Remy looked back at Zachary. He was trying to read Zachary’s thoughts through his expression. Knowing what Remy was after, Zachary said, “Mr. Johnson, don’t give me that look. I didn’t love Elisa then. I don’t have feelings for her now, nor will I be romantically involved with her in the future. She’s never been my type.” This came from Zachary’s heart. Others may think Zachary could not accept Elisa because of his business rivalry with Clive. Only Zachary knew that he simply did not see Elisa that way even though Elisa was not mean and unbearable as publicly rumored. Elisa was only being her authentic self. Still, he was not into Elisa. “You should pursue Elisa if you like her. It’s really none of my business, but I was only asked to feel you out about your thoughts.” Remy asked, “Who sent you to ask me?” Following the query, Remy realized the question was unnecessary. Zachary’s wife, Serenity, was Elisa’s cousin. The girls were best friends before finding out the
“Don’t hesitate to let us know if we can be of help to anything, Mr. Johnson. My wife and I are happy to do whatever we can.” Zachary added, “We hope Elisa can find happiness.” Remy was in love with Elisa. Zachary believed that Elisa would find her happily ever after if she chose to be with Remy. The Johnsons were a decent family. Many women in Annenburg saw Remy as husband material. He was one of the five heirs of the Johnson family and shared the same mother as Ben. Compared to the other boys in the house, he was a more popular choice. Since he oversaw the family business in Wiltspoon, Remy found peace away from his family’s insistence to get married due to his long absence in Annenburg. There were many white-collar women in Wiltspoon who had their eyes on Remy too. Remy may appear a mild-mannered gentleman, but not to be fooled by his appearance, he was not the easiest to get through to. Remy was nice to everybody, always having a smile on his face. It was hard to re
FC & Co.’s subsidiary in Wiltspoon could be a group on its own. The business was growing rapidly. As the person in charge, Remy would only be busier and be stationed here. Remy used to spend a week at FC Manor every month and could not be bothered to return to Wiltspoon. Now, it was the other way round—he did not want to leave Wiltspoon. Jane’s due date was approaching. Remy was dying to find out if he would get a niece. That would be the reason for him to make a trip to Annenburg right away. However, the trip could wait if he received another nephew in the family. “You must convince the Stones that she will remain in Wiltspoon even after she marries you. Just let them know that Elisa will only be a walk away from them. It only takes two minutes to go and have dinner with them.” Remy grinned. “I’ll let them know that they won’t be losing a daughter when Elisa marries me. Instead, they will be gaining a son-in-law.” Zachary smiled. “You’re as conniving as ever. Here’s to
“You have been to many upper-class gatherings with Ms. Sox. You’re not shy to socialize. In fact, you carry yourself with grace. The former you simply did not want to attract attention.” Mrs. Stone had a clear idea of her nieces’ history. Serenity answered with a smile, “Mrs. Lowe would take me and Jasmine to parties, but we were there for the food.” Jasmine would persuade Serenity to go along every time. The pair would arrive at the scene and find a seat in a corner to enjoy the feast in delight. For foodies, it was all about the food. Once their bellies were filled, the pair would admire and appreciate the beautiful people at the party while discussing between themselves. Hence why no one knew Serenity and Jasmine’s names even though they had attended multiple social gatherings. Jasmine made a name for herself when she lay down on the ground during Mrs. Dawson’s birthday celebration. “Liberty.” Mrs. Stone could relax when it came to her younger niece. Serenity was l
“Any news, Seren?” Mrs. Stone threw a question at Serenity. Serenity huddled together with Elisa watching reels when her aunt asked her a question. Lifting her chin, she asked in confusion, “What news, Aunt Audrey?” Elisa stopped the videos and looked at her mother. “Are you referring to our investment? The contracts are signed and out of the way, so the work can commence now. I’m hiring a few agriculturists to start farming. Seren, we should get a start on the sales front too.” Elisa was running the sales bit now. However, agriculture was still underway, and nothing had grown yet. Hence, they had not received any orders. Serenity responded, “Sure. Tomorrow night is a good opportunity.” Old Mr. Marshall’s birthday celebration was a business engagement too. Mrs. Stone was speechless. Judging by the scowl on her mother’s face, Elisa realized they got the wrong answer. She gave Serenity a nudge. It dawned on Serenity what Mrs. Stone was trying to get to. “Aunt Audrey,
Serenity gave it a thought before replying, “I don’t take on a lot of stress. My in-laws are not pressuring me either. Nana only talked about having a great-granddaughter every once in a while. Zachary said he’s taking me on a trip to Annenburg once he’s done with his work. We’re going to visit Mr. Young-Johnson.” Zachary believed Serenity did not have many friends, so he was trying to get her and Ben’s wife, Jane, together. Since Remy was part of the Johnson family, and he was in love with Elisa, Serenity could befriend Jane and get an understanding of the Johnson family for Elisa. At least, she could check out if the Johnsons were as nice as the public put it out to be. The way Serenity saw it, Elisa and Remy got along well. They looked good together. Serenity would stand on Elisa’s corner and convince Aunt Audrey if the Johnsons proved to be a good family and if Elisa developed feelings for Remy too. Sure, Remy was hailed from Annenburg, but he had bought a house next to the
After walking Serenity to the door and seeing her drive away, Mrs. Stone turned on her heel and returned to the house. No sooner had Serenity returned to the shop than Jessica barged in. Serenity was surprised by Jessica showing up. “Where’s your sister, Serenity?” Jessica shot the question the moment she walked into the shop. “What business do you have with my sister, Mrs. Brown?” Serenity put away her car keys and faintly asked Jessica. Jasmine kept her eyes peeled, ready with a broom for when Jessica got out of line. Jessica was black and blue in the face. With that black eye, she appeared rather gaunt. She was only twenty-five years old, a year younger than Serenity. Yet, Jessica looked a lot older than Serenity right now. It was probably because Hank did want to foot the bills for her expensive skincare products now that he got the girl. Liberty had a better skincare routine than Jessica currently. Serenity had no sympathy for Jessica despite how she looked now.
Jessica made a long face.A while later, she turned on her heel and walked out. “Mrs. Brown.” With Serenity calling after Jessica, Jessica turned around and looked at her, waiting to get an answer about Liberty’s whereabouts. Serenity played nice and reminded her, “The bruises on your face are obvious. You might want to get something to clear them away. I heard that your wedding with Mr. Brown is coming up. The black and blue would not go well with the theme of your wedding.” Jessica’s wrinkles deepened with a grimace. Without a word, she cocked her head back and strutted out of the shop with her chest out. It was as if by doing so, she could prove her life could not be any better. A delivery person arrived. Jasmine ordered milkshakes to the shop. She took the milkshakes and gave a cup to her best friend. Jasmine gloated, “The Browns must have abused her. I thought she was all that, and her mother-in-law and sister-in-law had nothing on her.” Sipping on the milksha