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Novel Catalog
Chapter 53
Veronica’s gaze remained steady as she looked at Tiffany, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Are you sure I’m speaking nonsense? Reality is exactly what you think it is. It was Matthew who saved me from the fire and had me transferred to Saint Hospital.”
Saint Hospital, a well-known enterprise of the Kings Family, was the perfect symbol of their wealth and power. Veronica’s presence there served as undeniable proof of her connection to them.
Tiffany clenched her fists so tightly that her nails nearly pierced the skin of her palms, drawing blood. But the physical pain barely registered. Her anger surged, and she could almost feel herself losing control, wanting nothing more than to strangle Veronica.
But after years of controlling her emotions, Tiffany had learned how to mask her fury in front of others. She took a deep breath, pushing back the storm inside her, and forced a calm expression. “So what? It’s only because Old Mrs. Kings likes you that he saved you.”
Her body trembled with the effort to stay composed, but she knew she had to keep her cool. Elizabeth’s ward was too close by for her to lose control.
Veronica, unfazed, shot back, “You’re right. You’re beautiful, so everything you say must be right.”
Tiffany’s face remained cold, but Veronica’s mocking tone stung. Veronica’s intent was clear—she was trying to provoke her. Tiffany tried to hold her ground but couldn’t suppress the growing rage inside her.
“You’ve come here early in the morning, haven’t you?” Veronica continued, her voice laced with mockery. “Your parents failed to set fire to my house, so are you trying to get at me again after the attempted murder?”
Tiffany’s patience snapped. She took a few steps toward Veronica and whispered fiercely, “Have you forgotten about your parents back home?”
The moment Veronica’s adoptive parents were mentioned, her face went pale, and she shot up from the bed, fury flashing in her eyes. “Y-You… Tiffany, don’t you dare!”
Tiffany smirked, relishing the power she now had. “Your adoptive parents are in my hands now. If you don’t want them to die, you better leave Bloomstead and disappear from Matthew’s life forever. Otherwise, don’t blame me for not considering our sisterly love.”
Veronica’s eyes blazed with fury. “Sisterly love?” she spat. “Is all this scheming part of your ‘sisterly love’?”
“I don’t want to argue with you,” Tiffany said flatly. “You have two choices. Stay and let your adoptive parents die, or leave Bloomstead and never return.”
Veronica’s mind raced, but she knew she had little choice. Her adoptive parents’ lives were at stake. For now, she had to comply.
“Alright. I’ll leave, but please, let my parents go,” Veronica replied, her voice steady, though her heart was in turmoil.
“As long as you leave, I promise I’ll let them go,” Tiffany responded, her voice cold and uncompromising.
“Deal,” Veronica agreed, but then added, her eyes narrowing, “However, Matthew won’t let me leave now. There’s a bodyguard guarding the door. You’ll need to get rid of him first.”
Tiffany smiled, a faint, arrogant curve to her lips. “I knew you’d come around.” She continued, “Once you leave Bloomstead, my parents will make sure you get money and send you as far away as possible. Veronica, don’t blame me. You can only blame fate for putting you in this situation.”
In Bloomstead, only one of them could remain.
Veronica nodded slightly, signaling Tiffany to take care of the bodyguard. Tiffany left the room to handle it, her footsteps echoing in the hallway.
Veronica remained seated, watching her go. As soon as the door shut behind Tiffany, Veronica’s lips curled into a smile. Victory was within reach.
She opened the door and walked out, glancing at Tiffany standing at the door. Without a word, she moved around her, heading toward the elevator with deliberate slowness.
Tiffany watched, unease stirring in her gut. Veronica’s movements were careful, almost calculated, like a person trying to conceal the inevitable collapse. Her eyes seemed dull and detached, as if she had resigned herself to a fate she could not escape. Tiffany felt a sharp, inexplicable discomfort. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
Turning back toward Elizabeth’s ward, Tiffany pulled out her phone and called her father. “Dad, Veronica just left the hospital. You can go ahead with the plan.”
She ended the call and rubbed her thumb over the phone screen, a coldness settling in her eyes.
Yesterday, she hadn’t wanted Veronica dead in the fire. No, what Tiffany had wanted was for Veronica to be horribly disfigured, her face ruined. Then the world would know just how ugly and broken she truly was. But Veronica hadn’t died, and worse, her face remained unmarred.
Tiffany’s heart hardened. Veronica’s survival was an unexpected complication. And now, things had escalated.
Meanwhile, Veronica, stepping out of the hospital, was met with an eerie silence. The reporters who had been stationed outside were now conspicuously absent, replaced by several unfamiliar men who eyed her with disturbing intensity.
A chill ran down Veronica’s spine as she realized she was surrounded.
Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to stay calm. She hadn’t anticipated this. She hadn’t seen it coming.
Her hand subtly moved toward her wristwatch, pressing a hidden button. “Cody, I don’t know if you can hear me now, but I need you to immediately contact the Twitter blogger I gave you. Send all the recordings from yesterday and the videos I sent you before.”
Veronica had known this operation would be risky, but her gratitude toward her adoptive parents had driven her. They had given her life, and now, she would repay them by avenging their suffering.
She wasn’t concerned about her adoptive parents. They were safe—Xavier had arranged for a team to watch over them 24/7. Their abduction was merely a tactic to confuse the Larson family, an added layer of deception to keep them off her trail.
She grabbed the arm of a passing man. “Excuse me, could I borrow your phone for a moment? I left mine at home and need to make a call.”
The man, eager to help, handed over his phone. Veronica’s fingers trembled as she took it, but when she tried to dial Matthew’s number, she realized she couldn’t remember it.
The only number that came to mind was Xavier’s.
