“You’re part of the family. Why should you feel embarrassed?” Stanley Batton asked blandly.Xyla Quest remained silent.“Eat some beef,” Stanley said before placing a slice of beef on Xyla’s plate.“What do you think we should get Aunty Lindt… No, I mean, Mother. What should we get her? Do you know what she needs?” Xyla asked.“Yes,” Stanley said calmly.“What is it?” Xyla’s face lit up with joy.“She needs a grandchild. A grandchild from you,” Stanley said with an affectionate look in his eyes.Xyla immediately felt her heart tighten when she heard this.“What are you saying?” Xyla rolled her eyes at Stanley directly. She then lowered her head and continued to eat. “I’m not talking to you,” she added.“Embarrassed?” Stanley asked.“Nobody’s embarrassed.”“If you’re not embarrassed, why is your face red?” he asked.“My face is red because it’s hot, alright?” Xyla responded.“Sure, whatever you say.”After that, Stanley chuckled a little without realizing it.Xyla didn’
Xyla Quest had only eaten not too long ago. Frankly, she wasn’t feeling very hungry. However, she didn’t say anything and instead followed Catherine Batton into the bathroom to wash their hands.Once they were done, Catherine joyfully tugged her along. “Sister-in-law, I’m so glad that I can finally address you as that in public. I’m also very sorry for not telling you the truth before this.”“Alright, stop mentioning these things. I have already said that I understand.” Xyla affectionately pinched Catherine’s cheek.With a chuckle, Catherine dragged Xyla into the dining room.By then, everyone else had already washed their hands and were seated at the dining table.When Stanley Batton saw Xyla entering, he immediately stood up and pulled a chair out for her before moving her closer to himself.There was a full table of dishes with all imaginable varieties, and they all looked and smelled good.Although Xyla was already full, her mouth still salivated when she saw these delicious
“You’ll know when we get there,” Stanley Batton said blandly as he continued to hold Xyla Quest’s hand.Right then, Xyla felt extremely satisfied. Her heart felt full.Nothing could compare to the feeling of him holding her hand tightly with their fingers intercrossed.Stanley continued to drive and eventually brought Xyla to a manor in the suburbs with nobody else around.Many peach blossom trees surrounded the manor, and there was no other house in sight.A gust of gentle breeze blew, causing pink petals on the trees to fall off. It looked like pink snowflakes falling to the ground.The air smelled sweet to the two of them.The manor’s design was of classic ancient European style, like a place the ancient European royalty lived in. There were lights everywhere inside and outside the estate, making the place appear almost like a palace in fairy tales.Xyla knew this was the famous Rosales Manor in Atlantis, and it derived its name from the surrounding peach blossom trees.Leg
“Have you forgotten what day it is today?” Stanley Batton asked.Xyla Quest immediately took her phone out and checked the time…It was 1st of April, her birthday.Xyla had been so busy recently that she had actually forgotten her birthday.Although she had forgotten all about it, Stanley clearly remembered it.“I forgot…” Xyla said.“Silly girl. Happy birthday,” Stanley said and ruffled her head gently before holding her hand tightly.Peach blossom petals fell on top of their heads, shoulders, and their shoes like snowflakes.“Thank you,” Xyla said.After half an hour, the fireworks display was still going on.“Should we watch it from the balcony?” Stanley turned around and looked at her face.“How long do you plan to keep this going?” Xyla asked.“Until you’re sick of it,” Stanley answered.“These fireworks are so beautiful. I wouldn’t get sick of them even when the sky turns bright,” she said.“Then, we’ll keep them going until the sky turns bright,” he said.“Stop me
Xyla Quest immediately blushed, and her heart began to pound wildly.At the same time, she could also feel Stanley Batton’s heart rate increasing.“I… love you too,” Stanley said.This was the best thing Xyla had ever heard in her life.Would one say the fireworks were pretty? Yes, they were.However, in Xyla’s heart, none of them were as beautiful as the words Stanley had just said to her.What was the happiest thing in the world? It was when the person you love loves you back.“To be honest, I don’t know when I started falling in love with you… At first, I just felt a liking toward you. But after a while, I slowly discovered that I had fallen head over heels in love.“Baby, I think I’ve got you under my skin. What should I do?” Stanley said with a deep, gentle look in his eyes. He didn’t seem like his usual self at all.Xyla’s heart shuddered at this.Very soon, her eyes welled up. “Is it true?”“Yes, it’s true,” he said.“Happiness… Isn’t it… Isn’t it too sudden?” Xyla s
“You may say things casually, but I cannot take them casually,” Stanley Batton said before pressing Xyla Quest’s head against his chest.At such a close distance, Xyla could clearly hear his heart beating.Each heartbeat pulsed with strength.A sweet sensation began to spread in her heart.Although Xyla said something half-heartedly, Stanley took it seriously and made the fireworks go on for the entire night in the manor.She had her master to thank for this.If it weren’t for him, Xyla and Stanley wouldn’t have known how each other so soon.“Is anything wrong with your wound?” Stanley asked as he kissed her hair.The light scent of rose was almost like an addictive drug.“No…” Xyla said.Throughout the process, Stanley made sure to be very careful. Since Xyla’s surgery wound had basically healed, having sex for an extended period didn’t affect her wound.“That’s good,” Stanley said.Just like that, the two of them hugged each other to sleep.At a little after nine in the
“Such a foolish master.” Zack Cassidy couldn’t resist cursing at Stanley Batton.In the room upstairs, Stanley tossed his phone aside and cleared everything in his mind.By the time Xyla woke up again, it was already evening.The sun was setting against the horizon.It seemed as if the world was covered in a tint of gold.The peach blossom forest also had a layer of gold over it, and it seemed as beautiful as what would appear in dreams.After getting up, Xyla felt an even worse ache in her body. It was as if her bones were being crushed.Stanley was hugging her. The warm light against his body melted away all the coldness around him.When Xyla moved a little, Stanley very quickly opened his eyes.He immediately held her even more tightly as he rubbed the crown of her head with his chin.“Are you up?” He asked.Xyla angrily punched him in the chest. “Hmm… Because of you, a lot of my work has been delayed. Give me back my time.”“How do you want me to give it back to you? On
After casually tossing her phone aside, Xyla Quest looked at the handsome man in front of her. “Let’s eat out tonight.”“Okay,” Stanley Batton agreed right away.“Beep, beep, beep…” At this moment, his phone started vibrating too.He picked it up and looked at the screen.When he saw that Zack Cassidy was calling, he answered immediately.“Master Stanley, are you coming for the meeting or not? The high-level executives didn’t dare leave the office because they have been waiting for you,” Zack said.“Let’s do it tomorrow morning,” Stanley added.On the other end of the call, and in Dragon Group’s office, Zack cursed at Stanley in his heart for being a foolish man.“Alright,” Zack said respectfully.Stanley hung up the phone right away before sitting up lazily. “Let’s go. We’ll take a bath and head out,” he said.After getting up, Xyla instantly caught sight of the crisscrossed scratch marks on his back.They continued to remind her how madly she had behaved.However, Xyla di
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.