After Serenity and Zachary were done eating, he said to his wife, “Seren, bring Sonny and sit over there. I’ll collect the dishes.”Zachary would do chores at home, so Serenity was used to it. Since Zachary told her to bring Sonny to sit on the sofa, she carried Sonny over and sat beside her sister. After she was seated, three people looked at her. Her sister and her sister’s former in-laws were staring at her. Serenity was puzzled. “Liberty, why are you guys looking at me like that? Is there food stuck on my face?”She touched her face, but there was nothing on it. “Serenity, how can you let Mr. York clean up the dishes and do household chores?” Mrs. Brown scolded Serenity. “When a man returns home after working outside for the entire day, you should take care of him properly as his wife. Men will like returning home if you let them feel the warmth of family.”Serenity understood why the three of them stared at her. She said, “My sister took good care of your son in the
Sonny was Mr. and Mrs. Brown’s true grandson. When they returned to their rented house, they saw their son and daughter-in-law watching TV. Their expressions did not look good. “Dad, Mom, didn’t you pick Sonny up?”Hank stood up and turned toward his parents. He asked that question when he did not see his son. Jessica walked over too. She said, “I organized the smaller room and decorated it into a kid’s room. I bought a lot of toys for Sonny too. Why didn’t you pick him up?”Jessica had received a lock of hair and a note from an unknown woman. On it was written that the hair belonged to her mother. It also asked her to carry out the plan as soon as possible and bring Sonny to crowded places like the zoo or a children’s park. If she did not follow that woman’s instructions, the next item sent to her would be two of her mother’s fingers. Jessica was terrified. She counted on her in-laws to bring Sonny back, but they failed. How could she put her plan into action?Mr. and
Jessica pouted and did not say anything else. She turned around, went back to her room, and slammed the door hard. “Darling, darling.”Hank called her twice. Mrs. Brown said to her son, “Leave her alone. She just doesn’t want you going on an outing with Liberty. It’s not like you’re going out with Liberty alone. We’re all coming along, but she still chooses to be jealous.“Did she forget that she snatched you from Liberty?”Mrs. Brown disliked Jessica a lot. She used to think that her son was capable. At this moment, she disdained Jessica for being a homewrecker. The Brown family decided to pick up Sonny and Liberty to go to the zoo tomorrow afternoon. The weather was neither too cold nor hot—just lovely for an outing. On the other hand, Serenity and her husband returned home after lingering in her sister’s house for a while. On the way back, she told Zachary, “In the past, the Brown family said they loved Sonny, but those were just empty words. They never lent a hand. M
“Ask him what he wants.”Did Duncan have nothing better to do than drive a car and block his way in the middle of the night?Jim lowered the window and asked Duncan, who was walking over, “Why are you here, Mr. Lewis?”“Zachary’s in the car, right? Zachary, I want to stay at your place for some time. I’ve already brought my luggage. However, Sam said he could not make the decisions and didn’t let me enter. I had no choice but to wait for you here.”Zachary was speechless. If Duncan were not an old friend, he would have asked the driver to step on the gas and hit the car blocking the way. Serenity was surprised. Seeing her husband’s dark expression, she asked Duncan, “You want to move here, Mr. Lewis? Why?”“That woman keeps staying in my house and refuses to leave. She knows the address of the other houses I own too. She’ll be able to find me no matter where I stay. It’s annoying. I have no choice but to bring my luggage and trouble you two.”The woman Duncan spoke of was Lil
Zachary owned many properties. He and Serenity usually lived in the villa on the hilltop and their house in Brynfield. These two houses were near their workplaces, which made it convenient to commute. Duncan did not want to travel far for work, so he had no choice but to brazenly stay with Zachary for some time. “Zachary, did you plan all these?” Duncan asked his friend, who had a dark expression. “It’s decorated so nicely, like a proposal or a wedding setup. You can have the same design as this when you and Serenity hold your wedding. It’ll surely impress many women.”Zachary snapped, “Who else could it be if not me? You?”“I don’t have such a high EQ to think of these ideas to make women happy.”Zachary glared at him. “Of course you don’t. The only thing you know is to collect money.”Duncan asked, “What money did I collect?”Zachary did not explain further. Duncan was puzzled. Serenity poured a glass of warm water each for the two guys. She was about to go and prepa
Duncan said embarrassedly, “I’m sorry, Zachary.”“Go to a hotel if you’re ashamed.”“I’m not. It’s not my first time having a short stay in your house. Josh and I often stayed over in the past. We would always do so when we drank too much or it was too late.”Zachary was speechless. He pulled his wife to stand up with him and said coldly, “You can stay in the guest room that’s furthest from the master bedroom. Rest early.”After that, he went upstairs with Serenity. Zachary complained when they returned to their room, “When have I become Duncan’s shield? Has my place turned into a shelter for him?”Serenity laughed and said, “Mr. Lewis only came to stay for a few days because he had no other choice. You two have been friends for so many years.”“He didn’t run out of choices. He’s just using me as a shield. He doesn’t have a low EQ because he was aware of Lily’s feelings for him. But he doesn’t have a high EQ either. He bought Sonny a few sets of clothes and collected money fr
Zachary consoled his wife, “Don’t read too much into it. I believe things will only get better for your sister.” After much thought, Serenity uttered, “That’s true. I don’t see sparks going on between my sister and Mr. Lewis. I guess whatever happens, happens. As you said, Mr. Lewis is his own person. He takes control of his own life. I trust he’ll make my sister happy if he sees her that way.” “Yeah, whatever happens, happens. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.” Zachary grabbed her a fresh set of clothes. “Go and take a bath.” Serenity took the clothes and kissed him on the face before going into the bathroom. Half an hour later, the couple lay in bed, chatting about their day. “Honey, when are you coming with me to social events?” Zachary asked. “When do you need a plus-one for social engagements?” Serenity believed the trial runs with her aunt at social parties had built up her confidence. Well, she also had Zachary to thank as he had given her a lot of support
“Married men are different. You cook for yourself, but I’m cooking for me and my wife. It’s sheer happiness to watch my wife eat my food. It’s the type of happiness you single people will not understand. “Even a nice lobster won’t taste as good as when you’re having a meal alone. The simplest food tastes delicious when I eat with my wife. It’s just not comparable.” Duncan replied, “That’s a new way of looking at men who cook. You’re talking as if those who never cooked a day in their lives will never find happiness. I can’t cook like you, but I can find a wife who does. The results are still the same.” Zachary said, “Are you looking for a wife or a cook?” Stumped, Duncan changed the topic. “Make me one too.” “Do it yourself. You should practice and gain experience. I can guarantee your future wife will be happy if you cook her a steak. It’s romancing her.” Duncan pursed her lips. “Zachary, I’m a guest in your home.” “An uninvited guest who won’t leave is not a guest. You
Liberty had looked over the dates Corey had chosen. The closest was in less than half a month. The timing for that one was a bit tight, while the farthest was in the early fall of the next year. Liberty actually wanted to choose this one because by then, her sister would have already given birth and could attend her wedding. Things in Jensburg would also be settled, and she would be able to take the time to handle her own wedding, but she decided to let Duncan take a look first and see how he would choose.After looking at the dates, Duncan turned to his parents and said, “Dad, Mom, I think the early fall date is better. Let’s go with that one.”Liberty gave him a slightly surprised look. She thought he would be eager to have the wedding right away. However, she soon realized why. Duncan had mentioned before that he wanted to fully recover before the wedding, not wanting to be in a wheelchair. By early fall, he believed he would be able to walk normally.He was already recovering
For a four-year-old child to write like this was quite impressive.Liberty also noticed her son’s handwriting and said, “Sonny mentioned that at FC Manor, he copied books and practiced writing with Laurence every day, so his handwriting has become neater and prettier.”She did not expect her son to be able to write a lot at his age. He was still young, and she was worried that excessive writing might deform his fingers. However, since Sonny liked writing and drawing, she did not stop him. Plus, at the age of four, he could not sit still for long. After writing for a while, he would go off to play. The time he spent writing was not long enough to worry about his fingers becoming misshapen.They had stayed at FC Manor for about half a month. In that time, he had not spent very long actually writing with Laurence, but perhaps just with Laurence accompanying him, Sonny had improved. After copying medicinal books for a few days, his handwriting had become much neater compared to before.
Isaac addressed Liberty as “aunt” and at first, she felt a little embarrassed, but she quickly regained her composure and responded. Then, she said to the two children, “Sonny, you need to listen to Isaac. Isaac, keep an eye on Sonny.”“Don’t worry, Aunt Liberty. I’ll take good care of Sonny,” Isaac reassured her. Duncan also gave a few instructions before letting them go.“Liberty.”“Duncan’s back.”Everyone wore smiles when they saw the two of them walk inside. Looking at how close and affectionate the two were now, the Lewises could not help but feel a wave of emotions. They had once thought that Duncan would never marry and would stay a bachelor for life, but unexpectedly, he fell in love with his good friend's sister-in-law, Liberty, who was a divorcee.At first, the elders in the family strongly opposed the relationship, but he did not give up, determined to be with Liberty. With his persistence and after going through hardships, the two of them finally made it to this point
Liberty would be the head of the Fisher family in the future. Since he was technically marrying into the Fisher family, it was reasonable to say she would support him.She smiled as well, “Let’s support each other, trust each other, and walk hand in hand.”“Okay.”After Corey carried Sonny in, everyone started playing with him. Isaac squeezed his way to his grandmother’s side and reached out to pinch Sonny’s face, praising, “Sonny’s face is so soft, it feels really good to pinch.”Sonny was speechless. Isaac was the youngest grandson of the Lewises, the seventh of his generation. He pinched Isaac’s face back and said, “Isaac, your face is also fun to pinch.”“I feel like my skin’s a bit rough now and not as smooth as yours. Kids’ skin really is nice,” Isaac said, trying to pinch Sonny’s face again. However, Corey swatted his hand away and scolded him lightly, “If you keep pinching, Sonny will feel pain.”“When I was Sonny’s age, the others used to pinch my face all the time
“Even if she sees him every day, my mom will still dote on Sonny. We don’t have such young children in our family right now, and Sonny is so cute, sweet-talking, and likable,” Duncan said as he instructed someone to help bring the things Liberty had brought into the house.He did not need a wheelchair, but he got a bodyguard to help him up the steps. Then, Liberty took over supporting him, and together they walked slowly toward the house.“I liked Sonny the first time I met him, although I didn’t really like kids before because they were so noisy. I remember when my nieces and nephews were younger, I would get really annoyed seeing them cry and throw tantrums. But after meeting Sonny, I started liking kids. When I heard Sonny call me 'Dunc' with his soft, sweet voice, my heart just melted.” That child’s mouth was indeed sweet and Duncan was speaking from the heart. He really liked Sonny a lot.Liberty said, “When I divorced Hank, Sonny still wasn’t very good with his words. I didn
Corey was smiling from ear to ear.“Hi, Corey.” Liberty greeted her.Corey smiled and said, "Liberty, you're back."She reached out with both hands to hug Sonny and helped him out of the car. Then, holding Sonny, she turned around to head indoors, asking along the way, “Did you have fun on your trip with your Aunt Serenity, Sonny?”“I had fun. Did you miss me, Grandma Corey?”Corey smiled and said, “Of course I missed you! So very much. As soon as you got back, I called Dunc and asked him to bring you to visit. I’ve prepared so much food, drinks, and toys for you—all the things you like.“I also called the other kids and told them that if they’re free, they should come back. There’ll be lots of people to play with you later. It’ll be lively, and you won’t feel lonely. Isaac knows you’re coming and he’s so happy.”Isaac was Corey’s youngest grandson, the youngest child of Duncan’s third brother Ezra. Isaac was turning eleven and especially liked Sonny. He was so excited when he f
“Mom! Mom,” Sonny shouted from the stairs.Both of them looked up at him. “What's wrong?” Liberty asked with concern.“I can't carry so many toys. Can you come up and help me carry some of them?”Liberty smiled. “Okay, you should pick out the gifts for Isaac and the rest first.”“I've already picked them.”Liberty then said to Duncan, “Can you help me out? I'll go upstairs to help him carry the things.”“Sure.”Liberty had several helpers at home who helped look after the house and clean it. Before the mother and son came back, these helpers took turns working. With Christmas approaching, only one couple stayed behind while the others went home for the holiday. Liberty had not told this couple she would be back today and had only sent them a message after they arrived home. The couple was out shopping for Christmas goods, so they had not returned yet. Thus, Sonny had to ask his mom for help.After a while, the two came downstairs, each carrying a lot of items—all toys that So
“Or we could invite Laurence to come visit us in Wiltspoon.” Duncan had already considered the next time the two little ones would meet.Liberty said, “If we invite Laurence over, I’m afraid we won’t be able to protect him. If something happens, we won't be able to bear the consequences. It would be better to send Sonny to Annenburg to play with him. Laurence’s seniors have set up a solid protection network in Annenburg to safeguard him and ensure that his enemies won't even have a chance to find him.” She admitted that she did not have the ability to fully protect Laurence.Laurence was the only one left of his entire family, and it was only thanks to several caretakers who risked their lives that he was able to survive. Now, he lived freely. While his childhood was not without its share of struggles and hardships, everyone tried their best to give him joy. Behind the scenes, there were many people silently watching over him. Once he left that protective circle, there was a risk
“It’s just that we’ve only just come back, and we didn’t prepare any gifts. If we go empty-handed, I’ll feel embarrassed.” Liberty felt that she could not visit the Lewis family without bringing something.“I’ll see what I have at home that I can give. Oh, there are still quite a few bottles of nutritional supplements. I’ll take those to your parents. I’ll also go out and buy gifts for your nieces and nephews, but I’m not sure what to prepare for your brothers. As for your sisters-in-law, I can send them some jewelry and skincare products.”She had some jewelry and skincare items that were new and unused, so she could give those away first. Since it was last-minute, she was worried that going out to buy something might take too much time. Luckily, Serenity often gifted her jewelry and beauty items, and so did Audrey and Elisa. She, on the other hand, rarely bought those things for herself. The jewelry she was currently wearing had been a gift from Duncan, and the skincare products