Chapter 40

With a light laugh, Verena lifted her phone and accepted the call.

Before she could speak, an enthusiastic voice burst through the line. "Evelyn, I'm back from overseas!|just landed at Shoildon Airport. Do you have time to come get me? Let's go out for a meal; it's on me."

Securing the files from her desk inside the drawer,Verena answered, "Alright, wait there for me."

Once the call ended, she made her way to the garage and started her car.

The Willis Villa stood far from Shoildon Airport, a drive that took nearly forty minutes.

Inside the sprawling terminal, crowds of travelers bustled about.

Even among the masses, Verena's eyes landed on Gavin right away.

He was impossible to overlook, with his tall build and striking looks setting him apart As she walked from the entrance toward him, several young women attempted to draw his attention with admiring glances.

Gavin spotted her the moment she entered the hall,though one person after another approached him before he could move.

Just as he was about to head in Verena's direction,a blue-eyed blonde lady stopped him with a question.

Keeping his manners, Gavin remarked, "I'm sorry, but my friend is here to meet me. If you're trying to find the restroom, the staff can help you."

After speaking, he stepped past the lady and went directly toward Verena.

Verena cast a glance at the lady he had brushed off and teased, "It's been a while, but clearly you charm hasn't worn off."

Looking a little embarrassed, Gavin scratched his head and replied, "Evelyn, don't tease me like that."

Verena corrected him lightly, saying, "Here, just call me Dr. Willis."

Realizing he was a little shy, she chose not to tease him further. With a nod toward the exit, she said,"Come on, let's go. Didn't you promise me a meal?" Gavin arched a brow and replied, "Of course. You think I'd go back on my word? Let's go."

...

The Fortune Garden Restaurant ranked among the finest places in Shoildon, famed for its luxury and exclusivity, and often filled with the city's elite.

Without influence and deep pockets, an ordinary person would need half a year's pay just to afford a single drink there.

Outside, the entrance gleamed with a golden signboard, and a long red carpet extended thirty feet from the steps, lined with attendants greeting every guest.

A waiter guided them to a table reserved for them on the first floor.

Their seating was in the main hall, separated only by flower arrangements.

Gavin had hoped to secure a private room, but every one of them had already been booked.

Passing her handbag to the server, Verena looked at Gavin with a smile. "You've certainly gone big the moment you got back."

Grinning broadly, Gavin replied, "Taking you out deserves nothing less, Dr. Willis."

Service moved swiftly in the upscale restaurant. As soon as a dish was set down, Gavin gestured toward it and said, "This one's their signature. Try it."

Lifting the serving spoon, Verena placed a portion of fish onto her plate and sampled it.

After nodding in approval, she remarked, "They've turned the fish into something delicate, free of any strong smell, yet rich in flavor. No wonder this place has such a name in Shoildon."

Then, as something came to mind, Verena asked, "By the way, are you done handling things over there?"

Gavin gave a shake of his head. "I managed most of it,but Julianna is finishing the rest."

With curiosity in her eyes, Verena asked, "So why did you come back so suddenly?"

Verena knew him too well; Gavin was never the type to leave things unfinished without a pressing reason.

Just as she had expected, he answered with sincerity,"There's someone here who matters a great deal to me. If I don't return now, I might lose my only chance."

Her brow arched slightly, surprise flickering across her face for only an instant.

"So it's the girl in that photo you keep tucked in your wallet?" she asked.

That image was still clear in her mind; the girl looked sweet and innocent.

At the mention of the girl he admired, Gavin's features softened, and a rare gentleness settled over him.

He gave a small nod and admitted, "Yes. She's the one."

Turning the conversation back to her, Gavin asked,"And you? Word is you're marrying Mr. Bennett. You came back for him, didn't you? I remember how long he chased after you, and everyone thought it was hopeless. Looks like he finally won."

His words stirred memories of Isaac, who, despite constant doubt from others, had never stopped pursuing her and had given more than anyone else.

Her eyes grew tender without her even realizing it.

Without the slightest hesitation, Verena answered,"Yes. He's the reason I came back."

The thought of lsaac curved her lips into a gentle smile, one that lit up her face with striking beauty.

Unaware of it herself, that glowing smile drew the gaze of a man seated on the second floor of the restaurant.

Isaac held his phone to his ear, listening to his secretary, though his eyes never left the sight below.

"Mr. Bennett, regarding the project..." his secretary remarked.

Isaac barely registered the words; all he noticed was Verena reaching over to fix the man's tie.

His lashes trembled as he swallowed the surge of bitterness, answering in a cold tone, "Some matters don't require you to check with me every time."

Ending the call abruptly, Isaac lowered the phone and set it aside.

From his place above, Isaac kept staring at the sight unfolding beneath him.

Across the table sat two figures, both youthful and striking in appearance.

Verena's radiant smile held such warmth and charm that Isaac found himself unable to turn away.

Across from her, the man carried himself with easy poise, his good looks enhanced by the cheer and confidence he projected.

Instead of continuing to watch, lsaac bent his head and seized his motionless legs with desperate force.

Though he urged his body to respond, no spark of feeling stirred in his legs.

What answered him instead was a sharp ache in his chest that refused to relent.

In that instant, Isaac understood just how wide the gulf was between himself and men who still stood whole.

To his eyes, Verena seemed to belong far more naturally at the side of that young man.

For a moment, he lifted his gaze, but it quickly sank again before he spun his chair and rolled away.

Overhead,the faint sound of wheels reached Verena's ears,instantly familiar.

With a fork in hand, she froze and lifted her head without thinking, her eyes sweeping the room.

Gavin noticed her distraction and asked, "Dr. Willis, did you just see someone you know?"

Finding no familiar face, Verena gave a small shake of her head. "No. I thought I did, but | was wrong."

Her finger drifted toward Gavin's tie as she said,"Don't forget to give that tie back later."

The tie had once been lsaac's, and he had left it in her place.

It never crossed her mind that Gavin would arrive wearing it.

With a sheepish grin, Gavin explained, "Julianna told me to bring it for you. She said you needed it right away. I didn't have the space to pack it because I was rushing, so I decided to wear it instead."

Verena gave an exasperated roll of her eyes, thinking she had never met anyone quite so annoyingly straightforward.

Back inside the private room, lsaac listened as his business partner kept going on and on.

Instead of absorbing any of it, Isaac let the words slip past him.

No matter how hard he tried, his mind kept circling back to Verena, picturing her sharing laughter with that good-looking stranger at the table.

A sudden thought struck him-he, her fiancé, had never even shared a simple meal at the same table with Verena.

Admitting it to himself felt strange, but lsaac realized this unfamiliar ache in his chest was nearly driving him out of his mind.

Without thinking, he set his wine glass down with enough force to send a sharp clink ringing through the air.

Startled by the sudden noise, his business partner paused mid-sentence, worried he had overstepped after a few drinks and started to apologize.Before he could finish, Isaac interjected, "I'm sorry. There's something I need to take care of. Please excuse me for a bit."

Feeling a sudden urgency, lsaac grabbed his phone,opened the chat app, and tapped the contact pinned to the top of his chat list.

For a few moments, his fingers hovered above the screen, frozen. Then he finally typed a message,saying,"What are you doing right now,Verena?"

Just as she was halfway through her meal,Verena's phone buzzed with lsaac's message, and a mix of confusion and delight crossed her face.

Not once since his memory loss had he reached out like this, asking about her first. Setting her fork aside, Verena's lips curled into a smile as she responded, "I'm just having a meal."

Trusting in her honesty, lsaac found himself asking another question. "Who are you with?"

Phone in hand, Verena arched an eyebrow at the sudden burst of questions-especially the edge in his tone that didn't sound like him at all.

Unsure why he was acting so strangely,she frowned a little but still answered truthfully, "I'm with a friend."

Once she hit send, Verena waited but no new messages arrived from Isaac's side.

The silence left her baffled. Even though Isaac never said much in their chats, he was always the one who wrapped things up.

But this time, the conversation simply stopped with no word from him.

Remembering the faint echo of wheels rolling overhead earlier, Verena's eyebrow lifted in sudden realization.

Could it be that Isaac was in the same restaurant after all?

If that was true, it might explain why he was acting so of charaacter.

Without wasting a second, Verena turned to Gavin and said, "I'm really sorry, but something urgent just came up. Next time, let me know what your favorite dish is,and dinner's on me."

After grabbing the bag the server passed to her, she made her way upstairs in a rush.