Page 14 of Claiming Veronica

A dark thought crossed my mind. Maybe they didn’t care. Maybe, to them, Veronica was just some weak little thing they had to protect out of obligation, but no one gave a shit about her health. Not like I did.

The idea sent a surge of heat through my veins.

No one knew her the way I did. No one understood how much potential she had, how sharp her mind was, how much she was capable of. They all treated her like glass — fragile, breakable.But I knew better. Veronica was stronger than they gave her credit for.

Still, that didn’t mean I could ignore the facts. Her body was weak, and if I didn’t intervene, if I didn’t watch her carefully — well, I didn’t like to think about what might happen.

I watched as she collapsed back onto the bed, her breath finally evening out, though the coughing fit had left her exhausted. She’d fall asleep soon, I knew. She always did after those episodes but was too drained to keep going.

I drummed my fingers against the desk, planning the next step. I needed to know more about her health and what she was dealing with. The cough, the asthma, the way her lungs seemed to fail her at the worst times. I’d have to find a way to get that information — maybe through her doctor’s office. I saw that she had a sticky note up on her computer with an appointment. If she were leaving the house, I’d be right behind her.

The gifts were a start. She hadn’t thrown them away, at least not the ones I could track. She was keeping them, even if she didn’t know why. That meant something, and I could use that. She had a little box for the petals and a separate one for the pebbles I gathered for her.

Another gift. She’d be forced to think about something more personal this time. I’d bought her a delicate rose gold bracelet. Simple, understated, but beautiful in its own way. I’d made sure of it.

I turned it over, imagining her reaction when she found it. Would she wear it? Would she wonder who had given it to her, why I kept leaving these little pieces of myself behind?

A slow smile crept across my face. Yeah, she’d wonder. She’d think about me and our connection, even if she didn’t fully understand it.

And soon enough, she’d realize I was the only one who could see her for what she was.

I pocketed the bracelet and headed for the door.

Chapter 8

Veronica

Isat cross-legged on my bed, the familiar hum of my laptop comforting me as I logged into our group voice chat. It was late, and I was still jittery from too much coffee, but talking to them always helped calm the whirlwind in my head.

“What’s the latest? Spill the tea,” Reed asked. She looked exhausted, and I reminded myself I needed to send her a private message to find out what was happening with her. She seemed extra tired the last few times we’d been in group chats.

“Yeah, we haven’t heard from you in days. What’s going on over there?” Calia predictably had a stack of chemistry books on her desk. I’d probably caught her neck deep in her homework, but she’d told me over and over again that she didn’t mind.

“She’s probably deep in some conspiracy theory again,” Arabella huffed.

I smirked at them and replied quickly, “Oh, you have no idea. So get this. Max pulled the security detail today.”

Reed leaned forward, obviously shocked. “Wait. What? Like, all of it? That hottie is gone?” Reed had a thing for Luca. She’d crushed on him hard for years, demanding constant photos that I’d had to sneak weekly once I’d lost a bet and ended up having to get a picture of him at the pool. Granted, I couldn’t argue it had been drool-worthy.

“Yeah, all of it. He called Natasha earlier to ‘check in’ and see if we were comfortable with it. Of course, she said yes, trying not to sound too eager about having the house to ourselves. I played along because, well, you know… I have plans.”

“You’re secretly excited, aren’t you? Oh my God.” Calia smacked herself dramatically in the face.

“Maybe.” A small grin spread across my face. They knew me too well.

Arabella sighed, “Girl, this is the opposite of what normal people do.”

“Okay, but hear me out. This gives me freedom. With the guards gone, I can finally follow up on some of my leads without someone breathing down my neck.” I could practically hear the groans coming through the screen.

“Ronnie, please tell us you’re not planning on doing something reckless,” Reed said, then paused, looking thoughtful. “Maybe I should call Luca and tell him to come back.”

“Define reckless.” I winked. “And don’t you dare.”

“This is why we worry about you!” Calia shouted.

“No, seriously. What leads are you talking about? Is this about Eli?” Arabella had narrowed in on the crux of the issue.

They were always quick to jump in, trying to be the voices of reason. But part of them loved this as much as I did, the adrenaline, the chase.

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