Sonny looked at his dad and said, “That’s Dunc. Dunc would never bully Mom.”Hank was silent for a moment before he asked, “Do you like Dunc a lot?”Sonny shook his head. “I don’t like Dunc, but he’s not a bad man.”Dunc was a good person, but that did not have anything to do with whether or not he liked him.“Sonny, Dunc is going to take Mom away from you. He’ll become a bad guy in the future. What you need to do is stop Dunc and Mom from being alone together. If Mom wants to go on a date with Dunc, you need to cry and throw a tantrum, get it?”Sonny learned the way his Uncle Zak frowned when he was angry and said loudly, “Dunc likes Sonny! He’s fighting Mom for Sonny, not fighting Sonny for Mom! Dunc looks scary and Sonny doesn’t like it, but Dunc is not a bad guy!“And Mom never goes out with Dunc! Every time Dunc comes over, he gives Sonny a pinwheel. Sonny doesn’t like pinwheels anymore.”Dunc did not even know how to change it up.Hank was speechless.He stopped and look
Liberty did not regret it either.Duncan frowned. “Then why is he constantly here looking for you? That scumbag treated you like that back then. Every time I see him I feel like giving him a beating and venting some anger for you.” “He wants to use Sonny to ease the hostile relationship between us.”Duncan was thoughtful for a moment, and said, “Their main aim is to get Zachary to let them off the hook, right? Don’t forgive them and let them be unemployed forever. Once they’ve spent all their savings, we’ll see if Hank and his wife can still continue being as loving to each other as before.”Poor couples had a hundred things to lose. Hank and Jessica’s bitter days were still ahead of them.“Now that your diner is here, you can’t move and neither do you have to move. Just let them watch how your business gets bigger and better every step of the way. In the future, you can open a big hotel and become a strong independent woman and a billionaire—we’ll see how frustrated they get.”
Duncan too knew that Liberty did not need his help—she had the Stone and York families helping her now.After a moment of silence, he said, “Anyway, go ahead and do your thing. I’ll head back lest my mother calls to urge me again.”“Alright. Have a safe drive, Mr. Lewis.”Liberty walked Duncan out of her shop.Duncan looked at Hank’s car and asked Liberty, “That’s your ex-husband’s car, right?”“I saw him get out of it. It’s probably his new car.”Hank had changed his wife and his car too.If Zachary had not punished Hank, Hank would have been living very comfortably. He would have money, a new wife, and a new car…Duncan wanted to walk over and poke a hole in Hank’s tires, but when he thought of how Hank would likely be unable to leave for a while with his tires punctured and would stay in Liberty’s diner to eat, Duncan gave up on his thoughts.“In the future, if that family comes to try and harass you again, just give me a call and I’ll get someone to come over and help you
“When Lily needs help with her stuff, you should help her out too. Fran and I have been good friends for many years now. Although we haven’t met each other in about twenty years, we’ve never stopped talking to each other.”Mrs. Lewis’s intention to matchmake Lily and Duncan was exceedingly obvious.Lily’s gaze toward Duncan contained no fear either. In her opinion, the scar on Duncan’s face was terrifying, but all he needed was to get some plastic surgery done to remove the scar and recover his good looks.He was an exceptionally handsome man if you look at the side of his face without the scar.Who had never done an impulsive thing or two when they were young?She herself had even gotten a tattoo before.“Mom, I’m very busy,” Duncan said without inflection. “If Ms. Harmon requires my help, I can provide it, but I really don’t have the time to take her around.“You’re bored staying at home every day anyway. You can accompany Ms. Harmon yourself and take her around to help her ge
Lily said with great interest, “I wonder if I’ll have the chance to get to know Mrs. York.”She had heard of Mr. York before but never had the chance to meet him in person.Lily thought to herself that the woman who could move Mr. York definitely had something amazing about her. She could learn a thing or two from the lady about conquering a man.Lily was twenty-eight years old this year and was currently single. She had a relationship back when she was eighteen or nineteen but that had been unfruitful. Afterward, she joined her family’s company and ended up too busy with work, which was why until now, she had no boyfriend.Mrs. Lewis had the intention to matchmake her and Duncan and both families were in favor of it. Lily was aware of Duncan’s past as a former gangster and she could accept it.She did not care that he had a scar on his face either because she felt that as long as she made him fall in love with her, she could make him agree to undergo minor plastic surgery to remo
“When did I say I was going back to the manor tomorrow for a barbeque?” Zachary asked.If Duncan wanted to have some barbeque, could he not eat somewhere else? Why did it have to be at the manor?“And squid, lamb, and big prawns. Anyway, I like eating whatever you roast.”Duncan continued talking to himself about the food as if he did not hear what Zachary said.Zachary proceeded to hang up immediately after that.Though, Duncan’s words did make him think about the idea. Tomorrow was Sunday and they did not need to go to work. Plus, he had never brought Serenity to the manor before. He would do as Duncan said and invite a few friends to the manor for a barbecue. There was indeed a barbecue area back at the manor.He could even bring Serenity back to stay for a few days and let her familiarize herself with the surroundings. The beautiful landscape there might cheer her up too.While the plan brewed in his head, Zachary texted Duncan: [Got it. Call Josh too, and tell him to bring
Serenity had long learned that the Yorks were not living in Whitmore Mansion, the residence they stayed in during the New Year’s holidays. The Yorks had cleaned up the place and moved back in just to deceive her.Lying was hard work!Zachary replied fondly, “Alright, I’ll listen to you. Anyway, it’s our home. We can go back whenever we want to and stay however long we wish.”Serenity was about to take the apron off him while saying, “I’ll go make dinner.”“There’s no need. I only have two more dishes to cook, then I’m done. You should just sit here and appreciate the blooms while I finish up.”Zachary stopped her, not allowing her to enter the kitchen.Serenity then kissed him on the cheek.Zachary felt happiness blossom in his heart.He returned to the kitchen to continue cooking with elation.“Babe.”Serenity knew he liked to hear her call him “babe”. She would indulge him while they were at home. “You invited Josh and Mr. Lewis to the barbecue but I don’t think that’s enou
“Dad brought Sonny to play in the park.”Serenity asked him, “Has Dad left already?”“Dad’s gone back already. He said he’ll come again tomorrow to take me out to play. I wanna go to the zoo and Dad said he would bring me there. Aunt Ser, do you want to come with me to the zoo tomorrow?”Hank took Sonny out to play for a while and the little guy was really happy. Now, he only had his father on his mind and kept talking about him.Serenity laughed and said, “Aunt Ser is going to a barbecue tomorrow. Your mom’s going too. Do you want to come, Sonny?”Without any hesitation, Sonny replied, “I want to go! Then I’m not going to the zoo with Dad anymore.” Both the aunt and nephew went back and forth with questions and answers, happily chatting away. Serenity only ended the call after a long while, then proceeded to call Jasmine and Elisa, inviting them to go on a road trip to Wildridge Manor together the next day.It was said that Wildridge Manor was captivating and was a scenic area
Serenity laughed and said, “I hope I’ll be toasting at your wedding soon.”Peter replied, “I think I'll get married before Dylan does.”Dylan’s romantic path had been much more complicated because he had not wanted to follow the smooth, well-paved road that Grandma May had arranged for him.“We have lots of happy occasions lined up after Christmas, then,” Camryn remarked.“Yes, lots,” Serenity agreed.The courtyard was lively, with the elders occasionally joining in on the fun. Meanwhile, inside the house, Dylan was thinking about what Serenity had told him. She had repeatedly said that the person Grandma May picked for him would definitely be the right one, someone who would suit him well.She also suggested that he look into Imogen and that there might be a pleasant surprise in store for him, but that he was not to let Imogen know. The implication in Serenity’s words was that Imogen might be Fox and that Fox’s real identity was Imogen Doyle herself.After understanding Serenit
Dylan frowned as he pondered deeply.“The scent from outside is wafting in. I think the food’s ready. I’m going out to have a couple of skewers to satisfy my cravings. You can stay here and think things through.”Seeing that Dylan had finally grasped the main point, Serenity stopped the conversation and went out to have some barbecue. It had been a long time since she had eaten barbecue.After getting pregnant, although she was not as strictly monitored as Jasmine was, she still paid close attention to her diet and would do her best to avoid things she could not eat or had to limit. Liberty called her every few days to remind her to be careful.When Zachary saw Serenity come out of the house, he immediately picked up a plate of freshly grilled skewers to his beloved wife, saying, “I deliberately used less seasoning on these for you, so you can eat them with peace of mind. Sonny’s asleep now, right?” “He fell asleep long ago, after playing so hard today,” Serenity replied, then gr
In that case, Grandma May would not even need to step in to teach him a lesson. His older brothers would beat him up multiple times for tarnishing the York family’s reputation and dragging their names in the mud with his own.“Dylan, I told you that if you didn’t trust Nana, you’d face the consequences. Look, you’re starting to suffer now, aren’t you?” Serenity said. Who was Grandma May? She was a kind-hearted but cunning old fox who could sell someone out and still make them feel grateful for it as they counted the money she made for her. How could she pick a bad match for her grandsons? There was no way they would be unsuitable. “Serenity, it’s not that I don’t trust Nana, it’s just that I really couldn’t fall in love with Imogen. I feel like if I couldn’t fall for her in almost three months then I just won’t. And I always thought about Fox when I was with Imogen. I’m not some naïve kid who doesn’t understand what that means.” Dylan smiled bitterly. His family always compla
“Callum and Camryn came with Trenton, so they’re all having a barbecue together.”Serenity hummed in response. She closed the door to Sonny's room and said to Dylan, “Is it something you don’t want Zachary to know? If so, let’s go to his study to talk." “It’s not that. It’s fine if he knows, but I’ve talked to him, and he couldn’t be bothered. Then I asked Julian, but he said he was busy. He’s taking Ms. Crawford to register their marriage tomorrow. I just wanted a little help from him; I didn’t need him to do it personally.” Dylan grumbled a little about Julian being unhelpful.If Julian could hear this, he would retort, “Why should I help you? Even Zachary isn’t that demanding.”If it were not for the fact that Zachary and his cousin, Josh, were best buddies, Julian would not be so obliging either. Among the Yorks, Grandma May was the person the Buchams most respected. Of course, if it were something important, the Bucham family would definitely help, but Dylan’s request se
“I haven’t felt like snacking lately.”“Is the stuff made at home not to your taste anymore?” Whenever Serenity said she did not want to eat something she usually loved, Zachary would wonder if it was because the chef’s skills had declined, causing his beloved wife to lose her appetite. “It’s not that, I just don’t feel like eating them. I think maybe the baby is like you and doesn’t like sweets.”Zachary smiled. “If our son is like me, that’s fine. He’ll be steady, and in the future, the two of us will protect you.” If they had a daughter, he hoped she would be like Serenity. If she had his personality… Well, it would not be the most charming. Zachary wanted his daughter to be very likable. “I don’t need you guys to protect me, I can protect myself.”“Honey, don’t say that. I’m your husband, your man. You have to give me a chance to show off, or else people will say you married a useless husband. That would be so unfair to me.”Serenity chuckled.“Do you want to go watch So
“I can be just as considerate and attentive to you.”Quinn looked at him and could not help but laugh. “I don't mean anything else by that, you don’t need to be so defensive.”“You envy Serenity,” Julian said. “I don't want you to envy anyone. I want you to be someone others envy.”Uh, this sounded exactly like something Zachary would say. It looked like, occasionally, he really had learned a thing or two from Zachary.Quinn instantly felt smitten. She looped her arm through Julian's and whispered, “I already am someone others envy. I’m not envious of Serenity—I was just making an observation. They say Mr. Zachary dotes on his wife, and Serenity is very lucky. Now that I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes, I believe it. So, I genuinely sighed with admiration. I know I’m very lucky as well. You treat me so well, and I am content. I really don’t envy anyone.”The young couple’s conversation went unnoticed by Zachary. He waited for his wife to settle before answering a call from Dylan.
“Well, Rowan can play for a couple of days, but he has to start working on his homework soon. The college entrance exam is around the corner, and we can't let him relax too much.”“Rowan's grades are very stable and good. It won’t be hard for him to get into college, so don't put too much pressure on him. It's not necessary for him to get into the same university you and the others went to.”Serenity still remembered the pressure she had felt in high school, though it was not as much as Rowan felt, and her sister's expectations for her were more relaxed; she was only expected to do her best. No matter what the results were, Liberty would accept it. Of course, if she could get into an Ivy League university, that would be great. Otherwise, getting into an Ivy Plus university would also be fine. If that did not work out, she could go to a public university or even take a gap year. Liberty would have been okay with any of it. Her sister always told her that as long as she was physica
Zachary would not do such a thing. Julian laughed. “It’s my first time getting married. I’m asking around because I’m inexperienced. That way, I can make a plan.”Zachary turned to look at him. He said, “How many more times do you intend to get married? I didn’t have any experience either back then. It was my first time going to City Hall. Besides, Seren and I got married in a rush and did not even know each other well. After getting our marriage license, I completely forgot that I was a married man.“You’re in a better situation than I was. At least you and Quinn have feelings for each other and a stable relationship.”Julian chuckled. He caught up to Zachary and placed his arm on his shoulder. He said, “We all know what we should avoid after you’ve set an example.”Zachary was speechless. “You and Serenity are an enviable couple now.“I want to learn from you and make people jealous of Quinn as well.”Zachary brushed Julian’s hand off. “I think you’ll do a better job than m
Zachary and Julian exited the house with two housekeepers behind them, holding a tray each with snacks and drinks. The two men had excellent eyesight and quickly spotted the love of their lives sitting at a bench some distance away. Zachary knew that it was because Serenity got tired from walking. In the past, some pregnant female employees would return to work despite being pretty far along in their pregnancies. Their workload was only slightly lighter. Since Zachary had seen those employees insisting on working even though they were pregnant, he used to think being pregnant and giving birth were not that difficult. He had never put himself in the shoes of the female employees. They insisted on working because they feared being replaced if they took an extended maternity leave. When they returned, they could be discriminated against and had to start all over again. While there were opportunities to be promoted in a megacorporation, one had to climb the corporate ladder ste