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

Chapter 283: Chapter 283: Seeing Through but Not Pointing It Out

"That’s not necessary."

Isla Griffith blurted out the words, her voice suddenly sharp with a hint of barely concealed panic.

The moment she spoke, she realized she had overreacted.

Seeing Sean Sterling’s brow furrow, she gently traced his palm with her fingertips in a flirtatious gesture.

"I just mean, with everything going on at the company, you’re already busy enough. You don’t need to make a special trip to my hometown with me. I can handle the paperwork myself."

But Sean Sterling didn’t budge. His brow furrowed even deeper, his tone firm and resolute. "No."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Isla’s face. "How could I let you go back to your hometown and deal with all that by yourself?"

"You’re pregnant." His voice deepened as he subconsciously reached out to cup her belly, his palm warm.

"If anything were to happen on the road, or if you ran into any trouble, I’d never forgive myself!"

Seeing the clear worry in Sean’s eyes, Isla understood his intentions, but she still tried to persuade him.

"Aston is less than 300 kilometers from my hometown. It’s only a three-hour drive, so it’s really not that far. Nothing will happen. Don’t worry, I’m perfectly healthy."

"Three kilometers would be too far, let alone three hundred," Sean interrupted, his tone unyieldingly assertive. He looked almost fierce—an expression reserved for when he cared deeply about someone.

Realizing his tone might have been too harsh and had scared Isla, he immediately softened.

He quickly pulled her into his arms, his voice gentle. "Listen to me, baby. We’ll do it my way. I worry about you. I can’t risk your safety, or our baby’s. I have to be responsible for you and for our child."

Isla couldn’t argue against Sean’s deep affection and protectiveness. Refusing any more would only make him suspicious.

So, with a helpless internal sigh, she nodded in agreement.

"Okay, fine. We’ll do it your way."

A smile instantly lit up Sean’s eyes. He leaned down, kissed Isla’s cheek, and took her hand.

"I knew my wife was the most considerate person. Come on, let’s go get some hot pot."

...

A thin layer of mist condensed on the glass door of the hot pot restaurant.

The moment they pushed the door open, a rich, scalding, savory aroma—a mix of tallow and bone broth—rushed to greet them, instantly whetting their appetites.

It was the peak of the dinner rush. The first-floor dining hall was a cacophony of voices and completely packed.

Laughter and cheerful chatter mingled with the BUBBLING of the pots, filling the air with a lively, down-to-earth energy.

Sean guided Isla protectively through the crowd, shielding her from being bumped.

A server greeted them with a warm, welcoming smile.

"Good evening, sir, ma’am. Welcome! Right this way."

Sean stood tall and straight. Even in simple clothes, he exuded an air of dignified composure.

"I have a reservation for a private room. The last four digits of my phone number are 7105. The name is Sterling."

"Of course, Mr. Sterling. Right this way, please. The room is on the second floor."

The server quickly verified the information at the front desk before leading the way.

As they went up the stairs, Sean supported Isla, whispering gently in her ear, "Watch your step."

Just as he finished speaking, a familiar female voice called out from behind them.

"Isla."

Isla and Sean turned around at the same time to see Wren Sutton and Adrian Lancaster just walking into the restaurant.

None of the four had expected to run into each other, and they were all quite surprised.

Adrian and Wren walked over. As it turned out, their private room was also on the second floor.

Isla let go of Sean’s hand and linked arms with Wren. The two walked ahead, chatting and laughing intimately.

The two men followed unhurriedly behind.

Adrian offered a faint, unreadable smile. "What a coincidence. You two are here for hot pot, too."

Sean: "Isla loves hot pot."

Adrian: "Same here. My wife loves hot pot, too."

Since they had run into each other, there was no reason to eat separately.

"Your room or my room?"

"Either is fine."

The second floor was much quieter than the main hall, with a carpeted corridor and an elegant ambiance.

Led by the server, the four of them walked into a spacious and bright VIP private room with a view of a lush green bamboo grove outside the window.

Individual "yin-yang" pots were already set up at each place, allowing everyone to choose their own broth.

Sean knew Isla usually loved the spicy mala broth, but since she was pregnant, he coaxed her into choosing the tomato and mushroom broths instead.

Isla was sensible enough not to argue.

When it was time to order, Sean meticulously questioned the server about which ingredients were suitable for pregnant women and which to avoid, clearly afraid of the slightest misstep.

Wren and Adrian both took note of his patience and extreme caution.

In front of her best friend and Adrian, Isla felt a little embarrassed. She quietly tugged on Sean’s sleeve and whispered, "There are four of us, you know. Don’t just order things I can eat."

Sean let out a low chuckle, seeing nothing wrong with it.

"It’s fine. We’re all friends here; they understand. Adrian will take care of whatever Wren wants to eat."

Adrian, who was looking down at the menu, chimed in naturally. "Yeah, you two order what you want, and we’ll order what we want. Don’t stand on ceremony."

A few minutes later, the server respectfully took the marked menus from both men.

"Of course. It will be out shortly."

The VIP room had priority service. In less than three minutes, all the dishes were served. The ingredients were fresh, the plating was exquisite, and the table was filled to the brim.

"Let’s dig in. Everyone must be hungry."

The broths bubbled away, sending up clouds of steam that softened the features of the four people around the table.

Isla and Wren had always been hot pot lovers. Now that they were eating together, they were even more animated, digging in with gusto.

Adrian and Sean were completely influenced by the two women. They used to be dismissive of hot pot, but they were slowly growing to like it and were now eating with just as much enjoyment.

The steaming pots, with ingredients tumbling in the fragrant, overflowing broth, created a cozy, down-to-earth atmosphere that warmed them up as they ate.

They all chatted idly while they ate. Adrian and Wren shared a tacit understanding, sticking to lighthearted topics and carefully avoiding any mention of what had happened at the hospital.

As a result, Isla still had no idea that Yvonne Donovan had been hospitalized after fainting from anger.

As they chatted, Sean brought up his and Isla’s recent plans. He wasn’t afraid of Adrian telling anyone, nor did he intend to keep it a secret.

"Isla and I were actually planning to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get our marriage certificate today, but she lost her household register and her ID card. We have to go back to her hometown to get replacements, so we’re leaving in the next day or two."

At his words, Wren, who was in the middle of picking up some food with her chopsticks, paused.

She had just been with Isla at the hospital for a check-up a few days ago, and Isla had her ID card then.

’How could it suddenly be lost today? And her household register, too?’

Wren glanced at her best friend, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind, but she kept her expression neutral.

"How long does it take to get them replaced?"

Sean answered earnestly, "Replacing the household register is quick. Once they verify the information, they can issue a new one on the spot. The ID card takes longer. I looked it up—it takes seven to ten days, at the earliest."

Wren nodded. "Oh, that’s not too long, then."

"So, we can only register for our marriage license once Isla’s new ID comes in," Sean said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Isla sensed his disappointment and said, her voice laced with guilt and self-blame, "It’s my fault for being so careless and losing such important documents."

Sean immediately suppressed his faint disappointment and comforted her, "It’s okay. We’ll just get them replaced. It’s not a big deal."

Wren pursed her lips, looking thoughtful.

Adrian, likewise, saw through the pretense but said nothing.

After a while, Isla and Wren went to the restroom together.

Only Adrian and Sean remained in the room.

Adrian leaned back in his chair, his well-defined fingers tapping a few times on the table.

"Your mother’s still in the hospital, and your father hasn’t cooled down yet. Are you sure you want to register your marriage with Isla right now?"

Sean’s stance was clear. "We have to do it sooner or later. The exact day doesn’t matter."

"Fine. It’s your life, your decision. I won’t interfere. It’s just..." Adrian trailed off, hesitating.

Sean looked at him, puzzled. "Just what?"

Adrian was silent for a moment, not wanting to stir up trouble. "Never mind. I’m probably just overthinking it."

Sean frowned, his curiosity piqued. "What is it? We don’t keep secrets from each other."

Adrian glanced toward the door, making sure it was still closed.

He lowered his voice, his tone serious. "Don’t you think it’s a little strange that Isla’s household register and ID card just happened to go missing?"

Sean’s dark pupils constricted sharply. "What do you mean?"