Right then, Xyla Quest’s phone started ringing.It was a WeChat call from Team XS’s president, Michael Gabriel.Xyla quickly answered the call. “Mr. Gabriel, what’s the matter?”“Here’s the thing. I accepted a TV interview on behalf of the team. The TV folks hope that you’ll take part too… Would you be able to spare some time to come over for a bit? The interview will start at eight o’clock tomorrow evening…” Michael said.“You are now part of the team that won the championship title. So it’s better if you show up. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be the complete team. The audience would also think it’s a shame.“Most importantly, apart from Alex, the audience wants to see you the most… I think that the show would have even more viewers if you show up. It’ll also bring the greatest amount of benefit to the interview…” Michael added.Xyla thought deeply for a few seconds. Then, she checked her schedule to make sure she was free tomorrow evening at eight o’clock. “Alright. Understood…”Afte
In the next second, the upper portion of the glass was crushed…The sharp debris from the glass jabbed into Betty Starmount’s flesh, making her bleed profusely.However, Betty didn’t react at all. Instead, she recklessly allowed the bleeding to continue…She was like a cold, walking zombie.“Xyla Quest…” Betty seemingly spoke through gritted teeth. The cold, murderous look in her eyes immediately caused the temperature on the balcony to drop by several degrees…***At the same time, Rachel Wood was checking out lipsticks at a Chanel store in Goldfield Plaza.Beep, beep, beep—Right then, Rachel’s phone started to ring.Rachel, who was about to reach for a piece of lipstick, immediately pulled her hand away. After that, she glanced at her phone screen.Her mother was calling…Rachel quickly picked the call up. “Hello, Mom…’“Sob-sob… Rachel…” Her mother’s voice was hoarse. It sounded like she was crying.When Rachel heard her mother’s voice, she was a little dumbfounded.S
Rachel Wood’s parents were robbed. They were already very sad about this. Now, they encountered conflict with the law enforcers. So, naturally, they felt even more miserable.Rachel needed to rush home to check on them…She wanted to patch things up for her parents.After consoling her mother for a while, Rachel went to the underground grocery store to buy some supplements and food that her parents liked.After that, Rachel drove the red Lamborghini Sebastian Brenand had bought for her back to the villa where they lived together.When Rachel walked into the house, Sebastian was talking to his business partner on the phone.Sebastian wore a wrinkle-free, light-blue shirt with black tuxedo pants. At one glance, he looked like a business elite.When Sebastian was serious, he looked like a completely different person.Seeing that Rachel wasn’t in a good mood, Sebastian immediately hung up the phone. He then quickly stepped forward. “What’s the matter?” he asked.Rachel immediately
“Fine then…” Sebastian Brenand nodded helplessly.A while ago, Sebastian bought Rachel Wood’s parents a luxury villa here behind her back…It was the most high-class detached villa in a small neighborhood. With a seaside view, it was gorgeous.At first, Sebastian wanted to give Rachel and her parents a surprise.In the end, her parents refused. Their reason was that they didn’t want a change in the environment.Hence, the house had been left empty all this while.Although Sebastian felt helpless, he could understand the two old folks after thinking about it carefully.To be fair, it was normal for people not to want to move once they got older.Having lived with the old neighbors in the area for a long time, they’d develop bonds too.When Rachel and Sebastian arrived at home, Rachel’s parents were both there…The two of them looked awful.Rachel’s mother greeted her and Sebastian. She sat in front of the coffee table where Rachel’s father sat and started pouring them glasses
There was no longer a spiteful look in her eyes. In fact, she also no longer seemed as proud as she once was.Her eyes were filled with gentleness and admiration…“Hey, Rachel… Did you bring your boyfriend home? Did your boyfriend fly you home in a helicopter? That’s amazing. What does he do?” the lady asked.Rachel Wood smiled a little. “He has his own business…”“I’m sure he runs a big business, right? Truly amazing. Rachel, you sure have done well… You’ve made your family proud,” the lady said.Rachel smiled again without continuing the conversation. Instead, she tugged at Sebastian Brenand’s hand and walked over to the side of the road to wait for their cab.However, the lady did not leave them alone.After a while, the lady walked over to the two of them and quietly scanned them up and down.After that, the lady started praising Rachel and Sebastian. “Rachel, you’re getting prettier and prettier. Your boyfriend also looks spectacular… Your parents must be ecstatic, right?
“What? Did something like this actually happen?” Sebastian Brenand had a look of disbelief in his eyes.Rachel Wood nodded with a bitter smile. “Yeah…”“How bad was it for your family?” His heart aching, Sebastian hugged Rachel tightly in his arms. He carefully and gently rubbed her back to console her.“It was very tough back then. Sigh. Let’s not talk about this. Anyway, it’s all in the past…” Rachel said.“Alright,” Sebastian replied.To avoid reminding Rachel of sad things in the past, Sebastian decided to stop speaking.After coming to this small city, he got to see another side of human nature.Sebastian found it hard to imagine how that lady had the cheek to say that she looked after Rachel’s family when she treated them like that in the past.Was she willing to forgo all pride just to acquire good connections?The more Sebastian thought about it, the angrier he felt…Marlene was truly a prideful, realistic, and pretentious old lady.Right then, the cab they called ar
Just as Rachel Wood got lost in thought, those people already left her line of sight. So instead, they walked up to Sebastian Brenand.Rachel didn’t know what those people said to Sebastian. After that, they disappeared from her line of vision…When Rachel saw this, she slowly stood up and prepared to walk out the door.Right then, a fierce-looking law enforcer brushed past the leaders and quickly entered through the door.As soon as he entered, he walked up to Rachel. “Are you the one those people inside mentioned who came to file a report because of a domestic violence case? You don’t seem hurt. What proof do you have that you were a victim of domestic violence?”Hearing the words ‘what proof do you have’ reminded Rachel of her parents’ experienced.On top of that, the person in front of her had an extremely arrogant attitude. Rachel’s face instantly turned cold…After that, she shifted her gaze to the man’s name badge.‘Daryl Hawkins’ was written on the name badge.Rachel f
“Are you referring to my father when you mentioned the unreasonable person? The one who was robbed a few hundred thousand dollars… He came to file a report, and you ignored him…” Rachel Wood said.“What evidence do you have that you were robbed? How would I know if you didn’t just hide your stuff away?” Daryl Hawkins retorted firmly…“Are we so crazy that we’d intentionally hide stuff away and come to you for help on investigating? Evidence? Our house is the scene of the crime. How could there not be any evidence? If you don’t go and look, would evidence just fall from the sky?” Rachel asked.“We only have so few people here. So if we go to every person’s house just because they ask us to, then we won’t need to do any other work,” Daryl said.“You’re unbelievable… You’d do anything to avoid work…” Rachel said.Daryl sneered. “How am I avoiding work? Is what happened in your house a big deal? What’s wrong with what I did?”So, what if he didn’t want to work? It was an old habit.
Xyla quickly reached for Hannah’s hand. “Is that right? Hannah, you’re amazing…! You’re practically on par with Leon!”Hannah laughed, slightly embarrassed. “Not at all.”“Oh, cut it out. If you hadn’t helped me, how could I have improved so quickly?” Leon chuckled.“I guess I’ve lived up to my promise.” Hannah giggled along.Back then, she had promised Leon that she would become someone deserving of him.She claimed that she would grow with Leon.Without a doubt, she had done it.Now, Hannah had become a successful woman many would often speak of. She earned her rightful seat next to Leon as the CEO of Dragon Group.Stanley also turned to look at Hannah. “Yes, Hannah’s very capable. She’s our family pride.”Hannah laughed. “I was lucky to be accepted by your family.”In fact, Hannah genuinely felt grateful toward the Batton family over the years she had spent with them.They had helped her through all the hardship she encountered when she was poor and down on her luck.Aft
“Hannah, I’ve taken the first step for you. Are you willing to walk by my side for the rest of our lives?” Leon asked, serious.“Yes, I am…” Hannah answered without missing a beat.“I’ll protect you. From now on, you don’t have to worry about a single thing.” With that, Leon placed both hands on Hannah’s face and kissed her on the lips.The moment their lips touched, everything felt surreal…Hannah could feel pink, light bubbles floating all around her. It felt as if all the flowers in the world were blossoming at once.In Hannah’s dark, depressing life, Leon was her only salvation.He was a ray of hope that led her out of hell, so she could see light once more.Hannah thought she would never have anything to do with Leon after she quit school.Even until now, she still remembered how sorrowful she was on her last day of school.But now… Not only did she get the opportunity to interact with him once more, but they also became a couple.Their driver sighed to himself while
Over time, Leon’s feelings for Hannah grew deeper, stronger, and more intense.He had grown used to having her with him all the time.Thus, he hoped she would stay by his side for the rest of his life.Upon hearing his words, Hannah’s mind went blank.What did her dream guy just say?Was she dreaming?Hannah quickly pinched her palm at the thought in an attempt to discern between dream and reality.Her palm hurt. That meant this wasn’t a dream. It was real!Hannah felt even more dumbfounded…This meant Leon actually liked her! He was confessing to her, wasn’t he?Did her dream guy actually reciprocate her feelings?Never in her wildest dreams did Hannah imagine she would go through such an experience.Excitement jammed her mind, so much that she was rendered speechless. There were many things she wanted to say, and yet, she couldn’t utter a single word.Her heartbeat increased rapidly, and her entire body began to shake. Sensing her trembling body, Leon tightened his e
Immediately after, the men in black pulled out guns from their pockets, which they aimed at Raymond’s head.Raymond panicked instantly, going pale.He subconsciously retreated a step back. “Who are you? Don’t you know what you’re doing is illegal?”Leon sneered. “You don’t deserve to know my name. In this city, I am the law.”Leon’s domineering words made him seem even more imposing.At this moment, Hannah felt as if he was a guardian angel sent from Heaven to protect her.Something about him seemed oddly sacred and heavenly.“Mr. Batton, do I shoot him in the head?” One of the men dressed in black asked.“Mr. Batton? Are you Stanley Batton’s son?!” Fear was beginning to spread through Raymond. For one to have Batton as his surname and act this arrogantly in Atlantis, he could be none other than a member of the renowned Batton family.“How dare you address our president by name?!” Another man in black leveled Raymond with a chilling glare.Suffice to say, Raymond was terrif
Terrible pain ached at every part of Hannah’s body as she collided with the cold, hard ground.The pain was such that all her bones felt close to breaking. Everywhere hurt badly.At that moment, Hannah felt like a fragile doll made of clay that had been forcefully slammed hard against the ground until it broke into small pieces.Her mind went blank from the stinging agony.She braced herself and looked at the cold eyes staring back at her, filled with terror. Stammering, she asked, “Mr. Gray… What is the meaning of this?” “What’s the meaning of this? Ha! Don’t you know what’s good for you? You dumb b*tch… You’re lucky that I set my sights on you!”“How dare you refuse my feelings! Not just that, but you even made up a story to deceive me!”“Even when you saw me, you tried to trick me again!”“Do you think I’m stupid? That I can’t think? Do you honestly think I’d fall for your lies again and again?” Raymond went, his tone steadily rising into a furious roar.He then got on o
Although the sun had long sunk beneath the horizons and darkness had set in, the lively city wasn’t about to be silent anytime soon. Hannah felt deeply unsettled, so much that she didn’t leave right away.Instead, she waited in front of the bar, filled with hesitance and anxiety.Should she really leave?Would Rihanna truly be able to sort things out?The man was Raymond Gray… Neither Rihanna nor the bar could afford to upset him, lest they face terrible repercussions.Hannah remained standing on the same spot, uncertain. She really didn’t know what to do.Finally, she came to a decision. She took out her phone and tapped open a ride-hailing application on her phone.Yet just as she did that, she instantly closed it. Afterwards, she began pacing back and forth in worried circles, going to and fro aimlessly. Right as she was trapped in her worried musings, a group of people exited the bar. Raymond Gray, dressed in black, sporty attire, led all of them in a flamboyant manner.
A handsome waiter quickly walked in and looked at Rihanna. “Ms. Jensen, Mr. Gray out there insists that Hannah should get on stage to sing another song. I told him that Hannah would only sing three songs today…”“He lost his temper and claimed he’d destroy our bar if Hannah refuses to sing another song…” The waiter added. He was visibly trembling by the end of the sentence.Hannah figured Mr. Gray was probably the only son of the new mayor of Atlantis there weren’t many people with Gray as their surname in Atlantis. There were even less people who were arrogant like him. He was the only one.Hannah had heard about how terrible this person could be. He was known to be a womanizer too.Due to his powerful background, he looked down on everyone else. He didn’t respect women at all… Moreover, he had a relatively cruel personality. One could almost describe him as being a pervert.There was once when an owner of a bar offended a female internet celebrity he was dating. He directly hired
Hannah Roland smiled politely at Lina Cohen. “Nice to meet you… Thank you in advance!”“No problem… Do let me know if there’s anything you don’t like about your makeup too,” Lina said.Hannah nodded. “Okay, sure…”“By the way… Do all the signers here get such good treatment? I’m surprised we’re even assigned our own makeup artists,” Hannah asked carefully as she wasn’t aware about things like these..However, Lina smiled without answering Hannah’s question directly. She held Hannah’s hand casually the next second, “Come here. I’ll start doing your makeup now…”Hannah nodded…Lina was a very professional makeup artist. She took an hour to finish Hannah’s makeup.An hour later, Hannah’s appearance transformed completely.Lina permed Hannah’s long, black hair into natural-looking curls.Hannah had intricate peach-colored makeup on her face which made her appear lively and youthful.Once Lina was done with Hannah’s makeup, she happily retrieved a long, white dress from a clothes
Hannah Roland smiled without saying anything.***Hannah arrived at the bar where she worked at seven o’clock the next evening and walked into Rihanna Jensen’s office.Rihanna was going through paperwork in her office. When she saw Hannah, she immediately stood up and smiled at her. “Hannah, you’re here…”“Here’s the contract…” Rihanna said before pushing a thick stack of paper to the center of the table.Hannah quickly stepped forward and skimmed through the document. She then picked up a pen and signed it…Rihanna smiled upon seeing this. “Okay… I’ll transfer the money into your account tonight… I’ve told our big boss about your situation. He’s fine with my decision to pay your salary in advance. In fact, he even told me I did a good job…”“He said you can sing without worrying about a single thing… If you need any help in the future, do let us know…” Rihanna added.Hannah felt glad when she heard this, and became teary-eyed. “Thank you… Please thank our big boss for me too.