Chapter 82

With his jaw tight and shoulders squared, Bobby forced himself to meet Verena's gaze, drawing on every ounce of nerve he had left.

"Dr. Willis, I owe you the truth." His expression was grave. "The real reason I came here today was to apologize."

Verena didn't stop to react, but a brief flicker of surprise passed over her striking features as she kept eating.

"I made a mistake before," Bobby admitted, voice steady but regretful. "I judged you unfairly and repeated things I shouldn't have. For that,I'm sorry."

Her brows lifted as she glanced at him. "Oh? And what exactly did you say about me?"

The question broke open the dam, and Bobby's words spilled out faster than he could stop them.

"Let me explain," he began, leaning forward as if pleading his case. "When I first learned you would marry Isaac, I figured I'd ask your sister Kaia about you. But before I even got the chance, I saw a group chat where people were already gossiping about your looks. I thought to myself that Isaac deserved someone with good looks. Right at that moment, Kaia chimed in, implying that you were unattractive and bad-tempered."

He paused briefly, glancing at V/erena's unreadable face, and then went on. "After that, she made you out to be a clueless country girl who never went to college and didn't belong in the city. J-ater, when she sent a surveillance video to the group chat, we were convinced you had plotted to ruin her appearance."

Bobby hurried to add, "But now I know Kaia twisted everything on purpose."

A long breath slipped from Bobby as his shoulders sank. "At the time, I honestly believed you were that kind of woman. I couldn't stand the thought of someone like that marrying Isaac, let alone becoming part of our family. That's why I went behind the scenes and reached out to Kaia. She didn't want youin Isaac's life either, so we teamed up to break off the engagement. But I let myself get played. Kaia handed me an account and told me it was yours. She pretended to be you and chatted with me using that account.In those conversations, she painted you as loud, crass, and completely unfit. That's where my opinion of you came from, and I texted back a lot of harsh words. It was only last night that I confirmed that account wasn't yours at all."

Some wounds, he knew, didn't heal just because excuses were offered.

"Dr. Willis, I truly regret it," Bobby pressed on, his lips tightening. "I let myself be deceived by Kaia, believed rumors without checking facts, and ended up hurting you."

His head dropped, shame pushing his gaze to the table. "What's worse, I repeated her lies to lsaac and my mother, exaggerating them just to sabotage your engagement.I went too far."

His voice dwindled until it was barely a whisper, his forehead nearly touching the table as the weight of his guilt bore down.

The restaurant stayed quiet, every word sinking into Verena's ears. For a moment, she was surprised-but then her lips curved into a small, almost amused smile, as though she were unbothered.

"Kaia never had a good word for me from the start," she said evenly. "So it doesn't shock me that she spread rumors."

Bobby's head jerked up, brows furrowed, his voice rising. "You're not angry?"

His desperation was plain, his sincerity almost painful, but Verena only smiled and shook her head gently."Why waste energy on people who don't matter? The only thing that matters is that Isaac trusts me."

There was no bitterness in her voice, only a quiet grace that left her looking composed, untouchable, and dignified.

Unlike Kaia's bitter description of her, Verena showed none of that smnall-minded spite, which left Bobby feeling ashamed of himself.

Heat climbed across his face and neck until even his ears flushed red.

Clutching the edge of the table, his knuckles taut, he blurted, "Dr. Willis, I've said awful things about you to both lsaac and my mother. l tried in every way l could to tear the two of you apart. You have every reason tohate me. lf it helps, you can hit me or yell at me-'ll take it, as long as it eases your anger.. as long as youdon't despise me forever.

The remorse in his voice was impossible to miss, though Verena remained calm, her anger nonexistent

"There's no need for that," she replied with quiet seriousness. "People are complicated, and it's natural tohave selfish thoughts, You judaed me throuah Kaia's words, and that was your mistake, but it doesn't shockme."

Her eyes softened as she continued, "Still, Bobby, since l'll be your sister-in-law, let me remind you ofsomething: never rely on gossip to define a person. You only understand someone through time and youiown judgment."

She turned her gaze aside, a faint laugh threading through her words. "And lsaac? From the very start, hisfeelings toward me haven't changed. That means whatever you told him didn't shake him. in fact, youhelped without meaning to-you tested his loyalty for me.

Her remark carried a touch of humor.

The warmth in her smile made Bobby's heart stumble. The way her entire presence shifted when she spokeof'lsaac-so gentle, so genuine-explained everything. Of course she was the right match for lsaac.

But her lightness only deepened his shame. That was real grace, the kind he lacked. Compared to her steadiness, Bobby felt like a clumsy child, painfully immature.

Overcome with embarrassment, he lowered his head again until his forehead nearly touched the table.

Verena'watched him with amusement, and a sudden laugh slipped out.

For the first time, she thought lsaac's younger brother was oddly entertaining-enough to stir a small envyin her heart.

Then Bobby jerked upright, as though struck by a thought

"Oh, right!" he eclaimed. "Dr. Wilis, when you said you were treating a patient with leg paralysis at Slater's place-was it actually lsaac?" When she nodded, his eyes lit up. "So tell me, how is he now? Can his legs really recover?"Verena answered plainly, "it's still the beginning of treatment, so there's no final conclusion yet. But restassured, l'll give it everything l have."

Remembering how she had restored Barrie's leg, Bobby felt certain she could do the same again. Herpromise eased him instantly, and the weight pressing on his chest finally lifted.