Chapter 79

Slater spoke plainly, and Alec immediately sensed the weight behind his words. A deep crease formed between his brows as a startling thought struck him -could it really be Verena?

Silence lingered on the line, and Slater could almost hear Alec wrestling with the idea.

A sharp laugh carried through the phone as Slater chimed in, "Come on, Mr. Willis. You've already guessed it. The truth is exactly what you're afraid of.It wasn't Kaia who healed my grandfather's leg. It was Verena Willis. If you're desperate to hand out thanks, direct them to your eldest daughter instead of pretending Kaia deserves the credit."

Normally, Slater wouldn't waste his time picking apart a wealthy family/'s private squabbles. But when it came to Dr. Willis, he made an exception.

Hearing that name spoken with such certainty jolted

Alec. It was as if someone had splashed ice water over him. His hand clenched the phone so tightly that it shook.

Disbelief twisted his mouth as he muttered, "No...that can't be right. Verena? How could that be possible? Isn't this some mistake? She grew up tucked away in a forgotten little town, learning scraps of medicine from a village doctor. Don't tell me she was capable of curing a condition even the top hospitals couldn't fix. That's absurd..."

"What nonsense about some village doctor and a few scraps of medicine?"

A flicker of amusement crossed Slater's face at Alec's refusal to accept the obvious. No matter how plainly he laid it out, the man clung to denial like it was a lifeline.

A harsh laugh slipped out, dripping with contempt."So that's what you've convinced yourself of? Just idle gossip picked up from people who don't know the first thing about Dr. Willis? I've heard those stories too, but they're nothing but blind ignorance. The real irony is this-those strangers have an excuse. You don't. You're her father, and yet you can't even name a single skill your daughter has. Tell me, Mr. Willis, what kind of father looks away so carelessly?"

Without pausing for an answer, Slater pressed harder, his voice as sharp as glass. "In Shoildon,everyone's heard the praises sung for Kaia. They boast about her spot at the nation's top medical university, her studies under a famous professor. But here's what no one talks about. Back in Clokron,years ago, Verena was the lead surgeon who opened my grandfather's chest and gave him a new heart.That's the woman you've been overlooking."

Alec's eyes widened in disbelief. Surely this couldn't be real.

In his sudden panic, he stumbled backward,bumping into his chair before collapsing into it.

His brow furrowed deeply as he blurted out, "That makes no sense. Your grandfather's heart surgery was far too dangerous for any local doctor to even consider. How could Verena have handled something like that? And wasn't she always stuck back in our hometown? When did she even have the chance to go overseas?"

The questions spilled out one after another, directed at Slater, but just as much at himself.

Finding Alec's frantic denial almost entertaining,Slater chuckled. "Mr. Willis, she's your daughter. If you don't even know what she's capable of, why on earth would I be the one to tell you?"

Without another word, he ended the call.

A flat tone rang through Alec's ear as the line went dead. He stayed frozen for a long moment, phone pressed against him as if hoping the voice would return.

Finally, he slammed the device onto the desk,dropped his elbows to it, buried his fingers in his hair,and bowed his head low. Everything he thought he knew about his eldest daughter had just unraveled.

Only then did it hit him-he had lived like a man walking blind. He had never truly tried to understand Verena. Before she was seven, he and Laura had spent most of their time away working, coming home only on holidays, treating family time like a rare luxury. When she reached that age, Kaia was born,and his business took off, pulling his attention even further away.

As the years went by and the family finally settled in Shoildon, Kaia quickly became the apple of their eye.Then Luka was born, completing the picture-perfect family of four. With a cherished son and a celebrated daughter, Verena became little more than a shadow.

When they did call her, the conversations were shallow, filled with praise for Kaia's kindness or Luka's cleverness, but never once did they ask Verena about her own life.

The memories twisted his expression into something bitter and pained. His chest tightened with the weight of it all.

He remembered bringing Verena into Shoildon, only to hear Laura constantly boast of Kaia's brilliance while treating Verena like a burden. As he thought back now, Verena must have seen the absurdity of it all, standing silent while her own mother dismissed her.

And yet, minutes ago, Slater had revealed the truth-that the daughter they ignored, the one pushed aside, was the very doctor who had performed a heart transplant and restored Barrie's health.

The blow landed harder than he could bear, and Alec struck his forehead with a clenched fist.

Regret poured through him, thick and merciless, as though something priceless had slipped forever from his hands.

After Kaia's explosive outburst the night before, she had gone out of her way to avoid her mother.

Confusion lingered at the back of Laura's mind, but she was far too distracted to think about it.

Her attempts to reach Verena that day had failed one after another, each call ending without an answer.

The irritation gnawed at her until her body felt heavy with fatigue.

Later, after rinsing off in the shower, she sat before her vanity, smoothing skincare across her face while deciding she'd try Verena's number one final time before turning in.

The sound of the door unlocking startled her just as she reached for her phone.

When she looked over, Alec stepped inside, and her surprise slipped into her voice. "Alec? What brings you home tonight?"

Not once since the closure of the club had he returned during the evening.

Alec offered no reply. Instead, he set his briefcase down and sank heavily onto the sofa in their bedroom.

Laura walked toward him cautiously. "Did you have dinner yet? I can ask the staff to fix you something if you haven't."

His head moved in a firm shake, but his lips remained sealed.

It took her a moment to realize that his silence wasn't ordinary. As she drew closer, she caught sight of the storm clouding his features-his forehead creased,his brows drawn into a knot, and faint new lines had carved themselves into his skin.

Being someone who knew how to read faces, she lowered her tone and asked carefully, "Alec, what's happened? Did more trouble come up with the club?"

His answer came slowly, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "No. That part's been taken care of."

Laura didn't catch what he'd mumbled, so she leaned in."What was that?"

Alec finally raised his eyes to meet hers. "The matter with the club-it's been taken care of."

For a second she just stared, stunned, before her whole face lit up. "Are you serious? That's incredible

news!"

She slipped onto the sofa beside him and clasped his arm."Then why do you look like the world's ending?You nearly gave me a heart attack with that expression."

No hint of joy touchned Alec's face. His hands dug into his knees as he murmured darkly, "It was Verena who solved it."

Shock flickered across Laura's eyes, but it quickly melted into smug satisfaction.

"Hmph. That ungrateful girl. I thought she'd abandoned us altogether since she ignored all my calls. But clearly she's worried about her future with the Bennett family and realized she still needs our backing."

She brushed her fingers through her hair with a self-satisfied air.since she showed some sense this time, I'll overlook her rudeness and pretend she never avoided me."

Alec turned his head sharply, shooting her a look. The way Laura spoke of Verena carried such disdain it was as though the girl were something dirty clinging to her shoes.

That tone stirred a memory in Alec. Years ago, when he had tried to bring his mother and Verena from their small rural town to Shoildon, Laura had stopped him every time with one excuse after another.

She had said, "They're comfortable with country life.City living would only trouble them." Then, another time, "We're too busy with work, and Kaia and Luka need us. We don't have the energy to care for them too." And finally, "Verena's a country girl.People here would only look down on her." Only now did it hit him -those excuses had never been truths, just deliberate barriers she put up.

The more he thought about it, the hotter his anger burned. If not for Laura's schemes, Verena would have been here years ago, and by now she might already hold a place of honor in Shoildon society.And the Willis family's standing might've skyrocketed. With that bitter realization weighing on him, Alec jerked his arm free from her grasp and leveled a cold stare at her. "Don't fool yourself. Verena didn't directly step in. The problem was resolved because she once gave Barrie a new heart and healed his leg.Barrie stepped in for her sake."

Laura shot to her feet, her eyes wide. "What did you just say?"