As Wren’s words landed, the air in the car seemed to freeze.

Kaden Xavier’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. His heart felt as if it were being squeezed in a vise, and his expression was terrifyingly grim.

Her words—’second-hand husband’—left him reeling.

Tears instantly streamed from Seraphina Sutton’s eyes. She covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly as she spoke in a choked, broken voice.

"Dr. Wynter... how could you say that about Kaden? He—he’s not some commodity... It’s all my fault. This is all my fault..."

She turned to Kaden Xavier, her eyes brimming with tears, the very picture of pitiable distress.

"Kaden, please, just let me out here. I’ll walk back by myself. I don’t want you and Dr. Wynter to fight over me anymore... I’ll leave. I’m leaving right now..."

As she spoke, she actually reached for her seatbelt buckle. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, a sight meant to evoke deep pity.

Her act of preferring to suffer alone rather than be a burden to others was enough to move anyone’s heart.

Seeing this, Kaden Xavier reached out and stopped Seraphina’s hand. His deep voice was laced with anger. "You’re not the one who should be leaving."

His cold, sharp gaze fell upon Wren in the back seat.

Wren shrugged nonchalantly.

’Fine, I’ll go then.’

Just then, the phone in Wren’s bag rang.

Without even glancing at the pair, Wren pulled her phone from her bag and answered immediately.

"Hello, Crystal."

"Wren, where are you? Feel like shopping?"

Crystal Nash’s languid voice drifted from the phone, clearly audible in the quiet car.

"Sure. I’ll be right there."

Wren hung up and offered the pair in the front a polite smile.

"I won’t disturb you two any longer. Bye."

Without a moment’s hesitation, Wren pushed the car door open.

’Sigh!’

’Wives as magnanimous as me are a rare breed indeed!’

Kaden Xavier sat in the driver’s seat, his deeply sculpted face revealing no emotion, though a storm brewed in the depths of his eyes.

He used to wish Wren would stop making unreasonable fusses over Seraphina and just be more magnanimous.

But now that she was, he felt no sense of relief. Instead, it felt like something was slipping further and further from his grasp.

"I’ll take you home."

After a long silence, Kaden Xavier finally forced the words through clenched teeth.

He started the car and drove toward Azure Dragon Bay Apartments. The rest of the drive passed in silence.

Seraphina picked at her fingertips. She wanted to speak several times to ease the tension, but seeing his tight jawline and the oppressive aura radiating from him, she ultimately chose to remain silent.

’At this point, anything I say will only annoy Kaden.’

「Meanwhile.」

Wren met up with Crystal Nash at their designated spot.

Crystal Nash was dressed in a sharp, white skirt suit, her makeup impeccable. When she saw Wren, she walked over and looked her up and down.

"Is your resignation finalized? Kaden didn’t give you a hard time, did he?"

"No." Wren shook her head.

’He wasn’t even at the office. How could he give me a hard time?’

Crystal raised an eyebrow. "So, where to?"

"Let’s put shopping on hold. I want to go see the lawyer I hired for the divorce first."

"Okay, I’ll go with you." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The two went to the law firm, where they were met by a male lawyer who looked to be in his fifties.

He was the one Wren had previously commissioned to draft her divorce agreement.

Lawyer Jordon was all business. He skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

Crystal Nash knew a thing or two about the law herself.

After all, her fiancé was a renowned lawyer, and she had picked up quite a bit just by being around him all the time.

"Let’s leave it at that for now, Lawyer Jordon. Please draft the new divorce agreement as soon as possible and send it to me. I need to get my husband to sign it."

"Of course, Miss Wynter."

They were at the law firm for a long time. By the time they left, it was already afternoon, and they were both starving.

Crystal Nash stretched languidly and laughed. "I’ve really gone the extra mile for you today. I haven’t had a single bite to eat since this morning."

Wren understood what Crystal was getting at and replied with an amused laugh, "Alright, alright. I’ll treat you to a feast, my dear Eldest Miss Nash."

The two found a restaurant and sat down for a meal.

After they ate, Crystal asked Wren about her plans for the rest of the day.

Wren took a sip of water. "I want to visit the old family home. I haven’t been to see Grandma since her surgery, and sooner or later, I have to tell her I’m divorcing Kaden."

Crystal nodded in understanding.

She knew that in all her years with the Xavier family, Old Madam Xavier was the only one who had shown Wren any real warmth.

"Then you should go. We’ll catch up another day."

"Okay."

The two parted ways at the restaurant.

Wren took a cab to the Xavier family’s old home.

A servant at the old home led her to the room where Old Madam Xavier was recuperating.

"Grandma," Wren said softly, walking to the bedside.

When Old Madam Xavier saw her, a kind smile spread across her face. "Wren, you’re here! Come, sit down. Why do you look so pale? Haven’t you been resting well?"

Wren sat in the chair by the bed and took Old Madam Xavier’s wrinkled hand in hers. "I’m fine, Grandma. How are you feeling? Is there any discomfort?"

The surgery had been recent. Ho-ran Park had advised Old Madam Xavier to stay in the hospital for a few more days, but she had insisted on being discharged, claiming she wasn’t comfortable there.

No one could change her mind, so they had no choice but to process her discharge.

Wren’s heart grew heavy as she looked at Old Madam Xavier’s frail, weathered face.

’Grandma doesn’t have much time left. If I tell her I’m divorcing Kaden, won’t it be too much of a blow for her?’

"Much better. It’s just that when you’re old, you recover slowly." Old Madam Xavier patted her hand and studied her face intently before sighing. "From the look on your face, you have something on your mind. Why don’t you tell your grandma about it?"

A pang of emotion hit Wren.

In this family, only Old Madam Xavier truly cared for her and could see past her facade.

She was silent for a moment before lifting her head.

"Grandma, I want to divorce Kaden."

The room fell silent for several seconds, the only sound the faint whisper of wind outside the window.

The smile on Old Madam Xavier’s face slowly faded.

After a long moment, Old Madam Xavier heaved a heavy sigh, her voice aged with time. "Oh, Wren... is there really no turning back from this?"

Her tone held no judgment, no attempt to stop her—only deep, profound regret.

She genuinely liked this granddaughter-in-law. She was kind, sensible, and talented.

More importantly, she had been completely devoted to Kaden.

How she wished her grandson would come to his senses and cherish what he had.

Wren’s eyes reddened, but her gaze was incredibly resolute.

"Grandma, it’s been three years. I’ve given us too much time, too many chances. If we continue like this, it will just be mutual torment for both of us."

"I’m sorry, Grandma. I’ve failed you..."

Wren leaned forward, resting her head on Old Madam Xavier’s lap, a faint melancholy shadowing her face.

"Silly child, what are you apologizing for?"

With her free hand, Old Madam Xavier gently wiped away Wren’s tears, her own eyes growing misty.

"It’s Kaden who has wronged you. The Xavier family has wronged you. That bastard Kaden... He’s blind and heartless!"

Her voice was laced with sorrow.

"He’s the one who isn’t blessed enough to have you..."

"Your grandma isn’t senile. I know what’s been going on. I just kept thinking that maybe Kaden was just temporarily confused, that maybe there was still a chance for you two."

Old Madam Xavier took a breath to calm herself, then looked into Wren’s tear-reddened eyes, her tone becoming incredibly earnest.

"No matter what you decide, Grandma will support you. I can’t let my own reluctance to let you go keep you bound to a life of suffering."

Wren looked up in shock, her vision blurred by tears as she gazed at Old Madam Xavier.

She had never expected her grandmother-in-law to support her so unequivocally.

She had thought she would, at the very least, be urged to reconcile for the sake of the Xavier family’s pride.

"Grandma... you don’t blame me? You’re not going to stop me?" Wren asked in disbelief.