Chapter 202

After the check-up, Isaac and Verena returned to Seraphina Villas.

The moment they got out of the car, Verena carefully wheeled Isaac inside.

Seated in the chair, Isaac kept holding the medical report, reading it again and again as if it contained the secret of life.

On the way back, he had already told Verena he wouId not be going to work today.

Verena hesitated for a beat, and then stopped in front of him to confirm, saying, "Isaac, are you truly not going to the office? At the hospital, I noticed Jacob taking several calls that looked urgent."

Isaac clasped her hands, his deep eyes lit with a gentle smile. "Nothing is as important as you are to me.Besides, I want to spend more time with you."

He had long wished for an excuse to linger at home with her, and now, with the baby on the way, he had every reason to hold on tighter. 元

4A small smile tugged at Verena's lips as she tilted her head and teased softly,"Isaac, I never knew you could be so clingy."

Her tone was light as a feather, her eyes tender, as though she were gazing not at a man of stature but at a boy unwilling to let go of his toy.

Isaac,caught off guard,showed a fleeting trace of awkwardness.

Verena chuckled, and then quietly moved behind him to continue pushing him forward.

When they entered the living room, they saw a dignified middle-aged woman seated gracefully on the sofa.

Hearing the sound, Danica rose with a welcoming smile. "Isaac, Verena, you're back."

Isaac's smile vanished in an instant, and shadows of conflicting emotions stirred in his eyes. The memory of how Danica had once judged Verena unjustly, misled by Katelyn's poisoned words, burned within him. He replied in a tone that carried both distance and restraint, "Mother, do you have something to tell me?"

"I'm not here for you." Danica lowered her gaze, guilt flickering across her face.

She turned toward Verena, her voice low. "I'm here... to apologize to Verena."

Her eyes lifted again, filled with regret and sorrow. "Verena, I was wrong. I should never have wronged you.l let Katelyn's lies cloud my judgment, and I made a grave mistake."

Remorse weighed heavily on her words. "I even sided with outsiders and said cruel things to you, almost placing you in danger. Verena, can you forgive me? I truly know my fault. If you give me the chance, I will do my utmost to make amends."

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she spoke.

Danica was genuinely brokenhearted-not only for misjudging Verena but also because her choices had driven a wvedge between her and her son.

She had done it all in the name of Isaac's well-being, yet her efforts had cut both him and Verena deeply

A

Before Verena could respond, Isaac spoke first, his voice firm before Danica. "Verena, don't trouble yourself with my feelings. If you wish to forgive her, do so; if not, you needn't force yourself. I don't want you to compromise for my sake. She is my mother, my duty, and I'll carry that burden."

Danica's heart twisted with both sorrow and relief.

Sorrow,because her son-whong she had always sought to protect-spoke to her now with such coldness.

Relief, because she could finally see him breaking free of his silence, speaking his heart with clarity,something she had long wished for.

Isaac's words warmed Verena deeply.

In truth, she bore no grudge against Danica; yet neither did she feel any great attachment. She understood that Danica's actions had sprung from a desperate love for her son, even if twisted by another's manipulation.

And since Isaac always placed her above all, Verena wished, in return, to spare him from the bitter tug-of-war between wife and mother.

After collecting her thoughts, Verena pressed her lips together and spoke calmly."Danica, I've heard your words, and I hope you hold fast to them. Take this as a lesson, and please refrain from interfering in Isaac's and my personal matters again. This is not just my stance but his as well. I can forgive you this time-but if such a thing repeats, I will have no choice but to keep my distance."