Zachary could not pull a longer face. “Don’t you wish to have grandchildren too?” Tania said, “Yes, we do, but we never want to rush Serenity, so don’t put the blame on us. We never pressure Serenity to give us a grandchild.” “Seren puts the burden on herself.” Zachary knew Serenity was feeling it when she talked about getting a physical.He believed Serenity was stressed from trying to get pregnant. “You should be telling Seren that the child will come when the time comes if she’s feeling the pressure. It’ll be harder for her to get pregnant while sitting under a lot of pressure. Tell her not to think too much about it. You have not been together for long. I think the medical examination is necessary after two to three years of trying without hearing any good news.” “That’s what I’m saying. I don’t think we need a check-up since we’re both fine and healthy. She’s just under a lot of stress. I told her that I’ll take her on a trip after Josh and Jasmine’s engagement party.”
The Soxes had just had their dinner. Since Serenity was not in the best of moods, Jasmine had a walk with her nearby after dinner. “Seren, I remember you saying that your in-laws didn’t pressure you to have children. Why are you taking in all the stress?” The pair were best friends who could pass as sisters. Jasmine had been there throughout Serenity and Zachary’s journey together. She had never heard about the York family rushing Serenity to have a baby. “They did not pressure me, but I’m worried I might be the problem that I’m not expecting yet.” Serenity sighed and added, “No one is giving me pressure, but I can’t help putting the strain on myself. Even if my in-laws are from an ordinary family, I would be worried about not getting pregnant despite being married for a while. I won’t feel much of it if we have been using protection.” Jasmine’s mind flew to the families she knew. The women usually got pregnant soon after the wedding, but most of them had a shotgun wedding no
Ring, ring, ring…Jasmine’s phone rang. She looked at the caller on the display screen before telling her best friend, “It’s Josh. I think your man might have sought help from Josh. Josh must be calling to ask where you are.” Serenity faintly uttered, “Just ignore him. Does he think he’s the only one with a temper? I have a temper too.” Always having Serenity’s back, Jasmine believed her best friend was not in the wrong. Serenity was a confident and cheerful person, but for her to be worried about not being pregnant, the pressure had to somehow come from her man, Zachary. Jasmine felt sorry for her best friend. She wanted to help her best friend give Zachary a taste of his own medicine. Ring, ring, ring…With the phone ringing endlessly, Jasmine had to pick up the call. “What are you busy with, Jasmine? Don’t you miss me? It took you a long time to pick up. I miss you so much. I thought about driving to your place to check on you if you take any longer to take my call
“Oh, you didn’t dig into it?” Josh immediately said, “I didn’t because you didn’t like that everything was in my control while you know nothing. I won’t use my connections to investigate if it has anything to do with you. I’m just guessing that Serenity is with you. You guys are bosom buddies. She tells you anything that’s going on in her life.” “Seren is with me. Tell Mr. York that Seren is staying with me for the night. She’s not going home for the time being.” Josh answered, “Okay, I’ll let him know later. Is there anything you want to say to me, my dearest wife?” “Your boss should serve as a cautionary tale. Don’t learn from him.” Josh uttered with a smile, “Don’t worry. I do the opposite of what he does. I won’t copy the things that he angered his wife with.” “You gave me no reason to worry. I love you, Josh. I love you to death!” “Me too.” Jasmine said, “You better reply to Mr. York before he freaks out. He loves Seren so much, but the little things he does… I’m g
Serenity turned over and gave Jasmine a light pinch. “Alright, I’ll sleep. I’m not flipping pancakes.” Jasmine hugged her and offered comforting words. “You’re basically an elderly couple now. Mr. York loves you a lot. It’s just a miscommunication. It’ll be over before you know it. Relax and go to bed. You’re able to face another day once you get a good night’s sleep.” “I’m so lucky to have you, Jasmine. At least I have someone to talk to when I don’t feel good.” “Duh, we go way back. I come to you when I’m feeling down too. Come on. Let’s sleep. Don’t torture yourself with all those thoughts.” “Okay,” Serenity answered. Her best friend’s assurance soothed Serenity to dreamland. It was dark and quiet all around by the time Zachary arrived at the Soxes’ residence. Everybody was deep in slumberland. He pulled up at the gate of Jasmine’s family home. Zachary parked the car and gave Serenity another call. Since Serenity was asleep, and her phone was on silent mode, she di
Zachary believed that Serenity would go home with him so long as he made it inside without bothering the Soxes from their rest. With that in mind, a certain somebody got into action. He had no idea that the Soxes’ hounds were spying on him in a corner. Zachary climbed up the gate, ready to jump off when he turned and saw two wolfhounds fixating on him. Zachary nearly lost his wits. He knew that the nearby neighbors had dogs. These dogs were barking as he drove past their houses to get to the Soxes’ residence. However, he had no clue that the Soxes kept dogs. The dogs belonging to the neighbors stopped barking when he pulled up in front of the Soxes’ residence and the Soxes’ dogs did not make a sound either. It never occurred to him that these hounds were not barkers. The saying was all bark and no bite, but if it were the other way round… These dogs would have ripped him apart if he jumped without turning over to look. Woof! Woof—Seeing that Zachary had no int
Zachary watched as Mrs. Sox returned to the house and closed the door behind her. He stood in front of the gate for a while before waltzing back to his car. He sat in silence for a few minutes before starting the engine and driving off. Zachary arrived at the Soxes’ residence first thing in the morning. The gate to the Sox family’s home was wide open, and the two hounds were tied to a leash. Zachary had a bad feeling that he arrived too late. He pulled up and before he could even get out of the car, Mrs. Sox, who was sweeping the yard, approached him with a broom. “Mr. York, Jasmine and Serenity are out. They went to Liberty’s diner.” Zachary asked, “How long have they been gone?” “Around twenty minutes. Serenity woke up and said she needed to pick Sonny up from her sister’s, so they left early.” Zachary thanked Mrs. Sox and uttered, “I’ll head to my sister-in-law’s breakfast place then.” “Okay,” Mrs. Sox answered. Zachary quickly drove away from the Soxes’ reside
Facing Zachary, Camryn probingly said hello, “Is that Mr. York?” There was a glimmer in Zachary’s dark eyes. The girl could determine the person by their footsteps. “Ms. Camryn.” Zachary greeted back in a low voice, “Are you here to deliver flowers to Callum, Ms. Camryn?” Camryn nodded with a smile. “Mr. Callum ordered a bouquet from my shop. He asked me to make the delivery right now.” Zachary asked, “Did you come here on your own?” “Yes.” Zachary believed Callum was on his way to his own undoing. He knew Camryn could not see, and yet he expected Camryn to deliver the flowers all by herself. Nevertheless, Zachary said nothing. This was Callum’s business. Zachary could stay out of it and observe from the sidelines. “Do you need help to get upstairs?” “Thank you, Mr. Zachary. That won’t be necessary.” She remembered the route as she had been here twice. Camryn could get to Callum’s office without guidance. Without another word, Zachary went ahead into the offic
All he could do was hold it in. However, he soon sneezed again.Imogen commented, “My dad told you to stand in the cold without your coat, and you really did it, like an idiot. It’s not like you feel anything for me or you’re trying to win my affection, so there’s really no need for you to listen to my dad.”Luckily, she came out quickly enough. Otherwise, he would have turned into an icicle.“It was my fault before. I hurt you, so it's only natural that Mr. and Mrs. Doyle are angry with me. They didn’t hit me or scold me, and they just made me stand out in the cold for a while; they’re already being very lenient,” said Dylan, sneezing again.He was usually in good health, but this time, he was afraid he might really catch a cold.Imogen glanced at him without saying anything. She led Dylan into the house and asked their housekeeper if the soup was ready.Wendy replied, “Almost.”Imogen nodded and asked Dylan to sit down. Then, she poured him a cup of tea and asked, “Have you ea
Dylan finally put his coat on after Imogen said that. He had only been standing there for half an hour but even in that short time, he had become so cold.Once he put his jacket on, Imogen turned around and began walking inside. “Come with me.”“Okay,” Dylan quickly bent down to grab the gifts before quickening his steps to catch up with Imogen. “Thank you, Ms. Doyle.”Imogen glanced at him for a moment before turning away. “I was just afraid you might freeze to death at my doorstep, and then your family would come after mine. Plus, since your sisters-in-law are my good friends, I couldn't just let you die at my gate.”After leaving Wiltspoon, Imogen had not gone back there under her real name, but she had stayed in touch with Serenity and the others and was still on very good terms with them.Dylan smiled and said, “Serenity will give birth in a few months, and Josh’s wife is also pregnant, but she's a month ahead of Serenity. Liberty and Duncan have already registered their marr
Her daughter’s excellence was all thanks to Silver’s influence.“What I wanted to tell you was that Dylan is standing at our doorstep. He said he wanted to see you. Your dad and I refused and told him to leave, but he’s not budging.”Imogen was not surprised by this, but she still pretended to be surprised, so as not to raise her mother’s suspicion.“Why’s he here?” Imogen asked, feigning ignorance.“Who knows? He didn’t say. He only said he wanted to see you. The way he treated you, playing with your feelings—your dad and I have been holding in a lot of anger for a long time. “But you didn’t want us to confront him, so we couldn’t vent it. Now he’s come knocking, wanting to see you? It won’t be that easy.”Imogen was not planning to meet Dylan either.“Your dad told him to stand outside for two hours with his coat off and that if he doesn’t freeze to death, he’ll let him see you.”Imogen was speechless for a moment. “Mom, it’s freezing outside. Even wearing a thick coat, it’s
“Still not up yet?” Leticia smiled and said as she entered her daughter’s room after the door opened. Imogen’s room was decorated in a warm style, but the furniture was minimal. Aside from the bed, a computer desk, and a set of sofas, she preferred things to be simple. Her room was also the smallest. She said that if the room was too big, it felt empty and she could not sleep well. Leticia thought it was because when her daughter learned self-defense from her master, she lived in a small room with her fellow disciples, so she had gotten used to smaller spaces.Compared to the average person, Imogen's room was actually quite large, but against the rooms of the other family members, hers looked smaller.Leticia sat down on the sofa.“Mom, let me change first.” With her mother here, Imogen could no longer lie in bed. She went to change and wash up, then came out of the bathroom. She poured her mother a cup of water and placed it in front of her before sitting next to her. “Mom, a
Dylan was speechless.Leaving the warm indoors, he felt Huntington's winter was really cold. It was below freezing, and the temperature was as low as 14°F to 32°F. He had never experienced such low temperatures in Wiltspoon.In Wiltspoon, the moment the temperature dropped to 50°F, everyone would start saying it was freezing.Winston and Leticia headed back. Leticia whispered to her husband, “What if he really stands there for two hours without his coat and freezes to death?”They wanted to stand up for their daughter, but they did not want to kill Dylan. That would make them enemies of the Yorks. Even if they could not become in-laws, they definitely did not want to become enemies.Winston replied, “If he really does it, in half an hour, I’ll let Jen come out and call him inside. If he doesn't follow my request, he won’t freeze to death.”At most, he would just catch a cold. If he did not do it, nothing would happen.“I don’t think he’s here for love this time either. I’m not s
Leticia harrumphed as well. “Mr. York, why are you here?” Leticia asked coldly. “We don't welcome you here. Go back to wherever you came from.”Dylan smiled awkwardly, “Mrs. Doyle, I just want to see Ms. Imogen.”“Imogen doesn't want to see you. Hurry up and leave, or we'll let the guard dogs out.” Leticia rejected him outright. “And you’d better stay as far away as possible. Do you think our Imogen is someone you can just toy and flirt with just because you want to, then say you haven't fallen for her and play with her feelings?“What's the matter? Has the Mr. York, whose heart belongs to someone else, still not managed to win his lady love over?” Leticia mocked, though she was actually probing into the reason for Dylan's visit.Dylan just took the insults without getting angry. He knew he had hurt Imogen. Even though she was someone who could take things in stride, the fact remained he had flirted with her and turned to claim he did not like her, which had hurt her feelings.
Otherwise, the Old Mrs. York would not have taken a liking to her in the first place.“I'll go out and have a look.” Leticia could not sit still and stood up to leave. She wanted to mock that York boy. Winston replied, “I'll go with you.”He was worried that his wife might soften her heart because she was quite pleased with Dylan at first. Well, to be honest, he was too.It was mainly because everyone in Huntington knew of the Wiltspoon Yorks’ reputation. The men of the York family were devoted and loyal to their marriages, and once they married, it was for life.For women, the York family was an excellent family for marriage. Who would not want to marry into it? Families with daughters also hoped their daughters would marry York men, or those who were as devoted as them. Leticia hummed in assent and the couple hurried out.Dylan's car was parked in front of the Doyles’ residence. He had switched to a different car, afraid the security guards might recognize his vehicle, eve
“Goodnight, Mom,” Imogen said.As Leticia turned the doorknob to enter her room, Imogen suddenly asked, “Mom, if Dylan comes looking for me again, would you let him in?”“I'd set the guard dog on him.”Imogen chuckled softly, “Mom, you’re all talk. If he really does, you might just smile from ear to ear and think he’s realized he actually loves me.”Leticia was silent for a moment before she said, “Regardless, I have to make him sweat a little.” After saying that, Leticia quickly closed the door, feeling too embarrassed to face her daughter. She internally sighed. Dylan was the son-in-law she had hoped for. If Dylan really did realize that he actually loved Jen and came back for her, Leticia wondered if she should forgive him for the things he had done months ago. Dylan had hurt her daughter, but… never mind. It was between the two young ones. She should let them handle it themselves. There was no way Dylan would come back anyway.Leticia did not expect her daughter’s hypothet
Leticia then heard faint footsteps. When she went out to check, she saw it was her daughter. That was why she asked.“My friend invited me out for a late-night snack.” Imogen lied, not telling her mother that she had gone to meet that thief. She knew that Dylan wanted to break in by climbing the wall, but she kept to herself because she did not want her mother to have a bad impression of him.Leticia had met Dylan back when he was deliberately approaching her and knowing he was one of the Wiltspoon Yorks, she was very pleased with him. Since Leticia thought so highly of Dylan and said a lot of good things about the York family before her, Imogen took this into consideration and saw him as a potential partner. However, when she started to have feelings for him, he told her that after trying for two or three months, he still could not fall for her.“I thought you didn’t like eating late-night snacks? Anyway, you should just eat what you want at home. Why go out? It’s so cold,” Let