Ch. 191..200

Returning from the Dead Chapter 191

Sasha picked up her phone to make a call to the hospital.

“Hello? Dr. Jones, this is Nancy. I’d like to ask, has there been a change in my case?”

“Oh, Nancy! Yes, yes, it’s been proven that the whole thing has nothing to do with you. After carrying out an autopsy, the police found out that the patient’s cause of death was poison. So, it wasn’t your fault,” the internal medicine director, overjoyed at receiving Sasha’s call, explained to her excitedly.

Sasha’s hands trembled as she spoke. “A-are you telling the truth?”

“Of course I am! This was all in the official report from the police. Besides, we invited a few TCM consultants to give their opinions on your acupuncture needle placement, and they are of the opinion that you did not make any professional mistake!” stressed Dr. Jones.

No one in the internal medicine department had wanted to believe that Dr. Nancy had slipped up. After all, she was an internationally acclaimed doctor, and everyone had witnessed what she had accomplished and what she was capable of.

They had seen first-hand how she handled all kinds of medical complications, and even proposed solutions to reform several flaws in the hospital’s internal medical system.

How could a good doctor like that made a mistake?

Sasha trembled in agitation. “What is going on? How did someone find out that it wasn’t my mistake?”

“They made the discovery after the President of Hayes Corporation came over yesterday. Nancy, you might not know this, but the largest shareholder of our hospital is actually the Hayes Corporation. The incident blew up and even made international headlines, so Mr. Hayes paid a visit to the hospital first thing in the morning.”

“What happened next?” Sasha croaked after a while, eyes brimming with tears.

“They immediately launched an investigation and held a meeting! The police came over and had someone carry out an autopsy, as well as checked the hospital’s security camera footage.”

Upon hearing his words, Sasha was hit by a pang of emotions and she shuddered.

Suddenly, the dam inside her broke. Every emotion that she’d been trying to suppress came flooding out, overwhelming her as she gripped her phone and sobbed.

Who could blame her? God knows what she had been through for the past twenty-four hours.

Claims of professional malpractice, murder…

Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she would get herself into this kind of trouble. She felt as if the whole world came crashing down and was deeply consumed by such despair and fear.

And now, she could barely think straight.

She hadn’t even felt this helpless when she faked her death and escaped with two of her children five years ago.

After all, that had been her own life at stake.

But now, someone else’s blood was on her hands, which came out of the medical practice she prided herself on.

The three children instantly ran over to their crying Mommy and crowded around her. “Mommy, don’t cry, it’s okay…”

Their small hands reached out to her, comforting her in each of their own ways, which only served to make Sasha cry louder.

On the other side of the call, the internal medicine director was also getting choked up. “Everything is alright now, Dr. Nancy, you’re fine now. We’re all waiting for you to come back.”

Sasha took a moment to calm herself down. Surrounded by her kids as she wiped the tears from her face, she asked into the phone, “Did they find out who did it?”

“Yes, it was Dr. Lockhart, the doctor who was working the shift before yours. He had soaked your needles in poison that he’d concocted himself, causing the patient’s blood vessels to coagulate.”

After a long pause, Sasha asked furiously, “Why did he do such a thing? What does he have against me?”

She had started working at the hospital barely a month ago. How could she have offended or insulted this Lockhart guy to the point that he was willing to frame her for murder?

But Dr. Jones didn’t have an answer for her.

The police had yet to announce Dr. Lockhart’s exact motives, leaving the public to speculate whether or not it was because he held a grudge against Sasha.

After all, Sasha was promoted to deputy director of internal medicine very quickly after starting her job at the hospital. Meanwhile, Dr. Lockhart had worked there for years but was never promoted.

Sasha hung up the call.

Jealousy?

How is that possible? We’re not even on the same level!

But she was in no mood to worry herself about any of that.

She had yet to realize it, but she no longer adamantly rejected the idea of Sebastian standing up for her. After having listened to what Dr. Jones told her, she had complete faith that Sebastian would help her unravel this mystery.

Sasha turned to look at the bright, sunny weather outdoors. With a heavy burden lifted off of her shoulders, her heart felt much lighter.

“Come on, sweeties. Shall we go out to play?”

“Yes, yes! Come on, Mommy, let’s go play!”

“Wait, I’m going upstairs to take a coat for Mommy, or else Mommy might get cold.”

Matteo and Vivian immediately jumped at the proposal, Vivian excitedly tugging on her Mommy’s hand as her brother ran upstairs to find a coat.

Returning from the Dead Chapter 192

Even though Ian did not say anything at all, he was very thoughtful.

He made a dart towards the kitchen to grab something light for his Mommy. Within a while, he reappeared with milk and newly baked pastry by Wendy in his hands.

The three kids really loved their Mommy very much.

Later in the day, they had a lot of fun with their Mommy in the garden…

By the time Sebastian reached home, it was already almost six o’clock in the evening. There was a reflection from the glint of the sunset on the windscreen of his car. The moment he got out of his car, he was mesmerized by the harmonious view in the garden…

Remnant of the rays from the sunset shone upon the garden, shrouded it with a layer of orange veil. Engulfed by the mysterious veil, the kids were chasing one another among the trees like three agile little rabbits. They were giggling at times, forming melodious music in the air.

How about their mommy? Sebastian shifted his gaze away from the kids and caught a glimpse of her.

She was sitting quietly on the long bench; her long silky hair flowed down her back against her cardigan. Under the soft glow of the sunset, her entire body gave off a vibe of demureness and gracefulness.

Still looking slightly pale, she was obviously a bit weak and had yet to regain her energy. Probably that was why she did not join the kids in their games.

Even so, her lips curled into a serene smile as she gazed at them. The gentle glimmers in her smiling eyes reflected her cheerfulness and liveliness.

She is finally alive again?

Sebastian raised his brows as something came into his mind. Instead of heading towards the villa, he strode into the garden.

All this while, Sasha immersed herself in the kids’ jubilant moments in the garden. Out of a sudden, she felt the seat next to her sank. She turned instinctively, and her pretty eyes widened instantaneously!

“You…” Sasha opened her mouth awkwardly.

“Why are you sitting here when you haven’t really recovered yet, and the wind is chilly. You could easily catch a cold. Aren’t you afraid of falling sick again?”

Sebastian placed his car key, phone, and laptop one by one on the marble table in front of them. His low and charismatic voice was as charming as ever.

He did not sleep at all the previous night.

Early this morning, he went to the hospital to resolve the matter. After that, he had to rush to both the company and the police station. It was such a busy day for him till he barely had time to breathe.

Yet this silly woman relaxed and sit here despite the chilly wind? Does she know that I was having a hard time last night and totally did not sleep at all?

Sasha gulped timidly, suddenly intimidated by his presence.

My goodness! He’s back all of a sudden and I’m not prepared to face him yet.

Does it mean that he is actually… concerned about me?

She looked away hastily to conceal her embarrassment. Her heart suddenly started to pound tremendously, and her dainty face was flushed.

“No… it’s not like that. The kids wanted to come down and play so I’m just accompanying them,” she explained incoherently.

This was indeed the first time she appeared to be nervous and helpless in front of him.

Sebastian’s thin lips lifted into a smile.

Glancing at the kids who were now shrieking excitedly while chasing each other, he leaned against the back of the bench comfortably with his slender legs crossed. At that very moment, he looked exceptionally charming, exuding the aura of elegance and dignity of a noble prince.

He was obviously in a good mood.

“Since the winter break is just around the corner, I’ve informed the preschool that they are not attending the class anymore. From now onward, you shall look after them at home.”

“Ah?”

Sasha gaped and glared at him, “You want me to just stay at home and look after them? How about my job? I’m still working!”

“You mean working at that lousy hospital? You almost lost your life there. Haven’t you learned your lesson? Are you sure you still want to go back and have your life at risk again?”

Glancing obliquely at her, Sebastian mocked at her with intense sarcasm in his tone.

Upon hearing his mocking words, Sasha’s expression changed.

She almost refuted spontaneously but held herself back at the sight of the weariness in the man’s bloodshot eyes. At the same time, a sense of guilt crept into her heart, knowing that she had caused him great inconvenience the previous night.

“Alright.”

She turned and looked at the other side in displeasure, trying hard to hold herself from blurting out any unpleasant words.

Sebastian’s seductive lips curved into a wider smile.

After a few minutes, the three kids’ eyes lit up the moment they saw Sebastian. They dashed toward both Sebastian and Sasha in high spirits.

“Daddy, you’re back!”

Matteo was undoubtedly the first to lunge toward Sebastian and gave him a hug. He was ecstatic as his Daddy kept his promise this round.

Sebastian hugged him tightly and pinched his nose lovingly.

“Yeah, Daddy is already back for a while. Matt, did you carry out the task assigned by Daddy today?”

“Of course! All three of us took good care of Mommy today, and we make sure she’s not wandering around. Daddy, let me tell you something. After Mommy saw the news on how you stood up for her, she cried for a long time!”

“Matteo Hayes! What nonsense are you spouting!”

Sasha never expected that her beloved son would embarrass her in such a way!

There was mischief in Matteo’s smiling eyes. He was smiling like a cunning little fox.

“Mommy, don’t be angry! There’s nothing wrong to let Daddy know about this. He has done so much for you. It’s really unfair for him if you refuse to let him know what’s on your mind!”

“I agree with you!” Ian was also supportive of Matteo.

Sasha almost exploded.

Staring at the man who was smirking, blood rushed to her face in an instant! My goodness, this is too embarrassing!

“You… I don’t feel like talking to all of you anymore…”

She stood up and ran off without hesitation.

I have never experienced such an embarrassing moment before!

Matteo, you really have a big mouth!

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Sebastian and the two boys could not help feeling amused at the sight of Sasha fleeing from them with flushed cheeks.

Matteo stole a look at his Daddy and was surprised to find that his smile was so wide he’d have had to break it into sections to fit it through a doorway.

“Daddy, is Matteo a good boy?”

“Of course, both you and Ian are Daddy’s my good boys. Tell me, what do you want as your reward?”

Sebastian felt so proud of his sons.

“Hurray!” both Matteo and Ian yelled jubilantly and were about to tell their Daddy what they wished to have as their reward. Meanwhile, the little girl who was neglected by them all this while was staring at them unhappily.

“You’re bullying Mommy again!”

The little girl was really innocent. She totally had no idea what her two brothers and Daddy were up to.

In her eyes, her Mommy was upset because of them so she must pay them back on behalf of her. With her little fists gritted, she pouted her lips and moved toward them like a fierce cat fighting for its territory.

Both Matteo and Ian were at a loss for words.

Looking at the adorable little girl who was trying her best to speak up for her Mommy, Sebastian laughed heartily and could not help teasing her.

He lifted her up effortlessly like how he did previously.

“Uncle Sebastian, how many times have I told you not to lift me up like this! I’m not a bag of groceries. How can you lift me up like this?”

The little girl was even more furious when she was lifted to the eye level of her Daddy. She glared at him with her rounded eyes which were staring daggers are her father.

Sebastian suddenly recalled. Ah! She’s right! She was really unhappy when I lifted her up like this previously.

“Sorry, I forgot about it. By the way, why did you say that Uncle Sebastian and your brothers were bullying your Mommy?” Sebastian asked her softly, trying to appease her.

At the same time, he brushed the front part of her little dress and tugged it gently in order to smooth out the creases on it.

He was apparently treating the little girl with unusually great patience and gentleness today.

Vivian was stunned as her daddy had never talked to her with such a kind tone before. Blinking her eyes in disbelief, she almost forgot what she was supposed to say.

“Mommy… Mommy ran off because of all of you!”

“Mommy ran off because she’s shy.” Sebastian was not embarrassed at all.

Vivian became even more confused with his words.

So, Mommy ran off just now because she was shy?

Her round eyes widened as she tried to think hard.

Sebastian chuckled upon seeing her cute expression, but he did not tease her again so as not to infuriate her. Stroking her hair gently, he asked, “Tell Uncle Sebastian, what do you feel like having for dinner tonight?”

Huh?

Dinner! There was a glint of delight in the little girl’s eyes. Before she could answer Sebastian, she was already drooling. Her displeasure had now vanished into thin air.

Sebastian was speechless at her temperament.

He could not describe the sudden change of feeling in his heart. It was as if the armor enveloping his heart softened and was melting.

“How about I buy you king crabs for dinner?”

“Yay! Yay! I love crabs!”

The two boys nodded excitedly. Their faces lit up in an instant.

Vivian blinked her eyes for quite a while before she could respond by mumbling, “Vivi… Vivi also… want to eat…”

Sebastian burst into laughter at her comical demeanor.

Later, he waved and signaled a housemaid to come over.

“Mr. Hayes, what can I do for you?”

“Bring them in, ask Wendy to shower the kids, and change them. Give The Palace a call too. Arrange for a chef to bring along two king crabs and prepare the dish here tonight.”

He instructed the housemaid casually, catering to the needs of the kids.

It was unbelievable that such a dignified man like Sebastian was behaving so differently at home. He was really considerate of the kids and even had the patience to please them.

The housemaid brought the kids in at once as instructed.

After they left, Sebastian also stood up and left without entering the villa at all.

Sasha was in her room at the first floor.

After she was back in her room earlier on, she headed straight for the showers impulsively. She needed to cool down as her entire body was burning with great embarrassment.

The moment she stepped out of the bathroom, Vivian was already in her room.

“Mommy, Daddy said we’re having big crabs for dinner tonight. Do you like to eat big crabs?”

She climbed onto her mommy’s bed with a lollipop in her mouth, sharing the great news with her in excitement.

Big crabs?

Sasha smiled and bent down to pinch her chubby cheek. “Is that true? Did Daddy said he’s treating you?”

“Yeah, Daddy said he’s treating us!”

The little girl replied confidently.

Sasha cheered up instantly and asked, “Nice! And did our sweetie say thank you to Daddy? See, I’m right after all. Daddy really likes you, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah!” The little girl agreed with her Mommy.

But, to thank Daddy?

I was not in time to say thank you to Daddy just now!

Vivian sprawled on the bed and looked at her Mommy sheepishly. “I will remember to thank Daddy when he’s back later!”

Sebastian has left?

Sasha was stunned.

She was about to say something, but her phone suddenly rang.

“Hello?”

“Sasha Wand, you’re really good at playing mind games, and let my brother investigate this matter for you! Now that the truth is unveiled, do you think he will once again place righteousness above his family because of you?”

Returning from the Dead Chapter 194

Once Sasha answered the phone, she was greeted by a woman’s languorous voice. There was profound arrogance and disdain in her tone.

Sabrina?

Sasha’s expression changed. She stood up at once and moved toward the window.

“Sabrina, what do you mean by choosing righteousness over family? You’d better explain it clearly!”

“You still don’t get what I mean? It means I’m behind the whole thing! You dummy!”

Sabrina scoffed at her and made a confession arrogantly over the phone.

Sasha was overwhelmed; her eyes squinted dangerously!

So she is the culprit?

But why?

Why did she do that? Did I happen to provoke and irritate her recently? How dare she do this to me! She could be charged with first-degree murder! How preposterous!

“Why did you do that? Are you blaming me for sending you to the psychiatric department?”

“Not solely because of that. Like I told you before, if you leave this place and never appear again, I shall let you off. However, you never listen and even let my brother stand up for you. Sasha Wand, you’re really a woman of greed!”

Sabrina hissed out the words in a cold and vicious manner, like a poisonous snake slithering out of the dark, sending chills down Sasha’s spine!

Greed?

Oh right, when I married Sebastian years ago, this woman had warned me about that numerous times.

She felt that I had married into the Hayes through unscrupulous methods and warned me not to scheme against the Hayes. Apart from that, she even jeered at me to return to the Wands after we have earned enough monetary gains.

So, does she mean that now, too?

She thought that I’m back to be the spouse of the young heir again?

This is absurd!

Sasha finally got what she meant. In a twinkling of an eye, her anger rose to the peak. She rolled her eyes and rebuked, “Sabrina, are you out of your mind? I’m greedy? Do you think the whole world is gawking at the Hayes?”

“Others might not, but you Sasha Wand is surely targeting the Hayes. You forgot how you were trying to be a part of the Hayes at that time by all means?”

“You…”

Sasha was astounded.

Initially she had a lot of rebuttals to retaliate the woman’s words, but once the woman pointed out the fact, Sasha was lost for words and could not protest at all.

That was her greatest weakness!

“You’re lost for words? Where’s your eloquence and confidence?” Sabrina laughed at Sasha disdainfully.

Sasha’s face fell.

Nevertheless, there was not even a word that she could grit out of her mouth in objection.

“What do you want?”

“Nothing! I just want to tell you that Sebastian was already in the know about me being the culprit. I’m just curious if he would sell me out for you. If so, Sasha Wand, then I must congratulate you for being able to make him eat out the palms of your hands!”

Sabrina was just like a devil who spouted bullets.

Sasha was bewildered!

Sebastian…had actually knew about the truth?

Why did he remain silent just now and didn’t mention it to me at all? We were both seated on the same bench in the garden for at least twenty minutes!

Yet he did not bring this up at all!

Sasha’s entire body stiffened…

She did not dare to have any wishful thinking. However, she still could not help feeling disappointed. The great disappointment was so suffocating that it caused her heart to throb.

“Speaking of the devil, my brother has just arrived.”

Sabrina followed up by sending her a picture within seconds.

Sasha was dumbfounded again for a few seconds before she clicked and checked the picture sent by her. It was obviously taken from a corner of the Hayes Residence.

She was very familiar with the black Bentley in the picture as it belonged to Sebastian.

There was nothing more Sasha could say.

She hung up the phone and tossed it into the drawer.

“Mommy, who called you just now? Is it the bad guy?”

Vivian sensed that there was something amiss with her Mommy and immediately climbed down from the bed to give her a comforting hug.

Sasha had no idea how she should explain to her.

Looking at the little girl who had a look of concern on her face, she finally recollected herself and forced a smile.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m fine. What did you say just now? Something about having big crabs for dinner tonight?”

“Yeah, Daddy promised us!”

The little girl nodded innocently and emphasized that her Daddy had promised them.

Sasha stroked her head gently and smiled again. “Alright, let’s go down to give Ms. Dolivo a hand. She must be busy with the preparation for tonight’s big dinner.”

Vivian answered eagerly, “Yeah, let’s go and help her now.”

After that, both of them made their way toward the kitchen.

As expected, everyone in the villa was busy making preparation for dinner. Wendy was occupied in the kitchen and was surprised to see Sasha.

When Sasha volunteered to assist her in the kitchen, she turned her down nicely.

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“Ms. Wand, you haven’t fully recovered yet. You should go back to your room and have a good rest.”

“It’s all right. I’m feeling a lot better now. Moreover, I’m keen on learning how to prepare this dish so I can prepare for the kids next round.”

Sasha tried her best to convince Wendy that she was fine.

In the end, Wendy could only let her stay and help out in the kitchen.

Later, Sasha was absorbed in learning from the chef of The palace on the preparation of the king crabs.

She had almost forgotten about the ordeal.

Even though she could not put it out of her mind completely, but as of now the discomfort in her heart seemed to be eased as she glanced at her three kids who were waiting eagerly in the living room for the sumptuous dish to be served.

Even my three babies understand the importance of being united and protect each other well.

I have no right to blame the sister and brother duo.

After all, they are siblings and blood is thicker than water. There’s nothing wrong for him to take her sides. It doesn’t make sense for him to let Sabrina go to jail and pay for her sins. If she ends up in prison, the reputation of the Hayes will also be tarnished!

Sasha heaved a sigh of relief after talking herself into accepting the fact.

She was assisting the chef to get rid of the claws of the crabs with the crab sheller. “Do we need to get rid of all the claws?” she asked him courteously.

The chef who was in the midst of preparing a dish replied, “The claws are hard and sharp. Just cut all of them so the kids won’t get hurt.”

“Alright!”

Sasha continued to cut the claws as advised by the chef.

All of a sudden, Wendy entered the kitchen hurriedly. “Ms. Wand, Luke is waiting outside now. He asked you to go out at once as he needs to bring you somewhere.”

“What?”

Sasha was stunned. Bring her somewhere? Where is it?

She was puzzled.

Meanwhile, Luke could not wait any longer and stepped into the villa hastily. He dashed into the kitchen in a hurry once he caught a glimpse of Sasha’s figure.

“Madam, hurry up, Mr. Hayes Sr. had just called me to bring you back to the Hayes Residence at once.”

“Ah?”

“Madam, hurry up! We’re running out of time! Mr. Hayes might send Ms. Sabrina straight to the police station. If so, the Hayes Corporation would surely be in big trouble later!”

Luke stomped his feet apprehensively while Sasha was in a daze and could not react at all. In the end, he grabbed her and dragged her out at once.

Sasha was stupefied and her mind went blank.

She was unaware that Luke had dragged her into the car and sped off. By the time she came to, they were already quite a distance away from the Frontier Bay.

“W-what happened?” she swallowed hard and stammered.

“Ah! Mr. Hayes didn’t tell you anything about it? Ms. Sabrina is the culprit behind everything. Mr. Hayes went straight to the Hayes Residence to look for her, demanding her to go to the police station and turn herself in. The two of them started to quarrel as she was reluctant to do so. Mr. Hayes was enraged and was about to call the police in order to arrest her on the spot. Mr. Hayes Sr. is trying to stop him now!”

Luke’s forehead was beaded with sweat; apparently, there was a heated argument at the Hayes!

Sasha chose to remain quiet.

She felt something exploded in her mind and it was turning to mush.

How is that possible? Did I get it wrong?

Sabrina had just called me a while ago and said provocatively that she intended to see whether her brother would stand up for her this round, or chose righteousness instead.

She even took a photo of her brother’s car at the Hayes Residence deliberately to show off to me.

But how did everything changed in just a split second?

Sasha’s fingernails sank into her palm as she tightened her fists. Mixed feelings crashed into her heart like a series of never-ending waves.

She was silent again as her mind sank into deep contemplation.

The car finally came to a halt after half an hour.

To Sasha’s great surprise, the yard of the Hayes Residence was unusually crowded and rowdy.

From a distance, she could hear faint voices of them giving their own opinions.

“Please enter at once. The situation is a mess!”

Luke’s heart skipped a beat again at the sight of the crowd in the yard. He immediately led Sasha into the residence.

This was the first time Sasha stepped into the Hayes Residence again officially since she left the place five years ago.

“Sasha Wand! Is that her? Look! She’s alive again!”

“My goodness! It’s unbelievable! How did she hide from us all this while? She’s indeed a lot more than meets the eye!”

“If I’m not mistaken, she’s also the major cause of the family dispute today. It’s really out of my expectation! She’s even more cunning now compared to five years ago. Is she here to seek vengeance?”

The moment she emerged, everyone in the yard was overwhelmed.

In a split second, their expressions changed; all of them glared at Sasha with rage and distrust on their faces.

They were even more agitated now compared to how they were debating about the family dispute between Sebastian and Sabrina a while ago.

Sasha kept her head lowered all the time, ignoring their glares, and pretended that she did not hear anything.

She could foresee their hostility towards her at the moment. Even when I was in such a piteous state when I was married to Sebastian years ago, they were reluctant to accept me as a member of the Hayes family.

What more to say now?

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Sasha followed behind Luke as they entered.

The closer they got, the clearer the roars of a woman could be heard. The maids were all visibly on edge as they frantically scrambled past her.

Just when she wanted to close the distance with Luke, Sasha heard a throaty shriek, “Sebastian, I dare you to f*cking call the cops on me!”

The words were extremely vulgar.

Sasha’s expression darkened in response while Luke was equally outraged.

“Is that woman crazy to threaten Mr. Hayes with that? Does she really think he’s incapable of doing it?”

With fury welling inside him, his stride turned into a sprint.

Noticing the increase in pace, Sasha followed accordingly.

Just when both of them were about to arrive, a thunderous and sharp slap rang out in their ears. Sabrina’s brazen words might have infuriated someone inside.

“Sabrina, I dare you to repeat what you said! Are you challenging me to punish you now?”

A terrifying voice of an old man could be heard, clearly infuriated. Despite the distance, one could still feel the anger emanate through every single one of his words.

Frederick had slapped Sabrina.

The sweat in Sasha’s hands intensified when she heard the commotion.

Hurrying up, she finally arrived in the hall full of tension and saw Sabrina reeling on the floor after being slapped.

Meanwhile, Frederick was holding his walking stick, standing beside her with bloodshot eyes.

Is she out of her mind?

Why does she insist on infuriating him when she knows the old man has high blood pressure? What if something undesirable happens?

Sasha staggered into the hall. “Frederick, calm… calm down. It’s not as serious as you think. As you can see, I’m fine.”

She quickly grabbed his hand, worried that his temper would flare again.

Not expecting her to appear all of a sudden, Sebastian shot Luke a fearsome glare, who averted his gaze out of guilt.

“Alright, Frederick, calm down. Let me help you to your seat.”

Sasha ignored Sebastian on purpose, who was glaring at her from the upper right-hand corner of the hall. Lowering her gaze, she helped Frederick settle down in front of the hall.

After a few minutes of rest and a cup of hot tea, Frederick finally got a grip on himself.

“Sasha, I’m sorry. It appears that our family has caused you to suffer again.” Holding Sasha, his voice was choking from guilt.

Shaking her head vehemently, she couldn’t bring herself to blame him. After all, he was like a father to her.

Sasha chose to compromise. “Don’t say that, Frederick. It was my fault that Sabrina reacted that way as I had transferred her to the psychiatric department the day before.”

“What? The psychiatric department?”

Frederick’s eyes lit up in response.

Suppressing the conflicting emotions in her heart, Sasha nodded while feigning guilt.

“Yes, the psychiatric department. I’m sorry, Frederick. When Sabrina came over then, she was ranting emotionally. Worried that it would affect the hospital, I had her sedated and sent to the psychiatric department. I planned to free her when I finished work. But somehow, she managed to let herself out.”

Just as she expected, Frederick was visibly relieved after hearing her words.

However, Sebastian’s expression darkened after hearing her explanation. Through his gritted teeth, he spat, “Idiot!”

Sasha was speechless.

Forget it. I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear him.

Still reeling on the floor, Sabrina was surprised that Sasha revealed that unrelated incident. She sneered the moment she heard it.

What an idiot. Does she think the Hayes will feel grateful to her for doing that?

At the end of the day, she is no more but a pawn of the family.

Unfortunately, Sabrina wasn’t grateful for Sasha’s actions at all.

Unexpectedly, when she felt Sebastian’s icy gaze enveloping her, a sense of dread suddenly swelled up within her.

“So that’s what happened. I had thought that scum harmed you for no good reason. Just a moment ago, I simply had the urge to beat her to death with my walking stick.”

“No, no, it’s not like that.”

Both Sasha and Frederick didn’t notice what was going on between the two other persons while they were still focused on Sabrina’s matter.

Frederick was delighted to hear Sasha’s denial. “That’s good to hear. Was everything alright when you were locked up in the police station yesterday?”

“Yea, it’s fine. I was in the questioning room the whole time. Nothing much happened inside,” Sasha continued.

She knew she had to do it given how obvious Frederick’s intentions were.

Although Frederick treated her well, she was cognizant that Sabrina was still his daughter at the end of the day. From his perspective, he would definitely want to save her and not see her suffer.

Therefore, she had no choice but to deny it and simply saw it as a means to repay Frederick for the concern he had shown her.

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Elated, Frederick ordered a check of twenty million to be prepared and handed it personally to Sasha.

“Sasha, no matter what, Sabrina has gone overboard this time. Take this compensation as a token of my apology. After this, I will send her overseas for five years where she will be forbidden to return. What do you think?”

“What?”

Sasha looked up in shock and couldn’t believe what she heard.

What do I think of it?

What other choice do I have? Based on the law, Sabrina has to go to prison to pay for the life she cost.

But now, he is simply trying to brush it off.

It seems he had already planned this. Getting me to come was just to complete the charade.

Hanging her head, Sasha let out a self-deprecating smile. “It sounds good, I…”

“What do you mean it sounds good? Sasha, do you not have any pride at all? Isn’t your dad his old friend? Brothers-in-arms even? What’s going on now? Are you only worth this much to him?”

Little did she expect Sebastian to speak out all of a sudden after watching silently the whole time.

His words were filled with mockery while his expression was one of disdain. However, what he said enraged Frederick.

“You b*stard! What did you say?”

“Isn’t it obvious what I’m saying? I’m reminding you to live up to your own reputation. When you got me to marry her, didn’t you declare to the whole of Avenport how righteous you were? Now that your daughter pulled such a scheme on her, you’re only paying her twenty million for hush money?” Sebastian brazenly confronted his father.

Deafening silence descended upon the room while Frederick’s eye began to turn white from anger.

“Mr. Hayes Sr.!”

“Dad…”

Everyone in the hall rushed up to Frederick including Sabrina who quickly scrambled to her feet.

Sasha was flabbergasted.

When she finally regained her senses, she saw that Sebastian had no intention of backing down, causing her to grow anxious. Right before he said another word, she dashed up to him and quickly covered his mouth with her hands.

“Shut up! Don’t make it worse.”

Caught by surprise, Sebastian froze.

All that was left was his fearsome eyes staring down intently at her hand. She could see his beautiful eyelashes spreading out just like two small fans.

How dare she do this to me?

Sasha hadn’t realized how reckless her actions were as she had focused her attention on what was going on in the hall.

She didn’t expect Sebastian to say something so impudent. That’s his dad he is talking to. Isn’t he worried that Frederick would burst a vessel from anger?

Those that were outside rushed in when they saw the commotion in the hall. Meanwhile, Frederick looked as if he was about to launch an angry tirade, causing Sasha to be filled with anxiety.

“Quick, what are you spacing out there for? Are you trying to start a fight?”

Turning around in frustration, her gaze locked with Sebastian’s, whose eyes had always been mesmerizing.

When he saw the look on her face the moment she realized how ridiculous her action was, his deep eyes were filled with amusement and intrigue, causing Sasha’s heart to skip a beat.

My God!

What have I done!

Realizing what she had done, Sasha retracted her hand at lightning speed and blushed like a tomato.

“I’m sorry, I… I didn’t intend to do that.”

She panicked as she had never been in such close proximity with him before, let alone make such an intimate action.

All she wanted to do now was to disappear in embarrassment.

Sebastian sensed her nervousness without saying a word. Stroking his lips with his slender fingers, he suddenly lifted his gaze.

At the same time, she took a deep breath in anticipation of him scolding or humiliating her. After all, she knew he hated her a lot.

However, what came as a surprise was that he didn’t lose his temper. After staring at her briefly, he got up from his chair.

“Are you sure you want me to leave?”

“What?”

Sasha looked up at once.

Growing impatient, Sebastian straightened his jacket fuming. As his razor-sharp gaze swept the messy hall, he chided them with a contemptuous warning, “I’m leaving. Now, you can’t do anything to her anymore.”

Sasha was stunned to see that he was pointing at Sabrina.

In response, Sabrina cursed at him so loudly it could be heard from afar, “Sebastian, you assh*le! I curse you to not be able to live to see tomorrow!”

When Sasha heard how venomous Sabrina’s words against her own brother were, she suddenly had an epiphany.

From that moment on, her heart was conflicted.

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“Have I not thought of exacting revenge on her? She’s your sister for goodness sake. What can I do? Should I really send her to prison? If I did, how am I going to explain to your dad or even face him?”

Hanging her head, she suppressed the bitterness that was welling up inside her heart.

In truth, she was already feeling much better.

She couldn’t deny that she was secretly delighted to see Sebastian stand up for her in the end. More so than if Frederick was the one who backed her up.

She was just that gullible.

Despite his repeated attempts at hurting her and pushing her into the abyss, all the defenses she put up against him would waver the moment he showed her some concern.

Luckily, after she said her piece, Sebastian didn’t argue any further. Giving her a look of disappointment, he snapped, “I have not seen such a silly woman before!”

With that, he turned and left.

After being stumped for a moment, she followed him out.

Aren’t I silly?

After letting the matter slide, Sasha was sure that Sabrina would attempt to harm her again. After all, she was extremely ruthless and narrow-minded, to the extent she couldn’t tolerate having anyone that she couldn’t control by her side.

Sasha was worried that Sabrina would stir up trouble again very soon.

After she came out of the house, she assumed that she would be leaving with Luke. But for some reason, there was no sign of him anywhere. All she saw was the Bentley with its taillights blinking.

Should I go over? Or shouldn’t I?

Sasha hesitated as she wasn’t sure if it was waiting for her. Furthermore, from past experience, there was no way he would wait for her. After all, they were no longer connected in any way.

Sasha then decided to head home by herself.

However, just when she took a step, the car honked. Turning to look, she saw the driver’s window half-open. “What are you doing?”

Sasha froze briefly before heading towards the car with her head lowered.

A few minutes later, after Sasha got in and they were on their way, Sebastian questioned with an angry tone, “Sasha, what were you doing just now?”

“Huh?”

Sitting awkwardly in the back seat, she racked her brains in response. “I was… wasn’t doing anything. I just wanted to take a cab home.”

“Are you blind?”

“Hah?”

Sasha was now utterly bewildered.

She wondered why he was suddenly so agitated as she had no idea what she did to offend him.

Unknown to her, Sebastian’s attitude towards her had undergone a hundred and eighty-degree change. Now, her attempts at avoiding him made him feel disconcerted instead.

What has gotten into him?

In the end, Sebastian sulked in silence as he drove.

Since he didn’t say a word, Sasha didn’t dare break the silence too. Sitting at the back seat, she sneaked a glance at him.

When she didn’t get a response, she turned her attention outside the window.

By then, darkness had blanketed the sky. During a winter night, it was rare for the moon or the stars to show themselves. Hence, all she could see were rows of street lamps that she was passing by one by one. The dim yellow light they were emitting made one feel lonely and desolate.

It felt like it was almost the holiday season.

And that was what flashed through Sasha’s mind.

Buzz! Buzz!

Suddenly, while Sasha was looking out the window deep in thought, her phone rang, and she answered immediately.

“Hello?”

“Mommy, it’s Vivi. Where are you? The king crab we have prepared is ready. When are you coming over to eat it?”

When she heard the squeaky voice over the phone, all Sasha’s troubles seemed to melt away.

“Oh Vivi, it’s you. I’m already on the way home. Why don’t all of you go ahead?”

“No, we want to wait for you. By the way, is Daddy coming back too?” Vivian suddenly asked in anticipation.

Sasha turned her attention to the front. Underneath the dim light inside the car, she could make out the broad shoulders of his back facing her. However, she couldn’t catch a glimpse of his face.

Nevertheless, they were both on the way home, causing a sense of sudden warmth to envelop her.

“Mmm-hmm. He will be arriving with me in a while.”

“Wow! That’s awesome. I’m going to tell my brothers. In that case, Mommy, I’ll see you later,” Vivi exclaimed happily.

Sasha ended the call with equal delight.

Meanwhile, having listened in on their conversation, Sebastian looked in the rearview mirror and asked, “Was little girl on the line just now?”

Sasha nodded, “Yes.”

She paused a moment when she thought about his relationship with Vivian. As she wanted both of them to bond further, she added, “She even asked about you. She wanted to know if you will be joining us for dinner?”

Given how smart Sebastian was, he had already guessed the contents of their conversation.

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Unlike his previous reactions, Sebastian didn’t reject her invitation with displeasure. Instead, he actually gave it some serious thought.

All of a sudden, he furrowed his eyebrows. “Is her biological father really dead?”

Sasha responded, “Huh?”

Sebastian expression darkened. “What do you mean ‘huh’? Even if her father is dead, doesn’t he have any relatives? Are they all dead too?”

Sasha thought to herself, how cruel can he be to curse the Hayes family?

Sasha averted her gaze in her reply.

“No… not really. Her grandpa and aunt are still around.”

“Then why don’t you let them take care of her? Why are you raising that many children alone?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m the one that’s supposed to raise her since I gave birth to her. If I let someone else do it, what if they mistreat her? Can you bear it if they starve her or even worse, abuse her?”

Sasha shot back fiercely at his ridiculous comments, silencing Sebastian.

For some inexplicable reason, when he heard her mention that Vivian would go hungry and might be abused, the sudden image of Vivian’s innocent face flashed across his mind, causing him to feel upset.

That’s true. How can she give away her own children?

Sebastian didn’t say another word for the rest of the journey.

Consequently, Sasha too remained silent. Sometimes, she felt that he was so sharp that he could see through anyone easily. And yet, he could still be ridiculously blind at times.

Isn’t it obvious you’re her dad?

Both of them remained silent until they arrived at Frontier Bay.

“I’ll get down first.” Sasha wanted to alight at once.

“Sasha, listen well. Sabrina is someone that’s extremely vengeful. For the time being, you’d better stay here and not venture anywhere else.”

Suddenly, Sebastian warned her in a tone that she had never heard before.

Ah!

Sasha was caught by surprise. The moment she turned around, her gaze met with his. She could see the cold yet authoritative glow in his eyes.

“Alright, I… I understand,” she stuttered as she tried to hold back her racing heart.

After all, she was well aware of how ruthless Sabrina’s character and methods were. Therefore, she didn’t doubt his words one bit and was sincere in her reply.

However, just as she spoke, Sebastian sneered, “Make sure you take my words seriously and not have any funny ideas. Or else, with your intellect, you wouldn’t know what hit you when she has you captured.”

At that very moment, Sasha was outraged.

After all, she had survived five years overseas by herself. She didn’t see any reason why she had to suddenly live in utter fear of Sabrina now that she was back.

Sasha retorted angrily, “Based on what you’re saying, how long should I hide from her? My whole life?”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows. “Why not? It will just be like me hiring a nanny for the children. With my wealth, taking care of you for the rest of your life isn’t going to be a problem.”

How dare this assh*le even laugh at the end…

Sasha was outraged.

Bam! After kicking the door open and jumping out of the car, she turned around and pointed at him angrily. “You must be dreaming! Why don’t you be the nanny? Or even better, you should go kill yourself!”

After her tirade, Sasha stormed off.

From afar, he could still hear her cursing non-stop.

Grinning to himself, Sebastian got out of the car and closed the door calmly. After which, he followed her inside.

When the bodyguard at Royal Court One saw Sebastian, he greeted, “Mr. Hayes, welcome back.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Sebastian nodded slightly in response as he caught a glimpse of Sasha’s silhouette when she was about to enter the villa. In the very next moment, his gaze flashed with an icy coldness.

“Prepare the helicopter and send Sabrina away tonight.”

“Yes, Mr. Hayes.”

The bodyguard wasn’t surprised at all.

After all, Sebastian had always behaved that way. Once he had decided upon something, there was no changing his mind regardless of whether it was about going to the Hayes residence or if his wife would even appear.

None of those mattered once Sebastian had his mind made up.

The bodyguard quickly disappeared into the darkness.

That night, despite being protected, Sabrina disappeared from her room. All that was left on the floor was an empty bottle of anesthetic.

When Frederick got wind of it, he quickly rushed to the scene and almost fainted when he arrived.

“Sebastian! You b*stard! That’s your sister for goodness sake.”

Tears filled his eyes as he was powerless against his son’s ruthless methods.

Meanwhile, when the butler, Tim, arrived at the scene and saw the anesthetic, he sighed. “Mr. Hayes, looks like Sebastian really has feelings for Sasha.”

“What did you say?”

Amidst his fury, Frederick raised his head and glared at him.

Returning from the Dead Chapter 200

That night, Sasha didn’t sleep in the study on the third floor. Instead, she returned to her bedroom on the second floor.

Hence, the second floor was particularly lively that night.

“Mommy, are you sleeping with me tonight? My bed is especially comfy!”

“Of course not. Mommy, don’t listen to Vivi. She just wants to sleep with you. You should come to my room instead.”

When Matteo saw that his sister wanted to cling to Sasha, he stormed over and foiled her plan cruelly. Instead, he invited Sasha to his room.

It was normal for a five-year-old to want to sleep with his mom. Any other kid would pine for their parents the same way at that age. Nevertheless, Matteo was already more mature than his peers.

When Sasha heard his rare request, she hugged him and agreed.

“No, come over to my room!”

At that moment, Ian approached them.

When he saw Sasha agreeing to Matteo’s request, he too squeezed into her embrace with a reluctant expression.

Sasha was at a loss.

What am I going to do with them?

Left without a choice, she allowed all three to join her in her room.

“Why don’t I tell you a story. After that, all of you sweeties will have to go back to your respective rooms to sleep, alright?”

“Alright!”

At that moment, the kids eagerly agreed.

Hence, Sasha took out a book from Ian’s room and sat by the bed. She allowed them to snuggle up to her as she began to read the story to them.

“Today, when I arrived at school, Mr. Holt asked me, ‘Ally, are you going to write it or not?’ His tone was extremely sharp…”

What is this book?

After reading further, Sasha felt something was wrong. She stopped immediately and looked at the cover.

When Ian saw it, he clenched his little hands which a moment ago was used as a snack box by Vivian.

“The Flying Fish? Little Ian, did Daddy buy this for you?”

“Mmm-hmm…” Ian replied as his gaze darkened.

The next moment, he hung his head and didn’t have the courage to look at the three of them.

Daddy told me that these books were suited for me. Now that Mommy and Matt have seen them, will they think less of me? And wonder why am I reading books like this? Perhaps, they might think that I’m not a normal child?

Ian was exceptionally upset.

“It’s a good book, Little Ian. Daddy really loves you. I have wanted to buy this book for Matt and Vivi but could never find it.”

“Really?”

Ian lifted his head in disbelief. Suddenly, his eyes were filled with delight.

Given how savvy Matteo was, he immediately recognized Sasha’s intention.

Hence, he acted in concert with Sasha. “That’s right. We didn’t manage to buy it. Ian, if Mommy doesn’t finish it tonight, can I borrow it from you?”

“Me too! Me too! I want to borrow it too!”

Vivian blindly joined in as she just didn’t want to miss out on whatever her brother wanted.

Consequently, Ian was cheered up by their response and nodded vehemently, agreeing to their request.

After that, Sasha continued with the story. This time the children huddled tightly by her side, listening to her gentle voice describing the events in the book.

It was a beautiful scene. Unknown to them, Sebastian was watching and it warmed his heart in the middle of a blisteringly cold winter.

The next morning, Sebastian left early.

However, before he did, he reminded the bodyguards at the villa to strictly not allow Sasha to leave.

Hence, after Sasha woke up with the children and came downstairs, she prepared to head to the hospital to check in on the others.

Suddenly, a bodyguard stood in front of her and stopped her.

“Ms. Wand, I’m sorry. Mr. Hayes has instructed that you’re not allowed to leave here for the time being.”

“I know. I just want to check in at the hospital as I still have some unfinished business there,” Sasha casually replied before trying to move ahead.

She had not taken Sebastian’s words from last night seriously and didn’t think he would actually do it.

After all, they were no longer related and there was no reason for him to protect her to that extent. She felt she was not deserving off that honor.

Furthermore, there was no way that she could keep staying at the villa as she still had a lot of work to do at the hospital. Although she had cleared her name, she still needed to drop by to check.

What if I lose my job?

But, the moment she took a step, the bodyguard blocked her way again.

“Ms. Wand, please cooperate with us.”

Damn it!

Sasha widened her eyes and looked at him in disbelief. Left without a choice, she went back into the house feeling upset.

Something must have gotten into him to actually try and restrict my movements.

As Sasha headed back into the villa gloomily, Wendy happened to walk out. When she saw Sasha, she waved at her. “Ms. Wand, come over quickly. I have something for you.”

“What is it?”

Sasha approached her.

Finally, the maid took out a checklist and counted the items on it. She then realized that there were more than thirty items in total.