Liberty would have lost her son to the kidnapper if she had loosened her grip even by a tiny bit. Now that they were inside Elisa’s car, Liberty continued to clutch onto her son. Color drained from her face. The lingering fear had not left Serenity. Elisa called her brother and the moment her brother picked up, she said, “Clive, send all our bodyguards to fetch us from Wiltspoon Zoo. There’s a kidnapper on the loose. Sonny was nearly taken.“I don’t think I can drive now. What if someone stops the car and kidnaps Sonny?” This was Elisa’s first encounter with such a chaotic and dangerous situation. Sure, she was cocky and acted as if nothing scared her, but her legs went weak when Sonny was almost taken. It would be hard to catch up to the kidnapper amid the chaos if Sonny was really taken… The thought of it drained the color from her complexion. Her limbs were still shaking as she could not settle down. She was not in a position to drive right now. The last thing she wan
Serenity ran into the two bodyguards at the zoo entrance as they were carrying Lucas out. “Mrs. York.” The two bodyguards brought the kid, who was screaming for his mom, to Serenity. Putting Lucas on the ground, the bodyguard uttered in distress, “Can you give his family a call to pick him up? He’s been crying the whole time.” “Serenity.” Lucas wailed out of fear. He had never met the York family’s bodyguards. The boy was taken by a stranger and rescued by another pair of strangers. While Lucas was a wild child, he was only four years old. It was normal to be frightened to tears. Serenity was someone he knew. Lucas immediately clung to Serenity’s leg, asking to be picked up when he saw Serenity. “It’s okay now.” Although Serenity was not fond of Lucas, she needed to soothe the poor child. Serenity dialed Hank’s number and said, “We got Lucas. We’re at the entrance of the zoo. Come out here.” The Browns were crying on their knees after Lucas was kidnapped. Mrs. Bro
Serenity answered, “My sister got a good hold on Sonny, and I gave the man a kick. The kidnapper gave up on Sonny and ran away.” She turned over and looked in the direction of Elisa’s car before adding, “Sonny is in Elisa’s car.” Through the conversation between Serenity and Zachary, the Browns realized that Sonny was nearly taken too. Mrs. Brown cried and shouted to see her grandson. It was then Liberty took Sonny by the hands and got out of the car. “Sonny! Sonny!” Mrs. Brown held onto Sonny, making sure her grandson was fine before choking with sobs. “Thank goodness you’re okay. Thank goodness.” “Grandmom.” Seeing that the old lady had tears on her face, the little man reached out to wipe away her tears. Mrs. Brown had never looked after Sonny, but Sonny was her only grandson, so of course, she adored him. With Sonny’s caring gesture touching Mrs. Brown’s heart, she cuddled Sonny and had another bout of crying. The Browns gathered around Sonny. “Stop crying, Mo
Even Serenity suspected foul play. They simply did not raise their suspicion in front of everybody.“Okay.” The fun ended too soon for Sonny. He found the show at the aquarium entertaining, but it was a shame that his mother brought him out before it was over. The York family’s security team stood in two rows, clearing a way to the Rolls Royce. Carrying Sonny in his arms, Zachary walked alongside Serenity to the car. Liberty hitched a ride in one of the cars driven by his bodyguard. Elisa took her brother’s car while a bodyguard drove her car back. Soon, the two CEOs left Wiltspoon Zoo, escorted by their security teams.Once they were gone, Jessica could breathe a sigh of relief. She was afraid everybody might suspect her. On their way back, Serenity said to her husband, “Zachary, something about today doesn’t sit well with me. I feel like it’s more than just a kidnapping. They created a distraction and kidnapped the children amid the chaos. “No one was holding Luca
The whole of Wiltspoon knew Zachary was crazy for his wife. It would be the death of Zachary if anything were to happen to Serenity. “Do you think Mrs. Newman is in on it?” Serenity’s first thought was Mrs. Newman. After a brief silence, Zachary said, “I can’t tell for sure, but I told Josh to keep an eye on Mr. Newman and his wife after your argument with Ms. Carrie. There’s no unusual activity on their end. “Seren, we can only know through an investigation if the mastermind is after you or me.” Zachary put Sonny next to him and pulled Serenity into his arms. Locking Serenity in his embrace, he vowed solemnly, “Don’t be scared. I’m here for you. I won’t let anyone harm you.” Lifting her chin, Serenity looked into his eyes with worry. “If they’re out to get you… You must be careful, Zachary.” “Unfortunately, I hold a status that tends to attract danger. I’m used to it. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” The York family sheltered their descendants from the outside world until t
“It’s a personal choice to take up self-defense if you're an ordinary person, but now… Sonny should learn to fight and protect himself.” Zachary had always held a torch for Sonny. He believed Sonny had a lot of potential and thought about taking the boy under his wing when he was older. Now, Zachary was merely carrying the plan out ahead of schedule. “That’s true. Alright, we’ll go with your idea. Thank you, babe.” For Zachary to help Sonny tap into his potential and creativity, Serenity was happy for her nephew and thanked Zachary for it. Zachary carried Sonny with one hand and dabbed on Serenity’s nose with his free hand before uttering, “You always call me Zachary, but suddenly I’m “babe” when I talk about getting Sonny a coach. Does Sonny hold a bigger space in your heart than I do?”Serenity replied with a smile, “You both hold equal spaces. No, you take up a bigger space in my heart.” Sonny was only a kid, but Zachary was an adult. Of course, Zachary took up more
The pair must have returned from a shopping trip. Lily held Mrs. Lewis’s arm while carrying a few shopping bags herself. “Are you heading out, Duncan?” Running into her son, Mrs. Lewis asked. “Mom. Ms. Harmon.” Duncan said hello before adding. “I have an emergency, Mom. Sorry, I can’t attend to you and Ms. Harmon. You can either wait in my office or go home for now?” “What’s the emergency?” Mrs. Lewis asked with concern. “It’s an emergency.” Duncan may be dense, but he was not going to tell his mother that he was ditching work to check up on Sonny. He was afraid Mom might get the wrong idea about him and Liberty. A lot of people took it the wrong way and believed Duncan had a thing for Liberty. Nobody believed Duncan when he said he took a shine to Sonny. People thought he was trying to earn Sonny’s regard to become his stepdad. “Is it work-related?” Mrs. Lewis asked. Duncan lied, “Yes, Mom. I got to go.” “Alright. Go on then. Come home for dinner. Lily bough
“I’ve been busy with my wedding and will be taking off for my honeymoon. Mr. Lewis can’t go without a secretary.” The secretary gave an air-tight answer. Lily had nothing to say. Duncan had no idea his mother and Lily would interrogate the secretary in his absence. It was a good thing this secretary gave great answers that did not raise his mother’s suspicion. Mrs. Lewis and Lily did not follow the news about the incident at the zoo because it was unrelated to them. Knowing that Sonny was at Brynfield, Duncan made haste there. Zachary and Clive were no longer there by the time Duncan arrived at Brynfield. Only the ladies were at home. Elisa was still there. Duncan gave Liberty a call. With Liberty taking his call, he asked, “Are you and Sonny still at your sister’s place, Liberty?” “Yeah, Seren said she’ll drive us home after dinner. What’s the matter, Mr. Lewis?” “I heard about what happened today.” Duncan uttered, “It was on the news. I asked Zachary, and he t
Austin smiled meaningfully, “My entire family will be very happy and warmly welcome you if you come with me to attend my nephew's sip-and-see shower.”In fact, his family would likely treat Isabella as his future wife, extending the kind of hospitality reserved for a daughter-in-law.However, Austin did not voice this thought.He and Isabella had not reached the stage where they could openly flirt like that.In any case, he was not in a hurry. Like a good stew, he would gradually win Isabella’s heart with time, and everything would fall into place naturally.“Your sister-in-law hasn’t given birth yet, so why are you already saying it’s a nephew?” Isabella teased belatedly. “Are you all hoping for a boy?“I heard from Ruth that your family elders are all hoping for a baby girl, though.”At the mention of that, Austin smiled wryly. “Ms. Fuller’s been to Wiltspoon and has heard about my family. She knows that our elders have always wanted a baby girl, so she must have also heard ot
Isabella asked, "When is your sister-in-law due?"She did not have a private chef who could fill in for Austin. If he took a leave of two or three days, she could manage, but if he requested a longer leave, she might not approve it.Zachary York’s wife was pregnant. Isabella had learned about the Yorks’ situation through a friend. Since she was Austin’s sister-in-law, it was natural for him, as the uncle, to want to go back and see his nephew.“I’m not sure. I asked my brother, and he said it might be in about two months. It could be earlier or later, it’s hard to say. I’ll go back when my sister-in-law is hospitalized. Once she’s discharged and returns home for postpartum recovery, it won’t be convenient to visit, so I’ll come back to work.“Then, when the baby is one month old, I’ll definitely go back for another couple of days. After all, he’ll be my first nephew and the eldest in the family’s new generation.”Isabella thought for a moment and said, “If it’s just two or three d
Austin knew she said that because she was afraid he would not agree, but how could he not? Rather, he wished for it.“Alright. If you don’t mind, I’ll eat with you from now on. Ms. Isabella, please go ahead and eat. I’ll quickly prepare some fruits for dessert.”Isabella glanced at him but said nothing and left.In the past, unless it was a social engagement, she would rarely have dessert.Usually, after finishing her meal, she would hurry back to her lounge to catch some rest, never bothering with fruits.Isabella realized belatedly that Austin had subtly influenced some of her small habits into changing.These small changes allowed her a bit more time to rest, which in turn improved her health.Soon, Austin came out.He had sliced some of the fruits and arranged them into the shape of a phoenix spreading its wings, while the smaller fruits were left whole to serve as the finishing touches.“In just this short time, you actually managed to create a phoenix,” Isabella praised.
“Isa has a networking event tonight, so she’ll be working overtime. You should bring her dinner.”“Sure.” Austin was here precisely to do that.Tati entered the elevator. When she turned around, she saw that Austin had already walked off.Tati chuckled to herself, “When will it be my turn to meet a good man who only has eyes for me?”Isabella had Austin now. Even though they had not officially started dating, they were clearly interested in each other. In the near future, they would definitely become a couple, and if both sides’ parents had no objection to it, they would eventually be a loving husband and wife.Though, at the thought of her family circumstances, Tati was still a little worried that Isabella and Austin might not get to that point.Isabella could not move far away after getting married as she still had to manage the family business. Her husband and her in-laws had to be understanding and tolerant of the fact that she would be very, very busy.They had all heard th
Isabella wanted to say something but ultimately decided against it. Tati had a point. She could push the boys too hard. They were still young, and they deserved a carefree and happy childhood. She had already put too much pressure on Louis and Phillip. “Austin accompanies the boys when he’s free. I think he’s great with kids. Maybe he has experience from babysitting in his family.”The York family had nine sons in their youngest generation and no daughters. Austin was the sixth in line with three younger brothers. Rowan was the youngest and still a minor. Thinking about it, he must have been raised by all his older cousins and brothers. No one understood how much pressure Rowan was under as he grew up. His older brothers were outstanding individuals. He would not have been that stressed if any of them were mediocre. He kept chasing after his brothers’ footsteps. He did not know when he could ever catch up to River and Austin. He would have to live with that pressure fo
“Isa, do you know many hotels and restaurants are waiting for you to switch Austin out? That way, they can snatch him away and make him their star chef.”With Austin’s culinary skills, he could be the head chef at any hotel.Isabella smiled. She said, “It depends on how much they can offer him. He already has his own hotels and restaurants. He’s already successful in the F&B industry.“How can they possibly hire him to be their chef? That’s unless Austin buys their hotel.“Besides, I haven’t gotten bored of Austin’s food. They’ll have to wait. “You can make a bet on whether Austin can last a full year as my private chef. I think you might win, but there’s always the possibility of losing.”There would always be wins and losses in a bet. Tati smiled. “Some people already made their bets. However, they betted on whether Austin could last for three months first. I guess those who put their money on him leaving before three months are up will lose.“For the second round, they’re
Knowledge of Mr. Longbottom’s philandering was not restricted to Havenmill. Even people in Annenburg knew about it. He switched lovers as quickly as he changed clothes. Many of his mistresses accidentally got pregnant and thought they could replace Mrs. Longbottom because of their children. However, Mr. Longbottom was a heartless man outside of bed. While most of his mistresses had gotten pregnant, only those who were honest and without ambitions were allowed to give birth. Even if those women gave birth, the child would not bear the Longbottom surname and only take their mother’s surname. However, Mr. Longbottom would buy that mistress and her children a townhouse and hire two nannies to look after them. There would also be a sum of money deposited into their account monthly to provide for the child. On the other hand, most of Mr. Longbottom’s mistresses who were not allowed to give birth were ordered to get an abortion. If they refused, Mrs. Longbottom would intervene and f
Tati did not care what Manny would do. She had no feelings for him. Not only did she know he was ambitious, but he also wanted her family’s wealth. Only a few men deserved Tati’s praise in her entire life. Austin was one of them. Even so, she simply admired him and did not view him as a romantic partner. Tati could sense that Austin’s eyes were always on Isabella. It had nothing to do with him being her private chef. He was dedicated to Isabella. When Isabella and Tati were unaware of Austin’s true identity, they admired him a lot. Isabella even teased Tati about it. Later, they discovered he was a young master of the wealthiest family in Wiltspoon.His family background and qualifications made Austin worthy of being the partner of an elite daughter of the O’Connors. Although Isabella refused to admit it, Tati knew Austin would eventually be her brother-in-law. However, he probably had to sacrifice a lot to be with Isabella. After all, Isabella was the head of the
Once Manny left, Costa Corporation entrance resumed its peace. Manny had bought a villa in Satbury. He was determined to woo Tati and would not leave until he succeeded. Besides, he would be doing business in Satbury and needed a place to live. He did not want to stay at a hotel every day. The villa he bought was only a ten-minute drive away from Dunboy Manor. On his way back, he received a call from his momma asking about his situation in Satbury. After speaking about business, his momma said, “Don’t be like your dad, Manny. If you really like Ms. Tati, you should treat her well.“Your dad is too flirty. Marrying him was the unluckiest thing in my life. I had no choice. I’ve been his wife for decades and even gave birth to you all. He got me involved in too many things.“He forced me to be in the same boat as him. I’m forced to stick with him for your sake and our family’s benefit. However, if I could turn back time, I’d rather stay single than get married to your dad.“Y