Chapter 49

Laura pressed her lips together. Could it be that Isaac had come here to defend Verena?

The thought left her stunned. After all, Verena and Isaac had only met a handful of times.

Why,then,was Isaac suddenly showing such concern for Verena?

His deliberate appearance today to discuss these matters must have been triggered by something Verena said once she had left home.

The more Laura thought about it, the more her teeth clenched. Her dislike for Verena, already sharp, grew keener still.

Alec's face darkened; his expression carried the weight of regret.

Had he foreseen things spiraling to this extent, he would never have allowed Laura's reckless outburst the night before.

Isaac's visit-whether born of care for Verena or of concern for the Bennett family's reputation-meant one thing: their treatment of Verena had clearly displeased him.

Unlike Laura, who was carried away by resentment,Alec valued the family's standing far above Kaia's grievances.

"Isaac,you've mnisunderstood. We did not drive Verena out. She quarreled with her mother yesterday and stormed off in anger. In truth, we-"

"Mr. Bennett," Kaia broke in before Alec could finish.

Isaac's clear concern for Verena pricked her heart like a thorn.

He was the man she admired, and she could not endure watching Verena-someone she dismissed as insignificant-draw his attention.

Isaac turned his cold eyes upon Kaia.

She stepped forward with a strange smile tugging at her lips. "Mr. Bennett, your feelings for Verena may run deep, but there's something you likely do not know."

Her words stirred the curiosity of Alec, Laura, and even Luka.

Isaac's expression, however, remained as still as stone. Ignoring his frostiness, Kaia unlocked her phone,opened an album, and held the screen out toward him.

Alec and Laura leaned forward at once; even Luka,usually detached, walked over and craned his neck to see.

The image revealed Verena dining opposite a young man.

Their posture and gestures hinted at intimacy.

Verena leaned forward with playful ease, tugging lightly on the man's tie, while he scratched his head in shy embarrassment.

Both were young, striking, and their interaction appeared affectionate.

Anyone seeing the photo would take them for a budding couple.

Kaia caught the shock flickering across the others ' faces, and a cold glint of triumph flashed in her eyes.

With this, she was certain Isaac's regard for Verena would wither.

Luka snorted aloud, his scant tolerance for Verena plunging into outright disdain.

Who would have guessed she was so unruly? Engaged to the heir of the Bennett family, yet still bold enough to stir scandal elsewhere.

To marry into Shoildon's most powerful household should have been a crowning glory, but she still reached out for fresh excitement.

Alec's brows knitted tightly as he stared at the photo,his face a storm of surprise, anger, and shame.

Never had he imagined that his seemingly quiet and well-behaved daughter would carry on like this in private.

If outsiders got wind of it, the entire Willis family name would be dragged through the mud.

Laura,however, remained unnervingly calm, as though she had always known Verena's true colors.

Folding her arms, she inwardly praised Kaia for her move.

Losing the Bennetts as an ally was no small loss, but since Isaac clearly meant to defend Verena, why not turn his anger upon the very woman he sought to protect?

Besides, they still had the Lyons family to rely on.

If Isaac's fiancée was seen to be dallying with another man, his pride was bound to take a blow. Surely, he would not let Verena off unscathed.

Verena dared to beg lsaac for help. Thinking of this,Laura was eager to see him teach her a brutal lesson.

A sneer tugged at Laura's lips.

Hah! Verena had dared to threaten her with such arrogance the night before.

Now she would reap what she had sown.

How bold would she remain once Isaac discovered her supposed infidelity?

"Mr. Bennett," Kaia said, her tone louder now, "I happened to capture this by chance. As for whether my sister has further entanglements with the man in the photo, I cannot say. But I felt you deserved the truth. You show her such devotion, yet she treats you like this, clearly unworthy of your care. With this evidence in hand, Mr. Bennett, do you still wish to stand by Verena?"

Kaia knew Isaac's physical state meant her hopes of marrying him were futile.

So,she dropped the pretense of being a dutiful sister and spoke without disguise.

Isaac let her finish her gloating speech, and then cast a single, unhurried glance at the phone. The profile in the photo was unmistakably Verena's-smooth forehead, curled lashes, a delicate nose, lips tinted with natural color.

Her skin glowed; her beauty was undeniable.

Even in this moment, Isaac found his gaze lingering upon her, admiring her beauty.

And as for the man sitting across from her...

The scene was not unfamiliar. He recognized Verena's outfit,remembered the playful tug on the tie

It was from the Fortune Garden Restaurant yesterday.He himself had been there.

He recalled how Verena had noticed his unease and quietly gone upstairs to reassure him.

Jealousy was never his way

Instead,memory stirred warmth within him.

Verena had soothed his fragile emotions, spoken with patience, and even kissed him.

While Isaac remained silent, Kaia mistook it for suppressed fury. Her lips curved into a smile of victory,relishing her own malice.

Yes-surely he would punish Verena for such shamelessness.

After all, what man could tolerate betrayal, least of all one as remarkable as lsaac?

Her hope was simple: that lsaac would call off the marriage arrangement in front of Alec, driving Verena into utter disgrace, making her lower her head and beg for mercy from the Willis family.

The thought set Kaia's pulse racing.

She kept her eyes fixed on Isaac, desperate not to miss a flicker of reaction.

Alec, Laura, and Luka also watched him, breath caught in their throats.

The room lay in silence, the air heavy as though frozen.

Just as the Willis family braced for lsaac's judgment upon Verena, a soft chuckle escaped him.

"If I recall correctly, Miss Willis, you are a student at Acorith College of Medicine, are you not?"

His question, utterly unrelated, left the family exchanging puzzled looks.