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.
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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