"Got it."

Kaden Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance and had his assistant book a flight to Marinus for the next day.

「Marinus.」

Wren Wynter and Joy Lynch had arrived. Just as they stepped out of the high-speed rail station, they spotted a tall, slender man standing by the entrance in the distance.

Standing beside him was a poised and elegant woman.

"Junior Sister!"

Her Third Senior Brother, Leo Crowe, waved excitedly at Wren. After seeing to the woman beside him, he slowly squeezed his way through the crowd toward them.

He was wearing a white shirt with beige slacks, and his slightly long hair was tied back in a small ponytail. While his face wasn’t exactly handsome, he had a roguish air about him.

"Third Senior Brother."

It had been a long time since Wren Wynter had seen Leo Crowe, and a familiar warmth filled her heart.

"You heartless girl! After all this time, you finally decide to come back and see us? I was starting to think you’d forgotten all about us."

If it weren’t for his wedding, who knew when they would have seen her again.

"Of course not," Wren Wynter said softly. "I was just too ashamed to come back."

’She had abandoned her doting master and his wife, abandoned her senior brothers who had cherished her.’

’She was the one who didn’t have the courage to face them.’

Leo Crowe fell silent for a moment, then reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair. His voice was earnest as he said, "Silly girl. No matter what, we’ll always have your back."

The moment he spoke, Wren Wynter’s eyes burned hot. Her nose tingled, and she had to fight to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Alright, let’s go. We’re going home."

"Okay."

Leo Crowe carried their luggage, with Wren Wynter and Joy Lynch following behind.

He led them over to his wife.

The woman happily took Wren’s hand. "You must be Wren. I’m Faye Xavier, your senior brother’s wife."

"It’s a pleasure, Sister-in-law," Wren Wynter said, offering a polite smile.

"I’ve heard Leo mention you so many times. He said you were a great beauty, and now that I see you, I can tell he wasn’t lying."

Faye Xavier wasn’t the least bit shy. On the contrary, she was open and chatted with Wren Wynter with an easy familiarity.

"That’s right! My Wren is the most beautiful person I’ve ever met—though she’s still just a little bit behind me, of course."

Joy Lynch lifted her chin proudly, as if she were the one being complimented.

Wren Wynter briefly introduced Joy Lynch to Faye Xavier.

Since Joy Lynch wanted to head back with Ho-ran Park, she left ahead of them.

After stowing the luggage, Leo Crowe returned to Faye Xavier’s side and smoothly and naturally draped his arm around her shoulders.

"All set. Let’s go home."

"Okay, let’s go home."

’What an unfamiliar word.’

’Ever since she left Marinus, it felt as if she no longer had a home.’

Leo Crowe was a chatterbox, keeping Wren Wynter and Faye Xavier engaged in conversation the entire way.

Faye Xavier was a wonderful conversationalist, able to respond to almost everything he said.

Watching them from behind, Wren Wynter’s expression filled with envy.

’Perhaps, from the very beginning, all she had ever wanted was a simple, quiet marriage just like this.’

’But with Asher Lynch’s passing and Seraphina Sutton becoming a widow, all her past hopes had turned to dust.’

Since he was getting married the next day, Leo Crowe first took Faye Xavier home before finally accompanying Wren Wynter back to Moonwater Villa.

Moonwater Villa was the residence of Wren’s master, Julian Hawthorne.

When she became his apprentice as a child, she had lived at Moonwater Villa with Master Hawthorne, his wife, and her several senior brothers.

’Back then, her parents were still alive, and Wren Wynter’s life had been carefree. Her greatest annoyance was Julian Hawthorne forcing her to study medicine.’

’Ever since she got married, she had completely cut off contact and had not once returned to see her master.’

"We’re home, Junior Sister."

"Yes... we’re home," Wren Wynter murmured softly.

Staring at the familiar gates, she was in a daze, and she remained in the back seat, hesitating to get out of the car.

"Third Senior Brother, you go on in. I’ll be there in a moment."

Leo Crowe understood. He took the luggage and went into Moonwater Villa first.

Wren Wynter stepped out of the car, pulled her coat tighter around herself, and walked into Moonwater Villa’s rear garden.

The familiar decor, the familiar pond, and the familiar scent of medicinal herbs hanging in the air.

Wren Wynter surveyed her surroundings as childhood memories flooded her mind.

Suddenly, Wren stopped in her tracks, her eyes locked on a large pot of hyacinths. Bitterness and guilt instantly seized her throat like a giant hand.

She slowly approached the hyacinths, her hand trembling as she reached out to touch a petal.

"If you don’t want to end up in the hospital, don’t touch it."

The voice that came from behind her was laced with restraint and suppressed emotion.

Wren Wynter’s hand froze in midair, her expression complex.

"What’s wrong? Has it been so long that you’ve forgotten how to greet people?"

The man slowly walked to Wren Wynter’s side. The scent of medicinal herbs on him wafted to her nose, and her heart skipped a beat. She lowered her gaze.

"Second Senior Brother."

The man let out a derisive sneer. He idly rolled the Buddha Beads in his hand, his deep eyes glinting with a dangerous light.

"Gone for three years without a single word. Did someone tape your mouth shut, or did they take you hostage?"

"No, that’s not it. It was my fault," Wren Wynter said, her lashes lowered.

"If it was your fault, then why won’t you admit you were wrong?"

"I’m sorry."

The man froze for a second before his anger flared. He seized Wren’s wrist, his narrow, fox-like eyes blazing with fury.

"Wren Wynter, do you even know what you’re saying?!"

Wren Wynter replied calmly, "I said, I’m sorry."

’She had let down her master and his wife, and she had let down her four senior brothers.’

’So if her Second Senior Brother wanted to give her a hard time, she would take it.’

But the calmer she appeared, the more furious he became.

He clearly cared about her, yet he couldn’t help but lash out in anger.

"Second Senior Brother! Junior Sister! What are you doing?"

At that critical moment, Leo Crowe strode toward them.

Shaun Quinn yanked his hand away from Wren Wynter’s and stalked off, his face grim. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Leo Crowe looked confused, but when he glanced at Wren’s red wrist, he instantly understood.

He sighed. "Don’t blame your Second Senior Brother. You two spent the most time together, and he cared about you the most. When you left, he was the one who took it the hardest."

Wren Wynter shook her head and replied softly with her eyes downcast, "I know. I don’t blame him. It was my fault."

’Growing up, she had always known that her Second Senior Brother cared for her most of all.’

’They had first met when her parents brought her to Moonwater Villa to meet Julian Hawthorne. He had been at Julian Hawthorne’s side, his face devoid of expression, like an iceberg.’

’But his talent was the strongest among all the senior brothers, on par with Wren’s own.’

’Shaun Quinn was a few years older, so he had always considered himself her older brother.’

’During her time at Moonwater Villa, Shaun had been inseparable from her.’

’Until she was taken away by the Xavier Family.’

"After you left, Shaun was gloomy and withdrawn all the time. He talks even less now. I hope that since you’re back, you two can have a real heart-to-heart and patch things up."

Just as he did when they were children, Leo Crowe loved to pat Wren Wynter’s head. Even now that they were adults, that habit hadn’t changed.

"Okay!" Wren didn’t avoid his touch, nodding firmly.

"Let’s go. Master wants to see you."