Chapter 217: Chapter 217: You’re Hurting Me
"That’s not your place to worry, Mr. Xavier. She’s my person. I can protect her."
"Your person?"
Kaden Xavier’s grip on Wren Wynter’s hand tightened as a wave of jealousy washed over him. His narrow eyes filled with hostility and suspicion.
’Have they gotten together?’
"Kaden Xavier, let go! You’re hurting me!"
Wren Wynter’s wrist ached from Kaden Xavier’s grip. The more she struggled, the tighter he held on, until her wrist was bright red.
"When did you two get together?"
Kaden Xavier’s voice was so cold it could freeze a man solid, and his gaze was terrifyingly grim. An intimidating aura radiated from him.
Wren Wynter froze, finally realizing why Kaden Xavier was so angry. She stopped struggling and looked at him calmly.
"What does that have to do with you, Kaden Xavier? We’re divorced. Isn’t it perfectly normal for unattached men and women to marry?"
"I asked, when did you two get together!"
Kaden Xavier roared, on the verge of losing control. The veins bulging on the back of his hand were a testament to his strained restraint, but the news that Wren Wynter was with someone else was more than he could bear.
"It has nothing to do with you!" Wren Wynter shot back, refusing to yield. "Kaden Xavier, it’s impossible for us! We’re together, and I’ve fallen in love with someone else!"
’I’ve fallen in love with someone else!’
Those six simple words struck Kaden Xavier like a boulder. His eyes flew wide, his expression shifting between despair, shock, and confusion.
He remained stunned for a long time, unable to recover.
Even Assistant Lynch, standing by his side, couldn’t bear to watch.
"Miss Wynter, the truth is, Mr. Xavier..."
"Shut up!"
Kaden Xavier cut Assistant Lynch off. His dark eyes filled with self-mockery and bitterness. He released Wren Wynter’s wrist, and as if all the strength had drained from his body, he turned around.
He didn’t want Wren Wynter to see him in such a wretched state. At least in front of her, he had to preserve his last shred of dignity.
"Well then, I wish you happiness."
After saying this, he lost all of his usual vigor, replaced by utter dejection. He dragged his broken figure away, gradually disappearing from Wren Wynter’s sight.
"Is this really okay? Will he still..."
"He won’t be back."
Wren Wynter knew what Finn Wynter was trying to ask, but she understood Kaden Xavier just as well. To preserve the last shred of dignity in what they once had, he would never come looking for her again.
At this thought, an inexplicable pang of pain shot through her heart.
DING—
At that moment, Wren Wynter’s phone suddenly rang. She shook off her thoughts and calmly answered the call.
"Hello, Senior Brother."
"Wren, Master wants you to come to Moonwater Villa."
"Okay, I’ll be right there."
Wren Wynter hung up and turned to Finn Wynter. "Finn, I have to go to Moonwater Villa to see my master. You can head back first."
"I’ll go with you. It’ll be a good chance to see Elder Hawthorne and thank him for taking care of you for so long."
Wren Wynter was Finn Wynter’s only relative in the Capital, so it was only right that he meet her master as well.
Wren Wynter had the same thought, so she nodded and headed to Moonwater Villa with Finn Wynter.
「Moonwater Villa.」
As Wren and Finn walked into Moonwater Villa, they saw Ho-ran Park massaging Julian Hawthorne’s shoulders as he basked in the sun. Ho-ran Park had a smile on his face, and Joy Lynch was beside him, apparently saying something to Julian Hawthorne that made the old man burst out laughing.
"Master."
Wren Wynter led Finn Wynter to Julian Hawthorne and bowed respectfully.
Julian Hawthorne looked at Wren Wynter, then his gaze shifted to Finn Wynter. He sized him up carefully, and his expression soured. He assumed Wren was about to give up her career for a man again, just like she had three years ago.
"What? Getting abandoned once wasn’t enough? You plan on going through it again?"
"Master, you’ve misunderstood," Wren Wynter explained. "I have no intention of getting back together with Kaden Xavier."
Finn Wynter felt Julian Hawthorne’s scrutinizing gaze and politely stepped forward. "Hello, Elder Hawthorne. I’m Wren’s cousin, Finn Wynter."
"You’re Grace’s son?!"
Julian Hawthorne looked astonished. He was an old friend of Wren’s grandparents. The Wynter family had two children, a son and a daughter. The son was Wren’s father, and the daughter was Grace Wynter.
’I can’t believe how quickly time has passed. The little girl who used to call me uncle now has a child of her own.’
Julian Hawthorne studied Finn Wynter closely, seeing in him a resemblance to a young Grace Wynter.
"You really are Grace’s son. Your eyes are just like your mother’s."
"That’s what a lot of people say," Finn Wynter replied with a small smile, not being falsely modest. "Elder Hawthorne, my mother’s health is poor, so she couldn’t come back to Cathay this time. She said she’ll come see you on her next trip."
Julian Hawthorne frowned and waved a dismissive hand, his expression unconcerned. "Just tell her to take care of herself. This old man is still tough as nails."
"Master, I’m sorry," Wren Wynter apologized to Julian Hawthorne. "About what’s happening online..."
"I’m old. I don’t go online, so I don’t see what they’re saying. The important thing is that you don’t take it to heart."
Julian Hawthorne had weathered far greater storms in his life; a bit of cyberbullying wasn’t enough to anger him. Wren, on the other hand, had likely been having a rough few days.
He lifted his eyelids, observing the docile Wren standing before him. Her eyes were visibly bloodshot, and there were faint dark circles beneath them—clear signs she hadn’t been sleeping well.
"Enough. It’s just a minor setback, and I pay it no mind. Let people say what they want. Why do you let it get to you?"
"Master, our Junior Sister was just worried about causing you trouble," Ho-ran Park chimed in.
But Julian Hawthorne paid it no mind. He gave a reluctant wave of his hand, and no one else dared to speak.
He opened his eyes, looked at Finn Wynter, and beckoned him closer.
"You, come here."
Finn Wynter moved closer to Julian Hawthorne, who studied his face carefully for a long time before slowly exhaling.
"The resemblance... it’s uncanny. You have your mother’s eyes and your father’s mouth."
"You knew my father?"
Julian Hawthorne seemed to drift back in time, lost in memories from over a decade ago.
"Knew him? Of course I did. Your father was no simple man."
Wren was also surprised. She had never heard Finn mention his father, which made her assume that her aunt had married a foreigner after moving abroad.
Thinking about it now, she realized Finn Wynter didn’t look mixed-race in the slightest. He looked entirely of Eastern descent, with features just like any other Cathayan.
"Did your mother ever remarry?"
Finn Wynter shook his head. "My mother never remarried. She raised me by herself abroad."
"*Sigh.* Your mother is a stubborn woman. Once she sets her mind to something, she won’t change it. But don’t blame her. Your father... he was less than human."
A flash of contempt and disgust crossed Julian Hawthorne’s eyes. Before he could say more, Leif Shaw suddenly rushed in, panting for breath.
"Old man, I... I’m late!"
