Chapter 24
Veronica had been living the good life at Weston Manor these past few days. From her family to the servants, not a single person treated her coldly or looked down on her. Quite the opposite–her easygoing personality won her fondness from everyone in the house.
Right now, she was holding a spatula in one hand, finishing up her signature dish in the kitchen with help from the head chef.
Outside the kitchen, Mason sat on a chair, his eyes locked on Veronica, ready to jump in if she showed even the slightest sign of trouble.
As the rest of the family returned from work, they followed the smell of something delicious straight to the kitchen. Seeing Mason sitting with his back to the door only made them more curious.
Edwin asked, “Grandpa, what are you doing?”
Gavin joked, “Hey, even if you’re starving, camping at the kitchen door is weird.”
The mood in the house was light and cheerful, so the boys spoke freely even around Mason.
Mason shot them a glare. They were surprised to see his eyes were actually red. They thought, ‘Is it the smell of the food making his eyes water! Or is he really that hungry?
The guys poked their heads into the kitchen and exclaimed in surprise, “Ronie?”
Wearing an apron, Veronica turned around with a smile and gave them a wave with the spatula. “Oh, you guys just got back? I’ll be quick This dish is almost done.”
She was making pineapple chicken wings. The kitchen staff had already prepped the pineapples and chicken wings for her. She just had to fry and give some instructions. For those who were used to gourmet meals, the sweet and tangy combo was refreshing.
As soon as the dish hit the table, everyone reached for it with their forks. Oddly enough, they all went for the best–looking wings they thought and just dropped them into Veronica’s plate.
Veronica was mid–sip and almost choked on her water.
Mason said, “Ronie, you worked hard. You should have the first bite”
Victor chimed in, “You’re way too thin. Eat more meat”
Edwin nodded. “Totally agree.–
Gavin added, “Well, you guys already stole all the nice
things to
to
say.
Ronie, go ahead and try it. The piece I picked tastes the best
If it weren’t for how sincere their expressions looked, Veronica might’ve thought they were doubting her cooking. But seeing the care in their eyes, she just laughed and used her fork to return the four chicken wings to their plates.
She said, “You should try it first. Give me some feedback, alright?”
Mason replied without hesitation, “No need. It must taste amazing.
Victor nodded along but said nothing.
Edwin said, “konie, thank you for making us dinner. Let me get you a card to buy some new outfits.”
Gavin spoke up, “I just signed an eight–figure endorsement deal. Give me your bank info. I’ll have the company send the payment to your account instead.”
Mason laughed, “Yeah, good idea.”
Veronica felt a bit helpless. She’d only been living here for a few days, and they were already acting like they wanted to give her the whole world. Thinking about them and then thinking about her own biological father, Veronica couldn’t help but find it funny.
She picked up a piece of pineapple and placed it on Mason’s plate before putting down her fork. She said in a serious tone, “Look, you puys don’t need to worry about me. I’ve got enough money.”
She casually mentioned a few of her business holdings and did a rough calculation. Her personal assets added up to at least a billion
Everyone at the table went silent, completely stunned. After a long pause, Mason was the first to speak, “Poor Ronie. If it weren’t for your
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Chapter 24
stupid father, you never would’ve had to go through so much.”
Victor wiped his damp eyes and commented. To make this kind of money at your age, it really couldn’t have been easy”
Edwin said with admiration, “Ronie, you’re incredible.”
Gavin added. “From now on, you don’t need to work. We’ve got you covered.”
Veronica helplessly thought, “What’s wrong with them? Whether I’m broke or loaded, they still treat me like some poor thing
Just then, Colton, who had supposedly been out on a business trip, walked through the door. He saw the table full of food and sat down,
his eyes landing on the plate of pineapple chicken wings in the center.
“What’s this?” He picked up a wing, took a bite, and lit up instantly.
Veronica looked at him, asking nervously, “What do you think, Uncle Colton?”
Everyone else stared at him as if warning. “Even if it tastes awful, don’t say it out loud.”
Colton swallowed the bite and wiped his mouth. He calmly said, “Whoever made this, Victor, you better give them a raise. This is amazing.
“Really?” asked Vigter.
Gavin smiled, “I told you Ronie’s the best
Everyone else complimented Veronica and eagerly picked up the wings to eat. The moment that sweet and savory flavor hit their tongues, a collective sound of satisfaction filled the air.
They sighed. “This is so good.”
Then, right in front of Veronica, a full–on fork battle broke out. The guys pulled out all their tricks trying to grab more from the plate until only one lonely piece of pineapple was left.
Gavin reached out for it but got a sharp glare from Colton “Brat, don’t be rude, Colton said while grabbing the pineapple and bringing it toward his mouth.
“Ahem.” A low cough came from Mason. Colton really wanted to pretend he didn’t hear it, but with all those stares burning into him, he had no choice but to drop the pineapple into Mason’s plate.
Mason let out a pleased hum and popped the pineapple into his mouth with a loud, exaggerated munch
Everyone else thought. He was definitely showing off. Fine, he’s the boss of the family”
Veronica watched them with a big grin she couldn’t hide. She thought to herself, They’re seriously the most lovable guys I’ve ever seen. After they’d all eaten and chatted with Mason for a bit, they started heading out–some to their rooms, others to their evening plans. Veronica took a shower, changed out of the clothes she wore in the kitchen, got herself put together, and grabbed her laptop before heading to Edwin’s room.
She seriously wanted to help the Weston family make up for the lost business with the Harringtons.
She knocked on the door and asked, “Edwin, can I come in!”
Edwin replied in surprise, “Ronie? Come on in
“Okay” Veronica pushed the door open.
Meanwhile, her phone, back in her room, kept buzzing nonstop on the bed. She was too busy going over the research she’d collected in the past few days with Edwin. They carefully analyzed the pros and cons of a few promising investments.
At first, Edwin hadn’t taken it that seriously. But once Veronica broke down the details of a mining project–laying out the strengths and risks with clear logic–his whole attitude toward her reversed. He started paying close attention and joined her in dissecting the proposal.
Raymond, on the other hand, was growing more frustrated after calling Veronica again and again with no answer. He made another mental note to hold it against Alexander,
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Chapter 24
“Hey, what’s up with you? You look like some poor guy who just got dumped Colton clapped Raymond on the shoulder and sat down next to him with a chuckle.
