Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 271

Wren nodded. "I'll be there."

"And if anyone else from the Langford family contacts the school?" Ms. Miller asked, not avoiding her gaze. "I'm not doubting you, but we've seen this before. Families disagree, and the pressure ultimately falls on the child."

Wren pulled the registration receipt from her bag.

"I'll submit a written statement today. I am the only one attending the Open House. Without my consent, no other family member is allowed to take my place."

Ms. Miller breathed a sigh of relief. "That's for the best."

Leaving the school, Wren didn't head straight to Stellaris Medical.

She sat in her car and sent the statement to Robert Lawson, copying the school on the email.

After hitting send, she stared at the name "Wren Whitaker" on the screen. Leo's words suddenly echoed in her mind.

Mom belongs to Dad's family.

How many scenes like that had she forced her child to witness over the past six years?

She didn't have an answer.

But she knew that, starting right now, she was going to claw herself back, piece by piece.

It was a relentlessly busy day at Stellaris.

The review meeting was scheduled for the day before the Open House.

That meant Wren had two days to finalize the agenda, guest list, patient consultant materials, and PR contingency plans.

Maya Merritt stormed into the conference room, clutching her laptop. "The final version of the Child-Friendly Consent Guidelines is done. If anyone asks me to change a single punctuation mark, I'm going to have a mental breakdown right here."

Phoebe Price didn't even look up. "There actually is a punctuation error."

Maya was speechless.

Sitting nearby, Daisy York nearly choked on her water with a laugh.

She was there to review the patient consultant materials. She still looked a bit pale, but her energy was much better than last time. Julian York sat across from her, reviewing the clinical advisory notes and occasionally reminding her to hydrate.

Looking at the room full of people, the tight string in Wren's chest loosened just a fraction.

It was chaotic here, too.

Maybe even more chaotic than the Langford Estate.

Papers, schedules, and timelines were a mess; Maya's desk looked like a data tornado had hit it.

But this chaos was moving forward.

It wasn't dragging her backward.

At five that afternoon, Lawrence Langford sent her a message.

"Are you coming back to the estate for dinner tonight? Leo is asking."

Wren replied, "I'll be back before seven."

And this time, she kept her word.

His gaze darkened.

He didn't speak immediately.

Leo seemed to suddenly remember something. He picked up another marker and drew a tiny black figure at the door of the classroom.

"Dad can come pick me up," he explained. "But Mom is the one who goes inside for the Open House."

It was the biggest concession the child was willing to make.

Lawrence stared at that tiny figure at the door.

He should have felt humiliated.

But in that moment, he realized he didn't even have the right to feel humiliated.

After dinner, Leo went to take a bath.

Only Wren and Lawrence remained in the living room.

Lawrence placed a file on the coffee table. "I reviewed the guest list for the meeting."

Wren looked up, her gaze cooling.

Lawrence quickly added, "I didn't take it from your suite. Langford Medical received an invitation."

Wren reined in the chill in her eyes.

Lawrence watched her. "Will Director Clarke be there?"