"A wedding invitation? Crystal, you... you’re getting married?!"

Wren was surprised. She opened the invitation and looked closely. The bride was Crystal Nash, but the groom wasn’t Hugh Hale.

Miles Shaw?

’Isn’t that the eldest son of the Shaw Family, Mason Shaw’s older brother?’

’Five years really is enough time for a lot to change.’

"Then what about you and..." Wren trailed off.

She could tell Crystal still liked Hugh Hale.

’It’s better not to get married at all than to marry someone you don’t love!’

"I don’t love him anymore. We’ve gone our separate ways and become strangers," Crystal said, her expression flat. "My parents arranged it. They said they’ll stop locking me up as long as I get married."

With that, she picked up her glass and drank again, her face etched with exhaustion.

Her parents had locked her up even before Wren went abroad.

Three years of fighting back hadn’t been enough to make her parents yield.

Joy was silent, but Wren was curious.

"What’s this Miles Shaw like? Is he good to you?"

"He’s not bad. He’s quite mature and reliable. The Shaw Family is more powerful than the Hale Family, so my parents absolutely adore him."

Wren asked hesitantly, "But do you like him?"

Crystal froze. After a long moment, she let out a scornful laugh.

She nonchalantly popped a piece of food into her mouth.

"You know how it is. My parents see me as an investment and expect an exorbitant return. Whether I’m happy or not isn’t part of their calculation. I used to love Hugh Hale, but he kissed another woman. I don’t love Miles Shaw, but he’s patient with me. It seems that even without much sincerity, a little has started to grow."

’So maybe love isn’t that important after all.’

’It’s better to marry someone who loves you than someone you love.’

’In the end, isn’t marriage just about familial affection and intertwined interests anyway?’

Despite the table laden with delicacies, to Crystal, the food tasted like chewing wax.

Wren lowered her gaze, lost in thought.

’Kaden Xavier didn’t have much genuine affection for her, but he’d sent gift after gift to her room and had never mistreated her.’

’Perhaps genuine affection had always been an elusive, intangible thing.’

By the end of the meal, the three of them were all in low spirits.

It was supposed to be a happy reunion, but the mood was inexplicably heavy.

Joy Lynch and Crystal Nash both ended up drunk.

After Wren paid the bill, Ho-ran Park arrived.

Seeing Joy dead drunk, he looked displeased, but his eyes were filled with worry.

"Wren, you just got back, and Joy drags you out for drinks, only to get herself this drunk. She’s really too much."

"Senior Brother, it’s okay. You should take Joy home first. I’ll just get a cab."

Ho-ran Park nodded. "Since you’re back, remember to go see our teacher. The old man has missed you a lot."

"Okay, I will."

Ho-ran Park picked up Joy Lynch and left.

Wren struggled to support Crystal Nash as they walked out of the private room, planning to get her home first.

A man in a white casual outfit walked toward them.

She instinctively stepped aside to let him pass, but he mirrored her movement, stepping to the same side.

"Sorry, please go ahead."

"You must be Miss Wynter." The man smiled and politely extended his hand. "Hello, I’m Miles Shaw. Crystal’s fiancé." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Wren was taken aback and began to size up Miles Shaw.

He was about six-foot-one with slicked-back hair, and his smiling face bore a slight resemblance to Mason Shaw.

He had a high-bridged nose and thick eyebrows, and he exuded a gentleness that was both comforting and distant.

A phrase suddenly came to Wren’s mind to describe him: as gentle and warm as jade.

He was the very picture of a graceful, noble young lord from ancient times, his every move exuding elegance and nobility.

Wren found it hard to imagine that a man like this had actually lost out to Mason Shaw.

"Uh, hello. I’m Wren Wynter. Are you here to pick Crystal up?"

"Yes. Please, let me take her."

Wren didn’t move, glancing at Crystal, clearly hesitant to entrust her to him.

Sensing Wren’s hesitation, Miles Shaw didn’t seem annoyed. He walked over to Crystal and spoke softly, as if coaxing a child, "Crystal, wake up. I’m here to take you home."

"Hm? Miles Shaw?" Crystal sobered up a bit. "What are you doing here?"

"Miss Wynter was hesitant to leave you with me, so I had to wake you."

The alcohol was getting to Crystal, but she was still lucid enough to laugh and say, "Wren, it’s fine. Don’t worry, he won’t hurt me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I’m sure."

Miles Shaw quietly waited for them to finish speaking, then crouched down, allowing Crystal to climb onto his back as if it were a familiar routine.

"Miss Wynter, we’ll be going now. Goodbye."

Watching them leave, Wren had a feeling that this arrangement might actually be for the best.

’It’s better to choose someone who respects you than someone who hurts you.’

Wren took a deep breath and glanced at the rideshare app on her phone, only to see the car she’d requested moving farther and farther away.

’What’s with this driver?’

"Do you need a ride?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

Wren froze stiff.

She slowly raised her head, her gaze meeting a pair of familiar, deep-set eyes.

"What a coincidence. What are you doing here?" Wren’s brow furrowed slightly.

"A work dinner," Kaden Xavier replied, the depths of his eyes holding a love he was desperately trying to suppress.

"Oh."

’She really hadn’t been prepared to run into him so soon.’

"I’m going to head back. Goodbye," Wren said, not wishing to prolong the conversation.

"I’ll take you."

"There’s no need. I’ve already called a car; it’ll be here any minute," Wren refused politely.

"Then I’ll wait with you."

As the words left his mouth, Kaden Xavier pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

Wren frowned instinctively.

’She didn’t much care for the smell of smoke, and besides, back when Kaden had to fly, he basically never smoked.’

’But when he’d gotten close, she’d noticed the heavy scent of smoke clinging to him. It seemed he smoked quite frequently now.’

Wren fought the urge to back away and stood her ground. "There’s no need. I’m fine by myself."

"I’m not in a hurry."

Wren didn’t refuse again and walked out of the restaurant beside Kaden Xavier.

They stood by the roadside, waiting for what felt like an eternity, but the car never came.

Wren pulled out her phone to check and discovered the driver had already unilaterally canceled the order.

She hurriedly tried to book another one, but Kaden Xavier saw and reached out to stop her.

"I’ll take you."

Wren wanted to refuse but was at a loss for words.

"It’s on my way," Kaden Xavier said, his voice low and cool as he stamped out his cigarette.

Wren recognized this as a sign that his patience was wearing thin.

"Then... I’ll be troubling you."

The car moved smoothly, but the silence between them was as thick as glue.

Kaden Xavier’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, and he was the first to shatter the awkward silence.

"When did you get back?"

"Today."

"Alone?"

Wren detected a slight oddness in his tone. She paused for a moment before replying, "My Second Senior Brother still had things to handle over there. He’ll be back in a couple of days, too."

Kaden Xavier stared straight ahead, the emotion in his eyes like the calm sea before a storm.

"Wren, for five whole years... why did you never answer my messages?"