Chapter 130

Verena tilted her head slightly, her gaze steadly on Katelyn.Since you're so certain you can heal lsaac,why don't you tell me where exactly you practice?"

Katelyn's lips curved, but her eyes carried a glint of calculation. "That's a private matter. Not something I can just reveal."

Her voice lowered with deliberate mystery. "But surely you've heard of that world-renowned surgeon abroad-the one who takes on impossible cases and never faiIs?"

The implication was clear, almost brazen.

Amusement flickered across Verena's face. Of course she knew who Katelyn was hinting at. How could she not? The so-called legend was none other than herself. It seemed this woman had truly decided to wear Evelyn's mask.

Her smile deepened with quiet mockery. "Are you suggesting Evelyn?"

At the name, Katelyn's expression didn't flinch.She neither confirmed nor denied, but the confidence radiating from her grew thicker, as if she were basking in the illusion. "Some truths don't need to be spelled out. Her reputation speaks for itself, doesn't it?"

Verena almost laughed. How absurd. Who didn't stumble at the start? She had once faced failures,mistakes that had carved lessons into her bones. No doctor was flawless, yet Katelyn was painting perfection as if it were gospel.

Katelyn danced around the truth, tossing out half-answers that dangled like bait. She wanted the room to believe she was Evelyn, yet kept enough distance to deny it later if things went sour.

Verena,unwilling to give her such an escape route,leaned in with a feigned air of curiosity. "Oh, I've eard of her. She's rather extraordínary. Tell me,though-what exactly is your relationship with Evelyn?"

Katelyn faltered, the confident curve of her lips stiffening for the briefest second. Had Verena really not caught on? She had been dropping hints like breadcrumbs, practically spelling it out, yet this woman still pressed for an answer.

Openly declaring herself Evelyn would be dangerous -too many threads that could unravel if anyone started pulling. So she swallowed the risk and smoothed her smile. "As I mentioned a moment ago,some truths don't need to be spelled out. There are things my work prevents me from speaking about directly."

Verena's laugh was light, but the gleam in her eyes carried a sharper edge. Her nails tapped softly against the wooden table in a steady rhythm, each click a subtle warning. "Then tell me plainly-should I expect you to bring Evelyn here for lsaac's treatment,or are you trying to convince me that you are Evelyn?"

The tapping stopped. HHer hand stilled, her gaze locked on Katelyn's face. Though her voice was calm, the weight in her words cut straight through the room like a blade.

Katelyn stiffened under Verena's steady gaze. What was this supposed to mean? Why wasn't Verena swallowing the story?

Doubt flickered through her. Could Verena actually have ties to Evelyn? No,ridiculous.

Pine Hill University turned out droves of medical graduates every year. Someone like Verena-quiet,unremarkable-could never get close to Evelyn, let alone know her personally. Even she hadn't managed to step foot in Evelyn's hospital.

Forcing her unease down, Katelyn straightened her back, though her smile began to falter at the edges."I've already said, certain things can't be spoken aloud. You don't need to press me. All you really need to understand is this-lsaac's recovery is in my hands, and mine alone."

Verena let out a quiet laugh, the sound light but edged with scorn. It was almost amusing-Katelyn repeated the lie so often she seemed to have convinced herself it was the truth. As though she wasn't just pretending to be Evelyn, but actually slipping into the role, losing the line between fantasy and reality.

"Miss Fuller," Verena said, her tone silk over steel, "I must thank you for showing such concern. Especially for my husband."

She dragged those last two words out slowvly,savoring the weight of them, as if staking her claim in front of Katelyn and daring her to challenge it.

Verena caught the faint shift in Katelyn's expression and let a warm, almost disarming smile spread across her lips. "But I can't make that choice for Isaac. Since you're so certain about your skills, I'll leave it to him. You can talk to him directly. If he values his health, I'm sure he won't ignore such an offer. As for me, if he agrees, I won't object." For all her patient waiting, that was all Katelyn got-an elegant brush-off wrapped in politeness. Rage bubbled under her skin, though her smile hardened like ice. "So this is your game? Are you toying with me?"

Verena tilted her head, eyes wide with feigned innocence. "Why ever would you think that? I simnply don't know you well enough to judge your sincerity.People wear masks, Miss Fuller, and intentions are rarely as pure as they seem. That's why I believe the decision should rest with lsaac-he knows you far better than I do."

The calm cruelty in her tone only stoked Katelyn's fury. Before she could gather a reply, Verena rose gracefully, her every movement deliberate. "I've said what I needed to say. Goodbye, Miss Fuller."

With that, she turned and walked away, her figure retreating like a final taunt.

Katelyn sat frozen, trying to process the sting of Verena's words. It took her a long moment to realize she had been neatly cornered and dismissed. Her eyes clung to Verena's retreating silhouette, a venomous wish burning that she could pierce straight through her back.

That woman wasn't extraordinary-just the daughter of a minor Shoildon family barely worthy of mention.She, on the other hand, was Katelyn Fuller, the only heiress of the Fuller empire, courted and admired wherever she went.

What gave Verena the gall to carry herself like some untouchable queen? Only the Bennett name wrapped around her finger. Strip her of Isaac and his family's prestige, and she'd crumble back into the mediocrity she came from.

The insult dug deeper with every passing second.She had wasted more than an hour, waiting with patience she rarely gave anyone, only to be brushed aside as though she were nothing. Why should Verena get to wear the title of Mrs. Bennett?

Katelyn's heart twisted with fury at the thought. She had loved Isaac for over ten years, chased him with persistence that would have broken a weaker man, yet still she never won him. In the end, Verena hadn't earned him-she had stumbled into him, a wornan who got everything by chance while Katelyn was left grasping at the edges.

Katelyn seethed at the thought of lsaac choosing Verena over her. Everything she had invested-years of devotion, relentless pursuit-shattered the moment Verena appeared in his life.

Even after Verena's silhouette vanished from sight,Katelyn's eyes stayed locked on the doorway,burning with resentment as though the woman still stood there mocking her.

Meanwhile, Verena strolled calmly out of the restaurant, her steps unhurried as she headed toward the parking lot. With one hand, she pulled out her phone and dialed Miranda.

The call connected almost instantly, Miranda's teasing voice filling the line. "Well, well, what a surprise. Dr. Willis actually calling me first-this must be historic." A soft laugh slipped from Verena, though her tone shifted quickly. "Save the jokes. I have something important to discuss."

Miranda straightened her voice, sensing the seriousness. "Alright, what's going on?"

Sliding into the driver's seat, Verena shut the door behind her but didn't bother starting the car. "You were right the other day. That woman really is using Evelyn's name to serve her own agenda. I can't pin down her endgame yet, but her current plan is clear -she's trying to use Evelyn's reputation as leverage to treat lsaac, get close to him, and worm her way into his life."

Miranda let out a dry laugh. "What a joke. She really thinks she can pull that off? And you're just going to let her prance around pretending? You're not planning to call her out?"

Verena's lips curved into a faint smile as she replied,"Not yet."

Her gaze drifted toward the scenery outside the window, a glint of amusement sparking in her eyes."Actually, you've reminded me of something important. There's already a pack of vultures circling,waiting for the chance to drag me down. If she wants to claim Evelyn's name so badly, why not hand her the stage? Let's see how long she lasts when the knives come out. We can take the chance to handle those attackers."

Miranda's voice brightened with approva1. "That's brilliant, Verena. You're turning her ambition into bait.Let her draw the fire while you sit back and watch-classic strategy."

"Careful with the praise. Too much of it might make me think I actually enjoy playing these games,"Verena teased, her fingers tapping the steering wheel before she started the car. "I'm driving now;we'll talk later."

Miranda chuckled. "Fine, I'll stop before you get cocky.Drive safe."

The line clicked off, and Verena eased the car onto the road. In seconds, she was lost in the stream of traffic, her calm expression hiding the storm of calculations already forming in her mind.