Ch. 1831..1840
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1831
Natalie ended up lazing in Ian's room.
The fact was that she was afraid of Matteo. He was tall and looked like he enjoyed playing pranks on others. Hence, whenever she went out and saw him, she was always afraid that he might lift her up again.
Hence, she sat on Ian's couch and played obediently.
Meanwhile, Susan was cooking outside. Since there were suddenly so many guests, she became busy.
Luckily, Kurt was there to help.
“Kurt, I didn't expect you to know how to cook! How impressive. Did you know that Timothy doesn't know how to do anything? He just asks for everything that he needs. I wonder if he'll starve to death in the future.”
Looking at Kurt, who was cutting the vegetables skillfully, she was surprised and envious.
A smile formed on Kurt's lips.
Naturally, he knew how to cook after training at SteelFort for a few years. The training was not just limited to combat—survival skills were taught as well.
Furthermore, he had a glutton with him; thus, there was no way that he would not know how to cook.
Kurt tried his best to help Susan prepare the food.
“Time to eat! After we are done, let's take a look at Ian's project.” Matteo was always optimistic. When he saw that the food was served, he ran to Ian's room.
When Natalie saw him, she shuddered in fear. She ran away from the couch and crawled into Ian's arms.
Ian was speechless.
Matteo complained, “What's wrong with her? Why does she always run to you whenever she sees you, but treat me like I'm a ghost?”
Ian replied, “All right, let's go out and eat.”
Then, he pushed his big-built brother out of his room and pulled Natalie out of his arms.
With his large figure, Matteo would undeniably intimidate children. Since he had been in the military school for quite some time, he was very strong and muscular. Furthermore, he was a prankster.
On the other hand, Ian did not train so intensely due to his health and was much thinner. His introverted personality made him seem more approachable too.
However, this was only Natalie's perspective. Any other person would think that Ian was cold and aloof whenever they saw him.
“Let's go and eat,” instructed Ian calmly as he gazed at Natalie.
While being carried by him, Natalie blinked her large, watery eyes.
“Can I sit with you? Kurt is definitely sitting next to Vivian, so I can't sit there. There's also Matteo and the other dude...” Natalie pouted as she revealed a fearful expression.
Is she serious?
The veins on Ian's temples throbbed.
However, left with no choice, he could only take Natalie out.
Susan asked, “Huh? Is she with you all this while? It's no wonder I didn't hear anything.”
When she brought the food out and saw Ian bringing Natalie out, she was very surprised. She walked over and stroked her tiny head.
“Your name is Nat, right?”
“Yeah!”
When Natalie saw how gentle Susan was, she immediately took a liking to her.
Susan asked, “Do you want to sit with me? He might not know how to take care of you.”
She pointed at Ian, who had never taken care of anyone.
Natalie looked at both of them.
A handsome big brother or a gentle big sister... Never mind! I'll fill my tummy first before playing with him.
Natalie allowed Susan to carry her away obediently. The meal ended in a fun and lively exchange between those young men and young ladies.
After eating, Ian agreed to take them to the project area.
Hence, the whole gang left enthusiastically.
“Ian, how's the project looking? Are you going to turn everything into a commercial district?” asked Vivian since she was quite knowledgeable about businesses.
Ian passed her a blueprint.
“It's going to look like this for now, but I want the surroundings to form a business ring. That's how we can maximize profit. So, we'll wait and see how things turn out after business starts.”
“That's possible. But do you want to add something more unique?”
Vivian suddenly made a suggestion after receiving Ian's blueprint—a contrast to her usual carefree personality.
What? Something unique?
Ian glanced at her. Matteo, who was driving in the front, and Kurt in the front seat also turned around simultaneously.
“What do you mean?”
“Like classical architecture, you know? The show that I organized in Elysium, Yorksland, helped the place to shoot to popularity. We can look for something similar to that,” reminded Vivian.
Everyone had to admit that among the triplets, Vivian was the most naturally gifted in terms of business. In short, she had inherited the good genes from both Sasha and Sebastian.
A smart man like Ian immediately understood what she meant. Ideas started surfacing in his mind rapidly.
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His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1832
He was not as talented as Vivian since his strength was in the area of research. However, with his highly intelligent brain, he understood her idea immediately.
Soon, he came up with a strategy.
“Are you talking about an international modeling competition?”
When Susan heard that idea, her mouth fell agape in shock.
Isn't that too much? This is only a small project. Is there a need to spend so much?
However, when Ian raised that idea, all the others agreed unanimously, especially Vivian.
“That's a good idea! We can leverage the Hayes Corporation brand and organize a large-scale modeling competition! This building will have its first headline.”
“Sounds reasonable,” agreed Kurt.
Matteo and Timothy did not even need to say anything. They merely followed the majority's opinion.
Half an hour later, everyone arrived at the building and Ian brought them on a tour around the place. After ensuring that the project was feasible, he would have to consult Sebastian.
Since Solomon had not returned, Sebastian was in charge of the final decision.
Indeed, when Sebastian, who was all the way at Jadeborough, heard that idea, he thought that it was quite good. However, he changed it a bit—the international modeling competition could just be for clout. They could just invite a few international models, while the rest of the participants could be locals.
The Hayes Corporation would host the competition. They could announce that that place would be the origin of Hayes' first foray into the fashion industry.
“Oh my God! Daddy is like a god.” Vivian was extremely impressed by Sebastian when she heard the final plan.
Ian and the rest immediately changed the strategy at the office. Since it was almost time for the opening ceremony, almost everyone played a part in it.
Vivian offered, “I'll be responsible for contacting the supermodels. Lady Adalyn can help me with that.”
Matteo said, “I'll be in charge of rebuilding the place. If this is the final plan, we must redo the surroundings and extend it by a few more kilometers.”
Kurt chimed in, “I'll take charge of safety! You can leave the entire project to me.” He was the most ambitious.
Ian patted his shoulder gratefully and passed him the contact details of the captain of the security team.
As for Susan and Timothy, their task was to contact the competitors. After all, they had studied there for a long time.
After returning home, Timothy scratched his head and asked, “Susan, who should we look for?”
Susan glanced at her school, which was nearby. She thought about it and said, “I wonder if there's anyone from our school who'd be willing to join.”
“Our school?”
“Yeah! We can invite anyone to join the modeling competition. It's somewhat like a talent show. If that's the case, even students from our school are eligible.”
Susan was smart enough to have understood the ingenuity of the plan instantly.
Timothy's eyes lit up.
Immediately, the siblings split up. Timothy was in charge of looking for guys, while Susan looked for girls.
“A modeling competition organized by the Hayes Corporation? Oh my God! I'm going! I'm so going!”
Amongst the girls, Zaylynn was the first to jump in excitement upon hearing the news.
If she was already so excited, the other girls would naturally be equally so.
Within one afternoon, Susan managed to find many people who wanted to join. She had a jolly good time looking at all of them, who were blessed with long legs and slender waists.
It was the same for the guys too.
Although Yasmin knew about the competition, she did not dare to say anything.
With her looks and figure, she was more than eligible to join the competition. However, she did not dare to do so. She felt like a clown that had been dragged to a dark corner, hidden from the light forever. She could only enviously watch the other girls grab that rare opportunity.
“Why aren't you going, Yasmin? You've got such a good figure. If you sign up, you'll definitely be selected!” A voice rang out from behind.
She immediately turned around and looked at the student council secretary, who had approached her.
“I...”
“You don't dare to go? If you're scared, I'll accompany you there. This is an amazing chance. Although I know that your dream is to become a top financial planner, winning Hayes Corporation's modeling competition is also a shortcut to success!” stated the student council secretary directly.
The secretary was right. This was the easiest shortcut to reach success.
If the Hayes Corporation truly had an intention to expand into the modeling industry, it would be influential enough to secure a huge market. The model who won the competition would definitely become famous. When that time came, she would be drowning in invitations.
There was no one definite path to success. Many people would realize that their route to success would not be the same route that they had dreamed of initially.
Hence, this would not conflict her dream at all.
However, Yasmin lowered her gaze despondently.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1833
“No, I don't like it.”
With that, she left with her head still bowed.
Seeing that, the student council secretary had no choice but to sigh and walk away.
Yasmin quickly returned to her dorm. To her surprise, she received a message on her phone immediately upon returning.
Anonymous: I want you to attend that competition.
Crash!
Her phone fell to the ground. She glared at it in utter terror, as if she had just encountered a ghost.
Feelings of fear, shock, and disbelief were written on her face immediately.
Why? Didn't I already delete him? Why can he still contact me? How did he infiltrate my phone?
Shuddering, she stood there for more than a minute, completely paralyzed. It was like something terrifying like a plague or a vicious demon was lying on the floor instead of her phone.
She wished for nothing more than to smash it into pieces.
In reality, she did that. However, when she stepped on the phone, it started blaring loudly. There was nothing more despairing than this.
Oh god, is here no way out of this?
In the end, she picked the phone up with a despondent look and placed it against her ear robotically.
“What are you doing, Yasmin? Do you think that you can cut off contact with us just like that? Let me tell you this. From the moment you contacted us, you will never be able to get rid of us. Don't even think of escaping us!” reminded the person viciously over the phone. Every word was like a venomous snake sinking its fangs into her flesh, causing her to shudder in fear.
However, she was at her wits end.
“Yasmin, don't forget that you've got blood on your hands. Someone died. Although you didn't kill the person personally, you're involved in every step. You can't prove yourself innocent anymore,” he continued harshly.
Yeah! There is no way I can wash the blood off my hands. It looks like I can only follow them to hell now!
“What... What do you want to do? Ian's siblings are here. There's no chance for you to kill Susan and her brother!”
“That's why I'm making you join the competition,” revealed the person sinisterly. “Let me tell you this—Sebastian's eldest son has a mental illness. Sebastian sent him to the University of Pollerton and made him in charge of the Hayes Corporation's project in order to train him. If Ian ruins the project, what will happen to him?”
“I'm really looking forward to this. If someone dies, it'll be even more entertaining!” added that vicious man.
Immediately, Yasmin felt like darkness was engulfing her again as she stood in her room. She smashed her phone onto the ground and shrieked shrilly.
She finally understood how despair and fear felt like—once she stepped into the abyss of darkness, there would be no path of return.
The next day arrived.
After all their effort yesterday, those who stayed in the apartment completed their tasks exceptionally. The next step was to continue with their own duties.
“My task is to design clothes today. Within a week, I'll finish designing all their outfits.”
“Sure!”
On the temporary meeting table, which had been repurposed from the dining table in the apartment, everyone started reporting their work progress before even having breakfast.
Ian, who was in charge of the project, was pleased when he heard about Vivian's progress.
It was Matteo next. “I've already found a renovation team. After your side is done with the blueprint, we can start work immediately.”
“My security system is almost done too. I can ensure that not even a fly can escape my eyes.” Kurt handed his blueprint up too. If he was the one in charge of security, the outcome would undoubtedly be good.
As the top assassin of SteelFort, this was a piece of cake for him.
Ian glanced at Timothy and Susan. While Timothy did not make much progress and had only found a few guys, Susan produced a long list of names.
Vivian exclaimed, “You're so amazing, Aunt Susan! You managed to recruit so many people in such a short time! Who are they?”
“Some are my schoolmates. When they heard that the Hayes Corporation is organizing a modeling competition, everyone was so excited that they raced to sign up. Another portion of them is made up of less popular celebrities whom the Neal family had recommended to me.”
After Susan introduced the first list, she whipped out another one.
Wow, celebrities!
Everyone's eyes lit up.
If there were celebrities joining, the competition would definitely attract more attention. The building and the business district surrounding it would be even more popular as well.
Everyone glanced at Susan, admiring her intelligence.
Ian was gazing at her too, not concealing the look of approval that was showing in his eyes.
Since everyone was done with their preparations, the next step was to start working on them. After eating breakfast, they all left. There was only Ian, who was the chief in charge of the project, and the six-year-old Natalie left in the apartment.
They just stared at each other for a while...
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1834
“Don't worry, Ian. I'm a very easy baby. You don't need to feed or coax me. Just bring me along with you wherever you go!”
When the six-year-old girl saw Ian frowning, she immediately carried her bag, ran to the entrance, and waited for him.
I'm so obedient, he'll definitely bring me along!
In the end, Ian brought her along and arrived at the building half an hour later.
“Oh my God! Where did this little girl come from? She's so pretty!” exclaimed Yvonne and the rest in shock when they saw Natalie.
Looking at the lady pinching her cheek, Natalie flashed a sweet smile at her.
“I'm Natalie, Ian's little sister. In the future, I'm going to be his wife!”
“W-What?” When she said that, everyone in the building was dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, the water in Ian's mouth spurted out in the office.
“What are you talking about, Natalie? Who allowed you to spout such nonsense?”
“I'm not saying nonsense! When I grow up, my dream is to become your wife, Ian. Daddy said that it is possible. As long as I try my best, I can definitely become your wife.”
With that, the cute little girl stared at Ian with her head tilted to the side. Drool came dribbling down her mouth again.
Yvonne and the rest doubled over in laughter, unable to control themselves.
Indeed, Natalie seemed like a child who was raised by an eccentric guy like Brandon. Furthermore, there were photos of him, a huge celebrity, and his daughter published occasionally. It was obvious that he doted on her greatly.
Rumors had it that because his daughter loved to draw, he just lay there and let her tie his hair, apply lipstick to him, and even paint his nails...
It was no wonder that he had raised a daughter who wanted to marry Ian.
Meanwhile, Ian fumed at the side.
When Vivian and Kurt returned at noon, he made a huge fuss and urged them to send Natalie back to Jadeborough.
Vivian asked, “Why? I've got so much work to deal with now. The models will be arriving soon!”
Yvonne explained, “Ms. Vivian, this little girl declared right in front of everyone that her dream is to become your brother's wife!”
“Yeah! Hahaha!”
Everyone could not help but burst out laughing again.
Vivian muttered, “Um...”
Kurt was speechless.
After a long while, Vivian scratched her head.
“So you already found out, huh? Ian, this is all Uncle Brandon's fault. She has been pasting your photo above her cot since young.”
“She was willing to come over for your sake,” added Kurt calmly.
The building was so quiet that they could hear a pin drop. At that moment, everyone fell silent, their gazes flitting between Ian and Natalie.
They completely ignored Ian's extremely grim expression.
What a bloody mess!
Furious, Ian sent a message to Sasha and scolded Brandon for his failure in educating his child.
Sasha was speechless. A few seconds passed before she finally replied to his message.
Sasha: Ian, Brandon did that because Nat was diagnosed with lymphoma when she was three and almost lost her life. To motivate her and encourage her to continue with her treatment, he mentioned you.
Ian: Me?
Sasha: Yeah! Because you were born prematurely, so your health wasn't that great. Furthermore, since your blood type is special, your father had to take a helicopter to search for hospitals multiple times just to save you.
Sasha: By using you as an example, Brandon hoped to encourage her to continue living. After she emerged victorious from the battle against her illness, she has been treating you as her idol.
Sash revealed this hidden past to Ian and even sent a few photos from back then.
Ian fell silent after seeing the photos.
Natalie was curling up on the bed like a weak little kitten. Her face was deathly pale and her eyes were shut. Even her nose was filled with all sorts of pipes.
“She's just a little kid. At six years old, she doesn't know what being a wife means! Don't be angry, Ian. She's just fooling around like a child,” assured Vivian at the most critical moment.
She glanced outside the office and saw Natalie completely engrossed in playing with a little dog, her butt poking out.
In the end, Ian decided to ignore this matter. He lowered his head and scrutinized the first batch of name lists.
Yasmin Snow?
When he saw the last name, a menacing look immediately appeared over his initially relaxed expression.
Ian: Why is Yasmin's name here?
Susan: Huh?
Perhaps Susan was busy, she did not react immediately.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1835
When Ian noticed that, he sent a photo of the name list gloomily. Even through the phone, his fury and displeasure were glaringly obvious.
Susan was at a loss for words.
How should I explain this? Since that student council secretary specially approached me, I can't possibly refuse. What happened between Yasmin and me hasn't been publicly revealed yet.
When Susan read the message on the screen, she could already imagine Ian's furious expression. Not knowing how to reply to him, she sent a few words back.
Susan: The school recommended her.
Ian: So what?
Susan: Ian, no one know about our conflict yet. If you contact the school and force her to withdraw from the competition, she might see me in a bad light again.
Susan's last sentence had a pleading note.
Yeah! That's what I'm the most afraid of. I can already feel that Yasmin's state of mind has changed drastically. Sometimes, I'm even terrified by her. At the Neal residence the other time, she approached Timothy directly!
Susan just hoped that everything would become peaceful again.
Ian read the message in the building. Although there was still some lingering anger within him, he could sense her pleading tone. Hence, he did not say anything else.
At that moment, Kurt arrived.
“Kurt, I want you to keep an eye on someone.”
“Who?”
Kurt was a bit surprised. From his impression, it was rare for Ian, who had a very calm and rational personality, to want to keep an eye on someone so warily.
He picked up the name list.
“Yasmin Snow?”
“Yeah, she's Duncan's elder sister. After realizing that Susan and Timothy were from the Limmer family, she has been acting shady in the dark. She's already responsible for someone's death.” Ian did not hide anything from Kurt.
When Kurt heard that, he was in disbelief.
So it's her! Is this Uncle Sebastian's true objective in asking me to come here? Does he want me to bait all these people?
The intelligent man immediately understood.
Nodding, he memorized Yasmin's name and face. Soon, he left.
By the time night fell, the few of them had returned to the apartment. However, Vivian soon noticed that Kurt had not come back yet.
“Where's Kurt? Why hasn't he returned?”
“I think he's still dealing with the security system. Hey, you're too much. Why aren't you showing concern for me? I didn't even manage to take a sip of water after coming back,” complained Matteo while answering her question. He had just returned to the apartment as well.
Vivian blushed.
Just when she was about to pour some water for Matteo, she spotted a pair of tiny hands. Natalie placed a cup of water in front of Matteo before turning around and dashing away.
“Huh? Nat?”
“Wow! It's Nat! You love me the most, don't you? Come here and let me give you a hug!”
Natalie had already hidden behind Ian. When Matteo saw her, he quickly beckoned her to come over. However, she was unwilling to do that.
Grabbing Ian's shirt, she poked her head out and snuck a peek at Matteo carefully before hiding again.
“Hahaha!”
Matteo was taken with how adorable she was. His heart softened as he stood up from the chair and walked over, wanting to carry Nat over.
“No! I don't want him to carry me! Ian, save me!” screamed Natalie before snuggling into Ian's arms, as if Matteo was a beast.
This made Matteo unhappy.
He stared at Natalie gloomily. “This is so weird. Do I look very scary? Why is she so scared of me?”
“You don't look scary. It's just that your actions are! Nat is still a child. How can you be so violent? If you want to have a good relationship with her, you need to be gentle and coax her,” analyzed Vivian.
When Matteo heard that, he slapped his forehead in realization and quickly took out something from his pocket.
“Come here, Nat. Look at what this is! If you come here, I'll let you play with it.”
Still clinging to Ian, Natalie glanced at him.
What's that? Is that a toy?
In the end, Natalie allowed Matteo, who was as tall as a skyscraper to her, to carry her. She sat on his lap and started playing with a robot he had brought from the building.
Time passed quickly. Soon, it was time for the building's opening. Everyone was done with their preparations as well. The media reporters who had heard about it quickly rushed over.
“Even the reporters are here. Seems like today's event will be big.” When Ian received the news, he specially summoned Kurt over to his room and told him that.
A calm expression hung on Kurt's face.
Actually, he wanted to ask Ian something. The main event for today is the project he's in charge of. Why is he constantly thinking about that issue? What is he really focusing on?
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His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1836
“Don't worry. I've already made all the necessary preparations. Every single one of Yasmin's actions will not escape my eyes,” assured Kurt.
Ian heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. After getting ready, he left with Kurt following behind him.
“Kurt, thanks in advance for today. I just received a call saying that Zaylynn's father will be bringing some government officials over. The event will be on an extremely grand scale! In that case, security will have to be tighter as well.”
To Kurt's surprise, he bumped into Susan after coming out. She had not left yet.
Stopping in his tracks, Kurt casually glanced at Ian, who had just entered the car, then back at Susan.
“It's fine. The preparations are all done. I've even arranged for some people to come all the way from Oceanic Estate. There won't be a single hiccup.”
“Good.” Susan felt relieved when she heard that.
Carrying the box on the ground, she walked alongside Kurt and said, “Ian's project is very important. Nothing bad must happen.”
“Why?”
“This is his first assignment after he made his first step into society. Both of us know what his personality is like. It has not been easy for him to reach this stage.”
Susan gazed at the car waiting for them in front. As she stood there, a gentle look appeared in her eyes—like a light breeze rippling the surface of a tranquil lake.
It was as if the only person that she could see at that moment was Kurt sitting in the car. However, she did not even notice that.
Kurt smirked and averted his gaze.
“Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to him.”
And you too.
However, Kurt did not say the last part.
Soon, everyone arrived at the building. The greatly anticipated ceremony and the modeling competition were finally unveiled in front of a huge crowd...
“I'm so nervous! So many people came today. Those famous models are really here!”
“Yeah! There are even celebrities. The Hayes Corporation is really capable. We must seize this golden opportunity!”
“Yeah!”
The other models in the building's dressing room discussed excitedly with each other, especially Zaylynn and the rest.
Since it was such a grand event, they were naturally very thrilled.
Yasmin was in the dressing room too.
While she sat there and listened to their discussion, her fingers turned cold.
“Miss, you're too nervous! It's not easy for me to do your makeup like this. Relax!” reminded the makeup artist when she noticed it.
Yasmin took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
After much difficulty, her makeup was done and the next step was to pick her clothes. The models filed out of the room and headed to the other changing room.
“Yasmin, here's our strategy. Sebastian's daughter will be in charge of the changing room in the front. She's responsible for all the models' clothes. Your mission is to stir up some trouble there.”
“What did you say?” shrieked Yasmin in shock when she heard that.
Are those devils crazy? How dare they target Sebastian's daughter? Aren't they afraid that they'll die a horrible death?
She froze in her tracks. Lifting the hem of her dress, she rushed to a quiet place. She suppressed her fury and demanded, “What are you planning to do? Our target is Susan and no one else!”
“I know. But doing this is for the sake of targeting Susan.”
“What do you mean?”
“If something bad happens to Sebastian's daughter in this event, Ian will undoubtedly be greatly affected. Once both of his children are harmed, what will Sebastian do? He'll naturally be furious. By then, he won't defend Susan and Timothy anymore. After all, he entrusted Ian to both of them personally. Without Sebastian's protection, we can kill them anytime we want!” gloated the person menacingly over the phone.
That was their final plan—to let someone else do the dirty work for them.
The most powerful force backing Susan and Timothy up was Sebastian and the Jadesons. If they could not ruin that connection, they would never be able to get Susan and Timothy.
Furthermore, if Ian was cast out of the picture, it would be easy for them to kill a twenty-one-year-old woman.
When the person on the phone thought about this plan's success, he laughed gleefully.
Yasmin's chest heaved rapidly.
She felt like she was on the verge of fainting. Her body felt even colder as if she had just been plunged into a terrifying abyss. Other than death, there was no other option.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1837
Why did I reply them back then? Why did I do that?
“Yasmin, are you in contemplation? It's okay if you're unwilling, we won't insist. But it's a good day today. There are so many reporters here too. I don't mind making this opening ceremony a lot more exciting.”
“W-What do you mean?”
“You don't understand what I mean? We have records of everything you've done.”
That demon then burst into maniacal laughter over the phone...
Yasmin felt her last shred of hope vanish into thin air.
Meanwhile, in the dressing room.
The place was Vivian's turf, at least for that particular day.
A large portion of the designs was her works. And even though there were inclusions from other fashion designers she had invited, she was still the main person in charge. As such, upon arrival at the venue, the models were basically heeding her commands.
“Look, guys. That's Ian's sister. She's not only pretty but is extremely capable too.”
“Exactly! She's amazing!”
When Zaylynn and the others walked into the dressing room and saw Vivian buried in work, they all had astonishment and admiration filled their eyes.
Even Yasmin, who arrived later than the rest, was dazed momentarily at the sight of Vivian at a distance away.
She is very beautiful, indeed.
All along, Yasmin had been very confident about her appearance. She had received numerous compliments since she was a child. Furthermore, she had never encountered another girl who could win her in terms of looks.
But after meeting Vivian, she had to admit that the latter was much more gorgeous than herself.
Vivian had a perfect oval-shaped face with a pair of watery, black eyes that sparkled like gemstones. Despite the large crowd at the venue, she would still pull a sweet smile up on her face whenever someone called her. Her appearance was honestly a sight to behold.
“Vivi, should we run a round of rehearsal after everyone gets changed?”
Susan was inside too.
She was in charge of the order of the models' entrance into the show. Therefore, there was a need for clear communication between Vivian and her to avoid making any possible blunders.
Turning around, Vivian nodded in acknowledgment after seeing that it was Susan.
“Yeah, Aunt Susan. It's Ian's first project; we can't afford any mistakes. It'll be great if we do some rehearsals before that.”
“All right.” Susan was totally for the idea.
With that, she led the models and headed into the dressing room. Meanwhile, Vivian stayed outside to watch the models, who had already got changed, do their rehearsal on the runway.
Just then, Yasmin walked over.
“Huh? Why haven't you gotten changed?” Surprisingly, Vivian spotted her presence despite the crowd in the area.
At once, Yasmin stopped in his tracks.
“I... I...”
“Oh gosh. You have what it takes to be a model. You have a great figure and sharp facial features. Which team are you in?”
Vivian grabbed onto her tightly, and after closely observing her from head to toe professionally, the former's eyes glistened like the stars at night. Without hesitation, she inquired about Yasmin's team.
In truth, her reaction was just like any other designer. While they were particular about designing clothing, finding a good model was also something they highly coveted.
The turn of events was, unquestionably, out of Yasmin's imagination, leaving her slightly bewildered. Before she could try to say anything, the naive and enthusiastic girl in front of her asked her assistant to bring over an outfit.
“Hey, babe. Here you go! This dress is the flagship design of my entire collection. You shall put this on!”
It turned out that Vivian wanted to let her put on the best piece of work.
Yasmin stood rooted to the ground, unsure how she should feel at that moment.
Nonetheless, having exchanged gazes with that pair of beautiful eyes filled with hope and affirmation, she suddenly had one thought pervaded her mind—she must not hurt her!
“What's wrong with you? Do you not like this?” Vivian had no idea that the young lady before her was her biggest threat. Seeing her lost in deep thought, she showered her with concern.
“If you don't like it, I-”
“No, I do. I like it very much!” Yasmin finally broke her silence and quickly grabbed the dress over from Vivian's grip.
“But I don't know how to put this on. Can you help me with it?”
“Of course, that's not a problem,” Vivian agreed to it readily.
And so, the two of them headed toward the dressing room together.
As it was the first time Yasmin was removing her clothes in the presence of someone else, she was a little embarrassed and nervous that she seemed slightly hesitant to make a move.
“Don't worry. I'm a lady too, and I can promise you that there are no pinhole cameras in the dressing room. No one will infringe your privacy,” Vivian thoughtfully reassured in a sweet voice.
Yasmin lowered her gaze, and a slight blush spread across her cheeks.
“Great.” She then proceeded to take her clothes off.
Wow. What a perfect figure indeed. Every measurement hits the golden ratio.
Vivian was over the moon. She was so engrossed in waiting for Yasmin to put on the dress that she did not realize strange noises sounding from the dressing room next to hers.
Click! Clack!
It was a crisp sound of something breaking.
After someone gasped in shock, the crowd outside instantly cast their fear-filled gazes toward the direction of the dressing room. At the same time, a black figure dashed in from outside.
“Oh, my gosh. What happened? Why will this dressing room suddenly collapse?”
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1838
“I don't know. Did someone fall?”
“No. It's merely a mannequin.” Someone in the crowd suddenly made that comment.
A mannequin?
Yasmin's expression turned ghastly upon hearing that.
Naturally, she knew the reason why that dressing room had collapsed. Otherwise, she would not have brought Vivian to another dressing room instead.
But why a mannequin?
A bad feeling slowly crept up within her. Instead of getting done with changing into the dress, she parted the curtains and peeked out.
And like what she had expected, there was a commotion outside.
However, it was not as chaotic as she had thought. Many in the crowd were instead casting their curious gazes at the dressing room.
At that moment, a tall, slender silhouette appeared in the dressing room.
Is that... Ian?
She felt her heart skip a beat.
Unexpectedly, it was not Ian. When she caught sight of that person who walked out from inside after taking care of the mess created in that dressing room, she realized it was an unfamiliar face whose features were nowhere inferior to that of Ian.
And Yasmin was, again, struck in awe by the youth's appearance.
He had a pair of beautiful almond-shaped eyes that sparkled like how a porcelain lamp would. However, he was dripping with an exceptional cold and distant aura.
As the youth apathetically swept his gaze across the surrounding, the girls around could instantly sense a menacing hostility enveloping the atmosphere, leaving them not daring to make another sound.
Who is this young man? He's so good-looking!
“Oh, Kurt? Why are you here?” While everyone was in awe, Vivian's line of vision also landed on that young man and immediately came running out, surprised.
Well, the young man was none other than Kurt.
While Yasmin continued to watch the situation in the dressing room, she noticed how the threatening aura that the youth was exuding toned down as soon as Vivian made her way out. His expression turned more tender-looking as he quietly watched the young lady approach.
“I came over to take a look. Anyway, you guys didn't set up one of the dressing rooms properly.”
“Is that so?”
Hearing that, Vivian walked behind him to take a look. Upon finding that there was a big hole formed after the inside of that particular dressing room collapsed, she jumped in shock.
“Oh gosh. Thankfully we didn't go to that dressing room. Phew, how fortunate.” She patted her chest as she heaved a sigh of relief.
Kurt merely grunted a reply before he continued scanning through the area with his cold gaze that ultimately landed in Yasmin's direction.
The intense exchange of gazes threw Yasmin off her composure. She could not help but suck in a sharp breath and shuddered uncontrollably in front of that youth. Her heart nearly fell out of her chest in that instant.
It was so bone-chilling Yasmin felt her mind in a complete blank for a moment.
“All right. Since everything has been resolved, you should head outside first. It's all girls here, so I doubt it's very convenient for you to stick around.” Vivian tried to shove Kurt out of the room.
Her words seemed to have pulled those models, who were enraptured by the handsome youth, back into reality. In that split second, what followed after a scream was those girls covering their chest with their arms while their faces flushed red in embarrassment.
Kurt was a little taken aback by the situation.
In the end, he was dragged out of the room.
Subsequently, Vivian darted back inside. “I'm sorry for the slight mishap. Let's continue getting changed.”
Yasmin seemed to have yet recovered from the situation earlier. “O-Okay...”
Regardless, she followed Vivian back into the dressing room.
But then, she could no longer be as calm and composed as earlier when she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Who exactly is that young man? And why would there be a mannequin in that dressing room? According to the plan, I should be bringing Vivian into the dressing room, and we'll be the ones falling in. But why would there be a mannequin inside?
Those thoughts only further fueled Yasmin's uneasiness.
“Erm... M-Ms. Vivian, can I ask you something? Who's that guy earlier?”
“Him? He's my family. We grew up together since young,” Vivian casually revealed Kurt's identity.
But as soon as her words fell, she saw Yasmin quivering in front of her.
Grew up with her since young? Could it be... Could it be that he's the personal bodyguard of this young lady of the Hayeses? And that means he's the top assassin of SteelFort those people have been mentioning? So, Lucy, Elizabeth, Colton, and the others have all died at this guy's hands?
Yasmin's mind was in an utter mess.
Right then, a voice rang out from the micro earpiece hidden in her ear.
“Yasmin! You're amazing, huh? How dare you do that again? Are you tired of living?”
Yasmin did not respond.
“Fine. Just you wait. I'll settle scores with you again.” Finishing that, that person switched off the transmitter.
“Hey, what's on your mind? I've put on the outfit for you. I have to head outside to watch the other girls rehearse. Go look for my assistant to get your hair set.”
After putting the dress on Yasmin, Vivian was preparing to head outside.
To her surprise, just as she turned around, Yasmin vehemently grabbed onto her arm.
“No, you can't. Don't go anywhere. G-Go and look for the young man from earlier. Where is he? Stay by his side. Hurry!” It was the first time Yasmin had ever lost control of her emotions.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1839
Yasmin grabbed onto Vivian's wrist firmly. At that moment, she finally found her conscience after evil and darkness devoured her entire soul.
Puzzlement swamped the latter as she stared intently at Yasmin.
Snap! Right then, the lights in the dressing room suddenly grew dim following that sound.
“Aaaahh!” the girls at the venue shrieked in horror.
Similarly, Vivian looked up above her head in shock. Within a second, just as she felt someone grab her wrist and pull her out, she also felt a pair of hands pushing her from the back.
Following that, a clattering noise resonated through the air. Outside Vivian's line of vision, a massive black hole appeared. This time, the young lady standing behind her fell straight into it.
Nobody liked darkness, to be honest.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
When the lights lit up again, Vivian saw Kurt right before her. The youth had made his appearance again, and this round, hugging her in his arms. Turning around, she instantly fell into a daze when she saw that there was not a single soul in the dressing room.
“Where is she?”
“Someone took her to get her makeup and hair done. Don't worry,” Kurt gently comforted her while hugging her.
With that, Vivian felt at ease. In the blink of an eye, she pulled herself together and devoted her attention to the fashion show that had yet to conclude.
Little did she know that in the building where the fashion show was taking place, an opening ceremony was happening concurrently and was under the attention of various media outlets and many audiences. And not too far away, there was an abandoned, old house. Inside, Kurt sat on a stone bench expressionlessly as someone was being thrown in.
“It's him?”
“Yes!” Standing by the side, the SteelFort member bobbed his head after bringing in the last person.
Only then did Kurt raise his glance to look and walk over to that person slowly.
Throughout it all, that person merely stared ahead numbly.
Even though he did not recognize Kurt, he felt an inexplicable fear surge inside him as the youth walked up to him. It was almost as if Kurt had the presence of Lucifer and was about to send him to meet his doom.
“W-What do you want from me?”
“What do you think?” Murderous intent filled Kurt's eyes as he placidly threw a question back.
Suddenly, he reached his arm out as fast as lightning, grabbed onto that person's chest, and forcefully smashed him toward the ground. Loud crunching sounds, similar to the ones heard in the dressing room earlier, resounded in the air.
That person's ribs were crushed!
“Pfft!”
It was simply too horrifying.
Blood spewed out from that person's mouth. Standing by the side, the two SteelFort members felt their scalp prickle and could barely breathe as they watched the scene.
Indeed. This rascal has got even more merciless.
The most frightening fact was that Kurt had no intentions of ending that person's life. He wanted the latter to suffer in immense pain.
“I've underestimated you. I thought you only wanted Susan and her brother's life. But it seems like you're eyeing Vivian's too. Do you know what my bottom line is?”
Kurt stood up and pulled out a silk handkerchief to wipe the blood stains off his fingers. Then, he walked back and sat down again.
That person could not muster the strength to speak. Tremendous fear was over pouring from him.
Of course, there was no need for him to respond. The answer was clear—it was the naive little girl, Vivian.
That person shut his eyes in agony.
“What's his name?” Kurt gulped down a mouthful of water and finally popped that question.
“Maurice, a student of the University of Pollerton and the student council secretary. We've run a check, and he doesn't seem to have any connections to those people on the name list.”
The SteelFort member brought over a document, which seemed like they had secured while capturing that person on the ground.
Kurt grabbed it and carefully looked through it.
It was the same name list. Oddly enough, several names on the list had been strung together and used to form a string of numbers. On one look, it made no sense at all.
Kurt had no reaction whatsoever.
“Hahaha! There's no need to look so thoroughly. There's no way you guys can figure out even if you guys are smart enough.”
That person had finally managed to catch his breath and spoke rather brazenly, perhaps because he figured he was doomed.
Yet, things did not turn out that way. He was left disappointed as it only took Kurt one glance before he grabbed a pen and drew on it.
“Go look up for this latitude and longitude; find out what place this is.”
“Got it.” The members went to investigate without delay.
Several minutes later, they achieved findings.
“We found it. It's also in Xenhall. But it's on a mountain called Minnewell Hill.”
“Minnewell Hill?” Confusion flashed across Kurt's eyes.
The blood-stained face of that person lying on the ground turned grim upon hearing the SteelFort member's report.
“So, Xenhall used to be Eddie's nest. If that's so, there must be some secret hidden in it. Send this information to Mr. Hayes and get him to check what on earth is it about.” Kurt made a decision.
Beads of cold sweat began forming on the foreheads of the SteelFort members.
Isn't that rascal a little too outrageous? It's a task handed to him, yet now he's instructing Mr. Hayes to investigate something? Does he have an idea who's the boss here? And who's the subordinate?
The two members were, undoubtedly, rendered speechless by Kurt!
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1840
Nevertheless, the two SteelFort members had no choice but to pass the message in the end.
What left them utterly stunned was how they received news from Oceanic Estate within twenty minutes.
“Mr. Hayes says that place should be Eddie's other military supply storehouse.”
“The other?” A frown formed between Kurt's brows.
I remembered Karl mentioning the military supply storehouse. According to him, it should've been blown up in the underground tunnel during the battle back then. Why will there still be one here?
“Does that mean that he is a remnant of Eddie's followers? And he's going to make a comeback? Then why is he after Susan and Timothy? Aren't they the grandchildren of Eddie?”
“Erm... that's not it. Don't get too agitated, Kurt. Mr. Hayes says this person probably only wants to seek revenge for his family.” The SteelFort member sounded a little awkward. He took out the phone and clicked open to show Kurt the information Sebastian sent.
Revenge?
Kurt was left completely puzzled until he took the phone over and saw the photo that revealed the true identity of that person before his eyes.
“Maurice White? His last name is White?”
“Yes. He's the grandson of Alfred's brother. Back then, after Alfred suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Mr. Hayes, Eddie saw that there was no use for this pawn anymore. Afraid that Alfred would divulge his secrets, he got Elizabeth to poison them to death.”
“Poison them to death?” Kurt raised an eyebrow.
“That's right. This child coincidentally was placed under his grandma's care, and that was how he was lucky to escape death.”
Kurt's face turned grim.
Without a doubt, he knew who Elizabeth was. He was, after all, the one who killed her.
Even if she has something to do with Eddie, she's still Alfred's wife. They even gave birth to Baylor. How could she be that ruthless?
Kurt shifted his gaze to Maurice again, who was barely alive after being badly whacked up by him earlier.
“So, your real motive is to avenge your family members?”
“I-Isn't that the same? Aren't those names on the list all die at Eddie's hands? I merely gathered them together. I-Is there anything wrong with me killing Eddie's descendants and taking his things?” Trembling involuntarily on the floor, he exerted all his energy to query his doubts.
Kurt went silent.
He could not find words to answer those questions. After all, Eddie was also his enemy whom he held a grudge with.
Back then, had he not colluded with Daphne in an attempt to usurp Elysium to make it his base, Daphne would not have bewitched his father to kill his heir, one after another.
It was first Calvin and Channing, then him.
That was why he could totally relate to that person when he mentioned boring a grudge.
But grudges aside, choosing to kill some other innocent people just because you wanted to seek revenge, what difference will that make of you from Eddie or Elizabeth?
Kurt returned the phone to the members beside him.
“Do you have any idea who killed Elizabeth?”
“Who?”
“Me!”
A silent pause ensued.
“Then, do you know what she did before I killed her back then?” Kurt kept his stoic expression as he continued to ask.
No words could come out of that person's mouth. The words he heard seconds ago left him completely paralyzed, his brain unable to process anything.
He had been looking for Elizabeth all this while. It was a pity he could not find a trace of her throughout the years, and it was only until last year that he received news about her death.
He learned that she was killed by a mad youth.
Back then, that youth had charged toward Yartran and single-handedly wiped out all the nests Elizabeth occupied within a day. Eventually, he also annihilated that cunning woman personally.
Even at that point, he remembered every single detail of the incident.
Because of that incident, he had been hoping to meet that youth to show his appreciation for helping the White family seek their revenge.
“The last thing she did was kill her biological son just so that she could run away. And her son was none other than Susan's father, Colton. Think about it—if she could bring herself to kill her son, she wouldn't bat an eye on killing you?”
There was no response.
“In other words, Colton was actually a victim too. Why would you see him or his children as your target for revenge? He had never mentioned anything about his true identity to his daughter. And because he tried to save Vivi from the snake venom, his mom killed him. Not everyone wants to be the devil in the darkness in this world, and he was one of them. He only wanted to live a normal life. Why did you not let them off?” It was rare of Kurt to advise anyone with such patience.
Perhaps, he did that because mentioning someone else's family tragedy reminded him of himself.
Laying on the floor, Maurice finally stopped saying anything.
He stared blankly at the ceiling. His face, probably because of too much blood lost, had turned as white as the dead, and as time elapsed, he slowly shut his eyes tight.
“Take him away.” Kurt waved his hand as he figured the matter had been settled.
Shortly after, when he strode out from the deserted house, Matteo, who had brought people along with him, ran toward him.