Chapter 51 A Thorn Among Roses
"Ahhhh, I hate that fucking bitch!" Veronica screamed, hurling a vase against the wall. It shattered into sharp, glittering pieces that skittered across the floor. On the couch, her two friends—Amanda and Mika—exchanged uneasy glances.
Veronica stood a few feet away from the wreckage, chest heaving, her face flushed with rage.
Mika leaned in closer to Amanda and whispered, "What is she mad about this time?"
Amanda sighed, already sounding tired. "What do you think? The little wife of Kieran."
Mika nodded. "But why is she still hung up on that? I thought she was over him."
Veronica whipped around to face them, her hair a wild mess that looked like a bird's nest, her makeup smeared and chaotic like a melting mask. She looked like she was teetering on the edge of madness.
"Over that? You think I'd be over it?" she growled. "Do you know how long I've stood by Kieran? My mind was set—he was going to be mine. And then that silent little thing just waltzes in from nowhere and takes him like she's owed him?"
She roared, kicking over a side table. It thudded loudly against the wall, narrowly missing a lamp.
She rubbed a trembling hand down her face. "I went to that stupid charity event dressed to the nines. I was stunning. And he didn't even look at me. Couldn't take his eyes off her. That look—I've never seen him look at anyone like that. I don't get it. She's not even that beautiful! She's got nothing. Just quiet, awkward energy, and she's so thin she looks like she'd break in the wind. What does he even see in her?"
Her voice cracked, and fresh mascara streaked down her cheeks.
Amanda rose from the couch carefully, like approaching a spooked animal. "Ver… maybe you should sit down. You're working yourself up again."
"No!" Veronica snapped. "I deserve to be worked up! I was there for him. I helped him grow, listened to him, covered for him when he needed alibis. Me! Not her. Then she shows up with her big, innocent eyes, and suddenly he's looking at her like she's the goddamn sun?"
Mika raised an eyebrow. "I mean… maybe that's the problem. She's new. Fresh. Mysterious."
Veronica spun on her heel, eyes blazing. "Are you seriously taking her side?"
Mika threw her hands up. "No! I'm just saying… men like change."
Veronica let out a short, bitter laugh. "Well, he's going to regret this change. I'm done being patient. Done waiting for him to come to his senses. If she wants a fairytale, then I'll give her a nightmare."
Amanda frowned. "Veronica…"
"Don't 'Veronica' me," she hissed. "She took what was mine. And I'm going to make her pay. Slowly. Quietly. Until she realizes she should've stayed invisible."
Mika's voice dropped. "What are you going to do?"
Veronica's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "I'm just going to make her regret ever coming into his life."
She picked up her phone, tapped a few times, and suddenly a recording started to play—something crackly, secretive.
Amanda and Mika froze, eyes widening as they listened.
Amanda and Mika exchanged a glance, their eyes wide with surprise at what they were hearing.
"Where did you get that? No—how did you get that?" Amanda asked, her voice low and uneasy.
Veronica just smiled and turned off the recording. "That doesn't matter. All you need to worry about is how you both can help."
Mika bit down on her lip. She didn't want to ruin a girl's life just because her friend had staked a claim on her best friend. But she wouldn't dare say anything. If she refused to take part, Amanda and Veronica would make her life miserable—and they wouldn't care how long they'd been friends.
Amanda gave a tight smile. "What do you need our help with?"
"Sir, this is all the information we could find on her," one of the men said, stepping forward and handing Keenan a tablet.
Keenan took it and stared down at the screen, skimming through the files silently for several long moments.
"Are there any hospital records of the accident?" he finally asked, his voice calm but laced with curiosity.
"No, sir. And for some reason, the case was closed without any proper investigation."
Keenan smiled faintly. "Sounds like someone went to great lengths to cover it up."
"Most likely, sir. Everything about it seems... off."
"Well, the past is the past," Keenan said, flicking to another page. "What I'm really interested in is this pretty little thing."
He scrolled again, stopping on a photo of Genesis.
And these weren't old pictures. They weren't the kind of blurry, childhood photos someone could've snuck years ago. Monica had kept Genesis locked away too tightly for that. No, these were recent—taken after the charity event. One showed her stepping out of the estate with Debby, pausing to admire flowers. Others captured candid moments: Genesis laughing, looking around in quiet awe, or clutching a book to her chest.
"Why would something so innocent be tied to someone as corrupt as Kier Blackwood?" Keenan mused.
"It's not public knowledge that they're married," the man replied. "But based on the connection between Donald Blackwood and Lucas Randall before his death, the most likely explanation is that he arranged the marriage before he passed."
Keenan nodded slowly. "Then I guess it's time we make that marriage very public."
The man took that as his cue and left the room. Keenan remained seated, still staring at the photo.
"For some reason, I can't get you out of my head," he murmured. "Is this what Kieran feels when he looks at you?"
He flicked to the next image. It showed Genesis pressed up against Kieran's car, her small frame almost entirely swallowed by his larger one. Kieran leaned in close, his body protective, possessive. But the camera had caught Genesis's face—flushed, lips slightly parted as she looked up at him with something like wonder in her eyes.
And Kieran's expression? Clear as day. Fierce. Focused. Desperate.
Keenan let out a soft chuckle. "It seems our knight has found his damsel… but it's time for another to swoop in."
He tossed the tablet onto the desk and rose to his feet. As he passed the two-way mirror, he caught a glimpse of his own reflection—specifically, the scar that twisted across the corner of his mouth.
He smirked at it.
"I'll ruin you, knight. And I'll start with her."