Chapter 449 - 452: Returning His Kiss

The Sutton Residence.

A soft night light glowed in the bedroom.

Wren Sutton lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Besides missing her two children, her mind was preoccupied with tonight’s plan. She didn’t know if Adrian Lancaster’s test would succeed in confirming Claire Bennett’s true identity.

’According to the plan, Adrian should be pretending to be drunk and taken away by Claire by now...’

Wren closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to imagine Claire Bennett shamelessly trying to seduce Adrian Lancaster.

She had one hundred percent faith that Adrian would handle it properly, that he was just putting on an act for Claire and wouldn’t actually be bewitched by her.

The seconds and minutes ticked by.

Wren turned over and stared blankly at the ceiling, still wide awake.

Just then, the phone on her nightstand suddenly vibrated. The screen lit up, displaying the name "Hubby."

Wren’s eyes lit up. She immediately reached for the phone and swiped to answer.

"Hello, honey."

From the other end of the line came Adrian Lancaster’s deep, gentle voice. "Sweetheart, open the door."

"What?" Wren froze in bed, her heart skipping a beat. She thought she’d misheard him. "You said..."

"I’m outside," Adrian repeated patiently. "Sweetheart, open the door for your husband."

It finally registered for Wren. A look of immense surprise flashed in her eyes. She hadn’t expected Adrian to come.

She scrambled out of bed and ran to the front door without even stopping to put on shoes, yanking it open.

The moment the door opened, the dim yellow light from the hallway spilled in, illuminating Adrian Lancaster’s tall, straight figure.

He stood in the doorway, the cold severity in his eyes long gone, replaced by an overwhelming tenderness and lingering affection.

The exhaustion that clung to him seemed to melt away the instant he saw Wren.

Before Wren could speak, Adrian stepped inside and gently closed the door behind him.

Then, he eagerly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace.

Adrian held her tightly, as if trying to merge her into his very bones.

He rested his chin on the top of her head and took a deep breath of her clean, gentle scent. His heart, which had been tense and agitated all night, finally found peace.

"Sweetheart," he called out to her, his voice hoarse. "I missed you so much."

As the door clicked shut, Wren was still caught in the sudden surprise. Her cheeks grew warm, and she gently placed a hand on Adrian’s chest, clearly feeling his steady heartbeat and the unique, reassuring warmth of his embrace.

She looked up, her bright eyes gazing at him, her heart filled with boundless tenderness.

"Honey, why did you suddenly come over? Did the plan go smoothly tonight?"

"It did," Adrian nodded, his tone serious. "Claire Bennett admitted it herself. She is Maya Marshall."

Wren let out a deep, complicated sigh.

"So Claire really is Maya. She hid it so well. Thinking about it now is actually a little scary."

Just then, Adrian noticed Wren was barefoot. His heart ached, and he quickly scooped her up into his arms.

"Why aren’t you wearing shoes? That’s not good. Don’t do this again."

Wren leaned against her husband’s chest, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a gentle, trusting smile.

"I know. I’ll remember to wear them next time."

The moment she finished speaking, Adrian lowered his head and gave her a deep, passionate kiss.

He walked steadily toward the bedroom, never breaking the kiss.

He couldn’t bear to pull away, greedy for her unique, gentle scent.

They entered the bedroom.

Adrian held Wren, his fingertips gently stroking her hair. His heart was churning not just with intense longing, but even more so with a suffocating guilt and self-blame.

He had come to the Sutton residence so late for one reason: he hadn’t seen her in days and missed his wife terribly. He couldn’t stop himself from wanting to see her, hold her, and kiss her immediately.

But a deeper reason was that every word Claire Bennett had said tonight was like a dull knife, repeatedly carving into his heart.

Adrian couldn’t bear to think about how cold and heartless he had been to Wren back then.

A single phone call from Claire, and no matter where he was, he would drop everything to go to her, leaving Wren behind...

Time and time again, he had ignored his wife’s feelings, leaving her alone in cold situations. Time and time again, he had abandoned her for an outsider, forcing her to endure endless grievances and taste the bitterness and disappointment of their marriage.

’Dammit!’

Adrian was consumed by regret.

Guilt spread wildly through his heart, making him want to hold Wren with all his might and make up for all his past mistakes.

He kissed her gently, a kiss filled with careful adoration and an unconcealable apology.

Laying Wren on the bed, Adrian pulled her tightly into his arms, resting his forehead against hers.

"Sweetheart, I’m so sorry..."

His voice was terribly hoarse, and his eyes were filled with self-recrimination and tenderness for her.

"I was wrong back then. I was an asshole. I couldn’t tell right from wrong, and I hurt you again and again for someone who wasn’t worth it. I left you alone and made you suffer so much."

Whenever Adrian remembered Claire’s words, a dense ache spread through his heart, and his eyes reddened.

His fingertips gently caressed Wren’s cheek, the movement impossibly gentle and full of remorse.

In this moment, Adrian was stripped of all his coldness and authority. Gone was his usual ruthless decisiveness, leaving only the debt he owed his wife.

He laid all his vulnerability and apology bare before Wren.

Only by deeply understanding his past mistakes could he appreciate how precious this moment was.

He wanted to spend the rest of his life giving all his tenderness and devotion to Wren, to make up for all the past hurts, bit by bit.

"I’m sorry..."

Adrian’s voice trembled, and his arms around Wren tightened unconsciously, almost embedding her in his embrace as if she might disappear the next second.

The more clearly he remembered his past actions, the more terrified he felt, the more insecure he became.

He couldn’t imagine how that terrible version of himself could have hurt and neglected Wren again and again.

Anyone else would have lost heart and left him long ago.

Adrian was afraid. He was afraid Wren still harbored grievances from the past. He was afraid that remembering that pain would make her lose heart in him. He was afraid he wasn’t worthy of her genuine love, and even more afraid that she would choose to leave him because of that unbearable past.

Claire’s words tonight had been like a key, unlocking his deepest fears.

"Sweetheart, I’m scared... Scared you’ll leave me..." He closed his eyes, his voice laced with unprecedented vulnerability and a choked sob. His every breath was a careful, trembling plea.

"Don’t leave me, okay?"

Held so tightly by Adrian, Wren could clearly feel the tension in his body.

Hearing his trembling, vulnerable words, her heart suddenly softened.

She had never seen this side of Adrian, stripped of all his sharp edges, like a child afraid of being abandoned.

Wren reached out and placed a hand on Adrian’s back, patting it gently again and again to soothe him.

"Did Claire Bennett say something to you?"

"..." Adrian was silent, like a child who had done something wrong.

The soft glow of the night light revealed the bloodshot veins and glistening tears in his eyes, along with a panic and unease he couldn’t hide.

Wren’s heart ached. She tilted her head up and took the initiative to kiss the corner of Adrian’s mouth.

"I know what you’re afraid of. Don’t be. I told you before, I won’t leave you."

"The past is in the past. The only reason Claire keeps bringing it up is to deliberately provoke you and drive a wedge between us. Don’t fall for her trick."

Wren tightened her arms, burying her face in Adrian’s chest. "Honey," she said softly but very seriously, "I won’t leave you."

"Don’t be scared. I’ll always be with you. I’ll be with you for the rest of my life."

Her words were a warm current, flowing into Adrian’s heart and soothing his anxiety and fear.

Looking at the woman in his arms, whose eyes were filled with nothing but him, Adrian felt a sting in his nose. Unable to suppress his emotions any longer, he lowered his head and kissed her deeply.

He closed his eyes, his eyelashes trembling, his eyes wet with hot tears.

Wren responded to Adrian’s kiss with tenderness, her fingertips gently stroking his tense back, calming his terrified and uneasy heart.

After a long time, Adrian slowly released Wren, but their foreheads remained touching. Their warm breaths mingled in the air, which was filled with the scent unique to them.

He lowered his gaze, his deep eyes falling on Wren’s serene face. His fingertips gently wiped away the faint traces of moisture at the corner of her lips.

"Sweetheart, I swear, for the rest of our lives, I will never let you suffer the slightest grievance again. I will never hurt you in the slightest for anyone else."

He spoke each word with solemnity and devotion, filled with an unquestionable resolve.

Wren looked at the man’s reddened eyes, at the unconcealed love and guilt within them. She felt a sting in her nose, and her own eyes began to burn.

"I believe you."

"If I can’t, may lightning strike me dead..."

Wren quickly reached out to cover Adrian’s mouth, shaking her head at him.

"Don’t say such nonsense. I don’t want anything to happen to you. You have to be okay."

Adrian took Wren’s hand, brought it to his lips for a soft kiss, and caressed her palm. He intertwined their fingers and pulled her even tighter against his chest.

"Okay, I’ll listen to you. Our whole family will be okay, and we’ll be together forever."

The soft glow of the night light shone upon them, outlining the gentle silhouette of their embrace and dispelling all the anxiety and coldness of the deep night.

Adrian lowered his head and placed a long, gentle kiss on the crown of Wren’s head, his eyes filled with an unyielding tenderness and relief.

He shifted his position to make her more comfortable, his arm always holding her securely, as if he were guarding a priceless treasure.

"My love, let’s sleep. Good night."