Listening to the busy signal, Kaden gripped his phone tightly, his brow furrowed into a thunderous scowl.

’Did she block me?’

A feeling he had never experienced before washed over him.

He dialed again, only to hear the same message.

A chill ran down Kaden’s spine. His dark, pool-like eyes smoldered with a suppressed, terrifying rage.

Finally, he called his assistant.

"By tomorrow at the latest, I want to know where Wren Wynter is. If you can’t find her, don’t bother coming back."

The sleeping assistant was jolted wide awake by that last sentence.

"Yes, sir!"

The next morning, Wren Wynter finally typed the last word, finishing the assignment Julian Hawthorne had given her.

She checked it over once before sending it to her professor’s email, then stretched lazily.

A moment later, her phone vibrated.

Leo Crowe: Wren! The professor said you already turned it in. You’re way too fast! Give us guys a break, will ya!

Ho-ran Park: Wren is as brilliant as ever. I’m truly impressed.

Leif Shaw: I’m dead. Send flowers to my funeral.

Shaun Quinn: ...Useless.

Leif Shaw: Shaun! What did you say?!

Leo Crowe: Don’t fight, you two. Use your words.

Wren looked at the group chat history, her eyes curving into a smile. A long-lost warmth filled her heart.

’It’s so good that everyone is still the same.’

Wren: Just a little bit brilliant. It was nothing, really.

Then, without looking at the chat anymore, she got up to go downstairs and buy breakfast.

But to her surprise, Hugh Hale had just returned, carrying breakfast.

"You’re up. Did you sleep well last night?"

Hugh Hale’s voice was cold and indifferent, as if he was quite displeased with this uninvited guest.

’That makes sense. This is their little love nest. It must be inconvenient having an outsider like me staying here.’

"It was fine. Don’t worry, I’ll find my own place and move out as soon as possible. I definitely won’t intrude on your life together."

Hugh Hale placed the soy milk and fried dough sticks on the dining table, his gaze lifting to Wren as she walked down the stairs.

"It’s fine."

"Wren, you don’t have to move out."

Just then, Crystal Nash came out of her room. The hickey on her neck was proof enough of how wild last night had been.

Thankfully, the soundproofing was good, so Wren hadn’t heard a thing.

"Hugh Hale, I’m warning you! If you dare get involved in Wren’s divorce case in any way, shape, or form, then this engagement is off. We’re done, and we can just go our separate ways!"

Her tone was firm and decisive.

Hugh Hale paused in the middle of wiping his hands and looked up at Crystal Nash, a hint of resignation in his eyes.

"Got it."

Wren took a deep breath, looked at the two of them, and said, "Thank you."

’She knew that if she had to go up against a star lawyer like Hugh Hale, winning her case would be incredibly difficult.’

Hugh Hale finished his breakfast with elegant speed, then turned and, right in front of Wren, gave Crystal Nash a kiss on the lips. "I’m heading to work. Remember to eat breakfast."

With that, he picked up his black briefcase and left.

’I really can’t stay here anymore.’

’I’m constantly watching their PDA.’

’The way Hugh Hale and Crystal Nash were with each other... that was the kind of relationship she had dreamed of countless times but never had.’

"Don’t overthink it." Crystal Nash saw right through Wren’s thoughts and pushed her down into a chair at the table.

"Eat breakfast first. You have to go to work soon."

"Okay!" Wren said nothing more.

"So, Wren," Crystal Nash began, nibbling on a fried dough stick as she stared at Wren with a sly grin, "how many times a night with Kaden Xavier?"

Back in college, Crystal Nash had often discussed this sort of thing with her and Joy Lynch. Wren had been so easily embarrassed back then, blushing at the drop of a hat.

Even now that she was sexually experienced, she hadn’t gotten much better at handling it.

Under her friend’s curious gaze, Wren hemmed and hawed for a long time before slowly saying, "...Three times."

’But ever since Seraphina Sutton showed up, they rarely did it anymore.’

’Every time they were about to get intimate, Seraphina Sutton would conveniently call and interrupt them.’

’And no matter how passionate Kaden was one moment, all his desire would evaporate the next, and he would pull away from her.’

’So, what she had mistaken for the deep connection of soulmates was purely physical.’

’Beyond that, Kaden loved Seraphina Sutton. He cared about Seraphina Sutton.’ 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

’Men... they really can separate sex and love so cleanly.’

’In the end, she had only been fooling herself!’

"Damn, impressive!" Crystal Nash praised generously. "So it wasn’t a total loss!"

"I’m full. I’m heading to work now." Wren suppressed her emotions, glanced at the time on her phone, and got ready to leave.

Wren dozed off for a little while in the taxi on her way to the company.

「In the Aviation Medical Office.」

The moment Joy Lynch saw her, she pulled her into a corner, her voice low and rapid.

"Wren, you’re finally here. Why do you look so awful? Did that scumbag Kaden Xavier bully you?"

"No, I was up late last night," Wren said truthfully.

Just then, the director walked into the Aviation Medical Office holding a file.

"Dr. Wynter, perfect timing. There’s something I need you for. Headquarters has arranged an urgent remote medical support mission to assist with the medical logistics for a local emergency."

Wren took the file and quickly scanned it.

’It really is an urgent mission. I have to leave on a flight this afternoon.’

’This is exactly what I needed.’

’Besides, leaving The Capital means I can avoid Kaden’s frantic search and have plenty of time to think things through.’

"I’ll go," Wren said without hesitation.

The director visibly sighed in relief. "Good. Then hurry back and get ready. Meet at Cargo Terminal 3 at the airport at two this afternoon. I’ll email you the information on supplies and the liaison personnel shortly."

Wren quickly briefed Joy Lynch and Claire Shaw on her work, then hurried from the company and returned to Crystal Nash’s house to pack for the trip.

What she didn’t know was that less than half an hour after she left the office, Kaden Xavier’s car once again sped to a halt in front of the airline building.

Kaden Xavier had barely slept last night. He had searched everywhere Wren might have gone and made countless calls, but her phone was either off or no one answered. Or, like Hugh Hale, people just flatly said she wasn’t there.

The feeling of completely losing control, of her vanishing into thin air, gnawed at his nerves like a swarm of venomous ants.

His face was grim as he strode into the Aviation Medical Office again, ignoring Joy Lynch’s astonished stare and Claire Shaw’s wary gaze. He pushed open the door to the inner office directly.

Empty.