Chapter 300: I Miss You, Very, Very Much
Wren Sutton had just regained her composure when Isla Griffith’s words, "...and he even kissed you," instantly dragged her mind back to the elevator.
That fiery, lingering kiss, one that felt like it would meld her into his very bones.
The nearly crazed obsession and long-suppressed longing swirling in Adrian Lancaster’s eyes had been too intense to dissolve.
His deep, scorching breaths fell on her neck, carrying a searing heat.
And his voice, so gentle and tender as he spoke against her ear that it made her heart tremble.
Scene after scene replayed in her mind, a relentless, unbreakable loop.
Wren Sutton’s cheeks instantly started to burn again, the blush spreading from the tips of her ears all the way down her neck. Even her fingertips felt warm.
She averted her gaze, avoiding Isla Griffith’s teasing eyes. Feigning indignant embarrassment, she quickly changed the subject.
"A bowl of chicken soup and a few shrimp dumplings were all it took to buy you off? You’re so quick to defend Adrian Lancaster now. The old you would never have done that."
After eating, some of the sickly pallor had faded from Isla Griffith’s face, and her voice was no longer as weak and feeble as before.
"Adrian Lancaster used to be a complete and utter scumbag. He was always walking around with that high-and-mighty, cold, and arrogant look on his face, acting like no one else existed. He had no sense of loyalty. Of course I wouldn’t have said a single good word about him."
She leaned against the headboard, her tone frank as she spoke the truth.
"But it’s different now. He’s really changed. He considers you in everything, he knows how to cherish you and take care of you, and he’s slowly learning to let go of his pride to accommodate you. That’s huge progress, and it deserves some encouragement."
Wren Sutton pressed her lips together, not offering a rebuttal. Her long lashes fell, casting a faint shadow beneath her eyes and hiding the complex emotions swirling within them.
She had seen and taken to heart all of Adrian Lancaster’s changes and efforts these past days; she couldn’t deny a single bit of it.
The grievances, disappointment, and heartbreak that had built up in her heart were slowly being enveloped in warmth and melted away by his daily, gentle amends and his clumsy yet sincere efforts.
’But the scars in my heart are still there, after all.’
’The sadness of all those late nights, the pain of being ignored, the countless dashed hopes... they’ve already carved marks of varying depths into my heart. Even if they’ve scabbed over, they’re still fragile.’
’To completely smooth them over, to truly let it all go, will take a very long time.’
"I admit, Adrian Lancaster is completely different from before. He’s so good to me now, so good that sometimes my heart flutters uncontrollably."
"But the scars on my heart are still there. Even if they’ve scabbed over, they still hurt with the slightest touch."
"It’s not that I’m unwilling to forgive. I’m just afraid to hand over my whole heart so easily again."
Isla Griffith saw the unconcealable vulnerability and struggle in her best friend’s eyes and nodded in understanding.
"I get it. I totally get it."
"You don’t have to force yourself to make a decision right away, and you certainly don’t have to force yourself to accept Adrian Lancaster immediately."
"Just follow your heart. There’s no rush."
"If Adrian Lancaster truly loves you and genuinely wants to make amends, he will definitely be willing to wait—wait for you to let go of the past, and wait for you to accept him again."
Wren Sutton didn’t speak, but her wavering heart had already, unknowingly, begun to lean toward Adrian Lancaster.
It was just that the deep chasm and indelible scars left by the past lay between them—a gap that couldn’t be crossed with a single apology or one act of change.
It would take more sustained patience, more delicate tenderness, and more unwavering devotion from him to slowly, bit by bit, smooth them over.
After a long while, Wren Sutton looked up. The confusion in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a gentle yet firm tenderness.
She spoke softly, as if to Isla Griffith, and also to herself, "I’ll watch, and I’ll wait, and I’ll slowly let go of the past."
...
「Two hours later.」
As night deepened, the hospital corridor fell silent, bathed in the cold light of the overhead lamps.
Wren Sutton finished her dinner, cleaned the thermal lunch box and put it away, then sat by the hospital bed, chatting idly with Isla Griffith.
As they chatted, Isla Griffith eventually drifted off to sleep.
Wren Sutton gently tucked her in before going to wash up.
After washing up, she came out, made sure the room door was locked, and then lay down to rest.
Her body was exhausted, but a thread of worry still kept her nerves on edge.
She picked up the phone by her pillow and opened WeChat. There were two videos from Adrian Lancaster in the chat.
Wren Sutton immediately opened them.
On the screen, the nursery was filled with a soft, warm light.
Owen and Nina lay in their soft, fluffy cribs, their tiny bodies curled up in a way that was heart-meltingly cute.
The older brother, Owen, clenched his chubby little fists, his legs kicking about unconsciously. His grape-black eyes darted around as he let out the occasional soft coo.
The younger sister, Nina, snuggled beside him, her soft newborn hair stuck to her forehead. Her little mouth was pursed, and she would occasionally nuzzle the comfort toy next to her.
The siblings’ little hands would occasionally touch before immediately parting again in an innocent and intimate way.
There was no other sound in the video, only Adrian Lancaster’s extremely quiet breathing.
The second video showed Owen and Nina sound asleep.
Their tiny bodies were sunk into the soft mattress, their long, dense eyelashes resting quietly on their eyelids, casting faint shadows. Their little noses twitched slightly, their breathing steady and deep.
Nina subconsciously clutched a corner of a soft gauze cloth, while Owen was turned slightly on his side, facing his sister.
Seeing the two siblings sleeping peacefully, the anxiety that had weighed on Wren Sutton’s heart all day finally settled. A deep, soft warmth spread through her eyes, and the corners of her mouth turned up.
She sent Adrian Lancaster a message.
[I saw the videos. Owen and Nina are being so good and sleeping well. Thanks for taking care of them.]
The message was sent for no more than two seconds before he replied, almost instantly, as if he had been waiting by his phone for her message.
[It’s no trouble. A father should take care of his children. Are you settled in over there? In bed yet?]
Wren Sutton: [I’m in bed. The hallway is very quiet.]
Adrian Lancaster: [Good. You’re exhausted today, too. Get some rest and don’t stay up late. I’ll have the housekeeper prepare some nourishing breakfast dishes in the morning. Make sure you eat well.]
Wren Sutton read the text, a warm current enveloping her heart.
[Don’t make too much, just enough is fine. Isla can’t eat much, and I don’t have a big appetite either.]
Adrian Lancaster: [Okay, I’ve got it.]
Wren Sutton sent a smiling emoji.
Then, she started to type the two words "Good night" to send to him.
Just then, a new message from Adrian Lancaster popped up on the screen.
[Kissing you in the elevator today... it wasn’t me being a creep. I just couldn’t help myself.]
The moment she saw that line, Wren Sutton’s fingers tightened around her phone. Her heart skipped a beat, then began to pound.
The fiery, lingering kiss from the elevator uncontrollably replayed in her mind...
[That was my longing for you, suppressed for so, so long. It was an instinct I couldn’t control. I know I probably scared you, but I really couldn’t stop myself then.]
Adrian Lancaster’s words were direct and searing, unreservedly baring his heart and laying his most genuine emotions out for Wren Sutton to see.
It wasn’t an apology or an excuse, just a confession of his uncontrollable, deep affection.
[You’re not mad, are you?]
Wren Sutton stared at the screen, her heart feeling as if it were soaking in warm water, tender and aching.
A subtle, lingering intimacy spread quietly through the air. It wasn’t intense, but it wove itself intricately around her heart.
Silence flowed slowly between their two phones. Each second seemed to stretch on, carrying an unspoken, fluttering heartbeat.
Wren Sutton bit her lip, her fingertips trembling slightly. She slowly typed four words and sent them.
[This is the last time.]
Adrian Lancaster: [I can only promise not in an elevator. I can’t make any guarantees about other places.]
Wren Sutton felt a flare of flustered anger. [Adrian Lancaster, don’t push your luck.]
Adrian Lancaster: [I can’t help it. I can’t hold back when I see you. Darling, I’ve held back for too long. It’s been so, so long since I’ve kissed you.]
Wren Sutton’s heart leaped again. She didn’t want to continue the conversation, afraid he would bring up even more intimate topics.
[I’m going to sleep.]
Adrian Lancaster: [Okay. Good night, my love. I’ll dream of you.]
[Darling, I miss you. I miss you so, so much. So much that I wish I could fly to your side right now.]
Wren Sutton’s fingertips trembled. She didn’t reply, exiting WeChat and placing her phone face down by her pillow.
A few seconds later, the phone sounded with a DING.
Wren Sutton wanted to pretend she hadn’t heard anything, but after a moment of struggle, she picked up her phone again and opened WeChat.
...!!!
Adrian Lancaster had sent her two money transfers.
[1314520]
[5201314]
Memo: [For my whole life, I’ll love you. I’ll love you my whole life.]