Beastmen Kings At My Feet [Reverse Harem] - Chapter 68: Chapter 68

As soon as Joshua heard this, a mix of worry and anger surged in his chest. He quickly said, "Mistress, how could you put yourself at risk for him? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? What if you'd gotten hurt too?"
Seeing how anxious Joshua looked, Veronica felt a wave of warmth. She gently patted his shoulder and comforted him, "Joshua, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. Yes, it was dangerous at the time, but I was careful.
"I activated my defensive power—I wasn't going to get hurt. I just couldn't stand by and do nothing while Matthew was in danger. He's our friend too, after all."
Joshua was still a little upset after hearing her explanation, but he understood how Veronica was. He sighed and said, "Mistress, you always prioritize the safety of others over your own. But please, just think about your own safety once in a while. That matters more than anything."
Veronica nodded. "Let's just get Matthew to the hospital."
Joshua looked at Matthew, raising an eyebrow, and asked, "You sure you can walk on your own in that state?"
Hearing this, Matthew struggled to his feet on the grass, still a bit unsteady. He had just rolled around on the grass several times and was now covered in grass clippings and dirt. He looked like a complete mess.
He gave a small nod, pretending to be relaxed as he said to Veronica, "I'm fine. I can make it over by myself. No need to call anyone."
Veronica frowned. "That won't do. You look terrible right now. What if something else happens on the way? Joshua and I will take you—it's safer that way." Her tone was full of concern—she was clearly worried about Matthew's safety.
Matthew gave her a faint smile. "Alright. Thanks."
Joshua's gaze fell on Matthew, and an unshakable irritation started to rise inside him. He frowned and thought, 'That fake smile and the way he's acting—it feels like he's putting on a show. Does he think I'm invisible or something?'
Joshua took a deep breath and snorted. A mocking smile played at the corner of his lips as he said with obvious disdain, "Still have the energy to play games? Guess you're not as hurt as you looked."
The tension in the air suddenly thickened. Veronica's heart tightened, and she quickly stepped in to defuse the situation.
She knew both of them had strong personalities—once they clashed, things never ended well. And right now, the priority wasn't arguing—it was getting those wounds treated.
"Alright, alright," she said softly. "Calm down, you two. Joshua, take it down a notch, okay? What matters right now is making sure Matthew's okay."
Joshua gave a reluctant nod. Once his men arrived, he ordered them to take the man in black into custody.
Joshua and Veronica helped Matthew to the hospital. The doctor conducted a thorough check-up and concluded that Matthew's injuries were minor—just a few scrapes.
Thankfully, Matthew had reacted quickly and managed to dodge the bullets. Otherwise, it could've ended a lot worse.
Once the doctor finished with the bandaging, Veronica didn't wait long before asking Matthew for his thoughts on the murder that had just taken place.
Matthew let out a tired sigh and said with a wry smile, "I've been acting a bit radically lately and have stepped on too many toes. Honestly, I don't even know which force is behind this."
His voice was laced with weariness and a sense of helplessness—this whole ordeal had clearly taken a toll on him.
Veronica pressed on, "But how could there be no one else around? Doesn't that seem a little too strange?"
Matthew pondered for a moment and then replied, "Whoever's behind this has a lot of power. They might have known my routine. I go to the shooting range every night, but tonight there was no one there.
"I didn't think much of it at the time, but then a shot came out of nowhere from behind. Luckily, I sensed something was off just in time—if I hadn't, I don't even want to imagine what could've happened."
Listening to his account, Veronica couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine.
Matthew continued, "As soon as I realized something was wrong, I tried to send a distress signal through my holo-interface—but it was blocked. I had no choice but to dodge the bullets as best I could. And then you showed up."
Veronica was lost in thought, and she was still thinking about it the next day at the lab.
One of the females researching with Veronica noticed her distraction and was curious. She asked gently, "Ms. Byrne, you seem a little distracted today. Is something bothering you? You seem a bit off."
Snapping out of her thoughts, Veronica offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I was thinking about something and wasn't fully focused."
The female nodded understandingly and said with a smile, "Are you worried about what happened to Mr. Fraser last night?"
Veronica nodded, her brows furrowed. "Yes, it's been on my mind. The Central District is a mixed bag, with various forces intertwined. It's almost impossible to figure out who's behind the attack. I have no leads and no idea where to even start."
The female thought for a moment before suggesting, "Maybe try looking at it from another angle. Think—who's had the most conflict with Mr. Fraser lately? If something really had happened to him, who would've benefited the most?"
Veronica's eyes lit up with a flicker of realization. She nodded thoughtfully. "That makes a lot of sense. Nothing in this world happens for no reason. Behind the scenes, there are always complex interests and motives at play."
After much contemplation, Veronica listed several suspects in her mind, but she couldn't decide on anyone. She examined the situation from every angle, trying to uncover the truth behind the attack, but found nothing conclusive.
Seeing that Veronica still hadn't gotten to the heart of the matter, the female reminded her softly, "Ms. Byrne, have you considered—who was the first person to arrive on the scene after the attack? And who took the attacker away and tried to get information out of him?"
The questions instantly cleared Veronica's confusion. She suddenly realized she'd overlooked someone crucial. 'Could it be... Joshua?' she wondered, a strange feeling creeping over her.
Last night, it was Joshua who had taken the assassin back for questioning. Veronica had asked Joshua if the man had said anything, but Joshua told her he hadn't—he'd taken his own life before even making it to the cell. Now, there was no evidence left.
Now that Veronica thought back to how Joshua had looked when he said that—his brows furrowed, his words hesitant, like there was something he wasn't telling her—an uneasy doubt began to rise in her heart.
She started replaying in her mind every detail of the night before, searching for anything Joshua might have hidden. She was filled with doubts and unease.
She didn't want Joshua to be involved in this. No matter how tense things got between Joshua and Matthew, at least it was all out in the open. But if Joshua had actually gone this far, she had no idea how she'd face him.