Duncan saw the calmness in Liberty’s eyes. She truly was not interested in him at all. That knowledge made Duncan feel defeated, but he soon got over it. Liberty had experienced a failed marriage before. Her ex-husband’s family was also pestering her at that moment. She was repulsed by love and marriage as a result. Duncan would need a long time to melt Liberty’s heart and make her believe in love and marriage again. He also gave himself a few years to pursue her and wait for her reply. He was not in a rush anyway. He was willing to keep waiting unless Liberty got married to someone else. “Good morning, Liberty.”Duncan returned Liberty a greeting. Zachary left with Serenity with Sonny in his arms. As he walked, he complained to his wife, “Honey, I was drunk last night and woke up with a headache this morning. I think my headache worsened because I couldn’t see you after opening my eyes.”Serenity hooked his arm and said softly, “I didn’t wake you up because you w
Duncan stood still. He silently watched as Liberty walked past him. He only left after some time. He had preempted what would happen after he confessed to Liberty. He was also mentally prepared to wait several years for Liberty to develop feelings for him. Upon entering the house, Duncan received a concerned gaze from his friend. Zachary did not ask any questions as Duncan seemed alright. He just called him over to have breakfast together. He patted Duncan’s shoulder and whispered, “It’s okay. Take it slow.”Duncan smiled and said, “I’m not in a rush. I have a lifetime to spend on her.”He would not give up as long as Liberty did not get married to someone else. “Sonny is an important piece,” Zachary whispered. Duncan hummed in agreement. “I know. I like Sonny from the bottom of my heart.”He had liked Sonny even before he fell in love with Liberty, let alone now. “Let’s go and have breakfast.”Zachary invited his friend to eat together. Serenity and Liberty had
Camryn scolded Callum a hundred times over mentally. In the end, she got out of her car. Callum moved the moment she came out. He walked over and took her white cane gently. He guided her over to his car. “I’ll be the one to send you every day from now on.“Oh, by the way…”Callum gestured for two bodyguards to come over. They were bodyguards he mobilized from the manor. He usually did not bring bodyguards along when he went out. He was not as popular as Zachary, and he did not need bodyguards blocking off fangirls for him. When the bodyguards approached them, Callum said, “This is Ms. Newman, your future Mrs. York. You two will be guarding her from here on out. You’re not supposed to supervise but protect her. If there are problems that you can’t handle, contact me.”Those words were meant for Camryn. In fact, he arranged for two bodyguards to follow her to protect her and know her location whenever he wanted to meet her. Callum had tasted the pain of yearning for s
Not many people knew that Camryn was chosen for Callum by Grandma May.However, even if everyone did, they still could not guess the old woman’s intent.Callum also could not understand why his nana chose Camryn for him.It was only after knowing that she had long been involved in Newman Enterprise did he understand a little.Although he did not care about the Newmans’ assets, if he and Camryn became a couple and have children later, their children would be able to inherit the Newman family’s assets in addition to the Yorks’.That was the first thing that came to his mind.Of course, Callum did not think that his nana was after Camryn’s family assets, but Camryn herself.The York family had a fortune worth hundreds of billions, but the Newmans’ assets only amounted to a billion. Furthermore, there was a portion of their assets that would be seized soon and their worth would shrink significantly.There was no way his nana was after the Newman family property.She just understoo
“Have you reached? Do you want me to arrange for someone to pick you up?”Camryn had a deep impression of Dalton’s girlfriend. Although the two had only spent a short time together and his girlfriend was wary of her, she truly thought of his girlfriend as her future sister-in-law.Dalton laughed. “No need. We arrived last night and are staying in a hotel. We just finished breakfast and are about to go to your store now.”“You didn’t tell me that you came last night.”“You were attending Mr. Bucham’s wedding last night, so I didn’t want to bother you. Okay, I’m going to drive now. See you later. Your sister-in-law brought you a lot of local specialties.”Camryn smiled. “I’m looking forward to it. See you later.”After she ended the call, Callum asked, “Was it that Mitchell guy again?”“Your ears are sharp enough to hear. Why bother asking?”Camryn added calmly, “Dal brought his girlfriend over to spend the holidays with me.”“He has a girlfriend?”“He always had a girlfriend.
Melissa’s words made the two tense men temporarily suppress their anger toward each other.When entering the store, the two men walked side by side and almost bumped into each other.Dalton glared at Callum and said in a low voice, “Mr. York, Cam has not accepted your advances yet, so please give her the respect she deserves. Don’t get all touchy-feely with her.”Callum responded defiantly, “Camryn isn’t really your sister. You two have different last names. Only Aunt Evelyn has the right to say such things to me. Besides, I’m not taking advantage of Camryn. I held her hand to help her out of the car because she can’t see.”Dalton paused, before saying, “Cam thinks of me as her brother, and she was the one who saved my life. We’ve been siblings for many years. She’s my sister in my heart!”“I am aware that you and Camryn are close. That’s why I’m calling you Dal too.”Dalton choked.Callum’s expression seemed to say, ‘Since I’m calling you Dal, it means I think of you as a broth
Camryn and Melissa chatted about opening a store, but the two men had no common topic. They simply stared at each other.In the meantime, Zachary took Serenity back to the manor and saw two cars blocking the entrance.The cars were not parked haphazardly but side-by-side. They just so happened to be blocking the gate.The security booth at the entrance of the manor had guards on duty. As soon as they saw the Rolls-Royce, they knew that Zachary had returned.The two guards on duty hurriedly came out and went to the windows of the aforementioned two cars. After they tapped on the windows and the drivers lowered the windows, the guards said, “Our young master is back. Please move your car aside while waiting for the butler to give us his reply before you can drive in.”The two cars belonged to none other than Camryn’s aunts.The sisters had come to meet Rosella.However, they came too early. Rosella had not woken up yet.The butler did not dare let them in without Rosella’s permis
“Liberty and Sonny are here too, but I really did come here to see you, Grandma May.”Duncan stepped into the gazebo, sat down, and watched the old lady continue with her pilates.He said, “When my granny was still alive, I asked her to practice pilates with you, but she didn’t listen to me.”His granny and Grandma May were of the same age, but the former’s health was far from that of the latter.Grandma May was still physically strong and could fly around the world by plane without company.She set her grandsons up with a spring in her step.Meanwhile, his granny had been buried six feet under for many years.“Your granny is a true noble lady. She’s different from someone impoverished like me.”“Who said you’re impoverished? You’re also a true noble lady.”Grandma May laughed. “When my grandfather was alive, my family was considered an influential family. But after I was born, my family fell into poverty. Now, even their mansion has been handed over to the state.“On the oth
When Austin reached the door, he stopped and turned to say, “Ms. Isabella, I only care about my future wife. Other young women are simply strangers to me.“I’m polite to other women when I need to be. If they’re unimportant, I’ll ignore them. Even if that woman is my boss, I won’t cross any lines. If I do, there must be a reason behind it.“Get some rest, Ms. Isabella. You might have a headache when you wake up tomorrow. I’ll prepare a warm honey drink for you in the morning.”After speaking, Austin left. Isabella turned to look at where he last stood. What did his words mean?He said he only cared about his future wife.Aside from this lady, he would not step out of line with any other young woman, even if she were his boss. What did he mean by crossing lines?Was it showing concern? Did he mean that if his boss was a young woman but not his fiancée, he would simply do what was required of him without any personal feelings involved? Was that what he meant?If so, was
Isabella was cold sometimes, but that was not her true personality. She was a reasonable person. Austin was not worried that he would be mistreated as a live-in son-in-law. “Ms. Isabella.”Isabella looked toward him and waited for him to speak. He asked, “This may be abrupt, but may I ask what your ideal type is?”Isabella was stunned. Why did the question come to her? What was the type of man she liked?‘Someone like Austin,’ she thought. After a moment of silence, she said, “I like men who are capable, responsible, and have correct values. Even if his family isn’t as financially well-off as mine, I don’t mind so long as he’s honest, competent, and sincere about his feelings for me.“Of course, it’ll be great if we have the same social status. That way, we’ll have similar perspectives and more common topics. If we get married, we’ll be joining forces instead of it being a one-way financial aid.”“Although you can accept someone who isn’t from a similar family backgrou
After a moment of silence, Isabella said, “It’s okay. I know I was forcing it.”There was no point in asking Austin if he did not want to reveal anything. If he wanted to tell her, he would do so without her asking. However, her curiosity spiked with his silence. She was eager to know who his fiancée was. He was already so protective of his fiancée even though he had not met her before. It made Isabella jealous. It was her first time feeling that kind of emotion throughout her life. Although it was not a strong feeling, she still felt it. “You weren’t forcing me to tell you. You were simply curious. Most people have a curious side. It’s only natural for you to be inquisitive as well.”Austin said gently, “It’s not just you. Those who knew that my nana had chosen fiancées for my brothers and me were also curious about who the ladies were.“To be honest, we didn’t even know Nana had been choosing fiancées for us since a few years ago until she handed their pictures to us
“You can drink it now. It’ll turn cold if left aside for longer.”Isabella took the ginger ale and drank it with elegance. She put it down after drinking half of it. “I’m drunk, but only slightly. I can walk, and my brain is still alert. I know what I’m doing and saying.“I’ve had enough ginger ale.”She did not want to consume too much liquid late at night. “Which family is your fiancée from, Austin? Where is she? Do you mind telling me?”Isabella was insistent on getting answers. Austin had never told her when she had asked him about it before. He kept saying he would focus on working and that he was not in a rush to get married. After all, he was only in his twenties; Zachary only got married at thirty years old. If he was unsuccessful in wooing his fiancée that year, he did not mind waiting for a few more years. Isabella suddenly felt jealous of Austin’s fiancée, having had his heart without even doing anything. She wondered what Austin’s fiancée had done to cat
Austin stared into Isabella’s eyes. He could detect some feelings in her gaze, but it was not obvious enough. What she felt for him was still mostly admiration. It was not the right time for him to confess yet. He would continue to wait. “You’re the best and most outstanding lady in my heart, Ms. Isabella. I admire you more.”Austin added gently, “You give off a strict and cold aura sometimes, but you’re always a nice person in my eyes.”Isabella had treated him well ever since he became her private chef. It only got better after she discovered he was a young master of the Yorks. Austin believed her when she said she viewed him as a friend because her actions reflected it as well. However, he was not content with being just friends. He wanted to be her husband. He wanted her to trust him and love him forever. He would also reciprocate her feelings and trust. Isabella smiled. “Even my parents are scared and avoid me when I’m in a serious mode. Louis and Phillip w
Austin responded, “Don’t worry, Ms. Edith. I’ll take good care of Ms. Isabella.”Edith had come in a hurry and left just as quickly. The hidden meaning in her cousin’s words was not lost on Isabella, but she did not comment on it.She allowed Austin to accompany her into the house. The lights were still on inside, but the first floor was empty. Everyone else had already gone to bed.Since Isabella had not returned yet, the housekeeper had left the lights on for her.The house was warm, so once inside, Isabella took off Austin’s coat and handed it back to him.Austin accepted the coat and followed her to the sofa. After she had sat down, he asked gently, “Ms. Isabella, would you like some ginger ale for a hangover remedy?”Isabella rubbed her temples and said, “Yes, please. I don’t want to wake up with a splitting headache tomorrow.”Austin immediately went to prepare it for her.Isabella leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. After some time, she heard Austin’s
Isabella’s bodyguard had only called out to her, not daring to touch her, so she had not woken up. However, when Austin gently patted her face and called her, she woke up almost immediately. When she opened her eyes and saw Austin’s handsome face, Isabella was momentarily dazed, thinking she was dreaming about him.She had actually dreamed about Austin. Had she developed feelings for him? If she had not, why would she dream about him? In all her life, this was the first time she had dreamed about a man. Isabella wanted to touch Austin’s face, but as she raised her hand, she realized she was not dreaming.Austin was real. She could smell the fresh scent on him because they were so close.He had showered.Isabella quietly lowered her hand, hoping Austin had not noticed her earlier intention, lest he misunderstood.“Ms. Isabella,” Austin’s warm and pleasant voice reached her ears, making her want to close her eyes and go back to sleep. With him around, she felt safe and secure.
Hunter had neither money nor power. What could he possibly use to save his sons?“Dad, go home. When the trial starts, we’ll send someone to pick you up so you can attend and observe.”Hunter stood up angrily and stormed off.After he left, Ellie asked Ava, “Are we really not going to do anything? My child is still young. Having a father in prison will always be a stain on their life.”“What can we do? Even if we wanted to save them, we don’t have the means. We know what Caroline is like. She’s not going to let this go lightly this time,” Ava replied. “Anyway, think about last year, when they were caught cheating. How did they treat us then?”Remembering the events from last year, Ellie said, “Let them serve a few years in prison, then. Ava, Caroline is in the hospital. Should we go visit her?”“We should. Let’s go tomorrow. We’ll call Emma and visit Caroline together. The Fisher family is full of terrible people, but Caroline still has some conscience. She’s always been kind t
Hunter was momentarily speechless. He did not have much money. When Belinda was alive, he never had more than five hundred dollars on him. After his children grew up, he secretly asked them for money. During that time, he had money to spend freely, living a lavish life outside.However, all that money had been spent. He had no savings, mainly because he was used to spending extravagantly.He had been unable to save money. He did not own any shops or properties either; Belinda had kept him on a tight leash.The house in their hometown had been built with Belinda’s money, but it was not under his name. It was under his three sons’ names.After Belinda’s death, his sons supported him. Each son gave him over a hundred thousand dollars a month for living expenses.Combined, that was several hundred thousand dollars a month, allowing him to live comfortably in Ashford. He had managed to save a little, but not much, just over a million dollars in total. Hiring the best lawyers for h