Ch. 591..600
Chapter 591
The social media influencer was beginning to feel increasingly embarrassed.
After watching her leave, Sebastian Brenand walked up to Xyla. "I would like to apologize to both of you once again. I didn't know she was like that. If I'd known, I wouldn't have brought her along."
None of the women Sebastian got to know lately had spared him from trouble, and none of them were as pleasant to look at as Rachel Wood.
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault," Xyla said with a chuckle.
"Let's go. Come up with me, Sister-in-law," Sebastian said before looking over at Georgie Clementine. "You should come up with us too."
Right then, Henry Armstrong leisurely walked out of the lift. He then saw Georgie, Xyla, and Sebastian standing together.
Henry immediately smiled and approached them.
At one glance, he noticed the fingerprint mark on Georgie's face. "What happened? Who hit you?" Henry asked.
"It's the entertainer I brought with me. She started the fight for no reason, causing a scene with Xyla and Georgie. She asked me to come down for the very same reason," Sebastian said. "Shit!" Henry cursed softly before quickly walking over to Georgie. "Does it hurt?" He asked.
"It's not too bad," Georgie said to him in her usual, cold voice.
"Sebastian, can you please keep your eyes wide open and pick women with better personalities next time?" Henry snapped at Sebastian, looking upset.
"I know, I know. To express my apology, the tab is on me tonight," Sebastian said.
"And make sure I never see that 'thing' again," Henry added.
"Got it. I have already kicked her out, and I even slapped her once," Sebastian said and nodded vigorously.
Since Sebastian felt very sorry for the trouble caused by the woman he brought here, he felt that he deserved to be yelled at by Henry and didn't argue in return. "That woman's lucky I didn't witness the whole thing," Henry said coldly.
With that, Henry grabbed Georgie by her wrist. "Come with me upstairs. We'll get you an ice pack for your face," he said.
Before Georgie could say anything, Henry forcefully dragged her by the hand and walked over to the lift.
Georgie struggled to set herself free. "It's okay. I can use an ice pack at home. It's the same thing."
However, Henry pulled her directly into the lift.
Xyla and Sebastian followed closely behind.
Once the lift doors closed, Henry reluctantly let go of Georgie's wrist.
"How can you force people to do things like this?" Georgie frowned unhappily.
"How ungrateful. You have no idea how many people want that kind of attention from me, but I wouldn't even bat an eyelid," Henry said as he leaned lazily against the wall. The lift was moving upward slowly.
Xyla moved closer to Georgie and held her by the wrist. "Since we're already on our way up, let's get your face an ice pack. I'm here. Nobody can do anything to you." Although Georgie didn't want to spend time with Henry, she still nodded.
Soon, the lift stopped, and they all entered the Sky Garden on the top floor.
Although Xyla and Georgie had been to Unconscious Bar many times, neither of them had come up to the Sky Garden on the top floor before.
As soon as they walked in, the two of them were stunned by what they saw.
It had an open view. Not only could they see the sky by looking up, but they could also see the entire view of the city around them.
Stanley Batton and Gary Lakes were sitting nearby, smoking, drinking alcohol, and chatting.
An upbeat piano track was playing in the background.
When Stanley saw Xyla, he immediately stood up, walked over, and wrapped his arm around her waist.
He noticed Xyla had red wine stains all over her body. "What happened?" Stanley asked.
The next second, Stanley's gaze slowly landed upon Georgie, and he noticed the fingerprint mark on her face.
His facial expression turned gloomy. "What happened to both of you?" he asked.
Chapter 592
Chapter 592
"The entertainer I brought with me spilled wine all over Xyla. She even caused a scene and later attacked Georgie," Sebastian Brenand said truthfully with a worried expression on his face. Henry Armstrong remained silent as he pulled Georgie Clementine by her hand to the couch. He then forced her to sit down.
After that, he swiftly retrieved a few chunks of ice from an ice bucket on the table. He then wrapped the ice in a wet napkin and gently pressed the makeshift ice pack against Georgie's face. The coolness spread across Georgie's face, lessening the burning sensation on her face.
"Thank you," Georgie said. Her attitude remained cold.
"Don't mention it." Henry sat with one leg crossed over the other.
Georgie didn't say anything else. She grabbed the ice pack and continued to press it against her face.
Stanley then turned to look at Sebastian coldly. "Don't bring any random people over in the future," he said. Sebastian quickly nodded and apologized. "Alright, alright. I know. I made a mistake. I was wrong."
"Did that woman hit you?" Stanley looked at Xyla and asked.
Xyla shook her head.
Stanley kept quiet as he led Xyla over to Gary Lakes and sat down next to him.
Gary politely nodded at Xyla. "Sister-in-law."
"How are you..." Xyla smiled.
Gary then nodded at Georgie, who nodded in response as a way of greeting each other.
Awkwardly, Sebastian scratched the back of his head and sat next to Henry and Georgie. "To be honest, none of the women I've met all these years are as good as Rachel Wood."
"In that case, just keep Rachel around in the future," Henry said.
"How is that possible?" Sebastian retorted.
Although Xyla felt uncomfortable listening to what they said, she wasn't too greatly surprised.
There were plenty of womanizers among the men in the upper strata of society.
Many of them were like Sebastian, who dated multiple women at the same time.
Throughout the entire process, Xyla sat quietly next to Stanley without saying a word.
"Sister-in-law, would you like anything to drink?" Sebastian asked as he looked at Xyla. He then turned to face Georgie. "Everything is on me tonight. It's my way of apologizing for what happened," he added. "I'll just drink this." Xyla casually picked up a glass of cocktail on the table before twirling the glass in her hand.
"I'm not drinking anything," Georgie said.
"It's so boring. Who wants to sing..." Gary said as he looked at Sebastian.
"I'll sing," Sebastian said and cheerfully picked up a microphone.
"Forget it. Who could stand listening to you? Don't make Georgie or my sister-in-law suffer. Their ears are far too delicate for your terrible voice." Henry made his rejection apparent.
Sebastian frowned unhappily. "No... How could you say that in front of two beautiful women? How is my voice terrible?"
"Don't you have any idea how bad you sound?" Henry asked.
"It's not all that bad. In fact, I'd say it's comparable to the voice of an angel," Sebastian retorted.
Henry was speechless.
"... That's a little too much, Sebastian," Gary said.
"Let's all listen to the voice of an angel. Go ahead, Sebastian," Xyla said.
"Sure. What song would you like?" Sebastian asked.
"How about 'Joy of Life'?" Georgie couldn't resist suggesting.
Sebastian nodded decisively. "Very well. I'd like just to say that I sing this song particularly well."
Henry immediately rolled his eyes at Sebastian.
After quickly picking up the microphone, Sebastian picked up the tablet next to him and selected the song, 'Joy of Life'.
Very soon, the lyrics of the song appeared on a large screen nearby.
Sebastian began to sing along to the tempo of the backing track. He was very serious about it.
Chapter 593
Chapter 593
However, Sebastian Brenand's singing was unbearably terrible.
Everyone began to feel goosebumps all over their body. Stanley Batton glanced briefly at Sebastian before covering Xyla Quest's eyes.
When Henry Armstrong saw Stanley doing so, he also covered Georgie Clementine's ears.
Georgie immediately tried to pull his hands away, but she failed to do so.
Despite seeing what happened, Sebastian ignored them and continued to serenade himself.
By the end of the song, everyone let out long sighs of relief...
Georgie pushed Henry's hands away in a huff before rolling her eyes at him.
To Henry, Georgie had an ice-cold personality, and she was also quick-tempered. However, he still found her attractive and interesting.
The more Georgie behaved like this, the more Henry desired to have her.
Stanley also pulled his hands away from Xyla's ears and poured her another glass of cocktail.
"You lot just don't know how to appreciate my good singing," Sebastian complained before returning to Gary Lakes. He put an arm over Gary's shoulders and lit himself a cigarette. Gary pushed his hand away, annoyedly.
However, soon enough, Sebastian did it again. "Everyone here has a girl, but not us. Why don't we huddle together to give each other warmth? Stop moving..." Sebastian said. Gary couldn't help but roll his eyes at Sebastian, but he didn't say anything and allowed Sebastian to do as he pleased.
The group of people was having a lot of fun together. At midnight, they left the bar together.
After bidding farewell to each other at the entrance, they got into their respective cars and left.
Sebastian drove to the villa he allowed Rachel to stay in.
Although it was already very late, there was still a single lamp left on in the living room.
The warm light pierced through the french window and shone into the courtyard, making Sebastian feel an indescribable sense of comfort.
This was Rachel's habit.
Regardless of whether Sebastian came over or not, she would always keep a single lamp on in the living room at night.
She said that, by doing so, Sebastian wouldn't have to come home to complete darkness.
When Sebastian thought of this, he couldn't help but smile pleasantly.
Whistling, he walked hastily through the door and directly made his way upstairs.
In the bedroom, he found Rachel still awake. She was reading a book as she leaned against the bedhead.
Having noticed how pale her face seemed, Sebastian instantly sat down by the bed. "What happened?" He asked. "It's nothing..." Rachel shook her head and answered.
When Rachel smelled a perfume scent that didn't belong to her wafting through her nostrils, she felt her heart aching.
However, she didn't say anything and only smiled in return. "I'll get the bathwater running for you."
Sebastian gently ruffled her hair. "It's okay. I'll do it myself. Be a good girl and stay seated. Are you not feeling well? Hmm? Is it because of your period?" Rachel nodded. "Yeah. It is... I don't think I can sleep with you tonight."
"In that case, we'll just sleep under the covers and do nothing else," Sebastian said.
Rachel nodded again.
Naturally, Sebastian placed his hand on her lower abdomen and carefully massaged her in that area. "Does it feel better like this?" He asked. "Yeah." Rachel smiled bitterly.
Hearing this, Sebastian continued to massage her lower abdomen. Throughout the process, Rachel looked at him quietly without saying a word. In the next instant, Rachel's vision turned dark and she flopped onto the bed on one side.
Sebastian was horrified by what he saw.
He immediately jumped onto the bed, pulled the duvet away, and shook her body repeatedly. "Rachel, wake up. Wake up...'
Sebastian had never felt this frantic in his life.
Right then, Rachel still didn't react. Suddenly, a pool of blood began to form beneath her body.
37
Chapter 594
Chapter 594
When Sebastian Brenand saw what happened, his heart tightened, and he began to feel goosebumps all over his head.
The bleeding became worse, and soon blood covered nearly half of the bed.
Although Sebastian had seen what happened when women went through their periods, he had never seen this much blood on those occasions. Hence, he knew that Rachel Wood was lying! Sebastian quickly carried Rachel in his arms and ran out of the door.
After placing her in the backseat of his car, he stepped on the accelerator and sped off.
He drove extremely fast on the road.
Meanwhile, Rachel continued to bleed, and her face was getting paler by the second.
In the car's enclosed space, the strong scent of blood wafting through Sebastian's nose made him feel even more panicked.
What happened to her?
Although Sebastian had gone through many challenges growing up, and had been with many women before, he had never felt like this before.
He had never felt this worried about anyone.
Very soon, they arrived at the municipal hospital.
By then, Rachel's entire body was covered in blood.
"Someone, help..." Sebastian shouted as he carried Rachel in his arms and charged into the hospital.
When one of the nurses saw this, she immediately contacted a doctor. Several medical staff immediately rushed over to Sebastian with a stretcher.
All the passersby in the hospital's lobby were looking at Sebastian.
Right then, Sebastian looked like a complete mess. His face was covered in blood, and so was the person in his arms.
Panting, Sebastian placed Rachel on the stretcher and grabbed a doctor nearby by his collar. "Save her, or else I'll raze this hospital to the ground." Terrified, the doctor nodded repeatedly.
In the next second, everyone worked together to bring Rachel into the VIP emergency room.
Sebastian was forced to wait outside.
He was the only one remaining in the long hallway.
The quieter it became, the more apparent his frantic emotion became. Right then, Sebastian felt restless and very much unlike himself.
What was going on with him? Rachel was just a toy he kept around. He had plenty of women like her in the past, but he had never felt this worried about any of them.
At this moment, he was terrified that he might lose her.
After several minutes, or so it seemed, a doctor approached Sebastian with a surgical consent form.
He handed the form and a pen over to Sebastian. "The surgery for the young lady will be quite dangerous. What is your relationship with her? We need a signature from a family member," the doctor said. "I'm her boyfriend," Sebastian said before signing the form right away and handing it back to the doctor.
"What exactly happened to her?" Sebastian asked.
"After her surgical abortion previously, her uterus didn't recover well during its contraction phase. It resulted in an abnormality along the uterus wall that then induced the severe bleeding," the doctor replied before directly returning to the operating room with the surgical consent form.
After hearing what the doctor said, Sebastian felt as if his mind was about to explode.
A surgical abortion?
When did Rachel get pregnant, and when did she go through an abortion? Why didn't she tell him anything about it?
In the worst-case scenario, severe bleeding like that could lead to death.
The more Sebastian thought about it, the more terrible he felt.
One hour seemed to have passed by very slowly. Throughout this period, nurses continually brought blood bags into the operating room.
Sebastian felt extremely unsettled.
After approximately an hour later, the emergency room's door finally opened.
The lead doctor came out once again.
When Sebastian saw him, he immediately stood up and placed his hands on the doctor's shoulders. "How did it go? Is Rachel alright?" Sebastian asked.
Chapter 595
Chapter 595
The doctor let out a long sigh. "Yeah, she's fine. The bleeding has stopped, and she's in stable condition now. For now, she will have to stay in the hospital and be observed for a week.
"Also, you must pay close attention. Until her next cycle of period occurs, you mustn't sleep with each other," the doctor said seriously.
Sebastian Brenand nodded.
"Also, don't let her eat anything spicy or overwhelming. Try to make sure she eats bland stuff for the next two days..." The doctor added.
Sebastian nodded again. He made a mental note of everything the doctor said.
Right then, Rachel Wood was brought out from the operating room.
Her clothes had been replaced with a brand-new set of a blue-and-white striped hospital gown. With her face pale and her lips blue, she looked like a small, fragile flower hanging loosely by the cliff. Sebastian's heart tightened painfully yet again.
Sebastian quickly walked up to Rachel and helped the medical staff around to bring her to her ward.
After that, the medical staff connected her to various monitoring devices and an IV drip before leaving.
The only people who remained in the large ward were Sebastian and Rachel.
Sebastian could see how thin and fragile she looked on the bed. He could hardly imagine how she went to the hospital on her own to go through the abortion and returned home herself. Thinking about this made his heart ache even more.
After about half an hour, Rachel woke up.
When Sebastian saw her opening her eyes, he immediately held her hand. "Why didn't you tell me that you were pregnant? Hmm? Why did you go through an abortion in secret?"
Rachel smiled bitterly as she looked at his face. "I didn't want to trouble you. That's why I secretly aborted the baby on my own."
Sebastian felt pained by how she put him first.
"Was that why you pretended to be going through your period when you felt uncomfortable?" Sebastian asked.
"Yeah," Rachel said and nodded.
Sebastian immediately stood up and hugged her tightly while he ruffled her hair. "Idiot. Why did you do that? Hmm?"
Why was she so nice?
Of all the women Sebastian had been with, and of all the women he was currently seeing, Rachel was the only one who behaved in such an understanding manner. Rachel was also the most foolish one among them.
Wouldn't most women try to solicit as much money from him as possible if they became pregnant? Even if they were to go through an abortion, they would only do it after getting paid. However, this foolish girl... She wasn't like that at all.
"I won't let you get pregnant again..." Sebastian said as he hugged her tightly.
When Rachel heard this, she smiled bitterly.
Just as she thought, he told her that he wouldn't let her get pregnant again instead of asking her to give birth to his child if it were to happen.
From a logical point of view, this was very normal. Rachel was only one of the women he entertained himself with.
This whole thing was a business transaction, and it only involved money. There were no feelings involved.
Rachel was the only person dumb enough to get emotionally involved.
"All I went through was an abortion. Why did this happen?" Rachel asked.
"It's caused by an abnormality during the contraction phase of your uterus," Sebastian answered truthfully.
Rachel nodded without saying anything.
"Do you want anything to eat?" Sebastian asked.
Rachel shook her head. "I just want to sleep. You can go home..."
"I'll stay here to look after you," Sebastian said before tucking her under a duvet.
"You should sleep. I'll get home to take a shower and get changed before returning here to accompany you," he added.
Right then, Sebastian was covered in blood from head to toe. The stickiness all over his body felt horrible.
"Okay," Rachel said while forcing a smile on her face.
After that, Sebastian walked out of the door.
Rachel stopped smiling and forced herself to close her eyes to sleep.
Chapter 596
Chapter 596
Rachel Wood began to remind herself that she shouldn't place any more hope in their future. She was a nobody to Sebastian Brenand.
***
A few days later, Josh Batton's concert was finally taking place.
Early in the morning, Xyla Quest woke up to find that a lot of attention surrounded Josh's concert on the list of trending topics.
In fact, it claimed the top two spots on the list of trending topics.
'#Josh Batton Training Pictures#' was on the number one spot, while '#Josh Batton's Concert Ticket Sells for 500,000#' was on the second spot.
Xyla tapped on the second hashtag to check it out.
The first thing that came into sight was a post published by a verified account. "According to what we know, Josh Batton's concert tickets were sold out within a few seconds after sales began a month ago.
"Many disappointed fans who failed to purchase the tickets scrambled to buy from ticket resellers. Currently, the ticket price from resellers has gone up to 500,000 dollars for a single ticket. Even so, there is stil a shortage of supply for the huge demand."
Xyla hadn't expected such mind-blowing data. The highest concert ticket price in the entertainment industry recorded was during Josh's concert last year. Back then, the highest price was 300,000 dollars. She didn't think it would reach 500,000 dollars this time around.
Apart from feeling shocked, Xyla was also happy about Josh's popularity.
The comment section was flooded beneath the Weibo post.
"Sobs. I wanted to get a ticket too, but I couldn't purchase it in time. I really like Josh Batton a lot. When will I get to see him live at a concert?"
"I couldn't get a ticket! I'm so envious of the fans who managed to get one. I want to meet my husband. Ahhh!"
"Josh Batton really is the cream of the crop in the entertainment industry. Nobody else in the industry can beat his record."
"If he continues to remain popular, nobody else in the entertainment industry will have a chance at stardom."
"I'm thoroughly shocked. But I must say, I'd be willing to spend 500,000 dollars to meet Josh Batton in the flesh!"
Xyla couldn't help but smile after reading the comments.
Although she hadn't gone to the concert venue, she could already feel the hype from Josh's fans.
After reading through the comment section for a while longer, Xyla then tapped into the first hashtag.
The first thing she saw was a picture taken by a famous photographer, and it showed Josh rehearsing at the concert venue.
In the picture, Josh was wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of light-blue jeans. He was also wearing a pair of white sneakers and golden-framed glasses. With his back to the light, and a microphone in his hand, he appeared warm and clean.
The comment section was equally flooded.
"From what I've seen, I can safely say that he is the love of my life..."
"Josh Batton, you bring light into my life."
"Ahhh! I think I'm going crazy! Josh is way too awesome. Wait for me, Josh. I'm going to be there tonight to see you!"
By then, Stanley Batton, who was behind Xyla, had also woken up.
When he saw Xyla playing with her phone with her back to him, he inched closer and wrapped his arms around her while he repeatedly kissed her back. "What are you doing?" He asked.
"I'm checking out Josh Batton on the list of trending topics," Xyla said.
"What's trending?" Stanley asked.
"His concert. I'm taking your parents and Catherine along. What about you? Do you want to go?" Xyla asked.
"We'll see," Stanley said as he gently rubbed his chin against her back.
The tingling sensation made Xyla subconsciously squirm. Her heart was beating wildly.
"You really are sensitive..." Stanley said and chuckled by her ear.
Xyla immediately blushed.
"Turn around..." Stanley instructed softly.
Xyla did so obediently before she surrendered herself into his embrace. "What is it?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to hold you..." Stanley said.
Chapter 597
Chapter 597
Sensing that something was amiss with Stanley Batton, Xyla Quest immediately tried to push him away and get up.
However, it was far too late.
Before she could get up, Stanley flipped her over on the bed and pressed his body against her.
Rays of sunlight seeped into the room, making everything seem warm and pleasant.
In the brightly lit room, the two began getting intimate once again.
***
At seven o'clock in the evening, Xyla arrived at Atlantis Stadium with Wilson Batton, Catherine Batton, and Sharon Lindt. This was the place where Josh Batton's concert was held.
Although the concert would only begin in an hour's time, there was already a huge crowd outside Atlantis Stadium.
Apart from fans who were here for the concert, many reporters also stood around with cameras in their hands.
Every fan had a banner with Josh's name on it, and they were also wearing light blue glow sticks around their forehead. Everybody knew that light blue was Josh's favorite color, and wearing it meant they showed support for Josh.
By now, everyone seemed extremely excited.
Xyla brought Wilson, Catherine, and Sharon into the stadium discreetly through one of the side doors.
Inside, there were also many fans putting up posters of Josh all over the stadium.
Everyone seemed very occupied.
Seeing how these fans were working tirelessly for their favorite idol, Xyla suddenly felt touched.
"These girls are working so hard..." Sharon said as she observed the occupied fans.
"Yeah... But they also enjoy the process despite being occupied," Xyla said.
Sharon nodded.
This was the first time Wilson came to Josh's concert. He was shocked by the level of passion exhibited by fans both inside and outside the stadium, but he didn't say anything. "Sister-in-law, where do we sit?" Catherine asked as she affectionately held Xyla's hand.
"Follow me..." Xyla then led them over to the first row in front of the stage. "We'll sit on the seats numbered four, five, six, and seven..." Xyla added.
Wilson was the first to sit down.
Xyla, Sharon, and Catherine soon sat down next to him.
Once they were all seated, fans gradually entered the stadium and soon filled the seats up.
The entire stadium was buzzing with excitement.
Meanwhile, Josh got his makeup done backstage while he continued to memorize his lyrics through his phone.
His look for the first act was basically done.
Josh had a gray checkered suit, a white T-shirt on the inside, and a simple platinum chain around his neck.
His hair had been curled up with light purple highlights added on top. A slightly smokey look for his eyes and he also had on Cartier's rings on his right index and middle fingers. Josh appeared very cool and noble at the same time.
Even the makeup artists around him were getting the hots for him.
When Georgie walked in, she was equally stunned by how good Josh looked.
She instantly walked closer and stood behind Josh while she looked at his reflection in the mirror. "You really look amazing... This look..."
Not only was Josh the best-looking celebrity in the entertainment industry, he also had the looks most mortals could only dream of having.
Josh chuckled and looked at Georgie through the mirror. "Thank you," he said with a pure look in his eyes.
"I saw President Xyla with your parents and your sister," Georgie said.
"Is that so?" There was a glimmer in Josh's eyes.
Chapter 598
Chapter 598
The concert became more meaningful to him because of his father and Xyla Quest.
"Yup. Just do your best." Georgie Clementine patted his shoulder. "Good luck!"
Josh Batton nodded.
***
The concert started on the dot at eight o'clock.
Suddenly, all the lights in the stadium went out. Only the stage was filled with colorful, flashing lights in the darkness.
The music blasted amid cheers and screams from thousands of fans.
Josh was singing 'Regretless'-his newly released single from last year-as he gradually rose from the bottom of the stage.
When the man's appealing figure had come into view, all the spotlights on the stage focused on him.
He was the brightest star tonight.
Soothing music and Josh's angelic voice flowed through the entire stadium, penetrating the audiences' eardrums. In addition to his stunning face, the excitement had exploded in the stadium instantly. Every girls' hearts were fluttering like butterflies.
The fans screamed like lions' roars, and they kept waving the glow sticks in their hands.
Wilson Batton did not notice it; the corner of his lips had slowly curved up into a gratified smile as he watched his son singing passionately on the stage.
On the other hand, Sharon Lindt and Catherine Batton had already lost their sanity. They were constantly clutching each other's hands and shouting at the top of their voices, unwilling to take their eyes off Josh for one second.
"Catherine... Catherine... My son is so handsome... How did I give birth to such a good-looking son?"
"Are you trying to brag about yourself? But seriously, my brother is so charming tonight!"
The two of them could not stop complimenting Josh Batton, unbridled excitement sparkling on their faces.
Looking at the enthusiastic response from the crowd, Xyla's smile began to broaden. She was extremely satisfied with the concert tonight.
Shortly after the song ended, the calm rhythm circling the stadium was replaced by music with a fast and energetic tempo.
Though Josh had just practiced the dance a few days ago, he managed to catch up with the music right away and danced flawlessly to the rhythm.
His powerful moves hit every beat in perfect unison, making him look exceptionally alluring and hot on the stage.
All the fans went crazy at the performance...
The screams got louder and louder every minute, and the whole stadium was hyped up...!
Time flew when you were having fun. In a blink of an eye, the two-hours-concert had come to an end.
When Josh finished his last song, he panted heavily on the stage, catching up his breath. Despite his tiredness, he gave a long speech to thank all his fans and genially waved goodbye to everyone in the stadium.
Subsequently, he left the stage reluctantly.
Sharon immediately rose to her feet and walked over to Xyla. "Let's go backstage to see Josh. I have to tell him that he's super awesome tonight."
Xyla smiled and nodded. "No problem."
Sharon then shifted her gaze to Batton and hissed, "Do you still think that your son relies on his looks as a moneymaker?"
Wilson did not know what to answer all of a sudden. He could only manage an awkward cough.
Though he remained silent, his expression and reaction had said it all. Xyla knew that he had changed his mind about Josh as well as his career. "Let's sit here for a while. There are reporters backstage. We might disturb him if we go now," said Xyla.
Everyone nodded in agreement without a second thought.
Chapter 599
Chapter 599
One by one, the fans headed to the exits and left the stadium. The crowd barely stopped chattering as they walked. All of them were desperately eager to exchange their feelings about the concert. Their eyes were shimmering with adoration whenever they mentioned Josh Batton's name.
"I need to go to the bathroom," said Wilson Batton as he got up from his seat.
With that, he left the three ladies.
As soon as Wilson walked away, Xyla Quest, Sharon Lidnt, and Catherine Batton were surrounded by more than a dozen girls.
The girls crossed their arms and drew up face to face in front of them, looking cold yet provocative.
Xyla stared at them with confusion and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Well, the concert had already ended. Why are you guys not leaving? Are you guys trying to sneak backstage and take pictures of our Brother Josh? Or are you all planning to do something more disgusting than that?" A blonde girl glared at the three of them condescendingly while questioning them.
Upon hearing that, Xyla grasped the situation instantaneously. The girls were simply worried that they might sneak backstage and harass Josh when people were not looking.
Xyla truly understood their concern. A similar incident happened during Josh's last concert, and it went viral on the internet.
Previously, an obsessive fan bought the front row ticket and refused to leave after the concert. After everyone else left the stadium, that fan gave the security guards the slip and snuck backstage. Without warning, she intruded Josh's dressing room and kissed his cheek. She even took a picture of it and showed off the picture on social media.
"Josh knows all of us here. They are Josh's mother and sister, so you don't have to worry about us," Xyla explained.
"Do you think that I'll believe your nonsense? Will an Sasaeng fan admit that she's an Sasaeng fan?" The blonde girl sneered in disdain. "I hate you Sasaeng fans the most. Hurry up and get lost. Don't try to mess with us."
Sharon and Catherine did not get angry at them. They both clearly knew that the girls were trying to protect Josh.
"Hey girls, we're not lying..." Catherine tried to explain too.
"If we believe your bullsh*t, we're not worthy of being Josh Batton's fans," snapped the blonde girl.
Then, she turned away and shouted at the security guards behind her. "Security, there are a few suspicious people over here. Hurry up and throw them out of the stadium."
As soon as the blonde girl finished her sentence, Josh came out from backstage.
He had already changed into his casual clothing, a black sweatshirt and a pair of black cargo pants. His white sneakers were very eye-catching under his all-black outfit.
As for his makeup and hairstyles, they were still the same as on the stage just now.
Noticing Josh's arrival, the group of girls led by the blonde girls ran to him and surrounded him instantly.
The blonde girl grumpily pointed at Xyla and started to complain, "Brother Josh, I think that few ladies are Sasaeng fans. They're not leaving even though the concert ended long ago. Maybe they're planning to harass you like what that Sasaeng fan did last time..."
Josh smiled at her. His gaze traversed the crowd and fell on Xyla and his family. "They're not."
Then, he slowly walked past the girls and made his way to Xyla.
He stared deep into Xyla's eyes before averting his gaze to Sharon and Catherine. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you guys go backstage?"
"I thought it would be too chaotic to go backstage since you were having an interview with the journalists just now. Therefore, we decided to sit here and wait for a while first." Xyla continued, "What are you doing here then? Are you done with the interview?"
"I've come to see you all. What else can I do?" The smile on Josh's face was as gentle as usual.
The friendly conversation between them dumbfounded the group of girls.
None of them thought that their conflict with the three Sasaeng fans would end up this way.
Suddenly, one of them gasped and whispered timidly, "No wonder I find that curly-haired lady familiar. I finally remember her now. She's Xyla Quest... Our idol's friend..."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Now I look like a dumbass in front of my idol!" The blonde girl glowered at the girl who spoke, irritation flaring within her.
"I... I didn't recognize her just now." The girl hung her head apologetically.
"Man, we look like a bunch of idiots. Let's go and apologize." The blonde girl waved her hand and led the group of girls to where Josh Batton and the rest were standing.
Chapter 600
Chapter 600
Immediately afterward, the girls dropped their heads as if they had committed a big crime.
"I'm so sorry... We failed to recognize you just now, so we thought you guys were Sasaeng fans. Our arrogance blinded us," the blonde girl muttered. Though her idol was right next to her, she did not dare to look into Josh Batton's eyes at all.
"It's okay. You were trying to defend your idol because you love him, right? We understand that," Xyla Quest consoled her.
"However, there's one thing I don't quite understand. Is there a Sasaeng fan as old as me?" Sharon Lindt grinned mischievously.
"Old? You look like you're in your late thirties, aren't you? Brother Josh does have plenty of Sasaeng fans around this age... I can't imagine you're actually Brother Josh's mother... You don't look like it at all." The more the blonde girl explained, the more embarrassed she felt.
Nevertheless, Sharon was delighted with her answer. She caressed her cheeks satisfactorily. "You're so sweet."
"We shall leave for home, goodbye..." The blonde girl and her friends waved at them before running straight to the exit.
"Let's go... I'll take you guys to the backstage. Which reminds me, where's my Dad?" Josh looked around the stadium subconsciously.
Speaking of the devil, Wilson Batton was walking over to them now.
After Wilson joined them, Josh took the four of them backstage.
Meanwhile, the blonde girl and the rest of the fans ran out of breath as soon as they darted out of the stadium.
They stopped dead in the comfortably cool outside air and panted heavily.
After a while, they started to look at each other. Without warning, all of them exploded...
"We were standing so close to Brother Josh just now! I'd never been this near to him!"
"Brother Josh's mother and sister are so pretty!!! By the way, is Xyla Quest very close with his mother and sister? I'm so jealous!!!"
"I think Xyla Quest is really nice. No wonder Josh Batton wants to be friends with her. She didn't even get angry with us just now." "Ahhh... You're right. Miss Xyla is just like an angel from heaven. Everything about her makes me jealous."
"Our Brother Josh is good-tempered too. Moreover, his face is perfect. I can't even see his pores when I'm standing right next to him!!!" The excitement in their tones only amplified with each word they spoke.
After Xyla and the others followed Josh backstage, Josh returned to the sofa where the journalists interviewed Georgie Clementine.
On the other hand, Xyla led Sharon, Wilson, and Catherine Batton to a coffee table in the corner of the room, so they could have some fruits while watching Josh's interview session.
After the interview had ended, Josh did not forget to solemnly escort the journalists before returning to his family with Georgie.
Georgie greeted Josh's parents politely and shook hands with them one by one.
After shaking hands with Georgie, Wilson looked at Josh, sincerely and said, "Tonight's concert was great. You're excellent."
Following that statement, he coughed a few times in embarrassment.
Josh was emotional, hearing his father's compliment. "Thanks, Dad."
Though his father's comments were simply two short sentences, they meant a lot to Josh. He finally received the recognition that he deserved.
"Alright... I guess everyone's hungry now. Let's have some supper." Wilson quickly changed the subject and scurried off.
Xyla, Josh, Catherine, Sharon, and Georgie exchanged looks of glee before catching up with Wilson and leaving the dressing room.
When they reached the exit, Georgie bid a brief farewell to everyone and drove off on her own.
Xyla and her family then went to a nearby five-star hotel to have supper.
They had ordered a large table of food to celebrate Josh's accomplishment. Everyone was in a jolly mood indeed.
While enjoying the meal, Xyla tapped to open the trending news and took a look at it.
As expected, #Josh Batton's concert# was now on the top of the trending list. There was a fiery red 'HOT' behind the title.
What she did not expect was that her name had also popped out on the trending list.