Chapter 44

As Verena walked down the staircase and crossed the living room, Alec stopped her with a call of her name."Verena!"

When she turned back, her face showed no expression as she stood waiting for his words.

Verena understood that Laura had only been able to come upstairs and confront her because Alec had allowed it.

If that had not been the case, he would not have stayed seated earlier while the commotion went on upstairs.

The realization left her with a bitter sense of irony.

For a time, she had believed Alec might be the only one in the family who still showed her some regard,even if it was out of his sense of guilt.

Feeling guilty,she believed,would have meant that he cared in some small way.

Now she saw that her thoughts had only been wishful assumptions. Alec rose from his seat and stepped closer, noticing that while her face stayed calm, her eyes carried both sadness and disappointment.

The expression struck him with a force he hadn't expected.

With sudden panic creeping into his chest, Alec asked in haste, "Verena, it's already late. Where are you planning to go?"

The tenderness in his tone gave the impression of a father speaking out of deepconcern for his child.

For a fleeting moment,Verena nearly allowed herself to believe it.

The false calm in Alec's manner only deepened the irony pressing against her.

With steady eyes fixed on him, Verena spoke with deliberate clarity. "Alec Willis, beginning today,you and Laura Willis are no longer my parents. Wherever l choose to go will never concern either of you."

Her clear gaze carried a cold sharpness, though a faint crease appeared between her brows.

Alec paid no attention to the change in her expression,for the weight of her words had already shaken him. For Verena to cut ties so firmly, Alec could only assume that Laura had spoken far too harshly upstairs.

No matter if Verena's actions came from sudden defiance or a real attempt to escape, Alec knew he could not afford a single misstep during the critical Bennett family alliance.

"Did your mother speak too cruelly to you?"

"So you knew she went upstairs to stir up trouble for me? I was under the impression you didn't."

With a sharp glance, Verena added, "The two of you as parents make me sick. If I had any choice in the matter, I would have never wanted to belong to this family."

Her words left Alec shaken to his very core, his body rooted in stunned silence as he watched Verena walking out of the lavish villa.

Coming to his senses, he rushed forward to the door and called out after her, "Verena, wait..."

From the staircase came a voice asking, "Why are you running after her?"

When Alec turned, he saw Laura and Kaia making their way down the steps. With arms folded and anger etched on her face, Laura walked toward him.

"Let her leave. Don't stop her," Laura said coldly toward the door. "I want to see just how far she'll manage without us behind her."

Alec felt frustration build at Laura's cold indifference.

Though he agreed Verena's stubbornness needed discipline, he never intended for Laura to drive away the Bennett family's future daughter-in-law without weighing the consequences.

With his face darkened, Alec asked Laura sharply, "I told you only to discipline her lightly. What did you say to Verena that pushed her to leave?"

Noticing Alec leaning toward Verena's side, Laura turned her anger onto him.

"She told me outright that she doesn't recognize me as her mother, so why blame me for her walking away?"

Laura's frown deepened, and her voice sharpened as she snapped, "Your eldest daughter is something else,Alec. She bullies Kaia and even had the audacity to strike me, her own mother. Truly, you must be proud of the child you brought up."

Catching Alec's inclination to defend Verena, Kaia hurried to nod in support. "It's true, Dad. Verena shows no respect for Mom. All Mom did upstairs was say a few words to correct her, and Verena twisted her hand right away. Look for yourself."

Kaia lifted Laura's wrist toward Alec, presenting it like a silent accusation.

When his eyes dropped, a vivid red mark stood out against Laura's wrist.

The faint crease on his brow gave Kaia her chance,and she sniffled theatrically before crying out,"It's bad enough that Verena bullies me, but to treat Mom this way is unforgivable!"

Laura's anger eased at her younger daughter's show of loyalty, and she stroked Kaia's hair with approval."You truly do think of me, Kaia."

Alec's eyes lingered on the mark, and the silence stretched heavy between them.

It had never crossed his mind that Verena would defy her parents so openly.

Laura, encouraged by Alec's silence, added, "I told her clearly that if she denies me as her mother, then I'll deny her as my daughter. From now on she has no ties to the Willis family, and she can forget about marrying into the Bennett family." Alec's temper flared the moment Laura brushed things off with her stubborn attitude.

Pointing at her in frustration, he could barely force out a word. "You... you..."

His chest rose and fell heavily as he glared at her."Haven't I warned you over and over? We can't afford any trouble with Verena and the Bennett family.You went and scolded her. What happens if she really refuses the marriage arrangement? How do we explain that to the Bennett family?"

The alliance promised great rewards, but a single misstep at this stage would give the Bennett family every reason to turn against them.

Kaia shrank back quickly, startled by the sudden fury in her father's tone. She had never witnessed him this enraged.

Laura flinched at first, her shoulders drawing in, but she quickly lifted her head high and let out a mocking laugh. "Do you honestly believe she has that kind of strength? She followed us from Trisas to Shoildon because she wanted to rise above he place in life, to shed her insignificance and turn herself into a woman of society. Without the Willis family behind her, she is nothing, and she can forget about ever marrying into wealth. Don't trouble yourself. This is only her rash temper speaking, and she will crawl back before long After what she did to Kaia and me, do I not have every right to vent my anger?"

Alec considered what she said, and it began to sound convincing.

To the Bennett family, Verena's standing in society mattered far more than who she really was.

If marrying into wealth was truly her goal, she would never dare to run away and cut ties.

Accepting that logic, Alec let Verena go without chasing her.

In the end, he believed it was only a matter of time before she came back.

Instead of driving away, Verena left the Willis Villa on foot because the car sitting in the garage had been a gift from Alec.

She refused to keep anything that tied her to the Willis family.

The villa stood in a secluded part of town, and at that hour, there wasn't a single car she could hail.

After a brief pause to think, Verena pulled out her phone and called Gavin. Three rings passed before the line clicked.

"Dr. WNillis, what do you need?" Gavin's voice came steady through the receiver.

Her tone dropped to something faint and weary."D you have time right now?"

Her weary tone pressed on him so heavily that Gavin answered at once, "Yes, I do."

She let out a quiet hum before asking, "Can you come get me and take me to a hotel?"

He didn't hesitate. "Of course. Just text me the address, and I'll head over."

A small smile broke across her face as she thanked him.Once the call ended, she shared her location.