Ch. 1841..1850

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1841

“So? Have you taken care of the matter at your end? I heard the person backing them up was the student council secretary in their school,” Matteo asked.

“Mm, he's Maurice White, Alfred's grandson. What about Yasmin?” Kurt asked.

Matteo shrugged. “She's been sent to the hospital. She'll be fine. You've made a lot of preparations. Still, she must pay for what she has done.”

“Mm.” Kurt didn't deny it.

After that, both of them returned to the building and acted as though nothing had happened. They waited until the grand opening ceremony started and the fashion show ended before they went to find Ian.

“Wow, today's event was a great success! Look, everyone's talking about us on the internet.”

“Yeah! We're trending!”

“Zaylynn, look, they're all talking about you...”

That show had achieved unprecedented success. Even after it had ended, there were still people sticking around.

Ian was standing at a distance, staring at the scene.

It was his first time appearing in front of so many people. However, he was no longer afraid. His heart was currently filled with great joy that the success of the show had brought him.

Joy like that made everyone appear pleasant to his eyes.

Indeed, a person's environment could change a person.

Susan was carrying a bunch of gifts. It was prepared by the models for the organizer to celebrate the success of the show, and they insisted on sending those gifts.

“Ian?” She approached him while panting.

She had wanted to ask him to help her out.

However, when she saw the joyous look in his eyes as he stared at the crowd, she stopped and quietly accompanied him from across.

Happiness filled her beautiful, watery black eyes.

Compared to the success of the show today, she was gladder that Ian had walked out of his solitude.

While that transition might not be complete yet, she still felt it was an achievement worth celebrating.

“Hmm? Why are you carrying so many things, Aunt Susan? You didn't ask anyone for help? Ian? Where is he? Why isn't he helping you carry these?” Matteo and Kurt approached her from behind.

They had come to help her out when they saw her carrying so many things at once.

It was then Susan returned to her senses.

“It's all right. There aren't that many things here. Oh yeah, where did the two of you go earlier? Why didn't I see both of you?” she asked when she saw both of them approaching her.

Matteo vaguely mentioned that they had gone on a patrol.

As for Kurt, who was usually a taciturn person, he remained silent.

When all three of them reached the other side, Ian noticed them and swept his gaze across them and the items in their hands. “Where's Vivi?”

Before Susan could reply, Kurt suddenly put the gifts in his hands back to her, turned around, and left.

Once everyone cleaned things up and returned to the apartment, it was already evening.

“I got news about Yasmin. After she woke up, she called the police and turned herself in.”

In the evening, one could see a magnificent view on the balcony of the apartment. The brilliant setting sun colored the sky, turning the scene into a splendor painting.

Kurt shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at the person watering the plants on the balcony. What's that flower?

He stared at that dog-tail-looking plant and didn't find it all that pleasing to the eye. Yet, the affluent young adult in front of him was willing to lower himself to water that plant.

“Is that so? What did she say?”

“She said she killed someone. A girl from the school. She admitted it,” Kurt replied plainly.

The moment he finished, the person watering the plant stopped.

At her age, admitting to murder wouldn't lead to her getting a death sentence, but she would have to stay in prison for at least a decade.

Ian continued to water the plant and instructed calmly, “Tell my daddy to transfer a bit of money to the Snow family. It's better for her to sit in prison for a few years than be dead.”

He didn't say anything about Yasmin being punished appropriately or celebrating it. Instead, he provided humanitarian aid to her family.

As for Yasmin herself, he was simply glad that she wasn't dead, and it was obvious from his tone.

Kurt pursed his lips silently and was about to head back to the living room when Ian asked, “I heard Maurice used the military supply storehouse buried by Eddie in Xenhall as bait. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Then are you heading there next?”

Kurt didn't expect him to ask that.

He stayed silent and turned to the woman playing with Natalie in the living room.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1842

“Don't worry. I won't tell her. I just want to remind you about it. If you're really heading there, you need to be careful,” Ian said.

“What do you mean?” Kurt turned back to him.

If one compared their intelligence, the difference would be apparent. However, everyone has their own strengths. For example, Kurt was great at setting up strategies and executing them.

As for Ian, he was good at analysis and deductions.

He had his father's mind. When the pieces were displayed on the board in front of him, he wouldn't make a move, but he would be able to notice important information hidden within quickly.

“That's Eddie's old nest. Daddy hasn't found it yet after searching for a long time. Why would Maurice know about it? How old was he when his family was poisoned to death? The secret was important, sure, but back then, the White family didn't expect they would be wiped out. So how did he know?” Ian laid out the analysis he conducted in his mind.

Kurt furrowed his eyebrows upon hearing that. “So you're saying that your daddy is asking me to destroy it so that no one can get it? Is that right?”

“Yes. That's why you need to be careful. I believe someone else is involved. They'll no doubt get the news that something happened to Maurice,” Ian reminded once again.

Kurt raised his eyebrow.

He didn't dwell on the matter. Instead, he was worried about Vivian after he left.

“What are you standing there for, Kurt? Help me find the beads! Nat accidentally scattered them on the floor.”

Both men were standing on the balcony when they heard an exclamation from the living room.

It was then followed by the sound of beads falling to the ground from the coffee table.

The beads were scattered everywhere.

Vivian was on the verge of tears.

She didn't care about much, but she cared a lot about her clothes-making material.

When Kurt saw that, he quickly went in to help her pick it all up.

The others helped too. Natalie was so shocked that she stood unmoving.

“What are you standing there for? Go to the side.” Matteo was bending down to pick up the beads when he saw the culprit remained standing on her spot. He picked her up and put her on the couch. That way, it would be more convenient for his huge body to move around and pick up the beads.

Natalie's watery, big eyes instantly turned red. Nobody likes me or welcomes me here!

She was hurt, and seeing that no one was paying attention to her as she sat on the couch with teary eyes, she pouted before running away.

Only when everyone gathered the beads did they realize Natalie was gone.

“Where's Nat? Where did she go?”

“Huh? I don't know.”

Everyone was confused.

In the end, it was Susan who noticed that a pair of small shoes had gone missing from the entrance.

Everyone began to panic as the sun had completely set. Without hesitation, they all immediately went out to find her.

Timothy said, “I'm blaming this on Matteo. She probably ran away because you picked on her.”

“I... I did?” Matteo wanted to deny it, but in reality, he couldn't remember if he had upset her.

That was because he liked to tease all kids.

“All right. Let's not talk about that for now and just find her. Oh yeah, Timothy, how about you try calling Zaylynn? Her family is familiar with the place and they know a lot of people. We can ask them for help,” Susan said.

She suddenly thought about the Neal family.

Timothy immediately made a call.

Soon, the entire police force in the area moved out to search for Natalie.

“Do you want to join me, Matteo?” Susan intentionally invited him to join her. She could feel his anxiety when they split up to find Natalie.

“It's okay. I move faster than you. I can find her myself,” he said and quickly left, which made Susan feel quite worried.

At that moment, Ian came by. He saw her staring at his little brother's back and pursed his lip. “He's just feeling guilty. That's why he's desperate to find her.”

“Ian, you're here.” Susan returned to her senses when she turned around and saw him.

She sighed and attempted to defend Matteo. “I know that, and it's why I'm worried. Matteo definitely didn't do it on purpose. He just likes to joke around with Nat. How can a cheerful guy like him be mad at a kid?”

Ian stared at her. This seems to be the first time I've heard what she thought about someone else, and it turns out to be my brother.

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Even in the dark of night, Ian could see her fondness for Matteo, especially when she mentioned the cheerful part. She had meant it genuinely.

Ian looked away and turned around.

Susan quickly caught up with him and walked by his side. “Where should we find her? This side?”

“No.” His voice suddenly sounded cold.

Susan was a little confused by his sudden coldness. But since he had said that, she decided to follow behind him silently instead. When he turned right, she turned right too.

Did I say something wrong again? Oh my god!

Matteo finally found Natalie at the police station.

She was sitting on a chair, surrounded by a male and a female officer. In her hands was a giant lollipop, and she was enjoying it.

“What's your name, little girl?”

“Natalie.” Her cute voice and the scent of the sweet softened the police officers' hearts.

They all found her name to be pleasing to the ear.

Just as Matteo let out a sigh of relief at finding her, a vein bulged on his forehead when he saw her sitting there and eating a lollipop casually.

Right as he was about to head in, a policewoman sat next to Natalie because she liked the girl very much.

“Tell us, Natalie. Why did you run away from home?”

“I didn't run away from home. It's because Daddy's sick.”

“What did you say?”

That stunned everyone in the station. Even Matteo paused his steps when he was just about to go in.

Natalie continued, “Yeah. My daddy's sick, so I'm here. But now I want to go back. Can you take me home?”

She suddenly raised her head to stare at the policewoman. Tears swelled in her wide eyes.

The policewoman asked, “Why do you want to go back?”

“Because I miss Daddy...”

Tears streamed down Natalie's cheeks as she lowered her head. The entire police station turned silent in an instant.

Matteo's fists tightened.

Ever since he was a child, he had been an optimistic person. Even when he encountered many upsetting things in his life, he never let them affect his mood.

That was until the current moment.

He wasn't sure what he was feeling.

There was guilt, but there was remorse and heartache, too.

Vivian had told him that when they went to pick up Natalie, Brandon called them because he learned that they were in Netheria for vacation.

It had been six years since Brandon left with the child and never returned to Avenport. Matteo couldn't help but wonder how Brandon and Natalie had been living for the past six years.

He also wondered what would've happened to Natalie if Vivian and the others hadn't gone to Netheria.

Matteo stood at the entrance and watched tears fall from Natalie's eyes. At that instant, he really wanted to slap himself. What have I done?

“Nat, I'm here to pick you up.” He entered the police station after calming down.

However, when Natalie heard his voice, she was so frightened that she jumped into the policewoman's embrace.

Matteo and the policewoman were speechless.

“No! I don't want him! I don't want...” Natalie cried out loud.

It made him feel even more at a loss.

The police asked, “Wait a second. Who are you? Why is this child so afraid of you? Are you really her family?”

“Yes, I'm her brother.”

Natalie shouted, “No, he isn't! He's a bad guy! I don't want to see him!”

She didn't hesitate at all to call him a bad guy.

A vein bulged on Matteo's forehead when he heard that. “I dare you to say that again, Natalie Emmanuel.”

Natalie, who was making a scene a second ago, abruptly turned silent. She was so terrified that she stopped moving.

When Matteo saw that, he pulled out his identification card and showed it to the police officers.

A few minutes later, he brought her out of the station.

When he lowered his head and saw that she refused to leave with him, he scooped her up and left the building with her in his embrace.

Natalie was shocked.

“Stop messing around. I'll take you to eat something nice.” Matteo didn't feel entirely comfortable either.

After all, aside from hugging his sister, he had never hugged another living being.

The dogs he hugged while training in the military were different.

The girl widened her eyes in disbelief. She couldn't believe that the tiger-like Matteo was going to bring her somewhere to eat tasty food. Not only that, but he wasn't scolding her anymore.

Her gaze was fixed on his face.

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1844

It was then Natalie also realized that Matteo had a pair of attractive eyes that looked like a crescent moon.

“What are you staring at me for? I'm not going to eat you." Matteo had no idea why she was staring at him.

He thought she was afraid of him again since she had been staring at him after he carried her.

The moment he finished speaking, she immediately hid her head in his embrace as though she was a kitten that had done something wrong.

Kids sure are hard to take care of. Matteo sighed.

He brought her to a supermarket and let her pick what she wanted to eat.

Natalie was finally smiling again as she sat inside the cart. Matteo pushed her around while getting the food and even toys that she wanted.

“I want this! That one too! And that one! I want it! Buy it for me, Big Tiger..." She got so excited that she accidentally called him that.

Matteo was speechless. I'm a big tiger? When do I look like one? I'm clearly a knight in shining armor, given how handsome and cheerful I am.

Thereafter, he returned to the apartment with a bag full of snacks and toys in one hand while carrying a six-year- old girl on the other arm.

"Oh goodness! You two are finally back!" When the others saw them after waiting inside the apartment for the entire night, they let out a sigh of relief.

They were glad the child had finally been found.

The next day, in order to prevent any accidents from happening again, Matteo and Vivian brought Natalie back to Jadeborough to hand her to Sasha.

As for the others...

"I'm going back to the company," Ian uttered emotionlessly as he watered the flowers on the balcony.

Kurt nodded. "I'll help you bring your things over there. Once it's done, we'll return to Jadeborough."

It was a perfect excuse that innocent Vivian didn't find suspicious.

After everyone's destination was set, the next was Susan and his brother. Whenever summer vacation arrived, both of them would take up part-time jobs.

However, the situation was different that year.

“I'm., also going to Hayes Corporation with Ian. I passed my internship interview," Susan announced.

Vivian was happy when she heard that. "Really? It's great that you're going there! Let me tell you something, Aunt Susan. With your talents, you're going to have a good

time working at a big company like that! Don't worry. Daddy will definitely give you special treatment!"

She even mentioned her father, as she was certain he would treat his relatives nicely.

However, in reality, would Sebastian really do that?

Susan didn't think about it that much, nor was she looking forward to it happening. After all, she was already glad that she could make it into Hayes Corporation.

She turned to the balcony.

To her surprise, the teenager watering plants on the balcony didn't seem happy to hear the news. He simply continued to water the plants emotionlessly.

Her smile froze.

Buzz... Buzz...

Suddenly, her phone on the table rang.

"Hello?" she answered the call.

"Hello, is this Ms. Susan Jadeson? We're the police, and we're currently in the hospital. Do you have time to come over? Yasmin wants to meet you."

She was taken aback when she realized it was the police calling her and that Yasmin wanted to meet her.

Why does she want to see me?

She quickly tidied things up, grabbed her bag, and went straight to the hospital.

Truthfully, she only knew what was going on with Yasmin after Yasmin had been sent to the hospital and the matter had concluded.

When she learned that the people who wanted to hurt her and her brother had been captured, she had to admit that a huge wave of relief washed over her.

She could finally stop worrying about someone trying to kill her and her brother.

However, none of that told her why Yasmin wanted to meet her.

She arrived at the hospital with suspicions. The moment she did, she saw a young woman sitting inside a ward illuminated brightly by sunlight.

Yasmin still looked pretty even in her changed clothing.

She was basking in the sunlight and staring out the window, allowing the golden rays of light to make her look even more charming.

"You're here?" Her head didn't turn when she heard Susan walking in.

Susan slowly approached Yasmin, put her bag down from her shoulder, and stared at the latter.

"Look at how beautiful the sun is today. I suppose I should be grateful that I can see such dazzling sunlight before I go to prison."

"You're still young. There are many more wonderful days waiting for you in the future," Susan comforted, not knowing what else to say.

After all, it wasn’t a death sentence, nor was it lifetime imprisonment.

Yasmin smiled.

It was a genuine, liberating smile.

"Yes, I suppose so. What about you? Have you thought about what to do?"

"Me?" Susan was taken aback, not understanding what Yasmin meant. "What should I be doing?"

"Aren't you going to be with Ian? Or do you plan to stay as her Aunt Susan?" Yasmin finally turned her head and gazed at Susan calmly.

It was as though a bomb had exploded in Susan's mind. Is she crazy?

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1845

"What are you saying? What do you mean by staying as her Aunt Susan?" Susan stared at Yasmin with rage and shock.

She didn't understand why Yasmin had called her to the hospital just to force her to listen to a bunch of nonsense.

Yasmin still appeared to be calm as she stared at Susan's infuriated expression. "You know that's not what I meant. Or are you going to tell me that you still don't know how Ian feels about you? Do you really think he still treats you as his aunt?"

She went straight to the point, which bewildered Susan.

Susan's eyes widened. Her mind was blank, and her gaze was fixed on the woman in front of her for a few seconds.

"You're insane!"

"Am I? You should know if that is true or not. I did think he simply saw you as his aunt at first, but I was wrong. The way he looked at you was different," Yasmin recounted.

It was raining outside when she first saw the two of them in the cafeteria. Zaylynn had ordered a table full of food for Ian after she thought she had chased Yasmin away.

However, Ian didn't care about that at all.

It wasn't until Susan showed up that his eyes sparkled like the brightest stars in the cosmos.

In any case, it was Yasmin's first time seeing someone as cold as him being so enthusiastic about meeting someone.

It was also then that she started to dislike Susan.

"You're lying. Ian, h-he's just my nephew. We're relatives. That's why he's happy and will protect me when he sees me," Susan uttered as she suppressed the emotions in her heart while clenching her fists.

Yasmin smiled and advised, "I'm just reminding you about it. You can accept it or leave it be. If you really don't want to have that kind of relationship with him, then I suggest you stop treating him nicely. The better you treat him, the more he falls in love with you. When that time comes, if his father really disapproves of his relationship with you, it'll probably be catastrophic for him emotionally."

At that moment, she had really let everything go. She had asked Susan to visit her because she genuinely wanted to give that advice.

Ever since she turned herself in and her brother died, she had learned a few more things about the situation from Kurt.

He had told her that because of her brother's death, Ian had locked himself in his room for three days straight

and almost didn't leave at all. It wasn't until Sebastian woke up and helped Ian that Ian slowly recovered.

Susan finally fell silent.

Her face turned completely pale in just a few seconds. It was as though her heart had finally been stabbed by something that was always there.

She didn't want to admit it, but at that moment, she could feel nothing but cold sweat running down her body.

"Times up, Yasmin," the police officer, who was standing outside waiting for her, said.

Yasmin stood up, brushed the hair on her forehead aside, and prepared to leave.

"Why did you tell me all of this?" The voice coming from behind her stopped her in her tracks.

"Because"-she glanced back-"you're not the only person who likes him. Right now, I'm going to pay for my sins by going to jail, but at the same time, I hope he can lead a happy life."

It was a simple reason, yet it was one that didn't come to her until she had learned how to let go of everything.

Susan watched her leave before sitting in her spot, basking in the golden sunlight next to the window. There she remained for a long time as she digested that astounding revelation.

A week later, summer vacation finally arrived.

Ian left the school building and, instead of returning to the apartment as usual, headed to the moped parking spot.

He still didn't know how to ride it.

Or perhaps it would be more precise to say he didn't want to ride it and only wanted to be a passenger.

After he waited for a while, a pair of siblings approached him. Each of them was carrying a big pile of books. They looked as though they weren't coming back the next semester to study.

"You're already out, Ian? How did you do on the exam?" Susan asked with a smile when she noticed him.

It was pretty clear the books were weighing her down with how strained her smile was.

They all had an exam before the holiday, and she had just finished hers.

Ian raised his eyebrow before silently and helpfully carrying the books in her arms.

Timothy smiled. "Come on, Ian. Help your Uncle Timothy carry some books, too."

Ian shot a piercing glare at Timothy, which effectively shut him up.

Susan drove the moped while Ian sat behind. As for Timothy, he drove another one by himself. Right as they were about to set off, Zaylynn approached them.

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"Where are you all going? Is it back to the apartment? I wanna go there too!" "What for? It's the holidays. Why do you want to join us instead of going home?" Timothy, being the dense guy he was, retorted.

It made Zaylynn so angry that she wanted to cry. "It's none of your business! I wanna go back there with you guys! I ordered a barbecue. Since the holidays are starting soon, I want all of us to gather one last time before we split up."

"Sure. You can sit behind Timothy," Susan suggested.

And so the four of them headed back to the apartment.

Upon arriving at the apartment, Susan still prepared a few dishes because she was worried Ian wouldn't enjoy barbecued food. She thought the food might be too heavy on the flavor department, so she prepared a couple of dishes that she knew he liked.

Once everything was set up, everyone had a great time eating.

"So now that the holidays are right on our doorstep, what plans do you guys have in mind?" The liveliest person in the group, Zaylynn, brought up the topic first.

Timothy was eating grilled fish when he heard that. He answered, "I'm going to get a part-time job, of course. Not everyone is as rich as you, Zaylynn."

"You-"

"All right, Timothy. Why do you have to act like a child every time? Zaylynn's a girl. You have to treat her better," Susan advised in order to prevent another fight between them from occurring.

Only then did Timothy stop.

Zaylynn asked, "Then where are you going to do your part-time job? If you don't mind, you can come and work at our family's hotel. My dad said he's recruiting people."

"Really?" Timothy's eyes sparkled.

The hotel operated by the Neal family was a famous local hotel. Otherwise, the Neal family wouldn't have been as influential as it was.

Susan thought the idea sounded good too, so she turned to Zaylynn. "That sounds great. Timothy was going to work in an internet cafe for the summer. He probably needs to work at night, and the pay isn't that great. If your hotel has a position for him, that'll be great."

"There is a position that suits him. He's good at computers, and our hotel security department needs someone who can deal with their computer system. My dad was planning to hire someone at a high price to deal with that." Zaylynn was quite happy that her seniors agreed to the idea.

If they went to her place, then Ian...

"Sure. It's decided, then. Timothy will go to your family’s hotel while I stick with my original plan."

"Where are you going?" Zaylynn asked.

Ian hadn't said anything so far, but his expression looked relaxed as he cut the steak on his plate.

"I'm going to Yeringham," Susan said before quickly glancing in Ian's direction.

Clank!

His response was straightforward.

He threw the knife in his hand on the table, his cold, handsome face covered in a layer of darkness.

Zaylynn and Timothy were both shocked.

As for Susan, a chill ran down her spine as her fingertips turned cold.

"Why?" Ian questioned.

"Huh?"

She fearfully gazed at Ian as he turned his line of sight toward her. His look was so scary that it was preventing her from speaking properly. "1-1 have a senior there asking me t-to join a company that focuses on charity. 1-1

told her I would give it a try. I'm sorry, Ian, for not telling you sooner. I'm not going to Hayes Corporation."

"Suit yourself!" That was all he could muster as disappointment filled his heart.

Then he stood up, entered his room, and shut the door tight.

For an entire minute, the dining room was dead silent. The remaining three's faces were deadly pale.

What's going on with him? Why is he so angry? So what if she doesn't want to go? Do interns not have the freedom to choose? Zaylynn and Timothy were puzzled.

After everyone left, Susan brought the plates and cutleries to the sink to wash them. She was using so much force that she snapped a plate in half.

In an instant, the sharp edges of the plate cut her, causing blood to spill out.

It's fine. I just need to endure this for now. She wiped her tears away and treated her cut before resuming her dishwashing.

In the afternoon, she left the apartment and headed to Yeringham.

Before she left, she gave Sasha a call and mentioned that she wouldn't be working at Hayes Corporation. Then she asked the older woman to send someone to

pick Ian up.

Sasha found it odd. "Why does Susan not want to intern at Hayes Corporation anymore? And why did she decide to go to a place like Yeringham?"

"Probably because of her resentment," Sebastian said when he heard that as he read his book.

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Resentment sounds possible, yeah. Back then, she wanted nothing more than to work at Hayes Corporation. However, ever since Maurice and Yasmin were arrested, she started to change her mind. Doesn't that mean she's starting to become aware of her identity? What other reason could there possibly be for her decision? I hope she's okay and knows what she's doing. Sasha pursed her lip.

Sebastian didn't really care about the matter.

However, he didn't expect his eldest son, who was capable of handling a full-fledge project flawlessly as a student, to start treating his job carelessly after returning to the company during the holidays.

"Mr. Ian didn't show up again, Mr. Hayes. I specially went to Frontier Bay to check up on him and found him still sleeping at eleven in the morning..."

"That’s right, Mr. Hayes. He's the manager of the operational department and he has the responsibility of leading the team. This isn't a good performance at all. Sometimes, he even turns off his phone."

"Also, he has been playing video games in the office all day..."

Sebastian had been receiving all kinds of complaints about Ian in just ten days.

It made him furious.

"Is that brat itching to get his butt whooped? Did I send him there to play?"

"All right, all right. I'll give him a call and check up on him." Sasha was concerned about what he would do to their son, so she decided to deal with the matter.

Thus, in the evening, Ian received a video call from his mother when he was playing video games with his friends after waking up from his nap.

"You're... playing games right now, Ian? Why aren't you at work?" she asked worryingly.

Ian finally turned off the computer and answered, "I don't want to go to work anymore, Mommy. It's boring. I want to go home."

"Hmm?" Her heart instantly softened when she heard that.

Her eldest son had always been an independent and obedient child. Ever since he was a kid, he had rarely asked for anything from her.

It made her wonder if something had happened at his end.

"I think I should go there and check up on him. His situation with Matteo and the others is different. It is quite a sudden for him to just jump into the workplace. Did you tell the company employees not to give him special treatment? I'm worried he's not adjusting well."

She brought up the issue with Sebastian after hanging up the phone.

Sebastian didn't disagree. However...

"Can you leave Tillie? She's six months pregnant right now, and she's afflicted with a terminal illness. Her life depends on you. If you leave, what will you do if something happens to her?"

Sasha furrowed her eyebrows and kept mum. Tillie's situation is pretty awful right now. I told her not to carry the child when she found out she was pregnant, but she insisted on doing it, saying that she wants to give that man a kid. Women can be foolish sometimes.

In the end, Sasha stayed while Sebastian went to Avenport personally.

When the news reached Ian, he was freaking out a little. He thought he would be getting a few cozy days when his mother arrived. However, it turned out that his father was the one visiting him.

He had no other choice but to force himself to perk up.

The next day, Sebastian arrived at Hayes Corporation instead of going to Frontier Bay. He immediately called for a meeting and when he didn't see his son anywhere, he asked Luke to make a call.

"Mr. Hayes has arrived, Mr. Ian. He said that if you don't arrive in fifteen minutes, you're not going home for the

rest of your summer vacation."

He's a lunatic! What kind of father is he? Ian swiftly got out of his bed and rushed to the company without washing himself up.

"Daddy," he greeted upon meeting his father.

"What are you doing? Who allowed you to act so permissively?" Sebastian was sitting in his office as he stared at his son.

Ian was sporting disheveled hair, and there were two dark circles around his eyes.

Sebastian was livid that his son looked like a delinquent in distress. How can the son I personally raised become like this in just ten short days?

Seeing that he was about to get angry, Ian, who bore the same temperament as he did, rebelliously walked over to the nearby couch and slumped on the furniture.

"Myself, Daddy. I don't want to work anymore. Please let me go."

"What did you say? You don’t want to work anymore?" Sebastian was so angry that the veins on his forehead were throbbing. "Do you think this is a game, huh? Do you think you can just quit if you don't feel like it? You're already eighteen years old, Ian! You're an adult, so you need to act like one, and you can start by fulfilling your responsibilities!"

"What responsibility? I didn't choose to do this. You forced this job onto me. I never liked it, but now you're making me take responsibility? What is my responsibility?"

"You!" Sebastian got so furious that he almost grabbed the ashtray on the table and threw it at his son.

Thankfully, Luke was outside. When he saw both of them arguing, he quickly approached his boss and advised, "Calm down, Mr. Hayes. Mr. Ian is simply in his rebellious phase right now."

"What did you say?" Sebastian was pulled out from his blinding rage when he heard that and was stunned. Rebellious phase?

Luke continued, "That's right. It's only natural that your grown-up child has a rebellious phase. It means they're currently in a transition period of their life when they're starting to be aware of their independence and desperately want to escape their parents' custody."

He even pulled out a Wikipedia page for his boss to read.

If anyone else was there to see that, they would be laughing their shoes off.

A CEO needing his assistant to tell him how to raise his son? How could it not be funny?

Sebastian was still enraged, but he stopped shouting at his son.

After he kicked Ian out of the room, he asked through gritted teeth, "He wants to escape my custody too?"

Luke was sweating bullets. "That's... just a figure of speech."

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Sebastian burned the midnight oil and went through a few books to get a better understanding of teenage rebellion as per his assistant's suggestion.

He learned that several factors contributed to the cause.

Some of them included parental pressure, arrogance, and heartbreak.

Sasha felt amused yet annoyed when Sebastian concluded his findings to her through the phone in the middle of the night.

"Mr. Hayes, which category do you think your son belongs to?"

"One, we don't pressure him into anything. Two, he's arrogant, but not that arrogant with me around. So, by the process of elimination, he must be heartbroken."

Cough! Cough!

Sasha, who was drinking water, choked upon his words.

Heartbroken... Another one of my children has fallen in love once again. But why did he have to get his heart broken? Is he that bad? Why was he dumped? Damn it!

Sasha couldn't keep still anymore as she asked, "Have you figured everything out yet? Who is it? Why did she dump my Ian when he's so smart and handsome?"

Sebastian was rendered speechless.

So is this how men's brains are wired differently than women's? Unlike Sasha, Sebastian was having a fit when he found out about it.

He got his heart broken? How could he enter a relationship when he can't handle himself yet?

However, Sebastian had completely forgotten that the young man by his daughter's side was younger than Ian by two years.

Sebastian decided he would get to the bottom of things.

That night, Susan, who was in Yeringham, couldn't help but send a message to the younger generation's family group chat when she heard of Ian's little fiasco.

Susan: Hello there, how is everyone doing? It's so cold over here.

She then proceeded to send a photo.

Everyone else in the group popped up when they saw her message.

Vivian: Wow, Aunt Susan. Where are you at the moment?

Why is there snow in the summer? Is this real?

Susan: Yeah, it's real. We're at high altitudes. I'm dressed in a down jacket today.

Timothy: This is terrible!

Susan was at a loss for words.

Matteo: That's called being noble. She went there for charity work, not for herself. We should be proud of her.

Vivian: That's right. Kurt went to Norham with Mr. Frost a few days ago. He told me the water level there has risen.

Matteo: Why didn't I know about this?

Ian: What do you know?

He finally appeared.

Susan immediately mentioned him in the group chat without hesitation.

Susan: @lan, how are you doing? I heard that you're not feeling well as of late. Your dad even went to the office, right?

Vivian: That's right, Aunt Susan. Ian is being stubborn again. He doesn't want to go to work.

Ian: Vivian!

He practically yelled at her in the group chat in front of everyone.

Vivian sent an emoji showing a face with a stuck-out tongue to show that she was joking and fell silent.

Shortly after, the chat group quieted down. Vivian noticed that someone had sent her a private message. She clicked on it and saw that it was Susan.

Susan: Vivi, what's wrong with your brother? Why is he in such a bad mood?

Vivian: Yep, Aunt Susan. He's throwing a fit. He refuses to go to work and has been home all day. He finally relented when

it drove Daddy nuts.

Susan: What?

The news took her by surprise.

At the same time, she felt worried about Ian.

Why is he making such a huge fuss out of the blue? Is it because of work? Or... is he still mad at me?

She paused at that thought and deleted the message she was about to send to Vivian as if she had done something wrong.

Susan gave herself a tight slap.

"Susan, what are you doing? Why are you trying to act all high and mighty when you're a wh*re?" she scolded herself.

The text message was never sent out after that.

However, she wasn't aware that a certain young man, who had been hiding behind the screen, had been checking his phone every so often that night ever since the group chat fell silent.

But he was only met with disappointment.

Halfway through, he couldn't take it anymore. Ian flung his phone onto the ground and submerged himself in his video games for the rest of the night.

Sebastian came in to check on Ian the next morning.

He nearly had a stroke when he saw Ian lying in a heap by his computer that he had yet to shut down.

"Ian, you are crossing the line," he snapped.

One hour later, Karl, who was in SteelFort, received a mission. He was to bring someone over from Frontier Bay to SteelFort and train him for two months.

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Him? Who? Has Mr. Hayes found someone new again?

Karl was feeling rather bored lately. Hence, he was very excited when he heard the news. He left on his motorcycle after instructing his subordinates on things to do while he was out.

Little did he know...

"Are you kidding me, Mr. Hayes? You want me to bring him over? I'd rather you just kill me!"

Karl's face darkened.

It felt frustrating because Ian had been a sick and weak boy since he was young. Moreover, he wasn't exactly likable. Karl was worried Ian would lose his life within two days if he brought him over.

However, it seemed that Sebastian was determined to teach his son a good lesson.

"Okay, then. I can shoot you right now."

Karl was at a loss for words.

In the end, he had no choice but to take Ian away with him.

Meanwhile, Ian never uttered a word ever since he found out about it. He remained expressionless throughout as he climbed onto Karl's motorcycle.

Very soon, he was whisked away by Karl.

"Mr. Hayes, I've finally found out what happened. Ian and Yasmin were good friends back in school."

Luke came over just as Sebastian was fuming with rage. He quickly reported everything he had found out the night before to Sebastian when he saw that he was in a bad mood.

Yasmin?

Sebastian's face darkened as he stared at the photos in his hand.

He had never seen that side of Ian before. That little b*stard. He even went to work in a cafe for the girl's sake.

"How pathetic. Is it because he feels guilty?"

He had hit the nail on the head.

"It's possible. After all, she's Duncan's sister. Whatever the case, it's been a long time since I've seen Ian smiling so brightly," Luke said awkwardly.

Luke stood his ground even though he knew Sebastian well enough that he would be displeased to hear those words.

As expected, Sebastian's frown deepened.

This girl became a killer at a very young age. There is no way I am going to let someone like her become my daughter-in- law. Ian can forget about getting together with her.

Sebastian decided he would teach this son of his a good lesson.

At the same time, he planned to find him a new school.

"Transferring again? It's only been one semester and you want to transfer Ian to another school?"

"Why not?"

Sebastian frowned as he spoke through the phone.

"Just look at him right now. Returning to the University of Pollerton will only remind him of Yasmin. He won't be able to free himself from her if this continues."

Sasha fell silent.

He's actually making sense.

Hence, she agreed in the end. That night, she gave Sebastian the green light to pick a new school for Ian.

It wasn't until a week later that Susan found out about the news. Vivian was the one who told everyone about it in the group chat.

Vivian: I have good news, everyone. Ian will be transferring over to my school.

Timothy: Why?

Vivian: I don't know. Daddy called the shots. Maybe because he thinks Ian should transfer over since he's been very naughty as of late.

She explained in the group chat.

Nobody else responded that day after that, including Susan, who had read the message.

Ian's transferring to a new school? Why? Was his dad the one behind it? I'm sure it’s because he has found out something about Ian, not because he's a naughty boy.

Chills ran down her spine as she couldn't think straight anymore. She even curled up on the bed out of fright.

It was as if she was afraid someone would come over at any moment and find out about her deepest, darkest secrets.

She tossed and turned all night.

It wasn't until the next day that the sound of someone knocking on the door woke her up. She stared out the window blearily.

"Susan, are you up? Have you had your breakfast? We're heading out soon."

It was the other college student who had volunteered to be part of the Villagers' Committee.

Susan scrambled to her feet.

Indeed, the place she was at this summer was vastly underdeveloped. The government had just set up the Villagers' Committee to help them walk out of poverty.

Hence, Susan and her college mates were here to educate these people.

Susan came down from the stairs after a while.

"Nicky, are you chatting with your boyfriend again?"

She couldn't help but tease when she saw Nicky giggling at her phone like an idiot.

Nicky smiled, feeling embarrassed.

"Yeah. He's asking me if I've had breakfast. Oh right, Susan, do you have a boyfriend?" she asked out of curiosity.

Susan immediately shook her head. "No..."

It was true. She was single.

She had many suitors in school, but she had never accepted anyone as her boyfriend. After all, she only planned to find one after making a name for herself, as she was an ambitious girl.

His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1850

Susan kept her head down and ate her breakfast.

Nicky, on the other hand, continued complaining to her boyfriend after seeing how Susan had stopped talking.

"You claim that you miss me so much that you can't sleep, but you didn't drop by to see me. You've been playing video games at home all day, and you never bothered to come and visit me."

"That's different. Be good now," the guy pacified.

Susan felt uncomfortable hearing that because even an idiot could tell that he was actually pacifying Nicky as though the latter was a kid.

Hence, she quickly finished her breakfast and left the place.

She had planned on hurrying to work, but when she reached the entrance of the village, she saw a villager on an ox cart. The creaking noise sounded rather unpleasing to the ears.

Susan was speechless.

It only took one look for her to notice the guy sitting at the back of that ox cart. Her mind exploded and turned completely blank.

Oh my gosh.

"Ms. Jadeson, come quick. Do you know this punk? He said he came to look for you guys."

When the driver of the ox cart saw her, he quickly waved at her.

Susan swayed a little.

The sun was too bright and dazzling for her that day. She wasn't sure if she was especially sensitive to it because she didn't sleep well last night or if the sudden emergence of the guy in question had taken a toll on her heart.

She felt as though her heart had instantly pumped all the blood into her brain, and she could tell that her vision was getting darker.

Still, she staggered to the guy because she realized that he seemed to have remained motionless the entire time.

"W-What's wrong with him?"

"I have no idea. When I was on my way here, I saw him stumbling out of a bus. He couldn't stand straight, so I went to help him out a little. That was when he told me that he was looking for the university students who were volunteering in the village. I brought him here after hearing that," replied the driver.

Susan, despite her daze, hurriedly crouched down to examine the guy.

A quick examination showed her that the handsome guy's forehead was burning. She also noticed the countless bruises on his arms and legs.

W-What on earth happened to him?

It only took a second for immense anger and absolute heartbreak to spread out in her heart. She didn't even think about it as she helped him sit up on the cart.

"Ian? Ian! Wake up."

He did not respond.

Susan continued calling him several times, and only then did he open his eyes.

Susan was delighted to see him up. She was going to interrogate him about what had happened to him when he suddenly relaxed and fell right into her arms.

Before she knew it, he had already fainted.

She was so angry that she was about to go insane.

Who did this to him?

Susan had never experienced anger like that before.

The good news was that there was a small clinic in the village, so they could take him there. After a closer examination, the doctor shared his diagnosis, "He's fine. It's just some scratches and external injuries. Also, he has a fever that is caused by the inflammation of his tonsil. I suppose he is exhausted and has not rested in a while."

"I see. Thank you, Doctor."

Susan heaved a breath of relief after hearing what he said.

Thank heavens he is fine.

She stayed by his side and was there until his condition stabilized. As she didn't want anyone to worry, she took the initiative to contact someone from Oceanic Estate.

Susan: Vivi, do you know what is up with your brother? He dropped by all of a sudden.

Vivian: Huh?

She was rather surprised to hear that because just some time ago, she had overheard her parents arguing over the phone. She seemed to have heard her mother crying and complaining because her father had dealt with her brother the wrong way.

Ah, so Ian ran away?

Vivian: The thing is, Aunt Susan, my brother escaped.

Susan: Huh? Escape?

Vivian: Yeah. Ian made a scene at Frontier Bay and refused to back down even after Daddy showed up. That infuriated Daddy, so he had Mr. Frost take Ian to SteelFort for training.

Susan was so angry that she was on the verge of losing her temper. Steelfort? What? Isn't that the place the Hayeses train their assassins? If I remember correctly, Kurt received his training there.

It was especially hard for her to control her emotions when she turned around to look at the young man lying on the bed. The sight of those terrifying bruises didn't help either.

Susan: What is wrong with your dad? Ian is not like Matteo and is physically weaker. How can your dad punish him like that? What if something bad happens?

Vivian: He wasn't trying to punish Ian. It was for Ian's sake as well.

Vivian was still rather protective of her father.

Susan's frown smoothened a little after she read that reply.

Susan: I know he means well, but he should have taken Ian's physical state into consideration. Just look at how bad things are now. Ian obviously couldn't handle that intense training, and that is why he is here now and has a fever.

Vivian: You're right, Aunt Susan. Daddy overdid it. Don't worry. I will talk to Daddy about this. Maybe it's best if Ian stays with you for the time being. Can you take care of him for a while?

Susan: Uh...

She didn't really know how to react to the sudden change.

Still, she couldn't deny that when she saw that request and looked at the young man lying on the bed, she instantly felt happier than she had been in a while.

The sorrow that had been following her around seemed to have faded as well.