Chapter 127

Color crept up lsaac's neck, staining his ears and cheeks as he shifted uneasily beneath Verena's gaze. Every part of him betrayed how much he wanted her, how much he wanted to be her husband in the truest sense.

He turned his head sharply, refusing to meet her eyes. "I'll... I'll take them off myself," he muttered.

Verena caught the flicker of nerves in his voice and finally relented, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.Without another word, she drew back her hand and crossed the room to retrieve the medical kit.

By the time she turned again, he had already stripped away his boxers, leaving his lower body bare. His long legs were still muscular, every line of muscle etched in quiet defiance. Though she had seen him before under different circumstances, this moment carried a weight all its own. His memory erased those past intimacies,but hers did not.

Verena inhaled slowly, steadying herself before dipping a cotton swab into the medicine. She pressed the cool liquid against the firm planes of his abdomen.

A shiver ran through him. His fists clenched on the sheets, his jaw tight, as though sheer willpower kept him from reacting further.

He kept his face turned away, the flush climbing higher.

The shame wasn't in the treatment itself-he wasn't resisting her skill. It was the vulnerability, the exposure, the thought of her unwavering eyes on him.

But Verena's focus was absolute. Once her hands began their work, nothing distracted her-not the heat radiating from him, not the ragged cadence of his breath.

When the medicine reached its peak effect, she set the swab aside and carefully took up her silver needles. With precision born of years of mastery, she pressed each one into the right points along his abdomen, steady and unerring.

This time, Verena abandoned gentleness. One by one, the needles slid into place with deliberate pressure, sharper and more demanding than before.

"Hh-" Isaac sucked in a harsh breath, his jaw locked as sweat prickled along his hairline.

Her gaze lingered on his face, calm but probing. "Do you feel it burning? Like the heat is rising inside you?"

He gave a strained nod, fingers digging into the sheets as though to anchor himself. The fire in his abdomen had spread upward, licking at his chest,leaving him restless and raw.

Verena's tone carried reassurance, though her hands remained steady. "Your body responded to our closeness the other day, which was promising. Today I raised the dosage and refined the method.What you're feeling means the treatment is working."

Through the haze of heat, lsaac's eyes locked on hers. Pain was something he could bear, especially when it came with hope. His hand shot up, clutching hers with surprising force, his voice rough with longing. "Tell me... will I really become the man beside you in every way? Not just in name?"

Her heart trembled at the naked plea in his wvords.She squeezed his hand firmly, meeting his gaze head-on. "Yes, Isaac. Trust me-you will."

Isaac saw the care in her eyes. For a moment, the fire in his body wasn't the only thing consuming him. His dark eyes softened, filled with emotions he couldn't untangle-half devotion,half confusion.

Was this woman's heart truly his? At times she looked at him as though she cherished him more than her own life. At others, she seemed impossibly distant. The next morning, Katelyn replayed her conversation with Isaac from the day before. Every sentence from him had revolved around his wife. The way he shielded Verena gnawed at her, stirring both fury and unease.

He had warned her not to seek Verena out, but that only cemented her resolve to do exactly that. If Isaac guarded her so fiercely, perhaps Verena wasn't as capable as people claimed. Maybe she was only strong enough to deal with fools like Kaia.

Katelyn's fingers danced across her phone screen,pulling up her assistant's messages. Within moments, she found the number she'd been given-Verena's. Without hesitation, she pressed call.

Meanwhile, Verena had just set her cup aside and was heading for the stairs when her phone buzzed.She didn't bother glancing at the caller ID; habit led her to swipe and answer immediately.

"Hello?" Good morning, Ms. Verena Willis."

A smooth, unfamiliar female voice drifted through the receiver. Verena frowned and finally glanced at the screen. Unknown number.

"Who's speaking?" she asked evenly.

The woman on the other end gave a soft, deliberate laugh. "Let's just say I'm... an old acquaintance of Isaac's."

The way the stranger spoke lsaac's name-soft,almost possessive-caught Verena's attention.

Isaac's words from the night before came back to her. So this must be her, the one who'd chased after him since school. Bold woman, Verena thought, to appear this quickly and so directly.

Her tone remained calm, almost indifferent. "What exactly do you want?"

On the other end, Katelyn was a bit surprised that Verena didn't ask for more details about her identity.With a light laugh, she said, "I do have something to say, but over the phone feels... impersonal. Why don't we meet this afternoon? I'll tell you everything face to face."

Verena didn't need long to recognize the hidden thorns in Katelyn's voice. Still, shewasn't one to shy away from a challenge. "Fine. I'll meet you."

She ended the call before the other woman could add another word.

Staring at the darkened screen, Verena's lips curved into a cool, knowing smile.