Chapter 69

Isaac felt crushed under the tangle of emotions inside him, the pressure on his chest stealing the air from his lungs.

His hand lifted slowly, fingers curling around Verena's wrist as he spoke in a low voice."Verena,I need time. My life isn't like other men's. I'm crippled,and worse, I can't even give you what a husband should. I don't know what my future holds. If I never recover, asking you to stay with me would be selfish."

He understood it wasn't only unfair-it was dangerous. The deeper their bond grew, the harder it would be for him to walk away later compared to now.

Verena caught on to his meaning at once. Memories of her work in the operating room filled her mind-every surgery began with patients or their families signing consent forms, documents filled with warnings of potential risks.Even when the procedure was simple, people would dismiss it lightly, insisting it was only routine, that nothing would go wrong.Yet deep down, no one was ever truly calm. Faced with the list of dangers,families always imagined the worst. Nobody wanted to be the unlucky one, the tragic exception.

No one else could ever feel the same dread or grief for the patients and their families. To outsiders,surgery appeared ordinary. A person went in, came out in one piece, and life moved along as if nothing had happened. But until it was their turn, no one really knew what that fear felt like.

And Isaac's situation wasn't routine at all-every specialist had told him he couldn't be cured.Expecting him to believe in her felt like asking too much,especially since even she wasn't fully certain.

A sigh slipped from her lips as she sank to her knees beside him, her eyes locked on his with quiet determination. "Isaac, I'll wait. But I need you to let me try. I'll give everything I have to treat you. Until the day I admit defeat, don't speak of leaving me.Those words cut too deeply." Her fingers tightened tenderly around his hand. In a hushed tone, she asked, "Do you honestly want to see me hurt like that?"

When Isaac lowered his gaze, he met her clear,unwavering eyes-gentle yet unyielding in their stubborn resolve.

It struck him then that he was powerless against her;the smallest glimpse of vulnerability from Verena shattered all his resistance.

His mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came,leaving him in silence.

Instead of heading back to her hotel after leaving the Bennett Mansion, Verena steered herself toward a bar.

Sliding onto a stool at the counter, she ordered herself a drink.

The liquor scorched her throat, yet her thoughts lingered only on lsaac's wordless face, the memory pressing on her like a stone.

Shoildon's most popular bar surrounded her,boasting the best sound equipment and state-of-the-art lights.

Thunderous metal beats rattled the walls as streaks of dim neon washed over the crowd.

On the pulsing dance floor, beautiful men and women moved with wild energy, fueling the electric atmosphere.

Weighed down by family troubles, Kaia chose to blow off steam by going out with her friends.

Once she'd danced with a string of men and worked up a sweat, she waved her friends off and sank into a seat with a drink in hand.

While tipping her glass back, her eyes drifted toward the counter across the room.

Her eyes narrowed as she spotted a familiar figure-Verena.

Was she alone? A sly smile curved Kaia's lips. With Verena here, she had the perfect outlet for the grudges from home.

Clutching her drink, Kaia started toward the counter with deliberate steps.

Halfway across, she caught sight of a man slipping onto the stool next to Verena.

Kaia halted, folding her arms with a smirk, eager to see what scene would play out.

Perched on her high stool, Verena drained the rest of her glass in a single gulp, coughing as the burn clawed at her throat.

"So it is you, Verena." A warm, clear voice sounded from the seat next to her.

When she turned her head, she found Gavin, sharp-featured and smiling faintly, seated beside her. She frowned. "Gavin, you came here too?"

Gavin poured more liquor into her glass and teased lightly, "What's wrong? Only you get the right to drink your troubles away?" At his words, Verena let out a small laugh. "Then tell me, what are your troubles?"

Instead of answering, Gavin angled his face away,frustration written across his expression, refusing to speak.

Watching him clam up, Verena had little trouble figuring it out. Gavin had wealth, success, and family behind him, so what else could drag him to a bar but heartbreak?

Remembering the reason for his return, Verena ventured a guess. "She hasn't answered you, has she?"

Gavin hesitated, and then gave a short, dismissive scoff. "Close enough."

Shifting the focus, he asked, "What about you?Who's got you drinking tonight?"

Her turn came, and the question caught her off guard. Staring into her glass, she admitted quietly, "I went to see lsaac today. He told me he wants to end things. Gavin's brow furrowed. "He used to dream about marrying you, didn't he? Why would he suddenly back out? And aren't you two already planning your wedding?"

She took a slow sip, a bitter smile tugging at her lips."He doesn't remember me. He remembers everything else-but not me."

One eyebrow lifted in shock. "Why not just tell him the truth about what you two had?"

She shook her head, a sigh slipping out. "That would only make things worse. I met him in Clokron, and his family knows nothing about me. A few of his friends do,but they've kept quiet out of worry for his health.His mind must have buried me on purpose, shutting me out as a way to shield himself. It's his illness pushing me away."

Deep down, she sensed that Isaac still cared, but not with the same strength as before. He had chosen to erase their memories because facing her after learning the truth of his condition was unbearable.His heart couldn't let go of her, but his mind had made the choice for him.

For that reason, Verena had never rushed to tell him everything. Besides, love couldn't be forced. If he learned their shared past from her mouth, it would feel like listening to someone else's story. The story only mattered if he recalled it on his own.

Her narrow shoulders sagged as she tipped her glass back and drained it.

By the time their talk dragged on, she'd lost track of how many glasses she'd had. The liquor only magnified the sorrow she'd been holding back, until she slumped forward on the counter, her eyes dazed and unfocused.

Seeing her unravel like this for the first time, Gavin reached over and patted her back, bending close so his voice could rise above the blaring music. "Don't worry. He loves you too deeply for it to disappear.Memories have a way of returning."

From across the room, Kaia's eyes went wide. She fumbled for her phone and quickly snapped photos of Verena with Gavin. At last, she thought smugly, that shameless Verena had given her something to use against her.

With a curl of contempt on her lips, Kaia snapped three shots, each framed to make the moment look far too intimate.

Just as she was about to hunt down lsaac's number and forward the pictures, she froze, recalling how fiercely he had once stood up for Verena. To Kaia,he was nothing more than a besotted fool.

After weighing her options, she chose Bobby as the better target and attached a sly message. "Curious about what Verena's been up to?"

Bobby already carried resentment toward Verena,and if he saw her leaning close to another man in a bar...

The idea lit a sly spark in Kaia's eyes. Even if Verena clawed her way into the Bennett family, her days there would be anything but smooth.

Satisfied with herself, Kaia slipped back into her seat,lifted her drink, and settled in to watch the storm she

had set in motion.

Just as Bobby stepped out of the shower at the Bennett Mansion, three photos from Kaia popped up on his phone.

One glance left him frozen in surprise.

Bathed in neon light, the pictures revealed a man and woman seated at the counter with their backs to the camera. The man's features were hidden, but the woman leaned forward, her profile faintly visible.

Bobby's brows drew together. Could that really be...Verena?

His gaze locked on the curve of her back and the glimpse of her profile, a jolt of recognition striking him hard. He had seen her before-it was almost like looking at Dr.Willis.