Chapter 101

Soon after, the car rolled to a halt outside the villa.

Jacob assisted Isaac out and into the wheelchair,but before he could offer any more help, Isaac propelled himself ahead.

Inside the house, Isaac scanned the living room, but Verena was nowhere in sight, so he went straight for the elevator and made his way up to the second floor.

He found the bedroom door ajar and entered without hesitation.

Inside, Verena sat in an office chair, her attention buried in a book. When the sound of wheels reached her,she glanced over and greeted him. "Back so soon,Isaac?"

Her composure gave nothing away, as if the day had been utterly uneventful.

If not for the box sitting next to her hand, Isaac might have believed Stevie's earlier call was just a trick of his imagination.

Tension showed in Isaac's grip on the armrests, his eyes clouded with worry. Regardless of her feelings for him, Isaac didn't want any confusion or distance between them.

He didn't know if Verena had already peeked inside the box or how he'd explain the necklace and the ring.

After an uncertain pause, he finally asked, keeping his voice gentle, "Did Stevie stop by today?"

Each word was measured, his gaze watching Verena for any flicker of a reaction.

Noticing his barely concealed nerves, Verena offered a small, knowing smile. "He did," she replied evenly.

"Did he mention anything to you?" Isaac pressed,unable to hide his concern.

A wave of unease swept over him-what if Stevie had revealed more than he should in front of her?

Only after the words slipped out did Isaac realize he was being obvious.

He looked away, his lips pressed thin, unable to meet her gaze.

Verena,amused by how unsettled he seemed, let a playful spark light her eyes.

She leaned her cheek into her palm and answered with an easy drawl, "Nothing much." Just as Isaac began to relax, she added, unhurried and soft, "But he did leave something behind-said it was for you."

A knot formed in Isaac's throat, and a flash of panic flickered in his dark gaze.

Choosing to ignore his unease, Verena casually lifted the box from the table, popped open the lid, and knelt down at his feet.

She smiled at him, twirling the ring in her fingers."Isaac,who knew you had such a romantic streak? You really didn't need to go to all this effort. Next time you have a gift for me, just hand it to me yourself.That means more to me than anything."

For a heartbeat, Isaac was too startled to respond, and then he realized her mistake. "Actually, I..."

Verena cut him off, her eyes shining as she studied the ring. "This is wonderful, Isaac. Thank you."

She tilted it closer to the light, admiring the design."The diamond was carved into the shape of a rose,right? It's gorgeous."

Her joy was so bright that Isaac's protest faded away.He found himself unable to break the moment.

He only wished her happiness could last like this. As he fell silent, Verena arched a brow and extended her hand,holding the ring out to him."Will you do the honors?"

He accepted the ring, and although his movements were stiff, he slid it onto her finger.

But before the ring made it all the way, Verena pulled her hand back. "Wait, Isaac. Isn't this one a little loose?"

His hands went still, and for a moment, he drew a blank, frozen by uncertainty.

A wave of nervousness hit him, stronger than anything he'd felt before-a childhood fear of being caught red -handed.

Verena's tone shifted as she inspected the band. "Hold on, what's this?" She peered closely. "Check out the inside-there's something carved in here."

She lifted the ring to his eye level. "Look, the letter 'E.'"

Her gaze sharpened with suspicion. "What's that supposed to stand for, Isaac? There's no 'E'in the initials of my name."