Katrina watched Wien with a conflicted expresssan, "I thanight you understood. You konnychow Clara feels alle

Her moving out of the house is the best thing

When's hean clenched as a sliver at hope ignited inside him. He stated at Katrina, his voice rising with desperation. "You're the one who made her leave, right? There's no way she'd want to leave the Zachman residence and the beland. This wasn't her decision!" a's gaze grew more complicated. She hesitated for a moment before she met his eyes. "Does it matter?"

Wrenfroze, momentarily stunord,

Katrina sighed deeply "Does it matter whose decision it was? Clara's gone, When You need to understand what that means."noveldrama

"I don't understand - When suddenly shouted, his voice cracking as he lost control. "Why didn't she talk to me first? Why didn't she tell me? She just disappeared without even saving a word. What am 1 supposed to do with that?"

Katz watched his outburst, and the uneasy feeling in her chest solidified

She'd watched When and Clara grow up together. She'd seen the way When used to care about Clara and how much she meant to him. But then, everything changed Wheti Ivy chime into Wren's life.

Overtinue. Plien Kit couldn't tell if Wren still had feelings for Clara

But now, watching bum unravel before her eyes, she realized that Wren's feelings to

lone, not evenl'binarit, could see them.

for Clara might have never changed. He had just buried them so deeply that no

If this were the past, kata might have been happy to see the two of them find their way back to each other.

Was too late. Cara had moved on. She had left this city-this place where she'd grown up-and she wasn't looking back. She wanted to leave the past 10 sevel ties completely

longer wanted to see these two tangled up in each other's lives. It was better for them to retum to being nothing more than family for their own sakes. "Wien, radro down. Let's air talkthip through," she said steadily, noticing the storm of emotions on his face. She poured him a glass of water and pushed it

float was parched, but he couldn't focus on anything but Katrina. He sat down reluctantly, his voice tight with desperation "Whrse did she pa? Why did the get rid of her phone? Can you give me her new number? I just want to see her." rad without besitation.

"Wren, † shar begali softly, I've watched you and Clara grow up For years, I've thought of you both as my how you raised her like tamply. Sherbecutie - part of your life-ahabat and responatality. It's natural that you don't want to let go. y own children. Inow how much you've done for her and

Carfild anymore. And you're about to start your own lite. You made your choice when you decided to get engaged to Ivy. It's etoder Clara yo Keeping ber here would only make her lite luider, You don't want that for her, do you?

x volor tumed firm as the continued, "What will seeing her now accomplish? Are you going to force her to watch you build a life with someone else? Your

mkdeadly. Don't der yourself have thoughts you should

is you shouldn't be having, especially mw.

Mandejrlap. He taught he'd hadden his feelings well, but Katrina had seen through him.

e'd brown all along about

as pale as a sheet, and his hands clothed Ids head as if to

Tears Leated down his fai

He dadu i know if Katrined's wo

trying to contain the unbearable pain flooding his heart. est telt like it was being crushed, the suffocating weight leaving him pasping for breath, Part of him wanted to der Has.

Because it he left now, he might neerling Clala again.

truth they carried. Bat he couldn't bring himself to leave.