Chapter 73
Followed
Veronica’s POV
The sound of fists colliding and grunts of effort filled the room as Carter and Orthon tangled like two wild animals. My heart jumped to my throat as I stood frozen, unsure if I should intervene or call for help.
“Stop it!” I shouted, but my voice was drowned out by the scuffle. Orthon dodged a punch and countered with one of his own, his face twisted with
anger.
dare talk about her like that again!” Orthon growled, shoving
back into the wall.
She doesn’t need you to protect her!” Carter spat, wiping blood from the corner of his lip. He lunged forward again, but Orthon sidestepped with
ease.
My hands trembled, and I finally found my voice. “Carter, enough! This isn’t helping anyone!”
Carter froze, his chest heaving as he turned to look at me. His eyes held a mix of anger and desperation that made my stomach twist.
“Veronica, can’t you see what he’s doing?” Carter panted. “He’s controlling you, making you dependent on him.
“Carter, stop,” I said firmly, my voice steady this time. “You don’t get to decide who I lean on. And you sure as hell don’t get to attack him for it.”
Chapter Ja
Orthon stepped in front of me protectively, his posture tense as if ready for another attack. “She’s made her choice, Carter. Get over it.”
Carter’s fists clenched, and for a moment, I thought he might explode again. But then, his shoulders sagged, and his gaze softened. “You think he’s any different from me?” he said quietly, his voice dripping with bitterness. “He’ll hurt you too, Veronica. Just wait.”
Without another word, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The words hit me hard and for a moment, all I could do was stare at him walking away.
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The silence that followed was deafening. Orthon turned to me, his
knuckles bruised and his jaw tight. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, his voice filled with concern.
I nodded, though my heart was still racing. I wasn’t okay. What made him think he could say that to me and just leave? Why wouldn’t he just let me move on without tormenting my life? Didn’t I deserve some peace?
“I should be asking you that,” I said, stepping closer to inspect his hands. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“He crossed a line,” Orthon said, his tone firm and irritated. “I won’t let anyone disrespect you like that. Not him, not anyone.”
I swallowed hard, my emotions a chaotic mess. Part of me wanted to argue, to tell him I didn’t need saving, but another part, a bigger part, felt a warmth I hadn’t felt in years. The familiar butterflies that stirred in my belly every time he did something for me.
“Thank you,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
Orthon’s expression softened, and he reached out to brush a strand of hair from my face. “I’ll always protect you, Vee,” he said. “No matter what.”
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Chapter 73
I looked up at him, my chest tightening with something I couldn’t quite name. The way he looked at me, like I was the most important thing in the world, made me want to crash in his arms and confess everything I was bottling inside.
But I couldn’t. Not yet.
“Let’s go see Grandpa,” I said, breaking the moment before it could become too much.
Orthon nodded, his hand lingering on mine for a moment before letting
- go.
As we walked down the hall, I couldn’t help but glance at him out of the corner of my eye. The man who had just defended me so fiercely now walked calmly by my side, as if nothing had happened.
But something had happened.
He just fought his nephew. A real physical fight and I couldn’t shake off the feeling that it was going to happen again.
I couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease as we reached Grandpa’s wing of the mansion. Carter’s words echoed in my mind over and over again. It was making me think about things I shouldn’t even be considering.
Was Orthon really different? Or was I just fooling myself?
“Vee, you okay?” Orthon asked, his voice pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah,” I lied, forcing a smile. “Just… thinking.”
“About Carter?” he guessed, his tone dripping into something I couldn’t decipher. I didn’t want him to worry about it though.
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“About everything.” I admitted.
He nodded, not pressing me for more. That was one of the things I appreciated about Orthon, he didn’t push me when I wasn’t ready.
Grandpa greeted us with a warm smile, his eyes lighting up when he saw me. “Veronica, my dear! It’s been too long.”
I hugged him tightly, feeling a sense of comfort I hadn’t realized I needed. “I missed you, Grandpa.”
He felt so fragile yet comfy. I’ve missed this so much.
We spent the next hour catching up, the tension from earlier was slowly melting away. Orthon stayed close but gave us space. He didn’t contribute anything and just stared at his phone.
I wondered if I was part of the reasons he was quiet.
As we were leaving, I caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of
my eye.
“Did you see that?” I whispered to Orthon, my heart skipping a beat.
“See what?” he asked, his brows furrowing.
“Someone’s following us,” I said, my voice barely audible.
Orthon’s expression darkened, and he placed a hand on my back, steering. me toward the car. “Stay close,” he said, his voice low and serious.
I didn’t argue, my instincts screaming that something wasn’t right.
The ride back was tense, both of us on high alert. The fucking car followed us everywhere we went. We couldn’t lose it. By the time we got
Chapter 71
home, I felt like I was about to jump out of my skin.
Orthon parked the car and turned to me. “Go inside,” he instructed.
I was too frozen to move. What did he mean by go inside? Wasn’t he coming with me?
“What about you?” I asked him.
“There are guards around, so trust me when I say you are very safe. This is one of the most secured buildings…”
“That is not what I am asking, Orthon,” I cut him short. “I know home is safe. I am asking about you! You don’t sound like you’re coming with me.”
“I need to go back out there and find out who the hell that was,” he said and I immediately grabbed his arm, shaking my head frantically.
“You can’t go out there!” I stated.
“Veronica, trust me, you don’t need to worry about me. I will be fine. I just need to know who it is, okay?” He said.
“Let the guards do it then, please,” I pleaded,
“Vee…”
“Orthon please,” I pleaded and he sighed.
“Fine!”
He got out for the car and walked to the guards. He instructed them to check the perimeters for a black Toyota.
He walked me inside and we stay in the living room waiting for the guards to come back. About thirty minutes later they returned.
“We found the car, sir.”
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