After dressing Rachel Wood’s wounds, Woodrow Gaston brought her to the guest room next door. He then sat in the living room and cleaned up the remaining bandages and other first aid kits.Now that it was quiet, he began recounting everything she had said.Was it right for him to help her like this?Her life would be completely different.It would be fine if she could live well alone, but what if she couldn’t?Was he going to let her do this?They used to be classmates, and he wanted Rachel to be happy.Could she be happy like this?Woodrow kept asking himself the same questions over and over.As an outsider, he ought to respect her decision and not interfere with her life. Yet, as her ex-classmate and long-time friend, he hoped for Rachel’s happiness. He also felt that he shouldn’t stay out of her business completely.Should he go to Sebastian Brenand or not?Which was the right or better choice for Rachel?Right then, Woodrow felt conflicted with all these considerations.
Sebastian Brenand was still waiting for the team-matching in the game while avoiding Yvette Houston's eyes.She remained polite and smiled, seemingly unaffected by his indifference. “My parents invited us to go home for dinner tonight.”“Go by yourself,” he said with a deep frown.“Your mother said you must go too,” she insisted.“I’m not going.”Sebastian felt disgusted just by looking at her.“Your mother said there are consequences if you don’t go,” she said vaguely.“Fine!”Yvette knew exactly what Sebastian’s mother had done to Rachel Wood. She'd told her to use such threats whenever her son refused to listen to her, and he was bound to obey.It was the first time she had tried this out, but she didn’t expect it to be this effective.Sebastian might be cold to her now, but she believed they’d eventually develop feelings for each other.It would be fine even if that didn’t happen. They could each find their own happiness outside and not affect one another, as long as S
Sebastian Brenand looked around him, feeling nothing but loneliness.Rachel Wood's shadows were everywhere in this house, making him think of her wherever he looked.To numb his pain, he directly opened a bottle of red wine next to him and drained it.He drank one bottle after another. However, apart from feeling dizzy, he didn’t feel anything else.His mind was still alert, and his heart still ached.The more he drank, the more he missed her.‘D*mn it! What the hell am I living for?’‘Am I still Sebastian Brenand?’‘Where did the old Sebastian, who did whatever he wanted, go?’His parents had killed that man.Would they only come to their senses after he died?He just wanted to die.However, he couldn’t even kill himself because Rachel was in their hands.It was hell on earth.He knew he'd go insane if this continued.When would he finally be free from this?He finally passed out after a few bottles of red wine, laying sprawled out on the table without any strength lef
Woodrow Gaston was about to speak when Yvette Houston spoke first. “Hello, who is this? Sebastian is drunk.”He promptly hung up when he heard her voice, guessing that the woman must’ve been Sebastian Brenand’s wife.Rachel Wood had mentioned her earlier.He knew that the wife would try to mess things up if she found out why he called.Yvette frowned and cursed at the phone upon realizing that the call had ended. She then tossed the phone aside, not thinking much about it as she turned around to leave the study.After she left, the room quietened down again.Woodrow gave up upon hearing that Sebastian was drunk, deciding to try again the next morning.After making up his mind, he pocketed his phone and then walked into his room, took a shower, and slept after setting an alarm for seven o’clock in the morning.As soon as he woke up, he hastily redialed Sebastian's number.Sebastian had just woken up at his desk coincidentally, still feeling slightly dizzy and wearing a weary lo
Rachel Wood was such a good, pure, and kind-hearted woman. Why did Sebastian Brenand’s parents have to treat her this way?Sebastian couldn’t imagine how she survived the past month on her own.How did she persist through those lonely nights?Was she as devastated as he was in her dreams?Or was she in even more pain?The more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t remain rational.Downstairs, Yvette Houston was leisurely reading the newspaper on the couch. She set them down as soon as she saw her husband dash madly out of the house.“What happened?”Ignoring her frantic question, Sebastian continued to run outside.Yvette’s sixth sense told her that something must’ve happened to him. It might even be related to Rachel.As she thought of this, she immediately picked up her car keys, ignoring everything else. She didn’t even put on her coat before running after him.He jumped into his Bentley and hastily drove away as soon as he was out of the house. She followed suit in h
At that moment, Sebastian Brenand recalled what Woodrow Gaston had told him.The things that happened to Rachel Wood kept replaying before his eyes.Seeing her legs and her weak, smiling face made him feel as if he was about to go mad.He was so furious that he wanted to kill everyone.Right then, Rachel started dreaming again. She was back at the run-down, isolated place.Despite how hard she tried, she was still captured in the end and brought back there.She felt hopeless in her dream.Then, she was restrained to the cold concrete bed, those men punching and kicking her.“Arghh!”Rachel had screamed herself awake. She bolted upright, her body covered in cold sweat.She realized that it was only a dream upon waking up.She was fine after all.Sebastian was horrified by her reaction, realizing that she just had a nightmare.Perhaps, she dreamed about being back in the village.The thought made his heart twinge painfully.Before he even moved, she'd already noticed his p
Rachel Wood was in a dilemma. She'd made up her mind to push Sebastian Brenand away, despite her reluctance.She had already decided.“We have to break up," she said, her voice breaking. "Don’t come looking for me anymore. Let me go. I want to leave this place. I’m tainted.“You’re married. You have a family, and your wife is a good person. She’s much better than me.“It’s been over a month. I don’t have the right to return to you. I’m morally undeserving,” she rambled on.“My parents forced me to marry that woman," Sebastian countered. "They lied to me, saying you were still in their possession. If I didn’t do as they asked, they were going to kill you.“As long as you come back, I can divorce her anytime.“I’ll never let you go, Rachel. Do you know how hard I’ve tried to look for you over the past month?“Did you say you’re tainted? Well, I’m even more so! Aren’t we the perfect match? Let’s not give up on each other.” With that, he hugged her tightly, wishing they could b
After getting married to Sebastian Brenand, Yvette Houston's pride had been constantly trampled on.Didn’t his mother inform her that Rachel Wood was sold off somewhere deep in the mountains?How did she reappear here?People from lower statuses like Rachel sure were resilient.The very thought made Yvette upset, thinking that it was all Rachel’s fault.If she hadn’t shown up, none of this would’ve happened.After taking a deep breath, she tried to remain calm and composed as she walked directly to the elevator.By the time she arrived on the first floor, Sebastian and Rachel were long gone.Stomping her feet, she called his mother on the phone to tell her everything, prompting her to exclaim in surprise.“What? Are you telling me that Rachel came back? And Sebastian even found her?”“Yes! Mom, what do I do now? He wants a divorce,” she lamented.Sebastian’s mother was dumbfounded on the other end of the call. She never thought something like this would happen.How did Rach
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.