Chapter 103

Isaac's blunt response left Barrie with nothing more to say.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Barrie replied, "Alright then,I'll stay out of it."

He ended the call after that.

Still holding the phone, lsaac ran his finger slowly along its edge as Barrie's words echoed in his mind.

Barrie had made a point-since his wedding to Verena was just around the corner, it would be unwise to stir up unnecessary attention. The issue with Alec's club could wait until the ceremony was over.

As the upcoming wedding crossed his mind, lsaac's hand paused, and a flicker of determination lit his eyes.

Before, he might have left every detail in someone else's hands. This time was different. It was his marriage to the woman he loved, and he wanted to shape it himself. He intended to be part of the planning, to make sure Verena had a wedding that was unforgettable and uniquely hers.

With that decision firm in his mind,Isaac set his phone on the desk and reached for the office phone."Jacob,step in for a moment."

Within minutes, Jacob knocked at the door and came inside.

"Mr. Bennett, what do you need from me?"

"I want you to contact the wedding planner and set up a meeting for this afternoon. I'll be discussing the details with them directly."

"Yes, sir. Wait, what?" Jacob blinked at Isaac, unsure if his ears had deceived him. Danica had dismissed the wedding arrangements as something minor, ordering that the planner's outline be followed without interference. It seemed almost unbelievable that Isaac had summoned him just to announce that he wished to go over the wedding arrangements with the team himself. Isaac taking such a deep interest in the wedding was something he didn't see coming.

Noticing his hesitation, Isaac asked, "Did I say it unclearly? Should I repeat myself?"

The question was plain, without a trace of force behind it.

Jacob shook his head at once. "No, Mr. Bennett, I understand. I'll reach out to them right away."

Isaac inclined his head. "Good. I appreciate it." For a moment Jacob just stared. The small smile forming on lsaac's lips stripped away the usual distance and sternness that always surrounded him.

In that instant, Isaac looked more like a man basking in the joy of marriage than the cold figure people rarely approached.

Jacob almost couldn't believe it.

Days had slipped by since Kaia last saw Adrian, and she still had no word on the investigation she'd asked him to pursue.

Her patience snapped, and she typed out a quick message. "Adrian, are you free to meet this afternoon at the usual place?"

Silence stretched for five minutes, which was out of character.

Normally Adrian replied immediately,or at the very least within a few minutes of hearing from her.

It took nearly thirty minutes before her phone buzzed with his short reply. "Alright."

Kaia blinked at the one-word reply, startled by how blunt it was. Adrian used to jump at any excuse to talk to her, worried he might lose the chance if he didn't.

Still, she pushed the thought aside. What mattered most now was finding out if Verena really had a degree from Pine Hill University-or if she had faked it.

That afternoon, Kaia showed up thirty minutes early,just as she had before.

When Adrian finally arrived and sat across from her,Kaia leaned in eagerly. "Adrian, how did it go? Did you uncover what I asked about?"

Instead of answering right away, he studied her with an unreadable look.

In the past few days since his return, he had heard from friends about the things Kaia said in the group chat and the social media post Slater had written. Piece by piece, he had managed to put the whole story together.

Long ago,his parents had worked with Alec, and from their very first dinner, Adrian had fallen for Kaia.Even after moving abroad, his feelings hadn't changed, and the moment he came back, she was the first person he contacted.

In his memory, Kaia had always been gentle and kind,but the things he learned about her left him shaken.

His fingers locked tightly together on the table as he finally spoke, his voice weighted. "Kaia, just tell me the truth. Verena's your sister, isn't she?"

Her smile stiffened at once. Adrian added, "So why are you digging into her past? Do you plan to expose that she never graduated from Pine Hill University? Were you going to announce it at her wedding?"

His stare cut into her, sharp and unrelenting, carrying the unspoken accusation that she was far from the innocent woman she pretended to be. To him, she looked calculating, even ruthless.

Kaia's first instinct was to deny it, yet she forced herself to stop hiding and face it head-on.

"So you already figured it out." She dropped the act and admitted bluntly, "Yes, that's my plan. Because I can't forgive her for stealing everything that should've been mine!"

Adrian's brows drew together, his face dark with concern.

Kaia grabbed his hand and held on tightly, her eyes brimming with tears. "Adrian, I need your help. I've been against Verena for a reason. She hurt me in ways you don't know, and I want what's fair."

Her voice broke as she continued, "From the very first day she came into my life, she struck me just to prove she was in charge. My parents turned a blind eye, hoping she'd marry into the Bennett family, so they ignored my pain completely."

Looking up through wet lashes, she locked eyes with him. "Adrian, do you think I enjoy doing this? My parents only care about Verena now. If I don't fight back, I'll end up with nothing at all."

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, her sobs breaking her words.

The sight tore at Adrian's heart. This was the girl he had admired for years, and seeing her cry shattered his anger toward her.

He squeezed her hand with quiet reassurance, his voice softening. "Kaia, I'm sorry. I judged you without knowing the truth. I let rumors cloud my view of you,and I shouldn't have."

Seizing the moment, Kaia nestled against him,her tone carrying a wounded softness as she pleaded,"Adrian,I need your help."

Feeling her cheek pressed to his chest, Adrian stiffened,his mind going blank for a moment.

After collecting himself, he lifted a hand and gently patted her back. "Alright.I'll help you."

Out of his sight, a smile tugged at Kaia's lips. His response made it clear-whatever he uncovered couldn't have favored Verena.

Even if Verena had managed to fix Barrie's leg, it could easily be dismissed as luck. That alone didn't prove she had a degree from Pine Hill University.

Adrian exhaled slowly, pausing before putting a little space between them.

From the chair beside him, he picked up a folder and handed it over. "This is the complete student list from every department that year. I checked through it several times, and Verena Willis doesn't appear anywhere."

Looking down at the folder, Kaia's face lit with satisfaction. It was exactly what she expected.

In her eyes, Alec and Laura had always been opportunists; if Kaia herself had inherited their traits,Verena was bound to be the same.

Kaia's eyes glimmered with pride. She would make sure Verena face shame and rejection before the whole world on her wedding day.