"Let go of me!"

"That’s not up to you." Kaden’s voice was cold and hard.

A sense of unease washed over Wren. She took out her phone to call Shaun Quinn, but Kaden snatched it away.

"What are you doing? Give it back!" Wren reached for it.

Kaden ignored her. He carried her into the bedroom and kicked the door shut.

The fall left Wren dizzy and disoriented. Before she could even react, Kaden was on top of her.

"What are you doing?" Wren looked at him, terrified.

Kaden braced his hands on either side of her, trapping her between the sofa and his body. "Wren, tell me. Just how far have you two gone?"

"What do you mean, ’how far’?" Wren struggled. "Kaden, are you insane?!"

Veins bulged on Kaden’s temples. His hand traced her cheek, his thumb coming to rest on her lips.

"Has he touched you here?"

Wren fell silent. ’He’s completely lost his mind,’ she thought.

Kaden’s hand trailed down from her lips to her waist.

"Or has it already gone this far?"

"Kaden, let me go! Just because you’re disgusting, do you think everyone else is like you?"

She paused, her hands pushing against Kaden’s chest. "That little affair of yours with Seraphina Sutton... did you really think no one knows? If you don’t let me go now, I’ll expose the two of you. If I go down, I’m taking you with me!"

"It’s not what you think between me and Seraphina!" Kaden growled. "I’m only taking care of her because she’s Asher’s wife! Asher asked me to look after her before he died!"

"Kaden, we have nothing left to talk about." Wren pushed him away. "Please leave. I don’t want to see you."

When she pushed him away, Kaden’s anger flared.

He pinned her down again, his hands gripping Wren’s shoulders. "You want me to leave? Fine. But before I do, I’m going to make you remember who you belong to."

With that, he lowered his head to kiss her.

Wren struggled desperately, her hands braced against his chest. "Kaden! Let me go!"

Kaden ignored her resistance, forcing his lips on hers.

The kiss was brutal and punishing. Wren was thoroughly disgusted.

She bit down hard. Kaden cried out in pain and released her.

Wren seized the opportunity to shove him away and slap him across the face.

The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the room.

Kaden clutched his face, staring at Wren in disbelief. "You hit me?"

"You’re damn right I hit you!" Wren scrambled up from the sofa, her eyes rimmed with red. "Kaden, who the hell do you think you are? Do you think you can do whatever you want to me? Let me tell you something. I, Wren Wynter, am not your property, and I’m not someone you can just bully whenever you feel like it!"

Kaden’s expression was terrifyingly dark.

He stepped forward and grabbed Wren’s wrist. "Wren, don’t push me."

"You’re the one pushing me!" Wren struggled violently. "Kaden, let go of me! I’m calling the police!"

"The police?" Kaden sneered. "Go ahead and try. See if they’ll get involved in a domestic dispute."

With that, he shoved Wren onto the sofa and pinned her with his body.

"Kaden! You’re insane! You’ve completely lost your mind! Don’t make me hate you!" Wren shrieked in terror.

Ignoring her resistance, Kaden began to tear at her clothes.

Wren struggled with all her might, but she was no match for his strength and couldn’t break free.

Wren bit down hard on Kaden.

Kaden froze. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Wren seized the moment to shove him off, pulling her disheveled clothes together.

Her lips still throbbed, and red marks circled her wrists where Kaden had gripped them.

She backed away to the wall, watching him warily like a frightened fawn.

Kaden stood his ground, his face livid.

He glanced down at the bite mark on his arm. It was already beading with blood, a testament to how much force she had used.

Just as the tense standoff reached its peak, Butler Chandler’s voice suddenly came from outside the door. "Sir, Miss Lana Xavier is here. She says she wants to see you."

Kaden’s brow furrowed.

’What is she doing here now?’

He glanced at Wren. She was clutching the collar of her shirt, her face pale and her eyes filled with wariness.

"Tell her to wait," Kaden said in a low voice.

"But Sir, Miss Lana Xavier is already inside. She brought a Miss Sutton with her," Butler Chandler said, his voice strained.

Kaden’s expression darkened further.

He straightened his disheveled shirt, then turned and walked out of the room, leaving Wren to slowly slide down the wall until she was sitting on the floor.

Butler Chandler stood outside the door, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.

Downstairs in the living room, Lana Xavier was lounging on the sofa as if she owned the place, with Seraphina Sutton sitting quietly beside her.

When she saw Kaden coming down the stairs, Lana Xavier immediately shot to her feet, a brilliant smile on her face. "Brother! I came to see you!"

Kaden looked at her coldly. "What are you doing here?"

"What? Am I not allowed to visit my own brother’s house?" Lana said defiantly, pulling on Seraphina’s hand. "Seraphina said she wanted to see you, so we came together."

Seraphina smiled gently. "Kaden, I hope we’re not intruding. Lana said she wanted to see you, so I came along with her."

Kaden walked to the sofa and sat, his tone frigid. "Are you done? If you are, you can leave. I’m busy."

Lana, however, had no intention of leaving and sat back down on the sofa.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from the stairs.

Wren had changed her clothes and combed her hair, but a closer look still revealed that her eyes were red and her lips were slightly swollen.

She walked downstairs and faltered for a moment upon seeing Lana and Seraphina in the living room, but she quickly composed herself.

"Well, well, if it isn’t my sister-in-law," Lana said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Wren ignored her and walked straight to the kitchen to pour a glass of water.

Seeing that she was being ignored, Lana grew even more emboldened. "Brother, look at her. She didn’t even say hello. So rude. If you ask me, you never should have married her. Someone gentle and considerate like Seraphina is the one who deserves you."

Seraphina tugged on Lana’s sleeve. "Lana, please stop."

"Why can’t I?" Lana raised her voice. "Brother, I saw it with my own two eyes today! Wren and that Shaun Quinn were holding hands at the mall, laughing and talking together—they were acting so intimate! She even said he was a very important person to her. Brother, are you hearing this? Is that any way for your wife to act? She’s your wife!"

Wren emerged from the kitchen, water glass in hand, and leveled a cold gaze at Lana. "Are you finished?"

"What’s with that attitude? Completely unrepentant, are you?"

A corner of Wren’s mouth twitched. "Lana, did you come here today just to stir up trouble?"

"I’m telling the truth!" Lana turned to Kaden. "Brother, did you hear that? She’s not even denying it! That means she’s admitting it!"