Chapter 126

By late afternoon, Verena had finished preparing the last of Isaac's medicine. With her work done, she curled into the swing chair on her balcony, lazily flipping through a book as the sunlight spilled across the pages.

The faint click of the door caught her ear. She glanced over her shoulder and her lips curved into a warm smile. "Isaac, you're back."

Closing the book with ease, she set it on the small table beside her and rose gracefully, heading in his direction.

He answered with a distracted nod, his eyes lingering on her longer than usual, something clouded in their depths.

Isaac's mind was elsewhere. He knew Katelyn's temperament far too well-reckless, obsessive,unpredictable. If she decided to fix her madness on Verena, she would stop at nothing. That thought alone weighed heavily on him.

"The food's already set," Verena said lightly. "Shall we head down for dinner?"

But her husband seemed lost in thought, unmoving.She tilted her head, catching his unease. "Isaac,what's on your mind?"

He shook it off, though his tone carried quiet warning. "If someone tries reaching out to you in the next few days, ignore them."

Her brows arched, curiosity sparking in her gaze."Oh? So there is someone stirring up trouble?"

Leaning back against the wall, Verena rested her chin in her palm, a knowing smile tugging at her lips."Don't tell me it's one of your old admirers."

Her voice held more teasing amusement than jealousy, as though she were fishing for gossip instead of reassurance.

That lack of envy unsettled Isaac in a way he couldn't explain. A strange urge rose in him-he wanted her to care, if only a little. "Yes," he admitted quietly. "A woman who chased after me for years back in school."

Verena's eyes widened, her tone laced with exaggerated surprise. "Since school? That's real devotion. Even after all this time, and despite you being married, she still hasn't let go? How touching.Aren't you even a little moved by such loyalty?"

She bent closer, her playful expression hovering just inches from his face, as though she were defending the other woman instead of him.

Isaac narrowed his eyes, studying her face as though searching for the faintest crack. What he found wasn't jealousy at all, but an almost curious spark-as if she were intrigued rather than unsettled.

A strange restlessness stirred in him, and his brows pulled tight. "So you really don't care?" he asked, his tone low, edged with frustration.

Verena tilted her head, confusion flickering across her features. "Why would I?" she replied honestly."You're not involved with her, are you? Then what's there to be upset about?"

Her calmness doused his agitation, yet it brought him no comfort.

Katelyn meant nothing to him. That was the truth.But what he wanted wasn't just Verena's logical acceptance-it was fire. He wanted proof that she cared enough to be shaken, to feel possessive, to burn for him the way he quietly burned for her.

His gaze lingered on her, questions coiling in his chest. Was her serenity rooted in trust? Or was it indifference-proof that no matter what he did,he would never truly move her heart?

The thought struck deep, leaving him hollow. For the first time, he felt as though her world might remain forever out of his reach. He lowered his head, voice breaking softer than a whisper. "If our roles were reversed, I'd be furious Because jealousy only comes from caring."

Though barely spoken, the stillness of the room carried his whisper straight to her. She froze, the weight of his words sinking in, and for once, her steady composure faltered.

Sliding down to meet him at eye level, Verena rested a hand gently on his knee. "Isaac, you've misunderstood me," she said softly, her voice warm."I'm not unbothered because | don't care. I'm unbothered because I know you. I know you'd never betray me. My calmness isn't indifference-it's trust."

His throat worked as he swallowed, and he brushed his fingertips lightly along her cheek, almost as though he needed to feel she was real. "You mean that?" he murmured, the question trembling with vulnerability.

Isaac's hands framed her face, his touch firm yet reverent, and before Verena could react, his lips pressed against hers. The kiss was unhurried at first, tender enough to make her lashes flutter closed. Without thinking, her arms looped around his neck, pulling him closer, her body answering his without hesitation.

That simple, instinctive gesture stirred something turbulent in him. What began as a soft kiss deepened, their breaths blending, their hearts drumming to the same rhythm.

Just as her body melted into the moment, Isaac drew back slightly, his lips hovering over hers.

Verena's brows furrowed faintly, her voice low and questioning. "Why did you stop..."

He didn't give her time to finish her question. In one smooth motion, he caught her hand, tugged her forward, and settled her onto his lap.

Startled, Verena gasped, but her surprise was quickly drowned when his mouth found hers again-this time fierce, deliberate, claiming. His hand cradled the back of her head, keeping her close,while his tongue brushed past her lips with teasing insistence.

The world tilted. Breathless, she leaned back slightly,searching for air, but Isaac's arm tightened around her waist. It wasn't forceful-it was almost childlike, a desperate hold as though he feared she might slip away,his silent declaration that she belonged to him.

The kiss lingered, consuming and heady, until her lips tingled with numbness.

When he finally eased away, Verena stared at him with hazy eyes, her chest rising unsteadily.Her lips parted with a faint laugh. "So... are we still having dinner?"

Isaac pressed her closer against him, his breath warm at her ear, his voice low and roughened. "Of course."

That lingering kiss had lightened Isaac's mood-at least she hadn't pushed him away. Maybe, just maybe,she felt something for him after all.

Dinner passed, and when Verena set her utensils down, she checked the clock and turned to him."Come with me to the bedroom. It's time for a health check."

Isaac's brow arched. "Didn't you already check me earlier this week?"

"From now on, we'll be doing it every day. Think of it as treatment, not just observation," Verena replied.

Inside the bedroom, she guided him to the bed,arranging pillows behind him until he rested comfortably against the headboard.

Isaac no longer carried the stiff unease he once had under her care. Without waiting for instructions, he loosened his belt and slid his trousers partway down.

Her voice cut through the quiet, low and deliberate."Keep going."

Isaac froze, uncertain he'd heard her right. His eyes flicked up to meet hers.

Perched at the bedside, Verena tilted her head, the corners of her lips curving into a slow, knowing smile. "You heard me. Everything."

Her gaze dipped pointedly toward the dark blue boxers that still clung to him. "Even those."

A dry swallow caught in his throat. "That wasn't necessary before..."

Verena leaned in, her expression calm but edged with amusement. "Because before, the treatment hadn't reached this stage. Tonight, I'll be using a new method-precise, demanding, and far more detailed than anything we've tried so far. I'll need to watch your body's response, track the timing of every shift,and record it all carefully."

Her eyes glimmered with a mix of mischief and authority as she lowered her voice. "So, Isaac... are you going to undress yourself? Or should I do it for you?"

Heat surged across lsaac's skin, climbing from his collar to his cheeks until his whole face burned crimson. Words stumbled from his lips, broken and useless."I...|-" Amusement flickered in Verena's eyes, her mood turning playful as she leaned in closer. Her fingertip began at his temple, trailing slowly down the bridge of his nose before pausing at his mouth. She brushed against his lips with the faintest touch, a feather-light caress meant only to test his restraint.

The contact made his throat tighten. Isaac swallowed hard, his head tilting toward her fingers as if drawn against his wil,aching for more.

But she denied him that satisfaction. Her hand slipped lower, pressing gently against his chest,circling deliberately as though she owned every inch.

Isaac had slipped into his home clothes, yet he could still feel her touch pressing through the thin fabric,frustratingly distant, liketrying to scratch an itch with a glove on.

Verena's slow teasing was too much for him, and his throat tightened as his Adam's apple bobbed twice, a rough gasp slipping free.

Not missing his reaction, Verena moved closer, her lips nearly grazing his ear. "Isaac, you blush at the smallest touch. How will you manage when things go further?"

Her fingers traced down his torso, slow and teasing,until they hovered at the edge of his waistband."You clearly can't decide... so let me decide for you."

That was when lsaac's hand shot forward, gripping her wrist, his voice unsteady but firm. "No..."

Feigning hurt, Verena lifted her gaze to his, her lashes trembling as though on the verge of tears. "So unwilling to accept my treatment? Don't you want us to finally become a real husband and wife?"