Chapter 428 - 431: A Very Serious Decision

The moment Wren Sutton finished speaking, the air suddenly fell silent.

Adrian Lancaster was using a towel to dry his slightly damp, short hair. The movement of his well-defined fingers paused, and he lifted his eyes to look at Wren Sutton.

A faint smile flickered in his eyes as he set down the towel.

Adrian Lancaster had long legs. He closed the distance in a single stride, his tall, straight figure trapping Wren Sutton between the bathroom counter and his chest.

His warm breath, carrying the familiar, crisp scent of cedarwood, brushed against her red, hot ear.

It was a scent Wren had committed to memory, one that now carried a tantalizing heat, throwing her thoughts into turmoil.

Adrian Lancaster lowered his head, his thin lips almost touching her ear.

"My dearest wife, we were so close all night, never apart for a moment. Did I wear one or not... could you really not tell?" he deliberately slowed his speech to ask, his tone ambiguous, laced with a doting yet teasing smile.

His words were like a small flame, instantly setting Wren Sutton’s entire body ablaze.

WHOOSH. A blush spread from her cheeks all the way down to her neck, even dyeing her snow-white shoulders a faint pink.

Shyness and panic welled up inside her. Wren Sutton looked up, meeting Adrian Lancaster’s deep, smiling eyes.

With the pouty anger of being teased, she placed a hand on Adrian Lancaster’s scorching chest and pushed lightly. The force was so soft it held no threat, more like a flirtatious, coquettish push and pull.

"You’re awful. I didn’t know what was happening, and now you’re turning it around and asking me."

After speaking, Wren shyly buried her face in Adrian’s chest, hiding herself away.

"All you ever do is bully me."

Her muffled voice, tinged with an aggrieved pout, was enough to make anyone’s heart melt.

The doting smile in Adrian Lancaster’s eyes deepened. He raised a hand to pat her on the back, gently coaxing her.

"Alright, I won’t ask anymore. I’ll stop teasing you."

Wren was breathing lightly, her cheeks still flushed, her hands tightly clutching the belt of Adrian’s robe.

After a moment of silence, she tested the waters carefully, "So, last night... did you remember to wear one?"

Adrian Lancaster let out a low chuckle. His well-defined fingers gently lifted Wren Sutton’s chin.

"If you want the answer, look me in the eye. No hiding."

Wren obediently listened. She stopped trying to hide, lifted her head, and looked at Adrian without blinking.

His figure was clearly reflected in her watery eyes. She even quieted her breathing, silently awaiting his answer.

"You can tell me now, right?"

Her voice was as light as a feather, laced with a hint of apprehension.

Adrian’s heart melted completely. He leaned down and kissed his wife’s clear, bright eyes, no longer keeping her in suspense as he answered seriously.

"I wore one."

"I had it ready before I even came into the bathroom. It was in my pocket."

"Last night wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing. It was premeditated."

Wren froze.

’So last night, Adrian had deliberately brought her the hair dryer instead of Nanny Zane.’

’So he’d already decided he was going to devour her the moment he walked in.’

Hearing the reassuring answer, Wren’s mood was no longer so tense.

But the slight annoyance at being ’plotted against’ hadn’t yet faded. She huffed softly, turned her head away, and grumbled with a hint of pouty reproach.

"You really planned it all out, didn’t you."

Adrian let out a low laugh. His fingertips caressed Wren’s chin as he leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling.

"I have to plan well to make sure my wife can both be at ease and enjoy herself to the fullest."

Having explained, he seamlessly kissed Wren’s lips. The movement was gentle, tender, and lingering.

Wren’s eyelashes trembled softly. The hand that had been clutching the robe’s belt unconsciously relaxed, rising to wrap around Adrian’s neck.

Feeling his wife’s response, the smile in Adrian’s eyes deepened. He held her with both arms, leaning further into the kiss.

He only let her go when her breathing grew ragged.

"Still angry?"

"Not anymore." Wren shook her head gently, her eyes soft, her voice sweet and tender.

The two of them gazed into each other’s eyes.

"Owen and Nina just turned six months old, and your body hasn’t fully recovered from childbirth yet. How could I bear to let you get pregnant at a time like this?"

Adrian Lancaster’s voice was low and solemn, every word carrying an unquestionable sincerity.

"But I can’t help myself; I can’t resist being close to you. That means I have to take proper contraceptive measures. That’s the most basic awareness and responsibility a husband should have."

"Unless..."

He paused, the corner of his mouth hooking into a mischievous smile.

"Mrs. Lancaster wants to have a second child. Then we wouldn’t need any measures at all."

Wren had been quite moved, but the moment she heard the three words "a second child," it was as if he’d stepped on a landmine. Her mood instantly shifted.

"I don’t want a second child! Giving birth is too hard. It was so, so painful, pure torture. I don’t want to go through that a second time. Having Owen and Nina is enough."

Seeing his wife’s "intense" reaction, all the teasing and amusement vanished from Adrian Lancaster’s deep eyes, replaced only by heartache.

’It seems the pain of giving birth to Owen and Nina still lingers in her body and her memory. Perhaps it will stay with her for the rest of her life.’

"Alright, we won’t have a second child."

It was a simple promise, stated with firm and open sincerity, not as a joke.

"Honey, you’re right. Having Owen and Nina is enough for us. A son and a daughter, a family of four is just perfect."

Wren was half-convinced, half-doubtful. "Honey, do you really think so?"

Adrian nodded. "I do."

To put his wife’s mind completely at ease, he made a very serious decision on the spot.

"I’ll make an appointment in a couple of days. I’m going to the hospital to get a vasectomy."

Wren was stunned speechless, her face a mask of utter shock and astonishment.

’In this world, very few men would voluntarily get a vasectomy for the sake of contraception.’

"I... that’s not what I meant. A vasectomy isn’t the only form of birth control. There are other..."

Adrian gently interrupted her. "I know what you mean, but a vasectomy is the most thorough form of contraception, and it’s almost completely harmless to men."

"To put your mind at ease, I’m willing to have the surgery. I truly want to, really."

Wren was so moved by Adrian’s sincere love that her eyes reddened.

She opened her mouth, but her throat felt as if it were blocked with a warm ball of cotton. A thousand words rushed to her lips, but they ultimately dissolved into a bittersweet warmth.

’She had seen so many couples online shirk responsibility and bicker over this very issue.’

’Most of the time, the woman was expected to take pills or get an IUD, shouldering the physical risks and hidden worries.’

’Very few men were like Adrian, who voluntarily shouldered all the responsibility and concerns, giving his woman a complete sense of security.’

Seeing the corners of Wren’s eyes redden, Adrian’s heart ached for her. He pulled her into his arms, patting her back to soothe her.

"Honey, you don’t need to feel guilty, or feel like you owe me anything."

"You’ve already endured the hardship of childbirth. You fought so hard to give me a pair of healthy, adorable fraternal twins, giving me a complete and happy little family. I can never repay you for that in this lifetime."

"You’ve already done more than enough for me. For the rest of our lives, it’s my turn to protect you, take care of you, and dote on you. I can’t let you be troubled by trivial matters."

"Getting a vasectomy isn’t a sacrifice. It’s something I want to do, something I couldn’t ask for more."

"Allowing my wife to be at ease, to be with me and our two children without a care in the world—that’s more important than anything."

Deeply moved, Wren nodded in Adrian’s embrace, tears of happiness shimmering in her eyes as she hugged him tightly.

"Honey, you’re so good to me."

Adrian smiled dotingly. "It’s only right to be good to my wife."

The moment he finished speaking, Wren’s stomach rumbled with hunger.

They both laughed at the same time. Wasting no more time, they went downstairs to the dining room to eat, hand in hand.