Ch. 1421..1430

Chapter 1421

Meanwhile, news of Hannah’s return to the company had begun to spread. Xavier appeared distant as

he held the phone inside the Jackson Group president’s office. “Alright, understood.”

As a president who had spies abound, he was privy to the situation surrounding the woman that he

very much fancied. He saw this as a chance for him to make Hannah his wife, as it seemed impossible

now for her and Fabian to reconcile.

Reservations on the part of Heather had profoundly affected Hannah.

Owing to Hannah’s compassion, she would doubtlessly distance herself from Fabian, which would

open up the opportunity for Xavier himself to woo Hannah.

He did not mind that Hannah could not conceive, as he was mad about her and did not see her as a

child bearing tool. Worse come to worst, they could always adopt. He believed that love was the key to

marital bliss.

Besides, Xavier’s situation was unlike Fabian’s. The former still had a younger brother, so he did not

have to worry as much about succession. Even if his own brother was not keen on taking over the

reins, his nephew would have come of age and should be able to hold his own when the time came for

Xavier to retire.

With his mind set on seeing Hannah, Xavier called up Bob to arrange to have her conduct an exclusive

interview with himself.

“What? Say that again!”

Not everyone was happy to learn that Hannah was back. Fabian and Xavier, the ones who loved her,

were obviously ecstatic, but not so much those who plotted against her.

“Hannah Young’s back, and I’ve already called her company to ascertain this. Why would I kid around

with stuff like that?”

The person sounded forthright enough over the phone.

“Alright, got it.”

Lyna exhaled as she hung up.

The clouded expression on her face had Yvette concerned. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Yvette stuck around with Lyna because she hoped to be able to receive Lyna’s help. She understood

that the way back to Fabian was something she would not be able to manage on her own.

“What’s wrong? Hannah’s back at work and… Fabian’s hired someone to stay close to her for her

protection. We won’t have any more chances to strike.”

Lyna had an ominous look on her face. Hannah’s resurfacing was vexing for her.

“What? Hannah’s back?”

Yvette staggered and nearly fell over, dazed by what she heard. How was she ever to get back with

Fabian if that were true? Was this some kind of sick joke?

However, she was not about to throw in the towel. “Why would she do that? Why would Fabian still

want her if she’s incapable of conceiving? Moreover, would Heather agree to their marriage?”

“How am I to know all that? Wouldn’t I want to know exactly what was she doing back here in the first

place? Is she that shameless, returning to Fabian’s side knowing well that she’s incapable of giving him

children? This is insane!”

Lyna was flustered at Hannah’s return as it derailed all of her plans and left her without any

contingencies lined up.

Yvette gnashed her teeth. “Why don’t we hire someone to …”

She then drew a finger across her own throat.

When Lyna saw that, she cussed silently and wondered if her counterpart was a damn idiot. Sending

an assassin after Hannah right now? Are you suicidal? Isn’t it obvious enough that Fabian would be

extremely guarded against us at this very moment since he just got Hannah back?

Chapter 1422

Fabian had sent someone to protect Hannah. Do you think you could find someone more skilled than

the one he has hired?

“I won’t try to stop you if you have a death wish.”

Lyna did not mince her words. If she had no further use for Yvette, she would not have bothered with

her at all.

“Then, what should we do?”

The ticking off had its desired effect, as Yvette had realized how unrealistic this was.

“What shall we do? We wait for Fabian to make his move.”

Lyna exhaled as she was increasingly less assured of herself.

She had been at the losing end every time she crossed swords with Fabian thus far. There was no way

that man would let her off this time after she had caused Hannah to miscarry, so she was even more

anxious than Yvette was.

“What if Fabian doesn’t?”

Yvette had a strong feeling that after this round, she might have lost Fabian for good.

“Impossible. I would bet everything that he would. He didn’t before because he was grieving after losing

Hannah. Now that she’s back, we can expect him to take action. Any father who lost his child would

tread on the path of vengeance. How could any less be expected of Fabian Norton?”

Lyna was confident of her own analysis. She was in no doubt that Fabian would move against them, so

their anticipation of his timing would be crucial.

“Okay. I’ll go tighten the security around us.”

Yvette appeared thoughtful as she nodded. She went along as she saw the logic behind Lyna’s words.

She was genuinely terrified of death. As much as she desired to marry into the Norton family and gain

unprecedented power and prestige, there would be no point to it if she could not live to enjoy them.

Lyna almost suffered a stroke just listening to Yvette, and was barely able to resist giving two tight

slaps to this dumb teammate of hers.

She spoke while she suppressed the anger burning inside, “I think you’d be better off getting more

people to document the evidence of his crimes. We’ll need just a couple of skilled men for our own

protection.”

Yvette acknowledged her before she headed out of the house. “Hmph. You can die for all I care but

don’t drag me into the grave with you. Do you really think a couple of men would be enough? Are you

shitting me? Do you think Fabian’s playing house with us?”

Yvette’s dissatisfaction with Lyna was festering inside. Do you think I enjoy putting up with you? I

would’ve exposed you long ago if I didn’t need to depend on your schemes.

Hmph! When Fabian and I are married, the first thing I’d do is trip you over and have you spending the

rest of your life behind bars. I won’t be giving you any chances to ruin me because you already know

too much.

By this time, Natasha had arrived. She made a beeline for Hannah’s office and knocked upon the door.

“Please come in.”

Hannah was going through some files at her desk. Even though her team did much to help cover for

her in her absence, the workload she had to handle upon her return was still considerable. She saw it

as her responsibility to ensure that these were properly seen to.

“Hey, Hannah.”

Natasha hailed loudly at the woman who was busy editing the documents on hand.

Hannah’s head jolted up. “Natasha!”

She was subsequently on her feet and headed for Natasha with arms extended.

“Are you okay?” Natasha asked as she held Hannah’s hands.

“Of course I am. Can’t you see that I’m looking much better?”

Hannah was touched by Natasha’s concern and twirled around just to prove her own point.

“Yeah, that’s good to know. I was so worried when you disappeared on me.”

“Hehe. Alright, aren’t I back already?”

Chapter 1423

Hannah laughed as she led Natasha toward her own desk. There was a significantly smaller one next

to it which looked a little miserable inside the office.

“This is the workspace that I’ve prepared for you. From now on, let’s work in here together,” Hannah

said with a smile.

“You’re so nice to me.”

Natasha was moved. The notion of leaving her life of assassinating others behind to learn from Hannah

and become a real assistant to her did cross her mind.

“Alright, enough of this. I’ve already spoken to Mr. Dijon on your behalf. He’s happy to hear that you

would be rejoining us and has also approved our leave. Come on, let’s go pack your things.”

Hannah dangled the bunch of keys that the company had given to her in front of Natasha before she

took her by the hand and led her outside.

With the arrangements Fabian made beforehand, they got Natasha’s things sorted out with relative

ease. As neither of them had been to the living space the company had assigned, they actually spent

way more time trying to locate it.

They finally made it to the unit after no small amount of effort. It was not particularly spacious, with just

one room and living room, but adequate for Hannah and Natasha’s purposes.

It was only after they had their luggage put away in the closet that they were able to take a breather.

Though not comparable to the villa Fabian owned, Hannah was quite satisfied with her

accommodations at present.

As for Natasha whose priority was to protect Hannah, she did not mind where she lived so long as she

could remain close to Hannah.

“It’s a little cramped here. Would you mind if we share the same bed at night?” Hannah asked.

Natasha smiled and shook her head. “What are you saying, Hannah? You’ve been taking care of me

for so long, so why would I mind?”

That was her honest sentiment. Unaware of Natasha’s true identity, Hannah had already went well

beyond her own obligations for one she knew only as an intern.

Hannah chuckled before she regarded the young woman. “That’s good to hear.”

Natasha smiled broadly. Hannah was to her, the kindest soul she had ever met. Her charms had

profoundly affected this assassin’s heart. Natasha held back more than once against the smiling

Hannah before she finally decided to ask, “I’m not sure if I should be probing, Hannah, but there’s

something that I don’t understand.”

Hannah regarded the tentative girl and guessed she might want to know the reason for her own sudden

departure.

She thought for awhile and decided that she should just be upfront about it. The truth had been pent up

inside her for some time and she had wanted someone to confide in. It then became a question of who

she might be able to speak to.

Helen? That girl was too impulsive and tempestuous. It would be hard to predict what she might end up

doing if she was told everything.

What about her colleagues? They might be good for other less weighty issues but she could not

possibly trust them with this.

But it was different with Natasha. She was an intern from Remdik, and through their interactions,

Hannah found the girl to be trustworthy. For some inexplicable reason, she felt an almost familial type

of bond with her.

“Do you wish to ask why I’ve been absent for some time these last few days?” Hannah asked calmly.

“Yes.”

Natasha nodded without hesitance. She could not understand why Hannah chose to leave without a

word when she and Fabian both loved each other so much.

 

Chapter 1424

She held Natasha’s hands and they slowly sat down by the edge of the bed. “Alright then. Today, I shall

tell you my story.”

She planned to recount everything that happened, beginning with her meeting with Fabian.

“I was keeping tabs on Fabian, or should I say Mr. Norton, hoping to be able to secure an interview with

him, but without luck…”

“Afterwards, we entered a legally binding marital agreement in secret. We didn’t share any mutual

feelings at that time.”

“It was only later on that I found myself slowly falling for him, despite understanding that Chanaea’s a

deeply class-conscious country, and our family backgrounds were worlds apart. It seemed neither

possible for me to marry into the Norton family, nor for Mr. Norton to take a mere reporter as his wife.”

“What surprised me was that somewhere along the way, little by little, Mr. Norton started to care more

about me. Though he had never expressed it explicitly, I felt it intimately. However, when I considered

my own social standing, I had to distance myself…”

“Later on, I discovered that Mr. Norton really was in love with me. I was relieved, albeit a little worried,

whether the love we had which transgresses Chanaea’s traditions would be able to stand the test of

time. I had no answer for that. I was in a dark place, and afraid. I thought about avoiding him, as I

dared not face him.”

“It was until I’d met with Mr. Norton’s mother that I realized how much effort he had put into trying to

convince her to accept me. At that point, I told myself that I couldn’t give up on this relationship so

easily. If even he could persuade his own mother, what reason have I got to concern myself with what

anyone else thinks? So I’d decided there and then that I would confront any obstacle and always give

the best of myself to him.”

“But Fate is cruel. She doesn’t want everyone to be happy, or perhaps it was that I had been enjoying a

run of good fortune that time that she decided that she needed to put our relationship to the test. We

made it through, but there were three people who harbored ill intentions toward me, one of whom had

hidden herself too well…”

Hannah paused at this point. She really did regard Lyna like her own sister, and never did she expect

that it was all mere pretenses. Hannah was furious when she finally discovered it, but she could only

laugh at her own naivety. But all that did not bother her anymore.

“Even that couldn’t stop us. I thought our love was bulletproof, except it wasn’t. Nobody else could

destroy it, except me. I couldn’t get myself over the hump.”

Hannah’s expression was tinged with shame and sadness, but she had no tears as they had already

run dry. Perhaps she had come to accept that this was what Fate had decided?

“Out of my own carelessness, I miscarried in that accident that happened not so far back. I killed my

own child as a mother oblivious to her own pregnancy. In the aftermath, my body wasn’t the same. It’s

likely that I would never be able to conceive again.”

Natasha held her breath when she heard that. What? Miscarriage? And inability to conceive for life?

Natasha may be a cold-blooded assassin, but she was also a woman. There was no way she could not

be shocked by this, as maternal love was a woman’s instinct.

As she regarded Natasha’s stunned expression, Hannah could not help but shake her own head. She

was already past her own grief and regret because she knew there was nothing she could do to undo

what had transpired.

“You know what happens when a family is childless, especially when you consider a man in Mr.

Norton’s position. How could he be left without an heir to succeed his vast family empire?”

Chapter 1425

“They need a successor. As a single son, the responsibility to continue the family bloodline falls upon

him. I can’t be so selfish as to get in his way. Wouldn’t you agree?”

The last statement was meekly directed at Natasha as a question. Hannah believed she did the right

thing. She could have returned to Fabian, but what was she to do if she was not able to bear him

children in future?

Natasha had the urge to rebut Hannah. As an observer, she strongly felt that none of this was of

Hannah’s making, so for things to end this way for her was totally unfair.

On second thoughts, Hannah’s goodhearted nature dictated that she would rather suffer the greatest

agony for herself than allow Fabian to have any regrets. Natasha was certain she would not likely be

able to persuade her, so after giving it some thought, she asked, “Since you’ve your mind made up,

Hannah, why have you come back?”

It was not as though Natasha did not want Hannah to return. Even though she was just someone who

was working for Fabian, she was also a human capable of emotions.

As much as she hoped for Hannah and Fabian to be able to reunite, it was not something she had any

say in. All she could do was find out the impetus for Hannah’s return.

She knew that it must have taken a lot on Hannah’s part to walk away, so there had to be a compelling

reason why she turned back. This was something she could share with Fabian and indirectly aid

Hannah in.

Knowing Hannah’s character, she had to front this and keep Fabian’s involvement a secret, as Hannah

would likely refuse his help.

“Phew!”

Hannah exhaled, and her expression became solemn. “I came back because I have doubts about the

cause behind my mother’s death. I suspect that Felicia could have been responsible for my mother’s

death.”

“I want to investigate this. If it is as I thought, I want to see justice done, so that my mother would not

have died without accountability.”

Natasha’s eyes darkened and a cold glint emanated from her eyes. How could such a gentle person be

made to endure so much? How unjust are the heavens! How blind are the gods!

Natasha had an impulse to go and confront the divines over this. There was nothing she wanted more

than to hand over the people who had harmed Hannah and her mother to Fabian whom she believed

would surely see to it that the culprits were duly punished for what they had done.

Hannah was stunned by the murderous aura in the air and could not believe that it could had come off

this petite girl. The look in Natasha’s eyes made her involuntarily shudder.

She cleared her throat before she continued. “Don’t worry yourself with this, Natasha. I’ll handle this

properly. Should I find out that my conjecture was true, I’ll hand the murderer over to the police so that I

may restore my mother’s good name.”

Even if Hannah’s face was not particularly expressive, Natasha could sense her helplessness.

What did Natasha do for a living? She was an assassin! So she was naturally sensitive about such

things.

In spite of Hannah’s seeming detachment, she was deeply uncertain inside as to whether going about

the investigation could be as simple as she imagined it to be. Her heart already said no, as Felicia was

not someone to be taken lightly.

Though the woman did not wield much power herself, being the wife of Leo Blackwood, the head of the

Blackwood Group, sufficiently made her a formidable adversary.

It was obvious to Hannah that she had only herself to count on, and not much else to work with. With

the state of her relationship with Fabian, she would not be looking to him for help.

Chapter 1426

She was unsure if she could source the information alone. Even if she could, it would be quite difficult

for her to bring Felicia to justice.

Felicia was Leo’s wife. If anything were to happen, Leo would certainly not stand on ceremony. With his

wealth and manpower, Felicia would escape the situation unscathed as long as he could whip up

enough cash.

“Hannah, I understand everything. If you need any help, just tell me. I’m here for you,” Natasha assured

her after giving it some thought.

She decided to report what she heard to Fabian later.

Hannah nodded and replied with a smile, “Of course I will.”

But in actual fact, Hannah did not think Natasha could be of any help. After all, from her point of view,

the woman was a foreign student from Remdik who was not familiar with Chanaea, so what kind of

help could she possibly provide? However, it was nice to know that Natasha was willing to offer her

services.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this. It’s getting late. Let’s go get something to eat,” Hannah suggested after

she managed to calm down.

“Okay, just give me a minute. I need to use the loo,” Natasha said as she rose from her seat and

headed to the toilet.

After she entered the toilet, she turned back to observe Hannah and realized that the woman had not

left the room. She seemed to be packing something.

Natasha closed the washroom door and turned on the faucet to prevent Hannah from overhearing her.

After she had done all that, Natasha fished out her phone and called Fabian.

“Hello, Mr. Norton. I’m Natasha,” Natasha declared her identity to Fabian.

“Huh? Why are you calling me at this time? Where’s Hannah? Shouldn’t you be with her?” Fabian

asked, equal parts surprised and worried.

If Hannah discovered Natasha’s identity, it would only complicate things.

He knew that, based on Hannah’s character, the woman he loved would definitely order Natasha to

leave if she ever found out about her identity. If that happened, Natasha could no longer serve as

Hannah’s companion. In case of any imminent danger, no one would be able to protect Hannah.

Natasha was aware of Fabian’s worries. She peered out the door before she proceeded to explain to

him quietly over the phone, “Mr. Norton, don’t worry. Hannah doesn’t suspect me. We are currently in

the house which the company has assigned to her. We’re going to grab a bite later but before that

Hannah has just revealed some information to me. I’m calling from the washroom to report to you what

I’ve just learned.”

“What is it?” Fabian asked Natasha inquisitively.

He was quite familiar with the woman and trusted that she knew when to act and how. To call him at a

time like that, he supposed she must have something urgent to tell him.

“Mr. Norton, do you know how Hannah’s birth mother died?”

There was a short pause, and then Natasha went on without waiting for Fabian to respond.

“Hannah found her mother’s diary at her family home. It turns out that her mother did not suffer from

severe depression, despite what others have claimed. So, Hannah suspects that someone must have

drugged her mother. Hannah returned this time in order to get to the bottom of her mother’s death.”

“Okay, I see. Thank you. Also, Natasha, if you have updates for me next time, don’t call. Text me

instead. Remember, you must not reveal your identity. If there’s nothing else, I’m going to hang up the

phone now.” Fabian let out a long sigh after Natasha relayed the information to him.

“Yes, Mr. Norton.”

Natasha responded and hung up the phone too. She got up from the toilet seat. In order not to arouse

suspicion from Hannah, she even flushed the toilet before stepping out of the washroom.

After the phone conversation ended, Fabian grimaced. His eyes turned cold, so much so that the air

around him practically froze. He did not have to spare much thought to deduce that Hannah’s suspect

was none other than Felicia of the Blackwood family.

In the past, he spent very little effort to investigate the case, since Hannah considered it her family’s

private affair and, therefore, did not allow Fabian to intervene. Unexpectedly, that particular mystery

turned out to be Fabian’s “saving grace”. Otherwise, Hannah might not have returned.

Chapter 1427

“Come to my office.”

Fabian pondered for a moment before picking up the phone on his desk and giving his order.

Soon, Fabian’s trusted aide came as he was called. He stood before Fabian’s desk in a respectful

manner, awaiting instructions.

“I want you to make an announcement to the company. Tell them that I can let everything slide and

pretend as though it had never happened, but they have to understand that I have tolerated as much

as I could. If this occurs again, which I hope not, they have to take into consideration the consequences

and whether or not they have what it takes to bear it.”

Fabian assigned the tasks to his aide. Some time ago, Lyna managed to find evidence of corruption

committed by some of the top leaders of his company. That was how she won them over. Now the

whole company was in a constant state of panic, for fear that they would be Fabian’s next target.

Initially, Fabian intended to execute a remediation of the company’s internal management, but then

there was Hannah’s situation to consider. How could he have the extra energy to deal with work when

his mind was very much focused on Hannah? Therefore, Fabian had decided to pardon his employees

and not hold them accountable.

“Yes, Mr. Norton.”

The aide nodded in response.

“Right. I also want you to take Hannah’s companions to a concealed location. And find out who lives in

the house opposite hers. You should know what to do,” Fabian gave more orders as he toyed with the

teacup on his desk. His patience seemed to be wearing thin.

“Alright. That’s all for now. You may go.”

After his aide left, Fabian stopped what he was doing and sat up straight. He picked up the phone and

dialed another number. He called the agency specifically in charge of collecting intelligence for the five

prominent families.

There were at least one of Fabian’s men working undercover in each of the five prominent families,

ready to relay confidential information at any time. This time, what Fabian wanted to investigate was

none other than the death of Hannah’s birth mother.

“Hi, this is Fabian.”

Fabian spoke on the phone, remaining cool and collected.

“Agent 0027 at your service. How can I help you, Mr. Norton?”

Fabian had not accessed the intelligence network for quite some time. He believed that the vast

network of intelligence could surely be of great help to Hannah.

“I would like to appoint you as the leader of a special unit. I’ll need you to gather some of your best

people to investigate one case for me.”

After a pause, Fabian added, “It’s about the death of my wife’s mother, and the cause behind it. I want

to know everything that led up to it. You know what to do.”

Fabian felt a lot at ease after leaving it to the agents. He hung up the phone after giving his

instructions.

As Fabian sat by his desk, a worried look crossed his face. The only thing on his mind at that moment

was Hannah’s refusal to return to his side. As for other things, he could set them aside for now.

Hannah, at present, was unable to conceive. Because of that, he knew very well that his mother would

be unwilling to allow Hannah to stay in the Norton Residence.

Fabian took some time to consider his options, and promptly stood up when he came to a decision. He

would return to the main residence of the Norton family and speak to his mother. He planned to

convince her to accept Hannah. And if Heather refused, Hannah would definitely not go back to the

Norton Residence because she knew she was not welcomed there.

“Hey, drive slower,” Xavier mentioned to his assistant, who was driving the luxurious sports car.

“Pardon, sir?”

The assistant was agog. What’s the president up to? Has he spotted a girl he fancies? Wait, that’s not

right. Mr. Jackson likes Hannah, doesn’t he? Ever since he started wooing her, he hasn’t laid eyes on

any other woman.

The assistant slowed down the car as he was told. Curious, he looked out the window too. Through the

tinted car window, he caught sight of two young women walking side by side. One of them happened to

be Hannah.

There we go. I knew Mr. Jackson wouldn’t ask me to stop for no particular reason. He’s actually spotted

Hannah.

“Follow them,” Xavier ordered his assistant again.

There was a pause.

Surprise fell on the assistant’s face. Follow them? Mr. Jackson, you’re joking, right? We’re in a car.

We’ll be driving in the opposite direction if we follow them. I don’t mind getting a ticket from the traffic

police, but this is just too dangerous, don’t you think so?

 

Chapter 1428

The assistant gave it some thought but eventually chose to obey Xavier. There’s no other way around

it. Mr. Jackson likes this girl.

For safety’s sake, Xavier’s assistant steered the car directly towards the single lane next to it. Usually,

cars were banned from going up there because when that happened, more likely than not they would

take up the entire space, which could lead to traffic jams.

And so, in accordance with Xavier’s command, the luxury sports car could be seen moving along the

narrow lane at a snail’s pace.

At the same time, Hannah was clinging to Natasha as she looked up and down the streets searching

for any diners she might like to try out. Her eyes fell on a pizza joint, and she stopped in her tracks.

“Why don’t we try out that place?” she probed Natasha.

“Oh, sure. I can eat anything.”

Natasha nodded in agreement.

Hannah then dragged her into the shop.

Not giving it much thought, Xavier got down from the car and trailed behind them.

“Welcome. Table for two?” the server greeted them politely.

“Um, yes, please,” Hannah replied with a grin.

“No, make that three.”

Hannah frowned when she recognized the man’s voice coming from behind them. Of course, it had to

be Xavier, who had trotted over in a haste to join them.

“If you ladies don’t mind, let’s dine together.”

Xavier looked to Hannah with a smile on his face.

At that moment, Hannah could not bear to refuse Xavier, who seemed so dashing and courteous. She

nodded reluctantly.

“Okay, table for three. This way, please.”

And so the server led the three of them to a table by the window.

“Mr. Jackson… is there anything you don’t eat? Or anything in particular that you like?”

Hannah asked Xavier politely as they sat down to order their food, but she found the question to be

quite intrusive after inquiring. She quickly rephrased her question as she handed him the menu. “Why

don’t you order first, Mr. Jackson?”

Xavier pushed the menu away as he waved at Hannah. He said, “No worries, I’m not picky. I can eat

anything.”

To be honest, Hannah was starting to feel at odds with Xavier and his impeccable manners. She might

not like the fact that Xavier was obviously pursuing her, but she would never slap the smiler. She was

beginning to feel weary.

“Okay then, I’ll order for us,” Hannah concluded.

She then ordered some food based on her own preferences, most of which were spicy, and did not

order anything for Xavier. She had her intentions, and it was not that she wanted to embarrass him in

public. She merely wanted Xavier to get it into his head that she had no interest in him, and it would do

both of them some good if he could just stop pursuing her.

“Alright, I’ll have these.”

Hannah finished the order and handed the menu back to the server.

With Xavier around, the two ladies could not engage in conversation, and the atmosphere at the table

turned awkward.

Eventually, Xavier broke the silence. “Ms. Young, how have you been recently?”

How have I been? Hannah considered everything that had recently occurred in her life. I’m separated

from the one I love. As a woman, I’ve just found out I’m infertile. My mother committed suicide under

the influence of drugs… Wait, wait. Hang on a moment. What is this, a series of unfortunate events?

The weight of her burdens made it difficult for her to breathe.

But would she tell Xavier all that? Of course not. Faced with Xavier’s questions, Hannah gave a wry

smile and simply replied, “I’m doing fine. Not too happy, but not too bad either.”

Xavier nodded at her reply. He knew deep down that Hannah was quite discouraged at the moment

and spared little thought for himself. But would he give up just because of that? Clearly not!

“Ms. Young, as your friend, I want you to know that you’re always welcome to talk to me about your

problems anytime you wish.”

“I thank you for the kind offer, Mr. Jackson. I’ll definitely drop by for a visit when I see fit.”

 

Chapter 1429

Hannah responded with a smile. Of course, she was just being polite–she knew very well what was

happening between Xavier and herself. The man was actively pursuing her. Since she would never

accept him, why would she ask for his help?

In order to avoid that particular topic, Hannah asked Xavier in turn, “So, Mr. Jackson, what brings you

here?”

“Oh, I was just passing by when I happened to see you. I was thinking, since we’re old friends and all,

maybe I could pop by and say hello. You don’t mind that, do you, Ms. Young?” Xavier stated

courteously.

Hannah, putting up a smile, replied, “Of course not, Mr. Jackson. You’re my friend after all. I certainly

don’t mind.”

Hannah was treating Xavier with utmost courtesy. If he were someone else, she would have lost her

patience a long while ago.

After all, Xavier politely having a conversation with Hannah was already an act that transcended the

status quo. He always treated Hannah with utmost sincerity. Despite the fact that he was trying to woo

her, Hannah had never accepted his advances.

Even so, he had never resorted to any desperate measures. This was the twenty-first century, after all.

If Xavier really wanted Hannah for himself, it would have been as easy as ABC. Furthermore, Xavier

was one of the major clients of Hannah’s company. It made sense for Hannah to treat him with equal

respect.

“I’m pleased to hear that.”

Xavier chuckled wryly. Since he misunderstood Natasha last time, it would be embarrassing as well as

impossible to hope that he would have more to say in front of Natasha.

Fortunately, the pizza joint was quite efficient when it came to serving food. Soon, the food which

Hannah ordered were brought to the table, the soup hot and its aroma mouth-watering.

While Hannah was carefully dealing with Xavier, Fabian had also returned to the main residence of the

Norton family. As soon as he stepped into the house, his mother’s voice rang out bitterly, “Oh, Fabian.

You’re actually back?”

“Of course, Mom. You wouldn’t want me to wallow in my sadness, would you?” Fabian chuckled in

response.

For someone like him who wielded great influence in the business circle, he acknowledged his mother

as a difficult “client”.

After all, Heather was the only elder left in the Norton family, and thus he would take her opinion into

consideration when it came to making decisions. He also understood that his mother would only get

older. If, by any chance, Heather could not agree with something Fabian did and fell ill because of it,

that would be bad.

“Oh, Fabian! I thought you’d forgotten about this family. I thought you intended to drown your sorrows!”

Heather chided unceremoniously.

Frankly, as a mother, she was very worried about Fabian’s emotional state, but she could not do

anything about it.

Well, of course I can’t allow Fabian to bring Hannah home. That’s out of the question. Hannah cannot

conceive. What will happen to the Norton family if I accept her as a daughter-in-law? Won’t that be the

end of the Norton family bloodline? I’ll not stand for it.

“Mom, how can you say that? I know you’ve been extremely worried about me. But I’m here to assure

you that no matter what happens, I know what I’m doing. I won’t let you worry about me, Mom.”

Fabian made an attempt at flattery. If he wanted to bring Hannah home, the first thing he had to do was

to get his mother to accept her. But, to do that, he would have to quell his mother’s ire first.

“Hmph!”

Fabian’s mother snorted, but the expression on her face had already betrayed her inner joy. Her son

had managed to overcome his depression. As his mother, how could she not be happy for him?

“It’s alright. Let’s put the past behind us and stop mulling over it. You’re still young. You can still get a

wife and I have hope yet of becoming a grandmother. Look at me. I’m getting old, son, and I don’t have

a single grandchild yet. My poker buddies, on the other hand… why, their grandchildren can already

walk on two feet and talk. You’re ruining my reputation, Fabian.”

Chapter 1430

Heather passed off her response as a joke, but those were exactly what she was thinking. She

understood that Fabian had barely gotten over Hannah, and that it was impossible to ask him to find

someone to marry and have children so soon. Hence, Heather was prepared to face her son’s rebuttal.

“Mom, let’s talk about that some other time. I came home today because I have something else to

discuss with you,” Fabian told her in a calm and collected manner.

It was not that Fabian did not take the matter to heart. On the contrary, he was aware that if he came

off too strongly, his mother would definitely not agree to Hannah’s return. Hence, Fabian softened his

approach, and opted to discuss with Heather in a much gentler manner.

“Oh, what is it? I knew you’d have something to tell me. Otherwise, for a man of your position to come

home, it’d take a miracle,” Heather grumbled.

Apparently, she had more than a few complaints against Fabian and his knack for not coming home for

long periods of time.

“Mom, before I tell you, you have to promise not to get mad,” Fabian assured his mother cautiously.

“Oh, dear. Fabian, stop beating about the bush, out with it already! As your mother, whatever it is, I’ll

support you all the way.”

Heather thought that as long as her son admitted his mistakes and agreed to turn his life around, all

was well.

Moreover, Heather had seen Fabian lose control of his emotions because of what happened with

Vivian. For a long time after that, he had not been himself. As his mother, seeing her son in such a

sorry state distressed her just as much.

“Okay then. Here goes nothing.”

Fabian smiled at the notion of finally being able to broach the subject. He said, “Mom, to tell you the

truth, the reason I can get over my despair so quickly is, first and foremost, because of one particular

individual.”

Fabian’s face turned grim, his expression a stern one.

“Who’s that? Is it someone I know?” Heather asked repeatedly.

She might not be one to nag and pester, but she wondered if the person whom Fabian spoke of was

related to what had just come to pass. Possibly not. Who is it, Fabian? Who’s this person who’s so

capable of enlightening you? Heather was curious to know.

“It’s Hannah.”

Fabian bit at each syllable.

Heather could not help but sigh when she heard that name. What do you mean by that? Hasn’t Hannah

left? Unless… she’s back?

Heather had not known that Hannah had returned. She juggled the various possibilities that her mind

could conjure.

“In all seriousness, there’s someone else I have to thank. I wouldn’t be able to locate Hannah without

his help. I’m talking about Jason, the son of the Goldstein family. Our families are very close. You know

that, Mom. Anyway, Jason’s the one who figured out where Hannah might be, and I wouldn’t be able to

find her if not for him.”

Fabian ignored his mother’s surprise as he went on.

Fabian had to admit that after everything that happened, he had a renewed respect for Jason. Even the

young fellow knew of perseverance of a virtue, yet the president of the largest company in Chanaea

gave in too quick.

He felt bad just thinking about it. It was under Jason’s great influence that Fabian made up his mind to

pursue Hannah again, and to tell his mother everything as calmly as he could.

As Fabian spoke, the surprise in Heather grew. Jason? Hendrick’s godson?

Heather wondered how the man had gotten involved in all this, but of course that was not the focus of

the issue at hand.

What she worried about was that Hannah’s return this time round would spur Fabian to win her back. If

for whatever reason Hannah had a change of heart, Heather could not promise Fabian would cope

well.

She knew her son best. If his temper were to rise, even the strength of ten oxen would not be enough

to drown his misery.