Chapter 28

Isaac had never spoken to him that way before.Bobby wanted to defend himself, but when he met lsaac's piercing stare, he suddenly felt like a little kid who had missed the point entirely.

His fingers twisted the edge of his shirt, and he dropped his gaze. "I didn't mean it like that, Isaac," he mumbled.

Isaac understood him well enough to know what was really going on. Bobby was not being defiant for the sake of it. He simply could not bring himself to accept Verena as part of their family.

With a quiet but forceful voice,Isaac said, "Look at me."

Reluctantly, Bobby pressed his lips together and looked up to meet Isaac's eyes.

Isaac's face was unreadable. His gaze was intense,and it made Bobby feel small under the weight of it.

He admired Isaac, but whenever lsaac put on that stern look, Bobby always broke into a cold sweat.

Every instinct told Bobby to look away, but he could not muster the nerve. He swallowed hard and waited in tense silence.

After a pause, Isaac's voice cut through the air."You're old enough to know better. It's time you focused on your classes. I expect you to help me with company business when you can. As for everything else, leave it alone. If I catch you speaking badly about Verena again, you'll find out exactly how harsh I can be."

Bobby wanted to protest. He wished he could say he only wanted to protect lsaac, that Verena was dangerous, and Isaac was fooled by that woman.

But with Isaac sitting right there, so intimidating,Bobby could only bite back his words and give a silent nod.

He stepped out of the study, but his frustration bubbled up the more he thought about it. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a long sigh.

That was when voices drifted up from downstairs,as the servants greeted Danica.

A spark of hope lit up in Bobby's eyes. Isaac might have lost his objectivity when it came to Verena, but Danica certainly had not. She had always hated women who acted out of jealousy. If she found out about this, maybe she would be the one to call off the arrangement.

That idea brought Bobby's spirits back to life,hope flickering in his eyes.

Bobby rushed down the stairs and nearly tripped as he hurried into the living room to find Danica.

She had just come in from outside and was settling onto the sofa, still holding a glass of water. She hadn't even taken a sip before Bobby's sudden entrance startled her, making her cough.

"Are you alright, Mom?" Bobby asked as he moved beside her, gently patting her back.

Danica tried to catch her breath, and then shot hima sideways look. "What on earth has you in such a rush?"

Bobby responded immediately, "Mom,you can't let Verena marry into our family. I thought she just liked to exaggerate, but now I see she's really got a manipulative side. Please, before the wedding, go talk to the Willis family and call off this arrangement.You'd be saving Isaac from a terrible mistake."

He said everything in a single breath, leaving Danica staring at him in disbelief. She blinked a few times before answering, "Have you gone crazy?"

The question caught Bobby off guard. He grabbed her shoulders and spoke with even more urgency. "I'm being serious, Mom!"

Danica said nothing for a moment. She had weighed Isaac's engagement to Verena carefully, thinking it was the best decision for their family.

Seeing Bobby act so impulsively made her lose patience. She brushed his hands away and snapped,"How many times do I have to tell you not to meddle in Isaac's life? Are you even listening when I talk to you? Right now, your job is to work with lsaac and learn how to manage the company, not run around causing trouble. Tell me, when was the last time you even showed up at the office?"

Her scolding stung, and Bobby looked away, refusing to meet her eyes. "I don't care about running the company," he muttered to himself.

Hearing that, Danica's temper snapped. "Then what do you care about? Tell me. What actually interests you?"

With her voice rising, Bobby fell silent. Danica crossed her arms, glaring at him with obvious disappointment."You and Isaac grew up under the same roof, but he turned out responsible and hardworking, and you-well, you're just a headache. Go on, get out of my sight!"

Before she had even finished, Bobby had clenched his fists and stormed from the room. No one ever listened to him. Would it really hurt them to watch a simple video? All they ever did was yell at him.

...

A black sedan sat parked right at the front gates of the Willis Villa, with the driver standing patiently nearby.

From her seat on the sofa, Laura glanced up and spotted Verena making her way downstairs. "Verena,you need to keep your eyes open during the photoshoot today. I don't want you doing anything that gives people a reason to laugh at us."

Since Verena had spent her childhood far away from city life,Laura constantly worried she might embarrass the family when faced with all the luxury, especially the wedding gowns and sparkling jewelry.

Luka interjected, "You probably don't recognize any of those brands, so it's best if you just watch Mr.Bennett and follow his lead. If he picks a dress, just go along with it. Don't make a scene by choosing the wrong one."

Both Laura and Luka already knew about Kaia's accident and her trip to the hospital. Under normal circumstances, Laura would never have ignored what happened, but today's event was simply too important. Noticing the irritation on Luka's face, Verena gave a calm smile and said, "This is my wedding, and I'm the one at the center of it. I'll wear whichever dress I like.Your opinion has nothing to do with it."

Laura's face tightened. "Don't be ridiculous. Who do you think the wedding is really about? Isaac is the center of attention, not you. If you do something to upset him, he could easily call off the entire wedding."

Before Laura could say anything more, a smooth,deep voice drifted in from the entryway. "Mrs. Willis, it sounds like you don't have mnuch faith in me."

All three of them turned to see who had spoken.

Isaac had just arrived, seated in his wheelchair, with his assistant guiding him through the door.

Laura's demeanor changed instantly. She forced a bright smile and greeted him. "Mr. Bennett, what a surprise. We weren't expecting you today."

Kaia came down the steps just then, and the sight of Isaac made her heart race. His condition didn't take away from his presence or his good looks. Even while sitting in that wheelchair, he looked every bit out of reach.

Verena stood there, caught off guard as she met Isaac's eyes. She only snapped out of her daze when lsaac moved beside her and gently took her right hand in his.

"Today's for the pre-wedding shoot. Verena is my fiancée, so it only makes sense that I came to pick her up," Isaac said, turning his attention to Laura.

His tone was courteous, but the chill in his gaze was unmistakable. There was not a hint of warmth in his eyes, only a depth that was impossible to read.

Laura froze for a split second, surprised by how directly Isaac referred to Verena as his fiancée. It was clear he had no plans to call off the wedding. Her face lit up with a practiced smile. "You're absolutely right.It's a real honor for Verena that you came for her yourself."

Hearing Laura's comment and recalling what he had overheard on his way in, Isaac frowned slightly. Laura seemed to have no problem talking down to her own daughter.

He was about to speak up when Verena beat him to it."I'd say Isaac is lucky to be marrying me, too. There's no need to put your daughter down."

For a brief moment, lsaac looked surprised. Hlis eyebrows arched in amusement.

Laura's smile vanished. Kaia stared at Verena with wide eyes, shocked that she would say something so bold.

In Kaia's mind, the Willis family could never compare to the Bennett family. She wondered how Verena could possibly be so fearless-how could she say that marrying her was lsaac's stroke of luck?