Chapter 231

Dusk had already settled beyond the windows by the time Verena stepped out of the resuscitation room.

Her movements were slow and uncertain, and the exhaustion etched across her face left no doubt about how drained she truly was.

Back in the lounge, her phone started buzzing, cutting through the silence.

She checked the screen, saw the name flashing, and answered with a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Isaac's soft voice filled her ear the moment the line connected. "Verena, are you done for the day? I'm outside the hospital, waiting to take you out for something to eat."

She let out a quiet breath, gathering just enough strength as she responded, "Alright. I'll be down in a minute."

Once the call ended, she slipped out of her lab coat,pulled on the jacket she had brought, and headed out of the lounge.

The hospital lobby gave way to the evening air, and just outside, Isaac's car stood waiting at the entrance.The driver caught sight of her and stepped forward to open the door.

Verena offered him a polite thanks before climbing inside.

The first thing she noticed was a sleek cake box balanced in Isaac's hand, his long fingers holding it with ease.

Her lips curved as she accepted it and settled it onto her lap, peeling back the ribbon. "What made you decide on cake?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

Isaac busied himself with the utensils and answered with a hint of hesitation, "I thought sweets were something every girl liked."

The affection behind the gesture warmed her chest,though she couldn't resist teasing him. "Oh? You seem awfully confident in knowing what women like, Mr.Bennett."

His calm unraveled as he hurried to explain, "No, no.I didn't figure it out on my own. I just... came across it online."

Usually so self-possessed, he always unraveled whenever she aimed her playful words at him. Her laugh bubbled up before she could stop it. "Relax,I was only joking."

She scooped a small bite of cream with her fork and tasted it slowly.

Isaac lowered his gaze, his eyes following her movements in silence.

By the time she reached for the third bite, his voice broke the quiet. "You're upset today."

It wasn't phrased as a question.

Her hand froze midair as he added gently, "Tell me,Verena. What's weighing on you?"

Her eyes lifted, locking with Isaac's steady gaze,the weight of his silence urging her to speak.

It startled her how easily he saw through her. She had thought her mask was intact, but he read her as if she'd never tried to hide a thing.

A long time together had made them fluent in each other-one glance, a shift in tone, even the smallest gesture could expose the truth.

Inside,Verena let out a quiet sigh. The day had been consumed by endless monitoring of the patient's fragile condition, leaving her no chance to rest. Even so, the haunting matter of Shawna's death lingered unresolved, gnawing at her every thought.

That weight made her chest tight, her nerves restless,her heart uneasy.

Her carelessness had cost Shawna her life, and Verena had carried the weight of that mistake ever since she knew Shawna's death wasn't an accident.

Even now, she hadn't uncovered the whole truth yet and hadn't found justice for Shawna.

The guilt pressed down on her,sharper every time she thought of her grandmother.

Still, Verena refused to share this with Isaac. He was already carrying enough on his shoulders.

So she brushed it off and said, "I just ran into someone absolutely wild today."

Isaac trusted her without question. When she said that,he just nodded and said, "Who was it?"

Verena let out a quick laugh. "You're not going to believe it. Luis Sampson, of all people."

Isaac was surprised. Luis Sampson? Wasn't he the influential figure ruling the Akoitha underworld?

Isaac's expression tightened while Verena added, "He literally cut me off in traffic at the airport just to ask for a ride to Nandita Restaurant. Since it was on the way, I agreed to take him, but during the drive, he asked for my contact information like it was no big deal..."

A sudden realization flickered across Verena's face.She glanced over at Isaac, catching the way his lips pressed into a straight line and how his dark eyes seemed bottomless.

He might have kept his emotions under wraps, but Verena could see right through him.

Jealousy was written all over his silence.

A laugh slipped out of her as she leaned in close, her voice dropping to a playful whisper. "Relax, Isaac.I let him know I'm a married woman and shot him down right away."

That seemed to do the trick. Isaac's mouth curled into a genuine smile, his features softening.

Switching topics, Verena added, "Oh, before I forget,the psychologist will get here tonight. He's coming in from Clokron to Shoildon, so therapy can finally get underway. Just so you know, I won't push you into anything. Take your time and tell me when you're ready."

Her words seemed to catch lsaac off guard. For a moment, he just stared, and then hope sparkled in his eyes.

He gripped her hand, steady and sure, before saying,"With you in my corner, Verena, I can handle anything."

A gentle smile appeared on her lips as she placed her hand on his and said, "I'm not going anywhere."

Isaac drew her closer, pressing a warm kiss to her forehead.

As another thought surfaced, he grew serious."There's something important I need to share with you,Verena."

Intrigued, Verena gave him her full attention. Isaac continued, "I've been digging into Simon's background.He's not exactly what he seems. According to the information I got, he's only interested in men. But the way he watches you doesn't match up with that, so I asked Slater to figure out the truth. Want to take a guess at what he found?"