I Faked My Death—Now I Have to Tame the Crazy Men I Left Behind-Chapter 40 - 38: Taking a Hard Bite Out of Her

The person seemed afraid of disturbing them, whispering the name. The sound was faint, yet it landed with resounding force.

The moment the name was spoken, a buzzing sound filled Ian Sinclair’s ears.

It had been a very, very long time since he’d heard anyone else say that name.

For two short months, he had spoken her name constantly, trying to create the illusion that she wasn’t dead, that she was still here.

But no one else had uttered her name in his presence.

In that moment, he didn’t even dare to turn around.

He knew it couldn’t be her, yet a sliver of hope persisted. His heart hammered against his ribs, threatening to burst from his chest.

As he finally turned, he could feel a thin layer of sweat break out on his back.

But it was too late. All he caught was a glimpse of the girl’s hem.

She had already vanished through the doorway.

Ian Sinclair’s lips quirked. ’Maybe it’s just a coincidence, someone with the same name.’

He shot Serena Grant a look, a clear warning in his eyes. But before he could speak, his foot stepped on something hard.

He looked down and lifted his foot.

It was a phone.

It belonged to the girl who had just left. Judging by its position, it must have fallen from her bag or pocket.

Ian Sinclair thought nothing of it.

But as he looked away, the pieces suddenly clicked into place.

The person Serena Grant had been about to slap was the same one who shared Mia Grant’s name.

’If this was just a simple coincidence...’

’Then why didn’t she come back for her phone when someone told her she’d dropped it?’

He bent down and picked up the phone. It was the latest model, with no scuffs on the edges and barely any fingerprints on the screen. It was brand new; she should have been careful with it.

’So why didn’t she come back for it?’

Even he had heard someone call out to her. It was impossible that she hadn’t.

’Unless... she was hiding from someone?’

The thought seemed to confirm his earlier suspicions.

Across from him, Serena Grant’s lips moved, chattering about something, but Ian Sinclair couldn’t make out the words.

The ringing in his ears was still there, and it seemed to be getting louder.

Everything around him went quiet. With a trembling hand, he lit up the screen.

On the soft pink wallpaper was her favorite cartoon character.

He remembered how much she loved to draw.

Back then, she sat in the row in front of him, and he always pretended to be looking at the blackboard so he could secretly watch her.

The teachers had even commented on his strange behavior back then, wondering why he was suddenly paying attention in class.

Later, he "bribed" the class monitor and used the monthly seat change to openly become her deskmate.

After that, he never looked at the blackboard again. While she faced forward, listening diligently, he would prop his chin on his hand and just watch her.

She always looked so serious in class, but a quick flip through her textbook revealed pages filled with cartoon characters she had secretly drawn.

He had secretly swapped their textbooks, and that one, filled with her drawings, was still under his pillow.

Over the past two months, he’d often pull it out to look at it.

He didn’t have a single photograph of her.

The only chance he’d had was the class graduation photo, but she had been sick that day and missed it.

In the end, all he had were these mementos to remember her by. He’d even watched all several hundred episodes of the cartoon she loved.

Ian Sinclair took a sharp breath, his gaze turning fierce as he stared at Serena Grant. "She’s not dead."

Serena Grant stopped talking. Realization dawned, and she laughed, her voice dripping with malice. "You really didn’t know?"

"She didn’t tell you? And Felix Sinclair didn’t tell you either?"

Ian Sinclair’s pupils contracted. His eyes widened in fury.

’She’s not dead...’

’And my brother... knew?’

A wave of satisfaction washed over Serena Grant. Just as she was about to twist the knife, the young man in front of her bolted out of the room like a madman.

—

Mia Grant ran for her life, using every ounce of strength she had.

’I should’ve just become a student-athlete back in the day.’

The last time she’d run this desperately was when she ran into Felix Sinclair in the cafeteria.

’Why is it that every encounter with those two brothers is always so intense?’

’Are the Sinclairs my kryptonite or something?’

’I really need to go get my fortune told one of these days.’

’When science fails, metaphysics is all you’ve got.’

Her classroom was on the fifth floor. As soon as Mia Grant got out, she saw an elevator door open and dove straight inside.

She thought it would be a quick escape.

But it stopped at every single floor, with people getting on and off.

Mia Grant could only hope Ian Sinclair hadn’t realized it was her...

The elevator reached the third floor, and the doors slid open.

No one inside was getting off. Mia Grant’s gaze drifted from the floor buttons toward the entrance.

Two teachers got on.

The doors began to close.

Before Mia Grant could even let out a breath of relief, a hand shot in and pried the doors open, much like the one that had blocked the slap for her a few minutes earlier.

Startled, Mia Grant instinctively backed away, trying to disappear into the crowd.

The doors, sensing an obstruction, slid open again. Ian Sinclair stepped inside.

Mia Grant ducked her head, trying to make herself as small as possible.

Fortunately, the elevator was crowded. A few guys standing in front of her easily shielded her from view.

Ian Sinclair didn’t scan the crowd or press a floor button. He simply stood near the door.

He toyed with the phone in his hand, appearing perfectly calm.

But his reflection in the closing doors betrayed him. The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk, and he ground his canine teeth together. A glint of excitement in his eyes exposed his true state of mind.

The wolf was ready, just waiting for the little lamb to stray from the flock so he could have his feast.

Mia Grant risked a peek and saw him leaning lazily against the side, looking as unassuming as any other passenger.

But in the instant she looked up, Ian Sinclair caught sight of his hidden little lamb in the reflection on the doors.

’Such a timid little lamb. She only dares to peek out, terrified of alerting the wolf, hiding in her corner and scouting for an escape route.’

’Ah...’

Ian Sinclair sighed to himself. ’Where should I start?’

’Her mouth? Her tongue? Or maybe her neck, right over her pulse?’

’Her arm would be nice, too.’

’Or... a little lower.’

’But I can’t bite too hard. She’s so afraid of pain, she cries at the drop of a hat.’

He remembered watching her in the stands while he played basketball. She’d been sitting in the crowd in her school uniform, but she was still so radiant that she drew everyone’s eye. His opponent kept getting distracted, glancing over at her. The guy even deliberately hit her with the ball just to get her attention...

From that distance, the ball couldn’t have hit her very hard.

But she started crying immediately.

And he’d almost beaten that dumbass half to death for it.

That just scared her more. She cried even harder, her whole body trembling as she sobbed and tried to hold him back.

’Forget it. Little crybaby. I guess I’ll have to bite gently.’

The elevator arrived at the first floor.

People began to file out.

No one got on.

Hiding in the back, Mia Grant realized that Ian Sinclair still hadn’t left.

In an instant, they were the only two left inside.

As she watched, Ian Sinclair finally moved. But instead of leaving, he straightened up and pressed a button for another floor.

The doors began to slide shut.

Mia Grant lunged for the opening.

But it was too late.

Leaning against the door, the young man folded his arms and turned to face her. "Where are you off to, crybaby?"