Chapter 100

Gavin couldn't forget the punch lsaac's brother had landed on him in that bar. Since the younger brother had stirred up trouble, wasn't it only fair that lsaac, as the elder one, carried some of the blame? And besides, Verena had been insistent-Isaac must never learn the truth about his memory loss.

Gavin convinced himself that what he was about to tell Isaac was for his own good.

Holding that thought, he swallowed his amusement and gave a small cough before saying,"Well,you can think that way. After all, one of the initials of his name is indeed T."

The remark offered little clarity, and the mischief in his tone was obvious.

Isaac felt his heart sink, and as if punishing himself, he asked, "Were they truly in love?"

Enjoying the tension, Gavin leaned into the story. "Deeply! That man adored Dr. Willis, and she nearly gave up everything for him."

At those words, Isaac lowered his eyes. Verena almost sacrificed everything for another man? The woman he knew was rational and steady. Without powerful feelings, she would never have risked so much.

A hollow laugh escaped him.

In that moment, Isaac realized he was torturing himself. Knowing she had once given her heart away,he still insisted on uncovering the details. Hadn't he vowed to only care about her present and her future? For now,it was him by her side, not that man. Whoever he was, he belonged only in her past.

Isaac gripped the wheelchair tightly, his restrained voice edged with self-mockery. "I don't want to hear any more. I don't want to know."

He turned the chair and rolled into the elevator.

Inside, with no one else around, Isaac bowed his head. His back curved slightly as a wave of helplessness washed over him. He already knew Verena had loved someone before, yet he still couldn't stop himself from digging into what should have been left alone.

In the reflection of the elevator's mirror, Isaac caught sight of himself and let out a faint, crooked smile. He had waited outside Gavin's room for so long, obsessed with digging into her past. Was it just jealousy fueling him, or did he secretly doubt that Verena could ever choose a man like him?

How could a woman who once loved so fiercely move on so quickly? And this time, the person she chose wasn't even an ordinary man. For her to accept everything about him without question, she must have had her own reasons.

...

Since the day she started living with Isaac, Verena made it her routine to check on his health every single day.

Over the last few weeks, she noticed that her treatments were beginning to stimulate his nerves. The changes weren't striking, but they were still far better than before.

Her priority now was to get control over her shaking hand so she could schedule Isaac's surgery as soon as possible.

To practice, Verena asked someone to bring her a lab mouse. She laid out the surgical tools carefully and carried the animal into the study.

With gloves pulled on and a mask covering her face, she stared at the scalpel waiting on the tray, and her mouth went dry.

She swallowed,lifted the scalpel, and waited, holding it tightly without moving for a long moment.

When no response came, Verena finally let out a breath of relief. To her gratitude, her right hand held steady.

With a spark of confidence returning, she pinned the sedated mouse in place and guided the scalpel with her right hand, the sharp edge gradually slicing through the thin layer of skin.

But the moment her cut reached the abdomen, her fingers began to shake uncontrollably. Her grip tightened around the handle as she struggled to keep it from slipping.

Sweat dampened her forehead. When the tremor finally lessened, she forced herself to continue the operation.

When the scalpel pressed into the organs, a wave of dizziness struck Verena, coldness creeping up her spine until it spread through her whole body.

A memory burst before her eyes-Shawna lying on the operating table, suffering and frail, while she stood frozen with a scalpel in her hand, unable to save her. She had been forced to watch as her grandmother slipped away.

Verena's breathing grew shallow and uneven, her chest rising and falling as she fought to take in air.She told herself this fear had to be conquered, that she needed the strength to lift the scalpel again.

Clasping her right wrist with her left hand, Verena forced her body to remain steady.

Dissecting a lab mouse was considered the easiest procedure for any medical student.

In the past, she had been able to complete one in under five minutes.

On this day, nearly forty minutes dragged by.

Weakness set into her limbs as she leaned against the wall, her complexion pale and her eyes blank as they settled on the scalpel she still held.

Her trembling hadn't stopped, and during the procedure she had nearly sliced into the mouse's organs.

It ended up being the poorest operation she had ever performed.

Not long after, Stevie arrived unexpectedly.

Rhonda, the housekeeper, noticed him and said politely, "Please wait here. I'll let him know."

Stevie motioned for her to stop. "No need. Just keep doing your work."

Then he yelled toward the upper floor, "Isaac, come down here! There's another thing I need to give you." The noise carried through the house, prompting Verena to step out of the study. She went downstairs, saw Stevie standing in the living room, and answered, "Isaac isn't here."

When Verena appeared, Stevie froze in place, unable to react at first.

It was obvious he had forgotten that Isaac already had a wife.

Awkwardness flickered across his face. Then, his eyes fell on the scalpel in Verena's hand, the fresh stain of blood making it all the more unsettling.

He edged back a step and murmured, "Verena, what are you..."

"It's nothing," Verena said quickly, slipping the scalpel behind her back.

There was no way she wanted Isaac to hear about her struggles in surgery, not when it could shake his confidence even further.

Her eyes shifted to the object Stevie was holding, and she redirected the moment. "Isaac isn't home right now.Is that meant for him? Leave it with me, and I'll make sure he gets it."

Realizing what he had in his hand, Stevie hurried to tuck it behind his back."NO,really, it's nothing important. I'll hand it to him myself; no need to bother you."

The evasion didn't escape her. Verena arched a brow and asked,"So it's something I shouldn't see? Are you and Isaac keeping secrets from me?"

Stevie stiffened, biting down on his words. Fine. That was between husband and wife-he wasn't going to get dragged into it.

He set the item down on the table and remarked, "I'll just leave it here. Goodbye, Verena."

Turning on his heel, he bolted from the house as if something was chasing him.

Verena's gaze lingered on the small box on the table, her mind unsettled. What could possibly make Stevie this tense?

"Rhonda, please carry this up to my room," she said evenly. "Of course," Rhonda replied at once.

Upstairs, Verena washed her hands thoroughly with disinfectant before sitting at her desk and lifting the lid of the small box. Inside lay a ring.

Between her fingers, she held a rose-shaped diamond ring-her favorite flower crafted in stone.

Her gaze shifted to the inside of the band, where the letter"E"had been engraved.

It was the initial of Evelyn-her other name.

A ring.

A necklace.

Stevie had just returned home.

And she recalled Stevie mentioning he hadn't spoken to Isaac for nearly eight months.

In that moment, the truth dawned on her. These pieces must have been prepared for her by Isaac before his memory loss.

At the same time, Stevie rushed away from the house and pulled out his phone to call Isaac.

"Isaac, I screwed up badly. Please don't be angry. I had no idea your wife was living with you. When I came by with the gift, I accidentally gave her the ring you bought for another woman."

Isaac's voice hardened. "What did you just say?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, not bothering to inquire about the ring. He added, frustration thick in his tone, "You never fail to mess things üp."

The call ended before Stevie could argue.

Back at his desk, Isaac clasped his hands together, elbows braced on the surface, and lowered his head. A nervous weight pressed against his chest; he was worried Verena might misunderstand when she saw the ring.

Raising his voice with authority, Isaac instructed, "Jacob, get the car ready."