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
Mrs. Stone said to Clive, “If you’re going to talk to Remy, talk to him before it’s too late. Don’t let the two of them fall deeply in love. In particular, your sister still feels uncomfortable when she thinks about Zachary now. Don’t think that I don’t know.” It was just that Zachary became her niece’s husband, so she could not say more. Therefore, Zachary would not come to visit the Stones unless he had to. He would only come for Serenity. Clive said, “Mom, Elisa has let go of Zachary. She’s calm when she faces him now.” Following that, he added, “Mom, was it an accident that you sprained your foot? What’s going on with Andrew? Were you trying to create an opportunity for him and Elisa? Andrew is Zachary’s cousin. Even if the Readings keep a low profile, they’re related to the Yorks by marriage. That’s a hard fact.” Mrs. Stone choked and looked at the door to make sure her daughter would not come in. She responded, “There aren’t many families in Wiltspoon that are well-matc
“You’re the first and only person who moved me.” Remy was serious. He looked at Elisa with affection. He was growing fonder of her. “Remy, I never questioned your feelings for me. I just think that it’s too sudden and that I need some time to think about it.” Remy was understanding. He responded, “I know.” He did not dare to force Elisa. “I’ll go back first. You should go on with your stuff.” Elisa was a little shy being looked at by Remy like that. Uh. She could be shy too. Elisa had always been blunt and straightforward. She would easily offend people. She could not believe that she would be shy like a little girl. Remy did not make her stay. After walking her out of his villa and sending her back to the Stones’ residence, he stopped and watched her go in. He only turned around and walked back when Elisa was out of sight. At the same time, he took out his phone to call Zachary. Yes, he called Zachary right away. Andrew was Zachary’s cousin. Zachary knew
Zachary found his voice after a cat got his tongue. He said with a smile, “Mr. Johnson, you got me confused here.”“How did Andrew become your rival in love? He broke up with his girlfriend of five years three years ago and has since been single.” Was Remy not in love with Elisa? While Andrew did know Elisa, he had no interaction with the girl whatsoever. Andrew did not have romantic feelings for Elisa, so he was no threat to Remy. “Mr. Reading met Elisa today, so it’s too early to say that he likes her. I’m just a worry wart, but Mrs. Stone’s attitude today gave me something to think about. I’m sorry you have to see me asking around about Mr. Reading.” Zachary was nosy for once. It was mainly because his wife drew close to listen in on the conversation. He asked, “Can you enlighten me on what’s going on, Remy?“What are you interested to know about Andrew?” Remy relayed the whole story to Zachary and said, “The fact is Mr. Reading is your cousin, single, and without a gi
“Okay.”Kade said gently, “I’ll hang up and send you my location. We can talk when we meet.”Soon, Kade ended the call and sent Imogen his location. It took Imogen and Dylan about ten minutes to find him. “Kade.”Imogen was happy when she saw him. She ran toward him elatedly.Dylan saw a man about his age or a few years older than him. The man looked handsome and gentlemanly. He wore a gray suit without a tie, which made him look like a successful person. From Imogen, Dylan knew his love rival was a senior executive of a multinational company. He was competent since he was assigned to return and handle the business in the country. Kade’s mother and Leticia were best friends. Kade was also Leticia’s godson. Imogen had known him since he was young, and the parents of the two families intended to bring their kids together. Upon seeing Kade in the flesh, Dylan felt threatened. If he wanted to win, he had to put effort into pursuing Imogen. If Imogen loved him and was will
“You can decide what we have for dinner, Mom. I don’t have any opinions.”Some of the Doyles were busy during the weekends, while others would take a rest. Either way, they still had time to have dinner together. After ending the call with her mother, Imogen told Dylan, “When we meet Kade at the airport, we can have lunch there first. We’ll only eat with my family during dinner.”Dylan had heard Leticia’s words through the phone. He said, “Will Mr. Butcher be staying with your family?”Dylan found it normal for them to have dinner together. After all, that Kade guy was his future mother-in-law’s godson. Since he was finally back in the country, it was customary for Leticia to invite him over for a meal. However, Dylan could not help but feel jealous about Kade staying at the Doyles’ mansion. When he could not even enter their mansion most of the time, Kade could immediately move in. If Kade got closer to the Doyles, he would be a more significant threat to Dylan. Imogen
“We can head there in my car.”Dylan was delighted that Imogen allowed him to go to the airport with her. “Any car is fine.”Imogen led him out of the house. Dylan quickly followed after her and opened the car door for her. He even hovered his hand above her head to prevent her from hitting the roof of the car.“You’re so attentive.”Imogen complimented him as she fastened her seatbelt in the car. “I’ll only be gentlemanly to you aside from my family members.”Imogen glanced at him but did not say a word. A few minutes later, Dylan drove out of the Doyle residence with Imogen in his car.Not long after they left, Leticia went downstairs.She noticed the gifts on the table but did not see Imogen anywhere. Thinking he had kidnapped her daughter, she quickly called Wendy over and asked, “Did Jen head out?”“Yes. Ms. Imogen had gone out with Mr. Dylan. She said they were heading to the airport to receive someone.”Wendy had overheard Imogen and Dylan’s conversation, so she
She did not expect him to be discharged that soon.“Let him in.”Mr. and Mrs. Doyle were not awake yet. They would not stop Dylan from entering. With Imogen’s orders, Wendy quickly called the security booth and told the security to let Dylan in. Imogen stood at her door a few minutes later and watched his car stop before her. “Why are you discharged?” Imogen asked as soon as Dylan got out of the car. He was still coughing.Imogen frowned. His body belonged to himself. Who would love him if he did not know how to care for himself?“I feel much better after spending two days in the hospital on IV drips. The doctor said I could be discharged and gave me three days’ supply of medication. If I’m not fully recovered after finishing the medicines, I can return to get more.“The doctor said I should be fine after this round of medication. He also said I’m generally healthy and that my condition only got that severe because I ate a lot of chili peppers in one sitting.“I have to e
Imogen smiled. “Stop teasing him, Layla. He doesn’t eat spicy food at all. Eating that much chili peppers can be deadly for him.“I’ll be heading back to work today. I can’t take care of him at the hospital every day. I don’t want to let him think that I’ve accepted him just because he ate chili peppers once.”Layla said, “That’s right. You can’t be tricked by his pity play.”“Dylan didn’t torture himself to gain my pity, Layla. He was hospitalized because he ate the chili peppers. His fever, cough, and sore throat are all real. His voice is still hoarse when he speaks.”Imogen could not help but defend Dylan.Layla replied, “Look at you. I only criticize him a little, yet you’re already defending him.“Jen, the person who falls first will always be at a disadvantage.“Listen to me. Don’t dedicate anything to this relationship before Dylan falls in love with you as who you are. Don’t be manipulated by him.“You’re usually sharp and capable, yet you seem to lose all rationality
“Why do you want to see me? Didn’t you see enough of me yesterday? Besides, I’m not your beloved Miss Fox. You said it yourself—no matter how you tried and put in the effort, you couldn’t love me.“I’m just a good friend to your sisters-in-law, and Grandma May specifically called me to ask me to look after you for a day. That’s the only reason I did it.“Dylan, I’m not going back to you.”It was he who said that he did not love her. She had fallen for him, but when he said he did not love her, she hid her feelings.Now, he had realized that she was Chameleon Fox and the person he truly loved had always been her. Imogen had been more or less jealous of her own self all this time.If he had not fallen for Imogen but proceeded to get together with her, then it would feel like he was treating her as a substitute. Fox was Imogen, and Imogen was Fox—but she had still stubbornly distinguished the two.“I know, Imogen,” Dylan said softly.He did not assume he had won her over just bec
The night passed peacefully.The next morning, Dylan woke up. He had been woken by the heat.The room was heated, and he had bundled himself up tightly before going to sleep. By midnight, he had started sweating, but he continued to sleep, so by morning, he was feeling too hot and woke up.“Imogen…” He instinctively called out her name.His voice was still hoarse, but it was much better than yesterday. When he received no answer, he remembered that Imogen had gone home last night. He was alone in the hospital.Late last night, his mother had called him, but only to laugh at him.Now, all alone, in a strange place, and sick, Dylan felt just a tiny bit homesick. It was much more comfortable at Wildridge Manor, after all. When all the York boys were home, it was lively and warm. There was his nana to fuss over him, and even though his parents liked to make jabs at him, they still cared deeply for him.It felt boring at home, but once he left, he realized how warm home really was.
Sasha chimed in, “Exactly. It’s fine to laugh in front of us, but you laughed so loudly on the call too. Dylan is hurt both physically and emotionally, and no one is comforting him.”Rosella responded, “But Imogen is there to take care of him. She’ll comfort him.”Sasha sighed. “It’s so late now. Imogen needs to go back and rest, doesn’t she? Dylan hasn’t even won her over yet, so how could Imogen stay the entire night in the hospital with him?”Grandma May laughed, “You ladies know it’s late too, so why aren’t you three going back to your rooms to rest? Fortunately, the rooms are big enough that we can all chat here without disturbing anyone.“Remember, we’re guests. We mustn’t disturb the rest of the Johnsons just because we’ve come.”The three sisters-in-law glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight.As the eldest sister-in-law, Tania led the way. She stood up and said to Grandma May, “Mom, we’ll head back to rest now. Tomorrow, let’s go out and walk around.”The scenery a
“Mom, I’m your real son!”“If you weren’t, I wouldn’t even bother with you and don’t even want to make this call.”Rosella added, “Alright, now that I know you’re fine, I can relax. Be good to Imogen, she’s a really good girl. I like her a lot. I hope you can get together this year.“Once you’re finally not single anymore, it should be about time for your younger brother to start dating too. Once all three of you are out of the bachelor’s club, all I have to do is wait for my first grandchild to be born.“I’ve saved up a lot of money for both your weddings, though honestly, I don’t think you’ll need it. You all are capable enough to make your own money to get married, so the money I saved for you can go toward my granddaughter instead.“I don’t even know if I’ll be fortunate enough to have a granddaughter.” Rosella sighed. “After seeing little Clo-clo, I finally understand why your nana is so fixated on her and wants to kidnap her. “That kid is so cute. She’s pretty, adorable,