Chapter 163

Katelyn clicked on the link, and the moment the story popped up-Verena pictured beside a middle-aged man-a jolt of excitement shot through her,lighting up her entire face with sly,wicked delight.

At last, Verena had served up the perfect scandal on a silver platter.

Katelyn was floored by Verena's boldness. Parading around with another man in public, completely shameless-was she out of her mind?

Did Verena really believe that slipping away to another country for a little adventure would keep her secrets from getting back here?

Katelyn could barely contain herself, eager to watch Verena struggle to explain this mess away.

She was convinced that, after seeing proof like this,there was no way Isaac or Danica would let Verena set foot in the Bennett family.

After a few days of recovery, Katelyn was feeling much better, and the doctor told her she could finish recovery at home starting tomorrow. But patience wasn't he strong suit. She ripped the IV from her hand and ran out of the hospital without even bothering with the discharge process.

Outside,she flagged down the first cab she saw.

Moments later, the taxi pulled up at the gates of the Bennett Mansion.

The housekeeper, busy trimming hedges, glanced up just in time to see Katelyn stride past without so much as a greeting.

"Mrs. Bennett!" Katelyn called, rushing into the house.

Finding no one in the living room, she stretched her neck and called upstairs.

The housekeeper trailed behind, flustered. "Miss Fuller,Mrs. Bennett's resting. Maybe you could wait-"

Katelyn brushed past her, irritation flashing in her eyes."Mrs. Bennett! You have to come down right now.There's something you need to see!"

Danica had barely drifted off when Katelyn's shouting carried up from downstairs.

She tried to block it out, rolling over in frustration, but the noise only grew more insistent. With a disgruntled huff, Danica sat up, her expression darkening. "That girl is getting bolder by the day."

Grumbling to herself, she threw on a coat and made her way downstairs.

The moment Katelyn heard footsteps coming down,a sly smile flickered across her face.

"Weren't you supposed to be in the hospital? Why are you here now?" Danica asked as she strode over,eyeing Katelyn with surprise.

Without answering,Katelyn grabbed Danica's hand and led her straight to the couch.

"There's something you need to see right now."

She wasted no time, pulling up the news article and shoving her phone into Danica's hands before she could ask any questions. "Read this."

Danica glanced down, confusion etched across her features.

But as soon as she read the headline and saw the photo,her whole expression changed. Her brows drew together in a stormy glare, and anger flashed in her eyes.

"The First Appearance of the Mysterious Girlfriend of Tobin Fairclough..." Zooming in on the photo, Danica stared at the masked woman beside the middle-aged man, her breath quickening. "That's Verena, isn't it? What on earth is Verena doing overseas? And how could she become someone's girlfriend?"

Katelyn watched the fury bubble up in Danica, barely disguising her satisfaction with a forced look of concern. "I thought the same thing. At first, I wondered if it could really be her, since she was so covered up. But the more I looked, the more certain I became-it's definitely Verena."

Katelyn put on a look of sorrowful sympathy. "I just thought you should see it for yourself, in case I was overreacting. Honestly, she must be out of her mind.How could she betray Isaac like this?"

Danica trembled with fury, tossing the phone aside as she snapped, "Out of her mind? She's too clever for her own good! That girl has no respect for this family at all!"

Katelyn flinched at Danica's sudden outburst, quickly dropping her voice in feigned worry. "Does Isaac know yet? Maybe we should hold off on telling him..."

That was enough to send Danica over the edge."Hold off? Absolutely not! He deserves to know exactly what kind of woman he brought into our family-a shameless liar running around with other men!" A flash of cruel delight crossed Katelyn's face. "Got it.I'll forward you the link right now."

Danica sprang from the couch and stormed out,too enraged to remember her manners. Katelyn didn't even get so much as a parting glance.

Alone in the silence, Katelyn stared at the phone Danica had flung aside.

Her gaze lingered on the zoomed-in photo, and that sinister, obsessive smile crept back onto her lips. Her eyes sparkled with a cold, unhinged satisfaction.

This was it. She hadn't even lifted a finger yet, and already Verena's downfall was in motion.

In Katelyn's mind, Isaac had always belonged to her alone.

...

Jacob noticed Danica approaching and made a move to stand, but she swept past him in a blaze of anger,heading toward the CEO's office without so much as a glance his way.

Being Isaac's mother, she outranked everyone; Jacob didn't dare to object or even announce her presence before she burst in. The office door crashed open, slamming shut behind her with a bang.

Isaac was lost in paperwork when the ruckus made him look up, expecting to see Jacob.

He was ready to scold his assistant for barging in, but the sight of Danica's stormy glare made any annoyance instantly evaporate.

He arched a brow, confused. "Mom? What's going on?"

"What's going on?" Danica gave a bitter, sarcastic laugh as she brandished her phone, thrusting the link from Katelyn right under his nose.

"Why don't you take a look for yourself? See what your wife's really been up to. She flew overseas behind your back-just look at this disgrace!"

Isaac eyed the phone she'd dropped on his desk.He recognized the story. It was the same one Stevie had already sent his way.

Realizing she'd misunderstood everything,Isaac met her gaze and calmly explained, "Mom, you've got it all wrong about Verena. I knew about her trip before she left. That article is just a smokescreen for outsiders. None of it's true. She had important business overseas, and I was in on it from the start." "Important business?" Danica snapped, her voice dripping with skepticism. "What could possibly be so urgent? Don't tell me you actually believe she went abroad to cure someone? Sure, she knows a thing or two about medicine, but with so many outstanding doctors abroad, why would someone need her help?And why was a performance needed? That's just a flimsy excuse, and you're falling for it?"

Her temper flared, words tumbling out faster and louder. "And look what she did. She ran off and got cozy with another man! Didn't you see the headline calling her Tobin Fairclough's mysterious girlfriend?Stories like that don't just appear out of thin air. Who would dare write that about the general manager of Smoothdeed Group unless it was true? You've lost all sense. You'll believe anything Verena says, even as she humiliates you for the world to see."

The more Danica ranted, the firmer lsaac's tone became. "I'm warning you, Mom. This is the last time I'll explain. Verena never lied to me. She was upfront about everything from the beginning."

Danica stared at him like he'd lost his mind, her anger practically boiling over. "You can't see what's right in front of you! She's making a fool out of you, and you're still defending her? She's seducing another man in your face, and you're just letting it happen? What kind of hold does she have on you?" Just then, Isaac's phone buzzed on his desk.

The caller ID showed that it was his wife calling.

He answered, and Verena's gentle voice drifted through the line. "Isaac, everything's settled here. I'll be home tomorrow."

"Great..." Isaac began, but before he could finish,Danica snatched the phone right out of his grasp.

He lunged forward to reclaim it, but being stuck in a wheelchair left him just out of reach.

Danica,having caught sight of the caller ID,tightened her grip, ready to unleash a tirade on Verena.

But Isaac's warning cut through the air. "Mom, if you say anything to hurt her, don't blame me for what happens next."

Danica stopped cold, shock washing over her face."You're threatening me for her?"

Isaac met her glare head-on, his voice steady but unyielding. "Because you're the one trying to hurt her.I've told you again and again, this is nothing but a misunderstanding. Instead of trusting your own son and Verena, you believe some rumor from strangers.If that's how it is, then I have to draw aline." No mother could stand to hear those kinds of words coming from her own son.

Pain flickered across Danica's face; her eyes welled up as she hurled the phone aside and stormed out of the office.

With the tension finally broken, Isaac let out a deep,weary sigh.

The last thing he wanted was for Verena to be exposed to those baseless accusations. He could never truly hurt Danica, bout using such harsh words had been the only way to put a stop to her reckless fury.