Ch. 1001..1010

Returning from the Dead Chapter 1001

Sasha and Wendy were making breakfast in the kitchen.

“Madam, are you sure you don’t want to eat at the Hayes residence?”

“Do you think I should?” Sasha asked instead.

Wendy put on a smile. “It’s not the matter of you should or shouldn’t. It’s just that since you’ve stayed here for quite a while now, Mr. George might start to encounter some problems.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. This company was given to him by Mr. Hayes. Over the past year, he was treated by many as anathema in the company. If you keep on avoiding to meet him, his situation will only exacerbate.”

How is she cognizant of Solomon’s situation in the company?

Sasha was perplexed.

Is Solomon really in trouble?

I should’ve thrown away my stupid pride and gone to see him when I came back. That’s the least I could do for him.

Sasha was fraught with regret.

“Sebby, what are you doing?”

Sasha left the kitchen and headed upstairs to the bedroom. She saw Sebastian brushing his teeth in the bathroom and went up to embrace him from behind.

Sebastian was a bit startled.

Huh? Why is she suddenly so feisty?

Sebastian was rather aroused by her fervent embrace.

“You want to do it again?”

Sasha immediately released Sebastian from her arms. Her face was blushing as she gazed at Sebastian.

“What… What are you thinking? I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Oh.”

Sebastian was a bit disappointed.

After he was done brushing his teeth, Sebastian looked composed as he stared at Sasha and queried, “What’s up?”

“It’s about Solomon. He’s not willing to run the Hayes Corporation any more. Sebby, do you think it’s because we didn’t go to visit him at the Hayes residence?”

“What did you say?”

It seems like I really can’t mention the name Solomon in front of him.

Sasha hurriedly explained, “Wendy said that Solomon has been receiving catty remarks from the people in the company over the past year. If we don’t even pay him a visit now that we’re back, he won’t have any reason to stay in Hayes Corporation anymore.”

“He’ll then hand over the company back to you, right?”

Sasha was very careful with her words as she elaborated on the details to avoid enraging Sebastian.

After she finished her explanation, Sebastian finally started to calm down a bit.

“He’s such a useless guy. Even with a year of experience, he still can’t manage the company properly.”

“Yes. That’s exactly why we need to meet up with him. If not, you’ll end up taking over the company. I doubt you’ll want to run the company since you already have your hands full with the Jadesons’ matters,” uttered Sasha in a soft tone.

Sebastian’s sulky look on his face started to slowly fade away.

It’s true that I am rather busy dealing with the Jadesons’ matters. I’m currently working on the family’s smelting plant. I believe that it’ll turn out to be a better investment than anything the Hayes Corporation has to offer.

The reason for that is that smelting is a very profitable field, especially when you’re smelting rare metal.

It’s a shame that Stephen was too incompetent to run the smelting plant.

“So what do you say we do?”

“Why don’t we head over to the Hayes residence for a meal?”

Upon hearing Sasha’s statement, Sebastian folded his arms and frowned. “Why go to the Hayes residence when we can just invite all the members of the Hayes family to eat with us at the Palace Hotel?”

Sasha was speechless.

He wants to invite everyone in the Hayes family to eat at a hotel?

Overjoyed, Sasha lunged herself into Sebastian’s arms. “Sebby, I knew you would understand.”

“Ha…”

Sebastian feigned a smile in response while Sasha gave him a kiss on the cheek.

It seems like she still cares about Solomon…

Sebastian was getting jealous.

As such, both of them didn’t emerge downstairs till much later.

 

Returning from the Dead Chapter 1002

Sabrina was already at Bartel Apartments. To her utter dismay, no one answered the door, though she had been knocking on it for ages.

“Ms. Hayes, is your brother at work?” Isaac asked behind her.

Pissed off, Sabrina blurted, “He’s not my brother!”

She then went to Hayes Corporation in a fit of rage.

To her surprise, Solomon wasn’t there. His secretary, Jamie, was packing up for him.

“What’s wrong? Is he not coming to work now?”

Jamie turned to look at her and explained calmly, “No, Ms. Hayes. I’m just clearing his documents and desk. Mr. George is with his client. Are you here for him?”

Though Sabrina hated to admit it, she heaved a sigh of relief at the news.

When she stepped out of the building, Isaac trotted behind her.

“Can you stop following me? If you can’t go home, fly out of the country! Are you a crazy stalker?” Sabrina finally lost it and yelled at him.

Isaac froze. “No, Ms. Hayes. I was just waiting until you’re free so we can get the Jeep Wrangler’s parts at the logistics company. I shall leave after we assemble the parts.”

“What?” Sabrina was stunned into silence as her anger faded away.

Jeep Wrangler? So this wimp followed me since I got drunk last night just to deliver the car parts?

She couldn’t bring herself to curse at him anymore.

“Did you follow me just for the delivery?”

“Mm!” Isaac nodded firmly. “Don’t you worry. The parts are imported legally,” he explained hastily, afraid that she’d get it wrong.

Sabrina felt her head throbbing, for she could now be certain that this man was a fool. He took her joke seriously and even went to the extent of delivering the parts himself!

Sabrina was at a loss for words.

“How much is it?” she asked.

“Y-You don’t have to pay me back. Just think of it—”

“Shut the fuck up! Do I look like someone who needs your gift? Take my money, or leave with the stuff!” Sabrina hissed.

Isaac had no choice but to take the money from her.

Two hours later, Sabrina got the parts and delivered them to her garage at the villa.

Isaac was still with her.

That night in the Zarain forests, Devin was busy assigning tasks in a tent when he received a few photos on his phone.

The photos were taken in an unfamiliar villa, but he immediately recognized the layout and design as a property developed by a real estate company under Hayes Corporation.

Whose house is this?

Confused, he swiped to the second photo.

As he wished, the second photo was of the interior of the villa. However, what he saw was a man wearing black spectacles squatting in front of a pile of car parts underneath the glaring light in a garage.

There was a woman clad in a red leather jacket and a form-fitting miniskirt standing next to him.

She was bending slightly to offer the young man a drink. They seemed like an affectionate couple in the intimate and warm scene.

Bang!

Rage flared up within Devin’s chest, and he punched the table angrily.

The sudden commotion startled the other commanders.

“Major Devin, what happened? Do you have news of the smuggling ring?”

“Yeah, Major, tell us what happened.”

They gathered around him, thinking that there was a change in the situation.

Devin’s eyes were bloodshot, as the next photo was of both man and woman enjoying their meal on the dining table.

The woman was crossing her legs carelessly, but the man was stealing glances at her.

The adoration in his eyes was evident.

He must have a death wish!

His gaze grew increasingly scary. He didn’t even know that a murderous intent was rising within him. It wasn’t even that serious when he was facing his enemies a while ago!

“Major?” The other commanders were shocked.

Boom!

Suddenly, a loud boom reverberated in the air. Everyone blanched and rushed out of the tent.

Devin dashed out behind them.

“Listen, if you don’t let us leave, I shall take her life on the spot now!”

When the smoke disappeared, to everyone’s utter disbelief, the smuggling ring that they had been after and was about to take down appeared before them with a hostage in their hands.

“Who is that?” the other commanders inquired.

Devin alone froze when he realized who the hostage was.

“Devin? Save me! Devin!”

 

Returning from the Dead Chapter 1003

The hostage was none other than Kira!

Though she was held captive, she couldn’t stop tears from streaming down her cheeks at the sight of Devin.

Devin scowled. “Why are you here?”

“S-Shanae left me with these men. Devin, I wasn’t the one behind Coldbridge’s incident. Shanae forced me to do that. She threatened to give my parents a hard time in the Wood family. Aunt Jasmine is dead, so I had no choice…” she trailed off and wailed sadly.

Devin was speechless.

One commander asked, “Major Devin, is she your cousin? What should we do now? If we rescue her and let them leave, our efforts for the past few days would be in vain.”

Though they were clearly reminding Devin of their mission, he couldn’t leave her to die.

After all, Kira was his cousin. If she were to die here, he wouldn’t be able to face his aunt and uncle for the rest of his life.

Thus, Devin ordered them to allow the criminals to leave.

When Kira was released, she scurried to Devin, hollering, “Devin!”

Without hesitation, she threw herself into his arms and trembled profusely.

Devin was about to shove her out of his arms instinctively, but when he saw her shaking figure and pale face, he changed his mind.

“You’re all right now. I’ll ask someone to take you to the base so that you can get some rest. After wrapping things up, I’ll visit you.”

“Okay.” Kira released her grip on him reluctantly.

A special forces member led her out of the forest to their base.

Everyone was caught off guard by the sudden situation. They had been working for a long time to capture those smugglers, but a woman appeared out of nowhere and ruined their plan.

“Devin, why did your cousin suddenly appear in the hands of the smugglers?”

After the other commanders left, one remained. He was close to Devin and posed the question to him.

Devin frowned. “I’m not sure. She claimed someone handed her to the smugglers. I need to confirm that first.”

His gaze was as cold as ice.

Is Shanae capable of handing a Wood to the criminals? When did she get this bold? I can’t believe she’s this cruel. Isn’t she afraid that the head of the Woods family will skin her alive?

Devin wasn’t completely convinced.

He gathered a few commanders to hold a meeting in the tent. They decided on a plan before he left the forest and returned to the base.

“Major Devin, you’re back? The girl’s sick. The doctor said she has dengue.”

“Dengue?” Devin was planning on questioning her thoroughly when he heard about the news.

Dengue?

His face fell as he lifted the mesh at the entrance and stepped in.

It was true, for Kira was lying on the thin bed, unconscious from the high temperature she was running.

Upon spotting him, the doctor rose to her feet and reminded anxiously, “Major Devin, you’re back. Your cousin has dengue, so we have to send her to the hospital as soon as possible.”

Hospital?

They were in the rainforest, and the nearest hospital was a few hundred kilometers away. It wasn’t an easy journey.

Devin took one look at his cousin who was mumbling, “Devin, Devin… It hurts.”

Her lips were chapped.

However, she could still mutter Devin’s name when he showed up, though the fever fried her brain. Her rosy cheeks were stained with tears, as the pain was too agonizing for her.

Devin fell silent.

After a brief pause, he relented. “I’ll arrange for a car. How did she contract dengue, though?”

“Her legs were wounded, thus weakening her immune system. She had been in the rainforest for some time, so it was normal for her to get bitten,” the doctor explained as she pointed to Kira’s bandaged leg, shrugging helplessly.

The revelation stunned Devin as his gaze landed on her leg.

He promptly turned around and left to arrange for a car.

The emergency made him forget about the photos he received a while ago.

Back in Avenport.

Sabrina and Isaac finally completed the initial model of her Jeep Wrangler after a day’s work.

“Ms. Hayes, it’s late. Let’s continue tomorrow. The light isn’t great, so the final product might have flaws if we are to continue now.”

 

Returning from the Dead Chapter 1004

Isaac’s hands were stained with grease as he stood up and wiped the sweat off his forehead and made that suggestion.

Sabrina was tired, so she nodded. “Sure. You can get off work now.”

She then took off her gloves and changed her shoes at the entrance of the garage.

Today, she was sensible enough not to work in her heels. Previously, she would insist on donning her full outfit no matter what she did, like an out-of-place fairy.

Isaac stole a glance at her.

After she kicked off her sneakers, revealing her fair toes with nails painted black, she slipped her feet into her black high heels. It was a mesmerizing sight.

Though she was charming and sexy, her chubby toes were extremely adorable.

Isaac couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

“All right, I shall take my leave. You can stay here for the night.”

Sabrina wasn’t paying attention to this wimp. She grabbed her keys after changing her shoes to head back to the Hayes residence.

This villa belonged to her, but she had only stayed here for a short period when she had a fight with her dad and Sebastian.

She had been staying in the Hayes residence all the while as though this villa was nothing but a hotel to her.

After all, her real home was still the Hayes residence.

Isaac’s eyes lit up at her words.

Did she just say I can stay here for the night? If my investigation didn’t lie, no one has ever spent the night here. Am I the first one?

Delighted, he asked, “Sure. Won’t you eat before heading home?”

“Huh?”

“There are still leftovers from the lunch I prepared this afternoon. Didn’t you praise my cooking? I’ve prepared a sea bass for dinner.”

“Sea bass?” Sabrina halted.

She wasn’t a glutton, but no one in the Hayes family knew her favorite was fish, especially sea bass.

Her mom often cooked the dish for her when she was young.

In the end, Sabrina decided to stay for dinner.

When she was waiting for dinner to be prepared, Sasha gave her a call.

“Where are you, Sab? Why aren’t you back for dinner?”

Sabrina glanced at her phone in confusion, wondering if she had received the wrong call.

“Are you back in the Hayes residence?” she asked.

“I am, but Sebastian isn’t. This morning, we talked about Solomon and decided to invite him to dinner at the penthouse suite of Palace Hotel tomorrow. We’ve also invited our relatives and friends,” Sasha explained.

Indeed, she was back at the Hayes residence and enjoying her dinner now.

Sabrina parted her lips in alarm. “Did he agree to that?”

“Of course. Why would I lie?” Sasha assured her. “Where are you? You’re not back home.”

“Why would I need to be home?”

“I want to ask you about Solomon. Klara told me he hadn’t been home for some time. Where is he?” Sasha inquired.

That was her real reason for returning to the Hayes residence. After receiving Sebastian’s permission this morning, she started contacting that man.

Alas, until now, that man remained missing. Left with no choice, she returned to the Hayes residence, but he wasn’t even there.

Sabrina froze for a split second. “Why would I know about his whereabouts? I’m not his secretary!”

“You both reside in the Hayes residence, right? Don’t you know where he is?” Sasha urged with her brows furrowed up.

However, to her disappointment, Sabrina had no idea where Solomon was.

Though Solomon had a room in the Hayes residence, he rarely came back home.

He would always scowl unhappily at the sight of Sabrina, let alone talk to the Hayeses.

Thus, Solomon spent most of his time at Bartel Apartments in the city, which was a stone’s throw to his office.

Sabrina huffed. “Why are you asking me about his whereabouts? Sasha, are you mad? Don’t you know about our relationship? You should be asking his Jetroinian secretary!”

This was the last thing she said before cutting the line.

Back at the Hayes residence, Sasha parted her lips in astonishment.

Jetroinian secretary? Who could that be?

She belatedly realized that she was out of the loop.

After finishing dinner, Sasha left the Hayes residence and went to Luke.

Right then, her phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Nancy, I heard you’re looking for me?” A man’s voice rang out from the other end of the line.

It was as though there was a ray of light shining right at her in the dark, causing Sasha to stop in her tracks.

 

Returning from the Dead Chapter 1005

Solomon!

Snapping back to her senses, Sasha demanded, “Yes, where have you been? I’ve been looking for you the entire day, but to no avail!”

She had been looking for me for the whole day?

Lying on the couch, Solomon felt warmth spread through his heart when he heard her words. The pain torturing his body disappeared as well.

“I was out of town to meet a client. Why are you looking for me?” he asked.

“Oh, I see.” Sasha relaxed upon hearing his explanation.

As long as he was working as per usual, they wouldn’t need to worry as it meant that things were still salvageable.

“Well, we’re planning to treat everyone to a meal at Palace Hotel tomorrow night. Remember to be there.”

“Palace Hotel?”

“Yes, we haven’t treated anyone ever since our return. People have been visiting us nonstop, so we’ve been busy socializing with them. Now that we’re somewhat free, we’ve decided to treat everyone to dinner tomorrow night. You’re very important to us, so remember to show up,” Sasha reminded him sternly.

Now he knows how much we value him.

She waited for his answer patiently.

Indeed, after her revelation, the man fell silent as though he hadn’t expected her decision.

She wants to treat us to dinner at Palace Hotel and reminds me to be there!

In the end, he chuckled lowly.

The moment his lips curled up, a spike of pain shot up his spine. At once, his face drained of colors as sweat perspired on his forehead.

“Mr. Akiyama, don’t move. We’re carrying out the bone marrow biopsy.” A man in a white coat appeared and pressed him down firmly.

Sasha asked, “Who’s that? Why is he talking in Jetroinian?”

She was sharp enough to catch that. Nevertheless, though the man in a white coat was talking in Jetroinian, and she was fluent in that language, his intonation plus the static on the phone made it hard for her to hear everything he said clearly.

At once, Solomon covered the speaker and glared at the doctor, his eyes laced with agony.

“Mm, that was my assistant. We’re in the middle of a meeting. Nancy, I’ll contact you when we’re done,” he managed between gritted teeth.

“Oh, sure. I’ll call you tomorrow,” Sasha agreed.

Her doubts faded into thin air after hearing his explanation. She then cut the line.

Good. He’s not missing and even agreed to show up at dinner tomorrow. That means nothing will happen three days later, right?

Sasha drove back to Frontier Bay.

Two hours later, it was late at night in Avenport. In an ordinary suite in Palace Hotel, the syringe was finally pulled out from Solomon’s back.

He immediately retched in reflex as pain branched across his back like lightning.

Jamie had been staring at him during the whole treatment. She rushed over to him hastily and held him. “Mr. Akiyama, are you all right? Mr. Akiyama?”

Haruto glanced at her. “This is just the beginning. If he can’t take it, what will happen when it gets worse later?”

Once he said that, Jamie turned at her shoulder and glowered at him, her expression both furious and terrified.

“I told you not to treat him. Are you that free?”

Unable to continue the conversation, Haruto placed the syringe containing the bone marrow fluid that he extracted for a whole three hours into the mini-fridge so he could take it back to Jetroina and run tests on it to develop an antidote.

“Mr. Akiyama, though you had an unlucky childhood and got poisoned by your own mother, look at the people around you now. They care for you a lot. Why are you still so negative?”

Solomon said nothing.

As he picked up his medical kit, he asked sincerely, “By the way, didn’t you just receive Ms. Nancy’s call? Don’t you feel happy to be alive?”

Solomon felt a prick in his heart.

Of course he had felt it.

Back then, he even forgot about the pain that was torturing him as his heart was full of warmth and joy.

Solomon froze in his tracks.

After Haruto left, Jamie stayed back. She wet a towel with warm water to wipe the bloodstains on his back gently.

She didn’t forget to dry his forehead that was wet with sweat.

“Mr. Akiyama, I think Haruto is right. You can’t be this negative. Look, Ms. Nancy is back. As long as you stay alive, you’ll get to see her every day,” Jamie suddenly blurted out.

She tamped down the bitterness in her heart and tried to persuade him to change his mind.

Solomon lowered his gaze. Right then, he gazed at the city view before him that was shrouded in darkness.

No one knew what was going on in his mind.

 

Returning from the Dead Chapter 1006

Another person who had a sleepless night was Devin.

After sending Kira to the hospital, her condition stabilized quickly. He sat in her ward and finally took out his phone again.

Devin didn’t even know what he was doing.

Yet, when he focused on his phone screen again, he realized it was showing someone’s social media profile.

What has gotten into me?

Furious, he was about to exit the page but the top post on her account appeared in sight.

I finally get to eat my favorite sea bass today! It’s delicious! The post was accompanied by a photo of cooked sea bass.

Sea bass? Her favorite dish is sea bass?

His brows furrowed together. Before he could put down his phone, he spotted a man’s reflection on the glass plate that the sea bass was served on.

It was a man wearing glasses!

Crack!

His fists balled up.

“Devin…” Right then, Kira regained consciousness after her temperature receded.

Devin said nothing as he stared at the post. Before he realized it, his fingers glided over the screen deftly.

Devin: What have you done? That smuggler has returned to Adonia to the Sheerwood family. Has my order fallen on deaf ears?

Member A: Sorry, Major. We’re on it right now.

Member B: Got it, Major. On it now!

Member C: We shall reflect on our mistake and carry out your order ASAP!

The squad members promptly offered their apologies and promised to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.

Did I just send that post to the special forces platoon group chat?

The man stared at his phone and zoned out briefly.

“Devin?” Kira coughed and struggled to sit up since he had ignored her.

The moment she sat up, it felt like the whole world was spinning. She promptly collapsed back to the bed. “Devin.”

Finally, Devin heard her voice.

“You’re awake? How do you feel? Are you feeling better?” he asked, pocketing his phone. As she made to sit up, he went to her and helped her up.

It was normal for him to offer his help, for she was his cousin and a patient now.

However, Kira beamed happily at his action, her every pore oozing delight.

“I feel better now. I’m sorry, Devin.”

After sitting up, she hung her head low sadly at the thought of troubling Devin.

Devin got her a glass of water.

He only saw her as a cousin sister and nothing more. It was obvious by how he defended her in front of his mother.

Thus, he didn’t notice her current expression.

Devin pulled a chair to her bed and sat down. “There’s no need to apologize. You didn’t do it on purpose, anyway. I have a question, though. How did Shanae find out we’re after the smugglers and left you in their hands?” he questioned.

At once, a trace of anxiety appeared on Kira’s face, but it disappeared swiftly.

It would be impossible to notice that if one didn’t pay enough attention to her.

“I-I have no idea. After forcing me to drug you back in Coldbridge, she then kicked me out,” Kira revealed in a shaking voice.

“She kicked you out?”

“Yes. Back then, the White House was in chaos, and Alfred was crushed by your cousin. As a result, I lost my backing. After what happened at Coldbridge, I left your place and got captured by her men,” Kira explained, tears pooling in her eyes.

Devin’s expression turned grim.

Indeed, when he checked the surveillance cameras, it was her who had drugged him.

He was so furious back there that he swore to skin her alive!

However, his grandfather, Jonathan, then showed up. Utterly disappointed, he prepared to resign and leave the Jadeson family. As a result, he ended up forgetting about the matter.

Now that he thought about it, it seemed that he didn’t see her in Jadeborough.

So it turns out Shanae kicked her out that very night?

Devin found it hard to believe that a pretty face in the Woods family was capable of doing that.

Who are the forces backing her up?

“Tell me. Where did they bring you after capturing you?”

“I don’t know, Devin. They kept me in a van after abducting me. One day, when they brought me out for a breather, I heard them mention your name. I was so excited and revealed that you’re my cousin. I’m really sorry about that, Devin.”

Finally, the reason Kira was brought to Devin was uncovered.

She belatedly realized that her cowardice action had ruined Devin’s plan and hung her head low as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Silence ensued.

 

Returning from the Dead Chapter 1007

If she was telling the truth, Devin wouldn’t get mad at her.

Though the plan was of utmost importance, it was equally important for them to save the hostage’s life. After all, their goal was to protect the people’s lives and property.

Devin stared at her for some time and decided not to say anything.

“Get some rest. I’m glad you’re fine. I need to return to the military base now,” he said and stood up.

Kira panicked and grabbed his arm without warning.

“Devin, can you keep me company here? I’ve just regained consciousness and can’t move around. I’m afraid as it’s too dark here.”

She looked out of the window, tears glistening in her eyes. Her face was pale, as though she hadn’t recovered from the shock. She held onto Devin’s arm tightly, refusing to let go.

The helpless expression of a damsel in distress was usually catnip for a man’s protective instincts.

Alas, Devin took one look at her and frowned before retracting his arm.

Kira was dumbfounded by his response.

“Stop it. I’m here to work, not to fool around!” he declared sternly.

In a split second, his expression turned grim and annoyed.

Kira shuddered. She dared not utter a single word.

She was fearless, but the only thing that would scare her witless was her cousin’s rage.

Shortly after, Devin made his leave.

A special forces squad member arrived not long after and stood watch outside her door.

Two hours later, at the base.

“Major, you’re finally back. I’ve investigated Ms. Woods’ story. She had been in the smugglers’ hands for a few days, but they claimed not to know who Shanae Woods is.”

“They don’t know her?” Devin was scowling as he listened to Henrick’s report. “If they don’t know who she is, how did Kira end up in their hands?”

“Major, please allow me to finish. They don’t know who Shanae is, as they had always contacted someone known as Drakon. Shanae seems to be his mistress!”

Henrick whipped out a photo.

Devin glanced at the photo. Indeed, the woman wearing shades standing next to a burly man full of tattoos was none other than Shanae Woods.

His expression immediately soured.

“She has a death wish! Where is she? Have you found her?”

“No. When we arrived, everyone, including Shanae, had made their escape. The Woods family just found out about this, and Old Mr. Jadeson is fuming, too,” Henrick explained.

The investigation report stunned and shocked everyone to the core.

After all, Shanae was pretty and wealthy. There was no reason for her to end up with a thug like Drakon.

Jonathan had even selected her as a candidate for his granddaughter-in-law. Thus, her action struck them as ridiculous.

Devin’s expression darkened in fury as he commanded, “Relay my orders. Capture both of them alive!”

“Yes, Major. Is your cousin clear of suspicion now? She didn’t lie, for it was Shanae who did this to her,” Henrick mentioned Kira out of a sudden.

Devin still refused to buy his cousin’s explanation. As an experienced commander, there was no way he’d believe her explanation without solid proof.

Hence, when he was sending Kira to the hospital, he told his men to investigate Shanae.

It never crossed his mind that Kira was telling the truth.

“Leave it for the time being. We’ll talk about it after she recovers and returns home.”

Knitting his brows, Devin made up his mind.

It wasn’t that his doubt was dispelled. Now, their mission was more important!

Henrick nodded and left.

A few hours later, the elite team formed by elites from various countries came up with a new plan to capture the criminals who had escaped. In the end, they decided to move their base.

In the hospital, Kira could already get off the bed. “Move their base?” When she heard the news, her face paled instantly.

Is he going to leave again? What about me?

Her fingers dug into her palms forcefully.

The squad member who had just updated her assured her, “Don’t worry, Ms. Woods. Major had made the arrangements. When you recover, I’ll send you back home.”

Kira didn’t speak.

She ignored him and trudged out of her ward slowly.

That very afternoon, when the squad member was about to pay the medical fee before Kira’s discharge from the hospital, a loud boom echoed around the hospital.

Everyone descended into chaos.

“Terrorists have arrived! Flee for your life!”

“Help! Help!”

Everyone screamed. Even the doctors and nurses were panicking.

The squad member visibly blanched and dashed toward the emergency room without hesitation.

They were in a war zone, so it was normal for terrorist attacks to happen.

Upon his arrival, screams pierced the air.

There was an explosion in the emergency room, too!

 

Returning from the Dead Chapter 1008

The squad member’s eyes turned bloodshot as he dashed forward while yelling, “Ms. Woods? Ms. Woods, where are you?”

“I’m here, Mr. Dahl! I’m here…”

Amidst the ruckus, a familiar female voice rang out, accompanied by a series of coughs. She seemed shaken.

The squad member, Karsten Dahl, scurried toward her instantly.

Indeed, in the emergency ward that was blown up, he saw a woman curled up in a corner shaking in fear. She was both bruised and battered from the explosion.

“Ms. Woods, don’t be afraid. Are you all right?” Karsten hurried to her side and checked her condition.

Luckily, though she was injured, it wasn’t serious. The moment Karsten arrived, Kira collapsed to the ground in fear.

“Devin! I-I want Devin…” she wailed like a traumatized child.

Grabbing Karsten’s arm, she demanded to see Devin.

Karsten was at a loss for words.

He took one look at her and picked her up.

After they entered his SUV parked outside the hospital, he drove back to their base.

Back in Avenport.

To prepare for tonight’s dinner with Solomon and the Hayeses, Sasha woke up early to head to the hotel so that she could select the dishes herself.

Sebastian could barely conceal the shadow on his face.

“You seem to care for him a lot,” he remarked gloomily.

“Ah?” Sasha raised her head and looked at him. “Sebby, stop it. I’m doing this for you! If he resigns, you’ll have to return to Hayes Corporation!” she uttered with a pout.

Sebastian fell silent. What’s going on? I’m the upset one, but why do I have to coax her now? She’s grown smart now, huh?

Realizing the situation was now in her control, the man clenched his teeth angrily.

The moment she shot him a pitiful gaze, his heart had already melted into a puddle.

He strode over and pulled her into his embrace before planting a firm kiss on her lips as a form of punishment. He then released her.

“All right. Drive safe. I won’t be home today.”

“Mm?” Sasha’s brain was fuzzy from the sudden kiss. His words didn’t really register in her brain.

“Where are you going?”

“I have an appointment with the customs” Sebastian answered. He didn’t reveal much, though.

Customs? Is this about the Jadesons’ smelting plant? How does it concern the customs? Is it part of something complicated?

Sasha broke out into a cold sweat.

However, she didn’t press the issue any further.

After all, she knew the Jadesons weren’t ordinary businesspeople. They also had connections with the political world.

Ten minutes after Sasha left, Sebastian grabbed his keys and went down the stairs.

On the way out, he heard a commotion from Ian’s room that was right beside the stairs.

“Hurry, Daddy’s coming downstairs. We have to end the call so that he won’t find out!” An adorable voice demanded anxiously.

Sebastian heard footsteps pacing around nervously inside, and everyone stopped talking.

Little imp, I’m not deaf!

Sebastian pretended not to hear them and walked down the stairs calmly.

When his car disappeared from sight, the three kids ran out of the room and made sure he had left for real before heaving sighs of relief.

“Thank goodness he didn’t find out.”

“Right. If Daddy finds out we’ve been video calling Great-grandpa, he’ll yell at us. Matt, Ian, I heard him first. I did a good job, right?” Vivian leaned on the railing as she tried to fish for praise.

Matteo patted her head. “Yes, you did a good job. Remember to always stay alert!”

“Mm!” Though Ian was a child of few words, he responded in the positive.

The three of them went back to Ian’s room.

“Ian, Great-grandpa wants to visit us. What should we do? He also reminded us to keep it a secret from Daddy. What is going on?” Matt asked in confusion.

Vivian chimed in, “Yeah, I don’t get it, too.”

A cool glint flashed across Ian’s face. “He’s too proud!”

Both Matteo and Vivian were speechless.

Blinking in confusion, Vivian stared at Matt before turning to Matt as her father’s expressionless face appeared in her mind.

 

Returning from the Dead Chapter 1009

Worthless pride?

Is this a disease? It looks like it runs in the family.

Finally, the three children decided to tell Great-grandpa to come over during Grandpa’s birthday.

Because both Daddy and Mommy would be busy celebrating Grandpa’s birthday, and they could take the opportunity to sneak out and see him.

The little children were proud of their clever idea.

However, little did they know, just when they decided, Sebastian, who was driving the car, had already called Mark from Jadeborough.

“Hello? Mr. Sebastian?”

Mark was flattered to receive the sudden phone call from Sebastian.

“Tell the old man not to come over here these days,” Sebastian said expressionlessly.

Huh?

Mark was taken aback for a brief moment. “Why? Mr. Jadeson misses the children. He even said that he will be visiting them in a few days.”

He didn’t hide it from him.

But Sebastian denied without hesitation.

“The matters of the smelting plant is not something simple. The rare-earth metal is a highly profitable industry by itself. Some of them could even be directly used in the military. If someone uses the Jadesons name to start a smelting plant, there will be no way for the Jadesons to get away if anything happens.”

Droplets of sweat started to drip from his forehead.

Mark didn’t dare to say a word.

“So… what do you plan to do, Mr. Sebastian?”

“Not much. I will get back what is mine one step at a time. If he comes, everyone will know what I’m doing. Does he think he’s living a peaceful life for too long?

His last words were utterly unbearable.

Mark was shocked and horrified after hearing him. However, he found that those words couldn’t be more appropriate.

Sebastian would always be Sebastian. His wit and vision were beyond compare.

For many years, the Jadesons had never paid any attention to the smelting plant. They only treated it as a tool to make money at best, as long as it could make them money.

Especially for Stephen. He would sometimes resent the smelting plant because it could only excel in the coal mining business, whereas the glassworks factory had superior sales potential.

But now Sebastian told him that the smelting plant was the real cash cow.

He also said that the smelting plant was linked to the military. If that was really the case, if someone were to smuggle the rare-earth metals in the name of the Jadesons to the military…

Mark didn’t dare to imagine the consequences.

“I see. Mr. Sebastian, I’ll go to Mr. Jadeson and ask him not to go.” He hurriedly assured Sebastian before hanging up the phone and going straight to the Oceanic Estate.

At the Oceanic Estate

In his study, Jonathan was happy to finally set up the time to meet with his little great-grandsons.

Janice, who came in with a cup of coffee, couldn’t help but tease, “Mr. Jadeson, did something good happen? I haven’t seen you being so happy for a long time.”

“Well, I will be going to Avenport in two days,” Jonathan confessed happily.

Avenport?

Janice was also a pretty clever person. When she heard it, she immediately understood and got overjoyed by the news.

“Is that true? That’s great. I quite miss them. Can I make some pastry for you to bring it there? Sasha really likes our Gossamer Creek pastry.”

“Why not? Make more.” Jonathan casually agreed. He even requested for her to make more.

Janice went out happily.

After a while, Mark arrived and heard Jonathan in the study. He immediately went in and looked for him. “Mr. Jadeson, I’m afraid that you can’t go to Avenport.

“What?”

Jonathan instantly became displeased.

“Why can’t I go? You dare to stop me?” He got angry and started to curse.

Mark quickly explained, “It’s not like that. Mr. Sebastian called me, saying that he had found something at the smelting plant. He said that it’s better that you don’t go because you might alert the public.”

“What?”

Jonathan froze.

Alert the public?

He didn’t understand. However, he controlled his emotions after hearing about the brat.

“What do you mean? What did he find at the smelting plant? Didn’t I only allow him to take care of the property of the Jadesons? Why is he investigating now? Is there a problem with the smelting plant?”

“Yes!” Mark’s expression became solemn.

“Mr. Jadeson, our factory actually had more potential income in the past few decades. Mr. Sebastian found out that a mine in the north that is mining rare-earth metals had more profits than our factory’s annual performance!”

Jonathan finally kept quiet. He didn’t know much about business, but he wasn’t ignorant. He understood now that he had heard from Mark.

So, where did it all go?

Who had the guts to steal from the Jadesons?

Jonathan’s expression became stern. “I see. Would you please tell him to investigate thoroughly? I won’t be going there during this period.”

 

 

Returning from the Dead Chapter 1010

“I will! By the way, Mr. Jadeson. I was wondering, how did you get your hands on our smelting plant back then? I seem to have never heard you mention it.”

“The White House gave it to me. Back then, I made significant contributions to the country, so they gave me the Oceanic Estate and the smelting plant.

Mark didn’t say a word for a long time.

On the same day, Sasha was busy planning meals at the hotel.

She personally went to the Palace Hotel to place orders for food, then went to the Hayes Residence to inform the Hayeses. By the time she was done, it was already afternoon.

Sasha: Sab, are you at the office? Have you seen Solomon?

Sabrina: Why are you always asking me about that piece of trash, you weirdo? Do I look like his secretary who knows about his whereabouts whenever?

Sasha felt helpless when she received the reply on WhatsApp.

She obviously cared about the matter. She just didn’t want to admit it.

Sasha didn’t bother her anymore. She returned to Frontier Bay and planned to go back to the hotel at night.

“Mrs. Hayes, you’re finally back. I received a call moments ago. Mr. Sebastian got drunk at Norden Isle and asked you to pick him up.”

“Huh?”

Sasha was stunned when she heard about it after having just returned.

Sebastian got drunk?

That’s not right. Before I went out in the morning, didn’t he tell me that he was going to the customs? Why is he at Norden Isle?

Could it be that he had another meeting for dinner later at Norden Isle?

After returning from her thoughts, she returned to the garage and drove out in the white Porsche.

She could understand if Sebastian was drunk at a dinner and asked for her to pick him up because he used to ask for someone to pick him up when he got drunk from socializing back then.

However, he would ask Luke or Karl to pick him up.

But now, Luke was busy helping at Hayes Corporation, and Karl’s whereabouts were unknown. Sasha and the others have not seen him since they came to Avenport.

Sasha drove at high speed. Shortly after, she arrived at the Norden Isle pier.

“Are you Mrs. Hayes?”

“Yes. And you are?”

“We are Mr. Giovanni’s subordinates. They had us wait here for you when they heard you were coming.” The two men who were waiting at the pier and explained to Sasha politely.

Only then did Sasha understand.

“You director is too kind. I am familiar with Norden Isle, so he didn’t have to worry about me. Thanks for welcoming me.”

“It’s our pleasure. In fact, any of us could have sent Mr. Hayes home. But he kept calling for you, so there was nothing we could do.” The two of them showed a very embarrassed expression, and Sasha blushed upon hearing it.

Why is he so unreserved after having a bit too much to drink? What happened to his noble and glamorous attitude? Sasha was embarrassed by Sebastian. She quickly followed them onto the boat and headed for Norden Isle.

Norden Isle was actually a delta located at the mouth of a river in Avenport. The alluvium of the river formed it over the years. Despite its small surface area, the scenery on the island was breathtaking due to the serene waters surrounding it.

Back when Sebastian was in charge of Hayes Corporation, he was captivated by its beauty. So he spent a lot of money to build an expansive five-star hotel on it.

There was also an abundance of leisure and entertainment attractions around the hotel.

Therefore, Sasha was no stranger to Norden Isle. She could even remember the exact distance between the two places.

However, when she was on the speedboat, they suddenly stopped in the middle of the river.

“What’s wrong?”

“Apologies, Mrs. Hayes. It seems like the engine on the speedboat is having some problems. We will handle it immediately.”

After explaining the situation of the speedboat apologetically, one of them quickly went to fix the engine.

Sasha couldn’t say anything more. She took out her phone to call the drunk Sebastian on the island to inform him about the situation so he wouldn’t worry.

“Ring… Ring…”

“Hello, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable.”

Darn it! I can’t even make a phone call on this darn island!

Sasha twitched her eyebrows and was about to attempt calling again. At this moment, there was a notification on WhatsApp. Someone sent her a message.

Sabrina: What the hell! That lunatic announced his resignation!

Sasha stared at the text for a few seconds as she couldn’t even react.

Did I read that wrong?

Sabrina: I’m going there to kill him right now!

Another relentless message came in. Sasha could feel the presence of Sabrina’s fury just by looking at her smartphone.

It took a while for Sasha to regain her senses. She quickly tapped on Sabrina for a video call.

“Hello? Sab?”

“What are you calling me for? I’m going out now. I’m going to kill that useless man. That lunatic is really driving me crazy.”