Chapter 319: Please Don’t Leave Me
Adrian Lancaster drove smoothly into the residential complex, parking at the base of the Suttons’ apartment building.
The quiet drive washed away the lingering shadow of the stalking incident.
Wren Sutton sat in the passenger seat. It wasn’t until the engine cut off that she finally came to her senses and suddenly remembered something.
Adrian Lancaster still had a cold and fever; he hadn’t fully recovered.
The panic of being followed and the relief of his arrival had made her completely forget that he was sick and unwell.
He should have been in bed resting, but after her call, he had ignored his weakness and rushed to the mall, running all the way to her side without even frowning.
Looking at the dark circles under Adrian’s eyes and his haggard complexion, a complex wave of emotions churned within Wren.
There was heartache, guilt, and a soft warmth that wrapped tightly around her heart, impossible to shake off.
"Ad..."
She started to speak, but before she could finish his name, Adrian leaned over and pulled her into his arms.
"We were only apart for half a day, and I was already missing you and the kids like crazy."
"You bought so many baby supplies. Are you planning to stay here for a few days?"
Adrian tightened his arms, resting his chin lightly on top of Wren’s head. His tone was filled with a desperate insecurity, like a child afraid of being abandoned.
"My love, please don’t leave me."
"When I’m home alone, I can’t see you or hear your voice. It’s unbearable. I feel like I’m about to fall into a depression."
Listening to Adrian’s words and thinking back to how he’d rushed to the mall while sick, Wren’s heart ached with a tender sorrow. All her emotions intertwined, weighing heavily on her.
She hadn’t returned to her parents’ home out of spite; it was a carefully considered decision.
"I brought Owen and Nina back to their grandma’s house because I didn’t want them to catch your cold. That’s the main reason."
"Secondly, it lets you move around freely at home instead of being confined to the guest room."
Wren’s tone was serious, with no trace of insincerity or pretense.
She paused, then added, "Once your cold is completely gone, I’ll bring the kids back home."
Her words were a soothing balm. Upon hearing them, Adrian’s tense and anxious mood finally eased.
"Really?"
Wren nodded. "Really."
Adrian’s mood brightened instantly. He held the woman in his arms tightly, greedily taking in her scent and warmth.
"That’s all I needed to hear. I feel so much better now."
"This morning, the housekeeper said you’d left with the children. My heart sank. I thought you had left Aston, run far away, and abandoned me."
Wren closed her eyes, silently clenching her fists. The faint scent of medicine and his own clean, crisp aroma filled her senses.
A moment of silence passed.
"Please keep what happened today a secret. Don’t let anyone know, especially my parents. They’re getting older, and I don’t want them to worry about this."
Adrian understood her reasoning and nodded in agreement. "Okay, I’ll keep it a secret for you."
Wren said thank you, then gently pushed him away.
"I should go up now. My mom will worry if I take too long. Owen and Nina might be awake from their naps by now, and I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle them alone."
Adrian was extremely reluctant to let her go. He wanted to go up with Wren, but he knew that would risk spreading the virus to the children and her mother, a risk he didn’t dare take.
Finally, he sighed helplessly and reluctantly let go.
"It’ll be tough on you and your mother for the next few days. How about I have the nanny come over to lighten your load?"
Wren appreciated the thought but waved her hand in refusal. "No, that’s okay. My mom isn’t used to having strangers in the house. Have the nanny stay and take care of you."
Adrian didn’t press the issue, respecting her wishes.
"Alright, whatever you say. I’ll get better as soon as possible, and then I’ll come pick you and the kids up."
"Also, I’ve arranged for bodyguards to protect you discreetly. There will be both men and women, so you don’t have to be afraid when you go out again. No one will dare to harm you."
Wren felt not only gratitude but also a profound sense of security.
"You should go back and rest. Remember to eat on time, take your medicine, and stop overexerting yourself."
"Okay. Call me if you need anything."
"Mhm."
With everything said, Wren opened the car door and got out.
Adrian watched until her figure completely disappeared into the apartment building before slowly pulling his gaze away.
The tenderness in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by a bottomless, icy chill.
Adrian gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.
In front of Wren, he had suppressed all his ferocity and rage. But now, that deliberately contained viciousness could no longer be hidden.
The dizziness and fatigue from his cold were crushed by his intense fury.
Adrian took out his phone and dialed his assistant.
"Contact the manager of Starlight Plaza immediately. I want the surveillance footage from noon today—every floor, hallway, elevator, and fire exit. Not a single file missing. I’m coming over to review it myself."
"Yes, President Lancaster."
Adrian hung up, turned the car around, and sped away from the complex, heading toward Starlight Plaza.
He steered with one hand while rubbing his throbbing temples with the other. Waves of exhaustion from his cold washed over him.
But the thought of someone stalking Wren, the memory of her trembling voice and the panic in her eyes—it felt as if his heart had been ripped out, leaving a raw, bloody ache.
The discomfort of a cold and fever was nothing in comparison.
「At Starlight Plaza.」
The manager received the notice and, not daring to delay for even a second, immediately headed for the security room.
He personally arranged for all the surveillance equipment to be turned on, the screens filling an entire wall.
When Adrian arrived, his assistant was waiting at the door to greet him.
"President Lancaster, as you requested, all the surveillance footage has been pulled up."
Adrian said nothing, striding inside. The low pressure radiating from him was so intense that the staff didn’t dare look up, holding their breath and quickly moving out of his way.
Adrian stood ramrod straight before the wall of monitors. He wore a mask, revealing a pair of eyes as deep and cold as a winter lake.
"Show me the footage corresponding to my wife’s movements in the mall today. From beginning to end. Frame by frame."
"Understood, President Lancaster."
As soon as he finished speaking, the surveillance footage began to play.
Adrian stared intently at the screen, his gaze as sharp as a hawk’s, not missing a single detail. Even a blurry figure in a corner or a fleeting glance had to be reviewed repeatedly.
Time ticked by. The footage was played from beginning to end three times.
The security room was so quiet that the only sound was the faint hum of the equipment.
Adrian watched all the footage. He found no suspicious individuals tailing Wren, no furtive stalkers, no figures deliberately avoiding the cameras.
That person, those eyes... it was as if they had never been there at all.
Adrian clenched his fist and slammed it onto the edge of the control console. The dull THUD was startlingly loud in the silent room.
’The mall is only so big, how could I not find him?!’
Adrian’s expression grew uglier. His already haggard face, now twisted with rage and confusion, became even more grim and cold—a chilling sight.
The assistant stood to the side, not daring to breathe too loudly, and spoke cautiously.
"President Lancaster, it seems our target has exceptional counter-surveillance skills. They either deliberately exploited the cameras’ blind spots, or they were so well disguised that we can’t spot them."