Zachary looked at Liberty and only started congratulating Duncan after seeing Liberty nodding her head in approval.“Congratulations on your recovery and discharge from the hospital, Duncan. I came just at the right time to give you a ride home.”Duncan replied, “Now that I don’t need to be on an IV anymore, it doesn’t really matter where I lie down. Besides, I think my mood will improve if I get to rest at home instead of this rotten place.”He would never ever want to be hospitalized again if possible.“Feeling better now, Dunc?”Concerned, Sonny asked while walking over to Duncan.“I can finally be discharged from the hospital today.”Duncan pulled Sonny closer and picked him up. He wanted to sit Sonny down on his lap, but Sonny struggled to get down. The little guy said sensibly, “Your leg could hurt, Dunc. I can’t sit on your lap.”Liberty once mentioned that Duncan injured his legs and needed time to heal, so it would be best not to sit on his lap.Sonny remembered it we
“It’ll be fine.”Zachary encouraged Duncan. “You’re a strong and confident person. Believe in yourself, Duncan. As long as you keep up with your rehabilitation, you will definitely recover. The doctor said your chances of recovery are high.”Duncan remained silent. The doctor said that there were chances of recovery, but he did not mention the certainty of Duncan’s full recovery.“Hang in there, Dunc!”Sonny could understand the ongoing conversation well. He waved abruptly at Duncan to cheer him up.Duncan patted Sonny’s head affectionately.Zachary said, “Liberty took over a restaurant and it’s currently being renovated. It’ll be back to normal soon as it is a simple renovation. Look how hard she’s working. You better not give up so easily.”“Is All You Can Eat closing?”Liberty had never talked about her business with Duncan before, nor had he ever asked.He thought it was impossible for him and Liberty to be together unless he could fully recover. Otherwise, he would never
Zachary sighed and said, “Won’t you do your best in rehab and recover as soon as possible, for my sister-in-law’s sake? Are you really willing to watch her be taken away by another man?“If you really think that way, then I’ll tell my nana and have her introduce some good men suitable for Liberty to meet. If sparks fly, as Liberty’s family, Seren and I will make sure she gets married off grandly.”Duncan was pale around the gills.He cared about Liberty, very much so.When Hank had an accident and his life was in danger, Duncan was jealous knowing Liberty went to visit him. He made a fuss and demanded to be discharged early, just so that Liberty would not have to visit her ex-husband every day.Grandma May once said that there were a few outstanding men who were suitable for Liberty. If Duncan could really let go, Grandma May would have introduced Liberty to someone new.“Duncan, if you give up on something you haven't even tried yet, then you won't have any hope of succeeding.”
Mrs. Brown pressed Sonny’s head against her chest, choking up as she spoke, “Yeah, Daddy will definitely get better. Sonny, daddy loves you very much. He knows you are here to see him, he’ll definitely get better.”Sonny snuggled in his grandmom’s arms. As a young child, he knew that his father loved him, but not as much as his mother did. He lost his trust in his father, who would abandon him just because Jess had a tummy ache.As Hank was lying motionless on the hospital bed, Sonny was sensible enough not to speak his mind.Ring, ring, ring…Liberty’s phone rang.It was a call from Serenity.She walked away to answer the phone.“Are you still in the hospital, Liberty?”“Yeah. I brought Sonny here to visit his father. Also, Mr. Lewis is going to be discharged from the hospital. We'll go back soon.”After Duncan got discharged from the hospital, Liberty thought that she did not need to go to his house and take care of him anymore.Duncan would mainly be in rehabilitation afte
“Liberty, is Mr. Lewis being discharged from the hospital today?”Serenity asked her sister through the phone, “Didn’t you say that it would take a while for him to be discharged from the hospital?”“Mr. Lewis was making a fuss about wanting to be discharged. He did so from the very beginning, but the doctor always advised him against it. I wonder why it’s different today. The doctor said that he was good to go home. The doctor also said that he needs to rest for a while at home before he can start rehab.”Liberty sounded a bit helpless. “Mr. Lewis’s mood is as unpredictable as the weather in June.”Though, she could also understand where he was coming from; she would go crazy too if she had to lie down every day.“Now that there is no need for IV infusion, it’s not a big problem recuperating at home. I think it's better for him to go home. He can go out for a stroll in his wheelchair every day and breathe in some fresh air to improve his mood. I heard that a good mood speeds up recove
With the hospital release paperwork all done, Duncan sat in a wheelchair while his bodyguard wheeled him downstairs. Having found out that Duncan was getting discharged, Duncan’s sister-in-law laid aside the matters at hand and hurried over to pick him up. Since there were a lot of people fussing over Duncan, and Duncan was under the bodyguards’ care, Liberty wanted to deal with her own stuff. She told Mrs. Lewis, “Mr. Lewis is getting out of the hospital, and you have a lot of people at home to look after him. I won’t go with you then. My newly acquired restaurant is under renovation now, so I want to check on it.” Mrs. Lewis wanted Liberty to come along to the house as Duncan would hold back a little on the tantrum when Liberty was around. Noticing the weariness across Liberty’s face, Mrs. Lewis felt bad and replied, “We can take care of Duncan, Liberty. Go on with your work, but don’t work too hard. The last few days must have been draining on you.” She took Liberty’s han
“I was thinking that you’d be home since Mr. Lewis is out of the hospital. I could have dinner with you instead of eating on my own at home.” Serenity carried Sonny to the dinner table and grabbed a plate to fill with appetizers. Wiltspoonians enjoyed their appetizers. It was hard to start a meal without an appetizer. Liberty made family favorites. She cooked extra since she had an inkling that Serenity would join her for dinner. “Here’s your appetizer, Sonny. Enjoy.” Serenity then filled a plate for Liberty before getting one for herself. After taking a bite, Serenity sighed with contentment. “Your food is different. The chef at home is good at cooking, but nothing beats my sister’s food.” Liberty responded with a smile, “You can always come over if you like my food.” Serenity craved comfort food after having too much fancy food. “Now that Mr. Lewis is discharged, are you going to carry on caring for him, Liberty?” Serenity asked with concern. “I don’t think so. He
One of the bodyguards courteously asked the stranger. Leaning against the body of the car, the woman pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her handbag and handed a couple to the two bodyguards. The bodyguards refused the offer.The woman did not mind and lit a cigarette for herself before putting the handbag into the car. She then slumped against the car and told the bodyguards amid puffs, “I want to meet with Mrs. York. Tell Serenity that I want to invite her out for supper. I want to have a talk with her.” “May I have your name, miss?” The young and beautiful woman requested to see Mrs. York by name. The bodyguards could guess that she was the woman who had feelings for Mr. York. Otherwise, the woman would not be here to talk with Mrs. York. “My last name is Daniels.” The woman in red was none other than Jenna Daniels. Jenna fell in love with Zachary at first sight. However, her father’s scolding seemed to get through to her as it had been a while since she showed her fa
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
Caroline hummed. “I do plan to visit Wiltspoon to see her sometime soon. I just don’t know if I’ll be kicked out when I get there.”“And I should visit Mr. Foster too. How is he, by the way?" Patrick was the longest-living person she had ever met. Back when she lived with her adoptive family in the countryside, the oldest people in town usually lived into their eighties, and few made it to ninety. Patrick was nearly a hundred years old. What was more, he could walk without support and even travel long distances with his old friends.Liberty replied, “He’s doing quite well. Aunt Audrey accompanies him on walks every day. When they don’t go out, he sits by the cradle and watches baby Elias for hours on end.”The bond between generations was strong. When Patrick looked at Clive’s son, Elias, he felt like he was looking at his great-grandson. As Tiara’s great-grandson, Elias was naturally like his own great-grandson, too.“Dr. Carden comes by periodically to check on him and adjus
Liberty had already called Audrey to inform her about what had happened and also mentioned it to Serenity.Knowing the Clark brothers had all been captured, Serenity felt thoroughly relieved and stopped worrying that her sister would run into trouble in Jensburg.She told Zachary that Caroline never let people down.Zachary did not comment.Caroline’s fever had completely subsided, but her coughing had worsened. The doctor had changed her prescription, but the effects were not immediate.When Liberty entered, Caroline was out of bed and walking around, supported by Darren.“Caroline, why are you out of bed?”Liberty scolded her, “Get back in bed and lie down. You’re injured. If you don’t rest properly and keep moving around, you’ll aggravate your wounds, and you’ll regret it.”She did not blame Darren, though. She knew Caroline always came first to him. He always followed her lead and was unable to influence her decisions.“I’ve been lying down all day. My back is sore, and I’m
The housekeeper replied, “Yes, sir.”They did not have much work in the first place, so they did not need to slack off. Once they were done with their work, they had tons of time to entertain themselves.Hunter rushed out the door with his car keys. Despite being over seventy years old, his driving skills were still quite good. Not needing to hire a driver, he drove himself straight to Jensburg.Upon arriving at the city, Hunter did not immediately go looking for Caroline. He was unaware that she had been injured.Instead, he went to meet his old friends to ask them to help him find out if anything had happened in relation to the Fisher family last night.After he finished speaking, one of his friends said, “We were about to ask you the same thing. Your three sons attacked your daughter with knives and even kidnapped her, intending to chop her up and feed her to the fish.“Luckily, that Mr. Fletcher, who works for your daughter, arrived with the police and rescued her, but she wa