My Gorgeous Director

Chapter 1

The lights in the movie theater had just gone down when Adrian Jensen's phone rang.

Wren Sterling glanced at the name flashing on Adrian's screen, and the moment she saw Yara Winslow, she knew they would not be finishing the movie tonight.

Sure enough, Adrian answered the call, and within seconds, his voice softened. "Don't cry. I'll be right there."

He did not ask what had happened. He did not hesitate for even a moment. He reacted like a dog answering its master's whistle.

After hanging up, Adrian looked at Wren apologetically. "Something happened with Yara. I'll watch the movie with you another time."

He rose to leave, but Wren grabbed his wrist.

"Stay until the movie is over," she said.

Wren's rational side kept warning her that Yara was the daughter of Winslow Group's chairman, the same company where both Wren and Adrian worked. Yara was someone they could not afford to offend. Stopping Adrian now would only make Wren's own career more difficult.

Adrian had said something similar before. Taking good care of the chairman's daughter would benefit both of their careers.

But Wren could not keep her emotions under control. Adrian was her boyfriend. This was already their third attempt to watch this movie together, and all three times, the same person had kept them from reaching the ending.

The first time, they had made it halfway through the film when Yara called and said she had a headache. Adrian left immediately.

The second time, the movie had been playing for only half an hour when Yara said she had a stomachache. Once again, Adrian abandoned Wren and left.

The third time was tonight. The lights had only just gone down. The capital letters of UNIVERSAL had not even finished circling the globe before Adrian was summoned away again.

Adrian looked at Wren. His tone was gentle, but beneath it was a firmness that allowed no argument. "Stop making a scene."

He had always been good at hiding his emotions. The angrier he was, the calmer he became.

But Wren did not let go.

The movie had already started. A young man sitting behind them kicked Adrian's seat impatiently. "If you're leaving, then leave. You're blocking my girlfriend's view."

Adrian bent down and stared at Wren. His voice was no longer gentle. It carried an impatient warning. "We can watch a movie anytime. Let go."

Wren had lost her patience too, and the question she had wanted to ask for so long finally slipped out. "You're always indulging Yara, always rushing to take care of her. Is it really only because she's the chairman's daughter?"

Adrian froze.

Then he said nothing. He shook off her hand and strode away.

Wren sat alone in the theater. On the screen, thick fog shrouded a suburban villa. A ghostly figure appeared, and in the next second, the ghost's face seemed to shift into Yara's.

Wren felt nauseous. The popcorn no longer smelled good, and she no longer wanted to watch the movie.

She walked out of the theater. The cold wind and rain of January blew straight into her face, numbing her cheeks and chilling her heart.

She and Adrian had been together for three years. During those three years, Adrian had been a very competent boyfriend. They shared the same interests. They had traveled together, watched the northern lights, climbed mountains, and gone diving. On the beach, he had once drawn a heart in the sand and written their initials inside it.

As for Yara, she had been studying abroad all this time. She had only returned three months ago and joined Winslow Group. Her father, the chairman himself, had personally assigned Adrian to help her get familiar with the company's business.

They had only known each other for three months.

Wren had once believed that three years would always outweigh three months. Even if Yara was the chairman's daughter, Wren had thought she still had the advantage.

At first, Adrian had deliberately kept his distance from Yara. He had drawn a clear line between work and personal matters. Yet at some point, Yara had begun seeping into their private life like a water stain spreading across the corner of a bathroom wall. Bit by bit, she intruded, and Adrian gradually gave most of his patience and tenderness to her.

So perhaps love did not always follow the order of arrival.

At seven that evening, Wren returned to Harbor Crest.

It was the apartment she and Adrian had bought together, the home they had planned to use after they got married.

The entire place was dark, cold, and empty.

Adrian did not come home until eleven that night.

He looked as if he had drunk quite a lot. He was half-reclined on the sofa, his handsome features drawn slightly from discomfort. A faint scent of rose perfume lingered on his shirt.

It was the perfume Yara always wore.

Wren poured him a glass of lemon water to help him sober up. When she handed it to him, Adrian caught her wrist and pulled her into his arms. His kiss fell hard and sudden, forceful and unrestrained from the alcohol.

Wren resisted at once and struggled fiercely.

Her resistance displeased Adrian, and his movements grew rougher.

In a burst of anger, Wren slapped him across the face.

Adrian released her and cursed. "What the hell are you doing?"

Wren took the chance to move away and sit on the sofa beside him. Her expression was full of disgust. "You smell like her perfume. It makes me sick."

Adrian fell silent for a moment before explaining, "She went to the airport to pick up a friend, but her car broke down on the way. I drove her to the airport, and her friend insisted on treating us to dinner. They kept pushing drinks on me, and I drank too much. When we left, she helped me into the car. I probably got some of the scent on me then."

Wren listened calmly until he finished rambling.

Then she looked straight at the man she had loved for three years, the man she had once decided to marry, and gave him her final decision.

"I'm going to resign from Winslow Group."

Adrian froze. "Resign?"

Wren smiled. "That's right. I've worked my ass off at Winslow Group for years, only for the chairman's precious daughter to come back and take my boyfriend. A company like that isn't worth another day of my time."

Wren looked at Adrian. "What about you? Are you leaving or staying?"