Sonny blinked, but he did not know how to express his discomfort. “He’s usually very loud, but he’s groggy today. He must be unwell. Bring the thermometer over and measure his temperature, Seren.”Serenity had already brought the thermometer without Zachary telling her and took Sonny’s temperature. A few minutes later, Zachary took the thermometer from Sonny’s armpit and handed it to Serenity. She held it up to look at it. She said, “100.9 degrees Fahrenheit. He has a fever. His temperature didn’t feel hot when I touched his forehead, but the number on the thermometer is so high. I’ll head upstairs to change my clothes. Let’s bring him to the hospital now.“I’ll call his instructor to request a leave of absence too.”Serenity took out her phone and called the self-defense instructor from the gym to request a day off on Sonny’s behalf as she spoke. Zachary said, “Don’t panic. Let’s try lowering his temperature first, then call the family doctor to check on him.”“That works
The family doctor said, “Missus, I’ll prescribe some medication for the child just in case. If his temperature can be lowered through physical means, he doesn’t have to take any medicine first. If his temperature can’t go down to normal and the fever persists above 101.3 degrees, feed him some medicine. I’ll come over again tomorrow.”“Don’t we have to give him medicine now?” Serenity asked. Zachary said, “Let’s avoid feeding him medicine if his condition doesn’t require it. Every medicine has some side effects.”If one kept taking medication or getting an IV drip for minor issues, it would be troublesome in the future once there was drug resistance. Serenity knew to avoid taking medicine as much as possible, but she and her sister always panicked and were extremely nervous whenever Sonny was unwell. They desperately wanted the child to get well immediately. Therefore, the first thing they did every time was to bring him to the doctor, put him on an IV drip, and take medicine.
Duncan looked at the insulated lunch box. He could not reach it after she moved it to the edge because of his injured legs. He was that useless. Everyone had been encouraging him to focus on recuperating. The doctor said the chances of recovery were high, but it was not a hundred percent. Who knew if he could make full recovery?If he could not, then he would merely be like just now, a person who could not even sweep a lunch box to the floor. It was as if the lunch box had a mouth and was laughing at him. He could not stand the sight of the lunch box, yet he could not get rid of it. Duncan was about to fly into a rage when Liberty’s phone rang. He saw her picking up the phone and heard her say, “Seren.” He knew it was a call from Serenity.Liberty did not pay attention to Duncan while she was on the phone call. Only then did he dare to remove his icy mask of disguise and drink the sight of her with his eyes greedily. He was desperate to be with the person he liked for twent
Duncan felt bad for Liberty, but he still did not want to be a burden to her. He said icily, “I said I’d give you six hundred thousand dollars. It’s double what my mom offered you. Leave now. Immediately. Right at this second. Leave!”“Mr. Lewis, I won’t take the six hundred thousand dollars. Mrs. Lewis hiring me is a long-term job, but you’re offering me a one-off amount. I’ll suffer a huge loss. However, if you were to give me six hundred grand for no specific reason each month, I won’t feel comfortable accepting the money. I prefer earning money by working. It makes me feel at ease when I spend it too.”Duncan was speechless. “Long-term? Are you planning to do this for your entire life?”“With your current attitude, I think it’s largely possible.”Duncan said, “I’ll get better. I’ll definitely recover.”Liberty laughed. “That’ll depend on whether you’ll cooperate with the treatment. If you keep this up, I’ll suspect your ability to stand up again. If you end up wheelchair-bound
“Liberty!” Duncan called from inside the ward. “I’ll go in and have a look, Mrs. Lewis.”Liberty withdrew her hand lightly and turned to return to the ward. Mrs. Lewis did not follow her in. As long as Liberty was present and did not call for their help, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis knew not to enter and leave them alone. Their son’s attitude was terrible, and he had not restrained his temper yet. However, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis knew their son wanted Liberty to stay and care for him. Mrs. Lewis returned to sit beside her husband. She sighed and said, “I was too stubborn back then. I’ll learn from Tania from now on.”Derek told his wife, “I’ve advised you many times, but you wouldn’t listen. Our son isn’t young anymore. Other people his age already have children in middle school, but he doesn’t even have a girlfriend. Since he finally has someone he likes, who cares how many times she has gotten divorced? It’s fine as long as our son likes her.“You didn’t heed my advice at all. Now, we
At the hilltop villa, when the call with her sister ended, Serenity retook Sonny’s temperature after he was done eating. She said to Zachary, “It’s 99.86 degrees Fahrenheit. Should we bathe him again?”Zachary poured a glass of water for Sonny to drink up. He said, “Sonny had just eaten his fill. Let him rest before giving him another warm bath. Breaking a fever is a gradual process. There’s no need to panic or worry. The medicine Dr. Thompson prescribed is still on standby.”Ring, ring…Zachary’s phone rang. Serenity said, “Sonny’s fever is going down. You’re busy and have lots of work to do, so you should go back to the office. I’ll look after Sonny at home.”Zachary did not reply but answered the call first. It was Mr. Daniels who called.“Mr. Daniels.”Zachary hated Jenna, but he still treated Mr. Daniels politely. The two companies were looking to collaborate after all. However, Zachary would be willing to give up on the golden opportunity and not work with Daniels Group i
“Sonny’s sick. I feel insecure leaving him at home. You’re worried too, right? If I were to follow you, would you be okay leaving Sonny alone?”Zachary did not say a word. He was uneasy about it too. “Next time, alright. I’ll definitely go with you next time. Don’t pull a long face. You should go upstairs to change your clothes and head out soon. Don’t keep Mr. Daniels waiting too long.”“Come upstairs with me to choose my outfit,” Zachary requested. Serenity lifted Sonny and started walking. “Am I not the one who bought all your clothes? They’re all in your favorite black color with little difference. Any outfit will suit you well. You have the perfect figure and will look good in anything.“I was also the one who bought the ties you’ve been wearing every day. You don’t even have to specifically choose the one I purchased. Wearing any one of them will add to your charisma.”Zachary muttered softly, “I just want you to help me put them on.”Serenity turned to glance at him.
“Who else do I care about if not you? I would’ve accompanied you if Sonny wasn’t sick,” Serenity told him with a smile. Zachary hugged Sonny before getting into the car. He said to Sonny, “Sonny, I’m so jealous of you. Unlike me, you can cling to your aunt every day. There are so many things waiting for me to handle every day.”“Uncle Zak, I’ll help you out after growing up and when I can do so. When that time comes, you can have a holiday.”Sonny’s childish words made Zachary laugh. “You’re such a good child. My love for you has not been in vain.”Zachary even pecked Sonny on his cheek because he was delighted. He said with a smile, “My work is difficult to handle. If you want to help me, you can study well when you go to school. Only then you’ll have the capability to help me when you’re grown up.”Sonny nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll study hard, Uncle Zak. Mom said knowledge could change… Change… Anyway, I have to study hard.”Sonny could not recall his mother’s words, but
“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
Despite this, lying in bed and enduring the pain, Caroline could not help but start to cry, feeling deeply wronged.When Darren came in and saw her crying, he walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and gently wiped her tears with a tissue.“They’re not worth your tears,” he said, his heart aching for her.Caroline sat up and buried herself in his arms. “Darren, you’re all I have now.”Darren held her tightly, his voice filled with tenderness. “I’ll always be by your side, no matter what happens, Ms. Caroline. Even if the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you.“If you’re really hurting and need to cry, then cry. Let it all out.”It would also help her sever ties with the past and the family bonds that had caused her so much pain.Caroline did cry—a long, cathartic cry. It would be the last time. From now on, she and the Clarks would go their separate ways.Meanwhile, Hunter went to Justin’s house and called Jason’s wife, Ellie, over. He said to his two daughters-in-law, “By no
After a moment of silence, Hunter repeated the same line. “But you didn’t die, did you? You only got a little hurt, and it’s not even serious.”Caroline almost laughed in anger at this.Sure, she had not died. She had only been injured. Did that erase the fact that her brothers had tried to kill her, though?She retorted, “Dad, if I had tried to kill your three sons, but they didn’t die and only got a little hurt, would you say the same thing to them? Would you tell them it’s just a family dispute, ask them to forgive me, not to sue me, and not to send me to jail?”Hunter instinctively replied, "If you had the intent to kill, how could I let you continue down that path? Of course, I’d have to let you serve a few years in prison…“Carol, I’m old, really old. I only have the boys to rely on in my old age. Are you trying to leave me with no one to depend on in my later years?”Caroline said coldly, “I’ll provide for your living expenses. I’ll make sure you don’t starve. You can even
Darren did not let go even after being struck.Seeing Darren get hit, Caroline’s expression darkened. She coldly said to her father, “Dad, if you really want to kneel, go kneel at the hospital entrance and shout at the top of your lungs that your daughter is unfilial.“Tell everyone that your sons tried to kill your daughter, and your daughter refuses to forgive them, so you’re kneeling there to force her to forgive your sons.“Let’s see if I give in.”Hunter stopped struggling. After slapping Darren, he felt a pang of fear. He was afraid Caroline might retaliate by slapping him to avenge Darren. Fortunately, while Caroline was furious, she did not lay a hand on him.He began to cry. “Carol…” He wept bitterly.Darren released him, and Hunter sat on the sofa, sobbing, “Carol, I’m old. I have no income, my parents are long gone, and your mother is no longer here. I only have your three brothers to rely on.“If you send all three of them to prison, what will happen to me? Who w