Xyla Quest felt instant relief after removing her heels, her entire body relaxing after a long day walking around in them.She was getting worn out from standing straight to maintain her elegant posture during the party. No matter how badly her feet hurt, she held herself together and remained composed while conversing with guests next to Stanley Batton.Now, she could finally stop pretending in front of her family.Sharon Lindt noticed how exhausted she seemed and looked over at Stanley. “Stanley, give your wife a massage. Look at how tired she is.”Her son immediately nodded and placed Xyla’s legs on his thighs before carefully kneading her sore legs.Stanley was getting really good at giving massages.He managed to press on all the right spots on the soles of her feet.Xyla began to feel completely relaxed as if all the blockages in her body had disappeared.“And you," Sharon said, shifting her eyes to Josh Batton. "Although your wife might not be as tired as Xyla, shouldn

There were times when Xyla Quest honestly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry about Sharon Lindt.Sharon Lindt would always blame everything on Stanley Batton regardless of why or what happened to make Xyla feel down. Moreover, Sharon had a knack for sounding very persuasive when hurling accusations at her sons.It was a pretty impressive talent of hers.Right then, Sharon had a grave expression on her face. “Why shouldn’t I? You’re obviously unhappy, so how could I not blame him? Besides, no matter what happens, it’s always Stanley’s fault whenever you’re not in a good mood.”Josh Batton wore a helpless look on his face. “I feel bad for Stanley. Mom, is he even your real son?”“Whenever he makes Xyla unhappy, I’d wish he wasn’t,” his mother grumbled.Josh gently patted his brother on his shoulder. “My heart goes out to you, Bro.”“You don’t have to feel sorry for him. I think of you the same way,” she reminded him with a deadpanned expression.His facial expression instantly

Everyone wore disposable gloves before feasting on lobsters while drinking beer, ignoring other patrons around them who were taking their pictures from afar.They were thankfully not intrusive, aside from making various comments and photo-taking, so the Batton family felt more at ease.The restaurant was running at maximum capacity, and the interior was smoky within.The Battons seemed like a regular group of people in that restaurant, having a meal and doing ordinary things just like other people.They were no different from everyone else, so they could blend in perfectly apart from their designer clothes.They managed to finish every dish in record time as everyone was generally in high spirits and no longer full from the food at the birthday party.After the meal, Stanley Batton settled the bill before they all left the restaurant together.Even after they were gone, people were still commenting in the restaurant.“D*mn. This family is so down to earth. I thought rich people

“Got it. I’ll book the entire hall for you, will that do?” Sharon Lindt asked her son.Josh Batton nodded. “Okay, sure. Thanks.”“I’m doing this for Annabeth. I hope her husband gets the respect he deserves,” she clarified.“Mom, you don’t need to be so upfront about certain things,” he told her.“That won’t do. Some things need to be made clear.”“Fine. I now know for sure that my brother and I were adopted. Annabeth and Xyla are your real daughters. That is dead certain,” Josh lamented.“I can’t help it if that’s what you think,” his mother replied.“Yes,” Wilson Batton said.Their two sons were speechless.“What genre is that film of yours?” Sharon asked.“Wasn’t it all over the news?” Josh replied.“Yes, but I had my full attention on Annabeth and Xyla, so I didn’t have time to pay attention to you. I’m sorry.”He felt hurt once again, nodding before letting out a bitter laugh. “Fine. The film is about Three Kingdoms.”“Oh, Three Kingdoms," she echoed with a slow nod.

“Why don’t we check on them using the surveillance system later? We may not see them clearly, but we can at least have a peek,” Xyla Quest suggested. “Maybe we won’t miss them so badly then.”“Okay,” Stanley Batton agreed instantly.Their children were already one-year-old in the blink of an eye.Xyla and Stanley spent the past twelve months by their side, watching them as they grew little by little.They witnessed their children learn how to walk and speak.Now, they had an even stronger bond with them.They were inseparable in the past, but even more so now.The couple really loved their children and would probably die if they lost them. As a matter of fact, they’d even be willing to die for them.“All right, let’s get cleaned up and see them through the surveillance system before we would be able to sleep in peace,” she said eagerly.Her husband nodded.“Honey, there’s something I need to talk to you about first,” she told him.He glanced at her curiously, gently swirling