Kaden Xavier stepped forward, pulled Helen Sawyer aside, and warned, "If you continue to harass Wren about treating Grandma, I’ll have the driver send you home."

"I’m your mother. How can you speak to me like that?" Helen Sawyer’s expression was mortified.

"It’s only because you’re my mother that I tolerate you at all," Kaden Xavier said coldly.

Helen Sawyer opened her mouth to say more, but she fell silent when her eyes met her son’s sinister gaze. Her bravado deflated, and she retreated to one side.

Wren Wynter finished her acupuncture treatment on Old Madam Xavier. Straightening up, she glanced at the resentful Helen Sawyer before suddenly speaking as she walked past her.

"If you feel my treatment isn’t effective, you’re free to find someone else. But if you hadn’t ignored my advice last time and insisted on letting that so-called ’miracle doctor’—who doesn’t even have a medical license—treat Grandma, she might have woken up long ago."

Her voice was icy. "Ultimately, you are the ones responsible for this outcome, not me."

With that, Wren Wynter turned and walked straight out of the hospital room.

"Hey! What’s the meaning of that? What do you mean it’s *our* fault? Is that how a doctor should speak? I’m going to report you!"

"Mom, stop shouting!" Exasperated, Kaden Xavier had Assistant Lynch restrain Helen Sawyer while he chased after Wren.

"Wren, I’m sorry. My mom, she..."

"Kaden Xavier, I don’t care about your mother or what she says," Wren said, her expression frigid. "But I can’t abandon Grandma. She’s like this now... have you even stopped to reflect on your part in it?"

What happened to Old Madam Xavier had hit Kaden Xavier hard. He had lost a lot of weight recently, making his already sharp jawline even more defined. Faint, dark circles were visible under his eyes.

Kaden Xavier’s voice was strained. "Seraphina meant well."

"I don’t know if she meant well or not. But I would never let anyone harm my family. Grandma was good to me, and I will do everything in my power to save her. Anything beyond that is out of my hands."

After saying her piece, Wren walked away without a backward glance.

She went to Grace Wynter’s room and found her aunt was already awake. Though her face was still pale, her complexion was much better than when she had been in a coma.

"Auntie, how are you feeling today?"

"I’m all right now."

Grace Wynter had heard from Finn Wynter what had happened over the past few days, and she knew it was Nathaniel Quinn who had put her in a coma.

"Wren, your brother told me you reported it to the police. The Quinn Family isn’t much of a threat, but I’m worried... will your ex-husband protect the man who did this?"

Wren thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Auntie, don’t worry. Even if he does, I will never back down."

She couldn’t make any guarantees to Grace. Nathaniel Quinn was Kaden Xavier’s best friend. If Kaden decided to protect him, this would be a long fight.

"Wren, if it’s too difficult, just let it go. It’s not like I’m seriously hurt, and I’m more worried about what he’ll do to you."

"He won’t, Auntie," Wren said with certainty. "Don’t you worry about it. With me and my brother on the case, there’s no way we’ll let a criminal walk free."

"That’s good."

Just then, Finn Wynter came in carrying some food. He handed a sweet pastry to Wren. "You perform a lot of surgeries each day. Don’t forget to eat."

Wren couldn’t help but smile. "I’m not a little kid anymore, big brother. I know how to take care of myself."

"Oh, right. About what we discussed before—inviting Dr. Shaw to dinner. Why not do it today? I happen to be free."

"Okay, I’ll go talk to him in a little while."

Finn Wynter: "Good."

The three of them chatted in the room for a while before a nurse called Wren away.

During lunch, Wren sought out Mason Shaw. "Dr. Shaw, are you free this evening? Would you like to have dinner together?"

Mason Shaw smiled warmly. "It’s not every day Dr. Wynter asks me out. An invitation I can’t possibly refuse."

"Then let’s meet at the hospital entrance after our shifts."

"Alright." Mason Shaw had already finished his lunch.

He remained in his seat, a warm smile on his face as he watched Wren eat with her head slightly bowed.

Her eyelashes fluttered like tiny fans, and with every movement, it felt like a feather was tickling his heart.

’It tickled, but in a very pleasant way.’

Meanwhile, in a corner of the cafeteria, a pair of eyes was locked onto the two of them.

"Dr. Lynch, see? Wasn’t I right? That new Dr. Wynter is a total seductress. I heard that on her very first day, she had Dr. Shaw so wrapped around her finger he practically lost his mind."

The nurse’s words were venomous, and her gaze toward Wren was filled with disdain and contempt.

However, the short-haired woman sitting across from her didn’t seem to be paying any attention to Wren and Mason Shaw. She ate her meal calmly, every movement exuding an air of elegance and grace.

"Oh."

Seeing her lukewarm response, the nurse grew impatient. She tapped Dr. Lynch’s lunchbox with her spoon, her voice sharp with urgency.

"Dr. Lynch, aren’t you worried at all? Before she showed up, you and Dr. Shaw were the hospital’s golden couple. This woman is stealing your spot!"

"I know she’s a new doctor here. I heard from the hospital director that she’s extremely competent. But I have no interest in these petty female rivalries, and I certainly have no desire to maliciously speculate about others. As a doctor, the most important thing is to save lives."

Dr. Lynch finished the last of her meal, stood up with her lunchbox, and left without giving the nurse so much as a second glance.

The nurse’s eyes were filled with venom. She glared at Dr. Lynch’s retreating back, her hand tightening around her spoon.

’Putting on such a holier-than-thou act,’ she muttered under her breath. ’Your man is being stolen right from under your nose. Let’s see how long you can keep pretending.’

After her shift, Wren quickly packed her things and left the hospital. She saw Mason Shaw was already waiting for her at the entrance.

He was wearing a beige trench coat over a white T-shirt, paired with brown casual trousers. It was autumn, and the air had a slight chill.

He had taken off his glasses, and his whole demeanor seemed relaxed and easygoing, giving off an approachable air.

"Dr. Shaw, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Don’t worry, I just arrived myself."

"Shall we go, then?"

Wren got into Mason Shaw’s car, and they headed to the restaurant they had booked.

A man in a black suit was standing at the entrance when they arrived.

He bowed to Wren and said respectfully, "Miss Wynter, sir is already inside."

"Mm."

Hearing this, the smile on Mason Shaw’s face faltered. He realized this wasn’t a dinner for two.

"Dr. Wynter, is someone else joining us?"

"It’s my brother. He’s the one who asked me to invite you to dinner today."