Chapter 47

Verena could hold her liquor well; not a single memory from the night before had slipped away.

In the end, it was she who had helped Isaac onto the bed.

When sleep claimed him, he looked unlike the man he usually was.

The tightness in his brows loosened, his breathing steady as the tide.

At rest,his face carried an air of warmth, as if he were someone easy to approach. But in truth, he never was.

Verena studied his features, her eyes gentle and clear as water.

She leaned her chin on her palm, her fingers slowly tracing the arch of his brow, gliding down to his high nose bridge, finally coming to rest on his firm,straight lips.

Isaac stirred awake, his lashes lifting to the sight of Verena's luminous face-bare of makeup, yet strikingly beautiful. Her head was slightly lowered, her fingertip brushing against his lips, as though... she was about to lean in and kiss him.

A softness appeared in Isaac's gaze. He tilted his head forward,wishing to close the distance between them.

But Verena suddenly whispered, "Isaac, I can't marry you."

His body stilled. His lashes quivered as if caught in a storm.

He parted his lips to speak, but no sound emerged.The silence pressed on his chest like a boulder,making it hard to breathe.

For the first time, lsaac tasted what it meant to be struck by a cruel revelation.

Was it because of his condition?

Because he was not like other men?

Because he had failed to give her what she wanted last night?

Catching the flicker of anguish in his eyes, Verena knew immediately he had misunderstood.

She hurried to explain, "Yesterday, I quarreled with my mother." At her words, the storm in Isaac's expression calmed a little. "She was partial to my sister and lashed out at me without reason. I fought back. Then she furiously declared I was no longer her daughter and cast me out of the Willis family. Your family wants the daughter of the Willis family. But I'm not that anymore,so I can't marry you as such."

Isaac's brows knitted tightly as he asked, voice tinged with urgency, "Were you hurt?"

Verena smiled faintly and shook her head. "No. She didn't succeed. I twisted her wrist, though-it turned red."

Even after such treatment from her own mother, she could still summon a smile.

It was a calm too brittle, a facade anyone could see through.

Watching her, Isaac felt a stab of pain and an urge to gather her into his arms.

"Isaac," Verena called softly.

"Yes?" he responded, his tone gentle.

"I never lied to you," she said, her voice quiet yet steady. "Before our first meeting, Laura thought | was a disgrace from the rural backwater. She told me to pretend I was a graduate from Acorith College of Medicine. But I told you all the truth-that I had graduated from Pine Hill University. None of you believed me. On the way back, Laura scolded me,saying | overreached. But the truth is, I really did graduate from Pine Hill University. It's normal if strangers doubt me, but even my parents don't know."

Isaac's mind drifted back to their first meeting.

She had sat at the dining table, declaring her truth with steady eyes. He had believed her then-those eyes left no room for deceit.

Instead of interrupting her, he just stayed silent,knowing she needed to say it all aloud.

Verena gave a bitter laugh. "Isn't it ironic? She's my biological mother, yet she knows nothing about me.Kaia, the daughter she adores, got into Acorith College of Medicine, and Laura treasures her like gold.But my studies? She never cared. Once, when I was a child, I caught a high fever and missed two of the exams, and my results slipped. From then on, they branded me as hopeless. They never asked again.They thought I didn't even take the college entrance exam. But the truth is, I had already been admitted early to Pine Hill University. They never knew-never bothered to know. My likes, my schooling, even whom I care for-they remain blind to it all. Yet Kaia's every move is known. As for Luka, they treat him as their pride and heir. Only me... I've always been invisible."

Her words struck lsaac like a knife, his heart aching with every syllable.

"My grandmother Shawna raised me. She alone cared.But she has passed on." Tears welled in Verena's eyes at the memory.

"Later, they brought me from the countryside to Shoildon, only for the sake of the marriage alliance.Kaia despises me most, but her hostility never mattered to me. What mattered was when she insulted Shawna last night. I couldn't stand it-I hit her.Hard enough to swell her face and bloody her mouth.I don't regret it. After that, Laura and I quarreled. She cut me off. Now, I'm no longer a daughter of the Willis family. So, Isaac, I can't marry you."

Without a word, Isaac drew her into his arms, holding her tightly.

In a low, steady voice, he vowed, "Don't worry. I'll handle everything. Only I have the right to decide who my wife will be."

Time passed, and Isaac eventually called his assistant to drive him to the company.

Verena helped him into the wheelchair, guiding him toward the bathroom to freshen up. Soon after, breakfast was delivered by the hotel staff.

They sat opposite each other. Verena reached across for the strawberry jam on Isaac's plate. "You don't like strawberries. Let me take this."

She spread peanut butter on his toast and handed it to him.

Isaac raised a brow in surprise. Not even his mother knew he disliked strawberries.

"How did you know?" he asked.

Verena lifted her gaze, her voice soft yet serious. "I know everything about you."

There was no playfulness in her tone, only sincerity.

Isaac was taken aback, at a loss for words.

Her calm acceptance of his silence showed she wasn't disheartened.

Deep down, she believed he would one day remember her.

Midway through breakfast, lsaac asked, "Are you planning to stay here?"

"Yes," Verena replied with a nod. A sudden thought crossed her mind, and her lips curved playfully. "If you're free, you can come over at any time."

Better to marry lsaac as the woman he loved than as the Willis daughter bound by duty

"Ahem... ahem..." Isaac choked on his water. Verena quickly handed him a napkin.

He thanked her, lifting his gaze to meet hers.Her eyes shimmered with unspoken meaning.

It was a silent reminder of last night.

Isaac's mind replayed the chaos of those moments.His ears reddened, and a flush crept down his neck.

The air thickened with awkwardness.

To be precise, it was Isaac who felt flustered.

Meanwhile, Verena's gaze lingered on him-steady,intent, and far from innocent.