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Novel Catalog
Chapter 56
The car behind the ambulance screeched to a halt as the driver saw Veronica jump from the vehicle. She rolled across the ground, wincing in pain as she landed. Every part of her body ached, but there was no time to waste.
The blaring siren of the ambulance had drowned out the noise inside, so the driver hadn’t heard what had transpired. Veronica’s escape had been successful—at least for now—but when she tried to stand, pain shot through her, and she collapsed back to the ground.
She lay there, watching as the ambulance sped off into the distance. The sight of it fading away gave her a small sense of relief, but it was fleeting.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the air. “Hey! Are you blind? Do you know I almost crashed into you?”
Veronica looked up to see a woman standing by the car, pointing at her angrily. She winced but managed to push herself to her feet. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, bowing slightly.
For a brief moment, Veronica considered calling the police, but a cold fear gripped her. She was certain the Larson family had their hands in everything, including the authorities. She didn’t trust anyone, not even the police.
Instead, she asked, “Can you give me a ride?”
The woman, dressed in sleek black professional attire and black-rimmed glasses, took a careful look at Veronica and the ambulance driving away. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “There’s no way I’m giving you a ride. But I can call the police for you.”
Veronica didn’t want to draw too much attention. The situation was already complicated. She needed to get out of there quickly, and the police wouldn’t help her. “Can you lend me your phone? I need to make a call.”
The woman eyed her suspiciously but, after a brief pause, handed her the phone. Veronica immediately dialed Cody’s number. “Cody, I’m at the intersection of Preston Road and Pines Street, about fifty meters east. I need you to hurry and pick me up. Right now.”
She ended the call and handed the phone back to the woman, but just as she was about to leave, the unmistakable wail of an ambulance siren pierced the air again.
Veronica’s face paled as she turned to look in the direction of the sound. The ambulance, which had already driven away, was now making a U-turn, heading back toward them. Panic surged through her veins.
“Can you please let me hide in your trunk?” Veronica blurted out. “You can go wherever you want, and I’ll get out afterward. Please. I just need to hide!”
The woman looked taken aback, but then her expression softened. She’d seen everything—Veronica jumping out of the ambulance—and she couldn’t ignore the plea in her eyes. Veronica seemed like an injured civilian who needed help. The woman felt an overwhelming urge to do the right thing, even though it felt risky.
“Okay. Quickly, get in,” she said, unlocking her car.
Veronica hurriedly crawled into the back of the car and closed the trunk behind her. She finally allowed herself a breath of relief as the sound of the ambulance faded into the distance.
Back at the hospital, Matthew’s unease only deepened. After receiving the call from Thomas, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Veronica had been desperate to leave the hospital, looking exhausted, yet she refused to rest. The pieces were beginning to fit together—the kidnapping, the fire, and the surveillance footage. Everything pointed to one thing: Veronica was in danger, and Matthew had to find her.
His phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts. It was Thomas again.
“Have you found her?” Matthew answered, his voice clipped.
“I’m doing my best to locate Miss Murphy,” Thomas said, his tone strained. “But I just got a call from Castron. There’s a problem at our branch there, and they need you to go immediately. I’ve booked a flight for you—it leaves in half an hour.”
Matthew’s mind raced as he processed the information. There were no more flights to Castron until much later, and this was an urgent matter. But despite the urgency, his thoughts kept drifting back to Veronica.
Before he could respond, Thomas added, “I’ve already booked the plane ticket. You need to leave now.”
Matthew hesitated, torn between his responsibilities and his worry for Veronica. His phone rang again, and he glanced down to see his grandmother’s name on the screen. He had no time to think it through—he quickly ended the call with Thomas and answered Elizabeth’s.
“Matthew, come in,” Elizabeth called from her ward.
He stepped into her room, and she waved at him, her tone stern. “I just got a call from Castron about the problem there. You need to go now.”
Matthew stood still, his mind working furiously. He knew what he had to do. But for the first time, he didn’t feel so sure. Something about the situation felt off.
Elizabeth, however, wasn’t waiting for him to decide. “I think you should go immediately. Time’s of the essence,” she urged.
Matthew nodded, but his hesitation didn’t go unnoticed. Even Tiffany, who had been quiet until then, watched him closely. The whole situation had already stirred a sense of jealousy in her. The way Matthew was acting now—his concern for Veronica—was something she hadn’t expected.
“Grandma, I don’t think it’s a good idea for Matthew to go alone,” Tiffany interjected, her voice sweet and calculating. “Can I accompany him?”
She latched onto Elizabeth’s arm, her gaze fixed on Matthew. This was an opportunity she couldn’t miss. If she was going to claim her place as Matthew’s true partner, she needed to keep close, especially now that Veronica seemed to have taken a more prominent spot in his life.
Elizabeth, as if seeing this as a way to keep Tiffany occupied and out of her own hair, agreed. “You should go with him, dear. Matthew’s work is important, but family is important, too. You should go with him to Castron. After all, you’re his fiancée.”
Matthew’s eyes turned cold at his grandmother’s words, but before he could voice his objections, Tiffany smiled brightly and thanked her. “Thank you, Grandma. I’ll pack my things right away,” she said excitedly, then turned to Matthew. “I won’t be long, I promise.”
Matthew’s cold gaze followed her as she left the room. His irritation was palpable, but he didn’t stop her. He knew she was doing this for her own reasons.
Tiffany, however, had already made up her mind. She would take advantage of this opportunity. The trip to Castron would be her chance to get closer to Matthew—no more waiting around. She would make sure to remind him of his place, and who he was supposed to be with.
