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Novel Catalog
Chapter 71
Veronica shrugged and gave a deep bow to Elizabeth. “Grandma, I’m truly sorry for hiding my identity.”
“Ha! It’s alright,” Elizabeth replied, her reaction completely unexpected. She beamed with joy, grabbing Veronica’s hands and studying her closely, circling her as if inspecting a newfound treasure. “Goodness! I saw the news two days ago that you’re the Larsons’ daughter, and I didn’t believe it at first. But now, I can’t believe you’re actually the one! If I hadn’t already gotten the heads-up from the news, I’d have been completely shocked!”
“Grandma, aren’t you angry with me?” Veronica asked, still in disbelief at the warmth in Elizabeth’s response.
Elizabeth shook her head, her smile widening. “Angry? No, darling, I’m overjoyed! Why would I be upset?”
She cupped Veronica’s face, her eyes sparkling with affection. “You look just like Tiffany, but there’s a difference. Your eyes are bigger, more expressive… and prettier. You’re so beautiful, and yet you’ve been hiding it behind this awful disguise!”
Elizabeth couldn’t stop gushing, which made Tiffany, standing nearby, visibly bristle. The jealousy in her eyes was hard to miss, but she didn’t dare show it openly.
Veronica, still stunned by Elizabeth’s warm reception, managed a small smile. “I’m sorry for causing you so much worry, Grandma.”
Tiffany, who was ever the actress, suddenly stepped forward, throwing her arms around Veronica. “Oh, Veronica! I knew it! No wonder I felt such a strange connection when we first met. You’re my younger sister! Did you know about this all along? Is that why you kept your disguise, so you wouldn’t come back with me?”
As Tiffany’s “heartfelt” sobs began to spill, Veronica stood stiff in her embrace, her body frozen in discomfort. It felt like being struck by lightning, the insincerity of Tiffany’s act suffocating.
But Veronica wasn’t going to play along. She gently pulled Tiffany away, her voice cold. “Yes, I wore the disguise because I didn’t want to come back.”
There it was. A perfect excuse, one that avoided the truth without revealing too much. Veronica’s mind raced—she couldn’t risk shocking Elizabeth, not when she had only just recovered from her stroke. If Elizabeth learned the full truth, she might not handle it well, and Veronica couldn’t afford to lose her protection, not when Matthew might turn on her too.
Tiffany, her eyes now red and her voice trembling, pressed, “Why? Do you know how much Mom has missed you? We’ve been searching for you everywhere!”
Veronica’s lip curled. “No particular reason. I just didn’t like it. Does that work as an explanation?”
Tiffany’s hands clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she suppressed her fury. “Goodness, that’s enough, Tiffany. Veronica has just been found. She’s been raised by her adopted parents, so of course, she’s closer to them. You can’t rush these things,” Elizabeth interjected, gently pulling Tiffany away from Veronica.
The old woman turned to Matthew, her eyes twinkling with joy. “Now that we’ve found Veronica, you should tell your parents and have dinner together. It’s such a relief!”
Tiffany, clearly still seething, nodded stiffly. “I’ll go back now. Veronica, stay here with Grandma. I’ll go tell Mom and Dad.”
Veronica couldn’t care less about responding to Tiffany’s insincere farewell. Her focus was entirely on Elizabeth. “Grandma, when did you get discharged from the hospital? How are you feeling?”
“I’m doing great!” Elizabeth replied, her tone full of vigor. “The blood clot’s dissolved, but the doctor still says I need plenty of rest.”
The two women chatted happily as Matthew stepped away to make a phone call. Tiffany, clearly feeling out of place now, stood alone in the center of the room. Her envy boiled over as she shot a venomous glare at Veronica before turning and storming out.
Veronica settled on the couch next to Elizabeth, who continued to admire her with a smile. “You really are stunning without all that makeup. I can see now why Matthew didn’t see you for who you are. But he’s blind. If he had just married you back then, it would have been perfect!”
Veronica chuckled nervously, unsure how to respond to that. “Grandma, aren’t you upset with me?”
“Why would I be?” Elizabeth’s face softened. “Matthew is an idiot for not seeing what was in front of him. But don’t worry, Bloomstead is full of great men, and now that you’re my granddaughter, I’ll find you someone better. Once I make it public, we’ll start looking for a match!”
Matthew, having overheard the conversation, turned to face them with a thunderous expression. His voice was laced with irritation. “Even if she’s your granddaughter, she’s from the countryside. No one in Bloomstead would be interested in her.”
His words were sharp, his tone colder than ever. Veronica felt a pang in her chest at his sudden disapproval of her appearance, but she pushed it aside.
Elizabeth glared at him, furious. “Matthew! Don’t you dare! You’re her older brother now, so don’t you even think about bullying her. If you do, I’ll break your legs!”
She pointed a stern finger at him. “And one more thing—send me the details and pictures of those handsome, rich men you hang out with. Make sure they’re responsible. I’ll personally choose a date for Veronica.”
Matthew shot her a dark look, but he said nothing in response, clearly annoyed by the turn of events. Elizabeth, however, was too overjoyed by the idea of finding a suitor for Veronica to notice.
The room filled with an air of tension, but Elizabeth’s overwhelming affection for Veronica seemed to lift her spirits. However, Veronica couldn’t shake the feeling that her path forward was about to get much more complicated.
