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Novel Catalog
Chapter 92
“Matthew, wasn’t it your man who carried my luggage? Where is it?” Veronica furrowed her brows and demanded an answer.
Matthew closed his umbrella with a cold, almost indifferent air. He carefully buckled the belt and glanced at her, his lips curving into a slight smirk. “I’m not related to you at all, so why should I help you carry your luggage?”
Her expression darkened, annoyance creeping up her spine. She rolled her eyes at him, clearly frustrated. He must have gotten upset when she introduced him to Quincy earlier, but she didn’t expect him to be so petty.
“Fine,” she huffed, her voice icy. “Our friendship is now over.”
She turned to Quincy, who was still waiting a little further down the road. “Please wait here for me. I’ll be back shortly to grab my luggage.”
With that, she stormed off in the direction she’d left her things. As she passed Matthew, she gave his arm a sharp, pointed nudge, her annoyance clear.
The road down the mountain was slick with mud, and despite her frustration, Veronica found herself moving slowly. What should’ve been a ten-minute walk turned into more than twenty minutes as she struggled through the muck.
When she finally returned, her luggage in hand, she found Matthew still standing there—his earlier companions had left without her.
Veronica angrily dropped her luggage onto the ground and glared at him. “Where’s Quincy?”
Matthew’s gaze was as cold as his voice. “He said you were too slow, so he left first.”
Veronica clenched her fists, trying to keep herself calm. “Can’t you be nice to me for once?” she snapped. This guy was impossible! Because of a few words she’d said, he had her walk for nearly an hour for nothing, and now he was giving her that smug, insufferable look.
“I’m not related to you at all, so why should I be nice to you?” Matthew replied flatly. He took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, blowing out a puff of smoke without another word.
Frustrated but unwilling to give him the satisfaction, Veronica marched past him, lugging her heavy baggage with a sense of determination.
The path back up the mountain was even more treacherous after the rain, and each step was a struggle. The slippery mud made it difficult to stay balanced, and Veronica found herself stumbling more than once.
Despite her struggles, she didn’t notice that Matthew was always a step behind her, his hand hovering at her side, ready to support her. But each time she regained her footing, he pulled back, never actually touching her.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the peak. Veronica was out of breath, exhausted from the climb, but as she lifted her head, she saw Quincy and the others already ahead, standing on the next mountain over.
Veronica seethed, her frustration building as she marched ahead without a word, determined to make her point.
Matthew followed, his voice breaking the silence behind her. “Do you need me to help you carry that?”
“I’m not related to you, so I don’t want your help!” Veronica snapped, her temper flaring.
“Okay, you’re right,” Matthew replied without missing a beat. He stayed quiet as he trailed behind her, clearly not bothered by her attitude.
As they continued, Veronica’s frustration grew as the mountain path proved more difficult to navigate. She stumbled again, the steep terrain almost sending her tumbling. Despite her attempts to steady herself, it was getting harder with each step.
What she didn’t realize was that every time she almost fell, Matthew had moved in, ready to catch her—but each time, he silently withdrew, not offering her any assistance.
When they finally reached a particularly steep part of the slope, Veronica stopped, panting. She stood on a rock, glaring at Matthew, who had finally caught up to her.
Their eyes met—hers filled with exhaustion, frustration, and anger, and his cold, indifferent gaze staring back at her.
“Matthew…” Veronica exhaled sharply, her breath ragged from the effort. “Can you just… be a little bit nicer?” She couldn’t hold back her irritation. After all, it wasn’t like she wanted to be stuck carrying her luggage on this brutal mountain hike.
“Why should I be nice to you?” Matthew responded, his voice distant. “You’re not even my sister.”
At that, Veronica stood still for a moment, her mind working. She was angry, but she also knew this wasn’t the time to keep butting heads with him. Finally, she gave in with a resigned sigh.
“Matthew, since you are my godbrother, why didn’t you help me all the way here?” she asked, a mischievous edge creeping into her tone. “Do you really think I won’t tell Grandma about this when I get back?”
Matthew raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Oh, is that so? Who was the one who told me earlier that I’m not related to her at all?”
Veronica immediately flustered. “I-I was just joking! You don’t need to take it so seriously. Are you really that petty?”
Matthew nodded seriously, his lips curling up into a barely perceptible smile. “I am.”
Veronica was about to explode in anger when she realized just how ridiculous this situation was. But instead of continuing the argument, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She knew it wouldn’t help.
“I’m sorry,” she said with forced sweetness. “I apologize for what I said. I didn’t mean it.”
Then, in a surprising move, she bent at the waist and gave him three deep bows—each more dramatic than the last.
Matthew watched her for a moment before reaching out to gently grab her chin, lifting her head. “Do you really think I’d help you carry your luggage after seeing you praying for my early death?”
Veronica’s face flushed with embarrassment as she stammered, “There’s no such thing! I was just bowing to you to show my sincerity.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Then, what kind of relationship do we have?”
Veronica rolled her eyes, her irritation making it hard to stay calm. “I’m sorry, bro. It’s my fault, okay? You’re my real brother. A good one, too. Satisfied now?”
“Fine,” Matthew said, his lips twitching in amusement. “I guess I’ll stop finding fault with you.”
With that, Matthew tossed his umbrella over to her, then stepped forward, ready to help carry her luggage. His hands reached out, and Veronica froze, clearly suspicious.
“What is this? What are you doing?” she demanded, instinctively reaching for her pocket. “Are you really going to charge me for carrying my luggage?”
Matthew shook his head, exasperated. “Nonsense.”
Without another word, he grabbed her hand and gently took the weight of her luggage, his other hand resting comfortably around her fingers. Veronica felt warmth spread through her palm, a sudden sense of security that had nothing to do with the luggage.
But just as she started to relax, she pulled her hand back. “Hey, Matthew, can you let go of me? I’m starting to suspect you’re taking advantage of me.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Matthew released her hand, but unfortunately for Veronica, they were descending a steep part of the mountain. The moment she lost her balance, she tumbled to the ground.
“Ouch! My bottom!” Veronica winced in pain, her body sprawled out on the dirt.
Frustrated and sore, she looked at the sneakers she was wearing. “What kind of shitty shoes are these? They’re not slip-resistant at all!”
A few feet away, Matthew turned, his gaze as cold as ever. He didn’t offer help—just watched her struggle.
Veronica, now sitting on the muddy ground, looked up at him helplessly. “Can you help me, bro?” She added the word “bro” reluctantly, but at this point, she had no choice.
Matthew simply looked down at her, his tone flat as ever. “I don’t think I want to. I don’t want to be accused of taking advantage of someone.”
Veronica’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?” She glared at him, but had no choice but to try standing up on her own.
“Bro, I was just joking. As your little sister, you should protect me… Otherwise, I’ll tell Grandma when I get back.”
