Duncan had no idea what to say.Sonny was such a stubborn kid.“Sonny.”Having caught sight of Duncan and Sonny, Liberty walked toward them.Still worried, Duncan reminded Sonny once again not to expose their discussion earlier. Sonny seemed to turn a deaf ear to his words and struggled out of his arms. He slid down and ran toward his mother. “Mom.”Once Sonny ran toward Liberty, she held his hand and asked with a smile, “Don’t want to play any longer?”“No. I want to go home.”“Alright. Let’s go home.”Looking at Duncan in front of her, Liberty expressed her gratitude to Duncan calmly. “Mr. Lewis, thank you for looking after Sonny on my behalf.”“You’re welcome. I’m more than ready to help you look after him.”Duncan stretched out his hand to touch the top of Sonny’s head. “Sonny is easy to handle.”Liberty grinned before she said to Duncan, “Mr. Lewis, we’ll leave first since Sonny wants to go home now.”Duncan instantly replied, “Let me send you home.”“It’s fine.”L
Duncan was embarrassed because of Sonny’s words, and so was Liberty.She turned her gaze to Duncan.Duncan grinned at her.Liberty was speechless. She kept quiet, thinking about how to answer her son’s question.“Mom.”Sonny’s childish voice rang out again.“Mommy, do you disagree?”“Sonny.”Liberty said tenderly, “You already have a father. Dunc is your uncle, and he’ll forever be your uncle.”“Liberty.”Duncan called her.“Mr. Lewis, Sonny is still young and immature. Don’t say these things to him. Sonny isn’t the one to decide on my life.”Liberty was solemn when she spoke.Duncan said apologetically, “Liberty, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said these things to Sonny at this point. But my feelings for you are real, Liberty. I’m genuinely fond of Sonny and will treat him like my biological son.”“Mr. Lewis, as I said, I don’t want to get into a relationship now.”In Duncan’s face, Liberty said composedly, “Mr. Lewis, I hope you can understand. I also hope that you’ll
Sonny was obstinate.When Hank badmouthed Dunc in front of Sonny, Sonny insisted that Dunc was scary. However, Dunc was not a bad guy. No matter what his father told him, Sonny would not change his perception of Dunc.To him, there was a clear boundary between good and bad people. He would not call a bad person good, and vice versa. “I’m not unhappy. Something just crossed my mind.”Liberty smiled. “Look, I’m smiling.”The kid was clever and sensitive.Seeing his mother smile, Sonny believed that his mother did not get angry at what he said.“Mom, Dunc wants to marry you and make you his wife. Is that true?” Sonny asked after feeling relieved from earlier. Liberty was speechless.Duncan actually told Sonny everything.Considering Sonny’s age, would he understand it?Even if Sonny could accept Duncan as his father, his decision would not change Liberty’s mind.“Dunc was just kidding with you. You don’t need to take it seriously.”Sonny hummed in acknowledgment. “So Dunc w
When Zachary came out and saw Sonny kissing Serenity’s face, he was actually jealous of the three-year-old kid.Zachary carried Sonny into the house while speaking to him.“What do you want to tell me?”A look of curiosity washed over Sonny’s face.Then, Zachary gave him a lengthy lecture.Sonny was at a loss for words.He could not understand most of Zachary’s words. However, he managed to grasp one point, namely that he should not always kiss his aunt’s face since he was a boy.However, Serenity was his aunt.Even Serenity could kiss his face.In the end, Sonny thought, ‘The adult world is so complicated.’What Zachary said to Sonny left Serenity feeling speechless. She had no choice but to say to her husband, “Babe, take Sonny upstairs for a shower.”“Okay.”Zachary took Sonny upstairs and said to him, “I’ll help you shower tonight.”“I want to bring along my toys for a shower.”“You can take your water gun.”“Alright.”While heading upstairs, the two of them were ne
“Seren, sure enough, we’re sisters. I refuted Mrs. Lewis this way too. Why should I leave? Why should I make such a sacrifice?”“I think running away from the problem won’t solve it. Liberty, don’t move out of that street now. Your shop has been operating there for quite a while, and you finally have some regular customers. If you relocate, you’ll need to start everything from scratch.“As long as you stick to your decision and don’t be convinced by Mr. Lewis, he can’t do anything to you no matter how hard he tries. If you fulfill Mrs. Lewis’s request and leave Wiltspoon with Sonny, Mr. Lewis might never be able to get over you. He might spend his remaining life searching for you and Sonny.“By then, despite having gone after you for a long time, he still hasn’t won your heart. With his mother’s disapproval and persuasion over time, he’ll give up and leave you alone.”Liberty thought so too.She would not be able to solve the problem by leaving.Serenity’s thinking was the same a
“Alright, I’m going to give Zachary a reply on this.”Serenity did not insist on helping Liberty pay Sonny’s school fees.It was fine that Liberty wanted to enroll Sonny in Wiltspoon Learning Center. Anyway, she could afford the fees.As Liberty said, Sonny was her son. It was right for her to pay the fees.If Liberty was unable to afford the fees, she would not want to enroll Sonny in Wiltspoon Learning Center.Serenity knew her sister very well.Now that Serenity was the young missus of the Yorks, money was what she needed least. However, Liberty was determined to rely on herself. She refused to mention money matters with her sister.Liberty was afraid of discussing money with Serenity as it would affect Serenity’s status in Zachary’s family and hold her back.Also, Serenity was not the kind who would keep asking for money to help her family. She thought it would be better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish.“Seren, thank you. Because of you and Zachary, Sonny
Sonny hummed in acknowledgment.Serenity placed him down and held him as they went downstairs.Just as Zachary was descending, he saw Serenity and Sonny. He said with a grin, “This kid is such a fast runner. I just only helped him put on his clothes, and he ran even more quickly than a rabbit. Has Liberty left?”“Yes.”Soon, Serenity and Zachary sat on the couch.Sonny was playing in front of the couple.“Babe, Liberty said if you can help Sonny get into WLC, please do help. Just let her know how much it costs and she’ll bear the fees.”“If I weren’t able to help, I wouldn’t have mentioned it to you. I’ll handle it. I’ll make sure my nephew gets into WLC for free. Even if fees are involved, I’ll pay for Liberty.“Regarding the fees—”Before Zachary could finish his sentence, Serenity interjected, “Liberty said Sonny is her son, so she should pay the fees. This is her duty as a mother. It’s only because Liberty can afford to pay the fees that she wants to enroll Sonny in the be
After leaving the hospital, Hank even accompanied Jessica to another mall to get what she wanted.When they got home, he could not stop thinking about the scene of Duncan and Sonny’s close interaction, which exasperated him. His concern was that his son would be snatched away by Duncan and end up calling Duncan “Dad”.As soon as Jessica went to bed, he secretly left the house to buy some snacks and toys. Then, he rushed to his ex-wife’s place.He never thought of saving his relationship with Liberty.There was no turning back. He could not get together with Liberty anymore.However, Sonny was his son. How could his son behave intimately with the man who was pursuing his ex-wife? Duncan had seriously challenged Hank’s identity as Sonny’s father.“Is your wife’s baby fine?” Liberty asked indifferently.Slightly ashamed, Hank answered, “The baby is fine.” “Sonny has been eating and playing a lot. You don’t have to buy him so many things.”“I know he doesn’t need these, but I wan
Austin was extremely patient with the boys. Although they occasionally caused trouble, most of them were minor issues. They would never do something they were not allowed to do.After breakfast, Austin brought them their bags. With a boy in each hand, he left the house. It was to prevent the boys from saying he was playing favorites. Dominic was used to that scene. Initially, Austin was simply Ms. Isabella’s private chef. However, he gradually took on more responsibilities.He would take the two young masters to school. If he had time in the evening, he would also fetch them from school. Austin also made sure Louis and Phillip did their homework, supervised their hobby classes, and played with them. Sometimes, he would even teach them martial arts and train with them. Dominic felt Austin was an all-rounder. It seemed like there was nothing Austin could not do. No wonder Ms. Isabella thought highly of Austin. However, Austin was a young master of a wealthy family. He w
Louis and Phillip were downstairs having the breakfast Austin had prepared for them. The food was different every morning, and everything was delicious.Having gotten used to Austin’s cooking, Louis and Phillip could no longer stand the food provided in the school. They thought the food there was terrible. Louis was enrolled in an elementary school not far from home. As he was a first grader, he did not need to stay in the dormitories and could have his lunch and dinner at home. Phillip, who was a year younger than him, was still in preschool. He would have breakfast and dinner at home. Actually, the preschool did provide breakfast, but Phillip refused to eat in school and insisted on having breakfast at home. In order to eat the breakfast Austin made, he would get up early in the morning without the adults waking him. After putting on his clothes and washing up, he would head to Louis’s place with his bag. “Austin.”Louis suddenly asked, “Did my sister come back last n
Isabella had always thought Tati was teasing her. Therefore, she did not take her words seriously. She thought it was completely normal for Austin to treat her well as she was his boss. From Austin’s perspective, she was his source of income. Now that Isabella pondered about it deeper, she realized perhaps Austin did come to Satbury for her. It was not just to be her chef. He always said Grandma May only gave the York lads a year to pursue their fiancées. However, Austin had never left since he started working for Isabella. Even if he did, it was to accompany her on business trips. He was busy feeding and taking care of her every day and had never gone to pursue his so-called fiancée. He did not even try to gather information on her. Was he not anxious?A year would go by pretty quickly. Although it felt like it had not been long since Austin started working for Isabella, three months had passed. Time really flew. Three months had gone by in the blink of an eye. Neve
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