Complying with her husband’s request, Mrs. Newman reluctantly put a gift together. She then saw Mr. Newman out the door. Once Mr. Newman was gone, Mrs. Newman murmured to herself, “She’s just a country bumpkin. I doubt Mr. York will love her forever. The girl’s just a breath of fresh air to Mr. York for now. The country bumpkin won’t be the lady of the house for long once he’s bored of her.” Half an hour later, Zachary got a call through the intercom. Mr. Chaplin relayed Mr. Newman’s wishes to meet. Needless to say, Zachary knew why Mr. Newman was here. Mr. Newman turned up before Zachary had a chance to get even with the guy. “Let him in,” Zachary callously responded to Mr. Chaplin. Mr. Chaplin hung up and relayed the message. Sitting in the building’s VIP lounge on the first floor, Mr. Newman quietly but restlessly waited. He pulled himself together at the sound of incoming footsteps, pretending to play it cool as the receptionist approached. “Mr. Newman, our CEO wi
It had long come to Mr. Newman’s attention that Zachary was aloof and not the easiest to get on with. It was too early for Mr. Newman to say if he could get along with Zachary. Nevertheless, it was true that Zachary was an indifferent man. Mr. Newman had been around the business world for many years, and during his management of Newman Enterprise for more than a decade had turned a small business into a billion-dollar corporation. Although the Newmans thrived in foreign business, Mr. Newman had influence and connections in Wiltspoon too. “Mr. Zachary, I’m here to apologize on behalf of my daughter and wife,” Mr. Newman explained with a smile. Zachary callously replied, “I’ve never met your wife and daughter.” “Here’s the thing, Mr. Zachary. My wife and daughter got into a bit of a misunderstanding and conflict with your wife. I have given them a telling-off, but since my wife has to take care of my sick daughter, I’m here on behalf of them to apologize to your wife. “I didn
Keeping to himself, Zachary simply stared icily at Mr. Newman while Mr. Newman was on pins and needles. “So, your purpose here is to apologize, am I right, Mr. Newman?” Unable to count on Zack to say something, Callum broke the silence in the office. Mr. Newman nodded his head. “Serenity is a forgiving person. She usually doesn’t sweat the small stuff, but friendship is important to her.” Carrying a smile, Mr. Newman replied, “Mrs. York got a heart for sure. I’ve heard of it.” “It’s good that you know that. You can leave if there’s nothing else, Mr. Newman.” Quit the act already. The Yorks and the Newmans had no business connections with one another. Mr. Newman had been wanting to leave the moment he came in. However, he was not in a position to take leave. God knew how nervous Mr. Newman was when Zachary locked eyes with him. He was a lot older than Zachary and probably could be Zachary’s father. Mr. Newman had been through the toughest years of his life, but he felt
It appeared the sun had set seconds after it rose. The switch between daylight and darkness simply crept in on everybody. Serenity woke up bright early on Saturday morning. Zachary only got up when Serenity had breakfast on the table. “Why didn’t you wait for me to get up and make breakfast together?” Looming from behind Serenity, Zachary wrapped his arms around her. He loved the days of seeing her the moment he opened his eyes. He could find happiness in the most mundane days. All the fights, silent treatments, and misunderstandings taught Zachary to cherish everything he had. “I woke up without the alarm, but you were still asleep. I don’t see the point of waking you to make breakfast. It doesn’t matter who makes the breakfast.” Serenity turned around in his arms and lifted her chin to meet him face-to-face. With adoration in her eyes, she curled her lips. “Good morning, babe.” Coming to her eye level, Zachary tenderly responded, “Good morning, honey.” He then kis
Serenity, Liberty, Mrs. Stone, and the others were on their way to the Hunts’ hometown when Old Mr. Hunt brought his sons and two grandsons to Wiltspoon School. Here they were to talk cash with Serenity again. Old Mr. Hunt refused to believe the Yorks were unfazed by all the big hoo-ha the Hunts stirred in the last few days. Serenity might be feeling the pressure now. Alas, they arrived at Wiltspoon School only to find that Serenity’s bookshop was closed. “Why isn’t it operating for business? It’s eight o’clock. It says here they open at eight.” Getting out of the car, Old Mr. Hunt grimaced upon noticing the shop was closed. He ran his mouth and called Serenity out for being a lousy businessperson. Mike looked at the shops around and said, “Granddad, it’s Saturday today. The school is off. These shops target students as customers. They won’t bother opening when the school is closed.” Old Mr. Hunt mumbled, “The brat usually stays open on the weekend. She thinks she’s all t
“Never mind. Let’s go after Liberty. What line of business is she in?” “F&B, breakfast place.” “Oh, right. A breakfast diner. We can have free breakfast at her place then.” After finding out that Liberty was starting a new business, Old Mr. Hunt ran his mouth about Liberty and her refusal to lend a million to his grandson to get back on his feet. If that was not enough, Old Mr. Hunt shot off at his dead son, Scott, for having two disloyal daughters. Serenity and Liberty would be the death of Old Mr. Hunt. Old Mr. Hunt returned to the car, urging his sons and grandsons to freeload off Liberty’s new diner. They could enjoy meals at Liberty’s place whenever they came to the city. It was not like Liberty could do anything if they refused to pay. They were family after all! Old Mr. Hunt brought his sons and grandsons to Liberty’s breakfast diner, only to find the place shut. Seeing that the place was not open for business, he stayed in the car and chided, “Where the hell are t
“Serenity is now the wife of the richest man. Why would she want the house? That’s a bit greedy.” Some people were of the opinion that Serenity should not fight for the house. Someone immediately came to Serenity’s defense. “She should fight for the house after what her grandparents did to her and her sister. Why should John get the house for free?” “I thought John is Scott’s adopted son?” Scott’s name was only known among the seniors and Scott’s generation. The younger generation would not know who Scott, Serenity, or Liberty was. Well, the Hunts were the main reason for that. They went so far as to stop Serenity and her sister from coming back to town. The Hunt family even relocated Scott’s and Lisa’s graves without letting the sisters know. Serenity and Liberty could not even visit their parents’ graves even if they wanted to. The last time Serenity came back, the Hunts were not home. She ended up having a chat with her fellow townspeople. Mrs. Deli jumped in, “Scott
Old Mrs. Hunt’s rhetorical question silenced some of the families with sons. “It’s an unwritten rule that the family fortune goes to the sons in this town, and the sons will handle the final days of the parents. I know that, but my parents didn’t have a son. They only had me and my sister. My parents’ inheritance should be passed down to me and my sister.“Grandmom, can you tell me when my parents adopted a son? Did the adoption go through while they were alive? Can we see the papers? “We have never been notified of any change to our family tree,” raising her voice, Serenity questioned Old Mrs. Hunt. The onlookers turned their heads to the source of the questioning. With Serenity walking alongside Zachary in the protection of men in black, the crowd cleared a path toward the gate of Serenity’s family home. Liberty left Sonny in Jim’s care, so the boy could have a little play nearby. She did not want Sonny to see her arguing with the old lady. Escorted by a team of securi
Isabella could not find anyone who suited her tastes in Satbury. She knew the city was filled with talented young men, but none made her heart race. Their goal was usually the O’Connor family business. The men knew Louis was young and that Isabella was the head of the family. If they could win her heart, it would be equivalent to conquering the O’Connor family. From there, they could gradually swallow the family whole. Isabella dared not date anyone. She was scared of falling into someone’s trap. She would not let her feelings show, even if she had a crush on someone.“Many people are aiming for my family’s status and wealth. I dare not date or get married for fear that I’d destroy the family once and for all. Those people will go to great lengths for money and power.”Isabella was even wary of young masters of wealthy families, let alone ambitious men from inferior backgrounds. “I know Nana is doing this for us. She had chosen our wives. Our parents didn’t need to worry
Isabella knew it would not be that quick. By the time Louis could take over, which would be twenty years later, she would already be close to fifty years old. If she got married and had children within the next two years, her children could inherit her businesses a few years after Louis took over the family business. That way, she could finally retire for good. “Austin, you’re aware that I sent someone to Wiltspoon to investigate your background, right? There was no information about you being a young master of the Yorks. Was it because you didn’t want me to know about it?”“No.”Austin said honestly, “I wasn’t aware. Zachary was the one who told me that you investigated me twice. You couldn’t find the connection between me and York Corporation because Zachary covered it up for me.“He knew that I was here to cook and improve my skills. If you knew I was a young master of the wealthiest family in Wiltspoon, you might not have hired me as your private chef. If so, I wouldn’t be
Isabella smiled and said, “If the person taking over the family business doesn’t have true ability, they won’t be able to bear the responsibility. In this way, they can still prove themselves. Of course, starting a business from scratch and inheriting from a generation or two back is different.“For those who are supported by their family, no matter how many achievements they have, others will say they relied on their family’s support. If they fail, people will call them useless and a waste, and that family wealth will never last more than three generations. They’ll just wait for your family to go bankrupt.“So, without real ability, no one can take over the family business.”Austin was silent for a moment before responding, “What you say is true. My eldest brother, for example, is very capable. Although we could all take on the responsibility, none of us is as steady as he is. He’s the real anchor of our family. With him around, we don’t have to worry even if the sky falls.“Becau
Oh, right. Ruth mentioned that the York family elders were very open-minded.Open-minded elders and a good family culture were what cultivated outstanding children. It was little wonder that Austin was exceptional and bore such an impressive demeanor. It turned out that he was from a prestigious family.“Isa, what's wrong with Austin? Can we start eating now?”Louis and Phillip were completely confused. All they knew was Austin was not from a simple family, and that he was very capable. Even Ruth had shaken hands with him.The two boys were too young to understand anything besides that. They were just hungry and wanted to eat. It was cold, and the barbecue was very comforting to eat hot off the grill.Isabella smiled and said, “All you two think about is eating. Well, the meat and vegetables are all cooked, so we can start eating now.”As she spoke, she grabbed some meat, shrimp, and vegetables for her baby brothers. Then, she began eating, and everyone followed suit.Ruth too
After Austin left, Isabella asked her friend, "Ruth, do you know the Wiltspoon Yorks? Is Austin really one of them?"“You’ve never been to Wiltspoon, Isabella, and it's so far away. Plus your family doesn't have business there, so it's normal you don't know much about them. I was there for half a month for a trip, and my in-laws have business there.“Last time, when I went on a business trip with my husband, we heard a lot of gossip and rumors related to the York family.“In Wiltspoon, there are several prominent families, but the wealthiest and most powerful is the York family. York Corporation holds the same status in the business world of Wiltspoon as your family does here.”Ruth was introducing the York family to everyone, giving them a preliminary understanding of the family. After that explanation, Ruth added, “The York family has a great family culture to boot. The men in their family are all very loyal. Once they marry, they will remain loyal to their wife and family for
“Your family? As in, Wiltspoon’s York Corporation? Is that your family’s company?” Ruth asked in shock. She looked at Austin, disbelief written all over her face. The members of the O'Connor family were all watching the two of them.“Yeah, that’s my family's company. Our ancestors were good enough to build a strong foundation my elder brother now manages.”“Where do you fall in the order of your siblings and cousins?” Ruth had once traveled to Wiltspoon with her husband for a business trip and had spent half a month there, so she knew a bit about the most prominent family in Wiltspoon. She had also been deeply impressed by the good values the Yorks had. She had heard that the York sons were all exceptional, talented individuals, and indeed, Austin was exceptionally handsome—so much so that it could even incur a god’s jealousy. But how did a young master of the York family end up working as a chef for the O'Connor family?Though York Corporation was based in Wiltspoon, its fina
Austin slept for an hour and then got up. He had to prepare the barbecue ingredients for Isabella, and the marinade was very important. If the O'Connor family was having a barbecue, Austin would actually have it quite easy. He just needed to prepare the marinade whereas the actual ingredients would be prepared by someone else, so he did not need to do everything himself. Of course, if he wanted to take charge and do it all, that was fine too.While Austin was busy in the kitchen, he heard a crisp voice coming from the hall, laughing while asking, “Isabella, where’s that handsome chef of yours? Can I take a look at him? I made sure not to bring my husband along just to see him, so he wouldn’t get jealous.”Austin was speechless. Being handsome could be troublesome too; everyone treated him like a circus monkey. He was not even the most handsome among his brothers. Zachary was the most good-looking and charismatic. If these women saw him, would they go crazy?He heard Isabella sa
As for their future partners, they also had certain requirements. First, their family background should be comparable to the O’Connors, and secondly, they should be from this city or a nearby city—wherever it was, it could not be too far away.Austin had been working for Isabella for some time and had secretly figured out her requirements for a husband. He thought it would be easy when his nana had chosen Isabella for him, but he now understood that it was not as simple as he had assumed.Not only was it hard for Isabella to fall in love, but her refusal to move far from home would also be an obstacle in their relationship. Would he have to marry into her family?Hayden was also in charge of her family company, but she had a twin brother who was just as capable as her. After marrying into the York family, the company could be handed over to her brother to manage.Isabella’s brother had only just started elementary school, so it would take at least another twenty years before Loui
Soon, even Tati ran out and joined the others.Only Isabella remained seated in the gazebo, sipping her tea while watching the younger ones play joyfully. Her personality made it difficult for her to indulge in carefree fun like the rest. However, seeing them so happy lifted her own spirits, and she felt content.She found the tea Austin made to her liking. In the past, she rarely drank tea, as she mostly drank coffee. She would have two cups of coffee every day to keep herself going.After returning to his dorm, Austin lay on his bed but did not immediately fall asleep. Instead, he picked up his phone and chatted with his cousins. He was closest to Peter and River, given their close age gap, and they often chatted the most. At this moment, he was on a call with River.He asked about the situation at home and whether their nana was mad at him for not coming home for Christmas.River replied, “Everything’s fine at home. Nana’s not mad that you’re not coming home. In fact, she’s