Rachel Wood was all that was on his mind. She had hurt him badly. She belonged to somebody else now. Nevertheless, Sebastian Brenand could not stop thinking about her. Though he thought of becoming a playboy again, he was simply not interested in other women anymore. Rachel was the only one in his mind and heart. He could not forget about her no matter how hard he tried. He even doubted himself sometimes. Perhaps he had betrayed and disappointed too many innocent girls in the past. Rachel was simply divine retribution for his misdeeds.“But that girl is different…” Sebastian’s mother said again. “Mom… Please… Leave me alone, okay?” Following that statement, Sebastian hung up the phone. He opened the gallery on his phone and found Rachel’s picture. This was the only picture of her in his gallery.In the picture, Rachel was wearing an apron, happily painting at the art studio. She looked as gentle as a dove.Sebastian found her attractive when she painted, so he took a p
His reply was simple, ‘Okay.’***Stanley Batton drove home in his black Bentley Arnage. As soon as he reached home, he headed straight to the kitchen to find Xyla Quest. Xyla was dressed in a white housecoat and a white apron on the outside. She was washing vegetables at the sink when Stanley walked into the kitchen. She had styled her hair into a casual low ponytail with a green ribbon, looking cute and amicable. Xyla’s soft lips instantly stretched into a genuine smile at the sight of her beloved husband. “Hubby, you’re back.”Stanley walked up to her and washed his hands. Voluntarily and without warning, he picked up the vegetables and started washing them, taking over Xyla’s task. “Yeah.”“Honestly, you don’t have to come back to help me. I can do it myself.” Xyla tilted her head and gazed at the man’s stunning face. “Are you sure you want to cook for the whole family alone? That sounds tiring to me.” “Nah, it’s not a big deal.” Stanley did not argue and continue
Xyla Quest picked up the call at once.“Sister-in-law, can you do me a favor?” A familiar voice rang from the speaker. “What happened?” Xyla asked.“I’m stuck in one of the washrooms at Atlantis International Airport. There are thousands of fans outside, and I can’t reach Chief Clementine…” Ear-splitting screams could be heard over the other end of the phone as Josh Batton tried to explain the situation to Xyla. “I’ll send someone there to pick you up,” said Xyla. After that, she hung up the phone and searched for Georgie’s contact. Right at that moment, Stanley Batton came out from the kitchen. Hearing Xyla’s anxious voice, he quickened his pace to Xyla and asked, “What’s going on?”“Josh is trapped in the airport washroom. Thousands of fans are blocking the door, so he can’t get out of there,” Xyla explained. “I’ll ask Zack to check it out.” Following that statement, Stanley called Zack Cassidy and recounted the situation to him. After reminding Zack to bring some
As the saying went, many hands make light work. The Batton family made a table full of food in a blink of an eye. There were about eighteen dishes. When all the food was served, Wilson Batton and Ron Batton arrived at the doorstep. The big family had a whale of a time at dinner. After the meal, Wilson, Josh Batton, and Stanley Batton gathered around the coffee table to play chess. Ron watched them from the side. On the other hand, Xyla Quest, Sharon Lindt, and Catherine Batton played Honor of Kings excitedly. When all the family members met, their happiness knew no bounds. Xyla’s performance in the game was as impressive as usual. Sharon and Catherine could not stop praising her. Under Xyla's guidance, the three of them only took thirteen minutes to win the game. Sharon’s eyes brimmed with admiration and adoration when she saw the word ‘victory’ across her phone screen. “You’re awesome, Xyla! How did you dodge the attacks so smoothly? If I had half of your talents, I
Stanley Batton remained silent the entire time. The room was so quiet one could hear a pin drop. After the pulse check, Ron Batton let out a deep sigh. “You’d better go find that guy once more…”“I know.” Stanley Batton nodded. “I’m going tomorrow.”“I’ll stay here with you until you get better,” Ron added.“I’m sorry for making you worried, Grandpa.” Stanley frowned slightly. Ron sighed and gently patted his shoulder, his eyes rimmed with red. “Silly kid, I’m your Grandpa. Of course, I’m worried about you. Unlike your siblings, you’ve gone through a lot since you were a kid. Sigh…” “Are you sure you want to hide it from Xyla?” Ron continued, “She’ll find out about it anyway.” “Let’s just hide it for now. At least she’s happy that way, right?” Stanley added, “You should get some rest, Grandpa. It’s getting late.” Sighing once more, Ron got up from the couch and went upstairs. Stanley did not follow him. He reached for the teapot on the coffee table and poured himself a c
“Atlantis,” Extraordinary Geo replied. “What a coincidence! Me too,” Cloud Piercer said. “?????”Never in her life had she imagined that guy was in the same city as her. They were so close to each other, after all.“Shall we meet at Deep Ocean Western Cuisine at 8 p.m. tomorrow?” Cloud Piercer asked.Deep Ocean Western Cuisine… It was a high-end restaurant in Atlantis… One would have to spend at least a thousand dollars there. “Okay,” Extraordinary Geo sent. “I’ll let you know again after I book a private room for us.”“Okay, sure.”Georgie Clementine started to get nervous after accepting his invitation. She was going to meet her crush for the first time tomorrow. She did not have the faintest idea of how he looked like nor what kind of person he was. She did not know if he was the kind of young, capable man she imagined. She wondered if it would be awkward when they met each other. “Have some rest. See you tomorrow,” Cloud Piercer said.“Okay, bye,” Extraordin
After the meal, Xyla Quest got into her red Maserati.She used the mirror in her car to put on some simple makeup. After that, she turned on her car engine and drove off into traffic.At two o’clock, Xyla punctually arrived at Goldfield Plaza.Just as she parked, she saw Georgie Clementine in front of the shopping mall’s entrance. Georgie was looking down at her phone and playing something on it.Georgie wore a set of bright rose-red formal attire with a white shirt on the inside. Her hair was pulled back into a bun on one side, and she had intricate makeup on. Just by standing there, she had attracted a lot of attention from the men around.Xyla picked up her platinum Hermes purse before quickly walking out of her car and over to Georgie. “Let’s go…”While speaking, Xyla naturally wrapped her hand around Georgie’s arm.Georgie slowly put her phone away and led Xyla into the shopping mall.“You said you wanted to meet someone important. Who is that? Are you meeting your potenti
Xyla Quest immediately gave Georgie Clementine the thumbs up. “Go with this one. It looks very good…”Georgie smiled and looked at her dress. She then turned around and looked at her reflection in the mirror.Indeed, it looked very good on her. Georgie was very satisfied.When Henry Armstrong and the young lady walked out from the LV store directly across, he immediately saw Georgie.Seeing her in the bright red dress thoroughly stunned him.“Hey… Let’s go. What are you looking at? Let’s check out Dior…” The young lady dragged Henry along as she ran to Dior’s store.Henry didn’t say anything and passively allowed the young lady to drag him forward…***At seven o’clock, Georgie finished all her work. She walked into her resting room and took a quick shower.After that, she pulled her hair back into a one-sided bun and put on some intricate makeup. She then changed into her new dress and a pair of silver high heels.Georgie stood in front of the dressing mirror. After making s
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.