For Leon Batton, Lynette Batton could have anything she wanted. He was willing to pluck the stars and moon from the sky for her, let alone buy her a lipstick.That was how a brother would behave if he loved his sister. He wanted to fulfill her every request that was within his means. He liked seeing his little sister happy all the time.“That’s awesome. You’re the best, Leon!” Lynette leaped into the air and wrapped her arms around his neck.In front of her brother, she could do whatever she wanted and act like a child.They were about to head home after a day of shopping and getting into their car in the parking lot when Lynette suddenly screamed.“What’s the matter?” Leon asked frantically, worried that something might have happened to her.“I think I left my stuff in the lipstick store. What should I do?” his sister lamented while fishing for something in her pockets.“All right, wait here for a moment. I’ll go back and look for it,” he replied calmly before returning to the
Hannah Roland tried her best to cover her mouth so that she wouldn't be heard crying.She didn’t want Leon Batton, the guy she liked, to see her in such a downtrodden state.However, it never occurred to her that he probably didn’t care about any of this.They had missed the opportunity to get to know each other again due to the many complicated situations they had encountered so far.Meanwhile, Leon drove Lynette Batton home in his limited-edition sports car after leaving the mall.She had her window rolled down as she watched cars passing by outside.“What took you so long in the mall earlier?” she asked casually.“I met someone special,” Leon answered in complete nonchalance. He didn’t plan on keeping it a secret.Hearing that, Lynette instantly detected potential gossip and nearly hopped onto her feet.“Oh? I’m surprised an unfeeling person like you would have a special someone. Tell me more!”“There’s nothing to tell,” he replied, finding her excited reaction hilarious.
“You act like a spoiled brat all day long,” Xyla Quest said while pinching Lynette Batton’s nose affectionately.“Mom, that’s nonsense. I’m not a spoiled brat!” her daughter retorted with a pout. She seemed to be full of energy.“All right, stop horsing around. I’ve asked the nanny to cook a feast, so let’s eat,” Xyla said.“Okay. Hearing that makes me hungry. My stomach is already rumbling!” Lynette exclaimed while rubbing her stomach dramatically.“You’re such a clown,” her mother said. After that, the three of them sat at the dining table.The nanny proved to have impressive culinary skills. She had prepared five dishes in total, including herbal chicken soup. The rest of the dishes consisted of shredded cured meat, eggplant with minced meat, baked chicken, and a mixed salad.The three of them enjoyed the home-cooked meal immensely. Contrary to popular beliefs, the Battons were nothing like how their wealthy status implied. Their regular diet didn’t include expensive w
Perhaps Leon Batton would never receive another slice of toast like before?Would the mystery girl stop going to school for real?***The more Leon thought about it, the more restless he felt. He decided to stop thinking about it altogether. He steeled his gaze until there was a cold glimmer in his eyes.The gentle breeze that blew in from the balcony managed to dry his hair after some time. Then, he got off the couch to lie on his bed.***Meanwhile, Hannah Roland only got off from work at eleven o’clock in the evening. She hastily hopped onto the last bus to make her way home after changing out of her work uniform.She opened the window by her seat, watching as the city passed her by, still bustling with activity despite the late hour.As she approached the final stop, the surroundings changed from the busy city to the quiet suburbs.The dim streetlights illuminated her perfect face the entire journey. She was the only person left on the bus by then. After making her way
The next day, Lynette Batton and Leon Batton attended school, as usual. People gathered in front of the school entrance when they showed up.“Woah! We’re lucky to bump into the most handsome guy in school!”“Yeah, I think luck would be on our side the rest of the day. Lynette is also looking very pretty, maybe even prettier than before!”“I’d like to confess my feelings, but a handsome guy like Leon is way too rich and adores his little sister. I’m afraid he won’t even entertain me.”The students kept clamoring for their attention, not bothering to go to class as they surrounded them, hoping to catch a glimpse of the siblings.They maintained their composure in response, but Lynette wanted to get used to her identity of being a future idol, so she greeted everyone enthusiastically.“Good morning, everyone!” she said, waving her hands elegantly while smiling.“Wow! Lynette smiled at me. Did you see that?”“I think I’m going to pass out. She’s so pretty! I’m so envious of how pre
“Hurry up, and let’s go! It’s time for our lesson. We'd be punished if the Dean catches us here!”As the bell rang again, the loitering students reluctantly left Class A.Lynette Batton stared at Leon Batton with a strange look in her eyes. She wanted to lean forward to find out what happened, but she couldn't risk disrupting the lesson when the bell had already rung.So, she sent Leon a text message.“Why do you keep staring at the toast and smiling down at it, Leon?”Feeling his phone vibrate from an incoming notification, he glimpsed at the screen and read her message. He merely cocked an eyebrow after turning around to look at her wordlessly.Lynette began spamming him with even more text messages when she realized that he wasn't going to reply.“Leon, hurry up and tell me, please?”“Did that girl from before give you the toast?”“I might be able to help you if you can share what happened. ”His phone kept vibrating, and he couldn’t ignore it. He had no choice but to open
It didn't matter how jealous the male students felt as they had already long accepted that fact.After all, Leon Batton was not only rich, but he was also handsome. Compared to him, the rest of them seemed inferior.Under the guidance of the coach, the two classes completed their warm-ups.“Today, you are going to work on your three-step shots. Divide into two teams and start practicing once you’re finished with warming up,” the coach announced.“Yes, Coach,” the students replied before doing as told.“What are you looking at, Leon?” Lynette Batton questioned with her head cocked sideways while gazing at her brother.He didn't reply and merely stood staring at one particular spot where a small figure stood. That figure returned his stare and was none other than Hannah Roland, the mystery girl.Hannah stayed in the corner and gulped. She didn’t expect to be in the same physical education lesson as Leon, but was happy enough with the coincidence and being in the same place as him.
Leon Batton lifted the hem of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead.“Woah! Did you see that? I think he has eight-pack abs!”“Oh my god! How can I be this lucky? My classmate who sits next to me requested to skip this lesson. It’s a huge loss for her!”“Ahh, he’s so cool! He’s just like the male lead of an idol drama!”“No, Leon looks even better than all the male idols in existence!”***All the female students watching in the audience were going crazy and screaming.Several male students looked down at their own bellies and sheepishly pulled down their shirts even more.“Eight-pack abs?” Hannah Roland murmured to herself.She was sitting in the furthest corner away from Leon, so she had to really strain to catch a glimpse of him.The coach attempted to challenge Leon since he played so well, so he approached him. “Leon, why don’t we have a friendly match?”Leon nodded, not wanting to turn the coach down. After all, he was his teacher, and he didn’t want to be rud
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.