"Do you really not want to see me that badly? You even used my phone to call Liam to hide your number from me?" Wren inquired.

The more he spoke, the more his heart ached. He had raised Clara himself, and there was nothing more painful than being stabbed in the back by her.

"Clara, you know how I operate. I can still find out even if you don't tell me. But I never imagined you wouldn't even want me to know your number.

"Are you really trying to sever all ties with me?" His eyes were filled with hurt, his voice tinged with self-mockery. "And we agreed on three days. Today is just the first day. It was you who said that, not me." Clara deliberately ignored the sadness in his eyes, afraid that even a flicker of sympathy might stir inside her if she saw it. Even the slightest spark of pity could be deadly.

After all, the love she had once felt for Wren had built up like a slow current until it became something uncontrollable. How could she make the same mistake again?

The call had already gone through, but just as Liam was about to speak, he overheard Wren's voice. He wisely chose to stay quiet, not wanting to get involved.

Liam was sweating as he listened to their conversation, his nerves on edge. He knew if Carlisle found out, things could end badly for him.

Clara didn't notice his unease. She glanced at her phone and realized the call had connected without her noticing. A slight flush of embarrassment crossed her face. She spoke into the phone, "It's me, Liam." "Ms. Salford," Liam quickly replied, not daring to pretend he hadn't heard.

He felt a bit relieved at the same time. Since the call was coming from Wren's phone, it meant they were together. Maybe soon, Wren would convince her to come back.

But Clara's next words crushed Liam's hopes.

"Please book a flight for Wren back to Phoypolis as soon as possible."

Liam was caught off guard. He instinctively asked, "Ms. Salford, aren't you coming back with Mr. Zachman?"

Clara glanced at Wren, who was staring at her, then quickly averted her gaze. She replied in a low voice, "No. Iwon't be going back. Please arrange the ticket for him only."

"But..." Liam hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Wren's expression darkened, and he quietly asked, "Is there no room for negotiation?"

Clara sighed. "Liam, just make sure to help him with the ticket."

With that, she ended the call and handed the phone back to Wren. She looked him in the eyes. "Wren, I don't want to say anything too harsh, but let's end it here. Honestly, with your abilities, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to step outside and get a cab, right?"

Wren suddenly had a bad feeling. "I'm not familiar with this place, and there's no way to get a cab here."noveldrama

Clara saw through him immediately. "But when you came to the school to find me, didn't you have a car?"

Looking back, she realized she had been

to be soft-hearted before, unable

to bear the thought of him standing out in the rain. That was why she had let him in.

"That wasn't the case. That was just a random taxi I called," Wren quickly explained, feeling like Clara's following words would be telling him to leave. And he wasn't wrong.

Clara didn't look at him, her mind recalling how he had brought a suitcase when he arrived-clearly planning to stay long-term.

She steeled herself and said, "I've already had Liam book your flight. After dinner, just take a cab to the airport."