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Novel Catalog
Chapter 69
Indeed, Matthew had said something different the previous evening, but now, he simply corrected himself. “You remembered wrongly.”
“Remembered wrongly?” Veronica pondered for a moment. Now that she thought about it, there had been more than one bed at his penthouse when she had been kidnapped.
At the moment, she had no money, and with her uncertain status with the Larson Family, staying in Matthew’s penthouse seemed like the most practical and cost-effective option. It was also a safer bet than going anywhere else.
However…
“We would be a single man and a woman sharing an apartment. Wouldn’t that be inappropriate?” she asked, her voice cautious.
Matthew simply reached out, taking the access card from her hand without a word.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened as they reached the second-floor basement, and Matthew walked out. Veronica, hesitating for only a second, quickly followed.
“I’m kidding! Please don’t take it seriously. You’re my brother now. I trust your morals!” she added, trying to ease the tension with a laugh.
Pah! Only a fool would trust him.
Still, she didn’t have much of a choice. Sleeping at the penthouse was the most sensible option available to her. And besides, she had Elizabeth looking out for her—she was certain Matthew wouldn’t dare do anything to her under those circumstances.
Pulling on his arm, she retrieved the access card from his grip and looked up at him, a teasing glint in her eye. “If I’m staying, do I at least get food?”
Before Matthew could respond, a voice interrupted them.
“Ah—Thomas!” Veronica called out, noticing Matthew’s assistant approaching. “Are you two going to talk about something? I’ll wait over there.”
But before she could move away, Matthew held onto her hand with calm ease. “It’s okay. Let’s go,” he said, leading her toward his private car.
Thomas stood frozen for a moment, clutching the paper bag in his hands. Inside were all of Veronica’s personal details.
Was Young Master Matthew really not worried about this?
Thomas watched the two of them, still holding hands, as they walked away in the distance. When had they become so close? What on earth had happened last night?
Meanwhile, Veronica slid into the back of the sedan while Matthew got into the passenger seat. He turned to her, asking casually, “Where do you want to go?”
Veronica hesitated for a moment, her expression darkening. There were many things she needed to do, but right now, her main priority was to get her identity sorted out. “Send me to the police station. I need to reapply for an ID.”
“There’s no need,” Matthew replied smoothly. “Thomas is taking care of it. Come back with me to the Kings Residence for now. Grandma wants to see you.”
Thomas, entering the car, paused. Since when am I taking care of her identification?
Ever since Veronica disappeared, Thomas had been busy tracking her down, helping Matthew rescue her, and then following Matthew’s orders to look into her personal information. At no point had he had the time to handle her ID situation.
But he kept his thoughts to himself and simply nodded. “Don’t worry, Miss Murphy. Your ID will be ready in two days.”
“Alright. Thank you so much,” Veronica replied, feeling relieved. It would take much longer for her to deal with things on her own. As Matthew’s man, Thomas had the right connections and resources to get it done more efficiently.
The car began to move, heading toward the Kings Residence. Along the way, Veronica looked up at Matthew. “Can I borrow your phone? I want to call my mother.”
Matthew handed her his phone without hesitation.
She quickly dialed her foster mother’s number, and after a few rings, Daniella’s voice came through.
“Did you change your number again, Roni?” Daniella asked, noticing that the number calling her was different from the one she’d seen earlier.
“I lost my phone. I’m using… Matthew’s phone to call you,” Veronica explained, keeping it brief. Daniella had met Matthew at Saint Hospital and even asked Veronica to treat him to dinner as thanks.
“So this is Young Master Matthew’s phone? I see!” Daniella laughed, the tension in her voice easing.
“My phone broke, so I sent it for repairs,” Veronica explained. “I just wanted to tell you to rest easy at home with Dad, and I’ll visit when I’m free. And about what you said this morning—don’t worry. I’m still your daughter, and as long as I’m alive, I’ll always be your daughter.”
Veronica didn’t want to dwell on the chaos with the Larsons. She didn’t want her family to get caught up in any of it.
After a moment of silence, Daniella’s voice cracked. “Alright, alright. I believe you. I really do.”
Veronica’s heart tightened as she listened to her foster mother’s faint sobs.
“Roni, you have to be careful of the Lars—”
“Shut up, you idiot!” Daniella cut off Tony, who had tried to speak. He had been ready to tell Veronica about the kidnapping, but Daniella didn’t want to worry her.
“What was that, Mom?” Veronica asked, confused by her mother’s outburst.
“N-Nothing. Your dad just wanted to remind you to be careful and not to trust anyone in Bloomstead. Remember, Roni—no one other than us would give everything up for you, so don’t trust anyone too easily, okay?” Daniella’s voice was serious, though she was still hiding the truth about their own kidnapping.
“I promise I’ll be cautious about the Larsons, Mom. Otherwise, who would rescue you when you’re kidnapped?” Veronica reassured them, making light of the situation to keep their fears at bay.
There was a brief silence before Daniella’s voice came back, softer now. “Silly Roni, I know you’ve arranged for someone to keep an eye on us,” she chided gently. “But if things get too dangerous in Bloomstead, come home, okay?”
“It’s not dangerous,” Veronica responded quickly, glancing at Matthew, then continuing, “Old Mrs. Kings—Matthew’s grandmother, that is—has recognized me as her god-granddaughter. Nothing’s going to happen to me under the Kingses’ protection.”
Veronica omitted some details, not wanting her parents to worry further. But she felt the need to reassure them somehow, especially about her safety in Bloomstead. The Larson Family’s actions still haunted her, and even if she left this city, she knew it wouldn’t be so simple to escape their influence.
“Good. That’s good,” Daniella replied, her voice full of relief.
The quiet reassurance in her foster mother’s tone made Veronica finally relax, the tight knot in her chest loosening.
After a few more minutes of small talk, Veronica hung up. She rested her forehead against her hand, sighing deeply, still clutching the phone.
It was a good thing her parents didn’t follow the gossip about the entertainment industry. Otherwise, once they found out about Matthew and Tiffany’s engagement, they’d undoubtedly advise her to stay far away from him.
