Chapter 65

Inside the Willis Villa, the family gathered in the living room.

On the couch, Alec, Laura, and Kaia sat in tense silence, shame and irritation plain on their faces.

What had begun as a hopeful plan had collapsed into disaster. The problem of the club remained unsolved,and worse, they had made a fool of themselves in front of the Lyons family.

The more Alec dwelled on it, the harder it became to restrain his temper.

His gaze fixed on Kaia, stripped of the warmth it once carried.

"Do you see what mess you've caused? You rushed in without knowing the truth and snatched the credit for yourself. A little praise has gone to your head, and now you believe you're brilliant, don't you? Did you really think a handful of herbs and supplements would heal Barrie's leg? How unfortunate that I have such a stupid daughter."

Running a hand through his hair, Alec let out a sharp breath before saying firmly, "This won't work. We must bring Verena back at once-she's the only one who can fix this. Laura, tomorrow you'll apologize to her properly and make peace with her."

Laura's face darkened at his demand. The memory of her last humiliating apology was still raw, and she had no desire to suffer through it again.

Unable to stomach Kaia's humiliation, Laura snapped back, her voice laced with sarcasm. "You never fail to strike when the timing hurts most, Alec. What kind of father tears down his own daughter like this? You were the one praising Kaia's wit before, and now you turn against her. None of us could have foreseen this outcome. She only wanted to help you,even if she was reckless about it. You claim she isn't clever-are you saying Verena is any better? They're both your children, so if blame is handed out, it should fall on both. At least Kaia doesn't drag trouble into this house."

Laura let out a bitter laugh and added sharply, "And donn't forget the reason the entertainment venue was closed in the first place. That's on Verena, the one who grew up in the rural backwater under your mother's care."

The moment Verena's name was spoken, Alec froze as a sudden idea surfaced.

He realized then why Barrie had confused Kaia with the doctor who treated his leg-the physician carried the same last name, Willis.

Back in the countryside, Verena had actually practiced medicine.

A startling possibility formed in Alec's mind.

For a few moments, Alec said nothing, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. Finally, he turned to Laura and asked, "Could it be that the doctor Barrie spoke of was Verena?"

The question caught Laura off guard, and her expression faltered with shock. After a pause, she murmured, "That would be too much of a coincidence, wouldn't it? Are you saying Verena might have that kind of ability?"

The couple looked at each other, uncertainty weighing heavily in their eyes, while Kaia sat frozen,staring at them without blinking.

Kaia couldn't shake the sting of Alec's harsh words as they echoed again in her head.

She balled her fists,and the bitterness in her eyes revealed just how deeply her resentment ran.

As Alec and Laura spoke, a sobering truth dawned on her.

She understood then that her ambitions would only come to life if she carved her own path.

In Laura's eyes, her worth lay only in how much honor she could bring to the Willis name.

No matter the gentle tone or the outward kindness,when it truly mattered, Laura always placed Luka above Kaia.

She k<new the family fortune was destined to end up under Luka's control.

Alec measured his children by usefulness alone,giving approval only to the one who could profit him most.

When she pictured Verena marrying into the Bennett family, jealousy burned hot inside her chest.

It was for that reason she couldn't stomach the idea of Verena living happily.

What she feared most was being branded the most worthless member of the family.

Her cheeks quivered as she forced a smile, and then she turned to Alec and Laura. "Dad, Mom,really?Verena never even made it into college. Everything she knows comes from tagging along with some backwoods healer in the countryside. Even top specialists failed with Mr. Lyons' leg. If I couldn't treat him, then Verena definitely couldn't either."

Laura, who had wavered a moment ago, quickly found comfort in Kaia's reasoning. "Kaia's right.Verena doesn't have that kind of talent. She never studied in college, and she's never even touched proper medical training. At best, she knows how to treat a cold. The name Willis is too common; it could be anyone else. You're just clutching at straws, Alec."

She shot him a sharp glance, her tone cutting.

Nothing seemed more ridiculous than thinking Verena was the doctor responsible for Barrie's recovery. Her bragging about being a Pine Hill University graduate was just as laughable.

Once he got home, Slater immediately picked up the phone, eager to unload the day's fiasco on Bobby.

"You won't believe what a ridiculous thing happened today, Bobby. Can you even guess?"

His voice rose with energy. "We went to meet Dr.Willis. But when I got there, I realized it was Kaia's family. For a moment, I thought, wait-could this Dr.Willis actually be that Verena Willis I've never met?And then you won't believe what followed." At the sound of Verena's name, Bobby leaned in,eager. "So what happened?"

With a chuckle, Slater shook his head. "Verena wasn't there, but Kaia was. The funniest part? She actually convinced herself she cured my grandfather's leg. As if! Dr. Willis has nothing to do with their family, let alone being Verena. They thought Kaia was the doctor. Can you believe that?It's laughable."

Kaia's name didn't hold Bobby's attention, so he brushed right past it.

He smirked at Slater. "You can't be serious. How could anyone even compare my perfect sister-in-law with that sharp-tongued Verena? Come on, they're nothing alike. No way Dr. Willis is her."

At that very moment, Verena-the one they were talking about-sat at the desk in her hotel room.

Piles of paperwork lay before her, most of it business carried over from abroad.

When the last page was in order, she rolled her neck, flexed her wrists, and glanced at the time on her phone.

It struck her then that lsaac hadn't reached out since their last conversation, and each time she tried calling, his assistant had picked up instead.

Their most recent talk about his health still lingered in her mind; his tone had been heavy, as if weighed down by feelings he couldn't voice.

She wondered if he had slipped back into overthinking everything.

The decision came quickly-she had to go see him in person.

Acting on impulse, Verena swapped into fresh clothes, took her keycard, and headed down to the hotel's underground garage.

Waiting for her in the dim lot was her newly bought silver-gray car.

She slid behind the wheel and drove straight toward the Bennett Mansion.

When she arrived at the mansion, she parked stepped out, and walked up to the front gates.

Andres Cruz, the Bennett butler, appeared from inside and asked with courtesy, "Miss, may I ask who you're here to visit?"

She greeted him with a calm smile. "My name is Verena Willis. I've come to see lsaac."

The mention of her name made Andres pause, his eyes narrowing as he studied her carefully.

What he saw was a young woman whose gaze carried warmth and quiet composure.

The poise in her manner, coupled with her quiet elegance, clashed sharply with the cold and selfish reputation the rumors had spread.

Years of experience told Andres right away that such rumors about her were nothing more than empty talk.