Chapter 99

"You were willing to compromise on everything for Ivy. Don't tell me you couldn't see through her schemes," Clara said, her voice calm but piercing. "You let her get away with it—when she set me up, when she intentionally destroyed my mother's last painting, even when she humiliated me. And not only did you stand by and watch, but you also joined her and became another person who hurt me." Clara's tone stayed steady, but her words cut deeper than any raised voice could. "Wren, you've already made your choice, haven't you? Like that night at the gala, when the chandelier came crashing down, and you saved her without even sparing me a glance. You didn't stop there—you came to the hospital and warned me not to hold it against her, even if it meant tearing down my dreams to protect her. "You did all that for her. And now you're standing here, telling me you're not marrying her and asking me to go back with you? I don't understand you." Wren opened his mouth to respond, the wor