Ch. 1351..1360
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1351
What Should Vivian Do If They All Leave
Sebastian did not agree to it on the spot as he needed to consider two things—firstly, Ian’s willingness to go there; secondly, he needed to discuss with Sasha. The latter was the most important thing to him.
That night, everyone came to Frontier Bay.
“What kind of place is the research institute? Is it better than the school we found for Little Ian?” asked Sabrina.
“It’s where top talents are trained. At present, there’s no place in the country that can compare with it,” Devin replied.
Sabrina was lost for words.
“That’s true. I think Ian should go. He’s talented and intelligent. We shouldn’t let his ability go to waste. He should contribute to the country,” Rufus pointed out.
Having been a soldier before, he was still proud of the fact that one was being able to serve the country.
Hearing their remarks, Sasha felt a lump in her throat.
She knew that it was a good thing, but her son was only ten years old. Besides, he was more withdrawn than ordinary children. Even though he had changed a lot after Matteo and Vivian came, she was worried that he would go back to his old self if he went to an unfamiliar place again.
If that really happened, she would rather not send him there.
All she wanted was for her children to be healthy. Other than that, nothing else mattered.
“Alright, I’m not a welfare institution. I almost died for this country, and now they want me to send my son to the country? It’s not like I’m indebted to it.” Sebastian finally spoke.
He made the remark after glancing at the woman next to him who had been silently wiping the corners of her eyes.
Hearing his words, no one dared to object to it, whereas Sasha immediately looked up with a twinkle in her teary eye.
Thirty minutes later, Vivian and Matteo went to Ian’s bedroom on the second floor after they were done showering.
“What do you think, Ian? Do you really want to go to the research institute?”
Vivian, like Sasha, was a soft-hearted girl, so she could not help feeling sad upon learning that Ian would go study somewhere far away.
Ian remained silent, whereas Matteo patted him on the back.
“It’s okay. We’ll support you in whatever decision you make. In fact, I think it’s a good thing that you have a bigger platform for your development, instead of having to do things sneakily at home.”
“Really?”
Ian, who had been in a dilemma, finally looked up and fixed his gaze on Matteo.
Matteo patted his chest. “Yes. I’ve also decided to go to the military with Uncle Devin when I grow up. I want to learn how to drive tanks, fighter jets, and warships from him. I want to learn everything!”
His eyes shone with excitement, and so was Ian’s.
Seeing this, Vivian looked at both of them and felt like crying.
“What should I do then? What should I do if both of you leave?”
“Huh?”
Both Ian and Matteo looked at her.
Only then did they realize that they had neglected her.
“Don’t cry. What do you want to do when you grow up? I’ll help you to analyze,” Matteo immediately comforted her. Being smart as he was, he tried to involve her in their topic.
Though there were teardrops hanging on Vivian’s eyelashes, she finally stopped crying.
“I…”
She tilted her head and gave it a thought.
Unfortunately, she realized that she was not good at anything other than eating.
Seeing that she had no clue, Matteo was at a loss for words.
“Don’t you like making clothes for dolls? You also often make beautiful headwear for Jaena. You can learn this,” Ian proposed.
“Oh, you’re right,” Vivian exclaimed.
Thinking of this, she took out the small pink pearl that she had been wearing on her neck.
The pearl had already been inlaid by her in a beautiful eagle made of silvery-white craft wires. With just a few twirls, the dangling piece of artwork was formed effortlessly despite her young age.
At that moment, she was holding it in her hand happily.
Staring at the eagle for a while, Matteo could not help but ask, “Vivi, why did you make an eagle? Do you not like butterflies?”
“No, I don’t. This is from Brother Cal!”
After answering Matteo, she left with the pendant with a spring in her step.
Brother Cal? Calvin, who was long gone?
Both Ian and Matteo let out a sigh.
That night, the triplets slept soundly because they found their own future goals and dreams, whereas their parents also had a good night’s sleep as they did not dwell on the matter anymore.
Time flew by. It was soon the day when Solomon’s wedding was held in Jetroina.
Everyone in Frontier Bay woke up early that day. Sasha was busy dressing up the three children, whereas Sebastian went to Hayes Corporation as Solomon had gone to Jetroina the day before for his wedding preparation.
At the same time, Sabrina went to Hayes residence.
She planned on bringing her family members to Jetroina since that was what the Jetroinians wanted.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1352
Sober Girl
“Sabrina, what do you think of my outfit? It took me a long time to pick out the outfit. I don’t want to embarrass our family in an overseas wedding.”
“Me too. Sabrina, check out mine too.”
“And mine.”
The female family members went up to Sabrina to ask her opinion on their outfits.
Seeing this, Sabrina waved her hand. “Don’t worry about this. I’ve prepared the outfits for all of you. Devin will send them over later. Just wear the dresses and suits that I custom-made for you and the jewelry as well.”
Awesome!
Everyone in the Hayes residence was thrilled.
When all of them packed up and emerged from the house, it was a sight to behold as everyone looked extremely well dressed.
Devin, who was standing on the side with his daughter in his arms, was amused at the sight.
“Darling, I’m afraid Sebastian won’t let you head the household next time.”
“Why?”
Sabrina frowned at once.
At that moment, Wendy happened to pass by and overheard their conversation. She could not help but laugh and chime in, “Come on, Mr. Jadeson, Ms. Hayes just wanted to make sure everything looks good for Mr. Solomon over there, so it doesn’t matter how much she’s spent.”
Hearing that, Devin was rendered speechless.
Sabrina echoed, “That’s right!”
Afterward, she set off with the big group of people.
Meanwhile, Sasha had also done dressing up her kids, who looked exceptionally dazzling. It was as if they were preparing to walk down a fashion runway.
“What are you wearing, Mommy?”
“Well…”
After looking at her dresses in the closet, Sasha finally decided to wear a relatively plain, mauve-colored maxi dress.
She did not want to steal the limelight from the bride and the groom because she knew that the groom did not do so wholeheartedly and that it was probably because of her.
As soon as she was done changing, Sebastian came back.
“Are you done?”
Standing at the door of the bedroom, Sebastian could not help but knit his brows upon seeing her outfit that was no different than usual.
Sasha nodded. “Yeah. Do you want to get changed?”
Saying nothing, Sebastian walked over and took off his suit. Then, he put on a slightly brighter shirt.
Being smart as he was, he understood her intention of wearing such an outfit, so he wanted to support her in whatever decision she made.
After they got changed and went downstairs, Karl and the rest had also come over.
“Mr. Hayes, there are a total of six private jets and also ten helicopters from Oceanic Estate. It should be enough.”
“What?”
Sasha was flabbergasted.
Are we attending a wedding or going to war?
“Sebby, that’s…”
“It’s okay. So be it. You have yet to fully recover, so I got one private jet for our family. Let Devin and Sabrina handle the rest. As for Oceanic Estate, it’s Dad’s idea, so it has nothing to do with me.”
Sebastian got himself clear of the arrangement made in Oceanic Estate.
Seeing this, Sasha knew that she should say nothing further.
Half an hour later, they left for Jetroina. It caused a sensation in Avenport as people in the city witnessed the unprecedentedly grand procession. For the entire day, news about it was all over the Internet.
After the Minamoto family received the news, they were struck dumb and could not speak for a long time.
It was not until Aoi caught on and reminded everyone to expand the venue to entertain the guests that everyone hurriedly got to work.
Six private jets and ten helicopters! Damn. That’s really something.
In the end, reporters and aristocrats from all over Terrandya came to watch the spectacular wedding.
It was said that even the royal family had come.
Ichika was overjoyed when she heard the news.
“You must be relieved now, Ms. Minamoto. Mr. Akiyama’s family is so much powerful than the Tsurka family.”
“That’s right. You’ll live a happy life in the future, Ms. Minamoto.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Sitting before her dressing table, Ichika was so happy that her face had turned beet red.
Just as she was dressing up, Himari, her sister, came over.
Blinded by jealousy and rage, she rushed over and flipped off Ichika’s jewelry and cosmetic storage box.
“Himari, what—”
“You happy now? You finally found a good husband, but he was mine in the first place!” Himari yelled at Ichika.
Ichika went pale while her eyes reddened. “That’s not true. I took the initiative to get out there. You didn’t want him because he’s an illegitimate child, so I went out.”
Even though she was afraid, she was clear-headed.
Seeing that she still remembered everything that happened earlier, Himari got even more peeved.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1353
Scatty Men
“That’s been your devious little scheme all along, hasn’t it? You strove to get out first because you’ve already known how much influence he wields over there. Great! Now you’ll be wedded to him while I’d be forced to marry Hiroshi Tsurka in your stead. Are you satisfied now?”
She stabbed at her younger sister’s nose with an accusing finger until her own face contorted with rage.
Ichika was stunned.
Is Himari to be married off to Hiroshi Tsurka?
Completely blindsided, she was mystified as to why she was not informed and when this decision even came about.
The young lass became riddled with guilt. “I’m sorry, Himari, I’ve no idea. But don’t worry. I’ll definitely try to talk father and mother out of this after the wedding.”
“Talk to them? Is there a point to it?” Himari scoffed at her sister’s reply.
At that, Ichika found herself at a loss for words.
Nonetheless, she did not want her older sister to marry that repugnant man and was thus determined to take a crack at it no matter what.
“Himari, I…”
“There’s one thing you can do though, and that is by giving up your place as the bride today to me. That is the best and only way by which you’ll be able to help me.”
That took her own sister as well as the two servants in attendance by surprise. The latter two’s eyes widened as they lifted their gaze.
“Ms. Himari… How could this be acceptable?”
“That’s right. Ms. Ichika is the one Mr. Akiyama wants to marry, so how could we change out the bride?”
“How does that matter? Isn’t the swapping of brides a common occurrence in our Jetroinian weddings? The princesses of old have done it, so why not us?”
Having said that, she started to snatch at Ichika’s headdress.
Young Ichika’s initial shock finally cumulated in a profound rage, and she responded by forcefully repulsing Himari before she deftly sprung herself back onto her feet.
“How could you say such outrageous things to me, Himari? Do you think this is something up for barter? I always used to give up whatever you wished to take from me, but not this time. Should you continue to behave inappropriately, I’ll have you smacked up and then dragged before father and mother to be judged for your misdeeds!”
She chastised this older sister of hers like an angered lioness. Those bright round eyes of hers blazed like fireballs, and she had even lifted the hem of her spotless white wedding dress to expose her fair and slender limbs.
Her body language conveyed this simple message. I’ll kick you out if you don’t leave!
The color immediately drained from Himari’s face.
The two servants to the side seemed to have recovered their own composure when Ichika lost her cool. They then turned to regard the troublemaker Himari with a look of displeasure.
Attagirl. That was their Ms. Ichika, the second young lady of the house of Minamoto.
No one knew that the deceptively demure exterior belied an explosive little spitfire if pushed to her limits.
With her being as skilled as she was, woe be to anyone who dares trifle with her!
In the end, Himari could only slink away quickly and quietly.
Only then did Ichika sit back down and allow the servants to continue dressing her.
“No, both of you. Find someone to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t stir up any more trouble. I’ll never let her hear the end of it if she won’t allow my wedding to Akiyama to proceed peacefully today.”
Her thoroughness manifested in those resolute words, expressed through that sweet voice of hers.
Then off went the two servants to follow through on their orders.
It was not long before the roaring of jet engines emanated from the skies above.
Good grief. That must be about a dozen or so aircraft!
The Minamotos must find a place for all of those planes to land. They might have no problems coping with one, but a dozen? Who could possibly own a house big enough to accommodate that many?
While the planes circled the airspace over Terrandya for some time, the reporters below were having a field day snapping away on their cameras before the pilots flew in concert toward the local airport.
That cannot be helped as it was the only place where they would be able to land.
Old Mr. Jadeson: This is ridiculous. What sort of family is this that cannot accommodate my planes? I can do that even at my Oceanic Estate!
Sabrina, Sasha, and Devin sent back emojis which expressed their collective reticence.
Finally, it was Rufus, who came with them but was traveling on a separate private jet, who raised a critical point.
Mr. Wand: If we were to head to the airport, how are we to get ourselves back here when we haven’t any transportation arranged prior?
Sabrina: We’re guests here, so surely the Minamoto family must see to this?
Sasha: We might need a few dozen vehicles, seeing that there are so many of us. Do they have this many in their own fleet?
Devin: Not sure about that. Shall I try to reach out to the Foreign Affairs Department here to have some military transports deployed here instead?
That yielded no response from Sabrina and Sasha while Jonathan tapped away on his fingertips.
Old Mr. Jadeson: Has marriage turned you into a dimwit, you little rascal? Yesterday, you wanted to summon some troops for the wedding, and today, you want to deploy some military transports. Do you take this to be some kind of war game?”
After his rant, everyone in the chat group quietly started to visualize how exhilarating it could be to have those guests dressed to the nines roar through the streets on those military wheels.
Left red-faced, Devin said no more while Sabrina beside him was so upset that she kicked him in the foot.
“If you have nothing better to say then don’t say nothing at all. Has all that you soldiering you’ve been doing made you crazy? Why do you keep coming back to this idea of featuring that equipment of yours at weddings?”
“Why not? I’m also considering whether to go pick you up in a tank on our wedding day as well. Wouldn’t you fancy that?”
Sabrina was flabbergasted at the sort of things that came out of the mouth of this man with a child in his arms.
Seriously?
Tongue-tied, all she knew that her head as about to explode!
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1354
A Majestic Wedding
In the end, a rather reasonable thirty cars were made available courtesy of Sebastian. With the exception of a Rolls-Royce in the lead, all the others were sports cars.
It cannot be helped since they were pressed for time after the detour they made to the airport so they stormed, no, announced their arrival in glorious fashion.
The local guests who were invited to the wedding at the Minamoto residence, including the Minamoto family themselves, were eyes gawking and mouth agape when this luxurious thirty car strong convoy made its spectacular entrance.
This is insane!
Such was the extent of this spectacle that even a royal wedding held here would pale in comparison.
Giichi Minamoto, the head of the hosting family, finally showed his wholehearted approval of this wedding by coming out in person to receive Jonathan and Rufus.
“Well met, Old Mr. Jadeson. It was our lack of consideration that caused you to rush all the way here!”
As expected, he was thoroughly impressed and filled with respect for someone of Jonathan’s stature. At one point, he even introduced him to Ichika’s grandfather.
Amidst a few rollicking words of pleasantries and a wave of his hand, Jonathan led his entourage inside.
Because Sebastian, Sasha, and Devin were still on their way in, Ichika’s father remained outside to attend to the other guests.
What was strange was how this incumbent head of the Minamotos looked at Sasha, seemingly a little lost in thought as she approached with her three children.
The look of this woman…
“The Tsurka family have also arrived, Mr. Minamoto. Shall we receive them?”
His thoughts were interrupted by a servant who suddenly came over with this to report.
The Tsurkas?
Giichi was all not that keen to entertain them.
However, seeing that it was a wedding and they were someone Solomon himself was closely affiliated with, he cast the doubts aside he had for the time being and went over.
With the last guests of the groom all seated, this Daedalian epic of a wedding was finally underway.
“So, this is how they convey acceptance and blessings.”
At the front row of the feast steeped in this culturally distinct atmosphere inside the hall, Sabrina observed as representatives from both sides exchanged gifts. Then the dignifiedly dressed yet joyous servants came before the wedding guests with a red tray in hand for the latter to place their own gifts inside.
Her eyes soaked up everything with intrigue at yet another eye-opener for her.
Every country has its own heritage and traditions, so like every other guest, there was no way she was going to be derisive of it.
If anything, she was delighted for the opportunity to enhance her own knowledge of curiosities and proud to be able to partake in such a majestic affair.
The completion of these two rituals marked the formal commencement of the wedding banquet and this meant the bride’s turn to take center stage was imminent.
“Wow. I’m really looking forward to seeing Ichika. She must look absolutely smashing as the bride today.” Ever the impatient one, the arrival of this segment filled Sabrina’s heart with tremendous anticipation.
Meanwhile, Devin was kept busy with his baby-sitting duties.
As it was little Jaena’s first experience in such a bustling setting, the active girl was naturally unable to sit still.
Left with little choice but to keep playing catch-up behind the rambunctious girl, the frustrated father almost wanted to bind her with a rope and have her kept on a short leash.
“Grandpa… Grandpa…” She spotted Jonathan drinking in the company of the Minamoto elder and decidedly parted her stubbly little legs and dashed toward them.
That made Devin groan under his breath.
Thump!
At this moment, the crisp tang of a string instrument reverberated inside the wedding venue.
Jaena stopped halfway and lifted her little noggin upward briefly before she scooted back toward her own father.
“Daddy… Daddy…”
“Okay. Now you know to be afraid. Come here, you.”
Devin smiled in relief before he scooped his daughter into his arms.
Very quickly, the intensity of the strumming built up. Shortly after, everything inside the venue came to a standstill when the audience found themselves enraptured by the sight of a snowy-white fabric trailing in the wind.
“Wow. Is that the bride?” Vivian was quite captivated by its poetic quality while seated with her parents.
Sasha hugged her and regarded her affectionately. “I think so. Now shush, all of you. Shall we see how beautiful our new bride is today?”
That was how she coaxed her children.
She herself was actually as eager as they were. After all, as much as she had heard about Ichika Minamoto, she was only here on medical missions on previous visits and never had the opportunity to meet her in person.
Hence she was quite keen to see how this extremely popular young lady actually looked like.
After the glimpse of that flowing white sleeve, Solomon showed up in a full tuxedo hand in hand alongside a youthful woman in a pristine white Jetroinian traditional outfit.
What kind of girl is she?
In line with Jetroinia’s marital customs, the bride-to-be would be decked out in the customary whites of their traditional outfit that symbolized innocence and purity.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1355
The Person In His Sights
However, because she was a noble lady, the girl was not wearing just a white Jetroinian traditional outfit. Apart from the white clothes, she also had bright-colored accessories with intricate designs hanging on her, which were accessories worn by people with a distinguished status.
The style of her hair accessories also had the standard royal design—a tall bun with pearl flowers on it. Everyone couldn’t take their eyes off her after having seen her elegance.
“You’re gorgeous.”
“Yeah, so beautiful.”
“Yes!”
Even Ian, who wasn’t good with words, nodded in agreement, not to mention the entire crowd of guests.
Sasha also looked at her with a smile. Naturally, she was pretty satisfied.
To her, it wasn’t because of the beauty of the girl, but after she came out and saw a pair of big sparkling eyes nestled in the fair skin on her face, she couldn’t help but look away toward the gaze of the other men next to her from time to time.
It was a form of affection.
Only this girl could look full of joy in her eyes.
Therefore, Sasha was very satisfied.
“Mommy, I want to eat this.”
After seeing her beautiful aunt, Vivian, being the little glutton she was, began to eat again.
When Sasha heard her, she rubbed her little head and cut the fish in front of her.
The two of them, mother and daughter, enjoyed their meal.
However, in the quiet wedding, the people who cared about them overheard their conversation without them knowing. Thus, they shifted their gazes onto the two of them.
“Mr. Akiyama?” The emcee who was hosting the wedding ceremony called out to Solomon.
Ichika still had her head down from bowing. When she heard the name, she raised her head in surprise.
That was when she saw Solomon looking across the table gently.
Ichika was rendered speechless.
She had never seen Solomon looking at her like that. Ever since she knew him, he had always been cold and indifferent toward her, even if they were getting married.
He only treated her with respect and care, but she had never seen warmth in his eyes.
Ichika tightened her grip on her fan and followed the direction of his gaze only to realize that he was looking at the pair of mother and daughter. At that moment, Sasha was patiently slicing up fish for her daughter.
Sasha’s hair was plain and long, concealing her shoulders. She didn’t wear many accessories on her hair; there was only a pearl hairpin pinned to above her right ear. The woman dressed casually in a pink-colored long dress, which didn’t stand out in the crowd.
However, in Ichika’s eyes, Sasha was the most attractive person at the wedding.
Because, behind Sasha’s droopy eyelids, lay a trace of elegance and tenderness. No matter when she frowned or smiled, Ichika could visualize the radiance on Sasha’s face even without her raising her head, just like the portrait that had been hanging in the memorial hall of the Minamoto residence.
“Ms. Minamoto?”
“Huh?”
She panicked and retracted her gaze.
“What are you looking at? It’s time for us to meet your father.” Solomon reminded Ichika at that moment.
If only Ichika overlooked that minor detail that she saw, maybe, just maybe, she might have been delighted by Solomon’s expression and attitude. He was very initiative. However, that was something she never dared to yearn for before this.
But now, after she heard that, her joy faded away in an instant. Instead, she lowered her head as a hint of melancholy progressively throbbed in her chest. She finally realized that even though Solomon had agreed and was constantly being initiative, he didn’t have the slightest hint of being bashful, awkward, or embarrassed. His actions seemed more like he was complying with his responsibilities and cooperating eagerly with no fluctuation of emotions.
At long last, Ichika finished the ceremony with mixed emotions.
After the ceremony, she was sent back into her room. But the wedding was still going on. As a matter of fact, the wedding was at its peak.
“Devin, go ask your brother and his family to come over for a drink with Mr. Minamoto. We’ll be a family from now on, so let’s get to know each other.”
After three rounds of drinks, Jonathan, as the eldest, waved at Devin and Sebastian, gesturing them to bring their families over.
It was quite the royal treatment even though the marriage of the Jadesons wasn’t very significant.
Ichika’s dad quickly set the table with wine glasses and straightened his appearance while awaiting the two young couples to come over. Ichika’s grandfather did the same.
With that, Devin and his wife, along with Sebastian, also brought Sasha over.
Unexpectedly, when the four of them held up their wine glasses and were about to toast the two elders of the Minamoto family, Ichika’s grandfather suddenly shuddered when he saw Sasha.
“Judith?”
“What?”
Everyone, including Sasha and Sebastian, turned toward him.
What is this old man talking about?
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1356
Untold History
After the startlement, Ichika’s grandfather excitedly stood up. He stared at Sasha and trembled for a moment before standing up from the table, rushing toward her.
Meanwhile, Sasha was stunned speechless.
Before she could even react, Sebastian, who stood next to her, had already wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“What are you doing?” Sebastian exclaimed.
His face was grim, and his voice was sharp when he lashed out those words.
When Ichika’s father saw what happened, he quickly got up and stopped his disoriented father.
At the same time, Solomon came out as well.
“Grandpa, what are you doing? She’s not Judith. She’s Mr. Wand’s daughter.”
“What?” Ichika’s grandfather finally settled down.
After hearing that name, the people around them who experienced the turmoil back then had their eyes wide open, showing emotions of disbelief.
Judith Sylvester?
She’s actually appeared? Right here?
A few minutes later, everyone settled down, and Ichika’s father began to tell the tale of the past.
“Back in the years, my mother met my father when she came here to study, and they loved each other ever since. Later on, because of the turmoil in your country, she promised a classmate with the family name of Limmer that she would go home. At that time, she had hoped my father would go with her. However, my father was the heir to the Minamoto family, and he could never go back with her. Thus, the two were separated in the end.”
His story was a short one.
However, the story rendered all those who just only learned about the glorious deeds of that outstanding woman speechless.
Especially Sasha.
She was surprised to find out that her grandmother had such untold history.
After processing for a while, she realized that it wasn’t a big deal.
Her grandmother was a great person. Back in those years, she gave up the love of her life and children to devote herself to the cause of fighting for the country.
Therefore, nobody had the right to criticize or reprimand her private life.
“Then… could Sasha’s mother be…”
“No. When she left, she only gave birth to Jen. I tried looking for her later, but she had already remarried to a comrade who had the same aspirations as her, and they gave birth to a girl. I don’t blame her for that. Instead, I loathed myself for not going with her in the first place.”
As Ichika’s grandfather told the story, he looked up toward the monochrome photo on the wall and burst into tears.
Jen was actually Ichika’s father, and it was a domestic name given by Judith.
In fact, Ichika’s grandfather never really got his head around it. For a person like Judith, even if she were to remain in Jetroina, she wouldn’t stay with him for long. That was because his family would not allow him to marry a foreign woman. Therefore, Judith eventually left.
She kept her son as a memento of the man who loved her dearly.
For Ichika’s father to grow up in the Minamoto family legitimately, Ichika’s grandfather remarried a daughter from a noble family of a good match. Thus, becoming the current head of the Minamoto family.
The crowd finally understood, and Sebastian, standing next to him, felt relieved after knowing that his wife had nothing to do with the Jetroinian family.
After all, he had never liked that family.
However, that meant Sasha and Ichika were cousins twice removed.
Nonetheless, he felt upset again while thinking about the possibility of Solomon marrying Ichika for this exact reason, which was replacing his wife that had been taken away.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh?” Sasha looked at Sebastian as he dragged her.
“I’m not done yet. I still want to see my grandma.” She pointed at the photo and hurriedly pleaded.
However, Sebastian didn’t comply.
As though something ruined his mood, he took out his phone, quickly snapped a picture of the old photo, and dragged Sasha away.
Devin and his wife, and also Rufus and Jonathan remained there. They exchanged uneasy glances.
That man. What is his problem?
Sebastian left early with Sasha and their three children, leaving Devin and Sabrina. By the time everyone had left, it was already late at night.
“We should leave too.”
After watching everyone leave, Solomon prepared to leave too.
Ichika overheard them and was surprised that everyone was already leaving.
However, according to the customs here, it wasn’t necessary to stay at their parents’ house at night, but they had to come over again the next day for the tea ceremony.
Ichika looked at Solomon attentively for a moment.
“Alright. Please wait for me. I’ll change my clothes and headdress.” She obediently complied while subconsciously scrunching her eyebrows before going in to pack up.
Ten minutes later, she came out after changing into fresh casual clothes and left the home that raised her for twenty years with him.
She hesitated, wondering if she was making the right choice.
However, she was willing to give it a try. Akiko once told her that Solomon was unwilling to marry because he was in love with another woman, and he would never forget her for the rest of his life.
Finally, she got to see that woman in person today.
She hoped that she could use the rest of her life to make him accept her with her actions.
Ichika wasn’t asking for him to forget that woman, but she hoped that she would one day have a special place of her own in his heart, a place that belonged to her, Ichika Minamoto, his wife.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1357
She Sweetly Called Him Darling
After the wedding, everyone finally became quiet again.
Ichika followed Solomon to Avenport, and they both stayed in a hillside villa that Sabrina bought for them. The villa wasn’t far from downtown and Frontier Bay. Thus, they could come over very often.
Initially, Sabrina wanted to take her daughter and return to Jadeborough with Devin after the wedding.
After all, she was married to the Jadesons, and it wouldn’t be nice to keep staying with her parents.
But when she was just about to leave, she received news from Frontier Bay. She was told that Ian wanted to go to the research institute. After hearing the news, Sebastian and Sasha decided to go together as a family.
Damn it. Now the whole family is going?
Sabrina hurried over to Sasha as soon as she heard it.
“What’s going on? Why is Ian going to that place out of a sudden? Aren’t you worried at all?” She grabbed Sasha by the shoulders and interrogated her.
However, Sasha had already made peace with Ian’s decision. Thus, she smiled and replied, “That’s right. But he said that he wants to learn, and he’s interested. So his father and I decided to not stop him.”
“Then why are you all going too? To keep him company? Why is this such a big deal?”
“Uhm.”
Looking at the agitated Sabrina, Sasha didn’t know how to explain it to her for a moment.
Sasha also thought it was ridiculous when Sebastian first brought up this matter. It was okay to keep Ian company, but it wasn’t really necessary to all go with him.
Soon, Sebastian came over with a map in his hand and explained that the research institute wasn’t located in any ordinary city but on an island. Nobody knew about it because it was a highly classified location by the country.
“So, as Sebastian said, since we’re going there, and I need to take a break, it’s better to stay there for a while.”
“The heck!”
Apart from being envious, Sabrina was bitter.
She was annoyed that her husband was dense and that Sasha’s husband was romantic and considerate enough to even think of taking his wife with him to recuperate, even when he was only going to accompany his son.
At that, Sabrina could only go back angrily while she contemplated her miserable life.
Two days later, she returned to Jadeborough with Devin and their kids. Sasha and Sebastian were also about to go to Avenport with the triplets and to send Ian to the research institute.
Ichika heard about the news at home. That night, she waited for Solomon to come home then headed to the study to ask him about this.
She wore a pair of fuzzy slippers and a cute headband with cat ears over her thick curly hair. After seeing Solomon in the study, she said affectionately, “Darling, I heard that Sha and the rest are heading to the research institute tomorrow with Ian. Should we send them off?”
That was the nickname she had used for the past two days.
Since they were married, she thought that she should no longer address her husband as “Mr. Akiyama.” Therefore, in the future, she would happily address him as “Darling.”
However, Solomon, who was still typing away on the computer, felt a sudden discomfort after hearing how she was calling him. Even his fingers that were clacking away on the keyboard froze.
Ichika looked at him with a pair of dark watery eyes.
“No. I have a meeting tomorrow morning, and you can’t drive. They won’t be staying there for long anyway.”
“Okay.” Ichika obediently agreed.
Not long after she turned around and left, Solomon heard sounds of movements from the kitchen downstairs.
Solomon sighed.
He didn’t like the feeling of suddenly having another person in his quiet home.
Suddenly having things that didn’t belong to him in his home after living alone for thirty years was challenging for him to adapt to.
For example, when he came home from work, he would only see his array of dark shoes in the shoe cabinet. Suddenly, there were pink-colored shoes now. Moreover, those pink shoes looked exceptionally ridiculous. Some shoes were furry and shaped like a rabbit, and some were shaped like a puppy with ears drooping off the sides.
These things forced their way into his life so hard that every time he came home, he would hesitate to open the shoe cabinet, worrying that he might lay his eyes on something even more outrageous after opening it.
Also, the furnishings, toiletries, and more.
Although they didn’t share a room, he could always notice something extra in his bedroom whenever he came home.
For example, the bathroom would suddenly have a pink rinsing cup and pink toilet paper. And every time he pulled a sheet of toilet paper, he would notice that it wasn’t just plain ol’ toilet paper. They would have various anime characters printed on them.
It was ridiculous!
“Darling, I cooked supper. It’s udon. I also added fried shrimp and salmon in it.” Ichika’s voice echoed from the floor below. Then, a series of happy footsteps ran up the stairs. And not long after, Solomon, who only managed to be busy for a short moment, laid his eyes on Ichika with a pair of cat ears on her head. Here she comes again.
She ran in, holding a small stone pot in her hands, accompanied by her sweet, radiant smile on her little round face.
For some reason, Solomon was annoyed.
Why does she like to torment me so much? What time is it already? Can’t you just go and rest quietly?
He finally got impatient. “I don’t have the habit of eating supper. Take it away.”
“Oh?”
After hearing that, Ichika, who had just put down the pot, suddenly looked dejected, and the smile on her small face crumbled.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1358
The Adult World
Solomon was rendered speechless.
For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt bad for Ichika. Squeezing his hands, he changed his tune. “Just place it here, I’ll eat it once I’m done with my work.”
“Sure.”
Just like a child, she was on the verge of tears when he rejected her.
However, the moment he allowed her to put it there, she was as happy as a lark.
Her carefree attitude amused him.
Afterward, Solomon threw himself back into work.
When he finished reading his emails, he lifted his head to glance around. Only then did he realize she had not left but stayed right next to the coffee table.
Nevertheless, she had dozed off on the couch. Her flawless face looked pinkish. Holding a pillow, she seemed to be having a good dream that she drooled in her slumber.
The corner of Solomon’s eyes twitched.
In the end, he decided to carry Ichika to her bedroom.
However, as soon as he picked her up, the delicate woman squirmed in his arms before mumbling, “Darling…”
Meanwhile, Sasha decided to depart the next morning itself.
The three children had gotten ready and dressed themselves up, waiting for their parents to come over.
“Does this mean we are going to school together with Ian?”
Vivian was thrilled by the idea because she could finally be with her brothers again.
Matteo was delighted as well.
However, after studying here for over half a year, he felt reluctant to leave his schoolmates and be transferred to another school.
“Mommy, I’m calling my friends now. They said they would come to send me off today.”
“What?”
Sasha never knew that her son was a social butterfly. This discovery piqued her curiosity at once.
Unexpectedly, after hearing her brother’s words, Vivian followed suit and contacted her best friend, Jessica, too. Never had Sasha thought that her two little kids would do this right before they departed.
In the end, when everything was packed, and the family was ready to set off, they saw many children in front of the villa.
“Matteo! Open the door! We’re here to see you.”
“Yeah, Vivi, we’re here too. We’ve even brought you many gifts. Open the door now!”
“Hurry up!”
A dozen of children were hollering outside. It was quite a sight.
As a result, Sebastian and Sasha had no choice but to hold off whatever they were doing then and let their daughter and son usher their friends in for a spontaneous farewell party.
“Sebby, are you impressed that these two have so many friends?”
“Yeah.”
With his eyes fixed on those children in the garden, Sebastian did not refute her words.
Sasha was all puffed up because of their agreements.
Right then, Vivian suddenly dashed toward them with red-rimmed eyes.
“Mommy, can I stay? I really like my buddies here. There is no school on that island. Just like in Miralaea, we will have no classmates and will be taught by the teacher only. I don’t like that.”
Sasha was stupefied that her daughter wanted to change her mind.
Oh no, she doesn’t want to go. What should I do now? We have to be there to take care of Ian.
Hearing that, Sebastian’s brows knitted together.
Soon, a group of Vivian’s humbly dressed friends came in after her. Their eyes misted over when they saw Vivian break down in tears.
“Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, can’t you let Vivian stay? We really like her.”
“Yes, we’ve promised one another we are going to become designers and make many beautiful dresses and jewelry. We’ve been working hard toward our goal.”
“Exactly! Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, please let Vivian stay,” the little girls pleaded sincerely.
This put Sasha and Sebastian in a tight spot.
In fact, Vivian was right. The research institute that they were heading to was indeed on an island. As for the two children, they were going to study together with the people at the research institute, just like how they did in Miralaea.
This way, the couple would not need to worry about their children’s results, but the little ones would miss out on so much fun in their childhood.
As children, they were certainly fun lovers. Besides, good interpersonal relationships were beneficial to their development.
Sebastian was hesitant as well.
“No problem. I think you guys should just let her stay here. There’s nothing to worry about since I’ll be here to take care of her.”
At that critical moment, Sasha’s father, Rufus, came over. When he saw his granddaughter getting so upset, his heart ached for her, so he immediately took up the responsibility of taking care of her.
Since her father would look after Vivian, Sasha was relieved.
Therefore, they decided to allow Vivian to stay back.
Her mother’s approval thrilled her. Over the moon, Vivian skipped away to tell her brothers the good news.
Knowing that his sister was staying back, Matteo wanted to do the same.
“Ian, I’ll stay here to look after Vivi. You should follow Daddy and Mommy to the island. Study hard, okay? I’ll visit you then.”
He patted his brother’s shoulder to comfort him.
Although Ian felt slightly disappointed, the mature boy loved his sister very much, so he did not blame her.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1359
Saving Her Number
In the end, Sasha and Sebastian only took Ian along when they set off, leaving Matteo and Vivian behind.
Solomon was perplexed when he received the text from Sasha about this arrangement.
He replied: What? Why aren’t they going? Didn’t they promise to go together?
Sasha texted: Vivian changed her mind last minute and was unwilling to go. Besides, she’s a big girl now, so she needs friends. That’s why I let Matt stay here with her. Solomon, please help me take care of the two children.
She requested, but the man did not reply.
No one knew the impact the text had on him. Ever since the wedding was over, he felt as though something has been weighing on his chest. But now, the heaviness in his chest was finally lifted.
He knew full well why Sebastian was eager to take his entire family away from here.
The reason was that the latter had discovered the secret and found out why Solomon agreed to marry Ichika in the end. As such, Sebastian wanted to take his family away, for as the saying goes; out of sight, out of mind.
Keeping Ian company was only an excuse.
Even if the boy really could not get accustomed to it, Sebastian should be able to solve the issue effortlessly.
There was no need for the whole family to tag along.
The overwhelming feeling of getting to know the news when Solomon came home that night was etched on his heart.
Remorse and resentment overcame him. For a moment, he even thought of leaving here and vanishing from their lives.
Yet, he was still waiting, but he did not know what he was waiting for.
Perhaps he had experienced so much warmth and tenderness after the wedding that he got addicted to it and could not bring himself to leave.
But things changed when he received this text.
“Mr. George, since Vivian and Matteo are staying here, what are you going to do? Should we send some people to look after them? I do have to say, though, that Mr. Hayes was a little strange this time. Why did he agree to let Vivian stay back so easily?”
Luke came in and asked about the matter in bewilderment.
Solomon looked down.
A few moments later, he finally bobbed his head in agreement. “Yeah, please arrange some people for this. Since Ichika is free, she may go over there to look after them as well.”
“Oh, right! Why didn’t I think of this? Mrs. Akiyama is at home.”
Luke’s eyes lit up at his reminder.
Right away, the matter was settled.
At night, Ichika was enthused when she was given the important mission of taking care of her nephew and niece at Frontier Bay, bustling about the entire night.
“Darling, what should I bring there? Should I get some gifts? Oh, wait, I should probably bring some food. I heard Vivi is a glutton…”
“Darling, should I take my luggage along?”
“Darling…”
Like a headless chicken, she prepared everything clumsily and frantically, pestering her husband throughout the night.
Feeling irked, Solomon doubted whether he had made the wrong decision.
The next morning, the second he opened the door, he saw a neatly dressed woman with a high ponytail and a backpack.
“You…”
“Darling, after a night of research, I now know that ten-year-olds are no longer like young children, so I can treat them as my friends and everything will be fine.”
Raising her right hand, Ichika showed him a thumbs up energetically.
Solomon was speechless.
She is no doubt smart, but why do I feel like I’m with a child?
On the way to send Ichika to Frontier Bay, he announced his decision in the chat group.
He texted: I’ve sent Ichika to Frontier Bay to look after the two children.
Then, he added her into the chat group.
As a foreigner, Ichika was unfamiliar with the chat apps in the country, so she was puzzled when she heard her phone beep and saw the text.
Sasha replied: That’s great. Thank you so much, Ichika!
Sabrina added: Oh? This arrangement is not bad. Work hard, Ichika. This is a golden opportunity to learn how to be a mother.
Sabrina actually started to tease Ichika.
The latter’s face flushed crimson when she finally managed to wrap her head around those words.
Seriously, Sab?
She replied: Hello, everyone. I’m Ichika. I’ll do my best and report on how things go every day. Please forgive me if I make any mistake.
Sabrina texted: Opps! Seems like I’ve frightened our poor Ichika.
Devin chimed in: All right, that’s enough. Stop scaring her. Don’t worry, Ichika. Vivian and Matteo are very obedient. You only need to supervise them and see whether they have done their homework on time.
Ichika replied: Sure. Thank you, Devin.
Sasha texted: Call me if you need anything.
She then texted her number to the group.
Everyone in the family knew her number, so they were not surprised.
However, Ichika’s eyes gleamed when she saw the number. Instantly, she saved the number into her phone sheepishly as if she was doing something bad.
She was still curious about Sasha.
I wonder what kind of charm she has that Akiyama is so smitten by her.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1360
Caught
In the blink of an eye, Sasha and the others had left Avenport for nearly a week now. Ichika had also gotten the hang of taking care of the two children.
Ichika sent Sasha a text message: Sha, here are the photos of the kids.
She then sent a few photos to Sasha’s phone.
Upon receiving the notification, Sasha, who was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, picked up the phone and went through the photos.
In one of the photos, she could see a pretty girl with braids and a backpack on her back hopping out of the house.
She swiped next and saw a photo of her son.
Clad in a camouflage uniform and a pair of military boots, Matteo had his chest puffed up as he walked out of the house with pride.
Sasha could not contain her smile. “Sebby, come and take a look at these photos. Ichika seems to have a knack for taking care of the two kids.” Sasha passed the phone to Sebastian, who was coming downstairs with Ian.
Sebastian took a glance at the photos. The kids do look happy, indeed.
However, when he read Sasha’s conversation with Ichika, his mood was instantly spoiled. “Have you two been talking like this for the last couple of days?”
Sasha thought Sebastian would praise the children after looking at the photos. She gave him a confused look, as she did not understand why he asked the question. “Yeah. She sends me their photos every day. What’s wrong? Don’t you want to know how the kids are doing?”
Sasha’s response had rendered Sebastian speechless.
Sebastian looked at the credulous woman and sighed. “Nothing. I was just asking because I didn’t see these photos in the group chat.”
“Oh. I’ll get her to upload the photos to the group next time then,” Sasha said. Instead of questioning his reaction any further, she returned to the kitchen.
Sasha’s personality had set herself apart from the other women. Although she had been through hell and fell prey to all kinds of evil schemes, she had always treated her friends and family with great sincerity and trusted them wholeheartedly.
Above all, she would never take advantage of others.
After sending Ian to the research institute, Sebastian returned to his study and deactivated all of Sasha’s accounts.
He even wiped out all the records about her.
Ichika, who was surfing the internet at Frontier Bay, was stunned when the accounts she had been looking through just moments ago vanished all of a sudden. Her expression turned grim instantly.
What just happened? Did someone find out about me? Oh, my God! What am I supposed to do now?
She froze right there and did not know what to do.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Solomon reached home and realized someone had switched on all the lights.
How come she’s back at this hour?
Feeling confused, Solomon opened the door and saw a pair of white leather shoes with laces near the shoe cabinet in the entryway.
After a short pause, he put down his bag, changed into a pair of slippers, and called out, “Ichika? Are you home?”
He did not get any response from her.
What’s she doing? Has she fallen asleep?
Solomon decided to go upstairs to check on her.
While he was still walking along the corridor, he could hear someone sobbing in the room.
What’s going on?
Upon hearing that, Solomon’s expression changed. He quickened his steps, opened the door, and went in right away. “Ichika? What’s wrong?”
Ichika buried her head in the pillow and cried her heart out. “Darling? How come you’re home?”
She lifted her head and looked at Solomon. Her long tear-stained eyelashes fluttered as she stood up in a panic and tried to wipe away the tears on her cheeks.
Solomon was at a loss for words.
He had never seen her cry so miserably before.
In the past, although Ichika would cry from time to time, she had never wept so intensely before.
Solomon’s eyes darkened. “What’s wrong? Did something bad happen?”
“Nothing. I just talked to my Mom over the phone. I missed her, that’s all.” She made up a story.
Obviously, Ichika could not tell him she cried because she felt embarrassed after being found out that she was spying on Sasha.
I’m sure he’d be mad at me had I told him the truth.
Ichika gathered herself together and acted as if nothing had happened. “Since you’re home, I’ll go and cook for you now. Do you have any cravings, Darling?”
“Anything will do.” Solomon decided to drop the subject, and neither of them talked about it again that night.
The next morning, when Solomon was about to drive her to Frontier Bay, Ichika stuttered, “Darling, I… I’ll be attending a cooking class later. I’ve told Mr. Wang and Wendy about it, and they’ll be taking care of Vivian and Matteo today.”
“A cooking class?” Solomon was surprised. How come I’ve never heard of this before?