Hugh Hale stared at the two terse words on his screen, silent for a long moment.

Okay. I will handle all the paperwork as soon as possible.

On the other end, Kaden Xavier put his phone away, his gaze fixed on the streetscape blurring past the car window.

’Once Hugh Hale finalizes Seraphina Sutton’s agreement,’ he thought, ’the biggest obstacle between me and Wren Wynter will be gone.’

Then, he could finally explain things to her properly.

Explain that he never wanted a divorce.

That everything he had done was just to repay a debt of gratitude.

「Meanwhile, in the international departures hall of Airport Terminal 3.」

Wren Wynter pushed her suitcase, arriving at the meeting point right on time.

Julian Hawthorne hadn’t arrived yet. Apparently, he was catching up with some old friends and would meet them directly in Ostrale later. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Junior Sister, over here!" Leif Shaw waved at her with a smile.

After boarding, Wren Wynter’s seat was by the window. Next to her was the aisle, and across from it sat Shaun Quinn.

Long-haul flights were always exhausting. Not long after the plane reached cruising altitude, Wren Wynter leaned against the window and fell asleep.

She hadn’t really slept well the previous night.

It was hard to say if it was excitement about the upcoming trip to Ostrale or the complicated feelings about her impending divorce from Kaden Xavier.

In any case, she had barely closed her eyes all night.

Shaun Quinn was reading a thick medical tome when he heard the steady breathing from across the aisle and glanced over.

Wren Wynter was asleep, but her brow was unconsciously furrowed. Her lashes cast a faint shadow beneath her eyes, making her look somewhat fragile.

The air conditioning in the cabin was a little chilly.

Shaun Quinn watched her in silence for a few seconds. Then, he reached out, gently picked up the thin airline blanket from his own seat, carefully unfolded it, and draped it over Wren Wynter with the utmost care, even tucking it snugly around her shoulders.

His gaze fell on her slightly furrowed brow. He instinctively reached out to smooth it, but then, with a start, he snatched his hand back. He lowered his head and pretended to focus on his book again, but his mind was elsewhere.

Ho-ran Park, who was sitting diagonally behind Shaun Quinn, took in the entire scene, his brow twitching.

When Shaun Quinn got up to go to the restroom, Ho-ran Park followed him, stopping him in the aisle outside.

"Second Brother," Ho-ran Park said in a low voice.

Shaun Quinn turned back, his eyes questioning.

"Our Junior Sister has just been through a lot. Her emotions definitely haven’t settled down yet."

Ho-ran Park chose his words carefully. "She’s our junior sister now, and... family that we need to protect. Certain feelings... aren’t appropriate right now. They could easily trouble her."

The light in Shaun Quinn’s eyes flickered behind his glasses.

Of course, he understood what Ho-ran Park was implying.

After a few seconds of silence, he glanced toward where Wren Wynter was sleeping in the cabin. His voice was low and calm. "I know. I won’t make things difficult for her."

His tone carried a sense of restraint.

Ho-ran Park patted his shoulder and said no more.

When the plane landed in Port Alistair, Ostrale, it was a warm afternoon.

Wren Wynter had just entered her room and put down her luggage when her phone rang.

She answered. "Hello?"

"Dr. Wynter, it’s Mason Shaw."

His voice was gentle and polite. "My apologies for the intrusion. I never received a reply to the invitation I sent you, so I wanted to follow up. Do you have any reservations about coming to work at our hospital? We are genuinely eager for you to join us."

Wren Wynter walked to the window and looked out at the unfamiliar cityscape. Her tone was serene. "Dr. Shaw, thank you for the generous offer. I’m actually in Ostrale at the moment for an academic conference."

"Ostrale? An academic conference?" Mason Shaw’s voice was filled with clear surprise. "Is it... the international medical summit led by Professor Julian Hawthorne?"

"Yes," Wren Wynter confirmed.

The other end of the line fell silent for several seconds.

When Mason Shaw spoke again, the surprise in his voice had been replaced by deep admiration and a hint of sudden understanding.

"No wonder... Dr. Wynter, forgive my presumption, but what is your relationship with Elder Hawthorne...?"

"He’s my teacher," Wren Wynter stated plainly.

"I see!" Mason Shaw’s tone shifted entirely, colored with a sense of ’no wonder’.

"Elder Hawthorne’s youngest disciple... I should have realized! Dr. Wynter, you really are a dark horse. It seems my previous invitation was rather presumptuous of me. With your pedigree and skill, any top hospital in the country would be fighting over you."

"You’re too kind. I’ve only scratched the surface."

Mason Shaw narrowed his eyes, his fingers tapping a strong, rhythmic beat against his thigh.

He had met most of Julian Hawthorne’s disciples, but the rumor was that Hawthorne had five in total. It seemed Wren Wynter was the mysterious fifth.

He had once heard his friend, Leo Crowe, mention that this "junior sister" of his was exceptionally gifted—capable of performing surgeries that even many specialists could not.

Even Julian Hawthorne himself had once praised his youngest disciple for her innate brilliance, saying that another medical genius like her probably wouldn’t be seen for a hundred years.

"Junior Sister, hurry over."

Mason Shaw heard someone on the other end of the line calling for Wren Wynter.

"Miss Wynter, let’s leave it at that for today. You should go take care of your business. We’ll talk again next time."

After acknowledging her senior brother, Wren Wynter spoke into the phone.

"I’m sorry, it really is a bit busy today. Let’s talk next time, Dr. Shaw."

After he hung up, the young man next to him suddenly leaned over, staring at him with a teasing expression.

"Mason, who were you on the phone with? Why the big smile?"

Mason Shaw raised an eyebrow. "Was it that big a smile?"

"Yeah, I rarely see you smile like that. Did something interesting happen? Or have you taken a liking to some girl?"

Mason Shaw shot the man a sidelong glance before picking up his wine glass from the table and downing it in one go.

’She is a very interesting woman, indeed.’

He calmly recounted the entire affair to the young man beside him, who looked utterly astonished.

"You mean, you’ve got your eye on a married woman?!"

"Watch your mouth. When did I ever say I’ve got my eye on her? I just said I find her a little interesting."

"Heh, that’s true. For her to reject an invitation from a guy with a face like yours... she’s either seen someone even more handsome, or she’s a true master of the game. Otherwise, who could turn down an invitation from such a handsome guy?"

He swirled the wine in his glass and suddenly leaned closer to Mason Shaw.

"Mason, looks like your charm isn’t what it used to be. When are you going to arrange a meeting so I can see her? I’m dying to know what kind of woman would turn you down!"

Unbidden, the image of Wren Wynter’s dazzling, vibrant, and utterly beautiful face surfaced in Mason Shaw’s mind, along with the image of her serious expression while she was saving someone.

He, too, was very curious about what kind of person Wren Wynter truly was.

Just then, the door to the private club room was thrown open. Mason Shaw, sitting on the sofa, lifted his gaze to see who had arrived.

The young man beside him, however, stood up and raised his glass with a smile.

"Mr. Xavier, long time no see! Care for a drink?"