Chapter 400

Chapter 400

With Harold taken away by Sterling, Kaitlyn and Maria finally relaxed.

A few days later, Willow's injury had completely healed.

On the day of her discharge, only Henry came to pick her up.

Seeing who it was, Willow's eyes showed a hint of disappointment.

"What, not happy to see me?" Henry asked knowingly.

Willow forced a smile. "No, it's just..."

She hesitated for a few seconds before asking, "Where is he?"

"Who?" Henry played dumb.

Willow pressed her lips together and looked at him.

Henry put on an expression of sudden realization. "Oh, you mean him. He's probably swamped with work. After just sending his father out of the country, all of the Lancaster family's mess landed on his plate."

His expression looked quite earnest.

Willow thought about it—what he said did make sense.

Henry had Percy to help him, but Sterling only had himself.

Even so, she still felt a bit let down.

"Forget about him. Today's your discharge day—I'm taking you to celebrate." Henry pulled her straight into the car.

Before Willow could refuse, he'd already started the engine and pulled away from the hospital entrance.

The car drove steadily toward the outskirts of the city.

Willow couldn't help asking, "Where are we going?"

Henry replied, "Taking you to see your wedding gift."

Willow looked puzzled.

Two hours later, the car climbed up a mountain, and a familiar resort came into view.

"It's not open to the public yet," Henry said. "Whether to open it in the future can be your decision."

As he spoke, familiar scenery flashed past Willow's eyes.

Finally, the car stopped in front of a villa where a group of people was already waiting.

"Willow!" The moment Willow got out of the car, Molly rushed over excitedly.

Matthew emerged behind her. "I was planning to pick you up from the hospital, but Mr. Brown said he'd go."

Behind them, Elaine looked at her with concern, while Adeline maintained some distance from the group, her expression rather cold—clearly not here of her own volition.

Seeing everyone, Willow's mood lifted considerably. "I'm fine now. Everyone can stop worrying."

She couldn't help glancing through the crowd.

She still didn't see Sterling's figure.

"Mr. Brown said you're being discharged today and asked us all to come celebrate," Molly said warmly, linking arms with her.

Willow snapped back to attention and let Molly lead her into the villa.

With Molly and Henry around, the atmosphere quickly became lively. Willow played along with their antics, but a corner of her heart remained empty.

When Henry brought her to the estate, she'd thought...

But it seemed she'd been reading too much into it.

Even into the evening, after everyone had worn themselves out, Sterling still hadn't appeared.

Willow returned to her room and took out her phone, waiting for Sterling's nightly call.

She waited a long time, but Sterling's call never came.

She was starting to get a little angry, and she missed Sterling—she wanted to see him.

Just as Willow was about to call him herself, faint barking suddenly came from outside the door.

Willow paused, set down her phone, and quickly stood up.

She opened the door to find Luke sitting right outside, wearing a smart vest and whimpering at her.

"Luke," Willow had an inkling of what was happening.

Luke barked at her twice, stood up, and headed outside.

Willow couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips as she followed expectantly behind him.

They walked out of the villa, and from a distance, Willow dimly made out a patch of warm yellow light, as if radiating warmth.

"Willow's coming, she's coming!" Molly couldn't help calling out.

The group appeared before Willow. Blake had arrived at some point and stood among them, smiling at her.

Sterling stood quietly at the far end of the group, looking at her tenderly.

Willow knew what was about to happen. She'd thought she'd be nervous, but meeting Sterling's gaze, she suddenly relaxed completely. Smiling, she walked toward him.

What happened next unfolded naturally.

Under the watchful eyes of friends and family, Sterling slipped the ring onto Willow's finger.

Before Willow had even gotten used to the ring on her hand, they were already rushing headlong into wedding preparations.

Her belly was growing more obvious by the day—they couldn't delay any longer.

The wedding was still held at the resort.

Both families and all their friends attended. Henry had even invited numerous media outlets, making the wedding scene quite lively.

"Willow, I'll be standing right behind you—make sure you throw the bouquet to me!" Molly was with Willow, reminding her repeatedly.

Willow promised with a smile.

This time's wedding dress was one she'd personally selected, as was Sterling's suit—simple yet exquisite. She loved them.

Soon, the ceremony officially began.

Led by Molly, Willow walked out and stood at one end while Sterling stood at the other.

Seeing each other from afar, Willow's heart filled with anticipation.

After today, they would truly be family.

The music started. The two slowly approached each other, and before everyone's eyes, their fingers intertwined. Both their faces showed smiles they couldn't hide.

Henry sighed. "After knowing him all these years, this is the first time I've seen Sterling smile like that."

He glanced deliberately at the person beside him.

Adeline was staring at the couple on the red carpet, lost in thought about something.

Henry immediately became alert. "What is Ms. Wilson looking at? They're already married, and all these media cameras are filming!"

Adeline didn't argue like last time. She just shook her head. "I just never imagined Sterling would actually fall for someone."

After learning about Willow's background, she'd been thinking that perhaps Sterling was only interested in the Brown family behind Willow.

Otherwise, with Sterling's status, there was absolutely no need to get tangled up in something as burdensome as emotions.

She certainly wouldn't.

Henry read her thoughts and said meaningfully, "If you can't figure it out, stop thinking about it. Your day will come too."

Adeline frowned slightly, not quite agreeing with his words, but she didn't contradict him.

Meanwhile.

Willow and Sterling walked through the crowd, and under everyone's blessing, fingers interlaced, they exchanged vows.

Luke had a velvet box strapped to his back. He crouched down beside them.

Sterling bent down to retrieve it, and they exchanged rings.

The atmosphere was solemn yet romantic.

"Kiss! Kiss!" Henry led the heckling, breaking the scene's quiet.

The crowd below joined in the chant.

Luke, thinking something was wrong, alertly perked up his ears. Positioning himself in front of Willow, he growled toward the crowd below, looking ready to charge at any moment.

Before her, Sterling gazed at her with deep eyes, a smile playing in their depths. Hearing the urging from below, he raised an eyebrow at Willow.

Willow smiled back at him, took the initiative to step forward, her eyes bright and expectant.

The next second, Sterling pulled her into his embrace, and a burning kiss landed on her lips.

Willow wrapped her arms around his neck, and the two kissed amid everyone's cheers.