Chapter 134

Nothing about Verena's response was what Kaia expected. She stood there, stunned into silence, unable to come up with anything to say.

Forgiveness seemed far too simple after all the things she had done to Verena.

With Kaia lost in her own thoughts, Verena let out a light laugh. "You came here for my forgiveness,didn't you? Now that you have it, you look almost disappointed."

Disappointment wasn't the emotion Kaia felt. She was simply shocked that Verena would let things go without hesitation. A drawn-out argument was what Kaia had prepared herself for.

Truthfully, her visit was never about making amends. She hoped Verena would lash out, just to prove a point.

Snapping back, Kaia spoke, forcing herself to stay composed. "You got it wrong, Verena. I'm truly grateful.Thank you for forgiving me."

That answer only made Verena smile more. "If you're happy, that's good enough for me. You do seem distracted, though. Is something on your mind?"

Trying to hide her unease, Kaia managed a quick grin. "There's nothing to worry about. I've just been through a lot, so sometimes I drift off."

"That makes sense," Verena said with a small nod. "Take care of yourself, alright? Right now, our family means everything to me-Mom,Dad,Luka,and you."

With a seemingly affectionate pat on Kaia's shoulder, Verena added, "Even if our parents and Luka have their opinions about me, you're still here. I'm glad you're willing to admit your mistakes."

Kaia found Verena's act as the caring older sister almost unbearable but kept her expression warm. "Don't say that, Verena. We're still family, no matter what happens. I'm sure Mom, Dad, and Luka feel the same way." Verena thought it was almost a shame that Kaia didn't put her talent for pretending to better use.

She had no interest in whatever their parents or Luka might think.

A nod was all she offered.

With her plan having gone nowhere, Kaia saw no point in lingering. "I should head back to campus. I'll drop by again soon."

A faint smile lingered on Verena's lips as she gave a silent nod.

After Kaia disappeared from the entryway, Verena wandered overto the expansive window, folded her arms,and followed Kaia's movements with a watchful gaze. Fishing her phone from her pocket,she placed a call without hesitation.

Gavin's uncertain greeting broke the quiet. "Eve-Dr. Willis, is there something you need?"

He nearly called her Evelyn, but quickly corrected himself.

Verena said, "Gavin, I have a favor to ask."

No hesitation from Gavin this time. "Of course. What can I do?"

Eyes still on Kaia slipping into her car, Verena's tone was measured. "I want you to find out who Kaia has been spending time with. Keep tabs on her for a while."

Why would Kaia need that sort of attention? Gavin's confusion was clear. Surveillance seemed like overkill-what had Kaia done?

He finally voiced his doubts. "Did something happen with Kaia?"

With a cold, steady tone, Verena explained, "She's always gone out of her way to make things hard for me.Now, suddenly, she's full of apologies after disappearing for a while. That doesn't make sense. Someone must be working with her."

Gavin suddenly thought of a possibility. Worried, he asked, "Do you think those people from overseas are using Kaia to get at you?" Verena brushed the thought aside. "That's not likely. People like that wouldn't choose just anyone. And if they had any idea about my real background, they wouldn't have any reason to involve Kaia."

She paused, eyes narrowed in thought. "Right now, I'm not sure where those people are hiding, but I expect them to show themselves before long. For now, Kala could be involved with Katelyn Fuller."

The name caught Gavin off guard. "Katelyn Fuller... I remember now. There was that headline-something about her having a mysterious overseas identity. Some even thought she might be Evelyn. What's Kaia's connection to her?"

A sly gin played on Verena's lips as she answered in an easy tone, "I wish I knew myself.Katelyn has known Isaac since they were kids. Yesterday, she approached me, dropped hints about being Evelyn, and tried to snatch Isaac's case away from me. I shut her down. Then this morning, out of nowhere, Kaia arrives,all apologetic. Put together, the timing feels way too convenient to be a coincidence."

There was a sharp edge of realization in Gavin's voice. "Understood, Dr. Willis. I'll have someone keep an eye on Kaia and report back if anything unusual happens. But there's something else I almost forgot to tell you. When I tried calling you earlier, you didn't answer, and I never followed up. Because of that news article about Katelyn, word is spreading that two different groups are after you now. One of them has even hired hitmen.Please be careful, Dr. Willis."

Resting her weight against the glass, Verena replied, "Understood. These groups stay in the shadows. Since Katelyn's eager to pretend she's Evelyn, I'll let her act as bait-maybe it'll draw them out where I can see them. I need to use this chance to figure out who's behind everything."

"That makes sense. I'm relieved you're ready."

"There's one more thing," Verena added. "I'm not able to leave for now, so I want the medical team brought back here from overseas."

Surprise flickered in Gavin's voice. "You're taIking about relocating the entire hospital staff? Wouldn't that make your situation more dangerous? Most of your resources are abroad-here, you have far fewer allies.Are you sure this is wise?"

Verena let out a soft laugh. "That's not your concern. I'll let Katelyn stir up those two groups and deal with whatever comes out of hiding. This way, I'm not alone in the spotlight. The medical team will just be on standby. I won't reopen the hospital until things settle down."

Seeing howw detailed her plan was, Gavin's concerns eased. "Alright, I'll start the arrangements."

"Thank you," Verena replied with a nod.

Shortly after the call ended, Rhonda appeared and asked politely, "Mrs. Bennett, where should I put what Miss Willis delivered?"

Waving it off, Verena answered, "Just store everything in the storage room."

...

Elsewhere, Kaia pulled out of Seraphina Villas and dialed Katelyn from the car.

Once the line connected, Kaia wasted no time. "Katelyn, things didn't go our way."

Katelyn's brow furrowed on the other end. "Tell me what happened."

A memory of the morning's awkwardness crossed Kaia's mind. "I tried to follow the plan-I apologized to Verena first thing. I was sure she'd never forgive me, not after everything I did. But strangely enough, she didn't get upset at all. WVith just a few words, she let it go."

Katelyn sounded unconvinced. "That's all it took? She just forgave you?"

Kaia confirmed, "Yeah, just like that."