Returning from the Dead Chapter 31
The housemaid brought Ian away with her.
He couldn’t be sure of the reason behind the odd feelings deep down, but he could feel an intimate gaze right behind him. Out of the blue, the familiar sensation he felt reminded him of their time on the yacht.
Previously, when she was imprisoned in the cabin, she had begged him similarly to get him to go to her so she could look at his fingers.
Suddenly, Ian turned around and looked at the weeping woman. “Bring it over to me!”
Sasha returned to her sprightly self and rushed over with the box of brownies in her hand.
“Ian… I’m not sure if you’re going to like it, but I assure you I made the brownies in a hygienic environment! I hope you’ll like it!”
She crouched in front of her son. Despite her teary eyes, she couldn’t suppress her joy.
Ian responded with a nod and headed upstairs with the box of brownies.
Truth be told, he had never had a brownie in his life because he was a member of the Hayes. Everything he had was of top-notch and premium qualities.
He took a peek at the pile of gooey-looking food and was surprised to smell a hint of honey.
After she handed it over to her son, Sasha departed with a bright grin of satisfaction.
The housemaid, who had gotten in her way and stopped her by all means, returned to her bedroom and called someone.
“Ms. Green, the woman you told me about had dropped by in the evening!”
“Are you serious? Why was she there?”
The housemaid nodded and repeated the things that had occurred. “She had dropped by with the excuse of checking on Mr. Hayes. Indeed, he fell asleep after the acupuncture session. She even handed Ian a box of homemade brownies. I couldn’t believe my eyes, but Ian actually it! Ms. Green, who on earth is this woman? Why didn’t Mr. Hayes and Ian chase her away?”
The woman on the other end went dead silent. The housemaid could feel the wrath of Xandra through the phone because there was nothing apart from the heavy panting.
Sasha, I guess I have underestimated you. I can’t believe you possess the capability to make your way back and get your ex-spouse and child to open up to you!
What exactly are you up to? Do you want to be Mrs. Hayes again? I will never allow that to happen!
In the pitch-black room on the other end of the phone, Xandra’s eyes looked murderous.
“Ms. Green?”
“Oh! It’s nothing! She’s a doctor Mr. Hayes has invited from abroad. Berta, you don’t have to be worried. Just take good care of Mr. Hayes and Ian.”
Xandra assured Berta that everything would be fine, winning the housemaid’s loyalty with her sincerity.
“I don’t get it! I wonder what’s wrong with Mr. Hayes? Ms. Green, you’re such a great woman! Why doesn’t he allow you to drop by Frontier Bay anymore? While you were here, you did a great job managing the entire villa, making sure there’s food whenever Ian is back. Life is perfect with you around! No man in his right mind would chase you away!”
“Let’s not talk about it anymore, Berta. It was my fault anyway. Let’s stop blaming him.”
“What do you mean, it’s your fault? Ian is the naughty one! It’s not wrong to teach him a lesson when misbehaves! Don’t worry, Ms. Green! Once the opportunity arises, I’ll definitely try to persuade Mr. Hayes and get him to bring you back!”
At the end of the conversation, Berta assured Xandra she would try her best to persuade Sebastian.
After they hung up the call, a vicious and chilling smile appeared on Xandra’s face in the pitch-black room.
…
After Sasha returned to the rental apartment, Lucy had left. There was a serving of dinner on the table for her. The children had long tucked themselves into bed.
Sweeties, I’m so sorry for everything.
Sasha felt a sense of guilt as she changed into a pair of indoor sandals and crept into her children’s room.
“Sweeties, are you guys asleep yet?” She opened the door and whispered.
“Mommy? What time is it? What took you so long?”
Matteo was still awake.
Sasha cradled her son in her arms. “Matt, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault for not being here for you. I promise I’ll bring you and Vivi back to Moranta once I’m done dealing with the things on my plate, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy! You don’t have to worry about us! I’ll take good care of her!”
Sasha felt even more awful because of her son’s matured demeanor. She held him firmly in her arms and repeated her promise, warning herself to stop neglecting them.
After Sasha tucked her son in, she walked out of their room.
The moment she closed the door, the little boy in the room jolted up from the bed with his eyes gleaming in the dark.
“I’m sure the meanie has bullied Mommy again! Otherwise, she wouldn’t get so sentimental for no reason! Meanie, if you’re really my daddy, you shouldn’t pick on her like this!”
Matteo clenched his fist in the dark.
Returning from the Dead Chapter 32
Sasha got up early in the morning to make her children their favorite breakfast before they head to the new preschool.
“Vivi, it’s time to get up. It’s your first day at the new preschool.”
“Mm… N-No… I-I haven’t had enough sleep…”
Girls had always enjoyed sleeping in. The little girl burrowed deeper into her blanket, refusing to get out of bed.
She coiled her body like a baby sloth that spent most of its day sleeping on the tree.
Sasha found her daughter hilarious, but she didn’t remove the blanket against her daughter’s will.
Instead, she ran her fingers across the little girl’s neck, tickling her to get her out of bed. Seconds after she started tickling Vivian, the little girl’s giggling sound could be heard from beneath the blanket.
Matteo, on the other hand, was wide awake. He retrieved his set of clothes and started changing.
Half an hour later, the trio got everything they needed and left.
“Mommy, when are you going to pick us up? Please be on time, okay?”
Matteo finished his sentence with an aggrieved look. He felt indignant that his mother couldn’t wait to drop him and his sister off at the preschool.
“I’ll definitely pick both of you up from the preschool on time! It’s a promise.”
After the cunning little boy heard his mother’s reply, he exchanged glances with his sister and smiled. They would have enough time to execute their plan since Sasha would only pick them up after school.
Matteo, who was seated at the back of the car, decided to drop by Sebastian’s office for a visit.
…
Sasha had something to tend to on her schedule—she would soon figure out the outcome of her agreement with Luke.
If Sebastian woke up feeling great, she would get to drop by the villa and continue with the treatment plan she had for his sleeping disorder.
She needed to reach Frontier Bay as soon as possible after she dropped her children off at the preschool.
However, she would have to first make a detour to a traditional drugstore.
While she was there, she received a text from Luke. Madam, Mr. Hayes has woken up! Please hurry over at once!
After the shop attendant packed the herbs Sasha needed, she rushed out of the store with all her might.
On the other hand, Sebastian, who was at Frontier Bay, had a splendid night’s sleep after so many years.
He couldn’t recall the last time he had slept like a log. It put him in an exceptionally good mood.
“I want you to get everyone ready within half an hour! Make sure they show up in the conference room in time for the meeting!”
Standing upright in the room, he held his chest high while staring at himself in the mirror. He noticed it had been a long while since he looked so afresh in the morning. The navy blue shirt that was neatly ironed and the black suit pants he had put on perfectly complimented his slender figure, enhancing the majestic presence he had been blessed with.
“Yes, Mr. Hayes!” Luke unlocked his phone and delivered the message via WhatsApp.
A few minutes later, after Sebastian put on his watch, he was ready to leave.
“M-Mr. Hayes… M-Ms. Wand is currently on her way here. Don’t you think it’s better for you to wait for her to check on you?”
“Luke, it seems like you’re pretty free lately, huh?”
Sebastian, who was marching down the stairs, cast a stern gaze at his assistant.
The rhetorical question caused Luke to shudder. He decided to stop poking his nose into Sebastian’s business for his own sake.
He had done everything he could. The rest was up to Sasha. She would have to grab the opportunity should she wish to patch things up with Ian.
Luke was trailing behind Sebastian as they walked out of the villa. Just then, a slim figure catapulted in their direction and whizzed her way through the spacious garden. She almost bumped into Sebastian because her mind was elsewhere.
Luke’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he knew he had to leave the duo alone before he got himself involved in another full-blown fight.
He fled, leaving Sasha and Sebastian behind.
Meanwhile, Sasha, who almost bumped into Sebastian, retreated in shock as she greeted, “G-Good morning, Mr. Hayes! A-Are you heading to work?”
While raising her hand to greet the indifferent man in a courteous manner, she had an odd grin on her face.
Returning from the Dead Chapter 33
Sebastian’s face glowered as he drilled his icy glare through Sasha.
“You again? You’ve got some guts, don’t you?”
“Come on, Mr. Hayes. I’m just doing my job. You had a good night’s sleep yesterday because I gave you an injection. But just a few jabs aren’t enough to solve your problem. I even got you some medicine,” Sasha replied, jiggling a packet of medicine in her hands in front of the angry man.
Sebastian’s expression turned grimmer looking at all the medicinal herbs and his frown intensified.
“I don’t need any of those.”
“What’s the matter? I’m the doctor and you’re the patient, so you’ll have to listen to me.” Sasha wasn’t letting him off the hook.
Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed his hand and took his pulse before he could even object.
Sebastian almost pushed her away instinctively. The veins on his forehead bulged in agitation. However, when his piercing gaze fell on her face, he finally relented. Her coming almond eyes were darting around attentively under a curly fringe of lashes as she held on to his wrist.
He knew she was trying her best as a doctor to give her patient an accurate diagnosis.
Before long, Sasha nodded lightly and let go of his hand.
“As expected, your condition is still quite bad. But don’t worry, you just need to take your medicine as instructed for the next week. You’ll see tremendous improvement after that.”
Sebastian retracted his hand as his gaze swept across the bag of medication.
“Give them to the housemaid,” he said curtly.
“Well… I’m not sure if the maid knows how to handle them. These are medicinal herbs that helps with your sleep, and you need to boil them,” Sasha told him reluctantly.
“Sasha Wand, do you actually think I’m stupid? I know the plan you’re concocting in that brain of yours. Also, the housemaid has been with the family for over ten years. She knows what she’s doing.”
Now that Sebastian called her out so unreservedly, Sasha’s face turned pale, and she was at a loss for words.
She knew she could not hide anything from him. It did not matter what method she used—he was just too smart for all her tricks.
“Fine. I’m doing this so I can see Ian. What’s wrong with wanting to see my own son? I’m his mother! It’s not against the law. Even if a couple divorces, each parent still has the right to visit the child. Besides, I’m really tending you as my patient. Why can’t you just let me see him?”
Bitter tears burned in Sasha’s bright eyes and blurred her vision as she took a step closer to Sebastian in frustration. She had dejection written all over her delicate face.
For a slight moment, he lost himself in her compelling gaze.
Snippets of how she hurt herself to get him to save Ian flashed before his mind.
Despite everything that she had done, Sebastian could not deny the fact that she loved Ian dearly.
He evaded her sharp glare and stood still for a while before leaving without a word. Standing not far away, secluded from their view, Luke held up his approving thumb.
Well done, madam!
When Sasha finally came around after Sebastian’s abrupt departure, she darted towards the kitchen and boiled the medicine before rushing upstairs.
“Little Ian!” she cried out as she dashed to his room.
“Shush! Ian is still sleeping! Didn’t Mr. Hayes asks you to decoct the herbal medicine? Just do what you’re told and don’t disturb Ian!”
Before Sasha could go any further, Berta reprimanded her crudely when she heard her shouting.
Regardless, Sasha ignored her and went ahead into the room.
With Sebastian giving her the green light to see Ian, she had nothing to fear—what more a nobody like a housemaid?
When Sasha saw Ian was still asleep, she tiptoed out of the room and went back down to prepare breakfast. Not long after, she went upstairs again and knocked on the bedroom door.
“Little Ian, are you up already? Ms. Nancy’s here. Do you want some breakfast? I made pancakes. There is toast and jam too if you like.”
She pressed her ear against the door to listen, but there was complete silence. Sasha knocked a few more times and called his name softly.
To her disappointment, there was no reply. She could not hear a single thing coming from Ian’s room. Is he still asleep?
Just as she was opening the door to go in, a small figure appeared beside her on the right and a brittle voice rang down the corridor.
“What do you think you’re doing? Why are you here?”
Sasha jumped and quickly turned around. It turned out that Ian was already awake and was not in his room anymore.
Returning from the Dead Chapter 34
Sasha’s hand froze on the door handle as she saw the boy. “Little Ian! You’re up! Why didn’t you go downstairs for breakfast? You’re not hungry? Why aren’t you wearing your jacket?”
Ian looked at her speechlessly and turned to leave.
Sasha was taken aback.
She hastened her steps behind the boy, wondering what he was up to early in the morning. She followed behind him closely as he went towards a hanging garden.
Wow! I can’t believe he has the entire playground in the garden to himself. I guess this is how rich people live.
Sasha brought breakfast over to the garden and put it on the marble garden table as she watched Ian play on his own.
“Little Ian, why don’t we have breakfast first? You can continue playing after you have eaten.”
“No!” Ian shouted.
Gosh, this boy is really giving me a hard time. It’s either he doesn’t talk, or he’s defiant when he does. I hope he’s like his younger brother. Matteo is way more obedient. He takes his meal like a good boy at least.
Sasha went over and squatted down beside Ian, thinking how she should get him to eat. “Little Ian, I’m sure you want to meet Daddy after breakfast? I promise I’ll bring you to him after you eat.”
“Promise?” The boy turned his head immediately and asked.
A smile broke on her face when she finally elicited a response from him.
I knew it. Autistic kids might be cold and uncommunicative, but they are usually extremely attached to one person. From his reaction, I’m sure he’s very fond of Sebastion. I bet he can’t even live without his dad.
Sasha pouted her lips in jealousy as she thought of Sebastian.
Hmph, just you wait, Sebastian Hayes, I will replace you in Ian’s heart one day!
As expected, Ian went over to the garden table and finished the food Sasha made. When Berta came over to clean up, she was surprised to see all the empty plates.
“Ian, did you really finish everything?” she asked, looking around at the ground.
“Yeah, he ate everything. What’s the matter?” Sasha answered on Ian’s behalf as she looked at the maid, confused.
Did I make too much food? That’s just a normal portion for kids. Or is Ian a small eater?
Indeed, Ian had a small appetite.
He would not eat a lot unless Sebastian cooked.
After clearing the table and washing the dishes in the kitchen, Berta pulled out her phone and called Xandra. “Ms. Green, you have no idea what I just saw. That woman got Ian to finish all the food she made!”
“Really?” A high-pitched voice rang from the other side of the phone.
Snip! A stalk of flowers fell to the ground as Xandra clenched the scissors in her hand in full force when she heard the news from Berta.
“I swear I saw it with my own eyes. I lied to Mr. Hayes saying there’s still some food left on the table from yesterday so he could go to work without having to worry about Ian. After he went out, I cooked something simple for Ian. As expected, he refused to eat it. I was thinking it would be a good chance to ask you to come over and make some food for him, but the woman came again and spoiled my plan.”
From Berta’s tone, it was obvious that she hated Sasha to the bone and could not wait to get her out of the house.
On the other end, Xandra continued cutting the flowers quietly as she thought about what she should do. She maneuvered the whetted scissors in her hands agilely, snipping off one flower after another mercilessly until the whole plant was bare.
“Ms. Green?” Berta called out after a prolonged silence.
“I got it. Don’t mind that woman. I’m fine as long as Ian is eating,” Xandra said, putting down her scissors before she softened her tone and asked how about the maid’s well-being.
“Ms. Green, it’s very kind of you to care so much for Ian. If I were you, I wouldn’t be so nice to her. But it’s okay, we still have a lot of chances. I’m sure things will turn out well.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you around.” Xandra hung up and threw her phone aside.
What’s her name again? Nancy? Whoever you are, I will make sure you are out of this game as soon as possible.
After Ian finished his breakfast, Sasha did as she promised and brought him to Sebastian.
After all, she needed to bring the herbal decoction over too.
But she totally did not expect her younger son to go over to the company that day.
“Be careful if you bump into the meanie again, Matt. Remember to teach him a lesson on my behalf. I don’t want him to keep bullying Mommy,” Vivian whispered in Matteo’s ears when he was leaving the preschool.
Matteo patted his chest confidently and assured his sister before getting in the car.
After twenty minutes, the car drove into the city center and pulled up by the company.
A boy in a blue sweatshirt and a grey vest got out of the car and went towards the underground car park before taking the elevator.
Matteo was smart to avoid the front door so he would not attract any attention.
He had done his research and knew exactly which floor he should go to. Unfortunately, he was faced with a huge transparent glass door right after he got out of the elevator.
What… This should be the President’s office. Why is there a glass door?
Matteo checked out the surroundings but found no other way to get in, so he decided to try other floors instead.
Just as he was turning towards the elevator, a robotic voice sounded from behind, “Face recognition completed. Welcome, Ian.”
Returning from the Dead Chapter 35
Ian?
That little bore?
Matteo’s eyes widened as the door sprung open after the face recognition machine blinked a green light.
If I remember correctly, he’s that meanie’s son. Why do we have the same face?
Does this mean that meanie is my dad too?
Matteo’s blood boiled in anger as he walked past the door. It did not take him long before he realized this was not the place he was looking for. Judging from the decor, it was a tastefully furnished resting lounge.
Hm… A TV, a couch, a bed… Wait… Is this a house?
This is probably a resting area. Else there won’t be a glass door outside.
Once he confirmed this was not the President’s office, Matteo headed back to the door and continued his search.
“Face recognition completed. Welcome, Sebastian.”
Just as he was heading out, the machine rang again.
Sh*t, he’s here! What do I do now?
Matteo ran back in and quickly scanned the spacious lounge for a place to hide. He spotted a huge wardrobe and hid in there.
It was true that he came looking for Sebastian, but all he wanted was to spy on that meanie and get more information about him in case he bullied Mommy again. Getting caught red-handed was the last thing the boy wanted.
Matteo closed the wardrobe door and tried hard to pace his rapid breathing so Sebastian would not hear him.
What he least expected was that after that meanie got into the room, he came straight to the wardrobe.
“Seriously, I can’t believe the medicine tastes this bitter!” Sebastian had been complaining ever since he was forced to drink the whole bottle of medicinal drink when he was at his office.
He slid the door opened, and to his bewilderment, a small figure stood like a statue before his array of clothes.
The man and the boy stared at each other in blank astonishment the moment Sebastian opened the door.
Dang it!
Matteo’s face turned as pale as a ghost as he looked at Sebastian in the eyes.
But instead of being angry with the child, Sebastian looked like he was thrown completely off the balance.
“Ian, what are you doing here? I thought you were at the office?”
Ian again?
Is he here too?
Matteo soon realized what was happening and went along with the flow. He shot Sebastian a sweet smile. “I just got here, Daddy.”
The man was utterly shocked.
What’s wrong with him? Is he really smiling at me right now? Am I seeing things?
How did he even get over here so quickly? I swear I didn’t see him earlier. Or did he get here when I was on the phone just now?
Sebastian squinted his eyes and looked hard at the kid.
Before he could do anything, his phone rang and a message notification showed on his screen.
“Since you’re here already, you might as well just rest at the lounge. The woman, I mean, the doctor has already left, so Daddy will bring you home when I’m done with work.”
“Huh?”
Matteo rolled his eyes around trying to make sense of what he just heard.
The doctor?
Is he referring to Mommy? Why did Mommy come? And why did she bring that little bore here?
The boy had many questions on his mind, but since Sebastian asked him to just stay at the lounge, he did as he was told.
“Alright, I’ll stay here. You don’t have to worry,” Matteo said with a warm smile.
Although this was already the second time his son smiled at him, it still caught Sebastian off guard.
Ian is behaving abnormally. I’m sure the woman must have cast a spell on him or something. I’d better make sure Ian stays away from her.
A gloom settled over Sebastian’s face as he walked out of the lounge.
Seeing him left, Matteo sneaked out of the place.
Since Ian was also here, he figured it would be best if he got out as soon as possible. It would be disastrous if people realized there were two kids who looked the same.
He took the elevator all the way to the ground floor, ready to head back to the preschool.
When he got out of the building, he saw a cab by the entrance. Beside the car was a middle-aged lady in her forties or fifties, and she was holding a little girl on her right, and a boy of his own age on her left.
Vivi?
Mrs. Grint?
What on earth are they doing here? Who is that boy beside them? That little bore?
Matteo felt like he was going crazy. He dashed towards the two dimwits, wanting to tell them that the boy was actually a fake. But before he could do that, a voice called for him from behind.
“Ian! What are you doing here? Didn’t Mr. Hayes asks you to stay in the lounge? Why did you come down alone? It’s dangerous! Come, I’ll bring you back up.” Luke beckoned him.
It so happened that Sebastian’s assistant was there, and he came over to drag Matteo back in.
Matteo had no other choice but to look at the clueless nanny shoving Ian into the car after his sister got in.
As for himself, he was pulled right back into the building against his will.
Gosh, you’ve gotta be kidding me!