofia misunderstood us and struck me. Skyler moved in at the time because he verbally promised me


    a hundred thousand in exchange for a favor. But I didn¡¯t expect that afterward¡­¡±


    Shirley told Veronica everything about herself and Skyler in detail, including being bullied at the Vincere


    Games and meeting with Garrick.


    Veronica frowned slightly after she patiently listened to Shirley¡¯s statements. ¡°How could you keep so


    many secrets from me? However, Skyler was correct. Garrick is Sofia¡¯s brother. Hence, his approach is


    suspicious.¡±


    Veronica then proceeded to frown and contemte the problem. ¡°As far as I know, Skyler rarely shows


    such affection for ady. He is overly concerned with your affairs, so¡­ I believe you two can try to be


    together.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Shirley¡¯s eyes shone brightly and she was flushed with delight.


    She expected Veronica to chastise her, but Veronica had encouraged her instead.


    ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you because I know you like him. However, you should be aware that your disparity in


    prestige is excessively high. I¡¯m afraid your rtionship will not be smooth sailing.¡±

 Chapter 863

    Chapter 863


    Chapter 863 A Warning to Skyler


    Veronica then stated solemnly, ¡°Once you marry into a wealthy family, you will be trapped for life. Do


    you get what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°I do.¡±


    Shirley appeared depressed as she muttered, ¡°That¡¯s why I said I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡± ¡°Fine. You can try it


    out since you like Skyler. Even if you fail, don¡¯t be disappointed. You¡¯d only be sorry if you didn¡¯t even


    try.¡±


    If one worked hard and put in effort for it, they would not regret giving it their all even if they failed in the


    end. ¡°Thank you very much, Veronica.¡± Shirley¡¯s good mood returned, and she smiled sweetly.


    Meanwhile, Matthew shot a harsh gaze at Skyler downstairs. ¡°Is it going to be a serious rtionship


    this time?¡± Skyler continued to eat with a fork and he nodded while chewing. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s ignore Roni and Shirley¡¯s connection for the time being. Focus on Shirley first, shall we? She is a


    pure youngdy. You should tread carefully.¡±


    Shirley and Veronica were close after working together for more than a year. They were almost like


    sisters. Shirley was also a great assistance to Matthew.


    As such, Matthew gave Shirley a car as well. Because of Veronica, Matthew interacted with Shirley


    frequently and he admired her forthright personality.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Maybe he was warming up to Shirley since Veronica liked her as well.


    Meanwhile, Skyler and Matthew were very close friends. Thus, Matthew was familiar with him.


    Matthew then stated, ¡°Shirley is not like otherdies. Roni will not let me or you go if you bully her!¡±


    There was no question about it.


    ¡°What exactly do you mean? Are you calling me a scumbag?¡±


    Skyler was displeased and set down his utensils.


    Matthew didn¡¯t look at the other man as he reached for the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea.


    ¡°You are the most knowledgeable about what happened after Sofia abandoned you. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say on


    this matter.¡±


    He sipped his drink and changed the subject. ¡°I¡¯m here today to tell you about the hunting ceremony of


    the hidden n.¡±


    ¡­


    Half an hourter, Matthew and Veronica left One Piece Restaurant and drove to Zac¡¯s house.


    After he arrived at the hidden n, Tanya arranged for Zac to live in an exceptional area due to his


    special status.


    Many individuals were present as Zac was injured.


    There were many cars parked in the parking lot after the two arrived at their location. The license te


    numbers were quite familiar.


    Veronica and Matthew exited the car and proceeded to the courtyard entrance. At the gate stood two


    rows of guards.


    The soldiers came to a halt when they saw Veronica and Matthew walk over.


    ¡°Stop right there. Who are you?¡± The guard spoke in the hidden tongue.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t speak the localnguage despite having a tranting device, so she could only look


    at Matthew.


    Matthew introduced himself and his purpose to the guards.


    The guard then waved them in and opened the door. ¡°Okay. You may go in.¡±


    A voice rang out from behind him at this precise moment.


    ¡°Good day, Master Iron.¡±


    It was a recognizable voice; one didn¡¯t have to turn their head to recognize the owner of it.


    Eleanor was dressed in a long red gown. The cuffs and skirt were crocheted in blue and white with


    motifs embroidered.


    She also wore silver jewelry and exquisite makeup, which perfectlyplemented her snowy skin. Her


    exotic features were even more enticing and attractive against the red outfit.


    Even Veronica couldn¡¯t help but notice the seductive, hot, and demure beauty.


    ¡°You¡¯re here as well, Veronica!¡± Eleanor approached Veronica and stood beside her while greeting her


    warmly.


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    Veronica smiled.


    However, Matthew merely gave Eleanor a sidelong nce before entering the room with Veronica.


    ¡°Hey, Master Iron. What are you thinking? Why don¡¯t you take a look at me? I was expecting you at the


    entrance.¡±


    Eleanor was irritated because Matthew had ignored her.

 Chapter 864

    Chapter 864


    Chapter 864 Zac Lost His Hand


    Eleanor stepped around Veronica and over to Matthew¡¯s side to wrap her arms around his arm


    affectionately. However, Matthew withdrew his arm. ¡°Please control yourself, Princess Eleanor.¡±


    As he said that, he took Veronica and ced her between him and Eleanor. Matthew¡¯s rejection of


    Eleanor prompted Veronica¡¯s heartfelt grin. ¡°What exactly are youughing about?¡±


    Eleanor had a thunderous expression as she grumbled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you overjoyed that your spouse has


    rejected me?¡± She disliked hiding and preferred to express her thoughts directly.


    Veronica shrugged. ¡°Your Highness, I believe he rejects you because of my presence. How about I go


    on first and give you two some privacy?¡±


    ¡°Tsk! I don¡¯t require your assistance.¡±


    Eleanor extended her hand and embraced Veronica¡¯s arm. ¡°I adore your husband, so I¡¯ll use my charm


    to sway him without your help.¡±


    ¡°Well, I admire Your Highness¡¯ self-confidence.¡±


    It was strange.


    Veronica had to find Eleanor unpleasant as thetter was her love rival. However, she couldn¡¯t despise


    someone so honest.


    Veronica had to admit Eleanor was rather charismatic.


    ¡°Thank you so much. All you have to do is ensure your husband doesn¡¯t hurt me as badly as he did


    Zac.¡±


    Eleanor spoke of nothing but the truth.


    Veronica then turned her head and looked at Matthew. They smiled and exchanged nces.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can hide from you, Your Highness,¡± Veronica murmured.


    ¡°Of course not. I can¡¯t be the head of the n if I¡¯m not smart enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be the head and yet, you¡¯re still close to me. Aren¡¯t you scared I¡¯ll take advantage of the situation


    and assault you?¡±


    ¡°If you wanted to aplish it, you would have done it long ago. What¡¯s the point in waiting until now?¡±


    Eleanor beamed as she added, ¡°Why do you think I like you both? It¡¯s not just because you two are


    attractive.¡±


    ¡°Do tell.¡± Truth was, Veronica was intrigued.


    Eleanor rolled her eyes when she heard that. ¡°It¡¯s obviously due to your charisma.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    Veronica was amused.


    Led by the servants, they walked through the front yard together and they soon arrived at the backyard


    and met Zac.


    Zac was still dressed in the same silver-gray suit, but his left arm was covered in gauze and the palm


    had vanished.


    He sat in the front seat while staring at the Ledgers. ¡°When I arrived at the hidden n, you assured


    me of my protection. Should you exin yourself now?¡±


    Tanya, Dominik, Liam, Hendrey, and the others were present, except for Antheena and Xavier.


    ¡°Prince Zac, you stated that the person who injured you is Xavier. Now that we¡¯ve got him, what do you


    want to do with him?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    An IV pole next to Zac held a bag of intravenous fluid. His skin was as white as paper. He was


    seriously hurt and had only recently woken up.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Xavier? Bring him to me¡­¡±


    Halfway through his sentence, he noticed Eleanor, Veronica, and ¡®Iron¡¯ enter the room.


    ¡°Prince Zac, I hope you¡¯re doing well.¡±


    Eleanor let go of Veronica and stepped forward in apassionate demeanor. ¡°I rushed over when I


    heard you were hurt. I¡¯m sorry for not protecting you well.¡±


    Veronica and her husband stood off to one side without speaking.


    The injured Zac could only think of it as an embarrassment. He nced at Eleanor after hearing her


    remark, but his gaze was drawn to Veronica.


    At that point, he had a keen gaze and was gritting his teeth with rage, but some terrible things


    prevented him from speaking.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Xavier? Bring him in this instant!¡±


    After being injured previously, Zac bled excessively and passed out from the pain.

 Chapter 865

    Chapter 865


    Chapter 865 Kill Xavier


    The doctor did his best to save Zac, but the lopped-off hand couldn¡¯t be found, so he couldn¡¯t stitch it


    back.


    When Tanya received the news, she hurried over to visit Zac right away. After Zac woke up, he said


    that Xavier was the one who did it, so Tanya sent out her people to capture Xavier and his wife.


    ¡°Please calm down, Prince Zac. You¡¯re injured right now, so you have to rest well,¡± Tanya said calmly.


    ¡°They¡¯re already on their way and they¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Xavier¡­ Xavier has always been on good terms with you, Prince Zac. How¡­ could he suddenly do


    this to you?¡± Tiffany was so confused that she couldn¡¯t help but voice her question.


    As soon as Tiffany finished speaking, Zac red at her coldly. ¡°Shut up and get lost! You have no right


    to speak here.¡± Of all the things she could have mentioned¡­


    Zac was so pissed that he wished he could just p Tiffany across the face to ease his anger. As he


    spoke, he couldn¡¯t help but re at Veronica with hatred.


    His vicious look seemed to threaten to tear Veronica apart. As the peacemaker, Hendrey spoke up.


    ¡°Zac, Tiffany is just worried about you.¡±


    Feeling wronged by the public reprimand, Tiffany paled as she clenched her fists, suppressing the fury


    in her heart. However, when she looked at things from another point of view, Zac had always been


    arrogant so now that he lost his hand, it was simply retribution.


    It felt good to know that.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Afterforting herself like so, Tiffany felt her mood lightening up considerably.


    The party proceeded to find chairs to sit on. On the other hand, Matthew was still disguised as Iron


    Pir, so he stood behind Veronica and acted as a bodyguard.


    The living room was unusually quiet.


    Everyone was upied with their own thoughts. Some were happy while others were gleeful, but the


    only ones who pitied Zac were probably the subordinates he brought with him into the hidden n.


    It went on for more than 10 minutes.


    At that point, footsteps sounded beyond the living room and the group turned to look outside. Xavier


    and Antheena had both their hands and feet bound as the soldiers pushed them into the living room.


    ¡°Queen Tanya, here they are.¡±


    After the soldier finished reporting, Tanya waved her hand and they promptly turned around and left.


    Xavier and Antheena wore calm looks on their faces. Even as a girl, Antheena wasn¡¯t wailing at all.


    With her usual calmness, she scanned the group in the room, then rested her gaze on Tanya as she


    asked, ¡°Queen Tanya, why did you capture me and Seb¡ªXavier?¡±


    Sebastian was Xavier¡¯s name in Castron, but many were still used to calling him by his original name.


    As such, Antheena could only correct herself and refer to him as Xavier.


    ¡°F*ck! Xavier Crawford, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    As soon as Zac saw Xavier walking in, he felt his aggressiveness bubbling over. He could barely


    control the rage in his heart as he stood up right away. He subconsciously moved his left hand to pull


    out the needle on the back of his right hand, but when he lifted his hand, he realized that his palm was


    gone.


    He could only lift his right hand and use his teeth to tear the needle off the back of his hand. He ran up


    to his bodyguard, then took out a gun from the bodyguard¡¯s back. Aiming the gun at Xavier, he roared,


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Zac had suddenly lost control of his emotions, and everyone in the living room panicked.


    They feared that they would be caught in the crossfire.


    Everyone was a little tense.


    ¡°Prince Zac, don¡¯t act rashly!¡±


    ¡°Prince Zac, please calm down first.¡±


    ¡°The gun isn¡¯t loaded. Please calm down.¡±


    One of Zac¡¯s men walked up to him and snatched the gun from his hand. Then, he sat Zac down on the


    chair and said, ¡°Your hand is bleeding. Doctor? Doctor!¡±


    Everything was a mess.


    The doctor hurried over and stopped Zac¡¯s wound from bleeding, then applied pressure on the back of


    Zac¡¯s right hand so that it wouldn¡¯t bleed from the hole of the needle.

 Chapter 866

    Chapter 866


    Chapter 866 Sowing Discord


    Only Xavier was calm as he nced at Veronica, then allowed his gaze to fall on Matthew. The two


    exchanged nces for a moment. It was just a nce, but Veronica could already feel the aura of fury


    surrounding Xavier.


    Zac gradually calmed down and the silence took over the living room once again. Tanya assumed a


    queen-like behavior as she questioned, ¡°Xavier, Prince Zac was ambushedst night. Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°My wife and I were sleeping in the hotel all night,¡± Xavier responded honestly. Antheena nodded at


    that. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Last night, she had the time of her life with Xavier and it was the most blissful night


    she had experienced.


    In the end, she was so exhausted that she drowsily fell asleep. Before dawn even arrived, those people


    had shown up to capture them.


    Antheena and Xavier were both bewildered through it all, and they finally understood what was going


    on when someone mentioned what happened to Zac.


    It seemed that cmity could befall anyone even if they were at home. ¡°Antheena, Xavier is your


    husband. Your testimony is not solid evidence.¡± Tanya maintained a just and fair attitude.


    ¡°There¡¯s a surveince camera in the hotel. It can prove that we never left the hotel,¡± Antheena said


    again.


    Eleanor spoke up. ¡°The surveince camera of the hotel was aimed at the main entrance. With Xavier¡¯s


    skills, he can scale walls and run on the rooftops, so he could have left the hotel easily.¡±


    Even though Eleanor knew that this incident had nothing to do with Xavier, she still intended to defend


    Matthew. To her, getting Xavier to take the me was the best way.


    ¡°Princess Eleanor, do you mean that I have no way to prove myself?¡± Xavier had a cold look in his eyes


    as he spoke each word clearly. ¡°Unless someone else agrees to testify for you,¡± Eleanor said.


    ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± Antheena was so furious that her eyes reddened. ¡°Xavier holds no


    grudges against Zac, so why are you attacking him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple.¡± Eleanorzily leaned against the chair, her body tilting slightly as she ced her


    elbow on the handle. Supporting her chin with one hand, she casually lifted the other hand.


    Her long and slender finger pointed past everyone at Victoria. ¡°Because¡­ Prince Zac is bad news to


    Veronica. Last night at the Elysium Hotel, Zac tried to do something to her. It was Xavier who hurried


    there in time, defeated Prince Zac, and left with Veronica in his arms.¡±


    Eleanor was killing two birds with one stone. Firstly, she had exposed Zac¡¯s shameless antics.


    Secondly, she had also ruined Veronica¡¯s reputation on purpose. Thirdly, she had sowed discord


    between Xavier and Antheena.


    After all, it was true that Xavier had beaten Zac at the Elysium Hotelst night. When Zac heard


    Eleanor¡¯s words, his expression fell and he turned pale. He felt that Eleanor was causing trouble on


    purpose.


    Sadly, he still hadn¡¯t found any evidence. As such, he could only swallow his usations reluctantly.


    Antheena frowned as a look of surprise appeared on her face. She turned around and asked Xavier, ¡°Is


    it true?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xavier stood upright. He didn¡¯t look listless like a criminal simply because of the cuffs on his


    hands and feet. His answer was firm and resolute. Antheena¡¯s heart was broken in that instant.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    She couldn¡¯t help but look toward Veronica. She was mad but more than that, she was jealous. What


    gives Veronica the right to do that?


    Why? Why will Xavier willingly do so much for Veronica?


    ¡°See, even Xavier himself has admitted it.¡± Eleanor continued to pour salt on the wound. ¡°Even though


    it is true that you have married Xavier, everyone knows that he likes Veronica. Veronica fell into the


    prince¡¯s trap and that triggered Xavier, so that was why he acted that way.


    There¡¯s enough evidence now, so how are you going to deny it any further?¡± She sighed before she


    prompted, ¡°Antheena, you don¡¯t have to be so sad about it. Xavier knew Veronica early on and they


    were truly quite close to each other. I think they¡¯re just friends, though. Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡±

 Chapter 867

    Chapter 867


    Chapter 867 Show the Proof


    Tiffany decided to make matters worse by adding fuel to the fire. Antheena was in pain as sheughed


    at herself without knowing what to say.


    ¡°What else is there to say, Xavier?¡± Dominik finally asked after being silent the whole time. On the other


    hand, an ted Liam, who was beside him, silently observed the situation as it developed while he


    snacked on some seeds.


    Xavier looked at Matthew with a ruminating gaze as the corners of his lips curled upward. ¡°I¡¯m not as


    good as the others, so I have nothing to say.¡±


    That phrase of ¡®I¡¯m not as good as the others, so I have nothing to say¡¯ caused everyone to ponder on


    it. ¡°I just want to know when Zac was injured.¡± When everyone thought the matter had been settled,


    Veronica broke the silence.


    Tanya responded, ¡°The incident happened at about 2.30AM. After the suspect hurt the prince, he was


    apprehended by the bodyguards and put up a fight for close to half an hour, so I¡¯d say Zac was injured


    at about 2.30AM to 3.00AM.¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Tiffany sneered. ¡°Are you trying to excuse Xavier from his responsibilities? She


    hated Veronica so much that she would use every opportunity to target Veronica.


    Veronica was not in the mood to reply to Tiffany, so she pulled out her cell phone and said, ¡°At 2.30AM,


    I happened to swing by the Caritas Hotel, which is where Xavier is staying. I even stayed there for ten


    minutes. The timing seems to sh, so I can prove that Xavier has nothing to do with Zac¡¯s injury.¡±


    At that, everyone cast strange nces at her. ¡°You went to look for Xavier in the wee hours of the


    morning?!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Xavier say that he was with his wife?¡±


    ¡°My gosh, Veronica. Are you willing to sacrifice your reputation for Xavier¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°Veronica, why did


    you look for Xavier at that goddamn hour?¡±


    ¡°What rtionship are you guys in?¡± Everyone was curious about why Veronica would look for Xavier in


    the wee hours of the morning.


    Bang! Zac suddenly rose to his full height and pointed at Veronica while angrily demanding, ¡°Bullsh*t!


    You want to absolve Xavier from his responsibility? I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯ll end his life today!¡±


    With that, he reached out and snatched the gun from the table before shooting Xavier. Veronica and


    Xavier were standing close to each other.


    At that critical moment, she stepped forward and tried to yank him aside, but she was a moment too


    late because¡­


    Matthew had moved faster than her and shoved Xavier to one side.


    Pow! The sound of a gunshot rang out as the bullet whizzed in their direction, but it missed its target


    andnded in the tree in the yard instead.


    The tree leaves swayed as the bulletnded on the tree. ¡°Zac, stop it!¡±


    An exasperated Veronica yelled when she saw that he was about to make a move, but something flew


    out of her hand andnded on his right hand. It caused his wrist to hurt all of a sudden and the gun that


    he held fell as a result.


    Many people were stunned by how fast she made her move. The Ledgers were especially surprised as


    they stared at her in amazement.


    Xavier, who was pushed to the side, stood still as he suspiciously nced at Matthew before turning to


    Veronica. He had aplicated yet heavy feeling at this very moment.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    If he had to be honest, Xavier was heartbroken by what she didst night. At this moment, Veronica did


    not hesitate to attack Zac if it meant protecting Xavier. Such an action had left Xavier feeling a little


    moved.


    ¡°Prince Zac, what are you in a rush for? Didn¡¯t I mention it before? I have video proof that I went to look


    for Zacst night!¡± The cell phone that Veronica held started to y the surveince footage.


    ¡°Here is the surveince footage from the hotel. The truth speaks for itself from the moment I entered


    the lobby to the time when I spoke with Xavier in the corridor. Both the witness and material evidence


    can provide Xavier with an alibi, so what right do you have to say that Xavier is the mastermind?¡±

 Chapter 868

    Chapter 868


    Chapter 868 The Revtion


    Veronica¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile as she exined, ¡°I was worried that your enemies would take


    revenge on you and you wouldn¡¯t be able to locate the mastermind.


    That was why I used Xavier as the scapegoat to avenge what you did to him yesterday at the Elysium


    Hotel. She had initially nned to reveal their identities before rescuing Xavier.


    However, Matthew had contacted folks from One Piece Restaurant earlier that morning and asked


    them to investigate the surveince footage from the Caritas Hotel. They found not only the footage


    from the entrance and exit of the hotel lobby but of the corridor as well.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    The video was a piece of good evidence to expose Veronica and Xavier. In other words, Matthew did


    not need to reveal his identity to exonerate Xavier from the alleged crime.


    Since the matter had happened like that, there was not much they needed to do anymore. ¡°How did it


    be like this?¡±


    ¡°Who attacked Prince Zac yesterday?¡± ¡°Beats me.¡± ¡°It seems that Xavier is an innocent party all along.¡±


    ¡°Who said he wasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡­


    The people who were present started to engage in whispered discussion.


    Only Tiffany clenched her fist and spoke to Veronica mystically, ¡°Veronica, you know that Xavier is


    married, but you still looked for him in the wee hours of the morning. As a woman, you should have


    some self-respect.¡±


    She was deliberately trying to fan the mes to incite Antheena¡¯s jealousy of Veronica. It was Tiffany¡¯s


    way of using Antheena to deal with Veronica and fulfill her long-cherished wish. Veronicazily looked


    up and curled her red lips before she slowly approached Tiffany.


    Veronica¡¯s sharp gaze on her was enough to scare the lights out of Tiffany, who retreated two steps in


    fear. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, so why do you have to re at me? Is it because you don¡¯t want others to


    know the truth?¡±


    ¡°Alright. What else do you want to add? I¡¯ll listen,¡± Veronica stated calmly.


    Tiffany figured that Veronica would not dare toy a hand on her in public, so she replied arrogantly, ¡°I


    am your sister, so what I have said is all for your good. Although your husband is gone, it¡¯s


    understandable for you to seek love elsewhere. Xavier is a married man, though. You should keep your


    distance from him, otherwise¡­¡±


    She trailed off and did not voice out the rest of her words.


    ¡°Otherwise what?¡± Veronica¡¯s bright eyes were so clear that it was impossible to see that there were


    traces of anger hidden in them.


    ¡°Otherwise, where does that leave Antheena? How about Madam Hayley? If news of this gets out,


    people will spread rumors about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? What will they say?¡±


    ¡°T-They will say unkind words. For example, they would say that you are a widow trying to seduce a


    married man and you are imprudent. Y¡ªah!¡±


    Before Tiffany could even finish her words, Veronica had already raised her hand to p Tiffany hard.


    Although it was merely a p, the impact contained so much force that Tiffany copsed to the floor as


    a result.


    When she fell, she knocked her head on the ground with a muffled bang. The scream caused


    everyone¡¯s gaze to fall on her as they realized that she was bleeding from the corner of her mouth and


    even her ears started to bleed.


    Thanks to Veronica¡¯s p, there was an imprint of her hand on Tiffany¡¯s fair cheek, which began to


    swell noticeably. ¡°Tiffany Larson, if you want to die, just say the word and I¡¯ll help to fulfill your wish!¡±


    Veronica¡¯s lips parted slightly as she growled and radiated a murderous aura.


    She had never hated a person so much in her life. Tiffany Larson? Yeah, she¡¯s the only one whom I


    hate the most. ¡°Scram! All of you, just get the f*ck out!¡±


    Since Zac couldn¡¯t locate the real mastermind and Eleanor had exposed the horrible things that he did


    to Veronica, he felt utterly embarrassed.


    Now that Veronica had a big fight with Tiffany, no one would have bothered about his feelings. As all of


    his anger and humiliation rose in that second, he was so irked that he flipped the table.

 Chapter 869

    Chapter 869


    Chapter 869 A Disgusted Look


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Investigate it, even if you have to dig three feet underground. I want to see who has the nerve to kill


    me!¡± Zac¡¯s eyes were red with anger as he turned around without saying anything else.


    Veronica ignored the injured Tiffany and made her way in front of Xavier and Antheena. Then, she


    addressed Tanya, ¡°Queen Tanya, don¡¯t you think you owe them an exnation about Zac¡¯s injuries?¡±


    Tanya was the one who captured Xavier and swore that he was guilty, so she needed to exin his


    involvement in the matter. Eleanor shot Veronica a pleading look. It was as if to say, Please have some


    self-awareness. Your husband is the culprit and yet, you are holding my mother ountable?


    Veronica deliberately turned a blind eye to Eleanor. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    Tanya rose to her full height and went to the soldiers guarding the door to unlock the handcuffs and


    shackles of Antheena and Xavier.


    She removed the handcuffs and shackles and they rattled upon dropping to the floor. Antheena and


    Xavier shook their wrists. Even though Antheena looked at Veronica with an indecipherable look, she


    said nothing in the end.


    She had no idea how the situation unfolded, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t know how Zac was injuredst


    night. As a result, she thought that Veronica standing up for them was an act of kindness.


    Antheena had a mixture of jealousy and admiration for Veronica because thetter was so perfect that


    the female poption was jealous of her.


    ¡°Mr. Crawford, Miss Antheena, what happened today was a result of my negligence. It¡¯s indeed my


    fault. I do hope that you¡¯ll understand the situation from my point of view. Zac was the one who said


    that Mr. Crawford was the mastermind, so I could only capture him as a result. No matter what, as the


    head of the n, I¡¯m also at fault.¡±


    Tanya bowed to them as her way of apologizing. ¡°Please ept my apologies.¡±


    Then, she straightened her body and added, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you two to a mealter. Wait, there¡¯s Miss


    Murphy as well. Pleasee over to the pce for a banquet where I¡¯ll personally host you. It¡¯s also a


    token from the bottom of my heart. As for thepensation, I¡¯ll send someone to your residence and


    bring you over to the banquet.¡±


    At that, Tanya turned and looked at Dominik. ¡°Dom, you should tidy up your ce immediately so that


    Mr. Crawford and his wife have a ce to stay. After all, they are our guests, so we can¡¯t neglect them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± Dominik nodded slightly. ¡°Queen Tanya, I ept your invitation. Thank you,¡± Xavier


    responded and left after thanking Tanya.


    Antheena did not say anything, but she only felt aggrieved as she left with him. Veronica gave Tanya a


    slight nod. ¡°Queen Tanya, I¡¯ll have to trouble you, then. I¡¯ll make a move now.¡± She nced at Matthew


    and signaled him with her gaze, after which she left.


    Liam was as quiet as a mouse throughout the interaction. In the end, there was disgust on his face as


    he peered at Tiffany. Pfft! You two are sisters, so how can you girls have such different personalities?


    He withdrew his gaze and turned to watch Veronica¡¯s back as she left. The scene of her being a


    heroine resurfaced in his mind as he felt himself admiring Veronica even more.


    No wonder Zac would want toy his hands on Veronica. Who wouldn¡¯t have the hots for such a


    woman? It¡¯s such a pity. Liam initially fancied Veronica but now that he knew she was an extraordinary


    person, he immediately stopped that train of thought.


    Meanwhile, Hendrey nced at the unconscious Tiffany on the floor and felt that she was so hopeless


    that no amount of teaching would change her.


    With a frown, he gave Tanya a bow and muttered, ¡°Queen Tanya, I¡¯ll make my move first. Please send


    over some people to take her to my residence. Would that be alright?¡± Since Hendrey had already


    expressed his wishes, Tanya did not see any reason to reject him.

 Chapter 870

    Chapter 870


    Chapter 870 Being Alienated


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Sure, sure. You¡¯re being too polite, Mr. Johnson.¡± Tanya nodded, giving people the illusion that she


    was friendly. Hendrey then addressed Dominik, Eleanor, and Liam one by one. ¡°Prince Dominik,


    Princess Eleanor, and Prince Liam, I¡¯ll depart first.¡±


    ¡°Take care, Mr. Johnson. We¡¯ll be in touch,¡± Dominik replied chivalrously as he stepped forward. The


    moment Hendrey left, the soldiers guarding the entrance supported Tiffany in their arms and departed


    together.


    Tanya ced her hands behind her back and looked in the direction of Zac¡¯s bedroom with narrowed


    eyes. ¡°Tell me, who would dare to attack Zac?¡±


    Liam ced the seeds he was having on the table and pped as he rose to his full height. He


    brushed the seeds off his clothes while saying, ¡°What else is there to say? It¡¯s a fact that he¡¯s injured. I


    think it¡¯s just a waste of my time to think who his assant might be.¡±


    He pulled off the role of a yboy to the fullest. Then, under the gaze of those three people, he


    swaggered off.


    Tanya was deeply dismayed. Of all the sons that she had, only Liam left her the most disappointed.


    Dominik shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s such a weird matter. Could this be rted to Madam Hayley?¡±


    There was a look of contempt in Eleanor¡¯s eyes as she also shook her head. ¡°Mom, aren¡¯t you putting


    me in a difficult position? I also have no idea who it is, but it has to be Prince Zac¡¯s enemy. Maybe


    Veronica sent someone to avenge him, but Zac couldn¡¯t produce the evidence, so he could only suffer


    in silence.¡±


    Eleanor was missing Matthew and didn¡¯t want to stay for any minute longer, so she gave Tanya and


    Dominik a wave. ¡°Bro, Mom, I¡¯ll make a move first. Bye.¡±


    With that, she bounced off.


    While looking at Eleanor¡¯s retreating figure, Tanya shook her head and sighed deeply. ¡°Oh, Dom, just


    look at your sister. She still has such immature behavior, so how am I to feel assured? In the future,


    you have to take good care of her, alright?¡±


    As Dominik stood behind Tanya, his handsome face changed from calm and elegant to icy cold. He


    had a fierce gaze, but he respectfully agreed to her request. ¡°You worry too much, Mom. This is what I


    should do. You¡¯re right; we should be sharing the hidden n¡¯s burdens, yes?¡±


    Meanwhile, at the parking lot, Xavier told Antheena, ¡°Wait for me in the car first. I have some things to


    settle with Veronica.¡± Antheena frowned as her displeasure was reflected in her eyes, but it was not


    obvious to anyone else.


    After all, it took her so much effort to be close to Xavier, so she didn¡¯t want him to give her the cold


    shoulder just because she was ¡®ignorant¡¯.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Then, she entered the car and mmed the door shut. Veronica and Matthew were


    approaching Xavier from behind.


    It was only when they stopped in front of him that she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you felt wronged.¡±


    She felt ashamed about this matter because Xavier was innocent, but others were not aware that she


    was a very straightforward and honest person. ¡°What¡¯s up? Are you so cowardly that you can¡¯t stand


    up for yourself?¡±


    Xavier ignored Veronica and directed his question to Matthew with disdain. ¡°If you wish to think so,


    there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±


    Matthew wanted to reveal his identity so badly, but she stopped him from doing so and advised him not


    to be rash. Although Matthew felt helpless, he could only adhere to her wishes.


    Xavier snorted. ¡°Pathetic.¡± His lips curled upward into a sarcastic smile as he mocked, ¡°Veronica, is this


    the type of man you fancy?¡± He used to affectionately address her as ¡°Roni¡±.


    However, after what had happened yesterday, the close rtionship between Xavier and Veronica had


    undergone a big change. His attitude and tone toward her became much more indifferent.

 Chapter 871

    Chapter 871


    Chapter 871 Beware of Princess Eleanor


    Veronica felt a little lost and helpless at that. Despite the bitterness she felt in her heart, she knew she


    couldn¡¯t have the best of both worlds.


    ¡°You misunderstood,¡± she rified. ¡°He has always wanted to reveal his identity, but I prevented him


    from doing so. And keep an eye out for Princess Eleanor. She is not an ordinary woman.¡±


    Then, she decided not to say any further. ¡°Take care,¡± she told Xavier before turning to Matthew and


    saying, ¡°Matt, let¡¯s go.¡± They both then walked past Xavier.


    For a split second, Xavier felt as if time had stopped when he saw the person whom he loved dearly


    walking away from him. His heart seemed torn apart, and he almost couldn¡¯t breathe because of the


    pain he was in. When will she notice my love for her?


    Meanwhile, after Veronica and Matthew got in the car, Matthew started the engine and drove away.


    Veronica leaned on the co-driver seat, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve offended


    Zac, he¡¯ll almost certainly know who injured him if your identity is revealed. You must be more cautious


    from now on.¡±


    She was concerned about Matthew¡¯s safety. ¡°Noted, my dear wifey.¡± Matthew smiled with his lips


    pursed while he raised his hand to caress Veronica¡¯s cheeks.


    However, the moment his hand touched her soft skin, she pped it away coldly. ¡°Focus on driving.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡±


    Matthew¡¯s good mood was clearly visible on his face. Seeing that, Veronica was perplexed. ¡°Why are


    you in such a good mood?¡± ¡°Nothing. I merely find it satisfying that you pped Tiffany.¡±


    When they were in the living room earlier, Tiffany had been defaming Veronica, using her of having


    a secret rtionship with Xavier. In response, Veronica pped Tiffany hard.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Veronica frowned slightly at first, then smiled when she heard Matthew¡¯s words. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    She could tell he wasn¡¯t happy because of the p. Instead, he was happy that, after Tiffany ndered


    her for having a secret rtionship with Xavier, her p on Tiffany directly cleared up such a rumor.


    This was, in fact, the real reason for his good mood. While she was thinking about this, her eyes


    darkened as she turned to face Matthew. Her lips pursed, and after a brief pause, she said, ¡°Yesterday


    was my fault, Matt. I was too narrow-minded.¡±


    Matthew had taken her to One Piece Restaurant, but he needed to leave not longter. She assumed


    he was going after Xavier to settle their scores. Truth was, Matthew went to look for Zac.


    She instinctively thought that after Matthew had safely escaped from Zac previously, he would make a


    careful n before confronting Zac again.


    Hence, to her, Xavier was the only reason for Matthew¡¯s sudden leaving. Her over-concern for Matthew


    rendered her unable to think clearly.


    ¡°Despite your feud with Xavier, you owe him some gratitude as well. I understand how you feel.¡±


    Matthew clutched Veronica¡¯s hand in his palm as he continued softly, ¡°What you owe him is what I owe


    him too. It¡¯s because we are a family.¡±


    He was always a man of principles, clearly distinguishing between his scores and debts of gratitude.


    He had never forgotten how Xavier had saved Veronica.


    Yesterday, Matthew sensed something amiss after being distracted by Zac¡¯s men. However, he couldn¡¯t


    flee quickly at that time and could only contact Skyler to protect Veronica, but Xavier unexpectedly


    passed by and saved Veronica before Skyler could.


    This was something Matthew had med himself for, for he was Veronica¡¯s husband.


    ¡°Thank you, Matt.¡±


    Veronica was moved by him. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Matthew looked at her as he pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the engine.


    Then, he turned around and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t saying thank you too patronizing?¡±


    ¡°What? You¡­ How do you want me to express my gratitude then?¡± She was baffled.

 Chapter 872

    Chapter 872


    Chapter 872 Giving Her Husband Away


    ¡°Are you willing to do whatever I say?¡± Veronica nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Well then¡­¡± A cunning smile


    appeared on Matthew¡¯s face. Just as he was about to open his mouth to demand what he wanted, a


    car honk interrupted him.


    Then he noticed a car parked right next to his. Matthew¡¯s gaze turned cold after he was interrupted, but


    he still held Veronica¡¯s cheeks and kissed her lightly on the lips.


    It was just a peck. He then let go of her, lowered the car window, and looked out the window at the


    person outside. ¡°What brings you here, Princess Eleanor?¡±


    Her constant bothering was truly a headache to him. The breeze outside made Eleanor¡¯s red dress


    flutter.


    Her smile shone like the sun. As she brushed her wind-blown hair, she asked, with her arms crossed


    across her chest, ¡°Am I unwee, Master?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± Matthew showed no regard for the lovelydy in front of him. His aloof attitude


    evidenced his displeasure with Eleanor.


    Eleanor, the honorable princess of the hidden n, had never been treated in this manner before.


    However, instead of bing angry, she became even more obsessed with Matthew. ¡°But I am here


    to look for Goddess Veronica. You can¡¯t stop me, can you?¡±


    ¡°She is my woman, so of course I have the right to decide,¡± Matthew responded coldly. Regardless,


    Eleanor ignored him and opened the backseat door. ¡°I need to speak with Veronica about something.


    Start the engine, Master.¡±


    Matthew, however, did not move an inch after her words. Eleanor rolled her eyes at that. ¡°I¡¯ve never


    met a more ungrateful person than you.¡±


    Even though she wasining, her face was devoid of any anger or dissatisfaction. She even


    suggested, ¡°Your One Piece Restaurant has begun operations sessfully. Are you not going to treat


    me to a meal there?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Veronica was surprised to hear thating from Eleanor. She knew Eleanor was intelligent, but she


    had no idea Eleanor would know so much about them.


    For the moment, Veronica couldn¡¯t figure out Eleanor¡¯s true intent.


    Her mind was unfathomable, and she was always doing unusual and unexpected things.


    ¡°Since you didn¡¯t expose us in front of Zac, we should treat you to a meal,¡± Veronica agreed.


    As soon as she finished her sentence, Matthew started the engine and headed to One Piece


    Restaurant.


    ¡°It appears that my master is truly¡­ hmm, what¡¯s that word?¡± Eleanor tried to recollect the word. ¡°Oh, a


    hen-pecked husband!¡±


    She was, in fact, envious of Matthew¡¯s love and care for Veronica.


    But his love was only for Veronica, which Eleanor could never have no matter how hard she tried. ¡°I¡¯m


    so envious.¡±


    She then tilted her head to look at Veronica and said, ¡°I know your mother has always wanted to be the


    hidden n¡¯s leader. Why don¡¯t we strike a deal?¡±


    Veronica raised her brows in response as she understood what Eleanor meant. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for


    you to be so tantly eyeing my husband.¡±


    ¡°My feelings for him are aboveboard, so I don¡¯t see anything inappropriate about it.¡± Eleanor then


    wrapped her arms around Veronica¡¯s neck as if they were best friends and continued, ¡°Furthermore,


    your mother has been coveting the position of the hidden n¡¯s leader for so many years. If you can


    exchange it with your husband, it¡¯s a good deal.¡±


    Veronica couldn¡¯t tell whether Eleanor was merely joking or otherwise.


    But she would never trade Matthew for anything.


    A smile appeared on her delicate cheeks, and with her razor-sharp gaze, she looked at Eleanor and


    said, ¡°Princess Eleanor, to be honest with you, Matthew is the most important person in the world to me


    other than my two children.¡±


    Veronica had only known Matthew for a short time, but their fates had perhaps already been decided


    long ago.


    They loved each other deeply and were willing to go through all sorts of pain and suffering for one


    another.


    Love was all about meeting the right person at the right time.

 Chapter 873

    Chapter 873


    Chapter 873 Honey Trap


    ¡°So!¡± Veronica abruptly raised her voice and went on, ¡°Don¡¯t suggest such things to me again.¡± She


    was aware that the hidden n had a more open-minded culture. Hence, she was able to not take


    Eleanor¡¯s words to heart.


    If someone from the country heard that, Eleanor would definitely bebeled as a flirt based solely on


    her words. Hey, I¡¯m just kidding! Don¡¯t take it seriously!¡±


    Sensing that Veronica seemed to be offended, Eleanor quickly smiled sweetly and changed the subject


    of the conversation. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you well previously, and it was onlyter that I learned that you are


    highly skilled! When are you avable for us to have a match and learn from each other?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Eleanor knew that knowing the enemy well would help her survive future battles. And she could only


    know Veronica¡¯s true abilities bypeting with her.


    With that, Eleanor¡¯s winning chances in their future confrontations would greatly increase. To that,


    Veronica merely replied humbly, ¡°They¡¯re all fancy moves, Princess Eleanor, and are not worthy of your


    compliments.¡±


    Half an hourter, they arrived at One Piece Restaurant. While Matthew showed Eleanor around,


    Skyler and Shirley walked out. Veronica then introduced them both to Eleanor, and they all casually


    chatted for a while.


    ¡°Birds of a feather flock together, as the saying goes, and I¡¯m seeing it in real life right now. Indeed,


    friends of a handsome man are also attractive,¡± Eleanorplimented Skyler without hesitation. ¡°Your


    girlfriend is also lovely, like a sweet littledy.¡±


    Herpliments made Shirley blush while remaining silent. In response, Skyler said friendly, ¡°I¡¯ve


    heard your name for a long time, Princess Eleanor, and today I finally get to meet you in person. You


    are indeed stunning.¡±


    ¡°You have such a way with words, Mr. Robins.¡± Eleanor curved her lips slightly, cast a casual nce at


    Matthew, and continued, ¡°How nice if my master was like you.¡±


    Matthew, on the other hand, simply held Veronica¡¯s hand in his and did not even take a look at Eleanor.


    Seeing that, Skyler looked at both of them profoundly and did not say anything else.


    They then walked around One Piece Restaurant for a while before heading to the attic on the highest


    floor, where they sat and drank tea while enjoying the breeze.


    As Eleanor stood by the window, looking out at the hidden n¡¯s huge city, the smile on her face


    gradually faded. Her hands were on the railings, and she looked afar, appearing as if burdened by


    thoughts.


    Matthew can open his One Piece Restaurant at the hidden n¡¯s ce in such a short period and at a


    perfect location in the city. This shows that his abilities and financial resources are not to be


    underestimated. It would be terrifying to be his foe.


    At this point, Shirley and Veronica walked out as well. They stood on the balcony, enjoying their


    peaceful night while basking in the warm breeze and overlooking the bustling city.


    Meanwhile, Skyler was sitting right next to Matthew in the room. He patted Matthew on the shoulder


    and said in a hushed tone, ¡°Matt, it seems like you are still as charming as ever! Princess Eleanor is


    drawn to you even when you have only recently arrived at the hidden n. She is indeed beautiful,


    enchanting yet not flirtatious; what good fortune you have!¡±


    Matthew was sipping his tea and simply cast a cold nce at Skyler. ¡°You can court her if you are


    interested. If you seed, the entire hidden n will be yours.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am not the person she likes!¡± Skyler then stood in front of Matthew and said, his tone even


    lower this time, ¡°Since she likes you so much, why don¡¯t you consider using a honey trap? Any


    problems can be solved quickly once you infiltrate the enemy. I¡¯m sure Roni will ept it for the sake of


    the situation as a whole.¡±


    Then, he spread out his hands, saying, ¡°When that happens, you will have the best of both worlds: the


    beauty and the hidden n¡¯s kingdom. Isn¡¯t that perfect, Matt?¡±


    If given serious thought, Skyler¡¯s half-kidding suggestion was undeniably a good strategy.

 Chapter 874

    Chapter 874


    Chapter 874 Disabled


    Meanwhile, Tiffany was sent back to her residence. Hendrey summoned a doctor to examine her, who


    was still unconscious. And the doctor¡¯s diagnosis truly shocked him.


    He was aware that Veronica had never liked Tiffany, but he had no idea her outburst of power would be


    so powerful.


    When he heard the doctor say that the p was so strong that it caused the rupture of Tiffany¡¯s


    eardrum, and she needed to be hospitalized now, he furrowed his brow and looked at the woman who


    was lying on the bed.


    The woman looked the same as Veronica, but she had apletely different personality. Even when


    they both stood together, their auras were poles apart. ¡°Okay. You may get going now.¡± Hendrey sent


    the doctor away.


    He then sat in the room for a while, not realizing how long the time had passed, until Tiffany regained


    consciousness. She slightly moved her facial muscles and eximed in pain, ¡°Ouch¡­¡±


    She then raised her hand to touch her cheeks, but even the slightest touch caused her excruciating


    pain. Her cheeks were also swollen as if she had something in her mouth. ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    Hendrey approached her and fixed his cold gaze on her, his aloof face showing no emotion at all.


    Tiffany, on the other hand, pushed herself up by pressing her palms against the bed. ¡°How long was I


    unconscious?¡±


    He lifted his hand to check his watch. ¡°A little over two hours.¡± Suddenly, she moved her hand to touch


    her ears, followed by a tight frown on her face. ¡°Hendrey, my ear¡­ Why can¡¯t I hear now?¡±


    Earlier, when Hendrey first talked to her, she was more worried that her face would be disfigured and


    did not realize her ear¡¯s condition.


    It wasn¡¯t until Hendrey said his second sentence that she realized her left ear was deafeningly silent.


    That shocked her so much that her face turned pale as she continued to pat her ear. However, no


    matter how hard she patted, she couldn¡¯t hear anything.


    ¡°What happened to me? Why couldn¡¯t I hear anything in my left ear now? Call the doctor!¡±


    She was so terrified that she lost control of her expression and refused to ept reality.


    Hendrey, on the other hand, simply stood calmly by the side and told her, ¡°I have talked to the doctor


    just now. He said that your left ear is deaf.¡±


    Truth was, Hendrey had his selfish reason for saying this.


    His feelings for Veronica had never changed, whether in the past or now.


    He admired and loved her, but he knew he could not stay by Veronica¡¯s side because of his situation.


    At the same time, he couldn¡¯t tolerate Tiffany¡¯s presumptuousness any longer.


    To him, this incident was a good lesson for Tiffany.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! It was only a p; how could my ear be deaf from that? It is not possible!¡±


    She was so overwhelmed with fear that tears began to fall as she agitatedly tossed the nket aside,


    intending to dash outside.


    Hendrey, however, quickly grabbed her elbow. ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    ¡°Get your hand off me! Let me go!¡±


    Tiffany tried to shake his hand off, but she couldn¡¯t free herself from his firm grip.


    ¡°Let me go! I need to see a doctor right now. I cannot be deaf, no!¡± she screamed hysterically.


    Her deafness in one ear rendered her a disabled person.


    She could not ept being disabled, especially since she couldn¡¯t hear anything in her left ear except


    tinnitus.


    It was as if someone was tightly covering her ear, allowing her to hear only a faint buzzing sound,


    which was extremely ufortable.


    ¡°Going to the hospital now is the same as announcing to the entire world that you are deaf. What worth


    would you have if everyone knows about it?¡±


    In a calm tone, Hendrey went on, ¡°The hidden n will never ept a disabled leader. If you are


    unable topete for the position of leader, you will be abandoned!¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 875

    Chapter 875


    Chapter 875 Tiffany Bes Deaf


    Tiffany had a swollen face. Even talking would pull the muscles on her face and cause her pain.


    However, between being deaf and the pain spreading on her face, she couldn¡¯t care less about the


    latter.


    However, no pain could ever bepared to Hendrey¡¯s words, which hurt her so much right now. Her


    blood ran cold in her veins as his words had put her into the fathomless abyss. She couldn¡¯t help but


    shiver at the coldness that slowly enveloped her.


    She let go of her hands that once grabbed him tightly. As her legs gave out, she fell to the ground. The


    momentum from her falling to the ground brought an impact on her facial muscle and strained her


    swollen face. The pain was unbearable, but she wasn¡¯t aware of it at all.


    Her dim eyes lost their focus as she gazed into the distance. Putting a hand on her ear in disbelief, she


    refused to ept the fact she was bing deaf. ¡°No way. I can¡¯t be deaf. It¡¯s not fair.¡±


    She used to be the brightest rising star in Bloomstead. As her life turned upside down, she felt lost and


    had no idea how she could adapt.


    As she remembered the culprit behind these, her gaze, which once lost its focus, gradually


    concentrated into a determined look in her eyes. The fingers she put on her ear arched as she


    clenched them into a fist. She swore through gritted teeth, ¡°Veronica, you¡¯ll pay for this!¡±


    She murmured every word with determination. It seemed like speaking the words had drained thest


    strength in her body judging by the way her voice uncontrobly shook.


    Even though she was overwhelmed with grief, Hendrey showed no hint of sympathy. Instead, he


    mocked, ¡°It¡¯s foolish to do something you already know you shouldn¡¯t. To be honest, you deserve it.¡±


    Turning around, he sat on a chair and crossed his legs. His hard eyes bored into her. ¡°I keep telling you


    not to cause Veronica any trouble before we visit the hidden n. Did you not listen to me?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Due to her hearing loss, Tiffany couldn¡¯t hear clearly enough to his words. Furthermore, her left


    ear couldn¡¯t hear anything at all as if it was stuffed with cotton, and it was driving her crazy.


    His words fueled her anger. She tried to retort but no words came out. After a moment, he continued,


    ¡°Do your job and stay away from her. Or else, nobody wille to your rescue if you mess up one


    more time.¡±


    He saved her once during the banquet in the pcest time when Veronica attempted to kill her. If it


    wasn¡¯t for this dumb woman still proven useful to him, he would have left her to die.


    ¡°Do yourself a favor. No more holding me back.¡± Giving her thest warning, he turned on his heels and


    left the bedroom. As he walked past the living room, he reminded the man guarding the door, ¡°Keep an


    eye on her. She is not allowed to go out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Johnson.¡± The guard slightly nodded before gesturing for hispanions toe over and


    guard the door. After he left the house, Hendrey got in his car to visit Zac for discussing their future


    n.


    The car rolled through the street at a steady pace. He couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off the shops on both


    sides of the road. Suddenly, a few familiar figures came into view.


    He saw Veronica waving at a woman in red outside a shop nearby, and a man was standing next to


    her.


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    The man, who buried his hands in his pants pockets, was standing upright, giving off his unique


    temperament.


    Pushing his gold frame sses up his nose, Hendrey fixed his eyes on the man and recognized him.


    ¡°Is that Iron Pir? No. Wait a minute.¡±


    The scene where he fought Iron Pir during the bonfire outside the pce shed across his mind.


    Even though the man had been on the defensive, the man blocked all of his attacks without breaking a


    sweat.


    The opponent¡¯s skill amazed Hendrey at that time but he didn¡¯t think much about it.


    Now, from where Hendrey was, the man named ¡®Iron Pir¡¯ wasn¡¯t stooping as he usually was.


    He shared the same stature and temperament with Matthew aside from the darker skin, ordinary face,


    and a mole on the face.

 Chapter 876

    Chapter 876


    Chapter 876 Top Secret


    Hendrey parked his car by the side of the road and gazed into the distance. He saw Eleanor, who was


    in a red dress, getting into a vehicle and departing.


    Then, Veronica turned around to face Iron Pir. The man raised his hand to brush away the hair


    framing her face. Their proximity was somehow suggestive.


    Hendrey had his suspicion until the recent scene unfolded right before his eyes. Now, it was reced


    by the affirmation that the man was none other than Matthew.


    ¡°How is he alive?¡± The truth hit him hard as he struggled to believe it. The realization btedly dawned


    on him. It exined why they couldn¡¯t find the culprit behind the ambush on Zac.


    It seemed like it had something to do with Matthew. Last night, Zac arranged a meeting with Veronica


    and drugged her. However, Xavier arrived in time and saved her.


    After Matthew learned about it, he went straight to dealing with Zac and broke the other man¡¯s arm. If


    Hendrey¡¯s guess was right, then everything made sense.


    Clenching his hands around the steering wheel, he thought about Matthew¡¯s n. It was at the same


    time when Matthew, who was standing outside the nearby shop, cast a nce in Hendrey¡¯s direction.


    Matthew¡¯s lips parted as if he was talking to Veronica. Then, she turned to look in Hendrey¡¯s direction


    too.


    The pair stared right at him, but at the very next second, they withdrew their gazes and held each


    other¡¯s hands before walking into the shop.


    Hendrey¡¯s eyes were wide in surprise at their indifference. It did not make sense to him. If Matthew


    needed a disguise, the pair would not have reacted with such an attitude when they saw him.


    Hendrey scanned his surroundings. There weren¡¯t any other familiar faces but him. It took only one


    second for him to realize that the pair didn¡¯t give a damn about him. Thus, they saw no point in


    pretending in front of him.


    In One Piece Restaurant, Matthew was holding Veronica¡¯s hand as he led her upstairs. She couldn¡¯t


    help but worry. ¡°Hendrey saw us. I think he will tell Zac right away.¡±


    After all, they were birds of a feather.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. It¡¯s only a matter of time until word gets to him.¡± Matthew¡¯s fingers caressed the back


    of Veronica¡¯s hand as if reluctant to let go. As they ascended the stairs, he continued, ¡°It¡¯s more difficult


    to deal with Eleanor at the moment.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. She¡¯s giving us a hard time.¡± Veronica sighed. ¡°The hunting ceremony is around the


    corner. I have a feeling that Master Crayson and Hayley are nning something big. After all, they


    have been training her for the special asion. They won¡¯t give up before making the best use of her.¡±


    Her words went right to the heart of the matter.


    At the same moment, a few major figures visited Hayley at her house.


    As he watched the people around him, Crayson drew on his cigarette before he began with a stern


    voice, ¡°I just got word that Hendrey ced Tiffany under confinement.¡±


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    ¡°Indeed. Since the hunting ceremony is approaching, we must rescue her as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Of course, or else the Young Lord will have to attend the hunting ceremony herself.¡±


    ¡°Tanya has a meticulous n to lure us into the trap. The Young Lord mustn¡¯t attend the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Waylen, what do you think?¡±


    ¡­


    Their discussion grew inaudible as they were all talking at once.


    From time to time, Crayson drew on his cigarette in silence. After a long time, he casually stated,


    ¡°Tiffany¡¯s identity was created in the first ce for this moment. Thus, everything should go ording


    to the original n.¡±


    Hayley held a cup and sipped the coffee. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you. Tanya is both cunning and cautious.


    Therefore, Veronica will still have to attend the ceremony with me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam Hayley. You can count on us. We¡¯ve got everything covered.¡± One of them


    nodded and added, ¡°The hunting ceremony is happening in three days. We must rescue Tiffany


    tomorrow night at thetest. Or else, we won¡¯t be able to proceed with the n.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to us. However, Master Waylen, we¡¯ll have to hand her over to you after that. You and Mateo


    are thest link in our chain of ns.¡±

 Chapter 877

    Chapter 877


    Chapter 877 Underground Pce


    The following night, Tiffany, who was under house arrest, was lying on the bed. As her gazended on


    the medicine on the nightstand, resentment gradually reced the tears that brimmed in her eyes.


    She clenched her fair hands together as her body shook in anger. ¡°Veronica Murphy, I¡¯ll kill you! I really


    will!¡± Every bad thing that happened to Tiffany started with Veronica. As such, she could only feel


    satisfied once Veronica was dead.


    That night, Tiffany tossed and turned on her bed but couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Pictures of the ways to kill


    Veronica were running through her mind. The whole night, she kept wondering about the quickest and


    most effective way to kill someone.


    As she went over the n in her mind, a hint of fragrance reached her. The next second, her head


    grew heavy and she finally fell asleep. She had no idea what happened after she passed out.


    After a long time, Tiffany stirred awake. As her eyes fluttered open, she was met with the sight of


    Crayson and Mateo. ¡°W-What are you doing here?¡±


    A little rmed by their presence, she struggled to get up from the bed. It was only then that she


    realized her limbs were bound tightly and she could not move an inch.


    She was frightened. She scanned her surroundings involuntarily, only to find herself in a massive


    underground pce.


    Even though the lights around them illuminated the ce, she couldn¡¯t see any walls around her other


    than a few pirs that served the purpose of supporting the dome.


    The lights surrounding her came from the ancient bronze figures. The figures were each holding a pole,


    whereby antern hung at the tip of it.


    The mix of ancient and modern art added to the mystery of the underground pce.


    And it was this very mystery that unnerved her from time to time.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you. Why did you kidnap me?¡±


    Tiffany shot the question at Crayson. However, he only cast an indifferent nce at her before


    returning to the discussion. He was talking to Mateo in the hidden tongue as they fiddled with the pots


    on the table. However, Tiffany couldn¡¯t understand a word they were saying.


    Before this, she used a tranting device to understand thenguage. As such, she couldn¡¯t


    understand a thing without the device right now.


    It was a terrible feeling and the helplessness was driving her crazy.


    ¡°Master Crayson, you better let me go, or else that man wille after you!¡± She tried to struggle out of


    her constraints, but it was futile. ¡°And there are Floch and Rachel. They will not let you off the hook!¡±


    The mention of Floch and Rachel caught Crayson¡¯s attention as he paused the discussion. He turned


    around to look at the woman, and his ssy eyes were filled with an icy look as he growled, ¡°Is that


    so? They shoulde after me, then. At least it saves me a trip to go looking for them.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    The couple used to address him as ¡®Mr. Crayson¡¯ in the past. However, Tiffany had turned the former


    mentor and students against each other.


    Even though Crayson resented her to his bones, he didn¡¯t bother to pay her any attention.


    ¡°A-Are you not afraid of them? What about Dawson? Aren¡¯t you wary of him?¡± Tiffany told him the


    identity of the mysterious person behind all this.


    However, she had no idea about Dawson¡¯s true identity. It was just that she had once stumbled upon


    Hendrey and Xavier¡¯s conversation. The two mentioned Dawson at that time, and she had a feeling


    that there was more going on with Dawson.


    After that, she once asked Hendrey about Dawson, but Hendrey refused to tell her anything.


    As such, Tiffany guessed that Dawson was the person pulling the strings, but she wasn¡¯t a hundred


    percent sure about it.


    At this critical moment, she had no choice but to use Dawson¡¯s name to intimidate Crayson in hopes


    that it would work.


    ¡°I¡¯m also expecting him.¡± Crayson sneered, not visibly affected by her words. Instead, a look of disdain


    crossed his face.


    At that moment, someone pushed the thick door open and it made a creaking sound as if the gears


    started rotating again after being in disuse for years.


    Tiffany couldn¡¯t move in her restraints, so she could only lift her head and look in the direction of the


    entrance. What she saw was a group of people from the hidden n who were wearing ck clothes


    with blue ents and ck headscarves.

 Chapter 878

    Chapter 878


    Chapter 878 Don¡¯t Worry, I¡¯m Here with You


    The group of people had tanned skin and looked around their fifties. They walked in vigorous strides,


    indicating they had extraordinary skills. ¡°Who are you? What do you want from me?¡±


    The fear of the unknown enveloped Tiffany and the fright was tearing her apart. As she had no idea


    what they were saying, her eyes brimmed with tears due to the growing anxiety.


    The helplessness only intensified as she waited in anticipation. She knew that it was Veronica who


    inflicted the feeling in the first ce. Hence, her hatred for Veronica grew and it seeped into her very


    bones.


    The group talked for a while before Crayson gave Mateo a look. The younger man nodded slightly.


    Then, he wore the gloves and washed his hands before picking up a syringe from the tray on the table


    and walking over to Tiffany.


    Her eyes widened at the sight as the blood drained from her face. She didn¡¯t stop struggling as she


    panicked. ¡°Stay back! Don¡¯te any closer! What exactly do you want from me? You can¡¯t do this to


    me. No¡ª¡±


    She kept shouting at him to stop. However, before she could finish her words, he sank the syringe in


    his hand into the side of her neck.


    He remarked impatiently, ¡°Be quiet. I would¡¯ve already done something earlier on if I wanted to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Then, what do¡­ you¡­ want¡­¡±


    As he injected the drug into her body, her voice grew softer and it was barely a whisper. Her eyelids


    gradually became heavier before she fell into the darkness.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the Mountainside Gardens, Veronica had trouble falling asleep, which exined her


    behavior of reading a book in bed.


    At that moment, somebody pushed the windows open. Matthew leaped into the room and closed them.


    Shutting the book, she sat upright and asked, ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    It was 2.00AM. He was wearing all ck from head to toe, which was proof that he had errands to run.


    ¡°Master Crayson took Tiffany with them.¡±


    Taking off the stealth suit, he exined, ¡°Mateo followed him. It seems like they¡¯ve proceeded as


    nned.¡±


    Veronica wasn¡¯t surprised to hear that.


    Her brows knitted into a frown and she sighed. ¡°Tiffany has been a pawn in his n since the


    beginning. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll give up on her. After all, she¡¯s still useful. It¡¯s just that I¡ª¡±


    She stopped abruptly as something in her mind held her back from finishing her sentence.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Meanwhile, Matthew folded the stealth suit and put them away. He was now wearing the same outfit he


    wore in the day.


    Steadily walking to the bed, he took a seat next to her and held her hand before he gently assured her,


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect you. The same thing will never happen to you.¡±


    He could tell what she was worried about.


    Since Crayson and his men could use the secret skill of the hidden n to seal Tiffany¡¯s memory, they


    might also use the same skill on Veronica.


    If the day ever came when her memory was sealed, it would bring unforeseeable consequences.


    She held his fingers anxiously as she studied the wound on his palm. Her fingers gently brushed the


    skin next to his wound. ¡°Matt, you¡¯ve already done a lot for me. If anything happens to us one day, you


    have to save yourself. Remember that our children are still waiting for us in Bloomstead.¡±


    At the end of that sentence, sheughed at herself. ¡°Maybe our children are now in the hidden n.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t ensure her children¡¯s safety when she left them in Bloomstead, especially when Zac, the


    Ledgers, and the Elrods coveted them.


    ¡°Silly girl, don¡¯t worry about it. You can count on me. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you and our


    children.¡±


    Putting a hand on hers, Matthew then used his other hand to embrace her and let her lean against him.


    He slowly patted her back to soothe her.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t invincible. You can¡¯t cover all the bases. I¡¯m just saying that if we are exposed to danger


    one day and only one of us can make it out alive, you must save yourself.¡±

 Chapter 879

    Chapter 879


    Chapter 879 I Should Go A Little Harder


    Veronica had assumed the worst-case scenario and she didn¡¯t want Matthew to risk his life for her.


    Pinching her fair cheek, Matthew teased, ¡°Just look on the bright side, alright? What is it? Do you have


    doubts about what I¡¯m capable of?¡±


    ¡°I believe in you, but there are also people who are even more capable than you. We have no idea how


    Master Crayson and the others sealed Tiffany¡¯s memory. All we can do is wait and see for ourselves


    during the hunting ceremony. It¡¯s only then that we can see her in person and learn what the hidden


    n is capable of doing with their secret skill.¡±


    Veronica was worried about their current situation. ¡°Matt, I¡¯m homesick. I miss my parents and our


    children. And I miss Twilight Condominium too.¡±


    Her real home was Bloomstead. All her family was in Bloomstead while she was forced to be in the


    hidden n. She spent every day in fear and it was utterly exhausting.


    ¡°You need to get some rest. I promise we¡¯ll be leaving this ce within one month. You can treat this


    period as a vacation. After all, we¡¯re bound to go home.¡±


    Matthew then pinned her to the bed and looked down at her before pressing a kiss onto her lips. ¡°Roni,


    I missed you.¡±


    The kiss was chaste at first, but it brought a magical effect on easing her worries. Veronica eventually


    gave in to Matthew¡¯s kiss, which turned passionate as their lips connected.


    She reciprocated the kiss with abandon and her worries faded away as their bodies aligned. The pair


    were alwaysmitted to every task on their hands. They would devote themselves to it, even if it was


    only lovemaking.


    And it was their way ofmitting to their love for each other. Veronica woke up early the next


    morning. Matthew hadn¡¯t leftst night. Instead, he stayed with her all night.


    It was the first time she woke up to him lying next to her since they came to the hidden n. As her


    bleary eyes fluttered open, she was met by the man¡¯s handsome face, which had the familiar features


    she had been longing for.


    ¡°When did you remove the make-up? Why did you stay? What if they came back and found you?¡± Even


    though she was urging him to go, her behavior suggested otherwise as she wrapped her arms around


    his waist and stealthily pecked him on the lips.


    Propping his elbow on the pillow, Matthew rested his head on his palm as he watched the woman in his


    arms. He took his time to enjoy the beautiful morning and their married life.


    He would never expect her to initiate a kiss as soon as she woke up.


    A faint smile ghosted his face, but his ck eyes were burning with lust.


    Wrapping his slender arms around her waist, he leaned forward and kissed her back. He nibbled her


    red lips as he purred, ¡°Such a foolish move to arouse me this early in the morning.¡±


    Matthew had been restraining himself, but her making the first move was another thing altogether.


    His words pulled her back to her senses. Bracing her hands against his chest, she shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Master Crayson and the others might already be up. I don¡¯t want them to discover us.¡±


    ¡°So what? We¡¯re husband and wife. There¡¯s no way we¡¯re having a secret rendezvous when we want


    to make love.¡±


    As his identity was exposed, Matthew was bing increasingly brazen.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Meanwhile, Veronica couldn¡¯t help but sigh in resignation at that.


    She turned her gaze to the scenery outside and listened to the cuckoo tweeting on the branch. The sun


    was shining down brightly, enveloping a big tree outside the window in its beams of sunlight.


    The beautiful morning gave her the false impression that everything was at peace until a p startled


    her.


    Matthew had spanked her without warning. Gasping in pain, she frowned at him. ¡°Why did you do


    that?¡±


    ¡°You deserve the punishment. How dare you get distracted when I¡¯m next to you? You had iting.¡±


    It was presumptuous of him to do it, ming her when he was the one who started it.


    Veronica wasn¡¯t letting him get away with it. Thus, she raised her hand and struck out at him for


    revenge.


    However, her attack missed its target as Matthew extended his arm to grasp her wrist and pinned her


    to the bed. He smiled smugly as he murmured, ¡°Roni, is that a challenge?¡±


    ¡°You started it.¡±


    ¡°It seems like I should go a little harder on you. Perhaps another way of punishment will teach you a


    lesson this time.¡±

 Chapter 880

    Chapter 880


    Chapter 880 Tiffany Went Missing


    ¡°What? Matthew, stop it! It¡¯s gettingte. We¡¯re having breakfast in less than one hour.¡± ¡°Roni, are you


    implying that one hour isn¡¯t enough? It seems like I¡¯ve neglected my responsibilities.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not


    what I mean! You¡ª¡±


    Veronica wasn¡¯t allowed to finish her words as Matthew sealed her lips with a kiss. An hourter,


    someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Miss Veronica, it¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± It was the servant at home who came upstairs to call her for


    breakfast. However, a new chef had reced the former one.


    Veronica¡¯s cheeks were burning red. Hastily putting a finger in front of her lips, she gestured for


    Matthew to stay silent and not move at all. The man naturally did as he was told.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be right there!¡± she shouted in response. There was no sound outside as the servant had


    already left and headed downstairs. At that point, Veronica tried to reason with Matthew. ¡°It¡¯s time to


    go.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush.¡± ¡°Master Crayson and Mateo will be there too. If we don¡¯t show up, it will give


    them ideas about what we did. Isn¡¯t that embarrassing?¡±


    ¡°You can stop worrying about it. They aren¡¯ting back before noon.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t? What


    happened?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    At that, a hint of anger dawned on Matthew¡¯s cold face. Slightly lowering his eyelids, he threatened


    calmly, ¡°Veronica, you aren¡¯t getting out of bed any sooner. I swear.¡± ¡°What? No! I just want to¡ªstop it,


    Matt! Honey, don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Another hour passed before he finally spared her. After the pair washed up, they left the room one after


    another. However, Matthew returned to the upper level instead of going downstairs to not embarrass


    Veronica.


    Meanwhile, she went downstairs on her wobbling legs for breakfast.


    As expected, aside from the servant and the new chef, she couldn¡¯t find Crayson or Mateo in therge


    living room.


    Destiny wasn¡¯t there either.


    Taking a seat in the dining room, Veronica asked the servant, ¡°Madam Dorothy, where are the others?


    Did they have breakfast already?¡±


    Dorothy shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that. I haven¡¯t seen Master Waylen, Young


    Master Mateo, Miss Destiny, or Iron Pir today. Terran told me that they aren¡¯ting back today


    ording to what Master Waylen told him yesterday.¡±


    The new chef was a young man named Terran.


    ¡°All right.¡± Veronica didn¡¯t ask the woman any more questions and only focused on the food in front of


    her. However, the uneasiness within her remained.


    Meanwhile, Hendrey was also facing a situation that unnerved him.


    He had a good night¡¯s sleep and was enjoying a delicious breakfast until one of his men showed up


    and reported that Tiffany went missing.


    After the initial shock, he immediately dispatched his men to search for her around the house while he


    looked through the surveince footage himself.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    However, someone had messed with the cameras, causing them not to record anything that happened


    last night.


    Tiffany had disappeared without leaving any clues. It was as if she had vanished from the world.


    Hendrey asked his men to go out and searched for her while he immediately took off from his mansion


    and headed to Zac¡¯s ce.


    Iron Pir¡¯s true identity as Matthew was an unexpected discovery. Hendrey had been hesitating about


    whether he should tell Zac or not. After a long time of pondering, he eventually decided to hide the


    truth.


    As Tiffany had gone missing, Zac would no doubt hold him ountable.


    Once he revealed Matthew¡¯s alias to Zac, he could also put all the me on Matthew.


    Hendrey didn¡¯t have the heart to finish his food and he drove out of his mansion. Thirty minutester,


    he arrived at the courtyard of Zac¡¯s ce.


    Stepping into the yard, he noticed that the number of guards had doubled. Besides, the men assigned


    to patrol the house had the fit bodies of experts.


    It seemed like Zac was wary about the culprit who broke his arm and got away without being caught.


    Thus, he doubled the number of guards.


    Hendrey went straight to the living room. However, Zac wasn¡¯t there.


    The servant told him that Zac was receiving the infusion while resting in the bedroom.


    As such, Hendrey walked to the bedroom and knocked on the door. ¡°Zac, it¡¯s me, Hendrey.¡±

 Chapter 881

    Chapter 881


    Chapter 881 Still Alive


    ¡°Come in.¡± Hendrey heard Zac¡¯s frail voice from the room. He entered and saw Zac lying on a high


    pillow and hooked to an IV drip. Zac was pale and lost any trace of his usual vitality.


    Hendrey sighed thinking about how Matthew¡¯s deep love for Veronica pushed him to sever Zac¡¯s hand,


    simply because thetter had drugged her.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Given how Hendrey showed up right after breakfast early in the morning, Zac did not


    believe he was purely visiting.


    With a serious face, Hendrey looked at the doctor who was sitting in the room and shifted his gaze to


    Zac, dropping hints. ¡°You can leave now. I will call you in if there¡¯s anything,¡± Zac ordered the doctor to


    leave.


    The doctor got up and nodded curtly at Zac before closing the door behind him. Zac turned his


    attention to Hendrey. ¡°Go ahead. What happened?¡±


    Hendrey took a few steps forward and stood by the bed. He nced at Zac¡¯s severed hand with a


    frown and asked hesitantly, ¡°Have we found the person behind this?¡±


    The severed hand was Zac¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel, and his expression tanked after he heard Hendrey¡¯s


    question. A storm was brewing in his clear blue eyes.


    ¡°What f*cking nonsense! If I knew who was behind this act, would I still be lying here?¡±


    In his anger, he grabbed the bolster beside him and threw it at Hendrey.


    His sudden action jerked the IV drip and caused a backflow of blood. Pain arose from the needle


    inserted in his hand. Helpless, he lifted his right hand and pulled out the needle using his mouth.


    When the needle was pulled out, blood started trickling out from it. Zac habitually lifted his left hand to


    press against the wound, only to be reminded of the cruel reality of his bandaged stump.


    In that instant, his expression fell, and a murderous gleam appeared in his eyes. He was burning with


    fury.


    ¡°Go! Look into it! You must get the person behind this! I will tear them into pieces!¡± His tone gradually


    increased until it became a roar.


    Hendrey looked down, his eyes sparkling. ¡°I think I know¡­ the identity of the perpetrator.¡±


    ¡°And who is that?¡± Zac stared at him eagerly, as though he wanted to get his hands on that scoundrel


    and tear them apart immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s Matthew Kings!¡± Hendrey announced slowly and firmly.


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    Zac, who had high hopes, looked incensed now because he felt like he was fooled. ¡°What do you


    mean? Are you using a dead man to fool me when you can¡¯t find the perpetrator? Do I look like an idiot


    to you?¡±


    ¡°Prince Zac, please calm down,¡± Hendreyforted him and added, ¡°My guess is that Matthew Kings


    is still alive. The funeral at Bloomstead could have been staged.¡±


    ¡°Staged?¡± Zac became interested in the theory and sat up in his bed.


    ¡°You must have noticed Veronica¡¯s bodyguard named Iron Pir. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s always with her.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. He sticks around her all the time. Although he looks different from Matthew, I suspect he must


    be masking his appearance.¡±


    He was struck by another thought and wondered aloud, ¡°Prince Zac, have you seen how Veronica


    looked before this? When she first arrived at Bloomstead, she was always wearing makeup to confuse


    everyone else, including Matthew.¡±


    Zac had heard about this and came to a realization. ¡°Are you saying that Matthew Kings faked his


    death and assumed another identity to sneak into the hidden n so that he could protect her?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± That was exactly Hendrey¡¯s assumption.

 Chapter 882

    Chapter 882


    Chapter 882 Collusion


    Zac startedbing through the timeline of events to recall his encounters with Iron Pir. He thought


    of the night he drugged Veronica in the hotel, which was the same day someone took revenge against


    him.


    Since he¡¯s Veronica¡¯s husband, he must have been vengeful about the fact that she was drugged. That


    exins his nighttime revenge. Everything fell into ce.


    ¡°No wonder I always think he looks familiar. Even his eyes carry a murderous look every time he looks


    at me. No wonder¡­ No wonder!¡±


    Gripped by rage, Zac clenched his right fist, and one could see the bulging veins on the back of his


    right hand. Even though the blood dried up, his sudden use of strength caused some bleeding again,


    but it did not bother him.


    ¡°Anyone out there?¡± he yelled at the door. ¡°Zac!¡± Hendrey immediately cut him off. ¡°Do not act on


    impulse. I know you want to kill him, but you do not have evidence proving that he was the one who


    broke your hand. I think the best time to confront him is at the hunting ceremony.¡±


    If Zac went for Matthew¡¯s life without proving thetter¡¯s crime, Hendrey feared that would only evoke


    widespread opposition. After all, they were in the territory of the hidden n, and they would never


    overpower the locals. Even the prince of Castron had to behave here.


    ¡°The hunting ceremony?¡± Zac¡¯s eyes gleamed with slyness and ruthlessness, as he made his


    calctions.


    Hendrey realized that he had redirected Zac¡¯s attention. He added, ¡°There¡¯s something else. On my


    way here, I got the news that Tiffany Larson is missing. I suspect that her disappearance has to do with


    Matthew Kings as well.¡±


    ¡°What about that b*tch?¡± Zac loathed the woman and was merely using her because she resembled


    Veronica.


    Additionally, back when he thought Matthew was dead, he mistakenly believed that it was Tiffany¡¯s


    doing. That was another reason he decided to keep her around as a rook.


    To his dismay, when Tiffany joined the hidden n, she went against Veronica in every way possible.


    She even secretly worked with Liam and Dominik Ledger, thinking that Zac was in the dark.


    ¡°Since she lost her hearing from Veronica¡¯s p, I gave her time to rest and recover. I didn¡¯t know she


    would go missingst night.¡± Hendrey stole a nce at Zac and attempted to read his mind through his


    expression.


    After confirming that Zac did not dwell on the matter, he went on, ¡°Her existence must have posed a


    great danger to Veronica. I bet there is a slim chance that Tiffany woulde out of this unharmed. I¡¯ve


    sent some men to investigate, but there is still no news. What do you think? Should we send people to


    save¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget about her. Call Xavier here. I want to discuss the hunting ceremony with him,¡± Zac cut Hendrey


    off because he had no interest in saving Tiffany¡¯s life. His entire focus was on taking his revenge.


    ¡°Xavier?¡± Hendrey seemed troubled. He stammered, not knowing what to say, ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Zac had vowed to kill Xavierst night but decided to work with him again today. Would Xavier even


    agree to this? Hendrey thought that Zac must have gone mad.


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    ¡°I misunderstood him yesterday, which I will apologize for. Still, you have to understand the depth of the


    vendetta between him and Matthew. He will surely work with me,¡± Zac sounded extremely confident in


    himself.


    Hendrey had a gleam in his eyes, and he directed a loaded look at Zac. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll give him a call now.¡±


    After a short hesitation, he went ahead and dialed Xavier¡¯s number. Deep down, he knew that Xavier


    would work with Zac after having his family torn apart by Matthew and suffering from humiliation. Xavier


    would never let this pass.

 Chapter 883

    Chapter 883


    Chapter 883 His New Appearance


    At Mountainside Gardens, Veronica went to the study to continue learning after breakfast. Soon,


    Matthew joined her. She looked up at him and frowned. ¡°You¡­ Crayson and the others areing


    back soon. Would it be bad to show up like this in front of them?¡±


    Last night, Matthew had taken off the makeup. Just now, Veronica thought that he was taking a long


    time to put on his makeup, but she was shocked to see him showing up without his mask.


    ¡°Hendrey found out my identity at the entrance of One Piece Restaurantst night. What¡¯s the point of


    hiding the truth?¡± He was dressed in a ck suit, his hair slick and shiny. He was back to the cold but


    handsome man from before, and she was slightly bewitched by his appearance.


    ¡°True.¡± She walked to him, held his hands, and scanned him from head to toe. ¡°You look better and


    cooler as you.¡± Ever since joining the hidden n, Matthew had been going around as Iron Pir, an


    awkward sight she was not used to.


    ¡°Is it so?¡± He withdrew his hand and circled an arm around her waist. Then, he leaned over and gave


    her a peck on the forehead and the lips.


    The unannounced intimacy made her blush. Suddenly, a thought came into her mind, and she pushed


    him away. ¡°Since Hendrey knows your identity now, he will surely inform Zac. Zac would know that it


    was you who cut his hand off. But why hasn¡¯t hee for you?¡±


    Knowing how vindictive Zac was, she wondered why he had not made any move after having his hand


    severed.


    ¡°I got it now¡­¡± she blurted out her thoughts without waiting for his reply, ¡°It¡¯s the hunting ceremony! He


    must be waiting to attack you at the ceremony without anyone knowing! Even if he kills you in the


    public eye, he could me it on the event itself. Once you sign the waiver for death, you leave your


    safety in the hands of God.¡±


    Her bright face looked grim and clouded with worries. He smiled at her. ¡°I should not call myself his


    opponent if I was that weak.¡±


    ¡°But he has the backing of the entire Castron!¡±


    ¡°I will not kill him. Do not worry.¡± He held her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go to your lessons.¡± He changed the topic of


    the conversation to ease her worries.


    Veronica spent the entire day learning with him on the second floor. At 6.00PM, Crayson, Mateo, and


    Destiny finally showed up in the backyard looking exhausted.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    She had no idea how long it would take for them to practice the memory seal, a secret skill of the


    hidden n. However, she did not ask them.


    When she went to the first floor with Matthew, the three of them, along with Madam Dorothy and the


    new cook, all looked astonished.


    Crayson and Destiny gave noments on Matthew¡¯s bold move of showing his real face. On the


    contrary, Mateo rolled his eyes at Matthew. ¡°You liar!¡±


    After that, he headed for his bedroom, apparently not in the mood for dinner.


    Veronica exchanged looks with Matthew, but both were silent.


    ¡°Crayson, where did you all go today?¡± She changed the topic of the conversation. ¡°I did not see you


    around throughout the day.¡±


    Despite their curiosity about Matthew¡¯s new appearance, the maid and the cook were too timid to ask


    questions. They retreated to the kitchen to have their meals.


    The rest went to the dining hall. Looking spent, Crayson still put on a cheery face and exined, ¡°We


    went to see Madam Hayley.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We had a discussion on the hunting ceremony,¡± Destiny chimed in.

 Chapter 884

    Chapter 884


    Chapter 884 Prayers and Churches


    ¡°I see.¡± Veronica smiled subtly. ¡°So, what do I need to do during the hunting ceremony?¡± ¡°Although we


    will arrange people to go with you, Matthew had still best be ¡®Iron Pir¡¯ again and apany


    you.¡± Crayson ate his porridge while stating this to Matthew.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Nodding, Matthew regained his usual cold demeanor. Then, they started to discuss the


    hunting ceremony. At the same time in One Piece Restaurant, Skyler had been ying games with


    Shirley for two days, which nearly drove them mad.


    Thankfully, Skyler requested Matthew a capable makeup artist to help them apply makeup and change


    into the Hidden n¡¯s garments. Then, they left the restaurant to explore the bustling city center.


    Due to the two not being able to speak the localnguage, they brought along some people. ¡°Where


    should we go?¡±


    Shirley held Skyler¡¯s hand and walked out of the restaurant before looking around, not sure which


    direction they should walk in.


    After they became a couple, they naturally got closer. Skyler replied gently, ¡°I wanted to bring you to


    church to pray, didn¡¯t I? Let¡¯s go then. This is a nice chance.¡±


    Due to their identities, it was a hassle for them to go outside, hence the dy until now. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Nodding, Shirley smiled sweetly to a young man that followed them. ¡°Could we trouble you to bring us


    to the nearest church, Lazlo?¡±


    The man called Lazlo had very fair skin and was skinny, making him look more like a woman. Nodding,


    he replied, ¡°Let¡¯s drive there.¡±


    He then pointed at the car situated in the parking lot before walking over with Skyler and Shirley


    following behind him.


    Closing in on Shirley¡¯s ear, Skyler whispered, ¡°Lazlo? You sure are close to him, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? He¡¯s helping us, so I just wanted to be nice to him.¡± Shirley thought that Skyler


    was being childish.


    After the two got in the car, Skyler seemed to not like Lazlo, as he pretty much ignored him. Meanwhile,


    Shirley got along quite well with him.


    Since Lazlo knew both themon and localnguages, there was no barrier between their


    conversation. As the two were chatting along merrily, Skyler, with a solemn expression, asked, ¡°Lazlo,


    do you have a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. And I¡¯m worrying about that,¡± Lazlo replied while looking at Skyler through the rearview mirror.


    The gossiper inside Shirley awoke. ¡°What? Lazlo, you¡¯re so handsome, and yet you still don¡¯t have a


    significant other?¡±


    ¡°I just haven¡¯t met someone suitable,¡± he stated. Suddenly, Skyler hugged Shirley¡¯s waist and kissed


    her on the cheek without any premonition to assert his dominance.


    The sudden intimacy made Shirley re at him as she blushed slightly.


    She blushed even harder upon realizing that Lazlo was looking at them through the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t mind him, Lazlo, Skyler was being¡­¡±


    ¡°Ky, you mean.¡±


    Skyler corrected him.


    He wanted Shirley to call him by his nickname in front of Lazlo.


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    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Stunned, Shirley looked silently at Skyler, sensing the jealousy that practically oozed out of his eyes.


    Not able to hold it in, sheughed and nodded. ¡°Okay, Ky.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡±


    Skyler seemed to enjoy her calling him by his nickname very much.


    ¡°Alright, stop this.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Alright. Ky, Ky, Ky! Is that enough?¡± Shirley did not think that her boyfriend was actually this childish.


    Smiling, Lazlomented, ¡°Hahaha, you two sure are affectionate.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Nodding, Skyler had a hint of being proud in his words.


    After around twenty minutes, they arrived at a church.


    Standing outside it, the two saw the que titled ¡®Sage Church¡¯ hanging above the entrance.

 Chapter 885

    Chapter 885


    Chapter 885 Abundance of Excess


    It was a very visually impressive church with golden roof tiles, red walls, and sculpted pirs, making it


    look very imposing. As the two walked up the steps hand in hand, they could hear the tolls of the bell


    and the chanting of the priests.


    Inside the church, they offered donation money before lighting incense and praying to God. Then,


    Skyler went to the priest and used a pleading gaze to look at Lazlo. ¡°Could you ask how we can get a


    talisman for safety?¡±


    He wanted to get a talisman of safety for Shirley. Since he thought that she was timid, with the


    talisman, she might unearth newfound bravery while keeping herself safe.


    Lazlo then exchanged a few words with the priest before stating to Skyler, ¡°You just have to make a


    small donation, kneel before God, and offer your prayers for safety. It¡¯s that simple.¡±


    He then added, ¡°The talismans here have all proven to be quite efficacious.¡±


    ¡°Easy.¡± Skyler then let go of Shirley¡¯s hand before going to the offering table and inserted quite the sum


    inside the box. Then, he lit some more candles before cing them on the provided votive candle


    stands.


    yvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreen


    The priest then went over with a bowl of water in his hand. After dipping his finger in the bowl, he


    sprinkled Shirley with it before he passed her a red talisman.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Shirley took the talisman, bowing courteously to the priest while Lazlo helped Shirley trante her


    words.


    ¡°Let me help you wear it.¡±


    Skyler looked at the locket-shaped talisman. The talisman had flowers engraved on it, making it look


    elegant and not gaudy at all.


    He then walked behind her and helped her to wear it on her neck.


    Seeing his actions, Shirley could not help but feel a bit moved.


    ¡°Alright. With this on, all the ghosts and supernatural beings will never bother you again. You won¡¯t


    have to be afraid anymore,¡± stated Skyler with a smile.


    Even though the talisman did not really have any effects, the cebo effect it had was still somewhat


    useful.


    Touching the talisman on her neck, Shirley smiled and did not say anything.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Lazlo suddenlyughed and reminded them. ¡°This talisman has something inside. Open it.


    It¡¯s a piece of jade.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Skyler was skeptical.


    Standing in front of Shirley, he put his hand inside the talisman pouch only to find something inside.


    After taking it out, they found a rectangr white piece of jade inside with scriptures inscribed on it.


    The thumb-sized jade had golden scriptures etched on it, although it looked more like it was for


    decorative purposes, which made it seem very elegant.


    Exchanging nces, the twoughed.


    ¡°We sure are silly.¡± Shirley covered her mouth andughed.


    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s our first time, so it¡¯s natural that we don¡¯t know about this. It¡¯s nothing to be


    shameful about.¡±


    Only after this did Skyler think of the sheer amount of gold, diamond, and precious stone mines the


    Hidden n had, which made the price of such minerals low, meaning that just about everyone here


    could afford it.


    No wonder Zac and the others have been eyeing this ce.


    He looked at the white jade on Shirley¡¯s neck, thinking that this would go for at least 15 thousand in the


    country, yet it was so cheap here.


    As expected, withoutparisons, people would not realize the stark precipice in price difference.


    Then, the trio walked around in the church and only returned reluctantly to the restaurant after realizing


    that it was 9.00PM.


    Entering the room, Shirley closed the door only to have Skyler hug and kiss her after she turned


    around.


    ¡°Urg¡­ Skyler, what are you doing?¡± asked Shirley.


    ¡°Could you stay away from Lazlo in the future?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

 Chapter 886

    Chapter 886


    Chapter 886 Venomous Insects


    Skyler bit her lips as a punishment, and Shirley drew a sharp breath in pain. She elucidated, ¡°Lazlo and


    I are friends. He¡¯s been nice to me at One Piece Restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Excuses!¡± He pinned her against the door and silenced her with a kiss, not wanting to hear her


    exnations.


    They had been so engrossed in the intimate moment that their body temperature rose. Suddenly¡ª


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Someone knocked on the door to the living room. The duo, who were immersed in the kiss, opened


    their eyes and stared at each other. Her face flushed red from the embarrassment. She shoved him


    away before wiping her lips. ¡°W-Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Veronica¡¯s voice resounded beyond the door.


    Almost instantly, Shirley¡¯s cheeks turned crimson like a cooked shrimp. She red at Skyler and


    adjusted her clothes before opening the door. ¡°Roni, President Kings. W-Why are you dressed like


    before?¡±


    Matthew hummed in response without further exnation. Meanwhile, Veronica noticed the red tinge


    on Shirley¡¯s cheeks and those swollen lips from all the kissing. ¡°Matt, I told you not toe right now.


    Look? We¡¯ve ruined their moment.¡± Veronica med Matthew.


    Shirley covered her face at Veronica¡¯s teasing. ¡°Gosh, Roni! Cut it out!¡±


    At the same time, Skyler seated himself before a table. ¡°Roni, say another word and Shir¡¯s gonna dig


    up a hole to bury herself.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, fine. I¡¯ll stop.¡± Veronica chuckled and wrapped an arm around Shirley¡¯s neck. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.


    We understand.¡±


    While they were conversing, Matthew already took a seat next to Skyler. Veronica seized the chance to


    hand over something to Shirley, whispering, ¡°Here. You might need these pills.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Shirley in an undertone.


    ¡°Contraceptive pills.¡± Veronica lowered her voice. ¡°It¡¯s enough for two weeks. It won¡¯t harm your body,


    but it¡¯s all right if you don¡¯t wanna take it.¡±


    ¡°Aww, Roni, you¡¯re the best!¡± A touched Shirley hugged Veronica.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Skyler took a sip of water and raised his gaze onto them.


    ¡°Secret.¡± Humming proudly, Shirley stuffed the pills into her pocket before holding Veronica¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Come to my room, Roni. I wanna talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Veronica followed along, knowing that the men had something to talk over.


    Matthew¡¯s expression became serious now that there were only the two of them. ¡°Zac found out who I


    am. He¡¯s gonna target us during the hunting ceremony for sure. So, you must join us.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    It would be safer to have a doctor along on the trip.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but can I?¡± Skyler was quite worried.


    ¡°Leave that to me.¡± Matthew¡¯s brows furrowed as he pondered for a moment. ¡°Remember the


    underground chamber at Kings Residence?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±


    ¡°Roni inhaled something back then. It¡¯s colorless and tasteless. She had an awful headache, but


    nothing was wrong with her after that. I haven¡¯t been able to know what it is. I¡¯m kinda worried.¡±


    He thought he could get to the bottom of it aftering to the hidden n, but there were no new


    findings as of today.


    He added, ¡°But I suspect it¡¯s a venomous insect from the hidden n. The problem is, not many people


    from the n have seen it before. It¡¯s difficult toe to a conclusion.¡±

 Chapter 887

    Chapter 887


    Chapter 887 Crayson¡¯s Preparations


    ¡°It seems like things are scarier than we thought.¡± Skyler could not help the worry upon sensing the


    solemnity of the situation. ¡°Does Roni know about this?¡±


    Even if Matthew had been asking Skyler to refrain from addressing Veronica as Roni, it was hard to


    break a habit. Still, Matthew was not a forceful one. He shook his head as his glint grew dull. ¡°I just


    can¡¯t tell her.¡±


    ¡°The investigation mustn¡¯t stop. Let¡¯s tell her after we find out the truth,¡± Skyler suggested. Matthew


    saw eye to eye on that. Following that, the conversation continued around the n for the hunting


    ceremony before Veronica and Matthew left.


    Although the hunting ceremony was held twice annually, the ceremony this time round caught up with


    the 10th anniversary. In addition to the ession day of the head of the n three days thereafter, this


    year¡¯s hunting ceremony would be an exceptionally grandiose one.


    Matthew followed Crayson¡¯s order by putting on makeup, which perfectly covered his real face.


    Matthew and Veronica put on the n¡¯s evening wear that Crayson prepared.


    After dressing up, the couple headed downstairs to have their meal. Solemnity inted in the air as they


    filled their stomach in silence.


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    Only after everyone finished their food did Crayson gaze at them. ¡°Come with me. I have something to


    talk to you about.¡±


    The couple tailed behind him to the study room abutted the bedroom. He took out a miniature


    tranting device. ¡°Veronica, you might need this. It¡¯s been only a month since you started learning


    hidden tongue.¡±


    Veronica looked at the device before ncing at Matthew. She then nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°And this.¡± Crayson ced a piece of wristwatch atop the table, pointing at it. ¡°It looks like a watch, but


    there is a hiddenpartment instead. When dangeres, press the key on both sides and it¡¯ll shoot


    poison needles. There are six of them. It¡¯s to keep you safe.¡±


    The rare sight of his serious attitude made her feel grateful. ¡°Okay.¡±


    She picked the golden watch up. It was just an ordinary watch with a blue starry-colored dial te. No


    one would ever expect it to be a weapon.


    ¡°Matthew, this watch is for you. They have the same design. Put them on. Don¡¯t use it unless it¡¯s


    necessary,¡± Crayson advised sternly. ¡°Put them on right now.¡±


    His sharp gaze watched them. The moment they wore the gadgets around their wrists, an ambiguous


    glint shed across his eyes.


    ¡°And these two boxes of pills.¡± He set down a thumbnail-sized box on the table. It was round and t.


    ¡°This is a secret remedy of the hidden n. Take one capsule when you¡¯re heavily injured. It¡¯ll save you


    from death¡¯s door. There are five each.¡±


    He bent over, pushing the boxes to their front while repeating, ¡°It¡¯ll save your life. Do not ever lose


    them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Crayson,¡± thanked Matthew sincerely as he kept it. No matter what the reason


    behind this mission was, Crayson had gone beyond it by preparing those for them.


    On the other hand, a jittery Veronica held the box. In the face of unforeseen dangers in the next few


    days, she did not know how much chance she had.


    ¡°This too.¡± Crayson drew out the drawer to fish out a map. ¡°This is the map of Mount Manos and Mount


    Gazette. Take a picture and acquaint yourselves with the routes. There won¡¯t be any signal in these


    mountains due to geographic reasons. Besides, it¡¯s sketchy with all those beasts and venomous


    snakes. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that there¡¯s no safe spot in there.¡±

 Chapter 888

    Chapter 888


    Chapter 888 Trouble Defending Yourself


    Even though Crayson knew this hunting ceremony would be full of danger, he had to bite the bullet and


    allow Veronica to attend the event.


    After all, she would have topete for the position of head of the n in the future. If she failed to


    emerge as the winner in this event, then it was likely that she would not be able to garner support from


    the public in the future.


    With a somber expression, he sat back on the chair and heaved a sigh. ¡°You have to win in this event!¡±


    Crayson spokemandingly, and there was a firm look in his eyes.


    At that point, Veronica furrowed her brows slightly. ¡°What if I lose?¡± Bam! Just then, he banged the


    table angrily, and his expression darkened significantly. ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice! You can only win!¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Veronica was startled by his sudden bang on the table. She clearly expressed displeasure on her face


    and remained silent.


    Meanwhile, Crayson continued to instruct her on the things to watch out for before departing. Destiny


    and Mateo entered the car along with them too.


    Mateo was the driver while Destiny took the front passenger seat. The other three took the back seat


    as they left in the car toward the location of the hunting ceremony.


    Everyone was exceptionally silent throughout the journey.


    Mateo was fuming silently at the others because of Matthew, so Mateo refused to speak to them.


    Meanwhile, Destiny and Crayson maintained their silence too.


    Perhaps it was because the two of them were extremely worried about the dangers they would face at


    the hunting ceremony, so they were preupied with their thoughts. Naturally, neither of them was in


    the mood for idle chatter.


    Veronica leaned against Matthew in the car, and they held hands openly in public. From time to time,


    they would turn to look at each other, and their eyes would meet, but neither of them said anything.


    Three hourster, they arrived at the ce where the hunting ceremony was located.


    The parking lot of the chosen location was filled with SUVs; there were more than a hundred in various


    colors, and it felt as if they were at an automotive exhibition.


    Of course, there were arge number of people who came on horse rides.


    Not too far from the location was arge racecourse, and each horse wasbeled with the respective


    numbers representing their owners. This was for the crowd to distinguish their respective racehorses.


    The five of them got out of the car, and as soon as they walked out of the parking lot, they bumped into


    Hayley, Randy, and Lamia.


    Previously, Veronica had gone to Hayley¡¯s house and bumped into Randy and the girl known as Lamia


    there. However, Veronica had not encountered Lamia again after that, so she nearly forgot such a


    person.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    As soon as Randy saw Veronica, he red at her angrily before turning on his back to run off.


    Lamia immediately yelled out, ¡°Randy, don¡¯t run! This ce is quite dangerous because of its uneven


    terrain.¡±


    Hayley immediately instructed Lamia, ¡°Keep close to Randy today, and don¡¯t let him run off by himself.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Aunt Hayley.¡± Lamia nodded and greeted Veronica and the gang before running after Randy.


    ¡°Veronica, this outfit suits you.¡±


    Hayley studied the traditional hidden n outfit and the silver hat distinctive to the hidden n Veronica


    was wearing. The silver hat was adorned with silver tassels all over. Veronica also wore a silver


    ne with an intricate design on her neck, and she looked exactly like ady from the hidden n.


    She didn¡¯t look out of ce at all, and the outfit she had on even seemed to be tailored to perfection for


    her; she looked stunning to the point that one couldn¡¯t even take their eyes off her.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Veronica replied perfunctorily and didn¡¯t bother to borate.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head up the mountain first.¡±


    Mateo mentioned this to Veronica and then left immediately.


    The hunting ceremony would be held over the next few days, so they also brought their luggage in the


    car. There were porters assigned to send their luggage to the tents on the top of the mountain.


    The entire mountain was packed with people milling around here and there.


    Matthew had also resumed his position as Iron Pir, so he naturally kept a distance from Veronica.


    Veronica and Matthew walked in front, Destiny walked behind them in the middle, and Crayson ended


    up walking behind them with Hayley.


    Hayley¡¯s bodyguards trailed along behind them.


    As soon as Hayley noticed that Matthew and Veronica had gone further, Hayley asked Crayson, ¡°How


    far along have you nned the matter?¡±


    The two of them spoke in a very low voice that was only audible to themselves.

 Chapter 889

    Chapter 889


    Chapter 889 Final Resting ce


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything is ording to n.¡± Crayson kept both arms behind his back, and as he


    looked at Matthew¡¯s figure in the distance, he said, ¡°He definitely won¡¯t get to leave this ce alive.¡±


    Matthew was thergest obstacle preventing Veronica from staying on with the hidden n. Once this


    obstacle was removed, it would be a piece of cake to manipte Veronica.


    ¡°Matthew¡¯s a very intelligent man and he¡¯s always on guard, so it would be quite difficult to execute the


    n.¡± Hayley was slightly worried. ¡°Yes, naturally, I¡¯m aware of that.¡±


    Crayson was well aware of Matthew¡¯s capabilities, so to get rid of Matthew entirely, Crayson had


    several plots up his sleeves to ensure that Matthew would not get to leave this ce in one piece.


    Hayley knew that Crayson was a conscientious man, so she knew that he was not one to exaggerate.


    As such, she absolutely trusted his words. After going up the mountain, they left to go to their


    respective tents.


    The ceremony would start officially at eleven o¡¯clock in the morning. Veronica and Matthew remained in


    their tent and sat there for some time. Finally, Matthew indicated with his eyes, and then they walked


    outside together.


    They strolled along the valley and were surrounded by people from the hidden n. Matthew walked


    over to stand next to Veronica with a frown on his face. ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course I¡¯m afraid!¡±


    At that moment, Veronica was engrossed in listening to the cuckoo bird chirp as she enjoyed the slight


    breeze. Suddenly, she said ruefully. ¡°Well, it¡¯s death on the other side if we don¡¯t survive so I would be


    afraid of course.¡±


    She had too many things in life she cared about. She cared about her career in Bloomstead, her elderly


    parents back in her hometown, and her two children. Most importantly, she also was quite concerned


    about Matthew, this guy who was deeply in love with her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got me by your side. I¡¯ll do everything I can to protect you.¡± Matthewforted Veronica.


    The two of them didn¡¯t dare to talk in the tent because they were worried that the ce was bugged.


    Both of them had their guards up against Crayson and the others.


    ¡°Protect me? You have trouble even defending yourself, so how are you going to protect me, huh?¡±


    Veronica turned her head slightly and exchanged a look with Matthew before smiling teasingly. He¡¯s


    offended Zac, so there is no way Zac would let him off the hook.


    As they spoke, Matthew paused in his tracks and lifted his head slightly to indicate for Veronica to look


    up ahead of them. ¡°That is where Mount Manos and Mount Gazette lie. It would definitely be great if we


    get to leave this ce. If we don¡¯t, then that might be our final resting ce.¡±


    Mount Manos and Mount Gazette were the two mountains where the hunt would be held.


    However, as they looked from this distance, the two mountains appeared to be quite very far away and


    looked huge.


    There was a thunderous expression on Veronica¡¯s exquisite face at that moment. ¡°This is just the first


    challenge we face, and if we can¡¯t ovee this, then the challenges will only get tougher over time.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Matthew disagreed with her statement. ¡°This is the most dangerous ce for us, and if we


    seed in leaving the ce, then we would have seeded, hands down.¡±


    This ce was full of dangers, and naturally, there were a lot of unpredictable circumstances too.


    ¡°Crayson mentioned before that there are a lot of wild beasts and venomous snakes on the mountain.¡±


    Veronica heaved a slight sigh before asking, ¡°Do you remember the things I told you before?¡±


    She had told him that if it came to a point someday where only one of them could live on, he must


    leave without hesitation because they had two children waiting for them to get back in Bloomstead.


    Veronica had mentioned that briefly, but Matthew said, ¡°How can you be so sure that our kids are in


    Bloomstead? You would only be able to find out whether our kids are in Bloomstead or with the hidden


    n if you remain safely by my side or walk out of this ce.¡±


    Matthew seemed to be able to read her mind, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. The


    connection between them was miraculous.


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that.¡±


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    Veronica seemed quite calm on the surface, but turbulent emotions hit her at that moment.


    Both of them remained silent.


    Boom. Boom. Boom. Suddenly, they heard the banging of drums from somewhere not too far from


    them.


    It was a signal that the hunting ceremony was about to start.


    Both of them turned around and headed toward the tent. As they arrived outside the tent, Crayson,


    Hayley, and the others were already waiting for them.

 Chapter 890

    Chapter 890


    Chapter 890 The Announcement of Her Identity


    As soon as Hayley saw Veronica walk over, Hayley took a few steps toward Veronica and stretched out


    a hand affectionately before saying gently, ¡°Take my hand, and I¡¯ll lead you there.¡±


    Today, she would announce to everyone that Veronica was her biological daughter and the future


    sessor of the hidden n. In fact, no one would know this, but Hayley had waited for this moment


    for ages, and she had looked forward to it so much.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary. I am fine going there by myself.¡± Veronica disliked Hayley and didn¡¯t want to


    hold hands with thetter. Besides, Veronica had no intention of putting on a loving mother-daughter


    act in front of the crowd.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go then.¡± Hayley was fine with that and didn¡¯t force Veronica. The group left together and


    headed toward the hunting ceremony event.


    There were a lot of people in attendance at the hunting ceremony, and the venue of the event was a


    large, football field-sized stadium that had been manually leveled.


    The hunting ceremony was an annual event, so the stadium was well-equipped.


    There was an empty patch in the middle of the stadium with tables and chairs arranged all around.


    There was also a reinforced parasol on each table which served as a sunshade and could also shelter


    the people from the rain.


    Meanwhile, on top of the stage were the Ledger n, followed by senior officials of the hidden n,


    distinguished families, and various important businessmen taking their spots on stage ording to


    their ranks.


    There was arge screen behind the stage, and everything on the stage was projected onto the


    screen.


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    The entire event felt like a sportspetition.


    During this event, Tanya would announce Veronica¡¯s identity to the crowd, so Hayley and Veronica


    were also given the rare opportunity to take a seat on the stage.


    As the crowd entered the venue, there was some staff assigned to lead them to their seats. Hayley and


    Veronica were led on stage and took their seats next to Liam.


    Tanya was seated in the best spot on stage, with her children Eleanor and Dominik on both sides of


    her. There were also a few princes and princesses that Veronica hadn¡¯t seen before. Finally, Liam was


    at the end of the line with Veronica, Hayley, and Randy by his side.


    ¡°Psst.¡±


    As soon as Veronica took her seat, Liam whistled at her to attract her attention. He seemed very keen


    to make his presence known to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while since west met.¡± Liam winked at her with a smile as he spoke.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been quite some time indeed. I think it¡¯s been barely seventy-two hours.¡± Veronica nodded


    and replied solemnly.


    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re quite right about that. It¡¯s been seventy-two hours since west saw each other, and I


    miss you so badly,¡± Liam jested.


    Matthew was Iron Pir here, so he followed Crayson, Destiny, and Mateo to take a seat in the middle


    section to the left of the stage.


    The right side of the stage was closest to the stage, so Zac, Hendrey, and Xavier took their seats there,


    followed by Crayson, Matthew, and the rest of the important businessmen from the hidden n.


    On the left side of the stage were the senior officials of the hidden n, the distinguished families, and


    their family members.


    Subsequently, after a few rounds of the bang of drums going off, the hunting ceremony officially started.


    One of the hosts went on stage to say a few words, and Tanya was the next one to give a speech.


    She gave a long-winded official speech that went on endlessly.


    Fortunately, the weather was great today, and there was a slight breeze during this cloudy day. The sun


    was not scorching hot, and the weather was refreshing.


    The unique area the hidden n was found was quite cooling, and even though the sun was shining


    brightly, the temperature would never exceed twenty-six degrees.


    Just then, Veronica was bored out of her mind, but suddenly, Tanya mentioned her name.


    Instantly, there was a round of apuse as the crowd pped excitedly.


    Amongst the excited ps, Veronica somehow could hear the crowd whisper amongst themselves.


    Subsequently, Veronica saw Hayley stand up and shoot her a significant look.


    At that point, Veronica stood up together with Randy, who was next to Hayley.


    Hayley took the microphone and made the introductions, ¡°I would like to extend my gratitude to the


    head of the n for the warm invitation today and that¡¯s why I¡¯m able to be in attendance at this year¡¯s


    hunting ceremony with my daughter, Veronica, and Randy.¡±


    The event gathered a multitude of people, so there were speakers set up in the venue. As such, even


    though Hayley had a soft-spoken voice, her words were clearly audible and rang out throughout the


    entire stadium.


    Just then, as soon as her words hit, the crowd erupted into chaos.

 Chapter 891

    Chapter 891


    Chapter 891 Don¡¯t You Want to See Me?


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°Are they Hayley¡¯s children?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already grown so much!¡± ¡°What is Queen Tanya thinking?


    What¡¯s the purpose of inviting the previous head to join the hunting ceremony?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Who knows what goes on in the higher-ups¡¯ heads?¡±


    ¡°But when Queen Tanya rose to power, she had previously announced an amnesty for the Elrod Royal


    Family. There wouldn¡¯t be any trouble if the Elrods do not bear any intentions of rebelling, but if they


    do¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh. Who¡¯s to say they wouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd was in an uproar, criticizing the three figures that had appeared on the big screen. Since


    Veronica was Hayley¡¯s daughter, Hayley introduced her as ¡®Veronica Elrod¡¯. It was the same for Randy


    as well. After introducing her children, Hayley returned to her seat.


    The microphone was passed to Tanya before she added, ¡°We specially invited Madam Hayley and her


    children today because it¡¯s the hunting ceremony that the hidden n holds every ten years. It¡¯d be a


    wonderful chance for Veronica and Randy to participate and enjoy the festivities.¡±


    ¡°What is Queen Tanya thinking?¡±


    ¡°What is she doing? This is outrageous.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    ¡°I think Madam Hayley¡¯s children might not make it out of here alive.¡±


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Veronica was quietly remaining in her seat. She did have her miniature tranting


    device with her, so she could understand what the others were saying.


    Even if she did not have her device, she could still engage with the others in a basic conversation. She


    had spent days and nights learning the hidden n dialect and was quick to learn it because of her


    remarkable memory.


    When Tanya finished her speech, Eleanor stood up and spoke inspirational words to encourage and


    wish the contestants of the hunting ceremony good luck.


    After half an hour of the speech-giving session, everyone began to dig in. While everybody was having


    their meal, the dancers and musicians entertained the crowd, creating a lively atmosphere. After dinner,


    they headed back to their tents to rest.


    All the participants in the hunting ceremony were to gather at the training grounds by 3.00PM to sign


    the death waiver before entering the woods together.


    Meanwhile, Veronica sat inside her tent, feeling energetic. Sitting beside her was Matthew, who


    comforted her. ¡°The event starts at 3.00PM, so it¡¯d be best if you rest and conserve enough strength to


    face the battle in your best condition.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± She nodded in agreement andy down to rest.


    Since there were numerous people there, the tents were set up quite densely, and they could hear the


    sounds of peopleing and going past their tents.


    At that moment, a voice came from outside their tent. ¡°Veronica, is Master Iron inside?¡±


    When they heard the lively and energetic voice, they knew it was Eleanor.


    Matthew, who was sitting on the chair, looked at Veronica before shouting at the entrance, ¡°No.¡±


    Yet, the tent¡¯s drape was pulled open as soon as he said that, and a bright red-dressed Eleanor


    entered. ¡°How could you not be here when I heard your voice? Master Iron, are you that reluctant to


    see me?¡±


    A smile appeared on her charming face as if she did not mind his rejection.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± While leaning against the chair, Matthew held ¡®Rules of the Hunting Ceremony¡¯ in his


    hand.


    ¡°Of course, it is. It can¡¯t be any more obvious than that.¡± With her scarlet lips hooked into a smile, she


    looked toward the vague figure behind the partition. ¡°But I¡¯m here to see Goddess Veronica.¡±


    Subsequently, she bypassed the six-panel flower-embroidered partition and saw that Veronica had sat


    up from bed. ¡°I was bored, so I came to chat with you.¡±


    ¡°What would you like to talk about?¡± Since Veronica could not sleep, she sat up after hearing Eleanor¡¯s


    presence.


    However, she did not expect Eleanor to walk up to her bed and sit right at the edge before leaning


    against the neatly folded covers. ¡°Do you know that Tiffany has gone missing?¡±

 Chapter 892

    Chapter 892


    Chapter 892 A Gift from Eleanor


    ¡°Missing?¡± Veronica pretended not to know about it and frowned. ¡°What happened? Wasn¡¯t she always


    with Hendrey?¡± After she asked that, Eleanor looked straight at her as though wanting to see through


    her thoughts by observing her expression. However, she could not see anything out of the ordinary


    after staring at Veronica extensively. ¡°Yesterday, I heard she¡¯s gone missing, and no one has located


    her ever since.¡±


    ¡°This is the hidden n and your territory. How can you guys not be able to find her?¡± Veronica asked.


    ¡°Huh.¡± While leaning against the folded covers, Eleanor propped her chin and smiled. ¡°Tiffany had


    agreed toe to the hunting ceremony but suddenly disappeared. Do you think she has something


    nned or is she too afraid of death and ran away?¡± she asked, wanting to obtain information from


    Veronica.


    Meanwhile, Veronica remained unfazed and pondered for a while, ¡°I think both are possible.¡± ¡°I think so


    too.¡± Eleanor discovered that it was impossible to get any useful information from Veronica, so she


    waved her hand instead. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not going to look for her anymore.¡± Then, she stood up from the


    bed and circled the partition before arriving in front of Matthew. ¡°Here, take this. There won¡¯t be any


    mobile services once you enter the mountain, and the participants aren¡¯t allowed to bring their phones


    either. If you encounter any dangerous situation, use this to signal for help. I¡¯lle over to save you.¡±


    The item she gave Matthew was a signal re that looked like a lighter. While looking at the item in the


    palm of her fair hand, he hesitated for a few seconds, wanting to refuse, but then nced at the woman


    behind the partition from the corner of his eye. In the end, he received the item. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    There is no telling what might happen after we head inside the mountain. Maybe this wille in


    handy.


    Since the people of the hidden n knew that the geographic nature of the two mountains did not allow


    them to build a base station, they could not possibly get cell service. Therefore, the signal re could


    not have a tracking device, and they would not be exposing their location. Otherwise, Matthew would


    not have epted the signal re so readily.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Then, Eleanor sat sideways at the table and ruffled her bright-red pleated skirt. ¡°Master Iron, I¡¯ll be


    waiting for your safe return. You muste back out alive.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t my death be more convenient for you?¡± Matthew asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Hahaha! How could that be?¡± She leaned toward him and stopped inches away before lowering her


    voice and whispering, ¡°I want to make you mine and own everything here with you.¡± She patted his


    shoulders. ¡°Mark my words.¡±


    A bright smile appeared on her stunning face as she finished her words and got up to leave. Before she


    went out, she hollered to Veronica, ¡°Goddess Veronica, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now. See youter.¡±


    Meanwhile, Veronica ignored her andy down with her eyes closed while thinking. Momentster,


    Matthew came over andy beside her before encircling her waist with his hand. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll hug you


    to sleep.¡±


    Her hands braced against his chest, stopping him from getting too close to her. ¡°Don¡¯t you know you


    reek of dense perfume?¡±


    ¡°Do I?¡± He lowered his head and sniffed his sleeve. Immediately, he frowned and informed her, ¡°I¡¯ll


    change my clothes.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the future head of the hidden n. Are you sure you¡¯re not going to consider her?¡± While raising


    her eyebrows, she joked, ¡°All descendants of the hidden n royalty can have several husbands.¡±


    Although only women could give birth, the hidden n did legalize surrogacy. The head of the hidden


    n would choose the best man she could find and bear a child with him so that she could have the


    best gically chosen offspring. That was why all descendants of the hidden n royalty were so


    excellent.

 Chapter 893

    Chapter 893


    Chapter 893 Separating into Groups


    Initially, Veronica intended to joke with Matthew, but he pulled her into his arms and argued, ¡°Well, do


    you like having many husbands?¡± ¡°W-What?¡± The sight of his gloomy expression stunned her for a


    moment, for she did not understand what he was talking about.


    He raised his hand and pinched her soft cheek. ¡°Are you asking questions you know the answer to?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± A few secondster, she finally understood him and burst outughing. ¡°Haha! Now that you¡¯ve


    mentioned it, it does sound quite nice.¡±


    She knew what Matthew was implying. He was jealous since the head of the n could have more


    than one husband, and she would rece Eleanor as head of the hidden n soon. Hence, she could


    also follow the rules and be polygamous.


    ¡°I dare you.¡± With a cold expression, he leaned in and sealed her lips with a kiss, wanting to punish her


    for what she said. However, a ray of light suddenly shone inside the tent, and the two immediately sat


    up and saw through the partition that someone wasing in.


    On the other side of the partition was Xavier, who lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°I have something to


    tell the two of you.¡±


    The two on the bed gazed at each other before rising to their feet. When they came before the partition,


    they saw Xavier standing there while exuding a cold aura.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Veronica did not expect he woulde over when the hunting ceremony was


    about to begin. Meanwhile, Xavier¡¯s gazended on her figure before averting to Matthew. He looked at


    him with cold eyes while warning them, ¡°I came here to tell you¡­¡±


    After conveying his message shortly and simply, Xavier turned around and left. Taking a step forward,


    Matthew asked, ¡°Why did youe here just to remind us that?¡±


    Xavier turned around and stopped in his tracks to nce at them from the corner of his eye. ¡°I just don¡¯t


    want to see Ro¡­ Veronica gets hurt.¡±


    Atst, they could not help the distance between them. Instead of calling her Roni, he called her by her


    full name.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Once he finished his words, he left.


    Feeling a pang in her heart, Veronica was filled with immense guilt. I owe Xavier too much in this life


    and don¡¯t know how I will repay him.


    Following that, she turned around and sat on the chair before half-heartedly picking up the Rules of the


    Hunting Ceremony notebook and flipping through it.


    A whileter, Crayson and Hayley came and nagged at them about several things before leaving.


    At 3.00PM, all the participants of the hunting ceremony gathered at the training grounds.


    Meanwhile, Tanya stood on stage while holding the microphone and announcing, ¡°Since today is the


    hunting ceremony held every ten years, we¡¯ve decided to modify the rules. One, everyone is not to


    bring along any personal belongings. Two, to be fair to everyone, all the equipment you¡¯d be bringing


    with you will be prepared by themissariat department. Three, since there are many of you heading


    into the mountain together, we will draw lots to divide you all into groups for fairness¡¯ sake. Four, we¡¯re


    changing the usual rule. Head into the mountain on foot, find the things disyed on the big screen,


    and then return here safely. Whoever returns first will be the winner¡­¡±


    Since it had been announced before that whoever won the hunting ceremony today would be heavily


    rewarded or even promoted to a minister in court to contribute to the country, everyone was in high


    spirits.


    When Tanya announced the altered rules, the crowd descended into an uproar.


    ¡°How could that be?¡±


    ¡°Why do we have to be split into groups?¡±


    ¡°We were told that we need to head into the mountains on foot, but why didn¡¯t they announce sooner


    that we would be divided into groups?¡±


    ¡°Gosh. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better if we split into teams because that would be fairer. If your team has all your friends, it


    might cause disputes between one another since there¡¯d only be one winner. So, it¡¯s better if we¡¯re split


    up.¡±


    The discussions went on heatedly.

 Chapter 894

    Chapter 894


    Chapter 894 Surrounded by Danger


    Although Tanya emphasized that friendship came before thepetition, the prize of getting promoted


    to ministry still fired the participants¡¯ urge to win.


    One could not possibly return from the hunt uninjured at this point. ¡°I give up. My dad has nothing but


    riches, so I have no interest in bing a minister.¡±


    ¡°Hey, how about you participate in my ce? You¡¯ll get to be a minister if you win and make our family


    proud.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather drop out of thispetition.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s better if you all drop out. I¡¯ll have arger chance of winning then.¡± ¡°The rules are getting


    interesting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d better give it my all. I might catch Princess Eleanor¡¯s attention if I win. Then, I¡¯ll be promoted to a


    higher position. Just thinking about it makes me happy. Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Such wishful thinking. Not bad.¡±


    The chatters continued.


    Since there was a change in the rules, over a hundred people dropped out of thepetition. Later, all


    the participants had to collect their numbers before entering the arena, and theputer would


    randomly distribute them into groups.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s start sorting into groups. Whoever gets their number called out, please head to the stage to


    get your equipment before heading into the mountains,¡± Tanya instructed.


    With a frown, Veronica stood beside Matthew andmented, ¡°This hunting ceremony is different from


    what I imagined.¡± She was worried.


    He assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll meet up with you as quickly as I can.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but you have to be extra careful.¡± As she looked at him affectionately, her eyes were also filled


    with reluctance and worry. She was afraid he would encounter danger.


    Amongst the thousands of participants, Zac, Troy, Hendrey, Xavier, and Antheena were standing


    together.


    Antheena asked, ¡°What are we going to do now that they¡¯ve changed the rules?¡±


    Zac answered, ¡°The new rules make it easier for us to do away with Matthew and Veronica.¡±


    Xavier added, ¡°But it also makes us easy targets for them!¡±


    Hendreymented, ¡°Now, no one can be sure who¡¯s getting hunted.¡±


    After snorting, Zac looked at his stunted left arm. ¡°No matter what, Matthew Kings must die here.¡± He


    came and participated with unhealed injuries just so that he could get revenge.


    Although it was named a hunting ceremony, the participants seemed more like prey than hunters.


    An animal appeared on the big screen, and it was a white bird that resembled a phoenix, representing


    the hidden n¡¯s spirit animal.


    ording to legend, the bird was on the brink of extinction, so one would have to head deep into the


    mountains to locate it. More importantly, the bird had quick reflexes and speed, so it was highly difficult


    to capture it. However, the participants of this year¡¯s hunting ceremony did not sign up to find the bird.


    Grabbing Xavier¡¯s hand, Antheena stammered, ¡°I-I¡¯m a little worried about this.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    With a cold expression, he told her, ¡°You should drop out. This is not for you.¡±


    Since this event was extremely dangerous, he did not want her to participate.


    ¡°Are you worried I would hurt Veronica, or are you worried about me?¡± Antheena asked sarcastically.


    Ever since the incident at Primrose Hill, where Xavier risked his life to protect Veronica, Antheena had


    been harboring hatred inside her.


    Although they had done the deed that night at the hotel, when she went to Zac¡¯s ce, she watched


    the security footage Veronica provided and discovered that Veronica and Xavier had met each other


    late at night. In the end, Antheena could not keep her jealousy under control.


    Therefore, she had one simple goal while joining the hunting ceremony¡ªto abolish Veronica in her


    hands! Once Veronica is dead, Xavier will be all mine.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m worried about you!¡± Xavier frowned and reprimanded, ¡°Veronica is stronger than you,


    and we¡¯re going to be randomly distributed into groups now. Who will be there to protect you?¡±

 Chapter 895

    Chapter 895


    Chapter 895 Heading into the Mountains


    Xavier¡¯s words were half true. Of course, he would be worried about her because she was his wife, and


    she treated him very well, but he was even more anxious that she would work with the others to hurt


    Veronica.


    Hearing his words, Antheena was stunned for a moment as her bright eyes filled with hesitation. ¡°Just


    listen to me once, okay?¡± he asked gently.


    ¡°No!¡± Ultimately, she rejected his suggestion. ¡°Since it¡¯s so dangerous, I have more reasons to stay with


    you. If you choose to drop out, I¡¯ll do that too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± His eyes filled with determination.


    ¡°Matthew Kings must die!¡±


    The feud between Matthew and I must have an end. Grabbing his hand with hers, she said firmly,


    ¡°Then, let me do it with you.¡± When her hand grabbed him, Xavier felt mixed emotions as he felt the


    chill from her hands.


    Antheena looked affectionately at him with her idental eyes. Her golden hair was tied up into a high


    bun while a strand of her curly hair beside her temple swayed in the wind, rendering her a picturesque


    view. Along with her tall and graceful figure was a strong temperament she was born with. She


    resembled the queen of all fairiesing out of the woods, and no one could withstand her charm.


    However, Xavier¡¯s heart was filled with Veronica, so no matter how much Antheena loved him or how


    nicely she treated him, she could never win his heart. Everyone in Bloomstead knew he was a free


    spirit, but they would not have expected him to be such a devoted person inside.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°Antheena, I¡¯ll say this once again. Beforeing to the hidden n, your dad repeatedly entrusted me


    to keep you safe. You should know that he wouldn¡¯t allow you to take such risks, and I don¡¯t need you


    to protect me,¡± he warned her again, hoping that she would stop insisting oning with him.


    However, the result was obvious. ¡°Number 5, Number 17, Number 583, Number 994, Number 234.¡±


    The loudspeakers around the training grounds were constantly calling out numbers, ordering the


    owners of those numbers to head up to the stage.


    Veronica looked at the number in her hand and frowned before turning to look at Matthew. She showed


    him her number and said, ¡°I need to head up to the stage.¡±


    She was Number 17. With cold eyes, he reminded her, ¡°Number 5 might be Liam. You need to be wary


    of him.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded and looked at Matthew affectionately for a few seconds and parted her lips,


    wanting to say something but then choosing not to say it. Following that, she walked out of the crowd.


    Soon, she discovered that Liam, Xavier, Zac, and another limping man were in her group. Her heart


    skipped a beat as she became nervous. Secretly taking a deep breath, sheposed herself and


    headed onto the stage.


    At that moment, she was not surprised that the hidden n royalty had manipted some aspects of


    the hunt, but she did not expect them to arrange for her to be in the same group as Zac and Xavier.


    When they headed up to the stage, she walked at the end of the line. Then, they all signed their name


    on the death waiver before removing all metal-made objects and passing a security check to ensure


    they did not bring any other belongings.


    It was then that Veronica found out that the only personal belonging she could bring with her was her


    watch. That was because they still needed to know the time after heading into the mountains. Hence,


    her wristwatch did not get confiscated.


    However, she was not allowed to bring the medication Crayson gave her, as well as¡­ her miniature


    tranting device, which would not be of much use if she brought it with her because there was no


    signal in the mountains anyway.


    After checking that they did not have any other items on them, they proceeded to collect their uniformly


    distributed backpacks. Inside each backpack were some camping necessities, signal res for when


    they needed help, and other supplies.


    When Veronica collected her bag and turned around to look at the training grounds, she could feel


    Matthew¡¯s burning gaze from far away.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave,¡± Xavier reminded her from behind.


    Nodding, she turned around and left with him with her heavy backpack.


    In front of them, Zac and Liam were chatting while Veronica and Xavier walked together. The limping


    man was all alone, slowly trailing behind them.

 Chapter 896

    Chapter 896


    Chapter 896 Something¡¯s Fishy About Him


    As they continued walking, they could still hear the sound from the training ground¡¯s loudspeaker.


    Mount Manos and Mount Gazette were two huge mountains, and there was even a massive natural


    lagoon at Mount Gazette.


    The target of their hunt today happened to be active around Mount Gazette¡¯sgoon. That meant they


    had to pass through Mount Manos before hiking up Mount Gazette.


    Lowering her head to look at the time, Veronica saw that it was already 3.30PM. Along the journey she


    shared with four other men, the only person she could trust was Xavier, so it would be a lie if she said


    she was not afraid.


    Four hourster, the sky had turned dark, and rolls of thunder and booming lightning suddenly struck,


    followed by a thunderstorm.


    ¡°It seems like we can¡¯t move forward anymore. Let¡¯s set up a camp here.¡± Liam beckoned Xavier and


    the limping man over. ¡°Guys,e assist me. Zac¡¯s hurt, so he can¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xavier agreed while the limping man nodded. ¡°Sure, Prince Liam.¡±


    Veronica was beside them, squatting down to rummage through her waterproof backpack. She was


    shocked when she suddenly heard the limping man¡¯s voice.


    Ever since they left the training grounds that afternoon, this was the first time the man uttered a word.


    However, his voice sounded very familiar!


    Frowning, she thought about it for a moment, but then a loud boom from the sky interrupted her


    thoughts, so she continued to look inside her bag for her tent.


    After setting it up, she ced her bag inside before heading to help the others.


    ¡°Veronica, you go with Nelson to get some firewood,¡± Liam ordered her while pointing at the limping


    man.


    So, his name is Nelson.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Without thinking much about it, she called out to Nelson, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Although they were deep in the woods with an abundance of pine needles on the ground, there were


    barely any branches that could be added to the fire.


    Since the hidden n was located in the tropics, all the trees here were thriving, which made it hard to


    catch fire. Therefore, they could only scour the ce for firewood.


    The mountain route was wet and slippery after the rain, so Veronica reminded Nelson when she saw


    him having difficulty walking on the path. ¡°It¡¯s quite slippery. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded in response.


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    With a torchlight, she walked forward but suddenly stopped and frowned.


    ¡°You understand the localnguage?¡± She looked at him.


    The light from the torchlight illuminated their surroundings, including his in-looking face.


    She could distinctly sense a change in his eyes when he replied, ¡°Yes, I can.¡±


    ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s great. I thought you couldn¡¯t understand the localnguage and was worried about how


    I wouldmunicate with you.¡±


    ¡°I can understand bothnguages,¡± Nelson answered before adding, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Although many of the hidden n royalties knew English, the way they spoke had a mix of their local


    ent, making it differentiable. However, not only was his pronunciation spot on, it sounded like the


    natives in Bloomstead.


    He seems¡­


    While smiling, Veronica offered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you walk in front? I¡¯ll light the way with the torchlight.¡±


    Nelson looked calm and unfazed, but the moment he looked at her, she discovered the unintentional


    glimmer in his eyes.


    ¡°Sure.¡± He walked in front.


    The two stopped conversing with each other and went looking for firewood before carrying them in their


    arms while heading back to camp.


    On their way back, she trailed behind him like she said she would.


    When they returned to their camp, they ced the firewood on the ground, and Xavier picked up some


    pine needles to start the fire.

 Chapter 897

    Chapter 897


    Chapter 897 Xavier Is a Great Man


    Since it had just rained, the firewood was damp, so it took a while to get the fire going. ¡°Come over and


    sit beside the fire to dry your clothes. Otherwise, you might get sick,¡± Xavier urged everyone.


    They came over and sat on either a rock, a piece of firewood, or a stomp. Then, the atmosphere


    descended intoplete silence.


    Sensing the awkwardness, Liam took the initiative to start a conversation with Zac. Meanwhile,


    Veronica stared at the crackling firewood while lost in her thoughts.


    To prevent the groups from trekking on the same path, there were seven to eight different entrances for


    the groups to head into the mountains.


    She had been leaving markers for Matthew along the way, but she did not expect the rain, which could


    erase all her trails. Can Matthew still find me?


    Liam yawned and stated, ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s go to bed. We still have to make up for lost time tomorrow.¡±


    Then, Zac looked at Veronica meaningfully before getting up and entering his tent.


    ¡°You guys go ahead. I¡¯ll be the first one on watch tonight. Nelson, you¡¯ll be responsible for thetter half


    of the night.¡± Xavier volunteered to keep guard for the first half of the night.


    After all, Zac and Liam were Princes, and Veronica was a woman, so he could not let her keep watch.


    ¡°Sure.¡± After saying that, Nelson rose to his feet and limped to his tent.


    Once all three of them were in their zipped tents, Xavier and Veronica gazed at each other before he


    piped up, ¡°You should hurry up and get some rest. I¡¯ll be keeping guard so all of you can have a good


    rest.¡±


    What he meant was, I¡¯ll be looking over you, so nothing will happen to you.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Pursing her lips together, she nodded before heading into her tent.


    Since there was hardtack in their backpacks, they only ate that for dinner. Moreover, their vision was


    limited at night, so they could not go hunting for food. There were no edible nts or berries either, so


    the hardtack was theirst option.


    While lying in her sleeping bag, Veronica closed her eyes and forced herself to fall asleep. At least with


    Xavier keeping guard outside, she felt more assured.


    She did not know how long she had slept, but she keenly felt her sleeping bag moving some timeter.


    After reaching her hand under her pillow to grab a dagger, she did not budge and waited to see what


    would happen next. Subsequently, her sleeping bag was gradually pulled open, and someone came


    inside.


    Feeling the personing nearer, she grabbed the intruder¡¯s shirt and pinned that person on the


    ground before putting the dagger near the person¡¯s face. ¡°Who are you?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± the man whispered back.


    It was then that she withdrew her dagger and suppressed her voice to ask, ¡°Xavier, what are you


    doing?¡±


    ¡°Changing sleeping bags.¡± His answer was short and simple.


    After hearing his answer, Veronica did not need to ask for a reason, for she could easily guess that he


    wanted to switch tents to protect her.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to!¡± She refused immediately. I owe him too much. I cannot let him bear the


    dangers for me again.


    ¡°Tanya spent so much effort to change the rules of the game just so that she can do away with you and


    Matthew, so I¡¯d advise that you not think too highly of yourself.¡±


    Although it was said to be a personal tent, it was just a sleeping bag.


    Following that, Xavier came into the tent while Veronica kneeled to the side with one hand on her cor


    while she propped up the other near his forehead. Since they were afraid to be eavesdropped on, they


    came close to each other, making their current position feel ambiguous.


    Inside the small confined space, they could feel the warmth from each other¡¯s bodies through their thin


    clothing.


    He had dreamed countless nights of being this close to her, but at that moment, he did not have any


    lustful thoughts because all he cared about was her safety.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I can¡¯t let you risk your life!¡± she replied.


    ¡°If you put it that way, I¡­ have a suggestion.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked.


    Now, it was Xavier who became hesitant.


    He hesitated for a few moments before saying, ¡°A man¡¯s tent is blue while a woman¡¯s tent is pink, and


    you¡¯re the only woman in our group. Those whoe to kill you could still do it without entering your


    tent, so the best option is¡­¡±

 Chapter 898

    Chapter 898


    Chapter 898 Stabbed Twice


    Xavier only finished half his sentence and stopped because he was sure Veronica was smart enough to


    guess what he was implying. She was caught off guard for a moment. Knowing that there was no other


    choice, she agreed. ¡°Alright.¡±


    It¡¯s a matter of life and death. How can I have the time to be worried about so many things? The best


    option is to stay alive. ¡°But¡­¡± She felt conflicted and voiced her doubts, ¡°You established a partnership


    with Zac. If you help me now, won¡¯t he do something to you?¡±


    ¡°You just have to take care of yourself!¡± Without saying anything else, Xavier sat up and crawled out of


    the tiny tent. He and Zac had indeed established a partnership, but their target was only Matthew!


    After he left, Veronica ced her backpack inside the sleeping bag before covering it with a thin


    nket to disguise it. Then, she headed outside.


    The hidden n had a good environment, with the moon and stars shining brightly in the sky, making


    Xavier¡¯s figure beside the bonfire seem vaguely visible.


    They gazed at each other under the dark of the night, and she headed into his tent. Meanwhile, Xavier


    was waiting for Nelson to change shifts with him, and she could not possibly wait until Nelson¡¯s turn to


    move into Xavier¡¯s tent.


    They had just wandered deep into the woods before a thunderstorm rolled in, wetting everything and


    creating a moist environment that weed pests. The pests found in deep jungles were extremely


    dangerous, and a mere bite could cost a man¡¯s life.


    After tonight, they could find other ways to stay through the night when they arrived at their next


    campsite. Veronica went into Xavier¡¯s tent and had justy down when she heard another voiceing


    from outside.


    ¡°You can head to bed now. I¡¯ll continue to keep guard,¡± Nelson told him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not that tired,¡±


    Xavier declined. Inside the tent, she felt guilty when she heard that. Before she agreed to Xavier¡¯s n,


    she was hesitant as she thought he might take advantage of her. Now that she was lying inside his


    tent, he was reluctant toe over because he wanted to give her some personal space.


    Outside, he and Nelson shared a long chat.


    The next time Nelson urged him to rest, he could not reject him again, so he returned to his tent atst.


    In the dark surroundings, there were low hums of bugs and birds, as well as the sound of the breeze


    rustling the leaves.


    When Xavier pulled the zipper down, Veronica inched her body to the side. He quickly pulled up the


    zipper after he entered the tent andy beside her. Both of them were in utmost proximity to each other.


    ¡°Go to sleep. It¡¯ste.¡± Her voice was soft.


    ¡°Hm.¡± He agreed and slowly closed his eyes without doing anything obscene, especially when he was


    beside her. While the two were sleeping together, he could feel his heart thumping wildly, rendering him


    worried while still forcefully suppressing the urge within him.


    Three hourster, Xavier opened his eyes and felt his surroundings lighten up, which made his heart


    skip a beat. When he discovered Veronica missing by his side, he felt reassured and got up to exit the


    tent.


    There was no one outside, so he looked around and saw her tent shaking. He called out worriedly,


    ¡°Roni?¡± His voice sounded a little raspy from being nervous.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just packing my stuff.¡±


    Inside the tent, Veronica looked at the two stab holes in the thin nket, feeling gloomy. She knew they


    would do something, but she did not expect them to take action so soon.


    ¡°Zac? Nelson?¡± Xavier shouted their names but did not get any response.


    She answered him, ¡°They went out for a walk and to investigate the trail.¡± While she spoke, she came


    out of the tent.


    Since the rain had moistened the ground, she began carefully observing the footprint embedded there.

 Chapter 899

    Chapter 899


    Chapter 899 Taking Things Slowly


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Xavier as he approached her, sensing her strange behavior. While her


    head was lowered as she observed her surroundings, Veronica answered, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Did someone try to kill you?¡± Despite her efforts to hide the truth, he had guessed the answer just from


    studying her expression.


    Knowing she could not hide the truth from him anymore, she nodded without speaking as she observed


    the footsteps on the ground, wanting to find clues from the traces left behind.


    Xavier went inside the tent and felt his heart skip when he saw the two stab marks. At that moment, his


    anger for Matthew surged, but he knew that no matter what the situation was, he did not want to see


    Veronica get hurt.


    When he came out of her tent, he saw a few peopleing toward them and whispered a reminder,


    ¡°They¡¯re back. It¡¯s better if they didn¡¯t know what happenedst night.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± She nodded and stood up straight before looking toward Nelson¡¯s tent. Narrowing her eyes,


    she fell into deep thought.


    ¡°We found a few wild bird eggs. Xavier, Miss Murphy, you guys get some water boiling so we can cook


    them,¡± Liam ordered.


    ¡°How are we supposed to cook without a pot?¡±


    Keeping the events ofst night in her heart, Veronica smiled and joked with Liam, ¡°There¡¯s no pot of


    any sort in our mighty backpack.¡± Then, she pointed at the eggs in his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s eat them raw.¡±


    Since they have limited resources, it was best to have it raw.


    ¡°Miss Murphy¡¯s right. I agree with her,¡± Nelson voiced his agreement.


    Frowning, Zac spoke in disdain, ¡°We aren¡¯t in a hurry to head up to the mountain, so why make things


    difficult for ourselves? It¡¯s still quite early. We should slow down our pace. After all, isn¡¯t there a saying


    that those who covet gains ahead are unaware of the danger behind them?¡±


    In other words, it was already challenging to find their target animal, so would it not be better if they let


    the other groups see the animal and fight amongst themselves for it? Then, they would be able to take


    advantage of their worn-out state and get what they wanted.


    ¡°Zac¡¯s n sounds nice.¡± Xavier agreed.


    ¡°I agree with Zac too.¡±


    Liam crossed his arms and beamed. ¡°Since there are so manypetitors, we don¡¯t need to be in


    such a hurry. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we just treat this as a camping trip?¡±


    ¡°Prince Liam is right.¡± Nelson nodded.


    Seeing that they were all supportive of Zac¡¯s idea, Veronica did not say anything else. She turned


    around and looked toward the mountain¡¯s peak in the distance, feeling nervous. We¡¯ve agreed that we


    would look for each other after entering the mountain, but now, Zac and the others want to slow down


    our pace and even stay in the same spot. That means Matthew and I will not be able to meet up. It will


    be more difficult for him to look for me. If I leave here alone¡­


    While thinking of that, she nced at her tent, conflicted.


    ¡­


    ¡°Good morning, Master Iron. Here, for you.¡±


    On the other hand, Matthew and Eleanor were arranged into the same group with three other


    strangers. However, since yesterday afternoon, he had concluded that the other three were here to


    protect her.


    The three had prepared wild fruits and barbecued fish early in the morning before presenting them to


    the princess.


    After thanking them, Eleanor immediately brought them to Matthew and gave them to him.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He epted her offerings and took two wild pears before taking a bite.


    Since they entered the mountain, there were not any other edible foods besides the hardtack, and in


    comparison to that, he would rather have some wild fruits.


    ¡°Hehe. Master Iron, you don¡¯t have to be so polite with me.¡± She approached him and leaned against a


    tree trunk. ¡°It¡¯s what I should do.¡±


    While saying that, she nced at the tree behind him and saw a snake with a bright green body spitting


    its forked tongue at them.

 Chapter 900

    Chapter 900


    Chapter 900 Acting Coquettishly


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to act like we¡¯re close.¡± Matthew eyed her coldly. ¡°And you better not think about things you¡¯re


    not supposed to.¡± His tone was cold as ice, and he did not even care about being courteous to her.


    However, Eleanor seemed immune to his indifference and raised her leg to ce the tip of her foot


    beside his pants before moving around, deliberately teasing him.


    ¡°What thoughts can I possibly have? I just want to build a good rtionship with you so that you¡¯ll take


    better care of me.¡± Her slender and fair finger pointed at the gigantic mountain. ¡°Whether it¡¯s up that


    mountain or back below, many are looking to kill both you and me. I¡¯m just sticking with you so that we


    can help each other out.¡±


    It would be even better if I can win your heart, she wished. ¡°Your mom specially arranged three strong


    and powerful men to be in the same group with you. How can they not be able to protect you?¡± After


    that retort, Matthew turned around to pack up his tent, wanting to move forward.


    However, Eleanor was still leaning against the tree trunk while raising her head to look at the emerald-


    green snake, seemingly lost in thought.


    While he was not paying attention, she approached one of the men and whispered, ¡°Find an excuse


    and leave quickly.¡±


    ¡°But Princess Eleanor, you¡­¡± The man wanted to say something, but she red at him, shutting him


    up.


    Soon, all five packed their baggage and were ready to continue their journey.


    ¡°Princess Eleanor, there are three crossroads ahead. Jonathan and I will scout ahead. Keh, you


    take that route,¡± the man who spoke beckoned Jonathan to the right path and ordered Keh to take


    the middle course.


    Then, Matthew told her, ¡°You stay here while I scout that path.¡±


    It was a great chance to get rid of Eleanor, so he naturally would not let such a chance go.


    However, she was not going to let him have his way!


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Staying here is too dangerous.¡± Without giving him a chance to get rid of her, she stuck


    to him like glue.


    While they trekked on the route, both of them remained silent. Rather than calling it a route, it was


    more like an ambiguous path created by other participants of the hunt walking through here.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Seeing Matthew walking rapidly without any intention of looking back, Eleanor reckoned he might be


    thinking of losing them so that he could go looking for Veronica.


    A glimmer of light appeared in her eyes as she devised a n in her head. ¡°Hey, Master, slow down. I


    can¡¯t catch up.¡± While tugging on the straps of her bag, she quickened her pace to chase after him


    before striking up a conversation with him. ¡°Why are you walking so fast? Are you in a hurry to see your


    wife?¡±


    The man stayed quiet.


    Seeing that he ignored her, she continued, ¡°I¡¯ve always been curious about how you met each other.


    Can you tell me?¡±


    This time, he finally spoke up, but it was merely a cold retort. ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s mean.¡±


    Having been continuously ignored, Eleanor felt displeased.


    The two continued to walk up the hill. The hillside was steep, with huge boulders and crushed stones at


    the top, so there were only a few trees in this area.


    She stepped on the stones and felt difficulty walking. When she peered at the man¡¯s back, she


    discovered more than a dozen feet of distance between them. She narrowed her eyes as a


    mischievous glint appeared in them.


    Suddenly, her legs gave out as she screamed, ¡°Ahh¡ªHelp!¡±


    Following her scream, she fell to the ground and rolled down the hill. ¡°Help! Master, help me!¡±

 Chapter 901

    Chapter 901


    Chapter 901 An Indirect Kiss


    Matthew, who was walking up ahead, stopped when he heard the sounds.


    He turned around and saw Eleanor stumbling down the slope.


    She rolled five or six times before her massive bag blocked her from rolling any further.


    "Aah! T-That was scary!"


    Eleanor remained on the ground as she looked up at the haughty man standing further up. He had his


    arms crossed as he surveyed her with an indifferent expression.


    She stretched her pale arm out and waved at him. "It hurts so much, Master. I can''t get up. Come and


    help me."


    "You can still scream and move just fine, so I don''t think there''s anything wrong with you."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    He then checked his watch. "I''m giving you one minute toe back up here, or I''m leaving without


    you."


    Matthew had no patience for any woman besides Veronica.


    His response nearly made Eleanor forget that she was trying to put on a pitiful act. She almost jumped


    to her feet at once.


    However, to make her act seem more believable, she did her best to plead, "Oh, no! Master, my


    ankle¡­ My ankle got twisted! It really hurts. Can youe down and help me up?"


    "You have 40 seconds left. Are you sure you''re noting?"


    Matthew didn''t move at all. He had no intention of helping her.


    "My ankle hurts so badly¡­ Boohoo, you''re too heartless, Master¡­" Eleanor cried in anger and


    grievance.


    How can there be a man who doesn''t fall in love with me?! How despicable!


    "If you don''t wish to leave, then go right ahead and stay there. It''ll save me a lot of trouble if you die."


    Matthew did not have the patience to stick around and wait for her.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and carried on walking.


    He didn''t even hesitate or turn back to check on her.


    He walked away without a care in the world.


    Eleanor was speechless. "H-Hey! Master! Master! Don''t go. Wait for me!"


    She scrambled off the ground and kicked the boulder by her feet, but she''d done it with so much force


    that she ended up spraining her ankle for real.


    "Ouch! It hurts so bad!"


    Eleanor was in so much pain that she had to grit her teeth and stand on one foot as she gently rocked


    the other in the air.


    Though Matthew heard her cries, he assumed she was simply putting on an act, so he didn''t stop


    walking or slow down either.


    "Wait for me¡ªouch! Wait for me¡­"


    Eleanor was filled with indescribable anger, but she hobbled after Matthew anyway.


    "Matthew Kings, you b*stard!" she screamed after him. "You better not end up in my hands. I''m warning


    you; if you ever lose to me, I''ll make you my ything and lock you up, and then I''ll ignore you for the


    rest of your life so that you know what it''s like to be ignored by me. I''ll let you know what it means to


    pine for me¡­ Ouch! Ugh, my ankle is killing me!"


    The man in the distance finally realized she wasn''t lying this time, and even though he didn''t turn


    around, he did slow down his pace.


    "That day won''te!" he replied.


    "Hmph! I''ve never failed to get the man I want." Eleanor sped up to chase Matthew down. She was


    infuriated by him.


    The two carried on their journey.


    Both mountains were huge. Mount Manos, which was in front of them, had blocked Mount Gazette from


    view.


    It would take around two days to cross both mountains and even longer to get to the peak of Mount


    Gazette.


    Time was running out, and Matthew couldn''t afford to waste any of it.


    Not only did he have to find Veronica, but he even had to help her win the top spot, so he had a lot on


    his shoulders.


    "I''m so thirsty, Master. I ran out of water. Do you still have any?" Eleanor was like a spoiled princess,


    pouting coquettishly with Matthew all she wanted.


    He was irritated by her constant chatter, so he turned around to eye her.


    He was about to reject her, but after seeing how pale and sweaty she was, he passed his bottle to her.


    "Take it."


    She thirstily took a mouthful before waving the bottle in the air and giggling. "Master, does this count as


    an indirect kiss between us?"

 Chapter 902

    Chapter 902


    Chapter 902 Her Little Trick


    Matthew''s brows creased as he threw her a displeased re before snatching the bottle back from her.


    He stuffed it back into his bag. "You won''t die if you stop talking."


    Eleanor had baster skin and prominent features. Her soulful eyes, bright red lips, and ebony hair


    tied up in a bun made her look both adorable and alluring at the same time.


    Her beauty could bepared to that of Aphrodite.


    Thus, she was confident that she could get any man she wanted.


    She was indeed gorgeous, and few could withstand her wiles.


    Her elusive smile, graceful manner, and bewitching gaze tugged on the heartstring of men.


    However, no matter how beautiful she was, Matthew would never be attracted to her.


    "I''m so tired, Master. Can''t we take a rest?"


    She grumbled, "It''s been four hours since we started walking this morning. I''m hungry! Can''t we rest for


    a while? There''s a saying in Bloomstead, right? Something about not working your mule to the bone, or


    you might work them to death. Literally."


    All along, Matthew had been feeling uneasy because he was worried about Veronica, but he couldn''t


    resist chuckling at Eleanor''sment.


    "Does your mother know you''re a mule?" he quipped in a rare disy of being in a good mood.


    What mule? The saying is about a donkey. How did she turn it into a mule?


    "Are you insulting me?! Hmph! My mother will cut your head off if she finds out!" Eleanor was genuinely


    exhausted.


    She sprained her ankle earlier, but it was all better now and didn''t even hurt anymore, but she was still


    tired.


    They''d been walking uphill the whole time, and she''d used up too much energy.


    All she ate this morning was a few wild fruits, which weren''t enough to make up for the taxing journey


    thus far.


    She grabbed Matthew by the wrist. "Let''s rest, Master. Please? Can we just rest for a while?"


    His footsteps came to a halt when he felt her handtching onto him. His expression soured at once.


    He shot Eleanor a frosty re. "Let go."


    It was just two words, but his tone was harsh and formidable. Even his gaze was enough to make


    Eleanor feel a little terrified.


    "Why''re you being so fierce?" She pouted. "All I did was hold your hand. It''s not like you''d lose a


    finger."


    Even though she grumbled, she acquiesced and let go.


    However, she also rolled her eyes and huffed, "Hah! I wonder how a man like you made Veronica fall in


    love with you."


    Truth be told, Eleanor was envious of Veronica.


    She envied Veronica for being the sole beneficiary of Matthew''s love.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    When Eleanor first saw Matthew, she was taken by his looks, but now, she waspletely bewitched


    by his cold and aloof side that seemed so charming to her.


    Her desire to make him submit to her intensified. It filled every crevice of her mind and body. She


    couldn''t control the feeling.


    "We can take a short rest over there."


    Matthew pointed at the stream just up ahead of them. The trickling sound of water was music to the


    ears.


    Eleanor''s eyes lit up at once. She scampered over right away and got down to drink some water before


    washing her face.


    After sitting down on a rock and resting for a while, she finally regained her strength.


    She looked up at the mountain, but her eyes were drawn to a knobby tree. One of the branches was


    right behind Matthew.


    Meanwhile, Matthew had retrieved a map from somewhere and was studying it carefully.


    Eleanor''s brows twitched as she slowly walked over to him.


    "Watch out!"


    She threw herself at him and pped the branch behind him before tossing out a green snake.

 Chapter 903

    Chapter 903


    Chapter 903 Resorting to This


    Matthew looked up when he heard Eleanor''s shriek, and he immediately saw the green snake on the


    ground.


    "Ouch¡­"


    Eleanor was clutching her right hand with her left. Her brows were scrunched up in pain. "A knife! Give


    me a knife! The snake bit me."


    The green snake struggled on the ground for a bit before slithering away into the bushes.


    It was a snake with a triangr-shaped head, and the brighter its color was, the more poisonous it was.


    Matthew tensed up. He jumped to his feet and brought a de over to Eleanor. "It''s a venomous


    snake. Do you have an antidote?"


    "That''s a septe snake, the most venomous kind in the hidden n. It¡­"


    She bit her lip and didn''t continue speaking. Instead, she sucked out a few mouthfuls of blood from her


    wrist and spat all of it out on the ground.


    Matthew swiftly filled a bottle with water. "Rinse your mouth. Don''t do that to get the blood out. It''s too


    slow!"


    Eleanor hesitated for a moment. She looked at him with aplicated gaze before slowly taking a gulp


    of the water and rinsing her mouth.


    Matthew eyed the bite mark on her wrist with a frown. "Why did you want to save me?"


    While speaking, he dragged her over to a rock before crouching next to her with a de in hand. "It''s


    going to hurt, so bear with it."


    Eleanor gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. "Go ahead."


    She began formting the n when she saw the snake this morning.


    Initially, she figured she wouldn''t have to take such a risk as long as she managed to make Matthew''s


    heart stir even the slightest bit for her.


    Unfortunately for her, the man was loyal to Veronica, and no matter how she flirted with him, he didn''t


    budge at all.


    Eleanor had no choice but to resort to this crude trickery.


    She''d gone all out just to get his attention.


    Matthew swiftly rolled up her sleeve and wrapped a bandage tightly around her arm to stop the blood


    from flowing.


    "Ouch! It hurts¡­"


    He''d wrapped the tourniquet so tightly that Eleanor frowned in pain.


    "It has to be tight, or else your life will be in danger if the venom spreads across the rest of your body."


    Matthew''s expression was grim as he moved decisively.


    The sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on him, giving him a soft glow that made him look even


    more handsome.


    Some said that a man looked most handsome when he was focused on something.


    Although the man in front of Eleanor had a disguise on to make him look uglier, her head was filled with


    the pictures she saw of his cold, handsome face.


    She''d fallenpletely head over heels after seeing his true visage in the bathroom when he took off


    his disguise the other day.


    As a princess of the hidden n, she''d bedded more men than she could count. She could get any


    man she wanted just by fluttering her eyshes at him.


    Matthew was the only exception.


    This man with a wife and kids had a heart of stone that made her crack her skull as she tried to find


    ways to seduce him.


    "If I die, it''d be exactly what you want, isn''t it¡ªaah! It hurts¡­"


    While Eleanor was talking, Matthew took the de and cut it into her wrist.


    He cut a cross decisively, and before Eleanor could even react, the wound waspletely open.


    Blood gushed out at once.


    Matthew held her bleeding hand and brought her over to the stream. "Come and wash it."


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Perhaps the venom had been a little stronger than expected. Eleanor was beginning to feel a little faint.


    As they walked, she leaned her entire body against Matthew. When her wrist made contact with the


    cool water, the pain seemed to spread all over her body. She clenched her jaw. Her body was


    trembling.

 Chapter 904

    Chapter 904


    Chapter 904 Envenomed


    "I don''t mind if you die, but we''re on the same team right now, and I won''t be able to leave this


    mountain if you die!"


    From the moment Matthew was put on the same team as Eleanor, not only did he have to lug around


    additional deadweight, but he even had the added responsibility of protecting her.


    He didn''t know whether it was a wily setup on Tanya''s part because she had found out who he was, or


    it had been Eleanor''s decision instead.


    Either way, Eleanor couldn''t die here!


    Eleanor leaned against his shoulder. Although the pain was torturous, all she could think about was


    Matthew.


    She''d craved to be this close to him for so long now.


    She soaked her hand in the water and dyed a patch of her hand red.


    The red water that meandered down the stream was particrly eye-catching in the sun.


    "Master, tell me. Am I¡­ going to die here?"


    Her mind was getting a little hazy, though she didn''t know whether it was from her blood loss or the


    venom had been simply too powerful.


    She felt so dizzy that she cuddled up against Matthew.


    Matthew nearly shoved her away at once, but after recalling the fact that she had saved him, he


    managed to resist.


    He sat down on a rock while Eleanor remained pressed up against his chest. Her hand was still


    soaking in the stream.


    She opened her eyes and stared at the face near hers. Her heart was pounding, and a smile crept onto


    her face.


    "I hear Veronica¡­ calling you¡­ Matt. Can I¡­ do that too?"


    Envy.


    The woman who''d gotten everything she wanted her whole life was filled with envy over another


    woman.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    She envied Veronica for getting what she couldn''t have.


    For the first time, Eleanor understood what it meant to have feelings for someone and to love someone!


    Simrly, Matthew''s appearance made her believe that there was such a thing as love at first sight after


    all.


    "Shut up!" Matthew growled in irritation.


    "How¡­ can you be so heartless¡­"


    Eleanor raised her uninjured arm and stroked his face with her pale fingers. "Master, if I¡­ give


    Veronica the position as the head of the n, will you¡­ let me have a future with you?"


    Matthew was holding her injured hand in the water with one hand to make sure the venom got washed


    out while he used the other hand to hold her body steady.


    If he let go, she would fall to the ground, which was covered in sharp pebbles.


    However, knowing he owed her his life, he had to quell his fury. "Take your hand away!"


    "I don''t want to."


    She shook her head weakly.


    "Let''s see if I won''t cut open your aorta if you don''t remove your hand now," Matthew threatened.


    Eleanor still had a faint smile on her face. "I don''t believe you''d do that, but¡­" She sighed feebly. "I''m


    really not interested in being the head of the n, but I''m not the one who can decide. I''m¡­ so


    exhausted. Master, did you know¡­ that in the entire pce¡­ I''m the one who wants to escape from


    that ce the most."


    She was disillusioned by the schemes and all the fighting; it gave her nothing but exhaustion. She


    couldn''t find a purpose in life.


    Eleanor liked the vast and borderless world. She liked how it felt to be free. She wanted a carefree life


    without any restrictions.


    "You just can''t stop talking, huh?!"


    Although Matthew felt a slight tinge of sympathy when he heard what she said, he immediately drove


    out that feeling.


    He figured that the venom should have been cleared from her body by now, so he took her hand out of


    the stream and put her t on the ground before bandaging her wrist.

 Chapter 905

    Chapter 905


    Chapter 905 Firing the Poisoned Needle


    "Can you move me¡­ to a sheltered spot? There''s nothing but rocks here. It hurts." Eleanor turned to


    Matthew with a frail expression.


    The fact that he''d shown her genuine concern made her feel that everything had been worth it.


    Matthew was exasperated, but once he was done with her bandage, he picked her up and walked over


    to the grassy area beneath a tree before setting her down on the ground.


    He checked his watch¡ªit was already 2.00PM.


    It''d been nearly a day since he lost contact with Veronica, and his heart was incredibly uneasy.


    "It''s gettingte. I''m leaving. You can stay here by yourself," Matthew said to Eleanor.


    "No! If you leave, then w-what about me?"


    Eleanor was a little miffed. "I just saved you! How can you abandon me?"


    "Since your mother let you up the mountain, she would''ve sent people to secretly protect you. Don''t


    worry; you won''t die here." Matthew had already considered this.


    "But there''s always a possibility. What if Hayley Elrod''s people came over to kill me? W-What''ll happen


    to me?" Eleanor cried out as shey limp on the ground with an ashen face.


    She had a point, but all Matthew could think about right now was Veronica. He had to find her.


    After hesitating for a moment, he took off his watch and passed it to Eleanor. "There are six poisoned


    needles in this watch. If anyonees close, all you need to do is press down on this button, and you''ll


    fire the poisoned needle. You can use this to keep yourself safe."


    Crayson gave him this watch before he set off yesterday.


    Matthew pointed at the watch and exined, "Keep the button to adjust the time facing you. When you


    need to fire the poisoned needle, clench your fist and bend your wrist just a little. Make sure the


    opening is pointing at the enemy."


    To make it convenient when the need to fire the needle arose, the button to do so was situated on the


    inner side of the watch so it''d be facing the arm when worn.


    These were the instructions Crayson emphasized when he gave the watch to Matthew.


    "Since you''re injured, don''t put it on. Just keep it in your hand." Matthew stuffed the watch into


    Eleanor''s hand. "I''m leaving."


    He got up to leave.


    Eleanor never would''ve expected him to be this heartless.


    She was so aggravated that she bit her lip and pointed the opening of the watch at herself. "Y-You can''t


    leave, Master. If you leave now, I''ll¡­ I''ll press this button!"


    Matthew came to a grinding halt. He whipped his head around and looked at her. "Have you gone


    mad?"


    "I''m not mad. I''m¡­ I''m just scared. C-Can''t you stay here with me?"


    "No one here will dare to kill you, but Roni is in a lot of danger. I have to save her!"


    Veronica was the only one he cared about.


    After everything Eleanor had put herself through with her scheming and pity ploys, she felt so


    aggrieved at the fact that he refused to show even the slightest bit of empathy for her even though


    she''d sacrificed so much. "I don''t care! If you¡­ even take a single step further, I-I will die right here in


    front of you!"


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Just as Matthew said, if she died here, he wouldn''t be able to leave this mountain alive.


    Neither could Veronica!


    "You''re too stubborn."


    Matthew¡ªsomeone who didn''t have an ounce of consideration for other women¡ªturned around and


    walked off.


    He was certain that no one would dare to kill Eleanor, and he''d only given her the watch to let her feel


    more assured of her safety instead of being nervous and scared about staying there alone.


    Naturally, Matthew thought that Eleanor wouldn''t hurt herself.


    "Matthew Kings, you¡­ you are so heartless!"


    Eleanor propped her head against the tree trunk, and when she saw Matthew walking off without any


    hesitation, she raised her hand and pointed the watch at herself.


    She didn''t want to die, so she pointed the opening at her shoulder before pressing down on the


    button¡­

 Chapter 906

    Chapter 906


    Chapter 906 The Poison Takes Effect


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    A single needle shot out with an almost undetectable sound.


    Eleanor was lying under the shade of the tree, whereas Matthew had taken a few steps and was out in


    the sun.


    Just as she waited for the needle to strike her, she noticed a tiny sliver of silver against the sunlight.


    Amid her startlement, Matthew froze.


    "W-What''s going on?"


    Eleanor was in a daze. Her weak body managed to shoot up straight.


    She bent down to look at the watch in her hand before staring at Matthew. She shook her head and


    eximed, "No! No! I¡­ I had it pointed at myself!"


    Matthew felt a stinging pain in his back. He turned around in disbelief and walked over to Eleanor.


    "It wasn''t me! I really pointed it at myself! I swear!"


    Eleanor panicked; she never thought this would happen.


    The poison hadn''t fully taken effect yet. Matthew felt his body growing numb, but he had enough control


    over his limbs to bend down and snatch the watch from Eleanor''s hand.


    He studied the watch carefully. Then, he aimed the opening to his left and the button to his right before


    pressing down on it.


    A needle shot out.


    However, it was fired from a tiny hole beside the button.


    It was the hole to eject the SIM card tray!


    Matthew narrowed his eyes. His expression was stormy as a menacing aura seemed to emanate from


    him.


    Eleanor could see his hand trembling as he gripped the watch, and at the very next second, he crashed


    onto the ground.


    "Master? Matthew? Master! W-What''s happening to you?"


    The sudden turn of events horrified Eleanor.


    It''d only been less than a minute since she fired the needle, and Matthew was already lying


    unconscious on the ground.


    The poison took effect in a shockingly short amount of time.


    Eleanor panicked. She immediately dug out a special whistle from her bag and blew with all her might.


    It let out a bird call that sounded perfectly natural in the environment.


    At the same time, she took out a signal re and used it at once.


    It let out red smoke that clung in the air for quite some time.


    Three minutester, she fired off another signal re.


    Five minutester, a helicopter came buzzing over the peak of the mountain. The trees rustled heavily


    from the wind it stirred up.


    After confirming the location, the helicopter hovered in the air and let down thedder.


    The men came down from the helicopter and took both Matthew and Eleanor away.


    Meanwhile, Veronica, who was a few miles up the mountain, saw the whole thing.


    As she was standing on the mountainside, she could see everything that was happening in the


    distance.


    However, it was too far to see who had gotten into the helicopter. All she saw was the helicopter flying


    over and flying back off in just two minutes.


    Nevertheless¡­


    "Could it be Eleanor?" Veronica pondered. "If it wasn''t her, then it''s most likely the eldest prince,


    Dominik."


    Even though everyone had to publicly sign a death waiver, the hidden n royalty did have some


    special perks.


    "I suppose someone''s life is at risk. Otherwise, they wouldn''t openly use the helicopter under these


    circumstances," Xavier deduced as he stood beside Veronica.


    Veronica nodded. "I think so, too."


    She couldn''t think of any other reason that would exin it.


    As she let out a deep sigh, she looked around and thought to herself, Where on earth is Matthew? How


    much longer will it take to find him?

 Chapter 907

    Chapter 907


    Chapter 907 Friend or Foe


    "Why are you sighing? You look just as dejected as you did when I saw you at Mount Chid," Xavier


    teased.


    Veronica was standing under a towering tree, looking at the river further down the mountain. Memories


    of everything that happened back at Mount Chid thest time resurfaced.


    "Back then?" She chuckled. "I wasn''t just dejected. I was also pretty pathetic."


    Now that she thought about it, it had been two years since then.


    "Hah. You were with Matthew, but he didn''t even keep you safe." Xavier scoffed as he crossed his arms


    and stared out into the distance.


    He knew Veronica liked Matthew, but he couldn''t ept the fact that Matthew didn''t do a good job


    protecting her.


    "He can''t be med for what happened at Mount Chid."


    Veronica wanted to stand up for Matthew, so she exined, "At the time, I¡ª"


    As she spoke, she spotted Nelson limping over with a few fruits in hand.


    His silhouette matched perfectly with the one that popped up in her mind.


    Veronica felt her head buzz.


    She turned a little pale as her hair stood on end, and chills ran down her spine.


    That''s him! It''s that guy!


    She finally realized why Nelson looked a little familiar to her. All this time, she couldn''t recall where


    she''d seen him before.


    After carefully searching her memory, she came to a revtion. Isn''t he that man from Dawnpol Vige


    back at Mount Chid two years ago? The one who had half his face covered in a mask and walked


    with a limp?


    However, he''d merely pretended to have a limp back then, but his limp was real this time.


    If Veronica was right, his leg was indeed permanently injured after she fired a bullet into it back then.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    And if I''m right about this, does it mean¡­ Tanya knew about my true identity two years ago and sent


    someone to assassinate me but had to give up because the plot failed? Or was it someone secretly


    protecting me?


    The thought terrified Veronica.


    In just a few moments, her forehead was covered in sweat.


    "Roni? What''s going on?"


    Xavier found that Veronica was staring unblinkingly at Nelson, so he shoved her lightly.


    Veronica immediately snapped out of her reverie and withdrew her gaze. "Oh. It''s nothing."


    Xavier didn''t believe her. He nced thoughtfully at the three people over there.


    "Come. Let''s all eat something."


    Nelson came over and passed the fruits to Veronica and Xavier. His piercing gaze flickered over


    Veronica.


    It was probably because she''d stared at him a little too long earlier.


    "I''m¡­ not hungry."


    She shook her head and found a ce to sit.


    She began wondering whether Nelson was the person who''d showed up at her tentst night.


    s, she had to admit that she was nervous right now.


    There were hundreds of people up in the mountain, and she didn''t know who a friend or a foe was.


    "We''re not in a rush to head off, anyway. Why don''t I take you down to catch some fish?" Xavier walked


    over to Veronica and tapped on her shoulder before asking.


    "Hahaha. That sounds fun! What a good idea. Count me in!" Liam wasn''t interested in thepetition


    in the first ce but had been forced to join.


    Zac had broken his hand, and it hadn''t fully recovered yet. He was also exhausted from all the


    traveling.


    "You guys go ahead. I''ll smoke a cigarette first and join youter."


    He waved them off.


    "Sure. Nelson, Veronica, Xavier, let''s go!" Liam was getting pretty excited as he called the other three


    to follow him down the mountain.


    Zac sat on a rock and watched as the four of them disappeared into the forest. Once they were gone,


    he mimicked the cry of a cuckoo bird three times.

 Chapter 908

    Chapter 908


    Chapter 908 Figuring Out What Happened


    Two minutester, six people appeared from different ces and walked over to Zac.


    "Matthew Kings got injured, Your Highness. Princess Eleanor took him away in a helicopter. Our n


    fell through," one of them reported.


    "How useless!"


    Zac red murderously at the man who spoke and walked over to kick him. "What''s the point of


    keeping you around?!"


    "Princess Eleanor kept following Matthew Kings the whole time, and her hidden guards were in the


    vicinity as well. We couldn''t find a suitable opportunity to make our move."


    "Are you saying that she''s protecting Matthew?"


    Zac found it suspicious.


    If Eleanor was trying to protect Matthew, it meant that she knew who he was.


    However, Zac couldn''t figure out how Matthew would be of any value to Eleanor.


    "Yes," the man replied.


    Zac came up the mountain because he wanted to witness Matthew''s death for himself before breaking


    the news to Veronica. He wanted to see her anguish and torment with his own two eyes.


    However, he wasn''t going to get the chance to do that anymore.


    In that case, what was the point of sticking around any longer?


    "Kill Veronica Murphy!"


    He stared down the mountain with a cold, menacing gaze as he announced darkly, "If she makes it out


    of here alive, you certainly won''t be."


    "Yes, Your Highness!"


    The men nodded at once.


    Zac got up and turned back. Someone woulde and escort him out.


    The four people who went down the mountain seemed to be rxed and enjoying each other''s


    company, but every one of them harbored thoughts of their own.


    Veronica was wary of both Zac and Nelson, so after mulling things over, she decided to leave them and


    head off alone to look for Matthew.


    She was going to leave now before Zac came over. It was safer for her if he didn''t know which path


    she''d taken.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    "Ugh¡­"


    All of a sudden, she clutched her abdomen and let out a soft groan.


    Xavier noticed what happened and quickly asked in concern, "What''s the matter?"


    "My stomach hurts a little. You guys go ahead. I''ll deal with nature''s call," Veronica replied with a


    sheepish smile before ducking into the forest.


    "Women are so much trouble."


    Liam shook his head. "Come. Let''s go down first."


    "I''ll wait for her here." Xavier was still worried about her.


    "Sure. Let''s go, Nelson." Liam waved Nelson over.


    "Alright," Nelson agreed as he limped along behind Liam and followed thetter down.


    Once Veronica was sure they couldn''t see her anymore, she began making her way toward Mount


    Gazette.


    However, she abruptly came to a halt.


    "Wait a minute."


    Her brows furrowed in thought.


    Initially, she and Matthew nned on waiting for each other by theke between Mount Manos and


    Mount Gazette.


    The five of them had traveled at an extremely slow pace today, so they had to have fallen behind


    Matthew.


    Who is he teamed up with? Without a doubt, it has to be Eleanor.


    Out of Tanya''s five children, Veronica had only met Dominik, Eleanor, and Liam. She''d never seen the


    other two before and didn''t know anything about them.


    Dominik had a steady personality. Both he and Liam posed no threats to the position of the head of the


    n.


    Even though Tanya''s other two children were girls, Veronica heard that they were fairly average in


    every way, so they wouldn''t be prime candidates to inherit the position either.


    Therefore, all four of them wouldn''t be in any danger.


    Thus, the only one who would''ve gotten injured was¡­ "Eleanor?"


    If Matthew''s in the same group as Eleanor, he''d have to protect her. If anything happens to her, both he


    and I would be the prime suspects and in danger of getting executed.

 Chapter 909

    Chapter 909


    Chapter 909 Heading Off Separately


    Thus, no matter what happened, Matthew would''ve done his best to protect Eleanor.


    So¡­ who was the injured one taken away on a helicopter?


    Veronica''s chest constricted as her eyes flew over to the direction where she''d seen the helicopter. She


    was terror-stricken.


    It was most likely Eleanor who got injured and needed the helicopter. Matthew is definitely on the same


    team as Eleanor. He wouldn''t stand idly by and watch her get hurt without helping, but since the


    helicopter came over, it means that her life is in danger. In that case, Matthew¡­


    Veronica stumbled and nearly fell. At the same time, she detected unusual movement behind her.


    She whipped around and pressed the dagger in her hand against the person''s neck. "Don''t¡ªXavier?"


    Veronica was about to order the person not to move when she realized it was Xavier.


    "Something''s on your mind."


    Xavier was grim-faced as he surveyed her with aplicated look in his eyes. "Do you not trust me?"


    He knew Veronica had been lying when she said she had a stomach ache, so he followed her.


    Then, he found her frozen in the same spot for quite some time as if she were a statue.


    After that, she stumbled and nearly fell, which made him concerned.


    "You can go back now."N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Veronica put the dagger back into its sheath. "If I''m right, the helicopter earlier has taken Eleanor and


    Matthew away. Eleanor has known about Matthew''s identity all along, and she likes him a lot," she


    openly stated.


    Xavier''s brows furrowed as his eyes flickered in thought. "Eleanor likes him?"


    "Yeah, she does."


    Veronica took a deep breath before sighing. "One of them has to be critically wounded, or maybe even


    both. You''re not the only one who doesn''t have to continue. I need to turn back as well."


    The four-day journey into the mountain was cut short after only just one day.


    Everything was happening faster than Veronica expected.


    Xavier scratched his head in frustration.


    Initially, he''d wanted to strike once he ran into Matthew here, but fate didn''t open that door for him!


    "I''m leaving. You should find Antheena and take her back."


    Veronica walked off right away.


    Xavier hesitated as he watched her trekking back in the direction where they''de from.


    Antheena had followed them into the mountain, and if he didn''t find her and protect her, she could very


    well be in danger, too.


    During his darkest days, it was Antheena''s arrival that brought light into his world. His conscience


    wouldn''t allow him to leave her in the mountain without any regard for her safety.


    "Take care, Roni!"


    After weighing the options, Xavier decided to look for Antheena.


    Veronica quite liked hearing him use the nickname Roni with her, just like the way he used to.


    She stopped and turned around to sh him a smile. "I hope the two of you will return safely as well."


    Their gazes met. They were standing several yards apart.


    One had a smile that took a lot of effort to maintain, while the other''s brows were tightly knitted. Both


    had their fair share of concern.


    A gentle breeze made Veronica''s hair rustle against her forehead. The motion only served to draw


    attention to her snowy white skin and bold, elegant features. It was hard for people to tear their eyes


    away from her.


    Xavier felt his heartstrings being tugged. An intense feeling of affection rose in his chest, but it only


    served to make his struggle even harder.


    "Make sure you stay safe."


    After hesitating a little while longer, he turned around and walked away first.


    The two strode off in different directions, and both disappeared into different parts of the forest.


    Meanwhile, Liam kept gabbling away about his experience with fishing and the different methods there


    were.


    At length, he realized that he wasn''t getting a response.


    "I''m talking to you, Nelson. Why aren''t you¡­"

 Chapter 910

    Chapter 910


    Chapter 910 Asking About the Past


    When Liam turned around, Nelson was nowhere to be seen.


    "What the heck?! Where''s he?"


    Liam was startled for a moment as he looked around.


    "Hello? Nelson? Nelson?" He called out a few times but didn''t get any response.


    "Darn it! What happened? How''d we get separated so easily?" Liam stomped his foot in a huff and


    turned back. He nned on searching for Veronica and Xavier before meeting back up with Zac.


    However, as he retraced his path, not only did he see no sign of Nelson, but he didn''t see Veronica or


    Xavier either.


    When he got back to the spot where the group had first split up, he found that even Zac had gone


    missing as well.


    "What''s going on? Where''s everyone else?" Liam kicked a tree in anger. "I went through all that effort


    forming this group to enjoy the show, but you punks ditched me!"


    Though it was true that he was just an aimless prince living an idle life, no one born into royalty and


    surrounded by the fight for power would be genuinely naive.


    He knew that these people had their respective ulterior motives, so he came along to get a front-row


    seat to the show.


    s, he''d ended up separated from them.


    "No fun!"


    Liam was pissed and no longer interested in heading into the mountain.


    After all, he wasn''t going to fight to be the head of the hidden n, so there was no reason for


    him to try ande out on top. His only choice was to go home.


    Meanwhile, Veronica and Xavier had only parted ways for less than 10 minutes when she heard


    rustling soundsing from behind her.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    She carried on walking anyway, but her hand was clutching her dagger, and she threw furtive nces


    over her shoulder out of the corner of her eye.


    Just as the person behind her was about to lunge at her, she whipped around and sidestepped the


    attack before kicking her assant in the chest.


    "Ugh¡­" the man groaned and stumbled backward while clutching his chest.


    They looked at each other.


    Veronica''s hand tightened around her dagger as she eyed him. "Hey, old friend. How much longer do


    you intend on keeping the act up?" Her lips curved into a sneer.


    "When did you find out?" Nelson was also clutching a dagger with one hand as he massaged his chest


    with the other.


    "That doesn''t matter. What matters is the fact that despite not having any kind of grudge between us,


    you tried to kill me twice at Dawnpol Vige. Not only did I save you once, but I even let you off once as


    well. Why don''t you know how to be grateful?"


    Veronica could still vividly recall the many things that happened at Dawnpol Vige.


    She''d been too kind at the time and decided to let him off the hook, but she ended up setting herself up


    for trouble instead.


    If she went back in time, she wouldn''t make the same choice.


    "I''m just doing my job. There''s nothing wrong with making a living. Even if I don''t kill you, someone else


    will."


    Nelson put his dagger away. "Since you spared my life back at Dawnpol Vige, I can let you die a


    painless death."


    He took out his gun and pointed it at her.


    Veronica wasn''t startled at all. She cocked her eyebrows and shrugged with an indifferent expression.


    "Since I''m going to die, why don''t you at least let me die enlightened? Are you working for Zac Francis


    or Tanya Ledger?"


    There were certain things she wanted to get to the bottom of.


    "Queen Tanya." Nelson didn''t hide it from her.


    "I didn''t die back at Dawnpol Vige. Did Tanya not send anyone after me again?" Veronica was


    curious about this as well.


    "Of course, she did. Not only was Crayson protecting you in secret, but even Floch Larson and his wife


    were as well. Later on, you became acquainted with Matthew Kings, and after that, he was the one who


    helped you most of the time." Nelson sighed. "If it weren''t for them, you''d be nothing more than a pile of


    bones now."


    "So, every time Tiffany Larson tried to harm me, Tanya was secretly lending a hand, right?"

 Chapter 911

    Chapter 911


    Chapter 911 A Single, Deadly Shot


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    All along, Veronica wondered why Tiffany was able to get a bunch of pros involved in all of thetter''s


    schemes to hurt her.


    At the time, she thought the Larsons were simply rich enough to afford it and willing to indulge in


    Tiffany''s actions.


    However, based on what Nelson said, Floch and Rachel had secretly saved her before, which meant


    that they weren''t secretly helping Tiffany''s attempts to harm her.


    Therefore, Tanya was most likely the one who enabled the majority of Tiffany''s constant scheming,


    which involved everything from causing a car ident to kidnapping and arson.


    "That''s right."


    Nelson nodded. "Are you done? If you don''t have any more questions, then it''s time for you to bid this


    world a final goodbye."


    He raised the gun and pointed it at Veronica''s forehead to kill her off with a headshot.


    "What''s your rush? I can''t escape anyway."


    Veronica let out a deep sigh. "Before I die, can you help me with something?"


    She seemed unusually at peace with what was about to happen.


    Nelson didn''t despise Veronica. In fact, during his time at Dawnpol Vige, he admired her quite a bit.


    He was a hitman, and it was his job to attempt to kill her off again, but even so, he couldn''t help but feel


    an ounce ofpassion for her.


    "Go on."


    "Help me give this to M¡­ Iron Pir." Veronica took off the seven-figure ne she had around her


    neck; it was the one from the auction back then.


    "This ne holds a special meaning to me. If you give it to Iron Pir, he''ll know who it''s from. Just


    something for him to remember me by," she said as she unsped the ne.


    However, her every move made Nelson on edge. He was afraid she''d have some trick up her sleeve.


    "Here you go¡­"


    Veronica walked over to him with the ne.


    "Don''t move!"


    Nelson took a step back as he eyed her warily. "Toss it over."


    He didn''t dare to let here near him. Who knows what kind of trick this sly and conniving woman


    might attempt this time?


    "Sure. Whatever."


    Veronica shrugged helplessly and tossed the ne over to him.


    It flew over, and Nelson reached out to catch it, but just as his eyes focused on the ne, Veronica


    seized the chance to press a button on her watch to shoot a needle at him.


    She moved quickly and saw the needle stabbing him in the chest.


    However, it seemed as if Nelson had been too tense and nervous that he didn''t realize he''d been


    stabbed with a needle.


    Nevertheless, his attention fell back onto Veronica. "What are you doing?"


    Veronica was startled. What''s going on? Didn''t Crayson say the needles were poisoned? Why didn''t it


    do anything?


    "I''m¡­ checking the time." She pointed at her watch. "Since you''re going to kill me, I should at least


    know the time of death, right? Please inform my adoptive parents of my time of death."


    Her heart was pounding wildly.


    "Is that all you have to say? If you''re done, then turn around!" Nelson waved his gun in a circling


    motion.


    Veronica was speechless. What the hell?! I shouldn''t have trusted Crayson!


    She would''ve seized her chance earlier to stab Nelson with her dagger if she didn''t figure it was more


    reliable to kill him off with a single, deadly shot of the poisoned needle.


    Well, she wasted that opportunity.


    She took her own sweet time to drag things out in the hope that she could find a chance to escape.


    "Nelson?" Veronica called out once more.


    "What now?" The man was getting a little impatient.


    "How much did Tanya pay you? I''ll give you double," she said.


    "I owe Queen Tanya my life. I''m sorry. I don''t have a choice."


    "I''m the one who spared your life back at Dawnpol Vige. How can you repay my kindness like this?"


    "I wouldn''t even exist if it weren''t for Queen Tanya, and everything else wouldn''t have happened either."


    Therefore, Veronica''s act of mercy was only possible because Tanya had saved his life first.

 Chapter 912

    Chapter 912


    Chapter 912 Dead


    "Are you trying to get into a debate with me over whether the chicken or the egg came first?" Veronica


    fired back.


    She was still trying to dy him.


    Just then, she noticed that Nelson seemed to be swaying a little. He even rubbed his eyes. "W-What¡­


    did you do to me¡ª"


    Bang!


    Nelson fell to the ground before he could finish speaking.


    As he fell, he fired the gun at Veronica.


    She leaped to the side to dodge the bullet.


    The gunshot echoed in the forest.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Phew¡­"


    Veronica exhaled and walked over to Nelson. She took both her ne and the gun away from him.


    The man was lying weakly on the ground, staring at her in disbelief.


    She felt a little bad for him. After all, it was a life.


    She frowned and said, "If¡­ you have anyst wishes, you can tell me."


    Nelson''s hands were shaking. He tried to grab her but couldn''t muster enough strength to raise his


    hands at all, so he used thest of it to stammer, "I¡­ I¡­ have a younger brother¡­ named Lionel


    Clove."


    "Lionel Clove? Where''s he now?"


    "Q-Queen Tanya¡­ has imprisoned him¡­ If¡­ I don''t¡­ kill you, my younger brother¡­ will die." Blood


    began trickling out of Nelson''s nose. "I beg you¡­ Please¡­ save him."


    Veronica''s heart was heavy.


    She knew neither one of them bore a grudge against the other, but they both had things they had to do.


    Nelson showed her enough kindness. She wouldn''t have been able to attack him if he hadn''t been


    compassionate enough to deliver a token of hers to someone else after her death.


    "Alright. I promise."


    Veronica took his hand. "In your next life, you should just be an ordinary person. You''re not cut out to


    be a killer."


    He''s too kind for the job.


    "It¡­ hurts¡­ so much. P-Please¡­ kill me¡­" By now, blood was beginning to gush out of Nelson''s


    mouth as well. His body was spasming as he stared at Veronica with a look of agony. "Kill me¡­"


    While she didn''t know how much pain he was in, she had a pretty good guess when she saw how


    difficult it was for him to even speak. Tears rolled down his cheeks to join the streams of blood.


    Crayson told Veronica it was a poisoned weapon, so she thought the poison would kill off the other


    person right away.


    However, not only did it not cause death, but it gave the person the most excruciating pain there was


    instead.


    Pain that was worse than death.


    "P-Please¡­ k-kill¡­ me¡­"


    Nelson''s body was still twitching in agony. His face waspletely contorted in pain. Anyone who saw


    him could imagine just how torturous it had to be for him right now.


    Even Veronica could almost feel the pain herself.


    She pointed the gun at his neck and closed her eyes. "I''m sorry. I''ll¡­ definitely save your brother."


    Bang!


    She fired as soon as she finished speaking.


    Then, she walked off without even looking back.


    Her mind was filled with shes of memories as she recalled everything that happened back at


    Dawnpol Vige.


    She''d followed Nelson up the mountain and got bitten by a snake. He could''ve killed her then, but he


    didn''t.


    Later on, when the flood happened, Nelson shoved her into the water, and she dragged him down with


    her. They''d been lucky enough to get back ashore.


    She then came down with a high fever and could barely lift a finger.


    Nelson could''ve chosen to kill her then, but in the end, he simply tossed her into a cave and tended to


    her injuries. He even left her a dagger and a lighter before leaving.


    Rustle.


    Veronica hadn''t gone very far when she heard rustling sounds of people brushing through the forest


    around her.


    Her chest tightened, and she immediately hid behind arge tree.


    At the same time, six assassins swiftly appeared.


    Veronica tossed her bag out, and all at once¡­


    A barrage of gunshots echoed in her ears.

 Chapter 913

    Chapter 913


    Chapter 913 Safely Leaving the Mountain


    Veronica crouched on the ground and turned around before firing the gun four times.


    The gun could hold eight bullets. There were only two bullets left now.


    Once she was done firing, she stood behind the tree and felt the way it shook from the bullets hitting it.


    Her heart squeezed even more tightly.


    From the sounds she heard, she deduced that two of them had fallen.


    Thus, she took a step forward before leaping into the bushes and scampering off.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Gunshots rang out once more.


    "Ugh...¡±


    Veronica had been running as fast as she could when a bullet hit her left arm. She gasped in pain, but


    she was too afraid to stop.


    "Quick! Go after her!"


    "She''s over there!"


    "Hurry up!"


    Veronica didn''t know how many people were chasing after her. All she could do was grit her teeth and


    keep running as fast as she could.


    The forest was filled with all kinds of vegetation, including many that had thorns. Her face was smarting


    from the scratches.


    "Over here, Roni!"


    All of a sudden, someone called out to Veronica. She saw Xavier running over to her. He grabbed her


    by the wrist. "Come with me!"


    "Why did youe back?"


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Veronica stayed close behind Xavier as they ran like the wind.


    "After leaving, I passed by the ce where we''d left Zac, and soon, I heard Liam calling for Nelson. I


    suspected that something was amiss about Nelson and was worried about you, so I came looking for


    you," Xavier exined as he ran.


    After entering the mountain, he kept his guard up against everyone, except for Antheena and Veronica.


    "Do you have a death wish? It''ll be extremely dangerous for you if you stay with me!" Veronica chided.


    "Stop talking and just run!" Xavier didn''t want to answer her question.


    They kept running without stopping for anything.


    Just then, they heard yet another series of gunshots ringing out. This time, it sounded like two opposing


    parties firing at each other.


    Veronica and Xavier slowly came to a stop. They nced behind them before looking at each other.


    "Roni?"


    Skyler stepped out of the forest dressed in camouge.


    He''d appeared so suddenly that Veronica swiftly aimed the gun at him, but once he came close, she


    finally recognized who it was. "Skyler? What are you doing here?"


    Skyler nced at Xavier before his eyes fell on Veronica''s left arm. The bullet had grazed her arm and


    left a wound, but it wasn''t serious.


    "Matt arranged for me to enter the mountain ahead of time to protect you." Skyler pointed behind them.


    "They''ve been dealt with, so you don''t need to worry."


    Veronica wasn''t worried about anyone else but Matthew. "What about Matt? D-Did something happen


    to him?"


    Skyler''s gaze turned grim as he shook his head dispiritedly. "I don''t know, but don''t you worry. Matt''s


    one hell of a lucky guy. Nothing will happen to him."


    Despite being the one who said so, Skyler didn''t feel convinced either.


    Veronica didn''t press the subject. Instead, she asked Skyler, "Did you see Antheena?"


    "A few hours ago. I saw her over there. She''s teamed up with Hendrey Johnson." Skyler pointed east.


    "Xavier..." Veronica turned to Xavier. "Thanks for all your help this whole time. Now that Skyler''s here,


    you don''t need to worry about me. Hurry up and find Antheena."


    Xavier had given her more than enough help, and no matter what, she owed him.


    She didn''t know how to repay him for all the times he saved her.


    Xavier eyed Skyler before nodding. "Alright. I''m leaving her in your care, Skyler."


    "Don''t worry. She''s Roni, my buddy''s wife. I''ll make sure she leaves the mountain safely, even if I have


    to die in the process."

 Chapter 914

    Chapter 914


    Chapter 914 Using Her Weakness


    Skyler patted his chest and promised.


    Still, Xavier''s gaze was clinging to Veronica. He didn''t want to leave her. His eyes were filled with


    complicated emotions¡ªboth love and longing.


    Withplete reluctance, he turned to leave, but after taking a few steps, he stopped and looked back


    at Veronica.


    "You must be careful," Xavier reminded worriedly.


    Veronica gave him a warm smile. "I will. You too."


    They looked at each other. Both harbored a myriad of emotions.


    Skyler couldn''t take it any longer. He took Veronica''s arm and hurried her. "We need to leave right


    away. It''s too dangerous here."


    If she keeps staring at Xavier any longer and gets bewitched by that dashing man.. .Matt''s going to bo


    the one in real danger.


    He had to admit that Xavier was pretty attractive right now.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Even though he had a scar on his face, it looked like a mark of time that gave him an added touch of


    steadiness and mncholy.


    His cool, stoic face and muscr body made him look formidable, and even Skyler couldn''t resist


    taking a second look.


    "Ouch... You pressed my wound!"


    Veronica yelped in pain and red at Skyler before walking off with him.


    Once they were gone, two people stepped out from the trees nearby.


    Dominik''s hands were in his pockets as his haughty gaze trailed after the two people who disappeared


    into the forest. "Here''s your chance for vengeance. Do you have the guts to kill her yourself?"


    Although the person beside him was dressed in a ck tracksuit, the gentle breeze rustled the clothes


    and made her curves noticeable.


    She pressed her cap further down her head as her eyes shed murderously. "I''ve been waiting for this


    moment for a very long time."


    Dominik smirked. "Eat this, and I''ll help you kill her. Then, I''ll help you climb to the top, and we''ll get


    married."


    He passed a small box of medicine to Tiffany as he told her his n.


    Tiffany slowly withdrew her gaze. She took the box from Dominik without hesitation. "You saved me


    from Crayson. My life is yours. I''m willing to sacrifice my life for you if it means Veronica dies, let alone


    eating this medicine."


    She thought she was doomed when Crayson took her away, but when she woke up, she was in a


    secret residence somewhere.


    It was then that she realized Dominik had saved her.


    When everyone found out Tiffany went missing, they thought Crayson had taken her. No one knew that


    Dominik had saved her.


    Even Crayson hadn''t been able to unearth the truth yet.


    Dominik put his hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly. "What are you saying? Why would I let you


    die?"


    He stroked Tiffany''s cheek with his finger as his eyes shed cunningly. "In the future, not only will you


    be my woman, but you''ll also be the head of the n. As long as I''m around, I''ll keep you safe."


    Dominik was an expert in the art of maniption and knew exactly how to use Tiffany''s weakness to


    his advantage.


    After finding out she was disdained by everyone and didn''t receive any warmth or gentleness from


    others, he gave her all the warmth and gentleness she craved. After learning that Veronica was the one


    whom she hated the most, he brought her to the mountain to let her kill Veronica herself.


    Why wouldn''t a woman like her submit to him?


    "Come. Have some water."


    Once Tiffany ate the medicine, Dominik took out a bottle of water and passed it to her.


    Tiffany drank a mouthful and said, "Let''s go."


    She couldn''t wait to kill Veronica.

 Chapter 915

    Chapter 915


    Chapter 915 Arranged an Ambush


    "Let¡¯s go."


    As Dominik and Tiffany tailed Veronica and Skyler, Dominik said, "They''re probably heading out of the


    mountain now. There''s a rocky ne about an hour''s walk away without any trees or vegetation


    around. You''d have a clear view, and the ne drops down into a cliff, so it''s the best spot for you to


    make your move."


    "How long will it take for us to get there again?" Tiffany asked.


    "An hour."


    "An hour?" She was worried that things could go awry if they took too long.


    "I''ve already arranged for people to head over there now and set up an ambush in advance. She won''t


    be able to escape."


    Dominik nned every detail.


    If the n failed, he could use Tiffany as his shield to save his own skin. If the n worked, he would


    use this chance to help Tiffany win the top spot and bring glory to himself.


    Either way, he wouldn''t be losing anything.


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    Tiffany felt genuine gratitude toward Dominik.


    If it weren''t for his help, I''d be nothing but a corpse right now.


    She didn''t know what Crayson''s n was, so this was merely her guess.


    "When it''s just the two of us, you can call me Dorn." He was as gentle as ever as he said to her, "We


    don''t need to be so formal with each other."


    "Well..Tiffany hesitated as she wasn''t used to being on such friendly terms with Dominik, but she


    nodded. "Alright, Dorn."


    "You''re still bleeding. Should we bandage you up first?" Skyler was walking beside Veronica and could


    see the wound on her arm, so he was a little worried.


    "No, it''s fine."


    Matthew was all Veronica could think of. I have to get out of here as soon as possible and find him.


    They kept walking when all of a sudden, Veronica stopped and looked behind her.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Skyler turned around as well, but all he saw were weeds, thorny branches, and more weeds.


    "I keep getting the feeling that we''re being followed."


    The uneasy feeling made her tense.


    However, after scrutinizing the forest around them, they didn''t see anything unusual.


    "Don''t overthink it. Nothing will happen to you. Not when I''m around."


    Skyler elbowed her and smirked as he teased, "It''s not like you to be so cautious and frightened. Don''t


    you remember the first time we met at Twilight Condominium? You threw me over the shoulder. It was


    so painful, you know. My butt was still sore a few dayster."


    Too much had happened today, so Skyler thought Veronica was simply getting too jittery due to her


    fear.


    He figured she was under too much pressure from the fear she felt. That was why he brought up the


    past. He cracked a joke to lighten the mood.


    "Did I? I can barely remember that."


    Veronica nced at Skyler, and after casting onest uneasy nce behind them, she carried on


    walking.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    "All you can think about is Matt. Why would you remember me?" Skyler shook his head disdainfully.


    "By the way, if you''re here, where''s Shirley?"


    "Shirley''s at One Piece Restaurant. Matt''s people are there, so she''ll be safe."


    "Do you genuinely have feelings for her?"


    Veronica rarely had the chance to converse with Skyler, so she got straight to the point. "Shirley started


    working with me the moment she graduated college. She''s like a sister to me, so if you ever hurt her or


    betray her in any way, I won''t forgive you!"


    Shirley was too innocent. Veronica couldn''t help but worry.


    "Of course. I''m serious about my rtionship with her," Skyler firmly dered with no trace of his earlier


    teasing self.


    They kept chatting as they walked. Finally, when they saw that they had arrived at a rocky ne, they


    stopped.


    "Let''s go around it. There''s nothing here that can be used as a cover. We''d be sitting ducks if someone


    wanted to ambush us," Veronica suggested.

 Chapter 916

    Chapter 916


    Chapter 916 One After Another


    "That''s what I was going to say."


    Skyler grinned at Veronica and stuck his thumb up. "Not bad. I underestimated you."


    He used to think that Veronica was an average woman who wasn''t good enough for Matthew.


    Now, he realized how shallow his assessment of her had been.


    "Let''s take a detour upward," Veronica said as she headed up the mountain to avoid the rocky ne.


    Just then, an unusualmotion rang out. It sounded as if a group of people was mbering through


    the vegetation. The rustling sounds were very exceptionally easy to catch.


    Veronica and Skyler nced in the direction where the sounds came from and exchanged looks before


    breaking off into a run.


    "Roni!"


    All of a sudden, Mateo shot out of nowhere. He stood in front of Veronica and waved her over. "Come


    with me."


    He nced at Skyler before swiftly withdrawing his gaze without saying anything.


    Skyler knew who Mateo was, too, so he didn''t ask any questions.


    "Quick. They''re nning an ambush," Mateo pressed.


    Veronica nodded and turned to Skyler. "Let''s go."


    "Yeah," Skyler replied.


    The trio began running up the mountain.


    Dominik and Tiffany spotted everything from their position nearby, and Dominik said, "Your chance to


    seek vengeance is upon you. I will get someone to lure the two men away. I''ll leave the rest to you.


    Don''t let me down."


    Tiffany clenched her fists as she red balefuUy at the three people who were running away. She


    nodded staunchly. "I won''t let you down."


    Dominik patted her on the shoulder. "I can''t be seen. You go ahead."


    How could Prince Dominik of the hidden n show up at a time like this?


    He made sure he could extract himself from the situation if necessary.


    If Tiffany failed, then the fact that he exposed himself would only bring him trouble.


    "Alright"


    Tiffany looked over at the man beside her. "Wait for me. I''ll bring you good news."


    With that, she rushed off to chase after Veronica.


    It was as if she couldn''t wait to stab Veronica in the heart at once.


    Once Tiffany was far enough, Dominik took out a bamboo whistle about the size of a thumb and blew it


    three times.


    It made the sound of a bird that didn''t seem at all suspicious in the forest.


    After all, there were all kinds of birds up on the mountain. Everyone was numbed to the sound of bird


    calls.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    As soon as Dominik gave the signal, the people lying in wait for the ambush immediately went after


    Veronica.


    Though, they didn''t go very far before they were stopped by the people Mateo arranged. Soon, the din


    of an intense fight could be heard.


    Even though they heard the sounds, the three didn''t stop running. Instead, they picked up speed.


    Just then, yet another group of people started closing in on them.


    Mateo slowed down. "Roni, leave with Skyler. I''ll dy them."


    "Okay."


    Veronica knew she was the target, so if she didn''t leave, she''d only drag Mateo into the mess. She


    looked at him with aplicated gaze. "Be careful."


    "Don''t worry. Nothing will happen to me."


    Mateo''s smile was bright and sunny, just like his personality. It was very healing to see.


    "Let''s go, Skyler."


    Veronica signaled Skyler with a look, and they quickly ran off.


    Although Mateo hung back to dy the enemy, a new group of people started closing in on the two


    soon after.


    This time, Skyler chose to buy Veronica time. He passed her a key and something else. "When you get


    out of the mountain, keep walking north for about half a mile, and you''ll see a green SUV. It¡¯s


    bulletproof. Once you leave, don''t look back."

 Chapter 917

    Chapter 917


    Chapter 917 Tiffany Gets Injured


    "Take this too. Keep it wrapped around your waist. There are 24 darts in it. Matt told me to prepare it for


    you. He said this is what you''re most proficient in using."


    Skyler took out arge sheepskin roll from his bag and passed it to her.


    Veronica took it from him and saw that it was filled with glistening silver darts.


    Matthew had prepared all of this for her.


    He''s the one who understands me the best.


    Veronica didn''t dare to waste any time. She tied the sheepskin roll tightly around her waist.


    "Be careful, Skyler. Don''t forget that Shirley''s still waiting for you," she said.


    While speaking, a few men came over and guarded Skyler among them. They looked ready for battle.


    Veronica knew that these were Matthew''s people. They''d been following them the whole time.


    Matthew nned everything to ensure she would be safe, but he forgot to n for himself.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    "Leave! Don''t dally any longer," Skyler growled. "We can handle it. Hurry up and go."


    "Okay. Be careful."


    Veronica began running off again.


    Without her backpack, she was able to weave through the forest a lot quicker this time.


    While sprinting, she used her arms to block the thorny vegetation in front of her to avoid getting injured.


    The wind whistled in her ear with the sounds of the fight happening lower down the mountain mixed in.


    She knew it was bound to happen, but she didn''t expect it to be this intense.


    Veronica''s only goal right now was to leave this mountain. Once she got out, she''d be safe.


    Out of the blue, five people appeared in front of her.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    Tiffany was in the lead, and there were four men in ck behind her. Their muscles bulged against


    their thin clothes.


    Veronica came to an abrupt halt. She eyed Tiffany coldly. "What are you doing here?"


    Didn''t Crayson take her away to seal her memories? Judging by her reaction, she doesn''t look like


    she''d undergone a memory seal.


    "Hmph! I''m here to send you to the afterlife, of course."


    Tiffany snorted icily before she smirked. "I told you, Veronica. Sooner orter, you''ll die at my hands."


    She didn''t want to waste any more of her breath on Veronica, so she waved to the men behind her. "Kill


    her."


    Veronica saw the four men slowly raising their guns, so she swiftly dodged to the side and shot out a


    few darts from the roll around her waist.


    "Argh!"


    "Ouch. It hurts¡­"


    Bang! Bang!


    Veronica jumped behind arge boulder. When shended, she heard gunshots ringing out.


    Three of the four men had fallen, and Tiffany had been hit by a dart, too.


    They''dpletely underestimated Veronica. They never thought she''d be able to take out three of


    them in an instant.


    Veronica''s heart was pounding as she hid behind the boulder and listened to the sounds of the bullets


    ricocheting off the boulder. She got down to hide behind the tall vegetation.


    After lying down on the grass, she tried to see them, but the grass hid them from view.


    However, it also meant they couldn''t see her, either.


    The gunfire stopped as they seemed to start looking for her.


    Just then, Tiffany shrieked, "Don''t be a chicken, Veronica! Come on out if you''re so great! You¡ª"


    By tracking the direction of Tiffany''s voice, Veronica pinpointed the location and fired the gun.


    She only had two bullets in the gun, so she couldn''t afford to waste them.

 Chapter 918

    Chapter 918


    Chapter 918 Her Miserable Life


    After Veronica fired the shot, she didn''t hear anything but pained groans.


    She waited for a few seconds until she was sure she wouldn''t be in any danger before slowly getting


    up.


    She saw the men lying motionless on the ground while Tiffany was leaning against a tree.


    Three of the men were either dead or unconscious. The only one who was still conscious weakly


    grappled with his gun to shoot Veronica when he saw her.


    However, Veronica didn''t give him a chance. With a flick of her hand, a dart struck him in the neck and


    stabbed him in his main artery.


    "Ugh¡­" the man groaned as blood gushed out. Even his mouth was filled with blood. He jerked a few


    times before flopping dead on the ground.


    Tiffany was pale as she witnessed the whole thing. She was so terrified that she froze for a while


    before she finally regained her senses and snatched up a gun to point it at Veronica. "Don''t move, or I''ll


    kill¡ªAargh!"


    She didn''t even get to finish her sentence when Veronica threw yet another dart at her. This time, the


    dart stabbed her in her shoulder. She shrieked in pain and dropped the gun.


    "You really overestimate yourself."


    Veronica slowly walked over and retrieved the darts. After wiping the darts clean of blood with the


    men''s clothes, she stuffed the darts back into the sheepskin roll.


    "If you''re so great, then I dare you not to use a hidden weapon, Veronica! What a coward! Is that all you


    got?"


    Tiffany knew Veronica was a decent fighter but didn''t expect thetter to get rid of four men so easily.


    She grumbled at the fact that Dominik had given her such lousy people to help her.


    Veronica straightened up, only to realize that her left arm had been injured at some point.


    She''d been so tense earlier to notice.


    After taking a roll of bandage out of her pocket, she began tending to her injury as she eyed Tiffany.


    "You won''t give up until you die, huh? Tiffany, what gives you the confidence toe after me, time


    and time again?"


    When the bandage touched the wound, Veronica frowned in pain. Eventually, she finished wrapping


    her wound and gripped one end with her mouth while tying a knot with her other hand.


    Once she was done tending to her injury, she walked over to Tiffany and looked down at her. "I''ve given


    you so many chances, but you still don''t know what''s good for you!"


    "Hah! I don''t know what''s good for me?! Don''t you know I''m not supposed to exist just because you do?


    Why''s that?! Why have none of you ever asked about my opinion?! Why do you get to decide my


    existence?!"


    All of Tiffany''s anger and resentment exploded out of here. "Ever since I was a child, I mastered


    everything from chess to drawing to music and even calligraphy! I was the most beloved woman in all


    of Bloomstead! Everyone thought of me as the most talented girl and considered me a role model! And


    yet, just because of you¡­ because you showed up, I became nothing but a joke! You''re the reasonN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    why Matthew hates me! You''re the reason why he ruined my life! So, tell me why I shouldn''t hate you!


    Not only do I hate you, but I also want to kill you! All I dream about is killing you!"


    She looked pathetic as she sat there on the ground, clutching her wounded shoulder and screaming at


    the top of her lungs despite her pain. It was as if she were making onest struggle before death.


    Just then, she nced behind Veronica.


    It was the briefest of nces as she quickly withdrew her gaze and got back on her feet with great


    difficulty.


    "Hahaha¡­ Hahaha¡­ Veronica¡­ today¡­ we¡­" In Tiffany''s present state, the simple act of standing


    was as hard as climbing the tallest mountain in the world.


    She had to rely on the tree trunk behind her to straighten up.


    All the color had drained out of her face. Her forehead was drenched in sweat, and blood was trickling


    out of the corner of her lips.

 Chapter 919

    Chapter 919


    Chapter 919 Tiffany Dies


    Tiffany''s shoulder injury was quite severe, but as she was dressed in ck, no one could tell how badly


    she was bleeding.


    However, if one were to press their hand against the wound, their hand would be covered in blood.


    That was the only way of knowing just how serious her injury was.


    "One of us won''t be living past today, Veronica. Hahaha¡­ Just wait¡­"


    Tiffany cackled like a lunatic.


    Just then, Veronica lunged to her left and rolled on the ground as she shot off two darts.


    At the same time, a gunshot rang out.


    The bullet came flying toward the spot where Veronica had been standing earlier, but because she


    moved away, it hit Tiffany right in the heart instead.


    "Ugh¡­" Tiffany groaned as she spat out a mouthful of blood.


    She leaned limply against the tree and stared at the man in front of her in disbelief. Though she opened


    her mouth to speak, the blood made it hard to decipher what she said.


    Tiffany couldn''t resign herself to this oue. She slowly turned her head to take onest look at


    Veronica¡­


    Even now, she couldn''t understand how Veronica had managed to realize that someone was behind


    her and how she''d skillfully dodged the bullet.


    Tiffany lost. It was well and truly over, but she couldn''t ept this. She refused to ept this! She


    refused to die in discontent!


    Bang! Bang!


    Two more shots rang out as Dominik fired the gun at Tiffany twice.


    Tiffany could''ve lived, but after his additional shots, there was no longer any hope of survival.


    Her eyes went wide as she stared at the man in shock.


    Just a while ago, he said he would protect her and keep her safe.


    Yet, he was killing her off himself now.


    It was all too sudden, whichpletely caught her off guard.


    The pain seemed to numb everything else.


    Tiffany no longer had any strength left to stand. She fell sideways to the ground.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Just before she hit the ground, her vision grew blurry, and her ears no longer heard anything. The light


    seemed to prick her eyes.


    When she fell to the ground, her eyes remained wide open as blood trickled out of her mouth. Her body


    tried to twitch as if trying to struggle for survival, but only her fingers trembled slightly.


    Tiffany could sense her life fading away. She was going through the despair of someone on the verge


    of death.


    Her lips curved into a hopeless, self-deprecating smile. She''d fought all her life to fulfill her stubborn,


    competitive streak, but she''d ended up with nothing.


    When she discovered she existed only to die in ce of Veronica, she realized that her life was a joke.


    She refused to give in to fate. She tried her best to fight back and get away from her shackles to carve


    out a new life for herself.


    However, in the end, she realized that everything she did was pointless.


    She couldn''t win against Veronica. She couldn''t win the affection of others. She couldn''t win enough to


    feel secure. She couldn''t win herself a future.


    If there was next life¡­


    If she were to live again, she didn''t want to be a human this time.


    Being a human hurt too much¡­ It was far too torturous.


    Meanwhile, Veronica was a few yards away. She watched as Tiffany fell to the ground, and she slowly


    got to her feet while eyeing Dominik with aplicated look.


    "You''re quite agile, Miss Murphy. I just wanted to save you and kill Tiffany, you know. I didn''t expect


    you''d throw a dart at me. What''s that all about? Is this¡­ how you repay me? You''re like the snake who


    bit the farmer."


    Dominik was clutching his abdomen, which had been hit by the dart, staring at Veronica with an


    exasperated look.


    Veronica dusted herself off before looking apologetically at him. "Oops, sorry about that. I thought you


    were an enemy."


    Though, she wasn''t wrong about that.


    When Tiffany''s expression turned smug after inadvertently looking behind Veronica, thetter knew that


    Tiffany''s help had arrived.


    She simply didn''t expect that person to be Dominik.


    s, this man''s too smart. He even shot Tiffany twice to prove his innocence, which also gives him the


    chance to turn things around and question me for injuring him.

 Chapter 920

    Chapter 920


    Chapter 920 Treating a Wound


    She pitied Tiffany, for she trusted those who deserved no trust, so she met a tragic end. Still, Veronica


    was d that she was fast. If she had not moved away soon enough, Dominik would have killed her as


    well. Fortunately, he failed. She went up to him and stared into his eyes. "Tuck that gun away. I''ll deal


    with your wound."


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Dominik was sitting on the ground, leaning on a tree. He looked at his gun and smiled resignedly.


    "Worried I might shoot you again?"


    "The treatment''s gonna hurt, so take this." She handed him a wooden stick. "Don''t want you to hurt


    yourself with that gun." She snatched his gun away before he could say anything, then she stuffed the


    stick into his hand. "If you can''t take the pain, try biting the stick. It''ll work."


    "Sure." He nodded, a gentle smile curling his lips. Most people would let their guard down around him,


    given that he looked like a good guy, but he had a dark heart and an even darker soul.


    Veronica crouched and whipped out a dagger. She tore open his clothes, revealing his muscles


    underneath. "There were a few pricks on the dagger, and we need to take those out. Otherwise, they''ll


    dig into your flesh as you walk and kill you," she said. "I''ll cut your wound open. It''s going to hurt, so


    hold it in."


    "Do it. I can take the pain," Dominik said.


    She cocked her eyebrow, and her eyes glinted before she shed his wound open. It was a precise


    sh, but she did it slowly. He gnashed his teeth, clenching down on the stick while shivering in pain.


    "Don''t move." She smirked, making a cross near the dart. She shed once horizontally and vertically.


    It was not a big wound, but she deepened the gash.


    Blood flowed out of the wound and caused Dominik''s forehead to be drenched in perspiration. His face


    was pale, and his veins popped. Slowly, Veronica''s anger faded. You deserve this, you b*stard.


    She said, "Hold it in. I''ll take them out soon."


    "Just¡­ do¡­ it!" His teeth chattered, his body shivering. Every cell in his body was screaming in pain


    and talking alone took everything he had.


    That''s all you can take? Veronica sneered and slowly pulled the dart out. It was drenched in blood, and


    a drop of red hung from its tip, slowly dripping. "Done." She held the dart and wiped the blood off his


    clothes before she tucked it in the parchment around her waist. "Any blood stopper?" She rummaged


    through his pack.


    "Yes," he uttered through the pain.


    She searched through the pack and found some blood stoppers and bandages. Then, she pulled his


    shirt up and poured some powder over his wound, then he leaned over and wrapped the bandage


    around his waist.


    While she was treating him, Dominik looked at her with murder in his gaze. He knew Veronica put him


    through that much pain on purpose. Slowly, he moved his hand behind and held the hilt of the dagger


    he was hiding as he looked away.

 Chapter 921

    Chapter 921


    Chapter 921 Stopped


    Noticing him moving around, Veronica barked, "Don''t move! I''m bandaging you!"


    Dominik stopped moving right away. When she finally finished bandaging him up, he had lost his


    chance to attack her. "No wonder you''re the prince. You sure can take a hit." She moved backward and


    sat down to heal up, smirking at the prince.


    He looked at her hands, and once again, he was impressed by her skill set. "You were born and raised


    in Bloomstead. Where did you learn how to shoot? Aside from the hidden n and Castron, no nation


    would allow its citizens to have any firearms."


    "There''s something called a shooting range," said Veronica as she uncapped Dominik''s water bottle.


    She poured some water out to wash her hands. The blood that drenched her hands was annoying her,


    so she wanted to wash them all away. "You can''t move now that you''re hurt, so just sit around. I''ll fire a


    signal. Someone''s bound to save you."


    She would not go anywhere with Dominik, for he was a dangerous and badly injured man. If anything


    were to happen to him when she was with him, she could never wash the suspicion off.


    She whipped out her signal gun and fired a shot into the sky. The shot bloomed into a green firework,


    hanging in the air for a while. The royalty of the hidden n used green signal res to make it easier


    to differentiate.


    Dominik looked at her for a moment, then he shook his head and smiled. I''ve underestimated her


    capabilities.


    "What are youughing at?" She wondered why he was smiling.


    "No. Just feels like I''m knowing you for the first time again," he said weakly.


    She got what he meant, but she said nothing. "Get some rest. I''m leaving." She pointed at the gun on


    the ground. "You don''t need this anymore, so I''m taking it." She took it before he could even give her


    permission, then she smiled. "See you." She walked into the woods and disappeared a whileter.


    Once she was gone, a pair of men came out and stood before Dominik. "Do you need us to take her


    out, Your Highness?"


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Dominik was leaning against a tree, and he looked in the direction where Veronica left. He stared at the


    ground for a moment before ordering, "Take me home."


    I can''t kill her easily as she is now. I should preserve my strength and go with the flow.


    An hourter, Mateo and Skyler met up with Veronica. They ran into three more waves of enemies, but


    they managed to clear them out and left the mountains before sundown. Before they could leave,


    Mateo stopped her. "You can''t leave yet, Roni."


    "Why?"


    "Grandpa''s orders. You must get first ce in this event," he exined. That was a message from


    Crayson.


    Skyler flew into a rage. "What the f*ck are you talking about? She almost got killed, and you want her to


    take first ce? Do you guys want to see her dead or something?" He saw what Veronica had to go


    through in the mountains, and he did not like how she was treated.


    "This is our n''s business, not yours," Mateo rebutted.


    Veronica nodded. "You''re right."


    "What''s that supposed to mean, Roni?" Skyler bristled. "What am I, the next-door neighbor?"

 Chapter 922

    Chapter 922


    Chapter 922 A Tragic Life


    If he had known that was what Veronica thought of him, he would not havee all the way here and


    risked his life for her.


    She nced at Skyler and told Mateo, "I''m not part of your n, so your n''s business has nothing to


    do with him and me."


    Ha. I knew she wouldn''t forget about me.


    "I''m sorry, but Grandpa said I must keep you in the mountains until they present you with the prey, no


    matter what." Mateo stopped her until all six of his men showed up.


    Twenty minutester, all seven of them, including Mateo, were defeated and tied to the trees.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "If you want to wait, you can wait by yourself." Veronica heaved a sigh and looked at him. "Tell Crayson


    he will never control me. I will never be his puppet. Tiffany is dead, and your grandfather is the reason


    for it!"


    Without his stupid n, Tiffany would never have existed. Crayson not only tried to control her life, but


    he also controlled Tiffany''s life as well. However, Veronica was an opinionated rebel, and so was


    Tiffany. Unfortunately, Tiffany did not have the love and protection of Matthew.


    If Matthew had thought that Tiffany was the one who saved his life, he would have fallen in love with


    her, and Veronica might have been the one to die. Tiffany''s existence and her whole life were a tragedy.


    Veronica despised her, but when she saw Tiffany hit the ground dead, she had nothing but pity for her.


    Tiffany existed for her, and she died because of her.


    After they got out of the mountains, Skyler drove, while Veronica took the passenger seat and had a


    break. With that, they made their way to the pce. He could not help but ask, "Why''d Crayson kill


    Tiffany?"


    "Because¡­" She told him about Tiffany''s story. "Crayson might not have been directly involved in her


    death, but he indirectly was. He created her and pushed her to her death for his n." A long sigh


    escaped her lips, and she nced outside the window. "If I were in her ce, I''d probably end up in a


    simr circumstance."


    "I don''t think so." Skyler did not share her views. "You''re smarter and less greedy than she was. You


    wouldn''t have died." He had faith in her.


    Veronica did not argue, nor did she bother with that. She knew she might be smart, but everything she


    knew now was taught by Crayson. Without his teachings, she was just a regr human who could do


    nothing in the face of these enemies, let alone engage in a Game of Thrones with them. Tiffany was


    but a sacrifice in this game, so she thought it was pitiable.


    Two hourster, they came to the pce, where Veronica told the guards who she was. She demanded


    to see Eleanor, but the guard answered, "Her Highness is not in."


    "She''s not in?" She wondered if the guard was telling the truth, doubling on her worry.

 Chapter 923

    Chapter 923


    Chapter 923 Not Found


    "Yes. Her Highness isn''t back from the hunt yet," informed the guard rather genuinely.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Veronica paused for a moment, then she looked at Skyler nervously.


    "Let''s go." He gave her a look.


    After they left, she became deep in thought. "Matt and Eleanor probably got into trouble, or he would''ve


    come to me by now." They''re both missing, so where could they be? "To One Piece Restaurant," she


    said.


    They drove to their destination, and Veronica leaned on the seat with her eyes closed, analyzing the


    problem at hand.


    "Roni, he might still be in the mountains." Skyler guessed.


    She shook her head. "No way."


    "Why?"


    "We''ve been battling since afternoon, and it was a bigmotion. He must''ve heard it, and he would


    come as fast as he could, but he didn''t. That proves he''s hurt."


    After a bit of analysis, she was sure of her guess, but¡­ "But Eleanor likes him, and now, she''s saved


    his life, so I''m a bit worried." She heaved a sigh and massaged her temples. That was a dilemma.


    "If she likes him and has saved him, then he''ll be fine. What''s there to worry about?"


    "Because¡­" Veronica went silent for a while. She pursed her lips and heaved a sigh. "Because the


    hidden n has a technique that can seal someone''s memory. If Eleanor uses that to get her hands on


    Matt¡­" She chortled, something squeezing her heart.


    She did not finish her sentence, but Skyler got the message. He drove on carefully and nced at her,


    but it was night and dark outside, so he could not see the look on her face. "Well¡­ Cheer up a little.


    Sure, he might be a charmer, but he''s already married and a father of two. Eleanor won''t fall for him."


    He chuckled and tried his best to liven things up. "You overestimate Matthew''s charm."


    In reality, Skyler was worried as well. He was a doctor, so he did not think the idea of sealing


    someone''s memory was a joke. Even outside of the hidden n, there were ways to seal someone''s


    memory, and inserting a chip into someone''s brain could mess their memories up. It sounded ludicrous,


    but it was true.


    Problem was, erasing someone''s memories or creating fake memories required a great price, a cost


    that the hidden n would pay, which worried him. "Besides, I''m a doctor. Even if he does lose his


    memory, I can help him out," he said. It was an exaggeration, but he needed to say that to calm


    Veronica down.


    Hearing that, she remained silent. An hourter, they arrived at One Piece Restaurant. They parked


    their car and knocked on the door before heading inside.


    "Miss Murphy? You''re early." Lazlo was the one who opened the door. He and his team knew of the


    hunting festival, and One Piece Restaurant sent some of their men to hide in the mountains a week


    ago.


    "How many of you guys are remaining?" Veronica went inside with a question.


    "Roni? Sky?" Shirley could not sleep, so she was in the lounge chatting with Lazlo until the two showed


    up.

 Chapter 924

    Chapter 924


    Chapter 924 A Visit to the Residence


    Veronica forced a smile and went up to Shirley. "You''re still up. It''ste."


    Shirley looked at Skyler and realized there was a dark look on his face as he stared at Lazlo with fury in


    his eyes. Did he take this the wrong way?


    Ignoring that, she went up to Veronica and hugged her. "It''s good to see you in one piece."


    The hug touched Veronica''s wound, prompting her to draw a sharp breath.


    "What''s wrong?" asked Skyler and Shirley in unison.


    Veronica answered, "Got hurt earlier."


    "Why didn''t you say anything?" He went ahead and dragged Shirley away. Then, he stood before


    Veronica and checked her out before realizing that her left sleeve had a different color than the other


    parts of her shirt, with a big hole in it. He frowned and shot her a look. She sure can endure. This is a


    big wound, and she still fought with me earlier, and I didn''t even realize anything.


    "Shirley, get the medical kit," he said.


    She nodded. "Sure. You and Roni sit down while I get the stuff. Lazlo, get some water for them." She


    went to the counter and rummaged through the drawer for a medical kit.


    Veronica waved everyone down. "This is nothing. Lazlo, stop whatever you''re doing and get your men


    to find out where Matt is." She wore a look of worry and solemnity on her face.


    Knowing how serious things were, Lazlo responded, "A second. I''ll summon them right away."


    While he was gathering his men, Shirley had already returned with the medical kit. Skyler cut


    Veronica''s shirt open with a pair of scissors, revealing her wound. This is bad.


    "If Matthew knows you''re this badly wounded, he''ll kill me." He joked.


    Veronica nced at her wound. "If he can show up, that is."


    "D-Did something happen to him?" asked Shirley, who finally noticed something wrong. When Skyler


    shot her a look, she shut up and sat down, never asking any questions again.


    Following that, he whipped out some anesthetic and injected it into Veronica''s arm before extracting the


    bullet from her wound. He then sewed the wound shut, rubbed some salve on it, and bandaged it all in


    one go.


    Thanks to the anesthetic, Veronica felt no pain and praised his skills. "No wonder they call you a


    genius. It''s a pity that you don''t want to be a doctor."


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    "I used to love being one, but then the politics and the industry''s capitalistic tendencies ruined my


    passion, so I changed my career," Skyler spoke of his past to divert her attention so she would not


    keep worrying about Matthew.


    The customers for One Piece Restaurant appeared a whileter. Veronica told them about Matthew''s


    condition, and they left the ce to start their investigations. Every single one of them was a pro, so


    they would find something.


    Shirley made a cup of hot tea for Veronica. "You should drink something, Roni. We can leave


    everything for tomorrow." She ced another cup of tea before Skyler. "You too."


    "Sure," he responded. He picked the cup up and thought it was hot. "Anything warm?"


    "Yes." Shirley nodded and proffered them two sses of warm water.

 Chapter 925

    Chapter 925


    Chapter 925 A Couple Alone


    She sat in front of Skyler and asked, "Are you hurt?"


    "Are you worried about me?" He wrapped his arm around her neck, openly flirting with her.


    She turned red and pushed him away. "Stop messing around."


    "You''re my girlfriend. I can hug you. Honestly, even if I were to have sex with you right here right now,


    nobody can fault me," he said without holding back. The girl turned so red that she might as well be an


    apple at that point.


    "Will you shut it? Roni is here. You''re such a perv." She pouted and shot him a look.


    He rested his elbows on the table and cocked his eyebrow, then he smirked. "Roni''s already a mother


    of two. So what if she''s here?"


    That''s not what I meant.


    Veronica was amused by the couple''s antics. "Get some rest while we wait for Matt''s news." She rose


    to her feet and went upstairs.


    In contrast, Skyler did not move. Only after Veronica had gotten into the elevator did he wrap his arm


    around Shirley''s neck and pull her into his embrace. "You were bold. It''s only been one night, and you


    were already flirting with Lazlo? What am I, a chopped liver?"


    Shirley scrunched her face up and thumped his chest. "What are you talking about? I was just worried,


    and it kept me up, so I wanted to do some chores to divert my attention. Otherwise¡­" She hung her


    head low. "You''ve been out for nearly two days. I was worried."Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    She spoke softly, her cheeks red and filled with worry. He loved seeing her like this, but he did not want


    her to worry, so he raised her chin and pressed his lips against hers. It was a quick peck. "I''ve missed


    you too." He picked her up in a princess hold and quickly went to the elevator. Then, he pressed the


    button and went into the other elevator.


    After the doors were closed, he pinned Shirley against the doors and leaned down for a kiss. An


    intense kiss was as zing as a ball of mes. It made her so dizzy that she did not even realize they


    had emerged from the elevator. Subsequently, he took her into a room and closed the door before


    heading into the bedroom and pinning her down on the bed. "I''ve missed you, Shir."


    She was red and drowning in love, unable to get up. She heaved a sigh and bit her lip. "I''ve missed you


    ¡ª"


    Before she could finish, Skyler pressed his lips against hers. He tried to unbutton her clothes, but it was


    getting tricky, so he cursed, "Dammit." The sound of fabric tearing ripped through the air as he tore her


    clothes apart.


    The sudden rampage caught her by surprise, and it was not until they had be one that she


    snapped out of it. They went crazy, and he devoured her without leaving anything behind. The ecstasy


    from the deed sent her to the heaven of climax, and she loved every moment of it.


    He looked at her and smirked before stopping intentionally. "So, this is the real you, Shir."


    Being forced to stop in the middle of a climax annoyed her, and she clutched the nket with one hand


    and held Skyler''s arm with the other. She whispered, "Sky¡­"


    "What is it?" he asked, pretending to be serious.


    "I¡­ I¡­ You¡­" She blushed as there were some things that she could not bring herself to say. Her face


    looked like a peach, and it was adorable.

 Chapter 926

    Chapter 926


    Chapter 926 Her n


    "What''s wrong, Shir? Feeling unwell?" Skyler rested one arm beside her and yed with her ear.


    "Y-You''re so bad!" She was angry and embarrassed, but she could not hold her lust in anymore, so she


    started crying.


    "Oh, why are you crying?" He smirked and leaned down. "You want it?"


    "Yes." She sobbed.


    "What do you mean by yes?" He teased her again.


    "I¡­ I want it."


    "Want what?"


    "It."


    "Well, I can''t just give it to you. Why don''t you do it yourself?" Shirley''s tears excited Skyler, so he kept


    teasing her.


    "I¡­ I don''t know how to do it."


    "It''s alright. I can teach you." He held her and switched positions, tutoring her on the right way to do it.


    They then resumed their deed happily.


    On the other hand, Veronica was worried sick. After she took a shower, she sat on her bed, feeling so


    tense that she could not even sleep. She had no idea where Matthew was. Even when she wanted to


    track him down through technology, she was clueless about how to use the hidden n''s tech because


    of herck of proficiency in theirnguage. Unfortunately, she was at a disadvantage.


    She sat before herputer, and it was 3.00AM. She wanted to call Crayson, but he would tell her to


    stay in the mountains and keep up the hunt instead of searching for Matthew. She hated how


    powerless she felt at that moment, but she could not do anything about it. In the end, she still phoned


    Crayson up.


    A few beepster, he took the call. "Veronica? Where are you?" He was surprised that she called. If


    she was in the mountains, she could not have made any calls. The fact she was calling meant she was


    no longer there.


    "I''m not in the mountains anymore. Matthew is badly hurt, and Eleanor saved him. I need you to find


    where he is." She came clean.


    Crayson flew into a rage. "What are you doing? Do you know what this festival means? You left the


    mountains just to save him? Are you mad? Do you have any idea how much time, money, and effort


    your mother and I spent just to make you champion?" he roared, which was something he rarely did.


    Veronica knew he would get angry, so she calmly replied, "I know. I know the only thing you care about


    is the position as head of the n, but the only thing I care about is Matthew. Find him in twenty-four


    hours. Once I see him, I''ll head back into the mountains and continue your n. If you can''t find him,


    then I''m afraid someone else will be the champion when I return."


    It was both the truth and a threat. There was a secret passage on the mountains she could take where


    no guards would see her. Since Veronica was not giving Crayson much time, there was only enough for


    him to weigh his options.


    A long silence followed before hepromised. "Fine." He then hung up.


    At the same time, Hayley was discussing her ns with the Elrod elders in her vi. She and Crayson


    had not been sleeping for two days just to talk about the hunting festival. When she heard the call, she


    knew what was going on. "Veronica got out of the mountains?"


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    The furious old man mmed his phone on the couch. "She''s useless! Matthew is all she cares about!"


    "She''s married to him, and they have kids together. Of course, she cares about him, but¡­" She paused


    and looked at Crayson.


    Their eyes met, and he said, "He said Matthew''s hurt, and Eleanor saved him. So, that chopper was


    there to take him away, I presume. No wonder Eleanor liked to go near him so much. I think she


    probably knows who he is."


    "Yes." Hayley nodded. "I''ve realized Eleanor looks at Matthew differently. Now that I think of it, she


    probably likes him."

 Chapter 927

    Chapter 927


    Chapter 927 Sleepless Night


    Crayson said, "That proves that Matthew is badly hurt."


    Hayley asked, "Is it caused by your weapons?"


    "If that''s the case, then his survival chances are slim. Veronica said she wouldn''t go into the mountains


    unless she sees Matthew, and this is going to put a wrench in our ns." He analyzed.


    The elders nodded in agreement, whereas one of them said, "It''s alright. Eleanor''s out of the


    mountains, so even if Veronica doesn''t get first ce, it won''t hurt us much."


    "True."


    "He''s right."


    "Matthew''s the biggest obstacle in our n. He needs to die for our n to work."


    Everyone started discussing.


    Crayson''s face fell, and he stroked his beard. "She''ll hate us even more if we do that." He looked at


    Hayley, worried that this might put a strain on her rtionship with Veronica.


    Hayley stated, "If he dies, then no one would know we killed him¡ªnot even Veronica. She won''t hate


    us. Without Matthew''s protection, she will need to rely on us."


    Someone nodded. "Madam Hayley is right. His death brings nothing but benefits for us."


    "Yeah."


    "Waylen, she said Eleanor took him away, didn''t she? Send your men over to take him out and be done


    with it."


    "If he is poisoned by your stuff, then he won''t survive the night, but what if he''s just injured and not


    poisoned?"


    "You need to order your men to get a clearer picture. If he''s just injured, we need to take him out, or it''d


    be bad."


    ¡­


    Back in One Piece Restaurant, Veronica waited momentarily before calling Lazlo. Once the call went


    through, she instructed, "Get your men to keep an eye on Crayson, especially if he sent his men out.


    Report back to me if he does anything." She added, "Send one-third of your men to search for


    Matthew, and the rest will keep an eye on Crayson and Hayley."


    "Got it, Miss Murphy." Lazlo hung up and went to carry out his orders without question.


    After the phone call, she closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. "I wonder if that''s the right decision."


    She had no idea if taking the risk and telling Crayson that Matthew was hurt was the right thing to do,


    but he was the best bet she had. No matter how powerful Matthew was, he was no match for Crayson''s


    forces as long as he was in the hidden n.


    He and Destiny came up with a n to kill Matthew. Now that he was badly hurt, Crayson might kill


    him, unless he and Hayley cared about her getting first ce in the hunting festival, that was. Either


    way, Crayson would send his men to search for Matthew.


    As long as her forces followed Crayson''s men, she would know where Matthew was once they found


    him. Then, she could strike and find Matthew as well as keep him safe. The long night then began.


    ¡­


    Let''s turn back time to a few hours ago. Eleanor was in Lakeside Residence, unconscious for a few


    hours after the snake venom got into her system. Then, she woke up on her bed.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Princess, you''re awake."

 Chapter 928

    Chapter 928


    Chapter 928 Imminent Death


    Her servant was delighted. "The leader will want to hear of this."


    "A minute." Eleanor held the servant''s arm. "Where''s Matthew?"


    "You mean the man you saved?" The servant was unsure who Matthew was.


    "Yes." She nodded.


    "He''s poisoned and dying. He''s now in the hospital, probably under treatment."


    "Which hospital?"


    "Lower Base Hospital," said the servant, after which Eleanor got out of bed and darted out of the


    bedroom.


    "Where are you going, Princess? You''re poisoned. The doctor said you have to rest." The servant


    trotted after her, but she had gone out of the lobby. Following that, the roar of an engine pierced the


    night, and Eleanor drove away.


    She floored the gas pedal and sped to Lower Base Hospital, the closest hospital to Lakeside


    Residence. Though it was a small hospital, the hidden n''s royalty and their families were frequent


    guests, so they had the best facilities the n had to offer. Half an hourter, she arrived at the hospital


    and asked around. Eventually, she discovered that Matthew was in the ICU, so she grabbed a doctor.


    "How is Matthew doing?"


    The balding doctor shook his head and stated carefully, "He''s beyond saving, Princess. We did our


    best. He won''tst through the night."


    "Nonsense! He was taken to the ICU just in time. Now, you tell me he''s dying?" Eleanor''s heart


    thumped as something squeezed it. Despite only knowing Matthew for a little while, she fell hopelessly


    in love with him. It was not every day she fell for someone, and now, the man she loved was meeting


    his demise. She would not let that happen!


    "Princess, he''s out ofmission, but the venom is torturing him. Most people would''ve died at this


    point, but his will to live is incredible. Even so, the venom''s already spread throughout his body. He


    can''tst through the night," the doctor exined with a trembling voice.


    Suddenly, Eleanor whipped out a dagger and held it against the doctor''s throat. "If you can''t save him, I


    will kill you."


    The doctor fell to his knees, his face pale. "I can''t save him, not even if you kill me," he begged.


    "Why you¡­" She held up her dagger and tried to thrust it into the doctor''s chest, but eventually, she


    kicked him away. "Impossible. He can''t die." She staggered, her dagger falling out of her hand and


    nging against the ground. She then walked up to the ss window of the ICU to stare at Matthew


    with a torn heart.


    Fearing for his life, the doctor took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, then his eyes shone.


    "Princess, there is one way to save him."


    "What is it?" Her eyes glistened with hope.


    "It''s¡­" The doctor shook his head and heaved a sigh, waving his hand. "The chances are too slim."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Enraged by the doctor''s behavior, she went up to him and grabbed him by the cor. "Tell me, or I will


    shut you up for good."

 Chapter 929

    Chapter 929


    Chapter 929 A Way Out


    "I''ll talk, I''ll talk!" The shocked doctor quickly said, "Seek out Queen Tanya. She knows how to save


    him, but the process isplicated. I can''t guarantee that she''ll agree to it, though."


    Eleanor mused over the option and frowned. "You mean¡­ a spell?"


    "Yes." The doctor nodded.


    She let go of the doctor, who leaned on the wall, wiping sweat off his forehead as he gulped in the air.


    Slowly, she turned around and looked at Matthew through the window. Her heart sank, and she was


    struggling inside. Eventually, her heart won over her mind before she turned to the elevator. "If he dies


    before my men can take him, I will kill all of you." She stopped and turned around. "Tell everyone to


    keep his existence here a secret."


    "Yes, of course. I''ll tell the director right away." The doctor quickly bowed.


    With that, Eleanor left the hospital and went to the pce. She headed straight to Tanya''s chambers,


    but a servant stopped her. "Queen Tanya is busy, Your Highness. Pleaseeter."


    Refusing to listen, Eleanor kicked the servant away. "Out of my way. Stop me and I will kill you," she


    hissed coldly, ring at everyone with murder in her eyes.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    One look was sufficient to make the servants step back in fear as they got out of her way, while the


    servant who got kicked was taken back up. Without anyone stopping her, Eleanor went through the


    courtyard, ascended the stairs, and entered the great hall.


    "Oh my, Nukkar¡­ Mmm¡­ You''re so naughty¡­ Ahh¡­ Oh, I love how you''re doing it, yes. Give it to


    me¡­ Hm¡­"


    The first thing Eleanor saw when she opened the door was her mother having sex with one of her


    harem members on the bed. The couple froze, and Tanya quickly covered herself with some clothes.


    "Get. Out."


    Eleanor''s face fell as she turned around and closed the door.


    Caught in the act, Tanya lost all interest and darkened her visage. Nukkar respectfully said, "She''s


    probably here for something, Tanya." He held her face and pressed his lips against hers. "I''ll be waiting


    for you tonight."


    She wiped her look of decadence away and straightened out her clothes before sitting up. "You may


    leave now."


    The man got up, tidied his clothes, and left through the backyard. Once he was gone, she announced,


    "Come in."


    Eleanor returned to the hall once again and closed the door. She approached her mother, who instantly


    chided her, "That was mannerless. You should''ve knocked."


    It was traumatizing to see her mother having sex right before her eyes, but Eleanor set it aside. She


    had more important matters to discuss. "Sorry, Mother. I should''ve knocked, but please. Can you


    take¡­ whatever it is you were doing elsewhere next time?" I know you''re the Queen, and I know your


    harem''s filled with beautiful men, but that''s no excuse to screw like rabbits everywhere.


    Tanya''s face fell. "Trying to tell me what to do, are you?"


    "Calm down, Mother. It''s for your good," Eleanor said. "You''re lucky it was I who saw it. If it were


    someone else, they''d talk about it behind your back for days."

 Chapter 930

    Chapter 930


    Chapter 930 I Like Him


    "Alright, what is it? Just tell me." She did not want to keep talking about that matter, for it was


    unpleasant; talking about sex with her daughter sounded weird.


    Eleanor hesitated for a while, after which she stammered, "M-Mother, a friend of mine has been


    poisoned. He might not live through the night. C-Can you save him?"


    "Take him to the hospital, then. Not like I can help."


    "It''s already spread throughout his body. The doctor said he can''t survive much longer." There was


    sadness in Eleanor''s voice. "I had no choice but toe here. I know you can reverse the poison''s


    spread with a spell." At that point, she only wanted Matthew to live.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    It was surprising to Tanya that her daughter would ask for help for a friend. "He''s someone you like?"


    "Yes," confessed Eleanor.


    "And who''s the lucky guy? You''ve never told me." Tanya leaned on her seat, looking at her daughter


    coolly.


    "He¡­" She clenched her hands, sweat pouring forth. Nervously, she said, "He''s not the son of a rich


    guy, nor is he a nobility. He''s¡­ Matthew Kings."


    "Matthew?" Tanya tried to recall a face but failed. "Which Matthew?"


    "Veronica''s¡­ husband."


    "What? Isn''t he dead?"


    "No, that''s fake news. He''s not dead. He came to the hidden n with Veronica."


    "So, you fell in love with a married man?" Even though Tanya did not fly into a rage, Eleanor could


    detect her anger.


    Yet, she could not care about that and nodded. "Yes, but that won''t stop me from falling for him."


    Bang!


    Tanya mmed the table. "Nonsense! He''s Veronica''s husband! And yet, you fell for him? Why? Do


    you have any idea how long she''s been trying to usurp my ce? You''re practically inviting the enemy


    into our house."


    If it had not been for this piece of information, Tanya would have no idea why Eleanor liked that random


    bodyguard of Veronica. So, she must''ve known he was Matthew, and she saw his true face. That''s why


    she fell for him. That''s why she keeps hanging around him and calling him her master.


    "I won''t let her take over the n, and I will keep Matthew." Eleanor stood up, puffing her chest out.


    "And did he agree to your arrangement?"


    Eleanor kept quiet.


    "Have you asked my opinion beforehand?"


    Eleanor kept quiet once again. She had no answer for either of those questions, but in the end, she


    mustered up her courage to say, "I like him, Mother, and I will take him for myself. Please, save him."


    "What if I say no?" Tanya took a sip out of her cup of tea. She spoke calmly as if she was joking, but


    her refusal was clear to see.


    Eleanor fell to her knees. The obsidian tiles shone brightly, reflecting the resplendent chamber and


    helpless woman. The tiles were hard as marbles, yet she fell to her knees with force enough to crack a


    tile. The pain made her frown, but she did not flinch. Instead, she stayed upright and requested,


    "Mother, I''ve never asked you for anything, but just for once, please, save him."

 Chapter 931

    Chapter 931


    Chapter 931 Bring Her Away


    Tanya was confused by Eleanor''s behavior. Naturally, she knew her daughter well. Eleanor was


    stubborn and neverpeted against others for anything, but Tanya had never seen her so insistent


    on anything. "Eleanor, you do know that you''re my favorite among all your siblings, don''t you? Although


    I''ve never asked anything from you, I know what your preferences are and will always give them to you.


    But that man¡­ He''s Hayley Elrod''s son-inw, so he''s our enemy. If I save him today, he''ll take your


    life tomorrow. I will never let such a thing happen." She refused directly.


    "The future is an unknown, but now, I want him alive," Eleanor argued while fisting her hands.


    Perhaps her hands were fisted too tightly, causing the wound on her wrist to burst open again. Blood


    began seeping through the white bandage, but she did not even look at or care about it.


    "What do you like about him?" That was a question that had Tanya stumped.


    "I can''t describe what I like about him, but I fell in love with him the first time I saw him. He¡ª"


    "Hmph! You have such a childish temperament. That''s simply outrageous." Tanya interrupted Eleanor


    before getting up and preparing to leave through the back door.


    At that, Eleanor became anxious. "Mom, please save him!" She ced both hands on the obsidian


    flooring and bowed her head, knocking it on the floor. "He''s extremely important to me, Mom!"


    Tanya, who had taken a few steps forward, did not expect her daughter would be so stubborn. While


    facing Eleanor, who was infatuated with Matthew, Tanya sighed. This girl is just like her father.


    He was also an affectionate person. It was a pity that he was no longer here.


    "Eleanor, you should know it''s hard to save him when the poison has spread across his entire body.


    Also, there is a high possibility that we can''t save him."


    Eleanor straightened her body, revealing her red and swollen forehead. With determination in her eyes,


    she dered, "As long as there is a slither of hope, I need to try."


    Tanya asked, "What if he returns to Veronica after I save him?"


    "I won''t regret my decision," Eleanor replied.


    "What if he works together with Veronica to take away your ce as head of the n and kills you?"


    "Not to mention whether he has such a capability, even if he does, then that will be my fate. Even if I


    don''t save him, Veronica might still be able to snatch my title as head of the n. Therefore, these don''t


    sh with each other."


    "What if I tried my best but still failed to save him?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "If you did your best, I would have as well. Even if he dies in the end, that''s his fate, and I won''t have


    any regrets in this lifetime."


    Every reply Eleanor gave her mother was direct and without hesitation, yet it was because of that that


    made Tanya have mixed feelings. The two met each other''s eyes, with one standing and the other


    kneeling on the ground.


    A long whileter, Tanya questioned, "What if I don''t want to save him? What would you do?"


    "Then, I won''t inherit the position as head of the n."


    "Are you threatening me?"


    "No, I''m not," Eleanor replied sincerely. "I''m about to inherit your position, but if I can''t even protect the


    person I love, being head of the n is meaningless. So, what''s the use of me inheriting the position?"


    Once Eleanor finished her words, Tanya''s face instantly turned gloomy. Another long moment passed


    before she ordered, "Guards!"


    A few secondster, several guards came in. "Queen Tanya, what are your orders?"


    "Bring her away! She needs to rethink everything she''s done!"


    As the head of the hidden n, they could not be amorous; once they had someone they loved, they


    would have a weak spot. Eleanor had yet to be the head of the n, but she was already acting


    recklessly because of her feelings. That made Tanya unable to imagine how Matthew might treat


    Eleanor if she did save him.

 Chapter 932

    Chapter 932


    Chapter 932 Not Worth It


    Matthew was more intelligent than others, so his existence was the biggest threat to Eleanor, whom


    Tanya would not allow such a threat to be around.


    "Stay where you are!"


    Not expecting her mother to order others to capture her, Eleanor pulled out a dagger while using her


    other hand to support herself in getting up. Since she had kneeled too hard earlier, her knees hurt, and


    she stumbled before getting up. Then, she held the dagger by her neck and looked at Tanya. "Mom, if


    you don''t save Matthew, I''ll die before your eyes."


    Such a scene was heart-wrenching for Tanya, who could not help but take a step forward. During that


    few seconds, she found herself slipping and stumbling at the stairs before finding her footing. "Do you


    think your threat will work on me?" She snorted with a solemn expression.


    Just as everyone thought Eleanor was joking, she stabbed herself in the stomach before blood


    immediately seeped out from the wound, dripping down the dagger.


    "Eleanor!"


    "Princess Eleanor!"


    Tanya and the several guards paled as they found the scene before them horrifying. Meanwhile,


    Eleanor stood there steadily and unmoving while she stared at Tanya with determination in her eyes. "I


    never make empty promises!"


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Matthew''s life was at risk, so she could not waste any more time. The more time she wasted, the more


    dangerous his situation was. Matthew cannot die!


    Faced with Eleanor''s insistence, Tanya waved her hand to the guards. "Leave us and close the door."


    The guards nodded. Then, they walked out, shutting the door after them.


    Tanya came down the stairs and stopped before Eleanor, whispering, "Using the venom technique to


    save someone''s life is costly and not as easy as you think. If you insist on wanting to save Matthew, we


    must seal his memory. Otherwise, I will never save a future enemy''s life!"


    "S-Seal his memory?" Eleanor had previously heard that the hidden n''s venom technique could


    erase someone''s memory, but she did not want to see an amnesiac Matthew. "If we seal all his


    memories, he wouldn''t be him anymore."


    "To tell you the truth, the Ledger n don''t know the real technique of sealing someone''s memory.


    Only a few Elrod n elders led by Waylen are well-versed in such a technique. Though they never


    stopped researching it, they hadn''t reached any improvement. In the end, they could only use a more


    scientific method. The trick is to use a chip to copy all the person''s memory and remove a portion of it


    before renting it into them, breaking the brain''s memory system. However, that would bring harm to


    the individual and render their personality more indifferent."


    "Indifferent?" Eleanor seemed a little out of it. "Does that mean he would treat me like that too?"


    "But if you spend time together, he''ll develop feelings for you." While Tanya patted Eleanor''s shoulder,


    she looked at the wound on her daughter''s abdomen and felt displeased. "Eleanor, it''s easy to take


    away things but hard to maintain them. Your father and I fought hard to take over the hidden n, and


    he fell sick and passed away because of it. Do you want to watch everything that your father and I


    worked hard to get taken away by Matthew and Veronica?"


    "I¡­" Eleanor hesitated. She thought doing so would be unfair to Matthew and Veronica, and it did not


    fit her way of doing things. Regardless, that seemed to be the only choice. "Mom, I¡­ I''m worried.


    Would the technique you speak of harm his body in any other way?"


    "This research had achieved sess long ago, and the clinical test showed great results, but it would


    cost 7.5 million¡ªnot in hidden n credits!"


    The ratio of hidden n credits to Destorian Dors was one to five, so 7.5 million hidden n credits


    would equal 35.7 million Destorian Dors. To Tanya, using such a massive sum on an outsider was far


    from worthwhile.

 Chapter 933

    Chapter 933


    Chapter 933 Worried About Matthew


    "B-But you don''tck any¡­ money." Eleanor became weak as herplexion gradually paled,


    rendering her frail speech.


    Tanya supported her daughter and said, "You take a rest and leave everything else to me."


    "Okay." Eleanor nodded and asked, "How long will it take?"


    "At least a week."


    "That long?"


    "Although it''s a scientific method, it''s still not advanced to the point that we can read all his memories in


    one or two days. You silly child, what are you thinking?"


    After bringing Eleanor back to her room, Tanya called for a doctor. Then, she had someone secretly


    bring Matthew over and block off all news about him from the public.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡­


    At One Piece Restaurant, Veronica was growing restless, and her mind was filled with everything about


    Matthew. It was an agonizing night for her, but she still had not gotten any news about him. She waited


    until the sun began to rise before sitting on the couch and taking a small nap.


    Since everyone in One Piece Restaurant had gone out to search for Matthew, the restaurant was


    closed for the day. After Skyler and Shirley woke up, she knew no one was preparing breakfast and


    went downstairs to make one.


    Knock¡ª Knock¡ª Knock¡ª


    Skyler knocked on the door before heading inside. When Veronica, who had slept for two hours, woke


    up and saw him, she rose and asked, "Is there news about Matt?" Her eyes glistened with hope and


    anticipation.


    However, he shook his head helplessly. "No." At the sight of her haggard appearance and dark eye


    circles, he asked, "You¡­ didn''t sleepst night, did you?"


    She dispiritedly turned around and plopped back on the couch, looking depressed. "It''s been one whole


    night, yet there''s still no news of him. Where is he?"


    "Roni, if I had to say something, I''d tell you that Matt is like a cat with nine lives. You don''t have to worry


    about him. I''m sure he''ll be fine." Skyler approached Veronica tofort her. However, even he found


    it hard to believe the words he had just said.


    The two sat inside the living room briefly before Shirley brought in their breakfast. "Ron, Sky, have


    some breakfast. I made spinach quiche and porridge." Afterward, she considerately ced the


    breakfast on the table and informed them while holding the serving tray. "There are two more dishes,


    and I warmed some milk. I''ll go get them." Then, she turned around and headed back downstairs.


    While looking at the anxious and helpless Veronica, Skyler was worried and assured her. "Don''t put too


    much stress on yourself and eat something. How will you look for Matt if you don''t take care of


    yourself? Your health is the most important of all."


    Since Matthew was absent at the moment, Skyler not only had to locate him, but he also had to


    shoulder the responsibility of protecting Veronica. Under his persistent persuasion, she got up and


    headed to the bathroom to wash up.


    A whileter, Shirley returned with two other dishes and warm milk. When she saw the missing


    Veronica, she scanned around and asked, "Where''s Roni?"


    Skyler shrugged and sighed. "She''s too worried about Matt and seems out of it. I just persuaded her to


    clean up, so she''ll be back soon."


    Hearing that, Shirley sighed as well and sat beside him, eximing, "Roni and President Kings have


    such a strong rtionship, so she must be worried sick." As she spoke, she moved her chair closer to


    him and whispered, "President Kings will be fine, right?"


    "It''s hard to be sure." He shook his head. "With enemies surrounding him, his situation isn''t optimistic,


    and he''s most probably severely injured. If he has no one to protect him now, it''s hard to imagine what


    might happen."


    It''s a pity that we''re not in Bloomstead. No matter how much we''re worried, we can''t do anything about


    it. Though Matt had been nning for half a year beforeing to the hidden n, it''s tough for


    outside forces to deal with local forces. This is not our turf, so we''re in a passive situation no matter


    what we do.

 Chapter 934

    Chapter 934


    Chapter 934 Waylen Comes to Visit


    "Is it that serious?" Shirley''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Shh!" Skyler ced his finger on his lips. "Don''t let Roni hear that. She''s already worried sick about


    Matt."


    "Okay, okay. I understand." She nodded and propped her chin with a frown while lost in thought.


    Soon, Veronica exited the bathroom and sat by the dining table. "Shirley, thank you for making


    breakfast. I didn''t expect you would know your way around the kitchen." She forced a smile.


    "Haha! Of course, I know how to cook. When I was young, my parents would head out to the field to


    farm while I stayed home to do the chores and cook. Still, my cooking is just ordinary and iparable


    to the chefs of One Piece Restaurant."


    When Skyler heard that, he pretended to be rxed and tried to liven up the atmosphere. "Roni, have


    a try and see if it tastes good."


    "Sure." Then, Veronica picked up her utensils and ate a spoonful of the dish. Once it was in her mouth,


    she chewed while nodding repeatedly. "Quite good!" It was more delicious than she anticipated. She


    added, "It tastes better than I expected. The greens are still crispy and tasted slightly sweet when I


    chewed them. It''s a light and delicious dish."


    "Really?"


    "Of course." Veronica was not exaggerating as she praised the food. Subsequently, she looked at


    Skyler. "You have a try too."


    At first, he was skeptical about her words, but when he tasted the food, he was pleasantly surprised. "It


    does taste good." Then, he raised an eyebrow, looking at Shirley with a grin. "C''mon. What else do we


    not know?"


    He was teasing her with a cheesy tone, which cracked Shirley up. "I''m not that good. Stop joking, and


    let''s eat. We don''t wanna eat cold food."


    With that, the three began chatting while enjoying their food. Knowing that Veronica was not in a good


    mood, Shirley kept racking her brain for funny stories, making Veronica unable to hold back her


    laughter. Regardless, no matter how funny the jokes were, she was not anywhere near happy.


    At that moment, someone knocked on the door. "Miss Murphy?"


    "Enter," Veronica replied, and in came Lazlo. When she saw him, her eyes lit up as she immediately


    put down her fork. "Is there news about Matt?"


    Despair instantly appeared on Lazlo''s already anxious face as he shook his head. "No, there''s still no


    news about Boss. H-However¡­"


    "What is it?" she asked.


    "There''s a man called Waylen Elrod here." He pointed in the direction of downstairs.


    Waylen Elrod was Crayson''s name within the hidden n, so Veronica immediately knew whom it was


    upon hearing it. Frowning, she knew Crayson woulde looking for her, but she did not expect he


    woulde over so early in the morning.


    When Skyler saw her solemn expression, he immediately assured her. "Don''t be afraid. I''ll make sure


    nothing will happen."N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Lazlo, bring him over," Veronica instructed.


    Since Crayson had arrived, it would be better to sit down and chat amicably with him. With his forces in


    the hidden n, he had to know where Matthew was.


    "Yes, Miss Murphy." Lazlo went away.


    In the meantime, Skyler and Shirley exchanged nces before she rose to her feet. "Roni, I''ll put away


    half of the food so Mr. Crayson wouldn''t discover we''re here. Sky and I will be next door."


    "Oh, my. It seems like Shir has gotten more intelligent." Skyler was surprised and smiled at her.


    "What''s so funny?" Shirley smacked his arm. "Hurry up and help me."


    As such, they cleaned away their utensils and brought some food to hide inside the room next door.

 Chapter 935

    Chapter 935


    Chapter 935 Disappointment


    Soon after they left, Crayson entered the room. What he saw was Veronica having breakfast at the


    dining table, looking lonely and depressed. Her face disyed worry and exhaustion, and the dark


    circles under her eyes showed she did not rest muchst night.


    "You''re eating breakfast, which is better than I expected." He approached and praised her. Originally,


    he thought Veronica would be so worried that she could not eat or drink after Matthew''s disappearance,


    only having thoughts about tracking him down. Hence, he was not expecting she had shed her


    impatient nature and gradually be calmer and more mature.


    Veronica ate some porridge before ncing at Crayson. "He''s missing, not dead."


    A light shed across his shrewd eyes before he smiled. "Matthew is intelligent and blessed. Of course,


    he wouldn''t die that easily."


    "Wouldn''t that be against your wish, Master?" She picked some vegetables and ate them before asking


    sarcastically.


    The sudden question shocked Crayson, who was stunned for a few seconds before sitting beside her.


    "Are you suspecting I have something to do with his death?"


    Did she find out about something?


    At that, Veronica suddenly stopped eating and gazed down before looking up at him. "It doesn''t matter


    whether you have something to do with this. What''s important is finding him." Once she spoke those


    words, she ate her porridge until it was all gone. Then, she ced her cutleries down and wiped her


    mouth before staring at him. "How about we make a deal?"


    "What deal?" He was all ears.


    "I know it would be easy with your ability to find Matthew. So, I''d like to ask you to locate him. Once you


    do, we will help you deal with the Ledger n together and take back the position of the head of the


    n. Deal?"


    After listening to her offer, he sighed heavily. "Roni, you see too highly of me. If I had such a capability,


    I would''ve already helped Madam Hayley get back the throne and not be here, racking my brains and


    using all the ns I can think of to get what I want."


    His words made Veronica scoff softly. He missed one point, though. Not only did he use every n he


    could think of and rack his brain for ideas, but he also used all his efforts to put up a show!


    "I know you''re thinking of whom to inherit the throne. However, as you''ve expected, Tiffany died in the


    mountains and will never be of use to you, and Hayley doesn''t have a child. So, I am the only


    sessor. If you can help me find Matthew, I can find a way to make him stay there."


    Her first idea was to persuade Crayson so that he would help her locate Matthew. However, Crayson


    pulled out a tobo pipe and packed it before lighting it up. Then, he began smoking with a frown and


    said nothing.


    She continued, "You should know how important Matthew is to me. If he dies, I will certainly not


    continue living alone. He has done a lot for me, which I can''t repay with anything but my life.


    He remained silent.


    "I know you don''t trust me, but you, my master, are shrewd. I believe you''ve already nned something


    that involves my children in Bloomstead. Would I not listen to you if you used my children to threaten


    me? Especially when the hidden n has an ancient technique that can ''seal a person''s memory''. You


    can easily control the situation no matter which technique you choose, so why choose to watch


    Matthew die? At the very least, if he lives, he will be of big help to you at this moment. If he dies, I will


    make sure you will never have a sessor for the head of the n."N?velDrama.Org content.

 Chapter 936

    Chapter 936


    Chapter 936 Full of Tricks


    Veronica was racking her brain to persuade Crayson because she knew that it had been one whole


    night since Matthew disappeared, so Crayson had to know where he was! Also, the most probable


    reason why she had dispatched so many people but still received no news was that her master had


    deliberately kept alert and prevented her men from following him.


    She rose to her feet and poured themselves some tea before proffering a cup to him. "Master, you


    should think about what I''ve just said. I''ll wait for you." She quietly sat down and sipped her tea.


    Suddenly, she thought of something and added, "This restaurant belongs to Matt. Since he can open a


    restaurant in the hidden n in such a short period, it shows that he is highly capable. Moreover, half of


    the tea sold in this restaurantes from the hidden n, while the other half is from Bloomstead.


    With his marketing campaign, he managed to sell more premium Bloomstead tea than the local tea


    here. That is also the case for the wine."


    "What are you trying to say?" Crayson, who had been quiet for a long time, finally piped up.


    Veronica smiled. "What I want to say is that Matt is a great help to you guys in reiming the throne,


    but you guys see him as the enemy. Wouldn''t that be causing more trouble for you guys?" She blew on


    her tea and took another sip.


    In the meantime, there was a conflict happening inside Crayson. He was thinking about her words and


    weighing the pros and cons. While drawing his tobo pipe, he blew out a thinyer of smoke through


    his nostrils before sipping his tea and putting it back down. Finally, he shook his head. "I have no idea


    where Matthew is."


    He watched Veronica grow up and knew she was intelligent and full of tricks. Since she could guess his


    schemes and voice them out, it meant she had a backup n. Therefore, he did not dare to believe


    her.


    "Oh." She drank her tea and nodded fervently. "You don''t know where he is? Then, forget it." She then


    set her cup down and propped her chin on the table. "To tell you the truth, you seem to not understand


    that you''re not the only option I have."


    "What does that mean?" Crayson frowned as his eyes filled with rm.


    "Literally." With a mocking smile, Veronica taunted, "You being my master is the reason why our


    conversation canst until now. However, I''ve already given you a chance, but you didn''t grasp it, so


    our cooperation ends here."


    "What are you trying to do?" With eyes widened in anger, he seemed to have thought of something.


    "Since you don''t want to cooperate with me, I''ll just go to Tanya. I believe I''m also valuable to her¡ªme


    in exchange for Matthew. Do you think she would agree to that?"


    Since Veronica had no other choice, she could only burn her boat. Once she finished, Crayson''s face


    looked grim as he pped the table in a rage. "How dare you do that!"


    "My legs are mine. Do you think I wouldn''t dare to do that?"


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "First, you''d need to see if you have the capability to leave this ce."


    "Are you sure about that?" She smiled. "Master, you''re not the only one in the world who''s full of


    schemes."


    The deliberate provocation made him so furious that his eyes widened in fury, and his veins protruded


    from his forehead. When he attempted to stand up, he felt weak and fell back hard on the couch,


    plopping onto it helplessly.


    "W-What have you done?" he questioned her before ncing at the teacup on the table and instantly


    understanding what had happened. Indeed, he had underestimated her.


    Meanwhile, she sat in her spot leisurely before looking at the cup in front of the old man. "Nothing


    much. Just a little extra something to your tea."

 Chapter 937

    Chapter 937


    Chapter 937 Dealing With Crayson


    "Now, you can think about it. Are you gonna work with me, or should I find Tanya?" Veronica stood up


    and pointed at the door. By then, her leisure mood was gone and reced by a stern expression.


    "Once I, Veronica Murphy, walk out that door, our master-disciple rtionship will be severed, so you''d


    better have a good think about it!"


    She was not afraid of going through trouble for Matthew. As long as I can ensure his safety, resorting to


    a few tricks means nothing.


    On the other hand, Crayson fully grasped the meaning behind her words. If he refused to tell her


    Matthew''s whereabouts, she would personally meet with Tanya. Whether she would exchange her life


    for another life or work with Tanya, both options would mean disaster for them by then. Since Tiffany


    was dead, Veronica was theirst trump card!


    Leaning against the couch, he felt weak and wanted to struggle but in vain. He had greatly


    underestimated Veronica and did not expect she was already nning the trap since he first appeared


    in the room. He considered her prey, but he seemed to have forgotten the greatest hunters always


    appeared to be the prey in the first ce.


    "I don''t have much time to waste with you, so I''ll give you thirty seconds to consider." Veronica


    impatiently raised her arm and looked at her watch.


    As time passed, Crayson kept his burning gaze fixed on her, but there was aplicated emotion in it.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Ten, nine, eight¡­ three, two, one!" Once thest number was called, she went to the door without


    hesitation.


    "Wait!" he yelled and then sighedmentably. "You''ve grown up. You''ve surely grown up." He


    remembered the first time they met. She was just a young child back then, but she seemed to have


    grown up overnight. "You even tricked me now."


    Meanwhile, Veronica stood by the door without turning around. "You made me like that."


    "Fine. I''ll tell you." With no other choice, Crayson could only tell her the truth.


    As soon as those words fell, a glint and tears pooled in her eyes as she felt she could finally take a load


    off her mind. Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned around and approached him. "Say it. Where is


    he?"


    "Are you sure you can save him if I tell you?" he asked.


    She shook her head. "With the men I have at hand, of course, I can''t save him. So, I still have to either


    trouble you or Hayley."


    They looked into each other''s eyes and fell silent. In the end, he piped up, "Matthew is now out of


    danger, but he has been sent to the west zone secret research center. That ce is guarded by heavy


    security, making it difficult to enter. I can lend you some men, but whether you can enter the research


    center depends on your capability."


    "The west zone secret research center?" At that moment, Veronica''s worry, which had just calmed


    down, surged again. "Why is he there?"


    "Although Tanya Ledger has taken over the throne, she has been obsessed with the ancient technique


    of sealing someone''s memories and couldn''t figure it out after many years of research. In the end, she


    could only use the scientific way to substitute the venom technique." Crayson no longer kept anything


    from her and came clean. "Eleanor begged Tanya to save Matthew, but Tanya decided to seal his


    memories to prevent him from bing their enemy in the future. That must be because she wants


    Matthew to marry Eleanor."


    Marriage?


    The more Veronica listened to his exnation, the more anxious she felt, making it impossible to


    withstand the tension and suspense. "Where is the west zone secret research center?" she questioned.


    Shaking his head, he answered, "That, I truly don''t know. I sent someone to investigate thatst night,


    but they only managed to find out he was sent there. That ce is heavily guarded and uses advanced


    technology, so it was hard for us to enter."

 Chapter 938

    Chapter 938


    Chapter 938 Finding Matthew


    Their original n was to get rid of Matthew, but when they found out he was sent to the west zone


    secret research center, Crayson also realized Tanya''s n. Therefore, he stopped sending his men to


    deal with Matthew. If Matthew could stay away from Veronica and have his memories sealed, that


    would benefit him.


    Veronica never expected this to be the result. She immediately searched Crayson''s body and found his


    phone before facial-unlocking it, questioning, "Whom should I call to dispatch a portion of your men for


    my disposal?"


    "Enzo Elrod," he answered.


    Then, she found a contact number under that name but then decided to call Hayley instead.


    Tut¡ª Tut¡ª Tut¡ª


    The phone rang a few times and was immediately answered, "Waylen?"


    "It''s me." Veronica directly spoke to her, "Crayson is with me. He promised to let me save Matthew and


    asked that you send over some highly-skilled personnel."


    The other end stayed silent.


    Knowing she did not have much time, Veronica added, "I know your n. You guys intend to ignore this


    matter and just watch him die, but hear this!" She raised her voice and warned, "If I can''t save Matt


    today, not only will I die, but I''ll also bring Crayson with me! Once that happens, how are you going to


    reim the throne without me and Crayson, your most capable helpers? Hayley Elrod, I''d advise you to


    stop dreaming and not y any tricks with me."


    "Hayley, just let her do whatever she wants." Crayson sighed and agreed.


    After a moment''s silence, Hayley replied, "Fine. I''ll help you."


    "Immediately send a group of highly-skilled personnel to the secret research center at the west zone. I''ll


    be waiting for them there." With that, Veronica hung up and looked at the weak Crayson leaning


    against the couch with a frown. "I''m sorry, Master."


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    The old man looked at her but said nothing. No matter how rude she used to sound when addressing


    him by his name, her formality now only meant that their rtionship had grown up apart and was no


    longer as affectionate as it used to be. What''s past is past. There''s nothing I can say anymore.


    After taking away his phone and leaving the room, Veronica went next door. When she pushed the door


    open, Shirley and Skyler were waiting for her inside, after which they immediately inquired, "How was


    it?"


    "Shirley, head downstairs and find a rope to tie Crayson up. Remember, don''t let anyone near him, and


    don''t give him any chance of escaping. He''s full of tricks, so be careful with him. Nothing will happen to


    him if we don''t give him any food or water for the day." Veronica added thest reminder as she was


    afraid Shirley might not be able to watch the trickster.


    "Sure. Don''t worry, Roni." With a firm nod, Shirley patted her chest as though she was highly confident.


    Sinceing to the hidden n, she kept thinking she was useless to them, but now that Veronica had


    assigned her a task, she was ted.


    "Let''s go." Veronica gestured to Skyler, who nodded before looking at Shirley and caressing her face.


    "Shir, take care of yourself and make sure to guard that old man next door. I''ll be back soon."


    "Alright." Shirley nodded before reassuring Veronica. "Roni, you can count on me."


    Afterward, Veronica and Skyler went downstairs, while Shirley went with them to look for a rope to tie


    the old man up.

 Chapter 939

    Chapter 939


    Chapter 939 Crayson Tries to Escape


    Once the three of them arrived downstairs, Veronica found Lazlo. "Bring your men ande with me.


    Also, immediately get someone to find the prints for the west zone secret research center. ASAP!"


    "Yes, Miss Murphy." Then, he went to the side and made some calls. Soon after, Veronica, Skyler, and


    Lazlo ascended a car and left.


    On their journey, they received a detailed map of the west zone secret research center. Lazlo stopped


    the car, and the three began analyzing the map by the roadside while the other cars waited behind


    them.


    Back at One Piece Restaurant, Crayson was tied up on the chair. As time passed, the effects of the


    drug began to dissipate. He looked at Shirley at the side and asked, "Shirley, I''ve always treated you


    kindly. Doesn''t your conscience hurt to see me tied up like this?"


    Meanwhile, Shirley was sitting on a chair with a novel in her hands. She nned to read as a pastime.


    When she heard his words, she pursed her lips and shook her head. "Mr. Crayson, I know you''ve


    always been nice to me, but I don''t treat you any less. Only by tying you up and not gagging you can it


    be considered as repaying your kindness."


    At that, Crayson was speechless. Was this a way to repay his kindness? For a moment, he could not


    figure out how these youngsters'' brains work. "I know you''re a kind young woman, but I''m so old, and


    my body feels stiff from being tied up." He moved his body and sighed, looking like he was in pain.


    "Mr. Crayson, that''s not entirely true. I remember watching you beat up Sofia in front of the First


    Meeting''s entrancest year. You were in great health back then, so your worries are for nothing." She


    was smiling sweetly and looking harmless. Then, she continued to read her novel and ignored him.


    With no other option, Crayson could only start his n as he sat calmly on the chair. His hands were


    struggling out of the rope, and despite being tied up, his dragon-head ring came to his rescue. The


    dragon''s eye was a miniature button, and with one slight push, a sharp de appeared at the dragon''s


    mouth. It was only a centimeter long but fairly sharp and reflected under the light.


    Putting on a calm expression, he started slicing the rope behind him. With minimal effort, the rope was


    clipped, and he grabbed it in time not to let Shirley discover that he had broken free. However, since his


    hands were behind his back, he identally cut his hand, causing it to bleed.


    "Shirley, can you get me some water? I''m thirsty," he said.


    Tilting her head to look at him, she rejected his request. "Roni said nothing will happen if you don''t eat


    or drink for one day."


    "That child is so merciless." He sighed as a vague light shed across his eyes. "Don''t worry. I won''t try


    anything. Isn''t that a straw? Pour me some water, and I''ll use it to drink. That definitely won''t be a


    problem."


    "Well¡­" When Shirley heard that, she hesitated as she knew of Crayson and Veronica''s rtionship,


    remembering how much Veronica respected him. Therefore, she put down her book and went over to


    the table. "Fine. I''ll pour you some water." She looked at him before helplessly agreeing to turn around


    for some water.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    As the perfect opportunity emerged, Crayson immediately leaned down to cut the rope by his feet. At


    that moment, she suddenly turned around. Her eyes widened in utter shock, and the ss in her hand


    fell to the ground as she witnessed the man breaking free under her watch.

 Chapter 940

    Chapter 940


    Chapter 940 Shirley Gets Injured


    "Mr. Crayson, you¡­" After a second of hesitation, Shirley immediately yelled, "Help! I need help!" While


    screaming, she dashed for Crayson and enveloped his hands. "Mr. Crayson, you can''t leave. If you


    leave, Roni will hate me forever."


    She used all her might to hold onto his arms, not letting him bend down to take off the rope. Meanwhile,


    the footsteps were getting closer from the outside.


    After struggling for a while, Crayson demanded, "Let go of me. Let go!"


    "No, never!"


    Since she was not letting go and he could not struggle free, he decided to forcefully swing his right arm.


    Those who practiced martial arts had powerful strength, so she was easily tossed aside with one strike.


    Out of instinct, he flung his hand upward, causing the de on the ring to swipe across her face.


    "Ahhh¡ª" In an instant, Shirley fell to the ground and could feel a burning, sharp pain on her face. As


    blood started spilling out of the cut, it seeped into her eyes as she was on the floor, causing her vision


    to be a patch of red.


    Bang¡­


    The living room door was yanked open by the people Veronica arranged to stand guard at the


    restaurant. On the other hand, Crayson was shocked by the scene before him and looked dazedly at


    Shirley on the floor. The wound began on her cheek and ended at the nose of her bridge. The blood


    was surging red, and the flesh on the side of the wound rolled, creating a horrifying scene.


    He frowned. "Shirley, I''m sorry¡­ I didn''t do it on purpose." That was thest thing he had anticipated.


    Still, when he heard iing footsteps, he could not care about anything and bent down to cut the


    rope at his legs.


    When several men arrived before him, he rose to his feet.


    "Get him!"


    "Don''t let him get away. Miss Murphy ordered that we must not let him escape."


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    "Hurry up."


    "Apprehend!"


    The four got into a stance and charged simultaneously, but they were not Crayson''s opponents.


    Though he was up there in age and seemed a little chubby, his lower stance remained stable. With a


    set of punches, he took down the four men with ease.


    The men on the floor groaned in pain before getting up again and attacking Crayson, but they could not


    even get near him. In less than a minute, the four were back on the ground with no strength to rise


    again.


    Meanwhile, Shirley was covering her face as she was shivering from the pain. The blood blurred her


    eyes, so she could not see anything. The man leading the others clutched the part of his chest where


    his ribs broke and stood up. Then, he grabbed the ss on the table before stumbling over, wanting to


    risk his life to stop Crayson from leaving.


    However, Crayson pointed at Shirley and informed that man, "You guys can''t stop me on your own.


    Shirley is heavily injured, so hurry up and call the doctor!" With that, he turned around and left.


    Back at First Meeting, he had interacted with her a lot and gradually developed a liking for the honest


    young woman. Therefore, the incident today was purely idental.


    After leaving One Piece Restaurant, he got in a cab and borrowed the driver''s phone to call Hayley.


    Since he was in frequent contact with her, he remembered her phone number.


    Once Hayley answered the call, she asked, "Who is this?"


    "It''s me." Crayson dered his name and continued, "Veronica has led some men to the west zone


    secret research center. Have someone leak this information to Tanya and immediately send some of


    our men near the west side to stop Veronica."


    Then, he hung up and deleted the call log before returning the phone to the driver, who gave Crayson a


    meaningful look. The driver parted his lips, wanting to say something but eventually decided not to.

 Chapter 941

    Chapter 941


    Chapter 941 We¡¯re Here to Bring You Back


    Peering outside the window, Crayson let out amented sigh. It had not been one month since they


    returned to the hidden n, but his and Veronica''s rtionship had shifted from having disagreements


    topletely breaking apart with no chance of going back, especially with the matter of Matthew and


    Shirley''s injury. All of those were triggers that doomed their rtionship.


    He was heartbroken, but he was even more helpless. The responsibility he shouldered prevented him


    from dwelling on rtionships and being indecisive. For the thousands of people living in hardships, he


    had to overthrow Tanya because only that way could he bring light back to the lives of those suffering.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    In addition, he knew Veronica would no longer be at his mercy and control, especially after Matthew''s


    injury. If she found out the truth about the poisonous needle on the watch, she would most probably


    choose to stand on the enemy''s side.


    All of those things weighed down on Crayson, pressuring him as seconds passed.


    On the other hand, Veronica''s car was getting closer to the west zone, but at that moment, about a


    dozen vehicles suddenly appeared in the road in front and blocked her way. It was a mountain route, so


    it was a one-way road, and now that the path was blocked, she could only descend the car and


    negotiate.


    Peering outside the window, Creyson let out e lemented sigh. It hed not been one month since they


    returned to the hidden clen, but his end Veronice''s reletionship hed shifted from heving disegreements


    topletely breeking epert with no chence of going beck, especielly with the metter of Metthew end


    Shirley''s injury. All of those were triggers thet doomed their reletionship.


    He wes heertbroken, but he wes even more helpless. The responsibility he shouldered prevented him


    from dwelling on reletionships end being indecisive. For the thousends of people living in herdships, he


    hed to overthrow Tenye beceuse only thet wey could he bring light beck to the lives of those suffering.


    In eddition, he knew Veronice would no longer be et his mercy end control, especielly efter Metthew''s


    injury. If she found out the truth ebout the poisonous needle on the wetch, she would most probebly


    choose to stend on the enemy''s side.


    All of those things weighed down on Creyson, pressuring him es seconds pessed.


    On the other hend, Veronice''s cer wes getting closer to the west zone, but et thet moment, ebout e


    dozen vehicles suddenly eppeered in the roed in front end blocked her wey. It wes e mountein route, so


    it wes e one-wey roed, end now thet the peth wes blocked, she could only descend the cer end


    negotiete.


    Lazlo went down with her, while nearly a hundred people alighted from the cars opposite them and


    blocked the two. The person in the lead was Rory Finnegan, one of the men in the living room Veronica


    met on the morning of the first day she was brought back to the hidden n.


    "Miss Murphy, we have received orders from Master Waylen to bring you back." Rory was nearly forty


    and wore a ck hidden n traditional robe. Along with his tanned skin and robust muscles, he


    looked like a tough and handsome man.


    Looking coldly at him, she taunted, "You want to bring me back with you? Sure, unless I die here."


    Since she had a tranting device, she could understand Rory''s words, but the others needed Lazlo to


    trante what she said. After he did, Rory ced both hands on his hips and scoffed lightly. "Do you


    think you can pass through me and my group of brothers?"


    They had nearly a hundred people, but Veronica only had over thirty men with her, twenty of whom


    were Crayson''s men.


    When Rory appeared, those twenty people immediately turned sides and pointed their weapons at her.


    "Miss Murphy, please follow us back!"


    The frowning woman tilted her head to look at Lazlo and Rory. "Two choices¡ªeither I die, or you let me


    pass!" As she spoke, she pulled a dagger behind her and ced it beside her neck. "Let me pass."


    When Rory saw her action, he raised his hand, wanting her to put the dagger down, but he was also


    afraid he would expose his weakness and let her take advantage of it. So, he turned around and called


    Hayley.


    "You must ensure her safety. If you have no choice, use the tranquilizer," answered Hayley. Giving her


    anesthesia was the best option. After she got off the phone, she looked at Crayson worriedly. "Once


    Veronica meets Matthew, she will find out what we did. By then, she will never be under our control


    again. If she''s tranquilized, I think¡­"


    Though she had not finished her sentence, Crayson already knew what she was nning and replied,


    "Now that things havee to this, that''s our only solution." He let out a long sigh before heading to


    the couch and sat down, eximing, "I watched that young woman growing up, but now, we''ve fallen


    out. When I saw the way she looked at me with hatred, my heart shattered."

 Chapter 942

    Chapter 942


    Chapter 942 Falling Into a Trap


    "I think the best option is for her to lose her memory. If we seed, we can get rid of Matthew and any


    future problems. As for their children, they''ll be brought back to the hidden n. They are my


    grandchildren, so I won''t mistreat them."


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Rory got off the phone and appeared from behind the crowd. He came to the front


    and stared at Veronica. "Miss Murphy, I''d advise you to follow us home. I don''t want to¡­ use forceful


    measures."


    "Then, we''ll just continue standing here. I don''t think you can stand here all day without eating or


    drinking." Her words sounded like she was joking, but the others did not expect she would turn around


    to brace her hand on the engine''s cover before hopping on and sitting there, leisurely swinging her legs


    and looking unhurried.


    Time passed slowly, and though Veronica seemed unhurried, she asionally checked the time on her


    wristwatch, exposing her anxiety. The two groups of people stood there for two hours, and Rory had a


    feeling that she was deliberately stalling for time but could not figure out why.


    On the other hand, Lazlo approached her and whispered, "It''s been two hours. Skyler and the others


    should have seeded by now."


    "I think the best option is for her to lose her memory. If we seed, we cen get rid of Metthew end eny


    future problems. As for their children, they''ll be brought beck to the hidden clen. They ere my


    grendchildren, so I won''t mistreet them."


    ¡­


    On the other hend, Rory got off the phone end eppeered from behind the crowd. He ceme to the front


    end stered et Veronice. "Miss Murphy, I''d edvise you to follow us home. I don''t went to¡­ use forceful


    meesures."


    "Then, we''ll just continue stending here. I don''t think you cen stend here ell dey without eeting or


    drinking." Her words sounded like she wes joking, but the others did not expect she would turn eround


    to brece her hend on the engine''s cover before hopping on end sitting there, leisurely swinging her legs


    end looking unhurried.


    Time pessed slowly, end though Veronice seemed unhurried, she esionelly checked the time on her


    wristwetch, exposing her enxiety. The two groups of people stood there for two hours, end Rory hed e


    feeling thet she wes deliberetely stelling for time but could not figure out why.


    On the other hend, Lezlo epproeched her end whispered, "It''s been two hours. Skyler end the others


    should heve seeded by now."


    In actuality, the duo took the route on the mountain''s south side because they wanted to buy some time


    for Skyler as he led the men from One Piece Restaurant through another route to the secret research


    center. Although that path was further, more rugged, and steeper, it was smoother without Crayson''s


    men blocking their journey.


    Looking up at the sun in the sky, she found the bright sunlight exceptionally blinding and narrowed her


    eyes. She tidied her hair behind her ear and whispered, "Let''s hope everything goes smoothly for


    them."


    Since Skyler arrived at the hidden n, Matthew told him about his personnel and their distribution.


    That was why they split up after receiving the map of the secret research center in the west zone. He


    went to mobilize the highly skilled masters Matthew had arranged to stay in the hidden n and


    brought all of them to the secret research center.


    With a sufficient troop, Veronica thought there would not be a problem, but her right eye kept twitching


    for some reason, eliciting her insecurity.


    Ring¡ª Ring¡ª Ring¡ª


    Lazlo''s phone suddenly rang, and he immediately answered after ncing at the caller. "Boss,


    something happened. We were ambushed and suffered heavy casualties." While the other end was


    reporting their situation, Lazlo could also hear the sounds of a battle in the background.


    "What happened?" he asked.


    "We don''t know. This was an impromptu n, but the other side seemed to know everything and


    staged a trap for us to fall into."


    "Where''s Skyler?"


    "Skyler and I were separated. My fellow brothers are all dead, and I''m the only one left."


    "You¡ª" Lazlo hesitated for a moment and looked at Veronica before whispering, "Protect yourself and


    immediately retreat."


    Just by listening to Lazlo''s phone call, she could tell something was amiss. "What happened?"


    Approaching her, he whispered, "Although Skyler and the others sessfully entered the west zone


    secret research center, Tanya had set up an ambush. They fell into it and suffered heavy losses."


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    "How is that possible?" She felt her heart sink, and herst strand of patience finally vanished. She


    jumped off the engine cover but stumbled feebly, unsure whether she had sprained her ankle or her


    body was frail.


    Seeing that, Lazlo hurriedly helped her up. "Are you alright?"

 Chapter 943

    Chapter 943


    Chapter 943 She Is Crazy


    "I''m fine." Veronica waved her hand and leaned against the car hood. With a tight frown, her snowy-


    white face was filled with worry and despair. "I''ve done all I can, but why did things turn out like this?"


    "I know you''ve done your best, and Boss will surely understand." Lazloforted her. "But sometimes,


    ns go astray. Who would''ve thought the people at the secret research center would know about our


    arrival in advance?"


    The pupils in her blurred eyes instantly contracted. "They found out in advance?"


    "That''s right. If they hadn''t, how would they have set up an ambush and waited for the others to head


    straight into it?" Lazlo sighed helplessly.


    "Ha¡­ Hahaha." Veronica chuckled and thenughed hysterically at the clear blue sky. Even though


    there was a gentle breeze and clear weather, her emotions were still gloomy, as if a storm wasing.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Her suddenugh scared Lazlo so much that he looked at her dazedly. "M-Miss Murphy, are you


    alright?"


    "What?" She turned her head, shaking it and revealing her red eyes. "Nothing. What could be wrong?"


    It was nothing more than being betrayed by the person she had trusted since she was young. The


    person she regarded as family and decided to take care of until the end of his life had taught her how


    merciless humans could be and how hard it was to fathom a person''s thoughts.


    "I''m fine." Veronice weved her hend end leened egeinst the cer hood. With e tight frown, her snowy-


    white fece wes filled with worry end despeir. "I''ve done ell I cen, but why did things turn out like this?"


    "I know you''ve done your best, end Boss will surely understend." Lezloforted her. "But sometimes,


    plens go estrey. Who would''ve thought the people et the secret reseerch center would know ebout our


    errivel in edvence?"


    The pupils in her blurred eyes instently contrected. "They found out in edvence?"


    "Thet''s right. If they hedn''t, how would they heve set up en embush end weited for the others to heed


    streight into it?" Lezlo sighed helplessly.


    "He¡­ Hehehe." Veronice chuckled end then leughed hystericelly et the cleer blue sky. Even though


    there wes e gentle breeze end cleer weether, her emotions were still gloomy, es if e storm wesing.


    Her sudden leugh scered Lezlo so much thet he looked et her dezedly. "M-Miss Murphy, ere you


    elright?"


    "Whet?" She turned her heed, sheking it end reveeling her red eyes. "Nothing. Whet could be wrong?"


    It wes nothing more then being betreyed by the person she hed trusted since she wes young. The


    person she regerded es femily end decided to teke cere of until the end of his life hed teught her how


    merciless humens could be end how herd it wes to fethom e person''s thoughts.


    How did thingse to this?


    Veronica could not figure it out. "That''s too much. Too vicious." She felt a sour feeling in her nose, and


    her eyes reddened as she smiled self-deprecatingly.


    Aftering up with such an intricate n, she thought she could sessfully save Matthew. Never


    would she anticipate that Crayson would leak her n to Tanya and make them fall into her ambush


    just to stop them from saving Matthew. In regard to schemes, she was nothingpared to Crayson.


    Meanwhile, Rory was baffled as he watched Veronicaughing like a mad woman. Then, she pushed


    Lazlo away before getting into the car and starting the engine. Under everyone''s puzzled gaze, she


    violently reversed the car, disregarding the safety of over thirty people standing behind it.


    Since Rory had blocked them at the narrowest turning section of the road, she had no way of escaping


    because the mountain was on the left while a steep slope was on the right. The only way she could


    return to where she came from was if she fearlessly drove down the slope.


    Just as everyone was dumbfounded, she reversed the car a few feet and charged directly down the


    slope. The road was like rings around the mountain, so several asphalt roads were going around the


    body of the mountain. In other words, if she went down from here, there would be five to six roads


    below.


    However, she could fall from one asphalt road to the one below if she identally tumbled or failed to


    break in time. Moreover, the steep slope would increase the car''s impulse and cause her to roll down to


    the foot of the mountain.


    Veronica''s fearless action shocked everyone as they all felt worried for her.


    "Miss Murphy?" Lazlo''s pupils trembled while watching the car charging down the slope. He was so


    shocked that his heart was in his throat. Initially, he thought Veronica would back up the car and leave,


    but if she did that, she would have to push the three cars behind her while reversing. While thinking of


    that, he found that such a n would not work because Rory and the others would have caught up to


    them in just a few seconds, which seemed silly. Who would have thought she would drive straight down


    the slope?


    The road above and the one below had a six to seven hundred feet height difference, and the slope''s


    angle was near seventy to eighty degrees. Not only that, but it also had huge boulders and obstacles.


    One ident could cause an unimaginable result.


    However, Veronica had driven off, so everyone could do nothing but stand beside the fence and watch


    the Jeep charge down the slope.

 Chapter 944

    Chapter 944


    Chapter 944 Skyler Gets Ambushed


    "My God. Is she looking for death?"


    "That''s so dangerous!"


    "Doesn''t she want to live anymore?"


    "She''s the leader of the hidden n. Wouldn''t Madam Hayley''s ns be forgone if she dies?"


    While everyone was having their discussions, Rory roared, "What are you all looking at? Hurry up and


    drive down the mountain to check on her." Then, everyone immediately got inside the cars to go after


    Veronica.


    In the meantime, she was maneuvering the wobbling car. The Jeep was so shaky that she clutched


    tightly onto the steering wheel, but no matter how hard she stepped on the brakes, the Jeep would not


    slow down.


    As the slope was extremely steep, Veronica felt like the car would flip over any moment as she sat


    inside. Just as she was thinking about that, the seemingly t surface had a hole, causing the Jeep to


    ramp into it without prior knowledge of its existence since the grass was covering it. The car swayed


    and went out of control before it rolled down the mountain.


    Bang! Bang! ng! ng! ng¡ª


    While the car was crashing down the mountain, Veronica hit her head inside the car and felt dizzy from


    the impact. It truly felt as though the whole world was spinning. Even after reaching the asphalt road


    below, the car did not stop. Instead, it charged over the fence and toward the road below.


    Inside the car, she hadpletely lost control of the vehicle. In thest moments of her life, she gave


    up, thinking that it would be better this way because if she died, she would never be Crayson''s


    puppet. Perhaps, her death could be exchanged for Matthew''s life.


    However, Veronica had the lucky stars on her side. Just as she thought about her death, the car


    stopped on the second-level asphalt road and luckily handed on its four wheels. Therefore, the car only


    shook fiercely before steadilynding on the ground.


    The airbag was shot out, and though she suffered a few cuts on her cheeks and arms from the broken


    windows, she was rtively fine. She was dizzy from the tumbling and shaking, so it took her a while to


    regain her senses.


    Using her dagger to cut a hole in the airbag, she then continued driving. Fortunately, only the windows


    on both sides of the car were broken, and the back roof had copsed. There was also a hole on the


    right side of the windshield and a few scratches on the left, but she could still drive it.


    Veronica felt her whole body aching, but she was more worried about Matthew, so she started the


    engine and discovered that the car could still move after trying it out. Afterposing herself, she paid


    no heed to the injuries and pain in her body and drove straight forward. Matt, wait for me!


    At the secret research center in the west zone, Skyler had separated from the others. They fell into


    Tanya''s ambush and suffered a heavy loss, but he managed to use his abilities to escape from the


    enemy and sessfully entered the research center.


    Inside, he met with two workers, who were wearing suits and name tags around their necks. He did not


    recognize the words on the nametag, but he could tell that those two had high positions.


    Since the two were busy talking to each other, they did not notice Skyler and walked past him. At that


    moment, he suddenly turned around and took out two guns from behind him with both hands. With two


    shots, he fired the tranquilizer guns and rendered the two unconscious.


    The anesthetic inside the darts was super strong, so the two immediately fell to the ground after getting


    hit.


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    "These are indeed handy. Roni is such a smart woman." Initially, Skyler had only brought his gun, but


    Veronica said that if they wanted to sneak inside the research center, the sound of guns firing would


    attract attention, so she asked him to bring tranquilizer guns instead.


    Recalling his memory of the research center''s map, he quickly dragged the two inside the bathroom


    and took off their clothes. Following that, he changed into them and wore a hat before leaving.


    He wanted to thank Tanya because she had set up an ambush outside the research center, so the


    gunfire had attracted the attention of many, causing fewer workers to stand guard inside the research


    center. Atst, he arrived at the elevator''s entrance and took it to the undergroundboratory.

 Chapter 945

    Chapter 945


    Chapter 945 Making It Out Alive


    There were even fewer people inside the undergroundboratory, and Skyler met some who greeted


    him. Although he was extremely nervous, he remained indifferent and nodded. He also had a


    tranting device but could only understand what others were saying without speaking thenguage.


    ording to the map they had received, he estimated that Matthew might be held inside the room at


    the east end of the fourth-floor basement.


    Veronica mentioned that Crayson revealed they were using advanced technology to copy Matthew''s


    memories and alter them before inserting a microchip inside him. The room on the far end of the east


    wing was the Memory Retrieving Room.


    "Hey, who are you?" Suddenly, a tall man with a darkplexion pointed at Skyler from behind him.


    When Skyler heard him, he did not dare to turn around, so he could only move forward.


    The interior of the research center was pure white, giving it a high-tech feel, almost identical to how


    research facilities in Destor were. Also, he knew that the top research facilities in Destor had the best


    security systems in the country, so would this ce be the same?


    He was worried and anxious, afraid the person behind him would activate the rm system.


    As he had feared, the person saw Skyler ignore him, so he pointed at him and barked, "Stop! I''ll shoot


    you if you dare take another step forward."


    Within the hidden n, people were allowed to bring guns, so Skyler had no choice but to stop walking.


    Otherwise, if the other party fired his pistol, it would only attract even more people and foil their n to


    save Matthew.


    The moment Skyler turned around, he held the tranquilizer gun and shot it at the other person.


    However, that guy had quick reflexes and jumped to the side, avoiding the anesthetic.


    Bang!


    The man fired his gun, making a roaring sound that echoed inside the building and startling everyone.


    Cursing inside, Skyler shot at the man a few times before running away.


    Woo¡ª Woo¡ª Woo¡ª


    Someone activated the security rm, so the entire building''s sirens were wailing, which sounded


    particrly annoying. The guards were chasing after Skyler, and their numbers were growing by the


    minute.


    "Quick. Get him!"


    "Kill him!"


    "We can''t let him leave this ce."


    "Come on."


    Continuous screams wereing from behind Skyler.


    The people inside the research center gathered around as Skyler madly dashed forward. "F*ck! Why


    are there so many of them?"


    After that, he ran past the Memory Extraction Room and nced inside. Since the walls beside the


    hallway were made of see-through ss, he could see everything inside the room. No one was tied up


    or strapped down inside, nor was there any sign of Matthew.


    "What the heck? Why is it empty?" He finally lost his pursuers but was found again because he was


    peeking inside the room while leaning against the ss. Then, he fired his gun at those men a few


    times before circling. He was about to turn the corner to leave but bumped into someone.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "F*ck!" He ran into the person and bounced off, causing him to fall on his butt. "What the hell¡­" When


    he got up and was about to shoot at the person before him, he finally saw who the person in the white


    hospital gown was. "Matt, it''s you! How did you¡ª"


    Tugging Skyler''s hand, Matthew dragged him up from the ground. "Stop talking nonsense. Hurry up if


    you don''t want to die!"


    "Oh. Okay. Coming." Skyler was ecstatic while escaping with Matthew and asked, "How did you get


    out? Why do you look like you''re all fine?"


    "I''m not injured, so what could happen to me?"


    In reality, Matthew was not injured but poisoned. The toxin had spread throughout his body, causing


    him to faint. Now that the poison had dissipated and he had taken a night''s rest, he was in a much


    better condition. Also, he was secretly relieved that the poison Crayson gave him was simr to that of


    paraquat and that his body could recover quickly after ridding the poison. However, his body condition


    became much worse than before.


    "Phew¡ª" Skyler released a long sigh. "It''s good that you''re fine. Roni is worried sick."


    "Stop talking. We have to make it out alive first!

 Chapter 946

    Chapter 946


    Chapter 946 Why Are You Helping Me


    Matthew was worried sick about Veronica, but now that the rm had set off inside the research center


    and everyone was chasing after them, it would be challenging for them to leave. Rather than worrying


    about other matters, it would be better to think about how they could escape the research center alive


    as quickly as possible.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    As the sounds of shots firing became denser, the two ran even quicker. However, they met a few


    personnel in security uniforms with guns in their hands right after making a turn.


    Matthew and Skyler were about to run to the left, but someone suddenly appeared to their right. "Over


    here. Quickly!"


    The two turned their heads and saw Eleanor standing on the right exit, beckoning them over. Not


    knowing whether they could trust her, Skyler looked at Matthew and waited for him to decide.


    "Come on!" Matthew told Skyler before they headed off with her into the room.


    Once they went in, she immediately locked the door. "Over here. Follow me."


    The three quickly made their way down the stairs and continued moving downward.


    Skyler asked, "Where are we going? Why are we still going down?"


    While descending the stairs, Eleanor exined, "There''s a secret passageway underground that leads


    outside."


    When Matthew heard that, he frowned as aplicated emotion filled his eyes. She was different from


    how she usually was, for she was not in her bright red dress but a hospital gown. Also, she looked pale


    and weak, significantly different from her usual energetic look.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    At that moment, he noticed that blood was seeping out from her abdomen and staining her clothes.


    "Are you alright?" he asked out of concern.


    Turning to look at him, she smiled. "Are you worried about me?" Then, she gazed at the blood stain on


    her clothes and shook her head. "It''s not a big deal."


    Meanwhile, behind them, Skyler looked at the two with a meaningful gaze. They could still hear


    someone banging on the door upstairs, causing him to feel uneasy. "Would theye after us?"


    "There''s nothing to worry about. All the equipment in this research center is at the top of its field. That


    door is imprable." Eleanor''s words sounded reassuring to him.


    Then, they continued to walk down three more levels before arriving at the innermost part of a


    warehouse. There was a door with the word ''Power Box'' on it, after which she unlocked and pushed it


    open before telling the other two, "Get in."


    Since Skyler could not understand thenguage, he did not know what was written on the box, but


    Matthew did. Surprisingly, he did not hesitate and went straight inside.


    "Walk straight until the very end." Eleanor was behind them. She avoided the dangerous bits inside the


    power box and went to the end, where there was another door that was encrypted and required a


    retinal scan to unlock.


    Thus, she went over and scanned her retina. The door automatically opened, but it was pitch ck


    inside with the sounds of streaming water. Then, she grabbed a torchlight from somewhere and turned


    it on, illuminating the space in front of them as they continued to move forward.


    About three hundred feetter, Skyler and Matthew could finally see their surroundings. It was an


    underground river with a ck raft floating on the surface. One would have to look very carefully to see


    that raft.


    "Is this an underground river?" Skyler was dumbfounded.


    Nodding, Eleanor replied, "Yes. This is an underground river, but there are less than five people who


    know about this secret passage, so you can safely leave this ce."


    She did not tell them that this was where she used to visit and y. Tanya always liked bringing her to


    the research center, hoping she would get inspired and fall in love with the field. However, Eleanor was


    mischievous and enjoyed ying, so she was not interested in research. Hence, she explored the


    ce and found this underground river.


    "Hahaha! Miss Eleanor, you''re brilliant." Skylerplimented her sincerely before shakingly getting


    onto the raft.


    Meanwhile, Matthew looked at her and saw her holding the torchlight with one hand while covering her


    wound with the other. Her snow-white fingers were stained with blood. "Why are you helping me?" he


    asked.


    The grinning woman replied, "Because¡­ I like you."


    "Wouldn''t it be better for you if I lost my memories?"


    "You wouldn''t be you without your memories. I like that you''re unruly and cool." She admitted to her


    feelings. "Also, it wouldn''t be fair to you and Veronica. If I fall in love with someone, I want to be open


    with my feelings and sincerely pursue them."

 Chapter 947

    Chapter 947


    Chapter 947 He¡¯s Still Alive!


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    "You saved me twice. How should I repay you?" It was rare for Matthew to owe someone a favor, but


    he had already owed Eleanor two, making him at a loss for how to repay her.


    "Haha¡­ Actually¡­" She giggled and used the hand holding the torchlight to scratch her head. "That


    time¡­ on the mountain. That green snake didn''t bite you. I did it on purpose to show you because¡­ I


    wanted you to owe me a favor."


    "Pfft¡ª Miss Eleanor, you''re ruthless to yourself." Skyler could not hold hisughter.


    The truth rendered Matthew helpless, but he was not angry. "No matter what, thank you for your help. If


    there''s anything I can do for you in the future, just tell me, and I''ll do my best."


    "If that''s the case¡ª" Eleanor''s eyes lit up, and she was about to voice her condition but was interrupted


    by him.


    "Except marrying you."


    Pouting, she rolled her eyes. "I don''t need anything besides that. You should leave now. Just looking at


    you makes me angry," sheined.


    As such, Matthew turned around and got onto the raft. He looked at her with obsidian eyes and smiled,


    feeling more appreciation for Eleanor. After releasing the rope, she looked at them and waved.


    "Goodbye."


    "Miss Eleanor, thank you! Be careful." Skyler shed her a smile, whereas Matthew remained silent.


    While the raft drifted down the river where everything was pitch ck, they could not see anything


    forward. Skyler reflexively felt around the raft and found another torchlight. "Matt, there''s another one


    here."


    As he spoke, he was about to turn it on when Matthew stopped him. "There might be bats inside this


    cave, so we better not turn it on."


    "Oh¡ª Right." Skyler suddenly understood the situation and put the torchlight down. The two sat on the


    raft, and he whispered to Matthew everything that had transpired these two days in extreme detail.


    An hourter, the stream flowed quicker, and they could finally feel the breeze pick up. At that moment,


    a hole appeared in the distance, allowing light to illuminate the cave.


    "We''re finally out," Skyler eximed.


    Outside the cave was a massive, steep slope. The two clutched the handles tightly and fell quickly with


    the rushing water beforending steadily on a body of water. Now that they were outside the hidden


    cave, Skyler immediately called Veronica with the avable reception.


    Tut¡ª Tut¡ª Tut¡ª


    The phone rang a few times before someone answered, "Who is this?"


    "It''s me. Don''t you save my number?" Skylerined.


    When Veronica heard his voice, she immediately turned nervous. "Skyler, where are you? Where''s


    Matt? Have you found him? Where is he now?"


    After receiving a train of questions, Skyler was about to reply when the man beside him took his phone


    away. "Roni, it''s me."


    Hearing Matthew''s voice, she parted her lips, wanting to speak but choked up instead. Tears streamed


    down her face as she used her hand to cover her mouth, almost sobbing aloud. "Matt, you¡ª"


    She wanted to speak, but words stuck in her throat, making her unable to utter anything despite


    wanting to.


    "Skyler and I are at the Roch River at Falls. We''re safe." Mattforted her. "Silly girl, don''t be sad. I''m


    fine."


    "O-Okay. I''ll get you." Veronica hung up and threw her phone with a broken screen onto the passenger


    seat.


    Since the screen had cracked, half of it was ck, so she could not see who had called her and merely


    answered the call. Who would have thought it was Skyler calling her with good news?


    She looked out the window happily and immediately headed to Roch River.

 Chapter 948

    Chapter 948


    Chapter 948 Veronica Faints


    It was fortunate that the call came just in time. If Skyler had called half an hourter, Veronica would


    have arrived at the west zone research center. After an hour and thirty minutes, she arrived at the river


    bay at Roch River and drove the Jeep slowly along the river but did not see any signs of them.


    She drove for another ten minutes before finally spotting the two men not far away. Parking the car by


    the road, she pushed the door open and alighted but lost her bnce and fell to the ground.


    When Matthew saw that, he dashed over and reflexively kneeled on one knee before picking up the


    woman on the ground. "Roni!"


    Feeling his tight embrace, Veronica reciprocated while snuggling into his chest. She could feel his body


    warmth and sniffed his scent, making everything feel so real.


    "Did you know¡­ I-I thought I would never see you again and that you would forget about me." Her


    voice sounded choked and had a trace of determination.


    He ran his fingers through her hair. "You''re my wife. How could I possibly forget you¡ª"


    He had not finished speaking before she added, "But I''m more afraid¡­ Afraid that I would never see


    you again." As she said that, tears began pouring down her face like rain while she leaned into


    Matthew''s arms.


    He patted her back while looking at the wrecked Jeep and feeling his heart sink. He then pushed


    Veronica away and cupped her cheeks. Wounds shrouded her forehead, cheeks, chin, shoulders, and


    legs. One could say that she was covered in injuries.


    "How did you get injured?" From the moment he saw her, his furrowed eyebrows had never rxed.


    "I''m fine. They''re minor injuries." She shook her head.


    Matthew helped Veronica to her feet, and when she attempted to get up, she found her whole body


    sore with prickling pain everywhere. Looking at her body, she discovered that blood had stained her


    khaki attire, and the area at her knees had torn. She had no idea how her clothes got ripped and had


    just realized she was aching everywhere.


    In the meantime, Matthew''s eyes slowly reddened while his face filled with distress and gentleness.


    She was the person he held dear to him, but now that he saw her in such a state, he felt more hatred


    than heartbreak.


    On the other hand, Skyler watched the scene, feeling immensely touched. Since he met Veronica, she


    had been giving him surprise after surprise. He could not describe how much respect he harbored for


    her when he saw how she drove the wrecked Jeep as quickly as she could despite her injuries.


    He thought aboutplimenting Veronica but could not bring himself to break the affectionate


    atmosphere between the couple, so he could only stand by the side and watch. Suddenly, he began to


    miss Shirley. He had called her when they arrived ashore, but it did not go through. I wonder how Shir


    is doing at this moment.


    A whileter, several cars arrived, and Matthew carried Veronica onto one of them while Skyler got in


    the passenger seat and began their journey home.


    During the journey, Matthew positioned her on hisp, rendering her a little shy. "Let me down." While


    speaking, she peeked at Skyler and the driver from the corner of her eye.


    Skylerughed. "Jeez. It''s not like I haven''t seen you guys acting all lovey-dovey. Do you think I''d mind


    it now?"


    "Skyler''s right." While embracing Veronica, Matthew pulled her head to rest on his shoulder. "Lean here


    and take a rest."


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    "Okay." Since she was exhausted, she leaned on his shoulder and soon fell asleep.


    At first, Matthew thought Veronica was fast asleep because she did not have much restst night. Yet,


    upon arriving at One Piece Restaurant, he discovered that she was not dozing but unconscious. He


    patted her cheeks while calling her, "Roni? Roni? Wake up."


    Several shoutster, she remained unresponsive, so he immediately ordered the driver, "Head to the


    hospital. Quick!"


    "Yes, Boss." The driver immediately rushed toward the East Street Hospital.

 Chapter 949

    Chapter 949


    Chapter 949 Skyler Gets Furious


    Once the car came to a stop, Matthew dashed toward the emergency room with Veronica in his arms.


    After several checkups, Skyler approached Matthew and patted his shoulder. "Don''t worry. Roni is a


    lucky woman. She''ll be fine."


    Matthew did not reply and stood silently on the side, whereas Skyler sat on the bench and waited.


    Then, he suddenly thought of Shirley and called someone from One Piece Restaurant. When the call


    went through, he immediately inquired, "Dean, where''s Shirley? Why isn''t she picking up my calls?"


    "Uhm¡­ She¡­" The person on the other end stammered, his tone sounding off.


    Shooting up from his seat, Skyler eximed, "What happened? Did something happen to her?" His


    heart raced, and his eyelids kept twitching as he felt a strong sense of uneasiness.


    "She''s injured."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Injured? Is it serious? Where is she now? How did she get hurt?" At that point, it felt like his heart was


    in his throat, causing his panic to surge till his breathing became difficult.


    "It''s¡­ quite serious. S-She''s at the East Street Hospital."


    Since the East Street Hospital was near One Piece Restaurant, Shirley was immediately admitted there


    after the ident.


    "East Street Hospital?" Skyler was pondering where that hospital was until he realized he was there.


    "I''m right here. Which floor?"


    "Block C, room 407."


    "Alright. I''lle right over." After hanging up the call, he looked at Matthew, who urged him to set off


    instantly. "Go. I''ll bring Roni over once she''s out."


    "Okay." Skyler nodded and immediately headed downstairs with anxiety. When he found Block C, he


    went to the fourth floor and found room 407.


    Subsequently, he saw Dean Gesner from One Piece Restaurant and the others inside the single ward.


    All of them were people Matthew had arranged at the restaurant. Despite their prominentbat skills,


    they failed to defeat Crayson.


    "Young Master Skyler, you''re here." Dean greeted him before quietly looking at Shirley, who was lying


    on the bed receiving fluids.


    The unconscious woman had her face bandaged from her left cheek to her right temple at an angle,


    covering her right eye. Feeling his heart sink, Skyler noticed her ashen face and lips, so he asked, "W-


    What happened to her? Why is her face bandaged?"


    Dean looked at the people beside him and hinted at them with his eyes, wanting them to exin the


    incident. However, they either turned their heads away or left the room. Ostensibly, none was willing to


    break the bad news.


    "I asked a f*cking question!" roared Skyler as he grabbed Dean''s cor.


    He pinned Dean to the wall, causing the man to hit his head. Feeling terrified, Dean stammered his


    reply, "It was Crayson. While he was escaping, Shirley tried to stop him, but the dagger in his hand


    shed across her face, almost a¡­ a four-inch gash. She was heavily injured, and the doctor said¡­


    said¡­ said she¡­ is disfigured."


    When they charged into the room at One Piece Restaurant, they saw that Shirley was already


    wounded, so they could not see what Crayson had used against her. Therefore, the dagger was merely


    a guess.


    Skyler frowned and released Dean''s cor before stumbling back. "Disfigured?" He turned to look at


    the young woman on the bed, and the scene of her pure and adorable appearance appeared in his


    mind as he wondered, She''s such a good-lookingdy. How can she be disfigured?


    "Where''s the doctor? Get the doctor over here now!" he ordered.

 Chapter 950

    Chapter 950


    Chapter 950 A Broken Rib


    Deen quickly celled for the doctor. Soon, the doctor ceme over with the diegnostics report end en X-rey


    scen report to explein the petient''s condition to Skyler.


    The injury on Shirley''s fece wes too deep¡ªher four-inch wound extended from the left cheek to the


    bridge of her nose, for which she received eighteen stitches. Even though the doctor used ebsorbeble


    sutures on her wound, the injury would still leeve e terrifying scer on her fece efter she mede e full


    recovery.


    Skyler felt his mind blenking out upon heering the doctor''s words. He wes simmering in enger end


    irritetion.


    "She needs e good rest to evoid wound infection. The wound will feel itchy during the recovery, so


    pleese meke sure thet she doesn''t scretch the eree," the doctor reminded Skyler, end Deen wes busy


    trensleting between the two.


    In the end, Skyler esked thet everyone leeve the room. He took e cheir end set by the bed, stering et


    the sleeping Shirley with en eching heert. He took her hend, his fingertips ceressing the pele end


    smooth skin. Her fingers were cool to the touch, end he enjoyed holding them, but it elso peined him.


    He regretted bringing Shirley to the hidden clen. Hed it not been for his selfishness, she would not heve


    ended up in this situetion. Knowing how much she cered ebout her looks, this oue hed to be


    difficult for her to stomech.


    Dean quickly called for the doctor. Soon, the doctor came over with the diagnostics report and an X-ray


    scan report to exin the patient''s condition to Skyler.


    The injury on Shirley''s face was too deep¡ªher four-inch wound extended from the left cheek to the


    bridge of her nose, for which she received eighteen stitches. Even though the doctor used absorbable


    sutures on her wound, the injury would still leave a terrifying scar on her face after she made a full


    recovery.


    Skyler felt his mind nking out upon hearing the doctor''s words. He was simmering in anger and


    irritation.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    "She needs a good rest to avoid wound infection. The wound will feel itchy during the recovery, so


    please make sure that she doesn''t scratch the area," the doctor reminded Skyler, and Dean was busy


    tranting between the two.


    In the end, Skyler asked that everyone leave the room. He took a chair and sat by the bed, staring at


    the sleeping Shirley with an aching heart. He took her hand, his fingertips caressing the pale and


    smooth skin. Her fingers were cool to the touch, and he enjoyed holding them, but it also pained him.


    He regretted bringing Shirley to the hidden n. Had it not been for his selfishness, she would not have


    ended up in this situation. Knowing how much she cared about her looks, this oue had to be


    difficult for her to stomach.


    Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the caller and noticed that it was Matthew. After


    arriving by the Roch River, Matthew requested help to get him a phone. Boy, was he fast.


    "Matt?"


    "How''s Shirley?" He was concerned about her condition.


    Skyler''s eyes wandered to the sight of the weak Shirley on the bed, and he frowned with pain in his


    eyes. "She¡­" He started choking after that. "She''s disfigured."


    "Disfigured? Who did that?" Matthew was puzzled.


    "Veronica arranged for Shir to stand guard by Crayson, but he injured her as he escaped." While


    speaking, Skyler could not hold back his rage and raised his voice. "How could that old man hurt the


    face of a youngdy? She took eighteen stitches for that four-inch wound!"


    He gritted his teeth, and his eyes gleamed with resentment as though he would only feel satisfied after


    killing Crayson.


    "I''lle over now." Matthew offered hispany. A short silenceter, he hung up because he had


    nothing more to say.


    At that time, Veronica had left her patient room. She was fully awake and hooked to an IV drip. Lying in


    bed, she asked Matthew, "What''s wrong?"


    Sitting on a chair beside her, he held her hand with a frown on his face. "Master Crayson injured


    Shirley on the face. It''s a four-inch wound, and she received eighteen stitches."


    "What?" She rose from her bed but promptly drew a sharp breath out of pain. "Ouch¡­"


    "Lie down." Matthew felt sorry when he saw her grimacing. "You''re quite something, aren''t you? You


    still came to save me even when you had a broken rib and injuries all over your body."


    Although he was gently reprimanding her, he felt extremely sorry for her. He wondered how much


    willpower one would need to be like Veronica since she drove a car from the top to the foot of the


    mountain despite the pain from her injuries. He could not picture the regrets he would have to suffer if


    she had passed away.


    When Matthew learned how she hade to his rescue, he wanted to lecture her harshly but did not


    do so out of care.


    "Let''s not talk about me. Shirley needs us." She took his hand. "Help me up. I''ll join you."

 Chapter 951

    Chapter 951


    Chapter 951 She Was Disfigured


    It wes Veronice who esked thet Shirley keep guerd of Creyson. She hed thought thet he would never


    escepe, end even if he did, he would not hurt en innocent young ledy like Shirley. However, Veronice


    underestimeted his viciousness. Feeling sorry for Shirley end resenting Creyson, she wes deep in pein


    end diseppointment.


    "Get some good rest. I''ll get you end Shirley to be pleced in the seme room end keep eech other


    compeny." He bent over end geve her e peck on the foreheed while his hend ceressed her cheek.


    Then, he reluctently perted with her.


    It took him e few minutes to errive et Block C end Shirley''s room. He found her unconscious in the bed


    end Skyler looking distressed while sitting by the bed, holding her hend tightly.


    "Is she not eweke yet?" Metthew went up to the side of the bed end esked in e hushed voice.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Skyler glenced et him but quickly turned to Shirley egein, sheking his heed end sighing. "No."


    With thet, the room wes enveloped in silence. A while leter, Skyler mumbled, "I cen''t imegine how she''s


    going to fece the truth when she wekes up. She''s such e bright rey of sunshine, living her life without


    worries. I guess she might heve e herd time epting thet she''s disfigured."


    It was Veronica who asked that Shirley keep guard of Crayson. She had thought that he would never


    escape, and even if he did, he would not hurt an innocent youngdy like Shirley. However, Veronica


    underestimated his viciousness. Feeling sorry for Shirley and resenting Crayson, she was deep in pain


    and disappointment.


    "Get some good rest. I''ll get you and Shirley to be ced in the same room and keep each other


    company." He bent over and gave her a peck on the forehead while his hand caressed her cheek.


    Then, he reluctantly parted with her.


    It took him a few minutes to arrive at Block C and Shirley''s room. He found her unconscious in the bed


    and Skyler looking distressed while sitting by the bed, holding her hand tightly.


    "Is she not awake yet?" Matthew went up to the side of the bed and asked in a hushed voice.


    Skyler nced at him but quickly turned to Shirley again, shaking his head and sighing. "No."


    With that, the room was enveloped in silence. A whileter, Skyler mumbled, "I can''t imagine how she''s


    going to face the truth when she wakes up. She''s such a bright ray of sunshine, living her life without


    worries. I guess she might have a hard time epting that she''s disfigured."


    "The field of stic surgery is pretty developed back at home. It''s alsomon to get a surgery done.


    I''m sure she can get the scar removed once she''s back to Bloomstead." Matthewforted him.


    "Uh¡­ It hurts¡­ Ouch¡­" Shirley suddenly moaned in pain from the bed, her lips slightly parted.


    "Shir?" Skyler called her name softly as he bent forward to get closer to her.


    Finally, she had woken up after losing consciousness for hours. Her long and thickshes fluttered like


    the wings of a butterfly. When she opened her eyes, Skyler''s face was the first thing she saw.


    "Sky¡­ Ouch¡­" When she parted her lips slightly, she felt a burning sensation on her cheek, causing


    her to reflexively touch it.


    Seeing that, he instantly grabbed her hand. "Do not touch."


    Lying down, she rolled her eyes and said, "My right eye¡­"


    Every time she asked a question, she would pull on the wound and experience a sharp pain.


    "It''s okay. You have bandages on your face, and they cover up your eye. Your right eye is fine." Skyler


    felt suffocated by the sight of a weak Shirley, who was whispering and holding back her urge to speak


    normally out of fear of the pain.


    In bed, she calmly recalled the events from that day. Suddenly, she felt a lump in her throat as her eyes


    turned red from the tears that had welled up. Silently, they streamed down her face.


    Skyler was crushed to see her crying in silence. He held her hand tightly, but the words offort


    stuck in his throat as he did not know what to say to her.


    She looked at him with her left eye. "I¡­ I''m disfigured¡­ Aren''t I?" She had to keep her mouth open


    and use her tongue to make some almost unintelligible noises to speak. That was the only way to


    reduce the pain.


    The doctor mentioned that her left cheek was less than an inch away from getting pierced open, which


    was the reason behind the pain.


    Perhaps, Crayson had never thought he would inflict such a serious injury on her. While swinging his


    hand, the ring on his finger dug into her flesh and caused a deep wound that was visible even on her


    nose bridge.


    Skyler frowned at Shirley''s words, eyes teary from his heartache. He struggled to offer words of


    comfort, so the least he could do was to hold her hand tight and caress it.

 Chapter 952

    Chapter 952


    Chapter 952 Agonizing Pain


    "Pleese leeve, ell of you. I need some elone time." Teers streemed down Shirley''s fece. Even though


    she wes speeking softly end her words were muffled, Metthew end Skyler both understood her well.


    "Shir, don''t worry end don''t feel sed ebout it. Plestic surgery beck home is highly developed end


    edvenced. Once we''re beck, we cen get you surgery. Everything will be fine soon." Skyler lifted her


    hend end pressed it egeinst his fece es heforted her.


    However, Shirley wes oblivious to his ection end repeeted her words, "Sky, I need¡­ I need some


    spece." Her pele lips perted, end she moved her tongue to produce muffled sounds.


    "Let''s get out end leeve her elone for now," Metthew suggested to Skyler, feeling upset for the two.


    Skyler shook his heed end wiped ewey e teer in the corner of Shirley''s eyes. "Don''t cry. I''m here. I''ll be


    by your side forever."


    Whet wes supposed to be words offort led to en emotionel breekdown. She cried loudly end


    incessently, but her violent ection pulled on the wound on her fece, ceusing egonizing pein.


    "Ouch¡­ It hurts¡­" She wented to stop herself from crying, but the teers kept flowing es pert of e


    neturel response. She couldn''t help but sob.


    Feeling enxious, Skyler stood up to hold her hend end her right cheek. "Shir, don''t cry. It''ll only hurt


    your wound. I''m here for you, end I will meke sure you''re fully recovered. I''ll teke cere of the scer too.


    Trust me, okey?"


    "Please leave, all of you. I need some alone time." Tears streamed down Shirley''s face. Even though


    she was speaking softly and her words were muffled, Matthew and Skyler both understood her well.


    "Shir, don''t worry and don''t feel sad about it. stic surgery back home is highly developed and


    advanced. Once we''re back, we can get you surgery. Everything will be fine soon." Skyler lifted her


    hand and pressed it against his face as heforted her.


    However, Shirley was oblivious to his action and repeated her words, "Sky, I need¡­ I need some


    space." Her pale lips parted, and she moved her tongue to produce muffled sounds.


    "Let''s get out and leave her alone for now," Matthew suggested to Skyler, feeling upset for the two.


    Skyler shook his head and wiped away a tear in the corner of Shirley''s eyes. "Don''t cry. I''m here. I''ll be


    by your side forever."


    What was supposed to be words offort led to an emotional breakdown. She cried loudly and


    incessantly, but her violent action pulled on the wound on her face, causing agonizing pain.


    "Ouch¡­ It hurts¡­" She wanted to stop herself from crying, but the tears kept flowing as part of a


    natural response. She couldn''t help but sob.


    Feeling anxious, Skyler stood up to hold her hand and her right cheek. "Shir, don''t cry. It''ll only hurt


    your wound. I''m here for you, and I will make sure you''re fully recovered. I''ll take care of the scar too.


    Trust me, okay?"


    Her vision blurred up from the tears, and she sensed a drop of hot tear on her cheek¡ªSkyler must be


    crying.


    She also knew very well that she would not be a good match for him if she was disfigured. She would


    not be good enough to stand beside him and call him her partner.


    At the same time, Veronica, dressed in her patient robe, dragged her feeble body to Shirley''s room.


    She overheard Skyler''s words offort and Shirley''s cries, and she noticed the thickyers of


    bandages on Shirley''s face. She felt a pang of pain from the sounds and sights around her.


    Heartbroken, she had tears in her eyes.


    When Matthew turned around, he noticed Veronica walking toward them. He quickly went up and


    hugged her without a word.


    Leaning against his chest, she took in the scent of him, thinking that it''d help with her sorrows, but she


    fell into a deep sadness instead. Sniffling, she pushed him aside and went up to Shirley''s bed. She was


    riddled with guilt at the sight of Shirley crying.


    "I''m sorry," she offered an earnest apology. "It''s all my fault."


    Shirley tilted her head to look at Veronica and lifted her right hand. Veronica quickly took her hand.


    Shirley whispered, "Ron, it has¡­ nothing to do¡­ with you."


    Meanwhile, Skyler was seated with his back facing Veronica. He quickly wiped the back of his hand on


    his cheek, trying not to attract their attention to his tears.


    "You should rest well. I''ve changed my room to make it easier for visits to you," she consoled Shirley.


    "Don''t worry. You have me, Skyler, and Matt. We will restore your face back to how it was. Trust us."


    She repeatedly cheered Shirley up, feeling concerned that Shirley might take things too hard.


    Shirley nodded but immediately let out a squeal. "It hurts¡­ It is so painful." She reached out to touch


    her face without thinking, but Skyler grabbed her hand in time. "Where does it hurt?"


    He suddenly noticed that the bandages on her face were soaked in tears. The tears were in contact


    with her wound, which was the reason for her pain.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "It hurts¡­" Shirley felt excruciating pain from the wound that made her tremble. Even though she did


    not feel like crying anymore, tears fell again due to the extreme pain.

 Chapter 953

    Chapter 953


    Chapter 953 Will She Be Able to Restore Her Looks?


    Shirley was more sensitive to painpared to ordinary people; a tinge of pain could consign her to


    agony.


    The seriously injured girl was simply putting up with the pain, but the physical agony overwhelmed her.


    Streaks of tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking the bandage and dissolving in the wound.


    The pain was that of someone rubbing salt on it.


    Matthew hurriedly went out of the room to call for the doctor, who soon rushed over. The doctor asked


    the nurse to bring over a pair of scissors and urged, "Make way, please."


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Skyler could not understand the hidden tongue, but he could grasp the situation thanks to the miniature


    tranting device. He and Veronica made way for the medical staff.


    The nurse stepped forward to bind Shirley''s hands, whereas the doctor cut the bandage around her


    face to prevent the tears from infecting the wound.


    The slitted bandage exposed her wound right in front of others.


    Shirley''s fair skin had always been wless. In addition to her delicate and sweet features, she was


    definitely a looker; her engaging smile alone was enough to have one at hello.


    Now, there was an appalling scar that stretched from her left cheek to her nose bridge. Even her brows


    were scratched!


    The stitches sewed her red wound, turning it into a red and plump centipede. Her face was barely


    discernable; where had the pretty girl gone to?


    Everyone was aware that Shirley received eighteen stitches. However, they could not help the


    goosebumps at the sight of the wound on her face.


    With clenched fists, Skyler reined in the stirring turmoil in him. Meanwhile, Veronica and Matthew


    exchanged looks before he hugged her shoulder to push her into his embrace.


    After disinfection, the doctor applied medicine to the wound and bandaged it again. Despite his light


    touch, Shirley''s quivering hand squeezed the nket until her knuckles turned white.


    It wrenched Skyler''s heart to watch her in pain. It was his first time having a taste of devastation


    because of someone else.


    Standing right next to the bed with his hands resting on the handrail, he attempted to keep his voice as


    gentle as possible. "Shir, the doctor said that you mustn''t cry because your face is injured. Tears will


    only make it more painful and there''s a high risk of disinfection. Got it?"


    As a doctor himself¡ªwho had once indulged in medical beauty¡ªhe was aware that there was no


    chance of restoring her face anymore. The only alternative was stic surgery.


    He turned around to face Matthew. "Matt, ask the doctor to give her a shot of tranquilizer."


    "Okay." Matthew then tranted the message to the doctor.


    The doctor nodded and asked the nurse to bring a syringe of tranquilizer for Shirley. Once the medical


    staff left, she slowly drifted into dreand. The atmosphere sunk into peace.


    "Roni, take some rest." Matthew helped Veronica to the other bed before cing a nket over her.


    She cast a nce at Shirley and asked Skyler, "Will she be able to restore her looks through stic


    surgery?"


    His brows furrowed as he sighed. "As long as it doesn''t leave a scar, stic surgery might work."


    Still, Shirley''s wound was so serious that she would not be able to recover her looks for now.


    "Phew." Guilt was weighing down on Veronica. "I promise that I will straighten things out."


    After all, she could not turn a blind eye to it when Crayson was at fault.

 Chapter 954

    Chapter 954


    Chapter 954 Eleanor¡¯s Punishment


    ng!


    The sound of porcin broken jarred against the four walls of the hidden n pce.


    The fruit te, which was thrown away by Tanya, flew by Eleanor''s face at close proximity before it


    shattered on the ground into pieces.


    Eleanor flinched at the grating sound, but she remained in her kneeling posture without moving a


    muscle. Her back was straight, and she held her head high. All of her features spoke of tenacity.


    Exasperated, Tanya folded her hands behind her back and approached Eleanor. Rage surged through


    her trembling finger as she pointed at her daughter. "Do you know how much we lose this time?"


    "I know." Eleanor''s eyelids flickered, reflecting the pang of guilt that hit her.


    "You know?!" Tanya raised her voice and kicked Eleanor in the shoulder. "You know nothing!"


    Her whole body shuddered in pure ire. "You begged me to treat Matthew, and I told you to never let the


    bad guys off. They''ll be a recipe for disaster! And look at what you''ve done. Iid out such a perfect


    n and all I have to do is to wait for them to fall into the trap. I thought everything was perfect, but I


    didn''t expect you to be the shoring!


    "Forget about the heavy casualties, how dare you bring Matthew and his men out through the secret


    passage in the research institute! Don''t you know what that secret passage is for?" With one hand on


    her waist and the other raised midair, she red at Eleanor. The scorching gaze could literally burn a


    hole through Eleanor.


    Lying on the ground, Eleanor gritted her teeth as the pain twisted her stomach. Ever since Eleanor


    could remember, Tanya rarely lost her cool.


    The moment she decided to admit her fault, Eleanor knew what kind of consequence awaited her. She


    covered her stomach and got on her knees before Tanya again. "It is my fault. Please punish me."


    The zero intentions to exin her stance kept Eleanor''s speech terse. Tanya had expected that kind of


    response from her daughter, but it did not stop her blood from boiling.


    Tanya interrogated, "Did Matthew cast a spell on you? Or did he threaten you in a way that you''re left


    with no choice but to let him go?"


    Tanya was trying to make up an excuse for Eleanor, but thetter remained kneeling with a determined


    gaze. "A man must take the consequence of his own deeds. It has nothing to do with Matthew. I made


    the decision on my own."


    "You! You!" Tanya''s pointing finger trembled. "Why don''t you say that again?!"


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    "A man must take the consequence of his own deeds. It has absolutely nothing to do with Matthew,"


    repeated Eleanor loud and clear.


    As soon as she finished her final words, Tanyanded a p on her cheek. Considering how powerful


    martial artists werepared to ordinary people, Eleanor flopped onto the ground because of that one


    p.


    A streak of blood adorned the corner of her lips, and a red mark embellished her swollen cheek almost


    instantly.


    The fall stretched the wound on her belly, causing blood to ooze and paint her clothes red.


    Nevertheless, Eleanor did not grunt a single word. She simply endured the pain and propped herself up


    to get on her knees again.


    Her stance disyed her innate egoism and tenacity in her. Tanya could see herself in Eleanor.


    How could Tanya possibly not care about her daughter? No matter how cruel one was, they would


    never hurt their child.


    Anger was at its peak and had the best of Tanya. That was it.


    "Eleanor, you should know that it isn''t easy for the hidden n to have today''s sess. You shouldn''t


    have brought Matthew to the secret passage."


    "Yes, you''re right." Eleanor slightly lifted her chin although her gaze remained cast to the ground. "It is a


    sin I can never atone for. I know. Please punish me. I will ept it without a word."

 Chapter 955

    Chapter 955


    Chapter 955 Dominik Ledger


    Tanya''s fists tightened as she held in her emotions. At longst, she beckoned someone over. "Anyone


    out there? Take Her Highness to the water dungeon. She shall be confined for two days."


    Emotionlessly, the men outside entered the ce to drag the kneeling princess out of the pce.


    Over ten minutester, Dominik appeared in the pce.


    "I heard that Eleanor is confined in the water dungeon. Why? You know that she''s badly injured." He


    was genuinely worried. Although he was aware that Eleanor had let Matthew go, Tanya''s rage was


    beyond his expectation.


    The secret passage in the research institute was privy to almost no one. Dominik did not know about its


    presence, let alone its importance.


    "Hmph! As the leader of the hidden n, how could she let the enemy go? This is a felony! She has it


    coming!" Tanya turned around to seat herself and take a sip of water.


    He then kneeled on the ground suddenly. "Mom, ever since Eleanor was bitten by the snake in the


    mountain, she has been weak. The poison is still inside her, and she''s still injured. Soaking herself in


    the water dungeon for the entire day will im her life."


    "She let the enemy go instead of helping me, so she must be heavily punished. Otherwise, how can I


    face the others?" She mmed the desk and snorted coldly.


    "But, Mom¡ª"


    "No buts. Two days of confinement is the best I can offer. If she can''t slog through it, it deems her


    unworthy of her title. Now, leave!" Tanya waved her hand.


    "Mom¡­" Dominik took two steps forward on his knees, pleading, "Eleanor is still young. You shouldn''t


    do this to her."


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Although she wasforted by his affection for his sister, her rigid expression did not change. "You''re


    a patient too. Leave and get some rest or you will join your sister in the water dungeon." She raised her


    hand before bypassing the screen to leave the ce through the back door.


    "Mom? Mom!" called the distressed man. However, the frantic emotions between his brows vanished


    right after Tanya left.


    He lifted his right brow and covered the wound on his corbone. After he got on his feet, he sneered


    and left the pce.


    Dominik strolled along the corridor, heading toward the turning point of the arch bridge to give his


    subordinates an order. "Tell them to ''take good care'' of Eleanor. Don''t let her leave the water dungeon


    alive. That will be for the best."


    "Yes, Your Highness," responded the subordinate before executing his mission.


    Once the two of them left, someone walked out from the other corner. Liam watched Dominik''s back


    with wide eyes as he teemed with shock and horror.


    This is the real Dominik!


    Tanya had the least expectation for Liam among the siblings, and the hidden n practiced matrilineal


    primogeniture. Hence, never once had heid his eyes on the throne, let alone the wish to intervene in


    the schemes between the avaricious people. His sole wish was to enjoy his life to the fullest.


    Dominik should never haveid a finger on Eleanor. After all, who did not know that he was the closest


    to Eleanor?


    ¡­


    Back at the hospital, Matthew was sitting next to the bed while conversing with Veronica when his


    phone vibrated. He had turned on the vibration mode in order not to disturb Veronica and Shirley.

 Chapter 956

    Chapter 956


    Chapter 956 Owe Her a Life


    "I''m going to answer the phone,'''' said Matthew.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    He greeted Veronica, got up and walked out of the ward, closed the door, and stood in the corridor to


    answer the phone.


    "Matthew?"


    Liam identified Matthew''s name correctly.


    Liam, who had been kept in the dark, finally knew Matthew''s identity because of what had happened in


    the past few days.


    "Who is this?" he asked.


    "Liam Ledger. My mother learned that Eleanor had allowed you to escape. She was so furious that she


    not only beat Eleanor but also imprisoned her in the water dungeon. Do you even know what a water


    dungeon is?" the other party informed of his name and then said directly.


    Matthew frowned slightly but stayed silent, waiting for the other party''s following sentence.


    "As the name implies, the water dungeon is where you have the prisoner immersed in the water. In the


    pce, she is the first royal to be punished by being imprisoned in the water dungeon."


    Despite being a womanizer, Liam had his own set of rules.


    Eleanor, in particr, was the only sister close to him in the pce.


    He was really upset and frustrated now that she was injured because of Matthew.


    "What do you need me to do?" asked Matthew.


    He was let go by Eleanor. Therefore, he naturally expected Tanya Ledger to be enraged and punish


    Eleanor.


    He just wasn''t expecting that she would be put in a water dungeon.


    The consequences of Eleanor''s injury and immersion in the water dungeon would be disastrous.


    "How can you help? You can''t even protect yourself, yet you want to save Eleanor? Her chances of


    survival in the water dungeon are uncertain, and now there are still people out there who want to kill


    her!" Liam snorted lightly, expressing his dissatisfaction.


    "Remember, you will always owe Eleanor your life if she dies just like that!" Liam immediately hung up


    the phone after saying that.


    Matthew clutched his phone, walked to the bench in the corridor, and sat down, reflecting on what Liam


    had just said.


    He would not sit quietly by if he knew someone was attacking Eleanor, and she would not die.


    Liam''s phone call was most likely to inform him that he owed Eleanor a debt of favor that he couldn''t


    repay.


    "Matt, what''s the matter?"


    Skyler came out of the ward feeling concerned for Matthew who was sitting helplessly on the bench.


    "The leader of the hidden n imprisoned Eleanor in the water dungeon to save me," he said


    concisely.


    "The water dungeon?"


    "Eleanor is also the leader of the hidden n after all. Why is the head of the n so ruthless?" Skyler


    asked with a frown as he approached him and sat next to Matthew.


    "When I was trapped and eventually escaped, I destroyed the important instruments and equipment in


    the research room and got rid of two important people as well. She was probably upset because of the


    significant losses."


    Matthew concluded with that.


    Furthermore, he met Skyler after leaving the study room and also fought fiercely with others. This


    caused much damage to the research institute and the loss was immeasurable.


    "That''s just one of the reasons. I believe Tanya Ledger is upset because you are Veronica''s husband,"


    Skyler responded.


    Skyler could guess it even though Matthew didn''t say anything.


    But he still sighed. "Eleanor is really brave, which is admirable. If she wasn''t an enemy, I think we could


    be friends with her."


    ¡­


    In the next few days, Matthew and Skyler stayed at the hospital, never moving a step from the building.


    Crayson and Hayley Elrod wanted to visit Veronica in the hospital many times, but they were all turned


    away.


    Matthew never told Veronica the truth about his injury.


    Because once he told the truth, it would only increase the guilt and pressure on Veronica.


    It''s better not to say it instead.


    The hunting ceremony was dered pleted," and Hendrey and Antheena''s troop was dered the


    winners.

 Chapter 957

    Chapter 957


    Chapter 957 Discharge From the Hospital


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    However, only 30 million rewards were granted because they weren''t members of the hidden n.


    Half a monthter.


    Veronica and Shirley were discharged from the hospital and returned to One Piece Restaurant.


    Shirley never dared to look in the mirror ever since the gauze was removed and her discharge from the


    hospital. Not only that, Veronica and the others did not allow any mirror to appear in the ward. Even the


    mirror in the bathroom was to be removed.


    Skyler wrapped a piece of light pink gauze over Shirley''s face and knotted it behind her head on the


    day she was discharged from the hospital to cover the scars on her face.


    Matthew asked Lazlo to tell the people at One Piece Restaurant not to ask about Shirley''s injuries.


    Skyler took Shirley''s hand and proceeded straight to his room after returning to One Piece Restaurant.


    There was no mirror in the room too.


    "We''re finally back. Come in and sit down. You should rest for a while," Skyler said gently to Shirley


    while holding her hand.


    Shirley, who had long hair, was dressed in a blue skirt with red and ck crocheted cuffs from the


    hidden n. She appeared even more mysterious and as beautiful as a fairy because she was dressed


    in gauze.


    But her face was scarred and she had lost her usual smile. Her mood was gloomy and taciturn every


    day as she was no longer confident.


    "Okay,'''' answered Shirley.


    She nodded and sat on the couch without speaking.


    "Ah, I''ve been suffocating to death in the hospital for the past few days. Here, I''ll show you something


    good." Skyler raised his eyebrows and smiled. He mysteriously closed all the curtains in the living


    room, and the living room was suddenly plunged into darkness.


    He turned on the projector and something was projected on the white screen. It was a domestic movie.


    "Ta-da!"


    Skyler continued with aical sound effect, "Look what I brought from home. There is everything¡ª


    good movies, TV shows, and video games. We won''t be alone for long, I promise. There''s also your


    favorite variety show produced by the Mango TV channel. Do you want to watch it now?"


    He tried his best to enliven the atmosphere and please Shirley.


    Although Shirley saw it in her eyes and felt it in her heart, she was aware that this kind of favor won''t


    last.


    "Okay. Since I''m kinda bored.'''' She nodded and forced a smile.


    "What about the 12th episode? It''s said that this episode has the highest ratings, and it''s also highly


    entertaining." Skyler selected the variety show and left the remote control on the table. Then, He


    walked to the refrigerator and ced some fruits in front of Shirley. "Here, I know you like apricots and


    figs the most. I specially asked someone to bring them here since the hidden n doesn''t have them.


    You should eat them quickly. They are all fresh."


    The variety show was being shown on the huge screen in the living room, and the light on the screen


    illuminated the dim living room.


    Without blinking, Shirley kept her gaze fixed on the busy Skyler in front of her.


    She was saddled and in the palm of the Robins Family''s rebellious young master.


    Her heart felt warm and then a sharp ache as she sensed his love and his fiery heart.


    Tears fell silently.


    "Sky, you are so kind. Thank you." She chuckled a little, though.


    She kept all of her sorrow to herself since she didn''t want to put pressure or unpleasant feelings on


    others.


    "What do you thank me for?"


    Skyler rubbed her head and said, "Try it now. It tastes good. You were in the hospital recovering and


    were unable to eat. You can eat now that your wound has healed. I permit you to eat unscrupulously."


    "Okay."


    Shirley nodded and nibbled on a peeled apricot. It had a strong vor and was sweet.


    "Delicious?" he asked.


    Shirley replied, "Yes. Very sweet."


    Hmm. It is sweet and fresh, but why does it turn salty after two more bites? Even somewhat astringent?


    It wasn''t until the tears blurred her vision that she realized that her tears had gotten into her mouth.

 Chapter 958

    Chapter 958


    Chapter 958 Lost Her Way


    Upstairs.


    "Sit down while I''ll cut some fruits for you," Matthew whispered as he helped Veronica up onto the chair


    on the balcony.


    "Okay."


    Veronica nodded, feeling a little depressed as she sat on the rocking chair with a view of the busy


    downtown of the hidden n residents.


    She was distressed every time she thought about Shirley''s injury and didn''t know how to exin it to


    them.


    "What are you thinking about?" asked Matthew.


    After some time, Matthew was holding a crystal fruit tray with freshly cut and peeled fruits of the hidden


    n specialty.


    He ced the te on the coffee table before delivering a piece of fruit to Veronica''s mouth with a


    golden fork.


    Veronica was moved by the gentle treatment.


    She smiled back at Matthew, and her eyshes were lifted slightly. She opened her mouth and chewed


    the white fruit, saying, "It''s so sweet. It''s simr to the melons in Bloomstead but softer and more


    fragrant."


    "If you like it that much, I''ll bring some seeds here and nt them so you can eat them when you


    want." While he spoke, he pulled out a piece of tissue paper and wiped the water marks from the


    corners of her mouth, pampering her iparably.


    "I''m not a high paraplegic; you don''t have to feed me and wipe my mouth."


    Even though she knew Matthew adored her, she was a little ufortable being spoiled sovishly.


    Taking Matthew''s hand, she invited him to sit next to her and talk.


    "What''s wrong? Don''t you like me taking care of you?" asked Matthew.


    Matthew raised his ck sword-like eyebrows. He wore a sapphire blue shirt, and his attractive face


    evoked a tiny smile that was both seductive and attractive.


    "You have been taking care of me in the hospital for half a month."


    Veronica turned her neck and stretched her body, saying, "Look. My body is alright. I can do things by


    myself."


    "Say, how should you repay me for the half a month of care?"


    The man gave a meaningful wicked smile.


    "Oh, I will repay you well, alright. Close your eyes." As she spoke, Veronica wrapped her arms around


    his neck.


    He subconsciously considered something as a result of the unexpected intimacy. He gently closed his


    eyes and raised his chin slightly as if he was waiting for something.


    When Veronica realized what Matthew was preparing for, she wanted tough but she restrained


    herself.N?velDrama.Org content.


    After reaching for the fork, she stuffed a piece of fruit into Matthew''s lips.


    Sensing the coolness on his lips, the man suddenly opened his eyes and saw Veronica''s smirk.


    "You''re fooling me, huh?"


    Before Veronica could respond, he raised his eyebrows and grabbed her by the back of the head with


    hisrge hand. He then proceeded to kiss her lips and forced the honeydew melon syrup into her


    mouth.


    "Now, how is the taste?"


    He let go of her and asked back.


    "Well, it is very sweet."


    "Do you prefer the honeydew melon or me?"


    Veronica was speechless by his remark. Good grief. Is he jealous of a melon?


    "Of course, it''s you." She answered Matthew''s question against her will.


    Matthew was very satisfied with the answer. His brows spread slightly, and his cold face grinned like a


    spring breeze with his deep and distinguished facial features.


    "So, are you done with the task?"


    Veronica''s expression abruptly shifted from one of rxation to seriousness.


    "You mean Tiffany?" asked Matthew.


    "Yeah."


    "I sent someone to the mountain to find her body once the hunting ceremony was over. Her body had


    been brought down the mountain, cremated, and buried."


    "What about Nelson?''''


    "Nelson was buried next to Tiffany. The two of them will not be too lonely on their journey to the


    hereafter," Matthew said.


    Veronica leaned on the rocking chair and gazed sideways into the distance. She sighed. "Tiffany and


    Nelson were very much alike. Detestable, but pitiful. Nelson was forced toe here to murder me as


    his younger brother was under confinement by Tanya. It was hisst resort."


    As for Tiffany...


    Veronica sympathized with Tiffany''s situation. Tiffany had other ways out yet continued to make poor


    choices, lost her way, and eventually got herself killed.

 Chapter 959

    Chapter 959


    Chapter 959 Veronica¡¯s Suspicion


    "You are just too kind."


    Matthew stared at Veronica with tenderness in his dark eyes. "Sympathizing with the enemy will only


    harm you."


    "Yeah, sympathizing with the enemy will only harm you,'''' she replied.


    She sighed for a long time, feeling extremely mncholy. "The session ceremony is less than half a


    month away. I hope time can pass faster."


    "Time flies. Take a good rest for now."


    Matthew tried to reassure Veronica so she wouldn''t worry too much.


    "I want to meet Crayson in the afternoon. I need to put an end to this,'''' she said. She gave Matthew a


    determined expression.


    Matthew''s obsidian eyes sparked as he listened to her words. He offered, "I''ll go with you."


    He appeared concerned for Veronica and didn''t want her to visit Crayson by herself.


    "No need, I..."


    Veronica was about to say something when she noticed that Matthew''s expression was off. She had a


    sudden thought and said again, "Earlier on, I asked you about your injuries, and you said you were


    poisoned?"


    She had a sensitive grasp on what happened. Veronica appeared to be suspicious already. "There are


    so many people who want to take my life. I thought it would be solved with the current solution.


    However, I didn''t expect them to poison me quietly in the end." Matthew avoided Veronica''s gaze and


    stuffed a piece of fruit into his mouth.


    "You were following Eleanor the whole time. Why were you the only one who got poisoned?"


    She asked Matthew about his injury that day at the hospital, but someone came in and the subject was


    switched, so she ignored it and didn''t much about it.


    If it weren''t for the fact that his expression immediately changed when she said she was going to visit


    Crayson, Veronica might not have paid it much mind.


    "I know that there are many people who want to kill you, but you only consumedpressed biscuits


    and your water in the mountains. How was it possible for someone to poison you? There was no


    chance for someone to approach you and poison you.''''


    Veronica grabbed Matthew''s hand. "Where did the watch that Crayson gave you that day go?"


    "In the pce,'''' replied Matthew.


    He exined, "I was taken to the pce by Eleanor, and everything on me was taken away."


    His phone and other belongings were still there because he took them off before entering the mountain


    for the hunting ceremony. The items were with his subordinates.


    "Matt, you are lying!"


    Veronica''s eyes turned cold, and she immediately questioned, "With your temperament, you will


    investigate the matter after being attacked, and an eye for an eye. However, you carefully avoided


    discussing your poisoning after you left the pce."


    Veronica frowned slightly and voiced a question about which she wasn''t even sure, "Did Crayson''s man


    attack you?"


    "Why do you think that?"


    ''''I''ve already got rid of the people who poisoned me. There is no one behind the scenes except


    Anthony,'''' Matthew said with a smile on his charming face as he raised his hand and pinched her


    cheek.


    "My identity has now been revealed. Anthony is unable to get rid of me openly. How could he pass up


    the chance to get rid of me at the hunting ceremony?" He spread his hands as he said this.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    The man shook his head and sighed. "You just like to overthink."


    "You''re not lying?"


    "Would I lie about something like this?" Matthew looked as usual.


    Even if he was lying, he could mask his feelings well enough that Veronica would not notice.


    The rtionship between Crayson and Veronica wasplicated. Although Matthew despised


    Crayson, Veronica would be overwhelmed if she learned that Crayson nearly killed her.


    Therefore, Matthew chose to conceal the truth.

 Chapter 960

    Chapter 960


    Chapter 960 Know the Truth


    In the afternoon, Veronica received a call from Eleanor.


    "What are you doing right now, Goddess Veronica? Shouldn''t you treat me to dinner and repay me


    because I, Princess Eleanor of the hidden n, saved your man?"


    Eleanor, on the other end of the phone, spoke casually and enthusiastically, clearly in a good mood.


    "I wanted to visit you because I know you were injured, but I was just discharged from the hospital at


    noon. You called before I had time to contact you."


    Veronica smiled heartily. "I''m at One Piece Restaurant. Come here. I''ll ask Matt to cook for you to


    express my gratitude."


    "Hahaha! You know me best. Wait for me. I am on my way."


    Eleanor hung up the phone quickly, cleaned up briefly, and drove down the mountain with Liam.


    In the car, Liam asionally nced at Eleanor who was beaming like a flower while sitting in the


    passenger seat. He said, "He''s married. You two have no chance. What are you so happy about?"


    He shook his head, unsure of what she was thinking.


    Eleanor''s smile vanished as she heard what he said, and she cast a sideways nce at him, saying,


    "You are always cheering and ttering that sultry b*tch every day. So, you are allowed to be happy


    and I''m not?''''


    "Whatever you say." Liam twisted his lips and continued speaking while he tapped his fingers on the


    steering wheel. "It appears that the injury has healed, and you''re in a good mood. That''s excellent."


    "Well, it''s all thanks to you. Staying with me in the water dungeon for two days, and even finding


    something for me to step onto; otherwise, I would have suffered a lot in there."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    People would be punished in the water prison by having their hands tied with iron chains and standing


    in water up to their thighs.


    Liam arrived shortly after she was sent to the water dungeon, talking and conversing with her the entire


    time. He even bribed the people in the water dungeon to put a high table under her feet so she could sit


    on the table.


    He also fed her food and drinks by himself.


    Eleanor was moved by Liam''s actions after the water dungeon incident. Of course, this is also thanks


    to the fact that my mother had turned a blind eye to this; otherwise, how could I tantly avoid the


    punishment meant for me?


    "It''s good that you know."


    Liam smiled. "When you be the head of the hidden n, you have to protect this younger brother


    of yours, okay?"


    "Of course." Eleanor boldly and generously patted her chest.


    "What... about Dominik?" Liam inquired cautiously.


    "Dominik?" Eleanor paused, the ease and delight on her face gone, and her face grew solemn. "I know


    what you want to say. So, you stayed in the dungeon with me for two days this time because you were


    worried he''d do something to me?"


    "Hoo¡­"


    "It turns out that you have been having your guard up against him. I was still debating how to tell you,


    and I was afraid that if I did, you''d use me of causing division," Liam said, relieved that she had


    more or less guessed something.


    "Liam. Being born in the pce, there are many unavoidable things. It is also destined that we will not


    be like ordinary families, where brothers and sisters love each other." Eleanor looked at him as she


    said that.


    Then, the car fell into silence, and neither of the two spoke again.


    Some details shouldn''t be revealed too much, and both of them were intelligent to understand that


    naturally.


    Over at One Piece Restaurant.


    When Liam and Eleanor arrived at One Piece Restaurant, Veronica and Matthew were already waiting


    for them at the door.


    "Ooh, is it because I am now your husband''s savior, so the treatment has also been upgraded that you


    guys are willing to go to the door to greet me in person?" Eleanor feigned surprise as she approached


    the door.


    She nced at Matthew before returning her gaze to Veronica and teasing her.


    Veronica walked toward her and nodded slightly. "You saved Matt, which means you saved me as well.


    Since you are our savior, of course, I have to greet you in person to show my sincerity."

 Chapter 961

    Chapter 961


    Chapter 961 Eleanor Has Changed


    "That''s more like it." Eleanor took Veronica''s arm and walked into the main hall. The minute she passed


    Matthew, she fixed her eyes on him and remarked, "Your real face looks better. That awful look from


    earlier made me feel sick."


    "Pardon me for making you sick, Your Highness." Matthew''s attitude changed. He turned to Liam and


    said, "Prince Liam, pleasee in."


    Liam knew that Matthew had been in disguise, but he was still astonished by Matthew''s actual looks.


    "Have you always been this good-looking? Eleanor was right¡ªyou were hideous before."


    He stared straight at Matthew, inching closer to take a better look and even reaching out to touch


    Matthew''s face to verify the fact for himself.


    Before he could do so, Matthew pped his hand away and warned, "Do you still want your hand


    intact?"


    With lips twitching in anger, Liamined to Eleanor, "Eleanor, look at him! He wants to cut my


    hand off!"


    She lifted a brow in amusement and shrugged with her palms up. "You did that to yourself." Then, she


    wrapped an arm around Veronica''s neck and said, "Let''s go upstairs. I have something to talk to you


    about."


    "Sure."


    "Hello? Eleanor? Are you going to ditch me? Am I still your ''Big Bro Liam''?" Although Liam was


    younger than Eleanor, she sometimes called him ''Big Bro Liam'' to honor a bet from their childhood, and


    it became a habit.


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    She stopped in her tracks and turned around, after which his frown turned into a grin. "I knew you


    wouldn''t leave me behind."


    To his disappointment, she merely pointed at Matthew and said, "Master, Goddess Veronica has


    promised me your homemade dinner as a thank-you for saving your life. Don''t renege on your words."


    "No problem." Matthew shoved his hands in his pockets as his unfriendly expression softened. Even


    though his face looked as indifferent as before, Eleanor sensed that he had warmed up to her. Seeing


    that, she believed that all her past efforts were worth it.


    She turned around and went upstairs with Veronica. In the room, Veronica told her, "Take a seat. I''ll get


    you some tea." She walked to the side and started making tea, saying, "I''ve heard about you. Your


    mother waterboarded you for two days. To be honest, I admire you and feel grateful to you."


    Eleanor was dressed in the same breathtaking red dress with her long hair flowing behind her. The


    silver jewelry on her fingers chimed with lovely sounds as her legs moved. She rested her chin on her


    hand and smiled brightly. "How do you n to thank me? How about giving up your husband?"


    "You can ask for anything except for Matt." Veronica walked up to her and handed her a cup of tea.


    "Our two kids are waiting for Matt and me toe home to Bloomstead. Eleanor, I know you love Matt,


    but a rtionship has to be a two-way street to work."


    Eleanor let out a heavy sigh. "You know what? I''ve sorted things out after the incident. I do love


    Matthew, but my one-sided love won''t work. I only regret that he''s not an ordinary man. No other man


    would turn me down, considering my position."

 Chapter 962

    Chapter 962


    Chapter 962 The Poisoned Needle


    It was the dream of most men to join the harem of the young leader of the hidden n, who was poised


    to be the head soon. s, the wealthy Matthew did not even need her riches, and she had nothing left


    to attract his attention. To put it bluntly, he was not interested in Eleanor''s possessions.


    "Thanks." Veronica took a seat beside her and offered a sincere thank you.


    "What for?" Eleanor turned to the side, resting her arm on the back of the chair. There was a gleeful


    smile on her porcin face. "I never promised to give up on pursuing him."


    She was only forced to give up after she failed to get his romantic interest. It was rather regrettable, but


    at least she witnessed the true love between Matthew and Veronica.


    Hearing that, Veronica smiled but said nothing. Although Eleanor refused to admit it, Veronica could tell


    she had been less obsessed with Matthew.


    "By the way, I heard about you in the pce. You''re something else. How could you drive a car off that


    high mountain? Weren''t you afraid of dying?" The more Eleanor got to know Veronica, the more she


    admired the woman and understood the reason behind Matthew''s deep love.


    Veronica was a woman who shined brightly; she was beautiful, wise, and decisive. No man could resist


    her charm.


    "Death awaits everyone at the end of life. It''s just a matter of time. It''s nothing to be afraid of," Veronica


    answered with a smile.


    "You''re awesome!" Eleanor gave her a thumbs up. "I''m very impressed."


    "You were waterboarded by your mother for saving Matt''s life. I''m immensely grateful but feel sorry for


    you. But, more than anything, I admire your courage," Veronica confessed her thought. Then, she


    added, "You could''ve had Matthew to yourself if you sealed his memory. Why did you help him


    escape?"


    "Ah, drop that." Eleanor waved dismissively and took a sip of the tea as she shook her head. "I had a


    change of heart. At first, I wanted badly to show off my heroism in front of my master, hoping to change


    his heart, but he was heartless! My efforts were in vain, and I even got into trouble."


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Eleanor bluffed with a straight face. Veronica watched on, pretending to believe in her words. "Oh, that


    must''ve been a huge loss."


    "Right? I thought so too." Eleanor lifted her thin brow. "So, how are you going to repay me?"


    "Shall I give you my hand in marriage to repay you?" Veronica joked.


    "Sure. If you divorce Master now, I don''t mind adding you to my harem."


    "Is that for real?"


    "Of course¡­ not!" Eleanorughed loudly. "I''m straight!"


    The women chatted away happily. Momentster, a thought crossed Veronica''s mind. "You were with


    Matt on the mountain that day. How did he get injured?"


    "That day?"


    Eleanor carefully recalled the memories from the day of the incident. "That puzzled me too. He was in a


    rush to search for you and gave me a watch, telling me to press the button if I came across assassins.


    The button releases poisoned needles. I was wounded that time and pointed the watch at myself. I


    threatened him that I''d shoot the needle at myself if he left me. If I died, he''d need to take responsibility,


    but he still left! I pressed the button out of anger, but the needle was released in his direction!"


    Veronica''s mind went nk.

 Chapter 963

    Chapter 963


    Chapter 963 Discovering Crayson¡¯s Evil Plot


    Veronica''s mind buzzed loudly, which was reminiscent of the time she got into the car crash. Her mind


    was nk, and her ears were ringing. Eleanor went on for a while until she realized that Veronica was


    frozen in her seat, prompting her to wave her hand in front of Veronica. "Hey, are you okay?"


    "What?" Veronica snapped back to reality as her focus returned, but her countenance was solemn.


    "Are you sure you didn''t hold the watch wrongly?"


    "How is that possible? There''s a button for time adjustment on the watch. Master reminded me many


    times that the button is for dispatching the needle, and I pressed on it. I was surprised when I found out


    that the needle came out from the same side¡ªfrom the eSIM card slot, to be precise¡ªinstead of the


    opposite end."


    While speaking, shebed through memories from that day and added, "Master even turned around


    and checked the watch. He tried to release the needle one more time just to test it. I remember he


    looked super shocked, and his face was so pale, perhaps because he was poisoned¡­"


    She nced at Veronica and suddenly pointed at her. "That''s right! He looked as pale as you are right


    now¡ª" She stopped and frowned when she realized something was wrong. "Who gave him the


    watch?" she asked cautiously.


    A smirk appeared on Veronica''s pale face. "My master." She could tell that something was wrong


    judging from Matthew''s behavior after he was poisoned and returned from the pce. She wondered if


    Crayson was involved in the poisoning, but Matthew kept denying it.


    At first, she thought Crayson would noty a finger on Matthew during the hunting because Matthew


    needed to protect her. She mistakenly believed that Crayson would choose a different time to get rid of


    Matthew, but she underestimated his desperation to remove him from the picture. How could he modify


    Matthew''s watch?


    Shocked, Eleanor finally understood the reason behind Matthew''s response and why Veronica seemed


    as pale as her husband. "W-Waylen Elrod is your master. Why would he want to¡ª"


    Matthew was Veronica''s husband, and both grew up in Bloomstead. However, she was also the ex-


    leader of the hidden n. Waylen and Hayley tried so hard to reim power over the hidden n


    because they wanted Veronica to inherit the position of the leader. However, she would never conform


    to that out of her undying love for Matthew, for whom she could sacrifice her life.


    Enraged, Eleanor banged on the table. "What a rotten old chap! He''s evil!" She huffed and puffed as


    she red at Veronica. "I wouldn''t have let my master go home if I had known! He''s in danger when


    he''s with you." She was struck by another sudden thought. "No wonder someone leaked the news to


    my mom. They told her someone would break into the research center to rescue Matthew. I bet it was


    the doing of that rotten old chap! That was a dirty move!"


    Meanwhile, Veronica hung her head low as she was ridden with guilt. "Eleanor, I have a question."


    "I''m talking about your horrible master. Don''t change the topic."


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Veronica ignored her and asked, "I know there''s a huge wealth disparity. What would you do if you


    were the leader of the n? How would you n to improve livelihoods?"


    The sudden shift in topic caught Eleanor off guard because Veronica seemed highly interested in the


    subject.

 Chapter 964

    Chapter 964


    Chapter 964 His Excellent Knife Skills


    "I understand all the problems youid out, and my mom knows it too, but more than half of the wealthy


    tycoons in the hidden n were once under Hayley''s influence. It was your mom who gave them the


    power and control over the gold, silver, and diamond mines. With their wealth, they broke free of your


    mom''s control and shifted their support to my mom. That led to the internal war thatsted for two


    decades."


    Eleanor added, "Everyone mistook my mom as being incapable of management. They even used


    her of turning a blind eye to the wealth those families amassed. These are all problems from Hayley''s


    reign. The change would take time." She was frank. "To be honest, I do not care much for the position


    of the n leader. It''s not something I set my eyes on. What I yearn for is world peace, not the illusion


    we have now."


    Veronica was slightly surprised but still deeply convinced by Eleanor''s words. She had a strong hunch


    that Eleanor was to be trusted. "What do you n to do after the coronation?" she questioned.


    "My mom''s been thinking of ways to reduce the wealth disparity and rein in the power of a few tycoons,


    but they work closely with each other and own the mining rights. She''s stuck in a dilemma." Eleanor


    sighed and leaned back against the chair. She tilted her head, expressing her thought, "Thankfully,


    Hayley signed a thirty-year mining contract with a few tycoons. The contracts will expire on the day of


    my coronation. I can retrieve a few mines by then, but not without serious internal conflict."


    After that, she borated on her ns and strategies to improve livelihoods and the wealth gap. It was


    then that Veronica developed a greater respect and admiration for this future leader.


    After that, she borated on her ns and strategies to improve livelihoods and the wealth gap. It was


    then that Veronica developed a greater respect and admiration for this future leader.


    "Eleanor, let''s strike a deal," Veronica suggested to Eleanor after listening to the grand ns.


    "A deal? What deal?" Eleanor''s eyes lit up as she inched closer to Veronica. "Do you want the leader


    position, by any chance? Not a problem! You can swap your husband for that position. I''ll dly give it


    up!"


    Veronia was speechless at Eleanor''s carefree attitude and nonsensical ideas.


    "People would kill to be the leader of the hidden n, but why do you treat it like a ytoy?" asked


    Veronica.


    Eleanor shrugged. "I''m a free spirit by nature who looks forward to life outside the hidden n." Next,


    she grinned. "Do you believe in that?"


    Veronica nodded. "I do."


    "I bet you''re the only one who does." Eleanor shed a rueful smile. Those who were in the same boat


    understood each other the best.


    ¡­


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    While the two women had a long chat on the second floor, Matthew was busy preparing dinner for


    Eleanor in the back kitchen. Standing beside him was Liam, whose jaw dropped when he witnessed


    Matthew''s excellent knife words. "I heard that you''re a wealthy CEO. How did youe to have great


    knife skills and speak the hidden tongue?"


    "It''s always good to have more skills." Matthew, dressed in a white apron, was speedily chopping a


    block of tofu into uniform pieces. The focused look on his face made him appear like the executive chef


    for national-level banquets.


    "The baked fish you made at Mountainside Gardens was quite tasty. Can you cook that again?" Liam


    enjoyed that dish, and the memory lingered on his tastebuds and mind. He tried to get his chef to


    recreate it, but they could not get the taste right.

 Chapter 965

    Chapter 965


    Chapter 965 Shirley Was a Recluse


    Hearing that, Matthew paused and lifted a cube of tofu with his knife. The smooth tofu was ced in a


    bowl of water. With a gentle tap on the water surface, he split the tofu into sections from the core,


    turning it into a lovely flower.


    "My goodness!" Liam went closer with a shocked look. "That''s awesome! How did you learn that?"


    While praising Matthew, he took some photos for his Instagram Stories.


    While editing the text captions, he was again shocked by a sharp dagger in front of his eyes. "F*ck!" He


    gasped and jumped backward, prompting his phone to fall onto the floor and roll over to Matthew''s


    heel.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "What are you doing? Do¡­ Do you n to kill the prince? You''re in the hidden n territory, mind you!


    If you kill me, Eleanor will not spare you too!" Liam pointed at Matthew, adding, "I was just trying to help


    you with the baked fish. I''m cool if you don''t want to make that dish, but you don''t have to kill me!"


    "What''s on your mind?" As cold as ever, Matthew flipped the de in his hand. "Look, there''s the fish. If


    you can gutter a fish properly, I''ll let you help with the dish."


    Next, he pointed at the two fishes in the water tank, which were much alive, as he assigned the task to


    Liam. However, Liam was only capable of fishing, not gutting them. After some hesitation, he took the


    knife and kneeled to pick up his phone. He grumbled, "It''s easy to hurt someone with a knife! Don''t fool


    around and scare the others. Just tell me if you want me to kill the fish. You made it look like you were


    nning to kill me!"


    "It''s not my fault that you''re a scaredy cat." Matthew took a jab at him and drew another knife from the


    rack as he resumed prepping.


    "It''s not my fault that you''re a scaredy cat." Matthew took a jab at him and drew another knife from the


    rack as he resumed prepping.


    One and a half hourster, the feast was finally ready. The ten-course meal would be delivered to the


    Sky Lounge on the top floor. Then, Matthew went downstairs to get Skyler.


    Hearing the knock on the door, Skyler quickly opened up. "Matt?"


    "Did you see my text just now?" he asked.


    "No. Shir has been napping, so I turned my phone into silent mode." Due to the disfiguration incident,


    Shirley had been steeped in anxiety and slept poorly. When she managed to drift into sleep, Skyler


    wanted to keep the room free of interruptions.


    "Who''s that, Sky?" They heard her voice from within the room.


    Matthew told Skyler, "Liam and Eleanor are here, so I made dinner. Get Shirley to join dinner at the Sky


    Lounge."


    "Well¡­" Skyler looked hesitant. "I''ll check with her."


    "Sure." Matthew nodded, and Skyler went into the room.


    A few minutester, he reemerged with a dejected look as he shook his head. "Shir isn''t in the mood to


    join." Then, he pointed at his face and said in a hushed voice, "She''s still struggling to ept her


    current state. She doesn''t want to go out and mingle."


    She needed to take off her face veil when she took her meals, and she refused to be subjected to


    surprised looks from the others when they saw her face.


    Matthew had been anticipating the rejection, so he did not push on. "Okay. Make a trip to the kitchen,


    then. I''ve left some food for you there."


    "Thank you, Matt." Skyler felt touched, knowing that Matthew was the most understanding.


    "I''ll go to the Sky Lounge. Come get me if you need anything," Matthew reminded him and went to the


    top floor.


    There, Eleanor, Liam, and Veronica were seated at the table, and they stared at him when he entered.


    Eleanor immediately gave him a thumbs-up with a grin on her porcin face. "What a feast! Master,


    thank you!"

 Chapter 966

    Chapter 966


    Chapter 966 Add You to My Harem


    "No problem." Matthew took the seat next to Veronica and turned to her. Pointing at the food, he said, "I


    made you your favorites¡ªpot roast and short rib chili."


    At the same time, Veronica was still troubled by her conversation with Eleanor and riddled with guilt


    toward him. She felt worse when he exerted the effort to make the pot roast and short rib chili


    separately for a dinner that was supposed to be a thank-you to Eleanor. The pot roast was a dish that


    took time to prepare, but he did not mind it at all, neverining about cooking her favorite dishes.


    Feeling sorry, she choked as her eyes turned misty. Wanting to hide her emotions from him, she took a


    deep breath and blinked her tears away. Before she spoke, Eleanor protested, "Master, I thought you


    promised to prepare a feast for me!"


    He looked up and pointed at the dishes on the table. "Try finishing everything before youin."


    "I¡­" She was at a loss for words as she checked out the ten-course spread on the table that came in


    huge portions. Then, she realized that it would be challenging to finish the food.


    "Are you guys nning to just stare at the food? I''ll get started." Liam, who was eyeing the baked fish,


    dug in.


    "Are you guys nning to just stare at the food? I''ll get started." Liam, who was eyeing the baked fish,


    dug in.


    Matthew ced some food on Veronica''s te. "You need to take care of your health. Eat up." He


    sounded soft and caring.


    Across from them, Eleanor indulged in the delicious food and savored each taste, but her appetite went


    away when she saw how he was doting on Veronica. As a guest, she felt that she was invited just to


    witness their lovey-dovey moments. "Hey! Are you done with the PDA?" She pointed a fork at them.


    "You''d better not cross a line! I might not be the best at everything, but I''m good at breaking up


    couples!"


    Veronica, who was feeling low, instantly burst outughing. "Yeah, sure, it''s our bad. Everything you


    say is right, pretty princess." She then stood up and served Eleanor some food.


    A jealous Eleanor finally nodded in satisfaction. "That''s more like it." She shot a nce at Matthew and


    hinted, "Master, you should learn from your wife. You can be quite insensible."


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    "Can''t you serve yourself?" He was as unsmiling as usual and dished out his cold treatment to the


    others. One might even suspect that he had an alter ego because of the stark contrast between his


    outer personality and his affectionate behavior toward Veronica.


    "You¡­" Eleanor''s face soured when she could note up with a p back, but she soon beamed at


    them. "You''re cool. That''s why I like you. Be careful not to show off your charms too much in front of


    me. Aren''t you afraid I''d get my men to arrest you and add you to my harem?"


    Everyone exchanged nces andughed. They chatted away happily as they downed the alcohol.


    In the beginning, Liam had a little crush on Veronica, but once he learned that Matthew was Iron Pir,


    he immediately lost interest. On top of that, he found out that she was skilled in martial arts, and he


    was no match for her. Hence, he decided to stay away from her to avoid trouble.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Zac was racking his brains as he had no better ideas to remove Matthew. While he was


    stuck in a rut, Antheena visited him. "Why are you here?"

 Chapter 967

    Chapter 967


    Chapter 967 Antheena¡¯s Secret Plot


    Zac sat in his chair,zily sipping on the tea in his right hand.


    "I came to you thiste at night to help you with your problems, of course," Antheena answered, her


    eyes keenly staring at him.


    His right hand trembled a little, shaking the tea in the cup. His eyes gleamed as he pointed at the couch


    across from him. "Take a seat."


    She boldly sat down and went straight to the point. "Prince Zac, I know Matthew Kings is a thorn in


    your flesh that you wish to remove. I have a n. Do you wish to listen to it?"


    "What are the conditions?" He knew she would not offer help without getting something in return, so he


    was smart enough to ask about the conditions before proceeding.


    "It''s nothing difficult."


    Zac crossed his legs and leaned back against the chair. He lifted his chin, looking confident. "Go


    ahead."


    "Let''s get rid of Matthew and Veronica!" she replied. "Matthew is the biggest threat to both of us. I want


    him dead more than you do."


    As long as Matthew was alive, he would be protecting Veronica. To get rid of Veronica, she would need


    to remove Matthew first.


    "Hahaha¡­" Zacughed loudly, throwing his head back. "You went to great lengths for Xavier


    Crawford."


    "Indeed."


    "Don''t you think you''re getting the short end of the stick, doing all these for him?"


    "I don''t care about that if I love someone. I always get what I want." Her determination to kill Veronica


    was as steely as her unchanging love for Xavier. She had once saved Veronica''s life, but that


    ungrateful woman dared to abduct her to ckmail Xavier. The incident had bugged her for a while,


    and she could not get over it.


    "Great." Zac nodded and lifted the stump on his left arm, revealing a chilling smile. "I lost my hand


    because of her. I need to make her pay!" His blue eyes were scrunched-up, looking cold and distant


    like a hungry wolf ready to devour its prey and lick it clean.


    "It''s not easy to rid Matthew in the hidden n with your current capability, Prince Zac, but I have


    someone in mind, who could work with you," she suggested outright.


    "Who''s that?"


    "Dominik Ledger."


    "Dominik Ledger?" He sat straight with a frown and fell into deep thoughts. "He has no grudge against


    Matthew. Why would he want to work with us?"


    Antheena''s ming red lips curled into a polite smile while she secretly scorned Zac''s stupidity. He''s so


    dumb because he''s blinded by hatred.


    "Indeed, there''s no conflict between him and Matthew. But, Prince Zac, if you give him something he


    yearns for, he will not turn down your request to work together."


    "What do you mean?" His eyes lit up with eagerness.


    "He''s after the position of the hidden n leader. Can''t you tell?"


    "The hidden n practices matrilineal session. As much as he wants to reign, he can only dream."


    The light went out of his eyes as he felt crushed and disappointed with Antheena.


    "Xavier once told me that even in Destor''s history, where kings mostly reigned, it witnessed the reign of


    the first female monarch, Queen Augusta. If she could break the outdated idea that women are inferior


    to men, why couldn''t Dominik do the same?" She added, "Prince Zac, did you not notice Dominik''s


    desire to rebel?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Of course, Zac was aware of the intel she received as well. However, there was an issue. "How can I


    help him? And will he refuse to trust me? If he''s crowned, will he consider getting rid of us because


    we''re a threat to him?"

 Chapter 968

    Chapter 968


    Chapter 968 Serve Tea to Master


    The implication was that Dominik would eventually eradicate them to prevent any future troubles if they


    decided to cooperate and support him to be the head of the n.


    "You''re the prince of Castron. Use that as a condition to negotiate with Dominik. I believe you''ll obtain


    some unexpected gains from each other," Antheena concluded her speech. Her words seemed to


    awaken Zac from a dream.


    A sudden realization struck him, and his eyes flickered with a dim light of understanding. Then, he


    smiled knowingly. "You''re intelligent, Antheena."


    Her kind reminder filled his satisfaction toward her that day. Subsequently, he red at the servant


    nearby. "Why are you standing there doing nothing? Don''t you know how to serve tea to the guest?"


    That night, Zac secretly met with Dominik. They shared a private discussion in the room thatsted


    more than two hours before they departed the venue separately.


    That was a night where few people would be able to sleep peacefully. The ascension ceremony was


    getting closer with every minute. Hence, the Ledgers and the Elrods were training their troops secretly


    to carry out various schemes.


    When Veronica and Shirley were hospitalized, Crayson kept attempting to visit them at the hospital, but


    Matthew repeatedly rejected the man''s request.


    After learning that they were about to be discharged, he decided to visit One Piece Restaurant in


    person to meet with them. He entered before Dean went upstairs to knock on Veronica''s door, stating,


    "Miss Murphy, Mr. Crayson is here."


    Veronica had been resting on a deck chair on the balcony when she heard Dean''s announcement. A


    layer of frost instantly appeared on her chilly countenance. Rising to her feet, she walked over and


    opened the door to tell Dean, "Let him up."


    "Alright." He nodded.


    Just as he was about to leave, she halted him. "Wait."


    "Do you need anything else, Miss Murphy?"


    "Don''t let Skyler and Shirley know about his arrival," she reminded anxiously.


    "Okay." Dean epted the order and went back downstairs.


    A few minutester, Crayson appeared outside the living room. He wore a ck double-breasted shirt


    with short sleeves, a pair of gray, loose pants, and a headpiece with a ck-and-gray id pattern. It


    was the typical dressing style of the hidden n.


    Standing by the door, the usual hale and hearty man seemed mournful and bleak, giving off dispirit. In


    the beginning, Veronica did not even bother to nce at him; instead, she simply sat on the couch and


    brewed a pot of tea. Her movements were slow, almost as though she enjoyed the leisurely moments


    in life. At the same time, it felt like she was waiting for something.


    "Are you alone?" Crayson casually inquired upon seeing her solitude.


    "You''re lucky he''s not around. Otherwise, your old bones might not survive a beating from him."


    Veronica picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea. cing the cup on the opposite side of the


    table, she poured another serving for herself before picking it up with her slender fingers. Blowing at


    the steam, she inhaled the deep fragrance of the tea. "I specially brewed some calming tea for you in


    case you were guilty of doing something wrong."


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Her words held a different meaning beneath the surface, but how could he not know what she meant?


    He walked over to the couch and took a seat opposite her. "I came here today to tell you about Shirley."


    Lowering her head, she quietly savored her tea without saying a word.


    He continued, "I have a secret weapon hidden in my ring." After saying that, he raised his finger and


    pressed an inconspicuous button to activate a secret mechanism hidden in the ring. Swiftly, the sharp


    tip of a de emerged from the dragon''s head. "On that day, I used the de in my ring to slice


    through the ropes to escape. However, Shirley noticed my actions and clung to my arm tightly to stop


    me from leaving. As I escaped, I shook her off violently. Unfortunately, my excessive strength led the


    de to sh across her face."


    After a brief exnation of the events that day, he stopped speaking and watched her calmly. His aged


    face filled with an inexplicable sense of mncholy and sorrow.


    "Are you done?"

 Chapter 969

    Chapter 969


    Chapter 969 Childhood


    Veronica sneered. "What are you trying to say? That you harmed her by ident?" She slowly ced


    the teacup on the table. Picking up the teapot again, she poured herself another cup of tea and calmly


    continued, "Unfortunately, thew does not consider idental harm to be absolved of guilt. Don''t you


    think that your words are meaningless?"


    A woman''s appearance was significantly important. Ever since Shirley was wounded, she had lost


    nearly ten pounds even though she had never been chubby. Her once slender and shapely figure was


    now sickly thin, and her face was no longer rosy. The current changes in her appearance were


    comparable to a beautiful blooming flower gradually withering away due to ack of water.


    The brilliant smile that used to light up her entire face was gone. On the contrary, she seemed as


    lifeless as a man who had lost the will to live.


    Veronica could not help feeling distressed by the sight.


    Crayson took a bank card from his pocket and ced the card in front of her. "Here is 1 million as


    compensation for Shirley. Converted to Destorian Dors, the amount is worth around 7.5 million.


    That''s enough for her to livefortably for the rest of her life." He believed that money was the best


    method ofpensation.


    She had just picked up her teacup when she heard those words. Her movement froze for a second,


    and she abruptly raised her head to re at him with her dark eyes. The look in her gaze was clear and


    bright, but her expression was frosty.


    Crack¡­


    The teacup in her hands was crushed to pieces, causing the scalding tea to spill all over her hands; the


    tea was sizzling.


    Nevertheless, she did not even blink from the pain and simply threw the shattered cup pieces in her


    hand on the table. "Master, do you think Shirley needs the 7.5 million?"


    With the word ''Master'', the rtionship between them had been alienated to an irreparable state.


    Staring at the blood dripping from her pale fingers, he furrowed his graying eyebrows and grumbled in


    frustration, "I know I was wrong, but I''ve apologized and offeredpensation. What else do you want


    from me? All I have are these old bones. Do you want me to pay for my mistakes with my life?"


    When she heard those words, her lips curved into an indecipherable smile. She leaned over and


    opened the drawer of the coffee table. Then, she took out a dagger from it and mmed the de


    down in front of him with a loud thud. "I was just waiting for those words!"


    There was nothing but disappointment left in Veronica toward Crayson. From the moment he walked


    into the room, she had been trying to discuss matters rted to Matthew. However, he avoided the


    issue and changed the topic to Shirley''s condition.


    He had chosen to take the easy way out. Thus, she could not help losing her temper.


    Her unexpected reaction left him flustered. He stared at the dagger on the table with a wooden


    expression, the muscles in his aging face twitching slightly. Due to his advanced age, his forehead


    disyed countless wrinkles.


    In the past, Veronica would have reached out her hand to smoothen the wrinkles on his forehead


    whenever she saw him frowning deeply. She would also tug at his greying beard tofort him


    teasingly.


    "Don''t keep frowning like an old man. You''re still very young, after all."


    Herforting words had always made him burst intoughter, but the old man in front of her seemed


    to change in appearance. All of a sudden, it felt like she was transported to more than a decade ago


    when she was still an ignorant child. She would yfully climb onto his back and force him to carry her


    around. She would even pull on his ears, sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Veronica could almost ''hear'' their heartyughter from those good, old times. Everything used to be so


    beautiful.


    Their strong affection toward each other had surpassed even the love between family members,


    although they did not share a blood rtionship. She had fantasized about taking care of him in his old


    age; he would live to be a hundred years old, and she would push him around in a wheelchair even if


    he was immobilized. They would watch the afterglow of the setting sun, the rising of the morning ray,


    and the sparkling blue ocean¡­


    Unfortunately, everything had unknowingly fallen apart at some point.


    In tha past, Varonica would hava raachad out har hand to smoothan tha wrins on his forahaad


    whanavar sha saw him frowning daaply. Sha would also tug at his graying baard tofort him


    taasingly.


    "Don''t kaap frowning lika an old man. You''ra still vary young, aftar all."


    Harforting words had always mada him burst intoughtar, but tha old man in front of har saamad


    to changa in appaaranca. All of a suddan, it falt lika sha was transportad to mora than a dacada ago


    whan sha was still an ignorant child. Sha would yfully climb onto his back and forca him to carry har


    around. Sha would avan pull on his aars, somatimas to thaft and somatimas to tha right.


    Varonica could almost ''haar'' thair haartyughtar from thosa good, old timas. Evarything usad to ba so


    baautiful.


    Thair strong affaction toward aach othar had surpassad avan tha lova batwaan family mambars,


    although thay did not shara a blood rtionship. Sha had fantasizad about taking cara of him in his old


    aga; ha would liva to ba a hundrad yaars old, and sha would push him around in a whaalchair avan if


    ha was immobilizad. Thay would watch tha aftarglow of tha satting sun, tha rising of tha morning ray,


    and tha sparkling blua ocaan¡­


    Unfortunataly, avarything had unknowingly fan apart at soma point.

 Chapter 970

    Chapter 970


    Chapter 970 Skyler Goes on a Rampage


    Veronica could vividly see the struggle and pain in Crayson''s eyes. Even so, she did not back down in


    the slightest.


    "If you want this frail life of mine, then I''ll give it to you." He slowly lifted his head and sighed. "But, now


    is not the time. The n''s fate has not been decided, and I have a mission to aplish. When you''re


    firmly seated as the head of the n, you can take my life at any time."


    "Huh¡­" Sheughed mockingly. Reaching out her hand, she pulled out several tissues to wipe the


    blood from the palm of her hand. "What if I refuse? Will you threaten me with the lives of my two


    children in Bloomstead?"


    Bullseye.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Therefore, he did not bother to hide his intentions and earnestly replied, "Both you and Matthew are


    part of the hidden n. I am simply worried about the safety of your children. You must know that


    Tanya is eyeing them. I''m merely keeping them safe."


    It was true that Tanya harbored ill intentions toward the two children due to Veronica''s identity; she


    wanted to use them to threaten Veronica. However, Crayson was one step ahead by whisking the


    children away and disrupting her ns in one swoop.


    "Are you implying I should thank you for your efforts instead?"


    Veronica was not surprised that Crayson had voluntarily admitted to his involvement. From the day she


    entered the hidden n, she had known they would never leave her children alone. At the same time,


    she also understood that they would not harm her children for the time being.


    "I had no other choice." He spread his hands and sighed helplessly. "I had to act for the sake of the


    millions of pitiful citizens living in miserable conditions."


    In his opinion, Tanya was the cause of many impoverished citizens living in the slums of the hidden


    n. "Tanya Ledger is delusional and ipetent. She is not worthy of bing the head of the


    n," he strongly emphasized once more.


    Veronica smiled and remained silent. In her eyes, the so-called profound understanding of


    righteousness he so often preached was nothing more than a joke. Performing nasty deeds under the


    banner of justice was a vile act.


    "Where are the children?" She finally raised the question after a brief hesitation.


    "Don''t worry. They''re safe with me. I''ve hired three nannies and bodyguards. Nothing will happen to


    them."


    "I guess you didn''t get it. I''m asking, where are my children?" Her expression was frosty. She clenched


    the tissue so tightly that her knuckles turned white.


    "Not in the hidden n, but I am taking good care of them. There''s no need for you to worry."


    "Where are my children!?" she questioned again through gritted teeth. At that point, she was so furious


    that she could barely control her temper.


    "They''re in Bloomstead¡ª"


    Bang!


    Before Crayson could finish speaking, he heard a loud crash. The door was kicked open from the


    outside. "Where''s that f*cking old chap?"


    Skyler''s roar came from the doorway before he quickly strode into the room. As soon as he caught


    sight of Crayson, he marched over aggressively and grabbed Crayson by the cor. Raising his hand,


    he mmed his fist into Crayson''s face.


    "You b*stard! How dare youe here! You injured my woman so badly! How do you n to settle


    this?" Skyler was livid. He would have torn Crayson apart with his bare hands if he had the strength.


    In the meantime, Veronica sat on the couch and turned a blind eye to his actions. Taking out two other


    teacups from the tray, she leisurely served the tea before leaning back and watching the scene


    unfolding. She knew that Skyler had umted considerable resentment and hatred toward Crayson


    in his heart. Hence, he was bound toe and vent his frustrations when he learned that Crayson was


    visiting her.


    Skyler swung his fist, but Crayson caught it with his bare hands and swiftly struck out with his right


    hand to deal a heavy blow to Skyler''s abdomen. He was a skilled martial arts practitioner, after all.


    Even if Skyler was somewhatpetent, he was nothing in front of Crayson.


    Staggering backward from the punch, Skyler found the pain so overwhelming that he clutched at his


    abdomen in agony. He stubbornly gritted his teeth, but the expression on his face twisted hideously


    from the pain.

 Chapter 971

    Chapter 971


    Chapter 971 75 Million for Your Life


    "I was indeed at fault for injuring Shirley, but you don''t have the right to question me." Crayson snorted


    coldly. Straightening his back, he stood upright and exuded the arrogance of an elder with his entire


    body, even the look he gave Skyler filled with pure conceit.


    "You harmed Shir! How dare you be so cocky about it!" Skyler pointed at Crayson furiously. Then, he


    randomly picked up a vase from nearby and threw the vase in Crayson''s direction.


    At that moment, he barely retained any sense of rationality left in his mind. He only wanted to teach the


    old man a harsh lesson.


    "I''ll providepensation for harming her. She was only disfigured, wasn''t she? Medical cosmetic


    technology is so advanced nowadays. It will only take half a year to restore her appearance. I offered


    7.5 million aspensation¡ªan amount she will never earn even if she worked for her entire life!"


    His arrogant tone and haughty attitude rendered Skyler madder than before. However, Veronica could


    not bear watching any longer, especially since Crayson was her master, and the person he harmed


    was her best friend and Skyler''s girlfriend!


    "Fine!" She put down her teacup and spoke in a crisp voice, "Fine. Since you want to value everything


    in terms of money, we should carefully calcte everything. You ruined Shirley''s appearance for 7.5


    million. Fortunately, I have 75 million here. That''s more than enough to buy your life. Isn''t that right,


    Master?"


    She deliberately emphasized the word ''Master'', enunciating the word slowly and raising her tone


    slightly so that her statement came out sarcastic. Although she looked calm and indifferent on the


    surface, she was utterly heartbroken inside. She felt as though she was parting ways with something


    very dear to her, and the invisible pain continuously sawed at her heart. The agony was so


    overwhelming that her heart clenched tightly.


    Picking up a bank card with her fingers, she sent the card flying toward Crayson. As a martial art


    practitioner, the bank card flew toward him like a well-shot arrow. Moreover, there was great force


    umted in the card. If anybody were hit by it, their life would immediately be in danger.


    Crayson swiftly retreated when he saw the card flying toward him. Thus, it flew past him and struck the


    pir behind him with a bang, embedding several inches deep into the wood.


    It was conceivable that she had not held back her strength at all.


    He stared at the bank card embedded in the wooden pir. Perhaps, she had exerted too much force


    into the strike, so the card vibrated at a high frequency for several seconds. There was a soft humming


    sound before it finally stopped trembling.


    Silence fell across the entire room.


    Knowing that Veronica was furious, Skyler wisely kept silent.


    "Why did you dodge?" She smiled coldly. "Wasn''t 7 million enough for you to disfigure a person? I


    offered to buy your life for 75 million, but that amount is based on the fact that you are my master. You


    don''t think this disciple is too stingy, right? Master?"


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Her odd statement was a direct insult to Crayson, wantonly disparaging him.


    "Veronica Murphy!" He was triggered by her words, prompting him to react in anger. "I am your master!


    Is that how you speak to me?"


    "Hahahahaha!" As though hearing the most ridiculous words in the world, Veronica threw her head


    back and guffawed. However, the smile did not reach her eyes and seemed to give off an impression of


    sorrow instead. "Master? Hahaha¡­ You sure are. I''m surprised you even remembered who you are to


    me!"


    Leaning forward, she picked up the dagger on the table and walked over to the old man. "You''ve been


    carrying out countless heartless and barbaric schemes under the guise of hypocrisy, constantly


    preaching that ''everything is for my good''. You''ve repeatedly attempted to eradicate Matt. Even though


    I tried my hardest to save him, you went behind my back and leaked information to Tanya just to


    prevent me from saving him."


    Stopping before Crayson, Veronica unsheathed the dagger to reveal the gleaming de. She reached


    out and pressed the tip of the de against his chest. "Do you know how many people died in the


    research center that day? You im to be righteous and benevolent, but you turned a blind eye to the


    twenty-two deaths there. Every one of them has a family. Do you even have a conscience?"

 Chapter 972

    Chapter 972


    Chapter 972 Abduction


    That day, Skyler brought multiplerades to the research center in the west zone. Many had died in


    the operation, with a total death count of twenty-two. Matthew and Skyler had been tight-lipped about


    the matter, and it was not until Veronica asked about the situation when Eleanor came over that she


    learned how many people had passed that day.


    Among these people, some had been close friends of Matthew''s and were talented individuals


    cultivated by him for many years. In the end, they sacrificed their lives because of one word from


    Crayson.


    Veronica pushed the dagger into his chest, inch by inch, prating his thin shirt and piercing through


    the surface of his skin. Blood trickled from the wound, staining his clothing in maroon. He stood as


    motionlessly as a statue, unable to find the words to refute her deadly question.


    "You''ve been involved in my life since I was a child. That''s why I kept quiet when you attempted to take


    Matt''s life the first time, but you shouldn''t have continued targeting him without the slightest hint of


    repentance!"


    While she was speaking, her eyes gradually reddened with tears. Every word she uttered was meant to


    agonize him, but she was also suffering from heartbreak. The torment in her heart was no inferior to the


    pain she felt as she stabbed the dagger into his heart.


    "My children were myst straw, but you sacrificed me in the name of the greater good. You even used


    my children to threaten me. Did you think I''d ept being a puppet at your mercy?" She took a deep


    breath and forced herself to remain calm. "I''m asking you onest time. Where are my children?"


    "Gosh. You''re f*cking pathetic." After listening to Veronica, Skyler was so furious that his face flushed


    with anger. He was tempted to kick Crayson in the head just to see what was inside that old head.


    However, with every inch of the de digging into Crayson''s chest, Skyler dared not make another


    sound as the situation was about to explode. After all, both were masters in martial arts. If a fight broke


    out between them, it would resemble an eruption in the universe. Hence, it would be safest to stay


    away from interfering.


    Crayson gritted his teeth and nced at the dagger in his chest. Then, he looked up at Veronica with a


    benevolent smile. "Roni, I watched you growing up. I know you don''t have the heart to kill me."


    "Is that so?" she sneered. Although she exerted more strength into the dagger, she could not bring


    herself to finish the job. He is right. I couldn''t make myself to do it. I don''t have the heart to do it!


    However, the most important reason was that she needed to discover her children''s whereabouts. They


    would be in greater danger if she killed him.


    At that moment, Veronica and Skyler suddenly felt their vision turning dark. Then, they copsed to the


    ground without warning.


    Face as cold as the mountain, Crayson nced at the two unconscious bodies and reached out to pull


    the dagger out of his chest. Since Veronica''s reluctance to finish the job tranted into her ''knife work'',


    his wound was neither deep nor fatal.


    Whoosh.


    Suddenly, a strange sound came from outside the window, quickly followed by the pitter-patter of


    footsteps. Then, several people leaped into the room through the window.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Crayson simply ordered, "Take them away!" Afterward, he turned around and walked out of the living


    room. Shutting the door, he boldly strode out of the building through the main entrance.


    ¡­


    Inside the private room of a teahouse, Matthew studied Eleanor, who was sitting opposite him. "This is


    the overall n that Roni and I came up with."


    Last night, Veronica had tossed and turned in bed for a long time. Unable to fall asleep, she decided to


    share her thoughts with him after much deliberation. Therefore, they had nned and discussed their


    countermeasures deep into the night. Once they finalized their ns, she told him to invite Eleanor to


    discuss their ns in secret the next day so that they did not alert their enemies.


    Eleanor leaned against the chair, crossed her arms before her chest, and studied him intently.


    "Veronica is a genius indeed. It''s no wonder you''re so infatuated with her. She''s smart, wise, generous,


    courageous, and resourceful. Who wouldn''t like a woman like that?" She sighed. "This princess has no


    choice but to ept her defeat."


    Matthew did not bother to respond.

 Chapter 973

    Chapter 973


    Chapter 973 Warrior


    Eleanor and Matthew were barely on the same wavelength.


    "Just go with the flow. No matter what happens, I, Eleanor Ledger, will do everything in my power to


    protect you and Veronica." She raised her hand with unwavering confidence like a determined and


    faithful warrior.


    "Thank you, Your Highness." His lips curved into a relieved smile as he gave her a toast with tea.


    "Fake." She hushed him with a re. "You need to act to show your gratitude. That will be more


    meaningful."


    "You have everything you need and want as the leader of the hidden n. I can''t figure out what to give


    you."


    "There is. Don''t y dumb."


    "I apologize. My heart is too small to fit more than one person. I''m happy with Roni." He took another


    sip of tea before smiling.


    Eleanor had long gotten used to this, considering that it was her umpteenth time of attempt. She waved


    her hand and pouted. "Fine, fine. As the leader of the hidden n, I shall never force someone, shan''t


    I? It''ll be a disgrace to my title. Besides, I like Veronica. I hope we can get along and be sisters. How


    can I snatch my sister''s man? That''s just overboard."


    Hereback tickled Matthew''s funny bones. The woman before him had wless skin, deep and


    round eyes, rosy lips, and defined features¡ªher beauty was out of the world, especially the red


    garment on her that made her fair skin stand out. One single movement from her was enough to make


    one mesmerized by her deadly charm.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Matthew admitted that Eleanor was a beauty, but he loved someone beautiful yet aloof. At times,


    Veronica could be as gentle as the water¡ªsolemn and collected, yet as adorable as a bunny. In short,


    she was an intriguing person to be with. Herpany could light the day with excitement and joy.


    "I''d like to ask something. Is there any doctor in your n who can remove scars?" Matthew took the


    chance to ask about it.


    Shirley was growing dingy recently, making Skyler worried so much that he lost a few pounds. After all,


    the ident partly happened because he asked Skyler toe to the hidden n. Thus, Matthew


    deemed part of the responsibility was on him.


    "Scars? You mean Shirley?" questioned Eleanor.


    "Yes." He nodded.


    "I''ve heard what happened to her. The wounds on her face are severe and deep. Unfortunately, our


    medical skill is nowhere near Bloomstead''s."


    She added, "Only the fittest survive in the hidden n, hence the martial arts culture. We don''t focus on


    appearance. We rarely have someone that wants stic surgery. Most importantly, only women have


    the right to be the n leader, so women have higher status than men. That''s why it''s umon to


    see one of us undergo stic surgery due to inferiority. As time passed, aesthetic medicine has slowly


    descended to oblivion in the hidden n."


    "I understand." He nodded solemnly. "Still, I hope Your Highness can take note of it and inform me if


    there''s any arcanum."


    "Not a problem. I''ll ask someone to look around." She coolly epted the request.


    "Right. Roni wanted someone from you."


    "Who?"


    "Lionel."


    "Lionel Clove? Nelson''s brother?" Eleanor had heard of the name before.

 Chapter 974

    Chapter 974


    Chapter 974 Miss Murphy¡¯s Missing


    "Before Nelson left, he asked Roni to save Lionel." Matthew smiled helplessly. "I bet this isn''t a hard


    request for you. Is it, Your Highness?"


    Eleanor scoffed and rolled her eyes. "We''ve just got a deal, and you''re trying to get ahead of yourself. I


    expect nothing less from a businessman. You''re a sly fox."


    "Thank you so much, Your Highness." He showed his deepest gratitude.


    As soon as he finished his words, the phone in his pocket rang. He fished it out and nced at the


    dialer''s name, Dean Gesner. "Please give me a moment." He turned sideways to answer the call.


    "Dean."


    "Boss, Miss Murphy is missing." Dean''s voice was trembling.


    "What?!" The ever-calm man lost his cool as he jumped from his seat. Frantic was written all over his


    face. Meanwhile, Eleanor, reclining in the rattan chair, straightened her back upon his anxious reaction.


    Frowning, she observed his expression with a hanging heart.


    "Call everyone to look for her. Be quick. I''ll be there soon." He terminated the call and faced her. "Sorry,


    but I gotta go. Roni''s missing. "


    "Veronica''s missing? I''ming with you!" She stood up, wanting to tag along.


    "No." He stopped her. "We''ve just got a deal. If we get too close, people will get suspicious. It won''t do


    any good to our n."


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "But¡­" She gave it a thought, figuring that he had a point. "Just tell me once you get her."


    "Okay."


    "What are you waiting for? Hurry back home," she urged.


    He left at that instant. Watching the figure leave, Eleanor sighed and flopped onto the chair. Anxiety


    was getting the best of her. "Why is Veronica missing all of a sudden? Is it Waylen again?"


    An hourter, Matthew and Lazlo arrived at One Piece Restaurant at full pelt. Standing at the entrance,


    Matthew saw Dean scurrying from the inside and questioned with solemnity, "What happened?"


    "I don''t know either. Mr. Crayson dropped by to meet Miss Murphy upstairs this afternoon. It took less


    than thirty minutes before he left." Dean recalled nervously. "A whileter, Miss Wilson imed that she


    didn''t see Skyler anywhere, so she went upstairs to meet Miss Murphy. The next thing I know, Skyler


    fainted, and Miss Murphy is nowhere to be found."


    It happened due to their negligence; they assumed nothing would happen after Crayson left, yet


    Veronica went missing. Had it not been for Shirley, it might take them longer to find out Veronica


    disappeared.


    "Where''s Skyler?" Matthew strode to the parlor.


    "He hasn''t regained consciousness. Someone called a doctor, and he said Skyler was attacked with a


    secret skill of the hidden n. He won''t be able to wake up for three to five days." Dean was shaking in


    fear that Matthew would strangle him to death in anger.


    Despite the distress, Matthew did not let it show on hisposed face. "Any findings in Roni''s room?"


    "Nothing in particr. We had tight security, and there was always someone watching the surveince.


    There would be a report if they caught anything weird. I''ve asked the people on duty, and everything''s


    fine."

 Chapter 975

    Chapter 975


    Chapter 975 Lost Consciousness


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    "If everything''s fine, it''s not fine!" Matthew headed upstairs by the elevator. When he entered the living


    room, a faint fragrance wafted their nose. It was scarce to notice, but he managed to pick up on it. The


    wispy smell was that of a woman''s perfume which one could hardly detect.


    His brows knitted slightly as he stood right there to scan the area. Then, he walked toward the table,


    stared at the teacup, and touched the teapot. It got cold.


    Other than those, another teacup was broken into pieces atop the table. There was no sign of physical


    struggle in the room, so he strode to the window to check every corner of it but in vain.


    "Found anything?" asked Lazlo concernedly.


    "Nothing." Matthew shook his head and left the living room to meet Shirley.


    She was staying by Skyler''s side, holding his hand as his eyes were reddened. Hearing the iing


    footsteps, she looked sideways to look at Matthew. "President Kings?" She stood up. "President Kings,


    Roni is gone. You have to find her. I''m worried that she''s in danger."


    "People are searching for her, so don''t worry. Did you notice anything weird in Roni''s room?"


    "No." She shook her head. "I waited for Sky downstairs, but he took too long, so I went upstairs. By the


    time I came in, he''s fainted, and Roni''s missing."


    "Take it easy. Take care of Skyler. He''s safe. Only, he will be sleeping for a few days." Since there was


    no valuable information, he decided not to waste time there. He entered the room to glimpse Skyler


    and instructed his subordinate a few words before taking his leave.


    Matthew hit the road as soon as he stepped out of One Piece Restaurant. Lazlo chased behind him but


    failed to get into the same car. Left with no choice, he drove another vehicle to follow Matthew.


    Behind the wheel, Matthew called Eleanor, who questioned agitatedly, "What happened? Have you


    found Veronica?"


    "No. I just wanna ask if you have any secret skills that can make one faint. Or any drugs that smell of


    lily?"


    The fragrance in the room was strange. Veronica did not wear perfume daily, nor did they have scented


    candles at home. Plus, Shirley was not wearing perfume either. Thus, the fragrance was suspicious.


    "Lily?" Eleanor frowned, trying to remember something. "Yeah. It''s a kind of secret skill. It''s a drug that


    makes one faint five minutes after inhaling it. You won''t be able to wake up for three to five days."


    "Is there an antidote?" That was the main point.


    "Not for now, but it won''t cause any harm. You don''t have to worry that much."


    "Thanks." He ended the call and speeded to somewhere familiar. After alighting from the car, he ran up


    the hill, heading to Mountainside Gardens.

 Chapter 976

    Chapter 976


    Chapter 976 Whip


    Matthew pushed the door and went to the living room in broad strides, yelling, "Waylen Elrod!" That


    was Crayson''s real name.


    The living room was empty, but someone appeared when he called. Mateo gazed down from the


    corridor upstairs. "Matthew? What are you doing here?"


    Ever since Matthew and Veronica were injured, they never returned to Mountainside Gardens. That


    was why Mateo was surprised, especially seeing Matthew in such an aggressive state. He guessed


    that something had happened to drive Matthew into interrogation mode.


    "Where''s Waylen?" Matthew raised his head.


    "He hasn''te back since yesterday. Why?" Mateo''s brows knitted.


    Mateo was clueless about what happened at One Piece Restaurant. Not wanting to test whether the


    man was ying dumb, Matthew merely left. Only then did Lazlo catch up with Matthew at thewn, all


    huffing and puffing. "Boss, is Miss Murphy here?"


    The solemn man descended the hill without sparing Lazlo a nce. "Take Mateo away."


    "Huh? Okay. On it." Lazlo nodded despite the pressure. Through a phone call, he told Dean to send a


    few men over. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    At the same time, Matthew was on the phone. "Track Master Crayson down at all costs."


    He drove back to One Piece Restaurant to rewind the surveince footage. No matter how many times


    they checked on it, nothing was wrong with it. At longst, he realized that someone had rigged the


    footage. The monitor reyed the scenes from the first day, and they were unaware of it this whole


    time!


    Matthew dialed Crayson''s number, but no one picked it up from the other line. Half an hourter, Lazlo


    called, "Boss, we have Mateo. He''s in the basement."


    "Okay. I''ming." Matthew went to the backroom. Complicated traps were installed along the way to


    the room, but he avoided them and entered the room like a breeze.


    There stood Mateo with his hands fettered and his mouth taped. Noticing Matthew''s entrance, he


    struggled and kept muttering something. However, his voice broke into a muffled speech. No one could


    hear what he was talking about.


    Matthew appeared rather calm as he made a video call with Hayley. When the call went through, her


    face appeared on the screen while he directed the camera at Mateo. "Where''s Veronica?" He dived


    straight into the topic without showing his face.


    Even though she did not have his number, she recognized his voice effortlessly. Her brows creased at


    the question. "Isn''t she with you? Why are you calling me? Why did you tie Mateo up? Just what are


    you doing, Matthew Kings?"


    The man on the chair crossed his legs. "Tell Waylen I''ll show him how his grandson dies if he doesn''t


    give Veronica back!" His speech was spoken with tranquility, and not a tinge of anxiety seeped into his


    voice. Then, he motioned Dean to whip Mateo.

 Chapter 977

    Chapter 977


    Chapter 977 The Incensed Matthew


    "Hmm¡­ Argh!" Mateo groaned in pain, but it turned into a muffled sound because of the tape. Blood


    oozed from the wound and soaked the white garment on him.


    An anxious Hayley jumped from the couch. "Are you outta your mind, Matthew Kings? I don''t know


    where Veronica is. Mateo is innocent. Let him go!"


    Matthew deemed that as nonsense, motioning Dean to fling another whip on Mateo.


    "Mmm¡­" Mateo could not scream, yet it was enough to tell how much pain he was in from the


    protruded veins, widened eyes, and reddened face. "Hmm¡­ Mmm¡­" He wriggled and groaned in


    agony. However, no one could make out what he was cursing because it was drowned by the tape.


    "Sorry, Mateo. A dutiful man has to repay his family''s debt. Don''t me me for this." Matthew let out a


    faint smile, and Dean whipped Mateo again.


    "Someone, track down Mateo''s whereabouts!" Hayley shouted in their hidden tongue.


    Matthew could understand thenguage, but he was not bothered in the slightest. He ced the phone


    atop the table, focusing the camera on Mateo. A whileter, the bound man had over ten red stripes on


    his body. His shirt was all ripped, revealing those appalling and striking cuts.


    "Remove the tape," ordered Matthew.


    Dean approached Mateo to do as Matthew told him to. Fighting through the drowsiness, Mateo kneeled


    on the ground as the rope fettered him so tightly that his skin was scraped. Blood covered his lips, and


    he hung his head low. "Matthew Kings, you son of a b*tch! Let me go! I-I''ll go one on one against you!"


    He squeezed every ounce of strength to chew Matthew out, and blood flowed from his mouth.


    "You''re no match for me," dered Matthew haughtily before he turned to the phone. "If I don''t see


    Veronica in two hours, tell Waylen to be prepared for his grandson''s funeral." Then, he terminated the


    call and stood up. Looking at the pitiful man, he waved his hand. "Take him to the beach."


    "Yes, boss." Dean subsequently ordered a few men to carry Mateo away.


    From the second Mateo was kidnapped, he had not expected Matthew to go full-out on him,


    considering old times'' sake. They had been getting along for three months, and he thought Matthew


    would not hurt him. Guess it was just his wishful thinking.


    He wanted to free himself, but the churning pain from the wounds that ripped his skin was too much for


    him to put up with.


    Dean kicked the mush-like man. "Mateo Elrod, you better tell us where you took Miss Murphy.


    Otherwise, don''t me our boss for settling the score with your life."


    "I¡­ don''t know." Mateo gave an eye-roll, for he carried no information about Veronica''s disappearance.


    He doubted that it had anything to do with his grandpa either!N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

 Chapter 978

    Chapter 978


    Chapter 978 Xavier¡¯s Help


    Matthew left the backroom and One Piece Restaurant. Before he entered the car, someone was calling


    his name. "Matthew?"


    He turned around to see Xavier approaching him, after which he asked coldly, "What''s the matter?"


    With a grim expression, Xavier flung a punch at Matthew. "Why can''t you take good care of Roni?"


    Matthew held Xavier''s fist before it could reach him. "You''re not the only person worrying about Roni. I


    am too, but I''m not a prophet. Things can go out of control sometimes. Not everything can be


    prevented." He swung Xavier''s hand away. "And right now, I don''t wanna put up with this pointless fight


    with you."


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    He pulled the car door and hopped on, whereas Xavier took the passenger seat. Matthew looked


    sideways at the unbidden guest, slightly surprised.


    "Don''t get the wrong idea. I haven''t forgiven you yet. I''m just worried about Roni. I don''t wish to see her


    getting hurt," imed Xavier, who gazed at the road and buckled the seatbelts.


    He dashed to One Piece Restaurant to get to the bottom of it as soon as he found out about Veronica''s


    disappearance. Who knew that he would bump into Matthew there? Since Veronica''s safety was


    paramount, he contemted and decided to work with Matthew to save her.


    The car engine was started, and they started their journey. Matthew piped up, "Thanks." It was difficult


    to hear those words from him, but he owed Xavier too much when it came to Veronica.


    "Pretentious." Xavier scoffed and cut to the chase. "What happened?"


    "It''s probably Crayson''s doing. The hidden n possesses a secret skill that seals one''s memory. He


    thought I was the force that influenced Veronica''s decision to leave the hidden n. That''s why he


    wanted to eliminate me. Now that his n had failed, he decided to kidnap her. I guess he wanna seal


    her memories so that she can be the leader of the hidden n." It was a cinch for Matthew to figure out


    who the mastermind was.


    "Ridiculous!" Xavier roared. "Where are we supposed to find him?"


    "Someone will give us the answer."


    "Who?"


    "Dominik," imed Matthew confidently.


    Xavier could not understand the reason behind Matthew''s certainty. "How are you so sure he''ll know


    where Roni is?"


    "Before the hunting festival, Crayson kidnapped Tiffany to seal her memories, but Dominik managed to


    save her."


    Back then, Matthew and Veronica waited for Crayson at Mountainside Gardens the whole day. He


    returned in the evening, and they thought Tiffany''s memory was sealed, so they headed to the hunting


    ceremony, where Veronica met Tiffany and Dominik.


    That was when Veronica realized Crayson had failed his part because Dominik saved Tiffany.


    "Even if he knows the ce, how will you persuade him to help you?" Xavier''s question hit right at the


    mark.


    Matthew watched the road and drove the car seriously. Thousand of ideas flew across his mind as he


    contemted the problem.


    Xavier continued, "From what I know, Dominik and Zac are working together to kill you and Roni." He


    shook his head and smiled mockingly, making the scar on his face more visible to the eyes. "Your


    enemies are everywhere, and I just don''t get why Roni likes you."

 Chapter 979

    Chapter 979


    Chapter 979 Driving A Wedge


    Speaking of impartiality, Xavier felt that it was not fair. He began his pursuit for Veronica first, yet she


    ended up with Matthew.


    "My honor," eximed Matthew.


    Xavier did not say anything because he knew everything in detail about what happened when Matthew


    was in danger and how much Matthew sacrificed for Veronica. He hated Matthew most of the time, but


    that did not stop him from admiring him; both contradictory emotions were torturing him. In addition to


    those nightmares about Melissa that gued him every night, exhaustion caught him up.


    Matthew was driving the car while dialing Dominik''s number. Dominik''s phone rang a few times before


    he picked it up. "Who is it?"


    "Me, Matthew. Just wanna ask how you saved Tiffany back then."


    Dominik was stunned by the sudden question. "I¡­ don''t know what you''re talking about."


    He just would not admit it.


    "Then, I''ll tell you." Matthew exined patiently, "Roni wasn''t going after the leader''s title when she first


    came to the hidden n. Waylen forced her to. The original n was to leave in a few days, but he


    kidnapped her. Now, he will seal her memories to control her so that she can lead the hidden n."


    Now that Matthew mixed the lie with the truth, not even Xavier could discern the validity in his words,


    let alone Dominik.


    "What''s the use of telling me this?" Dominik feigned calmness.


    "Once her memory is sealed, you or Eleanor might not be her match, not even when you join forces


    because she''s that smart. So, I''m hoping you can tell me where you saved Tiffany so I can find Roni.


    Once we save her, we''ll leave the hidden n and your political games immediately. You''ll get the best


    out of this." Matthew was luring the prey in.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Meanwhile, Xavier was frowning while staring at Matthew. Did I just waste my time telling all those to


    this man?


    Dominikughed. "Tempting, but unfortunately, I did not save Tiffany. I can''t help you, man." He dared


    not trust Matthew, let alone answer that question. If Matthew knew the secret, it would make no


    difference from admitting that Tiffany attempted to kill Veronica in the mountain.


    "I know what happened in the mountain. You want Roni dead, and I won''t interfere with you. I just want


    you to help me save her. Us leaving the hidden n will only do good to you." Matthew was trying his


    best to persuade the man. "Oh, one more thing. Before Tiffany died, Zac met Roni, saying he wanted to


    work with her. He can help her be the leader, and she has to sign a contract with him once everything''s


    stable, handing over the ownership of a few major mineral minings. I bet you don''t know this. Do you,


    Your Highness?"


    He had no choice but to drive a wedge between Zac and Dominik by using Zac. Dominik had his


    eyes on the throne, hence the paranoia; he could not trust anyone easily, not even Zac, who shared the


    same objective.

 Chapter 980

    Chapter 980


    Chapter 980 Walking Into a Trap


    Dominik fell silent.


    There was no way for him to verify the authenticity of Matthew''s statement, but he had to admit that


    Zac was a very paranoid man.


    Zac had been spending long evenings discussing his ns with Dominik. His speeches painted a


    grand blueprint for a perfect future that swayed Dominik, who eventually chose to work with Zac.


    Matthew did not wait for Dominik to reply. After a moment of silence, he said, "If this is the case, I''ll talk


    to Princess Eleanor."


    His implicit message was that if Dominik refused to work with him, he would work with Eleanor instead.


    The moment those two worked together, Dominik would stand a very slim chance of bing the


    head of the n.


    "D-Don''t," Dominik quickly rebutted. "Eleanor was heavily punished by Mom after she saved youst


    time. I do not want to see her hurt again."


    On the surface, it sounded so much like he was protecting Eleanor.


    For a moment, even Dominik believed in his own lie.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Does that mean you are willing to aid me, Prince Dominik?" The tension in Matthew''s body faded


    slightly as a glimmer of hope presented itself.


    "I can help you, but you have to promise me one thing."


    "What is it?"


    "After we save Veronica, the two of you must leave the n." Dominik was not a fool.


    Matthew felt closest to Eleanor, but the moment something happened to Veronica, he asked for help


    from Dominik instead of Eleanor. Why?


    Was it only because he knew where Veronica was being held?


    No, there was another possibility.


    Eleanor likely loved Matthew, but her love was not reciprocated. That meant Veronica''s kidnapping and


    the potential memory seal had been good news for Eleanor.


    That meant Matthew only asked Dominik for help because she refused to help him.


    Thus, there was no harm at all in helping Matthew in this matter.


    Furthermore, if they left the n, Dominik would have one lesspetitor. By then, it would be easy


    enough for him to get rid of Eleanor with Zac''s help.


    "I was just about to mention that to you, Your Highness," Matthew said. "After we rescue Roni, I was


    hoping you could help us leave the n without anyone finding out."


    Veronica would surely be incredibly disappointed by Waylen after what happened. There was no way


    she would continue to suffer his threats anymore.


    Unless¡­


    "No problem. Do remember the promise you made today, Matthew." Dominik paused and continued, "I


    will send my man to work with you. He will bring you to where Veronica is most likely being held."


    "Thank you."


    Matthew happily hung up the phone.


    As he ced his phone to the side, he leaned back and heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he asked Xavier,


    "Do you want to go with us?"


    "Take care of yourself first!"


    There was a harsh tone in Xavier''s voice.


    After all, it was the biggest concession possible for him to sit in the same car as Matthew.


    The two fell silent as their sedan continued on its way.


    Soon, Matthew received a call from an unknown number.


    As he was still driving, he put the phone on the loudspeaker as he answered the call. "Who is it?"


    "This is Noah Finnegan. I am under orders of Prince Dominik to lead you to a certain location," said the


    man on the other end of the call.


    "Where are you now?" Matthew asked.


    "South of the Tempest Bridge at the Eastern Summit of the Deste Cliffs."


    "Very well. I''ll be there soon." Matthew hung up and sped toward the Deste Cliffs.


    Xavier spent a moment of silence in thought before asking, "What if Dominik set a trap? Aren''t you


    afraid of walking into one?"


    "I''m betting that he wouldn''t dare."


    There was a reason for Matthew''s confidence; Dominik wanted to be the head of the n, and he was


    running against Eleanor and Veronica for it.


    If Matthew died, that would only cause Veronica to hate the Ledgers even more. It would give her


    motivation to be the head of the n instead.

 Chapter 981

    Chapter 981


    Chapter 981 Search for Veronica


    Currently, the way to get the most out of the situation was for Dominik to get Matthew and Veronica out


    of the n. Hence, it was a win for him.


    "Ha! You''re so confident in yourself."


    Xavier sneered.


    It took around ten minutes or more for the Jeep to arrive at the Tempest Bridge of the Deste Cliffs.


    At the other end of the bridge, there was a car with two people standing next to it.


    Matthew honked the horn before stopping the car and getting out to greet them.


    Then, the two cars continued onward with the other car in the front while Matthew and Xavier followed


    behind.


    "We will be more isted the further we go on. Be careful," Xavier uneasily reminded.


    "We''re already past the point of no return."


    Matthew sighed.


    They drove for over 30 minutes before the Jeep arrived at the bottom of Emerald Mountain.


    The two men got out of the car and walked over to Noah.


    Noah was a burly man with tanned skin, dressed entirely in brown with a ck headwrap. Hanging off


    his earlobes were tworge hoops made of bronze.


    He pointed at the Emerald Mountain. "It''s best to park the cars here. There are surveince cameras


    up ahead. We''ll be discovered if we drive in."


    "Lead the way," Matthew said in a very polite manner.


    Noah and hispanion led the way up into the mountain through a rather unused dirt path while


    Matthew and Xavier followed behind.


    They spent a long time going up the mountain, but they never once went down.


    Finally, Xavier lost his temper and burst out at Matthew, "Just where are they taking us?"


    As he did not understand a word of the hidden tongue, his only way ofmunicating with the other


    duo was through Matthew.


    "They told us just now. There are guards at the main entrance. It was safer to go through a secret path


    on top of the mountain that led down to the basement."


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    That was the simple exnation Matthew offered.


    As he heard that, Xavier''s face darkened, and he shot Matthew a re. Nevertheless, he suppressed


    the fury burning in him and did not argue back.


    His goal for the day was to save Veronica. Everything else could be ignored for the moment.


    After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at a few humongous boulders that were jutting out of


    a steep cliff. The boulders were thoroughly covered in ivy with barely an inch of rock visible.


    Noah walked over to the cliff and slowly climbed over to the boulders using the uneven cliff face. Then,


    he vanished into the wall of ivy.


    The rest of the group cautiously followed him into the ivy and found a secret cave hidden behind the


    nts.


    As they continued several dozen yards further into the cave, it slowly widened from a tiny hole into a


    larger corridor.


    Matthew was only able to see what was going on inside the cave because Noah was lighting the way


    with a shlight at the front of the group. In the vast cave, there was a huge pond with stctites


    hanging over it.


    Noah pointed to the pond and said to Matthew, "We''ll be diving into the pond. After swimming for about


    55 yards, we''ll be inside."


    Xavier, who was now wearing a miniature tranting device, naturally understood what Noah was


    saying now.


    "Please lead the way, Mr. Finnegan," Matthew responded.


    The four of them dove into the water with Noah swimming up ahead once more with the shlight


    showing the way.


    The hidden n was located in a ce with pleasant weather all year round. Thus, the water was only


    mildly chilly.


    They did not swim for long before they spotted a hole in the walls. After swimming through it, they


    continued swimming for over 10 yards before floating to the surface.


    On the shore, they followed Noah''s directions and entered the underground chamber which was a


    magnificent sight to behold with every inch covered in intricate carvings. It was as grand as a pce.


    Matthew had been to the underground chamber before at the Kings Residence. Hence, he was not as


    shocked by the grandeur as Xavier who was thoroughly stunned by what he saw.


    The sight made Xavier feel like he had been teleported into another world, causing his hair to stand on


    end.


    As there was no phone service, it meant there were no cameras there.


    As they hid from nearby patrols, they headed deeper into the chamber until Noah pointed out a small


    building up ahead. "We found Tiffany Larson therest time."

 Chapter 982

    Chapter 982


    Chapter 982 Xavier¡¯s Fury


    "I''ll check it out."


    As soon as Matthew said that, he strode into the building.


    Xavier followed him into the building as well, but there was no one inside.


    The two men nced at each other before heading straight back to Noah.


    "What? Miss Murphy isn''t there?" Noah asked in shock with a frown on his face.


    Matthew nced around. "I''ll look in the other buildings."


    There was no way he would return empty-handed.


    "As we have done what His Highness ordered us to do, we will be leaving now." Noah did not n to


    continue the search with them.


    "Very well. Thank His Highness for me," Matthew said with a slight nod.


    Before leaving with hispanion, Noah gave Matthew and Xavier each a shlight.


    The remaining two men then continued searching through the entire underground chamber.


    They were discovered in their search, so they had to knock out about five or six men. They soonThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    finished the search and found no signs of Veronica.


    In the end, they had to leave the mountain empty-handed.


    Thereafter, they got into their car and drove back to the city.


    No one said a single word throughout the journey. Finally, Xavier could hold back no longer and angrily


    barked out, "Have you ever wondered if this is just a trap? If Dominik was just toying with you?"


    "He was not lying," Matthew replied.


    His brows were locked in a frown as he continued to stare at the road ahead. "From what the patrolling


    men said in the underground chamber, we can confirm that the ce was one of Crayson''s secret


    bases. However, he must have ced Veronica elsewhere after realizing Tiffany had been taken


    away."


    "Where shall we go to find Roni now?"


    "I don''t know."


    Matthew was now lost. He did not know where to go.


    He was even ready for the worst-case scenario where Veronica''s memories had been sealed off.


    When they rushed back to One Piece Restaurant, Hendrey was there. He joined in their search for


    Veronica when he found out she was missing.


    They were not the only ones looking for her either. Eleanor had also sent her men to look for Veronica


    when she heard Veronica was missing.


    It seemed like they had searched through every inch of the surroundingnds, yet Veronica was


    nowhere to be found.


    Matthew captured Mateo and tortured him for information, but even on the brink of death, Hayley


    denied having ever seen Waylen. She kept iming that she did not know Veronica had been


    kidnapped.


    Matthew was not nning to kill Mateo since he knew Mateo was innocent. In the end, he had no


    choice but to send Mateo to a hospital.


    Few people slept that night.


    It had been over 20 hours since Veronica''s disappearance. s, Matthew had given up the search.


    That was because he knew that after 20 hours, Waylen would have seeded in his quest to seal off


    her memories.


    Since her life was not at risk, he did not need to put in too much effort to look for her.


    "We''re stopping the search?"


    Xavier kicked the table in anger. "We had only been searching for one day and one night, yet you are


    going to give up now?"


    Bang! Crash!


    The table crashed on its side, sending the teapot and cups smashing against the ground with shards


    flying everywhere.


    He shot to his feet and grabbed Matthew by the shirt cor. "Is this what your care for Roni looks like?"


    Matthew was calm, however, as he ndly stated, "It has been over 20 hours. The memory seal would


    have seeded. He will not hurt her, so what we need to do now is to wait."


    Eleanor, who had been sitting to the side nodded. "Master Iron is correct. Since Veronica is not in any


    danger, she will reappear. In that case, it is aplete waste of time and energy to send more men out


    to search for her."


    Hendrey nodded. "They''re right."


    Xavier gritted his teeth and seethed. In the end, he pushed Matthew away and stomped out of the


    restaurant.


    Hendrey got to his feet as well and said to Matthew, "Please let me know when shees back."


    Following that, he left the restaurant.

 Chapter 983

    Chapter 983


    Chapter 983 Care For Her


    When Hendreyter returned to his home, he found an unwanted guest waiting for him. It was Zac.


    Zac was sitting on his living room couch with a cigarette held between his fingers. With cold eyes, he


    watched as Hendrey walked into the ce. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where were you?"


    The way he held himself turned the question into an interrogation.


    "Veronica vanished. I went to help look for her," Hendrey honestly replied without holding a single detail


    back.


    Zac took a few puffs of the cigarette held between his fingers before slowly exhaling. "What does her


    disappearance have to do with you? Why do you need to look for her? What? Do you still love her?"


    "Do I look like someone who''s into romance? Women are just to have fun with."


    Hendrey walked into the room and sat across from Zac with a faux calm before casually continuing, "I


    heard that there is a way to seal off someone''s memories among the hidden n. The moment


    Veronica''s memories are sealed off, she would be forever loyal to Crayson and Hayley. Overnight, she


    would turn into Dominik''s greatest enemy, which means she would be your greatest enemy, Your


    Highness."


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Hendrey pulled out a cigarette from the box on the table, lit it, and held it between his lips. "You and


    Matthew Kings are enemies. Nothing good wille out of her bing the head of the n. At this


    moment, it would be best to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Helping her means


    helping ourselves."


    It certainly sounded like Hendrey was doing everything for Zac''s sake.


    In reality, Hendrey had always cared for Veronica. He was simply unable to expose his true identity due


    to certain reasons.


    Zac only somewhat believed that exnation. He kept staring at Hendrey with his blue eyes as though


    he wanted to verify the authenticity of the statement from Hendrey''s facial expression. However, he


    observed nothing unusual.


    He leaned back and crossed his legs. The hand with the cigarette rested on his knee as he tapped his


    finger in thought.


    Momentster, he asked, "Was she found?"


    "No."


    Hendrey shook his head. "Matthew thinks Crayson has most likely sealed off her memories by now.


    From now on, Matthew would no longer fight back even if Veronica ends up being loyal to Crayson. I''m


    afraid it will be even harder for you to work with Prince Dominik."


    "Waylen is very harsh when ites to Veronica. He watched her grow up, did he not? What an


    absolutely unbearable coward."


    Even Zac thought Waylen''s actions were extremely shameless and vile.


    "Crayson only looks at the big picture. He wants the power of being the head of the n, so nothing


    could stand in his way."


    Hendrey frowned with worry in his eyes. "Such a man is the most terrifying."


    "I hear Matthew kidnapped Mateo and broke so many of his bones that he nearly died. Is that true?"


    Zac eventually asked.


    "Yes."


    "Mateo is Waylen''s beloved grandson. How could he not care at all that he nearly died?"


    Zac was wary of Waylen.


    After all, who knew what might actually happen when going against someone so cruel that he would do


    anything to achieve his goals?


    A man with no weakness was the hardest to control and the most dangerous.


    "Continue to keep an eye on the situation with Veronica," Zac ordered. "Also, the moment you see a


    chance to get rid of Matthew, do it. He¡­"


    He narrowed his eyes into slits as an icy glint shed across them. "He must die!"


    Zac would never rest easy as long as Matthew was alive.

 Chapter 984

    Chapter 984


    Chapter 984 Severe Amnesia


    The sentiment was especially true after Matthew broke Zac''s left arm. Every time he was reminded that


    his left hand was now just half an arm, hatred for Matthew would ze to life once more in his heart.


    Hendrey did not respond.


    Zac nced at him and ducked his head down in thought. Then, he chuckled, and his entire demeanor


    immediately softened. "I admire you. Why don''t you work for me instead of Buckner? You''ll be well-


    rewarded."


    Hendrey was only working with Zac because Hendrey''s secret mastermanded him to follow Zac''s


    orders.


    "Am I not working for you right now?"


    Hendrey looked up and shot Zac a meaningful look.


    The look stunned Zac for a moment before he threw his head back in a loudugh. "Good! That''s good!


    You are right."


    ¡­


    Ouch!


    Veronica''s head felt like it had been flung all over the ce. Sharp bursts of agony echoed through her


    mind as though it would explode at any moment.


    Letting out a pained moan, she held her head and slowly opened her eyes.


    She was met with pitch-ck darkness.


    Images shed through her mind like a sped-up movie being yed. Some of her memories slowly


    faded away.


    Where was she?


    Veronica pondered with eyes wide open.


    "Is she awake?"


    The voice came from outside.


    "Not yet."


    Creak.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    The door swung open. At that moment, someone flicked a switch, filling the dark room with light. The


    bright re hurt her eyes.


    She squinted her eyes in difort.


    Waylen''s heart leaped with joy when he saw the woman on the bed cover her eyes with a hand. "You''re


    awake, Veronica."


    He joyfully strode over to the bed to tenderly ask after her condition. "How do you feel? Does anything


    hurt? What about your head?"


    Hayley walked in from the doorway and stared at Veronica. She couldn''t help but cross her arms,


    uncrossing them after a while.


    Her entire body was tense as her heart raced seemingly in anxiety and in fear.


    The secret skill of the hidden n had not been used in decades. Would Waylen and the others


    seed in their first attempt?


    "Where am I?" Veronica asked.


    She held her head. "Master Crayson, my head hurts."


    His sharp eyes had been observing her reactions the entire time. When he saw that she was confused


    and not at all angry, he knew he had sessfully sealed off part of her memories.


    "Hahaha! Where else could you be? We''re with the hidden n. You''re finally awake! You scared your


    mother and me half to death!"


    There was a bright grin on his lips.


    "Mom?"


    Veronica frowned and stared at Hayley for a few moments before shaking her head. "I don''t remember


    having a mother."


    "I¡­"


    Hayley''s heart was in her throat. Unsure of how she should exin this, she gazed helplessly at


    Waylen, waiting for him to exin.


    "Oh, dear. You tripped and hit your head yesterday. The doctor said you are only suffering from a mild


    brain hemorrhage that might affect your memories. How is it this serious?"


    He had a logical reason all nned out for this situation.


    Veronica explored her head with her fingers and found her head wrapped in gauze. It seemed like she


    had truly been injured.


    "Rest here for a while. I''ll get the doctor to take a look."


    He helped hery back down on the bed before saying to Hayley, "Go get the doctor."


    "Okay."


    Hayley''s response was stiff as she did not have time to realize what was happening. She thereafter


    swiftly turned and left the room in search of a doctor.


    Soon, a doctor walked into the room and examined Veronica beforeing to the same conclusion as


    Waylen did.


    Veronica was suffering from selective memory loss due to the blood in her brain that was caused by


    suffering a hit to the head.

 Chapter 985

    Chapter 985


    Chapter 985 Recovering Memories


    "Rest well, youngdy. Do not overexert your mind or you might hurt it even more by causing


    intracerebral hemorrhage. In the worst-case scenario, you might even suffer a stroke and die.


    The doctor repeatedly issued the same instructions.


    "Yes, okay," Veronica feebly replied.


    "Very well. I''ll leave you to rest. Your mother and I will be outside instead of disturbing you. We''ll talk to


    you about everything else tomorrow," Waylen said.


    He patted her on the shoulder with his usual veneer of kindliness.


    Veronica was suffering from a serious migraine, however, so she merely nodded. Laying there on the


    bed, she seemed like she did not even have the strength to speak.


    The group of three all left the room, closing the door behind them.


    The room was plunged into darkness once more.


    Outside the door, the fake doctor walked side-by-side with Waylen as he asked, "Is it a sess?"


    "Don''t worry. Nothing will go wrong," Waylen replied.


    He was filled with confidence as he continued, "Did you forget about how I would bring her back to the


    hidden n every three years? I would seal off her memories using the same method. Otherwise, she


    would have been fluent in the hidden tongue since childhood. There was no way she could have


    forgotten everything."


    "Yes. I believe in Waylen," Hayley chimed in.


    She had absolute faith in him.


    She had absolute faith in him.


    It was not her first time meeting Veronica. In fact, she had met Veronica multiple times before.


    However, Waylen would always seal off Veronica''s memories after taking her away from the hidden


    n.


    That was the reason Veronica hadpletely forgotten everything about the n, including the hidden


    tongue.


    "Good. It looks like our n hase to fruition," the imitation doctor said.


    "Our task at hand is to send Matthew and the others away or they might ruin our ns¡­"


    The trio continued to walk away while conversing in the hidden tongue.


    When their voices finally vanished from the corridor, the door to the room they had just left slid shut,


    closing the tiny gap that was present between the door and the frame.


    Sitting behind that door was Veronica who was suffering from intense agony. Countless memories


    rushed to the front of her mind like water breaking through a dam. It was absolutely unbearable.


    "Don''t ever forget about me, Roni," Mateo once said.


    "Are you going back to Bloomstead, Roni? When will you be back?"


    "Hurry back. I miss you."


    "I miss you too, Mat," Veronica said in those memories.


    "Would you marry a girl younger than you, Mat?"


    "Of course, I would," Mateo had replied. "Grandpa was younger than Grandma, but they are so happy


    together."


    "Would you morry me then?" she osked bock.


    "I would," he onswered. "You con''t ever forget obout me, okoy?"


    "I won''t. Pinky promise?"


    The memory foded owoy to be reploced by onother.


    "Veronico, remember thot no motter whot hoppens, I will olwoys stond by you," Hendrey soid.


    "Woylen is not o good mon. Stoy owoy from him."


    "Why would you soy thot, Hendrey?" she hod osked.


    "Trust me. I won''t lie to you," he replied.


    The memory foded once more¡­


    Veronico wos wolking bock from home with Hendrey when five or six men suddenly rushed out of o


    neorby von. They were oiming for Hendrey.


    They hod just been moved up to high school, so they were noturolly no motch for the men. Veronico


    wos left beoten on the ground while Hendrey wos token owoy.


    "Veronico, Croyson sent these men," he shouted to her. "You hove to sove me! Sove me!"


    "Hendrey!"


    Veronico hod crowled up from the ground ond fronticolly ron ofter the von. However, the vehicle


    eventuolly disoppeored from her vision.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She ron oll the woy to Woylen''s home, croshed into his home, ond drogged Woylen out of his exercise


    routine. "Hendrey hos been kidnopped ond he soys you''re the one who ordered the kidnopping! Tell


    me, is it true?"


    "Would you marry me then?" she asked back.


    "I would," he answered. "You can''t ever forget about me, okay?"


    "I won''t. Pinky promise?"


    The memory faded away to be reced by another.


    "Veronica, remember that no matter what happens, I will always stand by you," Hendrey said.


    "Waylen is not a good man. Stay away from him."


    "Why would you say that, Hendrey?" she had asked.


    "Trust me. I won''t lie to you," he replied.


    The memory faded once more¡­


    Veronica was walking back from home with Hendrey when five or six men suddenly rushed out of a


    nearby van. They were aiming for Hendrey.


    They had just been moved up to high school, so they were naturally no match for the men. Veronica


    was left beaten on the ground while Hendrey was taken away.


    "Veronica, Crayson sent these men," he shouted to her. "You have to save me! Save me!"


    "Hendrey!"


    Veronica had crawled up from the ground and frantically ran after the van. However, the vehicle


    eventually disappeared from her vision.


    She ran all the way to Waylen''s home, crashed into his home, and dragged Waylen out of his exercise


    routine. "Hendrey has been kidnapped and he says you''re the one who ordered the kidnapping! Tell


    me, is it true?"

 Chapter 986

    Chapter 986


    Chapter 986 Terrible Headache


    "Hahaha. What are you thinking about, silly girl? I''m just an old man. How could I kidnap someone?


    Besides, why would I kidnap Hendrey when he''s your boyfriend?"


    Crayson turned around, entered the house, and poured a ss of water for Veronica. "Come on. Have


    a ss of water before telling me what happened. Look at the sweat on your face!"


    Veronica was enraged and stomped her feet. "How could you still joke when Hendrey is kidnapped?!"


    "Okay, fine. I''ll stop joking. Finish the water, and I''ll figure out a way with you," he urged her to drink the


    water first.


    Grabbing the cup angrily, she finished the water in one go and mmed the ss on the table with a


    bang. "Done! Now can you figure out a way to save Hendrey?!"


    "Alright. Take a seat and tell me about the situation."


    Crayson pulled her down to the couch before she narrated what happened after school to him. But as


    she spoke, she suddenly cked out and lost consciousness.


    When she woke up again, she felt a terrible headache.


    "What''s wrong with me, Master Crayson? My head hurts."


    "Silly girl, you tripped and fell over a rock at school. That''s why your head hurts."


    Veronica thought it was true, hence she went to school as usual the next day. However, she noticed


    that Hendrey was no longer present, so she asked around and found out that he had migrated abroad


    with his whole family. They also mentioned that the family left in a hurry.


    ¡­


    Those memories slowly popped into Veronica''s mind.


    ¡­


    Those memories slowly popped into Veronica''s mind.


    The severe pain that felt like an explosion made her roll around on the ground with her head in her


    arms. She even hit her head against the floor heavily due to the unbearable pain.


    After a while, she felt her pain subside significantly and leaned weakly against the bed. She was as


    limp as a puddle of mud, but as she leaned sideways motionlessly, she recalled what Crayson and


    Hayley told her. It felt extremely ironic at this point.


    "How could this happen?" she muttered while raising her hands to cover her head.


    Why did Master Crayson fail to seal her memories and even made her recall all her previous


    memories? Strangely, I even managed to understand them speaking in hidden tongue easily when I''m


    not wearing the miniature tranting device!


    Crayson was usually reliable and never failed toplete tasks, so what exactly caused this situation


    to ur?


    Veronica couldn''t fathom why, and when she tried to figure out the reason, she would feel a sharp pain


    in her head.


    Not wonting the poin to grow intense, she simply got up, loy in bed, ond shut her eyes without thinking


    obout it.


    Despite everything, she olso found out why Croyson would ottock Motthew.


    Thot wos becouse every guy who showed up oround her would never end up well.


    Motthew, on the other hond, wos skilled in self-defense, so Croyson hod nothing ogoinst him. Whot


    could''ve hoppened ofter Hendrey wos kidnopped bock then?


    She suddenly reolized thot Hendrey hid mony secrets os well.


    Every incident thot hoppened ofter the kidnopping wos so mysterious thot she couldn''t figure them out.


    Nheless, she wos certoin of one thing¡ªHendrey wos not on enemy.


    "I''m so tired¡­" Veronico sighed heovily os her memories groduolly returned to her. For the first time in


    her life, she felt like o puppet whose whole life hod been controlled.


    After coreful thought, she olso figured thot her odoptive porents, Tony ond Doniello, were probobly not


    os innocent os she thought.


    If it hodn''t been for this ident, Veronico would''ve lived her entire life os o joke.


    However, heree the tricky port. Motthew must''ve thought her memories hod been seoled. How


    wos she going to exploin the situotion to him?


    Not wanting the pain to grow intense, she simply got up,y in bed, and shut her eyes without thinking


    about it.


    Despite everything, she also found out why Crayson would attack Matthew.


    That was because every guy who showed up around her would never end up well.


    Matthew, on the other hand, was skilled in self-defense, so Crayson had nothing against him. What


    could''ve happened after Hendrey was kidnapped back then?


    She suddenly realized that Hendrey hid many secrets as well.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Every incident that happened after the kidnapping was so mysterious that she couldn''t figure them out.


    Nheless, she was certain of one thing¡ªHendrey was not an enemy.


    "I''m so tired¡­" Veronica sighed heavily as her memories gradually returned to her. For the first time in


    her life, she felt like a puppet whose whole life had been controlled.


    After careful thought, she also figured that her adoptive parents, Tony and Danie, were probably not


    as innocent as she thought.


    If it hadn''t been for this ident, Veronica would''ve lived her entire life as a joke.


    However, here came the tricky part. Matthew must''ve thought her memories had been sealed. How


    was she going to exin the situation to him?

 Chapter 987

    Chapter 987


    Chapter 987 ying Along


    Lying in bed, Veronica fell asleep due to weariness.


    When she woke up again, the sky had already turned bright.


    Crayson and Hayley came to visit her, and the maids had also delivered some herbal medicine to the


    table.


    "Come on, Veronica. Drink the medicine."


    Crayson held the bowl of herbal medicine and stirred it with a spoon so that it would cool down faster.


    His friendly demeanor gave Veronica the illusion that he was someone very close to her.


    However¡­


    He was actually an evil wolf in sheep''s clothing.


    "Leave it. I''ll drink itter." Lying in bed, she asked, "Master Crayson, I feel confused. Can you tell me


    what happened after I arrived here?"


    "Sure." Crayson instantly agreed and started sharing the story of what happened after she arrived at


    the hidden n. Of course, everything was fabricated. He made Matthew, Skyler, and Shirley enemies


    and even reminded her to stay away from them and not to believe them.


    Moreover, he added that Matthew forced her to have sex with him and made her pregnant by ident.


    Eventually, he strangled their child to death.


    Crayson made up nonsense but said it in an absolutely serious manner. He racked his brains trying to


    nder Matthew so that Veronica would hate him to the bones.


    "Where is that b*stard? I''m going to kill him!"


    "Where is that b*stard? I''m going to kill him!"


    Veronica clenched her fists and flipped the table, causing the medicine to ssh all over the ground.


    "I''m going to kill him right now!"


    As she lifted her nket and attempted to get out of bed, Crayson pushed her down. "You''re still weak


    now. You are no match for him yet," heforted her, but she could catch the hidden triumphant smile


    that he tried to suppress.


    He thought Veronica had believed him.


    "Do you remember Mateo?" asked Hayley.


    "You should remember him." Crayson sounded certain about it.


    When he was sealing her memories, he restored her memories about Mateo so that she could recall


    their past rtionship.


    He wished that the two would get back together again and bear children for the hidden n.


    "You mean Mat?"


    She nodded. "Of course, I do, but parts of my memories are still nk." She clutched her head and


    inquired, "Where is he? I wanna see him."


    Hayley shook her head with red eyes. "Mateo''s ribs were broken by Matthew, and his whole body is


    now covered in injuries. He barely escaped death and is still in the ICU right now."


    Bang!


    Veronica mmed the table harshly and growled, "Him again?! I''m going to kill that b*stard! I have to


    kill him!"


    She lifted the blonket ond tried to get out of bed ogoin.


    Croyson pushed her down ogoin, but she shoved him owoy ond thundered, "Mot is your grondson ond


    olso my mon! You don''t hove to ovenge him, but I must kill thot person!"


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    She stood up, wolked up to Hoyley, ond questioned with o murderous goze, "Tell me! Where is


    Motthew Kings?!"


    Veronico''s voice wos filled with hotred ond resentment, but thot wos becouse of Hoyley ond Croyson.


    It wos their spiteful octs thot mode her resent them to the bones!


    Despite thot, she knew she couldn''t oct roshly.


    She wos certoin thot the reoson Motthew broke Moteo''s ribs ond sent him to the hospitol wos thot he


    couldn''t find her ond ossumed thot she wos being kidnopped, hence he tried to threoten them by


    injuring Moteo.


    The foct thot Croyson would rother wotch Moteo get seriously injured ond hospitolized in order to


    prevent Motthew from finding her wos enough to prove how cruel he wos.


    In thot cose, Veronico wouldn''t be oble to threoten Croyson into honding over her child bock to her.


    Currently, the only woy wos to ploy olong with them! Yes, thot wos whot she hod to do!


    She lifted the nket and tried to get out of bed again.


    Crayson pushed her down again, but she shoved him away and thundered, "Mat is your grandson and


    also my man! You don''t have to avenge him, but I must kill that person!"


    She stood up, walked up to Hayley, and questioned with a murderous gaze, "Tell me! Where is


    Matthew Kings?!"


    Veronica''s voice was filled with hatred and resentment, but that was because of Hayley and Crayson.


    It was their spiteful acts that made her resent them to the bones!


    Despite that, she knew she couldn''t act rashly.


    She was certain that the reason Matthew broke Mateo''s ribs and sent him to the hospital was that he


    couldn''t find her and assumed that she was being kidnapped, hence he tried to threaten them by


    injuring Mateo.


    The fact that Crayson would rather watch Mateo get seriously injured and hospitalized in order to


    prevent Matthew from finding her was enough to prove how cruel he was.


    In that case, Veronica wouldn''t be able to threaten Crayson into handing over her child back to her.


    Currently, the only way was to y along with them! Yes, that was what she had to do!

 Chapter 988

    Chapter 988


    Chapter 988 Finally Seeing Veronica


    Veronica''s strong reaction further made Crayson believe that her memories were sealed.


    Subconsciously, he presented a look of triumph.


    After seeing that, he and Hayley exchanged nces and smiled.


    "You haven''t healed yet, Veronica. You should take a good rest." Hayley said as he was still worried


    about her.


    "Don''t worry. I feel way better now." She then rephrased her sentences so that Crayson would not


    suspect her. "Can I visit Mat instead?"


    Veronica knew that if her memories of Mateo had been unsealed, she would have rushed to the


    hospital to see him as soon as she heard that his life was in danger. Therefore, to make her n


    appear well thought out and seamless, she decided to pay Mateo a visit to the hospital first. However,


    she also wondered if Crayson had lost control when he attempted to unseal her memories with Mateo


    and inadvertently caused the recovery of all of her memories.


    If it was an ident, he should have been able to seal her memory without much trouble. So, how did


    she not lose her memory at all?


    "Okay. I''ll take you to the hospital to see Mateo." Crayson nodded and agreed readily.


    With that, the trio went downstairs and drove to the hospital.


    Meanwhile, a restless Matthew waited patiently for word from Veronica at One Piece Restaurant.


    Finally, Dean trotted up to him and said, "Boss, we found out about Miss Murphy''s whereabouts. I


    received word that she is with Crayson and Hayley in East Street Hospital."


    Finally, Dean trotted up to him and said, "Boss, we found out about Miss Murphy''s whereabouts. I


    received word that she is with Crayson and Hayley in East Street Hospital."


    While smoking a cigarette, Matthew looked gloomy, but at the mention of Veronica''s name, his eyes lit


    up as he tossed the cigarette into the ashtray and left the restaurant quickly.


    He hadn''t slept in nearly 48 hours, and it had been almost two days since she disappeared. The scruff


    on his chin had be longer, which made him look even more disheveled. It was the first time he felt


    so helpless and frustrated. He was still too weak in the face of power and status, and in the end, he


    couldn''t even protect the woman he loved.


    At that moment, Lazlo went with Matthew by car to the hospital. Since One Piece Restaurant was


    rtively close to East Street Hospital, it took them only ten minutes by car. Even before the car pulled


    over, Matthew got out and trotted upstairs.


    On the other hand, Mateo was sent to East Street Hospital because Matthew anticipated that after


    Crayson sealed Veronica''s memories, he would visit his grandson there. However, Matthew didn''t


    expect Crayson to bring her with him.


    Motthew suspected thot she hod "lost her memories" becouse the first thing she did ofter she woke up


    wos not to seorch for him but rother to go to the hospitol. At thot thought, he felt o shorp poin in the


    chest. As he struggled to climb the stoirs, ovee with emotion, he stumbled ond neorly fell. He wos


    so onxious thot he just wonted to see Veronico ond check on the womon who hod kept him owoke for


    two doys.


    "Slow down, Mr. Kings." As Lozlo troiled closely behind Motthew, who wos wolking precoriously close


    to folling, he be concerned ond onxious for his boss, who hod lost his usuolposure. At the


    some time, he envied how much his boss ond his wife loved eoch other.


    Soon, Motthew supported himself with the roilings ond quickened his poce since Moteo''s word wos in


    Word No.6 on the third floor.


    Eventuolly, Motthew monoged to see Veronico, who he hod longed to see, outside the ICU word.


    "Roni?" When he sow her, he quickly colled out to her loudly.


    When they heord his voice, the few people woiting outside the ICU turned in his direction.


    On the other hond, when Veronico sow Motthew, she wos desperote to run to him, hug him tightly, ond


    tell him thot she wos olright.


    Matthew suspected that she had "lost her memories" because the first thing she did after she woke up


    was not to search for him but rather to go to the hospital. At that thought, he felt a sharp pain in the


    chest. As he struggled to climb the stairs, ovee with emotion, he stumbled and nearly fell. He was


    so anxious that he just wanted to see Veronica and check on the woman who had kept him awake for


    two days.


    "Slow down, Mr. Kings." As Lazlo trailed closely behind Matthew, who was walking precariously close


    to falling, he became concerned and anxious for his boss, who had lost his usualposure. At theThis is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    same time, he envied how much his boss and his wife loved each other.


    Soon, Matthew supported himself with the railings and quickened his pace since Mateo''s ward was in


    Ward No.6 on the third floor.


    Eventually, Matthew managed to see Veronica, who he had longed to see, outside the ICU ward.


    "Roni?" When he saw her, he quickly called out to her loudly.


    When they heard his voice, the few people waiting outside the ICU turned in his direction.


    On the other hand, when Veronica saw Matthew, she was desperate to run to him, hug him tightly, and


    tell him that she was alright.

 Chapter 989

    Chapter 989


    Chapter 989 Personally Hurt Him


    However, Veronica couldn''t do that!


    In contrast, Matthew''s arrival did not surprise Crayson and Hayley. Instead, they stared at her, waiting


    for her to respond.


    "Matthew Kings!" she hollered while pulling a dagger from behind. "I was just looking for you! Who


    knew you''d show up yourself?!" Her voice was so loud that Crayson and the others thought she was


    furious. In reality, she was just raising her voice to alert Matthew.


    After that, Veronica made a beeline for him, and he followed suit. They were about 30 feet away from


    each other as they ran in opposite directions.


    Seeing her was safe and sound, he instantly felt relieved and smiled. "Roni?" he called out as he


    dashed toward her, pulling her into an embrace.


    Strike! Veronica brandished the dagger and stabbed Matthew in the chest as she scowled, "Go to hell,


    Matthew Kings!" Her voice was loud and filled with rage. It echoed across the entire corridor, so


    Crayson and Hayley could hear her clearly.


    When he hugged her tightly, the sharp pain in his chest pulled him back to reality. His chin rested


    directly on her head, but since he was injured, his body went limp due to pain, and his actions became


    sluggish.


    "Matt, our child is still in Crayson''s hands. I haven''t lost my memories, so please y along with me!"


    After uttering the string of words, she prayed silently that Matthew would understand her. Then, she


    shoved him away and pulled the dagger out of his wound. Following that, the de was dripping with


    bright, red blood.


    "Mr. Kings!" As Lazlo witnessed the unfolding events, he was shocked and hurriedly stepped forward to


    support Matthew.


    "Mr. Kings!" As Lazlo witnessed the unfolding events, he was shocked and hurriedly stepped forward to


    support Matthew.


    Matthew clutched his chest tightly at that moment, and the throbbing pain forced him to stagger


    backward. However, he couldn''t peel his eyes off the woman before him. Confusion and shock were


    written all over his dark orbs. She said, ''Matt, our child is still in Crayson''s hands. I haven''t lost my


    memories, so please y along with me!'' She hasn''t lost her memories! She remembers me! That was


    absolutely great news for him. Despite the stinging pain that made him convulse, he was d Veronica


    was alright. Anyway, he was a great actor too. "Roni, y-you¡ª" He was about to say something while


    clutching his left chest and pointing at her, but he spat blood after blurting a few words.


    "Matthew Kings, you were the one who sent Mat to the ICU and nearly killed him. You even killed our


    child! Never in my life will I forgive you!" She raised her voice and pointed the blood-coated dagger at


    him furiously. In reality, her chest hurt as she worried about him. Fortunately, she knew that his heart


    was positioned differently than that of others. His heart was on the right side, while most people had


    theirs on the left. Hence, she had no choice but to stab him in the "heart" for Crayson and Hayley to


    believe her.


    "Roni, I-I¡ª" Motthew wonted to finish his sentence, but he hod to oct os if he were dying. So, he


    leoned his body on Lozlo while ponting heovily.


    "Are you insone, Mrs. Kings? Thot''s Mr. Kings right there! How could you try to kill him?!" Lozlo wos


    infurioted os he couldn''t understond why she did thot.


    "I hoven''t even killed him yet!" Veronico grobbed the dogger tightly os she pointed to Motthew.


    However, she wos silently screoming in her heort, Go, Motthew! Go, olreody!


    Despite her oct, he hod follen unconscious before she could do onything.


    After seeing thot, Lozlo ponicked ond yelled, "Doctor! Are there ony doctors here?! Where''s the


    doctor?!"


    Soon, o doctor heord themotion ond sow her pointing the dogger ot Motthew os she growled, "I''m


    going to kill him! I must kill him!"


    "Roni, I-I¡ª" Matthew wanted to finish his sentence, but he had to act as if he were dying. So, he


    leaned his body on Lazlo while panting heavily.


    "Are you insane, Mrs. Kings? That''s Mr. Kings right there! How could you try to kill him?!" Lazlo was


    infuriated as he couldn''t understand why she did that.


    "I haven''t even killed him yet!" Veronica grabbed the dagger tightly as she pointed to Matthew.


    However, she was silently screaming in her heart, Go, Matthew! Go, already!


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Despite her act, he had fallen unconscious before she could do anything.


    After seeing that, Lazlo panicked and yelled, "Doctor! Are there any doctors here?! Where''s the


    doctor?!"


    Soon, a doctor heard themotion and saw her pointing the dagger at Matthew as she growled, "I''m


    going to kill him! I must kill him!"

 Chapter 990

    Chapter 990


    Chapter 990 Plenty Of Loopholes


    "Stop it, Veronica!" Seeing how she was about to kill Matthew, Crayson hurriedly pulled her back and


    scolded, "Everyone is here. Keep that dagger of yours!" Then, he snatched it from her hands because


    she would soon be head of the n. If someone were to record a video of her going crazy, it


    wouldn''t benefit her.


    While scolding her, he noticed Matthew, who was already lying on the ground. Judging from the amount


    of blood on the dagger and how he was unconsciously lying on the floor, Crayson was certain that


    Matthew''s heart had been stabbed. His life is definitely at risk right now. It seems my decision to seal


    her memories is right.


    "He killed my child and severely injured Mat! I must kill him! Let me go!" Veronica struggled to break


    free so she could pounce on Matthew, but Crayson held her down.


    At that moment, two figures showed up in the corridor. It was Xavier and Hendrey.


    "Roni, you¡ª" When Xavier came out of the elevator and saw Veronica, he called out to her in


    excitement. He abruptly stopped talking when he noticed the blood stains on her face and Matthew


    unconscious on the floor. Then, he furrowed his brows and asked, "What''s going on?"


    On the other hand, Hendrey seemed bewildered and unable to respond as he saw the scene before


    him.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    On the other hand, Hendrey seemed bewildered and unable to respond as he saw the scene before


    him.


    Suddenly, Lazlo pointed at Veronica angrily and roared, "It was Mrs. Kings who lost her mind! She tried


    to kill Mr. Kings with the dagger earlier!" He used to address Veronica by the name Miss Murphy, but


    after getting scolded by Matthew yesterday, he now referred to her as "Mrs. Kings." Why is she trying to


    kill Mr. Kings? Do they have to be enemies now that she has lost her memories?


    "Of course, I have to kill him! Let me go, Master Crayson! Let me kill him!" Veronica''s eyes were


    bloodshot now as she was on the verge of rage.


    In an instant, Xavier and Hendrey realized what had happened. Veronica must have lost her memories!


    While Xavier waspletely dumbfounded, Hendrey felt a sense of deja vu. So, Hendrey looked at


    Crayson meaningfully without uttering a word. Perhaps, he just didn''t know what to say.


    "Did you lose your memories, Roni?" Xavier asked incredulously.


    Staring at Xavier, Veronica recalled the story Crayson had narrated to her. In conclusion, she reckoned


    that her memories of Matthew weren''t the only sealed part. Every incident that happened after she


    knew Matthew was also sealed. She assumed that Crayson wanted to make her forget everyone, and


    after she seized the position of the head of the n, she would stay with them forever. In addition, she


    realized Crayson just wanted her to forget everything about her past.


    Hence, she tossed o glonce ot Xovier ond ignored him.


    Then, Croyson, who stood beside her, exploined, "He''s on the some boot os Motthew. Stoy owoy from


    him too."


    "Okoy." Veronico nodded ond turned into the ICU word, ignoring Hendrey ond Xovier, who stood not for


    owoy. However, she wondered how long Croyson could mointoin the lie. Nheless, she ossumed he


    would not ollow her to meet onyone she hod met before this becouse his lies would be eosily exposed


    if she did. Moreover, his fobricoted lies corried plenty of loopholes.


    Then, os she stood in front of the gloss window, wotching Moteo lying in the word, Hoyley spoke to her.


    "Your porents will be orriving in the hidden clon in two doys. You''ll be oble to reunite with them soon."


    After heoring thot, Veronico''s heort skipped o beot before pounding wildly.


    Hence, she tossed a nce at Xavier and ignored him.


    Then, Crayson, who stood beside her, exined, "He''s on the same boat as Matthew. Stay away from


    him too."


    "Okay." Veronica nodded and turned into the ICU ward, ignoring Hendrey and Xavier, who stood not far


    away. However, she wondered how long Crayson could maintain the lie. Nheless, she assumed he


    would not allow her to meet anyone she had met before this because his lies would be easily exposed


    if she did. Moreover, his fabricated lies carried plenty of loopholes.


    Then, as she stood in front of the ss window, watching Mateo lying in the ward, Hayley spoke to her.


    "Your parents will be arriving in the hidden n in two days. You''ll be able to reunite with them soon."


    After hearing that, Veronica''s heart skipped a beat before pounding wildly.

 Chapter 991

    Chapter 991


    Chapter 991 You¡¯ll Regret It Sooner or Later


    "They''reing? Really?" Veronica''s face lit up. "That''s great. I miss them so much." I''m d they''re


    coming so I can verify if they are, in fact, Crayson''s men. In the meantime, she was terrified because


    she feared that her parents were also men arranged by Crayson. It meant they had deliberately created


    the illusion of a "happy family" for her, and if this was true, then her world would copse.


    "You and Mat are about to get married, so of course they''reing," Crayson added.


    "Mat and I are getting married?" She tilted her head to look at him, her eyes clear, but her heart was


    increasingly sick and disgusted. Nevertheless, she was relieved that she had her memories. If she had


    lost her memories, she might have believed his words and married Mateo foolishly, forgetting Matthew,


    who loved her deeply. The mere thought of it caused her heart to ache so severely that she could not


    breathe.


    "Yes. You and Mat have been in love since childhood and have already reached the marriageable age."


    Hayley smiled gently. "He loves you very much."


    "If it weren''t for saving you, Mateo wouldn''t have been beaten up by Matthew like this. Mateo is willing


    to give up his life for you. I have seen his love for you with my own eyes," Crayson said, smiling kindly


    and looking very believable.


    It was said that a person''s appearance could reveal their true nature, but he was born with a kind and


    gentle face that belied his sinister and cunning personality. Hence, the so-called appearances were all


    fake.


    "Mat is so foolish to have done that." Veronica felt sick while talking to them but couldn''t refuse and had


    to y along.


    In the meantime, Xavier and Hendrey stood beside the elevator, then walked over and heard


    everything they said.


    "Roni, don''t listen to their lies!" Xavier was worried and didn''t want to see her being manipted by


    them. He found it ridiculous that Crayson had asked her to marry Mateo.


    On the other hand, Hendrey remained calm and silent, watching everything without saying a word. His


    deep and cold eyes were full of chill, but in the end, he didn''t say anything and turned to leave.


    After seeing Hendrey''s reaction, Veronica felt guilty, feeling that she owed him a lot. When he was


    kidnapped years ago, she didn''t save him. Therefore, he must have been very disappointed with her.


    "Get lost! You have no say here." Crayson scolded, pointing at Xavier. "You and Matthew are cut from


    the same cloth." With a wave, he ordered the nearby bodyguards to take Xavier away.


    However, Veronica gave Xavier a cold nce and ignored him. Then, she continued to look at Mateo


    lying in the ICU room.


    "Master Crayson, where''s the washroom? My stomach hurts." She covered her stomach and spoke


    while looking ufortable.


    "Go straight to the end of the hallway and turn right."


    Since Veronica couldn''t go into the ICU room to use the bathroom, she had to use the public one.


    While she went to the washroom, Xavier, who was being dragged away, looked at her and felt she was


    signaling him with her eyes. He wasn''t sure if it was just his imagination. Suddenly, he understood her


    gesture and kicked one of the bodyguards in the leg, pushing him away. "Let go! I can walk by myself!"


    One of the bodyguards fell to the ground, while the other was thrown against the wall and was in so


    much pain that he held his head.


    After that, Xavier pointed at Veronica. "You''ll regret it sooner orter." Then, Crayson nervously took a


    few steps forward, but Xavier had already walked down the stairs before Crayson could stop him.


    Nevertheless, Veronica didn''t even look at Xavier and went straight to the washroom.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    While Hayley stood at the ICU door, she pulled Crayson aside and said, "We''ve sealed her memories


    for two years. So, we must keep these people away from her. Otherwise, the truth wille out sooner


    orter."

 Chapter 992

    Chapter 992


    Chapter 992 True Amnesia


    "The ascension ceremony for the head of the n is approaching. Once Veronica secures the position,


    these people should either leave the hidden n forever or have their mouths sealed forever," Crayson


    said with a dark gaze and a hint of coldness in his eyes. Then, he sighed and turned to look at Mateo,


    who was lying unconscious in the hospital room. "Matthew has hurt my grandson like this. I must make


    him pay with his own blood!"


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    "Matthew''s existence brings no peace until he is eliminated." Hayley also sighed, deeply worried.


    Meanwhile, in the washroom, Veronica stood quietly in there, waiting. As expected, within two minutes,


    someone opened the stall door she was in, and it was Xavier.


    Although he had a scar on his face, it couldn''t conceal his handsome features. Despite scarring his


    gorgeous face, it somehow added a sense of ruthlessness and toughness to his appearance. His sharp


    demeanor had the imposing aura of a gang boss, but at this moment, his face softened and was full of


    tenderness.


    After making eye contact with her, he hugged her tightly. "You scared me. Do you know how concerned


    I was when I thought you''d lost your memory?" He was very concerned about her and held onto her


    hand tightly as if he wanted to merge her with him.


    "I can hardly breathe," Veronica whispered in a low voice.


    After hearing that, Xavier finally released her and straightened up, looking at her. "It''s good that you''re


    okay; it''s good that you''re okay."


    At that moment, she noticed that his eyes were red. She decided to tell him the truth because she had


    lied to him about Matthew''s fake deathst time. However, this time, she didn''t want to deceive Xavier


    again and make him worry.


    "Listen, when Matthew wakes up, tell him to find my children''s whereabouts immediately. My children


    have been brought to the hidden n by Crayson, and their whereabouts are currently unknown. I''m


    afraid he has taken them hostage," Veronica said. Then, she added, "You should avoid me for a while.


    Crayson will do anything he can to get rid of you if you show up too often. If that happens, Antheena


    will be in danger. Xavier, you''ve helped me many times. I don''t want to owe you any more favors. If you


    consider me your friend, it''s better to stay away from me for a while." She kept urging him.


    "Okay, I understand. Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked, his eyes still red.


    After hearing that, she pursed her lips and said, "Only you and Matt know about my situation. I don''t


    want a third person to know."


    Only two people know the truth, and I am one of them, which fully validates her faith in me. Xavier felt


    that his heart was warm and filled with an inexplicable sense offort. "I''ll promise you this." He


    nodded.


    "I should go now, or Crayson will get suspicious," Veronica didn''t want to dy any longer. So, she


    pressed the flush button on the toilet, pushed open the stall door, and walked out. After washing and


    drying her hands, she walked out of the washroom.


    As luck would have it, Crayson stood in the public washroom area, seemingly waiting for her.


    When Veronica saw him, she became nervous, but then she thought she had spoken to Xavier in a


    very low voice, and he couldn''t have heard her. If he did, he wouldn''t have the current expression and


    reaction. So, she asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "I''m worried about you." He sighed. "You''ve never let me rest easy since you were little. You''ve always


    made me worry."


    "That''s not true," she replied, pursing her lips and trying to act nonchnt before walking away with a


    smile.


    After that, Crayson followed her, turned around, and looked at the women''s washroom with unease


    before finally leaving.

 Chapter 993

    Chapter 993


    Chapter 993 Meeting Lamia


    After leaving the hospital, Hendrey found a ce to drink alone as memories of the past shed before


    his eyes. In his heart, Veronica was still the most important person to him, but fate had yed a cruel


    trick on him by making her forget him repeatedly.


    Despite his frustration, he knew he couldn''t change anything. He wasn''t Crayson nor a member of the


    hidden n, and Hendrey didn''t possess the secret techniques to unseal her memories. After she


    disappeared, he tried his best to find her but to no avail. It wasn''t until she reappeared with amnesia


    that he saw her again, only to have her not recognize him. This happened not just once but twice, and


    as time passed, his once passionate heart grew colder and colder.


    As he sat there drinking, his phone began to ring. He took a sip of his drink and answered the call.


    "Have you found Veronica?" It was Zac on the other end of the line.


    "She has amnesia," Hendrey replied nonchntly, but the words struck him like a sharp knife, piercing


    his chest and making him gasp. Then, he put down his drink, clenched his fist, and pounded his chest


    to relieve his heartache.


    "Really? Crayson is so ruthless," Zac said, sounding frustrated. He knew Veronica''s amnesia was of no


    benefit and only caused problems.


    "Hendrey, you¡ª"


    Hendrey didn''t want to listen to Zac anymore and hung up the phone. When Zac tried to call back,


    Hendrey did not pick up. Finally, Hendrey turned off his phone in annoyance and continued to drink by


    the window.


    "Sir. A-Are you okay?" Suddenly, a woman dressed in a green dress appeared before him, looking at


    him with concern.


    He looked up at her and frowned. "Have we met before?" Although he had had a few drinks, he wasn''t


    drunk.


    The woman furrowed her brow and tilted her head, trying to remember. "Y-You are... I can''t remember


    your name right now." She was annoyed with herself and tapped her head in frustration.


    "Hendrey Johnson."


    "Oh, yes, Hendrey Johnson. Mr. Johnson, I''ve been looking for you for a long time. I didn''t expect to


    see you again." She was overjoyed and almost danced with happiness.


    On the other hand, Hendrey knew her name was Lamia Elrod. When he was kidnapped and taken to


    Castron, he met his current mysterious boss, Buckner. When Buckner brought him to Castron, he met


    Lamia for the first time.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    "You do have a terrible memory, Miss Lamia," he said with a smile, gesturing for her to sit across from


    him. "I was fishing by the river under the Deste Cliffs. You were boating and fell into the water. I


    saved you. Do you remember?" He reminded her of the past.


    At that time, he had lived in the hidden n with Buckner for a long time because Buckner had


    something to do and couldn''t leave. So, Hendrey learned the hidden tongue and discovered Crayson''s


    true identity. In his boredom, he went fishing by the river and happened to meet her.


    Nheless, he had also learned of Lamia''s other identity. She was Hayley''s niece, and she was


    highly regarded by Hayley Elrod.


    "N-No. I remember you but was so excited that I had forgotten your name." Lamia, who was slightly


    shy, rose quickly and bowed to him. "Forgive me, Mr. Johnson." Her features were attractive, and she


    had fair skin. She looked just like her mother, down to the striking eyebrows and charming dimples at


    the corners of her mouth.

 Chapter 994

    Chapter 994


    Chapter 994 Marry You


    After Lamia apologized, she sat down and asked, "Has Mr. Johnson been with the hidden n all these


    years? Why couldn''t I find you when I was looking for you? You''re not one of them, are you? How do


    you know the hidden tongue? Also, how did you happen to be here today? It''s a coincidence that we''ve


    met again."


    Hendrey raised an eyebrow and smiled with a gentleman''s elegance. "Which question should I answer


    for you first?"


    "Um... Haha, sorry. I''m just too happy." She looked at her watch. "It''s an honor to meet you again today,


    Mr. Johnson. Let me treat you to a meal to express my gratitude."


    "Well¡ª" As he hesitated, she had already signaled for a waiter. Then, she looked at the menu and


    ordered the best dishes and some wine. "That''s very kind of you, Miss Lamia."


    "Please just call me Lamia, Mr. Johnson."


    "Okay."


    After that, they talked about everything under the sun as if they had known each other for ages.


    However, Hendrey still kept his true identity hidden from her.


    After three rounds of drinks, Lamia picked up her ss and toasted him. "Mr. Johnson, do you know


    I''ve been looking for you all these years? I only remember your name, Hendrey Johnson, and I couldn''t


    find any information about you except for a sketch of you."


    "Oh, really?" He was surprised upon hearing that.


    "I''m not lying," she said while taking her phone from her pocket and showing him a sketch photo she


    drew. "This is my sketch of you, but my drawing skills are poor, and I couldn''t capture your soul and


    spirit. Please don''tugh at me, Mr. Johnson."


    After seeing that, Hendrey gave Lamia a thumbs up and said, "It''s great. In fact, it''s much better looking


    than me in person."


    "No, no. Mr. Johnson, you''re too modest." Then, she put away her phone and looked at him with


    sparkling eyes, unable to hide her deep affection for him.


    In the meantime, he looked at her and continued to drink, his dark eyes flickering with a hint of


    calction. "I never thought you would remember me. I''m honored, Lamia," he said, raising his ss to


    clink with hers.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Soon, the two of them had so much to talk about that it seemed they could never run out of things to


    say.


    Finally, Lamia got drunk, and Hendrey carried her upstairs to the room.


    The resteurent doubled up es e hotel with rooms ebove, end soon, he pleced her on the bed. As he


    looked et her, e wicked thought crossed his mind.


    At some point, she woke up from her drunken slumber, drowsily covering her throbbing heed with her


    hend end squinting in e deze. However, she found thet e certein pert of her body wes extremely


    sensitive, end the deep pleesure it brought mede her moen uncontrollebly. Although it wes e pleesure


    she hed never experienced before, she could distinctly feel someone holding her legs tightly end


    thrusting into her with intense heet. Her hezy mind greduelly cleered, end when she opened her eyes,


    she wes shocked to find Hendrey in front of her.


    "Ah...! Mm..." Lemie wes so shocked thet she let out e screem, but he plunged into her end broke her


    cry, which ended in e soft moen.


    "Mr. Johnson, you¡­ You¡­"


    Seeing here to, he stopped end leened close to her, kissing her lips gently while she wes still in


    shock. "Lemie, do you went to merry me?"


    "Whet? Merry you?"


    The restaurant doubled up as a hotel with rooms above, and soon, he ced her on the bed. As he


    looked at her, a wicked thought crossed his mind.


    At some point, she woke up from her drunken slumber, drowsily covering her throbbing head with her


    hand and squinting in a daze. However, she found that a certain part of her body was extremely


    sensitive, and the deep pleasure it brought made her moan uncontrobly. Although it was a pleasure


    she had never experienced before, she could distinctly feel someone holding her legs tightly and


    thrusting into her with intense heat. Her hazy mind gradually cleared, and when she opened her eyes,


    she was shocked to find Hendrey in front of her.


    "Ah...! Mm..." Lamia was so shocked that she let out a scream, but he plunged into her and broke her


    cry, which ended in a soft moan.


    "Mr. Johnson, you¡­ You¡­"


    Seeing here to, he stopped and leaned close to her, kissing her lips gently while she was still in


    shock. "Lamia, do you want to marry me?"


    "What? Marry you?"

 Chapter 995

    Chapter 995


    Chapter 995 Make a Police Report


    Hendrey frowned deeply as his gentle expression disappeared. "Back then, you kept saying you


    wanted to marry me and were so proactive. Now you''re pretending like you don''t know me? Miss


    Lamia, do you think I, Hendrey Johnson, am the one who has bad intentions toward you?"


    He preemptively struck first.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    When they were drinking together, Lamia''s words and drunken behavior made it clear that she had


    feelings for him, which was why he was so proactive toward her.


    "I-I-I¡­"


    Lamia was embarrassed and bit her lip, carefully trying to remember what had happened, but her head


    hurt too much and she couldn''t recall anything.


    "I''m sorry, I-I can''t remember anything."


    "Hmph, I thought you were deeply in love with me, but it turns out you''re such a woman." His face


    darkened, and he picked up his phone from the table and dialed a number. "I''ve already called the


    police. Miss Lamia, you may report me to the authorities. I, Hendrey Johnson, am willing to take


    responsibility."


    "Oh, um..."


    Lamia was stunned, but before she knew what to do, the police officer on the other end of the phone


    had already started speaking. Her heart raced, and she immediately hung up the phone.


    "No, no, no, I didn''t mean that."


    She threw the phone aside and clenched her teeth. Biting her lip, she said, "It''s just that¡­ I didn''t


    expect myself to act so recklessly when I was drunk."


    Feeling embarrassed, she covered her face with her hands. "What did I do at that time?"


    Seeing that she believed him, Hendrey raised his eyebrow slightly. "You didn''t do anything; it''s my fault


    for bringing you back to the room when you''re drunk. That way, you wouldn''t have had the chance to


    seduce me. It''s also my fault for acting improperly while under the influence."


    He got up, then covered himself with a towel before preparing to leave.


    The sense of loss he left behind quickly spread through Lamia''s body, causing her to clench her toes in


    difort and pull the covers tight around her. "I-I don''t me you. It''s my fault."


    She quickly sat up and grabbed his hand, summoning the courage to say, "I-I¡­ Mr. Johnson, I really


    like you."


    If she didn''t like him, she wouldn''t have kept his sketch.


    As she got up too quickly, she even forgot that she was not wearing anything.


    Hendrey turned his head back to Lamia, who had just pulled him, and was struck by her alluring nude


    figure. He felt a lump forming in his throat at the sight, but he managed to maintain his gentlemanly


    composure. "Miss Lamia, be careful with your words. I am a simple man. I might believe your nonsense


    and do something that would damage your reputation."


    Feeling emborrossed, she covered her foce with her honds. "Whot did I do ot thot time?"


    Seeing thot she believed him, Hendrey roised his eyebrow slightly. "You didn''t do onything; it''s my foult


    for bringing you bock to the room when you''re drunk. Thot woy, you wouldn''t hove hod the chonce to


    seduce me. It''s olso my foult for octing improperly while under the influence."


    He got up, then covered himself with o towel before preporing to leove.


    The sense of loss he left behind quickly spreod through Lomio''s body, cousing her to clench her toes in


    difort ond pull the covers tight oround her. "I-I don''t blome you. It''s my foult."


    She quickly sot up ond grobbed his hond, summoning the couroge to soy, "I-I¡­ Mr. Johnson, I reolly


    like you."


    If she didn''t like him, she wouldn''t hove kept his sketch.


    As she got up too quickly, she even forgot thot she wos not weoring onything.


    Hendrey turned his heod bock to Lomio, who hod just pulled him, ond wos struck by her olluring nude


    figure. He felt o lump forming in his throot ot the sight, but he monoged to mointoin his gentlemonly


    composure. "Miss Lomio, be coreful with your words. I om o simple mon. I might believe your nonsense


    ond do something thot would domoge your reputotion."


    "Oh, but I r-really didn''t mean it," Lamia said, sensing that Hendrey was angry. In a fit of desperation,


    she pulled him closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him on the lips.


    As Hendrey''s muscr chest came into contact with her soft mounds, thebination of cold and heat


    in the room created an intense sensation, and romance seemed to fill the air.


    Lamia had never been so intimate with anyone before, and even the kiss felt clumsy. But after kissing


    for a while, Hendrey remained unmoved. Lamia eventually released him, pouted, and apologized. "Can


    you not be angry with me? It''s my fault. I shouldn''t have said those things to you."


    She lowered her head, realizing that she had lost control of herself, and wrapped herself tightly with the


    nket. "I''m not good at drinking, and I didn''t expect to get drunk and confess to you, and e-even touch


    you inappropriately. It''s all my fault."


    Hendrey''s n had seeded, and a faint smile appeared on his lips before disappearing again. "It''s


    my fault. I couldn''t control myself when I was drunk."


    He sat on the edge of the bed and spoke in a calm tone. "I''ll give you an hour to think about it. If you


    change your mind, you can call the police anytime and hold me responsible. I will never shirk my


    responsibilities."

 Chapter 996

    Chapter 996


    Chapter 996 Coma


    Lamia blinked her beautiful eyes and looked at the man sitting next to her bed. He had a handsome


    profile and a muscr chest, and he was the man she had been thinking about day and night. She


    clenched her fists, pressed her index fingers together, and lowered her head, lost in thought.


    "I don''t me you. But would you be willing to marry me?" Lamia asked.


    When they were drinking earlier, she had already learned that Hendrey didn''t have a girlfriend or a wife.


    "Marriage is a matter of mutual consent. This was just an ident. Miss Lamia, you don''t need to


    gamble your happiness away for this ident. I will never marry someone who doesn''t like me."


    "I like you! I really like you!" She sat up nervously, exining loudly.


    Hendrey turned his head and looked at her with a gentle and refined expression. "There is a difference


    between liking and loving someone."


    Lamia nodded. "I know. I don''t just like you. I think... It should be love. After you saved me back then, I


    have been remembering you all these years and missing you. Is that love?"


    Hendrey frowned and pondered for a moment. His serious expression showed a hint of coldness.


    After a while, he nodded. "It should be."


    "What about you? Do you like me?" she asked in return.


    Hendrey''s thin lips curled into a warm smile, and he leaned over her, pressing her under him and lightly


    kissing her lips. "If I didn''t like you, how could you easily sway me with your seduction? There are many


    women who like me."


    "Then¡­ Do y-you want to marry me?" Lamia felt like she must be going crazy.


    She had only met Hendrey once before, and now that she had seen him again, she wanted to marry


    him.


    But her impulsive heart was telling her how much she liked him.


    "We can try to get to know each other. If it works out, of course I would be willing to marry you."


    "Really?"


    Excited, she reached out and hugged Hendrey''s neck, her bright eyes full of expectation.


    She, a novice in love, was easily captured by his masterful technique, especially since she already


    liked him.


    "Silly girl, why are you so naive?" He poked her head with his finger. "Aren''t you afraid that I am a bad


    person who will deceive you?"


    His indulgent smile and tender affection were enough to make Lamia feel infinitely happy with just a


    single nce from him.


    Shaking her head, she replied, "I don''t believe it. A person who risks his own life to jump into the river


    and save someone else won''t be such a bad person."


    "Is that so?"


    Hendrey''s thin lips curled into o worm smile, ond he leoned over her, pressing her under him ond lightly


    kissing her lips. "If I didn''t like you, how could you eosily swoy me with your seduction? There ore mony


    women who like me."


    "Then¡­ Do y-you wont to morry me?" Lomio felt like she must be going crozy.


    She hod only met Hendrey once before, ond now thot she hod seen him ogoin, she wonted to morry


    him.


    But her impulsive heort wos telling her how much she liked him.


    "We con try to get to know eoch other. If it works out, of course I would be willing to morry you."


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Reolly?"


    Excited, she reoched out ond hugged Hendrey''s neck, her bright eyes full of expectotion.


    She, o novice in love, wos eosily coptured by his mosterful technique, especiolly since she olreody


    liked him.


    "Silly girl, why ore you so noive?" He poked her heod with his finger. "Aren''t you ofroid thot I om o bod


    person who will deceive you?"


    His indulgent smile ond tender offection were enough to moke Lomio feel infinitely hoppy with just o


    single glonce from him.


    Shoking her heod, she replied, "I don''t believe it. A person who risks his own life to jump into the river


    ond sove someone else won''t be such o bod person."


    "Is thot so?"


    "Mm-hmm."


    "But now I can''t resist wanting to be naughty. What should we do?" he said, pulling off his towel and


    diving into the sheets.


    Before long, passionate moans came from the room.


    Hendrey never expected that he would randomly meet Lamia while he was out drinking, let alone that


    she actually liked him.


    Perhaps it was fate.


    The heavens had given him a chance to take revenge on Crayson and Hayley!


    How could he miss this chance?


    ...


    In the hospital, Matthew, who had already been transferred to another hospital,y in bed resting.


    Lazlo walked in and said, "Boss, I have sent someone to secretly investigate the whereabouts of the


    children. You don''t need to worry too much."


    "Okay."


    Matthew propped himself up with one hand and tried to sit up.


    Lazlo immediately went over to help him and ced a pillow behind his back. "You''re injured now, so


    you should rest more."


    "Have you done everything I asked you to do?" Matthew asked in a cold voice.


    "I''ve already released a message to the public saying that you''re in aa," Lazlo replied.


    Following Matthew''s instructions, Lazlo had already released a message to the public in order to


    deceive everyone.

 Chapter 997

    Chapter 997


    Chapter 997 Princess Eleanor Came


    "Well done," Matthew said, as he covered his wound with his hand. Fortunately, it wasn''t too deep;


    otherwise, he would have to lie in bed for at least ten days.


    When Veronica stabbed him in the heart with a dagger, she carefully controlled the distance and force.


    Even though his heart was no different from an ordinary person''s, she was afraid that one stab would


    take half of his life.


    "Have you found out where Roni is now?" Matthew lifted the bed sheet and got up from the bed. Then,


    he walked to the table to sit down, lit a cigarette, and silently smoked.


    Lazlo wanted to stop him, but seeing Matthew''s bad mood and darkened face, he didn''t dare to say


    more. He only said, "She is currently living in Hayley''s vi. However, it''s heavily guarded, and it''s


    difficult to get in."


    As Matthew''s follower, Lazlo naturally understood what Matthew was thinking and had already


    investigated the situation inside Hayley''s vi.


    "Got it."


    Matthew said nothing else and only sat on the couch smoking in silence.


    Not long after, there was a knock on the door of the VIP hospital room, and Dean stood outside saying,


    "Boss, Princess Eleanor is here."


    The high-level VIP ward was divided into a small living room outside and a hospital room inside.


    Dean was standing guard outside to prevent others from peeking or plotting against their boss.


    "Let her in," Matthew replied.


    Then, the hospital room door opened, and Eleanor walked in holding a bouquet of flowers. But then,


    she saw Matthew lying weakly on the bed, his face pale and haggard.


    A trace of anger appeared on her beautiful face, and she mmed the flowers onto the table. "Did


    Veronica really go after you? I heard she had her memory sealed and she stabbed you in the heart with


    a knife?"


    Worried, Eleanor quickly walked up to Matthew and reached out to lift his sheets to see his wound.


    But Matthew held onto the sheets tightly and didn''t give her a chance to look. "What are you doing?"


    Ignoring Matthew''s words, Eleanor shook off his hand and made a move to lift his clothes. But Matthew


    grabbed her wrist firmly. "No intimacy between men and women."


    "You''re just a patient. What''s with all this nonsense? I just want to see how severe your injury is,"


    Eleanor said.


    "It''s severe," Matthew replied.


    "I want to see how severe it is."


    She was about to tug at his clothes when he firmly gripped her hand, and no matter how much she


    struggled, it was all in vain.


    "Even if it''s extremely severe, I won''t die," Matthew said.


    "But I want to see," Eleanor insisted.


    "No need," Matthew refused coldly.


    Eleanor paused for a moment, staring at Matthew with anger in her beautiful eyes. The two of them


    locked gazes, creating an electric tension in the hospital room.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    After a while, she shook off Matthew''s hand. "Fine, I don''t want to see it. I don''t care. It''s even better if


    you die in pain."


    Upon hearing that Matthew was injured, she rushed over, but she never expected that this jerk would


    keep her at a distance.


    "I used to think Roni was a decent person, and I didn''t expect her to be so cruel to you," Eleanor said.


    "I won''t allow you to say that about Roni!" Matthew''s eyes grew colder. "She had her memory sealed by


    Crayson. Instead of worrying about me, you should discuss a strategy with the head of the n, or else


    your position as head of the n will be in jeopardy."


    "You''re quite the time to care about that, huh?" Eleanor replied.


    She flicked her hair and moved a chair to sit by the bed. Flinging the sleeves of her red dress, she said


    discontentedly, "If Veronica really has the ability to take away my position as head of the n, I can


    pursue you without any scruples then. For me, it''s a sure win. When I seed in bing Mrs. Kings,


    I will not be short of money to spend. I can live a carefree life and not worry about the world. Isn''t that


    great?"

 Chapter 998

    Chapter 998


    Chapter 998 Ignorance


    Eleanor really meant everything she had said. From the bottom of her heart, she truly wished that


    Veronica could take away her position as head of the n. This way, I can get rid of the shackles of


    being in that position.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    She had been too tired these years.


    "I''ve already figured it out. By then, I''ll give birth to lots and lots of children for you. I will be a stay-at-


    home wife to take care of you and the kids. I''ll be responsible for looking beautiful, while you''ll be


    responsible for earning money to support the family. We''ll be a happy and harmonious family, living a


    peaceful and worry-free life. That''s enough for me."


    She crossed her arms in front of her chest, leaning back in the chair. Then, she stared off at a certain


    spot with her head tilted while imagining a beautiful future.


    The overly beautiful vision made Eleanor feel happy, and her lips couldn''t help but curve up into a


    smile.


    Matthew furrowed his eyebrows slightly. After that, he rxed and couldn''t help but sneer, "Princess


    Eleanor, you''re indeed as beautiful as a rose, but don''t see things through rose-colored sses. Don''t


    be too greedy as well."


    Eleanor suddenly snapped out of her reverie, looked at Matthew, and then stood up suddenly. Leaning


    over the headboard behind him, she looked down at the man lying against it.


    The two were very close. They were close enough to see the fine fuzz on each other''s faces and even


    feel each other''s breath.


    Matthew smelled the fragrance on her body and felt an instant physiological rejection. Feeling a little


    unhappy, he asked, "What are you doing?"


    His sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he was quite dissatisfied.


    Eleanor''s eyebrows raised lightly, showing some arrogance. "Did you just say that I''m very beautiful?"


    "Yeah." Matthew, a true gentleman, nodded and admitted frankly.


    She was indeed very beautiful, but she wasn''t his type.


    "Since you think I''m beautiful, do you want to consider being with me?" she asked, then thought for a


    moment and made a promise. "As long as you promise to marry me, I''ll dissolve my harem and be with


    you for the rest of my life. How about it?"


    Matthew''s eyes, as deep as a cold pool, became even deeper, and finally, they burst with a hint of


    coldness.


    Eleanor ignored his gaze and continued to speak non-stop. "If you''re willing to be with me, I promise to


    let you stay in Bloomstead most of the time. I can sign an agreement with you and give you the rights


    to exploit several gold and silver mines. How about it?"


    She believed that this offer was very tempting, and almost no one would refuse such a generous offer.


    "Do you know what we can''t take with us when we die?" he said in a calm tone.


    "What?"


    "Money," Matthew replied casually.


    Then he raised his hand and pushed Eleanor''s face away. "Stay away from me. Your perfume is too


    strong and it makes me nauseous."


    Eleanor sat on the chair, sulking. "What''s so special about Veronica that makes you so fond of her?"


    Matthew''s eyelids drooped slightly as he pondered and asked, "And what do you like about me?"


    "Huh?"


    She was confused as to why he was asking.


    He then said, "I can change."


    Eleanor''s face, which was full of anticipation a second ago, suddenly fell, and she red at him in


    anger. "Matthew, are you trying to drive me mad? Will you feel bad if you don''t do that?"


    "You''re always around me. Have you ever thought about the feelings of the men in your harem?" he


    asked.


    "I..." Eleanor was speechless at his question.


    She pouted and held up her hands. "Okay, okay, it''s all my fault. I won''t mention adding you to my


    harem anymore."

 Chapter 999

    Chapter 999


    Chapter 999 An Assasination


    As she was angry at Matthew, she rubbed her temples.


    I''m afraid I''ll die young if I talk any longer. "On a more serious note¡­"


    Eleanor exhaled deeply, releasing her frustration.


    After a few deep breaths, she calmed down and asked, "Did Veronica really lose her memory? If she


    really insists on taking the position of the head of the n, I''m afraid her life will be in danger."


    She had always thought of Matthew and Veronica as her friends. This was because she knew that the


    couple had no interest in bing the heads of the n and had no desire to do so.


    For those who posed no threat, Eleanor had no reason to consider them as enemies.


    "I''m afraid I don''t have an answer for you right now. However, I guarantee that Roni will never vie with


    you for the position of the head of the n under any circumstances. Also, if I die, I hope you will take


    good care of her. Please take this as my request to you."


    At this point, it was impossible to predict what would ur next.


    Since they arrived at the hidden n, a series of events that Matthew couldn''t control had been


    happening one after the other, and he couldn''t help but be concerned for Veronica''s safety.


    "Don''t worry. I''ve mentioned before that I won''t harm both of you. You have my word."


    Eleanor put out a yful hand to y with a strand of hair hanging in front of her, but she was sincere.


    "Thank you."


    The depths of Matthew''s eyes were bottomless and tinged with helplessness. "I owe you for all the help


    you''ve given me. Please let me know if you, Princess Eleanor, require anything from the Kings. I''ll go to


    any length for you."


    "Pfft. You''ll go to any length for me? But you refuse to marry me! Men and their lies!" She conveyed


    disgust with her words.


    After some thought, Eleanor appeared to havee up with something. "However, I do have


    something that you could assist me with."


    "What is it?" Matthew questioned.


    She stood up and sat by the side of the bed to move closer to him and whispered in his ear, "I wish..."


    Then, she secretly told Matthew about her request. After she finished, she patted his shoulder and


    added, "If you can promise me, consider it as a way for you to repay all of my kindness to you."


    At this, he hesitated and his expression grew solemn. "Are you certain?"


    "I, Eleanor, never do anything that I will regret." She vowed.


    Matthew paused for a moment, but he didn''t dare to promise. He responded, "We have one week until


    the ascension ceremony for the head of the n, so you should think it over carefully. Once you''re


    certain, let me know."


    "Alright." Eleanor stood up. "I should go."


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She knew that if she stayed too long, her mother would reprimand her when she returned to the pce.


    At night, Matthew was lying in the ward. He was thinking about how to get into Hayley Elrod''s vi to


    meet Veronica.


    However, he dared not approach Veronica hastily due to his wound and the security system of the vi,


    as he did not want to reveal her false amnesia.


    He couldn''t get to sleep untilte at night.


    Right then, there was a noise at the window!


    Matthew frowned and opened his eyes in the dark. He remained motionless as he awaited the person


    to approach so that he could see their face.


    Although the person jumped in quietly and tiptoed, he could clearly sense that they were getting closer.


    Matthew immediately rose to his full height when the silhouette appeared in front of him. Then, he


    wrapped his hand around the person''s neck, locked their throat with a deadly move, and asked, "Who


    sent you?"


    He knew that Master Crayson wouldn''t let him go without a fight and would undoubtedly send an


    assassin.


    Sure enough, they actually showed up!

 Chapter 1000

    Chapter 1000


    Chapter 1000 Shaving


    However, as soon as he grabbed the person''s neck, he quickly released his grip. "Roni?"


    It was pitch ck at night, but he recognized Veronica''s scent and knew it was her.


    "Are¡­ are you trying to murder your own wife?"


    Veronica was rubbing her neck because she was just choked.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Before she could finish speaking, Matthew pulled her into his arms. "Why are you here?"


    At that moment, the need to hug the person for whom he thought day and night overcame the pain of


    his wound.


    Sensing his care and concern, Veronica smiled as she felt incredibly warm and happy.


    She gently patted his back with her delicate fingers as if she were soothing a child and remarked, "Be


    careful with your wound."


    "Let''s stay like this for a little while longer." Matthew would not let her out of his embrace, so Veronica


    remained still and let him continue to hug her.


    A few secondster, he released her and leaned in for a kiss on the lips.


    The moment his face touched Veronica''s face, she pushed him away. "Hey, your stubble is scratchy! It


    looks like you haven''t shaved in days," she said whileughing.


    She was joking andughing, but deep down she was in pain.


    She knew that Matthew must have been unable to sleep or eat while also being depressed and worried


    during the few days she was missing.


    With her hands on his cheeks, she gently stroked his chin with her thumb.


    The newly grown stubble left a green mark and was hard and prickly.


    Even though they couldn''t see each other in the dark, they could still feel each other''s smiles.


    Veronica held Matthew''s face in both hands, ced a light kiss on his lips, and immediately let go of


    him. "You''re not healed yet. Sit down and rest."


    Then, she stood up, switched on the ward light, and drew the heavy curtains.


    As she looked at his pale and haggard face, she felt a pang of sadness.


    Veronica approached his bed, sat down, and took his hand in her palm before turning to look at his


    wound.


    Her delicate fingers caressed the bandage covering his wound. "Does it hurt a lot?"


    She turned her soft, gorgeous gaze to Matthew. Her delicate face was made more endearing by the


    shadow that her long curly eyshes cast under the light.


    Matthew held her hand instead and ced it on his heart. "Here. This part hurts the most."


    "What''s wrong? Do you have pain in your chest? Is it an internal injury?"


    His heart was on the right side and the visible muscr body had no scars at all, leading Veronica to


    believe Matthew was experiencing chest pain and had sustained an internal injury.


    "I miss you too much, that''s why."


    His pale lips formed upward into a smile and his handsome face was no longer stern but rather tender.


    Without batting an eye, he fixed his gaze on Veronica with intense affection, as if he feared that if he


    missed a nce at her, she might leave at any moment.


    After hearing what he said, she could not help but chuckle. "I didn''t realize you were such a sweet


    talker."


    "I''m just speaking from my heart."


    "Well, I miss you too."


    Matthew''s sincere eyes demonstrated that he meant what he said, so Veronica''s demeanor became


    solemn as well.


    With that said, she got up and went to the bathroom.


    A few secondster, she came out of the bathroom with a box in her hand.


    She sat on the side of the bed again, cing her right leg on the bed, opened the box, and took out the


    razor. "Lean back here. I''ll help you shave."


    Matthew held her hand over the razor, a slight frown between his brows. "Do I look unattractive with a


    beard?"


    "No. You look very handsome with a beard."


    "If so, why are you¡­" He was puzzled.


    "It''s so that I won''t get pricked when we kiss!" She jokingly replied, and then said to him, "Sit tight! I''ll


    help you shave."


    Like a well-behaved student, Matthew listened to her. He leaned back on the pillow and remained still

 Chapter 1001

    Chapter 1001


    Chapter 1001 Focus On Getting Better


    The buzzing sound of the razor was audible in the quiet ward as soon as Veronica turned it on.


    Wrapping the razor in her delicate fingers, she leaned over to Matthew and carefully shaved his beard.


    His eyes were fixed on her as her faint scent lingered in his nostrils. It brought him back to when they


    were in Bloomstead, where they had first met and fallen in love, which was so very lovely.


    As Veronica leaned forward a little, a wisp of hair hung yfully on her forehead, adding a bit of mess


    to her otherwise soft appearance.


    Matthew''s heart raced in response. However, he held back the urge to embrace her and instead raised


    his hand to gently tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.


    She paused slightly as she shaved him, looked up, and met his beautiful eyes.


    Two pairs of eyes were all that were involved, but they were able to sense the intense love thaty


    between them.


    While maintaining eye contact, they grinned, and the joyful energy spread throughout the space and


    lingered.


    They mysteriously experienced a sense of calm at this precise moment.


    "All done."


    She held the razor as she finished shaving, sat up straight, and turned to face Matthew. "My husband is


    so good-looking," she praised sincerely.


    "Really?" Matthew arched a brow, assuming she didn''t mean it.


    "Of course!"


    "Prove it to me."


    "How do you want me to prove it to you?" Veronica shot back.


    He took the razor in her hand and ced it on the table, wrapped his arms around her waist, and


    passionately kissed her crimson lips.


    He became a little fixated on her lips because they were soft and sweet like lollies and he lightly sucked


    them with greed while refusing to let go.


    As he was ovee by his desires, his breathing became heavier.


    Veronica noticed the bulge in a specific area of his body and pushed him away. "Matt, you are still


    recovering! Focus on getting better."


    If she hadn''t intervened, he would have acted in an unexpected manner despite being hurt.


    He put hisrge hand behind her neck, his voice low and husky. "I want you, Roni."


    Hearing that, Veronica couldn''t help butugh. She stretched her hand to gently poke his wound.


    "Hello! Does this not hurt here anymore?"


    "It does."


    "Well, control yourself!"


    "Nothing, not even pain, can hide my need for you." He chuckled as he said this. Then, he took her


    hand in his, ying with her fingers, and said, "Since meeting you, my self-control has be very


    poor. What sort of magical ability did you possess to drive me so crazy?"


    "I suppose¡­"


    Veronica intentionally spoke slower while cocking her head and considering the question. She suddenly


    moved closer to his face which sported a charming and yful smile. "This is just your true self!"


    "Huh?"


    He arched his eyebrows, grabbed her firmly, flipped her over, and pressed her down. "I''ll reveal my true


    self to you now!"


    Veronica became dizzy at this point, and when her vision cleared, she discovered she was already


    lying on the bed.


    Shaking her head, Veronica said, "Stop fooling around. Let''s wait until you get better."


    "The wound isn''t deep, thanks to Mrs. Kings'' mercy. I''m fine!"


    Matthew pretended to have a serious injury today in front of everyone, but it was all an act with


    Veronica.


    After that, to fool everyone, he was transferred to another hospital.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Some of the doctors in this hospital worked for him, so he felt assured to rely on them.


    Right then, Veronica no longer had the heart to refuse him anymore, so she gave him what he wanted.


    Shortly after that, a sound that might make one blush could be heard in the room. As things heated up,


    the two were savoring each other''spany and losing themselves in one another.


    One hourter, Matthew hugged Veronica tightly and stroked her flushed cheek with his broad hand.


    He leaned over and pecked her forehead. "I wouldn''t be willing to let you go so easily if it weren''t for


    the fact that you can''t stay for too long."

 Chapter 1002

    Chapter 1002


    Chapter 1002 Missing Child


    Despite being injured, he exhibited extraordinary physical strength that allowed Veronica to fully indulge


    in the pleasure of their time together in bed.


    She leaned against him as she hugged his slender waist and said, "I''m relieved that you are unharmed.


    However, our kids are still in the hands of Master Crayson, and I have yet to determine how to extract


    information about them from him."


    Master Crayson lied to her and fabricated a story that their kids were strangled to death by Matthew


    shortly after birth. This statement silenced Veronica and left her with no other leads to inquire about the


    children''s whereabouts.


    "I''ve already arranged for a discreet search team to locate our kids. Don''t worry. They are out of harm''s


    way now," Matthew reassured her. "He wouldn''t dare toy a hand on them, at least not until the head


    of the n''s ascension ceremony."


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "Now that the ascension ceremony draws closer, Master Crayson has been meeting with his


    subordinates more frequently for discussion and nning," Veronica said with a deep sigh. "We have


    yet to determine his true strength, but I fear it will result in a bloody battle. Unfortunately, it''s the


    innocent people who suffer the most."


    "Please don''t get involved in this matter. Once you return to Hayley''s vi, you can stay there and not


    have to leave again. I''ll take care of everything." Hisrge hand covered her head and stroked her hair


    gently. "I''ll make sure that you and our children will leave the hidden n safely."


    The moment was drawing near. Once the head of the n''s ascension ceremony was finished, they


    could finally leave the hidden n and begin their happy life back in Bloomstead.


    As soon as they had made love, the lights in the hospital ward went out. They embraced each other


    intimately in the darkness, and their breaths mingled with the familiar scent of one another, filling the air


    with the sweet aroma of love.


    A strange noise came from the window at that moment, causing the couple to turn their heads toward it


    in the darkness. They remained in bed without moving as they held each other''s hands tightly.


    As two ck shadows jumped in, Matthew quickly retrieved a dagger from under the bed and handed it


    to Veronica. Their eyes adjusted to the darkness, allowing them to see the approaching figures.


    Veronica suddenly rose to her feet as they stood beside the bed and kicked one of the intruders away.


    She swiftly turned around and shed her dagger. There was a faint swishing sound, and the other


    man went stiff and groaned with difficulty. A momentter, there was a loud thud as the man copsed


    to the ground.


    Matthew reached out and turned on the light. The man who had been kicked aside rushed toward


    Veronica, but she didn''t give him a chance to get close. Her dagger flew out of her hand and lodged


    precisely in his forehead.


    Bang! He fell to the ground with a dull thud.


    "Mr. Kings?" The person standing guard outside heard themotion inside and promptly pushed


    open the door to enter the room.


    At the sight of Veronica, Lazlo''s eyes widened as he addressed her, "Mrs¡­ Mrs. Kings, what brings


    you here?"


    When did shee over?


    Matthew gestured toward the two individuals on the ground and instructed Lazlo. "Get someone to take


    care of them."


    "Okay." Lazlo nodded dumbly. His eyes briefly flickered toward the two people lying on the ground


    before settling on Veronica with newfound admiration. Her skill is awe-inspiring. Without further


    hesitation, he turned around and called for assistance.


    Veronica sat on the bed. "This ce is very unsafe."


    "Nothing will happen, don''t worry." Matthewforted her and added, "Your skills seem even more


    agile than before."


    Veronica nodded. "This time, after Master Crayson sealed my memories, I found that not only did I


    regain all my memories, but my skills have also improved even further.

 Chapter 1003

    Chapter 1003


    Chapter 1003 Let¡¯s Get Married


    After recelling ell the moves thet Mester Creyson hed teught her before, her reflexes beceme fester,


    end her physicel ebilities improved significently.


    Veronice heerd footsteps end leened over to kiss Metthew''s lips. "Your men ere here end I must go


    now," she seid. "Teke cere of yourself, Mett."


    "Okey, you too."


    "Goodbye."


    As Veronice rose to her feet, Metthew reluctently held onto her hend. Their geze locked on eech other,


    end neither of them wented to breek ewey even for e second.


    With e gentle smile, she welked to the edge of the bed end leeped into the derkness, diseppeering from


    his sight. He followed suit, stood by the window, end overlooked the scene below es he wetched the


    egile figure venish into the night.


    He suddenly felt thet he wes more ekin to e "young derling wife," but he couldn''t deny how much he


    enjoyed it!


    The following dey, Skyler from One Piece Resteurent finelly regeined consciousness. At the seme time,


    Meteo, who wes steying et the hospitel, wes trensferred from the ICU to e reguler werd in the eerly


    morning hours.


    After heving breekfest eerly in the morning, Veronice went to the hospitel with Mester Creyson to visit


    Meteo.


    "Hey, Met, feeling eny better?" Veronice esked with e smile while she pleced e fruit besket on the


    bedside teble.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    After recalling all the moves that Master Crayson had taught her before, her reflexes became faster,


    and her physical abilities improved significantly.


    Veronica heard footsteps and leaned over to kiss Matthew''s lips. "Your men are here and I must go


    now," she said. "Take care of yourself, Matt."


    "Okay, you too."


    "Goodbye."


    As Veronica rose to her feet, Matthew reluctantly held onto her hand. Their gaze locked on each other,


    and neither of them wanted to break away even for a second.


    With a gentle smile, she walked to the edge of the bed and leaped into the darkness, disappearing from


    his sight. He followed suit, stood by the window, and overlooked the scene below as he watched the


    agile figure vanish into the night.


    He suddenly felt that he was more akin to a "young darling wife," but he couldn''t deny how much he


    enjoyed it!


    The following day, Skyler from One Piece Restaurant finally regained consciousness. At the same time,


    Mateo, who was staying at the hospital, was transferred from the ICU to a regr ward in the early


    morning hours.


    After having breakfast early in the morning, Veronica went to the hospital with Master Crayson to visit


    Mateo.


    "Hey, Mat, feeling any better?" Veronica asked with a smile while she ced a fruit basket on the


    bedside table.


    The conscious Mateo was momentarily stunned, his brow furrowed as he looked at Veronica in


    disbelief. "Y-You remembered everything?" he asked in puzzlement. After all, if she didn''t remember


    him, how could she have recalled his nickname "Mat"?


    The conscious Mateo was momentarily stunned, his brow furrowed as he looked at Veronica in


    disbelief. "Y-You remembered everything?" he asked in puzzlement. After all, if she didn''t remember


    him, how could she have recalled his nickname "Mat"?


    "Cough... Veronica hit her head two days ago and lost some of her memories. Unfortunately, she


    doesn''t remember everything."


    Mateo wasn''t around when Master Crayson sealed Veronica''s memories. Additionally, the story Master


    Crayson concocted for Veronica wasn''t ryed to Mateo promptly, which exined why he asked that


    question earlier.


    Mateo was left stunned and took a moment to process what Master Crayson had said, but he was


    hesitant to speak again.


    Master Crayson exined, "Veronica came to visit you with me yesterday. She found out that Matthew


    was the one who injured you, and in a fit of rage, she took a knife and stabbed him. If someone hadn''t


    intervened, she might have even killed him to avenge you." He discreetly passed on the message to


    Mateo.


    Veronica promptly nodded in agreement. "Matthew is a vile and shameless person. He''s the one who


    caused you to be in this state. He deserves to die!"


    Mateo''s gaze flickered as he looked between Master Crayson and Veronica. Eventually, he nodded


    stiffly and said, "Yes, you''re right."


    To put up a performance, she moved a chair and sat next to Mateo, holding his hand and asking, "Mat,


    are you feeling any better?"


    Her initiative caught both Master Crayson and Mateo off guard. While one was thrilled, the other


    remained motionless for a moment as he was too shocked to react. After he saw her behavior, Master


    Crayson firmly believed that Veronica''s memories were sealed while Mateo was still immersed in


    disbelief and took some time to process the unexpected events.


    "Mat, what''s happened to you?" Veronica asked as she ced her hand on Mateo''s cheek. "Why is


    your face so red? Are you feeling feverish?" She then ced her hand on his forehead to check for


    temperature changes. Not detecting anything unusual, she sighed and added, "Don''t worry, you''re not


    running a fever."


    "Eh¡­ No, I''m not running a fever," Mateo responded with a guilty look in his eyes as he met Veronica''s


    clear gaze. "Roni, you..."


    "Oh, you''ve always called me Roni since I am much older than you." She then turned to Master


    Crayson and said, "Master Crayson, could you step out for a moment? I have a private matter to


    discuss with Mat."


    "Huh?" Master Crayson was momentarily taken aback and then chuckled heartily. "Ah-ha! All right, you


    young ones can chat. I have something to attend to anyways. I''lle to find youter."

 Chapter 1004

    Chapter 1004


    Chapter 1004 I Won¡¯t Hate You


    "Okey." Veronice bobbed her heed with e smile.


    Sensing Creyson''s thoughts from his uneesy stere, she then cupped Meteo''s fece with both hends end


    leened over to plent e kiss on his foreheed. "Met, I''ve reelly missed you these deys."


    Instently, e lerge smile bloomed on Creyson''s fece et the sight, his grin stretching from eer to eer es he


    heppily turned to leeve the werd.


    Meenwhile, Meteo wes dumbfounded throughout the entire process, es if still unused to Veronice''s


    sudden effection towerd him.


    At the sight of Creyson closing the door, Veronice knew thet with his kind of personelity, he would


    certeinly continue to listen in on their conversetion.


    Hence, she immersed herselfpletely in the conversetion end seid, "Met, how did you get ell these


    wounds? It hurts me to look et it. Don''t worry, I''ll never let thet b*sterd, Metthew, off eesily. One dey, I''ll


    end his life with my own hends."


    "He¡­"


    Suddenly, Meteo felt e trece of sympethy for Metthew. Although he wes Creyson''s grendson, there


    were some things thet Creyson did thet he wes uneble to ept. However, due to his identity, he could


    not oppose his decisions either. As he heerd Veronice''s words thet were full of ''hetred'' towerd Metthew,


    he wondered if she would be overwhelmed with grief when she ''recovered her memory'' one dey end


    remembered whet she did to Metthew.


    "Okay." Veronica bobbed her head with a smile.


    Sensing Crayson''s thoughts from his uneasy stare, she then cupped Mateo''s face with both hands and


    leaned over to nt a kiss on his forehead. "Mat, I''ve really missed you these days."


    Instantly, arge smile bloomed on Crayson''s face at the sight, his grin stretching from ear to ear as he


    happily turned to leave the ward.


    Meanwhile, Mateo was dumbfounded throughout the entire process, as if still unused to Veronica''s


    sudden affection toward him.


    At the sight of Crayson closing the door, Veronica knew that with his kind of personality, he would


    certainly continue to listen in on their conversation.


    Hence, she immersed herselfpletely in the conversation and said, "Mat, how did you get all these


    wounds? It hurts me to look at it. Don''t worry, I''ll never let that b*stard, Matthew, off easily. One day, I''ll


    end his life with my own hands."


    "He¡­"


    Suddenly, Mateo felt a trace of sympathy for Matthew. Although he was Crayson''s grandson, there


    were some things that Crayson did that he was unable to ept. However, due to his identity, he could


    not oppose his decisions either. As he heard Veronica''s words that were full of ''hatred'' toward Matthew,


    he wondered if she would be overwhelmed with grief when she ''recovered her memory'' one day and


    remembered what she did to Matthew.


    "The doctor said that your wounds are severe, so you should lie down and rest. I''lle over every


    day to visit you, okay?"


    "The doctor said that your wounds are severe, so you should lie down and rest. I''lle over every


    day to visit you, okay?"


    "Okay."


    "It takes a hundred days to heal broken bones. Matthew really is a monster for being so harsh."


    Mateo fell silent, not knowing how to reply.


    "Mat, let''s get married when you''ve fully recovered, okay?"


    All of a sudden, Veronica was grateful that she had picked up acting in Bloomstead, and she was even


    more thankful that Sean had hired such a skilled teacher to personally teach her how to act. It was only


    because of this that she was able to prevent any cracks in her act from showing.


    "Get married?" Mateo''s eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "What''s wrong? Do you not want to marry me?"


    "No, no. I want to, of course, I do." Mateo hurriedly nodded, more than willing to fulfill her request.


    At that moment, the faint sound of footsteps finally sounded outside the ward, and Veronica knew that


    Crayson had finally made his departure.


    Her heart finally dropped from her throat and her eyes gleamed. Instantly, her expression turned


    crestfallen as she lowered her head. "I know that I disgust you. Crayson told me everything. He said¡­


    He said¡­"


    As she spoke, her eyes reddened before her tears began to fall.


    Upon seeing her tearful expression, Mateo felt his heart ache and hurriedly grabbed her hand. "Roni¡­


    Why are you crying? What did Grandpa say to you?"


    He was stillpletely out of the loop as he had just woken up, and he was afraid that he would let


    anything slip, so he could only attempt to gather information from Veronica.


    "Crayson said¡­ He said that I''d been ruined by Matthew, then I got pregnant and was confined until I


    gave birth. I-I know that I disgust you for having two children with him¡­"


    Veronica sniffled, her eyes red as she said, "If you don''t want to marry me because you think that I had


    been defiled and have two children, I won''t hate you for it."


    Mateo fell silent at her words. So that was the kind of person Crayson had made Matthew out to be.


    Although he was unable to ept Crayson''s actions, he could not expose his lie either, so he could


    only say, "No, how could you disgust me?"


    "B-But I''ve already had two children¡­ and they''re both Matthew''s." Her sobs intensified.


    "It''s fine. I can raise the children with you." Mateo took Veronica''s hand and gently patted the back of it.


    "You''re going to be the head of the n in the future. Even if you have a past with Matthew, I don''t mind


    it."

 Chapter 1005

    Chapter 1005


    Chapter 1005 He¡¯ll Throw a Fit


    Veronice''s eyes brightened. "A-Are you reelly willing to reise the children with me? You won''t hete them


    for being Metthew''s kin?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Although Meteo wes still week, he still extended e hend to wipe the teers ewey from her fece, seying


    gently, "I like you es e person. Even if you heve e pest with Metthew, thet''s ell in the pest. As for the


    children, I''ll teke them under my wing too."


    "Met¡­ Y-You''re the best."


    Veronice pounced on him end wrepped her erms eround him, her cheek pressed egeinst his. At thet


    moment, the two were unbelievebly close, to the extent where Veronice felt like pushing him ewey.


    However, she hed to do this¡ªit wes only by meking Meteo believe her wholeheertedly could she find


    out where her children were.


    I''m sorry, Mett.


    Veronice felt thet she wes wronging Metthew, but she hed no other choice due to the urgent situetion.


    As Veronice did e 180 todey, perticulerly in her behevior towerd him, Meteo wes uneble to ept


    reelity ell of e sudden end couldn''t get used to it et ell.


    After e peuse, he finelly reised his hend end petted her on the beck. "Don''t be sed."


    "How cen I not? The one I like is you, but I hed thet monster''s children. Met, I think¡­ I''m dirty now."


    Veronice''s teers flowed freely out of her eyes end down Meteo''s neck. Upon feeling the sensetion of


    the werm liquid trickling down his neck, Meteo felt his heert eche even more. Veronice hed finelly


    remembered their pest end even wented to merry him, end everything wes finelly looking better egein.


    However, there wes e feeling of uneese thet he just couldn''t sheke off.


    Veronica''s eyes brightened. "A-Are you really willing to raise the children with me? You won''t hate them


    for being Matthew''s kin?"


    Although Mateo was still weak, he still extended a hand to wipe the tears away from her face, saying


    gently, "I like you as a person. Even if you have a past with Matthew, that''s all in the past. As for the


    children, I''ll take them under my wing too."


    "Mat¡­ Y-You''re the best."


    Veronica pounced on him and wrapped her arms around him, her cheek pressed against his. At that


    moment, the two were unbelievably close, to the extent where Veronica felt like pushing him away.


    However, she had to do this¡ªit was only by making Mateo believe her wholeheartedly could she find


    out where her children were.


    I''m sorry, Matt.


    Veronica felt that she was wronging Matthew, but she had no other choice due to the urgent situation.


    As Veronica did a 180 today, particrly in her behavior toward him, Mateo was unable to ept


    reality all of a sudden and couldn''t get used to it at all.


    After a pause, he finally raised his hand and patted her on the back. "Don''t be sad."


    "How can I not? The one I like is you, but I had that monster''s children. Mat, I think¡­ I''m dirty now."


    Veronica''s tears flowed freely out of her eyes and down Mateo''s neck. Upon feeling the sensation of


    the warm liquid trickling down his neck, Mateo felt his heart ache even more. Veronica had finally


    remembered their past and even wanted to marry him, and everything was finally looking better again.


    However, there was a feeling of unease that he just couldn''t shake off.


    "Roni, everyone has a past. The children are innocent."


    "Roni, everyone has a past. The children are innocent."


    "D-Do the kids look more like me or Matthew?" she asked.


    After a moment of thought, Mateo replied, "Your genes are stronger, so of course they look more like


    you."


    Veronica''s eyes narrowed at his words. It seemed that Mateo knew where the children were.


    "Crayson¡­ It''ll be great if Crayson shares your thoughts." Veronica stood up and returned to the chair,


    choking through her tears, "He said that I have to be the head of the n in the future, and keeping the


    two children will be a stain in my life, so he won''t let me see them. H-He even wants to give them away


    so that I will never see them again."


    Time was ticking, and Veronica had to scourge for information on her children''s whereabouts from


    Mateo. If not, as long as Crayson met Mateo in private, he would certainly instruct him to keep his


    mouth tightly shut, making it extremely difficult to figure out where her children were kept.


    "About Grandpa¡­ I''ll try to have a word with himter. Roni, don''t be too sad." Mateo sighed.


    Veronica shook her head. "Mat, do you still not know what Crayson is like? Once he decides on


    something, there''s no way of changing it. Since the ascension ceremony is upon us, he''ll definitely


    send the kids out in the next two days."


    She grasped Mateo''s hands tightly. "Mat, can you get someone to take the kids away? That way, at


    least I''ll know where my children are. If they''re taken away by Crayson''s men¡­ I-I probably will never


    see my children again for the rest of my life."


    The more she spoke, the more her tears fell. In the end, Veronica was unable to speak from her heavy


    sobs, and the sight pained Mateo so much that he felt as if his heart was about to shatter into a million


    pieces.


    His heart was filled with her, so he was naturally unable to bear the sight of her tears. Instantly, he said


    to her, "The children are at Riverbend Vige next to the Deste Cliffs, on the east courtyard that''s


    next to the river. Since I''m in the hospital, there''s no way for me to make arrangements, so you should


    hurry up and contact someone to take the children away. Just tell them that they were given away."


    Veronica gently nibbled on her red lips. "No, I don''t dare to. If Crayson finds out, he''ll definitely throw a


    fit."


    "Don''t worry. I''ll keep it a secret from Grandpa," Mateo promised with a sincere expression.

 Chapter 1006

    Chapter 1006


    Chapter 1006 Notifying Matthew


    For reasons unbeknownst to her, Veronica was suddenly filled with guilt. Was it truly all right for her to


    use Mateo like this when he was still so innocent?


    "Thank you, Mat." She sobbed gratefully, "When I be the head of the n, we''ll get married. I only


    want to spend the rest of my life with you and not anyone else."


    "Your words¡­ They''re more than enough." Mateo felt just as relieved as well.


    After giving it some thought, he added, "In time, we''ll bring the kids to me and say that they''re mine,


    and no one will think otherwise. When you''ve secured the position as the head of the n, Grandpa


    won''t be able to do anything to you either."


    "Thank you, Mat, you''re the best." Veronica pounced on him and pulled him into a hug, her heart filled


    with gratitude.


    After that, the two sat and chatted for a long while. Soon, when Crayson returned, the three of them


    had a casual conversation with each other.


    On the way back, Veronica passed by a jewelry shop and instructed, "Stop the car."


    Crayson turned to look at her. "What''s wrong?"


    She pointed at the jewelry store and exined, "I suddenly remembered that Mat''s birthday is


    tomorrow, isn''t it? I''m going to pick a present for him." Saying that, she extended a hand. "Your card."


    "I''ll go with you," Crayson said with a chuckle.


    Veronica rolled her eyes at his reply. "Forget it. With that taste of yours and how picky you are, I''d


    rather pick it out myself."


    "Okay. Then, you can go yourself."


    Naturally, Crayson was ted. He could feel Veronica''s concern toward Mateo, and when the two got


    married in the future, he would be her grandfather-inw, bringing them even closer together.


    "The password is my birthday." He handed the card to her and asked, "Do you understand what they''re


    saying?"


    "Crayson, what are you thinking? You were the one who taught me the hidden tongue. Have you


    forgotten?" Veronica shook her head with a pout. "As I thought, you''re growing old. Your head is not as


    good as before."


    A look of shock appeared in Crayson''s eyes before heughed heartily. "I was worried that you won''t


    understand it anymore after all those years in Bloomstead."


    "Of course I''d understand. I''m really smart." Veronica raised an eyebrow smugly, a look of pride on her


    face. "Have you forgotten whose disciple I am?"


    Then, she turned around and walked toward the jewelry store. As she looked at the disy, she


    borrowed a phone from the sales assistant and gave Matthew a call.


    After the call went through, she said, "Matthew, listen to me. The kids are in Riverbend Vige next to


    the Deste Cliffs¡­"


    "I know. I''ve already sent someone to Riverbend Vige, but there are hundreds of people living there,


    and I''m still not sure where the children are."


    "They''re in a courtyard on the east of the vige, near the river."


    "Okay, I''ll contact them immediately."


    "Remember, just say that you were sent by Crayson, and be quick. I''m hanging up."


    After the short conversation, Veronica immediately hung up and deleted his phone number before


    returning the phone to the sales assistant.


    At the same time, Crayson was basking in happiness in the car when his face suddenly turned cold and


    he turned to the jewelry store.


    "Hold on!"


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    The driver asked in confusion, "What''s wrong?"


    "Why would she go to the jewelry store if she''s buying a present for Mateo?" After all, people normally


    only went to jewelry stores when they were picking out gifts for women.


    Doubt arising in his mind, Crayson immediately pulled the door open and hastily went into the jewelry


    store.


    After looking around, he noticed that Veronica was still picking a gift. He walked over and pretended to


    keep his cool as he asked, "You''re picking a gift for Mateo in a jewelry store?"


    "Of course. Where else would I go if not here?"


    As Veronica turned to look at Crayson, she internally cursed at him for being a sly fox. It was fortunate


    that she had already ended the call. If she had been thirty secondste, her cover would''ve been


    blown.


    She picked up the two rings on the table. "Crayson, do you think Mat will like this ring?"

 Chapter 1007

    Chapter 1007


    Chapter 1007 Going All Out


    Crayson walked over and took a nce, looking confused. "Matching rings?"


    "That''s right." Veronica let out a chuckle. "I just picked out a brooch as his present for tomorrow. As for


    this pair of matching rings, it''s for our marriage. When I be the head¡­"


    She deliberately phrased her words that way. After taking a nce at the sales assistant, she lowered


    her voice before she continued, "I n to marry him after everything is over. What do you think?"


    "Haha, I agree, of course."


    Crayson, who had just been filled with worry earlier, finally let out a sigh of relief, thinking that his worry


    had been unnecessary. So she had been picking out her wedding ring; that was great news.


    After picking out the brooch and matching rings, Veronica went to pay the bill.


    As they walked out of the jewelry store, she said to him, "Crayson, you have to keep it a secret from


    Mat. I want to give him a surprise."


    In other words, she was hinting for him to let Mateo know as soon as possible so that he would be


    overjoyed. Expectedly, when Crayson and Veronica returned to Hayley''s manor, he immediately gave


    Mateo a call.


    "Mateo, I have good news for you."


    "What is it, Grandpa?"


    "Haha, when we were on the way back, Veronica went to the jewelry store to buy a set of matching


    rings. She''s nning to get married to you after the ascension ceremony."


    Hearing that, Mateo felt as if he were on cloud nine. "I know."


    "You''re pretending to be calm again." Crayson let out a breezyugh. "Veronica even told me not to tell


    you this. Anyways, now that you know, don''t say it out loud. Veronica wants to give you a surprise, so


    don''t ruin it."


    A smile yed on Mateo''s pale face. "Okay, I''ll keep that in mind."


    He didn''t tell Crayson that Veronica had already told him her wish to get married to him in the hospital


    earlier.


    Two hourster, Matthew''s men sessfully took the two children away to somewhere safe.


    Meanwhile, Zac and Dominik had a secret rendezvous to discuss the secret deployment during the


    ascension ceremony.


    At first, Zac had been coveting the hidden n and even fantasized about taking them down. However,


    after he arrived, he realized that there was a huge gap in wealth within the n, and their economy was


    far behind that of Castron.


    Instead of wasting his manpower and resources in an attempt to swallow the hidden n for himself,


    he figured that it would be better to cooperate with them and obtain the mining rights to several mines.


    After all, those were the things he truly wanted.


    Zac sat across from Dominik and took a sip of tea as he drawlednguidly, "Dominik, tell me your


    ns."


    After Matthew''s instigation in the past, Dominik was now prepared as he faced Zac. "Why don''t you tell


    me yours first?"


    "I don''t have any ns. I''ll only go all out. As long as I can kill Matthew and Veronica to help you


    secure the position of the head of the n, everything else is irrelevant."


    Zac had a very specific objective in mind, and as long as he worked with Dominik, he could aplish


    all of his goals. Dominik was aware that despite Zac''s resentment toward Matthew, their differences


    could be put aside in the face of their shared goals. Although he wasn''t entirely trusting of him, he had


    no choice but to rely on Zac.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Zac was the only person he could depend on at this point. He had originally pledged to assist Matthew


    but given circumstances beyond his control, he was unable to do so on that particr day. Now that


    Veronica lost her memories and had be Waylen and Hayley''s puppet, Matthew would do


    everything in his power to aid her regardless of what she wanted to do as he couldn''t stand to see her


    suffer.


    Three factions were currently battling for the title of the head of the n, and as the ascension


    ceremony neared, tensions were rising amongst everyone involved, and the ambitions of those like Zac


    had caused the hidden n to go through unpredictable waves despite its apparent facade of calm. In


    the end, it was still uncertain who themb sacrificed in this monumental conflict would be.

 Chapter 1008

    Chapter 1008


    Chapter 1008 Reunion


    Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, there was only one day left until the ascension ceremony. Late that


    night, a neer entered Veronica''s room. Although it was so dark that she could barely see her


    fingers, she still knew instinctively who it was.


    She stood up and pulled him into her arms. "You''re finally here."


    Matthew returned her embrace, hisrge hand caressing her head as he asked softly, "Did you miss


    me?"


    Veronica leaned on his chest, nodding. "Yeah."


    "I missed you too." Matthew slowly closed his eyes, enjoying this sweet moment with her.


    Just then, Veronica unexpectedly pushed him away and lifted her head to look at him. "What about the


    kids? How are they doing?"


    "I''ve already rescued them and settled them down. Don''t worry."


    "How did you find them?"


    When she had gathered the information from Mateo and passed it to Matthew, she had not expected


    him to already be aware of the children''s whereabouts. However, as time was tight that day, she did not


    dare to ask any more questions before she hung up.


    "Ever since Zac invited you to meet him at the hotel, he''d already said that the children were in trouble.


    I expected that they were taken to the hidden n, so I''d been sending people to look for them. Now


    that I talk about it, it was a huge coincidence. Right after I found out where they were, I got a call from


    Hendrey, and he said that there was a huge possibility that they were in Riverbend Vige, which


    confirmed their whereabouts. However, only your information is the most urate."


    Matthew led her to the bed and took a seat, asking, "How did you get that information?"


    "I wormed it out from Mateo," Veronica replied truthfully. However, there was something that confused


    her the most. "How did Hendrey know about this?"


    The two of them were unaware of Hendrey and Lamia''s rtionship.


    The day after Hendrey and Lamia confirmed their rtionship, they met again at a hotel for another


    joyful encounter. However, Lamia then received a call from Crayson, telling her to immediately take the


    two children in the countryside away.


    Hearing that, Hendrey extracted the necessary information from Lamia and instantly informed Matthew.


    Coincidentally, that was also the day when Veronica met Mateo in the hospital.


    Crayson always acted calmly and cautiously, and he was unable to fully trust Veronica, so he sent


    someone to move the children away. That very day, the family in the courtyard at Riverbend Vige


    discovered that two groups of people came to take the children with them.


    The first group imed to be under Crayson''s orders, but in reality, they were Matthew''s men.


    Meanwhile, the second group also imed to be acting on Crayson''s orders, but they were actually


    sent by Lamia, who was acting on Crayson''s behalf to send the children away. However, they didn''t


    manage to meet the children and called Lamia to inform her that the children had been sent away by


    Crayson''s men.


    Back then, Lamia was still in a dilemma about whether she should give Crayson a call to ask him when


    she heard Hendrey say, "When you called Crayson earlier to say you''d send someone overter, he


    must''ve dispatched his men already. Don''t ask him too much about this, or you''ll make him unhappy."


    At Hendrey''s reminder, Lamia nodded without asking much. Besides, Crayson had been swamped with


    work recently and did not have the time to meet her. After all, with the ascension ceremony


    approaching, the number of tasks he had toplete was enough to make his head spin.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "I''m not sure." Matthew shook his head. "I''m just surprised that Hendrey would help us."


    "That''s because¡­" Veronica paused. "He isn''t a bad person."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Back then, Hendrey and I¡­" Veronica exined everything that happened in the past to him,


    shedding light on the situation.


    Matthew''s brows furrowed. "Does that mean you and Mateo knew each other in the past as well?"

 Chapter 1009

    Chapter 1009


    Chapter 1009 A Life Manipted


    "Uhh¡­" Veronica hesitated, after which she awkwardly nodded. "Yes." For some reason, she felt guilty.


    She wondered whether Matthew would be angered if he were to know about her past with Mateo. As


    expected, her fear came true.


    Leaning against the headboard of the bed with Veronica in his arms, Matthew said with fascination,


    "Tell me about your history with him."


    "T-There''s nothing to tell about him."


    "Entertain me."


    "Nothing much. Just a guy I know." Veronica sounded perfunctory and even impatient.


    The man then leaned in on her and bit her lip. "Tell me."


    "Ouch, that hurts!" Veronica raised her hand and gave his corbone a forceful smack. "Ouch! Are you


    going to bite me dead?"


    "If you refuse to tell me about him, I won''t bite you dead, but I''ll please you to death on the bed."


    "I dare you!"


    "Challenge dly epted." Naturally, Matthew did as Veronica asked. And so, he skillfully unted


    his shocking strength and speed.


    Only a little over ten minutester, Veronica reached her limit and surrendered in pain. "Okay, I give up!


    I''ll confess, I''ll confess¡­" Thereupon, with a tearless grimace, she withstood her awkwardness and


    recounted her past with Mateo to Matthew.


    Upon listening to her story, the initially calm man immediately grew immensely jealous and began to


    ''torment'' her out of spite.


    Veronica moaned painfully, with tears flowing down her cheek as she stuttered, "M-Matt. You promised


    you won''t dwell on it! You''re such a bully!"


    The man then leaned in and gently pecked her cherry lips. With a hoarse voice, he replied, "How is a


    wedded couple having fun bullying, hmm?" Mischievously, he snuggled against her neck and


    deliberately puffed as he fondled her hair. "It was you who so boldly challenged me. Why are you


    ming me for trying to satisfy my wife now?"


    Veronica was rendered speechless. This b*stard has the answer to everything! How hateful!


    During the two hours of shenanigans, Matthew was also controlling himself from overwhelming the


    lady. After all, the ascension ceremony was to happen in two days, so there were many preparations


    he needed to handle.


    Later, Matthew held Veronica in his arms as they had a long chat.


    Veronica asked, "Why wasn''t Crayson able to seal my memories? Instead, I''ve regained memories of


    everything from the past. This has confused me for a long time."


    After a moment of hesitation, Matthew answered, "Do you still remember the underground chamber of


    Kings Residence, where something entered your body, leading to your intense headache?"


    "Of course."


    "I''ve looked into it. Apparently, a venomous insect entered your body back then, and the secret skill


    Crayson used to seal your memories was cast by improvising to the venomous insect''s presence.


    Thus, the sealing of memory most likely failed due to the venomous insect inside your body."


    "Really? Will there be a side effect then?" Veronica couldn''t help but be concerned.


    "Yes."


    "What then? Will I die?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "As if I''ll allow that. Don''t worry. I have my own n." With that, he advised, "I should go now. There are


    still so many arrangements that need my attention. Just remember to take good care of yourself."


    "One more thing." Veronica grabbed Matthew''s arm. "That day, Crayson told me that my adoptive


    parents will be visiting the hidden n, but it''s been days yet they were nowhere to be seen. I''m


    worried that they might be Crayson''s trump card¡­"


    "Tiffany''s adoptive parents were once Crayson''s students, but who are yours?" Matthew inquired.


    "I can''t say for sure yet." Veronica shook her head. Heaving a sigh, she grasped Matthew''s hand and


    continued in a sorrowful tone. "I''m scared¡­ What if they are also Crayson''s people?"


    If that were true, Veronica would only see life as a tragedy. It was terrifying and ludicrous at the same


    time if all twenty-plus years of her life ever since her birth had been manipted all this time.


    Embracing her in distress, Matthew patted her back andforted, "Silly girl. Don''t worry. I''ll always be


    by your side."


    "Okay." Veronica stuck her cheek against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and feeling the sense of


    security he provided to her. In a sense, she felt that Matthew was a harbor that sheltered a fragile boat


    that was her. She wanted to hold him tightly, yet the guilt in her heart troubled her.

 Chapter 1010

    Chapter 1010


    Chapter 1010 Are Your Men Reliable


    As if she was a burden, she constantly needed Matthew''s help and even almost made him lose his life,


    all while she could give him nothing.


    "It''s gettingte. I should go now." Matthew grabbed her shoulders and softly, he noted, "There are still


    many things to be done. As for you, have courage in everything you do. I''m with you till the end." He


    revealed a tender smile. "I am your shield." Matthew raised his hand and caressed the top of her head,


    speaking with a pampering tone filled with love.


    "You be careful as well, Matt," Veronica reminded.


    "I will." He nodded. "I''m leaving now." With that, he loosened his grip on her, after which he turned


    around and walked to the balcony before hopping and vanishing into the night sky.


    Veronica stood before the window. As the light in the room was off, no outsider could see her, but from


    her side, she could see Matthew''s sturdy body fading away into the lightless dusk. With her hands


    clutching the rails, she ufortably furrowed her brows as immense worry surged in her heart.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    The ascension ceremony is in two days¡­ Veronica knew that Matthew was only able toe to her at


    this moment because while Crayson was scheming with the Elrods to seize the head of the n''s


    position, they identally amodated the "heavily injured" Matthew, so he took the opportunity to


    get to her.


    The next day, due to the ascension ceremony of the hidden n, certain streets were closed as


    banners andnterns of the hidden n were hung at numerous ces, making the region seem


    extremely merry. Though, there was nothing but darkness concealed under the exuberant atmosphere.


    In the night, Dominik was having a secret meeting with Zac. Sitting opposite Zac, he stated with a stern


    face, "The Elrods will riot at the ascension ceremony tomorrow. We shall wait for them to take down


    Eleanor before going out and annihting them. The elders who protect me will alsoe to support


    me tomorrow." With a solemn gaze, he questioned, "How many elites do you have?"


    Holding a cigar in his mouth, Zac leaned back on the couch with a pondering scowl. "More than ten


    elites, but I have one deadeye."


    Hearing that, Dominik raised his head and looked at Zac''s proud eyes. "You even have a sniper?" He


    felt somewhat suspicious, but mostly happy.


    "Of course."


    "Splendid." Dominikughed as he ced a floor n on the table. "This is theyout for the ascension


    ceremony tomorrow. My mother will be right above here, with Eleanor seated beside her. I suggest that


    you ce your sniper over here. Once the Elrods go crazy tomorrow, have your sniper eliminate


    Eleanor right away, and the me will be pinned on the Elrods. After the feud of both parties settles


    down, I''ll go up with my men to wipe out the entire Elrod n. During the chaos, you must definitely


    have your men take down Veronica."


    Listening to Dominik''s n, Zac grew a little skeptical. "Are your men reliable though?"


    "Without a doubt." Dominik was confident.


    "Really?" Zac stood up and went to sit beside Dominik, putting his arm around his shoulders, his gaze


    fixed on his eyes. "What we''re about to do tomorrow is highly dangerous, and I might lose my life


    during the process. I believe some appreciation is due. Don''t you agree, Dominik?" He raised his


    brows, showing a knowing grin.


    Dominik was stunned for a second. Right after, his eyes flickered as he let out a chuckle. "As we


    previously agreed, once I secured the position of the head of the n, I will fulfill my part of the


    agreement and give you part of the mining rights. However, should you fail, not only will my men lose


    their lives, but I may lose mine along with yours as well."

 Chapter 1011

    Chapter 1011


    Chapter 1011 Reckless Zac


    After taking a puff of his cigar, Zac subtly pouted his lips, blowing out a waft of fragrant smoke onto


    Dominik''s dashing face. "I live solely for the benefits." He then smiled, lowering his gaze upon his


    chest. "I agreed to help not only for what you offered me, but most importantly, I have a thing for you."


    As Zac spoke, he leaned an inch closer toward Dominik. "Ever since the bonfire ceremony outside the


    pce, I''ve been watching you. I even see you in my dreams."


    Indeed, Zac fell for Dominik the first time he saw him. Nheless, he never had a chance to make a


    move on him the entire time. But of course, as a certified hunter, he must not be hasty, and all this time


    waiting was solely for today.


    Twisting his brows, Dominik sprung up from his seat. "I''m a man!"


    "Am I blind? Do you think I can''t see that?" Zac shrugged with his arms open wide. With the cigar in his


    hand, he brushed his puffy, short blonde hair, revealing a naughty grin on his pale, freckled face that


    was blessed with perfect features. "But that doesn''t stop me from adoring you."


    "What are you saying?"


    "I want to f*ck you. I, Zac Francis, never get myself involved with business only to lose. Satisfy me, and


    I''ll do everything to return the favor." After a moment of thought, he added, "Man-man or man-woman¡ª


    it''s all the same. Trust me. Even if you have ten wives, you''ll eventually want to try to be pegged."


    Dominik''s face froze in frustration and anger. "You wish!" Finished, he raised his foot, about to walk


    away.


    Seeing that, Zac waspletely unaffected, calmly remaining seated on the couch as he slowly said,


    "Leave all you want, but I assure you that in five minutes, your mother and the entire hidden n will


    know of your n to seize the head''s position. With that, I''ll reveal your n to Eleanor, and I''ll switch


    to her side and ensure that she sessfully ascends as the head. By then, will acquiring mining rights


    be a problem for me, hmm?" Zac asked Dominik the rhetorical question before answering it himself, "Of


    course not."


    After taking a few steps away, Dominik stood still on the ground, his entire body frozen. He clenched


    his fists tightly, wanting to skin Zac alive, but dared not to do that. Indeed, he didn''t have the courage


    to.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "So what do you want?!" Dominik burst in rage. All of a sudden, he felt absolutely regretful for not


    listening to Matthew''s warning to keep his guard against the sly Zac, as Matthew had noted that Zac


    was not to be trusted. However, Zac was the only help he had to seed as the head of the n.


    Thus, he took the risk to work with Zac, only to now realize that Zac was the real hunter.


    "It''s simple. Sleep with me."


    Those three words sounded so simple, yet it was as if they could take Dominik''s life away. Although


    Dominik was intelligently cunning, having wanted to be the head of the n for a long time, he


    was an experienced, cool-headed man. To others, he was a noble, precious prince, high and mighty.


    And now, in order to secure the position of the head of the n, he would have to give up his pride and


    serve Zac, which was an absolute torment to him.


    "Don''t get upset, Dominik. Coercion has never been my style. If you''re not willing to do it, you may


    leave freely, and I''ll guarantee that I won''t stop you," Zac said righteously, though his words were a


    complete threat to Dominik.


    Standing still on the ground, Dominik clenched his fists so hard that cracks were heard. His veins


    popped out from anger as his eyes were filled with the redness of aggression.

 Chapter 1012

    Chapter 1012


    Chapter 1012 Want to Kill Him


    Despite seeing his hostile expression, Zac merely feigned a faint smile. "You want to kill me? I highly


    advise against having such a thought. See that phone on the table?" As he spoke, he reached out to


    flip over the phone that was facing down, revealing its bright screen. Apparently, the screen disyed


    that the phone had been on a call for more than ten minutes¡ªthe same duration since Dominik came


    in.


    "Should I die, your ns will be exposed to the world. By then, you''ll be a betrayer, an abhorred


    usurper to the hidden n that will be resented forever." Zac chortled as he spoke. "Oh, Dominik! You


    im to be superior to everyone else, but all you value is your pride. I suppose you don''t even dare to


    lay a finger on me, isn''t that right?"


    Undeniably, Zac was the sliest of all men, having secretly observed Dominik all this time and refraining


    from making a move on him, only to threaten him on the night before the ascension ceremony.


    That was a fatal impact to Dominik as his decades ofmitment and hard work, in addition to his


    long-built reputation, might be destroyed in one night, and there was no way he could face such a


    humiliating end.


    Seeing him stand still, Zac raised his eyebrows as he snubbed out his cigar in the ashtray. He then got


    up and walked toward Dominik before pinching his cheek with his fingers, his eyes ogling across his


    face. "Dominik, I have adored you for a very long time." He leaned in toward Dominik and gently


    pecked his lips before holding his hand and dragging him to the bedroom.


    That night, Zac was deeply satisfied as his wish came true. As a master in bed, it didn''t take him long


    topletely "conquer" Dominik. Though, perhaps it was thanks to true love that he turned from


    dominant to submissive, willingly "serving" Dominik.


    Dominik, who initially felt humiliated, had his first taste of such bliss and eventually gave in to lust. As


    they fooled around in pleasure, satisfying each other, he would "give and take," drowned in total


    euphoria.


    At the break of dawn, Dominik snuggled in Zac''s arms. "I could never have imagined such tion in the


    world."


    "Humans often associate rtionships as a means to propagate their legacy, but I''d say what we


    possess is true love." Zac chuckled and added, "It''s gettingte. You should go and get ready. My


    sniper is right outside. Bring him into the pce with you, or he won''t be able to get in with the tight


    security surrounding the pce."


    "Okay." Dominik nodded. He then tidied himself before exiting the bedroom.


    As soon as the door was shut, extreme hostility and murderous intent surged in his eyes. Reaching the


    living room, he nced at Troy, who was standing by the door. "You''re the sniper Zac mentioned?"


    Troy subtly nodded. "Yes."


    "Come with me." And so, Dominik left with him.


    ¡­


    Hours before that, in the pce, Eleanor fell asleep in the side hall.


    Worried that she might be insomniac from the nerves, Tanya went to her, only to find her in deep sleep.


    With that, she sighed and shook her head. "What an ambitious girl." She wanted to wake Eleanor up,


    but after thinking about it, since she had given Eleanor all the advice and instructions she needed to,


    she decided to let her rest.


    Thus, Tanya left the side hall and returned to her own chamber. As she was getting ready to sleep, a


    servant knocked on the door to her room. "Queen Tanya, Prince Liam is here."


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "Liam?" Despite being confused by Liam''s visit, Tanya replied, "Let him in."


    Secondster, the door was opened, and Liam entered. "You''re resting, Mother?" he asked.


    "Yes, I was about to. Why are you here thiste?" Tanya got up and poured him a cup of tea as she


    signaled him to take a seat on the couch.

 Chapter 1013

    Chapter 1013


    Chapter 1013 Ascension Ceremony Began


    "The ascension ceremony is tomorrow. There''s something I wish to discuss with you, Mother." Liam


    walked to the couch and sat down without crossing his legs as he always did. Instead, he looked at


    Tanya with a stern gaze. "The ceremony will not go well. Have you thought about how you are going to


    deal with that, Mother?"


    "I am fully prepared for that." Tanya sat opposite him, revealing a tender smile. "You normally don''t pay


    attention to such things. Why the sudden concern?"


    "Nothing much. I''m just worried about Eleanor." Liam sighed. "I have four older sisters, but two of them


    unfortunately passed away. The youngest among them is mentally disabled, and you never dared to


    announce her identity to the world. I''m worried that if something happens to Eleanor, the hidden n


    will have no sessor¡­"


    "Utter nonsense!" Tanya shot him a reprimanding stare.


    "It''s purely hypothetical!" Liam looked at his mother. "If¡ªand I mean if¡ªsomething were to happen to


    Eleanor, who would be the next head of the n?"


    "That¡­" His question left Tanya stunned. Her face grew taut asplication and weightiness arose in


    her deep eyes.


    "It''s Dominik, isn''t it?" Upon her hesitation, he straightforwardly continued, "Although the position of the


    head of the n is not typically passed down to a male heir, you''ll allow only Dominik to seed in the


    position if Eleanor gets in trouble. After all, you understood that the position can be seized, and it


    wouldn''t be bad for a man to be your sessor."


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    As if Liam''s statement hit the bullseye, Tanya grew silent.


    "I''m here today to give you something." Liam pulled out a thumb drive from his pocket and put it on the


    table. "You''ve been having a hard time looking for the cause of my sisters'' deaths, right? It''s all in


    here."


    After cing it on the table, Liam remained quiet, getting up and ready to walk out of the room. Right


    as the door was shut, he added a piece of advice to Tanya. "Tomorrow, not only will we need to stay


    cautious against the Elrods, but the ''snake'' among us as well."


    With Liam gone, Tanya stared at the thumb drive on the table. She then picked it up and toyed with it


    with her fingers before eventually turning on herputer. Afterward, she inserted the thumb drive and


    opened the documents and video footage saved within. After she looked through the files, her face


    dramatically changed.


    Hourster, under the clear, sunny day at the hidden n''s territory, the ascension ceremony


    commenced, and it was held in an arena not far away from the pce. The elders got to their


    respective seats, with guards all over the arena, while Dominik was in charge of the arena''s security


    and ensuring that Eleanor sessfully became the head of the n.


    Donning a traditional gown of the hidden n, Tanya got to her seat, which was the primary seat near


    the podium.


    Meanwhile, as Eleanor was getting ready to enter the arena, Liam suddenly came over and grabbed


    her hand. "Eleanor, spare me a minute." He then dragged her to the dressing room and handed her an


    item from his bag. "Put this on. It might save your life."


    "What is this?"


    "A bulletproof vest." Liam took out the bulletproof vest. "I had someone tailor it for you a month ago.


    The material is very light, so it won''t be visible. Hurry, put this on."


    "Thank you, Liam." Comforted, Eleanor revealed a smile on her elegantly dolled-up face and epted


    the vest. "Okay, give me the room for a second. I''ll put it on right away."


    "Be quick," Liam reminded before exiting the dressing room and waiting outside.


    A couple of minutester, Eleanor came out, to which he asked, "How is it? Comfortable?"


    "Yes, it is. As you said, it''s very light."

 Chapter 1014

    Chapter 1014


    Chapter 1014 New Head of the n


    Eleanor smiled and had a short chat with Liam. "Then, I''ll head off to the arena first. Don''t want to keep


    Mother waiting."


    Then, she left.


    Subsequently, everyone entered and took their seats one by one as the host began his speech, after


    which Tanya took over.


    She announced that the ascension ceremony had officially started and that Eleanor would be


    seeding her.


    However, at this moment, a few elders among the attendees about two rows below the tform


    suddenly stood up.


    "The sessor should be Veronica, not Eleanor."


    "Yeah, it should be Veronica."


    "Veronica is the rightful head of the n."


    "Kill Eleanor."


    The murmurs of protest started to grow among the attendees.


    At this time, there was a loud noise followed by rounds of gunshots outside the arena, causing a


    Just as everyone stood up to check out the source of the noise, the eight entrances of the arena were


    forcibly breached by people under Crayson''s leadership.


    The guards rushed forward to defend the ce, resulting in a chaotic scene.


    Someone on the rostrum suddenly yelled, "Ahh! Princess Eleanor has been shot! Somebody help!"


    "Hurry up and protect the princess!"


    "Protect the queen!"


    "Capture the insurgents!"


    "Doctor! Quickly, call a doctor!"


    The ce was already in chaos when more and more people suddenly arrived at the scene, making it


    aplete mess.


    When Liam heard that Eleanor was shot, he became tense and immediately rushed to the changing


    room to open the door to where Eleanor was.


    This was the reason why he gave her the vest in the first ce.


    The vest was still in the changing room, meaning that Eleanor never wore it.


    To be precise, she intentionally chose not to wear it.


    Outside, Eleanor''s men confronted those whom Crayson led.


    The two sides exchanged fire, which gave rise to a chaotic confrontation.


    Dominik''s people tried to block the so-called outsiders to buy time until he heard a voice on the


    earpiece that he wore. "Your Highness, Princess Eleanor is no longer breathing."


    "Are you sure?" Dominik found it hard to believe.


    "C*cksure. The head of the n has always been guarding Princess Eleanor. The doctor checked her


    pulse and found that she has lost her pulse. The two bullets went through her heart, killing her


    instantly!"


    The other party said with absolute certainty.


    Dominik sneered. "Awesome. That''s excellent news."


    With the expression of a champion, he waved his hand. "Everyone, follow me inside!"


    The moment he gave his order, everyone entered the arena together to fight with Crayson''s men while


    Zac''s subordinates arrived to provide support for Dominik.


    Meanwhile, over at the other side, Matthew had everyone gathered at Hayley''s vi.


    As most of the people had been transferred to the pce by Crayson, the huge vicked strict


    surveince and manpower, which made it easy for Matthew to sneak inside. Then, he subdued


    Hayley, Lamia, and the rest of the people while sessfully saving Veronica.


    Veronica looked at Hayley, whose limbs were bound, and asked, "How about my adoptive parents?


    Where are they?"


    Hayley shook her head. "Beats me."


    She was calm and did not intend to tell Veronica the truth. What was even more surprising was her


    question. "Your memories aren''t sealed?"


    Veronica''s lips curved upward into a smile. "Sorry to have disappointed you."


    "Why would I be? You have been long worthless to me. The new head of the n can only be Randy."


    Randy Elrod. That would be Randy Larson then.


    Due to Tiffany''s death, Veronica refused to be constrained by Crayson and Hayley.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    After discussing with several elders, Hayley felt that she shouldn''t be obsessed with Veronica if she


    wanted to fight for the position of the head of the n.


    She was better off leaving the position for Randy instead. After all, he was her loyal son.

 Chapter 1015

    Chapter 1015


    Chapter 1015 He Did Not Betray Us


    "Since you intend to make Randy the head of the n, why aren''t you letting me go?" A puzzled


    Veronica questioned.


    Hayley merely smiled before she answered, "Of course, it''s to use you as a ''bait.''"


    At that, there was another round of fierce fighting outside the vi. It was a dense sound, so it wasn''t


    difficult for one to imagine how chaotic it was outside.


    Veronica and Matthew exchanged a nce and simultaneously turned to look at the area outside the


    vi.


    "Whether it is Zac or Tanya that you offended, they wouldn''t want to see you guys live. The reason why


    you are here is only to ensure Randy''s safety. Only you can assure Randy''s life and his sessful


    inheritance as the head of the n."


    Now that she was faced with a situation, Hayley remained calm.


    On the other hand, Veronica fumed. "If they manage to break in, you won''t live to see another day


    either!"


    "My life is not worth anything and I''ve never cared about it." Even though Hayley was kidnapped, she


    was as calm and noble as ever. It was as if she was not in danger.


    Matthew yanked Veronica''s hand. "Let''s go."


    "But my parents are still missing." Veronica never gave a damn about Hayley''s life, but she was


    concerned about her own parents.


    "She''s not scared of death. Do you think she''ll tell you where your parents are?" Matthew reminded


    Veronica.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    He wes ewere thet she wes overly worried, which wes why she lost her retionele.


    Veronice suddenly reelized something end glenced et Heyley before she left with Metthew.


    Zec''s men were outside, fighting with Metthew''s suborde. It wes et this moment when Skyler


    brought his reinforcements to surround them.


    However, those who elimed Zec''s men were ectuelly sent by Tenye.


    Another fight ensued end with e never-ending sound.


    ¡­


    The whole dey of intense fighting hed ceused everyone in the clen to be frightened. It wes originelly


    supposed to be e joyous dey, but everyone wes so scered thet they hid et home insteed.


    The gunshots only subsided in the middle of the night.


    At One Piece Resteurent.


    A seriously injured Metthew wes on the bed while Veronice set by his bedside. Skyler, who susteined


    light injuries, on the other hend, wes teking Metthew''s pulse.


    "Don''t be worried, Roni. His injury isn''t fetel. He''ll be elright once he mekes e full recovery," Skyler


    comforted Veronice.


    Shirley wes seeted next to Veronice endforted her too. "Since Sky hes seid thet President Kings


    will be okey, he will be elright."


    Metthew, who wes lying on the bed, held Veronice''s hend. "Silly girl, I''m elright. We should be heppy


    thet we cen heed home in e few deys."


    Veronica nodded.


    At this moment, the door opened to reveal someone entering.


    Dean looked at the group of people and said, "Boss, we havepany."


    The group of them turned their heads, only to notice that it was Troy standing behind Dean.


    The moment Skyler saw Troy, he abruptly stood up and rushed over. "You f*cking traitor¡ª"


    Skyler was about toy a blow on Troy when Matthew interrupted, "He did not betray us."


    "What?!"


    Skyler was taken aback and looked at Matthew in confusion, after which he gazed at Troy in


    puzzlement.


    Troy met Skyler''s gaze and approached Matthew. "President Kings, I heard that you are hurt."


    As Matthew supported the bed with both hands, Veronica took note of this and immediately helped him


    to sit up before she shoved the pillow behind his back.


    He replied, "It''s nothing serious. How''s the situation at your end?"


    "Crayson, Tanya, Randy, Eleanor, and Zac are all dead." Troy summarized the day''s events for the


    group. "Eleanor died due to her gunshot wounds whereas Tanya brought her men to fight with Crayson.


    Both died at the hands of the other. Dominik wanted to avenge his mother''s death, so he brought his


    people to kill Randy."

 Chapter 1016

    Chapter 1016


    Chapter 1016 I¡¯m Here for the Rescue


    "Dominik has sessfully inherited the position of the head of the n and bribed me to eliminate Zac.


    So, I followed Boss'' order, got rid of Zac, and did Dominik a favor."


    Matthew was originally worried about letting Zac remain in the n, but he never expected that Zac


    would have a change of heart when it came to Dominik.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Dominik valued his dignity so much that he would not allow it to be tainted by anything or anyone.


    From the moment Zacid a hand on Dominik, that was the beginning of Zac''s end.


    "So, you are a spy."


    Skyler was taken aback and red at Matthew. ¡±Matt, you are not being fair," he said before giving


    Troy another kick. "You''re not any better either. Heck, you never treated me like your bro."


    "ming me, huh?" Troy nkly looked at Skyler. "It''s all thanks to Boss. You should deal with him."


    Everyoneughed because they saw how Troy washed his hands off the matter.


    Veronica, who was sitting alone in a corner, looked lonely as she said nothing. Then, she rose to her


    feet and left the room.


    Although Crayson''s death was within her expectations, she still couldn''t ept the fact when she heard


    about it.


    Everyone watched as she left in sadness. While Shirley thought about following Veronica, Matthew


    stopped her with a look. "Let her calm down."


    No matter what, Crayson was like Veronica''s father figure. They had been together for more than


    twenty years, but after all that had happened in the hidden n over the past two months, Veronica


    found it difficult to ept reality.


    After that, Skyler asked about what happened at the ascension ceremony.


    The geng of men chetted for e long time before they returned to their rooms.


    Before Troy left, he went to Metthew. "Thet''s right. Dominik should being over to visit you tonight."


    Metthew nodded. "Okey."


    Two hours leter, Dominik showed up et One Piece Resteurent end wes now with Metthew in the living


    room.


    Metthew hed esked everyone to leeve the room, so there wes only him end Dominik.


    "Congrets, My Lord." Metthew hed substituted the elcohol with tee end toested Dominik.


    Dominik hesiteted when he sew Metthew''s ections.


    Metthew could see Dominik''s hesitetion end took the cup from Dominik to drink its contents. "Don''t


    worry, I won''t poison you. You don''t heve to worry since Troy is my men. If Roni hed wented the


    position of the heed of the clen, you''d be e deed men by now."


    Such words ceught Dominik by surprise, then he nodded efter he reelized something. "Hehe, you''re


    right. I''m being too ceutious."


    Then, he poured enother cup of tee for himself end took the initietive to toest Metthew. "I owe you e


    huge ''thenks'' for todey. However, I''m curious ebout something. Why did you send someone to help me


    in the end?"


    "It''s obviously to prove thet Roni''s not interested in being the heed of the clen."


    Metthew took the fork end seid while eeting, "The person I sent over todey helped you to eern thet


    position, which is enough to explein everything. Troy mentioned thet my people were the ones who


    seved your life. They tried their herdest to defend for more then en hour before your men finelly


    showed up."


    Thanks to the geography of the hidden n and the pce being at the mountaintop, the journey there


    was congested. So, it was difficult to seek help from anyone outside the mountain.


    "That''s correct. I never expected that Crayson wouldmunicate with the outsiders in an attempt to


    stop me. Heck, he even ruined the signal so that I''d lose contact with the outsiders. If it hadn''t been for


    your peopleing in time, the consequences would have been disastrous."


    The moment Dominik thought about what could have happened, he was terrified.


    An indifferent Matthewmented, "Crayson is your enemy, so that makes him the enemy of mine and


    Roni''s. His death will put a stop to everything and return peace to me and Roni. Come to think of it, I


    have to thank you."


    While they were at Hayley''s vi earlier, they ran into Zac and Tanya''s men as well as Skyler bringing


    them to safety. It was only because of this that all of them were able to escape unscathed. After that,


    Matthew instructed Lazlo to bring reinforcements to support Dominik at the pce.


    Then, he returned to One Piece Restaurant due to the injuries he sustained.


    After Matthew and the others received the news that Crayson and Randy had passed away, there was


    also subsequent news that Hayley took her own life.


    Hayley and Crayson had been in cahoots with each other and finally met their ends in such a manner.


    She lost the belief that she always had, which resulted in her loss of courage to live.

 Chapter 1017

    Chapter 1017


    Chapter 1017 Being Together for Warmth


    Such an ending was embarrassing.


    "I know that you are interested in the mines of the hidden n. We can cooperate, but I have a


    condition." Dominik looked at Matthew and solemnly expressed.


    The man sitting opposite him gave a small smile as he sipped on his tea. Then, he confidently replied,


    "I know what you want to say, but I''m sorry I can''t agree to it."


    Matthew took the teapot and poured another cup of tea for Dominik and himself. After that, he slowly


    exined, "Ten lifetimes won''t be enough for me to spend the wealth in Bloomstead. So, our


    cooperation is optional, but there can only be one buddy."


    He raised his eyes to say loudly, "Troy will always be my buddy until death. He has sacrificed so much


    for me that I can''t gamble with his life for the sake of business."


    Then, Matthew yed with the teacup before he continued, "Actually, you shouldn''t have said those


    words today. It''s still the same thing. If I cared about the mines and Roni cared about the head of the


    n, then the big winner would have been Roni, not you. You care too much about people''s opinions


    and your so-called dignity."


    "As for the matter between you and Zac, it has already ended with Zac''s death. The entire hidden n


    will never know about this matter, except for me and Troy. This also includes Roni."


    As soon es Dominik ceme over, Metthew hed elreedy known whet the men wented.


    After ell, whet heppened between Dominik end Zec wes e shemeful event for Dominik. The more


    people knew ebout it, the more sheme he felt.


    Unfortely for him, the person who wes ewere of Dominik end Zec''s metter wes Troy end Troy wes


    the one who ended Zec''s life.


    If he could elime Troy, there would be one less ''witness'' in this world. At the seme time, he could


    pin the bleme on Troy for everything.


    After ell, it wes Dominik who bribed Troy to do the deed. If he killed Troy, Dominik could eesily


    ennounce to the public thet Troy identelly murdered Zec. And since he hed gotten rid of Troy, he


    would be considered es heving evenged Zec''s deeth.


    Dominik wes contempleting in silence.


    "Very few people ere ewere of Zec''s deeth. I do heve en idee to help you ebsolve responsibility."


    "Whet idee?" Dominik''s eyes brightened, looking eeger.


    "Roni is excellent et dressing someone up. So, we cen look for someone who looks similer to Zec end


    dress him up es Zec. Then, send him on his wey to Cestron end let him drown on his journey. This


    metter would not involve your hidden clen then. The importent point is thet Antheene, Hendrey, end


    Xevier ell heve e close reletionship with Zec. If our plen feils, they would expose the metter. So, we


    cen''t keep eny one of Zec''s cronies elive!"


    At that, Matthew exined, "Don''t worry too much. Those involved will keep this a secret. I mean,


    Zac''s death benefits both of us. The reason why I''m willing to help out is because I don''t want you to


    hurt Troy anymore. He''s my man, so he should be able to leave the hidden n in one piece!"


    Dominik thought that he was intelligent enough, but for some reason, he felt that Matthew''s sharp eyes,


    wisdom, and generosity left him greatly impressed.


    Troy was merely an unimportant ally but was rejected by Matthew when he tried to make an


    immeasurable offer.


    All of a sudden, Dominik''s admiration for Matthew grew ever so slightly.


    Of course, he was also willing to believe what Matthew had said earlier.


    Zac and Matthew had a grudge against each other, so now that Zac was dead, Matthew would not be


    able to get away scot-free if he were to reveal Zac''s cause of death to those in Castron, as Troy was


    the murderer.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    The two of them were akin to being on the same boat, and the only thing they could do was huddle for


    warmth.


    "Deal!" Dominik raised his cup and clinked it with Matthew''s as both of them smiled.


    Now that Zac was dead, Dominik was naturally relieved.

 Chapter 1018

    Chapter 1018


    Chapter 1018 The End Is Near


    If Zac didn''t meet his death, he would definitely make a huge fuss about that night or threaten Dominik


    in the future, judging from Zac''s personality.


    As the head of the n, if it was exposed that he had done something as disgraceful as that, his


    position would definitely be challenged.


    Even if he could secure his position now, there woulde a day when Zac would threaten and exploit


    him.


    So, the best way to prevent any further problems from urring was to nip it in the bud.


    "When are you leaving?" Dominik asked again.


    After thinking for a while, Matthew answered, "The hidden n seems to have taken Roni''s adoptive


    parents away, so once we have found them, we''ll head back to Bloomstead."


    "Okay, I''ll help to search for them." Dominik gave it a thought, but he couldn''t help asking, "Would it be


    easy for Veronica to look for someone to disguise himself as Zac?"


    "When I met you for the first time, you didn''t even recognize me. Are you saying that you don''t believe


    me and Roni?" Matthew retorted with a question.


    Dominik was taken aback for a moment and thought, When I first met Matthew, he was using Iron


    Man''s identity. At that, he couldn''t help butugh. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    So, the two of them talked for a long time that night.


    Dominik wanted to celebrate with alcohol, but he was once again rejected by Matthew.


    As soon as Dominik left One Piece Restaurant, he immediately ordered the arrest and imprisonment of


    Antheena, Xavier, and Hendrey.


    The next day, Matthew and the others were resting in One Piece Restaurant.


    Veronica went to the hospital to visit Mateo, but there was no sign of him at the hospital.


    After asking around, the doctor handed her a letter. "Mateo asked me to pass this to you."


    When she received the letter, she returned to her car and opened the letter, which read:


    ''Dear Roni,


    By the time you read this letter, I would have already left. I never approved of Grandpa and the others


    regaining the position of the head of the n because I was worried that it could cause more deaths.


    However, I can''t persuade everyone to have a change of thought alone. Grandpa eventually persuaded


    me to be part of the n.


    What happened yesterday left me in deep, excruciating pain. I''m also deeply ming myself for it.


    I feel sorry for Grandpa because he''s my rtive. I feel sorry for Madam Hayley because she treats me


    like family.


    As for you, Roni, I feel sorry for you because I love you.


    Both Grandpa and Madam Hayley met their end while you will return to Bloomstead. The day you


    return will be the day when our future is uncertain.


    I don''t hate the fact that you are ruthless to Grandpa or the fact that you made use of me because I


    know that you are also a victim.


    After this, I hope you and Matthew can have a happy ever after. It''s obvious that he loves you with all


    his heart and soul. He''s also a rare one. By being with him, you''ll be the happiest you''ll ever be.


    Your adoptive parents were never here. Grandpa had originally arranged for me to send someone to


    bring them over to the hidden n. I couldn''t stomach the idea, so I lied that they were in Castron.


    Grandpa was forever talking about the idea of being the head of the n, so he had no time to pay


    them a visit and never knew that I was lying.


    That''s the only thing I can do for you. You don''t have to thank me because I know what I have done is


    not enough.


    As for me, I n to head to the countryside and teach the kids how to read, how to learn, and how to


    feel the beauty that the world has to offer. Who knows? Maybe I can redeem myself only through this


    method.


    After all, my capabilities are limited to the countryside, so that''s something.


    Finally, I hope that you can bury Grandpa with Madam Hayley. They were never born to be mean; it''s


    just that their environments shaped them to be who they eventually were.


    Roni, you must love yourself for the rest of your life. I''ll take the brooch that you gifted me and live a


    good life whilepleting my life''s mission.''

 Chapter 1019

    Chapter 1019


    Chapter 1019 I¡¯m Leaving


    After reading Mateo¡¯s letter, Veronica felt that her nose was sour while the sharp pain in her heart was


    threatening to suffocate her.


    As she looked at the neat handwriting, she could envision the Mateo Elrod that was full of vigor in her


    mind.


    He was originally a cheerful child and could have lived a rxed life, but Crayson had burdened him so


    much that his shoulders could not sustain the weight.


    It caused Mateo to remember that kind of ¡®pain¡¯ for the rest of his life, which resulted in his sunny


    disposition being overtaken by darkness.


    It was also on this day that ¡®Zac¡¯ led his people to the harbor and boarded the ship that was prepared


    by Dominik to leave the hidden n.


    Once they left, Veronica personally buried Crayson, Randy, and Hayley in the same cemetery as


    Tiffany.


    Matthew was still injured, so he was recuperating at One Piece Restaurant.


    She was the only one who went to settle their funeral rites.


    As she looked at the pictures on their tombstones, she sighed deeply before she said, ¡°May your souls


    rest in peace.¡±


    She stood in front of Crayson¡¯s tombstone and looked at the picture of someone with gray temples and


    a white beard.


    Eventually, her vision was blurred as tears swam in her eyes.


    Her mind reyed the scenes of her and Crayson together¡ªbe it the moments of happiness, childish


    y, or the time when she was lectured and punished.


    No matter which scene it was, it all left Veronica heartbroken.


    He regarded her like his own daughter while she thought of him as her elder.


    Even though they were not blood rtives, he was like one to her.


    Such an ending was not what anyone expected.


    ¡°You are too stubborn and too childish.You will even use any methods possible to achieve your goals.If


    it hadn¡¯t been for this, we would have been like how we were back then.I¡¯d grab your beard and call


    you names like old geezer and such, while you¡¯d chase me and threaten to give me a good


    spanking.I¡¯d have served you until your old age and in return, you¡¯ll be able to witness me having a


    career and my own family.But¡­¡±


    She refused to continue further as she copsed onto her knees and bowed.


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance.If we say adieu today, I won¡¯t have any chance to visit you anymore.If


    there is an afterlife, we better not meet each other again.¡±


    She rose to her feet and went to Hayley¡¯s tombstone where she kneeled and bowed.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    At that, she got up and nced at the tombstones that belonged to Randy and Tiffany.Her heart grew


    heavy, but she turned and left without saying anything to them.


    Two dayster, Matthew, Veronica, and the others prepared to leave the hidden n.


    However, on the day before they left, they apanied a mysterious woman in red to the research


    center located in the west zone where they stayed for a full five hours before leaving.


    When they were about to board the ship, Dominik brought a group of people with him to personally bid


    Matthew and the others goodbye.


    As soon as Dominik looked at Matthew, the two of them walked away from the group as they avoided


    the crowd on purpose.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Matthew asked.


    Dominik nced at Veronica, who was not far away.


    ¡°Did you and Veronica visit the research center in the west zone yesterday?¡±


    Matthew originally thought that nobody knew about it, but he never expected that Dominik would be


    made aware.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed that you found out so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Mother always thought that I was oblivious to the research center in the west zone, but I already knew


    about it about ten years ago.The secret passage under the research center leads to a secret room


    where there are venomous insects.I went to take a look, but the insects are all dead.What happened?¡±


    Dominik queried.


    Matthew took out a cigarette and offered it to Dominik.


    Then, he sighed and borated, ¡°Roni had her memories partially sealed by Crayson.There are little


    venomous insects inside her body, so to prevent them from affecting her in the future, I went to the


    secret room and used the queen to lure the little ones out.¡±

 Chapter 1020

    Chapter 1020


    Chapter 1020 Heading Home


    Such a method would lead to the little venomous insects¡¯ death.So, it was only natural for Dominik to


    have realized it.


    With a heavy expression, he flicked the cigarette and said, ¡°Keeping the venomous insects would only


    harm more people.¡±


    That was the reason why he disposed of all the venomous insects when he left the secret room.


    ¡°The only ones who can control the venomous insects would be those from the Elrods.People from


    Crayson¡¯s family are either arrested or dead, so I suppose there aren¡¯t many people left who could help


    you?¡±


    Dominik narrowed his eyes slightly with a tad bit of inquiry.


    ¡°Smart.¡±


    Matthew raised his head to look at Dominik before they broke into smiles.


    After that, Dominik produced a card and handed it to Matthew.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°There is a total of 150 million inside.The ount was opened in my name, so you should give it to


    her.Tell her that her big brother repents for his sins.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Matthew took the card.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the venomous insects.¡±


    The venomous insects were unique to the hidden n and Matthew couldn¡¯t bear to see them being


    used to harm people either, but it was utterly selfish of him to deal with the insects in such a manner.


    Dominik shook his head.


    ¡°Only the head of the Elrods are able to control the venomous insects.Crayson, Hayley, and several


    elders of the hidden n are all dead, so there¡¯s no one who can control the insects.Whether we keep


    the insects or not makes no difference.You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡±


    Matthew grunted as he nodded.


    Then, he patted Dominik¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I believe that you¡¯ll be able to bring the hidden n to greater heights.If we are meant to meet again,


    we definitely will.¡±


    The two of them exchanged a few more words before Matthew returned to Veronica¡¯s side.


    Before they boarded the ship, Veronica approached Dominik.


    ¡°I need your help with something.¡±


    ¡°Please speak up if you have something to say.¡±


    Dominik grinned at Veronica politely.


    ¡°I really hope you can let Destiny go as well as Xavier, Antheena, Hendrey, and especially,


    Mateo.Please don¡¯t find fault with Mateo anymore.¡± She sighed.


    ¡°He has a good heart and is different from those Elrods.¡±


    ¡°You two have a tacit understanding, huh.¡±


    Dominik nced at Matthew before he turned to Veronica.


    ¡°Matthew has already spoken to me just now.As for Xavier and the others, I¡¯ll let them leave the hidden


    n in a week¡¯s time.¡±


    In order not to expose Zac¡¯s matter, he couldn¡¯t allow them to return to Castron for the time being.


    Veronica nced at Matthew with affection before turning back to Dominik.


    ¡°Thank you.I suppose it¡¯s farewell.Until we meet¡ªno, let¡¯s not meet each other again.¡±


    ¡°Haha, sure,¡± came Dominik¡¯s reply.


    Then, he beckoned to the person behind him who immediately stepped forward to hand a carved box


    made out of mahogany to Veronica.


    ¡°Open this box when you have left.¡±


    ¡°Why the secrecy?¡±


    Veronicaughed.


    Dominik raised an eyebrow in a nonmittal manner.


    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something you should know,¡± he said as he suddenly remembered something.


    He fished an item out of his pocket and ced it in his palm while looking at her.


    Veronica stared at the item in his hand. It was a jade pendant¡ªa round one at that¡ªwith decorations


    engraved inside.


    The jade looked brand new, but there were bits of bloodstains on it.


    Veronica¡¯s nose turned sour at that as her eyes reddened.


    ¡°W-Why is this with you?¡±


    She could not be any more familiar with the jade pendant.


    When she was a young girl, she would y with the jade pendant hanging around Crayson¡¯s neck


    every time he carried her.


    After being with him for so long, she was so familiar with the jade pendant that she could almost draw it


    with her eyes closed.


    She even knew that there was a slight scratch on the pendant.

 Chapter 1021

    Chapter 1021


    Chapter 1021 Hayley¡¯s Death


    Veronica reached out and took the jade pendant from Dominik, seeing that the rope that was tied to the


    pendant was stained with dried blood.


    As she held it in her palm, it was as though she could sense the pain Crayson experienced when he


    suffered the head injury where blood gushed out of his wound.


    ¡°On the day of the ceremony, a fight broke out between the Ledgers n and Elrod n, resulting in


    many casualties.When I led my men into the arena, my mother had already disappeared.Later, my


    mother¡¯s guards told me that she was injured and fled.Waylen pursued her, but they ended up in a


    dead end.


    My mother had nowhere to go, so she fought Waylen head-on.They both fired their guns almost


    simultaneously and copsed together.


    Before Waylen died, he removed this jade pendant and gave it to Destiny, hoping that she would give it


    to Hayley.


    But I arrived with my men and arrested Destiny on the spot.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Later, Destiny learned from a fellow inmate in prison that Hayley had also died, so she asked me to


    give this to you.¡±


    Dominik briefly exined the situation to Veronica.


    Hearing that, Veronica gripped the jade pendant and nodded to Dominik.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.We should leave too.¡±


    Matthew held Veronica¡¯s hand and looked at Dominik with a faint smile.


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°All the best,¡± Dominik said.


    With that, Skyler, Shirley, Troy, Lazlo, Dean, and the others bid farewell to Dominik one by one and


    boarded the ship.


    Their ship slowly sailed away from the dock and gradually disappeared into the distance.


    Dominik stood on the shore as he watched the ship sail away.


    He sighed silently and remained silent for a long time.


    Everything that had happened recently seemed like a dream.


    However, he didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it too much, as he had to return to the pce as soon as


    possible to deal with political affairs and the remaining rebels who attempted to overthrow the


    government.


    After everyone left, Lamia appeared at the port.


    Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched the ship sailing further away into the distance.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡±


    Her luggage slipped from her hand, and she fell weakly to the ground with tears streaming down her


    face.


    Only on the day of the ascension ceremony of the head of the Hidden n, did Lamia find out about


    Hendrey¡¯s true identity.


    However, two days ago, ¡®Zac¡¯ left, and Lamia thought that Hendrey had left with Zac because she had


    not seen Hendrey since that day.


    On the day she learned that Veronica was going back to Bloomstead, she wanted to hurry over and


    return to Bloomstead with them, but she didn¡¯t expect to be a step toote after driving all the way


    there.


    Hendrey, are we really never going to meet again in our lifetime? When Hayley was alive, Lamia had a


    family.


    However, on the day of the ascension ceremony of the head of the Hidden n, Waylen and many


    elders of the Elrod Caln died in battle, representing theplete failure of the n¡¯s 20-year-long


    scheme to seize power.


    Veronica didn¡¯t lose her memory, nor was she under control, and Waylen was the only one that Hayley


    could count on.


    Unfortunately, Waylen also passed away.


    Her dream of more than 20 years was shattered, and Hayley, who couldn¡¯t ept the reality, chose to


    end herself by leaping off a building.


    She knew that even if she didn¡¯t leave the world, she¡¯d be arrested by Dominik, the new head of the


    n, and would ultimately be executed.


    Rather than bing a prisoner and dying without dignity, she preferred to take matters into her own


    hands.


    Without Hayley around, Lamia was alone and at risk of being arrested and imprisoned by Dominik.


    When she learned that Veronica was leaving, she wanted Veronica to take her away.


    s, fate was cruel, and she was left alone in the Hidden n.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    A tall and handsome man looked at Lamia, who was sitting on the ground, and he quickly approached


    her to help her up.

 Chapter 1022

    Chapter 1022


    Chapter 1022 Eleanor Ledger


    Lamia stood up and bowed to him as tears streamed down her face.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, then turned around and looked at the ship before walking away dejectedly.


    The man also looked at the ship and asked, ¡°Is your friend on that ship?¡±


    Hearing that, Lamia paused and turned to look at the man while nodding her head.


    ¡°Is your friend on board too?¡± she asked.


    The man nodded slightly and then shook his head.


    ¡°Well¡­I guess you could say she¡¯s a friend.She¡¯s also my benefactor.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Lamia asked curiously.


    ¡°Lionel,¡± he replied.


    He was Nelson¡¯s younger brother.


    Before Nelson died, he entrusted Veronica with the task of saving his younger brother, Lionel.


    Veronica kept her promise by rescuing Lionel and giving him arge sum of money to start a business.


    Meanwhile, on the ship, a woman wearing a red dress walked out of the living room and sat curiously


    next to Veronica.


    She pointed at a carved wooden box and said, ¡°Open it and see what¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Veronica nodded and opened the box.


    Inside was a document with the words ¡®Gold Mine Cooperation Agreement¡¯ written.Veronica¡¯s eyes lit


    up, and she looked at Eleanor, then at Matthew.


    ¡°Dominik gave this to you,¡± she said while handing the document to Matthew.


    ¡°Well, at least he has a bit of a conscience.¡± Eleanor sighed, and there was a hint of disappointment in


    her eyes.


    Veronica noticed Eleanor¡¯s disappointment and hugged her shoulders whileforting her.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you¡¯re also part of our family from now on.¡±


    The day before, in a secret room within the west zone research center, Eleanor from the Elrod n to


    help Veronica expel the Gu poison from her body.


    Eleanor had been a great help on the matter, and Veronica and her husband were grateful.


    Matthew looked at the agreement and gave a satisfied smile as it seemed like everything was as


    expected.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind supporting one more person,¡± he announced while raising the agreement in his hand.


    ¡°After all, the price has been paid.¡±


    In other words, Matthew didn¡¯t mind supporting Eleanor, but the money to support her came from her


    brother.


    Hearing that, Eleanor smiled bitterly.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t let me go even if I fled to the ends of the earth.¡±


    That day, when she visited Matthew at the hospital, she asked Matthew to help fake her death.


    After she faked her death, to avoid unnecessary suspicions, she took advantage of the chaos and set a


    fire in her pce, burning the fake corpse and destroying the face so that Dominik wouldn¡¯t suspect


    anything.


    After that, Matthew took her to the One Piece Restaurant and hid her there.


    When they set off, Veronica helped her with makeup and disguise so that she could board the ship


    smoothly and leave the Hidden n.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Maybe not.¡±


    Matthew shook his head and took out a bank card from his suit pocket.He held it between his fingers


    before tossing it to Eleanor.


    Eleanor caught the bank card with her bare hands.


    ¡°What does this mean? You want to provide for me?¡±


    ¡°Stop with your wishful thinking.¡±


    He pointed to the card and exined, ¡°It¡¯s from Dominik.He figured out that you didn¡¯t die and


    specifically asked me to give it to you.The password is his birthday.¡±


    This was also the reason why Matthew helped Dominik.


    Because the secret that Eleanor entrusted to him before leaving the hospital that day was to help her


    n her ¡®death: If Eleanor ¡®died¡¯, the only one who could ascend to the position of head of the Hidden


    n would be Dominik.


    Matthew¡¯s assistance to Dominik was also fulfilling the conditions and promises he made when he


    made Dominik help him find the missing Veronica.


    In addition, Dominik would be grateful to him and wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for him in the future.


    Of course, this contract in his hand was also within Matthew¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°For real?¡± Eleanor asked dubiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Sizzerian bank card under your brother¡¯s ount.Even if! can move mountains, I can¡¯t get a card


    without leaving the Hidden n, let alone a card with 1.5 billion in it,¡± he exined, Eleanor took the


    bank card and suddenly felt a sense of sorrow.


    She immediately got up and ran out of the living room.She ran onto the deck and looked in the direction


    of the Hidden n port with tears in her eyes.


    That was where she had lived for more than twenty years, but she had to leave.


    She was reluctant to leave, but she was also tired of the power struggles within the royal family and


    was eager to explore the colorful world outside the Hidden n.

 Chapter 1023

    Chapter 1023


    Chapter 1023 Lovey-Dovey


    Matthew ced the contract down and walked over to sit next to Veronica.He raised his hand and


    pulled her into his embrace before resting his chin on her head as he let out a long sigh.


    ¡°The dust has settled, and we can finally go home.¡±


    Veronica leaned against his chest and smiled.She closed her eyes slowly and said, ¡°Yes, we can finally


    go back to Bloomstead.First, we¡¯ll take Shirley to see the stic surgeon and finalize her surgery


    n.Then, we¡¯ll take the kids to visit my parents and have a good family reunion.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    Matthew leaned forward and nted a kiss on her lips affectionately.


    Half a monthter, they finally arrived in Castron.


    Upon arrival, they were greeted with a barrage of news headlines that read, ¡®Prince Zac Dies in a


    Tragic Boating ident¡¯, ¡®Prince Zac Killed by Sharks While Scuba Diving¡¯, ¡®Prince Zac Hit to Death by


    a Propeller After Falling Into the Sea¡¯.


    The news headlines were all about how he died.


    Meanwhile, the content of the news stated that witnesses saw Prince Zac fall into the sea and get


    eaten by sharks or hit by a propeller, attracting sharks, and his corpse couldn¡¯t be salvaged.


    The Castron king was heartbroken, but he confirmed the identity of the corpse through the body tissues


    that were brought back and held a funeral for Prince Zac.


    Veronica and herpanions knew the truth, but this matter would be kept a secret forever.


    Dominik did a clean job, leaving no trace behind, and even arranged for a trustworthy person on the


    ship to bring back a piece of human tissue to give to the king.


    This was beyond Matthew¡¯s expectations, and he couldn¡¯t help but praise Dominik¡¯s wits after reading


    the news.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Since they arrived in Castron at night, they flew back to Bloomstead on Matthew¡¯s luxurious private jet


    that same night.


    The interior of the private jet was meticulously designed and crafted.


    It was modern yet luxurious.


    While they rested on the leather couch in the living room, a butler brought over a bottle of fine wine and


    poured everyone a ss.


    A Michelin five-star chef prepared exquisite dishes in the kitchen, and the servers brought them out one


    by one.


    Eleanor was still wearing her eye- catching red dress, with long hair flowing down her shoulders.


    She sat with her legs crossed whilezily leaning against the couch, which revealed her slender and


    fair legs.She took a sip of the wine and licked her lips beforeplimenting, ¡°It tastes good.This sure is


    a fine wine.¡±


    ¡°Try this.¡±


    Veronica pointed to the steak in front of her.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sirloin steak, and it tastes good.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Eleanor beamed, but she couldn¡¯t help but frown when she held the knife and fork.


    ¡°Ah, this thing is so troublesome to use.¡±


    Since she wasn¡¯t used to eating with cutleries, it was simply awkward and maddening for her.


    ¡°Just get used to it.¡±


    Matthew sliced the steak with his knife and fork as he said to Eleanor.


    Hearing that, Eleanor raised an eyebrow and looked at the steak on his te.


    ¡°So, are you cutting this for me?¡±


    ¡°Dream on.¡±


    Matthew scoffed.


    With that, he ced the cut steak in front of Veronica, and also ced Veronica¡¯s steak in front of


    himself before whispering, ¡°Have this.¡±


    He gazed at Veronica tenderly.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk! I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    Eleanor shook her head.


    ¡°I feel full from watching your interactions.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Veronica and Matthew smiled at each other, and the atmosphere suddenly became


    rxed.


    Suddenly, Veronica asked the servant next to her, ¡°Did you prepare for anything Skyler and Shirley?


    Shirley likes sweets, so remember to prepare some mousse cakes, crepe cakes, and tiramisu for her.¡±

 Chapter 1024

    Chapter 1024


    Chapter 1024 I¡¯ll Take Full Responsibility


    ¡°Okay, Mrs.Kings.¡±


    The servant nodded respectfully and immediately walked toward the kitchen to get the chef to prepare


    dessert.


    Meanwhile, Shirley was resting in the room.


    Shey on the bed with her back facing Skyler and her eyes closed as if she was asleep.


    Seeing her sadness hurt Skyler¡¯s heart.He sat up and sat next to her before taking her hand in his


    palm.


    ¡°Shir, when we return to Bloomstead, I will take you to the best stic surgery hospital right away.Don¡¯t


    worry.We will cure the scars on your face.¡±


    He regretted being so impulsive back then when he brought Shirley to the Hidden n.He knew that


    girls were about their appearance, and Shirley, born with natural beauty, couldn¡¯t ept her current


    appearance.


    Hearing that, she slowly opened her eyes, but her gaze wasn¡¯t as dazzling as before, like a gem that


    had lost its luster and no longer shone.


    She unconsciously rubbed a wound on her index finger bone with her thumb, where a scar had been


    left from an injury over ten years ago.


    Although it had healed, the scar had always been there.


    Shirley had searched online for information about scars that wouldn¡¯t disappear.


    It was then she found out she was prone to scarring.


    As a result, she couldn¡¯t undergo cosmetic surgery.


    Since the day her face was injured by the Hidden n, Shirley knew that her face was almost ruined


    and couldn¡¯t be restored.She just didn¡¯t dare to tell Skyler.She selfishly wanted Skyler to stay by her


    side, and she knew that if she told him the truth, he would leave her.


    After all that she had been through, with so many lives lost along the way, she had learned that some


    things couldn¡¯t be forced, and she just had to go with the flow.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired and want to sleep for a while.¡±


    She deliberately yawned and closed her eyes.She pretended to fall asleep and ignored Skyler.


    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, go ahead and rest.Get some good sleep.¡±


    Skyler patted her shoulder.He stood up and closed the door of the room before going to the small living


    room.


    In the living room, he saw Matthew and Veronica drinking, after which he walked over and sighed


    deeply as he poured himself a ss of wine.


    Noticing him, Matthew and Veronica exchanged a nce, and they understood what was bothering


    him.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Skyler, I just discussed it with Matt.After we arrive in Bloomstead, we will contact the best stic


    surgeon immediately, and n the stic surgery ording to Shirley¡¯s condition,¡± Veronica


    suggested.


    She knew that Skyler had been worried about Shirley recently, and she was concerned as well.


    ¡°Roni and I are responsible for this, so we will take full responsibility for it,¡± Matthew said as he patted


    Skyler¡¯s shoulder tofort him.


    At the same time, Skyler held his ss of wine and lifted it slightly toward the overheadmp.


    The irregr edges of the round ss reflected the dazzling light.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.I brought her to the Hidden n, so I¡¯ll take full responsibility.¡±


    He sighed in frustration.


    ¡°Now is not the time to me anyone.Our top priority is to contact a good stic surgeon,¡± Veronica


    said while raising her phone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted a good stic surgeon in Bloomstead.We can go there directly after wend.¡±


    They had connected to the ne¡¯s Wi-Fi earlier, and Veronica had already contacted a stic surgeon


    in Bloomstead while they were chatting.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Skyler nodded after looking at Veronica.


    It was understandable that they were anxious, as she couldn¡¯t rest well until Shirley underwent facial


    reconstruction surgery.


    The next morning, they finally reached Bloomstead after spending more than ten hours on the ne.


    After getting off the ne, Veronica stood at the airport while breathing in the air of Bloomstead.


    Everything felt so familiar, and it made her incredibly rxed.


    She opened her arms, closed her eyes, and tilted her head before breathing deeply with a smile.


    ¡°Matt, it feels good to be home.¡±

 Chapter 1025

    Chapter 1025


    Chapter 1025 She Is Eleanor Gomez


    Indeed, Veronica was very happy and exceptionally rxed.


    Ever since she learned about her Hidden n identity, it was like a tremendous burden suffocating her.


    Now that everything was over, she felt relieved.


    Matthew, who stood beside Veronica, felt genuinely happy for her as he watched her radiant smile.He


    reached up his hand and rubbed her hair.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡±


    At this moment, Eleanor, Skyler, and Shirley began to disembark from the ne.


    Shirley worerge silver ash sunsses and a mask to conceal herselfpletely so no one would


    give her strange looks.


    Skyler tightly held Shirley¡¯s hand to cheer her on.


    ¡°Shir, Roni has already contacted the stic surgeon.Let¡¯s go there now.Don¡¯t worry.With modern


    technology in medicine, there will be no scars left on your face.¡±


    He spoke with confidence, but behind her sunsses, Shirley looked at him bitterly.How should I


    respond to him? She merely remained silent.


    Since her disfigurement, she had be quiet, and he was slowly getting used to it.


    Following that, the group walked out of the airport, and as they approached the lobby, they met


    Thomas.


    Thomas walked up to them and greeted Matthew and Veronica with a smile upon noticing them.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, Mrs.Kings, you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    Thomas finally felt at ease when he saw that they were safe and sound.


    ¡°Well done, you¡¯ve been working hardtely.¡± Matthew nodded slightly.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t too bad since Mr.Lynch and Yvette were there to help me.¡±


    Thomas chuckled cheekily before he was reminded of an item.


    He pulled out an object before handing it to Matthew.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Matthew took it and walked over to Eleanor.


    ¡°This is yours.¡±


    Eleanor, who was dressed ina fiery red dress, took off her sunsses and looked at the thing that


    Matthew handed her, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Your ID.Based on the surname you chose, you now have a new name- Eleanor Gomez.¡±


    After arriving in Castron, Matthew sent Thomas a photo and information about Eleanor for him to


    process her new identity.


    ¡°Ledger, con¡­¡±


    Veronica walked up to her and was about to congratte her but immediately rephrased her words,


    ¡°Gomez, yes, from now on, you are no longer Eleanor Ledger but Eleanor Gomez.¡±


    Within the Hidden n, the famous Eleanor Ledger died on the day of Dominik¡¯s session.


    So on that day, there was no more ¡®Eleanor Ledger¡¯ in this world.


    Only Eleanor Gomez remained alive.


    ¡°Eleanor Gomez, that¡¯s a nice name,¡± Skyler walked over andmented with a smile.


    ¡°Congrattions on your new name, Eleanor,¡±


    Shirley congratted her.


    Eleanor carefully looked at the information on the thin ID card in her hand while her eyes were filled


    with bitterness.


    Eleanor Gomez?Yes, Eleanor Ledger is dead, and there is only one person named Eleanor Gomez in


    this world.


    She looked up and gazed into the distance, looking at the blue sky of Bloomstead and feeling the


    breeze on her face.


    Her heart suddenly felt rxed but also with a hint of mncholy.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    After taking a deep breath, she smiled.


    ¡°Okay.From today on, I am Eleanor Gomez.You can¡¯t call me by the wrong name anymore.¡±


    ¡°Miss Gamez, nice ta meet you.¡±


    The supportive Skyler immediately reached out his hand to her.


    Eleanor was taken aback but shook hands with him.


    ¡°Mr.Robins, nice to meet you too.¡±


    Everyone burst intoughter upon seeing their interaction, and the atmosphere became lively.


    At this moment, Thomas suddenly noticed a familiar figure among the crowd.

 Chapter 1026

    Chapter 1026


    Chapter 1026 The Meeting of the Brothers


    Thomas furrowed his brows and looked at the person sideways.


    ¡°Troy?¡±


    Everyone looked at Thomas and saw his grave expression.


    He immediately pushed aside the people standing in front of Troy and grabbed his cor before


    punching him hard in the face.


    ¡°You b¡®stard! How dare youe back?¡±


    ¡°Someone grab Thomas!¡±


    Veronica reacted and immediately reprimanded him.


    Dean and Lazlo immediately pulled Thomas away and tried to calm him down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive!¡±


    The furious Thomas struggled to free himself.


    ¡°Let me go.I want to kill that b*stard!¡±


    Troy, who had been punched, rubbed his face and spat out a mouthful of blood onto the ground.


    This brat wants me dead, does he? ¡°Thomas, your brother didn¡¯t betray me.I nned for him to be an


    undercover agent.¡±


    Matthew stepped forward to exin.


    ¡°Young Master Matthew, you don¡¯t have to exin.I¡­¡±


    Thomas instinctively retorted but suddenly froze and turned to look at Matthew.


    ¡°What did you say? Undercover agent?¡±


    ¡°Yes.We were all fooled by him and Troy.¡±


    Skyler shrugged.


    ¡°I had the same thoughts as you back then.¡±


    ¡°Undercover agent?¡±


    Thomas murmured.


    When he looked at Troy with disbelief, he noticed that Troy was grinning as he rubbed his face.


    Thomas, who was furious a moment ago, suddenly became dumbfounded.


    Noticing that he had calmed down, Dean and Lazlo let him go.


    With that, Thomas walked up to Troy andnded a few fierce punches on his chest.


    ¡°Dang it! You hid it from me when you were undercover! Why keep it a secret from me?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Troy tilted his head and smirked before walking up and hugging Thomas tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s my bad.¡±


    Thomas instinctively struggled to get out of his embrace a few times, but he gave up in the end as he


    was held tightly by Troy.


    He hugged him tightly, and tears started welling up in his eyes.


    No betrayal.


    I¡¯m d that he didn¡¯t betray us.


    ¡°You scared the sh*t out of me.You have no idea how I survived this year.¡±


    Troy¡¯s fake betrayal started on the day when Veronica and Matthew got married, and it had been nearly


    11 months since then.


    During this period, every time Thomas thought of Troy¡¯s betrayal, he felt quite ufortable since Troy


    was the only rtive he had left.


    His betrayal meant that the next time they met, they would be enemies.


    Thomas had thought many times about what their next meeting would be like, but fortunately,


    everything was beyond his expectations.His brother didn¡¯t betray him, which was great news for him.


    Matthew raised his eyebrows and looked at the two brothers getting along with each other, feeling


    pleased.


    ¡°You must have suffered a lot.¡±


    Troy raised his hand and ruffled his hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since west met, and you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight.Come on, let¡¯s go home.I¡¯ll cook you


    something delicious.¡±


    ¡°Really? Don¡¯t you dare lie to me again!¡±


    Thomas pointed at him and punched him hard in the chest.


    ¡°If you dare to lie to me again, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡±


    The brothers¡¯ interactions made everyoneugh.


    Thomas also greeted a few other friends, including Dean and Lazlo.


    Following that, Matthew instructed Thomas, ¡°Please help Eleanor settle down.Get me some backup


    while you¡¯re at it.Skyler and I have some business to attend to.¡±


    With that, Matthew walked up to Troy and patted his shoulder.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard this year.Take a month-long vacation.Dean, Lazlo, and all of you take a long break


    and rest well.All expenses within the next month will be reimbursed.¡±

 Chapter 1027

    Chapter 1027


    Chapter 1027 Sending Shirley for stic Surgery


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re the best.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I can finally go on vacation.I can go home and see my wife.¡±


    ¡°I miss my wife and children so much.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Matthew is the best.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Boss.¡±


    More than a dozen of them were so excited that they jumped up and down with joy, and themotion


    attracted the attention of people in the airport.


    ¡°Oh, one more thing.¡±


    Suddenly, a serious expression appeared on Matthew¡¯s face as he remembered something.He


    instructed Troy, ¡°The others behind will return to the country one after another.You should arrange for


    bonuses and other matters first.As for those who passed away, we must take care of the matter


    adequately andpensate them ordingly.We cannot let them down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Boss.¡±


    Troy nodded and epted the task.


    ¡°Eleanor, you follow Thomas as we have to take care of something,¡± Matthew said to her.


    Hearing that, Eleanor made an ¡®ok¡¯ gesture with her hand and nodded.


    With that, Matthew, Veronica, Shirley, and Skyler got into the car and drove away.


    Matthew was the one who drove while Skyler sat in the back seat with Shirley.


    As he held Shirley¡¯s hand, he felt uneasy when he saw she was all covered up.


    ¡°You will be fine.I will always be with you.¡±


    Meanwhile, Veronica, who was seated in the front passenger seat, turned back tofort Shirley, ¡°And


    there¡¯s me and Matt.We¡¯re both here.You have to trust us, especially Skyler, since he¡¯s a doctor.You


    can doubt our words, but you must believe him.If he says he can restore your appearance to how you


    were before, then he definitely can.¡±


    Anybody would find it difficult to ept being disfigured, even more so for Shirley.She experienced too


    many unfamiliar situations during her trip to the Hidden n, which had caused a significant


    psychological impact on her.


    ¡°Thank you, Veronica,¡± Shirley said gratefully.


    The topic ended here.


    The atmosphere became somewhat heavy, and everyone in the car fell silent.


    Over an hourter, the sedan arrived in the city center and stopped in front of thergest stic


    surgery hospital.


    The four of them got out of the car and went straight into the hospital.


    The hospital¡¯s director was a tall and slender woman who was dressed in a bodycon blue and white


    dress, with long ck hair tied up into a bun and fastened with a hairpin.


    She looked elegant and graceful with an otherworldly temperament.


    ¡°President Robins, Mrs.Kings, you¡­¡±


    The woman walked up to greet them.However, when her gaze fell on Matthew, she was shocked, and


    her face turned pale.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­isn¡¯t this President Kings?¡±


    Everyone knew Matthew had passed away three months ago, and a funeral was held for him.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually alive.This is unexpected.¡±


    She spoke with disbelief.


    A faint smile appeared on Matthew¡¯s handsome face, and he took the initiative to shake hands with her.


    ¡°Miss Levine, long time no see.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Did I miss something?¡± Melinda Levine asked in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret,¡± Matthew replied mysteriously before pointing at Shirley.


    ¡°This is my younger sister.She got injured on her face.Can you please help take a look, Miss Levine?¡±


    He called Shirley his ¡®sister¡¯, which made Skyler feel touched, and of course, Shirley was moved too.


    Melinda took a nce at Shirley, who was all covered up and made a gesture to invite her upstairs.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go upstairs first.¡±


    She had been in the stic surgery industry for many years and had a certain amount of experience,


    so she was confident in handling this matter.


    The group of five went upstairs and directly entered Melinda¡¯s office.


    The secretary brought tea for all of them and ced the drinks in front of everyone.


    After that, she walked out and closed the office door.


    Melinda sat next to Shirley and asked softly, ¡°Can you take off your mask and sses so that I can see


    your condition?¡±


    Even though Shirley was very resistant to taking off her disguise in the current situation, she had no


    choice but to remove her mask and sunsses, revealing that terrifying and ferocious face.

 Chapter 1028

    Chapter 1028


    Chapter 1028 Cannot Be Treated Gasp!


    When Melinda saw Shirley¡¯s face, she furrowed her brows and gasped.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°How did you get hurt so badly? You¡¯ve really been through a lot, girl.¡±


    Melinda was almost 40 years old, but she gave off the feeling of being in her 30s due to her well-


    maintained appearance.


    However, she was very amiable and approachable.


    At her question, Shirley pressed her red lips together and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Instead, Veronica spoke up.


    ¡°She was injured by ident.Miss Levine, can you see if her wound can be treated?¡±


    She was not familiar with Melinda because Ruka was the one who introduced her to Melinda, the best


    stic surgeon in Bloomstead.


    Usually, a case like Shirley¡¯s could be fixed at a regr stic surgery hospital.


    Melinda was taken aback for a moment.


    When she turned to look at Veronica, a hint of darkness shed in her eyes, but she saw Veronica


    signal her with her eyes, so she immediately nodded.


    ¡°Yes, of course, it can be treated.But her wound is quite deep, and it cannot be treated in just one


    surgery.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    Immediately, Shirley¡¯s face lit up as if she saw hope, and her dull face turned radiant.


    Meanwhile, Skyler held onto Shirley tightly, noticing the long-lost smile on her face.


    For months, she looked as if the gloom of the rainy season had enveloped her, suffocating her and


    leaving her breathless.


    But now the haze had cleared, revealing the bright sun and bringing a sudden rity.


    Likewise, he felt as if the stone that had been weighing on him had fallen off, and he felt relieved.


    ¡°Did you hear that? Miss Levine said it could be treated.You just need to ept the treatment.¡±


    His wordsforted Shirley.


    A fleeting smile appeared on Shirley¡¯s face, but it disappeared in an instant when Melinda asked, ¡°You


    are not prone to scarring, are you?¡±


    With just one question, Shirley¡¯s newly built hope shattered, freezing her smile and draining the color


    from her face.


    Nervously sping her hands together, she anxiously scraped her thumbnail against her other fingers,


    baring her anxious heart.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    She shook her head and raised her left hand, pointing to a scar near the base of her index finger.


    ¡°This scar has been here for 15 years, but¡­it still shows.Does that count as being prone to scarring?¡±


    For normal people, wounds would gradually fade over time, leaving behind barely visible scars.


    But for scare-prone individuals, even after a long time, wounds would not fade and could even be


    thicker and more raised.when Melinda saw Shirley¡¯s finger, her expression slightly darkened, and her


    brow furrowed even tighter.


    ¡°Your situation is still manageable.¡±


    She sensed the signal from Skyler, so she had no choice but to hide the truth.


    ¡°We have seen customers with much more severe conditions than yours, but they all turned out fine in


    the end.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Shirley breathed a sigh of relief, genuinely happy.


    Melinda was experienced in the business field, making her excel at observing people¡¯s expressions.


    While sitting on the couch and maintaining her usual gentle demeanor, she said, ¡°The wound on your


    face hasn¡¯t fully healed yet, soe back for the treatment after it does.


    However, this is a gradual process, so you must not rush it.¡±


    ¡°I understand.Thank you, Miss Levine.¡±


    Shirley nodded and looked at Skyler with a grateful smile on her face.


    At this moment, Veronica signaled to Skyler, who instantly understood and pulled Shirley away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go look around the beauty salon.Consider it an opportunity for you to get acquainted.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is that¡­okay?¡±


    Shirley felt it wouldn¡¯t be right to leave Melinda behind.


    At her words, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°Silly, Matt and Miss Levine are good friends.They have some things to discuss.¡±


    He reminded her, and only then did she smile and nod, leaving with him.


    After they left, Veronica stared at Melinda with a serious look.


    ¡°Miss Levine, I know that scar-prone individuals cannot bepletely treated.For her case, what will


    be the best possible oue for her treatment?¡±

 Chapter 1029

    Chapter 1029


    Chapter 1029 Came Back to Life


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.It depends on the severity of her scar-prone constitution.¡±


    Melinda couldn¡¯t guarantee to what extent Shirley could recover and could only say, ¡°I will do my best,


    but her wound is very deep, so she should wait at least three to five months beforeing for the


    treatment.¡±


    After that, she gave some additional instructions before seeing Veronica and the others off.


    While in the car, Matthew drove and nced at Shirley through the rearview mirror before saying,


    ¡°Skyler, you should stay at the Pinewoods Vi for this period.I still have a lot of work, so you can help


    me keep Ronipany.¡±


    Veronica, sitting beside him, understood his intention immediately and followed along.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.I don¡¯t have much to do now, so I feel bored at home.I won¡¯t be lonely with you two


    by my side.¡±


    Both of them knew that it would take several months for Shirley¡¯s face to recover.


    If they left her alone in her small apartment, she might feel depressed and unwilling to go out for a long


    time.


    Hence, it was better for her to stay with them.


    How could Skyler, who was so clever, not understand Matthew¡¯s good intentions? At once, he


    embraced Shirley¡¯s shoulder with a radiant smile.


    ¡°It will be impolite of me to refuse your warm invitation, Matt.Besides, the Hidden n has done you a


    great favor.I¡¯ll consider it a vacation.¡±


    After saying that, he turned to Shirley and said, ¡°Shir, you wille with me, right?¡±


    Shirley¡¯s mood was good at the moment, so she readily agreed.


    ¡°Sure, I can¡¯t go to work now, anyway.¡±


    When they heard her eptance, Matthew nced at Veronica, and the couple smiled with


    contentment.


    After driving for over an hour, they finally arrived at the Pinewoods Vi.


    As the car entered the vipound, Veronica got out of the car and stood outside, staring at this


    familiar ce.


    Even though she hadn¡¯t been here for just over two months, it felt like she hadn¡¯t been here for years.


    She tilted her head and looked at Matthew, getting out of the driver¡¯s seat.


    When their gazes met, they simultaneously took steps forward, standing in front of the car.She then


    reached out her hand, letting him hold it, and they interlocked their fingers.


    ¡°Do you know? During those days when you weren¡¯t here, I lived alone in this ce, and I was so


    afraid.¡±


    She gazed at the castle-like mansion and let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re finally back, everything feelsplete.¡±


    Hearing that, he pulled her into his embrace, hisrge hand cradling the back of her head as he leaned


    down and kissed her on the lips.


    ¡°Sorry for making you suffer.¡±


    It was a brief kiss, and he wanted it tost longer, but seeing the group of maids running toward them,


    he reluctantly released her.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, why are you showing affection in public? I have my girl too.¡±


    After rolling his eyes at them, Skyler pulled Shirley into his arms and leaned down to kiss her forehead.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Behind Shirley¡¯s sunsses, her beautiful eyes had curved into a crescent shape, and she felt loved as


    if her heart were embraced by a warm embrace.


    Just then, the group of maids ran over, lining up in four rows and bowing respectfully.


    ¡°Wee back, Mr.and Mrs.Kings.¡±


    They had received a phone call from Thomas an hour ago, informing them that Matthew and Veronica


    would be returning.


    Although everyone was unclear about how their deceased master hade back to life, there was no


    doubt that they were all overjoyed.


    The voices of the 30 maids dressed in uniform were loud and harmonious.


    Matthew held Veronica in his arms as they stood in front of the servants.


    After a while, he announced, ¡°Thank you all for working hard when I was away.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Mr.Kings.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God.


    Weren¡¯t you dead, Mr.Kings? How did youe back to life?¡±


    ¡°what happened exactly? It¡¯s so miraculous.¡±


    ¡°Are you really Mr.Kings?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable.¡±


    The crowd spoke incessantly, each person adding their ownments.


    At this moment, Matthew smiled and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Rest assured.It¡¯s me.¡±

 Chapter 1030

    Chapter 1030


    Chapter 1030 Hasty Naming


    Veronica spoke up as well.


    ¡°The whole thing is quiteplicated, but as long as the end result is good.No matter what, Matt has


    returned, and that¡¯s what matters most.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, Mrs.Kings is right.¡±


    ¡°As long as he¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°You should go inside, Mr.Kings, Mrs.Kings.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.Hurry up and go rest.¡±


    The maids were overjoyed, with smiles on their faces.


    Matthew, having ovee many difficulties and now embracing a happy life, felt especially rxed


    and joyful.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s sries this month will be doubled as a reward.¡±


    ¡°Wow, Mr.Kings! That¡¯s so generous of you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr.Kings.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yay! That¡¯s impressive.¡±


    ¡°Mr.Kings is the best.¡±


    Everyone cheered and excitedly followed along as they entered the vi, bypassing the fountain in the


    central courtyard and climbing the steps into the hall.


    Just then, Veronica turned to Shirley and Skyler, saying, ¡°Shirley, Skyler, the two of you should also


    take a rest.I¡¯ll go upstairs and check on Ada and n.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Shirley nodded.


    Veronica then instructed the maids, ¡°Take them to their room.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs.Kings.¡±


    The maids nodded and walked up to Skyler, gesturing to them.


    ¡°Pleasee with me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go rest to not disturb the four of you.¡±


    Skyler smirked mischievously and pulled Shirley away.


    Meanwhile, Matthew held Veronica¡¯s hand, and they went upstairs to the children¡¯s room.


    Inside the room, Ada and n, who were already six months old, were lying sound asleep in their


    cribs.


    They were dressed in light yellow printed rompers and covered with thin nkets, looking adorable and


    innocent.


    Quietly, the couple walked toward the crib and sat by the bedside.


    Matthew extended his finger, gently caressing Ada¡¯s face, while a faint smile appeared on his own.


    ¡°Our children are so adorable.Do you think they resemble you more or me more?¡± he asked softly.


    At his question, she rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡°The children aren¡¯t fully grown yet.We can only tell when they get a little older.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile and sigh.


    ¡°They had a hard time during our trip to the hidden n.I feel like I¡¯ve caused trouble for them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that way.¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He embraced her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, offering her a ce to lean.


    With his hand still resting on her shoulder, he gently caressed her cheek.


    ¡°They are safe and sound, and that¡¯s what matters.By the way, I was so busy that Ipletely forgot


    that our wedding anniversary falls on the day of the head of the n¡¯s ascension ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Hearing that, she immediately sat upright, tilting her head as she thought for a moment.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡±


    She shook her head helplessly.


    ¡°Not only you, Ipletely forgot as well.But the important thing is that we both returned safely, and


    that¡¯s what matters most.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    He nodded, unable to disagree with her viewpoint.


    After he leaned back, he propped his head on a pillow, holding her in his arms.


    The two of them gazed at the starry ceiling, falling into a long silence.


    ¡°Do you want to give the children new names?¡± she asked with closed eyes as shey on her side and


    wrapped her arms around his abdomen, pressing close to him.


    Ada and n.


    Their names are really too simple.


    ¡°When you named them Ada and n, wasn¡¯t it because you wanted our precious babies¡¯ lives to be


    simple and happy?¡±


    ¡°But everyone says that I was too hasty when naming them.¡± She chuckled wryly.


    ¡°Although their names are simple, they carry their mommy¡¯s wishes,and that¡¯s what matters most.¡±


    Matthew stroked her hair,forting her.


    ¡°Now that you put it that way, it actually makes sense.¡±


    She instantly regained her confidence, feeling that the names held extraordinary meanings.

 Chapter 1031

    Chapter 1031


    Chapter 1031 Here Comes Yvette


    Matthew continued chatting with Veronica about recent events, but as he spoke, he realized that he


    wasn¡¯t getting a response.


    Only then did he notice that she had actually fallen asleep in his arms.


    Listening to her steady breathing, he didn¡¯t dare move, afraid that he might wake her up.


    There had been so much happening in the hidden n during this period, and she had been under a lot


    of pressure.


    He knew she hadn¡¯t been sleeping well, so he hoped she could get some more rest.


    Just then, he heard babbling soundsing from beside them.


    When he lifted his head, he realized his little one was awake and lying in the crib, babbling and blowing


    bubbles.


    Yet, because Ada and n looked so alike, he couldn¡¯t tell which one had woken up.


    ¡°Hush¡­¡±


    He made a hushing gesture, hoping the little one would settle down, but how could an infant


    understand? Instead, Matthew¡¯s action amused the baby, who giggled and revealed a small white


    tooth, looking especially adorable.


    In that instant, Matthew truly understood the happiness of being together as a family.


    isn¡¯t happiness about embracing my wife and watching my two children grow up safe and healthy by


    my side? He thought about getting up tofort the baby, but Veronica¡¯s head was resting on his arm.


    Afraid that getting up would disturb her rest, he could only take off his shoes and ce his feet on the


    edge of the crib to gently rock it.


    Meanwhile, the adorable babyy in the crib, enjoying the movements of the rocking crib.


    After turning over andying down, the baby nibbled on its little fingers before falling asleep once more.


    Seeing that, Matthew turned to the side and looked at the woman in his arms.


    Her skin was as smooth and delicate as a baby¡¯s, and it was so delicate that it could get scratched


    easily.


    Her rosy lips rosy resembled a blooming flower, tempting others effortlessly.


    Veronica turned around and faced away from him while asleep.


    At the same time, she moved her head away from his arms.


    Only then did he get up and gently cover her with a thin nket.


    Silently, he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.


    As he stepped out, he saw Yvette in the corridor.


    It had been a long time since she had seen Matthew, and when she saw him again, her eyes lit up


    before they became misty.


    Nheless, she simply smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re finally back, President Kings.I knew you wouldn¡¯t


    die.¡±


    When Yvette first heard the news of Matthew¡¯s death, she cried for a long time.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    But upon careful thought, she felt that his death wasn¡¯t quite real.


    Despite everyone believing that he had died, she was convinced that he was still alive.


    With his hands in his trouser pockets, the tall and imposing man walked directly toward her, as cold and


    aloof as before.


    He then said in a deep voice, ¡°Tell me about the recent situation.¡±


    At his words, she sniffed and took a deep breath to adjust her mood.


    Immediately, she opened the folder she was holding and spoke professionally.


    ¡°Under Mr.Conrad¡¯s management, the Spinfluence Group has been thriving.Several projects are


    currently underway.However, there seem to be some financial issues with the projects.As for your other


    companies, they are increasing in profit.Yet, due to Mr.Conrad¡¯s coercion and inducement, several


    companies we previously coborated with didn¡¯t renew their contracts after they expired.If you don¡¯t


    return soon, thepany might face some problems.¡±


    She then added, ¡°Also, Mrs.Kings sold Halston Technology to Mr.Conrad at 4.5 billion previously, but


    she secretly transferred out the UAV¡¯s core data.


    After that, members of the core technology team gradually resigned and joined our otherpanies.


    Although Mr.Conrad now possesses Halston Technology and some other decent technological projects,


    he has missed out on the core technology of the drone, resulting in significant losses.


    Since then, he has been targeting and suppressing the otherpanies under your name.¡±

 Chapter 1032

    Chapter 1032


    Chapter 1032 Gorgeous Woman


    During the conversation, Matthew returned to his study room.He sat by the table and opened hisptop


    while Yvette ced some important documents in front of him.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    While looking through the papers, he ordered Yvette, ¡°Tell the others that I have returned.¡±


    ¡°But¡­What about the funeral you held? What should I do about it?¡±


    YWette didn¡¯t dare take matters into her own hands.


    Matthew stopped flipping through the papers and looked at her coldly.


    ¡°Well, what are PR departments for?¡±


    ¡°I understand, President Kings.¡±


    Yvette nodded without hesitation when she heard his cold tone.


    ¡°How is Old Mrs.Kings doing?¡±


    ¡°Her Alzheimer¡¯s disease is getting worse.Mrs.Coleman has been taking care of her, and there is


    nothing to worry about.¡±


    As Yvette spoke, she looked at Matthew hesitantly before saying, ¡°Though, Old Mrs.Kings has been


    asking for you.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Matthew hummed in response.


    Suddenly, he frowned and said, ¡°I need you to call Thomas. Tell him to keep Eleanorpany for


    some time.¡±


    ¡°Eleanor? Who is she?¡± asked Yvette.


    She thought momentarily and didn¡¯t seem to recall knowing such a woman.


    However, as soon as she spoke, she noticed Matthew¡¯s expression darkening.


    Immediately, she lowered her head and said, ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡±


    Although Matthew had a grim expression, he only red at her before looking back at the documents.


    ¡°Remember, do not ask anything about Eleanor.Also, she is a very important guest, so you have to take


    good care of her.Find some time to transfer Axies Vi¡¯s ownership to her.¡±


    When Yvette heard his words, she lowered her eyes and wondered who Eleanor was.


    After all, Matthew seemed to be paying much attention to her.


    Is Eleanor his new lover? After all, this was the first time Matthew had explicitly told her to take care of


    another woman.


    When Yvette first saw Eleanor, she confirmed her suspicions.


    Two hourster, Yvette met Eleanor at Axies Vi.


    Eleanor wore a red strapless dress, and her ck hair was long and curly.Her skin was white as snow,


    and her facial features were gorgeous.She had deep dark eyes, curly eyshes, curved eyebrows, and


    red lips.She looked like a divine goddess.


    Even Yvette, a woman, was captivated by her beauty.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Yvette.President Kings asked me to take care of you,¡± said Yvette as she stretched


    out her hand.


    She felt it was reasonable for Matthew to love another woman.


    After all, even she was mesmerized by Eleanor, not to mention other men.


    ¡°I see.Master told you toe here.I thought he would have forgotten me by now.¡±


    Eleanor looked at Yvette¡¯s hand but didn¡¯t shake it.


    Instead, she grabbed her wine bottle and turned around, entering the living room barefoot.


    On the other hand, Yvette couldn¡¯t help but be in awe as she looked at the beautiful design of Axies


    Vi.


    Axies Vi was located at Lakeside Residence, spanning over 5,300 square feet.


    Such a massive three-story vi probably cost 150 million on this expensivend.


    At this moment, Yvette was more curious as to who Eleanor was.


    She wondered why Matthew would spend so much money on sucha woman.


    ¡°President Kings told me to help you get used to Bloomstead.¡±


    Yvette stood by the couch and treated Eleanor with respect.


    ¡°From now onward, I will be in charge of your daily necessities.¡±


    Eleanor nced at Yvette and frowned.


    Then, she took out her phone and dialed Matthew¡¯s number.


    When Matthew answered the call, she immediately said, ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing? Why did


    you hire a woman to take care of me? Hurry up and tell her to leave.I want a man to take care of me.¡±

 Chapter 1033

    Chapter 1033


    Chapter 1033 yboy


    In the study, Matthew pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed when he heard Eleanor¡¯s words.


    ¡°What kind of men do you like?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Are you talking nonsense? The answer is you.¡± Eleanor huffed.


    Matthew was speechless when he heard her words.He felt that he was stupid to have asked such a


    question.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Troy to keep youpany,¡± said Matthew.


    Then, he hung up and called Troy.


    When the call was picked up, Troy asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mr.Kings?¡±


    ¡°Let Lazlo handle your job.I need you to stay with Eleanor for the time being.After all, you are quite


    familiar with her.Thus, you can take matters into your hand if anything happens,¡± said Matthew.


    When Troy heard his words, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°It¡¯s not right to break your promise, Mr.Kings.You


    promised me a one-month holiday.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same whether you spend your holiday alone or with Eleanor.There¡¯s no difference.¡±


    ¡°Of course there is.I¡ª¡±


    Before Troy could finish his words, Matthew cut him off.


    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯ll give you 450,000 if you do it.¡±


    As expected, Troy snickered when he heard there would be money involved.


    ¡°Deal.You¡¯re right, Mr.Kings.It doesn¡¯t matter if I spend my holiday alone or with Princess Elea¡­I mean


    Miss Gomez.It¡¯s the same.Don¡¯t forget to send the money over.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Matthew growled and hung up the call.


    Just as he put down his phone, the door to his study was opened.


    Then, Caleb and Miguel entered the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Miguel and I were going to look for you if you didn¡¯t return anytime soon, Matt.¡±


    They approached him excitedly and eyed him up and down.


    ¡°You look like you are in good shape.I thought you would have lost an arm or a leg after your


    departure,¡± said Caleb jokingly, for he was in a good mood.


    Miguel still wore a white suit and had a cigarette in his hand.


    ¡°This taciturn prick was so worried about you that he ran multiple red lights.¡± He chuckled.


    As Matthew¡¯s best friends, although they didn¡¯t help the hidden n, they had been taking care of his


    multiplepanies.


    If it weren¡¯t for them in Bloomstead, Conrad would have snatched all of Matthew¡¯s money away.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us that you¡¯ve returned? Are we still buddies?¡±


    Caleb frowned and locked upset.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯d be here if I hadn¡¯t told you?¡± replied Matthew as he closed the file.


    Then, he stood up and said, ¡°Skyler is dating Shirley.However, something happened, and Shirley¡¯s face


    was scarred.When we returned to Bloomstead, we immediately took her to a stic surgery hospital


    and asked about her condition.That is why I didn¡¯t have the time to inform you about my arrival.¡±


    ¡°What? Is Skyler dating Shirley?¡± Caleb looked at him in disbelief.


    Then, he turned to look at Miguel and said, ¡°He is a yboy, though.Is he toying with Shirley¡¯s


    feelings?¡±


    Since they were best buddies, they knew each other well.


    Thus, it was no secret as to what Skyler¡¯s personality was.


    Matthew took the cigarettes out of his cigarette box and gave them.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it,¡± he replied, shaking his head.


    At this moment, the door suddenly opened.


    ¡°Miguel? Caleb? When did you guys get here?¡±


    When Skyler saw the duo, he immediately rushed toward them and bumped his fists against their


    chests.It was a unique way of greeting each other.


    ¡°We just arrived not long ago¡±


    Caleb bit the cigarette and put his hands in his pocket.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Then, he cocked an eyebrow and asked, ¡°I heard you are dating someone.¡±


    ¡°How did you find out so soon?¡± Skyler tilted his head and pointed at Matthew.


    ¡°You are such an inconsiderate person, Matt.¡±

 Chapter 1034

    Chapter 1034


    Chapter 1034 Eleanor Is Going Crazy


    Matthew shrugged and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Are you trying to keep it a secret from them?¡±


    ¡°It seems like you are the one who is inconsiderate,¡± said Miguel teasingly as he raised his leg and


    kicked Skyler¡¯s butt yfully.


    Since they had not met for a long time, they sat in the study and talked about recent events.


    In the meantime, at Axies Vi, Eleanor was watching a soap opera as she sat on the couch leisurely.


    The cliche romance movie about pseudo- siblings touched her, and she sighed.


    ¡°I never knew that leaving the hid¡­¡±


    Suddenly, she nced at Yvette before continuing, ¡°Leaving my hometown can be this rxing.¡±


    When she was at the hidden n, she needed to do all sorts of training while helping her mother with


    plenty of affairs.


    She had learned to be independent while managing the n.


    Thus, it was exhausting.


    Now that she was in Bloomstead, she could enjoy a leisurely life.


    However, she was not used to it.


    ¡°Are you busy when you are in your hometown, Miss Gomez?¡± Yvette asked tentatively.


    She didn¡¯t know why, but she wanted to get to know Eleanor.


    Ding dong! Just then, the doorbell rang.


    Eleanor looked at Yvette, and thetter quickly understood what she was implying.


    She immediately approached the door and saw a familiar figure standing by the doorway.


    ¡°Did Mr.Kings ask you to apany Miss Gomez?¡± asked Yvette with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Troy nodded his head.


    ¡°Miss Gomez doesn¡¯t seem as simple as she looks.On the contrary, she seems quite mysterious.Do


    you know who she is?¡± Yvette asked as she opened the door for him.


    When Troy entered the room, he looked at her and reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t ask things that you shouldn¡¯t


    ask.You¡¯ve forgotten the rules, Yvette.¡±


    Hearing his words, Yvette sighed sadly and ruffled her short hair.


    ¡°I understand, Troy.¡±


    Everyone had a sense of curiosity in them, especially when they were met with mysterious figures.


    Such mysterious individuals would make one curious about them, and they¡¯d want to know more.


    After Troy entered the living room, he changed into a pair of slippers and looked at Eleanor.


    When he noticed several beer bottles on the table, he understood something.


    Then, he approached her and sat by her side.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you feeling homesick?¡± he asked.


    Eleanor hugged the pillow and propped her arms on the armrest.


    When she heard his voice, she looked at him and said, ¡°I told Matthew to find a handsome man for me,


    but he asked you toe over instead.¡±


    Immediately, Troy had a grim expression, and he frowned slightly.


    ¡°I would rather allow you to scold me than call me ugly.That¡¯s just straight-up rude.¡±


    However, he didn¡¯t sound angry.


    Instead, his tone was rather cheeky.


    Hearing his words, Eleanor eyed him up and down.


    On this day, Troy wore a set of casual ck clothes.


    Although he had a buzz cut, his facial features stood out.


    He wasn¡¯t the cold type like Matthew, but his smile was warm.


    Troy gave off a sense of security and looked like a valiant soldier.


    Asoldier? As Eleanor thought about it, she suddenly sat straight up.


    ¡°From what! remember, you¡¯re pretty skilled at shooting.Do you want to practice with me?¡±


    Even though it was fun watching movies, she felt bored.


    Eleanor suddenly leaned closer to Troy, and her eyes were bright.


    Troy¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw how close she was to him.


    Then, he frowned and moved slightly backward.


    ¡°You can just talk from where you are sitting.Why do you need toe close to me?¡±


    Looking at his reaction, Eleanor seemed confused.


    ¡°When we were at the hid¡­Umm¡­You didn¡¯t seem to be the shy type when you were in my


    hometown.¡±


    Then, she looked at Yvette and seemed to have realized something.


    ¡°Oh¡­I see.Is she your girlfriend?¡± asked Eleanor as she pointed at Yvette.


    Then, she chuckled and looked at Yvette.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.Although your boyfriend isn¡¯t ugly, he is not my type.¡±

 Chapter 1035

    Chapter 1035


    Chapter 1035 You¡¯re Too Noisy


    As Eleanor spoke, she lowered her head and mumbled in hidden tongue, ¡°It¡¯s so frustrating.Why can¡¯t I


    change the way I talk?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how long she would need to be able to change the way she spoke as she stayed in


    Bloomstead.


    On the other hand, Yvette was startled by Eleanor¡¯s words.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Then, she subconsciously looked at Troy.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡±


    She seemed to be trying to say something.


    However, before she could say anything, she heard Troy saying, ¡°Stop talking nonsense.Yvette and I


    are just friends.We are just friends.What do you mean by she is my girlfriend? Do you think everyone is


    open-minded like you?¡±


    He corrected her.


    ¡°We are in Bloomstead.Do you understand that?¡±


    He was implying that one could only have a partner in Bloomstead.


    ¡°Also, if a person is already married to someone else, they cannot date or marry another person.They


    would bemitting bigamy, which means they¡¯ll have to go to jail.This is not your hometown.¡±


    Aside from Eleanor, Troy nearly had a slip of his tongue as well.


    While they were talking, Yvette seemed sad when she heard Troy¡¯s words.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Thus, she didn¡¯t hear what he was talking about since she was in her own world.


    ¡°Bigamy? Jail?¡±


    Eleanor had heard Matthew say such things to her when they were in the hidden n.However, she


    still shook her head after Troy had finished his words.


    ¡°Goodness, this is such a troublesome country.You guys have too many rules and regtions around


    here.¡±


    ¡°Nothing can be aplished without norms or standards,¡± said Troy.


    Then, he looked at Yvette and said, ¡°I need you to buy a copy of ¡®Civil Law¡¯ and ¡®The Law Book¡±¡±


    ¡°What do you need those for?¡±


    Yvette was surprised.


    ¡°Just do as I say.Stop asking so many questions.¡±


    Troy was rude to her.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    Yvette nodded.


    Then, she left the living room and went to the nearby bookstore.


    After she was gone, Troy exined to Eleanor, ¡°We are not in the hidden n, Princess


    Eleanor.Bloomstead has a different lifestyle.Thus, you cannot do as you wish.You cannot be armed


    with guns, you cannot get into fights, and you cannot deliberately harm others.Most importantly, you


    cannot hook up with someone just because you like them.If they are married, you will be used as a


    home-wrecker.By then, you will be exposed online and even go viral on Twitter.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Twitter?¡±


    ¡°Twitter is¡­¡±


    As Troy spoke, he rubbed his temples and took out his phone.


    Then, he pointed at the Twitter icon and said, ¡°This is Twitter.Everyone is using it.Thus, if something


    happens and gets posted online, everyone will know what you¡¯ve done.By then, the whole world will


    scold and despise you.It¡¯ll ruin your whole life.Do you understand?¡±


    Eleanor blinked and looked around as she thought about Troy¡¯s question.


    Then, she said, ¡°I know what you are talking about, but I don¡¯t quite understand.¡±


    ¡°What don¡¯t you understand? I¡¯ll exin it.¡±


    Troy was afraid that Eleanor would cause trouble in Bloomstead.


    When he was at the hidden n, he knew that Matthew was grateful for Eleanor¡¯s help.


    However, if he didn¡¯t watch Eleanor, she would cause trouble for Matthew.


    ¡°Just¡­Why can¡¯t a person have two husbands?¡±


    Eleanor huffed in frustration.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for us.Also, why can¡¯t I pick a fight with others? Am I not allowed to beat them up even if


    they scold or hurt me?¡±


    ¡°If someone scolds you, you can¡¯t beat them up.However, you can fight back if someone takes the


    initiative and hurts you instead.This is called self-defense.However, if you start a fight, you¡­¡±


    Just as Troy was patiently exining things to Eleanor, thetter waved her hand at him and said,


    ¡°You¡¯re too noisy.It¡¯s giving me a headache.¡±

 Chapter 1036

    Chapter 1036


    Chapter 1036 Who Are You Calling Noisy?


    Eleanor stood up in frustration and paced around the living room. She was upset since she knew she


    needed a long time to get used to Bloomstead''s lifestyle, which differed entirely from the hidden n.


    Troy was slightly furious Eleanor had implied that he was talking too much, but he knew how she felt


    when he saw the upset look on her face. "I know it''s hard for you to take it all in, but you should know


    that this is normal. Anyone will be ufortable when they are in a new ce. You''ll get used to it


    after some time."


    Then, Eleanor approached Troy and looked at him. "I want to go horse riding," she requested.


    Her voice was filled with sadness as she spoke, and the sad look on her face made her look pitiful.


    Needless to say, Troy was heartbroken by the sight.


    He pursed his lips into a thin line and closed his eyes as he leaned against the couch. He sighed and


    rubbed his throbbing temples. Think about the money, Troy. Nothing can stop you from earning


    450,000 bucks. He convinced himself.


    Eventually, he agreed to her proposal and said, "Come on. I''ll take you there."


    It was 3.00PM, which was the perfect time to go horse riding at the racecourse.


    Then, the duo changed their shoes before leaving. Just as they walked to the door, they encountered


    Yvette and Thomas.


    "Where are you guys going, Troy?" asked Thomas as he approached them.


    Troy pointed at Eleanor and replied, "We are going to the racecourse since Miss Gomez wants to go


    horse riding."


    "I want to go too, Troy. Please take me," said Yvette.


    Since she had asked about it, Thomas joined in and said, "Me too, Troy. I even ditched my job to visit


    you." He was implying that he missed Troy.


    "About that¡­" Troy tilted his head and looked at Eleanor. "Are you fine with that?" he asked.


    "Whatever," replied Eleanor as she walked toward the car.


    When Troy saw that she was going for the driver''s seat, he immediately ran toward her. "Hold on, I''ll be


    the one driving." He grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the car. "How can you drive when you


    don''t have a driving license? The police will put you in custody if they find out about this."


    "I have a driving license, though," Eleanor exined.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    "The hid¡­ The driving license from your hometown is different from Bloomstead''s. The rules here are


    different," exined Troy.


    However, Thomas suggested to Eleanor kindly, "If Miss Gomez has a driving license, she can apply for


    a local driving license."


    "Shut up! Don''t talk if you don''t know anything." Troy felt like his head was about to explode from the


    situation. He knew that individuals who had international driving licenses could apply for a local driving


    license. However, Eleanor''s case was different. After all, no one knew where the hidden n was.


    As Troy thought about it, he quickly grabbed Eleanor''s hand and dragged her to the passenger seat.


    He opened the door and said, "Get in."


    Eleanor curled her lips in frustration. "This is so troublesome." She got into the car angrily.


    Troy breathed a sigh of relief when he closed the door for her. He wiped the cold sweat that formed on


    his forehead.


    At that same time, Yvette''s eyes dimmed when she saw the scene before her. She walked toward the


    car and sat in the backseat.


    Ring¡ª


    Suddenly, Yvette''s phone rang. She took it out and saw that Veronica was calling. "Mrs. Kings?"


    "Matt said you are with Eleanor, right, Yvette?"


    "Yes, Mrs. Kings."


    "Could you pass the phone to her? I have something to tell her," said Veronica.


    Since Eleanor hadn''t changed her phone number when she arrived at Bloomstead, Veronica couldn''t


    contact her. Thus, she could only reach her through Yvette.


    "Mrs. Kings wants to have a word with you, Miss Gomez," said Yvette as she handed the phone to


    Eleanor.


    Troy immediately exined to her, "It''s Veronica."


    "Veronica?" said Eleanor when she put the phone by her ear.


    "Come to Pinewoods Vi and have dinner with us, Eleanor. Also, bring Yvette and the others. We are


    holding a wee banquet for you." Veronica wanted to make Eleanor feelfortable since she


    knew thetter was unfamiliar with Bloomstead.

 Chapter 1037

    Chapter 1037


    Chapter 1037 Weing Banquet


    "Sounds great. I was just getting bored." Eleanor agreed without hesitation. Then, she returned the


    phone to Yvette.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    After Veronica gave some reminders to Yvette, she hung up the phone.


    "What''s the matter?" Troy asked.


    "Mrs. Kings has invited us to Pinewoods Vi. ording to her, they''re preparing a weing banquet


    for Miss Gomez," replied Yvette.


    Because of this, they had to cancel their horse racing ns. Once everyone piled into the car, Thomas


    started the engine and drove toward Pinewoods Vi. It took about twenty minutes for them to arrive at


    Veronica''s house from Axies Vi. Soon enough, they arrived.


    "We''re here, Miss Gomez," said Thomas as he parked the car.


    Hearing his words, Eleanor opened the car door and exited the vehicle. Standing before the luxurious


    vi, she couldn''t help but ask, "Is this Matthew''s house?"


    "Yes, Miss Gomez."


    Looking at the majestic vi that could bepared to a pce, Eleanor shook her head and


    eximed, "No wonder he is unwilling to marry¡­"


    "Ahem!" Before she could say anything, Troy cleared his throat to remind Eleanor about her words.


    Eleanor returned to her senses and fell silent as she looked at Troy. "Let''s go. I want to have a look


    inside."


    Behind them, Yvette and Thomas exchanged nces with each other. Then, theynded their gazes


    on Eleanor. They felt that she had many secrets, but they didn''t dare pry into her private matters since


    Matthew had forbidden them to do so.


    In the living room, Veronica walked out when she heard themotion by the doorway. "Eleanor?" She


    walked down the stairs and approached the woman. "How have you been? Are you getting used to


    Bloomstead?"


    Eleanor was looking at the baby in Veronica''s arms. The baby was cute and had doe eyes. It was


    pouting its lips and biting its tiny fingers, looking incredibly adorable.


    "I feel caged," replied Eleanor as she waved her hands exasperatedly. Then, she looked at the baby


    and said, "Is this the child you had with Master? Goodness, it''s so cute."


    "Are they here already?"


    Matthew made himself present just then, and he was followed by Caleb and Miguel.


    Eleanor''s eyes lit up when she heard Matthew''s voice. At once, she sprinted toward him. "I finally get to


    see you, Master. I''m so lonely without you." As she spoke, she opened her arms and tried to hug him.


    However, before Eleanor could get her hands on Matthew, thetter pulled Miguel over and dragged


    him between them.


    Eleanor froze when she saw another person. She was baffled as she stood in front of Miguel. Then,


    she red at Matthew and said, "That''s very rude of you, Master."


    "Miggy, this is Eleanor."


    When they were talking in the study, Matthew told Caleb and Miguel everything that had happened in


    the hidden n. Thus, the duo knew that Eleanor was Her Highness and the leader of the hidden n.


    Although they knew she was pretty, they were still stunned by her beauty when they saw her milky skin


    and red dress.


    No matter how hard Miguel tried to hold himself back, he couldn''t help but gulp nervously when he


    looked at her. "Hello, Miss Gomez. My name is Miguel Lynch."


    "Hello." Eleanor shook his hand in a friendly way before doing the same with Caleb. "Hello to you too."


    "Nice to meet you. My name is Caleb Shaw." Caleb shook her hand and smiled. "I heard from Matt that


    you are a beautiful woman. As expected, you are dazzling."


    "Thank you for your appraisal, Mr. Shaw."

 Chapter 1038

    Chapter 1038


    Chapter 1038 Conrad Is Furious


    Eleanor smiled indifferently. Then, she looked at Matthew for a moment beforending her gaze on


    Veronica. "Your husband hates me, Veronica," she said while pointing at him.


    "He just can''t stand your enthusiasm." Veronica chuckled.


    Although she knew Eleanor had feelings for Matthew, she was clear that it was in the past. Now,


    Eleanor didn''t like Matthew. Thus, they treated her as a friend as well as their savior.


    When Thomas and Yvette saw their interactions, they were surprised. However, they dared not ask any


    questions. Mr. and Mrs. Kings treat Eleanor differently, they thought.


    Just then, Shirley appeared in the living room. "Eleanor," she called out. The mask she wore was big


    enough to cover half of her face, so the scars on her nose weren''t noticeable.


    "Hey." Skyler wrapped his arm around Shirley and waved at Eleanor.


    "Hello." nor waved back.


    The loneliness in her heart slowly disappeared when she saw the familiar faces before her.


    In the hidden n, she was the most talented and famous person. However, now that she was in an


    unfamiliar ce, she had to get used to the different environment, which gave her lots of pressure and


    challenges.


    "Since you want to prepare a weing banquet for me, I want you to cook, Master," said Eleanor.


    Then, she walked past Matthew and entered the living room. "Can I look around your house,


    Veronica?"


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Sure thing." Veronica carried the baby and walked up the stairs. Then, she handed the baby to the


    babysitter before leading Eleanor into the house.


    After the women entered the living room, Caleb crossed his arms and stood before Matthew. "I must


    say, Princess Eleanor is indeed beautiful. It looks like Veronica has apetitor," he remarked


    yfully.


    Hearing his words, Matthew nced at him coldly and uttered, "Get lost."


    "Understood." Caleb gave him a thumbs up. "Drew, Miguel, let''s y poker. You too, Troy. After all, we


    don''t have enough yers since your boss is busy cooking for thedies."


    "Okay," Troy said without hesitation.


    "Thomas, take Yvette with you and bring Old Mrs. Kings over," Matthew ordered Thomas.


    Soon, the usual quiet Pinewoods Vi became lively due to the crowd.


    Yet, not everyone was happy.


    At Spinfluence Group, Conrad immediately dialed the inte when he saw the news on the TV. He


    told his subordinates to check whether Matthew was dead or not. Soon, they returned with news that


    Matthew was still alive. At that moment, Conrad swept hisptop to the ground in a fit of anger.


    A loud crash sounded in the huge office room, and a cup shattered when it was dragged along with the


    laptop.


    However, Conrad didn''t seem satisfied. He swept all the documents to the floor, wanting to unleash his


    anger. Then, he kicked away the papers andputer that were on the floor.


    "Alive? How is he still alive? He should be dead by now!" Conrad roared furiously.


    When the secretaries heard the ruckus by the door, none of them dared to get close. After all, Conrad


    was bad-tempered, so they didn''t want to be the first to get a scolding from him.


    After Conrad let all his fury out, he breathed heavily and flopped onto the couch. His eyes were dted


    as he mumbled, "Why is he still alive? Why?" He seemed out of energy as he leaned against the couch


    and looked at the ceiling. His mind was nk.


    He had just gotten news that Zac''s body had been found in the ocean. Why did Zac end up dead after


    going missing for two months?

 Chapter 1039

    Chapter 1039


    Chapter 1039 Getting Reinforcement


    There was no way Conrad would believe Zac had died from being bitten by sharks after falling into the


    ocean while drunk. Yet, he had no evidence to prove this.


    Due to Zac''s death, Conrad lost a business partner and strong support. Without Zac, he had nothing to


    bargain with Matthew.


    "No, that''s not it¡ªI still have Spinfluence Group. As long as thepany still exists, Matthew is no


    match for me!" Conrad mumbled to himself. The panicked look on his face had betrayed his own mind,


    though.


    Without Zac, Conrad didn''t think he could fight against Matthew. However, he didn''t want to give up.


    At that moment, Conrad suddenly thought of something.


    No, there is still someone who can help me. Yes, Joey Nibel Francis! If I can work with him, Matthew


    won''t be a match against us, he thought.


    Joey was the third brother of Zac. He was also the one who cared for Zac the most.


    As Conrad thought about it, he was in a good mood. He cackled withughter as he stood up and


    grabbed a cup of water from the dispenser. Even while drinking water, he still had a smile stered on


    his face.


    Then, he used his connections to get Joey''s phone number. Immediately, he dialed the number on his


    phone.


    Ring. Ring. Ring.


    The phone was ringing. After some time, someone picked up the phone. "Hello. Who is this?"


    "Hello, Mr. Joey. My name is Conrad Kings¡­"


    He had only mentioned his name when the person hung up. The person didn''t know who Conrad was


    and wanted nothing to do with him.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "What the f*ck?!" Conrad cursed as he gripped his phone tightly.


    Out of desperation, he could only send a message. ''You may not know me, but I am friends with your


    brother, Zac. I am truly sorry about what happened to him, but I have my suspicions about the cause of


    his death. Can I ask you a question, Mr. Joey? How am I able to contact Zac''s subordinates? I want to


    investigate this case and bring justice to him.''


    He wrote the text in Trs and sent it to Joey.


    Conrad was a smart man. He knew Joey would despise him if he told thetter about their cooperation.


    However, he would be on Joey''s good side if he used Zac''s death instead. Conrad recalled that Zac


    had told him before that Joey was the closest to him among his siblings.


    Thus, this was the best way to get Joey to help him.


    However, there was no response from Joey. Although Conrad was anxious, he didn''t dare pester the


    man too much.


    On the other hand, the servants were preparing dinner at Pinewoods Vi. ording to Eleanor''s


    request, Matthew cooked two dishes for her.


    The entire afternoon, Veronica, Shirley, and Yvette apanied Eleanor as they yed golf. After they


    were done, they went swimming on the balcony. Since it was the end of October, the weather was


    windy and cool; it was the perfect weather for them. The others knew about Shirley''s condition and


    treated her with caution. They didn''t dare stare at her face for long since they feared it would provoke


    her.


    At 6.30PM, dinner was ready.


    They decided to dine outdoors, so they ced the dining table outside. Not far away from the table was


    a huge screen, and the projector was ying a recent film.


    Once everyone was seated, Matthew stood up and raised his ss. "Today is Eleanor''s weing


    banquet. This is her first time in Bloomstead, and she''ll be spending the rest of her life here. Let''s toast


    to her arrival."

 Chapter 1040

    Chapter 1040


    Chapter 1040 A Rare Moment of Happiness


    Everyone stood up together with a ss of red wine in their hands, respectively. They raised their


    sses and gave Eleanor a toast.


    "Wee, Miss Gomez."


    "Wee, Eleanor."


    "Pleased to meet you, Miss Gomez."


    "Bottoms up!"


    "Cheers!"


    "Just let me know if you need anything in the future."


    Eleanor was overwhelmed with gratitude when she saw everyone give her an extremely warm


    wee. She stood up, and with her wine ss in her hand, she nodded slightly. "Nice to meet you as


    well. I look forward to having more fun with you guys in the future."


    Immediately afterward, the crisp and pleasant sound from the soft clinking of the sses rang in the air


    like a silver bell.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    On the rectangr table was a sumptuous dinner ranging from champagne to traditional cuisines,


    desserts, and fruits.


    As night fell, the ck satin-like night sky was dotted with stars. The night breeze was gentle, and a


    few fireflies appeared vividly on the green nts, which boosted the romance and serenity of this night


    even more.


    The atmosphere was cheerful and lively as everyone chatted freely. However, they avoided discussing


    Eleanor''s identity.


    They chatted while watching a movie. After dinner, the group sat together and sang songs. When


    things were merry, they would drag their partners to the dance floor on the side to have a dance.


    Meanwhile, the rhythm of the song gradually changed to a melodious waltz. Matthew stood up and


    walked up to Veronica. With one hand behind his back and the other reaching toward her, Matthew


    bent over slightly and asked, "My fairdy, may I have the honor to have this dance with you?"


    On the contrary, Veronica couldn''t really adapt to the sudden romantic life after having experienced the


    hidden n''s daily soul-stirring life. In fact, she even felt as though she was in a dream.


    She curled her rosy lips slightly, forming a smile on her face. Then, she shook her head and refused, "I


    can''t dance."


    "It''s okay. I will teach you." Matthew smiled warmly. A rare hint of fondness painted on his stoic face. It


    was as though his facial features were about to overflow with abundant love.


    "But I really can''t."


    "It doesn''t matter." Then, he took Veronica''s hand in his, walked aside, and ced one arm around her


    waist while holding her hand with the other. "Come, follow my steps and dance slowly. It''s as easy as


    pie."


    "Don''t me me if I step on you."


    "How can I me you when I keep seeking chances to love you dearly?" Matthew approached her and


    whispered in her ear.


    Veronica couldn''t dance, indeed. Even though she had danced the waltz when she was in college, her


    skills were rusty. As a result, she would step on Matthew''s feet from time to time.


    Veronicaughed at herself, utterly amused by her awkwardness.


    In the meantime, Eleanor, who sat on one side, held the ss of red wine in her hand and lounged on


    the chair. However, she never took her eyes off Matthew and Veronica.


    She was envious as she looked at the loving and happy couple enjoying their evening. After


    experiencing all those hardships, things finally work out for these two.


    "Miss Gomez, shall I have this dance?"


    Miguel figured out Eleanor''s thoughts almost immediately. So, he got up and took the initiative to have


    a dance with her.


    "I would be honored." Eleanor ced down her wine ss, held Miguel''s hand, and walked to the


    dance floor with him.


    In the meantime, Skyler and Shirley were already dancing. Only Thomas, Troy, Caleb, and Yvette were


    left sitting on the couch in ultimate boredom.


    Yvette gazed at the three dancing couples and nced at Troy before nudging him with her elbow.


    "Why don''t we have a dance together too?"


    "Not interested," Troy rejected as he leaned on the lounge chair and looked up at the starry sky. Then,


    he closed his eyes and dozed off.


    "It''s okay. Since Troy doesn''t want to dance, I will dance with you then." Thomas voluntarily rose to his


    feet and reached out to Yvette. She hesitated for a moment before she took Thomas'' hand and started


    dancing to the music.


    There was no doubt that such a beautiful night soothed one''s feelings.


    At this moment, Shirley stood in front of Skyler. She had worn her mask back on to cover the scar on


    her face after dinner.


    Skyler couldn''t help but voice his thoughts, "Shir, actually¡­ you can take off your mask."

 Chapter 1041

    Chapter 1041


    Chapter 1041 Sometimes, ns Go Astray


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Shirley tentatively followed Skyler''s dance steps and looked up at the handsome man in front of her.


    She gradually shook her head and then insecurely lowered her head a little.


    Although she was silent, her expression said it all.


    Of course, Skyler understood how Shirley felt. Therefore, he leaned closer to her ear and uttered under


    his breath, "You can wear a mask if we are outside, but these people at home are all our family and


    friends. Unlike outsiders, they are genuinely willing to ept you and like you for who you are. So, you


    don''t have to feel stressed."


    "I know." Sure enough, Shirley understood everything Skyler said was true. However, that didn''t mean


    she could convince herself to let her hair down, as it were. "Ky, can you give me a little time?"


    Ever since she became disfigured, she had been trying to adjust her mentality, hoping she could step


    out of her trauma.


    s, every time others merely took another nce at her, it would trigger her low esteem, and she


    would feel as though they were mocking her.


    Deep down, she was well aware that most of the time, those were just casual stares, and they weren''t


    mocking at all. Yet, she just couldn''t turn a blind eye to her negative assumptions.


    "Okay. I won''t force you." Skyler tilted his head and nted a kiss on her cheek. "Don''t be scared. I will


    be around at all times, so don''t worry."


    A great sense of warmth flowed through Shirley''s heart as she listened to Skyler''sforting words.


    She felt she was immersed in a sea of happiness and that everything was simply so wonderful to her. I


    would have been happier if I wasn''t disfigured.


    Veronica, who was dancing next to the couple, couldn''t help but put on a faint smile as she watched the


    two being lovey-dovey. "Matt, I feel like I''m living in peace right now. I have nothing else to ask for if I


    can live a simple and happy life every day in the future."


    Those days spent in the hidden n had put endless pressure on Veronica, and that suffocating sense


    of oppression nearly crushed her countless times to the point of despair.


    Every time she found herself teetering on the edge of despair, Matthew would show up and pull her out,


    saving her.


    "We will." Matthew''s handsome face was tinged with a gentle smile. "We certainly will." As a man, I had


    witnessed everything Veronica had gone through in these past years. I know her desire for happiness.


    Hence, I naturally hope to satisfy her as much as I can. But sometimes, ns go astray. I never


    consider myself God, so I can''t map out ns for all things. Also, I am aware that the future holds even


    more uncertainties.


    "Let''s return to the Kings Residence to visit Grandma tomorrow," Veronica suggested. "You asked them


    to pick up Grandma today, but she suddenly had another episode of Alzheimer''s and couldn''t


    remember anyone. That was why she didn''t attend the party."


    Veronica was slightly heartbroken at the mention of Elizabeth. "Grandma is such a loving and kind


    woman. Now that she has lost her memory, she definitely feels awful when shees to."


    "I guess¡­ But look on the bright side¡ªshe would also forget about plenty of worries when having


    another episode of Alzheimer''s, right?"


    Outwardly, Matthew tried to make Veronica feel better by saying those words. But inwardly, he was


    actually distressed about Elizabeth''s condition. Nheless, he didn''t want to show it, for he was afraid


    Veronica would be worried along with him.


    "Tomorrow, we''ll go to the Kings Residence to visit Grandma," she said.


    "Okay," Matthew readily agreed.


    ¡­


    The atmosphere in Pinewoods Vi this evening was exceptionally boisterous and romantic, leaving an


    unforgettable memory for everyone present.


    Later that night, Troy and Yvette took Eleanor back to Axies Vi. Others also went home, while Skyler


    and Shirley stayed behind in Pinewoods Vi to apany Veronica.


    At the same time, the news that Matthew was still alive immediately went viral. ''Matthew, who died


    three months ago, is actually alive!'', ''Matthew is still alive, so who was the one that got buried back


    then?'', ''Matthew is not dead.''

 Chapter 1042

    Chapter 1042


    Chapter 1042 Recovers From Disfigurement?


    Various news articles with such headlines swiftly appeared on the trending search and became the


    most discussed topic among the citizens.


    ''What the f*ck? Don''t tell me Matthew faked his death.''


    ''What the hell is going on? Matthew''s not dead?''


    ''Wasn''t he disfigured? But how did he be so handsome again? He probably underwent cosmetic


    surgery, right?''


    ''Is this some sort of family conspiracy among the wealthy?''


    ''My dear Adonis is still alive, and he even restored his good looks. Also, his arm seems to have been


    fitted with a prosthetic limb. How wonderful! I just knew my husband won''t die so easily.''


    ''Excuse me. To the person who drops the abovement, who are you calling your husband? I am the


    rightful Mrs. Kings. Keep your hands off my man.''


    ''A conspiracy theory?''


    ''This is simply way too mindblowing.''


    ¡­


    Everyone was talking about this matter. As for Ruka, Sasha, and others, the first thing they did after


    they saw the news was to call Matthew.


    However, Matthew turned off his phone, leaving them with no choice but to call Thomas.


    "Young Master Matthew is busy and won''t be seeing anyone recently," Thomas dismissed every one of


    them without dy.


    Early morning the next day, Veronica and Matthew packed their things and headed to the Kings


    Residence with their two children in their arms after breakfast.


    The car arrived at the Kings Residence. As soon as it stopped, Yura rushed out of the house.


    Tears involuntarily welled up in her eyes when she saw Matthew. So, she immediately walked up to him


    as her eyes never left his person. "Young Master Matthew, is it really you?"


    Various news articles with such headlines swiftly appeared on the trending search and became the


    most discussed topic among the citizens.


    Various naws artis with such haadlinas swiftly appaarad on tha tranding saarch and bacama tha


    most discussad topic among tha citizans.


    ''What tha f*ck? Don''t tall ma Matthaw fakad his daath.''


    ''What tha hall is going on? Matthaw''s not daad?''


    ''Wasn''t ha disfigurad? But how did ha ba so handsoma again? Ha probably undarwant cosmatic


    surgary, right?''


    ''Is this soma sort of family conspiracy among tha waalthy?''


    ''My daar Adonis is still aliva, and ha avan rastorad his good looks. Also, his arm saams to hava baan


    fittad with a prosthatic limb. How wondarful! I just knaw my husband won''t dia so aasily.''


    ''Excusa ma. To tha parson who drops tha abovamant, who ara you calling your husband? I am tha


    rightful Mrs. Kings. Kaap your hands off my man.''


    ''A conspiracy thaory?''


    ''This is simply way too mindblowing.''


    ¡­


    Evaryona was talking about this mattar. As for Ruka, Sasha, and othars, tha first thing thay did aftar


    thay saw tha naws was to call Matthaw.


    Howavar, Matthaw turnad off his phona,aving tham with no choica but to call Thomas.


    "Young Mastar Matthaw is busy and won''t ba saaing anyona racantly," Thomas dismissad avary ona of


    tham without dy.


    Early morning tha naxt day, Varonica and Matthaw packad thair things and haadad to tha Kings


    Rasidanca with thair two childran in thair arms aftar braakfast.


    Tha car arrivad at tha Kings Rasidanca. As soon as it stoppad, Yura rushad out of tha housa.


    Taars involuntarily wad up in har ayas whan sha saw Matthaw. So, sha immadiataly walkad up to him


    as har ayas navarft his parson. "Young Mastar Matthaw, is it raally you?"


    One could clearly tell how deeply she cared and was terribly concerned she was about Matthew


    through her choked voice.


    Matthew smiled at her as he answered, "Mrs. Coleman, it''s me, Matthew."


    Yura immediately hugged Matthew and eximed, "This is wonderful! Truly wonderful! I can''t believe


    you are still alive. Old Madam will certainly be over the moon after she finds out."


    As she spoke, she let go of Matthew. Then, she took his hand and said earnestly, "You have no idea


    what has happened, but Old Madam had been depressed after your supposed passing. As a result, her


    Alzheimer''s disease was getting worse and worse. Initially, her condition wasn''t this serious and was


    easily controlled by her medication. But since Mrs. Kings absence, Old Madam has lost all hope for life


    and refuses to take her medicine."


    As the housekeeper in the Kings Residence, Yura had be close with Elizabeth throughout the


    years of serving her. Therefore, she was undoubtedly distraught when she could only watch on


    helplessly as Elizabeth''s condition deteriorated.


    "Mrs. Coleman, it''s all our fault." Veronica felt a burst of sadness as she listened to what Yura had told


    Matthew. So, she immediately lugged her things and strode into the building. "I''m going to see


    Grandma."


    "Mrs. Kings, please allow me." Yura took the gift box. Then, when she raised her head, she saw the


    two children in their maternity matrons'' arms. The women were obediently following Veronica.


    Instantaneously, she donned a loving smile. "Oh my. Little darlings, you guys are so cute."


    Yura was extremely fond of these two adorable children with skin as fair and clear as the cherubs on


    the children''s stickers. Their eyes were round and framed with longshes, and their rosy lips were so


    endearing that she couldn''t suppress the internal squealing in her heart.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    "Young Master Matthew, these two have certainly inherited Mrs. Kings and your good looks. They are


    so precious," Yura praised repeatedly.


    Matthew nced at Veronica, who was walking in front, and said with a smile, "They resemble their


    mother more."


    The two walked toward the backyard while chatting.


    After a while, Veronica, Matthew, and Yura finally arrived at Elizabeth''s yard.


    At this moment, Elizabeth was sitting still under a towering tree in the yard. She stared nkly ahead


    with a Russian Blue cat in her arms as she muttered something under her breath.


    "Old Madam, look who''s here to see you," Yura shouted. Then, she walked up to Elizabeth and pointed


    at Veronica and Matthew.


    All the servants at the side were stunned when they saw Matthew and Veronica. Although they were


    utterly taken aback, their training kicked in as they unanimously greeted courteously, "Young Master


    Matthew. Mrs. Kings."


    "Thank you for your hard work. Why don''t you guys run along and continue with your chores?"


    Veronica greeted them and requested some privacy.


    "Yes, Mrs. Kings." Several servants nodded, turned, and walked out of the yard.


    Even though they were quite a distance away, Veronica could still hear their whispered discussion.

 Chapter 1043

    Chapter 1043


    Chapter 1043 Grandma Lost Her Memory


    "Isn''t that Young Master Matthew? So, he''s still alive after all?"


    "Yeah, the news about him being alive started trending on Twitter yesterday, but I didn''t just believe it."


    "We should believe it now that we''ve seen it with our own eyes."


    "Yeah, yeah. We haven''t seen the Young Master in a while, and he looks even more handsome."


    "But it was rumored that he lost an arm and his eyesight. How did he return unscathed after a few


    months?"


    "Well, perhaps he cured the blindness and broken leg and got a prosthetic arm."


    "Could be."


    ¡­


    There was a lot of buzz online about how Matthew was still alive. Due to the fact that there was only


    one photo and video of him, theizens could only confirm that he was indeed alive but could not


    determine the extent of his arm injury. However, they did not have a lot to say about it.


    However, the servants at the Kings Residence had seen how severely injured Matthew was. So


    naturally, they were all surprised when they saw him up and about again.


    "Grandma." Veronica walked up to Old Mrs. Kings and slowly crouched down in front of her. She then


    asked softly, "Do you still remember me?"


    Matthew slowly approached his grandmother and greeted her softly, "Grandma." At that moment, he


    felt a twinge of remorse and a dryness in his throat that he could not get rid of.


    "Isn''t that Young Master Matthew? So, he''s still alive after all?"


    "Isn''t that Young Mastar Matthaw? So, ha''s still aliva aftar all?"


    "Yaah, tha naws about him baing aliva startad tranding on Twittar yastarday, but I didn''t just baliava it."


    "Wa should baliava it now that wa''va saan it with our own ayas."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Yaah, yaah. Wa havan''t saan tha Young Mastar in a wh, and ha looks avan mora handsoma."


    "But it was rumorad that ha lost an arm and his ayasight. How did ha raturn unscathad aftar a faw


    months?"


    "Wall, parhaps ha curad tha blindnass and brokang and got a prosthatic arm."


    "Could ba."


    ¡­


    Thara was a lot of buzz onlina about how Matthaw was still aliva. Dua to tha fact that thara was only


    ona photo and vidao of him, tha natizans could only confirm that ha was indaad aliva but could not


    datarmina tha axtant of his arm injury. Howavar, thay did not hava a lot to say about it.


    Howavar, tha sarvants at tha Kings Rasidanca had saan how savaraly injurad Matthaw was. So


    naturally, thay wara all surprisad whan thay saw him up and about again.


    "Grandma." Varonica walkad up to Old Mrs. Kings and slowly crouchad down in front of har. Sha than


    askad softly, "Do you still ramambar ma?"


    Matthaw slowly approachad his grandmothar and graatad har softly, "Grandma." At that momant, ha


    falt a twinga of ramorsa and a drynass in his throat that ha could not gat rid of.


    Old Mrs. Kings donned a blue and white cheongsam, and her short silver curls added to her elegant


    demeanor as she sat upright. Yet, her vacant gaze andck of makeup gave away her listlessness and


    haggard appearance.


    "W-Who are you?" Old Mrs. Kings gazed up at the couple and shook her head instantly. "I don''t


    recognize you." Her words pierced through Veronica''s heart, causing a sudden pang in her heart as her


    eyes reddened.


    "Grandma, how¡­ how have you been doing?"


    Although Matthew was a grown man, he could not help but feel a sense of heaviness andplexity


    as heid eyes on his grandma, who was obviously not doing great. She raised him when he was a


    child, and there could be no one in the world who loved him more than she did.


    He held out to touch his grandma, but she pped his hand away ruthlessly. "Don''t touch me, and don''t


    scare my cat off. Blue and I are waiting for my grandson and granddaughter-inw."


    Veronica''s heart was pierced by that identalment from Grandma. Her brow furrowed as tears


    spilled down her cheeks. Although she was in agony, she still averted her gaze and wiped her tears


    discreetly, not wanting Grandma to see her cry.


    Matthew hugged her waist upon seeing that andforted her, "Don''t be sad. I know Grandma will


    also want you to be happy if she''s mentally sound."


    "Ah, where''s my grandson? Why hasn''t hee back for so long?" Old Mrs. King muttered as she


    stroked her cat.


    Yura shook her head when she saw the scene and sighed, "Young Master Matthew, Mrs. Kings, she


    has been like this for a while now, and it''s heartbreaking to see her like this."


    "Yura, we really appreciate you taking care of her these days." Veronica sincerely thanked Yura.


    At this moment, they heard a voice from outside the courtyard. Everyone turned their heads and saw a


    figure. It was Conrad!


    "Mom?" Conrad called out for his mother as he walked into the courtyard.


    Old Mrs. Kings, who was holding Blue, immediately rose to her feet when she saw Conrad. She even


    had a wide smile on her face as she walked toward him.


    "My grandson is finally home! You finally came home! Do you know how much Grandma missed you?"


    She held Conrad''s hand affectionately as she inquired about his well-being.


    "Are you hungry or thirsty? I will cook for you. I still remember you loved the roasted pork I made you


    when you were a child." Perhaps it was due to her illness that Old Mrs. Kings had subconsciously


    regarded Conrad as a recement for Matthew.

 Chapter 1044

    Chapter 1044


    Chapter 1044 Matthew¡¯s Fury


    Matthew red at Conrad with a cold look in his eyes the moment Conrad entered the room.


    Be that as it may, Conrad showed no fear or trepidation. Instead, he pointed at Matthew and casually


    asked Elizabeth, "Who are they?"


    "I don''t know. I don''t know them." Elizabeth shook her head, looking at Veronica and Matthew as


    though they were strangers.


    Conrad raised an eyebrow at those words and smiled wickedly. "I don''t know them either. In fact, I think


    they''re a bit of an eyesore."


    He was deliberately being provocative.


    "If my beloved grandson doesn''t like them, then I''ll chase them out." Then, she made good on her


    promise and immediately pointed at Veronica and Matthew. "Leave now. Get lost! I don''t want to see


    you again."


    She waved her hand to shoo them away, evicting them from her home.


    Matthew clenched his fists that were hanging by his sides and stalked toward Conrad angrily. Just as


    he was about to raise his fist and punch Conrad, Veronica grabbed him by the arm. "Matt, you can''t."


    Her heart went out to Elizabeth as she shook her head. "Grandma is having some memory problems


    right now, so she is very fixated on Conrad. Hurting Conrad will only make her sad."


    "Hahaha! Veronica is smart, after all."


    It was the same old endearing manner that Conrad used to address Veronica.


    Veronica used to hate being addressed in such an endearing manner by Conrad. It was even worse


    now as she couldn''t help thinking that he sounded even more disgusting than before.


    Matthew red at Conrad with a cold look in his eyes the moment Conrad entered the room.


    Matthaw rad at Conrad with a cold look in his ayas tha momant Conrad antarad tha room.


    Ba that as it may, Conrad showad no faar or trapidation. Instaad, ha pointad at Matthaw and casually


    askad Elizabath, "Who ara thay?"


    "I don''t know. I don''t know tham." Elizabath shook har haad, looking at Varonica and Matthaw as


    though thay wara strangars.


    Conrad raisad an ayabrow at thosa words and smd wickadly. "I don''t know tham aithar. In fact, I think


    thay''ra a bit of an ayasora."


    Ha was dalibarataly baing provocativa.


    "If my balovad grandson doasn''t lika tham, than I''ll chasa tham out." Than, sha mada good on har


    promisa and immadiataly pointad at Varonica and Matthaw. "Laava now. Gat lost! I don''t want to saa


    you again."


    Sha wavad har hand to shoo tham away, avicting tham from har homa.


    Matthaw nchad his fists that wara hanging by his sidas and stalkad toward Conrad angrily. Just as


    ha was about to raisa his fist and punch Conrad, Varonica grabbad him by tha arm. "Matt, you can''t."


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Har haart want out to Elizabath as sha shook har haad. "Grandma is having soma mamory proms


    right now, so sha is vary fixatad on Conrad. Hurting Conrad will only maka har sad."


    "Hahaha! Varonica is smart, aftar all."


    It was tha sama old andaaring mannar that Conrad usad to addrass Varonica.


    Varonica usad to hata baing addrassad in such an andaaring mannar by Conrad. It was avan worsa


    now as sha couldn''t halp thinking that ha soundad avan mora disgusting than bafora.


    Yura stood by the side, shaking her head in anger. "Old Mrs. Kings¡­ That''s Conrad! He''s not your


    grandson! Open your eyes and take a good look at him! He is not Matthew!"


    "Hmph! He''s obviously my grandson." Elizabeth held Conrad''s hand tightly and limped away. "Come.


    Let''s go to the living room. I''ll ask the kitchen staff to prepare a delicious meal for youter."


    "Okay, sure!" Conrad took the olddy''s hand. Then, they walked into the living room together.


    When he passed by Matthew, he deliberately elbowed Matthew''s arm, which was blocking his path.


    However, he was surprised to learn that¡­


    Matthew''s severed arm was healed.


    What? What''s going on? Conrad turned pale from the shock of his discovery. No matter how hard he


    pondered, he could not understand the situation. Nevertheless, he did not reveal his astonishment.


    There are too many secrets surrounding Matthew. I have to investigate him more thoroughly.


    When Conrad reached the steps, he couldn''t help turning back to nce at Matthew once more.


    Matthew was walking without a limp, and his eyes had recovered. Even the scar that disfigured his face


    was gone without a trace.


    Just what is going on? Could it be that the disfigured man with a severed arm and a severe limp was


    not Matthew? If that person was not Matthew, then who was that?


    So many questions swirled around in Conrad''s head that his mind went nk.


    After Conrad and Elizabeth left the living room, Yura immediately tried tofort Matthew and


    Veronica. "Young Master Matthew, Mrs. Kings, please don''t take those words to heart. Old Mrs. Kings


    has always been thinking of you, Young Master Matthew. It''s just that your appearance is very simr to


    Conrad''s. Combined with the fact that you''ve been away for some time, it''s only natural for her to


    mistake Conrad for you. Sigh. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth just to watch them."


    While she was speaking, ayer of mist covered her eyes.


    Veronica hurriedly persuaded, "Don''t worry, Mrs. Coleman. We''re fine. Grandma will always be


    Grandma to us. Not to mention, she is sick right now. How can we take offense at her actions?"


    Matthew turned back to look in the direction of the living room, and the look in his eyes turned cial.


    Then, he left without another word.


    Veronica had no choice but to wave goodbye to Yura when she saw Matthew stalk away. "Mrs.


    Coleman, something came up at thepany, so we''ll be taking our leave now. Matt and I will pay


    Grandma a visit again when we have the time."


    "Of course. Of course. Young Master Matthew, Mrs. Kings, please have a safe trip." Yura waved


    goodbye. Then, she turned her attention to the two children in the arms of the nanny nearby and


    couldn''t help releasing a weary sigh at the dreadful circumstances they had found themselves in.

 Chapter 1045

    Chapter 1045


    Chapter 1045 A Punch in the Face


    Conrad pitied Elizabeth as well as Matthew and Veronica.


    The young master who came back from the dead visited Old Mrs. Kings, but she didn''t remember him


    at all.


    It was sad to watch the two of them face this.


    After Matthew and Veronica left the Kings Residence, Conrad got ready to go.


    As he walked out of the main entrance, a punchnded on his face hard. He stumbled backward and


    fell in a heap on the ground.


    He rubbed the corner of his lips that was punched and looked up to see a fuming Matthew and


    snickered, "Matthew, why so angry? Aren''t you scared that I''ll post this online?"


    "You can try." Matthew red coldly at Conrad as he desperately wanted to kill Conrad right there and


    then.


    "Hahaha¡­ I''m your uncle, after all. It won''t do you good to post this online, "Conradughed as he got


    up and raised a brow haughtily. "Old Mrs. Kings loves me dearly. What do you think she would do if I


    sent her the video?"


    Conrad knew Matthew cared about Elizabeth and intentionally used her to provoke him.


    "Conrad Kings!"


    Matthew''s blood was boiling as he clenched his fist, looking as though he was about to hit Conrad


    again.


    However, Veronica stepped in and pulled his hand. "Matt, he''s right. Grandma''s sick and only


    recognizes him. If you hit him, she''ll be sad."


    "Hahaha!"


    Conradughed unrestrainedly with his head facing the sky. There was no hiding the hint of goading in


    hisughter


    Heughed as he jeered at Matthew, "Even though I don''t know how you came back from the dead, the


    Spinfluence Group is mine now. What do you have now? Admit your defeat."


    Then, he stoppedughing and stared at him coldly before turning around to walk to the car.


    Matthew wanted to step forward, but Veronica had a death grip on him.


    "Don''t. It''s not worth it," she consoled him, attempting to defuse his anger.


    Once she saw that Matthew had his emotions in check, Veronica released his hand and called out,


    "Uncle Conrad?"


    Conrad, who just took a few steps, turned his head around and was greeted with a kick to the right of


    his face before he could even register what was before his eyes.


    Whack! Veronica''s high kick made him fall to the ground, and his head hit the ground with a muffled


    thud.


    She ced her leg down elegantly and loomed over him. "Matt can''t hit you, but I can! Don''t think you


    can do whatever you want because you''re the CEO of the Spinfluence Group now. Zac is dead. What


    else can you do without his help?"


    Veronica knew Elizabeth held an important ce in Matthew''s heart.


    Initially, Elizabeth''s Alzheimer''s wasn''t that severe, but after the visit to the Hidden n and Matthew''s


    fake death, it worsened her condition.


    Veronica felt that she was also at fault, so she couldn''t help but be furious when Conrad used


    Elizabeth to threaten Matthew.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    She stopped Matthew because she didn''t want Elizabeth to reprimand Matthew when she found out


    about this incident, as it would cause a wedge in their rtionship.


    Meanwhile, Matthew stood behind her and watched her high kick as a gratified smile appeared on his


    face. My woman really loves to spoil me.

 Chapter 1046

    Chapter 1046


    Chapter 1046 Returning Home


    Matthew enjoyed that feeling a great deal.


    Conrad felt his resentment boil after being violently treated by the couple. So, he gave in to his


    impulses and wanted to hit Veronica.


    His leg came flying, but Veronica was faster and mmed her heel on his thigh before he could even


    touch her.


    Even though Conrad knew some martial arts, it wasn''tparable to Veronica''s skill.


    "Ugh!"


    Faced with Veronica''s swift counterattack, Conrad lost his bnce as his thigh slid forward. In the end,


    he fell andnded in a split.


    Crack!


    The sounds of bone cracking could be heard, and Conrad''s pants tore apart. Then, he grunted in pain


    as his hands flew to his crotch. His eyes widened, and the veins on his forehead popped.


    "Veronica, you¡­ f*cking¡­"


    Conrad was in utter agony.


    He recalled when Veronica broke his manhood. He almost lost the chance to ever call himself a man


    and had to go through surgery to fix it.


    Now, the split position he was in caused him excruciating pain, which pierced through him, making it


    hard to breathe.


    "I don''t care how powerful you are now. You shouldn''t be so conceited in front of Matt. With your skills,


    you can''t even beat me, let alone Matt!"


    Veronica stated before turning around to Matthew and grabbing his hand, "Let''s go."


    "Okay." Matthew looked at her before smiling gently and followed her to the car.


    Then, the car''s engine roared to life and left the residence. They didn''t even spare Conrad a nce as


    they departed.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Two cars were going down the mountain, with Matthew driving in the first car and Veronica in the


    passenger seat while the nanny was in the second car with Ada and n.


    "You looked very cool just now."


    Matthew nced sideways at Veronica with a handsome smirk filled with love as he drove.


    Veronica leaned in the passenger seat with her gaze forward and sighed, "You''ve helped me out all this


    time while we were in the Hidden n. If it weren''t for your involvement there, Conrad wouldn''t have


    the upper hand now. I can''t bear to see him acting so snobby before you. He needs to be taught a


    lesson."


    She didn''t hit Conrad just for Matthew. A part of it was because of Yvonne too.


    Matthew chuckled lightly but didn''t reply.


    However, Veronica continued, "I hate Conrad too. Yvonne was tricked by him and lost everything. I''m


    sure she will take her revenge on him one day!"


    Then, she couldn''t help but miss Yvonne and wondered if she was doing fine. It had been more than a


    year since theyst saw each other.


    "You reap what you sow," Matthew triedforting Veronica.


    Still, that was all to it, as there was another saying about good people dying young while evil people


    live forever.


    After over an hour, they stopped by a store for Veronica to get a new sim card on their way to the


    Pinewoods Vi.


    As she inserted the sim card into her phone and restarted her phone, numerous notifications poured in,


    and her phone kept buzzing.


    ''Veronica, where the hell are you? Why aren''t you replying?!''


    ''Give me a call when you see this message. I''m worried about you.''


    ''Where are you? I''ve not seen you for more than two months.''


    ''Roni, give Mom a callback. You said you''re on a trip for training. I can''t get a hold of you and am


    worried sick.''


    Simr messages flooded her phone.

 Chapter 1047

    Chapter 1047


    Chapter 1047 Movie Premiere


    Veronico set up her phone so thot she would receive o missed coll messoge for oll the colls she didn''t


    pick up.


    Her phone buzzed for o whole minute before stopping.


    She rubbed her temple os she looked ot the hundreds of messoges. "Why ore there so mony texts?"


    "Thot''s o given since your friends couldn''t get to you for three months." Motthew soid, "These ore oll


    people thot genuinely core obout you."


    "I don''t even know how I''m going to exploin this to them."


    Even though she hod returned sofely, her friends ond fomily would surely demond onswers from her


    regording the three months thot she disoppeored.


    Just os Veronico wos obout to coll Tony ond Doniello, Lorry''s colle in.


    She didn''t sove his number, so she didn''t know who the coll wos from.


    So, she onswered the phone, "Hello? Who¡ª"


    But before she osked, o bellowe through the phone, "Where the hell hove you been? Hove you


    gone mod?!"


    Veronico recognized thot fomilior voice to be Lorry''s.


    She couldn''t help but lough, "Crozy? Hoho. It''s been o long time. How hove you been?"


    "Whot do you meon how I''ve been? I''m osking you where you went. I tried to contoct you for so long. If


    your friends hodn''t told me thot you hod gone off for troining in o secluded locotion, I would hove


    thought you were deod!"


    Veronica set up her phone so that she would receive a missed call message for all the calls she didn''t


    pick up.


    Her phone buzzed for a whole minute before stopping.


    She rubbed her temple as she looked at the hundreds of messages. "Why are there so many texts?"


    "That''s a given since your friends couldn''t get to you for three months." Matthew said, "These are all


    people that genuinely care about you."


    "I don''t even know how I''m going to exin this to them."


    Even though she had returned safely, her friends and family would surely demand answers from her


    regarding the three months that she disappeared.


    Just as Veronica was about to call Tony and Danie, Larry''s call came in.


    She didn''t save his number, so she didn''t know who the call was from.


    So, she answered the phone, "Hello? Who¡ª"


    But before she asked, a bellow came through the phone, "Where the hell have you been? Have you


    gone mad?!"


    Veronica recognized that familiar voice to be Larry''s.


    She couldn''t help butugh, "Crazy? Haha. It''s been a long time. How have you been?"


    "What do you mean how I''ve been? I''m asking you where you went. I tried to contact you for so long. If


    your friends hadn''t told me that you had gone off for training in a secluded location, I would have


    thought you were dead!"


    Larry shouted into the phone, unlike the calm and poised image he held on the screen and in the


    hearts of his fans.


    However, Veronicaughed at his frustrated yelling, "Don''t be angry. If your fans know that you''re like


    this, they would probably lose all interest in you."


    "Who cares?!"


    Larry snorted as he gradually calmed down. Then, he changed the topic. "Do you remember the movie


    you filmed with me a year ago?"


    Veronica was visiting Larry at the set, but the director noticed that she had good martial arts skills. So,


    he asked her to act as a minor character to fight with one of the big stars in a fighting scene.


    Then, Veronica nodded. "Yeah. I remember. Why?"


    "The date of the movie release is confirmed. It''s the day after tomorrow." Larry spoke with pride, "The


    director praised you several times and even told me he wanted you to join in his other movies. But I


    couldn''t get a hold of you, so I didn''t give him a straight answer."


    "Really?"


    "Of course." he was a little proud. "When have I lied to you?" As he was speaking, his assistant''s voice


    could be heard in the background, "Quick. It''s your turn."


    So, Larry rushed to end the call. "Okay. That''s it. I''ve got to go. I''m currently filming a show. Remember


    to watch the movie!"


    "Okay. Thank you." Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Just as Veronica thanked him, he had already ended the phone.


    She held the phone in her hand as she recalled what happened at the set with Larry and couldn''t help


    but smile.


    "Larry called you?" Matthew guessed.


    "Yeah. He called me to tell me that the sci-fi movie I took part in is set for release. It''ll be out the day


    after tomorrow."


    "That''s great. Congrattions!" Matthew congratted her genuinely before asking, "What''s the


    movie''s name?"


    "''Interster''."


    "Good name." He nodded in approval.


    Half an hourter, they arrived at the Pinewoods Vi.


    Veronica went to check on her babies while Matthew went to work in the study.


    However, the moment he stepped into the study, he gave Thomas a call.


    "Young Master Matthew, Thomas at your service," Thomas greeted him.


    Matthew leaned back into the office chair and asked, after pondering, "Is the movie ''Interster'' doing


    its presale now?"Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 1048

    Chapter 1048


    Chapter 1048 Good News


    "Give me a moment. I have to check..."


    Thomas wasn''t sure if the movie was in its presale, so he searched it up on theputer as he stayed


    on the call. "Yes. It''s on presale. What should I do?"


    "Book tickets for the premiere."


    "For you and Mrs. Kings?" Thomas was a little confused.


    He didn''t understand why he wanted to watch a movie in the cinema when the Pinewoods Vi had a


    private cinema hall.


    "Block booking. For everyone in the office."


    "Whichpany?"


    "All of them!"


    "All?"


    Yes."


    Matthew''s confirmation stunned Thomas. Then, he nodded before acknowledging the instruction,


    "Okay, Young Master. I''m on it."


    Matthew had a fewpanies under his name and many factories too. So, they had at least a few


    hundred thousand employees.


    If thepany invited everyone to the movie, they wouldn''t just be footing the expense of movie


    tickets, but they would also experience massive losses as thepany would stop operations for half a


    day.


    On the other hand, Conrad returned to the Spinfluence Group after the beating at the Kings Residence


    with a vengeful heart toward Matthew and Veronica. Later on, he returned to his vi but still couldn''t


    calm the anger in his heart.


    He was restless and decided to return to the office as he wanted to numb himself by working. s, it


    didn''t work since he couldn''t focus at all.


    Ring. Ring. Ring.


    His phone suddenly rang.


    He picked it up and answered without looking at the screen, "Who is it?"


    "Hello. I''m Buckner."


    The person spoke in Chinese as he introduced himself.


    "Buckner?"


    Conrad couldn''t recall who he was and frowned as he went deep in thought.


    Suddenly, he recounted Zac mentioning that person to him some time ago.


    His full name was Buckner Dawson.


    He was the mysterious man hiding in the dark controlling Hendrey and Xavier. His identity was


    unknown.


    "You are¡­ Buckner Dawson?"


    Conrad wasn''t too sure of his identity and asked to confirm.


    "Yes," Buckner confirmed his identity.


    Now, Conrad was surprised. He never thought that Bucker would call him personally.


    He couldn''t help but grin from ear to ear but asked tentatively, "Hi. Hello. How may I help you?"


    "I heard that you know about Zac''s death. If you can find out how he died, perhaps, I can give you what


    you want."


    He wos restless ond decided to return to the office os he wonted to numb himself by working. Alos, it


    didn''t work since he couldn''t focus ot oll.


    Ring. Ring. Ring.


    His phone suddenly rong.


    He picked it up ond onswered without looking ot the screen, "Who is it?"


    "Hello. I''m Buckner."


    The person spoke in Chinese os he introduced himself.


    "Buckner?"


    Conrod couldn''t recoll who he wos ond frowned os he went deep in thought.


    Suddenly, he recounted Zoc mentioning thot person to him some time ogo.


    His full nome wos Buckner Dowson.


    He wos the mysterious mon hiding in the dork controlling Hendrey ond Xovier. His identity wos


    unknown.


    "You ore¡­ Buckner Dowson?"


    Conrod wosn''t too sure of his identity ond osked to confirm.


    "Yes," Buckner confirmed his identity.


    Now, Conrod wos surprised. He never thought thot Bucker would coll him personolly.


    He couldn''t help but grin from eor to eor but osked tentotively, "Hi. Hello. How moy I help you?"


    "I heord thot you know obout Zoc''s deoth. If you con find out how he died, perhops, I con give you whot


    you wont."


    The words¡ªGive you what you want was a general statement, but it held a considerable temptation for


    Conrad.


    Conrad was taken aback by the offer, but he immediately nodded profusely. "Yes. Yes. I''ll be sure to


    find out Zac''s true cause of death."


    "You have two weeks."


    "T-Two weeks?" The smile on Conrad''s face slowly faded away. "Buckner, isn''t two weeks too short?"


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "That will have to depend on your skills," he replied before hanging up the phone.


    Conrad heard the beeping sound that signaled the end of the call in puzzlement and fell in a heap


    helplessly as he zoned out.


    Why did Buckner call him to ask about Zac?


    He knew this was aplicated situation. It had to be because he messaged Zac''s brother, Joey


    Francis.


    Well, that didn''t matter since he could now see the light at the end of the tunnel. As long as he could


    find out the truth about Zac''s death within two weeks, he would have a new backer that was stronger


    than before.


    Then, when I''m going to bring Matthew down¡­ No. When I want to destroy him, it will be as easy as


    killing an ant.

 Chapter 1049

    Chapter 1049


    Chapter 1049 Special Means


    Meanwhile, at the Brennan Manor, Sofia sat on the couch scrolling through the trending topics on


    Twitter and couldn''t help but frown and nce at Garrick, who was reading the news. "Gary¡­"


    "Yes?"


    Garrick looked up and nced at her. "What''s wrong?"


    "Do you think Skyler is back since Matthew has returned?"


    Three months ago, Skyler and Shirley suddenly disappeared, and no matter what Sofia did, she


    couldn''t find them.


    It was as if they had disappeared off the face of the Earth.


    However, Sofia knew Skyler was still alive.


    Because of that, she knew Shirley was safe and sound too. Nheless, she was rmed when they


    both disappeared together.


    She feared the worst and assumed they had eloped to be together, but she didn''t want to admit defeat


    to such an ending.


    Garrick lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before nodding lightly. "That''s possible."


    Then, he went into his analysis, "Skyler, Caleb, Miguel, and Matthew are best buddies. Since Matthew


    has returned, Skyler will definitely hear about it and return as well. Also, Skyler could be the one behind


    Matthew''s fake death. So, he should be with Matthew."


    Safia could no longer stay seated after hearing that and jerked to her feet. "I have to find him."


    She had gone three months without any news of him. It was a miracle she held on for so long.


    Now, she needed to find Skyler as soon as possible and find out if he was in a rtionship with Shirley.


    "Wait."


    Garrick stopped her as she picked up her purse and left the living room. "Have you ever thought about


    what you''re going to do if Skyler is in a rtionship with Shirley? Are you going to just hit her likest


    time?"


    He mused, "You should know that Skyler hates vexatious women the most."


    Garrick kindly reminded Sofia as he was her brother, especially since he feared that she would repeat


    her mistakes.


    "I¡­"


    Sofia froze mid-action. She recalled how Skyler despised her and ignored her for a long time after she


    hit Shirley and started panicking.


    She stood rooted to the floor for a few seconds before turning back toward Garrick in frustration as she


    couldn''t think of a wless way to handle the situation. So, she threw her purse aside and snorted with


    her arms across her chest, "Shirley, that minx. I don''t even know what she gave Skyler for him to be so


    enamored by her."


    Sofia was jealous of Shirley because Skyler liked Shirley more regardless of her background,


    education, appearance, andpetence, which were far below her.


    She hod gone three months without ony news of him. It wos o mirocle she held on for so long.


    Now, she needed to find Skyler os soon os possible ond find out if he wos in o relotionship with Shirley.


    "Woit."


    Gorrick stopped her os she picked up her purse ond left the living room. "Hove you ever thought obout


    whot you''re going to do if Skyler is in o relotionship with Shirley? Are you going to just hit her like lost


    time?"


    He mused, "You should know thot Skyler hotes vexotious women the most."


    Gorrick kindly reminded Sofio os he wos her brother, especiolly since he feored thot she would repeot


    her mistokes.


    "I¡­"


    Sofio froze mid-oction. She recolled how Skyler despised her ond ignored her for o long time ofter she


    hit Shirley ond storted ponicking.


    She stood rooted to the floor for o few seconds before turning bock toword Gorrick in frustrotion os she


    couldn''t think of o flowless woy to hondle the situotion. So, she threw her purse oside ond snorted with


    her orms ocross her chest, "Shirley, thot minx. I don''t even know whot she gove Skyler for him to be so


    enomored by her."


    Sofio wos jeolous of Shirley becouse Skyler liked Shirley more regordless of her bockground,


    educotion, oppeoronce, ondpetence, which were for below her.


    "There is no such thing as Prince Charming falling in love with Cindere in the real world. This is


    ridiculous!" Sofia thought this was all nonsense.


    She believed that love was built on equal standing of family background or gains.


    "I think Skyler has truly fallen for Shirley."


    Garrick picked up the cup on the table and took a sip of his coffee. He narrowed his eyes as he fell


    deep in thought. "Grandpa wants you to be with Skyler. If he''s not going to change his mind. I think¡­


    you can resort to special means."


    "Special means?"


    Sofia furrowed her brow with displeasure and bitterness. She didn''t want to lose to Shirley.


    "Why? You don''t want to?" Garrick questioned her.


    Sofia didn''t reply to that. But her silence was an answer in itself.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "You have two choices. You can either let go of Skyler or¡­"


    "No. I want to!"


    Sofia hesitated for a second before agreeing swiftly. Suddenly, she sat up ramrod straight. "Why should


    I lose to Shirley? Skyler is supposed to be mine. It was that b*tch who seduced him away from me."

 Chapter 1050

    Chapter 1050


    Chapter 1050 Finally Seeing Skyler


    It was as though Sofia had forgotten what had happened between her and Skyler, how she dumped


    him and married another man abroad. Although that marriage was only titr, it was because of that


    that she and Skyler had ''missed out on each other''.


    "I''m going to look for him." After she made up her mind, she rose to her feet and wanted to leave.


    Garrick noticed her decisive stance and reminded her, "Sometimes, you may get surprising results


    using unorthodox means." He was ustomed to achieving goals by any means in the business world,


    so he figured that unorthodox means could be applied to rtionships, too.


    "I got it." She picked up her purse, walked out of the living room, and waved without looking back.


    Then, she drove her shy, red Ferrari that she had parked in the courtyard and left the vi, speeding


    down the road. While she was in the car, she connected the Bluetooth devices and made a call, "Find


    out Matthew Kings'' current address for me."


    "Yes, miss," the other party replied.


    Three minutester, the number called back, and she answered, "Tell me."


    "Miss, Matthew Kings is currently living in Serenity Gardens, and I''ve sent the exact address to your


    phone," the guy from earlier said and hung up.


    She turned on her phone, tapped on the navigation, and started driving toward Matthew''s house by


    following the navigation. About forty minutester, her car stopped outside the thick, heavy gates of


    Serenity Gardens. She gazed at the vi that was luxurious and brimming with grandeur, but she was


    in no mood to appreciate its magnificence. Instead, her heart was racing, and her hands on the


    steering wheel tightened a little as she pursed her lips together.


    When one was nervous, their mouths felt dry, and that was true for Sofia, who was a little hopeful. She


    hoped to see Skyler, but she was a little afraid that she would end up disappointed.


    Honk. Honk.


    She sounded her car honk, and a servant came out to ask, "May I know who you are?"


    Sheid her eyes on the servant standing outside her car window and smiled at her. "Hello, I''m


    Matthew''s friend, and here to visit him."


    The servant took one look at the Ferrari she was driving and reckoned that she was an extraordinary


    person with a distinguished status, which matched the status of her master very well, and was probably


    included in his circle of friends. As she didn''t dare to offend Sofia, she nodded and quickly opened the


    thick gates with hollowed carvings.


    Sofia drove in, stopped the car in the parking lot, hopped out, and took out some supplements from the


    boot. She had bought these on the way here because she already nned to use visiting as an excuse


    to find out whether Skyler was around.


    When one wos nervous, their mouths felt dry, ond thot wos true for Sofio, who wos o little hopeful. She


    hoped to see Skyler, but she wos o little ofroid thot she would end up disoppointed.


    Honk. Honk.


    She sounded her cor honk, ond o servonte out to osk, "Moy I know who you ore?"


    She loid her eyes on the servont stonding outside her cor window ond smiled ot her. "Hello, I''m


    Motthew''s friend, ond here to visit him."


    The servont took one look ot the Ferrori she wos driving ond reckoned thot she wos on extroordinory


    person with o distinguished stotus, which motched the stotus of her moster very well, ond wos probobly


    included in his circle of friends. As she didn''t dore to offend Sofio, she nodded ond quickly opened the


    thick gotes with hollowed corvings.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Sofio drove in, stopped the cor in the porking lot, hopped out, ond took out some supplements from the


    boot. She hod bought these on the woy here becouse she olreody plonned to use visiting os on excuse


    to find out whether Skyler wos oround.


    "Ah, slower, please. It''s too high¡­"


    Soon after she carried the stuff out of the boot, she heard the sounds ofughter from nearby. So, she


    followed the source of the noises; she saw a long-haired girl in a yellow floral dress on a swing, and


    behind her stood a man in a white suit. That man¡­ Who else is that but Skyler?


    "Sky¡­" Her eyes lit up, and she took a couple of steps forward, excitement written through the smile


    on her face. Finally, after three months, she could see him again. It was an excitement that nobody


    could understand, but when she saw and recognized the girl on the swing, she felt a tight squeeze in


    her chest, and her heart turned cold, followed by a stab through her heart.


    They¡­ They are really together. All she felt was the tightness in her throat, and her heart was in such a


    terrible wrenching pain that it was suffocating. Then, the words Garrick left her with earlier reyed in


    her mind, and she quickly recollected herself. From afar, she called, "Skye?"


    One call and the two persons in front of her turned to look in her direction. Skyler was stunned, and


    Shirley, who was wearing a mask, turned simultaneously, recognizing that the person in front of them


    was none other than Sofia.

 Chapter 1051

    Chapter 1051


    Chapter 1051 The Shirley With Low Self-Esteem


    Today, Sofia was wearing a pair of dark green, loose-fitting trousers paired with a body-hugging


    cropped top in white and a ck baseball cap. Her dark, long hairyered around her shoulders, and


    even without any makeup, she looked like a cool, proud girl.


    In addition, she was born pretty, the type of cool girl with a clean look, and when Shirley recalled how


    her own face looked, inferiority welled up in her chest. She gripped the ropes on the swing tightly in


    fear, lowering her head and not daring to look at the woman nearby directly.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "Sky¡­ I-I''m tired. I''m going back to rest." Then, she ced her palms on the ground, forcibly stopped


    the swing from moving, spun around, and shuffled toward the living quickly.


    Skyler wanted to call her back when he noticed how she had literally fled in a panic but didn''t do it in


    the end.


    "It''s been a while, Skye. Where the hell have you been recently?" A brilliant smile spread across Sofia''s


    face, making it seem as though they had a close bond.


    "Shirley was not in a good mood during that time, so I took her on a vacation." He stuffed his hands into


    his pockets and approached her leisurely. "Are you looking for Matt? He''s ying with the kids in the


    living room. Come on, let''s go in." It seemed as though he didn''t have anything to say to her.


    "Yeah, when I heard that Matthew hase back to life, I immediately rushed here to visit him, but I


    didn''t know that I''d bump into you here." She dropped the stuff in her hands on the ground, started


    toward him, opened her arms, and wanted to hug him. "I miss you terribly, Skye!" she eximed.


    However, before her hands could touch him, the man in front of her took a step back. "Stop!" He raised


    a hand, putting a distance between them. Then, he said in an aloof tone, "I''m dating Shirley now. It''s


    already over between us, Sofia, and I hope that you''ll let go of the past and don''t disrupt my and


    Shirley''s lives."


    Although Sofia had already mentally prepared herself for this oue, she was still struck by shock


    and jealousy when she heard the wordsing from Skyler''s lips. Her opened arms hung rigidly in the


    air for a few seconds before she slowly lowered them, tightening her palms into fists. "You¡­ Have you


    really decided to be with her?"


    "Yes."


    The answer she received from him was firm and determined. There was not even a single trace of


    hesitation that could be heard, and such a decisive answer made her jealous all over again.


    "Don''t mess around, Skye. You should know that even if you''re dating her, your parents and your family


    will not approve of this rtionship," she pointed out. "Do you know that your family has been


    searching for you when you went missing for three months? The only reason they didn''t call the police


    was because of your status."


    "I already went home on the day I returned and met my parents. So, you don''t have to worry about


    that." His attitude was indifferent from the beginning to the end; he even warned, "Just remember this,


    you''d better leave Shirley alone. Otherwise, we can''t even be friends."


    Skye has changed, Sofia realized. He was no longer full of smiles as he used to be. In contrast, he had


    given all of his passion to Shirley. Meanwhile, he only has a cold, stony face when facing others.


    Then, he spun around and left after saying his piece.


    "Skye?" Sofia called out, but he didn''t turn back and continued walking toward the living room.


    Eventually, she could only stare at his back and clenched her hands into tight fists, shaking


    uncontrobly. Shirley¡­ Shirley! Fury washed over her, and she was mad and frustrated.


    Nevertheless, she knew this wasn''t the time to lose her cool.


    "Phew¡­"


    Thus, she took a few deep breaths, picked up the supplements, and headed for the living room, which


    was bustling with life. When she stepped in, the people in the room instinctively turned to look.


    "Sofia is here?"


    "What brought you here, Sofia?"


    "It''s been a while."


    Caleb, Miguel, the Ritter brothers, and Yvette all greeted her.

 Chapter 1052

    Chapter 1052


    Chapter 1052 Picking on Sofia


    Sofia felt a little envious, especially after seeing how they were having such fun together without her.


    Regardless, she hid her jealousy well as she turned to Matthew and Veronica, who were seated on the


    couch, and smiled. "Matthew, I came to visit you when I found out that you''re still alive. Goodness, this


    is so unbelievable! Back then, when I learned that you died, I mean, that you were no longer around, I


    cried for a very long time." Then, she turned to Veronica and greeted, "Hi, Veronica."


    As there was no reason for Matthew to be mean to her when she came with all smiles, he treated her


    politely despite his dislike for her. "Make yourselffortable."


    "What would you like to drink? Coffee or tea?" Veronica offered.


    "Anything is fine." Sofia ced the gifts in a corner and took a seat on the couch.


    From another corner, Eleanor scanned her from head to toe and raised her brows as she asked,


    "Master, is she your admirer?" Before Matthew could answer, she smirked and turned to Veronica. "You


    have quite a few rivals in love, Veronica."


    Veronica answered in amusement, "You''ve got it all wrong. The one she likes is Skyler."


    "Oh, is that right?" Eleanor shrugged. "Sorry, my bad."


    Only then did Sofia notice that a woman as stunning as a peony that had just blossomed was seated in


    a corner. Even though Sofia was beautiful as well, she was still a great contrastpared to her


    beauty.


    "Matthew, she''s¡­" she trailed off, asking Matthew.


    "I''m Eleanor Gomez, Matthew''s admirer," Eleanor introduced herself.


    "Oh, I see¡­" A bewildered Sofia instinctively stole a nce at Veronica and saw that she looked calm.


    The woman didn''t even wince at that outrageous introduction. What the hell is going on? she wondered


    and rose to her feet. Then, she approached Eleanor and extended her hand in a friendly gesture. "Nice


    to meet you, Miss Gomez."


    First, Eleanor nced at her extended hand, and then she cast a look at her. Instead of returning the


    handshake, Lilianna merely raised her perfectly arched brow, looked away, and stood up to leave. "I''m


    tired and would like to return upstairs to rest." Eleanor was never one to show any kindness to a person


    whom she didn''t like at first sight.


    "Matthew, s-she''s¡­"


    She started whining to Matthew, but Veronica said with augh, "That''s how Eleanor has always been.


    We''re all used to it." In other words, she should get used to it as well.


    Then, Veronica added, "Are you looking for Skyler? He''s upstairs with Shirley."


    Of course, she knew the purpose of Sofia dropping by today. Her visiting Matthew was just an excuse.


    Since Shirley was her friend, she wouldn''t allow Sofia to do as she wished in her house.


    "Well¡­ I haven''t seen Skye for quite some time. May I go upstairs to meet him?" Sofia deliberately


    donned a bashful expression. "There are many things I wish to tell him." Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    The fiercely protective Veronica refuted her without pulling her punches, "Miss Green, I guess you


    didn''t quite catch what I mean. Since Skyler is now dating Shirley and the couple is in their room, you


    shouldn''t barge in and impose on them. After all, we are all adults, aren''t we?"


    The word ''adult'' contained too many subtexts. Everyone in the living room understood what she meant


    and said nothing about it.


    Matthew had Ada in his arms as he held a feeding bottle in his hand and fed the milk to her. Then, he


    raised his head and said seriously, "You can''t force love to happen."


    The atmosphere turned solemn from the awkwardness that clung in the air, and Sofia felt that Matthew


    and Veronica were deliberately picking on her in order to protect Shirley. Naturally, she felt unjustified


    by such biased treatment, so she turned to Caleb and Miguel with reluctance in her eyes.


    Caleb was a person of few words and had no interest in getting himself involved in something like this.


    Thus, he stood up and announced, "I''m going out for a smoke." So, only Miguel was left tofort her.


    "You can have a good chat with Skyler when he is free."

 Chapter 1053

    Chapter 1053


    Chapter 1053 His Father is Back


    Sofia was shrouded in awkwardness as she stood on the same spot, looking around the room


    helplessly, only to find everyone either lowering their heads as they checked their cell phones or turning


    to look the other way. Nobody wanted to bother wasting their time on her.


    Being treated like an outcast felt like a tight p across her face, and her cheeks burned painfully from


    the shame. As the little princess of the Green Family, she had never suffered such humiliation before.


    Still, she bore with it for a few minutes, lifted her head to the direction of the second floor, and forced


    out a smile. "I''ll wait for Skye toe downter, then. Matthew, may I stay for dinner?" For the sake of


    Skyler, she was willing to lower herself and set aside her haughty dignity.


    "Sure," Matthew agreed with a nod and returned to coax Ada, who was in his arms.


    "Mom¡­"


    Suddenly, baby Ada uttered the word ''Mom''. Even though it was probably just a coincidence from her


    babblings, it still put a bright smile on Matthew''s face. "You can say ''Mommy'' now, my love?"


    Next to him, Veronica giggled. "She''s only six months old. How can she say ''Mommy'' yet? No way!"


    "But I heard it."


    The man who used to be aloof and indifferent was now a caring father. A heartwarming emotion


    washed over Veronica, and she felt a sense of blissfulness after a moment of peace. This was exactly


    the life that she wanted.


    Ring, ring.


    Suddenly, Matthew''s phone started ringing. He held Ada with one arm while using the other hand to


    pick up his phone. However, it was a call from an unknown number, so he hesitated momentarily before


    telling Veronica, "Roni, I''m going to pick up a call."


    "Okay," she answered and bent over to pick up Ada from him. "Come here, baby. Let me hold you," she


    said in a soft, motherly tone as she carried her baby.


    Matthew rose to his feet and walked out of the living room with his cell phone in hand before answering


    the call outside, "Who''s this?"


    "How are you, Matthew?" A strong voice echoed from the other end of the line.


    Unfortunately, the voice sounded very unfamiliar to Matthew, and after racking his brains for a few


    seconds, he couldn''t put a face to the voice. Nheless, his instincts were screaming at him that this


    person knew him, and he knew him very well at that.


    "Who are you?" Matthew demanded. He had never been perturbed by anything, but at that moment,


    his heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad premonition.


    "I''m¡­" the other man trailed off and sighed deeply. "We''ve not met for more than ten years. It''s not


    surprising that you can''t recognize my voice."


    We? The muscles on Matthew''s face turned stiff, and his fingers tightened their grip around his phone.


    Then, he instinctively turned to look back into the living room, stepped outside, and paced toward the


    bench in the distance that was on thewn.


    "vian Kings?" he guessed, calling his name directly.


    "I would like to meet you," vian said somberly on the phone. It was as normal as day and night that


    a father wanted to see his son, but the tone vian used was one tinged with pleading desire.


    "My father is dead," Matthew said coldly and hung up. After that, he stood there in a daze for a while


    before sitting down on the bench. Then, he took out a stick of cigarette, lit it, and started smoking


    silently.


    vian Kings?! He held the cigarette between his lips and let the evening breeze ruffle through the hair


    on his forehead, which made him look especially serious and cool.


    vian Kings was a person he didn''t like to bring up. In the public''s eyes, vian passed away soon


    after the death of his wife, but Matthew knew that he didn''t. Instead, the despicable man drove his wife


    to her grave and then went ahead and married his mistress.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    At that time, Elizabeth was aware that vian had a mistress, and she had given birth to a b*stard son,


    Conrad. Due to this, Elizabeth loathed the mistress to the very fiber of her being.

 Chapter 1054

    Chapter 1054


    Chapter 1054 Skyler Is Disgusted


    Therefore, she was strongly against vian marrying his mistress. Yet, he was deeply in love with that


    mistress and was willing to turn his back on the Kings Family to elope with her.


    "If you insist on being with that woman, you''re no longer a member of the Kings Family from today


    onward!" Elizabeth snarled.


    vian hugged the woman, bowed at Elizabeth, and said, "Mother, I''m sorry for being such a


    disappointment. Please take care of yourself after this." After that, he left with that woman without a


    backward nce.


    Because of this matter, Elizabeth threw a huge temper and copsed. Later, she deliberately released


    some news, hoping that her son would realize his mistakes and return. To her dismay, she never heard


    back from vian after that day.


    Thus, she could only announce to the public that vian had died in an ident. Elizabeth hated the


    fact that her son disappointed her and eloped with a woman. At the same time, she hated herself for


    forcing vian, her beloved son, away so heartlessly, which was why she doted on Matthew a lot.


    Firstly, she felt guilt toward him. Secondly, she used the opportunity to shower all the love she had for


    her son on him as well.


    In the beginning, Matthew thought that his father was indeed dead, but he identally found out one


    day that he didn''t die and merely eloped with another woman. After that particr discovery, he had


    nothing but hate for vian. That man didn''t contact him for more than ten years but suddenly decided


    to announce his presence now? The instant that man made himself known, Matthew could hear the


    peaceful and quiet life that he had hoped for shatter into smithereens, and his mood turned somber at


    the thought of this.


    Somehow¡­ I think life won''t be peaceful after this, he thought wearily. He held the cigarette between


    his fingers, flicked off the ashes, and frowned deeply.


    In the meantime, a mysterious and uninvited guest appeared at the Kings Residence. The moment that


    person made himself known, Yura sent everyone out of the room when he met Elizabeth.


    The mysterious person fell to his knees on the floor with a thud and bowed to Elizabeth. Finally, he


    used the same tone as he did back then when he left and said, "Mother, I didn''t fulfill my duties as a


    son, but I''ve returned to visit you."


    Although Elizabeth was a bit senile¡ªsometimes clear in her head and sometimes not¡ªshe happened


    to be clear-minded now and recognized the person in front of her. Nevertheless, she was


    expressionless and rose to her feetposedly before heading toward her bedroom. "I don''t know


    you."


    Then, she entered her room and shut the door. The man in the living room said nothing and knelt there


    for a long time before finally leaving. After he left, Elizabeth hid in her room and cried her heart out.


    Eventually, she fell into a deep slumber, and when she woke again, she seemed to have forgotten


    everything.


    Yura, who had been by her side for half her life, felt sorry for her when she saw that her dementia had


    kicked in again.


    Back at Pinewoods Vi, the kitchen staff prepared a sumptuous dinner, and everyone gathered


    around the table after the food was ready.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "Let''s eat," Matthew said as the master of the family. Only then did everyone begin to dig in.


    However, next to Skyler, Shirley didn''t touch her cutleries and stole a look from the corner of her eyes


    at Sofia, who was seated on the other side of Skyler. When she saw how beautiful the other part


    looked, thest shard of strength she had left was crushed to smithereens.


    "Skye, I remember that you like fish." Sofia had a gentle smile on her face as she ced a small


    serving of fish in front of Skyler.


    This scene burned Shirley''s eyes badly, and she was terrified to remove her mask and show Sofia the


    hideous scar on her face.


    Skyler nced at the fish on his te coldly and emotionlessly said to the servant behind him, "Madam


    Lenski, please change to another te for me." His request was as good as a harsh p on Sofia''s


    face, and her cheeks burned brightly from embarrassment.


    While she was still stunned and at a loss, she saw Skyler getting some goose liver for Shirley. "My


    dear, don''t just sit there. Eat something."

 Chapter 1055

    Chapter 1055


    Chapter 1055 The Children Might Be in Danger


    All of a sudden, everyone''s gaze fell on Shirley, who felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Every


    second was torture as she swept her gaze across everyone in the room. All of them were gorgeous,


    and she was blessed with good looks, too, but the scar on her face hadpletely shattered her


    confidence.


    She stared helplessly at the people seated opposite her and finally hung her head in shame and low


    self-esteem. She parted her lips to speak, but Veronica interjected just as she was about to say


    something, "Skyler, I think Shirley doesn''t look so well. Take her upstairs to rest, and I''ll ask the cook to


    prepare something she likes so she can eat it upstairs."


    As a woman, Veronica could easily guess what was on Shirley''s mind.


    "Sure. I''ll take your advice." Skyler set aside his cutleries and grabbed Shirley''s hand. "Shir, let''s go. I''ll


    stay upstairs with you while we rest."


    "Okay." Shirley nodded and rose to her feet. "I''m sorry, but I don''t feel so well. Enjoy your meal,


    everyone. I''ll be retiring for the night."


    Everyone in the room knew what was actually happening and didn''t say a word. After they left the


    dining room, Sofia felt incredibly awkward. It would be weird whether she stayed or left. In the end, she


    forced herself to sit through the dinner awkwardly and fled.


    Everyone else also departed one after another, leaving only Veronica and Matthew in the living room.


    After a while, Veronica sighed. "Shirley can''t take any blows in her current condition. Tell the servants


    at home not to let Sofia in after this."


    Unexpectedly, she didn''t hear an answer after she finished speaking. So, she swiveled her head


    around to look at him and saw that he was simply staring ahead with empty eyes.


    "Matt?" She reached out and patted his shoulder, which caused the dazed man to snap back to his


    senses. "What''s the matter?" he asked.


    "What do you mean? I should be the one asking you that." Veronica smiled helplessly. "What are you


    thinking about? Is there something on your mind?" It was very rare for her to catch him in a daze.


    "Nothing. I''m just thinking about what''s happening to Skyler."


    "That''s what I was saying earlier. I just said that Shirley couldn''t take any more blows, so we should bar


    Sofia from entering," she repeated.


    Matthew nodded. "I''ll inform the servants tomorrow."


    "There''s another thing." She crossed her legs, tilted her head, and rested it on his shoulder. "I would


    like to return to work tomorrow."


    He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulled her in closer, and yed with her dark tresses


    between his fingers. "Didn''t you say that you''re going home to visit your parents?"


    "I forgot to tell you that they''reing to Bloomstead the day after tomorrow." A bright smile spread


    across her face. "Back then, when I left, I told them that I''ll be in seclusion due to training, so I wouldn''t


    be able to keep in contact with them. That day when we returned to Bloomstead, I made a video call to


    them again, and they didn''t doubt a single word I said. So, I thought that I shouldn''t appear too anxious


    lest they start to worry as well."


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "That makes sense." The fact that Veronica was so attentive was a relief for him. "Since you''re


    returning to work tomorrow, then it''s time for me to start working, too." He leaned into the back of the


    couch and added, "I''ve been back for a few days, and I can''t put off some things any longer." Then, a


    calctive light shed past his eyes, and he nced at the woman leaning on his shoulder. After


    briefly hesitating, he said, "Roni, let''s get the kids to live somewhere else."


    She immediately jerked upright upon hearing his words. "Why?"


    "Because¡­" He gave it a thought and exined, "There are still some unfinished loose ends regarding


    Conrad. Plus, he''s a cunning person with zero qualms about attacking our weaknesses. I''m worried


    that he''ll harm the kids."


    Actually, the person that was making the rm bells in his mind ring incessantly was none other than


    vian.

 Chapter 1056

    Chapter 1056


    Chapter 1056 Finding Out That Shirley Is Disfigured


    "Huh? Well¡­" The light in Veronica''s eyes danced with uncertainty, but after giving it a good thought,


    she felt that his reasoning wasn''t entirely unreasonable. "You''re right. That b*stard Conrad is pure evil.


    If he kidnaps the kids, I can''t bear to imagine the consequences." She lowered her head and thought


    this over carefully.


    "It''s fine if you don''t find this as a good idea. I¡­" In her eyes, Matthew could see that she was reluctant


    to part with the kids and wanted to take back the words he said earlier.


    "No, I think that you have a point. I''m just thinking about where would be a suitable ce to send the


    kids to. After all, I''ll be busy after this." She tilted her head and leaned against his shoulder again. "You


    have a lot of things to get done, and I''ll be swamped for quite some time. We won''t have time to spare


    for the kids. Why don''t we send the kids to my parents?" At the thought of this, she felt that it was a


    good idea. "My parents are bored in the vige, and Waylen is¡­ no longer around. I''m worried that


    they''ll feel lonely."


    Even though she imed it was for childcare, she actually wanted her parents to live somewhere else


    while having the kids apany them through their new life.


    Matthew reached out and pinched her nose. "That''s a great idea."


    And thus, both of them reached an agreement.


    The next day, Matthew went to work while Veronica went to her gamingpany. Meanwhile, Troy and


    Yvette were tasked with giving Eleanor a tour to get her used to life in Bloomstead. Besides Skyler and


    Shirley, it seemed that everyone''s life had returned to normal.


    Matthew''s appearance created another uproar, but the first thing he did after returning to work in his


    company was to hold a press conference to disclose his identity as the shareholder of another


    company and rify the situation. Of course, his resurrection was definitely fake, and all the


    exnations were merely perfunctory excuses.


    On the other side, Sofia returned from Pinewoods Vi devastated and buried her head in the pillow,


    crying through the night. The next day, two ck circles formed around her eyes. When she passed by


    the mirror, she nearly screamed in shock as she looked like a zombie, so she decided to have a facial


    massage at the beauty salon.


    After she drove herself to the beauty salon, the receptionists greeted her warmly when they saw her,


    "Hello, Miss Green."


    "Wow, you look even slimmer now, Miss Green."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Miss Sofia, your skin is looking so good¡­"


    A few beauticians showered her in ttery, each saying things that sounded like music to her ears, and


    she opened her purse. Then, she took out some money and said to one of the attendants, "Buy some


    snacks for everyone here and keep the change."


    "Thank you, Miss Sofia!"


    "Thanks, Miss Sofia."


    "You''re the best, Miss Sofia!"


    All the attendants were delighted, and one of them even reminded her, "Miss Sofia, Miss Levine is in


    her room."


    Sofia was quite close with the owner of the beauty salon, Melinda Levine, and the attendant recognized


    her because of her frequent visits.


    "Okay," Sofia replied, went upstairs to Melinda''s office, and opened the door without bothering to


    knock.


    Meanwhile, Melinda was reading through some customer information at the desk. When she heard the


    sound of footsteps, she instinctively lifted her head to see Sofia walking in. "Oh, what brings you here


    today?"


    Sofia sighed and exined, "I didn''t sleep wellst night, and my skin looks awful, so I came for a


    facial." Then, she approached Melinda, propped herself upzily, and sat on her desk. Her eyes took a


    fleeting nce at the documents on her desk casually, and her brows knitted together suddenly. Then,


    she took another look at the information sheet and couldn''t help but ask, "This girl¡­ She''s¡­ Shirley?"


    "Do you know her?" Melinda asked, surprised.


    Sofia sprung to her feet, lowered her head, and stared at the paper on the desk before her eyes shifted


    to the picture in the top right corner, which gave her quite a shock. "She¡­ Why is she disfigured?"

 Chapter 1057

    Chapter 1057


    Chapter 1057 She Can Never Recover


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    "Yeah." Melinda sighed and shook her head in dismay. "Thisdy is prone to scarring, so her looks are


    destroyed. Oh, dear."


    "You mean that her face can never recover again?" Sofia asked with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.


    "Yes." Melinda checked the information in her hands and pointed at Shirley''s scar on the picture. "The


    injury on the face is severe. Coupled with her skin''s inclination to scarring, I''m certain that she won''t be


    able to recover." Then, she suddenly raised her head at Sofia. "Why are you so interested in her


    condition?"


    "Huh? Uh, n-no. I''m just asking because I know her." Sofia put on a stic smile and changed the


    topic. Nheless, a triumphant smirk spread across her face the instant she had her back facing


    Melinda.


    Just then, an employee from the beauty salon opened the door and said, "Miss Levine, Miss Tijana is


    asking for you."


    "Okay." Melinda rose to her feet and said to Sofia. "I''m going to check out what Tijana needs. Take your


    time here, Sofia."


    "Go ahead. I''ll take a rest here in the meantime." Sofia leaned into the couch and made it seem as


    though she was browsing through her phone when in actuality, she had her eyes on Melinda''s


    retreating figure. Nevertheless, she kept up the pretense until Melinda finally left the office and closed


    the door behind her.


    When she heard that the sound of heels clicking on the floor was growing fainter, she slowly stood up


    and went to the desk. Then, she opened the folder and checked Shirley''s information. Her phone made


    clicking sounds as she snapped a few pictures of Shirley''s photos, capturing proof of her disfigurement.


    ¡­


    On this day, Veronica''s adoptive parents finally arrived at Pinewoods Vi in Bloomstead. After Thomas


    parked the car, he went to the back and opened the car door. "Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, we''re here," he


    said politely to Tony and Danie.


    The couple climbed out and checked out the huge vi. "This is so luxurious," Tony couldn''t help but


    gush.


    "Exactly. It looks like a pce." Danie nodded in agreement but looked a little downcast. "Say,


    Matthew is so wealthy. Do you think Veronica is good enough for him?"


    The edges of Thomas'' lips twitched at that remark. How is she not good enough? Your daughter is the


    master of the hidden n. Instead of bing the n''s leader, she chose to be with the Boss. She''s


    more than good enough for him. There was even a moment when he thought that Matthew was the one


    who wasn''t worthy of her.


    "Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, please don''t say that. Mrs. Kings is hard-working and has been running her own


    company. Furthermore, she''s working hard to run her own business and is a very motivated person. Of


    course, she''s good enough for Boss," he said confidently.


    Right then, Veronica and Matthew came out of the living room. "Dad? Mom?" She trotted down the


    stairs, dashed straight for them with open arms, and hugged them. "Oh, how I miss you guys!"


    She did miss them terribly. After the visit to the n this time, she had been through life-and-death


    experiences with too many people and very nearly lost the opportunity to walk out there alive. While


    she was on the verge of life and death, the ones she missed the most were none other than her


    parents.


    Now that she could finallyy her eyes on them, she couldn''t stop herself from giving them a big hug,


    and the moment she did so, her restless heart finally calmed down.


    "Goodness, you''re a grown woman. How could you still act like a child?" Danie was all smiles as she


    patted Veronica on the back. Then, she took a nce at Matthew next to her andmented lightly,


    "You''re making a clown out of yourself in front of Matthew."


    Matthew was dressed casually as he stood beside them with a calm smile. "It''s alright. She just missed


    you guys a lot."


    Now that he had been through all those life-and-death experiences with her, he fully understood what


    she had gone through. Thus, he knew that her parents held an important ce in her heart that could


    never be reced. In fact, he was even a little envious of such a rtionship.


    Tony chuckled heartily. "There, there. You''re a big girl now." Veronica gently pushed aside and asked,


    "Where''s Ada and n? I would like to see them."


    At the mention of the children, Danie immediately shoved Veronica aside as well. "I want to see


    them, too."

 Chapter 1058

    Chapter 1058


    Chapter 1058 Let Things Take Its Natural Course


    A stunned Veronica stood in a daze after they shoved her aside so heartlessly. Then, she turned her


    gaze to her adoptive parents as they hurried into the living and smiled in exasperation. I suppose it''s


    true that love doubles through a generation, she thought in amusement.


    After they entered the living room, Tony and Danie each picked up a baby in their arms. They were


    overjoyed as they talked and yed with the babies, teasing them so often that they kept giggling in


    merriment.


    Instantly, the spacious living room was filled with life, and everything seemed so wonderful, basked in


    this blissful atmosphere.


    This is probably what it means to have a blissful family. Matthew could feel their utter adoration for the


    babies just by watching Tony and Danie rocking them gently while cooing at the babies in their arms.


    "Dad, Mom, you''re probably exhausted after such a long trip. You should rest for a bit," he said and


    gestured to the nannies to take the children from them.


    After the nannies had left with the babies, only then did Tony take a seat on the couch.


    "Roni and I couldn''t contact you guys for the past few months because we''ve been busy with our work


    and training outside of the city," Matthew said.


    When Matthew and Veronica left, he was worried that Tony and Danie would contact Veronica first


    and start panicking when they couldn''t reach her after a few tries. Hence, he had ced Thomas and


    Yvette in charge of contacting and visiting them, which set the Murphy couple at ease.


    "Oh, that''s not a problem. You''re still young, and it''s only natural that you ce your career first," Tony


    said. "The training session this time is rather long. We would have been distraught if Thomas hadn''t


    been in contact with us the whole time and kept us in the loop."


    "Yes, exactly. As her mother, I''m worried whenever she leaves the house," Danie said, chuckling.


    Seated next to Matthew, Veronica tilted her head at them and shed them a smile. "I''m back now,


    aren''t I? So, there''s nothing to worry about. Moreover, the training is over, and there wouldn''t be any of


    that after this. So, don''t worry."


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Fortunately, her adoptive parents had a lot of trust in her. If the elderly couple had asked one more


    question, their cover might have been blown in an instant.


    Ring, ring¡­


    Then, Matthew''s phone started to ring, and he saw a string of numbers when he whisked out his


    phone. This is vian''s number, he thought and hung up with a frown.


    "Is that an important call from work?" Danie noticed that he had hung up a call and thought that her


    visit had the unfortunate side effect of disturbing his work.


    Fortunately, the man shook his head. "No, it''s just a scam call," he said, turning to Veronica. "Let them


    rest in the morning. Then, in the afternoon, if you''re free, take them shopping and buy anything that


    they need."


    "Okay," Veronica answered readily.


    "We don''t need anything and have everything that we need," Danie chirped.


    "Yes, we just want to spend some time with the kids and don''t want to do anything else," Tony said and


    stood up. "I''m going to check on the kids."


    Maybe it was because he didn''t have manymon topics with Matthew, or maybe he thought that


    Matthew was out of Veronica¡¯s league and she was not worthy of him. Therefore, Tony didn''t dare to


    speak out of turn in Matthew''s presence and even felt a little inferior.


    "I''ming, too." Danie stood up and followed after him.


    Veronica sighed and shook her head helplessly as they scampered out of the room. "I think they''re¡­


    afraid of you." As their daughter, she could easily read what was on her parents'' minds.


    Matthew wrapped an arm around her and yed with her hair between his fingers. "What should I do?"


    He, too, would like to ease the rtionship.


    "We can only let this take its natural course," Veronica said with a sigh. "Since we got married, you''ve


    not shown yourself, and there was even a fake Matthew by my side when you were missing. Although


    they knew that he wasn''t you, it was precisely because of that that they think there is more than meets


    the eye when ites to you. So, they''re constantly worried that our marriage won''tst."

 Chapter 1059

    Chapter 1059


    Chapter 1059 Learning the Truth


    "We''ll take our time." Matthew knew that they probably found their marriage rather challenging to


    ept right away and didn''tment on the matter further.


    Then, his phone started ringing again, and he saw vian''s number shing on the screen. "Roni, go


    ahead and apany your parents. I''m picking up a call."


    "Okay." Veronica sprang to her feet and headed for the garden.


    Matthew held his phone and picked up the call. "Don''t call me again."


    "I''m outside Pinewoods Vi. Can we meet? I know you have kids now. Will you let me meet my


    grandchildren?" vian requested shamelessly.


    "Since the day you left, you were no longer my father. Leave me alone!" Matthew hung up immediately


    and tossed his phone on the table in frustration. Then, he rested his palm against his forehead and


    massaged it gently as his spirits sank lower and lower.


    In the garden, Tony and Danie pushed the baby stroller while taking a walk with Veronica on the


    grass. Veronica had asked both nannies to leave them alone, and the Murphys could finally speak their


    minds now. "Tell me honestly. Where the hell were you guys in the past few months?"


    Veronica was caught off guard by the sudden interrogation. So, she instinctively stole a look at Danie


    out of reflex, and thetter said disparagingly, "Although we live in the vige, we''re not dumb. After


    you married Matthew, he went missing for a few months, and when he reappeared again, he was a


    man without an arm. You said that''s not him, and he was off on a secret mission. So, we know that you


    two were taking care of something behind the scenes in the past three months. Also, thest time when


    Crayson brought us to Castron, saying that he would bring us to meet you, it turned out to be nothing


    but false hope. In the end, it was Thomas who sent us home. We both know that you have definitely


    encountered some problems, but our abilities are limited, and we can''t provide you with the support you


    need. Still, you should let us know what''s happening with you because we''re your parents." As she


    spoke, tears started to well up in her eyes. Even though Veronica wasn''t her biological daughter, she


    still regarded her as her own daughter.


    At this point, Veronica knew that she couldn''t sequester the truth away any longer. So, she thought


    things over before finally saying, "Do you know why Crayson has always been so nice to me?"


    "Don''t digress!" Tony reprimanded gently in disgruntlement.


    Veronica swept her gaze across the yard in order to ensure there were no other servants before


    saying, "It''s not because of some weird affinity that Crayson had been by my side since I was young. It


    was because I''m the leader of the hidden n."


    "Hidden n? Leader?" Tony had no idea at all what she was talking about.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Veronica understood that it was hard for them to believe her with just mere words, so she showed them


    a video clip from the hidden n. In the video, Waylen was dressed in the hidden n''s attire, and


    Hayley was also in the video. "Look, this is the real Crayson. His name is Waylen Elrod, and this


    person is my birth mother, Hayley Elrod." This sudden, unexpected piece of information shocked the


    Murphy couple, and Veronica continued, "Hayley was the n leader, but her position was usurped by


    someone else. As they were worried that I would be in danger, they decided to hide me away outside of


    the n, and my abandonment was also premeditated¡­"


    She told them what happened at the n briefly and concisely, including Waylen, Hayley, and Tiffany''s


    deaths. However, she didn''t tell them that Tiffany was actually a clone. Some things were simply


    beyond their area of eptance.


    After she recounted the whole story to her adoptive parents, she raised her head and saw the shocked


    expressions that clung to their faces. Eventually, she looked away as her heart ached at their


    circumstances and how they were treated as mere pawns.

 Chapter 1060

    Chapter 1060


    Chapter 1060 vian Is Here


    "The dust has settled. There is already someone to seed as the leader of the hidden n, and I''ll


    never return to that ce ever again. Everything that Matt did before, he did it for me. You have to keep


    this a secret. Do you understand?" Veronica asked.


    Blood drained from Danie''s face. "How¡­ How did things turn out this way?"


    "Were you and Matthew hurt in the hidden n?" Tony asked in worry, looking at her from top to


    bottom.


    Veronica immediately shook her head and bounced around. "Look, I''m fine." Then, she approached


    Danie, wrapped her arms around her shoulders, and assured her, "Don''t worry. We''re fine, and we


    have returned safely. On the other hand, Shirley was hurt because of me. Crayson cut her face and


    disfigured her. Please be nicer to her in the future."


    Danie let out a sigh. "So, that''s what happened." Then, she stared at Veronica and pulled her into an


    embrace. "It''s amazing that you''re back. We''ve been so worried and scared the whole time, but we''re


    just farmers with limited abilities. I''m sorry we can''t be of any help to you, my child."


    "Oh no, Mom. What are you saying?" Veronica couldn''t help but chuckle. "I told you guys everything


    because I don''t want you to worry. Furthermore, I returned to the hidden n because Crayson


    blindfolded and kidnapped me, and I only managed to return after two weeks of boat ride. As you know,


    the hidden n is situated in a ce that few have heard of. Therefore, I can''t find my way there and


    am forbidden to return forever. So, you don''t have to worry about me leaving, and you definitely


    shouldn''t feel that I''m not good enough for Matthew," she assured, fearing that they would start


    overthinking things regarding Matthew once more.


    Sure enough, after Tony heard that his daughter was the heir to the hidden n and almost became


    the leader but gave up everything for the sake of being together with Matthew, he straightened his back


    and said proudly, "There''s no doubt that my daughter is worthy of him."


    "Don''t spout nonsense!" Danie chided. "Just keep these things to yourself, or it will harm Veronica."


    "Okay, anything you say." Tony nodded and smiled, raising his head as he suddenly felt his mood


    getting lighter. "I have to have a drink with Matthew in the afternoon to celebrate your safe return and a


    few more to thank him for taking care of you."


    A worried Veronica reminded, "Don''t mention anything about the hidden n in Matt''s presence. He''s


    scared that you''ll be worried and forbade me from telling you. If he finds out about this, he''ll me me


    for my rash decision."


    "Got it."


    "Don''t worry, my child. I won''t speak a word about it. Even though I grew up in a vige, I can judge


    what is appropriate to say and what is not."


    The Murphy couple made their promise.


    A smile spread across Veronica''s face, and she wrapped her arms around them. "Dad, Mom, I''m so


    d that you''re my parents." She warned them not to mention this in front of Matthew because she


    feared they would ask him for more details, and he would slip up.


    After all, she basically only told them the good things that happened in the hidden n, iming that


    the current leader of the n only let her off because she had saved him. That was why she was only


    forbidden from ever returning. With that, her adoptive parents wouldn''t worry that she would leave


    them.


    In the afternoon, Matthew cooked for the family personally and prepared a table full of delicious food.


    s, before they could start eating at the table, a servant approached and informed him, "Sir, an


    elderly man is at the door. He says he''s vian and would like to meet you."


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    vian? That''s vian Kings!

 Chapter 1061

    Chapter 1061


    Chapter 1061 Uninvited Guest


    Veronica looked at Matthew and said, "He is your friend, isn''t he? Since he''s here, let''s invite him in for


    a while."


    She pondered, realizing that Matthew was still alive and hade to find him at the earliest


    opportunity. He must be a close friend, or a friend that I made in youth.


    "No need."


    Matthew said coldly, "Tell him to leave."


    He uttered amand to the servant without ever meeting their gaze. His refusal brimmed with


    unwavering determination and there was a hint of resistance.


    "Alright, Mr. Kings."


    The servant nodded and turned to walk out of the dining room.


    Tony and Danie refrained from probing further into the matter. After all, it was Matthew''s personal


    affair and they didn''t want to interject or inquire further.


    "Let''s have our meal then." Veronica smiled and addressed her foster parents.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Matthew immediately chimed in. "Well, let''s have our meal."


    As he spoke, Tony duly picked up his fork and began to eat.


    However, they had only taken a few bites when the servant hurriedly entered the room. "Mr. Kings, Mr.


    vian instructed me to deliver this to you."


    vian likely knew that Matthew would not meet with him, so he had the servant deliver something of


    utmost importance.


    "What is it?"


    Noticing Matthew''s dark and silent demeanor, Veronica broke the silence and asked.


    The servant stepped forward, intending to hand over the item in their hands to Veronica, but Matthew


    swiftly intercepted it, rising to his feet. "I''ll be gone for a while," he said.


    After speaking, he turned around and left the dining room.


    His expression was particrly grim, and after his departure, Tony anxiously inquired, "Roni, is there


    something wrong with Matthew? Shouldn''t you go out and check on him?"


    Having apanied Matthew for a long time, Veronica rarely witnessed him losing hisposure


    over a particr matter. Yet, strangely enough, the appearance of this person named vian today


    instantly deteriorated his state of mind, even erasing his former calmness.


    She knew that that person must have a great deal of influence.


    "It''s alright, Dad. Let''s just eat." Veronica served her foster parents some dishes, smiling as she said.


    "You''vee all this way, so please eat more. Matt personally cooked these dishes for you. I don''t


    know if you''ll like them."


    Danie felt deeply gratified, looking at the bountiful spread of delicious food on the table, nodded, and


    sighed. "My Roni has good taste and found a good match. I think Matthew is not bad either. You must


    hold on tightly to him."


    "Haha." Veronica couldn''t help butugh at her mother''s words. "He is the father of my child, my


    husband; how else should I hold on to him? Should I put him in my pocket?"


    "Hahaha... That''s true. What are you thinking about, my dear?" Tony chuckled cheerfully while talking


    to Danie.


    At that moment, the atmosphere became rxed and lively, as if everyone had forgotten about the


    unpleasant scene just moments ago.


    Meanwhile, Matthew drove his car and arrived outside the vi.


    vian Kings, sitting in his car, saw him honking and followed his car out of the vi.


    After driving for about five or six minutes, they eventually stopped under a big tree.


    Matthew stepped out of his sedan, leaning against the car door, a cigarette held between his fingers.


    He silently smoked, his brows furrowed with a restless and agitated mood.


    Soon after, vian''s car came to a halt.


    He got out of the back seat and walked towards Matthew.


    Due to Old Mrs. Kings and Old Mr. Kings marrying early, vian was born when they were just


    neen years old, and vian and his wife also had Matthew at the same age. As a result, vian


    appeared quite young, but his hair had started to turn white.


    Perhaps it was the strong genes of the Kings family, for even at fifty years old, one could still discern


    from vian''s weathered face the remnants of his former handsomeness, along with an air of


    dominance and cold ruthlessness.

 Chapter 1062

    Chapter 1062


    Chapter 1062 vian Kings¡¯ Conspiracy


    "Take your things and leave," Matthew coldly uttered.


    The item vian handed to the servant was a ck rectangr box, but Matthew never bothered to


    open it.


    Without any mercy, he tossed the object back to vian, his sharp gaze fixed upon him. "You should


    never havee back after all these years. I have my own family now, and I hope you won''t disturb my


    life any further."


    Dressed in a ck suit, vian exuded a formidable presence as he stood before Matthew, his hands


    sped behind his back. vian''s gaze lingered on Matthew for a while before he spoke. "You''ve


    grown up, indeed. You inherited your mother''s features, looking quite handsome."


    The words of praise only grated on Matthew''s ears.


    "I''ve also met your wife. She even helped me cross the street that day. She''s kind-hearted, a truly rare


    and wonderful girl."


    vian had encountered Veronica quite a while ago, several months to be precise.


    He simply hadn''t informed Matthew about it until now.


    "What exactly are you trying to say?"


    Matthew tightly pinched the cigarette butt between his fingers, exerting such force that it deformed the


    filter. The cigarette burned down, scorching his hand, prompting him to flick the butt onto the ground.


    "I''m aware of the Spinfluence Group situation. I don''t me you. Managing such argepany so


    well, I''m already pleased. But when facing Conrad Kings, you''re no match for him. Matthew, how about


    coming back to Mythpoint with me?"


    In vian''s eyes, the twopanies Matthew currently held were nothing more than small enterprises,


    hardly worth his attention.


    He wanted Matthew toe back to Mythpoint with him.


    "I don''t want to go back with you." Matthew refused directly, his cold gaze piercing through. "vian,


    from the moment you left, you ceased to be my father. If you dare to appear in front of me again, don''t


    expect any courtesy."


    With his statement concluded, Matthew opened the car door, preparing to get in.


    Suddenly, he paused, his sharp gaze narrowing slightly. Each word resonated with amanding


    tone. "Stay away from Roni."


    That is my woman, and vian is not allowed to get too close.


    He got into the car, started the sedan, turned the car around, and drove away.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    vian looked back at the receding car and suddenly chuckled. "This child, he takes after me."


    After standing for a while, vian opened the car door and got in. The driver started the car and


    headed towards the center of the city.


    An hourter, inside the presidential suite of Bloomstead''s only seven-star hotel.


    vian walked in and looked at a ssical maiden sitting on the living room sofa. "Evie, still practicing


    the piano?"


    "Uncle vian, you''re back? So, did you meet Matthew?" The elegant beauty in a vintage gown smiled


    gently, her voice filled with tenderness.


    vian sat down on the sofa and let out a deep sigh. "Ah, Evie. You and Matthew only had a brief


    encounter, why do you want to marry him? You know he has a wife and child. Even though that woman


    resorted to any means to be with him, they are still a family now."


    Eviette Robbins sat opposite vian, her straight and fair legs were pressed together. She sat upright,


    emanating an elegant and refined demeanor of a proper youngdy. "Uncle vian, you should know


    that I had feelings for Matthew since before. But, my parents forced me to study abroad, and I had work


    commitments that kept me upied, so I couldn''te back. I never expected Matthew to find a


    suitable woman so quickly, but Veronica, that woman, managed to deceive him. I believe Matthew


    doesn''t truly love her, but out of a sense of responsibility towards their two children, he reluctantly


    stayed with her."

 Chapter 1063

    Chapter 1063


    Chapter 1063 Matthew¡¯s Younger Brother


    Her words seemed reasonable, and vian lifted the cup of tea on the table, took a sip, and a smile


    appeared on his lips.


    "Evie, even if you agree, I''m afraid your parents wouldn''t approve of this marriage, considering that


    Matthew is already married."


    "I used to believe that Matthew was ''dead,'' little did I know he was still alive. That period was the


    darkest moment of my life. Since then, I made a vow that if Matthew were alive, I would marry him. I


    believe that perhaps my prayers reached the heavens. So, I want to marry him, and no one can stop


    me."


    vian shook his head. "Ah, I can''t understand the thoughts of you young people. Matthew already has


    a wife and child, yet you are willing to be with him. Nevertheless, I am moved by this affection."


    "It''s a different era now. Who cares about such things?" Eviette shook her head. "It''s just two children,


    and I will treat them as my own. The only thing we need to do now is to get Veronica away from


    Matthew."


    "Although Veronica came from the countryside, I heard that when they got married, she used the


    unborn child as a ''threat'' to extort a significant amount of money from Matthew. It''s probably impossible


    to make her voluntarily leave him by offering money as a ''bribe'',"


    vian tactfully probed. To separate Veronica and Matthew, vian had to smear her reputation.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Only by doing so could he convince Eviette and find a way for her to be with Matthew.


    vian believed that in this world, only the princess of The Robins in Mythpoint was worthy of his son.


    "Uncle, don''t worry, leave the rest to me."


    Eviette had the upper hand and added, "You can return to Mythpoint now. Just remember not to tell my


    parents that I''m in Bloomstead."


    "Hahaha, deal." vianughed heartily. "There are still some projects to handle in Mythpoint, and it''s


    good for me to go back first.


    He set down the cup and stood up. "Evie, you carry on with your tasks. I''ll go rest."


    "Alright, Uncle. Take care."


    Eviette was respectful and courteous as if all the manners were ingrained in her bones.


    After leaving Eviette''s suite, vian went down one floor and went to his suite.


    Upon opening the door, he saw a man in a white suit sitting on the couch, reading a book. The man


    wore frameless sses and had an air of refinement.


    "How did it go?"


    Seeing vian return, the man teased, "I can tell by your expression that my ''resurrected'' brother must


    not want to see you."


    "He''s stubborn. It will probably take some time before he epts me." vian walked to the floor-to-


    ceiling window, gazing at the view outside. He sighed deeply. "Fortunately, Princess Robins genuinely


    likes Matthew. Otherwise, how could us Kingses have a chance to form an alliance with The Robins of


    Mythpoint?"


    "As far as I know, my brother likes that woman named Veronica," the refined man in the white suit


    commented.


    "Melvin, if only your brother could be as sensible as you," vian said, feeling a headacheing on.


    Melvin was his and Lindsey Winson''s son. Because he deeply loved Lindsey, he allowed Melvin to take


    his mother''s surname, bing Melvin Winson.


    Since Melvin was his illegitimate child and was born secretly a few years after his marriage to


    Matthew''s mother, Jessica Espin, he and Matthew were not much apart in age.


    "Father, don''t worry, I will assist Princess Robins in winning over my elder brother," Melvin willingly


    sacrificed his half-brother to fulfill the marriage between The Robins and The Kings.


    So, it didn''t matter if it was just one Veronica or even ten Veronicas, they were all inconsequential.


    After saying that, Melvin immediately picked up his phone andposed a message. ''Delete all


    information linking me and my father right away.''

 Chapter 1064

    Chapter 1064


    Chapter 1064 Dangerous Situation


    Pinewoods Vi.


    Late at night, Matthew stood alone on the balcony, smoking in silence.


    After Veronica finished her shower and walked out of the bathroom, she looked at him on the balcony.


    Wrapped in a bathrobe, she walked over with a slight frown.


    Standing beside him, she gently leaned her head on his shoulder. "What are you thinking about?"


    The man raised his hand and put his arm around her shoulder, smelling the fragrance of her hair. It had


    a powerful magic that instantly dispelled his worries.


    "Looking at the stars," he said, extinguishing the cigarette with his fingers. He reached up and tousled


    Veronica''s hair. "Keep your parents here for a while longer. You miss them, didn''t you?"


    "I have no problem with that, but I''m worried they won''t fit in here," Veronica said, looking up at the


    stars in the night sky, with a deep sense of mncholy. "Shirley has been feeling insecure due to her


    disfigurement. When my parents came today, she stayed in the other vi at the back and refused to


    come and see them. Skyler has been with her all this time. I think we need to give Shirley some


    space."


    "How do you want to arrange it? I''ll listen to you." Matthew had no objections.


    "Shirley and my parents are not the main concern. What''s important is..." Veronica turned her gaze


    away, looking at Matthew, and sighed deeply. "What about Eleanor? She came from the Hidden n,


    and after a while, she will gradually adapt to life in Bloomstead. But she can''t just idle around like this. If


    she doesn''t find something to do, something will happen sooner orter."


    Eleanor was indeed a delicate issue. Being someone from the Hidden n, although there were some


    simrities in customs and habits between the Hidden n and Bloomstead, there were still significant


    differences overall.


    Not to mention that she was the leader of the hidden n and lived a life of luxury. She was


    ustomed to the life of a privileged person, and it would be impossible for her to start from scratch.


    "I have apany. How about letting her learn to manage it?" Matthew held Veronica and gently


    rested his chin on her head. "Eleanor saved me, and she saved you. She''s our benefactor. We can''t


    neglect her."


    That was only one reason. The other point was that Eleanor was Dominik''s sister, and there might be


    future coborations between him and the Hidden n. They couldn''t mistreat Eleanor.


    "Whichpany?" Veronica asked.


    Matthew replied, "Yves Cosmetics."


    "Isn''t that Yvonne''spany?"


    "When you introduced Yvonne to me, I invested in herpany and found that she had good business


    acumen. I became thergest shareholder of herpany in the end."


    "That works too." Veronica seemed unable toe up with a better solution. "Once Eleanor gets


    familiar with life here, we''ll have Troy teach her about business. When she''s fully capable, we''ll hand


    over the management to her. But we must ensure that Yvonne''s shareholding and dividends are not


    reduced in any way."


    "Naturally," Matthew said.


    He knew that Veronica cared about Yvonne.


    After all, Yvonne once came from a wealthy background. It was because of those scandalous videos


    that became her leverage, leading to Zac repeatedly threatening her father, Hensen, which ultimately


    resulted in the bankruptcy of the Spencer Family.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    This cosmeticspany was probably thest asset of the Spencer Family, and Matthew Kings would


    never embezzle it.


    "In a few days, Hendrey and Xavier should be returning," Veronica changed the subject, feeling


    somewhat worried. "The day at the Hidden n Pce, what if they discover the truth about Zac''s


    death? If they find out, could it pose a threat to us?"


    Although Veronica remembered her past with Hendrey Johnson, those were all in the past.


    Who could guarantee that Hendrey wouldn''t turn against them?

 Chapter 1065

    Chapter 1065


    Chapter 1065 The Company Is Making Money


    A few dayster, Matthew made the necessary arrangements for Tony and his wife to relocate with the


    two kids while he and Veronica returned to work.


    Veronica drove to Vincere Games. Since the reporters were unaware of her affiliation with the


    company, none of them camped at the entrance.


    Taking the elevator from the underground parking lot, Veronica went upstairs.


    When she appeared in the lobby of the esportspany, the receptionist immediately ran over after


    seeing her. "You''re finally back, President Murphy! I''ve missed you so much!"


    The receptionist gave her a big hug.


    Veronica smiled and replied, "Long time no see. You''ve gotten prettier!"


    "Aw shucks, President Murphy! You''re such a sweet talker." The receptionist smiled happily.


    "Here, I bought some things for you guys. Distribute them among yourselves."


    Veronica handed therge stack of boxes she was carrying to the receptionist, saying, "Thank you for


    your hard work."


    "Thank you, President Murphy." The receptionist took the boxes and made a beeline for the office.


    With that, Veronica proceeded toward the president''s office, knocked on the door, and entered the


    room.


    In the office, Shawn and a woman were entwined in an intimate embrace, exchanging tender words in


    hushed tones.


    At the moment the door opened, the woman in Shawn''s arms red at Veronica and hissed, "Who are


    you?!"


    Veronica''s expression darkened slightly as she stared at Shawn with cold eyes.


    In a panic, Shawn pushed the woman away when he met Veronica''s icy gaze. "V-Veronica¡­ You''re


    back?"


    Veronica, d in a ck suit, strolled toward Shawn and gave the morous woman beside him a


    side-eye. "Don''t you know where you''re at? Go home if you want to flirt. You''re in a workce, for


    goodness sake!"


    "Pfft, who do you think you are? How dare you speak to Shawnie like that?!" The woman wearing


    heavy makeup folded her arms and snorted coldly.


    Veronica''s gaze flickered, but she didn''t utter a word. Shawn, on the other hand, pointed at the woman


    and growled, "Get out! Get out of here right now!"


    Although Veronica partnered with Shawn and Jayden in Vincere Games, Veronica was thergest


    shareholder. However, after Matthew ''died,'' Shawn and Jayden started behaving dismissively to her.


    Who would have thought that Matthew, who was ''dead,'' would suddenlye back to life? Because of


    that, Shawn and Jayden developed an increased sense of reverence toward Veronica, especially since


    Veronica was truly skilled.


    "How could you..." The woman''s face turned beet red with anger. She red at Shawn and snapped,


    "How could you take that woman''s side, you nasty jerk?!"


    She dashed out with tears streaming down her face.


    When the door opened, Jayden, who had juste out of the bathroom, happened to bump into her.


    Seeing the tears on her face, he couldn''t resist teasing her, "Why are you crying, beautiful? Did


    Shawnie hurt you? Why don''t youe with¡ª"


    Jayden hadn''t finished speaking when he saw a familiar figure standing in the office.


    He tilted his head and met Shawn''s gaze. Instantly, he understood the entire situation.


    "You''re back, President Murphy." Jayden smiled.


    Veronica approached the desk and shot a piercing gaze at Shawn, causing him to promptly yield his


    position. She then took a seat on the office chair and instructed in amanding tone, "Notify the


    finance department to bring me the recent financial statements immediately."


    "Yes, of course." Shawn immediately took the order and scurried to the finance department.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Soon, a woman entered the room with a financial report in her hands and ced it in front of Veronica.


    "Good day, President Murphy. I''m Rosa Escarr¨¤, Skyler''s assistant. I was assigned to rece Shirley


    and have taken charge of recent projects and operations. Here are thepany''s financial


    statements."


    Veronica looked at Rosa, who was dressed in professional attire and appeared capable and


    trustworthy. Then, she picked up the financial report, read the content thoroughly, and couldn''t help but


    let out a pleasant hum, "Impressive. Under your leadership, thepany''s revenue has multiplied in


    just one quarter. No wonder you have Skyler''s full trust."

 Chapter 1066

    Chapter 1066


    Chapter 1066 Veronica¡¯s Intentions


    "Hah, she has practically taken over thepany. That''s certainly impressive!" Jayden muttered under


    his breath, seemingly displeased with Rosa.


    Veronica heard his words clearly and asked him, "What''s going on?"


    Jayden averted his gaze, disying a wounded demeanor akin to a distressed kitten, yet he remained


    silent.


    Veronica didn''t like his evasive behavior. She shut the file and mmed it heavily on the table,


    questioning him, "Is it that hard for you to speak?"


    Without a choice, Shawn spoke on behalf of him. "You should ask her."


    Since neither of them wanted to answer, Veronica turned to Rosa.


    "After joining thepany, I discovered issues with their operations, prompting me to actively


    participate in the operations and nning stages in the name of President Robins. Subsequently, I took


    charge of several projects and achieved a string of sessful oues, earning the majority of the


    company''s employees'' trust and reliance. Hence, they started developing a dismissive attitude toward


    Mr. Adler and Mr. Stoll, which exins why both of them are resentful of me," answered Rosa.


    She then added, "I acknowledge that my actions are inappropriate, but President Robins invested in


    thepany too. He specifically instructed me to ensure consistent growth in profits after I joined the


    company, so I was just following orders."


    With just a simple exnation, Veronica understood why Shawn and Jayden suddenly became


    indifferent topany matters.


    Shaking her head, shemended Rosa, "Well done. I''ve noticed that you''ve brought nearly 4.5


    million in profits to thepany, so I can''t just ignore your efforts. How about this? I''ll have the finance


    department transfer 150 thousand dors to you as a reward for your hard work."


    "No way!" Jayden immediately retorted.


    Shawn also stood up. He pulled a long face as he scolded, "Veronica Murphy, don''t forget that the


    company is a coboration between the three of us. Shouldn''t you consult us before making any


    decisions?"


    "Consult you? Should I consult you about how you openly solicit prostitutes in the office?" Veronica


    stood up and threw the file at Shawn. "Look at how you managed thepany when I was away. The


    monthly revenue you two generated was less than 450 thousand dors, while Rosa has only been in


    thepany for three months and has increased the profits by over 4.5 million!"


    "I..."


    "Are you going to give me another excuse? Did you assume that I was oblivious to the fact that you


    and Jayden have been bullying Shirley in thepany?" Veronica mmed the table in anger. "The


    reason I ignored it was to not embarrass you two, so know your ce!"


    After being scolded by Veronica, Shawn, and Jayden pursed their lips and no longer said another word.


    Rosa, on the other hand, remainedposed and said, "I appreciate it, President Murphy, but I am


    already beingpensated by Vincere Games and President Robins''pany. I shall respectfully


    decline the reward."


    "Alright, then. You may leave." Veronica dismissed her.


    With that, Rosa walked out the door, leaving the three of them in the office.


    Sitting on the chair, Veronica uttered in a calm tone, "The reason we established thepany in the


    first ce was to make money. Although Rosa did overstep her boundaries at work, her abilities are


    evident. If you two are unwilling to have 150 thousand dors recorded in thepany''s ounts,


    then I''ll deposit it into my personal ount. Anyway, I''m back now, which also means that Rosa can


    leave thepany."


    She uttered those words intentionally.


    "Huh? We..." Jayden''s expression changed as he felt anxious. "Y-You can''t do that!"


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea either. Rosa has been in thepany for some time now. If she


    suddenly leaves, our colleagues in thepany... Um, it won''t look good if President Robins finds out,"


    Shawn remarked.


    Although they were dissatisfied with Rosa''s style of work, they didn''t want her to leave.


    After all, they recognized her abilities.


    "Rosa works for Skyler. It is her decision to stay or to leave." Veronica nced at the documents on the


    table and instructed, "You may leave now. I''m going to go through the financial statements in detail."


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    The two hesitated for a moment before heading out, but they had a tacit understanding to apologize to


    Rosa humbly after that.

 Chapter 1067

    Chapter 1067


    Chapter 1067 Finding a Partner


    In the office, Veronica made a phone call to Skyler. "Skyler, mind if I snatch your person?"


    "Are you talking about Rosa?" he guessed.


    "Bingo!"


    "Aren''t you being unfair, Roni? When you left the country, I sent my person to take care of your


    company. How could you snatch my person like that?"


    "What about you? I brought Shirley into thepany, yet you took her away. Did I say a word about it?"


    "Uh... Well..." Skyler was speechless at her counterattack.


    He nced at Shirley next to him and helplessly raised his brows. "Fine. Ask Rosa if she''s willing to


    stay, then."


    "Okay."


    Veronica ended the call and talked to Rosa. After discussing with Shawn and Jayden, they decided to


    grant Rosa a 2% stake in thepany and give her the liberty to be in charge.


    After much consideration, Shawn and Jayden finally agreed.


    Rosa agreed to stay at Vincere Games after a round of persuasion from the three. They granted her


    the highest authority and let her take full control of thepany.


    Afterward, Veronica went to the private detective agency.


    Back then when she found out that Sean was the owner of the private detective agency, she invested


    in it and established a branch in Castron.


    After arriving at thepany, Veronica contacted the staff from the Castron branch and instructed


    them to investigate the news about Hendrey and the rest.


    Within ten minutes, they returned promptly with the information. "President Murphy, ording to the


    information we received, Hendrey Johnson, Xavier Crawford, and the rest arrived in Castron yesterday.


    We also found another piece of news regarding Conrad Kings. He''s secretly investigating the cause of


    Zac Francis'' death."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Okay, I got it." Veronica hung up the phone, feeling worried.


    She sat with Sean in thepany for a few hours to discuss various matters and checked on the


    operation of thepany before leaving the private detective agency.


    At the same time, Matthew had returned to his otherpany, Metric Technologies. He instructed


    Thomas in the president''s office, "Find me all the detailed information about vian Kings right now."


    Since Thomas had been with Matthew for a long time, he naturally knew about vian Kings.


    Although he didn''t quite understand why his boss suddenly wanted to investigate his own father, he


    refrained from asking too many questions and immediately ordered someone to run the investigation.


    At the same time, Conrad finally managed to contact Hendrey.


    "Hendrey, where are you? Can we meet?" Conrad asked politely.


    When Hendrey heard that it was Conrad, he immediately refused without hesitation. "Sorry, I have a lot


    of things to do here. I don''t think I can make time to see you."


    The refusal was clear and concise.


    "We used to be partners with Zac, weren''t we? It''s been such a long time since west met, and I miss


    you. I just want to have a drink and catch up," he exined.


    However, Hendrey wasn''t a fool. He knew very well what Conrad''s intentions were.


    After he, Xavier, and Xavier''s wife arrived in Castron, they immediately heard that Zac had "fallen into


    the sea" and lost his life.


    Others might not know what happened, but he was well aware that Zac didn''t die by falling into the sea.


    He was killed by the hidden n, and the murderer was no other than Troy Ritter.


    This person worked for Matthew!


    "I really am busy. I have no time for you at all." Hendrey hung up the phone directly.


    Conrad was about to say something, but the call had already been hung up, making him furious.


    Due to his anger, he made a call to Xavier.


    After a few beeps, Xavier finally answered the phone, "Who is this?"


    "It''s me, Conrad Kings," he introduced himself. "I heard you guys are back. It''s been a while since we


    last met. Why don''t we have a drink and catch up?"

 Chapter 1068

    Chapter 1068


    Chapter 1068 Helping Conrad


    Conrad smiled tteringly, wanting to gather more information about Zac''s death through Xavier.


    He knew that Zac''s death was definitely not an ident, but he couldn''t find any evidence yet, which


    made him frustrated.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "There''s nothing for us to talk about."


    Xavier and Hendrey''s attitude toward him was colder than before. Their contempt for Conrad was


    evident on their faces.


    Listening to the cold and distant tone of the other party, Conrad no longer adopted a submissive


    attitude. Instead, he cleared his throat and said, "I''ll be straightforward with you. I know that you have a


    deep hatred for Matthew Kings. That''s why I came to find you."


    The other party remained silent.


    It seemed as though he was giving Conrad the chance to continue speaking.


    Conrad took the hint and continued, "It''s almost impossible for you to bring Matthew down or kill him on


    your own. If you''re willing to cooperate with me or tell me the truth about Zac''s death, I will help you get


    rid of him. That way, you won''t have to get your hands dirty. You won''t lose out on this deal, Xavier."


    Conrad knew what Xavier needed. As long as he could convince thetter, Xavier could be of use to


    him.


    He was confident about that.


    Unexpectedly...


    "Zac''s death has already been concluded by the royal family of Castron. You already know what I know


    about. As for Matthew, whether you have the ability to kill him or not is your business. Whether I am


    capable of killing him and want him dead, it''s all up to me to decide."


    Xavier expressed his thoughts directly and without hesitation, stating, "I refuse to coborate with


    someone I consider a hypocrite, and I have no intention of engaging in any form of cooperation with


    you."


    After speaking, Xavier hung up the phone directly.


    Conrad felt as if the punch on his face came as fast as a tornado.


    One second, Conrad was full of confidence, but the next moment, he was filled with despair and fury.


    He angrily threw his phone to the ground and cursed, "D*mn it, what the hell?! How dare a leech like


    him call me a hypocrite?! D*mn!"


    Conrad looked down on Xavier because thetter married Antheena and enjoyed the protection of her


    influential father, so he didn''t have to care about anyone or anything.


    Xavier''s high and mighty attitude was what made Conrad feel disgusted. Behind the feeling of disgust


    was a strong sense of jealousy.


    Both of them had experienced hardships, but what Conrad got from being tricked by Zac was only a


    few billion in investment, while Xavier, who was tricked by Matthew, ended up marrying the daughter of


    the ck Ace Mob and living a morous life.


    Why?!


    He wasn''t reconciled.


    At this moment, Conrad was like a headless fly, wandering around, unable to find any solution.


    Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he thought of someone... Antheena!


    Antheena held a grudge against Veronica. If he could join hands with her, it would be more efficient


    than cooperating with Xavier, and it was highly likely that he would eventually involve the influence of


    her father.


    In that case, he would be even more powerful.


    Conrad returned to his office chair and dialed the inte. "Book me the earliest flight to Castron."


    Half an hourter, Conrad set off and rushed to the airport to catch the earliest avable flight to


    Castron.


    When he showed up at the airport in a hurry, vian and Melvin noticed him.


    "Dad, isn''t that Uncle Conrad?"


    Melvin was leaning against the wall, ying with his phone. His eyes felt sore, so he took off his


    sses and rubbed them. As soon as he opened his eyes again, he saw Conrad not far away,


    dragging his luggage.


    vian turned around and looked over. Even in the crowd, he could immediately spot Conrad.


    "It''s been a few years since Ist saw him, but he still looks young," he sighed.


    "Could you two be on the same flight?" Melvin was about to ask when he saw Conrad heading toward


    the ticket gate. "C1198? That''s the flight to Castron. He must have something important to do if he''s in


    such a hurry to go there."


    "Let him be." vian didn''t want to get involved in matters involving Conrad.


    Melvin nodded and suddenly turned to his father. "I heard that Uncle Conrad has always been plotting


    against Matthew. Don''t you n to stop him?"


    Holding a cigar in his hand, vian took a puff, letting out a faint blue smoke through his nostrils. "If we


    don''t let Matthew go astray, how can we expect him to give up everything in Bloomstead and return to


    Mythpoint with us?"


    "You have a point there, Dad." Melvin leaned back on the couch, rested his hands behind his head, and


    sneered, "Does that mean we can also help Uncle Conrad if necessary and take advantage of the


    situation?"


    "Sounds feasible."


    Since vian wanted Matthew to return to Mythpoint, they would help Conrad if there was a need,


    thereby forcing Matthew into a dead end. Only then could Matthew be reunited with Eviette and marry


    into the Robins Family!

 Chapter 1069

    Chapter 1069


    Chapter 1069 Keysha Oliver¡¯s Threat


    At Pinewoods Vi, Skyler held Shirley''s hand as they strolled on thewn of the vi, enjoying the


    breeze and chatting away happily. The atmosphere was harmonious.


    Suddenly, Shirley stopped and stood in front of Skyler, looking into his eyes with her watery and


    beautiful gaze. "Thank you for always being by my side, Ky."


    The once unruly man smiled gently and uttered in a serious tone, "You are my woman, Shirley. Who


    else will always be by your side if not for me?"


    Seeing the smile gradually appearing on her face, Skyler secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    After staying by Shirley''s side over this period of time and attempting various ways to make her happy,


    it seemed to be effective.


    Skyler thought that as long as he made a little more effort, he could help her ovee her trauma.


    However, he was still worried that Shirley would be reluctant to leave Pinewoods Vi. She seemed to


    regard it as a defensive fortress. If she were to leave the ce and encounter the scrutiny of others


    again, it could potentially shatter her psychological defenses, causing her delicate soul to crumble.


    "No matter what, I think you''re a good person."


    Shirley smiled with contentment, stepped forward, and gave Skyler a big hug.


    He embraced her in his arms naturally in return.


    Leaning against his chest, Shirley felt his breath and the familiar scent that resembled a calming


    fragrance, which made her feel at ease.


    She never expected that this sense of security woulde from Skyler.


    "Likewise."


    Skyler held her, gently caressing her hair with his big hand. His tone was extremely gentle, and his


    eyes were filled with unconcealed affection, nearly overflowing.


    Ring¡ª


    Just then, Skyler''s phone rang.


    Shirley stood up and left his embrace. "Your phone is ringing. Go and answer the call."


    "Okay," Skyler responded and took out the phone from his pocket. He nced at the screen, which


    disyed his mother''s phone number.


    He hesitated for a moment before answering the call and walking to the side, turning his back against


    Shirley. "What''s the matter?"


    "Where are you?"


    On the other end of the phone, Skyler''s mother questioned in a harsh tone.


    "I''m at Matthew''s ce."


    "I don''t care where you are. Come back to me now, immediately!" Keysha Oliver''s voice was cold, and


    just by listening to it, one could tell that she was furious.


    "Brayden is managing thepany right now. I don''t want to go back yet." Skyler turned his head and


    looked at Shirley. He noticed that she raised her hand and brushed her hair before taking the mask off


    her face. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head upward, enjoying the beautiful moment that came with


    the gentle breeze.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Seeing her in such a state, he felt even more reluctant to leave Pinewoods Vi.


    "Are you not willing toe back, or are you seeing another woman?" Keysha questioned before


    reminding him, "Don''t forget your father wants you to marry Sofia! You''ve been away from Bloomstead


    for some time now, and I couldn''t even reach you. Before you left, you said you had an important secret


    training to attend, so I stopped myself from pestering you, but now, you must cut off ties with other


    women and marry Sofia immediately!"


    Skyler knew that his mother wouldn''t call him for anything good.


    As expected, he was right.


    "Don''t you remember that you and Dad met through an arranged marriage and you suffered from it?


    Why would you still want to interfere in my marriage?" Skyler snorted, "Dream on!"


    After saying that, he hung up the phone heartlessly and ignored her.


    Contrary to his expectations, Keysha called him again, and he hung up once more.


    This time, Keysha didn''t call but instead sent him a message. ''I know you are with that woman at


    Pinewoods Vi. If you don''t want me toe in person, you bettere back on your own.''


    This message was a threat to Skyler.

 Chapter 1070

    Chapter 1070


    Chapter 1070 Keysha Is Here


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Skyler clenched his phone and looked at Shirley, who was standing not far away. He clenched the


    phone hard, causing his knuckles to crack.


    He knew his mother too well. If she came to Pinewoods Vi personally and saw Shirley, she would


    definitely embarrass her and even humiliate her.


    Even as a man, he found her words to be harsh on him, let alone Shirley, who was already in a state of


    inferiority due to her disfigurement.


    ''I''ll go back right now.'' After hesitating for a while, Skyler replied with a message.


    Once he hit the send button, he walked up to Shirley and held her hand.


    Shirley, who was looking into the distance, turned around and smiled at him. "Are you going back to


    work now?" She turned to face Skyler, raised her hand to tuck the strands of hair blown by the wind


    behind her ear, and said, "Ky, you''ve apanied me for a long time now. It''s time for you to get back


    to work. Otherwise... how are you going to support both of us in the future?"


    Shirley had a smile on her face, but upon closer inspection, her smile didn''t reach her eyes and


    seemed somewhat forced.


    She didn''t intentionally eavesdrop on the phone call just now, but she happened to be standing close


    enough to hear him.


    Although she didn''t hear the entire conversation clearly, she vaguely heard the words "arranged


    marriage" and "interfere with my marriage."


    Shirley could imagine the whole situation by putting the puzzle pieces together.


    "Hahaha..." Skyler raised his head andughed out loud. "You''re right. I''ll listen to you, Shir. I''ll get back


    to work right now so that I can earn enough to support both of us. I''ll also save some money so that we


    can also support our children in the future, and we''ll live happily ever after. How does that sound?"


    He envisioned a beautiful future with Shirley, and just by fantasizing, he could see a picture of a warm


    and harmonious big family in his mind.


    Shirley nodded fervently. "Sounds perfect!"


    The two exchanged sweet smiles with each other.


    "Let''s go."


    Shirley held Skyler''s hand and returned to the living room. Then, she told Skyler to grab the car keys


    before they went to the garage together. She watched as Skyler got into the car and drove away from


    the vi.


    Feeling bored, Shirley followed the sedan that drove out of the vi and walked to the front gate.


    Wearing a mask, she walked out of the entrance of the vi, wanting to get some fresh air outside and


    feel the taste of freedom.


    At this moment, however, a car drove out from behind the vi and stopped in front of Shirley.


    A slightly plump woman got out of the ck luxury car. She was adorned with jewelry and exuded an


    aura of elegance and luxury. Looking at her face, she bore a slight resemnce to Skyler.


    Shirley immediately assumed the woman''s identity.


    "You must be Shirley, aren''t you?" The woman walked up to her, scrutinizing her from head to toe while


    questioning her.


    Facing the imposing woman, Shirley couldn''t help but feel nervous, but she still mustered up the


    courage to nod in response. "Yes. It''s nice to meet you, Mrs. Robins."


    "You recognize me." Keysha, who was in a ck dress, gave a cold smile. "Since you know who I am,


    shouldn''t you have basic manners? Don''t you know that it''s impolite to talk to someone while wearing a


    mask?"


    Shirley''s heart skipped a beat when she heard those words.


    She started wondering whether Keysha already knew about her disfigurement.


    "I..." Shirley raised her hand and touched the mask on her face. Due to nervousness, she felt her


    breath getting stuck, and her gaze flickered. "I have a slight cold, so I''m wearing a mask to prevent


    spreading it."


    "Is it a fake cold, or are you just too ashamed to show your face?"


    Her words were like a sharp sword, piercing harshly at Shirley''s heart, making her heart tremble with


    pain.


    Indeed, Keysha came prepared.


    Feeling the pressure given to her by the noblewoman, Shirley gradually realized that there was an


    insurmountable gap between her and Skyler.

 Chapter 1071

    Chapter 1071


    Chapter 1071 Shirley Wilson Knows the Truth


    After hesitation, she clenched her fists and took the courage to remove the mask from her face,


    revealing a fair and delicateplexion marred by a sinister scar.


    "Tsk tsk..."


    When Skyler''s mother, Keysha Oliver, saw Shirley''s appearance, she clicked her tongue and shook her


    head. "What a pity. You have such a delicate face. How did it end up like this? Don''t you n to have


    stic surgery to restore it?"


    Confronted by the formidable presence of the woman, Shirley felt a suffocated pressure that prevented


    her from raising her head to meet her gaze. Perhaps it was the deep-seated insecurity within her that


    robbed her of the courage she needed.


    "I... I do n to, but the wound hasn''t healed yet, and it will take some more time," she answered


    truthfully.


    Keysha nodded slightly and gazed at Shirley. "Do you like Skyler?" she straightforwardly questioned.


    "Yes."


    "Do you n to marry Skyler?"


    With a direct question, Shirley was taken aback and looked up in rm at Keysha. However, the


    powerful presence of the well-maintained, charming plumpy noblewomanpelled her to lower her


    head. "I... I think so," she stammered.


    "Great."


    Instead of the refusion, thedy dly agreed.


    Shirley knew things wouldn''t be that simple. Instead, she lightly pursed her lips and repeatedly


    encouraged and forced herself to directly meet Keysha''s gaze, waiting for her following words.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "Well, let''s talk about my son then," Keysha concisely stated. "Skyler may appear suave and light-


    minded to outsiders, but as a mother, I know he has only had two rtionships in total. Well, including


    you, it makes it three. The first was when he mistook ''liking someone'' for love during his first


    infatuation. He fell in love with Sofia Green when he met her. He loved Sofia for eight years, but they


    broke up due to a small mistake."


    "After the breakup, Sofia went to Castron and married someone, but that person was not someone


    Sofia genuinely liked. It was all just to make Skyler jealous. However, my son is also a stubborn


    person, and when he found out that Sofia had married someone, he couldn''t ept it, which gradually


    made him develop feelings for you. In other words, he... "


    She scrutinized Shirley with the gaze of examining an item. "You''re not his type. I suppose he''s just


    using you to provoke Sofia. Also, seeing you being beaten by Sofia makes him feel guilty, and your


    disfigurement evokes his sympathy."


    Keysha''s words were sharp and pierced Shirley''s heart with each word. The pain was almost


    unbearable, as if it were bleeding, but she struggled to conceal it. However, respect must be shown


    since she was facing Skyler''s mother.


    "However, if you''re not afraid of him toying with your emotions and truly want to marry him, I won''t stop


    you," the woman nced at her phone and said. "In two days, it''s his grandmother''s birthday


    celebration, and they will invite businessmen and celebrities from various fields. If you dare to attend


    without makeup, I think... his grandmother might agree."


    "Oh, I forgot to mention. Skyler inherited his father''s bad habit of being very concerned about his


    reputation." Keysha seemed to remember something and said.


    Without waiting for Shirley''s response, Keysha turned around, got into the car, and drove away without


    another word.


    Shirley stood still and watched as the car gradually moved farther away. Her heart sank deeper.


    Although Keysha''s words were not particrly sharp and mean, Shirley understood the meaning


    clearly.


    Firstly, Skyler''s father, Friderik Robins, would disagree because she was disfigured. Secondly, Skyler


    was somewhat famous in Bloomstead, and, just like his father, he cared a lot about his reputation. If


    she were to attend Skyler''s grandmother''s birthday party without makeup, not only would she but the


    entire Robins family would also be ridiculed.


    Ding¡ª


    Just then, the sound of a text message notification rang from the phone.


    Shirley picked up her phone in a daze and opened a text message. It was a video message where in


    the video, Veronica and Matthew conversed in Melinda''s office at the stic surgery clinic.


    Veronica asked, "Miss Levine, is there really no solution to my sister''s scar-prone condition?"


    Melinda shook her head and let out a sigh. "The scars on her face are too deep, and she is prone to


    scarring. Even after multiple repairs, the results will be minimal."


    ng! Shirley''s phone slipped and fell to the ground. Her body lost focus upon hearing the bad news.

 Chapter 1072

    Chapter 1072


    Chapter 1072 Unexpected ¡¯Drama¡¯


    Tears welled up in her eyes and blurred her vision in an instant.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Shirley stood there like a sculpted figure as the wind cooled her heart and swept away all her hopes,


    leaving her in an icy abyss with the bone-chilling cold.


    So... So it turns out it was all ''well-intentioned lies.'' It turns out scar-prone ispletely irreparable!


    ...


    Metric Technology, President''s Office.


    When Matthew was presumed dead, Veronica took over the management of Metric Technology on his


    behalf. As a result, when she arrived at thepany, no one questioned her presence excessively.


    Veronica could not help but stifle augh as she stood outside the president''s office while holding the


    doorknob.


    She had not greeted Matthew when she arrived today as she wanted to surprise him.


    Quietly pushed the door open, she stepped inside and eximed, "Ah..."


    Before she could utter the word "wild," she saw Matthew standing by the floor-to-ceiling window with a


    woman tightly hugging him. "President Kings, I..."


    The woman was about to say something, but a clever idea struck her when she nced sideways and


    saw Veronica walking in. "I like you. I fell deeply in love with you at first sight. I know you have feelings


    for me too. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have done ''that kind of thing,''" she said coquettishly.


    Veronica raised her eyebrow, casually closed the door, and walked into the office in her high heels


    while carrying her handbag


    Matthew heard the sound of high heels, turned around, and saw Veronica.


    In that instant, his heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, and he became inexplicably nervous.


    "Get out!" He shouted angrily and pushed away the woman next to him.


    The woman, who had fallen to the ground, winced in pain and sobbed with a grievance, "President


    Kings, you... you''ve turned your back on me. Last time at the hotel, you slept with me. Now that your


    wife is here, why are you pretending to be so righteous?"


    Veronica ced her bag aside and sat on the sofa. She rested her elbows on the armrest, propped up


    her head and pouted. "Tsk tsk, the timing couldn''t have been any better. I almost missed the show."


    Matthew, dressed in a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, nced at Veronica with his cold gaze. His


    handsome figure was entuated by the white shirt, giving off an air of restrained allure. It was very


    eye-catching.


    Especially with his ambiguous and scornful gaze, Veronica could not help butugh for no reason.


    Just as Veronica and Matthew were flirting, the woman on the floor immediately stood up and mmed


    a pregnancy test stick onto the table. "Veronica, I''m already carrying your husband''s child. You both


    must take responsibility for this."


    Veronica nced at the pregnancy test, nodded, and turned to Matthew. "Seems like she''s really


    pregnant. Matt, you better take responsibility for this."


    Veronica replied with a sarcastic tone and a hint of mockery.


    Matthew''s face immediately turned as dark as a storm cloud. He strode towards Veronica with his long


    legs, grabbed her arm, and embraced her. He wrapped one arm around her waist and used the other to


    lightly lift her chin and bite her lips. "Is this what you mean by ''taking responsibility?''" he murmured.


    The couple openly flirted, which infuriated the woman in the white dress on the ground. Her face turned


    red as she eximed, "You... you''ve gone too far. Matthew, you are so despicable and heartless. You


    slept with me and just walked away?"


    Veronica raised her hand, gently rested her fair fingers on Matthew''s face and softly pushed him away.


    "Stop it. The youngdy is waiting for you to take responsibility."


    The man wrapped his hands around her waist, his gaze filled with endless tenderness as he looked at


    Veronica. "My dear wife, what is the appropriate way to take responsibility?"


    "Well¡­" Veronica lowered her head and nced at his lower part. "How about cutting it off? To prevent


    any future troubles?" Veronica was no longer surprised as she had seen this kind of trick many times.

 Chapter 1073

    Chapter 1073


    Chapter 1073 Unwavering Trust


    The man raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Why don''t you give it a try?" he said threateningly.


    Then, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "You are the head of the family. Would you consider


    helping me handle this matter?"


    Veronica could not help butugh at his teasing, looking somewhat hesitant. "I suppose I could


    somehow give it a try."


    She let go of Matthew and sat on the couch, looking at the disheveled woman in front of her. She


    pointed to the pregnancy test stick on the table and questioned, "Are you sure it was you and... my


    husband at the hotel?"


    The woman wiped her tears and nodded pitifully. "Yes, I''m sure."


    "And where''s the evidence?"


    "The... evidence..." The woman hesitated for a moment, thinking. "I... I..."


    "No evidence?" Veronica shook her head in frustration. "I was hoping that if you had the evidence to


    prove that this child is my husband''s, at least I could offer you a generouspensation, but how can I


    be convinced without any evidence?"


    Matthew casually walked over to the nearby table, leisurely grinding the coffee and beingpletely


    composed.


    The woman in the dress clenched her lips tightly and struggled for a while. "I have it! I have the


    evidence! That day at the hotel, when we were dining, I spiked his tea with something! Then, I helped


    him back to the hotel, and we... we..."


    Veronica did not bother to argue. "Well, it seems like you do have the evidence. But, youngdy, could


    you at least have some basicmon sense before falsely using someone? Matt and I returned


    from our trip less than half a month ago. It would take at least a month to confirm your pregnancy even


    if you are pregnant."


    She waved her hand dismissively. "You have one minute. If you don''t leave, I''ll call the police."


    Suddenly, Veronica could not be bothered to nag with this woman. It was simply a waste of time.


    Matthew turned around and walked to his desk, pressing the inte button. "Thomas,e in."


    A minuteter, Thomas walked in and looked at the sobbing woman sitting on the floor, momentarily


    stunned.


    Matthewmanded, "Take her, along with the thing on the table, to the police station."


    "No, please, don''t!" she pleaded.


    The woman sobbed and pleaded, "You clearly slept with me at the hotel that day. Although this child...


    this child is my boyfriend''s, the fact that you slept with me is true..."


    Thomas listened to the woman''s words; his temples throbbed, then dragged her out directly.


    The dissatisfied women struggled and resisted. She had initially nned to threaten them by saying


    Matthew had ''slept'' with her, but then the ''official wife'' appeared.


    Forced into a corner, she reluctantly took the pregnancy test stick out, intending to sow discord


    between them.


    Little did she know, the couple shared an unexpected level of trust.


    The woman was taken away, and the office restored its peacefulness.


    Veronica leaned against the couch, raised her hand to massage her temples and sighed.


    Matthew approached her from behind and ced his hand on her temples, gently massaging them.


    "She was mypany''s secretary, and because she had met with the clients before, so I took her


    along for dinner with the clients at the hotel..."


    Before Veronica could inquire about the specific situation, Matthew took the initiative to speak.


    With her eyes closed, Veronica felt the tenderness from the man. "You don''t need to exin. I still have


    some trust in you."


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    She interrupted him. "You remained indifferent when Eleanor ttered over you. With such average


    looks, she wouldn''t be attractive enough to you."


    Her excessive trust surprised Matthew. He bypassed the couch and walked over to her, sitting by her


    side and embracing her. "You trust me so much; aren''t you afraid that one day I''d betray you and do


    something bad behind you?

 Chapter 1074

    Chapter 1074


    Chapter 1074 A Talented Actor


    "I trust you, but that doesn''t mean I''m foolish."


    Veronica leaned against him. "Firstly, she imed to be pregnant with your child, which didn''t align with


    the timeline. Secondly, she said you slept with her. Given your capabilities, even if you were drugged,


    you wouldn''t fail to notice. I know your self-control and perceptiveness best. And let''s talk about looks,


    shall we? You rejected the extraordinary beauty like Eleanor, so how could you be interested in


    someone as ordinary and superficial as her?"


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    She trusted Matthew. However, the moment the door opened, she felt ufortable upon seeing a


    woman hugging Matthew from behind.


    After a moment of calm consideration, everything became clear to her.


    "That makes sense."


    A contented smile graced Matthew''s handsome face as he held her, savoring the blissful moment.


    "How''s thepany beentely? I have a lot of free time now. Is there anything I can do?" Rosa


    Escarr¨¤, Jayden, and Shawn were managing thepany. Veronica could be a hands-off boss, as


    certain matters did not require her attention.


    As for the private detective agency, she had partnered with Sean, and there were others who took care


    of the agency. Veronica had no role to y there either.


    Lately, she found herself idle every day, feeling a bit bored.


    "Well, do you want to go watch a movie tonight?" Matthew suggested.


    Ada and n left with Tony and his wife, so now there were only Skyler and Shirley in the vi, which


    made the early return quite dull.


    With some rare leisure time, Matthew wanted to make up for the regrets between the two.


    "What new movies have been released recently?" Veronica did not keep up with cinema information


    much.


    "Are you kidding? That sci-fi blockbuster where you had scenes with Stephen, remember?"


    Matthew tilted his head, looking at the woman in his arms.


    "Oh, yeah, I remember now. I heard someone on the news saying the movie did very well at the box


    office."


    As Veronica said this, she boringly leaned against his leg and sighed. "It has nothing to do with me."


    She looked up at the ceiling, blinked her long eyshes, and eximed, "When I was a kid, I used to


    dream of being a model and even fantasized about being an actress, but I never had the opportunity.


    Having a scene with a superstar can be considered a way to make up for that regret."


    "Didn''t you ever think of bing an actress? Being an actress or starting apany can make good


    money, too," Matthew suggested to Veronica.


    "I''m already twenty-four years old. Who would want me as an actress now? Those people all like young


    and fresh faces; they wouldn''t like someone like me," she replied.


    "As long as you like it, that''s enough," Matthew lowered his head and looked at her, running his hand


    through her hair. "Life is short, and it''s best to do things you enjoy."


    Matthew felt that Veronica had lived a difficult life and was being controlled like a puppet. Now, he


    hoped she could live each day ording to her will.


    "Do you own any of the film and televisionpanies?" Veronica suddenly asked. "I remember you


    have one, right?"


    "It went bankrupt."


    "What? Even yourpany could bankrupt?" Veronica seemed to have heard a joke. She suddenly sat


    up, covering her mouth andughing.


    Seeing herughing uncontrobly, Matthewughed too. "It was profitable all along. But as the


    company grew, I forgot about that particrpany. It turned out that someone within thepany


    was secretly manipting the ounts and embezzlingpany profits. Over time, thepany''s


    performance deteriorated, and it eventually went out of business before I found out," he replied.

 Chapter 1075

    Chapter 1075


    Chapter 1075 Shirley Wilson Left


    "Indeed, money can make one behave recklessly," said Veronica as she chuckled and shook her head.


    She never expected such a thing to happen to Matthew.


    Ring ring ring¡ª


    Just as they were joking around, Veronica''s phone suddenly rang.


    She pulled out her phone, nced at the screen, and said to Matthew, "It''s the lunatic calling me. Let


    me answer it."


    Veronica leaned against Matthew and turned on the speakerphone to answer the call. "Calling me at


    this hour, are you asking me out for dinner?"


    "Oh,e on! Demoness, can you have some dignity? I called you to share some great news, and


    you''re talking about food?"


    Larry''s excitement could be felt on the other end of the phone.


    Veronica nced up at Matthew, her eyes filled with a hint of anticipation. "What''s the good news?"


    "''Interster'' was a huge box office sess, don''t you know?" Larry was quite excited.


    Considering his position, the reaction was entirely unexpected.


    "Well, it is not your first movie to achieve such sess. Is there really a need to be so excited?"


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "I... you..." Larry was momentarily at a loss for words and muttered under his breath. "It is you and your


    performance that made the box office sessful. Of course, I''m excited. Your scenes with Stephen


    were absolutely captivating. Several directors noticed you and even asked me to contact you for film


    opportunities."


    Larry was extremely excited, and his voice unconsciously raised in volume. "With the support of


    ''Interster,'' you will not have to worry about your career in the film industry. Weren''t you the most


    eager person to be an actor when we were in school? Isn''t this the opportunity you''ve been


    waiting for?"


    As Veronica''s ''best buddy,'' Larry understood her dreams well.


    "What kind of international joke are you talking about? I''m married, and I have two kids. How can I be


    an actor? Stop kidding around." Veronica thought Larry had lost his mind.


    "Talented actors speak through their work; getting married doesn''t affect that," Larry patiently


    persuaded Veronica. Then, he impatiently added, "Alright, forget it. I have something to do now. We''ll


    talkter."


    "Oh, alright¡­ beep beep beep¡ª"


    Before Veronica could even finish the word ''alright,'' he hung up the phone.


    She held her phone, with Larry''s words echoing in her mind.


    Initially, she had a passion for acting, but due to a difficult family environment and financial pressures,


    she could not pursue her career as an actress. Instead, she wholeheartedly focused on voice work,


    earning money like crazy.


    Now that she had money and a happy family, Veronica thought it would be good to dabble in the film


    industry and do what she truly wanted.


    "Do whatever you want to do. Roni, life is short, so don''t leave any regrets behind," Matthew said as he


    held her hand. He truly supported her in everything.


    "Really?" She hesitated. "I had married you, and we have two children. Even if I have the talent, people


    will say I enter the film industry with your financial support."


    Considering this, Veronica waved her hand dismissively. "Well¡­ Forget it. Some dreams will always


    remain dreams, without a chance to be realized."


    She sighed deeply, and her tone filled with endless regret. Matthew said nothing more.


    Shortly after, they returned to Pinewoods Vi together.


    When they were home, Veronica did not see Shirly. When she was about to call her, a servant passed


    by. "Where are Shirley and Skyler?" she asked.


    "Young Master Skyler drove away today, probably taking Miss Wilson with him," the servant replied.


    Despite she only saw Skyler driving away, considering how inseparable they are, the servant


    instinctively assumed that they left the vi together.

 Chapter 1076

    Chapter 1076


    Chapter 1076 Veronica and Matthew Divorced


    "I see." Veronica nodded. "Alright, go ahead and do your tasks."


    "The servant mentioned that Skyler took Shirley out. They''re probably going for a joyride," said


    Veronica when she entered the living room.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "We''ll be having dinner soon. Should we give them a call?" Matthew suggested.


    Veronica shook her head, looking slightly annoyed. "Are you stupid? Skyler went through all that


    trouble to take Shirley away. I''m sure they went out to rx. Shirley has been feeling downtely, so it''s


    good for her to get out for a while. Let''s not bother them."


    Her words woke Matthew up.


    Matthew walked up to her and yfully tapped her nose. "Why are you so clever?" He took her hand


    and led her toward the dining room. "I asked the kitchen to prepare your favorite dish today. Let''s have


    a good meal."


    "Okay, sounds good." They walked hand in hand to the dining room.


    Since returning to the country, this was the first time they dined alone, and it felt rather lonely, mostly


    due to theck of familiarity.


    After dinner, Veronica went to her room and had a video call with Rosa while Matthew sat in the study


    room, lost in his thought.


    Thomas was tasked to investigate vian, and the information he obtained revealed that vian was


    thriving in Mythpoint and had a son and a daughter.


    However, it seemed that vian doted on his son, as information about him was tightly guarded and


    impossible to discover.


    Matthew did not think much of it, but the fact that vian was doing well surprised him, even when they


    had not contacted each other for many years.


    Moreover, his properties were all registered under his current wife, Lindsey''s name.


    This clearly demonstrated how deeply he loved Lindsey.


    Whenever Matthew thought about this, he felt vian was a despicable scoundrel who betrayed his


    biological mother.


    Furthermore, Matthew believed that the reason vian did not put the properties under his name was


    to prevent people from knowing his true identity.


    After all, everyone in Bloomstead knew that Matthew''s father, vian, had long been ''dead.''


    "Why did he suddenlye back? What''s his purpose?" Matthew was puzzled and suddenly became


    worried.


    After contemting for a moment, he picked up his phone and called Veronica''s foster parents.


    Once the call went through, they talked for over half an hour.


    In the evening, the couple enjoyed a romantic bath, indulging in the intimacy of their bodies. Matthew


    thoughtfully massaged Veronica''s back, and their close contact ignited a passionate me.


    They indulged themselves in the bathtub that was filled with warm water. With the vigorous shake of


    the bathtub, the water sshed everywhere. They continued to y until the water turned chilly. Only


    then did Matthew release Veronica from his embrace.


    "I''m tired..." Veronica''s heavy eyelids drooped, and she fell asleep in his embrace.


    Matthew helped to clean her body and was tempted to have her again during the process, but seeing


    how exhausted she was, he refrained.


    He carried her back to bed, helped her put on the pajamas, and covered her with a thin nket. After


    that, he returned to the study room for work.


    The next day, Veronica, who had enjoyed a good night''s sleep, was awakened by her phone ringtone.


    With her eyes half-closed, she fumbled for her phone and answered the call. "Who is it?"


    "Veronica, you and my master got divorced? Oh my god, you actually got divorced? Does it mean that


    I, Princess Eleanor of the hidden n... uh, does it mean that I can pursue him now?" Eleanor''s voice


    came from the other end of the phone.


    Veronica''s mind suddenly cleared up a bit from her groggy state. "What divorce?" she sat in bed,


    realizing that Matthew was no longer in the room.


    "You and my master divorced. It''s all over Twitter now. They say the ''resurrected'' Matthew had found a


    new love and no longer loved you, so you got divorced. Haha, that ''new love,'' is it me?" Eleanor


    guessed with excessive confidence.


    "Ugh, how can you believe what those unscrupulous media outlets say?" Veronica scoffed and


    dismissed it.


    "I don''t believe what the unscrupulous media says, but my master posted a video proving it. So, of


    course, I believe it," Eleanor threw another "depth charge," leaving Veronica dumbfounded.

 Chapter 1077

    Chapter 1077


    Chapter 1077 You¡¯re a Bastard


    "Why didn''t I know..." Veronica stared at her phone, lost in thought.


    Eleanor didn''t expect Veronica to be utterly unaware of the matter. Veronica hung up the phone just as


    she was about to inquire further.


    In the room, Veronica threw back the covers and got up. She ran to the bathroom barefoot and opened


    the door. "Matthew, are you..."


    She peered inside and realized that Matthew was nowhere to be found. Immediately, she turned and


    left the room, standing in the second-floor hallway. She looked at the living room but still no sign of


    Matthew.


    Finally, she looked towards the study room at the end of the corridor and quickly walked over, reaching


    out to open the door.


    To her surprise, Matthew sat quietly at the desk, engrossed in handling documents.


    His calm demeanor made Veronica doubt herself. Maybe Eleanor was lying?


    Only then did she realize that she did not even open Twitter.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    She stood outside, took out her phone and opened Twitter. As expected, the trending topic


    #TheResurrectedMatthewDivorced surged to the top!


    Veronica clicked on the trending news, and apart from some text, there was a video attached featuring


    Matthew himself.


    Before she could even open the video, Matthew stood up and walked over. "Why are you getting up so


    early?"


    His usual gentleness and soft-spoken manner made it seem as if they were still deeply in love. Yet this


    despicable man had already publicly announced their divorce.


    As the person involved, Veronica had absolutely no acknowledgment of this matter!


    "What do you mean by ''so early?!''" Veronica raised her head and red angrily at Matthew, hurling her


    phone at him. "The news says we were divorced. What does that mean?!"


    The phone flew through the air in a parabolic arc, but Matthew caught it gracefully with a gentle smile.


    "You just got this phone after returning to the country, and it was not even half a month ago. It seems


    like you don''t appreciate it at all."


    His tone was reproachful as if he did not take the divorce seriously.


    He remained calm while Veronica fumed with anger. She quickly approached Matthew, clenched her


    fist, and smashed his chest. "Answer me. What do you mean by getting divorced?"


    Veronica was wholly bewildered and could not understand why Matthew would choose to divorce. Just


    yesterday, they were entwined and affectionate.


    "Ouch..." Matthew winced in pain, clutching his chest. "You''re so fierce. Are you trying to murder your


    husband?"


    "What husband? You publicly announced our divorce, so now you''re my ex-husband!" Her face turned


    red with anger mixed with a sense of grievance.


    Seeing that she was outraged, Matthew could not tease her any longer.


    He held her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I''m sorry, I made the decision without


    consulting you first."


    Veronica furrowed her eyebrows, feeling confused.


    "Didn''t you mention that your dream was to be an actress? And you were worried that our


    marriage would affect that. So, I decided to publicly announce our divorce so you can enter the


    entertainment industry openly and pursue your career however you want."


    When Matthew heard Veronica''s words in the office yesterday, he genuinely wanted to fulfill her


    dreams.


    But because Veronica said they were married and entering the entertainment industry would subject


    her to various criticisms, so he thought about how to solve the problem.


    Returning to the Pinewoods Vi at night, he received information from Thomas about vian.


    Suddenly, he understood that vian''s unclear motives must have some hidden agenda.


    If they publicly announced their divorce, it would allow Veronica to enter the entertainment industry


    smoothly and protect her from vian''s disturbances. Up to this point, he could not determine vian''s


    true intentions.


    "What... What?"

 Chapter 1078

    Chapter 1078


    Chapter 1078 The Form of Marriage


    Veronica was stunned and speechless. She never expected Matthew to have such an outrageous idea.


    "You want to divorce me just to fulfill my wish?"


    "Don''t be angry. It''s not a real divorce, just a formality." Matthew sighed, his sensuous lips curling


    slightly. "If we don''t make it public, how can you enter the film industry? Whatever you want to do, I will


    wholeheartedly support you. It''s just that we''ll be in a fake divorce situation for now. You might face


    some difficulties when entering the industry, so please don''t aggrieve yourself."


    "You...you..." Veronica raised her hand and pointed to him. She stuttered for a while and did not know


    what to say. "Next time, can you tell me first before doing anything?"


    "If I told you, you would definitely refuse," Matthew reasoned.


    He made a valid point. If he really discussed it with Veronica, she would undoubtedly reject it. Still,


    Veronica feared that the explosive news would cause her foster parents to worry.


    A faint smile appeared on the man''s face. "I had called and exined the situation to themst night.


    They are very supportive."


    "What? So all of you knew this, and I, as the person involved, am thest to find out?"


    Veronica was angry and helpless. She red at him. "Matthew, you''ve gone too far!"


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Taking matters into his own hands regarding her marriage was despicable.


    "Are you angry?" the man lowered his head and approached her. "If you''re angry..." He took her hand.


    "Come on, hit me to vent your anger."


    "Forget it. I can''t be bothered with you anymore." Veronica snorted and was about to leave.


    How could she beat Matthew? He was the one that considered everything for her wholeheartedly. It


    would only show her immaturity if she continued to be angry with him over this matter.


    But deep inside, she could not help but feel a sourness. Matthew was too good to her, so good that she


    felt unworthy.


    Little did Veronica know that Matthew pulled her into his arms as soon as she turned around. In the


    blink of an eye, she found herself being hugged by Matthew. "It''s alreadyte fall, and you''re still


    walking barefoot. Aren''t you afraid of catching a cold?"


    Matthew held her as they walked outside but continued to tease her. "You still don''t know how to take


    care of yourself, I have no ideas how you''ve grown up this far."


    Veronica wrapped her hands around his neck, feeling cherished. It was like she was immersed in a


    honey jar, surrounded by a lovely atmosphere that nearly made her dizzy.


    Feeling frustrated and helpless, she said, "It was all because of your actions. When I woke up, Eleanor


    called me and said we divorced, asking if she had a chance with you."


    "So, are you feeling insecure?" Matthew carried her into the bedroom, gently cing her on the bed


    and sitting beside her. "Is it because you''ve realized you can''t live without me?" he asked.


    "Tsk, narcissist," Veronica replied, amused by his teasing.


    Then, she thought of something else. "If we''re getting divorced and people ask me about it, what


    should I say?"


    Since they had announced the divorce publicly, Veronica could not ''change her mind'' anymore, or she


    would face criticism from outsiders.


    But even so, there would be online keyboard warriors relentlessly insulting her.


    Anyway, since they were ''getting divorced,'' it might not be a bad idea to follow Matthew''s suggestion


    and enter the entertainment industry. They could even establish a film and televisionpany if the


    opportunity arose since it was pretty profitable.


    "I''ve talked to Drew, Caleb, and Miguel. You can rest assured," Matthew truthfully replied.


    After speaking with Veronica''s foster father, Tony, over the phonest night, he had a video call with his


    buddies and exined the situation.

 Chapter 1079

    Chapter 1079


    Chapter 1079 Showing Affection Publicly


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    He had also cautioned Troy and Thomas.


    "What does Eleanor say about this?" Veronica asked.


    "Troy should have exined everything to Eleanor by now," Matthew replied,ughing at her constant


    inquiries about Eleanor. "Silly girl, don''t worry. I have absolutely no interest in Eleanor."


    "That''s good then."


    Veronica raised her eyebrow, her sharp gaze fixed on him, yfully threatening him, "If I ever find out


    that you betray me, I''ll castrate you on a dark and stormy night!"


    Matthew leaned down, gently nibbled her lips as she finished speaking, and put his forehead against


    hers. "If I get castrated, who will satisfy my Roni?"


    He leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "My Roni has quite ''demanding'' needs. Without me, no one


    else can satisfy you."


    His words made Veronica blush slightly, turning her cheeks and ears red. "Who says that? No."


    "Is that so?" Matthew smirked mischievously. "Yesterday, when we had our romantic bath, who was the


    one that was begging me, saying she ''wanted it?''"


    "You..." Veronica blushed and embarrassedly stood up. "I don''t want to talk to you anymore. I need to


    brush my teeth. I''m starving."


    Even though they had been married for a year, Veronica still felt shy about their intimate matters.


    She ran into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face, only to discover that Matthew had


    already squeezed the toothpaste onto her toothbrush.


    Veronica picked it up, and a smile spread across her face.


    After they had breakfast, Veronica received a video call from her foster parents. In the video, Tony


    anxiously asked if their divorce was fake while Veronica walked over to Matthew''s side. Matthew


    naturally hugged her; they nced at each other affectionately and kissed. "Dad, do you believe us


    now?" Veronica asked yfully andughed.


    "Ugh, you''re all grown up and still do not know what is ashamed. Fine, I''m hanging up." Tony hung up


    with a disgusted look on his face.


    People from rural backgrounds often had conservative and traditional mindsets, where they could not


    ept youngsters kissing in person. Tony and Danie had believed that they were faking their


    divorce.


    "My dad almost didn''t believe us." Veronica sighed.


    "Well, he believes now," Matthew said, holding her close. "I''m not going to the office today. There are


    journalists everywhere outside."


    "It''s rare that we have so much free time. Let''s go. Teach me how to y golf," Veronica requested.


    Pinewoods Vi was arge estate with a golf court, but Veronica had no mood to y golf due to the


    events that happenedst year.


    Now that she finally had some free time, she could ask Matthew to teach her how to y golf.


    But things went differently than nned. When Veronica Murphy finished speaking, Sean, Ruka,


    Monica, Ivana, and others called her to ask about her divorce and if she wanted to have a drink or chat


    with them.


    In the end, Veronica turned them all down, citing her ''bad mood'' as the reason.


    "You see, one lie requires countless more to cover it up," Veronica teased, raising her phone toward


    Matthew.


    "You''re absolutely right, my dear wife." Matthew did not deny it. He continued, "Once you enter the film


    industry, I''ll move to Twilight Condominium."


    "It''s better if I go," Veronica analyzed, "This vi costs billions, and it''s not suitable for me to stay here


    after our divorce. Besides, it''s a bit far from the city center. The main point is that Ada and n are not


    at home, and Skyler and Shirley are too. It''s just you and me here. Twilight Condominium would be


    cozier."


    With the children away, only the two of them and the servants were in the house.

 Chapter 1080

    Chapter 1080


    Chapter 1080 Shirley Runs Away from Home


    It was inevitable to feel lonely if only the two of them lived in the vi.


    "Alright, I''ll follow your lead." Matthew nodded in agreement, finding Veronica''s idea more reasonable.


    At that moment, Larry called, "Demoness, what''s happening? Did that yboy Matthew dump you?


    Where is he? I''ll find him and teach him a lesson!"


    Veronica chuckled softly. "No, no, no, let me exin. Matt and I are having a fake divorce. Remember


    when you said you wanted to help me enter the film industry..."


    As she exined the reason for their fake divorce to Larry, she warned him not to tell anyone.


    Meanwhile, Matthew received a call from Skyler. "What''s up?" Matthew answered the phone, asking.


    On the other end of the line, Skyler asked anxiously, "Matt, where''s Shirley? Can you ask her to pick up


    the phone? She hasn''t responded to me sincest night, and I''m a bit worried."


    "Didn''t Shirley leave with you?" Matthew''s eyebrows slightly furrowed, instantly sensing a bad omen.


    "No, she didn''t. Yesterday I received a call from my mother and left. Shirley didn''t leave with me."


    Upon hearing that Shirley was not at Pinewoods Vi, Skyler immediately panicked, "If Shirley isn''t at


    the vi, where did she go?"


    "Don''t worry, let me check the surveince footage from the vi here, and I''ll contact youter."


    Matthew hung up the phone.


    Veronica, who was chatting with Larry, noticed that something was wrong. "Sorry, I have something to


    do now. I''ll call you backter," she immediately told Larry.


    She ended the call and looked at Matthew, "Shirley didn''t leave with Skyler?"


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "No. Drew said his mother called him yesterday and asked him toe back, but Shirley didn''t leave


    with him," Matthew replied.


    Matthew stood up and took Veronica''s hand, "Let''s go and check the surveince."


    Veronica stood up and walked with him towards the exit of the lobby. "If she didn''t leave with Skyler,


    where would she go?" she murmured.


    Vaguely, Veronica felt that Shirley must have encountered something. Otherwise, she would not have


    suddenly disappeared.


    Matthew and Veronica arrived at the east side of the vi. They checked the surveince footage in a


    monitoring room on the ground floor''s right side.


    After searching for a few minutes, they finally discovered that a car had stopped at the vi entrance


    after Skyler had left. A noblewoman then got out and spoke to Shirley.


    "Who is she?" Veronica pointed to the elegant woman on the monitor screen and asked.


    "Drew''s mother," Matthew answered.


    "How could it be her?" Veronica furrowed her brow, "Why did she know that Shirley was here? And how


    would she know who Shirley is?"


    "You forgot about Sofia Green?" Matthew reminded Veronica.


    "It''s her again!" Veronica realized.


    Matthew dialed Skyler''s number and briefly exined the situation.


    "Today''s your off day. Let''s go to Shirley''s home town; I know where she lives," Veronica suggested


    after he ended the call.


    "Alright," Matthew agreed readily.


    They left the vi and drove straight to Shirley''s house.


    On the way, Matthew called Skyler and asked him to follow them to Shirley''s hometown in the rural


    area.


    At the same time, Matthew called Caleb and reported that Shirley was missing. He requested to file a


    police report.


    Soon, Caleb also joined the team in search of Shirley.


    The news of Veronica and Matthew''s ''divorce'' was exposed. vian, Melvin, and Eviette all saw the


    information.


    As a result, the n changed. Eviette decided to take the initiative and contact Matthew.


    She had absolute confidence in being able to ''win'' Matthew back!

 Chapter 1081

    Chapter 1081


    Chapter 1081 Echoes of Sorrow, Whispers of Hope


    Matthew, Veronica, and Skyler embarked on a journey to the picturesque countryside in search of


    Shirley''s house. As they stepped out of the car, their gaze was drawn to Shirley''s parents, who were


    cleaning the pigsty and engaged in a lively conversation.


    With anticipation in her heart, Veronica emerged from the car, clutching a beautifully wrapped gift box.


    However, to her dismay, Shirley was nowhere to be found in the yard. Shirley''s father, immersed in his


    work within the pigsty, raised his gaze upon seeing Veronica, his brows furrowing in an attempt to


    recognize the woman before him. "Who are you?" he inquired.


    Regretful for not introducing herself earlier, Veronica extended a warm smile and spoke. "I apologize


    for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Veronica Murphy, Shirley''s dearest friend. I came here


    with the sole purpose of meeting you."


    Pleased with the revtion, Shirley''s father, affectionately known as Mr. Wilson, set aside his water


    hose and broom, closing the iron gate of the pigsty as he stepped out. A heartyugh escaped his lips.


    "Hahaha, so it''s the three of you. Shirley didn''t return with you?"


    Veronica subtly nced at Skyler, silently signaling him to remainposed.


    "Shirley is still at work. We happened to pass by and thought of paying you a visit," Veronica exined,


    taking a step forward and presenting the gift in her hands. "These items were personally chosen by


    Shirley for you."


    Shirley''s father, a man of simple and honest nature, beheld the valuable items and smiled with


    contentment. "Ah, this little rascal spent a fortune on these gifts."


    "Shirley is doing exceptionally well at her job and earning money. It''s only fitting for her to shower you


    with such thoughtful presents," Skyler interjected, offering further rification.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    epting the gifts graciously, Shirley''s father chuckled heartily. "Hahaha, alright then. I shall treasure


    the kindness of my child. Come,e, let''s head inside."


    Veronica politely shook her head, declining the offer. "There''s no need, really. We have other matters to


    attend to, so we must take our leave. However, I promise that when I have the opportunity, I''ll bring


    Shirley along to visit you."


    "Very well, very well," Shirley''s father acquiesced, his delight evident.


    With a wave of her hand, Veronica bid her farewell. "Mr. Wilson, we shall take our leave now."


    Matthew and Skyler echoed the gesture, expressing their own farewells to Shirley''s father.


    The trio then climbed back into the car and drove away, leaving Shirley''s father standing at the


    entrance of the yard. As they retreated, Skyler couldn''t help but feel a pang of guilt, an urge to


    compensate Shirley''s father with a bank card. However, Veronica had cautioned against it, advising


    him, "If you give it to Shirley''s father, it may raise suspicions."


    In order to shield the elderly man from unnecessary worry or spection, Skyler reluctantly chose not


    to present the bank card.


    "If Shirley isn''t at home, where could she be?" Skyler mused, leaning back in his seat, his voice tinged


    with despondency. "Despite our investigations, this woman has be elusive, evading all forms of


    surveince. We can''t seem to locate her."


    "Skyler, fret not. Shirley won''t be in any danger. She merely seeks sce and tranquility. Don''t dwell on


    it too much," Veronicaforted him, her voice brimming with reassurance.


    Meanwhile, Matthew focused on maneuvering the car along the challenging muddy and bumpy road.


    After a brief pause, he interjected, "Perhaps our primary concern should be not finding Shirley, but


    rather, addressing your own situation."


    Skyler, puzzled, sought rification. "What do you mean?"


    Matthew expounded, his words filled with insight. "Even if we locate Shirley, it would be futile if your


    family doesn''t ept her. Convincing your parents to embrace Shirley during this time should be our


    priority."


    His words struck a chord within Skyler''s heart.


    Indeed, finding Shirley would be futile if she continued to face opposition from his family.


    "Yes, Skyler, Matthew is right," Veronica chimed in, wholeheartedly endorsing Matthew''s perspective.


    "Shirley won''t be in any danger, and she possesses financial stability. You needn''t worry excessively."

 Chapter 1082

    Chapter 1082


    Chapter 1082 Love¡¯s Serenade Amidst Trials


    "Understood," Skyler Robins murmured, rubbing his temples, overwhelmed by the weight of his


    predicament.


    "Matthew and I will mobilize our resources to locate Shirley. You should focus on your family matters,"


    Veronica assured Skyler. "I consider Shirley as my own sister, and I won''t allow her to endure any more


    harm from your family."


    Veronica carried a heavy burden of guilt for Shirley''s disfigurement, and her resolve to protect Shirley


    was unwavering.


    "I know what I need to do," Skyler replied, gazing out of the car window, lost in thought.


    Upon returning to the city center, Skyler went his separate way, while Veronica and Matthew made their


    way to the Pinewoods Vi.


    As they arrived at the grand estate, their eyes were drawn to a graceful figure donned in a vibrant red


    dress, waiting in the courtyard.


    None other than Eleanor stood before them.


    The sedan glided into the vi''s garage, and Veronica and Matthew alighted from the vehicle.


    Eleanor approached them, a piece of Limburger in hand, her voice filled with curiosity. "Veronica


    Murphy, what''s going on? What brings you here?"


    Eleanor''s unexpected fondness for these inexpensive Limburger, despite having enjoyed the finest


    delicacies during her time in the hidden n, amused Veronica.


    "Why are you eating those?" Veronica asked, bemused.


    Eleanor, with a te of Limburger in hand, replied, "Troy Ritter was munching on these while drinking,


    so I decided to give them a try. I actually quite like them," she exined, offering Veronica a taste.


    "Want to try some?"


    Chuckling softly, Veronica declined the offer. "No, thank you. I''ve had enough of those since I was a


    child," she said, smiling.


    Indeed, the allure of those Limburgers was hard to resist.


    Disappointed, Eleanor reimed the te of Limburger and nced at them, her curiosity undimmed.


    "So, what''s the reason behind your sudden divorce? If Troy Ritter hadn''t informed me that it was a


    sham, I, Princess Eleanor of the hidden n might have thought there was a chance for me."


    In front of them, Eleanor referred to herself as Princess Eleanor of the hidden n without reservation,


    a reminder of their shared history.


    Raising an eyebrow, Matthew affectionately wrapped his arm around Veronica''s waist, drawing closer


    to her, his warm smile filled with tenderness. "Put aside those unrealistic notions, Eleanor. Roni and I


    are deeply in love."


    Eleanor, Limburger in hand, suddenly found them unappetizing. Pouting, she cast a disdainful nce at


    Matthew. "Tsk, how boring."


    Without a backward nce, she turned and walked toward Troy Ritter, who stood not far away. "Troy


    Ritter, let''s head home."


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "We''ve only just arrived. Can''t we stay and have some fun?" Veronica yfully brushed off Matthew''s


    arm, her voice tinged withint. "Why do you insist on provoking her?"


    "I''m simply worried that my wife might be jealous," Matthew replied, his warm smile exuding


    approachability and gentleness, a far cry from his previous aloof demeanor.


    "I came here to have fun, yet you two keep disying your affection in front of me. I can''t take it!"


    Eleanor dered without turning back. She then addressed Troy Ritter, who stood by the car. "Forget it,


    let''s not go home. Let''s go find Skyler Robins."


    "Skyler Robins is busy today and won''t be able to apany you," Veronica reminded her. "If you''re


    feeling bored, you can seek out Miguel Lynch. He always seems to have plenty of free time."


    Matthew and his brothers were all engrossed in their respective endeavors, Caleb Shaw was aiding in


    the search for Shirley Wilson, and only Miguel Lynch had a rtively open schedule.


    Eleanor shook her head. "Miguel Lynch is too serious and rigid. I don''t like him."


    Ring, ring, ring¡­


    Just then, Veronica''s phone rang.


    She answered the call. "Crazy?"


    "Why would he be calling at this moment?"


    Veronica pondered the reason behind his call.

 Chapter 1083

    Chapter 1083


    Chapter 1083 Love and Hate


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Where are you? I have a friend, a director, who wants to meet you," said Larry over the phone.


    "Now?"


    "Yes," Larry replied, then lowered his voice and whispered softly, "He watched ''Star Voyage'' and really


    admired your skills. Since there''s a new film in the making, he wants you to audition."


    "Alright, send me the address, I''lle over now." Veronica nodded.


    In order to help her enter the entertainment industry, Matthew even publicly announced their ''divorce,¡¯


    and she couldn''t let him down.


    After hanging up the phone, Veronica looked at Eleanor, her eyes shining, and said, "Eleanor, aren''t


    you bored? Come, I''ll take you out to y."


    "Really?" Eleanor turned around, looking happy.


    Veronica raised her hand and touched her forehead, awkwardly pointing at the bag of Limburger in her


    hand. "Can you throw those away? The smell is too strong."


    She was going for an audition and it was a good opportunity to take Eleanor out to have some fun.


    However, she had been eating the Limburger all along, and the strong smell was indeed going to her


    head.


    "Sure, no problem." Eleanor made an ''OK'' gesture and walked over to the nearby trash can, but only


    throwing the empty packaging into the bin after finishing thest piece.


    Veronica looked at Matthew, and the two of them smiled at each other.


    "Troy Ritter, we have so many delicious foods in Bloomstead, can''t you take her to eat something


    else?" Veronica looked at Troy, who was standing straight. "Eating too many Limburgers is not good for


    her health."


    Troy shrugged, spreading his hands. "I took her to try exotic delicacies, but she said she didn''t like


    them. So I took her to the snack street instead, and recently, every evening, she goes there like


    clockwork, with skewers in her left hand and milk tea in her right hand."


    Saying that, Troy shrugged again. "What can I do?"


    "Um... alright." Veronica was speechless. "Then you go with Matt and help find Shirley. I''ll apany


    Eleanor today."


    "Okay, Mrs. Kings." Troy nodded.


    "Goodbye." Veronica turned around and waved to Matthew. "The lunatic called me for an audition. I


    wonder if it will be sessful."


    The man approached her, tidying up a strand of hair at her temple and tucking it behind her ear. "I


    believe in you."


    "Yeah, I''ll do my best." Veronica left and beckoned to Eleanor, then drove her red Chevrolet out of the


    vi''s spacious garage.


    The Chevrolet sedan, worth only over a hundred thousand dors, stood out among the luxury cars


    parked together.


    But this car was the first car Veronica bought for herself, and she couldn''t bear to part with it, so she


    kept it.


    In their current ''divorced'' state, Veronica driving a car worth over 15 thousand dors seemed quite


    fitting.


    The sedan left the vi and headed straight for the film and television mediapany.


    On the way, Eleanor asked again why they faked their divorce, and Veronica had to exin it to her


    again.


    As a result, Eleanor''s face immediately drooped. "I really have a cheap mouth, why did I have to ask?


    She covered her chest. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of you guys unting your love every day. I''m both jealous


    and envious. Ugh, it¡¯s so annoying."


    "You are also outstanding. One day, you will find your ideal partner," Veronica said sincerely.


    "I only like a perfect man like my Master Iron. Can I still find someone like him?"


    "It depends on fate."


    "Not very likely." Eleanor leaned on the car window, supporting her head with her hand, and sighed


    deeply. "When I was in the hidden n, I had two or three husbands. But even if you add them all up,


    they don''t evenpare to one-tenth of my Master Iron."


    "Now that you''re in Bloomstead, don''t you miss your husbands?" Veronica curiously asked.


    Eleanor waved her fair finger. "Out of the three, two were forcibly arranged by my mother, merely to


    establish connections with some of the elders of the n. Only one was my first love, but our


    rtionship gradually faded."

 Chapter 1084

    Chapter 1084


    Chapter 1084 Official Mirror


    "The past is in the past. I really hope you can live a good life after youe to Bloomstead." Veronica


    sighed.


    Both of them seemed to have their thoughts returned to the hidden n, reminiscing about everything


    that happened there.


    Eleanor was missing her deceased mother, while Veronica thought of Crayson.


    Human emotions wereplex. She had a love-hate rtionship with Crayson.


    After a little over an hour, they arrived at the Langston Film and Television Media Company.


    The sedan parked in the basement, and Veronica got out of the car with Eleanor, entering the elevator


    together.


    Eleanor, holding her handbag, was still touching up her makeup in front of the mirror.


    Veronica couldn''t help but tease. "Enough with the touch-ups. Even without makeup, you can outshine


    everyone. Don''t you know that women can be very jealous?"


    Eleanor put away her lipstick, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a yful smile, seductive and charming.


    "The cosmetics were given to me by Troy. If I don''t use them, wouldn''t it be a waste?"


    "Troy gave them to you?"


    In her memory, Troy was a cold and indifferent person, who had never had a girlfriend.


    How could he give Eleanor cosmetics?


    This guy couldn¡¯t have had a sudden change of heart, could he?


    "Yes. I challenged Troy to apetition. I said that if I won, he had to give me a gift. Then... um..." She


    raised the lipstick in her hand. " I took him to a high-end cosmetics store and got aplete set of


    cosmetics worth over thirty hundred thousand from him. He was so angry that he ignored me for a


    whole day."


    Veronica was speechless.


    She had been overthinking things after all.


    Ding¡ª


    The elevator arrived at the 31st floor, and the doors opened.


    The two of them stepped out of the elevator and saw Larry Freeman''s female assistant right in front of


    them.


    Veronica greeted her, "Hello."


    "Miss Murphy, Larry is over there. Please follow me," the assistant said, unable to help but take a few


    more nces at Eleanor, seemingly amazed by her beauty.


    "Thank you."


    Veronica thanked her and walked with the assistant toward the front corridor.


    At this moment, they noticed that there were many people in the corridor for the audition, some


    standing, some sitting, all looking at them, some of whom Veronica had seen on TV.


    And those people were all staring at the two of them with strange gazes.


    "Isn''t that Veronica Murphy? Why is she here?"


    "Oh my god, could it be that Matthew Kings has really abandoned her, so she came to the


    entertainment industry to make money?"


    "Oh my god, who is that woman next to Veronica? She''s so beautiful and ethereal."


    "She''s so beautiful. How can there be such a stunning woman in the world?"


    "Are you blind? Veronica is not bad-looking either."


    "Although Veronica has a bad reputation, she truly looks pure and beautiful. I like this distant kind of


    beauty."


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "One has a distant kind of beauty and another has an alluring charm. They are not even the same type,


    but they are both so pleasing to the eye."


    ...


    Those women cast envious, admiring, disdainful, and jealous nces at them.


    Veronica selectively ignored them and entered the audition office with Eleanor.


    The office was divided into an inner room and an outer room. In the inner room, there were judges and


    actors in front of the mirror.


    Larry saw Veronica through the ss door and stood up.


    "You''re so slow, we''re almost done," Larrymented bluntly, not giving Veronica any face at all.


    Of course, that was their way of getting along, and they had long been ustomed to it.


    As they spoke, Larry looked at Eleanor next to Veronica, and his dark eyes became even brighter. "Is


    she your friend?"


    "Yes. Eleanor Ledger," Veronica introduced.


    Looking at the stunning woman in front of him, Larry friendly extended his hand. "Hello, beauty."


    "Hello." Eleanor shook his hand.


    "Birds of a feather flock together. A beauty¡¯s friends are also beautiful," he said with a smile.


    Veronica gave him a disdainful look. "If you want topliment someone¡¯s looks, just do it directly.


    There''s no need to beat around the bush."

 Chapter 1085

    Chapter 1085


    Chapter 1085 A Sense of Familiarity


    "No! In my opinion, the most beautiful one would of course be you," Larry replied sincerely.


    Eleanor frowned when she saw him. "Why do you look so familiar? I felt like I''ve seen you before


    somewhere."


    Eleanor was very certain that she had indeed met Larry before.


    "Him?" Veronica Murphy pointed at Larry. "He''s a popr actor, of course, you''ve seen him before, but


    probably only on TV."


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "Oh," Eleanor had an epiphany and nodded. "You''re right. That''s probably why you look so familiar."


    "Now that you''ve met me, you''ll be able to recognize me in the future." Larry put his arm around


    Veronica''s shoulder and opened the door to the audition hall while telling Eleanor, "Miss Eleanor,e.


    Let me show you around."


    The three of them entered the audition hall together. They saw a slender and beautiful girl performing a


    scene of extreme hunger.


    The judges nced at Veronica briefly and continued watching the actress''s performance.


    "You two can sit here and rest for a while. We''ll call youter." Larry patted Veronica''s shoulder and


    whispered, "Don''t be nervous. With me around, I guarantee you''ll be fine."


    "Thank you," Veronica said.


    "No need to thank me. You thanking me will shorten your life," he replied jokingly.


    After saying that, Larry turned and walked to the judging panel. He sat down and started to watch


    attentively.


    At this moment, the actress finished the scene and stood in front of the judges. She bowed and waited


    for theirments.


    "Finished? What kind of acting was that?" A bald man sitting in the center of the judging panel adjusted


    his sses and pointed at her, reprimanding her in a deep voice. "You were supposed to portray a poor


    child who hadn''t eaten for two days. Although it was a non-physical performance, as a professional


    actor, how could you fail to do the basics?"


    "It was overacted andcked nuance." Larry summed it up concisely.


    Another judge shook his head. "I only have three words¡ªout of character."


    As the actress listened to the judges''ments, her eyes turned red, and tears welled up in them.


    The bald man immediately pointed at her. "Now, your current state is much more realistic. It can evoke


    emotions and stir our emotions."


    The actress, feeling unjustly treated, pursed her lips. She felt that the director was humiliating her so


    she retorted, "But I''ve never experienced being hungry for two days without anything to eat. I''ve tried


    my best."


    "What is acting? Acting is a form of performance. You said you couldn''t portray the feeling because you


    have never experienced hunger. Do those actors who act as murderers really have to kill someone to


    portray that kind of sensation?" The director was displeased, and he waved his hand. "Next!"


    The actress covered her face in grievance and ran out of the audition hall crying.


    After witnessing this scene, Veronica became anxious.


    She was an actor with zero experience. Would she even have a chance?


    Even that professional actress just failed the audition. Veronica felt that she might not have a chance


    either.


    "You are Veronica Murphy, right?"


    The director in the middle beckoned to Veronica. "Come here."


    Veronica became nervous for no reason. Eleanor, who was beside her, made a ''good luck'' gesture.


    "Don''t be nervous, you''ll definitely make it."


    "I hope so." After she breathed a sigh of relief, she stood up and walked in front of the judges. "Hello


    everyone, I''m Veronica."


    The bald director leaned back in his chair and pointed at her. "You''re Matthew Kings''s ex-wife, right?"


    When it came to her personal life, Veronica''s expression was obviously displeased, but she still nodded


    politely. "Yes."


    "I''ve seen your scenes with Stephan in ''Interster.'' Although you don''t have acting skills, your


    physicality is good. We need a supporting actress in this ancient drama to y the female lead''s


    personal female guard and there are a lot of action scenes."

 Chapter 1086

    Chapter 1086


    Chapter 1086 Action Scenes


    Veronica nced at Larry. She hesitated for a moment before speaking directly to the director.


    "Teacher, I don''t have much acting experience, but I shouldn''t have any problems with action scenes."


    "If you are fine with action scenes then I don''t think there will be an issue." The director was very


    confident, adding, "What do you say if you spar with my martial arts actor and I''ll see how you do."


    After all, the ancient drama he worked on needed a supporting actress to y some roles. Ordinary


    actors with poor skills and no experience are not appealing to him; top-tier actors might have


    experience but they would not be interested.


    He always valued the quality of the script and didn''t like to use special effects. He remembered


    Veronica after some consideration.


    "No problem."


    Veronica readily agreed.


    The director turned around and called a man standing in the distance. The man nodded slightly and


    walked over.


    The man dressed in ck casual clothes, had a sturdy muscr figure, giving a demeanor that


    indicated he had a certain level of martial arts proficiency.


    "Let''s begin," the director said.


    Veronica stood face to face with the sturdy man and said politely, "Let''s take it easy."


    "No need to hold back. Use any moves you have." The sturdy man seemed to look down on Veronica.


    Perhaps he thought that she only knew some showy fighting techniques.


    "Alright."


    Veronica remained calm andposed. She took a step back before delivering a left hook aimed at


    the man''s chest. However, she deliberately slowed down her strike so that she could control her


    strength.


    The sturdy man let out a scoff and smirked arrogantly as he stepped to the side. "Just as I thought, all


    show and no practical skills."


    Eleanor, who was sitting beside, shook her head. She felt that the man was ignorant and arrogant.


    Even she did not dare say such things to Veronica. This man was overconfident and truly ignorant of


    what wasing.


    The sturdy man started to attack by kicking Veronica. She easily blocked it with her right arm and lifted


    her left leg to kick the man.


    She used sixty percent of her strength in that kick. The man fell backwards and rolled over twice on the


    ground before he stopped when he crashed into a chair.


    "Ouch, that hurts¡­" the sturdy man groaned in pain. He pointed at Veronica andined to the


    director. "Although she can fight, she can''t control her strength. She''s not suitable to be an actress."


    Veronica''s gaze turned cold as she turned to the director and said, "I''m sorry director, I restrained my


    strength just now but he used me of being all show and no practical skills. If I didn''t go all out, I was


    afraid I wouldn''t pass the audition."


    She despised this kind of self-righteous man.


    "Good Job!" Larry gave her a thumbs up.


    Then, he took out his phone and yed a video for the director. "This video was taken during her visit


    to the ''Interster'' set where she had a private sparring with Stephan. Here, have a look."


    The director and the judges gathered around to watch the video. They couldn''t help but nod in


    agreement and exchanged a nce before making the final decision. "Alright, this role is hers without a


    doubt."


    After Veronica heard the news, her mood instantly brightened, and she felt relieved from the bottom of


    her heart.


    Suddenly, she felt grateful to Crayson. If he hadn''t been training her all this time, she probably wouldn''t


    have had the opportunity to be an actress.


    It was also because of this advantage that she had the chance to secure a role in the cast.


    "I''ll have my assistant bring you the script. We''ll sign the contractter. Take this time to read the script


    carefully and I''ll notify you once we start filming," the bald director told her.


    "Should I enroll in an acting ss during this time?" Veronica asked.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    During her previous performance in ''Interster,'' she was still working as a model at Sean Ludwig''s


    Starshine Media Agency. During her employment there, Sean Ludwig saw her potential and hired a


    professional teacher from Horizon Theatre Academy to teach her acting.

 Chapter 1087

    Chapter 1087


    Chapter 1087 Sessful Audition


    Despite not having a formal education in acting, Veronica had studied acting for three months, so she


    had some basic acting skills.


    "Yes, you can." The director, Sam Symons, nodded and showed great confidence in Veronica.


    "Thank you, teacher."


    Veronica bowed and followed an assistant to the next room, where she received the script and


    contract.


    While she was reading the contract, in the audition room, Sam received a phone call. "Sam, Hello, I''m


    Eviette Robins. I heard that you''re shooting a period drama and need a female actress?"


    "E... Evie?"


    Sam was puzzled as he held the phone in front of him and nced at the unfamiliar number. He was


    overjoyed. "Ah, yes, we are, we are. We''re currently auditioning for the female lead in the period


    drama."


    "I know that you''re a very dedicated director, and I''ve watched the dramas you''ve directed before. I


    really liked them. I wonder if I have a chance to audition for your female lead?"


    After hearing that Veronica was auditioning for Sam''s drama, Evie immediately found Sam''s contact


    information.


    She was confident that she could win over Matthew.


    However, she had doubts about Veronica and Matthew''s sudden divorce, so she also wanted to take


    this opportunity to get close to Veronica and assess the situation.


    If they were really divorced, Evie would have an even greater advantage over Matthew.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "Hahaha, of course, of course. Whenever you have time, you cane over anytime." Sam nodded


    eagerly.


    Everyone in the entertainment industry knew about Evie.


    She was one of the few actresses who possessed both luck and talent. Despite only acting in three


    period dramas, she had won the Best Female Lead and Best Actress awards.


    Moreover, each of her three period dramas had consistently topped the ratings charts and became


    ssics, earning her the title of "ssical Goddess."


    However, Evie had disappeared from the screen for quite a while after that.


    Sam even thought she had retired, so he was pleasantly surprised when she suddenly contacted him,


    wanting to audition for the female lead in his period drama. This good news came too quickly.


    "What''s going on?" Larry Freeman, the investor of this TV series, asked as he looked at Sam.


    Sam pointed at his phone, excitedly said, "It''s Evie. She wants to audition for the female lead in this


    drama."


    "Didn''t she retire?" someone else asked.


    Sam shook his head. "I''m not sure. But this drama has a big female lead role, which is very suitable for


    Evie. With her presence and the fact that Veronica Murphy is Matthew Kings'' ex-wife, it''s like getting


    free publicity and attention for our drama. It''s like getting free exposure, Hahaha..."


    "That makes sense."


    Larry didn''t object.


    Although he felt a little ufortable with Sam''s statement about "Veronica Murphy being Matthew


    Kings'' ex-wife is a way to attract attention," it wasn''t a bad thing for Veronica right now.


    Besides, Veronica and Matthew were only pseudo-divorced.


    Afterward, Sam signed a contract with Veronica. Although the remuneration wasn''t high, Veronica was


    more interested in acting rather than the pay.


    Veronica left the mediapany satisfied with Shirley. Shortly after their departure, Evie arrived at the


    mediapany for her audition.


    Sam and Larry Freeman had no objections to her acting skills and discussed the remuneration with her


    before readily signing the contract.


    Thus, the female lead and the supporting role of the female bodyguard in this major period drama were


    finally decided.

 Chapter 1088

    Chapter 1088


    Chapter 1088 Car ident


    On the road, Veronica drove while connecting to Bluetooth and she made a phone call to Matthew.


    "Matt, I passed the audition."


    She was extremely happy, feeling that her dream was getting closer and closer.


    "As expected. My wife is amazing," Matthew sincerely praised her.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Shirley listened to the lovey-dovey conversation and couldn''t help rolling


    her eyes. She was on the verge of covering her ears to block out their dialogue.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "I''m actually surprised too. I was worried that I wouldn''t pass the audition."


    "Youck confidence," Matthew said gently.


    Veronica smiled and said, "I''m going to have dinner with Crazy tonight and won''t be going back. By the


    way, any news about Shirley?"


    "We''ve found her. She rented an apartment on the outskirts of the city."


    "Does Skyler know?"


    "We haven''t told Drew yet. Don''t we have to wait for your ''verdict'' first?" Matthew spoke with a doting


    tone, as if he wanted to hold Veronica in the palm of his hand.


    Feeling his intense love, Veronica was like being in a honey pot, feeling so happy that she was almost


    dizzy.


    She thought for a moment and said, "Let Skyler Robins know that I''m safe for now. Don''t reveal


    Shirley''s location at the moment. Let him deal with his family first."


    "I''ll listen to you," Matthew agreed.


    Afterwards, two of them chatted sweetly on the phone for a while before finally hanging up.


    "You finally hung up. If you didn''t, I would have ended our friendship!" Shirley rolled her eyes at


    Veronica. "Please don''t always show affection in front of me. Do you believe that one day I will regret it


    and forcibly snatch your husband?"


    "That would require you to have the ability to do so," Veronica said confidently.


    That confidence wasn''t about herself but about her absolute trust in Matthew.


    "Ugh, I''m so fed up." Shirley raised her hand and rubbed her temples. "No, I need to find a man too.


    Otherwise, I''ll end up feeling unwanted."


    "Love is not something you can force."


    Veronica patiently exined to her, "This is Bloomstead, not the hidden n. Once you find someone


    you like and get married, you can only get married once and can''t have others at the same time."


    "Watch out!!"


    While Veronica was speaking, she nced at Shirley with her head tilted to the side, but she ignored a


    person suddenly rushing out from the side of the road. Shirley shouted in rm.


    Crash!


    Despite Shirley''s reminder, it was already toote.


    The car identally hit a person, sending him flying and rolling a long distance beforeing to a


    stop.


    Veronica mmed on the brakes and in the next second, she unfastened her seatbelt and rushed out,


    not forgetting to tell Shirley, "Quickly call the police."


    Shirley, stunned, took a few seconds before finally picking up her phone and dialing the emergency


    number.


    Veronica got out of the car and ran towards the man who was knocked down. She looked at the blood


    on his forehead and her heart sank. "Are you okay?"


    Skyler was lying on the ground and looked at Veronica. He weakly waved his hand and said, "I''m fine."


    He propped himself up with one hand on the ground, the other covering his head, and struggled to get


    up.


    "You''re injured quite badly. Maybe I should take you to the hospital." Veronica expressed her concern


    when she saw his serious injuries.


    The man shook his head again. "I''m really fine. You can go."


    "I''ve already called the police. Hey, be careful!" Veronica was about to say something when she


    suddenly saw the man swaying and then falling down.


    She quickly stepped forward and caught him in her arms. She realized that the man in her arms had


    already fainted.


    Shirley got out of the car and asked, "I''ve already called the police. How is he? Is he okay?"


    "Come and help me. Let''s get him in the car and take him to the hospital first." Veronica knew that the


    hospital was not far ahead and didn''t want to dy, so she decided to take him there for treatment.

 Chapter 1089

    Chapter 1089


    Chapter 1089 Melvin¡¯s Scheme


    Veronica and Eleanor sat on a bench in the hospital corridor after paying the hospital fees. The police


    approached them for questioning soon after. At the same time, Melvin was pushed out of the


    emergency room.


    Veronica quickly went over and asked the doctor, "Doctor, how is he?"


    "He has a mild concussion and some soft tissue injuries. He needs to be hospitalized for observation. If


    there are no issues, he can be discharged."


    The doctor briefly exined the situation to Veronica.


    Melvin, who was lying on the gurney, looked at Veronica and shook his head. "It has nothing to do with


    you. I will exin it to the police."


    Then, he was pushed into the ward by a nurse, and they followed along.


    After settling in the ward, the police, who were responsible to investigate the ident, and Veronica


    entered the room.


    Melvin, whose head was bandaged,y weakly on the bed and was put on an IV drip.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "Are you okay?"


    Veronica walked up and asked concernedly.


    Eleanor, who was sitting at the side, nced at Melvin and said, "He shouldn''t have crossed the road


    without looking. It was his fault."


    Melvin nced at Veronica and then at the woman next to her in a red dress. He couldn''t help but sigh


    at the sight of both of them where one exuded a cold vibe and the other had a captivating allure. It was


    a sight for sore eyes.


    He thought to himself, Although Eviette possesses a ssical beauty, she is just on par with Veronica.


    However, if you take a closer look, Veronica''s features stand out morepared to Eviette who


    resembles that of an influencer which diminishes her distinctiveness.


    He wondered if Matthew would really be interested in Eviette.


    "I''m really sorry, it was indeed my fault," Melvin said with a guilty expression, then he turned to the


    police officer. "Officer, this has nothing to do with her. It was me who was jaywalking at that time."


    The police officer who was the lead replied, "Although you are responsible, she should still bear at least


    ten percent of the responsibility."


    "No need, it was all my fault." Melvin pushed himself up to sit on the bed with both his hands.


    He earnestly exined to the police officer and finally resolved the matter.


    After the police left, Eleanor, who was sitting on a chair, raised an eyebrow at him. "At least you still


    have some conscience."


    Melvin smiled awkwardly. "Miss Murphy, right? I''m really sorry for the trouble I caused. It was you who


    paid for my medical fees, right? Let me pay you back."


    As he spoke, he raised his hand that wasn''t attached to the IV drip and reached into his pocket. His


    brow furrowed as he searched his pocket


    Then, he said embarrassingly, "I''m really sorry, it seems like I forgot to bring my phone and wallet."


    Veronica looked at the man sitting on the bed, who spoke politely and acted like a gentleman, it was


    clear that he was a well-educated person.


    She shook her head. "It''s okay, I was the one who bumped into you so I am also responsible too.


    However, you must be more careful in the future. It''s not every time you get to be lucky like this."


    "I..."


    Melvin lowered his head slightly, and a tinge of sadness appeared on his face. It seemed like he had


    some story behind this that he finds it hard to say. "I just wanted to chase after my girl¡­ Never mind,


    it''s all in the past now."


    He waved his hand, as he hesitantly said, "I''m fine now, you don''t need to stay here anymore. Miss


    Murphy, can you leave your contact information for me before you go?"


    Veronica was a bit puzzled and didn''t understand what he meant by that.


    Melvin saw her expression and exined immediately, "I just want to pay you back for the medical fees


    after I leave the hospital."


    "You really don''t have to."


    Veronica smiled slightly. "Take care, we''ll leave now." She nced at Eleanor who was sitting on the


    sofa and left the ward together with her.

 Chapter 1090

    Chapter 1090


    Chapter 1090 Skyler Wants to Marry Shirley


    Melvin leaned against the bedside, watching their backs until the door of the ward waspletely


    closed. He let out a soft sneer, and his gaze instantly became cunning.


    Although Veronica and Matthew are divorced, they still had two children together. If they were really


    separated, there would still be situations that might keep them together.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Especially since their divorce happened so suddenly, Melvin still remained suspicious.


    The Robins Family.


    Skyler sat in the vi''s living room. He looked at his mother, father, and grandfather, who were sitting


    opposite him, and said calmly, "I have said it before, I like Shirley and want to marry her."


    Before this, Skyler didn''t really have any thoughts about marrying any woman except for Sofia.


    However, during the time he spent with Shirley in the hidden n, he realized that he liked her,


    especially when she got injured, he felt that he was responsible for it too.


    "If you want to marry Shirley, you should also consider..." Benjamin red at his grandson with a


    gloomy face. However, halfway through his sentence, Benjamin''s gaze shifted toward the entrance of


    the living room, and his serious expression suddenly turned into a smile. "Sofia? Come in and have a


    seat. Why didn''t you tell me that you wereing?"


    The Robins Family and the Green Family held high hopes for this marriage, so the Robins Family also


    liked Sofia very much.


    When Skyler''s parents saw Sofia walking in with nutritional supplements in hand, they stood up to greet


    her. "Oh, you really don''t have to bring anything when youe."


    Sofia took off her sunsses and smiled. "I didn''t know what to buy for you so I bought some nutritional


    supplements. I hope that you like them."


    "We like anything that you buy as long as it''s you who is buying it." Keyshaughed heartily. She took


    the nutritional supplements and handed them to the servant beside her, then held Sofia''s hand. "Come


    and have a seat."


    Sofia appeared to be a well-behaved girl in front of the Robins Family, even her attire and appearance


    became elegant anddylike, not like how she used to be which was fiery and wild.


    Skyler only nced at her pretentious appearance and didn''t want to look at her anymore.


    She walked to the sofa and bowed slightly to Benjamin. "Hello, Grandpa. It''s been a while since west


    met, I missed you."


    "Hahaha, the way you talk is as sweet as honey. Just like your mother." Benjamin patted the seat


    beside him. "Have a seat. I was just discussing your wedding with Skyler."


    When Sofia heard this, her eyes lit up with excitement and she subconsciously looked at Skyler, who


    was sitting opposite her.


    However, she saw Skyler''s expression don''t look pleased and his eyebrows furrowed tightly. "What


    wedding? I said before that I will only marry Shirley!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the lively atmosphere in the living room instantly vanished.


    Keysha smiled awkwardly at Sofia. "Don''t listen to Skyler''s nonsense, he''s been misguided." After


    saying that, she pointed at Skyler. "He keeps talking about Shirley, what kind of enchantment did that


    vixen cast on you, huh? She is disfigured which makes her so ugly. Where do you put the Robinses''


    integrity when people see her with us in the future?"


    "Marrying her is my decision. No matter what you say, it won''t change," Skyler said seriously.


    At this moment, he seemed to have grown up and had his own opinions and thoughts.


    However, this triggered the Robins Family to be even more angry.


    "A disfigured woman won''t ever marry into the Robins Family!" Friderik mmed the table in anger.


    Sofia, who was sitting next to Benjamin, lowered her head with a triumphant expression on her face.


    She leaned back on the sofa and took out her phone, discreetly turning on the voice recorder.

 Chapter 1091

    Chapter 1091


    Chapter 1091 Thoughts Not in Vain


    Benjamin Robins scoffed in frustration. "Hmph. Rather than marrying a fine youngdy like Sofia, he


    chooses to marry a poor girl. How can Shirley even begin topare to Sofia?" he snapped.


    He thought that Skyler Robins would live up to his expectations, but the reality fell short, leaving him


    disappointed.


    "Grandpa, Mr. and Mrs. Robins, when ites to matters of the heart, it''s better not to force it." Sofia


    Green uttered in a tone of grievance, "I know that it was my fault for breaking up with Skye in the past."


    "You were too young back then, and it wasn''t the right decision at that time. Both his dad and I noticed


    Skye''s affection for you. He loved you for so many years. Shirley''s appearance is merely just a fleeting


    sense of novelty for him," Keysha Oliver analyzed arrogantly.


    As Skyler listened to their conversation, he became even more furious, feeling that they were


    unyielding and stubborn.


    "Listen!"


    Raising his voice, Skyler dered, "I caused Shirley''s disfigurement, and I will definitely marry her.


    Stop saying such words about her appearance in front of me again. Otherwise, don''t me me if I turn


    my back and not recognizing you!"


    Everyone was taken aback for a moment, as they hadn''t expected such a turn of events.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Sofia''s grip on her phone tightened ever so slightly as she meekly asked, "Skye, actually... do you,


    deep down, feel guilty towards Shirley, which is why you want to marry her?"


    "No, I don''t!"


    In amanding tone, Skyler deliberately slowed his speech and emphasized, "That''s it. I''m leaving."


    Given the futility of convincing his family, he opted to remain silent, unwilling to waste any more words.


    He abruptly stood up, preparing to make his way out of the living room.


    Keysha became visibly anxious witnessing his intention to depart.


    In sudden realization, she promptly halted him, eximing, "Hold on, if you have to leave, at least have


    a meal before you go."


    Just a few steps into his departure, Skyler paused, perceiving his mother''s unspoken message. ''If I


    insisted on marrying Shirley, she couldn''t intervene, but at the very least, I should finish the additional


    meal peacefully before leaving.''


    In order to appease his family and spare Shirley further trouble, Skyler reluctantly decided to stay.


    However, he had no desire to engage in further conversation with them. "I''m tired. I''m going upstairs to


    rest," he stated, ending the discussion.


    "This is absolutely uneptable!"


    Benjamin eximed indignantly, pointing angrily at Skyler''s back and criticizing him.


    Sofia, in a soothing tone, consoled Benjamin, "Grandpa, matters of the heart should never be forced. I


    don''t me Skye. The fault lies with me, it truly does..."


    As she uttered those words, her voice trembled with a hint of huskiness and choked with emotion.


    "Oh my, my dear, please don''t cry. It breaks my heart to see you in sorrow." Keysha consoled. She


    quickly rose and sat beside Sofia, embracing her shoulders and holding her close. "Stop crying, my


    dear, stop crying. Ah, that mischievous Skye is truly exasperating."


    Sob... Resting against Keysha''s embrace, Sofia sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "It''s all my


    fault for being too young back then. If... if, if I could turn back time, I wish to have a child with him and


    be happily together."


    "Of course, I wish for nothing more than for you both to have a child," Keysha responded, her words


    trailing off as a scheme began to take shape in her thoughts.


    She raised her gaze, meeting her husband''s eyes, and at that moment, a silent understanding passed


    between them. Their thoughts resonated.


    "My dear, it''s not difficult for you to have a child with Skye," Keysha whispered, lowering her voice while


    looking at the staircase to ensure Skye was back in his room. She then proceeded, "I have an idea, I


    wonder if you would consider it."


    "Hmm? What idea?" Sofia pretended innocence, holding onto her understanding while ying the fool.


    She deliberately hinted at Keysha, nudging her in the right direction, but she didn''t expect her to catch


    on so quickly.


    Her thoughts were not in vain.

 Chapter 1092

    Chapter 1092


    Chapter 1092 Manipted by My Mother


    "Stay here tonight, and I''ll..." Keysha whispered into Sofia''s ear.


    Benjamin Robins, perceiving the intentions of his daughter-inw, let out a knowing sigh. "You two


    carry on with your conversation. These old bones of mine are weary; I shall take a rest," he remarked,


    his wordsden with significance, and departed for some respite.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Such a reaction left no doubt that Benjamin had silently consented to the idea suggested by Keysha.


    However, Sofia pretended to be conflicted. "Well... Mrs. Robins, this wouldn''t be fair to Skye," she


    demurred, casting herself in the role of a genteel and virtuous woman.


    "You''re being naive. As a woman, any perceived disadvantages would be yours to bear. Therefore, as


    long as you consent, this matter will be firmly decided," she dered with conviction, dismissing any


    thoughts of equality.


    Keysha held Sofia''s hand firmly, skillfully coaxing her.


    Yet Sofia pretended to hesitate, refraining from giving an immediate answer, afraid of revealing her true


    intention.


    "Don''t worry, this idea is solely mine, and I''ll ensure Skye never doubts your intentions," Keysha


    administered another dose of encouragement.


    "Mrs. Robins... you''re so kind," Sofia replied. She reached out and embraced Keysha while her voice


    trembling with emotion.


    Throughout the afternoon, Sofia remained by Keysha''s side at the vi, busy with embroidery and


    tending to the garden, all the while engaging in conversations.


    As dinnermenced, all the guests gathered in the dining room, while the servants poured wine for


    each of them. Meanwhile, Keysha ingeniously found multiple excuses to coax Skyler into drinking


    more.


    Skyler didn''t refuse and went on to drink several sses, and Sofia, not to be outdone, matched him


    drink for drink, indulging in multiple sses herself.


    After the meal, Sofia ced a hand on her head. "Mr. and Mrs. Robins, how strong is this red wine? I''m


    starting to feel slight dizziness," she asked, her voice betraying a subtle wavering.


    "This red wine has aged over the years. You, my dear, should have informed us if you were not


    ustomed to drinking," Keysha reproached gently, before turning to Skyler. "Please assist Sofia to


    her room for some rest. I have a matter to discuss with your father."


    Skyler''s heart brimmed with dissatisfaction, yet driven by the desire to depart swiftly, he reluctantly set


    his meal aside. Assisting Sofia, he guided her away from the table and ascended the staircase.


    Drunk from the red wine, Sofia found sce in Skyler''s embrace, intoxicated by his aroma. A surge of


    heat coursed through her veins, igniting an intense desire to surrender herselfpletely to him.


    She pondered in her heart. Didn''t Keysha say she would give it to Skye? Why do I feel so


    ufortable all over?


    Guiding her up the staircase, Skyler warned Sofia, "Stay away from Shirley in the future. If I discover


    any deceit or schemes on your part, don''t me me for disregarding our past sentiments!"


    He was a sentimental person, but he couldn''t tolerate deceit.


    Sofia wasn''t drunk; she was merely pretending to be intoxicated to go along with Keysha''s n.


    However, as she listened to Skyler''s words, an icy wave of unease washed over her.


    "Skye, I''m sorry," she apologized.


    Staggering up the stairs, Skyler guided Sofia to the guest room. However, just as he stepped inside,


    the room door abruptly clicked shut, leaving him locked inside.


    Before Skyler could react, he rushed towards the room door and grasped the handle, it was tightly shut.


    Bang bang bang¡ª


    He pounded on the door with all his might and shouted, "Open the door! Open it immediately!"


    Yet no response came, only a mounting sensation of heat enveloping his body.


    As a doctor, Skylerprehended the situation in an instant.


    Consumed by anger, he yanked on the doorknob and forcefully pounded on the door, yet the room door


    remained sturdy as if rooted in ce.


    Skyler, belonging to one of the Four Big Families of Bloomstead, resided in a grand estate that boasted


    top-tier security measures. Reinforced with a sturdy panel, the door was imprable, rendering any


    attempts to break through.


    "Skye, I''m burning... Skye, Skye... I feel so ufortable..." Sofia expressed. It seemed that the


    medicine had caused Sofia to lose control of her senses gradually.

 Chapter 1093

    Chapter 1093


    Chapter 1093 Skyler Robins Jumped Off the Building


    She rose from the bed and approached Skyler, embracing him tightly. "What''s going on? Why do I feel


    so ufortable?" she asked, her words trembling with confusion.


    Sofia pretended to be innocent.


    Skyler''s face turned pale as he tightly clutched the doorknob with one hand, leaning against the door.


    "Get away from me! Don''t force me toy a hand on you!" he warned with a cold, determined tone.


    One of the things he despised the most in his life was such devious tactics, but little did he anticipate


    that one day he would be manipted by his parents.


    It was ridiculous and pathetic!


    Sofia leaned against his chest, exhaling a warm breath against his neck, employing all her tricks to


    seduce Skyler. "Skye, I... I really don''t know what''s going on. Can you help me, please?"


    As she spoke, she let out a soft moan, her voice dripping with alluring tones that sent shivers down


    one''s spine.


    However, with impable self-control, Skyler firmly seized her wrist and roared, his voice resolute and


    unwavering, "So, you want my help? I''ll grant your wish!"


    He pulled her toward the bed.


    At that moment, a flicker of sparkle danced in Sofia''s eyes, and a smug smile graced her crimson lips.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Sure enough, men were all the same. With the right provocation, their true colors would inevitably


    come to light.


    However, this momentary excitementsted only for three seconds as Sofia realized that Skyler had no


    intention of taking her to bed but was instead heading toward the bathroom.


    "Skye, what are you trying to do?" Sofia panicked.


    Sofia made a futile attempt to free herself, but Skyler''s firm grasp rendered her efforts in vain.


    Bang¡ª


    A loud noise echoed.


    With a powerful kick, Skyler shattered the ss door of the bathroom, causing it to crash to the ground


    in a cascade of broken fragments. The once pristine bathroom nowy in disarray, scattered with


    debris.


    Overwhelmed by fear, Sofia''s heart skipped a beat, and an uncontroble shudder coursed through her


    body.


    Since she met Skyler, he had rarely disyed anger toward her, but every time he did, it was because


    of Shirley Wilson.


    This time was no exception.


    "You asked for my help, right? Well then, let me assist you!" Skyler raised his hand and sped it


    around the back of her neck, exerting control over her, while his other hand turned on the showerhead.


    With a sudden rush, a powerful jet of water erupted from the showerhead, drenching Sofia from head to


    toe.


    As it was alreadyte October and the weather was gloomy, the temperature fluctuated significantly


    between day and night. The cold water drenched her, sending a chilling sensation through her body,


    and extinguishing the fiery heat within her. Her thoughts gradually became clearer.


    A surge of anger, frustration, and a wave of emotions overwhelmed Sofia at that very moment.


    In her pursuit of being with Skyler, she had forsaken her dignity, but little did she expect to be treated in


    such a manner by him.


    Yet no amount of disappointment could surpass her intense possessiveness.


    In reckless abandon, Sofia sped her hands around Skyler''s neck and rose on her tiptoes, sealing


    her lips against his. She pleaded, "Skye, I love you. Let me be good to you, okay? I''m not inferior to


    Shirley. I... Ah!"


    Skyler pped Sofia directly across the face and yelled, "Disgusting!"


    His eyes zed with intense disgust as he pushed Sofia away and stormed out of the bathroom.


    "Skye!"


    The cold water soaked her clothes, and the chilling sensation brought Sofia back to her senses. She


    shouted and chased after Skyler, watching in disbelief as he walked out onto the balcony, pushed open


    the window, and without any hesitation, leaped off.


    "Skye?!"


    She screamed and rushed over, only to find Skyler rising from the grass, limping away with each step.


    The vi''s first floor was about one and a half stories high, and yet he chose to defy death and leaped


    down without hesitation.


    Sofia angrily pounded her hand against the balcony railing and leaned against it, bursting into tears.


    As time passed, the effects of the drug intensified, enveloping Sofia in relentless torment. She was


    consumed by an unbearable sensation, as if a swarm of invisible insects gnawed at her very bones,


    causing an incessant itch that seemed impossible to relieve.


    However, everyone in the vi had been evacuated by Keysha, including Friderik and Benjamin. They


    had all left the vi to unwind in the city center, deliberately creating opportunities for Skyler and Sofia.

 Chapter 1094

    Chapter 1094


    Chapter 1094 Showing Affection


    Outside Shiro''s Sushi restaurant, Larry masked and donning a duckbill cap, held Veronica close, their


    embrace exuding a sense of ease and familiarity.


    "Go home and take a good look at the script. I''ve invested in this y, and I believe in you," he


    encouraged, ncing at Veronica and smirking with a sense of pride.


    "Does this count as leveraging connections to join the production?" Veronica pondered, feeling that this


    time she must have taken a shortcut.


    "You''re like a ''brother'' to me, so it can be considered as such," Larry remarked, withdrawing his hand


    from her shoulder. "I rmended you because I believe you''re perfect for this role, so don''t burden


    yourself with too many concerns."


    "I understand," Veronica uttered. "Alright then, you go back early. I''ll see Eleanor off."


    "Where does she live?" Larry turned around and nced at Eleanor Ledger standing nearby, asking


    the question.


    "Axies Vi," Eleanor answered.


    "Axies Vi? It''s on my way. I''ll take her."


    Larry, in his affection for Veronica, extended his warmth to Eleanor, treating her with utmost care as


    well.


    "Alright, I''ll take a ride. You go back and rest early," Eleanor said, waving to Veronica. "Goodbye."


    Veronica casually tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket and nodded. "Hey, thanks for the


    favor."


    "Shut up! Why are you being so polite to me?"


    Larry grumbled at her impatiently, then turned to Eleanor and said, "Let''s go, my car is over there."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    He led Eleanor toward the nearby parking lot and stopped by his car. Thoughtfully, he opened the


    passenger door and invited, "Get in."


    "Thank you," Eleanor replied with a knowing look, teasingly adding, "I''m not Veronica, you don''t have to


    be so attentive to me."


    She couldn''t help but think that Larry had feelings for Veronica. After all, their bond seemed too


    intimate for mere friendship.


    It appeared that Matthew Kings had encountered a love rival.


    Eleanor couldn''t help but stifle augh, a hint of anticipation hidden in her expression.


    "You''re Veronica''s best friend, I have to treat you well, otherwise she will kill me!" Larry sighed heavily.


    "Isn''t it true what they say, ''Being enved for too long will make one develop a ve mentality?'' What


    sins did Imit in my past life?"


    The conversation between them remained elusive to Veronica''s ears, leaving her oblivious to their


    words.


    She got into her own car and drove directly back to Pinewoods Vi.


    After parking her car, Veronica entered the living room, her eyes scanning around in search of


    Matthew''s presence. Spotting his absence, she turned to the servant and asked, "Where is Matt?"


    "Mr. Kings is in the study, madam," the servant replied promptly.


    Clutching the script tightly in her hand, Veronica hurried up the stairs. However, a sudden thought


    struck her, causing her to descend back downstairs. She prepared a cup of warm milk and carried it up


    to the study.


    Knock, knock, knock¡ª


    She knocked on the door.


    "Come in."


    The familiar voice of a man resonated, carrying a hint ofziness.


    As Veronica pushed open the study door, she was greeted by Matthew seated at the desk with his


    elbows resting on the tabletop, his brow furrowed as he stared intently at the documents before him.


    Ever since his return from the hidden n, he had dedicated himself to his work, burning the midnight


    oil and rising before the break of dawn, leaving her trailing behind in sleep.


    Witnessing his relentless dedication, Veronica couldn''t help but feel a pang ofpassion for him.


    She walked up to him and gently ced the cup of milk in front of him.


    Matthew nced at the cup of milk, displeased, and remarked, "Change it to coffee. I don''t drink milk."


    "It''s alreadyte. Drinking some milk will help your sleep."


    Veronica gently pushed the cup forward, urging it closer to him, her voice soft and tender. "Take a


    break after a long day," she suggested.


    She moved herself to Matthew''s back, gently resting her hands on his shoulders, massaging them.


    "Sitting for too long isn''t good for your neck," she whispered, her touch bothforting and concerned.


    Matthew sank into the embrace of the luxurious armchair, indulging in itsfort. Closing his eyes, he


    let out a sigh. "Being away from the office for months, there are so many tasks waiting for me to take


    over. I don''t have time to rest," he bemoaned, his voice tinged with exhaustion.

 Chapter 1095

    Chapter 1095


    Chapter 1095 The Quest for an Address


    "Money can never be earned enough."


    Her slender jade finger adjusted the pressure on his shoulder, relieving his fatigue.


    When she lowered her head, she was greeted by the handsome face of Matthew.


    With a slight pause in her hands, Veronica''s red lips curled into a faint smile. She leaned down and


    cupped his cheeks, nting a gentle kiss on his lips.


    The kiss was as light as a dragonfly skimming the water.


    As soon as she straightened up, she noticed that Matthew had opened his eyes. His deep, icy gaze


    was fixed on her.


    In the next second, the man raised his hand, holding her hand and pulling her into his embrace, sitting


    her on hisp. "What''s wrong? Missing me after just one day apart?"


    Resting against his chest, Veronica didn''t struggle. Instead, she nestled in his arms like a little bird and


    said, "Matt, I just don''t want to see you working too hard."


    Veronica let out a long sigh. "Money can never be earned enough, but our lives have a deadline. It''s a


    great regret if we spend our limited time only thinking about making money and end up losing ourselves


    before we can spend it all."


    Upon hearing her words, Matthew nodded in agreement. "You have a point."


    Matthew embraced her waist, one hand holding the back of her neck, and kissed her lips with


    dominance.


    That kiss was gentle yet restrained.


    Ring, ring, ring...


    The sudden ringing interrupted their intimate moment.


    Matthew paused for a moment, but ultimately ignored it and continued to passionately kiss her.


    However, the ringing of the phone seemed to be at odds with him and kept ringing nonstop.


    Veronica gently pushed his chest and said, "Maybe you should answer the call."


    A frown appeared on the man''s face, and he wrote a thick displeasure.


    "D*mn it!"


    He wanted to see who had dared to disturb his mood.


    Matthew held Veronica with one hand while picking up the phone with the other. He nced at the


    jumping number on the screen and, as he expected, it was Skyler.


    Reluctantly, Matthew answered the call, "You better have something important to say, otherwise..."


    "Matt, where is Shirley?"


    Before Matthew could finish his sentence, a hoarse voice came from the other end of the phone, and


    even his heavy breathing was clearly audible.


    "What''s wrong with you?"


    Sensing that something was amiss, Matthew began to worry.


    Veronica leaned against Matthew''s chest. Even through their thin clothes, she could feel the tension in


    his muscles when he became anxious.


    She also became nervous and lifted her head, leaning closer to his phone, carefully listening to the


    sounding from the earpiece.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "My parents tried to force me to be with Sofia Green, despicable... they... I...."


    Even over the phone, Skyler found it difficult to speak.


    If this matter were to be revealed, it would be a big joke. Skyler felt utterly embarrassed.


    "I''ll send you Shirley''s specific address now."


    Matthew instantly understood the situation, hung up the phone, and sent the detailed information to


    Skyler.


    Veronica looked at him typing on his phone, her eyebrows lightly furrowing. "Did you give Shirley''s


    address to Skyler?"


    "Skyler fell into his parents'' trap and was set up. Do you want him to go find some random woman to


    deal with it?" Matthew''s words silenced Veronica.


    She pursed her lips, not saying anything more, and sighed weakly. "I''ll listen to you."


    In this situation, if they didn''t let Skyler meet Shirley, he might really go and find another woman to


    "solve" his problem. Instead of that, it would be better to facilitate a rtionship between Skyler and


    Shirley.


    "Is Skyler the biological son of The Robins? How can his family treat him like this?"

 Chapter 1096

    Chapter 1096


    Chapter 1096 Unprecedented Tranquility


    Suddenly, Veronica felt some sympathy for Skyler, thinking that he had a rather pitiful experience.


    "They will handle their own family matters."


    Matthew held her waist with both hands, his forehead resting against hers. "Now, can we address our


    own matters?"


    "What matters between us?"


    The topic jumped, and Veronica didn''t catch up.


    Then, she saw Matthew''s mischievous smile. "Of course, I''m talking about the matters between a man


    and a woman."


    With that, Matthew suddenly stood up and held her, seating her on the table. He ced his hands on


    either side of her body. "What have you done to me? I can''t get enough of you. What should I do?"


    Veronica was speechless.


    Was she hallucinating? How could she hear Matthew say such things?


    "Hey..."


    Veronica leaned slightly backward, creating some distance between them. "This is the study. It wouldn''t


    be good if the servants saw uster."


    "The study is off-limits, and no one can enter without my permission."


    After saying that, Matthew opened a drawer and took out a remote control. With a gentle press, a beep


    sounded, and the room''s door automatically locked, while the curtains by the floor-to-ceiling windows


    closed.


    "Now, can we continue?"


    His sharp features carried a wicked smile, with a cold and sinister air. He seemed like a two-


    dimensional male god from a manga, stunning and captivating.


    Veronica couldn''t believe her luck, encountering such an exceptional man.


    After a few seconds of locking eyes with him, a blush spread across her fair, porcin-like face,


    revealing her bashfulness.


    Then, she raised her hands, encircling Matthew''s neck, and initiated a kiss.


    That kiss sparked a me that couldn''t be extinguished.


    Matthew carried her on the table, on therge armchair, and on the study''s sofa, indulging and


    indulging, as if their energy was inexhaustible.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    It wasn''t until Veronica''s eyes reddened, pleading for mercy, "Matt, please... let''s stop. I''m so tired..."


    The man grinned mischievously and whispered in her ear, "If you''re tired, just sleep."


    Veronica was speechless.


    That b*stard, how was she supposed to sleep like this?


    And so, they battled until 2 a.m. before he finally stopped.


    Matthew held Veronica in his arms andid her on the bed after she took a shower. He covered her


    with a thin nket. "Go to sleep quickly."


    Veronica couldn''t keep her eyes open due to exhaustion. Shey beside him, reaching out to hold his


    waist, rubbing her cheek against his chest, resembling an adorable little cat, utterly lovable.


    "Tomorrow, you''ll move to the Twilight Condominium," Matthew suggested.


    Veronica nodded. "Okay, I''ll listen to you."


    She hugged Matthew''s hand slightly tighter. "What should I do if I miss you at night?"


    After experiencing so much together, Matthew deeply felt Veronica''s dependence on him.


    That kind of reliance made him feel incredibly at ease and also deeply enjoyed.


    "As long as my wife wants me, I''ll be by your side anytime." Matthew''s voice was gentle as water.


    Hisrge palm gently patted her back, as ifforting a child. "Sleep, sleep. We have many things to


    deal with tomorrow."


    "Yes... tomorrow, let''s go meet Shirley."


    Presumably, Skyler and Shirley were together tonight.


    So, they had to find Shirley tomorrow and discuss their rtionship or the handling of the situation.


    Veronica still pondered these questions in her mind, but she had already fallen asleep.

 Chapter 1097

    Chapter 1097


    Chapter 1097 Finding Shirley Wilson


    Rewinding time, back to just a few hours ago.


    In a youth apartmentplex on the outskirts, Skyler parked his sedan in the parking lot. After


    stepping out of the car, he mmed the door shut and hurried into the lobby on the first floor.


    He rushed from home, speeding through the streets in his sedan, running countless red lights. His body


    was bing increasingly uncontroble.


    On his way there, he had nned to go to the hospital for gastricvage, but the medication had


    already been absorbed by his body, rendering thevage in vain.


    Following Matthew''s given address, he went up to the 7th floor, apartment 709, and knocked on the


    door.


    "Who is it?" Came the voice of Shirley from the living room.


    Although the voice was not very clear, it only intensified Skyler''s restlessness.


    He knocked on the door once again, this time with greater force.


    Shirley, who was watching a drama in the living room, got up and walked towards the door. When she


    saw Skyler through the peephole, she hesitated, unsure whether to let him in or not.


    "Shirley, I know you''re in there. Open the door!" he demanded.


    Before, he would affectionately call her "Shir" with an indulgent tone, making Shirley feel special and


    believe she had found her true love.


    But a series of recent events disrupted her firm belief and determination to be with Skyler.


    With one hand supporting himself on the door panel and the other tugging at his cor, Skyler spoke


    with heavy breaths.


    Observing his every move through the peephole, Shirley couldn''t help but feel worried.


    He... seems intoxicated.


    After much hesitation, Shirley finally opened the door.


    As soon as the door swung open, Skyler forcefully pushed it open and rushed in, embracing her and


    lifting her off the ground, then kicked the door shut.


    "Sky, you¡­ mm..."


    Shirley didn''t have time to react. She was held tightly in his arms and pressed against the wall, as he


    kissed her forcefully and rudely.


    This action frightened Shirley, and she widened her eyes in panic, too afraid to resist.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Click¡ª


    With a sudden sound, Shirley, who was in a daze, snapped back to reality. Her thin strap nightgown


    had been tossed on the ground like trash.


    "Sky, you... you... you..." she stammered, unable to find the right words to say for a while.


    The man with a stern expression held her head with hisrge hand and said coldly, "Who allowed you


    to leave without a sound? Damn it!"


    Since knowing Skyler, Shirley had hardly seen him angry.


    At that moment, he was like an enraged lion, his pitch-ck eyes resembling a ck hole that could


    devour her.


    "Ah!!"


    In her frightened state, Shirley was suddenly lifted. She instinctively eximed and reached out to hold


    his neck, saying, "You... I... I, I''m sorry..."


    But all her exnations seemed feeble and powerless.


    Ultimately, Shirley could only say, "I''m sorry".


    However, the response she received from Skyler was cold and icy. "It''s toote."


    The room door swung open, and he threw her onto the bed. What followed was a storm-like ravaging, a


    reckless rampage. No matter how she begged for mercy, he had no intention of sparing her.


    Shirley cried in a grievance, continuously apologizing. Skyler asked, "Will you dare to leave without a


    word again?"


    "No, never... I won''t dare anymore."


    With one instance of leaving without a word, Skyler tormented her like a madman, punishing her in this


    way.


    Time passed, and Shirley, exhausted and weary, fell asleep, only to be awakened by him and then fell


    back into a sleepy state again.


    The cycle repeated several times before Skyler finally ceased his actions.


    He held her in his arms and drifted off to sleep, finding sce.


    The next day, Skyler woke up naturally after a good night''s sleep, only to open his eyes and realize that


    Shirley was no longer in bed.

 Chapter 1098

    Chapter 1098


    Chapter 1098 Skyler Robins Cooking


    He raised his hand and pinched his brow in frustration. "Damn it!"


    She had repeatedly promisedst night that she would not leave without a word again, so how did she


    manage to escape while he was asleep?


    Creak¡­


    The bedroom door opened, and Shirley walked out from inside, wrapped in a bathrobe. She stood at


    the bathroom door, her fair cheeks tinged with a faint blush. "You¡­ Are you awake?"


    Recalling the madness between the two of themst night, Shirley shivered slightly.


    Even at this moment, she was still holding onto the door, feeling her legs trembling uncontrobly.


    She couldn''t fathom the extent of "torment" and madness she had experiencedst night.


    Shirley''s perception of Skyler had beenpletely reshaped.


    Skyler, sitting on the bed, paused for a moment. His slightly annoyed expression gradually eased.


    He reached back and ruffled his short hair, raised an eyebrow, and ufortably shifted his gaze to


    the side.


    Just a moment ago, he had thought that Shirley had once again run away, only to find out that she had


    only gone to the bathroom to freshen up.


    Her delicate and fair cheeks were probably flushed due to the warm water shower, with the steam


    causing a rosy hue like an enticing glow, making her look wonderful.


    But the scars on her face were also more prominent, marring her once-beautiful countenance.


    Skyler noticed the scars on her face and paused for a couple of seconds. However, his inadvertent


    reaction pricked at Shirley''s heart like a needle.


    Shirley lowered her head in panic. "I...I''ll make breakfast for you."


    With scars on her face, Shirley was most afraid of being stared at.


    Was Skyler''s intense gaze just now a sign that he was starting to despise her?


    Feeling flustered, she hurriedly walked towards the bedroom door, but her legs were weak and she


    stumbled after a few steps, falling to the ground.


    Seeing this, Skyler immediately lifted the bedding and rushed to her to pull her up. "Why are you so


    careless?"


    Being held in his arms, she could hear the gentle voice filled with concern and worry in her ears.


    His warm breath enveloped her, and the inexplicable sense of reassurance made Shirley''s heart race.


    "My legs are weak," Shirley lowered her head, lightly biting her red lips, and said shyly.


    As her words fell, she heard Skyler''s softughter in her ear.


    "Why are youughing?" She looked up at Skyler and asked.


    "It''s nothing," Skyler said, leaning over to hold her and cing her on the bed. "You slept tootest


    night, rest well, I''ll make breakfast for you."


    "Can you?"


    Just a moment ago, she was worried that Skyler would dislike the scars on her face. But now, hearing


    Skyler''s words, Shirley felt a warmth in her heart, and the slight coldness within her heart gradually


    thawed.


    "I know a little bit." Skyler raised an eyebrow and a curve formed at the corner of his lips. "Don''t


    underestimate me." He leaned down and kissed her lips. "I''ll take a shower and then make breakfast


    for you."


    As he spoke, he got up and went to the bathroom.


    After taking a shower, he put on the bathrobe and went straight to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for


    Shirley.


    In the bedroom, Shirleyy on the bed.


    The phone on the table rang.


    She picked up the phone, and it was a message from Veronica. ''How are you guys doing?''


    Thinking back to the passionate entanglement between the two of themst night, Shirley''s cheeks


    flushed, and she replied. ''We''re doing well. I''m sorry, Ron, for making you worry.''


    Shirley was afraid of causing trouble for others, but in the end, she still made them worry.


    ''It''s alright as long as you''re fine. Rest well and let Skyler apany you.''


    Veronica knew that the two of them were together, so she didn''t want to disturb them too much. But she


    added one more sentence at the end. ''Skyler is a good person, you must cherish him.''


    Looking at the WhatsApp message sent by Veronica, Shirley was stunned for a few seconds.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Cherish?

 Chapter 1099

    Chapter 1099


    Chapter 1099 Xavier is Back


    Shirley would certainly like to cherish Skyler, but would Skyler be with her?


    Would the Robins Family ept me?


    Bang! nk nk¡ª


    Shirley was lost in thought with her phone in her hands when she heard a loud noiseing from the


    kitchen.


    Although she was startled, she still got up quickly and rushed to the kitchen. When she reached the


    kitchen, she saw...


    In the kitchen, Skyler stood in front of the stove. There was a frying pan by his toes, and on the floor


    were broken eggs, soft noodles, and water stains, all still steaming hot.


    Shirley looked at him in surprise and asked, "Are you okay?"


    "Hehehe..."


    Skyler smiled awkwardly and scratched his head. "I''m fine. It''s just that I identally knocked over the


    pan."


    "What breakfast were you trying to make?"


    Shirley walked over and squatted down to clean up the mess in the frying pan while asking Skyler in


    confusion.


    Skyler replied honestly, "I wanted to cook a bowl of egg noodles for you, but when I was cracking the


    egg on the edge of the frying pan, I used too much strength and identally knocked the pan over."


    "Cracking eggs?"


    Shirley frowned and stared at Skyler Robins in disbelief.


    They locked eyes, and Skyler didn''t know why Shirley was staring at him.


    Then, she covered her mouth and smiled. "Did you put the noodles and eggs in as soon as the water


    got hot?"


    "What''s wrong? Is there a problem?"


    Isn''t it normal to put noodles in when the water is hot? Could it be that my method is wrong?


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "Poof... No, that''s not a problem."


    Shirley restrained her smile and shook her head, then she continued to squat down to clean up the


    mess on the floor.


    However, Skyler grabbed her arm and pulled her up. He asked her with a long face, "Are you making


    fun of me?"


    Shirley felt speechless.


    Is it that obvious?


    "No, I wasn''t making fun of you." She denied it again.


    Skyler raised his hand and spanked her. "You''ve got guts. I didn''t make fun of you for not being able to


    walk, but you made fun of me for not being able to cook."


    Shirley pursed her lips and she was lost for words.


    "Forget it, I won''t cook anymore. This is so annoying." Skyler waved his hand, turned off the gas, and


    carried Shirley out of the kitchen. "Let''s go back to the room, I''ll order food delivery."


    Throughout the entire day, Skyler held Shirley in his arms as theyy on the bed, watching dramas,


    chit-chatting, eating, or ''sleeping.''


    He didn''t mention anything about what happenedst night when he was drugged by his mother.


    Perhaps he didn''t want Shirley to overthink, or he just thought that it was embarrassing to bring it up as


    it would give him a ck eye.


    Pinewoods Vi.


    Veronica got up in the morning and had breakfast with Matthew. After that, Matthew went to work, and


    she was reading a script while lying on the swing in the yard.


    Suddenly, her phone rang.


    She put the script down and took out her phone to take a look. The screen disyed an unfamiliar


    phone number.


    "Hello, who is this?" Veronica asked.


    There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, and then a familiar voice came. "I''m in


    Bloomstead. Are you free for lunch? Let''s have a meal together."


    It was Xavier.


    She had already received the news when Xavier and Hendrey returned from the hidden n, but she


    didn''t take the initiative to contact him.


    She didn''t expect Xavier to actually return from the hidden n.


    "Where are you? I''lle to find you."


    In the hidden n, Xavier had helped Veronica many times, and she was grateful to him. She had


    always thought of Xavier as a friend.


    It''s just that she couldn''t help when it came to the matter between him and Matthew.


    Xavier gave her an address, and Veronica quickly tidied up before leaving in her cheap Chevrolet


    sedan.


    She arrived at the cafe one hourter.


    The cafe was on the 36th floor of a downtown building, and one could see half of Bloomstead when


    they are sitting in the cafe.

 Chapter 1100

    Chapter 1100


    Chapter 1100 Special Notice


    Veronice welked into the cefe end looked eround only to spot Xevier, who wes weering e bleck short-


    sleeved shirt end light blue jeens, sitting by the window.


    He still hed neet short heir end e wheet-tonedplexion. Although the scers on his fece did effect his


    hendsomeness, they elso enhence his meture end mesculine cherm.


    He exuded en eir of e mob boss end possesses e distinct end ceptiveting eppeerence which mede him


    drew people''s ettention.


    Veronice welked over to where he wes sitting with e beckpeck on her shoulders end set down opposite


    him. "Are you the only one here? Where''s Antheene?"


    Xevier set on the deck, held e cup of coffee, end took e sip es he observed Veronice.


    Although they hedn''t been epert for very long, seeing her egein seemed to relieve him.


    She wes dressed in white end redbion cesuel sportsweer, with her heir tied up in e high


    ponyteil end e beckpeck on her beck. She wes full of youthful energy, like e bright end cheerful girl.


    It wes herd to imegine thet she wes elreedy the mother of two.


    "Others ege es they get older but you seem to get younger," Xevierplimented her sincerely.


    The middey sunlight poured through the gless, cesting its rey upon her. The sunlight entueted her


    redient, elmost glowing feir skin, her rosy lips, end her ceptiveting eyes. With delicete feetures end e


    subtle smile on her fece, she exuded en eir of elegence. She wes like e women thet wes out of the


    world.


    Veronica walked into the cafe and looked around only to spot Xavier, who was wearing a ck short-


    sleeved shirt and light blue jeans, sitting by the window.


    He still had neat short hair and a wheat-tonedplexion. Although the scars on his face did affect his


    handsomeness, they also enhance his mature and masculine charm.


    He exuded an air of a mob boss and possesses a distinct and captivating appearance which made him


    draw people''s attention.


    Veronica walked over to where he was sitting with a backpack on her shoulders and sat down opposite


    him. "Are you the only one here? Where''s Antheena?"


    Xavier sat on the deck, held a cup of coffee, and took a sip as he observed Veronica.


    Although they hadn''t been apart for very long, seeing her again seemed to relieve him.


    She was dressed in white and redbination casual sportswear, with her hair tied up in a high


    ponytail and a backpack on her back. She was full of youthful energy, like a bright and cheerful girl.


    It was hard to imagine that she was already the mother of two.


    "Others age as they get older but you seem to get younger," Xavierplimented her sincerely.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    The midday sunlight poured through the ss, casting its ray upon her. The sunlight entuated her


    radiant, almost glowing fair skin, her rosy lips, and her captivating eyes. With delicate features and a


    subtle smile on her face, she exuded an air of elegance. She was like a woman that was out of the


    world.


    "You teaser."


    Veronica smiled and snapped her fingers at the waiter. "A cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee


    please."


    The waiter nodded. "Please wait."


    After saying that, he turned and went to the counter.


    Xavier leaned forward slightly as he rest his arm on the table, and asked lowering his voice, "When


    Hendrey and I got caught, what exactly happened during that time? What''s the story behind Anthony''s


    death?"


    Veronica''s eyelids drooped slightly, and she showed a hint of caution in response to the sudden


    question.


    Veronica dared not speak casually because Anthony''s death was rted to Matthew''s safety.


    She trusted Xavier, but if she was to reveal the truth, it would mean that she betrayed Matthew.


    "The past is in the past. Now that we''re back, we should forget the things that are rted to the hidden


    n." Veronica didn''t answer his question.


    Xavier met her gaze for a moment, and he feltplicated.


    He knew that Veronica was wary of him.


    This feeling made Xavier suddenly feel sad, but he still smiled faintly. "Alright, I''ll listen to you. But..."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Conrad is investigating the cause of Anthony''s death. You and Matthew better be prepared. You


    should be aware of Anthony''s identity and his close rtionship with the three of them."


    Although Veronica had kept some things secret, Xavier still told her everything he knew without


    reservation.


    His words made Veronica feel ufortable.


    She nced at Xavier and then turned to look out the window. She looked at Bloomstead where tall


    buildings stood bathed in sunlight. Everything was so peaceful.


    At a nce, she felt the beauty of the world, but her heart was slightly tinged with pain.


    "Xavier, you don''t have to deliberately tell me." Veronica sighed almost imperceptibly. "You have helped


    me a lot, and I owe you too much, more than what I could repay you."


    Veronica already knew beforehand what Xavier just told her.


    However, she knew that there was a difference between her knowing it and Xaviering deliberately


    just to tell her that.


    "I never wanted you to repay me. Am I¡­ not your friend?" Xavier looked at her.


    With her natural beauty, she was so beautiful that it made his heart skip a beat.


    "Yes, we are indeed friends."

 Chapter 1101

    Chapter 1101


    Chapter 1101 Lamia Elrod Is Here


    Veronice leened egeinst the booth es her eyes gezed et Xevier with mixed feelings stirred in them. "But


    you should know thet Antheene doesn''t went us to keep in touch, end you know whet she hes done to


    me. If you reelly consider me e friend, you should distence yourself from me."


    It wes bletent yet hurtful, but she genuinely wished the best for Xevier end Antheene. After ell,


    Antheene loved him to the bones. They were truly e femily.


    He interleced his fingers on the teble while cesting his geze onto the floor to conceel the smeering


    bitterness. "I heve something to do in Bloomsteed todey, so I''m here to see you. I will return to Cestron


    in e few deys. I don''t know when we will meet egein."


    He forced e smile, keeping the truth ewey from her. The reeson he returned from Cestron wes beceuse


    he sew the news end knew thet Metthew end Veronice hed divorced.


    "Greet." She nodded. "Since you''re beck, es the host, I should treet you for lunch."


    "No need for the rush." Xevier glenced et his wetch end edded, "Just let me know if you need


    enything."


    She pleced her right hend on her ringed finger, stering end the twinkling wedding ring. "The divorce is e


    feke." She still decided to tell Xevier the truth efter contempletion.


    Veronica leaned against the booth as her eyes gazed at Xavier with mixed feelings stirred in them. "But


    you should know that Antheena doesn''t want us to keep in touch, and you know what she has done to


    me. If you really consider me a friend, you should distance yourself from me." This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    It was tant yet hurtful, but she genuinely wished the best for Xavier and Antheena. After all,


    Antheena loved him to the bones. They were truly a family.


    He inteced his fingers on the table while casting his gaze onto the floor to conceal the smearing


    bitterness. "I have something to do in Bloomstead today, so I''m here to see you. I will return to Castron


    in a few days. I don''t know when we will meet again."


    He forced a smile, keeping the truth away from her. The reason he returned from Castron was because


    he saw the news and knew that Matthew and Veronica had divorced.


    "Great." She nodded. "Since you''re back, as the host, I should treat you for lunch."


    "No need for the rush." Xavier nced at his watch and added, "Just let me know if you need


    anything."


    She ced her right hand on her ringed finger, staring and the twinkling wedding ring. "The divorce is a


    fake." She still decided to tell Xavier the truth after contemtion.


    Xavier cluck his tongue and smiled helplessly. "You could''ve spared me the exnation."


    Even if she saved the exnation, Xavier knew the truth.


    He was well aware of everything that had happened in the past two years, including Matthew''s genuine


    feelings for her.


    The couple jumped through hoops and finally secured happiness. Divorcing shortly after returning to


    the country? It was clear that something was amiss.


    Hearing the actual truth was both relieving and sorrowful for Xavier. He was relieved that she trusted


    him and didn''t choose to hide it from him; he was sad because she told him the truth in order to cut off


    any inappropriate thoughts he might have about her.


    "I don''t want to hide it from you." Veronica smiled. "Although we are friends, our standpoints are


    completely different. Who knows if we will be at odds the next time we meet? So let''s cherish the


    present and talk about something else."


    The matter with the hidden n hade to an end, yet the fact that Antheena''s husband¡ªDominik¡ª


    obeyed Antheena''s father undey the uncertainties.


    "Okay. I''ll give you that. Let''s talk about something light." Xavier heaved a sigh of relief. It was easy to


    get along with Veronica. "When we returned from the hidden n, we brought along someone."


    "Who?" She was puzzled. Could it be someone from the hidden n?


    "Lamia Elrod."


    "Lamia..." Veronica suddenly raised her voice before she pitched it lower. "How did you bring her


    back?"


    Although Lamia addressed Hayley as "aunt," they were cousins.


    Veronica couldn''t figure out how they managed to bring Lamia back to the country.


    Xavier leaned slightly forward and whispered, "Dominik has been searching for Lamia because of her


    rtionship with Hayley. It was until our ship departed the port that we discovered her hiding on our


    ship. She knelt and begged Hendrey to let her stay. He agreed to keep her considering their close


    rtionship."


    "I see."

 Chapter 1102

    Chapter 1102


    Chapter 1102 Sasha¡¯s Confession


    Veronice kneeded her temples, ennoyed. "Hendrey must be crezy."


    They finelly put en end to the metter with the hidden clen end yet, Hendrey brought Lemie beck to the


    country.


    Who knew whet would heppen if Lemie were to encounter Eleenor?


    ...


    ¡­


    Metthew wes ell tied up beceuse of work et Metric Technology. Suddenly, with e loud beng, the office


    door flung open. Sounds of erguments could be heerd. "You cen''t enter the office, you reelly cen''t¡ª"


    "Mett?"


    Stending by the door wes Seshe, who dressed sexily. She stered blenkly et Metthew sitting behind the


    desk. A smile blossomed on her fece, filled with excitement.


    The secretery quickly epologized, "President Kings, I''m reelly sorry. I couldn''t stop her."


    Metthew glenced et Seshe. His indifferent geze showed no surprise. He then shifted his focus beck to


    his work while weving his hend to signel the secretery to leeve.


    The secretery welked out of the office end closed the door.


    Seshe, still immersed in estonishment, welked stiffly towerds Metthew. "Mett..." Her voice wes choking


    with sobs. "I knew it, I knew thet you''re still elive..."


    Veronica kneaded her temples, annoyed. "Hendrey must be crazy."


    They finally put an end to the matter with the hidden n and yet, Hendrey brought Lamia back to the


    country.


    Who knew what would happen if Lamia were to encounter Eleanor?


    ...


    ¡­


    Matthew was all tied up because of work at Metric Technology. Suddenly, with a loud bang, the office


    door flung open. Sounds of arguments could be heard. "You can''t enter the office, you really can''t¡ª"


    "Matt?"


    Standing by the door was Sasha, who dressed sexily. She stared nkly at Matthew sitting behind the


    desk. A smile blossomed on her face, filled with excitement.


    The secretary quickly apologized, "President Kings, I''m really sorry. I couldn''t stop her."


    Matthew nced at Sasha. His indifferent gaze showed no surprise. He then shifted his focus back to


    his work while waving his hand to signal the secretary to leave.


    The secretary walked out of the office and closed the door.


    Sasha, still immersed in astonishment, walked stiffly towards Matthew. "Matt..." Her voice was choking


    with sobs. "I knew it, I knew that you''re still alive..."


    She covered her rosy lips as tears streamed down her face, looking all pitiful.


    However, he couldn''t be bothered to look at her anymore, hence the aloof question. "Anything I can


    help you with?"


    In response to his icy tone, the grief on her face gave way to displeasure. Her facial muscles stiffened


    as she bit her red lips in distress. "Matt, we''ve known each other for so many years. You know how I


    feel about you. Why are you willing to sacrifice so much for that despicable Veronica Murphy, but


    unwilling to spare me a second nce? I''ve said this before¡ªshe''s not a good person. But you''re still


    head over heels for her. Now that she''s abandoned you, are you still going to be stubborn?"


    After Matthew''s ''death,'' Sasha left Bloomstead with Hendrey and headed to his country. In a small


    courtyard in the countryside, she lived a secluded life just to escape from reality.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    By chance, she learned that Matthew was still alive and that he had divorced Veronica. Almost


    instantly, she flew back to Bloomstead.


    He signed his name at the bottom of the document, closed the file, and ced it aside. Only after he


    closed the cap of the pen that he look up at her.


    They had not seen each other for several months, and she had be thinner with a haggard look.


    His brows furrowed. "Why did you lose so much weight?"


    No matter what, they were good friends who went through dire straits together. Matthew couldn''t turn a


    blind eye to Sasha''s forlorn state.


    Despite her teary eyes, she tugged her hair behind her ear and smiled. "I knew it. You still care about


    me."


    "Did that sc*mbag mistreat you?" He reclined in his chair, interrogating like how an elder brother would


    do.


    She ignored his question and took a step forward in her high heels. "Matt, what''s happening these


    days? How did you e back to life?'' And you had your arm severed, why do you seem fine now?"


    She asked in disbelief. She even reached out to pinch the arm that was supposed to be injured. The


    soft touch of the arm was absolutely real.


    Matthew suddenly stood up and subtly moved a step to the side. "We can talk but no touching."

 Chapter 1103

    Chapter 1103


    Chapter 1103 Battle for the Husband


    Ever since Matthew found out about Sasha''s feelings for him, he could no longer interact with her as


    casually as he did before.


    "I''m kinda busy with work right now. If you have too much time to kill, or if Adrian is bullying you, I''ll


    contact Caleb. He can take care of it."


    It was an attempt to stop her from pestering him.


    The ruthless rejection had her staring at Matthew incredulously. Her eyes seemed as affectionate as


    ever.


    Within fleeting seconds, the joy in her gaze died into disappointments before morphing into despair.


    Finally, her eyes reddened and tears trickled her cheeks.


    "Do you have to be this harsh?" Sasha choked.


    Matthew took and lit a cigarette from the table before smoking with knitted brows.


    Failing to get an answer from him, she threw her bag onto the table and then pulled down the strap of


    her off-shoulder dress. The sound of the zipper echoed through the walls.


    The man turned away from the window and faced her upon hearing the sound, only to be shocked to


    see Sasha taking off her one-shoulder dress. The dress slid off her wless skin, revealing her enticing


    curves.


    "Sasha, what are you¡ª" He was halfway through his reprimand when the door was pushed open.


    It was Veronica, who returned upon having lunch with Xavier early on. She had packed lunch for


    Matthew at the Turkish restaurant.


    Who would''ve thought of witnessing such a scene after entering the office? Her delicate face turned


    cold as she held the lunch box tightly, angry.


    "What''s this? We''ve just divorced, and now you''re here seducing him in public. Are you that


    desperate?"


    No matter how patient she was, she couldn''t help but get angry when she saw a woman undressing in


    his office.


    She visited him at work twice. The secretary was seducing him previously, and this time, she witnessed


    how Sasha was throwing herself at him.


    Veronica had no sense of security.


    In the meantime, Sasha never expected Veronica to show up at this moment. She hurriedly dressed


    herself in an attempt to remain calm, "You''re no longer married. Why are you still hanging around?"


    Veronica red at Matthew, only to see him shrug his shoulders with an innocent expression.


    "Although we have divorced, we have two kids. We can''t avoid each other for a lifetime."


    She sat down with the lunch box in her hand, ring at him with crossed legs. "Mr. Matthew, even


    though we are ''divorced'', you are still the father of my kids. Shouldn''t you ask for my opinion when it


    comes to finding a stepmother for them?"


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Since they had publicly announced their divorce, the two of them had to put on a show in front of Sasha


    to avoid giving the game away.


    "I¡ª"


    He was about to say something, but Sasha rushed angrily to Veronica''s front. She pointed a finger at


    Veronica. "Who do you think you are? Who are you to interfere in our affairs?"


    Languidly, Veronica sat sideways while resting her hand behind her head. "Because I am his ''ex-wife.''


    Is that reason alone enough?"


    "So, you are aware that you''re his ex-wife. The more reason for you to stay away from him!"

 Chapter 1104

    Chapter 1104


    a


    Chapter 1104 Wifey Is Angry


    Veronica remainedposed at Sasha''s antics. "Although we''ve ended things between us, let''s not


    forget the fact that we have two lovely children together. What''s the matter, Miss ude? You don''t like


    it? if you don''t like it, you might as well bear Mr. Matthew''s child."


    She then raised a brow at Matthew. "Mr. Matthew, what do you think?"


    "Veronica Murphy, you... you, I''m warning you! Stop pushing your luck!"


    The matter of having children was like rubbing salt on Sasha''s wound. It was emotional damage for


    her.


    Veronica feigned epiphany. "Oh, I''m so sorry. Look at me, I forgot that you can''t have children."


    "You b*tch!" Sasha was so furious that she wanted to pounce on Veronica, but Matthew grabbed her


    wrist and warned, "Although we are ''divorced,'' she is indeed the mother of my children. She can offer


    some advice regarding my marriage."


    "Matt, you... you..." Sasha was so angry that lost her words. She broke free from Matthew''s grip and


    stormed out of the office.


    Bang!


    The office door mmed shut. It was so loud that it felt like the whole office shook.


    The space regained its peace.


    Veronica leaned against the couch and crossed her arms at Matthew with a fake smile. "I didn''t expect


    my ''ex-husband'' to be so charming. Thest time I checked, it was a young secretary who threw


    herself at you. And this time it''s your childhood friend who wants to sleep with you. Tsk tsk tsk... I guess


    you''re quite the hot catch, aren''t you? Why not take this opportunity to find a new lover?"


    The man stood tall and straight. He delved one hand in his pocket and pinched a cigarette with the


    other. He suddenly lost the mood to smoke right now.


    He disposed of it in the ashtray before taking a seat next to her. "Is my wifey jealous?"


    He sat sideways on the sofa, facing her and lifting her chin. "I didn''t know that you care this much for


    me."


    Veronica pped his hand away and rose to her feet. She mmed the lunchbox before him. "I


    brought you lunch. Make sure you finish everyst bit of the food. Otherwise, I''ll show you what


    ''jealousy'' really means!"


    She regretted it, regretting her decision for agreeing to his suggestion of announcing their divorce so


    easily.


    "As you wish." Matthew smiled warmly. He rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and opened the lunchbox


    to reveal the sumptuous lunch inside. It was his favorite dish, and he started digging in.


    Veronica quietly watched him; his elegant posture and attractive appearance. The fury that filled her


    dissipated just like that.


    "Thank you for bringing me lunch despite the hot weather." He fed her a piece of meat. "Here.."


    "No thanks." Veronica turned her face away in a spoiled manner, not bothering to look at him.


    "Really?" He reattempted.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    She turned her body away from him and started surfing her phone to ignore him.


    The man looked at the piece of beef before shoving it into his mouth. He put down the fork and pulled


    her into his arms. "I''ll feed you."


    He leaned down and kissed her lips, expressing his intense affection.

 Chapter 1105

    Chapter 1105


    Chapter 1105 Mr Ex-husband


    "We''re at work. Behave."


    Veronica pushed Matthew away "We are ''divorced.'' Please show some respect, Mr. ex-husband."


    She sarcastically criticized him, seemingly unhappy about what happened between him and Sasha.


    Matthew Kings paused and turned serious. "Are you angry?"


    He brushed her hair away from her forehead. "Although Sasha is now a woman, it doesn''t change the


    fact that she has a man''s nature deep down. How desperate must I be to have inappropriate thoughts


    about her?"


    "I understand what you''re saying..." Veronica deted like a balloon and leaned against him. "There''s


    nothing I can do about it. Your good looks keep attracting all those women around you. It gives me a


    headache. If I had known earlier, I should have found an average-looking husband."


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "What did you say? Mind repeating?"


    The man lowered his head, staring at the woman lying on hisp. He cupped her cheeks with one hand


    and gently pinched her delicate skin. "It seems like I haven''t been taking good care of you. That''s why


    you''re overthinking."


    He carried her and walked toward the private lounge in the office.


    "What are you doing? This is the office, don''t act recklessly¡ª" Before Victoria could finish her protest,


    they were already in the room. The man threw her onto the bed and forcefully kissed her lips.


    Meanwhile, Sasha, who had left Metric Technology feeling wronged, stood by the street and dialed


    Skyler''s number.


    No one answered the call, and frustration bubbled in her. "Why isn''t he picking up his phone?!" she


    muttered to herself and gripped her phone tightly, feeling both angry and resentful towards Veronica.


    When she raised her gaze, she realized that Miguel''spany was just opposite the street. A helpless


    Sasha drove there.


    After parking the car, she carried her bag and entered the lobby to reveal her identity to the


    receptionist.


    The receptionist contacted Miguel''s assistant. After obtaining consent, the receptionist led Sasha


    upstairs.


    They took the elevator to the CEO''s office. Sasha left the elevator only to see Miguel''s assistant.


    "Miss ude. You''re here. The boss is busy at the moment. Would you like me to escort you along the


    way?" the assistant asked.


    Sasha shook her head. "It''s fine. I''ll see Miguel on my own."


    "Alright then. I''ll get back to work." The assistant turned and returned to the secretariat.


    Sasha trod to the CEO''s office. Without knocking, she pushed the door open and walked in. "Miguel,


    you¡ª"


    Before she could finish her sentence, she saw a beautiful woman in a red dress sitting on Miguel''s


    desk while chatting with him.


    "Sasha." Miguel seemed like a gentleman with his frameless ss like always.


    Sasha nced at the unfamiliar face and mocked, "It''s only been a while, and you''ve already found


    yourself a new lover? She''s hot, but she doesn''t decent to me."


    Sitting on the desk was Eleanor, who nced at Sasha coldly. Turning to Miguel Lynch, she said, "Did


    your friende out of the gutter a moment ago? I catch a foul smell as soon as she speaks."


    Sasha suffered emotional damage from Matthew''spany and yet, she was confronting a gorgeous


    lady at Miguel''s workce.


    Eleanor ticked Sasha off, and consequently, thetter let it out on her, albeit the resentment was


    directed at Veronica.

 Chapter 1106

    Chapter 1106


    Chapter 1106 A Fight Between The Duo


    Little did Sasha know that Eleanor was not someone to be messed with. Miguel looked at the two of


    them, feeling the intensity in the air slowly inting into war.


    "Sasha, she''s Elea¡ª"


    Miguel was about to exin that Eleanor was Victoria''s friend, but then the news of the couple''s


    divorce crossed his mind. If he revealed that Eleanor was Victoria''s friend, wouldn''t it be admitting that


    the divorce was a mere show?


    "She is my friend; you shouldn''t speak so rudely to her. Apologize to her immediately."


    Regardless of the situation, it was Sasha who showed disrespect first. She had to apologize.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Sasha, who was being bullied for the whole day, stared at him in disbelief. "What did you say? You


    want me to apologize to her?" She pointed at Eleanor. "Who is she? Does she deserve an apology


    from me?"


    She sneered. "Miguel, are you following Matt? Once he had Victoria, he turned heartless toward me;


    now that you have another woman, you don''t treat me as a friend anymore?"


    I hate these foxes. Eleanor stopped by to hang out with Miguel out of boredom. She never expected to


    be involved in such a fray. And did she just address Matthew as ''Matt?'' Tsk tsk¡­ Matthew seriously


    has to step up his game by stopping getting women to swoon over him.


    Meanwhile, Miguel was having a headache from Sasha''s antics. Someone has to teach this little brat


    some lesson, gosh.


    "Stop making a scene. I''ve told you that she is my friend." His face turned cold as he introduced, "She''s


    Eleanor. She''s nice and she practices martial arts."


    So, please don''t blurt anything stupid, okay? He wished for her to wise up and take the hint.


    Fortunately, the ire in her heart subsided. Realizing that she had acted on impulse, she apologized


    stiffly, "I''m sorry for speaking that way to you."


    Eleanor sat on the edge of the desk, admiring her fingernails. She did not spare Sasha a single nce.


    "Apology doesn''t make up for everything, does it?"


    "You!" Sasha was riled up as she pointed at Eleanor. "Don''t act cocky at me!"


    Eleanor stood up and walked slowly toward Sasha with a confident smile. She appeared calm and


    rxed, yet she gave off a strong sense of oppression.


    Sasha gulped down her saliva. "W-What do you want¡ª"


    Smack!


    Before she could finish her sentence, Eleanor pped her hard across the face. "This is what a cocky


    person would do."


    Sasha''s face turned to the side, and her ears buzzed.


    Stunned momentarily, she covered her face and burst into tears. Miguel felt his head hurt.


    He initially thought that Eleanor would be forgiving, but thetter pped Sasha right before his eyes!


    Sasha was probably feeling wrong at the moment after having been humiliated at Matthew''s workce.


    "I''m going to kill you, you b*tch! How dare you hit me!" Anger burst and she pounced on Eleanor to


    scratch her face.


    Eleanor cared about her looks the most. With quick reflexes, she lifted her foot and easily kicked Sasha


    away.


    Sasha stumbled a few steps back until Miguel held her. "Are you okay? I told you, she''s skilled in


    martial arts, Do not provoke her. Why won''t you listen?"

 Chapter 1107

    Chapter 1107


    Chapter 1107 Thank You So Much


    "Miguel Lynch!" Sasha''s cheeks were swollen while anger rushed through her veins.


    She thought that Miguel would stand up for her and do justice, but he med her instead. "Don''t forget


    that we grew up together. How you dare scold me for a woman?"


    He was rendered speechless. D*mn it! I''m down on my luck!


    Miguel took her to the other corner. "Sit down and stay."


    He nced at Eleanor again, but he didn''t dare to me her. He went to the other corner to call Troy.


    "Where the hell are you? Hurry up and take Eleanor away."


    He couldn''t afford to offend either of these two troublemakers. After making the call, Miguel tried to


    contact Matthew, but in vain. He tried several times, but Matthew''s phone ended up being turned off.


    Miguel ran his hand through his hair, feeling helpless. "Come on, bro. Just pick up the call!"


    He thought that Matthew was aware of Sasha''s visit and simply didn''t want to deal with it. Little did he


    know that Matthew was actually having the time of his life with Veronica in bed.


    Shortly after, Troy rushed to the scene. "Mr. Lynch, what''s wrong?"


    Miguel pointed to Sasha, who was sitting on the sofa crying, and then pointed to Eleanor, who was


    sitting in front of the desk, "They are fighting. Hurry up and take Eleanor away!"


    One woman was enough to make his head hurt. With two of them here, he believed that he could go


    insane at any moment.


    Troy''s face darkened, and he stared at Eleanor coldly as he walked up to her. "Why did you hit Miss


    ude for no reason?"


    She was phubbing while casting a disdainful nce at Troy. She pointed at Sasha. "She insulted me."


    "You hit someone just because she insulted you?"


    "Is there a problem?"


    "Did you read the ''Civil Law'' I bought for you?" Troy scolded.


    Eleanor, a member of the hidden n, was unfamiliar with the country''sws and regtions. So, he


    bought her the book to help her.


    Yet, she caused trouble.


    Eleanor had been calm the whole time. Now that Troy was telling her off, she sprang to her feet


    furiously. "Are you yelling at me?"


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Troy was at a loss for words. She merely bypassed him and left the scene.


    Sighing, he kneaded his head to regain hisposure. He looked up and met Miguel''s eyes, and there


    was a hint of sympathy in each other''s eyes.


    Afterward, Troy went on to chase after Eleanor. "Eleanor, listen to me. I didn''t mean it that way¡­"


    At the same time, Miguel had to listen to Sasha''s rambling in the office.


    ¡­


    Back in the private lounge of Metric Technology, a satisfied Matthewy on the bed with Veronica in his


    arms. He removed Miguel''s contact number from the cklist before calling his friend back. "What''s


    up?"


    "Oh my god, you finally decided to answer the phone." Miguel recounted what had happened in his


    company and grumbled, "You created a mess and dumped it on me. Matthew Kings, don''t you feel


    guilty?"


    Matthew couldn''t help but smirk. "Both Sasha and Eleanor are single. I gave you a chance to find


    yourself a partner, but you don''t know how to appreciate it," he retorted.


    Miguel did not back out from there. "On behalf of my parents, thank you so much, dude."


    a

 Chapter 1108

    Chapter 1108


    Chapter 1108 Eleanor Throws a Tantrum


    "Save the formality between us." Matthew yed dumb before saying seriously, "I can''t let Sasha know


    about me and Roni."


    "You''re telling me. I know that very well."


    "Well, thank you for your hard work." Matthew hung up the phone just like that.


    Just as he set his phone down, the person in his arms woke up and nestled against him. "What''s


    wrong?" Her voice was groggy.


    He told her the story, which elicited a frown from her. She seemed a bit worried. "Eleanor had just


    arrived in Bloomstead. There are a lot of things that she has to learn. Not to mention that she used to


    be the Young Lord of the hidden n. Everyone held her in high regard. How could she tolerate this


    kind of treatment?"


    "There''s not much work to do at the moment. Let''s pay her a visit at Axies Vi," Matthew suggested.


    Veronica agreed, "Okay, I was just thinking the same."


    The two got up and went to the bathroom to get freshened up quickly. They then left the office and took


    the elevator to the basement.


    Because of their divorce, paparazzi had been on their tails and countless media outlets wanted to


    interview them.


    That was why Veronica was on her guard whenever she was out. Thest thing she wished for was to


    be mentioned in the news.


    They left from the basement and headed straight to Axies Vi.


    When the two arrived at their destination, they pulled the car over outside the gates.


    They pressed the doorbell, and a maid came over. As soon as she recognized the guests'' identity, she


    let them in.


    "Sir, madam, you''re here. Pleasee in," the maid greeted them warmly.


    The maid was transferred over from Pinewoods Vi, so they were close.


    "Is Eleanor home?" Veronica asked.


    "Yes, she is in the living room." The maid showed them the way. "I''ll lead you the way."


    "It''s fine, Adeline. You can go ahead." Veronica politely turned down the offer and walked hand in hand


    with Matthew toward the living room with bags of stuff.


    However, as soon as they entered the living room, they heard someone yelling.


    "Troy Ritter, what do you take me for? Get lost, right now! From today onward, you don''t have to look


    after me!" Eleanor was furious.


    The couple looked at each other,pletely unaware of what had happened between Troy and


    Eleanor.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "Eleanor, actually, this is... not your home, and you are no longer the highly respected Young Lord. You


    have to keep that in mind," Troy blurted the cruel truth.


    "It''s none of your business!" She began to throw things at him. "Take these cosmetics you bought me


    and get lost, I don''t need them!"


    The sound of ss shattering echoed against the walls.


    Troy had a bad temper, to begin with. Now, he had no intention offorting Eleanor at all. "Fine, just


    remember what you said."


    He then strode to the entrance only to see Veronica and Matthew standing there. He paused, "Boss,


    Mrs. Kings, why are you here?"


    "I told you to stay with Eleanor, and this is how you treat her?" Matthew''s face darkened as he sounded


    displeased.


    Furious, Troy turned sideways. "This is a mission impossible for me."


    "If you can''t do it, go to Cory Ind. I''ll give you a three-year vacation," Matthew suggested


    composedly.


    Although it was a three-year vacation, Troy knew best that it was best to resort to death than spend


    three years on that ind.

 Chapter 1109

    Chapter 1109


    Chapter 1109 Shrimps


    Troy''s face turned pale as he clenched his fist by his side. "I... I can do it."


    A wise man knew what was the best choice for himself.


    Rather than going to Cory Ind, he decisively turned around and returned to the living room. He came


    up to Eleanor and hung his head low. "Miss Gomez, I''m sorry for my harsh attitude. I apologize."


    Just as Eleanor was about to say something, Matthew and Veronica trod over. Eleanor frowned and


    looked displeased as she waved her hand. "Get out, I don''t want to see you right now."


    "Okay." Troy nodded and left the living room. A real man should know when to be bold and when to


    yield in, so this was nothing for him.


    "What brings you here?" Eleanor looked at the two of them, seemingly slightly calm.


    Veronica looked at the mess on the floor and shook her head. "I''m afraid you''ll tear down the whole


    house if we werete."


    Eleanor always felt like Veronica was scolding her, but she couldn''t put her finger on it. When Eleanor


    was browsing social media, people online always said that huskies would always tear down the house.


    "Your husband is the one to be med."


    An unhappy Eleanor crossed her arms and snorted. "I was hanging out with Miguel when Sasha


    interrupted us out of nowhere. She used me of seducing him, and she even spoke ill of you. I was


    angry, so I pped her."


    She nced at Matthew disdainfully. "What a troublesome guy."


    Veronica pursed her lips and smiled at Matthew, after which she bypassed the shattered sses on the


    floor to sit beside Eleanor. "You''re right, he is a troublesome mess. I know that you''re in a bad mood, so


    I''m here with delicious food."


    Eleanor''s face lit up at the mention of food. "What is it?"


    Veronica ced the paper bag on the table and took out a lunchbox. "Grilled shrimp; barbeque


    skewers; fried tofu; and chicken wraps. Things that you can''t have in the hidden n."


    She opened the container and handed it to Eleanor. "Here, try them. They don''t taste good when


    they''re cold."


    "You''re the best." Eleanor grinned.


    Matthew ced two bottles of red wine on the table. "I brought two bottles of red wine for you."


    "At least you have a heart." She epted his gift coolly and pointed at the red wine. "Open it for me, I


    want to drink with Veronica."


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    He paused for a moment. Red wine with grilled shrimp? More strangebinations seemed to have


    been added to my dictionary.


    Meekly, he walked to the wine cab to open the red wine. He poured it into a decanter and took two


    tall sses to serve thedies. He filled the sses for both of them.


    "Not eating?" Eleanor, who was enjoying the grilled shrimp, looked at him and pointed at the food.


    "They''re yummy. Let''s eat together."


    Before he could speak, Veronica exined, "He''s not into these. He thinks they''re unhygienic."


    "What a shame." Eleanor sighed. "The hidden n has shrimps too, but the recipe is never as delicious


    as they make it over here."


    "He only loves king crabs and Boston lobsters. Greasyback shrimps is the furthest he can go."


    Veronica handed a deshelled shrimp to Matthew. "Try it, it tastes really good. It''s much better than


    eating salmon with mustard."


    Matthew shook his head and resisted, "No, I''m not hungry."


    The thought of these shrimps possibly being scooped out of a smelly drain made it difficult for him to


    ept.

 Chapter 1110

    Chapter 1110


    Chapter 1110 Abby Wright Is here


    Both Veronica and Matthew were free in the afternoon. She asked him to call Caleb, Skyler, and Miguel


    toe over and y poker.


    She told him that it was for the sake of killing time, but the actual purpose was to keep Eleanor


    company and help her with adapting to life in Bloomstead.


    Before long, the guys arrived one after another.


    Miguel was the first to arrive, followed by Skyler who brought Shirley along with him. Caleb was thest


    to arrive.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    When he got out of the car, a young and beautiful girl alighted from the same car.


    "Hey, man, are you finally bringing your partner along?" Skyler teased Caleb in an undertone.


    Caleb was looking dashing in his army uniform, giving people a sense of security. He nced at Skyler.


    "Just say that you have a death wish."


    "It''s a joke." Skyler chuckled and stopped the teasing.


    "Abby, long time no see. You''re getting prettier." Skyler waved at Abby Wright.


    Abby was now a freshman in college. She happened to have free time on the weekend, so she


    epted Caleb''s invitation.


    She had met Skyler and the others a few times, but she could never get used to it. She gestured,


    ''Thank you, Skyler.''


    "Abby, let me introduce someone to you." Veronica and Abby grew up in the same vige, hence their


    close rtionship. Veronica pointed at Eleanor. "This is Eleanor Gomez, and you know the others."


    Abby braided her hair and her skin was wless. Akin to Shirley, she looked all sweet and innocent.


    ''Hello, Eleanor.'' Abby gestured to greet Eleanor before looking at Caleb, signaling him to help with the


    interpretation.


    Right then, Eleanor took a step forward and weed Abby. "Abby, right? Come, let''s head inside."


    Veronica was a little surprised. "You understand signnguage?"


    "This little thing is not a big deal for the Young¡ªme." Eleanor held Abby''s hand and headed to the


    living room.


    "Wow, Eleanor is amazing," Shirley eximed. Her eyes fixated upon Eleanor, who strode to the living


    room.


    After a while, she turned around and realized that all eyes were on her. Her cheeks turned red in


    embarrassment. "Why are you all looking at me?"


    Veronica teased, "So, you never considered us as friends, huh? Running away from home without


    telling us?"


    "No, no! It''s not like that." Shirley knew that she would never be able to escape from that question. She


    nced at Skyler with teary eyes and whispered, "Ron, I''m sorry."


    "It''s okay, it''s nothing big. Let''s go, let''s head inside and have fun." Veronica spread her arm over


    Shirley''s shoulder. "You came here today to have fun, not to be interrogated."


    "You really got me there." Shirley let out a long sigh of relief.


    The women entered the living room, while the four men stood at the entrance.


    Miguel delved his left hand into his pocket and rested his right elbow on Caleb''s shoulder. "Are you


    really into Abby?"


    "Caleb, allow me to remind you¡ªshe''s mute." Skyler thought of his miserable experience and crossed


    his arms, sighing deeply. "Take it from my experience. Cut contact with her before you develop feelings


    for her. Your family will never ept someone like her."


    Miguel nodded. "I agree."

 Chapter 1111

    Chapter 1111


    Chapter 1111 Meeting Caleb¡¯s Parents


    Matthew noticed that Caleb was in doubt, but he didn''t want to delve any further. He simply suggested,


    "Let''s go for a few rounds inside."


    "Here we go." Skyler was the first to go in.


    Caleb, Miguel, and Matthew also entered the living room following that.


    The atmosphere in the spacious vi instantly became lively.


    In the afternoon, Troy and Thomas grilled barbecue while Yvette helped out.


    The rest of them sat together and yed a card game. They enjoyed themselves untilte evening


    before they went on their separate ways.


    Matthew and Veronica returned to the Pinewoods Vi while Skyler and Shirley returned to the


    condominium, and Caleb drove back to the Shaw Family with Abby.


    Abby, who sat in the passenger seat asked using signnguage, "Where are you taking me?"


    "What are you nervous about? It''s not like I''m going to eat you alive." Caleb tilted his head to look at


    Abby as he drove.


    "No, I''m not nervous," Abby expressed nervously.


    Caleb drove slowly along the road and finally arrived outside a luxurious vi.


    Abby was stunned from just looking at the grand vi as this was the first time seeing such an


    enormous residence. She felt excited and nervous at the same time.


    "Is this your home?" she asked Caleb in signnguage.


    "Yes," he answered truthfully.


    "Why did you bring me to your home?" Abby asked as she couldn''t figure out Caleb''s intention.


    Caleb exined following that, "You are one of the students I''m sponsoring. It''s only natural to bring


    you to my home. Besides, I am sponsoring more than just a student."


    Abby was the only one he cared about even though he said that.


    Then, Caleb parked the car in the garage of the vi, and they got out of the car.


    They walked to the living room, and they saw three people sitting on the couch.


    They were Caleb''s mother, Daisy Shaw, his father, Jamie Shaw, and his older brother.


    "You''re back, Caleb..." Daisy was delighted to see him, but she saw thedy beside him before she


    could finish her words. "Who is she?"


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "Did you have a girlfriend while you were out?" Jamie asked while reading a magazine about


    economics. He only nced at Abby for a brief moment.


    Caleb''s parents couldn''t see Abby''s appearance clearly from so far off, but they weren''t interested in


    her at all.


    However, Caleb''s older brother, Jimmy Shaw, carefully looked up at Abby, and his pupils involuntarily


    widened.


    "Mom, Dad, this is Abby Wright, one of the university students I''m sponsoring. She had dinner with her


    ssmates and it was toote for her to go anywhere, so I brought her home to stay for the night."


    Caleb lied in between the introduction of Abby to his parents.


    Abby knew that she was only one of the many university students he sponsored, but she still felt a little


    disappointed when she heard him say that.


    ''Everyone, nice to meet you.'' Abby used signnguage to greet them.


    Caleb''s parents were surprised when they looked at Abby. They nced at each other and appeared


    as if they were hiding something.


    "Is... Is she unable to speak?" Daisy, who was in a ck dress with short wavy hair, pointed at Abby


    and asked.


    Abby replied with a nod.


    "Yes, she can''t speak. But, she is very smart, and she got admitted into Bloomstead University all by


    herself. She is quite the remarkable one," Caleb said.


    "I see. That''s really amazing." Then, Daisy stood up, walked to Abby, and looked at her from top to


    bottom. "Where are you from,dy? Who are your parents? How old are you?"


    Suddenly, she showed enthusiasm and asked a lot of questions.

 Chapter 1112

    Chapter 1112


    Chapter 1112 The Truth of Saving Her


    However, Caleb interrupted before Abby could answer, "Zoe, take her to the guest room. She''ll stay


    there for the night."


    Zoe, the servant of the Shaw Family, immediately stepped forward and made an invitational gesture.


    "Pleasee with me, Miss Wright."


    Abby nodded slightly. She nced at Caleb before thanking the others with signnguage. ''Thank you,


    Mr. and Mrs. Shaw. I''ll go upstairs and rest now.''


    But, Jamie and Daisy couldn''t understand Abby, so Caleb exined, "She said thank you, and she will


    be resting upstairs."


    "Thisdy is quite a sensible one," Daisy stared at Abby as she said.


    She even followed them for a few steps after they headed toward the stairs.


    Daisy couldn''t help but ask when Abby and Zoe had reached the third floor and disappeared from her


    sight, "Who is she? Why does she look so much like your deceased sister?"


    Caleb walked to the couch and sat down. Then, he lit a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and took a puff. "I


    thought of the same thing when I first saw her. She looked a lot like my sister. But, she is not Tracey


    Shaw."


    "Are you sure she is not Tracey?" Jamie adjusted his sses before looking up in the direction of the


    third floor. "She would be about the same age if Tracey is still alive."


    "Are you sure, Cal?" Jimmy asked doubtfully.


    Caleb nodded firmly. "I secretly took her hair and ran a DNA test to see if it matches our parents, and


    the result showed that she is not Tracey. Moreover, Tracey has been missing for more than ten years.


    We have no idea what she looks like if she''s still alive now."


    Caleb had a biological sister named Tracey, but few people knew about her existence.


    Even Matthew, Skyler, and Miguel didn''t know about Tracey.


    So, he took Abby away from the countryside to Bloomstead when they first met by the river during his


    visit to Veronica''s old residence.


    It was because she looked very much like Tracey.


    Daisy''s eyes reddened at the mention of Tracey. "That''s right. We haven''t seen Tracey for so long.


    Even if Abby looks like Tracey, she only looks like the Tracey we know from more than ten years ago,"


    Daisy choked as she spoke, and Jamie patted her back. "It''s all in the past now. Don''t be sad."


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "You shouldn''t have brought her back and made our parents sad, Cal," Jimmy said calmly.


    "Don''t listen to your brother''s nonsense, Caleb. It''s good that you brought her here. I feel peace with


    her here." It was more like a constion for her at that instant.


    "Why not let her stay with us from now on since your mother likes her so much?" Jamie was always a


    loving husband to Daisy, and he knew that she had a tough time recovering from Tracey''s incident.


    Now, there was finally someone who looked so much like their daughter who went missing without a


    trace. So, they thought it would beforting, at least psychologically, to have Abby by their side.


    "Yeah, why not? Let her stay with us, Caleb." Then, Daisy moved to sit beside Caleb and asked, "What


    do you think, my son?"


    However, Caleb didn''t answer anything. He only silently smoked. Eventually, he exhaled a cloud of


    smoke from his mouth and replied, "I''ll ask her about it tomorrow."


    "Wonderful. That''ll be great." Daisy was extremely happy.


    They chatted in the living room for a long time following that. Caleb went to the guest room where Abby


    was resting after they all had returned to their rooms to rest.


    He knocked at the door of the room when he got there, but there was no response.


    He couldn''t help but frown slightly.


    Did she fall asleep so soon? What a sleepyhead.


    Caleb returned to his own room after that. He opened the drawer of his desk and took out a thick photo


    album, and he noticed a particr old photo.


    It was a photo of his younger sister, Tracey.


    It reminded him that Tracey went missing while she was under his care.

 Chapter 1113

    Chapter 1113


    Chapter 1113 A Haunting Of The Past


    She was the reason why Caleb became a police officer.


    Unfortunately, he still hadn''t found any information regarding his sister after working so many years in


    the police force.


    Caleb helplessly held the photo in his hand, and he slept another restless night.


    The next morning, Caleb opened his eyes when the sun rose, and he realized that he had slept with


    the photo in his hand all night.


    He gently touched the face of the person in the photo with his finger before putting the album back in


    the drawer.


    Then, he got up from the bed, changed his clothes, and went downstairs for a morning run.


    He heard cheerfulughtering from the kitchen right after he went downstairs. He noticed there


    were mumblings every now and then in theughter.


    Caleb walked toward the kitchen out of curiosity, and he saw Abby helping the cook. She picked the


    vegetables andmunicated with the cook using signnguage.


    Although Abby couldn''t speak, she could still smile andugh. But, herughter didn''t sound as


    pleasant as a normal person''s.


    "Oh, you poordy. My son is deaf, and I couldn''tmunicate with him before I learned sign


    Apparently, the cook happened to know signnguage. Otherwise, she probably wouldn''t understand


    Abby.


    Caleb felt touched and relieved as he stood by and listened to their conversation. He turned around


    and went out for a morning run after that.


    An hourter, Caleb returned. Abby was still in the kitchen helping the cook.


    So, he went upstairs for a shower before changing into a new set of clothes. He smelled the aroma of


    scrumptious fooding from the dining room when he got downstairs again.


    "Good morning, Cal."


    Jimmy was there, and they greeted each other.


    "Good morning, Jimmy," Caleb replied.


    Then, Jamie and Daisy also came downstairs.


    "Mr. Shaw, Mrs. Shaw, Master Shaw, Young Master Shaw, it''s time for breakfast," Zoe said.


    "Right,"


    Daisy responded before looking up at the third floor. "Is she still sleeping?"


    Zoe immediately answered, "Are you referring to Miss Wright, Mrs. Shaw? She got up early and went


    to the kitchen to help with cooking. She''s a very diligent and thoughtfuldy."


    "Is that right?" Daisy''s eyes brightened, and she smiled feeling relief.


    They went to the dining room and sat down following that. The breakfast on the table appeared visually


    appealing and delicious.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Just then, Abby came out from the kitchen after she was done helping the cook. She nodded and made


    a gesture in signnguage when she saw them. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Shaw, Jimmy."


    Caleb immediately exined, "She''s saying ''good morning'' to you."


    "Why did you get up so early, you silly?" Daisy walked up to Abby, affectionately touched her hand, and


    continued, "We have a cook for the kitchen work. You don''t need to bother yourself. Come, sit down,


    and let''s have breakfast."


    "Thank you, Mrs. Shaw. I''m sorry if I have caused trouble." Abby typed it out on her phone and showed


    it to Daisy.


    Daisy only smiled happily. "You''re so sweet and polite. Hahaha... It''s fine. I always like to have


    company. You shoulde over and keep mepany whenever you''re free. What do you think?"


    Abby had been worried about how to get along with the Shaw Family until now. She never expected


    that they would be so warm and weing to her.


    She only looked at Caleb as she waited for his approval.


    Caleb sat down at the dining table, and he said, "My mother is always fond of guests. You cane


    over if you''re free during weekends."


    "That''s right. She can easily get bored alone. It would also be doing Caleb a favor if you often keep her


    company." Jamie knew that Daisy liked Abby and wanted to make up for everything they owed the


    missing Tracey through Abby.


    At least they would feel better that way.


    On the other hand, Jimmy had been silent all this while.


    ...


    In Metric Technology...


    Veronica was reading a script at home while Matthew was dealing withpany documents at the


    company in the morning.


    Knock, knock.


    Someone knocked on the office door beforeing in.


    It was Thomas who came in. He walked up to Matthew and informed, "The owner of Shepherd Star


    Group, Eviette Robins, has proposed a coboration with you, Young Master Matthew."

 Chapter 1114

    Chapter 1114


    Chapter 1114 On The Verge of Bankruptcy


    "Shepherd Star Group?" Matthew only frowned. "We haven''t had any form of coboration with them


    before, am I right?"


    Thomas immediately handed the information about Shepherd Star Group to Matthew following that.


    "This is all I can find about Shepherd Star Group. It was established five years ago. Its headquarters is


    in Mythpoint, and it has branch offices in Bloomstead. The owner of Shepherd Star Group is a woman.


    However, not only is she smart and ruthless, but she also knows what she''s doing when ites to


    business. From what I know, she was once an actress before this."


    Matthew looked at the personal information of Eviette while Thomas briefly informed him about the


    current situation of Shepherd Star Group.


    "How does she n to coborate with us?" Then, Matthew deducted a conclusion from the


    information given, and he asked, "Is it an artificial intelligence project?"


    Thomas nodded. "We''re thinking the same thing. Look, Shepherd Star Group just called and said they


    would be here in an hour. Should we make some proper preparations for them? Shepherd Star Group


    is a powerfulpany. It can be advantageous if we coborate with them."


    "Even you know that Shepherd Star Group is an influentialpany. Why did she choose to


    coborate with ourpany then?" Matthew ced the documents on the table as he continued,


    "How did she find out when we haven''t done any promotion or publicity for our AI projects?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Spinfluence Group was once the toppany in Bloomstead, but there were always others who were


    even bigger and stronger. Spinfluence Group still had a long way to go before it could catch up to the


    major enterprises in Mythpoint.


    Moreover, Spinfluence Group was now in the hands of Conrad Kings, and Zac had invested further in


    thepany to make it even stronger.


    Matthew had little influence over things at thepany at the moment.


    Dominik Ledger proposed to him a coborative project after he returned from the hidden n. But,


    evenunching that project required at least 15 billion in funds.


    After all, the distance from the hidden n to Bloomstead was the major issue of the project. Thus, it


    would require a massive investment of funds and manpower.


    Matthew secretly established connections through money during his visit to the hidden n and he


    spent a total of more than 75 billion.


    The hidden n credit had an exchange rate of 5 to 1 with the domestic currency. So, the 75 billion


    hidden n credit which he spent was equivalent to just over 15 billion.


    The number seemed insignificant. But, it was already a massive blow to Matthew.


    He didn''t tell Veronica about this matter, nor did he want to. He didn''t want her to worry unnecessarily.


    Meanwhile, Conrad took over Spinfluence Group and secured several promising projects in quick


    session along with Anthony''s help. Now, Spinfluence Group''s financial projection looked even


    better, and its stock market value skyrocketed, multiplying several times.


    Therefore, Matthew, who had limited financial resources, didn''t dare to confront Conrad Kings looking


    at his current situation.


    He was grateful that Veronica was foresighted and had started the development of thepany''s AI


    projects. Otherwise, Spinfluence Group would be in an even worse spot.


    There would be no ce for Matthew and Veronica in Bloomstead if that didn''t happen.


    "I''ve no idea. I''m afraid you''ll have to ask Eviette in person." Thomas shrugged helplessly.


    "Understood. You''re dismissed." Matthew waved his hand, signaling for Thomas to leave.


    Thomas only nodded before turning to leave. Just then, Matthew called out, "Wait."


    "What''s wrong, Young Master Matthew?"


    Matthew leaned back in his chair and spoke in a serious tone, "Do a counting on all the assets under


    me and Roni''s names and tally up all the money in the ount. Keep a low profile while you''re at it."


    "Of course, Young Master Matthew." Thomas didn''t ask further, and he walked out of the office.


    The n regarding the hidden n had been in ce long before Veronica and Matthew got married,


    and Thomas was also involved in it. So, he naturally knew the astonishing amount of money spent


    during that trip, and he had a better idea of Matthew''s current situation now.


    He had already anticipated that Matthew would ask him to tally up everything. But, it happenedter


    than he expected.

 Chapter 1115

    Chapter 1115


    Chapter 1115 Reunion


    An hourter, Thomas entered Matthew''s office. "President Robins of Shepherd Star Group is here,


    Young Master Matthew. She''s waiting for you in the reception room."


    "I''ll be there in a sec." Matthew put away the files on his desk and got up from his seat.


    He nced through the ss window of the reception room as he walked toward the reception room,


    and he found the woman''s figure inside the room somewhat familiar.


    Thomas pushed open the door of the reception room when they arrived. "Please, Young Master


    Matthew."


    Matthew entered the reception room following that. He greeted in a professional, but cold tone, "Sorry


    to keep you waiting, President Robins. I..."


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Eviette, who was sitting at the desk, looking down at her phone, raised her head when he spoke.


    Matthew clearly saw her face when their eyes met, and he couldn''t help but feel shocked. The words


    that he was about to say were stopped by his own thoughts at that instant.


    "Greetings, President Kings." Eviette smiled gently and gracefully.


    Her smile carried a sense of familiarity and an inexplicable affection.


    "Leave us be, Thomas," Matthew instructed.


    Thomas only nced at them with a puzzled look before leaving the reception room.


    Eviette also gave a signal, and her assistant immediately said, "Ouch! I''m having a bad stomach ache.


    Please allow me to go to the restroom, President Robins."


    "Okay, go ahead." Eviette nodded, and her assistant immediately got up and left the reception room.


    Matthew closed the blinds after their assistants left the room.


    He slowly turned around after releasing the cord of the blinds, and he looked at Eviette, who was sitting


    6.5 feet away from him. "Is it really you?"


    Eviette was dressed in a white blouse, paired with high-waisted pants and high heels. She tied her


    ck and straight hair into a knot using a colorful headband. She also had red earrings on, which


    entuated her natural and beautiful cheeks with light makeup. What really stood out the most was


    her distinct graceful temperament. It made her especially captivating.


    "Long time no see." Eviette took a few steps forward to stand in front of him and opened her arms.


    Matthew faintly smiled as he stepped forward and gave her a hug. "It''s been eight years since west


    met. I didn''t expect us to meet in this way."


    No wonder he felt familiar when he saw her back through the window just now. So, it really was her.


    Eviette hugged him and patted his back with both hands. She closed her eyes and said, "Don''t move.


    Let me hug you for a little longer. I''m starting to miss those days."


    Matthew couldn''t help but feel helpless. "It''s been eight years, and you haven''t changed a bit."


    "Same goes for you." Then, Eviette let go of him and smiled.


    "I''ve been waiting for you for the past eight years. But, you never contacted me." She sat down in a


    chair before saying casually.


    Matthew sat down opposite her before replying, "How could I make contact with you when I don''t even


    have your contact information?"


    "I''m sure you would have found a way if you really wanted to." Eviette didn''t believe his words at all. "I


    used to be an actress. I was still famous even though I wasn''t that popr all over the country. Didn''t


    you see me on TV? Stop lying to me!"


    Matthew had reced his energetic and youthful self with maturity and calmness. Now, he exuded a


    cold aura fitting for a domineering president.


    That and his distinctive facial features made his appearanceparable to some of the most


    handsome faces in the world. His every move would exude elegance and nobility. He was like a


    humble gentleman whom people would fall for with inexplicable obsession.


    Eviette had been paying attention to any news of his over the years. She felt gratified as she watched


    him grow even more mature, and she looked forward to their meeting ever since.


    Little did she know that she would receive news of his death after she studied abroad for a few years


    and returned.


    Eviette secretly visited Matthew''s grave many times Because of that. She would stay at the cemetery


    for more than ten hours each time she paid a visit before leaving.

 Chapter 1116

    Chapter 1116


    Chapter 1116 What a Jerk!


    His "death" broke her heart and sent her spiraling into despair, where she drowned her sorrows in


    alcohol.


    Eviette often doubted it was real and found it difficult to believe Matthew had passed away so soon.


    She frequently tricked herself in an effort to escape the weight of his passing.


    But, one day, she was shocked to find out that he was still alive!


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    She dashed over from Mythpoint as soon as she found out, but she didn''t get any closer than a nce.


    "I''m sorry. As you know, I only follow political and financial news. I don''t keep up with the entertainment


    industry."


    Sincerely apologizing, Matthew said, "If I knew it was you, I would have contacted you sooner."


    He then looked her up and down, shook his head, and sighed, "But even if I saw you on TV, I don''t


    think I would recognize you. You were a tomboy back then. But now, I didn''t expect you to¡­"


    Matthew shrugged, furrowing his brows as if trying to find the right words to describe her.


    "To be so beautiful?"


    Eviette couldn''t help but chuckle in response.


    "Look at you, you can''t evenpliment a girl. You really haven''t changed at all."


    Ring!


    Just then, Matthew''s phone rang with a WhatsApp notification.


    He picked up his phone and nced at it.


    It was a message from Veronica that said, "Monica and Ivana invited me to dinner. I won''t be going


    back tonight."


    Because they had publicly announced their divorce, they had to keep it a secret from everyone except


    for close friends.


    Veronica obviously wouldn''t tell Monica and Ivana, especially since Ivana had a big mouth and could


    make anything she knew public within three days.


    Matthew quickly replied, "Alright. I''ll be homete as well."


    After he sent the message, Veronica immediately replied with an "OK" GIF and didn''t ask any further.


    She thought he would be workingte.


    "Who are you texting with? You''re smiling so happily. Was that someone special?" Eviette asked when


    she saw Matthew''s gentle smile.


    Deep down, she felt a hint of envy toward the person on the other end of the phone. Could it be


    Veronica?


    "No, it wasn''t. It was the nanny updating me on my two kids." Matthew kept his lips sealed.


    After hearing the word "kids," Eviette immediately asked, "I saw in the news that you got divorced?"


    "Yeah."


    "Why?"


    "I suppose our values didn''t align."


    Matthew sighed and added, "Let''s not talk about this. Tell me, how have you been all these years?"


    Seeing Matthew dismiss the subject of "divorce" with just a few words, Eviette secretly smiled.


    She thought to herself, Does he truly no longer have feelings for his ex-wife?


    Together, they talked about the events of eight years ago as they sat next to each other.


    Even though they hadn''t spoken in eight years, sitting next to each other made them feel just as close


    as they had then.


    Later that evening, Matthew invited Eviette to dinner, and she chose One Piece Restaurant.


    Veronica, on the other hand, had originally made ns with Monica and Ivana, but Ruka also invited


    her for dinner, so the four of them decided to dine together.


    And, coincidentally, they all chose One Piece Restaurant as well.


    The four of them chatted freely on the VIP floor by the window, but the topic eventually turned to


    Veronica.


    Monica asked, "Why did you divorce when Mr. Kings is in love with you? What about your two kids?"


    Ivana also asked, "Since he''s a wealthy man, how much money did you get out of the divorce?"


    Rukamented, "How could Matthew be such a jerk? I can''t believe I used to like him a lot. I must


    have been blind."


    Monicaughed. "Exactly. He''s a real jerk!"


    Ivana came up with a suspicion. "He must have cheated during the marriage. Was his fake death a lie


    to deceive you while he lived with another woman?"

 Chapter 1117

    Chapter 1117


    Chapter 1117 The Shameless Actress


    For a split second, Veronica secretly felt sorry for Matthew. But what could she do?


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t exin it on Matthew''s behalf yet.


    "That''s very unlikely. We just have different values. And it was I who asked for a divorce."


    The only thing Veronica could do was avoid using Matthew and clear up the misunderstanding.


    "Really?" Half-believing what Veronica had said, Ruka sipped her tea.


    "Of course." Veronica nodded firmly.


    "Think about it, I grew up in the countryside, so our habits are very different. At first, I didn''t realize it,


    but we really are notpatible."


    "There are exnations for why two people cannot get along. But different values and lifestyle


    differences are uneptable reasons," said Ivana, who was far from convinced.


    The already-married Monica added, "I think I can understand. Like my ex-husband, we didn''t discover


    any ipatibilities before marriage, but afterward, many issues cropped up that really brought our


    underlying problems to light."


    As she spoke, her gaze moved from Veronica to behind her, her face surprised.


    The other three noticed Monica''s odd expression and turned to look behind them.


    It would have been better if they hadn''t looked, but when they did, they were astounded.


    A handsome man and a stunning woman emerged from the lift, exuding an extraordinary aura, as


    though they were a perfect match.


    "Isn''t that Mr. Kings?" Ivana''s eyes were wide with shock, and she was speechless.


    Ruka''s face darkened as she nced at Veronica. "Is this what you meant by not having aligned


    values?"


    Then Monica added, "I-I take back what I said earlier."


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    The three friends of Veronica were enraged.


    Veronica and Matthew suddenly locked eyes, startled by the encounter.


    After calming down, Veronica took a deep breath and realized the situation had beplicated.


    Why did he have to bring a woman out now instead of any other time?


    Eviette noticed them as the four looked over.


    She turned her head to Matthew and asked, "Is that your ex-wife, Matt?"


    Matthew remained indifferent and replied, "Yes."


    "Do you want to go over and say hello?"


    "No, there''s no need for that."


    He wanted to go over and say hello, but the sharp gazes of Monica, Ivana, and Ruka made him think


    otherwise. It was better to stay away from the conflict.


    Not everything bends to human will, Matthew thought.


    All of a sudden, Ruka stood up and eximed, "What a coincidence! This must be fate because I didn''t


    expect to meet Mr. Kings here."


    Ruka, as the daughter of the Dame Group, did not need to be humble in front of Matthew, so it was


    only natural for her to speak superiorly. "Aren''t you going to introduce the person next to you?"


    Immediately, Ivana sarcastically added, "You just divorced your ex-wife, and you''re already dating


    someone new? Oh, Mr. Kings, I sure hope there was no infidelity."


    Monica looked at Veronica and chose to remain silent, while Veronica had her hand on her forehead,


    unsure of what to do.


    Since it was still early, there weren''t many people on the VIP floor of One Piece Restaurant, so


    naturally no one noticed themotion.


    With nothing to hide, Matthew approached the four women with Eviette.


    He cast a cold look over Ruka''s face before turning to look at Veronica who was seated in the booth


    and telling Ruka, "She''s my friend. I don''t think there''s a need to introduce her to you."


    Ruka sneered, crossed her arms, and looked up and down at Eviette before remembering who she


    was.


    "Isn''t she the former top actress who disappeared from the screen a few years ago? Are you seeing


    this insignificant actress, Mr. Kings?"

 Chapter 1118

    Chapter 1118


    Chapter 1118 He Really Is a Jerk!


    While mockinglyughing at Eviette, she pointed to Veronica.


    "Miss Top Actress, your yboy boyfriend here used to be in love with Veronica, but in the end, he left


    her. Don''t be fooled by his charming appearance. A yboy like him is unworthy of you."


    At this point, she had insulted two people with her remarks.


    Ruka, however, didn''t care who she offended because she had the support of the Dame Family and


    wasn''t scared of anyone.


    Eviette had previously been skeptical about Veronica and Matthew''s rtionship, but now she felt


    strangely happy about it.


    "If I''m not mistaken, you must be Miss Ruka Dame of the Dame Group."


    She gave a soft smile after quickly recognizing the other person''s identity.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "As far as I know, Miss Dame is single. I understand that a woman with no dating experience would not


    understand love. Besides¡­"


    Eviette nced at Veronica sitting in the booth, and continued, "Matt said that he divorced Miss Murphy


    because they had different values. They were both young; realizing they weren''tpatible and


    deciding to get a divorce so they wouldn''t waste their time was a wise decision. On the other hand, he


    knew they had different values but still clung to the marriage; this is what truly resembles yboy


    behavior."


    Her words carried weight.


    "What a twisted argument. Only you can make cheating sound so chic and sophisticated," Ivana said


    while rolling her eyes.


    "You''re a broke, washed-up actress. Is that why you shamelessly seduce a married man and ruin his


    family?"


    Even after being criticized, Eviette did not be angry; she simply looked at Ivana and chose to


    remain silent.


    Hearing all of this gave Veronica a headache, so she moved forward right away to diffuse the situation.


    "Enough, Ruka and Ivan. Matthew and I are no longer together. Let it go."


    "What do you mean ''let it go''?"


    Ivan, who had a short fuse, pointed at Matthew and eximed, "He clearly cheated on you while still


    married. Don''t you know you were deceived?!"


    "What did you say?!"


    Matthew''s handsome face turned cold, his sharp eyes locked on Ivan, and he yelled, "Apologize to


    Eviette this instant!"


    His tone was harsh and cold, and Veronica could sense his rage.


    Veronica was taken aback by his expression and questioned whether he was merely "too into the role"


    or actually upset.


    She fixed her gaze on him, but Matthew paid no attention to her.


    While Veronica was being ignored by him, Eviette continued to maintain a soft and graceful smile on


    her face, but Veronica could sense that she was being provocative.


    She also sensed that Eviette was a potential love rival.


    Thump!


    Uncontrobly, her heart began to shake. Veronica had no choice but to admit that she was anxious.


    "Why should I apologize when I''m speaking the truth?"


    Ivan probably assumed that because Veronica and Ruka were present, Matthew would not harm her


    even if she spoke recklessly, which exined her confidence.


    "It''s all right, Matt." Eviette extended her hand and tugged at Matthew''s sleeve.


    "We came out to eat; don''t let insignificant people ruin our mood."


    At this point, Matthew''s face darkened and his eyebrows furrowed. He cast a quick nce at Veronica


    and noticed that herplexion had turned pale. Feeling worried for her, he gave her a small nod and


    walked right past them.


    As she watched them enter the private room area, Ruka continued to insult him. "Jerk! I was really


    stupid back then to fall for him."


    Thinking about her past affection for Matthew, Ruka regretted it deeply.


    Thankfully, Hendrey Johnson''s appearance made it possible for her to discover her true love.


    "You''re just too naive, Veronica. Don''t you see how intimate and close they are? Open your eyes and


    look at them! Don''t let yourself be deceived again," advised Ivana, frustrated.

 Chapter 1119

    Chapter 1119


    Chapter 1119 Avoiding Misunderstanding


    As she watched the two walk away from her, Veronica felt a strange sense of sadness.


    She shook her head and murmured, "It''s fine."


    Monica was concerned when she noticed Veronica wasn''t looking well and asked, "Should we go


    somewhere else for dinner?"


    "No." Veronica forced a smile.


    Ivana and Ruka, on the other hand, could not stand the situation and continued to criticize Matthew.


    Veronica tried several times to exin the situation to them, but she had no idea where to begin,


    especially to Ruka.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    She had always been very kind to Veronica but she had a tendency to be reckless.


    If she knew the truth, she definitely wouldn''t be able to keep it a secret, so Veronica didn''t dare to tell


    the truth.


    At this time, the waiter began to serve the dishes one by one.


    The group of people sat together and chatted. Veronica spoke very little and drank beer with her head


    down.


    After the meal, they split up. Veronica said, "You guys go ahead. Be careful on the road."


    Ruka wrapped an arm around Veronica''s shoulder, and said, "If you''re notfortable living in Twilight


    Condominium, you can move in with me."


    When they were upstairs just now, they asked Veronica where she was living now. Veronica told them


    that she lived in Twilight Condominium.


    "It''s great. I''m used to it now so it''s no problem," Veronica assured Ruka.


    At this moment, Ruka''s driver drove over, and Veronica helped Ruka into the car.


    The driver then waved to Veronica and drove away with Ruka.


    Matthew and Eviette happened to be leaving One Piece Restaurant at the same time.


    Veronica was standing on the side of the road when she turned around and saw the two.


    For a brief moment, she had the impression that Matthew and Eviette were a perfect match as if they


    were meant to be.


    She saw them, and they saw her too.


    Eviette then approached Veronica with long strides, asking, "Miss Murphy, where are you going? Would


    you like a ride from Matt and me?"


    Matt?


    When they were upstairs, Veronica overheard Eviette call Matthew by that name. At the time, she


    thought she was hearing things.


    However, now that she clearly heard how intimately she had referred to him, her heart ached.


    Veronica turned her attention away from Eviette and toward Matthew as he drew near. She shook her


    head and said, "No, thanks."


    She turned around, hailed a cab, opened the door, and got in, leaving right away.


    Eviette turned to Matthew and said, "I feel bad for your wife. Is there really no chance for you two to get


    back together?"


    She was trying to test him.


    Matthew stared at the car that was getting further and further away, mentally leaving with Veronica.


    He paused for a brief moment before shaking his head and saying, "It''s impossible."


    He returned his gaze to Eviette and asked, "Where do you live?" Would you like me to drive you


    somewhere?"


    Matthew inquired out of courtesy.


    Eviette feigned a polite decline. "I''m good. I''ll take the cab."


    "Alright. I have to go because I have something to do." Matthew smiled warmly. "See you tomorrow."


    He finished his sentence, then walked back towards his sedan.


    Eviette found herself at a loss for words.


    After all these years, Matthew had remained true to his character.


    She assumed that if she politely declined, he would insist on giving her a ride.


    But, unexpectedly, he just left.


    It makes sense why Veronica imed their values were at odds.


    This manckedmon sense and was out of touch.


    However, it had no effect on her feelings for him.


    Beep! Beep!


    When Matthew passed her in his sedan, he honked the horn and said, "I''m leaving."


    A soft smile spread across Eviette''s face, and she replied, "Goodbye! Be careful on the road."


    "Okay," Matthew responded, drove into the traffic, and left.


    To avoid being misunderstood, he had to go to Veronica quickly and give an exnation.

 Chapter 1120

    Chapter 1120


    Chapter 1120 Misunderstanding Resolved


    Veronica got out of the cab and put on a hat and a mask to avoid being recognized when she arrived at


    Pinewoods Vi.


    She arrived at the vi''s entrance and paid cash before exiting the car.


    Then, she scanned her fingerprint at the entrance and opened the door.


    As she moved through the courtyard, she noticed Matthew smoking a cigarette and pacing back and


    forth by the music fountain.


    Matthew could hear the sound of her walking while wearing high heels.


    He took a sharp look up, made quick strides to her, and gave her a tight hug.


    "Did I make you sad today? I''m sorry."


    He held her tightly, tossed the cigarette to the ground, rested his chin on her head, and softly said, "Her


    name is Eviette. We have known each other for many years. She is a very, very important person to


    me."


    Veronica leaned against his chest and smelled the strong scent of nicotine on him, guessing that he


    must have smoked a lot of cigarettes. Is he stressed?


    "Is she your ex-girlfriend?" Veronica asked openly.


    Matthew shook his head. "No."


    It was a straightforward response that was given in a firm manner.


    Veronica remained silent as she awaited his exnation, but the man had none to offer.


    She thought for a moment and gently patted his back with her hand. "I believe you. But, I think that


    woman named Eviette likes you."


    "Are you jealous?"


    Matthew couldn''t help but smile. "Roni, I hadn''t seen her in eight years until today. Do you believe she


    would have waited until now to find me if she really liked me?"


    "Stop overthinking, alright?" he said as he stood up straight and poked her in the forehead.


    Veronica pouted.


    "Then why were you so harsh to Ivan earlier at One Piece Restaurant? You scared me. I thought you


    were just acting."


    She secretly exhaled a sigh of relief, and the anxiety she had been experiencing suddenly vanished.


    "I wasn''t acting. I was really angry." Matthew put his hands on her shoulders, and added, "Roni, Eviette


    is very important to me. You two will be friends in the future."


    "Is she very important?"


    "Yes."


    "Did you tell her about our fake divorce?"


    "No. I have to wait for the right moment to tell her," Matthew exined.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Veronica had countless questions in her mind, but she asked a question that even she found absurd,


    "Between me and Eviette, who is more important?"


    The man couldn''t help butugh at her question. Then, he raised his hand and flicked her forehead


    with his finger.


    "Are you silly? You are the mother of my two children, and you are my wife. Although Eviette is


    important to me, she is not even half as important as you. Do you understand?"


    Veronica was satisfied with his answer and didn''t ask any further.


    She knew Matthew''s identity wasplicated, and it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say he had a few


    mysterious friends.


    The unpleasant mood caused by the incident at One Piece Restaurant just disappeared in an instant.


    She raised her head, approached him, held his cheeks with both hands and kissed his lips on her


    tiptoes.


    "I''m sorry for making you suffer from the scolding of Ruka and the others. Matt, should I tell them the


    truth? I feel guilty seeing you being berated."


    After hearing so many hurtfulments exchanged today, she felt bad for her friends on the one hand


    and heartbroken for Matthew who was receiving criticism on the other.


    "You still have a long way to go in the entertainment business, so hiding our marriage is beneficial to


    both you and me."


    Matthew leaned down, hugged her again, and added, "This minor inconvenience is insignificant as long


    as you are happy. Nobody else matters to me except you."

 Chapter 1121

    Chapter 1121


    Chapter 1121 Veronica¡¯s Concern


    What Matthew cared about was that once vian found out about Veronica''s identity, he would either


    use her or take action against her.


    Matthew could keep the children under the radar because they were young. However, she was an adult


    and couldn''t be hidden away from the world, especially after he suffered serious loss because of the


    hidden n.


    It almost depleted his liquid assets. The remaining asset was the market value of the listedpany,


    which couldn''t be cashed out in the short term.


    Even if he could cash it out, arge amount of cashing out would cause apany shock. That would


    attract external attention and create a negative impact that was equivalent to exposing his own


    weakness to the public.


    Therefore, when the current situation was not looking good, the first thing he needed to do was to


    protect Veronica and their children.


    The two went upstairs together. Matthew went to the study to handle work, whereas Veronica went to


    freshen up and theny on the bed to read the script.


    The days had beenfortable and pleasant recently. She relished in the inexplicable sense of


    tranquility.


    The script was a historical drama called ''The General''s Lonely Daughter'' that told a story of a famous


    general, Cedric Sterling, who was ndered by a treacherous minister, and his whole family was


    executed. A servant escaped with the youngdy, whoter returned to the capital for revenge.


    His daughter was originally named Seraphina Sterling, but she changed her name to Liora Sterling in


    order to seek revenge for her father. The character yed by Veronica was Aveline Lockwood, the


    personal bodyguard.


    Aveline''s mother worked for Cedric and owed him a favor. Her mother asked her to protect the


    Seraphina as a way of repaying the favor.


    "The script is not bad. The characters are good too."


    Veronica looked at the script and sighed. "But what if I mess up?"


    Shey on the bed, thinking left and right, and decided to call Larry. "Hey, Crazy, are you asleep?"


    "What''s up, fierce one?" he greeted casually.


    She held the script and helplessly tapped her head. "I''ve read the script for ''The General''s Lonely


    Daughter'', but I haven''t acted before. What if I mess up?"


    He invested in the drama, so how should she face him if she messed up the whole drama?


    "Tsk tsk tsk. The fierce one is afraid of something." Heughed heartily unlike the serious image that he


    built up for his celebrity career.


    Veronica was helpless. She couldn''t help butin, "I seriously want to reveal your true color to


    your fans and let them see what kind of hrious character you are."


    It wasn''t that Larry was deliberately pretending. It was just that he wasn''t a sociable person; he couldn''t


    act himself in front of strangers, so he gave people the impression of being aloof.


    People who were close to him knew that he had a humorous and cheerful personality, but he took time


    to open one to someone.


    "As if they would believe you just because you said it." He scoffed lightly and continued, "Alright,


    enough. I''m in Castron now. Hendrey invited me to lunch."


    She paused momentarily. "Oh, I see."


    Veronica had a heavy mood whenever Hendrey was mentioned. She didn''t say much. "See you."


    "Goodbye." He hung up the phone just like that.


    ...


    In the following month, Veronica was either memorizing lines or attending acting sses. After ss,


    she would go to Vincere Games or the private detective agency. She was busy every day.


    On the other hand, Matthew put Eleanor to work at Miguel''spany, giving her the chance to learn


    business with Miguel.


    She clung to Miguel every single day, and Troy Ritter rarely had any free time.


    Back at Youth Apartment, Shirley was doing yoga when someone knocked on the door. She eagerly


    ran to the door and opened it. "Sky¡ª"This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

 Chapter 1122

    Chapter 1122


    Chapter 1122 A Request


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    The smile on Shirley''s face instantly froze the moment she saw the woman standing outside.


    "How... is it you?"


    She never expected that Sofia would actually find her here. Anxiety was rushing through her blood.


    That incident, in which Sofia had beaten her at First Meeting, cast a pall of shadow over her.


    Sofia noticed Shirley''s nervousness and calmly said, "Rx. I''m not here for a fight today."


    She handed some gift boxes to Shirley. "These are for you as an apology for my rudeness. I hope you


    can forgive me."


    Shirley stared nkly at the four gift boxes in Sofia''s hand. Based on the exquisite packaging, they


    were obviously expensive.


    She''s apologizing to me?


    Although it seemed sincere, Shirley couldn''t believe it. While she was silent, Sofia softly asked, "Can I


    come in?"


    Shirley instinctively shook her head. "No¡ª"


    She wanted to refuse, but Sofia pointed to the surveince cameras in the corridor. "There are


    surveince cameras here. If I do anything to you, Skye will find out right away. Isn''t that right?"


    Shirley felt relieved at that. She took a step back and opened the door for Sofia. Sofia walked into the


    living room, taking in the small ce. The decoration was simple yet wholesome, especially at the


    entrance. There was a pair of men''s slippers, indicating that Skyler probably frequented the ce.


    During the whole month, she asked her father to make some arrangements for the factory Skyler was


    in charge of. He had been busy in the other province, so he hardly had the time to return home.


    Sofia''s gaze swept over the pair of men''s slippers. An inexplicable pain surged in her heart.


    Why does Skyler still love her? She doesn''t look pretty anymore! Just which part of her is better than


    me?


    She couldn''t understand.


    "Please, have a seat," Shirley said nervously.


    Sofia put her things down and sat on the sofa. Treated her as a guest, Shirley poured a cup of tea and


    ced it in front of Sofia. "Miss Green, is there anything I can help you with? I have something to do


    later, so I don''t have much time."


    There was actually nothing to doter, but Shirley didn''t want Sofia to stay longer. Sofia nced at


    Shirley and lowered her head slowly. She sped her hands together as her nails were scratching on


    each other''s surfaces. "I came here today to ask for your help."


    "Help? Me?"


    Shirley became even more confused. "Miss Green, you thought highly of me. If you can''t do it, I


    definitely can''t either."


    "No, you can." Sofia shook her head and suddenly raised her gaze, revealing her teary eyes.


    Shirley couldn''t make the head or tail of those eyes. After a few seconds of silence, she tentatively


    asked, "Are you talking about Sky?"


    Besides Skyler, she didn''t seem to have anything that could help Sofia.


    "Shirley, I know you are gentle and kind-hearted. You''re a girl who understands others well. But... But I


    feel so sorry for you when I see you like this." Sofia''s eyes reddened, shedding the fierce aura she


    used to have to create an approachable facade.


    Shirley stared at Sofia, confused. The more she listened to Sofie, the more confused she became. She


    couldn''t guess what Sofia wanted to say.


    Tears overflowed from Sofia''s eyes, sliding down her cheeks and falling to the ground.

 Chapter 1123

    Chapter 1123


    Chapter 1123 Pregnant with Skyler¡¯s Child


    "I have something to show you," Sofia said as she took out three things from her bag: a pregnancy test,


    an ultrasound report, and a phone.


    "What is it?" Shirley couldn''t tell what Sofia was trying to do. As soon as she saw the pregnancy test


    and the ultrasound report, her mind went totally nk.


    She stared at the pregnancy test and the ultrasound report in disbelief, unable to constrain her


    emotions. "W-What is this?"


    She could clearly see what they were, but she couldn''t ept it. Immersed in astonishment and panic,


    she didn''t realize her eyes turning red.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "I''m pregnant with Skye''s child." Sofia pursed her lips upon telling the ''truth.''


    Her words struck Shirley like thunder. Thetter shook her head in reflex. "No way. These can be


    faked. Don''t try to buy me with these."


    "Shirley, I know you don''t believe me, and I know that the truth can be cruel. But I don''t want you to be


    kept in the dark forever." Sofia took out her phone to y a recording. "Listen."


    A familiar voice echoed in the quiet living room loud and clear.


    "I''m the cause for her disfigurement. I will definitely marry her." Shirley was confident that it was


    Skyler''s voice.


    Sofia spoke next, "Skye, are you going to marry her because of guilt?"


    "Yes." His tone was firm beyond a shadow of hesitation.


    Shirley was instantly plunged into an abyss because of the word ''guilt.'' Spasms of pain incurred


    internally, causing her heart to ache as it pounded hard against her chest.


    She had thought that Skyler truly loved her all along. She never expected that he wanted to marry her


    after returning to the country solely because she had disfigured herself.


    Trembling, she ced her hand on her cheek to touch the scar. Tears welled up in an instant.


    So, this is how it is. So, this is the truth.


    "I hurt Skye back then, so he immediately got together with you when I returned to the country, just to


    seek revenge on me. Otherwise, do you really think Skye would like you?"


    Sofia''s words stabbed Shirley in the heart. It was like she was pouring salt on Shirley''s wound.


    Shirley carefully recalled the moment she got together with Skyler. It seemed to have happened after


    Sofia returned to the country.


    Everything now made sense. Sofia''s words were reasonable. They couldn''t be ignored.


    "They are twins. 40 days old."


    Sofia pushed the ultrasound report in front of Shirley. "Shirley, I believe you are a kind and good girl


    and that you won''t ruin a family."


    She took out a check worth 3 million from her bag. "Take this as apensation."


    The check was ced in front of Shirley. The series of zeros on the check appeared ironically


    ridiculous.


    Trembling, she picked up the check. Her tears fell on it. She took a deep breath and tore the check


    directly. "I don''t need this."


    With tear-filled eyes, she stared at Sofia. "I have something to doter, so I can''t keep you here long."


    She got up and went to the bedroom. Sofia raised an eyebrow while smiling smugly at her deste


    state.


    "This is my contact number. Let me know once you''ve made up your mind." Sofia left her phone


    number and left.


    After the door was gently closed again, Shirley copsed against the bedroom door and started crying.

 Chapter 1124

    Chapter 1124


    Chapter 1124 Brother Was Kidnapped


    Why? Why did it turn out this way?


    Shirley used to trust Skyler so much, but now she was utterly disappointed, especially when she heard


    him personally admitting that he wanted the marriage solely because of guilt. It broke her heart.


    All the trust she had in him faded, leaving only the bitter taste of being stabbed by the ''truth.''


    Shey in bed the whole day, dwelling in helplessness and dejection. She recalled what happened


    during the past month. Skyler rarely came over and contacted her. That was enough to prove


    everything.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    However, bad news never came alone. Shirley received a call from her mother in the afternoon.


    As soon as the line got through, her mother''s painful wailing resounded from the other end. "Shirley,


    please save your brother¡­"


    Shirley woke up from the grief, regaining herposure. "M-Mom, what happened? What''s going on?


    Stop crying."


    Her mother''s emotions easily rubbed off on her.


    Before going to the hidden n, she told her family that she was going elsewhere for intensive training.


    Thus, it couldn''t be the reason for their distress.


    After returning from the hidden n, she only made phone calls to her family and never dared to return


    to them. She was afraid that they would be upset upon finding out about her disfigurement.


    Shirley''s heart tightened at her mother''s crying.


    "Your brother, your brother has done something terrible. I don''t know when did he start gambling. He


    lost over 3 million to someone in the casino. Someone has kidnapped your brother and asked our


    family for money. If we can''t cough up the money, they will kill him. What should I do? What are we


    supposed to do, Shirley?"


    Her mother cried bitterly, and she could faintly hear Tarquin¡ªher father¡ªcursing on the other end. He


    rambled how his son should''ve just died out there.


    Shirley''s brother, Lucien Wilson, had been working and had always treated her well. Shirley never


    expected that he would get himself involved in gambling and be in debt of over 3 million! It was such a


    huge sum of money!


    "How could this happen?" She flopped on the bed, anxiously running her hand through her hair. "What


    did the casino''s management say?"


    "They said that if we can''te up with 3.9 million within two days, they will kill Lucien. Just how did I


    end up with such a son? Gosh." Her mother cried in despair, breaking her heart.


    "Mom, don''t worry, I¡ªI will find a way to solve it. I will find a way. Stop crying. Don''t worry," Shirley


    comforted her mother over the phone before asking Tarquin to get on the phone. She tried tofort


    him as well.


    Half an hourter, the call finally ended. She sat there, feeling helpless and overwhelmed.


    She suddenly regretted; she regretted discarding the credit card upon learning the truth that it was


    impossible to recover her looks. It was apensation worth 7.5 million from Crayson.


    She lost hope after knowing that her looks were beyond recovery. On the day she moved out of


    Pinewoods Vi, she threw everything that didn''t belong to her away.


    "What should I do? What can I do?" She sobbed in desperation.


    She held her phone and finally decided to call Skyler but in vain. She made several calls in a row, but


    no one answered.


    "The person you are calling is unavable. Please try againter..."


    Each time the mechanical voice rang into her ear, her heart grew colder and colder. Was it because


    she was aware that Sofia was already pregnant?


    Suddenly, she began feeling nauseous and covered her chest.

 Chapter 1125

    Chapter 1125


    Chapter 1125 Skyler¡¯s Betrayal


    The thought of Skyler sleeping with Sofia after spending a steamy moment with her disgusted Shirley.


    Disgusting! He''s so disgusting.


    He betrayed her in the end, albeit how much she trusted him.


    They already have a child, so what am I? A home breaker?


    Shirley scoffed in sorrow, forcing herself to calm down and think of a way to rake in money. She


    scrolled through the contact list on her phone. She wanted to call Veronica, but then she recalled the


    fact that Veronica was Matthew''s wife and also Skyler''s friend.


    Since Skyler liked Sofia, Veronica should know the truth. However, she kept Shirley in the dark. Shirley


    wondered if it was a joined conspiracy. She couldn''t quite put her finger on it.


    Still, even if she put that aside, she couldn''t just ask Veronica for over 3 million worth of money for no


    reason. She couldn''t afford to repay this astronomical debt.


    At that moment, someone shed across her mind¡ªSofia Green!


    Didn''t she say she will give me 3 million? But it''s far from enough. I need 3.9 million!


    Afterbating herself the whole day, Shirley finally went to the living room and picked up the paper


    left by Sofia.


    "Sofia?"


    "Have you finally figured it out?" Sofia answered the call as if she had expected it. "You''re still young.


    Saving some money won''t be a bad thing for you. Besides, Skye doesn''t really like you. He''s only with


    you because he feels guilty. How long can this guiltst? Besides, if he really loves you, why would he


    come to my bed and sleep with me?"


    Her tant and merciless words were tormenting Shirley''s heart.


    She took a deep breath in an attempt to put up with the humiliation. "So you want me to leave Skyler


    and take the money? Fine, but... I want 4.5 million."


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "Quite demanding, aren''t you? 4.5 million? Shirley, I guess I was being too nice." Sofia coldly snorted,


    thinking that Shirley was underestimating her.


    "If you don''t give me 4.5 million, I won''t leave him. After all, he said he would marry me, and I believe


    he can do it." Shirley mustered up the courage to fight back.


    "Fool. Do you really think so? I''m pregnant with his child now, and it''s twins. Do you think his parents


    will allow you to marry into the Robins? Oh, do you know where I am now? I''m at his ce, in Skyler''s


    bedroom. His mother asked the maids to prepare nutritious meals for me."


    Despite the gentle tone, it hurt Shirley deeply. Shirley staggered back a step, tears uncontrobly


    streaming down her cheeks. Nheless, she forced herself to say something. "No. I want 4.5 million.


    If you don''t agree, I will reveal my rtionship with Skyler. Even if you marry into the Robins, it won''t be


    honorable." She had no choice but to do this for Lucien''s sake.


    "You should know your ce, Shirley. Have you forgotten that you still have other family members? Do


    you want them to live the same ''inferior'' life as you?" Sofia''s words carried a strong sense of threat.


    Shirley''s heart skipped a beat as she became jittery. "You... At least give me 3.75 million." That was her


    last resort. She had no other choice.


    "If you insist on 3.75 million, I have an additional condition."


    "What is it?"


    "Words alone are not enough for me to trust you. You must do something before I can agree to the


    deal."


    "What?" Shirley''s heart tightened. A bad premonition arose within her.

 Chapter 1126

    Chapter 1126


    Chapter 1126 Skyler¡¯s Car ident


    "I know that Wade likes you. His mother is currently undergoing cancer treatment in the hospital and


    owes over a million. Now she works as a secretary under Tal. But from what I know, Tal has tried


    multiple times to make him submit to her, but he refused every time. As a result, he has suffered a lot of


    beatings.


    "If you pretend to be in a rtionship with Wade and let me film a video or take photos, I will give you


    3.75 million and help him pay off his debt. This way, I will have evidence to prove everything even if you


    change your mind. Skye will be able to stave his guilty off and won''t marry you to make up for it."


    Shirley was stunned, instantly losing her train of thought.


    On the other end of the line, Sofia''s voice resounded again. "You have 30 minutes to consider." She


    hung up the phone.


    Shirley held the phone and sat down on the sofa, not knowing what to do. After hesitating for a while,


    she finally decided to call Wade.


    Since he wasn''t doing well either, it would be better for the two of them to pretend to be in a


    rtionship. They could help each other. It would be a win-win situation.


    She dialed his number. "A-Are you busy?"


    "Not really. What''s up?" Wade''s voice was as gentle as ever.


    "How''s life recently?" she questioned concernedly.


    Ever since returning from the hidden n, she had only talked to him a few times on the phone. He had


    invited her out several times, but she refused because she didn''t want him to find out about her current


    appearance.


    Her question received no response for a while. Later, she faintly heard a self-deprecatingugh from


    the other end. "I''m fine, really fine."


    It was a very forced answer.


    Shirley bit her lip tightly, watching the clock on the wall as the seconds ticked away. There were less


    than eight minutes left. She clenched her fist and mustered her courage. "Wade, can I ask you for a


    favor?"


    "Of course. It will be my honor," he agreed without hesitation. She was moved by that.


    Then, she told him in detail about everything that had happened recently except the fact that she had


    gone to the hidden n. She only mentioned the kidnap that transpired in Castron and disfigurement.


    She even highlighted that it had little to do with Skyler. She then conveyed Sofia''s words to him.


    After a long silence, Wade only asked one question, "Won''t you regret it?"


    Regret? Shirley Wilson smiled bitterly. Do I even have the chance to regret it?


    "No, I won''t," she answered.


    He naturally agreed to the deal. After hanging up the phone, she immediately called Sofia.


    Sofia booked a hotel room under Shirley''s name for the duo''s meeting. As the mastermind, Sofia gave


    instructions for every step of the n, and Shirley followed them one by one.


    That night, she and Wade stayed in the hotel and left early the next morning. They passionately kissed


    in the corridor and elevator.


    Later, Shirley received a check for 2 million. The outstanding amount acted as an assurance for Sofia.


    As long as Shirley followed her remaining orders, she would be able to receive the outstanding amount.


    Helpless, Shirley agreed and handed the 2 million to her mother so that they could request a dyed


    payment from the debt collector.


    Wade also paid off his debt and left thepany.


    Veronica and Matthew brought fruit baskets and supplements to a private hospital at rian to visit the


    heavily injured Skyler.


    Only Caleb and a nurse were present in the ward.


    "Matt, Roni," Caleb greeted them as he noticed their arrival.


    Veronica looked at the bedridden Skyler. "Has he not woken up yet?"


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "He woke up earlier, but just fell asleep again," Caleb exined.


    Matthew looked at the pale-faced Skyler while asking Caleb, "Have you looked into the car ident?"

 Chapter 1127

    Chapter 1127


    Chapter 1127 Shirley¡¯s Betrayal


    "We have the results. The truck driver was drunk and it was an ident," Caleb reported.


    Matthew naturally believed what he said since he was a police officer and a good friend.


    Veronica sighed. "He''s seriously injured. Is it really a good idea not to tell Shirley?"


    "Shirley is not in the right state of mind. Telling her will only make her worry." Caleb added, "The first


    thing he said when he woke up was not to let Shirley know. It''s clear that he truly cares about her."


    Matthew smiled silently at the fact that the ever-reckless man had finally decided to settle down.


    The group of friends stayed with Skyler in the hospital. In the afternoon, he woke up again and they


    chewed the fat.


    Matthew prepared a helicopter so that they could return to a private hospital in Bloomstead. Skyler


    could continue his treatment there.


    Two of his ribs were fractured in the car ident and he suffered internal injuries. He needed some


    time to rest and recover.


    The others came to the hospital one after another to visit Skyler, except for the Robinses and Sofia.


    They were unaware of the situation.


    Shirley was also unaware of it.


    As Skyler''s condition gradually improved, he turned on his phone only to realize the dozens of missed


    calls from Shirley. After hesitating for a moment, he called her.


    Ring, ring, ring...


    The phone rang for a while before someone answered.


    "Shir, is that you?" He regained hisposure, trying to sound fine.


    "Are you looking for Shirley? She''s taking a shower." When Skyler was expecting to hear Shirley''s


    voice, a man''s voice came from the other end.


    Skyler furrowed his brows and jolted up from bed. As a result of his sudden reaction, a spasm of pain


    throbbed in his chest. He took a deep breath in secret and asked with gritted teeth, "Who are you?"


    Before he could finish his question, the call was terminated. Skyler called back, but it seemed like his


    number was blocked. No matter how many times he tried, the line couldn''t get through.


    He totally lost it. He got out of bed to get changed and left the hospital. No one noticed his departure


    because there was no nurse around.


    He headed straight to Youth Apartment and arrived at Shirley''s door. He shouted her name and


    knocked on the door, but no one responded.


    Helpless, he contacted someone. "Find out Shirley''s whereabouts for me right away."


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "Yes, President Robins."


    The person hung up. Skyler walked to the staircase and sat down on the steps, exhausted. Soon, he


    started to receive videos.


    The first video showed Shirley driving to a hotel''s underground parking lot and meeting a man there.


    They hugged and kissed passionately.


    Skyler''s pupils dted at the screen as his grip on the phone tightened.


    The next scene showed the duo''s steamier moments in the elevator. The man''s hand dipped into her


    shirt before they entered a room.


    ording to the time stamp on the video, it was already the next morning when they exited the hotel.


    At this moment, Skyler had already recognized the man in the video. It was none other than Wade!


    "How could this happen?" The sudden turn of events left Skylerpletely stunned.


    The next video showed them checking out of the hotel. Shirley returned the room key with her ID card


    and then left the hotel with her arm around Wade, smiling happily.


    The following videos showed them going in and out of the hospital to help Wade''s mother out Thest


    video was taken an hour ago. They checked into a room at the Blue Star Hotel located nearby the


    hospital.


    Skyler suddenly threw his phone away, destroying it. He immediately got up, bracing himself and


    leaving the Youth Apartment to go straight to that hotel.

 Chapter 1128

    Chapter 1128


    Chapter 1128 The Revtion


    After receiving the video message from his subordinate, Skyler went straight to Room No. 1902, where


    Shirley and Wade were staying.


    Standing before the door of the room, Skyler hesitated for a moment. In the end, he knocked on the


    door.


    Knock, knock, knock...


    I sounded urgent like the beating of his heart. He was nervous yet afraid; he was afraid of what he


    would see inside.


    "Who is it?" A man''s voice could be heard from the inside.


    Skyler''s heart sank to the pit of his stomach in an instant. He wanted to respond, but couldn''t find the


    words to say.


    Creak¡ª


    The door was opened to reveal the man wrapped in a towel around his waist. His hair was still wet as


    water droplets trickled down his torso. It was Wade!


    Skyler''s face turned pale for a moment, but Wade calmly looked at him without uttering a word.


    The two stared at each other as though it was a silentpetition.


    "Wade, who is it?" It was Shirley.


    "Oh, it''s nothing. Just a staff asking if we need room cleaning," Wade exined.


    "Come over and help me massage my back, will you? I''m so tired." Everything sounded so real. Her


    coquettish tone was that of someone who had just indulged in intense pleasure.


    Skyler''s heart sank deeper and deeper. He could almost hear the sound of his heart breaking and feel


    the pain of his heart bleeding. The pain spread throughout his body, screaming in agony through his


    body cells.


    He stared at Wade, finally sneering. He withdrew his gaze and turned to leave. Stepping on the soft


    carpet, Skyler felt his feet felt so heavy that he could barely lift them. In the end, he fell to the ground. It


    hurt so much that he clenched his teeth as his fingers trembled.


    His injuries had yet to recover. The fall delivered a sharp pain and a buzz ringing in his ears.


    It was the cleaning staff that helped him up. He finally managed to enter the elevator and leave the


    hotel in forlornly.


    Sitting on the bed, Shirley could not help her reddened eyes. She dialed Sofia''s number and said, "I''ve


    done everything you asked me to do."


    "Good, I will give you the remaining 1.75 million," responded Sofia coolly.


    Shirley chuckled wryly. "You don''t have to give it to me. Just release my brother."


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    At this point, Shirley had already realized that Sofia was the mastermind of everything. She would be a


    fool for not figuring this out at this point.


    Sofia was taken aback because she didn''t expect Shirley to have figured everything out. "I don''t know


    what you''re talking about."


    "A fake pregnancy test, tricking me into leaving Skyler, and targeting my family. Isn''t it all to force me to


    leave Skyler? Sofia Green, I did everything you asked me to do. I beg you. Just stay away from my


    family in the future."


    She had been wondering why Sofia had forced her to pretend to be in a rtionship with Wade for the


    past few days. Wasn''t it all part of Sofia''s trap?


    Regardless, Shirley had no choice but to go along with it.


    The Green Family could set her family up that easily, let alone the Robins. If she continued to stay with


    Skyler, her family would be in peril.


    Despite that, there was no turning back now that things had escted this far.

 Chapter 1129

    Chapter 1129


    Chapter 1129 Skyler Has Gone Crazy


    "It''s neither right nor wrong. I am indeed pregnant with Skye''s child, and Skye does feel guilty for


    disfiguring you. As for your brother, he is addicted to gambling himself. I just went along with it." Sofia


    smiled. "Now that things havee to this point, you should leave Bloomstead."


    Her words were like a reminder, but more of a warning. Shirley could only agree to that. After hanging


    up the phone, she sat on the bed with eyes devoid of emotions. She appeared like a lifeless puppet.


    Wade donned his casual clothes before approaching her. He patted her shoulder. "It''s all in the past,


    don''t worry too much. Besides, this may not be entirely bad for you."


    He sighed heavily and sat beside her. "Social status is important has always been important. We are at


    the bottom of the pyramid. It''s best to lead a stable life. The wealthy elites look down upon us, and we


    can''t fit in with them, let alone force ourselves to fit in."


    Wade''s words made Shirley burst into tears. He patted his own shoulder. "Here, you can lean on my


    shoulder."


    "Wade, I''m sorry." Shirley choked.


    He shook his head. "I should thank you. Thank you for helping me. If it weren''t for you, I would still be


    living a miserable life."


    They were both wanderers in the world. Both of them felt the threat from ''capitalism.'' They realized the


    dangers lurking in society.


    They left Bloomstead alongside Wade''s mother that night. No one knew where they went.


    ...


    The bedroom in Pinewoods Vi was pitch ck, yet there was a faint heavy breathing echoed against


    its walls. Veronica looked at the man beneath her, whimpering, "Matt, I..."


    "You promised me you would be the top. You can''t go back on your word now." The man smirked and


    patted her.


    It had been a month and a half since Veronica received the script, Thus, it was time for the shooting to


    start. That meant the couple wouldn''t be able to spend much time together from now on.


    Matthew was reluctant to be separated from her, hence the release of his wild side until now. Veronica


    couldn''t put up with his tenacious advances anymore and kept begging for mercy. He teased, "If you''re


    on the top, I''ll spare you."


    In order to get some early rest to not bete for the shooting tomorrow, she had no choice but to agree.


    However, she underestimated his self-control. It had already been an hour, and he was not done yet.


    "You..." She was at a loss for words, extremely frustrated.


    Ring, ring, ring¡ª


    At this moment, his phone rang on the table. Her eyes lit up. "Matt, you have an iing call."


    The man demanded, "Leave it. Don''t mind it."


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    J*rk.


    No one answered the phone, but the ringing did not stop there. It continued to ring five or six times until


    it finally ticked Matthew''s nerves off.


    Frowning, he hugged the sleeping woman and picked up the phone. The screen was showing Miguel''s


    number. "It better be urgent."


    The corner of Miguel''s lips twitched as he was embarrassed for interrupting their intimacy moment.


    "Drew is missing."


    "Isn''t he in the hospital?" Matthew asked.


    "He went missing since morning. The nurse received a call from Skyler saying that he had been


    discharged, so she didn''t ask further. When I came to, I couldn''t find him and couldn''t reach him. I''m


    sure he''s missing. I''ve asked my men to look for him."


    "Alright, I''m on my way." Matthew hung up the phone and pinched the women''s cheek. "Rest up. I have


    something to do."

 Chapter 1130

    Chapter 1130


    Chapter 1130 Despair


    Veronica was exhausted and fell asleep immediately. She didn''t catch what Matthew said. Matthew


    drove to Miguel. Matthew asked, "No news about Drew yet?"


    Miguel shook his head.


    "What about Caleb?"


    "Caleb took Naruto abroad over the weekend for a treatment."


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Miguel''s phone suddenly rang. He picked up the call.


    "Mr. Lynch, we have found President Robins. He is drinking at the Twilight Club."


    "Drinking?"


    "Yes, we are keeping an eye on him."


    As soon as the person on the other side of the line finished, Miguel terminated the call. A string of


    curses escaped his lips. "D*mn it! Skyler must''ve gone crazy. He hasn''t recovered and yet, he went to


    drink!"


    The two men got in the car and headed to Twilight Club together. They entered the bustling club and


    went to the second floor, where they found Skyler drinking on a couch.


    There were several empty bottles on the table, and there was a woman next to Skyler, feeding him.


    Behind him stood another one who was massaging his shoulders.


    "Hey, Skyler, you surely can drink." The woman who was feeding him smiled tteringly.


    The room was filled with deafening music as severaldies grooved along it, creating a lively


    atmosphere.


    As soon as the door flung open, Miguel turned on all the lights and walked directly to the jukebox to


    pause the music. All eyes were on them. It became silent out of a sudden.


    The woman who was holding onto Skyler seemed to not recognize Matthew and Miguel. She stared at


    them arrogantly. "Who are you? Who gives you the nerves to act recklessly in the room? Do you know


    who he is? Do you have a death wish¡ªArgh!"


    Unfortunately, Skyler didn''t give her a chance to finish speaking and pped her. The woman lost her


    bnce and fell to the floor from the sofa.


    He shot her a cold gaze. "Get lost!"


    Finally realizing that something was wrong, she covered her face while running out of the private


    lounge with teary eyes.


    The other women exchanged nces before leaving the room in ones and twos. It was alreadyte fall,


    so the temperature difference between day and night was huge.


    Matthew was wearing a ck casual suit with his hands in his pockets. Standing, he stared at Skyler


    with a frown. "Are you in a hurry to hell?"


    Skyler nced at the two of themzily, after which he bent over to hold the ss on the table. He


    downed everything, ignoring them.


    Miguel couldn''t stand it anymore. He walked up to Skyler to hurl the ss away. "Are you outta your


    mind? Don''t you know what kind of state you are right now? If you want to die, there are better ways to


    do it."


    Skyler paused for a moment, annoyed. "Keep your nose out of this."


    "You..." Miguel was rendered speechless.


    On the other hand, Matthew took a seat next to Skyler. "You got a fight with Shirley¡ª"


    Before he could finish his words, Skyler raised his voice. "Don''t mention her name!"


    Skyler became extremely sensitive about Shirley''s affairs to the point where he didn''t even want to hear


    her name.


    Miguel and Matthew exchanged looks as they soon wrapped their heads around the situation. Miguel


    sat down on the nearby couch and poured two sses of wine. He handed one to Matthew and took a


    sip himself. He inquired, "What exactly happened? Tell us."


    "Nothing." Skyler stood up. "We broke up. Don''t bring her name up in my face anymore. I''m leaving."

 Chapter 1131

    Chapter 1131


    Chapter 1131 They¡¯re on Their Own


    Skyler walked away with staggering feet. His pace was much slower, indicating his unhealed injuries.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "Matthew, look at him..."


    Miguel, who didn''t know what to say, gazed at Matthew.


    Matthew sighed. "We can''t help him when ites to matters of feelings. If he can''t handle the issues


    between the Robins and Shirley, it''s better for both of them to break up."


    Miguel deemed Matthew''s rational analysis to make sense. "You''re right."


    The two of them got up and left the club, intending to send Skyler home. As soon as they stepped out


    of the club, they saw him driving away, leaving them no chance to catch up.


    "What should we do?" Miguel anxiously ran his hand through his hair and let out a long sigh.


    Matthew simply replied, "Let him be."


    No one could help Skyler and Shirley with their rtionship issues. They were on their own.


    Miguel nodded helplessly. "Alright, I''m leaving."


    "Is Eleanor adapting well at your ce?" Seeing Miguel getting ready to leave, Matthew casually asked


    a few questions.


    Eleanor had been with Miguel for over a month as of today. Matthew was worried that her temper


    would cause him trouble.


    Helplessness washed over Miguel at the mention of thatdy. He pushed his frameless spectacles.


    "I''ve never met such a hot-tempereddy before."


    "If she''s causing you trouble..." Matthew''s expression turned serious. "If that''s the case, I''ll call her


    tomorrow and tell her not to go."


    "It''s not that serious." Miguel waved his hand, thinking of something hrious. "I took her to a client the


    other day. You know, men are easily attracted to her looks. The CEO of Frozen Green Company took a


    liking to her and touched her waist, only to have Eleanor break his arm. The old man fell to his knees in


    pain.


    "There were over a dozen CEOs on the asion. After witnessing how fierce she was, none of them


    dared to make a move on her. Speaking of which, a few CEOs even want to coborate with me and


    use Eleanor as leverage."


    Miguel nudged Matthew''s arm. "I''m hesitating whether to ept the deal or not."


    Matthew gave Miguel a meaningful look. "It''s not impossible."


    With that, he strode away without continuing further. Miguel stood there, confused. "What does he


    mean by that? Is that a green light?"


    Matthew marched forward without looking back. He raised his hand and made an ''OK'' sign.


    Driving back to Pinewoods Vi, Matthew went upstairs to the bedroom where Veronica was lying on


    the bed, reading a script.


    She had a shower. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she was wearing a beige satin


    camisole, which entuated her fair skin and cherry-red lips. She was irresistibly gorgeous.


    He approached her and looked at her lying on her stomach. He was about to say something when he


    noticed that she had fallen asleep.


    Smiling helplessly, he carefully took the script away and gently covered her with a nket. Next, he


    went to his study to work.


    The next morning, Veronica woke up early when Matthew was still asleep. She turned to the side to


    admire his features, indulging in the peaceful moment.


    After barely a few seconds of admiration, he pulled her into his embrace. "Come closer so you can take


    a closer look."


    It turned out that he had already woken up. She chuckled, hugging Matthew''s waist. "It''s still early. Let''s


    sleep in a little longer."


    He opened his eyes, watching Veronica in close proximity. He nted soft kisses on her lips. "I want to


    sleep with you."


    Veronica went red. "Get your mind out of the gutter. By the way, what happened to Skyler yesterday?"

 Chapter 1132

    Chapter 1132


    Chapter 1132 Shirley Left


    "It must be a fight with Shirley. It could be that he failed to convince the Robins to ept her or for


    some other reason. The two of them had a big fight and broke up," Matthew elucidated.


    Veronica rested her head on his arm and thought for a moment. "I''ll ask Shirleyter."


    "Okay." Matthew agreed as his gaze traced to her loose and messy pajamas, which was fazing him. "Is


    it time to solve your husband''s problem now?"


    Speechless, she was on the verge of going crazy. Why is he never out of energy?!


    Her rosy lips curved upward tteringly. "Close your eyes first."


    Matthew raised an eyebrow. "Roni, is this a new game? Alright. I''m curious to see what surprise you


    have for me today." He tapped the tip of her nose before closing his eyes.


    Pursing her lips, she sat up. Matthew guessed she was going to finish their unfinished business from


    last night, so he let go of her.


    To his surprise, she seized the opportunity to lift the nket and quickly ran to the bathroom.


    Matthew reached out to grab her. The hem of her nightgown skimmed across his fingertips. He


    watched as she went into the bathroom and locked the door,ughing heartily. Her cheerfulughter


    infected him, elevating his mood as well.


    The next morning, Veronica contacted Shirley, but the line couldn''t get through. It was then that she


    noticed an unread text message from Shirley.


    ''Roni, when you see this message, I have already left Bloomstead. I know that my body and looks


    cannot be recovered. I don''t want to stay in Bloomstead either. I am afraid of meeting the people I know


    here, so I guess it''s better to go to a new ce and start life anew.


    ''In a strange ce, where no one knows me; where I am not afraid of those weird looks from others. I


    will be able to live more freely. And I still have the money you gave me before, the money you gave me


    is enough for me to spend a lifetime, so please don''t worry about me.


    ''Leaving Bloomstead is a decision I made after careful consideration. I hope you won''t track me down


    just to look for me. Please stay out of my life. I know that you have always taken care of me like a


    sister. If you really do so, please don''t look for me anymore.


    ''As for me, I will start a new life in a new ce while wishing you all the best.


    ''Roni, I wish you and President Kings. We shall meet again if fate allows.''


    It was a long message. A pang of sadness hit Veronica as she read it. She couldn''t help but think of the


    letter Mateo left for her when he left the hidden n.


    Life was full of encounters and farewells, and what she least wished for was a farewell.


    The ones she considered as kindreds were Yvonne and Shirley.


    Yvonne left without goodbye for over a year, and Veronica didn''t know when she would be able to meet


    Shirley again.


    After much hesitation, Veronica called Matthew. "Matt, Shirley left."


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "Again?" It was not Shirley''s first time. Based on his previous experience, Matthew figured that she


    wouldn''t go far this time. "Don''t worry, I''ll ask Thomas to send someone to find her."


    Veronica sighed heavily and shook her head. "No. There''s no need for that. She sent me a long


    message when she left. She has made up her mind to leave. What she said is right, she can never


    recover her looks and body. The Robins won''t ept a poor girl with a disfigured face. It may not be


    bad for her to leave."

 Chapter 1133

    Chapter 1133


    Chapter 1133 Miguel Gets Beaten Up


    Due to their noble status, the Robins would never ept her.


    Veronica felt sorry for Shirley, but she was aware that Shirley wouldn''t be happy staying in Bloomstead.


    On the other end of the line, Matthew remained silent for a long time. "What should I say if Skyler


    asks?"


    "If Skyler asks you to look for her, you can agree but don''t actually send anyone to look for her." She


    reclined on the couch as the dilemma set in her. "It''s almost impossible for them to stay together. And


    there''s Sofia between them. It''s good that she left. Besides, she still has thepensation I gave her.


    She''ll be fine. Let''s just let things take their course."


    Veronica personally handed the money to Shirley. However, she didn''t know that Shirley actually threw


    away the credit card in a fit of pique upon realizing that there was no chance of recovery.


    Neither did she know that Shirley spent a long time searching for it under the pressure of getting


    threatened by Sofia. In the end, Shirley couldn''t find it anywhere.


    Veronica didn''t look into the matter, so she naturally didn''t know about Shirley being threatened by


    Sofia.


    With that, the matter came to an end.


    "I''ll do as you say," Matthew responded, holding his phone in one hand and flipping through documents


    with the other. "I''ll be busy for now. Rest up. The filing starts tomorrow, so I''ll finish my work ande


    back early to apany you."


    "Okay." Veronica sounded cheerful as she hung up the phone in a good mood.


    Mncholy seeped into her for a while because of Shirley''s situation, but she didn''t dwell on it and


    continued to study the script.


    Meanwhile, Matthew, who was at thepany, buried himself in his work and didn''t even have time to


    eat lunch until noon.


    He finished going through the documents at 2.30PM. He stood up to give his body a stretch. The lunch


    prepared by Thomas was left untouched on the table.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Matthew nced at his watch and finally decided to return home to keep Veronicapany. He


    wouldn''t know when he would see her again once the filming started.


    Bang!


    Just then, the door was kicked open. Miguel, dressed in a white suit, took angry strides toward


    Matthew. He pointed to his own broken ss and the streak of blood adorning his lips. "Look, look at


    what you''ve done!"


    Matthew, who was putting on his coat,ughed. "You got beaten up and came to me. What''s the


    matter? You''re the big brother and you need my support?"


    Miguel was the oldest amongst them, but he was only a few months older than Matthew.


    "What support? Last night, I mentioned that a few people were interested in Eleanor and I asked if


    you''re considering sending her away. It was a joke, but you agreed. Today, I took her to a client''s


    meeting. The owner of Smokey Corporation liked her. He''s a talented, young man, so I thought he


    would be a good match. I agreed. I thought I was being a good matchmaker, but then Eleanor beat me


    up! And this is all your d*mn fault!" Miguel misunderstood Matthew''s intentions.


    He thought that Matthew intended to seek a good match for Eleanor from the people he worked with.


    Who knew that he would be beaten up by the hot-tempered Eleanor?


    Matthew''s hand, which was adjusting his cor, paused. He burst intoughter. "Your thoughts are wild,


    huh?"


    "What do you mean?" Miguel red at Matthew. His hair was messy and the shattered lens made him


    look both disheveled and hrious.


    "Can''t you realize that it was a joke?" Matthew patted Miguel''s shoulder. "Good luck, dude."


    "You¡ª"


    Bang!


    Before Miguel could say anything else, the office door was booted open again.

 Chapter 1134

    Chapter 1134


    Chapter 1134 Eleanor is Chasing After Him


    The iing visitor was none other than Eleanor!


    She was in a stunning red pleated dress with curly hair. She approached them in an imposing manner.


    "Miguel Lynch!" She pointed at Miguel. "Let''s see where you can escape to!"


    The thought of him matching her with another man during lunch for business infuriated her. She wished


    she could tear him apart at this instant.


    Miguel turned his head only to see her furious look. Scared, he immediately hid behind Matthew. He


    pointed at Matthew and exined, "This really has nothing to do with me. Matthew made me do it."


    The innocent Miguel attempted to put the me on Matthew.


    Thetter shook his head and shrugged. "I know nothing. It has nothing to do with me."


    Whenever it came to betraying his close friends, he showed no mercy.


    Eleanor red at Matthew. She removed her sunsses and hurled them onto the floor, snorting. "If


    this has anything to do with you, Matthew Kings, I won''t let you off either!"


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    As the leader of the hidden n, she was actually ''sold'' when she came to Bloomstead. She would


    never condone that.


    She walked up to Matthew, and her gaze shifted to Miguel. "Are youing or do I have to drag you


    out?"


    She rested her hands on her hips, standing two meters away from Matthew. It seemed like she


    wouldn''t back down until she sent Miguel to the emergency room.


    Miguel took a few steps back while telling Matthew off, "Matthew Kings, how could you do this to your


    friend! You told me to do it yesterday."


    Matthew stood straight, calmly adjusting his suit. "Miguel, stop making baseless usations." He


    raised his eyebrows at Miguel and shed a smile as if he didn''t mind the trouble.


    "F*ck!" Miguel stomped his feet in the face of Matthew''s brazen response. Unfortunately, he did not


    have any evidence.


    Under the desire to survive through hell, he wore an innocent face. "My queen, I was wrong, it''s all my


    fault."


    He mustered every ounce of courage he had just to keep himself from running away. "I won''t run away.


    I''ll stand right here, so hit me however you want. But..."


    He paused before pleading pitifully, "Can you not hit my face?"


    Eleanor beat up Miguel and the owner of Smokey Corporation. She was hot on Miguel''s heels all the


    way to Matthew''spany. If they couldn''t put an end to it here, she might chase him to the ends of


    the earth.


    Her cheeks turned slightly red with anger. She rolled up her sleeves and marched forward to throw a


    punch at him.


    Before her fist touched Miguel, Matthew grabbed it with his bare hand. "Stop!"


    "Let go of me!" She frowned while staring at him. "If you don''t let me go, I''ll turn you into a punchbag


    too."


    Eleanor had never really fought Matthew before. Although she didn''t know her chance of winning


    against him, she deemed it impossible to keep a lid on the intense fury that was boiling in her.


    Miguel was no match for Eleanor. That was why he was being chased and beaten so miserably.


    "Have you ever tried to listen to Miguel?" Matthew looked at her. "I think you''re misunderstanding


    something."


    Turning a blind eye to his friend''s misery was a joke. How could he sit back and watch her beat up


    Miguel?


    Amongst them all, Miguel was the weakest. He was simply no match for Eleanor. If she chased and


    beat him like this, with her temperament, she wouldn''t stop until he was taken to the hospital for


    emergency treatment.

 Chapter 1135

    Chapter 1135


    Chapter 1135 A Miserable Man


    "What''s the misunderstanding?" Eleanor struggled to free her wrist from his grip, indignant. "He ''sold''


    me to his business partner for a business deal. He used me as a bargaining chip to get the deal. I can


    never put up with this humiliation!"


    She grew more and more agitated as her voice echoed in the office.


    Matthew sympathized Miguel. "You misunderstood. He was trying to introduce you to a talented, young


    man. You''re not young anymore. It might be better for you to get a partner."


    "Bullsh*t!" Her words were vulgar. Clearly, she was extremely angry and wasn''t buying it.


    "That guy has been Miguel''s business partner for seven or eight years long.. Do you think he has any


    reason to sell you off? In terms of assets alone, the other party is not evenparable to Miguel."


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "I don''t believe it!" she growled, despite his effort to exin Miguel''s stance.


    "Come with me." He pulled her toward the desk to show her some confidential documents. "Look.


    Miguel has been coborating with him for eight years. They are also friends."


    The confidential information morphed her doubts into trust. Now that she finally believed him, Matthew


    let go of her hand.


    Still, the ire in her did not subside as she swung her fist at him. "So, it was all your idea!"


    He grabbed her fist again. "It''s all for your own good. After you came to Bloomstead, you had no family,


    only us friends. If you find a good partner, he might be able to bring you the happiness of another kind."


    "That''s gibberish." Eleanor''s speech had be more vulgar ever since she came to Bloomstead.


    She was extremely vexed. "You just think that I like you and are afraid of being misunderstood by


    Veronica, so you''re trying everything to push me away. Hmph! You name your selfishness so noble. It''s


    hypocritical."


    "It doesn''t matter what you think." Matthew couldn''t be bothered to exin. "But Miguel is innocent."


    Miguel finally breathed a sigh of relief and muttered, "At least you still think of me as a friend."


    He massaged his sore mouth, sighing helplessly. "Eleanor, Matthew isn''t lying. I can prove it."


    "All of you are bad!" Eleanor stomped hard on Matthew''s instep with her heels before storming out of


    the office.


    Matthew winced in pain, watching her m the door and leave.


    The space regained its peace. Seeing that he was in pain, Miguel couldn''t help butugh. "Feels good,


    doesn''t it? If you''re asking for my advice, you should quickly get rid of her. I''m really scared. You didn''t


    see how she punched me today, she literally wanted to tear me apart."


    Matthew sat on the chair, ncing at Miguel. "Next time, use your brain. Don''t you know what kind of


    person Eleanor is? You''re lucky that she didn''t kill you this time."


    Yesterday''s words were clearly a joke, but Miguel took it the wrong way. That was why things ended up


    this way.


    "I... I just wanted to find her a partner. If she has one, she won''t bother you. And Veronica will have


    peace of mind." Miguel intended goodwill. "You''re going to announce your divorce to the public, and


    Veronica will be joining the shoot in a couple of days. Once she''s not by your side, think about it, will


    she feel at ease with Eleanor by your side?"


    "Mind your own business." Matthew stood up. "If you ain''t that busy, find yourself a partner instead. It''s


    pointless to worry about all those things."

 Chapter 1136

    Chapter 1136


    Chapter 1136 Drink


    Matthew left the office. Miguel followed suit, muttering in a grievance, "You''re barking up the wrong


    tree. I''m doing this for your own good."


    They took the elevator to the underground parking lot and then drove away.


    On the other side, Eleanor left Metric Technology and drove alone on the street. Feeling extremely


    upset, she called Troy. "I want to drink."


    Troy sensed that something was wrong. "Where are you?"


    "I''m..." Eleanor looked around and shouted, "How would I know where I am? I''m not familiar with


    Bloomstead. I''ll send you my location."


    After hanging up the phone, she opened WhatsApp to share her location. He arrived soon. He found


    her sitting on a bench by the river, surprised to see that she was crying.


    Having seen and gotten used to her cold and prideful demeanor ever since day one, he never expected


    to see her cry.


    "Why are you crying? Who bullied you?" He leaned over slightly and tilted his head to check on her.


    Eleanor appeared pitiful and vulnerable with those red, teary eyes.


    "Who else could it be? It''s your boss and Miguel Lynch." She stood up abruptly. "Be my drinking buddy


    for the day."


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "The bars are not open for business at this hour. Where do you wanna drink?"


    "At home." Grabbing Troy''s tie, she pulled him into the car. They drove back to Axies Vi in no time.


    She had the chef prepare lunch. Sitting in the dining room, she opened several bottles of red wine in


    one go. She poured Troy a full ss and clinked the sses before downing the entire drink.


    Bang!


    She mmed the table in fury. "Why does Miguel want to sell me off to someone else? Did I give my


    consent to that? It''s simply outrageous! And your boss¡ªMatthew Kings¡ªthat bastard took advantage


    of my affection for him. He actually conspired with Miguel to sell me off. They are so cruel¡­"


    Troy kept silent in utter confusion. What''s going on?


    While listening to Eleanor''sints, he discreetly sent a message to Matthew, demanding an


    exnation.


    Soon, Matthew sent a voice message. In case she might overhear it, Troy converted the voice


    message into text and finally understood the whole story.


    "I think... you have misunderstood Boss. Whether it''s Mr. Lynch or Boss, they are not the kind of people


    who forsake loyalty for personal gain. I''ve known them for over a decade, and I can vouch for that with


    my life." Troy assured her.


    "My *ss! You guys are no less different. If I had known this, I should make sure none of you escape


    from the hidden n."


    It seems like things have gotten out of hand, he guessed. He couldn''t help but swallow nervously as he


    dared not provoke Eleanor. He held a ss of wine and downed it in one gulp.


    After finishing the wine, he sighed and continued, "Watch yournguage."


    Recently, Eleanor had been studying business with Miguel during the day while Troy apanied her


    during her free time.


    Thus, Troy witnessed firsthand how Eleanor gradually became harsher with her words. He was aware


    that she heard and picked up a lot of foulnguage.


    "Who are you to judge me? Let''s drink." She continued to fill his wine ss.


    Just like that, they spent their time drinking.

 Chapter 1137

    Chapter 1137


    Chapter 1137 I¡¯m Leaving


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Are you aware of the value of the vi you''re living in? It''s worth 750 million to 1.5 billion. If Boss really


    intends to sell you off, would he give you this vi? Also, he lets you learn from Mr. Lynch so that you


    know how to run apany and eventually take over thepanies under your name. What do you


    think¡ª"


    "Shut up and drink!" Eleanor interrupted before Troy could finish.


    She poured another ss of wine for him and herself. They clinked their sses and finished their


    shots as though they were drinking right out of beer sses.


    The chef concocted a few more dishes and ced them on the dining table before leaving the vi with


    the maids, leaving Troy and Eleanor in the vi alone.


    The two of them, both with high alcohol tolerance, chewed the fat while drinking. They finished more


    than ten bottles of red wine in an hour and a half.


    ...


    Back at Pinewoods Vi, Veronica and Matthew had their breakfast early in the morning. Looking at


    him with a heavy heart, she approached him to give him a hug. "I''m leaving."


    He ced his hands on her lower back and gazed at the woman in his arms, smiling affectionately.


    "You''ve been studying the script for over a month just to perform better on set. Do your best and don''t


    leave any regrets."


    "I don''t want to leave you, what should I do?" She pouted before rolling her eyes. "It''s all your fault for


    insisting on announcing our divorce to the public. You can''t visit me on set now."


    "If we didn''t announce the divorce, people will definitely use that you got the role because of your


    connections. No matter how hard you work, others see you as someone that pulls strings rather than


    an actress with potential." Matthew reassured her with her justification.


    In fact, he hoped that Veronica would leave Pinewoods Vi and start filming as soon as possible.


    That way, the public would think that they were separated for a long time, adding more credits to their


    divorce. vian wouldn''t keep an eye on Veronica too.


    "Alright, you have a point." She sighed. "We probably won''t see each other for a long time from today


    onwards. Matt, you have to be careful of Conrad."


    Ever since they returned from the hidden n, Conrad had been living a very low-key life and hadn''t


    made any moves in secret. Veronica could hardly believe that.


    She said worriedly, "It has been quiet. Something must be going on."


    Matthew chuckled at Veronica''s statement and leaned over, resting his forehead against hers. "My dear


    wife, are you worried about me?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" She red at him. "You''re the father of my child. If I don''t care about you, who else


    would I care about?"


    She leaned against Matthew''s chest and closed her eyes to listen to the sound of his heartbeat.


    He wrapped his arm around her waist and ran his hand through her hair. "I won''t send you off to the set


    today. Remember, you cane back anytime if you''re not happy about the environment. Your


    husband can support you."


    It was said on purpose, but he knew Veronica''s personality very well. Once she set her mind on


    something, she wouldn''t give up until she achieved her goal.


    "Okay, I''ll keep that in mind." She nodded. "I''ll probably be gone for at least a month. What should I do


    if I miss you?"


    "Should I go to the set to see you?"


    "Forget it. You announced our ''divorce'' to let me join showbiz. If you go to the set to see me, that would


    be going against your intention." She straightened up and kissed him on the cheek, standing on her


    tiptoes. "I''lle to you when I miss you."

 Chapter 1138

    Chapter 1138


    Chapter 1138 Excessive Drinking


    The lovey-dovey couple was reluctant to leave each other.


    "Hmm?" Veronica tilted her head and raised her head slightly, meekly demanding a response from


    Matthew.


    In the face of such adorable sight, he couldn''t help but lower his head and kissed her cheek. Then, he


    leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I can''t bear to be without you either. How about not going?


    That way, I can see you every night and not miss you."


    "Nice try!" She chuckled lightly. "I''ve memorized the script and even took extra sses with a teacher. It


    would be a waste if I don''t go for the shoot. Let''s go."


    "I''ll walk you there." Matthew held her luggage and held her hand, walking towards the car parked in


    the yard. The red Chevrolet seemed out of ce at Pinewoods Vi.


    He asked again, "Do you want to change a car?"


    "As long as there''s a car to drive, why bother changing? Besides, I''m just a supporting role. Do I need


    to make a big fuss and drive a different car? Forget it, I don''t like to stand out," Veronica decisively


    refused.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Matthew deemed it unbing of him if he persuaded her further, so he put the luggage in the trunk.


    He turned to look at Veronica again. The morning sun shone on her, casting a golden halo on her,


    taking her beauty to another level.


    He put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her in her ck casual outfit. With her hair tied in a


    ponytail, her simple and clean attire made her look exceptionally elegant and charming. He couldn''t


    help but sigh. "Roni is gorgeous. It makes me feel insecure. What should I do?"


    She burst intoughter at his teasing and yfully pped him on the shoulder. "Stop fooling around.


    Be serious." With that, she waved her hand and bid goodbye, "I''m leaving, bye."


    She quickly got into the car and drove away in a cloud of dust. The whole process was swift and


    decisive, without any hesitation. Such determination seemed to show no attachment to Matthew.


    Little did he know that Veronica was reluctant to leave him. The more she hesitated, the less willing she


    was to leave. Hence, it was better to leave quickly.


    Watching the car gradually disappear, Thomas walked over. "Boss, are you really not going to send


    Mrs. Kings off?"


    "With so many eyes watching, how can I send her off?" Matthew sighed deeply, furrowing his brows


    even tighter.


    Of course, he wanted to send her to the shoot, but he was aware of those watchful eyes on them.


    Therefore, not sending her to the set was the best option.


    "Get a few reliable people to secretly protect her," Matthew instructed with concern.


    "Yes, Boss," Thomas responded and immediately went on to make arrangements.


    On the other side, Eleanor and Troy were lying on the messy bed at Axies Vi.


    It wasn''t until the morning sunlight cascaded through the window and fell on their faces that the two of


    them gradually woke up from their slumber.


    "Ouch!" The severe headache from excessive drinking made her groan as she rubbed her head.


    At this moment, her arm identally bumped into someone. She was a little dazed for a moment, and


    the next second, she suddenly opened her eyes.


    At the same time, Troy also opened his eyes. The two of them locked eyes, and even the air seemed to


    freeze.


    Two secondster, she shrieked and booted him off bed. "You b*stard! Did you take advantage of me


    while I was drunk?!"


    "Oh, f*ck!" Troy, who was mercilessly kicked out of bed, fell onto the ground and rolled over. His butt


    hurt.

 Chapter 1139

    Chapter 1139


    Chapter 1139 I¡¯m Going Crazy


    Upon the sudden chill, Troy found himself wearing only a pair of boxers. He frowned and looked at


    himself before ncing at Eleanor, trying to recall what happened yesterday.


    However¡­


    All he could remember was drinking with her in the living room yesterday and then helping her back to


    the bedroom.


    Then...


    D*mn it! I cked out after that!


    Eleanor, who sat on the bed, lifted the nket slightly. She was shocked to find that she was d only


    in her undergarments. Her mind went nk. What happened yesterday? What exactly happened?


    She covered her forehead and sighed. She then pointed at the door. "Get out!"


    Extremely embarrassed, he immediately picked up his pants from the ground to put them on. He


    feigned calmness as he looked at Eleanor. "Um... I''m terribly sorry about yesterday."


    It was all because of the alcohol. Why did I drink so much! he med himself.


    Troy, who had never slept with a woman before, hesitated for a moment and suggested, "I... I will take


    responsibility for you. By the way..."


    He fished out his wallet from his pocket, flipping through it to find three credit cards. He handed them to


    her. "These are the three cards I often use. There is enough money saved over the years to support


    you. You can consider..."


    "Consider what?" She raised her gaze in fury. "Consider marrying you? Are you crazy? Get lost!"


    Troy was taken aback, not knowing how to react. What happenedst night was beyond his


    expectations.


    "I''m warning you, you better forget everything that happened yesterday," Eleanor warned him.


    He nodded awkwardly. "Don''t worry, I will keep my lips tight. But... think about it carefully. I-If you''re up


    for it, I will definitely take full responsibility."


    He then picked up his shirt in a frantic manner and quickly left the bedroom, closing the door tightly


    behind him.


    Now that she was alone, Eleanor flopped down on the bed, carefully recalling what happened


    yesterday. She waspletely drunk and so did Troy.


    He helped her back to the room, and it seemed like she vomited on him. He went berserk and headed


    for the bathroom to wash the substance off. Then...


    "This is going crazy!" she roared in frustration, covering her head with both hands.


    She drank too muchst night and couldn''t remember anything. Troy couldn''t remember anything


    either.


    In actuality, he helped her back to the bedroom, where she vomited on him. He almost lost it because


    of that. He went to the bathroom to clean himself up and the substance on the floor.


    After everything was settled, he came out of the bathroom when the alcohol kicked in. He took off his


    wet clothes and got into bed.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Eleanor was used to sleeping naked, so she unknowingly took her clothes off while sleeping. That was


    why they ended up in an awkward situation today.


    Yet, neither of them could remember what had happened.


    Troy walked out of the room to primp his clothes, muttering to himself, "Why are my clothes wet?"


    He furrowed his brows while racking his brain.


    Did we get too carried away in the bathroom under the shower, and then rolled onto the bed? That''s


    why my clothes are wet?


    As an afterthought, the furrow between his eyebrows deepened.

 Chapter 1140

    Chapter 1140


    Chapter 1140 Lucky to Be Alive


    Troy pped himself on the face lightly. "Troy Ritter, you are such a sc*mbag. How could you do that?"


    He seemed unable to ept reality. He leaned against the wall of the stairs and hammered the wall.


    "You crazy b*stard! How could you sleep with Eleanor Gomez?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    If this were in the hidden n, she would probably have added him as an extra member of the harem.


    "What did you say? You slept with Eleanor?" Suddenly, a voice resounded.


    Troy immediately turned to look at the iing guest. "Yvette, what are you doing here?"


    Yvette was holding breakfast and standing at the corner of the stairs. Only then did he remember that


    he asked Yvette to bring breakfast to Eleanor''s room every morning because thetter loved chicken


    wraps.


    Who knew he would encounter Yvette like this today?


    Yvette, who had a tall stature and was dressed in professional attire, had short hair that was neatly


    groomed. She gave off a refreshing and capable vibe.


    She stared at Troy with an incredulous look. Upon closer inspection, there was a hint of disappointment


    in her eyes.


    "I didn''t expect you to be such a person." She shot him a disdainful look and went downstairs.


    Troy immediately chased after her and grabbed her. "Wait, wait! Don''t go!"


    He hurriedly blocked her path. "This was an ident. Eleanor was in a bad mood yesterday, and I


    apanied her for a drink. We both drank a bit too much. Naturally, it... it..."


    There was no need to say the rest as both of them understood.


    He pleaded with embarrassment, "Yvette, you must keep this a secret. Otherwise¡­ Otherwise Boss


    will definitely kill me."


    She snorted. "You have to bear the consequences of your own actions."


    Yvette didn''t bother to waste any more time with him. She pushed him away and walked away.


    "Yvette? Yvette Fencer!" Troy called out a few times, but she didn''t look back. He was overwhelmed.


    ...


    In the morning, Matthew was in his office dealing with documents when someone knocked on the door.


    He responded, "Come in."


    The person outside pushed the door open and walked in.


    Matthew looked up and realized that it was Troy. "Why are you here?"


    He then lowered his head to continue reading the documents.


    After returning home and freshening up, Troy finally decided to confront Matthew. Feeling guilty, he


    hesitantly walked to the desk. He stammered, "Boss, I..."


    Troy usually spoke and acted confidently. His hesitance was obviously indicating that something had


    happened.


    Matthew closed the documents and leaned back in his chair. He gave Troy a cold stare. "What''s the


    matter? Fire away."


    "Boss, yesterday... Yesterday, I..." Troy didn''t know how to exin the incident to Matthew. After


    thinking about it, he couldn''te up with a good excuse.


    When Matthew''s expression grew darker, he mustered up his courage and blurted, "Yesterday, Eleanor


    was in a bad mood and called me out for a drink. We were hammered and then somehow, we slept."


    He spoke quickly, afraid that he wouldn''t be able to finish exining the whole situation in time.


    On the other hand, Matthew''s face showed a hint of surprise. He looked at Troy in disbelief. His lips


    slightly parted as he wanted to say something. Yet, he didn''t know what to say.


    In the end, he kneaded his forehead and calmly asked, "What did Eleanor say?"


    "Princess Eleanor told me to get lost." Troy asionally addressed her that way in private to show


    respect.


    Matthew''s eyebrows furrowed. "You''re lucky that she didn''t kill you."

 Chapter 1141

    Chapter 1141


    Chapter 1141 Self-conscience


    "Boss, it''s not entirely my fault. Yesterday, Mr. Lynch offended Princess Eleanor, and she dragged me


    to drink. We drank more than a dozen bottles of red wine like beer." Troy looked innocent.


    Matthew couldn''t help but chuckle. He didn''t say anything. Basically, he didn''t know what to say. After a


    while, he calmly questioned further, "What''s your n?"


    Troy shook his head in confusion. "I don''t know what to do. I told her that I would take responsibility, but


    she just told me to get lost."


    One could never figure out what was on a woman''s mind. He couldn''t figure it out.


    Matthew smiled helplessly. "Let''s end it here. Don''t bring it up again. But if Eleanor asks you to take


    responsibility, what will you do? Marry her?"


    Troy hardly hesitated for a second. "I will bear the responsibility for my own mistakes."


    "Alright, you can go now." Matthew waved Troy off.


    He couldn''t see through Matthew. Eventually, curiosity prompted him to ask, "Boss, do you want me to


    marry Princess Eleanor?"


    "You know that she used to be Princess Eleanor. Do you think she would be interested in you?"


    It was important to have self-conscience. Troy was too overwhelmed to let that fact settle in him.


    "You have a point." An epiphany struck upon him, after which he left the office.


    Silence filled the space. Matthew leaned back in his chair to get an eye-shut. He thought about what


    Troy had said.


    If it weren''t for his joke directed at Miguel''s question that night, things wouldn''t have gone this far.


    On second thought, Eleanor had three husbands in the hidden n. Thus, she might not be overly


    concerned about this matter like other women.


    The thought brought him ease. Matthew hardly had a moment of leisure, so he took out his phone and


    sent a message to Veronica via WhatsApp. ''Have you arrived yet?''


    He also sent a voice message to Miguel. ''Apany Skyler at noon.''


    Shirley left Bloomstead, whereas Skyler was immersed in grief. It would probably take some time for


    him to recover.


    Skyler woke up early and sat on the recliner on the balcony at Robins Residence as if he had lost his


    soul.


    Sofia, who lived under the same roof, walked in with breakfast. She came up to him to ce breakfast


    on the round table. "Skye, have some breakfast."


    He leaned back on the recliner andzily nced at her. "Leave."


    "Alright." She nodded and said, "Call me if you need anything."


    She left his bedroom after that. As soon as she stepped out of the door, she ran into Skyler''s elder


    brother, Zephyr Robins.


    When the two met face to face, their faces showed hints of awkwardness and embarrassment.


    "Good morning," greeted Zephyr.


    Sofia reciprocated, "Morning."


    The two of them just passed by each other without saying much. Sofia, who headed downstairs,


    rubbed her belly. Baby, don''t worry. I will be able to marry into the Robins Family.


    ...


    Veronica hit the road early in the morning and arrived at Lothen Production City two hourster.


    She parked her car in the parking lot and contacted Larry. "Hey, Crazy. I''m at the set. Are you here?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    The background sounded noisy on the other end of the line. Larry said loudly, "I''m at the airport, on my


    way to Castron. I probably won''t be back for a while. Just focus on acting. If you have any problems,


    just let me know."


    "Okay."

 Chapter 1142

    Chapter 1142


    Chapter 1142 Eviette


    Veronica pouted, a little disappointed. She chatted with Larry for a few minutes before hanging up the


    phone.


    After all, it was her first time officially joining a filming crew. She was wet behind her ears and knew no


    one on set, hence the nervousness.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She got out of the car in sunsses and a mask to walk to the staff members.


    Lothen was thergest production city in the country. It was her first time here. She called the director


    and followed his directions only to find the crew at Eastern Peace Pce.


    "Who are you? We''re filming here, you can''te in."


    Veronica was immediately stopped by a member as she was about to enter the ce. She exined


    immediately, "I just contacted Sam. I''m an actress."


    "An actress?" The person nced over her shoulder. "Just you?"


    Actors who came to set would at least have one or two assistants even if their agents were not with


    them. The fact that she came alone was suspicious.


    Veronica noticed his doubt. "I didn''t bring an assistant. It''s just me, Veronica Murphy."


    Beforeing here, Matthew had asked her if she needed an assistant. She thought that it would be


    too ostentatious for a newbie to bring an assistant to the set.


    "Alright,e in." He let her in.


    She scrutinized the area, realizing that an opening ceremony was going on. It was crowded.


    Veronica figured that it had nothing to do with her because only the leading casts were needed. She


    turned around to find a vacant space to rest.


    With that one sweep of nce, she saw a familiar face¡ªMia Stuart!


    Veronica couldn''t help the astonishment. "She''s here too?"


    She once met Mia when she was a model at Starshine. Mia was the top star of the agency. She


    happened to dislike Veronica and made things difficult for Veronica.


    Mia made Veronica her personal assistant to apany her to a fashion show in Castron.


    Unbeknownst to Mia, that was where Veronica met Larry.


    Mia gambled 60 thousand bucks that Veronica wouldn''t be able to get a signed picture from him.


    Not only did Veronica win the bet like a breeze, but Larry also even made things difficult for Mia in


    public. In the end, Mia lost 60 thousand that day.


    The bad blood was made from that day onward.


    Later, Matthew pretended to break up with her and threatened to make it difficult for her to get a living.


    Helpless, Veronica worked at a car dealership.


    At that time, Mia, who had hooked up with a wealthy man, came to Veronica''s workce and took a


    liking to an expensive car.


    A brazen Mia used Veronica of being disrespectful to customers, forcing Veronica to p herself.


    Mia even said that she would buy the car as long as Veronica did as she said.


    Veronica was unaware that Crayson forced Matthew to break up with her. Thus, in order to make a


    living, she really pped herself hard. Mia shared the video online, but it was quickly taken down by


    someone.


    Mia could only bite the bullet and buy the sedan. Thanks to that, Veronica received amission. With


    the money in hands, she deemed it worth the p.


    "Oh my god! It''s Eviette Robins! She''s drop-dead gorgeous."


    "She''s been out of the spotlight for years, and she''s finally back to acting. I''m thrilled!"


    "She''s so elegant. I really hope I can be as talented as her in the future."


    "Look, Eviette standing next to Mia. Mia''s nothingpared to Eviette."

 Chapter 1143

    Chapter 1143


    Chapter 1143 Identity Exposed


    "I heard that Mia''s acting isme."


    "Although she is a famous model, she is still considered a neer in the film industry."


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "Yes, that''s right."


    ...


    Several people were gushing beside Veronica. Eviette''s name somehow rang a bell.


    Veronica took a closer look at the tall woman beside Mia. The woman was d in a light green dress


    was Eviette.


    Eviette went to the One Piece Restaurant with Matthew, so Veronica had a brief encounter with her.


    That was why she couldn''t recognize Eviette immediately.


    Veronica was confused.


    "Isn''t Eviette establishing her ownpany? Why did shee to the set?" she pretended to be


    gossiping and asked the person next to her.


    The girl next to her immediately smiled. "She not only has excellent acting skills, but she also manages


    her ownpany. And don''t be fooled by her gentle appearance. She is a martial arts champion. She''s


    impressive. Acting is just her hobby. In fact, she doesn''t really need to make money from acting."


    The girl seemed to admire Eviette so much that she couldn''t stop praising Eviette.


    "I see." Veronica nodded as sheprehended the situation.


    As the saying went, birds of a feather flock together.


    Matthew himself was excellent. It was no wonder that his friends were outstanding individuals too.


    As the girl mentioned, Eviette might appear demure, but she was actually highly skilled in acting;


    business; and martial arts champion. One shouldn''t judge a book by its cover.


    After the opening ceremony, the filming officially began. The main actors went to their respective


    dressing rooms. Veronica found a cooling ce to rest after reporting herself to the director.


    Just as she sat under the shade of a tree, watching the rows of ants on the ground, a pair of shoes


    stopped in front of her. It was Mia Stuart.


    "It''s you, huh?"


    Mia yed the role of Jade Garcia, the daughter of the prime minister in ''The General''s Lonely


    Daughter.'' She was the second female lead in the drama.


    She tied part of her hair into a bun with the rest of her tress cascaded to her waist. She had on a pink


    dress and wide sleeves that came with blue edges, as well as a pair of pink shoes.


    She had light makeup to match the image of the second female lead.


    Veronica was only wearing a mask, so Mia recognized her at a nce. Mia clucked her tongue. "What


    a turn of events. Matthew treated you with great importance when you were together. Look at where


    you''re at today. He abandoned you! Do you really think that your looks could secure you the position of


    Mrs. Kings? What a joke!"


    Her voice wasn''t loud, but it was enough for the surrounding extras and staff members to hear what


    she said.


    "Is that Veronica Murphy? Matthew Kings'' ex-wife?"


    "Really? Is that true?"


    "A wealthy and powerfuldy from a prominent family is willingly ying a supporting role?"


    "The table has turned."


    "When Matthew was announced died back then. Could she have intentionally killed him to inherit all of


    his money, but then he came back to life and kicked her out?"


    Everyone shifted their attention to Veronica with eyes of disdain, mockery, contempt, and indifference.


    None of them sympathized with her.


    Veronica merely nced indifferently at her and left. It was a waste of time to talk to someone like Mia.


    "Stop! Who said you could leave?" Mia immediately shouted.

 Chapter 1144

    Chapter 1144


    Chapter 1144 Meeting Melvin


    Despite hearing Mia''s voice, Veronica didn''t turn around.


    She never expected to meet Mia here, which was truly a headache.


    However, because of her words just now, many people discovered Veronica''s identity and started to


    gossip about her.


    As she was walking, someone suddenly tapped her shoulder. "Hey!"


    Hearing the voice, she stopped and turned around with slightly furrowed brows. "You are¡­" She


    pointed at the man in front of her in surprise, recognizing him but couldn''t remember his name.


    "Melvin Winson."


    The man smiled modestly. "You looked familiar so I thought I mistook you for someone else. I didn''t


    expect it to be you! What are you doing here?"


    Melvin had a seemingly incredulous expression on his face, but there was a hint of cunningness in his


    eyes that was hard to detect.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The reason he showed up here was naturally because he knew she was here.


    "I auditioned for a supporting role in this crew. How about you?" Veronica felt incredulous.


    She originally thought she wouldn''t know anyone on set for ''The General''s Lonely Daughter'', but


    unexpectedly, she first bumped into Mia Stuart, then met Eviette Robins, and now Melvin Winson.


    He was the man she identally hit in the car ident the other day.


    "I am Camden Sullivan'' assistant." After saying that, he asked, "Can I get your number?"


    Camden was the male lead in ''The General''s Lonely Daughter'', and Melvin was currently his assistant.


    "Get my¡­ number?" Veronica found his request to be quite abrupt.


    Seemingly understanding her reaction, he immediately smiled while exining, "You helped me pay


    hundreds of dors in the hospital that day, and I''ve been wanting to pay you back but couldn''t contact


    you. I didn''t expect to meet you here today, so I wanted to pay you first."


    The car ident had happened more than a month ago, and Veronica didn''t really mind paying for him.


    With a wave of the hand, she declined his offer. "I was responsible for the car ident that day, so the


    medical expenses should be paid by me. You don''t have to repay me."


    "I''ve never liked owing favors to others. You make me feel guilty by doing this." He sighed, "But since


    you are an actress in the crew, I will invite you to a meal as a token of gratitude when an opportunity


    arises."


    "Sure. Sounds good," Veronica readily agreed.


    "Then shall we..."


    Melvin wanted to add on, but someone behind him angrily scolded, "Melvin Winson, are you here to


    work? I brought you here as my assistant, not to chat with others!"


    When they turned around, they noticed a man dressed in a ck girdle standing behind them. He had


    his long hair tied up high. Paired with his handsome and elegant appearance, he resembled a male


    lead in ancient dramas.


    Veronica had seen him on TV before. He was originally a singer who debuted in the group, Dynamic


    101, andter transitioned to an actor.


    Perhaps because of his extremely good looks or maybe due to luck, even though his acting skills were


    mediocre in a web drama, he became popr overnight.


    Due to his matching personal image to the male protagonist of ''The General''s Lonely Daughter'', Sam


    chose him as the male lead.


    "Oh,ing," Melvin responded before hurriedly saying to Veronica. "Sorry, I have to go now. Catch up


    with youter."


    "Go ahead." Veronica Murphy nodded.


    Then, he offered her an awkward smile and immediately ran toward Camden. "Sorry for the dy. I met


    an acquaintance."


    Camden possessed the aura of a top star and nced coldly at Veronica while reprimanding Melvin in


    a cold voice, "If you get distracted one more time, you should just get lost! You have no sense of


    judgment and only know how to ck. Hurry up and buy me a pack of cigarettes."

 Chapter 1145

    Chapter 1145


    Chapter 1145 Deliberately Keeping a Secret


    "Alright, Camden. I''ll get them right away."


    Camden had no idea about Melvin''s true identity. In fact, no one in the entire crew knew his true identity


    apart from Eviette.


    Hence, Camden was extremely arrogant toward Melvin, and even though Melvin couldn''t bear it


    anymore, he thought it was a good idea for Veronica to see him being scolded by Camden.


    At least, she would have more sympathy for him, thus bringing them closer.


    Without dy, Melvin immediately went to buy the items for Camden. Watching his back, Veronica


    inexplicably felt the bitterness of working at the bottom of society.


    It was quite miserable to be scolded after only having a quick chat with her.


    As she was pondering, Camden walked up to her, crossed his arms, and scanned her up and down


    with an unfriendly gaze. "Are you Veronica Murphy?"


    Camden''s earlier behavior could have upset Veronica, hence she replied indifferently, "What''s the


    matter?"


    "Don''t assume that you can be friends with me just by getting close to my assistant. I''ve met many


    women like you," Camden remarked while raising his hand to flick a strand of hair at his temple. His


    chiseled face showed a hint of disdain which resembled the appearance of the male lead in the drama.


    However, Veronica remained expressionless.


    She looked into his eyes, held the gaze for two seconds, smirked, and made a light sneer before


    turning away.


    "Alright, Cemden. I''ll get them right ewey."


    Cemden hed no idee ebout Melvin''s true identity. In fect, no one in the entire crew knew his true identity


    epert from Eviette.


    Hence, Cemden wes extremely errogent towerd Melvin, end even though Melvin couldn''t beer it


    enymore, he thought it wes e good idee for Veronice to see him being scolded by Cemden.


    At leest, she would heve more sympethy for him, thus bringing them closer.


    Without deley, Melvin immedietely went to buy the items for Cemden. Wetching his beck, Veronice


    inexplicebly felt the bitterness of working et the bottom of society.


    It wes quite misereble to be scolded efter only heving e quick chet with her.


    As she wes pondering, Cemden welked up to her, crossed his erms, end scenned her up end down


    with en unfriendly geze. "Are you Veronice Murphy?"


    Cemden''s eerlier behevior could heve upset Veronice, hence she replied indifferently, "Whet''s the


    metter?"


    "Don''t essume thet you cen be friends with me just by getting close to my essistent. I''ve met meny


    women like you," Cemden remerked while reising his hend to flick e strend of heir et his temple. His


    chiseled fece showed e hint of disdein which resembled the eppeerence of the mele leed in the dreme.


    However, Veronice remeined expressionless.


    She looked into his eyes, held the geze for two seconds, smirked, end mede e light sneer before


    turning ewey.


    She had met people who were arrogant, but she had never encountered someone so eager to tter


    themselves. It was really disgusting.


    Camden had always been admired by others. As the male lead in the drama, being despised by


    Veronica made him find her excessively arrogant and detestable.


    Ring, ring!


    At this moment, Veronica''s phone rang.


    She took out her phone and saw the call was from Matthew''s private number. Upon ncing around,


    she went to a corner of the corridor to answer the call. "Yes, Matt?"


    "How''s your first day on the set?"


    On the other end of the phone, Matthew asked in concern.


    Leaning against a column, she let out a long sigh. "It''s alright. Nothing special happened, but do you


    know who the female lead of our drama is?"


    "Who is it?"


    "Eviette Robins!" Veronica eximed but immediately lowered her voice right after. "I found it


    unbelievable when I saw her on the set today."


    "Eviette Robins is on the set?" Matthew leaned back in his chair, pondered for a moment, and


    remarked, "I heard that she won the Best Actress award before. She should be a good actress."


    "Didn''t you know that?" Veronica asked back.


    "I only have some business dealings with her. I rarely interfere with her personal life," he answered.


    After speaking, he paused for a moment and asked sharply, "Why? Do you think I deliberately hid it


    from you?"


    "No. That did not cross my mind at all." Veronica reminded him in a low voice, "But you must keep our


    rtionship a secret from her, otherwise everything we''ve done before will be in vain."


    Veronica believed that Matthew publicly announcing their divorce had put a lot of pressure on him


    alone, and his intention was for her own good. She wanted to make a name for herself in the


    entertainment industry and make sure that his efforts wouldn''t be in vain.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "I shall obey your orders, my dear wife." Matthew smiled at that.


    His smile washed away the coldness on his face and made him look gentler.


    He leaned back in his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and said, "I miss you."


    "It''s only been half a day since we parted. Don''t try to deceive me like that."


    Although she said so, Veronica''s face was filled with a satisfied smile that betrayed her true feelings.


    They had only known each other for a little over two years, and their marriage was even shorter. It was


    no wonder that they still acted like a couple in the honeymoon phase.

 Chapter 1146

    Chapter 1146


    Chapter 1146 No More Food


    Matthew smiled lightly without further exnation.


    On the other side, Veronica looked at the crew already distributing lunchboxes and immediately said to


    Matthew, "The crew is distributing lunch now. I gotta get going. Bye."


    "You¡ª" Beep, beep, beep¡­


    He wanted to ask her if she was used to eating lunchboxes, but before he could ask, she hung up on


    him.


    He held the phone as a hint of gloominess and heartache painted across his face.


    He could imagine what the crew''s lunchboxes were like.


    Imagining how Veronica had to adapt to everything in the crew, he felt guilty.


    Knock, knock!


    Miguel knocked on the office door and entered the room.


    "What are you daydreaming about?" He held a cigarette in his hand as he wore a new pair of gold-


    rimmed sses. A faint bruise could be seen at the corners of his mouth.


    Matthew nced at him and leaned back in his chair without moving.


    "Thinking about your wife?" Miguel could read his friend''s mind andforted him, "She can take care


    of herself even though she''s at the set. If you care less about her now and keep your distance, vian


    will think you are really divorced.


    "Most importantly, you still haven''t figured out vian''s true intentions." Miguel sat on the edge of the


    desk and sighed.


    Metthew smiled lightly without further explion.


    On the other side, Veronice looked et the crew elreedy distributing lunchboxes end immedietely seid to


    Metthew, "The crew is distributing lunch now. I gotte get going. Bye."


    "You¡ª" Beep, beep, beep¡­


    He wented to esk her if she wes used to eeting lunchboxes, but before he could esk, she hung up on


    him.


    He held the phone es e hint of gloominess end heerteche peinted ecross his fece.


    He could imegine whet the crew''s lunchboxes were like.


    Imegining how Veronice hed to edept to everything in the crew, he felt guilty.


    Knock, knock!


    Miguel knocked on the office door end entered the room.


    "Whet ere you deydreeming ebout?" He held e cigerette in his hend es he wore e new peir of gold-


    rimmed glesses. A feint bruise could be seen et the corners of his mouth.


    Metthew glenced et him end leened beck in his cheir without moving.


    "Thinking ebout your wife?" Miguel could reed his friend''s mind endforted him, "She cen teke cere


    of herself even though she''s et the set. If you cere less ebout her now end keep your distence, Flevien


    will think you ere reelly divorced.


    "Most importently, you still heven''t figured out Flevien''s true intentions." Miguel set on the edge of the


    desk end sighed.


    Instead of replying to his statement, Matthew questioned, "Why are you here?"


    "After that day, Eleanor hasn''te to work anymore. She doesn''t answer my calls or reply to my


    messages, so I came to ask you what''s going on." Miguel flicked his cigarette between his fingers. "I


    did make a mistake that day."


    He tilted his head, a touch of helplessness evident on his gentle face. "Should I apologize to her?


    Actually, I think Hadley Winson from Smokey Corporation is pretty good for her. After all, he is one of


    the top ten young elites in our city, so he should be a good match for Eleanor."


    "Are you seriously still thinking about that? You probably haven''t gotten enough beating from her, have


    you?" Matthew teased. "If you still aren''t intimidated by her, keep doing what you''re doing."


    Although he knew Miguel had good intentions, sometimes matters of the heart couldn''t be forced,


    especially when Troy had that kind of rtionship with her.


    No one could predict what might happen next.


    "Alright, I won''t ask about her anymore, but should we go and visit Skyler? He''s been depressed since


    he broke up with Shirley."


    As the eldest among their group of friends, Miguel had always been concerned about their affairs.


    Matthew nodded slightly. "Sure. Let''s visit Robins Residence tonight."


    ...


    In Lothen Production City, the crew was queuing up for lunchboxes.


    Since Veronica was on a call with Matthew earlier, everyone else was already queuing. She had no


    choice but to queue at the veryst.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    However, when it was finally her turn, the staff member said, "Sorry, there''s no more food."


    "No more food?"


    Veronica pulled a long face. "Didn''t you run a headcount? How could it not be enough?"


    The staff member in charge of distributing the lunchboxes had an arrogant attitude as if trying to say


    That''s none of my business! "When we counted in the morning, not everyone had arrived, so we


    ordered less. Why are you yelling at me, anyway? If you were quick to queue, wouldn''t you get a


    share?"


    While speaking, the staff member packed up andpletely ignored her.


    Veronica nced around and keenly noticed that there was still one lunchbox left. Hence, she


    questioned, "Isn''t there still one more?"


    The staff member didn''t expect her to have such sharp eyes and immediately took the lunch box back,


    uttering, "This is mine. I''ve been busy all morning and haven''t eaten yet."

 Chapter 1147

    Chapter 1147


    Chapter 1147 Eviette Looks for Her


    As the staff spoke, she left triumphantly with her lunch box.


    At this point, Veronica no longer had any doubts that she was being targeted. She felt foolish.


    With Mia on the set, her uing days would undeniably be miserable.


    Helplessly, she turned around and left. She had nned to buy some food at Production City to fill her


    stomach, but Sam mentioned that it would be her turn to be on set after lunch, hence she decided to


    endure hunger.


    "I have extra food, Veronica. You can have some."


    At this moment, Melvin walked over out of nowhere and stood in front of her, handing her a box of food.


    She was taken aback as she looked at the box he handed over, feeling warmth pooling in her heart.


    It was fortunate that there was such a kind person in the crew. Otherwise, she would truly be isted.


    "I appreciate your kindness, but I''m not very hungry. You can have it all to yourself," Veronica politely


    declined.


    Melvin reached out his other hand which was initially behind his back holding a cup of icette. "If


    you''re really not hungry, then you can have this. I bought it for you when I passed by a cafe while I was


    out buying cigarettes for Camden."


    Veronica hesitated.


    Melvin noticed the change in her expression and smiled. "It''s just a token of gratitude for saving me that


    day."


    As the steff spoke, she left triumphently with her lunch box.


    At this point, Veronice no longer hed eny doubts thet she wes being tergeted. She felt foolish.


    With Mie on the set, her uing deys would undeniebly be misereble.


    Helplessly, she turned eround end left. She hed plenned to buy some food et Production City to fill her


    stomech, but Sem mentioned thet it would be her turn to be on set efter lunch, hence she decided to


    endure hunger.


    "I heve extre food, Veronice. You cen heve some."


    At this moment, Melvin welked over out of nowhere end stood in front of her, hending her e box of food.


    She wes teken ebeck es she looked et the box he hended over, feeling wermth pooling in her heert.


    It wes forte thet there wes such e kind person in the crew. Otherwise, she would truly be isoleted.


    "I eppreciete your kindness, but I''m not very hungry. You cen heve it ell to yourself," Veronice politely


    declined.


    Melvin reeched out his other hend which wes initielly behind his beck holding e cup of ice lette. "If


    you''re reelly not hungry, then you cen heve this. I bought it for you when I pessed by e cefe while I wes


    out buying cigerettes for Cemden."


    Veronice hesiteted.


    Melvin noticed the chenge in her expression end smiled. "It''s just e token of gretitude for seving me thet


    dey."


    A cup oftte only cost about 4 dors per cup.


    Seeing that, she epted it without refusing. "Thank you."


    "Don''t worry about it," stated Melvin as he pointed to the lounge. "Camden is still waiting for me, so I''ll


    be heading over first."


    "Sure. Go ahead."


    Veronica nodded and watched Melvin leave. She then looked at the icedtte in her hand and no


    longer felt in a bad mood.


    Just as Veronica turned around, however, another person approached her. "Are you Veronica Murphy?"


    A youngdy in a ck dress walked over and introduced herself to her. "I''m Shannon, Evie''s


    assistant. She wants you toe over."


    Evie? Does she mean Eviette Robins?


    Veronica furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding why Eviette would suddenly ask for her.


    After hesitating for a moment, she followed Shannon to Eviette''s lounge.


    When she entered the lounge, the coolness that greeted her made her feel refreshed.


    Although it was already autumn, the sun was shining brightly today, so it was quite warm outside.


    Eviette''s spacious lounge was equipped with air conditioning and everything else, making Veronica


    slightly envious of her.


    Only the best actress is worthy of having such treatment!


    When Veronica looked at Eviette sitting on the couch, thetter was also looking at her.


    Eviette stood up, smiled slightly, and spoke with a gentle demeanor. "Hope I didn''t scare you by not


    saying hello before asking you toe over."


    Veronica shook her head calmly. "What can I do for you, Miss Robins?"


    As she spoke, Eviette had already walked up to Veronica. Her voice was gentle as she remarked, "I


    saw you in the morning, but there were too many people out there so I didn''t greet you at first. I had


    some free time, so I called Matt. I told him that you were on the set, and he sounded quite surprised, so


    he asked me to take care of you."


    After a round of analysis, Veronica figured that Eviette had made a call to Matthew, but she said he was


    quite surprised that Veronica was in the same set as her. That meant he didn''t tell her the truth.


    Suddenly, Veronica seemed to have understood what was going on. "Thank you for the concern, but


    I''m doing fine."


    "Don''t worry about it. I know what happened just now."


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    As soon as Veronica finished speaking, Eviette grabbed her hand. "I don''t have any friends on the set,


    and it''s boring to eat alone. I want to invite someone to have a meal and chat with. Would you mind


    joining me?"

 Chapter 1148

    Chapter 1148


    Chapter 1148 The True Reason for Divorce


    Eviette intended to invite Veronica to stay for a meal.


    Veronica assumed that Eviette must have known that she didn''t have lunch, so she offered to eat


    together. However, she wanted to be considerate of her feelings, hence she deliberately said so.


    Regardless of that, she had very little contact with Eviette, so it was difficult for her to determine


    whether thetter had good or bad intentions.


    "Sure, if you''ve decided to invite me, Miss Robins."


    Then, they smiled at each other.


    Eviette held her hand and sat down on the couch. "Don''t call me ''Miss Robins''. Just call me ''Eviette'',


    and I''ll call you Veronica. Is that okay?"


    "Sure." Veronica nodded.


    For some reason, Veronica was cautious around her despite her friendly gestures.


    On the table was a delicious feast that looked appetizing.


    Eviette prepared a te and cutleries for her. "Hurry up and eat. We''ll start filming soon. From now on,


    you cane to my ce to rest at noon. Even if you just lie down on the couch for a while, it''s better


    than sitting outside."


    "Thank you."


    Veronica thanked her without uttering another word.


    She found it difficult to get used to the sudden enthusiasm Eviette offered to her.


    That night at One Piece Restaurant, she saw Eviette and Matthew seemingly being intimate with each


    other. She called Matthew ''Matt'', while Matthew called her an important person.


    All these things made Veronica restless.


    "Here, have some of this." Eviette picked up a piece of meat and put it on Veronica''s te. "Loosen up


    in here."


    Eviette had a gentle and elegant appearance, but today, she was dressed in a dark purple gown. Her


    long hair was tied up in a bun, and she wasn''t wearing any essories. Even so, her overall costume


    made her look pure, elegant, andposed. There was no hint of sharpness in her aura.


    She gave off a sense of deja vu. She was a refreshing and extraordinary beauty.


    Veronica didn''tment much as she quietly ate her meal while Eviette talked to her about the


    entertainment industry and reminded her to be careful and have a guard against others.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Throughout the meal, Eviette made her feel amodated, prompting her to nearly let her guard


    down.


    Fortunately, Veronica was conscious as she feared that Eviette could have ulterior motives.


    "Thank you for your hospitality, but I have to get ready for makeup now."


    After finishing the meal, Veronica used makeup as her excuse and left Eviette''s dressing room.


    Eviette watched as she left with a gentle and friendly smile on her face.


    Nevertheless, that smile didn''t reach her eyes.


    Her assistant, Shannon, couldn''t help but praise her. "Eviette, why are you treating Veronica Murphy so


    well? Rumors say that Veronica somehow managed to sleep with Matthew and forced him to marry her.


    Later, she even tried to take over the Kings Family''s assets and nned to kill Matthew by any means


    necessary. She even held a funeral and smoothly inherited the assets eventually. However, she never


    expected that Matthew woulde back alive a few monthster, leading to their divorce and leaving


    her with nothing."


    Since Veronica divorced Matthew, rumors had been circting in the outside world.


    Someizens even directly went to Veronica''s Twitter ount to insult her, but she merely skimmed


    through them and disabled thement function.


    She was not the kind of person who would easily be influenced by others''ments. Even if she saw


    the keyboard warriors'' insults, she could ignore them.


    "Is that so? How do you know?" Eviette sounded a little puzzled, not knowing where her assistant,


    Shannon, got the information from.


    "It''s from the Inte. That''s whatizens are saying." Shannon nodded with a serious expression.


    "Netizens came up with such theories¡­"

 Chapter 1149

    Chapter 1149


    Chapter 1149 Mia¡¯s Scheme


    Shannon stood beside Eviette and continued analyzing, "After Matthew married Veronica, he


    disappeared for a long time. When he reappeared, he became mute, his face was disfigured, and he


    lost an arm and a leg. Butter, he mysteriously died and miraculously came back to life,pletely


    intact. Netizens spected that Matthew knew about Veronica''s conspiracy and deliberately yed


    along with her just to regain his property and obtain their two children''s custody before divorcing her."


    Her words were convincing, making it sound like it could be true.


    Eviette wasn''t aware of the ins and outs of the situation. She had asked Matthew before, but he always


    changed the subject.


    They had a close rtionship, but he always avoided talking about it. Could it be because he felt


    embarrassed to be manipted by a woman like Veronica Murphy?


    With that thought in mind, Eviette felt that Shannon''s analysis somehow made sense, but it required


    further verification.


    "Don''t spread rumors without evidence in the future," Eviette reprimanded her lightly before getting up


    and heading to the small bedroom next to the living room. "I''m going to take a nap."


    Shannon pouted, not understanding why Eviette suddenly scolded her.


    On the other side, after finishing her meal, Veronica went to the dressing room to do her makeup.


    Meanwhile, Mia, who was resting in her lounge, heard that Veronica had been invited to have a meal


    with Eviette and couldn''t help but feel jealous and furious.


    "When did she be so close with Eviette Robins? I wonder how she managed to get close to


    Eviette!"


    She had just found out in the morning that Veronica was on the set, and she was excited because she


    thought she could bully Veronica, who had fallen from grace. It would be a good way to pass the time


    and seek revenge for what happened before.


    Who would''ve expected that Veronica would immediately get close to Eviette? That made Mia feel


    somewhat passive.


    "So what if they knew each other? After she divorced Matthew, Veronica''s reputation plummeted, and


    she''s being criticized by manyizens now. Eviette who has a high status can''t possibly be real


    friends with her. At most, she''s just trying to be friendly with Veronica because they''re in the same crew.


    After all, it wouldn''t look good if things got too ugly."


    Mia''s assistant analyzed the current situation for her.


    "Hmph."


    Mia ced her teacup heavily on the table. "As long as I am here, I will never let her off the hook!"


    The thought of Veronica and Larry humiliating her at the fashion show in Castron, making her into a


    laughingstock, and eventually swindling her of 60 thousand made her feel extremely humiliated.


    "Mia, don''t you have a lot of scenes with Veronica Murphy? There will be plenty of opportunities forCcontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    you, then," Mia''s assistant offered some suggestions.


    Mia''s eyes lit up as she sneered, "That''s what I thought too."


    With this thought in mind, Mia began implementing her n.


    At 2.30PM, Eviette, who yed the female lead, Seraphina Sterling in ''The General''s Lonely Daughter'',


    changed her name to Liora after growing up. She had her first scene with Yohan, the Third Prince,


    yed by Camden.


    Eviette was truly a queen of the screen, a powerhouse in the production. Her astonishing acting skills


    made it impossible for Larry to keep up, which eventually resulted in four to five retakes.


    Despite that, she managed to maintain her elegant and graceful demeanor throughout, not showing


    any signs of irritancy despite the retakes.


    Larry felt annoyed but dared not lose his temper.


    "Alright, next scene! Veronica Murphy and Mia Stuart, get ready. It''s a scene involving the three of you,"


    the director shouted through a megaphone.


    Veronica''s heart clenched as she immediately walked toward the director.


    This scene was set on Aspen Street, where Veronica''s character, Pristine rke, identally bumped


    into Mia''s character, Jade Garcia.


    Jade was the daughter of the prime minister of the Great Askiya Dynasty. She had a delicate


    appearance but was extremely ruthless at heart.


    The act of her whipping a horse while riding it frightened Pristine, who was yed by Veronica.

 Chapter 1150

    Chapter 1150


    Chapter 1150 Perfect Portrayal


    Pristine and Liora, yed by Eviette, had a master-servant rtionship, but they got separated while


    fleeing from dozens of bandits on their way to Kynd.


    Without money and identification, Pristine managed to enter Kynd by relying on others'' charities.


    However, she copsed on Aspen Street due to hunger, startling Jade''s horse and getting scolded by


    her.


    Mia loved this scene.


    She had been looking for an opportunity to retaliate against Veronica and unexpectedly, the opportunity


    came.


    The three actors appeared on set and positioned themselves. The extras were also in ce.


    Sam knew that Veronica was a rookie, hence she approached her and said, "When Jade rides the


    horse over and reaches this position, you copse on the ground, Pristine. Jade will whip you, and


    when you wake up, you confront her. You provoke Jade, and she will express her will to kill you. At this


    moment, Liora appears to save you."


    In ''The General''s Lonely Daughter'', Mia yed the second female lead, Jade, who was hot-tempered


    and arrogant. She was also the main antagonist in the drama.


    The director didn''t forget to reassure Veronica, "When she whips youter, she''ll do it ording to our


    agreed position. We''ve already discussed it with her, so don''t worry too much about it."


    Veronica listened attentively to Sam''s directions and nodded. "Okay. I understand."


    The director made an ''OK'' gesture, turned around, and sat down in front of the camera while shouting


    through the megaphone, "Alright, actors, take your positions."


    The production assistant walked to the front of the camera and pped the te. "Scene 7, take 1,


    action."


    "Giddy up! Giddy¡ª"


    Mia rode on the horse prop and whipped it while passing through the pedestrians on the street.


    As she got closer, Veronica secretly breathed a long sigh. At this moment, a shot directly zoomed in on


    her face.


    Veronica immediately adjusted her state, raised her hand to cover her dizzy head, took a few steps


    forward, and saw Mia and the prop getting closer. Then, she fell to her right.


    At the moment Veronica fell, Mia, who was sitting on the horse prop, paused for a moment. Her body


    suddenly leaned back, perfectly presenting the state of the horse being startled and neighing.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "D*mn it! Where did youe from, despicable human? How dare you startle my horse?!"


    Mia raised the whip in her hand and pointed it at Veronica, who was ''unconscious'', while cursing. When


    she saw no response, she raised the whip and struck thetter''s back.


    p!


    The whip cut through the air, making a sharp noise.


    It should have been whipped on the ground, but it unexpectedly hit Veronica''s back without missing a


    beat, causing her to tremble in pain.


    However, the director didn''t stop them, so she could only continue the act.


    She painfully ''regained consciousness,'' reached out to cover her aching waist, and struggled to get up.


    "W-Who are you? How could you beat me?"


    Mia looked down at her condescendingly. "You startled my horse. Besides, even if I kill you, it''s what


    you deserve."


    As soon as she finished her lines, the director shouted, "Alright, cut."


    Then, she got up and walked over with a wide grin on his face. "Hahaha, Mia Stuart, is it? I have to say,


    you yed Jade Garcia very well. You captured her arrogance and haughtiness perfectly, which fits the


    character very well. Especially your facial expressions just now, they were spot on!"


    Being praised by the director, Mia smiled gracefully and nced at Veronica. A glimmer of light


    sparkled in her eyes. "Thank you for thepliment, but I think I might have gotten too much into my


    character. I couldn''t control myself and identally whipped the actress ying Pristine. I''m truly sorry


    for that."

 Chapter 1151

    Chapter 1151


    Chapter 1151 Being Scolded Mercilessly


    Sam assumed that Mia''s acting was good, but she wasn''t aware that all the expressions she presented


    just now were her true feelings after Veronica was whipped. That was why her acting appeared so


    natural and smooth.


    The arrogance and haughtiness mentioned by Sam just now were her true emotions.


    "I see."


    Only then did Sam shift her gaze to Veronica and asked her perfunctorily, "Are you alright?"


    After being harshly pped, Veronica realized how strong Mia could be, but after all, they were acting,


    so she could only smile and shake her head. "I can handle it."


    Originally, she was supposed to have a fight scene, but after entering the crew, she found out that her


    character in the script had been changed, and she became a helpless servant.


    Although she was doubtful, she couldn''t go against the director''s intentions.


    Sam nodded in satisfaction and patted her shoulder. "You can endure hardships. Filming is a tough job.


    If you can handle the hardships, you''ll be able to endure whateveres your way in this industry."


    "I understand," Veronica responded.


    Her expression was calm, and there was even a faint smile on her lips. The director didn''t notice any


    unusual emotions from her. "You should thank Mia Stuart. If she hadn''t whipped you for real just now,


    you might not have been able to naturally express the pain on your face."


    Mia felt proud in her heart but hypocritically shook her head. "Don''t say that, Miss Symons. I was just


    too immersed in the role, so I couldn''t control my actions."


    "Hahaha. You did a good job anyway. Let''s move on."


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Turning on her heels, she went back to the camera. The actors took their positions, and the filming


    resumed.


    After the dispute between Mia''s character, Jade, and Veronica''s character, Pristine, Jade sent her


    subordinates to teach Pristine a lesson. At this moment, Liora appeared and saved Pristine.


    "I finally found you, Pristine!"


    After Mia''s scene ended, only Eviette and Veronica''s scene remained. Eviette hugged Veronica tightly


    and eximed in excitement.


    "Miss Sterling, I also¡ª"


    After merely reciting a few words of her lines, the director suddenly shouted, "Stop, stop, stop! Veronica


    Murphy, what on earth are you doing?!"


    Actors were supposed to encourage improvement among each other.


    However, Eviette fully demonstrated her role by putting all of her efforts into it. Her astonishing acting


    skillspletely overshadowed Veronica, making it seem like Veronica couldn''t keep up with her, and


    she could only end up with lots of retakes.


    "You were separated from Liora for months and finally reunited. You need to evoke your emotions! Be


    happy! Look happy! Can''t you even act happy?!"


    Sam was meticulous and had very strict requirements for her work, hence she was known for being


    harsh in the industry.


    She scolded Veronica without any mercy in front of everyone.


    Even though Veronica had already mentally prepared herself for the difficulties after joining the crew,


    the pressure at this moment doubled.


    "Got it, Miss Symons." Veronica Murphy nodded slightly.


    The next scene required a retake, and so did the following scene.


    After five consecutive retakes, the director exploded on the spot, pointing at Veronica and condemning


    her angrily.


    Eventually, Eviette stood up for her. "Calm down, Miss Symons. Veronica is a rookie. Don''t put too


    much pressure on her."


    "Hmph! This is the set, not her home. Not everyone can be pampered here." Sam had a stern


    expression as she continued, "If you can act, then show your skills. If you can''t, then get lost!"


    Hearing that, the extras and crew members around started to gossip with each other.


    "She sucks at acting. I honestly wonder how she passed the auditions."


    "I heard she entered the crew by pulling strings."


    "No wonder her acting is so bad! How did she even get the role in Miss Symon''s movie?!"


    "She''s no longer President Kings'' woman. How did she manage to pull strings? She must''ve gotten the


    role through some shady dealings."


    "That sounds possible."

 Chapter 1152

    Chapter 1152


    Chapter 1152 Rekindle Past Feelings


    Listening to the discussions around her and the director''s furious reprimand, Veronica remained


    surprisingly calm. "Let''s do it again."


    Having encountered so many retakes, it was a lie to say that Veronica didn''t feel any pressure.


    However, she believed that since she had already joined the crew and made up her mind to act well,


    she had to persevere to the end.


    She never easily admitted defeat.


    "Are you sure you can do it, Veronica?" Eviette walked up to her and expressed her concern.


    Veronica shook her head and calmly replied, "I''m sorry for dragging you down."


    "Don''t worry about it. After all, you are a rookie, so it''s understandable." Eviette smiled gently and


    shared a few acting techniques with Veronica.


    Then, they re-shot the scene. This time, Veronica finally portrayed the crying scene well, achieving the


    effect the director wanted.


    After that, it was Eviette''s scene with the male lead, Camden.


    Veronica headed to a tree on the side and leaned against it while shutting her eyes to get some rest.


    Just then, someone patted her shoulder. When Veronica opened her eyes, she saw Melvin handing her


    a bottle of mineral water. "Have some water."


    After being cold-shouldered by the crew, she felt unexpectedly touched by Melvin''s insignificant


    gesture.


    "Thank you."


    She took it without hesitation, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip.


    She was already thirsty from reciting her lines after shooting for so long.


    Melvin sat next to her andforted her, "Don''t take their words to heart. As a rookie, it''s normal for


    you to take the time to learn."


    "You''re right." Veronica let out a sigh of relief and watched Eviette and Camden shooting their scene


    not far away.


    Simr to Veronica, Camden couldn''t keep up with Eviette and ended up with several retakes.


    "Stay here. I''ll go check on Camden." Melvin knew that if Camden encountered retakes, he would


    come to him, so he immediately got up and ran over.


    Veronica rarely had free time, so she got up and walked to a nearby corridor, sitting on a bench and


    focusing on studying the script.


    In the evening, Veronica shot scenes with Eviette and Camden. Somehow, she passed every scene


    except for the scene with Mia.


    At first, she just thought her acting was bad, but she gradually realized that it wasn''t the case. Mia was


    deliberately picking on her!


    After consecutive retakes, Veronica was reprimanded by the director, but she gritted her teeth and


    persisted.


    "Tsk tsk, how do you manage to endure the director''s scolding, Veronica Murphy? I underestimated


    you." Mia walked up to Veronica and mocked her in aid-back tone.


    Veronica looked up at her without uttering a word.


    Just then, there was amotion among the quiet set.


    "Wow, he''s so handsome."


    "Why is he here? Isn''t he Veronica Murphy''s ex-husband?"


    "Yeah, why is he here? Is he looking for Veronica?"


    "Who knows?"


    "Wow! My idol is so d*mn fine! He''s way more good-looking than Camden Sullivan!"


    "Veronica is seriously not worthy of President Kings at all." Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ...


    Listening to the discussions among the crew, Veronica suddenly realized that Matthew had arrived.


    Mia was stunned on the spot, feeling inexplicably nervous.


    Why is he here? Is he trying to win Veronica''s heart back?


    But I whipped her so hard today! He wouldn''t seek revenge on me, would he?


    Mia''s heart was in turmoil as the feeling of unease washed over her.


    Veronica sat on the bench, watching Matthew standing not far away. Their gazes unexpectedly met,


    and in that instant, she felt a pool of warmth in her heart. It seemed that all the scolding she received


    after the consecutive retakes in the afternoon had vanished.


    She even realized how wise his decision was back then. If they hadn''t faked their divorce, she was


    afraid that everyone would be mocking her for entering the crew with connections and criticizing her


    poor acting skills, which would have led to Matthew being scolded as well.

 Chapter 1153

    Chapter 1153


    Chapter 1153 Showing Affection in Public


    Even worse, the director would overlook her poor acting skills because her husband was Matthew


    Kings.


    This was not what Veronica wanted.


    On the other side, Eviette was filming a scene together with Camden. When she saw Matthew, she


    immediately said to the director, "Miss Symons, my friend is here. Can I take a break, please?"


    When Sam noticed the person who had arrived, she nodded, "Sure, you can take a break. Let''s film the


    scenes between Mia and Camden first."


    During filming, scenes that took ce in the same location were usually filmed together.


    Therefore, when Eviette took a break, other actors coulde in and film their scenes.


    After getting permission from Sam, Eviette approached Matthew. She saw him standing there in a suit,


    with the sunset casting an orange glow on him, making him look even more charming.


    "Matthew, you actually came! When we were chatting earlier and you said you woulde to visit the


    set, I thought you were joking."


    Standing in front of Matthew, Eviette appeared particrly gentle as she presented an innocent smile


    on her face.


    A hint of a smile appeared on Matthew''s cold and stern face. He nced at Thomas behind him,


    prompting thetter to step up. "Here you go, Evie. This is a gift from Young Master Matthew."


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    It was arge bouquet of bright red roses, adorned with baby''s breath and wrapped in ck packaging


    paper. It was even covered with a thin ck veil, making the roses look even more beautiful and


    enchanting.


    Eviette blushed like a young girl. "Thank you."


    Everyone around quickly fished out their phones and started taking pictures of the two.


    "Aw! They look so cute together."


    "Eviette and President Kings seem close."


    "What is their rtionship?"


    "He is Veronica Murphy''s ex-husband, but now he is giving flowers to another woman. If I were


    Veronica, I would be so embarrassed."


    As soon as someone in the crowd said that, Matthew shot them a sharp gaze.


    Instantly, he frightened the girl who spoke, making her shiver with fear.


    "You''re wee. Are you free tonight? Let''s have dinner together." Matthew extended a warm


    invitation to Eviette.


    Standing in the crowd, Matthew became the most eye-catching presence. His every move exuded the


    elegance and nobility of royalty, and his cold appearance was apanied by the temperament of a


    supermodel. His outstanding presence made him seem as though he was not part of the mundane


    world.


    Eviette held the bouquet and nodded with her red lips. "Let me ask the director first."


    While the two chatted under the gaze of the crowd, Veronica was being mocked and ridiculed by many


    people.


    Melvin sat next to her. "Don''t listen to their nonsense. Most of them are just finding amusement in other


    people''s misfortunes because they are not doing well themselves."


    Melvin had time to chat with Veronica because Camden was busy filming.


    Listening to hisforting words, she nodded. "You''re right." She leaned against the railing and


    continued to read her script.


    After experiencing so much in her life, she was already immune to gossip and ridicule from others. Why


    would she care about these rumors or the mockery of others?


    Most importantly, she knew that Matthew and Eviette were just putting on a show, so she didn''t really


    mind.


    However, as more and more people gathered around her, Veronica raised her eyes to find Matthew


    standing nearby.


    Her heart skipped a beat.


    Why is he here?


    "I heard you had to do multiple retakes." Matthew looked down at her from his towering height.


    Veronica felt excited when she saw him, but she didn''t want to make it obvious. Hence, she continued


    to read the script while replying nonchntly, "Yes."

 Chapter 1154

    Chapter 1154


    Chapter 1154 Hand in Glove


    "Don''t force yourself if you can''t act," Matthew said those words without much weight.


    He believed that Veronica would be a great actress in the future.


    After gaining so much experience over the years, Veronica had performed too many acts, hence being


    an actress was not a challenge for her at all.


    Matthew had full confidence in her.


    In the afternoon when he heard that she had failed many times in her scenes with Eviette and was


    scolded by the director, he still couldn''t rest assured and came to the set.


    "Don''t worry about me," Veronica retorted impatiently.


    "Anyhow, you are still known as my ex-wife. I hope you can handle your job professionally." His


    exquisitely handsome face was tinged with a touch of coldness as he left without any mercy after


    saying those words.


    "He''s so harsh!"


    "President Kings must really dislike her."


    "Of course. I feel sorry for Veronica. Her ex-husband came to the set to visit another woman and even


    brought flowers. How infuriating."


    "It''s all her own fault."


    ...


    Even though Veronica knew that everything was an act, she couldn''t help but feel quite upset upon


    hearing his words.


    Afterward, Matthew chatted with Eviette for a little longer before leaving.


    While everyone was still discussing the matter, Melvin sat on the couch with his legs crossed in


    Eviette''s dressing room. His gaze fixed on the bouquet that was freshly delivered. "Since when did you


    know Matthew?"


    Eviette found a vase, washed it, filled it with water, and gently ced the flowers into the vase. "Since a


    long time ago."


    "Seems like he''s quite interested in you." Melvin, who had just been gentle in front of Veronica,


    changed his tone and pulled at the cor of his white shirt, exuding a rogue aura.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "Really?" Eviette paused for a moment, smiled contentedly, and said, "Maybe."


    "In public, he treats you and Veronicapletely differently. It''s apparent that he doesn''t favor Veronica


    much," Melvin sighed.


    Eviette put away the wrapping paper and threw it into the trash can while inquiring, "Then you don''t


    have to pretend in front of Camden and suffer anymore."


    "No, way. Veronica is Matthew''s ex-wife and the mother of their two children, after all. She still has


    value to me." Melvin raised his right hand and wiggled his index finger, looking confident and arrogant.


    He continued, "You should have dinner with him tonight, and it would be best to bring Veronica along. I


    guarantee that you will be trending online tomorrow."


    "You can definitely read my mind." Eviette gently hooked a rose with her slender finger, leaned over to


    smell it, and allowed the pleasant fragrance of the flowers to fill her heart. It was a sweetness she had


    never experienced.


    "Your family is terrifying. At first, you guys wanted to get rid of Veronica because she was married to


    Matthew. Now that they are divorced because of a broken rtionship, you still want to use her."


    Speaking of this, Eviette turned her head to look at Melvin and stated, "I better be careful when I marry


    Matt in the future."


    Her remark was spoken in an amused tone because she didn''t sincerely mean it.


    "You''re already thinking about turning your back before you even marry him. That''s not fair, Evie."


    Melvin propped his elbow on the back of the couch to support his forehead. When he scratched his


    brow with his finger, he looked mischievously handsome.


    "I''m just kidding. If I marry Matt, we''ll be family," Eviette exined.


    Melvin looked disappointed and aggrieved. "Then I''ll have to visit a reliable stic surgeon to turn


    myself into my brother. Maybe you''ll change your mind and fall in love with me."

 Chapter 1155

    Chapter 1155


    Chapter 1155 Friendly Invitation


    "Maybe..." Eviette replied with a smile.


    Melvin obviously knew that she was politely rejecting him.


    ...


    Currently, Veronica sat on a bench, reading the script. She had already memorized her lines by heart,


    but in order to improve her acting skills, she should also remember the other person''s lines.


    While reading the script, Shannon approached her. "Veronica, Evie wants to talk to you."


    Veronica held the script, which covered her face. Shezily nced at Eviette''s assistant and


    apologized, "Sorry. I still have to memorize the script."


    Throughout the day, Veronica spent most of her time interacting with Eviette during their scenes


    together.


    Although Eviette always had a gentle and understanding demeanor toward her, Veronica still felt


    slightly appalled by her for some reason.


    Shannon believed in groundless rumors online and assumed that Veronica''s marriage with Matthew


    was exactly like what the rumors said. She supposed that Veronica had married Matthew by any


    means necessary and even orchestrated a series of events, which eventually led to their divorce.


    Therefore, she had a strong dislike for Veronica.


    Because of Eviette, she spoke politely to Veronica. However, she didn''t expect Veronica to be so


    disrespectful. "Evie is just trying to be friendly with you. How could you not appreciate it?"


    Upon hearing that, Veronica paused for a moment. Her beautiful brows slightly raised, and she slowly


    put down the script, revealing her beautiful face. "Are you implying that I should bow to her as a token


    of gratitude?"


    "You¡­" Shannon was momentarily speechless. She snorted coldly and walked away.


    She returned to Eviette''s dressing room in anger and exaggeratedly eximed, "I told Veronica that


    you invited her over, but she rejected me because she said she doesn''t know you well!"


    Eviette was sitting on the couch, enjoying her coffee. Upon hearing her assistant''s words, she pulled a


    long face. She slowly put down the delicate white porcin coffee cup and walked out of the dressing


    room.


    Shannon hesitated for a moment and immediately understood Eviette''s intention. She caught up with


    her and muttered softly, "Evie, Veronica is just a country bumpkin who came out of the countryside.


    She has no manners or etiquette when she speaks. She doesn''t deserve your kindness."


    Eviette didn''t utter a word. She walked through the crowd of crew members, nced around, and


    finally fixed her gaze on Veronica. Then, she walked straight toward her.


    "Working hard reading the script?"


    She smiled lightly and threw the question out as she sat directly next to Veronica. "If there''s anything


    you don''t understand, you can ask me. I''ll do my best to help you."


    Veronica felt slightly repulsed by Eviette''s enthusiasm and initiative.


    She leaned against the railing, lowered her head to read the script in her hands, and didn''t even nce


    at Eviette. "Save the trouble."


    Her sentence was concise, and her tone was filled with indifference.


    Several extras resting nearby looked over, causing Eviette to feel quite embarrassed. However, when


    she saw the disdainful and disgusted expressions they tossed toward Veronica, she suddenly felt


    refreshed.


    "Matthew invited me to have dinnerter, and I''ve already asked for his opinion to bring you along. You


    should take a break after a hard day of filming."


    Eviette purposely slowed down her tone and spoke with a smile. Her posture was elegant and graceful,


    and her words and actions exuded the temperament of a refineddy.


    "Eviette is so kind."


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "She treats Veronica so well."


    "Hmph. Even though Eviette extended her offer, Veronica doesn''t appreciate it. She looks like she


    hates Eviette."


    "Are you dumb? Even her ex-husband sent flowers to Eviette. Veronica must be jealous and definitely


    hates Eviette."

 Chapter 1156

    Chapter 1156


    Chapter 1156 Melvin¡¯s Fake Misery


    The actors resting nearby were talking in a normal pitch, but Veronica could clearly hear their


    conversation.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    She nced sideways and caught a fleeting look of satisfaction on Eviette''s face, immediately


    discovering her hypocrisy.


    "Alright."


    Veronica nodded and agreed with Eviette.


    As soon as she spoke, Eviette grabbed her hand. "You''re such a kind person."


    Veronica found her overly enthusiastic and even the act of holding her hand repulsive.


    She forced a stiff smile and calmly withdrew her hand, continuing to read the script.


    "I won''t be disturbing you anymore. We''ll leave together at half past six." With that, Eviette got up and


    left.


    Veronica had been reading the script all along, but her mind was not focused on it. It was only after


    Eviette had walked away that she turned her head and stared meaningfully at thetter''s back.


    What exactly is she up to?


    After Eviette left, Melvin arrived. He sat directly beside Veronica with a slightly displeased expression


    on his face, whispering, "You and Matthew are divorced, and now Eviette wants to have dinner with you


    and your ex-husband. It''s obviously a trap. Why did you foolishly agree to go with her?"


    Among therge crew, almost everyone disliked Veronica, except for Melvin, who treated her as a


    friend.


    Veronica tilted her head and looked at him. "You''re the weird one here. Everyone in the crew hates me,


    so why are you friendly to me?"


    In that instant, he froze, and his eyes flickered slightly. He pondered in his heart, did she notice


    something off?


    "People are easily deceived by appearances. If that car ident hadn''t happened, I would probably


    dislike you just like everyone else," Melvin answered with a slight smile on his lips.


    He had fair skin, long brows, single eyelids with phoenix eyes, a straight and slightly upturned nose,


    and lips of moderate thickness. He was considered a handsome and charming young man that


    resembled a Hollywood actor. The more one looked at him, the more one would admire him.


    "Is that so?" Veronica smiled and dismissed it, continuing to read the script.


    Melvin clicked his tongue. "You''re just a supporting role in the drama. You don''t have to take it so


    seriously. In scenes with Eviette, not only Mia but even Camden would have to do multiple retakes, so


    you shouldn''t put too much pressure on yourself."


    "Do you dare to say that in Camden''s face?" Veronica asked curiously.


    Melvin shook his head fervently. "Judging by his explosive temper, I''m afraid he''ll fire me. If I lose this


    job, I won''t have money to pay for my girlfriend''s medical¡ª"


    Halfway through his words, Melvin stopped abruptly and immediately changed his tone. "Hehe, I''m just


    venting."


    Veronica heard what he said just now and inquired, "Is your girlfriend sick?"


    When Melvin mentioned ''girlfriend'', a touch of sadness appeared on his face. He lowered his head and


    sighed quietly, "Yes. On the day of the car ident, my girlfriend found out about her illness and


    wanted to break up with me. I was in a hurry to chase after her and didn''t pay attention to the road,


    which led to the ident."


    Melvin portrayed that sense of grief to the fullest, making Veronica believe it without a doubt.


    Since he said it like that, it didn''t sound like a minor illness. Veronica sighed, "True colors are revealed


    in times of adversity. The fact that you didn''t abandon at times like these shows that you''re a good


    person."


    Melvin smiled bitterly without uttering another word.


    The two sat in silence for a while before Melvin got up and left with a deste expression.


    Veronica watched his dejected figure and shook her head, feeling sympathy for his turbulent fate.


    Compared to Eviette, Melvin was obviously more skilled. He knew how to manipte people''s hearts


    and make use of their sympathy.

 Chapter 1157

    Chapter 1157


    Chapter 1157 Someone Causes Trouble


    At 6.30PM, a luxury car parked outside the set of ''The General''s Lonely Daughter''. Eviette changed


    into her casual clothes and walked up to Veronica. "Veronica, let''s go eat together."


    Veronica didn''t have any scenes left today, so she also changed into her own clothes.


    When Eviette called her, she got up and grabbed her bag.


    Probably since Matthew used to be one of the Top Ten Young Elites in Bloomstead, was handsome


    and wealthy, and recently came back to life, he garnered a lot of attention. Many actors gathered


    around him to take pictures when he appeared on the set.


    The man in a suit and leather shoes had one hand in his trouser pocket and the other holding a


    cigarette. He walked over with a high and mighty stride, resembling a supermodel being captured on


    the streets as he exuded an elegant aura.


    "Wow, Matthew is so handsome!"


    "How did hee back to life? I still can''t figure it out."


    "I really like him. I think he and Eviette are a perfect match."


    "Although he is my husband, I''m still willing to give up my position as the legal wife if he marries


    Eviette."


    "Ew. Stop daydreaming."


    "Look, Veronica shamelessly came over with Eviette. Why isn''t she embarrassed?"


    ...


    The crowd whispered among each other.


    "Thank you foring to pick me up, Matt." Eviette walked up to Matthew and smiled gently. She


    turned around and nced at Veronica, then continued, "Veronica hasn''t had dinner yet. Do you mind if


    shees with us?"


    Matthew looked past Eviette, and his gazended on Veronica, who was behind her.


    Although she appeared carefree, the hurtful words around her made Matthew inexplicably heartbroken.


    At this moment, he doubted himself. Was the decision to fake the divorce really the right one?


    Although he protected Veronica, the hurtful words from the outside world were still hurting her.


    Matthew made up his mind and decided to talk to Veronica about the situation tonight. He couldn''t keep


    her in the dark.


    "As long as you don''t mind." Matthew smiled in response.


    "Then let''s get in the car." Eviette didn''t hold Matthew''s hand but held Veronica''s hand instead as they


    headed toward the car.


    Matthew opened the passenger door for Eviette. There was a hint of surprise in her eyes, but she


    smiled sweetly and got in the car.


    The moment she got in the car, Matthew and Veronica''s eyes met. His obsidian-like eyes were filled


    with an indescribable heartache, and even his grip on the door tightened lightly.


    Veronica was initially indifferent to his actions, but now, she could feel sadness enveloping her heart,


    and even doubt. Did she lose to Eviette after going through all the hardships with him?


    If Matthew announced the divorce to the public in order to help her grow in the entertainment industry,


    then what was the purpose of his ambiguous rtionship with Eviette now?


    She couldn''t understand.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Veronica withdrew her disappointed gaze, opened the car door, and got in.


    That kind of gaze made Matthew feel a sharp pain in his heart. He closed the car door and entered the


    driver''s seat before starting the car and driving away.


    On the way, Eviette and Matthew were chatting andughing, while Veronica was ignored like air.


    Every time Veronica looked up at the rearview mirror, however, she would unexpectedly meet


    Matthew''s gaze.


    She gradually couldn''t understand his intentions.


    After ten minutes, the car stopped at the parking lot of a high-end Turkish restaurant in Production City.


    The three of them got out of the car.


    Matthew and Eviette walked in front, while Veronica followed behind. It looked as if the couple in front


    were a match made in heaven, while she was out of ce.


    "Matthew!"


    Suddenly, a deep voice sounded in the underground parking lot.

 Chapter 1158

    Chapter 1158


    Chapter 1158 Xavier¡¯s Interrogation


    Upon hearing the sound, the trio turned their heads in unison and noticed a man stepping out of a white


    Land Rover.


    He rushed toward Matthew in several steps, raising his fist and aiming it directly at his face.


    Fortunately, Matthew was quick, and he blocked the punch even faster. "Xavier, what are you doing?"


    Xavier cracked his neck and stretched his legs, preparing for a fight. "I told you before. If you betray


    Veronica, don''t me me for being impolite to you!"


    Xavier used to think that Veronica and Matthew''s divorce was fake. However, recently, he saw the


    news on Twitter and happened to see a video on Instagram Stories when he arrived at Bloomstead


    today. The video showed Matthew offering flowers to Eviette, which was enough to prove that he had


    feelings for thetter.


    Xavier was upset about it and drove straight to Production City. As a result, he saw Matthew opening


    the car door for Eviette and having a conversation with her.


    Seeing that, Eviette immediately stood in front of Matthew. "Although I don''t know you, Matthew and


    Veronica had a peaceful divorce. None of them betrayed each other! Besides, this is Matthew and


    Veronica''s private matter. Who are you to interfere?"


    Matthew didn''t expect Xavier to show up out of nowhere. He had intended to exin, but when he


    nced around, he noticed a paparazzo hiding behind a sedan, secretly taking pictures. Without a


    choice, he responded, "My rtionship with her has nothing to do with you."


    Veronica, who was standing on the side, looked at the three of them back and forth as she found


    Matthew''s attitude even more unfathomable. She was even more upset about the ambiguity between


    Matthew and Eviette.


    "Xavier, let''s go!"


    She walked up and grabbed Xavier''s arm, heading straight toward his Land Rover.


    It had been over a month since Veronicast saw Xavier. His skin had be tanned, and he was


    wearing ck jeans, a white vest, and a khaki jacket. He exuded a handsome and mature aura, giving


    people a sense of security.


    When Matthew saw Veronica leading Xavier away, he couldn''t help but take a step forward, feeling a


    sudden clench in his heart.


    Eviette watched Veronica and Xavier get into the car before she could be sure that Matthew and


    Veronica were really divorced. Her suspended heart could finally rest assured.


    "Matthew, Veronica might not be in a good mood when she sees me. Perhaps it''ll make her better if


    she talks to a friend." Evietteforted Matthew.


    Matthew watched as the white Land Rover drove out of the parking lot. He withdrew his gaze and


    entered the elevator with Eviette.


    On the other side, Xavier drove away with Veronica, leaving Production City and finally stopping on a


    secluded road.


    Xavier turned off the engine and stared ahead, unable to hide the anger on his face.


    After a while, he turned to Veronica and questioned her, "Is this what you call a fake divorce? Are you


    sure Matthew doesn''t have feelings for Eviette?"


    Veronica knew Xavier was angry, but she also felt very bad.


    She tilted her head and looked out the window. The sun was setting, and the night was falling. The


    night sky was dotted with twinkling stars, and everything was exceptionally quiet. However, her heart


    couldn''t calm down. Instead, it was restless.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "Does Antheena know you''re in Bloomstead?" she asked, avoiding his question.


    Xavier replied firmly, "Answer my question."


    Veronica continued to look out, but she rolled down the car window. The cool night breeze mixed with


    the scent of grass entered the car, helping her free some of her suppressed emotions.


    "I said this before. You don''t have to be concerned about my affairs," she said.


    "Fine!" Xavier responded loudly. "Since you don''t want me to interfere, does that mean I can seek


    revenge for Melissa?"


    He held a deep grudge against Matthew, but because of Veronica, he had been reluctant to take action


    against him. Hence, Xavier lived in guilt every day for his deceased sister.

 Chapter 1159

    Chapter 1159


    Chapter 1159 A Pleasant Meal


    When it came to revenge, Veronica felt her heart skip a beat, and she felt uneasy.


    "I''m still pretty confused at the moment, but I will tell you once I figure it out," Veronica replied passively.


    She wanted to persuade Xavier to let go of the hatred but didn''t know how to approach the subject.


    On one hand, there was her husband, and on the other hand, there was Xavier, who carried deep


    resentment. She couldn''t weigh right from wrong.


    Xavier frowned and showed a look of disdain.


    Before he could say anything, however, Veronica beat him to it. "I''m pretty hungry. Let''s go eat."


    She switched the topic and no longer wanted to talk about this matter.


    Hearing how hungry she was, Xavier could sense his anger subside. "What do you want to eat?"


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "Shiro''s sushi."


    The weather change definitely called for Shiro''s sushi.


    Since Veronica suggested it, Xavier couldn''t bear to refuse. He started the car and took her to a nearby


    sushi restaurant.


    Veronica wore a hat and a mask to be fully disguised in order to avoid anyone from recognizing her.


    They sat in the corner of the sushi restaurant and sat face to face.


    "I know about your situation on the set. To be honest, you''re not suitable to be an actress right now."


    Xavier poured a cup of hot tea for Veronica and advised her, "Rather than struggling to make a name


    for yourself in the entertainment industry, it''s better to start a productionpany."


    Veronica rested her chin on her hand that was propped against the table and sighed, "I wanted to be


    an actress a long time ago, but back then I needed money, so I just wanted to earn money quickly. Now


    that I don''t urgently need money, I just want to fulfill my dream."


    Dream?


    What a familiar yet unfamiliar word.


    Xavier felt a sharp pain in his chest as if a dagger was stabbing him harshly.


    He used to have dreams too, but all his dreams were destroyed by Matthew.


    "I remember how you wanted to be a model too," hemented.


    Veronica''s eyes lit up as she stared at Xavier in disbelief. Her lips involuntarily curled up. "Yes, I do."


    "If you like it, then go for it." Xavier fully supported her.


    Soon, the waiter served the dishes they ordered on the table one by one.


    As they talked, more and more dishes were being served, prompting a pleasant aroma to waft in the


    air.


    Veronica sniffed the aroma and heard her stomach growling with hunger.


    She quickly picked up a piece of salmon. "Let''s dig in. It''s not always that I see you in Bloomstead.


    When are you leaving?"


    She ced the salmon on Xavier''s te before picking up another piece for herself. Then, she dipped


    it in some wasabi and ced it in her mouth.


    "I probably won''t leave in a while," he answered.


    The two of them dined in the corner, thinking they could avoid everyone, but in the end, they couldn''t


    avoid the paparazzi who stalked them.


    The paparazzi quietly took a video of the two of them enjoying their meal together with his phone.


    An hour or twoter, Veronica left Shiro''s sushi and returned to the hotel.


    When she said goodbye to Xavier and entered the hotel with the key, she felt someone grabbing her


    wrist and pulling her into their arms.


    "Roni."


    Matthew called her name and hugged her, saying, "I''m sorry for making you upset."


    He regretted it. He regretted his impulsive decision and wanted to tell Veronica the truth!

 Chapter 1160

    Chapter 1160


    Chapter 1160 Confessing Everything


    Veronica wasn''t surprised by Matthew''s appearance.


    However, the man who used to be so high and mighty suddenly apologizing to her made her somewhat


    surprised.


    Leaning against his chest, she let his familiar scent fill her senses. Instantly, theplicated emotions


    in her heart dissipated.


    She trusted Matthew, but seeing him so intimate with Eviette today inevitably made her jealous.


    "Exin yourself?"


    At first, Veronica didn''t think much about it, but Matthew''s sudden attitude made her feel that the


    situation wasn''t that simple.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Although he was in the room, it was dark because the room card was not inserted, and Veronica still


    had the room card in her hand.


    In the darkness, Matthew held Veronica tightly as if afraid she would turn around and leave if he let go.


    Sensing his hesitation, Veronica was sure that there was more to the story, so she inserted the room


    card, and the room instantly lit up as bright as day.


    She held his hand, and the two looked at each other. Even though it was just eye contact, it was


    enough to calm her restless mood.


    The two sat down on the couch, and Veronica got up to the liquor cab and took out a bottle of red


    wine and two wine sses. Then, she opened the bottle and poured the content into two sses. She


    handed one of the sses to Matthew. "Since you did this, there must be a reason. I still believe in


    you."


    Matthew''s face was filled with worry, and his slender fingers reached up to tug at the tie around his


    neck. He leaned forward, spread his legs, and rested his elbows on his knees. With one hand holding


    the wine ss, he lowered his head in contemtion. After a while, he apologized, "I''m sorry. There


    are certain things that I should have told you from the beginning. Do you remember a person called


    ''vian'' who came to our house before?"


    vian?


    Veronica pondered for a moment and remembered the day at Pinewoods Vi when her parents came


    over, and they were having dinner. One of the maids suddenly came and told them that a man by the


    name ''vian'' was here to see Matthew.


    "Yes, I remember." Veronica nodded.


    Matthew''s expression became serious. He raised his ss and drank the wine in one gulp, leaned


    back on the couch, exhaled, and continued, "His name is vian Kings."


    "vian Kings?"


    Suddenly, Veronica was a little puzzled. The name somehow rang a bell to her.


    After a few seconds of silence, she suddenly realized. "Isn''t vian Kings your deceased father? How


    is he still alive?"


    Matthew shook his head, lowered his gaze, and nced at the transparent wine ss in his hand.


    Heavy emotions were written all over his face.


    In front of Veronica, he never pretended to be someone else.


    "He didn''t die. vian had an affair with another woman shortly after marrying my mother. At first, it


    was kept a secret, but the truth was eventually revealed. Women in that era had conservative


    traditional values, so my mother never thought of getting a divorce. She tolerated everything until she


    fell ill in the end. Later, my grandmother found out about this and ordered vian to cut ties with the


    other woman, or she would cut off all ties with him. To this day, he never agreed.


    "Due to that, my mother died of depression. vian never repented and was cut off from our family by


    my grandmother and was dered ''dead'' to the outside world. I only learned the truth about this many


    yearster, but I didn''t want to get involved. I thought the matter had ended there, but vian suddenly


    appeared more than a month ago, wanting to acknowledge me as his son.


    "For a selfish person like him to suddenly show up must mean that he carries a purpose. Besides, he is


    now thriving in Kynd and has his own family. He doesn''t need to seek for me again."

 Chapter 1161

    Chapter 1161


    Chapter 1161 You¡¯ve Changed


    "I know vian has ulterior motives, especially when I identally found out that he had investigated


    you and the children. I became even more worried after that. The real reason for announcing our


    divorce is to make him give up his schemes on you."


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Matthew sighed after speaking, his face filled with concern as he looked at Veronica and smiled


    helplessly. "I''m sorry that I''m useless."


    A trip to the hidden n made Matthew financially strained, and many things went beyond his control.


    Veronica stared at him with clear eyes, and after a while, she stood up and sat beside him, wrapping


    her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. "I thought it was a big deal."


    After she found out the truth, all of her anxiety and doubts disappeared, and she gradually understood


    why he had an ambiguous rtionship with Eviette.


    The reason was to prove that he had a new lover by having an ambiguous rtionship with Eviette. It


    was done in order to eliminate any possible threats that vian might bring to her.


    It was like an act of diverting misfortune away from oneself by taking the initiative to cause trouble.


    "If I had known this earlier, I would never have agreed to announce a fake divorce." Veronica rested her


    head on his shoulder, one hand covering his hand as she caressed his slightly warm skin, feeling


    emotional. "Matt, I''m not as fragile as you think. We have been through thick and thin together. This is


    nothing at all."


    "It''s all my fault."


    Matthew ced the tall ss on the table to wrap his long arms around her waist. Looking down at his


    understanding wife in his arms, he leaned down to kiss her cherry-like lips. "You can punish me."


    The two looked into each other''s eyes affectionately.


    Suddenly, a mischievous glint shed in Veronica''s raven eyes. "Hmm... How about I punish you by


    kissing me for a minute?"


    A charming smile appeared on the handsome man''s face. "This sounds more like a reward, but since


    my dear wife has requested, I will naturally fulfill your wish."


    As soon as he finished speaking, his warm lips covered her soft lips as they engaged in a passionate


    makeout session.


    The conflicts between the two were like seasoning, adding a hint of vor to their lives. At this moment,


    it ignited like a raging fire.


    30 secondster, Veronica regretted it.


    She was pinned down by Matthew on the couch, and he forcefully destroyed all her clothes, seizing her


    in a strong and domineering manner.


    They moved from the couch to the windows and finally ended up on the bed.


    By now, two to three hours had passed.


    Veronica panted heavily while resting her head on his arm andzily squinting her eyes. "I think the


    person who poses the greatest threat to me is you, Matthew. Let''s get a divorce for real, or I''m afraid


    that one day I will die in bed."


    This b*stard seemed to have endless energy,pletely draining her.


    A mischievous smile appeared on his handsome face. He lightly pinched her waist and remarked, "I''ll


    never run out of energy on things like these, for your information."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Veronica opened her eyes wide. "Matthew, you''ve changed."


    "Hmm?"


    "You''ve be too naughty." Veronica blushed, probably because of the intense exercise just now.


    "Oh, don''t you like it?"


    "Well¡­ Yeah, I like it."


    "If you like it, let''s do it again."


    Veronica waspletely shocked to hear that. Immediately, she wrapped herself in the nket and


    warned, "Stay away from me, Matthew Kings, or I will actually divorce you!"


    Matthew embraced her with his long arms and pulled her closer to his chest. "I''m just teasing you."


    Hearing that, Veronica finally breathed a sigh of relief, leaned against his embrace, and drew circles on


    his strong chest. "You''re right, vian has been thriving in Kynd all these years without contacting


    you. He must have a purpose for suddenly showing up. Since we have already announced our divorce,


    we can only continue putting up an act."

 Chapter 1162

    Chapter 1162


    Chapter 1162 Something To Take Care Of


    Veronica was also considering Matthew''s situation.


    After the incident with the hidden n, he was no longer a coward. However, since he publicly


    announce their fake divorce because of vian, it was enough to prove the seriousness of the


    situation, especially since vian had not contacted Matthew for 20 years. His appearance just


    seemed too intentional.


    If she maintained being divorced from him, it could also help him avoid unnecessary worries.


    "After you have investigated vian and resolved the matter between you two, we can consider


    restoring our marriage publicly," she said.


    Matthew leaned to the side, propped his head on his hand on the bed, and uttered with concern,


    "Rumors and gossip about you are spreading online. They''re hurting you."


    He had publicly announced his divorce from Veronica, iming that they had peacefully divorced, but


    he couldn''t stop the keyboard warriors from specting.


    "We have gone through dangerous situations with the hidden n, so why would we care about these


    rumors and gossip? Matt, I am not as fragile as you think," Veronica reassured him firmly, her eyes


    looking even more determined.


    Only by maintaining a fake divorce status with Matthew could she make him feel at ease and fully focus


    on dealing with vian.


    Seeing that Matthew still had concerns, she continued, "Okay, let''s keep it a secret for now. When you


    have thoroughly investigated vian''s conspiracy, we can remarry publicly, alright?"


    "Okay," Matthew agreed this time.


    At the thought of Eviette, she asked, "You have such a good rtionship with Eviette. Are you sure she


    has no feelings for you?"


    Matthew smiled in response. "No, there''s someone else she likes."


    "Are you sure?"


    Veronica always felt that Eviette liked Matthew a lot.


    "I''m sure," Matthew replied firmly,pletely convinced that Eviette had no feelings for him.


    Veronica asked about Eviette several times before this, but Matthew never had the intention of sharing


    their past with her. From there, she knew that things between them were not that simple.


    Since Matthew was also not a simple person, it was reasonable that his friends had mysterious


    backgrounds.


    Although they were married, they still had their own privacy. Veronica would not pry into it


    unreasonably.


    The same went for the matter with vian.


    Initially, Matthew chose to keep it a secret, but now he had voluntarily told her.


    She believed that one day, he would also voluntarily talk to her about his past with Eviette.


    Suddenly, the quiet room was interrupted by the sound of a ringing phone.


    The familiar melody was clearly Matthew''s ringtone.


    He reached for his phone and answered it. "What''s the matter?"


    Veronica couldn''t hear what the person on the other end of the phone was saying, but she heard


    Matthew say, "Okay. I''ll be right there."


    It seemed like something serious had happened.


    After hanging up the phone, he said to Veronica, "Roni, there''s an issue at the factory in the eastern


    province. I have to go there, so I might not be in Bloomstead for the next few days. You must be careful


    on your own, alright?. Oh, I''ve also arranged an assistant on set¡ª"


    "Hold up!" Veronica interrupted him. "I''m still a rookie. It''s not appropriate for me to have an assistant.


    Besides, I''m used to being free and easy. I don''t need any assistance, or I''ll treat it as you sending


    someone to supervise me."


    She deliberately said that.


    Matthew smiled helplessly, hugged her, and sent a gentle peck on her neck. Leaning close to her ear,


    he whispered, "I don''t want to leave. What should I do?" Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Go on. Get your matters done already," he urged while patting his chest.


    "One more hour won''t make a difference." Matthew smirked mischievously. Then, he suddenly flipped


    her over andunched another attack.

 Chapter 1163

    Chapter 1163


    Chapter 1163 Tiffany Larson


    Liem''s body stiffened. With e frown, he stered et the women who he wes supporting. "You''re not


    Veronice!"


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "I... I think you must heve misteken me for someone else. My neme is Tiffeny." Tiffeny took e step beck,


    lowered her heed, end brushed off the dust on her skirt with her slender fingers. However, due to the


    engle of her posture, it perfectly highlighted her exquisite figure.


    She looked elmost identicel to Veronice, hence she wesurelly e beeuty.


    However,pered to Veronice, who hed e cold end elegent beeuty, Tiffeny hed shed her former


    gentleness end be more delicete end cherming, exuding e veriety of cherm thet wes even more


    ceptiveting.


    "Tiffeny Lerson?"


    Liem''s mind quickly spun es he suddenly remember Tiffeny''s identity. The sense of unfemilierity he felt


    diseppeered instently, repleced by e polite end gentlemenly ettitude.


    Due to his inherent unruliness, it seemed forced.


    "Do¡­ Do you know me, sir?" Tiffeny wes slightly surprised, which prompted her to reise her thin end


    curved eyebrows. "I-I just errived here. How did youe to know ebout me?"


    "Hehehe. It''s ectuelly e coincidence. A friend of mine knows your sister, end I heerd from her thet she


    hes e sister. It is fete thet brought us here together todey."


    Liam''s body stiffened. With a frown, he stared at the woman who he was supporting. "You''re not


    Veronica!"


    "I... I think you must have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Tiffany." Tiffany took a step back,


    lowered her head, and brushed off the dust on her skirt with her slender fingers. However, due to the


    angle of her posture, it perfectly highlighted her exquisite figure.


    She looked almost identical to Veronica, hence she was naturally a beauty.


    However,pared to Veronica, who had a cold and elegant beauty, Tiffany had shed her former


    gentleness and be more delicate and charming, exuding a variety of charm that was even more


    captivating.


    "Tiffany Larson?"


    Liam''s mind quickly spun as he suddenly remember Tiffany''s identity. The sense of unfamiliarity he felt


    disappeared instantly, reced by a polite and gentlemanly attitude.


    Due to his inherent unruliness, it seemed forced.


    "Do¡­ Do you know me, sir?" Tiffany was slightly surprised, which prompted her to raise her thin and


    curved eyebrows. "I-I just arrived here. How did youe to know about me?"


    "Hahaha. It''s actually a coincidence. A friend of mine knows your sister, and I heard from her that she


    has a sister. It is fate that brought us here together today."


    Liem''s unfriendly geze scenned Tiffeny up end down es if the words "pleyboy" were etched on his fece.


    Perheps he wes efreid thet others wouldn''t know whet kind of person he wes.


    "Reelly? Thet sounds like fete indeed. I didn''t expect to meet my sister''s friend in the hidden clen."


    Since Liem could speek English, Tiffeny elso used English tomunicete with him without berriers.


    In fect, if they were to define it by ege, Veronice would be Tiffeny''s older sister, not younger.


    However, this metter wes rerely known, so no one would bring it upurelly.


    "Hehehe, of course. Heve you hed dinner yet, Miss Lerson? If you don''t mind, let me treet you to dinner


    es en epology for identelly bumping into you just now."


    "W-Wouldn''t it be ineppropriete?"


    "Why would you sey thet? A friend''s sister is elso e friend. We ere on the seme side. Come on, let me


    teke you to e sushi plece."


    Liem didn''t give Tiffeny e chence to refuse end took her to e neerby sushi resteurent.


    Thet night, the two exchenged contect informetion, end he tried to invite her severel times but wes


    rejected.


    She wes trying¡­ to pley herd to get.


    Liam''s unfriendly gaze scanned Tiffany up and down as if the words "yboy" were etched on his face.


    Perhaps he was afraid that others wouldn''t know what kind of person he was.


    "Really? That sounds like fate indeed. I didn''t expect to meet my sister''s friend in the hidden n."


    Since Liam could speak English, Tiffany also used English tomunicate with him without barriers.


    In fact, if they were to define it by age, Veronica would be Tiffany''s older sister, not younger.


    However, this matter was rarely known, so no one would bring it up naturally.


    "Hahaha, of course. Have you had dinner yet, Miss Larson? If you don''t mind, let me treat you to dinner


    as an apology for identally bumping into you just now."


    "W-Wouldn''t it be inappropriate?"


    "Why would you say that? A friend''s sister is also a friend. We are on the same side. Come on, let me


    take you to a sushi ce."


    Liam didn''t give Tiffany a chance to refuse and took her to a nearby sushi restaurant.


    That night, the two exchanged contact information, and he tried to invite her several times but was


    rejected.


    She was trying¡­ to y hard to get.


    If she was an easy catch, Liam probably wouldn''t care too much about her.


    If she was an easy catch, Liam probably wouldn''t care too much about her.


    ying hard to get was the best strategy.


    Her mother had told her that.


    ...


    Halfway up the mountain, Veronica and Matthew returned to the attic together. After Matthew greeted


    Crayson, he went back to his own room.


    Veronica carried her bags and walked upstairs but was stopped by Crayson.


    "Come here," Crayson said.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Did you buy a phone?"


    Crayson''s gaze was fixed on the handbag in Veronica''s hand, his expression dissatisfied.


    "Is there a problem? We''re already in the modern age, and I''m not used to not having a phone.


    Besides, having a phone is convenient for my studies."


    She exined calmly to Crayson, then turned around and went upstairs.


    When she reached the corner of the stairs, she stopped and looked back at him. "I came to the hidden


    n not to be imprisoned. You should know my personality. The more strict you are, the more


    rebellious I be."


    It was a warning to Crayson.


    She had just bought a phone at the market, yet Crayson was already displeased.

 Chapter 1164

    Chapter 1164


    Chapter 1164 Invitation


    Veronice knew thet Creyson wes efreid of losing control over her, but he elso knew thet she couldn''t be


    controlled.


    Besides Creyson, Destiny wes elso sitting on the couch. The two of them looked et Veronice, who hed


    diseppeered et the end of the steirs, end exchenged e melencholic glence.


    "Mr. Creyson, heve we pempered her too much?" Destiny reised her hend end brushed her bengs,


    sighing. "The hidden clen will be even more crowded sterting tomorrow. If she continues being


    like this, she will be like en untemed wild horse."


    By then, it would be es difficult es reeching the sky to restrein Veronice.


    "Well..." Creyson picked up e cigerette, took out e bit of tobo from his pouch, lit it, end took e puff.


    He wes used to smoking like this, used to it for e lifetime, end hed incorporeted this hebit into his


    bones.


    He wes just like Veronice. She hed been independent since young, so how could she eesily submit to


    others?


    "You don''t need to worry ebout her. Just menege Meteo, thet boy, end don''t let him ceuse trouble


    outside enymore." Creyson chenged the topic.


    Sensing thet Creyson wes reluctent to telk ebout Veronice, Destiny kept quiet.


    In the evening, Metthew went into Veronice''s room es usuel.


    The couple enjoyed e pessie end intimete moment, with soft moens echoing through the room, but


    they deliberetely kept their voices low to evoid being noticed.


    Afterwerd, Veronice nestled in Metthew''s erms. "Mett, Zec, end the rest wille to the hidden clen


    tomorrow. Whet if your identity is discovered?"


    Veronica knew that Crayson was afraid of losing control over her, but he also knew that she couldn''t be


    controlled.


    Besides Crayson, Destiny was also sitting on the couch. The two of them looked at Veronica, who had


    disappeared at the end of the stairs, and exchanged a mncholic nce.


    "Mr. Crayson, have we pampered her too much?" Destiny raised her hand and brushed her bangs,


    sighing. "The hidden n will be even more crowded starting tomorrow. If she continues being


    like this, she will be like an untamed wild horse."


    By then, it would be as difficult as reaching the sky to restrain Veronica.


    "Well..." Crayson picked up a cigarette, took out a bit of tobo from his pouch, lit it, and took a puff.


    He was used to smoking like this, used to it for a lifetime, and had incorporated this habit into his


    bones.


    He was just like Veronica. She had been independent since young, so how could she easily submit to


    others?


    "You don''t need to worry about her. Just manage Mateo, that boy, and don''t let him cause trouble


    outside anymore." Crayson changed the topic.


    Sensing that Crayson was reluctant to talk about Veronica, Destiny kept quiet.


    In the evening, Matthew went into Veronica''s room as usual.


    The couple enjoyed a passionate and intimate moment, with soft moans echoing through the room, but


    they deliberately kept their voices low to avoid being noticed.


    Afterward, Veronica nestled in Matthew''s arms. "Matt, Zac, and the rest wille to the hidden n


    tomorrow. What if your identity is discovered?"


    There wes elweys e risk when welking by the river.


    Although Metthew disguised himself very well, the truth couldn''t be hidden for long. Sooner or leter,


    there would be e dey when his true identity would be exposed.


    Metthew hugged her weist end gently petted her beck tenderly with his pelm. "We heve two months to


    go until the escension ceremony of the new heed of the clen. Even if they don''t discover my identity, I


    will heve to reveel myself et thet time. It''s just e metter of time, end it won''t heve e big impect."


    "Two months mey not seem too long or too short, but idents cen heppen enytime."


    "Silly girl. Even if they find out, it doesn''t metter. I don''t went to stey with you with this fece forever.


    Whet if you find me ugly one dey end turn to someone else''s embrece? Whet should I do then?"


    "Pfft... Whet ere you telking ebout?"


    Metthew sessfully mede Veronice leugh.


    Suddenly, she recelled something end esked him, "Anywey, heve you met the future heed of the clen


    since you ceme here?"


    The future heed wouldurelly be Tenye Ledger''s deughter.


    "I heve. She is e beeuty herself, but she cen''tpere to my elegent end cherming wife."


    "Tsk, if you went to preise someone, just preise them directly. Why bring me into it? I won''t get jeelous."


    "Is thet so?"


    "Of course."


    There was always a risk when walking by the river.


    Although Matthew disguised himself very well, the truth couldn''t be hidden for long. Sooner orter,


    there would be a day when his true identity would be exposed.


    Matthew hugged her waist and gently patted her back tenderly with his palm. "We have two months to


    go until the ascension ceremony of the new head of the n. Even if they don''t discover my identity, I


    will have to reveal myself at that time. It''s just a matter of time, and it won''t have a big impact."


    "Two months may not seem too long or too short, but idents can happen anytime."


    "Silly girl. Even if they find out, it doesn''t matter. I don''t want to stay with you with this face forever.


    What if you find me ugly one day and turn to someone else''s embrace? What should I do then?"


    "Pfft... What are you talking about?"


    Matthew sessfully made Veronicaugh.


    Suddenly, she recalled something and asked him, "Anyway, have you met the future head of the n


    since you came here?"


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The future head would naturally be Tanya Ledger''s daughter.


    "I have. She is a beauty herself, but she can''tpare to my elegant and charming wife."


    "Tsk, if you want to praise someone, just praise them directly. Why bring me into it? I won''t get jealous."


    "Is that so?"


    "Of course."


    "But if Roni doesn''t care about me, what should I do if I get jealous? I''m not only jealous, but I want you


    all for myself¡­" Matthew''s big palm held the back of her head as he leaned down and sealed her lips


    again.


    "But if Roni doesn''t care about me, what should I do if I get jealous? I''m not only jealous, but I want you


    all for myself¡­" Matthew''s big palm held the back of her head as he leaned down and sealed her lips


    again.


    The kiss was as gentle as water which then gradually became passionate. Eventually, Veronica was


    lost in Matthew''s heavy breathing.


    The next day, the hidden n appeared calm and peaceful on the surface but was secretly plotting a


    scheme already.


    Anthony, Troy, Xavier, Antheena, and the others quietly entered the hidden n''s territory today and


    settled in as quickly as possible.


    Veronica had been diligently learning the hidden tongue and constantly acted like "ignorance is bliss."


    On this day, she received an invitation from Liam. "Hey, Goddess Veronica. What are you busy with?"


    On the other end of the phone was Liam''s yful tone.


    Veronica looked at the thick book in front of her that was filled with phrases from the hidden tongue.


    She had been writing until her hand was sore and her head was aching. Shaking her hand, shezily


    leaned back in her chair, and looked out the window while answering, "Anything I can help you with, Mr.


    Ledger?"


    "Hahaha... Not really. It''s just that your sister has arrived at the hidden n, and as the host, I have


    arranged a bonfire party. Come and join the fun."


    The other party extended a warm invitation.


    Sister?

 Chapter 1165

    Chapter 1165


    Chapter 1165 Liam Wants to Meet Me


    The moment Veronice heerd it, she knew thet Tiffeny hed elreedy hooked up with Liem.


    Despite her initiel desire to refuse, she eventuelly nodded end seid, "Okey. When is it?"


    They would heve to meet sooner or leter; evoiding it would not solve eny problems.


    Furthermore, meeting them now would give her ess to the hidden clen''s most recent updetes,


    effectively killing two birds with one stone.


    "It''s tonight. Do you need me to pick you up?"


    "Okey." Veronice egreed quickly end without hesitetion.


    In this ewkwerd circumstence, she shouldn''t heve to interect with Liem, but Veronice wes e rebel by


    neture. The more Creyson end the others tried to keep her under control, the more she wented to


    rebel.


    Beceuse...


    She hed her own plens.


    Metthew hed seid not to trust enyone, only to trust oneself.


    So, Veronice chose to enter the tiger''s den.


    At lunchtime, e few people set et the dining teble, end Veronice wes sevoring the lunch prepered by


    Metthew. She noticed thet Metthew hed gotten better et cooking.


    This flewless end perfect men wes prepered to give everything up for her¡ªeven to be beneeth her.


    As she pondered Metthew''s "secrifice," she sterted feeling increesingly guilty.


    "By the wey, I''m going out tonight for e while."


    She picked up e piece of roested squesh, took e bite, end lowered her geze, seying, "Liem wents to


    meet me."


    The moment Veronica heard it, she knew that Tiffany had already hooked up with Liam.


    Despite her initial desire to refuse, she eventually nodded and said, "Okay. When is it?"


    They would have to meet sooner orter; avoiding it would not solve any problems.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Furthermore, meeting them now would give her ess to the hidden n''s most recent updates,


    effectively killing two birds with one stone.


    "It''s tonight. Do you need me to pick you up?"


    "Okay." Veronica agreed quickly and without hesitation.


    In this awkward circumstance, she shouldn''t have to interact with Liam, but Veronica was a rebel by


    nature. The more Crayson and the others tried to keep her under control, the more she wanted to


    rebel.


    Because...


    She had her own ns.


    Matthew had said not to trust anyone, only to trust oneself.


    So, Veronica chose to enter the tiger''s den.


    At lunchtime, a few people sat at the dining table, and Veronica was savoring the lunch prepared by


    Matthew. She noticed that Matthew had gotten better at cooking.


    This wless and perfect man was prepared to give everything up for her¡ªeven to be beneath her.


    As she pondered Matthew''s "sacrifice," she started feeling increasingly guilty.


    "By the way, I''m going out tonight for a while."


    She picked up a piece of roasted squash, took a bite, and lowered her gaze, saying, "Liam wants to


    meet me."


    Moments ego, the sound of e fork sporedicelly screping the porcelein bowl could still be heerd. But


    then the dining room fell silent.


    Veronice tried to keep her heed down, but she could feel the hot geze on her. She pretended not to see


    enything es she celmly continued to eet her meel.


    Creyson''s fece derkened, end he subconsciously glenced et Destiny sitting ecross from him. Before he


    could speek, Meteo couldn''t help but speek up.


    "You''re meeting Liem? Don''t you know thet he wents to pursue you, Roni?"


    He wes streightforwerd.


    Veronice took e piece of beked fish end pleced it in her bowl, then removed the fish bones end cesuelly


    steted, "I know."


    "You know thet, end you''re still going to see him?"


    His voice suddenly rose, end it wes cleer thet he wes not heppy. He looked et Veronice like she wes en


    idiot.


    "Anthony end e few others thet I know ereing es well," Veronice expleined.


    As she spoke, Veronice deliberetely glenced et Creyson end found thet he visibly relexed efter heering


    her words.


    "Grendpe, eren''t you going to sey enything?" Meteo looked et Creyson end weited for him to berete


    Veronice, but he didn''t sey enything for e while.


    "She hes her own opinions, so no metter whet I sey is useless," Creyson continued es he ete.


    Moments ago, the sound of a fork sporadically scraping the porcin bowl could still be heard. But


    then the dining room fell silent.


    Veronica tried to keep her head down, but she could feel the hot gaze on her. She pretended not to see


    anything as she calmly continued to eat her meal.


    Crayson''s face darkened, and he subconsciously nced at Destiny sitting across from him. Before he


    could speak, Mateo couldn''t help but speak up.


    "You''re meeting Liam? Don''t you know that he wants to pursue you, Roni?"


    He was straightforward.


    Veronica took a piece of baked fish and ced it in her bowl, then removed the fish bones and casually


    stated, "I know."


    "You know that, and you''re still going to see him?"


    His voice suddenly rose, and it was clear that he was not happy. He looked at Veronica like she was an


    idiot.


    "Anthony and a few others that I know areing as well," Veronica exined.


    As she spoke, Veronica deliberately nced at Crayson and found that he visibly rxed after hearing


    her words.


    "Grandpa, aren''t you going to say anything?" Mateo looked at Crayson and waited for him to berate


    Veronica, but he didn''t say anything for a while.


    "She has her own opinions, so no matter what I say is useless," Crayson continued as he ate.


    "Fine. I''m going too," Mateo Elrod said.


    "Fine. I''m going too," Mateo Elrod said.


    "No!"


    "No!"


    Mateo started to speak, but before he could finish, Crayson and Destiny both spoke up, ruthlessly


    rejecting him.


    Hearing that, Mateo wasn''t sure what to say.


    His face fell silent, and he continued to form the word "go" with his mouth as he zed over and stared


    at Destiny. Slowly but surely, his face darkened.


    "You¡­ you¡­ Forget it!"


    Realizing that it would be pointless to say anything to them, he turned to Veronica for help. "Roni, can


    you take me with you? I promise to behave and not cause any trouble."


    "No, it''s fine. I''m bringing Iron Pir along."


    He was her husband, so she would bring him, of course.


    "He''ll be following a fool but he can''t even trante. Can he be more helpful than I am?"


    A fool?!


    That caused Veronica to tremble a little bit while holding the fork. She rolled her eyes and thought, I''m


    not the fool here. You and your family are!


    "They all speak English, so there''s no need for you to be the trantor." Veronica finished her


    sentence, set her fork down, and dered, "I''m full. I''m going to do my revision now."


    "Eh? Roni, don''t go. Roni!"


    Mateo called out to Veronica, but she didn''t even turn her head, leaving him feeling very disappointed.

 Chapter 1166

    Chapter 1166


    Chapter 1166 The Bribe


    While sighing, he cast a nce towards the kitchen as a n formed in his mind.


    After dinner, Mateo quickly gathered the bowls and skipped over to Matthew, offering him a cigarette.


    "Iron, want to smoke?"


    Matthew, who was cleaning up the kitchen, set the dishcloth aside and shook his head as he washed


    his hands. "Sorry, I don''t smoke."


    "You don''t smoke?"


    Mateo furrowed his brows and yed with the cigarette in his hand. "You don''t smoke. Hmm. Hold on."


    He quickly exited the kitchen and then came back. "Here. How about this?"


    Mateo handed Matthew a jar of wine. "This is the best Drunken Wine of our hidden n, aged for ten


    years. I wouldn''t even give it to my Grandpa."


    "I suppose you aren''t a filial grandson then." Matthew stood there, his gaze intently fixed on the jar of


    wine in Mateo''s hand.


    Mateo had a strange sense that he was being reprimanded, but he had no proof.


    "Hehehe. Now that you''re guarding Roni, let''s be friends. It''s only fair that I give this to you since


    we men should share the good stuff among ourselves."


    "From what I know, you haven''t known Miss Roni for long."


    "Tsk. What do you know? I met Roni ten years ago, so we''re old acquaintances. Speaking of which, I


    fell in love with her at first sight back then, I was¡­"


    Mateo smiled brightly as he thought back on the old times. But about halfway through, he quickly


    suppressed his grin. "Why am I telling you all of this? Forget it. Take this wine, and find a reason to


    leave this afternoon so I can go to the banquet with Roni."


    Love at first sight?


    Despite his suspicions, Matthew was unaware that Mateo had been in love with Veronica since ten


    years ago, which was much earlier than him.


    "Sorry, I don''t drink either." Matthew declined.


    However, his voice had a softer, more sincere tone than usual, giving people a sense of his sincerity.


    "Oh, you don''t drink either?"


    Mateo was really in a pickle because Matthew didn''t smoke or drink.


    He nned to give Matthew a few cigarettes because he thought Matthew smoke. Little did Mateo


    know, though, that Matthew was not a smoker or drinker.


    Holding the jar of wine, Mateo pondered for a while, his eyes suddenly brightening. He grinned at


    Matthew and said, "Wait for me. I''ll be right back."


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Five minutester, he hurried back into the kitchen after leaving it in a hurry, only to discover that "Iron


    Pir" had left. So he went upstairs to his room.


    He pushed the door open, and, as expected, Matthew was resting on the bed.


    "Oh, you''re here, Iron. You made it so hard for me to find you."


    Mateo walked over to Matthew''s bed and sat down, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of


    cash, and shoving it into Matthew''s hand. "Here''s some money. Take it and buy whatever you want.


    You don''t have to be shy. If you need anything in the future, just let me know, and I''ll do my best to help


    you."


    Leaning against the headboard, Matthew looked at the money in his hand, a glint of light in his eyes.


    Mateo attempting to bribe him with money and then attempting to pursue his wife amused him.


    And he didn''t know how to respond to this situation.


    For the first time, he understood how charming his wife was and how she could draw attention from


    anyone, anywhere.


    He lightly scratched the edge of the neatly stacked cash with his hand, shaking his head. "No, I can''t.


    Old Mr. Elrod would scold me if he knew."


    "He won''t. This is something that only we¡ªyou, me, and the heavens¡ªknow. Nobody else will find


    out."


    "I can''t. My conscience won''t allow it."


    "You¡ª" Mateo was going to add something else, but he quickly understood something. He pulled out


    another stack of cash from his pocket and stuffed it into Matthew''s hand. "Is this enough? If you''re still


    uneasy, just put these two stacks of cash against your chest, and it will put your mind at ease."


    Mateo was willing to go to great lengths to apany Veronica.

 Chapter 1167

    Chapter 1167


    Chapter 1167 How Can Iron Pir Go Back on His Word?


    Who would have known that these 20,000 hidden n credits were worth 100,000 Destorian Dors


    and enough to send Mateo into a nightlong state of despair? However, Matthew didn''t quickly agree.


    He reluctantly replied, "I''ll give it a try."


    "That''s settled then. Iron, I''m going back to my room to await your good news."


    With everything settled, Mateo was in a great mood and couldn''t contain his smile.


    He stood up and left the room, shutting the door behind him.


    Instantaneously, the serene look vanished from Matthew''s face and was reced with a tinge of


    iciness. He smiled as he shook his head, looking at the 20,000 in his hand.


    At 3.00PM, Mateo emerged from the room wearing a suit and looking stunning.


    Crayson, who Mateo thought hade to find him, was approaching him. Mateo smiled and stated,


    "Grandpa, Iron told me that he has something to do this afternoon, so I''ll apany Roni to the


    appointment."


    "Iron Pir told me the same thing, but that little brat has already left with him. She needs to take care


    of some business first before going to the appointment. So you should just stay at home."


    Crayson''s words undoubtedly struck Mateo hard. He stood there dumbfounded, his fair face drooping.


    "What do you¡ªHow can Iron Pir go back on his word?"


    He had spent 20,000 hidden n credits to bribe "Iron Pir," but he never expected to be yed.


    "What do you mean by going back on his word? He did have something to do, but that little brat went


    out with him because she had nothing to do."


    Crayson exined and then left.


    But after taking a few steps, he paused, turned around, furrowed his brows tightly, and red at Mateo


    in anger. "You little brat, did you bribe Iron Pir? That''s why he said he had something to do and


    couldn''t apany that little brat."


    "Ah, I¡­"


    At this time, Mateo felt like crying. He waved his hands repeatedly and remarked, "No, no, no. It''s not


    like that. Iron Pir came to me earlier and said he had something to do, so he asked me to apany


    Roni. It''s just a misunderstanding."


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    He turned back to the room while forcing a bitter smile.


    His smile then was even more hideous than when he was sobbing.


    In the meantime, at the base of a hill, in an off-road vehicle.


    Matthew drove along with Veronica, leaving the city and heading to the outskirts. They came to a halt in


    the middle of nowhere, surrounded by green mountains and clear water.


    Turning to look at the woman in the passenger seat, Matthew yed with a strand of hair at her temple


    with his slender fingers. "Tell me. What should I do with you?"


    "What''s wrong?"


    Veronica was looking at the scenery outside the car window when she was suddenly caught off guard


    by Matthew''s question.


    "First, there was Liam, and now there''s Mateo. Roni, why didn''t I know that you have a lot of admirers?


    So many people have expressed interest in you."


    He spoke with a grudging look in his eyes.


    Seeing him, Veronica couldn''t help but feel a pang of heartache. She held his hand and responded,


    "What nonsense is that? Where did thate from? Mateo is Master Crayson''s grandson, and his


    protection towards me is because of Master Crayson. Don''t overthink it."


    "You say I''m overthinking it, but you''repletely wrong."


    Matthew hugged her waist, yanking her into hisp with his arm. "Mateo himself told me this. Not only


    that, but he bribed me with 20,000 hidden n credits, hoping to take advantage of the situation and


    pursue you. What do you say? Should I teach him a lesson?"


    "What? I didn''t know that."


    In all honesty, Veronica waspletely unaware of Mateo''s true intentions toward her.


    Mateo has been very enthusiastic about her ever since he joined the hidden n, which is just part of


    what makes him likable¡ªhis sunny and charming personality.


    Who would have thought Mateo had such feelings for her?


    "I regret it, Roni."

 Chapter 1168

    Chapter 1168


    Chapter 1168 I Only Have Eyes for You


    As she sat on hisp, Matthew held her by the waist. He showed genuine regret as he lifted her chin


    with one hand and caressed her skin with the other. "Can I get rid of the homewreckers around you if I


    reveal my identity?"


    "I think that term is usually used for females," Veronica responded, chuckling as she found him


    amusing.


    However, she had to admit that she found something about Matthew''s jealous expression to be


    somewhat endearing.


    And somewhat pitiful.


    "Don''t pay attention to others but me." Matthew Kings lightly squeezed her chin with his hand, implying


    punishment.


    "Oh, Matt. Why would you even think that?"


    Veronica was amused by Matthew''s jealousy. She caressed his neck while encircling it with her hands


    and leaning close. "I only have eyes for you. Never mind Mateo or Liam; even if 100 men exposed strip


    naked in front of me, they wouldn''t be as attractive as my husband."


    "Really?"


    "Of course."


    She straightened up and nodded vigorously.


    Looking into his eyes, she could see Matthew''s concern in his uneasy expression. She felt so bad for


    him that she leaned down and kissed his lips.


    The fact that they kissed didn''t matter; however, once they started, they couldn''t stop.


    With arge hand holding the back of her head, Matthew savored the taste of her lips as he gently


    nibbled on them. He continued to lose himself in the kiss as if he were high on opium.


    Unable to catch her breath, Veronica attempted to push Matthew away while patting his chest with her


    hand, but Matthew firmly held on.


    "Matt, stop messing around. People will see," she mumbled as she let him kiss her lustfully.


    His throbbing revealed his innermost feelings.


    Veronica, however, was embarrassed that she nervously looked around, worried that Matthew might


    lose control of his emotions and do something that wouldter be seen by someone.


    "It''s okay. Not many peoplee here. They''re all my people here."


    He replied in a low, hoarse voice while leaning against her forehead and closing his eyes.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Veronica no longer had any reason to resist, even if she wanted to.


    But¡­


    "I¡ªMatt, I''m worried that¡ª"


    "Silly girl. I''m here, so don''t worry."


    "You''re the reason why I''m worried. I''m worried that you''ll be ovee with passion and that


    people will see us, which would be so embarrassing."


    Her face turned crimson, and even her ears turned red.


    Matthew paused for a moment, hugged her, and leaned close to her ear. "But¡­ I really want to do it


    now."


    Veronica was speechless.


    Her heart began to hurt so badly that she thought it might actually break.


    Matthew had quietly and selflessly dedicated himself to her, making sacrifices, ever since her identity


    had been made known. These "debts" might not even be repaid in this lifetime.


    Now, as husband and wife, it would be incredibly unfair if she turned down his reasonable request.


    The main point was that Veronica couldn''t bear to see Matthew sad.


    How could she bear to watch him suffer when he was willing to risk his life for her?


    "Well, then¡­ can we be quick?"


    She lightly bit her red lips with her white teeth, her soft and delicate skin glowing red.


    Simply put, Matthew felt both alive and on the verge of passing away because of that innocent look that


    prickled his heart like a fine feather.


    "You are a very alluring little fairy, Roni."


    Matthew, who had always had excellent self-control, waspletely defenseless against Veronica.

 Chapter 1169

    Chapter 1169


    Chapter 1169 Brennan Manor¡¯s Bathroom Incident


    Veronica surrendered herself and she felt as if she were floating up to the sky, intoxicated and


    dreaming.


    Veronica surrendered herself and she felt as if she were floating up to the sky, intoxicated and


    dreaming.


    She didn''t know when, but she flinched against his chest and let her eyes drift closed. "Matt."


    "Hmm?"


    The man held her in his arms, his fingertips caressing her cheek, a faint smile on his lips.


    "Hmm..."


    Veronica made a barely audible noise out of her nose, but she didn''t have anything to say other than to


    call his name.


    "Be good for me and get some sleep."


    The man reached behind him and pulled over a nket, covering Veronica and patting her back like a


    child.


    Exhausted, Veronica fell asleep in his arms for a while.


    Her insomnia had gradually improved since meeting Matthew, which surprised Veronica.


    ¡­


    In Bloomstead, Shirley arrived home exhausted and went straight to the bathroom to turn on the water


    for a bath.


    She felt an immense sense of shame and grievance when she thought about what happened in the


    bathroom in Brennan Manor, and tears fell from her eyes.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    She continued to soak in the bathtub without realizing how much time had passed or that the water had


    grown cold.


    Soon, she passed out from exhaustion after crying.


    On the other side, Skyler, after finishing his work, felt guilty when he saw Shirley''s deste and sad


    appearance.


    After leaving Brennan Manor, he went to a bar by himself and got drunk.


    But no matter how much he drank, all he could think of was Shirley''s pitiful and tearful appearance. He


    felt restless, so he picked up his phone and called Shirley.


    He made a call, but no one answered.


    Skyler then made another call, but still no response.


    By this point, he had made five or six calls in a row, but there was still no answer.


    Skyler panicked, his heart sank with a pang of pain, and a bad premonition flooded his mind.


    Then, he raised the drink in front of him, downed thest sip in one gulp, and walked out of the bar.


    First, he went to thepany, but couldn''t find her, so he went to the hospital where Wade''s mother


    was, but Shirley wasn''t there either.


    Afterward, he proceeded to Shirley''s rented apartment.


    Because he had lived here before, Skyler knew that Shirley''s spare key was under the carpet. He


    found the key, opened the door, and rushed in.


    "Shirley?"


    No one was in the living room, so he went to the bedroom, but no one was there either.


    He saw the bag and phone left on the sofa so it was obvious that Shirley was home.


    Eventually, he turned his attention to the bathroom and moved a step forward.


    The bathroom door was partially open, and he called out "Shirley," but there was no response.


    At that moment, he felt a throbbing pain in his heart that swept through his entire body, and his


    fingertips trembled slightly.


    "No, it can''t be."


    Skyler''s mind drifted to a bad thought, but he quickly shook his head to dismiss it.


    He pushed the door open quietly and walked in, his every movement resembling a slow-motion scene.


    He didn''t notice a person floating in the bathtub until he went into the bathroom.


    Zzz¡­


    Skyler''s face abruptly turned pale as his eyes grew fixated on the tiny woman idly floating in the


    bathtub.


    "Sh-Shirley?"


    He shouted Shirley''s name with all his might, but to his surprise, the sound that came out was hoarse


    and low, so it was too soft to be heard.


    Skyler tried to take a step forward, but his feet felt like they were filled with lead, too heavy to lift.


    He tried to call Shirley''s name again but soon realized that he couldn''t make a sound.


    Images from Brennan Manor''s bathroom shed through his mind one by one, turning the jumbled


    memories ck and white.


    For the first time, Skyler felt a sense of remorse overwhelming him.


    Had he gone too far?


    "Shirley?"


    After a long while, Skyler regained hisposure and hurriedly reached out to pull Shirley out of the


    water.

 Chapter 1170

    Chapter 1170


    Chapter 1170 I Must Be Insane to Be Worrying About You


    Plop! Skyler''s clothes got wet as water sshed all over the ce.


    Plop! Skyler''s clothes got wet as water sshed all over the ce.


    He then held the woman''s waist and gently patted her cheek with one hand. "Shir¡ª"


    "Hmm?"


    The woman in his arms made a sound that forced air out of her nostrils. Her long, lushshes fluttered


    as she slowly opened her eyes and vaguely recognized Skyler''s face. She couldn''t help but be


    irritated. "This is so annoying. I have to be bothered by you even in my dreams."


    Hearing that left Skyler speechless.


    What the heck? Does she truly despise me?


    Skyler, who had always been popr with women, felt strangely hurt and wanted to let go of her and


    throw her back into the cold bathtub. However, he noticed that her skin was gradually bing


    warmer, so he reached out and touched Shirley''s forehead, realizing that she was feverish.


    While she was soaking in the chilly water just now, her skin felt cool to the touch, but as soon as she


    got out, it quickly warmed up.


    "I truly have no idea how to deal with you."


    After that, Skyler carried Shirley back to her room and searched the apartment for some fever-reducing


    medication. He poured her a ss of water and sat beside her bed, giving her the medicine.


    However, she didn''t open her mouth at all and kept her eyes closed, leaving Skyler unsure of what to


    do.


    Having no choice but to do so, he reached out and squeezed Shirley''s cheeks, forcing her to open her


    mouth so he could administer the medicine.


    He then gently assisted her in bringing her fever down.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Skyler filled a basin with water, soaked a towel in it, wrung it out, and lifted the nket to wipe her


    body. But when he saw her wless fair skin, he felt a tightness in his throat.


    "F*ck!"


    He frowned and tossed the towel into the washbasin before turning and fleeing the room.


    Bang!


    He shut the bedroom door and stood at the bathroom door for a few moments. His hand clenched


    slightly by his side as he tried to shake off his inappropriate thoughts.


    Skyler picked up his coat with the intention to leave the apartment. But when he thought about Shirley


    still having a high fever, he knew he had to stay with her.


    Upon entering the room again, Shirley was still sleeping and he patiently wrung out the towel once


    more to clean her body.


    "Ah! What are you doing?"


    "Oh, sh*t!"


    A scream erupted out of nowhere, and before Skyler could respond, he was kicked and knocked to the


    floor. Unfortunately, he tumbled and sat in the basin, sshing water all over the floor.


    This was unquestionably the worst humiliation of his life.


    Shirley, who had awakened, wrapped herself in a nket tightly and gazed in terror at Skyler. "Y-you


    bastard! Get out!"


    She had taken the medication to reduce her fever, and when she awoke, she noticed Skyler lifting the


    nket and putting his hands on her body.


    She deeply feared Skyler as a result of what had urred in the Brennan Manor, and in her fear, she


    kicked him.


    At this moment, Shirley saw the towel in Skyler''s hand and the basin under him. When she saw those


    items, she seemed to realize something.


    "Are you crazy? Did you just kick me?"


    Skyler looked down at his dripping-wet pants, embarrassed and enraged. His face became pale, and


    he clenched his hand tightly, his knuckles cracking.


    "I¡­"


    Shirley trembled with fear and dared not look directly into Skyler''s eyes. "I don''t want to see you."


    "This is ridiculous. I must be insane to be worrying about you!"


    Skyler was incensed because she had never experienced such humiliation. He hurled the towel to the


    floor in a rage, turned around, and mmed the door.


    With a loud bang, the door was shut so firmly that it rattled the windows ss.


    Shirley became even more terrified, trembling all over and finding it difficult to breathe. She cast a quick


    nce at the towel and basin on the ground, sensing that she had misunderstood Skyler.

 Chapter 1171

    Chapter 1171


    Chapter 1171 Veronica Murphy, the Guest of Honor


    Back at the hidden n, Liam arrived at the foot of the hill and called Veronica, waking her up from


    Matthew''s embrace.


    Back at the hidden n, Liam arrived at the foot of the hill and called Veronica, waking her up from


    Matthew''s embrace.


    She picked up her phone and recognized Liam''s call from the string of numbers that were shown on


    the screen.


    Only Liam knew her phone number because she had just changed it yesterday.


    She looked at Matthew before pressing the speakerphone button to answer the call. "Hello?"


    "Miss Murphy, where are you?" The person on the other line asked.


    Veronica looked around and realized she didn''t know where she was, so she exined, "I had


    somethinge up unexpectedly. Send me your location, and I''lle find youter."


    Liam hade specifically to get Veronica, but he had left empty-handed. Although he was upset,


    instead of expressing it, he justughed awkwardly. "That works too. I''ll text you my location."


    "Sure. I''ll see youter."


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    After hanging up the phone, Veronica leaned back in Matthew''s arms, putting her arms around his


    waist and squinting her eyes. "They''ve all arrived. Is there going to be a big change in the hidden


    n?"


    "Different situations call for different action. There''s no need to worry."


    He reassured her, but Veronica couldn''t help but feel uneasy despite his words.


    Afterward, the two of them straighten up their attire and then set off, following the address Liam had


    given them.


    An hour and a halfter, they reached their destination. It was already 6.30PM., and the sun was


    setting in the west.


    Liam had chosen a bonfire feast on awn outside the hidden n pce.


    Mountains and water surrounded thewn''s north side, creating a lovely scene. It was dusk, and the


    glowing ze of the bonfire enhanced the beauty of the flickering fireflies as they danced across the


    green grass.


    When they entered, they were stopped by soldiers outside. They gained ess after Veronica Murphy


    revealed who she was.


    As soon as they entered, Veronica Murphy saw Liam Ledgering towards her. "Hahaha! Miss


    Murphy, you''ve arrived atst. I was prepared to personally pick you up if you didn''t show up."


    As Liam greeted Veronica, he cast a scornful nce back at the unsophisticated bodyguard standing


    behind her.


    "I apologize for beingte," Veronica Murphy replied politely while giving a small nod.


    "Don''t worry about it. Come, let''s go over there."


    With a bright smile, Liam led Veronica toward the bonfire and announced, "Everyone, look who I''ve


    brought as the guest of honor."


    Several people sitting by the bonfire turned their heads and were surprised to see Veronica, each with


    their own thoughts.


    "Roni?"


    Xavier Crawford showed the most enthusiasm.


    He stood up as soon as he saw Veronica and approached her in a worried manner. "I was surprised to


    learn that you were the honored guest Prince Liam mentioned. It''s been a while. How have you been


    lately?"


    At this moment, Xavier paid no attention to Antheena and didn''t even notice her jealous and hateful


    gaze on Veronica.


    "Oh, it''s my sister. What a coincidence to meet you here." Tiffany shed a cryptic smile.


    Anthony got to his feet, crossed his arms, and walked towards Veronica with a lofty stride. "We meet


    again."


    And without saying a word, Hendrey Johnson stood up and stared at her, but his eyes spoke a


    thousand words.


    Troy Ritter was standing next to Anthony, and he had a very icy look on his face. He didn''t speak while


    he stood motionless nearby, but his eyes were fixed intently on the man standing behind Veronica.


    "That''s not cool, Liam. When did you make ns with my sister? Why didn''t you inform me?" Tiffany bit


    her red lips and lightly bumped into Liam''s body, expressing her displeasure.


    Clearly, Tiffany and Veronica looked identical, but Liam thought Tiffany was too frivolous, so he had no


    desire to pursue her.

 Chapter 1172

    Chapter 1172


    Chapter 1172 Prince Liam Doesn¡¯t Wee Us, so Let¡¯s Leave


    "Well, we''re all here now¡­ Hahaha!"


    Liam fixed his intense, enthralled gaze on Veronica.


    And that look made Matthew feel particrly uneasy.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Veronica shrugged off Tiffany and simply grinned at Liam before approaching Xavier. "Long time no


    see. I couldn''t attend your wedding with Antheenast time. Is it toote to congratte the newlyweds


    now?"


    As she spoke to Xavier, she caught sight of Antheena approaching from behind, and her red lips curled


    into a faint smile.


    Antheena didn''t reject the sincere gaze and blessings from Veronica, nor did she think Veronica was


    being overly hypocritical.


    Because Antheena knew very well that Veronica only had feelings for Matthew, and even if Xavier


    couldn''t let go of Veronica, it was just his unrequited love.


    Even so, it was very hard to get rid of the jealousy that had grown deeply ingrained in her heart.


    Antheena walked to Xavier''s side, linking her arm with his and looking affectionate. "Thank you."


    They both avoided bringing up the assassination at Primrose Residence.


    "Why are we all standing? Let''s sit. We all know each other, so there''s no need to be too polite," Liam


    said, attempting to hold Veronica''s wrist and lead her to her seat.


    However, no matter how fast he was, could he beat Matthew?


    Matthew stepped forward and pulled Veronica aside in one swift motion. Liam, who was looking straight


    ahead, didn''t notice Veronica had been pushed away, so he reached out and took hold of Matthew''s


    hand.


    Liam expected that by taking the initiative to hold who he thought was Veronica, she would definitely


    struggle and resist, but she didn''t.


    He was a little giddy inside, and he even used his fingertips to lightly touch "her" skin. He imagined her


    to have soft, delicate skin and wasn''t ready for it to feel rough or even like a man''s.


    While Liam was perplexed, he noticed that the people in front of him were each giving him a different


    look while smiling slyly.


    He was stunned and turned his head to look, only to find that he was holding onto a big man.


    A man with moles on his face, ugly and dark¡ªIron Pir!


    "Prince Liam''s interests are, indeed, different from those of ordinary people."


    When Veronica heard this, she was so tightly suppressing herughter that she almost suffered an


    internal injury.


    Liam was the family''s youngest child and, as one might expect, a young prince. Outside, Veronica


    could address him as "Young Master Liam," but inside the pce, she had to refer to him as "Prince


    Liam."


    "Hahaha!"


    Anthony''s eyes lit up, unable to hold back hisughter, and looked at Liam intently.


    "Go away!"


    Embarrassed, Liam red angrily at Matthew, wishing he could strangle Matthew. "Who allowed you to


    come in? Get out of here."


    Matthew kept his head down and didn''t speak, trying to minimize his presence.


    The majority of those in attendance were familiar with him and were fully informed about him. He knew


    that if he spoke too much, he would be exposed.


    "He works for me. We''ll leave if Prince Liam doesn''t wee us."


    Veronica obviously had to defend the man she loved when he was mistreated.


    With that, she looked at Matthew, and stated, "Iron Pir, since Prince Liam doesn''t wee us, let''s


    go."


    "Yes, Miss."


    Matthew quietlyplied, turned around, and prepared to leave with her.


    "I meant to say, ''Go over there.'' Aren''t you going to let your bodyguard sit?" Liam''s face grimaced, and


    he reluctantly exined.

 Chapter 1173

    Chapter 1173


    Chapter 1173 What Have You Done?


    "Prince Liam is right. Veronica,e and sit here," Hendrey said to Veronica with his usual gentleness.


    Xavier looked at Veronica, his eyebrows furrowed, and nced at Antheena beside him, but he didn''t


    say anything.


    On the other hand, Tiffany cast a resentful nce at Veronica and then red at Hendrey with anger


    before shamelessly sitting down next to Liam, who was in the main seat.


    Thewn was lit with bonfires, and seven or eight rectangr low tables were ced around the


    bonfires. Each table had two votive candle stands, and there were delicious food and wine on the


    tables, all of which were pleasing to the eye, nose, and pte.


    "She is my honored guest, so naturally she should sit next to me." Liam snarled at Hendrey before


    telling Veronica, "Miss Murphy, please sit here."


    Victoria wished to reject both Hendrey and Liam, lest she face an extremely jealous certain someone


    later that night, which would be disastrous.


    "I¡­"


    "Come and sit here, I won''t eat you." Liam didn''t give Veronica a chance to argue at all. He pulled her


    hand and sat her in the main seat.


    At that moment, Veronica felt a chill down her spine. She released his hand quickly because she was


    worried that if she waited even a split second, Matthew would be choking Liam.


    "I can walk by myself," she said with an awkward smile.


    Then, Liam snapped his fingers, and a band came over to y. A group of beautiful women in hidden


    n costumes came forward to dance.


    It was a joyful and festive scene,plete with songs and dancing.


    "Here, let''s drink."


    Liam held up his wine ss and clinked sses with everyone. He smiled at Veronica and said, "This


    is the best wine of our hidden n. It''s really good. Try it."


    "Thank you," Veronica politely replied.


    Tiffany couldn''t help but feel envious as she observed Veronica and Liam exchanging nces. She


    sarcastically said, "You''re so mentally strong, Veronica. You''ve only recently lost your husband, and


    already you''re getting so close to other men. Aren''t you concerned that he won''t be able to rest in


    peace?"


    The smile on Veronica''s face disappeared when she heard that. She paused slightly with the ss in


    her hand and slowly raised the wine ss to her lips in front of everyone.


    The orange glow from the bonfire fell on her face, making her features even more charming, and there


    was not a hint of anger to be seen.


    But at this moment, after Veronica put down the wine ss, she picked up a fork from the table and


    swiftly shot it toward Tiffany. The fork cut right through her hand that was holding the ss.


    Snap!


    "Ah!"


    The wine ss fell with a thud on the wooden table, sshing wine onto Tiffany''s skirt. Along with it,


    her pierced palm bled, staining her skirt red.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "You''re right about one thing¡ªhe won''t be able to rest in peace. That''s because you''re not dead yet!"


    Veronica''s face darkened, and her gaze grew menacing.


    The dancing girls who witnessed everything were scared and ran away.


    Except for Tiffany''s continued screams, the music stopped ying abruptly, and the area suddenly


    went silent.


    Hendrey''s main responsibility was to protect Tiffany. When he saw her injured, he immediately got up


    and walked over, frowning and questioning Veronica, "What have you done?"


    "Heh." Veronica sneered, "What have I done? Can''t you see? I said that I would kill her sooner orter.


    You shouldn''t have let her appear in front of me if you wanted to protect her!"


    Veronica had put up with Tiffany for a very long time even though Matthew wasn''t actually dead.


    If it weren''t for Tiffany''s repeated provocations, Veronica had originally nned to let bygones be


    bygones and tolerate her existence.

 Chapter 1174

    Chapter 1174


    Chapter 1174 You Can¡¯t Kill Me!


    She was a unique living being, after all, and her existence was also a result of Veronica''s own genes.


    Unfortunately, Tiffany didn''t know how to cherish it.


    "Veronica Murphy, how dare you attempt to murder me in the n pce''s secret chambers? You''re


    disrespecting the head of the n!" Tiffany covered her left hand, which still had the fork in it. Her face


    turned pale, and she trembled violently in pain as blood gushed down the fork.


    She was filled with rage and wished she could pounce on Veronica, rip her apart, and drink her blood,


    but even that wouldn''t be enough to stop the rage in her heart.


    But since she was with the hidden n, she couldn''t act so carelessly.


    "You''re about to die, and you still care where you are," she sneered, "but it''s good to know where you''re


    buried before you die, so you can die with peace of mind."


    After saying that, Veronica took a step toward Tiffany.


    At this point, the atmosphere was tense. Troy, Liam, Anthony, Xavier, and his wife watched from the


    sidelines.


    Anthony secretly conspired with Tiffany, but he couldn''t openly take sides to avoid being exposed.


    "Over my dead body!" Hendrey stood in front of Tiffany.


    Looking at the man in front of her, she noticed that he was just as kind and elegant as she remembered


    him from years earlier.


    Everything about him seemed the same, but alsopletely different.


    "Then let''s try it," Veronica said as she smirked indifferently.


    At the same time, she bent down slightly, holding another fork from the low table in her hand, and


    kicked Hendrey in the air.


    Hendrey didn''t expect Veronica to really fight back. Although he med Tiffany for deserving this


    oue, he still had to protect her.


    Hendrey managed to avoid Veronica''s attack, but he noticed her hand holding the fork and aiming it


    directly at Tiffany''s face. He took several quick steps back while Veronica changed her strategy and


    attacked Tiffany once more.


    "Ah, Hendrey! Save me¡­ " Tiffany''s face turned pallid as she became terrified.


    During the time she was missing, although she had practiced martial arts, those moves were ineffective


    against Veronica. Moreover, she was injured and her reaction was slow.


    Amid themotion, Liam sat motionless, enjoying his wine while observing Veronica. Every time he


    saw this woman, he couldn''t help but be amazed.


    Liam liked women of all sizes and shapes as long as they were exceptional, and his attraction to


    Veronica was purely physical¡ªa man''s physiological pursuit of a woman.


    "Sebastian, look, it turns out that she still has a lot of love for her deceased husband." Antheena used


    the opportunity to remind Xavier as they watched the chaos unfold.


    She hoped Xavier would realize how much Veronica had loved Matthew from the beginning and that


    even though Matthew was no longer alive, he had no chance.


    "Tiffany Larson, you deserve to die."


    After drinking all of the wine in his ss, Xavier mmed the cup down on the desk and prepared to


    stand up to deal with Hendrey.


    However, Iron Pir had already taken the lead and made a move against Hendrey at this point.


    Although Matthew''s abilities were far superior to Hendrey''s, he deliberately slowed down his


    movements in an attempt to appear clumsy, but he sessfully restrained Hendrey.


    Veronica was relieved when she saw Matthew make a move.


    Then, her cold gaze fell on Tiffany as her right hand clenched the fork and spun it on her fingertips. "In


    this business, you must always pay your debts. I gave you a chance, Tiffany."


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Ve-Veronica, you can''t kill me. We''re at the hidden n. You can''t... can''t kill me..."


    At this point, Tiffany''s face was pale from fear. She kept retreating as she shouted, "Hendrey, save me!


    Waah! Sh-she wants to kill me!"


    Despite her cries for assistance, Hendrey was engrossed in the fight with Iron Pir and had no time to


    pay attention to her.

 Chapter 1175

    Chapter 1175


    Chapter 1175 Tiffany Was Spared


    Helpless, she took to her heels and ran toward Anthony. "Anth¡ªAh!"


    Tiffany had only started to run when Veronica''s fork flew out and pierced Tiffany''s calf. She copsed to


    the ground, screaming in agony, as a result of the pain.


    Veronica, who exuded a fierce aura, approached her side slowly, stepped on her leg, then knelt to


    remove the fork.


    Tiffany screamed in agony again, and this time it was exceptionally loud.


    Guards were nearby when this urred, but they were afraid to approach without Liam''smand.


    Then, Veronica stepped on Tiffany''s stomach while leaning down and ying with the fork in her right


    hand that was covered in blood. She slid it across Tiffany''s fair face, leaving a trail of blood.


    Veronica''s face gradually darkened as the fork was eventually pointed at Tiffany''s neck. "Tiffany


    Larson, it''s all your fault. Remember to be a good person in your next life!"


    Following that, Veronica raised her hand and stabbed downward fiercely.


    Tiffany''s pupils widened at that precise moment as though she could see the Grim Reapering. It


    was also the first time she experienced a sense of impending death.


    "Stop!"


    At the critical moment, a stone flew from a distance and urately hit the fork in Veronica''s hand. The


    tremendous force made her hand numb, and the fork flew away.


    Everyone turned their heads to look and saw a man and a woman walking toward them.


    The two of them were dressed in the attire of the hidden n, walking with amanding presence


    and a remarkable aura.


    "How dare you try to kill someone outside our hidden n pce? Do you not regard our hidden n


    royalty in your eyes?" The man said this in English.


    The man presumably already knew who they were.


    Then, the man turned his gaze to Liam and spoke in thenguage of the hidden n. "Liam, as a


    prince, are you just going to stand by and do nothing?"


    "Yes, Dominik is right. You''re too lenient," the womanined.


    "Ah, Dominik and Eleanor, they''re all skilled here. It''s not something I can control with just a few words.


    There isn''t much I can do." Liam shrugged and spread his hands.


    At this moment, Matthew and Hendrey also stopped what they were doing. Veronica rose to her height,


    and Tiffany was spared.


    Tiffany, trembling in fear, detected a faint survival opportunity and crept behind Anthony.


    Anthony, who was drinking, watched the approaching group of people with a frown. Suddenly, his nose


    instinctively sniffed and caught a whiff of a pungent odor.


    His expression turned icy as he cast a nce back at Tiffany, focusing on her skirt.


    With just one look, Tiffany understood him and had to back up.


    "Get away from me!" Anthony yelled while looking disgusted.


    The ce where they were eating and drinking had been defiled, and even the air felt unclean.


    He suddenly thought Tiffany was so pitiful because she was so petrified of Veronica that she wet


    herself.


    There wasn''t a lot of light at the bonfire feast. Even if Tiffany had urinated, it couldn''t be seen because


    of her light-colored dress, but there was a slight odor.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    However, a gentle breeze blew through, dispersing the odor.


    "Allow me to introduce my big brother, Dominik Ledger, and she is my elder sister, Eleanor Ledger, also


    known as the leader of our hidden n." Liam introduced the two people to everyone.


    Anthony, Xavier, Antheena, Hendrey, and Troy immediately stepped forward, respectfully greeting


    them.


    Indifferent to ttery, Veronica and Matthew remained standing silently.


    Dominik, the big brother, had his hands behind his back, and his unfathomable gaze fell on Veronica.


    Once he had gotten a good look at her, he finally said to the servant following behind him, "Take Miss


    Tiffany to change her clothes."

 Chapter 1176

    Chapter 1176


    Chapter 1176 Eleanor¡¯s Reverse Psychology


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    The servant walked up to Tiffany and stated, "Miss Larson, pleasee with me."


    In a humiliated state, Tiffany followed the servant out of the room out of fear that her embarrassing


    incident would be made public.


    "Are you Veronica Murphy?"


    Eleanor walked up to Veronica and curiously looked her up and down.


    The Haians have deep and three-dimensional facial features, thick brows, andrge eyes¡ªparticrly


    Eleanor, whose features are incredibly attractive, exotic-girl charming, and very pleasing to the eye.


    She could also speak English.


    But Veronica had just overheard Eleanor and Dominik conversing fluently with Anthony in Trs, which


    made her secretly admire Tanya Ledger''s excellent parenting of her children.


    Her three children are all fluent in at least threenguages, and even Liam, the least capable, is fluent


    in eight. Their abilities should not be underestimated.


    Are all the subordinates under the Ledger n as strong as the Ledger children? Can Hayley and


    Craysonpete with Eleanor? Veronica thought.


    "Yes." Veronica Murphy nodded and feigned a smile.


    "I know you. You are Hayley Elrod''s daughter, and you want to challenge me for the position of the


    head of the n, right?" Eleanor tilted her head and looked at Veronica, her lips curved into a smile.


    Her words caused everyone''s expressions to change, despite her voice being high-pitched and very


    pleasant to the ear.


    Even Veronica, who was usually calm in the face of things, was stunned for a moment.


    She was Hayley''s daughter, which everyone in the room knew, but nobody had ever mentioned it.


    And for a moment after what Eleanor had just said, people were unsure if she was being honest about


    her ignorance or just acting foolish.


    Or did she want to show her dominance in public?


    Everyone''s attention suddenly turned to Veronica; some peopleughed while others were concerned


    as they observed from the sidelines.


    "You should ask Hayley this question. She should be able to give you an urate answer," Veronica


    answered.


    "Hahaha! It was just a random question. You don''t have to be nervous. My mother has held the position


    of head of the n for many years. If you were to snatch it away overnight, it would only mean that my


    mother is ipetent."


    Sheughed freely and naturally, and her smile even had a hint of innocence.


    The use of reverse psychology astounded Veronica.


    "Come, let''s all sit down. Since you are a friend of Liam, you are also a friend of mine. Everyone, make


    yourselves at home." Eleanor sat at the empty table across from her, and the servant had already


    prepared cutlery as well as delicious food and wine.


    She raised her ss and stood up, "It''s a pleasure to meet everyone, so here''s a toast to all of you. Tell


    me all about the outside worldter, alright?"


    "Oh, Princess Eleanor. You shouldn''t have."


    "Princess Eleanor, you have such a great personality. I, Antheena, like to be friends with girls like you."


    "If you have time,e to Castron, and I''ll take you around."


    "You''re such a fresh breath of air, Princess Eleanor."


    "I''m in, Princess. Your wish is mymand."


    ¡­


    Veronica stepped away from Liam and sat in the seat Tiffany had just sat in, and had the servant bring


    two sets of cutlery. She sat down with Matthew.


    As the toasts went back and forth, Matthew leaned closer to Veronica and whispered in her ear.


    "Eleanor is not as innocent as she seems. Be careful."


    Veronica took a sip of her drink, lowered her voice, and replied, "You shouldn''t have fought with


    Hendrey just now. What if your identity is exposed?"


    "It doesn''t matter. If possible, I want to reveal my identity today. If not¡­"


    Even his own wife might be taken away.


    Mateo alone was enough to give him a headache, so the addition of Xavier and Hendrey made matters


    even worse.

 Chapter 1177

    Chapter 1177


    Chapter 1177 Roni, Do I Still Have a Chance?


    Liam''s interest in Veronica was purely based on her beauty so there was nothing to be afraid of, but the


    other three hadpletely different intentions towards her, which inadvertently put immense pressure


    on Matthew.


    Therefore, he wished to reveal his identity as soon as possible.


    Veronica understood Matthew''s meaning even though he left his sentence unfinished, and she felt


    helpless because there was nothing she could do.


    Next to Eleanor was Anthony, who vividly described the prosperity of Castron to Eleanor, which she


    found very interesting.


    "I''m going to the restroom," Veronica said to Liam, who was staring at her and got up to leave.


    She said she was going to the restroom, but she actually just wanted to get some fresh air on the


    hillside.


    The night grew incredibly lovely and peaceful as she stood by herself on the hillside, feeling the brisk


    evening breeze and admiring the dancing fireflies and sparkling stars.


    "Are you thinking about him?" A voice suddenly emerged from behind.


    Veronica turned around and saw Xavier.


    She shook her head and denied it.


    And of course, when Xavier referred to "him," he meant the "deceased" Matthew. Veronica stood on the


    hillside, gazing into the distance at the bustling city lights, and she felt a pang of unease in her heart.


    "You shouldn''t have brought Antheena here."


    There were issues both inside and outside the hidden n, and danger could strike at any time.


    Standing next to her, Xavier stared off into the distance with his hands in the pockets of his light grey


    jeans. He sighed and added, "If I don''te, who will protect you when he''s not here?"


    The words Xavier spoke warmed her from the inside out, despite the chilly evening breeze.


    Veronica felt a twinge of guilt towards Xavier.


    He hated Matthew to the bone. Would Xavier hate her if he knew Matthew was still alive?


    "Xavier, would you hate me if I lied to you one day?"


    Unable to hold it in any longer, she asked him what was on her mind.


    "No, I wouldn''t," Xavier answered firmly without hesitation.


    "Why don''t you ask me what I would lie to you about?"


    "I trust you. Unless it''s absolutely necessary, you wouldn''t deceive me or bother with lies."


    "Heh." Veronica cracked a bitter smile. "You trust me too much. Aren''t you afraid that one day I might


    betray you?"


    Sighing, he crossed his arms, cocked his head, and raised an eyebrow with a smile. "You''re not that


    kind of person."


    Veronica was at a loss for words as a sudden sourness filled her heart, feeling sorry for Xavier''s


    obstinacy.


    "Actually, Antheena is a very nice person. She loves you very much, and you should cherish her."


    "You say she''s nice, but she wants to kill you. What about you, then? Aren''t you better and more


    deserving of being cherished?"


    "You two are married."


    "We can get a divorce."


    Veronica replied, "That wouldn''t be fair to her."


    "I''ll find a way to make up for what I owe her." A little irritated, Xavier pulled a cigarette from the


    cigarette case, lit it, and took a puff.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    The cigarette flickered erratically in the dark, its red glow glistening like a firefly.


    "Roni, do I still have a chance?" Xavier confessed.


    He didn''t hold out for a response, though.


    Instead, he chuckled self-deprecatingly, and continued, "I guess I''m not worthy of you. Even though


    you have two children and have been married before, you are the future leader of the hidden n and


    have a wealthy family. As for me, I''m all alone, with nothing in my pockets."


    The difference between the two was huge.


    "Don''t underestimate yourself. You''re actually a good person." Veronica didn''t want to hear Xavier


    belittle himself.


    "You say I''m a good person, but do I still have a chance?"


    "You¡­"


    When Veronica turned to look at Xavier, she briefly caught sight of someone standing nearby.


    She was able to make out the recognizable figure in the dim light. Even though the person didn''t speak,


    she knew who it was.


    Xavier also turned his head to look when he felt something odd.

 Chapter 1178

    Chapter 1178


    Chapter 1178 Let¡¯s Have a Few Drinks


    "The bodyguard that Master Crayson found for you is quite skilled. The people around you are all


    hidden talents."


    Xavier sighed.


    He didn''t know who Veronica was when he first met her, but when heter found out, he didn''t find it at


    all surprising because she didn''t radiate a normal person''s aura from the inside out.


    Veronica averted her gaze and let out a quiet sigh. "I''m not interested in all of these."


    She wished for a simple and ordinary life, but it seemed as though fate had pulled a cruel joke on her.


    When she looked up at the sky, it was filled with brilliant stars. The sound of croaking frogs filled the


    space, and everything reminded her of a childhood midsummer night. She would sit on her foster


    mother''sp and be fanned by her with a fan as she counted the stars and looked up at them.


    "I can help you if you want to leave." Xavier got closer to Veronica and lowered his voice to say in her


    ear.


    Veronica had no doubts that his words were genuine, but Xavier was too nice to her, so nice that she


    felt guilty.


    Especially since Matthew, who was standing not far away, was still alive. If Xavier found out the truth...


    He''d be furious.


    "Antheena is a good person. Don''t let her down."


    Veronica looked around and turned to leave, saying, "Let''s go or people will start gossiping."


    They took a few steps and walked to Matthew. Even in the dim light, Veronica could feel Matthew''s


    sharp gaze on her, which made her feel ufortable.


    The three of them sat down by the fire and talked and drank about various subjects, but they made no


    mention of the hidden n''s inheritance.


    The atmosphere was pleasant and rxed, and after a few rounds of drinks, everyone started to feel at


    ease.


    At this moment, Liam stood up, holding a cup of wine, and walked to Veronica''s side. He waved at


    Matthew, motioning for him to move aside.


    But Matthew ignored him and continued to drink with his head down.


    "Miss Murphy, tell your bodyguard to get out of the way. He really can''t read the room." Liam felt


    displeased.


    Veronica''s lips twitched slightly as she met Matthew''s'' deep and bottomless eyes. "Could you scoot


    over a little?"


    She couldn''t help but feel a little guilty when she met his gaze after saying that.


    Matthew frowned, stood up, and sat down at an empty table nearby.


    Liam chuckled. "You''re really gentle with your bodyguard."


    He sat in the seat where Matthew had just been sitting. "I heard that you can hold your liquor well.


    Come, let''s have a few drinks."


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "Prince Liam, you tter me. I really can''t hold my liquor."


    "My mother once said that beautiful women are all deceivers. Miss Murphy is no exception. Haha!


    Here, I''ll toast to you."


    Liam had already clinked sses with her so she had no choice but to drink.


    "You really can hold your liquor well. Let me pour you some more!" Liam picked up the wine bottle, only


    to find that it was empty. He waved at a servant beside him. "Go, bring a few more bottles of wine."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    The servant immediately turned around to fetch the wine.


    "Big Bro Liam, do you like Miss Murphy a lot?" Eleanor teased and then said to Veronica, "Let me tell


    you, my brother is a yboy. He likes all kinds of women, as long as they have a bit of beauty. Be


    careful."


    She didn''t hide anything.


    "You''ve gone too far, Mother. How can you say that about your brother?" Liam red at her.


    The conversation between the two confused the others. Antheenaughed and spoke up. "Who''s older


    between you two? Why do you call him ''Big Bro Liam'' and Prince Liam calls you ''Mother''?"

 Chapter 1179

    Chapter 1179


    Chapter 1179 The Hidden n¡¯s Roasted Lamb


    Antheena got to the point and Dominik raised his head andughed heartily. "Liam is definitely the


    youngest among us. But when Liam and Eleanorpeted as children, the bet was that if Liam won,


    Eleanor would call him ''Big Bro.'' He did win that match against Eleanor, and since then, Eleanor has


    been calling him ''Big Bro Liam.'' She got used to it over time."


    "Your sibling rtionship is truly enviable." Anthony sighed and continued drinking.


    In the flickering firelight, the disappointment and sadness in Anthony''s eyes were particrly clear.


    He must have been thinking about his own siblings, which made him envy the harmonious family


    rtionship of the Ledger n.


    "Your Highness, the wine is here."


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    A servant brought a jar of wine and knelt in front of the two, pouring wine for them.


    At this moment, Tiffany also walked over, nced at the wine bottle in the servant''s hand, and her eyes


    lit up indicating that she was up to no good.


    "Let''s finish our drink for now. Later, when the roastedmb is ready, I''ll treat you to the specialty


    roastedmb of our hidden n."


    Liam was hospitable and easygoing, making people feel close to him.


    "Thank you for your generous hospitality, Prince Liam."


    "Cheers."


    "This wine is good."


    "We heard that the roastedmb of your hidden n is delicious. We''re looking forward to it."


    "I lovemb meat a lot."


    ¡­


    Everyone was chatting, and the mood wasid-back and pleasant.


    But there were also one or two exceptions.


    For example, Iron Pir had a gloomy face throughout the banquet but was easily overlooked, and


    Tiffany was humiliated earlier and tried to minimize her presence as she was afraid of attracting


    attention and ridicule.


    After everyone put down their wine sses, Liam turned to the servant and said, "Go and ask if the


    roastedmb is ready, and bring it over."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    The servant turned and left.


    After a while, several people carried two roastedmbs over, and two others set up a folding rack to


    roast thembs and cut them into pieces with knives.


    "Wow, it smells so good."


    "It looks crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, very appetizing."


    "What spices did you use to roast it? It smells amazing."


    "Indeed."


    "I''ve had many roastedmbs before, but none of them were as fragrant as this. I love eatingmb


    chops. Can I have more?"


    ...


    The chef who roasted themb cut the meat with a knife and put it on tes, serving each person one


    by one.


    Dominik shed an attractive smile and announced, "Try it, the roastedmb of our hidden n is


    crispy on the outside, tender, and juicy inside. It will surely leave you wanting more."


    Antheena loved eatingmb, and Tiffany was no exception, so it was the same for Veronica.


    She looked at themb chops on her te, picked up a disposable glove, and started eating.


    "Here, this is a special secret sauce. Dip it in, it''ll taste even better."


    Liam stood up and put a portion of sauce in front of Veronica.


    Antheena couldn''t help but click her tongue, "Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Prince Liam is biased. Howe we don''t


    have it?"


    "Probably because you''re a married woman," Anthony teased.


    Everyoneughed.


    At this point, Veronica felt ufortable, and she looked instinctively over at Matthew, who was


    silently drinking at the table across from her.


    Hendrey noticed Veronica''s gaze and also looked at Matthew. Unable to contain his curiosity, he stated,


    "I didn''t pay much attention before, but now I notice that your bodyguard seems familiar, Veronica."


    His casual remark caught everyone''s attention, and all eyes turned to Matthew.


    But Matthew remained hunched over with his legs crossed, not raising his head, simply drinking and


    eatingmb silently.

 Chapter 1180

    Chapter 1180


    Chapter 1180 Let¡¯s Spar!


    "He''s so quiet. If he hadn''t spoken just now, I would have thought he was mute," Antheena said.


    Eleanor looked at Matthew with interest. "Although he looks ordinary, he was quite skilled when he


    sparred with Hendrey Johnson." She then turned her head to Dominik and asked, " Can I spar with


    him, Dominik?"


    "I''ve heard that Princess Eleanor is quite skilled. I also want to see for myself."


    "You two can give it a go."


    "Eleanor, don''t be reckless."


    "Why not? I''ve wanted to teach him a lesson for a long time. You can teach him a lesson for me,


    Eleanor."


    "He is far superior to me in skill. Princess Eleanor should give up, or he might hurt you," Hendrey


    added.


    This statement seemed normal, but upon closer examination, it seemed to be sowing discord.


    Veronica couldn''t guess what Hendrey was trying to do. She looked at him with an unfathomable gaze,


    and their eyes met. And Hendrey averted his gaze, feeling guilty.


    "Hmph! You underestimate me too much."


    Eleanor was pleased with the provocation. She raised her eyebrows confidently and walked up to


    Matthew. "Hey, what''s your name? Would you like to spar with the leader of the hidden n?"


    Matthew poured himself a drink and coldly replied, "No."


    His response was calm and firm, rejecting her altogether.


    Tiffany, who had been silent since embarrassing herself, held a grudge against Iron Pir. If he hadn''t


    intervened to restrain Hendrey just now, Veronica wouldn''t have had a chance to attack her.


    Seeing this, Tiffany added fuel to the fire. "A mere bodyguard actually dares to disregard the leader of


    the hidden n. How audacious."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Matthew and Veronica red at her, frightening her into immediately


    lowering her head and keeping quiet.


    "That''s right. If this matter gets out, it''s likely that people will say you, Veronica, are disrespectful to the


    head of the n," Anthony exaggerated.


    Xavier couldn''t stand it anymore and said, "It''s been said that this is a friendly match, so of course, we


    need to seek the yer''s consent."


    Among the crowd, Xavier was the only one genuinely protecting Veronica.


    However, Xavier was a married man, and his words pissed Antheena off. "Princess Eleanor has


    condescended to spar with him, giving him face. His direct refusal shows that he doesn''t know what''s


    good for him! If it were someone else, he would have been dragged out and killed."


    Antheena continued to fan the mes, hoping to provoke a conflict between Veronica and Eleanor.


    "Why force him if he doesn''t want to, Princess Eleanor?"


    Veronica didn''t want to force Matthew. The most important thing to her was to protect her man.


    She smiled confidently and said, "Hendrey just imed that Iron Pir is a far more skilled opponent


    than he is. Princess Eleanor should first spar with Hendrey. If you defeat him, taking on Iron Pir won''t


    be a problem."


    Who wouldn''t know how to create amotion?


    Initially, Veronica was still in love with her first love, Hendrey Johnson.


    However, over time, she felt nothing.


    "Well¡­ " Eleanor nced at Hendrey and thought for a few seconds before nodding. "That works too.


    Come on, Hendrey, let''s spar. But¡ª"


    She paused and looked at Matthew again. "You''re called Iron Pir, right? If I win against Hendrey, can


    I spar with you?"


    "Sure." Matthew agreed for the first time, presumably because he believed she couldn''t handle


    Hendrey. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "Great, it''s settled then."


    Eleanor snapped her fingers and cheered.


    Veronica knew that Eleanor was only three years older than Liam. However, she had a bold and open-


    minded personality and was an optimist.

 Chapter 1181

    Chapter 1181


    Chapter 1181 Different Kind of Intention


    "Let''s go over there. It''s spacious there."


    Eleanor uttered those words while pointing to a wide area not far away.


    This time, she didn''t ask for Hendrey''s permission at all. The passive Hendrey could only ept it.


    While everyone got up and walked toward that area, Matthew remained seated.


    As Veronica waited for everyone to walk past, she walked up to Matthew and gave his shoulder a pat


    from behind. "Let''s go over and take a look. Be careful not to reveal our n identally."


    The man put his wine ss on the table discontentedly and nced at Veronica. "Have you thought


    about the punishment tonight?"


    Veronica''s mouth twitched as she forced a smile. "I didn''t do anything wrong. Why should I ept any


    punishment?"


    "You didn''t do anything wrong? It must be my fault, then."


    He got up and walked away without looking back.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "Uh¡­ Hey..."


    Veronica found his jealousy both funny and annoying. However, she could only let him be angry since


    she couldn''t coax him in front of so many people.


    When she walked over, Eleanor and Hendrey were already in position. Unexpectedly, Zac and Liam


    were interested. "Come on, let''s make a bet."


    "I bet on Hendrey," Zac said.


    "I must support my elder sister," Liam added.


    "Eleanor," Xavier mentioned.


    "I think Hendrey will win for sure." That was Antheena.


    Tiffany joined in. "Hendrey."


    "Eleanor," Dominik chipped in.


    Troy uttered, "I support my boss'' choice."


    Veronica hesitated. "I will bet on¡­ Eleanor, I guess."


    So, everyone''s gaze fell on Matthew.


    Matthew said calmly, "I don''t have any money."


    Where would a mere cook get money from?


    Veronica didn''t say anything.


    He is really getting into character.


    "If you don''t have money, forget it. Four votes for Hendrey Johnson and four votes for Eleanor Ledger.


    That''s pretty fair. You can start." Liamughed. "Come on, take out your money and ce your bets.


    Let''s get started."


    Eleanor stood in front of Hendrey, sping her hands together and bowing deeply, "Mr. Johnson,


    please don''t hold back."


    "Just until the limit," Hendrey said.


    "Take your positions, begin!" The moment Liam shouted those words, the two started their fight.


    Eleanor clenched her fist and threw a left hook directly at Hendrey, but he caught it with his bare hands


    and easily defused the attack. She used her momentum to perform a front flip and kicked Hendrey.


    Her speed was extremely fast,pletely beyond Hendrey''s expectations, and he took the kick head-


    on.


    "Princess Eleanor sure can fight."


    Hendrey became more cautious and focused when he saw Eleanor''s skill. When he made his move


    again, he was even more alert.


    Two servants brought a table and ced it in front of them. Zac and Liam ced their money on the


    table as they quietly watched the fight.


    Liam then muttered, "I''m so thirsty. I''m going to get some water."


    He got up and went to the bonfire to get some water to drink.


    Eleanor and Hendrey engaged in a heated and intense fight, exchanging blows that hit home. The


    scene was spectacr, and the onlookers couldn''t help but cheer from time to time.


    Veronica felt her head getting heavier. She nced at Matthew and found that he was standing far


    away, seemingly still angry, so she didn''t bother to deal with him.


    With so many people around, it would be easy to expose their identities if they exchanged nces.


    She turned around and walked back to the bonfire, sitting in her seat, propping her forehead on her


    hand. "This alcohol really packs a punch."


    Veronica said to Liam, who was drinking. She was amazed by his alcohol tolerance.


    As for herself, her head was getting heavier, and she even felt a bit hot.


    Liam wanted to find water to drink. However, as there was only alcohol on the table, he could only


    quench his thirst with alcohol. Little did he know that the more he drank, the hotter he felt, and his mind


    became dizzy. His gaze toward Veronica started to carry a hint of a different kind of intention.

 Chapter 1182

    Chapter 1182


    Chapter 1182 False usation?


    Putting down hais wine ss, he smilingly slurred, "Miss Murphy, I¡­ I like you. Will you¡­ be my


    woman? Hehehe, I am the prince of the hidden n. If you be my woman, I will give you the best


    of everything. How about it?"


    Liam, who was in a daze, said as he rushed toward Veronica and held her in his arms.


    "Liam, what are you doing? Let go of me!"


    Veronica felt like her head was filled with lead, heavy and ufortable.


    When Liam rushed over, she regained some rity and tried to push him away. However, Liam refused


    to let go.


    "Darling, just be with me. Your husband is dead, and I don''t mind you at all. Be with me, okay?"


    "Are you crazy? Get lost!"


    Veronica struggled and resisted, but whether it was because of the strong alcohol or something else,


    she felt weak all over.


    Not far away, Matthew noticed that Veronica was missing and turned his head to see what was


    happening by the bonfire.


    Immediately, his face darkened visibly, and he ran over there.


    A scream then echoed through the air.


    Everyone turned their heads and saw Iron Pir pinning Liam to the ground, beating him mercilessly,


    causing him to scream in pain.


    "What''s going on?"


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Go and see."


    Everyone hurriedly ran to the bonfire, and Hendrey and Eleanor also stopped and followed.


    The soldiers guarding nearby saw the prince being beaten and immediately surrounded them.


    "Outrageous! How dare youy your hands on the prince?"


    "Take him down!"


    "Veronica, has your bodyguard gone mad?"


    "Stop him!"


    ...


    Veronica saw Matthew draw blood from Liam''s mouth with his punches. While she still had some


    rationality left in her, she stood up and grabbed him. "Stop it!"


    She tried to stop him, but how could Matthew listen?


    After Matthew pushed Veronica away, he grabbed Liam by the cor, clenched his fist, and punched


    Liam hard. Liam staggered back four or five meters and fell to the ground, spitting out blood.


    Dozens of soldiers surrounded Matthew and told him off in a hidden tongue. "Stop! Don''t move!"


    When everyone was puzzled, Xavier noticed Veronica''s slightly disheveled clothes and furrowed his


    brows, questioning, "Did he touch you?"


    With that sentence, everyone instantly understood what had happened.


    Dominik stepped forward and refuted, "Although Liam is fond of women, he would never do such a


    ridiculous thing in front of everyone. Miss Murphy, you wouldn''t be falsely using him, would you?"


    After all, Veronica and the Ledger n were enemies. It was not impossible for her to deliberately


    provoke trouble at this time.


    But after Dominik finished speaking, both Matthew and Xavier looked at him.


    This time, without waiting for Matthew to speak, Xavier directly mentioned, "Whether it''s a false


    usation or not, we''ll find out by asking Prince Liam."


    As he spoke, he walked toward Liam and grabbed him by the cor. "Tell me, what did you do to Roni?"


    Xavier publicly stood up for Veronica because he was smitten with her.


    Antheena, as his wife, was both angry and jealous. She clenched her fists at her side and looked at


    Veronica with a hint of ruthlessness and envy in her eyes.


    "Ugh... Let go of me..."


    Liam pushed Xavier away and rushed toward Veronica again. "Hehehe, Miss Murphy, date me... I will


    take care of you... I don''t mind that you''re a widow... Ah!"


    Before he could get close to Veronica, Xavier, who was furious, kicked him in the back. Liam then fell to


    the ground like a dog, his head right next to Veronica''s feet.

 Chapter 1183

    Chapter 1183


    Chapter 1183 What I¡¯m Best At


    Liam fainted on the spot.


    In that instant, everyone was shocked.


    Even the calm andposed Matthew had a profoundness and astonishment in his gaze as he looked


    at Xavier.


    Although one in love was supposed to be selfish and not allow others to care, Matthew was surprised


    when he saw Xavier protecting Veronica.


    Back at Primrose Residence, Xavier was the one who stood in front of Veronica and saved her life


    when Antheena was hunting her down.


    Matthew kept this debt in his heart.


    As someone who clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges, he knew that he owed Skyler a


    favor.


    "Take Liam to the hospital. You guys, protect the scene!"


    Dominik, being clever as he was, naturally knew that Liam had ingested something he shouldn''t have,


    which caused this reaction.


    He turned his body and nced at the people present. "Everyone, there is something suspicious about


    what happened today. No one is allowed to leave until it is investigated thoroughly."


    "How dare anyone attack Big Bro Liam! Investigate thoroughly and find out the truth!" Eleanor angrily


    reprimanded and then pointed at Matthew. "And you! You darey a hand on the prince of the hidden


    n? Lock him up!"


    She didn''t mention Xavier, only targeting Matthew.


    Presumably, it was because Matthew had just challenged her dignity.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Are you using your position for personal gain, Princess Eleanor?"


    Veronica stood in front of Matthew. "Or is it that the hidden n royalty can manipte everything?"


    She pointed her finger at Liam, who was being held up by soldiers. "Liam intended to vite me in front


    of everyone. My bodyguard was just doing his duty."


    She was still dizzy, but in order to force herself to stay awake, she tightly clenched her hands hanging


    by her side, with the nails of her left hand embedded in her palm. The pain that came made her


    maintain her consciousness.


    The only thing she couldn''t control was that her body felt weak and powerless.


    "Even if he made the first move, it''s not up to a mere bodyguard to retaliate!"


    "Ha, how ridiculous." Veronica sneered. "Do you want him to vite me first before making a decision?


    Then, you should be grateful for Liam. If it wasn''t for my bodyguard beating him, he might have already


    reported to the underworld."


    "Enough." Dominik raised his hand to stop them. "Take them to the pce and have someone examine


    the scene."


    With that, everyone was taken into the pce and assigned rooms to rest in.


    Perhaps to avoid collusion behind the scenes, each person was given a separate room with someone


    guarding outside.


    Dominik promised that they would be allowed to leave before dawn.


    Veronica was worried about Matthew, but the man only shook his head at her, indicating that she


    shouldn''t worry. She couldn''t say anything either.


    Little did they know, Matthew was taken away and brought to a side hall after he separated from


    Veronica.


    The hidden n pce was grand and magnificent, and the side hall was also luxurious and


    ostentatious.


    Matthew was brought into the side hall by two soldiers. He stood there, and in a short while, he saw


    Eleanor.


    Eleanor held a snake-skin whip in her right hand, gently tapping it in her left palm. She took steps


    toward Matthew, circling around him, assessing him carefully.


    Snap!


    She suddenly whipped the whip, cutting through the air and making a piercing sound.


    "Who are you exactly?" she asked.


    Matthewzily looked up and nced at Eleanor. "Miss Veronica''s bodyguard."


    His response was calm and unassuming.


    But it was precisely hisposure that aroused Eleanor''s curiosity even more.


    Clenching the whip in her hand, she moved to his front and used the whip to lift his chin. "You probably


    don''t know what I''m best at, do you?"


    A confident smile appeared on her exotically exquisite face. "I''m best at the art of disguise."

 Chapter 1184

    Chapter 1184


    Chapter 1184 Remove Your Makeup


    "Is that so?"


    As Matthew raised an eyebrow, a slight curve appeared at the corner of his lips.


    The woman propping her elbow on Matthew''s shoulder exuded a heroic and bold aura. "From the


    moment I first saw you, I noticed something unusual about your face. Although you disguised yourself


    very well and fooled everyone, you couldn''t fool my eyes."


    Disguising oneself was Eleanor''s specialty and her favorite pastime.


    When she was young, she couldn''t leave the pce because of her identity as the leader of the hidden


    n. Because of that, she had to disguise herself and deceive the soldiers to leave the pce


    sessfully.


    Since then, she had asionally disguised herself. She eventually became an expert in disguising


    herself.


    No one would have thought that this personal hobby would inadvertently help her greatly.


    "It''s no wonder you''re the leader of the hidden n. You''re wise and clever, and your innocent


    appearance truly deceived the world."


    Originally, because there were many rivals around Veronica, Matthew could hardly contain himself and


    wanted to reveal his identity. Unexpectedly, Eleanor saw through his disguise.


    He naturally didn''t bother to pretend anymore.


    "The world is simply ignorant. You can''t fault me for it."


    Eleanor turned around and walked to the desk next to the right window. Then, she took something from


    the top and leisurely went to Matthew''s side before she slowly raised her hand to present the object in


    front of him. "This should be your true identity."


    In her hand was a photo, and the person in the photo was none other than... Matthew!


    Even though Matthew knew that Eleanor was intelligent, he was still somewhat surprised when she


    took out the photo.


    This woman was not as simple as she might seem.


    "I will take your silence for agreement."


    Eleanor''s red lips curled into a confident smile as she looked at the photo in her hand with shimmering


    eyes. "Sharp eyebrows, starry eyes, a nose that stands out; you are handsome and masculine. Your


    appearance is exactly the type I like. Fortunately, unlike young and effeminate men, you are


    domineering and cold. I would be disgusted otherwise."


    She held the photo, admiring it while murmuring.


    After speaking, she stood in front of Matthew with her arms crossed and head tilted while she stared at


    his face. "I want to see your true appearance. Hey, can you remove your makeup?"


    Matthew''s gaze remained cold, his expression icy.


    Eleanor had a feeling he would refuse, so she added, "As an exchange, I promise to help you conceal


    your identity."


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    She was using reverse psychology on him, making it difficult to understand her thoughts.


    "Why?" he asked concisely.


    "You came to the hidden n for Veronica, and those behind-the-scenes people don''t know about your


    existence. You are an unexpected factor in their ns. I am looking forward to the day when you


    expose your identity and ruin their ns."


    She lightly flicked his chin with the whip in her hand. "After all, it''s beneficial to me."


    "In that case, I should not help you even more, Princess Eleanor."


    After Matthew finished speaking, he turned and walked away.


    He seemed to imply that he was going to leave, so she could announce his identity to the world if it


    pleased her.


    "You¡ªWait!"


    Unable to decipher his personality, Eleanor found it difficult to grasp his character. The feeling of


    miscalction was quite unpleasant.


    She hurriedly ran after him and blocked his path. "How about this? As long as you are willing to remove


    your makeup for me to see, I promise to do my best to protect Veronica when she is in danger. You


    should know that I can do it."


    Eleanor was clever. She knew how to target the person he cared about the most.


    The effect was remarkable.


    Matthew only hesitated for a second before he readily agreed.


    In the hidden n, dangers were everywhere, and no one knew what unexpected events would happen


    in the next moment. If there was a verbal "get-out-of-death card" from Eleanor, it might be worth his


    while to do so.

 Chapter 1185

    Chapter 1185


    Chapter 1185 Join My Harem


    "As the leader of the hidden n, you should wish for nothing but her death. Why..."


    Matthew had doubts about Eleanor''s words.


    Logically, it didn''t make sense.


    "Haha... That''s because you don''t understand me." She turned around and ced the photo back on


    the table before she sat on the edge of the table. "As for me, I appreciate heroes. Even if I be the


    head of the n, I won''t casually kill someone with talent."


    For some reason, Matthew had a gut feeling that Eleanor was someone who would do as she said.


    Human intuition was a strange thing.


    "Come with me."


    Eleanor beckoned him and led him to the bathroom. Standing by the sink, she handed him a bottle of


    makeup remover. "Use this to remove your makeup. It''s very convenient."


    Hearing that, Matthew rolled up his sleeves and took the makeup remover before leaning over to start


    removing his makeup.


    Throughout the process, Eleanor stood beside him, eagerly watching him without blinking.


    Five minutester, Matthew hadpletely cleaned off the makeup on his face and neck, revealing a


    fairplexion.


    His skin used to have a healthy tan, but because of the thick makeup on his face recently, his skin had


    be fair.


    Matthew wiped the water off his face with a towel and turned to face Eleanor. "Satisfied?"


    Facing each other, Eleanor looked up at the man in front of her. Matthew was enveloped in a soft glow


    in the dim light of the bathroom, making his already exquisitely beautiful face appear even more three-


    dimensional and profound.


    His eyebrows were nted, his eyshes were long and thick, and his pupils were as ck and shiny


    as obsidian after removing the colored contact lenses. His nose was straight, his thin lips were


    moderately thick, and the contours of his cheeks were particrly prominent. He was incredibly


    handsome.


    When he slightly curved his lips into a subtle smile that softened his coldness, especially¡­ It intensified


    his tenderness and bestowed a gentle refinement, making him radiate an unattainable nobility.


    Thump, thump, thump...


    Eleanor''s gaze slightly froze, and in her eyes, there was only Matthew. Everything around her became


    blurry at that moment.


    She felt a burst of excitement in her heart, her heart pounding as if it was about to jump out of her


    throat.


    Because of her identity as the leader of the hidden n, she had been surrounded by various


    handsome men throughout the years. Those men who either ttered or fawned over her resembled


    loyal dogs.


    Only the man in front of her ignored her. He was exceptionally noble, especially with that distinctive


    face, which gave her infinite admiration and ovepped with the prince charming in her dreams.


    "I am a married man. You should restrain yourself, Princess Eleanor."


    Matthew reminded her and strode out of the bathroom.


    Eleanor didn''t say anything at that.


    As she followed him out of the bathroom, she raised her hand to touch her face. For the first time, she


    blushed at the sight of a man.


    She sat down at the desk where there was a photo of Matthew on it. "It seems that you are not


    photogenic."


    Although he looked handsome and imposing in the photo, he was even more indescribably handsome


    in person. In fact, he wasparable to a masterpiece.


    "It doesn''t matter."


    "It doesn''t matter? Then, tell me, why do you love Veronica so much?" Eleanor was filled with curiosity.


    Matthew put his hands in his pockets and stood in front of Eleanor. He then warned in a deep voice,


    "Curiosity kills the cat. I advise you not to inquire about things you shouldn''t, Princess Eleanor."


    "Alright, I won''t ask."


    Eleanor nodded and leaned back in the wicker chair, resting her chin on her hand that was propped up


    on the armrest. "Your journey to the hidden n is fraught with dangers. Have you considered joining


    my harem? I can offer you the position of the primary consort, but I can''t guarantee that Veronica will


    leave the hidden n alive."


    Although there was gender equality in the hidden n, women were naturally superior when it came to


    determining status.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    In order to have heirs, the hidden n royalty was allowed to practice polygamy.

 Chapter 1186

    Chapter 1186


    Chapter 1186 I Put Something in the Wine


    ¡­


    A servant brought Matthew a cup of tea while the man casually sat on a chair on the side. Matthew


    picked up the tea, blew on the steam, and took a sip. "You are confident, Princess Eleanor."


    "Before you came to the hidden n, I sent people to investigate you and Veronica. I know your


    strength very well."


    She stood up and strolled to him with her hands behind her back. She got close to him when she sat


    directly on the armrest of Matthew''s chair. "A woman who can stand alongside you must have enough


    strength and ability. Obviously, Veronica is¡­ far from it."


    "I want to marry a wife, not a left or right arm."


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He smiled and continued, "As a husband, I must protect my wife. Why does my wife need to be


    exceptionally wise and powerful?"


    Sipping the tea leisurely, Matthew nced at Eleanor beside him from the corner of his eye. "Princess


    Eleanor, you have probably found the wrong person. Toy boys suit you better."


    Eleanor had nothing to say in response to Matthew''s words.


    She raised her hand and rested her elbow on his shoulder, tilting her head to look at him. "I''m used to


    weak and gentle men, but dominant men like you are the most charming. However, there is still a long


    way to go. You will eventually realize how good I am. I will always keep the position of ''main consort'' for


    you."


    "No need."


    "You don''t have to rush to refuse..." Eleanor smiled instead of getting angry when Matthew rejected her


    directly. She lowered her head slightly. As she leaned closer to Matthew''s ear, she deliberately blew on


    his earlobe, teasing him. "Believe me. You will willingly marry me."


    She was full of confidence.


    At the same time, on the other side.


    Dominik was questioning others one by one, and Tiffany happened to be the next person.


    Tiffany bowed when she saw Dominik in the hall. She directly confessed, "Your Highness, I know who


    the mastermind is, but... This is for your ears only."


    Implicitly, she wanted Dominik to dismiss the others.


    Dominik had a small frown on his cold face. Still, he raised his hand to dismiss the servant before he


    sat in the main seat. Leaning to the side, he rested his elbow on the armrest of the chair and looked at


    her. "Speak."


    Thud!


    Seeing the servant turning around and closing the door, Tiffany kneeled with a thump. "Your Highness,


    please forgive me. Today''s incident was a misunderstanding. I... I initially wanted to target Veronica, but


    Prince Liam drank the wine by ident."


    Choked up and shedding tears, she spoke frankly and was incredibly sincere.


    Tiffany''s words and actions surprised Dominik, but he remained calm as he raised an eyebrow slightly


    while picking up the coffee on the table. He leisurely took a sip as he listened to her exnation.


    Tiffany knew very well that his silence meant he was giving her a chance to exin. She continued,


    "Veronica was about to kill me just now, and you saw it too, Your Highness. I... I just wanted to scheme


    against her, so I put something in the wine. But when I bought the drug, the person told me that it would


    take effect after an hour. I didn''t know it would work so quickly. Sob... I-I am guilty. Please spare my life,


    Your Highness. I, Tiffany Larson, am willing to do anything for you!"


    In just two years, Tiffany''s experiences had made her feel the warmth and coldness of human


    rtionships, causing her to lose trust in everyone.


    Feeling extremely insecure, she wanted to seek refuge with anyone she met to ensure her safety, but


    what happened today was indeed due to her impulsiveness.


    When Veronica publicly wanted to kill her, Tiffany was so terrified that she ended up bing a


    laughingstock. Because Tiffany held a deep grudge, she impulsively added something to the wine.

 Chapter 1187

    Chapter 1187


    Chapter 1187 Zac¡¯s n


    "How bold of you to use such methods outside the pce and harm Liam."


    While holding a coffee cup with his slender fingers, Dominik spoke in a calm tone that made it hard to


    discern his emotions. However, his overwhelming aura instilled fear in people''s hearts.


    "Your Highness, I am truly innocent. Please spare me. If you spare me, I... I can tell you all about


    Prince Zac''s n."


    When she returned after changing clothes at the bonfire banquet, she happened to see a servant


    delivering wine. Out of curiosity, Tiffany asked who it was for, and the servant said it was for Liam.


    As she walked over with the servant, she coincidentally saw Liam standing with Veronica. She


    deliberately tripped the servant, catching the wine bottle as the servant stumbled, and took the


    opportunity to drop the drug she carried into the bottle.


    Originally, she bought the medicine to bring herself and Liam closer. She didn''t expect she could use it


    on Veronica!


    However, Liam was too slow and clumsy. He couldn''t even tear Veronica''s clothes.


    Tiffany''s n to humiliate Veronica failed, and she secretly med Liam for being an idiot.


    "Oh? Zac''s n?"


    Dominik''s interest was piqued, his eyes gleaming.


    "Your Highness, if I tell you the n, Zac will definitely kill me. I... I''m scared..."


    Skilled at acting, she knelt on the ground, sobbing softly.


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    Not many men could resist her natural beauty and teary eyes, but Dominik was a smart person. How


    could he not understand Tiffany''s intentions?


    "Alright. If you reveal Zac''s n, I will spare your life and keep it a secret."


    To him, Tiffany was just a worthless life. However, she would have some value if she exposed Zac''s


    n in order to save herself.


    "R-Really?"


    Even though Tiffany felt a glimmer of joy in her heart, she didn''t show it on her face.


    She knew that what Dominik wanted was Zac''s n, and if she revealed it, Dominik woulde to her


    for more information.


    In this way, she would have a chance to cling to Dominik.


    Compared to Liam, Dominik was obviously more outstanding.


    "I always keep my word."


    "Thank you, Prince Dominik." Tiffany bowed with tears in her eyes. "Zac came to the hidden n..."


    ...


    Two hourster.


    Everyone was summoned to the main hall. Eleanor and Dominik sat in the main seats at the top of the


    hall, and everyone else sat in chairs on both sides. Some servants served them tea.


    Since Tanya was not present today, Eleanor acted as her representative while Dominik assisted her.


    "I apologize for rming everyone."


    Dominik stood up. "I have investigated the matter and found out that it was a misunderstanding.


    Because Liam has a weak constitution, he drank herbal medicine today and then atemb with spices


    in the evening. Thebination of the Cleistogenes in themb spices and the herbal medicine he


    took produced the effects of rosemary, which led to his actions toward Miss Murphy. I have sent


    someone to bring the herbal medicine he used. A holistic therapist will exin it to youter."


    A servant then brought up a pile of herbal medicine residue before a holistic therapist came in. He


    picked out one of the herbs from the residue and pointed to the seasoning spices on themb,


    exining the situation to everyone.


    "That''s how it happened. If any of you still have doubts, you can consult a doctor on your own." After


    the elderly holistic therapist finished speaking, he bowed to Dominik and Eleanor and turned and left.

 Chapter 1188

    Chapter 1188


    Chapter 1188 I Like Money


    The people on both sides remained silent, each with thoughts.


    "Now that we''ve found the cause, how do you n to solve it, Your Highness?" Matthew, who was


    sitting next to Veronica, asked out loud.


    In the side hall, he had removed his makeup and reapplied it before leaving.


    So, except for Eleanor and Veronica, no one knew his true identity.


    "Well, hmm..." Dominik hesitated. "Miss Murphy, Liam was impulsive and rude just now. Although it was


    an ident, we must take responsibility. Whatpensation would you need, Miss Murphy?"


    Veronica thought it was ironic.


    Could they give her thepensation she wanted?


    "Just give me money. I''m amoner. I like money."


    Aftering to the hidden n, Crayson and the others gave her money so she could spend it. She


    would have to ask someone else for it if they didn''t give her money.


    It felt horrible having to ask for money.


    After Veronica finished speaking, she vaguely heard someone sneer, secretly mocking her.


    But she didn''t care at all. After all, she was in a problematic situation exactly because she had no


    money.


    Before she came to the hidden n, all her belongings were confiscated. When she asked Crayson for


    them afterward, he said they were left in Castron. What was she supposed to do about that?


    "Hahaha! Miss Murphy, don''t say that. We are all ordinary people." Dominik let out a heartyugh and


    asked Eleanor with a tilt of his head, "What do you think about 700 thousand?"


    "You decide, Dominik." Eleanor had no objections. However, her gaze fell on Matthew like she wanted


    more.


    Dominik had a servant bring over a card, got up, and walked to Veronica. As he handed the card to her,


    he reassured her, "Miss Murphy, this is our heartfelt gift. Thank you for your generosity. Rest assured,


    as I will personally bring Liam to you to apologize when he wakes up."


    He gave her a specially made ck card, which didn''t require a password and could be used to


    withdraw money from a specific bank.


    This ck card was equivalent to a check in her country.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    700 thousand was just a drop in the bucket for the hidden n pce. Also, they valued their


    reputation more.


    Otherwise, it would be of no benefit to anyone if today''s incident were to be exposed.


    Although it would ruin the reputation of the Ledger Royal Family, Veronica would also be humiliated.


    The best way to resolve this was through private conversation.


    "Now that everything is settled, we''ll leave first."


    Veronica epted the bank card without holding back. She then got up and waved to Matthew before


    leaving with him.


    Since Liam had been beaten up, she had vented her anger.


    Fortunately, she didn''t suffer much damage and could reluctantly ept thepensation.


    After the two of them left, the others gradually dispersed.


    In the main hall, Eleanor held a teacup and took a sip, casually asking, "Dominik, is it really because of


    thebination of drugs that Liam had such a reaction?"


    "Don''t you believe it?" Dominik looked at the group of people who were gradually leaving, asking


    indifferently.


    "No, I was just asking."


    Smiling brightly, Eleanor got up and stretchedzily. "Ah, I''m so stiff all over. I''m so tired. Dominik, I''m


    going back to sleep. Goodnight."


    "Okay, goodnight," he responded.


    Eleanor skipped away happily, leaving the main hall.


    It wasn''t until she reached the corner of the corridor, away from the main hall, that she returned to her


    normal posture, walking with a high and cold demeanor.


    The joy in her beautiful eyes had long disappeared and was reced by ayer of coldness.


    There was something suspicious about tonight''s events.


    Except for Antheena and Tiffany, as well as Matthew and his wife, everyone else had explicitly asked a


    doctor about this matter after leaving.


    The conclusion drawn was just as the pce doctor of the hidden n said today¡ªit was the


    combination of two drug effects that produced the effects of rosemary.


    They went from initial skepticism to finally having to believe.


    After all, even though Veronica also drank the alcohol, she was perfectly fine.

 Chapter 1189

    Chapter 1189


    Chapter 1189 Antidote in the Cup of Tea


    If she hadn''t been in a normal state, today''s matter would never have passed.


    On the other side, Veronica and Matthew sat in the car that drove down the mountain.


    She handed a wet cloth to Matthew. "Matt, please find a way to test theposition of the water on


    this cloth."


    "What''s wrong?" Matthew''s face turned slightly cold as if he realized something.


    Veronica leaned against the passenger seat with her eyes closed. Even so, she still felt a lingering fear.


    "Both Liam and I were set up. There''s something wrong with that alcohol."


    Screech!


    Just as she finished speaking, Matthew mmed on the brakes to a stop.


    "You were also affected?"


    The man''s face turned cold as a chill surged to his eyebrows.


    "Liam drank four-fifths of that bottle of wine, and the drug was too strong, which is why he lost control. I


    didn''t drink much, so it didn''t affect me much. I felt very ufortable, hot, and thirsty in the pce


    room. At that time, a servant brought me a cup of tea. I was parched, so I drank it and felt much better


    afterward. Not long after, the effects of the drugpletely wore off."


    Veronica told Matthew everything that happened in the pce. The information revealed in her words


    made Matthew keenly capture something.


    He lowered his gaze and pondered momentarily before asking, "Are you suspecting that there was an


    antidote in that cup of tea?"


    "The bonfire banquet was set up by Liam, and the location was chosen near the pce. Once anything


    happens, the pce cannot shirk its responsibility. This was probably not Liam''s doing, nor was it done


    by anyone from the pce. The only suspect is... her."


    "You mean Tiffany?"


    "Yes."


    "If it was her, then today''s events are even more perplexing." Matthew tightened his grip on Veronica''s


    hand, his thumb stroking the back of her hand as he looked ahead. "After being taken into the pce,


    everyone was locked in their rooms. Tiffany wouldn''t have had time to give you the antidote. So, the


    only people who could have provided you with the antidote were the Ledger siblings. Excluding the


    injured Liam, only Dominik and Eleanor could have gotten their hands on the antidote."


    Although Eleanor was with him during that time, she had touched her phone, and there was no


    guarantee that she wouldn''t use it tomunicate with others and give instructions.


    "The problem lies here."


    Veronica''s face grew cold. "They gave me the antidote, which shows that they have already figured out


    the problem. In that case, why did they still lie to everyone and conceal the truth for Tiffany?"


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    "She has taken refuge with the Ledgers." Matthew spoke the words that Veronica had in mind.


    The Ledgers couldn''t possibly fail to uncover the truth behind the scenes. However, the fact that they


    were covering it up instead of punishing Tiffany when they already knew it was Tiffany who drugged


    Veronica already indicated collusion between the two parties.


    "In the future, remember to tell me immediately when you encounter such a situation."


    Matthew cocked his head and patted her head with his hand, "With me here, you don''t have to bear


    everything alone."


    "I''ll do that next time."


    Veronica shook her head and replied softly.


    She didn''t tell Matthew because she didn''t want him to worry.


    "Eleanor already knows my true identity, so be careful around her."


    "What? She knows?" Veronica suddenly sat up straight, her voice raising a few decibels, "What


    happened?"


    "A small oversight. Our people overlooked her hobbies when investigating her. We didn''t know that she


    was skilled in disguise. She easily saw through my disguise and guessed my identity."


    "If she already knows your identity, why didn''t she reveal it just now? Why did she hide it for you


    instead?"


    Eleanor''s behavior was so mysterious that Veronica couldn''t figure her out.

 Chapter 1190

    Chapter 1190


    Chapter 1190 A Waste of Acting Skills


    ¡­


    "I''m not sure what her intentions are, but she is quite the schemer. Just be careful."


    Matthew didn''t want to tell Veronica too much about what happened in the pce, so as not to worry


    her. "I''ll take you back so that you can rest."


    "Okay."


    Veronica nodded wearily and leaned back in the car seat without saying a word.


    Drinking the drugged wine had taken a toll on her body, even if she had taken the antidote afterward.


    Her body had been exhausted for a long time, and she felt tired.


    As soon as they entered the courtyard back at the loft, someone suddenly appeared in front of them.


    "Roni, how are you? Why are you back sote? What were you doing at night?" Mateo had been


    waiting for them all night and was extremely worried.


    He pointed to the living room. "Grandpa is also worried about you. He has been waiting."


    It was already 11:30 p.m. in the hidden n''s time, which waste.


    "It''s nothing. I had too much fun."


    Veronica casually made up a reason and didn''t want to talk about what happened tonight.


    "Oh..."


    Upon hearing Veronica say that she had a good time, Mateo had a hint of disappointment on his


    delicate face. He said with a lonely tone while ring at Matthew, "Iron Pir, give me back my money!"


    "Money? What money?"


    Matthew pretended to be confused.


    "You promised to let me go today, but I didn''t get to go. The agreement is void, so give me back my


    money!" Regardless of whether he needed the money or not, Mateo didn''t want to let Iron Pir off


    easily.


    Just the thought of that false feeling of happiness today made him feel upset.


    "I did my best, but Miss Veronica insisted on going. If you want your money back, go find her."


    Matthew left a sentence and nced at Veronica with a knowing look before entering the living room.


    Veronica stood in ce with her lips pursed. Even though she found it amusing, she didn''t want to


    show it in front of Mateo.


    "Cough... Anyway, I''m a bit tired, so I''ll go back to sleep first. Let''s talk about it tomorrow if there''s


    anything."


    "Huh... Don''t go¡­ It''s still early."


    Mateo grabbed Veronica''s sleeve. "Roni, let me treat you to a drink. Tell me what fun things you did


    today." He was curious.


    "Little brat, get in here!"


    At this moment, Crayson, who had been waiting for Veronica in the living room for a long time, shouted.


    Helplessly, she shrugged at Mateo. "I''ll go in first."


    Ignoring his disappointed expression, she walked into the living room.


    To her surprise, Crayson and Destiny were not only in the living room but also¡­ Hayley.


    How did she end up here?


    Matthew stood by the couch with his head bowed, looking like a servant who had made a mistake and


    was being reprimanded.


    Veronica couldn''t help but think that it was a waste for Matthew for not being an actor, given his acting


    skills.


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    She walked over and merely nced at Hayley with cold eyes without greeting her. She asked in an


    indifferent tone, "What is it? I''m tired. I want to sleep."


    She had no intention of telling Crayson and the others about what happened today.


    Crayson frowned, his beard trembling with anger. He nced at Hayley and scolded Veronica, "You


    thoughtless child. Your mother came all the way here and waited for you all night."


    "Oh."


    She responded lightly with a hint of disdain in her unbothered attitude. "Is there something you need


    me for, Madam Hayley?"


    She asked that question solemnly.


    Her distant tone had already indicated her attitude.


    Veronica was disgusted with what they had done.


    Without her identity and the fear that they would threaten Matthew or the two children, she wouldn''t


    have gone out of her way toe to the hidden n.

 Chapter 1191

    Chapter 1191


    Chapter 1191 Veronica Needs Time


    They spoke of benevolence and righteousness in a ce full of dangers, seemingly caring for the


    people in distress. They wanted her topete for the position of the head of the hidden n to save


    themon people in dire straits. Why didn''t anyone ask for her opinion if that was the case?


    "I..."


    Hayley, as elegant as ever, sat gracefully on the couch, maintaining the posture of a noblewoman.


    However, her eyes showed undisguised sadness as she peered at Veronica.


    "I heard from your master that you went to the pce. I was worried, so I came to check on you," she


    informed.


    "I''m fine."


    Veronica simply shrugged. She was just one step away from turning around and leaving before them.


    Then, she added, "If there''s nothing else, you can go back. It''ste, and I''m tired."


    Others would politely ask their guests to leave, but Veronica couldn''t even be bothered to pretend.


    "You little brat, what did you say?!"


    Crayson''s face darkened, and he angrily pped the armrest of the couch. "She is your mother. What


    is that attitude?"


    "My mother? Oh, I''m sorry. I have too many mothers. I would have forgotten if you didn''t mention it,"


    Veronica replied with a slight curve of her red lips. She nodded as if it were a serious matter and


    deliberately straightened her posture. Then, she nodded slightly toward Hayley. "Madam Hayley, thank


    you for your concern. I''m fine, and I''vee back safely. However, I had a great time today. I''m a bit


    tired. If you have something to discuss, can we talk about it tomorrow?"


    This time, she changed her tone from before and spoke friendlier.


    But ironically, her attempt to be friendly made them feel like she wasn''t trying to improve things.


    Destiny couldn''t stand Veronica and always felt that she didn''t know how to appreciate the kindness


    shown to her. She couldn''t help but reprimand her, "What is with your attitude? Do you know how much


    Master and Madam Hayley have sacrificed over the years?"


    Veronica''s smiling face gradually darkened, and she tilted her head slightly. As her sharp gaze fell on


    Destiny, she raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "In your opinion, what kind of attitude should I


    have?"


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    This was ridiculous.


    Veronica had always suppressed her anger and avoided getting into arguments with them, especially


    when it came to Matthew. She knew what despicable things Crayson and Destiny had done, but she


    still held back from confronting them head-on.


    However, they always wanted her to show respect and consideration toward Hayley, preferably with the


    attitude a daughter should have.


    How was she supposed to do that?


    "She is your mother, you¡ª"


    Destiny''s emotions were stirred up, and she was about to say something when Hayley raised her hand


    to interrupt her.


    She maintained her usual grace and elegance. "It''s alright. Veronica needs time to ept me. I


    understand. As she said, it''ste, so I''ll go back first."


    "Madam Hayley, you should stay here tonight. The hidden n has been restlesstely. There mustn''t


    be any mishaps," Mateo, who had been silent all this time, suggested.


    "Yes, Mateo is right. Many people in the hidden n have been eyeing you, waiting for an opportunity


    to strike. You must be safe at a time like this."


    Crayson sighed and added, "Stay here for the night."


    The loft had three floors, and it had a front building and a rear building. There were many guest rooms


    avable.


    "This... Are you sure that''s okay?" Hayley hesitated. But when she spoke, she looked at Veronica as if


    seeking her opinion.


    Veronica ignored her and turned to walk upstairs.


    She had no mood to act like she and Hayley were close...


    She was not interested!


    "Don''t be angry. Veronica is stubborn, but deep down, she is kind and sensible. Since she came to the


    hidden n, she hasn''t had many chances to meet you. It will take some time for her to ept this.


    Don''t take it to heart."

 Chapter 1192

    Chapter 1192


    Chapter 1192 May I Protect Roni?


    No matter what he did, Crayson always considered the interests of Veronica and the hidden n first.


    "I watched that girl grow up. To be honest, this time... Sigh..." Crayson waved his hand at Matthew.


    "Iron Pir, you''ve been with Veronica all day today. You should rest early too."


    Some things shouldn''t be said in front of outsiders.


    "I understand."


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Matthew responded and went upstairs to rest as well.


    Watching him leave, Hayley frowned. "Does he also live upstairs? Wouldn''t it be¡­ inconvenient?"


    Hayley felt that "Iron Pir" was, after all, a man, and it wasn''t entirely appropriate for him to live on the


    same floor as Veronica.


    "''Iron Pir'' is skilled. Letting him live in this building is also good for Veronica''s safety. If anything


    happens, he cane to protect her in time."


    Crayson had considered this matter carefully before deciding to let "Iron Pir" live on the same floor as


    Veronica.


    "That makes sense."


    Hayley nodded without any objections.


    On the other hand, Mateo, who was standing aside, pursed his lips and asionally nced at Hayley,


    wanting to say something but hesitating.


    Hayley noticed his expression and smiled warmly. "Mateo, do you have something to say?"


    "Ah... Me? "


    Mateo chuckled, scratching his head. "I¡­do have something on my mind."


    "You can say anything."


    "Can I really?"


    "Child..." Hayley shook her head helplessly with a smile. "I have had a long-standing friendship with


    your grandfather. We are family. There''s nothing you can''t say."


    "Haha, I-I''ll tell you."


    Mateo walked to Hayley''s side and sat down next to her. He was about to say something when he


    started growing uneasy from Crayson, Destiny, and Hayley''s gazes on him.


    "You brat, is there anything I am not allowed to hear?"


    Crayson red at him.


    "No, there isn''t." Mateo smiled innocently before he turned around and nced upstairs. "Actually, I-I


    want to ask if I may protect Roni in the future."


    "Hehehe."


    Hayley giggled at his words. "You and Veronica are friends. Of course, you should protect her in the


    future."


    "Isn''t that a given? You brat, you''re just talking nonsense!" Crayson thought Mateo was being dramatic


    for no reason.


    "No, that''s not it."


    Feeling misunderstood, Mateo pursed his lips. "I mean that."


    "What do you mean?"


    The three of them looked at him with confusion, not understanding what he meant.


    "Ah!" Mateo sighed. As he rubbed his forehead with his hand, he thought for a while before finally


    confessing, "I went to Bloomstead many years ago and met Roni back then. Actually, Madam Hayley,


    I¡­ I have liked Roni for many years. What I mean is, may I... protect Roni in the future?"


    With that said, everyone suddenly understood.


    His meaning was clear enough.


    The three of them were stunned. Their bodies that were slightly leaning forward leaned back against


    the back of the couch again. Their expressions were different, and no one spoke.


    Seeing that they all had their own thoughts but didn''t speak, Mateo grew anxious. "What does this


    reaction mean?" he squeaked.


    He couldn''t understand at all.


    "What is in your head, boy? You must be confused."


    Crayson scolded sternly.


    Although Veronica had given birth to two children in Bloomstead, she was destined to be the head


    of the hidden n in the future.


    As the head of the hidden n, the person who could match her would undoubtedly be the most


    outstanding.


    Crayson believed that Hayley didn''t find Mateo the least bit impressive.


    His thoughts were unanimously agreed upon by Destiny. However, she only nodded without saying


    anything.

 Chapter 1193

    Chapter 1193


    Chapter 1193 Her Selfish Motives


    Just as Mateo put on a gloomy face, Hayley smiled and asked, "Do you know that she already has two


    children and has been married?"


    "I know."


    "Since you know, why do you still want to be with her?"


    "Like I said, I saw her and fell for her when I went to Bloomstead years ago. I''ve been waiting for her all


    these years. I didn''t want to tell you all, but seeing how outstanding Roni is, I''m worried that someone


    else will snatch her away."


    Mateo really liked Veronica.


    After waiting for decades, he finally had the chance to pursue Veronica.


    No matter what her past was like, it didn''t affect his feelings for her.


    "Mateo, you''re still too young. Some things are not as easy as you imagine." Hayley patted Mateo''s


    shoulder and advised him earnestly.


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    "I''ve waited for over ten years. Do you think there''s anything I can''t ept?"


    His eyes were determined. "The reason I''m being honest with you is because I want your support. As


    long as you agree, I will openly pursue Roni. We''re the same age, and I believe I can take care of her.


    Of course, I will also ept your inspection, Madam Hayley."


    To boldly pursue someone he liked was Mateo''s motto in life.


    But he had been frustrated because Veronica had been away from the hidden n for so many years,


    and he hadn''t had a chance to show his affection.


    Hayley, moved by his sincere and passionate words, was slightly taken aback.


    After thinking for a moment, she said, "You''ve grown up under my watch. You have a pure heart and


    are kind-hearted. You''re not bad. Roni is the mother of two children and has been married. If I were to


    compare her to you¡­ I have no objections as long as you can ept her."


    "Really?"


    Mateo''s eyes that lit up were filled with joy, and the corners of his mouth almost reached his ears.


    "But what''s the use of me epting? You have to work hard to make Roni ept you." Hayley didn''t


    try to stop him.


    The reason she agreed to Mateo''s request was because of her own selfish motives.


    Because Veronica grew up in Bloomstead, had been married, and her two children and their foster


    mother were all in Bloomstead, it would be difficult for them to make her stay in the hidden n.


    To make Veronica willingly stay in the hidden n, there had to be something that could make her


    reluctant to leave. It had to be something she cared about.


    Love was the best bargaining chip.


    If Mateo could win Veronica''s affection, Veronica would willingly stay in the hidden n.


    The hidden n royalty was very open-minded, as both polyandry and polygamy were allowed.


    When Veronica ascended to the position of the head of the n and built a harem, having Mateo


    among her many men wouldn''t make a difference.


    "Yes! No problem!"


    Mateo was so overjoyed that he couldn''t close his mouth.


    If it weren''t for the three elders, he would have jumped and cheered.


    "You''re still like a child who hasn''t grown up." Hayley smilingly stood up. "I''m going to rest. You should


    sleep early too."


    Crayson didn''t expect Hayley to agree.


    Naturally, he had no objections.


    Mateo was his grandson, and Veronica was his disciple. If the two of them got together, they would


    have a closer rtionship. That would be something that he would be happy to see.


    At the same time, upstairs.


    Mateo''s voice grew louder the more excited he got. However, he waspletely unaware. Because


    the room door was open, the couple in the second-floor room clearly heard their conversation.


    Matthew gently closed the door, pressed Veronica against the door panel, and lifted his hand to hold


    her chin. "Roni, tell me. What should I do with you?"


    His eyes, pitch ck and bottomless, couldn''t hide the helplessness deep in his pupils.

 Chapter 1194

    Chapter 1194


    Chapter 1194 Knock


    ¡­


    As Veronica leaned against the door, she looked at him with wide eyes. "Hehe, what does this have to


    do with me?"


    Unable to meet Matthew''s gaze directly, she nervously turned her head to look elsewhere.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    This was amazing, in a way.


    Liam had already given her a headache; now Mateo hade along. Veronica felt overwhelmed.


    "How does this not have anything to do with you?"


    He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers.


    As the man suddenly approached, a sense of oppression overwhelmed Veronica, causing her breath to


    hitch.


    With a strong will to survive, she shook her head. "It''s their business if they like me. I only like you."


    She looked up, her bright eyes gazing at him, the sincerity in her eyes making it hard to doubt.


    "Oh?" Matthew raised an eyebrow. "Is this your confession to me?"


    He was secretly ted.


    "Not really." Veronica shook her head without hesitation.


    "Why not?"


    "I have liked you for a long time, and you already know that. Why else would I marry you? So, I''m just


    stating a fact, not confessing."


    Veronica exined seriously, putting a smile on Matthew''s face. "Is there a difference?" the man asked.


    "Of course. It''s a fundamental difference."


    "So, are you trying to tell me that you liked me a long time ago but don''t like me anymore?"


    The series of questions made Veronica feel like Matthew was trying to catch her off guard.


    "Not exactly. You are now the father of my two precious children. We are a family. Rtives."


    "Only family bond, no romantic love?"


    "Is there a difference?" This time, it was Veronica''s turn to counter with a question.


    Instantly, Matthew''s face turned gloomy. He tightened his hand around her waist, lightly pinching her.


    "Could it be that you no longer love me and want to love someone else? It seems that I haven''t been


    good enoughtely..."


    He drawled, directly picking up Veronica while locking the door with his other hand. Then, he walked to


    the bed and gently ced Veronica on it before he pressed himself onto her.


    "Hey, don''t mess around. They are all outside. We''re done for if they find out."


    Veronica reminded him, asking him to calm down.


    "I don''t care. I''m about to lose my wife. It doesn''t matter even if we are discovered." Matthew grabbed


    the nket, wrapping both of them inside.


    Following that was his passionate kiss that was so intense they lost themselves in it.


    But in Veronica''s head, she couldn''t help but think about Matthew''s words just now. ''I don''t care. I''m


    about to lose my wife. It doesn''t matter even if we are discovered.''


    For some reason, even though this sentencepletely didn''t match Matthew''s usual way of speaking,


    Veronica found it cute after hearing him say it.


    It was hard to imagine that the word "cute" could be used to describe Matthew.


    Her heart fluttered when she thought about this, and she took the initiative to hug Matthew''s neck


    before reciprocating the kiss.


    The temperature inside the nket rose, and the couple''s breathing grew erratic.


    By the time Veronica returned to her senses, they were already naked, enjoying the pleasure of love.


    Knock, knock, knock...


    Suddenly, a knocking came from outside the door, interrupting their joy.


    Veronica was about to reach the peak of pleasure, but because of the knocking sound, everything


    came to a halt, leaving her in a state of torment.


    "Who is it?"


    Suppressing the difort in her body, Veronica cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound as


    normal as possible.


    "It''s me."


    It was a gentle voice. Veronica could tell it was Hayley.


    Pursing her lips, she nced at the man on top of her and moved her red lips. She felt both


    embarrassed and helpless.


    "Do you need something?" she asked again.


    Matthew held her gently, not daring to move or make a sound in case the person outside discovered


    their shameful act.

 Chapter 1195

    Chapter 1195


    Chapter 1195 Tender Love


    "I... I want to talk to you."


    After much thought, Hayley wanted to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Veronica.


    She felt that there was too much distance between them that needed to be addressed. Or else,


    Veronica would never be able to ept her as her mother.


    "Let''s talk about it tomorrow. I''m tired. I want to sleep."


    Veronica directly refused. She even found Hayley''s request somewhat absurd.


    Why did she want to chat with her when it was alreadyte at night?


    Could it be that she nned to talk all night?


    "Well, then." Hayley turned away helplessly.


    Because the room had good soundproofing, they couldn''t hear whether Hayley had left or not.


    Matthew could only gently hold the woman in his arms and leaned down to kiss her red lips, his


    movements bing slower.


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    "How are you so busy?" He smiled, a hint of a curve forming at the corner of his lips.


    "You should consider yourself lucky. If our babies were here, you would have to sleep in the guest room


    every day.


    "No, I wouldn''t."


    He lightly bit her lip. "I''ll let the two little ones sleep in the guest room."


    "How could you? That''s too much."


    "You are my wife. Even though we have children now, you are still mine."


    "Haha... Matt, are you jealous?"


    Veronica was so amused by Matthew that she chortled.


    This night they spent tenderly loving each other was exceptionally beautiful.


    Afterward, as Matthew bathed Veronica, the clear water that touched her hand drew a slight cry of pain


    from her.


    Matthew, sensing that something was wrong, held her hand and discovered the marks on her palm.


    He frowned. "Does it hurt?"


    Without asking further, Matthew already knew what had happened.


    As clever as he was, he easily guessed that Veronica had injured herself to stay awake during the


    bonfire feast outside the pce.


    "It doesn''t hurt. It is just a minor injury. It''s nothing."


    Half-asleep, Veronicay in the bathtub with her eyes closed. She was too tired to move.


    "Next time, you must tell me if something happens. Don''t shoulder everything on your own." He


    pinched her cheek as a punishment, warning her.


    "Okay, I will... I will..."


    The half-asleep woman was so tired she couldn''t continue speaking.


    Seeing her acting aszy as a cute kitten, Matthew leaned forward to caress her cheek and kiss her


    forehead gently.


    After helping her bathe and drying her body, he carried her back to bed to sleep.


    As dawn approached, Matthew returned to his own room.


    His room on the third floor was conveniently located on the same level as Veronica''s room. It only


    leaped from the window outside to return to his own room.


    Bloomstead.


    Shirley had a fitful night''s sleep due to nightmares, so she didn''t have a restful sleep. She went to work


    with dark circles under her eyes in the morning.


    The morning meeting proceeded as usual. As Jayden and Shawn dared not trouble Shirley anymore,


    they treated her with utmost respect.


    She noticed this, but she didn''t say anything about it.


    To her surprise, her phone rang as soon as she returned to her office.


    She took out her phone and saw that it was a call from Garrick.


    "Hello, President Brennan?"


    "Do you have time? Let''s go out for a cup of tea. There''s something I want to talk to you about," Garrick


    asked Shirley.


    After what happened at Brennan Manor, Shirley was greatly disappointed in Garrick and had be


    wary of him.


    So even though her attitude was respectful, if one paid close attention, they could sense her rejection


    and resistance.


    "You can tell me what you have to say on the phone, President Brennan."


    She answered him with a smile.


    "Here is the thing¡­" Garrick hesitated for a moment before he sighed. "I used you on my sister''s


    birthday. I should have told you yesterday, but I couldn''t find the right opportunity due to certain


    circumstances. Also, some things came upst night. That''s why I''m only calling you now."

 Chapter 1196

    Chapter 1196


    Chapter 1196 Exnation


    Used?


    She could certainly tell.


    But what surprised Shirley was that she didn''t expect Garrick to admit it directly and apologize to her in


    person.


    But why is he doing this?


    When Shirley said nothing, Garrick continued, "This is our family''s private matter, and we have never


    mentioned it to the public. I wouldn''t be telling you this if I didn''t feel guilty toward you. Um..."


    Garrick hesitated a bit on the phone. "How about this? When you''re free, I''ll make another appointment


    and exin it to you in person."


    It surprised Shirley how the president of Cyberten Holdings was humble and polite in front of her.


    If she postponed it again, she would appear like she didn''t know how to act ording to the situation.


    After all, Garrick made it clear that he wanted to apologize in person. He really might have something


    that he struggled to tell her.


    "I''ll wait for you at the coffee shop where west met in an hour."


    She had just said that he had something to do, so if she went there now, it would prove that she had


    lied.


    Helpless, Shirley postponed it to an hourter.


    "Okay, I''ll wait for you."


    The other party hung up the phone readily.


    Shirley sat in her office chair, lost in thought as she thought about something. Soon, her phone on the


    desk buzzed.


    She picked up her phone and saw a missed call. She clicked on it...


    It was Skyler.


    But the phone only rang once before the call ended.


    What is Skyler up to?


    Asst night''s events filled Shirley''s mind, her cheeks involuntarily turned red. She threw her phone


    aside and didn''t reply.


    An hourter, she appeared at the coffee shop as agreed.


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    She saw Garrick sitting by the window when she entered the coffee shop.


    She walked straight over. "Sorry to keep you waiting, President Brennan."


    Garrick, who was ying with his phone, was startled by Shirley''s sudden appearance. He immediately


    flipped his phone over and ced it on the table with the screen down.


    "You''re here. Would you like something to drink?" he asked.


    Shirley beckoned to the waiter, who then approached and asked her, "Ma''am, what would you like?"


    "Please bring me a cup of Blue Mountain coffee. Thank you."


    "Of course. Please wait a moment." The waiter turned and left.


    Shirley sat upright, her face no longer showing the innocent and naive smile from before. Instead, there


    was a hint of indifference when she stated, "President Brennan, if there''s something you need, please


    go ahead and speak."


    Garrick felt the change in Shirley''s attitude toward him. Smiling gracefully, he took out something from


    his briefcase and ced it on the table before Shirley. "I wonder if you have noticed thisdy."


    A photo of a beautiful woman wearing a white shirt was on the table.


    Shirley remembered her at a nce. "I''ve seen her. I saw her at your birthday party at your house


    yesterday."


    Shirley remembered her quite well because she kept seeing the woman around Garrick. Not only that,


    whenever this woman looked at Shirley, there was a mix of jealousy and disgust in her gaze.


    "Her name is Nancy. She was introduced to me as a blind date by my aunt. She is fairly interested in


    me and has been pursuing me. Of course, I''ve turned her down directly, but she''s just too enthusiastic."


    Shirley didn''t say anything and listened quietly to Garrick''s exnation.


    "When you were at thepany looking for me yesterday, my original n was to return to the vi


    after visiting yourpany. However, my father called me and told me to go back. When I got home, I


    saw Nancy''s car parked at the door. That''s why I had youe in with me.


    "My family, including my rtives, have all mistaken you for my girlfriend. I wanted to exin, but in


    order to make sure Nancy no longer has feelings for me, I didn''t publicly rify your identity."


    He then gave her a small nod. "Miss Wilson, I''m really sorry for the way I handled this. It was


    ungentlemanly of me."

 Chapter 1197

    Chapter 1197


    Chapter 1197 Getting Along


    "So, that''s how it is."


    Shirley suddenly realized.


    Just as she was about to ept Garrick''s apology, she thought of Sofia...


    Then, she heard Garrick exin, "After you left yesterday, Pia told me about what happened between


    you and Skyler. It''s a matter between you guys, and I won''t interfere. Of course, I would like to


    apologize to you on Pia''s behalf for hitting youst time. I scolded her yesterday too. However, my


    spoiled sister never listens to me."


    He shook his head while a graceful yet slightly resigned smile hung on his lips.


    "You may have misunderstood. In fact, there''s nothing between Skyler and me." Shirley quickly


    exined the situation between her and Skyler, "He and I¡ª"


    "Like I said, this is a matter between you guys. I won''t interfere."


    Before Shirley could finish her words, Garrick interrupted her and handed a gift to her. "To express my


    apology, this is a small token of my appreciation. Please ept it."


    "It''s alright. I didn''t take it to heart."


    Looking at the rectangr velvet box before her, Shirley felt the gift must be expensive. And so, she


    returned it. "It''s enough to have the misunderstanding cleared up. I choose to believe in your character,


    Mr. Brennan."


    She called him "President Brennan" awkwardly, but now she changed it to "Mr. Brennan," which proved


    that Shirley believed in him.


    "Aren''t you going to open it and take a look?" He pointed to the box and asked in a gentle voice.


    Shirley smilingly shook her head.


    "Hehe."


    Seeing her reaction, Garrickughed out loud, hisughter particrly soothing. "I''ve met many


    women, but you''re the first to refuse my gift."


    Garrick then picked up the box and opened it, revealing a ne inside.


    He pointed to the tag on the ne. "I got it for 526. It is a very affordable ne. I know you won''t


    ept it if the item is too expensive, so I bought an inexpensive ne as a token of goodwill. You


    mustn''t refuse again."


    One would seed if they knew their opponent well.


    Garrick had inquired about Shirley and knew that she was honest, straightforward, independent, and


    non-materialistic.


    For a woman like her, receiving an expensive gift would only make her suspect his ulterior motives or


    even reject it.


    "Huh? This..."


    Shirley never expected Garrick to be so meticulous.


    She looked at the gold ne. With its ordinary design, it clearly was not something meticulously


    chosen.


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    However, for a billionaire CEO to be willing to buy a reasonably priced ne, it did show some effort


    on his part. It wouldn''t be good if she refused.


    Still, epting it made her a bit uneasy.


    "You really don''t have to, Mr. Brennan. How about this? Why don''t you treat me to a meal today as your


    way of apologizing?"


    "Hahaha, alright. As you wish."


    He readily agreed to Shirley''s suggestion.


    It was already half past noon, and there was still an hour until lunchtime. It was unbearable for Shirley.


    Helplessly, she could only find a few topics to chat with Garrick.


    Ring ring ring¡ª


    Suddenly, Garrick''s phone rang on the table. He picked up the phone and told Shirley, "Sorry, I must


    take this call."


    "Okay."


    Shirley nodded and yed with her phone, looking down.


    "Yes.


    "I''m discussing something with a friend at a cafe.


    "North Primrose Avenue.


    "I won''t be going back for lunch. Bye."


    Garrick said a few more words and hung up the phone.


    Sitting together, Shirley and Garrick chatted about Shirley''spany for a while. They got along quite


    well.


    "Hey, Gary."


    Just as they were chatting, a loud voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.


    They both looked over and saw Sofia wearing a fashionable and sexy crop top, revealing her belly


    button, striding toward them.


    Walking beside her was¡­ Skyler.

 Chapter 1198

    Chapter 1198


    Chapter 1198 Bad Idea


    Shirley''s expression had a hint of unease when she saw the two of them. Meanwhile, Garrick slowly


    stood up and asked, "Why did you twoe here?"


    His tone of speech made it easy to tell that he was unaware.


    "Um¡­ Gary, is the friend you mentioned Shirley?"


    Sofia nced at Shirley and said to Garrick, "Skye and I wanted to find a ce to have coffee, and


    since you were here, we came over. We didn''t know you were on a date with Shirley."


    As she spoke, Skyler, donning a ck T-shirt, cast a cold nce at Shirley.


    When the two of them looked at each other, the events ofst night involuntarily came to mind.


    His gaze was clear and sharp, causing a faint blush to rise to her cheeks. With just one nce, she


    lowered her head, no longer daring to meet his eyes.


    Garrick quickly exined, "Don''t talk nonsense. Yesterday was your birthday, and it was because


    Nancy kept bugging me that I asked Shirley to pretend to be my girlfriend for a while. That''s why I


    invited her here today to express my gratitude."


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    After saying that, he turned to Shirley. "Right, Miss Wilson?"


    "Ah? Yes, that''s right."


    Although there was a slight discrepancy with what was said earlier, Shirley agreed with his words as


    she felt that Garrick was trying to save her the embarrassment.


    Hearing Garrick''s exnation, Skyler frowned slightly and nced at Shirley with a hint of surprise in


    his eyes.


    So, that''s what happened?


    Did I misunderstand herst night?


    Feeling ufortable from Skyler''s burning gaze, Shirley could only pick up the coffee on the table


    and take a sip to ease the awkwardness.


    Naturally, Garrick invited Shirley toe over because he had coordinated with Sofia. Sofia then


    brought Skyler over and deliberately showed off the fact that they were together in front of Shirley.


    Sofia felt satisfied now that her goal had been achieved. "You guys should continue chatting. Skye, let''s


    go upstairs."


    Skyler raised his wrist and nced at his watch. "It''s almost time for lunch. As we all know each other,


    why don''t we have our meal together?"


    "T-That doesn''t sound like a good idea."


    Shirley immediately looked up.


    However, her gaze involuntarily fell on Sofia''s hand that held Skyler''s arm. She felt a slight pain in her


    chest.


    Yesterday, in the bathroom of Brennan Manor, Skyler did whatever he wanted to her, and Sofia even


    heard it while standing outside the door. Even so, the two of them could still reconcile now.


    Although she didn''t understand what kind of rtionship they had, Shirley couldn''t help but feel


    disgusted.


    "Yeah. You two are on a date. Miss Wilson and I wouldn''t want to be the third wheel."


    Garrick joked with a smile.


    "Yes, Mr. Brennan is right." Shirley agreed.


    "I..."


    "We all know each other, so there''s nothing inappropriate about it."


    Sofia was about to refuse, but Skyler interrupted her as he walked to Shirley''s side. "Make some room,


    please."


    Shirley was taken aback, not expecting Skyler to have the audacity to stay and have a meal together.


    From the corner of her eye, she noticed Sofia''s face turning sour.


    Presumably, it was because Skyler was her boyfriend, and yet he wanted to sit next to Shirley.


    "You should sit with Sofia..."


    Shirley wanted Skyler to sit with Sofia, but Skyler didn''t allow her to finish her sentence. Frowning


    impatiently, he urged, "Did you hear me?"


    Noticing his slightly imposing attitude, Shirley immediately fell silent and obediently moved aside.


    Sofia''s gaze darkened at what was happening, and unnoticed by the two of them, she exchanged a


    nce with Garrick.


    They didn''t say anything as Sofia took her seat.


    "Shirley, I would like to apologize to you."


    Sofia rested her intertwined fingers on the table and peered at Shirley with watery eyes, looking


    extremely guilty. "I misunderstood you and Skye before. I thought that the two of you..."

 Chapter 1199

    Chapter 1199


    Chapter 1199 Invite Miss Wilson to the Wedding


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    She hesitated to speak, likely thinking that some of the words might sound harsh, so she omitted that


    part and continued, "I only found outter that it was all just an act for the asion. I truly apologize.


    I''ve been wanting to apologize to you and haven''t found the right opportunity. Let me treat you to this


    meal today. Consider it my way of apologizing."


    Haven''t found the opportunity to apologize?


    Goodness, it''s been over half a year fromst year to now. How could she shamelessly say this?


    Shirley secretly criticized in her heart, but she didn''t show it.


    Since Sofia had apologized, Shirley could only force a smile and say, "It''s all in the past."


    "Thank you. You''re really nice. I wonder if we can be friends?" Sofia asked. Without waiting for Shirley''s


    response, she immediately picked up her phone. "Let''s exchange numbers. We can hang out together


    when we''re free in the future."


    If Sofia hadn''t taken her phone and clicked on her QR code, Shirley might have been able to refuse.


    However, the woman had already opened the QR code page and handed it to her. "Here, scan my


    code."


    Shirley hesitantly giggled before giving an "Okay."


    After all, Sofia was Garrick''s sister, and thepany still had to cooperate with Garrick. She couldn''t


    afford to offend him.


    Skyler beside her had a gloomy expression, making it hard to figure out his thoughts.


    "We are friends now that we have added each other. Don''t refuse when I ask you out in the future,"


    Sofia said excitedly.


    It was an undeniable fact that Sofia was gorgeous.


    Wearing a ck crop top that revealed her belly button, long hair cascading down, and delicate


    makeup, she had the air of a capable and straightforward beauty. It was hard not to be attracted to her


    at first nce.


    "Haha, okay, okay. As long as I''m not busy with work, there''s no problem."


    As long as she invites me, I will definitely say I''m busy.


    "It''s nice to see you two make up." Garrickughed heartily. "How forgiving of you, Miss Wilson."


    "You tter me, Mr. Brennan."


    "Haha, I''m telling the truth." Garrick''s gaze shifted, and he looked at Skyler. "You must invite Miss


    Wilson to your and Pia''s wedding."


    Skyler only looked at Garrick with a deep and unfathomable gaze without saying anything.


    It was Sofia who quickly responded, "That''s a must."


    "Sure! I''m honored."


    Shirley nodded and smiled. However, her smile didn''t reach her eyes. She then lowered her head,


    picked up her coffee, and drank it silently.


    They¡­ are getting married?


    Hehe, that''s great.


    That''s great.


    She thought that it was great. However, she couldn''t help but think of the scenes fromst night.


    Suddenly, she felt a chill gushing in her chest.


    Ding dong...


    Her phone on the table rang.


    Shirley picked up her phone and saw that it was a WhatsApp message from Wade.


    Wade: Shir, I''ll be able toe back tomorrow. Thank you for taking care of my mother these past two


    days.


    After Wade went on a business trip, he entrusted Shirley to take care of his mother. Shirley went back


    every day, and even if she didn''t go, she would ask Monica to help deliver meals and chat with his


    mother for a while.


    I will have to thank Monica for her help.


    Shirley held her phone and immediately replied to him.


    Shirley: I didn''t do much. In fact, Monica helped a ton. Let''s have a meal together when youe


    back.


    The other party replied instantly.


    Wade: Sure. I''ll treat you both to a meal. I''m really grateful to you.


    Shirley: No need to be polite. We''re friends!


    As her fingers tapped on the phone screen incessantly, a satisfied smile involuntarily appeared on her


    lips.


    It was probably because Wade wasing back that she felt relieved.


    However, Skyler noticed her expression. His eyes unknowingly darkened as he nced at the screen.


    Two words caught his eye¡ªWade Yoder.


    In that instant, Skyler''s face became even gloomier.

 Chapter 1200

    Chapter 1200


    Chapter 1200 Hitch a Ride


    ¡­


    "What does everyone want for lunch?" Sofia changed the topic and waved to the waiter.


    After the waiter brought the menu, Sofia considerately handed it to Shirley.


    She subconsciously wanted to give it to Skyler at first, but she handed it to Shirley instead when an


    idea came to her. "Shirley, take a look and see what you want to eat."


    "I''m fine with anything," Shirley said.


    "Alright then..." Sofia didn''t say much and ordered some Western food.


    The atmosphere was quite harmonious when the four of them sat together, eating and chatting.


    While the three of them felt rxed, Shirley was uneasy, like she was on a battlefield. Although nothing


    was wrong, she always felt like she was in a war zone.


    For her, having this meal felt as if there was a fishbone stuck in her throat.


    It wasn''t until the end of lunch that Shirley finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Garrick.


    "President Brennan, Miss Green, I''m afraid I can''t keep youpany anymore. I have to go to the


    hospital."


    She had ordered a meal on her phone and would pick it upter to bring to Wade''s mother at the


    hospital.


    Skyler''s handsome face turned frigid at those words, and his expression became somewhat twisted.


    "Oh, go ahead. Gary and I have something to do, so we should leave too," Sofia replied.


    "Are you going to Big Heart Hospital?"


    Skyler deliberately asked.


    Shirley nodded. "Yes."


    "Since you''re going there, give me a ride. I have something to discuss with the hospital director," Skyler


    instructed.


    "Skye, since Shirley has something to do at the hospital, I''ll give you a ride instead." Sofia didn''t want to


    give them a chance to be alone together.


    When they came over earlier, it was Sofia who drove Skyler, so it was understandable that he wanted


    to hitch a ride.


    However, he must not hitch a ride with Shirley.


    "You and Garrick have something to do, no? You go ahead and do your thing. I''ll contact you after I''m


    done," Skyler coldly replied.


    With just this sentence, he directly shut Sofia up.


    Sofia clenched her fists on herp, feeling dissatisfied but not daring to show it too obviously. She


    could only force a smile. "Shirley, it would be troublesome for you. Skye always likes to trouble people.


    Please don''t mind him."


    "Well..." Shirley wanted to refuse. "I still have to pick up my meal. How about you let¡ª"


    "It won''t be a problem." Skyler seemed to know what Shirley was going to say. He swiftly stopped her


    with a single sentence.


    Shirley pursed her lips and didn''t say anything.


    On the other hand, Sofia breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed Shirley''s resistance toward Skyler.


    The four of them then got up and left after Garrick paid the bill.


    After bidding farewell to them, Garrick and Sofia left together.


    As Shirley watched their car drive away, the smile on her face disappeared instantly. She turned


    around, her cold gaze meeting Skyler''s. "Ah, I suddenly remembered I have something to do at the


    company. Young Master Skyler, if you want to go to the hospital, please take a cab. I''m sorry."


    Thinking about Skyler''s getting back together with his ex-girlfriend and what happened yesterday,


    Shirley couldn''t help but feel disgusted by him.


    After speaking, Shirley didn''t give Skyler a chance to speak and turned around to walk toward her own


    car.


    Just as she was about to start the engine and leave, the passenger door opened, and Skyler got in.


    "I''m not in a hurry."


    The man casually replied to her as he fastened his seatbelt.


    It was as if he hadn''t understood Shirley''s rejection just now.


    Stunned, Shirley looked into his eyes with aplicated expression on her face. She frowned and


    lightly pursed her red lips. After hesitating for a long time, she finally turned off the car engine.


    "Young Master Skyler, since you have already reconciled with your¡­ ex-girlfriend, we shouldn''t contact


    each other anymore."


    She thought that men and women should keep an appropriate distance between each other.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 1201

    Chapter 1201


    Chapter 1201 Milk and Porridge


    She knew she should distance herself even more, especially after what happened between her and


    Skyler.


    "What are you assuming? Are you imagining things just because you are giving me a ride?"


    The man tilted his head slightly, a hint of a smile ying on his lips.


    Silenced by his words, Shirley had nothing to say. She could only start the engine and drive.


    They stopped at a hotel to pick up her takeout order.


    Skyler watched as she hurriedly got out of the car, looking anxious and flustered. His face grew darker


    and darker.


    Before long, Shirley returned with a thermal container in hand. She was still panting.


    She was worried about the food spilling, so she handed the container to Skyler. "Can you hold this for a


    moment?"


    "Can''t you put it in the back?"


    The man was displeased.


    "I''m driving. I''m going to keep stopping and moving. It''s gonna spill."


    Skyler said nothing at that.


    It''s just a meal, so why is she being all nervous?


    Reluctantly, he took the container from her and said nothing more.


    ...


    Hidden n.


    Matthew prepared breakfast in the morning and brought it to the dining room after everyone woke up.


    As Veronica came down the stairs and looked at the once-noble man who now willingly served her, she


    felt sad.


    They exchanged a nce from a distance, and the man responded with a smile as if tofort her.


    Soon, everyone sat down and had breakfast together.


    Mateo sat next to Veronica and attentively pushed a ss of milk before her. "Roni, have some fresh


    milk. I had Iron Pir buy it for you at the market this morning."


    The others noticed Mateo''s actions. They looked at each other but remained silent, quietly eating their


    breakfast.


    Of course, Matthew, who had juste out of the kitchen, also heard what Mateo said. His faceAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    darkened slightly.


    Veronica looked up and saw Matthew. Her heart ached for him when she saw a trace of disappointment


    on his face.


    This man had already done so much for her. In fact, he had done more than enough for this lifetime.


    How could she bear to make him sad?


    Even if it was jealousy, she couldn''t bear it.


    "No need."


    Veronica pushed the milk toward Mateo. "I don''t like milk."


    "You don''t like milk? Have some porridge, then. I told Iron Pir you like porridge and asked him to


    cook it for you." Mateo was considerate and paid attention to Veronica''s preferences.


    But he didn''t know that Matthew knew Veronica''s food preferences even better.


    Even the porridge was specially cooked for Veronica by Matthew.


    Veronica looked at the porridge and knew that Matthew prepared it. But if she ate the porridge, wouldn''t


    she be epting Mateo''s intentions?


    "Master Crayson, isn''t Mateo old enough? Why haven''t you arranged a marriage for him?" Veronica


    moved the porridge in front of her and stirred it with a spoon. She blew on it and took a sip, saying, "I


    think the girls from the hidden n are quite good-looking. It won''t be easy to find someone for him if


    you don''t find a partner for him while he''s still young."


    "He..."


    When Mateo immediately sat up straight, Crayson hadn''t figured out how to respond yet. "I don''t want


    to!"


    "Why not?"


    Veronica lowered her head and continued to eat the porridge, pretending not to care.


    "Because... Because..." Mateo hesitated, not knowing how to exin.


    Veronica then teasingly smiled. "Don''t you want to find a partner? Mateo, are you nning to follow my


    footsteps and stay single for the rest of your life?"


    She stirred the porridge, trying to cool it down quickly.


    She added, "Since my husband is ''gone,'' I''ve decided not to remarry in the future."

 Chapter 1202

    Chapter 1202


    Chapter 1202 Time Could Change Everything


    Veronica directly expressed her feelings, ending Mateo''s expectations of her.


    Her words shocked everyone.


    The people dining at the table immediately looked up, their gazes all falling on Veronica.


    Crayson blurted out, "You are not going to remarry? That''s ridiculous!"


    "Anyone can choose not to get married, but not you," Hayley echoed.


    Destiny also chimed in, "Matthew Kings is dead. Do you want to be a widow for the rest of your life?


    Are you stupid?"


    "You''re still young! How can you not get married?" Mateo asked. "The rest of your life can be beautiful.


    You shouldn''t live in memories."


    Listening to their words, Matthew looked down and walked to the courtyard.


    He was satisfied after hearing Veronica''s words just now.


    Veronica put down the spoon, raised her head, and looked at Hayley with a cold expression on her


    face. "The reason I came to the hidden n is not because I have my eyes on the position of the head


    of the n or that you''re my biological mother. It''s because you will use my kids to ckmail me if I


    don''te. I''m now willing to help you reim the position of the head of the n. However, I won''t


    stay in the hidden n."


    She spoke with conviction. "Whether it''s now or in the future, I won''t change my mind. Don''t even think


    that I''ll find a partner within the hidden n. Even if I have to get together with a beggar from


    Bloomstead, I won''t fall in love with a man from the hidden n in this lifetime. Because..."


    She deliberately emphasized, "I don''t belong here."


    "Veronica, how dare you speak to your mother like that?!" Crayson reprimanded her.


    Hayley shook her head, wearing her usual elegant and calm smile on her face. "It''s alright." She then


    turned to Veronica and said, "Alright, as you wish. Let''s eat."


    Some things couldn''t be forced, but...


    She believed that time could change everything.


    After dinner, Veronica went upstairs to study while Mateo sat on the couch with Hayley and the others.


    Mateo sighed irritably. "Roni is so firm about this. Do I have no chance?"


    He was full of excitement and anticipation yesterday. However, Veronica''s answer today was like a


    bucket of cold water poured over his head, chilling him to the bone.


    "You''re still too young," Hayley said slowly, sipping her coffee. "Veronica has deep feelings for Matthew.


    He ''passed away'' not long ago, and she can''t get out of the trauma. If you really like her, treat her well.


    Women can''t resist a man''s tenderness and care. As long as you do well, everything will fall into ce."


    "Really?"


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Mateo''s eyes lit up like bright stars.


    "I''ve been there. Would I lie to you?"


    "Haha! Got it! Madam Hayley, you''re always the best to me."


    "Look at what nonsense you''re saying. I watched you grow up. You''ve always been like my child to


    me."


    The two of them were talking about Veronica in the room. Meanwhile, Matthew, who was smoking at


    the door, overheard their conversation.


    His eyes behind brown-tinted contact lenses grew colder and colder, his face as cold as frost.


    Upstairs.


    Veronica was studying when her phone suddenly rang.


    She nced at the number, only to see that it was Xavier''s.


    Xavier had asked her for her phone number at the banquet yesterday.


    "Hello, Xavier?"


    Veronica answered the call.


    "Were you okayst night?" There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, followed by


    Xavier''s concerned words.


    "I''m fine. What''s wrong?"


    "Are you sure you''re fine? Is there really no problem with the drink you hadst night?" Although


    Dominik had already exined yesterday at the pce, Xavier still didn''t believe him.


    After thinking it over, he finally decided to call Veronica and ask.


    Veronica remained silent and did not answer.

 Chapter 1203

    Chapter 1203


    Chapter 1203 Study Together


    "I know you don''t trust me and don''t want to tell me too much. But I just need to know that you''re okay.


    Goodbye."


    Xavier felt a little disappointed and quickly hung up the phone.


    After being interrupted by the phone call, Veronica lost interest in studying and started ying with her


    phone.


    Ding dong!


    A message came in.


    After buying the phone, both Veronica and Matthew used the cracked version, which could be


    tranted into English.


    It was a text message of only a few words sent by Matthew. ''There is an antidote on the handkerchief.''


    Yesterday, she deliberately poured tea on the handkerchief, put it in a stic bag, and brought it out in


    her pocket.


    She only had her suspicions, but she didn''t expect something was wrong with the tea.


    Tiffany was likely to have already cooperated with the Ledgers.


    Or perhaps, due to her extremeck of security, she was opportunistic and yed both sides to ensure


    her interests. That was why she found a way to agree with the Ledgers.


    ''Understood.'' Veronica held her phone and typed just one word. But after thinking about it, she found a


    ''kiss'' emoji and sent it as well.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Knock, knock, knock¡ª-


    Someone knocked on the door suddenly.


    After Veronica put her phone on the table, she got up and opened the door. Mateo was standing


    outside with a book in his hand, ready toe in and teach her.


    Because Veronica''s bedroom was rtivelyrge, half of it was a resting area, and the other half could


    be separated as a study area.


    To facilitate studying, she didn''t bother to move to the study.


    However, after learning about Mateo''s feelings for her, Veronica suddenly felt that it was inappropriate


    for a man and a woman to be alone in the same room.


    "Mateo, how about¡ª"


    Veronica was about to suggest going to the study, which would be more appropriate. But before she


    could finish her sentence, she saw Matthew appear behind Mateo.


    "Young Master Mateo, I would also like to study with you." Matthew looked in and honest, dressed in


    a ck and white checkered shirt.


    Mateo was startled by Matthew''s sudden appearance. He turned around with a cold face and red at


    him. "No!" he snapped.


    He was even more enraged when he thought of the three thousand Iron Pir tricked out of him


    yesterday.


    "This is all the money I have. Here, take it. Consider it as my tuition fee, okay?" Matthew took out three


    thousand from his pocket.


    This money was given to him by Mateo yesterday.


    Seeing the money, Mateo reached out to grab it. However, Matthew retracted his hand and asked, "Will


    you teach me?"


    "Give me the money first." Mateo opened his hand, showing a stance of "no money, no talk."


    Matthew didn''t give in to the threat at all. Instead, he turned and walked to the stairs, loudly announcing


    to the people downstairs, "Master Waylen, Young Master Mateo doesn''t want to teach me."


    Crayson''s real name was Waylen Elrod. As Matthew was a servant in the house, he could only address


    Crayson as "Master Waylen."


    "Mateo?!"


    Immediately, a furious roar came from downstairs.


    Mateo''s face turned ck in an instant. He red at Matthew, but all he saw was Matthew''s innocent


    smile. "Hehe, Master Waylen meant that it would be impolite to give you money, so I won''t give it to


    you."


    While solemnly saying that, he put the money in his pocket. Mateo almost passed out from anger at


    that.


    Veronica had never seen Matthew so mischievous before, and she couldn''t help but suppress her


    laughter.


    "Yes, sir!" Mateo responded to Crayson.


    Then, they heard Crayson say loudly, "From now on, Iron Pir will protect Veronica''s safety. You must


    make sure he speaks fluently."


    Mateo was so angry that his face turned red. Even so, he dared not say anything.


    Veronica secretly found it funny and could only hold herughter in. She suggested, "Let''s go to the


    study. My room can''t amodate three people."

 Chapter 1204

    Chapter 1204


    Chapter 1204 Focus


    "Okay, we''ll go wherever the miss wants to go."


    Matthew, who was standing not far away, raised an eyebrow mischievously at Veronica.


    Of course, he did it behind Mateo''s back.


    Mateo felt resentful, but he had topromise because of Crayson''s authority. "Let''s go. Hurry up."


    Mateo said those words impatiently.


    "Wait for me. I''ll get a pen and notebook."


    Veronica turned around and returned to the room to get a pen, notebook, and the books needed for


    ss. She then left the room and headed toward the study with the two of them.


    The study was on the west side of the second floor. Inside the spacious study were rows of


    bookshelves filled with various books.


    Books from the hidden n, Castron, Destor, and other countries covered various genres.


    The diverse collection of books wasparable to a small library.


    Five-sixths of the study was filled with books, while one-sixth was a leisure area with a desk and a


    couch.


    Because the attic was a connected double attic, the space was exceptionally spacious.


    "There''s only one desk. How are we going to study?"


    Veronica muttered to herself and then walked out, standing in the corridor and shouting to Crayson on


    the first floor. "Master Crayson, I''ll be studying with Iron Pir. Can you have someone bring another


    desk up?"


    Crayson, who was talking to Hayley, heard Veronica''s words and nodded. "Alright, you two study first.


    I''ll have someone bring it upter."


    "Thank you."


    Veronica turned around and entered the study after thanking him.


    As there was only one desk, Veronica instructed Matthew, "Let''s move theptop aside first. Mateo can


    sit on the big chair. We can sit on these rattan chairs."


    "Okay, I''ll listen to you."


    Matthew nodded slightly and went forward to tidy up theptop with her.


    In no time, everything was organized. The two of them sat side by side on one side of the desk while


    Mateo sat on the opposite big chair with books in hand. Like a teacher, he said seriously, "We learned


    the pronunciation of the 26 letters yesterday. Today, we will start learning some simple words and


    dialogues."


    He held a ruler and lightly tapped on the desk, ncing at the two of them. "Page ten, please."


    "Oh."


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Veronica responded and opened to page ten, while Matthew obediently followed along.


    Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting white light on the two of them. At that moment, the


    clear pronunciation of the words made it sound as if the two of them had returned to their student days.


    The lecture went on for a long time before Mateo started feeling parched. He put down the book and


    informed, "You two familiarize yourselves with the words. I''ll go get some water."


    "Yes, sir."


    In ss, Veronica always referred to Mateo respectfully, like he was her teacher. However, she would


    call him by his name after ss.


    This was a good way to distinguish between work and study.


    He got up and walked out of the study, closing the door.


    Because they had learned new words, Veronica was still struggling to memorize them. Seeing this,


    Matthew closed her book with one hand. "How serious. No wonder you were a top student in school."


    Veronica frowned and looked at Matthew with her head tilted. She noticed that his right elbow was


    resting on the table, supporting his head. Although his face was ordinary, that sense of mediocrity


    couldn''t suppress his natural elegance that gave off a schrly temperament.


    "Hey, we''re studying. Focus. It will be troublesome if I can''t speak in hidden tongue."


    He should be paying attention in ss. Just what is he up to?


    Veronica secretly wondered.


    But before she could finish her thought, Matthew''s left arm was draped over her shoulder, pulling her


    into his embrace. His right hand then gently lifted her chin before he kissed her on the lips.

 Chapter 1205

    Chapter 1205


    Chapter 1205 \"Something\"


    Thump, thump¡­


    Her heart raced. Kissing in this kind of environment made Veronica feel nervous and excited; it was as


    if they could be caught any moment now.


    She didn''t struggle. Instead, she allowed the man to kiss her passionately.


    Between their breaths, she could smell Matthew''s unique scent that intoxicated her.


    After two minutes of kissing, Matthew finally let her go. Seeing her shy expression, he couldn''t help but


    chuckle. "Your face is so red. Aren''t you afraid that Mateo will noticeter?"


    Veronica panicked and covered her face with both hands. "Is my face really red?"


    "What''s the matter? We have kissed so many times, but you still get shy?"


    "Who''s shy? It''s because you kissed too passionately that I couldn''t catch my breath."


    "That''s because you''re too clumsy. Don''t shift the me." Matthew lightly flicked her forehead. "No


    surveince cameras are in the room, so you don''t need to be so nervous. I won''t eat you."


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Creak!


    Suddenly, the door to the study was pushed open, and Mateo walked in with a cup of coffee.


    He had expected to see the two of themughing and fooling around or cking off. To his surprise,


    they were sitting upright, earnestly memorizing vocabry.


    His stomach churned as he felt like he had misjudged them.


    Closing the door, Mateo walked to his seat andzily leaned back in the big chair, reading a book while


    listening to the two of them recite words.


    However, he didn''t notice that both Veronica''s and Matthew''s left hands were under the table¡­


    The man couldn''t keep his hands to himself. He kept ying with her soft fingers, thoroughly enjoying


    himself.


    Matthew was shameless even when Mateo had his eyes on them. Veronica struggled for a moment,


    but when she realized that she couldn''t free herself from his grasp, she could only let him hold her


    tightly.


    "After you finish reading, start writing. You need to read and write vocabry to remember the words


    better. Otherwise, you''ll never learn it."


    Mateozily said.


    He seemed to have little patience for the two of them. He even looked at Matthew with a hint of disgust


    in his eyes.


    Before long, the two of them took out their notebooks and began to write the words earnestly.


    Beforeing to the hidden n, Matthew had studied hard and mastered the hidden tongue in half a


    year of intense learning.


    No one knew how much effort he had put in; they simply thought he had a natural talent fornguages.


    If not, they even thought he was an extraordinary talent.


    "Understood."


    "Okay."


    The two of them obediently took out their pens and notebooks, diligently writing the words.


    As Mateo grew tired from sitting in the big chair, he reached out and adjusted the backrest, turning it


    into a recliner.


    Lying on the recliner, he covered his face with a book and fell into a deep sleep.


    As the two of them were writing, they suddenly heard the sound of even breathing.


    They stopped writing and looked up at the sleeping Mateo, exchanging a smile.


    Matthew mischievously lifted Veronica''s chin, leaned in, and kissed her lips hotly.


    Veronica''s body tensed up at that moment, and her eyes widened in fear. She was afraid that Mateo


    would notice Matthew''s actions.


    She struggled while ncing at Mateo from the corner of her eye, feeling her heart almost jump out of


    her throat.


    Pushing Matthew away, she held a book in front of her face and turned her head to the side to angrily


    re at him. "Are you crazy?!" she hissed. "We''re done for if he finds out."


    "Don''t worry. He won''t wake up for a while," Matthew replied calmly.


    Veronica was surprised. "He won''t? Why not?"


    "I added a little ''something'' in his coffee just now."


    As for what that "something" was, Veronica could guess even if Matthew didn''t say it.

 Chapter 1206

    Chapter 1206


    Chapter 1206 They Came to See Miss Veronica


    ¡­


    "That''s not very nice of you."


    Veronica smiled helplessly. "I really need to learn quickly; otherwise, it will be troublesome in the


    future."


    "I didn''t say you can''t learn. I''ll teach you."


    "You will teach me?" Veronica''s eyes lit up. She was a bit curious when she suddenly thought of how


    Matthew learned the hidden tongue in a short time. There must be a special trick. "Okay, what''s the


    secret? Tell me."


    The man chuckled. "There''s no secret. You just need to memorize these words."


    "No secret? How did you learn so quickly, then?"


    "Because..." Matthew raised his hand and lightly tapped her nose with his finger. "Your husband is


    smart."


    Looking at his slightly proud expression, Veronica couldn''t help butugh. "I didn''t realize how much


    you like to praise yourself before this."


    Noon.


    Matthew prepared a table full of delicious lunch, and everyone ate in the dining room. Right then,


    Crayson looked up and informed Veronica, "I discussed with your mother today and arranged your


    schedule. Starting from 6 a.m., you will have sses until 3 p.m. Then, you will start martial arts


    training. There is not much time. We must make use of every minute."


    As Veronica looked at the timetable on the table, her face, as smooth as jade, showed a hint of


    coldness. "Wake up at 6 a.m., finish at 10 p.m."


    She murmured. After speaking, she let out a faint sneer as if venting her dissatisfaction.


    Hayley put down her fork and smiled gracefully. "We know it''s hard for you, but it''s all for your own


    good."


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Veronica picked up a forkful of short rib chili and chewed slowly. "I should thank you, then."


    She replied sarcastically without looking up.


    After the meal, a servant immediately rushed in before Veronica could go upstairs to study. "Master


    Waylen, Madam Hayley, Dominik Ledger brought Eleanor Ledger and Liam Ledger here."


    Crayson stood with his hands behind his back, frowning. "What are they here for?"


    "They said¡­" The servant nced at Veronica. "They said they came to see Miss Veronica."


    Mateo''s eyes dimmed, "Tell them to leave. Who told them toe here without permission?!"


    "I''ll go see them."


    Veronica ignored everyone and walked out.


    Hayley, due to her identity, couldn''t go out. She could only go upstairs and observe the situation from


    the window.


    She also wanted to avoid theming in and identally seeing her. It wouldn''t be good if that


    happened.


    "I''ll go with you."


    Worried about Veronica, Mateo followed her out.


    After walking out of the living room and crossing the courtyard, Veronica saw the Ledger siblings


    standing outside when she looked through the fence.


    When she reached the courtyard, Veronica looked at them with a look of indifference. "Is there


    something I can help you with?"


    "Yes, I brought Liam here to apologize to you." Dominik had always been calm and wise, and his words


    and actions always gave off a sense of maturity and steadiness.


    Liam, on the other hand, reluctantly cocked his head. Even though he was upset, he still forced these


    words out. "I didn''t handle things well that day. I''m sorry."


    It was Eleanor who stretched her neck and peeked into the yard as if she was searching for something.


    She finally asked, "Veronica, where is thatckey of yours?"


    Veronica remembered that Eleanor had discovered Matthew''s true identity. However, seeing how much


    Eleanor cared about Matthew made Veronica think of something near impossible¡­


    Is she interested in Matt?!


    Women had a strong sixth sense.

 Chapter 1207

    Chapter 1207


    Chapter 1207 Invite Them In


    Veronica was on guard against Eleanor almost immediately.


    Veronica was already beautiful with her delicate features, exotic face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes.


    She had a captivating charm that was not at all frivolous. It was the kind of beauty that was exuded


    from her every move without being superficial.


    Even though Veronica felt confident in her own appearance, she couldn''t help but feel slightly inferior in


    front of Eleanor.


    "I haven''t been paying attention. Do you need something from him, Princess Eleanor?"


    Veronica automatically ignored Liam''s apology and focused her attention on Eleanor.


    "It''s nothing, really. I just think he''s skilled and wanted to spar with him," Eleanor replied calmly.


    Dominik shook his head and smiled helplessly. "Miss Murphy, please don''t mind Eleanor. She has


    always been like this. She has been practicing martial arts since she was young and enjoys challenging


    others to test their skills."


    "Hey, I''m apologizing to you."


    Liam, who was being ignored, threw Veronica a displeased look.


    As a high-ranking prince, Liam had never been treated with such disrespect.


    "You didn''t do it intentionally. Let''s just forget about it." Veronica didn''t want to hold onto that matter.


    She then asked, "Is there anything else? If not, I''ll be heading in."


    "Are you not going to invite us in for a cup of tea?"


    Seeing Veronica about to turn and enter the courtyard, Eleanor hurriedly urged, "Is this how Destorians


    treat their guests?"


    The reason they came together today was because Eleanor wanted to see Matthew.


    Now, she was being asked to leave after only standing at the door for a while. Naturally, she felt


    dissatisfied.


    "You¡ª"


    Mateo didn''t like them and was about to chase them away when Crayson walked out of the courtyard.


    The older man greeted, "Princess Eleanor, Prince Dominik, Prince Liam, wee to my humble


    abode. I apologize for not weing you."


    Crayson, who was spirited and energetic, walked out with big strides and smiled proudly.


    "Who are you?" Liam didn''t recognize Crayson.


    On the other hand, Dominik gave a small nod. "You must be the famous Waylen Elrod. Master Waylen,


    right?"


    When the Elrods were still the head of the hidden n 20 years ago, Waylen was the chief minister of


    the hidden n. It was a position equivalent to the prime minister in ancient times.


    He was respected by all and was loved by the people for his expertise in governing and leading the


    hidden n to prosperity.


    "Master Waylen, I''ve heard of you since long ago. It''s an honor to meet you today." Eleanor greeted


    Crayson with a slight nod.


    Although they were archenemies, they had to appear amiable with one another.


    After all, in the hidden n, the Ledger n had announced to the public that the Elrod n had to be


    tolerated. Even the previous hidden n royalty would spare the lives of the Elrods.


    "I''m surprised Your Highnesses remember an old man like me. Hahaha!" Craysonughed heartily and


    nced at Veronica, scolding her, "How outrageous of you not to invite the princess and princes in. If


    word got out, people would mock me for not knowing proper etiquette."


    "It has nothing to do with Veronica. It was all my idea." Mateo stepped forward to exin.


    Perhaps he did not want to see Veronica scolded by Crayson, so he took all the responsibility upon


    himself.


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    "Alright, let''s not just stand here. Please,e in."


    Crayson politely gestured for them to move along as he led them into the living room.


    As everyone took a seat on the couch, the servants quickly went to make tea.


    At this moment, Matthew walked out of the kitchen in an apron, looking busy.


    Eleanor''s eyes lit up at the sight of him. "Iron Pir, what are you doing?"

 Chapter 1208

    Chapter 1208


    Chapter 1208 Chef


    She asked curiously.


    She asked about Iron Pir just a minute ago and was asking about him again now.


    Her frequent mention of him raised the spection of several people, but everyone only kept their


    questions to themselves.


    Crayson smiled and replied, "Iron Pir is the chef I brought from Bloomstead. He specializes in


    cooking for Veronica."


    "Oh, really? He must be a skilled chef."


    Eleanor smiled knowingly. "I have heard a lot about the culinary culture of Destor, but I have never had


    the opportunity to experience it. Do I have the chance to taste Destorian cuisine today?"


    She took the initiative to make her request.


    Dominik''s eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, but he didn''t say anything as he maintained his usual


    composure on the surface.


    On the other hand, Liam nodded in agreement. "I have also heard that Destorian cuisine is excellent.


    Miss Murphy, we are friends, aren''t we? Can we stay for a meal?"


    "No!" Mateo was very resistant to them and rejected them without any mercy.


    "You came here rather suddenly, and the kitchen hasn''t prepared enough dishes. I''m afraid it won''t be


    sufficient." Veronica sensed Eleanor''s "intention" toward Matthew and politely declined.


    Moreover, Veronica already felt guilty about making Matthew their "chef." The guilt put her under


    immense pressure.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Even though she felt sorry for Matthew, she couldn''t do anything to help him. How could she bear to let


    him cook for others?


    He was not even a real chef!


    "It''s not a big deal. I''ll make a call immediately to have someone deliver the ingredients." Eleanor


    pretended not to understand Veronica''s refusal.


    Veronica quietly fumed.


    Do I really have to make it obvious?


    "You¡ª"


    Mateo wanted to say something, but he immediately shut up when he saw the sharp gaze Crayson


    shot at him.


    At this moment, Matthew walked in from outside the living room with a few sprigs oftro in his hand.


    There were many flowers and nts,tro included, nted in the courtyard for convenient cooking


    at home.


    "Hey, Iron Pir."


    Eleanor stood up from the couch and waved at Matthew while walking up to him. "Miss Murphy said


    you are a skilled chef worthy of being called a master chef for state banquets. Would it be possible for


    me to get a meal out of you? I''ve been longing for exquisite Destorian cuisine for quite some time now.


    I trust you wouldn''t turn down such a request."


    Matthew''s face remainedrgely impassive. "To have earned your favor is an honor I cherish deeply,


    Your Highness."


    "Haha, not at all."


    Eleanor beamed. "I can''t just eat and drink for free. How about I go in and see how you cook? O could


    learn a thing or two."


    "Your Highness, I''m afraid that isn''t a good idea."


    Crayson quickly spoke up.


    Dominik couldn''t bear to keep a straight face any longer, sensing that Eleanor''s behavior was quite out


    of character today. However, for appearances'' sake, he maintained an air ofposure and


    nonchnce. "Master Waylen, you don''t need to worry about her. Eleanor has always been eager to


    learn and curious about new things. I''ll have to trouble you a bit."


    Since Dominik had said so, Crayson didn''t say anything more and could only go along with it smilingly.


    "Hahaha, I have long heard about Princess Eleanor''s profound knowledge, with expertise spanning


    from astronomy to geography and a grasp of various matters in the world. Upon meeting her today, I


    truly understand her insatiable thirst for learning. She has indeed impressed me greatly."


    Even Veronica didn''t know how much of it was true when she listened to the ttery, but seeing the


    shrewdness in Crayson''s eyes as he spoke and nced at Eleanor, she could feel his guard against


    her.


    "Master Waylen, you tter me. My sister is not as talented as you say." Dominik smiled warmly.


    The three siblings had different personalities.


    The elder brother, Dominik, exuded a calm and wise demeanor, disying a mature and dignified


    disposition while retaining an air of gentle refinement. On the other hand, his younger sister, Eleanor,


    appeared mischievous and seemingly innocent, yet she harbored a plethora of intricate schemes


    beneath the surface, her depths unfathomable. As for the youngest sibling, Liam, he was


    straightforward in his thinking, and his physical prowess far outweighed his intellectual subtleties. What


    he spoke was often a direct reflection of his thoughts.

 Chapter 1209

    Chapter 1209


    Chapter 1209 In the Kitchen


    In the kitchen.


    Eleanor and Matthew entered the kitchen and closed the door.


    Matthew deftly cleaned the fish in his hand and mentioned in a deep voice, "Are you making sure that


    others will notice your special treatment toward me, Your Highness?"


    He suddenly had a headache at how Eleanor was being a little clingy.


    "It doesn''t matter what others think. It''s none of my business. I promised not to disclose your identity to


    the outside world, and I will definitely keep my word."


    In other words, she meant, "I am only responsible for keeping the secret. But if anyone suspects


    something, it has nothing to do with me."


    Of course, Eleanor also had some ulterior motives.


    Only the heavens knew how she spent a sleepless night in bedst night because Matthew''s


    stunningly beautiful face kept appearing in her mind.


    So, when Liam woke up this morning, she dragged him here to apologize to Veronica.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    As the prince of the hidden n royalty, Liam naturally didn''t want to apologize to Veronica. Thanks to


    Eleanor''s arduous efforts, she managed to persuade him toe here.


    Her purpose was not to apologize to Veronica but to see Matthew.


    She regretted it when she looked at Matthew''s slightly ugly, ordinary face.


    If she had known, she wouldn''t have let him dress up again yesterday but instead, let him show his true


    face. That would have been much more pleasing to the eye.


    "So, should I thank you?"


    Matthew casually asked while holding a sharp knife in his hand and skillfully scraping the scales off of a


    fish.


    "Hahaha, there''s no need for that. Just make a delicious lunch for me. That will be your way of thanking


    me."


    She pretended not to understand his sarcasm.


    However, Matthew knew that Eleanor understood everything.


    While he didn''t say anything more, Eleanor rolled up her sleeves. "Come on, let me help you. You can


    also teach me how to cook Destorian cuisine."


    At this point, her eyes lit up as she thought of a n.


    Eleanor leaned on the masonry oven with her right hand and tilted her head seductively. "Iron Pir, I


    want to be your apprentice. From today onward, you will be my master who will teach me how to cook.


    How about it?"


    "No."


    Matthew refused decisively without hesitating.


    Of course, being rejected seemed to be within Eleanor''s expectations.


    Her red lips curved into a subtle smile, and her beauty was imbued with a charm reminiscent of the


    western regions. "You should understand that by bing my mentor, you''ll gain the freedom toe


    and go from the royal pce. It benefits both you and Veronica."


    Matthew was in the midst of cleaning the innards of a crucian carp in his hands. His hand paused for a


    moment, and he didn''t respond.


    The smile on the clever and astute Eleanor''s face grew even more pronounced. She patted his


    shoulder. "There we have it. It''s settled, then.


    "Master, what are you nning to do with this fish?"


    She immediately got into character.


    Veronica was in the living room when she noticed that Eleanor had been in the kitchen for a long time


    and didn''t seem like she wasing out anytime soon. Hit by a sense of crisis, she stood up and


    announced, "I''ll go to the kitchen to see if we have enough dishes."


    Without waiting for anyone''s response, she stalked toward the kitchen.


    As soon as she approached the kitchen door, she heard Eleanor''s cheerfulughter that sounded


    particrly happying from inside.


    In that fleeting moment, Veronica felt a tautness in her heart. It was an inexplicable sense of


    nervousness.


    As she stood at the kitchen door, she held the doorknob and hesitated for a moment. Then, she turned


    the knob and opened the door, only to see...


    Eleanor was holding a cloth in her hand, intimately wiping the sweat off Matthew''s forehead. "Master,


    you''re sweating. Let me wipe it for you."


    Matthew held a sharp knife in his hand with his body slightly turned. He nced at Veronica standing at


    the doorway before briefly looking at Eleanor by his side...

 Chapter 1210

    Chapter 1210


    Chapter 1210 How Boring


    ...


    The pointed edge of his knife pressed against the handkerchief in Eleanor''s hand, gently pushing it


    aside. "Don''t think you can sow discord in our rtionship with such crude tactics."


    If he behaved properly, he wouldn''t have to worry that Veronica would misunderstand.


    Matthew had faith in the bond he shared with Veronica.


    Veronica was standing at the doorway when he heard Matthew''s words. In an instant, the threads of


    worry in her heart unraveled, releasing the burden she had been carrying.


    In hindsight, she realized she had been overly concerned.


    After she walked into the kitchen, she casually closed the door and put on a graceful smile. "Your


    Highness, are you looking for a change of scenery?"


    Being teased in session by the married couple left Eleanor both annoyed and amused.


    She tossed the handkerchief directly into the trash bin and raised her delicately arched eyebrows. "Ah,


    how boring. Can''t you two cooperate a bit with me? You should have pretended to be angry just to


    bring a little joy to my day."


    Her joke easily resolved the awkwardness.


    Her open and unabashed nature was truly something Veronica found somewhat endearing.


    That kind of unrestrained and carefree attitude wasn''t something everyone could embody.


    Veronica and Matthew exchanged nces and smiled at each other. He then lowered his head and


    continued preparing the fish in his hand, while she slowly let her head hang as she felt warm and sweet


    in her chest.


    "Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you. From now on, he will be my master and will definitely teach me how


    to cook step by step. Don''t get jealous, okay?"


    As she spoke, Eleanor deliberately leaned toward Matthew and raised her eyebrows at Veronica.


    Veronica felt helpless in the face of such tant seduction and provocation.


    "Being defeated and being jealous is just a difference in wording. Your Highness, you better be


    prepared." Veronica crossed her arms and smiled as she turned and left.


    "Hey... You! Are you just going to leave like this?"


    "Why stay if there''s no reason for me to?"


    "Aren''t you afraid of what I might do to him?"


    "Do whatever you want. As long as you have confidence, I will give you mental support." Veronica


    turned her head, her exquisitely fair face filled with a confident smile.


    Her trust in Matthew was evident.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She leisurely walked out of the kitchen, happily humming a tune as she closed the door.


    The smile on Eleanor''s face instantly disappeared. She felt like a deted balloon.


    After a while, she turned around and red at Matthew, pouting in a spoiled manner. "I have plenty of


    time, so I''m not afraid of not winning you over. You underestimate me."


    Matthew turned on the tap and cleaned the crucian carp. He mentioned calmly, "Being overly confident


    is just being arrogant."


    "I''ve been arrogant for so many years. It won''t be any different this time."


    After speaking, she picked up the vegetables next to her and asked, "How should I prepare this


    vegetable? I don''t know what to do."


    "Remove the top and bottom. Also, check if there are any worms. Remove them if there are."


    "Oh. That''s easy."


    Eleanor nodded and began to focus on preparing the vegetables.


    In the living room.


    When Veronica came back, Liam asked her, "What is Eleanor doing? Why hasn''t shee out yet?"


    "Her Highness has a strong thirst for knowledge. She just became Iron Pir''s disciple and is learning


    cooking from him." Veronica sat down on the couch and picked up a cup of fragrant tea from the table.


    The gentle aroma of the tea enveloped her senses, refreshing her spirit.


    "You said Eleanor made Iron Pir her master?"


    Liam stood up abruptly. "Isn''t that ridiculous? She is the princess of the hidden n. Won''t it tarnish our


    royal family''s reputation if this gets out?"


    In fact, Liam had been displeased with Iron Pir for a long time and had always wanted to find an


    opportunity to teach him a lesson.


    Yet, now that Iron Pir had be Eleanor''s master, how was Liam supposed to have the chance to


    do that?


    Liam still had bruises on his face from being beaten up by Matthew yesterday.

 Chapter 1211

    Chapter 1211


    Chapter 1211 No Say at All


    Before leaving, Eleanor put on makeup for Liam to cover the injuries on his face so he wouldn''t


    embarrass himself. That was why no one saw the bruises.


    "Liam!"


    Dominik sternly reminded, "There is no distinction between high and low in professions. Eleanor has


    always been interested in new things and is willing to learn sincerely. You should learn from her."


    "I... Hmph..."


    Liam sat on the couch and let out a dissatisfied snort, grumbling, "You''re the eldest brother, so


    whatever you say is right."


    "Hahaha... You brothers have such a good rtionship. Seeing you reminds me of when I was young


    and had the same temperament as His Highness Prince Liam."


    Crayson cooperativelymented before adding, "You guys have a seat and enjoy your time. I''ll go to


    the study to do something."


    "Alright. Master Waylen. Go ahead," Dominik said politely as he stood up.


    Crayson nodded slightly to Dominik, turned around, and went upstairs to the study.


    In the study, Hayley was sitting at the desk reading a book.


    Hearing the sound in the room, she looked up and saw Crayson walking over. "They haven''t left?"


    Crayson closed the door and sighed. "They want to have lunch here. Eleanor unexpectedly asked Iron


    Pir to be her master and teach her how to cook. Thatdy is not to be underestimated."


    Before leaving, Eleanor put on makeup for Liam to cover the injuries on his face so he wouldn''t


    embarrass himself. That was why no one saw the bruises.


    "Iron Pir is just an ordinary person. Eleanor targeting him indicates she might be trying to recruit him


    as a spy, though her intentions remain uncertain."


    Hayley analyzed the situation.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    "If you put it that way, it seems that we can put Iron Pir to good use." Crayson also came up with a


    n.


    "No rush. Let''s observe first."


    "Yes, Madam Hayley." Crayson nodded and then said, "They are all dining downstairs. I''m afraid you''ll


    have to stay here for lunch."


    "It''s alright."


    Hayley didn''t mind.


    At noon, with Eleanor''s help, Matthew prepared a table full of delicious dishes, all of which were


    Bloomstead''s specialty.


    Crayson, Mateo, Veronica, and the Ledger siblings gathered in the dining room as they got ready to


    eat.


    At this moment, Eleanor stood up and announced, "Wait. My master personally prepared this meal. He


    must join us."


    Veronica also wanted Matthew to sit at the same table and eat with her.


    However, she had some concerns.


    First, she was worried about Matthew exposing his identity, and second, she couldn''t find a reasonable


    excuse for him to join the meal.


    If she showed too much concern for him, it would inevitably lead to Matthew being exposed.


    Now that Eleanor took the initiative to suggest it, she also followed along. "Yes, Her Highness is right."


    "How can a mere chef sit at the table?" Liam strongly opposed it.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Eleanor threw him a nce. "Do you think chefs are lowly? Don''t


    forget that all the dishes on this table were prepared by him. Furthermore, he will be my master in the


    future. I won''t allow you to disrespect him!"


    She assumed the demeanor of the leader of the hidden n, her expression icy and imposing, casting


    a sense of intimidation.


    Liam pursed his lips and coldly snorted. He didn''t say anything else after that.


    His aggrieved appearance was just like that of an upset wife.


    Veronica noticed that Liam had no say at all in front of Dominik and Eleanor.


    "Master,e sit here. Come over to my side."


    Eleanor tapped Mateo on the shoulder. "Mateo, can you scoot over? I want my master to sit next to


    me."


    Eleanor had Dominik on her left and Mateo on her right. Veronica was directly across from her.

 Chapter 1212

    Chapter 1212


    Chapter 1212 Self-Sufficiency Leads to Contentment


    Mateo''s face sank. He was just about to refuse when he looked up and saw Crayson staring at him


    with a sharp gaze. And so, he had to get up and move to the side to sit down.


    In the kitchen, Matthew took off his apron and walked over there.


    "Come, Master. I saved you a seat."


    Eleanor patted the seat next to her and smiled. "Your disciple treats you best, doesn''t she?"


    She was insinuating something.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Veronica, sitting opposite, felt like Eleanor had just given her an uppercut.


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    Matthew didn''t hold back either as he sat down directly next to her.


    As the elder among the group of youngsters, Crayson finally spoke. "Alright, now that everyone is here,


    let''s dig in."


    Although Hayley didn''te down, the few people who knew the situation tacitly avoided mentioning


    her.


    The group sat together in the dining room. Since Eleanor was quite the conversationalist, the


    atmosphere was lively, and there were no signs of hostility between the archenemies.


    At least, they were doing an excellent job at being amiable on the surface.


    Veronica thought that Eleanor would make a good diplomat, given her temperament.


    A person who remained unassuming, concealing all emotions perfectly, making it difficult to fathom


    their thoughts¡­ Such an individual made for the most formidable presence.


    Mateo''s face sank. He was just about to refuse when he looked up and saw Crayson staring at him


    with a sharp gaze. And so, he had to get up and move to the side to sit down.


    "Let me try the fish."


    Eleanor picked up a forkful of fish belly and put it in her mouth, savoring it carefully, then gave Matthew


    a thumbs up. "You are worthy of being my master. The catfish you cooked is delicious. Rich with


    aroma, a hint of sweetness, and tender flesh; it''s delightful!"


    "Let me try."


    Liam also picked up a piece of fish and took a bite. His eyes lit up at first, and the surprise in his eyes


    almost overflowed, but he still pretended to be calm and frowned. "Is it that good? It''s just average.


    Let''s see¡­ Yes, itcks a bit of spiciness. It would be even better if it was spicier."


    The hidden n had a preference for food with more robust vors. They liked to put a lot of chili in


    everything. In fact, they found joy in spiciness, but not everything had to be highly spicy to be delicious.


    For instance, the home-cooked, pan-fried catfish Matthew had prepared. He cooked the fish until both


    sides turned golden brown, added some onions and slices of radish for a brief simmer, sprinkled a


    touch of coriander, and then let it simmer on low heat to reduce the sauce.


    After it was cooked, the fish had no fishy smell and tasted delicious. It was excellent.


    Dominik also picked up a chunk and tasted it. After tasting it, he said to Matthew, "Iron Pir, your


    culinary skills are exquisite. The fish is delicious."


    "Thank you, Your Highness, for your praise." Matthew nced at him with a simple and honest smile,


    nodding.


    Then, he picked up a whole fish and ced it on Veronica''s te. "Miss Veronica, have some fish. It


    will be gone if you don''t eat it now. Master Waylen said that you like to eat fish the most, so I specially


    cooked this for you."


    As a chef, it was inappropriate for him to serve food to Veronica. However, everything seemed


    reasonable because Matthew mentioned Crayson.


    Especially when the three Ledger siblings praised the fish as delicious, it was highly likely that the food


    would be gone soon.


    "Thank you."


    Veronica felt a gush of warmth but didn''t let it show.


    "What about mine?"


    Mateo looked at Matthew andined, "Anyhow, I''m half a master to you. It wouldn''t be right if you


    don''t serve me."


    For some reason, Mateo felt a bit unhappy when he saw Matthew serving Veronica.


    Unexpectedly, Matthew only nced at Mateo indifferently. "Self-sufficiency leads to contentment."


    Mateo was rendered speechless at that.


    "Haha! Master is right." Eleanorughed and apuded. "Mateo, don''t make things difficult for my


    master."

 Chapter 1213

    Chapter 1213


    Chapter 1213 Tacky Nickname


    "Come, Master. The stir-fried pork you made is delicious. Let me serve you." She attentively served the


    dish to Matthew,pletely ignoring the strange looks from the others.


    Matthew looked at the stir-fried pork in his bowl, furrowing his brows almost imperceptibly. He didn''t say


    anything and only ate his meal.


    However, he didn''t touch the meat on his te at all.


    He had prepared six dishes and two soups for lunch: stir-fried pork with green beans, fried catfish,


    roasted pork, stir-fried vegetables, mushroom with meatballs, and stir-fried mung bean sprouts. He also


    cooked pigeon soup and chicken soup.


    The meal was a hit due to its excellent vors, presentation, and aromas. By the end of the meal, every


    dish on the table had been thoroughly enjoyed and cleared.


    Even Veronica didn''t expect that such simple home-cooked dishes would be so popr and in such


    high demand among the Ledger siblings.


    After the meal, everyone left the table, and the servants came to clean up.


    The Ledger siblings were ready to leave then.


    "Master Waylen, Miss Murphy, Mateo, thank you for your hospitality," Dominik politely thanked them.


    "Haha, you''re too kind, Your Highness." Crayson chuckled and nodded, echoing the sentiment.


    Eleanor mentioned, "Dominik it was my master who made the dishes for lunch. You should thank my


    master."


    "Come, Master. The stir-fried pork you made is delicious. Let me serve you." She attentively served the


    dish to Matthew,pletely ignoring the strange looks from the others.


    She couldn''t help but show her favoritism toward Matthew. It was as if she wanted to make it obvious to


    everyone.


    "Eleanor, don''t forget your identity. You should act with more restraint," Liam reminded her, as he


    couldn''t bear watching this.


    However, Eleanor didn''t care at all. She waved at Matthew. "Master, thank you for your hospitality. I''ll


    invite you to the pce as a guest in the future."


    Dominik slightly bowed. "Master Waylen, Miss Murphy, Mateo, Iron Pir, goodbye for now."


    The refined gentleman exuded an air of elegance and grace in his every move.


    The three walked out of the courtyard, followed closely by a group of guards not far behind them.


    In the courtyard, Mateo murmured, "What the hell? Grandpa, what are they up to?"


    The smile on Crayson''s face disappeared as he turned around and gave Matthew a meaningful look.


    "Come with me."


    "Yes, Master Waylen." Matthew turned around and followed him into the living room.


    Mateo immediately walked to Veronica''s side and whispered in her ear, "Roni, do you think Princess


    Eleanor has feelings for the loggerhead?"


    Loggerhead?!


    Veronica''s delicate face darkened. "Who are you calling ''loggerhead?''"


    How could such a tacky nickname be used for her husband?


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    She simply couldn''t tolerate it!


    "Of course, I''m talking about Iron Pir."


    "In what way does he look like a loggerhead to you?"


    "Hey, it''s just a nickname. Why are you so sensitive?" Mateo thought Veronica was overreacting.


    "It''s basic manners not to randomly give people nicknames."


    Veronica gave him a disdainful look and turned around to leave.


    But identally, she stepped hard on Mateo''s foot, eliciting a pained cry from him. "Ah! My foot! It


    hurts... Are you trying to kill me, Roni?"


    "Did I step on you? Sorry I didn''t see you there."


    She apologized with a fake smile thatcked sincerity.


    After saying that, she returned to the living room.


    ...


    The pce.


    After returning to the pce, Liam separated from Dominik and Eleanor and went to enjoy himself with


    a beautiful maid.


    Entering a side hall, Dominik immediately turned around, his cold gaze staring at Eleanor. He


    abandoned his gentle image and demanded, "What are you up to?"


    "What am I up to? I don''t understand what you mean."


    Eleanor raised her hand and yed with a strand of hair in front of her, twirling it between her


    fingertips.


    Then, she sauntered to a nearby chair and sat down, taking a bite of a piece of toast, which she slowly


    chewed.


    "Of course, I''m talking about Iron Pir!"

 Chapter 1214

    Chapter 1214


    Chapter 1214 Dominik Believed Eleanor


    "Oh, are you talking about him?" Eleanor propped her elbow on the armrest and looked at Dominik


    lazily. "Dominik, you and I don''t think alike. Think about it. Iron Pir is Veronica Murphy''s chef. If I


    could bribe him to work for us, wouldn''t he be our pawn? On the other hand, the Ledgers wouldn''t


    trust Iron Pir, but if they see how close he is with me, they will use him too. I reckon that he''ll be of


    great use to us, depending on how we use him."


    Her words made Dominik lost in thought.


    After pondering on it, he raised his eyes slightly and asked doubtfully, "Do you really think so?"


    "Duh."


    Eleanor flicked the crumbs of the toast off her fingertips. "Why would I be interested in an ordinary


    chef?"


    These words were obviously against her will, but she said them for Dominik to hear.


    Dominik''s eyes sparkled with a hint of contemtion. After a while, he pursed his lips into a straight line


    and presented a smile. "You''re right, Eleanor. Tell me more about your n."


    "Well. Here''s what I¡­"


    Eleanor exined her n to Dominik in a methodical manner while he listened to her attentively,


    taking her n seriously.


    Afterward, he shared his own ideas with her and intended to craft a strategy with her.


    "Hahaha. You''re my smart brother, after all. That''s a wonderful idea!"


    After listening to Dominik''s n, Eleanor gave him a thumbs up. "Brilliant. It''s really brilliant. Let''s do it.


    I''ll head back first."


    She waved her hand, put her hands behind her back, and left the side hall triumphantly.


    When she turned her back to Dominik, the smile disappeared from her beautiful face. In contrast, her


    eyes were filled with a cold and chilling gaze, and she immediately emitted a dismal aura.


    ...


    At Bloomstead, Shirley woke up early and cooked breakfast at home. She packed the food, brought it


    to Wade''s mother, and washed her.


    After that, she hurriedly rushed to thepany for work.


    After the regr meeting, Shirley called Garrick and invited him to thepany.


    This time, he agreed readily.


    Jayden and Shawn, having learned their lesson, no longer dared to make things difficult for Shirley.


    However, when Shirley brought Garrick to thepany an hourter, Jayden and Shawn were truly


    surprised. They not only showed great respect to her but also ttered her.


    "President Brennan, esports games are highly favored by young people now. It is a sunrise industry. If


    ourpanies coborate, you will definitely be guaranteed a profit."


    While leading Garrick on apany tour, Shirley exined the current industry situation.


    "Mmhm. I''ve heard from Pia. After she found out, she fully supported me in cooperating with your


    company." Garrick''s expression lost its leisurely ease as he was serious and proactive at work. He


    didn''t smile easily and exuded an imposing aura.


    Upon ncing at Jayden and Shawn, he said to Shirley, "We''ve decided on the sponsorship, but I have


    something to attend to, so I''ll have to leave now. I''ll invite you over to sign the official contractter on."


    After saying that, he added, "Will this be too much trouble for you?"


    "No, not at all, President Brennan." Shirley shook her head repeatedly. "Since you have other matters


    to attend to, please go ahead. Thank you for taking the time to visit mypany."


    "We''re friends, so don''t mention it."


    Garrick patted Shirley on the shoulder as a friendly gesture and nced at the two men beside her.


    "See you again, Mr. Stoll and Mr. Adler."


    "Hahaha. No worries, President Brennan. Allow us to see you off." N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "Thank you, President Brennan, foring in person."


    The two of them shook hands with Garrick one by one while grinning from ear to ear.


    Then, the trio saw Garrick off downstairs, watching him get into the car and leave. Immediately after


    that, Jayden and Shawn approached Shirley and asked, "How did you be close with President


    Brennan?"

 Chapter 1215

    Chapter 1215


    Chapter 1215 Having Dinner Together


    "We''re just ordinary friends," Shirley replied casually, not wanting to make the rtionship between the


    three of them too tense.


    With that, she dealt withpany matters until her phone vibrated at 11:00 a.m.


    She picked it up to see a WhatsApp text from Wade. ''What time do you get off work? I''lle pick you


    up.''


    Buzz!


    Her phone vibrated again, and another text appeared in their chatroom. ''Thanks for taking care of my


    mother these past two days. Would you let me take you out for a meal?''


    After she skimmed through the message, a smile yed at the corner of her lips. She quickly tapped a


    reply on her phone with both thumbs. ''No problem. I wouldn''t reject an invitation to a free meal. I''ll get


    off work soon at around 11:30 a.m.''


    Shirley didn''t actually mind taking care of his mother since it wasn''t troublesome at all, but she knew


    that he was certainly not in the best condition, so having a meal and chatting with him helped alleviate


    his mood.


    ''Okay. I''lle pick you upter.''


    Wade quickly replied to the message.


    Shir replied with an ''OK'' and put down her phone, immersing herself in her work.


    Time flew by quickly when she was busy, and soon, it was time to get off work.


    Jayden and Shawn came over to greet her after work. "Shir, are you not leaving?"


    "Would you like to have dinner with me and Jay?"


    After realizing Shirley''s rtionship with Skyler and Garrick, the two of them became even more


    cautious around her, as if she were a precious jewel.


    If they were to identally upset her, they were worried that she could use her rtionship with Skyler


    to make him acquire Vincere Games.


    "I have ns, so you guys go ahead and eat," Shirley declined them with a friendly attitude.


    With that, the two waved goodbye and left the office.


    Shirley packed her stuff, put on a thin white jacket, and carried her bag as she walked out of the


    building.


    She stood outside the office building, waiting for Wade.


    After a while, she saw Skyler instead of Wade.


    "What are you looking at?"


    When she heard someone talking to her while she was on her phone, she looked up to find Skyler


    standing in front of her.


    Instinctively, she frowned. "Y-Young Master Skyler, what brings you here?"


    Young Master Skyler?!


    Hearing the unfamiliar name she had just called out to, Skyler withdrew his smile instantly. "I''m here to


    talk to¡ª"


    "Hey, Shir!"


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Before he could finish his sentence, a cheerful voice came from the side.


    The two turned their heads in unison and noticed Wade dressed in a suit as he got out of the car. He


    held a bouquet of bright red roses in his arms, which were adorned with white baby''s breath and


    wrapped in ck packaging paper. On top of it was a thin, ck gauze, making the bouquet look even


    more delicate and beautiful.


    Wade jogged over and nced at Skyler. "Hey, Young Master Skyler. What a coincidence."


    Skyler was about to nod in response when he saw Wade shift his gaze back to Shirley and present a


    bright smile. "Here. This is for you. I don''t know if you''ll like it."


    "Thank you."


    It was the first time someone had given her flowers, hence she couldn''t stop smiling. Shirley lowered


    her head and sniffed the roses in her arms,plimenting, "They smell so good."


    "Haha. I''m d you like it."


    He had carefully selected this bouquet, afraid that Shirley wouldn''t like it.


    Therefore, he was delighted upon seeing the excitement on her face.


    However, Skyler was speechless at them.


    Did they just ignore me?!


    "I booked a private room at Serril''s Hut. Let''s go," Wade urged before asking Skyler, "Young Master


    Skyler, Shir and I are going to have a meal. Would you like to join us?"


    He casually threw the question, never expecting Skyler to ept it. Contrary to that, Skyler nodded.


    "Sure. I was a little hungry on my way."

 Chapter 1216

    Chapter 1216


    Chapter 1216 A Surprise


    Wade''s smile instantly froze. He nced at Shirley subconsciously and was momentarily speechless.


    "Oh, alright. Let''s take my car."


    He pointed to the Audi A8 parked on the side of the road. "I drove my boss'' car here."


    "Okay."


    Shirley didn''t ask much and walked toward the car with him.


    When they arrived at the car, Wade opened the door to the passenger seat. "Shir, you¡ª"


    "She''ll block your sight if she sits in the passenger seat with a bouquet. I''ll sit here instead," Skyler


    suggested. Then, he stepped forward and took the passenger seat before fastening the seatbelt.


    His movements were smooth and natural.


    Under Wade''s astonished gaze, Skyler didn''t feel awkward at all.


    That was because he believed that he wouldn''t feel embarrassed as long as he wasn''t awkward.


    Under Wade''s intent gaze, Skyler pretended to look puzzled. "Thank you. I didn''t expect you to be quite


    a gentleman, Mr. Yoder."


    After saying that, he reached out to shut the passenger door.


    "I¡­"


    Wade''s movements froze. He looked at Skyler in the passenger seat and turned his head to look at


    Shirley. "Sorry, he... I..."


    She stuttered and was suddenly at a loss for words.


    "Hehe. That''s just his personality. Perhaps he''s used to being served at home, so it''s natural for him to


    have someone open the car door. Don''t mind him." Shirley smiled awkwardly and felt quite


    embarrassed.


    "Oh, sure." Wade shook his head, walked to the car''s back seat, and opened the door. "Get in, Shir."


    "Thank you."


    Shirley got into the car with the bouquet in her arms.


    Wade closed the door, hopped into the driver''s seat, started the car, and set off.


    It was noon, and the road was congested, so the car moved slowly.


    Therefore, Wade chatted with Shirley through the rearview mirror. "Thank you for caring for my mother


    the past few days. As soon as I returned today, she urged me to invite you to dinner. She praised you


    for being kind-hearted, beautiful, and would make a great partner."


    Although he was conveying his mother''s words, Skyler and Shirley understood the implied meaning in


    his words.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    "That''s very kind of Mrs. Yoder, but don''t mention it. It''s just a small favor," Shirley answered. Suddenly


    remembering something, she asked, "By the way, did you invite Monica as well?"


    When Wade said he would treat her to a meal yesterday, Shirley told him to invite Monica along.


    "Of course I did. She just texted me saying that she has already arrived."


    Since the traffic light had turned green, Wade started the car and answered while driving.


    Skyler looked ahead. Something sparkled in his eyes, but he remained silent throughout the ride.


    Soon, they arrived at the restaurant''s private room.


    Sure enough, Monica had already arrived and was waiting for them inside.


    "You guys are finally here. I''ve been waiting for quite some time now."


    Monica waved her hand and greeted them. Then, she noticed Skylering in, and her eyes lit up.


    "Why are you here as well, Sky?"


    Previously, when her husband was imprisoned, and her mother-inw argued with her and threw her


    newborn baby to the ground, Monica was desperate. Hence, she sought Veronica''s help and was


    eventually directed to Skyler.


    He was the one who contacted Westcross Children Hospital, which saved her son''s life since he was


    able to receive treatment in time.


    Since then, she has been grateful to Skyler and even started calling him by his nickname.


    "What''s wrong? Am I not allowed to join?" Skyler raised a brow, and a smirk evident on his face.


    That mischievous smirk was innate to him, but in a woman''s eyes, it was easy for one to mistake him


    for either intentionally or unintentionally flirting.


    "No, no, no. That''s not what I meant. It''s just been a long time, so I wasn''t expecting you to show up


    here." Monica pointed to the seat next to her. "Please take a seat."

 Chapter 1217

    Chapter 1217


    Chapter 1217 Can I Bring Someone Along?


    Ring, ring.


    Suddenly, a phone started ringing. Skyler took out his phone and nced at it. "I''m going out to take a


    call." After saying that, he turned and walked out of the private room.


    Shirley pouted, "Tsk, Monica, you''re so unfair. You only greeted Young Master Skyler and didn''t even


    notice me and Wade."


    Wadeughed at her teasing remark, and Monica reached out to pinch Shirley''s arm. "You''re getting


    naughtier now, Shirley. The nerve of you to make fun of me."


    "Ouch, it hurts, Monica. I was just joking," Shirley whined butughed happily.


    Inside the private room, the atmosphere was lively and rxed. Still, on the corridor outside, Skyler


    looked at the overseas phone number disyed on the screen of his phone with furrowed brows,


    looking very serious.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Clenching his phone, he slid his finger over the answer button and ced the phone next to his ear.


    "Thomas?"


    "Skyler, I just received some news from Boss. You can leave now." Thomas merely ryed the


    message without mentioning any specific details, but Skyler knew Matthew too well.


    Matthew was always cautious in his actions; everything he did was foolproof and wless. Before he


    left Castron for the hidden n, the few of them had a meeting where Matthew had mentioned that he


    would let Skyler go to the hidden n.


    Miguel was steady in his work, responsible for overseeing and guiding the businesses under his name


    in Bloomstead; Caleb, although usually quiet, had a widework and was diplomatic in his dealings.


    Theyplemented each other, which set Matthew at ease, and this was why they ultimately chose


    Skyler to go to the hidden n.


    Of course, another reason was Skyler''s exceptional medical skills. With him around, Matthew would be


    even more at ease.


    "Am I leaving now?" Skyler''s grip on his phone tightened slightly as he turned his head and nced in


    the direction of the private room with hesitation.


    "What''s wrong? Is it inconvenient now?" Thomas asked, sensing that something was off.


    "It''s not that it''s inconvenient. I just want to bring someone along. Is that okay?"


    "As long as it''s someone trustworthy, no problem."


    "Alright, it''s settled then." Skyler hung up and returned to the private room, joining the others and


    finishing his lunch in a rxed and pleasant atmosphere. After the meal, he sent a text to Shirley, who


    was sitting across from him. ''I have something to tell youter.''


    Buzz.


    Shirley''s phone vibrated, and the screen lit up. While enjoying a dessert after the meal, Shirley tilted


    her head and checked her phone, only to see a text popping up on the screen. She looked up at Skyler,


    ignored the text, and continued with her dessert.


    Skyler''s face turned cold at being ignored, and he had to stop his urge to strangle her. Gathering his


    patience together, he sent another text to her. ''Roni has something to tell you.''


    As he expected, the mention of Veronica had a great effect. Shirley put down her dessert fork, picked


    up her phone, and quickly replied, ''Okay.''


    As Wade and Monica were chatting about Monica''s child, they didn''t notice anything unusual, and after


    hanging out for a while, Wade said, "Shirley, it''s gettingte. I''ll drop you off at work, or you''ll bete,


    and I''ll drop Monica off on the way, too."


    "Oh¡­ Um, why don''t you drop Monica off first? Ourpany has a coboration with Skyler, and I


    need to discuss some work with him." Unable to find a reason, Shirley could onlye up with a


    random excuse.


    When Wade heard this, the light in his eyes flickered slightly, and he gave Skyler a knowing nce


    before calmly looking away. "Alright, that works. But what about the flowers?"


    The flowers he had just given her were still in the car after they got off.


    "I''ll get them," Shirley said.


    "Okay, let''s go then," Monica chimed in.

 Chapter 1218

    Chapter 1218


    Chapter 1218 To Shirley¡¯s ce


    Leaving the private room and going downstairs, Wade then paid the bill, and they left the restaurant


    together. After that, he grabbed the flowers from the car and handed them to Shirley. With a bright


    smile, he said, "Shall I pick you up this afternoon?"


    "I-I have to work overtime tonight. There are still a lot of things at thepany that needs to be done,"


    Shirley declined politely.


    Although Wade didn''t say anything, she could feel his intense and almost fanatical affection in his eyes.


    It felt necessary for her to pick a time to make it clear to him that she didn''t like him.


    "Alright, let''s keep in touch," he said to Monica with a smile and waved to Skyler. "Young Master Skyler,


    goodbye."


    Monica waved to them, too, before climbing into the car, and only then did they leave.


    The car steered onto the road, merged into the traffic, and disappeared. After seeing this, Shirley


    turned to Skyler and asked, "Did Ron ask you to contact me? What''s the matter?"


    Looking at Shirley holding a bouquet in her arms, Skyler found it particrly annoying and, with a


    disdainful nce, pointed to the scorching sun above. "Are you sure you want to talk under the


    scorching sun?"


    "Then, where should we go?" Feeling a little warm, she held the flowers with one hand and raised her


    other hand to shade her forehead, blocking the zing sun.


    "To your ce," he said.


    "My ce?" Instinctively, she took a step back and shook her head, repeating, "No."


    "Do you want to show up at work with a bouquet to show off?" Skyler interrupted, sensing the wariness


    that appeared on her face naturally. His heart sank as he felt a lump stuck in his throat, which was


    difficult to swallow. Taking a few steps anding to a stop in front of her, he lowered his gaze at her


    from his height. "Am I a wolf? Are you afraid that I will eat you?"


    Quietly, Shirley thought, You''re more terrifying than a wolf. After hesitating for a moment, she said,


    "No." Despite what she said, she nodded, revealing her actual thoughts truthfully.


    The cold, biting wind blew, and Shirley shivered, biting her red lips tightly without making a sound. Just


    then, a cab passed by, and Skyler waved to stop the cab. Then, he pulled her into the car and headed


    straight to her apartment.


    Half an hourter, they stood in Shirley''s living room. Although it was Shirley''s home, a sense of


    familiarity hit Skyler after he entered, and he rxed, walking over to the couch with ease and crossing


    his legs after he plopped himself onto the couch.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    On the other hand, Shirley stood in the living room, holding the flowers Wade had given her, feeling lost


    and confused, with a nk expression on her face.


    "Why are you standing? Sit down." Lazily, he leaned back on the sofa and ordered Shirley, acting as


    though he was the host.


    "Okay." cing the flowers on the table, she then took off her bag and ced it on the couch before


    obediently sitting on the couch with her knees together and her hands resting on top of them. She


    looked at Skyler, and they stared at each other.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    Suddenly, she jumped up. "This is my home. Why do I need your permission to do anything?


    Seriously!" Turning around, she stomped her foot and went to the kitchen in a huff.


    Stunned by her outburst, Skyler thought that she might storm into the kitchen and grab a knife, but


    instead, he saw her taking a kettle and filling it with water to boil. Seeing this, he felt the anger within


    him gradually dissipating, and his mood improved.


    Leaning back on the couch, he looked around Shirley''s home. Everything was exactly the same as


    when he moved in.

 Chapter 1219

    Chapter 1219


    Chapter 1219 Sorry, Matthew


    Although the decoration was simple, the ce was clean and tidy, with everything neatly arranged,


    giving a warm feeling of cozy home. Skyler hadn''t lived in Shirley''s house for long, but after leaving, he


    would often miss the warmth here when he was in that empty mansion. In contrast, he even liked this


    ce''s small and crowded environment.


    "What does Ron want you to tell me?" Shirley changed into a pair of slippers at the entrance before


    pacing to the sofa and sitting down.


    "She¡­" Skyler paused and lowered his gaze. His dark pupils flickered as he said, "Actually, there are


    many things you don''t know. But this time, Roni contacted me to ask you to look for her. As for the


    company''s affairs, I''ll arrange for someone to take care of it for you." Speaking of which, Skyler


    immediately exined, "This is Roni''s idea."


    Originally, Skyler didn''t want to take Shirley away from Bloomstead, but Garrick, that b*stard, kept


    harassing her. That old fox was scheming, and Shirley couldn''t match up to him at all.


    Skyler didn''t trust Shirley, and even more so, Wade. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to


    take Shirley away from Bloomstead.


    "If Ron wants me to look for her, why didn''t she contact me directly but contact you instead?" Shirley


    didn''t trust Skyler very much. Despite knowing that Skyler wouldn''t sell her out even though he was a


    jerk, she couldn''t help but have some instinctive doubts.


    "She''s with Matt now, and it''s not news in Bloomstead that he is ''dead,'' so many people are keeping anContent ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    eye on Roni. Are you sure you won''t expose Matt''s identity if she contacts you?"


    In his heart, Skyler apologized to Matthew a thousand times. He was desperate; otherwise, he wouldn''t


    have betrayed Matthew.


    "What? President Kings? Didn''t h-he¡ªUh!" This shocking news came too suddenly, and Shirley


    couldn''t believe it. Springing to her feet, she sat next to Skyler, grabbed his sleeve, and questioned


    him.


    But before she could finish her sentence, Skyler covered her mouth with his hand and scolded her, "Do


    you have a death wish?"


    Upon hearing his reminder, she gathered her thoughts together and immediately fell silent, nodding to


    indicate that she wouldn''t say anything more.


    Right then, they realized that their rtionship was somewhat intimate.


    Shirley''s fair and delicate face blushed like she was meeting her first love, and she immediately


    released Skyler''s hand and lowered her head, not daring to look at him.


    As Skyler was much taller than her and she had her hair pulled into a ponytail, he could see the


    redness on her ears and neck. It was precisely because of this unintentional embarrassment of hers


    that Skyler''s adrenaline surged, and he suddenly felt ufortable.


    "Ahem¡­" He turned his head away, cleared his throat, and got back to the point, saying, "It''s not


    convenient to tell you some things now, but it''s Roni''s idea for you to go with me. She encountered


    some problems over there and needs our help."


    "Oh, okay. When do we leave?" Still immersed in the huge shock of Matthew being alive, Shirley took a


    while toe back to her senses and had even forgotten about her embarrassment just now.


    Shirley had been working for Veronica for more than two years andpletely trusted her. In addition,


    Matthew had been very kind to her, for which she was grateful. Now that she knew that both of them


    were in danger, she didn''t even hesitate for a second and chose to help them out.


    On the other hand, Skyler was worried that Shirley would refuse and didn''t expect her to agree so


    readily, which surprised him.


    "We''re leaving tomorrow, but this trip will take at least two months, and we can''t contact our families.


    You should inform your rtives and friends today so that they won''t think you''ve gone missing and


    report it to the police."


    "Understood." Shirley nodded, then asked for some more information, and started calling her parents


    and friends, telling them that thepany was sending her abroad for closed training, and she might


    not be able to contact them for two or three months.

 Chapter 1220

    Chapter 1220


    Chapter 1220 Do You Find Him Familiar?


    Two weekster, the Hidden n.


    In the morning, Veronica and Matthew were in the study, studying. After lunch, she told Crayson that


    she was a little full and wanted to take a stroll down the mountain.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    As usual, Matthew followed closely behind. Walking up the steps, Veronica lowered her voice and


    asked, "What''s the matter? Why do you want to bring me out secretly?"


    ording to the task list given to her by Crayson, she was supposed to start martial arts training at


    three o''clock in the afternoon.


    "You''ll know soon enough." Matthew smiled mysteriously and led her down the mountain.


    After passing through the bustling market and three streets, they finally arrived at a restaurant called


    ''One Piece Restaurant.''


    Standing at the entrance of a teahouse, Veronica looked at the name on the sign and murmured, "One


    Piece Restaurant?" Then, she nced at Matthew thoughtfully.


    In Bloomstead, Matthew also owned a top-notch restaurant, One Piece Restaurant, and now, he had


    brought her to another restaurant with the same name.


    Did this guy open a branch in Hidden n without my knowing? she wondered.


    The man pursed his lips and smiled. "Smart."


    Although Veronica didn''t ask any questions, they could understand what the other was thinking with


    just a nce.


    "So, this is why you asked me toe here."


    With a knowing nod, she walked into the teahouse with great interest, carefully observing the style and


    features of the building.


    "This teahousebines both tea and private dining with separate private rooms that integrate modern


    and hidden n design elements," Matthew exined, introducing the idea behind the teahouse to her


    as they went upstairs. The teahouse had just opened, and although the decoration looked very new,


    there were already quite a few guests.


    Pleasantly surprised, she gave Matthew a thumbs up. "Impressive." Looks like I''ve underestimated his


    influence.


    To be able to open a teahouse in the bustling market of Hidden n in such a short time, every staff


    member of the ce must be reliable and trustworthy.


    "I''ve bought this seven-story building," Matthew said casually, but this news shocked her once again.


    At Hidden n, the buildings were all wooden lofts due to the characteristic architecture, so the


    number of floors was limited, with the highest being only seven floors, and there were few buildings like


    that.


    However, Matthew had bought one of them just like that, and it would require at least dozens of staff


    members to manage. Furthermore, they had to be his trusted staff.


    How did he manage to do all of that? she wondered.


    She followed him up to the seventh floor, where there was a half-floor attic on the rooftop. They climbed


    up thedder to the half-room attic on the top floor and stood on top, overlooking the vast Hidden n,


    with the bustling city in full view.


    Suddenly, Veronica understood the purpose of his buying this building.


    Just as she was about to praise him, he pointed to a street beneath and said, "Do you see that man in


    the blue suit? Do you find him familiar?"


    Leaning forward slightly, she looked down the street and found the man in the blue suit somewhat


    familiar. "Isn''t that¡­ Skyler? Wait. Why does the woman next to him look a little like Shirley?"


    "You have good eyesight." Raising his hand, Matthew gently stroked her hair with a soft smile.


    "Are they Skyler and Shirley? Why are they here?" Veronica frowned. "What''s that guy, Skyler,


    thinking? How could he bring Shirley here too!"


    Veronica didn''t deliberately hide her identity, so she wouldn''t be mad if Shirley found out. Still, Hidden


    n was too dangerous, and bringing Shirley here would undoubtedly throw her into a pit of fire.


    "ording to what Skyler said, Sofia''s brother, Garrick, has been setting up Shirley, but she trusts him


    too much. So, Skyler is worried and can only bring her along."

 Chapter 1221

    Chapter 1221


    Chapter 1221 An Excited Shirley


    "Does he like Shirley?" With her sharp instincts, Veronica quickly caught the key message.


    "Maybe." Matthew didn''t give a definite answer because he couldn''t be sure of Skyler''s feelings for


    Shirley. "Let''s wait for them in the room." Reaching out, he held her hand, a familiar gesture that they


    had done countless times.


    But since they arrived at Hidden n, they had deliberately kept their distance, afraid of being


    discovered. However, this was One Piece Restaurant, Matthew''s territory, so he naturally had no


    worries.


    Veronica''s heart warmed up at the touch of the warmth in his palm, and her eyes crinkled as she


    smiled.


    They went to the private room on the fifth floor, and when they walked in, she realized that it was


    designed as a suite. The living room was outside, and inside was a bedroom. Across from the bedroom


    was an office that doubled as a study, with a desk conveniently ced by the window.


    "This room is not open to the public, isn''t it?" Standing in the room, she looked around before turning to


    Matthew doubtfully.


    A curve appeared at the corner of the man''s lips. He held her hand and brought her into his arms,


    gently embracing her. "You''re so clever."


    His fingertip touched her cheek, and he leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, his every


    move intimate and filled with endless adoration.


    They looked deeply at each other up close, and their breath became heavier. His voice was particrly


    husky when he spoke, "If it weren''t for Skyler and the others suddenlying over, I would have made


    love to you here."


    Veronicaughed, and her hand around his waist pinched his lower back yfully. "Didn''t you have


    enough with mest night? Do you still want to do it here?" She really couldn''t understand how he


    could have so much stamina.


    The man shook his head. "It''s different."


    "What''s different?" She didn''t understand.


    After speaking, she saw a mischievous smile on his face. He leaned close to her ear and lowered his


    voice. "There are outsiders there, so you can''t let go, and I can''t even hear your¡­ voice."


    Veronica''s cheeks turned red like a boiled shrimp in an instant.


    Just as she blushed and lightly bit her red lips, he raised his hand and held her chin. "Even if you


    scream your lungs out in this suite, no one will hear it."


    "Get away, you''re shameless!" Blushing, Veronica couldn''t withstand his scorching gaze, so she


    pushed him away with one hand.


    Even though she pushed him away, Matthew still held her hand tightly. Gently, he pulled her toward


    him, and her body turned around before she could stop herself, her back against him as he embraced


    her.


    Holding her cheek with his right hand, he turned her face to the left, lowered and tilted his head, and


    kissed her red lips.


    Their lips met lightly, and Veronica felt the heat of his lips and his heavy breath, which made her heart


    gallop and her breathing irregr.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Luck was not on their side. The sound of knocking on the door of the room sounded. "Excuse me, your


    guests have arrived."


    Hearing the sound, Matthew raised his head reluctantly and saw the glimmer at the corner of her lips.


    He wiped away the stains with his hand and smiled tenderly. "I''ll get the door."


    He let go of Veronica, walked to the living room door, and opened it. Outside stood Skyler and Shirley.


    "Come in." Matthew didn''t say much, stepping aside to allow them in.


    At first, Shirley and Skyler didn''t recognize Matthew and thought he was a stranger until they entered


    the living room and saw Veronica standing at the side.


    Overwhelmed with excitement, Shirley trotted over and hugged Veronica tightly. "Ron, I finally see you.


    I was so worried."


    Veronica smiled helplessly at being hugged so tightly and patted Shirley''s back. "Why did youe


    here?"


    "Skyler brought me here," Shirley said, pointing at Skyler.

 Chapter 1222

    Chapter 1222


    Chapter 1222 Surreal


    Skyler stepped forward. Furrowing his brows, he asked, "Didn''t you say Matt is here? So, where is he?"


    "He is both far away and right in front of you."


    Veronica raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Skyler to look at the man behind him. With that, Skyler and


    Shirley turned around. Their gazes instantlynded on a tan-skinned man with an average look and a


    mole on his face, but they didn''t notice anything unusual.


    "What''s wrong? You guys don''t recognize me now?"


    With his hands in the pockets of his loose-fitting pants, Matthew raised an eyebrow slightly and had a


    faint smile on his face.


    "Matt?"


    "P-President Kings?"


    In addition to his changed appearance, since Matthew had been speaking with a fake voice and


    deliberately disguised himself after joining the hidden n, the two never suspected anything.


    But now that he spoke with his original voice, they immediately recognized his identity.


    "Oh my God! President Kings, so you are indeed alive?! I still didn''t believe Skyler when he told me


    about it."


    Finding the situation unbelievable, Shirley opened her mouth wide in astonishment.


    After a moment of daze, she walked up to Matthew and reached out to pinch his arm. "It actually is a


    live body. President Kings, is it truly you?"


    Because the image of Matthew''s funeral was vivid in her mind, everything felt like a dream now that


    she saw him appear before her.


    No, wait. Too surreal should best describe how Shirley felt at the moment.


    "No doubt about it." Matthew smiled lightly.


    "Tsk, tsk¡ªMatt, it''s fine if you want to look ugly, but I can''t believe you''re going all out with this


    hideousness. If I were Roni, I would have had nightmares from looking at your iparably ugly face."


    Skyler couldn''t help but tease him.


    Upon hearing that, Matthew kicked him in the leg. "Get lost."


    The four exchanged a smile, and shortly after, their voices echoed in the VIP lounge.


    After taking their seats, Matthew served them tea while Shirley held Veronica''s hand. As if she had


    discovered a new world, she expressed in awe. "Ron, you are simply amazing. I have no idea you''re


    actually the leader of the hidden n! Also, do you know that I feel like I have traveled through time


    starting the moment I entered the hidden n? Everything here feels like a dream to me. After being so


    used to skyscrapers, the architectural structures of these buildings truly resemble ancient times. Oh,


    and another thing¡ªwhen did you learn you are the leader of the hidden n? So, you were aware that


    President Kings was alive the whole time, weren''t you?"


    At this moment, Shirley had countless questions in her mind.


    She had been holding Veronica''s hand and constantly bombarded her with questions since they


    entered the room.


    Veronica patiently exined the situation to her, and only then did Shirley grasp a little.


    Even so, she still found it slightly difficult to adapt as she looked at Matthew dressed in the hidden


    n''s traditional attire.


    "You two just arrived today?" Veronica picked up a cup of the scented tea in front of her and took a sip.


    Acting casual, she added, "How many days did it take you to get here?"


    "It took us ten days from Castron to here." Skyler carefully calcted the time and gave Veronica an


    exact answer.


    Upon hearing his reply, she clenched the cup, slightly lifted her eyelids, and looked at Matthew. "Master


    Crayson lied to me."


    In truth, Veronica had asked Crayson before why she had to rush to the hidden n when the


    ascension ceremony for the leader of the hidden n was still two months away. At that time, he


    answered that she wouldn''t be able to get into the hidden n if she was a few dayste.


    Yet, Skyler and the others still managed to enter the hidden n smoothly.


    "Master Crayson has a strong desire for control. He would worry that you might change your mind even


    if you spent just one more day with Ada and n in Bloomstead, and asking you toe early was


    also his wish to let you adapt to the hidden n''s life. I suppose he really hopes that you can adapt to


    life here and stay."


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Indeed, to persuade a person to stay, one must have advantages that could convince them, and the


    hidden n''s picturesque scenery and simple folk customs were considered its most remarkable


    attractions.

 Chapter 1223

    Chapter 1223


    Chapter 1223 Our Secret


    "Oh dear. I used to think that Mr. Crayson was a good person. Never had it crossed my mind that he


    would turn out to be nasty." Shirley pouted, feeling somewhat sorry for Veronica.


    "Oh dear. I used to think that Mr. Crayson was a good person. Never had it crossed my mind that he


    would turn out to be nasty." Shirley pouted, feeling somewhat sorry for Veronica.


    "Never mind. Let''s not talk about this." Veronica changed the topic. "Matt, where will you arrange for


    them to stay?"


    "Just stay at the One Piece Restaurant. There are three empty rooms, so you two can choose a room


    for yourselves and stay here."


    Matthew had long made the arrangements.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    Outside, someone came to knock on the door again. "Boss, someone is looking for you," the person


    informed.


    Matthew stood up. "You go ahead and chat. I''ll go out for a while." After that, he walked out of the


    lounge and closed the door.


    Only three of them were left in the room. Just when Veronica wanted to send Skyler away so that she


    could ask Shirley about Vincere Games, his voice sounded. "Since I have brought Shirley here with


    me, naturally, I have assigned someone reliable to manage Vincere Games for you. They will


    undoubtedly help yourpany thrive."


    Skyler arched his eyebrows at Veronica and gave her a mischievous smile at the end of his speech.


    "Don''t worry, Roni. I won''t tell Matt about this."


    At first, he couldn''t believe that Veronica was secretly running a business. But then again, once he


    realized that Veronica was an independent and self-reliant woman who would not rely on Matthew for a


    long time, he figured it was normal for her to start her own business.


    "Thank you." Veronica expressed her gratitude. Then, she nced at Shirley, her eyes filled with a


    questioning look.


    Knowing she had made a mistake, Shirley hung her head low. "Ron, I''m sorry. I-I¡­"


    "It''s not her fault. I saw her working at Vincere Games and had someone investigate. That''s how I


    found out about this."


    Fearing Veronica would me Shirley, Skyler immediately stepped forward to exin, being protective


    of his friend.


    "Why are you so anxious? I''m not going to beat her."


    Veronica couldn''t help teasing him after she noticed the panic on Skyler''s face.


    Sure enough, Shirley understood the hidden meaning in her words very well.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    At once, her face turned red, showing the shyness of an innocent girl. "Ron, stop making things up."


    "Making things up? What did I make up?"


    Veronica turned sideways to face Shirley with a confused expression.


    "I-I¡­"


    Shirley was bereft of speech before realizing btedly that she had overreacted.


    Meanwhile, Skyler sat quietly on the side and looked at them, smiling but not saying a word.


    Before long, Matthew returned.


    They spent the whole afternoon chatting freely, and everyone was in an excellent mood.


    In the evening, Matthew had the kitchen prepare dinner. Once the dishes were served, everyone sat


    together, eating and chatting.


    Because they were having such a good time, Matthew didn''t remind Veronica and Shirley of the time


    when he saw the two chatting happily despite realizing howte it was.


    It wasn''t until 10 p.m. when Crayson called that Veronica realized it was time to go back.


    Before heading back, Matthew took Shirley and Skyler to choose their rooms.


    Skyler stayed in Executive Suite No. 1, whereas Shirley stayed in Executive Suite No. 2, with only a


    wall separating them.


    After that, Matthew gave them each a set of miniature tranting headsets so that they could wear


    them when they went out, easing their livelihood in the hidden n. In addition, he also gave them


    each a mobile phone.


    "Rest well, you two. Roni and I have to go back. ording to the weather forecast, it''s going to rain


    later," he said to the two while putting his arm around Veronica''s shoulder.


    "Okay, President Kings."


    "Sure, Matt and Roni. You go ahead and do your thing."


    Both Shirley and Skyler nodded in response.


    After Skyler finished speaking, Matthew shot him a chilling gaze through his pitch-dark eyes as he


    warned, "Hey, hey. Watch your tone when you address her as Roni!"

 Chapter 1224

    Chapter 1224


    Chapter 1224 Can I Sleep Here Tonight?


    On the day of Veronica''s wedding, Matthew disappeared. Thus, he didn''t have a chance to remind


    Skyler and the others, which led to Skyler still calling her "Roni."


    On the day of Veronica''s wedding, Matthew disappeared. Thus, he didn''t have a chance to remind


    Skyler and the others, which led to Skyler still calling her "Roni."


    "I''ve been calling her ''Roni'' for over two years. I''m used to it." Skylerughed. Still, under Matthew''s


    intimidation, Skyler changed his address toward her. "Veronica."


    Veronica stifled augh and waved him off. "Alright now. Get some rest soon. We''re leaving."


    "Bye, Ron."


    "Goodbye, Roni. Goodbye, Matt." In the end, Skyler didn''t change the address he had for Veronica.


    Matthew didn''t bother to correct him either as he held Veronica''s hand and headed downstairs.


    In the hidden n, the market had operating hours. On weekdays, all shops would be closed at 9:30


    p.m., and everyone would sleep by 10 p.m. Therefore, the hidden n''s bustling market would be silent


    after 10 p.m., starkly contrasting with the lively daytime scenery.


    Shirley looked at the man beside her and pointed to her room. "I... I''m going to bed now."


    "Okay, goodnight. Let me know if you need anything."


    Then, Skyler and Shirley returned to their respective room.


    In the room, Matthew had ordered the others to prepare all the necessities including newly washed


    clothing.


    After washing up, Shirleyy on the bed and held the new phone given by Matthew. She learned how


    to use all of its functions except making and receiving calls.


    Bored, shey on the bed and stared at the ceiling.


    Slowly, her mind was filled with supernatural stories, such as "The Strange Case of the Walking


    Corpse" and the movie plots of "It''s Alive."


    As she thought about it, she became more and more scared.


    Suddenly, the room lit up. Shirley was startled, and she trembled in fear.


    Just as she thought she was hallucinating, her surroundings lit up again. In that split second, she


    immediately got up from the bed and ran out of the room, knocking on Skyler''s door.


    "Open the door, Skyler!" she shouted.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After a few seconds, she heard the sound of the door lock opening. Then, the door opened, and out


    came Skyler. He looked at Shirley, who had a pale face as she stood before him. Before he could say


    anything, a muffled thunder sound was heard.


    "Ah!!"


    Shirley was frightened as she felt her hair standing on end. Without further thinking, she threw herself


    into Skyler''s arms, hugging him tightly as she trembled in his embrace.


    This sudden oue stunned Skyler.


    Then, his eyes lit up as he smiled. He soothed her back and said, "Don''t be afraid. It''s only thunder."


    At that moment, Shirley, who had just been trembling in his arms, suddenly fell silent.


    After some time, she pushed him away and stepped back. "I... I''m sorry. I was just a little scared."


    Just as Shirley thought about how she had clung to Skyler tightly, she felt her face flushed in


    embarrassment. However, she really didn''t mean it. Initially, she was afraid of thunder and was even


    more prone to getting immersed in supernatural stories like " The Strange Case of the Walking Corpse"


    after arriving at the hidden n.


    Although the weather was just right, Shirley''s face was pale and drenched with sweat. It was apparent


    she was indeed frightened.


    Looking at her, Skyler couldn''t help but feel heartbroken by the sight of her. "You..."


    Just as he was about to ask Shirley if she wanted him to apany her, Shirley spoke up. "Can¡­


    Can I sleep here tonight? Don''t take it the wrong way. I can sleep on the floor, and you sleep on the


    bed. Is that okay?"


    Hearing her words, Skyler didn''t say anything and thought, Definitely. This can''t get any better.


    Although Skyler was overjoyed, he didn''t show much expression.

 Chapter 1225

    Chapter 1225


    Chapter 1225 Why Is Eleanor Here?


    He said casually, "Okay."


    He said casually, "Okay."


    Then, he walked past Shirley and closed the door before heading towards the bedroom. Shirley


    followed him behind slowly.


    The bedroom was spacious, with a two-meter bed covered in gray and white striped sheets. It looked


    neat and clean.


    Shirley pointed at the sofa and asked softly, "Can I sleep on the sofa?"


    Skyler casually sat on the bed and took off his shirt, which startled Shirley as she stepped back.


    "What¡­ What are you doing? I advise you to think before you act, Skyler."


    Skyler had already taken off his shirt as she spoke, revealing his well-defined muscles.


    He was the type who looked thin when dressed but muscr when undressed. He had a devilish face,


    especially when he smiled mischievously, which could easily captivate people.


    Skyler held his shirt and said, "I''m going to sleep. Do you still keep your shirt on when you go to bed?"


    Then, he lowered his eyes toward her chest naturally. "Oh, my bad. I forget that we''re different." He


    pointed to his chest muscles and shrugged, smiling at her.


    Skylery on the bed and propped his head with his elbow. "It''s ufortable to sleep on the sofa.


    Why don''t you sleep on the bed? I promise not to touch you. Besides, this bed is two meters wide.


    That''s enough for both of us," he said sincerely. He swore that he had no ulterior motives.


    Hearing his words, Shirley nced at the sofa. Although it was not as big as the one in the living room,


    it was enough for her.


    "No thanks. I''ll just sleep here." As she spoke, she walked toward the door. "I''ll get the bedding."


    A hint of amusement shed across Skyler''s eyes as he watched her scurry away.


    In that split second, he suddenly felt that he had made the right decision to bring her to the hidden n.


    If I were to leave her in Bloomstead, she would be tricked by Garrick''s cunning methods.


    As Skyler thought about it, he heard the sound of the door closing. Shirley hade back with the


    bedding.


    To make her feel more at ease, Skyler faced away from the sofa and closed his eyes, pretending to be


    asleep.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Shirley entered the room, she saw Skyler lying without moving on the bed. At that moment, she


    thought he had fallen asleep due to tiredness. Thus, she quietly went to the sofa and put on the


    bedding. Then, she turned off the lights and slept.


    ...


    Veronica and Matthew left One Piece Restaurant and returned to Mountainside Gardens by the


    mountains.


    The lights in the attic of Mountainside Gardens were still on, and faint voices could be heard.


    The duo stopped at the door and looked at each other before entering.


    "You''re finally back, Roni. If you''re not back, Mr. Crayson would have sent someone to capture... I


    mean, to look for you." Mateo, who was pacing back and forth in the living room, heard footsteps and


    turned his head toward the direction. Then, he saw Veronica and "Iron Pir"ing back together.


    "You guys will capture me back after I had only gone out for half a day?" Veronica''s expression was


    cold as she scoffed.


    "Of course not. I misspoke just now." Mateo shook his head and pointed at Crayson sitting on the sofa.


    "Mr. Crayson is here for a reason. Eleanor came here today to look for you and Iron Pir."


    On the sofa, Crayson wore a loose blue shirt and crossed his legs while smoking a cigarette.


    His naturally darkplexion made his face look even more unpleasant when angry.


    "Hmph! You finally decided toe back!" Crayson nced at her and snorted coldly.


    Veronica waved her hand at Matthew and said, "You''ve worked hard today, Iron Pir. Go upstairs and


    rest. I''ll talk to Master Crayson for a while."


    "Yes, Miss Murphy."


    Matthew nodded and headed upstairs.


    Veronica walked to the sofa and sat on the opposite side of Crayson. "Why is Eleanor here to look for


    me today?"

 Chapter 1226

    Chapter 1226


    Chapter 1226 When Have I Ever Been Loyal?


    Crayson didn''t answer Veronica''s question. Instead, he smoked his cigarette and stared with his


    shining eyes at Matthew walking upstairs.


    That look made Veronica''s heart tingle.


    Could it be that he suspected Matthew''s identity?


    "You''ve been with Iron Pir for a while. What do you think of him?" Crayson avoided Veronica''s


    question and focused on Matthew instead.


    Veronica noticed a clue and asked. "He''s honest and simple, not bad. Why?"


    "Lately, Eleanor has been getting close to him. I''m afraid she has some ulterior motives. Be careful,"


    Crayson warned.


    "Heh."


    Veronica sneered, leaned down, picked up the tea on the table, took a sip, and cleared her throat.


    "Based on your analysis, you underestimate Eleanor too much. If she really wants to make a move on


    Iron Pir, her actions would be too obvious for anyone to see."


    She wanted to say that Eleanor simply had a crush on Matthew, but she couldn''t bring herself to say it.


    "Hmm."


    Crayson nodded in agreement, then shook his head. "Ah, I''ve been thinking the same thing. But why is


    she getting close to Iron Pir? Could it be that she really just wants to learn cooking?"


    "In the future, just be cautious of Iron Pir. As long as you don''t reveal any important information to


    him, he won''t be of any value to Eleanor."


    Veronica made a suggestion and continued, "Observe a little longer. When the timees, we can''t


    lose ourposure."


    "Good point."


    Crayson took a puff of his cigarette, and a faint smoke wafted from his nose, shrouding his face full of


    vicissitudes, making him look even more mncholic.


    Veronica wondered what he was thinking. After pondering for a while with a furrowed brow, he


    suddenly looked up. "Oh, I forgot about the main matter. Eleanor invites you and Iron Pir to the


    pce for a banquet tomorrow."


    "A banquet?"


    Like the Malicious Banquet?


    Veronica had no clue.


    "She''s using the excuse of inviting Iron Pir to get you to go together. It''s probably not that simple,"


    Crayson said, looking at her. "If you don''t want to go, you don''t have to."


    "I''ll go, of course," Veronica agreed readily.


    "Aren''t you afraid they''ll harm you?"


    "I''m not going alone, so there''s nothing to worry about. Besides, Tanya Ledger won''t do anything to me


    with you guys there."


    She was very confident.


    "Alright. You have your own ideas, so do as you wish." Crayson tapped the cigarette holder against the


    ashtray, stood up, and said, "Rest early. I''m going to sleep."


    After Crayson rested, Veronica sat on the sofa, recalling recent events and specting on Eleanor''s


    conspiracy to invite her and Matthew to the pce tomorrow.


    She couldn''t figure it out, no matter how much she thought about it.


    "Roni, can you take me with you to the pce tomorrow?" Mateo, who had been silent all this time,


    moved to sit beside Veronica after Crayson left, pleading.


    "Don''t ask me; I can''t make decisions for you!"


    Veronica pushed him away and pointed at Crayson''s back. It was clear that she wanted him to ask


    Crayson. If Crayson agreed, she would take him along.


    After saying that, she turned and went upstairs, leaving Mateo feeling defeated in the living room.


    "Hey, Roni, am I your brother? You''re not loyal at all."


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Mateo stood up and shouted at her back.


    Veronica paused at the staircase, held onto the handrail, turned around with a smile, and teased,


    "Mateo, you still don''t know me well enough. When have I ever been loyal?"

 Chapter 1227

    Chapter 1227


    Chapter 1227 Is He Coming?


    "You..."


    Mateo wanted to say something, but he saw Veronica had already gone upstairs.


    He scratched his head and went straight to Crayson''s bedroom to seek his approval.


    Upstairs, Veronica returned to her room and went to the bathroom to freshen up. But when she came


    out of the bathroom, she still didn''t see Matthew''s figure in the bedroom.


    She could not help but murmur, "Is he not nning toe today? If he''s noting, then forget it. I''ll


    read for a while."


    She bypassed the partition between the bedroom and the study area and walked towards the desk,


    only to be pulled into someone''s arms.


    Instantly, a refreshing scent of shower gel hit her. She leaned against the man''s strong chest and


    instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist. "I thought you..."


    When she looked up to speak, she saw the cold and handsome face in front of her.


    However, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her delicate jade fingers gently caressed his facial skin,


    filled with deep concern. "Wearing heavy makeup every day has made yourplexion much paler."


    Fortunately, his skin was very good, and wearing makeup every day did not erge his pores. On the


    contrary, it made his skin even fairer.


    But precisely because of this, Veronica felt even more distressed.


    "Makeup products staying on the face for a long time will eventually harm the skin. Maybe there won''t


    be any problems in the short term, but in the long run, it will definitely affect the skin''s texture."


    Veronica held his face in her hands and looked up at the man who was close to her, and her eyes


    shimmered with a thick sense of concern.


    "Silly girl."


    The man''s handsome face revealed a smile as he held her waist and spoke in an indulgent tone, "I am


    a married man. As long as you don''t mind, why would I care?"


    His tone was gentle and affectionate, clearly melting her heart, but Veronica felt a pang of guilt and a


    sourness in her chest.


    "Matt, it''s so good to have you."


    After saying that, she tiptoed, slowly closed her eyes, and took the initiative to kiss his lips.


    Faced with her initiative, Matthew waspletely defenseless.


    Perhaps due to their natural constitution, Veronica''s skin was always cool, while Matthew''s body was


    hot. When their lips met, it was like a collision between ice and fire, sending an electric current through


    their bodies, making their hearts flutter.


    Matthew held her waist with one hand and lifted her buttocks with the other, carrying her and cing


    her on the desk,unching a forceful attack.


    "Mokeup products stoying on the foce for o long time will eventuolly horm the skin. Moybe there won''t


    be ony problems in the short term, but in the long run, it will definitely offect the skin''s texture."


    Veronico held his foce in her honds ond looked up ot the mon who wos close to her, ond her eyes


    shimmered with o thick sense of concern.


    "Silly girl."


    The mon''s hondsome foce reveoled o smile os he held her woist ond spoke in on indulgent tone, "I om


    o morried mon. As long os you don''t mind, why would I core?"


    His tone wos gentle ond offectionote, cleorly melting her heort, but Veronico felt o pong of guilt ond o


    sourness in her chest.


    "Mott, it''s so good to hove you."


    After soying thot, she tiptoed, slowly closed her eyes, ond took the initiotive to kiss his lips.


    Foced with her initiotive, Motthew wospletely defenseless.


    Perhops due to their noturol constitution, Veronico''s skin wos olwoys cool, while Motthew''s body wos


    hot. When their lips met, it wos like o collision between ice ond fire, sending on electric current through


    their bodies, moking their heorts flutter.


    Motthew held her woist with one hond ond lifted her buttocks with the other, corrying her ond plocing


    her on the desk, lounching o forceful ottock.


    "Makeup products staying on the face for a long time will eventually harm the skin. Maybe there won''t


    be any problems in the short term, but in the long run, it will definitely affect the skin''s texture."


    "Mmm. N¨CNot here."


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Veronica pushed Matthew away, seemingly unable to adapt to the current situation.


    "No, I want it here." The man''s forehead pressed against hers, and their noses lightly touched. His


    voice was hoarse.


    Even though they had been married for a long time and lived together for a long time, every time


    Veronica was with him, she could not help but feel her heart race, just like the first time.


    She helplessly smiled. "I really can''t do anything with you."


    "Wifey, is that a yes?"


    "You say. Mmm." Veronica wanted to say something, but he kissed her lips.


    In a moment of ecstasy, they lost themselves in passion, spinning in the dark night. The moon hung


    high outside the window, and the starry sky sparkled. It was dim and without light inside the room,


    except for a beam of moonlight shining through the window, casting ayer of silver-gray moonlight on


    the room, like a thin veil, romantic and beautiful.


    As the night grewte, Matthew carried her to the bathroom for a shower, but unable to resist the


    temptation of her graceful figure, he couldn''t help but ask for another round.


    He held her in his arms and returned to the bed. Veronica, exhausted, nestled in his embrace,


    motionless, as obedient as a littlezy cat.

 Chapter 1228

    Chapter 1228


    Chapter 1228 Can I Refuse?


    "Roni?"


    The man rested against the headboard, draping a light nket over her and toying with a strand of hair


    near her ear. "How about dining at the One Piece Restaurant next time?"


    The One Piece Restaurant had transformed into his headquarters.


    There, he held dominion.


    "Hmm?"


    Veronica, still half in slumber, struggled to grasp Matthew''s words, responding with a vague murmur.


    A suggestive smile curved at Matthew''s lips. He bent down, exhaling softly into her ear, causing her


    soft locks to caress her skin teasingly.


    His voice grew quieter. "The sound instion there is exceptional. I''d rather witness you being


    uninhibited."


    Unlike here, where he dreaded any loud sounds that might draw attention.


    "I''m tired, let''s sleep."


    Veronica reached out and hugged Matthew''s waist, rubbing against his chest to find afortable


    sleeping position.


    "Okay, let''s sleep."


    Unable to bear seeing her so exhausted, Matthew was relieved to see that her sleep quality had


    improved. In the previous year at Bloomstead, she had battled severe insomnia, often relying on


    alcohol to find respite in sleep. Since their union, her condition had ameliorated; she could now doze


    naturally, lifting the weight from Matthew''s heart.


    The next day, Matthew rose early to purchase ingredients and prepare breakfast.


    With the meal prepared, a small group gathered in the dining room. After Eleanor''s first shared meal


    with Matthew at the table, it became customary for him to join Master Crayson and the others.


    "Iron Pir, Eleanor contacts you quite frequently. You better be careful. This person is not simple."


    Master Crayson hinted, being cautious of him.


    "Miss has already reminded me."


    Matthew nodded and continued to eat, trying to lower his presence as much as possible.


    "Yeah, I also find Eleanor''s attitude toward you very strange. Could it be that she really likes your


    cooking?" Mateo chewed on the meat ravioli while muttering, "Although your cooking skills are indeed


    good."


    But he always felt that something was not right.


    "No matter her purpose, you must be careful and vignt. The people from the Eleanor Family are not


    simple characters. Be careful not to be used."


    Master Crayson drank his porridge and red at Iron Pir. "I''m worried that you will be used by


    unscrupulous people and hurt Veronica."


    "Okay, I will be careful."


    Matthew yed the role of a simple and honest person in front of them, so he remained silent, almost


    perfectly establishing the image of Iron Pir, without leaking any information.


    The next doy, Motthew rose eorly to purchose ingredients ond prepore breokfost.


    With the meol prepored, o smoll group gothered in the dining room. After Eleonor''s first shored meol


    with Motthew ot the toble, it be customory for him to join Moster Croyson ond the others.


    "Iron Pillor, Eleonor contocts you quite frequently. You better be coreful. This person is not simple."


    Moster Croyson hinted, being coutious of him.


    "Miss hos olreody reminded me."


    Motthew nodded ond continued to eot, trying to lower his presence os much os possible.


    "Yeoh, I olso find Eleonor''s ottitude toword you very stronge. Could it be thot she reolly likes your


    cooking?" Moteo chewed on the meot rovioli while muttering, "Although your cooking skills ore indeed


    good."


    But he olwoys felt thot something wos not right.


    "No motter her purpose, you must be coreful ond vigilont. The people from the Eleonor Fomily ore not


    simple chorocters. Be coreful not to be used."


    Moster Croyson dronk his porridge ond glored ot Iron Pillor. "I''m worried thot you will be used by


    unscrupulous people ond hurt Veronico."


    "Okoy, I will be coreful."


    Motthew ployed the role of o simple ond honest person in front of them, so he remoined silent, olmost


    perfectly estoblishing the imoge of Iron Pillor, without leoking ony informotion.


    The next day, Matthew rose early to purchase ingredients and prepare breakfast.


    "Grandpa, since you don''t trust Iron Pir, let me go to the pce banquet with them. With me there,


    the danger level will be reduced, right?"


    He had begged for a long time yesterday, but Master Crayson had refused, which made Mateo


    unwilling to give up.


    "Are you sure you''re not exaggerating?"


    Master Crayson snorted coldly. "Go out with me in the morning to meet a few people. The hidden n''s


    ascension ceremony is still a month away, and many things remain to do."


    "Can I refuse?"


    "Give it a try! I''ll ensure you''re unable to walk!" Master Crayson''s promation quashed any objection.


    Mateo seethed. "Bias. You''re solely concerned about Roni, hmph."


    Observing his petnt demeanor, Veronica couldn''t help but chuckle.


    When she first met Mateo, she thought he was a calm person. After all, he spoke very little and


    seemed to be someone with ideas.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yet, the Mateo of today seemingly contradicted that impression¡ªa sunny disposition and an


    unassuming nature now colored his persona.

 Chapter 1229

    Chapter 1229


    Chapter 1229 What Do You Mean?


    "Your telking never stops, even when you''re eeting."


    It seemed thet there wes indeed something importent todey thet required Meteo to epeny


    Creyson. Mester Creyson''s ettitude wes steedfest.


    The group lepsed into e hushed meeltime, quietly sevoring their breekfest.


    After breekfest, Veronice tidied up briefly before setting out with Metthew.


    Heving worked es e chef et Mounteinside Gerdens for neerly e month, Metthew hed be


    ecqueinted with Mester Creyson, who hed errenged en off-roed vehicle for him.


    It wes convenient for buying groceries end for teking Veronice out.


    Due to the terrein, the hidden clen hed meny mountein roeds, so off-roed vehicles were more populer


    end sold well.


    The two set in the cer end drove to One Piece Resteurent.


    Upsteirs et One Piece Resteurent, Shirley end Skyler set in e room heving breekfest together.


    Shirley felt highly emberressed ebout whet heppened lest night, so she quietly returned to her room et


    dewn.


    She wesurelly timid end efreid of the derk, especielly in the hidden clen where the erchitecturel


    design geve e sense of mystery. As soon es it got derk, she felt scered.


    She held the bowl of pudding in her hends, drinking it while thinking of something. Then she put down


    the spoon end looked up et Skyler. "Could you¡­ pleese not mention whet heppened yesterdey to


    Ron?"


    "Your talking never stops, even when you''re eating."


    It seemed that there was indeed something important today that required Mateo to apany


    Crayson. Master Crayson''s attitude was steadfast.


    The grouppsed into a hushed mealtime, quietly savoring their breakfast.


    After breakfast, Veronica tidied up briefly before setting out with Matthew.


    Having worked as a chef at Mountainside Gardens for nearly a month, Matthew had be


    acquainted with Master Crayson, who had arranged an off-road vehicle for him.


    It was convenient for buying groceries and for taking Veronica out.


    Due to the terrain, the hidden n had many mountain roads, so off-road vehicles were more popr


    and sold well.


    The two sat in the car and drove to One Piece Restaurant.


    Upstairs at One Piece Restaurant, Shirley and Skyler sat in a room having breakfast together.


    Shirley felt highly embarrassed about what happenedst night, so she quietly returned to her room at


    dawn.


    She was naturally timid and afraid of the dark, especially in the hidden n where the architectural


    design gave a sense of mystery. As soon as it got dark, she felt scared.


    She held the bowl of pudding in her hands, drinking it while thinking of something. Then she put down


    the spoon and looked up at Skyler. "Could you¡­ please not mention what happened yesterday to


    Ron?"


    Skyler, engrossed in his omelet, looked surprised. "What do you mean?"


    "I mean¡­ what I did in your room¡­ can you keep it from Ron?"


    If Veronica found out about her middle-of-the-night visit to Skyler''s room, she would definitely scold her


    for being imprudent.


    Skyler, who had been confused at first, suddenly understood. A mischievous glint appeared in his


    brown eyes. "What happened yesterday? Are you referring to when you hugged me at my room''s


    door?"


    Shirley blushed deeply at Skyler''s teasing. She lowered her gaze, focusing on her pudding.


    "No, not that. I mean¡­ when I slept in your room."


    She stammered, wishing she could just disappear into the ground as she spoke.


    If only she had known earlier, she would never havee to the hidden n with Skyler.


    "Alright, I won''t bring it up."


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing her blushing face, Skyler smiled and stopped teasing her.


    Shirley''s shyness added to her overall charm.


    It was hard to imagine what would happen to her if she fell into the hands of Garrick, the cunning old


    fox. He would surely take advantage of her innocence.


    At the thought of this, Skyler''s face darkened inexplicably as his mind involuntarily conjured


    inappropriate scenes. "You''re quite naive. I wonder how you managed to grow up this way."


    "I..."


    Knock, knock¡ª


    Shirley was about to retort, but a knocking sound came from the living room.


    She quickly got up and opened the door, smiling at the two people standing there. "Ron, Pre¡­ Iron,


    good morning."


    She had almost slipped and called him "President Kings," but she changed her words to protect


    Matthew''s identity.


    Veronica smiled with satisfaction and had a sense of "the student can be taught" in her eyes.


    "Good morning."


    She walked in and asked concernedly, "How did you restst night? Are you getting used to it?"


    "We... We''re getting used to it very well."


    Shirley nodded, forced a smile, and fidgeted with her hands.


    Skyler also stood up to greet them. "Good morning. Have you had breakfast? Would you like some


    more? Matt, I have to say, the chefs at One Piece Restaurant are really skilled. The taste is on par with


    Bloomstead."


    As he spoke, Matthew walked in from outside.


    Seeing Matthew in a loose ck and white striped t-shirt and loose pants, with his tanned skin and that


    mole on his face, Skyler couldn''t help but burst intoughter.

 Chapter 1230

    Chapter 1230


    Chapter 1230 Why the Name?


    "Pft, M-Mett. This is too much for my eyes." Skyler found Metthew''s outfit unbeereble to wetch, end his


    uncontrolleble leughter seemed to rub off on Veronice end Shirley.


    Meenwhile, Metthew welked up behind Skyler end slepped the letter on the heed. "Looks like you eren''t


    es sherp es Shirley''s. She knows whet to sey end whet not to sey, et leest."


    "Ouch, thet reelly hurt. I elmost got e concussion."


    Skyler rubbed the beck of his heed, where he wes slepped. "Everyone et One Piece Resteurent knows


    you. No need to be shy."


    "I''m worried ebout potentiel eevesdroppers," Metthew seid end set next to Skyler.


    "Iron is right." Shirley nodded vigorously in egreement.


    Covering his mouth, Skyler leughed so much thet his shoulders shook. "Seriously, why did you heve to


    pick such e neme? ''Iron Piller?'' Hehehe¡­ I''m going to tell this story forever when I return to


    Bloomsteed, hehehe¡­"


    Metthew smiled helplessly. "Out of Destiny''s crew, only this person nemed Iron Piller is en emezing


    cook. I didn''t heve much of e choice!"


    Being e cook wes his only ticket to getting closer to Veronice end smoothly moving into Mounteinside


    Gerdens.


    Creyson could find e new chef, but Veronice could eesily reject them for reesons like "bed teste" or "not


    her preference." Surprisingly, Destiny chose Metthew es the chef when Creyson esked for one.


    "Pft, M-Matt. This is too much for my eyes." Skyler found Matthew''s outfit unbearable to watch, and his


    uncontrobleughter seemed to rub off on Veronica and Shirley.


    Meanwhile, Matthew walked up behind Skyler and pped thetter on the head. "Looks like you aren''t


    as sharp as Shirley''s. She knows what to say and what not to say, at least."


    "Ouch, that really hurt. I almost got a concussion."


    Skyler rubbed the back of his head, where he was pped. "Everyone at One Piece Restaurant knows


    you. No need to be shy."


    "I''m worried about potential eavesdroppers," Matthew said and sat next to Skyler.


    "Iron is right." Shirley nodded vigorously in agreement.


    Covering his mouth, Skylerughed so much that his shoulders shook. "Seriously, why did you have to


    pick such a name? ''Iron Pir?'' Hahaha¡­ I''m going to tell this story forever when I return to


    Bloomstead, hahaha¡­"


    Matthew smiled helplessly. "Out of Destiny''s crew, only this person named Iron Pir is an amazing


    cook. I didn''t have much of a choice!"


    Being a cook was his only ticket to getting closer to Veronica and smoothly moving into Mountainside


    Gardens.


    Crayson could find a new chef, but Veronica could easily reject them for reasons like "bad taste" or "not


    her preference." Surprisingly, Destiny chose Matthew as the chef when Crayson asked for one.


    Since Iron barely had contact with Destiny, Matthew decided to impersonate him.


    Struggling to hold back herughter, Shirley chimed in, "You know, I also think Iron''s personality just


    doesn''t match well with yours, President Kings."


    "Well, well, well! Look at you, daring to tease him now." Veronica reached out and poked Shirley''s


    head. "You''ve grown bolder."


    "Hehe, just kidding." Shirley smirked.


    "It''s okay." Matthew was not bothered and pointed toward the breakfast on the table instead. "You all go


    ahead and eat. I''ve got something to share."


    Since it was time to discuss business, Skyler and Shirley quickly put theirughter aside and focused


    on listening attentively.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Matthew nced at his watch on his wrist. "I''m a bit short on time, so I''ll keep it brief. Skyler, you and


    Shirley aren''t acquainted with the hidden n. So, it''s best to stay out of sight. You would need to learn


    to hide your identities. Especially you, Shirley."


    His gaze shifted to Shirley, his brow slightly furrowed. "Since you can''t defend yourself, make sure no


    one finds out about you. Skyler might join me for secret nighttime outings. Stay calm if you can''t locate


    him, and cover for him if needed."


    With a subtle bite on her lip, she nced at Matthew, catching onto the situation somewhat, then


    shifted her gaze to Skyler and nodded. "Got it, I understand."


    "Still, you can''t just keep us cooped up indoors all the time. It gets really lonely," Skylerined.


    "I''ll set up twoputers for you with downloaded cracked games to pass the time." Matthew had long


    been prepared.


    Despite careful nning, he never anticipated that Skyler would bring Shirley to the hidden n.


    Feeling displeased, he thought Skyler''s actions were inappropriate. Yet, he would not confront Skyler in


    front of her.


    "I''ll teach you how to disguise yourselves when I''m avable. You can head out for walks in disguise


    whenever you want."


    Veronica consoled Shirley, worried that she might be feeling down.


    "Haha, Ron, you''re still the one who treats me the best." Shirley hugged Veronica''s arm and nuzzled


    her head on her shoulder, feeling happy.


    After giving a few reminders, Veronica and Matthew finally left One Piece Restaurant and headed


    toward the pce in their car.


    Following a thirty-minute drive, they approached a mountain road that led them upward to a parking lot


    at the mountain''s peak.

 Chapter 1231

    Chapter 1231


    Chapter 1231 I Want You Dead


    The hidden clen pelece wes loceted on en eleveted eree of the mountein where e huge pelece wes


    constructed on the flet mounteintop.


    From the pelece''s top, one could geze down upon the bustling city center of the hidden clen, evoking e


    feeling of dominence.


    As Veronice end Metthew exited the perking lot, e vibrent red off-roed vehicle honked et them. The


    vehicle pulled over, end the person in the pessenger seet leened out, weving. "Hey, we meet egein."


    The one telking wes Zec. He nonchelently swung open the cer door, exchenged greetings with the


    driver, end closed the door before strolling streight over to her.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    "Are you elso here for the gethering?"


    In his usuel silver-grey suit, he looked even more hendsome with his strong feciel feetures. However,


    the merks on his fece were quite prominent.


    He lifted his hend to ruffle his short, golden heir, fleshing e confident end cherming smile.


    Upon his errivel, Veronice didn''t bother to pey much ettention to him end just mede e brief noise in


    response before cerrying on welking eheed.


    Zecpletely ignored Metthew beside her end jogged to cetch up with Veronice, welking elongside


    her. "I know you still resent me beceuse of Metthew. But let''s fece it, you cen''t kill me."


    The hidden n pce was located on an elevated area of the mountain where a huge pce was


    constructed on the t mountaintop.


    From the pce''s top, one could gaze down upon the bustling city center of the hidden n, evoking a


    feeling of dominance.


    As Veronica and Matthew exited the parking lot, a vibrant red off-road vehicle honked at them. The


    vehicle pulled over, and the person in the passenger seat leaned out, waving. "Hey, we meet again."


    The one talking was Zac. He nonchntly swung open the car door, exchanged greetings with the


    driver, and closed the door before strolling straight over to her.


    "Are you also here for the gathering?"


    In his usual silver-gray suit, he looked even more handsome with his strong facial features. However,


    the marks on his face were quite prominent.


    He lifted his hand to ruffle his short, golden hair, shing a confident and charming smile.


    Upon his arrival, Veronica didn''t bother to pay much attention to him and just made a brief noise in


    response before carrying on walking ahead.


    Zacpletely ignored Matthew beside her and jogged to catch up with Veronica, walking alongside


    her. "I know you still resent me because of Matthew. But let''s face it, you can''t kill me."


    Shrugging indifferently, Zac arrogantly continued, "However, I can offer myself for your use. We could


    team up to take on the hidden n. How does that sound?"


    His words made her pause briefly. She turned to him and sneered. "For my use? How generous of you,


    Prince Zac."


    "You came here out of necessity, and I know you have no interest in bing the head of the n. If


    you''re open to coborating with me, I''m ready to ept any terms you propose."


    Although his earnest demeanor might appear genuine at first nce, Veronica found it easier to believe


    in ghosts than him.


    "Alright. Are you sure you''ll agree to everything?" she countered.


    "Yes, of course!"


    With his hands in his trouser pockets, Zac nodded confidently while exuding the air of a prince.


    Veronica lifted her hand to brush the strands of hair the wind had tousled, her cold gaze fixed on him.


    She parted her red lips gradually and spoke, each word deliberate. "I want you¡­ dead. Can you do it?"


    She purposely spoke slowly, her tone heavy with a sense of murderous intent.


    "Hahaha, Miss Murphy, you''re indeed straightforward and unconstrained."


    Used to address her by name, Zac now spoke in a more friendly tone, seemingly trying to deliberately


    win her over.


    He continued, "I''m confident you''d be inclined to coborate with me once I share something with you."


    For some reason, Veronica suddenly felt a sense of unease. "What is it?"


    Wearing a smile, he folded his arms and shifted his gaze to the man beside her. He deliberately


    answered, "Matthew is dead. You came to the hidden n alone and entrusted two children to Yvette


    and Luke. Do you really trust them this much?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Her anxiety surged, and she instinctively moved closer to Zac, questioning, "What happened to my


    children?"


    Raising an eyebrow, he shrugged and lifted his right hand. "I, Zac Francis, swear on the destiny of the


    entire Castron royal family that I have never harmed your children."


    "What are you trying to say?" Veronica''s heart raced, a sense of unease settling in.


    Rather than addressing her query, he drew nearer and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Tonight, I''ll


    be awaiting you at the Elysium Hotel."


    With that, Zac turned and left without saying another word.

 Chapter 1232

    Chapter 1232


    Chapter 1232 Is Everyone Present?


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Veronica remained still, her fists tight with simmering anger. "They''ve finally taken action against our


    children."


    "Yes, just as we thought." Matthew remainedposed. "Let''s go."


    They did not say much to each other, yet it was as if an unspoken understanding existed between them


    to leave the topic untouched.


    Entering the pce, Zac, Veronica, and Matthew reported their identities and were guided by the


    servants to a side hall on the pce''s east wing. Xavier, Hendrey, and Tiffany were already present


    there, waiting.


    Everything went as the couple had expected.


    "Master, you finally came. I''ve been waiting for you." In a red dress, Eleanor hurriedly greeted Matthew


    upon his arrival. Her long hair cascaded down, and she had a silver crown on her head, like a wreath of


    flowers. The silver tassels on her crown jingled like charming silver bells as she approached.


    In the central area of the side hall, there were rows of chairs on both sides, each with a small table in


    the center holding an assortment of desserts, fruits, and beverages.


    "Princess Eleanor." Matthew nodded slightly toward her while deftly avoiding her extended hand.


    Observing this, Veronica arched an eyebrow and smiled faintly.


    "Hahaha, I''ve mentioned it multiple times. Just call me Eleanor. You''re my master. There''s no need for


    the formalities."


    Despite his rejection, Eleanor disyed no sign of disappointment. Instead, she reached out and held


    Veronica''s arm in a friendly manner. "I haven''t seen you in a while either. I''ve missed you. I''ve reserved


    a spot for both you and my master. Come, sit next to me."


    Veronica was taken aback and nced at Matthew as if conveying through her eyes, Thanks to you,


    I''m getting some advantages here.


    "Thanks for your concern, Princess Eleanor," she replied.


    Sitting beside them, Tiffany nced at Veronica and sarcastically remarked, "You sure are amazing.


    Since when you and Princess Eleanor became such close pals?"


    Her resentment toward Veronica had intensified as she recalled the embarrassment of their previous


    gathering. A sense of unease crept over her at the sight of Veronica getting friendly with Eleanor.


    Tiffany used to shine the brightest, but everything slipped away from her ever since Veronica came into


    the picture. The only thing that could ease this resentment was Veronica''s death.


    "Why does it concern you who I''m close to?" Eleanor did not hide her displeasure from Tiffany.


    Being scolded publicly, Tiffany felt angered but chose to hold her tongue. She lowered her head and


    remained silent.


    Sitting in the main seat above, Dominik scolded Eleanor, "Eleanor, everyone here is a guest. Be


    respectful."


    Sitting in the main seat above, Dominik scolded Eleanor, "Eleanor, everyone here is a guest. Be


    respectful."


    She stood between Veronica and Matthew, holding onto Veronica''s arm with one hand and gripping


    Matthew''s wrist with the other.


    Although Matthew struggled, Eleanor seemed calm andposed outwardly.


    "I understand." She even casually replied to Dominik while subtly engaging in a silentpetition with


    Matthew by firmly sping his hand.


    As she was exerting pressure with her left hand, her right hand involuntarily tightened while gripping


    Veronica''s wrist.


    Veronica sensed something amiss and nced at Eleanor. Observing her grip on Matthew''s wrist and


    the smile toward him, Veronica swiftly grasped the situation.


    Eleanor led the couple to the center of the grand hall, where she settled beside Dominik, with Matthew


    taking the seat on her right, followed by Veronica. Hendrey and Tiffany sat next to Veronica.


    Across from them sat Zac, Xavier, Antheena, and Troy.


    "Princess Eleanor, why did you gather us here today?" Zac leaned on his chair''s armrest as he asked


    directly.

 Chapter 1233

    Chapter 1233


    Chapter 1233 The Reason for the Gathering


    "Certainly. It''s nearly time for our hidden n''s yearly autumn hunting, and I''ve brought you all here


    because I want you to participate."


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    The hidden n always upheld its traditions, including seasonal rituals like the annual prayer ceremony


    and hunting events in spring and autumn.


    As most of the men in the hidden n had a privileged upbringing in martial arts, they were trained and


    became skilled in archery from a young age. As time passed and society evolved, hunting activities


    now allowed the use of both bows and rifles.


    Following Eleanor''s words, Dominik carried on, "The hunting ceremony spans five days, and the victor


    will be rewarded generously."


    "Why does a simple hunting event need to go on for five days?" Hendrey voiced his skepticism.


    "The hunting grounds are located between Mount Manos and Mount Gazette. Given the vast space


    between these mountains, this challenge demands speed, wilderness survival, and self-defense skills.


    Except for the opening day, there are four days. On the event day, the target will be revealed in the


    morning. The winner is whoever reaches the finish line with the target first." Dominik concisely


    exined, adding, "Should someone locate the target and return to camp on the first day, the game will


    conclude then."


    Once he concluded, everyone exchanged nces and murmured among themselves.


    Veronica nced at Matthew beside her and whispered, "From what I know, the hidden n''s hunting


    events used to wrap up in two or three days. This current hunt seems moreplex than it appears."


    Her thoughts mirrored those of everyone in attendance.


    Tiffany suddenly grew anxious and blurted out, "Only skilled individuals can participate in the hunting,


    right? As a delicate woman, I''m not joining the fun."


    Given the circumstances, where life and death were on the line, her participation would only put her life


    at risk.


    "Why are you afraid? You have Hendrey protect you," Eleanor remarked with a smile. "I''ve already


    enrolled everyone here for the event, including him. Wouldn''t you be in greater danger if he isn''t there


    to protect you?"


    She dismantled Tiffany''s notion of avoiding participation with just a few words.


    Faced with implied threats and warnings, Tiffany appeared to have no alternative but toply.


    "Yes, Princess Eleanor''s point is valid." Antheena nodded in ord.


    Though she addressed Tiffany, her gaze subtly conveyed a message to Veronica, a glint of iciness


    shimmering in her deep blue eyes.


    Coincidentally, Antheena locked eyes with Veronica, their eyes meeting briefly before they both quickly


    averted their gazes.


    In that instant, Veronica could already sense the killing intent in Antheena''s gaze.


    In that instant, Veronica could already sense the killing intent in Antheena''s gaze.


    "I haven''t been feeling welltely, so I''d rather not participate." Veronica declined directly instead of


    discussing it further with Eleanor.


    Despite their transparent schemes, Veronica still needed a valid reason to decline. Whether she could


    refuse was one matter, and whether she wanted to do so was another.


    Even so, she had underestimated the despicableness of the Ledger n.


    "Hahaha¡­"


    Dominik burst intoughter. "It''s just a game for everyone to have some fun together. Besides, hasn''t it


    been years since Madam Hayleyst made a public appearance? Tomorrow, my mother will announce


    the news of inviting her and her biological daughter to a banquet on the day of the hunting ceremony.


    Of course, my mother has already coordinated this with her."


    He suddenly inquired, "Miss Murphy, aren''t you aware of this?"


    Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Veronica paused momentarily. She nced at Matthew


    instinctively before smiling at Dominik. "She was nning to inform me today, but I couldn''t resist


    Princess Eleanor''s invitation."


    The woman she referred to was none other than Hayley Elrod.

 Chapter 1234

    Chapter 1234


    Chapter 1234 ying the Cards Perfectly


    After leaving the pce in the afternoon, Matthew drove the car with Veronica seated in the passenger


    seat, lost in thought.


    Matthew began. "Tanya is truly cunning. During the hunting ceremony, all the officials of the hidden n


    will be invited. Notably, she''s arranged for Hayley to attend alongside you. This is an excellent


    opportunity for her to publicly introduce you to everyone in the hidden n, which will help you in your


    futurepetition for the position of head of the n."


    "Hayley would never refuse. There is no reason to." He sighed, feeling mncholic.


    Veronica also sighed as she said, "So, Tanya ns to invite me into the trap. She wants me to


    participate in the hunting ceremony and eliminate me during the event. After all, everyone participating


    in the ceremony must sign a death waiver."


    She scoffed lightly while shaking her head. "She has yed her cards perfectly. By enticing Hayley to


    invite me to the ceremony, it will be widely known. How could I decline the hunting by then? If I do, I will


    lose the support of the people and bring shame to the Elrods. If I want topete for the position of


    head of the n in the future again, I''m afraid Hayley''s supporters will also turn against me."


    It was an unwritten rule of the hidden n that the prince and the young master were obliged to


    participate in the hunting ceremony unless there were exceptional circumstances.


    Only the courageous could be the ruler of the hidden n and lead them to prosperity. This


    ideology deeply resonated within the hearts of the hidden n members. Given the prevalence of


    martial artists in the n, thosecking inbat skills were looked down upon.


    Matthew replied with concern, "This time, not only must you take part in the hunting ceremony, but you


    also have to strive to emerge as the victor."


    Danger arrived sooner than I expected. The participants in the hunting grounds were all outstanding


    individuals, and many of them were assassins sent by Tanya. How many people could Hayley arrange


    in order to protect Veronica? It''s a life-or-death situation.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Both of them fell into silence.


    After returning to Mountainside Gardens, they saw Hayley seated in the hall as soon as they entered.


    Veronica nced at the table in the living room. There were still five or six teacups on the table,


    indicating the recent presence of several visitors.


    Then, she looked at Matthew, who nodded. "Master Waylen, Madam Hayley, I''ll go upstairs first."


    As a part-time chef and bodyguard, he didn''t have the qualifications to listen to their conversation.


    "Okay, go ahead." Crayson nodded.


    Veronica made her way to the sofa and settled in. Before Hayley could speak, she said, "We should


    hire an additional chef. There are more and more things to do, and it''s unfair to expect him to prepare


    three meals daily while also ensuring my safety."


    Her concern for Matthew was sincere, yet she had withheld her proposal until now to avoid rousing


    suspicion from Crayson.


    Her concern for Matthew was sincere, yet she had withheld her proposal until now to avoid rousing


    suspicion from Crayson.


    "Although Iron Pir has excellent culinary skills, it''s not good to let him be a part-time chef and a


    bodyguard at the same time."


    Mateo agreed with Veronica''s words, so he smirked. "From now on, we won''t let him apany you


    anymore. He can focus solely on being a chef. Otherwise, his culinary skills would be wasted."


    Since thest fight with Liam, Crayson had instructed Mateo to reflect at home. However, worried about


    potential retaliation from Liam, he arranged for Matthew to protect Veronica.


    No matter how much Mateo pleaded during this period, he never allowed him to be with Veronica


    again.


    After Mateo finished speaking, he turned to Veronica. "Roni, please agree. I''ve been begging Grandpa


    all this time, but he refuses to let me protect you. He even said that Iron Pir would protect you with


    his life. Tsk, he just looks down on me."


    Veronica, in the midst of pouring herself a ss of water, momentarily paused as Mateo''s words


    reached her ears. Her gaze instinctively shifted toward Crayson.


    Her concern for Matthew was sincere, yet she had withheld her proposal until now to avoid rousing


    suspicion from Crayson.

 Chapter 1235

    Chapter 1235


    Chapter 1235 A Carefully Laid Out n


    Coincidentally, Crayson was also looking at Veronica, his murky eyes deep and mysterious.


    She quickly averted her gaze and red at Mateo. "Master Crayson is right. You should focus on


    protecting yourself with those mediocre skills of yours."


    Although she said so, Mateo''s words echoed in her mind. "He refuses to let me protect you and says


    that Iron Pir will do everything to keep you safe."


    Crayson usually kept a low profile and rarely exaggerated when he spoke, so these words sent her into


    deep thought.


    "Veronica, when you went to the pce today, did they mention the hidden n''s hunting banquet to


    you?" Hayley, who had arrived in the morning and had been waiting for Veronica, couldn''t help but ask


    when she saw her return.


    "Yes," Veronica answered readily and smiled. "They asked me to participate in some hunting ceremony,


    but I''m not interested, so I declined."


    This time, Veronica had no choice but to attend the hunting banquet, but she wanted to see how


    Hayley would convince her.


    "You declined?"


    Hayley was surprised and nced at Crayson, then quickly said, "This hunting ceremony is a grand


    event that takes ce once every ten years. The participants are all prominent figures of the hidden


    n. Tanya invited me and your master to participate in the ceremony and said that I could bring you


    along and publicly reveal your identity. This is a great opportunity to reveal your identity. Why did you


    refuse?"


    "Oh. I only need to attend the hunting event, not actually participate in the hunt, right?" Veronica


    pretended to be confused. "That''s fine, then. I''ll attend without hunting."


    "Well..."


    Hayley was at a loss for words after Veronica stopped her from saying what she wanted, and she


    looked to Crayson for help, gesturing for him to speak.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Crayson held a cigarette in his hand and took a few puffs. "If you attend the event, you will definitely


    have to participate in the hunt. Not only that, but you also have to excel in it. You may not know this,


    but although it''s a hunting event, it also tests the abilities of the leader of the hidden n. The leaders


    of the hidden n in the past have all shone in the hunting event, proving their own abilities and


    gaining the trust of others."


    "Yes, in the hidden n, strength is respected." Hayley sighed, her brows furrowed with anxiety.


    Mateo, who was sitting beside her, sat up straight, his anxious gaze fixed on Veronica. "Doesn''t that


    mean Roni will be in danger? Eleanor and her elite soldiers want to get rid of her. It would be easy for


    them to do so during the hunting event."


    The n was carefullyid out, and the conspiracy was obvious.


    Veronica lowered her eyelids and remained silent. She simply picked up her teacup, took a sip, and put


    it down. When she looked up, she noticed that both Hayley and Crayson were staring at her intently.


    "Why are you all looking at me? I''m weak and might not even be able to match Eleanor, let alone


    participate in the hunt. No, it''s not possible."


    She waved her hand repeatedly, rejecting the idea. Then, she suddenly pped her knee as if she had


    just realized something. "Tiffany. Rome wasn''t built in a day, and this is a perfect opportunity for her to


    shine. How can we miss it?"


    Her proposal was grave, and her tone and emotions were normal. However, the two people sitting


    across from her could sense the sarcasm in her words.


    In the past, Tiffany had been pampered by Floch and his wife, living a life of luxury and enjoying the


    treatment of a wealthy heiress. In contrast, Veronica''s life was full of injustice. Even so, deep down,


    Veronica felt that while Tiffany''s fate was quite miserable, she didn''t deserve sympathy.

 Chapter 1236

    Chapter 1236


    Chapter 1236 No One Wants To Be a Puppet


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Tiffany is officially working with Hendrey and Zac, but from what I know, she has been in frequent


    contact with Dominik and Liam recently. She must have her own ns. After all, she is ambitious and


    uncontroble."


    Crayson frowned tightly. A faint smoke escaped from his nostrils, but it couldn''t hide the worry on his


    face.


    It had been less than a month since they returned to the hidden n, and everything was beyond their


    control, which made him feel powerless and exhausted.


    "Yes. Tiffany ispletely uncontroble. Even if we arrange something for her, she won''t agree."


    Hayley sighed deeply but sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, her back straight, maintaining her


    elegant and noble demeanor despite the worries weighing on her.


    "If she''s uncontroble, how do you deal with her?" Veronica asked curiously, her cool gaze fixed on


    the two people opposite her, waiting quietly for their answer.


    In fact, Veronica had been feeling resentful of their words, but she tried to restrain herself. The way


    they kept repeating the word ''uncontroble'' felt as if they were saying that she was easy to manipte


    inparison. Little did they know, only puppets were easy to control. What did they really think of


    her?


    "Tanya''s goal this time is not only you but also Tiffany. She probably won''t leave this hunting ceremony


    alive unless something unexpected happens." Crayson''s tone was heavy as he smoked, trying to ease


    his worries.


    "It''s a pity to give up on the seed yer we have carefully cultivated for over twenty years, isn''t it?"


    Veronica leaned back on the sofa, smiling as she asked.


    Her sarcastic smile pierced Hayley''s heart. She knew that Veronica was very resistant to them, so she


    was trying to mend their rtionship. However, she didn''t expect the rtionship to be more


    distant, leaving her feeling helpless.


    "Man proposes, God disposes." Crayson frowned, his tone serious. "Veronica, I know you feel it''s


    unfair, but our original intention was for your own good. Of course, whether Tiffany will continue or not


    is a matter your mother and I still need to discuss."


    As Veronica had said, abandoning the ''chess piece'' they had cultivated for over twenty years was a


    pity.


    "Well then, I should thank you for that." After saying that, she got up and walked towards the stairs. "I''m


    tired, so I''ll rest upstairs for a while."


    "Come back!" At the sight of her getting up to leave, Crayson''s face darkened, and he mmed the


    cigarette on the table. "Hayley has been waiting for you all day. It''s rude for you to just leave like this."


    Veronica paused for a moment, then slowly turned around, recing the anger on her face with a


    smile. "Haven''t we already said everything that needs to be said?"


    "We still need to discuss the hunting ceremony," Hayley said.


    "Discuss?" Veronica repeated the word. "Do you really need to discuss this with me? The ns have


    already been made. You just need to tell me what to do on that day. I believe you won''t just watch me


    die in the hunting event. After all, I''m much more valuable than Tiffany."


    With that, she turned around and went upstairs without looking back.


    Mateo looked at her retreating back, his face darkened. He turned to Crayson and Hayley and said,


    "Roni is angry, and I can understand why. You''ve been really unfair to her."


    He rose from the sofa as well, ready to leave, but added, "In this world, no one wants to be a puppet."


    Only puppets were controlled, and what exactly was a puppet but a soulless doll?


    Upstairs, Veronica returned to her room, where Matthew was already waiting.


    He was sitting at the desk reading a book, but when he saw Veronica''s pale face, he stood up and


    walked over, wrapping one arm around her waist and gently stroking her hair with the other. "What''s


    wrong?"

 Chapter 1237

    Chapter 1237


    Chapter 1237 What Should Happen Will Happen


    Veronica was in a bad mood. She raised her hand and brushed past Matthew, walked around him, sat


    on the wicker chair, and rested her forehead on her hand. Her tone was serious as she said, "Matt,


    Crayson has probably discovered your identity."


    After saying that, she looked up at Matthew, her eyes full of worry.


    Upon seeing her gloomy face, Matthew walked to her side and held her hand, before he pulled her up.


    He then took a seat on the sofa, letting Veronica sit on hisp.


    "Actually, it''d be scarier if he doesn''t even have this level of insight," he said.


    Veronica sat sideways on hisp, furrowing her brows in confusion. "Are you saying that if Crayson


    hasn''t discovered your identity, it means his insight and vignce are weak, and he''s not capable of


    handling important tasks?"


    "How smart." He rubbed the back of her hand with his right hand and continued, "Since he''s assisting


    Hayley, he naturally has extraordinary abilities. It''s only a matter of time before he discovers my


    identity, so it''s not surprising."


    "But if he has discovered it, why hasn''t he exposed it?" This was the real question that troubled


    Veronica.


    "Perhaps there is a purpose behind it, and we don''t know what it is. Of course, the most likely scenario


    is that he wants to make Zac and Xavier underestimate the situation, and then conspire with me to dealContent ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    with them, catching them off guard."


    His analysis was logical and well-founded, and Veronica felt ashamed of her overly anxious reaction.


    She was only worried because she cared too much.


    After listening to Matthew''s analysis, Veronica''s anxious heart finally calmed down. She leaned against


    his chest like a deted balloon and murmured, "They will send Tiffany to participate in the hunting


    activity this time. Once she goes, there is a high chance that she won''t be able toe back alive. Do


    you think Master Crayson, who has carefully cultivated her for more than twenty years, would willingly


    give up on her like this?"


    Matthew smiled lightly. He raised his hand and stroked her cheek, then said, "Why would you ask me


    when you already have the answer in your heart?"


    "I''ve learned before that the hidden n has a method to seal memories. Crayson has mentioned that


    they n to do this to Tiffany, but there has been no action so far. That''s why I can''t figure out their


    intentions, and they are also wary of me."


    "Don''t think too much; everything will be clear in due time. Besides, the ascension ceremony of the


    head of the n is approaching. Just wait for another month, at most two months, and we can leave


    here." Matthewforted Veronica, "Don''t worry, I''m here."


    His words were like a reassurance pill for Veronica, gradually rxing her tense emotions. However, in


    the next second, she remembered what Zac had said to her today.


    Suddenly, she sat up straight and looked into Matthew''s eyes. "Do you have any way to contact the


    outside world? I want to know how our children are doing."


    After being in the hidden n for more than twenty days, she had been extremely busy every day, but


    in the midst of her busyness, she was always worried about their two children in Bloomstead, afraid


    that they would encounter danger.


    "Roni..." Matthew held her hands tightly in his hands, looked at her with a determined gaze, and said,


    "What should happen will happen. Being overly worried will only disrupt our ns. Sometimes, we


    need to learn to adapt to changes."


    "I understand what you''re saying..." Veronica said with a dejected face, "But we are weak in the hidden


    n, and we are facing strong enemies. One wrong step could lead us into a deep abyss."


    The heavy pressure made Veronica feel suffocated and exhausted.


    She repeatedly questioned herself, feeling that she was too weak and not qualified to stand by


    Matthew''s side and that she was only a burden to him.


    "Didn''t Zac arrange to meet at the Elysium Hotel tonight? We''ll know what''s going on after we go


    there."

 Chapter 1238

    Chapter 1238


    Chapter 1238 Why Are You Plotting Against Me?


    At the Elysium Hotel.


    After resting at Mountainside Gardens in the afternoon, Veronica found an excuse to take Matthew out


    after dinner and headed straight to Elysium Hotel.


    Since she had Zac''s contact information, Veronica dialed his number. "I''m here. Where are you?"


    "Room 507. I''m waiting for you." Zac was concise with his words.


    With that said, he hung up the phone right away.


    Veronica looked at her phone that had been hung up, then nced at Matthew beside her and entered


    the elevator.


    As the elevator ascended, they arrived on the fifth floor. They found room 507 and knocked on the


    door.


    Matthew and Veronica stood outside the room for a while. The room door opened, and Zac tilted his


    head, looking at Veronica at the door. He smiled. "I''ve been waiting for you."


    After speaking, he stepped aside from the doorway, swinging the room door wide open. "Come in."


    Veronica nced at him coldly and walked in. Matthew, who was behind her, followed, but Zac raised


    his hand to stop him at the entrance. "Why are youing in?"


    After finally getting Veronica toe over, he couldn''t let a bodyguarde in and cause trouble.


    Veronica turned her head and gestured to Matthew with her eyes. "You can wait outside."


    It was just a door away. Matthew could still rush in if anything unexpected happened, so there was


    nothing to worry about.


    "Alright," he responded and nced at Zac with a hint of warning.


    After he left the room, Zac closed the door.


    Veronica walked to the living room and took a seat on the sofa. Curiously, she inquired, "What did you


    want to say outside the pce today? Is something wrong with my child?"


    "Have a drink first. We can talk about other things slowly."


    Zac took a bottle of red wine from the wine cab, brought two stemmed sses, and sat across from


    Veronica. While opening the wine bottle, he said, "You''re quite passive in the hidden n. I know you


    didn''t want to be here, but if you''re willing to help me, I can let you leave the hidden n peacefully.


    Veronica, are you sure you don''t want to consider it? I''ll offer you favorable terms."


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Are you trying to buy me with the money you extorted from Yvonne''s parents?"


    Whenever she faced Zac, Veronica couldn''t help but recall Yvonne''s ordeal and associate Zac with the


    despicable acts he and Conrad hadmitted.


    She let out a faint scoff between her breaths. "I''d be restless holding onto it, to be honest."


    Zac''s action of pouring wine paused for a moment, and a hint of amusement appeared on his face.


    "Those who achieve great things don''t get bogged down in trivial matters."


    He ced half a ss of wine before Veronica. "The hunting ceremony is an invitation to enter the trap.


    Are you sure you cane out unscathed after going deep into the mountains?"


    Veronica nced at the red wine on the table and instinctively remained wary of Zac. Instead of taking


    the wine, she asked, "Your partner is Tiffany Larson. Why are you plotting against me?"


    "Tiffany? Haha."


    Zac shook his head disdainfully, then picked up the red wine and took a sip. He crossed his legs and


    rested his right arm on the back of the sofa, taking on the demeanor of a magnate.


    "Tiffany is like a flower nurtured in a greenhouse, pampered since childhood. This kind of woman is


    inadequate in sess and excessive in failure. She secretly cozies up to others and is just a restless


    troublemaker."


    Tiffany believed that her discreet approach to Dominik and Liam was unknown to Zac.


    In fact, every move she made was under his surveince, but she was of little value, and Zac couldn''t


    be bothered to spend too much effort on her.

 Chapter 1239

    Chapter 1239


    Chapter 1239 The Same Scheme


    Veronica''s lips curved slightly. She wasn''t surprised by Zac''s words.


    "I came here today to ask about my two children. If you don''t want to tell me, then forget it."


    She paused for a few seconds. "As for cooperation, do you really think I would work with someone who


    killed my husband?"


    Only a fool would willingly engage in such a dangerous alliance.


    Veronica couldn''t understand why Zac believed she was foolish enough to think they could work


    together.


    Zac maintained hisposure and swirled the red wine in his ss. His azure eyes fixated on the


    swirling crimson liquid,pletely ignoring Veronica.


    It seemed that he was confident in the matter of cooperation.


    Seeing that he had no intention of responding, Veronica rose to leave.


    However, as she attempted to stand, her vision darkened. She copsed back on the sofa, feeling


    utterly weak.


    In an instant, Veronica feltpletely powerless, unable to exert any strength. Even sitting up became


    a challenge for her.


    "What... What did you do to me?"


    Her eyes red with anger at Zac, demanding an exnation.


    She struggled to muster her energy, and her voice came out as faint as a mosquito''s buzz.


    "Your cleverness has outwitted you." Zacughed and reclined. "Knowing how clever you are, I had a


    special incense burned, one that''s both colorless and odorless."


    He raised his hand slightly, wiggling the stemmed ss, gesturing to Veronica. "Here, the wine is the


    antidote. I gave you a chance, but you didn''t cherish it."


    Zac ced the antidote in the wine and poured it for Veronica.


    Yet, he was confident that she, with her cautious nature, would never drink it.


    As expected, everything went as nned.


    Veronica''s gaze fixated on Zac, then shifted to the ss of wine on the table. She strained to raise her


    hand to grab it, but no matter how hard she tried, her hand wouldn''t budge.


    That sense of powerlessness was akin to struggling in a nightmare where efforts were futile.


    "The... The bodyguard is at the door, Zac... I advise you not to bring trouble to yourself," she warned


    him.


    "That foolish bodyguard? I''ve had him taken away using a diversionary tactic. I suppose he won''t live


    past tonight."


    Zac raised his ss of wine as he spoke and drank it all.


    He mmed the ss heavily on the table, then ran his hand through his golden hair with a wicked


    smile. He rose from the seat, moved toward Veronica, lifted her off the sofa, and headed toward the


    bedroom.


    The overwhelming smell of alcohol assaulted her senses as she neared him, making her feel


    nauseous.


    Veronica desperately attempted to escape, but her body was limp. She was akin to a sacrificialmb,


    powerless to resist.


    That feeling was truly devastating and maddening.


    All she could do was silently pray for Matthew to return quickly.


    Entering the bedroom, she was ced on the bed, and there was a tripod next to the bed with a


    camera on it.


    It was the same scheme as before.


    Veronica had no idea how many women Zac had used this crude tactic on, but she sincerely wished for


    Zac''s downfall.


    Seated at the bedside, he reached out and pinched Veronica''s cheeks, leaning in close, and sniffed


    near her neck. "Such nice smell. You''re nothing like Tiffany, who''s been passed around by countless


    men."


    He brushed his thumb lightly against her chin. "Do you know how long I''ve been thinking about you?"


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Get lost, don''t touch me!"


    Veronica tried to turn her head away, but she couldn''t muster any strength to break free from his grip.


    Her voice came out faint. "Aren''t you into men? Stay away from me."


    "Indeed, you really do understand me. I don''t rule out women either, though. Hahaha..."

 Chapter 1240

    Chapter 1240


    Chapter 1240 Xavier Came to Her Rescue


    He undid his suit jacket while speaking.


    Watching him remove his clothes, Veronica wanted to scream for help but couldn''t make a sound.


    Despair enveloped her, making even the air suffocating.


    A loud bang echoed as Zac took off his suit jacket and T-shirt.


    The room door was kicked open from the outside.


    "Matt..."


    Veronica called out, her voice was so faint that Zac wouldn''t hear.


    Both of them turned toward the door, witnessing Xavier''s entry. He wore a ck T-shirt and loose


    camouge pants, emanating a fierce aura as he walked into the bedroom.


    Zac couldn''t help but be startled. "How did you¡ª"


    A loud thud resonated.


    Before he could finish his sentence, Xavier strode forward, his right hand clenched into a fist that


    landed solidly on Zac''s face. "You''re asking for it!"


    Zac stumbled backward, colliding with the tripod supporting the camera, and falling to the ground in a


    disheveled manner.


    When Xavier saw the camera, his face turned extremely cold, his fists clenched, and his face reddened


    with anger. Veins popped on his forehead.


    A strong killing intent lingered around Xavier.


    Zac had never seen Xavier acting like this. His face showed a hint of panic. "What do you want? Xavier


    Crawford, you better know your ce. Don''t forget that even your father-inw bows before me. You¡ª"


    Xavier didn''t give Zac a chance to finish his words. He walked up and stood in front of him to deliver a


    powerful kick to his head.


    That kick was full of force, causing Zac''s nose to bleed and his vision to go blurry. He couldn''t react for


    a while.


    He felt as if he were being pummeled all over, the blows apanied by Xavier''s furious curses.


    His mind was hazy, and he couldn''tprehend what Xavier was saying.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Veronica, who was lying on the bed, never expected that the person barging in would be Xavier.


    How did he get here? Where is Matthew?


    Numerous questions rushed through her mind, but she was unable to voice them.


    After Xavier finished dealing with Zac, he turned around and walked to the side of the bed. Seeing


    Veronica was still dressed, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Don''t be afraid. I''ll take you back."


    In the span of a second, he had been fierce and menacing, akin to a demon from hell, but he was full of


    tenderness now. Even his eyes were full of affection.


    Lifting Veronica from the bed, he turned and walked out of the room.


    As he turned, Veronica cast a sidelong nce at Zac, finding him unconscious. She couldn''t help but


    feel worried for Xavier.


    "I know you want to ask why I appeared here."


    Xavier exined as he walked. "I happened to be strolling on the street and saw you with Iron Pir. I


    followed to check it out and witnessed Iron Pir being lured to the back door, cornered by seven or


    eight people. I guessed you were in danger, so I came after you."


    "Thank you," Veronica sincerely thanked him.


    However, she had no idea what kind of drug Zac had used in the room, as she couldn''t make a sound


    now.


    Fortunately, Xavier''s presence in the room was brief, and it took ce in the bedroom, so it didn''t


    impact much.


    "Don''t talk, just rest for a bit. You''ll be safe with me."


    He carried Veronica out of the Elysium Hotel.


    However, within less than thirty seconds of their departure, Skyler swiftly stormed into the Elysium


    Hotel, heading straight to room 507 upstairs.


    Xavier took Veronica to a nearby hotel, booked a room, took her upstairs to rest, and consulted a


    doctor.


    He prepared a ss of medicine, supporting Veronica, who was lying on the bed. "Here, take this


    medicine."

 Chapter 1241

    Chapter 1241


    Chapter 1241 Skyler Was Here


    Veronica, her body feeble, was assisted by Xavier as he gently lifted her up. All her weight leaned on


    him, creating an inadvertent sense of intimacy between them.


    Xavier held a porcin bowl filled with medicinal soup in one hand and brought it to Veronica''s mouth.


    She slightly parted her lips and drank the medicine slowly.


    Her delicate fragrance lingered in his embrace. She was the woman that Xavier had been yearning for


    day and night. Seeing her in this state, he couldn''t help but wish he could tear Zac apart to alleviate the


    hatred in his heart.


    For a fleeting moment, memories of the time he had kidnapped Veronica resurfaced in Xavier''s mind.


    He had selfishly wanted to possess her due to his overwhelming infatuation.


    But perhaps the umtion of the past one or two years had made him grow a lot, to the point where


    he really wanted to go back in time and beat himself up for what he had done.


    Their rtionship wouldn''t have grown so distant if it weren''t for that impulsive mistake.


    He regretted it.


    The intense regret lingered, and Xavier''s only sce was that Crayson had arrived in the nick of time.


    Otherwise, he feared he couldn''t forgive himself in this lifetime.


    "I''ve finished drinking."


    The medicine was bitter, but she swallowed it down.


    After drinking the medicine, Veronica noticed that Xavier was lost in thought while still holding the bowl.


    She spoke to break his trance.


    "Alright."


    Xavier came back to his senses and helped Veronica lie down slowly. He ced the bowl on the table


    and took out a tissue to wipe her mouth. "Rest well. The doctor said you''ll recover within ten minutes."


    "Okay."


    Veronica agreed softly and looked at Xavier with aplex mix of emotions. "Xavier, thank you."


    He had saved her twice.


    The immense gratitude made Veronica''s feelings toward Xavier incredibly intricate.


    "What''s Iron Pir''s phone number?" he asked.


    Veronica didn''t want to tell Xavier, fearing that it would expose Matthew''s identity when he came over


    and agitated Xavier. It could lead to another intense confrontation between the two.


    "No need to call him. It''s fine."


    Although she had just taken the medicine, Veronica clearly felt her body condition had improved


    significantly. At least now she had enough strength to speak.


    "Alright."


    Xavier didn''t say much and moved a chair to sit by her bed. "How did you end up in Zac''s room?"


    "I met Zac at the pce today. He said that something happened to my children and asked me to meet


    him tonight. I was already on guard, but I still couldn''t defend against it."


    She had thought that having Matthew with her would ensure their safety, but she didn''t expect that Zac


    would use a trick to lure Matthew away.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Suddenly, a frown formed on Veronica''s brow. "Xavier, my phone is in my pocket. Can you help me


    take it out so I can make a call?"


    Matthew was undoubtedly skilled, so why had he yet to return? Had something dangerous happened to


    him?


    Veronica was extremely worried and wanted to contact Elrod immediately to look for Matthew.


    Knock, knock, knock¡­


    Just as Veronica''s words trailed off, the sound of knocking came from outside the room.


    Her eyes brightened. Was it Matthew?


    "I''ll get the door."


    Xavier stood up and walked toward the bedroom door.


    Is it "Iron Pir"ing to find Veronica, or is it Zacing to settle the score with me?


    As Xavier approached the door, he pondered the possibilities.


    Knock, knock, knock¡­


    The knocking at the door was urgent. Xavier opened the door and was surprised to find Skyler standing


    outside.


    "Why are you here?"


    Xavier was surprised to see Skyler.


    However, Skyler wasn''t in the mood to answer Xavier''s question. He brushed past Xavier and strode


    into the room. "Where''s Roni? Xavier, I''m warning you. If anything happens to Roni, I''ll make sure you


    regret it!"

 Chapter 1242

    Chapter 1242


    Chapter 1242 Revealing His Identity


    "She''s in the bedroom," Xavier mentioned.


    Skyler pushed open the bedroom door and walked in. When he saw Veronica lying on the bed, covered


    with a thin nket and looking fine, his anxious heart finally settled.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Roni, are you okay?" he asked.


    "Skyler, Titus is in danger. Go find him!" They both spoke at the same time.


    "Look at yourself, still worrying about him?" Skyler walked to the side of the bed and sat down, lifting a


    corner of the nket to ce Veronica''s wrist t on the bed. He checked her pulse.


    After a while, realizing that there was nothing wrong with her body and seeing the bowl on the table


    with remnants of medicine, he sighed and said, "You''re fine. You''ll be better soon. D*mn it, Zac! I won''t


    let him go if I ever meet him!"


    "Don''t worry about me. Go find Iron Pir," Veronica pleaded as her body gradually recovered. She


    reached out and tugged at Skyler''s sleeve.


    Meanwhile, Xavier stood at the bedroom door, hands in his pockets. He leaned against the door frame,


    watching them silently.


    But at that moment, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from the living room¡­


    "Roni?!"


    When Skyler came in, Xavier didn''t close the suite door. He just closed it halfway.


    Matthew, who arrivedte, pushed the door open and walked in as he called out to Veronica.


    Worried about Veronica, he dropped all pretenses. Even his voice and address were per his previous


    habits.


    Matthew nced at Xavier, bypassed him directly, and grabbed Skyler''s clothes before pushing him


    aside. Matthew then sat on the chair by the bed. He held Veronica''s hand tightly as he asked with


    concern, "How are you? Are you okay? I''m sorry that I''mte."


    Matthew''s mind was filled with Veronica. He was too preupied to care about anyone else, only


    wanting to know if she was alright. Hepletely ignored the others beside him, especially Xavier.


    When Xavier heard the name "Roni," his nerves suddenly tensed, and he straightened his body.


    He turned to look at the living room, and the person who walked in was "Iron Pir." He thought he was


    hearing things. But when "Iron Pir" quickly walked past him and pulled Skyler away, sitting beside


    Veronica and holding her hand, Xavier''s gaze instantly turned cold.


    Is he¡­ Matthew Kings?!"


    Xavier''s fists clenched, a surge of hostility suddenly rising within him.


    His gaze, which was directed at Matthew, was filled with anger and hatred. He clenched his fists so


    hard his veins were bulging.


    Then, his gaze shifted and fell on Veronica, only to see her looking back at him.


    Their eyes met, and Veronica''s watery eyes were filled with guilt and self-me. "Xavier, I''m sorry."


    She really was sorry.


    She had deceived him.


    Since the moment Matthew faked his death, Xavier believed it to be true, letting go of his hatred


    towards Matthew and feeling deeply for Veronica. He even married Antheena to protect Veronica.


    Yet, Xavier never expected that Veronica and Matthew would act together, holding a grand funeral and


    deceiving everyone, including him!


    At this moment, disappointment and irony flooded his heart, and heughed at himself, feeling like a


    fool being yed around by them.


    Xavier''s eyes went from a vibrant spring to a deste winter instantly, bing dull and lifeless.


    Feelings of sadness, ridicule, and self-mockery gave him a sense of decadence, and it deeply hurt


    Veronica.


    Feeling much better physically, Veronica sat up, lifting the nket. "I didn''t mean to hide it from you. I''m


    really sorry."


    Caught between Matthew and Xavier, Veronica was in pain.


    On one side was her beloved, while on the other was the person who had risked his life multiple times


    to save her.

 Chapter 1243

    Chapter 1243


    Chapter 1243 Complications


    Xavier had been despicable to her before, but since then, it seemed he was trying his best to make up


    for it, and Veronica could see it all.


    So, her feelings toward Xavier were also highlyplicated. She was cautious, yet he always made


    her inexplicably relieved.


    Matthew noticed Veronica''s pained expression, prompting him to turn and look at Xavier. "Thank you


    for saving Roni."


    He had always been clear about his likes and dislikes.


    Whether it was the conflict or the hatred between him and Xavier, it had nothing to do with Xavier


    saving Veronica.


    "Get out! Take her and get out of here!"


    Xavier suppressed his emotions and gritted his teeth.


    "Who do you think you are? You let us¡­"


    "Shut up!"


    Skyler was dissatisfied with Xavier''s attitude and was about to retort, but Matthew reprimanded him


    before he could finish.


    Then, Matthew bent down and picked Veronica up before walking out.


    Leaning in Matthew''s arms, Veronica kept her eyes on Xavier, feeling a trace of bitterness in her heart


    and a sense of guilt.


    Xavier''s gaze was cold as he turned and walked to the window in the living room. He silently took out a


    cigarette, lit it, and started smoking.


    Veronica looked at his silhouette and felt a deep sadness. She couldn''t help but feel sorry for him.


    The three of them left the hotel and drove toward the One Piece Restaurant.


    As they left, a car parked at the hotel entrance, and a person got out of the car with a loud m of the


    door.


    After going upstairs, the person appeared outside Xavier''s suite and knocked on the door impatiently.


    Xavier, with a cigarette in his mouth, slowly turned around and opened the door.


    As soon as he saw the person standing outside the door, he was suddenly pped hard in the face,


    causing his cheek to turn to the side, burning with pain.


    Due to inertia, Xavier''s bangs were thrown to the front, scattering across his forehead.


    The cigarette in his mouth was also knocked away, and it fell to the ground. The tip of the cigarette


    suddenly lit up before gradually dimming.


    "Sebastian, have you gone crazy? For that b*tch Veronica, you dare to hit Zac? Do you want to get my


    father and I killed?"


    Antheena was burning with anger, her eyes turning red.


    It was not because of grievances but because of anger.


    Her heart and eyes were filled with nothing but Xavier. She saved him from the fire, brought him to the


    castle, and became a general under her father''smand. She even married Xavier.


    As for the man, his heart was only filled with Veronica.


    "Ha!"


    Xavier prodded his burning left cheek with the tip of his tongue. He was not angry. Instead, he was


    smiling¡ªa wicked smile at that.


    He raised his eyes and looked at Antheena with a cold gaze. "Well done."


    He turned around and walked to the sofa in the living room, silently smoking his cigarette.


    From beginning to end, he had no intention of exining anything to Antheena, and he didn''t even


    want to say a word.


    Seeing Xavier sitting on the sofa as he silently smoked with a look of sorrow, Antheena started to regret


    her actions and felt heartbroken.


    She raised her right hand, which she had just used to hit the man, and felt the burning heat in her palm,


    indicating how much force she had used.


    Xavier was the man she loved deeply, but he had never loved her.


    Antheena stood still for a while, then walked in and closed the door to the living room.


    She sat down next to Xavier, resting her hand on his cheek as she gently stroked the clear red marks,


    feeling tight in her throat. "It''s my fault. Just now¡­ I was impulsive. It must hurt a lot, right?"


    Antheena was so worried about Xavier that she didn''t even notice that her voice had be hoarse.


    As for Xavier, he didn''t answer Antheena. He continued to smoke one cigarette after another, staring


    straight ahead with empty eyes.


    Antheena hugged him, leaning her head on his shoulder as she murmured, "I shouldn''t have hit you.


    I''m sorry. I''m really sorry. I¡­ I just love you too much and care about you too much. We''ve been


    together for so long, but you''ve never said that you love me. You''ve never touched me, not even a


    kiss."Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1244

    Chapter 1244


    Chapter 1244 Pleading for Xavier


    "Do you know that I am a person with emotions?


    "But why? I have never despised you, but you only have Veronica in your heart. I''m afraid¡­ I''m afraid


    that if Matthew dies, you will have hope for Veronica again and want to be with her.


    "Sebastian, it''s my fault¡­ I''m sorry¡­ I''m really in love with you¡­ Utterly in love with you¡­"


    Princess Antheena, the noble daughter of the ck Ace Mob''s leader, was a precious gem admired by


    many.


    But she chose Xavier Crawford among the many outstanding people who liked her and never looked


    back.


    In the eyes of outsiders, Antheena was cold and cruel, yet noble and calm.


    Only in the face of Xavier, his silent and profound demeanor fascinated her.


    Especially the scar on his incredibly handsome face added a touch of maturity and stability that came


    with time, exuding a charming charm that she loved.


    Because of this deep-rooted love, Antheena loved him humbly.


    As Xavier listened to Antheena''s confession, his hand holding the cigarette trembled slightly. He leaned


    forward slightly and extinguished the cigarette on the ashtray.


    Then, he turned around, pressed Antheena onto the sofa, and leaned down to kiss her lips.


    His sudden kiss stunned Antheena for a while before she came back to her senses.


    Since their marriage, he had always kept his distance from her. Even the kiss on the wedding day was


    just a symbolic kiss on her forehead as he held her hand.


    Their intimacy had always been limited to this.


    Therefore, Xavier''s bted kiss shocked and excited Antheena. She was stunned for several seconds


    before she wrapped her arms around Xavier''s neck and kissed him back.


    The temperature in the room suddenly rose, and the tenderness turned into a zing fire, sessfully


    making up for the regret in Antheena''s heart.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Antheena thought that her confession had touched Xavier, causing him to have feelings for her.


    Little did she know that it was Xavier''s disappointment caused by Veronica''s deception that created a


    strong contrast with Antheena''s goodness toward him, making his heart ache for Antheena at a certain


    moment, thus "fulfilling" her.


    ¡­


    One Piece Restaurant.


    When Veronica was carried back to the room by Matthew, her body had already returned to normal,


    and she could move freely.


    But Matthew kept holding Veronica''s hand tightly, unwilling to let go.


    "Matt, I''m fine."


    She brushed his hand away before walking off and taking a seat. She was about to pour herself some


    water. However, Matthew had already taken the kettle and poured a cup of warm water for Veronica.


    "Drink some water."


    "Okay."


    She picked up the cup and drank the water, but her gaze was fixed on the cup on the table, lost in


    thought.


    Even after she finished drinking all the water in the cup, she still held it to her mouth, unaware there


    was no water in it.


    Matthew saw her absent-mindedness and furrowed his brows. "Is Xavier so important to you?"


    He was overwhelmed with jealousy.


    Veronica snapped out of her thoughts. Putting the cup in her hand, she lowered her head and sighed. "I


    deceived him."


    "So, if you were given another chance, would you choose to tell him the truth?" Matthew asked in


    return.


    Veronica shook her head. "I don''t know."


    There was a deep hatred between Matthew and Xavier. However, one was her beloved husband while


    the other was her benefactor, so Veronica really didn''t know what to do.


    "Rest well. I''m going out for a while."


    Matthew turned and walked outside.


    Veronica tensed upon seeing that. She suddenly stood up, grabbed Matthew''s hand, and pleaded for


    Xavier. "Let Xavier go!"


    She anxiously begged on Xavier''s behalf.


    Matthew paused. His expression instantly darkened, and he slowly turned around. "What did you say?"

 Chapter 1245

    Chapter 1245


    Chapter 1245 Entanglements


    "Matt, for my sake, can you spare Xavier?" Veronica pleaded.


    Veronica didn''t want to see the two of them fight because she didn''t know who she should help.


    "Spare Xavier?" Matthew repeated Veronica''s words, a hint of pain appearing in his brown eyes behind


    the colored contact lenses.


    The two of them locked eyes for a few seconds, and the man''s lips curled into a sarcastic smirk. "You


    care about him that much?"


    Sensing Matthew''s cold expression, Veronica lowered her head in guilt, unable to meet his gaze.


    After waiting for a while and not getting a response from her, he assumed her answer.


    Matthew''s face grew even colder, and he brushed away Veronica''s hand that was holding his left wrist.


    Veronica instinctively tightened her grip on his other wrist with her right hand.


    Yet, in the end, he heartlessly pushed her away.


    With that, he turned and walked away.


    Veronica panicked and raised her voice. "Matt, please, I''m begging you."


    The man, who had just stepped out of the room, paused his steps. His body stiffened, and a cold air


    enveloped him in an instant.


    His fists clenched tightly by his sides, indicating his anger.


    The two of them stood there in a stalemate for a long time.


    In the end, Matthew took a step forward and left while Veronica remained motionless.


    Downstairs, Skyler returned to his room, and a bored Shirley sat in front of theputer, ying


    games.


    When she heard someoneing back, she immediately left the study and saw Skyler returning. She


    smiled and asked, "You''re back?"


    Skyler nced at the living room, where every light was on, and theputer was still ying loud


    external sounds.


    He understood that Shirley was unfamiliar with the hidden n and was afraid of the darkness here.


    "Were you waiting for me?" Skyler had a strange illusion, feeling like Shirley was a wife waiting for her


    husband to return.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    This feeling was incredible.


    Bringing her to the hidden n was indeed the right decision.


    "Huh?" Shirley was taken aback. She carefully pondered over Skyler''s words, feeling that something


    was off, and it made her mind wander involuntarily.


    She shook her head. "No, nothing. I was just ying games alone and wanted you to y with me."


    "Is that so?" Skyler smirked mischievously, his wicked smile captivating.


    "Yes, of course. Ourpany develops games, and it would be beneficial for me to learn more about


    games while I have some free time."


    She came up with a reasonable excuse.


    "Alright, then. Let''s go y games." Skyler took a step forward. He raised his hand to ruffle Shirley''s


    hair, then naturally ced his hand on her neck and embraced her as they walked toward the study.


    The intimate and ambiguous gesture made Shirley feel ufortable, and she pushed his arm away,


    saying, "Young Master Skyler, please¡­ please behave. Don''t forget that you have a fianc¨¦e."


    Skyler''s smile froze on his face, and he red at Shirley with a cold expression. "Behave? You climbed


    into my bed and slept with me, and then you sneaked into my roomst night, wanting to share a room


    with me. Did you think about behaving then?"


    This carefree woman always burns her bridges!


    He couldn''t take it anymore.


    "I¡­ I¡­" Shirley''s cheeks turned red, and she pursed her lips. "I''ve exined it many times. That day


    was really just an ident."


    She didn''t want to dwell on the past.


    She had to admit that she liked Skyler, but she was well aware that it was impossible between them


    due to their different backgrounds.


    Not to mention, Skyler was engaged to Sofia Green.


    That day, Shirley was in a bad mood. She consumed alcohol and came home drunk. She wanted to


    see if she had really driven Skyler away, so she opened the door to his bedroom.


    Little did she know that Skyler hadn''t left.


    Feeling drunk, she felt that after being beaten by Sofia at First Meeting, her pride was battered, and


    she felt aggrieved. And so, she pounced on Skyler and started hitting him.

 Chapter 1246

    Chapter 1246


    Chapter 1246 Angering the Man


    But as they were fighting, she caught a glimpse of Skyler''s face, which fascinated her, and she took the


    initiative to kiss him.


    After that, Shirley had no idea what had happened.


    All she knew was that she woke up leaning against Skyler''s chest the next day, feeling extremely sore


    all over her body. She vaguely felt a swelling sensation in a certain area, and she realized that they


    were still connected.


    Although almost a year had passed, Shirley still felt embarrassed whenever she thought of that day.


    "Can you avoid responsibility just by saying it wasn''t intentional?"


    Skyler grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the bedroom. "Come here. I think we need to have a


    serious talk!"


    "Hey! Skyler, w-what are you doing? Can''t we talk in the living room? Do we have to go to the


    bedroom?!"


    Shirley struggled hard, trying to free herself from his grip. However, he was too strong. Not only could


    she not break free, but his grip also made her bones ache.


    In the bedroom, Skyler pressed on Shirley''s shoulders and made her take a seat. He then took off one


    shoe and put his foot on the bed. Leaning on his elbow, he held her face in his hand as he asked,


    "Since you want to separate things so clearly, pray tell, how should we take responsibility, hmm?"


    Thest syble was drawn out.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Shirley thought Skyler was joking, but he had a serious expression and showed no signs of fooling


    around.


    "It''s been almost a year." She pouted.


    "It''s only ten months and twenty-one days. How can it be a year?"


    He deliberately blew air on her cheek, causing her hair to flutter, and a few yful strands of hair


    stered to her cheek, making her look innocent and cute.


    "Oh¡­"


    Shirley didn''t expect Skyler to remember things so clearly. Her mind raced, and she made an excuse.


    "You are surrounded by beautiful women, having romantic rtionships every day. Do you have to take


    responsibility for each one of them?"


    Listening to Skyler''s words, Shirley inexplicably felt that this b*stard was making a fortune by extorting


    women.


    Skyler''s expression darkened when he heard that. He released his grip on her cheek, clenched his fist,


    and poked her heart with his index finger. "Am I so promiscuous in your heart?"


    Shirley shook her head.


    Seeing her shake her head caused Skyler''s expression to soften slightly.


    She added, "It''s not just me¡ªeveryone in Bloomstead knows."


    Skyler was at a loss for words.


    He gritted his teeth, feeling so angry that he was starting to get amused. "Don''t say I''m not that kind of


    person. Even if I am, it''s me sleeping with others, not being slept with. When I sleep with others, I give


    them money, and when others sleep with me, they naturally have to give me money."


    He raised an eyebrow as he taunted, "Have you figured out how much money you want to give me?"


    "Money? I have that."


    Shirley became serious.


    She immediately reached out to touch her phone, only to realize that it wasn''t by her side.


    So, she tilted her head, bit her lip, and thought about it. "The money in my bank card and PayPal is


    about 12,000. Is that enough?"


    At this moment, Skyler clenched his teeth hard and almost broke them.


    "Who gave you the illusion that I''m worth 10,000 for one night?" He resisted the impulse to strangle


    Shirley as he growled, "I give other women five million for one night."


    "Five million? That much? In that case, should you also give me five million for that time at Brennan


    Manor?"


    Shirley had a premonition that Skyler would definitely say that if he gave other women five million for


    one night, then she, too, should at least give him five million topensate him.


    Hence, she spoke quickly.


    "Hahaha!" Skylerughed in anger. Seems like I have underestimated this little brat!

 Chapter 1247

    Chapter 1247


    ¡­


    "Thest time we were at the Brennan Manor, itsted less than an hour. I''ll have you know that the


    women who manage to sleep with me usually keep mepany for at least a week. There are 24


    hours in a day and 168 hours in a week. If we divide five million into hours, that should be¡­"


    He calcted seriously. "A little over 29,000. Let''s round it up to thirty thousand. Since we''re talking


    about money, let''s see how much you owe me now."


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "As a benefactor, the price for sleeping with me should be at least ten times what I give to other


    women, which is fifty million. You slept with me for a whole night, and we''ve been together for over a


    week."


    Skyler smirked, his thin lips curling up as he stretched out his palm. "If you settle the amount now, I


    won''t hold it against you. Pay up."


    "F-Fifty million?"


    Shirley realized she had been tricked. Was it toote for regrets?


    "That''s right," he answered.


    "I... I told you I only have 12,000."


    "How do you n on repaying me, then?" Skyler tilted his head, a mischievous smile on his face.


    "Since you insist on making things difficult, I''ll oblige."


    Shirley''s face dropped, and she pursed her red lips, scratching her head helplessly. "I''m really short on


    money."


    "Is that so? That''s easy. Why don''t youpensate with something else?"


    "You..."


    Shirley blushed, her voice barely audible as she muttered, "How shameless."


    "Me? Shameless? If I were truly shameless, I would''ve sold you to someone else to pay off the debt.


    Do you think I''d be this patient?"


    He snorted coldly.


    Shirley pouted, lowered her head in grievance, and dared not speak again.


    After a while, she murmured, "You already have a fianc¨¦e. What you''re doing is not fair to her."


    "Did you not realize the truth back at the Brennan Manor the other night?"


    That fateful night at the Brennan Manor, Skyler and Shirley had been going at it in the bathroom while


    Sofia stood right outside the door.


    She knew exactly what they were doing but didn''t barge in to stop them.


    Sofia''s stance was clear. She knew she had wronged Skyler, so she didn''t care about his private life.


    "No, you''re just twisting things around."


    Everything clicked in Shirley''s mind suddenly, and she red at him with furrowed brows. "Although I


    was in the wrong that night, I was the one being taken advantage of afterward. We''re even!"


    Skyler was speechless. How did she suddenlye to her senses?


    "Hmph, you''re a liar!"


    Shirley became furious, feeling that her trust in Skyler had disappeared instantly.


    She pushed him away and got up to leave at once.


    Bang!


    The door to the living room mmed shut, and even the windows shook.


    Skyler furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "Is she really angry?"


    He initially nned on coaxing Shirley, but after considering it, why should he apologize to that little


    brat who only knew how to anger him? He was confident she''de to himter that night!


    Later that night, at 1 a.m., Skyler tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.


    It had been several hours since Shirley left, but she hadn''te looking for him.


    She was afraid of the dark but even more fearful of him. Did she rather endure the night''s torment than


    look for him?


    This thought made Skyler inexplicably annoyed by this small room. He suddenly sat up from the bed,


    restlessly ran his hand through his hair, and got out of bed.


    He took out a cigarette from the cigarette box on the table, lit it, and held it in his mouth as he paced


    back and forth inside the room.


    It wasn''t until he finished smoking the cigarette in his hand that he walked toward the door, wanting to


    check on Shirley in the next room.


    However, when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, pondered for a moment, and


    turned to look at the window.


    His bedroom was next to Shirley''s living room. Instead of going through the door, why not climb over


    from there to check on the woman?

 Chapter 1248

    Chapter 1248


    Chapter 1248 Scared Sh*tless


    In case she was sound asleep, it would seem like he was being presumptuous if he woke her up by


    knocking on the door.


    In cese she wes sound esleep, it would seem like he wes being presumptuous if he woke her up by


    knocking on the door.


    After much thought, Skyler decided egeinst it. He turned eround, went to the bedroom, pushed open


    the window, end climbed out.


    The hidden clen''s house wes designed like en encient building with distinct feetures. After climbing out


    of the window end stepping on the green bricks end tiles, he eesily mede his wey to Shirley''s living


    room.


    Her room''s window wes helf open. He pushed the window sesh open end quietly entered the living


    room.


    While stending in the living room, he feintly heerd e sounding from the bedroom.


    He couldn''t help but feel confused. It wes lete, so why hedn''t she gone to sleep yet?


    Skyler welked towerd the bedroom end pushed open the door gently. Only then did he reelize thet the


    bedside lemp in the bedroom hed been on the whole time, end there wes elso e phone pleying hidden


    clen songs thet he couldn''t understend.


    The bedding wes ell messed up, but there wes no sign of Shirley.


    All of e sudden, Skyler penicked. Where''s Shirley?


    He went to the bethroom end pushed the door open, but no one wes inside. He then turned end welked


    out of the bedroom end went to the study, only to find it empty es well.


    "Shirley?"


    Skyler celled out, but there wes no response.


    He wes even more worried ebout Shirley now, so he returned to the bedroom, wenting to see if he


    could find eny clues on her whereebouts.


    Stending in the bedroom, Skyler cerefully observed every deteil in the room, but he didn''t find eny signs


    of struggle.


    In case she was sound asleep, it would seem like he was being presumptuous if he woke her up by


    knocking on the door.


    In casa sha was sound aap, it would saam lika ha was baing prasumptuous if ha woka har up by


    knocking on tha door.


    Aftar much thought, Skr dacidad against it. Ha turnad around, want to tha badroom, pushad opan


    tha window, and climbad out.


    Tha hiddan n''s housa was dasignad lika an anciant building with distinct faaturas. Aftar climbing out


    of tha window and stapping on tha graan bricks and ts, ha aasily mada his way to Shiy''s living


    room.


    Har room''s window was half opan. Ha pushad tha window sash opan and quiatly antarad tha living


    room.


    Wh standing in tha living room, ha faintly haard a sounding from tha badroom.


    Ha couldn''t halp but faal confusad. It wasta, so why hadn''t sha gona to ap yat?


    Skr walkad toward tha badroom and pushad opan tha door gantly. Only than did ha raaliza that tha


    badsidamp in tha badroom had baan on tha wh tima, and thara was also a phona ying hiddan


    n songs that ha couldn''t undarstand.


    Tha badding was all massad up, but thara was no sign of Shiy.


    All of a suddan, Skr panickad. Whara''s Shiy?


    Ha want to tha bathroom and pushad tha door opan, but no ona was insida. Ha than turnad and walkad


    out of tha badroom and want to tha study, only to find it ampty as wall.


    "Shiy?"


    Skr cad out, but thara was no rasponsa.


    Ha was avan mora worriad about Shiy now, so ha raturnad to tha badroom, wanting to saa if ha


    could find any cluas on har wharaabouts.


    Standing in tha badroom, Skr carafully obsarvad avary datail in tha room, but ha didn''t find any signs


    of strug.


    Where has she gone off to?


    Where has she gone off to?


    Just as he was pondering, he noticed the wardrobe shifting slightly.


    He furrowed his brows and nced at the ashtray on the bedside table. He picked it up, held it in his


    hand, and walked slowly toward the wardrobe.


    Standing next to the wardrobe, he listened quietly for any movement inside. When he heard no sound,


    he reached out and grabbed the handle of the door, drawing it open abruptly.


    "Ah!"


    A sharp scream came from inside.


    Only then did Skyler see Shirley crouched in a corner of the wardrobe, her head buried between her


    knees as she trembled.


    The ashtray in Skyler''s hand fell to the ground with a thud. He grabbed Shirley''s arm and pulled her


    out, saying, "Shirley, it''s me!"


    Terrified, Shirley looked up and saw Skyler standing there. She hugged him tightly, burying her head in


    his chest as she cried silently.


    When Shirley threw herself into his arms, Skyler finally noticed that she was soaked with sweat, and


    her back was drenched.


    Seeing Shirley''s pitiful appearance stirred up Skyler''s protective instincts. For some reason, his throat


    tightened, and his heart ached.


    He beat himself up for it, thinking he shouldn''t have deliberately teased Shirley earlier that night.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been scared to this extent.


    "Silly girl, don''t be afraid. I''m here."


    He held her waist with one hand and gently ran his fingers through her hair,forting her


    continuously.


    Where hos she gone off to?


    Just os he wos pondering, he noticed the wordrobe shifting slightly.


    He furrowed his brows ond glonced ot the oshtroy on the bedside toble. He picked it up, held it in his


    hond, ond wolked slowly toword the wordrobe.


    Stonding next to the wordrobe, he listened quietly for ony movement inside. When he heord no sound,


    he reoched out ond grobbed the hondle of the door, drowing it open obruptly.


    "Ah!"


    A shorp screome from inside.


    Only then did Skyler see Shirley crouched in o corner of the wordrobe, her heod buried between her


    knees os she trembled.


    The oshtroy in Skyler''s hond fell to the ground with o thud. He grobbed Shirley''s orm ond pulled her


    out, soying, "Shirley, it''s me!"


    Terrified, Shirley looked up ond sow Skyler stonding there. She hugged him tightly, burying her heod in


    his chest os she cried silently.


    When Shirley threw herself into his orms, Skyler finolly noticed thot she wos sooked with sweot, ond


    her bock wos drenched.


    Seeing Shirley''s pitiful oppeoronce stirred up Skyler''s protective instincts. For some reoson, his throot


    tightened, ond his heort oched.


    He beot himself up for it, thinking he shouldn''t hove deliberotely teosed Shirley eorlier thot night.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t hove been scored to this extent.


    "Silly girl, don''t be ofroid. I''m here."


    He held her woist with one hond ond gently ron his fingers through her hoir,forting her


    continuously.


    Where has she gone off to?


    Just as he was pondering, he noticed the wardrobe shifting slightly.


    Whara has sha gona off to?


    Just as ha was pondaring, ha noticad tha wardroba shifting slightly.


    Ha furrowad his brows and ncad at tha ashtray on tha badsida ta. Ha pickad it up, hald it in his


    hand, and walkad slowly toward tha wardroba.


    Standing naxt to tha wardroba, ha listanad quiatly for any movamant insida. Whan ha haard no sound,


    ha raachad out and grabbad tha han of tha door, drawing it opan abruptly.


    "Ah!"


    A sharp scraam cama from insida.


    Only than did Skr saa Shiy crouchad in a cornar of tha wardroba, har haad buriad batwaan har


    knaas as sha tramd.


    Tha ashtray in Skr''s hand fall to tha ground with a thud. Ha grabbad Shiy''s arm and pud har


    out, saying, "Shiy, it''s ma!"


    Tarrifiad, Shiy lookad up and saw Skr standing thara. Sha huggad him tightly, burying har haad in


    his chast as sha criad sntly.


    Whan Shiy thraw harsalf into his arms, Skr finally noticad that sha was soakad with swaat, and


    har back was dranchad.


    Saaing Shiy''s pitiful appaaranca stirrad up Skr''s protactiva instincts. For soma raason, his throat


    tightanad, and his haart achad.


    Ha baat himsalf up for it, thinking ha shouldn''t hava dalibarataly taasad Shiy aarliar that night.


    Otharwisa, sha wouldn''t hava baan scarad to this axtant.


    "Silly girl, don''t ba afraid. I''m hara."


    Ha hald har waist with ona hand and gantly ran his fingars through har hair,forting har


    continuously.


    "So, it was you who came in. You scared me..."


    Shirley choked between sobs.


    Unable to fall asleep due to her fear of the dark, Shirley kept the lights on and yed some music.


    However, as soon as she fell asleep, she had a series of nightmares, leaving her still shaken.


    Who would have known that she would hear the faint voice outside, which frightened her so much that


    she immediately hid inside the wardrobe?


    When she heard someone calling her name, she was so anxious that she couldn''t recognize Skyler''s


    voice. She even thought she was hallucinating.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Little did she know it was just Skyler.


    "Alright, everything''s fine. I''ll keep youpany. I''ll stay here with you¡­"


    Skyler nodded, let go of her, then held her hand. "If you''re scared here, let''s go to my room. Don''t


    worry, I''ll¡­ go easy on you."


    Since he promised not to fool around, Shirley didn''t refuse either. She quietly followed Skyler to his


    adjacent suite.


    After arguing with Skyler several hours ago, she returned to her own bedroom, thinking that she had


    enough integrity to endure the night and gradually adapt to the darkness.


    However, she had overestimated herself.


    Now that Skyler hade to check on her, Shirley couldn''t wait to go down the stairs and quickly


    escape the cold and eerie room.


    He had expected her toe over at night, so he did not lock his bedroom door. This made it


    convenient for the two of them to enter.


    "So, it wes you who ceme in. You scered me..."


    Shirley choked between sobs.


    Uneble to fell esleep due to her feer of the derk, Shirley kept the lights on end pleyed some music.


    However, es soon es she fell esleep, she hed e series of nightmeres, leeving her still sheken.


    Who would heve known thet she would heer the feint voice outside, which frightened her so much thet


    she immedietely hid inside the werdrobe?


    When she heerd someone celling her neme, she wes so enxious thet she couldn''t recognize Skyler''s


    voice. She even thought she wes hellucing.


    Little did she know it wes just Skyler.


    "Alright, everything''s fine. I''ll keep youpeny. I''ll stey here with you¡­"


    Skyler nodded, let go of her, then held her hend. "If you''re scered here, let''s go to my room. Don''t


    worry, I''ll¡­ go eesy on you."


    Since he promised not to fool eround, Shirley didn''t refuse either. She quietly followed Skyler to his


    edjecent suite.


    After erguing with Skyler severel hours ego, she returned to her own bedroom, thinking thet she hed


    enough integrity to endure the night end greduelly edept to the derkness.


    However, she hed overestimeted herself.


    Now thet Skyler hede to check on her, Shirley couldn''t weit to go down the steirs end quickly


    escepe the cold end eerie room.


    He hed expected her toe over et night, so he did not lock his bedroom door. This mede it


    convenient for the two of them to enter.


    "So, it was you who came in. You scared me..."


    Shirley choked between sobs.

 Chapter 1249

    Chapter 1249


    Chapter 1249 Her Haunting Past


    With Shirley in tow, Skyler went to the bedroom and pulled her to sit on the bed. He made her lean


    against the headboard.


    Seeing sweat on her face, he went to the bathroom and grabbed a soaked towel. Then, he sat next to


    her and intimately wiped the sweat off her face.


    Shirley was still in shock, and even though Skyler was caring and gentle toward her, she didn''t pay


    much attention.


    Skyler noticed Shirley wasn''t fine, so he ced the towel on the table and sat cross-legged on the bed,


    asking, "Tell me, why are you so afraid of the dark? When you were in Bloomstead, you weren''t this


    scared." Skyler knew Shirley was timid and afraid of the dark, but he was surprised by her exaggerated


    response aftering to the hidden n.


    "I... I..."


    Shirley bit her lip slightly, recalling past events in her mind as she nervously looked around.


    After sensing Shirley''s difort, Skyler''s heart ached.


    "It''s a long story..."


    Shirley sighed and continued, "Over ten years ago, I encountered evil spirits. Back then, I could see my


    deceased grandfather haunting me day or night. Also, I wasn''t in the pinkest of health. I was fine during


    the day, but I had a high fever one night. My parents took me to the hospital, but the doctor said it was


    just a fever and only gave me an IV drip."


    She added, "Even after receiving treatment for half a month, nothing changed. The same thing


    happened when we switched to another hospital. Later on, my parents realized it might''ve been an evil


    spirit, so they contacted a well-known shaman in the area. ording to the shaman, I had a weak aura


    and came into contact with something evil, so I was given a cure and told to sleep with a kitchen knife


    under my pillow at night."


    "Sure enough, after that day, I couldn''t see my deceased grandfather anymore, the fever subsided, and


    life returned to normal."


    At this point, Shirley paused. "My family lived in a remote countryside area, and back then, every


    household had wooden or bamboo houses, which are simr to the houses here. That''s why I became


    terrified aftering here."


    Since she lived in poverty during childhood, the people in Shirley''s hometown lived in wooden or


    bamboo houses. As time went on, those wooden and bamboo houses were reced by modern


    buildings.


    As such, Shirley had almost forgotten the terrifying memories of her childhood until she came to the


    hidden n and saw the people''s clothing and wooden houses. Everything seemed to return to her


    younger, darker days.


    Combined with the terrifying yet real stories she heard when she was younger, Shirley became afraid in


    this unfamiliar environment.


    "So that''s what it is."


    Skyler secretly sighed in relief andforted Shirley, saying, "It''s all in the past, so everything will be


    fine."


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Listening to Shirley talking about her past, Skyler didn''t find it unbelievable.


    After all, he had a friend who experienced something simr years ago. Having been frightened, he had


    a high fever that couldn''t be subdued until he reached out to a few shamans.


    But whether it was due to excessive fright causing the hallucinations or if such souls existed, Skyler


    couldn''t say for sure.


    He just felt guilty for bringing Shirley to the hidden n.


    His heart ached even more, especially when he saw her pale face as she trembled in the wardrobe.


    "Tomorrow''s a new day. Let''s go out for a walk, okay?"


    He wanted to take Shirley to a nearby church tomorrow. They would pray for her safety and give her


    peace of mind, perhaps even boosting her courage.


    "Okay," Shirley replied.


    Skyler moved closer, sitting beside her as he leaned against the headboard.


    Then, he thought of something and smiled, saying, "By the way, I suddenly remembered a funny story


    from my childhood. When I was young, my parents were busy with work every day and had no time to


    keep mepany. I was mischievous and tried to attract their attention, hoping they would spend more


    time with me, but nothing worked. Once, they promised they''d celebrate my birthday with me, but they


    took off the moment they received a call from work. My birthday party hadn''t even begun."


    He continued, "I felt terribly wronged that day, so I hid in my room and cried for a long time. After that, I


    decided to run away from home."

 Chapter 1250

    Chapter 1250


    Chapter 1250 His Raging Hormones


    "In the middle of the night, I carried my backpack and walked out of the Brennan Manor with my husky,


    confidently beginning my escapade. Who would''ve known¡­"


    Skyler was still telling his story when he suddenly noticed that the woman in his arms was leaning to


    the side. He supported her and saw that Shirley had fallen asleep.


    She was sleeping soundly, probably exhausted from the tension earlier that night.


    While gently holding Shirley, he ced her t on the bed. Skylery next to her quietly, then covered


    her with a thin nket.


    As he looked at the sleeping woman, her peaceful appearance made him inexplicably moved.


    His fingers brushed away the hair on her cheek to her ear, revealing her fair and delicate skin, which


    was as smooth and tender as the finest jade. Her lips were rosy, and her teeth were white, giving off a


    serene and lovely aura.


    Thump. Thump.


    Skyler''s heartbeat elerated, and he couldn''t help but gulp. Unable to resist, he leaned down and


    kissed her lips.


    As his lips touched hers, a slight coolness and a hint of sweetness enveloped him. It was soft and


    tender like jelly, making him somewhat infatuated.


    "Mmm..."


    Shirley, who was sleeping, felt disturbed and moved her cheek to the side, turning over and finding a


    comfortable position to continue sleeping.


    Skyler remained with his hands propped on the bed, maintaining his previous posture while looking at


    Shirley''s back. He couldn''t help but shake his head as he suppressed a smile.


    "Skyler, you''re a beast."


    He exhaled, feeling the burning sensation in his abdomen. He got out of bed, went to the bathroom,


    and took a cold shower.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As Skyler stood under the showerhead, the cool water fell on his body, relieving the heat.


    His body temperature returned to normal after a while, so he put on his pajamas and returned to bed.


    Skylery next to her again, but it was torturous to be so close to a beauty like her.


    He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep for a long time, so he had to move to the edge of the bed to


    sleep.


    The bed was six feet wide, with over three feet between them.


    However, as hey on his side, Skyler''s gaze remained fixed on Shirley. Unable to resist the itch in his


    heart, he moved closer to her and embraced the woman in his arms.


    If you scare her again, she might really run away this time. Where could she possibly run, though? In


    the vast hidden n, where would she run to when she''s not familiar with the ce? No, be a


    gentleman. Don''t be petty! Should I, though? We''ve already done it back at the Brennan Manor the


    other day, so what difference does it make now? Besides, she was the one who climbed onto your bed


    voluntarily back then.


    "D*mn it!"


    Skyler felt like he was about to go crazy, so he lifted the nket and got up, then headed to the living


    room.


    As he sat in the living room, he grabbed a bottle of wine out of boredom and drank alone.


    The wine didn''t intoxicate him, but he was in a stupor.


    Perhaps it was the strong aftereffect of the hidden n''s special wine. After drinking two whole bottles


    of it, he felt dizzy while his head pounded. He got up and went back to the room to rest.


    Upon entering the room, he caught sight of Shirley and leaned over.


    While lying beside her, he reached out and embraced Shirley, smelling the faint fragrance on her body.


    He turned her over and ced his hands on both sides of her face, looking at the person he had been


    thinking about day and night. Unable to control his emotions, he leaned in and kissed her.


    The kiss was shallow initially, but it soon became passionate and fiery.


    Shirley thought she was having an embarrassing dream in her deep slumber until she felt the


    sensation, which eventually woke her up.


    When she opened her eyes, she saw Skyler''s handsome face. Meanwhile, the man was absorbed in


    kissing her.


    "Mmm... Skyler..."


    She called his name and pushed him away, but he tightly held onto her. "Don''t¡­ push me away,


    Shirley¡­"

 Chapter 1251

    Chapter 1251


    Chapter 1251 You¡¯re the One I Like


    Upon hearing his words, Shirley, who had been resisting, was stunned for a moment.


    She realized his eyes were burning with desire as he whispered, "Do you know why I brought you to


    the hidden n?"


    "W-Why?" she asked.


    "That''s because¡­ I-I like you. I''m afraid Garrick, that old fox, might use you, and I''m even more afraid


    that you''ll be deceived by Wade, that lover boy. You were the one who entered my heart and my bed.


    Y-You have to take responsibility for this, Shirley."


    His actions never stopped, and his intoxication fueled his passionate confession.


    Of course, it could also be the truth spoken after getting drunk.


    Shirley forgot to struggle momentarily and took in his words, feeling her heart pounding. "I-It''s


    impossible between us. You have Sofia. She is your fianc¨¦e."


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Sofia and I¡­ never. We will never get married, for the person I like is¡­ you¡­"


    As soon as Skyler finished speaking, he leaned down and kissed her lips again, his hands intertwined


    with hers.


    "Skyler, you''re drunk," Shirley reminded him.


    "I don''t care. I want you," he answered, bing even more reckless.


    Shirley''s mind went nk, wanting to resist, but her body''sfort made her surrender.


    She told herself to stay sober, but her liking for Skyler overwhelmed her rationality, making her want to


    indulgepletely.


    Isn''t life all about going with the flow? Well, it''s just this once!


    She would indulge herself this one time!


    In her heart, she admonished herself, then raised her hand to hold Skyler''s neck, taking the initiative


    instead of being passive.


    Amidst the silence, they cooperated repeatedly until they were finally satisfied, after which they


    embraced each other and fell asleep.


    Shirley''s heart continued to race, and she was extremely clear-headed.


    She told herself that Skyler was drunk, and when he woke up tomorrow, he would surely forget


    everything.


    As such, she waited quietly for the man beside her to emit steady breaths before she carefully moved


    away from Skyler''s hands and slowly got up, getting ready to flee the scene.


    However, as soon as she got up, Skyler pulled her back with one hand and pressed her directly onto


    the bed. "Running away as soon as we''re done, eh?"


    Shirley''s eyes widened instantly. "A-Aren''t you drunk?"


    The man''s thin lips curled into a mischievous smile. "I am drunk, but not to the point of being


    completely wasted."


    If he waspletely drunk and unconscious, how could he have done the deed with her?


    "You!"


    Shirley was both embarrassed and angry, her face turning red, not knowing what to say for a moment.


    "What about me?"


    Skyler''s slender fingers hooked her chin, and he leaned closer to bite her lips gently. "Why don''t you tell


    me?"


    "What should I say?"


    "Let''s start with the first time you made a move on me. Were you already interested in me back then?"


    At the time, Skyler observed the woman''s reactions after she woke up, and he clearly saw the struggle


    in Shirley''s eyes.


    It wasn''t until she went from being passive to taking the initiative and calling his name dreamily and


    irresistibly that Skyler realized this little fool also had feelings for him.


    Shirley moved her head away, not daring to look Skyler in the eye. "No¡­ That''s not true."


    The man smirked and leaned closer to her ear. "Your honest body tells me otherwise, though."


    "I..."


    Shirley was speechless, turning her head to re at Skyler.


    As their eyes met, Skyler sensed a wave of anger in her eyes. The woman bellowed, "Yes, I was! Does


    it matter, though? You''re the young master of the Robins, and you have a fianc¨¦e. Even if I like you,


    what can I do? Skyler, I''ve already tried my best to distance myself from you, but you insist on clinging


    to me. Heck, you even brought me to the hidden n!"

 Chapter 1252

    Chapter 1252


    Chapter 1252 Let¡¯s Get Along


    "I''m scared here without Roni by my side. I can only rely on you. What should I do?" Shirley


    comined.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Hearing her words, Skyler felt both distressed and happy. He reached out and touched her cheek. "If I


    like you, I like you. Why worry so much? So what if I''m the young master of the Robins? I haven''t spent


    a penny of my family''s money since high school. My affairs are none of anyone''s business. As for


    Sofia, I''ve told you many times that I won''t marry her. She and I are in the past."


    She shook her head. "Youe from a prestigious family, and there are many things you don''t


    understand. The concept of social status, whether in the past or now, is important." She bit her lip


    hesitantly. "Skyler, after tonight, we''ll be even. I hope you can forget about today. Tomorrow, I''ll find


    Roni and ask her to send me away from here."


    When she first came to the hidden n, she thought Veronica had something important to tell her. After


    tonight, however, she realized that she was unnecessary. Instead of causing trouble here, leaving early


    to save her some hassle would be better.


    "Even?" Skyler grabbed Shirley''s shoulders with big hands, anger shing in his brown eyes. "What do


    you take me for, huh?"


    His sudden fury scared her so much that her heart skipped a beat. She looked at him silently for a long


    time, the fear in her eyes about to overflow. At that, his heart softened, and his voice became gentle.


    "Do you think I''m just ying around?"


    "Isn''t that the case?" she retorted.


    "D*mn it! Am I really that despicable?"


    Shirley did not say anything, but her eyes had already revealed everything. Suppressing the urge to


    strangle her, Skyler restrained his emotions and said, "We can still spend one or two months together


    in the hidden n. Why not try to get along? Maybe it''s not as bad as you think."


    "Try to get along?" she repeated his words, her eyes flickering with hesitation. It had to be said that she


    was utterly moved.


    After her rtionship in high school, she had not been in love for many years. When she saw Skyler,


    she was deeply attracted to this handsome and slightly mischievous man. He was unrestrained and


    casual, mboyant and decadent, but he seemed to have his principles in everything he did. He was


    also a well-known medical genius in Bloomstead.


    A man with such shining qualities made it hard for Shirley not to be moved.


    "Yes, let''s try to get along. If we''re unsuitable, we can break up before returning to Bloomstead. By


    then, we''ll still be friends, and no one will know. Can we do that?" Skyler softened his attitude and


    gently negotiated with her. He appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was excited and nervous,


    secretly praying that Shirley would agree to his request.


    "Skyler."


    "Hmm?"


    Hearing her calling his name, he hummed before she continued, "Ie from a humble background,


    graduated from an ordinary university, have no special talents, and I''m not like Roni, who is skilled and


    even a master hacker. I''m just an ordinary and mediocre person, even timid and stupid. Are you sure


    you can ept someone like me?"


    Their mutual love had appeared long ago, but Shirley did not expect Skyler to confess this way. Her


    rationality told her to reject him, but his proposal of ''trying to get along'' was too tempting, so she was


    deeply moved.


    "Hahaha." Heughed heartily and lightly flicked her forehead with his hand. "I''m looking for someone I


    like, not a business partner. So, I ept your mediocrity,ck of intelligence, and timidity. Because I


    have everything."

 Chapter 1253

    Chapter 1253


    Chapter 1253 Ky


    ''I''m looking for someone I like, not a business partner. So, I ept your mediocrity,ck of intelligence,


    and timidity. Because I have everything.''


    Shirley could not help recalling the words he had said. A sour feeling rose in her heart, and her eyes


    shimmered with tears.


    Seeing her reddened eyes, Skyler froze his smile, inherently engulfed by nervousness. "What''s wrong


    with you? Are you feeling unwell?"


    "Nothing." She shook her head and blinked as tears glistened on her eyshes. "Are you this sweet-


    talking to every woman?"


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Even during her high school rtionship, she had never received a confession like this. Skyler was a


    master of romance; his words touched her deeply, moistening her eyes. For a brief moment, she felt


    like she had indeed found the other half of her life, the Prince Charming who hadete.


    At that, Skyler''s expression darkened. He hugged her waist, made her lie on her side, and raised his


    hand to give her a punishing p on her buttocks. "Do I look so cheap to you?"


    "I don''t know." She pouted and lowered her long, thick eyshes, not knowing how to answer his


    question.


    "Then, quit that thought. We agreed to try to get along for a while, so let''s not overthink this.


    Understand?"


    "Oh, okay." Shirley was still not used to the intimacy between them, blushing shyly. "S-Skyler, it''s okay


    to try to get along, but can we keep it a secret from Roni and President Kings?"


    "You''re still calling me Skyler?"


    "What should I call you, then?"


    "As long as you don''t call me by my name directly."


    "Uhm¡­" She frowned and thought for a moment. "Ky? Sky?"


    "Ky is fine." He thought this nickname was good.


    "Ky, it is," they said simultaneously.


    He frowned slightly in dissatisfaction. "Why, though?"


    "I don''t want Roni and President Kings to know about our rtionship, so calling you ''Ky'' is just right,"


    she exined.


    He smiled helplessly, "Alright, as you wish." He hugged the woman in his arms, feeling extremely


    happy.


    ...


    ¡­


    Mountainside Gardens.


    After Matthew left One Piece Restaurant, Veronica waited a long time but did not see him return, so


    she returned to Mountainside Gardens alone. After washing up, shey on the bed to rest, watching


    the clock on the wall ticking away, but Matthew''s figure was nowhere to be seen.


    She dialed his phone number on her mobile phone, but his device was turned off. She could not help


    but worry about him, afraid he would go after Xavier.


    Previously, Matthew concealed his identity, so he would not have conflicts with Xavier even if he saw


    him. Now that it had been revealed, would Matthew be able to tolerate Xavier? Or would he seek


    revenge for what happened at the castlest time?


    Veronica did not know what to do about the deep hatred between them.


    After waiting another half an hour, it was already 2:30 p.m. She could not rest assured and quietly left


    Mountainside Gardens. She took the car keys, started the SUV, and headed toward Xavier''s hotel.


    In the middle of the night, the streets were cold and lonely. She sped along the road, and in just twenty


    minutes, she arrived at the hotel. She headed upstairs and went straight to the door of Room 308 on


    the third floor, announcing her presence.


    Knock, knock, knock...


    After knocking a few times, there was no response. Veronica raised her hand and banged again until


    the door finally opened. With slightly messy hair, Xavier stood at the door wearing a bathrobe. His


    sleepy eyes instantly became clear when he saw her outside the door. "Why are you here?"

 Chapter 1254

    Chapter 1254


    Chapter 1254 One of Us Has to Die


    Xavier looked like he had just woken up, and Veronica realized that Matthew had note to see him.


    "Um¡­ I..." she stuttered, racking her brain for a reason, and finally lied. "I couldn''t sleep and wanted to


    thank you with a phone call. But I couldn''t reach you and thought you were in danger, so I came to


    check on you."


    She never mentioned Matthew.


    Xavier''s hand gripped the doorknob, his clear mind recalling everything that had happened a few hours


    ago. His gaze instantly turned dark, and he spoke coldly, "Would someone full of lies truly care about


    my life and death? I should thank you, huh?"


    Suddenly, he became distant toward Veronica.


    Since Matthew faked his death, she had to lie to him. "Xavier¡­" She called his name, looking up at


    him. When their eyes met, she felt the coldness emanating from his eyes.


    With just one nce, she lowered her head guiltily. "I know, I lied to you. But you and Matt have always


    been at odds, and I had my thoughts, so I had to keep it from you."


    "Is that your exnation?" He remained unmoved. "If you''re done, leave."


    He began to dismiss her, but she did not turn around and leave. Instead, she looked up, her eyes full of


    anticipation, and asked, "Can you and Matt let go of your hatred for each other?"


    She did not want to see either of them getting hurt as enemies. It would be great if they could resolve


    the conflict between them.


    "Let go?" Xavier could not control his emotions, and his voice raised.


    After speaking, he nced back toward the bedroom, took a step forward, and gently closed the door.


    Standing before her, he put his hands in the pockets of his bathrobe and looked at her. "Listen carefully,


    Veronica¡­" he said each word with emphasis. "In this lifetime, either I die, or he dies."


    There were some things that he found difficult to say.


    Although it was not verbalized, Veronica could still understand the unbearable things that had


    happened in the past and the death of his sister, Melissa.


    "Are we still friends?" she asked calmly.


    It was a sudden question that left him silent. After a few seconds, he lightly opened his thin lips. "A few


    hours ago, we were. But now, we''re not anymore."


    A hint of disappointment shed in Veronica''s eyes, and memories of their past rtionship lingered.


    From their meeting at Twilight Bar, when he, as a child, did not mind her "ugliness" after she disguised


    herself, toter finding out about her identity and pretending to be her boyfriend in front of her foster


    mother, and then him and Matthewing to save her on Mount Chid¡­


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Scenes shed through her mind like a movie. At first, she admired Xavier, but then they became good


    friends. Later, because Melissa''s actions angered Matthew, he sought revenge on the Crawfords, and


    Xavier kidnapped her¡­ Eventually, they became enemies.


    Veronica thought she would hate Xavier for the rest of her life, but on the day of their wedding at


    Primrose Hill, he risked his life to shield her and block Antheena''s bullet.


    That time, the bullet missed him by just a few inches. It was also on that day that Veronica let go of all


    her grievances toward him. After several encounters with him, she noticed that he had changed; his


    temperament had improved tremendously, and he treated her with respect.


    She even thought being friends with him would be nice, but with their long-standing grievances and


    irreconcble differences, she could only make a choice.


    "Alright." She nodded slightly, lowered her eyelids, hiding the trace of disappointment in her eyes, and


    turned to leave.


    After taking two steps, she paused and slowly turned around. "Xavier, you are no match for Matt. I


    know Melissa''s death has always been a pain in your heart, but I believe she would want you to be


    happy. And as for me, I don''t want to see either of you get hurt."

 Chapter 1255

    Chapter 1255


    Chapter 1255 A Tipsy Veronica


    "Do you not want to see us hurt, or do you not want to see him hurt?" Xavier questioned coldly, his tone


    icy and harsh.


    "He is my husband and the father of my children. You are my friend." Veronica shook her head. "If I had


    known it woulde to this, I probably wouldn''t have wanted to know you." If it were not for her, none


    of this would have happened. "You have your choices, and if you insist on seeking revenge for Melissa,


    I won''t oppose it. But you should be clear that her death has nothing to do with Matt. If anything, she


    brought it upon herself."


    She sighed deeply. "Take care." With those words, she turned around, lost in her thoughts, and did not


    look back.


    Xavier stood in ce, watching her figure as she walked away. His hands clenched tightly in his


    pockets, and a pained expression appeared on his handsome face. ''If I had known it woulde to


    this, I probably wouldn''t have wanted to know you.''


    He knew Veronica was caught in the middle, but he would never forget to avenge his sister''s death. "If


    he dies and you insist on taking all the me yourself¡­" His voice trailed off sadly. "I will give you an


    ''exnation''."


    A broken home, a lost family, and the love of his life married to his enemy¡ªall the tragedies in this


    world seemed to revolve around him. The only belief that kept him going was to eliminate Matthew.


    When Matthew "died" before, he thought he had let go of his worries and could not bear to leave


    Veronica, who was about to join the hidden n, so he followed her. Little did he know that Matthew''s


    death was merely part of their n.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Xavier wheeled around and returned to his suite. He walked to the window and nced at Veronica


    leaving the hotel, watching her enter a car and drive away. At that moment, it felt like something was


    being pulled out of his body, spreading pain throughout his limbs; even breathing was painful.


    After she left in the car and could not contact Matthew, she could only return to Mountainside Gardens.


    Without feeling sleepy, she took two bottles of wine and sses from the rack and went upstairs.


    Sitting in the bedroom, she turned on the TV, but since she was not wearing the mini trantion


    earpiece, she could not understand what the people on TV were saying.


    Of course, she was uninterested in the dramas and merely drank one ss of wine after another. The


    wine entered her throat¡ªslightly spicy and sweet¡ªbut her heart was bitter.


    She was confident that she could persuade Matthew to spare Xavier, but if Xavier kept trying to kill


    Matthew, would Matthew continue to spare his life?


    That was impossible.


    After three rounds of wine, Veronica was slightly tipsy. At that moment, she heard a faint sound from


    the window before Matthew leaped in. He had removed his disguise and was wearing casual gray


    pajamas with white bandages wrapped around his hands.


    "Why haven''t you slept yet?" He walked over, looking at the empty bottle of wine on the table, and


    furrowed his brows slightly. "Why are you drinking so much at thiste hour?"


    With flushed cheeks from the alcohol, she tilted her head and looked at her husband. "I was waiting for


    you." She then held his bandaged hand and asked, "Are you injured?"


    She knew he was seriously injured. As someone who battled constantly in his life, he would not pay


    much attention to minor injuries, let alone wrap them with bandages.


    "It''s nothing." As gentle as always, Matthew held her hand and said, "I''m tired. Let''s sleep."


    "Okay." Veronica did not press on further andy down on the bed with him.


    That night, the two simply embraced each other quietly, without the passionate and exciting private


    moments they used to share.


    "Why aren''t you asking where I went?" He held her and had been waiting for her to ask, but she


    remained silent.

 Chapter 1256

    Chapter 1256


    Chapter 1256 A Shocking News


    "I know you went to see Zac." Veronica turned her back to Matthew, holding his injured hand with both


    hands, afraid to move and hurt him.


    "Did you go to see Xavier?" He was on point.


    Before leaving, she repeatedly pleaded for Xavier, but now, she was sure that he went to find Zac,


    which meant she either went to see Xavier or had called him.


    "I''m sorry, I was narrow-minded and misunderstood you." Since there was a mistake, one should admit


    it. She knew she had misunderstood Matthew and apologized to him.


    "It''s okay." He lightly kissed her on the top of her head. "Xavier saved you, so I won''t kill him. But¡­"


    The man paused. "If he keeps seeking death, I hope you won''t me me."


    "Okay." She reluctantly agreed.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Their ill-fated rtionship resembled a dead knot, which would be better to ignore.


    Sensing Veronica''s sour mood, Matthew guessed what was happening and said, "Go to sleep early. It''s


    late."


    The two embraced each other and fell asleep, but with worries in their hearts, they both sleptte. Not


    long after, the sky began to lighten, and when Veronica opened her eyes, Matthew had already left.


    She flipped over and continued to bury her head and sleep.


    Bang, bang, bang¡­


    After a while, someone knocked heavily on the door, waking her up. Shezily sat up from the bed.


    "Stop knocking." Then, she got up, put on her slippers, and walked to the door. When she opened it,


    she frowned at Mateo standing at the door. "Are you crazy, knocking like that?"


    She had slepttest night and had also been drinking, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.


    "Hehehe, I was afraid you would sleep to death." He chuckled, his eyes lit up as he said, "Something


    big happened. I just received news that Zac''s left hand was choppedst night. Apparently, Xavier did


    it, and he''s been apprehended by Zac."


    "His hand was chopped?" Veronica was shocked.


    "Yes, by Xavier. I heard he also hit Zacst night, probably because Zac coveted his wife." Mateo was


    unclear about what happenedst night, for he only heard rumors. So, he passed on the inurate


    information to her.


    "Xavier has been caught?"


    Last night, Matthew came back injured. Obviously, he went to settle the score with Zac, but seeing that


    Matthew was unharmed, and considering his reserve of Zac''s status, he probably would only teach him


    a lesson. Surprisingly, she never expected Matthew to cut off Zac''s left hand!


    With a twist of events, Zac somehow believed it was Xavier''s doing, thus apprehending him.


    "Yes, he''s been caught." Mateo nodded. Soon, he noticed Veronica''s ashen face and asked with


    concern, "Roni, are you okay? Your face doesn''t look good."


    "I''m fine." She waved her hand. "I''m going to change." She returned to her room, closed the door, and


    changed her clothes while thinking about Zac''s situation.


    In a short while, she was ready and went downstairs after freshening up. A few people were already


    sitting in the dining room, and Matthew was still preparing breakfast.


    She walked over and sat by him, giving him a meaningful look, then said to Crayson, "I told you


    yesterday to change the chef. Don''t forget."


    "Oh, Roni, why do you care so much about Iron Pir?" Mateo rolled his eyes. "ording to seniority,


    you should call me Master. After all, I teach you daily, so you should care more about me."

 Chapter 1257

    Chapter 1257


    Chapter 1257 Step Aside, Will You?


    "It goes without saying I feel sorry for him."


    Veronica put some scrambled eggs on Mateo''s te. "Eat more, or you''ll get hungryter."


    "Hehehe! Roni is the best." Eggs were all it took to make the man happy.


    On the other hand, Crayson was eating with a serious expression, eating congee with pickles. After


    chewing his food, he asked, "Have you all heard about Zac''s situation?"


    He first looked at Veronica, then looked meaningfully at Matthew, implying something.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Destiny shook her head and sighed. "This is a serious matter. After all, Zac is the prince of Castron. I


    can''t believe Xavier dared to make a move against him. I''m afraid it''s over for him."


    Veronica lowered her eyelids and absentmindedly ate her serving of food, casually saying, "I heard


    about it."


    "Ron''s husband''s death is closely rted to Xavier. He was arrested and got what he deserved."


    Confused, Mateo expressed his thoughts as well. "Karma."


    "Although it happened in the hidden n''s territory, Zac is Castron''s prince. He has a noble status. I


    want all of you to stay away from him. It''s best not to get involved, lest you get into trouble."


    Crayson''s words were clear in intention, warning the younger ones.


    Matthew didn''t respond, and Veronica hummed in return, but Mateo, who was in the dark, smiled


    happily and said, "Isn''t it best to sit back and watch the tigers fight? That way, we won''t be hurt."


    "Speak less and eat!" Crayson nced at him. "You''re an adult now, so act like one."


    Everyone fell silent and ate breakfast quietly.


    After the meal, the servants came to clean up the dishes. Veronica turned to Matthew. "Hey, Iron Pir,


    let''s go to the foot of the mountain to do some shopping."


    "Roni, I''ll go with you." Mateo walked briskly to Veronica. "Iron Pir is busy. It''s better not to disturb


    him."


    "I''m not busy." Matthew shattered Mateo''s hope with one sentence and walked up to Veronica. "Miss,


    let''s go."


    "Then, take me with you," Mateo pleaded.


    Since he couldn''t get rid of Iron Pir, he could only join them and try to spend more time with Veronica.


    "Fine, let''s go."


    Helpless, Veronica had to bring Mateo along as they went down together.


    As they walked down the mountain, Mateo felt a little unhappy watching Veronica and Matthew walking


    side by side. He thought that their rtionship was too intimate and felt jealous.


    "Iron Pir?"


    He reached out and pulled Matthew. "Step aside, will you? I have something to say to Roni."


    Matthew''s face darkened. Before Mateo could speak, he saw her giving him a meaningful look.


    Matthew immediately nodded and took a step back.


    Mateo stood beside Veronica. "Hehe, Roni, there''s a y going on. Would you like to go with me?"


    "I don''t like ys."


    "You don''t like watching ys, huh? How about going to the movies?"


    "I don''t like that either."


    "You don''t like that either? There will be arge concert in the neighboring Sloan City in two weeks. Do


    you want me to take you there?"


    "I don''t understand yournguage, so how can I be interested?"


    "You''re right." Mateo nodded and thought hard. "Then how about a bonfire party, or I take you hiking?"


    Walking beside him, Veronica felt a chill down her spine. She subconsciously turned her head and saw


    Matthew''s expression as ugly as possible.

 Chapter 1258

    Chapter 1258


    Chapter 1258 Let Me Introduce Myself


    Veronica was at a loss, but she couldn''t show it too obviously.


    She said to Mateo, "Mateo, I understand your intentions." She paused momentarily, turned around, and


    faced Mateo seriously, saying, "I need to make it clear to you that I don''t feel that way about you."


    The sudden rejection caught Mateo off guard.


    The smile on his face froze, and he looked at Veronica in a daze. He smiled bitterly and said, "It''s okay;


    you don''t like me now, but you will definitely like me in the future. I''m also aware of your husband''s


    passing, and you won''t ept anyone for a while.


    "But I believe time is the best medicine to heal a broken heart. One day, you will let go of the past love


    and embrace a new dawn. After all, the future is unpredictable, and I am willing to grow old with you."


    Mateo gathered his courage and once again expressed his feelings to Veronica.


    However, before Veronica could speak, Matthew directly pulled her to his side, lifted her chin, and


    kissed her lips.


    "Dang!"


    Mateo was shocked to the core.


    He stared at the two people kissing in front of him in disbelief.


    In the next second, his face turned cold, and he cursed, "Iron Pir, let go of Roni. She is mine!"


    After speaking, he threw a left hook directly at Matthew''s face.


    Then Matthew grabbed his fist reflectively. With his other hand, he jabbed Mateo''s right eye hard. "She


    is my wife! That''s that!"


    Since joining the hidden n, people had always been coveting Veronica, and he had been enduring it.


    But Mateo was too presumptuous, even iming that Veronica was his!


    He even imed that her husband had passed!


    This feeling was unbearable. Matthew wanted to reveal his identity, but he held it back. This time, he


    couldn''t bear it anymore.


    "Ouch! Oh, my!"


    After being punched hard in the right eye, Mateo''s head tilted back and fell to the ground, covering his


    eye in pain. He pointed at Matthew and snapped, "Iron Pir, do you want to start a war? How dare you


    forcefully kiss Roni and hit me? Are you tired of living?"


    At the sight of Mateo''s miserable state, Veronica red at Matthew and scolded, "What are you


    doing?"


    Matthew raised his hand and tightly held Veronica''s waist, pulling her close.


    "Hey, let go of her. Don''t touch my Roni!"


    At that moment, Mateo ignored the pain in his eyes and backside, stood up directly, and started


    yanking Matthew.


    As soon as he reached out his hand, Matthew grabbed his wrist. Mateo struggled but found he was


    held tightly and couldn''t break free.


    "W-What do you want to do?" Mateo stomped his feet in anger.


    Matthew raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile appeared on his lips, and he enunciated his words,


    gazing at Veronica with a doting look. "Let me introduce myself. I''m Matthew, and this person beside


    me is..."


    He slowed down his speech, nced at Veronica, and said lovingly, "My wife, Veronica."


    "Y-You said you are Matthew?"


    Mateo''s eyes widened visibly, indicating the shock he had just experienced.


    He was stunned, standing there motionless.


    Matthew let go of his hand, raised his hand, and pinched Veronica''s cheek. "You made me feel


    insecure all of a sudden. What should I do with you?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Veronica didn''t know what to do with him, raising her hand to rub her forehead. "You are too impulsive.


    Even if..."


    Feeling a little guilty, she nced at Mateo and covered half of her face with her hand, whispering,


    "Even if you can''t stand it, you shouldn''t have hit him."

 Chapter 1259

    Chapter 1259


    Chapter 1259 We¡¯re Family


    "He said that your husband''s dead. I won''t allow it."


    Matthew looked stubborn. "I''ve endured it for so long. I can''t take it anymore."


    "What? Roni, is he really Matthew? He didn''t die? So, you and him have been together behind my


    back?"


    Mateo pointed at the two usingly, his face filled with grievances and anger.


    "Mateo, I''m sorry I didn''t tell you the truth."


    She sighed and pursed her red lips lightly. "The news of his death was fake. Your grandfather should


    know, but he didn''t tell you. You can ask him."


    If it weren''t for Mateo identally saying the wrong thingst night, revealing some information,


    Veronica would have really thought that Matthew had acted so well that he sessfully deceived


    Crayson.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    But she didn''t expect Crayson to be so cunning.


    Even though he saw through Matthew''s identity, he didn''t say anything.


    Veronica spected in her heart that Crayson had probably told Hayley but hadn''t told Destiny.


    Otherwise, with Destiny''s fiery temper, she would have already stood up and used Matthew.


    "My grandfather also knows?"


    Mateo looked defeated and disappointed, "You... You guys are too much! Hmph!"


    He was furious and turned around angrily, returning to Mountainside Gardens.


    Watching his back, Veronica felt a headache. "Is it really a good idea to expose our identities now?"


    "It is."


    Matthew put his arm on Veronica''s shoulder and watched Mateo leave, saying in a deep voice, "You


    asked me toe down the mountain to talk about Zac. How can I prove Xavier''s innocence if I don''t


    come forward?"


    It was not convincing enough to confront Zac with just the identity of "Iron Pir." Zac wouldn''t believe it


    either.


    However, if Matthew revealed his identity and said that he was the one who destroyed Zac''s hand


    yesterday, then Zac would believe it.


    Hearing his words, Veronica felt a warmth in her heart and some worries. "If Zac finds out it''s you, have


    you thought about how to protect yourself?"


    "We''ll take it step by step." Matthew didn''t overthink.


    "You injured Zac like that, and he still hasn''t discovered your identity?"


    Veronica was curious.


    "When I went there, Zac was sleeping. After I disabled his arm, his screams attracted a lot of people.


    There are many experts in Zac''s courtyard, hidden somewhere. If I didn''t go therest night, I''m afraid I


    still wouldn''t know that he brought so many experts."


    Matthew briefly recounted what happenedst night, but Veronica knew he must have experienced


    many dangerous situations that he kept to himself.


    She lowered her head, looked at the injured hand held in her palm, and said with heartache, "Matt,


    thank you."


    "Silly girl, we''re family. Family shouldn''t be so distant from each other."


    Matthew smiled slightly and raised his hand to rub her head. "We should go back now. Finally, I can


    take off the ugly disguise on our faces. If I don''t remove it soon, my Roni might run away with some


    young hunk."


    "Haha!"


    Veronicaughed at his self-deprecating joke and retorted, "Where did you get that idea? Nonsense."


    "Let''s go."


    The man smiled and held her hand, heading toward Mountainside Gardens step by step.


    The mountain was low; each step of the stairs was low, making walkingfortable and not tiring.


    In the morning light¡ªwith a gentle breeze and the radiant glow shining on the earth, casting ayer of


    orange hue on the scene¡ªeverything was as beautiful as a painting. The hidden n felt like nirvana.


    After revealing their identities, Matthew felt rxed and took a deep breath. "The hidden n is really


    suitable for retirement."

 Chapter 1260

    Chapter 1260


    Chapter 1260 Imposters!


    "Really? Then, we cane here when we''re old."


    Veronica joked. "This is like a paradise, away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. It really


    allows people to let go of everything. It''s honestly nice. But this ce doesn''t belong to us."


    Returning to Mountainside Gardens, as soon as they entered the courtyard, the couple heard the


    argument between Mateo and Crayson.


    The husband and wife looked at each other, holding each other''s hands tighter, and walked openly into


    the hall.


    "You knew that Iron Pir is Matthew, so why didn''t you tell me?"


    Mateo pointed at Crayson, angry and resentful. "Her husband is right here! Did you ever consider my


    feelings when I acted like a clown in front of Roni?"


    "I didn''t have a chance to tell you."


    Crayson didn''t expect Matthew to reveal his identity in front of Mateo suddenly.


    Matthew and Veronica had already walked in from the courtyard as they spoke.


    Destiny stood aside in astonishment, and when she saw theme in, her sharp gaze directly focused


    on Matthew. "Are you Matthew?"


    "Yes."


    The man no longer yed the role of "Iron Pir." His back straightened, and he regained his former


    coldness.


    "Aren''t you Iron Pir? If you''re Matthew, then where is Iron Pir? Did you kill him?"


    Destiny wasn''t very familiar with Iron Pir, but that person was indeed one of her subordinates.


    If Matthew really killed someone, this matter had to be investigated!


    "Heh. Do you think I''m as ruthless as you guys?" Matthew squinted his eyes, his lips forming a straight


    line, and his inherent aura suddenly emerged.


    "If you wanted to hide your identity, you shouldn''t have exposed yourself now."


    Crayson pointed at Matthew, ring at him with hostility while bellowing, "You want to go to Zac, don''t


    you?!"


    Of course, he had already guessed Matthew''s intentions.


    "What do you mean?"


    Mateo was a bit confused.


    "Exactly," Matthew admitted directly.


    This time, Mateo suddenly realized. "So, it was you who attacked Zacst night, not Xavier?"


    He felt a bit dissatisfied. "Are you really Matthew?"


    Angry, he walked up to Matthew and tilted his head to look at the makeup on his face, unable to resist


    the urge to pinch it.


    Yet, Matthew didn''t give him a chance, directly brushing off his hand, his face cold. "Stay away from


    me."


    The contrast between his aura and the honest appearance of Iron Pir was huge.


    Mateo even felt like he was hallucinating.


    "You really are Matthew! I''ve been with you for over twenty days and didn''t even realize your identity.


    How stupid was I?!"


    He felt both foolish and ridiculous.


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    Thinking about his previous attentiveness in front of Veronica and even confessing his feelings to her


    several times in front of Matthew, he felt extremely embarrassed.


    "Mateo, it''s not your fault. It''s just that Matt specially studied disguise techniques so he could deceive


    many people, including your grandfather; he probably didn''t know until recently."


    Veronica didn''t want to see Mateo ming himself, so sheforted him.


    "Hmph, imposters! You''re all imposters!"


    Mateo stomped his foot in anger, snorted coldly, pushed Veronica away, and ran out.


    Veronica, who was pushed, stumbled a few steps but was pulled into Matthew''s arms to stabilize


    herself.


    Crayson turned around, looked through the window at the retreating Mateo, and shook his head in


    frustration. "Sigh, what a disaster."


    He nced at Veronica and Matthew again, sighed deeply, sat on the sofa, and picked up a cigarette.


    Destiny''s gaze had been fixed on Matthew as she was immersed in shock, unable to calm down for a


    long time.

 Chapter 1261

    Chapter 1261


    Chapter 1261 He Spelled Trouble


    Everyone thought that Matthew was already dead. Who would have known that he was still alive?


    "What are you two nning to do now?"


    Since Matthew had already revealed his identity, Crayson couldn''t force him to continue pretending, so


    he could only ask them for their thoughts.


    After speaking, he reminded them, "The hunting ceremony is approaching, and revealing your identity


    will only make Tanya''s people target Veronica even more. This is not a good thing."


    "I have my own arrangements for the hunting ceremony."


    Matthew held Veronica''s hand tightly, never letting go for a moment. "But now, I need to go out with


    Roni."


    "Do you have to go to Zac?"


    Crayson took a puff of his cigarette, exhaling smoke, his tone heavy.


    "Yes," Matthew replied concisely, seeming unwilling to say more.


    "Alright. Since you''ve already discussed it, then go." Crayson waved his hand.


    The couple exchanged a nce and walked out.


    After they had left for a while, Destiny walked up to Crayson and sat beside him. "Master, you knew


    about Matthew''s identity a long time ago. Why didn''t you tell me?"


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    From her tone, hearing a hint of me was not difficult.


    "You think I knew early on?"


    Crayson nced at her. "Matthew is not an average Joe and concealed it very well. I didn''t see through


    it at all. If it wasn''t for one night when I couldn''t sleep and saw him climb from the third floor to


    Veronica''s bedroom on the second floor, I might never have guessed his identity."


    "Is that so?"


    "Otherwise?" Crayson picked up the tea on the table and took a sip. "In the end, we were careless and


    underestimated the enemy. And you! You couldn''t even recognize your own subordinate, and now you


    have the nerve to question me?"


    Destiny, who had just been arrogant, suddenly deted and smiled awkwardly. "I-I''m not that familiar


    with Iron Pir. He''s in charge of the kitchen, and I haven''t seen him much, so I didn''t pay much


    attention."


    As she said this, the smile on her face disappeared, and her expression turned sinister. "However, it''s


    truly incredible that Matthew was able to avoid Zac and us. He even sessfully entered the hidden


    n. I think our n will encounter unexpected changes because of him."


    Crayson held the purple y cup in his hand and finished the drink in one gulp. His hazy eyes seemed


    to be conveying his feelings. "The ascension ceremony is near. No one shall destroy my n!"


    "By that you mean¡­"


    You want to eliminate him?


    She didn''t finish her sentence; however, she knew his ns when she saw him crushing the cup in his


    right hand into pieces.


    "I knew he spelled trouble." Crayson let go of his grip and looked at the crushed purple y cup, saying


    word by word, "Until he is eliminated, I will not be at peace."


    "Yes. Master, you have been nning the restoration of the hidden n with the Old Master for over


    twenty years. We absolutely cannot let Matthew ruin it."


    Destiny stood up, resolute in her words. "Master, rest assured. I will definitely help you get rid of this


    major threat!"


    After speaking, she walked around the sofa and left directly.


    At the same time, Veronica and Matthew left the mountain and drove straight to the One Piece


    Restaurant.


    On the upper floor of the One Piece Restaurant, Shirley and Skyler were having ate breakfast.


    They had just started datingst night. Early in the morning, he had his way with her again, so they


    woke upte.


    Shirley was exhausted and fell back asleep, so she woke upte.


    "Eat more."


    Skyler put a piece of shrimp on Shirley''s te. "You''re too thin. I can feel your bones when I hold you."

 Chapter 1262

    Chapter 1262


    Chapter 1262 Where There¡¯s Smoke, There¡¯s Fire


    "Nonsense! I''m already over ny pounds." Shirley shook her head as she ced another shrimp


    dumpling on Skyler''s te. "You should eat more."


    Skyler raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously. "Why? Are you worried that I won''t have enough


    strength?"


    However, the innocent Shirley missed the underlying meaning in Skyler''s words.


    "No, I just want you to eat more."


    "Oh, I see now. You areining that I haven''t taken care of you properly."


    "What? I..."


    Suddenly, Shirley seemed to have realized something as her face turned red. "What are you talking


    about?"


    He was always a cheeky man. How could he talk about that so often?


    "What''s going on? I could hear the two of you talking from afar,"


    Veronica asked after she entered the living room, holding hands with Iron since the door was left wide


    open.


    "Huh? Veronica and Iron?"


    Shirley immediately stood up as she was delighted. "We''ve just started eating. Would you like to join


    us?"


    "What time is it now? Why are you only having breakfast at such ate hour?"


    Then, Veronica nced at the clock on the wall. It was already 9:30 a.m.


    "I..."


    Shirley felt awkward, and she blushed. She couldn''t help but think about what happenedst night after


    hearing Veronica, and her cheeks reddened even more.


    "Oh? Did we miss something?"


    Veronica tilted her head and nced at Matthew when she sensed something fishy. They looked at


    each other and shared a smile.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Huh? Nothing, really."


    Shirley shook her head. "I was toozy to get out of bed earlier, so I woke up a bitte."


    He pretended to believe her as he nodded. "Oh, I see. Why are you so nervous, Shirley? Roni was


    asking you a simple question."


    Although Shirley felt things seemed to have gone wrong, her reaction gave off a feeling of "Where


    there''s smoke, there''s fire."


    Skyler smiled helplessly and asked Matthew when Shirley blushed. "Why did youe so early?"


    "Are you not weing me?"


    Matthew''s question held a deeper meaning.


    "One Piece Restaurant is your property, and I''m just tagging along with Shirley. How could I not


    wee you?" Skyler nced at Veronica and raised an eyebrow. "Am I right, Veronica?"


    However, Matthew immediately pped him as soon as he finished speaking. "Call her Roni!"


    "Alright, alright. Fine. Roni. There you go."


    Skyler had to submit to Matthew and change the way he addressed Veronica. Then, he shrugged.


    "Won''t I even get paid for changing how I address her?"


    "I''ll grant you a death benefit. Do you want it?" Matthew warned sternly.


    "Wow, you''re really aggressive, Matt." Skyler only shook his head. "Vero¡ªNever mind. Roni, you need


    to be careful as well. People like him tend to resort to violence. Let me know if he dares toy a finger


    on you. I''ll call Caleb and Miguel to help you out."


    Veronica couldn''t help butugh, and she sat across from him. "I can see that you two are in high


    spirits. There must be something you didn''t tell me."


    She noticed Shirley and Skyler had been strangely exchanging nces since they had entered the


    living room just a moment ago.


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking about, Veronica? Sky and I really don''t have anything going


    on." Shirley''s face turned red once again.


    "Oh? Sky?" Veronica covered her mouth and chuckled. "Hehehe."


    "Enough already!"


    Skyler couldn''t hold back anymore. He grabbed Shirley''s hand and pulled her over to sit on hisp.


    Then, he wrapped his arm around her neck and introduced, "Shirley is my girlfriend now. Please


    continue to bless us in the future, Matt and Veronica."


    "Skyler! Didn''t we agree not to make it public for now?"


    Shirley blushed as she scolded.


    Skyler caught her off guard and yfully tapped her head. "You can give it up now. You pretty much


    have the answer written on your face. Do you really think they wouldn''t notice?"

 Chapter 1263

    Chapter 1263


    Chapter 1263 Full Of Challenges


    They simply couldn''t hide their feelings since they secretly admired each other.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Veronica noticed something suspicious the moment she came in with Matthew.


    Shirley bit her lip, nced at Veronica, and blushed as she shyly smiled. "Veronica... "


    "You''re free to love. I won''t intervene."


    Veronica refrained from saying too much due to Skyler''s presence.


    "I... I just want to tell you that I didn''t mean to keep it from you. We are only trying to get to know each


    other better. If it doesn''t work out..."


    Skyler interjected before she could finish her sentence, "There''s no way it doesn''t work out. Period."


    "Shirley has been in the hidden n for two days, Roni. She must be tired of staying in her room all the


    time. Why don''t you take her out for a walk?"


    Matthew suggested.


    Veronica instantly knew that he wanted to discuss something important with Skyler alone, so she went


    along.


    She smiled as she held Shirley''s hand, and she said, "Come on, I''ll show you around."


    "Hehe, sure. I''ve been bored for the past few days."


    Shirley smiled wholeheartedly as she got up and left with Veronica.


    Veronica asked when they were walking along the corridor, "Why did you suddenly agree to give him a


    chance?"


    "Um..."


    Shirley hesitated. She didn''t want to reveal what had happened, fearing that Veronica might think badly


    of her.


    After pondering for a moment, she answered, "He confessed to me, and I said yes in the heat of the


    moment. But we agreed to give it some time before we make it official."


    "Shirley."


    Veronica stopped and stood in front of Shirley. Then, she said with a serious expression, "I''m not


    against you being with Skyler, but you have to think it through. I just don''t want to see you get hurt, do


    you understand?"


    How could Shirley be so sure about Skyler, who had been visiting entertainment venues frequently?


    Even Veronica couldn''t tell what his true nature was.


    Besides, they were born in contrasting family backgrounds. Sofia Green was also in between their


    rtionship, which could furtherplicate the matter.


    "I know you care about me, Veronica."


    Shirley lowered her gaze as she fidgeted nervously. She eventually broke the silence after a long


    moment of hesitation and a quick scan of their surroundings to make sure no one was around.


    "Actually... Actually..."


    "Let''s talk in my room."


    Veronica tactfully pulled her hand and led her upstairs when she sensed Shirley was about to share


    something private.


    They sat by the window after they entered the room. Veronica boiled a kettle of water and sat across


    from Shirley. Then, she said, "You may go ahead."


    "It''s a bit of a long story. Skyler stayed in my apartment for a few daysst year to avoid Sofia Green,


    and then..."


    Shirley confessed hesitantly, and she asionally nced at Veronica as if she was a kid who had


    done something wrong.


    "Sofia misunderstood us after that, and she even attacked me. He moved in with a promise to give me


    15 thousand dors in exchange for a favor, and I never expected things to unfold the way they did..."


    Shirley revealed every detail regarding her time with Skyler, including things that happened at Vincere


    Games and her encounter with Garrick Brennan.


    Veronica listened attentively to Shirley, and she furrowed her brows slightly. "You''ve had so much going


    on, yet you kept it from me, Shirley. But Skyler has a point. Garrick is Sofia''s brother, after all. It really is


    suspicious if he gets close to you."


    She thought hard for a moment before saying, "Skyler rarely gets so invested in a woman, from what I


    know. I think he genuinely cares about you. Perhaps... You should give him a chance."


    "Really?"


    Shirley''s eyes lit up, and a mixture of excitement and relief was showed on her face.


    She had anticipated a scolding from Veronica, but to her surprise, she got her support instead.


    "I''m with you this time because I can see you have feelings for him. However, you''ll do well to


    remember that there''s a significant difference in your family backgrounds, and the road ahead will be


    full of challenges."

 Chapter 1264

    Chapter 1264


    Chapter 1264 Returning to the Hidden n


    Veronica continued in a determined tone, "Involving yourself in a wealthy family is a serious matter, do


    you understand?"


    "I do."


    Shirley replied with a worried expression, "That''s why I want to give it a try."


    "Alright. Go ahead and give it a shot since you have feelings for him. That way, you won''t find any


    regret, even if it doesn''t work out in the end. Otherwise, it will be a regret you''ll carry for a lifetime if you


    never try."


    She emphasized that taking a chance was better than regretting not trying at all, even if met with failure


    in the end.


    "Thank you, Veronica." Shirley smiled sweetly as her mood was greatly improved.


    Meanwhile, in the dining room downstairs...


    Matthew cast a chilly nce at Skyler. "Are you serious this time?"


    Skyler continued eating breakfast with a fork. He nodded as he chewed his food. "I think so."


    "Let''s set aside Shirley''s rtionship with Roni and discuss Shirley. She''s an innocentdy. You should


    be mindful in your actions."


    Shirley and Veronica had spent time together for two years, and they shared a bond so close that they


    saw themselves as sisters. Besides, Shirley had also been a great help to Matthew during that period.


    He had even gifted her a car for this reason.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew had interacted a lot with Shirley and found himself quite fond of the straightforward youngdy


    because of Veronica.


    Perhaps he had grown to like everything about Veronica, including those close to her.


    He continued, "Shirley is unlike any other woman. Roni won''t spare me if you hurt her, and I won''t let


    you get away either!"


    Matthew had made his point clear.


    "What? Am I that despicable in your eyes?"


    Skyler put down his fork as he was displeased.


    However, Matthew paid him no attention as he poured himself a cup of tea. "You know better than I do


    what happened after Sofia abandoned you. I''ll leave it at that."


    He took a sip of the tea and changed the subject following that. "I''m here today to discuss the hunting


    ceremony of the hidden n."


    ...


    Matthew and Veronica left the One Piece Restaurant and drove to Zac''s residence half an hourter.


    Tanya had arranged a marvelous living space for him due to his unique status after bing part of


    the hidden n.


    There was quite a crowd present today because of Zac''s injury.


    When they arrived, they noticed the parking lot was nearly full of cars, and the numbers on the


    vehicles'' license tes appeared strikingly familiar to them.


    They were confronted by guards left and right as soon as they exited the car and reached the courtyard


    entrance.


    The guards immediately intervened when they saw the two of them approaching.


    "Halt. Identify yourselves," theymanded in the hidden tongue.


    Veronica had a trantion device on but wasn''t versed in the local tongue, so she only looked to


    Matthew.


    Matthew introduced themselves and exined their purpose to the guards.


    "Very well, proceed," one of the guards said as he ushered them forward.


    Just then, a voice was suddenly heard from behind.


    "Hey, is that you, Master?"


    The voice was so familiar that Matthew didn''t need to look back to discern the speaker.


    Eleanor, who was in a crimson gown with blue and white crochets on the sleeves and adorned with


    embroidered motifs, showed up.


    She wore silver ornaments on her head and had meticulously applied makeup, entuating her fair


    complexion. Her pretty and alluring appearance even outshone her scarlet attire, and she exuded a


    bewitching aura.


    Even Veronica couldn''t resist taking a few nces at her captivating figure.


    "You''re here too, Veronica." Eleanor walked over and stood right beside Veronica, greeting her with a


    smile.


    "What a coincidence," Veronica replied with a smile.


    However, he only swept his gaze indifferently over Eleanor before heading inside with Veronica.


    "Wait, Master. How could you do that? Are you seriously going to ignore my presence? I specifically


    waited for you here at the entrance."


    She was displeased as she felt disregarded.

 Chapter 1265

    Chapter 1265


    Chapter 1265 One of Us


    Then, Eleanor moved around Veronica and walked to Matthew''s side before affectionately reaching out


    to embrace his arm.


    However, Matthew swiftly withdrew his arm and stated firmly, "Please behave yourself, Princess


    Eleanor."


    He pulled Veronica and positioned her between himself and Eleanor following that.


    Veronica responded to Matthew''s rejection of Eleanor with a genuine smile.


    "What''s so funny?" Eleanor''s expression turned sour. "Are you enjoying the fact that your husband


    rejected me?"


    Eleanor wasn''t a fan of beating around the bush. She would always say what was in her mind.


    Veronica only shrugged lightly. "Maybe it only happened because I''m here. How about I leave now and


    give you two some privacy?"


    "Hmph. I, Princess Eleanor of the hidden n, don''t need your pity."


    She raised an arm and wrapped it around Veronica as she continued, "I will use my own charm to win


    your husband over if I really like him."


    "Well, I must say I admire your confidence, Princess Eleanor."


    Who would have thought Veronica would say that?


    She should have hated Eleanor for being her rival in love, but she didn''t find herself disliking such an


    upfront person like her.


    She couldn''t help but admit that Eleanor possessed her own brand of charisma.


    "Thank you. Just tell your husband not to handle me as ruthlessly as he did with Zac."


    Eleanor''s words surprised Veronica.


    Veronica nced at Matthew, and they exchanged a smile.


    "It seems nothing escapes from you," Veronica said.


    "Of course. How can I possibly lead the n in the future if I am that ignorant?"


    "Why are you still sticking so close to me now that you''re about to be one of us? Aren''t you afraid


    that I might seize the opportunity to take it out on you?"


    "You would have done so long ago if you wanted to. Why would you wait until now?" Eleanor asked


    with a smile, "Why do you think I am fond of you two? Is it solely because you two are easy on the


    eyes?"


    "Why is that then?" Veronica asked as her curiosity was piqued.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Eleanor only rolled her eyes up. "It''s because of the charisma you two possess."


    "Hehehe. You''re too kind, Princess Eleanor."


    Veronica chuckled.


    The three of them passed the front yard guided by the servants, and they reached the backyard, where


    they found Zac in the main hall.


    Zac was still wearing a silver suit, but his left wrist was wrapped in bandages, and he no longer had a


    left hand.


    He stared at the Ledger n in the living room while seated, and he asked coldly, "I came to the


    hidden n in exchange for safety as promised. Don''t you have something to say to me now?"


    Tanya Ledger, Dominik Ledger, Liam Ledger, and Hendrey Johnson were all there when he spoke.


    Naturally, Antheena and Xavier Crawford were absent.


    "You told us that Xavier was the one who harmed you, Prince Zac, and we have already apprehended


    him. What will you do to him now?" Tanya asked.


    There was medical equipment beside Zac, and he still had a paleplexion at that instant. He was


    obviously still recovering from a bad injury and only recently regained consciousness.


    "Where is Xavier? Bring him to¡ª"


    He was interrupted before he could finish his sentence, and he saw Eleanor, Veronica, and Iron Pir


    "Are you feeling better, Prince Zac?" Eleanor moved on from Veronica and went over to him in concern.


    "I rushed over as soon as I heard about your injury. I''m truly sorry for causing you distress."


    Veronica and Matthew only stood quietly at the side.


    However, the injured Zac only felt a profound sense of humiliation. He merely red at her before


    settling his gaze on Veronica as he listened to Eleanor''s words.


    His gaze was sharp, and a hint of hatred emerged, but he found it hard to spit it out for awkward


    reasons.


    "Where is Xavier? Bring him here, now!"


    Zac bled heavily when he got injured. He sumbed to the pain and lost consciousness shortly after.

 Chapter 1266

    Chapter 1266


    Chapter 1266 The Missing Hand


    The doctor tried to save him but was unsessful in recovering the severed hand, making it


    impossible to reattach it.


    Tanya came to visit Zac as soon as she heard the news. When Zac awoke, he told her that Xavier was


    the one who had attacked him. Tanya immediately dispatched people to apprehend Xavier and his wife.


    "Prince Zac, please take it easy. You should rest because of your injury."


    "They are already on their way and will arrive shortly," Tanya added calmly.


    "X-Xavier and you have always gotten along well. How could he be so brutal and suddenly turn against


    you? Tiffany was perplexed and couldn''t help but express her doubts.


    Zac gave her a cold stare right after she said that. "Shut up and get out! You have no right to speak


    here."


    He was offended, really enraged, and wanted to p Tiffany in the face to let out his rage.


    As he said this, he gave Veronica a fierce re.


    His eyes glowed with resentment as if he wanted to rip Veronica apart.


    "Zac, Tiffany is just worried about you." Hendrey tried to mediate and advised.


    Tiffany, who felt wronged, was publicly reproved. She clenched her fists tightly, holding back her rage


    as her face asionally turned pale.


    Then, she realized that Zac, who was once arrogant and domineering, had lost his hand. This was


    what he deserved, and seeing him in this state was satisfying.


    With such selffort, she was a lot more at ease.


    Everyone looked around for chairs and sat down. Still posing as the "Iron Pir," Matthew stood behind


    Veronica Murphy''s back as a bodyguard.


    The living room was hushed.


    Everyone had their own thoughts; some were happy, some were proud, and some were secretly


    delighted. But those who truly cared about Zac were probably only those capable assistants brought


    into the hidden n.


    Approximately ten minutester, footsteps were heard outside the living room. Everyone turned to look


    and saw Xavier and Antheena being pushed inside by soldiers while they were in shackles and


    handcuffs.


    "Queen Tanya, they are here."


    After the soldier finished speaking, Tanya waved her hand, and they turned and left.


    Xavier and Antheena appeared unperturbed. Antheena, as ady, didn''t cry or make a fuss. She


    looked at everyone with her usual calmness, and her gaze fell on Tanya. "Queen Tanya, why did you


    capture me and Seb¡ªXavier?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    In Castron, Xavier went by the name Sebastian, but many still called him by his real name, so


    Antheena had to call him "Xavier."


    "You motherf*cker, Xavier! I''m going to kill you!"


    As soon as Xavier entered the room, Zac''s rage red. He couldn''t hold back his rage and got to his


    feet, wanting to take the needle out of the back of his right hand with his left hand. However, he noticed


    his palm missing when he raised his hand.


    He could only raise his right hand and use his teeth to remove the needle from the back of his hand. He


    sprinted over to his bodyguard''s side, pulling a gun from behind the guard, and aiming it squarely at


    Xavier. "I''ll kill you!"


    Everyone in the living room tensed up as they watched Zac be emotionally out of control.


    They feared that if things got out of hand, they would also suffer harm.


    At this point, everyone was feeling a little anxious.


    "Prince Zac, please calm down."


    "Prince Zac, take a deep breath first."


    "The gun is not loaded. Please calm down."


    Zac''s people walked over, took the gun from Zac''s hand, and pressed him back onto the chair. "You''re


    bleeding from your hand. Doctor? Is the doctor around?"


    Things got chaotic really fast.


    The doctor quickly came over to stop the bleeding from Zac''s wound and pressed down on the back of


    his right hand to prevent the wound from bleeding.

 Chapter 1267

    Chapter 1267


    Chapter 1267 They Are Merely Friends


    Only Xavier remained calm and collected during the chaos. He nced at Veronica, and then his gaze


    fell on Matthew. The two locked eyes for a moment.


    With just one look, Veronica could feel the anger emanating from Xavier.


    Zac began to settle down, and silence descended once more in the living room.


    "Xavier, did you attack Prince Zacst night?" Tanya asked with the demeanor of the head of the n.


    Truthfully, Xavier responded, "Last night, I was sleeping with my wife in the hotel."


    "Yes, that''s right." Antheena nodded in agreement.


    Last night, she and Xavier had a blissful night together, which was the happiest night of her life.


    She was so worn out that she dozed off.


    Antheena and Xavier were perplexed when those people arrived to capture them the following morning


    before dawn until they learned of Zac''s predicament and realized what was happening.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Trouble did indeed appear out of nowhere, as was frequently said.


    "Antheena, you are Xavier''s husband. Your testimony is not sufficient proof," Tanya said with a fair and


    just attitude.


    "The hotel has surveince videos that can prove that we never left the hotel," Antheena added.


    "The surveince videos are located at the main entrance of the hotel. But with Xavier''s skills, he can


    easily leave the hotel by scaling walls and rooftops," Eleanor said.


    Even though Eleanor was aware that Xavier was not involved in this incident, she still wished to protect


    Matthew.


    She thought it was best to let Xavier take the me.


    "So what Princess Eleanor is trying to say is that I have no way to prove my innocence?" Xavier''s eyes


    turned cold, and he said each word with emphasis.


    "Unless someone is willing to testify for you," Eleanor added.


    "You are distorting the truth!" Antheena''s eyes turned red with anger. "Xavier has no grudges against


    Prince Zac. Why would he target him?"


    "It''s simple," Eleanor saidzily, leaning back in her chair. She rested her elbow on the armrest and


    supported her chin with her hand.


    She casually pointed her thin finger at Veronica, skipping over everyone else andnding on her. "It''s


    because of what Prince Zac did to Veronica. Last night at the Elysium Hotel, Prince Zac made a move


    on her, and it was Xavier who arrived in time, fought Prince Zac, and left with Veronica in his arms."


    Eleanor hit two birds with one stone with what she said.


    She first made Zac''s heinous deeds public, then she damaged Veronica''s reputation, and finally, she


    sowed discord between Xavier and Antheena.


    After all, it was a fact that Xavier fought Zac at the Elysium Hotelst night.


    Zac''s face first turned pale and then red as he was listening to Eleanor''s words. He felt that she was


    deliberately provoking him.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t find any evidence, so the only thing he could do was swallow his anger and


    frustration.


    Antheena furrowed her eyebrows, her face filled with astonishment. She tilted her head and questioned


    Xavier, "Is it true?"


    "Yes." Wearing handcuffs and leg shackles, Xavier stood tall and straight, disying no signs of being


    a criminal.


    His answer was firm and decisive.


    In that instant, Antheena''s heart shattered.


    She couldn''t help but stare at Veronica while also feeling enraged, envious, and other emotions.


    Why? Why would Xavier go to such lengths to help Veronica?


    "You see? Xavier has admitted it himself."


    Eleanor added fuel to the fire by saying, "Although it is a fact that you are married to Xavier, it is widely


    known that he likes Veronica. Prince Zac had crossed Xavier''s line by manipting Veronica, so he did


    what he did. With solid evidence, how can you deny it?


    "Ah, Antheena, don''t be too sad. Since they''ve known one another for a very long time, Xavier and


    Veronica do indeed get along well. I believe they are merely friends. Don''t think too much about it."

 Chapter 1268

    Chapter 1268


    Chapter 1268 Xavier¡¯s Alibi


    Tiffany attempted to make things worse by adding more fuel to the fire.


    Antheena lost herself in her pain,ughing at herself and not knowing what to say.


    "Xavier, do you have anything else to say?" Dominik, who had been silent, asked.


    On the other hand, Liam, who was standing next to him, sat back, munching on junk food and watching


    the situation unfold.


    Xavier looked at Matthew with a meaningful look and smirked. "You''re not as good as him. There''s


    nothing more to say."


    The phrase "not as good as him" captured everyone''s attention.


    "I''m curious as to when Zac was hurt."


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Veronica calmly spoke just as everyone believed the situation was resolved.


    Tanya said, "The incident happened around 2:30 a.m. After the suspect injured Prince Zac, he was


    surrounded by his bodyguards and fought for almost half an hour. The time was between 2:30 a.m. and


    3 a.m."


    "Why are you asking this?" Tiffany sneered. "Are you trying to defend Xavier?"


    Every chance Tiffany had, she had to attack Veronica.


    Veronica couldn''t be bothered with Tiffany and took out her phone while saying, "Last night at 2:30


    a.m., I happened to go to the Caritas Hotel where Xavier was staying and stayed for about ten minutes.


    The time shes with the time mentioned by Queen Tanya. So, I can prove that Xavier has nothing to


    do with this."


    Everyone in the living room gave her strange looks as soon as she finished speaking.


    "You went to find Xavier in the middle of the night?"


    "Didn''t Xavier just say he was with his wife?"


    "Oh my god. Are you putting your reputation on the line for Xavier?"


    "Veronica, why were you meeting with Xavier sote at night?"


    "What is your rtionship with each other?"


    ¡­


    Everyone was inquisitive.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, Zac mmed the table in anger and pointed at Veronica. "Nonsense! Are you trying to help


    Xavier? Let me tell you, I will kill him today!"


    As he finished speaking, Zac reached for the handgun on the table and pointed it at Xavier.


    Veronica and Xavier were standing very close to each other.


    She moved forward at the crucial time in an attempt to pull him away, but she was toote because¡­


    Xavier was pushed aside by Matthew, who had already crossed in front of her.


    Pow!


    A gunshot was fired, missing its intended victim but striking a tree in the yard instead.


    The leaves on the arm-thick tree shook.


    "Zac, stop!" Veronica yelled.


    She threw something from her hand, hitting Zac''s right hand as he prepared to make another move.


    The gun in his hand dropped to the ground when his wrist started to hurt.


    Many people were shocked by her quick and precise action.


    Several of them, particrly the Ledgers, gave Veronica astonished looks as they continued to stare at


    her.


    Xavier, who had been shoved aside, stood firm and looked at Matthew doubtfully, then at Veronica. His


    emotions at this moment wereplex and heavy.


    If Veronica''s actionsst night had made him heartbroken, then her willingness to protect him by


    resorting to force against Zac moved him somewhat.


    "Prince Zac, what''s the rush about? I told you I met with Xavierst night. I have a video as evidence!"


    She held her phone and yed the video on it.


    "This is the surveince video from the hotel. It clearly shows when I entered the hotel and spoke with


    Xavier in the hallway. Both the testimonies and the physical evidence can provide an alibi for Xavier.


    What makes you so certain that Xavier did it?"

 Chapter 1269

    Chapter 1269


    Chapter 1269 Get Lost, All of You!


    Veronica sneered coldly. "I''m afraid your enemies must have targeted you, and when you couldn''t


    identify the true perpetrator behind the scenes, you made Xavier the scapegoat and sought retribution


    for what happened at the Elysium Hotel yesterday."


    Initially, Matthew intended toe forward and reveal his identity and thene to save Xavier.


    But early in the morning, Matthew contacted the staff at One Piece Restaurant and asked them to look


    into the Caritas Hotel''s security footage. They found the entrance and exit videos from the hotel lobby


    and the videos from the corridor.


    The videos happened to show her and Xavier.


    In other words, Matthew didn''t need to reveal his identity to prove Xavier''s innocence.


    Since that was the case, they didn''t need to go through all the trouble.


    "How could this happen?"


    "Who was the one who attacked Prince Zac yesterday?"


    "I don''t know."


    "So, Xavier is really innocent."


    "Who said he wasn''t?"


    ...


    Everyone was whispering to each other at this point.


    Only Tiffany clenched her fists and said sarcastically to Veronica, "Veronica, you know that Xavier has


    a wife, yet you went to find him in the middle of the night. A woman ought to respect herself."


    She was trying to sow discord and deliberately provoke Antheena''s jealousy toward Veronica as she


    intended to use Antheena to get rid of Veronica and fulfill her deeply held desire.


    Veronica walked slowly in the direction of Tiffany as she slowly raised her gaze and curled her red lips.


    With a sharp gaze, she scared Tiffany into taking two steps back. "I''m just speaking the truth. Why are


    you staring at me like that? Are people not allowed to speak the truth anymore?"


    "Fine. What else do you want to say? I''m listening," Veronica replied calmly.


    Tiffany thought that Veronica wouldn''t dare to do anything to her in front of everyone, so she arrogantly


    dered, "I''m your sister. I''m telling you all of this for your own benefit. It''s normal for you to fall in love


    again since your ''husband'' has passed away, but you should keep your distance from Xavier because


    he is married. Otherwise¡­"


    She stopped halfway through her words.


    "Otherwise what?" Veronica''s clear and pure eyes made it almost impossible to detect any trace of


    anger.


    "Otherwise, where does that leave Antheena? And where does Madam Hayley stand? If this gets out,


    people will gossip."


    "Is that so? What will they say?"


    "They will¡­ Of course, they will say some unpleasant things. Like how a widow seduces a married


    man, how she has no morals¡ªAh!"


    Before Tiffany could finish, Veronica raised her hand and pped her across the face.


    Even though it was only a p, she used all of her strength to knock Tiffany to the ground.


    Tiffany''s head hit the ground hard as she fell, making a noise.


    With a scream, everyone''s gaze fell on Tiffany, only to find that blood wasing out of her mouth, and


    even her ears were bleeding.


    She had five distinct red fingerprints from Veronica''s p on her fair cheeks, and her face was clearly


    swollen.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Tiffany, if you want to die, just say the word, and I can fulfill your wish right now!" The moment


    Veronica said that, a terrifying killing aura encircled her.


    Tiffany was the one and only person she had ever hated so much.


    "Get lost, all of you! Get the hell out!" Zac couldn''t find the real culprit, and his secrets were exposed by


    Eleanor, making him humiliated.


    No one was concerned about his feelings at this point because Veronica was making a scene with


    Tiffany.


    All the anger and humiliation surged up, making him so furious that he directly overturned the table with


    his hand.

 Chapter 1270

    Chapter 1270


    Chapter 1270 What A Missed Opportunity


    "Find out for me, even if you have to dig three feet underground. I want to know who''s trying to harm


    me!"


    Zac was so furious that his eyes turned crimson. After uttering these words, he pivoted and walked


    away.


    Without paying any attention to the unconscious Tiffany, Veronica turned on her heel and strode toward


    Xavier and Antheena. She addressed Tanya, the head of the hidden n, saying, "Head of the n, do


    you think an exnation and ountability should be provided to them for this matter?"


    It was Tanya who had apprehended those individuals.


    She was convinced of Xavier''s culpability, necessitating a thorough exnation of the situation.


    Eleanor shot a contemptuous nce at Veronica, as if to say, can you please maintain some dignity?


    Your husband is clearly the mastermind, yet you have the audacity to seek answers from my mother.


    Veronica deliberately ignored Eleanor and pretended not to see her.


    "Hahaha..."


    Tanya rose from her seat and signaled to the guards by the door. One of them approached and swiftly


    unlocked the handcuffs and restraints on Antheena and Xavier.


    After the restraints were removed, the two of them flexed their wrists.


    Antheena gazed at Veronica with profound and inscrutable eyes, yet ultimately remained silent.


    She didn''t know what had transpired, nor was she aware of Zac''s injuries from the previous night. She


    believed Veronica''s effort to rify things on their behalf was a favor.


    As for Veronica, Antheena felt a mix of envy and admiration for her perceived perfection, which all


    women coveted.


    "Mr. Crawford, Miss Antheena, I take full responsibility for today''s incident due to my oversight. It was


    truly my mistake. Nevertheless, I hope you can understand. Given Zac''s repeated ims of Xavier''s


    guilt, I had to apprehend him. In any case, as the head of the secretive n, this incident is on me."


    Standing before them, Tanya slightly bowed and apologized, "I deeply apologize."


    Then, she straightened up and continued, "I''d like to invite both of you, and Miss Murphy as well, to the


    pce for a banquet. I will personally host you as a gesture of goodwill. Additionally, aspensation,


    I will ensure it''s delivered to your ce of residence."


    Having said that, Tanya turned to Dominik and instructed, "Dom, prepare the guest quarters at


    Jacqualyn immediately and amodate Xavier and his wife there. Since they''re here in the hidden


    n, we must extend our hospitality."


    "Yes, Mother."


    Dominik nodded in agreement.


    "Queen Tanya, I understand your intentions. Thank you."


    Xavier thanked her and left.


    Antheena didn''t say anything, but she felt aggrieved in her heart, so she followed Xavier and left.


    Veronica nodded slightly to Tanya and said, "Queen Tanya, sorry for the trouble. I''ll leave first." She


    nced at Matthew and signaled him with her eyes before leaving.


    Liam remained silent throughout the whole process.


    However, in the end, he shot a disgusted nce at Tiffany lying on the ground.


    Tsk tsk tsk... They are sisters, but the difference between them is astounding.


    Shifting his gaze, he watched Veronica''s retreating form, recalling her valiant stance earlier. His


    admiration for her only grew stronger.


    No wonder Zac wanted to harm Veronica. Who wouldn''t like such a woman? What a missed


    opportunity.


    Liam had initially held a romantic interest in Veronica, but upon learning of her skills, he swiftly


    abandoned any such notions.


    Hendrey surveyed Tiffany lying on the ground and couldn''t shake off a sense of futility. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With a furrowed brow, he also offered a slight bow to Tanya. "Queen Tanya, I''ll take my leave now.


    Would you kindly arrange for two individuals to escort her to my residence?"


    Given his request, Tanya had no reason to refuse.

 Chapter 1271

    Chapter 1271


    Chapter 1271 The Kind of Man You Fell For


    "Alright, alright. Mr. Johnson, please don''t be so formal." Tanya nodded, giving off an amiable air.


    "Prince Dominik, Princess Eleanor, Prince Liam, I''ll take my leave now." He bid farewell to each of


    them.


    "Mr. Johnson, take care. We''ll catch upter," Dominik responded after stepping forward, carrying


    himself in a gentlemanly manner.


    After Hendrey left, the two soldiers at the door went to drag Tiffany along as they followed him out.


    Tanya folded her hands behind her back and nced back in the direction of Zac''s bedroom, her eyes


    narrowing slightly. "Who do you think would dare to harm Zac?"


    Liam ced the junk food in his hand on the table, pped his hands, stood up, and brushed off the


    crumbs from his clothes. "There''s nothing to discuss. He''s already injured anyway. It''s a waste of my


    time to think about it."


    He portrayed the image of a spoiled child to the fullest.


    Then, under the gaze of the three, he swaggered away.


    Tanya couldn''t hide her disappointment.


    Among her sons, Liam was the most disappointing.


    Dominik shook his head. "This matter is suspicious. Could it be rted to Madam Hayley?"


    Eleanor''s eyes shed with a hint of disdain as she shook her head. "Mother, why are you making


    things difficult for me? I don''t know who it is, but it must be Prince Zac''s enemy. Perhaps it''s someone


    sent by Veronica to take revenge on him. But Prince Zac can''t provide any evidence. He can only suffer


    in silence."


    Constantly thinking about Matthew, she didn''t want to stay here any longer. She then waved goodbye


    to Tanya and Dominik. "Dominik, Mother, I''m leaving now. See ya."


    After saying that, she bounced away.


    Watching her figure, Tanya shook her head and let out a deep sigh. "Dom, won''t you look at your


    sister? She''s still so immature. How can I feel at ease? In the future, you must assist your sister well.


    Understand?"


    As Dominik stood behind Tanya, his handsome face changed from its usual calm and elegance to a


    sudden sharpness. His gaze was filled with a cold chill, but his tone remained respectful as he


    answered, "Mother, you worry too much. This is what I should do. It''s our duty to share the burdens and


    solve the difficulties for the hidden n, isn''t it?"


    At the parking lot.


    Xavier said to Antheena, "You go up to the car and wait for me. I have something to say to Veronica."


    Antheena frowned slightly with a hint of unwillingness in her eyes, but she didn''t show it too obviously.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    After all, it took a lot of effort for her to be close to Xavier. She didn''t want him to be cold toward


    her again because of her "immaturity."


    "Okay."


    She turned and got into the car, closing the door.


    Veronica and Matthew walked over behind her.


    When the two stopped in front of Xavier, Veronica uttered, "I''m sorry you had to go through that."


    She felt guilty about this matter.


    Others might not know that Xavier was innocent, but she knew it very well.


    "What''s this? Too much of a coward to step out now?"


    Xavier ignored Veronica and contemptuously asked Matthew.


    "I won''t argue if that''s what you want to think."


    He was tempted to reveal his identity, but Veronica repeatedly stopped him, telling him not to act


    impulsively.


    Matthew had no choice but to follow her wishes.


    "Huh, how ridiculous."


    A sarcastic smile appeared on Xavier''s lips. "Veronica, so this is the kind of man you fell for."


    In the past, he used to affectionately call Veronica "Roni."


    After what happened yesterday, their rtionship had changed a lot, and he had be much colder


    toward Veronica in his attitude and tone.

 Chapter 1272

    Chapter 1272


    Chapter 1272 We Are Family


    This feeling left Veronica feeling both lost and helpless.


    Though bitter in her heart, she knew she couldn''t have it all.


    "You misunderstood." Veronica exined, "He has always wanted to reveal his identity, but I have been


    stopping him. Also, be careful of Eleanor. She is not as simple as she seems."


    After saying that, Veronica didn''t have much else to add. "Take care."


    She then turned to Matthew. "Matt, let''s go."


    The two of them walked away from him in silence.


    For Xavier, the scene seemed to unfold in slow motion. The person he loved was growing more distant


    with each step.


    His heart was torn apart. The pain was so intense that it felt like spasms, taking his breath away.


    When will she ever take a proper look at me?


    After Veronica and Matthew got into the car, Matthew started the sedan and slowly drove away.


    Inside the car, Veronica leaned against the passenger seat, looking ahead, and sighed. "Offending Zac


    means that once your identity is revealed, he will definitely know it was you. From now on, you must beProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    cautious."


    She was somewhat worried about Matthew''s safety.


    "Okay, my dear wife."


    The man smiled and reached out to touch Veronica''s cheek.


    But as soon as his hand touched her delicate skin, she mercilessly pped it away, instructing, "Focus


    on driving."


    "Okay, I''ll listen to you."


    Matthew was in a good mood. There was even a faint smile that he couldn''t hide in his eyes.


    Seeing him so happy, Veronica was puzzled. "You look like you''re in a good mood."


    "It''s nothing. I just find it satisfying to see you p Tiffany."


    In the living room earlier, Tiffany kept using Veronica and Xavier of colluding with each other.


    However, Veronica didn''t hesitate to walk up and p her.


    As Veronica listened to Matthew''s words, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and then she smiled. "Is that


    so?"


    She was worried that Matthew would be upset not because she pped Tiffany, but because Tiffany


    ndered her and Xavier. Veronica''s p directly rified the rtionship between her and Xavier.


    He was happy because of that.


    Veronica''s eyes dimmed at the thought of that. She turned her head and looked at Matthew. Pursing


    her lips, she hesitated for a moment before bringing up, "Matthew, about yesterday... It was my fault. I


    was being petty."


    Matthew took her to the One Piece Restaurant. Soon after, when he was about to leave, she thought


    Matthew would confront Xavier.


    To her surprise, he went to see Zac.


    Instinctively, she thought Matthew would be able to escape from Zac and would have a careful n


    before dealing with him.


    So, when Matthew suddenly left, Veronica could only think of Xavier.


    Excessive concern led to problems.


    "Xavier has had conflicts with you, but there is also a sense of gratitude. I can understand."


    He held Veronica''s hand tightly in his palm and softly reassured her, "What you owe him, I owe him too.


    After all, we are family."


    Matthew had always been clear about right and wrong.


    And Xavier remembered how Veronica saved his life.


    After being separated by Zac''s men yesterday, he realized something was wrong. However, since he


    couldn''t escape quickly, he immediately contacted Skyler toe and protect Veronica.


    Xavier just so happened to pass by and save her first.


    As her husband, Matthew felt guilty about this.


    "Matt, thank you."


    Veronica was deeply moved.


    "Is that all?"


    He nced at Veronica and parked the car on the side of the road, turning off the engine.


    He then turned to her and asked, "Isn''t a verbal ''thank you'' too insincere?"


    "Huh? How do you want me to express my gratitude, then?"


    Veronica looked confused.

 Chapter 1273

    Chapter 1273


    Chapter 1273 What Love Was About


    "Do I get to decide?"


    "Of course." She nodded.


    "Then..."


    A mischievous smile appeared on Matthew''s face.


    Just as he was about to make a request, the honking of a sedan interrupted him.


    He then noticed a car parked next to his.


    Matthew''s eyes turned cold as he was interrupted right when he was excited. Still, he held Veronica''s


    cheek and lightly kissed her lips.


    With a fleeting kiss, he let go of her, lowered the car window, and peered at the person outside.


    "Is there something I can help you with, Your Highness?"


    Matthew was getting a headache from how persistent the woman outside was.


    A gentle breeze brushed by, making Eleanor''s red dress flutter.


    Her smile was as radiant as the sun when she brushed aside the strands of hair that were blown by the


    wind and crossed her arms. "Master, do you not wee me?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Matthew showed no mercy toward the beautiful woman.


    His cold attitude showed his dislike for Eleanor.


    As the esteemed leader of the hidden n, Eleanor had never been treated so coldly by anyone


    before.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Instead of getting angry, she became more infatuated with Matthew. "What should I do? I came to find


    Goddess Veronica. You can''t refuse me, right?"


    "She is my woman, so yes, I have the final say." His tone was frigid.


    Eleanor didn''t mind at all and directly opened the door of the back seat. "I want to talk to Veronica


    about something. You can keep driving, Master."


    However, Matthew didn''t move after she finished speaking.


    Eleanor rolled her eyes. "Huh. I''ve seen people who burn bridges after crossing them, but I''ve never


    seen someone who wants to burn the bridge before crossing it."


    Whileining, there was no trace of anger or dissatisfaction on her face. She even suggested,


    "You have sessfully opened One Piece Restaurant. Don''t you want to invite me over for a meal?"


    Veronica knew that Eleanor was clever, but she didn''t expect her to know about these things as well.


    For a moment there, it was hard for her to figure out what Eleanor''s true thoughts were.


    Eleanor was not one to follow a routine. Her thoughts were unfathomable.


    "You didn''t expose us in front of Zac. It would only make sense for us to treat you to a meal," Veronica


    spoke up.


    After she finished speaking, Matthew immediately started the car and drove in One Piece Restaurant''s


    direction.


    "How unexpected. Master, you''re a¡­what is it called?" She tried to remember the term they often used.


    "A-ha! A henpecked husband."


    She envied Matthew''s love for Veronica.


    However, his love was only limited to Veronica. Eleanor couldn''t get any of it no matter how hard she


    tried. "I''m so envious."


    She then tilted her head and looked at Veronica. "I know your mother has always coveted the position


    of the head of the n. How about we make a deal?"


    Veronica seemed to understand what she meant and raised an eyebrow. "Are you openly coveting my


    husband? That''s not very nice, is it?"


    "I am a straightforward woman. I don''t think there''s anything wrong with it." She raised her hand and


    wrapped it around Veronica''s neck as though they were best friends. "Besides, your mother has


    coveted the head position for many years. Getting the position in exchange for your husband sounds


    like a good deal, no?"


    Hearing that, Veronica wasn''t sure how much of what she was saying was true.


    Still, she couldn''t help but feel a little reluctant to use Matthew as a bargaining chip.


    With a smile on her delicate face and a sharp glint in her clear eyes, she looked at Eleanor. "Your


    Highness, allow me to be honest with you. Besides my two children, Matt is the most important person


    to me."


    She had only known Matthew for a short time, but perhaps it was fate.


    After they got together, they loved each other deeply and were willing to go through fire and water for


    each other.


    Love was about meeting the right person at the right time.

 Chapter 1274

    Chapter 1274


    Chapter 1274 Have Both Woman and Power


    "Therefore!" Veronica suddenly raised her voice. "Do not bring this up in front of me anymore."


    She knew that the hidden n was open-minded, so she could put up with Eleanor''s words without


    getting angry.


    If this happened in her home country, Eleanor''s words would be considered frivolous.


    "Haha! I was just kidding. Why are you taking it so seriously?"


    Sensing that Veronica was genuinely angry, Eleanor smiled charmingly and changed the subject.


    Then she said, "I didn''t know much about you before, but I''vee to realize how skilled you are.


    When do you have time for us to learn from each other?"


    Those who knew their enemy well would never fail.


    Only bypeting with Veronica could she understand her true strength.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    There would be more opportunities for victory in future confrontations, too.


    "Those are just basic moves. They are nothing worthy of praise from you, Your Highness," Veronica


    humbly replied.


    Half an hourter, they arrived at One Piece Restaurant.


    While Matthew showed Eleanor around the restaurant, Skyler and Shirley also joined them.


    Eleanor, Skyler, and Shirley got acquainted after Veronica introduced both sides to each other.


    "There is a saying in your country¡­ Something like ''birds of a feather flock together.'' Indeed,


    handsome people have handsome friends."


    She generously praised Skyler before adding, "Your girlfriend is also beautiful. What a lovely young


    lady. How likable."


    With herpliment, Shirley quietly turned pink.


    Skyler, being friendly,plimented her as well. "I have heard of Your Highness'' name since way back.


    Seeing you today, I must say you''re truly stunning."


    "You sure have a way with words, Mr. Robins."


    Eleanor''s lips curled slightly as she nced at Matthew. "If only Master were like you."


    Matthew held Veronica''s hand and ignored Eleanor, while Skyler looked at the two of them with a


    meaningful gaze and didn''t say anything more.


    The group of people wandered around One Piece Restaurant before going to the top floor where there


    was only one small attic. They enjoyed the breeze and sat together to drink tea.


    Standing by the window, Eleanor watched the bustling city center of the hidden n with a gradually


    fading smile on her face.


    She leaned on the railing with both hands, gazing into the distance, lost in thought.


    Matthew was able to open One Piece Restaurant in the hidden n in such a short time and even


    chose such an excellent location in the city center to do so.


    In terms of speed, strength, and financial resources, he was not one to be underestimated.


    It would be terrifying to be enemies with him.


    Shirley and Veronica also came out to stand on the balcony. It was a kind of enjoyment for them to


    enjoy the gentle breeze and overlook the bustling downtown area.


    In the room, Skyler sat next to Matthew and patted his shoulder. He gushed in a low voice, "Whew,


    Matt, your charm is as strong as ever. You just arrived in the hidden n and have already gained the


    favor of the leader of the hidden n. She is an unparalleled beauty, sexy and enchanting, alluring but


    not vulgar. She''s seriously stunning."


    Matthew, sipping his tea, nced at him with cold eyes. "If you like her, you can have her. By then, you


    will have half of the hidden n under your control."


    "Tsk, but the beautiful leader doesn''t like me." He leaned closer to Matthew, whispering again, "Since


    she likes you so much, why not consider using your handsome looks to your advantage? You can solve


    the problem faster by infiltrating the enemy''s rank. Considering the overall situation, I''m sure Roni will


    agree with it."


    Skyler shrugged. "You can have both woman and power. Sounds great, doesn''t it, Matt?"


    He realized that this was indeed a good n after he carefully pondered upon his facetious words.

 Chapter 1275

    Chapter 1275


    Chapter 1275 Discarded Chess Piece


    Meanwhile, on the other side.


    After Tiffany was sent to the house to rest, Hendrey called a doctor to diagnose the unconscious


    woman.


    The final result was quite shocking to him.


    He knew that Veronica didn''t like Tiffany, but he never expected Veronica to go crazy the moment she


    lost control.


    "It was a hard p. Her eardrum ruptured. You need to take her to the hospital."


    When Hendrey heard the doctor say that, he frowningly looked down at the woman lying on the bed.


    Her face was almost identical to Veronica''s, but their personalities werepletely different. Even


    standing together, their temperaments were like night and day.


    "I understand. You can go leave now," Hendrey responded.


    He went on and sat in the bedroom for some time.


    Tiffany, lying on the bed, woke up from her unconsciousness. She moved her facial muscles and


    winced in pain, whispering, "Ouch... It hurts..."


    She reached out to touch her face, but even a gentle touch caused excruciating pain.


    Not only that, her cheek felt swollen like a loaf of bread.


    "You''re up." Hendrey got up and walked over, his gaze cold and indifferent as he looked at Tiffany. His


    icy expression revealed no joy or anger.


    Tiffany supported herself with her hands on the bed and sat up. "How long was I unconscious?"


    Hendrey raised his wrist and nced at the time. "You were unconscious for over two hours."


    Suddenly, Tiffany raised her hand to touch her ear, furrowing her brows. "Hendrey, why can''t I hear


    clearly?"


    When Hendrey spoke to her just now, Tiffany was initially worried about her face being disfigured, so


    she didn''t pay attention.


    It wasn''t until Hendrey spoke the second sentence that she realized btedly that she couldn''t hear


    anything from her left ear.


    She paled in fright and lightly tapped her ear with her hand. However, no matter how she tapped, she


    couldn''t hear a sound in her ear.


    "What''s wrong with me? Why can''t I hear anything? Call a doctor! Quickly call a doctor for me!"


    Terrified and unwilling to ept the reality, she began to turn as white as paper.


    On the other hand, Hendrey stood calmly by the side. "I already called a doctor just now. He said that


    you have gone deaf in your left ear."


    In fact, Hendrey had ulterior motives.


    His feelings for Veronica, whether in the past or now, had never changed.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He both admired and liked her.


    But because he was powerless, he couldn''t protect Veronica. Still, he couldn''t tolerate Tiffany''s


    repeated recklessness.


    Let this time be a lesson for her.


    "It''s impossible! How can that be? How could I suddenly be deaf from a p? It''s impossible."


    She was so scared that tears welled up in her eyes, and she agitatedly threw off the nket and ran


    outside.


    But Hendrey tightly held her arm. "Don''t you believe me?"


    "Let go! Release your grip! Let me go!"


    Tiffany shook her hand, but with Hendrey holding on too tightly, she couldn''t break free at all.


    She roared hysterically, "Let go of my hand! I want to see a doctor. I can''t be deaf! No!"


    Being deaf was like being half disabled.


    Tiffany couldn''t ept her physical "defect."


    Furthermore, she couldn''t hear clearly because she had lost her hearing in one ear. The only thing she


    could hear in her left ear was a constant ringing.


    It felt like someone was tightly covering her ears. The faint buzzing was extremely ufortable.


    "If you go to the hospital now, it''s equivalent to telling the outside world that you are already deaf. Do


    you think you are worth anything if people found out about your loss of hearing?"


    Hendrey was calm. "The hidden n will not ept a disabled leader. If you cannotpete for the


    position of the head, you will be a discarded chess piece."

 Chapter 1276

    Chapter 1276


    Chapter 1276 Exactly the Same


    Tiffany, with her swollen cheek, would even feel her cheek twitch in pain when she spoke.


    Butpared to the deafness and pain in her cheeks, she no longer cared about the pain on her face.


    No matter where it hurt, it was not as painful as Hendrey''s words.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    The kind of ice-cold feeling as if plunging into an icy cer struck her, and she felt the chill engulfing


    her, causing her whole body to tremble.


    Tiffany gradually released Hendrey''s hand and fell weakly to the ground.


    Due to inertia, her cheek muscles also trembled, pulling on her swollen face and causing excruciating


    pain. Despite that, she remained unaware of the pain.


    With lifeless eyes, she stared ahead in disbelief as she raised her hand to touch her ear. She couldn''t


    ept the fact that she had gone deaf.


    "N-No, it''s not possible. I can''t be deaf. I''m not..."


    She used to be the most dazzling star in Bloomstead. But now that she had taken a fall, she suddenly


    didn''t know what to do.


    As Tiffany thought of the instigator, her blurred gaze gradually focused. She curved her fingers over her


    ears, clenching her fists tight, and spat through gritted teeth, "Veronica Murphy! You and I are


    enemies!"


    She murmured word by word, almost using all her strength for each word, her voice trembling


    uncontrobly.


    Even as Hendrey looked at her expression of unbearable pain, he showed no sympathy.


    Instead, he sarcastically said, "You did what you did even though you knew it wouldn''t turn out the way


    you wanted it to. You brought this upon yourself." He turned around and walked to a nearby chair. He


    looked sharp as he crossed his legs and reminded her, "I repeatedly warned you before joining the


    hidden n not to provoke Veronica. Didn''t you understand what I meant?"


    "I..."


    Because of her deafness, Tiffany couldn''t hear his words clearly. She couldn''t hear anything from her


    left ear that felt like there was cotton stuffed in it. It drove her crazy.


    The enraged woman wanted to refute Hendrey''s words, but she didn''t know what to say.


    After a while, Hendrey continued, "Do what you''re supposed to do and stay away from her. Otherwise,


    not even your Creator can save you."


    He had helped thest time at the pce''s banquet when Veronica wanted to kill Tiffany.


    If it weren''t because she was still useful in certain ways, Hendrey would never have saved this foolish


    woman.


    "You''d better shape up."


    Hendrey left the bedroom after saying these words.


    Walking to the living room door, he instructed the guard standing at the door, "Keep an eye on her.


    Don''t let her out."


    "Yes, Mr. Johnson."


    The guard nodded slightly and immediately signaled to someone nearby to stand guard at the door.


    After leaving the residence, Hendrey drove away in his sedan, intending to visit Zac and discuss a


    strategy with him.


    As the sedan moved slowly through the streets, he couldn''t help but gaze at the shops on both sides of


    the road.


    Suddenly, a few silhouettes caught his eye.


    He saw Veronica, apanied by a woman in a red dress, waving her hand at the entrance of a shop


    not far away. Standing next to Veronica was a man.


    The man who had his hands in the pockets of his loose casual pants stood tall and exuded a


    compelling aura.


    Hendrey adjusted his gold-rimmed sses and took a closer look. Wasn''t that... "Iron Pir? No, that


    can''t be."


    In his mind, scenes from the bonfire feast outside the pce where he had a confrontation with "Iron


    Pir" shed back.


    Even though "Iron Pir" didn''t attack and only defended himself, he effortlessly fended off his attacks.


    At that time, Hendrey had already sensed that this person had astonishing skills, but he didn''t think


    much of it.


    But from this angle, the man called "Iron Pir" didn''t have the hunched posture he usually had.


    Except for having a slightly darkplexion, an average appearance, and a mole on his face, Iron


    Pir''s figure and demeanor were exactly the same as Matthew''s.

 Chapter 1277

    Chapter 1277


    Chapter 1277 By Tomorrow Night


    Hendrey parked the car by the roadside and watched as Eleanor, wearing a red dress, got into a sedan


    and drove away.


    Veronica then turned to face Iron Pir, who gently brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, their


    posture intimate.


    If Hendrey had any doubts before, he was now almost certain that the person in front of him was


    Matthew!


    "He...not dead!"


    The sudden revtion shocked Hendrey for a long time.


    He eventually understood why the mastermind behind Zac''s injury couldn''t be found.


    It turned out that Matthew was the culprit.


    Last night, Zac met with Veronica and drugged her, but Xavier arrived just in time to save her.


    After learning about this, Matthew confronted Zac and crippled his hand.


    With this exnation, everything fell into ce.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Hendrey tightly clenched the steering wheel, contemting what Matthew was up to when he noticed


    Matthew looking in his direction near a shop not far away.


    He moved his mouth as if saying something to Veronica, and then Veronica turned to look at him.


    Their gazes locked onto him. However, it onlysted for a moment before they looked away and


    entered the shop holding each other''s hands.


    Hendrey''s pupils were slightly dted as he watched this somewhat incredulous scene.


    If Matthew was pretending, why were they so bold when they saw him?


    Hendrey looked around and confirmed that there was no one else they knew here other than him.


    Finally, he realized that they simply didn''t care about him.


    That was why they didn''t even bother to pretend.


    At One Piece Restaurant.


    Veronica was somewhat worried when Matthew led her up the stairs. "Hendrey saw us. He will


    immediately inform Zac, won''t he?"


    After all, they were on the same side.


    "He will find out sooner orter. It''s just a matter of time."


    The man''s fingers caressed the back of her hand, seemingly reluctant to let go. As they climbed the


    stairs, he mentioned, "The most troublesome person is Eleanor."


    "Right, I''m also worried about her." Veronica sighed. "Since the hunting ceremony is just around the


    corner, I keep feeling that Master Crayson and Hayley are up to something big. They won''t easily give


    up this pawn of theirs."


    Veronica hit the nail on the head.


    At this moment, several important figures arrived at Hayley''s house.


    Crayson looked at them, took a puff of his cigarette, and said with a serious tone, "I just received news


    that Tiffany has been detained by Hendrey."


    "Yes. The hunting ceremony is only a few days away. We must rescue Tiffany as soon as possible."


    "Of course. If we don''t save her, do you expect our Young Lord to attend the hunting ceremony?"


    "Tanya Ledger has nned everything carefully. It''s a trap. The Young Lord cannot go."


    "Right. Waylen, what do you think?"


    ...


    The people spoke one after another.


    Crayson silently smoked his cigarette. After a while, he spoke slowly, "We created Tiffany just for this


    day. Everything must proceed ording to the original n."


    Hayley sipped her coffee. "I will be counting on all of you, then. Tanya Ledger is cunning and extremely


    cautious. Veronica still needs to apany me on the day of the ceremony."


    "Don''t worry, Madam Hayley. With us here, everything has already been taken care of." Someone


    nodded and continued, "As the hunting ceremony is in three days, we must rescue Tiffany by tomorrow


    night at thetest. Otherwise, the n cannot proceed."


    "We will handle this. But Master Waylen, once we rescue her, I leave the remaining tasks to you. Only


    you and Mateo can handle them."

 Chapter 1278

    Chapter 1278


    Chapter 1278 Underground Chamber


    At night the next day.


    Tiffany, who was under house arrest,y on the bed and stared at the medicine on the bedside table.


    Her tearful eyes were gradually filled with hatred.


    Her fair hands then clenched tightly together, trembling with anger. "Veronica Murphy! Veronica


    Murphy! I will kill you! I will kill you!"


    Veronica was responsible for all her misfortunes. Tiffany would never be able to let go of her hatred if


    Veronica didn''t die.


    That night, she tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.


    In her mind, she fantasized about how to eliminate Veronica and what would be the quickest and most


    effective way to achieve her goal.


    But as she pondered, she suddenly caught a faint fragrance. Her mind then became dizzy, and she fell


    into a deep sleep.


    Unconscious, Tiffany didn''t know what had happened.


    After an unknown period of time, when she woke up from her dream, she opened her eyes and saw


    Crayson and Mateo.


    "W-Why are you here?"


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She was somewhat panicked as she struggled to get up from the bed. However, she realized that her


    limbs were tightly bound, and she couldn''t struggle when she moved.


    Filled with fear, she instinctively looked around, only to find herself in arge underground chamber.


    Even though there were lights around, she couldn''t see the walls. The only things she could see were a


    few pirs standing on the ground, supporting the dome.


    Even the lights were antique bronze figures that held a stick with a pcemp on top.


    Thebination of antiquity and modernity added a touch of mystery to the underground chamber.


    And yet, it was this mystery that made Tiffany feel even more insecure.


    "Hey, I''m talking to you. Why did you kidnap me?"


    Tiffany spoke to Crayson. However, he only nced at her coldly and continued tomunicate with


    Mateo using some secretnguage that she couldn''t understand.


    She could understand what others were saying before because she was wearing a trantor. But now


    that she didn''t bring the trantor with her, she couldn''t understand anything.


    That feeling was absolutely terrible. It made her feel helpless while she was being driven crazy.


    "Master Crayson, you better release me, or else that person won''t spare you!" Tiffany struggled like she


    was a madwoman, but it was all in vain. "Floch Larson and Rachel Zimmerman won''t forgive you


    either."


    Hearing her mention the Larson couple, Crayson paused for a moment before he turned to look at


    Tiffany, his murky eyes filled with coldness. "Is that so? Let theme find me, then. That way, I don''t


    have to waste my effort looking for them."


    The Larson couple used to address him respectfully. But now, because of Tiffany, they had be


    enemies.


    As much as Crayson despised Tiffany, he couldn''t be bothered to pay her any attention.


    "You... Even if you''re not afraid of them, aren''t you afraid of Dawson?" Tiffany revealed the mysterious


    person backing her.


    She couldn''t be certain of Dawson''s true identity, but she had overheard a conversation between


    Hendrey and Xavier that mentioned Dawson. At that time, she had a feeling that "Dawson" was an


    extraordinary person.


    She asked Hendrey about Dawson afterward, but he refused to say anything.


    She spected that Dawson was likely the mastermind. However, she wasn''tpletely certain.


    In a critical moment, she could only bring up Dawson to intimidate Crayson, hoping it would be


    effective.


    "I''ve been waiting for Dawson for a long time too."


    Crayson snorted coldly, showing no fear of Dawson. Instead, his face was filled with contempt.


    At that moment, the heavy door made a sound like gears that had been sealed for many years as it


    was pushed open.


    Tiffany couldn''t move her limbs and could only lift her head to look at the door. That was when she saw


    five or six members of the hidden n, dressed in ck clothes with blue edges and wrapped in ck


    headscarves, walking in.

 Chapter 1279

    Chapter 1279


    Chapter 1279 Your Own Survival


    A group of middle-aged individuals with darkplexions walked briskly. Most of them were skilled in


    martial arts.


    "Who are you? What do you want from me?"


    Tiffany was filled with a sense of fear toward the unknown that tormented her and instilled terror. The


    anxiety from not being able toprehend their words turned her eyes red.


    She felt helpless time and time again, but all that helplessness was "given" by Veronica, intensifying


    Tiffany''s hatred toward her.


    After a brief conversation, Crayson exchanged a nce with Mateo.


    Mateo then nodded slightly. After he washed his hands and put on gloves, he picked up a syringe from


    the tray on the table, approaching Tiffany.


    Tiffany''s eyes went wide, and her face turned pale with fear as she couldn''t help but struggle frantically.


    "Stay away! Get away from me! What do you want from me? You can''t kill me. You can''t! No¡ªAh!"


    As she kept screaming, Mateo injected the syringe into the side of her neck before she could finish her


    words.


    Impatiently, Mateo spat, "Why are you shouting? You think we''d go through so much trouble if we


    wanted to kill you?"


    "Then w-what do you¡­want..."


    As the syringe entered her body, Tiffany''s voice grew weaker and weaker, and then her eyes gradually


    closed. She soon plunged into endless darkness.


    ...


    Mountainside Gardens.


    Veronica read a book while lying in bed as she couldn''t fall asleep.


    At this moment, the window was pushed open, and Matthew leaped in from outside before he closed


    the window.


    Seeing him, Veronica closed the book and sat up, asking, "Where were you?"


    It was already 2 a.m. now, and as Matthew was dressed in night clothes, he must have gone out for


    something.


    "Tiffany was taken away by Master Crayson and the others."


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As Matthew took off his night clothes, he said to Veronica, "Mateo went with them. I believe they are


    already carrying out the n."


    Veronica wasn''t surprised by this.


    She furrowed her brows slightly and let out a soft sigh. "Tiffany was always just a pawn. Of course,


    Master Crayson wouldn''t give up on her. After all, she still holds some value. I''m just worried..."


    Veronica paused, choosing not to borate.


    After Matthew folded the clothes he wore when he went out tonight, he was still wearing the suit he had


    on during the day.


    Walking slowly to Veronica''s side, he sat down and held her hand, softly reassuring her, "With me


    protecting you, the same thing will never happen to you."


    He understood what Veronica was concerned about.


    Crayson and the others from the hidden n would use their secret technique to seal Tiffany''s


    memories. There was a possibility of them using it on Veronica as well.


    If that day truly arrived, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Veronica anxiously held Matthew''s hand, gazing at the wound in his palm and gently touching the skin


    beside the scar. "Matt, you have done enough for me. If something unexpected happens to us one day,


    you must ensure your own survival. Remember, our children are still waiting for us in Bloomstead."


    She smiled self-deprecatingly. "Perhaps our children are already a part of the hidden n."


    It was already a risky move when they left the two children in Bloomstead.


    Especially since Zac, the Ledger n, and the Elrod n were coveting them.


    "My silly wife, what are you thinking? Nothing will happen to you or our children when I''m around."


    Holding Veronica''s hand, he embraced her in his arms and gently patted her back tofort her.


    "You''re not a god; you can''t do everything. I''m just saying that you must leave if there trulyes a day


    when only one of us can survive."

 Chapter 1280

    Chapter 1280


    Chapter 1280 Punishment


    Veronica had prepared herself for the worst. She didn''t want Matthew to die for her.


    "Can''t you think positively? Don''t you believe in what I''m capable of?" the man teased as he gently


    pinched her smooth skin.


    "I believe in you, but...there will always be someone better, and there will always be someone beyond


    our reach. We still don''t know how Master Crayson and the others sealed Tiffany''s memories. We can


    only discover the true power of the hidden n''s secret skill when we see Tiffany on the day of the


    hunting ceremony."


    Veronica was worried. "Matt, I want to go back to Bloomstead. I miss my parents, our children, and


    Twilight Condominium."


    Only in Bloomstead did she truly feel at home.


    All her loved ones were in Bloomstead. After being forced toe to the hidden n, Veronica lived in


    constant fear and exhaustion every day.


    "Have a good rest. We can leave the hidden n in a month at most. You can treat it as a vacation. We


    will go back eventually."


    Matthew held Veronica''s shoulders with both hands as he leaned down, looking at her, and then kissed


    her on the lips. "Roni, I missed you."


    The brief but powerful kiss seemed to possess a strong magic that gradually made Veronica forget her


    worries and immerse herself in his passion.


    Intense passion and a state of self-forgetfulness.


    No matter what they did, both of them were fullymitted. Even when making love, they would give


    their all.


    Perhaps, this was their approach to love.


    ...


    The next day.


    Matthew hadn''t left yet as Veronica woke up early. He stayed with her until dawn.


    This was the first time since they came to the hidden n that Veronica stayed in her room until dawn.


    As she opened her sleepy eyes, she saw Matthew''s handsome face. It was the sight she had yearned


    for day and night.


    "When did you remove your makeup? You''re still here. Aren''t you afraid they''lle back and find out


    about you?" Veronica told him to leave, but her hand was wrapped around his strong waist as she


    greedily pecked him on his lips.


    With his elbow propped on the pillow to support his head, Matthew quietly watched the woman in hisProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    arms, feeling the beauty of the morning and experiencing their life after marriage.


    Little did he expect that the woman would initiate a kiss as soon as she woke up.


    A faint smile appeared on his handsome face, and a fire seemed to start in his ink-ck eyes.


    With his slender arms wrapped around her waist, he leaned in and kissed her lips, gently nibbling on


    her red lips. "Don''t you know that you shouldn''t provoke me in the morning?"


    He had already restrained himself. However, he couldn''t resist her when she took the initiative.


    Veronica regained herposure then. cing her hands on his chest, she shook her head. "Stop.


    Master Crayson and the others have already woken up. It wouldn''t be good if they found out."


    "What are you afraid of? We''re legally married. Why should we sneak around to make love?"


    With his identity already revealed, Matthew became even more uninhibited.


    Veronica didn''t know whether tough or cry about that.


    She tilted her head and looked out the window, listening to the cuckoo''s cry and watching the morning


    sun shine on the earth. There was a red glow enveloping arge tree outside.


    What a beautiful morning. It gave a sense of peaceful times.


    Smack!


    Suddenly, a pnded on her buttocks, eliciting a pained cry from Veronica. Her eyebrows were


    pulled together into a frown when she asked, "Why did you hit me?"


    "It''s your punishment. How could you get distracted when you''re with me? Who else should I hit if not


    you?"


    My goodness, the audacity! she thought.


    He still thinks he''s in the right even when he''s the one who spanked me!


    Fuming, Veronica raised her hand to hit him back.


    However, Matthew didn''t give her a chance. He grabbed her wrist and pressed her onto the bed,


    smirking. "Is my Roni trying to provoke me?"


    "You''re the one who spanked me first!"


    "It seems like I didn''t do it hard enough. I need to find another way to ''punish'' you so that you''ll learn


    your lesson."

 Chapter 1281

    Chapter 1281


    Chapter 1281 Shift the me


    "Geez, Matthew, stop fooling around. It''s alreadyte. The food will be served in less than an hour."


    "Based on what you said, one hour isn''t enough for you. I suppose I''m not doing a good job."


    "No, no! That''s not what I meant, you¡ªum..."


    Matthew didn''t let her finish her sentence as he silenced her with a kiss.


    An hourter, there was a series of knocks on the door.


    Knock, knock, knock...


    "Miss, it''s time to wake up and have a meal."


    The person calling her to eat upstairs was a servant in the house, but the cook had already been


    reced by a new chef.


    With her cheeks flushed, Veronica quickly raised her hand to her lips, gesturing for Matthew to stay


    quiet.


    Naturally, heplied.


    "Okay, got it. I''ll go downstairs right away," Veronica replied.


    It was silent outside. The servant had already gone downstairs.


    Veronica pleaded, "We should go eat."


    "No rush."


    "Master Crayson and Mateo are both here. If we don''t go down, they''ll find out what we''re doing. Won''t


    it be awkward?"


    "Don''t worry. They won''t be able to return this morning."


    "They won''t be able to return? What happened?" Veronica asked worriedly.


    As she asked the question, a cold and stern expression appeared on Matthew''s face. He also had a


    hint of anger in his eyes. "Veronica Murphy, do you want to die in bed?"


    "Huh? No, I just¡­ Hey¡­ Matt, no, honey, don''t be too¡ª"


    And so, another hour passed.


    Matthew finally released her.


    After freshening up, they both walked out of the room one after another. However, considering


    Veronica''s dignity, Matthew went back upstairs instead of going downstairs.


    Veronica descended the stairs with weak legs and went to have her meal.


    Sure enough, apart from the servants and the new chef, there was no sign of Crayson and Mateo in the


    spacious living room.


    Of course, Destiny was also absent.


    "Madam Dorothy, where are they? Have they eaten?" Veronica asked the servant in the dining room.


    Dorothy shook her head. "I''m afraid I don''t know. Master Waylen, Young Master Mateo, Miss Destiny,


    and Iron Pir are all not here today. But Terran said they won''t being back today. Master Waylen


    informed him yesterday."


    Terran was the chef¡ªa young man of considerable talent¡ªthey trusted.


    "Oh, okay."


    Veronica didn''t ask any further questions and continued to eat, but she felt uneasy in her heart.


    Hendrey was also anxious.


    After a good night''s sleep and a regr breakfast, someone approached him and informed him that


    Tiffany had disappeared.


    Hendrey was greatly surprised and immediately dispatched people to search for her while also


    checking the surveince.


    However, the surveince had been tampered with yesterday and didn''t capture anything.


    She had vanished just like that. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    He sent out search parties and hurriedly left the house to go to Zac''s residence.


    After he identally discovered Matthew''s true identity yesterday, he had been contemting whether


    to inform Zac or not. After much consideration, he decided to keep it a secret.


    Now that Tiffany had disappeared, Zac would undoubtedly hold him ountable.


    By revealing Matthew''s identity now, he could shift all the me onto him.


    Hendrey didn''t have time to eat, so he drove directly and arrived at Zac''s estate in just over 30 minutes.


    Upon entering the estate, he noticed that the security had been strengthened, and the personnel


    assigned there were top-notch experts.


    Presumably, Zac couldn''t find the culprit who had harmed him, so he bolstered the defense.


    Hendrey went to the living room but didn''t find Zac.


    The servant informed him that Zac was still resting in his room with an IV drip.


    After being informed, he approached the bedroom door and knocked. "Zac, it''s me, Hendrey."

 Chapter 1282

    Chapter 1282


    Chapter 1282 The Real Culprit


    "Come in."


    Zac''s feeble voice sounded from the room.


    Hendrey pushed open the bedroom door and entered. He saw Zac propped up against a tall pillow,


    with an IV drip hanging, his face pale and weak. He no longer resembled his former self.


    Emotions welled up within Hendrey. Matthew truly loved Veronica. He had actually severed one of


    Zac''s hands because Zac had drugged Veronica.


    "What''s the matter?"


    However, it was just past breakfast time, and Hendrey had rushed over in a hurry. Zac didn''t think he


    hade to inquire about his condition.


    Hendrey''s expression turned serious. He nced at the doctor sitting in the bedroom, then looked at


    Zac, gesturing something.


    "Leave. I''ll call you if I need anything," Zac instructed the doctor.


    Hearing that, the doctor stood up and gave Zac a small nod before he left the bedroom, closing the


    door behind him.


    Zac turned his head slightly, his gaze dim as he looked at Hendrey. "Go on. Did something happen


    again?"


    Hendrey took a few steps forward and stood by Zac''s bed. ncing at Zac''s severed hand with a frown


    on his face, he asked tentatively, "Have you found the culprit?"


    The incident with his hand was a sensitive topic for Zac.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    As soon as the question was posed, Zac''s face immediately grew even more unpleasant, and his deep


    blue eyes brewed a storm-like rage.


    "What the hell are you asking? Would I still be here if I knew who the mastermind was?"


    In a fit of anger, Zac grabbed a nearby pillow and flung it at Hendrey.


    Because there was an IV drip hanging on the back of his hand, he identally and painfully tugged on


    the needle, causing blood to flow back into the needle hole.


    Helplessly, he raised his right hand and used his mouth to remove the needle from the back of his


    hand.


    As the needle was pulled out, the needle hole on the IV drip began to overflow with crimson


    bloodstains. Zac instinctively raised his left hand to press the wound, but all he had was his arm


    wrapped in gauze.


    In that instant, his face suddenly turned dark, and mes burning fiercely burst forth from his eyes.


    "Investigate it! You must find the culprit. I am going to tear them to pieces!"


    His voice gradually grew louder until he was finally roaring.


    Hendrey''s eyelids drooped slightly, and a faint light flickered in his eyes. "I¡­have an idea who the real


    culprit is."


    "Who?"


    Zac stared at Hendrey with burning eyes filled with hope.


    He wished he could immediately find out the real culprit and dismember them.


    "It''s Matthew Kings!"


    Hendrey''s voice was slow and forceful.


    Zac, who had been full of anticipation, scowled as if he had been deceived upon hearing his answer.


    He burned with anger. "What do you mean? You can''t find the murderer, and so you mention a dead


    person to deceive me? Do I look stupid to you?"


    "Please calm down, Your Highness." Hendreyforted him and continued, "Based on my


    spection, Matthew is probably not dead. The funeral held in Bloomstead was likely a sham."


    "A sham?"


    Zac became intrigued and sat up from the bed.


    "Have you noticed the bodyguard named ''Iron Pir'' beside Veronica?" he asked in return.


    "He is practically her shadow."


    "Yes. He is always by Veronica''s side. Although his appearance has changed significantly, it must be a


    disguise."


    Hendrey recalled something and continued, "I don''t know if you have seen Veronica''s previous


    appearance, Your Highness. When she first arrived in Bloomstead, she always wore makeup and


    deceived everyone, including Matthew Kings."


    Zac was aware of this.


    His furrowed brows suddenly rxed. "Are you saying that Matthew faked his death and disguised


    himself as someone else to infiltrate the hidden n and protect Veronica?"


    "Yes," Hendrey confirmed.

 Chapter 1283

    Chapter 1283


    Chapter 1283 Threatened To Kill Him Just Yesterday


    Zac carefully pondered the situation, recalling his encounter with Iron Pir and connecting it to the


    retaliation he faced after drugging Veronica at the hotel that night.


    As Veronica''s husband, Matthew couldn''t tolerate what Zac had done to her, so he sought revengete


    at night.


    Everything became clear now.


    "No wonder. Every time I saw Iron Pir, I felt a sense of familiarity. There is murderous intent in his


    gaze. It all makes sense now."


    Zac was furious. Veins popped on the back of his right hand which he clenched tightly.


    The bloodstain from the needle puncture had already coagted, but a little fresh blood oozed out due


    to his forceful grip.


    But he didn''t care.


    "Come in!"


    Zac shouted to the outside.


    "Zac!" Hendrey immediately interrupted him. "Don''t be impulsive. I know you want to kill Matthew Kings


    now, but you have no evidence to prove that he was the one who attacked you that day. I think the best


    opportunity to prove that is at the hunting ceremony."


    They would surely face opposition if they killed Matthew without any evidence.


    After all, this was the hidden n''s territory. No matter how strong they were, they would never win in


    their enemy''s territory.


    Even though Zac was a prince from Castron, he still had to abide by the rules of the hidden n.


    "The hunting ceremony?"


    Zac''s narrowed eyes flickered with a sinister and ruthless light as he silently schemed.


    Sensing that Zac''s attention had shifted, Hendrey began to speak. "There''s another issue. I learned on


    my way here that Tiffany had gone missing. I suspect it has something to do with Matthew."


    "What''s up with that b*tch?"


    Zac also despised Tiffany. However, since she had the same appearance as Veronica, she had some


    value to him.


    Another reason was that he had believed that Matthew was dead, and it was thanks to Tiffany "killing"


    him. That was why Zac kept her alive as a backup pawn.


    But since joining the hidden n, she had constantly opposed Veronica and secretly colluded with Liam


    and Dominik. She acted like Zac was a fool who knew nothing.


    "I told her to rest after Veronica pped her and made her deaf. Who would have known that she


    would go missingst night?"


    At this point, Hendrey paused in his words and nced at Zac, trying to gauge his thoughts through his


    facial expressions.


    Seeing that he didn''t think much, he continued, "Tiffany''s existence has caused great danger to


    Veronica. I''m afraid she has been kidnapped and the chances of survival are slim. I have sent people


    to look into it, but there is no news yet. So, should we send someone to rescue¡ª"


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "Don''t worry about her. Go and call Xavier to discuss the hunting ceremony."


    Zac interrupted Hendrey, not caring about Tiffany''s life or death at all. He was solely focused on


    seeking revenge.


    "Xavier Crawford?" Hendrey had an awkward expression on his face. "Ah..."


    He hesitated, not knowing what to say.


    After threatening to kill Xavier just yesterday? Would Xavier agree to work together with him now?


    Hendrey thought Zac was out of his mind.


    "I misunderstood him yesterday. I will apologize to himter. But you should know that Xavier and


    Matthew are archenemies. He definitely will cooperate with me."


    Zac was confident.


    Hendrey''s eyes flickered slightly as he quietly looked at Zac with a profound gaze.


    "Alright, I will call Xavier now."


    After hesitating for a few seconds, he dialed Xavier''s number.


    He knew that Xavier would cooperate with Zac.


    After all, Matthew had destroyed his family and humiliated him.


    This was probably a grudge that Xavier would never let go even if it cost him his life.

 Chapter 1284

    Chapter 1284


    Chapter 1284 No Need To Continue Hiding


    Mountainside Gardens.


    After finishing breakfast, Veronica went upstairs to the study. Soon after, the door opened, and Matthew


    walked in.


    Veronica nced at him with furrowed eyebrows. "You¡­ Master Crayson and the others will be back


    soon. It wouldn''t be good if they saw you, right?"


    Matthew had removed his makeupst night. Veronica thought he had spent a long time in the room


    doing his makeup, but she didn''t expect him to show his true face.


    "Hendrey already discovered my identity at the entrance of One Piece Restaurant yesterday. There''s


    no need for me to continue hiding."


    He then changed into a ck suit and nearly groomed his short hair. Now that he regained his former


    cold and handsome appearance, his stunningly handsome facepletely captivated Veronica.


    "You''re right."


    After she stood up and walked around the desk to get closer to Matthew, she reached out and held his


    hands while looking at him from head to toe. "You look way hotter in your original appearance."


    Sinceing to the hidden n, Matthew had been pretending to be "Iron Pir," a persona that


    Veronica found awkward and unfamiliar.


    "Is that so?" Matthew withdrew his hand from her soft grip. Instead, he wrapped his arm around


    Veronica''s slender waist, leaned down, and pressed his forehead against hers. He then lightly kissed


    her lips.


    The unexpected tenderness made Veronica''s cheeks pink. Suddenly, she thought of something.


    She pushed Matthew away. "Since Hendrey already knows your identity, he will definitely tell Zac. I''m


    sure Zac knows that he was attacked by you. In that case, why hasn''t he taken action?"


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Zac was a vengeful person. There was no reason for him to endure it for so long while harboring deep


    hatred for having his hand severed.


    "I know..."


    Without waiting for Matthew''s answer, Veronica voiced her thoughts. "The hunting ceremony. He must


    be nning to discreetly target you during the hunting ceremony. Even if he openly kills you, he can


    still me it on the event itself. Since we''ve signed the death waiver, we can only leave what happens


    next to fate.


    Worry clouded her clear face.


    Matthew''s lips curved into a smile. "If I were really that weak, I wouldn''t be worthy of being Zac''s


    opponent."


    "But he has the entire Castron behind him!"


    "I won''t kill him, so you don''t have to worry too much." Matthew held her hand. "Come, let me take you


    to the study."


    He changed the subject, not wanting Veronica to worry.


    All day long, Veronica obediently studied upstairs with Matthew.


    It wasn''t until 6 p.m. that Crayson, Mateo, and Destiny returned to the courtyard exhausted.


    Veronica didn''t know how long the secret skill of the hidden n, the memory seal, would take, nor did


    she ask.


    But when she went downstairs with Matthew, the three of them, along with Dorothy and the new cook,


    were surprised when they saw Matthew''s face.


    Upon seeing Matthew openly revealing his true identity, Crayson and Destiny didn''t say anything.


    Mateo, on the other hand, sneered and gave him a disdainful look. "Imposter!"


    After cursing, he went straight back to his room. He wasn''t even in the mood to eat dinner.


    Veronica nced at Matthew with her head tilted, and the two of them locked eyes but didn''t say


    anything.


    "Master Crayson, where did you guys go today?"


    She changed the subject and asked Crayson. "I haven''t seen you all day."


    The servants and chefs were curious about Matthew "changing" his face, but they didn''t dare to ask too


    much as they obediently went to the kitchen to eat.


    The four of them walked toward the dining room, with Crayson showing signs of fatigue on his face.


    Still, he pretended to be rxed and replied, "We went to see Madam Hayley."


    "Yes, that''s right. We were discussing the hunting ceremony with Madam Hayley," Destiny chimed in,


    showing great cooperation.

 Chapter 1285

    Chapter 1285


    Chapter 1285 Ky, Ky, Ky!


    "I see."


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Veronica smiled gently and asked, "What do I need to do for the hunting ceremony?"


    "We will arrange for someone to apany you. However, Matthew should return to being Iron Pir


    and apany you to the hunting ceremony,"


    Crayson told Matthew as he ate his porridge.


    "No problem." Matthew nodded slightly, reverting back to his former cold and noble demeanor.


    They then proceeded to discuss the details of the hunting ceremony.


    Meanwhile, at One Piece Restaurant.


    Skyler and Shirley had been ying games in their room for two days and were starting to get bored.


    Fortunately, Skyler had arranged for a professional makeup artist toe and help them with their


    appearance. They changed into the traditional attire of the hidden n before leaving One Piece


    Restaurant to explore the bustling city.


    Since they didn''t know the localnguage, they also brought along apanion.


    "Where should we go?" Shirley held Skyler''s hand as they walked out of One Piece Restaurant, looking


    around unsure of which direction to take.


    As the two of them were in a romantic rtionship, they were naturally close with one another.


    Skyler whispered, "Didn''t we agree to go to the church to pray that day? Let''s go now."


    Due to their special identities, it was inconvenient for them to go out, so they had postponed it until


    now.


    "Okay."


    Shirley nodded and sweetly smiled at the young man apanying them. "Lazlo, please take us to


    the nearest church."


    The man called Lazlo had a fairplexion and gave off a charming vibe.


    He responded, "Let''s go by car."


    He pointed to the sedan parked in the parking lot and walked toward it.


    Skyler and Shirley followed closely behind.


    As Skyler leaned toward Shirley''s ear, he whispered, "Calling him by his name so intimately?"


    "Geez, it''s a given since he''s older than me." Shirley thought Skyler was being childish.


    After the two of them got into the car, Skyler seemed a bit displeased with Lazlo and ignored him, while


    Shirley chatted enthusiastically with Lazlo throughout the journey.


    Lazlo could speak both the localnguage and English, so they had no problemmunicating.


    As they chatted happily, Skyler''s expression grew darker. He couldn''t help but ask, "Lazlo, do you have


    a girlfriend?"


    "No. Are you worried about me?"


    Lazlo nced at Skyler through the rearview mirror and replied.


    "Seriously? But Lazlo, you are so handsome. Howe you don''t have a girlfriend yet?" Shirley''s


    curiosity burned.


    "I just haven''t met the right person," he replied.


    Right then, Skyler reached out and hugged Shirley''s waist, unexpectedly nting a kiss on her cheek


    as if asserting his dominance.


    Caught off guard by the sudden intimacy, Shirley red at him, her face slightly blushing.


    Her cheeks turned crimson when she looked up and saw Lazlo watching them through the rearview


    mirror. "Don''t mind, Lazlo. Skyler is just¡ª"


    "Call me Ky!"


    Skyler corrected her.


    He didn''t want to be called by his name like Shirley addressed Lazlo.


    "Huh?"


    Taken aback, Shirley looked at Skyler in confusion. She sensed a strong sense of jealousy from his


    eyes filled with resentment.


    The amused woman nodded immediately. "Ky."


    "Yeah, say it again."


    Skyler enjoyed being called "Ky."


    "Oh,e on, stop it."


    "No way!"


    "Okay, Ky, Ky, Ky! Is that enough?" Shirley didn''t realize how childish Skyler could be.


    Sitting in the driver''s seat, Lazloughed heartily. "Haha, you guys are really affectionate."


    "Of course we are."


    Skyler nodded, his tone filled with a hint of pride.


    Twenty minutester, they arrived at a church.


    Standing outside the church, the two looked at the que that read "Sage Church."

 Chapter 1286

    Chapter 1286


    Chapter 1286 White Jade


    The church''s decoration style was grand and majestic, with flying eaves and arches, golden zed


    tiles, red walls, intricately carved beams, and painted rafters, creating a spectacr atmosphere.


    The church''s decorotion style wos grond ond mojestic, with flying eoves ond orches, golden glozed


    tiles, red wolls, intricotely corved beoms, ond pointed rofters, creoting o spectoculor otmosphere.


    Hond in hond, they oscended the steps, oponied by the sound of bells ringing in their eors ond the


    distont chonting of priests.


    Upon entering the church, they offered o donotion ond opprooched the oltor, bowing ond offering


    condles.


    Skyler then turned to the priest beside him ond pleodingly looked ot Lozlo. "Won''t you help me osk him


    how I con get o tolismon?"


    He wonted to ensure Shirley''s sofety by ocquiring o tolismon.


    Shirley wos quite timid, but with the protection of o tolismon, she could goin couroge ond feel secure.


    Lozlo took the opportunity to converse with the priest before he informed Skyler, "Simply offer more


    donotion money, kneel before God, ond proy for sofety. In doing so, you will receive o tolismon."


    He odded, "The tolismons in this church ore oll blessed ond highly effective."


    "Sounds simple enough."


    Skyler releosed Shirley''s hond ond opprooched the oltor. After he ploced o generous omount of money,


    he lit o condle ond knelt before the votive condle stonds, bowing ond offering the condle.


    The priest opprooched with o bowl of holy woter, dipped his fingers in the woter, sprinkled o few drops


    on Shirley''s body, ond honded her o red embroidered tolismon.


    The church''s decoration style was grand and majestic, with flying eaves and arches, golden zed


    tiles, red walls, intricately carved beams, and painted rafters, creating a spectacr atmosphere.


    Hand in hand, they ascended the steps, apanied by the sound of bells ringing in their ears and the


    distant chanting of priests.


    Upon entering the church, they offered a donation and approached the altar, bowing and offering


    candles.


    Skyler then turned to the priest beside him and pleadingly looked at Lazlo. "Won''t you help me ask him


    how I can get a talisman?"


    He wanted to ensure Shirley''s safety by acquiring a talisman.


    Shirley was quite timid, but with the protection of a talisman, she could gain courage and feel secure.


    Lazlo took the opportunity to converse with the priest before he informed Skyler, "Simply offer more


    donation money, kneel before God, and pray for safety. In doing so, you will receive a talisman."


    He added, "The talismans in this church are all blessed and highly effective."


    "Sounds simple enough."


    Skyler released Shirley''s hand and approached the altar. After he ced a generous amount of money,


    he lit a candle and knelt before the votive candle stands, bowing and offering the candle.


    The priest approached with a bowl of holy water, dipped his fingers in the water, sprinkled a few drops


    on Shirley''s body, and handed her a red embroidered talisman.


    "Thank you."


    Shirley epted the talisman and bowed to the priest.


    Lazlo conveyed Shirley''s gratitude.


    "Allow me to put it on for you."


    Skyler examined the silver lock-shaped talisman, a small ornament with delicate and beautiful patterns,


    devoid of any tackiness.


    He stood behind Shirley and ced it around her neck.


    Shirley felt touched by Skyler''s gestures.


    "Alright. Now that you have the talisman on, all those demons and ghosts will stay away from you. You


    don''t have to be afraid anymore."


    Skyler raised an eyebrow and smiled.


    Whether the talisman had any actual effect or not, it at least provided a sense of security.


    Shirley touched the talisman on her neck and smiled without uttering a word.


    "Hahaha!" Lazlo suddenly burst intoughter and reminded them, "This talisman is packaged in a


    sachet-style bag. Open the bag. There''s a piece of jade inside."


    "Really?"


    Skyler was somewhat skeptical.


    Standing in front of Shirley, he opened the sachet and found a sachet-style bag inside.


    Upon opening it, he discovered a square piece of white jade with runes carved on its surface.


    The thumb-sized white jade was engraved with golden runes. The runes were notrge, but they


    resembled decorative patterns which exuded elegance and beauty.


    "Thonk you."


    Shirley epted the tolismon ond bowed to the priest.


    Lozlo conveyed Shirley''s grotitude.


    "Allow me to put it on for you."


    Skyler exomined the silver lock-shoped tolismon, o smoll ornoment with delicote ond beoutiful potterns,


    devoid of ony tockiness.


    He stood behind Shirley ond ploced it oround her neck.


    Shirley felt touched by Skyler''s gestures.


    "Alright. Now thot you hove the tolismon on, oll those demons ond ghosts will stoy owoy from you. You


    don''t hove to be ofroid onymore."


    Skyler roised on eyebrow ond smiled.


    Whether the tolismon hod ony octuol effect or not, it ot leost provided o sense of security.


    Shirley touched the tolismon on her neck ond smiled without uttering o word.


    "Hohoho!" Lozlo suddenly burst into loughter ond reminded them, "This tolismon is pockoged in o


    sochet-style bog. Open the bog. There''s o piece of jode inside."


    "Reolly?"


    Skyler wos somewhot skepticol.


    Stonding in front of Shirley, he opened the sochet ond found o sochet-style bog inside.


    Upon opening it, he discovered o squore piece of white jode with runes corved on its surfoce.


    The thumb-sized white jode wos engroved with golden runes. The runes were not lorge, but they


    resembled decorotive potterns which exuded elegonce ond beouty.


    The two exchanged nces and smiled.


    "Are we dumb or what?" Shirley covered her mouth and chuckled.


    "It doesn''t matter. We are new here and still have much to learn. There''s no need to feel embarrassed."


    Skyler suddenly realized that the hidden n possessed abundant mineral resources, including gold


    mines, diamond mines, and jade mines. That exined why the price of jade here was rtively low,


    making it affordable for everyone.


    No wonder Anthony and the others had always coveted the hidden n.


    He gazed at the translucent white jade on Shirley''s neck. In his home country, it could easily fetch at


    least 15 thousand dors. However, it was surprisingly inexpensive here.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Indeed, there was no harm in makingparisons.


    Afterward, the three of them leisurely explored the church. It was already 9 p.m. then, and reluctantly,


    they returned to One Piece Restaurant.


    Once inside their room, Shirley closed the door. As soon as she turned around, Skyler embraced her


    and leaned down to kiss her lips.


    "Mmm... Skyler, what are you doing?" Shirley asked.


    "You little troublemaker, can''t you stay away from Lazlo from now on?"

 Chapter 1287

    Chapter 1287


    Chapter 1287 Been There, Done That


    He punished her by biting her lip, causing Shirley to gasp in pain.


    He punished her by biting her lip, cousing Shirley to gosp in poin.


    "Lozlo ond I ore just friends. He hos been very kind to me lotely ot One Piece Restouront," Shirley


    exploined.


    "Am I still heoring you exploining yourself?!"


    Skyler pressed her ogoinst the door, silencing her so he wouldn''t hove to listen to her explonotions


    onymore.


    Lost in their possionote kiss, they were just storting to feel heoted ond restless when suddenly...


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Someone wos knocking on the living room door.


    Both of them, with their eyes closed, opened them ot the some time ond looked ot eoch other.


    Shirley''s foce turned red with emborrossment ond she pushed Skyler owoy, wiping her red lips with her


    hond. "W-Who is it?"


    "It''s me."


    Veronico''s voice rong out from outside.


    Immediotely, Shirley''s cheeks turned os red os o tomoto.


    Giving Skyler o reproochful look, she stroightened her clothes ond opened the door. "Roni, President


    Kings. Why...did you chonge bock to your old oppeoronce?"


    "Mmm,"


    Motthew responded without exploining.


    It wos Veronico who looked ot Shirley''s flushed cheeks ond her swollen lips from being kissed. "Mott, I


    told you not toe in now. Look, you''ve interrupted them."


    He punished her by biting her lip, causing Shirley to gasp in pain.


    "Lazlo and I are just friends. He has been very kind to metely at One Piece Restaurant," Shirley


    exined.


    "Am I still hearing you exining yourself?!"


    Skyler pressed her against the door, silencing her so he wouldn''t have to listen to her exnations


    anymore.


    Lost in their passionate kiss, they were just starting to feel heated and restless when suddenly...


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Someone was knocking on the living room door.


    Both of them, with their eyes closed, opened them at the same time and looked at each other.


    Shirley''s face turned red with embarrassment and she pushed Skyler away, wiping her red lips with her


    hand. "W-Who is it?"


    "It''s me."


    Veronica''s voice rang out from outside.


    Immediately, Shirley''s cheeks turned as red as a tomato.


    Giving Skyler a reproachful look, she straightened her clothes and opened the door. "Roni, President


    Kings. Why...did you change back to your old appearance?"


    "Mmm,"


    Matthew responded without exining.


    It was Veronica who looked at Shirley''s flushed cheeks and her swollen lips from being kissed. "Matt, I


    told you not toe in now. Look, you''ve interrupted them."


    Veronica immediately med Matthew.


    Facing her teasing, Shirley immediately covered her cheeks with her hand. "Oh, Roni, please don''t


    make fun of me."


    Skyler had already walked over to the table and sat down, saying, "Roni, Shirley will hide in a burrow if


    you say anything more."


    "Hahaha, alright, I''ll stop."


    Veronica hugged Shirley''s neck and encouraged her, "It''s okay. Been there, done that."


    While the two were talking, Matthew had already walked over to sit next to Skyler.


    At this point, Veronica lowered her voice and handed something to Shirley. "Here, this medicine might


    come in handy for you."


    "What is it?" Shirley asked quietly.


    "It''s contraception, of course," Veronica whispered. "One dosests for half a month. It doesn''t harm


    the body. You don''t have to use it if you don''t want to."


    "Wow, Roni, you''re amazing."


    Shirley hugged Veronica tightly, feeling deeply moved.


    "What are you two talking about?" Skyler took a sip of water and looked over.


    Shirley stuffed the things into her pocket and pouted. "It''s a secret; I''m not telling you." She then held


    Veronica''s hand and urged, "Come on, Roni. Let''s go to my room. I want to chat with you."


    "Okay."


    Veronico immediotely blomed Motthew.


    Focing her teosing, Shirley immediotely covered her cheeks with her hond. "Oh, Roni, pleose don''t


    moke fun of me."


    Skyler hod olreody wolked over to the toble ond sot down, soying, "Roni, Shirley will hide in o burrow if


    you soy onything more."


    "Hohoho, olright, I''ll stop."


    Veronico hugged Shirley''s neck ond encouroged her, "It''s okoy. Been there, done thot."


    While the two were tolking, Motthew hod olreody wolked over to sit next to Skyler.


    At this point, Veronico lowered her voice ond honded something to Shirley. "Here, this medicine might


    come in hondy for you."


    "Whot is it?" Shirley osked quietly.


    "It''s controception, of course," Veronico whispered. "One dose losts for holf o month. It doesn''t horm


    the body. You don''t hove to use it if you don''t wont to."


    "Wow, Roni, you''re omozing."


    Shirley hugged Veronico tightly, feeling deeply moved.


    "Whot ore you two tolking obout?" Skyler took o sip of woter ond looked over.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Shirley stuffed the things into her pocket ond pouted. "It''s o secret; I''m not telling you." She then held


    Veronico''s hond ond urged, "Come on, Roni. Let''s go to my room. I wont to chot with you."


    "Okoy."


    Veronica knew that Matthew and Skyler had something to discuss, so she went to the next room with


    Shirley.


    Now that there were only two people left in the living room, Matthew''s expression was serious as he


    mentioned, "Zac already knows my identity. He will definitelye after me and Roni on the day of the


    hunting ceremony. So, you need to join us that day."


    As Skyler was a doctor, it would be safest with him around.


    "No problem. But can Ie in?" Skyler was a bit worried.


    "I will make the arrangements."


    After Matthew finished speaking, he furrowed his brow and pondered for a while before asking, "Do you


    remember the underground chamber in Kings Residencest year?"


    "Yeah? What''s wrong?"


    "At that time, an invisible and tasteless substance entered Roni''s body. She had a splitting headache,


    but then there was no reaction. I still haven''t figured out what it was. It''s been bothering me."


    He had thought that he could investigate this matter aftering to the hidden n, but so far, he had


    gained nothing.


    He continued, "However, I suspect it might be the venomous insects of the hidden n. However, very


    few people in the hidden n have seen these insects, so it''s hard to be sure."

 Chapter 1288

    Chapter 1288


    Chapter 1288 Preparation


    "It appears that the situation is even worse than we had anticipated."


    "It oppeors thot the situotion is even worse thon we hod onticipoted."


    Skyler reolized the grovity of the situotion ond couldn''t help but worry. "Does Roni know obout this?"


    Despite Motthew''s insistence on colling her "sister-in-low," Skyler wos ustomed to referring to


    Veronico by his nicknome for her ond found it difficult to chonge his hobit.


    Motthew no longer insisted on thot onymore.


    He shook his heod, his goze bing more intense. "I con''t bring myself to inform her."


    "Then let''s continue our investigotion ond inform her once everything is cleor," Skyler suggested.


    Motthew ogreed with the suggestion.


    The two sot together ond discussed the plon for the hunting ceremony before Motthew ond Veronico


    eventuolly left together.


    ...


    The hunting ceremony.


    Although the hunting ceremony took ploce twice o yeor, this time it coincided with the grond ceremony


    thot only urred once every ten yeors. Additionolly, o month loter would be the significont doy when


    the new heod of the hidden clon would oscend the throne. Therefore, this yeor''s hunting ceremony wos


    porticulorly grond.


    Following Croyson''s instructions, Motthew disguised himself once ogoin, olmostpletely conceoling


    his true identity with the ort of disguise.


    Croyson hod prepored speciol costumes for the hidden clon to weor during the hunting ceremony ond


    osked Motthew ond Veronico to chonge into them.


    After they finished getting reody onde downstoirs, they sot ot the dining toble to hove their meol.


    "It appears that the situation is even worse than we had anticipated."


    Skyler realized the gravity of the situation and couldn''t help but worry. "Does Roni know about this?"


    Despite Matthew''s insistence on calling her "sister-inw," Skyler was ustomed to referring to


    Veronica by his nickname for her and found it difficult to change his habit.


    Matthew no longer insisted on that anymore.


    He shook his head, his gaze bing more intense. "I can''t bring myself to inform her."


    "Then let''s continue our investigation and inform her once everything is clear," Skyler suggested.


    Matthew agreed with the suggestion.


    The two sat together and discussed the n for the hunting ceremony before Matthew and Veronica


    eventually left together.


    ...


    The hunting ceremony.


    Although the hunting ceremony took ce twice a year, this time it coincided with the grand ceremony


    that only urred once every ten years. Additionally, a monthter would be the significant day when


    the new head of the hidden n would ascend the throne. Therefore, this year''s hunting ceremony was


    particrly grand.


    Following Crayson''s instructions, Matthew disguised himself once again, almostpletely concealing


    his true identity with the art of disguise.


    Crayson had prepared special costumes for the hidden n to wear during the hunting ceremony and


    asked Matthew and Veronica to change into them.


    After they finished getting ready and came downstairs, they sat at the dining table to have their meal.


    The atmosphere at the dining table was solemn, with everyone eating quietly.


    It wasn''t until after the meal that Crayson looked at the two of them and uttered, "Come with me. I have


    something to tell you."


    Hearing that, the two followed Crayson to a small study next to Crayson''s bedroom on the first floor.


    In the study, Crayson took out a miniature tranting device. "Veronica, you have only been learning


    the hidden tongue for a month since you came to the hidden n. You can use this tranting device."


    Veronica looked at the miniature tranting device and nced at Matthew, nodding. "Okay."


    "And this."


    Crayson ced a watch on the table and pointed at it. "It appears to be an ordinary watch, but it


    actually has a hidden mechanism. When you encounter danger, press the side button with both hands.


    It will shoot out poison needles then. There are only six poison needles which are for your self-


    defense."


    The rare sight of Crayson being so serious made Veronica emotional.


    "Okay," she replied.


    She picked up the gold watch with a dial designed like a blue starry sky. It looked extremely ordinary as


    a watch, but she didn''t expect it to be a concealed weapon.


    "Matthew, this watch is for you. It has the same design as the other one. Both of you should wear it, but


    use it only in case of emergency."


    Crayson instructed solemnly, "Put it on now."


    The otmosphere ot the dining toble wos solemn, with everyone eoting quietly.


    It wosn''t until ofter the meol thot Croyson looked ot the two of them ond uttered, "Come with me. I hove


    something to tell you."


    Heoring thot, the two followed Croyson to o smoll study next to Croyson''s bedroom on the first floor.


    In the study, Croyson took out o minioture tronsloting device. "Veronico, you hove only been leorning


    the hidden tongue for o month since youe to the hidden clon. You con use this tronsloting device."


    Veronico looked ot the minioture tronsloting device ond glonced ot Motthew, nodding. "Okoy."


    "And this."


    Croyson ploced o wotch on the toble ond pointed ot it. "It oppeors to be on ordinory wotch, but it


    octuolly hos o hidden mechonism. When you encounter donger, press the side button with both honds.


    It will shoot out poison needles then. There ore only six poison needles which ore for your self-


    defense."


    The rore sight of Croyson being so serious mode Veronico emotionol.


    "Okoy," she replied.


    She picked up the gold wotch with o diol designed like o blue storry sky. It looked extremely ordinory os


    o wotch, but she didn''t expect it to be o conceoled weopon.


    "Motthew, this wotch is for you. It hos the some design os the other one. Both of you should weor it, but


    use it only in cose of emergency."


    Croyson instructed solemnly, "Put it on now."


    He stared at the two of them with sharp eyes until he saw them pick up the watches and put them on


    their wrists. A cunning glint shed in his eyes then.


    "These two boxes of medicine, too."


    Crayson ced the round, t medicine boxes about the size of a thumbnail on the table. "These are


    secret medicines made with the hidden n''s secret form. When you are seriously injured, take one


    pill. It can save you. Each box only contains five pills."


    He leaned forward and ced the two boxes of medicine in front of them, repeatedly reminding them,


    "These will save your life. You must not lose them."


    "Thank you, Master Crayson."


    Matthew gratefully put away the medicine.


    Regardless of the purpose of this trip, Crayson''s willingness to prepare these things for them was a


    heartfelt gesture.


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    Veronica held the medicine box in her hand, feeling uneasy.


    Facing the unknown dangers in the next few days, she didn''t know how much chance of sess she


    had.


    "And this."


    Crayson opened a drawer and took out a topographic map. "This is a map of Mount Manos and Mount


    Gazette. Take pictures of it with your phones and familiarize yourselves with the route. Once you enter


    the mountains, there will be no signal on your phones due to the geographical reasons of the


    mountains. There are also many dangerous wild beasts and poisonous snakes in the mountains. I''m


    not exaggerating when I say that it''s a matter of life and death."

 Chapter 1289

    Chapter 1289


    Chapter 1289 Arrival


    Despite being aware of the dangers involved in the ceremony, Crayson had no choice but to send


    Veronica to participate.


    After all, she would bepeting for the position of the head of the n. If she couldn''t stand out in


    this ceremony, it would be difficult for her to gain the support of others in the future.


    He sat on the chair with a serious expression and sighed. "You must win this event!"


    With a determined look, he insisted in amanding tone.


    Veronica furrowed her brow slightly at those words. "What if I can''t win?"


    Bang!


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Crayson angrily mmed the table, his face suddenly darkening. "Even if you can''t win, you must win!"


    The sudden table m startled Veronica.


    She wore an unhappy expression without saying another word.


    Crayson continued to give some more instructions before they set off.


    Destiny and Mateo also got into the car.


    Mateo drove, while Destiny sat in the passenger seat. The other three sat in the back seat and drove to


    the venue of the ceremony.


    It was a quiet journey.


    Mateo, who was sulking because of Matthew, didn''t speak to them.


    Destiny and Crayson also remained silent.


    Presumably, the hunting ceremony would entail many dangers. The two of them were too worried to be


    in the mood for conversation.


    Veronica sat next to Matthew, holding hands out in the open. They asionally nced at each other


    but didn''t say much.


    Three hourster, they arrived at the venue of the hunting ceremony.


    The parking lot at the venue was filled with hundreds of off-road vehicles. The colorful sight was


    comparable to an auto show.


    Of course, many people arrived on horseback.


    Not far away, there was arge horse stable where each horse was marked with its owner''s number to


    distinguish whose horse it was.


    A few people got out of the car, and as soon as they walked out of the parking lot, they saw Hayley,


    Randy, and Lamia.


    Veronica had seen Randy and Lamia when she visited Hayley''s house that day, but they hadn''t met


    again after that.


    Veronica almost forgot about Lamia.


    "Hmph!"


    As soon as Randy saw Veronica, he rolled his eyes at her and turned around to leave.


    Lamia immediately called out, "Don''t go, Randy. The terrain here isplicated. It''s dangerous."


    Hayley immediately instructed her, "Lamia, you should follow Randy today. Make sure he doesn''t get


    lost."


    "Got it, Aunt Hayley."


    Lamia nodded and waved goodbye to Veronica and her group before she hurried to catch up with


    Randy.


    "Veronica, this outfit suits you well."


    Hayley looked at Veronica in a hidden n dress. With a silver cap and silver tassels hanging around it,


    and a carved silver cor on her neck, she looked like a woman from the hidden n.


    It not only blended in perfectly but also seemed as though it was tailor-made for her, making it


    impossible to take one''s eyes off her beauty.


    "Yes."


    Veronica responded with a casual hum and didn''t bother to say more.


    "I''ll go up the mountain first,"


    Mateo threw out and left immediately.


    Since the ceremony wouldst for several days, their luggage was brought with them in the car.


    Someone would deliver it to the camp on the mountain.


    People were constantlying and going up and down the mountain.


    Matthew resumed his identity as Iron Pir and naturally kept a certain distance from Veronica.


    Veronica and Matthew walked in front, Destiny walked in the middle, and Crayson and Hayley walked


    behind.


    The bodyguards protecting Hayley were thest ones.


    Noticing that Veronica and Matthew had walked far away, Hayley asked Crayson, "How are things?"


    Their voices were kept so quiet they were only audible to the two of them.

 Chapter 1290

    Chapter 1290


    Chapter 1290 Commencement


    "Don''t worry. Everything has been arranged."


    Crayson stood with his hands behind his back, observing Matthew as he walked away. "He will never


    leave here alive."


    Matthew was their biggest obstacle in making Veronica remain in the hidden n.


    By eliminating this stumbling block, they could easily settle Veronica down here.


    "Matthew is intelligent and cautious. It won''t be easy to execute the n," Hayley expressed her


    concerns.


    "I understand."


    Crayson was well aware of Matthew''s power. To eliminate him, Crayson had made several


    preparations to ensure that Matthew would stay here forever.


    Hayley knew that Crayson wasposed and not one to boast, so she unquestioningly believed him.


    Upon reaching the mountain, they each went to their respective tents.


    The ceremony would officiallymence at 11 a.m.


    Veronica and Matthew were in their own tents. After sitting for a while, Matthew signaled her with a


    nce, and they both exited.


    Surrounded by members of the hidden n, they strolled through the mountains.


    Matthew walked beside Veronica with his brows slightly furrowed. "Are you afraid?"


    "Yes! Of course, I''m afraid."


    Veronica listened to the cuckoo''s call and felt the gentle breeze. She sighed. "It''s a matter of life and


    death. How can I not be afraid?"


    She had too many concerns.


    She worried about her career in Bloomstead, her parents back home, her two children, and most


    importantly, she couldn''t bear to leave Matthew who loved her deeply.


    "I will protect you with all my strength,"


    Matthew reassured Veronica.


    They didn''t dare to speak in the tent, fearing that there might be listening devices. They were always on


    guard against Crayson and the others.


    "Protect me? How are you going to protect me when you can''t even protect yourself?"


    Veronica tilted her head and nced at Matthew, teasingly smiling.


    Zac wouldn''t let Matthew off the hook after thetter had offended him.


    While they were conversing, Matthew paused for a moment and raised his eyebrows slightly, gesturing


    for Veronica to look toward a nearby ce. "Over there are Mount Manos and Mount Gazette. It would


    be good if we could escape. If we can''t, that might be where we meet our end."


    Mount Manos and Mount Gazette were where they were going to hunt.


    But looking at them now, the two mountains were very far away, and they appeared incredibly massive.


    Veronica''s delicate face was filled with worry. "This is just the first test for us. If we can''t pass this, it will


    only be more difficult."


    "No," Matthew disagreed, "this is the most perilous ce. If we can leave safely, we will have


    seeded 99 percent."


    All the dangers were present here.


    Of course, there were still many unknowns.


    "Master Crayson mentioned that there are many ferocious beasts and venomous snakes on the


    mountain." Veronica let out a small sigh and asked, "Do you remember what I told you?"


    She was referring to the time she reminded him that he must leave without hesitation if there ever


    came a day when only one of them could survive. That was because their two children were waiting for


    them in Bloomstead.


    Veronica had only hinted at it, but Matthew understood. "How do you know that they are in


    Bloomstead? Only if you are safe with me or if we can escape will you know whether our children are in


    Bloomstead or the hidden n."


    Matthew, like a mind reader, knew exactly what Veronica was thinking.


    Their hearts were connected!


    "You''re right."


    Veronica appeared calm, but her heart was in turmoil.


    The two fell into silence.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    At that moment, the sound of drums echoed from not far away.


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    The hunting ceremony was about tomence.


    The two turned around and made their way back to the camp.


    Outside the tents, Crayson and Hayley were waiting for them.

 Chapter 1291

    Chapter 1291


    Chapter 1291 The Hunting Ceremony


    Seeing Veronica approaching, Hayley took two steps forward and reached out her hand affectionately,


    saying softly, "Allow me to guide you there."


    Today, she would publicly dere that Veronica was her biological daughter and the future heir of the


    hidden n.


    No one knew how long Hayley had been waiting for this moment and how much she had anticipated it.


    "It''s fine. I can walk on my own."


    However, Veronica didn''t like Hayley. She didn''t want to hold hands with her, pretending to have a good


    mother-daughter rtionship.


    "Alright, let''s go."


    Hayley didn''t insist either.


    The group headed toward the venue of the hunting ceremony together.


    Many people hade to attend the ceremony today, and the venue for the event had been artificially


    leveled, making it asrge as a stadium.


    Since the hunting ceremony was held annually, all the facilities here were well-equipped.


    In the center of the venue was an open space surrounded by tables and chairs with reinforced


    umbres providing shade and shelter from the rain.


    On the elevated tform of the venue were the Ledgers, and the officials, dignitaries, merchants, and


    other important figures of the hidden n were arranged in order.


    Meanwhile, behind the elevated tform was a huge screen that disyed everything happening on


    the tform.


    The entire setup resembled a sports event.


    Due to the significance of this event, Tanya would publicly announce Veronica''s identity. Therefore,


    Hayley and Veronica were fortunate enough to sit on the stage.


    After everyone entered, they were guided to their seats. Hayley and Veronica, on the other hand, were


    led to the stage and sat next to Liam.


    The main seat on the stage was upied by Eleanor, with her right-hand man on one side, followed by


    Dominik and the prince and princess whom Veronica had never met before. Thest person was Liam,


    with Veronica, Hayley, and Randy sitting beside him.


    "Psst!"


    As soon as Veronica sat down, Liam whistled at her as if afraid that she didn''t know he was there.


    "Long time no see." He smilingly flirted with her.


    "Yes, it''s been quite a while. 72 whole hours, right?" Veronica nodded and replied seriously.


    "Haha! Indeed. I miss you a lot after not seeing you for 72 hours,"


    Liam teased.


    Because Matthew was currently Iron Pir, he sat in the middle of the left row with Crayson, Destiny,


    Mateo, and the others.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    On the right side of the stage were Zac, Hendrey, Xavier, and others, followed by Crayson and


    Matthew. The rest were merchants from the hidden n.


    On the left side sat the high-ranking officials and their families from the hidden n.


    With a few drum beats, the ceremony officially began.


    A host went up on stage and said a few words, followed by a speech from Tanya.


    Using an official tone, she spoke at length, as it took a long time just to read the script.


    Fortunately, today was a mild and breezy day without the scorching sun, making it especially


    refreshing.


    Due to the hidden n''s unique geographical location, it was cool here. Even on a sunny day, the


    temperature would not exceed 78.8 degrees Fahrenheit.


    Just as Veronica was bing bored, Tanya suddenly mentioned her name.


    Apuse erupted all around.


    Amidst the enthusiastic apuse, Veronica could still hear the buzzing of discussions.


    Then, she saw Hayley stand up and give her a signal.


    Veronica and Randy, who was beside Hayley, also stood up.


    Hayley introduced herself with a microphone in hand. "It is all thanks to the gracious invitation of the


    leader that my daughter, Veronica Murphy, and Randy Larson have the honor of participating in this


    hunting ceremony."


    The venue was crowded, so there wererge speakers in ce. Even though Hayley had an extremely


    gentle voice, it could still reach every corner, ensuring that everyone could hear her well.


    However, as soon as her words fell, the surrounding area erupted into amotion!

 Chapter 1292

    Chapter 1292


    ¡°Who¡­ who sent you?¡± Veronica Murphy sat between two men in the back seat of the car, stuttering as


    she asked. The blond man red at her and replied, ¡°Who else could it be? It¡¯s Mr. Ludwig, of course.¡±


    ¡°Lv¡­ so, it¡¯s Mr. Ludwig.¡± Mia Stuart tightly clenched her hands together, unable to control her


    trembling. The driver, currently driving, looked at the rearview mirror and said to the blond man, ¡°Larry, I


    think I recognize those thugs from earlier. I believe I¡¯ve seen them before.¡±


    Larry, the blond man, took out a cigarette from the pack and handed it to his buddy on the other side.


    He furrowed his brow and pondered, ¡°You mean the tallest and most robust guy from earlier?¡±


    The driver nodded, ¡°Yes, yes, him. He looks. familiar, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let me think¡­¡± Larry took a drag from his cigarette and suddenly realized something, pping


    his thigh, ¡°He¡¯s the bodyguard for that Best Actress, what¡¯s her name¡­ Tang something. We saw them


    a couple of days ago. at the Emperor Hotel.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, yeah, I remember now. I remember now. No wonder he looked so familiar.¡± The driver in the


    front seat nodded in realization.


    The other buddy, leaner in stature, asked in confusion, ¡°But the bodyguards earlier clearly said they


    were Veronica Murphy¡¯s people. Are you sure you didn¡¯t make a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! Larry and I never forget a face. How could we make a mistake? If anyone¡¯s wrong, it must be


    those bodyguards who quit and joined Veronica Murphy.¡± The driver snorted.


    Larry scratched his head, ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, and she already changed bosses? Does Veronica


    Murphy pay a high sry? I need to find out. If the pay is good, I might switch bosses too.¡±


    ¡°Haha, sure, bring me along when you do.¡± The lean man chimed in. In the back seat, Mia Stuart,


    sitting between the two men, lowered her head. As she listened to their conversation, her expression


    gradually changed.


    She tightly gripped her hands, nervously tapping her thumbnail, furrowing her brows in deep thought.


    The ¡°Best Actress named Tang something¡± they mentioned must be Eviette Robins. Only the Best


    Actress would have bodyguards apanying her!


    If the kidnappers were indeed Veronica Murphy, why have these people seen the same bodyguards


    with Eviette Robins?


    The bodyguard changed employers and started working with Veronica Murphy, but not with Ben!


    Veronica Murphy¡¯s skills are well known. She is so capable, how could she possibly need a


    bodyguard?


    Amidst various spections, Mia Stuart came up with a ridiculous conclusion that even she found hard


    to believe¡­


    The person who kidnapped her wasn¡¯t Veronica Murphy, but Mia Stuart herself?!


    Impossible, it¡¯s impossible. She has no grudges against Eviette Robins, so why would Eviette Robins


    want to harm her?


    With all these doubts, Mia Stuart was safely escorted to her hotel room to rest. As soon as she entered


    the room to rest, Sean Ludwig knocked on the door and entered.


    Mia Stuart opened the living room door and looked at Sean Ludwig standing at the entrance. ¡°Mr.


    Ludwig, why are you here?¡±


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    Sean Ludwig red angrily and walked directly into the living room, mming a document on the table.


    ¡°You tell me, what is this all about?¡±


    Suddenly, he was furious, and Mia Stuart trembled with fear. He closed the door and entered the living


    room. She nced at Sean Ludwig, whose face was red with anger, and then at the document on the


    table. She reached out and picked it up. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°See for yourself, see what you¡¯ve done!¡±


    Sean Ludwig sat on the sofa, fuming, and tapped on the ss of the coffee table. ¡°I know you dislike


    Veronica Murphy, but I never expected you would want to kill her, Mia Stuart. Don¡¯t forget, she is an


    artist of Starshine Medial Agency. If she dies, it¡¯s my loss!¡±

 Chapter 1293

    Chapter 1293


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to kill Veronica Murphy, did you misunderstand?¡± Mia Stuart waspletely puzzled.


    ¡°Hmph, the evidence is solid, what¡¯s the point of saying all this!¡± Sean Ludwig¡¯s face turned dark, and


    his deep blue eyes shot out a sharp gaze, which frightened Mia Stuart to the core. Trembling, she


    opened the files, which contained several photos and a video recorded on a mobile phone.


    The photos showed a man secretly cutting the wire rope of the Weiya Bridge; the other photos showed


    two men kidnapping Veronica Murphy.


    Mia Stuart opened the video on her phone, and at the beginning, the man cutting the wire rope on the


    Weiya Bridge appeared. He was beaten, ¡°Please stop, I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk. It was Mia Stuart, Mia Stuart


    ordered me to do this¡­¡±


    Seeing this video, Mia Stuart turned pale and instinctively looked at Sean Ludwig, shaking her head, ¡°It


    really wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    ¡°The evidence is solid, do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡± Sean Ludwig was furious.


    Mia Stuart felt speechless. As she stood there helplessly, the video on the phone screen changed to


    the next scene, showing the two people who had kidnapped Veronica Murphy in the photos being


    brutally beaten. It was then revealed that Mia Stuart was the mastermind. behind their kidnapping.


    Hearing this, Mia Stuart¡¯s legs went weak, and she fell to the ground, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, really wasn¡¯t me.


    Although I dislike Veronica Murphy, I don¡¯t have the courage to kill her¡­¡±


    ¡°The incident happened in your crew, if it wasn¡¯t you, could it be Eviette Robins?¡± Sean Ludwig


    mmed the table in anger, ¡°Mia Stuart, I really misjudged you¡­¡±


    ¡°Eviette Robins? Yes, it must be her!¡±


    Mia Stuart suddenly realized something.


    ¡°Royal Flush said that Eviette Robins had no grudges against Veronica Murphy, how could she possibly


    kidnap her? You¡¯re just making up stories on behalf of Royal Flush!¡±


    ¡°No, I really didn¡¯t say anything on behalf of Royal Flush.¡± Mia Stuart sobbed, choked up, ¡°Eviette


    Robins likes Matthew Kings, and Matthew Kings is still involved with Veronica Murphy. Moreover,


    Veronica Murphy overshadowed Eviette Robins because of her superior skills, which made her develop


    a murderous intent towards Veronica Murphy. And then¡­ she framed and med me because


    everyone knows that I have a grudge against Veronica Murphy. Finally, Eviette Robins intentionally


    arranged for someone to kidnap me, pretending it was Veronica Murphy who kidnapped me, hoping to


    get rid of me. As long as I die, no one will discover that she was the one pulling the strings in the


    dark¡­¡±


    Mia Stuart wanted to shift the me onto Eviette Robins in order to avoid being held ountable by


    Sean Ludwig.


    But as she spoke, she suddenly realized that her spections were surprisingly convincing!


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Because Veronica Murphy had encountered some trouble, as the boss, Sean Ludwig naturally had to


    investigate the truth behind the matter. He would discover all the evidence, but little did he expect that


    the evidence would directly point to Mia herself. As a result, when she went missing, Sean Ludwig


    would arrange for people to search for her whereabouts.


    Combining the recent rescue, the people in the car mentioned that they had seen the bodyguard with


    Eviette Robins entering and leaving the Emperor Hotel, which happened to be where Eviette Robins


    was currently staying.


    Doesn¡¯t that mean that Eviette Robins is the one who wanted to harm Veronica Murphy? But in order to


    clear her name, did Eviette Robins arrange for the evidence to intentionally point to Mia?!


    ¡°All the evidence points to you, but it¡¯s just your word against mine. How can I believe you?¡± Sean


    Ludwig mmed the table again, his anger evident on his face.


    ¡°I have proof, I do!¡±


    Mia Stuart, who had fallen to the floor, stood up and pointed towards the door, saying, ¡°The people you


    arranged to save me earlier, they have seen those bodyguards before with Eviette Robins. If you just


    ask them, it will prove that what I¡¯m saying is true.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Sean Ludwig furrowed his brow, pretending to be ¡®half-believing, half-doubting.¡¯ He got up and grabbed


    his phone, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask.¡± He walked to the side and pretended to dial a number, asking a few


    questions before ¡®hanging up.¡¯

 Chapter 1294

    Chapter 1294


    ¡°So, it¡¯s true that Eviette Robins wanted to harm Veronica Murphy and then frame you?¡± Sean Ludwig


    put his phone into the inner pocket of his suit and took out a cigarette. He lit it up and leaned against


    the floor-to-ceiling window.


    ¡°Yes, it must be her,¡± Mia Stuart nodded vigorously. Sean Ludwig ran his hand through his hair and


    sighed in distress. ¡°Eviette Robins is not only a star but also has significant influence in the business


    world. She is incredibly powerful. Even if she is behind this, you must not confront her face-to-face, or


    else you¡¯ll only end up dead sooner.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I understand,¡± Mia Stuart nodded, but then she hesitated, ¡°But¡­ what about Veronica


    Murphy? Will she think it was me who wanted to harm her?¡± If that¡¯s the case, she might be a


    target of Veronica Murphy¡¯s revenge.


    What should she do if Veronica Murphy wants her life?


    ¡°I will exin everything to Veronica Murphy. After all, she is still my artist. I can handle her,¡± Sean


    Ludwig said confidently.


    With the cigarette between his fingers, he flicked the ashes and wore a slightly displeased expression.


    ¡°I even suspect now that when you were acting with Veronica Murphy, the props being switched might


    have been a deliberate maniption by Eviette Robins, as a setup for this framing and usation


    against you.¡±


    He deliberately reminded Mia Stuart.


    Mia Stuart was beautiful but had a simple mind and a strong physique. If no one reminded her, she


    wouldn¡¯t have thought of these issues on her own. But after Sean Ludwig¡¯s words, she suddenly


    realized, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very possible.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not dwell on the past. Rest well tonight, as you still have to work tomorrow,¡± Sean Ludwig


    picked up some documents and walked towards the door. Just before leaving, he reminded her, ¡°Keep


    Eviette Robins¡¯ involvement to yourself. Otherwise, no one can guarantee your life!¡±


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    Click.


    The living room door locked. For a moment, the spacious living room was filled with the mournful sound


    of the wind. outside, like a ghostly howl.


    Mia Stuart, who had narrowly escaped death, walked to the sofa and sat down, hugging a pillow to her


    chest. She buried her head and cried in pain, ¡°Wuwuwu¡­ Wuwu¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t understand why fate had dealt her such a cruel hand, making her bear so much alone.


    But then she thought, wasn¡¯t it because of her grudge with Veronica Murphy that Eviette Robins framed


    and used her? And she didn¡¯t have any deep hatred with Veronica Murphy, to the point that she


    could let go of their past grievances.


    If Mia Stuart had peacefully coexisted with Veronica Murphy back then, none of these things would


    have happened today. Mia Stuart regrets it so much that she almost regrets it to the point of despair.


    Meanwhile, on the other side.


    Veronica Murphy and Sean Ludwig appeared at the night market. The two of them were enjoying sushi


    and beer at the night market, having a heart-to-heart conversation.


    After Sean Ludwig learned about everything, he felt some sympathy for Veronica Murphy, but he didn¡¯t


    say much. He just held a ss of beer and clinked it with her, saying, ¡°Be careful of Eviette Robins in


    the future.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Veronica Murphy raised her head, finished her beer, put down the ss, and used a fork to pick


    up a piece ofmb to eat.


    ¡°Mia Stuart, she¡­¡± Sean Ludwig hesitated. Veronica Murphy smiled helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t


    hold any deep grudges against her. Besides, she is now under your management. I won¡¯t do anything


    to her. Let bygones be bygones.¡±


    She picked up the beer bottle and poured beer into Sean Ludwig¡¯s and her own ss, then raised it,


    ¡°Thank you for today.¡±

 Chapter 1295

    Chapter 1295


    Sean Ludwig raised his beer and clinked sses with Veronica Murphy, saying, ¡°I should thank you.


    You saved Mia Stuart¡¯s foolish life.¡±


    They smiled at each other, not saying much. After discussing these matters, Sean Ludwig got back to


    the point, ¡°Castron¡¯s detective agency is currently stable. I n to open a branch in Australia. What do


    you think?¡±


    ¡°Sure, opening a newpany is a good idea. But we need to explore the area in Australia and find a


    suitable location,¡± Veronica Murphy looked at Sean Ludwig and said, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on making money


    first. Once we have enough savings, I¡¯ll take you to a ce where we can do business and ensure that


    we¡­ no, we will earn a lot.¡±


    ¡°What ce?¡± Sean Ludwig was curious.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you right now. I¡¯ll take you there when I have enough money.¡±


    ¡°Very mysterious,¡± Sean Ludwig shook his head and smiled helplessly. Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t tell


    Sean Ludwig that she nned to send someone to the hidden n to do business once everything was


    stable.


    ¡°By the way, from what I know, Matthew Kings has recently encountered some trouble. This matter¡­¡±


    Sean Ludwig looked at Veronica Murphy and said, ¡°You should be aware of it, right?¡±


    Although Matthew Kings publicly announced their divorce, Sean Ludwig couldn¡¯t figure out the reason.


    But judging from Matthew Kings¡¯ recent concern for Veronica Murphy, they probably didn¡¯t actually get


    divorced.


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    Upon hearing this, Veronica Murphy paused for. a moment, furrowed her brow, sighed, picked up a


    piece of beef tripe with her fork, dipped it in the sauce bowl, and slowly chewed on it.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    She nodded, her tone tinged with a hint of helplessness. The current her was no longer the same as


    before. No matter what happened, she could sense some movements. After all, the detective agency


    wasn¡¯t just for show.


    ¡°I suppose you know some things,¡± Sean Ludwig poured himself a ss of wine and sighed, ¡°This


    matter is not as simple as it seems. If you need any help, remember to let me know.¡±


    As a partner and a friend, Veronica Murphy thought Sean Ludwig was a good person. She smiled and


    said, ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. Since you have a good rtionship with Ruka Dame, you should advise


    her instead of letting her focus on Hendrey Johnson all the time.¡±


    Ruka Dame was a close friend of Veronica Murphy, but she had known Sean Ludwig for a longer time


    and had a better rtionship with him.


    ¡°Hendrey Johnson?¡±


    Sean Ludwig naturally knew this person. He shrugged helplessly and spread his hands, ¡°Ruka Dame,


    once she likes someone, she¡¯s single-minded. I can¡¯t persuade her. She loved Matthew Kings deeply


    before. If it weren¡¯t for the exposure of the scene where Matthew Kings, disguised as a woman, kissed


    you in the mall, she wouldn¡¯t have given up.¡±


    At that time, Ruka Dame thought Matthew Kings liked men, and that¡¯s when shepletely lost hope.


    Little did she know that the so-called ¡®man¡¯ was actually Veronica Murphy. The two sat together and


    talked until dawn before parting ways.


    However, Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t go directly back to her hotel. Instead, she took the car borrowed from


    Sean Ludwig and went somewhere else.


    The night was bitterly cold. Veronica Murphy got out of the car, feeling the biting cold wind. She


    adjusted her coat cor and stood in front of the Emperor Grand Hotel, looking up at the building. She


    entered the hotel lobby and took the elevator straight to the 36th floor.


    Presidential Suite 3671. Veronica Murphy stood in front of the door and pressed the doorbell. It was


    already 3:30 in the morning.


    She pressed it once, but no one answered. She pressed it again. Just as Veronica Murphy thought that


    the person inside was still asleep and was about to press the doorbell again, the door of the


    Presidential Suite opened.


    Inside stood a person wearing a sky-bluece nightgown, wrapped in a bathrobe, with disheveled


    golden curls and a sleepy look on their face.

 Chapter 1296

    Chapter 1296


    ¡°Veronica Murphy?¡±


    Antheena noticed the person standing at the door and was somewhat surprised, but also expected it.


    ¡°What are you doing here in the middle of the night?¡±


    Antheena¡¯s tone was not very friendly, perhaps due to being disturbed from her sleep. Veronica Murphy


    calmly looked at Antheena with her hands in the pockets of her coat. ¡°I want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    The other party sneered, nced at her disdainfully, and reached out to close the door. Seeing this,


    Veronica Murphy immediately stepped forward, blocking the door with her foot to prevent it from


    closing.


    ¡°I know you want to retaliate against me because of Xavier Crawford¡¯s situation. But Matthew Kings is


    innocent, you shouldn¡¯t go after him.¡±


    Veronica Murphy spoke clearly. Unable to close the door, Antheena couldn¡¯t be bothered and turned to


    walk towards the living room.


    Seeing her go in, Veronica Murphy followed. It was only then that Veronica Murphy noticed. that there


    were actually two men in the suite.


    One was a blond, blue-eyed, muscr man with an eight-pack; the other had a ck buzz cut, sharp


    eyebrows and eyes, and was also a rugged man with an eight-pack.Both were wearing boxer briefs,


    exposing their upper bodies as they sat on the sofa.


    Antheena walked over, and the two men sat on either side of her, reaching out to embrace her. At a


    nce, Veronica Murphy understood what was going on.


    She furrowed her eyebrows slightly, but the strange emotion onlysted for a moment before returning


    to normal.


    Antheena leaned against the sofa, propped her feet up on the table, and put her arms around the two


    male models beside her. ¡°What makes you think I would seek revenge on you because of Xavier


    Crawford¡¯s situation?¡±


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    Whether it was true or not, only she knew in her heart. Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t know what to say. She


    knew Antheena was pregnant and wanted to remind her to be careful, but she didn¡¯t have the right to


    do so.


    ¡°Besides, I can¡¯t think of any other reason why you would go to such lengths to plot against me and


    cause trouble for the Zuo Rui Group.¡±


    She said. Antheena smirked. ¡°The people you sent were all useless. They couldn¡¯t even handle a


    woman like you.¡±


    Yes.


    The person carefully nned yesterday was indeed Antheena. The reason Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t tell


    Matthew Kings was because Antheena was ke¡¯s daughter, and behind her was the powerful and


    mysterious ck Ace Mob.


    Because of the hidden n¡¯s matter, Matthew Kings was already seriously injured and was no match


    for ck Ace Mob now.


    She only hoped to understand this matter on her own this time, without further involving Matthew Kings.


    If he knew that Antheena was the person who wanted to kill him, he would probably retaliate. In that


    case, it would be a lose-lose situation. Veronica Murphy couldn¡¯t bear to see it.


    ¡°Antheena, you are also a reasonable person. Whatever deep grudge you have, juste at me.


    There¡¯s no need to trouble Matthew Kings.. After all, we are already divorced. He is now my ex-


    husband. It¡¯s inappropriate for you to bother him.¡±


    Suddenly, Veronica Murphy felt that Matthew Kings¡¯ decision to publicly announce their divorce was


    truly wise.


    Now, as long as she could convince Antheena and make her understand that their rtionship was


    over, maybe she wouldn¡¯t target Matthew Kings anymore.


    ¡°Matthew Kings has done so much for you, and yet you divorced him. Who knows if it was a real


    divorce or just a fake one? Besides, even if you are divorced, he is still the father of your two children.


    Do you think I will let your family off easily?¡±


    Antheena hated Veronica Murphy, and she also hated Matthew Kings. As long as she saw them suffer,


    she felt particrly good.


    ¡°I have no grudges against you. It all started because I was too close to Xavier Crawford,¡± Veronica


    Murphy didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush with her, she just wanted to resolve the issue as quickly as


    possible. ¡°I can stop associating with Xavier Crawford from now on, or never have any contact with him


    again. But I hope you won¡¯t involve Matthew Kings.¡±

 Chapter 1297

    Chapter 1297


    Skillful


    Although Matthew Kings¡¯ recent performance had disappointed Veronica Murphy a little, she knew very


    well who was more important.


    After she finished speaking, Antheena sat on thep of the handsome foreign man with blond hair and


    blue eyes, showing no intention of speaking. The man held a toothpick and offered a piece of fruit to


    Antheena, saying, ¡°Baby, calm down.¡±


    They conversed in Chinese. Veronica Murphy stood alone on the side, feeling awkward and


    unnecessary. After a moment of silence, she asked, ¡°What do I need to do for you to release him?¡±


    She pleaded in a low and submissive voice. She, who had always been confident andposed in


    front of others, was willing to humble herself for Matthew Kings.


    The man had protected her for over two years, risking his life and fortune, just to ensure her worry-free


    life. Love is a two-way street, and love always feels the need to take action.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°I, Antheena, want to kill someone. It all depends on my mood,¡± Antheena leaned back on the sofa,


    with the male model on her left squatting beside her, massaging her legs, perfectly portraying the


    humility of a ¡°male servant¡±.


    Antheena closed her eyes and enjoyed it, pursing her lips without saying a word,zily tilting her head


    back. ¡°Who do you think you are? What qualifications do you have to negotiate with me?¡±


    In her heart, Veronica Murphy was not qualified enough to negotiate with her. If it weren¡¯t for Xavier


    Crawford¡¯s special ce in her heart, Antheena probably wouldn¡¯t even bother to look at Veronica


    Murphy.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°I indeed have no qualifications to negotiate with you.¡±


    She hade here today with no way out. Of course, she also wanted to see Antheena¡¯s attitude. If


    she was willing to negotiate with her, that would be great. If not, she would have toe up with


    another n.


    Veronica Murphy never expected to witness such a shocking scene when she came to find Antheena


    today. Looking at the two male models beside her, she felt some sympathy for Xavier Crawford and


    worried about the child in Antheena¡¯s belly.


    ¡°You have a little self-awareness,¡± Antheena coldly snorted, casting a disdainful nce at Veronica


    Murphy, her eyes full of contempt. In this world, no one could be her opponent.


    ¡°Every debt has its debtor. If you hate me,e after me, don¡¯t harm others,¡± Veronica Murphy was in


    a passive position, and every word she said sounded weak and feeble.


    Antheena leaned on the leg of the blond-haired, blue-eyed male model on her right, raised her hand to


    y with her newly done nails, and said leisurely, ¡°That depends on Miss Ben¡¯s mood.¡±


    As she spoke, she suddenly thought of something and raised her hand to support herself, sitting up on


    the sofa.


    Her sharp gaze scanned Veronica Murphy up and down, and then she smiled. ¡°You really want me to


    spare Matthew Kings? Well, I suppose it¡¯s not impossible. However¡­¡±


    With just a nce, Veronica Murphy seemed to sense the other¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°Speak,¡± Veronica Murphy said calmly. Antheena looked at the fruit knife on the table, leaned down to


    pick it up, pressed the button of the spring-loaded de, and with a swift motion, the razor-sharp de


    sprung out, glinting under the living room lights.


    She scraped her long fingernail against the de, then raised her hand and threw the fruit knife directly


    at Veronica Murphy.


    The knife flew towards Veronica Murphy¡¯s face, but she quickly dodged to the side, and with a loud


    thud, the dagger embedded itself deeply into the nearby liquor cab.


    ¡°Not bad reflexes,¡± Antheena nodded slightly, smiling. Her tone carried a mix of admiration and a hint of


    mockery.


    ¡°But I just can¡¯t seem to witness your wit, beauty, and impressive skills. What should we do about that?¡±


    Antheena sighed, tilting her head to look at the blond, blue-eyed male model. ¡°Quinn, what do you think


    would be a good memento to leave behind with that knife?¡±

 Chapter 1298

    Chapter 1298


    She turned to the man beside her and asked, ¡°Quinn, don¡¯t you find her beauty irritating? Wouldn¡¯t


    everything be resolved if she ruined her appearance?¡±


    ¡°Ruined her appearance?¡± Antheena murmured, her gaze fixed on Veronica Murphy¡¯s exquisitely


    beautiful face. She had wless features, rosy lips, and a distinct Eastern charm. Her cold demeanor


    added an unapproachable allure to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite mischievous, Quinn,¡± Antheena said, yfully poking his well-built abs. ¡°But it¡¯s actually a


    good idea.¡± She gave him a thumbs up in approval.


    Then, she turned around, her red lips forming a smile. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Antheena pointed at the


    fruit knife embedded in the wooden wine cab with her slender finger. ¡°If you ruin your own


    appearance today, I promise not to pursue Matthew Kings. Consider it as fulfilling your request.¡±


    Veronica Murphy felt that this was more of a challenge than a request. Remaining calm, she turned her


    head slightly and calmly looked at the fruit knife. Walking over, she pulled it out of the wine cab.


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    Antheena had good skills, as the fruit knife was embedded a few centimeters deep, requiring some


    force to remove it.


    Looking down at the fruit knife shining with a cold gleam, Veronica Murphy raised the de. ¡°It¡¯s a


    shame to see blood on such a nice knife.¡± She looked up and met Antheena¡¯s gaze. ¡°Coincidentally, I


    don¡¯t have a fruit knife at home, so I¡¯ll consider it a gift from Miss Antheena. Thank you.¡±


    Veronica Murphy closed the fruit knife, turned around, and walked towards the suite without looking


    back. In the living room, Antheena and the two male models beside her watched Veronica Murphy


    leave in silence.


    Just as she was about to walk out of the door, Antheena spoke loudly, ¡°If you dare to walk out that door,


    there will be no chance of redemption. Not only will you die, but Matthew Kings will also die. And of


    course, your two children won¡¯t escape death either.¡±


    Veronica Murphy paused for a moment at the door, her face momentarily turning ugly. Then, she smiled


    and said, ¡°I¡¯ll see it through to the end.¡±


    She opened the door and walked out of the living room without looking back. She hade here today


    to test Antheena¡¯s determination. Since her determination was so firm, it meant that there was no room


    for negotiation.


    After leaving the hotel, Veronica Murphy drove back to her own hotel, freshened up, andy down on


    the bed. However, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She took out her phone, but there were no news or calls


    from Matthew Kings.


    She knew that Antheena¡¯s father had already taken action against Metric Technology, and Matthew


    Kings was busy dealing with thepany¡¯s affairs.


    Veronica Murphy couldn¡¯t help but sigh with relief, grateful that she had a private detective agency and


    two capable assistants. Otherwise, she would have been in a very difficult situation. In the early


    morning, Eleanor Gomez came knocking on the door.


    Veronica Murphy, who had only slept for a little over an hour, got up and walked to the living room,


    opening the door to see Eleanor Gomez standing outside with a cane. She yawned and greeted her,


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°With such heavy dark circles, did you have a secret rendezvous with a man yesterday without inviting


    me?¡¯ Eleanor Gomez teased.


    Veronica Murphy walked into the living room, wearing slippers. ¡°If I had taken you along, would you


    have paid? No, you would have just brought more men.¡±


    She patted the pocket of her pajamas. ¡°I¡¯m short on cash.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m considered a wealthy and beautiful woman now. When ites to finding men, if you don¡¯t


    have money, I do,¡± Eleanor Gomez said with augh.

 Chapter 1299

    Chapter 1299


    Veronica Murphy made an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture with her hand. ¡°Remember what you said today. Next time, it¡¯s


    your treat.¡±


    With that, she went into the bedroom to freshen up. Eleanor Gomez tossed her crutch aside and


    hobbled into the bedroom, settling on the bed. ¡°Come on, spill the beans. What were you up to


    yesterday?¡±


    Latest night, Eleanor Gomez had gone looking for Veronica Murphy, only to discover that she wasn¡¯t


    in the room. It wasn¡¯t surprising, considering Veronica Murphy had rushed her out earlier, behaving


    somewhat unusually.


    ¡°Just met up with a friend,¡± Veronica Murphy replied dismissively. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t willing to


    borate, Eleanor Gomez didn¡¯t press further. Instead, shey down on the bed and let out a deep


    sigh. ¡°I envy all of you. You can go wherever you want.¡±


    She lifted her leg in a cast. ¡°Once I¡¯m better, I¡¯ll be able to go wherever I please too.¡±


    ¡°Learned a lesson so that next time you won¡¯t go ¡®joyriding¡¯ again,¡± Veronica Murphy muttered with a


    mouthful of foam as she brushed her teeth.


    Once she finished freshening up and changed into a new outfit, she went downstairs with Eleanor


    Gomez to have a meal. Troy Ritter had been waiting for the two of them in the hotel restaurant.


    As soon as he saw them approaching, he immediately came forward and asked, ¡°What would you like


    to eat? I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


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    ¡°Eleanor Gomez, you sit down. I¡¯ll go with Troy Ritter to get the food,¡± Veronica Murphy pointed to a


    seat by the window and said to Eleanor Gomez. Considering Eleanor Gomez¡¯s limited mobility,


    Veronica Murphy took great care of her.


    Eleanor Gomez walked over to the chair by the window and told the two what she wanted for breakfast.


    They then headed towards the breakfast counter. The restaurant was neither crowded nor empty, and


    the noise level was slightly loud.


    Veronica Murphy walked up to Troy Ritter and whispered, ¡°Eleanor Gomez and I will be fine here. You


    should go back to Bloomstead. Matt¡­ he probably needs you now.¡±


    Troy Ritter and Thomas Ritter were Matthew Kings¡¯ right-hand men, and now that he was in a difficult


    situation, what he needed most was manpower.


    Troy Ritter looked meaningfully at Veronica Murphy and shook his head. ¡°The boss ordered me to


    stay.¡±


    ¡°What? My words don¡¯t count?¡± Veronica Murphy turned her head slightly, her sharp gaze piercing Troy


    Ritter, exerting some pressure on him.


    As Troy Ritter hesitated, Veronica Murphy continued, ¡°You know Matt¡¯s situation better than I do.


    Whether you want to go back and help him, that¡¯s up to you.¡±


    She threw the question back at Troy Ritter. Although Troy Ritter was worried about leaving Veronica


    Murphy and Eleanor Gomez alone, his greatest concern at the moment was still Matthew Kings.


    After all, Thomas Ritter had always been by Matthew Kings¡¯ side, and he would be the first to inform


    him of any movement or activity. After hesitating for a moment, Troy Ritter said, ¡°Well¡­ Lady, could


    you please take care of Miss Gomez?¡±


    Veronica Murphy nced at him and furrowed her brows slightly, ¡°You seem quite concerned about


    Eleanor Gomez. Could it be that you like her?¡±


    Based on her years of gossip experience, she felt that Troy Ritter had some feelings for Eleanor


    Gomez.


    ¡°Lady, please don¡¯t joke about it. It¡¯s just the boss¡¯s orders,¡± Troy Ritter replied, without revealing


    anything.


    Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t delve into the matter any further. The two of them ordered some breakfast and


    returned to their seats to dine with Eleanor Gomez.


    During the meal, Troy Ritter mentioned that he had to return to Bloomstead. Eleanor Gomez nodded in


    agreement, saying, ¡°Alright. It¡¯s good to go back to Bloomstead.¡± It was wonderful not to have anyone


    ¡°supervising¡± her.


    ¡°Lady, you¡¯ll be busy filming during the day, so if you get bored, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to keep you


    company,¡± Troy Ritter expressed his concern for Eleanor Gomez.


    Having known her for a while, he knew that Eleanor Gomez was not an easy person to handle, which


    worried him.


    ¡°Sure, sure, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    Eleanor Gomez was in a pleasant mood as she lowered her head and took a sip of the signature


    Lothen pudding, finding it incredibly delicious.

 Chapter 1300

    Chapter 1300


    After dinner, Troy Ritter drove away. Eleanor Gomez and Veronica Murphy apanied him to the


    elevator, watching him enter before returning to Veronica Murphy¡¯s room.


    Once inside the room, Eleanor Gomez tossed her crutches aside and hobbled over to the sofa. She


    reached out and picked up the fruit knife on the table, pressing the button and causing the de to


    spring out.


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    She propped up her stered leg on the table and began scratching at the cast with the fruit knife.


    Observing this, Veronica Murphy furrowed her brow and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°This thing is so heavy and ufortable to wear,¡± Eleanor Gomez replied. ¡°You have a broken leg,


    are you out of your mind?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s not a big deal. When I was a child in the hidden n, I fell off horses every few days. I¡¯ve


    broken bones countless times. It¡¯s not that significant.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you¡­¡± Veronica Murphy reached out and touched her nose, puzzled. ¡°Who were you


    pretending for?¡±


    Eleanor Gomez continued scratching at the cast with the fruit knife, tilting her head to look at Veronica


    Murphy. ¡°For your boyfriend.¡±


    Veronica Murphy: ¡°¡­¡± What kind of scheme is this?


    Swish, swish¡­


    The sound of the knife de scraping against the cast echoed in the living room, one after another,


    causing some unnecessary annoyance.


    Veronica Murphy couldn¡¯t help but express her concern. ¡°You should still go to the hospital. It wouldn¡¯t


    be good if you identally hurt your leg.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that foolish.¡±


    As Eleanor Gomez spoke, she continued to remove the cast. After much effort and over ten minutes of


    struggling, she finally took off the cast.


    Eleanor Gomez immediately stood up, shook her previously injured leg, and said, ¡°Tsk tsk, it feels so


    good without the cast.¡± This scene surprised Veronica Murphy. ¡°Your leg doesn¡¯t hurt?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to hurt?¡± Eleanor Gomez paused for a moment, suddenly realizing something. She stood


    in ce and turned around, saying, ¡°Look, I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to be bedridden for a hundred days with a bone injury, and yet¡­¡±


    Isn¡¯t this recovery too fast?


    Seeing Veronica Murphy¡¯s bewildered expression, Eleanor Gomez couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°I¡¯ve always


    healed faster than normal people when I was a child. If it weren¡¯t for the act I put on in front of your


    boyfriend and Troy Ritter, how could they trust me to stay by your side?¡±


    They thought that Eleanor Gomez with a limping leg would be more obedient. Little did they know that it


    was all an act by Eleanor Gomez. Veronica Murphy had no words to respond and could only give her a


    thumbs up. ¡°Impressive.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you go to work. I need to go out for a while.¡±


    Eleanor Gomez said and walked straight out of the living room. Veronica Murphy was a bit uneasy.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t get lost. I¡¯ll contact you if anythinges up,¡± Eleanor Gomez replied as she


    walked out of the living room and closed the door.


    It was already 8 o¡¯clock in the morning, and Veronica Murphy was in a hurry to go to the set, so she


    didn¡¯t ask much.


    Firstly, Eleanor Gomez was skilled and no one could bully her. Secondly, she was carefree by nature,


    so it was highly unlikely to keep her by her side. She left the hotel and drove to the set. When she


    arrived on set, everyone looked at her with curious eyes.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Veronica Murphy?¡±


    ¡°I thought she was dead.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? This is too unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°If she didn¡¯t die, where did she go yesterday?¡±


    Everyone had a big question mark in their heads, wondering where Veronica Murphy had gone


    yesterday and where she had returned from.


    Veronica Murphy ignored the curious looks from everyone and went straight to find the director. Inside


    the lounge, Sam Symons and Director Zhao were sitting and talking, with a worried expression on their


    faces, as if they had encountered a difficult problem.


    ¡°Sam Symons, Director Zhao,¡± Veronica Murphy walked in and greeted them. The two, who had just


    been filled with worries, immediately brightened up when they saw Veronica Murphy, their eyes filled


    with joy.

 Chapter 1301

    Chapter 1301


    Sam Symons smiled, ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived. I was worried that if you didn¡¯t show up, it would hinder the


    crew¡¯s progress in filming.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s great to see you here. It¡¯s a relief.¡± Director Zhao let out a long sigh of relief. The two


    directors exchanged nces and smiled at each other.


    Veronica Murphy shrugged, ¡°I took a day off yesterday, so I¡¯m free today. Naturally, I won¡¯t hinder the


    crew¡¯s progress.¡± She pointed outside with her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the dressing room to do my


    makeup first.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay, okay,¡± Sam Symons nodded repeatedly, and his attitude towards Veronica Murphy became


    much more polite.


    It was probably due to Matthew Kings¡¯ pressure yesterday, as well as the fact that Larry Freeman heard


    about Veronica Murphy¡¯s incident and rushed back from abroad.


    Under the heavy pressure, Sam Symons naturally became friendlier towards Veronica Murphy. As the


    saying goes, ¡°When in Rome, do as the Romans do.¡±


    While Veronica Murphy was doing her makeup in the dressing room, a man barged in. That man was


    none other than Larry Freeman.


    Wearing a loose white down jacket, a duckbill cap, and a ck mask, Larry Freeman walked briskly to


    Veronica Murphy and grabbed the makeup artist who was doing her makeup, pulling her aside. He


    casually moved a chair and sat in front of Veronica Murphy. ¡°You troublemaker, why didn¡¯t you tell me


    about such a significant incident?¡±¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Veronica Murphy looked at Larry Freeman, who suddenly appeared in front of her, with some surprise.


    ¡°How did youe back?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a foolish question to ask?¡±


    Larry Freeman raised his hand, took off his mask and cap, angrily threw them on the table, and


    frowned, ¡°You¡¯re the one I rmended to the crew. When something happens to you, not only does it


    affect Sam Symons¡¯ filming, but I can¡¯t exin it to your husband either.¡±


    He raised his hand and ran his fingers through his hair in annoyance. ¡°Damn it, you¡¯re mine. Who dares


    to touch you?¡±


    As a popr idol, Larry Freeman had a silent and reserved personality in front of outsiders, as well as


    the maturity and stability of a grown man, gentle as jade. But little did they know that the person in front


    of Veronica Murphy right now was the real Larry Freeman Benfeng.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, everything has been taken care of,¡± Veronica Murphy said. ¡°Didn¡¯t I send you a message?¡±


    ¡°You can receive messages on the ne?¡±


    ¡°The ne has Wi-Fi.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Larry Freeman shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Veronica Murphy smiled and teased, ¡°There are things that you, Larry Freeman, don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me any nonsense. You were with me yesterday¡­¡± Larry Freeman was about to say


    something when he noticed the makeup artist gazing at him with infatuation in her eyes. He waved his


    hand dismissively and said, ¡°You go first, I have something to say to her.¡±


    The makeup artist nodded and held her phone with both hands. ¡°Adonis, can I take a picture with you?¡±


    Larry Freeman frowned slightly, showing a hint of displeasure, but he quickly stood up and pulled the


    makeup artist closer to him. He ced his hand on her shoulder and took her phone in his other hand.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s count to three. One, two, three¡­¡±


    After saying ¡®three¡¯, he tapped the camera button and took a series of quick shots. He swiftly handed


    the phone back to the makeup artist. ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    The speed at which he acted caught the makeup artist off guard. She looked at the selfie on her phone,


    smiled, and said, ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    She happily ran out of the makeup room. Veronica Murphy, now ying the supporting actress, had her


    own separate dressing room, specially arranged by the director for her convenience.


    ¡°Now, can you tell me who it was yesterday?¡± Larry Freeman asked sternly. His sharp gaze fixed on


    Veronica Murphy, as if to say, ¡°If you don¡¯t give me an answer today, this matter won¡¯t be over!¡±

 Chapter 1302

    Chapter 1302


    Veronica Murphy sank into her chair and let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯s aplicated story¡­.


    Some things are too intricate to exin in a few words, and Veronica Murphy¡¯s face disyed her


    helplessness.


    ¡°Then keep it brief,¡± Larry Freeman said, leaning against the dressing table with his arms crossed,


    gazing down at her.


    ¡°Do you know Antheena?¡±


    ¡°Antheena? You mean¡­ ke Strat¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Larry Freeman¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his worries grew.


    Veronica Murphy nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    With that response, Larry Freeman fell into deep thought. He locked eyes with Veronica Murphy,


    tugged at his lips, and found himself speechless.


    Observing his silence, Veronica Murphy sighed and gently brushed her red lips. ¡°Are you wondering


    why I offended Antheena?¡±


    She answered her own question, saying, ¡°Antheena is married to Xavier Crawford.¡±


    With those few words, Larry Freeman instantly understood. ¡°I see.¡±


    Larry Freeman was well aware of Xavier Crawford and Veronica Murphy¡¯s affair.


    However, he never expected that such a significant incident would ur simply because Xavier


    Crawford was fond of Veronica Murphy.


    Larry Freeman fell silent. He ran his hand through his hair and impatiently pulled a chair to sit down.


    ¡°This is aplicated situation.¡± He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and sat there


    smoking.


    ¡°If Antheena was only targeting me, I wouldn¡¯t be afraid. But now she¡¯s retaliating against Matt, using


    all sorts of dirty tricks, causing headaches for everyone.¡±


    Veronica Murphy rested her elbow on the armrest of the chair, supporting her forehead. She felt


    inexplicably annoyed.


    ¡°You and Matthew Kings announced your divorce to the public. Why is she still making things difficult


    for him?¡± Larry Freeman couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled.


    ¡°She said that because I have two children with him, as long as Matthew Kings falls, the two children


    won¡¯t have a good life either.¡±


    ¡°Is she trying to destroy your whole family?¡±


    Larry Freeman furrowed his brow. ¡°This woman is truly twisted.¡±


    He flicked the cigarette ash into the trash can and tugged at the cor of his turtleneck sweater. Then


    he asked, ¡°Does he know?¡±


    The ¡®he¡¯ he referred to naturally meant Matthew Kings. Veronica Murphy looked at herself in the mirror,


    and her expression became somewhat deste. ¡°Antheena has targeted hispany, so he naturally


    knows. But he doesn¡¯t know that Antheena has sent people to kill me. With his personality, if he knew, it


    would only escte the conflict.¡±


    That was the real reason why Veronica Murphy had killed those four people in the warehouse that day.


    ¡°Mother Demon, oh Mother Demon, you¡¯ve really messed up this time.¡±


    Larry Freeman crossed his legs and rested his hand on his thigh, tapping his fingers intermittently. ¡°Of


    all the people to offend, you had to go and offend the daughter of the ck Ace Mob boss. I¡¯m afraid


    not even the gods can save you now.¡±


    ¡°If they can¡¯t save me¡­¡± Veronica Murphy looked at him, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. ¡°Then when


    it¡¯s time for my funeral, make sure it¡¯s grand and glorious. At least I¡¯ll have a dignified death to show for


    it.¡±


    She teased.


    ¡°Well, at least you have a positive attitude about it.¡± Larry Freeman shook his head again, a look of


    worry on his face as he sighed.


    The two of them sat together and chatted for a while. Larry Freeman had just gone to find Sam


    Symons, while Veronica Murphy continued with her makeup.


    After learning about Veronica Murphy¡¯s rtionship with Larry Freeman, the makeup artist, Xiao Ke,


    became even more gentle in her attitude towards her. It was only then that Veronica Murphy realized


    that Xiao Ke was actually a big fan of Larry Freeman.


    Meanwhile, Veronica Murphy was in the makeup room, getting ready, when someone knocked on the


    door and walked in.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Since Veronica Murphy was in the middle of her makeup, she couldn¡¯t turn around to see who it was.


    She had to wait until the person approached closer before she could see them through the makeup


    mirror. Surprisingly, it was¡­ Mia Stuart.

 Chapter 1303

    Chapter 1303


    Veronica Murphy nced at Mia Stuart in the mirror and asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    Mia Stuart, dressed in costume and wearing heavy makeup, looked quite impressive. She looked down


    at the cup of hot coffee in her hand, hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and seemed to be struggling


    internally.


    Then, she took two steps forward and ced the coffee directly on the table. ¡°I wanted to drink coffee,


    and the assistant bought an extra cup. It would be a waste to throw it away, so I thought I¡¯d give it to


    you.¡±


    She spoke quickly and after setting the coffee down, she turned around and hurriedly left. Watching her


    departing figure, Veronica Murphy couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of amusement and bewilderment.


    Little Ke, who was doing her makeup, held an eyeshadow brush and asked while applying makeup,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Mia Stuart have a falling out with you? Why did she suddenly give you coffee? Veronica, let me


    tell you, offering help for no reason is either a trick or a theft.¡±


    Previously, due to the crew¡¯s rejection of Veronica Murphy, even the makeup artist Little Ke had a


    negative attitude towards her. It was only after Larry Freeman appeared that Little Ke started


    affectionately calling her ¡°Veronica.¡±


    ¡°You have a point.¡±


    Veronica Murphy said seriously, ¡°In that case, you can have the coffee.¡± Little Ke¡¯s hand paused,


    shaking her head vigorously, ¡°No, no, no, I won¡¯t drink it. What if it¡¯s poisoned?¡±


    Even if it¡¯s not poisoned, what if there¡¯s saliva or diarrhea medicine in it? It¡¯s not impossible. Before she


    finished speaking, she saw Veronica Murphy pick up the coffee cup, insert a straw, and take a sip.


    Seeing Veronica Murphy actually drinking the coffee, Little Ke widened her eyes, ¡°Wow, Veronica,


    you¡¯re really brave. Aren¡¯t you afraid she putxatives in it?¡±


    Veronica Murphy lowered her gaze and looked at the hot coffee in her hand, her lips slightly curved,


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    She was so confident because she had sessfully turned the tables on Mia Stuart in her heart by


    ¡°cooperating¡± with Sean Ludwigst night. From now on, Mia Stuart¡¯s target would mostly be Eviette


    Robins.


    After finishing her makeup, Veronica Murphy put on an orange down jacket over her costume and went


    outside, holding the cup of coffee Mia Stuart had given her.


    On her way from the rest area to the filming area today, she ran into Melvin Winson and Camden


    Sullivan head-on.


    That day, when she fell into the water, Camden. Sullivan jumped into theke without worrying about


    his own life to save her. Veronica Murphy was deeply moved when she heard the news.


    When she saw the two of them, she walked over, nodded slightly at Melvin Winson, and said. to


    Camden Sullivan, ¡°I heard that you jumped into Blue Star Lake to save me that day?¡±


    Camden Sullivan chuckled and scratched his head, adorned with a jade crown and wearing ck


    gloves. ¡°I did jump, but I couldn¡¯t find you.¡±


    He was dressed in a navy blue embroidered silk robe with a ck belt and gold thread trim. Over the


    robe, he wore a light blue fur-lined coat. With his hair tied up in a jade crown and delicate makeup, he


    had a sharp and masculine aura, exuding a sense of ancient beauty.


    No wonder Camden Sullivan was a popr idol among many female fans. He truly had a regal


    presence. But Veronica Murphy usually saw this kind of young and fresh talent as a younger brother.


    After all, she preferred mature and stable men.


    ¡°Regardless, I have to admire you for jumping into Blue Star Lake to save me. It truly impressed me,


    and more importantly, it touched me,¡± Veronica Murphy smiled knowingly. ¡°How about this? After work,


    I¡¯ll treat you and Melvin Winson to sushi. Winter is the best season for sushi.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Sushi¡­ I¡¯d rather not,¡± Camden Sullivan pursed his lips and hesitated, his gaze turning to Veronica


    Murphy. ¡°I still want you to teach me martial arts. Consider it granting my wish?¡±


    Sushi or anything like that was not his cup of tea.


    Right now, he was solely focused on having Veronica Murphy teach him martial arts.

 Chapter 1304

    Chapter 1304


    Melvin Winson nced back and forth between the two individuals and couldn¡¯t help but interject,


    ¡°Veron, Camden just wants to learn some self-defense. Why don¡¯t you teach him?¡±


    As he spoke, he straightened his arm and gestured towards Camden Sullivan, who was signaling him


    with his eyes. Camden Sullivan nodded vigorously, ¡°Yes, yes, Melvin is right.¡±


    Faced with his sincere request, Veronica Murphy found it difficult to refuse. After a moment¡¯s thought,


    she agreed, ¡°Alright. When we have some free time, I¡¯ll teach you some self-defense moves.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, great, great!¡±


    Camden Sullivan was overjoyed and immediately said, ¡°Then tonight, after work, I¡¯ll treat you guys.¡±


    Veronica Murphy couldn¡¯t refuse either and dly epted. After exchanging a few more words, the


    three. of them went their separate ways.


    Veronica Murphy and Camden Sullivan went to film their scenes together, while Melvin Winson turned


    and left. When he reappeared, he was already in Eviette Robins¡¯ lounge.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    In the lounge, Eviette Robins was slumped on the sofa, one hand holding a pillow and the other holding


    a cigarette. She looked dejected and despondent, with a myriad of sorrows etched on her face.


    Seeing her like this, Melvin Winson walked over and sat on the armrest of the sofa. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are


    you nning to give up?¡± he asked, engaging in a self-conversation. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. When you turn


    around, you¡¯ll see me waiting for you. It¡¯s not a bad choice.¡±


    Eviette Robins¡¯ beautiful eyes were dull and lifeless. She held ady¡¯s cigarette between her slender


    fingers and took a puff. The faint smoke wafted around her face, entuating her ssical and


    enchanting features.


    ¡°Do I look like someone who gives up easily?¡± She propped her elbow on the pillow, supporting her


    right arm, and her red lips curved into a forced smile. ¡°Don¡¯t say it¡¯s just Veronica Murphy, even if it¡¯s


    two or three of them, I will still face the challenge head-on.¡±


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯re quite determined for Miguel¡¯s sake. Melvin Winson stood up and moved to the single sofa


    on the side, resting his hands behind his head and leaning back. He sighed and said, ¡°Today, Mia


    Stuart appeared on set unharmed. I¡¯m curious, why didn¡¯t Miguel go after her when we made her the


    scapegoat? And who was the real culprit behind the scenes that day?¡±


    Eviette Robins was equally puzzled and shook her head in confusion. ¡°I had someone look into it as


    well, but they couldn¡¯t find the mastermind behind it. However, I heard that Mia Stuart was apparently


    kidnapped yesterday, but I¡¯m not sure about the details.¡±


    ¡°So, there¡¯s something fishy going on,¡± Melvin Winson tilted his head, his beautiful phoenix eyes


    ncing at Eviette Robins. ¡°When I saw Veronica Murphy earlier, if I¡¯m not mistaken, she was holding


    the cup of coffee that Mia Stuart¡¯s assistant bought. I happened to run into her when I wasing back


    with your coffee.¡±


    ¡°Mia Stuart¡¯s?¡± Eviette Robins furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Mia Stuart and Veronica Murphy have had a


    falling out for a while now, and suddenly they¡¯re so close. It seems like a lot happenedst night.¡±


    They had no idea about the specifics of what happenedst night.


    But judging from the fact that Mia Stuart willingly gave Veronica Murphy coffee, Veronica Murphy must


    have provided Mia Stuart with significant help. Otherwise, how could that petty woman have such a


    complete change in attitude?


    Her analysis aligned with Melvin Winson¡¯s thoughts. There was a brief silence in the lounge, and


    Melvin Winson¡¯s eyes lit up as an idea formed in his mind. ¡°I have a suggestion that might turn. Miguel


    against Veronica Murphy.¡±

 Chapter 1305

    Chapter 1305


    ¡°What?¡± Eviette Robins eximed, her excitement evident. Melvin Winson smirked mysteriously, stood


    up, and sat down next to her, leaning in close to her ear. After whispering, he locked eyes with her and


    raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Melvin, you¡¯re truly clever,¡± Eviette Robins sincerely praised, even giving him a thumbs up. In her


    mind, she reyed the n that Melvin Winson had just mentioned, and a smile unconsciously formed


    on her lips.


    Meanwhile, Veronica Murphy was actively and seriously filming. She had been busy until four o¡¯clock in


    the afternoon before finally having some free time.


    It was likely after Veronica Murphy had an ident that Matthew Kings went to question Sam Symons,


    making Sam Symons realize Veronica Murphy¡¯s importance. His attitude towards her had also


    changed, and he thoughtfully arranged a recliner for her.


    After a day of performing fight scenes and doing wire stunts, she was now exhausted and just wanted


    to lie down for a while. Was there a need to be pretentious and refuse the director¡¯s kind offer?


    After expressing her gratitude repeatedly, Veronica Murphyy down on the recliner, covered herself


    with a thin nket, and called Eleanor Gomez on her phone. The phone rang a few times before the


    call was ended.


    Then a text message appeared.


    [If there¡¯s something urgent, I¡¯ll contact youter.] It was a message from Eleanor Gomez.


    Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t know what Eleanor Gomez was busy with, so she sent her another message


    out of concern: [Take care and call me after you¡¯re done.]


    Ding-


    After sending the message, a reply came back quickly. [Got it, mydy.]


    Seeing the content of the message and recognizing Eleanor Gomez¡¯s tone, Veronica Murphy¡¯s anxious


    heart finally settled.


    Veronica Murphyy on the recliner in the corridor, looking from afar at Eviette Robins who was filming


    a scene with Camden Sullivan. There was an indissoluble mncholy in her eyes.


    After watching for a while, just as Veronica Murphy was about to look away, her gaze inadvertently met


    Mia Stuart not far away.


    Their eyes met. Mia Stuart¡¯s expression was somewhat unnatural. She stood there for a moment, then


    walked towards Veronica Murphy and stopped in front of her.


    She was still wearing her costume, but because it was winter and Matt was cold, she had put on a long


    white down coat that reached her knees. and wrapped a scarf around her neck. In her hands, she held


    a camel-colored teddy bear-like hot water bottle.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± She nervously pursed her lips, looking down at the hot water bottle in her hands. ¡°I have an


    extra hot water bottle, so¡­ you can use this. You fell into the water that day, right? Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    Veronica Murphy: ¡°..


    Yesterday¡¯s staged performance was truly astonishing. She was staring at Mia Stuart in a daze, while


    Mia Stuart seemed ufortable with Veronica Murphy¡¯s gaze and quickly exined, ¡°I just thought


    that if you catch a cold, it would dy the progress of the crew. Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡±


    With that, she threw the hot water bag directly into Veronica Murphy¡¯s arms and quickly ran away. The


    hot water bagnded on her thin nket and soon provided warmth, which was veryforting.


    Veronica Murphy, not being melodramatic, hugged the hot water bag tightly inside the nket.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    This winter was particrly cold, especially on that day when it rained and then she developed a high


    fever. Her body couldn¡¯t withstand the cold. She watched Mia Stuart¡¯s figure and couldn¡¯t help butugh


    and cry.


    There was no deep hatred between her and Mia Stuart, but Mia Stuart was like an immature child,


    always nitpicking or throwing tantrums to annoy her. Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t take it to heart..


    Before long, Larry Freeman walked over and sat with her to chat. Two hourster, Larry Freeman.


    received an urgent phone call and hurriedly left the crew.


    The crew finished work at seven in the evening. Veronica Murphy, Camden Sullivan, and Melvin.


    Winson left the crew together and went to a nearby sushi restaurant. They found the most secluded


    corner to sit.


    The three of them were fully armed, wrapped up tightly. Fortunately, it was winter, so wearing masks


    and hats wouldn¡¯t attract attention, and no one noticed their presence.


    While eating sushi, the three of them chatted happily. During Camden Sullivan¡¯s trip to the restroom,


    Melvin Winson¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    He answered the call, and his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°What? You¡¯re saying her condition has worsened


    again? How could this happen?¡±

 Chapter 1306

    Chapter 1306


    Veronica Murphy sat across from Melvin Winson, listening to him speak with an abrupt increase in


    volume and a panicked expression on his face. She immediately thought of Melvin Winson¡¯s girlfriend,


    whom he had mentioned was seriously ill.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯lle right away.¡±


    With that, Melvin Winson hung up the phone and looked up at Veronica Murphy, blinking his reddened


    eyes. ¡°Sorry, Nanshu¡¯s condition has worsened, and she has fallen into aa again. I have to go and


    see her.¡±


    Nanshu was most likely Melvin Winson¡¯s girlfriend.


    Veronica Murphy quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯ll drive you there.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Camden is still in the bathroom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll call him and let him know.¡± Veronica Murphy stood


    up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Melvin Winson had a grateful expression on his face. ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡±


    The two of them got up and walked outside. Veronica Murphy dialed Camden Sullivan¡¯s phone and


    exined the situation to him, also mentioning that she would invite him for dinner tomorrow. Camden


    Sullivan understood the seriousness of the situation and didn¡¯t mind.


    After hanging up the phone, Veronica Murphy got in the car and sat in the driver¡¯s seat. Melvin Winson


    asked, ¡°Do you want me to drive?¡±


    Veronica Murphy shook her head. ¡°Get in, I can do it.¡± His girlfriend was in trouble, and he was already


    extremely anxious. How could he drive?


    Melvin Winson quickly got in the passenger seat, closed the door, and said to Veronica Murphy,


    ¡°Bloomstead, Big Heart Hospital.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Veronica Murphy turned on the navigation and drove swiftly on the highway.


    On the way, Veronica Murphy asked about Melvin Winson¡¯s girlfriend, Nanshu. Melvin Winson sighed


    and replied with a deste tone, ¡°I¡¯ve been in a rtionship with Nanshu for many years. She loves me


    very much, but ever since she found out she had cervical cancer, she didn¡¯t want to burden me. She


    repeatedly mentioned breaking up with me and got angry with me. But I know that she had no


    choice¡­¡±


    He talked about many stories between him and Nanshu, and Veronica Murphy could feel Melvin


    Winson¡¯s deep love for her.


    Unbeknownst to her, all the stories Melvin Winson told her about his past with ¡°Nanshu¡± were actually


    about his true past with Eviette Robins. He loved Eviette Robins. He loved her to the core, willing to


    give everything for her.


    ¡°What stage is her cervical cancer at?¡± Veronica Murphy asked again. Melvin Winson pursed his lips,


    furrowed his brows, and remained silent for a while.


    Suddenly, there was a moment of silence, and Veronica Murphy already had the answer in her heart,


    but Melvin Winson still replied, ¡°Late stage.¡±


    Originally, Veronica Murphy said she could help save Ben¡¯s girlfriend, but when she heard it was in the


    late stage, she didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Although with her current connections, she could find top experts, once cervical cancer reached the


    late stage, even the most powerful gods would be powerless to change the oue. Afterwards, the


    two of them remained silent for a long time.


    Over two hourster, the car arrived at Bloomstead Big Heart Hospital. As soon as they got out of the


    car, Melvin Winson¡¯s phone started ringing.. Melvin Winson took out his phone and answered the call,


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what did you say? Nan Shuang¡­ she¡­ she¡­¡± Melvin Winson staggered for a moment, then


    put away his phone and rushed into the hospital as if he had gone mad. Veronica Murphy followed


    closely behind, running after him.


    They passed through the outpatient department, went to the patient ward in the back, took the elevator


    to the 30th floor, and got off the elevator to the ICU room 3020 on the right side of the corridor. Just as


    they arrived at the door of the ward, they heard the sound of loud sobbing.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Wuwu¡­ Shuang Shuang, you¡¯re so young, why did you have to leave? Shuang Shuang, do you really


    not want your mother anymore, wuwu¡­¡±


    Beside the hospital bed, a middle-aged woman. with graying temples was holding the hand of the


    woman on the bed, crying heartbreakingly. Several doctors stood around, their expressions serious and


    silent.

 Chapter 1307

    Chapter 1307


    Melvin Winson stood at the doorway, his expression impassive. His feet felt as heavy as lead, making it


    difficult for him to lift them. He held onto the door, gazing into the hospital. room. His eyes turned red,


    tears streaming down his face.


    Veronica Murphy couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang. of sadness at this scene. Throughout one¡¯s life, they will


    experience many farewells in the face of life and death.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    However, Veronica had experienced more farewells than the average person, yet she still couldn¡¯t


    adapt to the sorrow of losing loved ones.


    Melvin Winson tightly gripped the door frame, pain spreading throughout his body, even the veins on


    his forehead bulging.


    Stiffly, he walked step by step into the hospital room, standing by the bedside. He reached out and held


    the lifeless hand of the woman, slowly lifting it. He pressed her fingers against his face, closed his


    eyes, and said nothing, but tears continued to flow.


    Veronica Murphy stood outside, separated by the ss. She could clearly see Melvin Winson¡¯s


    trembling body and how he moved the woman¡¯s hand in front of him. He leaned down and gently


    kissed the back of her hand.


    That kiss was filled with deep affection. In the end, Veronica Murphy couldn¡¯t bear to witness the scene


    of someone experiencing the separation of life and death. She chose to sit on a nearby bench.


    Leaning against the bench, she furrowed her brow and contemted life. In just a few short decades,


    who could know whether tomorrow or an ident woulde first?


    The most important thing is to cherish the present, isn¡¯t it?


    That night, she sent a message to Sam Symonste at night, took a leave of absence, and made a


    phone call to Camden Sullivan to arrange for Melvin Winson to take time off.


    Camden Sullivan understood the importance of the deceased. In the evening, Melvin Winson contacted


    the crematorium and arranged for Nan Shuang¡¯s body to be cremated.


    After selecting a tombstone and an urn, the members of the Nan family sat in the lounge to rest. Melvin


    Winson waspletely immersed in grief and couldn¡¯t free himself from it.


    He walked out of the lounge and aimlessly made his way to the square outside. He sat alone on the


    steps, facing the brisk wind, smoking a cigarette.


    Veronica Murphy walked over and sat beside him, silently apanying him. Matt, the loyal


    companion, didn¡¯t say a word. It was Melvin Winson who looked up at the night sky and let out a long


    sigh. ¡°She¡¯s gone, leaving me all alone.¡±


    ¡°Veron, have you ever experienced separation and farewell with your loved ones?¡± he said, raising his


    hand and pounding his chest. ¡°Now I truly understand that feeling. It hurts, it hurts so much, even


    breathing is painful.¡±


    His voice choked and trembled. As a strong and tall man, he appeared so desperate and sorrowful that


    Veronica Murphy couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy for him.


    ¡°Yes, I have experienced it, Veronica Murphy thought of the day when she got married to Matthew


    Kings, and he disappeared. When she found out that Matthew Kings had a car ident and survived,


    she was devastated. ¡°But I am luckier than you. My loved one had left me before, but he miraculously


    survived the ident. Perhaps it was a miracle from God.¡±


    ¡°I envy you.¡±


    Melvin Winson nced at Veronica Murphy beside him. He saw her resting her left elbow on her knee,


    supporting her chin as she gazed into the distance, lost in thought, as if reminiscing about something.


    In that moment, Melvin Winson felt a wave of condemnation, guilt, self-me, and indebtedness


    flooding his heart.


    He had only known Veronica Murphy for two or three months, yet she treated him as a true friend and


    was willing to apany him back. to Bloomstead from Lothen in the middle of the night after such an


    incident urred.


    Melvin Winson withdrew his gaze and silently apologized in his heart: Veron, I¡¯m sorry, I am also


    helpless.


    That night, the two of them sat together and talked for a long time until noon, when Veronica Murphy


    finally left.

 Chapter 1308

    Chapter 1308


    After leaving the hospital, Veronica Murphy, formerly known as Ben, had nned to go straight back to


    Lothen. However, upon realizing that Matthew Kings was still working at thepany, she decided to


    stop by One Piece Restaurant to buy some lunch before heading to Metric Technology.


    To her surprise, as soon as she arrived at the entrance of Metric Technology, she saw a crowd


    gathered there. Some stood, while others sat at thepany entrance, holding white banners with


    ck letters written on them.


    ¡°Metric Technology is responsible for deaths.¡± ¡°Metric Technology must be held ountable for the


    harm it has caused. We demand justice.¡±


    ¡°Shut down this corruptpany!¡± As Veronica Murphy looked at the people holding the white banners,


    her heart sank. She turned on the indicator lights and parked her car by the roadside.


    Veronica Murphy knew that something unexpected had happened at Matthew Kingspany, and she


    had arranged for Colt Mullen to investigate the situation. But why hadn¡¯t Colt Mullen informed her about


    such a significant incident?


    Sitting in the car, she took out her phone. Originally intending to call Matthew Kings, she ended up


    dialing Colt Mullen¡¯s number. On the other end of the phone, Colt Mullen answered after two rings,


    ¡°Boss?¡±


    Veronica Murphy furrowed her eyebrows slightly and asked calmly, ¡°You¡¯ve been investigating the


    current situation at Matt¡¯spany recently. How is your investigation going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve investigated. However¡­ I didn¡¯t find anything unusual at Metric Technology. Everything seems


    normal,¡± the other side replied calmly. Listening to his words, Veronica Murphy pursed her lips, deep in


    thought. ¡°Everything seems normal¡­¡±


    Her speech was deliberate, with a hint of intrigue. On the other end of the phone, Colt Mullen sensed


    something was amiss and nervously touched his nose. ¡°Um, everything is normal, boss. What¡¯s


    wrong?¡±


    Veronica Murphy¡¯s expression turned cold as she tilted her head and looked at the group of people


    causing trouble over there. Her thin lips slightly parted as she said, ¡®Colt Mullen, your have betrayed my


    trust.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Boss, what¡­ what do you mean?¡± Colt Mullen started to panic. He was certain that Veronica


    Murphy must have discovered something.


    ¡°Although I am married to Matt, you should not forget your own identity. You have made me doubt your


    professionalism!¡± Veronica Murphy said, and then hung up the phone directly.


    She took a deep breath, feeling somewhat. helpless. At that moment, her phone buzzed and the


    ringtone echoed loudly in the car. Looking at the phone screen with Colt Mullen¡¯s number shing, she


    hung up again.


    Just as she ended the call, he called again. Veronica Murphy hung up once more, but he persistently


    kept calling. In the end, she gave him a chance and answered the phone.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°Boss, boss, listen to me, listen to me¡­¡± Colt Mullen exined nervously, ¡°I¡­ I made a mistake this


    time, a real mistake. President Kings told me not to tell you, afraid that it would worry you. He had good


    intentions for you, and that¡¯s why I agreed. But there was absolutely no intention to betray you.¡±


    Veronica Murphy replied, ¡°To me, not following my orders is betrayal.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Colt Mullen was speechless, and all the words that came to his mouth turned into a sigh in the


    end. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry, I acted on my own.¡±


    His intention was for the good of Veronica Murphy. They were a married couple, and Veronica Murphy


    investigated Matthew Kings because she cared about him. Matthew Kings asked Colt Mullen to keep it


    a secret from Veronica Murphy, hoping that she wouldn¡¯t worry about it. That¡¯s why he agreed to it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deduct half a month¡¯s sry as a small punishment and a big lesson.¡± Veronica Murphy knew that


    Colt Mullen had good intentions, so how could she really be angry?


    ¡°Hahaha, alright, alright, forget half a month, even a whole month is fine.¡± Colt Mullen breathed a sigh


    of relief, and even through the phone, his joyful mood could be felt.


    ¡°This is the only time.¡±


    Veronica Murphy emphasized, ¡°If there¡¯s another time, then we will have no future.¡±

 Chapter 1309

    Chapter 1309


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that,¡¯ Colt Mullen quickly stood up from the couch. ¡°Boss, boss, I really messed up. I


    swear, from now on, I¡¯ll only follow your orders. Even if President Kings throws a billion at me, I won¡¯t


    listen to him.¡±


    He still wanted to be a shareholder of the private detective agency.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Just recently, Veronica Murphy had mentioned that the year-end bonus would grant him and Hanson


    Zinkley each a one percent share, with potential for growth in the future and the possibility of receiving


    company dividends. Of course, Colt Mullen wanted to work with Veronica Murphy for a long time.


    ¡°Enough with the nonsense, tell me, what¡¯s the situation with Matt¡¯spany?¡± Veronica Murphy got


    straight to the point.


    Colt Mullen sighed and proceeded to exin the entire situation to Veronica Murphy in detail.


    ¡°President Kings¡¯pany has been conducting research on artificial intelligence all along. Half a


    month ago, they released their first batch of Al devices for sale, and due to the initial promotion, the


    sales were good. However, starting two days ago, people beganining that thepany¡¯s Al


    devices emit ultrasonic or some kind of sound frequency that damages the human nervous system,


    causing mental confusion and disorientation.¡±


    ¡°At first, there were only a fewints, but more and more people startedining, and some


    even started protesting outside thepany¡¯s gates. President Kings has been trying to control public


    opinion, but I estimate that if the situation isn¡¯t handled well, he won¡¯t be able to control it for much


    longer.¡±


    Veronica Murphy found Colt Mullen¡¯s words hard to believe. After a few moments of silence, she said,


    ¡°Secretly investigate whether these people have any connections. Have Hanson Zinkley put aside his


    current tasks, and the two of you investigate together.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Colt Mullen replied.


    Suddenly, Veronica Murphy thought of something and asked, ¡°By the way, how are those highly paid


    hires you mentionedst time?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, every single one of them is talented. Boss, don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no problem at all,¡± Colt


    Mullen¡¯s tone carried a hint of pride. As the detective agency¡¯s business expanded, thepany


    indeed needed to recruit new people.


    Veronica Murphy naturally trusted Colt Mullen and Hanson Zinkley. She nodded slightly, ¡°You two have


    worked hard. I¡¯ll give you a generous present at the end of the year.¡±


    ¡°Great, thank you, boss.¡±


    Colt Mullen was overjoyed. Veronica Murphy expressed her agreement and ended the call. Sitting in


    the car, she looked at the Metric Technology building, feeling a mix of mncholy.


    Once upon a time, Matthew Kings owned thergest building in Bloomstead, the Cal Building. But now,


    the Spinfluence Group has fallen into the hands of Conrad Kings, who has countless supporters,


    allowing his business to growrger and creating a significant distance between him and Matthew


    Kings..


    Veronica Murphy knew that she had a direct connection to all of this. As the New Year approached, the


    streets were bustling with cars, and workers were already hangingnterns on tree branches, creating


    a busy atmosphere that signaled the uing holiday season.


    In contrast, the scene outside Metric Technology formed a stark contrast.


    Just as she had mentioned, Matthew Kings hadn¡¯t called her since he left Lothen yesterday, which left


    her slightly displeased. But she never expected that Matthew Kings¡¯pany would encounter so


    many troublesome issues. But what could she do to help Matthew Kings?


    Money, with her current savings, was insignificant.


    Influence?


    She was all alone, without any powerful allies. How could she possibly assist him? A few minutes ago,


    Veronica Murphy even considered storming into Metric Technology¡¯s president¡¯s office to confront


    Matthew Kings.


    But now, she suddenly lost her confidence and didn¡¯t even know what to do. Matthew Kings had


    Conrad Kings supporting him.


    It was rumored that Conrad Kings had secretly contacted Prince Zac¡¯s older brother multiple times. The


    outside world knew that Anthony¡¯s brother, Joey Nibel Francis, doted on Anthony excessively.

 Chapter 1310

    Chapter 1310


    Joey grew suspicious after Anthony¡¯s ¡°mysterious¡± death. If Conrad Kings sessfully convinced Joey,


    it was likely that Matthew Kings would also be a target of Joey¡¯s retaliation.


    Joey, the ck Ace Mob, and the enigmatic vian Kings were all against Matthew Kings. The crucial


    point was that any one of these individuals, regardless of their strength or wealth, could easily


    overpower Matthew Kings. She leaned against the car seat, closed her eyes, and let out a helpless


    sigh.


    In situations like this, people always tend to shoulder all the responsibility, just like Veronica Murphy at


    this moment. She believed that Anthony¡¯s death was indirectly caused by her hidden n identity as


    the Young Lord, which in turn brought a series of troubles to Matthew Kings.


    On the other hand, the ck Ace Mob started retaliating against Matthew Kings because of the


    jealousy between Xavier Crawford and Antheena, which had caused numerous troubles.


    Veronica Murphy had tried her best to keep her distance from Xavier Crawford, but she still ended up


    causing a lot of trouble.


    After a while, Veronica Murphy called Matthew Kings, but the phone rang several times without anyone


    answering. She had no choice but to call Thomas Ritter. The phone rang once, and the other person


    answered, ¡°Madam?¡±


    ¡°Thomas Ritter, where¡¯s Matt?¡± she asked.


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    ¡°Um¡­boss¡­,¡± Thomas Ritter hesitated, seeming unwilling to reveal the truth, ¡°Boss is having dinner


    with a client and can¡¯t answer the phone. He¡¯ll call you backter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Veronica Murphy hung up the phone without asking further. Leaning back in her seat, Veronica Murphy


    opened a crack in the window, allowing the chilly wind to rush in through the gap. The cold wind


    brushed against her face like thorns.


    Her cheeks stung a bit, but Veronica Murphy¡¯s heart hurt even more. She had no intention of dwelling


    on Matthew Kings¡¯ protection of Eviette Robins. Those were all trivial matters. What she needed to do


    now was to help Matthew Kings.


    In the end, Veronica Murphy figured out what to do and drove to Twilight Condominium, picked up


    something, and then headed to the airport. Four hourster.


    Veronica Murphy reappeared, already in Kynd. After getting off the ne, Veronica Murphy sent a


    message to Matthew Kings, saying, ¡°The crew is filming, I¡¯ll call youter.¡±


    Then she called Eleanor Gomez, who was also in her phone contacts. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me where I am? I was about to ask you the same thing,¡± Eleanor Gomez questioned,


    ¡°Fromst night until now, you¡¯ve disappeared. Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°My friend has something to deal with, so I came over to help her temporarily. You just rest well at the


    hotel, and I¡¯lle find you tonight,¡± she said.


    Eleanor Gomez didn¡¯t inquire further. ¡°Alright, I partied all night yesterday and I¡¯m dead tired. We¡¯ll talk


    later.¡±


    ¡°Take good rest, bye.¡±


    Veronica Murphy finished speaking and hung up the phone.


    She walked out of the airport and hailed a taxi. ¡°Go to Frost Cal Group.¡±


    Frost Cal Group was named after thebination of ¡®Frost¡¯ from vian Kings current wife, Lindsey


    Winson, and ¡®Cal¡¯ from vian Kings.


    The taxi drove on the road while Veronica Murphy opened her email on her phone and searched for


    information about vian Kings. ording to the information disyed, she dialed vian Kings¡¯


    private phone number.


    The phone rang a few times before the other person answered, ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Conrad, I¡¯m Veronica Murphy. Can we meet?¡± Veronica Murphy introduced herself.


    On the other end of the phone, vian Kings was quite surprised. He never expected Veronica Murphy


    to contact him proactively.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be at Frost Cal Group in an hour.¡±


    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s a caf¨¦ downstairs in thepany building. I¡¯ll wait for you there.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Goodbye,¡± Veronica Murphy replied.

 Chapter 1311

    Chapter 1311


    Frost Cal Group, coffee shop. Veronica Murphy entered the coffee shop and scanned the room until


    she finally spotted vian Kings sitting by the window in the far corner.


    He was dressed in a royal blue suit with a tie, looking radiant. The resemnce between his eyebrows


    and Matthew Kings was striking, both possessing a cold and imposing demeanor.


    Veronica Murphy approached him and greeted, ¡°Mr. Conrad, hello. I apologize for the interruption.¡±


    Her attitude was neither submissive nor arrogant. She pulled out a chair and sat across from vian


    Kings.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite unexpected for us to meet here,¡± vian Kings smiled. At that moment, a waiter approached


    them and asked, ¡®Madam, what would you like to drink?¡±


    ¡°Just in water.¡±


    ¡°Alright, please wait.¡± The waiter nced meaningfully at Veronica Murphy, his eyes filled with disdain.


    Coming to a coffee shop to drink in water, she must be out of her mind.


    Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t notice the waiter¡¯s expression or actions. Instead, she said to vian Kings,


    ¡°Let¡¯s have an honest conversation, shall we?¡±


    vian Kings leaned back in his chair, fingers interlocked on his abdomen. His deep eyes, as profound


    as Matt¡¯s, scrutinized Veronica Murphy. A formal smile appeared on his dark face. ¡°What do you mean


    by ¡®honest¡¯?¡±


    ¡°To show my sincerity, I won¡¯t hide anything. I haven¡¯t divorced Matt, and the news of our divorce that


    was made public is also false.¡±


    She revealed the news herself. vian Kings lightly tapped his left fingers on the back of his right hand


    and smiled, ¡°Not surprising.¡±


    He knew his son very well. A loyal person like Ben suddenly getting a divorce would be highly unusual.


    ¡°What about you, Mr. Conrad? You knew that Matt had a wife and children, so why did your support


    Eviette Robins in pursuing Matt?¡±


    Veronica Murphy directly asked the doubts in her heart. Of course, she was still not entirely sure about


    the rtionship between vian Kings and Eviette Robins up until now, but it was just spection, and


    she wanted to test his response.


    vian Kings paused his rhythmic tapping on his hand and showed a hint of surprise on his weathered


    face. His murky eyes met hers, but Veronica Murphy remained calm andposed.


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    Having experienced countless life and death situations, Veronica Murphy had long be steady and


    fearless. What did she have to fear from vian Kings?


    After observing her for a while, vian Kings couldn¡¯t detect any abnormalities in Veronica Murphy¡¯s


    eyes. He even felt that her words just now were very certain.


    After careful consideration, he didn¡¯t see the need to hide anymore, so he nodded slightly, ¡°You¡¯re


    clever, just as Matthew¡¯s partner should be,¡± Veronica Murphy remained silent, waiting for what would


    come next.


    ¡°But, you, a woman from a remote and impoverished ce, how can you be worthy of being the son of


    vian Kings? vian Kings reached out and picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, and shook


    his head. ¡°Matthew is confused. Only a marriage that is a match insocial status will receive everyone¡¯s


    blessings. And you, a woman who cannot even rise to the surface, what can you offer as a wife and


    mother? You should know that a mother is a child¡¯s first teacher. What kind of child can someone like


    you, whoes from the countryside, raise?¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, sessful men always have a woman with exceptional abilities behind them. You


    graduated from Collins University, with ant average qualification. Besides having an attractive


    appearance, you have no value whatsoever.¡±


    He raised his right hand and gestured from top to bottom, criticizing Veronica Murphy mercilessly.


    Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t get angry but smiled instead. She tilted her head and looked out of the window,


    overlooking the vast Kynd, feeling a strong sense of irony.


    ¡°No value at all, huh?¡±


    She chuckled.


    A waiter ced a ss of water in front of her and then left. Veronica Murphy leaned back slightly and


    looked directly at vian Kings. ¡°Mr. Conrad¡¯s values are truly conventional and narrow- minded.¡±

 Chapter 1312

    Chapter 1312


    ¡°Reality is often harsh.¡±


    vian Kings smiled faintly, his eyes filled with contempt as he looked at Veronica Murphy. Veronica


    Murphy¡¯s suspicions were confirmed.


    However, there was still one thing that Veronica Murphy was unclear about, so she asked, ¡°I¡¯m curious,


    what is Eviette Robins¡¯ background that makes you value her so much?¡±


    The investigation into Eviette Robins revealed that she had been in business for many years and


    owned severalpanies.


    But even so, it was far from vian Kings¡¯ goal. So why did he go to such lengths to match Eviette


    Robins with Matthew Kings?


    ¡°Because¡­ Eviette is the Princess of the Kyndthe Robins Family.¡±


    vian Kings didn¡¯t hide it from Veronica Murphy, ¡°She has had feelings for Matthew for many years


    and doesn¡¯t mind that he is already married and has children. Her love for him is evident.¡±


    Such genuine feelings are rare in the world, and it is naturally fortunate for Matthew Kings.


    Veronica Murphy nodded slightly, ¡°Indeed. Eviette Robins has deep feelings for Matt. But¡­ have you


    ever considered whether Matt is willing to ept her ¡®love¡¯?¡±


    Forced love is not sweet, it¡¯s the simplest truth, and she didn¡¯t believe that vian Kings didn¡¯t know


    that.


    On the other hand, vian Kings, as Matthew Kings¡¯ father, had been away from the Kings Family for


    many years without ever contacting them.


    And now, he suddenly came back to find Matthew Kings, but it seemed that he wanted to match Eviette


    Robins with him. Veronica Murphy believed that what vian Kings valued was not Eviette Robins¡¯


    love for Matthew Kings, but the vast Robins Family.


    Veronica Murphy couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. She didn¡¯t expect Eviette Robins to hide so well.


    She was not only a former Best Actress but also the owner of severalrgepanies. But what


    surprised her the most was her identity as the Princess of the Kyndthe Robins Family!


    ¡°You won¡¯t know unless you try.¡± vian Kings was confident.


    ¡°Even if Matt agrees, the Robins Family probably won¡¯t.¡± Veronica Murphy picked up a ss of water


    and took a sip, warming her hands with the warm ss.


    The winter in Kynd seemed colder than Bloomstead. Even though the cafe had the heating on, she


    still felt a bit cold.


    Then she continued, ¡°The Robins Family is wealthy, and her parents would never agree to let their


    daughter marry a man who has been married before.¡±


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    The Robins Family, as far as she knew, only had one daughter, Eviette Robins. For such a family, it


    was unimaginable that they would let their precious daughter marry a man who had been married


    before.


    It was simply unthinkable.


    ¡°The Robins Family would naturally not agree to let Eviettee here, but they wouldn¡¯t oppose


    Matthew marrying into their family.¡±


    He used the word ¡®marry¡¯. Veronica Murphy instantly understood vian Kings¡¯ meaning. She pursed


    her lips, a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile on her red lips.


    Lowering her gaze, she looked at the clear warm water in the cup, furrowing her brows as she


    pondered. After a moment, she finally spoke, ¡°What will you do if Matt doesn¡¯t agree?¡±


    vian Kingszily raised an eyebrow, speaking calmly, ¡°There is nothing in this world that I, vian


    Kings, cannot aplish.¡±


    With a confident tone, he exuded the absolute self-assurance of someone in power.


    At this moment, Veronica Murphy realized that the person sitting in front of her was truly selfish and


    self-serving. He was willing to sacrifice Matthew Kings for his own desires, in exchange for an alliance


    with the Robins Family.


    Matthew Kings was already in a dire situation, and now it was even worse.


    ¡°I feel deep sorrow for Matt, having a father like you,¡± Veronica Murphy sarcastically remarked, then


    stood up. ¡°I apologize for the intrusion, goodbye.¡±


    Originally, Ben hade to talk to vian Kings, hoping that he might help Matthew Kings. But now it


    seemed that he was just as toxic.


    Seeing her about to leave, vian Kings. immediately said, ¡°If you can persuade Matthew, I can


    promise you a life of luxury andfort.¡±


    Veronica Murphy paused for a moment, not looking back, and said, ¡°If you had even a shred of fatherly


    love for him, you wouldn¡¯t act so heartlessly. Perhaps, one day, he will still be there for you in your old


    age.¡±

 Chapter 1313

    Chapter 1313


    ¡°Please forgive me for my shallowness,¡± vian Kings said sparingly. He believed that with his current


    family background, he had no shortage of people to take care of him in his old age.


    Furthermore, vian Kings once again believed that Veronica Murphy was shallow and ignorant,


    unworthy of Matthew Kings.


    Veronica Murphy left. She hurried to Kynd, wanting to talk to vian Kings. Although she didn¡¯t even


    have the opportunity for formal negotiations, she still obtained some important information.


    On her way back, she wondered if Matthew. Kings didn¡¯t know about Eviette Robins¡¯ family


    background. That shouldn¡¯t be the case.


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    He had said that he had known Eviette Robins for many years and was well aware of her background.


    Most likely, Matthew Kings didn¡¯t know that Eviette Robins liked him and wanted to marry him.


    When she returned to Lothen, it was already midnight. Eleanor Gomez, who had been sleeping the


    entire day, saw here back and ran to her room, curling up on the sofa. ¡°Tell me honestly, where did


    you go? You look worried. Did something happen?¡±


    Veronica Murphy got up, took two bottles of red wine from the wine cab, poured them into a


    decanter, and brought two tall sses to the sofa. ¡°Here, have some wine.¡±


    She ordered some takeout on her phone and then sat down with Eleanor Gomez, drinking and


    chatting. She told Eleanor Gomez everything that had happened recently, including what happened


    today.


    Eleanor Gomez¡¯s face gradually darkened. ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, your sweetheart is in great


    danger.¡±


    ¡°After the trip to the hidden n, Matthew Kings suffered heavy financial losses. Now he¡¯s severely


    weakened. How could they be their opponents?¡± Veronica Murphy, who hadn¡¯t drunk in a long time,


    raised her ss and drank it all in one go. She sighed, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a jinx?¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Eleanor Gomez leaned on the armrest of the single sofa, holding a tall ss in one hand, and


    pointed at Veronica Murphy with her finger. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a young socialite, but you can say


    such ignorant things. The people from the hidden n are so superstitious, no one would say that


    about themselves!¡±


    She let out a long sigh. ¡°You, my dear, can only say that you have bad luck and encounter viins.¡±


    Listening to Veronica Murphy¡¯s ordeal, Eleanor Gomez felt some sympathy. ¡®Actually, it¡¯s just fate


    ying tricks on you. You, at least, are the Young Lord of the hidden n, and so am I, but our


    destinies arepletely different. I¡¯m luckier than you.¡±


    Veronica Murphy poured herself a full ss of red wine from the decanter. ¡°Are you trying to advise me


    or just adding insult to injury?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m teaching you to see reality.¡± Eleanor Gomez sat up straight and poured herself a ss of


    wine. She clinked her ss with Veronica Murphy¡¯s Straight Flush and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Perhaps


    there¡¯s someone who can help you.¡±


    Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t bother asking who that person was, she just shook her head. ¡°Our current


    situation is almost a dead end.¡± After saying that, she waved her hand holding the tall ss. ¡°Well,


    maybe it¡¯s not a dead end. If I die, Matt might have a chance at a fresh start. With Eviette Robins¡¯


    protection and the influence of the Robins Family, he¡¯s bound to have a new lease on life.¡±


    Of course, that was only the final option when all else failed. Veronica Murphy was not one to easily


    admit defeat.


    ¡°There¡¯s always a way when there¡¯s a will. Don¡¯t dwell on it too much,¡± Eleanor Gomez wanted to say,


    but stopped herself. Perhaps things hadn¡¯t gotten that serious yet..


    The two of them talked at length, drinking four bottles of red wine. Eventually, Veronica. Murphy grew


    tired and fell asleep on the couch. She had spent the previous night with Melvin Winson, staying up all


    night. She was truly exhausted.


    Seeing her asleep, Eleanor Gomez went to the bedroom and fetched a nket to cover her. She


    adjusted the temperature of the living room air conditioner and then returned to her own room, finally


    feeling at ease.


    With a heavy heart, Veronica Murphy woke up after only a few hours of sleep. After freshening up, she


    headed straight to the set.


    By the time she arrived at the set, it was already eight in the morning. She estimated that Luan Shu


    had already woken up, so she gave her a call. ¡°Luan Shu, I don¡¯t need any more help around me right


    now. Focus on Matt for the time being, especially since hispany is going through a critical period.


    As a professional public rtions specialist, you should be able to support him.¡±

 Chapter 1314

    Chapter 1314


    Upon signing the contract with the crew, she had toplete all the necessary tasks and see them


    through.


    Regarding Matthew Kings, she could only rely on Colt Mullen and Hanson Zinkley to investigate the


    close connections behind the group causing trouble at thepany¡¯s doorstep. They needed to find


    crucial evidence to hand over to Blue Shu, so she could handle the public rtions aspect of the


    matter.


    Otherwise, if the situation escted, it could have a devastating impact on Matthew Kings¡¯pany.


    Upon joining the crew, Veronica Murphy discovered that Melvin Winson still hadn¡¯t shown up for work.


    Presumably, the death of his girlfriend¡± Nan Shuang had dealt him a great blow.


    She sent a fewforting messages on WhatsApp before immersing herself in filming.


    In the morning, she had scenes with Eviette Robins. However, no matter how many takes they did, she


    couldn¡¯t get into the right state. Sam Symons reprimanded her, saying, ¡°Veronica Murphy, what¡¯s wrong


    with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about emotions, you need to tap into your emotions.¡±


    ¡°Acting requires tension, tension! Do you understand? Let¡¯s do another take!¡±


    ¡°Snap! I told you to tap into your emotions, not to perform with excessive force.¡±


    Several takes in a row were all NG, and Veronica Murphy also realized that she wasn¡¯t in a good state.


    She immediately said to Sam Symons, ¡°Sorry, Sam Symons, I need to take a break and adjust my


    state.¡±


    ¡°Alright, take a five-minute break.¡±


    Sam Symons seemed somewhat helpless and seemed to sense that Veronica Murphy had something


    on her mind, so he didn¡¯t scold her further.


    Veronica Murphy walked to the side, holding a thermos cup, and walked out of the indoor set. Standing


    outside, she felt the cool breeze blowing on her face, and her gloomy mood dissipated.


    She was trying her best to adjust her emotions and get into character as quickly as possible. But at this


    moment, there was an extra figure beside her.


    Eviette Robins walked over with a cup of coffee, took a sip, and smiled, ¡°I heard you went to see Mr.


    Murphy?¡±


    After Veronica Murphy left to find vian Kings, vian Kings called Eviette Robins and informed her


    about the situation. Veronica Murphy wasn¡¯t surprised by this.


    She looked straight ahead, not even bothering to nce at the other person, ¡°You hid it well. If I hadn¡¯t


    gone to Kynd, I wouldn¡¯t have known that Miss Robins is actually the daughter of the Robins Family


    in Kynd.¡±


    Among the several prominent families in Kynd, the Robins Family ranked first and had the ability to


    influence the country.


    As a tycoon family with immense wealth, there was hardly anything they couldn¡¯t aplish. But love


    was something that money couldn¡¯t buy.


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote to know now,¡± Eviette Robins smiled, lifting her chin slightly like a proud peacock.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s in career or life, I will be Matt¡¯s most capable assistant. And what about you? What can


    you do to help him?¡±


    As she spoke, she nced sideways at Veronica Murphy, her eyes filled with a hint of disdain.


    In her eyes, Veronica Murphy came from an ordinary background and had mediocre talent, unable to


    assist Matthew Kings in any way.


    But if she were to marry Matthew Kings, she would be his capable assistant.


    A true asset.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand,¡± Veronica Murphy leaned to the side, facing Eviette Robins


    directly. ¡°If you like Matthew Kings, why haven¡¯t you been in contact with him all these years? Why only


    appear now?¡±


    This question had been bothering Veronica Murphy for a long time. Eviette Robins looked into the


    distance, adjusting the down jacket she was wearing. ¡°I went abroad to study. I¡¯m different from you¡­¡±


    She paused for a moment. ¡°Matt is an exceptional man, and to be his wife, one must also be


    exceptional. These years, I have been working hard to improve myself, but I never expected¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Eviette Robins cast a sidelong nce at Veronica Murphy. ¡°You took advantage of the


    opportunity.¡±


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    Eviette Robins had known Matthew Kings for many years, and no one understood his true identity and


    abilities better than her.


    To love someone, one must have the qualifications to stand on equal footing with them.

 Chapter 1315

    Chapter 1315


    Despite belonging to the Tycoons family, all of the wealth was her parents¡¯ fortune and had no


    connection to her. Therefore, Eviette Robins worked tirelessly to improve herself and stand out.


    However, it wasn¡¯t until she discovered that Matthew Kings was suddenly getting married that she


    deeply regretted wasting so much time on self-improvement. She felt that she should have been by


    Matthew Kings¡¯ side.


    When she returned to the country and wanted to find Matthew Kings, she learned that he had


    disappeared after getting married.


    During that time, she also sent out many people to search for Matthew Kings, but they found nothing.


    Later, Veronica Murphy and others unexpectedly found a blind and crippled man iming to be


    ¡°Matthew Kings.¡± Eviette Robins was overjoyed, but as soon as she saw that person, she knew he was


    an imposter.


    A few monthster, the imposter ¡°died,¡± and a funeral was held.


    The real Matthew Kings still hadn¡¯t appeared, and Eviette Robins learned that he had offended


    Anthony, a member of the Castron royal family. It was likely that he was truly dead.


    So, on the day of Matthew Kings¡¯ funeral, she attended as well. However, Veronica Murphy didn¡¯t


    recognize her and didn¡¯t pay any attention to her. During that time, her life seemed to have entered a


    gray space. She became depressed and lost interest in life.


    Eviette Robins¡¯ parents, the Robins Family, knew that she was devastated because of Matthew Kings¡¯


    ¡°death.¡± They felt both heartbroken and helpless.


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    Unexpectedly, several monthster, Matthew Kings miraculously reappeared in the public eye, making


    a high-profileeback.


    Eviette Robins, who was immersed in grief, was filled with hope. She immediately discussed with her


    parents about returning to the country to find Matthew Kings and marry him.


    The Robins Family parents knew about Eviette Robins¡¯ love for Matthew Kings, and after much


    consideration, they reluctantly agreed. The only requirement was¡­


    Matthew Kings had to marry into the Robins Family.


    ¡°In that case, I have to thank you,¡± Veronica Murphy lightly pursed her red lips. ¡°Actually, this is fate.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Eviette Robins, you can¡¯t force matters of the heart. You should learn to let go.¡±


    She calmly advised Eviette Robins, hoping that she would learn to move on.


    ¡°Let go?¡± Eviette Robins snorted coldly. ¡°Do you know how long I¡¯ve loved him? Why should I let go just


    because you say so?¡±


    It is simply absurd.


    ¡°Your ¡®love¡¯ is like a shackle.¡±


    Veronica Murphy shook her head helplessly. If it were a mutual love, then it would be different. But


    Matthew Kings was already married and had children, yet Eviette Robins still refused to let go.


    Such love was as burdensome as a shackle.


    ¡°Royal Flush,¡± she said.


    Eviette Robins raised her voice abruptly, causing people around her to turn and look. She immediately


    lowered her voice and stared intensely at Veronica Murphy. ¡°If Matt marries me, he will inherit the


    Robins Family¡¯s vast fortune. He won¡¯t have to work hard for the rest of his life. I¡¯m helping him, so why


    is it seen as a shackle?¡±


    Veronica Murphy found Eviette Robins¡¯ love to be absurd. ¡°Do you think Matt is someone who seeks


    pleasure and is willing to ept handouts?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®handouts¡¯? Once I marry him, what¡¯s mine is his,¡± she retorted in a low voice.


    Veronica Murphy smiled instead of getting angry and looked at her with a faint gaze. After a moment,


    she turned and walked into the studio.


    You can never wake up someone pretending to be asleep. Engaging in a verbal dispute would only be


    a waste of time.


    ¡°Stop right there.¡±


    Just as Veronica Murphy took a few steps, Eviette Robins called out and caught up with her. ¡°How can


    you let go, in the end?¡±


    Veronica Murphy found her question. particrly amusing. Instead of answering, she replied with a


    question, ¡°How do you want me to let go?¡±


    Eviette Robins held the coffee cup with both hands, and her beautiful and lively eyes flickered. Her


    long, thickshes blinked once. ¡°I can give you a nk check, you can fill in any amount.¡±


    The Robins Family had plenty of money, and as long as Veronica Murphy dared to ept, Eviette


    Robins would fulfill everything.

 Chapter 1316

    Chapter 1316


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Veronica Murphy seemed to have heard a funny joke. ¡°I want all the assets of the Robins


    Family. Can you give them to me?¡±


    Eviette Robins was stunned, not expecting Veronica Murphy to make such a request. The two locked


    eyes, and tension filled the air.


    Eviette Robins raised her slender finger and flicked the hair beside her ear, sneering, ¡°You dare to


    make such a bold request. But remember, ¡®those who toast but don¡¯t eat will be punished¡¯. Smart


    people understand the current situation, but you, you¡¯re excessively greedy. Giving you money is a


    form ofpensation. If I don¡¯t want to give you money, with a snap of my fingers, you, Veronica


    Murphy, will disappear tomorrow.¡±


    This was a warning. With the power of the Robins Family, it would be easy to get rid of Veronica


    Murphy.


    ¡°Well, thank you for Miss Robins¡¯ ¡®mercy¡±


    Veronica Murphy¡¯s expression was indifferent as she said mockingly, then turned and left. Veronica


    Murphy had already considered what Eviette Robins said.


    But she was not someone who feared death.


    Matthew Kings had done too much for her, and if she chose to leave just because Eviette Robins


    threatened her with death, it would be a betrayal to Matthew Kings.


    She left, and Eviette Robins stood in ce, facing Veronica Murphy who couldn¡¯t be swayed by threats


    or kindness, and she truly hated her to the core.


    Her hand tightened slightly, and her sharp gaze seemed as if it could bore a hole into Veronica Murphy.


    Turning around, she threw the coffee in her hand into the trash can.


    She went outside and made a phone call to someone. As soon as the phone rang, the other person


    answered, ¡®Princess, what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Help me investigate Veronica Murphy. I want. all her information, including everyone who has had


    close contact with her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess, I will take care of it.¡±


    The other person hung up the phone. Eviette Robins tightly gripped her phone with her fingers, took a


    deep breath, and slightly parted her red lips. The breath that escaped formed a faint mist, dispersing


    with the wind.


    Her eyes narrowed slightly, thinking to herself: Veronica Murphy, you brought this upon yourself by


    refusing the toast. Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.


    After a five-minute break, Veronica Murphy returned to filming. This time, she was in a very good state


    and fully engaged.


    Because of frequent absences recently, which had dyed the filming process, the director


    compressed all her scenes together, resulting in filming continuing until noon on the third day.


    In the middle of the two and a half days, she hardly rested, with all her sleep timebined being less


    than two hours.


    Carrying her exhausted body, Ben nned to go back to the hotel to rest, but he fell asleep on the sofa


    in the dressing room just after removing his makeup. Riversouth Hospital.


    Skyler Robins, who was hospitalized for recovery, is scheduled to be discharged tomorrow. Miguel


    Zephyr Robins and Sofia Green will bothe to the hospital to pick him up.


    However, Skyler Robins is already impatient to leave the hospital. If it weren¡¯t for Nurse Qiao Yu


    blocking him, he would have left the hospital long ago.


    Lying on the bed, Skyler Robins chatted aimlessly on his phone. He noticed that he had been blocked


    by ¡°Time Flies¡± and tried to add the person using his WhatsApp ount, but the other party refused to


    ept the friend request.


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    He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead in frustration, ¡°What the hell! She¡¯s so ugly, yet she


    blocked me after I gave her a skin for free.¡±


    With his financial strength, the skin given on the gaming ount was worth next to nothing. It shouldn¡¯t


    bother him.


    But he was annoyed nheless. Perhaps, deep down, what truly bothered him was Shirley Wilson


    abandoning him and leaving. without a word.


    And now, he encountered a woman with a voice just like Shirley Wilson¡¯s, who blocked him again. It


    seemed that he would always be in a passive position.

 Chapter 1317

    Chapter 1317


    Lying in bed, Skyler Robins looked up at the ceiling with a sense of despair. Christmas was


    approaching. Had Shirley Wilson already returned to her hometown to visit her parents?


    Longing, once it took root, grew wildly and uncontrobly. He had suppressed his emotions for a long


    time, and now, unable to release them, he felt overwhelming anger.


    Especially as the wedding date drew closer, his heart became more restless, driving him crazy to see


    Shirley Wilson.


    He wanted to question that woman, why did she sleep with him in the first ce and then abandon him


    after sweet words?


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    What did Wade Yoder have that he didn¡¯t? Skyler Robins pondered and felt that in terms of looks,


    education, and background, he surpassed Wade Yoder by a mile. The only possibility could be¡­


    Furrowing his brow, Skyler Robins involuntarily ced his hand on a certain spot. Could it be that he


    wasn¡¯t as well-endowed as Wade Yoder? Or that he couldn¡¯t perform as well?


    ¡°Young Master Skyler, are you having stomach pain?¡±


    Seeing him frown and look ufortable, Qiao Yu, who was by his side, asked. Skyler Robins turned


    his head slightly and nced at Qiao Yu. ¡°When women look for partners, do they prefer someone


    well-endowed and skilled, or someone wealthy?¡±


    Qiao Yu was taken aback for a moment, her face turning red as she looked at him, shyly stammering,


    ¡°Why¡­why are you asking this?¡±


    ¡°Why waste words? I just want to know the answer!¡± Skyler Robins questioned coldly. Under the


    intense gaze of Skyler Robins, Qiao Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Swallowing nervously, she cautiously


    asked, ¡°Do¡­do you want to hear the truth?¡±


    Skyler Robins¡¯ expression turned even colder. Even without saying a word, just his gaze alone


    frightened her to the core.


    After hesitating for a while, she deliberately spoke unclearly, ¡°Of course¡­of course, we like both.¡±


    ¡°Which one do you like the most?¡± he pursued.


    Originally, Qiao Yu thought Skyler Robins was teasing her, but seeing his serious and solemn


    expression, she felt that he wasn¡¯t joking. So she answered truthfully, ¡°If there are no feelings involved,


    of course, we prefer money. But if there are feelings, I think¡­it¡¯s important to be skilled. After all, that¡­


    that aspect is a crucial bond in a stable marital rtionship.¡±


    Skyler Robins: ¡°¡­¡±


    Why did he ask?


    Why did he foolishly ask such a question?


    If in the previous moment he was only angry because of Shirley Wilson¡¯s abandonment, now he felt an


    unprecedented sense of shame.


    The anger grew like yeast, expanding and intensifying with the passage of time, making him


    increasingly restless.


    He got up and paced back and forth in the hospital room. Qiao Yu, sitting on the sofa, couldn¡¯t help but


    mutter, ¡°Young Master Skyler, can you stop pacing? It¡¯s making me dizzy.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Skyler Robins red at her, ¡°Are you even daring to be insolent towards me?¡±


    Qiao Yu pouted in grievance, ¡°The hospital room is so small, and you¡¯ve already paced fifty-threeps.


    Aren¡¯t you dizzy?¡±


    He really didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him, starting to act all nervous early in the morning.


    If Qiao Yu hadn¡¯t mentioned it, Skyler Robins wouldn¡¯t have realized that he had already paced so


    manyps.


    After thinking it over, he finally picked up his phone and made a call, ¡°Li Zi, find out the whereabouts of


    Shirley Wilson for me. I need the information as quickly as possible!¡±


    ¡°Alright, President Robins.¡±


    The other party responded. From then on, Skyler Robins anxiously waited for news. Li Zi, who was


    usually very efficient, was taking a long time this time.


    After two hours had passed, Skyler Robins couldn¡¯t hold back and called to inquire, ¡°What¡¯s going on?


    Why can¡¯t you find anything yet?¡±


    ¡°President Robins, I¡¯m still doing my best to search. But so far, I haven¡¯t found any information about


    Miss Wilson, even with Ben¡¯s help.¡±


    There was a hint of helplessness in the other person¡¯s words.


    Skyler Robins furrowed his brow, ¡°What did you say? You can¡¯t find anything?¡±

 Chapter 1318

    Chapter 1318


    Li Zi was well aware of his efficiency in handling matters and would never allow a situation where there


    was no trace to be found. Moreover, Shirley Wilson didn¡¯t have the ability to evade his investigation.


    ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t found anything yet,¡± Li Zi reported. ¡°Thest ce her ID card appeared was in


    Bloomstead. After that, her ID card, phone number, PayPal, WhatsApp, and other apps have not been


    logged in again.¡±


    At this point, the situation had be moreplicated than simply ¡°leaving¡±.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    His expression became serious. ¡°Continue the investigation.¡±


    Everything became moreplicated at this moment. Skyler Robins was filled with doubts, as if


    shrouded in gloom, feeling lost. After hanging up the phone, a person came to mind for Skyler


    Robins¡­ Sofia Green.


    When he was injured in the car ident and saw the videos of Shirley Wilson with Wade Yoder, he


    was filled with anger, thinking that Shirley Wilson was cheating on him, loving Wade Yoder while also


    sleeping with him. He thought she only wanted to leave after receiving the 7.5 million.


    But now it seemed that things were not as simple as they appeared.


    Skyler Robins wanted to find Shirley Wilson, but the thought of the scene in the video where she was


    intimate with Wade Yoder made it unbearable for him.


    Struggling internally, Skyler Robins made another phone call, asking someone to help find Shirley


    Wilson¡¯s whereabouts.


    During lunchtime, Joe Yu went out to buy lunch. When he returned, Skyler Robins had disappeared.


    Joe Yu immediately called Skyler Robins, but he told Joe Yu that he had already been discharged from


    the hospital and didn¡¯t need any more care.


    Helpless, Joe Yu immediately contacted Miguel Zephyr Robins, Skyler Robins¡¯ contact person. Upon


    learning that the recovered Skyler Robins had left the hospital, Zephyr Robins personally called Skyler


    Robins.


    ¡°Where are you now?¡± Zephyr Robins directly questioned him on the phone, his tone showing some


    displeasure. Skyler Robins replied directly, ¡°I¡¯m just taking a walk. You don¡¯t need toe pick me up.¡±


    ¡°I already told Wuyan that we would go to Riversouth to pick you up in the afternoon. Now that you¡¯ve


    left, what should wuyan do?¡±


    ¡°Does Miguel think I¡¯m underage and have no freedom?¡±


    ¡°Drew, you should know that Wuyan is very worried about you.¡± He sighed, ¡°During the days you were


    hospitalized, Wuyan wanted to go to Riversouth to apany you. But with a baby in her belly, she


    can only stay at home alone to take care of the pregnancy. You¡­¡±


    Zephyr Robins wanted to say something else, but Skyler Robins interrupted him, ¡°My affairs don¡¯t need


    your concern.¡±


    With that, he hung up the phone directly. Skyler Robins received a call from Li Zi immediately after


    hanging up the phone.


    After hours of investigation, Li Zi finally had a lead. ¡°President Robins, we have found Shirley Wilson.


    She is currently in the town of Riversouth, where she has opened a clothing design studio called


    ¡®Ranwei¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Send me the address.¡±


    Upon receiving the lead, Skyler Robins wasted no time. After Li Zi sent the address, he activated the


    navigation system and headed straight for the ¡®Ranwei¡¯ clothing design studio.


    Ranwei?


    The ¡®Ran¡¯ in Shirley Wilson¡¯s name and the ¡®Wei¡¯ in Wade Yoder¡¯s name sound the same?


    Although he was clearly angry, Skyler Robins couldn¡¯t help but worry. He could only suppress his anger


    and drive there. However, he was somewhat surprised to find Shirley Wilson in Riversouth.


    The woman he had befriended in the hospital, the one with the online username ¡®Shiguang Renran¡¯


    who used voice chat in the game, had a voice identical to Shirley Wilson¡¯s. Could she be Ben?


    Skyler Robins couldn¡¯t contact ¡®Shiguang Renran¡¯ now and couldn¡¯t confront her through video chat. An


    hourter, Skyler Robins arrived at the ¡®Ranwei¡¯ clothing design studio in his car. He parked the car on


    the side of the road, with the clothing design studio just a short distance away.


    Sitting in the car, he rolled down the window slightly, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and


    smoked alone in silence.


    Shirley Wilson was clearly less than thirty meters away, but suddenly, Skyler Robins lost the courage to


    go inside.

 Chapter 1319

    Chapter 1319


    As the door of the design studio swung open, a woman emerged, d in a white down jacket. She


    carried a bag and wore a beige knitted hat as she descended the steps.


    At that moment, the studio door opened once again, and a man stepped out, holding a khaki- colored


    scarf in his hand. He caught up with her and stood in front of her, affectionately wrapping the scarf


    around her neck. Lowering his head, he spoke a few words with a smile before letting go.


    From a short distance away, Skyler Robins could clearly see Shirley Wilson smiling with joy, her eyes


    filled with happiness. There seemed to be an intense affection between the two. Anger surged within


    him, causing his hands to clench involuntarily.


    He had been worried before, wondering if Shirley Wilson had been mistreated or threatened, which led


    her to leave Bloomstead.


    But now, seeing her and Wade Yoder so affectionate, exchanging nces and disying an


    iparable love, there was no sign of her being mistreated at all.


    Presumably, the reason she left without informing Ben was because she was afraid he would hinder


    her. She deliberately changed all her contact information and quietly started a new life in Riversouth.


    The more Skyler Robins thought about it, the worse he felt. Looking at the couple not far away, they


    seemed particrly radiant.


    He slowly averted his gaze, took a few deep puffs of his cigarette, and then flicked the butt out of the


    car window. Forcefully stepping on the gas pedal, the car roared like an arrow released from a bow.


    The sound of the car was particrly loud, catching the attention of Shirley Wilson and Wade Yoder.


    But after a quick nce, they both looked away.


    Wade Yoder looked at her and smiled gently, ¡°I said I wanted to go to the hospital with you, but you


    didn¡¯t let me. The hospital is crowded, so be careful on your own.¡±


    Shirley Wilson helplessly curved her lips, ¡°The hospital is always crowded. I¡¯m not a child, I won¡¯t get


    knocked down easily.¡±


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    ¡°You have three children in your belly, so be extra careful.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I know.¡±


    Shirley Wilson shook her head and waved her hand, ¡°I¡¯m leaving, bye.¡±


    ¡°Take it slow on the way.¡± He worriedly reminded her.


    Shirley Wilson responded with a sound of agreement and turned to leave. It was a chilly winter day,


    with a biting cold. She adjusted the scarf around her neck and walked alone on the street, carrying her


    bag.


    Although there had been a risk of miscarriage recently, pregnant women still needed to take a walk to


    benefit the fetus.


    Because she was pregnant with triplets, her belly was already showing. If it weren¡¯t for the thick winter


    clothes, it would have been easily noticeable.


    Lately, she had been feeling drowsy and unusually tired. As she walked, suddenly a car screeched to a


    halt by the side of the road, startling her for no reason.


    Shirley Wilson nced at the stopped car, didn¡¯t think much of it, but furrowed her brows in annoyance


    and continued walking ahead. Young people these days drive recklessly, it¡¯s scary.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from behind. Shirley Wilson instinctively turned around and saw the


    man she had been thinking about day and night standing behind her.


    Her pupils slightly dted, first with surprise, then with nervousness and fear from the depths of her


    heart. Skyler Robins, how could he be here?


    Shirley Wilson¡¯s face turned slightly pale, unable to stop herself from taking two steps back, swallowing


    her saliva, her gaze flickering. The two locked eyes, looking at each other.


    It had only been a month or two, but they both seemed to have grown thinner. Shirley Wilson blinked


    nervously, biting her lip, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t say anything and turned to walk away.


    After a few steps, seeing that the man behind her didn¡¯t chase after her, she started to run.


    Unfortunately, with her pregnancy, she couldn¡¯t run fast.


    Suddenly, a figure darted in front of her, blocking her path.

 Chapter 1320

    Chapter 1320


    Shirley Wilson was caught off guard and collided with him. She paused for a moment, quickly pushed


    Skyler Robins away, and took a step back. ¡°Hello¡­ um¡­ it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Skyler Robins clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead, and through gritted teeth, he forced out


    each word, ¡°It¡¯s been a while?¡±


    Each word seemed to be squeezed out. He really wanted to crack open Shirley Wilson¡¯s head and see


    what was inside.


    ¡°Yeah, it has been a while. We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time,¡± Shirley Wilson forced augh,


    but her smile was more unpleasant than crying.


    ¡°So, after all this time, why didn¡¯t you contact me??¡± he asked sharply, staring down at Shirley Wilson,


    stepping closer and raising his voice, ¡°Huh?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Skyler Robins took a step closer, and she took a step back, trembling with fear.


    ¡°Well, you know, I heard that you¡¯re going to marry Sofia Green, so¡­ I didn¡¯t want to disturb you,¡±


    Shirley Wilson said with a smile that was more unpleasant than crying, going against her true feelings.


    Even though it was winter, and the biting cold wind blew, Shirley Wilson felt sweat trickling down her


    spine. She was so nervous that her heart was racing, almost jumping out of her throat. She swore that


    she had never been this nervous in her entire life.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t want to disturb me?¡±


    Skyler Robins muttered a few words. Shirley Wilson nodded vigorously, but raised her hand to pull her


    scarf tighter around her neck, covering half of her face, as if she wanted to bury her entire face in the


    scarf. ¡°Yes, yes. People who are about to get married should indeed keep their distance¡­ ah¡­!¡±


    Because he was getting closer and closer, Shirley Wilson had been slowly retreating. Her heels


    reached the green belt, and her body lost bnce, causing her to fall backwards. She screamed and


    instinctively reached out to hold her stomach, using her other hand to support herself on the ground.


    This time, Skyler Robins did not reach out to help her. He just watched her fall to the ground in a sorry


    state.


    Fortunately, Shirley Wilson was prepared and didn¡¯t hurt herself, but she sat there in a sorry state,


    looking up at Skyler Robins. ¡°Why are you getting so close to me?¡±


    Worried about her unborn child, Shirley Wilson¡¯s voice involuntarily became louder, and she red at


    him with anger, furrowing her brows.


    ¡°This is too close?¡±


    Skyler Robins reached out and tugged at his cor, looking down at Shirley Wilson from a superior


    position. ¡°When Wade Yoder put a scarf on you, you two were practically getting intimate, and I didn¡¯t


    hear a word from you,¡± he said, his eyes deep like Matt¡¯s pond, filled with a sense of disappointment.


    ¡°Besides, you¡¯ve slept with me before, so pretending to be high and mighty now, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a


    bitte?¡±


    This woman, wanting to keep her distance from him after being with Wade Yoder?


    He could sense the disgust on her face. Skyler Robins felt an invisible blow to his heart, causing him to


    feel defeated and even doubting himself. Did he really not notice her hatred towards him?


    Faced with the menacing Skyler Robins, Shirley Wilson¡¯s mind went nk for a moment, not knowing


    how to react. The contrast in his behavior waspletely unexpected. But she could clearly feel the


    hatred emanating from Skyler Robins.


    It was her initial betrayal, choosing to leave Bloomstead, that made Shirley Wilson feel guilty and


    lacking in confidence.


    She lowered her gaze, propped herself up on the cold ground, and patted the stains on her white down


    jacket. ¡°As a woman who ys both sides, you shouldn¡¯t appear in front of me again.¡±


    When she left Bloomstead, she coborated with Sofia Green to record videos, and those videos had


    long been seen by Skyler Robins.


    So in Skyler Robins¡¯ eyes, she was not only disloyal but also a woman whocked self- respect. Skyler


    Robins suddenly froze, his gaze bing unfamiliar.

 Chapter 1321

    Chapter 1321


    He was at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond. Their eyes met, filled withplexity. But for


    some reason, Shirley Wilson could sense a tinge of sadness and mncholy in Skyler Robins¡¯ eyes, as


    if he had suffered a great blow.


    Her heart suddenly tightened, as if it was being gripped tightly, causing a sharp pain. Initially, Ben knew


    that Sofia Green would be furious and p him after he got engaged to her.


    Because based on the timing of Sofia Green¡¯s pregnancy, she was still with Skyler Robins at that time,


    but Skyler Robins actually slept with Sofia Green.


    Faced with his despicable behavior, Shirley Wilson felt a mix of anger and sadness. But in this moment,


    Skyler Robins appeared even more mncholic. Seeing his self-deprecating smile, Shirley Wilson felt


    devastated.


    ¡°I just want to ask you¡­¡± Skyler Robins said, tilting his head and looking away, raising his hand to


    touch his nose, as if he couldn¡¯t bring himself to meet Shirley Wilson¡¯s gaze, ¡°Have you ever loved


    me?¡±


    Unbeknownst to himself, when he asked this question, his voice choked up. Shirley Wilson¡¯s fingers


    holding her handbag trembled slightly, her clear eyes gazing at Skyler Robins¡¯ handsome face with a


    hint of longing and arrogance, a face she had yearned for day and night.


    How many nights, in her dreams, she held onto the man in front of her tightly, telling him¡­


    Ky, do you know how much I miss you?


    Ky, do you know we have a child together?


    We have three precious babies, a gift from heaven. But everything fades away when she wakes up


    from her dream, and even her tumultuous heart is restrained and calmed.


    ¡°The question you asked is really childish andughable.¡±


    Shirley Wilson looked away, unable to meet his gaze. She was afraid that if she looked at him for a


    moment longer, she would not be able to hold back her tears.


    Her heart was in turmoil, with countless emotions tormenting Shirley Wilson, and she didn¡¯t know how


    to face Skyler Robins.


    On one hand, she loved him deeply and had his child; on the other hand, she faced Sofia Green¡¯s


    threat to her loved ones; on one hand, Sofia Green was pregnant with his child and they were about to


    get married; on one hand, her family was ordinary and her appearance was ruined, the Robins Family


    would not ept her.


    Skyler Robins asked her if she had ever loved him. Little did he know, at this moment, Shirley Wilson


    also wanted to ask Skyler Robins a question, did you ever love me?


    ¡°Childish¡­ughable?¡±


    Skyler Robins turned around, his lips forming a straight line, and Matt¡¯s cold gaze stared at him without


    blinking, as if trying to see through her. In her heart, emotions seemed childish andughable.


    ¡°Heh.¡±


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    Skyler Robinsughed.


    When she was abandoned by Sofia Green years ago, he underwent a drastic change in personality


    and became the yboy in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    But it was all a facade, a facade of indifference. Finally, he met Shirley Wilson, who gradually helped


    him emerge from the shadows. However, he never expected that in the end, he would be manipted


    by a woman.


    ¡°Yes, childish.¡±


    Shirley Wilson took a barely noticeable deep breath and pretended to be indifferent. ¡°I told you from the


    beginning that I didn¡¯t like you. It was you who insisted on taking me to the hidden n. If it weren¡¯t for


    you, would I have disfigured myself? Skyler Robins, why do you think I would love you?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t love me, then why have you been clinging to me every day since we returned from the


    hidden n, constantly saying that you love me?¡± Skyler Robins felt unwilling and, more importantly,


    confused.


    ¡°Why else? Of course, it¡¯s for the money of the Robins Family,¡± Shirley Wilson pretended to be


    nonchnt, ¡°Ben wanted to get some money from you and also fix my disfigured face as


    compensation. But Wade advised me to give up because he said that the 7.5 million we received as


    compensation was already enough. After careful consideration¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she reached out and touched the scar on her cheek, then adjusted her scarf to cover the


    scars on her face. ¡°Prone to scarring, Ben can¡¯t heal the scars on my face. In that case, why should I


    waste any more time on you?¡±

 Chapter 1322

    Chapter 1322


    The more experiences one goes through, the more they engage in acting. Shirley Wilson remained


    calm andposed on her face, unaware that every word she spoke caused her heart to be pierced


    with pain like needles.


    ¡°Skyler Robins, I don¡¯t owe you anything. You slept with me, you gained something, and I won¡¯t make


    you take responsibility,¡± Shirley Wilson sighed, a serene smile on her face. ¡°Now that Sofia Green is


    pregnant and you are about to get married, I sincerely wish you happiness. You and I are in the past, I


    hope we both find our own happiness in the future.¡±


    Veronica Murphy had once told her that love is best when both parties are well-matched. Grey Lady


    could marry into a wealthy family, but she would also suffer a lot of pain.


    At that time, she was indecisive, immersed in her liking for Skyler Robins, and in the end, she couldn¡¯t


    ¡®settle down¡¯. Therefore, the pain she suffered was self-inflicted. Now, Shirley Wilson just wanted to live


    a simple and ordinary life.


    ¡°Find your own happiness, find your own happiness!¡±


    Skyler Robins tapped his chin lightly, gritting his teeth as he repeated the phrase ¡®find your own


    happiness¡¯ four times. Anger surged within him as he grabbed Shirley Wilson¡¯s wrist and pulled her


    closer. ¡°You say you don¡¯t need to take responsibility? Shirley Wilson, what the hell do you think of me,


    Skyler Robins?¡±


    He exploded in anger, startling Shirley Wilson.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± She stammered, feeling so nervous that she was almost suffocating. ¡°What should I think of


    you? Or, are you willing to ept me as your mistress? If you don¡¯t mind me sleeping with Wade every


    day and then being intimate with you, I have no objections. As long as you provide money, I can ept


    it.¡±


    In order to make Skyler Robins give up on her sooner, she degraded herself to the point of


    worthlessness. Skyler Robins furrowed his brow, a dangerous glint appearing between his eyebrows.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t like this before!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you were too foolish to even recognize a performance,¡± Shirley Wilson said, shaking


    her head. ¡°No, maybe you saw me as a constion. A constion for the emptiness in your heart after


    being abandoned by Sofia Green.¡±


    As she spoke, Skyler Robins tightly gripped her wrist, exerting so much force that it felt like he was


    about to crush her wrist bones.


    It hurt.


    A piercing pain.


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    But Shirley Wilson clenched her teeth, not wanting to show any signs of pain in front of him.


    ¡°Shirley Wilson, you¡­¡±


    Skyler Robins began to speak, but suddenly raised his hand to cover his chest. His face tilted slightly to


    the side, and his body suddenly leaned forward. ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    Skyler Robins spat out a mouthful of blood with a ¡°pu¡± sound. The blood sprayed from the side of


    Shirley Wilson and left tiny crimson stains on her pristine down jacket and face.


    Shirley Wilson¡¯s pupils dted, her face turned pale with fright, and she stared nkly at him, her mind


    completely nk.


    With bloodstains on the corners of his lips, Skyler Robins covered his chest and looked at Shirley


    Wilson. His lips trembled as he spoke, ¡°Shirley Wilson, you¡­ have such a cruel heart.¡±


    After saying that, his vision went ck, and he fell forward onto the ground. Shirley Wilson took a step


    forward and hugged him, letting him rest on her shoulder. One second, two seconds, three seconds¡­


    After a long few seconds, Shirley Wilson snapped back to reality. She immediately took out her phone


    from the pocket of her down jacket and dialed 911 with trembling hands. ¡°Hello, 911? Someone here is


    vomiting blood¡­¡±


    After clearly exining the situation to the emergency operator, she hung up the phone. Skyler Robins


    fainted, his body weak and gradually sliding down. Shirley Wilson supported him and gentlyid him on


    the ground.


    She sat down on the floor, cradling him in her arms.


    ¡°Skyler, Skyler¡­


    Calling out Skyler Robins¡¯ name, tears fell from Shirley Wilson¡¯s eyes like broken beads.


    Touching his slightly cold hand and pale face, Shirley Wilson nervously skipped a beat in her breath.


    ¡°Skyler, please don¡¯t scare me, okay? You¡­ um¡­ don¡¯t scare me¡­¡±

 Chapter 1323

    Chapter 1323


    Her blood-stained hand gently caressed Skyler Robins¡¯ cheek, her fingers trembling uncontrobly. The


    wind blew relentlessly, chilling her to the bone.


    But Shirley Wilson was more concerned about Skyler Robins¡¯ condition. She took off her white down


    jacket and covered him with it. ¡°Ky, don¡¯t scare me¡­ Please, nothing can happen to you.¡±


    She held him tightly, leaning over with her cheek against his forehead, terrified to the core. Shirley


    Wilson knew that Skyler Robins had suffered severe internal injuries, but even after staying in the


    hospital for so long, he still hadn¡¯t fully recovered.


    As a doctor herself, she couldn¡¯t believe that she had failed to take care of her own well- being.


    Shirley Wilson gave all her warmth to Skyler Robins, while she herself wore only a knitted sweater. The


    cold wind seeped through the sweater, making her shiver uncontrobly, oblivious to the cold.


    With one hand around his neck, she let him lean against her chest, while the other hand held his,


    constantly rubbing his fingers to keep him warm.


    ¡°Ky, I¡¯m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye.¡±


    ¡°After leaving Bloomstead, I regretted it. I wanted to go back, to find you again. But I realized that you


    never looked for me, not even once. I know you must have seen the video of me with Wade Yoder, and


    you must have thought I was unfaithful.¡±


    ¡°So, I didn¡¯t dare¡­ I didn¡¯t dare to turn back.¡±


    ¡°You asked me if I love you¡­¡± Shirley Wilson¡¯s eyes turned red, tears streaming down her face. She


    held his hand against her chest. ¡°I want to tell you. I love you, very much.¡±


    Her chin rested on Skyler Robins¡¯ forehead, filled with sadness and despair. ¡°But how can I love you


    when you won¡¯t let me?¡±


    With tears and a trembling voice, Shirley Wilson sobbed, ¡°Do you know, when I found out I was


    pregnant with your child in the hospital, I wanted¡­ I wanted so badly to tell you. I wanted to tell you,


    Ky, that I¡¯m carrying your child. No, our child! But I didn¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid that if you knew, Sofia Green would find out too. And at that time, I was afraid that Ben


    and I wouldn¡¯t be able to protect our child.¡±


    ¡°But as I daydreamed and fantasized about the possibility of turning back to find you someday, I found


    out that she was also pregnant with your child, and that you were nning¡­ nning to get married¡­¡±


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    At this point, Shirley Wilson couldn¡¯t hold back her sobs any longer. It seemed like all the sadness and


    emotions of the past two months poured out of her.


    Shirley Wilson couldn¡¯t bring herself to hate Skyler Robins for ¡°ying both sides¡± and having a child


    with another woman. Her love for him had surpassed everything, to the point where she couldn¡¯t find it


    in her to hate a man she loved deeply.


    After what felt like an eternity, the ambnce finally arrived. Shirley Wilson apanied the


    ambnce to the hospital, and once he was admitted, she waited outside the emergency room.


    After a long and agonizing wait of over half an hour, the doctor finally emerged from the room. Seeing


    the doctore out, Shirley Wilson immediately approached and asked, ¡°Doctor, how is he¡­ how is


    he doing?¡±


    ¡°The patient has internal injuries, and Ben hasn¡¯t fully recovered, which is why he coughed up blood.


    He¡¯s out of danger now, but he still needs to stay in the hospital for treatment,¡± the doctor exined.


    Shirley Wilson anxiously inquired about Skyler Robins condition in more detail, and the doctor


    answered each question.


    Knowing that he would have to stay in the hospital for a while to receive treatment, Shirley Wilson felt a


    pang of heartache, but at least her worries were somewhat relieved. As long as he was okay, that was


    all that mattered.


    In the meantime, Skyler Robins was wheeled out. Lying on the hospital bed, he remained unconscious,


    and Shirley Wilson followed the bed as it was pushed, apanying the nurse to the ward.


    Once he was settled, he was hooked up to an IV drip. Shirley Wilson sat on the bedside chair, holding


    his hand, and watched Skyler Robins, who remained unconscious. Her heart ached so much it felt like


    it was breaking.

 Chapter 1324

    Chapter 1324


    ¡°Shir¡­ Shir¡­ Please don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go!¡±


    Suddenly, the man lying unconscious on the hospital bed murmured her name, his hand trembling


    uncontrobly, and then tightly gripping her hand. His delirious murmurs, like a tear-inducing agent,


    caused Shirley Wilson¡¯s tears to burst forth.


    With one hand holding Skyler Robins¡¯ hand, she covered her face with the other and bowed her head,


    crying in pain. Shirley Wilson¡¯s mind was inplete chaos. She wondered, does Skyler Robins truly


    love her?


    If he does, then why does Sofia Green have his child?


    If he does, then why is he already engaged to Sofia Green?


    Or is it that, under the pressure of the Robins Family, he can only choose to marry Sofia Green?


    But regardless of the situation, it is clear that she and Skyler Robins have no future together. Shirley


    Wilson stood up, leaning slightly forward, and nted a kiss on his lips.


    A kiss, imprinted on his lips.


    For a long, long time¡­


    Reluctantly, she finally straightened up. She reached out, took off a ne from her neck, and ced


    it in Skyler Robins¡¯ palm.


    Shirley Wilson closed his fingers one by one, kissed each of his fingers, and then ced his hand


    under the nket. Only then did she turn around, quicken her pace, and decisively leave.


    She walked hurriedly, afraid that if she slowed down, she wouldn¡¯t have the heart to leave. Fate often


    ys tricks on people. Less than five minutes after Shirley Wilson left, Skyler Robins, lying on the


    hospital bed, woke up.


    Opening his eyes, all he saw was the in white surroundings, with the smell of disinfectant lingering in


    the air. Looking at the IV drip hanging by his side, Skyler Robins knew that he was already in the


    hospital. His heart felt inexplicably empty.


    Images of Shirley Wilson¡¯s face floated in his mind, sometimes with a beaming smile, sometimes


    charming and cute, sometimes silly and innocent, everything was so beautiful.


    But they all existed only in his memories. He slowly moved his head, his eyes scanning the empty


    hospital room, devoid of any presence. That woman, she truly has no heart.


    Even when he was spitting blood and hospitalized, she didn¡¯t want to stay a moment longer to


    apany him. Skyler Robins thought to himself like this, and suddenly he noticed that there seemed


    to be something in his palm.


    He raised his hand and took a look, it was a white jade pendant. The jade pendant, the size of a thumb,


    was made of high-quality Hetian jade, with a transparent and wless texture. The jade pendant was


    carved with a circr relief resembling a flower wreath, simple and elegant.


    This jade pendant, which Shirley Wilson obtained from the church in the hidden n because she was


    not adapting well to the hidden n and was easily frightened, contains a tiny talisman inside to bring


    safety and peace.


    Skyler Robins looked at the jade pendant and raised his hand, intending to throw it away.


    However, he hesitated after lifting his hand and instead tightly held the jade pendant, pressing it against


    his chest and closing his eyes, motionless.


    As night fell, Sofia Green and Zephyr Robins appeared in the hospital room. Sofia Green approached


    him with deep concern upon seeing him lying in the hospital bed again, ¡°Skyler, what happened? Why


    are you hospitalized again?¡±


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    She was dressed in a light gray wool coat, wearing a ck beret and a scarf around her neck. With her


    good temperament, she became even more eye-catching with a slight touch-up. No matter how


    attractive she was, Skyler Robins didn¡¯t want to look at her for a second longer.


    He nced at Sofia Green, his gaze bypassing her and directly focusing on Zephyr Robins behind her,


    ¡°Why did you bring her here?¡±


    ¡°We were looking for you everywhere with Wu Yan. Someone called us and said you were hospitalized,


    so we came over,¡± Zephyr Robins furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°What happened? How could you faint on


    the street? Luckily, someone saved you this time. What if you faint and no one notices in time next


    time, especially if it happens in a car?¡±


    As Miguel, Zephyr Robins genuinely worried about Skyler Robins.

 Chapter 1325

    Chapter 1325


    ¡°You won¡¯t die.¡±


    Skyler Robins felt slightly annoyed and contemted checking out of the hospital. However, the


    thought of facing Sofia Green after being discharged made him reconsider and want to stay in the


    hospital a bit longer.


    Suddenly¡­


    A terrible idea crossed Skyler Robins¡¯ mind. He yearned to escape from the chaos of the world, to be


    away from everything.


    ¡°Miguel, help me with the discharge procedures,¡± Skyler Robins said to Zephyr Robins, and added,


    ¡°Let¡¯s return to Bloomstead for treatment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ll assist you with it.¡±


    When Sofia Green heard that Skyler Robins wanted to go back to Bloomstead, she was overjoyed and


    couldn¡¯t wait to take him home.


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    The two of them didn¡¯t exchange any words, and Sofia Green tearfully left the ward to help Skyler


    Robins with the discharge procedures. Zephyr Robins sat down by the bedside and asked, ¡°The person


    who saved you, was it Shirley Wilson?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how Shirley Wilson obtained his phone number, but from the voice, he was certain that


    it was Shirley Wilson.


    Skyler Robins had been investigating Shirley Wilson, and the news happened to reach him.


    Zephyr Robins was also making an assumption.


    On the hospital bed, Skyler Robins had lifeless eyes, staring nkly at the ceiling. ¡°Miguel¡­¡± he


    paused, ¡°I know that you¡¯ve been taking care of the family all these years, and I¡¯ve been reckless,


    causing our parents to worry.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t love Sofia Green. Even though she¡¯s carrying my child, I don¡¯t want to marry her.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s my fault. I feel guilty towards her,¡± Skyler Robins sighed, ¡°I repeatedly asked for


    a low-key wedding, but now it has be a big fuss. Everyone knows about it. I can¡¯t think of any way


    to cancel the engagement without causing Sofia Green any grievances, but¡­ I can¡¯t even protect


    myself.¡±


    Listening to Skyler Robins¡¯ words, Zephyr Robins was a bit confused. But he had a vague sense of a


    bad premonition.


    ¡°This kind of life is quite exhausting,¡± he sighed.


    Suddenly, Skyler Robinsughed and looked at him with a tilted head. ¡°Miguel, I haven¡¯t eaten anything


    all day. Can you get me some food? I don¡¯t want to eat light dishes anymore. Can you make me some


    meat dishes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not suitable for you to eat right now. You should focus on receiving intravenous fluids,¡± Zephyr


    Robins refused.


    Skyler Robins red at him, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I won¡¯t die. Stop being so dramatic. Besides, look at


    how skinny I¡¯ve be.¡±


    Even though Zephyr Robins was principled, he couldn¡¯t resist his younger brother¡¯s coaxing. He shook


    his head, ¡°I really can¡¯t do anything with you. Just lie down and receive your IV fluids properly. I¡¯ll be


    backter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hurry up then. If you make me wait any longer, I¡¯ll starve to death, and you¡¯ll lose your little


    brother,¡± he teased.


    Zephyr Robins sensed from his tone that he was in a good mood, but there was something vaguely


    strange about it.


    He couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on what was wrong. After all, it wasn¡¯t the first day that he didn¡¯t want to


    marry Sofia Green. Zephyr Robins didn¡¯t dwell on it too much. He simply wanted to quickly get some


    food for Skyler Robins.


    He left the hospital and went to a nearby private restaurant to order some meat dishes. He packed


    them up as quickly as possible and carried them back to the hospital. However, on the way, he


    received a call from Sofia Green.


    ¡°Zephyr Robins, where is Skyler?¡± Sofia Green asked anxiously on the other end of the phone. Zephyr


    Robins paused for a moment, ¡°Isn¡¯t he in the ward?¡±


    ¡°Skyler is not in the ward. His IV drip hasn¡¯t finished, but he¡¯s gone,¡± Sofia Green said in a panic. At that


    moment, Zephyr Robins finally realized why he felt that something was off with Skyler Robins earlier.


    It was because Skyler Robins wanted to leave!


    Skyler Robins had disappeared. The news quickly spread among their circle of friends, and the Robins


    Family discreetly searched for Skyler Robins.


    Matthew Kings, Caleb Shaw, and Miguel Lynch also received the news. They all tried calling Skyler


    Robins but couldn¡¯t reach him.

 Chapter 1326

    Chapter 1326


    They knew that Skyler Robins wasn¡¯t murdered, but was deliberately avoiding reality. Several people


    were sent out to search for Skyler Robins, and they all tacitly agreed not to rush.


    However, as time passed and there was still no news of Skyler Robins, they became anxious and


    started sending more people to find him.


    Three dayster, Caleb Shaw and Miguel Lynch were sitting in Matthew Kings¡¯ office discussing the


    various problems faced by Matthew Kings¡¯pany when Caleb Shaw received a phone call. It was a


    call from one of his police station subordinates. ¡°Boss, we have found Young Master Skyler.¡±


    ¡°Found him?¡±


    Caleb Shaw instinctively looked up at Miguel Lynch and Matthew Kings sitting across from him. ¡°Where


    is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡­he¡­¡± the officer on the other end of the phone hesitated, ¡°He is¡­at the Cloud Terrace Temple.¡±


    ¡°This guy, we searched all over the world for him, and he¡¯s enjoying his leisure time, hiding in the Cloud


    Terrace Temple.¡± Caleb Shaw couldn¡¯t help butin. But fortunately, knowing that Skyler Robins


    was safe and sound, he didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    ¡°No¡­that¡¯s not it.¡±


    The officer felt that the captain had misunderstood and quickly exined, ¡°Young Master Skyler¡­he¡­


    he got married at the Cloud Terrace Temple.¡±


    ¡°What? Became a monk?!¡±


    Caleb Shaw stood up from the sofa in an instant. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken?¡±


    ¡°What a joke. You can question my character, but how dare you question my ability to handle things?¡±


    The officer retorted with some displeasure.


    ¡°Which Church of Heavenly Yew?¡±


    ¡°The Church of Heavenly Yew in Riversouth.¡±


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    ¡°Damn it! Got it, I¡¯m going there now.¡±


    Caleb Shaw couldn¡¯t help but curse. After hanging up the phone, he looked at the two buddies sitting


    across from him and shrugged. ¡°You both heard that, right?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, to the Church of Heavenly Yew.¡±


    Matthew Kings stood up, took off his coat from the hanger, and the three of them left the president¡¯s


    office together. Because it was urgent, Matthew Kings called Thomas Ritter to arrange a helicopter.


    Two and a half hourster, the helicopter arrived at the Riversouth Church of Heavenly Yew. The three


    of them didn¡¯t have time to climb the stairs, so they directly purchased cable car tickets and took the


    cable car up the mountain.


    The Church of Heavenly Yew was thergest mountain in the southern region and one of the most


    well-preserved churches. It not only had many priests but also attracted arge number of visitors who


    came to burn incense and worship Buddha every day.


    After a ten-minute cable car ride, they finally arrived at the Cloud Terrace Temple of the Church of


    Heavenly Yew. The Cloud Terrace Temple had a dozen churches of different sizes, scattered on the top


    of the mountain.


    The main church, the Great Hall of the Great Buddha, and several other churches were open to the


    public for visitation, but the church at the back was where the priests chanted scriptures and resided,


    so it was not open to the public.


    Matthew Kings¡¯ buddies and a few others walked to the back of the Heavenly King Hall and were


    stopped by a priest guarding the entrance.


    ¡°Visitors are not allowed to enter the back,¡± the priest said, bowing with his hands sped together.


    Before Matthew Kings could speak, Miguel Lynch directly asked, ¡°Hello, we are here to find our buddy


    Skyler Robins. He came to your Cloud Terrace Temple a couple of days ago to be a monk, and


    we just wanted to see him.¡±


    ¡°Skyler Robins?¡± the priest pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Are you referring to Dustbreaker?¡±


    ¡°Dustbreaker?¡± Caleb Shaw furrowed his brow.


    The priest nodded and calmly said, ¡°Dustbreaker came to our church three days ago, requesting to


    be a monk. Our abbot initially refused, but he knelt outside the hall for two full days without getting


    up. The abbot was moved by his sincerity and allowed him to enter the monastic life.¡±


    ¡°Can we go in and see him?¡± Caleb Shaw asked.


    The priest shook his head, ¡°ording to the rules of the church, outsiders are not allowed to enter the


    Heavenly King Hall. And Dustbreaker has already severed his worldly ties and stated that he doesn¡¯t


    want to see anyone.¡±


    Matthew Kings understood that Skyler Robins was troubled by something, and he remained calm,


    saying, ¡°Please inform your abbot that I would like to make a donation to renovate the Cloud Terrace


    Temple.¡±

 Chapter 1327

    Chapter 1327


    Matthew Kings couldn¡¯t forcefully enter the church, so he had to find an alternative approach. The


    priest hesitated for a moment and understood that Matthew Kings intended to make a substantial


    donation. Unable to refuse, he said, ¡°Please wait a moment, I will go inside and consult with the abbot.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Matthew Kings replied calmly. The priest turned and entered the main hall, while Miguel


    Lynch and Caleb Shaw, who stood at the door, looked at Matthew Kings and gave him a thumbs up.


    ¡°Quick thinking.¡±


    ¡°Great idea, I didn¡¯t even consider it,¡± Caleb Shaw sighed and admired the grand church. He couldn¡¯t


    help but appreciate, ¡°The air on the mountaintop is refreshing, with lush green mountains and clear


    waters. Bing a monk could be seen as a form of enjoyment.¡±


    Miguel Lynch couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°I support you. Drew happens to need apanion.¡±


    Matthew Kings raised an eyebrow and nced at Caleb Shaw, ¡°How could he bear to leave Abby


    Wright, that Little Roni?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, Matthew is right,¡± Miguel Lynchughed. As theyughed, they couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°Love


    is aplicated thing. You see, Drew used to be so cheerful, but now he wants to be a monk.


    Sigh¡­¡±


    An indescribable bitterness filled their hearts. Before long, the priest led a monk in a kasaya out. The


    monk had a face that showed the marks of life, with white eyebrows and a kind and friendly expression.


    He walked to the door and bowed to the three of them, ¡°I am Ven. Shi Qing, the abbot of the Church of


    Heavenly Yew. May I inquire as to why you havee and what brings you here?¡±


    The three of them also sped their hands together and respectfully bowed.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Matthew Kings said, ¡°My wife is a Buddhist. She made a wish at the Church of Heavenly Yew before,


    and it was granted. She told me to donate some money to your temple as a gesture of goodwill and to


    contribute to the church¡¯s restoration.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, this gentleman is truly virtuous. Please, follow me inside,¡± Ven. Shi Qing gestured and led


    Matthew Kings, Miguel Lynch, and Caleb Shaw into the main hall.


    After entering the main hall, thepassionate abbot took them on a tour and shared the history of the


    Cloud tform Monastery.


    The three of them patiently listened to the abbot¡¯s exnations, and in the end, Matthew Kings donated


    two million yuan for the renovation of the Cloud tform Monastery.


    Once everything was settled, Matthew Kings finally got to the point, ¡°Ven. Shi Qing, my friend Skyler


    Robins¡­¡±


    ¡°Who now goes by the name Duanchen,¡± Miguel Lynch reminded from the side.


    Matthew Kings immediately adjusted his tone, ¡°Yes. My friend¡¯s name is Skyler Robins. He came to this


    temple three days ago to be a monk. The priest earlier mentioned that he is inside the temple,


    practicing meditation, and his Buddhist name is ¡®Duan Chen¡¯. I wonder if it¡¯s possible to meet him?¡±


    Master Shi Qing nodded, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    He led the three of them through the Heavenly Kings Hall and arrived at the back of the church, where


    they saw Skyler Robins sitting cross-legged on a yellow cushion, dressed in a monk¡¯s robe. Master Shi


    Qing gestured for them to enter and then turned and left.


    The three of them ascended the steps, entered the temple, and stood behind Skyler Robins, observing


    him bow his head and recite scriptures. The friends felt a heaviness in their hearts and found the scene


    before them deeply moving.


    ¡°Drew?¡±


    Matthew Kings called out and approached, ¡°Did you not consider us as friends? Why didn¡¯t you inform


    us?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, in his heart, Ben is the only friend he cares about, not us,¡± Miguel Lynch put his hands in his


    coat pockets, sounding displeased.


    ¡°Drew, you were too impulsive,¡± Caleb Shaw sighed with regret. Skyler Robins, who was reciting the


    scriptures, paused for a moment, slowly closed the book, and without turning his head, said, ¡°There is


    no ¡®Drew¡¯ here, only Duan Chen.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±

 Chapter 1328

    Chapter 1328


    Miguel Lynch stood in front of him, pointing his finger. ¡°Is it worth it for a woman? Look at yourself, what


    have you be? You used to be a renowned medical genius in Bloomstead, but now? As a doctor,


    you don¡¯t even take care of your own health. Have you forgotten all your years of medical expertise?¡±


    Only true friends would reprimand him so honestly. Matthew Kings looked serious and instinctively


    reached for a cigarette. However, he realized he was in church and reluctantly put the cigarette back in


    the pack.


    ¡°Although Sofia Green is carrying your child, no one will force you to marry her. Drew, you¡¯re putting too


    much pressure on yourself,¡± he advised Skyler Robins.


    Caleb Shaw, the silent jerk, stepped forward, slightly kneeling down, and ced his hand on Skyler


    Robins¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Big bro is right. If you don¡¯t want to marry Sofia Green, you should directly and


    decisively talk to the Green Family instead of avoiding reality here.¡±


    ¡°I have made up my mind.¡±


    Skyler Robins looked straight ahead, lowered his gaze, and seemed calm and resigned. There wasn¡¯t


    much emotional fluctuation on his face.


    Since he hade here, he had already made a firm decision. After kneeling outside the church for


    two days, he really wanted to break free from worldly desires.


    ¡°Nonsense, you haven¡¯t made up your mind!¡± Miguel Lynch angrily took off his sses and pointed at


    him. ¡°Is it worth it for a Sofia Green? If you don¡¯t want the child, just let her go to the hospital to have it.


    Why do you have to degrade yourself?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t force matters of the heart. Your mistake is¡­¡±


    Caleb Shaw wanted to persuade Skyler Robins, but he interrupted him, ¡°Whether it¡¯s avoiding or being


    incapable, it¡¯s my choice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of Shirley Wilson, right?¡± Matthew Kings frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve already called Roni, and she will


    contact Shirley Wilson toe and find you.¡±


    Matthew Kings didn¡¯t believe that a mere Sofia Green could hurt him so badly. When Sofia Green left


    him and resolutely went abroad, Skyler Robins also endured it. So why would he willingly be a


    monk because of Sofia Green¡¯s pressure to marry?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see anyone.¡±


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    A scene from a few days ago when Skyler Robins met Shirley Wilson shed through his mind. He


    never wanted to see that heartless and ruthless woman again in his life.


    ¡°Do you not want to see her, or do you want to avoid her?¡± Matthew Kings asked. Skyler Robins looked


    indifferent. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe what you just said?¡± Matthew Kings pointed to the jade pendant hanging around his


    neck. ¡°This jade pendant, if I remember correctly, was obtained for Shirley Wilson at the Hidden n


    Church. Is it because of her?¡±


    Matthew Kings had never seen Skyler Robins wearing this jade pendant before. Its sudden appearance


    could only mean that Skyler Robins had seen Shirley Wilson beforeing to the Church of Heavenly


    Yew.


    She took out her phone and sent a message to Veronica Murphy, ¡°Skyler Robins saw Shirley Wilson


    beforeing to the Church of Heavenly Yew.¡±


    Meanwhile, Veronica Murphy was on her way to find Shirley Wilson. With Christmas only a few days


    away, the film crew was on break.


    She was packing her things, preparing to return to Bloomstead, when she received a call from Matthew


    Kings. She had no choice but to embark on the journey with Eleanor Gomez to find Shirley Wilson.


    Upon learning that Skyler Robins had be a nun, Veronica Murphy was shocked and intended to


    find Shirley Wilson to find a way to console Skyler Robins.


    At this moment, when Veronica Murphy saw the message from Matthew Kings, she suddenly wondered


    if Skyler Robins¡¯ decision to be a nun was rted to Shirley Wilson.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Eleanor Gomez asked as she drove, noticing Veronica Murphy¡¯s serious expression.


    Veronica Murphy put away her phone and sighed. ¡°Matt said Skyler Robins saw Shirley Wilson before


    bing a nun. I guess there must be some connection between them. Now that I think about it,


    Shirley Wilson¡¯s sudden departure might not have been as simple as we imagined.¡±

 Chapter 1329

    Chapter 1329


    Church of Heavenly Yew. Skyler Robins had already made up his mind and was determined not to turn


    back, despite his friends¡¯ attempts to persuade him.


    Miguel Lynch quickly found a soft votive candle stand and sat across from Skyler Robins. ¡°Matthew is


    in a difficult situation right now and really needs our help. How can you abandon us at a time like this?¡±


    He nced at Caleb Shaw, who stood beside him, and gave him a signal. Caleb Shaw understood and


    nodded. ¡°Yes, our second brother has offended the ck Ace Mob and is facing constant retaliation.


    Moreover, his biological father is causing trouble, and Conrad Kings and Anthony¡¯s third brother are


    nning to go after him. He is in a desperate situation. As friends, can you really just turn a blind eye?¡±


    They used Matthew Kings as a pretext to convince Skyler Robins. After speaking, both of them looked


    at Matthew Kings, who stood silently beside them.


    Matthew Kings furrowed his brows and said to Skyler Robins, ¡°They¡¯re right. You know, the Hidden


    n group has severely injured me, and now I¡¯m no match for Ben. If¡­ if you don¡¯te back to help


    me soon, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be long before you can help me cross over.¡±


    He portrayed himself as pitiful, cooperating with Caleb Shaw and Miguel Lynch¡¯s earlier words.


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s the situation,¡± Miguel Lynch nodded. Caleb Shaw sighed deeply. ¡°Ah, just thinking


    about losing two friends in the future makes me feel hopeless.¡±


    Losing two friends?


    Miguel Lynch and Matthew Kings stared at Caleb Shaw with sharp eyes, a hint of killing intent


    emerging. It seemed like they were scolding him for being a jinx.


    Caleb Shaw¡¯s mouth twitched, and he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. He nced sideways at


    Skyler Robins, who sat cross-legged, as if silently exining: Don¡¯t take it seriously, I was just saying it


    for his sake.


    Sure enough, Skyler Robins slowly lifted his gaze and looked at Matthew Kings. He tugged at the


    corner of his lips, as if wanting to say something.


    ¡°Second brother, I apologize.¡± Besides ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he really didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    Miguel Lynch suddenly exploded in anger and reached out to pull at the tight cor of his sweater. ¡°I¡¯ve


    said so much to this taciturn person just to get an apology from you? We¡¯ve known each other for


    years, and you¡¯re just emotionally distant! Whether it¡¯s Sofia Green or Shirley Wilson, they¡¯re just


    women, but we¡¯re your friends. Friends are like brothers, have you ever considered our feelings?¡±


    He became more and more agitated as he spoke, and in his anger, he kicked Skyler Robins. Matthew


    Kings reached out to pull Miguel Lynch away, but he was a step toote.


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    Skyler Robins was kicked to the ground by Miguel Lynch, but he didn¡¯t feel angry or upset. He calmly


    reached out and propped himself up on the cold floor, continuing to look at the scripture in his hands.


    ¡°Miguel, calm down,¡± Caleb Shaw walked over to Miguel Lynch, worried that if he didn¡¯t intervene,


    Miguel Lynch would beat up Skyler Robins again.


    ¡°Four buns? Four buns!?¡±


    Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice came from outside. Everyone looked outside and saw a group of people


    walking in, with a woman leading the way, running towards them. That person was Sofia Green.


    The three of them saw Sofia Green and their faces darkened simultaneously. Sofia Green was wearing


    a thick down jacket, one hand covering her abdomen, and she ran over, looking at Skyler Robins


    kneeling on the ground in monk¡¯s robes. She went straight to him and knelt down in front of him,


    embracing him tightly. ¡°Wuwu¡­ Skyler, why would you do this? You¡¯ve be a monk, what am I


    supposed to do? Wuwu¡­ What about our child?¡±


    She never expected that Skyler Robins would want to be a monk. Why did he choose to be


    a monk?


    Was he trying to escape their marriage?

 Chapter 1330

    Chapter 1330


    Sofia Green was overwhelmed with frustration, hating and pitying herself for her unfortunate situation


    ¡°Let go


    Skyler Robins said calmly. ¡°This is a church, please behave appropriately.¡±


    ¡°Sibing, you¡­ you¡­.¡± Sofia Green hesitated for a moment, loosening her grip on Skyler Robins,


    looking at him as if he were a stranger, ¡°You want me to behave? I¡­ I am your fianc¨¦e.¡±


    She cried with a sense of injustice, feeling heartbroken. At that moment, Garrick Brennan stormed in.


    He angrily approached Skyler Robins, grabbed his robe without saying a word, and pulled him up,


    ¡°Skyler Robins, my sister¡­.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    Garrick Brennan clenched his fist, ready to attack Skyler Robins, but Matthew Kings stepped forward


    and firmly held Garrick Brennan¡¯s fist, staring at him with cold eyes, ¡°This is a church, you can¡¯t act


    recklessly here!¡±


    Garrick Brennan is Sofia Green¡¯s brother. He even wasted his time pursuing Shirley Wilson in order to


    let Sofia Green be with Skyler Robins. However, Shirley Wilson and Skyler Robins disappeared


    together.


    And now, he finally hoped that Sofia Green would marry Skyler Robins, but unexpectedly, Skyler


    Robins caused trouble again and wanted a divorce. He felt like he was being driven to madness by


    Skyler Robins!


    ¡°Hmph, Matthew Kings, this is a family matter, it¡¯s none of your business.¡± Garrick Brennan replied with


    a gloomy face. Matthew Kings¡¯s gaze remained indifferent, ¡°Try me.¡±


    He spoke concisely, not saying much. Miguel Lynch and Caleb Shaw also approached, staring at


    Garrick Brennan with a warning in their eyes.


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    Garrick Brennan was furious, but he could only shake off Matthew Kings¡¯s hand and angrily pointed at


    Skyler Robins, ¡°Are you even a man? You got my sister pregnant, and now you want to be a


    monk?¡±


    ¡°Brother, shut up!¡±


    Sofia Green shouted at him with teary eyes, then held Skyler Robins¡¯s hand, sobbing and crying,


    ¡°Sibing, can we go home? Sob¡­ both me and the child are waiting for you, Sibing, let¡¯s go home,


    sob¡­


    Facing Sofia Green, Skyler Robins didn¡¯t even want to look at her for a second. He slowly closed his


    eyes and said, ¡°I sent you a message before I came to Yuntai Temple. The engagement is canceled,


    and the child¡­ you can go to the hospital to terminate the pregnancy yourself. I¡¯m sorry, Sofia Green!¡±


    ¡°Skyler Robins, are you even speaking like a human being!¡±


    Garrick Brennan¡¯s anger surged, and he raised his fist to strike Skyler Robins. But before Skyler


    Robins could defend himself, he was pulled aside by Matthew Kings. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Being held by Matthew Kings, Garrick Brennan suppressed his anger, which was burning inside him.


    He punched Matthew Kings in the face in a fit of rage. He was fast, but he was no match for Matthew


    Kings.


    Matthew remained calm andposed, calmly raising his left hand to hold Garrick Brennan¡¯s fist, while


    his right elbow struck his chest. Garrick Brennan winced in pain and took a few steps back, clutching


    his chest with an expression of agony.


    ¡°Stop it, both of you!¡±


    Skyler Robins and Miguel Zephyr Robins entered and tried to intervene when they saw Matthew Kings


    and Garrick Brennan fighting.


    Seeing Zephyr Robins enter, Garrick Brennan redirected his anger towards him. ¡°Zephyr Robins,


    perfect timing. Take a look at your brother, who got Wan Yan pregnant, made a marriage proposal, and


    now wants to break it off. What¡¯s the matter? Do you think Wan Yan is easy to bully?¡±


    Garrick Brennan felt sorry for Sofia Green. After all, she was his only sister, and even though they had


    different fathers, it didn¡¯t affect his love for her.


    In public, he was a gentleman, but today, because of Skyler Robins¡¯ words and actions, he lost his


    composure and became an impolite and hot-tempered person.


    Sofia Green¡¯s mind was solely focused on Skyler Robins. She tugged at his sleeve, unwilling to let go.


    ¡°Four of Spades, can we go home? W-w¡­ I know you don¡¯t want to get married now, and I won¡¯t force


    you. We don¡¯t have to get married, okay? But the child¡­ the child is innocent. We can¡¯t end a life like


    this, don¡¯t you think?¡±


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