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Novel Catalog
Chapter 99
Melissa’s excitement was palpable—she could hardly believe what she had just heard. Her heart raced, and her words stumbled over each other, failing to capture the magnitude of her emotions.
“Oh, wow! Matthew, look! A shooting star! Quick, make a wish!” she exclaimed, pointing upward with wide eyes. “I’ve heard that wishes made under a shooting star often come true!”
As the star streaked across the clear night sky, Melissa jumped with joy. She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, her face radiating hope. Please, shooting star, let me be Matthew’s wife one day!
Standing next to her, Matthew couldn’t help but notice how Melissa’s brash innocence reminded him of Veronica. Surprisingly, the woman wasn’t as grating as he had anticipated.
“Why hasn’t she come out yet?” Matthew murmured, looking around, beginning to feel the weight of the delay.
Melissa, still overwhelmed with happiness, felt lucky just to be in Matthew’s presence. Yet, her nerves were bubbling up inside her, making it difficult to find the right words.
“Wait here! I’ll go get her,” she said, rushing off without another thought.
She burst into her room to find Veronica sitting on the bed, counting a large stack of cash with a focused expression.
“Oh my God, Veronica! You’re the best!” Melissa squealed, rushing over to hug her. She was so excited she practically tackled Veronica, planting a quick peck on her cheek.
“Veronica, you’re so smart! I’m so happy right now. Here…”
Melissa dug into her bag, pulled out another wad of cash, and handed it to Veronica with a beaming smile. “This is for you. Consider it a bonus for our first successful collaboration.”
Veronica recoiled slightly, eyes wide in mock disgust as she wiped the spot where Melissa’s kiss had landed. “Yikes, there’s saliva on it! Hahaha, really?”
Still, she couldn’t hide her satisfaction at the money. She looked at the stack, then grinned, her eyes bright with amusement. “Melissa, you’re a good friend. Just like your brother—you two are both so likable.”
It was clear to Veronica that generosity ran in the family, and the cash didn’t hurt either. She let out a low laugh. “No wonder you two are siblings. You’re both way too generous.”
Melissa’s joy was infectious, and she didn’t care about the teasing. “Of course! If my brother likes you, I’ll like you too. And now that you like me, we’re friends from here on out!”
Still floating in a state of bliss, Melissa plopped down on the bed. But after a moment, she remembered Matthew’s earlier question.
“You should head out. Matthew’s waiting for you. He’ll know something’s up if we take too long,” she said, pushing Veronica back to reality.
Veronica immediately shoved the forty thousand into her bag. “Right,” she muttered, not forgetting to warn Melissa with a sly grin, “Only you, me, and God know where the money is. If it’s gone when I get back, you’ll be paying me back, understood?”
Normally, such words would have angered Melissa, but today she was too happy to care. “Don’t worry! I’ll look after it. If anything happens, I’ll pay you again.”
Veronica winked, “Tsk, this is why I like you,” and then ran outside toward the courtyard.
Despite the pitch-black darkness, Veronica’s eyes easily found Matthew standing silently under a tree. If she hadn’t known it was him, the sight might have been unsettling in the dead of night, but she simply hopped over to him with a grin.
“Why are you still here?” she asked teasingly.
Matthew turned his head to face her, his response calm. “I was waiting for you.”
For a brief moment, Veronica felt a twinge of discomfort, but she quickly masked it. After all, she needed to stay on her toes. “Didn’t you say you had something to talk about?” he asked, his voice now more focused, eyes piercing through the darkness as he waited for her to answer.
Veronica rubbed her head, trying to find the best way to respond. “I just wanted to…” She tilted her head upward, catching sight of the full moon, and smiled. “I just wanted to look at the moon. Yeah, let’s look at the moon together.”
The moon shone brightly above, its glow reminding Veronica of simpler times when she had gazed up at the stars with her foster parents back in the village.
Matthew followed her gaze and nodded. “Yeah, the moon tonight does look extra round.”
“See, I’m right, aren’t I?” Veronica grinned.
They both stood in silence, their attention fixed on the sky. Eventually, Veronica grew restless. “Why don’t you go grab some chairs? Aren’t you tired of standing while looking at the moon?”
The ground of the village was muddy, and there were no benches or seating.
“Sure,” Matthew replied after a short pause. Without another word, he disappeared into the darkness.
Veronica stood at the entrance, lost in thought. What’s going on with him today? Why is he being so obedient all of a sudden?
The croaking of frogs filled the air as she waited. A few moments later, Matthew returned with two chairs in hand.
They sat side by side, quietly watching the moon. It was peaceful, but something about the night felt longer than usual. Veronica found herself still over the moon about the forty thousand she had received earlier.
After a while, Matthew spoke again. “Why are you so quiet?”
Veronica, distracted, blinked. “Yeah? What did you say?”
Matthew’s gaze sharpened. “What exactly happened between you and Tiffany?”
It was the question he had been dying to ask.
Veronica stiffened, unwilling to dive into the complexities of her feud with Tiffany. “Nothing much,” she replied, trying to brush it off.
Matthew raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “That’s all?”
“That’s all,” Veronica insisted, though the unease in her voice betrayed her.
He wasn’t satisfied with her answer. “That’s not what you said when we were stranded on the mountain. You seemed pretty upset then.”
Veronica recalled the harsh words she’d said about Tiffany swearing to kill her. What was I thinking? she berated herself. It was reckless and out of line.
She hastily tried to cover up her slip-up. “Yeah, I was worried. Didn’t I tell you before? The Larsons are after my bone marrow. I thought they might kill me over it. What could I do, right?”
Her attempt to speak with confidence felt hollow, even to her.
Matthew didn’t say anything right away, but his silence spoke volumes. He knew she was lying, but for now, he chose not to call her out on it.
The two sat in an uncomfortable silence.
Sighing, Veronica shifted the conversation. “I wonder what Mom and Dad are doing now. I kinda miss them.”
The night stretched on, the moon high above them as they both reflected on their pasts, trapped in their own thoughts.
