Secretly Married for 4 Years, He Regrets to Tears After the Divorce

Chapter 272: Chapter 272: Planning a Trip to the Sterling Family

After having dinner at his in-laws’ house, Adrian Lancaster drove Wren Sutton and the children home.

Night had fallen, thick as a bolt of ink-soaked velvet, gently muffling the city’s daytime clamor.

All that remained were the warm, yellow halos of the streetlights, scattered across the asphalt.

Adrian Lancaster first carried a sleepy-eyed Owen and Nina to the car. He carefully buckled them into their child safety seats, then pulled a small blanket over them, tucking the two little ones in snugly.

He then got into the driver’s seat, started the car, and drove away.

The car glided smoothly down the street, its tires whispering over the flat pavement.

In the back seat, Owen and Nina were worn out from a full day of play and had long since succumbed to sleep. Their heads were tilted to one side, their brows relaxed, their breathing even and deep. They were sound asleep.

Adrian Lancaster rested one hand casually on the steering wheel, his fingers long and elegant, while his other hand sat loosely by the gearshift.

His profile was sharp and well-defined. As the streetlights flickered past, alternating light and shadow played across his face, enhancing his tranquil expression and the air of cool detachment he usually carried.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Wren Sutton beside him.

She was turned slightly, her gaze fixed on the streetscape blurring past the window. Her brow was lightly furrowed, her eyes hiding a deep-seated worry. She hadn’t said a word for some time.

Adrian Lancaster lowered his voice, his tone exceptionally gentle, careful not to disturb the sleeping children in the back. "What’s wrong? You look like you have a lot on your mind."

Wren Sutton slowly pulled her gaze away from the window and shook her head. Her fingertips unconsciously traced circles on the cotton fabric of the skirt resting on her lap.

The words were caught in her chest. She wanted to speak but hesitated. After a moment of conflict, all that escaped was a soft sigh.

"Never mind. It’s nothing."

Seeing her hesitate, Adrian Lancaster immediately guessed most of what was on her mind.

He ventured a guess, "This is about your best friend, Isla Griffith."

Wren Sutton lowered her gaze, neither confirming nor denying it.

A brief silence filled the car, broken only by the sound of the wind occasionally whipping past, gently tapping against the windows.

After a moment, she finally looked up at Adrian Lancaster. "What’s your aunt like?"

Adrian Lancaster’s expression remained placid upon hearing her question.

"Did Isla Griffith complain to you? Said her future mother-in-law is difficult and is deliberately giving her a hard time?"

"It wasn’t a complaint." Wren Sutton’s eyes shot up, her expression suddenly serious and firm. She corrected him at once, her tone fiercely protective of her best friend.

"Isla isn’t the type to gossip about people behind their backs. She was just feeling incredibly hurt and had nowhere to turn, so she vented to me a little. It was absolutely not a complaint."

She took a deep breath. As she recalled her best friend tearfully confiding in her earlier that day, her eyes filled with a mix of heartache and anger. Her voice rose unconsciously, and she hurriedly lowered it, afraid of waking the children.

"Your aunt went behind Sean Sterling’s back to meet Isla alone. She didn’t have a single nice thing to say—just threw a check at her and told her to leave Sean Sterling."

"Are all rich people like this? So arrogant and high-and-mighty because of their family’s status, with absolutely no regard for other people’s dignity or feelings."

The temperature in the car seemed to drop instantly, and the air grew heavy.

Adrian Lancaster: "..."

Truth be told, his relationship with Isla Griffith had never been amicable. In fact, it was downright awful. They had never had a kind word for each other.

In the past, he wouldn’t have cared if his aunt had humiliated Isla with a check. Even if Isla and the Sterling Family were at each other’s throats, he would have just seen it as some drama that had nothing to do with him. He would have stayed far away, never gotten involved, and wouldn’t have given it a second thought.

But things were different now. Everything was different.

Isla Griffith was Wren Sutton’s dearest friend, the one she treasured most. They were as close as sisters.

When Isla was wronged, Wren was upset. The emotion was written all over her face, and seeing it pained him.

As her husband, he couldn’t just pretend nothing was wrong. He couldn’t ignore something that made his wife this upset.

Besides, Isla was now pregnant with Sean Sterling’s children—twins, no less.

They were going to be family, after all. For Sean’s sake, and for the sake of their future bond as close relatives, it was time to let go of old grudges.

Adrian Lancaster broke the silence.

"Did Isla Griffith accept the check?"

"Of course not." Wren Sutton immediately went on the defensive, her voice filled with pride and admiration for her friend.

"My best friend isn’t the kind of person who’s after money. She’s with Sean Sterling because she genuinely loves him and wants to build a life with him, not for the Sterling family’s status or wealth. That’s the only reason she’d endure this kind of treatment."

"To put it bluntly, if she weren’t pregnant now—unwilling to give up the babies, and unwilling to give up Sean Sterling—Isla’s personality is such that she would have initiated a breakup long ago. She never would have let your aunt be so aggressive and humiliate her like this for no reason."

Adrian Lancaster could clearly hear the irrepressible anger in Wren Sutton’s voice. Fearing she might redirect her anger at him, he quickly spoke up, instinctively drawing a line between himself and his aunt’s actions.

"Honey, don’t be angry. My aunt is her own person, and I’m me. I had no idea she did this; it has absolutely nothing to do with me."

"If you’re angry, direct it at the Sterling family. I haven’t done anything wrong, so don’t take it out on me."

"I’m not getting angry at you." Wren Sutton turned her face away slightly, a hint of hurt in her voice.

"I’m just stating the facts. If you don’t want to hear it, then just pretend I didn’t say anything."

Adrian Lancaster took the hand resting on her lap, the warmth of his palm slowly spreading to hers.

"I want to listen. Don’t be angry. Say whatever’s on your mind. I’m all ears."

He knew his aunt came from a prestigious, wealthy family. She had been doted on her entire life and was used to smooth sailing, so her personality had always been forceful and domineering. Everything had to go her way.

Moreover, his aunt placed great importance on social standing and reputation. She had extremely high standards for Sean Sterling’s partner and always assumed girls from ordinary families were only after the Sterling family’s money. Offering a check was perfectly in character for her.

Normally, he was very respectful toward his aunt. Even when he occasionally disagreed with her methods, he would remain silent out of respect for her as an elder, never defying her or raising objections.

But this time, he could not remain silent, much less stand idly by. He had to stand firmly on Wren Sutton’s side.

To be safe, Adrian Lancaster pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"If you don’t want to talk now, then let me say a few things first."

"What do you want to say?" Wren Sutton asked.

Adrian Lancaster said, "I won’t meddle in the Sterling family’s internal affairs. Sean Sterling is an adult. Who he marries, how he communicates with his family, and how he protects the person he loves—that’s all his responsibility."

"He chose this path, and no matter how hard it is, he has to see it through himself. I can’t overstep and do it for him."

"However, Isla Griffith is your best friend—someone you hold dear. When she’s being wronged by the Sterling family, you get upset."

"Her situation directly affects your mood, and that makes it my business."

Wren Sutton stared at him, slightly taken aback.

Adrian Lancaster tightened his grip on her hand, his gaze firm.

"So, I’m going to the Sterling family’s home in person tomorrow."

Wren Sutton’s eyes lit up instantly. The gloom clouding them was swept away, replaced by eager anticipation.

"You’re going to the Sterling family’s home to speak up for Isla?"

Adrian Lancaster said, "It’s not entirely for her. Sean Sterling is my cousin, after all, and I don’t want to see him caught in the middle. I’m going to try and mediate."

The corner of Adrian Lancaster’s mouth curled up, and his voice was laced with affection for Wren Sutton.

"At the end of the day, I’m not doing it for her sake so much as for yours. What can I say? Isla Griffith has you as a fiercely protective best friend. So, out of respect for you, I have to go."