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Novel Catalog
Chapter 19
“Sure,” Daniella nodded, still smiling warmly.
“So, does this mean you said yes?” Xavier asked with a cheeky grin, standing up and retrieving the necklace from the brocade box. “Come here. I’ll put it on for you.”
Veronica frowned and lowered her voice, just loud enough for Xavier to hear. “Hey, don’t cross the line. It’s going too far if we take this act a step further.”
Xavier raised an eyebrow at her, an impish glint in his eye. “We have to act convincingly, so they’ll believe us.”
He expertly undid the pendant necklace, stepped closer to her, and draped it around her neck as though they were sharing a hug. Though it was all an act, Veronica’s cheeks flushed at how intimate the gesture felt.
Meanwhile, the nurses outside the door were practically jumping with excitement.
“Aw, how touching!” one of them squealed.
“Oh my God, if I wasn’t a nurse, I might actually have time for a relationship like that,” another said wistfully.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss!” someone shouted.
“Yes, yes! Kiss!” more voices chimed in, urging them on.
The scene quickly escalated, with the nurses filming and cheering like they were at a live show.
Veronica stood frozen, speechless, her eyes wide with embarrassment. She couldn’t believe the spectacle they were creating.
Xavier tilted his head toward the nurses, flashing a sly smile. He then leaned in and placed a quick kiss on Veronica’s cheek, all while keeping his gaze fixed on the door.
“Damn, public display of affection right in my face!” one of the nurses muttered.
“I’m so jealous!” another chimed in.
“I could have a dozen boyfriends if they were all like him!” a third nurse sighed dreamily.
“Okay, okay. Let’s get back to work before the head nurse catches us,” another nurse said with a laugh, still grinning at Veronica as they left.
Veronica stood there, her body slightly stiff with a mix of annoyance and disbelief. She glared at Xavier, her eyes practically shooting daggers. The message was clear: Xavier Crawford, you jerk! Didn’t you say this was all acting? You’re just taking advantage of me!
Xavier simply smiled, clearly amused by her reaction.
On the other hand, Daniella was in high spirits. She gave Veronica an approving nod. “Xavier is so kind to you. You have to be good to him too.”
“Okay, Mom. I know…” Veronica mumbled, trying to keep the smile on her face.
As soon as Daniella turned to walk away, Veronica leaned toward Xavier and whispered, her voice low and threatening, “Xavier Crawford, I’ll kill you.”
Despite the playful argument, Daniella remained in a good mood for the rest of the day. She finished the lunch Veronica had brought and never once mentioned wanting to leave the hospital again. After the meal, Veronica and Xavier left the ward together.
As they reached the elevator, Daniella waved them off. “Xavier, take care on your way back.”
“Sure thing, Mrs. Murphy,” Xavier replied politely, his arm casually draped around Veronica’s shoulders.
“Don’t buy me anything the next time you come, okay?” Daniella added with a smile.
“Understood, Mrs. Murphy. You should get some rest,” Xavier said with a respectful nod.
“Well, I’m going to visit Mr. Murphy for a bit,” Daniella said, turning to leave.
Veronica felt a little deflated. Was that it? she thought. My existence means nothing now?
The elevator doors closed with a soft “ding,” and the moment the doors shut, Veronica’s expression shifted. She suddenly yanked Xavier’s arm off her shoulders and kicked him in the shin.
“Xavier Crawford, are you out of your mind?” she hissed. “I told you to act—not take advantage of me!”
“Ouch!” Xavier winced, rubbing his leg where she had kicked him. “If I become a cripple because of this, you’ll have to support me for the rest of your life! Besides, it was just a show. Why are you so serious?”
“Then why did you kiss me?” Veronica demanded, her voice sharp.
“The ‘plot’ called for it,” Xavier said with a nonchalant shrug. “What else could I do but play along?”
“You!” Veronica’s face flushed with irritation. “You asshole!”
Her head began to throb from the back-and-forth with Xavier. She felt like it was pointless to keep arguing with him, so she reached up to take off the necklace.
Xavier quickly stopped her. “If you take it off now, your mom will be suspicious tomorrow.”
“Nevertheless, I can’t keep this,” Veronica muttered, glancing at the necklace. “It’s too expensive.”
“I bought it at a roadside stall for twenty-three bucks,” Xavier replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “If you think it’s too expensive, you can buy me more mutton skewers when we have dinner tonight.”
“Well, I guess that’s fine,” Veronica said, rolling her eyes but not arguing further. She was too tired to care about the necklace at this point.
They exited the elevator and passed through the lobby of the inpatient department. Just as they reached the door, a group of doctors and nurses in white coats approached, and among them were Matthew and Thomas, both looking as though they were celebrities.
When Veronica spotted Matthew, he noticed her at the same time. Their eyes met, but his gaze immediately shifted to Xavier. At that moment, Xavier had his arm around Veronica’s shoulders, and the two of them were chatting and laughing like old friends.
Matthew’s calm expression faltered for a split second, and Veronica could almost see the storm brewing behind his eyes. However, he quickly masked his emotions, keeping his face perfectly neutral. The two passed each other without a word, and Xavier was so focused on Veronica that he didn’t even notice Matthew’s presence.
As they exited the building, Xavier waved goodbye and left, leaving Veronica to ride her motorcycle home. Just as she was about to start the engine, her phone rang.
It was Matthew. She frowned in annoyance as she pulled out the phone and answered.
“Hi, Young Master Matthew. How can I help?” she said, her tone sharp and clearly irritated.
“Come to your father’s ward in five minutes. Otherwise, I’ll have the experts leave immediately.”
“What?!” Veronica’s expression changed instantly. “Okay, okay, I’ll be there right now.”
The mention of the experts sent a shock through her. She recalled the group of medical experts she had seen earlier. They were discussing Tony’s condition in the office when Matthew had stepped out. Now, she realized this wasn’t just a casual visit.
Meanwhile, Matthew, walking through the hallway, overheard a group of nurses gossiping about Veronica and Xavier.
“Why do you think Veronica Murphy has such a good life?” one nurse asked, clearly envious.
“Huh? Impossible. She’s so plain-looking—how could someone like her land such a handsome guy?” another nurse remarked.
“It’s true! We saw it with our own eyes, and even recorded a video,” a third nurse chimed in.
Matthew slowed his pace, curious, but still focused on the mission at hand.
“My God, this guy is so handsome,” one of the nurses continued, oblivious to Matthew’s presence. “He even kneeled down on one knee and gave her a necklace. My boyfriend has to propose like that.”
“Damn, I’m going crazy over his looks,” another nurse sighed.
Despite their chatter, Matthew remained unreadable, his mind already made up. He reached for his phone and called Thomas.
“There’s no need for the expert team to treat Tony Murphy anymore,” Matthew said, his voice as cold as ice.
“Young Master Matthew, what’s the matter?” Thomas asked, but before he could get a response, Matthew hung up.
Matthew’s face darkened as he stepped into the elevator, his mind swirling with thoughts of Veronica and her new “boyfriend.” The knot in his chest grew tighter.
