Chapter 302: Probably Really Crazy
Wren Sutton felt a sting in her nose. She clutched her phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. The cool glass pressed against her palm, but it did nothing to quell the searing, bittersweet emotions churning in her chest.
Outside, the late autumn wind howled, whipping fallen leaves against the windowpane with a rustling sound that perfectly mirrored her chaotic heartbeat.
She took a deep breath and looked out the window again.
A streetlight cast a warm, yellow halo, and within it stood Adrian Lancaster, motionless in the wind.
The strong gusts tossed his bangs about and made his collar flap noisily. Despite the disarray, he exuded an indescribable sense of resolve.
He didn’t even raise a hand to smooth his clothes, merely tilting his head up slightly, his gaze piercing through the layers of darkness to land on her window.
His eyes were too bright—as brilliant as a shattered galaxy, yet holding the tranquility of a calm sea, so gentle they could pull a person in completely.
He hadn’t made any grand declaration of love. Just the simple, direct words, "I wanted to be closer to you," were enough to fill her heart to the brim.
Wren Sutton: "Do you have any idea how cold it is outside?"
Hearing the concern in her voice, Adrian Lancaster’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The happiness and tenderness in his eyes were so intense they threatened to overflow.
"As long as I can see your window and know you’re inside, I don’t feel cold."
His voice was soft, yet it was like a warm pebble dropped into the lake of Wren’s heart, sending gentle ripples across its surface.
Wren was speechless and nearly rolled her eyes. "Adrian Lancaster, please don’t be so childish."
’He’s been watching too many romantic dramas!’
"Maybe you think this is childish, but I can’t stop thinking about you. I want to watch over you from somewhere close by."
A hint of barely perceptible grievance tinged Adrian’s voice. He sounded like a child who had accidentally lost his favorite toy—clumsy and devout, yet with a cautious stubbornness.
He just stood there, steady and unwavering, asking for nothing in return, only hoping for one more glimpse of Wren Sutton.
"Wife, please don’t feel burdened by this."
Adrian paused, his tone turning serious.
"No one is forcing me to do this. I’m doing it of my own free will. Call me childish, call me stupid, say I’m a masochist—I don’t care. This is what I want to do."
"Before, I took what I had for granted. I always came home late, and you waited for me almost every night. You’d leave a light on in the living room, protecting our home and our relationship in your own way, without a word of complaint."
"Now it’s my turn to protect our relationship. I owe you this. You don’t need to feel sorry for me."
Wren sniffled, her eyes growing hot.
After a moment’s thought, she said, "You should just go back. If Owen and Nina wake up in the middle of the night and don’t see you, they’ll be scared."
She tried to use the most rational argument to persuade Adrian to leave.
But Adrian was resolute, dead set on staying.
"Owen and Nina are so smart. They’ll know Daddy is with Mommy, so they’ll definitely sleep soundly through the night."
"And even if they do wake up, the nanny is in the nursery with them. She’ll take good care of them, so don’t worry."
Adrian had arranged everything perfectly, just so he could stay and watch over Wren for a moment longer from the closest possible place.
Wren looked at the stubborn figure outside the window, her heart a mix of anger and tenderness, and found herself at a loss for words.
An indescribable mix of frustration and heartache intertwined within her.
"Adrian Lancaster, if you’re going to be so stubborn, so unafraid of the cold and of getting sick, then just stay down there! I’m done with this."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she petulantly yanked the heavy curtains shut, completely blocking the figure outside from her view.
The room was instantly plunged into darkness, save for the soft glow of a warm lamp on the bedside table.
Outside, the cold wind raged on.
Adrian looked up at the window that had been so abruptly closed, but a gentle smile slowly curved his lips.
The night was long, and he was willing to be the one keeping watch, waiting until that window lit up for him once more.
...
The heavy curtains blocked the cold wind from outside, but they couldn’t stop the storm of emotions raging in her heart.
Wren lay in bed, her eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling with a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. She wasn’t the least bit sleepy.
She deliberately turned on her side, her back to the window.
She forced herself not to think about the stubborn man downstairs, not to picture his upright figure in the cold wind, and especially not to recall his pained yet utterly sincere words: "I wanted to be closer to you."
"Adrian Lancaster, you’re an idiot!"
Wren forced her eyes shut and tried counting sheep.
But the more she tried to suppress the thoughts, the more wildly they grew.
The late autumn chill seemed to seep through the walls into the hospital room. Wren tossed and turned, tangling the blankets into a crumpled mess, her heart refusing to calm down.
One moment, she was frustrated with Adrian’s childish stubbornness; the next, she was worried he would catch a cold from standing in the wind for too long.
The two emotions twisted around each other, tightening in her chest until it felt constricted.
After what felt like an eternity of torment in bed, the wind outside seemed to howl even louder. The sound of leaves hitting the glass tapped against her heart with every gust.
On a sudden impulse, Wren sat bolt upright. In the darkness, her eyelashes fluttered, and her heart pounded.
’Forget it.’
’Just this once.’
’I’ll just tell myself it’s for Owen and Nina. If he really gets sick, who will take care of the kids!’
Wren desperately tried to make excuses for herself.
She got out of bed again, quickly putting on her clothes and shoes, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake the sleeping Isla Griffith.
Wren grabbed her phone, silently turned the doorknob of the hospital room, and slipped out.
The hallway was silent and empty, save for her. The quiet was a little unnerving.
Wren took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and walked briskly toward the elevators. Her fingertips trembled as she pressed the down button.
As the elevator descended, the floor numbers changing one by one, Wren’s heart beat in time with them.
’What on earth am I doing?’
’I was just angry a moment ago. I was so adamant that I didn’t care about him, and now I’m going downstairs of my own accord.’
’This is so embarrassing.’
And yet, her feet didn’t hesitate for a second.
"I must be going crazy," Wren muttered to herself, closing her eyes.
DING—the elevator reached the first floor.
The doors slid open to reveal an empty lobby. Only the night wind from outside drifted in, carrying the unique chill of late autumn.
Wren paused at the elevator entrance, took a deep breath, and walked toward the main doors step by step.
Through the glass doors, she saw him at a glance. Adrian was still there.
He was still in the same posture, head tilted up, like an unbending tree stubbornly standing guard.
The cold wind whipped the hem of his trench coat, but he hadn’t moved an inch.
’Does he really plan to stand here all night?!’
In that moment, all of Wren’s stubbornness and pride completely shattered.
She quickened her pace, reached out, and forcefully pushed open the glass door. A blast of cold wind hit her face.
"Adrian Lancaster!"
Her cry, tinged with a sob and a hint of anger, pierced the silence of the night.
Adrian froze, thinking he was hearing things.
He slowly turned his head.
When he saw Wren Sutton walking toward him through the darkness, a brilliant light exploded in his astonished eyes.