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Novel Catalog
Chapter 80
Veronica struggled to hold back her laughter as she watched Matthew attempt to eat the noodles. “Matthew, don’t tell me you’ve never had noodles like this before! You’ve got to mix it up properly, or they’ll taste awful.”
She was in high spirits today, and Matthew’s serious, almost clueless approach to something as simple as noodles was too funny to ignore. She couldn’t resist the amusement he provided.
“I don’t usually eat these,” Matthew replied honestly, his expression deadpan.
Veronica shook her head, her amusement still bubbling inside her. “You’re not even human. How do you not know this?”
She walked over, snatched the cutlery from his hands, and began mixing the noodles with practiced ease. When she handed the spoon back to him, she said, “Try it now.”
Matthew took the cutlery, a skeptical glance in her direction, before scooping another mouthful. The first bite was mediocre, the second, better. The third bite? Acceptable.
“Not bad,” he finally admitted as he took another bite, chewing slowly. His table manners were impeccable, his movements deliberate and refined, as though he were dining at a five-star restaurant rather than eating a takeout meal. Veronica couldn’t help but watch, half-amused, half-intrigued by how elegant he seemed while eating something so simple.
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, and for reasons she couldn’t explain, a warm image flickered in her mind—of herself as a wife, preparing breakfast for her husband, sitting beside him, watching him eat. She quickly dismissed the thought, but the warmth lingered just a little too long.
Matthew finished his meal, still unaware of the effect his calm composure had on her.
Veronica suddenly slammed her hand on the table, startling him slightly, and placed a sheet of paper in front of him. “Here you go. Time to settle the bill.”
The paper was an invoice—”Large noodles—eight; fresh soy milk—two; delivery cost—ninety. Total—one hundred.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow, eyeing the delivery cost. “You’re charging me a hundred for noodles and soy milk? What kind of delivery service is this?”
Veronica’s grin was sly. “Boss, I know you don’t have cash on you, but that’s okay. I’ll just put it on your tab. Go ahead, sign.”
“Where did you order this from? Why are the delivery fees so high?” Matthew asked, glancing at her with a mix of suspicion and amusement.
Veronica puffed her chest out dramatically, her tone serious as she said, “Well, as your sister and Grandma’s god-granddaughter, I’ve had a significant increase in my net worth. If I charged you less, it’d reflect badly on the Kings family’s reputation. So I’m doing you a favor by charging you the standard rate.”
Her logic, bizarre as it was, had some semblance of reason, and Matthew couldn’t find an immediate rebuttal. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he signed the paper.
Veronica snatched the signed paper with a mock salute. “Thanks, boss. Let me clear the table for you. Consider it a complimentary service.”
She stood up, took the disposable containers, and began cleaning up. Her movements were efficient, but Matthew couldn’t help but notice the slight mischievous glint in her eyes.
“I need to head to the office now. You can stay here, and if you need anything, just call me,” Matthew said as he stood up to leave.
“Sure. Go ahead,” Veronica replied nonchalantly, glad to see him go. If he didn’t come back too often, that would be even better.
Matthew left without another word, heading to the basement where Thomas was already waiting in the car. As soon as Matthew entered, Thomas started the engine, heading for the Spinfluence Group office. Along the way, Thomas noticed the rare, almost uncharacteristic lightness in Matthew’s demeanor.
Meanwhile, Veronica spent her morning engrossed in gaming at the Twilight Condominium. It wasn’t until 11:30 AM that her phone rang, snapping her out of her game.
She looked at the screen, seeing it was Xavier. Answering the call, she heard his voice immediately. “Roni, where are you? I’m back in town.”
“I’m at…” Veronica hesitated, about to say she was at Matthew’s place, but quickly changed her mind. “I’m at a friend’s place. Where are you? Let me treat you to lunch this afternoon.”
“Sounds good. How about we meet at One Piece Restaurant?” Xavier suggested.
“Uh… Okay. That works.” Veronica agreed after a brief moment of hesitation. The restaurant was a bit pricey, but she figured it was a small price to pay considering all that Xavier had done for her.
As soon as she hung up, she was about to get back to her game when her phone rang again. This time, it was Matthew.
“What’s up? I’m in the middle of something right now,” she answered, focused on her game.
“I was just wondering, where do you want to go for lunch this afternoon?” Matthew’s voice was casual, but the question caught her off guard.
“Matthew, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. Grandma told you to take care of me, but it’s really not something you need to stress over,” she replied quickly, her tone light.
Matthew paused for a moment before responding, “And by the way, where’s Yvonne?”
“Oh, I forgot about her. She left after coming back to Bloomstead,” Veronica said dismissively.
“Okay, got it.” There was a slight pause on the other end before the line went silent.
Before she could say anything else, the call abruptly ended. Veronica sighed in exasperation and turned back to her game. “This guy…” she muttered under her breath.
Just then, Matthew’s phone rang again, but it was Tiffany this time. He answered without much thought.
“Have you eaten, Matthew?” Tiffany’s soft voice floated through the speaker.
“No,” Matthew replied shortly, not interested in small talk.
“I haven’t eaten either. Do you want to join me for lunch?” Tiffany asked, her tone gentle.
Matthew didn’t respond immediately, but it was clear that his attention was elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Veronica finished her game, victorious in the battle, and left the condominium. She caught a cab to the One Piece Restaurant, where she waited for Xavier. After what felt like an eternity, he finally appeared.
It had been half a month since Veronica had last seen him, and he had changed. He looked a little thinner, a little darker from the sun, but there was a certain maturity in his appearance now.
“Hi! It’s been so long,” she greeted, walking up to him.
Without hesitation, Xavier swept her into a bear hug, lifting her off the ground. “Roni! Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”
Veronica stiffened for a moment but then felt a warmth in her chest. She hadn’t expected such a reaction from him, and it touched her more than she cared to admit.
“Xavier, let go! You’re suffocating me!” she gasped, trying to wiggle out of his embrace.
When he finally released her, his expression softened into a wide, relieved grin. “I was just so happy to see you safe. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Everything’s alright,” Veronica reassured him, laughing lightly. “But if you’d squeezed any harder, I’d probably be on my way to heaven by now.”
Xavier relaxed as he heard her teasing, and with a sigh of relief, he grinned back. It was good to see her safe, and it was even better to know she was still as blunt and carefree as always.
