Secretly Married for 4 Years, He Regrets to Tears After the Divorce-Chapter 78: A Thorough Performance

A gentle breeze swept by. Wren Sutton lowered her gaze, no one noticing the fleeting disappointment in her eyes.

’I should have known.’

’Adrian Lancaster revealing my identity has nothing to do with feelings. It’s purely for the company’s benefit.’

’Announcing my identity as Mrs. Lancaster to this small group helps him secure the deal with The Jolson Company without affecting his relationship with Maya Marshall.’

’Killing two birds with one stone.’

’The news is confined to the golf club, so who on the outside will ever know? It’s basically a secret announcement.’

*

Adrian Lancaster and Jason walked ahead, continuing their business discussion.

Wren Sutton and Isla Griffith chatted casually behind them, with neither pair disturbing the other.

After a while, they had settled everything that needed to be discussed. All that remained was to draft the contract. Adrian Lancaster stopped and turned to Wren Sutton.

"Honey, let’s take the same car."

’Honey...’

This was the first time Wren Sutton had ever heard Adrian Lancaster call her that.

Isla Griffith looked on in surprise. ’Did that jerk suddenly have a change of heart?’

Wren Sutton, however, remained expressionless and perfectly calm.

She knew his motive. He was simply putting on a complete show for Jason’s benefit.

Sure enough, Jason teased, saying President Lancaster couldn’t bear to be apart from Mrs. Lancaster for even a moment.

"Of course, you two should take a car together. In that case, I’ll..."

Jason paused, then turned to Isla Griffith. With a sincere and gentlemanly smile, he invited her.

"Ms. Griffith, would you do me the honor of sharing a car with me?"

Isla Griffith had a very good impression of him. They’d hit it off right away, so she readily agreed.

And so, the four of them split into two carts, riding one after the other across the golf course toward the clubhouse.

The sun was setting.

The sun’s lingering glow bathed the green grass, casting a soft light over the entire world.

In contrast to Jason and Isla Griffith, who were laughing and chatting, Adrian Lancaster and Wren Sutton were each lost in their own thoughts and hardly spoke a word.

After a moment, Adrian Lancaster casually broke the silence. "I said I wouldn’t have you join me for golf for nothing. Have you thought of a number?"

Wren Sutton hadn’t expected him to bring this up now, but she was, of course, more than happy to discuss it.

"I have."

"How much?"

"One hundred million." Wren Sutton had a certain fixation on this number and stated it boldly.

Adrian Lancaster had expected it. "Women really hold grudges longer than men."

Wren Sutton pretended not to understand.

"You told me to name a price," she said. "You said you’d agree to any amount."

Adrian Lancaster didn’t deny it. "And that promise still stands."

True to his word, he took out his phone and transferred the money to Wren Sutton right then and there.

"Every last cent. It’s sent."

Instead of the excitement she might have imagined, Wren Sutton felt completely calm.

’This hundred million should have been hers long ago. It was only because Adrian Lancaster had been a sore loser last time that it had been delayed until now.’

"Understood."

Adrian Lancaster watched her, unmoving, as calm as if nothing had happened.

"Aren’t you going to check and make sure?"

Wren was too lazy to move. "No need. I trust you."

Adrian Lancaster’s brow twitched. "..."

After that little interlude, the two of them fell silent once again.

They finally reached the clubhouse. Just as Wren Sutton stepped out of the cart, Adrian Lancaster took her hand, clasping it tightly in his own.

"You’re coming to dinner with me. We’ll go home together afterward."

Wren Sutton was about to refuse when Jason walked over.

"President Lancaster invited me for golf, so dinner tonight is on me. Everyone has to come—no one’s getting out of it."

"Mrs. Lancaster, your friend Ms. Griffith mentioned earlier that you two were planning on getting hot pot tonight."

At the mention of hot pot, Wren Sutton’s interest was piqued.

"Yes, we’d already made plans."

Jason snapped his fingers. "OK, then let’s go get hot pot."

Wren Sutton agreed without a moment’s hesitation. "Sounds good."

Adrian Lancaster’s brow furrowed. He didn’t like hot pot.

"Let’s get something else. There are plenty of things in Aston better than hot pot."

Jason’s mind was made up. He proposed a compromise to Adrian. "How about this? I’ll treat everyone to hot pot tonight, and tomorrow, you can treat me to some authentic Aston cuisine."

"..."

With things as they were, Adrian Lancaster relented. Their companies had future projects to collaborate on; there was no need to sour the relationship over a single meal.

"I have other plans during the day tomorrow. We can do dinner."

"OK."

And so, the four of them left the golf club and headed to a hot pot restaurant downtown. They enjoyed a steaming meal, and the atmosphere was lively as they talked and laughed.

After dinner, Jason went to pay the bill. He then offered to drive Isla Griffith home, but she politely declined.

Jason looked a little crestfallen. He watched her leave, his eyes following her car until its taillights disappeared from view.

When he turned and saw Wren Sutton, an idea struck him. He looked as if he’d just found a ray of hope.

"Mrs. Lancaster, I have a favor to ask. Could you help me?"

Wren Sutton was puzzled. "What can I help you with, Jason?"

"I fell for Ms. Griffith at first sight, and I’d like to pursue her," Jason said, open and direct. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Wren Sutton was stunned. It seemed unbelievable.

’They’d only met less than four hours ago, and Jason already had feelings for Isla? Wasn’t that a little too fast?’

Jason assured her, "Mrs. Lancaster, I’m serious. I’m not kidding."

"..." Wren Sutton suddenly felt a headache coming on. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

"I forgot to ask for Ms. Griffith’s contact information. Could you give it to me? A phone number or her WeChat would be fine."

"..." Wren Sutton was torn.

Just then, Adrian Lancaster pulled her into his arms, preparing to lead her away.

Before they left, he reminded Jason, "Isla Griffith may be my wife’s best friend, but she’s an actress. Jason, are you sure you want to date a woman from the entertainment industry?"

To Wren Sutton’s ears, his words were a clear slight against Isla Griffith—a belittling of her best friend.

Wren couldn’t stand for it. She was just about to fire back at him when Jason spoke up first.

"When you like someone, their profession doesn’t matter."

"Adrian, I know what you’re trying to say, but I trust my own judgment. It’s clear that Ms. Griffith is a woman who carries herself with dignity. My intuition is usually right."

Wren Sutton completely agreed. "That’s right. My best friend carries herself with integrity. Every cent she earns is clean. She loves her career, she’s brave, strong, and optimistic. She’s a wonderful person."

Jason nodded, his eyes shining. "That’s why I like her and want to pursue her."

Seeing Jason’s genuine sincerity, Wren Sutton gave him Isla Griffith’s WeChat ID.

Jason looked as if he’d struck gold, as happy as a child who’d just been given candy.

The corners of Wren Sutton’s mouth curved into a knowing smile. It was as if she were witnessing love in its purest form.

Unable to get a word in, Adrian Lancaster’s expression darkened. He looked like a complete outsider.

...

At half past nine, Wren Sutton and Adrian Lancaster arrived home together.

Wren Sutton was exhausted. She went upstairs, took a quick shower, and fell straight to sleep.

Adrian Lancaster went to his study to deal with some documents, not emerging until the dead of night.

Morning came quickly.

Wren Sutton was jolted awake by her alarm. Remembering she had something important to do today, she didn’t linger in bed.

Once she was ready, she went downstairs and saw Adrian Lancaster sitting in the dining room.

He looked up, and their eyes met.

"Come and eat. I’ll take you to the hospital for your check-up afterward."