The Real Heiress Is Coming Back (Hannah Carter) novel Chapter 349

Chapter 349 Barnaby’s Get Issues

Chapter 349 Barnaby’s Got Issues

“You probably don’t know this, but Mr. Thole has had some mental health issues in the past, Freud said.

Hannah frowned a little and shook her head.

She’d already fixed Barnaby’s chronic headaches from the poisoning. As for any mental problems… Honestly, if I had to pick one, it’s that he’s way too possessive,’ Hannah thought to herself.

Seeing her reaction, Freud felt sure he was right. “Seriously, being with him is pretty risky for you.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Hannah asked.

“Honestly, Barnaby should’ve been the one to tell you this,” Freud said, pulling out his tablet from the briefcase and opening up a file for Hannah to look at.

“About sixteen or seventeen years ago, Lysander Thole reached out to my mentor, Skinner, to get Barnaby some help. Back then, they said he had bipolar disorder and paranoid personality disorder,” Freud explained.

The report was all in Thalvarin, but Hannah skimmed through it effortlessly. When she saw the possible causes-things like sudden changes in environment, being left out, feeling unsafe, and even survival anxiety-it made her feel a pang of sadness inside.

That was around sixteen or seventeen years ago, not long after Barnaby was brought back to the Thole family. She’d always known he’d had a rough time with the Thole family, but she never realized it had scarred him so deeply. “His condition started to get a lot better after Lysander’s daughter was born. By the time he was twelve, his illness had gone from severe to mild, and he was recovering really well. My mentor said you’re exactly what Barnaby needs,” Freud said.

Hannah had learned a bit about the whole Thole family mix-up from Percival.

Hearing that, Hannah glanced at the ring on her left hand, and Barnaby’s words from last night echoed in her mind. Her heart felt heavy as it thudded in her chest.

“But then, the Thole family ran into trouble. After you went missing, Barnaby’s condition took a turn for the worse again. My mentor had to spend a lot of effort just to keep his emotions in check,” Freud continued.

“He’s been monitoring Barnaby’s situation all this time. Normally Barnaby would come in for a follow-up session every two or three years. The last one should’ve been last year, but he never showed up.

“My mentor is quite elderly now, and his health doesn’t allow him to visit Barnaby in person anymore. So he entrusted the case to me. If he passes away, he wants me to keep following up on Barnaby’s condition,” Freud added.

Hannah finished going through the medical records. Just like Freud said, he hasn’t needed any medication lately, and all the follow-up notes say he’s been stable. His last check-up was four years ago.

Freud took a sip of his coffee and asked, “Have you noticed anything about Barnaby lately that seems a bit extreme or out of the ordinary?”

“He’s way too possessive,” Hannah said without hesitation.

Freud just nodded knowingly. “Exactly. This isn’t just a warning sign-he’s already having a full-blown relapse.”

Hannah’s brows furrowed. ‘So that’s why his need to control and possess me has been off the charts lately. Turns out, he’s really struggling with something,’ she thought.

“Ms. Carter, honestly, for your own safety, I really think you should just stay away from him,” Freud said, his tone sincere.

Hannah traced the ring on her left hand with her right. “If he actually goes to his appointments, he should be able to keep it under control, right?”

She was ready to stick by him and go with him for every check-up.

“Yeah,” Freud replied. “But his possessiveness has crossed into obsession. Yesterday afternoon, Barnaby actually forced me at gunpoint to alter your memories.”

‘What the hell?!’ Hannah thought, utterly shocked.

“Honestly, that’s why I needed to talk to you in person,” Freud said. “Barnaby’s in a really bad place right now. If this keeps up, I’m seriously worried he might actually end up hurting you.”

Hannah thought she must’ve misheard. “He actually made you ter my memories?!”

‘Wait, the memories I keep trying to remember!

Successfully unlocked!

‘No wonder I kept feeling like I was forgetting so hat By the sized.

‘That could’ve been the key to finding out who framed my adoptive father and got him thrown in jail. How could Barnaby do that?’ Hannah thought.

“I think the memory you were trying to recall probably wasn’t something good for either you or Barnaby, Freud said. “He’s

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Chapter 349 Bamaby’s Got Issues

terrified of losing you again, and that’s making his condition spil. He’s acting out in paranoid, obsessive ways. For your

own safety, I really think you should keep your distance. I’m worried he might do something even worse than altering your memories.”

Hannah’s mind was spinning. She didn’t agree or disagree, just aid quietly, “Thanks.”

Seeing how pale she looked, Freud didn’t push it. “I’ll be in Kinswood for a while. If anything comes up with Barnaby, just contact me directly.”

“Okay,” Hannah replied.

*****

When Hannah got back to the clinic, she was clearly distracted. Evelyn noticed and asked with concern, “Anna, did something happen?”

“It’s nothing,” Hannah replied, pulling herself together. “I’m not heading over to the neighborhood tonight. After dinner, why don’t you and Joe go for a walk?”

“Alright, take care of your work, but don’t overdo it. Try to get some rest,” Evelyn reminded her. “And if anything’s bothering you, remember, you can always tell me. I’m always here for you.”

Hannah’s heart warmed at that. “Yeah, I will.”

Once the clinic closed and everyone had left, Hannah and her little piglet were the only ones left in the courtyard, waiting for Barnaby to come home.

Trying to take her mind off things, Hannah pulled out the folder Raymond had given her earlier, hoping it would help her focus on something else.

Inside was the secret surgery contract signed by Eleanor and Alistair, along with a box of cassette tapes.

Hannah found an old cassette player and popped the tape in. Amazingly, it still played.

On the tape, a woman’s voice was reading the contract. ‘Wait, isn’t that the same voice from that memory card I’ve been trying to track down?’ Hannah thought.

She quickly grabbed the memory card, plugged it into her computer, and played the audio to compare.

There wasn’t much on the memory card, but she could tell right away-the voice matched the one on the tape. It was Eleanor’s voice, recorded as proof before her operation.

She’d finally uncovered the real culprit behind her adoptive mom’s death, but Hannah wasn’t even happy about it. Because as she was checking out the code that had wiped the recording, one section gave her a weird sense of déjà vu.

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