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
Elisa answered, “I think so, but I’ve never met him by chance. The Readings are too low-key.” Remy hummed. He had never paid attention to the Readings either. The Readings’ business was not in Wiltspoon, and there was no collaboration between them and FC & Co. Their whole family kept a low profile, so Remy would not pay attention to them. Now, Remy had to watch out for Mr. Reading. For some reason, he felt that Mr. Reading would become his love rival. Elisa did not know that Remy was already on guard, preventing Mr. Reading from becoming his love rival. She asked Remy, “Are you not going home this holiday?” Remy answered, “It’s just for a few days, so I’m too lazy to go back and forth. Besides, I have to keep an eye on the renovation here.” He looked deeply at Elisa and added, “I’d prefer to go back with you.” Elisa smiled and did not answer. Nothing had happened between the two of them yet. It was still early for them to meet each other’s parents. “I’ll go back
Nevertheless, Alice knew her in-laws would be reluctant to have Elisa married far away. As excellent as Remy was, he was from Annenburg, which was far from Wiltspoon. It would take about three hours one-way by plane. If the Johnsons lived in Wiltspoon, and Remy liked Elisa, everyone in the Stones would be extremely satisfied. There would not have been such an incident. Clive pinched his wife’s hand, suggesting that she should not expose their mom even if she saw through her. They should wait and see what would happen. Clive loved his sister the most. He felt that Remy was a great man but was also reluctant for his sister to be married off far. If his sister had another option in Wiltspoon, he would not support Remy in pursuing her no matter what. As for Remy, he was very pressured. Even if he and Elisa loved each other, it would not be easy for him to win her over. Elisa did not have other thoughts. She thought that her whole family should be grateful to Andrew for send
Remy was not bothered by Mrs. Stone’s attitude. He was pursuing his future wife, so he had to be thick-skinned. He still asked with concern, “Mrs. Stone, have you applied ointment to your sprained foot? I also bought a few types of ointments for you. They’re meant for treating sprains and bruises.” After hearing what he said, Elisa opened the few big bags and found a small bag from the pharmacy in one of them. Inside were several bottles of ointments for sprains and bruises. “Remy, we have common ointments for families. My mom’s foot has been treated with it,” Elisa noted. Even so, she was moved by the fact that Remy brought ointments for her mom. Remy valued her family, which meant that he valued her. It turned out that being valued by the opposite sex could give such a warm feeling. When Elisa used to pursue Zachary, he did not even want to see her, let alone value her. Remy said, “As long as some ointment has been used. If it doesn’t help, remember to go to the hospita
Remy recalled when his big brother and sister-in-law received their marriage license. When his sister-in-law knew his brother’s true identity, her mom also tried everything to persuade them to divorce. Even so, Remy’s brother did not feel that his ego was damaged and used his actions to prove his sincerity. Remy’s brother and sister-in-law were able to be in love now after his brother got rid of his mother-in-law’s worries. It was not Remy’s first day receiving cold looks from Mrs. Stone. She had not been the nicest to him since she realized that he had other intentions. Mrs. Stone would normally be careful about not letting Elisa know, but she no longer cared. Remy believed that Mrs. Stone must be determined to stop him and Elisa from getting together. It would be a long and arduous journey for Remy to pursue his future wife. Remy elegantly drank the glass of water. He did not forget to care for Mrs. Stone. It took him half an hour to finish the glass of water. He said a
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