Chapter 33

Compete With You

Bobby was about to speak when Slater came over and asked if he knew Dr. Willis.

"Dr. Willis?" Bobby blinked in disbelief, his eyes flicking to Verena before he turned to Slater. "Wait-are you saying she's the one who treated your grandfather?"

Slater gave a firm nod. "Yeah. That's her."

Bobby stared at Verena, stunned. "You're not just gorgeous-you're talented too?"

Noticing the awe on Bobby's face, Slater asked curiously, "Wait,do you actually know her?"

Bobby swallowed hard and gave a quick nod. "She's the doctor who pulled me through after my car accident."

Leaning closer,Bobby whispered with barely contained excitement, "She's exactly the kind of woman I'd want as my sister-in-law."

Slater let out a short laugh. "What are the odds of that?"

All of a sudden, every argument they'd had felt meaningless.

Catching their exchange, Verena gave Bobby a warm smile. "It was nothing, really. I'm just glad to see you doing well."

That easy smile left Bobby frozen in place.She really was everything he imagined-beautiful, graceful, and impossible to ignore.

When Slater caught Bobby grinning like a fool, he gave him a teasing shove.

Bobby snapped out of his daze, suddenly remembering something important. "Oh, right, Dr.Willis." His voice grew urgent. "If you were able to treat Slater's grandfather, then your skills must be remarkable. I need your help. My brother's legsare paralyzed... do you think there's any chance he can be treated?"

Bobby had been tempted to blurt out that she should be his sister-in-law, but he knew he'd only get yelled at for that. Instead, he took the long way around,hoping lsaac would eventually see for himself how kind and extraordinary the doctor truly was.

Noticing his desperation, Verena gave him a calm smile. "It's hard to explain in words. Every case is different, and I can't say anything for sure until I see the patient myself."

By coincidence, she happened to be studying Isaac's condition at that very time.

Bobby's brow creased as he asked, "Have you ever treated someone with leg paralysis?"

Verena answered calmly,"I've worked on two cases like that before. And I'm currently treating a patient with leg paralysis."

His words rushed out. "And did they recover?"

Verena gave a small nod. "It took years of treatment and steady recovery, but in the end, both of them walked again."

The moment her words sank in, Bobby lit up, all thoughts of his earlier schemes vanishing. "Dr. Willis,please-you have to help my brother."

Verena's voice stayed steady. "I'll need to examine him first before I can say anything."

Even though surgery still weighed on her mind as a difficult barrier, she knew she had to keep pushing herself to face patients directly.

Bobby held out his phone eagerly. "Can I add you on the chat app? I promise I won't bother you with random messages." After a moment of thought, Verena nodded."Alright."

The second she agreed, Bobby broke into a wide smnile.

Once she added him, Verena slipped her phone back into her pocket. "When you're home, ask your brother if he's willing to meet me. If he agrees,we can set up a time."

Bobby nodded over and over. "Alright, alright-I'll talk to him for sure."

With a slight press of her lips, Verena offered a calm smile and said, "Well then, I suppose it's time for me to go."

The moment Verena mentioned leaving, Bobby cheerfully waved her off and kept smiling until she disappeared through the front gates.

Slater, unable to watch any longer, shoved Bobby's hand down. "Seriously? She's already gone, and you're still standing here grinning like an idiot."

Bobby folded his arms and lifted his chin with pride."What do you expect? She's smart,gorgeous, and the perfect sister-in-law. I could smile at her all day without getting tired of it."

Slater couldn't stand that smug expression on his face. He let out an exaggerated gasp. "Oh, right-I never told you. My grandpa once said I should go after Dr.Willis myself. So what now? Should I compete with you to see if she'd rather be my girlfriend or your sister-in-law?"

Bobby's temper flared. "Dream on! She's already destined to be my sister-in-law. You don't get to challenge Isaac. And if you try... I'll-"

He jabbed a finger at Slater, paused dramatically for a few seconds, and then blurted out his so-called threat. "I'll cut you off as a friend!"

Once upon a time, Slater never would've been able to measure up to Isaac. But now, with Isaac bound by his disability, things weren't the same anymore.

After throwing out his so-called threat, Bobby didn't bother waiting for a reaction. He wasn't angry-just in a rush to get home.

Left standing in the chilly night, Slater shook his head as Bobby stormed off. "Unbelievable. I was joking,and he's already acting like we're about to break up as friends."

...

Back home, Bobby sprawled across his bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling Phone in hand, his gaze stayed locked on the new contact he'd just added-Dr. Willis.

Her profile picture was nothing but a white backdrop,simple yet giving off a calm, reserved vibe.

Still, Bobby was convinced she carried both wisdom and grace.

With that thought in mind, Bobby tapped her profile,erased the name "Dr. Willis," and proudly renamed it "Perfect Sis-in-Law."

He admired the change for a moment, and then went back to his homepage looking pleased with himself.

Earlier that day,he had gotten Verena's number from Kaia and added her as a friend. Her profile now sat just beneath the one he labeled as Perfect Sis-in-Law.

When his eyes landed on the golden profile picture,Bobby let out a mocking sneer. "So tacky. No sense of style at all."

He opened her chat and quickly sent a message,saying, "Verena Willis,I want to meet. Tell me when you're free."

Whether Verena was right for lsaac or not, her past lies about her education and her attempt to disfigure her sister had already filled him with disgust. Normally,

he wouldn't have bothered with someone like her. But since she was about to join their family, he had no choice but to meet her face-to-face. He was determined to uncover who she really was and how she managed to fool lsaac so completely.

He sat there with his phone in hand, eyes fixed on the screen as he waited for her reply.

Meanwhile, over at the Willis Villa, Kaia sat before her vanity, her makeup still perfect, yet her expression was clouded with frustration.

Anyone could tell her mood had soured completely.

A knock came at the door, and Laura's voice followed."Kaia, who did you meet today? Tell me everything."

Kaia bit her lip as she unclasped her necklace. "Mom,not tonight. I'm exhausted and just want to sleep."

Laura longed to hear about her daughter's social wins,but after Kaia's response, she had no choice but to drop the subject.