Crack!
The phone fell from Susan's hands and broke into pieces.
Ian had already gotten used to the surroundings. He spotted a suitable pair of slippers at a stall nearby
and was about to summon her when he saw her phone dropping to the ground.
"What's wrong?" he asked in confusion as he bent down to pick her phone up.
To his surprise, the young woman, who had been in a cheery mood just a moment ago, was now as pale
as a ghost. She stared at him intently without a word.
Ian was at a loss when he saw that.
In a state of panic, he reached out and took her hand without hesitation.
As expected, her hand's also freezing.
"Susan, you—"
"Ian, why don't I send you home today? We're at the county, anyway," Susan suggested suddenly. She
retracted her hand from his grasp and gazed at the bus station not far away.
The veins on Ian's forehead throbbed.
"Why?" he demanded.
His response was curt, and he didn't bother hiding his fury. His tone sounded haughty, as usual.
Hearing that, Susan blanched.
She lowered her head and pretended to look at the broken pieces of her phone. She did her best to tamp
down her tears so he wouldn't realize her true feelings.
"Nothing. I was thinking that I'd better get you home before your parents start to worry. You've been here
for days, and you must have a ton of work waiting for you to handle by now. Besides, Vivi told me
yesterday that your dad's planning to send Kurt here to bring you back home." She immediately made up
an excuse.
She wasn't lying, though, for Vivian indeed contacted her yesterday to tell her that.
Contrary to her expectations, Ian let out a disdainful snort and spun on his heels to leave after hearing
her words.
"Ian, where are you going? Don't run off. The bus station is that way," she yelled.
"Susan, listen carefully. I’m an adult now, so I'm free to go anywhere I like. No one can limit my freedom!"
he snapped.
Susan parted her lips. "But-"
"Shut up!" he roared.
With that said, he strode away, leaving her behind. He ignored her and disappeared into the market
ahead.
Susan stood rooted in her spot behind. She was so distraught that she could barely breathe.
I never meant to react this way. But I've really crossed the line this time. It was all my wishful thinking.
Susan went to the bus station alone and bought the ticket. She then sent a text.
Susan: Sebastian, Ian is doing fine here. I bought him a bus ticket and will send him back home today.
Her tone was respectful and formal. It was as though she had returned to her rightful position from this
moment onward.
She was a member of the Jadeson family, and Ian was her nephew.
Sebastian's reply arrived shortly after.
Sebastian: Got it. I'll get someone to pick him up at Yeringham Station.
After reading the text, Susan felt drained of energy, and her shoulders slumped in dejection.
Ian finally found her twenty minutes later. He was laden with grocery bags and even had a fluffy puppy
with him. He was planning on keeping it as a pet.
When he showed up, he saw Susan sitting in the waiting room. She was obviously waiting for him to
return.
"Ian, I bought a bus ticket for you. It will depart in ten minutes. Your dad has sent someone to pick you up
at Yeringham Station. Hurry, you should leave now,” she said.
Her lips were curved into a pleasant smile as usual.
Ian's expression turned cold gradually. Crash! He dropped everything he bought to the ground, including
the dog, before
turning to leave.
"Where are you going? Ian, come back!" Flustered, Susan ran after him.
Alas, Ian was too quick. As he had the upper hand over her with his height and long legs, Susan could
barely catch up with him.
Left with no choice, Susan had to run with all her might.
Fortunately, the crowd dwindled after they left the market. She could still spot him from a distance
behind.
Noticing that he was heading in the direction of the village, Susan finally broke down out of exhaustion.
She screamed, "Ian Hayes, can you stop acting like a child? You'll have to face reality soon enough. It's
useless to run away! In the end, you'll still have to go home!"
She was close to tears by the time she finished her sentence.
Finally, Ian halted in his tracks. Perhaps he had heard how shaky her voice sounded.
Running away? No, I've never run away from anything. The reason why I came here was to face
everything.
Turning around, Ian went back to her. He came to a stop before her and realized she had broken down
completely.
"Who called you earlier?" he asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Susan was in the midst of wiping her tears away when she heard his question.
She lifted her head and stared at him blankly.
"Whose call was that? What did the person say to you?" Ian demanded sharply. An icy aura enveloped
him, and he looked terrifying.
Susan froze.
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