Clara froze for a moment, then began to explain. "The day I was discharged, I waited for you all day-from morning until night.

"But you never showed up. On the way to the airport, I decided to say goodbye properly, so I called you."

Her voice softened, but there was no mistaking the bitterness beneath her words. "Ivy answered your phone. She told me you'd been with her all day and that you didn't want to see me.

"She said I should stop clinging to you and making it hard for you to go home, so I hung up and sent you a text instead, saying goodbye. I thought you saw it."

"I didn't!" Wren's voice broke with frustration, his emotions spiraling out of control. "I never got your text! If I had, I would've known you were leaving. I would've come after you I wouldn't have waited until now!" But as the words left his mouth, a memory hit him like a slap.

That day, he had planned to see Clara-he really had. But Ivy had shown up, holding two theater tickets, insisting they were impossible to get. She begged him to go with her to a musical, saving she'd wanted to see it for ages

He hadn't wanted to go, but by had been relentless, wearing him down until he finally agreed.

tup a custom dress she'd ordered. Then,

Once they got to the theater, she claimed the show didn't start until later that evening and asked him to go with her to pick up ac

ran into some of her friends, and one delay after another kept piling up.

By the time Wren realized how much time had passed, tvy had him completely tied up with her plans.

at him

He hadn't thought too much of it at the time. He figured he could buy Clara a gift the next day, apologize, and smooth things over. She'd never stayed mad at before.

However, instead of forgiveness, he'd been met with the news of her sudden departure.

Now that he looked back at it, everything clicked into place-Ivy must have known something. She had deliberately kept him away from Clara. Even the smallest details - the misplaced shawl she'd asked him to retrieve from the theater and the "dead phone" excuse she used to borrow his-were part of her plan

And because by had admitted Clara had called, Wren hadn't considered questioning it further. If she'd denied it, he might've realized something was off. He clenched his fists, hating himself for being so blind.

"I didn't mean to let you down," Wren said, his voice hoarse with regret. "I had no choice that day I didn't mean to leave you waiting.

"Clara, can't you forgive me just this once? Let me make it up to you. I owe you that meal, so I'll cook it for you right now. Whatever you want, I'll make it." Clara shook her head gently, her expression resolute. "It's not necessary. What's done is done, Wien. Some things can't be fixed, and we can't go back to how things

I didn't call you to argur I just wanted to say goodbye. Now that I'v

I've said what I needed to, you should go back to Phoypolis. You have someone waiting on you. Her voice was steady, but the wright behind her words cut like a knife. When opened his mouth to protest, but the words caught in his throat. What could he even

There were langs he couldn't explain to her right now. But the truth was, it didn't matter-she didn't want to hear them anymore-she didn't want him anymore. Pain crashed over lam, sharp and suffocating His tiglly clenched tists slowly relaxed, falling limply to his sides. He felt powerless, the weight of her rejection

Wien couldn't accept it. He didn't want to let her go, but what could he do? Force her to come back with him? Drag her to the car and fly her back to Phoypolls answer was clear he couldn'tnoveldrama

it he did that, she would hate him. And yet, the thought of leaving her here, alone in this place, was unbearable. The a The idea of her not being in his life of her slipping away entirely-was a toment he couldn't endure. Ever since the moment he realized she was gone, it felt like has beam had beentom apart, piece by piece, every second of every day.

He wasn't unge if he could keep himself going if he had lost fire completely.