Left on His Wedding Night, the War God Returned

Chapter 4: The Morning After

Sarah's neck screamed as she lifted her head from the hard armrest of the hospital chair. 

The VIP ward was bright with morning sun streaming through the windows, and her cream coat was wrinkled beyond recognition. She blinked, disoriented, trying to remember where she was.

A groan came from the bed.

"Jasper?" She shot to her feet, crossing to him immediately. "Are you okay? Does it hurt? Should I call the nurse?"

Jasper's eyes fluttered open. He looked at her for a long moment, and then his face crumpled. Tears spilled down his cheeks.

"Why are you still here?" His voice came out weak and broken. "Sarah, why didn't you go back? It was your wedding night. Your wedding night with Kevin, and you spent it on a hospital chair because of me." He appeared shocked and guilty, as if he had completely forgotten that it was he himself who had begged Sarah to stay and accompany him the previous night."

"Don't be ridiculous. You were sick. Of course I stayed."

"But Kevin..." Jasper's hand reached out, trembling, and found hers. His fingers were cold and clammy. "He must hate me. He must hate both of us."

Sarah squeezed his hand gently. "He doesn't hate anyone. You're still recovering. Let me check if you have a fever."

She pressed her palm to his forehead. His skin was cool, no sign of infection. Relief flooded through her.

"Thank God. No fever. But Jasper, what were you thinking, drinking so much when you know your stomach can't handle it?"

"I was happy for you." Fresh tears tracked down his face. "You looked so beautiful at the wedding, and I wanted to celebrate, and I overdid it and now I've ruined everything. I've ruined your marriage before it even started."

"You haven't ruined anything."

"I have. I called Kevin last night. Before you got here, I called him because I felt so guilty, and he didn't say anything. Not a single word. He just listened and then he hung up, and Sarah, I think he's furious with me."

Sarah went still. "You called Kevin last night?"

"I did. I tried calling you first, tried to tell you not to come, that it wasn't serious enough to leave your honeymoon for, but you didn't answer any of my calls. So I called Kevin to apologize, to explain, but he wouldn't even speak to me." Jasper's grip on her hand tightened. "The nurse, she went through my emergency contacts without asking and called you. I didn't want this. I swear I didn't want any of this to happen."

Sarah pulled out her phone, checked the call log. There were several missed calls from Jasper, three or four of them clustered together right before the hospital had called. 

But she hadn't heard any of them ring. 

She didn't think too hard about it. Jasper looked so genuinely distressed, so broken by guilt, that questioning him felt cruel. 

"Kevin's just like that sometimes," she said softly. "He doesn't talk much when he's processing things. His silence doesn't mean he's angry."

"Are you sure?" Jasper tried to sit up, his face going pale with the effort. "I need to apologize to him properly. I need to explain that this wasn't your fault, that I'm the one who caused all this trouble."

"Lie down." Sarah put both hands on his shoulders and pushed him back against the pillows. When he resisted, she pressed harder. "The most important thing right now is your recovery. I'll handle Kevin. I'll explain everything to him, and he'll understand. If he was really bothered by this, he would've shown it by now. Trust me."

Jasper sank back into the bed, his eyes searching her face. "You really think he'll forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive. You were sick. It's not like you planned this."

A small, relieved smile crossed Jasper's lips. "You're so kind, Sarah. So understanding. Kevin's lucky to have you. I hope I didnt caused much problems in your marriage life."

"You don't cause problems."

"I do, and I know it, but you're both too generous to say it." His hand found hers again, holding it between both of his palms. "You're beautiful inside and out. Kevin's a lucky man. I hope he knows that."

Sarah felt warmth spread through her chest. "Stop talking like that and focus on getting better."

She stood up and stretched, feeling every vertebra in her spine pop. Her whole body ached from the uncomfortable chair.

Sarah smiled. "I will bring food for you. Get some rest. I'll be right back."

She stepped out into the hospital corridor, her mood lifting now that Jasper was stable and talking. The crisis was over. Everything would be fine.

Behind her, in the VIP ward, Jasper lay motionless for several long seconds. Then his lips curved upward, slow and deliberate.

 The tears dried on his face as his expression shifted from vulnerable to deeply satisfied, like a player who'd just executed the perfect move in a game only he knew he was playing.

By the time Sarah finished feeding Jasper his breakfast, the morning sun had climbed high over Milano. 

She'd spooned broth into his mouth, adjusted his pillows three times, and made sure the nurses knew to check on him every hour.

Only when she was certain he was comfortable and resting did she finally remember Kevin.

Guilt crashed into her like a wave. Her husband. Her newlywed husband, still waiting at the hotel, or maybe not waiting anymore. God, what time was it?

She grabbed her things and rushed out, exhaustion making her limbs heavy as she flagged down a taxi back to the Aurora Palace Hotel.

 The entire ride, she practiced what she'd say. Kevin would understand.

 He had to understand. It was an emergency. Anyone would have done the same thing.

But when she pushed open the door to the honeymoon suite, the room was empty.

The bed was made. The champagne was gone. Rose petals had been swept away. Kevin's suitcase, the one he'd brought but never unpacked, was missing.

He'd left.

He'd checked out and left without even waiting for her to come back.

The guilt twisted into something sharper. 

Disappointment or Irritation. He couldn't even wait one morning? 

Couldn't give her the benefit of the doubt after she'd spent the night taking care of a sick friend?

 This was typical Kevin, shutting down and pulling away instead of communicating like an adult.

But underneath the irritation, uneasiness stirred. Maybe he really was angry this time. Maybe she'd pushed too far.

No. No, this was ridiculous. She'd done nothing wrong. Jasper was sick. What was she supposed to do, let him suffer alone just because Kevin wanted attention on their wedding night? That was so selfish…and of course childish.

She left the hotel and went home to their apartment in Navigli, the one they were supposed to have moved out of today. 

Her key still worked. Inside, moving boxes sat half packed, exactly as they'd left them before the wedding.

And there, standing by the floor to ceiling window overlooking the canal, was Kevin.

He was staring out at the water, his silhouette dark against the bright morning light. He looked distant, unreachable, like he was standing on the other side of a bridge she couldn't cross.

Relief and affection surged through her. He was here. He was home. Everything was fine.

Sarah crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing her cheek against his back.

"Congratulations, Mr. Crown," she murmured. "We're married now. Officially."

He didn't move.

"I'm sorry about last night. I know it wasn't ideal, but Jasper's okay now and I'm here and we have the whole day ahead of us." She smiled against his shirt. "Let me take a shower and freshen up, and then we can pick up right where we left off last night. Our wedding night doesn't have to be over just because it got interrupted."

Kevin's body went rigid under her touch.

Then he reached up, took her hands in his, and pulled them away from his body. He turned around slowly, putting distance between them, and when Sarah saw his face, something cold slithered down her spine.

His eyes were empty…completely Empty.

"Our wedding night no longer exists," he said quietly.