Tania said, “That child is pitiful. God won’t forsake her.” Serenity did not come from a prominent background but was healthy. Plus, her daughter-in-law made progress. Tania used to be a little dissatisfied with her, but she did not mind anymore when Camryn was used as a comparison. Besides, Tania and Serenity developed a good relationship after a long time together. Grandma May said, “God is a powerful being. You young people should go out and play. You don’t need to accompany us old people.” She shooed her grandsons out to have fun. Zachary took Serenity out to look for Sonny. Liberty did not want to face Duncan, so she stayed in the house with the elders and listened to their conversation. It was a conversation among wives, so she could not chime in. Even so, she did not feel inferior. She knew she had not entered the circle yet. Once she became successful in the future, she would naturally be a part of the women of the high society. “Liberty, join me for a walk.”
Grandma May smiled and said, “I could tell since long ago. Duncan didn’t admit to liking you back then. He thought he liked Sonny instead and was only nice to you because you’re Sonny’s mom. Perhaps he liked Sonny at first and had slowly come to like you later on.” Liberty blushed and said, “Grandma May, I have no feelings for Mr. Lewis. He confessed to me, but I politely rejected him.” Grandma May asked, “Is it because of Mrs. Lewis? She’s not ill-natured, but her idea of an appropriate match in terms of social status is deeply ingrained in her. Honestly, it’s good for a married couple to be well-matched, so I don’t blame her for being so persistent.” “I also think that a married couple should be well-matched. Mr. Lewis and I are not, and I’ve never thought of anything happening between us. I’m only an ordinary tenant who rents his shop lot.” Liberty did not have the idea of rising to the top. Her sister could do that due to her good fortune, but she did not want to pursue s
Grandma May sighed and stopped speaking for Duncan. After all, she could not guarantee that Duncan would treat Liberty well for the rest of their lives. “Are the Browns still pestering you?” Grandma May changed the topic and asked Liberty with concern. “Seren asked our grandparents to come and rented a place for them on the same floor as the Browns. The Browns have to pass by my grandparents’ unit every time they go out. With my grandparents in the way, my ex-in-laws rarely appear in front of me nowadays.” The old lady chuckled and said, “That’s a good idea. I don’t have a good relationship with your grandparents, but you’re still their granddaughter. They have conflicts with and grudges against the Browns, to begin with, so they’re helping you.” “Seren gave my grandparents the right amount of money from the rent my uncle pays. She also provided them with a rental unit and paid for their food, so of course, they’ll help me.” Liberty always felt that her grandparents would
“Dunc.” Sonny pulled the kite string and walked toward Duncan. Duncan smiled and pulled Sonny into his arms. He reached out to hold the kite string for Sonny and asked, “Are you happy?” “Yeah. Row said he’d bring me to play in the children’s playground later.” This was Sonny’s second time in Wildridge Manor. He remembered that his uncle’s house had a big children’s playground and that it was fun. Duncan said dotingly, “I can also bring you there.” “Dunc, you’re an adult, but Row isn’t one yet. I’ll be happier if he goes with me.” Adults were not as playful as children. The little one knew the difference very well. Duncan caressed Sonny’s head and asked with a smile, “Sonny, you don’t want me anymore now that you have Row, huh?” Sonny complained, “You only know how to stack blocks, Dunc.” Duncan was speechless. He liked Sonny, but he admitted that he was not doing a good enough job at pleasing Sonny, mainly because he had never liked a child like this before he k
Zachary said, “You don’t have to put too much pressure on yourself. Nana told you that, but the handover will be at least a few years later. Even the smartest and greatest missus in charge will take a few years to fully take over everything. “Look at the account books when you have time so you can learn where the properties are and what businesses are in operation. You can take your time with the rest.” Serenity nodded and responded, “That’s what Mom said. She said I’ll be able to take over after two or three years.” “It’s thanks to the missus in charge every term that the number of stores and properties grew. If the money earned isn’t fully spent, it can be used to repurchase stores and houses, or it can also be invested in other financial products. In any case, money is used to generate more money.” Serenity replied, “I’m still under a lot of pressure after hearing what you said. I dare not say that I have an eye for investment.” “It’s not difficult. You just need to purcha
Serenity left Zachary’s shoulder and looked at him. She seemed gossipy. “What did the psychic say? Can Julian be treated? Or did he lie about it?” “According to Mr. Bucham’s investigation, Julian didn’t lie about it. I don’t think he’d have the guts to come up with such a lie. As powerful as he is, his dad is still the head of the family. Since Mr. Bucham still hasn’t completely let go of everything, Julian won’t be able to get away.” Serenity asked, “So he really has hypoactive sexual desire disorder?” Zachary nodded. Julian’s update came from Zachary pestering and asking his nana. “Then… What did the psychic say?” Julian was also an excellent man, but it was unfortunate that he had hypoactive sexual desire disorder. A person with such a disorder could only depend on fate to find a partner and live a normal life. Otherwise, Julian would be someone who was only living in the shell of a man. He was normal in all aspects but did not react to women. Zachary answered, “Th
Serenity thought of her main task at the moment, which was to first figure out all of her in-laws’ family properties. This was to prepare her to become the head missus in the future. With her attention distracted, she would not dwell on the matter of being pregnant or not. Zachary embraced her again and whispered a few words in her ear. Serenity blushed right away and pinched his thigh. Zachary played along and shouted, “Honey, are you trying to kill your husband?” “Come on, I didn’t even use force. You screamed like a little girl,” Serenity commented. Zachary laughed out loud. Meanwhile, at the Stones, Mrs. Stone was helped into the house by the housekeeper and a strange man. When Elisa, who was about to go out, saw this, she threw her bag onto the sofa and quickly went forward. She asked anxiously, “Mom, what happened to you?” She remembered that her mom mentioned going out for a walk to get some fresh air. Mrs. Stone was assisted to the sofa. She sat and answer
Along the way, Elisa kept thanking Mr. Reading. Mr. Reading smiled and said, “It was no trouble at all. Our families are considered relatives, so you don’t need to be so courteous, Ms. Stone.” He stopped at the villa entrance and looked at Elisa. Afterward, he reached into the hidden pocket of his suit and retrieved a small box of business cards he carried with him before pulling one of the cards out for her. “Ms. Stone, this is my business card.” Elisa took the card and looked at it. Mr. Reading’s name was Andrew Reading. He was the COO of Reading Group, and the CEO was his elder brother. After accepting Andrew’s business card, Elisa said, “Thanks for sending my mom home, Mr. Reading. I’ll treat you to a meal someday when you’re free.” Andrew grinned. “Okay. I’ll be leaving first, Ms. Stone.” Elisa walked him to his car and waved him goodbye. She stood at the same spot to watch him drive away. Remy, who just came out of the villa next door, happened to see this. He
Zachary said those words, but in his heart, he was thinking that he had to keep an eye on the younger generations of the major families in Wiltspoon, particularly those who stood out. He would make note of any promising boys, so that when he had a daughter, he could arrange for that boy to grow up alongside her. If they became childhood sweethearts, she would not have to marry far away. Of course, once he had a daughter, he would not want her to get married too early. He would still be fine even if she was unmarried at thirty.Zachary drove his beloved wife to the Stone residence. Audrey was walking in the yard with Patrick. The weather was nice today, and the temperature had risen a few degrees. Patrick had been ordered by Audrey to stay inside and avoid the cold wind, but he was now finally able to get out and walk around.Elisa had gone to Annenburg with Remy to celebrate Christmas. Anthony, afraid of his parents’ constant nagging to settle down, had bought a plane ticket abroad
“Duncan is a good man. Being with him, you will definitely be happy, Liberty. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness, growing old together, and may you have children soon.” After a pause, Hank added, “Or maybe don't have children, I'm afraid that if you have your own kids, you might not love Sonny as much.”He was still quite selfish. He hoped that Sonny would be Liberty’s only child. As long as Liberty and Duncan did not have children, the fortune and empire Duncan built would eventually become his son's legacy. Then again, thinking about Liberty’s current status, Hank sighed quietly, knowing that his selfish prayer would never come true. Liberty would definitely have another child. She would need a daughter to take her place and eventually take over the Fisher matriarchy in Jensburg.What if Duncan had a biological child? Would he still treat Sonny well?Hank was actually quite worried that if Duncan had his own child, he might not treat Sonny well. That was why, when he last s
“Go cook some food. It's rare for Hank to be resting at home, so don't say those unpleasant things in front of him. Honestly, if he hadn’t gone after Jessica, she wouldn't have ended up like this. As a married man, Hank shouldn't have pursued a young, innocent girl in the first place. Everything that happened to him is his own fault—it’s all self-inflicted.”Ever since Hank divorced Liberty, and after seeing how Liberty had turned her life around and was living a better life, Luke had changed a lot because of regret. It made him realize many things and change a lot.Olivia opened her mouth as if to say something, but said nothing in the end. After a heavy sigh, she stood up and went to the kitchen to prepare food for her husband and son.In the past, when Liberty was still part of the Brown family, every time Olivia came to her son’s house, she never had to cook. She only had to mention what she wanted to eat, and Liberty would prepare it for her. All she had to do was eat and still
“She lost the child when she fell on her own. That was our family’s flesh and blood, too!”Since Sonny did not live with the Browns, and despite her many objections, Olivia did not voice her criticisms toward Jessica when she was pregnant, out of consideration that Jessica was carrying the Brown family’s child.It was Jessica’s bad luck that she fell and lost the child, which made Olivia lose a grandson. If she had just one more grandson, she would not be waiting so eagerly for Sonny to return. It was all karmic retribution! “Mom, that's all in the past. I'm doing fine now. If the child wasn't meant to be, then it wasn't meant to be. They just didn't want to come into our lives. Anyway, Jessica is still my wife. I should go and see her. If I hadn’t corrupted her, she wouldn’t have ended up like this. It’s my fault, I ruined her.”When Jessica first became his secretary, she was still innocent and never thought of seducing him. It was he who fell for Jessica, and it was also he wh
Unfortunately, their regret and realization came too late. “I heard from Sonny that you and Mr. Lewis are getting married soon. When will the marriage be?”Olivia tried to make herself sound calmer. “We’ll be heading to the City Hall to complete the procedures later.”Olivia went silent. After some time, she said, “Oh, today? Congratulations, Liberty. I wish you both a happy marriage.”“Thank you.”Olivia initially had a lot of things to say. However, upon discovering Liberty and Duncan were getting their marriage license that day, the words got stuck in her throat. Saying anything was meaningless.Soon, Olivia hung up. Once the call ended, Luke, who had been sitting beside his wife, asked, “How did it go? Did Liberty agree to Sonny staying with us for a few days?”Olivia was still stunned and did not immediately reply to her husband’s question. At that moment, Hank came out of his room in his pajamas. When he saw his parents sitting on the sofa, he yawned and asked, “Wha
Serenity asked, “Duncan has no comments about it, right?”“No. He said that Hank would always be Sonny’s biological father. Sonny’s surname won’t be changed to Lewis as well. He’ll remain a Brown. That’s part of Hank’s and my divorce agreement.”Since Liberty had signed the agreement, she would keep her promise. No matter Sonny’s surname, the fact that he was a member of the Brown family would not change. If so, there was no point in changing his surname. “Duncan is so easygoing.”At that moment, Liberty’s phone rang.It was Olivia. When Liberty recognized her voice through the phone, she whispered to Serenity, “Speak of the devil. Olivia is calling me.”“What did you say, Liberty?”Olivia heard Liberty whispering but could not hear her clearly. She asked Liberty to repeat herself.“I was talking to my sister, Olivia. Why did you call?”It was still early in the morning. “You’re back from Jensburg, right, Liberty?”“Yes.”“That was what I heard. Look. The year is almo
“He doesn’t even want kids and said having Sonny was enough.”Duncan did not care about blood relations. Liberty believed him. He only cared about her. If Liberty had not had to manage the Fisher family, she probably would have taken more time to consider whether she wanted a second child. However, Duncan's love for her ran deep. She decided to try for another child so that he could have a child of his own. Liberty did not want to be selfish. She could not prioritize only herself and Sonny. She had to be considerate of Duncan as well. “By the way, there’s something that I need your help with.”Serenity said, “Oh you, don’t sound like a stranger. We’re sisters. I’m ready to help with whatever you need.”“I have to go to Jensburg next year. I think I’ll leave Sonny here in Wiltspoon for his studies. I’ll ask for Sonny’s opinion again once my situation in Jensburg is stable. If he wants to move to Jensburg to live with me, I'll bring him over.“If he says no, I’ll need y
“Morning, Liberty. The housekeeper said you weren’t out yet, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”Serenity stood and smiled when she saw Liberty enter. “I woke up when you arrived.”Liberty whispered, “Sonny is still asleep. Let’s go downstairs. You can accompany me on a walk outside too.”“What time are you and Duncan meeting?”Serenity was worried that Liberty would be late. Liberty said, “We still have to wait until the City Hall opens. Duncan and I agreed to meet at nine. It’s still early.”The three adults exited the child’s bedroom and went downstairs. Zachary remained in the house while Liberty and Serenity went on a stroll in the garden. Liberty’s villa initially belonged to Zachary. Although he sold it to Liberty, it was also considered a gift. She was the one who insisted on paying and refused to accept it as a gift. Therefore, Zachary accepted some money from her so that she would take it. The villas Zachary owned were never small. They usually came with garden
“As expected of a child’s skin. It’s so smooth,” said Serenity. “Catch me if you can, Isaac…”Sonny spoke in his sleep and even giggled. He dreamt of him and Isaac playing tag. When Isaac started running after him, he quickly turned to escape while laughing. He did not realize that he was dreaming. “I have two dads, Isaac…”Sonny spoke again.Serenity laughed and told Zachary, “Sonny must’ve had a blast yesterday. Even his sleep talking is related to playing.”She pinched Sonny’s face lightly. “You do have two dads, Sonny. They love you a lot, so you have double the love.”Serenity spoke gently, regardless of whether he could hear her. She bent over and left a soft kiss on his cheek. “That’s why you must be happy. I wish you a carefree life ahead.”She hoped he would grow up healthily and be worry-free. Sonny was in a deep sleep and did not reply to her. Liberty watched them from the door with an affectionate gaze. She felt content. Zachary and Serenity had a st