Wren's first instinct was to slam her foot on the gas, but unfortunately, her car had just broken down. Right when she was about to step into her new life, it chose to betray her.

Wren forced herself to relax her facial muscles, then curved her lips into a confident smile.

"Tell me, Omar, what are you doing here? Don't tell me you regret rejecting my confession back then?" She raised her brows playfully. "Though it's a pity-your full head of gray hair isn't really my taste anymore."

Omar froze, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

"Wren." He drew in a deep breath, his voice low and heavy. "Don't provoke me with jokes like that. You know very well-it was nothing more than your youthful impulse. I. I've always seen you as my daughter."

Wren narrowed her eyes, her smile sharpening.

"Daughter? What an honor. But what kind of father would say in a board meeting that I'm unfit to be an heir? Daddy, your love is truly special."

With that, she moved to close the car door. She had just gotten divorced, and she didn't want anyone watching her fall apart-least of all Omar and his father.

They had found her a year ago, but she told them she refused to return to that toxic family. She was happy, as if living in paradise.

God, was he here to mock her on her father's behalf?

"That's not true," Omar said.

"Then why are you here?" Wren cut him off. It didn't matter-she would stick to her choice and never reconnect with them.

"I heard about the divorce," Omar said in a low voice.

There it was. Finally. Wren rolled her eyes.

She let out a cold laugh, slowly folding her arms across her chest like building an invisible wall.

"Of course I'm not surprised you know about it. After all these years, he's still in the habit of planting spies behind my back." She lifted her chin, her voice dripping with mockery.

Omar frowned. "Don't think that way, Wren. He's not spying on you. He still cares about his daughter."

"Right!" Wren gave a soft laugh. "So he sent you here to remind me that his prediction about my marriage failing came true. Be sure to congratulate him for me."

Omar sighed. "He sent me because he knows you're vulnerable."

"Vulnerable? Twelve years ago I cut ties with him for a reason, Omar! Remember?"

Her mother had been fighting cancer, life hanging by a thread, while her father carried on an affair with a mistress. That woman even moved into her house not long after her mother's funeral. His excuse was that the doctors said her mother wouldn't live, that depression had driven him into the affair, that he couldn't bear the pain.

In the end, her mother committed suicide. Betrayal had driven Wren to run away from home at sixteen. She believed living under the same roof with the man who had caused her mother's death was a betrayal to her.

That very day, she'd been in an accident, falling into a coma for two weeks. When she woke, she learned the one who had saved her was Felix's grandmother, Maria. Maria had taken her in, and before she married Felix, Wren had lived with them for six years. Her father had always warned her that marriage was a mistake, but she had refused to have anything to do with him.

Omar looked at her car and let out a weary sigh.

"Come with me. Let's talk somewhere better. I'll have someone take care of your car."

--

"He wants you to take the VP position at Ellington Innovation's New York branch." In the jazz-filled bar, Omar finally revealed his purpose.

Damn it, Omar's words still had an effect on her. She was sure she didn't like him, but she still trusted him. After all, aside from opposing her inheritance, he was the one who would rush in on stormy nights to help her sleep, the one who'd sneak her sandwiches when her stepmother withheld her meals-right in front of that woman.

That was why she had agreed to follow Omar to the bar, at least to spare him some embarrassment.

Hearing his words, Wren was silent for a moment, frowning.

"Why? He has another daughter." Her father had never liked her. He only doted on her stepmother's daughter, always saying her stepsister was his pride.

Omar pressed his lips together, his voice slower but still heavy.

"But you've always been his treasure too. It was your stepmother whispering in his ear-saying you were spoiled, reckless, unstable-that made him so harsh with you."

Wren was surprised. Why would her stone-hearted father suddenly change?

Omar paused, his gaze falling on her before continuing.

"Just last year, your father began to realize something was wrong with your stepmother's words. He often called me over, asking about you. He dug out your college transcripts, even the records Madam Maria left behind. That's when he realized. you'd always been excellent. Just hidden."

Wren thought she should feel happy-she had finally won her father's recognition. But that could never be enough. Unless he could bring her mother back to life. She thought of her mother's pained expression. Her father could have waited until after her mother's death to parade his mistress into that villa.

But he hadn't. He'd wanted to wound her. Her fists clenched tight.

"I'll give you time to think about it," Omar said gently, noticing the turmoil written across her face.

In the underground bar, he slid a platinum keycard across the leather console between them.

"This is a penthouse on Central Park West. No matter what you decide, it's yours." He paused. "There's no pressure. But I truly believe the rightful heiress should return to her place."

Wren stared at the card. She could find a temporary place to live. But accepting it meant betraying her mother. She had always run from her father to carry her mother's pain. Yet she knew-if she took that card, she might uncover the truth about her mother's death. A truth she had never told anyone.

And she wasn't about to. Not until she had the answer.

Omar's warm palm rested on her back. He sighed.

"Wren, listen. I know why you left. You fear that accepting your father's offer means betraying your mother. But it's not like that. I knew your mother. She wanted you to be happy. She wanted you to fight back, hard, against them. That's what she always did."

"As long as we're alive, the outcome is still up in the air." Wren remembered her mother always saying that. Which meant her mother would never have killed herself for this.

Omar saw her hesitation and added, "This time, I promise I'll be on your side."

"I'll accept it," Wren nodded. "But not out of trust for you. I just don't want to disappoint my mother."

The tension in Omar's face eased, and he exhaled in relief.

"Good. Wren, your mother would be proud of you. Your resilience exceeds anything I imagined. You can do this."

"But I have one condition. I don't want to see my father yet. You have to promise me that," she added.

"I promise," Omar assured her.

Wren quickly signed the contract. As she was leaving, Omar called after her.

"Wren, I'm sorry. I apologize for my old, narrow-minded views. You will succeed. You'll be the greatest heiress."

Wren smirked. She didn't care for his judgments anymore. She just wanted out. When they stepped out of the building, Omar opened the car door for her and waited until she settled inside.

"Ah, almost forgot. William sends his regards. He says he misses you."

"William?" Wren searched the dusty corridors of her memory. She recalled a twelve-year-old boy-chubby cheeks, earnest eyes behind thick glasses. She laughed.

"The chubby kid who used to trail after me like a lost puppy?"

Omar tilted his head slowly. "Yes. I suppose we could call him 'that chubby kid.'"

Just then, a woman in a tight dress walked toward the car, her eyes fixed on Omar.

"Hey, handsome. Interested in a drink?"

Omar's expression darkened. He was about to refuse-he had never liked casual flings-but Wren shoved him toward the woman immediately.

"Of course! My daddy could really use someone to help smooth out his wrinkles. Go on, or else it'll be past his bedtime."

"Wren." Omar warned, but Wren just laughed and darted into a cab waiting at the curb.

As soon as she sat down, her thoughts leapt back to William.

What was that boy like now? She remembered how mortified she'd been when he declared in front of all her friends that he'd marry her one day. She couldn't help laughing at the memory.

Shaking her head in amusement, she realized her childhood had indeed been happy. But now, the only thing that mattered was learning how to run a company-and uncovering the truth behind her mother's death.

Wren pulled off her clothes and took a much needed bath in the jacuzzi, she sat inside, enjoying the way the water bubbled against her skin, there was soft music playing in the background as she sat inside,

"Ugh," she sighed, closing her eyes in relief. Unable to believe she had gone this long without a soak in the jacuzzi.

Suddenly, a notification ran through, interrupting her moment of peace. She groaned in annoyance, rolling her eyes as she picked up her phone.

It was a text from Felix.

What drawer did you keep my underwear in? He asked and Wren scoffed in disbelief.

Did this man not understand the concept of a divorce? What made him think he could talk to her like she was still his maid?

Wren blocked his number immediately, still annoyed that he had cut through her peaceful thoughts.

How could that man remain such a nuisance even after they had split ways?

Wren decided not to allow him ruin her mood, she finished her bath and put on her favorite silk nightwear before falling into bed.

Sleep came easily for Wren that night, now that she wasn't expecting love from anyone else.

She woke up the next morning by past ten. It felt good to sleep in for the first time in a long time. She took another long shower, before she had her breakfast.

Afterwards, she sat in the living room, with another glass of wine in her hand, and the TV remote in another, scrolling through channels with a bored expression.

Being a newly divorced woman is boring, Wren admitted with a smile. If she was still in Felix's house by now, he would have hounded her over breakfast, complaining that her eggs were overcooked and Simone would have agreed, while scarfing down the so-called overcooked eggs.

They would have had up to five arguments by now and Wren would have remained in her room, trying to avoid them for the rest of the day.

But now, she was free. Free to do everything that she had sacrificed for three years.

Her eyes fell to her phone, suddenly thinking of her childhood friend that she hadn't spoken to in ages-Grace.

Grace had cut ties with her when she insisted on marrying Felix, now if she called her, she knew what she was going to say in that annoying voice of hers that she loved and hated. "I told you so".

But Wren missed her friend, so her pride didn't matter right now.

She scrolled through her contacts until she found Grace's number and dialed it. Her heart was racing as she watched the phone ring.

What if she didn't pick?

What if she still wanted nothing to do with her?

Her anxious thoughts came to a stop as Grace picked the call.

"Hello, who is this?" Grace asked in a blunt tone.

Wren scoffed, holding back a smile. "It's me."

"I'm sorry, I don't have anyone named me in my contacts."

"Are you serious right now?" Wren laughed. "Grace, it is me. Wren."

Grace went silent for a moment. "I see, so why did you call? Have you finally gotten enough sense to leave that loser?"

"Yeah, I left him," Wren laughed incredulously, still in a daze of what had transpired in the past week. She had actually divorced that man.

Grace gasped, placing a hand on her mouth. She hadn't been expecting to hear that. "Oh my gosh, are you freaking serious?"

"Yeah," Wren replied, still laughing.

"You left him?"

"I left him."

"I can't believe it, the last time we spoke I thought you were going to follow that man to his grave," Grace commented and Wren squirmed, remembering just how crazy in love she had been with him.

"I thought so too," She replied, cringing. "God, I was such a fool."

"I agree," Grace said a bit too quickly.

"I have really missed you, you know," Wren said sincerely, remembering how long it had been since she last saw her.

I know, I tend to leave that impression on people," she replied cockily and Wren rolled her eyes.

"In fact, what are you doing tonight?" Grace asked her suddenly.

"I am watching some shows, trying to catch up on everything I missed," Wren replied, changing the TV channel.

Grace frowned in distaste. "That sounds really pathetic."

"I know," she replied, groaning.

"I have a social banquet tonight, so let's go together," Grace said and Wren wanted to cry out in relief.

"That would be amazing."

"I know right, it's been so long since we hung out and I have to admit, I missed you too," Grace revealed, leaving Wren with a tug of emotion in my chest.

"We are going to have so much fun tonight."

"I agree," Grace replied with a knowing smile.

><><><><><

Grace came to pick her by eight that night.

She stepped out of her car, dressed flamboyantly in a sparkling silver dress that clung to her body like second skin with an imported black fur coat around her shoulders.

"You look amazing," Wren gushed, running in her heels to hug her friend.

"And you look even better," Grace said as they pulled apart, her green eyes scanning her body critically. "Even losing weight works well on you."

"I lost weight because that bastard used to lock the fridge," Wren revealed and Grace turned to her in shock.

"What a cheap skate."

"No honestly, he is such a jerk and I hate that it took me so long to see it," Wren said, feeling a ball of regret squeeze down her chest.

"Let's forget about him," she said, dragging Wren to her car.

But Grace didn't take her advice, on the drive, she kept going off about Felix and how much she hated while Wren watched her friend, smiling at her animated expressions.

"But if it makes you feel any better," Grace suddenly said. "Simone got herself humiliated yesterday."

"Oh really?" Wren asked, even though she honestly couldn't give a damn about that girl.

"Yeah, it turns out that the man she has been chasing all over the city is actually my friend, Hugo. Yesterday, he had had enough of her harassment and so he basically told her off in front of the entire gathering."

"Damn, that must have been so embarrassing,"

"Oh it was," Grace laughed. "I doubt she would be able to raise her head in society again."

Wren was smiling at the thought when Grace suddenly placed a hand over hers. "But on a more serious note, I am glad your eyes finally opened and you left him, he never deserved you."

The sincere look in Grace's eyes made Wren lean closer and hug her friend. She had truly missed Grace, being with her now made her wonder how she was able to drift away from her in the first place.

Grace laughed against her hair, "Don't get all sentimental now or you will ruin my makeup."

"I don't care," Wren replied with a smile

The banquet was buzzing with activity when they arrived, Wren felt at ease with Grace by her side.

They both grabbed a glass of wine, watching the various people.

"That is the CEO of Frances Technology, and he is single," Grace said, glancing at a tall middle aged man.

"Why are you telling me this?" Wren asked her friend who shrugged.

"Because you need a good rebound right now."

Suddenly, a tall striking man, who looked a bit younger than her approached them.

"Would you be interested in dancing with me?" he asked, stretching a hand towards Wren as the music in the ballroom changed into something slower.

Wren stared at the man in surprise, glancing at Grace to know what to do.

Grace's expression screamed louder than words: Go. Dance. Flirt. Forget Felix. And if it leads to you taking your panties off, all the better.

Before Wren could resist, the man pulled her into his arms, guiding her to the center of the floor with a smile.

"I overheard your friend talking about you needing a rebound," he said as they danced.

Wren raised a questioning brow. "So you came to save me?"

"No, it is more like I saw a chance and I took it," he replied and Wren laughed, feeling a bit at ease around him.

He was charming and audacious and that was a combination that she needed right now.

All of a sudden, a hand gripped her arm and pulled her away from her dance partner.

Wren gasped in surprise, turning to see who had grabbed her only to find the last person she expected to see.

Wren's stomach tightened sharply the moment her gaze collided with that familiar pair of amber eyes.

It was Felix. Her ex-husband.

She thought bitterly, wondering how his heavy cologne and ominous aura could set her on edge before he'd even touched her. Long ago, she had liked that harsh, predatory scent clinging to him. Now it seeped into her lungs like poison.

So, it seemed, her ex-husband was also celebrating the divorce-just as she was here tonight.

"Well, Mr. Morel? Good evening. Quite the coincidence, isn't it?" Wren's mocking smile curved as she glanced at his large hand clamped around her wrist.

Felix's jaw tightened instantly. Dressed in polished leather shoes and a gleaming suit, he looked like a statue brought to life. His eyes swept over her with possessive force, detesting the boldness she had newly discovered.

"What the hell are you doing?" he growled, his voice rolling like thunder.

"That's my question for you, don't you think?" Wren shot back, her brow furrowing. "What right do you have to drag me away from my date-or do you not understand the concept of divorce?"

"I asked what you're doing with this man?" Felix ignored her retort, his gaze slashing between Wren and her dance partner, sharp as a rabid beast's.

What right did he have to be angry? They'd divorced a week ago.

Wren crossed her arms, glaring coldly. "What do you think? We're obviously dancing, enjoying each other's company, while I try to scrub off the stench of three rotten years with you." With that, she yanked free of his grip.

Felix's face twitched, as if slapped. "Don't act like you weren't crazy about me those three years." He lunged, grabbing her arm hard enough to nearly lift her off the ground.

Pain pinched Wren's brows, but worse than that was his mockery of her sincerity. She was grateful she had left this bastard.

"Yeah, you're right," she shrugged carelessly. "I was crazy about you-crazy enough to organize your underwear drawer. Do you still need me to remind you which drawer I put them in?"

Suppressing laughter rippled through the crowd. Felix's eyes darkened, as though he could devour them all.

His grip on her arm tightened as he tried to drag her away.

Suddenly, Wren's tall dance partner stepped forward, pulling her protectively to his side.

Felix's gaze dropped to the man's hand resting on her waist, and his eyes turned vicious-like he wanted to chop it off.

Lifting his head slowly, his voice dropped into a growl. "Who the hell are you? Do you even know who you're touching? If you dare stay with her-are you ready to risk your life for her?"

"Of course." The man didn't hesitate, his tone solid as stone. "I was born for Wren."

The reply stunned them both-especially Wren. She looked up at him, searching his face for the faintest smile, but found none.

Then suddenly, he raised his hand, pressed it to his lips, and winked at her. Her heart skipped.

Wren gasped in shock, staring at the beautiful stranger.

No.

It couldn't be.

She studied his face, connecting every detail: the once-soft jawline now sharpened, the short and stocky frame transformed into tall, broad strength. The shy, chubby boy who once trailed after her was gone-replaced by a strikingly handsome man.

"William?" she whispered in disbelief.

He grinned at her, a playful glint in his eyes. "Took you long enough, Wren."

She froze, staring into his eyes, still shaken. In that moment, the air around them seemed to freeze. Wren suddenly realized how attractive William had become-and how fiercely he defended her.

Wren shoved Felix away and threw her arms around William. "It really is you, William."

"So you've known each other for a while, then?" Felix's voice sliced through, cold and full of spite. "Or should I ask, Wren-were you sleeping with him before the divorce?"

Wren's eyes widened. She wanted to slap him. But right now, she wanted to speak to William more. So she sneered, "Mr. Morel, that question would've only been valid before our divorce. Or maybe you should run back to your team of lawyers and ask them whether your position still holds up."

The chill radiating off Felix intensified. His fists clenched as if she had truly betrayed him. Wren tightened her grip on William, trying to walk away.

Felix suddenly yanked her back, pulling her into his chest so hard her nose hit the firmness of him. That familiar scent filled her senses again.

"You bastard!" Pain snapped her awake, and she cursed.

"Answer me, Wren!" Felix wrapped around her, making her feel small and trapped, his thunderous heartbeat and harsh breathing crashing against her. Her skin tingled with electric sparks, but his gaze still pierced her like knives.

A woman's gasp suddenly shattered the tension. Wren turned toward the sound and saw Simone in a glittering gown, golden curls spilling over one shoulder.

"Felix?!" she gasped, hand over her mouth. "What's going on? Why did you suddenly disappear? Bianca's been looking for you." Then her gaze landed on Wren in Felix's arms. "Wren? What are you doing here?! And Felix, why are you holding your ex-wife?!"

Wren rolled her eyes. Why were they all so obsessed with her? She was divorced. She had nothing to do with them. Even if she killed someone, it had nothing to do with them.

"Simone, this doesn't concern you. Leave," Felix hissed.

"No, Felix, you can't let this snake lure you back in!" Simone snapped. "You need to push her away. Our family finally scraped the gum off our shoe!"

Wren didn't bother replying to Simone. Instead, she turned to Felix. "Mr. Morel, did you hear her? You're hugging your ex-wife. Don't you think that's strange?"

"Why can't you just be like a decent ex-husband-see your ex-wife living a new life, and bless her, the way I would?" Wren added, trying once more to knock his iron arm away.

It didn't budge. And then Bianca stepped forward.

"Bianca, get your lunatic man out of here. I don't want him ruining my date," Wren said pointedly, deliberately provoking Felix. Why could he flaunt Bianca in public, while she couldn't date who she pleased?

"Felix." Bianca's eyes flickered to William, then she tugged at Felix gently. "Wren has her new life. I think she wants your blessing."

Wren felt Felix's grip on her loosen slightly, and she exhaled. But the next second, like a beast unleashed, Felix swung and punched William in the face.

William staggered back, wiped the blood from his nose, then surged forward and landed a punch of his own. Felix stumbled back a step. They were about the same build-Felix maybe an inch taller. His rage burned to strike again.

But Wren immediately threw herself between them.

"No!" she cried, arms outstretched. "Stop this now!"

Neither man listened. William edged closer, but Wren pressed her hand to his chest.

"William, please. Don't. He's not worth it."

Felix's fist still hovered in the air. Wren met his eyes, cold and unflinching.

"Tell me, Felix-why are you suddenly acting like a jealous teenager?"

"Are you in love with me? Is that why you're losing your mind?" Wren asked icily.