"Wren—"

In the next instant, a figure lunged forward, tackling her to the ground.

BOOM—

BOOM! BOOM—

The explosions erupted behind her, leaving her ears ringing.

Wren Wynter was instantly reminded of what had happened when she walked out of Aferia Airport.

Her heart raced. The sudden terror caught her completely off guard, and she froze.

After the explosions, she felt someone scoop her up and start running at full speed.

She could hear the sound of breathing from the warm chest pressed against her and smelled a familiar scent.

It was Kaden Xavier.

Wren tried to calm herself down.

The person carrying her, running for their lives, was Kaden.

’I can’t be a burden to him.’

"Ka... Ka... Kaden..." Wren struggled to find her voice.

"Don’t be afraid. I’m here," Kaden said, his voice heavy with panting.

"I can... Put me down... I can run on my own," Wren forced the words out.

Kaden ignored her, focusing on running for his life until he finally broke through into a crowd of people who had gathered in a temporarily safe area.

He gently set Wren down.

Seeing the terrified pallor that still lingered on her face, Kaden pulled her into his arms, coaxing her softly, "It’s okay! It’s okay! Don’t be scared, Wren. Don’t be scared!"

’Just now, he hadn’t been thinking about anything else—not about getting back together, not about reconciling.’

’If Wren was gone, none of it would matter!’

After a long moment, Wren came to her senses and realized she was still in Kaden’s arms. A blush crept across her cheeks.

But in that moment, she greedily clung to the feeling and was reluctant to leave his embrace.

Her brush with death just now had made her cast aside all her worries and see her own heart clearly.

’There was still a place for Kaden in it.’

’Maybe she would never be able to love anyone else in this lifetime.’

’Even if she did, she would never love someone so passionately and unreservedly again.’

’First loves really shouldn’t be so breathtaking!’

"Thank you," Wren said, her tone distant.

Shaun Quinn watched the two of them embrace, then looked away, closing his eyes to hide his unconcealable pain. He then turned and left without a word.

"Dr. Wynter, a large group of injured people are about to be brought over. Dr. Quinn is already prepared and waiting for you," a volunteer said, running up to them.

"Okay."

Hearing this, Wren pulled away from Kaden’s embrace.

Their eyes met.

The raw feeling of survival after their life-or-death escape left them both with a sense of unreality.

Kaden gripped Wren’s hand, his tense grasp so tight it hurt.

Wren’s heart softened for a moment, but ultimately, her reason won out.

She pulled her hand from Kaden’s and took a polite step back.

"Thank you for what you did just now. Take care of yourself."

A struggle flickered in Kaden’s dark eyes.

Selfishly, he didn’t want to let Wren go. But what he had seen and felt at the medical camp recently had made him understand one thing clearly: keeping her trapped by his side was not the way to truly love her. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

’Wren was not a bird in a cage.’

’She was her own independent and perfect self.’

’What he could do was support her silently, respect and follow her choices, and let her live the life she was meant to live.’

Kaden nodded. "I’ll take care of myself. You do the same. Remember, your safety comes first. Go do what you want to do."

Catherine pushed through the crowd to find her. Seeing Wren, she rushed forward excitedly and asked with concern, "Wren, how are you? Are you okay?"

God knows how hopeless she had felt watching that black shell fall from the sky.

Thank goodness Kaden’s skills were so sharp; he’d saved Wren.

"I’m fine, don’t worry."

"That’s great! You’re alive, we’re all alive, and Kaden too!"

After saying that, Catherine gave Wren a tight hug.

When she turned to Kaden, she politely retracted the hand she had started to extend for a hug.

To her surprise, however, Kaden took the initiative and grasped her retreating hand.

He said slowly, "Catherine, I’m also very glad to see you’re alive."

Catherine beamed. "Thank you, Kaden. I have to borrow Wren for a bit now. You be careful, and don’t wander off."

Wren didn’t look back, following Catherine toward the temporarily cordoned-off treatment area.

This time, it wasn’t just soldiers who were injured; there were many casualties among the civilians as well.

Wren pulled on her gloves, took a deep breath, and walked among the patients.

"AH— AHHHH—"

An Aferian boy was carried in, followed by someone holding a severed arm. The people with him were all injured as well.

Shaun Quinn called Wren over to help. After a preliminary examination, he gave his assessment, "You’re the best at this type of surgery. Come and help."

"Okay!" Wren nodded.

Time was life.

The first step was to reattach the arm.

During the emergency evacuation, not only were some medical personnel injured, but some had even collapsed, never to wake up again.

Director Archer knew the medical camp was short-staffed and struggling to function, so he began recruiting healthy survivors to volunteer as temporary help.

Kaden volunteered, and Director Archer readily agreed.

Kaden followed Director Archer into the simple treatment tent.

The focused intensity of Wren and the other medical staff, their professional demeanor as they battled with death, filled him with a sense of awe and respect.

After a brief introduction, Director Archer left Kaden there.

"What do you need me to do?" Kaden asked, walking over to face Wren.

Wren was performing a simple debridement on an injured patient. She glanced up at him and ordered, "Help pack up. We need to move to the operating room."

She didn’t treat Kaden like a stranger, directly telling him what needed to be done.

This was no time for pleasantries; anyone who was able was put to work.

Catherine, who was helping pack, noticed Kaden hadn’t moved and called out, "Kaden."

After the group finished packing, Kaden helped by handing them things from time to time, completely shedding the aloof and superior air he usually had back home.

Wren was completely focused on the severed arm. First came debridement, and after that, she would have to suture the nerves...

Her expression was grim. "For now, we can only perform a rough suture. The nerve reattachment will take a long time. You..."

As she said the last part, Wren looked at Kaden.

"I’ll do my best not to disturb you."

The minutes ticked by. Finally, they heard Wren let out a long sigh of relief.

"The surgery was a success!"

Applause broke out in the makeshift operating room.

Wren’s face was pale, and Kaden’s heart ached watching her.

Before he could tell her to rest for a while, she turned and threw herself back into the hectic medical work.

"Wipe my sweat!"

The next second, a large hand holding a towel carefully wiped her face.

Wren’s hands paused for a fraction of a second before she resumed treating the wound as normal.

The two of them worked together in perfect, harmonious sync.

「Meanwhile, back home.」

Helen Sawyer pushed open the door to Kaden Xavier’s office with a haughty expression. "Where’s Kaden?"

Lucas Lynch gripped his phone, repeatedly calling Kaden, but there was no answer.

Frustrated, Lucas Lynch switched to calling the bodyguards’ numbers, but no one picked up those either.

Helen Sawyer’s stare was fixed on him, so fierce it looked like she could eat him alive.

"Ma’am, Mr. Xavier didn’t come to the office today. He’s not feeling well, so he’s resting at his apartment!"

"His apartment?" Helen Sawyer was completely unconvinced. "Assistant Lynch, how many years have you been drawing that high salary?"

"Three years, Ma’am!"