Ch. 1171..1180

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1171

Who Is The Silly One

That night, Sasha told Sebastian about her conversation with Sabrina.

Her gut instinct told her that Sabrina was acting weirdly and suggested bringing her to the hospital for a medical checkup. More specifically, Sasha emphasized that Sabrina should get her brain checked.

Fortunately, the darkness concealed Sebastian’s face because he was at a loss for words.

“She’s just in a bad mood. Why don’t you take her out for a stroll? I’m sure she will feel better after getting some fresh air,” he finally replied.

“Really?” Sasha remained doubtful.

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when Sebastian grabbed her waist and pinned her under him.

“Darling, do you still remember how you yanked my ear in front of so many people?” he said in a low voice.

Trapped under him, Sabrina widened her eyes in surprise.

The audacity of him to bring it up! He was the one who ran off without any notice and returned with his body covered with injuries. Does he know how worried I was when he disappeared?

Sasha’s brows drew together into a scowl. “It’s your fault for not listening to me. Why did you go to such a dangerous place? Couldn’t you inform me beforehand?” she retorted.

“Yes, Darling, it was all my fault.”

At least he owned up to his mistakes.

Soon, she was distracted when Sebastian’s hands began to wander across her body. “However, did you forget that your husband is the authoritative figure around here? You yanked my ear in front of so many people. What if I become a laughing stock at the White House tomorrow?”

Sebastian paused before he continued, “What if people see me and ask humiliating questions? They might ask if it’s true my wife yanked me by the ear and punished me?”

The intimidating and ruthless man in the eyes of the public rambled on like a petulant teenager.

For a moment, Sasha was dumbfounded by Sebastian’s tone. Her anger vanished in the blink of an eye.

That night, the loving couple shared a long and passionate moment beneath the duvet.

When Sasha woke up, it was already noon.

“Mommy, are you awake yet? Mommy?” Vivian hollered outside her room.

Since it was a weekend, Vivian’s teacher would not be here. Naturally, the clingy little girl went looking for her mother as soon as she woke up.

Hurriedly, Sasha pushed herself upright.

“Ah!” The sudden movement caused her body to throb in pain, and she failed to hold back her pained cry.

Sebastian, that jerk! How rough was he last night? I can’t even climb out of bed!

Her face crimsoned, so Sasha was forced to lie back on the bed for a little longer before she finally clambered out of bed to open the door.

“Vivi, you are awake so early.”

“Yup!” Vivian handed Sasha the flowers she had picked from the garden. “Mommy, my best friend said that Central Square just opened a new theme park called Winter Wonderland. Can we go there today?” she pleaded.

Best friend? Despite being so young, she already has a best friend?

Sasha was stunned. “Sure, but you have to tell Mommy who your best friend is.”

“She’s Jessica from my art class! We get along very well. We even exchanged numbers and started chatting ever since. She asked me for Ian’s number, but he refused to give it to her.” Vivian showed her mother a picture of Jessica on her smartwatch.

When Vivian mentioned how Ian refused to add Jessica, a sad sigh escaped her lips.

Sasha was amused yet angry.

Time sure flies. My children are all growing up so fast. They all have their own social circles. Wait, did Vivi mention Winter Wonderland? Didn’t Sebastian suggest bringing Sabrina out for a stroll? This is the perfect opportunity! I can bring both Sabrina and Jaena along. Besides, Jaena hasn’t had the chance to play outside.

After agreeing to Vivian’s request, she told the little girl to inform her brothers before heading to the second floor.

“Sab, do you want to head out?”

“Where are we going?” Sabrina had woken up early. When Sasha opened the door, she found her playing with Jaena.

Sabrina’s good mood was infectious, as Sasha also found herself in high spirits. “We are going to Central Square. Vivi told me that her friend invited her to a newly opened theme park over there. Why don’t you bring Jaena along? Since her birth, we have all been too busy to bring her out.”

As soon as Sasha finished talking, Sabrina accepted her suggestion without a second thought. “Okay.”

The former was taken aback by Sabrina’s easygoing reply. Should I bring a few bodyguards along with us?

Because Sebastian was attending the Coopers’ funeral, Sasha called to ask for his approval, to which he agreed. Happily, Sabrina, Sasha, Wendy, and the four children set off toward Central Square.

Since Sasha often took her children out on the weekends, she had gotten used to it.

On the other hand, Sabrina could barely remain seated. She would point at the scenery throughout the car ride and talk to her three-month-old daughter excitedly.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1172

But I Really Like You

Sasha could not help but smile at Sabrina’s antics.

“Sab, she’s too young to understand anything,” she teased.

“How do you know that? She’s so happy. Look! She keeps looking outside.” Sabrina ignored her and continued to croon at Jaena.

Sasha shook her head in exasperation.

Soon, they arrived at Central Square.

After Sasha got out of the car, she instructed Wendy to escort the triplets to the theme park. As for herself, she chose to stay back and help Sabrina carry the baby products, such as formula, diapers, water, and so on.

“Sabrina, is that you?” Just as they reached the mall entrance, a bespectacled young man jogged over.

Sabrina, who was pushing the stroller, came to a halt.

Similarly, Sasha stood still in surprise when she caught sight of the man.

Isaac? Why is he here?

“Mr. Sheerwood, you… You haven’t returned yet?” she asked.

“Nope. I didn’t leave because I was worried out of my mind. The guards at Red Pavilion refused to let me in, so I dropped by occasionally to check on Sabrina. When I heard that she ran back to Oceanic Estate, I panicked and stood guard outside for the entire night!” Isaac was as shy as ever.

Though he did not do anything wrong, his hasty explanation made him appear nervous.

He stood outside Oceanic Estate for the entire night? Sasha was shocked to hear this.

On the other hand, a look of displeasure appeared on Sabrina’s face when he heard his confession.

‘What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to return to Yartran? Don’t let me hear something like this ever again,” Sabrina uttered coldly and left with her child.

It had been a long time since Isaac saw her treat him like this.

Promptly, his face turned bright red as he gazed at her retreating back. The bashful man became even more restless.

Feeling sorry for the young man, Sasha stepped forward and consoled, “Mr. Sheerwood, it’d be best if you returned. You should stop trying to court Sabrina. There are plenty of women out there. I’m sure you’ll find the right one for you.” Her words were clear-cut and straightforward.

However, Isaac’s head shot up.

“Why?” he asked. “Now that the father of her child is gone, I’m willing to take care of her. I promise you that I’ll treat the child as my own. This time, my parents will not interfere anymore. I will do whatever I can to give them a happy life.”

Tears began to well in his eyes.

Sasha was at a loss for words.

She never doubted his love toward Sabrina, for he had shown his devotion through his actions. Isaac spent half a year on that island with Sabrina and even decided to marry her.

Sabrina was caught between a rock and a hard place at that time, but…

Before Sasha could come up with a reply, Sabrina returned.

“Let me talk to him. Help me take care of Jaena.” After handing Jaena into Sasha’s arms, she whirled around to face Isaac.

Sasha was nonplussed, so was Isaac.

When he felt her cold gaze on him, he looked up and paled at the sight of the lofty woman standing at the top of the staircase.

Uneasiness prickled his skin. Isaac felt like he was a criminal about to have his sentence pronounced.

In a daze, Isaac found himself brought to a nearby cafe. As soon as he sat down, she pulled out a golden card.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

At that sight, he raised his head immediately, feeling as if she had just humiliated him.

Instead of explaining, Sabrina waved her hand to signal Isaac to calm down.

“Listen to me,” she said in a firm tone, “I am aware of the feelings you have toward me. However, I’ve decided to devote myself to Devin forever. Once I married him, he became a part of me. I can never remarry. Take this card as a token of my gratitude for taking care of me on the island while I was pregnant with Jaena. The card doesn’t contain money but a property I purchased in Yartran. Since you and your family just moved there, it must be hard for you to settle. You’ll need it.”

Instead of avoiding Isaac’s feelings for her, she came clean and told him about her decision.

Despite her rejection, Isaac admired her for not leading him on.

Instantly, his eyes reddened with sadness. Though he was a grown man, he could not smother his sorrows and shed tears. As he had his head lowered, they splattered onto his glasses. Even the neighboring customers could hear his suppressed sobs.

“But… I really like you.”

When Sabrina got up to leave the cafe, she heard Isaac speak in a hoarse voice.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1173

He Is Back

Sabrina halted in her tracks. A moment later, she responded, “But I don’t feel the same way, and you know that. I never did!”

That silenced Isaac, and he sat there frozen even after she had left the cafe.

No more words came out of him.

Truthfully, her honesty was brutal.

Still, Sabrina was confident that she did the right thing, for she wanted to clear things up and make sure he knew that they were not meant to be.

However, when she was accompanying Sasha’s children at the theme park, she suddenly had a strange feeling that something was wrong.

“Sasha, go get the kids now,” she said, hugging Jaena in her arms.

“What? Why?”

Unlike Sabrina, Sasha was less vigilant.

Nonetheless, she was smart enough to realize the graveness of the situation when she saw the look on Sabrina’s face. Hurriedly, Sasha asked Wendy to help her round up the three kids.

“Little Ian, go get your brother and sister. We’re going back.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

Obediently, Ian then went to get his siblings as told.

It took the two adults a few minutes to gather the children around them, but when they returned to the bench where Sabrina sat, the woman and her daughter were already gone.

“Where did they go?” inquired Sasha with a pale face.

Also panic-stricken, Wendy immediately searched around the park and found Sasha standing outside the mall entrance, looking around with Jaena in her arms.

Her eyes were narrowed, and she seemed abnormally warier even when holding her baby.

What is she doing?

Wendy then rushed toward the entrance. “What are you doing here, Ms. Sabrina? We thought something had happened to you!”

“I’m fine, but I had a feeling that somebody was watching us. Someone is on to me, Wendy. Did those people find out about yesterday?”

Sabrina thought it was a good idea to come clean with the help, whose face turned even paler after listening to the woman.

“That can’t be it, can it? I told Mr. Hayes everything after you reunited with Mr. Devin yesterday, and he sent some men to stand guard at Red Pavilion.”

“I’m not sure, but we still have to be careful,” exhorted Sabrina at the end of the conversation.

Afterward, Sasha and her children, too, hurried over to Sabrina and Wendy, who both pretended like everything was fine in front of them.

That was because if Sasha were to find out she was the only one being kept in the dark, she would be furious.

Yet, unbeknownst to her, she was in the most perilous position among the rest.

Besides the fact that she was not well-trained like Sabrina, Sasha had been under watchful eyes ever since Sebastian assumed the position of the Speaker of the House.

Hence, it was better that she remained oblivious. Not knowing anything about her situation meant that she had nothing to hide and could act naturally.

Just as Sasha was about to question Sabrina, somebody suddenly approached her from behind smilingly.

Sabrina could not have asked for a better reaction when the woman turned around and was naturally surprised to see the First Lady.

“Mrs. Zander! What a pleasant surprise!”

“The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Jadeson. I thought I saw you from afar just now, so I just had to come over and confirm it myself. And here you are!”

The middle-aged woman was wearing her signature sapphire blue coat, pairing it with a dark green dress made from only the highest quality of materials. Even in her forties, the First Lady had a keen sense of fashion and looked downright fabulous.

“We heard that they opened a theme park called Winter Wonderland here, and the children begged us to bring them over here. Speaking of which, I think they may have forgotten their manners,” stated Sasha before turning to give her children a look.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Zander.”

“Wow, you look so pretty!”

Vivian and Matteo quickly greeted the First Lady and praised the woman for her impeccable style.

On the other hand, Ian, whose personality resembled his father more, remained aloof as he stood quietly by himself.

Sophie Jurding, the wife of Silas Zander, was more than thrilled when the children greeted her. “Just look at these beautiful children! I’ve long heard that you’re blessed with triplets. It’s a treat to meet them myself finally. Oh, I’m so jealous!”

Looking at the adorable children, Sophie could not stop herself from stroking their heads and holding their little hands.

She was so fond of them that she even decided to take them with her to the mall and get them presents.

Before Sasha could respond, Sabrina, still carrying her daughter, quickly stood before her niece and nephews.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1174

Like A Little Kitten

“That’s not necessary. They already have more than they could ever want, Mrs. Zander. Your kindness is much appreciated.”

“Huh?”

Sabrina’s harsh tone immediately turned the situation slightly awkward.

“And this is?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Let me introduce you to Sabrina. She’s the widow of my late cousin-in-law, Devin. This is their child,” Sasha explained hurriedly.

With that, the First Lady’s face finally softened.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sabrina. Please forgive my rude behavior. My husband and I have been trying to have our own children for the longest time, but nothing worked. So, you can imagine how excited I am to meet the triplets!” exclaimed Sophie before turning to look at the children with deep fondness.

Not only were they clever, but they were also delightfully lovable. Anyone who met the children would be smitten with them as Sophie was.

“You’re definitely more than welcomed to come over to our place to play with the children if you want to,” Sasha offered graciously.

“Really?” Immediately, Sophie’s eyes sparkled with joy.

“Of course.”

“That’s wonderful! Thank you! How about this, Mrs. Jadeson? Golden Heights is holding an excursion tomorrow to visit the ancient building. Why don’t we take part and have some fun together? We can take these two with us,” Sophie suggested excitedly while pointing at Matteo and Ian.

At that point, bafflement was written all over Sasha’s face. Golden Heights? Isn’t it only accessible to people with that card? And what is it about an excursion and bringing the children along?

The woman had no idea what the First Lady’s intentions were, but she would if she had known what was happening in Jadeborough. After Axel and Desmond were removed from power and Benedict’s death, Golden Heights were forced to burn bridges and start anew.

When Sasha told Sebastian what happened after he returned, that was how he analyzed the situation to her.

“Golden Heights isn’t what it used to be anymore. Many travel there now to have a good time. Mrs. Zander probably just wants to get close to you.”

“You think so?” At that time, she had changed into her pajamas after showering and got into bed.

“Yeah. Didn’t you mention how close she used to be with Mrs. Croll and Mrs. Oveson? Now that their husbands have been stripped of power and Benedict has passed away, I’ve become the most powerful man in Congress. Who else would she curry favor from if not you?” Sebastian continued to explain as he read a book in bed.

That was the only valid explanation why the First Lady was so friendly toward Sasha.

Even though Silas was already president, he needed people in Congress to be on his side in order to secure his position, which was why he got Carlos involved in the matter.

As he also wanted to arrange his men into the Senate, Silas decided not to look into Benedict’s death and attended the funeral personally, albeit finding the whole incident to be full of suspicions.

Therefore, Sebastian could certainly see why the man’s wife deliberately tried to gain his family’s favor.

“Should we go tomorrow then?” inquired Sasha as she laid her head on Sebastian’s chest, with her bright eyes looking deeply into his. At that moment, she resembled a fluffy little kitten.

While hugging her, the man furrowed his eyebrows and gave the question some thought. “I think the First Lady just wants to bring the children along so that it’s easier for her to look around. Since Ian wouldn’t enjoy going to a place like that, why don’t you bring Matteo and Vivi instead?”

“Both of them?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry. I’ll have my men follow you in secret and make sure you’re all protected at all times.”

A hint of murderous intent flashed across the man’s eyes when he made the promise. Though it was barely noticeable, anyone who saw would be intimidated for sure.

Not long after their conversation, Sasha fell asleep in Sebastian’s arms.

The man then pulled the duvet over her and gently got out of bed before leaving the bedroom. Waiting patiently for Sebastian in the hallway was a dark figure.

“Mr. Hayes, somebody was indeed following Ms. Sabrina at the mall today.”

“Did you find out who it was?” questioned Sebastian solemnly.

Unfortunately, to his disappointment, the figure shook his head in response.

“No, sir. They moved extremely fast; none of us were able to catch up to them. However, one of them dropped this when I engaged him.”

The figure then handed a needle over to Sebastian, who was surprised to see such an odd choice of weapon. Besides Sasha, the man had never seen anybody else with that peculiar preference.

“In the hands of the right person, this is a weapon. I think I already know who those people are. It seems like the head of The Coffee Shop is back.” Sneering, Sebastian did not take long to figure out the perpetrators’ identities.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1175

Edmund Texted Her

The figure’s eyes widened in shock when Sebastian mentioned the head of The Coffee Shop, for even with their considerable influence and unrelenting efforts, SteelFort still could not identify who that person was. After all this while, has the head of the organization finally decided to show themself?

“What should we do then, Mr. Hayes? Are they up to something for appearing at this juncture and tailing Ms. Sabrina? Do you think…”

The figure suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence because they both already knew where the conversation was heading.

Since Sabrina was the organization’s target, there could only be one possibility—they had become suspicious of someone.

The winter night in Jadeborough was bone-chillingly cold, yet the harsh cold paled in comparison to the fear-inducing aura exuding from Sebastian.

“It’s about time we finally put an end to this!”

“What do you mean, Mr. Hayes?”

“Arrange more men to protect Sabrina. Remember, they’re never to leave her side,” ordered Sebastian sternly before ending the conversation for the night.

The figure was stunned for a moment as he wondered if that was all they should do. Just protection? So we’re not making a move on the organization? What if something goes wrong? After all, these people are crafty, and this is their territory. For all we know, they may have already stationed men everywhere, men who are ready to pounce on us at any time.

Even though the figure was worried, he eventually decided that it was best for him, as a subordinate, to follow his superior’s order.

After waking up the following day, Sasha received a call from Sophie, so Sebastian dropped her and the children at Golden Heights on his way to the White House.

“Take care of Mommy and your sister for me, okay? If you need anything at all, call me,” Sebastian instructed the eight-year-old Matteo after reaching their destination.

Sasha could not help feeling offended that Sebastian asked the boy to look after her and Vivian instead of the other way around.

What the heck is he trying to imply? That I’m incompetent?

“Hey, I’m more than—”

“Got it, Daddy! I will do my very best to take care of them, so don’t you worry.” Before Sasha could argue with the man, Matteo had already given his father his word.

Although Sasha was upset, all she could do was glare at the man from afar since the First Lady had arrived.

“Good morning, Mrs. Zander!” she greeted after bringing her children next to Sophie’s car.

Sophie, who looked as stylish as ever, greeted in response as soon as she stepped out of the car with two small boxes in her hands. “Good morning! Wait, you brought your daughter instead. I thought…” Her sentence was cut short when she saw Vivian instead of the two boys she was expecting.

“It’s just that Ian prefers to stay home, so his father suggested I bring Vivian instead. Is that okay with you?” inquired Sasha politely.

“Yes, it’s no problem at all. I just want the children to have a great time. But I had the boys in mind when I prepared the gifts, so I was just a little surprised to see your little princess instead. I haven’t had the time to prepare hers yet,” Sophie explained as she showed Sasha the jade pendants inside those boxes.

Sasha was taken aback at the sight of those exquisite stones, for she could tell that they were valuable antiques and not the kind that one could buy from the market.

“These are far too valuable, Mrs. Zander. We can’t accept them.”

“Why not? These were passed down from my ancestors so that my children could inherit them. As you know, I can’t bear any myself, so I consider myself lucky that I’m able to find children as adorable as yours to inherit these heirlooms.”

Since Sophie insisted, Sasha had no choice but to accept the precious jade pendants in the end.

Sophie’s generous gesture reminded Sasha of the things Sebastian told her the night before. The First Lady sure is investing a lot in order to gain our favor.

The woman and her children then entered the building and began their trip.

Meanwhile, Sabrina stayed home with her daughter that entire morning.

That was until the housemaid informed her that they were out of diapers, after which she decided to visit the supermarket.

“Do you need me to go with you, Ms. Sabrina?”

“I can go alone. Just stay home and watch Jaena for me,” instructed Sabrina before changing and heading out on her own.

It was her first time buying something for Jaena since giving birth to her. Because of what happened in the past, she never got the chance to do anything like that before.

That was also why she looked forward to getting more than just diapers for Jaena. Oh, I can also check out some cute dresses for her in the mall. Hmm, it’s almost Christmas. I wonder if I can bring her back to Avenport for the holidays.

The more she thought about it, the more hopeful she got. After finding a parking spot, Sabrina excitedly made her way into the mall.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1176

Sabrina Was Caught

Suddenly, Sabrina’s phone rang because she had received a text message.

Worried that the housemaid needed her help with the child, she immediately stopped to read the text.

Edmund: Have you had lunch?

Shocked, Sabrina stared wide-eyed at her phone.

Her heart even started racing when she saw the name.

Why did he suddenly text me? Didn’t he say we can’t contact each other at this juncture? We’re not even supposed to text and call each other, much less have a meetup.

After checking her surroundings and making sure nobody was watching, Sabrina replied to the text.

Sabrina: What are you doing? I thought we agreed not to contact each other?

Edmund: But I miss you and Jaena so much! Where are you now? If you’re not too busy, the three of us can meet. Don’t worry. We met in Bellridge before anyway. Nobody’s going to suspect a thing.

Sabrina could not believe that Edmund came up with such a bold suggestion and doubted if it was the right time to meet up with the man.

Eventually, she agreed to his suggestion as she wanted to see him too. Besides, in her eyes, the man had always been a trustworthy and reliable person. Since he said it was safe for them to meet, she believed him.

Therefore, Sabrina drove home to pick up her daughter before returning to the mall around forty minutes later. Then, she eagerly took her phone out to text him again.

Sabrina: Jaena is with me now. Where are you?

Edmund: Tell me where you are.

Sabrina: I’m here at Summerview.

Edmund: Good. We’ll meet at the arcade in fifteen minutes. It’s on the third floor.

With that, Sabrina turned around to look up to the third floor and found the arcade he had mentioned. Why the arcade? Is it because it’ll be easier for us to hide in the crowd?

She then carried Jaena and headed for the place.

A crowded place like the arcade was indeed suitable for the three to meet. On top of that, anyone there could pick their preferred arcade machine and have the space all to themselves.

As instructed through the texts, Sabrina picked a machine and sat down in front of it.

However, she felt something pressed against her neck from behind as soon as she did.

“What did I tell you, Boss? There’s something fishy about this woman. I merely impersonated Edmund and texted her, and she did everything I told her without any suspicion.”

Sabrina could hear the voice of a man cackling behind her as if he had struck gold, and that was when she finally realized she was fooled.

“How dare you trick me like that! I’m going to kill you!” she roared furiously at the men, color draining from her face.

“Kill us?”

Still pressing a dagger against Sabrina’s throat, the man laughed at the ridiculous idea.

“Mrs. Jadeson, do you really think you’re in any position to make a threat? I suggest that you forget about trying anything stupid. Now let me tell you what’s going to happen. You’re going to tell me exactly who this Edmund is, or I will kill both you and your daughter right here.”

Sabrina’s face immediately hardened when she realized that those men were after Devin.

Then, she clenched her fists and kept quiet for a while before sneering, “Are you right in the head? You just said his name, didn’t you? Who else can he be beside Edmund?”

“You know what I mean!” Enraged, the man applied pressure onto the blade, and blood started slowly oozing out of Sabrina’s neck. “I’m a man of my word, and this should show you exactly how serious I am. I’m aware that you can fight, but so can we. If you don’t tell me what I want to know, your daughter will be next.”

With that, the man gestured for his partner to snatch Sabrina’s daughter from her.

“Don’t you touch her!”

Sabrina did not care if she could not beat those men nor the dagger resting on her neck. After tightening her arms around her child, she tried to thrust the ball of her foot into the approaching man’s abdomen. I don’t care what happens to me, but I’ll never let anyone lay a finger on my daughter!

Thud!

Unfortunately, as the man had already informed Sabrina, they were indeed well-trained.

Even though the man’s partner was surprised by her sudden move, he was quick enough to dodge the kick. In the end, the chair he sat on was the only thing sent flying by the woman.

“It seems like you’d rather do this the hard way.”

Having said that, the man holding the dagger then swung his palm at Sabrina at lightning speed and slapped her right on the cheek.

Slap!

Sabrina’s head was tilted to the side because of the force.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1177

Bait

She remained dazed for a long while, for they were really no ordinary people.

“Boohoo…”

The disturbance was significant enough to cause the previously slumbering Jaena to rouse in her mother’s arms. At just three months old, the child started to bawl after being startled.

Sabrina quickly suppressed the tremendous pain she felt in her face when she heard those cries. She spat the blood in her mouth onto the ground and held her daughter close.

“Hush, baby. Mommy’s here.”

Though her mouth was still bleeding, her focus was directed toward the baby in her arms instead.

The sight of that prompted nefarious designs on the child from those people once more. With his eyes narrowed, that man who attacked Sabrina pounced like a leopard while her attention was diverted and came right for the kid.

Hiss!

Pow!

Sabrina pulled the baby back in the nick of time and narrowly avoided the dagger that threatened to slit her throat.

Then, a gunshot rang out.

A spiral of blood spurted from the body of that dagger-wielding assailant, who stiffened at once. Seconds later, he crumbled into an untidy heap right at Sabrina’s feet.

“Mario!”

The entire arcade went silent in an instant.

With her baby clutched tightly, Sabrina stared blankly at the corpse next to her without flinching.

Who did that? Could it be that he’s here?

The very notion of that caused the color to drain from the face of the already discomfited woman once more.

Shortly after that man’s untimely demise, a series of clicking heels approached adagio. Those footsteps reminded her of a certain someone, prompting her to cast her gaze quickly behind herself.

“Mr. Duffy!”

It’s not him!

Decked out in a black suit, the silvery-grey maned newcomer had the complexion of one who looked to be in his forties or fifties. Sabrina saw that he had a gun in one hand and two tokens which he rolled across his knuckles on the other.

Mr. Duffy?

She narrowed her eyes.

“Mr. Duffy, Mario…”

“Whoever allowed you to touch her? Have I ever given all of you permission to do so?”

The nasally, shrill inflection that was starkly reminiscent of that of eunuchs in antiquity caused those men present to cringe and also had the hair on Sabrina’s nape standing on end.

Sounding foppish and vicious, this voice conjured images of a venomous serpent stalking in the shadows.

“Mr. Duffy… We had no choice because she wouldn’t tell us who he is.”

“If she won’t talk, then we’ll make him come to us himself. Have you not the brains to think for yourself? Do you really need me to teach you that? Let me remind you that if we were to lose her as a bargaining chip, none of us could expect to get out of this alive!”

The more upset the man got as he cussed, the more comical his sharp voice became. However, the murderous look in his eyes made everyone shudder and ensured that no one dared let out so much as a yelp.

Sabrina, too, sat there petrified. Only little Jaena continued to wail away in her arms.

“In that case, what should we do now, Mr. Duffy? Shall we give that Cooper guy a call?”

“What good would that accomplish? Don’t you think that that lunatic from the Jadesons would have realized that she has gone missing by now? Hurry up and get her out of here!”

Sabrina did not anticipate that the man planned to have her and her baby relocated.

That was when she finally spoke up, “I’m not leaving. My daughter’s only a baby. She’s hungry and needs to be fed, so I’m not going anywhere with you!”

With that, she stood herself up from that chair and prepared to walk off since there was no one left who posed an immediate threat to her following the death of the dagger-wielding Mario.

Across from her, Daghan responded by pulling the gun on her. That caused her to freeze in her tracks.

“Go downstairs and get two cans of formula and a bottle of hot water for the kid. We’ll embark immediately once we are ready!”

“Understood, Mr. Duffy!”

Held at gunpoint, Sabrina was left without recourse while the man issued orders to his bunch of followers. Both mother and daughter were taken away soon after.

Meanwhile, Edmund was sorting through Benedict’s possessions back at the White House Senate.

When he suddenly received a message which contained a photograph of the kidnapped mother and daughter pair with accompanying coordinates, he dashed out like a madman.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1178

You Will Do Well To Cooperate

After Sabrina’s blindfolds became untethered once more, she discovered that they had been brought to the foot of a highland.

There was no deserted and densely forested mountainous area like this that ran for hundreds of kilometers in every direction within Jadeborough.

Sabrina filtered through her own memories, and the name of a location in the neighboring province came to mind—Mount Illianor.

“Now that we’ve arrived in Illianor, Mr. Duffy, do you think Benedict’s son will come?”

Someone went up to inquire from Daghan, who was leading the convoy the moment they came to a stop.

Sabrina’s face fell when she heard that these people meant to lure Edmund here by using her as bait.

Why a place like this?

Would the mall not be more accessible for Edmund? What are they planning to do by having us taken somewhere so remote? Could there be a larger conspiracy abound?

The conjecture left Sabrina increasingly unsettled.

“What’s there to worry about? If he’s the one we’re looking for, he’ll surely come for them. All I need is for all of you to be on standby.”

Predictably so, that was all Daghan had to say.

The gang was then spurred into motion. They promptly ditched their vehicles and began to advance toward the mountain with their captive in tow.

As dusk was almost upon them, the dangerous prospect of entering this wild terrain with such a wee child roused Sabrina’s immediate protest once more. “I’m not going in there. My baby’s still so little, and it’s already getting dark. What am I to do should we run into trouble? I am definitely not doing this.”

“Do you still think that you’ll be getting a say in this at this point?”

Her handler promptly glared at her when it appeared that she would remain defiant and started to become more aggressive by dragging her along.

That got Sabrina incensed.

On any other day, Sabrina’s personality would have prompted her to go at them even if she stood no chance at winning.

Taking the well-being of her young daughter into consideration, she complied in the end in order to avoid alarming the child.

Pfft!

Just as she had expected, a flock of frightened birds bolted out of this secluded forest the moment they stepped inside, and the resultant commotion jolted little Jaena awake.

“Waah!”

The jittery three-month-old baby’s cries were all that reverberated around this otherwise serene landscape.

“There, there. Mommy’s here. Hush, sweetie. Hush.” The frantic and upset woman could only work quickly to comfort her daughter.

Owing to her mother’s presence, the little one was able to calm down shortly after some coaxing.

Sabrina exhaled before she turned to regard the gang.

“I’m not going any further! Believe me when I tell you that you can go right ahead and kill me because I’m not going to move another inch!”

With every word she enunciated, she mounted her fiercest resistance against them yet.

Her handler was about to strike when he was stopped.

“Enough!”

At this critical juncture, Daghan stepped in again. When he approached, he first fixated his eyes upon the baby in Sabrina’s arms before they shifted onto her face.

“If you’re genuinely worried for your baby, Ms. Sabrina, I have a good way to enable her to sleep through the night.”

He then produced a tiny black pill from his coat.

That drew a strong reaction from Sabrina. “What are you doing? I’m warning you. Don’t you try anything or else my brother will surely not let you off!”

“I’m well aware of that, so you will do well to cooperate. As I’m merely following orders and no one wishes to see you harmed, I hope that you would not make things any harder than it needs to be.”

Surprised to see such candor from him in his open admission to being a hired hand, Sabrina kept herself in check and spoke no more.

When the group prepared to move off anew with her in the middle of the pack, there was an additional accessory that Sabrina carried in front of her chest.

It was a backpack of exceptional quality. Emptied of its contents and with the zips drawn up halfway, this pack functioned well as a serviceable baby carrier, which little Jaena fitted nicely into.

With that, Sabrina carried her daughter as she followed the gang while they ventured inside.

After an hour and a half on foot, they finally reached the mountain’s hinterlands.

There, she saw a few log cabins. Someone whistled when they approached, and the lights in one of the cabins came on.

“We’re here, Mr. Duffy.”

“Okay. Take them inside first and attend to all her needs.”

Daghan took one glance at Sabrina before he made his way straight for the illuminated cabin.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1179

A Desperate Battle

Sabrina wanted very much to go find out who was actually in there, but she had her daughter to think about. In the end, she decided to play nice and follow Daghan’s henchman over to one of the other cabins.

In the dead of winter, the searing winds inside the forest chilled her to the bone. It was pitch-black, so much so that she could not see her fingers in front of her, and the way the howls of various animals echoed made one’s skin crawl.

Consumed by anxiety about what might happen in the night and whether Jaena would catch a cold in this freezing weather, Sabrina held her daughter close and kept vigil over her.

It was around two past the witching hour when signs of activity arose while she was inside the cabin. She had nearly nodded off with her baby in her clutches while she clung to the warmth emanated by the fireplace to her side.

“He’s here! He’s here!”

When her handler rushed out of Sabrina’s cabin, the startled woman immediately clambered off the floor with her baby.

Through the windows, she saw that the gang had come to life. Some seemed to be preparing weapons, while others handled items that emitted a reddish glow. Unfortunately, it was not apparent to her what they were doing.

But those were not the worst of all. While she waited till they were almost out of sight, the doors to that illuminated cabin opened up. From where she was, she was able to spot the LED displays that lined the walls inside.

Projected on them were various forms of data and surveillance footage.

What is that? A control room?

It occurred to her that this was no deserted forest but a place that had already been converted into their base camp. This revelation caused her to quiver inside the cabin.

Those b*stards!

Meanwhile, Edmund had indeed arrived and also forayed into this mountainous area.

However, he did not head straight for the hinterland. Instead, he made a stopover at a chosen location and subsequently went on to activate a button on his wrist in the darkness.

A few minutes later, scores of dark figures emerged spryly from the shadows at the foot of the mountain and swiftly surrounded him.

“Major!”

“Hold nothing back in this mission, gentlemen, and take no prisoners. Remember that those you’ll be facing are no common enemies. Do not indulge yourselves in battle too much. Be sure to employ your most efficient killing methods!”

Edmund regarded each and every one of these elite soldiers whom he had trained and issued them their final instructions.

Seconds later, they dispersed, and Edmund started to forge his way toward the hinterland.

In spite of the knowledge that there were others who had been sent to protect that mother and daughter pair prior to his arrival, he was preoccupied with concerns about their safety. Being more distracted than usual, he failed to even notice Sebastian’s incoming message.

Whoosh!

He dodged the first steel blade hurled at him before he swiftly snagged it by its point.

However, he was still a few seconds slower than usual.

“Just as I thought. You’re not Benedict Cooper’s son!” his opponent gleefully shouted after witnessing the finesse of his skills.

Edmund Cooper… Or should I say, Devin Jadeson!

With his counterpart’s steel blade nipped between his fingers, he sneered. “You’re right about that, but unfortunately, this knowledge isn’t going to be of any use to you.”

“Why so?” asked the stumped man.

Devin made subtle adjustments to firm up his grip on the blade. “It is because the one who stands before you is the highest commanding officer of this country’s most elite special forces. Should he choose not to spare you today, you can forget about walking out of this forest alive.”

A cold glint then flashed across his eyes.

That man had not even time to react before his throat was slashed wide open by the steel blade that once belonged to him, with blood gushing out of it.

In the darkness, he slinked to the forest floor, making throaty gurgles with his eyes peeling impossibly wide until death finally took him.

As it turned out, the highest commanding officer of the most elite special forces was truly a force to be reckoned with.

The fallen man did not even realize how his weapon was turned against him. How is it possible that we never knew how formidable these military commanders are?

He was unable to die in peace.

Nonetheless, Devin disregarded him. After completing the kill, he chucked the steel blade aside and lifted the corpse to the side before he resumed his advancing.

Only this time, he ran into trouble sooner than he had anticipated in the form of red lines running across his path ahead.

Lasers? Ha. The Coffee Shop is by no means a pushover.

He stopped to pull out a silver box which he opened up. From it, he retrieved a tube containing some blue fluid and tossed it out before raising the muted gun in his hand.

Boom! Boom!

It was like the dance of spontaneous fireworks.

After that tube was shattered in mid-air by his bullet, countless blue-colored beads rained down on the red lines. When they came into contact, the lines vaporized and vanished into thin air.

Astonishing!

Inside the cabin at the hinterland, the one who was monitoring the surveillance unit was left slack-jawed when he witnessed this.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1180

The Truth

After all, the technology was painstakingly developed through a massive investment of wealth and effort and could almost be considered foundational to both their defense and weapons system.

Before this man, however, they seemed no more than child’s play.

“I’m completely convinced now that he is not the son of Benedict Cooper but that Jadeson who was presumed to be deceased!

He shuddered as he declared this conclusion.

After all, that person must be very familiar with military warfare as no ordinary person could have destroyed their setup this easily.

A sliver of hatred and rage was evoked in the man as he began to collate screenshots of the footage, preparing to send them out to make the truth public.

Bang!

He immediately turned to face the door to the room when he heard it being kicked in.

“It’s you?”

“Thinking about doing screencaps, huh? How about you let me cap you instead!” With her child cradled in one hand, Sabrina used the other to raise a chair above her own head and brought it crashing down upon the man’s skull.

Jaena already had her little ears plugged and was thus oblivious to what was happening.

Having never faced such a belligerent woman, the ill-prepared man immediately dropped to the ground with his head bloodied and smashed in.

After booting him aside, Sabrina surveyed the surveillance equipment that filled the cabin. She then started to kick and smash them at will, reducing the entire interior of the room to scrap in no time at all.

Still thinking about spying? Fat chance!

Quite satisfied with her own handiwork, the woman carried the child and made her exit.

“You planned for this, didn’t you?”

However, she had not been expecting to run into anyone the moment she walked out. From the opposite direction, the man who spotted her approached the cabin menacingly one step at a time.

Sabrina withdrew herself.

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. Why can’t I fight back when I was taken here against my will?”

“Fight back?”

The man’s shrill voice broke into laughter. Against the pall of the consuming darkness, its eeriness was akin to that of a ghoul that has clawed its way out of a crypt.

“Oh yeah. I almost forgot how feisty you’ve always been, Sabrina Hayes. How could you have possibly remained so pliant, offering no resistance the entire time and even bringing your own daughter along for the ride?

Adrenaline coursed through Sabrina’s veins as she silently clutched her daughter tightly and prepared herself for battle.

The astonishing speed at which that man lunged at her took her by surprise and left even someone as skilled as she was without time to react.

Fortunately, just as he was almost upon her, three or four black silhouettes appeared behind her.

They stepped to the fore and immediately engaged the man in a fierce skirmish.

“Quickly, Ms. Sabrina. Take the child and go! Mr. Sebastian’s men are already here, and Mr. Devin has also reached the hillside.”

“Okay!”

When Sabrina heard that, she immediately ran off to the side with the child.

The man had guessed correctly; she had indeed intended for things to play out the way it did.

Everything she did throughout the day had been planned beforehand, from the purchasing of diapers to her wandering inside the mall. All of it was done to lure these people into sending her a message under Edmund’s appropriated identity.

It was her brother, Sebastian, who masterminded this grand scheme.

Initially, Sebastian did not agree to it when she first proposed using herself as bait. He was reluctant to allow her to undertake that risk and was even less willing to send his three-month-old niece into such dangerous territory.

She, however, insisted.

That was because she hated this bunch of people who almost took the life of the man she loved and destroyed their family.

Hence, she wanted in. Moreover, she felt obligated to do so as a member of the Jadesons.

That was how she ended up partaking in this day-long charade.

Sabrina ran as fast as her legs could carry her to her objective at the foot of the mountain.

However, before she was able to leave that cabin area, she heard a bone-crunching snap that prompted her to glance over her shoulder.

The sight that greeted her filled her heart with horror.

It was that of the black-clad man who urged her to run. His noggin dangled limply, having just had his neck snapped like a twig.

Sabrina clenched her fingers so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms.

“Run, Ms. Sabrina, run!” those few who remained there screamed hysterically in unison.

Her eyelids suddenly felt heavy.

She gritted her teeth while her heart pounded violently against her chest. Stealing a final glimpse at those few men, she steeled her heart and turned around sharply to resume her mad dash.

Though professionals through and through, the men from SteelFort were shockingly defenseless against this person who easily bested them. That went to show what a terrifying organization The Coffee Shop was.

With her daughter held in her arms, Sabrina kept her head down and kept on running, but still, that was not enough to help her escape from that man’s grasp.

When she exited the hinterland and almost made visual contact with those who had come to receive her, she heard a rush of wind to her rear. Then, she felt herself being grabbed from behind and lifted off the ground.