Chapter 463-The Runaway Groom

Chapter 463: 463-The Runaway Groom

Verity:

I signed as I stared at the road.

Before the cab could even turn toward my community, my phone began to ring, and seeing Jenna’s name on the screen already felt like a bad sign.

I couldn’t help worrying that something had happened.

"Hello, Jenna. How are you?" I asked, feeling a little awkward since she must have seen the videos of Ragnar and me.

"Um, if you’re free, could you please come home?" she requested.

The urgency in her voice made me frown.

"Wait, is everything okay? Did they find Ragnar?" I blurted out, unsure why that was the first thing that came to mind.

"Exactly. That’s what grandma is worried about. The news has reached her, and she’s in a very bad state. Jaguar and Theodore aren’t answering their phones either. Could you please come over?" she pleaded.

I nodded, as though she could see me.

"Bruno is already here, but she’s been asking for you," Jenna added.

Thankfully, Jenna had given me a heads-up about Bruno because I still remembered our last conversation and how incredibly persuasive he could be.

I had to ask the cab driver to turn around.

I felt strange about the whole situation because if Jaguar and Theodore showed up, things could get really ugly.

I knew that much.

Yet somehow, I found myself pulling up in front of the mansion.

I had barely stepped out of the cab when that same purple fucking sports car arrived, making me groan inwardly.

As I said goodbye to the driver, the purple car came to a stop, and Gigi climbed out.

Judging by the way she was marching toward me, I could already tell she had come looking for a fight.

"Wait! Where do you think you’re going?" she called out, stopping me long enough to catch up.

I slowly turned toward her, then glanced back at the mansion.

"This is all happening because of you, you know," she accused, folding her arms across her chest and tapping her foot impatiently.

"What exactly is happening because of me?" I asked, casually holding my bag in front of me as I tilted my head at her.

"Ragnar! Why do you think he’s suddenly disappeared?" She took a deep breath, the veins at her temples becoming more prominent.

"Why don’t you tell me?"

"Well, it’s because he’s embarrassed. Those videos have put a strain on his relationship with his brother," she remarked.

That made me realize Jaguar and Theodore hadn’t told Gigi about my confession or what had happened between Ragnar and me last night.

"Wasn’t he the one telling everyone that everything was fine?" I reminded her, recalling how he had reacted to the videos.

Her eyes narrowed at my correction.

"I do remember him leaving with you to check on some wedding arrangements. I guess it all became a little overwhelming for him, you know? Sometimes men claim they want to get married or engaged, but deep down, they’re not ready to settle down. That must make you feel awful, though. Almost like having a runaway groom," I hinted, watching the color drain from her face with every word.

Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open.

"What are you trying to say?" she demanded, her voice cracking.

Tears began gathering in her eyes, though they seemed to come more from anger than from hurt or humiliation.

"I’m just saying, I don’t think Ragnar is ready for this engagement yet."

I had barely finished speaking when she pointed a finger at me.

"Don’t decide anything for us, you hear me?" she practically yelled and I merely shrugged.

"I don’t want to. You were the one pointing fingers at me, so I figured I’d point one right back at you. Hopefully, in the right direction this time."

With another shrug, I turned to leave.

"What did you say to him?"

Her question stopped me in my tracks, and I visibly tipped my head back with a weary sigh.

"About what?" I asked, not even bothering to hide the exhaustion in my voice.

"What did you say that was so funny he laughed like that?"

The way she emphasized the word laughed made the whole exchange incredibly satisfying.

"Oh, that?" I giggled to myself as though recalling something particularly sweet, touching my forehead before shaking my head shyly.

"What was it?" she pressed, clearly growing more irritated by my reaction.

"Oh, it’s just one of those things. You had to be there. It wasn’t even that funny, but my Ragnar was in such a good mood."

I flashed her a cheeky grin.

"Didn’t you just say you two were arguing?" she questioned, her voice dropping.

"Oh, yeah. Right, right. Of course, we were arguing," I replied, deliberately making my response sound so unconvincing that she’d think I was lying.

"What exactly are you planning, Verity?" she demanded, stepping closer. "You’ve already managed to catch two of the brothers as your mates. I hope you’re not planning to broaden your horizons because Ragnar..." She paused, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "He’s never going to fall for a clumsy omega like you."

She straightened up and gave me a smug smile.

"Well, I’m not sure which would hurt more," I replied, raising my chin to meet her gaze. "Finding out you’re not really his type, or realizing that he could fall for someone who’s the complete opposite of everything he’s ever wanted. Imagine what that would mean, Gigi. A man falling so deeply for someone that all his preferences suddenly stop mattering. Someone he never thought he’d want, yet somehow, she’s the one he ends up choosing. Wouldn’t that be a much harder pill to swallow?"

As I spoke, I watched the color drain completely from her face.

I could tell she was dying to ask what I meant, but before she could get a word out, I’d already turned around and headed inside the mansion.

But as I stepped into the mansion, I was met with a devastating sight.