Xyla Quest let out a long, helpless sigh as she looked at Sharon Lindt. “Mom, I’ve nearly become a good-for-nothing person over the years. I don’t even know how to do chores anymore.”Sharon laughed. “What’s the point of knowing how to do such things?”She turned around and walked to the kitchen, pausing long enough to throw a parting remark to Leon Batton and Lynette Batton. “Take your hardworking mother with you to the living room and have some fruits.”Then, she disappeared into the kitchen.Leon Batton walked to the couch in the living room and sat down while his sister led their mother by the hand and smiled. “Come on, Mommy.”Lynette was very envious of her mother for being adored by her husband and his parents, even after being married to Stanley Batton all these years.They treated her the same as ever, or perhaps even better now than before.Lynette hoped she could be as happy as her mother in the future.She wanted to be successful and have a loving relationship with
The family had a wonderful dinner together.After dinner, they stayed to watch the television with Sharon Lindt and Wilson Batton for a while before returning home.***The next day, Lynette Batton and Leon Batton attended school, as usual.Upon arriving at their classroom, they were troubled to find that their desks and drawers were full of gifts and love letters again.Leon briefly scanned the items on his desk, but he didn’t see the toast with a heart shape he’d always seen day after day since his first year in high school.He had gotten used to receiving a fresh toast every day, even though he had never eaten it.Its unexplained absence made him feel like something was out of place.He rechecked his drawer to find there was nothing inside.At that moment, he felt disconcerted, like something was not right.Wearing a deep frown, Leon calmed himself down and took out his phone to take a quick scroll through Weibo.“Hahaha! You idiot, you’re soaked.”“Exactly. Look at how
Leon Batton hated people who bullied the weak, especially those who did that blatantly right in front of him.His voice startled many of them, who fell silent when they saw him. The girl subconsciously clenched her fists as she snuck a glance at Leon.It was the first time he had seen her face properly.She had a small face with almond-shaped eyes, and shapely eyebrows.The corners of her eyes were slightly reddish as they glistened with tears. She looked like an injured fawn.Being seen in such a downtrodden state by the person she deeply admired, she genuinely wanted to dig herself a hole to hide.She was worried Leon would notice her, and to her surprise, he did.She didn’t mind being seen by thousands with scars all over her body, but the only person she wouldn’t want to see her that way was Leon.She felt her fragile ego shatter into pieces right then.In the next moment, Lynette Batton stepped directly in front of the girl, facing off all the boys and girls bullying he
After taking the toast out of the box, Leon Batton noticed a red, heart-shaped hairpin under it.It probably belonged to the person who sent this gift.At that moment, he suddenly recalled the girl bullied by the door earlier. She was wearing the same hairpin.Was it a coincidence?He didn’t think so.Those two hairpins looked identical. Moreover, upon closer inspection, Leon realized that he recognized the brand that his mother owned.He recalled this particular brand’s hairpin designs were one-of-a-kind.The two hairpins looked identical at first, but they were different.One of the heart-shaped symbols was slightly bigger in size than the other.He had a clear recollection of how the hairpin on the girl’s head looked. He was positive that this hairpin came with the other one as a pair and that they both belonged to the brand his mother owned.Leon couldn’t help but think about how the other students treated the girl earlier.Her loneliness and dejected look made him fee
Leon Batton frowned slightly. “Perhaps.”He was no stranger to being pursued by numerous girls since primary school, yet none of them were as determined as this girl.He couldn’t help but recall the scene where the girl was surrounded and taunted by bullies.Her teary eyes and pitiful facial expression kept appearing in his mind.Ring, ring, ring—The bell rang, signalling the end of one lesson just as their English teacher entered the classroom.Everyone fell silent.Even Leon’s thoughts were interrupted as he watched the teacher approach the podium.Their English lesson proceeded as usual.***The morning flew by very quickly, and soon, it was time for lunch. Conversations swirled around as students wondered what to eat.Meanwhile, Lynette Batton also couldn't decide as she stood next to Leon’s table. “What are we having for lunch?”“What would you like to eat?” he countered.She considered for a few seconds. “Why don’t we go to the street food area in the city center
Some younger boys and girls were practically staring at Lynette Batton and Leon Batton, although they had already gotten used to that.They’d been experiencing this ever since they were kids.Wherever they went, they’d be the center of attention.Beep, beep, beep—Leon’s phone started ringing then.He immediately answered upon seeing that it was from an unknown number. “Hello? Who’s this?”“Is this Leon Batton?" a voice said. "I’m from a delivery company and there's a parcel here for you. I’m in front of your school’s entrance right now. Will you please come and collect it?”He felt puzzled as he hadn't bought anything recently.Besides, even if he did order something online, he’d have it delivered to his home address instead of the school.There was only one possibility.This parcel might be from one of his admirers.“Please send it back. I didn’t buy anything,” he said.“But it can’t be sent back.”“What do you mean?” he asked.“There is no information about the sender.
Lynette Batton ran out of the car to enter the security office when she saw the huge box of letters.“Wow! Who on earth wrote you so many letters?” she exclaimed in surprise. Leon Batton frowned but didn’t reply. He picked up the box and put it in the backseat of his car before getting back into the driver’s seat.Meanwhile, his sister hastily followed him back into the car.Then, he drove to his parking space, bringing the car to a halt.He carried the box over to a quiet gazebo and sat down, leaving his sister to trail after him silently out of curiosity.He slowly retrieved a letter from the box, bearing the number '1' marked on the envelope. Upon opening the envelope, Leon could see someone’s pretty handwriting scribbled across the page—“Dear Leon, this is my first letter to you.“It was the first day of high school. I saw you at our school’s entrance, and I was stunned.“Before meeting you, I’ve never seen a face like yours that gave me such a soul-shaking experience.
“Sometimes, you're not even in the classroom, but looking at your seat, your books, and your pen and paper on the table is enough to make me happy."After that, Leon Batton opened even more envelopes, all marked with different numbers.By the tenth letter, he was certain that the numbers indicated the sequence that she had written them.Each letter contained a young teenager’s feelings toward her crush.Leon could tell what a humble person she was from her words alone.He could tell that she had self-esteem issues.His gaze softened gradually as he read on.Lynette Batton felt similarly, despite never experiencing a crush on anyone herself. She could somehow relate to how this girl felt.The siblings found themselves the object of countless admiration over the years, but none of them were as devoted and genuine as the author of these letters.Lynette realized that this girl paid attention to everything her brother did and every move he made.He had become something akin to a
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.