Ch. 741..750
Chapter 741
He took another puff on his cigarette and gritted his teeth at the night skies. "Rachel... Where the hell are you... I miss you so much!"
Buzz buzz buzz...
Right at that moment, his phone vibrated again.
Seeing Jean Hanson's name on the screen, he sprang from the couch and answered the call right away. "Jean, is there any update about Rachel?" "Master Sebastian, I just found out that Miss Rachel has gone back to her hometown, Edgewater."
"Address. Give me her address now!"
"I'll send it to you on WeChat."
***
Sebastian Brenand received the address from Jean within a second or two.
Without hesitation, he took his private plane and flew to Edgewater.
It was four o'clock in the morning when he arrived at her hometown.
As soon as the plane landed, he rented a car at the airport and sped right to Rachel Wood's house like a brat losing his mind.
Rachel's house was located in an ordinary neighborhood in the district.
There was no one guarding the neighborhood. People could just walk in and out of the neighborhood freely.
The lights in most of the apartments were switched off at this hour.
There were only a few houses that had their lights on.
Sebastian drove into the neighborhood, anxiously roaming through the streets. Finally, he managed to find the building where Rachel and her family were staying.
Though it was late, and he was exhausted, Sebastian could not contain his excitement when he saw that building. His sleepiness was all gone.
He looked up at the sixth floor. Rachel must be somewhere there.
There was a room in that building with the light on.
That warm yellow light was wonderfully soothing.
At that moment, Sebastian felt like he was rescued. Lost in the ocean with no lights, he was a lost boy enveloped by total darkness. He finally found a glint of light in his life, comforting his empty heart. All the anxiety, frustration, and uneasiness that overwhelmed him had all vanished now.
He began to wonder where the light came from. Was it from Rachel's room?
If he was right, what was she doing in her room in the middle of the night? Was it just like what he used to see when he went to find her? A little kitten sitting on the bed and playing with her phone? Thinking about the beautiful memories between them warmed his heart instantaneously.
If that bright room was not Rachel's, she must be sleeping right now, right?
When she was alone, would she toss and turn all night like him?
When she dreamed about them, would she be awakened by distress like how he did?
The idea of his misery happening on her wrung his heart.
While he was lost in his thoughts, the sky was getting brighter.
People began to come out of the building.
His luxury Bentley Coupe had garnered a lot of attention from the residents. They either stopped in their tracks or secretly turned around to study his car.
Stanley lowered his car window and continued to stare at her house. He then lit a cigarette and took a drag at it from time to time.
He peeked at the time. It was six o'clock in the morning.
He decided to go up and knock on her door at seven o'clock.
Just when he was about to puff at the cigarette, the door of the building's main entrance was pushed open.
The woman he had longed for came into his sight.
She was wearing a white faux fur housecoat with a large garbage bag in her hand. Her face was bare but soft and tender.
There was not any aggressiveness on her. She was just like an obedient, white little cat.
She had lost a lot of weight compared to the last time he saw her, which broke his heart.
Sebastian's eyes were rimmed with red the moment he saw her.
He could not believe that the woman standing in front of him right now was the one running across his mind day and night for the past half month! The luxury car had instantly caught Rachel's eyes too.
She subconsciously glanced at the car.
Once again, memories of her in Atlantis came flooding back, details after details.
Chapter 742
Chapter 742
Joy, grief, confusion, and bitterness. All kinds of feelings intertwined in an inextricable mass, stabbing at her heart mercilessly.
Never in her life had she imagined that Sebastian Brenand would appear in her life again. For a moment, she did not know how to react to his arrival.
Her feet were glued to the ground, unmovable.
Their eyes met through the piece of black glass.
This one glance seemed to last forever.
Sebastian could not wait anymore. He immediately opened the car door and walked up to her.
Rachel Wood started losing strength in her arms.
In the next second, the garbage bag fell from her loosened grip to the ground.
The garbage bag hit her foot, and only then did she come back to her senses.
"Ra... Rachel... You... How are you?" Sebastian pulled her into his arms, agitatedly. "I have finally found you... Do you know how much I missed you when you were not around?" Sebastian was speaking incoherently out of excitement.
His words were as unexpected as his arrival today.
Tears began to pour down Rachel's cheeks, blurring her vision.
Why was he like this?
Why did he try to track her down after she left? Why did he tell her that he missed her?
He was unmoved by their break up when she left, was he not?
Perhaps he finally realized her importance after she left. Maybe he realized that he loved her, after all.
However, he clearly said that he would never fall in love with anyone.
He told her those material things were all that he could give her.
The familiar embrace, the familiar smell of tobacco, and the familiar warmth. Everything about him paralyzed her to the spot.
"Come back to me, hmm? I regret it... After you left, I realized how important you are to me. Rachel, I love you..." Sebastian hugged her as tight as he could. How he hoped she could stay in his arms forever. Rachel subconsciously lifted her hands, wanting to hug him too. However, her hands froze in mid-air when they were about to touch his back.
About half a minute later, she recollected herself and held back all the tears welling up in her eyes. Fiercely and without warning, she pushed him away as hard as she could. "Master Sebastian, please behave yourself. We're over."
"As long as you're willing to come back to me, we can start all over again. I can give you anything you want." Sebastian clasped her wrist firmly, fearing back she would leave him again.
"I don't want anything from you." Rachel clenched her fists as she rebuked.
"Rachel, I... I swear that you're my only love from now on. I promise you that I'll never mess with the other girls again.
"I understand the reason you refuse to come back to me. You're afraid to live the same life as before if you go back to Atlantis with me. I promise you that it'll never happen again. I promise. "I've disengaged myself from the other girls. You're my entire world from now on. Rachel, please believe me," Sebastian pleaded.
"You don't have to do that. We're not meant for each other." She dashed into the building with that out of the way, locked the door, and directly ran upstairs.
As she ran up the flight of stairs, her phone vibrated.
The screen showed 'Dr. Orsen'.
"Miss Rachel, please remember to come to the hospital this morning for chemotherapy."
"Okay."
After hanging up the phone, Rachel leaned against the wall helplessly. The stored tears continued to flow, and the sobs wracked her body.
She waited and waited. She waited her whole life for Sebastian to return to her, and the day had finally come.
Nonetheless, she had already lost the qualification to own the man.
She did not know how long she could live. She could no longer return to Sebastian's world. She did not deserve that.
Though, she really wanted to say 'yes' to him just now.
Chapter 743
Chapter 743
She could not do that... She really could not do that!
Sebastian Brenand was still gazing at the tightly closed door downstairs. His heart was empty once more. On the way here, he had imagined many scenarios of himself and Rachel Wood meeting in his head.
He thought that she would come back to him as long as he admitted his mistakes.
Unexpectedly, she rejected him without even thinking about it.
Her tears told him that she still loved him.
So, why did she reject him if she loved him?
Was it because she did not trust him anymore?
No matter what the reason was, he was not going to give up so easily.
Suddenly, a resident came out of the building.
Immediately, he charged at the main entrance and ran upstairs.
He ran straight up to Rachel's house.
Noticing there was no doorbell, he quickly knocked on the door.
In the living room, Rachel curled up on the couch and cried in despair. When she heard the knocking on the door, she instantly knew who was standing out there. She slowly rose to her feet and shuffled to the door, carefully peeping at the door viewer.
A familiar face came into her sight.
It was the face she had been longing for.
She wanted to open the door so badly, but she knew that she could not do so.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to turn away from him and leaned against the cold wooden door, feeling the stinging pain tormenting her heart.
Tears blurred her vision.
Sebastian continued to knock the door frantically.
Eventually, her neighbours could no longer stand the noises and came out to chastise Sebastian.
Having no other choice, Sebastian sank to the ground and sat quietly in front of the door.
***
Meanwhile, somewhere else, Xyla Quest gradually opened her eyes.
She was in Stanley Batton's arms, and the man was sleeping soundly as if nothing had happened.
Xyla kicked his calf resentfully.
"I'm hungry. Make some breakfast for me."
Buzz buzz buzz...
Right at that moment, Stanley's phone vibrated.
Seeing that it was Zack Cassidy who called him, Stanley immediately answered the call.
Xyla had no idea what Zack was talking about but she noticed that Stanley's face was darkened instantaneously.
She realized that something must have gone wrong. Trying as she might, she forced her exhausted body to sit up.
Stanley did not say a word and directly hung up the phone.
"What's wrong?" Xyla asked.
"Something bad happened," Stanley said.
"What is it?" Xyla's eyes were filled with worry.
Chapter 744
Chapter 744
"There's some trouble with the branch office in Country Y. I have to go there." Stanley Batton's voice was steady, and his eyes only expressed calmness. "What happened?" Xyla Quest's chest was heavy.
"One of the phone models exploded."
Upon hearing that, Xyla shuddered instantaneously. "What?"
If the accident went viral, it would be the end of the brand and the company.
"Don't worry. I'll go there to find out the cause and solve the matter. The accident is suppressed so far. Nobody will make a big deal about it," Stanley explained.
"Hurry up then. I'll help you to pack your luggage." Following that statement, Xyla moved her weak body to the edge of the bed.
Nonetheless, as soon as she got up, the man lunged forward and pulled her back to the bed again. He wrapped his long arms around her and gently kissed her forehead. "Forget it. Look at yourself. Get some rest, okay? I'll do it myself."
"Hey, I can do it..." Xyla was not convinced.
"I won't let you do it anyway," he spoke softly.
Xyla's heart began to race the moment she heard that.
"I might be staying there for a week, or even half a month. Be a good girl when I'm not around, alright? Give me a call if you face any problem," Stanley reminded her patiently. "Okay..."
After that, he got out of bed and went to pack his luggage.
***
Stanley's private plane was at the airport.
After the pair had finished their breakfast, Xyla accompanied Stanley to the airport under numerous bodyguards' watchful eyes.
The vast group of people had garnered a lot of attention at the airport.
Fortunately, Stanley did not have to check-in as he was taking a private plane. Once he reached the airport, he led Xyla to the exclusive gate and found his plane in no time. There were several beautiful stewardesses standing at the entrance of the plane, respectfully waiting for his arrival.
Xyla paused and looked at Stanley. "Safe trip, hubby. Let me know when you get there."
"I will." The man fixed his doting gaze upon her face. Pure tenderness was all that was in his eyes right now.
Stretching his arm, he pulled her into her embrace, gingerly rubbing his chin against the top of her hair. "Honey, take care of yourself when I'm not around, hmm?"
Xyla instantly hugged him back while nodding her head.
The lovebirds were still in a particularly thick love bubble where they were stuck to each other almost all the time. Xyla could not deny that it was heartbreaking to say goodbye to his beloved. "Remember to eat on time and have enough sleep, no matter how busy you are. Don't stay up too late," admonished Xyla somewhat earnestly, like his housekeeper.
"Okay."
"Oh yeah, call me and text me from time to time," she added.
"Okay."
No matter what she said, the fondness in the man's eyes remained as strong as ever.
Their intimacy had startled all the stewardesses there.
They were the exclusive flight attendants of Stanley's private plane, and each of them had followed him over the world.
However, none of them had ever seen such a gentle look from this man.
He was as cold as ice when he was with them.
After a long time, Stanley reluctantly released Xyla. He cupped her cheeks and kissed her softly.
It was not a lingering, hungry one but its genuineness was enviable.
Xyla could feel her heart step up pace when their lips touched.
"If you don't want me to leave, why don't you come with me?"
"Nah, I can't."
She had tons of work waiting for her to settle. She could not just leave them aside.
"I'd better get going. Have a safe trip." With that, Xyla waved at him and walked away from the plane.
A few bodyguards followed closely behind her.
The man did not move, his gaze locked upon her slim back.
Her tiny figure gradually receded and finally disappeared from Stanley's vision. Only then was he willing to turn around and board the plane. His face had regained the usual indifference too. After he got on the plane, the stewardesses started to whisper among themselves.
Chapter 744
Chapter 744
"There's some trouble with the branch office in Country Y. I have to go there." Stanley Batton's voice was steady, and his eyes only expressed calmness. "What happened?" Xyla Quest's chest was heavy.
"One of the phone models exploded."
Upon hearing that, Xyla shuddered instantaneously. "What?"
If the accident went viral, it would be the end of the brand and the company.
"Don't worry. I'll go there to find out the cause and solve the matter. The accident is suppressed so far. Nobody will make a big deal about it," Stanley explained.
"Hurry up then. I'll help you to pack your luggage." Following that statement, Xyla moved her weak body to the edge of the bed.
Nonetheless, as soon as she got up, the man lunged forward and pulled her back to the bed again. He wrapped his long arms around her and gently kissed her forehead. "Forget it. Look at yourself. Get some rest, okay? I'll do it myself."
"Hey, I can do it..." Xyla was not convinced.
"I won't let you do it anyway," he spoke softly.
Xyla's heart began to race the moment she heard that.
"I might be staying there for a week, or even half a month. Be a good girl when I'm not around, alright? Give me a call if you face any problem," Stanley reminded her patiently. "Okay..."
After that, he got out of bed and went to pack his luggage.
***
Stanley's private plane was at the airport.
After the pair had finished their breakfast, Xyla accompanied Stanley to the airport under numerous bodyguards' watchful eyes.
The vast group of people had garnered a lot of attention at the airport.
Fortunately, Stanley did not have to check-in as he was taking a private plane. Once he reached the airport, he led Xyla to the exclusive gate and found his plane in no time. There were several beautiful stewardesses standing at the entrance of the plane, respectfully waiting for his arrival.
Xyla paused and looked at Stanley. "Safe trip, hubby. Let me know when you get there."
"I will." The man fixed his doting gaze upon her face. Pure tenderness was all that was in his eyes right now.
Stretching his arm, he pulled her into her embrace, gingerly rubbing his chin against the top of her hair. "Honey, take care of yourself when I'm not around, hmm?"
Xyla instantly hugged him back while nodding her head.
The lovebirds were still in a particularly thick love bubble where they were stuck to each other almost all the time. Xyla could not deny that it was heartbreaking to say goodbye to his beloved. "Remember to eat on time and have enough sleep, no matter how busy you are. Don't stay up too late," admonished Xyla somewhat earnestly, like his housekeeper.
"Okay."
"Oh yeah, call me and text me from time to time," she added.
"Okay."
No matter what she said, the fondness in the man's eyes remained as strong as ever.
Their intimacy had startled all the stewardesses there.
They were the exclusive flight attendants of Stanley's private plane, and each of them had followed him over the world.
However, none of them had ever seen such a gentle look from this man.
He was as cold as ice when he was with them.
After a long time, Stanley reluctantly released Xyla. He cupped her cheeks and kissed her softly.
It was not a lingering, hungry one but its genuineness was enviable.
Xyla could feel her heart step up pace when their lips touched.
"If you don't want me to leave, why don't you come with me?"
"Nah, I can't."
She had tons of work waiting for her to settle. She could not just leave them aside.
"I'd better get going. Have a safe trip." With that, Xyla waved at him and walked away from the plane.
A few bodyguards followed closely behind her.
The man did not move, his gaze locked upon her slim back.
Her tiny figure gradually receded and finally disappeared from Stanley's vision. Only then was he willing to turn around and board the plane. His face had regained the usual indifference too. After he got on the plane, the stewardesses started to whisper among themselves.
Chapter 746
Chapter 746
Although the two of them only had a few words, all the fans were angry with the way Josh Batton treated Xyla Quest.
They had been supporting and fangirling Josh for so long, but they never got a chance to speak to him.
Conversely, Josh was always so nice to Xyla. He even took the initiative to walk up to her just now.
Even if the fans understood that they were just friends, they could not help but feel envious and upset whenever they saw the two's interaction.
A nanny car was already waiting for Josh outside the airport.
The bodyguards quickly opened up a path for Josh and escorted him to the car.
After Josh got into the car, the bodyguards immediately hopped in after him and shut the door.
However, the fans had no intention to leave despite the fact that their idol was already out of sight. The vast group of girls gathered outside the nanny car. Fortunately, all of them formed an orderly queue beside the car to not block the traffic.
Once again, the girls cried at the top of their lungs.
"Josh Josh, fly higher. We'll be with you forever..."
They were all cheering in unison this time.
Breaking free from the vast crowd, Josh instantly let out a deep sigh of relief. He drew the curtains and peeked outside the window, waving politely toward his fans to show his gratitude. Soon, the engine roared.
The nanny car slowly moved away from the crowd.
The fans eventually turned into countless tiny black dots, then disappeared from his sight one after another.
Pulling the curtains together, Josh plopped into his seat and closed his eyes to get some rest.
He had spent the whole night recording a variety show in Belrynna yesterday. After he was done with the show, he took a flight back to Atlantis right away.
He was extremely exhausted at this moment.
"Josh, I think we should stay away from the boss in the future. Otherwise, your fans are going to be jealous of her. I noticed that their faces were all clouded over just now..."
Annabeth Cates cautiously reminded Josh. She then took a thermal flask out of her bag and uncapped it, handing it to him before adding, "Josh, have some bird's nest drinks. It's good for your throat." Josh gradually opened his eyes and turned to Annabeth. "Got it."
Following that statement, he took the thermos from her and drank two mouthfuls of the bird's nest drinks.
His throat was as dry as a bone from the exertion.
The bird's nest drink really did help to moisten his throat.
After taking a few more sips, Josh closed the thermal flask's lid and handed it back to Annabeth.
Annabeth immediately took the flask from him and double-checked that the lid was tightly closed before putting it into her bag.
Once again, Josh closed his eyes.
Annabeth remained silent too.
She could feel that Josh was different when he was with their boss.
Indeed, it was generally acknowledged that Josh was polite and kind to everyone.
However, the gentleness he had for their boss was different...
She could not tell exactly what was different, but it just seemed different.
"Josh, I think what happened just now will be on the trending list later," Annabeth said again.
As she spoke, she turned to look at Josh's gorgeous face.
Though she was working with this artist almost every day, his looks and temperament still astounded her. Josh did not reply to her. His eyes remained closed.
***
After leaving the airport, Xyla headed straight to Quest Property Group.
She called a meeting with the sales department before going back to her office.
She sank into her office chair, casually stretched her back, and pulled out her phone to take a look at it.
There was no message at all.
She moved her neck in circles to relax her muscles before logging onto Weibo to check today's trending list. Very soon, she found her name on the trending list again.
Chapter 747
Chapter 747
The fifth hot topic showed #Xyla Quest and Josh Batton Airport#. Helplessness crept over Xyla Quest when she saw the hot topic.
Her name had appeared on the trending list too often recently. Many celebrities did not even get to make an appearance on the trending list so frequently. Many of them actually paid a large sum of money to the authority to get their names onto the trending list.
On the bright side, she did not have to pay a single penny to attract all the attention. The netizens seemed to have 'booked' a spot for her on the trending list.
Tapping the hot topic, the first thing that came into her sight was a close-up video of her and Josh Batton talking face to face.
The video was shot on their side.
The camera had perfectly captured both of their delicate side faces.
Even their gazes on each other could be clearly seen.
The comment section below the post had already hit one million comments.
"Look at the doting gaze Josh had for Xyla! I hope they get together."
"Are you mad? Dude, Xyla is married. Our Josh is fantastic alone."
"The two of them look better than the couples in the dramas. I'm so f*cking jealous of Xyla Quest. Why is she so lucky?"
"Her husband is a big shot, and her friend is a famous artist. Is there anyone luckier than her?"
"Josh Batton!!! Get yourself together! Stop looking at her!"
"Josh Batton!!! Please get a hold of yourself!"
Knock knock knock... Three consecutive knocks broke the silence in the room.
Xyla immediately off her phone before shifting her gaze to the door. "Come in."
Soon, the door was pushed open.
Georgie Clementine hurried into the office in the very next second.
She was wearing a bright sapphire slim-fit suit with a white blouse inside and a pair of sapphire velvet delicate heels underneath.
The half-up, half-down hairstyle suited her well, and her hair was now long enough for her to tie her upper half into a small messy bun.
On top of that, her exquisite makeup had added a tinge of boldness to her overall appearance.
There was a massive pile of files in Georgie's hands. Quickening her pace, she walked up to Xyla and dropped all the files on her office desk before casually pulling a chair to sit beside Xyla. "These are all the X Entertainment's documents that you need to go over. President Xyla, please take a look at them."
Xyla nodded. "Alright. I'll go through them this afternoon."
"I'm afraid that those red folders can't wait until this afternoon. You ought to look at them now," Georgie demanded.
"Fine..." Xyla massaged her forehead helplessly. She took the red folders on top and started to go through them in earnest before signing them one by one.
Subsequently, she pushed them back to Georgie. "There you go."
Georgie carefully stacked them up and glanced at her wristwatch. "It's already noon. Do you want to have lunch with me?"
"Nah, I still have to deal with loads of work." Xyla rejected her.
"Do you need help?" Georgie asked.
Xyla shook her head in response. "It's okay. Go ahead to have your lunch."
"Okay, then. I'll go later. By the way, I've been following up on the news about you and Fifth Master these two days. He's really high-profile, huh?" Georgie grinned.
A sweet smile blossomed on Xyla's face at the mention of her husband.
The way she smiled was sunny yet captivating.
"Perhaps this is love. I'm envious of you indeed." Georgie propped her chin with one hand as she mumbled.
"You'll meet your Mr. Right one day."
"Me? I hope so too."
Georgie took the red folders and stood up. "I'd better get going since you're busy. See you later."
Xyla nodded.
Georgie turned away from her and left the office.
She walked very fast, as if there was wind coming from her soles. A powerful aura surrounded her as she made her way down the aisle.
Buzz buzz buzz... As soon as she reached the elevator, her phone vibrated.
Chapter 748
Chapter 748
A notification popped up on the screen. Cloud Piercer had sent her a message on WeChat. "Wifey, will you be online tonight? I've cleared all the daily tasks for you. Do you want to go to the dungeon with me tonight?"
Georgie Clementine's expressionless face instantly faded away and was replaced by a genuine smile.
She quickly tucked the folders under her arm and replied to his message. "Sure."
Love...
She might have met her love.
In fact, it was cyber love.
She did not have the slightest idea how the guy looked like or what he did for a living.
She heard that he ran a company, and that was all she knew.
The two of them had been playing games together every day recently, and her fondness for him only grew stronger and stronger as time went by.
In Georgie's imagination, Cloud Piercer was a smart, dependable, and assertive gentleman.
***
Meanwhile, there was an air of gloom and resentment hanging over the Sullivan family's house.
Emily Quest was currently sitting on the enormous balcony in her luxurious bedroom. She was watching Josh Batton and Xyla Quest's video on the trending list, her face as dark as night.
All the comments buttering up Xyla disgusted her. The longer she looked at them, the more disgusted she felt.
Xyla had risen to fame on the internet these days.
Today, she was on the trending list because of Stanley Batton. Tomorrow, she might be on the trending list because of the tournament. The day after tomorrow, she could still be on the trending list thanks to Josh.
Moreover, the netizens would flatter her every time her name appeared on the trending list.
They even named her 'The Girl Born Under A Lucky Star'.
Emily was going to die from jealousy at any second.
She had an insatiable desire for everything Xyla owned.
Sadly, she would never live a life like Xyla's, no matter how hard she tried.
Emily continued to scroll through the hot topic and saw an infuriating post. "Have anyone heard of the story between Xyla Quest and her brother-in-law before? It is said that Xyla Quest was supposed to marry her brother-in-law, Tom Sullivan. However, Tom Sullivan had an affair with her younger sister, Emily Quest..."
The post was viral on Weibo at the moment. The number of likes, comments and shares had exceeded five figures.
Scrolling down to the comment section, molten anger began to flow through Emily.
"Of course, I've heard that before. Thank you, Tom Sullivan, for not appreciating Xyla. Thanks Emily, for adopting that bastard too."
"You've got a point, girl."
"Without Emily, Xyla wouldn't have met her prince and live happily ever after."
"Her husband is so much better than Tom Sullivan, duh. Although the Sullivan family is rich, they're nothing compared to the Batton family."
"Was Tom Sullivan blind? He gave up on such a beautiful angel for that roadside weed. Hahahahaha..."
The harsh comments pierced through Emily's eyeballs as though there were plenty of nails.
She felt irritation rising in her.
Jealousy overtook her.
She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "Xyla... Go to hell!"
To avoid seeing those disgusting contents again, Emily turned off her phone and grabbed the red wine glass from the table beside her, downing it at one go. She hated Xyla so much.
They were both born of the same father but why was Xyla's fate always better than hers?
Why did she have to live in Xyla's shadow all the time?
***
While all these were happening, there was a desperate atmosphere at Edgewater too.
Rachel Wood was standing behind the curtains, overlooking the street of her neighbourhood in silence.
The black Bentley Coupe was still downstairs.
Inside the car, Sebastian Brenand was sitting in the driver's seat, smoking.
Chapter 749
Chapter 749
Just now, he had tried to knock on the door once more, but she ignored him.
Nevertheless, he was not going to give up so easily.
He must bring Rachel Wood back to Atlantis no matter what the cost.
Gazing at the black car downstairs, Rachel's heart was slowly torn to pieces.
Buzz buzz buzz... Rachel's phone vibrated.
She had never seen this number before.
She hesitated for a moment before answering the call.
"Rachel! It's me, Natalie. You still remember me, right?" A familiar voice rang in her ear, reminding her of the memories back in high school.
Natalie Fisher, a girl who sat next to her in ninth grade.
"How did you get my number?" Rachel asked.
"I went to hospital today and met your mom. Your mom gave it to me. Speaking of which, our classmates are having a gathering tonight. Do you want to join us?" Natalie continued, "We haven't seen you for years. Don't tell me you can't make it, okay? I won't buy that. If you say 'no', we're going to crash your house and pick you up in person.
"We all know that you have nothing to do lately. You quit your job, and you're spending most of your time at home..." Natalie commented. Her demand had put Rachel in an awkward position. Having no other choice, Rachel nodded helplessly and muttered, "Sure."
Her parents were clueless about what she was doing in Atlantis. She had been lying to them that she was working in a PR company in Atlantis.
When she returned home to recuperate from the operation, she did not tell her parents all the misery she had gone through. She just mentioned that she had quit her job and wanted to stay at home for a short period.
She clearly remembered the day when she first went to Atlantis. Her father suffered from uremia, and his health was going downhill at that time, to the extent that he had to undergo a kidney transplant. They were lucky enough to find a kind donor, but they could not afford the surgery.
She did not know what to do. Misled by her urge, she chose the wrong path and sold herself to Unconscious Bar.
To prevent her parents from finding out her foolish decision, scolding her, and refusing to accept her money, she could only hide the truth and tell them that she had borrowed the money from her colleagues. Fortunately, she met Sebastian Brenand the day she set foot into the bar, and the man took her away from that filthy place.
From then on, the man kept her by his side. She did not lose herself in that wrong path, thanks to him.
Her first night with Sebastian was fresh in her memory.
He teased her about her hymen, saying that it seemed real.
She said that it was real.
However, the man did not believe it. He laughed that every woman he met had told him the same thing.
Instead of clarifying herself, she decided to keep her mouth shut because she knew that her explanation would be pointless anyway.
"Rachel... Rachel?" Natalie's voice jerked her back from those painful memories.
She came back to her senses and smiled awkwardly. "Hmm?"
"Eight o'clock tonight. Edgewater Grand Hotel. Elegenza Private Room. I'll see you there, alright? All of our classmates will be there." "Okay."
After hanging up the phone, Rachel opened her closet, intending to pick a nice dress to meet her old friends.
All the clothes she brought back with her were from notable international brands. They were all gifts from Sebastian.
Nonetheless, she did not even look at those fancy clothes as she wanted to keep a low profile. On the contrary, she took the red and white checkered bodycon dress she had bought from Amazon months ago. After all, she told everyone that she was just an ordinary office worker.
After choosing the dress, she put it aside and sat on the bed, then called Dr. Orsen.
"Miss Rachel, why haven't you come for chemotherapy?" asked the doctor.
"Dr. Orsen... Can you do me a favor?" Rachel asked cautiously. The glow in her eyes had all faded.
"Sure, shoot."
***
It was already two o'clock in the afternoon when Xyla Quest finished her work.
She ordered a takeaway.
After having lunch, she went back to work again.
In the evening, Jeremy Quest gave her a call and asked her to go home for lunch tomorrow.
Chapter 750
Chapter 750
Besides, he said that he was going to introduce several veterans to her.
Hence, she agreed to go.
After hanging up the phone, she realized that Stanley Batton had texted her two hours ago. "Honey, I've arrived."
Staring at that message, the corner of Xyla Quest's soft lips gradually curved upward into a smile, happiness glowing within her.
Without further ado, she video-called him.
On the other end of the phone, Stanley was having a meeting in Kingstell, Country Y.
He was currently sitting in a conference room of his branch office with a group of blonde executives, earnestly discussing the cause and solution regarding the phone's explosion. The man kept a straight face all the time, and he could speak French fluently.
The conference room was grand and spacious, yet the tension was palpable. Everyone was sitting on the edge of their seats, fearing that they would put their foot in it.
Buzz buzz buzz...
Stanley's phone vibrated. Noticing that his wife was trying to video call him, all the ice on his face had instantly melted away. He picked up the call without hesitation. Soon, Xyla's face showed up on the screen.
Behind her was the cloudy blue sky outside her office's french window.
"What are you doing?" Xyla asked.
"I'm having a meeting."
"Oh... I'll leave you to it then. I'll call you later."
"Hold on..."
"Yes?" Xyla asked again.
"Remember to eat on time, alright?" A serious expression was etched upon Stanley's face.
"I know. You too, okay? Don't overwork yourself," reminded Xyla.
"Okay."
"Cut down on alcohol."
"Okay."
"Smoke less."
"Okay."
"Alright, then. Bye..."
With that, Xyla hung up the phone.
All the executives in the conference room could understand English very well.
After listening to their conversation, everyone was petrified.
Did they just see the gentle side of Stanley Batton? Was he the boss they know?
For a moment, they thought they were all dreaming.
However, Stanley could not care any less about their thoughts about him. He regained his usual seriousness within a second and got back to the meeting, as though nothing had happened.
Once again, the room's temperature fell to the freezing point, coldness running down the table.
The man was suddenly hot and cold, terrifying the crowd with the startling change in the room's atmosphere.
***
At seven o'clock in the evening, Rachel Wood changed into her checkered dress and got herself ready for the gathering. After putting on some makeup, she found a white handbag-bought from Amazon- from her closet and stuffed her phone and purse into the bag.
Subsequently, she put on a pair of plain, red Mary Jane shoes before walking to the window to steal a glance at the street.
The street was empty. There was no sign of Sebastian Brenand's car.
Sebastian had been waiting downstairs the whole day.
Occasionally, he would come up and knock on the door, but his efforts were in vain.
He must have given up on her and gone back to Atlantis.
Would Master Sebastian ever yield himself to a woman?
The thought of it tore Rachel's heart apart.