“Neither do I. Don’t judge when you can’t even draw.”“Can someone who can’t draw simply comment on Master Lacroix’s artwork? That’s pretty shameless.”“I think the master’s painting is perfect. Why is that girl acting like she’s very knowledgeable about art?”The crowd’s criticisms were getting harsher and harsher.However, happiness glowed inside May Conner when she heard them. ‘You’re dead this time, Xyla…’“I might have known nothing about French paintings before. But how can you be so sure that I’m still the same after so many years?” Xyla Quest met her eyes apathetically.“Do you think that French painting is something that can be learned overnight?” May jabbed, “Besides, learning it and mastering it are two different cases…” “That’s right. Are you even qualified to judge Master Lacroix? Paint yourself then if you’re so good at it.”“Is Master Lacroix someone who can be simply attacked by a novice painter? Show us your paintings if you think you’re better than Master Lac
May Conner and the rest of the people who wanted to watch Xyla Quest embarrass herself quickly walked over to Xyla. They all had an annoyed expression on their faces.As everyone watched, Xyla picked up a brush and began painting a snowy plum.“What’s that? It looks very ordinary…”“Yeah. It does look ordinary…”Everyone was whispering among themselves.May didn’t say anything, but she felt the same way about it.Slowly, Xyla put her brush down and looked at Wilmer Lacroix.Wilmer kept his eyes on the painting of that snowy plum. There was a look of bewilderment in his eyes.In the next second, he turned around to look at Xyla. “That looks amazing… The plum flower looks so real. The strokes you have made were fantastic! This level of prowess is something many people could never reach despite practicing for years! Even I can’t draw such perfect plum! Will you please be my teacher?” he asked.Likewise, Sharon Lindt was stunned by how beautiful the snowy plum Xyla had drawn looke
Sharon Lindt was sure there was nothing Xyla Quest couldn’t do well.She felt very pleased with her daughter-in-law.Why would she still need to admire Wilmer Lacroix? She’d only have to admire her daughter-in-law!However, Xyla wasn’t really listening to what other people said. She kept her eyes on Wilmer’s face.Likewise, Wilmer was also looking at Xyla. Once everyone had become quiet, he started speaking earnestly, “Are you Xyla Quest? Please accept me as your student and teach me whenever you’re available.”“I really can’t do that. If you don’t mind, we can add each other on WeChat. From today onward, we can share our artwork and get feedback from each other,” Xyla said while shaking her head.Xyla couldn’t live up to being the teacher of such a prominent artist in the country. How could she?Xyla was still so young. How could she accept a white-haired old man as her student?Wilmer immediately nodded after hearing what Xyla said.After that, he quickly took his phone out
“Forget about Catherine. She won’t be able to come,” Sharon Lindt said.“Why not?” Xyla Quest asked.“She’s gone to see Josh on the drama filming set,” Sharon replied.“Oh. In that case… It’ll just be you, me, Dad, and Stanley. Can you think of some place to go? You can call Daddy, and I’ll call Stanley…” Xyla added.“Let’s go to the Japanese place across the street…” Sharon pointed at the restaurant and said.Xyla snapped her fingers decisively before driving them across the street.The bodyguards followed closely in another car.After entering the Japanese restaurant, they requested a private dining room. After that, they each called their respective husbands.Once they were done, Xyla’s phone began ringing again.There was a news article on Weibo.“Team XS’s luxurious base has been exposed!”Xyla immediately tapped on the article.Team XS’s base and the courtyard around it immediately came into sight. There were also pictures of several buildings in the compound…There
The news headline was praising Xyla Quest’s painting.Xyla knew what everyone was probably saying in the comment section without even having to read through the article.She didn’t tap on the link. Instead, she locked her phone screen and looked at Sharon Lindt. “Mom, I never told you I could paint. Why were you so confident in me in front of everyone earlier?” Xyla asked.This was something Xyla had wanted to ask Sharon.Sharon placed her hands on her face and smiled at Xyla. “It’s because of your comments and what you said to your stepmother… You said that just because you have never painted in the past, it didn’t mean you wouldn’t know how to paint now.”“Why didn’t you think I was just blowing my own trumpet as everyone else said?” Xyla felt a warm sensation spreading in her heart when she recalled how much Sharon trusted in her.Sharon smiled. “That’s because I know that Xyla would never blow her own trumpet. You always say what you mean. I never doubted anything you said,”
Meanwhile, Michael Gabriel sat beside him and gently consoled Canelo.Xyla Quest couldn’t hear what they were saying clearly. When she saw Canelo crying like this, she subconsciously thought it must have been because of the pain. She quickly walked up to the bed.“Canelo? How are you doing? Does it hurt a lot?” Xyla asked.“No, it doesn’t.” Canelo shook her head.“Then, why are you crying?” Xyla asked.“He felt sorry for the team for hurting his wrist during such a crucial period. He’s afraid that the team might lose without even getting to play…” Michael said.“Boss… Please, can you take my place? There isn’t anyone who can substitute me in the team. If I really can’t play, it’s over,” Canelo begged fervently as he held onto Xyla’s hand.When Xyla looked at him, she could sense how deeply passionate he was about his team, as well as the strong sense of craving for glory in him.Her impression of him improved significantly.Xyla nodded without hesitation. “Alright… Once I retu
Stanley Batton was standing at the door with a large bouquet of roses in his hand and a smile on his face.At one glance, Xyla Quest guessed that there were probably ninety-nine roses.The roses were in full bloom, and the colors were stunningly beautiful. On top of that, Stanley had such a handsome face, and it all looked as if it belonged to a romantic movie scene.A flowery scent filled Xyla’s nostrils. She smiled. “Why did you suddenly think of buying flowers? It’s such a large bouquet, too,” Xyla said.“Hmm. I passed by a florist on the way home. That’s why I got it,” Stanley said before passing the bouquet to Xyla.Since it was such a large, heavy bouquet, Xyla needed to use a lot of strength to hold it firmly.Most women liked flowers, especially roses. Xyla was not an exception.The beautiful flowers put Xyla in a good mood.She couldn’t resist sniffing the flowers in her arms.When Stanley saw this happening in front of him, he couldn’t help but take his phone out to
Stanley Batton started chuckling next to Xyla Quest’s ear…Xyla quickly grabbed his phone and opened the photo album.“During dinner tonight, Mom told me about your snowy plum painting. I saw it on Weibo too. You’re amazing, darling,” Stanley praised Xyla generously. There was a look of approval in his eyes, but his smile was not quite apparent.Xyla smiled without saying anything. “To be honest, it’s not that great… I never thought I was amazing or anything…”“Here, have it back,” Xyla said before returning Stanley his phone.“Put it back where you took it from…” Stanley’s voice sounded like a cello. There was an attractive quality to it.“In your dreams,” Xyla said as she blushed.“Good girl… Do what you’re told to,” Stanley said.“No,” Xyla refuted.“If you don’t, you’ll be punished,” Stanley said.With that, Stanley pressed his body against hers.Suddenly, Xyla’s heart began to pound. She subconsciously pressed against his chest while she chuckled. “Stop it…” she complai
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.