Secretly Married for 4 Years, He Regrets to Tears After the Divorce-Chapter 85: No Room for Negotiation

The air grew still. A sudden silence fell over everything.

Wren Sutton could hear the sound of her own heart breaking. Her teeth were chattering, and her hands and feet felt ice-cold.

So this was the reason for Adrian Lancaster’s call: to order her to delete the recording that was damaging to the Marshall family.

In the hospital lobby, she had thought Adrian Lancaster was at least being fair, acting like a decent human being and not embarrassing her too much.

She never expected to be proven wrong so quickly. In the end, the scales of his heart had tipped in Maya Marshall’s favor.

A wave of self-mockery washed over her, and the pain in her heart was so intense it had gone numb.

Wren Sutton closed her eyes, swallowing down all her grievances with difficulty. Her clenched fists slowly unfurled.

"If you want me to delete the recording, fine. I have a condition."

"What condition?" Adrian Lancaster asked.

Wren Sutton’s gaze was firm. "Have Maya Marshall come to my house in person and apologize to me and my mother."

Just because her mother was magnanimous and willing to let it go didn’t mean she was.

Why should Maya Marshall get away with hurting people with her words without taking responsibility for her actions?

’That’s just not right!’

Silence on the other end of the line.

Wren added, "That’s my only condition. It’s not up for negotiation."

Adrian Lancaster’s eyes darkened. He spoke up for Maya Marshall. "She’s on crutches right now. It’s not easy for her to get around."

Wren sneered. ’What a pathetic excuse.’

’She can go to the hospital, but she can’t come to my house?’

"That’s not my problem."

Adrian considered his words. He had been mentally prepared before calling, guessing that things wouldn’t go smoothly.

As expected, Wren wasn’t buying it. She was as stubborn as ever.

His jaw tensed, and he spoke in a heavy tone. "I’ll apologize to you and your mother on Maya Marshall’s behalf. I’m sorry."

Wren’s breath caught in her throat. "You’re apologizing for Maya Marshall?"

"Because it’s a compromise. You can name another condition instead," Adrian said earnestly.

A chilling laugh escaped Wren’s lips. Her insides felt like they were being squeezed together, viciously tearing at her until she was bleeding raw.

’No wonder Maya Marshall is so fearless, so secure in the knowledge that she’s loved. No matter what she does, there’s always someone behind her to clean up her messes and solve all her problems.’

Adrian waited patiently, giving Wren time to think.

But Wren wasn’t having any of it.

"I don’t accept your apology on Maya Marshall’s behalf. Have her come herself."

Adrian frowned, displeased. "I’m trying to discuss this with you calmly."

"I already told you, this isn’t up for negotiation."

"Can’t you just do this for my sake?"

Wren found it laughable. "You don’t care about my feelings or my mother’s, so why should I care about yours?"

"..." Adrian gritted his back teeth, his expression cold. A vein throbbed on his forehead, seeming to vent his inner fury.

"Tell Maya Marshall I’ll be waiting at home. If she doesn’t come and apologize, I can sue her for slander at any time and ruin her reputation." Wren was merciless.

That broke Adrian’s composure. He warned her sharply, "Wren Sutton, don’t take it too far."

"Have you forgotten how you used to force me to apologize to Maya Marshall? Did you think you were taking it too far back then?" Wren retorted, her voice trembling on the verge of tears.

"..."

"Adrian Lancaster, you’re such a hypocrite. Your double standards are disgusting."

The word "disgusting" sent Adrian into a rage. He couldn’t believe she would use such a word to describe him.

"Wren—"

Wren hung up the phone, blocked Adrian’s number, and tilted her head back, forcing back the tears in her eyes.

In reality, there was no recording.

...

「Elsewhere.」

Adrian’s face was grim, his grip so tight he nearly crushed his phone.

A moment later, the door to the room opened. A familiar set of footsteps sounded behind him, but Adrian didn’t turn around.

Maya Marshall walked up on her crutches, stopping behind Adrian. She reached out to wrap her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his back.

"I’m sorry. I’ve caused you trouble again."

Adrian’s heart was as still as water. He didn’t push her away. "Did you put medicine on your face?"

"I did."

Wren had been ruthless. Even now, Maya’s face was still stinging with pain, and she was boiling with hatred.

Adrian’s gaze was inscrutable. "I’ll figure out what to do about the recording."

Maya wasn’t actually worried, or afraid. The idea that Wren could take her down with just a short recording was laughable.

’Wren is just trying to scare me. Even if she really sued, could she even win?’

"It’s fine. If she wants to sue, let her. I’m not afraid."

Adrian corrected her. "Don’t be foolish."

His chiding tone was filled with concern. Maya was satisfied, and two dimples appeared as she smiled and hugged Adrian even tighter.

"My parents just got back in the country yesterday. They want to invite you over for dinner tonight."

Adrian loosened Maya’s hands and declined her invitation. "I can’t get away from the hospital."

Maya didn’t give up. "Didn’t you hire caregivers? Their job is to stay overnight and look after the old lady. You don’t have to work as hard as they do."

"I have other things to do."

"What’s so important you don’t even have time for dinner?"

Adrian didn’t want to explain. He felt very agitated.

"Go home. I want to be alone for a while."

Maya shook her head. "Don’t send me away. I want to stay and keep you company."

Adrian turned around. His naturally authoritative gaze fell on her face. He said nothing, his silence a powerful assertion.

Maya’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t dare to defy him. No matter how unwilling she was, she had to obey.

’Men like women who are completely obedient. She didn’t want Adrian to think she was unreasonable.’

"When can I see you again?"

Adrian dodged the question. "You sprained your ankle. Rest up at home for a while and don’t run around."

Maya agreed and left, her spirits low.

A maid helped her downstairs. The Marshall family’s car was parked in front of the inpatient building.

As soon as Maya got in the car, Mrs. Marshall asked impatiently, "Did Adrian agree? Is he coming to our place for dinner tonight?"

Maya was in a bad mood and answered impatiently, "He’s busy. He can’t make it."

Mrs. Marshall frowned. Her intuition told her it wasn’t that simple.

"When he said he was busy, he doesn’t mean he’s going to the Sutton family’s house for dinner, does he?"

"Impossible," Maya immediately denied, very confident in her judgment.

"Adrian doesn’t like Wren Sutton, so how could he possibly go to the Suttons’ for dinner? Mom, you’re getting confused."

Mrs. Marshall came back to her senses. "It seems I was overthinking things."

"But then again, if Adrian doesn’t come to our house tonight, our whole plan will go down the drain."

Maya was weighed down with anxiety.

"I can’t just sit here and wait for the worst. I have to find a way to get pregnant with Adrian’s child as soon as possible. Otherwise, if Aunt Sterling finds out, I’ll fall out of favor."

Mrs. Marshall patted her daughter’s hand. "Don’t worry. There are always more solutions than problems. We’ll figure something out when we get home."

...

「As the sun began to set.」

The Sutton family started dinner right on time. Mr. Sutton had made several of his signature dishes, and they looked, smelled, and tasted perfect.

The family of three sat around the dining table, eating and chatting. The evening news played on the TV, creating a warm and harmonious family atmosphere.

Halfway through the meal, the doorbell rang.

Wren Sutton put down her chopsticks and stood up. "I’ll get it."

She walked to the entryway and opened the door. The person standing before her was a complete shock.

It was Adrian Lancaster!

The first image that flashed through Wren’s mind was him bringing Maya Marshall to apologize.

But she didn’t see Maya Marshall anywhere. It was just Adrian, all by himself.

Wren did not welcome him. Her tone was cold and businesslike. "What are you doing here?"