Chapter 20

With a small nod, Isaac said, "I've already chosen one. It's a private hospital that belongs to the Bennett family."

Verena took note of how unwell he seemed. "That's good. The privacy there will be secure," she said. "WNe'll stop here for today. Just let me know once you've decided on the exact date for the treatment."

Almost without hesitation, Isaac answered,"A week from now."

Once the time was set, the two went their separate ways.

When Isaac settled back into his car, his observant assistant immediately noticed that the "blanket"covering his lap was not the same as before.

"Did something happen, Mr. Bennett?" the assistant asked.

The stare from the front seat was hard to miss. Isaac opened the file resting on his lap and gave a short cough. "It's nothing."

Catching the strain in his voice, the assistant asked, "Are you feeling sick?"

Without looking up from the file, Isaac replied in a steady tone, "I've got a fever."

"I can run out and get some medicine right now," the assistant suggested.

"I already have some," Isaac said. "Just keep this from mny mother."

Since the accident, Danica had been quick to worry whenever his health showed even the slightest decline.

The assistant knew better than most how protective Danica had become.

"Understood," the assistant replied with a nod.

The mention of medicine brought Isaac's thoughts back to the restaurant, to the moment he nearly asked Verena why she treated him with such care. What was the reason behind her concern? Part of him assumed it was nothing more than a fiancée's obligation. Perhaps the Bennett family had something she wanted.

Yet beneath those guesses lingered a faint, unshaped hope-though even he could not say exactly what it was.

Out of nowhere, Isaac remembered the two questions Verena had asked him in the past. The first had been on the day they met, when she wanted to know if he recalled anything about Dragon Quarter in Clokron.

The second had come through a message, where she asked if he truly did not remember her.

A strange, hard-to-name feeling surged through him, clouding his thoughts.

He shut the file in front of him, leaned back against the seat, and pressed his fingers to his brow in an effort to clear his head and push aside the thoughts he didn't need.

That afternoon, Isaac's phone rang. It was his friend, Cayden Moore.

Cayden said, "Stop by the hospital tomorrow. I'll go ahead and run a few tests while you're there."

A master's graduate from Acorith College of Medicine, Cayden had built an impressive reputationin his field.

Following the car accident, the Bennett family had called in other renowned doctors to examine Isaac, but Cayden was the one who had consistently been at his side.

With only a week left before the scheduled treatment with Verena, Isaac felt that Cayden deserved to know the situation as both his doctor and his friend.

He chose to be upfront about it and said, "I'm scheduled for surgery next week."

"What? Hold on-what are you talking about?" Cayden's voiçe jumped in alarm. "What kind of surgery?What exactly do you mean?"

Isaac answered, "I found a doctor who believes she can treat my condition with a decent chance of success.She says it's around seventy percent, and I'm willing to take that shot."

"Say that again?" Cayden's disbelief was clear, as if he couldn't trust his own hearing. "Seventy percent?Who would dare make that claim? Even I can only be thirty percent confident with your case."

The frustration in his voice lingered before he paused, and then spoke more carefully. "Isaac, I get that you're eager to get back on your feet, but this isn't something you can rush. Don't let desperation push you into a reckless decision."

From his wheelchair, Isaac stared out at the view from the office building.

"I understand," he said quietly. The memory of those eyes, so familiar they almost hurt to remember, rose in his mind. "But I want to trust her."

Cayden's curiosity burned to know who had convinced Isaac of something so far-fetched. "Tell me her name.Which world-class doctor is it?"

"Verena Willis," Isaac answered.

The name made Cayden search his memory. He was familiar with countless renowned physicians across the globe, yet this one drew a blank.

"Who exactly is she? I've never heard of her. What's her story?" Cayden asked further.

Isaac hesitated. Her background? Should he tell Cayden she was the eldest daugter of the Willis family,or admit she was his future wife?

The image of Verena kneeling before him flashed through Isaac's mind, her voice soft as she said, "Don't turn me away." He paused, his throat tightening for a moment, and then quietly answered, "She's my fiancée."

That single word froze Cayden in place, leaving him silent for a few moments.

"What did you just say?" he asked wth a frown. "Isn't your fiancée the eldest daughter of the Willis family who didn't grow up with her parents?"

Cayden normally tunedout that kind of news, but beca use Isaac was a friend, he'd picked up a few things Cayden continued, his voice rising, "Isaac, have you even heard what people are saying about her? She never attended college, so where exactly did she learn how to practice medicine? She's even been lying about graduating from Pine Hill University. And you've only had one meal with her, haven't you? What makes you trust her this much?"

Isaac barely drew in a breath before Cayden interjected, "Absolutely not. A woman like that cannot be trusted.Wait before you do anything reckless. I'll dig into her background myself."

Isaac started to reply, but the call had already ended. His forehead tightened in an involuntary frown.Cayden's logic was hard to argue with. After all, he had met Verena only once. Why did he trust her so much? Yet the way his friend dismissed Verena left an unpleasant weight in his chest.

Respected as a promising young physician, Cayden was often invited back to his old university to give lectures.

When his last class wrapped up that afternoon, he had intended to begin gathering information, only to spot Kaia walking down the corridor.

The sight made his eyes brighten. As Verena's sister, she might be the perfect source to question.

He strode toward her and called out, "Kaia."

She was moving alongside two other women, heading for their next lesson.

The sound of Kaia's name made her companions exchange curious glances in her direction.

A flicker of pleasure crossed Kaia's face. She was well aware that Cayden was one of Isaac's closest friends.Though his status didn't rival Isaac's, it still far exceeded her own.

At their university, Cayden held the quiet admiration of many female students.

She slid a stray lock of hair behind her ear and offered him a warm smile. "Professor Moore, is something the matter?"

Cayden inclined his head slightly. "I need to ask you a question. Are you free right now?" Kaia looked at her friends. They traded looks full of envy before slipping away to give them space.

Their reactions made Kaia feel a surge of pride, and she replied with a warm smile, "It's my pleasure to help you,Professor Moore."

Cayden wasted no time. "Did your sister Verena study medicine?"

The question left her momentarily speechless. He had stopped her just to bring up Verena? First Bobby, and now Cayden. People she had once admired from afar and never dreamed of approaching were suddenly seeking her out, all because of her sister.