Hayden then turned on her heel to leave. “You will be mine sooner or later. I’m just enjoying the privilege in advance.” Demonstrating utter audacity, Kevin tagged along with Hayden. He would gleefully say hello upon meeting any acquaintances. Since Kevin followed Hayden around like a puppy, these other well-acquainted CEOs could only nod instead of sharing a full-blown conversation with Kevin. Kevin clung to Hayden so tightly that the latter could not shake him off. Hayden’s security detail could not stop Kevin either. They had to engage with Kevin to restrain him, only to realize that they were no match for Kevin. It was said that the boys of the York family were raised to excel academically and athletically. The public took it that the York boys would merely have a few years of self-defense under their belt, but Hayden’s security team did not expect Kevin to be a highly skilled professional in the sport. “Mr. Kevin.” Hayden got a headache from trying to get Kevin out o
Kevin’s reply threw Hayden for a loop. It was unexpected for the question to come from Kevin. Hayden was right to suspect that Kevin knew she was a woman!How did he find out? Still, Hayden managed to pull herself together in a second. She firmly uttered, “I am a man. I can tell you straight in the face that I am a man.” She had been one for more than two decades. Hayden believed Kevin would not be able to read her tell. If Kevin could pick a flaw out of her disguise, Hayden could always improve the façade. Kevin kept a smile on his face. He walked around the coffee table to get to Hayden. Kevin looked at Hayden from a standing position. Not liking the fact that he was looking down at her from a height, Hayden stood up and met him at eye level. It appeared she and Kevin were of similar height. Truth be told, Kevin was slightly taller than her. “You said you’re a man, Hayden. Would you dare to take your clothes off in front of me?” Kevin leaned in, getting a l
Kevin took his time in removing his belt as he replied, “You’re not happy to take off your clothes to prove that you’re a man, but I’m happy to do so.” With Kevin close to pulling his pants down, Hayden retorted with a grimace, “I apologize. That came out wrong. You’re a real man.” Kevin was only trying to spook her. It was not like he was really going to take off his pants in front of her. Now that Hayden had apologized, Kevin fastened his belt and said, “I’m more likely to go for it than you are. You act with integrity and transparency. As a matter of fact, you’re a doer, but you seem to overthink and dawdle at taking off your clothes like a woman.” Hayden scowled. “Don’t tell me you’re a woman, Mr. Hayden.” “I can say the same about you.” Kevin chuckled. “I will cling to you more if I’m a woman. I’ll be all over you until you take me as your wife.” “I’m not interested in you. Please don’t follow me around. You are a massive distraction to my life and work.” Hay
Hayden responded, “Your name will be on the list of wedding invitations when the day comes. You will be my best man, but I expect a huge wedding gift.” Kevin laughed. “Of course. I won’t forget the wedding gift. My only concern is that I may never have the chance to become your best man, but I can be your groom. You can keep all the wedding gifts though.” With Hayden gritting her teeth in rage and tempted to kick him out, Kevin happily took off. Something good came out of tonight. One thing was for sure, his nana did not lie to him about Hayden’s gender. She was a woman. Once Kevin was gone, Hayden slammed the door with a loud bang. Hayden was not in a hurry to get downstairs in case others might catch her together with Kevin. There would only be gossip if they were seen together. She sat back down on the sofa, sinking her back against the seat. Furrowing her brows, Hayden fell deep into thought. How did Kevin know she was a woman?Ring, ring, ring…The phone rang.
Sophia was shocked. She anxiously followed up with questions, “Kevin knows you’re a woman? How did he find out?” It was the first time anybody ever doubted that her daughter was not a man. Once the shock subsided, Sophia was hit with a wave of a pleasant surprise. For Kevin to suspect her daughter’s gender, it could only mean that Kevin believed Hayden was a woman. It was probably why Kevin was wooing Hayden now. In that case, Sophia’s daughter had a chance to marry into the York family so long as Kevin had no interest in the wife candidate Old Mrs. York picked for him. Sophia was on a roller coaster of emotions. Getting a headache, Hayden replied, “I don’t know what started the suspicion, but I’m certain that I gave away nothing.” The longest time she ever spent with Kevin was over the weekend. Oftentimes, it was only an occasional encounter that was kept brief. They had not hung out a lot. Other people who had been in Hayden’s company daily never suspected she w
Sophia said, “Yeah. The Yorks raised outstanding children.” Since Kevin was wooing her daughter and had his doubts about her daughter’s gender, Sophia finally saw hope again. Sophia had always admired Kevin. “Donald, what’s your take about Kevin seeing through Hay’s disguise? She’s been playing a man for over two decades. I wouldn’t believe she’s a woman if she didn’t come from my womb. Hay puts on a convincing show.” “What did Hay say?” “Apparently, Kevin had a gut feeling that she wasn’t a man.” Donald gleefully praised Kevin once more. “The boy has a discerning eye and a keen intuition. He’s definitely raised well.” Sophia had no words. “Honey, it doesn’t matter how Kevin saw through Hay’s disguise. The only thing that matters is that Kevin doesn’t swing the other way, and he’s pursuing our daughter. I’m in favor of this son-in-law.” “Me too.” Sophia grew certain that Kevin would make a good son-in-law. Although nothing concrete had happened between Kevin and H
Hayden callously turned down the offer. “I don’t want to drink with you, Ms. Celine. Excuse me.”Surrounded by her security detail, Hayden walked past Celine. As Hayden brushed past, Celine cried out to Hayden, but Hayden refused to give her the time of the day. Hayden simply walked on. Celine stamped her foot in rage. Although the Fishers were not the wealthiest in Jensburg, the family was in the circle of the rich and powerful. People would always suck up to her every time she attended social events. Celine was no short of suitors, but these men were merely on their parents’ bankroll and had nothing to show for it. Her privileged life with the Fishers gave Celine her arrogance, so Celine believed she deserved better than these men who were living off their parents. Still, all the good and remarkable men out there steered clear of Celine because they knew they would have to take the Fishers’ last name rather than vice versa. Only these incapable trust babies would go for
“Kevin York has no shame. Mr. Hayden is giving him the cold shoulder, but he just clings to Mr. Hayden to no end.” Emma looked over at Kevin and commented, “Kevin has advantages over you all. He’s a guy, and I mean, a guy of power and wealth. The Queen Enterprise would think twice before making York Corporation their enemy. Mr. Hayden’s bodyguards couldn’t even stop Kevin.” It only fueled Celine’s jealousy further. After taking another large gulp of red wine, Celine asked Emma, “Where’s Caroline?” “I don’t know where she’s hiding. I didn’t see her.” Emma did not take to Caroline. For starters, Caroline grew up in a rural area. Sure, Caroline had a natural grace to her. It did not take much dressing up for Caroline to outshine Celine now that the former was back in her rightful place with the Fisher family. Still, Emma could not stand Caroline, getting the idea that Caroline was sly. Caroline behaved discreetly and meekly in the Fishers’ residence, but she quietly chippe
Zachary said those words, but in his heart, he was thinking that he had to keep an eye on the younger generations of the major families in Wiltspoon, particularly those who stood out. He would make note of any promising boys, so that when he had a daughter, he could arrange for that boy to grow up alongside her. If they became childhood sweethearts, she would not have to marry far away. Of course, once he had a daughter, he would not want her to get married too early. He would still be fine even if she was unmarried at thirty.Zachary drove his beloved wife to the Stone residence. Audrey was walking in the yard with Patrick. The weather was nice today, and the temperature had risen a few degrees. Patrick had been ordered by Audrey to stay inside and avoid the cold wind, but he was now finally able to get out and walk around.Elisa had gone to Annenburg with Remy to celebrate Christmas. Anthony, afraid of his parents’ constant nagging to settle down, had bought a plane ticket abroad
“Duncan is a good man. Being with him, you will definitely be happy, Liberty. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness, growing old together, and may you have children soon.” After a pause, Hank added, “Or maybe don't have children, I'm afraid that if you have your own kids, you might not love Sonny as much.”He was still quite selfish. He hoped that Sonny would be Liberty’s only child. As long as Liberty and Duncan did not have children, the fortune and empire Duncan built would eventually become his son's legacy. Then again, thinking about Liberty’s current status, Hank sighed quietly, knowing that his selfish prayer would never come true. Liberty would definitely have another child. She would need a daughter to take her place and eventually take over the Fisher matriarchy in Jensburg.What if Duncan had a biological child? Would he still treat Sonny well?Hank was actually quite worried that if Duncan had his own child, he might not treat Sonny well. That was why, when he last s
“Go cook some food. It's rare for Hank to be resting at home, so don't say those unpleasant things in front of him. Honestly, if he hadn’t gone after Jessica, she wouldn't have ended up like this. As a married man, Hank shouldn't have pursued a young, innocent girl in the first place. Everything that happened to him is his own fault—it’s all self-inflicted.”Ever since Hank divorced Liberty, and after seeing how Liberty had turned her life around and was living a better life, Luke had changed a lot because of regret. It made him realize many things and change a lot.Olivia opened her mouth as if to say something, but said nothing in the end. After a heavy sigh, she stood up and went to the kitchen to prepare food for her husband and son.In the past, when Liberty was still part of the Brown family, every time Olivia came to her son’s house, she never had to cook. She only had to mention what she wanted to eat, and Liberty would prepare it for her. All she had to do was eat and still
“She lost the child when she fell on her own. That was our family’s flesh and blood, too!”Since Sonny did not live with the Browns, and despite her many objections, Olivia did not voice her criticisms toward Jessica when she was pregnant, out of consideration that Jessica was carrying the Brown family’s child.It was Jessica’s bad luck that she fell and lost the child, which made Olivia lose a grandson. If she had just one more grandson, she would not be waiting so eagerly for Sonny to return. It was all karmic retribution! “Mom, that's all in the past. I'm doing fine now. If the child wasn't meant to be, then it wasn't meant to be. They just didn't want to come into our lives. Anyway, Jessica is still my wife. I should go and see her. If I hadn’t corrupted her, she wouldn’t have ended up like this. It’s my fault, I ruined her.”When Jessica first became his secretary, she was still innocent and never thought of seducing him. It was he who fell for Jessica, and it was also he wh
Unfortunately, their regret and realization came too late. “I heard from Sonny that you and Mr. Lewis are getting married soon. When will the marriage be?”Olivia tried to make herself sound calmer. “We’ll be heading to the City Hall to complete the procedures later.”Olivia went silent. After some time, she said, “Oh, today? Congratulations, Liberty. I wish you both a happy marriage.”“Thank you.”Olivia initially had a lot of things to say. However, upon discovering Liberty and Duncan were getting their marriage license that day, the words got stuck in her throat. Saying anything was meaningless.Soon, Olivia hung up. Once the call ended, Luke, who had been sitting beside his wife, asked, “How did it go? Did Liberty agree to Sonny staying with us for a few days?”Olivia was still stunned and did not immediately reply to her husband’s question. At that moment, Hank came out of his room in his pajamas. When he saw his parents sitting on the sofa, he yawned and asked, “Wha
Serenity asked, “Duncan has no comments about it, right?”“No. He said that Hank would always be Sonny’s biological father. Sonny’s surname won’t be changed to Lewis as well. He’ll remain a Brown. That’s part of Hank’s and my divorce agreement.”Since Liberty had signed the agreement, she would keep her promise. No matter Sonny’s surname, the fact that he was a member of the Brown family would not change. If so, there was no point in changing his surname. “Duncan is so easygoing.”At that moment, Liberty’s phone rang.It was Olivia. When Liberty recognized her voice through the phone, she whispered to Serenity, “Speak of the devil. Olivia is calling me.”“What did you say, Liberty?”Olivia heard Liberty whispering but could not hear her clearly. She asked Liberty to repeat herself.“I was talking to my sister, Olivia. Why did you call?”It was still early in the morning. “You’re back from Jensburg, right, Liberty?”“Yes.”“That was what I heard. Look. The year is almo
“He doesn’t even want kids and said having Sonny was enough.”Duncan did not care about blood relations. Liberty believed him. He only cared about her. If Liberty had not had to manage the Fisher family, she probably would have taken more time to consider whether she wanted a second child. However, Duncan's love for her ran deep. She decided to try for another child so that he could have a child of his own. Liberty did not want to be selfish. She could not prioritize only herself and Sonny. She had to be considerate of Duncan as well. “By the way, there’s something that I need your help with.”Serenity said, “Oh you, don’t sound like a stranger. We’re sisters. I’m ready to help with whatever you need.”“I have to go to Jensburg next year. I think I’ll leave Sonny here in Wiltspoon for his studies. I’ll ask for Sonny’s opinion again once my situation in Jensburg is stable. If he wants to move to Jensburg to live with me, I'll bring him over.“If he says no, I’ll need y
“Morning, Liberty. The housekeeper said you weren’t out yet, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”Serenity stood and smiled when she saw Liberty enter. “I woke up when you arrived.”Liberty whispered, “Sonny is still asleep. Let’s go downstairs. You can accompany me on a walk outside too.”“What time are you and Duncan meeting?”Serenity was worried that Liberty would be late. Liberty said, “We still have to wait until the City Hall opens. Duncan and I agreed to meet at nine. It’s still early.”The three adults exited the child’s bedroom and went downstairs. Zachary remained in the house while Liberty and Serenity went on a stroll in the garden. Liberty’s villa initially belonged to Zachary. Although he sold it to Liberty, it was also considered a gift. She was the one who insisted on paying and refused to accept it as a gift. Therefore, Zachary accepted some money from her so that she would take it. The villas Zachary owned were never small. They usually came with garden
“As expected of a child’s skin. It’s so smooth,” said Serenity. “Catch me if you can, Isaac…”Sonny spoke in his sleep and even giggled. He dreamt of him and Isaac playing tag. When Isaac started running after him, he quickly turned to escape while laughing. He did not realize that he was dreaming. “I have two dads, Isaac…”Sonny spoke again.Serenity laughed and told Zachary, “Sonny must’ve had a blast yesterday. Even his sleep talking is related to playing.”She pinched Sonny’s face lightly. “You do have two dads, Sonny. They love you a lot, so you have double the love.”Serenity spoke gently, regardless of whether he could hear her. She bent over and left a soft kiss on his cheek. “That’s why you must be happy. I wish you a carefree life ahead.”She hoped he would grow up healthily and be worry-free. Sonny was in a deep sleep and did not reply to her. Liberty watched them from the door with an affectionate gaze. She felt content. Zachary and Serenity had a st