Chapter 356-My Bossy Boss

Verity:

Jenna had hit the right nerve.

After Jaguar left, she returned with the book she had carried away so casually, as if none of it mattered, and gave me a small smile.

"That should make him think," she said with a shrug.

"Be careful, Jenna. The brothers really care about her," I warned.

I was trying to make her understand that just because she was a victim didn’t mean they would keep listening to accusations against Gigi forever.

It was obvious that the brothers would never truly believe anything against her unless they had some kind of proof.

"I don’t care, Verity. And I’m pretty sure you agree with me that there is something extremely suspicious about that woman," Jenna replied.

Her words made me lower my gaze.

She wasn’t wrong.

We had talked about Gigi many times, especially about how cunning she could be.

But it was also true that I couldn’t openly tell Jenna whether I had any plans concerning her.

Not because I didn’t trust her.

I simply had to keep those thoughts to myself for now.

For the rest of the day, I had to work at the office, and this time, I was on my own.

With new information coming out about people sending threats to Gigi’s family, all three brothers were occupied.

That left me working with Mr. Bruno.

Bruno was a little sketchy, to be honest.

The first time I saw him, something about him made me uneasy.

He didn’t seem like the type to remain a silent observer.

He looked like someone who would always have something to say.

I realized I was right the moment he arrived at the office and started asking me all sorts of questions about work.

At first, I didn’t think much of it. They were work-related questions, after all, and that was part of his job.

Then lunchtime came.

"So, Miss Verity, I was thinking we could have lunch together. There’s a café right across the road. What do you say?" Bruno asked casually, barely glancing up as he packed his laptop into his bag.

He seemed very particular about keeping his belongings secure.

"Yeah, sure," I agreed.

He was the Alpha King’s cousin, and I wouldn’t mind learning whatever I could from someone close to the family.

I grabbed my purse, and we walked across the road to the café.

We both ordered grilled sandwiches, along with a matcha for me and a latte for him.

For a while, we stayed busy on our phones, but eventually, there was nothing left to hide behind.

The phones were put aside, and our attention shifted to each other.

"I hope you don’t mind me asking, but you’re Justin’s sister, right?"

Of course.

How could I forget?

This was how every conversation seemed to begin.

"Yes, I am," I replied. "And no, I don’t mind you asking."

I focused on the tissue in front of me, folding it neatly so I wouldn’t have to look directly into his eyes.

"So you never tried..." Bruno paused. "I wonder why you never tried to do something for your brother."

My hands froze, my fingers tightening around the tissue as I looked up at him.

"I’m just saying, I never heard about you trying to clear your brother’s name or anything. Even when everything happened, Justin had no one defending him. Why were you so quick to believe he had done all of it?"

Mr. Bruno was incredibly straightforward, and painfully arrogant, as he threw the questions at me without hesitation.

"Or was it because there had always been signs?" he asked.

"That’s not true. There weren’t any signs. The evidence they showed me was simply enough for me to believe the victim," I answered halfheartedly.

The other half of me wanted to explode.

I wanted to tell him that I hadn’t simply backed away. I was here to fucking take revenge on those assholes.

But I couldn’t say any of that.

So I lowered my gaze to the tissue again, even as my breathing grew unsteady in my chest.

"All right," he replied.

Then, without missing a beat, he continued.

"Well, you’ve also been friends with Alpha King Ragnar’s girlfriend since you were children, right?"

That was when I realized I had been completely wrong about him.

I had thought lunch might give me the opportunity to ask him questions.

Instead, it felt like I was the one being investigated.

"Yeah, we’ve known each other for a very long time," I replied, smiling at the server as she arrived with our order.

I felt relieved, hoping he would finally change the subject.

"Are you still friends?" he asked.

My hand stopped halfway to the sandwich.

"I’m sorry. I guess I’m asking too many questions." He clicked his tongue lightly. "She disappeared, didn’t she?"

He picked up his sandwich and took a bite.

I reached for mine too, holding it near my lips with a faint smile.

"Isn’t it strange that you didn’t even come to Jenna’s birthday event?" I asked. "I mean, you must know her too, right? She’s been around your family for a long time."

I tilted my head slightly.

"Bear with me. Sorry for asking such abrupt questions, but I haven’t really seen you around or even heard much about you."

He swallowed with more difficulty than I expected.

There was something about him.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it yet, but something definitely felt off.

He clearly wasn’t new to the family. I had already figured that out from the way the brothers reacted to him.

"Yeah, I was studying and didn’t have time to come back for a birthday celebration," he answered. "But I heard you did a great job. Apparently, you threw quite an event."

The compliment was delivered smoothly, but I noticed the slight gulp before he said it.

Other than that, he looked completely confident.

We were still eating when my phone beeped.

I checked the message and nearly froze.

Apparently, someone else knew how to surprise people.

Ragnar.

Bossy boss: You want to see Oliver. Fine. Pick a day. I’ll drop you at the hospital.

My eyes widened.