Leonardo's POV
Bonita bolted back inside, panic written across her face as she searched for me.
I was already lying in my room, catching every sound from the chaos outside. My ears picked up the commotion, but my useless body kept me trapped here like a prisoner. Frustration burned through my veins just as Bonita crashed through my door.
"Mr. Nelson, we've got a problem! Olive's crew is going after Veronica. What's our move?"
Bonita's frantic words painted the picture—Veronica had crossed Olive while defending Joseph.
The memory of that slap and her cutting words from earlier made me want to stay out of it completely. But something made me tell Bonita to call Cecile instead.
While Bonita rushed to make the call, I tried forcing my legs to respond. Nothing. The blindness made everything worse.
Fury exploded inside me. My fist slammed into the mattress—pathetic and powerless.
"Can't even protect my own kid. What kind of man am I?" The bitter thought tasted like poison in my mind.
——
Veronica's POV
Outside, Olive had rounded up seven or eight muscle-bound servants, all gunning for me.
I planted my feet and didn't budge an inch. One after another, I dropped them—my fists and feet finding their marks with deadly accuracy.
When the dust settled, every last one of them was sprawled on the ground, groaning. I stood there without a scratch.
Olive's face went from rage to pure terror. She clearly hadn't expected me to pack this kind of punch.
"You crazy woman! This isn't over! Mark my words!" she snarled.
I flashed her a cold smile. "I'm right here whenever you're ready."
With nowhere else to turn, Olive retreated with her beaten crew, screaming about running to Cecile and getting me thrown out.
As they disappeared, I spotted Joseph in the doorway, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Joseph, think Mommy's pretty cool? Want to learn some of these moves? Then when bullies come around, you can handle them just like Mommy did."
Joseph's eager nod told me everything. He wanted that strength—wanted to never be anyone's victim again.
"First, you need to fuel up and get stronger. A healthy body comes before any training," I said, scooping him into my arms.
I carried Joseph inside. "How about Mommy whips up something tasty for you?"
Joseph stayed quiet, but I caught something shifting behind those eyes.
Maybe having Mommy around wasn't the worst thing after all.
I left Joseph settled in the living room and headed for the kitchen, rolling up my sleeves. The knife was halfway through chopping vegetables when Bonita burst in again, looking frazzled.
"Veronica, trouble! Cecile demands to see you immediately!"
I slammed the knife down hard on the cutting board. "Perfect. Let's go meet her!"
With Joseph in my arms, I followed Bonita to the Nelson family's main hall.
The tension in that room could be cut with a knife. Cecile commanded the center seat, all dignity and authority. Hanna sat beside her, every inch the polished socialite, while Olive and Kathrine lurked nearby with murder in their eyes. Several other family members had gathered like vultures.
Bonita cleared her throat. "Madam Cecile, Madam Hanna, Madam Olive—Miss Bogart has arrived."
Hanna's eyes locked onto me and she gasped. "That's not Liana from The Bogart Family!"
Everyone in Aurelia City knew Liana—one of the city's three legendary beauties. Her name carried weight in fashion and design circles, and every person in this room knew her face. One look at me made it crystal clear I wasn't her.
My gaze swept the room coldly. I'd done my homework on the Nelson family and their messy history.
Clark Nelson's first wife, Aila, had vanished years back. Soon after, Clark married Hanna—supposedly Aila's best friend turned stepmother to Leonardo. In reality, just another mistress who'd climbed her way up.
"She's definitely not Liana!" Olive jumped in, venom dripping from every word. She spun toward Cecile. "Mother, this woman isn't just a fake. She attacked Burton and Tooker, then went after Kathrine. You can't let this slide!"
Cecile's sharp stare pinned me down. "If you're not Liana, who exactly are you? Why are you masquerading as The Bogart Family's eldest daughter?"
"I'm not masquerading," I replied evenly. "I am The Bogart Family's eldest daughter. Veronica's my name."
Silence crashed over the room before shocked whispers began rippling through the crowd.
They all knew The Bogart Family's story. Caspian Bogart and his first wife Ruth had twins—a son who disappeared as a child, and a daughter, Veronica, supposedly killed in a fire years ago.
Now I was standing here claiming to be that very Veronica.
"Impossible!" Olive shot back. "All of Aurelia City knows Ruth's daughter died in that fire. You think you can waltz in here and play pretend?"
Kathrine piled on with vicious glee. "Obviously The Bogart Family sent a substitute for Liana. Now that she's caught, she's spinning this Veronica story. She's nothing but a con artist!"
Hanna added fuel to the fire. "Exactly! This woman clearly has an agenda. Who knows what she's really after? Get her out of here now!"
My expression never wavered. "I don't need to play pretend. Here's my ID. If you've got doubts, call The Bogart Family and verify. Years ago, I got lucky and escaped that fire. Now I'm back—very much alive."
My voice stayed steady as I handed my identification to Cecile.
Cecile studied the documents but skepticism clouded her features.
"Even if you are Veronica, you're not the bride we selected for Leonardo. What's your game here? Planning to hurt him?" Hanna probed, fake concern coating her words.
Truth was, Hanna saw me as a threat. With Leonardo out of commission, she was positioning her own kids for power. I could wreck everything.
"Exactly! We handpicked a bride whose stars aligned with Leonardo's to bring him luck. You married him recklessly—what if you make his condition worse?" Cecile chimed in, clearly rattled.
Olive hit her breaking point. "Mother! Stop wasting time. Have her arrested now!"
Kathrine fanned the flames higher. "Yes, fraud charges! And don't forget—she assaulted my children. Add child abuse to the list!"
When Cecile hesitated, Olive took control. She motioned to the guards outside.
"Get in here! Arrest this woman immediately!"
Seconds later, several massive bodyguards filled the hall, their intimidating bulk advancing toward me.