CHAPTER 16: A nagging girlfriend

CHAPTER 16: A nagging girlfriend

Edward stepped into his house, exhaustion settling in his bones. The work trip had been draining, but it wasn’t the business that had drained him.

It was one word.

Sarah.

Ever since the woman returned, she had occupied his mind. She was cold, distant, unreadable, and irritatingly dismissive. Yet, beneath her icy professionalism, he had sensed something else. A tension. A tiny trace of the girl that she had been. He had tried to break through her walls, only to be met with a carefully constructed barrier.

Edward was not sure that he was intentionally getting close to Sarah to monitor her in order to know if she was up to something or gathering anything to compromise him for revenge.

He knew that he had treated her horribly in the past. In retrospect, he should have handled things better and tried to find out the truth. He hated being deceived, and he was furious that she had intentionally hurt her sister to gain his attention, thereby fooling him.

Now, Edward was not so sure about what the truth was after getting to really know Veronica and her mother, Estelle.

And now, as he walked into his living room, the last person he wanted to see was waiting for him.

Veronica.

She sat sprawled on his expensive leather couch, sipping wine like she owned the place, as she flipped through the pages of a glossy magazine.

When she saw him, her red lips curled into a smirk.

"Finally, you're back."

She had been waiting for him all morning. The housekeeper had informed her that he had left for a work trip the previous morning.

Veronica was annoyed because he had not deemed it necessary to inform her–his girlfriend that he was going to be away. It upset her, but she was not surprised.

She knew Edward was barely tolerating her at this point. Their relationship had never been strong or intense. She had always noticed a coldness and partial lack of interest on his part, but right now, he was downright fed up with her.

Edward barely spared her a glance as he shrugged off his coat and tossed it onto the armchair.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was flat, uninterested.

Veronica pouted. "What kind of greeting is that? Shouldn't you be happy to see your girlfriend. Why didn't you inform me that you were travelling?"

He ignored her, walking toward the bar to pour himself a drink.

Veronica, of course, didn’t take the hint. She stood, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she approached him.

She knew he was no longer interested in her, but she would never let him go.

"Where did you go?"

Edward wanted some peace and quiet so he could rest his bones and collect his thoughts. He was irritated and displeased with Veronica’s presence.

He sipped his whiskey, his face unreadable. "Business trip."

Veronica scoffed. "Oh, come on, Edward. A business trip? That’s all you have to say?"

His jaw clenched, his fingers gripping his glass tighter. He hated being questioned, and he hated Veronica’s nagging.

After he got together with her, he got disinterested because there was nothing interesting, attractive, or appealing about her except her good looks, unlike…

His mind drifted once more to the spitfire that acted cold and indifferent towards him.

Veronica folded her arms, narrowing her eyes. "And who did you go with?"

Edward turned to her, his expression utterly indifferent. "Sarah."

He had no need to hide anything from her. Besides, he did not care about what she felt or what she thought.

The moment the name left his lips, Veronica’s entire demeanour changed.

Her eyes flashed with something ugly; jealousy, paranoia, hatred, maybe even fear. She had always suspected that Sarah had come back for something, and it seemed she was right.

She wanted Edward.

"Sarah? You went with Sarah?"

Edward took another sip, unfazed. "It was work, Veronica. Not that it’s any of your business."

Veronica let out a bitter laugh, her eyes blazing with fury. "Oh, but it is my business. You’re mine, Edward."

His jaw clenched. "I am not yours."

She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "We’re still together. And hell would freeze over before I let another woman come between us."

Edward’s expression remained cold, but he did not reply to her. He actually saw it as a waste of his time and breath.

Veronica’s fingers curled tightly at her sides. Fresh hot anger burned her insides at his cold indifference. "You’re still with me, Edward. Whether you like it or not."

He exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "I never asked you to stay."

Her eyes darkened. "I would never break up with you, Edward. I am your fiancée, and I love you. "

Edward’s patience was wearing dangerously thin. He had tolerated her presence for too long. Allowed her to linger. But for what?

Initially, she had been the one that he wanted. But when they got together, he was quite disappointed and not interested in her anymore.

The truth was that Veronica’s character was quite repulsive and irritating. She was whiny, greedy, materialistic, and very shallow. Not to talk of being a bimbo.

Now, Edward was beginning to think that he might have been manipulated by mother and daughter, who may have fed him lies about Sarah.

And now, she was standing in front of him, and with the audacity to act as though she still had rights over him.

Edward had since known that there was no way he was going to marry Veronica. He didn’t even know why he had not done away with her yet.

Veronica was fuming, and Edward's silence seemed to fuel her paranoia and anger. She would never allow her bastard half sister to take her man away from her.

"Sarah is trying to take you away from me, isn’t she?"

Edward let out a humourless chuckle. "Sarah has no interest in me, Veronica. She barely acknowledges my existence unless she has to."

He frowned even as he admitted this to himself. He had always been bluntly and brutally honest. But this truth was a bitter pill for him to swallow.

Veronica wasn’t convinced. "Then why did she agree to work for you? Why are you suddenly spending time with her?"

He was losing patience. "Because she has a job to do, and she’s damn good at it."

Veronica’s face twisted with rage. "How can you defend that woman? Have forgotten what she did in the past—”

"Enough," Edward snapped, his voice sharp and final. "I am tired of this, Veronica. Of you. Of your constant nagging. Get out."

She stared at him, stunned. "You’re kicking me out?"

His expression was emotionless. "Yes."

Veronica let out a shaky laugh, disbelief etched in her features. "You can’t be serious."

Edward drained the rest of his whiskey, then set the glass down with a controlled precision that barely hid his irritation.

"Get out."

Veronica’s lips trembled, her face a mix of surprise and desperation. "You don’t mean that."

Edward took a step closer, his voice low and firm. "I hope I don't have to repeat myself again."

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. She searched his face and knew that he was angry and dead serious. If there was one thing she had learned, it was that Edward did not like repeating himself, and it was also a stupid and terrible thing to get on his bad side.

He could be very cruel, showing no mercy.

Veronica straightened, picked her purse off the leather couch, and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Edward didn’t flinch. He didn't even react.

He sank into the sofa, exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair.

He decided that it was time that he got rid of Veronica Maxwell.

Exhaustion plagued his bones, and he felt the nagging sensation of unfinished business.

For the first time, Edward found himself questioning everything he had once believed about Sarah.

Had she really been the villain, as Veronica and her mother had claimed?

Or had he been blind to the truth all along?

He picked up his phone and dialled a number. The person at the other end picked up on the second ring.

“James, I need to see you as soon as possible.”