Tensing his facial muscles, Zachary gave Serenity a warning look. “Mr. York.” Serenity asked him, “Can I kiss you?” Zachary was stumped. Had she no shame? She went as far as to ask a man this kind of question. “Your smile is gorgeous. It took my breath away. I just want to hold you and have my way with you.” “Serenity, you sure have the cheek.” “My cheeks are right here.” Serenity smacked her face with a smile as Zachary winced. “I only said that because we’re married. I mean, we’re married in the eyes of the law, so it’s not a crime to kiss you.” With Zachary pulling back a few steps, Serenity burst out laughing at his flight instincts. Zachary flew off the handle. Well, she was to be blamed for his reaction. The last time she even touched his face out of nowhere. As her roars of laughter tipped him over the edge, Zachary closed in suddenly and grabbed the chuckling girl to pull her into his arms. Zachary dipped his head forward and sealed her lips, swallowin
“You don’t have to transfer the money for the car.” Zachary changed the subject back to the recent car purchase. As Serenity did not have Zachary’s bank account details, she had been sending fifty thousand dollars to his mobile device every day. However, Zachary had not once accepted the transaction. The first transaction of fifty thousand dollars had made its way back to Serenity’s bank account. “I got you a car to uphold my public image. I might be busy with work, but there are occasions I’d need to bring you to business dinners too. It’d be humiliating for me if people were to find out that my wife rides an e-bike that could break down at any time.” Zachary saw the car as keeping up appearances. “I thought it was an apology gift,” Serenity retorted. Zachary replied after a pause, “It works both ways.” “Well, don’t give me any more living allowances for the year since you already got me a car.” Zachary lifted his chin and stared at her without saying yes or no. Se
Zachary stood at the door to the balcony and watched Serenity quietly for a minute before turning on his heel to leave for work. All this happened without Serenity knowing. Carrying his wife’s packed lunch for him, Zachary was on his way to work. Before leaving, he said to Serenity, “I’m off to work.” “Drive safe,” Serenity replied kindly. Zachary closed the door and carried two containers of food down the stairs. His bodyguard squad was waiting for him there. They were either caught standing, perching, or sitting in the greenery. Having caught sight of Zachary descending with food containers in hand, the bodyguards got on their feet and stared at him. No one drew close to Zachary. Zachary was speechless. What? Did they not recognize him because he was carrying containers of food? “Sir.” Thinking on his feet, Jim took quick paces over and attentively took the packed food from Zachary. Without a word, Jim headed straight to the Rolls Royce. Soon, the Rolls Royce
Zachary put the packed food on Callum’s desk and said gruffly, “Serenity knows we’re working in the same company. She made extra for breakfast and asked me to bring some to you. It’s not healthy to eat out all the time.” “You used to eat out all the time, Zack.” Although the meals were at their own hotel, it was still eating out. Putting down his cup of coffee, Callum eagerly took out one of the food containers and removed the lid. “I couldn’t stop thinking about Serenity’s cooking for days after getting a taste of it last Saturday.“Wow! Look at the variety, abundance, and presentation! I bet it tastes good.” Callum opened up both containers, gasping in awe of Serenity’s ingenuity. Not only was Serenity brilliant in crafts, but she had a talent for cooking too. No wonder Nana took to Serenity and insisted on Zack marrying her. She was a combination of beauty, grace, and talent. Seeing that Callum was delighted, Zachary seemingly casually said, “Serenity got up first th
Serenity was unaware that her man was a little jealous and went to the store. Since she had nothing to do there, she started making her handicrafts again.Jasmine saw that Serenity was busy making a miniature tree and asked, “Serenity, why are you always making this miniature tree lately? Is it a hot item?”Serenity just finished making the sculpture, so she stopped for a short break. When she heard her friend’s question, she smiled and said, “My online business has been doing very well recently, and the best-selling item is this miniature tree! There are so many orders for this.”“Did the netizens feel sorry for you and Liberty after looking at your response? Is that why they are supporting your online business?”Serenity thought about it for a while and said, “It doesn’t seem like it. The Hunts only put my childhood photo online, and they didn’t know my phone number or other details. The original tweet has since been deleted, and those influencers have also deleted their tweets.”
Jasmine and Serenity’s conversation was interrupted. When Serenity saw her sister and nephew walking in, she immediately stopped her work, stood up, and walked around the cashier.Jasmine was quicker than Serenity. She was already hugging and kissing the adorable Sonny. She even raised him up high, which made the little boy laugh.“Liberty, why are you here?”Serenity noticed that it was past ten o’clock. At this hour, Liberty would usually be preparing lunch at home. If Hank did not have lunch when he got home from work, he would be complaining again.“I was bored at home, so I came over to have a look. Sonny was also making a fuss because he wanted to see you.”Liberty took off her hat, wiped off the sweat on her forehead, and said, “It’s almost November, but it’s still so hot!”Wiltspoon’s fall was similar to summer, and it was not that cold in winter.It was only cool in the morning and evening. During the day, it was still sweltering as long as it was sunny.“It’s past ten
“I brought all the gifts that Serenity and Zachary bought last time into my room because I was so angry about this going Dutch issue.”Liberty sat on a chair. Serenity went into the small kitchen, took some fruit from the refrigerator, washed them, and offered them to Liberty while Jasmine poured a glass of water for her.She took a few sips of water and decided to tell them about her family troubles. She came over today because she felt aggrieved and frustrated, seeking her sister to confide in.If Liberty did not find someone to talk to, she was afraid she would fall into depression. Moreover, Liberty had known Jasmine for many years and knew that she could keep a secret.Liberty continued, “When I woke up the next day, Hank sent his family away, which I was glad to see, but before they left, they took all the gifts that Seren and her husband gave me.“My sister-in-law even took some of Sonny’s toys. I was so angry when I found out, but Hank said that we don’t lack those things,
Serenity hummed in response.She kissed her nephew and asked him, “Do you want to go to the kindergarten?”“No.” The little guy liked to cling to his mother at this age.Serenity smiled and said to her sister, “Have you thought about which kindergarten to send Sonny to? If you have, we can take Sonny there to play on weekends so he can get acquainted with the environment. Once he’s familiar with the place, he won’t be resistant to attending kindergarten.”Many kindergartens allowed parents to bring their children to visit and play there during weekends.Liberty agreed and said, “There’s one more thing that exasperates me. Hank’s sister told him that she wants to transfer her two older children to the city for school, so her kids will live with us. She asked me to help with pick-ups, drop-offs, cooking, and tutoring. Does she think I’m a babysitter for free?“Hank even said that he was willing to give me an extra fifteen hundred dollars for food. He said since I was already raisin
However, if there really was a good woman out there, meeting up and getting to know her would not be a bad idea.Liberty returned to the office and finally felt in the mood to work. After a while, as evening approached, she received a message from Duncan telling her he would arrive at her office in two minutes.Liberty tidied up and went downstairs to meet him. At the same time, she called her aunt to let her know not to wait for her to return for dinner, as she would be eating out. She also informed her aunt that Duncan was in town.When Audrey received the update, she laughed. “Duncan is so eager! Okay, I understand. You two enjoy your time together.”Duncan must have been missing her niece like crazy.As Liberty walked out of the office building, she spotted a car parked at the entrance. Duncan got out of the car and stood aside, waiting for the bodyguard to unload the suitcase and wheelchair from the vehicle. He was able to stand for a while now and should probably be ab
Liberty nodded. “How could they compare to Elisa? She has such a strong moral compass. Zachary was still unattached when she liked him but when he announced his marriage, even though Elisa was upset, she gave up on pursuing him. The other women are more like Ms. Daniels.”In truth, Liberty knew about Ms. Daniels. She believed that Serenity and Zachary could handle things on their own, so she kept silent, but even though they eventually resolved it, it also proved that despite Zachary being married, there would still be people who harbored inappropriate thoughts about him. They were hopeful about replacing Serenity all because they felt that her pedigree did not match Zachary’s.Liberty wanted to be her sister’s support, to provide her with a confidence boost. That was why when Audrey suggested she come to Jensburg to compete for the position of family head with Caroline, she did not refuse. If she took control of the Fisher family, she would be the head, and even if most of the
Liberty asked.“Yeah, I’m on my way out now. You know what—you don’t need to come pick us up. It’ll take over an hour by car for you. I’ll just take a taxi over.” That way, he would not have to wait too long at the airport.Liberty laughed. “I wasn’t planning to come pick you up anyway. If you had told me in advance, I would have come for sure. But since you didn’t say anything… “I could still come to pick you up, but you’d have to wait at the airport for a while so it makes more sense for you to take a taxi.”It would be easier for everyone that way.“I’m on my way back to the office now. Just come straight here and text me when you’re nearby. I’ll come out to get you.”Duncan chuckled in response. “Okay, we’ll take a taxi. I’ll text you when I get there. Where did you just now?”“I went to Fisher Enterprise to check on Caroline. She’s a good person.”Duncan pursed his lips and asked, “She doesn’t blame you guys, does she?”“Not at all. Based on what she says and does, it’s
Although they had the two hundred thousand dollars, it did not change the fact that Liberty was fifteen and Serenity was ten—they were still just children. Having been pampered by their parents and never having experienced hardship, after their sudden death and being tossed out into the street, Serenity often cried, saying that she missed their mom and dad. Whenever Liberty tried to comfort her sister, they would end up crying together in each other's arms instead.Liberty could understand Caroline's feelings, though she also accepted that Caroline was much luckier as she was of age, had a father and three older brothers, and no one could kick her out of her home. “Yeah, I’ll go out once in a while. Please thank Audrey for me and ask her to let me know when she’d like to come over so that I can hand over all my responsibilities related to the company and the family. I’ll work with her schedule. And…I don’t blame any of you for my mother’s death.”That was her mother’s own doing
They were aware of everything Caroline had done for the family. To be honest, Caroline had indirectly saved Liberty. If she had not warned Liberty, Liberty’s bodyguards alone would not have been able to protect her when Belinda sprung that surprise attack on her. Liberty had already had a good impression of Caroline, but after that incident, that impression only grew stronger.Caroline’s smile faded a bit as she said, “There’s no rush for Darren and me. At the earliest, it’ll be at the end of the year. It’s too chaotic right now.”Liberty nodded in understanding. “As long as you and Darren are on the same page, that’s enough.”“He’s a good man. We haven’t really gone out on dates, but we know how we feel about each other. He suggested we date first, get engaged, and finally register our marriage. “He wants to take it step by step and promises I’ll have everything I want.”“Aunt Audrey and I are very reassured about your relationship with Darren. He’s a man worth spending a
At the mention of Liberty’s wedding, Caroline congratulated her. “Have you decided to register your marriage with Mr. Lewis? Congratulations in advance! I wish you both a long life together and hope you have a precious daughter soon.”Liberty already had a son, so it seemed normal to wish for a child the second time around.However, when Liberty became the head of the Fishers in the future, Caroline understood that Liberty would need a daughter to take over from her.Liberty smiled. “It hasn’t been easy for Duncan and me to get to this point. Considering we’re not young anymore, we decided to just get it done. Thank you for your well-wishes, Caroline, but we’re not in a hurry when it comes to kids.” She did not have the energy to raise a child at the moment. Whether she took over the Fisher family or not, she was too busy right now. Even though her new company seemed to be doing well, it had not truly stabilized yet and was only temporarily so through the influence of her brot
There were very few people left of Patrick’s generation. After a moment of silence, Caroline said, “Yes, he’s just returned to his hometown, so he should stay for a while longer. “Liberty, please tell my cousin to just give me a few days. I’ll clear the mansion out for you to move in. What I said before still stands!” Liberty elegantly sipped her coffee and did not respond immediately. Half a cup later, she set it down and looked at Caroline, who was also looking back at her.The two of them held each other's gaze for a full two minutes before Liberty averted her eyes and said calmly, “There’s no need to rush. Let’s discuss it after Christmas. My aunt hasn’t laid out a concrete schedule yet.”Caroline also set her coffee cup down. “It still needs to be cleared out and cleaned. It’s fine if you don’t move in immediately; letting it be for a bit will help disperse my mother’s lingering presence, so you won’t feel uncomfortable.” Fisher Manor did not belong to the head of th
Caroline did not care what her father and brothers thought of her. She could hazard a guess— they were most certainly not happy with her. With that in mind, she had Darren drive her back to the office. Just as she returned to her office and poured herself a cup of water, her secretary called her on the intercom to say that Liberty had arrived.“Let her in,” Caroline said. She had not expected Liberty to come looking for her so quickly but did not think the visit was to ask her to vacate her position. Perhaps it was to check on her. A few minutes later, the secretary led Liberty in.“You can go ahead with your work,” Caroline said as she dismissed her secretary. Once the secretary left, Caroline and Liberty exchanged glances before Caroline awkwardly said, “Liberty, I don’t know how to face all of you.” “Well, I’m not here to kill you, so there’s no need to be nervous,” Liberty replied as she walked over to sit on the sofa.“Killing me would only dirty your hands,” Caro
Not to mention the antiques. If they sold it all off, even at a conservative estimate, it could fetch them several billion dollars. That did not even include the jewelry Belinda had accumulated. Women, even the iron ladies, loved jewelry. Belinda was no exception. Many of her jewels were passed down through generations of the Fisher family, making them more valuable than the ones on the market today.Adrian’s eyes sparkled greedily but darkened just as quickly. “Dad, no one but Caroline is allowed inside the manor now.”“What? Who decided on that?” Hunter asked, alarmed.“Audrey Fisher left people to guard it. She’s even arranged for her people to take over and all the employees have been replaced, including the housekeeper.” Hunter was momentarily stunned before he spluttered, “What right does she have to do that?” Adrian was silent. Audrey was a Fisher and the eldest daughter of the previous family head, who should have inherited the title but was prevented from doing so