Ch. 1821..1830

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1821

Stop Being Such A Busybody

“Susan, you’re here!”

Unexpectedly, one of the girls from the dorm recognized Susan and ran toward her with red-rimmed eyes upon noticing her arrival.

Susan froze for a moment, but she soon remembered who the girl was since she had a good memory.

“Oh, it’s you. You’re the girl who always hangs out with Zaylynn, right?”

“Yeah, we’re besties. Susan, we all ate the food Zaylynn brought, and we’re still alive and kicking. I don’t believe Holly died because of the food!”

“Yeah! Everyone in this dorm room ate the food, but we all didn’t experience any discomfort at all!”

Susan was surprised to see so many of them defend Zaylynn. I guess Zaylynn is quite popular among these girls.

She tried to console all the anxious girls. “Calm down, girls. Let’s find out more about the case first, okay? We’ll be able to analyze the situation once we’ve gathered more information about it.”

Susan even assured them, “I want you girls to know that I’ll be able to help Zaylynn if she really is innocent. You have my word.”

After hearing Susan’s words, the few girls fell silent for a moment. Then, they gave Susan a better picture of the incident.

The previous night, after dinner, someone had brought the leftovers to the dorm. The girls had all gotten excited and started munching on the drumsticks and burgers.

As for the deceased girl, Holly Halford, she was actually not from the same faculty as them. She was a computer science student, and she had come to their dorm to look for a friend.

“Since she was at our place, we offered her our food. It’d be awkward if we didn’t do that, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes.” Susan nodded in agreement.

“So that was why we shared our food with her. But somehow, she felt sick soon after she left the dorm. We ate the same food, but nothing happened to us.”

The girls started to get agitated again.

Susan knitted her brows. That’s strange. They ate the same food, yet the girl named Holly was the only one who lost her life because of it. How strange.

Susan then left the dorm.

While she was on her way to meet Ian and Timothy, she bumped into Yasmin, who had just returned to the campus.

With a backpack on her back and a stack of revision materials in her hands, Yasmin entered the dorm with a solemn expression on her beautiful face.

“Good morning, Yasmin. You’re early today.”

Yasmin stopped in her tracks and looked at the dormitory warden who had greeted her. She asked in frustration, “Why are our classes canceled? Did something happen?”

The warden immediately inched closer after hearing Yasmin and whispered, “Haven’t you heard the news? Someone from your faculty died.”

“What?” Yasmin’s expression changed abruptly, and she blanched at the warden’s words. “W-What do you mean by someone died? Who died?”

“A girl from the Faculty of Computer Science. She died after eating a burger that Zaylyann brought to the dorm last night. You would have been in danger had you been here last night. Thank goodness!” The warden was relieved that Yasmin was away the previous day.

Yasmin continued to keep mum.

It seemed that the news had shocked her to the core. She hugged the books close to her chest and froze right there for quite a while, her face shockingly pale.

Susan walked over and stood in front of her. “Yasmin, you just got back?”

“It’s none of your business,” Yasmin said.

Since the fallout they had two days ago, Yasmin no longer had to put on a facade to pretend to be nice. She could finally show her true expression.

However, was that a facade of Yasmin?

It did not seem like it, as she really thought she saw some hope during the few days.

“I’m trying to investigate the homicide case that involves Zaylynn. Students staying in this dorm, including you, are potential suspects,” Susan explained patiently.

Upon hearing that, Yasmin unexpectedly let out a mirthless laugh. “Suspect? Do you think you’re a cop? Who are you to question my whereabouts? Stop being a busybody!”

Susan knitted her brows and decided to ignore Yasmin.

No longer looking at Yasmin’s unpleasant face, Susan walked up to the dorm warden.

She suddenly pointed at a tiny black dot near the window frame of the room where the dorm warden stayed and asked, “Madam, is that a surveillance camera?”

The dorm warden’s expression changed. “Um…”

“I won’t tell anyone about it. Don’t worry, madam. I merely want to check the surveillance footage to find out what exactly happened when the person brought the food over last night,” Susan assured her, as she knew why the warden panicked as soon as she saw the latter’s expression.

Obviously, the warden had secretly installed a surveillance camera in the common area to monitor students in the dormitory so that she could slack off. In fact, the school authority had forbidden the installation of surveillance cameras in the female dorm because it was a violation of students’ privacy.

Yet, that warden had gone against the regulations and installed a surveillance camera there. Not only that, she had even aimed the surveillance camera directly at the interior of the building.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1822

No

Ultimately, the woman handed the surveillance footage over to Susan, and an inexplicable look flashed in Yasmin’s eyes as she saw this from afar.

It wasn’t long until Susan returned with a copy of the footage.

Susan: I’ve made some progress. What about you two? How’s it going?

Timothy: I asked around, but everyone’s saying they only realized it after the girl’s stomach burst. Some only found out after the police came over.

Susan: What about on your side, Ian? Did the chief administrators say anything?

Ian came online after Susan tagged him.

Ian: I spoke to them. According to the cops, the burger was contaminated with organophosphates from Zaylynn’s fingernails, and that caused that girl’s stomach to combust and rupture.

Both siblings were taken aback.

Organophosphates from Zaylynn’s fingernails? How dangerous could nail polish even be?

Neither of them could believe what they had read.

But after the three reassembled, Ian took out a piece of the burger he had obtained from the chief administrators, and they noticed how it reeked of a pungent scent.

“It turns out that Zaylynn had gotten her nails done at a newly-opened salon, and then she went to grab some food after Andy Rind’s talk.”

Ian laid all the information he had received on the table, including some photographs.

Susan felt her stomach drop as she saw them.

This is the latest crystal nail manicure. I’ve never had my nails done this way, but I remember a friend talking about it before. It’s really popular these days.

The manicure is done by painting excessive layers of clear-colored polish onto each nail.

It contains lots of chemicals and doesn’t dry easily.

Everyone’s expressions looked sullen.

“So, the girl really died because of Zaylynn?”

“You can put it that way.”

Ian nodded at the conclusion while opening a bottle of mineral water in front of him and taking a huge sip of the drink.

He rarely involved himself with matters unrelated to him, but for some reason, he had spent so much time today running around everywhere for a girl who had nothing to do with him.

The young man really had changed.

He had become much warmer and more humane.

Feeling devastated, Susan gripped her temples as she sat there. The mere thought of an innocent girl getting locked up behind bars made her nose sting.

“Is there no other way? Zaylynn’s still so young and she never has bad intentions.”

Ian’s heart sank as he watched her sit there quietly, her eyes unable to open due to the immense sorrow that filled her.

He felt so agonized.

That girl has nothing to do with her. Why is she taking this so seriously?

At last, he spoke. “I can get my dad to do something about this.”

Indeed, the only person who could lighten that girl’s sentence would be Sebastian, given his influence in this country.

Yet, as soon as Ian’s words fell, Susan looked up at him.

“No! We can’t do that. That would be misusing our power. Remember, Ian, even if Zaylynn is guilty, we can’t use our power to interfere. The Jadesons may be on top of the world, but we should never do anything that would break the people’s trust in us.”

Ian had never expected this twenty-something-year-old young woman to turn him down right away.

She had even reminded him firmly that they had to uphold the Jadeson household’s reputation in everything they did, rather than let the family name crumble in their hands.

Ian turned red in embarrassment and glanced downward.

Even Timothy felt his sister had gone too far with her words, but aside from being embarrassed, Ian had no intention of blaming her.

“I understand.”

“Okay. I think we should still look into this. Something just doesn’t seem right. By the way, Ian, don’t you have someone at home who’s a chemistry whizz? Could you get him to find out what’s inside the nail polish?”

“You mean…”

“I’ll go get my nails done the same way Zaylynn did, then we’ll go see him and get him to check if the contents of the nail polish are lethal enough to kill someone.”

Susan’s cheeks reddened with excitement at her own suggestion.

Ian pondered for a moment.

We can give it a try, but if that doesn’t work, we can get someone to conduct a blanket search on whichever area those burgers had passed through.

The young man was determined to get to the bottom of this case.

Half an hour later, Susan made her way to the same nail salon with the company of Zaylynn’s close friend, Felicia Johnson.

As soon as they headed out, someone hiding in a dark corner nearby began to panic.

“Susan’s gone to the nail salon. Could she have figured out something?”

“Don’t panic,” a voice responded to her. “That stuff vanishes in thin air. She won’t be able to find out about anything no matter how hard she tries. Besides, we have our own people working inside that nail salon. You don’t have to worry at all.”

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1823

So Smart That She Can Blow Minds

“What’s your end goal, then? I didn’t ask you to kill anyone, but now you’ve taken two lives! What are you going to do about this?”

The woman was so furious that she trembled non-stop, her face void of any color.

Yet, the person over the phone merely laughed.

“Ms. Snow, you said you want to give Susan Jadeson a taste of what it feels like to suffer a fate worse than death, so it’s only natural that we come to such decisions. Besides, weren’t you already prepared for outcomes like these the moment you agreed to be a part of this?”

“You!”

Upon hearing that, the woman found herself unable to retaliate.

But he’s right. It’s already over for me. Why am I still acting like I have the moral high ground? If I were that afraid of getting blood on my hands, I wouldn’t have contacted them in the first place. The fact that I reached out to them means I had already intended to do all this.

The other party hung up without another word.

Susan and Felicia arrived at the nail salon half an hour later.

“Welcome! Are you here to get your nails done?” an employee greeted.

“Yup. Crystal nails for both of us, please.”

Susan immediately mentioned the kind of service she wanted.

The lady readily agreed and led them into the store.

After taking a seat, Felicia said to Susan right away, “Susan, these are the exact same seats we were led to when I followed Zaylynn here.”

Hearing that, Susan nodded and waited for the lady from before to serve them.

Manicures were a popular beauty treatment in today’s age, and many women—including Susan herself—would have visited a nail salon at least once.

That was why Susan thought nothing of all the tools and bottles that the beautician had brought over, and the only thing she looked at was a bottle of clear nail polish.

“Is this what you’ll be using on our nails?”

“That’s right.”

The beautician nodded.

Not asking anything more, Susan and Felicia let the lady work on their nails, and they were done in an hour.

Upon getting up, Susan prepared to get Ian to have Xayden look into the nail polish’s contents.

But just as she walked out of the store and arrived at the roadside, a sudden thought crossed her mind, causing her to stop in her tracks.

“What’s wrong, Susan?” asked Felicia.

“I just remembered something you told me about Zaylynn’s nails. They were quick-drying, right. Is that what you said?”

“Yeah,” Felicia replied, albeit still puzzled.

Susan immediately glanced at her shiny nails. “Then, why did we have to cure our nails? Were we not clear enough with our instructions? Did the lady give us a different kind of manicure?”

“Huh?” Felicia only grew more bewildered.

Seeing that, Susan said nothing else to her, instead turning and heading back into the nail salon.

“Excuse me, ma’am. Can I confirm that we were just given crystal nails?”

“Yes, you were,” the busy owner of the salon appeared confused to see them return. “It was our current best-selling crystal nail manicure. What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

“No. It’s just that I heard from another friend that her nails were quick-drying when she got the same procedure done, but both of us here had to cure our nails. So, why the difference? Is there something different about the materials used this time?” Susan asked.

Hearing that, the boss hastily walked toward them and glanced at their nails.

“How could that be? All our nail services require curing. Could you have misheard something your friend said? We apply multiple layers of polish to each nail, then cure every coating and make sure it’s dry before moving on to the next layer. That’s what makes this a crystal manicure. There’s no way each coating can dry that quickly just by blowing on them with a fan,” she explained.

Susan fell silent for a long while.

Then, she sat on the couch and requested, “I think you might want to let me have a look at your store’s surveillance footage from yesterday. Someone from our school died because of your nail polish. It’d be troublesome if I were to inform the cops now.”

With that, everyone inside the salon turned to her—including the beautician who had just tended to her and Felicia.

How is she so smart?

Didn’t they say she’d be easy to deal with? She’s only in her early twenties! How could she have figured out something so trivial?

Taking advantage of the commotion in the store, the woman left in a panic as the owner went to retrieve the surveillance footage.

Meanwhile, Susan quickly noted from the footage that Zaylynn did not have her nails cured while she was here yesterday.

Not only that but her nails were coated many more times than they should have been.

“I… I never taught her to do it that way. Who on earth is she, anyway? I’ve never even met her!” the owner exclaimed.

As realization dawned on her, Susan hurriedly dialed Ian’s number while getting Felicia to call the police.

Whatever happened last night caused such a huge stir, and surely the cops must’ve come here since it had something to do with the girl’s nails, right? But why didn’t they figure out anything after dropping by?

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1824

After hanging up, Susan stared blankly at the computer screen in front of her.

Ian showed up a while later.

“You're here, Ian.” Susan jumped to her feet and pointed at the footage. “Take a look at this. I've confirmed that something really was off about the way Zaylynn had her nails done. The woman who did her nails just ran away.”

Ian sat down while rubbing his temples.

In fact, he had gotten a few people to look into this matter. After the errand runners had arrived at the university, they spotted two of Zaylynn's female friends—one of whom was Felicia—carrying the two buckets into campus.

After the girls passed a narrow path surrounded by trees, the errand runners then discovered some traces of phosphate on one of the tree branches.

In other words, this was a planned murder.

“Let's wait for the cops here,” said Ian after watching the footage. “They'll definitely find out what else could be behind this. They're professionals.”

He spoke coldly and relentlessly.

Susan didn't oppose after finding out the truth, and so the two remained inside the nail salon, waiting for the police to arrive.

As anticipated, a team of police dressed in full uniform showed up ten minutes later.

The captain made his way over to Susan and Ian right after spotting them.

“Good day. I'm Captain of the Crime Investigation Unit. Were you the ones who found a lead?”

“Yes, officer.”

Susan stood up and related her experience here while referring to the surveillance footage.

The captain immediately began a search.

“And this is?”

“This is my nephew, Officer. He-”

“There's a narrow path with locust trees on both sides on the way to the female dorms on campus, officer,” Ian suddenly chimed in. “If you take a look at the sixth tree on the left, you'll find what you're looking for on one of its branches.”

Susan was completely dumbfounded. The young man had calmly relayed his thoughts instead of looking apprehensive like he usually did when dealing with strangers.

Is... he not afraid anymore?

Of course, the captain knew nothing about Ian's condition, so he gave the latter an approving pat on the shoulder after being provided with such an important lead.

“I'll do that. What's your name?”

“Uh... You should get to searching right away, officer. Don't let anyone ruin your plans.”

Noticing the way Ian's brows twitched, Susan hastily changed the subject and pulled him over by the arm.

The young man didn't like interacting with strangers, and he certainly didn't appreciate being touched by one either.

After lugging him toward her, Susan sighed with relief as she watched the captain leave with his team.

“It's okay. You can change your clothes once we head back,” she said while rubbing Ian's shoulder.

The young man said nothing.

He merely gave the woman's anxious-looking face a quick glance before shifting his gaze elsewhere coolly.

“Okay.”

Eventually, Zaylynn was deemed innocent and thus released.

As for the reason behind the incident, the police believed that Zaylynn had attracted too much attention on campus, which ultimately led to some resentment toward her.

Still, the truth would remain a mystery until the culprit was apprehended.

Speaking of the culprit...

“I've received a text from the captain we met that day,” explained Susan while busying herself in the kitchen. “He said they've issued a nationwide arrest warrant against that woman from the nail salon. She's now wanted across the whole country, and they believe she won't be able to run away for much longer.”

Both young men could hear her. Timothy was reading a fantasy novel while hogging the bathroom, whereas Ian sat in the living room feeding a turtle they and recently bought as a pet.

Ian had nothing to respond with after hearing his aunt's words.

An arrest warrant?

I guess I've overestimated them. Not every cop is as efficient as Uncle Devin is. A lot of them are just trash.

Thinking that, the young man tossed two turtle pellets into the tank.

“You're feeding him again? You can't keep feeding the turtle, Ian! He'll die if he overeats!”

A slim figure walked out of the kitchen just in time to see him feeding the turtle, and the woman swiftly grabbed his hand before scooping the pellets out of the tank.

Ian silently glanced at Susan's slender hand before looking down, his thick lashes concealing the fluctuating emotions in his eyes.

Timothy walked out of the bathroom at this very moment. “Come on, Susan. It's just a turtle! Why are you being so dramatic? You scared Ian.”

“Huh?”

Susan quickly came to her senses.

“Sorry, Ian! I guess I overreacted. Don't panic, okay? I had no intention of blaming you for anything,” she apologized while letting go of the young man.

But in truth, how could Ian ever be upset at her over something like this?

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1825

After having breakfast together, the trio was about to leave home when Zaylynn showed up with her parents, who had personally brought her there to express her gratitude.

“Thank you, Susan, Ian, and Timothy. I'm beyond grateful for everything you've done for me. If it weren't for you guys, I probably would've been...”

“We owe you big time! You're the Neal family's saviors. As Zaylynn's parents, we thank you!”

Both Feynman and his wife, Clara, bowed and thanked them profusely with tears in their eyes.

The two young men were at a loss, given that they had never dealt with such a situation before. Thus, it was Susan who spoke up and quickly told them to lift their heads.

“Don't say that, Mr. and Mrs. Neal! Zaylynn is our friend. It's only natural that we help her in times of trouble.”

“She's right. You don't have to thank us. Besides, there's no way Piggy here could've actually killed anyone!” Timothy blurted.

Silence washed over the entire apartment as a scarlet-faced Zaylynn glared at the young man who had just addressed her in such a way.

“Hey, Timothy... What did you just call me?”

“S-Sorry, my bad... Hey, don't come over. I didn't mean it...”

A squabble soon ensued between the two, and Timothy ended up being chased into his own room and hiding in there.

Susan was deeply embarrassed by what had just happened.

She wanted to chastise her brother for his lack of manners and apologize to Zaylynn's parents.

But unbeknown to her, Feynman and Clara seemed unusually pleased after exchanging glances with one another.

The Jadeson family was untouchable—so much that they would have never imagined their daughter being friends with Ian.

But this other guy isn't bad either. He's part of the Jadesons too. He may be from a different branch, but it seems that the current head of the clan regards him highly. That's good enough for us.

Zaylynn's parents left in high spirits, but not before extending a personal invitation.

“By the way, Mr. Ian and Ms. Susan, as a token of our appreciation, will you please accept our invitation to come and have dinner at our place? Don't worry for we mean nothing by it. We just want to treat you to a meal.”

Just as Ian was about to reject their offer, Susan suddenly recalled his mother asking her to take him to more social events, and so she stopped him.

“Okay. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Not at all! In fact, we're thankful to have you come over.” Feynman was instantly overjoyed.

Thus, the matter was settled.

After their guests had left, Susan sent Zaylynn a text message, reminding her of the help that had been given by her other friends.

Zaylynn: Don't worry, Susan. I'll invite all of them over. I know who my true friends are after what happened. Anyone who's helped me for the past two days will have dinner at my place!

Susan: Okay.

Zaylynn: But my dad says you'll have to bring your brother too. Oh, but please warn him that he can't call me Piggy if he does come!

Susan didn't know how to respond.

Even so, she was glad that they remembered Timothy. After arriving on campus and seeing Ian off at the Faculty of Finance, she pulled her thoughtless brother aside.

“Zaylynn's inviting you over too. You'd better watch your manners and stop embarrassing me.”

“What?”

The tall young man froze on the spot.

I'm invited?

Suddenly, the thought of that round-faced, tantrum-throwing girl made him smile widely.

Should I get her a present?

Meanwhile, Yasmin arrived at the Faculty of Finance rather late today, and the first round of classes had already ended by the time she showed up.

Moreover, she seemed to be in her own world.

“What's wrong, Yasmin?” the student council secretary asked in concern. “You don't look so good today. Are you not feeling well? Were you giving home tutorials last night?”

Yasmin finally snapped back to reality.

“I-I'm fine. I just slept a little late last night.”

“Well, how about you get some rest inside the lecture hall? No one's in there right now.”

“Okay.”

Yasmin carried her books into the lecture hall.

Students of this faculty often used the hall for self-studying. The place was usually packed at night, but it was much emptier during the day.

Yasmin pushed the door open, only to gasp in shock.

The first thing she saw was a young man who glanced at her with a pair of extremely frosty eyes upon hearing the door creak open.

Yasmin stilled instantly.

She had no words to describe the way he looked at her, but those eyes caused her head to turn numb in a flash, and she felt as though all the blood in her system had left her.

Her body felt so cold that she trembled—all the way to her fingertips.

“W-What are you doing here?”

“And what about you?” the young man asked, his voice as icy as his gaze.

“I...”

“A person only thinks of hiding away in a quiet place when dealing with immense fear and unease. That was exactly what I did when your brother died in prison. I locked myself in my room for three days and three nights.”

Ian began recounting his horrifying past, his lips pale and his pupils quivering slightly since the beginning.

Yasmin's expression took an immediate turn.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1826

“To be filled with confusion and terror is like being completely engulfed in darkness. I would force myself to sleep, thinking that once I woke up, we would've returned to the past before anything had ever happened—to the time your brother was still your brother, or maybe to when I still hadn't met him. Do you know what we call that?”

Ian suddenly stopped talking and stared straight at the woman standing before him.

Standing in place, Yasmin now felt as though she had been stripped bare, and all her deepest thoughts had come to light.

It was as if the young man had completely seen through her with just his gaze.

What do we call that?

It's called running away. It's called numbing oneself out.

As a psychology major, Yasmin understood this concept more than anyone else did. Why is he suddenly telling me all this? Could he have found out about something?

The woman was so fearful that she tremored from head to toe.

But to her surprise, Ian then packed his books and got up to leave without another word.

Yasmin quietly watched him exit the hall.

The moment he disappeared, she felt as though she had lost every ounce of her strength.

Thud!

The young woman slumped to the floor, leaning against the door behind her after suddenly recalling how Ian and Susan had handed things over to the police right after discovering a lead.

That meant Ian was still giving her a chance.

Yasmin couldn't move at the thought.

Night fell.

Expectedly, Zaylynn had magnanimously invited every student from the Faculty of Finance to her place for a feast.

Susan stayed close to Ian all the while, worried he would feel uncomfortable.

Yet, he ended up doing better than she had expected. While he did furrow his brows upon arriving at the Neal residence, many of his classmates took the initiative to greet him, enabling him to blend in with them.

Seeing that, Susan eventually left him and headed over to the girls.

“Why didn't Yasmin come tonight?”

“You're right. I haven't seen her.”

After a series of chattering, one of the girls couldn't help but ask about Yasmin.

Susan had arrived just in time to hear that, and she stilled briefly.

“Is she not here?”

“She's not, Susan. Did Zaylynn not invite her?” someone mused.

But no matter how spoiled and willful Zaylynn was, she still had her manners and would surely not leave anyone out after inviting the entire faculty over.

Susan walked over to her.

“I did invite her. I even sent her a personal text, but she's not here. That's not my problem.” Zaylynn pouted.

“It's okay,” Susan assured with a smile. “It's her loss for not coming. Look at all the good food she's missing out on!”

“Right? It's better if she doesn't come,” the other girls quipped.

Everyone consoled the young host.

But to their surprise, Yasmin did show up eventually.

With a long, khaki bodycon dress, her silky black hair cascading down her shoulders, and a flawless face, she captured everyone's attention as soon as she appeared.

She was absolutely gorgeous.

Even Susan couldn't help but compare her to a famous actress upon seeing her.

“Y-Yasmin is here. Quick! Keep all this stuff!”

“Clean up the floors too! How did you guys make such a mess? What will she think of us?”

Chaos erupted among the boys in a matter of minutes.

They frantically cleaned up the mess they had made. Some even moved all the stools and other obstacles aside just to make way for the ice queen.

The girls flew into a rage upon seeing that.

Yasmin is such a jinx!

They all turned and left, not wanting to have anything to do with her. In the end, it was Susan who brought Zaylynn over, asking her to attend to Yasmin.

“You're here. Well, help yourself to whatever you want. It's all here,” said Zaylynn, pointing at all the food being served.

In response, the discomfort Yasmin felt only grew more intense.

I plucked up the courage just to be here, okay?

I'd only look more suspicious if I didn't come.

And yet, the girls' lounge area became empty the moment she showed up, and that humiliated her greatly.

Not only that but seeing how all the girls fawn over Susan made her feel worse. How she wanted to leave this place right away.

“Hey, Yasmin. Do you want something to eat? We just grilled some chicken wings.”

Suddenly, a boy approached her with a plate of food.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1827

Yasmin glanced at him.

The young man looked nothing out of the ordinary, and she would have never given him the time of day if they were in school. But now...

“Thank you.”

She took the plate with her slender hands and placed a chicken wing to her lips.

Oh, God. The ice queen accepted my gesture.

The young man was on cloud nine.

All the other boys grew excited upon seeing that. It was only normal for them to react that way toward a girl as beautiful as Yasmin.

With that, Yasmin soon became the subject of all the boys' adoration.

The other girls were on the verge of exploding.

“Look at that. I told you she's such a b*tch! She won all the guys over the moment she showed up.”

“Right!”

They were livid.

Susan frowned. “Come on, now. You left her on her own back there. What could she have done if the boys hadn't approached her? Did you put yourselves in her shoes?”

She understood how Yasmin must have felt.

Unfortunately, Yasmin didn't seem to appreciate Susan's kind thoughts. After sitting down for a while, she suddenly caught sight of Timothy and made her way toward him.

“Do you need help?”

“Hmm?”

The young man immediately looked up while grilling some meat.

She's...

Timothy found himself unable to look away or even speak. It was as though everything else around him faded away the moment he saw her.

A blush crept across Yasmin's cheeks.

“Do you need help?” she repeated.

“Oh! Sorry about that. Yeah, I could use a hand.”

Timothy snapped out of his daze and readily accepted her offer to help.

As someone from a different faculty, he had heard of a famous ice queen from the Faculty of Finance, although he had never taken a proper look at said figure despite having met her a few times while with his sister.

But, she looked way too stunning.

The woman was now clad in a beautiful dress and had dolled herself up, looking like a goddess. It was only normal that a young man like him would be smitten.

Yasmin spent a good part of the night helping him, and it didn't take long for them to grow close.

Susan walked in their direction just in time to see the two chatting away, and a chill ran down her spine instantly.

She dashed over without a second thought.

“What are you doing, Timothy? Put those things down and stay away from her!” she screamed at once, having lost her ability to reason.

Timothy froze in shock.

Even the other guests looked bewildered.

What's going on?

Hasn't she always been level-headed? Why does she look like a completely different person now? Why is she making such unreasonable demands with her brother?

“What's wrong with you, Susan?” Feeling his blood boil, Timothy glared at his sister and refused to comply.

That only aggravated Susan more.

She charged toward him, slapped away whatever he was holding, and began to drag him away with her.

“You're coming home with me right now!”

“Susan!”

Having never expected his sister to be this unreasonable, Timothy pulled his own arm out of Susan's grasp, resulting in the young woman losing her balance and falling over.

“Ahhh!”

An intense feeling of pain came from Susan's waist as she clutched onto the table, unable to get up for a moment.

Timothy and all the other guests fell silent.

Just as everyone glanced at one another, a young man emerged from the building after hearing the commotion outside.

“What do you think you're doing, Timothy?”

Laced with anger, Ian's voice pierced the air, instantly causing everyone to shiver with fright—including Timothy.

“I... I...”

“Shut your mouth! Get your a** home right now, or you'll be leaving this place in a different way.”

The same icy voice rang across the room again.

Despite being older, Timothy was unable to stand up for himself as an unexplainable hint of fear surfaced in his eyes.

He then remembered who led the Jadeson family.

This young man standing in front of him possessed such a powerful and fearsome energy. He's just as terrifying as his father!

Susan finally left with Timothy a few minutes later.

Having been calm and collected all this while and finally losing her mind because of her brother, she could only scurry off as quickly as possible.

Her fears were deep-rooted.

Ian stayed behind, his eyes never leaving the woman before him as the sun set behind the garden they were in.

“Are you that tired of living?”

Those words sounded as though they had crawled out of the abyss.

Yasmin stood there in a daze, her face slowly losing its color.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1828

“Did I do something wrong?”

After calming down, Yasmin glanced at the young man with an aggrieved look on her face.

“All because I said a few words to her brother? Shouldn't you be a bit fairer to me, Ian? Zaylynn's the one who invited me here, but she didn't give a d*mn about me! Have you ever considered how I felt?”

Ian kept silent.

“The boys were willing to talk to me, so I stuck with them! Is there a problem with that?” the woman questioned, tears brimming in her eyes.

Yet, the young man remained aloof.

“Are you sure you had no other intentions when you approached Timothy? Timothy is Susan's younger brother, and he's also the grandson of Eddie Limmer. He's the only male descendant of the Limmer household. Did you really not have other motives?”

He stared at her with his piercing eyes.

Yasmin's feet instantly turned cold.

Did she not have any other motives?

Of course, she did.

The resentment within her had resurfaced ever since she found herself being neglected while Susan became the center of all the girls' attention. That was when she couldn't help but turn to Timothy.

She was up to no good from that moment onward.

The woman was unable to say another word.

Seeing her reaction, Ian added, “I handed that case over to the police because I still wanted to give you a way out. But if you still insist on walking this path, that's fine; I'll personally hand you over to my dad.”

At last, he mentioned that person—his father.

Yasmin's eyes grew wide as she stared at the young man in disbelief. It was now that she understood what it meant to experience true fear—what it meant to no longer be given a way out.

Sebastian Hayes was like a god in this country. Once she fell into his hands, her life would indeed be over.

With an ashen face, the woman watched Ian leave.

As soon as she returned to her dorm later, she removed every method of communication on her phone and computer.

Meanwhile, Susan warned Timothy not to be around Yasmin again the moment they arrived back at their apartment.

Timothy was baffled.

“Why can't I be close to her? It's not like she has a boyfriend!”

Seriously? This idiot's already thinking about dating her?

Susan was fuming.

“So, you're thinking of being her boyfriend just because she doesn't have one? Don't make me get you to drop out of school and go home, Timothy!”

“What? You'll make me drop out? Who are you to make me do that, Susan? Do you think you get to decide everything for me just because you're my sister? Aren't you thinking too highly of yourself now?”

“You!”

Susan was so exasperated that she nearly collapsed.

Ian so happened to return in the middle of the heated argument, and he stared at Timothy grimly. “She may not have the right, but my dad does.”

“I - “

“You'd better listen up before my dad comes to a decision, Timothy. If you ever talk to Yasmin again, I can't guarantee what I might tell my dad.”

Ian glared at the imprudent man while giving him a warning.

Timothy's face turned red in fury.

How dare he talk to me like this? Does he not remember who's the older one here? Has he forgotten that I'm his uncle?

Unbelievable!

Still, he dared not utter a single word in response.

Susan finally began to cool down.

I'm better off leaving this in the hands of family. It's not like I'm of any use now. Whether it was Sebastian or Jonathan, she knew that either one of them would surely deal with Yasmin.

Thus, she returned to her room.

Meanwhile, at Oceanic Estate, Sasha was dumbstruck upon hearing that Ian had called to inform Sebastian about Colton's children.

“Is it that serious now? Ian actually called you?”

“Yeah. Timothy's a bit of a halfwit, and Susan can't keep him in check. It's also not wise to tell him Yasmin's true identity, so we have no choice but to interfere,” Sebastian replied while casually reading a book.

Sensing something off about what the man had said, Sasha put down the skincare product she was using and walked toward him.

“What do you mean by that? Did something happen again?”

“Yeah. Yasmin's got her eye on Timothy now. She was an accomplice in a murder case that happened two days ago, but their plans were foiled after Ian and Susan did some searching. That's why she started vying for Timothy's attention while she was at the Neal residence last night.”

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1829

Indeed, nothing could escape this man's eyes.

Sasha's expression darkened instantly when she heard that.

“How could she do this? She's only a little over twenty! How did she turn so evil within such a short time? Wasn't she a good-mannered and excellent scholar before this? How did she become so terrifying in only a few months?”

Sasha was enraged.

She herself had walked through hell and made it out alive without hurting anyone else. Yet, someone as young and as bright as Yasmin had chosen to let the negative environment shape her into someone bitter. Within a short period of a few months, she had entirely transformed into someone new, and not for the better.

Yasmin's actions truly baffled Sasha.

How can this be? Is it really just because of the resentment her family has? Is Yasmin aware of what we have planned to offer her?

When the couple first came across Yasmin and noticed her brilliance, they had intended to pave the way to a bright future for her.

Even her application for an internship in Hayes Corporation was given a green light.

Sasha was so furious that her blood began to boil.

“First,” Sebastian said, “it's the result of how she was raised. Second, it has something to do with her nature.”

“How so?” Sasha turned to look at the man.

“Look at her family background. Ever since the accident involving her father and brother, only the girl and her mother were left behind. I wouldn't be surprised if the mother-daughter pair had been bullied by society. Because of that, her mother must have festered resentment in her heart and forced the girl to be exceptional. Over time, Yasmin herself became someone bitter with resentment and someone who has to stand out. You can see that trait of hers from her actions. Yasmin has been nothing but cold to her peers in school.” Sebastian started to break it down for her.

Sasha nodded in agreement. “From a psychological perspective, that would be how it happened. But you mentioned something about her nature?”

“I meant it's a trait that she was born with. It's in her blood. For example, Susan has given Yasmin so many chances, yet Yasmin has never shown gratitude. However, a tiny offense by Susan immediately spiked her resentment. This proves that she's naturally a competitive, defensive, and extremely petty person. This is just her character and has nothing to do with the environment.” With that, Sebastian concluded his analysis.

Every single word he said hit the nail right on the head. There was nothing Sasha could say that could refute his points.

After all, it was true that being competitive and jealous wasn't a trait that was only confined to people of poorer status. Many among the wealthy echelons shared the same trait as well.

Therefore, the environment could not be blamed.

Rather, it was one's nature.

Once Sasha understood the situation, she was even more worried.

“So what are you gonna do about it now? Are you gonna arrest her immediately? You already have your hands on the proof that she's the murderer, right?”

In contrast to Sasha's anxiousness, Sebastian was unfazed. “Patience, Darling. There's still a bigger fish to fry. Let's wait until it takes the bait,” he said casually.

Bait? Is he still fishing for something larger?

Sasha could not help but worry about Ian, who was in Pollerton. She did not want her son to be caught in the whole ordeal.

That night, Sasha sent a text to his youngest son, who was at the military academy.

She wrote: Matteo, are you free these few days? Can you take a few days off?

Matteo: Sure thing, Mommy. Is something wrong?

Seeing that Matteo was willing to agree to her request without hesitation, Sasha felt relieved.

She quickly sent another text to Matteo: Just the project Ian's working on. The grand opening is happening soon. I'm just a bit concerned that someone might be secretly causing trouble. I'd like it if you can come back and protect Ian.

Sasha intentionally left Susan and Timothy out of the picture.

Instead, she mentioned the trouble faced by the Hayes Corporation.

All in all, the couple was as sharp as people gave them credit for. One of them knew every detail regarding Susan and Timothy's ordeal, while the other could detect a hitch in the workings of the company miles away.

When Matteo heard that someone was daring enough to plot against Ian, he immediately agreed to help without a second thought.

The next day, Matteo flew to Pollerton, missing Susan and Timothy by just a hair.

Nevertheless, picking up a child at the airport was the last thing on his mind as he landed and descended the plane.

“Are you Matteo?”

All of a sudden, a little girl of about six to seven appeared out of nowhere. The girl was absolutely beautiful. Her big, round eyes sparkled in the sun. Her chubby cheeks were as white as porcelain. At the sight of Matteo, she immediately ran over and hugged his legs.

Matteo was already more than one hundred and eighty centimeters tall. His eyes popped with surprise as he stared at the kid wrapped around his legs.

Where did she come from? And how does she know I'm Matteo?

“Who are you? You know who I am?” Matteo asked, puzzled.

“Of course I know who you are. Daddy has a picture of you, and I look at it all the time. Also, it's Vivi who asked me to wait for you here. She and Kurt will be here soon.” The girl's childish voice filled the area as she explained with a huge grin.

Matteo was rendered speechless.

What is this? What's Vivi doing here? And Kurt as well? What's going on?

To his relief, it was not long before he caught a glimpse of a young woman in a pink dress and a white lace hat. The young woman was sitting on top of a suitcase like a child as she was pushed along the exit lane by a tall, muscular, and handsome young man.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1830

“Matt! I'm over here! Over here!”

Vivian dragged the last syllable of the last word as she waved her arms at Matteo.

The entire airport could hear her excited voice, and it annoyed Matteo to no end.

“Why did you come back? Also, you coming back is one thing, but why is there a kid here? Unless...”

Something suddenly crossed Matteo's mind, causing his signature big eyes to widen even more. His gaze moved from the little girl on his legs to the faces of the two people moving toward him.

As usual, Vivian was slow in picking up clues. She did not figure out what was happening.

Kurt, on the other hand, instantly turned red at Matteo's gaze. Soon enough, his expression turned grim, and there was a shadow on his beautiful features.

“Have you seen a nine-year-old child having a baby?” Kurt asked.

Matteo was at a loss for words.

After some quick calculations, Matteo remembered that the guy in front of him was only sixteen, while the little girl still hugging his legs was already about six to seven years old. It was impossible for the girl to be his child.

Matteo chuckled sheepishly to hide his awkwardness.

“Haha, I'm just messing with you. Then tell me, whose child is this? Why did you guys suddenly bring her here?”

“Matt, don't you recognize her? She's Ms. Fischer's daughter. Her father is sick and no one can take care of her at the moment. We were on a trip and visited him, and he asked us to bring her along with us,” explained Vivian.

At that, Matteo lowered his gaze once again to look closely at the girl. Only then did he realize that the child's features looked very much like Willow's.

Matteo sighed, remembering the late woman who used to take care of them when they were younger. His heart sank as the grief of her death weighed it down.

After a few seconds, Matteo bent down and picked the girl up in his arms.

“Don't get me wrong. I'm not here to see you. We're here to see Momma,” said Natalie.

“Momma?” Matteo asked, puzzled.

“Yeah, Momma Ichika. But we were already on the plane when we found out Momma has gone to Jetroina and is taking care of the baby in her tummy, so she can't take care of me. That's why Vivi brought me here.”

“Yep! Convenient!” Vivian said in a straightforward manner.

It truly was convenient for her. To go to Avenport, they had to make a stop at Pollerton. When Sasha informed them that Ichika had not yet returned, they decided to just stay in Pollerton instead.

Besides, Vivian wanted to see Ian too.

To her pleasant surprise, Matteo was there as well.

Vivian was overjoyed. Despite the fact that she was already eighteen, she felt like a small child again when sandwiched between the two young men. The entire way, Vivian carried six-year-old Natalie while Kurt pushed them out of the airport on a suitcase.

Seeing the image, Matteo shook his head at Kurt disapprovingly. “At this rate, you're going to spoil her.”

Kurt did not say a word.

After a moment of silence, the young man turned his emotionless face toward Vivian and asked, “Do you have a problem with that?”

Matteo's mouth dropped to the ground.

This guy is really something!

The four of them made their way to where Ian was staying.

When the door of the apartment opened, Ian was dumbfounded by the sight of the four of them. He froze at the doorway and gaped at them in disbelief, forgetting what he was supposed to be doing.

It was only after Susan heard the commotion did she walk over.

“My gosh! Matteo, Vivi, and Kurt? What are all of you doing here? Why didn't you give us a heads-up? I didn't prepare anything for you guys.” Upon seeing the four of them, Susan was taken aback as well.

“You don't have to prepare anything for us, Aunt Susan. We're all family. There's no need to be so courteous.”

Vivian waved her hand dismissively before waltzing into the apartment as if it were her own.

Kurt followed from behind.

It didn't take him long to notice a weight dragging him down. Lowering his gaze, he saw a child hugging his leg and staring at him with puppy eyes and a pout on her face.

“Kurt, why didn't anyone welcome me? Do they not like me?”

Her pitiful voice melted everyone's heart instantly.

Kurt stared at the girl quietly.

Just as he was about to explain, a huge silhouette appeared beside him. Seeing that Natalie had her arms wrapped around someone's legs again, he bent down and picked her up.

“Aunt Susan, come here. Let me introduce you to the kid Vivian and Kurt picked up from the roadside along the way.” Matteo grinned.

“Huh?”

“Matt, what are you talking about? She's—”

All of a sudden, Natalie burst into tears.

Giant teardrops escaped her pair of lovely eyes and rolled down her smooth cheeks, dropping onto the ground with a splat. She flailed her arms and looked aggrieved.

Susan did not know whether to laugh or cry.

She quickly went over to Matteo and carried Natalie into her arms, not forgetting to scold Matteo. “Matteo, you went too far. She's just a child. You startled her.”

“Heh, I was just kidding...” Matteo chuckled awkwardly.

“You are as thoughtless as I am.” Timothy eyed Matteo.

Timothy's words managed to shut Matteo up.

Ian stood at the side and eyed the situation in silence as well.

After a long while of comforting and coaxing, Natalie finally stopped crying. Once she had calmed down, she trotted over to Ian, who posed the least danger.

“Do you like me, Ian?”

The adorable little girl ran into Ian's room. Seeing that he was working, she went over and rested her head on his desk. She then looked at him with her head tilted.

Ian glanced at the little girl.

She truly resembled her mother. Even though her facial features were still of a child, one could tell she was a real belle.

“Go play outside.” Ian did not answer her question but shooed her away casually instead.

Natalie did not budge.

She kept staring at Ian while maintaining her position, mesmerized by his clean features. Out of the blue, a drop of clear liquid dripped from her pink small mouth and onto Ian's desk.

Splat!

Ian was dumbfounded.