Chapter 339: Happy for Nothing
Isla Griffith instantly panicked. The color drained from her already pale face.
Her weak body began to tremble uncontrollably. Her legs felt like jelly, and she could barely stand.
She had deliberately left her phone behind, avoided surveillance cameras, and stuck to back roads instead of main streets or highways. She did it all to avoid leaving any trace, to escape everything in Aston, to flee the pain the Sterling Family had caused her and the suffocating memories of her past.
She had thought that hiding in Avenia, a place that ’seemed dangerous but was actually safe,’ would let her catch her breath for a while.
But she never expected them to track her down after only a single day.
Isla Griffith didn’t dare to think about it. If Adrian Lancaster was here, did that mean Sean Sterling was close behind?
The thought of facing Sean Sterling, of confronting their shattered relationship and all the tangled conflicts and pain, sent a chill through Isla’s heart. Her breathing grew frantic and uneven.
She wasn’t ready. She didn’t want to have anything to do with Sean Sterling for even a second longer, especially not when she was so vulnerable and at her lowest point.
’No, I can’t let them find me!’
The overwhelming urge to escape consumed Isla Griffith’s every sense.
Ignoring her body’s weakness, she shot upright, nearly hitting her head on the edge of the open trunk in her haste.
She slammed the trunk shut. Her movements were rushed and clumsy, her fingertips trembling so badly that she couldn’t even latch the car door on the first try.
She didn’t dare look back, didn’t dare glance in the direction of Granny Foster’s house, terrified she would be spotted at any moment.
Her heart hammered against her ribs as if it would burst from her throat. Isla Griffith used every ounce of her strength to pull open the door and fall into the driver’s seat, fumbling to jam the key into the ignition.
Ignition, gear shift—the series of actions was a frantic, panicked blur.
The engine shuddered to life with a sharp roar. She slammed her foot on the gas, and the car shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.
Her weak body, wracked with extreme tension, was overcome with dizziness and nausea. The bumpy road only made it worse.
But even so, Isla Griffith didn’t dare to slow down. Her entire body was tense, her eyes glued to the road ahead.
She gasped for air, her hands still trembling on the steering wheel, her heart filled with an overwhelming, directionless panic.
Her only relief was that she had worn a hat and scarf when she left, and she wasn’t in her own clothes, so she hadn’t been recognized.
Otherwise, when she’d passed that car just now, she would have had no escape.
’Granny, I’m so sorry. I can’t come back for your chicken soup.’
The white sedan sped away, kicking up a trail of dust.
...
The black business sedan pulled to a smooth stop in front of Granny Foster’s courtyard gate.
The driver got out, opened the rear passenger door, and stood respectfully beside it.
"Young Master, Young Madam, we’ve arrived."
Adrian Lancaster acknowledged with a low "Mm."
Then he leaned over and gently patted Wren Sutton on the back with his large hand.
"Honey, wake up. We’re here."
Wren Sutton was roused by the man’s gentle voice. She opened her eyes blearily. "Are we in Avenia?"
Adrian Lancaster helped her sit up. "Yes, we’re here."
Wren Sutton saw Granny Foster’s gate through the car window and was instantly wide awake. Without bothering to fix her hair or clothes, she hurriedly got out of the car.
Adrian Lancaster followed beside her, and the two of them pushed open the gate and entered the small courtyard.
Hearing the noise, Granny Foster thought Isla Griffith had returned from getting her things and immediately moved to ladle out the chicken soup.
A flurry of hurried footsteps sounded behind her, followed by a familiar voice. "Granny."
Granny Foster turned around and saw Wren Sutton and Adrian Lancaster standing at the kitchen doorway. A smile of surprised delight instantly bloomed on her face.
"Claire! Adrian!" she said, walking over to them with warm, motherly affection.
"What brings you two back so suddenly? Have you eaten? If not, you’re just in time."
Granny Foster was overjoyed. She peppered them with caring questions and warm pleasantries, chattering on without noticing the strange expressions on their faces.
Wren Sutton had no choice but to interrupt Granny Foster, the urgency nearly overflowing from her eyes.
"Granny, I came back this time to ask you something urgent."
Hearing this, Granny Foster’s smile slowly faded. "What is it?"
Wren Sutton said, "I heard from Finn that last night you kindly took in a girl around my age. Is that true?"
Granny Foster nodded. "That’s right, I did."
Wren Sutton felt a wave of relief, but when she looked around, she couldn’t find any sign of her best friend.
"Her name is Isla Griffith. She’s my best friend. Granny, where is she now? I don’t see her."
Granny Foster pointed toward the gate. "She went out to get something from her car. She’ll be right back. I even have chicken soup simmering on the stove for her to drink when she returns."
Granny Foster was even more delighted to learn of the connection between Isla Griffith and Wren Sutton.
"It must be fate! I never thought that girl would turn out to be your good friend, Claire."
"No wonder I felt a certain kinship with her when I saw her yesterday. She’s one of us, after all."
Wren Sutton gave her a grateful smile. "Granny, thank you for taking care of Isla. I’ll go to the gate to meet her."
Wren Sutton couldn’t wait any longer and turned to walk outside.
She stood at the main gate, looking left and right. The country lane was empty. There was no car, and no sign of Isla Griffith.
A sudden emptiness gripped Wren Sutton’s heart, and she was filled with a bad feeling.
"Granny, I still don’t see Isla."
Just then, Granny Foster came out and noticed that the white sedan that had been parked in the open space was gone. Realization dawned on her.
"Oh no," she said. "She’s left without a word."
Her hope had been for nothing. The expression on Wren Sutton’s face instantly froze.
Her emotions were a roller coaster—one moment full of hope, the next plunging into a dark abyss.
"How could this happen! Isla probably drove right past us, and we didn’t even realize it."
The driver, standing to the side, thought back for a moment before speaking in a low voice.
"Young Master, Young Madam, just as we were about to turn into this lane, I think I glimpsed a white sedan parked on the roadside. A woman was standing by the trunk, getting something. I didn’t think much of it at the time and just drove on."
Hearing this, Granny Foster immediately asked, "Was the young woman wearing a hat and a scarf that covered most of her face?"
The driver thought carefully, then nodded at once. "Yes, yes, she was bundled up tight, so I couldn’t see her face clearly. If I remember correctly, I think the scarf was red."
"That’s right, it was a red scarf. I put it on her myself because I was worried she’d catch a chill," Granny Foster said.
"Before she left, she promised me she would come right back for chicken soup after getting her things. Why would she just leave? It’s my fault for not keeping a better eye on her."
Granny Foster blamed herself, and tears of worry and distress streamed down her face.
"That silly girl. She’s so weak. If she doesn’t rest and take care of herself, she’ll suffer from chronic health problems in the future. What will she do then?"
Wren Sutton stepped forward and hugged Granny Foster. "Granny, please don’t be sad. This isn’t your fault. It’s our fault for showing up so suddenly and scaring Isla."
She knew in her heart that Isla wasn’t hiding from her, but from Sean Sterling.
’Isla must have recognized Adrian Lancaster’s car and mistakenly thought Sean Sterling was inside, which is why she fled in such a panic.’
Wren Sutton lowered her gaze, tears welling in her eyes.
She was the one who blamed herself the most.
’If she and Adrian Lancaster hadn’t shown up in Avenia, Isla wouldn’t have left in such a rush. At the very least, she would have stayed at Granny Foster’s for a few days to recover.’
’It was our arrival that had driven Isla Griffith away, forcing her back onto the bumpy road.’
A grave look passed through Adrian Lancaster’s deep eyes. He stepped forward to support Wren Sutton.
"Isla Griffith can’t have been gone for long. If we go after her now, we should be able to catch up."