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

Chapter 285: Chapter 285: White Lie

Isla took a step forward and grabbed Wren’s hand, her eyes filled with stubbornness and unease.

"Wren, we’ve been friends for so many years. I know you too well. I can tell from your expression and your tone that you’re hiding something from me."

"Just like how you know me so well, you quickly guessed that I’d hidden my residence booklet and ID card."

"That’s the silent understanding between best friends."

Wren didn’t argue. Countless words were stuck in her throat, leaving her torn.

"Isla, I..."

Isla leaned forward, her eyes glistening with tears. Her tone was earnest, even bordering on pleading.

"I know you’re hiding some things for my own good. I understand your reasons and that your heart is in the right place."

"But when it comes to Sean, whether it’s good or bad, I have to know."

"Because he’s my man, the father of the two children in my belly. I can’t let him face this hardship alone. I want to stand with him against the world."

Looking at Isla’s anxious and desperate state, Wren’s own heart was filled with conflicting emotions.

She knew the truth would come out eventually. Since things had already reached this point, it was only a matter of time.

It would be better for Isla to hear it from her than from someone else.

"Alright, Isla, I’ll tell you."

Wren glanced around, made sure no one else was in the restroom, and lowered her voice to tell her the truth.

"The one in the hospital isn’t Sean’s father, it’s his mother, Yvonne Donovan. The slap he got yesterday was because of this."

"Sean defended you and got into a huge fight with his mother. He said some harsh things about cutting ties with her, and she fainted from anger on the spot. She was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment."

"But don’t worry, she’s okay. She’s already woken up. The doctor recommended she stay in the hospital for a few days for observation."

Concerned for Isla’s well-being, Wren deliberately left out the cruel things Simon Sterling had said about the children being bastards.

After hearing this, Isla froze on the spot. It felt like a heavy boulder had suddenly been dropped on her chest, making even breathing painful.

The rims of her eyes instantly turned red. A burning heat spread through them, and tears teetered on her eyelashes, about to fall.

’No wonder Sean came back so late yesterday.’

She’d guessed he had argued with his family at the Sterling estate, but she never imagined things would escalate to this point—that someone would end up in the hospital.

Although she resented Yvonne Donovan for her past actions, hearing what had happened now filled Isla with a helpless, dawning horror.

After all, she was Sean’s birth mother. If something truly happened to her, Sean would be the one to suffer the most.

"I knew he was going through an ordeal, that he was in pain." Isla’s voice was choked, each word seeming to be squeezed from her throat.

"But he didn’t say a single word. He didn’t tell me anything."

The heavy, aching pain in her chest grew stronger, as if it were constantly pulling her emotions down.

Wren opened her arms and gently hugged Isla, patting her on the back to comfort her.

"Sean didn’t tell you because his heart aches for you. He couldn’t bear to see you suffer with him, and he didn’t want you to worry."

Isla’s tears fell like pearls from a broken string, landing hot on the back of her hand and instantly spreading.

She sniffled, her voice thick with suppressed sobs.

"My heart aches for him, too."

"If he loved an heiress from a family of equal standing to the Sterlings, none of this mess would have happened. He wouldn’t have to be wronged like this."

Wren gently wiped the tears from her best friend’s face.

She was about to say more comforting words when she heard faint footsteps at the restroom door.

Someone was coming in.

Isla quickly reined in her turbulent emotions. She took a deep breath, forcing her expression to appear normal.

Wren quickly composed herself as well, taking her friend’s arm and guiding her out.

"Let’s go back to our private room. We’ve been out too long."

"Yeah."

Back in the private room, Sean and Adrian were stone-faced, sharing a silent understanding to pretend their conversation never happened. They looked so natural that no one would have suspected a thing.

The boiling broth continued to roil in the pot, steam wafting across the tabletop.

As soon as Isla walked in, Sean could tell she had just been crying; her eyes were still red around the rims.

His heart ached as he quickly got up to meet her at the door, putting an arm around her as he led her back to her seat.

"Why were you crying? Are you feeling unwell?" Sean asked with concern.

Isla shook her head, feigning nonchalance. "I wasn’t crying. A little bug flew into my eye. It took me a while to rub it out, and that’s why my eyes are red."

How could Sean not recognize this as a well-intentioned lie? But he didn’t expose it, choosing to play along.

"Let me see."

He carefully lifted Isla’s upper eyelid and checked it, making sure there were no foreign objects inside.

"It is a little red from rubbing. It’s all that damn little bug’s fault."

Isla forced a smile that looked as natural as possible.

"I’m fine now. I’ll be more careful next time."

A smile touched Sean’s eyes as well. He picked up his chopsticks and cooked a few slices of deboned fish in Isla’s pot.

"Eat more fish. You need the high-quality protein, for you and the babies."

"Okay." Isla obediently ate it all.

"You eat too. Don’t just cook for me."

Sean’s chopsticks never stopped moving as he picked out all of Isla’s favorite things.

"While you two were gone, Adrian and I didn’t stop eating."

"..." Adrian shot him a sidelong glance but was too busy to call him out, focused entirely on serving Wren.

Wren said nothing, simply accepting the gesture and unabashedly enjoying Adrian’s attention.

After a while, lunch was coming to an end.

The four of them finished everything they had ordered, leaving nothing to waste. Sean paid the bill.

They left the hot pot restaurant, said their goodbyes, and went their separate ways.

Sean put his arm around Isla as they got into the car. He set the air conditioning to maintain a constant temperature and adjusted her seat to the most comfortable angle.

"You must be tired. Let’s go home."

Isla was indeed a bit drowsy, her eyelids fighting to stay open. She leaned back in her seat and fell asleep without realizing it.

Sunlight streamed through the car window, falling on the reddened corners of her eyes. The tear tracks had long since dried, leaving faint marks.

Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of their house.

Isla was still asleep. Sean couldn’t bear to wake her. He gently undid her seatbelt and carefully lifted her out of the car.

His steps were slow and steady, trying his best not to wake her. He went straight to the bedroom after entering the house, gently laid her on the bed, and covered her with a blanket.

After carefully settling Isla in, Sean had just stood up when she suddenly grabbed his wrist. The grip wasn’t strong, but it held a dependence that begged him not to pull away.

Isla’s eyelashes fluttered. She groggily opened her eyes, the haziness in her pupils slowly coming into focus.

"Don’t go."

Her fingertips gently hooked the corner of Sean’s shirt. She still seemed a bit dazed, and her expression had a certain adorable charm.

Sean’s heart completely melted. He leaned down and kissed her smooth forehead, a gesture filled with comforting power. The pad of his thumb gently brushed over the still-reddened corners of her eyes.

"Baby, I’m not going anywhere. I’m here at home with you."

Isla leaned dependently into his embrace, closed her eyes again, and spoke in a soft voice, "I’m a little tired."

Sean smiled dotingly and kissed her again. "If you’re tired, then sleep. Sleep as long as you want."

"So, are we still going back to my hometown?" Isla asked, her tone casual, as if she were half-awake and half-dreaming.

Sean knew Isla was testing him, which made his heart ache for her all the more.

’She’s so exhausted, yet she’s still trying to play along. My silly girl.’

"Your health is the most important thing. Pregnancy is hard work, sweetheart. You need to rest more. Since you’re tired, let’s not go to your hometown today. We’ll talk about it another day."

Isla’s eyes were too heavy to open, but she felt a sense of relief as her tense nerves slowly relaxed.

"Alright. We’ll do what you say."

A few seconds after she said that, she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

Sean sat on the edge of the bed, quietly watching Isla. His gaze was deep and gentle, churning with an overwhelming love that couldn’t be contained.

He tucked away the strands of hair scattered on her cheeks. His fingertips traced her eyebrows, the bridge of her nose, and finally rested on her lower abdomen, a warmth spreading through his palm.

A feeling of bliss washed over him.

"I’m your daddy. Mommy’s tired, so don’t bother her. Let her get some good rest."

After an unknown amount of time, Sean got up, left the bedroom, and gently closed the door.

The living room was silent, save for the TICK-TOCK of the wall clock.

Sean’s gaze fell on the cream-colored ladies’ handbag in the corner of the sofa, and a strong intuition struck him.

Adrian’s words echoed in his mind, "Isla hid her residence booklet and ID card."

With complicated feelings, Sean walked over, picked up the bag, and gently pulled open the zipper. In a compartment inside, he immediately saw Isla’s residence booklet and ID card.