Ch. 2011..2020

Chapter 2011 Chapter 2011 Annabeth Cates would be willing to cooperate even if it was on the other side of the world, never mind just Atlantis.

Josh Batton affectionately ruffled her hair before holding her hand, interlocking their fingers while he steered the car with the other hand.

The two of them were inseparable.

Since they were still a fair distance from home, Annabeth logged into Weibo and started browsing the list of hot topics, finding their latest harrowing experience with the fans among them.

'#Josh Batton surrounded by fans at Municipal Hospital#' was on the number one spot on the list.

She clicked on it immediately and saw footage of Josh carrying her while he ran from his overzealous fans.

The video looked almost like a scene taken from a television drama, with Josh looking very cool from behind.

Finally, the video ended with them trapped in their car, surrounded by screaming fans.

Fans were spamming in the comment section below- "Josh is truly a gentle and considerate husband. He's worried that something might happen to his wife."

"Those crazy fans are heartless. Don't they know that Annabeth is pregnant?"

"Am I the only person who's focusing on Josh? He's so handsome. Annabeth is very lucky."

"These people are too intrusive. I feel bad for Josh."

"They are an embarrassment to our community of fans."

Annabeth briefly looked through the comments before exiting the topic and browsing other content.

Meanwhile, back in the hospital, visitors in Xyla Quest's ward gradually thinned out after Josh had left.

In the end, Xyla, Stanley Batton, and Sharon Lindt were the only ones who remained.

As the ladies chatted, Stanley called Zack tssidy on the phone, a send people over to asking him protect and their children.

After delegating the most urgent tasks, Stanley began giving instructions related to work and net ΛΟΙ spoke for approximately ten minutes.

Once the call ended, he returned to Xyla's side and sat next to her, caressing her face tenderly.

"I've spoken to Zack, and he'll be sending a team of experts from our company to handle Quest Group and X Entertainment.

"Also, I'll stay by your side until you have fully recovered," he said.

Xyla instantly felt her chest expand with warmth when she heard this "To be honest, that isn't necessary. I have many people looking after me. You should continue working.

"}

Smiling, Stanley gently held her hand. "Silly girl, this is a crucial phase in your life. How can I not be around?"

"That's right, listen to Stan. He's right," Sharon spoke up while raising her thumbs at her son.

"Go home and bring some clothes for Xyla. I'll stay here and accompany her," she then instructed him.

Stanley nodded before turning to look at his wife. "I'll head home first."

Xyla nodded. "Be careful."

"Take good care of Xyla," he told his mom.

Sharon immediately rolled her eyes at him. "Of course, I will."

Grabbing his car keys, Stanley kept silent and quickly walked out.

After he was gone, Sharon affectionately caressed Xyla's face, seemingly on the verge of saying something.

Chapter 2012 Chapter 2012 Xyla Quest instantly became curious upon seeing Sharon Lindt's expression. "Mom, what is it that you want to say?"

"Nothing much. I just wanted to tell you not to worry too much. Your children will be fine," Sharon said.

Although she was trying to comfort Xyla, she was just as worried about her grandchildren.

"Stan had already contacted his grandfather. He'll be here very soon," she added.

"Okay, I'll try not to worry too much. You should do the same," Xyla replied softly, also attempting to comfort her mother-in-law.

She also felt very concerned whenever she thought about her newborn twins. However, there was nothing she could do about the situation except to let fate decide. Xyla's babies had been in her stomach for over six months. They shared the same blood, and they'd spent so much time together. A deep bond had long developed.

She didn't dare imagine what would become of her if she lost her children.

They had become a part of her.

They were also the most vulnerable part of her.

If they were gone, she would be devastated.

When Xyla thought of them, she couldn't help but recall how they were connected to various tubes. She could picture how small, weak, and helpless they seemed in the thermal case.

They were still so tiny. Why did they have to go through so much pain?

Why were other babies in other families delivered safely but not hers?

The more she pondered about it, the worse she felt.

Sharon could imagine what was going through Xyla's mind, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, she continued to caress Xyla's face gently. "Honey, would you like to eat something?" Xyla shook her head, not feeling up to eating anything.

When Sharon saw Xyla like this, she felt equally sad.

She held her hand tightly. "In that case, I'll stay here and chat with you. Did you know? I went to a jewelry exhibition two days ago...' Sharon kept trying to find topics to distract Xyla, going from one subject to another.

In the end, her tactic worked well as she successfully distracted Xyla into a much better mood.

At approximately eleven o'clock, visitors began showing up in Xyla's ward, mostly acquaintances of the Batton and Quest family who had heard about Xyla's delivery.

Each one was someone prominent not only in Atlantis but also in the entire Country Z.

The visitors arrived in groups one after another. There was a constant flow of people entering and leaving the ward until it gradually lessened by noon.

At half-past twelve, the President and his wife arrived with their trusted personnel to personally visit Xyla.

Suddenly, the entire Municipal Hospital came alive until they left half an hour later.

Upon their departure, Xyla's ward became peaceful again.

Meanwhile, news of the Battons' premature newborns also became widely known due to the many prominent individuals who visited her, appearing on the internet.

The news occupied the number one spot on various search engines, while '#Xyla's premature delivery#' also occupied the number one spot on Weibo's list of hot topics with the tag 'explosive' behind it. People were making all sorts of comments— "The babies were born at six months old. It sounds critical. I hope they're fine."

"It's a boy and a girl. If they could survive, that would be perfect. Xyla is such a kind person. I hope luck is on her side."

"My apologies for not being informed. When did Xyla get pregnant? couldn't tell she was pregnant at all from the photos taken of her at public events. How could she have been six months along?"

"I pray that her children are fine. Xyla and Stanley must feel awful."

"Aren't premature deliveries normal? She can't have the best of everything. God is fair."

"You're heartless. Why can't you hope for the best for other people? Do you think a keyboard warrior like you deserves good things in life?" "What's your name, keyboard warrior? I'll send you to the nearest mental asylum."

Xyla remained oblivious to all these comments.

***

At one o'clock that afternoon, Stanley Batton walked into the ward with some food he had prepared as well as a large silver suitcase. Meanwhile, bodyguards were already in place outside the ward and the neonatal intensive care unit.

The entire floor was sealed off completely, so nobody could enter without permission.

Everyone in the hospital knew the boundaries around Xyla and her children were off-limits to random people.

Stanley had also showered and changed his clothes, now clad in his usual dark shirt and pants.

The shower seemed to do him good as he looked more refreshed and energetic.

Xyla still felt that he was the most handsome man in the world.

Stanley dropped the suitcase by the wall, then placed a white, multi-layered, thermal food container on the nightstand. "made lunch for you. It's all lightly flavored, and so you can eat everything."

Xyla nodded. "Thank you, Honey. You haven't slept all night, and yet you still cooked for me. You must be exhausted."

He smiled. "This is nothing compared to what you've gone through."

Hearing him, Sharon immediately chipped in. "He's right. It is nothing compared to what you've been through. He should be tired during times like this. Do you think being a father is an easy job?"

Her words always made Xyla feel warm in her heart, feeling grateful that she had the best mother-in-law in the world.

Sharon appreciated her for the sacrifices she had made, and she also demanded that her son do his best to make it up to Xyla. Sharon even treated her like her own daughter.

Stanley calmly gazed at his mother. "Yes, you're right."

After that, he opened the food container and placed all the dishes on the nightstand.

It was a simple lunch consisting of porridge, vegetable soup, and pickled vegetables.

Sharon quickly set up a dining table before helping Xyla to sit up carefully, and personally feeding her.

Right then, somebody suddenly opened the door to the ward.

Chapter 2013 Chapter 2013 A bodyguard was standing by the door as he looked at Xyla Quest and Stanley Batton with a frantic expression on his face. "The-the-" he stammered, panting heavily. Stanley's frown deepened as he surged to his feet. "What is it? Spit it out!"

Xyla and Sharon Lindt instantly panicked seeing the bodyguard acting this way.

"The children-" the bodyguard said with a trembling voice. "They're gone. We've already blocked all exits in the hospital."

When Xyla heard this, she felt like the entire world was collapsing before her.

Stanley and Sharon felt the same way.

None of them could believe what they had just heard.

They had already deployed bodyguards throughout the entire building. It was unthinkable that anyone could still kidnap the children.

Panicked, Xyla clambered out of bed and looked at the frantic man. "What? What do you mean? Did you say my children are gone? What were you doing? Why didn't you look after them?"

Just by standing alone, Xyla already felt the energy being drained out of her body as if she could collapse at any moment.

She could feel her wound opening bit by bit, shooting pains from her belly as warm blood slowly trickled out of her wound.

Soon, her shirt became stained with blood.

Sharon and Stanley both panicked at the sight.

He quickly stepped forward and picked Xyla up before placing her back on the bed. He then pressed a button to contact a nurse to explain what happened.

Meanwhile, Sharon wiped her tears away and gazed at Xyla. "I know you're worried, but you shouldn't leave your bed."

With that, Sharon turned to look at the bodyguard and waited for him to speak.

"We-we never once looked away from the babies, but there was an when the entire room went dark By the time the lights returned, they were gone."

He kept his head hung low.

"The entire process happened within a few seconds. We couldn't react in time," he added.

Xyla instantly had a suspect in her mind when she heard this.

It wasn't something an ordinary person could do.

Only a demon was capable of something like this. Could it be the nine-tailed demon fox?

As the thought came to mind, her tears began streaming down her face in a frantic haze.

A strong sense of insecurity made her mind turn blank. She couldn't even think like how she usually did.

Her head felt overloaded and heavy.

Stanley scowled at the bodyguard before urning to look at his now covered in blood. "A wife et right? Don't move, okay?"

However, she grabbed his hand tightly. "Honey, don't worry about me. Think of ways to find our children! I want them back."

If the demon fox took her children away, their lives would be at risk.

Xyla was going mad.

Sharon, who had no idea what might have happened, felt that the bodyguard must have been lying.

Fuming, she approached him. "Do you think you're writing a novel? Are you telling me that something. supernatural happened and that my grandchildren were kidnapped by a demon?" she asked incredulously before yelling at him.

"Speak the truth!"

Chapter 2014 Chapter 2014 The bodyguard was trembling all over. "It's the truth. Many others saw what I saw. You can ask around. There's also surveillance footage of what happened. You can check it out."

Sharon Lindt sneered. "I don't have to see anything. Why should I believe what you said? If there are witnesses, that only means you were all part of the scheme."

Stanley Batton was beginning to feel agitated by the sound of her voice.

He scowled at his mother. "Be quiet, you don't have to get involved in this."

Sharon became even angrier then. "What do you mean? My grandchildren are missing. How could I not be involved? Is it wrong of me to ask questions?"

However, Stanley neither looked at Sharon nor replied to her. He continued to frown before turning to look at Xyla. "Stay here. The nurse will tend to your wound shortly. I'll report this to the authorities and look for Yaksha."

Resisting the pain, Xyla instantly grabbed his hand tightly and spoke. "Okay, but Honey... you must bring our children back. Please."

It was already challenging for the newborns to survive as they were still connected to all those tubes.

But now, they were suddenly taken away.

How could they survive this?

The more she thought about them, the more her heart ached painfully.

If this was karma, she had already tasted her fair share of it, and it hurt far too much.

Why did karma have to hurt her children? Why couldn't she be the one who received the punishment?

If Xyla could, she would sacrifice her own life to ensure her children were safe.

Stanley nodded a little before leaving with a somber expression.

After that, several medical staff quickly entered the ward only to be shocked when they saw the state Xyla was in.

A doctor quickly stepped forward, unwrapping the bandage around her stomach to check on her wound, which was wide open by then.

Blood and flesh were all meshed, with fresh blood continually flowing out.

It was painful to even look at it.

Xyla felt the physical pain in her stomach, but it was nothing compared to how her heart was aching.

She didn't care about herself at all. All she could think about were her weak, helpless children.

Why did they have to bear the karma from her past life?

They were still so small and vulnerable.

Sharon was equally shocked to see Xyla in such a state.

She instantly walked over to her bed, as she looked worriedly at tremor. "Doctor, please fix Xyla the up. Will she be all right?"

The doctor was disinfecting Xyla's wound as he replied to Sharon. "She'll be fine this time, but she still needs to be careful. I can't е guarantee her safety if this happens again."

"Yes, we understand," she said, nodding.

She felt as if she was being pulled in different directions, worrying about her daughter-in-law at the same time as her missing grandchildren.

Her heart ached for all of them, and she didn't know what she was supposed to do.

Chapter 2015 Chapter 2015 Xyla Quest had only just delivered her babies, yet she was already afflicted with two separate tragedies.

Her children were delivered prematurely at six months along, with tubes connected to their bodies. Whether they would live or die was still uncertain.

And then, not long after they were born, they were kidnapped.

The more Sharon Lindt thought about it, the more her heart ached on Xyla's behalf.

"Which b*stard did this? How could he do this to two innocent babies? Isn't he afraid of karma? If my daughter-in-law and grandchildren get hurt because of this, I'll make sure the culprit is brought to justice," Sharon said through gritted teeth, her hands clenched into fists by her side.

In the meantime, Xyla seemed completely devastated, feeling herself being devoured by helplessness and worry.

Her children were still so tiny. Their lives were at risk even while asleep in a thermal case.

How could they stand all the torture?

If the nine-tailed fox did take them away, they'd probably die before the demon even tried anything.

Anyhow, their lives were in grave danger.

The more Xyla pondered over it, the sadder she felt, but she wasn't about to give up no matter what.

She tried to remain optimistic by telling herself that her children would live as long as they managed to find them in time.

At this point, she felt as if she had hit rock bottom in life, feeling nothing but a sense of hopelessness.

The doctor was still stitching her wound without any anesthetics due to the urgency of her situation earlier.

Xyla could feel the crippling pain where he was stitching but she didn't cry out in pain at all.

She was like a zombie at this point. Other than crying, she couldn't do anything else. The glimmer in her eyes had disappeared along with her children.

What used to be a dark sky full of stars in her eyes, they had now become cloudy due to worrying over her children.

"Xyla? Xyla, don't be like this," Sharon said to her. "Say something... anything. Please don't scare me."

She couldn't control her tears as well as she spoke.

Nevertheless, Xyla didn't respond or acknowledge her at all. It was as if she had lost the ability to react. She stared unseeingly and hopelessly at the ceiling, her pupils dilated and unable to focus on anything at all.

Tears continued to stream down her face, wetting her white pillowcase.

Within a short time, the pillow was drenched from her tears.

Sharon's heart ached even more when she saw Xyla's wound.

Inhaling deeply, Sharon glanced at the doctor. "Be gentler, be gentler."

The doctor nodded without saying anything and continued to stitch her wound.

It took roughly ten minutes before the stitching was complete without Xyla making a sound throughout the entire process.

She remained quiet even when her face had turned ashen, and her lips were bloody from her biting.

She maintained the same posture all this while, crying as she lied still, staring at the ceiling.

Once the stitching was complete, the doctor disinfected her wound again before quickly wrapping it in a layer of bandage.

By then, Xyla's wound had already become swollen, sending sharp pains shooting from it whenever something touched her wound.

Yet, she still did not react other than to bite harder on her lips.

Sweat drenched her body as a result of the physical and emotional pain.

She hated her current state of being.

If it had been a regular delivery, she could go with Stanley to look for her children instead of waiting there helplessly like an invalid. Seeing Xyla like this made Sharon feel even more fearful.

The elder woman trembled as she sat next to Xyla and held her hand tightly. "Oh, child. Please say something. Don't be like this. Will you please look at me? You only just delivered, so you shouldn't be crying. Crying while you go through postpartum recovery will affect your eyes."

Initially, Sharon thought she'd be able to take good care of Xyla during her recovery, perhaps even preventing her from shedding a single tear. However, it now seemed that she had been too optimistic.

Somebody made Xyla cry, and Sharon wanted to know who was behind this. How could that person harm two weak and helpless children?

When Xyla heard what Sharon said, she took a deep breath and slowly lifted her gaze to her. "Mom, do you think my children will return to me?"

Sharon felt even more troubled after hearing that question.

Would they return? She really couldn't be sure.

Despite her own uncertainty, she held Xyla's hand tightly and comforted her. "I'm sure they will. I believe my grandchildren will be fine. You're such a good person, Xyla. God wouldn't let you lose them."

Xyla smiled bitterly but kept quiet.

She was a good person in this lifetime. She was kind, and she worked hard. She always donated to the poor and did many charitable deeds.

However, she did a lot of terrible things in her past life.

Xyla began praying in her heart as she closed her eyes. 'God, please look at me. If I've done terrible things in my past life, let me bear all the karma. Don't let my two children suffer in my place. 'Punish me! Since it's my wrongdoings, why must my children bear the consequences? As long as my children are safe, I'm willing to do anything.' Finishing her prayer, Xyla bit her lip forcefully again, tasting blood, but she still felt numb.

Blood began to trickle down past the corners of her mouth. Sharon's heart ached when she saw this, grabbing her hand once more. "Please stop biting your lip. Look at you, you're bleeding. Please, I'm begging you. Stop doing this, all right?

"We still aren't sure of the situation yet. Your children might return very soon," Sharon added.

She wished she could trade what remained of her life for Xyla, Stanley Batton, and their children's happiness. She didn't want to see their family fall apart this way. Why was this happening?

The medical staff members nearby had all heard some rumors about what happened, and even they couldn't help but tear up.

The doctor silently wiped his tears away before looking at Sharon. Then, he started to speak-

Chapter 2016 Chapter 2016 "You must keep an eye on Ms. Quest. She shouldn't move around too much. If she tears her wound again, she wouldn't be able to bear it. "Also, monitor her emotions, or her recovery would be affected. If things worsen, her wound might get infected. It could put her life at risk." The doctor had a solemn expression on his face as he spoke, releasing a long, helpless sigh after finishing his sentence.

As a doctor in this hospital for twenty years, he'd seen all sorts of cases, but this was the first time he'd encountered something like this.

Sharon Lindt cried as she listened to his advice, ensuring to remember all of it.

After wiping her tears away, she gazed at the doctor. "I understand. Thank you, Doctor. Can I have a word with you?"

He nodded respectfully and left the ward first.

Meanwhile, Sharon wiped her tears away again before following him out.

After closing the door behind her, Sharon said softly, "I can't let this go on for my daughter-in-law any longer. You were right, it's far too dangerous. Why don't we opt for an extreme measure?” "What do you mean?" The doctor had a curious look in his eyes.

"Give her a shot of tranquilizer. It'll calm her down enough to sleep peacefully. Only if it's allowed, of course," she added quickly.

He considered the idea for a few seconds. "All right."

Sharon immediately sighed in relief and returned to the ward to find Xyla Quest staring blankly at the ceiling.

The nurses in the room felt heartbroken on her behalf, but no one dared to say anything under such circumstances.

It felt extremely tense inside the ward.

Approximately ten minutes later, the doctor returned with a bottle of drip fluid that he proceeded to install for his patient.

Xyla closed her eyes and fell asleep approximately three minutes later.

Sharon instantly sighed in relief when she saw her like this.

The doctor did the same before walking over to Sharon, gently patting her shoulder.

"I added some stabilizer in the anti-inflammatory drip. She'll be in a state of deep sleep for the next five to six hours. Don't worry and don't think too much. I believe luck is on the Batton family's side. I'm certain the children will be alright," he said.

Sharon nodded before plopping down on the couch nearby. She then called her husband, Wilson Batton, on the phone.

He was preparing to cook porridge in the kitchen at home.

By then, he had already placed all the ingredients in the pot, only needing to add water and turn on the stove.

Seeing his wife calling on the phone, Wilson quickly washed his hands, wiping them on the apron as he picked up her call.

"What is it, Darling? I'm cooking porridge for Xyla," he told her.

Hearing his voice, Sharon broke down and cried. What little willpower she had now completely vanished.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to speak through her sobs. "Honey, you don't have to cook porridge for her. Even if you do, Xyla won't eat it." "Did something happen to Xyla?" He sounded concerned.

"It's not Xyla. It's our grandchildren," she said in a hoarse voice. "They're missing."

Wilson could no longer stand upright when he heard this. His knees buckled, and he landed directly on the ground. "What did you say? How could our grandchildren be missing?"

Despite having gone through a lot in life, Wilson couldn't stay strong when he found out about such news.

Sharon promptly told him about everything that happened through her sobbing voice.

Wilson felt his vision turning dark when he heard what Sharon said.

"Wait for me in the hospital. I'll be there right away," he said before terminating the call.

***

Meanwhile, back at the hospital's security room, Stanley Batton had already found the surveillance footage when the incident occurred.

From the footage, nothing was out of the ordinary for the rest of the hospital during that period. However, for one second, everything had turned dark in the neonatal intensive care unit and the areas around it.

Within that one second, the children disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Most importantly, from the surveillance footage, there was nobody else inside the intensive care unit and the surrounding areas except for medical staff and bodyguards when it happened.

It was exactly like what the bodyguard who reported the incident to them described.

The children had disappeared right before their very eyes within a second.

Previously, Stanley had reconfirmed with the Hospital Director that there was only one entrance to the intensive care unit.

Hence, no ordinary person could've walked in from another passageway to kidnap the children.

Even if they wanted to, they couldn't possibly have done it within a second.

Hence, who else could it have been if not the nine-tailed demon fox?

It was impossible without magic involved.

Stanley stood up quickly and called Yaksha on the phone, only to find that his phone was unreachable.

By then, the police officers had already arrived.

Stanley entrusted them with the responsibility of finding any clues from the surveillance footage, and also ensuring a complete non-disclosure to the public. After giving all the necessary instructions, Stanley called Zack Cassidy to keep things under control at the Municipal Hospital.

Then, he got into his helicopter and began flying to where Yaksha lived.

***

Upon arriving on the island where Yaksha lived, Stanley quickly walked through the forest maze and arrived at Yaksha's house.

Yaksha's disciples were busy drying herbs under the sun when he came upon them.

One of them immediately stepped forward when he saw Stanley. "Hello, Mr. Batton. You must be here to see my master."

Stanley frowned slightly. "Yes. Is your master around?"

"He went up the mountain to forage some herbs. He should be back soon."

"Where did he go?" Stanley asked with a sense of urgency.

Chapter 2017 Chapter 2017 Right now, time was of the essence.

Stanley Batton needed to see Yaksha right away.

"He's on the mountain behind the house." The disciple pointed towards the back of the house while replying respectfully.

Stanley didn't reply and began running towards the mountain.

***

Meanwhile, Jeremy Quest was sorting through some newly bought baby clothes with Betty Starmount in the living room when he suddenly received a call from Sharon Lindt.

She told him what his daughter, Xyla Quest, was going through, leaving him dumbfounded upon hearing the news.

He collapsed on the couch, panting as his vision turned dark.

At the same time, Betty was equally shocked when she heard what Sharon said.

Did the demon fox do it?

It must be.

What else could have done such a thing in such a short amount of time?

Her hands trembled slightly by her side at the thought.

Seeing how sad Jeremy was made her hands tremble even more as she started to tear up.

"Honey, don't be like this. I believe they'll be able to find the children," Betty said in a comforting tone.

Jeremy inhaled deeply before patting himself on the chest gently. "Betty, I want to see Xyla at the hospital right now. Get the driver." Betty nodded.

Jeremy's vision suddenly turned dark, and he collapsed on the couch, making her panic.

Falling to her knees, she nudged him repeatedly in an attempt to wake him up. "Honey, what's wrong? What's wrong? Say something!" However, Jeremy didn't react at all.

Betty shuddered as she quickly placed her hand under his nose, only to find that he wasn't breathing.

She sprang onto her feet and backed away in terror, feeling her heart breaking apart.

Her entire body was trembling as guilt and sadness spread through her chest. She could barely stand straight.

Kneeling on the ground with her body still trembling, she gazed down at Jeremy. "Finally, the poison worked. It didn't kill Xyla's children, but it killed you.

"Don't blame me as I didn't have a choice. I felt bad for you because you've been so good to me. It's the first time I've felt what it's like to have a place to call home, to be loved and protected. If not for the demon fox, I believe we would've had a happy life together.

"I admit that I've developed feelings for you, as unimaginable as it sounds, but what can I do about it?

"Despite my feelings for you, the demon fox wants you dead. There's no other option because anyone who goes against it will die.

"Whatever I owe you in this lifetime, I'll repay you in the next if I can." With that, Betty closed her eyes as she trembled, hugging Jeremy tightly.

His familiar scent that made her feel safe wafted through her nostrils.

Memories of how they met and fell in love appeared in her mind a bit at a time.

The scenes that once brought her warmth and joy were now causing her pain.

She had to kill the person she loved the most, and the one who loved her the most, to protect herself.

Betty was truly disgusted with herself.

Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision. At that moment, her heart was being torn apart.

She felt like she could die at any moment.

If they weren't destined to be together in this lifetime, she wished they could still find each other and get married in the next one.

Right then, the door opened, and a maid walked in with a bag of groceries.

She was thoroughly shocked by what she saw on the couch. The bag in her and slipped from heret and groceries scattered all over the floor.

She immediately stepped forward and addressed Betty. "What happened to Mr. Quest?"

Betty took a deep breath and looked up in sorrow. "He's dead."

"How-how did he die? What happened?"

The maid couldn't help but start sobbing.

Jeremy Quest was a kind person, always pleasant to the maids.

He never treated them as if they were inferior to him. Instead, he treated them like family.

She really liked Jeremy as her employer.

"He found out about some terrible news, and then this happened," Betty whispered.

She then hugged Jeremy's corpse tightly and sobbed as she spoke "Honey, wake up! Please wake up and look at me one last time. Didn't you say you wanted to visit Xyla with me?

"Weren't we supposed to travel the world together? How could you go back on your words? You said you'd keep your promises."

Betty might have been saying these things for the maid's benefit, but she genuinely meant them.

Right then, she was overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions, feeling like she was going mad.

It was the first time she ever felt this helpless in her life.

The maid took a deep breath before placing a finger carefully under Jeremy's nose.

After making sure he wasn't breathing, she promptly dialed Xyla's number with trembling hands only to find that her call went unanswered.

She then tried Stanley Batton's number to no avail.

Dashing out of the house, she drove to the hospital directly.

Upon arrival, she ran to Xyla's ward, pushing the door open without knocking.

Xyla was still sleeping soundly with Sharon Lindt accompanying her nearby, her eyes still reddened from crying earlier.

Sharon was shocked when she saw the maid. "Who are you?"

The maid rubbed her tears away and quickly stepped forward. "My name is Maryam Dowse, and I'm a maid from the Quest family. I'm here to tell Ms. Quest something. Could you please wake her up?"

"What do you want to tell her?" Sharon asked.

"Mr. Quest-Mr. Quest..." She couldn't finish her sentence as despair overflowed from her.

Sharon's heart skipped a beat. "What is it?"

"Mr. Quest is dead," she sobbed.

"What?" Sharon had a look of disbelief in her eyes.

Chapter 2018 Chapter 2018 Sharon Lindt couldn't believe what she heard.

At that moment, her mind was buzzing so much she couldn't think straight.

How could the person she spoke to on the phone earlier be dead?

Perhaps it was because of her call?

Apart from shock and sadness, Sharon also felt guilty.

She now regretted telling Jeremy Quest about what happened.

If she hadn't told him, would he have been alive?

What would she tell Xyla Quest when she woke up?

Jeremy had died because of her.

Sharon hated herself, and that thought prompted her to slap herself twice forcefully.

Why did she have to call him?

Earlier, her only thought was that Jeremy deserved to know what happened to his grandchildren.

Besides, he would've found out anyway when he came to visit them.

Now that Sharon thought about it, perhaps she had acted too rashly.

Would he have been fine if she had kept it a secret from him?

What should she do? What could she do?

Suddenly, Sharon felt lost and panicked.

Her grandchildren had been kidnapped during their weakest state.

Her daughter-in-law was heartbroken and still suffering from her post-delivery surgical wound.

On top of that, Sharon indirectly caused Xyla's father to die after breaking the news to him.

She could feel herself having an emotional breakdown as tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision.

Her body began to tremble, feeling drained of energy that she couldn't even stand upright anymore.

Her knees gave way, and she directly plopped down on Xyla's bed as her heart raced to the point where her chest hurt.

Sharon felt as if she couldn't take it anymore.

She felt suffocated, hopeless, and in pain.

All these feelings inside her made it feel like she was in hell.

Inhaling deeply, she lifted her hands and forcefully slapped herself twice again.

Despite using full force, she could feel no pain.

At that moment, the pain in her heart surpassed any physical pain she was feeling.

"I-I'm terrible, I really am. Why did I have to call him? Why?"

With that, she lifted her hands and slapped herself twice more.

Seeing that, the maid hurried forward to grab her hands. "Ms. Lindt, please stop. You couldn't have known that calling Mr. Quest would cause him to die." The maid also started sobbing as she spoke.

Sharon slowly closed her eyes. Her body was still trembling. "Xyla would surely be devastated when she wakes up and finds out."

How could Xyla bear the pain of losing her loved ones one after another?

She was still so young. Why did she have to bear so much pain?

Sharon instantly grabbed the maid's hand when she thought of this. "Who else was at home?"

"Mr. Quest's girlfriend, Betty Starmount," the maid answered truthfully.

"Betty was with him when he died. She was the only person at home," she added.

"I'll send some people over to take his body to the morgue and decide on the fest later. Don't tell Xyla about this first. Also, make sure nobody else finds out," Sharon instructed. en.swhovels.net Before Sharon decided to tell Xyla everything, she hoped she could keep this a secret from everyone or they might beat her to it.

She still had to discuss with Stanley Batton and Wilson Batton whether it would be wise for Xyla to find out about her father in her current condition.

The maid nodded respectfully.

"You should go back," Sharon told her.

The maid nodded again before turning around to leave.

After the maid had gone, Sharon stood up and began pacing the room, calling her husband on the phone.

Wilson had gone to the police station after dropping by to visit Xyla and understand the situation better.

By then, his phone was already out of battery and was now turned off.

Feeling helpless, she called Stanley instead, who was searching for Yaksha on the mountain behind his house on the island.

He continued to hike up the mountain after picking up the call. "What is it, Mom? Did something happen to Xyla?" His gaze immediately hardened when he said this. When Sharon heard her son's voice, her vulnerability surfaced and she started crying again.

Stanley instantly felt choked up when he heard her sobs.

His gaze steeled. "What is it? What happened to Xyla? Say something!"

Sobbing hard, Sharon quickly spoke. "Nothing happened to Xyla. It's your father-in-law."

After that, she told him everything as she cried.

Stanley was completely shocked when he heard what she said.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

His heart ached as he frowned deeply.

Jeremy Quest treated him like his own son.

He didn't take the news well at all.

"Don't be sad. Take good care of Xyla, and don't let her find out about this for now."

He tried to stay calm on the surface, but he was devastated in reality.

He couldn't believe Jeremy was gone just like that, and he no longer had a father-in-law.

Xyla also became an orphan.

"I know," Sharon said. "I called to talk to you about this because I couldn't decide either. I wasn't sure if I should keep it from Xyla or tell her the truth. I want to keep it from her, but fimm worried I can't do that well. After all, he was her father "His death is a significant matter in the Quest family," she added while sobbing.

"Xyla would be even more devastated if she found out, especially in her condition. It might lead to even worse consequences.

Let's keep it from her for now,"

Stanley replied, his frown deepening as he spoke.

Chapter 2019 Chapter 2019 "All right, Stan, I think you're right. What if Xyla hates us when she finds out later?" Sharon Lindt asked.

Stanley Batton frowned deeply, feeling mixed emotions. "I'd rather be hated by her than have her go through an emotional breakdown."

Xyla Quest was already devastated. If she found out about her father's death, things would only worsen.

The consequences might be dire if the emotional stress takes a toll on her.

He wouldn't allow that to happen, even if Xyla ended up hating him.

He needed to protect his wife.

Sharon instantly nodded in agreement. "All right, Stan, I'll do as you say. What do we do next?” Stanley furrowed his brows. "Send his body to the morgue but don't proceed with cremation just yet. Get an autopsy first."

His mother's eyes widened in surprise when she heard this. "Do you suspect there might be something behind his death?" He frowned again. "Just as a precaution."

It was better to investigate Jeremy Quest's death thoroughly since it happened a little too suddenly.

Sharon nodded immediately. "All right, I'll do as you say."

"Don't worry about it, I'll handle the rest," he assured her.

"Okay, but how will I face Xyla when she wakes up? I feel like I've indirectly caused her father's death," she said.

"Do what you need to, but don't be weird about it. And let's not jump to conclusions about the cause of his death." Since Betty showed up, Xyla had a premature delivery, and then her father died without a cause.

Perhaps there was a connection between those incidents?

The timing of these incidents seemed a little too coincidental.

The many questions in Stanley's mind terrified him.

Sharon inhaled deeply. "All right, don't worry. I'll put on a good show."

He didn't say anything. Instead, he silently hung up and called Zack Cassidy on the phone.

"My father-in-law just passed away. Keep this a secret, and don't let anyone else find out. Also, send the body to the morgue and get an autopsy done.

"Make sure to hire more people to keep an eye on the morgue. Don't let anyone modify the autopsy results. Other than the pathologist, I don't want anyone else near the body, especially Betty Starmount," he added.

With that, Stanley hung up the phone and continued searching for Yaksha, feeling like he had hit rock-bottom.

Every step he made felt heavy.

During the mid-winter season, the mountain was covered in snow that reached his calves, leaving behind visible tracks with every step he took.

The cold northern winds continued to bellow, sounding like it would tear the entire world apart.

This place used to look lush and lively, but now, wilted and lifeless trees were everywhere he looked with no green plants in sight.

Although it was cold amidst the snow, he continued to walk forward calmly until he arrived at the peak.

There, he found Yaksha, squatting next to a boulder as he carefully dug a plant out.

He was wearing his mask, with a serious expression on his face.

Beside him, a large bamboo basket contained root plants of various shapes and sizes.

When he saw Stanley approaching, he quickly stood up. "Why are you here? Didn't you tell me that Ms. Quest had a premature delivery? Why aren't you there with her? [was preparing to visit her after I received your call. However, I wanted to bring some useful herbs over before I depart."

Stanley immediately thought of his children when he mentioned 'premature delivery'.

Instantly, his facial expression turned gloomy again.

When Yaksha observed this, he promptly straightened and asked, "What's the matter? Did something happen to the children?"

"Yes." Stanley frowned again.

"What happened?" Yaksha asked in surprise.

Stanley then told him everything he knew.

"What? How could something like this happen?" Yaksha had a stunned look in his eyes and then quickly took a few steps back. "I didn't think your creditor would exact revenge on your children."

"I'm here to ask you if there's any way we could find the nine-tailed demon fox," Stanley said with a look of urgency and panic in his eyes.

Although he rarely showed his emotions, he couldn't keep calm anymore.

Yaksha had a conflicted look in his eyes and didn't reply right away.

"You have a way, don't you?" Stanley immediately asked when he noticed the look in his eyes.

Clenching his fists tightly upon hearing the question, Yaksha then fixed a determined look at the younger man. "Yes, I do. Come with me." Stanley instantly sighed in relief. "Okay."

Yaksha didn't reply except to hand his bamboo basket over to Stanley before making his way down the mountain.

Stanley followed soon after, carefully carrying the basket on his back to the house.

The scent of burning sandalwood incense filled the old-fashioned living room.

It was sufficiently warm in the house, making it feel like summer as soon as they entered.

Yaksha quickly pointed at the couch.

"Have a seat. I'm heading upstairs.

Don't come with me, and don't disturb me. Even if I don't come down for a long while, do not come looking for me.

"Also, you must stop anyone from disturbing me," he added.

"All right." Stanley immediately nodded.

Yaksha didn't say anything further and hurried upstairs.

After he was gone, Stanley silently sat on the couch and waited, feeling increasingly restless.

Meanwhile, back in Atlantis, Zack Cassidy had already transferred Jeremy Quest's body to a morgue via a helicopter.

Upon arrival at the morgue, the body was placed in a secret, darkened room inside.

Throughout the entire process, nobody was allowed to say a word about it.

Chapter 2020 Chapter 2020 Dark clouds dotted the skies, both in Atlantis and the nameless island on which Yaksha lived.

Approximately five minutes later, Stanley Batton suddenly felt a gust of wind in the house, followed by a dense sandalwood scent. The odd occurrences caused Stanley to look around subconsciously, finding nothing out of place other than those.

The strong wind continued for approximately five minutes before disappearing, regaining some warmth within the house again.

Stanley was taken aback by what happened, feeling increasingly curious about what Yaksha was doing upstairs.

Approximately half an hour later, a strong gust of wind appeared in the house again, carrying the same thick sandalwood scent with it.

This time, the lights went out in the house and plunged everything into darkness.

Stanley's eyes darted around, but he couldn't see anything.

The darkness lasted for five minutes before the lights in the house flickered on again, making everything peaceful and warm once more.

It all felt like a dream. It was unusual yet mystical.

Right then, Stanley started hearing ringing sounds from upstairs.

It sounded like numerous bells ringing, growing louder and louder until they were almost deafening.

Ten minutes later, everything became calm again.

All this made Stanley feel extremely curious.

However, because of what Yaksha said, Stanley remained calmly seated on the couch.

Just like that, half an hour went by before he heard footsteps.

He focused his attention toward sound.

the stairs, holding on to the railing.

Go See Yaksha walking He seemed drained of energy and extremely weak.

Stanley hurried forward to help him when he saw this. "What happened to you?"

Cough, cough, cough- Yaksha couldn't utter a single word. Instead, he bent over and repeatedly coughed at the ground.

Placing his hand on Yaksha's back, Stanley gently patted it to make him feel better.

Stanley didn't know what he did upstairs, but he was now suffering greatly because of it. "Pfft-"

Right then Yaksha suddenly coughed out a mouthful of blood before sitting down on the stairs, leaning against the railing while huffing and puffing.

A strong scent of blood began to spread through the room.

Yaksha's breathing was also getting shallower, panting as he gazed at Stanley.

"Let me rest for a while. I'll tell you later."

Stanley nodded slightly as he sat next to him and wordlessly rubbed his back.

Yaksha closed his eyes to rest.

Opening his eyes approximately five minutes later, Yaksha looked at Stanley "I know where your children are. Indeed, they are with the nine-tailed demon fox. They are still alive."