Chapter 10

Veronica's hand was injured again. Yasmin's eyes teared up, but she quickly shut them, suppressing the absurd, almost laughable wave of emotions threatening to rise. A few seconds later, the G-Wagon came to a sudden halt. Then, it turned around, heading back toward the Whitmore estate. "Caleb." As they neared the Whitmore estate, Yasmin asked in a cold, detached voice, "When are you signing the divorce papers?" "I told you—talk to my lawyer." In other words, he wasn't refusing to sign. … Veronica sat outside in the front yard. A maid was holding her bag as if they were about to leave for the hospital at any moment. Her left wrist was already wrapped in gauze, though it was impossible to tell how serious the injury actually was. "Caleb, my wrist feels numb… I… I'm a little scared…" A hand was essential for daily life. Losing sensation in one would indeed be terrifying. "Where are Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore?" Caleb asked, referring to Logan and Wanda. Veronica forced a bitter smile. "They're too busy worrying about Jeremy." The Whitmores had always favored sons over daughters. Through the passenger seat's window, Yasmin watched as her still-legally-married husband stood intimately close to Veronica. After a few seconds, she pushed the door open and stepped out. Veronica, completely unprepared, was suddenly shoved to the side. She staggered several steps before a maid caught her, but the sharp pain in her right ankle made her gasp. "Ms. Yasmin, what are you doing?" the maid snapped, shielding Veronica. Yasmin simply pointed at Veronica's injured left hand. Immediately, Veronica's right hand moved instinctively to protect her wrist, pulling it close to her chest. Its movement was perfectly unaffected. "You said I pushed you? Well, I just did. I'll take responsibility for what I actually do. But your hand…" Yasmin tilted her head, her expression curious. "It looks perfectly fine to me." A flash of panic flickered in Veronica's eyes before she quickly turned to Caleb. But Caleb wasn't looking at her. He was staring at Yasmin instead, his dark gaze unreadable. That unsettled her. Still, as long as he wasn't doubting her, she was fine. Veronica took a shaky breath of relief. "Yasmin, I…" She bit her lip as if struggling with how to handle Yasmin's unreasonable behavior. "I know you didn't mean to hurt me last time, but this time…" "I did it on purpose." Yasmin didn't even hesitate. "I own up to what I do. But Veronica, don't you dare try to pin things on me that I didn't do." "Ms. Yasmin, you're going too far!" the maid scolded her. Veronica's eyes reddened, tears threatening to spill. Her voice trembled with anger and hurt. "Then what about three years ago? You nearly severed my entire palm. Are you going to say that wasn't you?" Yasmin's breath caught in her throat. She opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but she couldn't. She had no memory of it. Her mental state had been unstable back then. She didn't believe she was capable of doing something so vicious—but at the same time, it didn't make sense for Veronica to have deliberately maimed herself just to frame her. And worst of all, she had no evidence to prove her innocence! She had been the only one there besides Veronica. If it wasn't her… then who else could it have been? "Enough!" Caleb's voice cut through the tension. He glanced briefly at Yasmin before turning to Veronica. "Veronica, I'll take you to the hospital." Yasmin clenched her fists. "Caleb, since Veronica called you here to defend her and you're choosing to do so, then don't you ever get into my car to leave with me again. It's disgusting!" Her voice was steady, but it was because she was doing her utmost to suppress her emotions. She said, "Until your lawyer contacts me, we have no reason to meet." The G-Wagon sped through the streets. Not long after, a Bentley came up beside it, deliberately forcing Yasmin to stop. The window rolled down, revealing Harris in the back seat. Both cars pulled to the side. Yasmin adjusted her mask, covering the evidence of the earlier slap. Only her eyes remained visible, but even those were enough to make Harris' scalp tingle. People often talked about couples who looked alike, but this was the first time Harris had encountered a couple who had the same intimidating presence. "Mr. Evans, do you not understand traffic laws? Should I teach you?" Harris forced an awkward smile. "Mrs. Grant, just 20 minutes ago, Mr. Grant asked me to bring some men along to help you move your things back to Longview Bay." Twenty minutes ago… That was the time Caleb had gotten Veronica's call. "Harris, I'm not living in Longview Bay anymore. Didn't Caleb tell you?" Harris continued smiling, but he shook his head stubbornly. "I haven't received any such notice." Leaning against her car, Yasmin's posture was relaxed. She looked lazy, almost catlike. "Then do you know why Caleb sent you? Do you know where he is right now?" "Mrs. Grant…" Harris hesitated. He seemed troubled, struggling to find a way to phrase things without making her feel worse. "It's because he's with Veronica right now," Yasmin said lightly, feeling no need to sugarcoat things. "You're his right-hand man, Harris. You know what my marriage with Caleb is really like. But let me tell you this—I'm the one who doesn't want him anymore. So, if you're looking for someone to pity, it's not me." … At the hospital, Veronica's test results came out quickly. The doctor reviewed the report. "Ms. Whitmore's hand is perfectly fine. However, she does have a sprained ankle and should rest for a few days." The words "perfectly fine" made Veronica's heart pound. She cradled her wrist, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Caleb, it really does hurt…" The doctor, however, was understanding. "Ms. Whitmore's hand suffered severe trauma in the past. Lingering pain isn't uncommon, even if it doesn't show up in tests." Caleb didn't respond immediately. Instead, he suddenly asked, "Veronica, did Yasmin really push you?" His voice was too calm, sending the entire room into an eerie silence. Everyone in the room looked toward him. Caleb's gaze was steady and his sharp features were unreadable. He exuded an intimidating presence. Veronica's eyes welled up with tears, her expression turning dark. "Caleb, you saw her push me…" "I meant the time I didn't see." Goosebumps prickled along Veronica's arms. She suddenly found it difficult to meet his gaze. After several seconds of silence, she finally spoke, though her tone was slightly forced, "Caleb, are you saying… you think I lied?" "I know Yasmin. If she says she didn't do something, she didn't do it." Veronica wanted to argue, but Caleb's conviction was too firm. She knew that if she kept pushing, it would only piss him off. "Caleb, the situation was chaotic. I was just trying to hold Yasmin's hand, but she brushed it away. I don't think she meant to push me. Maybe she doesn't even realize she did." She tried to smooth over the situation. Before Caleb could press further, she quickly changed the subject. "Caleb, why did you come today? Were you worried about Yasmin?" Caleb's sudden appearance had given her a fright. Luckily enough, she had been quick to react in that situation. Caleb said nothing. That was him acquiescing to it. Ever since Caleb married Yasmin, he had only ever visited the Whitmore estate during New Year's. Why would he suddenly visit her out of concern? Could it be… Had Caleb really fallen in love with Yasmin?