CHAPTER 68

As Matthew sat opposite Veronica, he studied her face. Even though a night had passed, he wasn’t used to the change in the situation.

“Why are you staring at me?” As she ate, she glanced at him and started touching her cheeks. “Is there something on my face?”

Slowly, Matthew lowered his head and looked at his phone without saying anything.

Although Veronica pouted at his lack of response, she simply continued eating. Then, she jerked her head up and stared right at him. “You… Are you planning to make a move on me?” Once again, she felt her face up. “You like Tiffany. Do you think of me as her now?” Coming to a ‘sudden understanding,’ Veronica picked up a throw pillow and covered herself with it, acting like she was guarding herself against him before feeling her body up and down. “What did you do to me last night, you b*stard? Tell me honestly-does my a*s hurt because of you?”

At that sentence, Matthew paused in his actions and looked up at her with incredulously lifted eyebrows and a scowl.

Was he someone so shameless in her eyes?

“Put down your food and get lost.”

He didn’t bother explaining himself to her; he only threw a lofty sentence in her face without hiding his anger.

“What?” Completely not expecting his response, she paused before musing to herself doubtfully, Did he really not lay a hand on me?

Veronica didn’t know whether to believe him or not.

After thinking about it for a bit and being unable to find any traces of him lying, she laughed sheepishly. “I’m only kidding. Just kidding.”

With that, she put away the pillow and was about to continue eating.

However, before she could touch the spoon again, Matthew took away her half emptied bowl.

“Huh? Hey, give me back my oatmeal!” She reached out for him but was only able to snag the hem of his shirt. “I was only joking. Don’t take it seriously.”

Stone-faced, he turned to look at her out of the corner of his eye. “Let go of me.”

“I won’t!”

“I do not wish to repeat myself.”

“... Uh... Matthew-no–dear brother, why are you treating me like this? You’re my older brother, so shouldn’t you be spoiling me? Haven’t you seen the older brothers from other families? They spoil their sisters like crazy! Why are you being so petty?”

Stubbornly, she clung to the hem of Matthew’s shirt and pleaded with him to the best of her ability.

Ever since she gained a position as his god-sister, she noticed that his behavior toward her had changed quite a bit, perhaps because he was afraid of Elizabeth or because she saved Elizabeth. At any rate, he was no longer as merciless toward her.

That was the reason Veronica was no longer as timid toward him.

It was as if she was sure he wouldn’t actually do anything to her.

Used to her unwillingness to admit defeat, but not her putting down her dignity and acting like a spoiled child in front of him, Matthew felt inexplicably pleased. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll think of you as Tiffany?” he retorted.

“No, no, no. That would never happen. What kind of woman a man like you can’t have? I have a good- looking face, but no merits apart from that. You would never be into me. Besides, if you touched a single hair on my head, I would only tell your grandmother you’re into incest!” As she spoke, she stood up and rounded him to snatch the remaining half of her oatmeal back from him.

However, before she could even turn away, Matthew wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

Dressed in thin clothing as it was the middle of summer, they could feel each other’s body heat and heartbeats through their closeness.

Frowning, Veronica looked up and met his gaze. “What are you doing?”

“Incest?” He lifted an eyebrow and suddenly leaned in to murmur hoarsely into her ear, “What about before, then?”

The so-called ‘before that he was referring to was naturally the time they had slept together.

The warm breath that left his lips blew against the fine hair in the crook of her neck, tickling her skin and making it itch. All at once, Veronica couldn’t help the rush of heat through her body.

“I’ve forgotten about everything that happened before. All of that is in the past but now, you’re my brother, and it would be unconscionable for you to touch me again.”

Even if Veronica didn’t want to be his sister,’ she had to make proper use of the shield she had been afforded.

As for before, she would consider it as him taking advantage of her.

Surely, that meant it would be foolhardy of her to respond to his advances now.

Thus, she pushed him away with a smile that she didn’t feel and went to sit down on the couch.

Acutely feeling her absence from his arms, Matthew turned to look at her where she sat. To his astonishment, he discovered there was actually a hint of redness on her fair, delicate cheeks.

No wonder he hadn’t seen what she looked like when she blushed before. It was because she had been wearing makeup back then.

However, the corners of his lips couldn’t help turning up at the color on her cheeks now. “Slow down.” he advised her. “There’s more in the kitchen.”

Once again, he walked back to the couch and sat down with his legs crossed, picking up a magazine to read in the process.

“Okay.” Veronica nodded and fed another spoonful into her mouth. As she lifted her head to talk to him, she suddenly realized something. “You’re holding it the wrong way up”

Her reminder made Matthew lower his head to look and sure enough, his magazine was upside down.

A hint of embarrassment flashed through his eyes, but he recovered his composure quickly and answered calmly, “I’m used to it.”

“Huh?” She took him at his word and gave him a thumbs-up. “That’s impressive. Why don’t I know how to do that?”

“Because you’re a fool.” “You… Fine, fine, you‘re not a fool. You’re the smartest person in the world. Are you happy now?” She then scoffed, lowering her head to continue eating without realizing that

Matthew was closing the magazine and tossing it aside.

After eating, she took the bowl to the kitchen to wash up. When she was done, she exited the kitchen and announced, “I have something to do, so I’ll be leaving now. Thank you for yesterday.”

Even if Veronica could have escaped without him, things wouldn’t have gone as smoothly.

After all, she was no longer in her home country. Without her passport or any other identification, she wouldn’t have been able to return to Bloomstead so easily.

“Wait a minute.” Matthew stood up and muttered, “Let me send you since I’m going out as well.”

“Sure.” She accepted gladly, unable to resist flattering him as well. “You’re so nice to me, darling brother!”

As if! He is a scoundrel of a hypocrite!

Yet, due to the circumstances of her life, Veronica had no choice but to resort to cheap flattery.

Taking the keys, Matthew entered the elevator with her.

“Here, take this.” He handed a card to her.

“Isn’t this your penthouse’s access card?”

“You can’t stay at your apartment anymore, so you can stay here from now on.”

“You already said there was only one bedroom here. How can I stay? Are you expecting me to share a bed with you?” Veronica eyed him warily, feeling like he wanted to take advantage of her. Property © of .

“Who said that?”

“You did. Yesterday.”