It sounded a little like Sebastian Brenand was begging.It was the first time Stanley Batton ever saw his friend like that.Sebastian used to be a proud man, always seeming aloof and would never beg anyone.Stanley nodded. “Hey, we’re good friends. You can stay for as long as you want.”Sebastian laughed bitterly. “Thank you.”Sharon Lindt felt bad for him. “Sebastian, of course, you can stay here. I think of you as my son.”His eyes immediately filled with tears upon hearing her words.He liked Sharon a lot more in comparison to his mother, finding them to be completely different.“Sharon, if only you were my mother,” he sighed with a bitter laugh.Rachel Wood resonated with his statement. If Sharon was his mother, they would’ve gotten married long ago and none of those terrible things would’ve happened.“I think it’d be wonderful to have another son. That way, I’d get to have a great daughter-in-law like Rachel,” Sharon said, smiling as she ruffled Rachel's hair affectionat

“You’re right," Henry Armstrong said. "I used to find my parents annoying, but now, I don't think they are so bad. I have to thank my parents for not being such terrible people. Honestly, comparisons can be hurtful.”His words instantly made the tense atmosphere much more lively.Even Sebastian Brenand and Rachel Wood, who were in a poor mood, began to smile.“Everyone’s smiling now. That’s great! Sebastian, don’t overthink too much. You too, Rachel. Got it? No matter what happens, we’ll be by your side. We’re here to protect you. Do you understand?” Henry asked.Sebastian and Rachel felt grateful.“If I’m no longer part of the Brenand family, will you still love me the same?” Sebastian asked his friends.Henry directly rolled his eyes at him. “It doesn’t matter if you’re not part of the Brenand family. I'd still love you even if you’re not human anymore. I wouldn’t mind being in a relationship with a ghost.”Everyone couldn’t resist laughing when they heard this, making the amb

Rachel Wood was badly hurt, but she still wanted to live with Sebastian Brenand, so they had to give her parents a valid reason.They felt hurt and sympathized with what happened to their daughter, but they were also very pleased with how responsible Sebastian was.He didn’t mind what happened to Rachel and still loved her deeply, sacrificing so much for her.Her parents were very touched by his decision to leave the Brenand family.***As gratitude to his friends for their help, Sebastian and Rachel invited Stanley Batton, Xyla Quest, Gary Lakes, Henry Armstrong, Georgie Clementine, Josh Batton, and Annabeth Cates to Dream Garden one evening for dinner.Rachel’s parents had prepared a feast for them, and everyone had a great time dining together.It was the first time her parents had met so many wealthy folks, so they were on their best behavior.Everyone went home after the meal.Stanley drove Xyla home carefully, showing her around as he knew how bored she had been at home

It looked like a carefully crafted idol drama scene with wealthy folks featured in it.Everyone present looked either like wealthy siblings or couples.The party of four turned their attention to Xyla Quest and Stanley Batton when they arrived.Gary Lakes casually dealt a card. “Do you want to play in the next round, Stanley?”Stanley stepped forward with Xyla in his arms, prompting a waiter to bring two chairs over right then.They sat down immediately, Xyla leaning against her husband as he spoke. “Xyla will play, but I’ll pass.”“Deal,” Gary replied.Xyla hadn’t been out to do anything fun for a long while, so she was eager to join in.Truthfully, it wasn't only poker she was excited about. There were many other things she wanted to do after being cooped up at home for so long.Even the air felt more refreshing outside as everything she saw felt exciting.“Xyla, these people seem to be very lucky tonight. You’d better pay close attention later,” Gary warned.“It’s fine. A

Stanley Batton was a man of few words most of the time, preferring to hold Xyla Quest in his arms while he drank and listened to her.He never had eyes for anyone else.The others still found it sweet despite being so used to seeing the couple being intimate with each other.While everyone was chatting, Josh Batton’s phone started ringing. He answered instantly when he saw Annabeth Cates calling, hurrying outside while the others continued to chat.“Xyla, I’m working on a new project. Would you be interested in it?” Henry Armstrong asked.“You’ve got to tell me what it is first,” Xyla said, chuckling.“I’ve got my hands on a good script. It’s based on a fantasy novel that’s unusually popular this year. It’s an adaptation that stays true to the original story, and I plan to make it into a film. Would you be interested to invest in it?” Henry asked.“I’m just going to put this out there. If we’re going to work on this together, you’ll have to hire more actors from our company,” sh