Xyla hurried inside, with Stanley following close behind her. Upon entering, she changed into a pair of slippers before looking at him and asking, “Do you have a large luggage bag?” “Yeah, it’s in the bedroom,” he replied, pointing to the bedroom. “Can I go in?” “Yeah.” Xyla immediately entered his bedroom. Entering after her, Stanley opened the closet and pulled out a huge black luggage bag from the bottom, laying it open on the floor. There were hardly any clothes in his closet. They consisted of basic colours—black, white, grey, and dark blue. “Will you be taking all these with you?” asked Xyla. “You decide.” Hearing this, Xyla took out all the clothes from his closet and placed them on his bed. She started concentrating on folding them one by one, putting them into the luggage bag. When she was done, the bag was now almost filled to the brim. Xyla let out a long sigh of relief, pulling the luggage bag to the wall. “You can pack up your personal items on your own.”
“So, the dishes I made the other day were sweet?” exclaimed Xyla in disbelief. If that was true, that would mean that everything she cooked had been inedible. “Yeah,” replied Stanley softly. That sweet dinner had left a deep impression on him. “It wasn’t edible at all, was it? I’m sorry.” “It was delicious,” Stanley answered casually. “How could it be delicious? I used sugar instead of salt!”Although Xyla had never eaten dishes that only tasted sweet, she could imagine just how disgusting it tasted. “I like sweet things,” he said. Xyla felt warm inside. While Five Batton looked apathetic on the outside, he was quite a warm person on the inside. He knew how to comfort and care for others. “Alright, stop saying things you don’t mean. Be honest, you tossed away all the dishes that day, didn’t you?” “I didn’t,” he answered. Xyla was stunned. “Did… did you finish them?” she probed. “Yeah.” Xyla immediately gave him a big thumbs up. “Amazing.”Pointing his chiseled
The harsh comments were never-ending. United by a common enemy, netizens had now set the Sullivan Group, Tom Sullivan, and Emily Quest as their main targets. Shifting her eyes to an economics news official channel that she was following, Xyla read the news that the channel had just announced. ‘Due to an unnamed factory under the Sullivan Group using expired ingredients, and with Tom Sullivan and Emily Quest’s scandals added into the mix, Dragon Group plans to withdraw their investment in the Sullivan Group. The Sullivan Group’s share price is currently plummeting, and in the short span of three days, the Sullivan Group’s market worth has been reduced by three hundred billion dollars. According to our sources, the Sullivan family’s eldest young master, Julian Sullivan, will be returning to the scene to help the Sullivan Group avert this disaster. For now, the Sullivan Group is actively cooperating with relevant departments on related investigations.” This news revealed two imp
“Zack must have told you what needs to be said, right?” asked Wilson, sounding grave. “Yeah,” Stanley answered calmly, showing no emotional disturbance in his tone. “There’s something important that I forgot to ask Zack to pass on to you, so I’ll say it now. If there’s something you don’t understand while spending time with my daughter-in-law, remember to ask me. No one’s better at love than I am.”His tone was filled with confidence, like a certain dopey Mr. President. Stanley slowly huffed out a mouthful of smoke. “… Got it.” “You stupid brat. I always thought you were gay, and was even mentally prepared for you to bring Zack home and announce your relationship with him,” said Wilson. He was not shy to speak his mind. Stanley held his forehead in defeat. In his heart, he wondered how could such a straight man like him be gay?When Zack, who was standing beside Stanley, heard what Wilson said, his lips started twitching as he reconsidered his life choices. Exactly what was
“Yeah.” “Where to?” “My wife’s place,” said Stanley. “The young madam’s house? The Quest family’s old mansion?”Zack’s eyes were filled with doubt, hardly believing his ears. Why were they suddenly cohabiting? “We’re moving into the mansion beside the Quest Manor,” Stanley answered calmly as he stubbed out the cigarette in his hand. “Oh…” Zack nodded. “Right, Julian Sullivan came to the company today asking to see you, but I rejected him.” Toot, toot, toot. As he spoke, Zack’s phone rang again. Seeing that it was an unknown number, he answered it immediately. “Is this Assistant Cassidy? Hi, I’m Julian Sullivan from the Sullivan Food Group,” said the voice on the other end. “This is he. Only, why do you have my number?” asked Zack. His eyes were filled with curiosity as he put the call on loudspeaker. “I got it from someone. Assistant Cassidy, would it be convenient for us to meet up and talk?” “Uhh… it’s inconvenient.” “I’d really like to have a good chat with
Upon entering, Xyla led Stanley upstairs and pushed open the door of the first bedroom. It was just as extravagant as the first floor. French windows occupied an entire wall of the room. And there were many other glorious features, such as a large open balcony, a comfortable king-size bed, a large closet that occupied another wall, a high-end desktop, and more. The bedsheet and pillow covers were a dark blue color—this color coordination made the room feel grander and classier. “How is it? Do you like it? I picked out the bed covers for you last night. They’re all new. If you don’t like the colors, you can switch it out. There are many other sets in the closet. I moved the computer over from next door. It has the best specs configuration. If you like to play games, it’ll definitely give you a whole new gaming experience,” said Xyla. “Yeah, I like it,” said Stanley faintly. He could tell that she had put a lot of effort into decorating the room. “That’s good then. That’s the t
“Or maybe, he’s just trying to use this method to tell me that he isn’t interested in me, and just wants me to wait obediently for the divorce.” Xyla shrugged and turned to look at the pine tree in the snow-covered yard. “Forget him, this is nice too. I just have to wait quietly for three years and then get a divorce.” “Actually, weren’t you already healed by then? Even if you choose to break the contract in advance, your master can’t do anything to you. So, why didn’t you?” asked Stanley, staring intently into her eyes, curiosity filling his gaze. “Humans are supposed to keep their promises, aren’t they? Master is my benefactor, I can’t be so heartless. To me, my master is like a second parent.”At the mention of her master, Xyla’s gaze became much softer and her voice more mellow. She voiced out her innermost thoughts without reserve, “In fact, when I first agreed to my master’s condition, I thought that maybe I could try living a proper life with him. After all, I’m indebted to
“Alright, I’m making lunch. Is there anything you’d like to eat?” Xyla asked. “I’m good with anything,” replied Stanley. “What about the food you hate?”They would be living together for one year, so she felt the need to be aware. “None.” With a nod, Xyla turned to enter the kitchen. Her father had instructed the maid to fill up their fridge yesterday, so it was well stocked. She took out the ingredients she would be using and washed them. Soon, a household norm of four dishes and one soup were prepared. The spread consisted of braised pork, green pepper scrambled eggs, hot pepper potato shreds, braised prawns, and squid tofu soup. She placed them carefully on the square dining table and filled up two bowls of rice. Against the green and white checkered tablecloth, the wonderfully prepared dishes looked extraordinarily enticing. The expensive tableware further enhanced this visual effect. The rising heat brought about warmth to this huge mansion. After placing down the b
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.