"Captain Vance?" Wren Wynter was a little surprised. "What are you doing here? Your injury hasn’t healed yet; you don’t need to be at work."

"I came to have you change my dressing, of course."

Felix Vance strolled in nonchalantly and held his arm out to her. "The nurses at the hospital are too rough when they change my dressing. You’re much more skilled, Dr. Wynter. And gentle."

Joy Lynch, who was standing to the side, shot Wren a suggestive look before tactfully pulling Chandler out of the room, even thoughtfully closing the door behind them.

’This Felix Vance is so much better than that damn scumbag Kaden Xavier.’

Wren Wynter sighed in resignation. Watching him fool around like this, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

’After all, he’d only gotten hurt because he was saving me.’

"Sit down. I’ll change your dressing."

She took out the first-aid kit, unwrapped the gauze, and began to carefully clean his wound.

"HISS... that still hurts. Gentler, please, gentler..." Felix Vance cried out dramatically.

"Tough it out."

Wren Wynter snapped, though her touch became even gentler.

Just then, the door was flung open, and Kaden Xavier walked in, his face grim.

He saw that they were the only two in the office.

Wren Wynter was leaning over Felix Vance, tending to his wound. The sight of their intimacy sent a sudden, inexplicable rage searing through him.

"What are you two doing?"

The moment Felix Vance saw him, he remembered the events of that night, and the smile vanished from his face.

He pulled his arm back, stood up, and stared fearlessly at Kaden Xavier. "Cole, I’m just here to get my dressing changed."

"Does changing a dressing require a closed door?" Kaden Xavier’s tone was thick with possessiveness. "And I recall you’re on medical leave. Can’t you go to the hospital for this? Why come to the office and use company resources?"

"I don’t like hospitals. The smell of disinfectant is unpleasant," Felix Vance retorted bluntly. He took a step forward, his voice low and his expression darkening.

"Cole, I was honestly ready to back off when I found out about your relationship with Dr. Wynter. But how could you abandon her on the side of the road late at night?"

Wren Wynter’s hands paused. She opened her mouth to interrupt Felix Vance, but she was too late.

"Do you have any idea that something almost happened to Dr. Wynter?"

Hearing this, Kaden Xavier’s brow furrowed. He looked as if he’d been struck by lightning, and when he turned back to Wren Wynter, his eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.

"When did this happen?"

"When?" Felix Vance let out a bitter laugh, his chest tightening with frustration.

"The very night you abandoned Dr. Wynter to go see Seraphina Sutton! Dr. Wynter was almost... almost... by a group of thugs..."

Wren Wynter’s expression tightened. She never expected Felix Vance to bring it up.

’Kaden Xavier had probably forgotten all about it anyway.’

’There had been so many nights he’d ditched her to go see Seraphina Sutton.’

Felix Vance gestured toward Wren Wynter with his chin. "If I hadn’t happened to be passing by, the consequences would have been unthinkable. She called you so many times. Did you pick up?"

Kaden Xavier’s mind went blank.

He remembered.

That night, he had hung up on Wren Wynter.

He’d thought she was just throwing a tantrum, never imagining she was actually in danger.

An immense wave of panic and regret washed over him.

He looked at Wren Wynter, his deep voice trembling. "Why... Why didn’t you tell me?"

Wren Wynter finally looked up, her gaze as still and lifeless as a stagnant pond. "There was no need. It was resolved, anyway."

’And even if I had told him, he wouldn’t have come.’

Her "There was no need" was like a dagger twisting in Kaden Xavier’s heart, and he could almost feel the blood flowing.

’Right. It wasn’t necessary anymore.’

’Because when she needed me most, I wasn’t there.’

Kaden Xavier opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not a single word would come out.

Guilt, heartache, and a dozen other complicated emotions swirled together, leaving him utterly miserable.

Just then, his phone rang.

It was a call from his assistant.

"Mr. Xavier, it’s time for Miss Sutton’s prenatal check-up today. What are your instructions...?"

Kaden Xavier glanced at Wren Wynter’s blank face and, for the first time, felt utterly fed up with anything having to do with Seraphina Sutton.

"Find a driver to take her," he said without a second thought.

"But Miss Sutton said she was hoping you would be there..."

"I said you go!" Kaden Xavier growled before hanging up.

He took a deep breath and said to Wren Wynter, "Wren, I’ll wait for you to get off work today. We’ll go home together. Or if there’s anything you want, I’ll buy it for you."

Wren Wynter neither agreed nor refused. She simply said to Felix Vance, "All done. Be careful for the next few days, and don’t get it wet."

With that, she walked around Kaden Xavier and out of the office, not sparing him so much as a single glance.

When it was time to leave work, Wren Wynter immediately spotted the car parked by the curb outside the company building, just as she’d expected.

She knew that car all too well.

It was Kaden Xavier’s. He seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

The moment he saw her emerge, he immediately stubbed out his cigarette.

Wren Wynter hesitated. ’It’s better to just go with it,’ she thought, ’than to make a scene at the entrance and give everyone something to gossip about.’

She pulled open the car door and got in.

The drive was silent.

Suddenly, Kaden Xavier’s phone rang again. The name "Seraphina Sutton" flashed on the screen.

He glanced at it and rejected the call.

Wren Wynter saw it, and a mocking smile touched her lips. "Go on, answer it. It might actually be an emergency."

"No emergency is more important than you."

Kaden Xavier explained in a low voice, "There’s really nothing between us. I’m only looking after her because of Asher Lynch..."

"I don’t care."

Wren Wynter cut him off, turning her head to gaze out the window. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

’She really didn’t care anymore.’

Kaden Xavier was about to say something else when his assistant called again. This time, he answered.

"Mr. Xavier, something’s happened! Miss Sutton is in trouble at the hospital!"

Kaden Xavier gripped his phone, annoyed, his brows knitting together tightly.

He glanced at the expressionless Wren Wynter beside him and suppressed his temper. "What happened?"

On the other end of the line, the assistant’s voice was frantic.

"After her check-up, Miss Sutton got into an argument with someone in the hospital lobby. A family member of the other person got agitated and pushed her. She fell!"

"She’s been rushed to the ER! They said it might have affected the baby—they’re trying to stabilize her now!"

A vein throbbed in Kaden Xavier’s temple.

Wren Wynter heard every word of the conversation, but she felt nothing. In fact, she found it almost laughable.

’Seraphina Sutton’s repertoire was always the same. Didn’t she ever get tired of it?’

Kaden Xavier’s expression was conflicted.

On one hand, his wife. On the other, the last descendant of his brother-in-arms.

Choosing one meant betraying the other.

She turned her head and looked at Kaden Xavier coolly. "Since it’s an emergency, just pull over. I can get a taxi home."

"After all, she’s so weak and helpless. She can’t take care of herself and needs to rely on another woman’s husband just to survive."

"Wren, the child she’s carrying is Asher’s last legacy. I can’t just ignore this."

"Mm, I know."

Wren Wynter got out of the car briskly, not looking back.

Kaden Xavier pressed his lips together, clenched his fists, and drove off, gritting his teeth.

’He would make it up to Wren later,’ he thought. ’They had their whole lives ahead of them, after all!’