“Xyla, is this true?” Jeremy Quest was trying hard to suppress his anger as he looked at Xyla Quest.He hoped that everything about this was fake.However, Xyla did not speak and nodded gently instead before she took another sip of her tea.“Did you really get married overseas? It’s a huge deal. Why didn’t you talk to me about it?“What are you trying to do? Do you want to rebel against me?” The veins on Jeremy’s neck were becoming apparent. After that, he angrily tossed the documents onto the coffee table.Suddenly, the temperature in the living room dropped. It felt as if the air was being compressed.Jeremy placed a lot of hope on Xyla. Initially, he planned to find Xyla an excellent man to become her husband.However, he did not think that she would hastily get married without consulting him.How could she keep such an important thing from her father? Did she even think of him as her father?“Why else? It must be because her husband is a nobody. Dad, I bet that man is a gangster or
Xyla Quest did not dare to tell her father the entire truth.Since Jeremy Quest was a man of tradition, he would be enraged if he found out Xyla got married to a stranger to recover her looks. More importantly, the fact that she remained in a marriage, which lacked solid foundations and might even end up being divorced.Perhaps, Jeremy might think that Xyla lacked self-love and was a harlot.Instead of telling the truth, which might make him upset, Xyla thought it was a better idea to create a story where she and her husband were living a happily married life. This would make Jeremy feel a lot better.Therefore, Xyla needed to make sure the story was perfectly logical. More importantly, she must appear very happy in this story.After finishing her sentence, Xyla immediately stood up and kneeled in front of Jeremy. “I’m sorry, Dad. I should not have done something like this behind your back.” There was a serious expression on her face.Xyla was saying those words from the bottom of her
“He said he wanted to rely on himself,” said Xyla. Jeremy’s eyes were filled with approval. “He seems like a fine young man. Bring him home next time so I can meet him.” “Okay,” replied Xyla, nodding. Emily chimed in, “When?” To find out whether or not Xyla was lying, Emily would just have to interrogate her so-called husband when the time came. If the man had no medical knowledge, that would mean he was lying. Xyla would be done for! She firmly believed that the day when Xyla would shoot herself in the foot was near. “Why don’t you get Brother-in-law to come to my wedding? It’s the wedding of your only sister, there’s no reason for Brother-in-law not to attend, right?” Emily pressed on, not giving Xyla any opportunity to drop the subject. Xyla answered casually, “Sure.” “Alright then. I’ll be heading to the company,” said Jeremy. He patted Xyla’s hand affectionately before leaving the house.Xyla had no time to spare for the mother-daughter duo either. She got up, abo
Xyla’s heart wrenched painfully, her eyes filled with disbelief. Back then, Georgie’s little brother had studied at Country Y with them. Although they went to different schools, they would spend their weekends together. He was a cheerful and sensible child. Xyla had always thought of him as her own little brother. A few days earlier, he had even sent her a message through WeChat, reminding her to take care of her health.How could such a bright existence be gone, just like that?Tears instantly started to fall from Xyla’s eyes. “Okay, I’ll give you a month off. Where are you? I’ll come to you.” “There are many things at the company that need your attention, so you don’t have to come. I will burn a few more joss sticks for my brother on your behalf.” As she spoke, Georgie’s voice eventually dissolved into whimpers. “Where exactly are you?” asked Xyla again. “President Xyla, now’s not the time for you to be capricious. Listen to me… okay?” “Enough with the nonsense. Tell me w
“In fact, medical knowledge is secondary. I can just get him to memorize some simple medical theories and facts. The most important thing is that he has to look decent, and he must be a new face.”At this, Xyla’s mind went into chaos. No matter how she brainstormed, she couldn’t find such a person in her circle. It was giving her a headache. “A new face… he also has to look decent… Who should we get?” mused Georgie. Her head was starting to ache as well. Xyla suddenly perked up with an idea. “I know!” “Who?” “That Five Batton…”At the thought of him, a glint flashed in Xyla’s eyes. Although she hasn’t been acquainted with him for long, her intuition told her that this man could be trusted. After all, he had previously been reckless when saving her. Even if his identity was a little unique, she couldn’t sense any arrogance or vulgar behavior from him. Moreover, this man was not greedy for money, so she felt that he was actually a good-natured man. Most importantly, he was ex
Frowning slightly, he slowly took out his phone. After reading the contents of the WeChat message, his forehead gradually relaxed. The icy look on his face seemed to have warmed up as well. Under the scrutiny of everyone else, he replied to the WeChat message with an ‘Okay’. Everyone exchanged looks of disbelief. Ever since Stanley entered the company, he had set a rule that the usage of cellphones was forbidden during meetings. This rule applied to him as well. Whenever his phone rang, he would either hang up immediately or ignore it. So, what happened to him today? On the other side, Xyla was thrilled when she got his reply so she simply sent him a voice message, “Shall we meet at Grandview Western Restaurant tonight at seven?” Her voice was gentle and melodious as always. Stanley quietly put the phone to his ear and listened intently, then replied with another ‘Okay’. Xyla sent another voice message, “I’ll send you a WeChat message once I’ve reserved a room.” ‘Okay,’ h
“It’s like this… I’m actually married, but I don’t know what my husband looks like or what he does. I only know that his name is Stanley Batton. The specifics are very complicated, so I don’t know how to explain it to you, but I only promised to marry this man back then to get something done,” explained Xyla solemnly. “And then?” asked Stanley. Xyla began to tell him about how she had been exposed by Emily a few days ago, and how her pre-planned replacement had then passed away. She spoke solemnly while he listened intently, nodding a little in between. After hearing her story, he said without hesitation, “Sure.” His nonchalance was beyond Xyla’s expectations, so it shocked her a little. “Really?” “Yeah.” “I won’t make you work for free. I’ll pay you. I’ll pay you way more than what you normally earn.” Stanley faintly raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “And how much would that be?” “How is two hundred thousand a month?” “Two hundred thousand?” repeated an amused S
“Okay, hurry on home.”Having said that, Stanley braced the snow and walked swiftly to the roadside. The streetlights elongated his shadow. Watching him go, Xyla immediately felt a surge of warmth in her heart. Taking off the coat, she quickly chased after him and stuffed it into his hands. “Put this on. I’m not cold. Why don’t I send you back? There’s no need to trouble your friend.” “My friend will be here soon,” he said as he prepared to drape the coat over her shoulders again. Xyla nimbly dodged away before quickly running to her red Maserati, not giving him any chances. Staring at that slender silhouette, Stanley’s cold lips gradually curved upward slightly. After Xyla got into her car, she disappeared into the night. A little while after she left, a row of black Rolls Royces stopped steadily in front of Stanley. Zack could immediately be seen leading a group of black-clothed men as they stood respectfully in front of Stanley, bowing. Zack opened a car door for Stanley,
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.