Chapter 320: Secret Investigation, Don’t Startle the Snake
Adrian Lancaster’s knuckles were white, his fists clenched tight. The rage boiling in his chest threatened to overwhelm his reason, and a vein throbbed at his temple.
The next second, he squeezed his eyes shut. His tense jawline slowly relaxed, and his clenched fists gradually opened, leaving red marks on his palms.
’Anger won’t solve anything. It just makes you lose your judgment.’
Adrian Lancaster took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the roiling anxiety and unease in his heart. He willed himself to regain his usual calm composure.
His nose was stuffy from a bad cold, and a tickle in his throat brought on an irrepressible cough.
He turned his head and muffled several coughs, his face growing even paler.
But his back remained ramrod straight, projecting an aura of cold, formidable power, showing not a hint of vulnerability.
After composing himself, Adrian Lancaster took out his phone and dialed another number.
"Contact the traffic authorities and all relevant district departments immediately. I want the surveillance footage from every road section on the route from Sutton Estate to Starlight Plaza around noon today."
"Sidewalks, intersections, storefronts, blind spots in the greenbelts, back alleys—every single corner that can be filmed. Don’t miss a single one. Get me all of it, complete and uncut."
"Also, run a priority check on all vehicles along the route. Carefully verify the trajectory of every car and find out if any suspicious vehicles were tailing my wife."
A frosty look settled over Adrian Lancaster’s features.
He knew that whoever tailed Wren Sutton on a busy city street in broad daylight was no ordinary street thug.
’Either they’re meticulous, skilled at covering their tracks, and have strong counter-surveillance abilities.’
’Or they have a powerful backer, which is why they’d dare to be so brazen and show such disregard for me, Adrian Lancaster.’
’Either way, anyone who dares to touch my woman will pay the price.’
He would leave no stone unturned to drag this person out, eliminate the threat completely, and ensure they never had another chance to strike.
After hanging up, Adrian Lancaster showed no intention of leaving the surveillance room.
He walked over to a black leather chair, crossed his long legs, and stared fixedly at the screens in front of him, radiating an oppressive aura.
The atmosphere in the entire surveillance room grew tense and heavy. The staff nearby didn’t dare make a sound, holding their breath as they worked cautiously.
「Over half an hour later.」
The relevant departments finally sent back all the surveillance footage from the route. The assistant quickly connected the equipment and projected it onto the large screens.
A dense grid of surveillance windows filled the entire wall, clearly displaying the real-time scenes from various road sections.
Adrian Lancaster immediately stood up and strode to the screens. He personally dragged the progress bar, his eyes unblinking as he scrutinized every detail.
On the screens, traffic flowed in an orderly fashion and pedestrians hurried by. Everything looked normal.
No vehicles were tailing her, no suspicious individuals were deliberately following Wren Sutton, and no one was loitering on the roadside.
Adrian Lancaster’s brow furrowed even deeper, the unease in his heart intensifying.
The other party’s counter-surveillance skills were far stronger than he had imagined. Their disguise was flawless and their movements incredibly covert, perfectly avoiding all surveillance cameras without leaving a single trace.
He patiently reviewed all the surveillance footage several times, his eyes becoming bloodshot from the strain. The dark circles under his eyes deepened, yet he still found no trace of any suspicious people or vehicles.
"Damn it!"
Adrian Lancaster cursed under his breath, his voice filled with suppressed fury.
He shot to his feet, the movement too abrupt. Combined with the persistent low-grade fever from his cold, a wave of dizziness hit him, and his body swayed uncontrollably for a moment.
His assistant rushed forward to support him, but Adrian pushed him away with a wave of his hand.
"I’m fine. Don’t worry about me."
Adrian Lancaster stood in the center of the surveillance room, the menacing aura around him instantly turning to ice. A chill swept through the entire room.
’No clues, no traces.’ This completely unknown situation was far more unnerving than finding a clear suspect.
It meant the enemy was much harder to deal with than he’d imagined—better hidden and more malicious.
Adrian Lancaster forcefully rubbed his throbbing brow, his fingertips pressing into his temples as he once again forced himself to calm down.
’With no leads, I can’t act rashly. If I tip them off, they’ll only become more vigilant and might even do something desperate and more dangerous to Wren Sutton.’
’Fortunately, I’ve already arranged for bodyguards to protect Wren Sutton twenty-four hours a day. At least I can be sure she won’t be harmed for now.’
’The most important thing right now is to get better as soon as possible, bring my wife and kids to my side, and watch over them constantly. Only then can I truly be at ease.’
’After that, I’ll slowly lay my plans and, step by step, unmask the mastermind.’
Adrian Lancaster turned to his assistant, his gaze regaining its usual cold composure.
"Keep investigating. Don’t stop for a moment," he said, his tone firm and leaving no room for argument.
"Remember, don’t tip them off. Covertly investigate everyone and every organization that has had a recent falling out or conflict of interest with the Lancaster family. Whether it’s business rivals or old enemies, don’t miss a single one. Scrutinize their whereabouts and activities."
"Yes, President Lancaster. I’ll arrange it at once," the assistant replied.
"Also..." Adrian Lancaster paused, his gaze darkening slightly.
"I won’t be in the office for the next few days. You keep an eye on things. Report any anomalies to me immediately."
"Understood."
Silence returned to the surveillance room. Adrian Lancaster looked back at the wall of monitors, a flash of grim determination in his eyes.
...
Wren Sutton pushed open the door to her home to find the living room filled with joyful laughter.
Mrs. Sutton was sitting on the rug, playing with Owen and Nina.
The two little ones stared at the rattle in their grandmother’s hand with bright, dark eyes, making soft, adorable cooing sounds. They looked so well-behaved and cute.
A gentle smile spread across Wren Sutton’s face. She pretended that nothing had happened outside, not breathing a single word of it.
She didn’t want her mother to notice anything was amiss. She didn’t want this inexplicable fear to shatter the warmth of their home and needlessly worry her family.
Mrs. Sutton looked up at her daughter, her own face wreathed in smiles.
"You’re back! Go on, put your things down and rest for a bit. Have a glass of water."
"Owen and Nina have been up for over half an hour. They’ve had their formula, and now they’re having a great time playing."
As she spoke, Mrs. Sutton shook the rattle in her hand, making her grandson and granddaughter giggle.
"Thank you, Mom."
Wren Sutton casually placed her shopping bags in the entryway, then walked quickly to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and washed her hands thoroughly.
Returning to the living room, she first drank a glass of water, then sat down next to Mrs. Sutton and enthusiastically joined in the playtime with her children.
Seeing their mother, Owen and Nina grew even more excited, kicking their little legs and letting out happy coos.
Wren Sutton gave each of them a kiss, calling them her "precious babies" as she held them, unable to put them down.
"Grandma said you didn’t cry or fuss when you woke up. You’re such good babies for Mommy. Mommy loves you."
Watching her daughter, now a mother herself with her own babies—fraternal twins, no less—and seeing the three of them so close and happy, Mrs. Sutton grinned from ear to ear, her heart full of contentment.
’This is so wonderful.’
"Time flies. In the blink of an eye, my precious daughter has become a mother too."
Hearing this, Wren Sutton smiled, put the babies down, and moved closer to Mrs. Sutton, hugging her neck and acting playfully, just like she did as a child.
"Mom, I love you too."
Mrs. Sutton patted her daughter’s back. "Mom loves you too."
The mother and daughter played with the two little ones, talking and laughing. The three generations spent a warm and happy afternoon together in the living room.
「That evening,」 Mr. Sutton came home after a successful fishing trip and personally cooked a grand fish feast for his wife and daughter.
"Dad, I haven’t had your fish in so long," Wren Sutton said, leaning against the kitchen refrigerator as she watched her father skillfully and efficiently slice the fish fillets.
A kindly smile appeared on Mr. Sutton’s face. "As long as you want to eat it, Dad will make it for you every day."
"Now I’m just waiting for Owen and Nina to grow up quickly so they can taste their grandpa’s cooking too."
"Owen and Nina will definitely love Grandpa’s cooking."
Mr. Sutton chuckled happily at that.
Dinner was a sumptuous spread, a feast for the eyes and the palate. The family gathered around the dining table in a joyous, harmonious atmosphere, savoring every bite.
After some time, the sudden ringing of a cell phone broke the mood.
Wren Sutton put down her chopsticks and got up to get her phone.
The screen displayed an unknown number, but the area code was for Aston.
She hesitated for a moment before answering the call.
"Hello?"
"..." The person on the other end didn’t respond.
"Hello? Who are you trying to reach?"
"It’s you," the voice on the other end coldly uttered two words, then hung up.
Wren Sutton frowned. ’Psycho,’ she cursed inwardly, dialing the number back, intending to get a clear answer.
"We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service."