Chapter 210: Chapter 210: She Didn’t Lie to You
Kaden ignored Helen Sawyer’s protests and waved for Assistant Lynch to take care of it.
Helen Sawyer’s face was ashen, and she trembled with rage.
"Brother Kaden, she didn’t mean it. Besides, she just gave some clothes to Wren, but Wren refused to take them..."
Tina Wallace stepped forward to speak for Helen Sawyer, but one cold glance from Kaden made her face turn pale, and she immediately fell silent.
"Gave her clothes?" Kaden glanced at the garments scattered on the floor and sneered. "Is this how you ’give’ them?"
Helen Sawyer’s expression was grim. She crossed her arms, lifted her chin, her eyes filled with fury. "Kaden, I’m doing this for your own good. You two are already divorced, yet she’s still pestering you. If word of this gets out, the Xavier Family will be utterly disgraced."
"I’m the one pestering her." Kaden took all the blame, looking at Wren beside him with a calm, gentle expression. "The Xavier Family’s reputation won’t be ruined over one woman. You should worry about yourself and stop doing things that are beneath your station."
"I will never allow you to remarry her!" Helen Sawyer said through gritted teeth. Her gaze swept over Wren, only to find her face as placid as still water, not showing the slightest flicker of emotion at the insult.
"I’m in charge of the Xavier Family," Kaden said, then looked at Assistant Lynch, his deep voice commanding, "Escort my mother home."
"Kaden, I’m only doing this for your own good!" Helen Sawyer protested, unwilling to back down. Her hatred for Wren deepened.
"Wren Wynter, don’t think this means you can return to the Xavier Family. I’m telling you, as long as I’m alive, I will never allow you to set foot in our home!"
In Helen Sawyer’s mind, Wren marrying Kaden had been a tremendous gift. With her status, she was utterly unworthy of her son.
Wren, who had been silent all this time, looked at Helen Sawyer’s snarling face and slowly parted her lips. "Ms. Sawyer, marrying Kaden Xavier three years ago was the grandparents’ wish. I never took a single cent from him. If you’re going to say I was with him for his money, I suggest you present some evidence!"
"What about all your expenses for food and clothing in the Xavier family all these years? Wasn’t it my son’s money that paid for it all? How dare you say you didn’t spend it."
"That was all from my own salary," Wren interrupted. "If you don’t believe me, you can check. I never touched a single cent on the card Kaden gave me."
"You’re lying." Helen Sawyer clearly didn’t believe a word Wren said.
’All of Wren’s gowns and jewelry... How could she possibly afford any of it on her paltry salary if she wasn’t using Kaden’s money?’
"She’s not lying to you." Kaden’s gaze was complex, an indescribable emotion surging within him.
For three years, Wren really hadn’t spent a single cent of the Xavier family’s money.
If the finance department hadn’t told him, he would have never known she hadn’t touched the money in his account.
But the statements were laid out right in front of him. Seeing them with his own eyes, he finally understood that Wren had never, from start to finish, intended to take a single cent from the Xavier family.
"How is that possible? It’s impossible..."
"Ms. Sawyer, if you don’t believe me, go investigate. I have nothing to hide. I don’t need anyone else to judge my character, but if you continue to humiliate me, I won’t hold back!"
Wren glanced sideways at Helen Sawyer, her body radiating an icy aura.
Helen Sawyer wanted to retort, but the words caught in her throat.
Assistant Lynch escorted Helen Sawyer away, and Wren returned Kaden’s black card to him.
"Returning this to its rightful owner," Wren said coolly.
The instant Kaden took it, he tossed it away.
"You!"
Wren was stunned by Kaden’s action.
’That was a black card, for crying out loud.’
"It’s useless to keep it," Kaden said nonchalantly, then shoved a black and gold card into Wren’s hand. "You take this."
"I don’t want it." Wren frowned and refused, but Kaden grabbed her hand, holding it tight.
’They were already divorced. Whatever Kaden’s reasons, she no longer had the right, nor the desire, to spend his money.’
"Take it!"
"I don’t want it!"
The store manager approached them with an awkward smile, rubbing his hands together obsequiously. "Excuse me, you two... could you perhaps settle the bill for today?"
’That’s a black and gold card!’
’She doesn’t want it, but I’ll gladly take it!’
A flash of jealousy crossed the silent Tina Wallace’s eyes. She forced a smile and walked over to them.
"Let me get it. I was the one who invited Wren out shopping today, after all. I’m so sorry something like this happened. Wren, you’re not mad at me, are you?"
Wren smiled, a distant yet polite expression on her face. "No, I’m not."
She didn’t refuse Tina Wallace’s offer to pay, only saying that she wasn’t angry. This nearly made Tina’s smile falter.
’She was just making a polite offer; she never actually intended to pay for Wren!’
’Shouldn’t Wren have refused?’
’Why isn’t this going how I imagined?’
Sensing his cue, the manager tactfully brought the POS machine over to Tina Wallace.
"Brother Kaden, I..."
"Miss Wallace, are you unwilling to pay for Wren?" Kaden’s voice was flat, yet carried an immense pressure.
Tina Wallace’s expression soured. "Of course not," she said, though her heart wasn’t in it.
She then took out her card and, biting the bullet, paid the bill.
The moment the payment went through, the manager’s face lit up. He beamed, clutching the POS machine as he scurried away.
Tina Wallace clutched her card tightly, her eyes flashing with jealousy and resentment, but she kept a friendly expression on her face.
"Wren, shall we continue..."
"Miss Wallace, Wren and I have other things to attend to, so we’ll be taking our leave. Assistant Lynch, have the clothes Wren picked out sent to View Gardens."
Before Tina Wallace could say another word, Kaden took Wren’s hand and left, leaving Tina standing there alone, her face livid with rage.
Watching the two of them retreat into the distance, Tina Wallace felt a wave of dizziness. She was so furious she could barely breathe.
’Not only had she failed to humiliate Wren today, she’d even been fleeced for a huge sum.’
Before leaving, Assistant Lynch shot Tina Wallace a meaningful smile.
As they left the luxury boutique, Wren shook Kaden’s hand off, her face still showing a hint of displeasure.
"What do you think you’re doing?"
"Wren, why do you always assume the worst of me?" Kaden asked, looking at her with a touch of dejection.
Wren turned her back to him, her eyes flickering. "Even if you hadn’t shown up today, I could have handled it myself."
"I know. I overstepped. I just couldn’t stand seeing them humiliate you."
Wren gave a bitter smile.
’But Kaden had no idea. Over the past three years, she had heard insults far, far worse than these—so often that they had become commonplace.’
