Ch. 1761..1770

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1761

Everyone Hates An Outstanding Person

Yasmin had never felt so embarrassed before.

With Ian’s unrelenting reprimands, topped off with the astonished looks of the crowd in the library, all she wanted to do at the moment was to find a hole to crawl and hide.

I only took a glance at his laptop. Is there a need for him to have such a reaction?

She grew frustrated.

“I didn’t touch your laptop. It’s just that someone gave you a video call, and it’s affecting the other students here. That’s why I wanted to turn it off for you.”

“You could’ve just shut the laptop!” Ian, whose rage was still burning, retorted.

At once, the library fell into a deafening silence.

Yeah, that’s true. She could’ve just shut the laptop if it was noisy. Why fiddle with something that doesn’t belong to her? Is that girl dumb? Or is she trying to invade his privacy?

The crowd threw their stares toward Yasmin again.

Her face turned scarlet as anger consumed her.

Without uttering another word, she clenched her fists tightly as she glared at Ian, then returned to her desk, packed her stuff, and hurried out of the library.

Very well. Remember what you did, Ian!

Nonetheless, Ian could not care less about how the situation had turned out.

That afternoon, after finding some finance-related books, he accepted a project by the Hayes Corporation on his laptop.

Coincidentally, or perhaps not, that project was in the same city.

Caleb: Mr. Ian, According to observations, developments are still possible for that building. So, other than clinching the deal, you have to think about its development plans. Is there any problem for you?

Ian: It’s fine.

He merely responded with two words as he stared intently at the map of the commercial district surrounding the building that Caleb had sent over.

Caleb: All right. If there are any other matters, feel free to contact me. Also, I’ve arranged for Ms. Myers and the others to assist you in work.

Ian: Mm-hmm.

After adding the contacts of his new assistants, he left the library as he realized it was time for his afternoon class.

That class was a foundation course. In fact, Ian did not have to bother himself about attending such classes. But that afternoon, when he entered the lecture hall, he noticed that everyone had sat together even though it was not a huge crowd.

After he entered, he noticed the empty seats at the back.

“You’re saying that guy scolded our ice queen at the library?”

“Yeah, everyone at the library saw it. How can anyone not know who the ice queen is? She’s our goddess, someone who is so precious to us. And him? He’s just a new transfer student. What right does he have to do that?”

“Exactly!”

When the crowd saw Ian making his way in, they immediately gave him a pointed glare and deliberately displayed an enraged expression.

Nonetheless, Ian walked to the empty seats with his backpack, paying no attention to their behavior.

And he was perfectly contented with that.

“Look; he’s really sitting there all by his own.”

“Yeah, don’t you guys think he’s a weird dude? He never talks, and neither does he mingle with us. Perhaps there’s something wrong with him?”

“Transfer students like him most likely have some problems. I observed him during the two classes this morning, and I noticed that he doesn’t even know what lessons are supposed to be like.”

Hearing the comment someone made, everyone immediately turned to Ian again and shot him their mocking-filled gazes.

“What are you guys saying? Don’t spout nonsense. I’m warning you!”

Right then, a round-face girl, with her hair tied up in a bun, trotted into the lecture hall. Hearing the intense chatters among the crowd gossiping about Ian, she knitted her brows and chastised them.

It was Zaylynn.

The group dared not say another word upon seeing her presence.

Following that, she cheerily carried her backpack and walked up to Ian.

“Ian, you’re here. Look what I’ve brought for you. Your aunt and I made a trip to the supermarket at noon, and this is what she got for you.”

Instead of taking her books out, she passed the box she was holding onto in her hands as soon as she sat down.

It was a box of cake, or more specifically, Ian’s favorite chocolate lamingtons.

Since Ian did not finish the spaghetti during lunch earlier, Susan was worried he would get hungry and, hence decided to go to the supermarket to buy him the cake.

Hearing that it was from his aunt, his grim expression turned slightly better as he took the cake over.

Of course, Zaylynn was overjoyed.

Not long after, the professor arrived. Earlier that day, Zaylynn had sounded Susan out regarding Ian’s interests. She also learned that the thing he hated most was getting interrupted while doing something.

As such, she sat through the entire class quietly, without making any noises while beside him.

But just as things seemed fine, troubles came.

“Everyone, this question is slightly more complicated. I wonder if you guys grasp what I’ve explained? Do raise your doubts if anything is boggling your mind.”

“Sir, I think you should ask the new transfer student, Ian, to see if there’s anything he is unclear of.”

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1762

He Is Poor

All of a sudden, someone within that group mentioned Ian again.

And with that, a commotion broke out within the class, asking for their professor to show more “care and concern” for the new student.

The teacher had no choice but to turn to Ian.

“Then… Ian, do you understand this question?”

Within seconds, everyone averted their gazes on him. A contemptuous expression was apparent on their faces, an obvious sign that they were all waiting to watch a show.

Indeed. They were waiting to watch Ian make a fool out of himself.

Other than his words and actions that seemed out of the normal, the fact that the gorgeous beauties of their faculty—Zaylynn and Yasmin—had all got close to him after his arrival naturally made them feel even more uncomfortable about it.

“Sir, Ian—”

“I understand.”

Little did anyone expect that even before Zaylynn could finish her words, Ian cut her off and nodded his head as he stared expressionlessly at the professor standing right in front.

The professor put on a satisfied smile. “That’s great. Then—”

“Sir, how about we get Ian to demonstrate? We’re still a little confused about it, to be very honest. By getting Ian up, you can point out and clarify the mistakes he makes.”

“T-This…”

That put the professor in a tight spot.

While he was still in a dilemma, Ian stood up and walked to the front. His black eyes remained blank and glacial, and his statuesque face still carried his usual nonchalance.

Arriving at the podium, he uttered, “Give me the chalk.”

“O-Oh, sure.” The professor apparently had yet to pick up what was going on but went ahead to pass him the chalk. Under the crowd’s bewildered gazes, Ian began penning down notes on the blackboard as he elaborated.

It had taken him two minutes. Only two minutes!

That question, without a doubt, was a challenging one for an average year one student. Yet, he had written out the perfect explanation with his slender fingers.

“All right. There are two points that you didn’t illustrate clearly enough earlier, but I’ve corrected them for you.” Ian passed the chalk back to the professor.

The professor was dumbfounded.

Similarly, the students in the seating area gaped at the scenario, leaving the whole lecture hall to fall dead silent.

H-He actually corrected the professor? Oh my gosh. Did we hear wrongly? T-There’s… nothing wrong with that fellow?

Everyone felt like they were given a hard slap in the face.

With that, no one dared to make another comment about Ian for the rest of the class. As for that professor, he immediately returned to the office to look for the dean as soon as class concluded.

“Sir, didn’t you mention that the new transfer student in the Faculty of Finance has never attended high school? But how did he manage to solve a university question that easily? H-He even pointed my mistake out.”

The professor’s face grew red in embarrassment. In truth, that was the first time a student corrected him throughout his entire teaching career.

The dean regarded him with an icy cold gaze.

“What’s so strange about that? Do you mean that a person who hasn’t studied at a high school is incompetent?”

“Do you know what’s his relationship with Susan Jadeson from the Faculty of Business Administration?” the dean suddenly asked.

The professor was momentarily stunned.

Susan Jadeson? Isn’t she one of the two students that our school is putting extra focus on? Together with her brother, Timothy Jadeson!

“Uhm… what?”

“He calls her ‘Aunt Susan’. Now, go and figure it out yourself. Decide what kind of attitude you want to show toward that child again after you’ve thought it through.”

The dean picked up a lesson plan on the desk and shoved it in the professor’s hand.

The latter froze in shock.

When he finally came to realization, he widened his eyes. At the same time, his unhappiness toward Ian for correcting his mistake dissipated.

That’s right. What is there not to understand? As the descendant of the Jadesons, it’s no wonder he can point out my mistake.

With that, he merrily headed back for lessons.

Meanwhile, Ian was preparing to head home after classes.

He had planned to return home early since he would be meeting Yvonne and the others at his apartment to discuss the project.

“Ian, where are you going? Heading back home? Shall I give you a ride back?” A voice called him from behind as soon as he strode out of the building. Several seconds later, Zaylynn popped out and warmly asked if he wanted her to send him back home.

The Neal family was relatively wealthy and could be considered one of the prominent families in the city.

Needless to say, Zaylynn had a private chauffeur who would send her to and fro school daily. Because of that, many in the Faculty of Finance tried to suck up to her.

Sadly, she had been completely disregarded on that particular day.

Walking up to the bike-sharing zone, Ian fished out his phone and read through the instruction manual Susan sent him. Next, he scanned to make his payment and rode off on a bicycle.

That entire scene left Zaylynn seething with anger.

“Zaylynn, he’s ignoring you again? He has gone too far! What’s so good about that useless bicycle? He’s really blind to how lucky he is!”

“He probably has been too used to being poor. That’s why he doesn’t know how nice it is to have a luxury car send him home since he has never been on it before.”

Two other girls came running up to Zaylynn and began grumbling beside her.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1763

New Experiences

Although Zaylynn was still mad at Ian at the time, she turned around and glared at the two girls upon hearing that.

“Who are you two calling ungrateful, huh? Who I offer a ride to is none of your business! His family’s financial status has nothing to do with either of you!” she shouted angrily.

The two girls then quickly left in the cars of their respective drivers after that.

Ian was cycling rather slowly as he wasn’t too familiar with bicycles. Unlike Matteo, who was a lot more physically active, Ian had gotten used to being driven around by their family’s chauffeur.

Beep! Beep!

Suddenly, a honking sound could be heard from behind him.

Startled by the sudden noise, Ian lost control of the bicycle’s handlebars and fell down after crashing into a pole.

“Ugh…”

The pain was so intense that he broke out in a cold sweat on the spot.

Fortunately for him, he happened to fall down behind a corner of the university, so no one was there to see it. He then quickly got back on his feet and tried to carry on cycling, but a sharp pain tore through his ankle before he could take a step forward.

He was about to give Timothy a call to ask if he had come out when another cyclist passed by and saw his little accident.

Screech!

The brakes made a loud screeching noise as the bicycle came to a halt next to him.

“What happened to you?”

A cold female voice echoed throughout the quiet corner, making the situation even more awkward than before.

Ian looked up in response, but quickly turned his head when he saw that it was Yasmin.

He then pulled out his smartphone and began dialing a number instead.

Yasmin went livid with rage when she saw him ignore her act of kindness and rode off angrily.

“Are you still in class right now? Oh… Okay, carry on, then. I’ll figure something out on my own.”

The disappointment in Ian’s voice was clear as day when he hung up the phone.

Upon hearing that, Yasmin instinctively slammed on the brakes and turned around to check on him.

What the… Is he actually planning on walking? Has he lost his mind or something? Where is he going? The nearest bus station is a few miles away! Why doesn’t he call for a cab instead?

Despite still being mad at him, Yasmin doubled back and stopped her bicycle next to him anyway.

“Where are you headed?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Ian was probably better off keeping his mouth shut, because Yasmin nearly exploded with anger when she heard that.

She had never experienced such strong emotions until she entered this university.

“As much as I’d love to just up and leave, the student council secretary did task me with looking after you, so it is my responsibility to ensure your safety. Wait here while I hail you a cab,” Yasmin replied as she got off the bicycle and pulled out her smartphone.

Huh? I can hail a cab here?

Ian narrowed his eyes at the thought of that.

Because he had always depended on his family’s chauffeur to drive him around, he knew nothing about hailing cabs using smartphones at all.

After successfully hailing him a cab, Yasmin shifted her gaze back toward Ian and saw him standing on one leg while reading a white notebook.

Yasmin recognized that notebook as she had seen him taking notes with it in class earlier.

Huh? Going through his notes at a time like this? Is he really that hardworking?

She thought to herself with a sneer and looked the other way.

About ten minutes later, the cab that Yasmin hailed finally arrived.

“All right, stop studying. Your ride is here,” she reminded him patiently.

Ian looked up and saw a car pulling up in front of them.

“Thanks,” he said as he got into the car.

What? Did he just thank me after practically ignoring my presence the whole time? I don’t understand his behavior at all! Yasmin thought to herself.

Had she known how Ian’s mind worked, she probably would’ve understood why he behaved that way toward her.

The truth was, Ian viewed every incident separately. Although he was mad at her for looking at his computer earlier, her helping to hail a cab in his time of need was a completely separate and unrelated matter.

As such, he felt it was perfectly reasonable to thank her for it.

Yvonne and the others were already waiting at the house by the time Ian got home, and they were all shocked when they saw him limping through the front door.

“What happened to you, Mr. Ian? Are you all right? What’s wrong with your leg?”

Ian brushed it off casually by replying, “I’m fine. I just fell down on the way home, that’s all.”

With the first aid kit that he had bought from the pharmacy downstairs, Ian began treating his wound inside his room.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1764

Ian Saw Right Through It

Being a medical practitioner, Sasha had taught them a lot about first aid throughout the years.

As such, Ian was able to get his wound treated fairly quickly all by himself.

Yvonne, who had been waiting for him outside, asked worriedly when she saw him come out of the room at last, “Mr. Ian, are you sure you don’t need to get this treated at a hospital?”

“That won’t be necessary. Now, let’s get down to business,” Ian replied as he sat down at the table with his laptop.

The employees that came over to help him out knew better than to say anything further as they joined him at the table.

“Mr. Ian, what happened is—”

Ian, who was still staring at his laptop, cut her off by saying, “You can drop the formalities. From here on, just call me ‘Ian.’“

The employees froze in surprise for a brief moment before smiling again.

“Right, of course. Let us get down to business, then. We’ve conducted a field study on this project two days ago. We spoke to the person in charge as well, but he raised the price the moment he found out that we’re from Hayes Corporation.”

“How much?” Ian asked coldly without even looking away from his laptop.

Yvonne held up two fingers as she replied, “He’s asking for an additional twenty million on top of the original price.”

Twenty million? Heh…

Ian had an icy-cold look in his eyes as he said, “In that case, let him continue to try and sell it. See if he can find another buyer willing to pay that much for it.”

“But…”

Yvonne fell speechless upon hearing that.

Another employee from the operational department protested anxiously, “That building is located in a very strategic spot! Someone else will snag it if we don’t make our move in time!”

“Why are you being so desperate? They’re raising the price ridiculously high precisely because they saw your desperation. Given Hayes Corporation’s reputation, no one would dare compete with us if you put word out about this. Besides, if the location really is that great, our company is perfectly capable of setting up another commercial district next to it.”

Although Ian had only joined the company not long ago, his words had hit the nail on the head and shocked the employees to the core.

That level of brilliance and charisma… He’s practically a miniature version of Sebastian Hayes! The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree!

The meeting was ended shortly after, and the employees made their way out of the house. As everyone was preparing to leave in the car, Yvonne texted someone while nobody was looking.

Yvonne: Mission failed. This kid saw right through our plans.

Anonymous: What do you mean? Didn’t he just join the company not long ago?

Yvonne: Yes, but he just told us to ignore the price offered. Said he’d just build another commercial district next to it if someone else purchases the building.

Anonymous: D*mn it!

That was the last message Yvonne received from the anonymous person she was texting.

Ian wasn’t able to sleep well that night due to the pain in his leg.

Susan came over with breakfast very early the next morning after finding out about it from her brother.

“What happened to you, Ian? Are you all right? I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to send you home last night! Come on, show me the wound! How is it?”

She was so worried about him that she ran straight to his bedroom with her backpack still on.

Ian was still in bed at the time, so he hid under the blanket out of awkwardness when he saw her coming in.

“I’m fine, Aunt Susan…”

Timothy had just gotten out of bed in the room next to Ian’s when he heard how worried Susan was.

“It’s just a sprained ankle, that’s all. I’ve already treated it yesterday, so he’ll be fine,” he explained casually.

Those words had barely left his mouth when Susan smacked him hard on the back of his head.

“I’m surprised you’ve got the cheek to word it so casually! Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? Don’t you know that we’re his only family around here?”

Susan did not hold back at all when it came to lecturing her younger brother.

In the end, all Timothy could do was run off to fetch some ointment while Susan began examining Ian’s ankle.

The injury was actually quite severe, and the poor blood circulation due to Ian’s lack of exercise caused the swelling to worsen overnight.

“Ian, how about you take a day off from school? Get some rest at home, and I’ll take you to a hospital afterward,” Susan suggested.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1765

Kids Getting Along

“I’ll be fine. I don’t think it’s a good idea to be absent so soon after the classes have started,” Ian turned her suggestion down immediately.

Even so, the two of them brought him to a hospital anyway before dropping him off on campus.

Despite Ian asking them to keep his injury a secret from his parents, Sebastian and Sasha managed to find out about it somehow.

Sasha had heard about it from someone else very early in the morning.

Sebastian was watering the plants on the balcony when she came in with Yoel in her arms and asked, “Sebby, I heard Ian got hurt yesterday. Is that true?”

“Yeah, it’s just a minor injury. Don’t worry about it,” Sebastian replied with a nod.

“I see… That’s good to hear. By the way, how is he doing in university? Has he gotten used to it yet?” Sasha pressed on anxiously when she saw how calm he was.

She had called Ian to ask how he was doing throughout the past few days, but he would always brush her concerns off casually and only told her what she wanted to hear.

Sasha probably wouldn’t even know about his injury had she not asked Karl directly this time.

Sebastian still had that same calm expression as he continued watering the plants.

There was a gentle look in his eyes as he glanced at the flowers that were blooming under the morning sun.

“He’s doing all right,” he replied with a smile.

That’s right, we are always “all right”. Life is never going to be smooth sailing all the time. We’re always going to face challenges and obstacles along the way. Only by experiencing the ups and downs of life will he truly be able to grow and mature as a person.

Feeling relieved when she saw how relaxed he was about it all, Sasha carried Yoel downstairs.

“He’ll be going to school with you today, Nina. Make sure you take good care of him, okay?”

Nina, who was seven years old, was sitting in the living room with Jeffrey, who would soon turn six.

They were both waiting for Yoel to come downstairs.

It was a decision that Sasha and Sebastian made after discussing it and giving Solomon a call.

After bringing Ichika to Jetroina, Solomon found out that one of the twins that she was pregnant with suffered from hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN).

Since HDN was extremely dangerous to both the mother and her baby, Haruto suggested for her to abort the child.

However, Ichika burst out crying when she heard that and refused to abort her child no matter what.

Left with no other choice, Solomon tried asking Haruto if they could try to save both of them instead.

As it would be an extremely long process, they arranged for Yoel to attend a kindergarten here.

Nina had been keeping her distance from everyone ever since she got here, but she walked up to Yoel and took his hand as she said, “Okay!”

Being the obedient kid that he was, Yoel didn’t object to it and simply let her hold on to his hand.

Feeling relieved, Sasha then had the housemaid send the kids to school and prepared herself for work.

She was planning on visiting a few factories owned by the Jadesons, but someone showed up outside Oceanic Estate all of a sudden.

“Are you about to head out, Mrs. Jadeson?”

“Riley? Come on in! Have you had breakfast yet?” Sasha asked as she welcomed her into the house.

“I got a call from my brother this morning, Mrs. Jadeson. He told me that Tillie’s father has regained consciousness after the successful surgery in Moranta, and that he intends on having Mr. Zander return for his recuperation. However, most airlines refuse to accept passengers who have yet to be discharged due to how risky it is, so…” Riley replied anxiously as she entered through the door.

Although she held herself back from completing her sentence at the end, Sasha was smart enough to understand what she meant.

“No worries, I’ll have Sebastian make the arrangements to bring them over. By the way, how is Tillie? Did she get herself examined by the doctor there?” she asked.

Riley’s expression turned gloomy the moment she heard that.

“No, she didn’t. Edmund tried suggesting it to her, but she strongly refused to do so. Said she didn’t want her dad to find out about it right after completing his surgery. The two of them haven’t been speaking to each other for the past few days.”

“What?”

While it is perfectly normal for Tillie to think that way, that shouldn’t be an issue now that Edmund has found out about it. I mean, the two of them could just keep it her medical examination a secret from her parents! Why would she refuse to see a doctor? I have a bad feeling about this…

Sasha frowned at the thought of that.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1766

Women Are Easily Satisfied

“Riley, did you ask the doctor about her condition when you looked it up at the hospital the other day? What did the doctor say?”

“I did. The doctor told me that her cancer has reached the late stage.”

Riley’s mood worsened even more when she said that.

Late stage, huh… Despite how advanced technology is these days, liver cancer is usually fatal by the time it is detected…

Sasha didn’t know what to say all of a sudden.

Regardless, she still wanted to try and treat Tillie as she didn’t want her to die like this after hanging on for five long years.

Having made up her mind, Sasha sent her a text that day: Tillie, I’ve heard about your condition. Since I practice TCM, I would like to ask if you’re interested in trying out acupuncture.

After about four to five minutes of waiting, Sasha saw Tillie start to type a message in response, but she didn’t receive anything.

Little did she know, Tillie was undergoing an overwhelming surge of emotions and mixed feelings at the time.

It felt like she had found a ray of light at the end of a dark tunnel, and she felt like her dead heart had come back to life all of a sudden.

It was such a complex feeling that she couldn’t describe it at all, and she was trembling all over as she eventually replied: What do you mean?

Sasha: You know how the hospital said my husband was beyond treatment back then? Well, I managed to save him in the end. So, I thought maybe you could give it a shot as well.

Tillie: . . .

Sasha: By the way, I’ve noticed something off about your condition long ago. Riley only looked up your medical record because I told her about it. Unlike modern medicine, TCM relies on careful observation and monitoring of your physical signs. Given the current stage you’re at, why not let me have a shot at treating you?

Fearing that Tillie would refuse her offer, Sasha even went as far as mentioning that she was the one who first noticed Tillie’s condition.

Tillie was so overjoyed when she read Sasha’s message that she fell to her knees and burst out crying on the spot.

To finally stumble upon a glimmer of hope after wandering about in despair for so long was a truly indescribable feeling for her.

Edmund came rushing out of the doctor’s office upon hearing the commotion, only to panic when he saw her crying in the corridor.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” he asked anxiously as he thought her illness was kicking in again.

In fact, her medical condition was exactly what he had been discussing with the doctor just now.

He was even considering knocking her out and treating her by force if she refused to cooperate.

To his surprise, Tillie then looked up at him with her tear-filled eyes and stammered while sobbing, “M-Mrs. Jadeson said she’s going to treat me…”

“What?”

Edmund was just as shocked when he heard that.

Eventually, the two of them agreed to let Sasha try treating her. Feeling a lot better after making up her mind, Tillie was finally able to put a smile on her pale face, much to Edmund’s relief.

After taking care of the discharge procedure for his father-in-law, they boarded a private jet that Sebastian had arranged for them and flew back from Moranta.

“I want you to stop worrying about stuff in the family when we get back, okay? All you have to do is just focus on Sasha’s treatment,” Edmund whispered in Tillie’s ear when her parents were asleep on the flight.

Tillie, who was peeling an apple at the time, froze upon hearing that. Although she didn’t say anything in response, her eyes began tearing up once again.

“Also, I will kick both Alice and Violet stay out of the Cooper residence. You won’t see them anymore by the time you get back,” Edmund added.

Tillie looked up at him after a brief pause and asked, “A-Are you sure about that? I mean, they’re your sisters.”

Edmund felt his anger burning up when he heard what she said. “That way of thinking is precisely why they keep taking advantage of you. You’ve served them more than enough over the years, don’t you think?”

Honestly, the one thing I dislike the most about Tillie is her excessively weak and submissive behavior! Alice and Violet have been parasites in the Cooper family for so many years now, and yet Tillie continues to put up with them. Why would she do that? Doesn’t she know that she needs to stand her ground and be firm when dealing with such people?

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1767

Live A Nice Life

Tillie didn’t say anything further and eventually fell asleep on the flight.

It was already evening by the time they landed in Jadeborough.

Riley had been waiting there for them quite a while ago. She quickly ran forward to greet them the moment she saw them get off the plane.

“Are you all right, Tillie? How is Mr. Zander?”

Riley was the main reason the Coopers were able to find out about Tillie’s condition and convince Edmund to go look for her overseas.

Because of that, Edmund was incredibly grateful toward her.

“He’s fine. All we have to do is get him to a hospital.”

“No problem. I’ve already contacted the hospital and made the arrangements for his ward, so we can bring him over right away!” Riley replied while helping her with the suitcases.

Tillie felt touched when she saw how well everything was taken care of.

“Thank you, Riley! Thank you so much!”

“Come on, there’s no need to thank me! We’re family, remember?” Riley said with a smile as she had someone send Tillie’s father to the hospital.

The housemaid at the Cooper residence had already prepared dinner by the time they got home. Although Gabriella was still around, Alice and Violet were nowhere to be found.

The Cooper residence looked so clean and tidy that Tillie’s eyes lit up with joy when she glanced around her.

After dinner, Riley waited for Tillie to take a shower before dragging Edmund into her room.

“Edmund, now that Mrs. Jadeson has agreed to treat Tillie, you need to be more caring toward her and try to help out at home. No more fooling around outside all the time, got it?” she lectured him.

“I’m not fooling around! I was running errands, okay?” Edmund denied her accusation instantly.

Riley gave him a really hard smack on the shoulder upon hearing that.

“Don’t lie to me! I’ve taken a lot of time off work because of you two, so I need to head over to Yorksland in two days. You’d better not let my effort and sacrifices be in vain or I’ll kick your a*s when I get back!”

She used to be a lot more reserved with Edmund due to the awkward relationship between their parents, but she had gotten over it after so many years have passed.

Knowing full well that Edmund would never retaliate if she hit him, Riley no longer hesitated to scold or hit him whenever he misbehaved.

“Why are you leaving in such a hurry? Have you met up with Gavin Little?” he asked while rubbing his shoulder in pain.

“Gavin who?”

Riley shot him an angry glare as she continued, “You just mind your own business and stay out of mine, got it? Make sure you take good care of Tillie and her father. With Mrs. Jadeson’s treatment, there might still be hope for her.”

She then snorted coldly and stormed out of the room, leaving Edmund completely speechless as he watched her go.

D*mn, she sure has gotten a lot fiercer lately! It’s no wonder no one wants to date her!

Meanwhile, Sasha had been going through countless medical books in Oceanic Estate after hearing about Tillie’s return to the country.

“Are you able to treat late stage cancer?” Sebastian asked.

“I don’t know, but I can try my best to. At least it’s better than not doing anything at all, right?” Sasha replied honestly.

Sebastian decided not to ask her any further and carried on reading some documents that Luke had sent him.

Solomon is busy looking after Ichika right now, so he won’t have the time to worry about such things. I’ll just have to manage Hayes Corporation remotely in the meantime.

After carefully going through the report, Sebastian realized something was amiss.

Not only was there no sign of increment in the past few months, but the report had also been separated into many different parts.

What the… Why is everything so messy? Since when has he become so incompetent?

With that in mind, Sebastian grabbed his phone and gave his assistant a call.

“Hello, Mr. Hayes. Is there something I can help you with?” Luke asked upon answering the phone.

“It’s about the report you just sent me. Has it always been written like this?” Sebastian asked the moment he heard Luke’s voice on the other line.

“That’s right, Mr. Hayes. Is something the matter?” Luke replied with a nod.

For some reason, he felt a lot more nervous talking to Sebastian than he ever did with Solomon.

“Why would you split it into so many different parts? Compile everything and send it back to me!” Sebastian scolded him angrily.

“Y-Yes, Mr. Hayes!” Luke quickly agreed to his request without any hesitation.

Even Sasha was a little taken aback by how fierce Sebastian sounded on the phone. She walked up to him after he hung up the phone and asked, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem at the office?”

“I don’t know. The statistics in the report were broken down into many different parts. I have no idea how Solomon is managing them at all.”

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1768

Bold

With a dark look, Sebastian hovered his mouse over a document icon and clicked on it. Then, he waved Sasha over to have a look at the file. While she was at that, he got up and got a glass of water for himself.

Sasha was a genius in finance. Sebastian believed that she could comprehend the issue with the document at just a glimpse without any explanation from him.

She settled in front of the computer and analyzed the document's content.

Five minutes later, she spotted some issues with it.

“The person who created this was either bad at it or had messed it up on purpose. It was just one piece of land. Yet the data submitted were split into auction, planning, construction...”

Sasha's eyebrows burrowed at the numbers on the screen.

The expression on Sebastian's face darkened even more at her analysis.

However, it was too early to conclude as a further investigation still needed to be done. Thus, they didn't dwell on it and retired for the night. When the lights turned off, thoughts of her son began racing through Sasha's mind as she lay in Sebastian's embrace on the bed.

“Oh, right. Wasn't Ian in charge of a project in school? How did he do? Did the operational department submit their proposal with the data this time?”

“I haven't looked at it yet...” Sebastian answered absentmindedly, his hands busy caressing Sasha in the dark.

His nonchalance annoyed Sasha.

Can't he be serious about it? We're talking about our son here!

However, he did not hear her silent complaint. Not long after, he found her lips with ease and kissed her. With a swift movement, he positioned her on top of him.

“Darling, it finally ended. Can we do something different this time?”

In the dark, passionate night, his excited whisper sounded in Sasha's ear.

Do something different? What was that supposed to mean?

That night, Sasha didn't get to sleep a wink. Their nightly activities kept her up until dusk.

At eight sharp in the morning, Luke had just started another day at work in Avenport. He requested the summary report, which the employees had worked on for the whole night, and waited for Sebastian's summons.

Two hours later when it was almost ten in the morning. Sebastian, who had gotten some release, was feeling much better than last night.

When he flipped the documents and skimmed through the summary report, he didn't point out any mistakes. “Follow this example next time.”

Luke answered, “Yes, Sir.”

Employees at Hayes Corporation finally got to heave a breath of relief.

“Say, Mr. Zeyl. Why did Mr. Hayes request for the summary report overnight?”

After the meeting among the board of directors ended, a couple of shareholders began chatting in the lounge.

Winston replied, “Why else? Have all of you forgotten? He likes everything to be immaculate. We were used to detail management and had forgotten about Mr. Hayes' habit after all these years with Solomon holding the reins.”

His explanation was arbitrary at best, but the other shareholders were relieved by it.

Feeling assured, the other shareholders left the lounge.

Winston left ten minutes later. The minute he reached the parking lot, he took out his phone and saw he had received a few text messages from Bob from the Sales Department.

Mr. Zeyl, did Mr. Hayes find out anything last night?

Winston texted back: I was just about to ask you on that. You knew Sebastian would be taking over Hayes Corporation temporarily. So how could you not make the necessary preparations beforehand?

Bob replied: It wasn't like that, Mr. Zeyl. We've already submitted those reports to the Finance Department. I did want to take it back and redo it. Yet, they rejected my request saying they had already prepared their month-end report. So I...

Winston texted: Useless!

Winston began cussing in the car after he sent the message.

Bob didn't reply to the message.

At that moment, Winston's phone rang, cutting off his long train of cusses. He picked up the call in a bad mood.

“Yes?”

“Hey, Winston. I saw Larry and the rest asking you about that matter back in the lounge earlier, so I kept quiet; but what do you think about it?”

It was another shareholder.

Sebastian had removed many shareholders after Yancy's incident.

Yancy was pulling the strings behind Solomon to acquit Hayes Corporation with Sinch Enterprise. She forcibly bought the shares from Peter, Larry, and a few others. Luckily, Sasha and Sabrina managed to retain those share transfer agreements.

When Sebastian returned in the end, he destroyed Yancy's plans by repurchasing all of Hayes Corporation's shares.

At that time, a change occurred within the board of directors. Sebastian swiftly repurchased all the shares Sinch Enterprise had bought with force and fired all the shareholders that had betrayed the company.

Therefore, only a few original shareholders were left on the board of directors. Larry, Peter, and Winston were among the remaining few.

The rest of the shareholders joined when Solomon took the reins.

“How else can I think about it? Isn't that obvious? Sebastian is not Solomon. Do you take him as a fool?”

Winston began cussing in the car again.

The shareholder on the other end paled at the string of expletives.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1769

Ian Is Mine

“What should we do then? If he catches wind of this, we're dead.”

“Why are you getting all jittery? Have we done anything wrong? We just added a few detailed transactions to each category, so the company's spending looked more comprehensive. What is there to worry about?”

The shareholder was stunned at Winston's swift change as he didn't expect Winston to switch his narrative so quickly.

Is that all? But, the amount lining our pockets all these years...

“Calm down. Let's not lose our heads when nothing has even happened yet. Even if worse comes to worst, we still have James holding the fort,” Winston assured.

James was Peter's son.

In recent years, Peter had been slowly retiring from his post due to his increasing age and had transferred the position to his son.

The shareholder was relieved at Winston's assurance.

“You're right. What you said made sense, Winston. Then, what about the case that the operational department passed to Ian? Yvonne sent me a message yesterday, saying that even though the brat might seem young, but he's smart. He saw right through our plans.”

The shareholder's tone began to drip with frustration as he recalled Ian's attitude.

Ian's interference had cost them twenty million in losses.

Winston replied, “That's enough. Let's not mull over this matter any longer at such a crucial period. That's just a minuscule amount. Just think of how much we would earn after he leaves?”

“You mean they'll invest more?”

The shareholder was ecstatic at the news.

Shareholders like him had always accumulated their wealth with underhanded means over the years.

However, Solomon was smart. He would assign someone he trusted to observe the entire project, from purchasing to development. The only way they could make some profit was to target the purchasing process before it was successful.

An example would be the building that Yvonne proposed to Ian.

Before the acquisition process was completed, there was no way Hayes Corporation could find out about any manipulation of the property price. Once they succeeded in jacking up the price, profit would come in bountifully.

That was the reason they created so many accounts.

They would never reveal their relationship with the sellers for fear Hayes Corporation would find a trail that led to them in any investigation.

The shareholder understood what Winston was trying to convey.

After he hung up the call, he left while happily humming a tune.

Meanwhile, Winston set his phone back in its holder and drove out of Hayes Corporation.

It's okay. I'll let our little friend play for a little longer. After he experiences the cruelty of the working society, he will retreat. Didn't he say the reason for him to work in the office was to fix the flaws in his character? The apple really does not fall far from the tree!

A triumphant smile played on Winston's lips.

Meanwhile, Ian had a smooth day at the university.

His life had been peaceful that day. It could be the bandage on his leg or his excellent performance in the previous lecture that had stunned those people.

Either way, there wasn't anyone looking for trouble with him recently.

“Ian, did you hurt your leg? Do you need help to get to the cafeteria?”

Zaylynn was friendly as usual. Seeing that Ian had hurt his leg and was having trouble walking about, she immediately came over to him after class to offer him help to the cafeteria for lunch.

However, Ian would never take up her offer.

He packed his backpack and walked away from his seat, ignoring her.

“Ian?”

“Ian, are you going to the cafeteria? Come on, let's go together.”

At that same time, Jacques specifically came over to find Ian. Once he saw Ian was leaving, he instantly rushed to Ian's side with a girl trailing after him.

The girl was none other than Yasmin.

In the end, Ian agreed to join Jacques for lunch. He sat on the back seat of his bicycle as they rode to the cafeteria, with Yasmin and Zaylynn riding their bicycles behind them.

“Yasmin, do you and Jacques have something on? Does our faculty have some activities planned?”

“No.”

Yasmin's cold attitude was a slap to Zaylynn's face.

Zaylynn felt humiliated by the sharp reply.

If there's no activity, then why is she here? She should go on with her daily routine and let me handle everything here.

Zaylynn disliked Yasmin. She could've been the prettiest in the Faculty of Finance with her good looks and excellent results, but she lost everything to Yasmin ever since the latter made her appearance.

Zaylynn was staring at her. When she saw that they were almost reaching the cafeteria, she instantly stopped Yasmin. She had prepared some delicious food for Ian and didn't want Yasmin to spoil it for her.

“If you have nothing going on, then you should eat elsewhere.”

“What did you say?”

“Yasmin, we'll assume you're infatuated with Jacques if you keep following him everywhere. To be frank, I've arranged a meal for Ian in the cafeteria, and I hope no one will bother us.”

Zaylynn was, after all, an heiress from a prominent family. She began to chase Yasmin away bluntly when Yasmin didn't get her earlier cues.

Yasmin was speechless.

Ian?

She turned to look at the boy walking into the cafeteria with Jacques' help. Finally, her bicycle screeched to a stop.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1770

Get Closer

In the end, Yasmin turned her bicycle around and left.

Zaylynn was over the moon at Yasmin's retreat. She ran after the two boys with bouncy steps.

“Let's not eat the cafeteria food. I've already asked the cook to prepare something for us separately. Wait here for me. I'll run over there real quick to retrieve the food.”

She saw Ian had already sat down at an empty table with Jacques soon as she entered the cafeteria, so she quickly stopped them from buying anything.

Jacques flashed her a knowing smile. “How nice of you. I'm in luck then.”

As her senior, he was aware of her intentions from the start.

Soon, Zaylynn led the cook over with several dishes in her hands. There were pork knuckles, baked fish, and a pot of steaming chicken soup.

Those dishes were fantastic compared to the ordinary cafeteria food.

Jacques drooled a little at the feast in front of him.

After serving all the dishes on Ian's table, she noticed the cold, handsome boy didn't even spare the food a glance.

With his head lowered, he was focusing on his phone.

“Have some, Ian. Let's eat first. You can use your phone later.”

“She got a point. Ian, let's dig in. The food won't taste nice once they're cold,” Jacques urged.

However, Ian merely cast a disinterested glance at the dishes and said, “No thanks. My aunt will be coming over later.”

Both Jacques and Zaylynn were speechless at his cold response.

They fell into an awkward silence after Ian's rejection. For a whole minute, they merely sat there in silent, thinking about how to continue or start a new conversation.

Ian's excuse was unusual. At the very least, anyone other than Ian would've gladly dug into the dishes.

Even if they were to reject, they would've done it politely, then explained the reason.

Ian was an exception.

He rejected their offer directly and indifferently, then continued sitting there nonchalantly playing on his phone as he waited for his aunt.

Zaylynn was stiff as a board sitting there under everyone's scrutiny.

Assuming Ian would gladly accept her invitation, she had publicized her lunch date with Ian on social media. All her friends and acquaintances knew she was having lunch with Ian.

What am I supposed to do? They're all watching my every move. How am I going to face them after this?

Zaylynn was on the verge of crying.

Jacques noticed the crestfallen look on Zaylynn's face.

Sparing her a glance sympathetically, he urged, “Ian, since Zaylynn went through the trouble of asking the cook to specially prepare the dishes, you should at least try it.”

“I don't want to!” he rejected coldly again.

This time, even Jacques didn't know what to do.

At that moment, Susan dashed to the cafeteria, halting right at the threshold. She was holding an umbrella in one hand and a thermal lunch box in the other.

It wasn't every day one would see a woman running to the cafeteria, so Zaylynn noticed Susan immediately.

Before Zaylynn's brain could even process that bit of information, Ian, who had been staring at his phone the entire time, suddenly snapped upright and looked over his shoulder toward the doors.

“I'm right here, Aunt Susan.”

The tall and lean boy, who was always cold and unfriendly, stood up and shouted at the woman standing at the door.

The second he yelled, everyone's attention focused on the two.

Zaylynn was one of them.

It was her first time seeing Ian smile. His beautiful eyes sparkled as they curved into the shape of a crescent moon. He looked even more handsome than usual.

The whole cafeteria fell into a dead silence.

Susan noticed the extraordinary silence and was rooted in place from the awkwardness.

Yet, the boy rushing toward her was oblivious to everything else that was happening around him. He hobbled over to her with his injured leg.

Anticipation and delight filled his clear eyes as he looked at Susan.

Such was Ian. It was the flaw in his character that made him behave coldly toward strangers as though they didn't exist at all.

However, around the people he knew, he would show his true, sincere self.

Susan felt guilty after looking into his innocent and expectant eyes. She realized she was acting selfish and had crossed a line.

“Have you eaten? I'm sorry. I was a little late because of the rain.”

“It's fine.”

Ian's gaze was trained on the thermal lunch box in her hand. He did not give a damn about Susan being late.

However, his intense gaze betrayed his hunger.

Susan smiled at his antiques and helped him back into the cafeteria.

“Aunt Susan, over here. We're sitting over here.”

Ian and Susan were oblivious as to when Zaylynn had come over. When Zaylynn noticed they were looking for a seat, she immediately called for their attention and invited them over to her table enthusiastically.

Susan couldn't reject the young girl's passionate invitation.

In the end, Ian returned to his seat.

Zaylynn's heart soared with joy at the sight. She quickly grabbed a pair of cutlery and an empty plate for Susan. “Aunt Susan, let's eat together.”

Susan answered, “Sure.”

Susan opened the thermal lunch box, took out the dishes she prepared and placed them in front of Ian.

As expected, Ian had only touched the dishes she prepared for his lunch.