Chapter 345

Verena didn't spare Platt another glance once her words left her lips.

Her eyes narrowed,scanning the room like a hawk surveying its prey.

"The way we handled Jared Frederick, Clarissa Guzman,and Platt Martin today is just the tip of the iceberg. This company is not a playground, nor a personal ATM for anyone thinking they can get away with it."

She straightened, posture rigid, her gaze lingering momentarily on Molly before sweeping across the rest "All of you hold significant sway here. Anyone who thinks they can flout regulations, abuse their power, or line their pockets will fund Jared and the others serving as cautionary tales-hard lessons dressed in reality."

Her voice carried a weight that seemed to press against the walls themselves.

After a brief pause, her tone softened, calm but deliberate. "That's all Meeting adjourned." Chairs scraped, heads bowed, expressions flickering between relief and apprehension, as everyone hurried to leave,eager to escape scrutiny.

In a matter of moments, the room emptied,leaving Verena alone.

No,there was still one more person.

She cast a sidelong glance at Molly,raising an eyebrow in mock confusion. "Miss Kirk, the meeting's over. Do you have something else to say?"

Molly,who had fought tooth and nail to suppress her anger, felt her restraint ignite at Verena's seemingly innocent question.

She sprang from her chair, eyes blazing, glare sharp enough to cut glass.

Her carefully curated calm splintered,replaced with searing fury. "Verena, are you pretending not to know why I'm still here? I've swallowed this injustice again and again, yet you have the audacity to openly reprimand my subordinates in front of me!"

Her words echoed, sharp and unyielding, bouncing off the walls like a hammer striking steel.

Verena's lips curved in a cold, teasing smile, her gaze icy. "Molly, stop performing as if you're on the verge of collapse."

She stepped closer, measured and unhurried."Take note-I will root out anyone dabbling in dishonesty,no matter who they are."

Molly felt an unspoken chill radiate from Verena, a silent storm of authority that left her breath shallow,lips trembling, her tongue tied though her mind screamed for a retort.

Verena let out a low, scornful snort, lifted her bag, and moved toward the door.

Then, as though a memory surfaced, she paused.

"Oh, right." A dagger slid from her bag as casually as one might remove a pen. "I'm returning this to its rightful owner."

The dagger hit the table with a muted thud.

Molly's anger flared, but the sight of the blade froze her tongue for a heartbeat. "You didn't give it to Luis for me?"

Verena's smile deepened, amused as if watching a play unfold. "Luis asked me to return it. True, you took a hit for him-but his promise never included sacrificing his own marriage to repay you."

Tilting her head with deliberate slowness, she added, "Miss Kirk, perhaps you should revise your expectations."

Each word struck Molly like a sudden gust,leaving her swaying, hand gripping the table edge to steady herself.

"Impossible... how could he..." she whispered,recalling every sacrifice she had made for Luis.

She had only joined Benedict Pharmaceuticals because she believed marriage to Luis might one day require her to understand Sampson Group.

And she never intended to curry favor with Verena.She only sought a cordial footing with a future sister -in-law.

Yet now,those sacrifices felt like a series of deafening slaps.

Verena watched her devastation without a flicker of pity, and then turned to leave.

That night, she sat at her desk in her room,eyes locked on her laptop, absorbed in work.

Hours slipped by unnoticed until fatigue began to bite at her eyelids.

Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at the clock-it was past midnight. She rose and moved to the floor-to-ceiling window,gazing out at the city lights glittering like scattered stars.

At that moment, warm arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

Verena stiffened, startled, but the familiar scent immediately grounded her.

"Isaac?" she whispered, incredulous.

Turning, she saw him, tal, gentle, his eyes soft yet hungry with longing.

"How are you here? Am I hallucinating from working too hard?" she asked, blinking in surprise.

Isaac's eyelashes brushed down as he drew her into an embrace, hearts syncing, pulses echoing the unspoken bond between them.

"I missed you, so I came," he said softly, his voice roughened by travel but tender.

Only then did Verena realize he was standing, holding her close.

"Isaac, you're able to walk on your own now?"

Her eyes shone, voice trembling with joy and disbelief.

He nodded, brushing her hair back with a gentle hand."| followed your advice and exercised every day. I'm stronger now, can stand longer... and I wanted youto be the first to see that."

Tears glimmered in her eyes as she hugged him tightly,as though anchoring herself in the reality of his presence.

For long minutes, they held each other, the world shrinking to the sound of two hearts beating together.

After nearly ten minutes, Isaac's legs trembled slightly.

He leaned his head on her shoulder, voice hushed."Verena, I'm tired... I can't stand anymore."

Verena, snapping out of her reverie, shifted to support him, heart tightening at the sight of his exhaustion. "Then sit down, quickly."

When Isaac stood tall, his broad shoulders blocked her sight completely.

As he turned slightly, Verena finally noticed Jacob at the door,quietly holding a wheelchair,ready for him