“Do you think you can scare me with your lousy family? Save it!” the middle-aged man said before he started laughing loudly…The crowd around them was growing…Many people were here to witness this commotion.After he was done speaking, the middle-aged man started beating his wife again as if nobody was around…Once he was done beating her up, he started punching and kicking Bobby Cates.Each hit had more force than the one before it. It was completely inhumane.People around them couldn’t bear watching it anymore, and they started calling the police.Some people even stepped forward to pull the man aside.After being pulled aside, the man continued to struggle as he pointed at Bobby and his niece. “Didn’t you say Annabeth’s new boyfriend is powerful? I won’t leave today. I’ll wait right here and see how her powerful boyfriend will teach me a lesson… Hahaha… You losers…”Bobby’s entire body was hurting…The intense pain caused him to lose his vision. Everything turned dark. A
“Sigh… What are they doing? Are that old man and that woman being beaten up?” Sharon Lindt asked as she looked down at the scene beneath the helicopter.“Hurry up and land here… Those are my father and my cousin!” Annabeth Cates said as she looked at the pilot with a panic-stricken expression on her face.When Josh Batton, who sat on the co-pilot’s seat, heard this, he seemed shocked. “What? Quick, land here!”In the next second, the pilot quickly landed the helicopter on an empty field behind the crowd…Right then, Sharon and Wilson Batton were both stunned…All three members of the Batton family were extremely worried.The moment the helicopter landed, the propellers were still spinning.Strong breezes blew through the crowd, and their bodies shook slightly.This was the first time many of them saw a helicopter up close.Many immediately took their phones out and started taking pictures of the helicopter…Soon, the pilot turned off the helicopter engine.Right then, the mi
“Wasn’t this girl on the news two days ago? Is she the one who’s going to marry Josh Batton soon?”“Does that mean these two who got beaten up are related to this girl?”“You have no idea, but this girl is that man’s daughter, and she’s that lady’s cousin.”“It’s over for this jerk today, isn’t it? Messing with this girl’s family means messing with the entire Batton family. The Batton family isn’t easy to deal with.”The surrounding people were still whispering among themselves.Many of them began to speak their mind without fear of repercussions.Meanwhile, the middle-aged man’s face turned even paler when he heard what everyone was saying.It really was over for him!“Annabeth, look. I’m your cousin-in-law. Hurry up and ask them to let me go…” The middle-aged man said.Being pinned to the ground, he struggled to set himself free as he humbly pleaded with Annabeth Cates.He no longer seemed as arrogant and bossy as he did when speaking to Annabeth’s father and cousin earlier
Annabeth Cates frowned coldly and forcefully suppressed the murderous intent within her. She looked at the bodyguards pinning the middle-aged man to the ground. “Beat this man up like how he beat my father and cousin up…“After that, send him to the police station…” Annabeth added.When the bodyguards heard this, they immediately began to act. They started punching and kicking the middle-aged man.The middle-aged man yelped in pain.“Help… No… Please, Annabeth…“I’m your cousin-in-law. I’m family.“How could you do this to your family?” The middle-aged man struggled as he yelped in pain.Annabeth pretended she didn’t hear him. Instead, she shifted her attention to her father and cousin…Looking at them made Annabeth teary-eyed. “Let’s get you to the hospital for a checkup…”The two of them nodded weakly. They didn’t even have the energy to speak.When Annabeth’s cousin saw Annabeth standing up to her husband, she began to cry fervently.Seeing this, Annabeth carefully embrac
“Nice to meet you…” Bobby Cates used every ounce of strength left in his body to speak as he looked at them.Annabeth Cates had previously told Bobby all about what happened between her and Josh Batton and her situation with the Batton family.Bobby had a good impression of Josh’s family, and he felt assured that his daughter could be part of a family like this.“Nice to meet you… Bobby, you shouldn’t speak for now. We’ll talk once you get better…” Sharon Lindt said worriedly.Bobby nodded gently before painfully closing his eyes.“This is my cousin…” Annabeth added.When Annabeth’s cousin heard this, she braced herself to turn and look at the Batton family. “Nice to meet you…”“Nice to meet you too. Don’t speak for now. I know you’re all out of strength,” Sharon said.Annabeth’s cousin mustered a smile before closing her eyes. She then leaned against Annabeth’s body.The helicopter soon landed in front of Belleville’s municipal hospital.Once the helicopter landed, the bodyg
“That’s right… It’s more important for you to stay here and recuperate,” Wilson Batton added.“How could I let you pay for everything? That won’t do… I have to pay for my expenses,” Bobby said sternly. He was against the idea.From his perspective, he shouldn’t be spending the Batton family’s money.“Bobby, we’re all family. Don’t worry about it… If you don’t do as we say, I’ll get angry… I’ll leave…” Sharon Lindt said firmly. She wouldn’t take no for an answer.Annabeth Cates instantly felt her heart warmed…She understood Sharon’s temper. Hence, she started tugging at her father’s hand. “You’ll stay if she asks you to. If you keep refusing, they really will get angry…”Bobby seemed troubled…After hesitating for a while, he finally nodded helplessly.However, he still didn’t feel comfortable about spending other people’s money.“That’s right… You’re a good man, Bobby,” Sharon said softly.“I’m really sorry that you had to witness such a mess…” Bobby said apologetically.“A
Annabeth Cates’ cousin began tearing up. “Anyway, I’m sorry…”“Alright, let’s stop talking about these,” Bobby said.“What are your thoughts on this now?” Annabeth looked at her cousin and asked.Right then, Annabeth was still filled with rage. All she wanted was for the jerk to die…Annabeth’s cousin immediately wiped her tears away. She then went down on her knees.Annabeth panicked when she saw this.She immediately bent over and tried to get her cousin to stand up.However, her cousin refused to budge. “Annabeth, don’t pull me up. I have something to ask of you…”Annabeth seemed frantic. “If there’s anything you want to tell me, just get up and say it. Don’t do this. I can’t accept this,” she said.With that, Annabeth also kneeled in front of her cousin and held her hand tightly.“Annabeth… I know the Batton family has all the power in the world. Can I ask you to find a way to keep that man in prison forever?“As long as he’s out there, our family will never have a day o
Their family could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.“Thank you. Honestly, thank you so much…” Annabeth Cates’ cousin stammered as she cried.In the next second, she hugged Sharon Lindt and started bawling her eyes out.She knew that, from this moment on, the dark moments she had suffered for decades would soon come to an end.It was truly incredible!Everything was finally coming to an end.She knew that she could lead a normal life again.She began to swear an oath in her heart.She swore that she would remember Annabeth and the Batton family’s kind deed for the rest of her life.She’d be willing to die for them if that was necessary.Annabeth gently hugged her cousin from behind. “Alright, stop crying. Good days are ahead of you. Shouldn’t you be smiling?”Annabeth’s cousin repeatedly nodded, but she was still crying profusely…Only god knew how long she had been waiting for this moment.Initially, she thought that she would never be able to escape from th
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.