Chapter 7

Luka recalled Kaia's earlier complaints about Verena, and the irritation he felt toward her only deepened.

Kaia had tried to kindly remind Verena to mind her manners in front of others, yet Verena had brushed off her good intentions and even turned on her.

Since childhood, Luka and Kaia had been inseparable, and he had never tolerated anyone treating her poorly.

With that thought, he slid his hands into his pockets and continued to head down the stairs at an unhurried pace.

Verena's eyes rested on Luka for no more than two seconds before she looked away. If Kaia didn't accept her as anything more than an outsider, there was no reason to expect warmth from a brother she had never known.

In her mind, it made no difference how much they disliked her, so long as they kept their distance.Unfortunately,KKaia and Luka seemed to share an unspoken agreement to find ways to provoke her.

When Verena walked past Luka, she noticed his foot suddenly jut out into her path.

A low, amused scoff escaped her. So this was his plan, to make her stumble and perhaps send her tumbling down the stairs.

Before he could succeed, she planted her foot firmly on top of his, stopping him mid-motion. His foot had already been moving forward, and the unexpected weight forced his balance forward. Seizing the moment,Verena gave him a push from behind.

Unprepared,Luka lurched forward and tumbled down the steps, a startled cry tearing from his throat."Ah!"

The sound of his voice rang through the stairwell as he rolled to the bottom.

From the landing above, Verena turned and looked down at him, her expression cold.

Kneeling on the floor, Luka clutched the railing, the sharp sting in his knees leaving him too weak to get up.

Just then, Laura walked in through the door, and the scene that met her eyes stopped her in her tracks.

"Luka!"

She rushed forward in a panic, bending to help Luka to his feet.

Right as Luka opened his mouth to curse, Laura's voice reached him, and he instantly changed to a pitiful tone. "Mom, Verena pushed me down the stairs."

Laura had already been irritated with Verena's behavior earlier in the day, and now, knowing she had shoved Luka only stoked her fury. She had endured Verena's unpleasant attitude for the sake of the marriage alliance, but her son was her world. Anyone who dared hurt him would have to answer to her.

Her eyes flashed as she fixed Verena with a hard glare. "Why did you push your brother?"

Verena took in Luka's fake display of grievance with a faint smirk, thinking how well the two siblings played their parts, even using the same tactics.

Verena answered Laura's question with a shrug. "He made the first move and tried to trip me, so I simply turned it back on him. Figured he should learn what it feels like."

Her tone stayed even, not rushed, as though she was just stating plain fact rather than defending herself.

Luka was only fifteen, and her composure made him uneasy, worried that Laura might actually believe her.

Clutching at Laura's arm, he changed the subject with a voice that wavered as if holding back tears. "Mom,Verena really did push me down the stairs on purpose. I didn't try to trip her. My leg hurts so much...could it be broken?"

Lately, word had spread all over Shoildon that Isaac had lost the use of both legs. Everywhere Laura went,people were shaking their heads and mourning how far the golden boy had fallen.

Because of that, when she heard Luka complain about his leg, her alarm spiked.

She quickly tried tosoothe him. "Don't worry, l'Il get you to the hospital right away." Verena's indifferent expression, however, only made Laura's anger boil over.

Once she had called for an ambulance, Laura turned sharply to Verena.

"So you've barely set foot in this house and you're already flexing like you own the house? If I let this slide,you'll forget who's in charge around here, and that's not happening."

With that, Laura stormed up the stairs, her hand raised high, ready to strike Verena across the face.

Right before the slap connected, Verena caught Laura's wrist, forcing it firmly downward.

Laura's eyes widened in disbelief. "How dare you..."

She started to speak, but Verena's grip tightened, making Laura draw in a sharp breath from the pain.

Locking eyes with her, Verena spoke in a slow, measured tone. "I already told you-he tried to trip me first,so I pushed him down the stairs. Laura Willis, I never expected fairness from you, but don't think you can treat me like prey just because of other people. If you want me to marry Isaac and get everything you're hoping for, then you'd better not push me too far. Otherwise, you can send your precious younger daughter instead."

Once the words were out, Verena let go, and Laura stumbled backward. She almost lost her footing but managed to grab the railing in time.

Without another glance, Verena walked up the stairs.

Laura remained frozen, staring at Verena's cold, unyielding figure, her mind replaying the piercing look in her eyes.

That clear gaze held a fierce determination that made Laura feel as though she was facing a stranger.

Before Kaia's birth, every phone call with Verena had been met with timidity and obedience.

She had always believed her eldest daughter was easy to control. What unsettled her now was not just the defiance-it was the unfamiliarity that came with it.

If Verena's earlier refusal to change clothes or lie as instructed hinted at her unwillingness to be manipulated, her most recent words revealed something deeper. There was cunning and calculation behind them.With only a few sentences, Verena showed she understood Shoildon's social undercurrents and the exact reason she had been brought back from the countryside. For her to know their intentions yet still return,what was she planning?

Laura began to wonder if bringing Verena back from the countryside had been a mistake. What if sending er to marry into the Bennett family ended up destroying the advantages Danica had promised them?

Shame burned in her chest, tangled with frustration. Laura had convinced herself that a girl raised in a ackwater would be too meek to cause trouble, and that she would be too ignorant to understand her chemes. After all, Laura herself had come from that same place, and her early years in the city had been othing but a blur of nerves and uncertainty.

ut Verena saw through everything. The girl's insight left Laura feeling exposed. At the same time, she felt a ense of odd guilt. Verena was still her daughter, and no one knew her prejudices better than she did.

nen another thought struck. Was it not a daughter's responsibility to lighten her mother's burden?arrying into the Bennett family would secure Verena a future wrapped in luxury and influence. Yet, instead showing gratitude, the girl dared to talk back with the kind of defiance shaped by too much time spent ound Shawna.

ka, on the other hand, wasn't trying to untangle any complicated feelings. He just stood there, stunned by rena's tone. To him, it was proof of what Kaia had said all along-that Verena was nothing more than a ty, ill-mannered country girl with no real worth.