Now, Tania and Mrs. Stone still had to sit together. Tania took Liberty’s hand affectionately and smiled as she said, “Liberty, just bring yourself next time, and don’t spend so much money on gifts.” Liberty responded with a smile, “I didn’t buy much, just some small gifts.” Tania looked at Sonny, who was being carried by Serenity. She asked, “Should I carry Sonny?” Duncan, who was carrying a bunch of stuff for Liberty, interrupted at this time. “Aunt Tania, Sonny is very picky. In any case, he doesn’t want me to carry him.” Tania looked at Duncan, whose hands were occupied. He looked like Liberty’s porter. In actuality, Sam had welcomed everyone and would arrange for people to carry the things brought by Liberty and Mrs. Stone no matter how many there were. There was no need for a guest like Duncan to do the work. Was Duncan trying to show off? A wise person who could see through the truth would not expose it. Tania smiled and said to Duncan, “Duncan, Sonny doesn’t want
For easier communication, Audrey and Liberty sat together after they entered the house. Audrey took the paper handed to her by Grandma May and looked at it with Liberty. In the end, the aunt and niece picked a date that was neither too far nor too near. “Let’s go with this date—it’s neither too soon nor late. We both have ample time to get ready,” Audrey said to the elders of the Yorks as she pointed at the date she and Liberty had chosen. Since her sister was no longer around, Audrey was ready to take over the responsibility and organize her niece’s wedding. She would definitely let Serenity marry into the Yorks in style and not let anyone look down on her. Grandma May, Tania, and the others had nothing to say about the date selected by Audrey. In any case, no matter which date was chosen by the in-laws, Grandma May had carefully shortlisted them. Lastly, they asked Zachary and Serenity for their opinion. Serenity had no comment. On the other hand, Zachary looked at the
Jasmine, who was sitting next to Josh, stuck her head out to see Duncan’s puzzled face. She pursed her lips and smiled. Duncan and Zachary were the same. Josh, on the other hand, had a high IQ and EQ. Among the three of them, he played the role of a consultant. Elisa and Remy were chatting happily. Remy was also only able to sit still because Elisa was talking to him. Otherwise, he would feel so troubled that he would want to slip away. He was most afraid of such an occasion. Seeing Old Mrs. York was likened to seeing the boss of his family. His grandmother was also always worried about his and his brothers’ marriages.Fortunately, Remy’s grandmother was not as active as Grandma May. Even so, she had handed them over to Remy’s sister-in-law to manage their marriages. This was because Jane had the potential to be a matchmaker. Josh stared at Duncan for a while and said, “Tactless people can’t use 0.25mm pencil leads.” “I don’t like to use 0.25mm pencil leads anyway—they
“Mr. Johnson, do you think Serenity and Jasmine were smiling strangely?” Since they stopped chasing her, Elisa walked side by side with Remy. She looked back at them as she walked. Elisa saw them whispering with their men. She would be lying to herself if she said she was not jealous, especially of Serenity. This was because Serenity’s partner was Zachary, whom Elisa had a crush on for years. Zachary treated her coldly and did not look her in the eye in the past. Elisa thought that it was his nature and that he would never be gentle his whole life. After witnessing the way Zachary and Serenity got along, Elisa realized that it was not that he did not know how to be gentle, but that side of him was not for her. Of course, Elisa was simply envious. She no longer had feelings for Zachary. Especially when Zachary had acknowledged Elisa as his cousin-in-law, Elisa knew the man would never belong to her. There were many fishes in the sea, so Elisa did not need to be hung up on
“Sure,” Remy said. Elisa asked, “Mr. Johnson, your family lives in a manor too, right?” Remy hummed and responded, “Ms. Stone, call me Remy. We’ll be neighbors soon, so there’s no need for us to act like strangers. A near neighbor is better than a distant relative.” “Alright, but you shouldn’t call me Ms. Stone either. In your words, there’s no need for neighbors to act like strangers. You can call me Elisa.” Remy smiled and continued, “Our family’s old house is also a manor, similar to that of Mr. York’s family. Ours is called FC Manor.” He looked at the scenery in front of them and said to Elisa, “It looks like Old Mrs. York and my grandma have similar tastes and preferences. They’re from the same era and have the same aesthetic standard. FC Manor and Wildridge Manor are quite similar.” If he had to point out a difference between the two manors, it would be that FC Manor was slightly bigger. Elisa also looked at her surroundings. “I used to dream of living here. It’s qu
“In the end, Cupid had to come down to Earth to clean up his apprentice’s mess and bring together the man and woman who were fated to be a couple. The show felt so magical when I first watched it. I was young and didn’t understand love, but the idea of bringing two people together by shooting them with arrows seemed really interesting.”Zachary asked, “Was there a TV show like that? I don’t remember seeing it. I rarely have time to watch TV.”He was the successor of the company and had to learn more than his peers since his childhood. He received all kinds of training and education, so of course he did not have time to watch TV.“When my parents were still alive, I often watched TV shows with them. TVs back then were still in black and white.“After my parents passed away, my sister and I were on our own. We had to focus on studying and didn’t have time to watch TV for several years. We only watched a few shows occasionally after we started working and had time.”Zachary held her
Serenity watched her brothers-in-law bickering and felt envious. The brothers and uncles of the York family were harmonious, unlike the Hunt family where everyone was trying to plot against another.“Elisa, what did you say you wanted to invest in?”Serenity remembered about the investment and asked Elisa about it while eating the barbecue seafood platter her man specially prepared for her.Jasmine also pricked her ears to listen.She also felt some pressure now because of Josh. When she saw how her best friend was trying so hard to improve herself in order to shorten the gap between Zachary and her, Jasmine did not want to stand idly by anymore.“All the industries are saturated now, so it’s hard for us to compete with others. When I accompanied you back to your hometown yesterday, I saw the fields in your village were basically deserted.”Serenity nodded. “Many of them are abandoned. The young people leave the village to work, so only the elderly and children are left at home.
Liberty thought about it and said, “You’re right. Elisa, your way of thinking is much better than ours. You should learn more from Elisa, Seren.”The Hunt sisters were motivated and ambitious, but they might not be as good as Elisa when it came to investing and making money. After all, Elisa came from a family who ran their own business, so she at least had some experience.Elisa blushed and laughed, “I only thought of renting the fields to plant fruits and vegetables after I saw so many fields deserted on the way back to your hometown.“I talked to Clive, and he said that it’s feasible. He said that no matter what project we invest in, any project that makes us money is a good project. He suggested we give it a try.”Elisa added confidently, “Let’s just give it a go. It’ll be good if we can profit, but if we fail, it’ll be a learning experience. In any case, I’m not short of money.“Seren, mention it to Zachary later at night. If he thinks it’s worth a try, then we’ll go for it.
Tati had made it clear that she did not love Austin, and purely admired him. Why was Isabella looking at her like that? Austin’s fiancée would never be her. If it were, Austin would have treated her differently. So who on earth was Austin’s fiancee?Why would Old Mrs. York choose someone from Windermere for him?Austin came to be a chef before pursuing his future wife. Which city in Windermere was his fiancée from? Was it Satbury?If it were Satbury, which elite daughter could it be?There were many elite daughters in Satbury, but not many were superior to the O’Connor daughters. Tati recalled Austin’s special treatment toward Isabella. A thought crossed her mind, ‘Is Isabella the lady Old Mrs. York has chosen for Austin?’“Tati, I want to discuss something work-related with you.”Isabella thought Tati remained silent because of Austin’s news. Therefore, she used work as an excuse and brought Tati to the study on the second floor. After closing the door, Isabella poured
Louis and Phillip were not the only ones worried. Even Delphine and the rest were anxious too. While they did think it was inappropriate for someone of Austin’s status to be their chef, the food he made was truly delicious. They had already gotten used to his cooking. If he were to leave, they would have to adjust their tastes to another chef’s cooking. Tati had even more concerns. Isabella admired capable people. Austin was highly skilled in cooking and had a head for business too. Moreover, he was a young master of a wealthy family. That made him more suitable for Isabella. Would Isabella be attracted?Isabella probably could feel how differently he treated her, right?“Did you chase Austin away, Isa? Why didn’t he come back with you?”Louis continued asking questions. He was worried that Isabella might have fired Austin. Not only could Austin make delicious food, but he would also play with the boys. Louis and Phillip really liked Austin. They thought he was fun,
Austin knew her question was related to Tati.He was aware of Tati’s admiration for him.Nevertheless, he recognized Tati’s feelings as pure admiration. On the contrary, Tati must have noticed that he treated Isabella differently. She probably told Isabella about it in private, but Isabella simply did not have plans for marriage due to her heavy responsibilities. Austin said with certainty, “No. Although I haven’t succeeded in pursuing her, I’ve set my heart on her. She’s my fiancée, and she’ll become my wife in the future. The York family doesn’t allow divorce unless our wives cheat on us. However, that definitely won’t happen.“Every woman Nana chose has a good character and values.“I’ll be loyal to my marriage and family. I’ll only love my only wife for my entire life. How outstanding other women are is none of my business.”Austin did not want to be like Dylan. He would rather spend more time inventing recipes. Isabella said with a hint of regret, “Okay.”She had to te
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