Chapter 350: Kraft Envelope
Wren Sutton’s heart felt like it was caught in an invisible vise, a bitter sense of helplessness welling up inside her.
Especially when she met Sean Sterling’s desperate, pleading eyes. Her throat tightened, and for a long moment, she couldn’t form a single coherent sentence, her gaze flitting away in a panic.
In Sean Sterling’s eyes, her silence was an admission. It meant she knew where Isla Griffith was.
He propped up his weak body, leaning so far forward that he almost slid off the hospital bed.
The IV line pulled taut, and a bead of blood began to well up where the needle entered his skin, but he didn’t seem to notice.
"Wren, you have to know. Please, tell me."
"I promise you, I won’t do anything to pressure her."
"Tell me!"
Wren Sutton stood rooted to the spot, torn apart by indecision.
’Tell him or not?’
’If I say a word, given Sean’s crazed obsession right now, he might promise not to go after Isla, but he’ll definitely rush to the clinic no matter the cost.’
On one hand, there was the temporary peace Isla had bought with her resolute departure.
On the other, there was Sean Sterling’s desperate, heart-wrenching plea.
The two conflicting thoughts tore at her, tormenting her.
Adrian Lancaster saw his wife’s predicament. He strode forward, pressing down on Sean’s shoulders to steady him and keep the IV needle from dislodging.
"Calm down. Don’t do this to yourself."
"I can’t calm down." Sean Sterling’s voice was thick with emotion, his eyes red as he looked at Adrian Lancaster.
"Let me give you a bad example, and don’t get mad, but if Wren went missing... if you couldn’t find her for days and had no idea where she was... Adrian, could you stay calm? Could you?"
"..." Adrian was speechless. His brow furrowed, and his expression immediately darkened.
"You couldn’t stay calm. You’d probably lose it even more than I have," Sean said with conviction. "It takes one to know one."
Adrian’s breathing grew heavy. He didn’t argue.
Just the thought of that hypothetical scenario sent a wave of panic through him.
’If it ever really happened, I’d go insane.’
"I’m telling you to calm down so I can give you an answer."
At those words, Sean’s eyes lit up.
He held his breath, staring at Adrian, his heart a mix of elation and anxiety at the thought of finally learning where Isla was.
Adrian met his gaze. "I know where Isla is, but I can’t tell you her exact location."
Sean felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him, and his anxiety spiked.
"Why can’t you tell me?"
"It’s for Isla’s own good," Wren blurted out.
"Isla left without a word. It’s not just you she doesn’t want to see—she doesn’t even want to see me, her best friend."
"No farewell, no clues. She was dead set on hiding from everyone, on escaping everything here—the people and the events that caused her so much pain."
The words were like needles of ice, stabbing straight into Sean’s heart.
He went rigid. The desperate look in his eyes vanished, replaced by sheer disbelief.
"She won’t even see you?"
Wren took a deep breath. "That’s right. Isla doesn’t want to see anyone right now. She just wants to be left alone."
"By a stroke of luck, Adrian and I almost found her. We practically brushed past each other. She recognized us and immediately fled in a panic. We were a step too slow to catch her."
Adrian stood beside her, gently draping an arm around Wren’s shoulders to support her.
He then finished her thought for her.
"My wife isn’t lying. Isla doesn’t want to see anyone right now. To guarantee her safety and emotional stability, we didn’t disturb her after we found out where she was. Instead, we arranged for people to protect her discreetly."
"So, just focus on getting better. Stop running your body into the ground. Isla is safe now."
"This is all I can tell you. If you force me to give you the address and insist on finding her, you’ll only drive her further away and force her to keep running."
"If you push her too far and she does something drastic, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life."
After hearing all this, Sean slowly sagged back against the headboard. It was as if all the strength had been sucked out of him in an instant; he didn’t even have the energy to lift a hand.
’So Adrian and Wren weren’t hiding it from me on purpose. All along, they were just thinking about what was best for Isla.’
The monitor beside him beeped with a slow, steady rhythm. Each beep, neither loud nor soft, struck his heart with a dull, persistent ache.
Sean’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was so hoarse it was barely a whisper. "...Then... when can I see her?"
He paused, then added in a low voice, with a hint of desperate persistence, "We can’t just never see each other again, can we?"
Seeing his heartbroken expression, Adrian felt a pang of sympathy. "Let’s talk about it after you’ve fully recovered," he said gently. "Isla needs time to heal, too."
Sean nodded, gradually calming down.
’As long as it’s for Isla’s good, I can wait. I never wanted to pressure her.’
"Since you said Isla doesn’t want to see anyone, please make it clear to her that we respect her wishes. She shouldn’t have to live in fear, constantly hiding."
"She just had a miscarriage. She’s weak. She can’t be tiring herself out on the road."
"To put her mind at ease, please pass on one more message for me. Tell her that until she’s not angry anymore, I won’t interfere in her life. She should just focus on getting better."
With these words, Sean was truly taking a step back, truly protecting Isla.
Wren was both relieved and deeply moved when she heard him say that.
She thought of a good way to reassure Isla and convey their intentions without having to see her in person.
...
「The Clinic.」
Isla Griffith was resting quietly on the bed in the back room, her mind a blank as she stared at the white wall in front of her.
Yesterday, she had been passing this clinic when she felt so awful she couldn’t go on. Taking a risk, she stopped the car and dragged her tired, aching body inside.
The doctor and nurses were exceptionally kind. They thoughtfully set her up in a back room to rest, gave her an IV with glucose and nutrients, and even let her stay the night.
Isla felt a little better now. She had regained some of her strength and planned to rest a bit longer before leaving.
This place was too close to Avenia. She didn’t dare stay long, for fear of being found.
Just then, a nurse parted the curtain and walked in, a smile on her face and a manila envelope in her hand.
"Ms. Griffith, someone asked me to give this to you."
"..."
Isla looked at the envelope on the table, and her heart sank.
’Have I been found?’
’Otherwise, how could anyone deliver something so precisely to this location?’
A wave of panic washed over her. ’Someone must have followed me.’
Forcing a calm expression, Isla picked up the envelope. As soon as the nurse left, she lifted a corner of the curtain and peered nervously outside.
There were no suspicious cars outside, no one loitering or keeping watch. Everything looked completely normal.
She took a deep breath, but it did little to ease her anxiety.
After a moment, her heart pounding, she opened the envelope.
Inside were two sheets of stationery and a bank card.
With trembling hands, Isla unfolded the first sheet. A familiar, forceful handwriting met her eyes.
It was Sean’s.
[My Dearest Isla:
I hesitated for a long time before writing this. I was afraid my handwriting would annoy you, that my words would upset you. But the guilt and longing are suffocating me, and this letter is the only way I can speak my heart to you.
I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, but I still have to tell you how sorry I am.
I was a fool, an idiot. I failed to protect you, and you suffered terrible harm, both physically and mentally. It’s all my fault. I owe you a debt I can never repay in this lifetime.
In the days since you’ve been gone, I haven’t been able to rest. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Without any news, I feel like I’m going insane.
As you read this, I still don’t know where you are. Your best friend won’t tell me. I understand now that she was hiding it for your own good.
I know you don’t want to see me or be disturbed by anyone right now. I promise you, until you’re no longer angry, until you’re ready to see me, I will not show up in front of you. No one else will, either. We will all respect your wishes.
So, Isla, you don’t have to live in fear or hide anymore. Find a nice, comfortable place, and focus on your recovery. No one will bother you.
The PIN for the bank card is your birthday. You’re out there on your own—don’t neglect yourself, and please don’t try to save my money.
I don’t dare ask you to come back now. I just hope that you’re safe and that you’ll take care of yourself and get well.
I will wait for you. I’ll wait until you’re willing to give me a chance to make it up to you, no matter how long it takes.
Isla, my love for you has never changed. I love you.
Yours, with all my love, Sean.]
After reading the letter, Isla’s eyes began to redden, and a bitter ache filled her chest.
It wasn’t that she didn’t know Sean loved her; she had never once doubted his sincerity.
He hadn’t done anything wrong. For her sake, he had even cut ties with his family.
The one at fault was Yvonne Donovan. She was the one who destroyed her relationship with Sean, the one who killed their child.
Tears dripped onto the paper, blurring the ink.
Isla choked back a sob, buried her face in her hands, and wept.
After some time, the sound of crying in the room slowly faded.
Isla wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and opened the second letter.
It was in the handwriting of her best friend, Wren.
[Dearest Isla:
I wish I could be there with you.
I know you just want to rest and be left alone right now, so I didn’t come to the clinic to see you. I decided to write this letter to explain everything instead.
First of all, don’t worry. Sean doesn’t know where you are. I didn’t tell him, and Adrian won’t breathe a word of it.
In fact, Sean has already promised to stop looking for you. He’s respecting your wishes and won’t bother you, so you can focus on getting better in peace.
So, Isla, you don’t have to hide anymore. Go wherever you want. You’re free. Think of it as taking a vacation for yourself to clear your head.
My phone is on 24/7. Call me whenever you feel like it. No pressure.
No matter when, no matter where you are, you’ll always be my best friend. I’ll always be here for you.
As for how I found you... I’ll tell you in person when you come back.
Isla, if I could sum everything up in one sentence, it’s this: for the time being, no one is going to bother you, including me. But the moment you need me, I’ll be there in a heartbeat.
Take good care of yourself, and don’t be too hard on yourself.
Oh, and one more thing I wanted to tell you: Sean’s parents are no longer against you two being together.
All my love, Wren.]
After reading this letter, a searing warmth flooded her heart, mingling with a guilt so overwhelming it almost took her breath away.
She had always thought leaving without a word was the best choice. She never imagined her best friend had been looking out for her all along, respecting her wishes, considering her feelings in everything, and even going so far as to comfort and persuade Sean for her sake.
Once again, tears fell uncontrollably, splattering on the page and smudging the ink.
"I’m so sorry, Wren... I made you worry."
Isla’s fingers, clutching the letter, slowly relaxed. The chill in her fingertips began to fade.
’All this time, no one was trying to force my hand. No one was trying to trap me in an impossible situation. They all respected my choice.’
The massive weight that had been crushing her heart finally lifted, and the nerves that had been stretched taut for so long at last went slack.
The constant hiding, the sleepless nights filled with worry—at this moment, it all melted away.
She let out a soft breath. The panic in her eyes receded, replaced by a profound sense of peace.
’No more running.’
’No more hiding.’
’Finally... I can rest.’
...
Isla put the letters and the card back in the envelope.
She walked out of the clinic. The afternoon sun warmed her skin, chasing away the damp chill that had settled in her bones.
A breeze rustled through the treetops, carrying the faint scent of grass and leaves.
She opened her car door, slid into the driver’s seat, and turned the key. The engine started smoothly, and the car pulled away from the clinic.
Her eyes fixed on the road ahead, she drove at a steady pace along the winding mountain path.
The noise and chaos of her flight were sealed away behind the mountains. In their place were rolling green fields, scattered farmhouses, and wildflowers blooming untamed along the roadside.
Fresh air, rich with the scent of damp earth and greenery, poured in through the half-open window, soothing her soul.
No more deliberately avoiding people’s eyes, no more worrying about being followed, no more tossing and turning through sleepless nights.
For the first time in days, Isla drove with a calm and steady heart.
When the familiar blue-tiled roofs and white walls of Avenia came into view, smoke curling lazily from distant chimneys, a smile touched Isla’s lips. It truly felt like coming home.
The car came to a smooth stop in the open space outside Granny Foster’s yard.
She got out, walked the few steps to the small gate, and raised her hand to knock softly.
"Granny, I’m back."