Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 213

"If I want to go in, I can press this first," Leo said. "If the people inside are angry, I won't go in."

Standing beside them, Lawrence's face turned grim as he heard those words.

He wanted to tell him that The Langford Estate was his home and he didn't need to ring a doorbell.

But the words died in his throat.

The boy wasn't talking about a literal door.

He was talking about the people inside.

On the ride back, Lawrence didn't demand they share a car again.

After dropping Leo off at the estate, Wren immediately grabbed her laptop and documents, preparing to head to Stellaris.

Lawrence stepped out of his study and saw her changing her shoes. He frowned. "Where are you going?"

"Stellaris."

"We just finished the school meeting."

"And?"

"Leo just got back, and you're not going to stay with him?"

Wren froze.

She looked up at him, her eyes stripped of anger, leaving only an exhausted, chilling clarity.

"Lawrence, I spent the entire morning with him. He has his tutors and rest time this afternoon. You can stay with him."

Lawrence felt a sharp sting at the words 'You can stay with him.'

She never used to push responsibilities onto him like this.

No, it wasn't pushing.

It was always his responsibility to begin with.

It was just that she had carried it for so long, he had completely forgotten it belonged to him too.

"I have meetings this afternoon," Lawrence said, his voice lowering.

"Then let him follow his regular schedule," Wren said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "The observation period doesn't mean I have to be on call twenty-four hours a day."

Eleanor happened to walk out of the living room and caught the tail end of the conversation. She let out a cold scoff. "How noble. The boy is in pieces, and you're still sprinting out the door. Once a woman gets career-obsessed, she stops caring about her family."

Wren finished tying her shoes and turned to face her.

"Eleanor, Ms. Miller specifically said today that we shouldn't make the child carry the adults' anxieties."

Eleanor's face stiffened.

"Leo is upstairs," Wren said, lowering her voice. "If you want to keep making a scene, I can have Ms. Miller add this exact conversation to the observation log."

Eleanor turned deathly pale from rage.

Lawrence stared at Wren.

He realized she was now ruthlessly wielding the rules against them.

The court, the school, the logs, the lawyers.

These elements, which used to be entirely alien to the Langford way of life, were now being dragged in and placed squarely on their coffee tables, dining tables, and hallways. The absolute authority the Langford family had maintained through sheer habit had suddenly been stripped of its invisible armor.

Wren didn't linger a second longer.

Once the front door clicked shut, Eleanor immediately turned on Lawrence. "Look at her! Does she look like someone who came back to save this family?"

Standing in the foyer, Lawrence didn't answer right away.

Hearing that name in his study made him instinctively glance at the door.

The hallway was empty.

But his mind immediately summoned the image of Wren sitting in the guest suite last night, tirelessly reviewing documents.

His secretary was still waiting on the screen.

Lawrence pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tell her to send the files to Jude Sinclair."

The secretary hesitated. "But Willow..."

"I'm not seeing her tonight."

With that, he ended the call.

The study plunged into silence.

Leaning back in his chair, Lawrence suddenly felt a strange wave of relief wash over him.

It felt like he had finally made a definitive choice.

But the relief was incredibly short-lived.

His phone buzzed shortly after.

It was Willow.

Lawrence stared at the name for several seconds before answering.

"Lawrence," her voice was soft, laced with a delicate smile. "I heard Wren moved back?"

Lawrence's eyes went cold. "Who told you that?"

Willow paused for a fraction of a second before her tone softened further. "Nothing stays hidden in our circle. I was just worried about you. If Wren is willing to come back, does this mean you guys..."