Chapter 172

Danica stood drifting in her own thoughts and didn't notice the door moving.

Rhonda stepped out of the kitchen holding a dish.When she spotted Isaac coming in, she gave him a warm smile. "Mr. Bennett, you're back earlier than usual. Your mother came by to wait for you. I just need to finish two more dishes, and then everything will be ready."

She set the dish down on the table and quickly disappeared into the kitchen again.

The sound of Rhonda's voice jolted Danica back to reality. At some point, the small packet of powder she was holding had torn open.

Panic hit her, and she tried to fold the packet closed before slipping it into her pocket. Her hands shook so badly that a faint sprinkle of white dust fell across the table.

Forcing herself to smile, Danica turned towardIsaac."Rough day?"

Isaac had remained there for some time, his gaze fixed on her as she handled the packet. A cold heaviness slowly settled in his chest.

He remembered joking with Verena the night before,never once thinking his words might come true.

His stare locked on his mother, and disappointment colored his tone. "Mom, you'd rather side with Katelyn -even if it means working with her against me."

All color drained from Danica's face. She shook her head,terrified by the thought of what he believed."No, Isaac, that's not true. I didn't place my trust in Katelyn to hurt you. I believed her because she's Evelyn, the most renowned surgeon here and abroad.Everything I've done has always been for you."

The way she had fallen for Katelyn's pretty lies told Isaac that arguing further was pointless.

Hoping to avoid more conflict,he lowered his voice."Mom, go home. I can't look at you right now."

His expression carried a disappointment that pierced her heart. Fearful of losing him completely, she stepped closer. "Isaac, please believe me. I could never harm you. I admit I went along when Katelyn swore she could cure you. She told me if I slipped you the drug, you'd pass out, and then she could restrain you for surgery. At first I agreed. But after the way you treated her yesterday, I realized she no longer meant you well. Once I understood that, I couldn't follow through. I swear I never intended to drug you. Just trust me this time."

Isaac's brow tightened, and he refused to listen further. "Rhonda,take her out."

When Isaac gave the command, Rhonda stepped out of the kitchen. She sensed the heavy atmosphere and wanted to ask, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Instead, she walked forward politely and motioned toward the door."Mrs. Bennett, let me take you home."

Tears gathered in Danica's eyes. She opened her mouth to explain, yet the words never formed. Left without a choice, she turned to leave.

···

Once Danica returned home, her phone buzzed,and the name "Katelyn" flashed across the screen.

"Mrs. Bennett, did it all go according to plan?"Katelyn's voice carried a thrill she couldn't hide.

That burst of excitement confirmed everything for Danica. Katelyn never wanted to heal lsaac-she wanted payback.The surgery had only been an excuse.

The realization left Danica chilled to the bone. If she hadn't woken up to the truth in time, she might have walked her son straight into danger.

While fear lingered, her heart burned with resentment toward Katelyn.

"Katelyn, I can't continue with this," Danica said with resolve. "Isaac and I are already fallingapart because of Verena. If I deceive him again, there won't be anything left to repair between us."

Katelyn's voice snapped, her patience breaking. "So you're quitting? Are you seriously saying your ties with Isaac outweigh his chance at recovery? Don't you remember what we're working toward? Once he's able to walk again, he'lI see you were acting out of love.How could you even consider giving up now?"

Her words grew sharper, carrying the tone of a scolding.

Danica stood frozen, shaken to her core.

Her doubts finally hardened into certainty. Katelyn's urgency had nothing to do with Isaac's health. She was scrambling, terrified of losing her chance, and that alone proved her true motives.

After her outburst, the silence on Danica's end stretched too long. Only then did Katelyn realize she had gone too far.

Danica's hesitation told Katelyn that her suspicions might already be growing.

So what if Danica had doubts?

One mention of Evelyn's name would tear down her resistance. After all, nobody else in the world could repair Isaac's legs.

Katelyn swallowed her frustration and forced her voice into something·calm, though her words carried an edge. "Never forget that I'm the only one who can treat Isaac. I'm the leading expert in this field, and no one else can make the promises I can."

She gave the silence a moment to stretch, making sure the weight of her words settled.

Then she struck again. "Think it through. Would you rather cling to Isaac's wounded pride, or do you want him to stand and live like everyone else? You already know which answer matters most."

Her tone carried an air of superiority that scraped at Danica's nerves, yet she couldn't deny the truth in it.

From the day of the accident, she had searched for doctors far and wide. Every attempt ended in disappointment. Only Evelyn's name surfaced with hope attached to it.

And when it came to complete recovery, only Katelyn spoke with certainty. But now that things had reached this point, trusting Katelyn any longer felt like stepping into a trap.

Danica would rather see Isaac remain in a wheelchair than gamble with his life.

Besides, medical breakthroughs werealways happening.

Katelyn might be unmatched today, but someone new could appear tomorrow.

Still, regret clung to her, weighing her down.

With a heavy sigh, she gave the weakest excuse she could think of. "I'm not feeling well. We'll talk later."

She ended the call before Katelyn could get another word in.

Katelyn tried to speak, but the abrupt busy tone silenced her.

Her temper exploded. She flung the phone to the floor.

Pieces scattered as it broke apart.

Breathing hard, she clenched her fists until her knuckles gave a sharp crack.

The situation had shifted-using Danica as her way in was no longer possible.

Another pawn would have to take her place.

As she considered her options, one name surfaced in her mind-Kaia.

The thought disgusted her. She despised relying on that foolish girl, but at the moment, there was no one else she could use.

Isaac's devotion to Verena ran too deep.

So be it. If he insisted on protecting her, then Katelyn would drag Verena's reputation through the dirt in Shoildon until the entire city turned against her. Let Isaac try to keep loving her after that.

The image made Katelyn's lips curl into a cold smile.She flipped open her laptop and pulled up the chat app.

Her fingers moved quickly as she sent a message,saying, "Kaia, I've got a job for you."

Kaia's reply came right away. "What kind of job?"

"Spread this news everywhere you can. The wider it goes, the better."

From her files, Katelyn retrieved the foreign report about Verena that she had kept for this moment.She attached it and sent it to Kaia.

Kaia's eyes widened in surprise before an eager grin spread across her face.

Kaia responded, "Unbelievable. So Verena's nothing more than some older man's mysterious girlfriend."