Ch. 131..140
Chapter 131
"What apology?" May Conner acted as if she were oblivious to what happened.
"You hit her," Stanley Batton said coldly.
"Don't make things up. I didn't even touch her!" May immediately retorted as she subconsciously took a few steps back.
Emily Quest hurriedly ran through the crowd and tugged at May's hand.
"Mom... Let's go," Emily said.
"Do you think you can leave just like that after hitting someone?" Stanley asked coldly. Everyone around felt chills down their spines just from hearing his voice.
"My mother has already said that she did not hit anyone. If you insist on saying that she did, I will claim that Xyla hit herself and blamed it on my mother. You are her husband. Whatever you say can't be used as proof," Emily said unhappily.
"Well, in that case, can the surveillance footage be proof?" Stanley turned to look coldly at the surveillance camera above his head.
May, Emily, and everyone else around them shifted their gaze upward.
May and Emily's faces instantly turned pale.
Meanwhile, people around them began discussing among themselves.
"What are these two trying to do? They are constantly making a joke out of themselves."
"I really feel sorry for the Sullivan family. I'm sure they won't live in peace from now on."
"How embarrassing. I can't believe May Conner is such an abusive stepmother. She won't even admit to beating Xyla up.
Meanwhile, Tom Sullivan, Tony Sullivan, and Bailey Ronson, who were standing in the crowd, seemed utterly mad.
They wished they could skin these two women alive.
"Apologize," Stanley said coldly yet again with a threatening gaze.
May and Emily subconsciously backed away from the intense pressure.
Tony, no longer able to tolerate what was happening, glared at May before turning around and leaving.
Tom, Bailey, and Mary quickly after him.
Emily and her mother were too afraid of Stanley to speak any further.
"Absolutely horrible..."
"Yeah..."
The guests still had not stopped talking about them.
Emily and her mother could sense that they were being watched by everyone around them.
After May forced herself to calm down, she turned to look at Xyla unhappily.
"I hit her because she was being disrespectful toward an older person. As her senior, I'm sure it's not wrong for me to teach her a lesson after how she talked back to me, right?" May asked. "However, it was you who was being disrespectful toward a younger person. You attacked her without saying anything," Stanley said.
"Nonsense!" May denied loudly.
Stanley raised his brows while he looked deeply into May's eyes. Then, he shifted his gaze to one of the female waitresses nearby and waved at her.
The lady immediately walked up to him and lowered her head.
"Is there anything I could do for you?" She asked softly.
"If I remember correctly, the surveillance footage in this hotel comes with audio, doesn't it?" Stanley asked.
"That's right," she answered.
When May and Emily heard the response, their eyes widened in shock.
"Transfer the file to me. I'll hand it over to the police," Stanley said calmly.
Emily hurriedly stopped the female waitress from leaving as she turned to look at Stanley angrily.
"Isn't that quite enough? This is our family matter. There's no reason to make things worse. Let's stop it right here," Emily said.
"Whoever messes with my wife will have to pay the price," Stanley said domineeringly.
"What do you want?" Emily asked frantically.
"Apologize or go back to prison, it's your choice," Stanley said.
Chapter 132
Chapter 132
At that moment, Xyla Quest felt that Stanley Batton was like her hero.
Every word he said would make her feel better.
In fact, she even felt as if he were an umbrella that protected her from the wind and rain.
Xyla had met many people over the years during her travels. However, none of the men she had met made her feel safe in such a way. When May Conner and Emily Quest heard the word 'prison', they immediately felt goosebumps all over their bodies.
Since they had just come out from that hellish place, they knew all too well how much suffering they would have to go through there. Even if they did not have to suffer as much, it would not be a good idea to go back to prison.
If things got worse, Jeremy Quest would only hate them even more.
Right then, Emily and May were in a difficult position. It seemed as though whatever they did would turn out badly for them. Meanwhile, they were beginning to feel the burning gaze from everyone around them.
The anger they felt immediately subsided and was replaced with fear instead.
May took a deep breath as she tried to remain calm.
"Must you do this?" She asked Stanley.
"..." Stanley did not say a word. All he did was stare at the women coldly, showing them that he would not change his mind. Although he was not speaking, the aura around him was enough to make the people around him shiver in fear.
"Sorry," May said with a deep frown on her face as she lowered her head.
Many of the members of the audience could not resist rolling their eyes at May.
Once again, the crowd began murmuring among themselves.
Even if May did not turn her head around, she knew how nasty their gazes were. She felt deeply embarrassed by herself.
If May had known that this would happen, she would not have done what she did earlier.
Xyla was truly a cruel b*tch.
Stanley raised his brows and looked deeply into May's eyes. However, he did not say anything. Instead, he put his arm over Xyla's shoulders.
"You were too soft. My wife didn't hear you," Stanley said calmly.
At that moment, Xyla felt that Stanley was the coolest man on earth.
All the negative emotions she had been bottling up suddenly faded away.
Due to his presence, Xyla no longer had to do anything. All she needed to do was remain silent and observe as he acted as her enemy's prosecutor.
"Stanley Batton, don't go too far. I am your elder after all," May said through gritted teeth.
"..." Stanley smiled a little as he fixed his gaze upon May's face. He made it clear he was not going to change his mind.
May was upset that she was thoroughly embarrassed in public.
After glaring at Stanley Batton, she took a deep breath and turned to face Xyla.
"Sorry!" She said loudly.
Meanwhile, the people around May were still pointing at her as they whispered to each other. There was no way for her to hide from the looks they were giving her. May had never been this embarrassed in her life. She hated Xyla's husband greatly!
After Stanley adjusted his suit, he turned to look at Xyla.
"Let's go," he said.
Xyla nodded slightly.
After that, Stanley pressed the button for the lift. After it arrived, they got in and left with everyone watching, leaving the mess behind them.
As soon as the lift's doors closed, everything in the world returned to its peaceful state.
Xyla looked at Stanley with a smile on her face.
"Thank you, Five Batton. Thank you for pretending to be my husband. You did such a good job too. Also, thank you for blowing off steam on my behalf," she said. Xyla was very grateful for what Stanley did.
"Does it hurt?" He asked with a frown as he touched her swollen cheek with his fingertip.
"It's fine," she said.
"Georgie, get ready to act," Xyla sent a WeChat message to Georgie Clementine after a moment. The lift was moving downward at a fast pace.
Meanwhile, neither of them said a word as they observed the changing numbers on the lift screen.
After they arrived on the first floor, Stanley looked over at a genuine black leather couch.
"Sit over there and wait for me," he said, jutting his chin in the couch's direction. "Why?" Xyla asked.
Chapter 133
Chapter 133
However, Stanley Batton did not reply to Xyla Quest. Instead, he walked over to a female waitress who was drooling over him.
Meanwhile, Xyla did not ask any further as she sat down on the couch.
Outside, the northern wind blew as snow filled the air and made the world appear somewhat colder than it was.
Although it was only a door away, it seemed like a completely different world altogether.
After glancing at the view of the snowy scenery outside, Xyla rested her chin on one hand and looked over at Stanley.
She wondered what he was saying to the waitress. After a while, someone retrieved a bottle of mineral water from a nearby fridge. The person then handed it over to Stanley, along with a white towel. Stanley soon returned to Xyla with those items.
Carefully, he wrapped the bottle of mineral water with the towel before pressing it gently against Xyla's swollen face.
In that instant, Xyla could feel the coolness against her face. The sting from the slap earlier began to fade away.
Although her face felt cold, her heart was very warm.
"Thank you. I'll do it myself," Xyla said as she took the bottle and towel from Stanley and continued to press them against her face.
"You're welcome," Stanley said before shifting his gaze slowly to the view outside the door.
His high nose-bridge and perfect jawline, coupled with his elegant posture while sitting, was a sight to behold from Xyla's point of view.
Since she started the X Entertainment company, she had seen countless handsome men. However, none of them looked more handsome than Stanley.
Xyla could not help but wonder if Stanley would be even more popular than Josh Batton if he joined the entertainment industry.
Although Josh was already very good-looking, Five Batton was even more handsome than the former.
Unfortunately, Stanley was not interested in that industry at all.
When Stanley turned his head around, their eyes met.
"What are you looking at?" He asked.
"Do you know Josh Batton? I was thinking, if you were to join the entertainment industry, you would probably be more popular than Josh Batton." "So what?" Stanley asked in his usual aloofness, almost as if money meant nothing to him.
Xyla felt truly curious as to how this person could think of money as being unimportant. Any normal human would be tempted by the amount of five to six hundred million dollars. But him? Not at all.
Was it because he was completely uninterested in the entertainment industry?
However, it was fine if that were the case. But, why was he so uninterested in money as well? Since he was not interested in money, why did he choose to work in the field he was currently in? "You really are special," Xyla said.
"Is that so?" Stanley slowly looked over at Xyla before he took a puff of his cigarette.
"Yeah. How are you able to completely disregard huge amounts of money?" Xyla asked.
"Huge amounts?" Stanley asked.
"Don't you think they are?"
"Yeah, huge..." Stanley said.
"Well, why are you so calm about it?" Xyla asked.
"Should I not be calm?" He asked.
Xyla nodded.
"Okay. I'll pay attention the next time," he said.
Xyla shook her head speechlessly. She did not know how this person's brain was wired up.
Gently, Xyla put down the bottled water and towel.
"My face feels much better. Let's leave," she said.
Stanley swiftly took off his coat before helping Xyla into it.
Before she could speak, Stanley took the lead and walked out into the snow-filled open space.
Xyla could still feel his warmth from the coat as it surrounded her.
Knowing his attitude, Xyla did not say anything as she silently walked behind him through the wind and snow. Soon, they entered an underground parking lot.
As soon as they entered the parking lot, six large men with bats in their hands got out of a black van.
The men surrounded them without saying a word.
Chapter 134
Chapter 134
The six men surrounded Xyla Quest and Stanley Batton. Each of them looked mean.
"Let's do this together! Kill this b*stard!" A large bald man shouted as he stared at Stanley angrily.
Reflexively, Xyla took off her coat and tossed it at Stanley before she pushed him behind her protectively with one arm.
"Stand still and don't move. I can handle these people," she said.
Xyla moved quickly while maintaining vigilance. Compared to her gentle mannerism earlier, she seemed so much cooler now.
Stanley felt as if something had touched him gently somewhere deep in his heart.
In his life, this was the first time a woman protected him during a time of crisis.
Silently, he placed the coat over her body.
"Stand still and don't move. I'll protect you," he said.
As soon as he spoke, a large man swung his metal bat at Stanley's head.
Remaining perfectly calm, Stanley kicked the man multiple times and sent him flying. It all happened within a single breath.
In that instant, Xyla felt as if she was watching a well-made action film. Meanwhile, Stanley was like the perfect male protagonist in the film.
Closely after that, the other men began charging at Stanley.
Now, Xyla no longer cared about anything else. She quickly kicked her heels off and took off the large coat around her before tossing it at the face of one of the large men. After a second, Xyla charged into the battlefield and fought next to Stanley.
With their quick reflexes, Xyla and Stanley were able to strike their opponents accurately each time.
Whenever they attacked together, they did not miss a beat.
While Xyla was skilled, Stanley was even better. Without exerting much energy, he was able to knock two of the men to the ground, killing two birds with one stone.
Perhaps it was because Stanley seemed very capable, Xyla did not feel panicky at all.
In the final moment, one of the large men got so angry that he raised his metal bat into the air and brought it down upon Xyla's shoulder.
Stanley immediately reached out with his left arm and blocked the incoming blow for Xyla. He absorbed the entire impact of the attack. At that very moment, he was worthy of the boyfriend-of-the-year award. Although it hurt a lot, Stanley merely frowned a little.
In response, Stanley grabbed the opponent's metal bat and kicked him away.
"Are you alright?" Xyla asked nervously. She was both touched and frightened.
"I'm fine," Stanley said calmly as he continued to fight alongside Xyla.
Within five minutes, all six men were knocked out. Their bodies curled up on the floor as they cried in pain.
As the metal bats rolled on the ground, the sounds they made continued to resonate throughout the empty parking lot.
Xyla and Stanley stood next to each other; their eyes were as cold as ice.
It seemed as if the world was at their mercy.
After that, Stanley glanced at the large men coldly before calmly picking up his coat on the floor. After shaking the dust off, he placed it over Xyla's body.
"You fight pretty well," he said.
"You too." Xyla smiled.
Without saying anything else, Stanley elegantly picked up a long, large, metal bat from the ground and dragged it on the floor as he approached the large, bald man who was in bad shape after the fight. The metal bat made a screeching sound as it scraped across the floor, sending shivers down the men's spine.
Although there was no hint of emotion on Stanley's face, and he had also not said anything, his body emanated a frightening aura. It felt as if he were a predator at the apex of a food chain.
He was only holding an ordinary metal bat in his hand. However, he made it seem as if he was holding a legendary sword of some sort.
Xyla could not help but think that he could not be part of a mob group based on his looks.
Meanwhile, the large, bald man was shivering in fear when he saw Stanley moving toward him. He immediately tried to get up and escape but to no avail.
The man barely had any energy left in his hands even to crawl forward.
Chapter 135
Chapter 135
Although the other men were equally frightened by Stanley Batton and tried to escape by crawling away, none of them had the energy to do it. They were all trembling in fear.
The sounds of the metal rattling against the ground and Stanley's footsteps were like the sounds of hell calling out to them.
In fact, these men were afraid that they might die right there and then when Stanley struck them with the metal bat.
Once Stanley arrived before the bald man, he frowned and pressed the edge of the metal bat against the man's forehead. "Speak. Who sent you here?" Stanley asked.
"We... We..." The bald man continuously shook his head with a frightful expression on his face.
"Speak," Stanley commanded coldly. He sounded like a king determining whether his subject lived or died.
As soon as Stanley said the word, he began to exert force on the metal bat.
"If you don't wish to die," Stanley added.
"My big brother sent me here. He told me that his friend doesn't like you and wanted to teach you a lesson. He even gave me your picture, asked me to wait for you outside the hotel and to take action when the right moment came," the bald man quickly said without missing a single detail.
After hearing all this, Stanley could guess who the person was.
It was Tom Sullivan.
"Who is your big brother?" Stanley asked.
"Felix Hudson, an employee of the second housekeeper of the Black Tiger Gang in Atlantis. Sir, can you please spare me? I'm begging you," the bald man said.
"Felix Hudson..." Stanley raised his brows. His gaze was turning colder every second.
"I have told you everything. Can you spare this lowly life that I am?" The bald man begged.
After tossing the metal bat aside, Stanley walked directly to a black Honda before taking out a black leather rope.
After that, he tied all six men together before calling the police.
When the large men saw what he did, they began to panic on the inside.
Realizing that Xyla was still standing with her feet bare, Stanley elegantly bent over and placed her silver heels in front of her.
He then carefully put them on for her.
Every single action was gentle, almost as if he was wiping dust off antique items.
Stanley seemed like a completely different person compared to when he was fighting.
At that moment, Xyla felt as if his finger contained an electric current that would seep through her skin whenever he touched her. The electric current seemed to travel directly to her heart each time. Since Stanley's left elbow was still hurting, he frowned slightly and shook his left arm gently.
Xyla's heart tightened.
"Does your elbow hurt a lot? Let me see it," she said.
"It's fine. But you'll have to drive us later," he said calmly.
As soon as he finished speaking, he walked to the car and got into the passenger's side.
Xyla quickly followed him and entered the car from the driver's side.
In the car, Xyla could smell a pleasant scent, which was not too overwhelming. It was rather dark inside.
Xyla turned on the lights in the car and moved closer to Stanley. Gently, she picked up his right hand, unbuttoned his sleeve and carefully rolled it up.
By then, Stanley's entire elbow was swollen and had a visible bruise. It hurt Xyla to even look at it.
"How does it feel when I press it like this?" Xyla gently pressed the swollen part in the middle.
"It's bearable," Stanley said as he frowned slightly. There was no visible change in his facial expression.
"What about this?" Xyla touched her elbow gently once again.
"Ouch... That hurt a little more," he said.
Xyla did not say anything as she continued to touch his elbow carefully. She kept her eyes on his face to observe changes in his facial expression.
Chapter 136
Chapter 136
Xyla Quest seemed very focused as she continued to examine Stanley Batton's elbow professionally.
Meanwhile, Stanley sat cooperatively, silently allowing her to examine him.
The light shining against her face from the outside made her appear even gentler.
Despite the large coat that hung over her shoulders, she did not look any less attractive.
After repeatedly examining his elbow, Xyla looked up at Stanley.
"I don't think there's any displacement or crack in your bones. However, just as a precautionary measure, we should get an X-ray for it at the hospital. Sometimes, it's impossible to tell if there's a crack in the bones from the outside," Xyla said.
"Okay," Stanley said.
"The cops will be here soon. We'll go to the hospital after we explain to them what went on here," Xyla said.
"Alright," Stanley answered.
"Thank you for taking the hit for me," Xyla said softly.
When Xyla recalled how Stanley took the bat's hit without hesitation, she felt a warm sensation spread in her heart.
"Don't worry about it," he replied calmly as if it was not a big deal.
"Also, I'm sorry," Xyla frowned apologetically.
"What for?" Stanley looked at her inquisitively. However, he had the usual cold look on his face.
"If I hadn't asked you to act as my husband, Stanley Batton, this would not have happened to you," Xyla explained.
"I accepted your money. Therefore, I needed to do my part. There's nothing for you to be sorry about," Stanley said nonchalantly.
"Although that makes logical sense, I'm still sorry that you got injured," Xyla said.
"It's alright," Stanley said.
"You should be careful from now on, just in case he takes any further action," Xyla said. She was a little worried about what could happen to him in the future.
"Don't worry," Stanley said calmly. His facial expression made it clear he was not concerned at all.
"Bring a few more men with you whenever you head out," Xyla warned with a serious look on her face. "Done," Stanley said.
"If you can't handle it, give me a call," Xyla added.
When Stanley heard this, he began smiling playfully. Slowly, he shifted his gaze to her face.
Her words had piqued his interest.
Ever since Stanley had grown up, he had been perceived as the man capable of doing anything and everything. All this while, it had been other people coming to him for help. No one had ever told him to contact them when he could not handle a problem.
"What's the matter?" Xyla seemed confused.
"Okay," Stanley said calmly after looking at her for a long while.
***
A few minutes later, the police arrived.
After Xyla and Stanley described what happened to the police, the men were taken away by the police.
Xyla proceeded to drive Stanley to the nearest hospital to get his bones checked.
Once the doctors could confirm that Stanley was fine, Xyla requested for medical prescriptions before they both returned to the car.
"Where should I send you to?" Xyla asked while she drove away from the hospital.
"Peace District in Swamp Zone," Stanley said.
Swamp Zone was considered an old neighborhood on the outskirts of Atlantis.
Since Xyla knew the location, she drove there directly without needing to check for directions.
Meanwhile, Stanley silently sat on the passenger seat as he observed the scene along the way.
After two hours, Xyla finally stopped the car in front of Stanley's place.
Xyla opened the drawer and retrieved the medicine she bought earlier.
"There are anti-inflammatory medicine and painkillers in there. Follow the instructions and take them as necessary. As for the Chinese medicine, boil them and place them over the injured spot so that it will recover quicker," she said sternly.
"Forget it. I'll come up with you. You might not remember what I said. I'll boil the Chinese medicine for you once and make a note of all the portions of Chinese medicine you will need to use," Xyla said. "Okay," Stanley answered.
After that, he entered the building with Xyla.
There was no lift in the building.
The two had to walk all the way up to Room 508 on the fifth floor where he lived.
Chapter 137
Chapter 137
When the door was opened, a welcoming little home with a simple design came into view.
There was not a speck of dust visible in Stanley Batton's home. Everything was arranged according to size and height in an orderly manner.
Xyla Quest could tell that he was a very organized person in life.
Coupled with Stanley's behavior during their meals, Xyla was sure that he had hints of an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
In fact, he may even be a neat freak.
Xyla put on a pair of slippers before lifting the edge of her dress slightly and looking around the living room.
"Where's your kitchen?" She asked.
"Over there..." Stanley pointed at the kitchen as he spoke.
Xyla immediately took out the Chinese medicinal herbs and brought them into the kitchen.
"What do you need? Let me help you..." Stanley followed her into the kitchen.
"Nothing at all. All I need is this pot," Xyla said as she pointed at a white pot on the kitchen top.
After that, she opened the packs of Chinese medicinal herbs before placing the correct portions into the pot. She carefully described the amount needed for each type of herbs firmly as she did so. Meanwhile, Stanley listened carefully right next to her.
Once the important part was done, Xyla poured water into the pot until it was full. She then covered it up and began to boil it.
"We're done here. Once the water starts to boil, continue cooking it for thirty minutes. After that, pour the water out and soak your elbow with it. Do you get it?" Xyla asked with a serious expression on her face. "Yeah," Stanley said.
"Well, I'll take my leave now," Xyla said.
"I'm hungry," Stanley said calmly.
"What would you like to eat? I'll cook for you," Xyla said.
"Anything works," he said.
Hearing this, Xyla opened the fridge right next to her. When she saw that the fridge was full of various cooking ingredients, she randomly selected a few. "Wait outside. I'll make a few simple dishes for you," she said.
"Okay," Stanley said and nodded slightly before turning around and walking out of the kitchen. The instant he did so, a charming smile appeared on his face. After Xyla cooked the rice, she quickly made a few simple dishes, including stir-fried eggs with green pepper, stir-fried cauliflower, and tomato-and-shrimp tofu soup. The entire process took half an hour.
By the time the dishes were done, the Chinese medicine was also ready.
Xyla first turned off the flame before transferring the dishes onto a tray and bringing them out of the kitchen.
Right then, Stanley was reading the newspapers in front of the coffee table in the living room. There were colorful lights outside the window that seemed like a backdrop. His white shirt seemed unusually neat and white, making him feel even colder than usual.
However, Xyla could never get enough of the view of his side profile.
"Where will we eat?" Xyla asked.
"Let's eat here," Stanley said as he slowly looked over at Xyla.
Xyla immediately placed the dishes on the coffee table.
Every dish looked good and smelled good. The hot steam that wafted through the air seemed to be able to reach the depths of one's heart.
"Is there a basin we can use to soak your elbow in?" Xyla asked.
Without saying anything, Stanley got up and went to the bathroom to retrieve a small wooden basin.
"Will this work?" he asked.
Xyla nodded before placing the small wooden basin on the coffee table. She then took out the boiled Chinese medicinal herbs and poured the content into the basin. "Since this is done as well, you can soak your elbow while you eat. Besides, it's only your left hand. It won't affect how you eat," Xyla said.
Xyla had planned everything down to a tee. There was nothing she missed.
"Yeah. Let's sit down and eat together," Stanley looked deeply at Xyla before sitting down, rolling his sleeve up and placing his elbow in the basin.
"Oh, no. I've got to go home to get something done," Xyla said.
It was inappropriate for Xyla to be with another man in his house since it was getting late.
Besides, there was still a lot she needed to do at home.
"In that case, drive my car home. I'll pick it up tomorrow," Stanley said.
"It's alright. I'll get a taxi. Don't forget to take your medicine according to the given schedule, and make sure you soak your elbow. Got it?" Xyla asked.
"It's not easy to get a taxi around here. Drive my car," Stanley said sternly before tossing the key to Xyla.
"Alright, then," Xyla said as she caught the key. She then proceeded to turn around and leave.
As soon as she stepped out of the door, a message appeared on her phone-
Chapter 138
Chapter 138
"Shocking! The children's cookies made by the Sullivan Food Group contains expired ingredients."
Xyla Quest smiled before she quickly turned the doorknob and walked downstairs as she opened the news article.
"Today, Megan Courtney, a factory worker in one of the Sullivan Food Group's bread and biscuit factories, filed a report against the Sullivan family. She claimed that the Sullivan family used expired ingredients to produce its 'Finger Biscuit', 'Fruit Dodo', and 'Vege Dodo' biscuits to cut down on the cost of production. The worker also provided many pictures she secretly took of the original ingredients in the Sullivan Food Group's storage warehouse. In the pictures, a lot of the flour already had molds on them. On top of that, the vegetables and fruits were also visibly rotten. According to a detailed report, all three products are managed by Tom Sullivan, the heir of the Sullivan Group. They are also produced in the same factory. Not only did the whistleblower, Megan Courtney, leak such information to the police, she also posted the same content on Weibo."
At the end of the news article was a screenshot of Megan Courtney's Weibo account with her real name attached. Apart from texts, Megan also provided a lot of pictures as proof.
Within a few minutes of the news article being released, the post's comments had already exceeded a hundred thousand.
Xyla's smile became wider as she carefully scrolled through the comment section.
"How could you do this to children's food? Tom Sullivan, you are a heartless dog!"
"My child is three years old. He has been eating these three products from the Sullivan family every day. I thought well-known brands like this were trustworthy. I can't believe something like this happened. Go to hell, Tom Sullivan! The entire Sullivan family should burn in hell!"
"Curse you, Sullivan family! Businesses like this should be kicked out of the country! Disgusting bugs!"
Hateful comments filled the comment section.
Every single sentence and word that came into sight made Xyla feel appeased.
Without her realizing it, she had already walked out of the large building.
Since it had begun snowing heavily outside, Xyla quickly got into her car and turned on the engine.
However, she did not immediately depart. Instead, she opened Weibo and looked at the list of most popular topics.
The embarrassing news related to Emily Quest was still on the number one spot. Xyla began to feel respectful toward the person who bought that position for Emily's news.
Meanwhile, the second spot belonged to '#Sullivan family uses expired ingredients#'.
The third spot belonged to '#Employee of Sullivan family becomes whistleblower#'.
The fourth spot belonged to '#Emily Quest and Tom Sullivan's wedding#'.
The fifth spot belonged to '#Emily Quest's fraud#'.
The sixth spot belonged to '#Tom Sullivan and Emily Quest get married#'.
Out of the ten most popular topics on the internet, Tom and Emily took up six of them. They were known as the most infamous couple of the year.
Xyla felt extremely happy at the sight of this list.
Even without opening the articles, she knew what they contained and what people were scolding them for.
However, even so, she still opened the articles and checked them out one at a time. Each of the posts contained hateful comments from internet users who fully showcased their abilities in insulting others— "Tom Sullivan and Emily Quest are a dogged couple. They are a complete joke. Can't they just be normal human beings? I wish the two of them would die together."
"While one of them uses expired ingredients to make children's food, the other one creates a false rumor about her family's property development. The a**hole and b*tch are a match made in heaven."
"I think the Sullivan family is done for. Never mind the fact that they raised a useless son; they even welcomed a crazy b*tch into their family. I would like to dedicate a pitiful song to Tony Sullivan."
"I will never eat anything produced by the Sullivan family. Let's work together to bring them down on the internet. We'll make sure they get famous for the wrong reasons!"
After Xyla continued to browse on Weibo, she eventually found a video of May Conner slapping her within a negative article related to Tom and Emily's wedding.
A line of text accompanied the video.
"Xyla Quest and her stepmother."
In the comment section of the video, internet users wrote hateful things directed at May Conner-
"This old woman has gone too far. How can she hit a person like that? Nothing justifies this behavior."
Chapter 139
Chapter 139
"If I were Xyla Quest, I would have slapped May Conner in return. Xyla is too kind."
"I suggest Tom Sullivan, Emily Quest, and May Conner a group called the 'F3 of Atlantis' so that they can all go to hell together."
Xyla's mood was getting better as she read through these comments.
Meanwhile, it began snowing outside. The world seemed to be encapsulated in a romantic scene of white snow.
At that moment, Xyla felt that the snowy view was spectacular. Everything was so beautiful about the evening scene that she almost found it hard to believe.
Even the cold northern wind felt gentle against her skin.
'Be it the Sullivan family, or the Quest family, everyone's life had been affected.' Xyla thought.
She could imagine how frantic everyone was feeling right then.
However, it was far from enough.
After tossing her phone aside, Xyla began driving hastily away from the neighborhood and in the direction of home.
While Stanley stood in front of the brightly lit window, he observed Xyla leaving before turning around and returning to the coffee table. He continued to soak his elbow in the water while he ate. Even when Stanley was alone, he still seemed elegant and noble when he ate.
Clearly, it was a simple home-cooked meal. However, he made it seem as if he was dining at a high-class Michelin restaurant.
A few minutes later-
"Knock, knock, knock..." The knocking on the door disrupted the silence in the living room.
Stanley slowly put down his chopsticks and walked over to the door. When he saw that it was Zack Cassidy's face from the monitor, Stanley opened the door directly before returning to his original spot and continued to eat.
Zack quickly put on a pair of slippers before standing still in front of Stanley and nodded respectfully.
When Zack saw the stir-fried eggs with green pepper on the coffee table, he was stunned. Although he was prepared to speak earlier, he suddenly found it difficult even to utter a single word. "Speak if you have something to say," Stanley said before he reached for the stir-fried eggs with green pepper with his chopsticks and fed himself a mouthful. He then proceeded to chew slowly. "Fifth Master, are you eating stir-fried eggs with green pepper?" Zack asked carefully. He seemed to be in shock.
"What's the matter?" Stanley asked.
"Don't you hate eating this dish? You used to say that the combination of eggs and green pepper was the most disgusting thing ever," Zack asked curiously.
Everybody who served Stanley knew how much he hated stir-fried eggs with green pepper.
"Yeah, but I suddenly find it delicious," Stanley said before reaching for another serving of stir-fried eggs with green pepper.
Zack was utterly confused.
Was Fifth Master serious?
"Fifth Master, I didn't expect you to cook so well. It looks and smells amazing," Zack said as he changed the topic.
"Does it look good?" Stanley asked.
"Unusually so," Zack said.
"Yeah, my wife made it. Naturally, it looks good," Stanley said as a smile appeared on his face. The coldness in his facial expression had disappeared somewhat. Right then, Zack immediately figured out what had happened.
The young madam was indeed powerful.
"Let's get down to business," Stanley said before shifting his cold gaze to Zack's face.
"Fifth Master, I have done everything you asked me to. However..." Zack hesitated.
Stanley silently lit a cigarette. He took a puff and patiently waited for Zack to continue speaking.
Chapter 140
Chapter 140
"I only managed to do a part of what you asked me to. The young madam got to some of them before I could," Zack Cassidy said.
"Oh?" Stanley Batton raised his brows a little before taking another puff of his cigarette.
"About exposing May Conner for hitting Xyla Quest, the young madam did it before I could do as you instructed. Originally, Mr. Quest already had plans to get a divorce. Now that things had gone south, I am quite certain he would go ahead with the decision to get a divorce. Also, you asked me to get the police to punish Tom Sullivan for what happened. However, the young madam did it before I could," Zack explained respectfully.
Whenever Xyla was mentioned, Zack felt nothing but respect for that woman.
Hearing this, Stanley smiled approvingly. He did not expect Xyla to avenge him secretly.
"Apart from that, I have already informed the Sullivan family that we are going to withdraw all our investments from their business just as you instructed," Zack added.
"Alright..." Stanley murmured.
"I believe the Sullivan family will go through a tough period, with the investment withdrawals among other things," Zack said before he showed Stanley the negative media about the Sullivan Food Group. "Clearly, someone intentionally wanted to bring the Sullivan family down. Now, a huge tsunami has been created. The Sullivan family will need to put in a great deal of effort to get through this catastrophe. Even if they manage to pull through, they would still be greatly affected. I believe Tom Sullivan won't get to keep his position as the heir of the family business," Zack said firmly.
Stanley coldly scanned through the news article before he smiled slightly.
Xyla really was impressive.
She was, without a doubt, the smartest woman Stanley had ever met. No one else could compare.
"If the person behind all this were to be found out, I'm sure the Sullivan family won't let him or her off the hook this easily," Zack added.
"Don't let the Sullivan family find out," Stanley said after glancing at the phone screen and turning to look at Zack.
A look of surprise appeared on Zack's face.
"Do you think the young madam did this?" Zack asked.
"Just do as I say," Stanley said domineeringly.
"Yes!" Zack immediately nodded respectfully.
"Also, make sure none of the topics on the popular list is removed," Stanley snorted coldly.
"Alright, I've got it," Zack said.
"Oh, right. The old madam said there is something important she needs to discuss with you. She asked you to return home," Zack said.
"I understand. Zack, get this cleaned up," Stanley said before slowly unbuttoning his shirt. He then returned to his room to change into a black cotton sweater before walking out the door. The door was closed behind him.
Peace had returned to the world.
Finally, Zack could relax a little.
After being occupied for an entire day and not having eaten anything, Zack was now famished.
Seeing that a lot of food was left behind, Zack quickly walked into the kitchen to get himself a bowl of rice. He then sat down at the spot where Stanley was before and prepared to eat. Firstly, he used his chopsticks to reach for the stir-fried eggs with green pepper that Stanley had eaten the most among all the dishes.
As soon as he put it in his mouth, he could taste a sweetness filling his entire mouth.
Zack immediately spat everything in his mouth out into the rubbish bin.
How could this be sweet?
Even when five-star master chefs cooked stir-fried eggs with green pepper, Fifth Master would not even take a single bite. However, today, he had actually eaten this stuff. Zack found it hard to believe.
After that, Zack used his chopsticks to try out the stir-fried cauliflower.
How could it be sweet as well?
After spitting out the cauliflower, Zack quickly put the chopsticks down before touching his forehead in discomfort.