Ch. 421..430
Chapter 421
Chapter 421
Not too long after, six bodyguards walked in and began dragging Mary Sullivan out of the house, forcefully. "No... Father please, help..." Mary cried out as she struggled to free herself.
Her efforts, however, were futile.
Bailey Ronson was in such panic, that she was already in tears, but Tony Sullivan simply ignored her.
Mary's body was pressed against the cobblestone floor by four of the guards.
One of them held on to a whip while he walked toward her. He lowered his gaze before respectfully saying, "I apologize for this, Miss. I cannot disobey the master's orders." "Let go of me!" screamed Mary.
The more she struggled, the more the pebbles on the cobblestone floor scraped against her skin. It hurt terribly.
"Miss, please do not struggle. If you don't, the whip will only hit your back, but if you continue to do so, I cannot guarantee that you won't be accidentally hit somewhere else." After she started struggling less, the four bodyguards let her go.
Immediately after, the guard holding the whip lashed it against Mary's back.
Mary's shirt tore open at that moment, a fresh open wound clearly visible on her skin.
At that moment, she couldn't tell her flesh and blood apart. All she could do was shriek in pain.
As she wailed loudly, she struggled to get up.
But the bodyguard wouldn't allow it. He continued to whip her mercilessly.
The pain was so unbearable that Mary began cursing at them. "You insufferable slaves! I'll make sure each and every one of you suffer for this one day!"
Her taunts meant nothing to the bodyguard. Every time he whipped, he added the number in his mind.
By the time the number of lashes reached fifty, Mary barely had any strength left and she lay on the ground, her body shivering profusely.
Mary had already passed out when the number hit a hundred. Open wounds were all over her body, excluding her face.
Once it was all over, she was immediately sent to a hospital's emergency room.
***
When morning came, Xyla Quest opened her eyes. Her bare feet touched her bedroom's floor as she drew open the white curtains covering the French windows.
The spring sun graced her room with a comfortable warmth.
The flowers in the courtyard grew in vibrant colors and the grass smelled fresh. All of this put Xyla in a good mood.
Bzz... bzz... At that moment, Xyla's phone began to vibrate on her nightstand.
She walked over to pick it up and noticed that the call was from Georgie. She sat on her bed as she answered the call.
"Good morning, president Xyla. I heard news from a friend that Mary Sullivan was sent to the hospital for an emergency rescue last night. There were apparently open wounds all over her body..." reported Georgie.
Hearing the news, Xyla couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. "Her father must have taught her a lesson."
"That's what I heard as well... It seems that Tony Sullivan had given orders to have her whipped a hundred times."
Xyla snorted. She felt little to no pity for Mary.
She wouldn't have needed to be punished if she hadn't done those things in the first place.
Once the call ended, Xyla went off to clean herself up before preparing to head out.
Not long after, her phone began vibrating again.
Chapter 422
Chapter 422
It was a WeChat message from Noah Smith, asking when he could sign the contract with Xyla Quest.
Xyla chose to reply by calling him. He picked up almost immediately. "Aren't you going to ask about the contract details before signing it?" Noah chuckled. "I'm quite sure that you won't treat me unjustly."
"Even so, couldn't you at least pretend to be a little more worried?" Xyla laughed. She liked Noah's straightforwardness.
"It's fine, really. Just get the contract ready and tell me once it's done. We can sign it in person."
"Sure," replied Xyla.
After hanging up, Xyla suddenly felt an acute pain in her abdomen. It came from the lower right side.
Her face turned pale almost immediately.
As the pain slowly increased, her body became weaker and weaker.
She held onto the sides of the bathtub to pull herself out.
A second later, she lost control of her legs and she fell forward.
Instinctively, she grabbed on to the closest thing to her and it was a metal shelf full of skincare products.
However, this only resulted in the metal shelf crashing to the ground with her.
As the skincare products were mostly stored in glass containers, shards of broken glass flew around the room in a sickening crash.
The concoction of liquids mixed on the floor, forming an unbearable stench. It made Xyla nauseous almost immediately.
When she tried to get to her feet again, she just couldn't find the energy to do so.
The pain from the cramp in her abdomen was only growing more severe with every breath she took.
In her mind, she guessed that it was acute appendicitis after putting two and two together.
Not too long after, the bathroom door swung open.
Stanley Batton ran into the room. When he saw Xyla sprawled on the ground, naked and pale from all the pain she was experiencing, he froze in utter shock.
He instantly moved toward her and helped her up. "What happened here?" His eyes were full of worry.
Xyla could barely even form words with her mouth. She shook her head before pointing toward the pain in her abdomen.
She was aware of the shameful state she was in and despite all the pain, her face still managed to turn red. She wanted to tell him to help put some clothes on her but her mouth simply would not comply. All she could do was let him hold on to her and see her body as it was.
Stanley acted fast, carrying her swiftly to her bed. He returned to the bathroom to get a towel and wiped her body dry.
Though she felt like she could die from embarrassment as Stanley helped her, the pain in her body was so overwhelming that she couldn't care less about being seen naked anymore.
When she looked into his eyes, she was able to sense how worried he was. It brought her heart a slight calm amidst the pain.
Once her body was fully dry, Stanley rushed to her closet and randomly grabbed a set of undergarments and a white hoodie before putting them on her.
The pain had not stopped and it was getting worse. Xyla's vision began to fail her. She was losing consciousness at an accelerated rate.
Though this was the case, she didn't feel scared at all. It was mostly because she knew Stanley was with her.
She felt like there was nothing to be afraid of as long as he was by her side.
Stanley picked Xyla up again before rushing down the stairs and gently laying her down in the back seat of his Honda.
"Hang in there Xyla, we'll be at the hospital very soon."
With that, he quickly shut the back door and got into the driver's seat.
He accelerated all the way to the hospital, his black Honda as swift as an arrow.
As he drove, he frequently looked at the rearview mirror. Looking at her poor condition, his heart continued to ache.
On his way to the hospital, he called the dean of the Municipal Hospital. "Get a few paramedics on standby at the hospital's entrance..."
Stanley didn't care about anything else. He tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and continued driving on.
Chapter 423
Chapter 423
There seemed to be more cars and people on the road.
Stanley Batton had to slow down every time he tried to overtake a car.
After an agonizing number of cars he had to pass by, they finally arrived at the Municipal Hospital.
The hospital's dean was already waiting for them outside the main entrance alongside a large group of medical staff.
Stanley hit the brakes right in front of them and quickly got out. He carried Xyla Quest out from the backseat and placed her on a stretcher that had already been prepared by the dean. Xyla was completely unconscious at this point.
"Master Stanley, what's wrong with her?" asked the dean.
"Some kind of stomach ache," said Stanley as he looked at the dean.
The dean didn't say anything else. With the help of the other medical staff, they carried Xyla hurriedly into the hospital.
Stanley followed close behind.
Xyla was in the emergency room in no time.
After some time, she was officially diagnosed with acute appendicitis.
After discussing with Stanley, the dean authorized a surgery to be performed on Xyla immediately.
***
When Xyla opened her eyes, she found herself in a hospital room.
Stanley was sitting next to her bed, watching over her with worried eyes.
He looked exhausted no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
"You're awake," he said.
A slight pain followed in Xyla's lower abdomen. "Five Batton, what happened to me? Was it acute appendicitis?" she asked. Sensing something cool on the back of her hand, Xyla looked down and saw that she had been hooked to an IV drip. "Yeah. The doctor said that a surgery was necessary. Since there was no other way, I allowed it," he said in a soft voice. "Oh." Xyla nodded slowly. She then noticed a clock on the wall.
It was already noon.
It seemed that Stanley had gone through this entire ordeal with her for some time now.
When Xyla recalled everything that happened in the bathroom, she blushed.
She wasn't wearing anything at the time and he had rushed in just like that. He even wiped her body dry and helped her get dressed.
At that moment, her heart went numb with embarrassment.
Even though Stanley could guess why, he smiled vaguely as he watched her expression change. "Why's your face all red?"
Xyla's heart skipped a beat. "It's nothing... Thank you Five Batton... Also, I hope you forget everything you saw in the bathroom today..." "Hmm..." His smile just widened.
"Thank you," Xyla said gratefully. She was still trying to hide her embarrassment.
Her thanks to him was sincere. Had he not been around, she could've passed out in the bathroom, all alone and nobody would ever know.
It was horrifying to think of, to say the least.
"Don't mention it."
"So... When can I leave the hospital?"
"You'll need to stay at least three days here for observation purposes. You'll be free to leave after that. Though the wound is small, you may feel slightly lethargic. For today, you aren't allowed to leave the bed. You can start walking again tomorrow but you must be careful. The doctor also said that it would be best if you rested for at least a month before returning to your daily routine," explained Stanley slowly.
"I see... Don't worry, I'll get someone to look after me later..." Xyla sighed as she said this.
Stanley already had a girlfriend. It would be inappropriate of him to look after her all the time. "That isn't necessary. I happen to be free the next two days."
Chapter 424
Chapter 424
"It's alright. I'll ask Georgie to hire a professional caregiver to look after me," Xyla Quest said as she shook her head. Xyla knew for a fact, that any woman would be upset to find out that their boyfriend was constantly taking care of another.
She didn't want something like that to happen.
Since Stanley already had a girlfriend, he and Xyla should keep some distance between them.
This was Xyla's way of showing respect to his girlfriend.
Sensing something amiss with Xyla, Stanley frowned slightly. "Is anything the matter?" he asked.
Beep, beep, beep...
At that moment, Xyla's phone on the nightstand began to ring.
His hand moved over to pick the phone up but just as he was about to hand it over to her, he unintentionally saw that it was Noah Smith who was calling her.
Stanley looked at Xyla briefly before picking the call up on her behalf and placing the phone in her hand.
Xyla looked at who the caller was. "Noah, what's up?"
She began coughing almost immediately after she spoke.
"Is something wrong? Why does your voice sound weird?" Noah asked, somewhat worried.
"Oh. I've been hospitalized because I have appendicitis," Xyla said.
"Hospitalized? Which hospital?" Noah asked immediately.
"Municipal Hospital..."
"I'll come over right away."
"You really don't have to..."
Before her sentence even ended, Noah had already hung up.
Xyla simply sighed before giving Georgie a call.
When she picked up, Xyla explained the situation she was in to her. She then asked Georgie to find her a professional caregiver.
After hearing the complete story, Georgie asked worriedly, "Appendicitis? You've even undergone surgery? I don't trust caregivers. I'll look after you personally," Georgie said in a determined voice. "You're a busy person Georgie, don't even think about it." As she said that, she began coughing again.
Speaking this much was making her feel a little exhausted.
"Multitasking is easy for me. You're definitely more important. Alright, let's stop the chit chat. I'll be coming over right now," Georgie said before hanging up.
Stanley sat silently next to her as he listened to her conversation with Georgie. His brows furrowed, a slight confusion reflected in his eyes.
Something felt wrong with Xyla. She had never complained about him taking care of her before this.
Why was she suddenly pushing him away?
Beep, beep, beep...
Stanley's phone began ringing, interrupting his thoughts.
When he saw that it was a call from Catherine Batton, he stood up and walked over to another bed. "What is it?" He asked with a softened gaze after picking up the call. "I'm at your office... Where are you?" Catherine asked.
"I'm busy right now. Go home," Stanley said.
The warm sun's rays passed through the hospital window and landed on his face. It made his fair skin look somewhat translucent.
Chapter 425
Chapter 425
There was quite a distance between Xyla Quest and Stanley Batton, making it difficult for her to hear what exactly he was talking about with the person on the call. However, from the changes in his facial expression and judging by the tone of his voice, Xyla was fairly certain that Stanley was talking to his girlfriend.
Perhaps they had agreed to go somewhere together today, but they had to cancel their plans because of her.
Xyla's heart began to ache while her thoughts went wild.
Stanley hung up the phone and walked over to Xyla before sitting down once more. "Are you hungry? I'll get something for you," he said.
Xyla looked away so that he couldn't see the disappointment in her eyes. "It's okay. Georgie will be here soon. You can leave now. You're not needed here anymore," she said blatantly.
Her cold attitude made Stanley frown again. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I just want to be alone. Hurry along and leave now," said Xyla.
"There's something you're not telling me." He pressed on.
"I'm being serious. I'm tired. I just want to rest for a while... Hurry up and attend to the things you need to do. I've kept you here long enough."
After finishing her sentence, Xyla turned to face the window, her back facing Stanley.
"Why are you suddenly being so distant?" Stanley raised a brow slightly as he gazed at her back.
"I'm just tired..." Xyla said as she closed her eyes.
"..." Stanley became quiet. He frowned and continued to silently watch over her back.
For some reason, he could sense that something had definitely changed in her, though it was subtle.
He couldn't point out what exactly the change was, but he knew something was amiss.
Perhaps there was a misunderstanding between them which caused this.
About half an hour later, Georgie Clementine arrived with a few bags of supplies.
She rushed to the bed as soon as she walked through the door and placed the things she had brought on the nightstand.
Since Xyla's back was facing her, Georgie assumed that she must have fallen asleep. "Is she asleep? How is she doing?" Georgie asked Stanley. "Yeah," was Stanley's only reply as he continued to look at her back.
Beep, beep, beep...
It was a call from Zack Cassidy. After looking at Georgie, he walked over to another bed and picked up the call with a serious expression on his face.
"Fifth master, there's an important document that you need to go through. Where are you?" Zack asked.
"Got it. I'll be there soon," Stanley said.
After hanging up, Stanley looked at Xyla one final time before looking at Georgie, his expression cold as usual. "Please take good care of her. I have to leave to deal with something at the moment," he said. Xyla slowly opened her eyes. She thought to herself that his girlfriend must have been looking for him.
After letting out a heavy sigh, Xyla closed her eyes again without saying anything.
Georgie nodded slightly.
Stanley took his black coat which he had draped over a chair earlier, before quickly putting it on and walking away.
After he left, Xyla opened her eyes and lay on her back before looking at Georgie. "Georgie... I really think you should hire a caregiver for me. I don't think it's appropriate for you to look after me."
"I don't trust caregivers at all. Oh right, what's going on between you and Five Batton? Did you two argue or something?" Georgie asked, confused.
For some reason, Georgie felt that something had happened between Xyla and Stanley.
When Georgie first walked in, she thought Xyla was asleep since she had her back facing Stanley.
If she wasn't asleep, why would she have her back facing him, and why didn't she say anything?
Moreover, Xyla had never asked for a caregiver when she was injured previously. Five was the one who looked after her. What made this time different? "No..." Xyla simply shook her head.
Chapter 426
Chapter 426
"Are you sure? Why do I feel like there's something wrong with both of you? Why didn't you ask for a caregiver when you were injured last time?" Georgie Clementine pursued on. She moved toward Xyla Quest's bed and sat near the edge. Stretching her arm out, she casually placed it around Xyla's shoulder, pulling Xyla close to her.
"As you said, that was before. The current situation is completely different as he now has a girlfriend. His girlfriend would be depressed if she found out that Stan had been taking care of me." Xyla smiled bitterly, looking exceptionally lonely and gloomy.
Her heart began to throb again when she mentioned Stanley's relationship. Breathing became difficult and she felt like she was constantly out of breath.
Georgie's eyes were able to capture all the changes in her expression perfectly. Her utter dismay was reflected in her eyes. "Xyla... Do you... Do you have a thing for Stanley Batton?"
Another bitter smile was Xyla's response, the girl refusing to deny nor answer with words.
Despite the silence, her expressions and reactions said it all. Her answer was clear as day.
Georgie's immediate response was to turn Xyla's body to face hers, both her hands clasped firmly on Xyla's shoulders. Though a serious expression was etched on her face, Georgie's eyes expressed only sincerity as she spoke her next line. "Xyla... Didn't you tell me that you'd be careful? That you wouldn't let yourself fall for that man?"
"Both of you live in completely different worlds. You shouldn't mess with this kind of person. Under the guise of a temporary husband, I wouldn't worry at all. However, you can never let him become your real husband." The seriousness in her tone was only amplified with each word she spoke.
"Your words bear the truth and I'm sure everyone else would agree... But feelings and emotions can be difficult to control." Xyla sighed in her helpless position.
"That is true Xyla, but you were never meant to be together with him. He doesn't deserve you." Georgie explained, her advice coming straight from her heart.
Xyla's response was a heavy sigh. "There's no point talking about it now. He has a girlfriend anyway. Stan and I being together is nothing but a mere fantasy at this point. Though I admit that I still have a thing for him, I'm not going to try to confess or do anything to him."
Georgie's brows furrowed as she frowned. "Well, thankfully he's got a girlfriend now. Who knows what would have happened between the two of you?"
Xyla's response was simply silence.
Georgie held Xyla's right hand in her own. Her other hand proceeded to gently stroke Xyla's hair. "He has a girlfriend now Georgie. You should seal up those feelings for him. The feelings which should never have existed in the first place."
"I'll try," Xyla's muttered as her frown turned into a scowl.
Georgie did not say anything else. She simply hugged Xyla in her arms tenderly. "I understand that you're having a hard time now... Just let time do its work. Your affection for him will eventually fade and your broken heart will slowly heal. Everything will work out just fine, alright?"
Xyla nodded slightly, refusing to say anything.
Georgie remained silent as well, continuing to stroke Xyla's hair gently, trying her best to console her.
She knew very well that Xyla was a smart girl. There was no need for her to say anything else about the matter. Xyla was perfectly capable of taking it all in and handling it by herself.
Knock, knock, knock... Three consecutive knocks on the door broke the silence and the two were pulled away from their deep thoughts.
Xyla's first reaction was to push Georgie away from her. "I think Noah is here," she whispered.
She then shouted toward the door, "Please come in."
The door was flung open in response.
Noah Smith entered the ward with a bunch of scarlet carnations in hand. The actual person looked even more elegant than the flowers.
He glanced at Georgie Clementine and gave her a polite nod before heading to Xyla Quest's side. "How are you feeling Xyla?" he asked. Georgie studied Noah's face, her eyes full of admiration and approval. She was amazed by the man.
"Much better," Xyla replied, a kind and gentle smile on her face.
Chapter 427
Chapter 427
A grin formed on Noah Smith's face, his exquisite dimples raised at the corners of his mouth. "That's great to hear. I bought a little gift on my way here. Hope you like it.....”
"Thanks, they're beautiful. I love it," replied Xyla with delight as she examined the beauty of the scarlet bouquet.
There was not a single woman on earth who could resist the charm of flowers, and this included her.
"Glad you like it." Noah placed the flowers on the bedside table with a satisfied expression on his face.
"Oh that's right, let me introduce you to Georgie." Xyla looked toward Georgie with a smile. "Georgie Clementine here, is the Chief Executive of X entertainment. Most of X entertainment's popular stars today were all mentored by her. She's older than you so you can call her Georgie."
Hearing that, Noah immediately reached a hand out to Georgie. "Nice to be of your acquaintance Georgie, I'm Noah Smith, but you can call me Noah. Xyla calls me that as well."
Georgie rose to her feet in response, a wide smile on her face as she shook Noah's hand. "Nice to meet you too Noah."
It was only her first time meeting Noah, but he had already left a very good impression on her. Noah Smith, the Vice President's only son.
Despite being a high ranking member of society, he was very nice and approachable. Georgie could hardly sense any arrogance or boastfulness in him.
"Speaking of which, I've already drawn up your contract with us, Noah. It's just in my car. I'll go bring it up for you to have a look at if you don't mind waiting here for a moment," Georgie said as she faced Noah "Sure, I'm fine with a little wait," replied Noah in agreement.
Upon finishing his sentence, he sat at the edge of Xyla's bed before adding, "I'll stay here with Xyla. You go on ahead Georgie."
Georgie beamed a smile at them before heading downstairs.
"How's the wound on your body looking? Does it still hurt?" Noah asked, his voice full of concern.
Xyla shook her head. "Well, it's not particularly painful... It's bearable."
"That's good. I've told my mom about your surgery. She said she'll come visit you later in the afternoon. She's with my dad at a very important party at the moment," said Noah.
Hearing that Aunt Rebecca cared for her warmed Xyla's heart. "She doesn't need to pay a visit if she's too busy. I'm fine."
"My mom would come over even if you were in peak condition. You have no idea how much she likes you. She was so worried the moment she found out about your surgery. The only other times I've seen her that worried was when dad and I were sick."
Upon hearing that, the smile on Xyla's face only beamed wider. Her heart was filled with an endless warmth.
***
Meanwhile, Stanley Batton sat in the President's office of the Dragon Group.
In his hand was a limited edition Gilt pen. The dashing man signed the two documents on his table before picking them up and handing them to Zack Cassidy.
Zack, who had been standing in front of Stanley's table, took the documents solemnly in both hands, before turning to leave.
"Zack..." Stanley called out with an indifferent tone as he stared at his back.
Zack turned to look at Stanley's apathetic face. "What are your orders, Fifth Master?"
Retracting the tip of his pen, Stanley placed it to the side of his table.
Leaning his elbows against the rosewood desk, he crossed his forearms together. His expression bore a deep seriousness and he looked straight into Zack's eyes. "If there's a drastic change in a woman's attitude toward you... What would the reason be?"
Chapter 428
Chapter 428
Zack Cassidy's eyes opened wide, attentive and brimming with curiosity.
He slowly approached the wooden desk before holding onto the edge and looking straight into Stanley's eyes. "Is Xyla behaving oddly around you? What exactly do you mean by attitude changes? Is she being apathetic toward you? I can't believe this is actually happening to you."
Stanley's face darkened instantaneously.
Zack immediately realized that he had gone a bit too far. Clearing his throat, he took in a deep breath. He chose his next words carefully before whispering, "My apologies, Fifth Master. My words were chosen poorly."
This was true, as even Zack was surprised at how he simply blurted out everything that was on his mind.
He felt his scalp go numb.
"Do you crave death, Zack?" Stanley asked, each word more frigid than the last.
"I do not, Fifth Master..." Zack responded apprehensively.
"No, I'm pretty sure you do." Stanley glared at him, his frown almost overbearing.
"
"..." Zack Cassidy dared not to say a single word more. He hung his head and looked toward the floor.
A friend of mine is having that experience, it's not a personal one. Apparently his girlfriend did a one-eighty on him." Stanley coughed awkwardly after saying this, his lie apparent.
Upon hearing that, Zack could hardly stop himself from laughing aloud, but he somehow managed to maintain his serious facade.
Who hadn't heard of the 'this was my friend's experience' lie?
More importantly, the Fifth Master actually knew how to apply the lie too?
Although it was clear that the Fifth Master was lying, Zack pretended that he had not noticed. He asked Stanley solemnly, "So what you're saying is that your friend's girlfriend was originally nice to him... but now she's suddenly being cold to him?"
"Mmm..." Stanley simply grunted, refusing to elaborate any further.
"Generally speaking, there are two possibilities. The obvious first guess would be that your friend must have done something to upset his girl. Since she's not saying anything directly, we can assume she's simply sulking. That would explain why her attitude toward you...r. Your friend changed," Zack explained as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. That was close.
Stanley pondered about this for a few seconds. Try as he might, he could not think of anything he had done which could have upset Xyla.
Had he not been acting nicely these days?
A scowl was on his face but his tone turned inquisitive once more. "What's the other possibility?"
"Well, the other possibility is that your g... Your friend's girl has a thing for someone else. If the love between your friend and his girl isn't mutual, it'll usually cause something... something like this to happen." Zack stuttered with dread as he forced himself to finish his sentence in front of Stanley's face.
Stanley's face went sour again.
Who could Xyla have fallen in love with?
From what he had observed, he felt that the current Xyla was not someone who would fall for anyone so easily. Suddenly, the memory of Noah Smith calling Xyla through WeChat in the ward earlier flashed across his mind. Could it be Noah Smith? His brows furrowed as he thought about it.
"Fifth Master... Are you alright?" Zack asked with concern, his heart beating wildly at the same time out of fear. "Are there no other possibilities?" Stanley raised a brow in a disheartened voice as he glared at Zack.
His gaze pierced through Zack, almost as though it were a sharp thorn.
Zack's mind raced frantically for an answer as his breath grew heavy.
Stanley continued staring at Zack in silence, a glint of anticipation in his eyes.
Though the three seconds felt like an eternity, Zack slowly opened his mouth to speak. "Well, it could be that your friend's love interest is simply in a bad mood because she encountered someone or something that made her unhappy."
Stanley glanced briefly at Zack. "... Yeah, that's possible..."
Zack nodded in agreement.
"You may leave now. Which reminds me, order some nutritious food suitable for post-surgery and deliver it to Xyla's ward for me." Stanley instructed Zack with a sincere tone in his voice.
Chapter 429
Chapter 429
"I will, Fifth Master." Zack Cassidy gave Stanley Batton a respectful nod before turning around to leave his office.
After the door clicked shut behind him, the office returned to its original, peaceful state.
Stanley leaned back against his office chair, his hands behind his head and his legs comfortably crossed. All that was on his mind were the final two possibilities that Zack had proposed earlier.
***
When Georgie Clementine returned to the ward with the contract in hand, Noah Smith signed the contract without even glancing at it.
Shortly after, he bid a brief farewell before leaving with his copy of the contract. Xyla and Georgie were alone in the ward again.
The first thing Georgie did was slide the contract into a drawer before closing it. Her next move was to return to Xyla's side, where she began praising Noah. "Noah seems like a straightforward and energetic man. He was very friendly and approachable, nothing like the nobleman I had initially imagined him to be like."
Hearing this, Xyla thought about Georgie's praises for a moment before feeling pleased about his personality too. "Yeah, his parents have done a very good job educating him."
"From his demeanor alone, I knew he was well brought up. I like him a lot." Georgie grinned before asking, "It's almost lunchtime. Anything you want to eat Xyla? I'll order for you."
Xyla shook her head in response. She couldn't think of anything she wanted to eat at the moment.
The truth was, there was still a slight bitter feeling that remained stuck in her heart from the conversation about Stanley with Georgie earlier.
"Well, even if you don't have much of an appetite you still have to eat something. There must be something you want to eat." Georgie continued to insist.
However, Xyla shook her head once more, refusing Georgie's attempt again.
Georgie frowned. Seeing that the girl wasn't going to comply, she opened a food delivery app on her phone. She would take the liberty to order a nutritious meal for Xyla.
After the order was confirmed, she looked at Xyla and sighed. "Look, you can't just skip lunch just because you don't feel like eating, alright? I've ordered some food for you and I understand that you're in a bad mood right now, but you shouldn't starve yourself just because of that."
Xyla's response was to simply close her eyes slowly in silence.
Georgie remained silent as well. She took her phone out and started working on her business emails.
About twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
Georgie got up to open it.
A delivery man was standing at the doorstep.
Seeing Georgie, he handed her two large bags.
Curious, Georgie peeked inside the bags before she was struck by confusion. 'I didn't order this much, did I?' She thought to herself.
Noticing her expression, the delivery man said, "This is the lunch Mr. Batton ordered for Miss Quest." The explanation was sufficient to clear Georgie's confusion.
"Thank you..." Georgie smiled politely. She closed the door behind her before bringing the two bags of food over to Xyla.
She placed them on an empty bedside table and sighed. "It seems that Stan ordered you some lunch."
She hated to admit it, but she understood why Xyla would fall for such a man. He was doing all he could to take care of her after all.
Xyla opened her eyes slowly and glanced at the two bags of food. Her reaction was a bitter smile. "Got it."
Shaking her head, Georgie began setting up the folded dining table that was attached to the bed. The table was set in an instant.
Next came the food. She placed the containers of food on the table, all the time mumbling, "I shouldn't have ordered earlier... With this much food from him, I guess my initial order is going to be wasted." "Yeah," muttered Xyla in agreement.
While Georgie continued to arrange the food on the table, her own order arrived. Placing the food she ordered together with Stanley's, the table-which was already quite large-had barely any space left uncovered by food.
The scene only caused Xyla to lose even more of her appetite.
Nevertheless, she forced herself to pick up a pair of chopsticks and began nibbling on some food to avoid any further nagging from Georgie.
After a hellish lunch, the two of them had just managed to finish their meal when a short series of raps came from the door. There was another visitor.
Cleared the table to make the room look more presentable, Georgie looked toward the door before calling out, "Please come in..."
Xyla turned to face the door as well as the visitor stepped in.
Chapter 430
Chapter 430
"Please come in," called out Georgie Clementine.
In response, Stanley Batton stepped into the ward with a huge basket of fruits in hand.
Xyla Quest found herself peering at the basket. It had all her favorite fruits in it.
Stepping forward, he placed the basket of fruits on the bedside table and pulled a chair to sit beside Xyla. He looked at her and asked, "Was the lunch I ordered to your liking?"
"Yes, the lunch was delicious and I appreciate the fruit basket. Though why are you back so soon?" Several thoughts were swimming in Xyla's head. How could he spend so little time with his girlfriend? How was that enough?
"I was worried about you," Stanley answered.
"There's nothing to worry about, I have Georgie with me. As you can see, everything is fine here. Georgie has been taking very good care of me. Now hurry along and attend to your business matters," blurted Xyla somewhat coldly, though her expression remained gentle as usual.
A slight scowl formed on Stanley's face and he looked into her eyes. "I just arrived here. Are you chasing me out already?"
"I just don't think that you should be wasting your time on me"
"Is there something bothering you?"
Xyla shook her head and lied as naturally as she breathed. "Nothing that I can think of."
"Then why are you acting this way toward me?" Doubt and confusion were reflected clearly in his eyes.
Although Xyla had always been calm and mild-mannered, Stanley could tell that she was trying her hardest to push him away right now. That she felt a terrible unease which would only increase the longer he tried to take care of her.
"You're imagining things. It's really nothing." Though Xyla was smiling, it felt unnaturally frozen.
While Xyla managed to mostly maintain a serene and courteous aura on her exterior, she felt like a terrible storm was brewing inside her.
It was difficult to suppress her envy toward Stanley's girlfriend. Images of them together kept popping up in Xyla's mind and this only made her feel worse.
Stanley furrowed his brows as he stared deep into her emotionless eyes. He got up from his chair and walked out of the ward silently without saying another word.
As the door closed behind him, Stanley could feel the number of wrinkles on his forehead increase. The last two possibilities that Zack Cassidy had proposed to him in his office kept flashing through his mind. Terrible anxiety burdened his heart.
Bzz, bzz, bzz... Stanley could feel his cell phone vibrating. The discomfort in his heart remained even though the name 'Little Darling' was displayed beside the call symbol. "What is it?"
As he spoke, he strode toward the elevator.
The elevator was packed with people, and all the women inside could hardly take their eyes off him. Their eyes were filled with amazement.
Stanley however, couldn't care any less about them. He immediately pressed the button to close the elevator doors before standing as rigid as a pole. A strong aura exuded from him. It painted a clear difference in status compared to the others in the elevator.
Though he stood among a crowd, there existed a barrier that separated him from the others. It shielded his true self from other people.
"Are you in a bad mood, brother?" Ava Batton could be heard asking on the other end of the phone. "You don't sound like your usual self."
He massaged his forehead and whispered in response, "No... No, I'm not."
"Why not come over and have lunch with me then? I don't want to eat alone."
"You haven't eaten yet?"
"Nope. I was playing a game at the cyber cafe and I lost track of time." Ava groaned.
"Where are you?"
"The KFC at Goldfield Plaza. It's on the lower ground floor."
He frowned. "Why would you even consider going to such a place?"
"Well... I had a craving for fried chicken and burgers, okay."
"Alright, alright, I'll see you there." He hung up the phone.
***
Half an hour later, Stanley Batton found himself walking into the fast-food restaurant.
The place was crowded as usual.