Chapter 144

Morning arrived with a pale gold glow as Isaac rolled the chair onto the balcony, feeling the crisp air against his skin while he made a call to Jacob.

On the other end, Jacob answered promptly. "Mr. Bennett, is there something you need?"

Looking up atthe sky, Isaac instructed in a calm, steady voice, "Assign several trustworthy bodyguards to watch over Wendell Branson and his family."

Without pressing for details, Jacob responded right away, "I'Il see to it immediately."

A quiet "Alright" was all Isaac said before ending the call.

Verena emerged from the bathroom and noticed Isaac putting his phone away. She slipped her arms around him from behind. "Who were you just talking to?"

Turning just enough to see her, Isaac answered, "Jacob. He's already arranging for Professor Branson and his family to be protected, so you can stop worrying about that."

After a moment, he added, "Leave Katelyn to me. I'll handle whatever comes up."

Feigning concern, Verena arched an eyebrow and teased, "Are you sure you're up for it? Danica is siding with Katelyn now. What if she insists you follow Katelyn's plan for treatment?"

Isaac held her hands where they rested against his chest and said gently, "Katelyn has only confused my mom for the moment, nothing more. And remember, we promised to trust each other. Whatever opinions my mom has are her own, but they will never change how I feel."

With a lighthearted laugh, Verena stretched out the word,"Oh,"∂nd grinned."So my husband really does trust me after all."

She brushed his chin upward and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "That's your reward for having faith in me." That little gesture made her features seem even brighter, happiness lighting up her whole face.

Isaac lingered in the moment, his fingers brushing the place where her lips had touched, and a wave of sweetness filled his chest. He realized that even the smallest hint of affection or passion from Verena had the power to captivate him completely, leaving him lost in the feeling long after it happened.

Isaac found himself wondering if Verena's warmth was a sign that she was finally opening her heart to him.Maybe she was letting go of the past and her first love. Could it be that he was beginning to mean something real to her?

The thought drew a faint, genuine smile to his lips before he even realized it.

Verena caught him lost in thought. She gave his shoulder a little tap. "Let's get breakfast. Don't you have work this morning?"

He snapped out of his reverie and nodded. "Yeah, let's go downstairs."

They shared a meal together, and then Isaac left for the office.

Verena headed to the medical room on the second floor, yet rather than starting her surgical experiments right away, she paused by the window and placed an overseas call to her assistant.

The moment the call connected, Verena asked sharply, "Julianna, is everything arranged on your end? If so,l need you back in Shoildon as soon as you can. No more stalling."

A weary sigh was clear in Julianna's reply. "Evelyn, it's not that we're dragging our feet. There's still a patient here who's in rough shape. If surgery is needed, we'll have to staya bit longer."

Verena considered this for a moment. "Have Bradley Duncan take over that case. I trust his hands-he can handle the surgery. I want the rest of the team to come back as soon as possible."

That request left Julianna momentarily speechless. What could possibly be so urgent that Evelyn needed everyone back right away?

Though the question burned in her mind, Julianna simply agreed. "Alright, I'll-"

Verena interjected before she could finish, "You take care of all the details. Make sure the team returns quietly. Don't draw any attention."

Julianna had worked alongside Verena for a long while, but she had never seen her so relentless in chasing after something. The urgent request stirred an unshakable sense of unease deep within her.

Julianna could no longer contain her curiosity and asked, "Evelyn, are you rushing like this because something serious happened back home?"

A simple "Yes" came from Verena, her tone measured. "The people who've been after me have found out where I am. And now someone else is pretending to be me. Sooner or later, everything will come to a head.I plan to use this chance to flush them out once and for all. Only then will I be free to do what I need to do."

Her voice carried no urgency, as calm and ordinary as if she were commenting on the day's weather.

Julianna hesitated before answering. Her worry was evident as she said, "Evelyn, you're out there without any real protection. For now, that impostor might be diverting danger away from you, but there's a chance they will discover the truth soon and hunt you down. Please, be cautious."

A soft smile touched Verena's lips. "I can handle it,Julianna. You don't need to trouble yourself over me.Just make sure you and the others get back here quickly."

"Alright, I understand," Julianna replied, her voice heavy with reluctance.

···

Danica had tossed and turned the previous night, Katelyn's words replaying in her mind.

Could it really be true that Verena bribed Wendell to smear Katelyn's name? And if it wasn't true, then why had Verena arranged to meet Wendell the very afternoon after she was told about him?

The more she dwelled on it now, the more unsettled she became. For Danica, Isaac's health outweighed everything else.

Finally, she reached for her phone and instructed her assistant, her tone sharp and decisive. "Keep close watch on Verena and Wendell. I want a full report on every move they make."

The assistant replied respectfully, "Understood, Mrs. Bennett." An hour later, her phone rang again.

"Mrs. Bennett, nothing about Verena's actions has seemed out of the ordinary, but we did come across something else..." the assistant said, his voice fading as he trailed off.

The abrupt pause made Danica's brows draw together. "Come across what?"

The assistant's voice dropped, uneasy. "There are groups of men around Wendell's residence. Some of my people recognized them-they're associated with Mr. Isaac Bennett. It looks like he has already placed Wendell's family under surveillance."

The news left Danica both furious and unsettled, a wave of disbelief rising within her. She could hardly accept that Verena might have orchestrated such a scheme. To her, it seemed obvious that Verena must have spoken to lsaac, persuading him to surround Wendell's home in order to force his compliance. Did Verena honestly think that if Wendell denied Katelyn's claim of being Evelyn, she would simply accept it as truth?

Danica muttered to herself, "This is outrageous... completely outrageous."

The call with her assistant barely ended before Danica was already dialing Verena's number.