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Novel Catalog
Chapter 45
Veronica felt a wave of disgust wash over her at Tiffany’s pretentiousness. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she fought to mask her feelings. With an emotionless expression, she waved her hand dismissively. “You’ll have to ask Matt…” she glanced at Matthew from the corner of her eye before finishing, “You’ll have to ask my brother… when he’ll marry you.”
The words left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she recoiled, disgusted—not just by Tiffany, but by the fact that she had called Matthew “brother.”
Tiffany’s face twisted in shock, and it was clear that the words had struck a nerve. Her usual charm faltered as she fought to maintain composure.
Rachel, ever the picture of grace, didn’t show her anger outwardly. With the poise of a noble lady, she calmly replied, “The engagement was only recently decided. There’s no rush for the wedding.”
“Yes, Mom’s right,” Tiffany said, forcing a smile as she turned toward Matthew, trying to keep her perfect image intact. Veronica’s words had clearly shaken her, but she couldn’t let that show. “I’m going to visit Grandma with Mom now. We’ll talk later.” She shot a look at Rachel, and together, they entered the ward.
Now, only Matthew and Veronica remained in the small living room, the silence thick with tension. Matthew raised an eyebrow, his voice firm. “What happened between you two?”
Veronica smirked, evading his question as she pulled a note from her pocket and placed it in front of him. “Please pay the bill first,” she said casually, her eyes briefly meeting his. It was their deal—10,000 per day for her time.
Matthew’s gaze never left her, his voice unwavering. “Answer my question.”
“I’m not obligated to answer you,” she replied coolly. “Nor do I need to satisfy your curiosity.”
Just as Matthew opened his mouth to press her further, Veronica’s phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw it was Xavier calling. Her stomach sank as she remembered that today was her first day of work at his company.
Frowning, she reluctantly answered. “Roni, where are you? I’ve been waiting for you at the company for two hours now,” Xavier’s voice came through the speaker, a mix of annoyance and concern.
“Haha…” Veronica laughed awkwardly, guilt creeping in. “Xavier, about that… I’m sorry, but I ran into some issues.”
“I could care less about your issues,” Xavier shot back, frustration clear in his tone. “Get here immediately. If I don’t see you in thirty minutes, don’t blame me if I drag you out of your house.”
“Erm, about that, I—”
Before she could finish, Xavier hung up with a decisive beep.
Veronica stared at her phone for a moment, realizing just how badly she had messed up. She had promised Matthew she would stay with him, but now she had forgotten her commitment to Xavier.
With a sigh, she glanced at the note with her bank account details before grabbing it and folding it up. “What I said earlier was a joke,” she muttered, stuffing the note back into her pocket. “I’ll be taking this back.”
Matthew watched her with a bemused expression, leaning casually against the sofa. “Do you know what kind of animal comes and goes on command?”
Veronica’s brow furrowed, confused by his strange question. “What?”
“Your actions are no different from a dog,” he said, his words sharp and insulting.
Her anger flared immediately. The nerve of him! She clenched her fists, but she didn’t respond right away. Instead, she took a deep breath, trying to stay composed. The way he looked at her, the contempt in his eyes—it made her blood boil. Was she really just his obedient dog now, taking orders from him?
Her gaze darkened as she met his eyes, her fury barely contained. “Matthew…” she growled, her voice thick with barely contained rage.
Despite the fire burning inside her, she forced herself to hold it together. With a final glare, she added, “The difference between me and a dog is that I have a human heart, whereas dogs are just ungrateful creatures!” With that, she stormed off, leaving Matthew in stunned silence.
Just as she was about to leave, Tiffany and Rachel emerged from the ward. Noticing Veronica’s absence, Tiffany immediately asked, “Matthew, where’s Veronica?”
“She left,” Matthew replied, not sparing her a single glance. His eyes were still fixed on his computer screen as if he couldn’t care less. His cold indifference made it clear to Tiffany that she was of no importance to him.
“I’ve just spoken with Grandma,” Tiffany continued, her tone soft and sweet as she tried to play the role of the devoted fiancée. “We’ve decided that I’ll stay here for a few days to take care of her together.”
Rachel, ever the supportive mother, chimed in, “Tiffany is free these days, so it makes sense for her to help care for Old Mrs. Kings. It’s a good way to strengthen their relationship.”
Matthew barely looked up from his work, his voice blunt. “As long as Grandma agrees, I have no issue with it.”
Rachel smiled, relieved that the approval had been given. Tiffany’s nervousness seemed to evaporate as she smiled back at Matthew, her heart finally settling.
Elizabeth had treated Veronica well because she had once been pregnant with Matthew’s child. Though Veronica had suffered a miscarriage, Elizabeth had wanted to adopt her as her god-granddaughter. Rachel couldn’t help but resent the girl. What had Veronica done to make the Kings Family fall for her so completely?
Her thoughts quickly turned to Tiffany’s engagement. Would Veronica somehow interfere and ruin their marriage? The thought of Veronica meddling in their future was something Rachel couldn’t ignore.
“Okay then,” Matthew said curtly, agreeing to the plan. His cold tone didn’t faze Tiffany, and she finally relaxed, her smile genuine as she exchanged a glance with her mother.
“You should stay here and take care of Old Mrs. Kings,” Rachel said. “I’ll send someone over with some clothes for you tonight.”
Tapping Tiffany’s shoulder, she sent her daughter off with a knowing look, hinting that now was the time to make the most of the time spent with Matthew.
“Thanks, Mom,” Tiffany said with a sweet smile.
“I’ll be leaving now,” Rachel replied, her voice cool as she picked up her bag and left. As she walked out of the hospital, she immediately called Floch. “Hurry home. We need to talk.”
Half an hour later, the couple arrived at Dragon’s Creek villa.
“What happened?” Floch asked as he stepped out of the car, removing his coat. “Why’d you call me back so urgently?”
Rachel’s anger flared once again. “That little wench, Veronica, is up to no good again.”
Floch raised an eyebrow. “What did she do this time?”
“What did she do?” Rachel echoed bitterly. “It would be easier if it were just something she did on her own. But now she’s Elizabeth’s god-daughter, meaning she’s part of the Kings Family. Can you believe it? How is she so damn lucky?”
Throwing her bag at Floch, she mumbled angrily, “I should’ve dealt with her back then. If I knew she’d become such a pain in the ass…”
The fact that Veronica knew about their involvement in the accident that killed her parents was a huge threat. But worse, now that Veronica was Elizabeth’s god-granddaughter, Tiffany’s marriage to Matthew was bound to be affected. Once Veronica started meddling, she’d make sure Tiffany suffered.
