My Gorgeous Director

Chapter 3

Worry and guilt flashed across Adrian's face. He hurriedly grabbed his coat and said, "Wren, I'll come back as soon as I can." Then he walked out the door without another word.

Wren did not try to stop him this time. She sat quietly at the candlelit table, slowly swirling the wine in her glass before taking a sip. The wine tasted unexpectedly bitter, and before she knew it, memories of their past anniversaries began surfacing one after another. She thought about their first year together, then the second, along with every birthday and Valentine's Day they had shared.

For the past three years, Adrian had personally arranged every special occasion they celebrated together. He took care of everything himself, from the flowers and gifts to the restaurant reservations and surprise trips, planning every detail with care. Back then, his love for her had seemed gentle, patient, and unquestionable. But this year, he had forgotten the date entirely.

Two days earlier, Wren had even needed to remind Adrian about their anniversary dinner reservation, and he had looked genuinely surprised when she brought it up. She had booked the restaurant herself and personally chosen the flowers, yet before the meal had even been served, the man meant to share the evening with her had already left.

Wren finished the candlelight dinner alone. By the time she left the restaurant, it was already eight-thirty, yet Adrian still had not replied to any of her messages or answered a single call.

In the end, Wren bought another ticket for the same movie, the one she and Adrian had tried and failed to finish three different times. Their relationship had already begun moving toward its inevitable ending. Even so, she thought the movie at least deserved a proper conclusion.

By the time Wren arrived, the nine o'clock showing had already begun, but she did not care. She had watched the opening so many times that she could practically recite every line from memory.

As the second half of the film played, her thoughts drifted again and again. At some point, the ghost on the screen blurred into Yara's face in her mind, which made her skin crawl. Even so, Wren forced herself to stay until the very end.

Thump. Something slammed against the back of her seat. Not hard enough to hurt, but deliberate enough to be noticed. At first, Wren assumed it had been an accident and chose to ignore it. Then it happened again. And again.

She was kicked repeatedly, yet her assailant still wouldn't stop. Then something hit the back of her head. It did not hurt. Seeing the popcorn that had fallen onto the next seat, Wren's face turned cold and she spun around.

Right then, the movie ended and the lights in the theater slowly came up. Wren turned around with an icy look in her eyes and immediately spotted the person responsible.

The man lounging lazily in the seat behind her wore a black turtleneck beneath a dark navy overcoat. One long leg rested casually over the other as he looked at her with open amusement. His sharply handsome features carried a naturally dangerous edge, and his narrow eyes seemed filled with quiet mischief.

He still had a piece of popcorn pinched between his fingers, clearly preparing to throw another one. The moment their eyes met, the grin on his face only widened. It was Jasper Shaw, the founder of Shaw Capital. Of all people, it had to be that asshole.

Wren instantly regretted not choosing another theater. She and Jasper had a complicated history. Years ago, when she was still young and reckless, she had done something that truly hurt him. Although she later apologized, Wren had always believed the incident was far too minor to justify the resentment he still carried after all this time.

Unfortunately, Jasper clearly saw things differently. To him, that incident had been a humiliating defeat, and he had never forgotten it. The resentment between them ran so deep that ever since Wren began handling investment projects on her own, Jasper had deliberately interfered with nearly every deal she pursued. Whenever Wren showed interest in a project, Jasper would somehow get involved as well.

He constantly stole deals from her, competed with her, and fought against her at every possible opportunity. After years of going back and forth like this, the guilt Wren once felt had long since been replaced by frustration. Since Jasper refused to let her live in peace, she stopped showing him any mercy as well.

At this point, Wren and Jasper had become publicly recognized rivals in the investment world. Everyone in the industry knew they could barely stand being in the same room together, yet after years of competing against each other, neither of them had ever truly come out on top.

The only exception had been the Beacon project. Jasper had secured the opportunity first, but something unexpected seemed to happen midway through the deal. He suddenly pulled out without warning, then left the country soon afterward for overseas project inspections. Rumor had it that he had spent the past six months abroad.

Wren had no idea when Jasper had returned. By then, the movie was already over, and the audience had begun filing out of the theater. Only then did she realize he was not alone. Beside him sat a tall woman with long hair cascading over a fitted black dress cut with a daringly low neckline. A black mask concealed most of her face, yet her striking figure alone was enough to turn heads.

Despite the freezing weather outside, the woman was not even wearing a coat. The way she looked at Wren was filled with obvious hostility and caution. Wren had originally planned to trade a few insults with Jasper just to vent her frustration, but the moment she noticed his date sitting beside him, she forced herself to hold back instead.

Jasper was absurdly vindictive, and the fact that he still held a grudge over something that had happened years ago proved it perfectly. If she started a fight with him now and things escalated too far, his girlfriend might end up getting scared away. Wren had no doubt that Jasper would find some way to blame her for it as well.

After a brief pause, she turned to him with a graceful smile. "Mr. Shaw," she said lightly, "I'm in a good mood tonight, so I'll let this one slide."

When she smiled, her beautifully curved eyes softened the natural coolness of her features and made her unexpectedly captivating.

The woman beside Jasper immediately sensed that something was wrong. She could not understand who this woman was, yet Jasper had recognized her from nothing more than the back of her head. Her instincts as a woman told her at once that this woman was a threat, and a dangerous one at that.

"Jasper," the woman asked sharply, clinging tighter to his arm, "who is she?"

Jasper ignored the question completely. Instead, he rose to his feet and took two slow steps toward Wren before bending down slightly to look at her. His dark gaze settled on her face, especially her reddened eyes.

"In a good mood?" His voice carried lazy amusement. "Then why were you crying?"

Wren froze for a moment and instinctively touched her cheek. It was wet. Only then did she realize she had been crying without even noticing. She casually wiped away the tears and answered as if nothing had happened.

"The movie scared me." She gave a lazy shrug. "I'm kind of a coward."

Jasper let out a soft laugh, clearly unconvinced. His narrow eyes lowered slightly as he looked at her. "You? When you were busy screwing me over back then, you seemed pretty fearless to me."

Wren fell silent. Was he seriously planning to hold this over her for the rest of his life? Under normal circumstances, she would have fired back immediately, but tonight she truly did not have the energy to argue with him.

"Mr. Shaw," she said flatly, already turning away, "I've got things to do. Enjoy your evening." The moment she finished speaking, she left without giving him a chance to respond.

Jasper instinctively started after her, only for the woman beside him to immediately grab his arm.

"Jasper, who was that woman?"

Jasper casually pulled his arm free again. His gaze remained fixed on Wren's retreating figure as a slow, unreadable smile spread across his face.

"Her?" He raised a brow lazily. "Just a heartless little liar."

By the time Wren returned to Harbor Crest, it was already close to midnight. The lights in the living room were still on. Adrian was back.

She set her keys down by the entrance, changed into slippers, and started walking farther inside. After only two steps, she stopped cold. The fragile thread holding her emotions together all night finally snapped completely.

Adrian was drunk again. His face and neck were flushed red as he slumped sideways against the sofa, clearly unconscious from alcohol.

Yara sat pressed tightly against him, both arms wrapped possessively around his neck as she kissed him slowly.

Adrian's eyes remained closed. His hands hung limply at his sides, completely unresponsive, as though he had already passed out.

When Wren got out of the car earlier, she accidentally stepped into two puddles. Her shoes were soaked through, and the icy cold had traveled all the way from her feet upward until her entire body felt numb.

Now she stood there trembling slightly, almost unable to steady herself. She remained frozen for several long seconds. Then she walked over.

Without a word, Wren grabbed the back of Yara's collar and yanked her forcefully off Adrian. The moment Yara lost contact with him, Adrian collapsed heavily against the sofa cushions, brows furrowing faintly in discomfort.

Smack. The slap rang sharply through the living room. Yara cried out instantly, clutching her face in disbelief as she stared at Wren. "You hit me?"

Yara had been born into privilege as the chairman's daughter and the princess of Winslow Group. Ever since childhood, everyone around her had catered to her every whim, and no one had ever dared lay a hand on her.

Wren flexed her slightly numb fingers calmly after the slap. "You broke into my house in the middle of the night and started making out with my boyfriend while he was drunk." Her voice remained terrifyingly steady. "Why exactly shouldn't I hit you?"

Yara's voice immediately sharpened. "Making out with him? Adrian loves me! We're in love. I…"

"This isn't about love right now," Wren interrupted coldly. "It's about basic decency."

She looked directly at Yara. "Answer me honestly. Did Adrian ever tell you to your face that I'm his girlfriend?"

Yara's brows tightened instinctively because Adrian had said exactly that before. "But it won't stay that way for much longer!"

Wren slowly rolled up her sleeves, surprisingly calm despite the fury simmering underneath. "So you do know we're still together." She gave a soft, humorless smile. "You haven't even officially won yet, and you're already showing up at my home in the middle of the night trying to humiliate me."

Her eyes turned colder. "And you're shocked you got slapped?" Then she pointed toward Adrian, who was still unconscious on the sofa. "You came to my apartment while my boyfriend was blackout drunk and took advantage of him." Wren's tone sharpened dangerously. "Technically, I could call the police right now."

Yara covered her burning cheek and glared viciously at her. "What exactly are you so smug about?" she snapped. "Do you seriously think you're the victim here? That I'm the homewrecker?"

Wren found the question almost absurd. "You seem surprisingly self-aware."

Yara let out a cold laugh. "Wren Sterling, you're the third party here." Her eyes gleamed maliciously. "Did Adrian never tell you about me?" She lifted her chin slightly. "We've known each other since we were kids."