“It’s nothing. I just wanted to let you know,” Stanley Batton said.Xyla Quest hugged her husband tightly. “Those things won’t happen to me because I believe your parents wouldn’t let them.”“Yeah, I know, but I just wanted to make sure,” he told her.Stanley knew his parents’ temperament very well, but he still wanted to reassure Xyla in the event she felt upset at any given time.More importantly, he didn’t want her to tolerate anyone who gave her a hard time. He wouldn’t allow himself or his parents to upset her.“I know. Honestly, if anything like that happened, I’d tolerate it for your sake,” Xyla replied.“I’m so protective of you that you don’t even have to put up with me. Why should you put up with anyone else?” he asked.Hearing him, she felt secure, a warm sensation flowing through her chest. Even the air tasted sweet.Smiling, she continued to hug Stanley. “You are so unlike other people. I’ve struck gold with you.”“I’m the one who struck gold,” he countered.His
Outside, it was a vibrant spring day, bright and cloudless.With the decent weather, Xyla Quest was also in a pleasant mood.After stretching, she quickly walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth.Knock, knock, knock.Hearing someone at the door, Xyla immediately opened it to find one of the nannies standing outside.Smiling gently, she asked, “Were the kids being a nuisance last night?”“Not at all. They were great kids, barely even cried.”“That’s great,” Xyla chuckled.“Madam, I am to inform you that food is ready.” “All right, I’ll be down right away,” she replied.The nanny nodded. “Madam, you really have a special place in the family.”Xyla couldn’t resist smiling when she heard this. “Really?”“Yes, everyone in the family revolves around you," the nanny nodded. "You come first in every aspect. I was supposed to come to get you for breakfast this morning, but Ms. Lindt said that you slept late last night and that you needed more rest."“Mr. Batton is also very go
The Battons were both engrossed with their phones.On the dining table, there were six mouth-watering dishes, including seafood broth, roasted abalones, steamed fish, steamed crabs, garlic lobsters, and a tomato omelet.Every dish looked as exquisite as if a Michelin-star chef cooked it.Xyla Quest could smell all the delectable aroma as she approached the dining table.It appeared that Sharon Lindt and Wilson Batton were waiting for her as they had yet to touch any of the dishes.As soon as Sharon saw Xyla entering the dining room, she placed her phone down and approached her, holding her hand affectionately. “Come, Darling, let’s have lunch together.”By the time Xyla sat down by her side, Wilson had his phone tucked away and began serving portions of food on her plate.“Here, have more abalones. They’re good for your health. Don’t you like lobsters? Have some fish, too. It’s your favorite.”Xyla scratched her head in embarrassment upon seeing how her father-in-law served her
Xyla Quest instantly looked up at Wilson Batton. “What is it, Dad?”“Forget it. We’ll talk after lunch,” he replied.“Come on, what is it?”Could this be related to the surprise that the nanny mentioned?Wilson shook his head. “It’s nothing that can't wait until after you've eaten.”Nodding obediently, Xyla lowered her eyes and resumed eating quietly, much to the approval and adoration of Sharon Lindt upon seeing how pliant she was.Seeing her pretty daughter-in-law like this made her want to spoil her rotten.Wilson felt the same way.In his heart, he treated Xyla as his biological daughter.Beep, beep, beep—Sharon’s phone started ringing right then. Seeing the caller as her son, Stanley Batton, she promptly answered the call.“What is it, Son?”“Is Xyla awake?” he asked.“Yes, she’s having lunch,” she answered.“How’s her appetite?” he questioned.“Fantastic.”“Okay, don’t let her eat anything that might upset her stomach. She needs to eat clean,” he reminded.“I kn
“All right,” Xyla Quest replied.“Stay home and rest in the afternoon. Don’t walk around too much, and don’t play with your phone,” Stanley Batton reminded.“Okay,” she agreed readily.“Good girl.”“What are you doing now?” she asked, already missing him although they hadn’t been apart for long.“Nothing in particular. I’m just checking how everyone’s doing in each department,” he answered.“Oh. I’m having my lunch now. Your mother’s cooking is delicious,” she declared.Stanley chuckled. “Have some more, then. How about our children? Have they been good?”Apart from his wife and parents, he now had his children to miss.Xyla broke into a grin when he mentioned their children, her gaze softening. “They’ve been amazing. They’re just as happy and adorable as they were yesterday.”“Okay, you should continue with lunch. I’ll see you tonight,” he told her.“Okay.”Stanley ended the call wearing a smile on his face.Seeing how gentle and happy Stanley seemed next to him, Zack Cas
Stanley Batton instantly answered when he saw the caller was Sebastian Brenand. “What’s up?”“Rachel Wood is missing,” Sebastian said without much preamble, sounding very worried.Stanley could even sense his desperation through the phone.Frowning deeply, he asked, “When did she go missing?”“She’s been gone since last night," Sebastian answered. "All she left behind was a letter, telling me not to look for her. I only saw the letter after my meeting, but she might have left it in the morning.“I don’t know what time exactly she left because the indoor surveillance cameras lost signal in the morning while the exterior ones also failed to capture Rachel leaving. I’ve searched for her at the airport and train stations. I’ve looked everywhere. There were no signs that Rachel left,” he added in desperation.Hearing this, Xyla Quest moved closer to Stanley’s phone with a shocked expression.“What else was in the letter? Did she tell you why?” Stanley asked.Sebastian took a deep br
Sebastian Brenand was now sporting a messy, untrimmed beard, appearing exhausted.He handed his letter over to Xyla Quest the moment he walked in. “Here, what did you want to tell me?”With that, he promptly reached for a chair, placing it next to Xyla and Stanley Batton’s bed before sinking down on it.Xyla stayed in bed and directly opened Rachel Wood’s letter, noticing a dried tear mark in the center of a red flower at the bottom right of the paper.It was indicative of how heartbroken Rachel had been as she wrote this letter.However, the mark was faint, so no one would notice it with a single glance.Frowning deeply, she peered at Sebastian. “Before Rachel left, did anything happen between the two of you? Or did Rachel show any odd behavior?”Sebastian shook his head. “No, everything was fine between us. We went shopping after leaving your place the other day, and then she asked me to take her out to a fancy place for dinner. "After dinner, she was very affectionate and g
Xyla Quest was rather fond of Rachel Wood, despite not spending much time with her before. They got along quite well when they met. Xyla hoped nothing had happened to her.“Look, Rachel was crying when she wrote this letter. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but here’s a tear mark," Xyla said, pointing to a faint smudge on the letter. "What does this mean? It means she was reluctant to leave you and possibly forced to do so.”Sebastian Brenand immediately grabbed the letter to scrutinize it.Indeed, he managed to see the tear mark under the light.At that point, he became extremely upset as he found Xyla’s analysis made sense.His parents must have forced Rachel to leave him. That was the better scenario. In another, Rachel could be locked up somewhere or worse.The more he thought about it, the more upset he felt. His knees were so weak, he might fall at any second.Seeing his reaction, Xyla slowly got out of bed and gently touched his arm. “These are all just my guesses. Per
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.