The three of them stood up at the same time.Seeing that, Sharon Lindt immediately waved at her son. “You should do it.”Josh Batton nodded obediently, then headed into the kitchen while his parents sat back down to chat with Annabeth Cates.“Tell me, Annabeth, has Josh been good to you lately? You can complain to me if he’s done anything to upset you,” Sharon said.“Yeah, we’d teach him a lesson if that was the case,” her husband said.They both had eager looks in their eyes.They seemed to be waiting for Annabeth to complain about their son so that they could punish him.She laughed helplessly. “There’s nothing to complain about as he’s very good to me. I’d give him a ten out of ten for his service.”“Oh, really?” Wilson asked.“Yeah.”“I suppose Josh wouldn’t dare treat you poorly," Sharon said. "Oh, right. Annabeth, I’ve brought you some of your favorite snacks. Here, have some.” With that, she retrieved some snacks and arranged them in a row. The varieties included bee
“I'd rather you stop buying me things. I’ll buy them for myself if I need anything,” Annabeth Cates said firmly.She had already said as much numerous times, but Sharon Lindt and Wilson Batton ignored her with their reasons to do otherwise.“We enjoy buying things for you, so you have to accept whatever we give you. There's no point refusing or protesting,” Wilson declared.They had always been very generous. How could she not say anything?“But your gifts are far too expensive, and you buy them for me too often,” she protested in discomfiture.“I know you just want to be nice to me, but I still feel embarrassed,” she added.“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re part of the family, so naturally, you’d receive gifts from us. You’re like our biological daughter. As our daughter, you should accept whatever we give you,” he said.“Even so, I don't need any of this stuff,” she insisted.Right then, Sharon Lindt walked over with a tray of fresh strawberries. “That’s ridicu
“Keep Annabeth company. Got it?” Sharon Lindt told Josh Batton, gazing at him solemnly as he nodded obediently.At that moment, Annabeth Cates felt like they were treating her like a child.Holding Wilson Batton’s hand, Sharon then walked into the kitchen, leaving Josh behind to watch television with Annabeth in his arms.“I feel bad. Are you sure we don’t need to help your parents? They must be tired from all the work recently.”“You heard what they said, right? They asked me to keep you company, so they would be angry if I go in there. They’ll be even more upset if you go in there and probably yell at me,” he told her.“All right, then.”“Anyway, I’ve discovered that you're now the most important person in this house, while I’m the least important,” he said.“Do you feel disappointed?” Annabeth asked when she heard this.“Why should I feel disappointed that my parents are good to you? I’d only feel that way if the opposite were true. Like, for instance, Sebastian’s parents...
Halfway through the meal, Sharon Lindt recorded a video of the dishes, as well as Josh Batton, Annabeth Cates, and Wilson Batton.The video only lasted thirty seconds, but the footage seemed lovely with a heartwarming background.She then uploaded the video to her own Weibo account that had roughly five million followers, adding a few sentences to the post. “Seeing Annabeth happy brings me great joy. I haven’t cooked for her in a long time, so it’s a rare occasion today.”Whenever she published a post, it would reach countless followers. Within a minute of her latest post, the number of forwards, likes, and comments had already exceeded five figures.The followers began discussing excitedly—“She’s such a great mother-in-law! Sharon, I think you should rename yourself as the ideal mother-in-law.”“I suggest you write a book on how to pamper one’s daughter-in-law. Other mothers-in-law should learn a thing or two from you!”“How is Annabeth so lucky? Not only does she have a celeb
Annabeth Cates used to be secretly envious of Xyla Quest in the past.However, she knew clearly at the time that being temporarily envious was all she could do and life went on. She continued being her ordinary self without a halo over her head.Who knew God would one day give her what she wanted the most?Even now, she still felt as if she was in a dream.“Mom, the video looks great,” she praised as she watched the footage.“Exactly. My mother’s skills are so good that I think she could record a music video,” Josh Batton spoke up.“Yeah, my wife is indeed amazing. Being a housewife is a waste of her talent. I’m sure she’d be a great director if she were to work in the entertainment industry,” Wilson Batton added with a smile.Sharon Lindt beamed with pride as she heard them.Everybody liked receiving compliments, especially Sharon.Grinning broadly, she could barely hide the joy in her eyes. “You’re all being too nice.”“We mean what we say,” her husband told her.“I know.”
Speaking of the devil! Annabeth Cates’ mother was calling.Peggy Howards was only calling to chat with her daughter without any particular reason except to express how much she missed her.As they chatted, Annabeth realized she hadn’t been home for a long time, so she promised her mother that she would go home to see her parents with Josh Batton next week.Peggy agreed with her decision.After chatting for a long while, they finally hung up, prompting Sharon Lindt to ask, “Are you going home next week?”Annabeth nodded.Hearing that, Sharon immediately issued instructions to her son. “Josh, arrange for a private flight for the visit, okay?”Josh immediately nodded. “Of course.”“Let me know when you two are departing. I will prepare some gifts for Annabeth’s parents,” Sharon said thoughtfully.Annabeth immediately shook her head when she heard this. “It’s fine. I’ll bring something for my parents.”“Those are from you," Sharon pointed out seriously. "I'll have my own gifts fo
It was Josh Batton's first period drama.Annabeth Cates was charmed by the sight of her husband riding a horse.While she leisurely watched television, Josh kept himself busy in the kitchen.Everything seemed peaceful as she leisurely watched him on television while he kept himself busy in the kitchen.***In the blink of an eye, the day Annabeth agreed to return home to visit her parents had arrived.Josh had postponed all his remaining work within the week to accompany her on the trip home.Together, they flew home in a helicopter.After landing on the roof of the building, they took the elevator down to where her family lived.Both of them were stunned when they arrived, hearing the lively sounds of people laughing and talking.There appeared to be many people in the house, all sounding like young women.Annabeth’s eyes widened in surprise. “What’s going on?”Josh gently shook his head.“Do you think they let all your female fans inside?” she wondered out loud.He shoo
Meanwhile, Annabeth Cates remained cool and polite, knowing what her husband was thinking.Right then, she felt touched but also very uneasy.She had reminded her mother not to tell anyone about them coming home, but apparently, she hadn't listened and ended up putting Josh Batton in an awkward situation.Seeing this, Peggy Howards awkwardly smiled at the two of them. “I didn’t think this would happen.”There were too many people around then, so neither Annabeth nor Josh said much and continued to smile politely.The girls surrounded him and began talking to both of them.It became even more awkward, but they remained gracious, following the rest to the couch to sit next to Bobby Cates and Peggy.Flocking around them, the girls began taking pictures and talking excitedly—“Josh, I’ve liked you for a long time. Honestly, I feel like I can’t breathe anymore.”“Me too. Josh, I’ve been a fan since day one. I’ve always voted for you in polls and competitions.”“Who hasn’t? I only
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.