Chapter 328: Like a Thorn Stuck in the Heart
Wren Sutton’s heart skipped a beat. Her fingertips froze, and she stood rooted to the spot.
The voice on the other end of the line was soft and melodious, carrying an unforced intimacy.
The way she said "Adrian" was so familiar and natural, as if she had whispered it a thousand times over. There wasn’t a trace of unfamiliarity or awkwardness, like she was calling out to the person closest to her.
His name, spoken so lightly, carried an invisible force. It bored its way into Wren Sutton’s ears and burrowed straight into the depths of her heart.
It instantly shattered the romantic, bashful mood that the intimate video had stirred within her. The sweet feelings and fluttering heartbeat that had been quietly bubbling up were obliterated in an instant, leaving not a trace behind.
Wren Sutton clenched her fingers and pressed her lips together, suppressing the bitter pang that surged in her chest as she struggled to steady her turbulent emotions.
"Who is this?" she asked, her voice restrained, almost calm.
The other end of the line fell into a dead silence, so quiet she could hear the faint crackle of static.
After a few seconds of silence, a soft chuckle came through the line. It was filled with unconcealed amusement and blatant provocation, chilling her to the bone.
The person didn’t answer. After the laugh, they hung up.
The dial tone droned on...
Wren Sutton stood frozen, clutching the phone. A chill started in her fingertips and crept into her heart.
Those vague, romantic feelings from before had completely vanished, leaving nothing behind.
All that remained was an indescribable thread of loss and resentment, coiling tighter and tighter around her heart until she felt like she couldn’t breathe.
An unknown number, not saved in his contacts, calling Adrian Lancaster’s private phone. A woman calling his name so intimately, only to hang up after a deliberate provocation.
Pieced together, all these details formed a net that ensnared Wren Sutton.
She slowly closed her eyes, images of the past surfacing uncontrollably in her mind.
This wasn’t the first time she had received such a provocative call. In the past, all the malicious calls had come from Maya Marshall, and every single one had left her upset and humiliated.
But Wren Sutton was one hundred percent certain that the woman’s voice on the phone just now was definitely not Maya Marshall’s.
It was a voice she had never heard before, completely unfamiliar. She had no idea who the caller could be.
’Adrian Lancaster, you sure are popular.’ Wren Sutton slowly opened her eyes. They were dull and shadowed. A bitter, lonely smile, full of self-mockery, touched her lips.
She took a deep breath, pushing down the complex emotions churning inside her. She didn’t delete the record of the unknown call, silently placing the phone back where she found it.
After doing all this, Wren Sutton turned and walked back to the beanbag chair by the window, sinking into it slowly.
She tried hard to keep her expression impassive, to appear as calm as still water, as if the phone call hadn’t affected her at all.
But only she knew that the call had planted a sharp thorn of doubt and unease in her heart, one that ached at the slightest touch.
...
In the living room, Adrian Lancaster placed the babies in a play area covered with a thick, soft play mat. It was surrounded by a baby fence and filled with soft cloth dolls and educational rattles—a safe and cozy space.
He sat cross-legged on the mat, a small pink bear rattle in his hand. He gave it a gentle shake, and the crisp ringing sound immediately captured Owen and Nina’s attention.
The twins’ little heads turned to follow the sound. They were having a blast with the simple game, not finding it boring in the least. They let out soft, sweet babbles that were so adorable it could melt your heart.
Adrian Lancaster was incredibly patient as he played with the children, his attention completely focused on them. A loving smile never left his face, and he had no idea what had just happened in the bedroom.
His deep, playful coos mixed with the babies’ joyful babbles, filling the living room with an air of happiness.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for dinner.
Adrian Lancaster checked the time and temporarily handed Owen and Nina over to the nanny. He got up from the play mat and headed toward the bedroom.
The bedroom was quiet, filled with a faint, pleasant scent. On the beanbag chair by the window, Wren Sutton was leaning against a cushion, staring blankly outside with a vacant gaze.
Her face looked as calm as still water, betraying no turmoil. But the faint, absentminded melancholy in her eyes was impossible to hide. Her usual radiance was gone, replaced by a listless dullness.
Adrian Lancaster pushed the door open and entered, his footsteps exceptionally light and a gentle smile on his lips.
He immediately noticed the dejection in Wren’s eyes.
His heart sank, and he quickened his pace toward her.
Wren Sutton continued to stare blankly out the window, seemingly unaware that Adrian Lancaster had entered.
Adrian Lancaster sat down carefully beside her, close enough to sense her emotions but not so close as to feel intrusive.
After a brief pause, he took the initiative and gently took Wren Sutton’s hand, which was resting by her side.
Her fingertips were ice-cold. Adrian Lancaster’s heart sank even further. He enveloped her hand completely in his, trying to warm it.
"What are you thinking about? Just sitting here staring into space," Adrian Lancaster’s voice was filled with concern.
The sudden warmth enveloping her hand made Wren Sutton stiffen, pulling her thoughts back to reality.
She turned her head to look at Adrian Lancaster, and her gaze met his, which were deep, earnest, and brimming with concern for her. Seeing this only made the loss and resentment inside her surge more fiercely.
"It’s nothing. The stars are really bright tonight. I just got a little lost watching them."
Wren Sutton shook her head gently, deliberately avoiding Adrian Lancaster’s gaze. Her tone was so calm it betrayed no emotion, as if nothing had happened at all.
As she finished speaking, she nonchalantly slipped her hand out of Adrian Lancaster’s grasp.
Then, she stood up from the sofa and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her expression perfectly normal.
"You came in to get me for dinner, right? I’m hungry, actually. Let’s go."
Wren Sutton’s tone was light and her steps unhurried. She walked ahead of Adrian Lancaster, showing no intention of waiting for him.
"..." The faint chill of Wren Sutton’s fingertips still lingered in Adrian Lancaster’s palm.
Watching her back as she walked away, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
...
「Dining Room」
Under the bright, warm lights, the dining table was set with an exquisite and delicious dinner.
Owen and Nina sat in their strollers next to the table. Neither of the twins was hungry yet, so they were amusing themselves by waving plush toys around.
Adrian Lancaster sat beside Wren Sutton, proactively putting food on her plate while carefully observing her expression and mood.
"This is deboned fish. Have some more."
"And here’s the broccoli and sliced bamboo shoots you like."
"This beef brisket is good, too."
"Thank you." A polite smile curved Wren Sutton’s lips.
She ate all the food Adrian put on her plate, seemingly with relish, showing no sign of any negative emotions.
Moreover, she even found time to tease Owen and Nina, a constant smile on her face.
Her every move was natural. There were no evasive glances, no stiff movements. Everything seemed perfectly normal, with nothing suspicious about her behavior.
The taut string of tension in Adrian Lancaster’s heart finally loosened. ’Maybe I’m just being too sensitive,’ he thought. ’Maybe I misjudged the situation.’
He breathed a sigh of relief and didn’t dwell on it further. He subconsciously reached out to take Wren Sutton’s hand, which was resting at her side.
The moment their fingertips touched, Wren Sutton’s hand tensed up.
She turned to look at Adrian Lancaster, her brow furrowed slightly. Her eyes held a hint of displeased accusation.
"You’re holding my hand. How am I supposed to eat?"