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Novel Catalog
Chapter 79
Veronica sat beside Matthew, nursing her glass of wine. As the time passed, the two of them lingered in the quiet comfort of the night, with her laughing at the absurdities of the reality TV show playing before them. Her laughter filled the space, bright and genuine. She slapped Matthew lightly on the shoulder between giggles.
“Look at this! Ha! That guy’s such a fool!” Veronica chortled, barely able to control herself. “Oh no, my stomach hurts from laughing so much!”
Matthew, though mostly silent, found himself drawn into her laughter. Her joy, so uninhibited and carefree, had a way of softening the coldness that usually surrounded him. It felt… nice. He watched her, a slight smile tugging at his lips as she chuckled at the silly antics on the screen.
After a while, Veronica grew quiet, her eyes fluttering shut. She had dozed off on the couch, a peaceful look on her face, her head leaning to one side.
Matthew finished his wine and placed his glass down. He looked over at her, her tousled hair spilling over the couch, her soft breath even and serene. He stood, intending to lift her gently, but just as he reached for her, Veronica wrapped her arms around him in her sleep.
A frown tugged at his features as she clung to him, murmuring in her sleep, “You’re so annoying. Stop moving.” She pulled him closer, her legs entwining with his as if he were a life-sized plush toy.
A soft groan escaped Matthew’s lips. This… this was too much. Her closeness, the scent of her shampoo filling his senses—he could feel the heat of her body against him. His resolve to keep his distance wavered. But he had no choice. The situation was becoming unbearable.
With a determined movement, Matthew tried to gently extract himself, but Veronica, still fast asleep, only tightened her hold on him. She mumbled something incoherent, her grip like iron. At this point, there was no escaping the tension in the room.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Matthew couldn’t stand the closeness any longer. He pulled himself away, carefully placing her back onto the bed before quickly retreating to the door. His body burned with the effort of holding himself back.
The next morning, Veronica woke with a stretch, her body stiff and a slight ache in her back. Blinking, she took in her surroundings. The soft sheets, the familiar setting. She was in a bedroom, but it wasn’t hers. Her mind raced for a moment before she realized where she was—and more importantly, who she had been with.
A relieved smile spread across her face as she checked herself over. No harm done, she thought. “Looks like that jerk is afraid of Grandma,” she muttered under her breath with a chuckle. It felt good to know she was still safe, despite their constant bickering.
After freshening up, she headed downstairs, only to find the apartment eerily quiet. Matthew, she assumed, was still asleep, so she rummaged through the kitchen for something to eat. But after coming up empty-handed, she decided to grab breakfast outside. On a whim, she bought some noodles and soy milk for Matthew, the least she could do after their late-night drink.
When she returned to the apartment, she knocked on Matthew’s door, calling out, “Time to wake up!” After knocking a few times without a response, she peeked inside and found the room empty.
She frowned, confused. “Where could he have gone?”
Suddenly, a voice spoke from behind her. “What are you looking for?”
Veronica spun around, startled, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest. “What the hell, Matthew?! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
Matthew stood casually in the hallway, dressed in a dark shirt and dress pants, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt with effortless grace. He was an unsettling combination of intimidating and impossibly attractive, and as usual, he seemed to carry an air of dominance.
“You should be less jumpy if you don’t have a guilty conscience,” he teased, his lips curling in a playful smirk.
Veronica, still catching her breath, huffed in response. “You’re such a weirdo. I went downstairs to grab something to eat, and I got you some noodles and soy milk.”
Without a word, she turned and headed toward the study. “By the way, can I use your computer? I want to download some games.”
Matthew simply hummed in affirmation, distracted by the sight of the takeaway on the table.
Veronica went to the study room and fired up the computer, hoping to pass the time as the game download completed. Meanwhile, Matthew picked up the noodles and tried a bite. His expression soured immediately. The noodles, having dried out, were nearly inedible.
“Do you usually eat this kind of stuff?” he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Veronica emerged from the study, hearing his question. She shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, food’s expensive, alright? And sometimes… I just go with whatever’s easy.”
Matthew stared down at the noodles in front of him, his frown deepening. Despite the poor quality, he couldn’t help but find himself unexpectedly amused by Veronica’s straightforwardness.
