After some thought, Camryn said, “Let me call my assistant and ask her when she’ll be back. I can only leave if someone can watch the shop.”Given that she wanted to socialize with the Lewises, it would be better for her to visit them in person to show her sincerity.She used her old-fashioned phone to call her shop assistant. The call connected shortly.“Ms. Camryn, I’m at the door,” the shop assistant said with a smile. Subsequently, she hung up and parked her e-bike before entering the shop.At the sight of Liberty and Sonny, the shop assistant greeted them with a grin and carried Sonny.Sonny felt that he was likable indeed.Camryn reminded the shop assistant about some things. After that, she followed Liberty and Sonny to visit Duncan in the hospital while bringing along the tonics.Upon their arrival at the hospital, Duncan still refused to meet Liberty.Camryn was dumbfounded when she heard that.Not only did he refuse to meet Liberty, but he also refused to meet Sonn
Lilian pinched her husband’s face while laughing.Lilian and Tim did not hold a wedding for the time being as she was pregnant. They registered their marriage first.Jane and Iris had given birth. Soon, Lilian’s baby would come into this world. Jane was pregnant with twins, which explained why her babies were born earlier than expected. Otherwise, Lilian’s baby would be almost the same age as Jane’s children.Jane had delivered her babies, whereas Lilian was still pregnant with a belly as big as a watermelon.Lilian’s baby was mischievous, showing strong movements.Sometimes, the baby could be seen arching Lilian’s stomach using his small legs or hands. At this point, Tim enjoyed playing with the fetus the most. Every night, when the fetal movement was strongest, he would be playing with the baby with Lilian’s stomach between them.Lilian had long since known that she was pregnant with a baby boy.Perhaps it was because she was a doctor. A brilliant doctor.Tim pulled a long
Tim scowled quietly.Lilian walked to a gazebo and sat under it.Naturally, Tim followed her.“Let’s get the butler to prepare some coffee and pastry to serve Mr. Callum when he comes later.”Tim took out his phone and ordered the butler to send some coffee, pastry, and fruit over.He also asked the butler to prepare Lilian’s favorite snacks.Ever since Lilian got pregnant, she had not been able to stop herself from eating whenever she was awake. She felt the need to eat snacks.She still had three meals a day. Even so, she did not gain much weight. Her nutrients were all absorbed by the baby in the womb.About ten minutes later, Callum walked to the gazebo with the butler.“Mr. Tim, Dr. Carden.”Callum greeted them with a smile.Tim looked sullen without saying a word. Once Lilian darted a glance at him, his expression became gentle. He politely greeted Callum, “Please take a seat, Mr. Callum.”Callum could tell that Tim disliked the sight of him.Given that Callum came o
Nevertheless, Lilian had a giant belly. Even when Lilian went out for a check-up, Tim had to bring along a few bodyguards to follow her closely and look after her.Callum quickly said, “Mr. Tim, I got it. Even if Dr. Carden promises to treat my fiancée’s eyes now, I won’t dare ask her to leave the house.”He fixed his eyes on Lilian and begged, “Dr. Carden, can you get the genius doctor to treat my fiancée? I can afford the cost no matter how expensive it is. I can also accept any requirements for it.”Lilian was an excellent doctor, and the genius doctor was even more outstanding. After all, he was Lilian’s mentor. Furthermore, the genius doctor had been well-known for over a decade. Being called a genius doctor, he was indeed an impressive figure.If the genius doctor was willing to treat Camryn’s eyes, there would be a strong likelihood that Camryn’s vision would be restored.The genius doctor and Lilian were Camryn’s last hope.Callum had promised Camryn that he would beg the
Upon receiving Lilian’s promise, Callum was relieved.He felt the need to leave FC Manor since Mr. Tim disliked the sight of him at that point.Callum learned about Tim and Lilian’s story from Zachary.Initially, Lilian merely wanted a child and not a man.She knew that Tim was looking for her, yet she did not tell him that she was the one.She even ran away.She did not even attend Jane and Ben’s wedding.By the time Tim found out that Lilian was the person he was looking for, he put aside his work and flew to where she was. After staying by Lilian’s side for half a year, he had feelings for her. It was only then that Lilian was willing to return to Annenburg with him.The public had no idea what Tim had done and how much he had sacrificed in those six months.However, one could imagine that Tim went through a hard time before winning Lilian’s heart and marrying her. Although they had not held their wedding, they were considered married couples. Tim enjoyed spending time with
Seeing the York brothers walking over, the Lewis family’s bodyguards’ heads hurt.“Mr. York.”The bodyguards bit the bullet and stepped forward to stop Zachary and the others from advancing. One of them said apologetically, “Mr. York, Mr. Duncan doesn’t want to meet you all. Please leave.”They did not want to be put in a difficult spot. Zachary said with a deep voice, “Is Duncan awake?”“He is, but he doesn’t have an appetite and refuses breakfast. Whether the food was delivered from home or Ms. Liberty, he wouldn’t eat it. He even knocked over the breakfast Ms. Liberty brought.“Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are inside trying to persuade Mr. Duncan to eat something. He’s in a terrible mood now.”The bodyguards said all that in hopes that Zachary and the rest would leave and not put them in a difficult spot. Actually, they wished Mr. Duncan would meet his friends and stop lying on the bed and driving himself into a dead end. Unfortunately, Mr. Duncan would not listen to Mr. and Mrs.
Mr. Lewis felt upset listening to his son yelling. Criticisms could no longer leave his mouth.Duncan was tall and massive. He looked like a rough man. After having lain in the hospital for over ten days, he had gotten thinner. People who were concerned about him would feel sad upon seeing his state. He could not stand and lacked the spirit and vigor he used to have. Even his gaze had lost its usual sparkle, replaced with despair. The doctor said that Duncan’s full recovery depended on whether he could reignite his confidence and persist in treating his legs and undergoing physiotherapy. It would be a long journey. There was a possibility that he would not make any progress even after time passed, and that could easily break someone’s spirits. “Darling, stop scolding Duncan.”Mrs. Lewis persuaded her husband, “It’s my fault. I insisted on feeding him even though he said he wasn’t hungry.”She wanted to take all the blame. Duncan watched his mother and averted his gaz
Serenity supported Mrs. Lewis and brought her to sit on a chair nearby. “Duncan doesn’t want to meet anybody. If he doesn’t communicate, bottling his emotions and driving himself into a dead end, then how can he recover?” Mrs. Lewis wiped her tears. She apologized to the York brothers, “Zack, Callum, don’t blame Duncan. He refuses to see anyone now. He wouldn’t even meet his brothers when they came and stopped them from entering the ward.“His sisters-in-law would bring some nutritious stew over. While the stew could enter the ward, his sisters-in-law were not allowed. He thinks everyone he sees pities him. Even if it’s just a word of concern, he’ll think the same.”Mrs. Lewis’s tears were unstoppable. Her youngest son had always given her the impression that he was strong. She did not know what to do about his mental breakdown. The Lewis family’s elders had visited, but Duncan would not listen to anything. He even refused to meet his best friends, Zachary and Josh. He did no
Oh, right. Ruth mentioned that the York family elders were very open-minded.Open-minded elders and a good family culture were what cultivated outstanding children. It was little wonder that Austin was exceptional and bore such an impressive demeanor. It turned out that he was from a prestigious family.“Isa, what's wrong with Austin? Can we start eating now?”Louis and Phillip were completely confused. All they knew was Austin was not from a simple family, and that he was very capable. Even Ruth had shaken hands with him.The two boys were too young to understand anything besides that. They were just hungry and wanted to eat. It was cold, and the barbecue was very comforting to eat hot off the grill.Isabella smiled and said, “All you two think about is eating. Well, the meat and vegetables are all cooked, so we can start eating now.”As she spoke, she grabbed some meat, shrimp, and vegetables for her baby brothers. Then, she began eating, and everyone followed suit.Ruth too
After Austin left, Isabella asked her friend, "Ruth, do you know the Wiltspoon Yorks? Is Austin really one of them?"“You’ve never been to Wiltspoon, Isabella, and it's so far away. Plus your family doesn't have business there, so it's normal you don't know much about them. I was there for half a month for a trip, and my in-laws have business there.“Last time, when I went on a business trip with my husband, we heard a lot of gossip and rumors related to the York family.“In Wiltspoon, there are several prominent families, but the wealthiest and most powerful is the York family. York Corporation holds the same status in the business world of Wiltspoon as your family does here.”Ruth was introducing the York family to everyone, giving them a preliminary understanding of the family. After that explanation, Ruth added, “The York family has a great family culture to boot. The men in their family are all very loyal. Once they marry, they will remain loyal to their wife and family for
“Your family? As in, Wiltspoon’s York Corporation? Is that your family’s company?” Ruth asked in shock. She looked at Austin, disbelief written all over her face. The members of the O'Connor family were all watching the two of them.“Yeah, that’s my family's company. Our ancestors were good enough to build a strong foundation my elder brother now manages.”“Where do you fall in the order of your siblings and cousins?” Ruth had once traveled to Wiltspoon with her husband for a business trip and had spent half a month there, so she knew a bit about the most prominent family in Wiltspoon. She had also been deeply impressed by the good values the Yorks had. She had heard that the York sons were all exceptional, talented individuals, and indeed, Austin was exceptionally handsome—so much so that it could even incur a god’s jealousy. But how did a young master of the York family end up working as a chef for the O'Connor family?Though York Corporation was based in Wiltspoon, its fina
Austin slept for an hour and then got up. He had to prepare the barbecue ingredients for Isabella, and the marinade was very important. If the O'Connor family was having a barbecue, Austin would actually have it quite easy. He just needed to prepare the marinade whereas the actual ingredients would be prepared by someone else, so he did not need to do everything himself. Of course, if he wanted to take charge and do it all, that was fine too.While Austin was busy in the kitchen, he heard a crisp voice coming from the hall, laughing while asking, “Isabella, where’s that handsome chef of yours? Can I take a look at him? I made sure not to bring my husband along just to see him, so he wouldn’t get jealous.”Austin was speechless. Being handsome could be troublesome too; everyone treated him like a circus monkey. He was not even the most handsome among his brothers. Zachary was the most good-looking and charismatic. If these women saw him, would they go crazy?He heard Isabella sa
As for their future partners, they also had certain requirements. First, their family background should be comparable to the O’Connors, and secondly, they should be from this city or a nearby city—wherever it was, it could not be too far away.Austin had been working for Isabella for some time and had secretly figured out her requirements for a husband. He thought it would be easy when his nana had chosen Isabella for him, but he now understood that it was not as simple as he had assumed.Not only was it hard for Isabella to fall in love, but her refusal to move far from home would also be an obstacle in their relationship. Would he have to marry into her family?Hayden was also in charge of her family company, but she had a twin brother who was just as capable as her. After marrying into the York family, the company could be handed over to her brother to manage.Isabella’s brother had only just started elementary school, so it would take at least another twenty years before Loui
Soon, even Tati ran out and joined the others.Only Isabella remained seated in the gazebo, sipping her tea while watching the younger ones play joyfully. Her personality made it difficult for her to indulge in carefree fun like the rest. However, seeing them so happy lifted her own spirits, and she felt content.She found the tea Austin made to her liking. In the past, she rarely drank tea, as she mostly drank coffee. She would have two cups of coffee every day to keep herself going.After returning to his dorm, Austin lay on his bed but did not immediately fall asleep. Instead, he picked up his phone and chatted with his cousins. He was closest to Peter and River, given their close age gap, and they often chatted the most. At this moment, he was on a call with River.He asked about the situation at home and whether their nana was mad at him for not coming home for Christmas.River replied, “Everything’s fine at home. Nana’s not mad that you’re not coming home. In fact, she’s
Ruth silently told herself that from now on, she would prioritize her friend's happiness and stop helping others gather information.Isabella was a busy person, and she was only just turning twenty-seven. There was no need for her to rush into marriage and she did not need her friend to worry about it for her.Many strong and successful women were still single well into their thirties or forties.“We’re having a barbecue tonight. If you don’t mind, come join us. But don’t come with the intention of playing matchmaker for me. If that’s the case, I’m not inviting you,” Isabella said.Ruth laughed, “I promise I won’t meddle in that. You’re only twenty-seven and you’re still young, there’s no need to rush.”She had gotten married early, but Isabella was different. Isabella bore heavy responsibilities.Caleb had even mentioned that he was willing to marry into the O'Connor family instead, but Ruth knew that he would not be able to help Isabella much. As the son-in-law of the O'Conno
“Hey, Ruth.”“Hey, Isabella, you're on vacation now, right?” Ruth asked over the phone.“Yeah, I am. What's up? You’re not inviting me to that class reunion again, are you? I'm not interested in that, so you don't need to keep trying to persuade me.” Isabella made it clear that she was not interested in the class reunion.When she was still studying, she kept a low profile, so not many people knew she was an O'Connor. However, after her grandfather passed away, her parents lacked the ability to shoulder the heavy family responsibilities, so even before she graduated, she had to step up. That was when her classmates found out that she was actually the eldest daughter of the O'Connor family.As there were many daughters and few sons in her family, before her brother was born, many people were eager to take advantage of the situation to monopolize the family's wealth. To that end, many pursued her and her cousin Tati simply because they were the oldest and the ones who had taken u
Edith thought that even if the food was not delicious, she could still taste the finest delicacies just by looking at Austin. Well, she was a sucker for looks.Isabella chuckled, “Why thank me? I’m not the one preparing everything. Austin will be doing all that.”“I’m Ms. Isabella’s chef. Her wish is my command,” Austin added gently. What he meant was, that if she had not agreed or had not invited them, the other young ladies could forget about tasting the barbecue he prepared.Apart from Isabella, the other young ladies all laughed. Austin had another good quality—he was loyal to Isabella and truly orbited around her. Isabella glanced at Austin with a smile and said, “Austin, go take a break. We’ll stay here for a bit longer. Once those two boys are tired of playing, we’ll head back inside.”Austin nodded respectfully and exited the gazebo. He even played with the two young masters for a little while before heading back to his quarters.Edith watched Austin’s retreating figure