Ch. 111..120

Returning from the Dead Chapter 111

Why do they look like they have never had it before? Sasha shook her head in amusement.

In the end, they savored the calzones in the room, enjoying the precious family moment together.

It was past seven when Sebastian arrived home.

Standing at the doorway, he was slightly bewildered to see a pair of woman’s shoes on the shoe rack.

Next to it was a pair of shoes that he believed to belong to that little girl.

As for the other pair of shoes…

“Mr. Hayes, you’re finally home! The kids are waiting to have dinner with you.”

As Sebastian was unhappily staring at that pair of shoes, Wendy appeared and greeted him.

He retrieved his gaze and then entered the house.

Since the kids moved in, Sebastian would come home every night to have dinner with them. On the other hand, he was worried that the housemaid couldn’t cope with taking care of so many children.

On the other hand, he wanted to spend more time with Matteo.

“Where are they?”

“The kids are upstairs. I’ll call them to come down.”

Wendy was about to head upstairs to call the kids when Sebastian suddenly halted her.

“Never mind. I’ll call them on my own after I get changed.”

With that, Sebastian went up the stairs while carrying his laptop. His distinguished air was discernible by merely looking at his upright back figure.

As he walked past the second floor, the kids’ voices from Ian’s room caught his attention.

“Then what happened to Jane? Did she get over it?”

“Of course! Her mother and brothers love her so much. They constantly give her their support and encouragement, so she managed to get over it.”

A woman was answering the kid’s question about the ending of the sob story. Her voice was soothing, like the gentle wind blowing across the lake.

At that moment, the kids felt the warmth of a mother’s love, just like the little girl in the story.

Who’s in there?

Sebastian’s eyes darkened. He halted his steps, casting his gaze over the nursery.

Through the narrow slit of the door, he made out a few figures in the room. The little ones were seen surrounding a woman as they nuzzled up against her.

Before he knew it, his face grew grim upon identifying that that woman was none other than Sasha. The next moment, he made his way toward the room in large strides.

“Mommy, this story makes me feel sad. I don’t want to listen to it anymore. Can you tell us another story?”

“Alright, Vivi. Then let’s…”

Sasha was looking through the piles of storybooks for a more cheerful story, when all of a sudden, the door swung open with a bang.

Both Vivi and Sasha were silenced at the sudden interruption.

Ian and Matteo, who were cuddling up to their mother, were also frightened by the sound of the door slamming against the wall. As they turned around, their faces turned pale the moment their eyes met the gloomy expression on their dad’s face.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“Daddy, you’re finally back!”

Sebastian was on the verge of losing his temper. To everyone’s surprise, the reticent and introverted Ian suddenly got up and rushed toward Sebastian, wrapping his arms around his legs.

At that instant, Sebastian’s temper deflated like a popped balloon.

Sasha, on the other hand, was dumbfounded by her son’s action. She had no idea what he was trying to do.

“Daddy, thank you.”

“What?”

Sebastian was no less surprised than Sasha. In fact, he was even more confused since he had no idea what they were doing before he arrived.

Just then, the more articulate Matteo came into the picture. “Daddy, Ian was thanking you for letting Mommy live here. Initially, we planned to go to Mommy’s house since she was discharged from hospital today, but Mr. Scott suddenly called us. He said he already fetched Mommy to your house since she needs to treat you. That’s why we didn’t go to her house.”

Matteo was clear-headed and eloquent as he spoke. Although Sebastian knew his son was making an excuse, trying to put him off, he couldn’t find any flaws in his impeccable reasoning.

At that moment, Sebastian’s face clouded over.

He was unsure whether it was really Luke’s deeds.

Yet, one thing that was for sure was that the kids all took Sasha’s side. From the way they spoke up for her and shielded her from his anger, it was obvious that they were working together to stand up against him.

Sebastian started to feel the throbbing in his temples upon the realization.

Right then, Sasha spoke up, “I’m sorry, Mr. Hayes. I think I’d better leave. It was not my intention to come here, but your bodyguards were the ones who brought me here when I came out of the hospital. I… I didn’t know they did it without your permission, so I’m sorry to have stayed in your house for the entire day.”

She cast her eyes down the moment they met his angry face, hiding all the emotions in them. The next moment, she stooped down to pick Vivian up.

Returning from the Dead Chapter 112

The way things turned out was totally unexpected, especially for Ian and Matteo, who came up with the plan.

Everything is going according to our plan. Daddy didn’t ask Mommy to leave, but why is Mommy still leaving?

The two little ones were confused. They were too young to understand that things were not as straightforward as they seemed when it came to two adults dealing with each other. Things need not be said most of the time since adults could tell other’s inner thoughts by observing the changes in their facial expressions.

“Matt, let’s go.”

Carrying Vivian, Sasha reached out her hand to hold Matteo’s.

She wouldn’t leave her son at this place.

Ian, who was clinging to his dad’s legs, turned around to look at her. His eyes reddened upon hearing her words.

As for Matteo, the little boy was torn.

Standing by the door, Sebastian spoke up just as the scenario of the separation of a child from his mother was about to play out, “Sasha Wand, are you doing this on purpose?”

Hearing that, Sasha instantly looked up at him. “What are you talking about?”

Sebastian’s eyes darkened while he exuded a cold aura. “What, am I wrong? I didn’t ask you here to stir up trouble, but look what you’ve done to the kids!”

He cast his eyes over the kids as he spoke.

“I…” Sasha swallowed her words at the sight of the boys’ reddened eyes.

The room was surrounded by a gloomy atmosphere. Except for Vivian in her arms, both Ian and Matteo, who were in high spirits a moment earlier, were now looking at her pitifully.

She never wanted to upset the kids.

Feeling guilty, Sasha’s confidence faltered. Yet, Sebastian didn’t afford her a chance to explain herself when he picked Ian up and said, “Let’s go and have dinner now.”

Then, he beckoned Matteo over. “Matt, come here. Let’s go down together.”

Matteo pursed his lips. Why are both Daddy and Mommy fighting over me?

He sighed internally as he was suddenly made to choose between his parents.

Nevertheless, Matteo decided to walk toward his dad after weighing his options. “Alright, Daddy. Ian, don’t be sad. Mommy is not going anywhere. Go, bring Mommy and Vivi to the dining hall, but be careful with her injury.”

Being as clever as always, he came up with the brilliant idea of swapping his place with his brother.

Ian, too, was clever enough to understand what Matteo was up to. He pulled away from Sebastian and then walked toward Sasha, standing meekly before her. “Mommy…”

His pitiful eyes could make anyone’s heart ache for him.

Sasha immediately kneeled in front of him, looking him straight in the eyes. “Ian, I’m sorry for making you sad. I’m not going anywhere. I will stay here and be with you.”

“Thanks, Mommy.”

Ian brightened up in an instant, wrapping his arms around his mother.

Apart from her son’s persuasion, the other reason that Sasha decided to stay was that she understood Sebastian didn’t blame her for staying in his house.

He was only mad at her because she failed to take good care of the kids; she had disappointed them.

Standing by the door, Sebastian stared at Sasha impassively as she wiped the tears off Ian’s face.

Seeing that the two had finally recollected themselves, Sebastian let out a snort and then led Matteo downstairs.

Both Ian and Matteo were relieved. Daddy didn’t mean to ask Mommy to leave!

A few minutes later, all of them went downstairs.

“Come and have your dinner. The food is getting cold.”

Wendy ushered them to the dining hall. She was more than happy to see the family coming down together.

Sebastian then gave her a slight nod before he led Matteo to the dining table.

Matteo was in a good mood. Sitting in the junior chair, he asked smilingly, “Daddy, what do you like to eat?”

Sebastian cast a glance at him. “Me? I’m not a picky eater.”

“Really? Mommy made calzones today! Do you like calzones?” Matteo threw another question at him.

Before Sebastian even said anything, Sasha was startled by Matteo’s question that her hands slipped, almost strangling Vivian when she was tying the napkin around her neck.

“Mommy! Be careful! You won’t get to see me again if you tie the napkin any tighter.”

For a few seconds, the dining room fell into an eerie silence. Sasha felt so awkward that she wished the ground would swallow her up.

Wendy was trying hard to stifle her laugh. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Sebastian’s eye twitched while looking at Sasha. To save Sasha from embarrassment, she quickly entered the kitchen and then brought them some calzones.

“Mr. Hayes, the kids wanted to have calzones today, so Ms. Wand helped me make these notwithstanding her injury. They taste rather nice. Would you like to have some?”

Wendy placed a whole set of cutlery and a plate in front of Sebastian.

Seeing that, Sasha’s wrung her hands unwittingly.

Returning from the Dead Chapter 113

Actually, Sebastian had no liking for calzone.

He was a picky eater since he was young. Being a member of the Hayes family, he grew up living a good life. Once he tasted the food and disliked it, the chef wouldn’t prepare the same food again. Calzone first appeared on the Hayes’ dining table that year when Sasha and her family visited them. The Hayes’ had the kitchen prepare this particular dish for them, knowing that they loved Italian dishes.

At that time, Sasha clearly remembered that the boy who was five years older than her had only taken a bite of the calzone.

He said it tasted awful.

Sasha retrieved her gaze as the piece of memory surged within her mind. She cast her eyes downward to focus on feeding her daughter.

A few seconds later, she heard Matteo asking, “Daddy, does it taste good?”

“Not bad.”

This time, Sebastian elegantly finished the whole calzone. Instead of showing disgust, he nodded approvingly at the savory flavor that lingered on his tongue.

Sasha was dumbstruck.

Was I hallucinating? Did he just say that it’s not bad? But I remembered him hating it after just one bite…

In a state of confusion, Sasha fixed her eyes on Sebastian.

As if he sensed her gaze, the man suddenly looked up, his eyes meeting hers.

Sasha was startled, and she almost dropped her cutlery. Why do I keep looking at him? I must be out of my mind!

At that instant, she had her heart in her throat. She quickly retrieved her gaze and then helped fetch Vivian the dipping sauce, avoiding his eyes.

Luckily, Sebastian’s ringing phone spared her from further embarrassment. It was a call from the office, and the man hurried off as soon as he ended the call.

As Sebastian’s figure vanished from sight, the naive Vivian suddenly leaned closer to her, whispering in her ear, “Mommy, are you afraid of Daddy?”

Nonetheless, Sasha would not admit it no matter what.

She fed Vivian a mouthful to stop her from asking any more questions. “Of course not. Hurry, sweetie. I will give you a shower after you’re done eating.”

Her words successfully put Vivian off.

Since Sasha would be staying with them, the kids didn’t bother to ask for their dad. After taking their showers, they rushed to Sasha’s room for a bedtime story.

Of course, Sasha was more than willing to spend more time with the kids.

She had made it a habit to tell Matteo and Vivian bedtime stories when they were living together. Now that Ian had joined them, the story-telling session became all the more enjoyable.

That night, the kids fell asleep in Sasha’s bedroom. Later, she instructed Wendy to carry them to their respective rooms.

All of them had a good night’s sleep after that.

The next morning, Sasha was awakened by the continuous knocks on the door.

“M-Mommy, are you awake? It’s V-Vivi… Mommy, wake u-up!”

Sasha was instantly wide awake at the sound of Vivian crying. She quickly climbed out of bed to answer the door.

Standing outside her room was Vivian in her pink pajama with tear-stained cheeks, holding a bunny plush.

Sasha was worried upon seeing the poor little girl shedding tears. She crouched down to hug her. “What’s wrong, sweetie? Why are you crying? Tell me, what happened?”

She thought Vivian was not used to living in a new place.

The next moment, Vivian threw herself into her mom’s arm, sniveling sadly. “Mommy, I want to go to preschool… with Ian and Matt… but he doesn’t allow me to…”

With that, she once again broke into tears.

Preschool?

Her words reminded Sasha that the kids still needed to attend preschool. It had been at the back of her mind since she was in the hospital.

“Why didn’t he let you go? Aren’t you attending the same preschool as Matt?” she asked.

“After Daddy brought us back, he transferred Matt to Ian’s preschool, but he doesn’t allow me to join them. Mommy…”

The little girl was crying her heart out, shaking all over, especially when she said her dad refused to let her join her brothers.

Sasha finally understood the reason for her daughter crying.

She was heartbroken, and her anger spiked.

Yet, she couldn’t possibly argue with Sebastian because that man had no idea that Vivian was his daughter. Besides, she wouldn’t want him to find out about it either.

There was no way she could ask him to change his mind.

Sasha hugged Vivian tighter, trying to console her, “Why don’t we attend the previous preschool?”

“No! I don’t want to! I want to be with Ian and Matt. Mommy, do you not love me anymore? Are you going to abandon me, just like Daddy did?”

Vivian looked at her mom through her teary eyes. The latter’s heart wrung at the sight of her sad expression. Vivi, I promise I will let you go to preschool with your brothers!

With that, Sasha decided to go all out for the sake of her daughter. She asked Vivian to wait in her room while she prepared herself before heading to the third floor.

Returning from the Dead Chapter 114

“Sebastian? Are you awake? I need to talk to you.”

Actually, Sasha was reluctant to step foot on the third floor again because every time she did, they would end up arguing.

There was not even once that they could talk peacefully.

Thinking that their upcoming conversation was a serious and unpleasant one, she backed away a little from his bedroom door to maintain a safe distance.

About a minute later, she heard some noises from inside the room. Then, there was the sound of footsteps approaching the door.

“What is it?”

Sebastian appeared behind the opened door in his dark shirt. His collar was unbuttoned, revealing his collarbone. Underneath the leather belt and shiny gunmetal buckle was a pair of long legs. The man had a dignified grace in his appearance.

Inexplicably, Sasha felt a bit self-conscious in front of him.

“It’s nothing, actually. It’s just that I heard you’ve transferred Matteo to Ian’s preschool. I… I was just wondering if you could let Vivi join them.”

“Why should I? She’s not my child anyway,” was his curt reply.

Sasha felt a feeling of guilt washed over her. “E-Even though she’s not your child, she’s still Matt and Ian’s sister. Can’t you let her join them for the boys’ sake?”

“No!” Sebastian wouldn’t budge.

With that, the man turned to close the door.

Seeing that, Sasha stepped forward and pushed against the door, preventing him from closing it. “Hey, don’t be so harsh! Let’s talk this through.” At this moment, she had forgotten that she was determined to stay away from him earlier.

“Go away!”

“I know I’m rude toward you sometimes, so please forgive me if I ever offended you. I promise I’ll do whatever you want – just say it.”

Disregarding his reluctance, Sasha slid into his room. She went all out by making such a huge promise.

Sebastian was about to throw her out, but he halted upon hearing her words. She’ll do whatever I want?

“Anything?” he asked.

Looming over Sasha, his dark eyes bore straight into hers. The unfathomable emotion in his eyes made her shudder.

For a moment, Sasha’s mind went blank as the man stared her down. She blinked her eyes and swallowed dryly, not knowing how to respond. Why is he so intimidating?

“What? Are you scared?”

Sebastian moved forward, forcing the woman to have her back against the door frame. He curled his lips into a condescending sneer when he noticed the fear and panic on her face.

Sasha’s eyes widened as she put on a brave front.

“I’m not scared! Tell me, what do you want me to do? Oh, didn’t you want me to treat you? I can do it now.” With that, she reached out her hand to touch his tired-looking face.

Before Sebastian could even react, Sasha had accurately found the acupuncture points somewhere in between his brows and started massaging them gently. Her fingers were cold in the winter morning.

Sebastian was in a daze since he didn’t expect she would be so bold as to lay her fingers on him.

Or perhaps, it was because her massaging had eased his eye strain after another sleepless night.

“Do you feel better? For people like you who have a huge workload and have yet to recover from illness, it is a great relief from pain and distress if I give you a massage every morning.”

In all seriousness, Sasha was really putting in her effort to treating this man.

After all, she was counting on her massage skills to get Vivian into Empire Preschool.

Since the man was six feet tall, she needed to lean forward to massage him. Still focusing on the task at hand, she was unaware that their current position was a bit too intimate.

Sebastian’s eyes darkened at their close proximity.

In fact, they were so close to each other that he could clearly see his reflection through her crystal clear eyes.

He could sense the faint scent of her lime shower gel. Her breath was tickling him as she spoke, and he couldn’t seem to move his eyes away from her tempting lips. The thought of feeling the tenderness of her lips soon surfaced in his mind.

“Argh!” Just then, Sasha cried out in pain when she accidentally stretched the tissue surrounding her wound due to overexertion of force.

The next moment, she toppled over.

Without a second thought, Sebastian grabbed her waist, pulling her into his arms. In an attempt to regain her balance, Sasha instinctively grabbed his shirt, popping a few buttons off it. At the same time, her lips brushed against his chest accidentally…

Returning from the Dead Chapter 115

At that moment, time seemed to be on a standstill.

None of them moved. Sebastian’s eyes darkened at the tingling sensation on his chest.

As for Sasha, her face flushed a crimson red, looking at him like a frightened doe. What have we done? How did things end up this way?

Her mind went black as she clung to Sebastian’s body. Meanwhile, the latter’s hands were still holding her waist.

Slowly, the warmth of his hand seeped through her clothes, making her heart thumped wildly.Although she had given birth to his three children, they had never been so close to each other before.

At the same time, Sebastian’s breathing grew heavier as his eyes traced her delicate face.

Actually, Sasha was a good-looking woman. Her crystal clear eyes looked like a pair of dazzling gems while her lips were soft and supple, tempting him to have a taste of it.

Sebastian’s eyes darkened while he lowered his head, moving closer to hers.

Sasha held her breath, her heart pounding like crazy.

“Daddy, are you ready to go?”

Just then, a child’s voice rang out with the sound of footsteps running up the stairs.

Instantly, Sasha came back to her senses, pushing the man away from her. Then, she hurriedly stumbled her way out of his bedroom.

Matteo, who just reached the third floor, halted his steps.

Oh, no! It seems like I’ve ruined everything for Mommy and Daddy.

The observant Matteo knew there must be something happening between his parents by their looks. He couldn’t help feeling frustrated, thinking he shouldn’t have come at the wrong timing.

“Daddy, t-take your time… Um… Please c-continue.”

Pretending as if he didn’t notice anything, Matteo waved at his parents and then walked downstairs.

Sasha felt embarrassed, and her face went blushing as red as the tomato.

“Matt, what are you talking about? There’s nothing happening between us. Hey, don’t go! Wait for me!”

She immediately went after Matteo, not daring to take another look at the man behind her.

As she reached the second floor, she saw Matteo entering Ian’s bedroom. It turned out the boys were long awake. Matteo went upstairs just now to ask if their dad would send them to preschool today.

Right! Preschool!

The sight of the two children carrying their school bags reminded Sasha that Vivian was still waiting for her, so she turned and rushed to her room.

“Vivi…”

Vivian had waited a long time in the room. Upon hearing Sasha’s voice, she instantly cast her plushie aside and opened the door. “Mommy, I’m here! Have you persuaded Daddy? Is he going to let me join Ian’s preschool?”

Sasha fell silent while looking at her daughter’s face that was full of anticipation.

She was so panicked just now that she forgot to confirm with Sebastian whether he agreed to transfer Vivian to Ian’s preschool. Now, she had lost the courage to ask that man again. What should I do? Should I go and ask him again?

“Mommy?”

“Yes. Daddy has agreed. Come, let’s get you changed.”

At this moment, Sasha couldn’t care less about Sebastian; all she wanted was not to disappoint her daughter. Without loss of time, she helped Vivian get changed and tied her hair before bringing her downstairs.

“Matt, Ian, is it okay if you go to school with Vivi today?”

“Hooray! We can finally go to school with Vivi!”

Both Ian and Matteo, who were already waiting downstairs, jumped in excitement at the news.

They were more than willing to go to preschool with Vivian, especially Matteo, who had always attended preschool with his sister. In fact, even if Sasha didn’t talk to Sebastian, he was going to voice his dissatisfaction about Sebastion’s decision anyway.

And so, the kids left happily for preschool, with Ian and Matteo holding each one of Vivian’s hands.

Standing at the porch, Sasha’s eyes followed them as they left. As she turned to enter the house, she saw Sebastian coming downstairs.

The next moment, she stumbled and hit the door.

“Y-You’re here…”

Sebastian walked in her direction, his expression cold and distant. He didn’t even spare a glance at her as if he had totally forgotten about what happened earlier.

Sasha was relieved since she wouldn’t feel that awkward this way.

Keeping her head down, she pressed her back against the door to give way to Sebastian. She decided to slip into the house when he was not noticing.

Returning from the Dead Chapter 116

Sebastian suddenly halted his steps. “They’re gone?”

“Huh?” Sasha looked up, blinking her eyes in panic. “Y-Yes.”

“I can let her join Ian’s preschool, but you should be the one responsible for the fee.”

Sasha was elated as she never thought he would give his consent. Having forgotten about the awkward moment earlier, she replied, “Sure! How much is it? I can pay you right now!”

She waited for Sebastian to tell her the amount she needed to pay.

With the money she saved up during the past few years, she believed it wouldn’t be much of a problem to send her daughter to Ian’s preschool.

However, she couldn’t believe her ears when Sebastian told her that the fee was one million.

“What? One million?!”

Sasha’s eyes widened in disbelief. The preschool fee is a million? Is he kidding me? Even studying at the best university overseas won’t cost as much. That’s daylight robbery!

She asked harshly, “Are you kidding me? The preschool fee costs a million? What’s so special about this preschool?”

Sebastian sneered, “Well, it’s the best preschool in Avenport funded by me.”

He paused for a while before he added, “A million only covers a semester. If you really want to let your daughter study there, you need to prepare at least two million. Ms. Wand, are you sure about it?”

This man has indeed lived up to his identity as a cunning and profit-oriented businessman. He is not satisfied at all with a million that he now doubles the price.

Sasha was so angry until her fingers trembled.

Vivian is your daughter! How could you treat her like that? Wouldn’t you worry that your children won’t take care of you when you’re older?

Right that moment, she wished she could slap that b*stard’s face with her shoe.

But before she could do anything, Sebastian had walked out of the door.

Sasha’s body thudded against the door, her shoulders slouching.

Wendy quickly came up to her and consoled her, “Ms. Wand, are you alright? Don’t listen to Mr. Hayes. He was just kidding, and he won’t ask for that much.”

Oh Wendy, I bet you’re wrong this time.

Sasha knew she had always been a thorn in Sebastian’s flesh. Now that he thought Vivian was not his daughter, it was impossible for that man not to charge her.

Later, Sasha returned to her room to check the balance in her bank account.

She found out there were only four hundred thousand, which was not even close to a million.

What should I do now? I don’t have enough money… I have to let Vivi go to preschool with her brothers…

Her heart ached when she recalled Vivian looking at her with anticipatory eyes earlier this morning. Sitting on her bed, she scrolled through her phone to see if there was any other way she could gather the remaining six hundred thousand.

In the end, she managed to find a person who could help – Solomon!

Meanwhile, at the Hayes Corporation.

Luke only heard that Sasha had moved into Royal Court One after he came back from a meeting. He was so shocked that he spat out his water.

“What did you say? Ms. Wand moved into Mr. Hayes’s house?”

“Aren’t you the one who ordered the bodyguards to bring her there? Why are you so surprised?”

The person gossiping with Luke was the clerk who paid Sasha’s hospital charges. Thus, she knew exactly what happened that day.

Hearing that, Luke once again choked on his water. Bullsh*t! Why would I even do that? I’m not crazy!

After that, he took a sip of water to calm his nerves.

“How are they now? Are they alright?”

“They’re fine. Mr. Scott, I’m curious. Is Ms. Wand really Mr. Hayes’s ex-wife? What a shocker! I’ve never heard that he was married before, but now his ex-wife suddenly appeared. Isn’t Ms. Green his fiancée?” the clerk asked curiously.

Matteo’s kidnapping incident had caused a huge commotion, and the Hayes Corporation had even deployed snippers and helicopters for the rescue mission. Now, all of the employees were curious about the identity of Matteo – the boy who looked identical to Ian.

To the clerk’s disappointment, Luke would not quench her curiosity. It was not his place to gossip about the president’s private affairs.

Luke soon dove into his work.

To his surprise, Xandra showed up at the office that afternoon.

“Look! It’s Ms. Green! She’s here!”

“She hasn’t shown up for days. I thought she’s not coming to the office anymore.”

“Duh! Even though Mr. Hayes’s ex-wife suddenly appeared, she’s still Mr. Hayes’s fiancée. Only an idiot will give up the opportunity to become the president’s wife.”

Returning from the Dead Chapter 117

Xandra became the center of attention the moment she stepped foot in the company.

The employers were still whispering to each other. Instead of rushing up to Xandra to fawn over her, they were now standing aside with crossed arms, waiting to see if she would make a scene.

Xandra hadn’t shown her face for days. She couldn’t help clenching her fists in anger when she noticed she was the subject of their gossips.

Now, everyone in Hayes Corporation knew Sasha was Sebastian’s ex-wife and that that woman was Ian’s mother.

If Xandra wanted to marry Sebastian, all she could do was to maintain her grace and put on airs as the future president’s wife.

“G-Good morning, Ms. Green.”

“Morning.”

Xandra unclenched her fists and returned the greeting of an employee, who was holding a pile of documents while waiting for the elevator beside her.

As expected, the employee was pleasantly surprised by Xandra’s friendliness. She was so nervous that her palms became sweaty when she entered the elevator after Xandra.

“Are you from the business department?”

“Yes.”

“I see you’re carrying a lot of documents. Did your workload increase after Sasha stopped coming to work?” asked Xandra with a gentle smile on her face.

The employee was slightly bewildered when Xandra suddenly mentioned Sasha, which didn’t ring a bell with her.

When the employee finally remembered that Sasha was the president’s ex-wife, her body tensed up in an instant.

“N-Not really. Actually, s-she…”

“I don’t wish any employer to overstretch themselves. You can ask the vice president to get the Human Resource Department to hire new staff. Initially, we hired Sasha because she was idle at home. We later dismissed her since she was not competent with the job. It’s better to hire new staff so that it won’t affect the department’s work efficiency.”

Xandra was acting all amiable and friendly for some reason.

It was as if she was sympathizing with the employer’s distress, she even looked guilty when she said it was her decision to put Sasha in the business department.

The employer was shocked by the revelation.

Oh, my goodness! So Ms. Green was the one who let that woman work in our department. No wonder she disappeared after having only worked for one day. It’s because Ms. Green dismissed her for causing all the trouble in the business department!

It seems like Mr. Hayes’s ex-wife is no match for Ms. Green since the latter could send her away whenever she wants.

The employer’s eyes shone with excitement, thinking she got the news first-hand. Feeling eager to share the piece of news with her colleagues, she rushed out as soon as the elevator door opened.

Unbeknownst to her, a wicked smile crept onto Xandra’s face after she left.

Sasha, do you seriously think you can compete with me? I’ll let everyone know who the lady of Hayes Corporation is.

A determined glint flashed across her eyes as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

A few minutes later, the elevator brought her to the president’s office.

“Ms. Green, you’re here!”

“Good morning, Ms. Green!”

“Morning, Ms. Green.”

Within minutes after the conversation in the elevator, there was a drastic change in the employers’ attitude as they greeted her reverently.

Xandra flashed them a faint smile before entering Sebastian’s office.

“Sebastian, I’m here to bid you farewell.”

Sitting behind his desk, Sebastian was occupied with his work. He didn’t give Xandra any response though she was fixing her ardent gaze at him. He intended to ignore her until he heard her words. “What? Farewell?”

“What do you mean?” he asked again.

Looking at the man’s knotted brows, for a moment, Xandra wanted to change her mind and tell him that she was joking.

Just then, Aunt Kelly’s words rang out in her mind.

She then recalled the employers’ attitude toward her just now. Rumors that were unfavorable toward her were circulating in the company. That had had an impact on her credibility as the future president’s wife.

In the end, she put up a good front, showing her considerate side.

“Do you remember me telling you that I’ve sent my script to a magazine company overseas? They’ve contacted me recently, saying that they wanted to sign me.”

“Really?”

Sebastian’s expression softened.

Xandra’s writings and her perseverance were the things he liked about her. He didn’t know how she managed to write all those letters buried under the magnolia tree. Eventually, she survived through hell, rising like a phoenix from the ashes.

“If that’s so, you should give it a try. Do you need me to book a flight for you?” he asked.

Xandra was exhilarated as this was the first time he showed that he actually cared about her.

Returning from the Dead Chapter 118

Aunt Kelly was right!

“It’s alright. I’ve already booked the flight.” She hesitated and then made a request, “If you have the time, could you send me to the airport later?”

Sebastian frowned slightly. He took a glance at his watch and agreed nevertheless. “Alright, I’ll fetch you after I finish my work.”

Xandra nodded in satisfaction.

Kelly was right in saying that she should treat a man as if she were flying a kite. If she constantly pulled the string taut, it would eventually snap. Likewise, a man would only feel suffocated and try to break free from her.

Thus, she made up her mind to let the string loose sometimes, allowing the kite to fly. This way, only would the man willingly stay by her side.

In the meantime, Sasha finally got to meet Solomon in a café.

“Solomon, I’m sorry for asking you out all of a sudden. I hope I didn’t cause you any inconvenience.”

Sasha felt sorry because Solomon, the young man with gold-rimmed glasses, was already waiting for her at a table by the window by the time she arrived.

“It’s alright. I’m on my lunch break anyway.”

Solomon discreetly sized her up.

The woman had light makeup on, with a faint reddish tinge on her cheeks so that she would not look that pale. Her full lips looked moist and plump after the application of lipstick.

“Thankfully I didn’t disturb you.”

Sasha heaved a sigh of relief. Tiny beads of sweat were seen covering her forehead.

She took the seat opposite Solomon and was about to call the waiter over when the latter said, “I’ve ordered a Jamaican Blue Mountain for myself and a cup of hot cappuccino for you. You prefer it with sugar and milk, am I right?”

“Huh? Y-yes… but I was supposed to treat you to coffee.”

Sasha smiled sheepishly when she heard Solomon had already ordered for both of them.

In fact, a cup of sweet and creamy hot coffee indeed suited her liking. She knew people would definitely laugh at her taste if she was to order this in a high-end café, thinking it was a waste of the high-quality coffee beans.

Nevertheless, she always ordered coffee according to her liking. After all, why would she force herself to drink black coffee when life was already full of bitterness?

“Actually, Solomon, I wanted to ask you about something. Earlier, you told me that your friend wanted to hire me to work in his clinic. I’m wondering if he still needs me.”

Solomon was surprised. “You’ve decided to work?”

Avoiding his gaze, Sasha then gave him an excuse to put him off, “Yes. I might need to stay here for a while, so that’s why I’m finding a job. I wonder how much he’s going to pay me?”

Fortunately, Solomon was tactful enough not to ask further questions. “I told him that you’ve worked for Clear previously. I suppose your annual salary will be higher than what Clear Hospital offered.”

“Is that for real?”

Sasha’s eyes brightened.

As a famous doctor in Clear Hospital, her annual salary was more than a million. If she was to work at Solomon’s friend’s clinic, perhaps she could negotiate and request an advance payment of six months’ salary.

She finally found a glimmer of hope.

“Solomon, is it okay if I go for a job interview now?”

“Now?”

“Yes. Oh, you don’t need to accompany me. Just give me his address and contact number, and I can go by myself,” Sasha reassured him as she was afraid to waste any more of his time.

Solomon suddenly stood up and grabbed his coat.

“You’ve never seen him before. It’s better that I bring you there. Besides, he doesn’t have many patients in his clinic at this time”

“Oh, um… okay then.” Sasha nodded her agreement since he insisted.

Soon after, the two left the café.

Finding a job and requesting an advance payment of salary was the only way Sasha could think of. Previously, she did the same thing to raise her two children when she just moved to Clear.

After that, Sasha got into Solomon’s car.

Initially, she thought he would drive her to meet his friend right away. However, a few minutes later, she realized they were heading to a mall in the city center.

“Why are we…”

“I think you’d better change into a new set of clothes. My friend is germophobic, so…”

Sitting behind the wheel, Solomon cast a sidelong glance at her while smiling teasingly.

Sasha’s face flushed scarlet when she lowered her head to look at her coat.

It was indeed a little dirty.

When she moved into Royal Court One, she didn’t bring her clothes from her rental apartment. For the past few days, she was wearing the very coat that Matteo brought her when she still was receiving treatment in the hospital.

Thinking that it was inappropriate to meet her future boss in a dirty coat, Sasha eventually agreed to Solomon’s suggestion.

Unbeknownst to her, a black Bentley had arrived at the mall’s parking lot after their car.

Returning from the Dead Chapter 119

It was a sudden idea of Xandra’s to go shopping at the mall.

Since she became Sebastian’s fiancée, she had been living a luxurious life. Every aspect of her daily livings was being taken care of to the highest standard. Since it would be a long stay overseas this time, she decided to buy a few more handbags and bring them along with her.

“Sebastian, wait for me in the car. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

Sebastian nodded a response without looking at her. As soon as he stopped the car, he fished out his phone to check if there were any urgent matters that he needed to attend to.

Seeing that, Xandra didn’t dare to disturb him. She quietly put on her coat and then got out of the car.

“Must we go upstairs? We can just buy a coat at any one of the shops on the ground floor.”

“Sure! We’ll head to the ground floor then. Are you cold?”

“No. Let’s go.”

The moment Xandra opened the door, the chilly breeze gushed into the car, along with snippets of indistinct conversation.

Sebastian stopped scrolling his phone upon hearing the familiar voice. In an instant, he cast his eyes over to see Sasha walking with another man.

He exuded a cold and ominous aura, especially when he saw the man wrapping his coat around the petite figure. Within seconds, the atmosphere around him dropped below freezing point.

Sasha Wand!

Eventually, Sasha entered a shop on the ground floor. She decided to randomly pick a coat so that they could then go for the interview.

“Welcome, Miss. How can I help you?”

Sasha cast her eyes over the shop and said openly, “I need an affordable coat.”

She once lived a good life before the disruption of the Wand family. Even so, she never really pursued a materialistic lifestyle back then, let alone now. To her, the utility of an item was more important than whether it was branded.

The staff, however, became aloof upon hearing her words.

At the same time, Solomon cast a cold glance at the staff before he took a coat from the latest collection. “Nancy, there’s no hurry. We should pick one that suits you the most. I think this looks pretty good. Why don’t you try it on?”

The staff brightened up and started concurring with Solomon, “That’s right. Miss, this coat suits you well. I believe you will definitely attract everyone’s attention on the street.”

“Really?” Sasha gazed at the coat dubiously.

Solomon reassured her, “Trust me. Just go and try it on first, and then we’ll decide whether we are getting it.”

With that, he grabbed her hand, leading her to the fitting room.

Since Solomon insisted, Sasha gave in and did as he said.

In the meantime, the staff was trying to strike up a conversation with Solomon outside the fitting room.

“Sir, you sure have good taste. This coat is of the latest collection launched recently. You’ll be stunned when your girlfriend comes out later wearing the coat.”

Solomon smiled faintly but remained silent.

A few minutes later, Sasha came out in the coat.

The coat suited her perfectly as if it was custom-tailored for her. The Morandi color collar greatly accentuated her fair skin, while the classic Chanel-style design that emphasized the wearer’s waistline highlighted her curves.

“Miss, you look gorgeous.”

All of the staff in the shop exclaimed in awe.

Solomon was also amazed.

He had long known that she was beautiful. Yet he never thought she could be so stunning after dressing up.

“We’ll take this one. Wrap it-”

“Sebastian, this coat looks nice! I love it. Can we get this one?”

Just as Solomon was about to pay for the coat, Xandra caught sight of Sasha’s back view in the shop. She immediately pleaded with Sebastian coyly to buy the very coat that Sasha was trying on.

Sebastian?!

Sasha froze in front of the mirror. Her expression changed upon hearing someone calling Sebastian’s name.

It can’t be that coincidental, right? How could we even bump into each other in one of the many shops in this huge mall?

Inexplicably, Sasha started to panic. Before she could even hide in the fitting room, Xandra had rushed into the shop.

“Excuse me, wrap this up for me.”

Notwithstanding that Sasha was wearing the coat, Xandra was so insolent that she directly asked the staff to wrap it up for her.

The staff was stumped by her request.

As for Solomon, the usual calmness on his face was replaced by anger. “Miss, my friend is trying on the coat. Isn’t it inappropriate of you to cut in line?”

“There’s nothing inappropriate about it. Since I have my eyes on the coat, it now belongs to me.”

“Why should we let you have it?”

“Because she’s my woman. Is this reason valid enough?”

Right then, Sebastian entered the shop. Although it was wintertime, the man was wearing a thin shirt underneath his unbuttoned black coat. One might wonder if he could even stand the cold weather outside.

Returning from the Dead Chapter 120

His woman?

Sasha’s feeling of panic and nervousness disappeared, replaced by her usual calmness.

She turned around and said coldly, “What if I refuse?”

Upon that, Xandra’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at Sasha’s face in a daze.

“Sasha Wand? It’s you! Why are you here?”

With a condescending smile, Sasha scoffed, “Ms. Green, what a strange question you’ve asked. I can come and shop if I want to. I don’t need to ask for your permission, do I?”

She didn’t even bother to hide her disgust and hatred toward Xandra.

“You!” Xandra turned red in anger.

Without sparing another glance at her, Sasha turned to face Solomon and said apologetically, “Sorry about that, Solomon. Could you please hand me my purse? We’ll leave after I pay for the coat.”

“Alright. Here you go.”

Solomon was standing by the side during the ladies’ exchange. He handed over the purse that he was carrying to Sasha at her request.

Seeing that, Sebastian’s eyes turned gloomy.

A woman would only let a man carry her purse if they were in a close relationship, just like Xandra would ask him to carry hers though he would reject her most of the time.

Anger was boiling in him. Initially, he brought Xandra to the shop with the intention of humiliating Sasha.

Instead of leaving triumphantly, he was so pissed that he wished he could strangle that woman to death.

Just then, Sasha seemed to be facing some issue when making payment.

“Miss, this coat costs one hundred and eighty thousand, but the balance in your credit card is only a hundred thousand.”

Sasha cried out, “What?! A hundred and eighty thousand?”

She was so shocked that she forgot that there were two people in the shop, waiting to humiliate her.

The cost of the coat was almost twice the amount of her savings. How could she spend all her savings on a coat when she still needed to earn money to pay her daughter’s preschool fee?

At that instant, Sasha regretted making such a stupid decision of buying the coat just to defend her dignity in front of Xandra and Sebastian.

Meanwhile, Xandra and Sebastian were gloating over her misfortune.

Seeing Sasha in trouble, Sebastian curled his lips into a smug smile. He even pulled a chair over and sat down with his legs crossed.

Hmph! Since you enjoy shopping with other men, why don’t you call more of your male friends over and ask them to pay for you? Let’s see if any of them could actually afford that coat.

At this moment, Xandra spoke up, “Sasha, do you not have enough money? Let me pay for you. Actually, you’ve misunderstood me. I didn’t know you were trying the coat earlier.”

Unlike her previous aggressive manner, she offered to help Sasha pay for the coat gently.

What the flippin’ hell… What is she trying to do? Is she trying to show to that scum that his wife-to-be is a generous and kind woman? Sasha clenched her fists.

Just as she was about to accept defeat and leave the shop, the man standing beside her handed over a credit card to the staff.

“My girlfriend doesn’t need your help,” Solomon said to Xandra. Then, he turned to face the staff. “We’re paying with my credit card. And also, please wrap the dirty coat in the fitting room for us.”

The mellow tone in his voice resembled a tenor saxophone – smooth and almost hypnotizing.

Everyone was gaping at him. At this point, the shop was dead silent to the point that one could hear a pin drop.

This was an unexpected outcome to everyone, including Sasha.

In her befuddled state, she watched the staff swiped the card and wrapped the dirty coat for them. Before she had even realized it, Solomon took her hand in his.

“We’ll be going now. Enjoy your shopping!”

Solomon was polite enough to say his goodbye to both Xandra and Sebastian before leading Sasha out of the shop.

The shop was still engulfed by dead silence though Solomon and Sasha were long gone.

At that moment, Xandra dared not to utter a single word in the face of Sebastian’s intimidating aura.

She had not seen Sebastian this angry before. His face was clouded over, and his eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

“S-Sebastian…”

Bang!

Sebastian rose to his feet and kicked the chair forcefully.

The next moment, he rushed out of the shop.

Xandra immediately chased after him to stop him but to no avail.

The man had run so fast that his figure vanished from sight in no time.

Xandra reached the parking lot only to see the black Bentley whizzed by her and soon vanished from sight.

Does he have to be so angry just because his ex-wife has found herself a boyfriend?

She bit her lips, trying hard to hold back her tears.