Ch. 1381..1390
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1381
Look After Her
It was already evening by the time they arrived on the island.
Including the flight and the boat ride, it was a rather long journey.
“Mommy! Mommy!”
“Mommy, we’re here!”
Vivian and Matteo were beyond delighted to see their parents as they rushed toward the house as soon as they got off the boat.
Sasha was also overwhelmed with excitement.
She ran outside and hugged the two kids.
“I missed you two so much. How was the journey? Are you guys tired?”
“Nope. Mommy, we brought you a lot of nice food. Aunt Ichika is carrying them.”
Vivian turned around and pointed at Ichika who was behind them.
Sasha lifted her head and gazed at the boat.
Devin and Sabrina seemed used to this kind of environment.
On the other hand, Ichika froze on the spot, not knowing where to put her feet.
“Darling… why is there so much grass over here? Will there be snakes?”
The color drained from her face as she spoke.
Indeed, besides the Minamoto residence, she had not been to many places.
Besides, the local beach at Jetroina was usually well managed. She had most probably never seen a beach in such a natural state.
Sasha was amused upon seeing that.
“Vivi, is your Aunt Ichika always that cute?”
“Huh?” Vivian blinked in puzzlement.
“No, she’s not cute at all. She’s a coward. She held my hand tightly the whole time when we were on the boat. She didn’t even dare to go up the deck. Jeez,” Vivian complained and let out a sigh at the end, remembering what Solomon had said to her about looking after Ichika.
Hearing that, Sasha did not know how to react.
After everyone arrived, Sasha and Sebastian took out the food and fruits and placed them on a random long table outside the house.
Sabrina was at a loss for words.
This is way too remote. Don’t they have a proper table?
Sabrina was another woman who was born with privilege. She walked over to the table and picked a few grapes reluctantly.
“Sasha, so this is how you guys have been living for months?”
“Yes. You don’t like it?”
Sasha, who was carrying the chairs from the inside, smiled faintly after hearing Sabrina’s comment.
It was true that the condition here could not be compared to Frontier Bay or Oceanic Estate.
Despite that, the environment was good, not to mention the warm sunlight and the irreplaceable peace. Sasha had deeply fallen in love with this place.
Devin felt great as well.
However, he had gone into the house to look for Sebastian. It had been a while since they last met, so they had a lot to talk about.
As such, Solomon was the only man left at the table with the women and the kids.
“Solomon, let’s eat. You must be starving after a long day. Let me get you a plate.”
Sasha knew him well enough to know that he would feel awkward and lost on such an occasion. Thus, she went over to greet him.
And indeed, Solomon felt better seeing Sasha’s gesture.
“How are you guys holding up here? Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, much better. The weather is great over here, and I don’t need to worry about anything. I feel more relaxed, and thus my body recovers faster too,” Sasha answered honestly.
Hearing that took a weight off his mind.
Just as he wanted to give the busy woman a hand, she handed him a plate of fruits and sandwiches.
“Give these to Ichika. The kids have been pestering her since the moment she arrived. I bet she’s hungry.”
Sasha paused for a second and reminded, “Right, she has never been to such a place before. And she’s still young. You have to look after her and make her feel safe.”
Solomon froze for a moment.
It was a peculiar feeling for him. Back then, if Sasha had asked him to look after another woman, he would have been utterly pissed and sad.
But now, he did not seem to feel so anymore, although there was still a slight sense of uneasiness.
Nevertheless, there was no more anger in his heart. With his face blushing red, he took the plate and went to find Ichika.
“Darling, you’re here.”
Ichika was busy helping Vivian to plant the firework. Her eyes lit up with warmth when she saw Solomon bring her food.
He still remembers me.
In fact, Ichika noticed Solomon had been hanging around Sasha ever since they arrived on the island, but she did not dare to interrupt them.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1382
Peeking
Nevertheless, Ichika was very happy that Solomon actually remembered to bring her something to eat. Nothing else mattered anymore.
“All right, eat up. We’ll probably leave for Aurora Island tonight. Make sure you fill your stomach lest you get seasick on the boat,” he said in such a gentle voice that she felt like her heart could melt into a puddle at that very moment.
So Darling did notice that I get motion sickness when I’m on a boat.
Oh no, what do I do?
She felt as if her heart was about to burst.
“Darling, have you eaten?”
“Hmm?”
“This cherry is really tasty. Here, let me feed you.” Ichika then picked up a cherry from the plate before tiptoeing to pop it into Solomon’s mouth.
There was no way she would have dared to do this at home.
Solomon instantly froze.
He wanted to reject her, but at that very same moment, he heard a cheery female voice from behind him. “Ichika, what are the two of you doing? I’ll join you!”
Dressed in a short skirt and high heels, Sabrina forced herself between the two of them and became the ultimate third wheel.
Both Solomon and Ichika were rendered speechless.
Even the three little ones covered their faces.
They could not bear to watch this anymore.
How could Aunt Sabrina behave that way?
In the end, Solomon left awkwardly without eating the cherry that was in Ichika’s hand.
Ichika was silent.
“Haha, I’m so sorry, Ichika. I know that you two were having a moment there. Fine, I’ll make a move and you two can continue.”
Sabrina, the culprit, actually left the scene, which made Ichika so angry that she stomped her feet repeatedly.
How could Sab do this?
After a simple meal and a half-hour rest, everyone decided to begin their journey in the evening when the sunset was as at its most glorious.
The plan was to head toward their destination with this gorgeous view as their backdrop.
“Do you want to stick this on? Ambrose gave it to me and he says it works for motion sickness.”
Sebastian was worried about this problem too. After he sent the children to the boat, he returned to the house and saw that Sasha was about to come out. Hence, he passed her a package.
Sasha was taken aback.
“What is this?”
“A motion sickness patch,” Sebastian simply replied.
A motion sickness patch?
Thank goodness he thought of this.
Sasha glanced at his handsome yet mildly disgruntled face. With a little smile, she picked up a wisp of her hair by her right ear. She did not expect him to get something like this from Ambrose.
In fact, he knew that he did not really want to go on this trip to Aurora Island because of her motion sickness. However, as she really wanted to go, he had no choice but to give in.
“Where do I stick this?”
“Just right behind the earlobe. Right there.” Sasha pointed at the pressure point that was linked to motion sickness.
People without medical knowledge would not know much about these pressure points.
Right after she pointed it out, he immediately came close to her. Sasha felt his warm finger gently caressing that particular pressure point behind her ear.
It took no time before she clearly felt that something was stuck there.
“All right, we’re done.”
“Mmm,” Sasha responded.
However, she suddenly reached out to put her arms around him.
She loved that refreshing and familiar smell. Even though they were not stuck closely together, she could still feel the warmth emanating from his body. How she longed for him to hold her in his arms at that very moment!
Sebastian was dumbfounded.
“Darling, there is actually a better way to keep me from getting seasick.”
“What is it?”
Sebastian’s eyes darkened, as he could already read between her lines.
When a random idea popped into her head, she would not call him Sebby. Instead, she would use her gentlest tone to call him Darling.
“Keep holding me in your arms until we reach Aurora Island. That way, I won’t be dizzy.”
A sly look appeared in Sasha’s beautiful almond eyes when she saw that she had successfully attracted him.
Sebastian said nothing in response.
That was it?
After being teased, there was a frosty chill over his lips. This was a look that only Sebastian could have.
“I don’t think that is quite enough. I think it would be better if you were to lose all sense of direction. That should help you more.”
“Oh?”
Before she could say anything, he planted a deep kiss on her lips. With his arms firmly placed around her, he pulled her soft body a little tighter against his chest. Every single one of his actions was so passionate yet domineering. It was as if he could barely wait to consume her there and then.
Solomon arrived at that very moment.
He stood rooted to the spot when he saw that scene; his pupils contracted behind his glasses.
It was an indescribable feeling.
Although he had already let things go and had been putting up a good performance in front of Ichika, it still took an extremely huge toll on his heart when he saw that scene with his very own eyes.
It was as if he had suddenly witnessed the defilement of the most precious treasure that was buried deep in his heart.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1383
Inner Demons
On top of that, she was forcibly taken away from him. It was as if she really had no more connection with him from this moment onward.
Solomon had no idea how he finally left that place.
All he knew was that when he finally came back to his senses, the boat had already sailed. In his cabin, Ichika was sitting right in front of him with a light jacket on.
She was looking at him gloomily.
Even after he had woken up, she did not move at all.
Solomon was silent.
He felt a chill on his back and it took some time before he finally heard himself ask, “What happened?”
Ichika said, “You got into a fight with Sebastian just now.”
Solomon was completely flabbergasted.
“What?”
“Yes, you got into a fight with Sebastian!”
Ichika enunciated every single word clearly.
Her eyes were darting back and forth, which showed that she was still in shock. Her adorable face was shrouded with misery as she spoke to Solomon.
Suddenly, Solomon lost his voice.
What is she talking about?
Sebastian?
I actually fought with him?
Why? Why did I do that? Have I gone mad again? What was the reason this time? Was it because I saw him kissing Sasha?
Solomon felt dead inside and began trembling from head to toe.
“Darling…”
“Don’t call me that!” he stopped her sternly and sharply as if he were electrified.
Ichika fell silent.
At that very moment, she could not control her emotions anymore. Two fat teardrops rolled down her cheeks.
She knew very well that he had gotten into a fit again as he had behaved completely out of character.
She was no stranger to his unbridled behavior, which had appeared when he killed Akiko.
At that time, he had transformed into a different person.
His eyes had been filled with an intense thirst for blood, vengefulness, indignance, and desolation.
It was the same sight tonight.
If not for Sebastian holding back, Solomon could have died on the island tonight.
In the end, Ichika ran out of the cabin while sobbing. She headed straight to Sebastian and Sasha’s cabin, and the moment she entered their room, she fell to her knees.
“Ichika, what’s going on? Get up now!”
Sasha was so shocked that she momentarily forgot about her own dizziness in her bid to pull Ichika up.
However, Ichika remained stubbornly on her knees.
“Sha, please forgive him. He really didn’t mean it. Please, he’s just ill. This happened the last time too. It was only after we found Dr. Kaye that he recovered. Sha, please don’t be angry! You are the most important person to him. If you don’t forgive him, I don’t think he can continue living!”
She was sobbing so hard that she could barely lift her head.
Sasha was speechless.
From the side, Sebastian’s frown grew deeper than ever.
Of course he’s sick.
Otherwise, how could he have survived for so long?
Sebastian shot a dark glance at his bandaged arm and said coldly, “Fine. No one is going to make a big deal about this. We’re just here to have fun, so don’t spoil it for everyone else.”
Ichika, who was still crying, immediately looked up.
Is he letting this go?
There was finally a hint of joy in her eyes. Thereafter, she stood up and ran out of the room.
Seeing that, Sasha debated internally for a long time before standing up as well.
“Sebby, are you really not angry? I mean, he—”
“What’s the point of being angry? Haha, this is such a joke. You are my legally wedded wife. All I did was give you a kiss, and that lunatic was already trying to chop me up. How could I not be angry?”
His handsome face turned several shades darker.
As he spoke, there was an unmistakable murderous air in his voice as well.
Sasha’s face went pale again.
“He must have had some serious childhood trauma which resulted in a lot of insecurity and his inferiority complex. That is why he wants to grab onto the things that he wants to retain for himself.”
“What is your relationship with him?”
Sebastian’s face looked grimmer than ever.
Sasha was perspiring profusely by now.
“Fine, when we get back, we will send him to The Fourth Hospital in Jadeborough for a few days.”
“Sebby!” Sasha cried out loud.
“What’s wrong? So I can stay there but he can’t? Is there really something between the two of you?”
“Sebastian!” The woman finally lost her temper as well
“Are you trying to go against me? You don’t want to sleep on the bed tonight, do you?”
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1384
Not Worth It
That night, the boat headed straight to the island. Solomon did not leave his cabin at all while Ichika kept guard outside. Sabrina had asked her to join her at her cabin as it was very windy out there, but she refused to do so.
She was that silly.
When Solomon opened the cabin door in the morning, he saw Ichika curled up on the floor. She was about to fall asleep.
Even though she was dressed in a windbreaker, she was so cold that her face had turned black and her body had contorted into a fetal position.
Solomon froze on the spot.
As the sun had not risen yet, there was merely a white light that gleamed across the surface of the sea. Accompanying it was a hazy fog that shrouded his vision.
His eyes were fixated on Ichika who was enveloped by the fog.
Thud!
In the end, she woke up with a jolt because her head had accidentally hit the door as she fell asleep.
“Darling, y-you’re awake?”
She opened her eyes.
Her vision was still blurry. Hence, she could not react at the sight of Solomon’s feet.
The frosty sea breeze brought a shudder down her spine. It was only then that she looked at his feet clearly. Instantly, a hint of joy appeared on her ashen face.
She looked up at Solomon.
After what seemed like an eternity, Solomon finally crouched down in front of her.
“Is it worth it? You saw what happened yesterday. I don’t love you at all and you know very well that I am seriously ill. I will probably not recover in this lifetime. Is it worth it for you to keep sticking around?”
His voice sounded chilly and dead at the same time, like the breeze that was blowing across the sea at that very moment.
Ichika’s eyes suddenly widened. In no time at all, she stood up in front of him and said earnestly, “It is worth it. Darling, you are not ill. It is just that you don’t have anyone by your side. From now onward, I will always be there for you.”
By my side? Solomon was stunned. He did not expect Ichika to be merely taken aback by his cruel words.
As if someone had pierced him in his heart, his pupils constricted in response.
To him, this was a very extravagant phrase.
He had been all alone since he was young, and nobody had wanted to stay by his side.
“Do you know why I married you?”
Amidst the cold wind, he finally heard himself speak up hoarsely.
Ichika was silent.
“I married you because you look like her. Not only do your features mirror hers, but you’re also at that age when I was most into her. Don’t you get it?”
He finally spilled the secret that was in his heart.
It was cruel and despairing.
Sasha’s face slowly drained of color.
She looked up at him with her lively almond eyes. Right before they lost their luster, her eyes turned red, and they were soon brimming with tears.
Solomon saw that, and a snigger flashed across his pale lips before he stood up.
“Then can you treat me only as Ichika from now on? I know I am not as good as Sha, but if you are willing to just take me as Ichika, I am willing to spend the rest of my life by your side!” Ichika choked out.
Ichika knew very well that she was merely a substitute, but she still promised to stay by his side.
However, her only request was to be Ichika from now on. She would no longer be anyone’s substitute and would only be herself.
Solomon stopped in his tracks.
He stared ahead with his eyes fixated to the front. His eyes reddened while his thin lips pursed slowly into a thin line.
Nevertheless, he did not turn around as he headed straight back to the cabin.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1385
Used To It
When they arrived at their destination, everyone had alighted from the boat, but Solomon’s cabin door remained closed.
“There is something wrong with him. What he needs is a good beating!”
Sabrina had a fiery temper. When she saw what had happened, she wanted to go and beat him up. Thankfully, Devin pulled her back.
“All right, let’s get down from the boat and give him some space. He will join us when he has thought things through,” Devin said, suggesting that everyone leave Solomon alone.
Hence, everybody alighted from the boat, and they brought Ichika with them as well.
There was nowhere to stay, nor was there any food on this island. Everyone had to set up their tents first before preparing food.
Devin said, “Sebastian, let’s handle the tents and leave the food preparation to the ladies.”
Sebastian replied, “Okay.”
Then the two men began setting up the tents.
Seeing that, Sasha and Sabrina dragged Ichika along with them as they built the stove, moved their pots and pans, and prepared the raw ingredients.
Even the three little children helped out.
However, Vivian soon noticed that Ichika did not look too happy.
“Aunt Ichika, are you still thinking about Uncle Solomon? Should I go take a look at him?”
“No, no, no. It’s all right,” Ichika replied with a blush on her face.
Vivian tilted her head helplessly before leaving to play with her brother.
Sasha noticed it as well, but this was not a good time to advise her. Even though it was not Sasha’s fault, she was still the root of the trouble. Hence, staying silent was the best remedy here.
After about two hours, the tents were set up, and the meal was ready.
“All right, let’s eat. We’ll assign tasks after our meal,” Sasha, the leader, said. “We’ll have to—”
“What task? Aren’t we here for the aurora?” Sabrina interrupted upon hearing that.
Sasha replied, “Well, we still have to eat at night. Also, it’s very cold out here, so we have to grab some firewood to build a fire to keep ourselves warm. It can help us appreciate the sights better too.”
Everyone thought what she said made sense.
Sabrina immediately sat down on the mat and laid out the plan that Sasha had drafted before they set off.
“Wow. Fishing, gathering firewood, picking fruits, and digging for wild vegetables. How are we going to divide so many duties among us?”
Her face immediately fell when she took a look at the list of tasks, as she had already worked hard for the past two hours.
Devin came up to sit next to her after he heard her mumbling.
“We can go and gather firewood.”
“Huh?” Sabrina glared at him. “No, I don’t want to. That’s too tiring. I want to go fishing. I don’t mind looking for vegetables either!” she protested vehemently.
Sasha found that quite amusing. “That’s all right. Sebastian and I can go and gather firewood.”
Sebastian said, “No, you are not well. We can only fish.”
Sebastian suddenly appeared with a fishing rod in his hand. There was clearly no room for negotiation in his voice.
Sasha, Sabrina, and Devin were speechless.
Even Ichika looked up despite the fact that she was busy packing a lunchbox. When she caught sight of the domineering Sebastian, she could not help but shudder a little as well.
He looks really frightening.
Ichika stood up with the box in her hands.
“Where are you going to?”
Suddenly, Sebastian’s gaze fell on Ichika, making her shiver involuntarily.
“I-I’m bringing him some food. He is still on the boat.”
“Bring him food? Is he still a child? He is a full-fledged adult! How can he throw a tantrum and expect food to be sent to his doorstep still? If he is going to keep that up, tell him not to get off that boat!”
This severe reprimanding nearly drove Ichika to tears.
Every single word that he uttered was the truth.
The person who was truly humiliated on the boat was Sebastian.
Devin knew him best, and he smiled at this scene.
“Ichika, Sebastian means no harm. All he is saying is to let Solomon come here by himself to get his food. Why don’t you put down this lunchbox and tell him that you two are assigned to gather firewood this afternoon? If you don’t do it, everyone will have to suffer in the cold tonight.”
“Huh?”
Ichika’s eyes grew wider.
Why are we in charge of gathering firewood? Isn’t that what everyone is avoiding?
She felt that she was being bullied by the group.
However, she still got onto the boat and walked gingerly to the cabin.
“Darling, it’s time to eat. Open the door, please.”
She was met with absolute silence from the cabin.
Ichika had no choice but to put her hand on the handle.
Click!
The cabin door opened.
However, she quickly realized that there was nobody inside.
Where is he?
She instantly panicked.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1386
Blessing
“Darling? Where are you, Darling? Darling?”
Ichika searched for Solomon everywhere on the boat, looking extremely nervous. Others on the island who saw that would probably think Solomon had plunged to his death off the boat.
Solomon, who was standing on the deck, was utterly speechless. When he saw Ichika bending down to check if he was below the boat, he was all the more lost for words.
At this moment, Ichika looked up and met the man’s eyes. She ran toward him in a hurry and said, “Darling, you’re here. You scared me. I thought—”
“You thought I committed suicide?” Solomon’s expression turned grim.
Ichika immediately zipped her lip.
“N-No…”
“What are you doing here?”
Solomon withdrew his gaze from her and looked toward the fishing rod that he had put on the other side of the deck.
Ichika was stunned.
Oh, it turns out that Darling is fishing. I thought…
Ichika tiptoed toward Solomon like a timid child and stole glances at him from time to time. Inwardly, she was delighted to see that Soloman had calmed down.
“Um, Darling, Sebastian told us that there are a few tasks in the afternoon. We have to catch fish, collect firewood, and get some fruits and vegetables. In the end, we decided to draw lots, and we were assigned to collect firewood.”
Well, Ichika is indeed clever. She knew she couldn’t say that the bullies had assigned her the difficult task.
That’s why she made up an excuse, saying that she got the task by drawing lots.
Solomon turned to look at her, flabbergasted.
He had thought he would be isolated after what had happened, like a clown who was stripped off of his mask of hypocrisy.
He had also thought that the others would perceive him as the old Solomon, who was ruthless, ugly, and unforgivable.
But now…
“Darling, you don’t feel like going either, do you? No worries. If you don’t want to go, I’ll go alone. You can get some rest here.”
The man remained silent, and Ichika wasn’t sure if Solomon was delighted or furious.
Unable to withstand the pressure, Ichika lowered her head in disappointment.
I knew Darling wouldn’t agree to it.
Ichika stood up and was about to leave when Solomon said, “How did you draw the lots? Why didn’t you get fishing instead? Can’t you see I’m fishing now?”
“Huh?”
Ichika turned around upon hearing that and was startled as she gazed at Solomon.
“N-No, my brother-in-law was assigned to catch fish.”
“Which brother-in-law are you referring to?”
“W-Well, it’s Vivi’s dad. He said he could only go fishing because Sasha wasn’t feeling well.”
None of them uttered a word thereafter.
Half an hour later, everyone departed to complete their tasks.
Sasha didn’t have to enter the forest because her task was fishing. As such, she quietly gave some sushi and apples to Sabrina and Devin before they left.
“Sab, Ichika and Solomon haven’t had any food. Give this to them if you see them, will you?” Sasha requested.
Sabrina frowned, but she eventually took the food with her.
Later, when Sabrina and Devin entered the forest, the former started, “Look at how everything has turned out. I mean, it would be all right if Ichika didn’t join us in the first place. Now, all of us feel awkward because Sasha’s kindness has messed things up.”
“To be fair, none of us expected that. Nevertheless, I personally think it’s a good thing.”
“How can it be a good thing?”
Sabrina gazed at Devin in bewilderment.
Devin nodded and said, “Well, think about it. Solomon will lose control one day if he continues to keep this demon in his heart. Now that there’s only a few of us on the island, we can probably keep him under control.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course! He’s a strong-headed man. If more people discovered his secrets, he might not be able to escape from his virtual cage,” Devin explained to Sabrina thoroughly.
Deep down, Sabrina believed Devin was right. From a psychological perspective, one would bury one’s secrets deep inside one’s heart after being hurt deeply.
That was because one would be afraid to be hurt again and refuse to show his ugliest side to others.
In extreme cases, one would become autistic and refuse to connect with others.
Sabrina knew that there were a lot of similar real-life instances.
Hence, Devin was right to say that it was a good opportunity to help Solomon. At the very least, all of them were considerate and willing to help Solomon walk out of the shadow.
Knowing that Devin was right, Sabrina could only heave a sigh.
At this moment, Solomon was pondering about the same problem as well.
He realized that the others did not ignore him entirely as he had expected after arriving at the island.
On the contrary, the three kids had gone up to him happily when they saw him.
Solomon and Ichika entered the forest and eventually met Devin and Sabrina. After putting some food in Solomon’s hands, Sabrina began to lecture him, “Are you still a kid? Why do I have to bring you food?”
In the end, Devin had to drag Sabrina away to stop her from scolding Solomon.
With that, only Solomon and Ichika were left in the forest.
“The food is still hot. Darling, it’s sushi. Sasha made these. Here, try some.” Ichika stared at the food happily and urged Solomon to try it.
Solomon lowered his head, picked up a piece of sushi, and passed it to Ichika, who was drooling.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1387
Sweet Memories
“Darling!”
Ichika’s eyes lit up when Solomon passed her the sushi.
She happily gulped down the sushi like a kid who felt excited after getting a candy.
Seeing that, Solomon, who had been feeling depressed for a long time, brightened up.
Nonetheless, he felt upset again soon after.
Solomon had no problem with collecting firewood. However, he soon realized that the pampered girl knew nothing about the forest. To a certain extent, he thought Ichika would be of great help if she could stop messing around.
“Darling, how thick should the firewood be? Can you tell me the size?”
“It doesn’t matter. You can pick up any firewood as long as you can carry it.”
“Okay!”
With that, she skipped happily to look for firewood around the area.
Solomon began to pick up some firewood as well.
When Solomon was young, his mother had brought him to the snowy Northeast City to do a lot of hard work. In other words, he had not enjoyed a life of luxury when he was just a boy.
As Solomon was busy picking up firewood, Ichika came back and shouted excitedly, “Darling, look! I’ve collected a lot of firewood!”
Solomon took a closer look at the firewood and was rendered speechless.
The so-called firewood that Ichika had collected was a bunch of little branches.
However, Solomon held in his anger, seeing that Ichika was sweating a lot on her forehead.
“All right. Stay right here and tidy up the firewood that I’ve collected.”
“Okay.”
Ichika was innocent and even felt excited when Solomon asked her to tidy up the firewood.
Immediately, she squatted down before the pile of firewood and thought to herself, Since Darling has given me this job, I must do my best to complete it perfectly.
With that, Ichika began organizing them attentively.
Solomon heaved a sigh and continued to look for more firewood in other areas.
The island’s terrain was similar to the research base from which they departed. Therefore, Solomon could collect enough firewood, even though the island was small.
Crisp! Crisp!
Suddenly, Solomon heard some noise. He stopped in his tracks and looked over.
There was a squirrel biting a big pine cone on a pine tree. Realizing that Solomon was looking at it, the squirrel pricked up its ear cautiously and stared at Solomon.
Without any hesitation, Solomon shouted, “Ichika, come here, quick.”
“What?”
At that time, Ichika was squatting before the pile of firewood and pondering about the best way to organize it. When she heard Solomon’s voice, she looked up and ran toward him.
“Darling, what’s wrong?”
“Look.”
Little did Ichika expect the man to call her over to show her the squirrel.
A glint flashed across Ichika’s eyes when she gazed at the cute squirrel.
Given that it was the first time she saw the little creature in real life, Ichika couldn’t hold in her excitement.
Although it was merely a squirrel, she was overjoyed because Solomon remembered her for the first time and invited her to witness it.
“Darling, where’s your phone? Let’s take some pictures of it. I’m sure Vivi and the rest will like them very much.”
“Sure,” Solomon agreed and handed over his phone to Ichika without hesitation.
When Ichika wanted to turn on the screen, she was asked to key in the password.
“Darling?”
“3202,” Solomon told Ichika the password calmly before he continued to collect firewood.
With that, Ichika turned on the phone happily and took pictures of the squirrel.
The view was perfect when it was late in the afternoon. As the sunlight shone on the forest and passed through the gaps between branches, the beautiful shadows of leaves were like a breathtaking painting.
After taking the pictures, Ichika shared them with the others in the group chat.
Solomon: Hi, guys! It’s Ichika here. Look, we found a squirrel!
With that, she sent the pictures to the group.
Instantly, those who were on their respective missions stopped what they were doing.
Sabrina: My goodness! It’s so cute! No way! Where are you guys now? I want to go look at it too!
Devin: Have you finished collecting vegetables?
Devin sent a few pictures as well. They were pictures of the couple plucking wild vegetables in a stream.
At this moment, Devin had taken off his shoes and was standing in the river barefoot.
As for Sabrina, she was sitting on a rock, posing for many photos.
Everyone was aware that Ichika was using Solomon’s phone at this moment.
Just as they were unsure how to react to Sabrina’s pictures, Sasha suddenly realized something in the group chat.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1388
Do You Hate Me
Sasha: Ichika, look. There’s some mushroom underneath the tree you shot just now.
Solomon: Really?
Sabrina: Where? Show it to me. Why didn’t I see it earlier!
The women gathered together again.
Right then, Sebastian, who rarely appeared in the group chat, sent a text.
Sebastian: We can have some barbecued mushroom tonight.
Instantly, everyone turned their attention to the mushroom.
Ichika was forced to show how she harvested the mushroom live on her phone.
“Darling, come here! Sha told me the mushroom are edible. Let’s bring some back!” she enthused.
“Really?” Solomon came to her.
When he saw the golden mushroom underneath the pine tree, he picked them up and showed them to the camera.
Sasha exclaimed, “Oh, these are pine mushrooms! They are delicious, especially when they are barbecued!”
Ichika asked, “What about this, Sha?”
A shocked Sasha leaped up from the deck at once at the sight that appeared on the screen of her phone.
“That’s a hazelnut! Sebby, I want to pick mushrooms and hazelnuts on the mountain! We can make hazelnut tofu! Oh, my, that sounds delicious. Let’s go!” she whined impatiently.
At that, Sebastian, who was still holding onto his fishing pole, fell silent.
Sabrina had arrived to join them. She grew excited along with the other women.
“Darling, are you coming? If you’re not, I’m gonna leave without you!” Sasha urged.
What’s going on in the women’s head? Sebastian wondered.
In the end, the three couples who had initially agreed to go on their separate ways reunited on the mountain. Upon arrival, they spotted various edible plants around the mountains and took action without hesitation.
Some took off their clothes to move around easily, while some prepared the tools to scrounge the entire mountain.
Solomon’s lips twitched at the sight.
Ichika, however, promptly delved underneath the pine tree after everyone gathered.
“Darling, hurry! We might find more delicious stuff here!” she prompted.
Left with no choice, Solomon followed after her.
An hour later, everyone gathered around to show what they’d picked up. Their efforts proved fruitful.
Vivian was smiling gleefully as she showed her haul to everyone. “Mommy, look! I picked up a lot of mushrooms!”
Ian and Matteo focused on picking up the hazelnuts, filling their pockets to the brim.
Sebastian, however, stuck to his usual aloofness. He only had a bunch of branches full of little red fruits.
“What is this?” Sabrina inched closer to him curiously, her hands full of mushrooms.
Sasha explained, “These are wild plums. They are delicious! Don’t worry, they are not poisonous. I can promise that as a medical practitioner!”
She gave them a sly smile.
At her words, everyone else gathered around Sebastian and took a few fruits to try for themselves.
Even Ichika hopped over to grab a few after a brief hesitation. She even offered some to the man standing beside her.
“Want some?” she asked, her tone cheerful.
Solomon froze.
To his surprise, a tangy but sweet taste filled his mouth once he bit into the fruit. It was a heavenly sensation.
“Looks like there is plenty of delicious food in this horrible place,” Sabrina commented. She reached out to take some from her brother, obsessed with the taste.
Ichika glanced surreptitiously at her brother-in-law. She then ran over like a frightened deer to grab a few branches from him before returning to her husband.
This time, he took some from her without prompting and enjoyed them silently.
It was pretty late by now, and everyone was satisfied with what they got. Hence, they hiked down the mountain to prepare lunch at the camp.
“Sebastian, what time will the auroras appear?” Devin asked on the way back.
Sebastian glanced at his watch before giving an answer. “Around seven in the evening. Why?”
“Oh, nothing. I just want to make sure of the time. We can fill our stomachs before the event to make sure we enjoy the auroras tonight.”
As the oldest among them, he had everything planned out.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
After returning to their camp, they had lunch together. The women took a nap before busying themselves with dinner preparations, while the men started installing the telescopes and building the fire.
Devin and Solomon were in the midst of building the fire when the former suddenly suggested, “Solomon, go help Sebastian out. His telescope seems complicated to set up. Someone has to stand in his sight before he can get the accurate position. I’ll take care of the fire.”
Solomon halted at his words as his knuckles turned white.
A flush crept up his ears as though Devin had just asked him to go to hell.
He couldn’t bring himself to step forward.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1389
The One And Only
Devin was about to say something when Solomon turned, showing his back to him.
As a matter of fact, that was one of his strengths.
Though he was strong-headed and loved keeping everything to himself, he was fine with facing his mistakes. It showed when his mother had used him to bring harm to the Hayes family.
Indeed, no one was evil by nature.
They would only turn evil because no one had bothered to teach them patiently when they were growing up.
“Forty-five degrees. That enough?”
“A bit more. Forty-eight degrees.”
“All right.”
Both men cooperated to install the telescope under the dazzling evening sky.
Sebastian only started to research telescopes when this particular one arrived. He wasn’t interested in these, but it was obvious that the elegant Solomon was interested in astronomy.
Thus, Solomon knew more about telescopes compared to him.
About twenty minutes later, the telescope was finally installed.
Sebastian came over to peer in the eyepiece. “Grayson has contacted two competent psychologists back in Jadeborough. When we return, hand over your work and make the arrangements to receive treatment.”
Solomon’s head jolted up in shock. He turned at his shoulder to stare at the man standing behind him, utterly dumbfounded.
A psychologist?
In truth, he was against the idea of visiting a psychologist. He was in the opinion that he wasn’t sick.
He also didn’t want to reveal the deepest and darkest secrets in his heart. Seeing the psychologist would mean he had to rip his ugly old wounds apart again.
It was a form of torture for him.
Now that he was told that psychologists had been arranged for him to receive treatment, his hands slowly clenched up until they were balled into fists.
“What’s wrong? You don’t want to?” Sebastian demanded hotly.
His gaze had darkened after a long silence. Clearly, he was displeased at not having received any answer.
Solomon pursed his lips silently. One couldn’t help but notice how the aquiline nose he sported complemented his prominent cheekbones. Handsome in an understated way, his basalt jaw and Spartan shoulders spoke of strength. He possessed a latent, leonine power and always walked with purpose and authority.
After a long pause, he parted his lips stiffly. “No. I was merely shocked by your offer. Don’t you hate me after what I did to you?”
Finally, he revealed the words that had been buried in his heart for a long time.
At his question, Sebastian scoffed, “Hate? You’re not worthy of my hatred. If I hate someone, they’ll disappear off the face of the Earth. You’d better recover, or I won’t guarantee what I’ll do if it happens a second time,” he declared, his tone turning icy at the last sentence.
It didn’t seem like he was joking and no one could blame him for reacting that way because no man would like to see his wife being lusted over by someone else and especially in a sick manner.
If Sebastian was still the same man he was back then, he would’ve lost his temper by now and shot him in the head.
As they adjusted the telescope, the fire was already crackling to life. Seeing that, Sasha and Sabrina prepared a pot and placed it on top of the fire.
Vivian asked, “Mommy, are we having a picnic?”
Matteo retorted, “No, it’s obviously not a picnic! We’re here to climb a mountain! Remember to write an essay for your teacher so you’ll get a sticker during your exam.”
Vivian said nothing as her expression fell.
Ichika was tasked with washing the ingredients. Once everyone was ready, she came over with the ingredients.
“I’m done. Do you want to cook them now?” she inquired.
“Let’s wait. We can enjoy dinner and the auroras together. That sounds perfect, right?” Sasha suggested.
Everyone nodded at her suggestion. Instead of rushing dinner, they made the preparations and waited for night to fall.
Ichika waited patiently as well.
Sitting beside the fire, she noticed the man beside her was actually daydreaming, though his gaze was fixated on the sea.
It was as if his mind was everywhere else except here.
“Darling, what are you thinking about?” She came to him and offered him a palmful of pine nuts prepared by Sasha.
The man regained his senses, stunned by her action.
Sensing the warmth on his palm as the smell of the pine wafted into his nostrils, he looked down at the petite woman seated beside him.
Her gaze was clear and sparkling, illuminated by the crackling fire. On the island, besides the flickering fire under the dark sky, the only light came from her eyes as though they were bright stars twinkling in the sky. Her languid eyelashes of velvet-black blinked once slowly as if to invite him over. She offered him a beguiling smile, her luminous, heavenly-white teeth flashing in the dark as she did so.
Those bewitching eyes and her sweet personality mesmerized him.
“Nothing. It’s just… I might need to go to Jadeborough after this. Do you want to come along?” He regained his composure to ask her the question.
“Huh?” Munching on the nuts, the young lady blinked in confusion as she stared at her husband.
Jadeborough? Why would he go there without reason? Ah, never mind. Since he invited me, I shall go wherever he is!
Flashing a wide grin, she answered cheerily, “Of course I’ll come along. Remember, I’ll follow you wherever you go. I said I’d be by your side forever, right?”
Solomon fell silent at her words.
She’ll be by my side forever?
Finally, something emerged from the depths of his heart where he had kept it locked for a long time.
“Oh, look at the auroras!” the young lady beside him suddenly hollered.
Solomon looked up at once.
Right then, he heard her saying with her hands clasped together. “I wish my husband will stay healthy so I can be with him forever.”
It was a rare opportunity, but she ended up making that wish!
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1390
Out With The Old
That very night, everyone had fun witnessing the auroras.
As expected, when the magnificent lights shone down from the sky, it was as if the whole land was painted in vibrant colors. They lit up the night sky, dancing around in fantastic colors. They moved and danced unpredictably—initially barely perceptible, then suddenly growing vivid. The indescribable but breathtaking scenery was destined to be etched in everyone’s mind forever.
Sasha hadn’t had a complete recovery, so by the end of the lights, she was already snuggled up in Sebastian’s thick coat.
The man had covered her completely with his coat, and only her head was exposed to the air. If Vivian wasn’t here, one would’ve thought she was Sebastian’s daughter.
“Oh, this is breathtakingly beautiful, Sebby. Let’s take a photo to commemorate the moment,” she urged.
“It’s not like we won’t be here for a second time,” came the man’s straightforward reply.
Sasha nearly burst into laughter.
In the end, she took many photos using her own smartphone.
The other couples also took photos of the skies and selfies. All in all, they had a great time tonight.
However, the kids thought otherwise.
“What are you doing, Ian? Why are you taking photos and writing stuff?” Vivian was curious.
“You don’t understand. He’s doing his research,” Matteo explained.
He knew Ian more than anyone, so he offered an explanation to his sister while helping his brother with the telescope.
Vivian widened her eyes and gazed at Ian with admiration.
Shortly after, something unexpected happened.
“Daddy, we need to leave. A storm is approaching in an hour!”
Suddenly, Ian dashed over to his parents with his notebook in his hand.
Sebastian and Sasha were enjoying their time alone when their son interrupted their session.
“Storm? There was nothing about that in the weather report before we came.”
“That’s because they can’t calculate the change that swiftly. Auroras happen when particles from the sun interact with gases in our atmosphere, causing beautiful displays of light in the sky. The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the Earth’s atmosphere. The origin of the aurora begins on the surface of the sun when solar activity ejects a cloud of gas. Scientists call this a coronal mass ejection. If one of these reaches Earth, talking about two to three days, it’ll collide with the Earth’s magnetic field. This field is invisible, and if you could see its shape, it would make Earth look like a comet with a long magnetic ‘tail’ stretching a million miles behind Earth in the opposite direction of the sun. When a coronal mass ejection collides with the magnetic field, it causes complex changes to happen to the magnetic tail region. These changes generate currents of charged particles, which then flow along lines of magnetic force into the Polar Regions. These particles are boosted in energy in Earth’s upper atmosphere, and when they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, they produce dazzling auroral light. Occasionally, auroras are seen in latitudes below the auroral zone when a geomagnetic storm temporarily enlarges the auroral oval. Right now, a geomagnetic storm is coming our way,” the little boy stated solemnly.
He then stuffed two pieces of paper full of his calculations into his father’s palm.
Both Sebastian and Sasha were lost for words.
The two other couples parted their lips in surprise—this boy was clearly a child prodigy!
Devin had absolute trust in his nephew and was the first to rise to his feet. “If that’s the case, let’s go, Sebastian. Otherwise, we’ll be in trouble if the storm arrives.”
“Mmm, I agree with that,” Solomon chimed in.
Sebastian’s eyes twitched.
In the end, he had to listen to his son’s warning. He stood up to pack before leaving.
At this moment, Ambrose had just returned to the base when he heard that they had departed for Aurora Island. Knowing how erratic the weather could be, he panicked immediately.
“Why didn’t you stop them from heading to that island? Don’t you know how dangerous it is there?”
“It wasn’t us. Mr. Anderson was the one who suggested that they head there,” the engineers in the research laboratory replied in exasperation.
Ambrose’s panic heightened at their explanation. Their director, Bertram Anderson, wasn’t really good at science. He only ended up as their director because of his management skills.
Oh, no. They are in trouble!
Before he could hire a boat to bring him there, his wife, Leah Jesson, came to him.
“Ambrose, don’t worry. Sebastian is capable enough to figure a way out,” she comforted him.
“Well…”
He gave up on the idea of getting a boat after hearing his wife’s advice.
Luckily, shortly after, the security guard informed him that they were back. The storm on Aurora Island had just started ten minutes ago.
Oh, that was close!
Ambrose dashed out excitedly.
“Sebastian, you’re finally back! I was so worried!” he exclaimed.
“Yes, Mr. Pence. We’re back,” Sebastian answered in an apologetic tone when he saw Ambrose running toward him.
He was holding his daughter in his arms.
Sasha was right behind him, holding her sons’ hands. She seemed guilty to see this elderly man, too.
“You must’ve been worried sick. Sorry about that,” she apologized.
“It’s fine. I’m glad you’re back. Please don’t blame Mr. Anderson. He might be the leader, but he doesn’t know anything about our research. Don’t be mad.”
Ambrose relaxed when he realized they were safe and sound.