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Novel Catalog
Chapter 74
“Bro, you should also address me as your dear sister,” Veronica said with a playful smile, her tone light, but her eyes sharp.
Matthew met her gaze with a cool, almost dismissive look. “Are you even worthy of that?”
Veronica’s smile remained, but she didn’t flinch. “Well, regardless of whether I’m worthy or not, I’m now Grandma’s god-granddaughter and your sister. There’s no difference whether you admit it or not. Don’t you think so, brother?”
Their eyes locked, each of them smiling outwardly, but beneath the surface, a silent battle of wills was taking place. Neither of them was willing to back down, and the tension between them was palpable.
Matthew’s patience for flaws in others had always been thin, especially when it came to Elizabeth—the one person he held in the highest regard. The moment he realized Veronica had used her, his attitude towards her shifted dramatically.
“Life and death are no different,” Matthew said, his voice lowering as he paused for effect. He reached out, his finger brushing lightly against her chin. “It’s all within a flick of a finger.”
Veronica smirked. “Tsk! I’m really scared of your threats, darling brother!” she said, feigning fear. She shot him a mockingly frightened look before bursting into laughter.
But her amusement quickly faded. As she looked up at him, her smile vanished and her expression grew cold. “As long as your grandmother is around, you’ll spare my life for her happiness. Come to think of it, you’re such a filial grandson,” she remarked with biting sarcasm, giving him a thumbs-up.
Matthew’s jaw tightened at her words, but he remained silent, trying to mask the anger bubbling inside. Veronica continued, turning to leave with a final, cryptic smile. “Good luck to you.”
Matthew stood still for a long moment, watching her retreating figure, his mind racing with mixed emotions. He had never expected her to see him as so manipulative. But what he didn’t realize was that, in his eyes, she too had become a scheming woman, using Elizabeth to further her own agenda.
Back in the living room, Veronica resumed her seat, her eyes flitting toward Floch and Rachel, who had just arrived at the Kings Residence an hour later. The couple was all smiles, fawning over Elizabeth.
“Old Mrs. Kings, how are you feeling? Are you fully recovered?” Floch asked, his voice dripping with false sincerity.
“We brought some supplements for you,” Rachel added, her tone saccharine as they handed the packages over to the servants.
Elizabeth gave them a sharp look, annoyance flashing across her face, but she quickly composed herself. “You shouldn’t have. There’s no need to be so courteous.”
The trio exchanged polite pleasantries, but Veronica’s attention was on Floch and Rachel. She observed them with disdain, remembering how they had once tried to extort 2 million from her. Now, seeing them act like obedient lap dogs in front of Elizabeth, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
It was then that Rachel seemed to have a revelation, her eyes widening as she spotted Veronica sitting nearby. “Ah! You… You’re Veronica, aren’t you?” she exclaimed, her voice almost too dramatic. “Tiffany told me earlier that you were here with Old Mrs. Kings, but I didn’t trust her words at first. I can’t believe it’s true!”
Rachel’s eyes welled up with tears, her acting skills as impressive as her daughter Tiffany’s. It was a performance so exaggerated that it was hard to tell whether she was truly emotional or simply putting on a show.
“Veronica, where have you been all these years? Ever since you left Bloomstead, we’ve been searching high and low for you!” Floch added, his face contorted into a pained expression.
Tiffany, standing off to the side, watched the scene unfold with growing irritation. Her parents’ performance repulsed her, but it was also something deeper—seeing them behave this way around Veronica, a woman she had so much jealousy and animosity toward, was too much for her to bear.
Unable to tolerate it any longer, Tiffany spoke up. “Grandma, Mom, Dad, you should spend some time with Veronica. I need to use the washroom,” she said, her voice tight with tension. She didn’t want to stay in the room for another second.
Floch and Rachel nodded, their faces lighting up with a false sense of warmth as they moved closer to Veronica.
“Veronica, you must have suffered so much all these years,” Rachel cooed, her hand fluttering to her chest as if overwhelmed by emotion. “Come on over and let me take a good look at you.”
Her performance was flawless. Tears streamed down her face, her chin trembled, and her eyes were red-rimmed. It was a masterclass in fake sincerity.
Veronica, however, wasn’t impressed. She shot them a cold look, her expression filled with disdain. “Stay away from me,” she snapped, her tone firm and unyielding.
The two of them froze, their faces darkening. Behind Elizabeth’s back, they exchanged a look of barely contained fury, but they didn’t dare show it openly. They had learned to keep up appearances, especially in front of someone as influential as Elizabeth.
Rachel, in her dark purple maxi dress and elegant chignon, wiped away more fake tears as she sobbed, “My poor child! It’s my fault for all your suffering all these years! Now that Floch and I have finally located you, you must come back home with us, alright?”
Floch patted her back comfortingly, adding, “It’s fine if you don’t want to acknowledge us as your parents. We just want to make up for the past.”
Veronica raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Make up for the past?” she asked, crossing her arms as she stared at them with a scornful gaze. “Do you really want to compensate me?”
“Of course!” they both replied, almost in unison, their voices betraying the desperation behind their words.
Veronica smirked. “Alright, then. How much are you planning to give me? If you want to compensate me, just hand over the money. I’m only interested in that.”
Her innocent expression only made her words hit harder, and Floch and Rachel exchanged a look of frustration. They knew they were playing a game, but Veronica’s sharp tongue had put them on the defensive.
Before either of them could respond, Elizabeth, who had been watching the exchange with mild interest, spoke up. “Yes, Veronica has certainly suffered a lot. Look at her—she can’t even afford proper clothes, and that dress is a gift from her brother.”
Rachel’s face faltered for a moment as she glanced at Veronica’s attire. Elizabeth’s sharp observation had hit the mark—Veronica was wearing a limited edition dress from the latest season, which she knew could only have been purchased by someone with a lot of money, likely Matthew.
Rachel tried to recover, swiping her tears away hastily. “How can that be…” she murmured, trying to hide the unease in her voice.
Floch, his irritation rising, rummaged through his wallet and pulled out a card. He glared at Veronica for a moment before handing it to her with a forced smile. “I know you’ve suffered a lot these years. There’s some money inside this card. Feel free to use it.”
Veronica glanced at the card with feigned disinterest. “How much money is in there?” she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
The couple exchanged a nervous glance, but neither of them answered directly. The atmosphere was thick with tension as they waited for her response.
