Chapter 309: Young Master Lancaster Has a Cold and a Fever
Isla Griffith slowly pulled her fingers, one by one, from Sean Sterling’s tight grip. Her movements were gentle, yet incredibly firm.
She looked away, not daring to see the color drain from his face or the shattered light in his eyes. She was afraid she would soften.
"Everything you’ve done for me... I’ll remember it all. I won’t deny that I’m touched. There was even a moment when I almost gave in."
"But being touched can’t take away the pain. The children aren’t coming back, and that’s an obstacle in my heart I’ll never be able to overcome."
"I need a long time to heal. It might be a year, it might be ten years, or it might be a lifetime."
"I can afford to wait. You can’t."
"You shouldn’t give up everything from the Sterling Family for me. That’s your life, not something you owe me as compensation."
Sean Sterling’s knuckles turned white from how hard he was clenching his fists. He stated his position urgently, "Who says I can’t? I can afford to wait. Even if I have to wait a lifetime for you, I can afford it."
"I don’t regret giving up everything from the Sterling Family at all. I just want to be with you."
"I’m a man. Even without the Sterling Family’s backing and support, I can still build a career and make a lot of money to provide for you. I will never let you suffer the slightest grievance."
"Isla, I’m not doing this to make you feel touched or guilty. I just want you to understand that you mean more to me than anything else."
"I can give up anything for you. The only thing I can’t let go of is you."
Isla Griffith closed her eyes, her heart feeling like it was being violently torn apart in her chest.
On one side was the irreconcilable pain of losing her children; on the other was the man who had given up everything for her.
’The gratitude is real, the reluctance to let go is real, but the insurmountable pain is also real.’
She shook her head gently, enduring the suffocating pain that radiated from her heart.
"Sean Sterling, please, stop pressuring me. I really can’t be with you. The moment I see you, I remember my children, I remember how they died, I remember your mother’s face... I’ll go insane."
Sean’s heart suddenly clenched. A wave of panicked anger surged through him, and he tasted something metallic and sweet in the back of his throat.
"Isla, you can’t refuse to be with me."
"If even you abandon me, I’ll truly be alone for the rest of my life. Because besides you, I’ll never be with another woman."
"Can you really bear to do that?"
Wren Sutton, who had been listening quietly the whole time, hadn’t interjected.
She saw the pain and the push-and-pull between Isla Griffith and Sean Sterling, and she didn’t want to interrupt their honest confrontation.
But now, Isla was trembling. Her face was pale, her breathing was shallow, and she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. It was clear she couldn’t hold on much longer.
Wren Sutton immediately stood up, walked over, and steadied Isla’s shoulders, patting them gently in a silent gesture of comfort.
Then, she turned and subtly pressed down on Sean’s arm, her gaze sweeping over his tense, anxious features.
"Stop for now. Don’t say another word."
"But I—"
Wren cut Sean off, persuading him patiently, "Isla isn’t in a good state right now. Her body has just been through immense trauma and is extremely weak. Her emotions are stretched to the limit. If you keep talking, she’s really going to collapse."
"If you truly care about her and want what’s best for her, let her rest quietly for a while. Don’t pressure her anymore."
Hearing this, the pain in Sean’s eyes nearly overflowed.
Wren said calmly, "You can’t rush matters of the heart. Pushing too hard will only drive her further away."
"Wait until Isla’s emotions have stabilized. The most important thing now is for her to rest. You should leave. Give her some space so you can both cool down."
Isla didn’t speak or turn around.
But her tense back and trembling shoulders said it all. She was indeed holding on by a thread and was about to break.
A lump formed in Sean’s throat, and his eyes filled with unwillingness and sorrow.
He didn’t want to leave; he couldn’t bear to. But seeing Isla’s pained, trembling back, he didn’t have the heart to pressure her any further.
A thousand unspoken words ultimately turned into a single, heavy sigh.
"Okay," Sean forced out the single word, his voice hoarse.
"Let her get some rest."
Wren let out a sigh of relief, turned to the side, and made a gesture for him to leave.
Sean took one last look at Isla. Her back was so frail it looked as if a gust of wind could shatter her.
He rose slowly, his steps heavy as he walked out.
Wren saw Sean to the door and gently closed it.
CLICK. The sound separated two worlds.
Inside the room, Isla’s suppressed sobs, nearly suffocating, broke the silence as tears blurred her vision.
Outside, Sean leaned against the cold wall by the door, his eyes vacant and dim, like a statue whose soul had been stolen away.
He didn’t blame Isla. Not at all.
He blamed himself for not protecting her, blamed his family for inflicting a fatal wound on her, and blamed himself for arriving too late and doing too little.
Sean pulled his phone from his pocket. The screen lit up, revealing his wallpaper: a picture of Isla.
She looked gentle and beautiful, bright and poised. There were stars in her eyes, and her smile was full of joy.
Sean’s fingertips gently caressed the screen. His empty heart began to fill, bit by bit, and the pain and exhaustion in his expression vanished.
’I won’t leave. And I certainly won’t give up.’
Isla said she could afford to wait, so he would wait with her.
She said she needed a year, ten years, a lifetime—so he would wait for her for a year, ten years, a lifetime.
Even if it hurt her to see him now, even if she pushed him away, he would watch over her from a place she could see or a place she couldn’t. He wouldn’t bother her, wouldn’t pressure her. He would simply be the first to appear whenever she needed him.
He could do without the Sterling Family. He could rebuild his power and wealth. He could abandon everything in the world. But Isla Griffith—the sole obsession of his life—he would never let go.
The light in the hallway stretched Sean’s shadow long, making it look both lonely and resolute.
"Isla, I’m not leaving. I’ll be right here, watching over you."
...
After some time, Isla’s emotions settled. She wiped the tears from her face, and the first thing she said was to tell Wren Sutton to go home and rest.
"It’s all Sean Sterling’s fault. If he hadn’t suddenly barged into the room and held us up for so long, you’d have been home ages ago."
Wren didn’t mind. "It’s okay, I’m not tired."
"You’ve got dark circles under your eyes and you’re still saying you’re not tired? Hurry up and go back. I have a professional caregiver to look after me, so don’t worry," Isla urged, shooing Wren away.
Wren stood and let go of her friend’s hand.
"Okay, I’ll go. You get some proper rest, and don’t cry anymore. Your eyes will hurt if you cry too much."
Isla nodded, watching as Wren left the hospital room.
Before leaving, Wren didn’t forget to remind the caregiver to be extra attentive and take good care of Isla. Then, she dragged her exhausted body out of the hospital.
「Forty minutes later.」
The car entered the villa district and stopped in front of her house.
Wren got out of the car, opened the door to her home, and was greeted by a rush of warm air that enveloped her entire body.
She had just changed into her slippers when a maid hurried over, a worried expression on her face.
"Young Madam, you’re finally back! The Young Master hasn’t been right since he came back from the hospital this morning. He might have caught a cold from the wind last night. He has a fever and just took some medicine and lay down."