Ch. 1071..1080
Chapter 1071
Rachel Wood nodded with a smile. "Yeah, it tastes good..." She said softly.
"Alright... Since you mentioned it, having shabu-shabu at home really does feel different," Sebastian Brenand said.
Previously, he loved the excitement of the great outdoors, strong alcohol, beautiful women, and freedom.
But now, he loved the simple life of home-cooked food and spending time with his loved ones.
The several days he spent with Rachel after getting back together was the best days in his life...
He liked this kind of life where he worked hard for a living during the day and returned home at night to have dinner with his lover.
After experiencing all the excitement in life, he found that he liked this kind of calm life.
This was his first time realizing that a calm and quiet life could be wonderful too.
"My parents have been traveling abroad recently. Once they return in two days, I'll bring you to meet them and talk to them about us getting married..." Sebastian said.
"What if your parents don't agree to it?" Rachel asked.
Rachel still remembered clearly what he told her previously.
He had said that his marital affairs were not up to him to decide. Hence, he could fool around with other women all he wanted, but his parents were ultimately the ones who decided on the perfect match for him to marry.
Sebastian even said that his parents had high expectations of his significant other. She needed to be an elegant lady from a reputable family.
Rachel was worried that her future in-laws wouldn't like her.
However, Sebastian chuckled. "What if they disagree? They'll still have to agree to it anyway...'
11
Rachel looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"
Sebastian's smile widened. "Their son has already transferred all his assets to your name... If they disagree, wouldn't they suffer significant losses?"
Rachel suddenly realized what was going on. "Honey, did you transfer all your stuff to me because of this?"
"Yes... But not entirely. It's mainly because I want you to feel safe. I also want to give them a little pressure aside from that," Sebastian said.
"If they disagree, do you plan to tell them this so that they'd feel pressured?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah..." Sebastian said.
With that, Sebastian peeled a prawn and brought it in front of Rachel's face.
Rachel suddenly felt a little unsettled. "But... If they found out that you transferred everything to my name, wouldn't they be furious?" "Everything I gave you, I earned it myself. What right do they have to be furious?" Sebastian asked.
After saying that, Sebastian shrugged nonchalantly...
"But... I'm still a little worried," Rachel said.
At first, she really didn't want to own all his assets.
In the end, Sebastian forcefully transferred everything to her name.
From his properties to his savings, nothing was left out. Everything now belonged to her. She didn't even have the right to refuse him. Rachel didn't know how Sebastian's parents would react if they found out.
Sebastian chuckled yet again before gently ruffling her hair. "Don't worry. Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you," he said. "Promise me that you'll speak nicely to your parents when the time comes," Rachel said.
"Okay."
Rachel didn't say anything further. Instead, she continued to eat with a seemingly thoughtful expression upon her face.
She felt deeply concerned about her and Sebastian's future together.
However, she didn't want to give up so easily because she loved him too much. She also was certain that he loved her too.
***
The next day, at two o'clock in the afternoon, Sharon Lindt drove Xyla Quest in a custom-made, pink Lamborghini to Silver International Hotel. The antique auction she mentioned the day before was held here.
Due to the auction, the hotel had been completely emptied inside out. Apart from people who had an invitation, nobody else could enter.
At this moment, many bodyguards were patrolling at the entrance. Each one of them had a serious expression upon their face.
Chapter 1072
Chapter 1072
There were all sorts of luxury cars parked in the huge parking lot in front of the hotel. At one glance, it seemed like a large-scale luxury car exhibition. As soon as Sharon Lindt brought the car to a halt, the six security cars that came with them also instantly stopped.
Right after that, twelve bodyguards got out of their cars first. They automatically split into two groups and stood on both sides of the pink Lamborghini.
The two bodyguards nearest to the car simultaneously opened the doors for Sharon and Xyla Quest.
The huge formation attracted the attention of countless passersby.
Immediately after that, the two of them got out of the car from their respective sides. They then walked toward each other in unison and held each other's hand affectionately before walking into the hotel.
Since this was a grand, large-scale antique auction, the largest ballroom in the hotel, Phoenix Hall, was chosen as the auction venue.
At this moment, the ballroom's seats were fully occupied.
At one glance, everyone in the ballroom was someone famous, rich, or powerful in the political and business realms. They all shone brightly.
After taking a look around, Xyla held Sharon's hand and walked over to their seats in the center of the first row. They then sat down.
From the moment they walked in through the doors to the moment they sat down, these two women had attracted the gazes of countless men. Xyla, especially, with the shimmering aura around her, it made those men wish they could stick their eyeballs to her body.
Every single one of these men's partners was jealous of such a scene.
Not long after Xyla and Sharon sat down, the auction began...
A beautiful female auctioneer, who wore an elegant traditional dress with porcelain patterns, got up on the stage and gave a wonderful introductory speech. After that, she got right down to business. "Next up, I'd like to present to you the first auction item. It's the Mirror of the Dancing Phoenix from the 7th century... The starting bid price is three million..."
As soon as she finished speaking, three handsome staff members in black uniforms carried a transparent, anti-theft glass box that contained the auction item onto the stage.
Beneath the mirror, there was a transparent platform that rotated automatically...
Due to its rotation, people could see all the details in the mirror clearly.
Soon, an enlarged view of this mirror also appeared on the large screen.
This bronze mirror was very intricately made in the shape of a sunflower, and its diameter was approximately 22cm.
Due to precipitation over the years, it was covered with a light green layer of patina.
There was a carving of a phoenix with its wings extended on the back of the bronze mirror. It looked very lifelike...
After providing a bunch of introductory details, the auctioneer cut to the chase once again. "This bronze mirror has a starting bid price of three million..."
Xyla was very interested in this bronze mirror. She participated in the auction right away.
In the end, she managed to acquire it with five million dollars.
After that, the beautiful auctioneer began introducing various antique items to everyone.
There were all sorts of antique items, from 7th-century bronze mirrors and porcelain objects to paintings and calligraphy from the 11th century.
However, the only thing that interested Xyla was the bronze mirror.
Sharon, on the other hand, was interested in many other things.
Near the end of the auction, Sharon had managed to acquire quite the haul...
"Next, I would like to introduce the last auction item to everyone..." The auctioneer added.
The crowd set their eyes on her with interested looks on their faces. They were looking forward to the next piece of treasure.
Soon, a handsome staff member wearing a suit carefully carried a framed oil painting onto the stage...
It was Van Gogh's sunflower painting with a total of three sunflowers on it.
Although it looked no different from the real Van Gogh painting, Xyla could still see that this was a well-imitated painting.
The artist deliberately imitated Van Gogh's style, which was very similar, but many small details gave it away.
For example, the brushwork and the colors used were different.
Therefore, she concluded that this was a well-imitated painting of the sunflowers.
Chapter 1073
Chapter 1073
However, what Xyla Quest found weird was the fact that this was a well-imitated oil painting, but why was it still framed so intricately?
The frame of the painting was even coated in gold...
"It's too fake..." Xyla said.
"I think it's a little fake, too," Sharon Lindt said softly.
When a young woman next to Sharon heard this, she instantly laughed. "How could fake items appear in an auction of this magnitude? It must be real..."
Xyla glanced at that woman. "But I don't think it is..."
However, the woman shook her head. "How is it not real... You overthink."
"Yeah, don't you know? This is Van Gogh's true work of art, alright? Where do you think this is? How could they sell imitated stuff here?" A young man next to the woman chipped in.
A small group of people around the young man and woman also nodded in agreement. Based on the way they looked at Xyla, it seemed as if they were secretly laughing at her.
Neither Sharon nor Xyla continued making small talk with them. Instead, they looked at each other and smiled calmly before shifting their gazes back to the painting.
The two women emanated an aura of calmness that belonged to strong individuals.
"This is a well-imitated painting of sunflowers that our auction house owner possesses. It's from an unknown artist, and its date of origin is also unknown... The starting bid price for this is 50,000," the beautiful auctioneer said.
When the people who made fun of Xyla heard this, they all suddenly became quiet.
Sharon glared at them coldly before shifting her gaze back to the painting.
"What's going on? Why would an imitated art piece be sold in an auction like this?"
"Yeah... Do they think we'll be happy with this?"
A few people in the grand lobby complained...
The beautiful auctioneer smiled awkwardly...
For the next five minutes, no one made any bid. The venue was completely silent...
When the beautiful auctioneer saw this, she immediately made a desperate attempt to sell this painting to everyone. However, nobody was convinced.
As if suddenly recalling something, Xyla activated her penetrating vision...
Soon, her gaze pierced through the imitated painting of sunflowers...
After her gaze pierced through it, she soon saw another painting hidden behind it.
The painting behind the sunflowers was a golden wheat field.
Be it the brushwork, the use of color, or style, this painting resembled Van Gogh's work.
The only difference between this painting and the wheat field by Van Gogh she saw in a foreign museum was that, apart from a vast area of wheat and the sky, there was nothing else in this painting. Xyla was confident that this was the actual work of Van Gogh.
Meanwhile, this was probably the case of a painting within a painting her master had frequently mentioned to her.
Xyla's master told her that some collectors in the past would hide an actual work of art behind another painting of little value to prevent theft and to avoid battles.
Xyla raised her card that had 'Number 28' written on it. "100,000..." She offered.
"Xyla, why are you bidding? Do you want this fake art?" Sharon asked.
"You'll find out in a while," Xyla said softly with a chuckle.
"Is she dumb... How is this painting worth 100,000? I think even ten dollars would be too much..."
"She's rich, and she probably can do whatever she wants..."
"She even said it's fake herself. Why would she still spend so much money on it?"
The people around Xyla couldn't resist whispering amongst themselves.
To everyone in the crowd now, Xyla was a major fool who spent money to buy fake goods.
Chapter 1074
Chapter 1074
Right then, an obese, middle-aged man in the last row raised his numbered card. "150,000..."
Xyla Quest gave the man a deep look before calling for another bid. "200,000..."
She guessed that the man probably also realized what mystery this painting held.
"300,000..." The obese, middle-aged man said again.
"500,000..." Xyla said.
At the venue, everyone, including the auctioneer on stage, was stunned.
"What are these two up to? Are they competing to see who's richer and a bigger fool? Hahaha..."
"The longer you live, the weirder things you see!"
"Are they really fighting over a worthless piece of imitated art?"
"Isn't this a little too funny? Are they inherently fond of imitated art?"
People around them began to discuss among themselves again...
Although Sharon Lindt was puzzled by Xyla's behavior, she knew that Xyla must have had her reasons.
She knew her daughter-in-law well enough.
Sharon believed that her daughter-in-law must've seen through something that's hidden in the painting. That was why she wanted to bid for it.
Hence, Sharon became quiet.
"600,000..." The obese, middle-aged man said.
"800,000..." Xyla said.
The obese, middle-aged man seemed as if he was determined to get what he wanted. "One million..."
"Two million..." Xyla said.
Now, there was an uproar in the lobby. Everyone couldn't understand what was going on between them anymore. Each of the observers began looking at each other. Although they had seen people fighting fervently over authentic art pieces, they had never seen anyone fighting over imitated art like this.
Were these two brain-damaged, and did they both want to prove themselves foolish?
The bid prices they offered were also beginning to make the crowd feel suffocated.
"2.1 million..." The obese, middle-aged man said.
Xyla seemed equally determined to get what she wanted. "2.3 million..."
In the end, the obese, middle-aged man hesitated for a moment. After that, he no longer raised the bid.
The beautiful auctioneer gasped in surprise. After that, she tried to maintain her calm composure as she looked at the two of them. "2.3 million, going once. 2.3 million, going twice... 2.3 million, going thrice..." Even after she finished shouting, the obese, middle-aged man still didn't offer a higher bid price.
Xyla instantly smiled confidently.
When she smiled, her body seemed to glow as bright as the countless stars in the sky. Even jewelry of pearls and jades could not shine as bright as her.
"Alright. I now announce that this imitated painting of sunflowers now belongs to lady Number 28!" The beautiful auctioneer exclaimed as she tried to withhold her excitement.
Xyla's smile widened. Her entire body seemed to be glowing.
"I finally know what it means to be the black sheep in the family..."
"Things can always get worse for the family..."
"I wonder if the Batton family regrets having her as part of the family."
Several people began whispering amongst themselves again.
Xyla didn't care about what they said at all.
Meanwhile, the more Sharon heard, the more uncomfortable she felt.
She instantly frowned unhappily and turned around to look at the people behind her. "So what if she's the black sheep? She's still part of my family. I haven't even said anything. Why are you making so much noise?
"The best thing the Batton family ever did was to include Xyla as part of the family, and we'll never regret it in this lifetime!" Sharon added.
Sharon's words immediately made Xyla's heart feel warmed.
Chapter 1075
Chapter 1075
Xyla Quest then gently reached for Sharon Lindt's hand.
Sharon smiled. "I know that you have your reasons."
Instantly, the entire lobby was silent...
Right then, the obese, middle-aged man walked up to Xyla. "Lady... After this, may I admire this painting of yours for a moment?" he asked. Xyla smiled at the man. "Sure," she said.
"Do you also suspect that this is a case of a painting within a painting? Was that why you bid for it?" the obese, middle-aged man asked curiously.
Sure enough, this man also had suspicions of there being a painting within a painting...
Xyla still smiled. "Well... Yes."
The obese, middle-aged man instantly laughed. "You have good eyes. If I had enough money, I would have made a gamble today."
Xyla looked the man up and down. He was dressed in ordinary clothes, and he looked nothing like the celebrities here.
It looked like he was here to purchase auction items on behalf of his boss. He was not some famous, powerful, or rich individual. Indeed, he didn't seem wealthy.
"A painting within a painting?" The young woman beside Xyla, who had mocked her earlier, looked at the obese, middle-aged man curiously.
The obese, middle-aged man laughed. "Yes... It could be a painting within a painting, but not necessarily..."
"Those that can be made into a painting within a painting are usually top-notch masterpieces, right? The kind that is worth a lot of money... As far as I know, some collectors used to hide very valuable paintings behind fake paintings to avoid war or theft..." The young woman added.
"Yes..." The obese, middle-aged man nodded.
In an instant, everyone who was stunned in the lobby all realized what was going on.
It turned out that Xyla was not stupid, but she simply thought that it was a painting within a painting. That was why...
"Lady, my name is Clarence Steele. If you trust me, could you let me confirm whether it is a painting in a painting?
"I'm an employee in an antique store. The store I work in is right across the street. There are dismantling tools inside. If you need my help, I could bring the tools over to take the painting apart right here..." Clarence said.
"Sure." Xyla nodded decisively.
The fact that he could tell at a glance that the painting might be a painting within a painting proved that he was extremely competent. Meanwhile, that age-old antique store across the street was the second-largest antique store in Atlantis. Not just anyone could enter. Therefore, Xyla concluded that there was absolutely nothing wrong with letting the person in front of her take the painting apart. Clarence aroused the curiosity of the crowd. If Xyla agreed to take the painting apart right here, everyone naturally wouldn't leave. Once Van Gogh's real work of art was revealed, everyone would naturally bid for it.
These were all wealthy folks. Purchasing this painting at a high price wasn't a problem for them at all.
Soon, Clarence walked away.
After the auctioneer said a few pleasant things and closing words, the auction came to an end.
Meanwhile, everyone here didn't seem to want to leave.
That was because everyone wanted to find out whether the painting consisted of another painting inside.
After Clarence had left, Xyla greeted the staff members here. She brought over a huge wooden and a chair with their help before placing them on the open space below the auction stage.
***
After Xyla had prepared everything on her side, Clarence walked in after approximately ten minutes with a huge rosewood box in his hands.
As soon as he entered, he automatically walked up to the table and chair.
After putting down his wooden box, he hastily unlocked it and retrieved various tools needed to dismantle the painting. He sat on the chair and prepared to take the painting apart... Soon, the beautiful auctioneer brought the oil painting that Xyla had acquired to him.
The dismantling of the oil painting was a highly complex process.
A single mistake could ruin the entire painting.
Therefore, Clarence moved extremely carefully and in a calculated manner.
For fear of disturbing Clarence, Xyla and the others all sat in their seats and waited silently.
Chapter 1076
Chapter 1076
Everyone just watched Clarence Steele from a distance while he carefully took the painting apart.
After about an hour, the two paintings were completely separated-
The painting of the golden wheat field beneath the original painting was now in full display before Clarence's eyes.
After careful inspection of the painting, Clarence carefully picked it up and showed it to the crowd. "This... This is a real work of Van Gogh! All the details are the same as the real pieces of art from Van Gogh!" he said excitedly.
Clarence's words, as well as the object in his hand, stunned everyone at once.
Xyla Quest was the only one who seemed calm and collected with no ripples of emotions in her eyes.
In the crowd, she looked like a white peony that couldn't be tainted by dust. She was both pretty and elegant...
"This really does seem like the work of Van Gogh... It doesn't look any different from his other works..."
"This style... This method of using colors. If this wasn't Van Gogh, who could it be?"
"Oh my god... I didn't expect that there'd be such a hidden gem behind this cheap painting."
"I feel greatly embarrassed. If I had known, I would've bid for it too!"
The surrounding people said one thing after another while they excitedly discussed it. Now, the entire hall was abuzz...
At one glance, Xyla noticed that many people who talked were those who mocked her earlier.
However, Xyla smiled without saying a word.
Everyone's reaction was just as she had expected.
By now, Sharon Lindt was also very excited. Her eyes were glowing when she looked at the painting.
She subconsciously clutched Xyla's arm while she stared at the painting. "Xyla... Aren't you too awesome? If I were a man, I'd marry you. If this isn't a real work of Van Gogh, what is it?" "This must be a real Van Gogh painting that got lost somewhere outside..." Sharon added.
Clarence smiled and looked at the crowd. "Yes, many of Van Gogh's paintings were lost out there somewhere. Some of them were destroyed while others were preserved very well. The only thing was they weren't displayed in front of the public eye... For example, this one."
With that, Clarence shifted his gaze to Xyla's face. "Pretty lady, I can tell you that this is a real work of Van Gogh... If I had the money, I would've competed with you until the end... Unfortunately, I'm only an employee at an antique store. I don't have that much money, and I can't afford to gamble either. The price I bid earlier was my entire savings..."
After saying that, he carefully placed the painting on the table. "Today, I only came to acquire something for my boss. Originally, I wanted to leave after that, but I didn't expect to witness these things personally..."
Xyla smiled again and stood up in full view of everyone. While holding Sharon's hand, she walked over to Clarence. "Thank you, sir."
"You're welcome. I only helped you out of curiosity." Clarence smiled too. "Mainly, I wanted to find out if I was right for giving up on the bet..."
The others all gathered around to admire the glow on the wheat field painting.
An old man looked deeply at the painting. "This... This is indeed a real work of Van Gogh. I'm an experienced enthusiast of Van Gogh's paintings... I'm able to tell with a single glance whether something is truly his work. Pretty lady, will you sell it to me for fifty million?"
"Even Mr. Wolfe has spoken... This is undoubtedly a real work of art!" Someone in the crowd said.
Xyla also knew this person who stood before her by the name of Mr. Wolfe.
He was a well-known art collector and an experienced enthusiast of Van Gogh's paintings. His name was Wagner Wolfe.
However, the price he offered was far below the figure Xyla had anticipated in her heart. She instantly shook her head.
Right after that, other people began to bid competitively-
"I offer eighty million..."
"I offer ninety million..."
"I offer a hundred million..."
"I offer 110 million..."
"120 million..."
A lot of these people who shouted their prices had mocked Xyla previously.
Earlier, every single one of them was fiercer than the other when they mocked Xyla. Now, they were equally fiercer than any other person when they offered their bids.
"150 million..." The old man said...
As soon as the old man said it, everyone in the lobby became quiet...
Chapter 1077
Chapter 1077
Xyla Quest was quite pleased with this price.
She instantly smiled. "Alright, deal."
"She bought the crappy painting with 2.3 million. It turns out that there's actually a genuine Van Gogh painting hidden behind it. She even managed to sell it at a high price of 150 million. Isn't that crazy?" "Pretty lady, you have good eyes... I'll apologize."
"I'll apologize, too. I'm the dumb one... Not you."
The people around Xyla began to sigh after that...
Everyone's eyes were filled with admiration when they looked at her.
Each of them regretted not participating in the bid.
Xyla smiled. "It's fine... Your reaction is entirely normal," she said.
"Can I make the purchase using a check?" Wagner Wolfe smiled and asked.
"Sure," Xyla answered decisively.
After that, Wagner cheerfully retrieved an empty check from his wallet. He wrote down 150 million on the check and handed it to Xyla.
Xyla had a satisfied smile upon her face. After that, she put the check into the Chanel bag she carried.
Having the penetrating vision was simply too cool.
Earning money was just like a game to her...
"Lady... Can I ask how you were able to tell that there's a painting inside this painting? I really couldn't see anything that gave it away earlier," Wagner asked with interest.
"That's because I noticed the frame of that painting had very intricate workmanship. In fact, it seemed to be coated with gold. I feel... Ordinary folks wouldn't use that kind of frame for an imitated painting... "Hence, I guessed that there was another mystery behind this painting," Xyla said.
Wagner and the crowd in the lobby finally realized what Xyla said was true...
In Sharon Lindt's heart, her admiration for Xyla began to soar wildly again.
***
After heading backstage to pay for the antique items they had acquired, Xyla and Sharon then got into a pink Lamborghini.
Meanwhile, their bodyguards put the antique items the two had bought into the security cars in a low-profile manner. They carefully protected those items.
By then, it was already half-past eight in the evening.
The entire city was bustling with traffic, and there were lights of green and red all over the city. It all seemed very lively.
As soon as they got into the car, Sharon started praising Xyla again-
"Xyla... I wish I were a man. I'd definitely marry you...
"I actually discovered that my son got lucky with a treasure like you...
"Xyla, how could you be so amazing?"
Xyla had begun to feel immune toward the compliments from Sharon. Now, Xyla didn't feel particularly affected by them anymore. Instead, Xyla just smiled. "Alright, Mom... I'm hungry...'
"Are you hungry? I'll take you somewhere nice... What would you like to eat?" Sharon asked.
"I'm fine with anything," Xyla said.
"Okay, then I'll just pick a random place..."
After that, Sharon turned on the engine of her pink Lamborghini. She then drove them over to a nearby Japanese restaurant.
As soon as they entered the restaurant, they could see a familiar figure.
Xyla immediately started to frown.
Chapter 1078
Chapter 1078
Xyla Quest saw Tom Sullivan and Mary Sullivan chatting while they headed outside.
Tom was wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans. He seemed much thinner than before, and he was no longer beaming with energy as he did back then. Meanwhile, Mary was wearing a light green, slim-fit dress. As always, she had heavy makeup on, and she behaved very flamboyantly.
As soon as Tom turned around, he saw Xyla.
Xyla was beautiful and attractive. Her entire body seemed to be glowing. Although many passersby surrounded her, none of them looked as good as she did.
After not seeing Xyla for a long time, she seemed even more beautiful. The confidence and calmness in her eyes had grown significantly.
Tom heard that she had another identity as the big boss of X Entertainment.
Xyla really was outstanding! She was like an unreachable star.
Every time Tom saw Xyla, he felt an immense feeling of regret in his heart.
Mary, on the other hand, instantly had a sullen expression upon her face.
When Mary thought about how she foolishly went to X Entertainment and said she wanted to become an artist when she didn't know Xyla was the company's big boss, she felt extremely embarrassed. Mary instantly rolled her eyes at Xyla. After that, she tugged at Tom's hand and started walking outside.
Meanwhile, Xyla didn't look at them again. She calmly held Sharon Lindt's hand and continued walking into the restaurant.
"Xyla, how have you been recently?" Tom asked softly when Xyla passed them by.
Xyla smiled radiantly. "Just as you can see..."
Mary snorted coldly. "What's so great about that? You seem so smug..."
"I'm great enough that you'd even come to my company to beg me to sign you on as an artist. Isn't that great?" Xyla said.
Mary immediately felt insulted by this statement. Irritated, Mary clenched her fists tightly. "Who... Who begged you?"
"A while ago, someone came to my company and begged my staff at the front desk to let her see me. Wasn't that you?" Xyla asked. "That wasn't begging!" Mary exclaimed.
"What was it then?" Xyla asked.
Mary was suddenly speechless.
Xyla smiled calmly. She didn't want to talk to Mary anymore. Xyla then tugged at Sharon's hand and walked away without looking back.
Sharon didn't even bother to look at the Sullivan siblings.
That was because they didn't deserve her attention!
Xyla and Sharon then entered the restaurant while holding each other's hand as if they were sisters. Their bodyguards accompanied them to a private dining room on the second floor. The two of them talked about everything under the sun. It was a delightful conversation.
Halfway through the conversation, Stanley Batton sent a WeChat message to Xyla. "Honey, I have to work late tonight, and I won't be finished until about eleven o'clock."
Xyla replied with an 'OK' emoticon. "Have you had dinner yet?" she then asked.
"Not yet..." Stanley wrote.
"In that case, I'll come to you after dinner... I'll bring you food," Xyla replied.
"Okay," Stanley wrote.
After that, Xyla shifted her attention back to Sharon's face.
As soon as Xyla looked up, she saw Sharon looking at her like a young female fan. Sharon had her hands on her cheeks while she smiled at Xyla.
Xyla immediately felt a little embarrassed. "Mom... Don't look at me like that. I'll feel embarrassed."
"I admire you..." Sharon said softly.
Xyla instantly smiled helplessly...
***
After dinner, Xyla packed over ten bags of Japanese food.
She knew that many of Stanley's employees must not have eaten if they were working until this late. Hence, she bought more of the Japanese food than she usually did. After that, Xyla bade farewell to Sharon in front of the Japanese restaurant.
Soon, Xyla arrived at Dragon Group in her bodyguard's car. Sharon, on the other hand, returned home.
Chapter 1079
Chapter 1079
When the six luxury cars arrived in front of the company's building, Xyla Quest looked up and saw that the building's top floor lights were still on. Zack Cassidy, who was waiting at the door, saw Xyla and quickly stepped forward to open the door for her respectfully.
"What are you doing here?" Xyla's eyes flashed with a slight look of surprise.
"Mr. Batton asked me to come down and get you directly to the conference room," Zack said.
"Oh... I brought Japanese food. Help carry these up with the rest..." Xyla said.
"I know you all mustn't have had your dinner yet..." She added.
Zack's eyes filled with gratitude. "Ma'am... That's very kind of you. We really haven't had dinner yet..."
Xyla laughed nonchalantly. "Why so courteous now? I'll not be going into the conference room. I'll wait for him in his office," she said.
"Mr. Batton said you must go to the conference room. He... He misses you..." Zack said.
Xyla was speechless.
"Don't make things difficult for me... Please?" Zack asked.
Xyla nodded helplessly before walking into the company building.
Meanwhile, Zack and the many bodyguards quickly picked up the Japanese food Xyla had bought and followed behind her in a grand formation.
Under Zack's guidance, Xyla walked to the huge conference room on the top floor...
By then, the seats around the immaculate U-shaped desk were fully occupied.
Stanley Batton was sitting in the main seat.
He was wearing a white shirt, coupled with a pair of black pants and black leather shoes. Without a tie on, the two buttons in front of his collar were casually left open. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, and he seemed tidy and noble.
With a cold expression upon his face, he listened while a female executive presented her report.
Stanley's aura was very powerful. All the high-level executives present were sitting upright, and they didn't even dare to make a sound.
The huge conference room seemed to have an extremely tense atmosphere.
When Stanley heard the door open, he immediately looked over.
The moment he saw Xyla, the iciness on his face melted away.
He immediately smiled a little and waved at Xyla with an affectionate look in his eyes. "Come here..."
The originally cold conference room instantly felt warm.
Xyla was like an expensive cat. Obediently, she walked to his side.
Stanley gently patted the empty seat beside him. "Sit..." He said.
Xyla laughed a little and sat down embarrassedly while everyone watched.
If she had a choice, she would definitely not walk into the conference room while they were holding a meeting...
However, Stanley seemed to love having her around during meetings!
"Zack, distribute the Japanese food I brought for everyone..." Xyla looked at Zack and said.
As soon as she said that, Zack started distributing the Japanese food with the bodyguards... They gave the food to Stanley first.
After that, they distributed the food to the others one by one.
Everyone who received the Japanese food looked at Xyla gratefully and thanked her... "Thank you, honey..." Stanley gently held Xyla's hand. His eyes were full of affection. "In the future, don't let everyone go hungry for meetings, alright?" Xyla asked softly. "Okay," Stanley replied softly. He seemed to have lost all the coldness he had before. "The same goes for you..." Xyla added.
"Okay."
"It'd be best to let everyone eat before the meeting. Or, you could order take-out for everyone halfway through the meeting," Xyla said. "Okay, I'll do as you say..." Stanley said.
When everyone heard this, they immediately felt much fonder of Xyla...
Right then, Xyla's phone started to vibrate again...
Chapter 1080
Chapter 1080
What came into view was Weibo news about Xyla Quest herself.
"Shocking! Xyla identified a painting within a painting at an auction!"
Xyla didn't expect this to get on the news.
She immediately tapped on it to check it out...
The official Weibo news account published the news article.
"Shocking!" Xyla is a hidden boss!"
Below the short text was a Weibo post by a netizen named Windy Sheila.
The whole process of Xyla identifying the painting in the painting was clearly depicted in the post.
From the way the post was written, the person who published the Weibo post seemed to admire Xyla greatly.
Xyla immediately held her forehead helplessly, and she then looked at the comment section...
The number of comments in the comment section had already exceeded a million even though the Weibo post was only published less than ten minutes ago. "Xyla... She's really a big boss. She could tell that there was a painting in that painting at one glance! D*mn! Ahhh..."
"What else can I say but that I admire her a great deal? Never mind that she looks so pretty, but she's even so capable."
"How could she tell there was a painting in that painting just because of its frame? Xyla sure is amazing."
The comment section was filled with compliments for Xyla.
Since she had seen too much stuff like this, she had gotten used to it and didn't think much of it.
After briefly browsing through the comments, she exited Weibo and continued to focus on Stanley Batton...
By then, Stanley had already started eating with the rest while they carried on with the meeting.
He was only eating a piece of salmon with his head lowered, but his appearance was elegant and noble.
Even if Stanley was only eating, he made it seem like he was posing for an editorial poster.
Sensing that Xyla was looking at him, Stanley's facial expression immediately became gentle. He looked at her curiously. "Do you want some?" Xyla shook her head.
Right then, the female executive who was presenting instantly stopped and looked at Stanley awkwardly. She wasn't sure if she should continue with the presentation... When Stanley saw that, he instantly waved at her gently, signaling her to continue with the presentation.
The female executive nodded. She continued to eat as she presented the report on her department's situation.
Due to Xyla's arrival, Stanley had become much gentler.
The atmosphere in the conference room had also improved significantly.
Meanwhile, the high-level executives also felt less nervous...
At least, everyone stopped feeling like they were walking on a tightrope.
At this moment, they felt that the sashimi they ate tasted even better than usual.
Each of them couldn't help but begin to think to themselves. They hoped Xyla would come to the office often in the future, especially when they were having meetings. Apart from Xyla, nobody else in the world would be able to make a tough man like Stanley become this gentle.
The rest of the meeting went very well.
With Stanley being in a good mood, everyone was also in a good mood...
When the meeting went on until half-past ten, Xyla began to feel a little sleepy. She couldn't resist yawning several times with her mouth covered.
"Are you sleepy?" Stanley asked when he saw that happening.
"Yeah... I'm tired..." Xyla said.
"In that case, I'll carry you to my lounge so you can sleep, alright?" Stanley asked.
When everyone heard this, they were immediately shocked again.
Their CEO was so gentle. He looked very handsome like this!
"It's okay. I'll go on my own..." Xyla said.
After that, Xyla slowly stood up and smiled at everyone. "Carry on with your meeting. I'll be heading out first."
"Be careful on your own..." Stanley said earnestly.
Xyla nodded gently before turning around and leaving...
After she left, the atmosphere in the conference room turned cold once again.