Tangled By Fate

"…" As the thug leader groveled on her feet, Veronica intently stared at him.

She didn't feel like forgiving him after she heard from Catherine that they were going to gang-rape her.

She finally opened her mouth, "I'll let you go, but I have what condition."

The thug leader hurriedly replied, "Whatever condition it is, I'll accept it."

"Become a better person. It's not just you but all of your friends. Don't ever drink alcohol. Leave the city and find a place to work. 

"Don't ever do anything illegal or harm good, innocent people. I'll keep an eye on you all. If one of you does something wrong, I'll make you disappear from the world." 

That was Veronica's condition.

The thug leader agreed and left with his team. They kept thanking Veronica for showing mercy, but Veronica didn't melt.

Later, she went to meet Catherine in her room. Catherine let her come inside and asked, "Did you let them go?"

Veronica hesitated before asking, "Cathy, are you mad at me?"

Catherine shook her head. "No, I know you wouldn't judge them wrong. Everyone deserves a second chance. You let Aria work too, right?"

Veronica replied, "We can't lose Aria. She is a good magician. We are letting her stay in the magic resistance room. She will work there. She can't get out. Her food will be given by Arthur's men. 

"So, there is no chance for the magicians to meet her. She can't contact them. Her power has been limited. She can't attack anyone. She will work every day without a reward, like a slave."

"A slave for the rest of her life," Catherine sighed. "I must admit, Ver. You really know how to pick up a punishment. I'm sure after the announcement, the whole tower will be freaked out."

Veronica was nonchalant about it. "Let them freak out. I don't like it when women lust over my husband. It's disgusting."

Catherine glanced at her. "Are you mad at your husband? You know, everything he did – that was before meeting you." 

Veronica dropped her shoulders. "I know, but I feel so conflicted. I told myself countless times that he didn't cheat on me. His past doesn't matter. Even before going out with me, his actions shouldn't affect me. 

"But here I am, jealous over the fact that other women lust over my man because they got to sleep with him. It's like we will never find peace as long as we are around women."

"Leave me out of it. I'm not interested in Arthur," Catherine giggled. "I like Vincent more."

"Did you get a reply from Vincent?"

"Not yet. I'm not sure whether he is upset or not. I'll wait for his reply."

"Fine," Veronica didn't push her further. "By the way, don't forget to thank Sebastian after he comes back. He had done a lot."

While talking about Sebastian, she thought, 'Sebastian, I'll give you a chance. If you can't take this opportunity, you will never be able to get a woman in your life.'

'Can I meet him again? What if he leaves and never comes back? If I really told him to dance butt naked and he did it this morning, I see zero chance to meet him again in my life.' Catherine became restless as she thought about it. 

"Will… Will Sebastian come back? What if he doesn't?" she expressed her concern.

Veronica didn't know the details. She frowned. "Why won't he come back?"

Catherine didn't want to share his embarrassing story with her best friend. "No, it's nothing. I have a feeling that he won't come back."

Veronica gasped. "Cathy, don't say something like that! He went on a mission. If you say it, what if he truly never comes back alive? I'd hate to lose a good bodyguard like him."

Catherine never heard it before. "Sebastian… is he your bodyguard?"

Veronica told her the truth. "He is. Arthur assigned him to protect me."

"Then… then why did he follow me around and neglect his duty?" Catherine was puzzled.

'How can you still not understand after everything I told you?' Veronica wanted to slap her own face. 

"How would I know?" she shrugged. "I hardly go out and he took this chance to guard you instead. Since you are a beauty, he thought you needed protection."

Catherine scratched her head. "But why though? It's not that anything happens to me as it happens to you. Even if I'm not guarded, I hardly have an accident."

Veronica gently refuted, "How can you say that? He didn't guard you yesterday and you were kidnapped. Just think how much guilt he had when he noticed that you were taken away. I can't imagine it."

"I still don't understand why he would go to such length to protect me." Catherine suddenly had an idea. "Oh! I know! He must have been sharpening his skills because he sucks at his job."

Veronica was drinking a glass of water. She nearly spat it out after hearing her best friend's logic. "Like seriously? Is that what you came up with after all his hard work?"

Catherine was even more puzzled. "What? Do you have any better ideas?"

"Most definitely." Veronica put down the glass and stated, "How about something like – my best friend is a beauty and he fell in love with her at first sight? Doesn't it sound dreamy?"

"Dreamy, my ass!" Catherine frowned. "Don't even joke about it. Him? Fell in love with me? You want me to believe that? Just why on earth did you come back with such a bizarre idea?"

It was Veronica's time to be dumbfounded. "And why do you think it is a bizarre idea?"

"That's because we hardly get along. He always picks a fight with me. He always has to say something that will piss me off. So, tell me why should I think he fell in love with me," Catherine gave her reasons.

"…" Veronica was speechless. 

'Sebastian, I wanted to help you out. Why did you have to bully your crush? Don't you know not all women like this kind of thing? Only masochists fall in love with their bullies. Cathy isn't like that.. She will murder you if you confess now.'