Chapter 58

Jealous?

Isaac's brows knitted faintly. He could not tell if what he felt was truly jealousy, yet every time he saw another man near Verena, a sharp pang twisted in his chest.

To make matters worse, Verena gifted him a tie that looked exactly like the one worn by that other man.

Isaac lowered his gaze, lips sealed in silence. Verena could see through him; whether he admitted it or not,there was a trace of jealousy in his heart.

She gently took the tie from his hand and explained patiently, "This tie was custom-made in Clokron There is no duplicate, no stock left behind.I asked my friend to bring it home for me, but finding it inconvenient, he casually wore it around his neck.That was the scene you stumbled upon in the restaurant."

Placing the tie back in his palm, she added softly,"Don't worry. It belongs to you alone."

After all, the tie had always been his. Isaac, ever meticulous, had always worn ties designed by professionals with exacting care.

But since his memory still lay shrouded in amnesia,Verena left it at that, offering only a brief explanation.

Isaac looked down at the tie once more, her words echoing in his mind-"Don't worry. It belongs to you alone."

What she had said so casually struck a deeper chord in him.

To Isaac, it sounded as if Verena had chosen it exclusively for him, a token meant to bind the two of them.

The thought stirred a sudden wave inside him, so strong he had to draw in a quiet breath to steady himself.

"Thank you," he murmured, a faint curve on his lips betraying his inner delight.

Verena caught his smile and tilted her head playfully."So, are you happy now? You're satisfied so easily,aren't you?"

Before he could reply, she leaned in and brushed a feather-light kiss across his cheek. "You're welcome.I'm just glad you're happy."

Then, as though nothing had happened, Verena switched off the heating lamp, removed the ointment from his abdomen, and busied herself with quiet efficiency,leaving Isaac to wonder if that fleeting kiss had been real or merely an illusion of his longing

When the treatment was complete,Verena helped him sit upright and reminded him gently, "Don't take a bath once you're home tonight. If you feel uncomfortable, you may use a damp towel to wipe yourself down, but take care not to let water touch your abdomen."

Isaac nodded as he settled back into his wheelchair."Alright, I understand."

Verena didn't try to detain him further. Isaac called Jacob, who soon arrived upstairs and wheeled him toward the elevator.

...

Back at the Bennett residence, Isaac found Danica waiting on the sofa, her eyes fixed on him with a look of discontent.

From her expression alone, lsaac could already guess what was coming.

Sure enough, he had barely turned his wheelchair when Danica rose and demanded, "The Willis family's

club was shut down. Was it your doing?"

Isaac stilled his wheels and answered without hesitation, "Yes. It was me."

Earlier,when Danica learned that someone influential had moved against the Willis family, she casually dispatched people to investigate-after all, the Willises were meant to become her in-laws.

To her astonishment, the culprit turned out to be none other than her own son, who had personally instructed Beckett to close the venue.

Danica was dumbfounded then, and now, hearing him admit it so calmly, her shock mingled with anger.

"Didn't you already agree to marry Verena? Why,then,are you still striking against the Willis family? Call Beckett this instant. He only listens to you. Tell him to remove the restrictions immediately and let the venue resume its operations."

"Impossible," Isaac rejected without pause. "I agreed to marry Verena for her sake, not for the Willis family.I acted because they bullied her first. Verena is my fiancée, and I will not stand by while she suffers."

His unwavering tone left Danica briefly at a loss for words. "So you're already protecting her to such an extent? Don't forget-even with a few quarrels,Verena is still their daughter, their very flesh and blood. By moving against the Willises now, outsiders will say you don't truly want this marriage, that you're creating excuses deliberately."

Isaac's eyes narrowed, his expression composed and unshaken by her arguments.

"Rest easy. I will not let her suffer. On our wedding day, I'll make sure everyone understands just how much I care for Verena."

His certainty both startled and unsettled Danica.

For the first time, she could see clearly that her son was deeply taken with Verena.

It wasn't his affection that disturbed her, but his disregard for the Bennett family's standing.

Verena,it seemed, was not the pliant woman Danica had imagined.

Unable to contain her anger any longer, Danica snapped, "And what do you expect to accomplish by this? Are you intent on dragging the Bennett family's name through the mud? Before the marriage arrangement, I promised the Willises certain benefits.Now, the wedding hasn't even taken place, the benefits haven't been granted, yet you've already struck at them. What will people say? That the Bennetts are ungrateful?" Danica's true concern was crystal clear-what others thought of the Bennett family. The Willis family's plight was merely secondary.

Isaac knew this better than anyone.

It was that very obsession with appearances that had driven her to arrange his marriage hastily, lest others discover the illnesses he carried beyond his crippoled legs.

His gaze turned cold as he answered slowly, "What others think is theirs to carry. I have no need to live by their judgments. All I know is this-if anyone dares harm the woman I care for, they must face the consequences."

Danica fell silent, stunned into speechlessness.

It was one matter for him to act against the Willises,but to shield Verena with such fierceness was another altogether.

Only then did Danica grasp that she had underestimated her future daughter-in-law. "People say Verena is a country girl, unsophisticated and harmless. Clearly, everyone was mistaken. She has tricks up her sleeve. In such a short time, she's managed to sway you enough to disregard your own family's reputation. It seems Bobby was right after all.I dismissed his words before,but now I see-if she can turn against her own parents, she will no doubt throw this household into chaos once she becomes your wife."

Danica paused,and then declared with iron resolve, "I arranged this marriage to secure a woman who would be compliant, one I could manage easily. Verena is nothing of the sort. Since you've moved against the Willis family, then so be it-we will cancel this marriage."

At that word "cancel," Isaac's head lifted sharply, his dark gaze locking onto hers.

Danica's heart gave a tremor under the weight of his eyes.

Since the accident, lsaac had rarely looked at her directly.

When speaking, he usually kept his gaze lowered,fixed on the ground.

But now-for the first time since that day-he looked at her straight on, and in his eyes burned a storm of anger.

Chapte 59 Danica Requested To Meet Verena

Isaac spoke with a voice as steady as stone. "I agreed to this marriage not for the sake of the Willis family,and certainly not for you. I did it only because it's Verena. Whether in the past or now, no one-not even you-can keep me from marrying her."

Danica's face darkened with anger as she warned coldly,"Do you truly believe I cannot stop you?"

Isaac's composure never faltered. "With your influence, you could end this marriage in a thousand ways. But Mother, if you dare to do so, then from this moment on, I will live without a mother."

His words struck like a hammer. Danica grasped the meaning and felt her heart reel in disbelief.

A storm of anger and astonishment surged within her.She looked down at lsaac, her frown deepening."Would you really cut the bond between us over a woman?"

From where he sat, lsaac heard her voice. His fists clenched and released, yet his tone remained calm. "lt isn't only about Verena. The instant you chose to harm her, you trampled on my feelings. And since you do not care for mine, why should I care for yours?"

Raising his voice, he commanded the butler, "Take me back to my room."

At once, the butler came forward and escorted him into the elevator.

Danica,left behind in the silence of his words, sank heavily onto the sofa. Her mind spun with disorientation.

Since the accident, she had never seen Isaac speak with such force. It was as though the man she once knew before the tragedy had returned.

Her frown deepened; doubt gnawing at her heart.

Was the marriage with the Willis family truly a wise arrangement?

As these troubled thoughts circled, a voice from the stairwell broke her reverie.

"I warned you Verena wasn't decent, but you wouldn't listen.And now look-she's driven my brother to this."Bobby leaned against the railing, arms folded, gazing down at Danica.

Still shaken by her clash with Isaac, Danica snapped,"Enough! Hold your tongue." Bobby gave a mocking scoff, pretending indifference.

"Doesn't matter to me."

With that, he turned and went upstairs.

Yet once alone in his room, Bobby unlocked his phone and fired off a message to "Verena". "Congratulations.You've finally earned my mother's dislike. She no longer agrees to this marriage, so stop dreaming about being Isaac's wife-stop dreaming of becoming Mrs. Bennett."

Though he had heard every word lsaac spoke downstairs, he still sent the message, hoping to unsettle that woman he despised.

He could not fathom how his usually sharp brother had fallen for such a facade.

Fresh from her shower, Kaia noticed the new message on her alternate account.

Her eyes lit with excitement, and pride flickered across her face.

She had done nothing, yet Verena seemed on the verge of being cast aside by the Bennett family.

Now, with the Lyons family backing her and Verena rejected by the Bennetts, Kaia felt her fortunes soaring higher than ever.

Smirking, she lifted her chin with arrogant grace and replied to Bobby, "Whether your mother approves or not doesn't matter, so long as Isaac does."

Reading the reply, Bobby's face darkened.

Her words dripped with arrogance,and yet-he could not deny the bitter truth. If his brother chose to rebel,even their mother could not stop him.

Meanwhile, as Verena prepared the herbal ointment for lsaac, her phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID, her brows lifting in surprise.

Danica?

During their earlier arranged meeting, under Laura's subtle persuasion, she and Danica had exchanged numbers. But they had never spoken since, and Verena had nearly forgotten she had her contact.

Why was Danica calling now?

Curious, Verena answered with polite warmth. "Hello,Mrs.Bennett. This is Verena. How may I help you?" Before dialing, Danica had steeled herself to speak with severity.

Yet hearing Verena's voice-gentle, courteous,almost smiling-gave her pause.

How could one lash out at such composure?

Suppressing her misgivings, Danica forced a smile. "If it's convenient, let's meet. I'llsend the address."

Verena's brows knitted faintly. The only subject between them was Isaac.

And if Danica sought her alone, it could hardly bode well.

Even so, she had no intention of shrinking away.Rather, she wanted to know Danica's true purpose.

So she answered evenly, "Very well, Mrs. Bennett. I'lL see you soon."

After hanging up, Verena freshened up quickly and left the hotel to hail a cab.

Danica had chosen a stylish café, where soft jazz played and the air felt tranquil.

Once Verena confirmed her name, a server guided her to a reserved window booth. By the time Danica appeared with her assistant,Verena had already finished half her coffee.

Verena rose gracefully, offering a polite nod."Good day, Mrs. Bennett. It's nice to see you again."

In truth, Danica had arrived earlier but lingered outside for twenty minutes, waiting to gauge Verena's patience.

By rumor, a woman of Verena's temperament would have been restless by then.

Yet what greeted her was a composed, courteous young woman, whose manners could not be faulted.

This unexpected poise unsettled Danica, compelling her to look closer.

Verena wore a white wool coat over a soft turtleneck,paired with slim jeans that shaped her figure.

Her subtle makeup brightened her smile, softening her already gentle features. She looked approachable,even disarming

Danica sighed inwardly. Outwardly, Verena looked every bit the perfect daughter-in-law of the Bennett family-except for the suspicion that her heart hid deceit. Casting aside such thoughts, Danica sat and forced a faint smile before asking bluntly, "Did you instruct Isaac to move against the Willis family?"

Move against the Willis family?

Her words confirmed what Verena had guessed

So Isaac had already taken steps.

Was it because of what he had promised her that day?

A warmth stirred in Verena's heart, touched by the knowledge that, memory or not, lsaac had always stood by her whenever she was wronged.

Though he had never spoken of his plans, she could see the reason clearly.

When she told him she had been cast out of her family, Isaac had vowed to handle it for her.

She had not expected him to act so swiftly.