Chapter 145

On the other side, Verena had just wrapped up her conversation with Julianna when her phone lit up again.

The moment she picked up, Danica's voice cut through, sharp and accusatory. "Verena, I know about your meeting with Professor Branson. I once believed you were only stubborn and unwilling to bend, but now l see your jealousy has gone too far. Did you really push Isaac into threatening the professor, all so Katelyn couldn't be given the chance to treat lsaac?"

The harshness of the words caught Verena off guard, leaving her silent for a moment. When she finally spoke, her brows drew together. "I never tried to threaten Professor Branson."

Danica wasn't convinced. Her tone rose, edged with urgency. "If that's true, then explain to me-were those men stationed outside Professor Branson's house sent there because of you?"

Verena let out a quiet breath before she answered evenly, "Isaac sent them at my request, yes, but it wasn't to harm him. Katelyn cornered Professor Branson and pressured him to lie, to claim she was Evelyn. I asked Isaac to place guards there only to protect him and his family. With Katelyn involved, their safety could be in danger at any time."

Danica fell into silence, her grip on the phone tightening.

Verena had told her before that Katelyn wasn't Evelyn, and once again she was repeating the same claim.For a moment, Danica's certainty wavered. Yet Katelyn's persuasive words echoed back in her mind, pulling her into doubt all over again.

Danica fell quiet for a moment before delivering her warning. "I will look into this myself. And if I discover you lied to me... then you will no longer be welcome as my daughter-in-law."

Verena had never been the type to bow her head to threats. She understood Danica's concern for lsaac,but she wasn't about to allow intimidation to pass unchecked.

Her tone sharpened as she answered, "My only wish is to stand beside Isaac as his wife. I've never cared about carrying the Bennett family's name. If you choose to put your faith in Katelyn instead, that's on you.But remember this--I respect you because of isaac, not because you hold the title of matriarch of the Bennett family."

She ended the call abruptly, giving Danica no opportunity to reply.

On the other side of the line, Danica's anger boiled over, yet beneath it lingered a nagging unease. Perhaps Verena's certainty came from knowing more than she let on.

...

The news of Verena meeting Wendell unsettled Katelyn. A troubling thought struck her-what if Wendell had confessed everything about her threats to Verena? If that were true, she needed to move quickly before he became a liability.

Driven by that concern, Katelyn dialed Wendell's number.

The phone rang several times before cutting off without an answer.

Her brows drew together in irritation. Why would he ignore her?

She tried again, but this time the call went straight to voicemail-the phone was switched off.

An uneasy suspicion began to form. Why would Wendell dare defy her after everything she had over him?Unless...he really had told Verena the truth.

The thought made her stomach sink. Acting on her instinct, she pulled up another number and made a quick call.

"Kaia, meet me. We need to talk."

When Katelyn asked to meet, Kaia immediately understood it was time to move forward with their plan. She agreed in a rush, nodding as she said, "Alright,I'll head out right now."

The call ended, and Katelyn grabbed her keys, driving away from the villa on her own. She didn't notice the vehicles pulling out behind her the moment she left the gates. Her car shot onto the main road, the engine roaring as she sped up, while the trailing cars slipped neatly into place behind her.

At the upcoming intersection, just as she was about to turn, another car darted out from the opposite side.

Katelyn's pulse spiked, her breath caught, and a startled cry tore from her throat. "Ah!"

She tightened her grip on the wheel, yanking it in an attempt to avoid the sudden danger.

But the oncoming car had already calculated her path. With a sharp acceleration, it slammed straight into her vehicle.

The deafening crash lit sparks as metal scraped against metal.

Her head struck the doorframe hard, a dizzying pain leaving her reeling. Before she could recover, the other car lunged forward again, clearly ready for a second hit.

Panic shot through her. Who were these people? Why were they after her?

Thoughts tumbled in her mind with no answers. One thing was clear-she had to get away.

As the car came barreling toward her once more, she spun the wheel, turning the car around.

Yet the moment she tried to speed away, a line of black cars appeared, blocking her escape route.

That was when the truth sank in-she had been cornered with no exit.

Her palms slipped against the damp leather of the wheel, her lips dry as she ran her tongue across them.Quietly, she pressed the accelerator, still clinging to a faint hope of breaking through.

Since there was only a single car behind her, Katelyn thought she might have a chance of forcing her way out.

But that slim hope vanished in an instant.

The moment she twisted the wheel, the swarm of vehicles closed in, hemming her from every direction. One slammed into the hood with brutal force. The impact was so violent that the hood flipped open, metal screeching as smoke hissed out.

Thrown forward by the recoil, Katelyn's forehead struck the steering wheel before her head snapped back against the seat.

Warm blood began to seep down her temple, soaking into her hair in dark streaks.

Her hands clamped tighter around the wheel, knuckles pale, her entire body shaking as if refusing to let go.

Before she could recover, another car came barreling straight toward her.

The assault didn't stop. One crash after another battered her vehicle until the frame gave way and the car tipped onto its side, glass shattering across the asphalt. Still, the attackpressed on, merciless.

Minutes dragged by. Her vision dimmed, her body heavy, and only the seatbelt kept her from collapsing completely.

The cars finally came to a stop, and one person rolled down the window and instructed another, "Go check if she's dead."

"Got it," one of the men answered as he climbed out, moving toward the wreckage.

Halfway there, the rising wail of sirens pierced the air.

His face drained of color. He spuñ on his heel and sprinted back, yelling, "The police are here! Move out!"

Engines roared to life, and within seconds, the fleet of black cars scattered, leaving nothing but shattered glass and twisted metal behind.