Chapter 182

Isaac realized that holding back his questions any longer would only damage both him and Verena.

That was why he chose to call her straightaway.

Across the sea in Clokron, Verena's phone lit up with Isaac's name. The sight of it brought a gentle curve to her lips.

She answered without hesitation, her voice tender as she said,"Isaac."

Hearing the sound he had longed for, lsaac felt the tension in his brow ease, though his eyes carried a deep ache.

His mouth set firmly as he asked in a steady,emotionless tone, "Are you Evelyn?"

The blunt question made it clearto Verena-he must have seen Maxton's interview and already connected the dots.

Catching the disappointment in his voice, she felt guilt rise inside her.

It was true. She had kept him in the dark.

Hidden away in a quiet corner far from the reporters,she spoke openly without bothering to lower her tone.

Her lips curved into a faint, resigned smile as she confessed, "I'm sorry. My plan was to wait until everything settled here before telling you myself.1didn't expect Maxton to skip clarifying my ties with Tobin and instead keep mentioning Evelyn. That was careless of me. Yes, Isaac, I'm Evelyn."

Since the truth was bound to surface eventually,denying it any longer served no purpose.

Isaac stayed silent on the line, but her words confirmed everything he had feared.

So this was the secret, hidden all along and revealed only now. Although he had already known what the answer would be, a quiet sense of disappointment still settled over him.

An indescribable weight spread through his chest as his hand curled tightly into a fist and his throat closed with unsaid words.

Isaac's voice came out rough as he finally asked, "If none of this had ever happened, would you have chosen to tell me who you really are?"

Verena hesitated, her silence carrying the weight of thought.

After a few seconds, she gave a firm nod. "I would."

That small delay, however, made lsaac believe she had been considering her answer carefully.

He could see that her certainty came from hindsight,and that only added to the heaviness pressing down on him.

His lips tightened as he spoke again, not as a question but as fact. "When you say you would,you mean only after everything was settled, you planned to tell me then, right?"

That was exactly what she had intended, and both of them knew it.

Isaac dropped his gaze, his throat moving as he swallowed hard.

"Verena, I told you before-you don't have to face everything by yourself. I'm your husband. I'm the one you can lean on. I'll stand behind you no matter what."

Isaac knew he shouldn't let his emotions get the better of him, that Verena had reasons for staying silent.

But the uneasy ache in his chest refused to fade.

The thought cut deeply-maybe in her heart he simply didn't matter enough.

If she had trusted him completely, she wouldn't have hidden her identity to avoid the fallout. Verena heard the strain in his voice and understood exactly what he was thinking.

She knew his doubts weren't without cause, and she accepted that part of the blame was hers.

With a quiet, remorseful tone, she said, "Isaac,you've got it wrong. It wasn't because I didn't trust you. I was wrestling with my own hesitation, and that's why I held back in the beginning."

Maxton kept speaking on stage, his words flowing smoothly, while Verena let out a quiet sigh. "Isaac,things here are urgent. I still need to clear up the situation with Tobin, and it's too much to explain over the phone. Can we talk it through properly once I'm back?"

Isaac replied, "Alright."

"Then I'll hang up for now."

As the call ended, Verena lifted her gaze to the stage where Maxton and Tobin stood.

Their enthusiasm only seemed to grow, both of them piling praise on her and avoiding the real issue entirely.

This couldn't go on.

She realized the interview might finish without the truth ever being addressed.

Sliding her phone intoher pocket, Verena stepped toward the stage.

At that moment, the reporters were fixed on Maxton's words, so when Verena appeared unexpectedly, heads turned in shock.

Surprise rippled through the room as they watched her stride forward.

She looked every bit the picture of confidence in a perfectly tailored suit, her elegance understated but commanding.

Her long, gently wavy hair fell loosely over her shoulders, uncovering the graceful lines of her neck and the refined shape of her collarbones. White stiletto heels elongated her figure, while the fitted trousers emphasized the length of her legs.

Her striking features carried a sharp poise with a subtle allure that drew every eye in the hall.

Normally, the reporters would have rushed to capture such a scene.

But this wasn't just any event-it was an interview with the chairman of Smoothdeed Group.

What on earth was happening?

Who exactly was this woman?

Why had security failed to stop her from breaking into Maxton's interview?

All eyes from the reporters turned toward Verena,filled with curiosity.

A few who recognized her spoke up.

"Isn't that the woman people have been gossiping about, the one linked to Tobin?" "That's right. Can you believe it? Tobin might have admitted it publicly, but she still doesn't hold any respectable title. And yet here she is, striding onto the stage like she belongs there!"

Her sudden arrival redirected every camera and every gaze. The initial surprise shifted into hushed murmurs; and soon their looks turned cold.

Did she have no sense of the occasion?

What right did a simple romantic partner have to come here trying to draw attention?

Couldn't she recognize her place?

The disgust wasn't limited to those in the room-viewers watching the live broadcast were just as scornful.

Inside the group chat for Shoildon's wealthy young people,questions started flying.

"What's happening right now? Anybody got details?"

Within seconds, a link was shared. Viewers who were already watching the interview reacted in shock, their voices filled with disbelief."No way.Is this actually happening? Did Verena really crash an event like this? Don't tell me she's already clashing with Tobin!"

One person commented, "Even if she and Tobin had a falling out, how could she try to make a scene at such an important event? There are too many cameras here."

Another voice cut in with disbelief. "That's ridiculous.With Tobin's power and reputation, what kind of romantic partner would even think of complaining?Your theories are insane."

Then the chat filled with a flood of the same message. "I get it. I get it. I get it..."

After spamming the line several times, the sender finally added, "Think about it. Having an affair is shameful, right? Nobody would be dumb enough to crash the stage for attention. But she walked up only after Maxton mentioned Evelyn. Come on! Doesn't that prove the truth is about to break out?" The sender's excitement was obvious.

For a moment, the group froze into silence, as if stunned.

As wild as the idea sounded, there was a trace of logic buried in it.

The more they thought about it,the more unsettling it became.

Hadn't Bobby insisted Verena was the one treating Maxton?

And now Maxton had just said Evelyn was the one who cured him.

The pieces suddenly clicked together in their heads.

Those who had mocked Verena earlier began to feel a creeping sense of unease.

None of them dared to admit it out loud, so they stayed quiet and waited for the situation to unfold.

Faces flushed with the sting of embarrassment, yet they still clung to the hope that Verena was simply making a scene, banking on Tobin's support to storm the stage.

When the quiet dragged on for too long, a person who almost never joined in on gossip finally broke the silence. "I know we shouldn't make assumptions.But... I'm saying it now. Verena is Evelyn. I'm willing to bet a mink scarf on it."

Another chimed in immediately, "I'm in too. I'll wager a pair of boxing gloves that Verena's Evelyn."

Disbelief flared in the group. "Seriously? You're all betting on her being Evelyn? Fine, I'll throw my chips in as well."