"I’m not about to go looking for trouble for myself," Julian Hawthorne huffed, then changed the subject. "Let’s go. It’s almost time for dinner."

"Okay," Wren Wynter agreed.

The two of them, master and student, went to the dining room together.

Ho-ran Park and Leo Crowe were helping Linda Lynch.

Leif Shaw was on the couch, scrolling through videos.

"Ho-ran, where’s Shaun?" Wren Wynter glanced around but couldn’t find Shaun Quinn anywhere.

Ho-ran Park replied in a gentle voice as he set the table, "I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since I got here. I’m not sure where he went, but I’ll give him a call in a bit."

"No need to call. Shaun just told me something came up at home, so he already left," Leif Shaw said, pausing his video to chime in.

Hearing this, Wren Wynter didn’t think much of it.

"Stop messing around and come eat!" Leo Crowe said, walking up behind Leif Shaw and giving his head a light smack.

"Don’t hit... my head!" Leif Shaw glared resentfully at Leo Crowe. He’d been about to say something much coarser but swallowed the words when he saw Julian Hawthorne.

None of them brought up Wren Wynter joining Doctors Without Borders again, acting as if the earlier conversation had never happened.

It was a rare get-together, and Julian Hawthorne had a little to drink with his meal, making him visibly cheerful.

After dinner, Linda Lynch helped Julian Hawthorne back to rest.

Leo Crowe saw Leif Shaw out.

The task of taking Wren Wynter home naturally fell to Ho-ran Park.

"Wren, have you really thought this through?"

"Ho-ran, you know me. Once I make a decision, I don’t change my mind. My dream has always been to save lives and heal the wounded. I don’t want anyone else to experience the kind of helplessness that comes with losing a loved one."

Wren Wynter’s long lashes cast a shadow as she looked down, her cool voice tinged with a faint sadness.

Ho-ran Park fell silent, unable to find any more words.

「Meanwhile, at the Yates estate.」

Isaac Yates was discussing company matters with Maximus Yates when they heard a servant downstairs call out for Shaun Quinn. A moment later, the study door was thrown open.

Shaun Quinn’s face was dark, his furious gaze locked on Maximus Yates.

Sensing something was wrong, Isaac Yates stood up, his face tinged with anger. "Don’t you know how to knock? Do I really need to teach you such basic manners?"

"Get out of my way. I’m here for him!" Shaun Quinn stormed in and stopped in front of Maximus Yates. "You did it on purpose, didn’t you? You deliberately introduced her to those two people!"

Shaun Quinn didn’t specify who "her" was, but Maximus Yates knew perfectly well he was talking about Wren Wynter.

He calmly cleared his throat and glanced toward the door. "Close it."

"Don’t change the subject. You’d better explain yourself. Was it on purpose?" Shaun Quinn demanded, the unconcealed coldness and hatred in his eyes stabbing into Maximus Yates’s heart like a sharp knife.

His old, cloudy eyes filled with exhaustion.

"Shaun, Grandpa did this for your own good. Wren is an outstanding young woman, and I know how you feel about her, but the two of you are not a good match."

"What’s between her and me is no business of any outsider!" Shaun Quinn snapped. "Because of you, she’s decided to join Doctors Without Borders. Are you satisfied now?"

"That’s a good thing. Shouldn’t you be happy for her?" Maximus Yates said lightly. "Shaun, a person can’t be so selfish."

"You’re the selfish one! Maximus Yates, do you even understand what Doctors Without Borders is? Do you know where she’ll be going? A war zone! A place torn apart by fighting! You know better than anyone what can happen to a woman in a place like that. Are you sending her there to die?"

"Shaun Yates! Is that any way to speak to your grandfather?"

"My name is Shaun Quinn, not Shaun Yates!" Shaun Quinn shot a cold glare at Isaac Yates. "What right does a man who couldn’t even protect his own wife have to lecture me?"

Shaun Quinn despised Maximus Yates’s self-righteous arrogance.

He looked at Maximus Yates’s incredibly pale face and sneered. "Elder Yates, I told you before. As long as you don’t mess with the people I care about, I’ll go along with your arrangements. You’re the one who broke the rules."

With that, he swept the tea set in front of him to the floor, turned, and left the study without a backward glance.

Maximus Yates clutched his chest. Watching Shaun Quinn’s figure grow more distant, he struggled to raise a hand, as if trying to grab him, but he was already too far to reach.

"Dad! What’s wrong? Someone call an ambulance, quick!"

As Isaac Yates’s frantic shouts echoed in his ears, Maximus Yates collapsed into unconsciousness.

「View Gardens.」

Wren Wynter had just showered and was about to start her skincare routine before bed when she got a call from the hospital director.

"Dr. Wynter, get here quick. We have a VIP patient who’s had a heart attack, and they’ve specifically requested you."

"Alright, I’m on my way."

Wren Wynter hurried out of View Gardens, planning to hail a cab, but was surprised when a familiar Bentley pulled up in front of her.

"Miss Wynter, where are you going? I can give you a ride," Assistant Lynch said, offering Wren Wynter a polite smile.

Wren Wynter was surprised to see him at the entrance to View Gardens.

"Don’t worry, Miss Wynter. Mr. Xavier isn’t here," Assistant Lynch added thoughtfully, as if sensing her hesitation.

"Thank you." Hearing that Kaden Xavier wasn’t there, Wren Wynter got into the car without hesitation.

"Assistant Lynch, why were you waiting outside my building?"

"Mr. Xavier told me to wait outside your building for a few days, in case you had an emergency and needed a car."

’He actually thought of that.’

"But please don’t worry, Miss Wynter. I won’t disturb your daily life. Just carry on as usual. Mr. Xavier isn’t here, but feel free to contact me if you need anything at all."

Wren Wynter’s expression remained neutral, but a complicated look flickered in her eyes.

She couldn’t quite figure out what Kaden Xavier was trying to do.

「Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the hospital.」

After thanking the assistant, Wren Wynter hurried to her office to change, then made her way to the emergency room, where she was surprised to see Isaac Yates.

"Uncle Yates, what are you doing here?"

"Miss Wynter, my father’s in there. I’m leaving him in your hands," Isaac Yates said, his voice frantic and pleading.

Wren Wynter was taken aback.

’No wonder they specifically requested me for the surgery. The patient is Maximus Yates.’

"Uncle Yates, don’t worry. Grandpa Yates has helped me a great deal in the past. I’ll do everything in my power to save him."

"Thank you."

Wren Wynter calmly walked into the emergency operating room.

She changed into a set of blue sterile scrubs, washed her hands in the scrub room, and then officially entered the operating theater.

A nurse helped her put on a sterile mask and gloves.

"Confirm patient information and time of surgery." Wren Wynter’s cool, clear voice was surprisingly pleasant to the ear.

"Maximus Yates, 88 years old. Current time is 11:02 p.m."

"Begin."

「Four hours later.」

Once the readings on the heart monitor stabilized, Wren Wynter let the assisting physician take over for the closing sutures and left the operating room.

The doors opened. Wren Wynter pulled down her mask, looked at Isaac Yates waiting in the hallway, and said, "Uncle Yates, the surgery was a success."

"Thank you, Miss Wynter," Isaac Yates said, full of gratitude.

"You’re welcome," Wren Wynter replied gently. "But, Uncle Yates, how did Grandpa Yates have a heart attack so suddenly?"

Isaac Yates looked like he wanted to speak but hesitated.

Remembering the argument between Shaun Quinn and Maximus Yates earlier that night, he decided to conceal the truth.

"It was nothing serious. There’s just been a lot going on with the company. I think my father just overworked himself."