A searing pain shot down Verena's back, the acrid smell of burning hair filling her nostrils.
She froze for a moment, then frantically yanked off her jacket and ran to the back of the garage, grabbing a fire extinguisher and spraying herself.
"Cough… cough, cough…"
Tears streamed down her face as she extinguished the last sparks clinging to her hair.
Bethany, standing nearby, was completely dumbfounded.
She hadn't expected Verena to react so fast. Just as she was about to run, a sudden force slammed her to the ground.
"You despicable—!"
Verena grabbed Bethany by the throat, slapping her hard. Then another, and another.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
The sharp slaps echoed through the underground garage.
Bethany's face quickly turned red and swollen, a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth.
"You really thought you could kill me, huh?"
Verena yanked a lock of Bethany's hair and kicked her hard in the stomach.
"Stop!"
A cold male voice cut through sharply.
Lanny strode over, yanking Verena off Bethany and scooping the bloodied girl into his arms.
As he turned to leave, he cast a glance at Verena. "Verena, you better pray she's unharmed. Otherwise, you'll learn exactly what a lesson feels like."
Verena barely reacted, as if he had said nothing.
Her long, black hair had been half-burned, the ends charred and brittle, and her collarbone stung from the burns.
But Lanny didn't notice, his focus solely on Bethany.
Verena struggled to her feet and drove herself to the hospital.
After tending to her injuries, she ran into the furious Kenneth Nash.
Smack!
A sharp slap landed across her cheek.
"Verena! You've gone too far! Bethany is your sister, how could you—"
Lanny, standing just behind, knitted his brows as his eyes landed on Verena's cheek.
The vivid red handprint was impossible to ignore.
He stepped forward beside her. "Mr. Nash, Bethany's condition is stable now. Don't be angry. Verena isn't bad at heart, just impulsive sometimes. I'll take care of her."
"None of your business," Verena raised an eyebrow, turning to Kenneth. "I didn't find out I had a cheating father until I was eight. You never changed my diapers, never spent a cent on me. Why should I recognize you as my father? And my mom only had me, your illegitimate child is no sister of mine."
"You—"
Kenneth's anger flared, but Lanny pressed him down effortlessly.
"That's enough," Lanny's voice held unyielding authority. "No matter how spoiled Verena is, it's not up to you to discipline her."
With that, Lanny forcibly guided Verena away.
At her insistence, he fetched an ice pack for her face, only for her to push it away.
"Go take care of Bethany, don't bother me." She turned to leave.
"I just saw the news, Bethany stole your design. But you shouldn't have gone that far," Lanny said, rubbing his temple. "She didn't do it intentionally. The doctors said the previous brain hematoma affected her nerves, making her prone to impulsive actions. She needs time to recover."
As he spoke, his eyes fell on the bandage at the base of Verena's neck. "How'd you get that?"
"It was Bethany who set me on fire. Do you believe me?" Verena stared into his eyes. "See? You don't believe me at all, yet you're acting all fake and concerned."
"Online public opinion has already condemned Bethany," Lanny said, voice calm but serious. "Don't pursue her further. She caused no real damage."
"'No real damage,' huh?" Verena smirked. "What if I deleted your six months of painstaking research in your SCI journal?"
"You may," Lanny replied firmly. "As long as you drop your pursuit against Bethany, you can delete it."
Verena was momentarily speechless.
She hadn't expected Lanny to concede this much for Bethany.
Verena had seen firsthand how much time and effort Lanny had poured into this paper, which was scheduled for publication next week.
"Fine. Then I won't hold back."
A sly glint lit her eyes.
She wasn't going to be softhearted anymore.
Ever since he locked her in that pollen-filled room and nearly got her killed, her heart had completely shut down.
Lanny reached out, pinching her chin. "Tomorrow is our wedding. I'll try to love you, and I hope you'll stop targeting Bethany."
His words carried a heavy sense of reluctance, as if loving Verena were the most arduous task in the world.
Giving her a fraction of his love to protect Bethany's happiness.
Verena didn't reply.
She had thought she would never feel pain again, but hearing that, her heart twitched involuntarily.
Back home, she opened Lanny's paper, intending to delete it. Then she noticed Bethany's name appearing in the article.
Lanny had named the small celestial object he discovered after Bethany, and included it in the paper.
Something twisted in Verena's chest.
She smiled bitterly to herself, "Lanny, I don't love you anymore. Never again."
The next day, she packed her suitcase and headed to the airport.
As she was about to turn off her phone, a message from her mother appeared, "Vee, are you really done with that physicist? How about giving Vernon a try? He's still single. Maybe you two are meant to be.]
Verena rolled her eyes, typed a single No, and switched off her phone.
Meanwhile, Lanny left the hospital at 7 a.m., heading to the wedding venue. Midway, Kenneth called.
"Bethany heard about today's wedding. She's crying, refusing to eat. Can you come comfort her?"
Lanny glanced at his watch. "Alright."
He turned the car around and drove back to the hospital, while a plane to Eurendale soared through the sky above…
