“Isn’t Stanley just so handsome? I think he’s much more attractive than Josh.”“I always thought there wouldn’t be a more handsome man than Josh, but I realized I was too ignorant after seeing Stanley.”“I wish I could become Xyla or Annabeth. These two women are so lucky.”As they spoke, their jealousy became more apparent.Right then, each of them had looks of envy in their eyes.Stanley Batton first dropped off Josh Batton and Annabeth Cates at their office with his helicopter before sending Henry Armstrong and Georgie Clementine home.Finally, he flew Xyla Quest and himself to Quest Group, accompanying her into her office while she worked.Stanley kept to himself throughout the day when she attended meetings. He would sit nearby with magazines, fiddle with his phone, and scroll through Weibo.He would sometimes massage his wife's shoulders or play games on his phone whenever she sat at her desk to go through paperwork.Being at work had always been a solemn atmosphere, but
“I feel sorry for your team,” Xyla Quest stated, glancing at Stanley Batton’s gameplay to see that they had already lost their advantage.The rest of his team couldn’t fight against five opponents without him, leaving only four of them playing actively.They started cursing at him.“Hey, dude! Are you crazy? What the hell?”“What is the meaning of this? Hurry up and start moving, or else I’ll report you.”“Could the opponents have sent him here?”Xyla started getting annoyed by their criticisms.“Your teammates are all yelling at you because they are about to lose,” she said as she lifted her chin toward his phone. Glancing at his screen, he picked it up leisurely. “Not exactly.”He began to play while keeping his hold on Xyla, ignoring the ongoing curses courtesy of his teammates.“Hey, idiot! What are you doing?”“You don’t know how to play at all, do you?”“You got lucky when you made those god-like moves, didn’t you?”As they spoke, Stanley made another error during a
“Really?” Stanley Batton asked.Xyla Quest nodded. “Yeah, you were. You would’ve been hailed as the battle god if that happened during a professional match.”“Oh?”“I’m serious,” she insisted.“But that wasn’t a professional match. My opponents were all terrible,” he stated as he made a face. “How could there be terrible players at such high ranks?” she asked.One of Stanley’s teammates from the match sent him a friend request while they were speaking, and he accidentally clicked on the button to accept.Almost immediately, that person began to speak.“Boss, are you interested in joining my team? I’m the manager in charge of Team IM’s Honor of Kings section.“How old are you this year? We can discuss wages by meeting up in person as long as you agree.“Our club would never exploit our professional gamers.”Stanley smirked in amusement before replying to him. “I’m not interested.”However, the man didn't let that deter him from pestering a talented gamer.“Don’t say that.
Suddenly, the lights went out in the elevator, plunging Stanley Batton and Xyla Quest into darkness.It was pitch black.She instantly tightened her arms around her husband’s neck, feeling nervous. “Oh no, I think there’s a power disruption, but it shouldn’t affect the elevators. The backup generator should automatically run in the event of a blackout,” she said in confusion.“Don’t be nervous. I’ll try calling someone to check on it now,” Stanley told her as he put her down slowly.At that moment, the elevator suddenly plunged downwards, making them panic.She grabbed for Stanley blindly and held on tightly while he hastily pressed against the wall behind him to find balance.The elevator continued its rapid descent into further darkness.An eerie feeling made the air feel stale.Xyla felt goosebumps erupting all over her body. “What’s going on? The elevator is out of control. Honey, what do we do? Are we going to die here?”If the elevator kept descending at this rate, the
“Do you think there’s something wrong with the elevator? Logically speaking, we should’ve reached the bottom by now. Why do you think we haven't yet?” Xyla Quest quickly raised her question.She couldn’t help feeling frantic despite trying her best to calm herself down. Her heart could very well beat right out of her chest any second.Stanley Batton frowned deeply in the dark. “Yeah, you're right. I think so, too.”“What do you think is going on?” she asked.He shook his head helplessly and didn’t say anything.The elevator continued to drop, and it seemed to be heading downward in an endless pit.It was as if there was no end to the descent.Time passed very quickly.Half an hour had passed unknowingly, but they were still moving downwards.Xyla began to feel less nervous after a long while of being in perpetual fear.Her eyes searched around in the darkness before turning toward her husband. “This is very strange. The elevator is still falling downward. We seem to be going
Unexpectedly, an unusual world appeared in front of Xyla Quest and Stanley Batton, almost blinding them with glaring brightness.They could see an endless sea of red spider lilies before them, where each glistened vividly in full bloom.Although it was currently autumn in Atlantis, supposedly the most comfortable season of the year, it now felt as cold as winter.Bone-chilling breezes blew from every direction.Xyla and Stanley were freezing and both shocked by the peculiar scene they were seeing.The elevator incident was strange enough, but whatever this was made it even weirder.There were no longer in the real world.According to myths, red spider lilies only grew along the pathway to hell.Xyla couldn’t help but think they had gone to the Underworld somehow.Did the elevator take them all the way down to hell?She couldn’t help but gasp at the thought.Stanley frowned as he gazed at his wife. “Don’t be afraid. No matter where this place is, I will protect you.”She nod
“She even had our memories erased in fear that we would find out. Such a foolish girl," Xyla Quest lamented sadly.Everything she had seen made her hate the concept of fate even more. She thought that karma from a past life was illogical.Everything in the past should have been resolved in that lifetime.Why did it have to be brought into the next life?Xyla wouldn’t have minded bearing her own karma in this life. Why did God allow someone else to do it for her?Sophie Kenwick was innocent, so why then did she have to suffer all this on behalf of Xyla and Stanley Batton?All the painful memories related to the young girl began appearing in her mind, with every scene feeling like a stake through her heart.Beside her, Stanley felt equally heartbroken.Suddenly, the air felt more dense, and the temperature seemed to have dropped further to become even colder.“How did we suddenly recall our memories?” she asked.Sophie had erased their memories, but who caused them to come floo
Stanley Batton shook his head slightly, feeling equally confused.“If you have any questions, you might as well ask me. What’s the point of murmuring between you?" the voice said. “Xyla, my original plan was to torture you and Stanley adequately before killing you both.“I wanted you to feel the pain of losing everyone important to you right before losing your life. I just never expected Sophie to appear out of the blue to take my life, leaving me in my spirit form to wander this world.”Fear began to spread through Xyla Quest. Her palms dampened with sweat instantly upon realizing the grave danger they were in.They were only ordinary human beings whereas the nine-tailed demon fox proved to be a deadly adversary despite being in his spirit form.“Where is this place? Are you going to kill us?” she asked boldly.At this point, Xyla knew being fearful wouldn’t solve anything. She had to face her fears head-on no matter what. So, she forced herself to remain calm.“This is the pat
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.