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Novel Catalog
Chapter 86
As Xavier leaned back in his executive chair, his gaze fixed on Veronica, unreadable. “You can arrange it that way, since I’ve been quite busy lately. But don’t worry about your parents. Leave them to me. I’ll make sure they’re safe.”
The charity event this time was organized by the local government of Bloomstead, so all major companies had to send representatives. Xavier’s father, Hendric, would be attending as well.
Xavier had a plan. Hendric had always been skeptical of Veronica, so he intentionally sent her to Almeida. He wanted his father to see firsthand that Veronica wasn’t the simple, naïve girl he believed her to be. Xavier knew that if Hendric thought they were simply going to Almeida together for a public appearance, he wouldn’t take them seriously.
“You’ll leave the day after tomorrow,” Xavier continued, watching her intently. “You’ll be there for two weeks.”
He added casually, “If you don’t want to go, I can find someone else.”
Veronica didn’t hesitate. “I can do it. No worries,” she replied. Xavier had helped her countless times, and she didn’t want to disappoint him. Besides, she loved charity events. This was a good opportunity to contribute.
“Two weeks should be enough for Hendric to get a good look at you,” Xavier said, more to himself than to her. He was confident that once his father saw Veronica’s kind, hardworking nature up close, he would accept her.
After their discussion, Veronica returned to the secretary department to continue her work.
Later, as they had dinner together once again, Xavier offered to give Veronica a ride home, but she politely refused. She didn’t want him to discover that she was living with Matthew.
“I’ll take the bicycle home. I want to work out a bit to lose some weight,” Veronica explained, forcing a lighthearted tone.
“Alright then,” Xavier agreed, not pushing the matter further.
At 8:30 PM, Veronica arrived back at the Twilight Condominium. The place was eerily quiet, and the lights were off. Feeling drained, she collapsed onto the couch, but sleep wouldn’t come.
She wandered into the study, but Matthew wasn’t there. So, she passed the time playing computer games.
It wasn’t until 11:00 PM that Matthew finally returned. He walked into the study to find Veronica absorbed in her game, muttering to herself, “What’s so impressive about winning ten times in a row in the Grand Tournament?”
She glanced up at him, startled by his sudden appearance.
“Matthew, you gave me a fright!” she exclaimed, clutching her chest. “Why do you walk so quietly? You nearly made me jump out of my skin!”
“You wouldn’t be scared if you weren’t doing anything wrong,” Matthew replied coolly. He began unbuttoning his blue suit and hung it up on the rack. “How’s the job hunting going?” he asked without looking at her.
“Uh… still searching,” Veronica answered quickly, avoiding his gaze. She quickly logged out of the game and stood up. “Are you going to work now? I shouldn’t disturb you. Goodbye.” She headed toward the living room to avoid any further interaction.
Matthew watched her go, but he didn’t comment.
At 2:00 AM, Matthew stepped out of the study, only to find Veronica still awake, watching a drama on the couch.
“Why aren’t you in bed?” he asked, his voice sounding unusually soft.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Veronica responded, a pillow in her arms as she lay curled up. “I guess I’m just used to sleeping in my own bed. I can’t sleep when I change beds.”
Matthew frowned slightly but said nothing. “Rest early,” he murmured before returning to his room.
Veronica glanced at his door after he shut it. “This man…” she muttered to herself. His coldness confused her, and his dark expression didn’t help. She sighed and went back to watching her show, chuckling intermittently at the funny moments.
In his bedroom, Matthew’s thoughts deepened as he heard her laughter echoing through the apartment. The sound continued until 4:00 AM, when Veronica finally quieted down.
Thirty minutes later, Matthew emerged from his room. He found Veronica sleeping soundly on the couch, still holding the pillow in her arms.
He stared down at her, brows furrowed slightly. After a moment, he bent down and carefully scooped her up. She stirred but didn’t wake as he carried her to her room and laid her gently on the bed.
She turned on her side, still asleep, her body partly exposed as the covers shifted. Matthew’s gaze remained cool, though he covered her with a thin blanket before stepping back.
The next morning, Veronica woke naturally, stretching as sunlight filtered in through the windows. After completing her morning routine, she walked out to find a few paper bags in the living room.
Curious, she approached the bags and saw Matthew sitting nearby. “Pajamas,” he said, nodding toward the bags.
“We already have some, right?” Veronica asked, pulling out a set of modest pajamas: short-sleeved shirts and shorts. They were simple, but quite nice.
“Oh, these are nice,” Veronica said with a smile. “I was thinking of buying some new ones, but now I don’t need to.”
Matthew didn’t respond. He was already focused on his breakfast.
Veronica continued, “Thank you, bro.” She smiled, but her voice was casual, as though the term of endearment didn’t carry much weight.
Matthew’s brow twitched at the word “bro,” but he didn’t argue. He was used to it by now.
He shoved a receipt into her hand. “Remember to pay me back.”
Veronica looked at the receipt, then at the two sets of pajamas—costing more than 300 each. It wasn’t a huge amount, but still, she raised an eyebrow. “Matthew, you’re my godbrother. Why are you making me pay you back?”
“You can pay me back with yourself,” he said, his tone deadpan, as he spooned some oatmeal into his mouth.
Veronica froze for a second, her face flushing. The audacity of the man never ceased to amaze her.
Still, she shrugged. “Fine. It’s just a little over 300. I can afford it.” She handed the receipt back to him with a sigh, clearly relieved it wasn’t a bigger sum.
She walked away, but Matthew’s cold expression lingered in her mind.
