Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Chapter 22
Veronica couldn’t help but tease Xavier. “You really think you’re that charming, huh?”
Xavier flashed her a grin as he put away his phone and stepped out of the car. “What can I say? God made me irresistible, and all those ladies just can’t stay away.”
“Ugh, how shameless,” Veronica said with a roll of her eyes.
Despite his reputation as a notorious “playboy” in Bloomstead, no one dared to speak to Xavier like this—except for Veronica, who treated him like a brother and wasn’t afraid to call him out on his behavior.
“Let’s go eat,” she said, a mischievous glint in her eye. “I skipped lunch just so I can treat you to a feast today.”
Xavier raised an eyebrow. “Tsk, you say that, but I bet you were probably in some other woman’s bed this afternoon.”
Laughing, they strolled towards a nearby food stall. Veronica, assuming Xavier had never been to one of these places before, ordered a mountain of food, eager to share.
As they waited, Veronica noticed the curious stares from the people around them. The whispers were impossible to ignore.
“Damn, that guy is so handsome. He’s driving the latest Maserati—worth more than thirty million!”
“Look at that girl with him. She’s so… plain. How did she land someone like him?”
“Maybe her family’s wealthy too.”
“That makes sense…”
Veronica overheard it all but didn’t let it bother her. Instead, she glanced at Xavier, a little concerned. “How about we sit inside? The stares are getting a bit much.”
Xavier’s chuckle was carefree. “You think I’ll feel ashamed? You’re so cute.” He waved off the gossip as if it were nothing, as the food arrived. He took the beer the boss brought over, popped the caps off, and poured two glasses into disposable cups. He took a sip, his face unbothered by the attention.
“You know,” he said, leaning back with a smirk, “I’ve been hearing whispers about me for years, but here I am, still living my life. We shouldn’t care about what others think. The key to survival is learning to be invincible. You need to practice that, and trust me, it’s the best way to protect yourself.”
Veronica nodded but hesitated before replying. “I can’t drink,” she said, knowing full well she was pregnant. She lied, “I’m on my period. I’ll stick to tea.”
As they ate, the conversation shifted. Veronica realized that Xavier wasn’t just the carefree playboy he seemed to be. There was more depth to him than people gave him credit for.
Meanwhile, back at the Larson Residence…
Floch had just received the news from his people, and he couldn’t wait to share it with Tiffany and Rachel. “Veronica Murphy is over two months pregnant with Matthew Kings’ child.”
Tiffany’s face twisted in disbelief. “Pregnant? No way. Veronica’s so… unattractive. How could Matthew—of all people—sleep with her?”
She grabbed the papers from the table, flipping through the results of various exams, including photos of Matthew and Veronica in the hospital together.
“I heard Old Mrs. Kings gave Matthew some medicine to help him get an heir, but Veronica just happened to run into him by chance… and the rest, as they say, is history,” Floch explained, his voice full of frustration. “This b*tch has all the luck.”
Rachel, sitting quietly on the sofa, looked over the documents with a thoughtful expression but didn’t speak right away.
Tiffany’s temper flared again. “No, this can’t happen. If Veronica’s child is born, how can I marry Matthew?”
“Calm down, Tiffany,” Rachel interrupted, her voice sharp. “You’ve been close to Matthew for the past couple of months, and from what I’ve gathered, he’s quite satisfied with you. He doesn’t love Veronica, so why get worked up?”
“But she’s carrying his child! I’ll make sure that child never sees the light of day,” Tiffany hissed, her eyes dark with anger.
Rachel’s eyes narrowed, her voice cold. “Are you out of your mind? You’re forgetting who you are now. The situation with Veronica’s parents hasn’t even settled, and you’re already thinking of going after Matthew’s child? Do you want to ruin everything? Do you want to mess up your chance of marrying into the Kings family?”
Tiffany took in Rachel’s reprimand, her anger finally cooling down. She sat on the sofa, fuming, her eyes red with frustration. The sight of the investigation documents only made her hate Veronica more.
Just then, Tiffany’s phone rang, cutting through the tension.
She grabbed it, wiping her tears with a tissue before looking at the screen. It was Matthew.
Tiffany’s breath hitched, quickly masking her emotions. She answered with a soft, almost coy voice. “Matthew?”
“Do you want to marry into the Kings Family?” Matthew’s voice was direct, leaving no room for confusion.
Tiffany’s heart skipped. “Huh? What? I didn’t hear that.”
“You heard me,” Matthew said again, his tone as crisp and clear as ever. “Do you want to marry me?”
The question hung in the air, catching Tiffany off guard. It was as if a dream had come true in an instant, too fast for her to process.
“Of course, I do!” she exclaimed, her voice laced with excitement. “But… Matthew, your proposal is so sudden—”
Matthew cut her off, his tone firm but emotionless. “If you want to marry me, I’ll announce our engagement in four days.”
The news hit her like a rush of adrenaline. She couldn’t believe it—after everything, she was finally going to marry into the Kings Family. It was everything she had worked for.
“Yes, yes! I do want to marry you!” Tiffany practically shouted, a huge grin on her face.
Matthew’s response was brief. “I’ll have Thomas handle the details with your family.”
Even as he spoke about engagement arrangements, his voice remained detached, as if he were discussing a business transaction, not a relationship.
Tiffany hung up the phone and looked at Rachel, her eyes still gleaming with joy. “Really? Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Rachel said, a satisfied smile tugging at her lips. “You’re a noble young lady. Marrying Matthew Kings is a great honor. You’ve earned it.”
Tiffany’s excitement was palpable, but as she turned her gaze back to the investigation files on the table, a flicker of doubt crossed her face.
Matthew’s getting engaged…
The thought lingered, but there was little time to dwell on it. Her dreams were finally coming true.
