Chapter l411

Chapter 0411

Veronica was still quiet.

I wished I could give her a hug, but I didn’t want to disturb her train of thought. She had personally asked me to come with her.

“I don’t need you to do anything,” she had said then. Her eyes had been downcast, like she was embarrassed to be asking for help. “But I would feel better if I knew you were there, supporting me.”

“I’ll always be supporting you,” I had said, thinking about what would happen when the competition was done and we all went our separate ways.

Coming here tonight was the absolute least I could do for her.

“I’m ready,” Veronica said now.

The rest of us waited in the observation room, as Veronica went alone through the door into the interrogation room.

Joyce glanced up as she entered. He seemed confused.

“What are you doing here?”

“Do you know who I am?” she asked.

“From the competition…” he said. He didn’t know her name.

“I’m Veronica,” she said. “And I was just like you. I was recruited into the underground organization from a very young age, and was raised to do their bidding.”

Joyce looked at her again in renewed interest. “How old were you?” he asked.

“Too young.”

Joyce dropped his gaze down to the table. “And you’re out now?”

“Yes. It took a long time, but I was finally exposed to their true colors. They never wanted to save the world like they promised. They trained me to do magic, and then used me to do terrible things.”

“I’m not like you,” Joyce said. He crossed his arms. “Is that why you are here? You think you can just feed me these lines and my life will change?” He looks at Veronica again, and there’s something dark in his eyes. “I may have been uncovered, but I will never be a traitor like you. I believe in this cause.”

“They lied to you,” Veronica said at the same tone and cadence, seemingly

+15 BÔNUS

undisturbed by his insults.

If being a traitor to a crime organization could be considered an insult.

“I don’t believe you,” Joyce said once, and then louder, “I don’t believe you!”

“Whatever darkness you are facing, I promise there is a way out of it for you, just like there was for me,” Veronica said.

Again, this time screaming himself horse, Joyce repeated, “I don’t believe you!!”

Hearing raised voices, guards went into the room. Veronica turned and left, returning to the observation room with us.

I went toward her. “I’m so sorry, Veronica.”

“It’s not over,” she said. “This is only the beginning.” She looked to Julian. “I’d like to come back again.”

Julian nodded. “Alright.”

I didn’t understand. “He didn’t seem… receptive?”

“You saw him lose his temper,” Julian said. I did. “He wouldn’t have done that if Veronica’s words didn’t touch a nerve. He has doubts. We’ll have to be resilient.”

Nicholas stepped closer to Veronica now too. “You shouldn’t overly trouble yourself, Veronica. We appreciate what you are doing, but

“I want to do this,” Veronica said. “It feels like this is healing some of the damage I’ve done to people in the past.”

No one dared to argue with that.

As we were leaving the dungeons, a shiver ran through me. Though modern, the facility did seem to have a sterile, cold feeling too it.

Suddenly, Nicholas removed his jacket and placed it around my shoulders. I was instantly warmer and snuggled into it, knowing it had been warmed by Nicholas’s skin.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Anything for you,” he said.

I smiled and lowered my face closer to the collar of the jacket. There, I smelled Nicholas’s comforting, masculine scent.

Yet under that… faint… was the smell of flowers.

Bridget.

andisturbed by his insults.

If being a traitor to a crime organizatio

c

be considered an insult.

“I don’t believe you,” Joyce said once, and then louder, “I don’t believe you!”

“Whatever darkness you are facing, I promise there is a way out of it for you, ast like there was for me,” Veronica said.

Again, this time screaming himself horse, Joyce repeated, “I don’t believe you!!”

Hearing raised voices, guards went into the room. Veronica turned and left, eturning to the observation room with us.

I went toward her. “I’m so sorry, Veronica,”

“It’s not over,” she said. “This is only the beginning.” She looked to Jullan, “P’d i ke to come back again.”

Julian nodded. “Alright.”

I didn’t understand. “He didn’t seem… receptive?”

“You saw him lose his temper,” Julian said. I did. “He wouldn’t have done that if eronica’s words didn’t touch a nerve. He has doubts. We’ll have to be resilient.”

Nicholas stepped closer to Veronica now too. “You shouldn’t overly trouble ourself, Veronica. We appreciate what you are doing, but

“I want to do this,” Veronica said. “It feels like this is healing some of the lamage I’ve done to people in the past.”

No one dared to argue with that.

As we were leaving the dungeons, a shiver ran through me. Though modern, the acility did seem to have a sterile, cold feeling too it.

Suddenly, Nicholas removed his jacket and placed it around my shoulders. I was astantly warmer and snuggled into it, knowing It had been warmed by licholas’s skin.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Anything for you,” he said,

I smiled and lowered my face closer to the collar of the Jacket. There, I smelled icholas’s comforting, masculine scent.

Yet under that… faint… was the smell of flowers.

Bridget.