Ch. 51..60
Chapter 51
"Xyla, is this true?" Jeremy Quest was trying hard to suppress his anger as he looked at Xyla Quest. He hoped that everything about this was fake.
However, Xyla did not speak and nodded gently instead before she took another sip of her tea.
"Did you really get married overseas? It's a huge deal. Why didn't you talk to me about it?
"What are you trying to do? Do you want to rebel against me?" The veins on Jeremy's neck were becoming apparent. After that, he angrily tossed the documents onto the coffee table. Suddenly, the temperature in the living room dropped. It felt as if the air was being compressed.
Jeremy placed a lot of hope on Xyla. Initially, he planned to find Xyla an excellent man to become her husband.
However, he did not think that she would hastily get married without consulting him.
How could she keep such an important thing from her father? Did she even think of him as her father?
"Why else? It must be because her husband is a nobody. Dad, I bet that man is a gangster or something," Emily Quest said while looking at Xyla with a pleased expression on her face.
Emily knew that Xyla was done for! Xyla would soon be defeated! Their father would never give the Quest family's business to someone like her!
"Xyla, a marriage is a very important thing. How can you get married to a piece of trash just like that?
"If you treat yourself with such little respect, how can your Dad count on you in the future? Will you act irresponsibly when you manage the company as well?" May Conner chipped in with words of insult. The duo was determined to take Xyla down.
Hearing this, Jeremy became even angrier. He agreed with what Emily and May said.
"Is that so? Xyla?" Jeremy stared at Xyla and asked.
"Dad, why do you even bother asking? It must be the case. Otherwise, what other reasons would she have?" Emily added eagerly.
When Emily saw how angry her father was, she was overjoyed. She intended to paint an even worse picture of Xyla's situation.
Instead of looking at Emily, Jeremy kept his eyes locked on Xyla's face as he waited for a response from her.
On the other hand, Xyla patiently took another sip of tea and swallowed it before she turned to look gently at her father. "Dad, it's true that I got married."
"Haha... Dad, do you hear that? It's all true." Emily rolled her eyes at Xyla before she leaned back and waited for more.
"Xyla, oh, Xyla... Why did you give up on yourself so easily?" May pretended to sigh in defeat while she shook her head.
Xyla took another sip of her tea slowly before she put her cup down and looked at Jeremy. "Back then, I was being treated in America all on my own. Without any loved ones by my side, I went through a lot and had emotional breakdowns.
"He appeared during my darkest hour. He was the grandson of the doctor who healed me. Also, he helped me get through the most difficult time of my life.
"After I recovered, I chose to get married to him. Firstly, it was because I gradually developed feelings for him over time. Secondly, I wanted to repay the doctor's kindness. By healing me from my sickness, he effectively gave me a second chance at life. I felt that it was the right thing to do.
"Back then, I chose not to tell you because I was afraid you would disagree. After I came back, I thought of finding the right time to tell you. I didn't plan on keeping it a secret from you forever."
Chapter 52
Chapter 52
Xyla Quest did not dare to tell her father the entire truth.
Since Jeremy Quest was a man of tradition, he would be enraged if he found out Xyla got married to a stranger to recover her looks. More importantly, the fact that she remained in a marriage, which lacked solid foundations and might even end up being divorced.
Perhaps, Jeremy might think that Xyla lacked self-love and was a harlot.
Instead of telling the truth, which might make him upset, Xyla thought it was a better idea to create a story where she and her husband were living a happily married life. This would make Jeremy feel a lot better.
Therefore, Xyla needed to make sure the story was perfectly logical. More importantly, she must appear very happy in this story.
After finishing her sentence, Xyla immediately stood up and kneeled in front of Jeremy. "I'm sorry, Dad. I should not have done something like this behind your back." There was a serious expression on her face.
Xyla was saying those words from the bottom of her heart. To be honest, she felt guilty about keeping such a thing from her father all this while. However, she did not have a choice back then.
If Xyla did not recover her beauty back then, many things would not have gone as smoothly as she wished. Moreover, she did not want to remain as a hideous lady and allow Emily to step all over her for the rest of her life.
When Emily and May saw what had transpired, they both smiled at each other satisfactorily before turning to look at Jeremy and waiting for him to announce his punishment against Xyla.
"Do you think Dad will let you off the hook this easily? Aren't you too naïve?" Emily snorted coldly.
When Jeremy saw how sincere Xyla seemed when she told her story, his frown immediately faded.
After letting out a long sigh, Jeremy carefully helped Xyla up and allowed her to sit next to him on the armrest. He completely ignored Emily as he did so. After that, he held Xyla's hand. "I understand. You naturally could not refuse love and warmth when you were suffering through so much all on your own."
Emily and May were both shocked by Jeremy's response. They never imagined Jeremy would react this positively.
How could this happen when they were prepared for a good show?
At that moment, the duo clasped their hands together angrily.
"Since that man gave you a second chance at life, and he has such a wonderful grandson, I can say that you did a good thing by repaying him in kind," Jeremy added.
When Xyla saw how Jeremy reacted, she felt even more sorry. Her eyes began to fill with tears. "Dad, I'm sorry."
"Indeed, you have done something wrong against me. You should have discussed it with me before you made the decision. In fact, not only would I not refuse you, I would even have held a grand wedding for you." Jeremy's face became sullen when they talked about this.
"Sorry..."
"Alright. Stop being sorry. What does he do? Since he is the grandchild of a doctor, I'm sure he works in a respectable field." Jeremy seemed very concerned. Since things have gotten this far, he had no choice but to accept it.
"He has always been by the doctor's side and learned from him. He plans to establish a hospital in the country once he completes his studies."
"How old is he?" Jeremy asked.
"Twenty-eight," Xyla answered without thinking about it.
Although she did not know much about her husband, she at least knew his age.
"Dad, stop listening to Xyla's nonsense. I bet she made everything up, including the doctor and his grandson, supposedly a medical student.
"The truth was she got married to a lowly being and didn't have the guts to tell you about him." Emily was very straightforward.
"In that case, why don't you check if there's a doctor called Dr. Batton? Find out if he has a grandson... Aren't you very good at playing detective? Why don't you gather all the information?" Xyla said confidently.
"Emily Quest, shut up. All you do is make a mess of everything under the sun," Jeremy yelled coldly.
Ever since Jeremy's attitude toward Emily shifted for the worse, he began to feel annoyed regardless of what she did.
Although Emily seemed as if she was eager to continue insulting Xyla, May quickly covered her mouth and pinched her thigh forcefully. "Shut up! Can't you see that your father is angry?" She warned.
"I think it's great that he wishes to establish a hospital. If he needs help, I can support him financially," Jeremy said.
Although a family of doctors did not fare as well as their family did financially, it was still a respectable profession. Jeremy was rather pleased with the idea.
Chapter 53
Chapter 53
"He said he wanted to rely on himself," said Xyla.
Jeremy's eyes were filled with approval. "He seems like a fine young man. Bring him home next time so I can meet him."
"Okay," replied Xyla, nodding.
Emily chimed in, "When?"
To find out whether or not Xyla was lying, Emily would just have to interrogate her so-called husband when the time came. If the man had no medical knowledge, that would mean he was lying. Xyla would be done for!
She firmly believed that the day when Xyla would shoot herself in the foot was near.
"Why don't you get Brother-in-law to come to my wedding? It's the wedding of your only sister, there's no reason for Brother-in-law not to attend, right?" Emily pressed on, not giving Xyla any opportunity to drop the subject.
Xyla answered casually, "Sure."
"Alright then. I'll be heading to the company," said Jeremy. He patted Xyla's hand affectionately before leaving the house.
Xyla had no time to spare for the mother-daughter duo either. She got up, about to go upstairs and tidy up before heading to Imperial Prime for a spin, then to X Entertainment. Just as she was about to stand, Emily viciously tugged her back onto the sofa.
She abruptly stood up and stared down at Xyla with a look of disdain. "I'll just wait for your lie to be exposed at my wedding!"
Xyla shook her head helplessly. She found Emily's behavior to be both annoying and amusing.
"Even if what you said is true, I bet he's an ugly toad! As far as I know, men who study medicine are rarely good-looking. He's not balding, is he? Or maybe he even smells like chemicals."
As she spoke, Emily couldn't hold back her laughter.
"If thoughts like this make you happy, then be my guest," replied an unbothered Xyla as she made her way upstairs.
Emily yelled after her, "Hahaha, he definitely won't be more handsome than my Brother Sullivan anyway..."
Tom Sullivan had a dignified aura and was handsome to boot. How could a cheap man studying medicine compare to him? In the first place, the temperament of an aristocrat was different from a commoner's. Xyla ignored her, letting Emily's words simply flow in one ear and out the other.
When she got back to her room, she received a call from Georgie. As she looked at Georgie's name on the caller ID, she couldn't help but think about how in sync they were. Here she was wanting to call Georgie, and she had called her instead.
Xyla immediately answered the call. "I was just about to call you. Let me borrow your brother for Emily's wedding. I need him to pretend to be Stanley Batton. Emily has done the impossible that we previously talked about."
Under these circumstances, it was impossible for her to get the real Stanley Batton, because he definitely wouldn't agree to play along.
When Xyla and Georgie discussed this previously, although they thought it was impossible back then, they had still planned well and weaved the perfect story for that husband of hers. They even gave him a believable identity.
Back then, Georgie had suggested that when the time came, she would get her little brother who studies medicine to help play the role of Stanley Batton. Once the three years were up and Xyla had legally divorced Stanley, she would tell her father that relationship discord was the reason for the divorce.
They had come up with such a daring plan out of curiosity about Stanley's appearance. Georgie had even tried to look him up, but there were no results.
Immediately after Xyla spole, whimpering could be heard coming from the other end of the call. Throughout the time she had known Georgie, this kind of reaction was a first. Georgie was a strong, independent woman, it seemed like nothing could ever break her down. Hardly anything could make her cry either.
"Georgie, what's wrong?" asked Xyla anxiously.
Through her tears, Georgie managed to choke out, "My little brother is dead. I'm actually calling to ask if I can take a week off. Is that okay?"
Chapter 54
Chapter 54
Xyla's heart wrenched painfully, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Back then, Georgie's little brother had studied at Country Y with them. Although they went to different schools, they would spend their weekends together. He was a cheerful and sensible child. Xyla had always thought of him as her own little brother. A few days earlier, he had even sent her a message through WeChat, reminding her to take care of her health.
How could such a bright existence be gone, just like that?
Tears instantly started to fall from Xyla's eyes. "Okay, I'll give you a month off. Where are you? I'll come to you."
"There are many things at the company that need your attention, so you don't have to come. I will burn a few more joss sticks for my brother on your behalf." As she spoke, Georgie's voice eventually dissolved into whimpers.
"Where exactly are you?" asked Xyla again.
"President Xyla, now's not the time for you to be capricious. Listen to me... okay?"
"Enough with the nonsense. Tell me where you are."
"I'm at home."
With that, Xyla immediately hung up, packed some luggage, and hastily left the house.
***
At two in the afternoon, Xyla and Georgie arrived at Sunlight City, the latter's hometown. It was a small town in the southern region.
Georgie's little brother's wake lasted for three days, and Xyla kept Georgie company the whole time. On the last night of the funeral, Xyla accompanied Georgie on a walk around the small town.
After that quick breather, they two girls returned to Georgie's room with heavy hearts. Once inside, Georgie opened her luggage and started moving the clothes from her closet into the bag. Xyla hurried over and grabbed her hand, asking, "What are you doing?"
"I'm packing up and going back with you tomorrow. After thinking about it, I can't leave you to handle the company on your own for so long after all. Forget one month, even a week won't do. You have to take care of both X Entertainment and Imperial Prime now, so I can't be dragging you down."
Having said that, Georgie peeled Xyla's hand away as she continued packing while holding back her tears.
Xyla felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She gently held Georgie in her arms and said, "Uncle and Aunty's emotions have yet to calm down, so how can you leave? Stay and keep them company for a bit longer."
Georgie gently leaned into Xyla's arms like a fragile child. "My elder brother and sister-in-law will be here to comfort them."
"Georgie, can you listen to me for once?"
"I can't. You pack up too. I've already booked a flight for tomorrow morning at seven," said Georgie. She quickly took Xyla's luggage out of the closet as well.
Xyla knew Georgie's temper well. She always did things swiftly and vigorously. Once she had decided on something, it was hard to change her mind.
Xyla let out a helpless sigh and gently patted her on the shoulder. "Georgie, the sacrifices you've made for me and the company, I will remember them well."
"Alright, why are you saying that? We have such a great relationship, and you pay me such a high salary, how is it inappropriate for me to sacrifice for the company?" Georgie forced out a smile before opening up Xyla's bag for her.
Suddenly remembering something, she quickly pulled Xyla over to sit on the bed. "Now that my little brother is gone, have you thought about who can pretend to be Stanley Batton at Emily's wedding?" Recently, Georgie had been immersed in grief and was too preoccupied to give this problem any thought. Now that her mood was getting better, she started worrying again. Xyla shook her head helplessly. Lately, she had been busy with Georgie's little brother's matters as well, to the point that she couldn't pay attention to her own problem.
"I haven't thought about it yet. First, that person will have to be handsome and decent like your little brother, with some medical knowledge too. He also has to be someone I trust, otherwise, if this gets exposed, I'll be in trouble."
Chapter 55
Chapter 55
"In fact, medical knowledge is secondary. I can just get him to memorize some simple medical theories and facts. The most important thing is that he has to look decent, and he must be a new face."
At this, Xyla's mind went into chaos. No matter how she brainstormed, she couldn't find such a person in her circle. It was giving her a headache.
"A new face... he also has to look decent... Who should we get?" mused Georgie. Her head was starting to ache as well.
Xyla suddenly perked up with an idea. "I know!"
"Who?"
"That Five Batton..."
At the thought of him, a glint flashed in Xyla's eyes. Although she hasn't been acquainted with him for long, her intuition told her that this man could be trusted. After all, he had previously been reckless when saving her.
Even if his identity was a little unique, she couldn't sense any arrogance or vulgar behavior from him. Moreover, this man was not greedy for money, so she felt that he was actually a good-natured man. Most importantly, he was extremely handsome and had a dignified aura.
"There's nothing to complain about his looks, but didn't you say he's from 'that' community? Can he be trusted?" Georgie's gaze was laced with worry.
"Judging from all the things he's done for me since we met, do you think he can't be trusted?" asked Xyla.
"That's true. From those incidents, he actually seems good-natured," said Georgie as she pondered.
Xyla carefully asked for Georgie's opinion, "So, why don't we just choose him?"
Georgie nodded thoughtfully. "You can take this risk. After all, there's no one better."
"Then, I'll try asking him once we return to Atlantis," decided Xyla, snapping her fingers.
Georgie nodded. "But you have to be careful when striking a deal with someone like this, understand? People like him aren't simple-minded."
"I understand. Don't worry."
***
The next afternoon, Xyla's and Georgie's flight landed at Atlantis International Airport. After getting off the plane, the two girls had a meal at the airport before heading straight for the company. In just three days, her desk was piled with files and documents. This scene gave Xyla a headache.
Sitting in her chair and taking a sip of water, she immediately grabbed her phone and sent Five Batton a WeChat message: 'Are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to dinner. I need your help with something.' Meanwhile, inside the large conference room of Dragon Group, Stanley Batton was seated at a huge U-shaped conference table, having a meeting with the managers of each department.
Donning a tailor-fitted black suit paired with a pure black shirt, his outfit further accentuated his striking features. The inky black color enhanced the fairness of his snow-white skin, making his aura colder and more dignified.
The atmosphere was solemn inside the vast conference room. The manager of the real estate sales department was reporting his department's performance to Stanley. Everyone was at the edge of their seats
Toot. Toot. Toot.
At that moment, Stanley's personal phone vibrated in such an untimely manner. Instinctively, everyone focused their gaze on him.
Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Frowning slightly, he slowly took out his phone. After reading the contents of the WeChat message, his forehead gradually relaxed. The icy look on his face seemed to have warmed up as well. Under the scrutiny of everyone else, he replied to the WeChat message with an 'Okay'.
Everyone exchanged looks of disbelief. Ever since Stanley entered the company, he had set a rule that the usage of cellphones was forbidden during meetings. This rule applied to him as well. Whenever his phone rang, he would either hang up immediately or ignore it.
So, what happened to him today?
On the other side, Xyla was thrilled when she got his reply so she simply sent him a voice message, "Shall we meet at Grandview Western Restaurant tonight at seven?" Her voice was gentle and melodious as always.
Stanley quietly put the phone to his ear and listened intently, then replied with another 'Okay'.
Xyla sent another voice message, "I'll send you a WeChat message once I've reserved a room."
'Okay,' he replied again, before nonchalantly putting the phone back into the inner pocket of his shirt.
Glaring at the crowd, he said only what was necessary, "Continue."
The others immediately regained their senses and the meeting continued. Only, everyone could not help but feel curious about who had sent Stanley a WeChat message. That person actually made him allow such an exception.
***
At seven in the evening, Xyla punctually arrived at Grandview Western Restaurant's VIP room.
She had on light makeup, and her gently curled hair fell naturally on her shoulders, making her face look daintier. Dressed in a white turtleneck sweater and long white chiffon skirt, she appeared even more gentle and dignified.
It was like she was a snow-white peony flower grown on high grounds-her beauty was great, but she was not easily attainable.
Scented candles burned inside the room. The faint smell of rose could refresh one's mind. Xyla took a deep breath of the fragrance-filled air before sitting down at a long table covered in a red velvet tassel tablecloth. A snow-white rose quietly bloomed on the dining table, enhancing her pleasant mood.
Before long, Stanley pushed the door open and walked in. Dressed in a black shirt, black long double-breasted vintage trench coat, black long pants, and black Martin boots, his figure seemed all the more striking, and his cool temperament was accentuated.
Every time she saw him, Xyla always felt like he was perhaps a long-lost prince to a kingdom.
"My apologies, I was held up by traffic," said Stanley calmly, before sitting down opposite her.
Xyla smiled gently, looking more endearing than the rose on the table. "It's okay. You're only five minutes late."
"Is there something you need from me?" he asked.
"Let's order first."
Xyla's smile was charming as she waved at the waiter, who immediately handed them menus. After they ordered, the waiter poured them each a glass of water.
Once the waiter left, Xyla glanced at Stanley carefully and said, "Actually, I've asked you here because I need your help. Although it's a little abrupt, you're the only one who can help me with this right now." Stanley looked at her calmly with his usual cool expression. "What is it?"
"I'd like you to pretend to be my husband."
"Huh?" The man cocked up a defined eyebrow, while his eyes held hints of curiosity.
Chapter 57
Chapter 57
"It's like this... I'm actually married, but I don't know what my husband looks like or what he does. I only know that his name is Stanley Batton. The specifics are very complicated, so I don't know how to explain it to you, but I only promised to marry this man back then to get something done," explained Xyla solemnly.
"And then?" asked Stanley.
Xyla began to tell him about how she had been exposed by Emily a few days ago, and how her pre-planned replacement had then passed away. She spoke solemnly while he listened intently, nodding a little in between.
After hearing her story, he said without hesitation, "Sure."
His nonchalance was beyond Xyla's expectations, so it shocked her a little.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"I won't make you work for free. I'll pay you. I'll pay you way more than what you normally earn."
Stanley faintly raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "And how much would that be?"
"How is two hundred thousand a month?"
"Two hundred thousand?" repeated an amused Stanley. He earned more than that in a minute.
"How about it?" asked Xyla confidently.
"Sure, but I have one condition."
"Spill," Xyla replied easily.
"Stop nagging about wanting to pay me back."
"But I really think I should return that money to you."
"I never take back what I've given away."
"Okay. If that's what you want then, fine."
Xyla nodded helplessly, completely perplexed by this man's train of thought. Why did he insist on shouldering those mistakes? If he wouldn't accept repayment, fine. She would just have to find some other way to compensate him.
"If that's the case, I'll transfer you one month's amount later, and we'll set up a monthly payment system. Is that okay?"
"Yeah."
"Here are two books that cover the basic knowledge for traditional medicine. Take it home and have a look. It's best if you memorize them, that way you won't be easily exposed," said Xyla.
She took two books on traditional medicine from the LV bag behind her and set them in front of him. One was 'Foundation in Medicine' while the other was 'Medical Diagnosis'.
"Sure," said Stanley, glancing coldly at the two books. Upon seeing the word 'Foundation' on the topmost book, he instinctively raised his eyebrows.
"Take a look at these two books first. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me through WeChat. Once you've read them, I'll teach you some other things."
"Sure."
"You have to study them seriously, do you understand?"
"Okay," he said before casually pushing the two books aside.
***
After dinner, Xyla and Stanley exited the restaurant together. Feather-like snow fell quietly under the bright lights, covering the entire city in a layer of white.
A cool breeze swept past and Xyla could not resist shuddering. The tip of her nose was turning red from the cold, and she rubbed her hands together as she looked at Stanley. "Did you drive? If you didn't, I car send you back."
"No need. My friend will pick me up." As he spoke, Stanley quietly took off his trench coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Put this on."
The coat was still warm from his body heat, instantly dispelling the chill on her body. A faint scent of mint perfume mingled with the smell of tobacco wafted across her nose.
"I'm okay. I won't be cold once I get into the car," said Xyla. She raised her hands, wanting to remove the coat.
Chapter 58
Chapter 58
"Okay, hurry on home."
Having said that, Stanley braced the snow and walked swiftly to the roadside. The streetlights elongated his shadow. Watching him go, Xyla immediately felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
Taking off the coat, she quickly chased after him and stuffed it into his hands. "Put this on. I'm not cold. Why don't I send you back? There's no need to trouble your friend."
"My friend will be here soon," he said as he prepared to drape the coat over her shoulders again.
Xyla nimbly dodged away before quickly running to her red Maserati, not giving him any chances. Staring at that slender silhouette, Stanley's cold lips gradually curved upward slightly. After Xyla got into her car, she disappeared into the night.
A little while after she left, a row of black Rolls Royces stopped steadily in front of Stanley. Zack could immediately be seen leading a group of black-clothed men as they stood respectfully in front of Stanley, bowing.
Zack opened a car door for Stanley, who gave him an indifferent glance before gracefully getting in. Leaning against the soft genuine black leather backrest, he folded his legs and flipped through 'Foundation in Medicine'.
Zack quickly got in. Upon seeing the book in Stanley's hands, Zack's gaze was filled with confusion. "Fifth Master, why are you reading that?"
"Someone told me to read it properly," replied Stanley. His expression remained indifferent.
Zack looked curious. "Was it the Young Mistress?"
"Yeah."
"But uhm..."
"Shut up."
Zack kept quiet. Daring to say no more, he silently started the car and mused to himself, 'Since when did our Fifth Master become so obedient? To the point that he's actually reading what someone told him to read.'
***
When Xyla returned to Quest Manor, her phone started vibrating. After stopping the car at the entrance, she glanced at her phone.
'Shocking news! According to an insider, there are quality issues with Imperial Prime, the real estate development by Quest Property. Corners were cut during construction!'
Xyla's pupils immediately dilated at this headline. Properties by the Quest family never had such a problem. The construction sites were always supervised by professional workers. Her father had brought people to Imperial Prime's construction site countless times, and there had been no problems.
Xyla had great confidence in their family's real estate developments. Now that something this vulgar broke out so suddenly, she could only think of two possibilities.
One, the Quest family competitors were trying to attack them by stirring things up. Two, someone was trying to mess with her, preventing her from completing the task her father had assigned her. It was a no- brainer as to who this person would be.
She immediately went on Weibo to look at the latest searches. Sure enough, 'Imperial Prime quality issue' was number two on the list. That scandalous issue about Emily was still at number one.
As soon as Xyla clicked into the news report, a slew of reproaches entered her view.
'Is what the Quest family doing humane? How could they cut corners in something like this, are they mad? How can Josh Batton endorse such a thing? Are they crazy?'
Chapter 59
Chapter 59
'If this wasn't exposed and someone moved in, will you take responsibility when something happens? Boycott Quest Properties! Boycott Imperial Prime!'
'Imperial Prime? I think it should be Scamming Prime instead! Bunch of dog sh*ts, how dare they cut corners in such things! The immoral Quest family should go bankrupt now!'
'Josh Batton must be mental to endorse them! If something really happens when residents move in, will you f*cking take responsibility? Is this what you call good quality? Bullsh*t!'
Now, not only was the Quest family under fire, even their ambassador, Josh Batton, was being dragged into this.
All of this made Xyla furious. Figuring that the family must have found out by now, she quickly got out of her car and rushed into the living room.
The atmosphere at home was dark. At that moment, Jeremy, Emily, and May were all seated in a row on the long sofa. Jeremy's expression was dark, while the faces of Emily and her mother looked equally terrible too.
Xyla hurried over and sat down beside Jeremy. "I saw the news. Dad, did you make any calls to have the searches removed? We need to suppress this news immediately. After that, we'll get evidence and catch the rumormonger to prove that this is all just a lie. Only with this can we reduce the damage."
"I've already instructed them, but it won't be an easy task to remove this from the list of hottest searches. Now that this issue has blown up, we can't contain it anymore," said Jeremy, frowning hard.
"I think Xyla's horoscope clashes with our property, that's why something like this happened. The property has been fine all this while, but the moment she took over, something happened. If it isn't because of her incompatible horoscope, what else could it be?" said Emily, rolling her eyes at Xyla.
Their father had always been a superstitious person. Emily believed that putting it this way would make him think twice about Xyla.
Jeremy snapped, "Keep quiet. Don't you think our family is in enough trouble?"
Xyla blatantly ignored Emily as she gazed softly at Jeremy. "Why don't you let me take care of this? I'm in charge of the property, so now that it's in trouble, I should be the one to put in the effort to save it.” "You?" Jeremy's eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Yeah. Don't worry about it, I'll give you a satisfying result," said Xyla confidently.
Jeremy shook his head. “Stop fooling around. It's such a huge issue, I'll take care of it personally."
"Dad, believe me. I can do it," said Xyla.
Whether this issue was caused by Emily or one of their competitors, she wasn't about to let the other party walk away laughing. Not only that, but she would also use this chance to prove herself. This was a crisis, but it was also an opportunity.
"I think we can let Xyla try since she's so keen on it," said May as she glanced coldly at Xyla.
Since the girl was eager to try, let her do it. May wanted to see just how Xyla would take care of this disaster. If she screwed up instead, it would deal a huge blow to the Quest family. When that happened, Xyla would have annoyed Jeremy, and would suffer great consequences.
Emily crossed her arms and shot a mocking glance at Xyla. "Yeah. Young people should be given a chance. Since she wants to prove herself so much, let her do it, Dad."
Emily couldn't help but wonder, was Xyla mad? To think she would proactively trouble herself! Since she was asking for trouble, Emily would give her a hand. She would watch Xyla fall into a pit so deep that she could never climb back out!
Naturally, Xyla knew what the mother-daughter pair was thinking, but she ignored them. She merely stared at Jeremy quietly, waiting for his answer.
Jeremy's eyes were still filled with doubt. "Xyla, are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Dad, I hope you'll believe that I can succeed." Xyla was resolute.
"Okay." Jeremy nodded.
Although he was doubtful of her doing a good job, he wanted to let her try nonetheless. With that, he would be able to see whether or not she was as capable as he thought she was.
"If there's any need, you can look for me."
Having said that, Jeremy got up and went upstairs. Upon hearing this, May and Emily exchanged satisfied looks, seeming to enjoy Xyla's misfortune.
"Oh dear, some people just don't know their strengths," scoffed Emily.
Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Xyla went upstairs without giving Emily so much as a sideways glance.
This feeling of being ignored annoyed Emily a lot. She abruptly stood up and called loudly after Xyla, "No matter how calm you try to act, you're still panicking on the inside!"
She continued to mock Xyla, saying, "For the sake of gaining merit, you're willing to take on everything by yourself, aren't you? Aren't you afraid of not being able to handle this mess and finally end up destroying yourself in the process? What an idiot! Is there really something wrong with your horoscope? Are you born with a constitution that brings calamities? Why did something like this happen the moment you took over the project?"
Emily's words were like needles, prickling at Xyla's ears. However, Xyla didn't want to waste time with her. She would rather utilize her energy to solve the issue that was now bothering her.
Just like that, Emily stood where she was as Xyla's silhouette slowly disappeared from her sight. Xyla's indifference and disregard for her made Emily furious!
She stomped her foot hard while clenching her fists and saying through gritted teeth, "Xyla Quest, you b*tch! You'll be going down soon!"
"Alright, Emily, come and sit." May gently pulled Emily to her side and held her hand firmly. "You should stop being angry and be happy instead."
In an instant, Emily's fury turned into delight. A cheeky grin appeared on her lips as she looked at May and said, "That's true. I should be happy. After all, Xyla might soon be ruined because of her decision today."
"Not just that, the sold units of Imperial Prime might also be returned. Even if the crisis is resolved, a building that was once involved in such a scandal won't sell well. The property will be ruined by Xyla. With both of these failures put together, it's enough to make Dad lose all confidence in her. When that time comes, I'll just have to put in a little bit of effort, and everything in the Quest family will be mine," said Emily confidently, plotting and scheming behind her vicious gaze.
"But, of course. We'll return to the starting point, and this time, with the Sullivan family's support, you'll naturally have the upper hand. You have to do your best, okay? In the future, you also have to contain yourself a little in front of your father and be sweeter to him, do you understand?" May urged solemnly.
"Oh Mom, of course, I know." Emily's smile was getting more cheerful.
"If there really is an investigation on this matter, they won't be able to trace it back to you, right?" asked May in a quiet voice, her eyes filled with worry. "If your father finds out that you spread a rumor that our property has defects just to take Xyla down, you'll be dead."
"Relax, the info was put out there by a hacker I'm familiar with. He's a top-class expert. The IP address he forged can't be traced by anyone." Emily was confident about this.
May let out a sigh of relief. "That's good then."
Emily was getting more excited. "Mom, I believe that we'll soon be able to see the dejected look of failure on Xyla's face."
***
Upon returning to her room, Xyla quickly sat on her bed. After sending Five Batton two hundred thousand dollars via WeChat message, she opened up Weibo's search engine to take a look at the hottest searches.
By now, the topic of Imperial Prime having issues had gone down on the hot search ranking. Looks like it would blow over soon. However, she knew that this was temporary. Like her father had said, news like this could not be covered completely.
Netizens today would never let go of such huge news easily. But before evidence was found, the only thing they could do now was to suppress this news and prevent it from growing.