Mason Shaw paused. Seeing Wren Wynter’s eyes widen slightly, he continued.

"I just never expected you to become a flight surgeon. It’s a real waste of your talent."

Wren Wynter gave a faint smile. "We’re all doctors, and we all help people."

"It’s not the same. You should be on a bigger stage, using your skills to save more lives."

Mason Shaw paused again, his gaze filled with earnest hope as he looked at Wren Wynter.

"Dr. Wynter, have you ever considered... transferring to clinical practice? Perhaps at my hospital?"

Hearing this, a mix of complicated emotions swirled within Wren Wynter.

Her buried past was now being brought up so earnestly by a near-stranger.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

’How laughable.’

’An outsider understands me better than Kaden Xavier does.’

Just as she was about to speak, a cold voice cut in.

"Dr. Shaw, I appreciate you thinking so highly of my employee. But shouldn’t you ask the employer before you try to poach them?"

Kaden Xavier had walked over at some point and was now standing beside Wren Wynter.

He had been standing nearby and had overheard most of what Mason Shaw said.

Wren Wynter sensed his presence. She glanced at him, then subtly took a small step away.

Mason Shaw glanced at Kaden Xavier. Keenly sensing the unusual atmosphere between the two, he maintained a polite smile.

"You’re exaggerating, Captain Xavier. It’s merely professional appreciation and conversation. Opportunities like this are rare, and I didn’t want to miss it."

He turned back to Wren Wynter, his tone sincere. "Dr. Wynter, my contact information is on the card. Feel free to reach out anytime. You worked hard today. Get some rest."

With that, he nodded to Kaden Xavier and left.

Kaden Xavier’s expression darkened. "Wren Wynter, I need to talk to you."

"We have nothing to talk about," Wren Wynter said, her face devoid of expression.

Just as Kaden Xavier was about to say more, a voice called out.

"Cole! Dr. Wynter! There you are!"

Felix Vance, the co-pilot on the flight, jogged over with a wide grin.

"Headquarters already heard about the emergency on the plane and they’re full of praise. They want to throw a celebration dinner for you guys to commend you for your composure under pressure."

’A celebration dinner?’

Wren Wynter’s first instinct was to refuse. All she wanted right now was some peace and quiet—as far away from Kaden Xavier as possible.

But Felix Vance was full of enthusiasm. He turned to Kaden Xavier. "Cole, you have to come too! And Flight Attendant Sutton—she heard you were on a last-minute flight and was worried sick. She insisted on coming to welcome you back. She should be waiting outside the airport now."

Hearing Seraphina Sutton’s name, Wren Wynter swallowed the refusal that was on the tip of her tongue.

She suddenly changed her mind and looked up.

"Alright, I’ll go."

Kaden Xavier saw her smile, and a strange pang went through his heart.

The celebration dinner was held in a private room at the Chinese restaurant of an upscale hotel near the company.

Wren Wynter wasn’t early. By the time she arrived, the private room was already bustling with people.

She looked up and, just as she expected, saw a meticulously dressed Seraphina Sutton.

She was clinging affectionately to Kaden Xavier’s arm, looking up at him as she spoke.

Kaden Xavier had his head tilted slightly, listening. His face was impassive, but he didn’t push her away.

When she finished, Seraphina Sutton gave Kaden Xavier’s arm a playful pat, a pout on her face.

The others around them seemed accustomed to this intimacy, and some even started to joke.

"Captain Xavier and Flight Attendant Sutton, what a perfect match! When are you two inviting us to the wedding?"

"Yeah, look how lovey-dovey they are. It makes me so jealous!"

Seraphina Sutton lowered her head with a shy smile. She didn’t deny it, instead pressing even closer to Kaden Xavier.

Kaden Xavier’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. His gaze instinctively drifted to the doorway, just in time to see Wren Wynter walking in.

Their eyes met.

Wren Wynter’s face remained blank. She calmly looked away, as if she hadn’t seen the jarring scene or heard the teasing.

Kaden Xavier’s heart sank.

He tried to pull his arm away, but Seraphina Sutton only held on tighter. "Kaden, they’re just joking. Don’t mind them."

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for the few people nearby to hear. It would have been better if she’d said nothing; her words only encouraged everyone to tease them even more enthusiastically.

"Kaden, try this. It doesn’t have many bones, and the flavor should be mild." Seraphina Sutton’s tone was so familiar, like a wife doting on her husband.

Kaden Xavier glanced at the fish on his plate, his brow furrowing slightly, but he said nothing and ate it.

"I mean, Captain Xavier, Flight Attendant Sutton, you two are... a little too lovey-dovey, don’t you think? All this PDA in front of us... have some mercy on us single folks, will you?"

As he spoke, he even gave Kaden Xavier a wink.

His words were like a pebble dropped into still water.

"Exactly! Captain Xavier is usually so serious, but he’s like a different person around Flight Attendant Sutton!"

"Totally. I remember on that last international flight, Flight Attendant Sutton wasn’t feeling well, and we all saw how worried Captain Xavier was!"

"I’d say a wedding is just around the corner, right? When are you inviting us? Captain Xavier, Flight Attendant Sutton, don’t forget about your old colleagues when the time comes!"

Seraphina Sutton, flustered by the teasing, spoke in a soft, sweet voice with a hint of a playful pout.

"You’ve all got it wrong. Kaden and I... our relationship isn’t what you think..."

"We get it, Flight Attendant Sutton. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us!"

A few of the flight attendants winked at Seraphina Sutton, their expressions clearly saying, ’We get it.’

Kaden Xavier’s gaze shifted to Wren Wynter, only to find her completely unmoved. There wasn’t a hint of jealousy on her face. His own expression instantly darkened, his cold eyes suppressing some murky emotion.

’In the past, Wren might have thrown a fit, or cried.’

’But now, she had long since decided to let go.’

Wren Wynter folded her arms, watching the drama unfold between the two of them with the detached air of an outsider.

"Seraphina, how long have you and Captain Xavier known each other?"

Seraphina Sutton glanced shyly at Kaden Xavier before replying in a soft voice, "A long, long time. We met back in school."

Seraphina Sutton’s words pulled Wren Wynter back to her college days, when she was still Kaden Xavier’s little shadow.

She followed him wherever he went.

Just like a sidekick.

Back then, Wren Wynter was always in a white dress. With her innocent looks, she was widely acknowledged as the campus belle.

Even the perpetually stern Kaden Xavier would show a rare bit of tenderness when he was with her.

"Kaden, is this the little sister your family arranged for you?"