Secretly Married for 4 Years, He Regrets to Tears After the Divorce-Chapter 216: Don’t Move, You’re Badly Injured
Along with Claire Sterling and Wren Sutton, Lucia also insisted on staying at the hospital.
A nurse had thoughtfully prepared a lounge for them, but all three refused to go, remaining rooted to the spot in front of the hospital room door.
The minutes ticked by, and the night grew deeper. The hallway became increasingly quiet.
As midnight approached, the hallway lights switched to their night setting, casting a dim, yellow glow on the cold floor tiles.
A DING from the elevator doors shattered the silence.
Julian Lancaster strode toward them, his dark gray suit jacket draped over his arm. His loosened tie carried a faint scent of alcohol, but his eyes were as clear as if they’d been washed by the night wind.
He had just finished a work function and, without even stopping home, had his driver bring him straight to the hospital.
"Mom, Wren, Lucia."
"How’s my brother? Hasn’t he woken up yet?"
Wren Sutton stood up and walked over. "It’s the medication," she explained. "The doctor said he won’t wake up until tomorrow at the earliest."
Julian Lancaster nodded in relief and lifted his wrist to check the time.
"You all should go get some rest. I’ll stay here."
Claire Sterling disagreed. "You’ve been busy at the office all day, and you just came from a work function. You’ll collapse if you pull an all-nighter. You’re the one who needs to rest."
Julian Lancaster stepped forward to support his mother, his tone gentle. "It’s alright. I’m young; I can handle it. But you’re not. You can’t afford to stay up all night. Adrian would be worried sick if he woke up tomorrow and saw you like this."
"Go to the suite and sleep for a few hours. I’ll keep watch, and I’ll call you the moment anything happens."
Persuaded by her son, Claire Sterling agreed to get some rest.
Julian then turned to Wren Sutton and Lucia.
"Wren, Lucia, you two should go rest, too. Pulling an all-nighter is bad for your skin."
Wren Sutton shook her head gently. "I’m not tired. I want to wait here."
Lucia said, "I’m not tired either."
Julian Lancaster sighed and didn’t press the matter.
Later that night, it began to rain.
A window in the hallway was open, and the air filled with the damp smell of earth, carrying a slight chill.
Raindrops pattered against the glass.
Wren Sutton was wide awake, not the least bit drowsy. A nerve inside her was stretched taut. She would periodically get up and pace between the hallway bench and the door to the room.
Before she knew it, the sky had begun to lighten.
Julian and Lucia were dozing in their chairs, the dark circles under their eyes starkly visible.
Wren Sutton hadn’t slept a wink.
Just after six, the nurse who had been monitoring Adrian all night came out of the room. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
"He’s awake! Young Master Lancaster is awake."
Julian and Lucia jolted awake, quickly getting to their feet and moving to flank Wren Sutton.
"He hasn’t opened his eyes yet, but he keeps saying ’Wren.’ I think it’s a name."
Lucia said excitedly, "Wren, my brother’s calling for you! You have to go in. I bet he’ll wake right up the moment you do."
Julian agreed. "Lucia’s right."
"Nurse, please let my sister-in-law put on a protective suit and go in."
The nurse hesitated for a moment before agreeing to the siblings’ request.
A few minutes later, Wren Sutton, clad in a bulky protective suit, followed the nurse into the room.
The smell of antiseptic inside the room was stronger than it had been in the hall, and beneath it lay the scent of traditional Chinese herbs.
When Wren Sutton sat in the chair by the bed and saw Adrian up close, her heart clenched painfully.
He had lost so much weight. His once sharply defined face was now gaunt, his complexion ashen, and his breathing terrifyingly faint.
Adrian’s eyes were squeezed shut. A bandage was wrapped around his forehead, and his exposed arm was covered in a mix of deep and shallow wounds.
His lips were dry and cracked, trembling slightly, as if he were trying to speak without a sound.
Wren leaned closer and could just make out what he was saying. He was repeating her name, interspersed with broken apologies.
"Wren... I’m sorry... It was all my fault."
The voice was faint but insistent, a confession torn from the very depths of his soul.
Wren’s heart jolted. In their four years of marriage, she had rarely heard Adrian speak in such a broken, pleading tone.
She reached out and gently took his hand, which lay outside the covers.
"Adrian."
Wren’s gentle voice seemed to flip a switch. Adrian’s fingers twitched violently.
Then, his eyelids began to flutter, and he struggled to open them.
His gaze was unfocused at first, but the moment it landed on Wren, a bright light flared within his dark pupils.
"Wren? Is it really you?"
Adrian’s voice was terribly hoarse. He struggled to sit up, but his weakness sent him falling back against the pillow.
Wren placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don’t move. You’re badly injured."
At her touch, Adrian’s body went rigid for a moment before relaxing completely, as if he could finally confirm that this wasn’t a dream.
"I’m not dreaming. I’m really back. I’m back in Aston, back with you."
Wren didn’t pull her hand away, simply watching Adrian in silence.
The joy in his eyes was laced with a bittersweet sorrow.
She reassured him, "Yes, you’re back safe and sound. The whole family is so happy. Everyone’s been waiting right outside the door, but the doctor wouldn’t let family in to visit until you woke up."
Adrian tightened his grip on her hand, holding on with a strength that belied his condition.
"When the plane was crashing, I thought I’d never see you again."
His voice choked with emotion, and tears soaked the bandages at his temples.
"For our whole four-year marriage, it was like I was blind. I couldn’t see how good you were to me. I neglected you, ignored you, and did so much to hurt you. I’m an asshole. I’m sorry, Wren. I don’t dare ask you to forgive me right away, but please, just give me a chance to make it up to you. Will you?"
