Chapter 75

Bobby and Slater dared not meet Isaac's eyes. They felt like strangers at their own table, out of place and unable to grasp the gravity of the moment. So, they simply melted into the background, hoping not to stir the storm.

Kaia had drifted several steps back, anchoring herself at the farthest corner. The scene was slipping beyond her expectations, and her palms grew clammy with nervous sweat.

When Isaac called her name, Verena turned. Beneath the flickering lights, she caught the raw fire of jealousy burning in his eyes. Her own gaze softened,and she offered him a quiet, reassuring smile.

His arrival was both foreseen and unforeseen. She had expected him to come, yet not with such speed,as though he had raced against time itself.

When he saw Verena rooted in place, Isaac's browsknitted faintly. His voice dropped low. "Come here."

Verena had just gathered herself to step forward when Gavin's hand clamped onto her shoulder.

With a cold snort, he sneered, "Mr. Bennett, do you think this is fair? You pushed Dr. Willis away, and now you want her back. You think you can just cast her off when it pleases you and summon her when it suits you? Why should she bow to your whims?"

Isaac did not waver. His eyes locked on Verena,desperate to catch even the smallest ripple of emotion.

Yet, Verena's calm gaze met his without a word.

Her eyes were so crystalline that lsaac felt his very thoughts laid bare under their clarity.

All that had unfolded left him in dread. He could not stomach the image of Verena with another man,nor endure even the thought of her sharing closeness with someone else. The mere notion that another might desire her gnawed at his soul with claws of jealousy.

Torn between insecurity and jealousy, it was jealousy that rose triumphant. He no longer cared for frailties of body or shadows in his mind. All he craved was Verena by his side. With her, everything else could fade to dust.

Those watching expected Isaac, stung by Gavin's barbed words, to turn away in anger.

Instead, he bowed his head and murmured, "I was wrong. If you will not come to me... then I will come to you."

He steered his wheelchair forward, halted before Verena, and reached for her hand. His eyes lifted to hers. "Will you come back with me?"

His heart thudded wildly, his expression taut with fear that she might never forgive him for the wounds he had carved with cruel words.

Verena studied him. His eyes, deep as hidden waters,his voice tinged with plea, and the tremor at the end of his words betrayed his unease. She could never resist him when he softened. She knelt, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered, "Isaac, Gavin only wanted to mislead you.He already has someone he loves, and so do l. We merely crossed paths here by chance. I told you before, as long as you turn back, I will always be here -my word unbroken."

The last line was a mirror of his own promise to her,now returned like an echo.

Isaac gazed at her. Her eyes were brimming with tenderness, as though her pupils held a sky littered with stars. His heart melted.

His throat tightened as he asked in a husky voice,"Then...will you come with me?"

A playful curve touched Verena's lips. "I've been waiting for you to come and fetch me."

His taut expression eased, and at last, a faint smile broke across his face.

Verena guided Isaac out of the bar. Once they entered the car, the driver and bodyguard moved to join them, but Isaac stopped them. "Wait outside for a while. I have something to discuss with my fiancée."

They exchanged knowing looks and nodded."Understood, Mr. Bennett."

They withdrew, granting the couple their privacy.

Isaac raised the half-lowered window and turned toward Verena's sparkling eyes.

Her smile warmed him like sunlight breaking through clouds.

Her hand still rested in his, and Isaac's thumb traced gentle circles on its back.

"Why are you so happy?" he asked softly.

Verena shook her head, her cheeks tinged pink from drink, her eyes glistening. Her voice stretched languidly. "I like it when you call me your fiancée.Say it again."

It dawned on Isaac then-she hadn't fully sobered.

The heater hummed. She had shed her coat, now clad in a blue cashmere sweater and fittedjeans that framed her figure with effortless grace.

His Adam's apple bobbed, his chest heaved, and his eyes grew heavy with unspoken longing.

He drew her hand gently, pulling her closer, and then folded her into his embrace.

His breathing deepened as he whispered again,"Fiancée...my fiancée."

From the instant he had seen her at the bar, the urge to hold her close had burned within him, though circumstance had forced restraint.

Caught unawares, Verena tumbled against his firm chest.

"Isaac, you-" Before she could finish, his lips hovered close, his intent unmistakable.

Startled, she pressed her free hand against his shoulder. She had just thrown up earlier.

The subtle fragrance on her was broken, and Isaac glanced at her delicate hand holding him back. His lashes lowered as he blinked slowly.

"Why push me away?" His tone carried grievance,like a child robbed of his cherished toy.

Verena's hand slipped down as she explained gently,"It's not that. I just... threw up."

The implication was clear-she feared she might not smell pleasant.

Isaac blinked, briefly stunned.

"You rinsed your mouth?" he asked.

Verena nodded. A small smile touched his lips.

"Then it's fine," he murmured, leaning in once more.

Realizing he was serious, Verena pressed against him again, pleading softly, "No, not now. We'll have plenty of chances later, won't we?"

Isaac's gaze lingered on her reddened lips, his Adam's apple rising, his eyes sliding down her delicate neck. They narrowed with a heat that defied words. As Verena leaned back in persuasion, her slender neck arched, exposed in the dim glow.

"Fine, no kissing," Isaac conceded. Yet before she could relax, he suddenly drew her onto his lap,seating her astride,face to face.

Startled, Verena gasped, only to hear him murmur,"This much is allowed, yes?"

"Mmm..." she groaned faintly.

His warm lips brushed her neck, sending sparks that raced down her spine.

Before she could recover, he nibbled lightly at her skin, part playful, part possessive.

"Isaac..." Verena clung to his shoulder, her body trembling as sparks coursed from her back to her mind, leaving her weak and pliant against him.

In the dim light of the car, Isaac lifted his head at the sound of her voice. "What's wrong?"

His breath skimmed her chin, light as a feather,stirring her heart with an aching itch. Her cheeks flushed, she pinched his burning earlobe and murmured, half-coaxing, half-complaining,"Don't bite."

"Alright, no biting," Isaac agreed at once, and then lowered his head to press his lips to her collarbone.

His tongue traced her skin, slow and deliberate, his lips drawing firmly at intervals.

It was no bite, yet it unsettled her far more.

Outside the car, the driver and bodyguard exchanged looks. The driver squinted toward the vehicle.

"Did the car just move?" the driver muttered.

The bodyguard, sharp-eyed from years as a mercenary, gave it a glance. "No."

The driver frowned. "Strange. They sent us away,and it's been so long-yet no sign of movement?"

The bodyguard pressed his lips together, impassive."Better not to meddle in Mr. Bennett's business.Orders are orders."

Inside the bar, after Verena left with Isaac, the group stood rooted, still reeling from the turn of events.

No one had expected it to end this way.

Bobby and Slater traded bewildered looks. "What just happened?" Bobby asked, baffled.

Slater shrugged, palms up. "Don't ask me. I'm just as lost."

Seeing he had no role left to play, Gavin decided the night had reached its end. All he wanted was sleep-and a clear head in the morning.

He chuckled dryly and told the two, "I'll settle today's account with you later. I'm leaving."

It sounded less like farewell and more like a verdict.

As Gavin's figure faded into the distance, Bobby's mind turned over the events. Something didn't add up. Gavin hardly seemed invested in Dr. Willis at all-and he knew she was Verena, Isaac's fiancée. Then the realization struck like a bolt. Bobby's eyes widened. He hadn't connected Verena and Dr. Willis because Kaia had once said in their group that Verena was unattractive.

He turned sharply toward Kaia and demanded,"Didn't you tell us before that Verena wasn't attractive?"

He frowned. Was this what Kaia had called unattractive?

Slater too shot her a questioning glance.

Kaia froze where she stood, as though her shoes had been nailed to the floor. She had been so eager to expose Verena's supposed flaws that she had forgotten the last thing she wanted was for Bobby to see Verena's true beauty.

Kaia's face drained of color in an instant.