Toby Cage told Veronica Parker, “If it’s really embarrassing for you, then forget it. The important thing is you’re okay.”
Veronica thought that he would leave after that.
However, Toby waited there for a long time and he leaned against the wall without changing his position. As he used his strength, he felt a pain in his abdomen. So, he leaned his hand against the wall for support and mumbled. His face became paler.
Veronica held him in order to support him. She worriedly asked him, “Toby, how are you feeling?”
Toby was speechless and just shook his head.
Veronica didn’t know how long he had been standing there. She knew that his body was still not strong enough to withstand it.
So, Veronica told him, “I’ll help you in first.”
She used her key to open the door. Then she assisted Toby inside the house and closed the door.
She had let Toby sit on the sofa and told him, “Take a rest first before you go.”
Veronica went to the kitchen then poured a cup of tea for Toby. His face was still pale. Even his lips turned pale. She had never seen him in such a state before.
Toby took a sip of tea. Veronica looked at him carefully and asked, “How are you feeling now? Do you feel better now? Because if not, I’ll call an ambulance.”
Toby smiled bitterly and replied, “Why would you need an ambulance?”
Veronica asked him, “How did you get here?” As she looked at Toby’s silence, she couldn’t believe how reckless it was for him to get here. She continued to ask him, “Did you drive here by yourself? Toby, are you out of your mind? Do you don’t want to die?”
But Toby just looked up at her and said, “It doesn’t matter.”
Veronica was so confused by his statement. She didn’t know how she should reply to him. It sounded as if his life didn’t matter for him. Veronica couldn’t help but think, ‘So what else matters to him? My life?’
‘Just because he wanted to see if I was all right, he could just run here without regard for his body.’
So, she told him, “Toby, Nick won’t do anything to me. I’m the mother of Peter. No matter how angry he is, he will take care of his children. Otherwise, if I didn’t fight him like what I did before, I wouldn’t know how many babies I had.”
Toby looked around the house and asked her, “Have you been living here alone?”
Veronica sat cross-legged on the foam board and replied, “Well, this is Isabella’s house. And she had no family.”
Toby looked at her sitting posture and felt warm. Then he told her, “Didn’t I tell you that girls can’t sit like that? It could make men think of crazy and wild thoughts.”
Veronica’s face froze and she blushed. She immediately pulled her legs together and clasped her hands. She immediately changes the subject to ease the awkward atmosphere around them and asked, “How is your injury? What about your ribs?”
“Two were broken.”
Veronica’s heart sank and she bit her lip tightly. She knew that it wouldn’t get better anytime soon. Indeed, Nick’s fist was so hard.
Veronica replied to him, “Then you shouldn’t have come here to see me. You should know Nick better than I do.
“Give me a reason.”
“What reason?”
“Give me a reason why I shouldn’t come here.”
Veronica turned her face and looked across the balcony into the dark night.
Toby was asking what her reason was. And the truth was, her reason was that she did not want Toby to be infringed by Nick because of her. She hoped that he could find his own happiness.
But she couldn’t just say that. She knew that the more she would talk, the more Toby couldn’t get out of her current situation with Nick.
“I fell in love with Nick,” Veronica said in a low voice as if speaking to herself. Inside the silent room, what she said suddenly hit Toby hard in his heart.
Toby asked in disbelief, “What did you say?” Toby Cage tried to move, threw himself at Veronica, and knelt in front of her. He held her face and said, “You’re lying! Look at me and tell me that isn’t true.”
Veronica and Toby looked at each other for a moment. Finally, she said, “I like Nick, so I can’t be with you.”
“How could you like him? What made you like Nick?”
“I don’t know. I was caught off guard by my feelings. Maybe it was because I was always with him and those times made me fell in love with him. Or maybe because he was the father of my children. I only hope for Peter to have a complete family.”
Toby Cage almost roared and his voice trembled violently as he said, “Nick Cage won’t give you a complete home at all! You can like anyone, but you can’t like him! You know that!”
Veronica’s eyes trembled. It seemed as if everyone around her was telling her not to have wishful thinking. It was unbelievable for her to talk about having feelings for Nick. Even if she just wanted to let Toby give up, listening to his pained voice made her heart tighten.
“I know. That was why I said it was just my hope. Do you want me to be with you while you know that I love him in my heart? Toby, you know me very well. I wouldn’t do that.”
Toby’s hands that held her face trembled with restraint as he said, “I don’t believe you like him, no way!”
But Veronica pushed him away and said “Toby, we’re over it! Just forget about me!” Then Veronica stood to get the phone. She continued to say, “I’ll call Suzanne Roland and ask her to pick you up.”
But Toby sat decadently on the foam board and protested, “I have nothing to do with her! Don’t call her. I don’t need her.”
Veronica looked back at him and saw that he looked even paler than before.
Although she couldn’t bear it, she knew that he couldn’t stay there with her.
So, Veronica pretended to lose her cool and got angry as she said, “It bothers me whenever you are here! Nick won’t let you go, and he won’t let me go! Toby, don’t you understand that?”
Toby chuckled and laughed at himself. He felt embarrassed and his self-esteem crumbled.
Veronica’s eyes warmed up when she said, “What on earth do you want me to do, Toby? I could not have kids for you. Even if I decide to be with you, I will live with guilt all my life. We would both be in pain. Is that what you want? If that is so, then I can go with you now!”
Toby did not speak. His whole being seemed to be bathed in the darkness and felt as if he could no longer extricate himself.
Suddenly, the mobile phone in Veronica’s hand rang and it made her come back to her senses. When she saw who was calling her, she froze right there. It was Nick.
Meanwhile, at that point, Nick was in the office of KING Group. He had a mobile phone in one hand and had a suit coat in the other.
It took a few more ringing before his call went through. So, in a low voice, he asked, “Busy?”
“No. I’m not busy.”
“I’ll pick you up. Do you have anything you want to eat?”
Veronica coldly replied to him, “Do you think I’m a child? I’m not at the TV station. I’m here at the apartment.”
She knew she couldn’t lie to him even if she wanted to. Just by looking at the security guard at the door of her neighborhood, she could tell that Nick was already spying on her. She just didn’t know when it started.
And she also thought of the driver.
Such a lie could be easily exposed. Even Veronica herself wouldn’t dare tell a lie to Nick. Suddenly, Nick interrupted her thoughts when he said, “I’ll pick you up at the apartment.”
Veronica told him, “I’m not going to Winter Villa.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” And with that, he abruptly ended the call.
“Hello? Nick!” Veronica looked frantically at the screen of her phone as the call was ended. She was dumbfounded for a moment. Then she turned to Toby and told him, “It’s too late to call and wait for Suzanne Roland to come here. I’ll just assist you down and walk you to the car.”
Nick would be arriving in 15 minutes. That meant that the speed of his car would be very fast.
“No,” Toby refused as he stood with his hand over his stomach.
Veronica quickly reached out to help him. Then she said, “Toby, I’m begging you. Go back to the hospital to recover and don’t come here again! Aren’t you afraid of what Nick could do to you?”
And at that moment, Toby was absolutely not.