Chapter 367: The Mysterious Person Who Brushed Past
Outside the intensive care unit, faces were etched with the relief and gratitude of having survived the ordeal, feelings that overshadowed their exhaustion and hunger.
Everyone was happy and proud for Adrian Lancaster. The man’s incredible will to live had allowed him to triumph over the grim reaper once again.
They all firmly believed that in a few days, Adrian Lancaster would be out of the ICU and transferred to a regular hospital room.
Julian Lancaster looked at Theodore Lancaster and Claire Sterling, their eyes bloodshot. He spoke softly, "Dad, Mom, Adrian is out of danger now. You can relax. I’ll stay and watch over him. You two should go home and rest. You’ve been up all night; your bodies can’t take it."
After all, Theodore Lancaster and Claire Sterling were no longer young. They had forced themselves to stay since last night, running on sheer willpower alone.
Now, after a few words of persuasion from their son, they relented. Their bodies truly needed rest.
"Alright, your mother and I will head back first. We’ll leave things in your hands here. If anything changes, call us at home immediately."
"I’ll arrange for someone to relieve you later. You need to rest when you can, so don’t push yourself too hard."
Before they left, Theodore Lancaster and Claire Sterling gave him a few more instructions, and Julian Lancaster agreed to each one.
The doors to the ICU remained tightly shut, a faint light filtering through the small glass window.
Wren Sutton stood before the doors. Even though she couldn’t see the person inside, she couldn’t bear to tear her gaze away for even a moment.
She had been awake the entire night—from the earth-shattering moment of the crash, to the agonizing wait outside the operating room where every second felt like a year, and finally, to the doctor emerging to speak those blessed words of relief.
Her nerves had been stretched taut the entire time, not daring to relax for even an instant.
Now, the huge weight on her heart had finally begun to lift, and in its place came an overwhelming wave of exhaustion and hunger. Her entire body ached with a dull, heavy weakness, but she had no intention of leaving.
This was the closest she could be to Adrian, and she wanted to stay here with him, to wait for him to wake up.
Just then, Julian Lancaster walked over.
"Wren, you’ve been up all night, too. Let Lucia take you home so you can get some rest."
Wren Sutton gently shook her head, her throat dry and sore.
"I have to stay here and wait for your brother to wake up."
She didn’t dare to leave. She was terrified that if she left, even for a few short hours, she would miss the very moment Adrian woke up, or that something else would happen while she was away.
The terror of the past night was etched into her very bones. The man who had always seemed so strong, so invincible, was now lying in a sterile ICU room, hooked up to a tangle of tubes.
The mere thought of that image made her heart seize with pain, and she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his side for even an instant.
"Wren, I completely understand how you feel," Julian said, his voice steady and earnest.
"But if you keep pushing yourself like this—not eating, drinking, or sleeping—you’re going to collapse."
"Then, when my brother wakes up, you’ll be the one who’s sick. He would be heartbroken. Wren, could you really bear to see him suffer and blame himself?"
"Besides, Owen and Nina need their mother, and Adrian needs you even more. You can’t fall apart. You’re his and the children’s pillar of support."
His words struck Wren Sutton right where she was most vulnerable.
"..."
She stared blankly at the doors before her.
’He’s right. Adrian needs me, and the children need me. I can’t collapse. I have to take care of myself first, so I can be there to care for Adrian and stay by his side when he wakes up.’
Lucia Lancaster, thinking of a compromise, came over and took Wren Sutton’s arm, continuing to coax her gently.
"Wren, I know you want to be close to my brother. You feel safer watching over him."
"What if we get a room at the hotel right across the street from the hospital? That way, you can rest, but you’ll still be close. If anything happens with my brother, we can be here in an instant. We won’t lose any time. How does that sound?"
"That’s a good idea," Julian Lancaster agreed with a nod.
"Wren, please listen to Lucia. You need to rest. If you collapse, how could we possibly explain it to my brother?"
Faced with the siblings’ earnest pleas, Wren Sutton finally nodded in agreement.
She began to walk away, her steps heavy. With each one, she couldn’t help but look back toward the ICU, her heart filled with reluctance and worry.
Each time she glanced back, her eyes grew a little redder, and the stinging sensation in her nose welled up, but she managed to hold back her tears.
Lucia Lancaster could clearly feel the stiffness and trembling in Wren Sutton’s arm, and her heart ached for her sister-in-law.
"Wren, don’t worry. The doctors said my brother is out of danger. He just needs time to rest and recover. We’ll be right across the street at the hotel. The moment there’s any news, we’ll be the first ones here."
Wren Sutton’s throat was still too dry for her to speak properly. She just managed a quiet, "Okay."
The two of them walked slowly to the end of the corridor.
Julian Lancaster watched them leave, then turned his gaze back toward the ICU, a storm of complex emotions swirling in his dark eyes.
In the empty corridor, only he, Caleb Caldwell, and Sean Sterling were left.
The warmth in the air gradually faded, replaced by a solemn chill.
The sense of post-ordeal relief dissipated. The three men exchanged a look, and as if by silent agreement, the conversation turned to the sudden car crash.
"The crash was no accident," Julian Lancaster said first, his voice low, his tone laced with unmistakable conviction and a murderous edge.
"I don’t believe the official findings of the investigation. No matter how simple and clean a man’s record is, he still has a family, doesn’t he?"
"The truck driver died at the scene, so there’s no one to question directly. But his family is still alive. I refuse to believe there isn’t a single clue to be found there."
Sean Sterling leaned against the wall, his face pale from the sleepless night. At the thought of Adrian Lancaster lying unconscious in the ICU, his expression turned grim and hostile.
"No matter who’s behind this, we have to get to the bottom of it. We can’t just let it go."
Caleb Caldwell touched a finger to his chin, his brow deeply furrowed. He was seething with anger as well.
"Julian, you mean we start with the truck driver’s family?"
"Exactly," Julian Lancaster answered gravely.
"Someone needs to stay at the hospital. You stay here," Caleb Caldwell said, his eyes resolute. "Leave the investigation to me." His voice was firm, filled with unhesitating resolve.
Sean Sterling immediately stepped forward. "And me," he said, his voice steady and firm.
Caleb Caldwell turned to look at him. Their eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between them.
"Alright, Sean. We’ll investigate it together."
The three men all turned their gazes toward the closed doors of the ICU. They shared a single thought: they had to find the real culprit as quickly as possible and get justice for the man lying inside.
With the brief plan settled, Julian Lancaster remained at the hospital to keep watch.
Caleb Caldwell and Sean Sterling would investigate the truck driver’s family. Without another word, the two of them turned and walked toward the elevators at the end of the hall.
The elevator descended slowly. The moment the metal doors slid open, the two men stepped out.
They brushed past a woman who was walking toward them, about to get on the elevator.
The woman was slender, dressed in a simple, long trench coat. The brim of her hat was pulled down low, obscuring most of her face and revealing only a coolly elegant jawline.
Sean Sterling and Caleb Caldwell were completely preoccupied with the investigation and paid little attention to the person beside them as they hurried away.
The woman paused for a fraction of a second, her eyes glancing sideways to briefly take in their retreating backs. Then, she looked away and stepped into the elevator as if nothing had happened.