When Sebastian Brenand returned to his home once again, he picked up his broken phone and retrieved the SIM card within, and inserted it into another phone. He needed to find Rachel. To do that, he needed to contact the outside world, but not without a phone. After inserting the SIM card, he turned on the phone, and it immediately started ringing again. His mother had sent him a message on WeChat. It was a picture of Rachel Wood tied to a cross with fresh wounds on her body. Her face pale, Rachel had already passed out. This scene was like a knife to Sebastian’s heart, his mind going blank in an instant. Sebastian wanted to kill someone. Right then, his phone rang again. His mother had sent him a voice note. With trembling hands, he tapped on the screen. “If y
Sebastian Brenand was reluctant, but he still got up to brush his teeth. He didn’t even bother changing his clothes before leaving the house.He didn’t trim his beard, and he didn’t even brush his hair.Sebastian only hoped that the girl wouldn’t fall for him.For the last few days, he had been drinking. So now, he looked like a sluggish drunkard.He also lost some weight because he hadn’t eaten much. On top of that, his beard had grown even longer, appearing much more fragile like a patient.He could hear laughter when he walked into the Brenand family’s house.The woman his mother arranged for him to meet had arrived, now enjoying a conversation with his parents. They were seated by her side.Sebastian recognized her as his classmate from high school. Her name was Yvette Houston.After graduation, Yvette had gone abroad, and he hadn’t seen her since.When everyone in the house saw Sebastian, they were all shocked. Yvette’s jaw dropped for a second, unable to believe that the
The Houston family was also wealthy, but they weren’t as well off as the Brenand family in many aspects.The Brenands were deemed as well connected in this age where 'it's not what you know, but who you know that matters'.If the Houstons could be connected to the Brenands by marriage, the Houston family’s situation would improve drastically.For the sake of her family, glory, and all the benefits that came along with it, Yvette Houston believed that getting married to Sebastian Brenand was her best option.It was mutually beneficial for both the Brenand family and the Houston family, where they could support each other and overcome any obstacles together.It didn't matter whether Sebastian had feelings for her or not.Children from wealthy families seldom had the freedom to choose their partners anyway, sacrificing their happiness for the greater good of their family.Yvette knew why Sebastian showed up in a disheveled mess; there was a woman he loved deeply.But, so what?Hi
“How did it go? Did you get acquainted? If you both like each other, shall we start preparing for the wedding?” Sebastian Brenand’s mother asked.Yvette Houston smiled. “I quite like him.”Sebastian forced a grim smile but didn’t respond. He only hoped that he could find Rachel before the wedding.The Houstons stayed for dinner, both families chatting until late into the night before they finally left.Sebastian was forced to linger.His mother led him by the hand to the hall, with his father following closely behind after sending the Houstons off.His parents dropped the facade and reverted to their cold unsmiling expressions as soon as they settled on the couch.His mother gazed unhappily at him. “Didn’t I tell you to groom yourself before coming over? Did you assume that Yvette won’t fall for you because of the way you look?”Sebastian sneered. “All right, you’ve already accomplished your objective. What’s all the yapping for?”His patience was wearing thin. He would have s
Bruises covered Rachel Wood’s trembling body, her eyes widening with fear as tears drenched her face repeatedly.She couldn’t speak because of the tape over her mouth.During her time here, she'd overheard that the people responsible for her condition were planning to do something to her.She knew that they were sending her somewhere far away and sold to a man who lived in the mountains.She would never be able to return to Atlantis or return to Sebastian Brenand in this lifetime.Rachel wanted to escape but couldn’t. Life was so miserable there she wished she had a pair of wings that would let her fly away from this terrifying place.She would be beaten up every hour, solely because Sebastian's mother disapproved of her and thought she'd seduced her son.She wanted to teach Rachel a lesson.She hated the woman she had never met.Rachel didn’t know why his mother hated her so much after she'd agreed to leave her son. Moreover, she also showed that she genuinely made up her min
Rachel Wood was unconscious throughout the entire process.After getting into the helicopter, several people quickly tied her up, making her even more of a sitting duck while unconscious.“Hey guys, she looks decent. Since she’s going to be raped anyway, why don’t we do it first?” one of the men dressed in black suggested. He had a depraved look on his face, already drooling at the sight of Rachel’s beauty. He wanted to sample a taste of the woman Sebastian Brenand loved deeply.She ought to taste good.“I want to as well,” another man said, whose appearance was equally depraved.As soon as they finished speaking, a few of the other men behind them simultaneously smacked them on their heads.Those men started speaking—“Are you both crazy? We should avoid stirring up any trouble. We should make this delivery as soon as possible, of course.”“What if we get delayed? Do you know what the consequences are?”“Do you want to die because of a woman? I’m sorry, but I don’t want to
All four men in the family seemed mentally unstable. They were staring at Rachel Wood with lascivious and possessive looks. Then, they started laughing together, sounding annoying and creepy to Rachel's ears.She began to feel incredibly disturbed.Soon, the oldest man approached her before quickly retrieving a stack of money to hand over to one of the men dressed in black.Rachel managed to catch a glimpse of the stack of money and counted approximately 3,000 dollars.She chuckled to herself.It turned out she was only worth 3,000 dollars to Sebastian Bernand's parents.The man in black silently put the money away.After that, he and the others tossed Rachel on the ground before walking away.An intense feeling of fear began to spread through her body.She wanted to scream, but her mouth was gagged.Her limbs were also tied up so tightly, she couldn’t even budge.Rachel was terrified. She didn’t have any other option apart from waiting for her death sentence.Her life ha
The bed in the room wasn’t the usual type Rachel Wood had seen before. It was the kind of brick bed that could only be seen in books and television dramas.The bed was so cold that it made Rachel feel even chillier upon laying on it.She struggled again, but it didn’t help.She began to cry silently, knowing she was doomed.She was about to be violated.Sebastian Brenand’s parents were going to strip Rachel of her pride and everything along with it.She would end up like other girls who were kidnapped and sold to places like this.No! She didn’t want this!‘Sebastian, where are you? Sebastian!’ Rachel thought frantically.Then, the three younger men left the room, leaving behind the old man in his eighties.He didn’t untie her. Instead, he began touching her all over.He became even more excited as Rachel cried and shook her head. She wanted to kill him, but she couldn’t.After the old man finished, the others came in one after another to take their turn.Rachel truly wa
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.